Wednesday, January 13, 2010

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!

2 comments:

  1. Brenda like all the otheres very nice.But I cried whiled reading it as I have a dear friend going in for surgery next week and I love her very much I would give anything to take her place and her to be health not have to go throught it.But I can not do it so all I do now is pray that God looks over her for me and bring her back to me.Thanks again Brenda your BLOGS are really helping me in life.Please Keep it up.

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  2. Brenda, I know god is with us each and every day in every circumstance. When I had a heart attack 8 1/2 yrs ago I can honestly say I thought (knew) I was dieing and as I looked at each of my loved ones I thought that I would not see them tomorrow the pain was just too much for my body to take it was unexplainable, in the middle of the night before having the stent put in I woke up in the horribliest of pain and called the nurse for medicine, Tina sit in the chair beside me and looked over at me and said Mom I didn't know you were hurting so bad. As I looked over at her I wanted to say Tina I'll never make it through the night this pain is too much to bare but I didn't tell her this because I didn't want her to worry. God carried me through it. The next morning as the doctors tried to use the agioplastic and it didn't work I could hear them talking even though I was suppose to be asleep it was like I was there but wasn't. I heard the someone say this isn't working her vital signs are not
    good. I then heard the doctor tell whomever lets try a stent. I was not scared when I heard them talking God was there with me holding me.
    Several months were very rocky. A couple months later when the doctor said he other side of my heart was bad as well and they put me back in the hospital to do another angioplastic it was different. I was taken into the operating room and could not control the fear the doctor told the nurse to give me more medicine & they put me in the hall for a little longer for the medicine to take affect. I guess you can say that was one of the times of little faith. I am here today to witness that god is with you and will not only hold your hand but will carry you through this time. My prayers and love is with you as well.

    Love,
    Nancy DeHart

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