Why not now Lord? Final Part

"(53)Then from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. (54) Therefore Jesus, no longer walked openly among the Jews ..."  

                                                                                                        John 11:45-57.  NKJV 

In conclusion to our study of the account of Lazarus, we see Jesus performing the most amazing of miracles - raising Lazarus from the dead and many people are in awe of this feat; others are criticising Him and now there is a plot to kill Him.
This was life for Jesus, and to a degree, it is the same for anyone who makes a stand for Him. If we put our neck on the chopping block, we can be sure that the devil will try to chop our head off. He's not our friend

.
Families can be separated because a member declares that they have become a Christian. Persecutions may follow. In some countries today, Christians are imprisoned and even executed for their faith. There was a popular song a few years ago entitled, 'I never promised you a rose garden'. And this is so true.

The disciple Thomas, who is often referred to as Doubting Thomas, had to be careful because he was also known as the twin (11:16). This was because he had an uncanny resemblance to Jesus. So wherever he went, it was understandable that he had a few doubts. 

Before Jesus' death, afterwards and even today, to declare that you're a follower of Jesus can be risky  in some areas of life. Persecutions can come in our jobs, where we can be passed over for promotion because we're 'religious'. When certain people hear about our faith, it can bring division and sometimes heavy debates about, 'If there is a God, then why does He allow...'. We've all heard this one.

If persecution and hatred came to Jesus, you can bet it will come to you. But one thing is for sure, when we make a stand for Jesus; when we speak about Him and lead people to follow Him; when we share His love to a hurting world and when we live our lives for Him, He is so grateful to us and is with us, every step of the way.

 
He knows what you've been through. He knows accepting Him was costly and one day He will welcome you into His heaven and give you the biggest hug that you've ever had. At the end of the day, He didn't promise us a rose garden. The garden He promises us has the Tree of Life in it!

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

                                                                                 

Why not now Lord Part Four

"Take away the stone" (v38)                                                                   John 11:38- 44.  NKJV

As soon as Jesus commanded that the stone be taken away from Lazarus' tomb, the devil and all the demons surrounding the tomb, were petrified. The devil had robbed Jesus of His friend and Mary and Martha of their brother, and he was satisfied that he had brought pain into their lives. However, he underestimated the power of Jesus. He didn't think that after four days that Jesus would try to raise Lazarus from the dead. But he had a shock. He is no match for the awesome power that Jesus has. That day, he had no power to prevent Jesus doing what he had set out to do four days earlier. He commanded the stone to be taken away and things began to happen! He stood outside the tomb and demonstrated His power by declaring in a loud voice, full of authority, 'Lazarus come forth,' and Lazarus did just that.
Jesus spoke with authority and He showed the devil who really is in charge. There is nothing that He cannot perform for each one of us. 'Is anything too hard for the LORD' (Genesis 18:14). Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Nothing. And we need to grasp hold of this fact. But let us look a little closer at verse 44:
'And he who had died  came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Loose him, and let him go'.
BOUND HAND AND FOOT 
Lazarus was shackled. He was alive but there was nothing he could do whilst his hands and feet were tied. He needed to be loosed.
GRAVE CLOTHES
By wearing these grave clothes, he was identifying with death. They needed to be taken off and a new set of clothes given to him.
FACE WRAPPED WITH A CLOTH
Lazarus was unable to speak properly because of this restraint.
When Jesus said 'Loose him', all of these restraints were taken away from him and he could function properly. Let me ask you three questions:
(1) Have you been bound hand and foot, so much so that you are going nowhere?
(2) Have you felt your ministry and walk with God is dead and you're identifying with
     spiritual death?
(3) Does it feel like your mouth has been stopped and you cannot speak up for Jesus?
Today, stand up and let Jesus take the stone away from the staleness of your spiritual walk. He has commanded, not only to Lazarus, but to you too, that you be loosed and be set free. If this is you, then let us pray:
Lord Jesus, I have felt that my hands and feet are bound; that I am spiritually dead and that my face has a cloth over it, hindering my speech. I turn to You Jesus and I receive, by faith Your touch that says, 'LOOSE HIM/HER AND LET HIM/HER GO,' In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

   

                                                      

Why not now Lord? Part Three

"Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"                                                                             John 11:28-37.  NKJV

When Mary saw Jesus, she said exactly, word for word, what Martha had said: 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.' (11:21) But there was a difference; Martha shot from the hip and said whatever she was thinking. Whereas, Mary was more gentle and knelt before Jesus in tears. It was the same question that Martha had asked, but it was spoken with a deep compassion which demonstrated her pain. It affected Jesus so much that He felt her pain transferred over to Himself and this caused Jesus to weep also. (v35).

This also had an impact on the onlookers who had gathered, an event that they would remember for some time. Seeing this mighty figure weeping, was something they had not expected and it moved them. A few were no different from some people today however; 'Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?' One can almost feel the insincerity in their words. Remember, not all who followed Jesus were committed to Him; and we can meet this type of person today. They are characterised by complaining about everything. We can all act this way every now and again, but these people are more prone to find fault in the majority of things they see and hear about. Criticism is this type of person's forte and their comments can be quite hurtful. You may have met some of them. They usually fall into two categories: they will talk behind your back, or they will say things to your face, possibly loud enough for others to hear, and it can be so humiliating and deskilling. There is constructive criticism and there is destructive criticism. You may well have been the recipient of the latter. 

Jesus would have heard them as they spoke in the crowd; there's no doubt about that; and He would have been used to hearing derogatory comments about Him too. Yet, He didn't allow it to stop His work. He refused to be prevented from fulfilling His Father's work. He always gave His best for Him, so don't let anyone or anything stop you. Press on.

You have a calling and the devil doesn't want you achieving it, so he will use people to stop you, humiliate you and convince you that you have it wrong. This just proves that you have it right, so joyfully get on with the job. God's relying on you.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

Why not now Lord? Part two

"Your brother will rise again"  (V23)                                                 John 11:17-27.  NKJV

When Jesus arrived in Bethany at the home of Martha and Mary, He found that Lazarus had been dead for four days. We often wonder at the fact of Jesus delaying visiting His friend for so long, but another explanation for this may have been old Jewish superstition. It was believed by many at that time, that after someone had died, the soul would remain at the graveside waiting to see if the body would be resurrected. Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus back to life, but didn't wish for the people to believe it was through superstition but through the glory of God. He wanted people to see God's power and believe.

Martha was disappointed that Jesus hadn't come straightaway, but she still demonstrated her faith in Jesus by saying, 'But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You' (v22). Jesus replied, 'Your brother will rise again' (v23). Martha took this that Jesus was referring to when they would be re-united in Heaven. But Jesus meant now!

How do you handle disappointment? Mary was at home probably praying about the situation, while Martha had run out to meet Jesus when she had heard He was in the vicinity. It could be taken that Martha was a little angry with Jesus for not turning up in time. But she always said it as it was and couldn't hide her disappointment. However, she still believed that Jesus could change things. She said, 'Even now' (v22). What she meant was 'I know You can still do this.'

Do you believe that of Jesus? When you feel let down, can you say, 'Even now Jesus, I know You can do this'. This is the attitude that we need to adopt. We ask God, we believe we have what we ask for and by faith we receive it. (Mark 11:24) This is the faith Jesus wants us to live by, 'Even now Lord, no matter what, I know You won't let me down. Even now, You're at work performing what I have asked You for.'

You may have been asking God for healing; for provision; for that special job that you are qualified for or for that break you have been waiting for. Don't become disappointed that it has not happened yet. 'Even now' God can do it. Check your heart is right with God, that you have no unconfessed sin and that you're in the position that God wants you in. If not, make some adjustments, and then wait because, 'Even now', God can bring your miracle to you.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

                                                      

Why not now Lord?

"Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, 'Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick'. (4) When Jesus heard that, He said, 'This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it"
                                                                                                     John 11:3 - 16.  NKJV

Why didn't Jesus go to Lazarus' home immediately? The sister's plea to Him had been urgent enough, but He remained where He was for a further two days. The reason was, Jesus knew the outcome; He knew what He had to do and He knew what He would do. He was in total control of the situation. He told His disciples (in verse 14-15) 'Lazarus is dead, (15) and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.' He wanted to mature their faith; to teach them; in fact, to grow their faith even deeper. And He wants to do that with us too.

The disciples thought this was extremely strange, they couldn't make sense of it and it was agonising for Mary and Martha, who were waiting anxiously for Him to come. Jesus responded this way, three times in the Gospel of John. Firstly in this text; then The Wedding at Cana John 2:1-11 and finally in John 7:1-10, when His brothers were urging Him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles and He refused to go with them. Each time, someone dear to His life and He seemingly wouldn't do what they asked, or delayed the process.

You see, Jesus knows the end result, He knows what He is going to do. On on all of these occasions, His refusal to grant their requests was to show them that He does things according to  the timing and will of God, not man.

This really explains those times when we are pleading with Him to help us and nothing appears to happen. He hears us the first time we ask Him to help us and His great love and compassion for us, goes into action there and then, However, because He can see things that we can't; because He knows the future and the way ahead, He masterminds the way forward for us. Many is the time when we want to steam ahead, dashing into blindness. And many times, this is where we get it wrong. Jesus has all the answers. He knows what He is going to do and will perform it at the given time.
So relax. Stop thinking that He hasn't heard your prayers. Stop thinking that He isn't interested, because you're so wrong if you think that way. He adores you!

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

There's no need to be scared

"It is I, do not be afraid"                                                   John 6:15-21.  NKJV

Following the miraculous feeding of the Five Thousand, the people were in awe of Jesus. They wanted Him as their king to prevent Roman oppression such as there was in Judea under Herod. They wanted to force this issue; to manipulate Jesus with kind words, but Jesus was having nothing to do with it. He knew it was a temptation from the devil to make Him king. Jesus knew that He would eventually be the King of all kings and wasn't going to manipulated into the schemings of the evil one.

Instead, He went to Hs secret, solitary place - the mountain, as we discussed the other day. He knew He could find solace and strength there. He knew that He could seek His Father's advice, direction and comfort. This is why the secret place is so important to each of us. We need it. 

Later, Jesus walked on the water to be with His disciples. He had heard their panic - their cries for help when they were in the turbulent water, and He was there to help them. 'It is I, do not be afraid' He told them and all was peaceful. Several things come to mind here:

(1) Watch the flattery; the words that can seduce you into doing what you shouldn't do - to jump the gun, dashing into something that seems so right for you, but really, is a counterfeit experience from the evil one.

(2) Remember the importance of your secret place - the place you go for your quiet time with Jesus. It is vital to do this. This is why Jesus went there and He knows far better than us.

(3) There is no need to be afraid at all. Fear is from the evil one and the opposite of faith. Fear can keep you rooted to the spot, afraid to take a step forward. It robs you of all Jesus has for you. Take His words to heart, 'It is I; do not be afraid.'

There was a mighty miracle that day. The disciples had feared drowning, they were losing control of their boat. They were possibly only halfway to their destination when this happened, fighting against the wind and making little progress. Then Jesus turned up and they invited Him into the boat and, immediately, they were at dry land. It was miraculous. Certain death and devastation was over-ruled when they invited Jesus into their situation. Did you get this? Certain death and devastation was over-ruled when they invited Jesus into their situation. 

Do this for yourself and expect a miracle!

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

 

The Hypocrite

(1) Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees - their hypocrisy. (2) The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed and all that is secret will be made known to all. (3) Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear."

                                                                                               Luke 12:1-3. New Living Translation

Very strong and attention-getting words from Jesus! Words that make us look within ourselves and check out what we have been saying and how we act.

William Barclay commenting on this passage said:

'The original Jewish meaning of the word hypocrite began by meaning someone who answers. Hypocrisy originally meant answering. First the words were used of the ordinary flow of question and answer in any talk or dialogue. Then they began to be connected with question and answer in a play. From that, they went on to be connected with acting a part. The hypocrite is never genuine but is always play-acting. The basis of hypocrisy is insincerity.'

                                                                     William Barclay - The Gospel of Luke

Food for thought isn't it? So the root of hypocrisy is insincerity - it is play-acting or living a lie. The hypocrite - which we can all be at times - seeks success and the attention of others. The hypocrite lives such a life that condemns certain sinful practices, that they may be involved with themselves - but in secret.

Over the years, several well-known preachers have had their sinfulness revealed - the very sin that they had been preaching against. The hypocrite can hide their lifestyle from other people but they cannot hide it from God. He may well reveal it at sometime.

This is strong stuff, but let us look at the 'play-acting' side of things. We've all done this from time to time - copying that special hero type figure. There was a film some time ago about a chap called Walter Mitty, which was about a daydreamer who used fantasy to give himself escape from his humdrum life. He would imagine he was a war-time pilot; an imminent surgeon or a successful spy, just to make his life more exciting. The problem was, he always had to come back to reality.

The bottom line? You may have been hypocritical on occasions, leading people to think of you, what you are not. Repent. God is very forgiving. You may also be the 'Walter Mitty' type, imagining yourself in that next blockbuster assignment. Just stop there and be yourself. God knows you as yourself, not as some fantasy hero. Just be you. He likes that.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com