From the desk of Steve Shultz:
I was just sharing the story of Lazarus with someone. Lazarus had no choice but to "Come Forth!" because Jesus had called him. This latest word by Tiffany Ann Lewis will minister to you greatly, especially in those situations we think are impossible.
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Tiffany Ann Lewis:
Take Away the Stone and, "Come Forth!"
There is a stone that lies between us and our destiny.
"If Only You Had Been Here..."
The backdrop this month is John 11:1-44. If you have your Bibles handy, please read these verses and get familiar with this story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus before we begin. Lazarus was a man that Jesus loved; he died and had been in the tomb four days when Jesus entered the picture. Jesus is met with an "if only" from both Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (verses 21, 32).
Mary and Martha believed that Jesus was able to heal the sick, for if only He had been there Lazarus wouldn't have died. But Jesus hadn't come earlier and now their brother was dead and the situation seemed hopeless.
This is the part that I don't want us to miss: The situation was hopeless. Lazarus was dead and had been buried for four days, however, "if only" was missing the point of "this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God..." (verse 4). Lazarus' death was not the end but rather the means for God's glory to be revealed. You see, without death there would be no resurrection. Martha and Mary had seen the miracles of God, yet when things went beyond their comprehension, they started "if only-ing."
Oh how easily we forget yesterday's miracle when today's trials come at us! These trials don't just come in sickness and hardships; they touch each and every area in our lives, both physically and emotionally. We have dreamed before, we have believed before and we have been let down before. We learn to hide behind the stones of "if only" because we don't want anyone to see our fear, not even God.
Can you identify? Have you become numb and are afraid to try again? Or maybe you have been so let down before you are afraid to even believe again? If so, please look at verses 33-35: "Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept."
Though you may feel like it's hopeless, though you may feel dead inside and stuck behind a giant stone, Jesus wants to come to you. Beloved, He is asking to be brought to the place where something inside of you has died. Let Him come to you...it's time to take away the stone.
Jesus sees the destiny in all of us and is anguished because we are bound by fear and locked behind the stones of "if only."
Before Us Stands the "Resurrection and the Life"
"...Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, 'Take away the stone'" (verses 38-39a). The word groaning in this verse and the one just before it is embrimaomai (pronounced em-brim-ah'-om-ahee; Strong's #1690). Embrimaomai is used to express a deep feeling, an emotion that borders on anger, which is moved to sternly scold, "Take away the stone."
An important factor to me in this Greek word embrimaomai is the connection to anger and frustration. The word is literally to snort with anger or to roar in indignation. Why was Jesus so upset? Could it be that His Spirit was deeply troubled because the devil is roaming around like a roaring lion looking to see whom he can destroy through doubt and fear? Whatever this emotion was, it was so strong it caused Him to weep.
Martha replies to His command to take away the stone with hopelessness. "Lord, by this time there is a stench..." (verse 39b). I can so identify with Martha flip-flopping between faith ("But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You," verse 22) and doubt ("Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days," verse 39) Can you see why Jesus was groaning? Before her stood the "resurrection and the life" (verse 25), yet her situation still seemed impossible to her. She was stuck in "if only" Jesus had come before the stench set in. Then, and only then, it would have been possible, but now...it seemed impossible.
Many of us have an "if only" stipulation hiding some place in our heart. "If only" functions by tossing fear and doubt into our faith. We are afraid to try again or even believe again because the situation we are in seems hopeless and beyond repair. This is exactly where the devil would like us to remain, stuck hiding behind our "if only" stone. But, beloved, that stone which we think is protecting our heart is actually keeping us from our God-given destiny. Faith is walking before the evidence of the miracle is revealed.
Jesus said, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" (verse 40). When trials come they shake our belief system and that's when the enemy comes a huffing and a puffing. If we believe in Him, then we will see the glory of God. However, the devil doesn't want us to see God's glory, so he uses what is around us physically to affect us spiritually. Yes, he's dead. Yes, there's a stench...O, but God! Yes, I believe that with You ALL things are possible!
Even in the face of raw reality we are being called to come forth in faith. As Believers we can't just lift our shield of faith and remain behind the stone saying, "If only there weren't a stone in my way." We will experience freedom when we respond in faith, pushing past our fear to the sound of God's voice calling us forth. Lazarus couldn't do anything to control his destiny; Jesus did it all. All he had to do was put one foot in front of the other and walk out, and suddenly, the glory of the Lord was revealed in him, to him and through him.
Romans 8:28 boldly declares that "...all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." "All things" mean all things. He can take the good, the bad and the indifferent of our lives and work it out when we are called according to His purpose. It won't be by our might or by our power but by His Spirit, for that is where His glory is. Where is the glory if I could do it myself? The glory is revealed when there is nothing in me that can do it, where His Spirit defies the natural realm. We must trust Him in all things, even the areas that are hidden behind the stone, so that we too can come forth.
Beloved, what is your grave experience? What has died in you and is lying behind the stone? Hear the voice of the Lord speaking today, "Take away the stone; beloved, come forth!"
Amen and Amen.
Tiffany Ann Lewis
Dancing with the Flame of the Lord Ministries
Email: tiffanyann@tiffanyannlewis.com
