Read John 11:1-16
This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Year of Supernatural Manifestation”, with our mini-series on “The Miracles of Jesus.” Let’s continue with the story of Lazarus.
Yesterday we saw how Jesus basically told Martha that He was ready, willing, and able to do something about her brother’s situation, but it went right over her head. Although she was saying “religious sounding”, they were empty words, not spoken from a believing heart. What Lazarus needed was a resurrection. Jesus told Martha that He was the resurrection and life. He was ‘resurrection’ in the flesh. What she needed for her brother was standing right in front of her. Jesus even asked her, “Do you believe this?” In other words, “Do you believe me?” But look at how she replied. She said, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” That’s not what He said! It is obvious that Jesus and Martha were not on the same page.
So after seeing that He was getting nowhere with Martha, Jesus asked to see to Mary. After all, Mary was a worshipper. Even if Mary did not come to Him with faith-filled words, at least she might come to Him in worship. Jesus was ready to resurrect Lazarus and He was simply looking for a “trigger” from the sisters. One sister had come and failed. Even after repeated attempts by Jesus to get her to speak faith, she missed what Jesus was doing altogether. One sister down, one more to go. Mary was coming and she would have her chance with Jesus. As we look at what Mary did, seek to observe the differences between the two sisters. Mary said things very similar to her sister, but it was HOW she said them that made the difference. It was her posture, her position, her worship. Mary came to Jesus in a different way and she received completely different results.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever been somewhere where God is moving mightily, where people are getting healed, where you can visibly see others getting their breakthrough, but then some seemingly receive nothing? The writer of Hebrews tells us that two people (or two sets of people) can hear the same message, but the message heard will only impact those who receive it and mix it with faith (Heb 4:2). That’s how you can be at the same place, at the same time, hear the same Word, by the same person, and still miss what God wanted to do in your life, even though others received their blessing. In that case the problem is not on the part of the transmitter, but rather the receiver.
That’s why I believe this series is so important. When you open your heart to the supernatural, and you start believing on God’s level, you position yourself to experience God the way He wants you to. At that point, all limits are gone, all hindrances are removed, and all that is left is a limitless God and His son/daughter in the earth. When God is free to do what He planned to do in your life, the results are supernatural and amazing.
So what does this mean to you today? A few quick things.
- In order for God to fully operate in your life, He is looking for your cooperation.
- When you fail to get in synch with God and believe on the level that He desires to operate on in your life, you are hindering Him from doing what He planned to do, from the foundations of the world.
- While God is God, and He can do anything, He has chosen to operate through humans on this planet, and He has chosen to require faith from humans in order to do so. So while God does all He does by grace (unearned and unmerited), if you fail to provide faith, your lack of faith will keep you from the fulness of God grace, and you will run the risk of missing out on God’s best.
- The key to success in Christ is not more trying, it is more dying. It is when you truly die to self that God is free to do whatever He wants to do in your life. At that point, you get to live the life He planned, and it will be much greater than anything you could ever come up with on your own.
- Jesus wanted desperately to resurrect Lazarus, but He was looking for faith from Mary and Martha. He tried repeatedly to get faith out of Martha, but all His attempts failed. This morning, think about Jesus’ interaction with Martha and then think about your own life. How many times has God come to you, over and over again, attempting to pull FAITH out of you? Don’t make it hard for God. Live a LIFE of faith. Be quick to offer God faith in every situation. Look at every challenge through the lens of faith. Speak to every situation, using the language of faith. If your heart is open to believe the impossible, and your lips are ready to declare words of faith that are backed from a believing heart, you will be in position for God to do ALL He wants to do in your life. And that is the best place to be… open to God’s will, ready to receive God’s best!
- For the supernatural to be manifested on the earth, God requires humans to be open to His will, even when it exceeds the limits of this present world. When humans are, the possibilities are endless, the limits are gone, and the supernatural becomes natural. This is how God’s will is done, on earth, as it is in heaven… through a partnership between God and man. God is willing to provide His part. Are you willing to provide yours?
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am ready to experience Your best. I am ready to for Your will to be done in my life in an uninhibited way. I am ready to experience heaven on earth. I am ready for the supernatural to be natural to me. You have been ready all my life. I declare that I am ready NOW! I am ready for your will to be my will every second of every day. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
