Team,
This message is on Faith in Action. It is also from a VERY personal place. I am sending this because I experienced a Lazarus moment in my own life.
John 11:20-23, 26-27, 33-36, 39-44 (New Living Translation)
20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” .....
26 “Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” .....
33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.
They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” .....
39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.
But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”
40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
Wednesday afternoon, my mother became sick with congestion and perhaps some sort of infection. She was admitted and they ran the usual battery of tests. When I left the hospital that night, she was resting comfortably and I was not concerned or worried. Yesterday, as the clouds and rain rolled through Montclair, she took a turn for the worse. From what I was told, her breathing had slowed to the point of 1 breath every 2-3 minutes.
I got a call at around 12:30PM from her at-home aid telling me to hurry to the hospital. Meanwhile, the weather had cleared and the heat wave of the last 2 days began to break. It took me 20+ minutes to get to the hospital, and in that time my mother went from death's door to not only awake, but dramatically improved! When I arrived, she recognized me and called me by name. They asked her if she was hungry (she had not eaten in 2 days), and she replied "is the Pope Catholic? - Get me a sandwich!". Everyone smiled and set about feeding her. She is still being treated for an underlying infection, but now she is expected to make a complete recovery. She is still a frail and elderly woman, but her spirit has returned in full effect. A quick wit and a lack of patience are the sure signs of a full recovery.
Jesus told His disciples that they would perform greater miracles than He did, because they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. This is Real Proof in our time that God remains in the Miracle Business. Expect your prayers to be answered, your petitions to be heard, and your longings to be made manifest. I have seen First Hand once again that God hears us when we cry. Walk forward with NO DOUBT IN YOUR HEART that you will receive the Victory in His Name!
Blessings,
Bryan
Wonderful story of our wonderful God. So thankful your mom will be okay. Bless her and you in Jesus' name, Amen!
ReplyDelete