My Easter Testimony

by Jim Minch

It was one year ago, when the Lord first tried to raise me from my own grave. It was an experience I will never forget. It was also an event which caused me great sorrow and loss. During this awesome effort, I foolishly fell right back into my dark casket for a time. He lifted me up, but I became frightened and stubborn, and slipped right out of His Arms, and into a free-fall of unspeakable torment and chaos.

In the months that followed, I shied away from Him and especially His word.

This event had given me a good taste of the true power the written scriptures have within them. The Holy Spirit also revealed to me just how completely defenseless we are standing in opposition to them. So much so, that if I wasn't under His complete care at the time, it would've killed me instantly, and possibly put me in this state of torment forever. My heart would've failed, and my mind would've folded. Now I have a good idea how His words will cause confusion and madness to all the wicked armies of the Antichrist in the valley of Megiddo on the last day of the great tribulation. Even the most mighty person doesn't stand a featherwind of a chance of fighting against it. Welcome to the power of His word and truth!

As summer came upon me, my fears and uncertainties faded, and I began cautiously walking His way once again. Then in July, I began another fast, and asked for a second chance to be risen out of the cold grave I had always known. And being the Loving, giving Lord that He is, He did exactly that. Three solid years of hard Marine bootcamp could not hold a candle to what I had endured in the three weeks that followed. It had seemed as if three full lifetimes of understanding and realization had been poured directly into my truly blind head. It was here I was annointed, and I could spend the rest of my mortal life describing the experience. I had new eyes and ears, and my skin was incredibly sensitive to my newfound awareness of the new world of iniquity around me. Hearing someone use the Lord's Name in vain was like having a hot, searing blade slice into me. It hurt badly. But each cut I received, the Lord's salve healed quickly, leaving behind a tougher skin in it's place. I had to learn to walk, talk, eat, sleep, and even think all over again. I was truly reborn in every respect! At the time, I was so young, I did not even know the term, "annointing" in relation to a reborn life. I expressed to a woman here, whom I led back to church, that it felt as if I had holy amniotic fluid dripping off my new skin, and trailing on this new road behind. me. It seemed as if everything I said to her knocked her socks off, but I was just describing what I was going through. Her dad is a pastor, and she had seriously backslidden until I shared my experience of awe with her.

Even today, she is still going strong.

It's been 8 months since my own resurrection, and many memories of this event is still fresh in my mind. The old Jim is dead and buried, and the new Jim is still walking toward the light. My young legs are still a little wobbly, but they are getting stronger as each new day passes. And when I feel His presence fade within me, I feel like a dying, withered plant in the scorching sun, screaming out for water and nourishment. And the longer He waits, the louder I scream, and the stronger my thirst gets. It's times like these that makes me beg for another annointing event like He blessed me with last July. But I do not know if we can be annointed more than once. I'm like a young child who has just been spun around in the air by his dad. Standing clumsily on the ground, with my head spinning erratically, I stand and shout
to Him, "I wanna do that again! Please Papa? Please take me for another ride!" But I also know He will not do so if I put on the shoes of a raven and not a dove.

Therefore, I do my best to select the right pair while getting dressed each morning. Sometimes I don't open my eyes all the way, and I end up slipping on the raven sneakers instead. And sometimes, they are hard to take off again, especially when the knots are tight. Then I have deep regret, and work hard to loosen these ugly knots so I can put the dove shoes on once again.

When Jesus arose from His grave and unlocked the gates of heaven, it shook the heavens and the earth. And for that, I thank Him daily. He did all that, and suffered that much just for me?? My own resurrection shook my world as well...
The world around me may have not noticed it much, but I sure did. Now I stand, waiting to be lifted up once again. Only this time, I hope He lifts me up much higher than He did before.

What a ride that will be!!

Happy Easter everyone.
He is indeed risen!

YBIC!
Jim