Already And Not Yet
WRITTEN BY: CATHIE OSTAPCHUK
We have just experienced the most profound three days in the history of our faith as Christ followers. On Good Friday, we remembered Jesus’ death on the cross that opened up the floodgates of amazing grace to more than cover all our sin.
On Saturday, the day ‘in between’, we remembered Jesus’ burial. We journeyed to the darkness of the tomb, which threatened to seal up His goodness forever, but was no match for the Almighty power that rolled the stone away. Could we believe He would do the same for the darkness that covers us, and threatens to keep us in its grip?
Resurrection Sunday proves He can be trusted – not only to fulfill the prophesy that Jesus would rise on the third day, but that we also rise to live with Him.
How can it be? We are still caught in the paradox of having to live in a world broken and hurting, with so many questions remaining unanswered. We prove ourselves no wiser than Thomas, who asked Jesus, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
We already know the sound of His voice, we have already experienced His grace, we have already been rescued from the dominion of darkness and miraculously transferred into the Kingdom of Light. And yet – we are waiting for proof that this abundant life is real. We are saying to God, “Show me”.
At Gather Women we are caught in this same reality between what we have already received and what has not yet been revealed to us. God has already spoken to so many of His daughters in this great nation of Canada. He has given us a vision to connect and link arms, to lay an infrastructure of community with the one, the few, the many coast to coast, and with a collective voice, rise to make His name great. Already. It is happening. We are going to be connecting with amazing women in British Columbia on April 2 at Gather BC (it is still not too late to register!). And linking further from as we go from west to east...we will be gathering women in Edmonton on May 14 at Gather Alberta (click here to reserve your spot). We will be gathering in Montreal, and finally in Toronto at our national Gather Canada on October 1, 2016.
Yet we await for the fullness and completion of the vision – the not yet that He has promised to bring to fruition in this national. We await Revival - in the hearts of all our women. We await Renewal - a decision to walk in grace and not under condemnation. We await Resurrection - living in the abundant life and the knowledge that we are enough, because His death on the cross was more than enough to cover all our sin. We await lights being ignited province to province – lights of womens’ hearts who know that we are better together.
Will you believe with us in the already and the not yet? He has done it – His work is finished. And now we grasp the reality that He is calling us to partner with Him in being transformed through His power in us, and carry that transforming power to our families, our spheres of influence, our communities, our churches, our nation.
Let us Gather. Are you with us? We are carried on the wings of the powerful message of Resurrection Sunday as we prepare this week for Gather BC. We have created a space for you to join us, in prayer, or in the room.
We invite you to join our Facebook Page and subscribe to our communication list to stay connected with us! Raise your hand to become a Gather Circle leader in your area. Sign up to join our prayer movement. Be bold and become a Gather Regional leader. It has already begun. We can only imagine what the not yet will be as God directs our steps across Canada in the days, weeks and months ahead.
