Believe

Hey, what are you doing this weekend? "Hey, let's go down to Bethany and see that Lazarus guy that was dead for 4 days!” John 11:1-44 & 12:9-10
Now, how exciting would that be, well maybe you have visited the Lazarus of your day? Ever listen to people’s testimonies and hear how they saw the light, how they died on the table during surgery but came back, or how they should have died in that car crash. Why didn’t the plane blow up that went in the Hudson this year? Ever think these are real Lazarus’ of today. That God is still healing and bringing back from death. Have you had a close call and didn’t realize that Jesus was there to protect you. Just as Jesus brought Lazarus back to life after four days, he too can save you. Even Martha didn’t fully understand, she believed Jesus was the Son of Christ, and she did believe Jesus performed miracles, but he had been dead for four days, how was this possible, he would smell by now. When reading this story for the first time I was so intrigued, I wanted, no needed to know more, and now as I reread it today I found the most interesting thing that somehow I missed the times I have read before. Next Mary came out to meet him and was so sad about her brother’s death that she was weeping, Jesus was moved by her sadness so much that he too wept.
After this Jesus went to Lazarus’ tomb and ordered them to remove the stone away from the entrance. But Martha argued with him and said “By this time he will have a bad odor, he has been dead four days.”
But Jesus told her “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone and Jesus looked up into heaven and prayed. After he had prayed he yelled in a loud voice “LAZARUS, COME OUT!” And sure enough out walked Lazarus still wrapped in his burial clothes!
That was worth repeating, four whole days, Jesus loved her so much he cried with her, but what amazes me is that Jesus looked up into heaven and prayed, and then he yelled for Lazarus to come out. Lazarus went on to tell so many about what Jesus had done for him. I have tears writing this, see I had never thought that Jesus would cry with me when I am so sad or in pain, but now I realize, why not? He loved me so much that He died for me, what’s a tear? I too was saved by Jesus in the form of a Lion in the midst of a large summer storm in the sky, he sent this roaring Lion to swallow up the darkness that surrounded our plane, His eyes shined light, 7 streams of light, and a sheep in the background watching over us all. We landed safely and I now have a drawn picture of that lion by my bed to remind me daily of what Jesus does for me. What’s your story? I would love to hear your testimony.
Dear Father I come to you in troubled times and ask that you raise others from their death beds, have their eyes opened to just what you have already done in each of their lives. I Give thanks to you Jesus, for rescuing me from death time and time again. I love you Father, In Jesus Name, Amen!