Testimony in Trials

After Lazarus was raised from the dead, the people started to follow him, as many wanted to see the man who Jesus raised from the dead. Because of Lazarus' living testimony, many of the followers became believers of Christ. In John 12:10-11, the apostle recalls that "the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus." Lazarus was aware that others were plotting to kill him, and was not afraid because he had already overcome it, and lived his testimony so that others followed Christ; he was able to evangelize to others without saying a word, just by living his life.

Nothing to Lose

In John 12:10, the apostle recalls that "the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also," when they saw that the crowd came to see Jesus and Lazarus, who Jesus raised from the dead. Lazarus had nothing to lose; he was not afraid of the chief priests' plan to kill him because he had already seen death. When the enemy threatens us with all of the frightening things that he could do to us, and life threatens to take us to our lowest point, we must remember the great and might works that God has already done for us, and refer back to the unchanging faithfulness of God.

A Living Testimony

In John 12:9, the apostle recalls that "the large crowd of the Jews then learned that Lazarus was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead." Throughout the New Testament, the apostles recall the crowds who followed Jesus; some were seeking miracles and some were just curious, but they followed Jesus nearly every where He went. In John 12, however, the crowds were there to see Lazarus as well. Lazarus, though he said nothing at the table, was a living testimony of the miracles that Jesus was able to perform. When we live and tell our testimony of the great things that God has done for us, we become a living testimony of God' great love, mercy, and unending power.

Seated at the Master's Table

In John 12:1, the apostle recalls Jesus at Mary and Martha's home in Bethany. He writes "they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him." In Chapter 11, he recalls that Lazarus was sick, but Jesus declared that his sickness was "not unto death." Even though he died, Jesus raised him from the dead; now he is reclining at his table with Jesus. Regardless of what we go through, nothing, not even death, is able to remove us from our destiny, our seat at the Master's table, even if we have to go through a few detours, we will arrive at our promised destination.

A Miracle on the Way to the Sacrifice

In John 12:1, the apostle recalls that "Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead." In John 11:55, John recalls that many of the Jews went up to Jerusalem, out of the country, to purify themselves before the Passover; Jesus was also on his way to Jerusalem, but not just to celebrate the Passover, but to sacrifice himself as the ultimate Passover lamb, sacrificed for the sins of the world.

Worth More than the Birds

While the Spring rains are falling and pools of rain are gathering in so many places, every creature has plenty of water to drink. In Matthew 6:26-27, Jesus encouraged the disciples "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"Worrying never adds anything to our lives; if anything, it will detract time and peace from our lives. The birds and animals around us never worry; neither should we!

Don't Worry; God has you Covered

In each of our lives, we will have times that our faith is challenged. In Matthew 6: 25, Jesus encouraged the disciples not to worry. He said“do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" The current economy tells us that we should be concerned about our financial security; as believers, we should not worry about our provision.

Water Walker

In Matthew 14:28-30, the Apostle recalls Peter's walk on the water. The storm was already rocking the boat in the midst of the storm when Jesus shows up on the water, yet Peter is not focused on the waves; he is focused on his Lord. Peter said “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.' Jesus said 'Come,' then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus." Although Peter was the one who requested the Lord to call him out on the water, in faith, Jesus' response was for everyone. As believers, we have the ability to do all things through faith, even "walking on water," or those things that seem impossible. As Peter, all we need is to step out on faith.

Take Courage; Christ is on the Way

In Matthew 14: 25-27, the Apostle recalls Jesus walking out on the water in the midst of the storm. The Bible says "shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Many of the disciples were fishermen by trade; the legend of the lake was that ghosts of the fishermen killed in previous storms would haunt the lake in dangerous storms; Jesus declares his power in the midst of the storm as He walks out on the water. When the storm seems to be at its height, take courage; Christ is on the way!

Not Alone in the Storm

In Mattthew 14: 23-24, the Apostle recalls that "after he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it." Jesus forced the disciples to get into the boat to travel to the other side of the sea, which was known for terrible, sudden storms. The disciples were separated from Christ, but they weren't alone. Even while Jesus was alone on the mountain, he was still with his beloved disciples in both prayer and spirit.

Obedience in Confusion

In Matthew 14:22, the Apostle recalls a test of the disciples' faith. In verse 9, they received word that John the Baptist has been beheaded; verses 19-20, Jesus fed 5,000 men with only 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. They didn't understand how either of these events happend, confused and reluctant, Jesus had to physically make them get into the boat to travel to the other side in verse 22. There will be times in our Christian walk where we will not want to carry out the tasks that God has commanded us to do; He may need to push us, just as He did for the disciples. Just as the disciples, we may be afraid and confused, but must be obedient and rest assured that if God sent us to a destination, He will ensure that we arrive.

Thristy

In John 4:13-15, Jesus answered the woman, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” She says to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” Drawing water from the well was not an easy task, but it was necessary as there was no running water in the home. At last, the woman has hope that Christ is able to help her, as Jesus relates her natural need for water to her spiritual need for his presence.

Identity Crisis

In John 4:11-12, the Samaritan woman questions Jesus' identity and his authority. She asks “Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” She was having a bit of an identity crisis; struggling with her own identity as well as with the identity of Christ. The woman did not consider that Jesus was the onl one able to give her the living water that she desperately needed; she only saw Jesus as a traveller at the well at the hottest hour of the day, thirsty without a ladle to draw water out of the deep well.

Just Ask

In John 4: 10, Jesus replied to the Samaritan woman, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” The woman had no idea the man she was speaking with, in a risky conversation, was no ordinary traveller. It's true that Jesus was tired and thirsty, but his thirst for her soul was much greater than his physical thirst. Even today, Christ is yet thirsting for our souls, drawing us into a closer relationship with him. We only need to ask for His presence, and He will ensure that we have all that we need.

Breaking Protocol

In John 4: 7-9, the Bible recalls a risky discussion between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. When the Samaritan woman was at the well at noon to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” For Jews do not associate with Samaritans." It was risky for her to have the discussion with Jesus; she was a woman having a conversation with a man in public who was not her husband, and the Samaritans and Jews were bitter enemies. Despite all of the risks, Jesus was more concerned about the woman than follow social protocol. At times, we must make the same decision to meet a need in spite of the risks.

Flow of Living Waters

In Ezekiel 47:9, the prophet recalls his vision where God touched the waters and changed them from salty to fresh waters. He recalls that "swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live." In the prophet's vision, he saw where God changed the salty waters of the Dead Sea to fresh waters, lined with lush trees and swarms of living creatures. We must submerse ourselves into the flow of the Holy Spirit, as only He can change a dead situation into great flow of living waters.

Salty to Fresh Waters

In Ezekiel 47: 7-8, the prophet recalls Ezekiel's vision. The Lord's messenger led the prophet from the entrance of the temple to the bank of the river, where he saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. The Lord's messenger said“This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh." The Dead Sea is called such because the waters are so dense with salt that almost nothing grows there. Just as God was able to touch the waters and change them from salty to fresh waters, He alone is able to touch the dead places of our hearts, souls, and spirits, and make them fresh and fertile.

A River Flowing

In Ezekiel 47:4-5, the prophet recalls a vision where the Lord sent his messenger to the temple. The messenger measures the waters as they continue to rise throughout the temple: from a trickle to ankle-deep; from his ankle to waist-deep. In verse 5, the water had risen to a river that he could not cross, "because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross." True worship is a result of a sincere immersion of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit fills up the temple, of our hearts as well as our churches, the flow of the spirit will be undeniable and unstoppable.

Flowing in the Spirit

In the Old Testament, God manifests himself in great and mighty ways; sometimes, he shows up in the water. In Ezekiel 47:1-2, the prophet recalls his vision from the Lord, who sent him a messager to show him the vision. At the entrance of the temple, Ezekiel saw that the water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. In verse 2, his guide led him "through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side." Just as the waters began to fill the temple, slowly and steadily, so does the Holy Spirit fill the temples of our hearts.

Defense of Sincere Worship

In Mark 14:6-9, Jesus defended the woman who anointed him with the fragrant ointment. He says "Let her alone; why are you troubling her? She has done a good and beautiful thing to Me." In verse 9, He says "she has done what she could; she came beforehand to anoint My body for the burial. And surely I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the entire world, what she has done will be told in memory of her." The woman's intent was not to gain everlasting fame, nor was it to gain the attention of the men in the room...she poured out all she had simply as an act of worship. When we worship Christ with a sincere heart, we do not need to worry about what others think or the consequences of our worship.

A Sweet, Smelling Savor

In Mark 14:4-5, after the woman poured all that she had to anoint Jesus with the expensive perfume, some of the men became bitterly angry. The Apostle recalls that there were some who were moved with indignation and said to themselves, "to what purpose was the perfumed ointment wasted? For it was possible to have sold this perfume for more than a year's worth of wages, and to have given to the poor. And they censured and reproved her." The others in the room were not angry because she had wasted the perfume; they were angry her worship was undeniable, as the fragrance of her worship filled the room.

Surrending All

In Mark 14:3, the Apostle recalls "while Jesus was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head." The woman took a great risk by entering the room, as it was socially unnacceptable for her to be in the room; her desire to annoint Jesus greater than her risk. She was determined to pour out all that she had, in complete surrender, as an act of sincere worship to Christ.

Private Deceit to Public Service

In Mark 14:1-2, the Apostle recalls the secret plot to persecute Christ. The Bible says "it was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were all the while seeking to arrest Jesus by secrecy and deceit and put Him to death, for they kept saying, It must not be during the Feast, for fear that there might be a riot of the people." The chief priests should have been the greatest supporters of Christ's ministry; instead, they were threatened and frightened to the point that they plotted to destroy him. Even today, those who are doing the work of the ministry are threats to those who claim to do so. Instead of plotting in secrecy, we must work together, serving openly, to meet the needs of the people.

God's Unchanging Hand

People tend to be fickle. One day, they love you to pieces; the next day, they don't even know you. Thankfully, God never changes. In Malachi 3:6, the prophet declares "For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." Considering how we change from week to week and year to year, even concerning our faith and faithfulness, that's a good reason to praise God for His consistent, unchanging love.

Two Kings, Two Choices

In Genesis14: 23, the Bible recalls Abram's choice after gaining great wealth from defeating the four kings. He had two kings before him: Melchizedek the high priest, and the king of Sodom. The king of Sodom encouraged him to offer up the people to him, and keep the goods for himself; Abram chose to give his offering to Melchizedek as an act of worship to God. Regarding the king of Sodom, Genesis 14:23, Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and Earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, 'I have made Abram rich." Just as Abram, we meet the same two kings when we receive financial blessings, and must decide whether to tithe, as an act of worship, or give it away to the world and keep the rest for ourselves.

Worship in Giving

After Abram and his men defeated the four kings who captured his nephew Lot, he gained more than his nephew and his goods; he also gained all of the goods from the four kings. In Genesis 14:18-20, the Bible recalls that Melchizedek, king of Salem and high priest, brought out bread and wine when he met Abram. He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." He gave him a tenth of all." Abram acknowledged that his victory was a blessing from God; instead of taking all of the spoils of his victory and keeping them for himself, he sought out the high priest to give an offering, just a tenth or tithe of all his spoils, as an act of worship to give thanks for what the Lord has done.

Recovering All

In Genesis 14:15-16, the Bible recalls the heroic rescue of Lot, his nephew. After they separated, Lot was kidnapped with all of his possessions. The Bible says that Abraham "divided his forces against the four kings by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people." Abram's rescue did not make sense: he was outnumbered, his army comprised of common men who lived in his household, and Abram was not a young man. His sheer determination to possess what God has promised him, in Genesis 13, was all that he needed to recover all that belonged to him.

Abundantly Blessed

In Genesis 14:14-16, the Bible declares that after Abram and Lot had separated, the Lord said to Abram "Look around to the north, south, east, and west. I will give you and your family all the land you can see. It will be theirs forever! I will give you more descendants than there are specks of dust on the earth, and someday it will be easier to count the specks of dust than to count your descendants. " Abram was already wealthy; now God has promised to bless him abundantly, greater than he could imagine, not only for him, but for his decedents for generations to come.

Parting as Friends

The Lord led Abram and his household out of Egypt, but he took his nephew Lot with him on the journey. Eventually, the land where they settled became overcrowded, and Abram decided that was time for the two to separate cordially. In Genesis 13:8-9, Abram says to Lot" Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” At times, on our own journey, we must separate from those that we love dearly. As Abram, we must be led by the spirit to separate ourselves cordially and part as friends.

Handle with Care

In Genesis 4:6-7, the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." The Lord gave Cain a chance to change his mind about what he was plotting to do. Both Cain and Abel were exposed to the same teaching from their parents, and had the same opportunity to give an offering to the Lord, yet Cain became angry as the Lord favored his brother's offering over his. The Lord warned Cain to handle his anger, growing into sin, with great care before his anger overcame him.

Favor and Haters

In Genesis 4:4-5, the Bible says "the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but, for Cain and for his offering He had no regard So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell." The Bible does not say why God regarded Abel's sacrifice over Cain's sacrifice; it only says that He did, and it made Cain very angry, as we will see, to point of violence. When God shows favor to our brothers, sisters, and neighbors, it is a reason to rejoice, not to become angry, because our anger takes the focus off of our primary objective for our offering: honoring God.

Equal Sacrifice

In Genesis 4:2-4, the Bible says that "Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land. One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the Lord, and Abel also gave an offering to the Lord." Both sons of Adam and Eve were given a job; they were both stewards: one over the land, the other over the animals. Their parents taught them the principle of giving an offering to the Lord. They were both willing to give it, however, the substance of their offerings were different. As we give our offerings to the Lord, He does not consider a larger offering as greater than a smaller; He considers our sacrifice as equal when we give willingly and cheerfully.

We Are One

In John 17:20-21, Jesus prays for unity among believers; His prayer was not just for the disciples, but for every believer "who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me." In verse 21, His prayer is for "all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me." When we are all in agreement in the basic principles of Christianity; the virgin birth, sinless life, death and resurrection of Christ, we are able to work together as one in the body of Christ to glorify God and draw others to faith through the strength in our unity.

Blessed to be a Blessing

It is God's desire to bless His people, as we are His people, those that He has chosen to carry out His work in the earth. Without finances, it is impossible to carry out the mission of Christ, as He declared in Matthew 25:35-36. He says "when I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me." As we continue to carry out the work of the ministry, God continues to provide all that we need, as well more than enough to bless others.

Love of Money

There is a common misconception that Christians should be poor; nothing could be further from the truth. In 1 Timothy 6:10, the Apostle declares "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." God desires His people to prosper, as the ministry must have money to meet the needs of the people; not for their own gain, but to bless His people and build up His kingdom.

Reversing the Curse

After the fall of Adam, God cursed the ground, but did not curse his people, as He proclaimed in Genesis 3:17," “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life."In Malachi 3: 10, God declares through the prophet, to "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows."As God is the only one who would curse the ground, He gave us opportunity to reverse the curse on the ground through our giving.

God Will Take Care of You

In Philippians 4:19, Paul declares "my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Paul writes this promise to the Philippian church, but this promise that Paul declares did not apply to all churches or believers. In verses 14-18, Paul remarks on the support that the church has given him during his time of great trouble. Just as the church has taken care of Paul, he promises that God will take care of the needs of the church, as well as the members of that church, as God will honors their covenant, with one another and with their God.

Prayer for a Friend

As believers, we should pray for our family, friends, and loved ones. In 3 John 2, Paul writes "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." The Apostle noticed that his friend Gaius experienced a similar problem that many modern-day Christians experience; prospering spiritually, but his finances are lacking. As Paul writes to his friend, he also writes to us today. Our prayers for friends, and for ourselves, should be to be made whole, surrendering our bodies, minds, and souls to our beloved Savior.

Forward Thinking

As we end the first week of a new year, it's common to reflect on the trials and triumphs of the last year, but now is the time to set our thoughts on the promises of God instead of the mistakes of our past. In Philippians 3:15-16, Paul declares "all of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed." Even if we fall back to the things of our past, we are able to continue to move forward, starting with our thoughts in forward thinking.

Eyes on the Prize

With the expectation to multi-task effectively, we are busier now than we have been in the past. In Philippians 3:4, Paul declares "I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done." With all of our responsibilities and expectations, it easy to get distracted from our ultimate prize: heaven. As Paul, we must keep our focus on obtaining the prize and promise of heaven through the sacrifice of Christ.

Keep Pressing

In a race, all of the runners run forward; they may not run at the same speed, but they all move in the same direction, as moving forward is the most direct and effective way to arrive at any destination. In 1 Corinthians 3: 14, Paul declares "I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." As we continue on our goal for a closer relationship with Christ, we must press forward without looking back, because we have a much higher calling ahead of us.

Moving Forward

One of the most common traps of the enemy is to use our past against us. In 1 Corinthians 3:13, Paul says "Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before." Paul went from being a zealous murderer of believers to an enthusiastic minister serving Christ for the rest of his life. As Paul purposely forgets the sins of his past and moves forward through his life in Christ, we have the same hope to move forward in Christ in total freedom.

Keep Striving

Although Apostle Paul was brilliant, he was one of the most humble apostles, as he never forgot the terrible state he was in when he met Christ. In Philippians 3:12, Paul says "I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize." Paul compares himself to a runner in a great marathon, acknowledging that even he is far from perfect, but he continues to strive for the prize, a greater relationship with his Savior. As we begin 2011, we continue to strive through our own struggles, we too should continue to strive the prize of a greater, deeper relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ, in spite of our shortcomings.