THE CORPSE THAT COULDN’T STAY DEAD

 

JOHN 11:1-3,14,15,21- NOW A CERTAIN MAN, WAS SICK, NAMED LAZARUS OF BETHANY, THE TOWN OF MARY AND HER SISTER MARTHA.

IT WAS  THAT MARY WHICH ANOINTED THE LORD WITH OINTMENT, AND WIPED HIS FEET WITH HER HAIR, WHOSE BROTHER LAZARUS WAS SICK.

THEREFORE HIS SISTERS SENT UNTO HIM SAYING, LORD BEHOLD, HE WHOM THOU LOVEST IS SICK.

THEN SAID JESUS UNTO THEM PLAINLY, LAZARUS IS DEAD.

 

AND I AM GLAD FOU YOUR SAKES THAT I WAS NOT THERE, TO THE INTENT YE MAY BELIEVE: NEVERTHELESS LET US GO UNTO HIM.

THEN  SAID MARTHA UNTO JESUS, LORD, IF THOU HADST BEEN HERE, MY BROTHER HAD NOT DIED.

MARTHA’S FAITH STOPPED AT THE DEATH OF HER BROTHER. THE GRAVE WAS THE END OF HER FAITH. HER FAITH WAS LIMITED TO SEEING HER BROTHER’S BREATH.

MANY OF US CAN ONLY BELIEVE IF WE SEE, BUT THE KIND OF FAITH THE LORD WANT’S US TO WALK AND LIVE IN, IS A FAITH THAT DOESN’T HAVE TO SEE TO BELIEVE.

EVERY DREAM, EVERY VISION THAT SEEMS TO BE DEAD CAN BE RESURRECTED. THE LIFELESS VISION IS JUST A FAITH AWAY FROM WAKING UP AND COMING ALIVE.

THEY WERE HAVING A WAKE BEFORE JESUS ARRIVED. THEY WERE WATCHING THE BODY BEFORE BURIAL, THATS WHAT WE CALL A WAKE. PEOPLE WATCH DEAD DREAM’S , VISION’S, AND DEAD PURPOSES, AND THEY LOOK AT THEM AND SAY ISN’T THAT A PRETTY CORPSE. I THOUGHT THIS VISION WAS FROM GOD BUT IT’S DEAD, I GUESS IT WAS JUST MY THOUGHT’S, SO I WRAPPED IT UP AND BURIED IT. WE HAD A GOOD FUNERAL.

WHAT WE NEED IS NOT EVERBODY COMING TO A WAKE TO TALK ABOUT THE DEATH OF A VISION, BUT WE NEED TO CAUSE AN AWAKENING THAT CAUSES A SHAKING IN THE GRAVEYARD OF  DESERTED VISIONS.

FAITH DOESN’T STOP WHEN SOMETHING LOOKS DEAD. I HAVE ALMOST BURIED VISIONS THAT GOD GAVE ME AND THEY SEEMED TO BE DEAD. BUT OUR FAITH MUST NOT BE LIMITED TO WHAT WE SEE, OR FEEL.

FAITH MUST NOT STOP WHEN SOMETHING LOOKS DEAD. THE STONE THAT HAS BEEN ROLLED TO THE TOMB HAS TO BE MOVED. THE STONE HAS TO BE MOVED FROM THE PAGES OF THE BIBLE TO THE PAGES OF OUR HEART. THEN WE HAVE THE FAITH THAT DOESN’T STOP AT THE DEATH OF SOMETHING, BUT IS UNLIMITED FAITH.

FAITH COMETH BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. WE SPEAK TO THE VISION, VISION COME FORTH, LET MY VISION BE LOOSED IN JESUS’ NAME. I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE DEATH OF MY VISION, RESURRECTION AND LIFE  TO MY VISION IN JESUS NAME.

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THE TRIED

BEING TRIED IS NOT THE EASIEST PART OF BEING A CHILD OF GOD.

WE ARE TRIED MANY TIMES BY THE USE OF FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, CHURCH MEMBERS, AND ENEMIES OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

WE ARE TRIED BY OUR OWN IMAGINATIONS GOING WILD.

WE ARE TRIED BY BY OUR REACTIONS TO CERTAIN SITUATIONS.

WE ARE ALWAYS ON THE BATTLEFIELD AS WE SERVE THE LORD. BUT WHAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER IS, I SAMUEL 17:47b – THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S.

WE DON’T HAVE TO FIGHT OUR BATTLES.

TRIALS COME, MY FRIEND, THEY COME.

BUT WE SHOULD REMEMBER: TRIALS ARE LIKE A TUNNEL. THEY HAVE A BEGINNING AND AN END. WE CAN SEE LIGHT AT THE END OF A TUNNEL. BUT WHILE GOING THROUGH A TUNNEL, THERE IS DARKNESS BEFORE THE LIGHT.

BUT AS CHRISTIANS, WE HAVE THE SENSE THAT WE ARE STILL MOVENG FORWARD, NO MATTER HOW DARK IT MAY SEEM.

THIS IS LIKE THE TIMES WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF BEING TRIED. WE REALIZE HOW POWERFUL THE GRACE OF GOD REALLY IS: HOW HE IS IN CHARGE, BECAUSE WE HAVE NO STRENGTH OF OUR OWN.

OUR TRUST CANNOT BE THE FLESH; FLESH WON’T HELP: IT HAS TO BE GOD WHO IS CARRYING US THROUGH.

PSALM 66:8-12 –  O BLESS OUR GOD, YE HIS PEOPLE, AND MAKE THE VOICE OF HIS PRAISE BE HEARD:

WHICH HOLDETH OUR SOUL IN LIFE, AND SUFFERETH NOT OUR FEET TO BE MOVED.

FOR THOU O GOD, HAST PROVED US; HAS TRIED US AS SILVER IS TRIED

SILVER, ACCORDING TO ANCIENT METHODS, REQUIRED A PROLONGED PROCESS OF REFINING BEFORE IT COULD BE PRONOUNCED PURE.

SO YOU COULD SAY IT THIS WAY, “YOU, THROUGH A LONG PROCESS, HAVE PURIFIED US WITH FIRE.”

VERSES 11,12 – THOU BROUGHTEST US INTO THE NET; THOU LAIDEST AFFLICTION UPON OUR LOINS. THOU HAST CAUSED MEN TO RIDE OVER OUR HEADS; WE WENT THROUGH THE FIRE AND THROUGH  WATER: BUT THOU BROUGHTEST US OUT INTO A WEALTHY PLACE. 

THE MEANING IS, YOU CRUSHED US DOWN UNDER A HEAVY WEIGHT, OR LAID GREAT BURDENS ON OUR BACKS. MEN CAME AGAINST US TO HARM US, BUT IN THE END, YOU BROUGHT US OUT INTO WEALTH AND GREAT ABUNDANCE, A PLACE OF REFRESHMENT, A PLACE OF LIBERTY.

VERSES 16-20 – COME AND HEAR, ALL YE THAT FEAR GOD, AND I WILL DECLARE WHAT HE HATH DONE FOR MY SOUL. I CRIED UNTO HIM WITH MY MOUTH, AND HE WAS EXTOLLED (OR CELEBRATED) WITH MY TONGUE.  

IN ALL THESE VERSES, IT SEEMS THE PSALMIST HAS BEEN THROUGH A TERRIBLE TRIAL. HE BEGAN TO PRAISE GO WITH HIS MOUTH AND TELL OTHERS HOW GOD BROUGHT HIM OUT.

BUT GOD DID MORE THAN JUST BRING HIM OUT OF HIS TRIAL, HE MOVED HIM INTO A PLACE OF REFRESHMENT, A PLACE OF LIBERTY, A PLACE OF BLESSING.

HE WAS ELEVATED INTO ANOTHER LEVEL WITH GOD BY THE PASSING OF THIS GREAT TRIAL.

I BELIEVE THIS HAPPENS TO US AFTER WE HAVE BEEN TRIED.

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