Remove the stone of your grave.

 Meditation John 11:31-40

1. The Jews who were in the house with Mary saw her hastily rising up and going out followed her saying that she is going to the grave to weep there. (V31)
2. Mary came to the place where Jesus was and fell at his feet saying if he was there his brother would not have died. (V32)
3. When Jesus saw Mary weeping and the Jews who came with her weeping too he groaned in his Spirit and was troubled. (V33)
4. Jesus asked them where they have laid Lazarus and they said to him to come and see. (V34)
5. Jesus wept and the Jews said to themselves how much he loved Lazarus.  (V35,36)
6. Some people said if Christ can open the eyes of the blind He could have stopped Lazarus from dying too. (V37)
7. Jesus groaned again and he came to the grave. The grave was a cave and a stone was laid on it. (V38)
8. Jesus told them to remove the stone. Martha said to him that Lazarus will stink and he was dead four days ago. (V39)
9. Jesus said to her again that if she believes she will see the glory of God. (V40)

LIFE APPLICATION:

Moving the heart of Christ:

There is something very striking in this chapter about Mary that moved the very heart of God to do a miracle which was not there in Martha, that the spirit of God shed his light upon. Let us dig in a little deeper.

1. Be still:

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
John:11:20

I would like to compare this to the sower's parable. Some seeds sprout easily but faded fast, but some patiently gave fruits in its time.

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
Matthew:13:5

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Matthew:13:6

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Luke:8:15

Are we able to bring forth fruit with patience? Are we able to be still and wait for God like Mary did ? Let's examine ourselves.

2.  Rising up and going out:

The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
John:11:31

Mary rose up and went out of the place of mourning. She refused to  identify herself with the mourners but rose above that level to find the one who can make things whole.

Are we willing to shake the shackles to meet our creator? Are we still seeking comforter among the mourners or are we willing to look up to the hills from where our help comes from?

3. Mary's eyes were opened:

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
John:11:32

There is something very interesting in this verse.
Mary came to the place where Jesus was. She did not meet him on the way as Martha did.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
John:11:20

So where was Jesus when Mary met him? Let me take you further into the deeper waters. The word of God says,

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Ephesians:1:20

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Ephesians:1:21

Yes! Halleluyah! Mary rose up to meet Christ in the heavenly places as the king of kings and Lord of Lords seated on the throne and her eyes was opened to see him as the King.

The  eyes of Martha was able to perceive Christ as a man. But the eyes of Mary was opened to see  Christ as God in all his glory, that she could not but bow down and fall at his feet and beg for mercy.

Dear Child of God!
 1. Are you willing to shake your shackles?
2. Are you willing to rise up to the heavenly places where Christ is seated through praise and prayer?
3. Are our eyes opened to see Christ as the King of kings and Lord of Lords and humble ourselves at his feet? Then our miracle is very close to us.

 4. The attitude:

Both Mary and Martha asks the same question to Christ. But let us probe into the attitude difference.

Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
John:11:21

Then when Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
John:11:32

Mary exhibits a high degree of humility as her eyes are opened to see Christ as God and falls at his feet.

Are we able to see Christ as the Lord of our situations? Let's examine ourselves.

5. Mary wept:

Nothing moves God's heart more than tears. He loves us so much that when Christ sees our tears he groans in his heart and he chooses to weep with us.

When Jesus, therefore, saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
John:11:33

Let us see some more examples from the scriptures as to how God's heart is moved with the tears of his people.

A. Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third-day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.
2 Kings:20:5

God heals Hezekiah seeing his tears.

B. And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and beseeched him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
Esther:8:3

Esther be sought the king for mercy with tears.

C. Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
Psalm:56:8

Our tears are collected in the bottle of God.

D. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah:25:8

God himself will wipe away our tears.

E. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
Exodus:3:7

God remembers our very tears. He loves us. He weeps with us in our sorrow. He is not a distant God. He loves us intimately and passionately.

So let us humble ourselves and with a steadfast faith, We will cry out to God. He will definitely reward us and grant us our hearts desires.

 THE DEAD DREAMS :

All of us are born and grew up with lots of dreams. But in the meanwhile, most of our dreams and visions died because of various situations.

We get educated with dreams in our minds to do well. We get married with dreams of a beautiful home. We get children dreaming of someday they will be the best on Earth... We go to a job that someday we will be rich. ...

Our whole lives surround these dreams. But in reality when situations are not conducive our dreams slowly fall sick. They begin to fade and one day comes when they die.

We bury them thinking they can never be a part of us.
But then Christ comes to the cave where we buried our dreams as he went to meet Lazarus. He asks us,

And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
John:11:34

Can we today call Christ to see the grave where we buried our dreams? Or are we going to say like Martha that Lord it has been four days there and it stinks?

Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
John:11:39

Today is the day! Christ wants to interfere in the very dead and decomposed dreams and situations of ours. All it needs is a simple formula.

HUMILITY+FAITH= MIRACLES.

Do you Dare to love like Christ?

 Today's meditation John chapter 11:1-10

1. There was a man named Lazarus In Bethany the town of Mary and Martha and he was sick. (V1)
 2. It was this Mary who anointed the feet of Jesus with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. Lazarus was her brother. (V2)
3. Mary and Martha sent to  Jesus that Lazarus whom he loves was sick. (V3)
4. Jesus said that his sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God that CHRIST may be glorified in him. (V4)
5. Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus. (V5)
6. When Christ heard that Lazarus was sick he tarried in the place he was and abided there for another two days. (V6)
7. Then Christ said that they ought to go to judèa again. (V7)
 8. The disciples said to him how he can go there again to the Jews who tried to stone him. (V8)
9. Jesus said there are twelve hours in a day. If a man walks in the day he stumbles not because he sees the light of the world. (V9)
10. But the man stumbles in the night as there is no light in him. (V10)

 Life applications:

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
John:11:4

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
John:11:5

The amazing Love of Christ:

In this meditation, God opened my eyes to see a glimpse of the amazing Love of Christ.

1. The love of Christ comprehends the big picture:

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
John:11:4

The love of Christ was deeper to analyse the issue in the light of God and comprehend what God wanted to do in that particular situation.

Dear Child of God... do we see the hand of God in our difficult situations? Are we able to trust in God in seeing the big picture as Christ did.?

 Let us ask for more of the love of Christ in us that we will be able to love him and trust him more in overwhelming situations in ourselves and in others.

2. Love of Christ is tough:


When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
John:11:6

The Love of Christ is tough enough not to be shaken by any emotional outbursts.

the love of Christ sees physical things spiritually by-passing all emotions.

Jesus tarried and spent another two days in the place where he stayed, that God's will be accomplished in Lazarus.

Dear Child of God,
Do you feel God does not have compassion on you and is tough as you cry out to him day and night?

Cheer up! This waiting is also a part of the big plan. This is also a characteristic of the great love and wisdom of Christ.

3. The love of Christ submits to the direction of the Holy Spirit in respect to time and space.

Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
John:11:7

Christ gives us a beautiful example of how to surrender to the leading of the holy spirit.

Many times we with emotional decisions and looking at situations around or hearing to people make haste in decisions not heeding to the gentle voice of the holy spirit.

The spirit of God wants our soul to be at peace in all situations that we can listen to the leading of the holy spirit clearly each time.

 4. Love of Christ is daring:

His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
John:11:8

Halleluyah! The love of Christ is daring enough to face the cross for us.

 He chose to go to Judea again in spite of an outrage opposition in that place.

Dear Child of the most high God!
You have a heavenly father whose hands will reach out to you even if you are in the midst of hell surrounded by a thousand demons.

Do not be disheartened... you have a loving heavenly father who dares to go any extreme for your cause.

5. The love of Christ gives us a sound mind:

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walks in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
John:11:9

Christ is light. If we walk in the light of Christ,  in the direction of the Holy Spirit we will not stumble. The Love of Christ never confuse us.

A. The Lord himself shall be our light and we shall not stumble.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm:27:1

B. The word of God is a light to our path.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm:119:105

C. Christ himself is that light that will bring us to the sanctuary of God.

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
Psalm:43:3

D. There is a light inside of us... even our conscience through which God can lead us.

For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
Psalm:18:28
 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Proverbs:20:27

More than anything... if we are walking in the love of Christ we are walking in the light.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1 John:1:7

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1 John:2:10

To GOD BE THE GLORY.... amen.

RECIEVING MIRACLES FROM CHRIST - MEDITATION on John 2: 1-11

1. There was a marriage in cana of Galilee and Mary the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited there. (V1,2)
2. When they wanted wine, Mary told them they have no wine ( v3)
3. Jesus answers Woman what do I have to do with thee? Mine hour has not yet come. (V4)
4. Mary instructs the servants to do what Jesus says. (V5)
5. Jesus tells the servants to fill the six waterpots of stone, kept there for purification of Jews with water. They filled it to the brim. (V6,7)
6. Jesus instructed them to draw out and give to the governor of the feast. (V8)
7. When the governor of the feast tasted the wine, he called the bride groom  and said.,
" Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now."
John:2:10
8. This is the first miracle Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and his disciples believed him. (V11)

Life Application:
1. Jesus wants to be a part of our daily affairs in life. For this he expects us to invite him into those areas of our lives that needs his touch.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Revelation:3:20

He wants to sit with us and sup with us discussing our life issues with him. We don't need to carry heavy burdens of impossiblities when we have such a faithful friend for us.

THE POWER OF INTERCESSION:
2. In this incident, I see Mary has a powerful intercessor. It is these intercessors who move the heart of God to do miracles. (V3)

Duties of an intercessor:
1. Taking responsibility for others problems to bring them to God's notice. (V3)
2. Tarrying in God's presence till his heart is moved to respond. (V4)
3. Believing and seeing by Faith that God is a God of impossibilities.
4. Instructing people to believe in Christ and to do what he instructs them to do. (V5)

Shortly, intercessors are great people standing between God and Man, with a strong will never to give up,  but an yielded spirit moving God's heart to do miracles for people sake.

 Life Application 3:
The battle was already complete in the Spiritual realm when Mary interceeded.
The physical victory depends on how well we hear the Voice of God and obey. (V5)

OBEDIENCE of the Servants:
If we are called to be the servants of God, let us make sure, we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our  Earthen vessels with the right kind of water and that too, to the brim.

It is the Holy Spirit who fills us with God's word and draw from us to give to others.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2 Corinthians:4:7
This treasure is that of the gospel of CHRIST.

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Ephesians:5:26

Here water means the word of God.

When this water of the word of God is drawn to be born to others, God changes it to be the choicest wine. ( V8-10)

In both these below verses, wine signifies prosperity.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
Joel:3:18


Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
Deuteronomy:33:28

But, it is also written in these verses about the Fountain that flows from the house of God and about the Fountain of Jacob which both signifies the BLOOD of CHRIST that is shed for a remission of sins. Please check out the verse below.

In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
Zechariah:13:1

So putting it all together, the Holy Spirit  draws the gospel of CHRIST and bear it to people, from Earthen vessels, the servants of God filled to the brim, with the word.

 This water, the GOSPEL OF CHRIST empowered by his BLOOD, when received becomes the choicest blessing in our lives.

I pray that the Spirit of God will open our eyes to get more deeper insight of the living waters, the word of God.