John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
Sometimes it can be easy to assume Jesus doesn’t love me, when I go through hardship in my life. When the answer seems to delay. When it seems like Jesus doesn’t care about my pain and struggle. But let me remind somebody today: Jesus does love you. Whatever you go through does not mean he doesn’t love you. Hold on to your faith in both his LOVE and his ability to change your situation.
John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
This statement seems a bit odd, knowing that Lazarus was about to die moments later. But maybe that was exactly the reason for Jesus to say this. This sickness is not unto death. Death is not in control over this sickness. Jesus was. He said it was for the glory of God.
When you go through hardships and trials, you need to tell yourself: This situation is not unto death. My faith will not die as a cause of this. Hell is not in charge. Jesus is in charge. When I come through, I will come through pure as gold. It may look dark and difficult. I may not have all the answers, and even question why sometimes. But I will not allow anything cause the death of my faith. This sickness is not unto death.
Jesus says in Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
He didn’t promise that we would not encounter snakes and scorpions in our lives, but he promised that when we do, it would not harm us. He never promised we never would get sick; but hat the sickness would not harm us. He never promised us that friends and people never would betray us, but when they do, he would make sure it wouldn’t harm us.
No matter what you face or go through, remember: This situation is not unto death. The Devil is not in charge. Jesus is.
John 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
When Jesus told Mary to roll the stone away, she was worried about the stink. She was concerned about the smell that would fill the atmosphere and be an embarrassment to her and her family. What would people think? What would they say? Best to keep the stink behind the stone. But Jesus was trying to let her know that if you want your miracle, you will have to endure some stink.
Many times in the Bible, we can see people go through a time of stink before they experience their miracle. Joseph is one example. There in Egypt’s prison, betrayed by his brothers, and betrayed by Potiphar, he was in the midst of STINK. But after the stink was a great miracle. You may go through some stink in your life right now, but maybe what you need is to let Jesus speak into your stink. When the voice of Jesus shouted “Lazarus come forth”, the stink was changed into a great miracle. Let Gods word speak into your situation, and see how God will transform your “stink” into a wonderful testimony.
1 King 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 42So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
First Elijah proclaims to the King with confidence to prepare for an abundance of rain. This is three and a half years after he had told the same King it wouldn’t rain until he said so. Now he proclaims the time has come. What a confidence. What a faith. What an assurance.
But then something strange happens. The Prophet starts to pray… Was it because he was not confident in his own proclamation? Was it because he hoped God would back up his statement? Actually, what it shows is an incredible confidence and faith in the power of prayer. He had prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and God had answered that prayer for three and a half year. Now he hears in the Spirit that it’s finally time to rain. Even though he knows its Gods will for it to rain, he also knows it doesn’t come without prayer. The same prayer that stopped heaven, now opens up heaven.
When God reveals his will to us, is for us to pray it through. Sometime Gods intention to reveal his will to us is to get us on our knees. Will you like Elijah put your face between your knees and pray Gods will through? Will you pray like Jesus taught: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven? Pray until you see the clouds starts manifest it self?
Don’t say thing like “I guess it wasn’t Gods will” when things doesn’t happen. Sometimes its not the lack of Gods will, but the lack of prayer!!
John 11: 4When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
This seems for us that know the story a bit strange. Especially when we know the rest of the story. Even Jesus himself said in verse 14 ”Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” Seems contradictory at first glans… First he says that this sickness is not unto death, and then he says plainly that Lazarus is dead. According to the timeline it also seems like Lazarus was already dead when the messengers came back to Martha and Mary. They greeted them with what they thought was the good news from Jesus; “this sickness is not unto death.” They must have been puzzled when they heard he was already dead.
Did Jesus miss it? Had they misunderstood him? Did they hear wrong?
They did not hear wrong or misunderstand, this was exactly what Jesus said. But he didn’t say Lazarus would not die, he only said this sickness is not unto death. In other words, death does not own this situation. Death is not in charge or in control of this sickness. Even though there is some stink already, the promise of Jesus is still more powerful than death itself.
But before Jesus could do the miracle, they had to role the stone away, and let him do it.
Some of you have rolled a stone over some promises, and settled with the thought that I guess it was not meant to be. Let me remind you: Hell is not in charge of your situation. Jesus is. You need to role the stone away and pray one more time. Let the enemy know that this situation is not unto death. Death has “owned” this situation long enough. Stand on the promises of God.
Some people have allowed death and hell to “own” their issue and problem. There is already a stink there. A stink of bitterness. A stink of doubt. A stink of rebellion. What they need to do, is to role the stone of doubt, bitterness and rebellion away and let Jesus make sure that their issue is not ending in a dead faith. Too many people will go to hell over situations that Jesus never meant should lead to death. Maybe they never heard the good news or report from the messengers. Maybe they didn’t believe it. Maybe they refused to let go of their bitterness or doubt. And they end up going to hell, because they never rolled the stone away so the life giving, and life transforming words of Jesus could speak into their lives.
“For who has despised the day of small things?” (Zec 4:10)
I am very much for BIG things. I like BIG churches, BIG conferences. I very much desire BIG revivals. But I think also that sometime as we pursue the BIG things, we can quickly loose the small things, and the small voice of God. Many times it is the small things that can bring forth the BIG things in our lives. It could be just a small txt or encouraging message that says things like: “I missed you Sunday”, that could encourage a young woman, man or child to come to the house of God next Sunday. They may be the next Paul, or a Deborah of the new Testament that will transform cultures. Who knows!!! We have to stop expecting everything to start big.
Today, I want to be led by the Spirit, and to walk by the Spirit. So let me encourage you today to get on with your life, and let God use you in the small things that in turn will develop into BIG things.
Many times we use the word hope incorrectly. We say things like: I hope God will heal me. I hope I will get a better job. I hope this thing will work out in my life etc. When we use the word hope this way it actually steals our faith. But the biblical meaning of hope is very different from this.
The meaning of the Greek word used for hope here has to do with expectation. This word expecting (hope) is the same as when a woman is expecting a child. She will then prepare things in her home, getting things ready in hope (expecting) of the child to be born. This is how you use the word correctly. So when I hope God will heal me, I make room, and prepare for the miracle to happen. When I hope God will fill me with the Holy Ghost, I already make room for it by repenting and surrendering my life to God.
Paul teaches that this expectation is a result of Gods grace. And we have access to this grace through faith.
Rom 8:18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
It’s just like you put a seed in the ground, and then waiting in hope. It’s an expectation. So the next time you hope for a miracle, understand it has to do with expectation. It’s because of the seed that is put in you by the word of God, and that through faith we have access to his grace and all that he provided for us.
The true meaning of hope is that I am expecting it to come to pass because of what he did for us. By faith I have access to his grace, and it is THIS that gives me hope.
So make room for the miracle, and expect it to happen. For we have access to the grace of God by faith, and that’s why we have this great hope.
