Jeremy Shuck with Jason Hooper: "Why Make This Commotion and Weep? This Child is Not Dead, Only Asleep"

Intro From Jason Hooper:

In a world full of white noise and echoes, God has raised up and is now releasing a new host of emerging voices with fresh revelation, wisdom, insight, and understanding that is necessary for the days in which we live. These emerging voices are not limited in their expression of the Kingdom of God they carry, but are creative in communicating through various mediums and methods. They are singer/songwriters, artists, authors, poets, and prophets.

Jeremy Shuck is one of the emerging voices. I have known Jeremy for 12 years and have been astounded by his hunger, humility, and depth since the first day we met. He is a worship leader, pastor, prophet, miracle-worker and reformer, but more than anything he is truly a friend of Jesus and that is what shines the brightest in his article: "This Child is Not Dead, Only Asleep."

Blessings,

Jason Hooper
Senior Pastor, King's Way Church
Website: kingswaybirmingham.com

Why Make This Commotion and Weep? This Child is Not Dead, Only Asleep

In June 2015, the Lord showed me how an admired section of Scripture prophetically narrates the current situation in the U.S. in a way that has given me so much hope and renewed energy to pray for my nation from a place of faith. Let's face it, praying from any other place does not "availeth much." The segment is Mark 5:21-43, where Jesus is touched by the woman with the issue of blood on His way to heal Jairus' daughter.

The Story

Because of Jesus' reputation as a healer, a large crowd had gathered around Him and His posse. Jairus, a synagogue ruler, came and fell at Jesus' feet, desperately pleading with Him to come heal his deathly ill "little daughter." Jairus believed that if Jesus laid His hands on her, she would be healed, but many people came that day, hoping to be touched by Jesus. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

In fact, so many people had expectations of Jesus that day that He was "nearly crushed" by their feverish attempts to get near Him (see Luke 8:42). Jesus had a choice to make and He decided to leave the needs of many and what would most likely turn into a full-scale regional revival for one distressed father.

Slowly, they followed Jairus, pushing through the crowd. It was probably like watching a pop star attempt to leave half-way through a show through an arena filled with fans – and the disciples are the security team. Then Jesus stopped, and asked, "Who touched Me [My clothes]?" To which Peter and the gang probably thought "Um, who hasn't touched You?"

But Jesus felt virtue leave Him due to someone's faith. Eventually, a woman timidly fessed up, telling the whole story of her suffering for 12 years with a bleeding condition that "doctors" could not heal. She was instantly healed when she touched Jesus' garment, but this delay had cost Jairus dearly. In that moment, Jairus' servants arrived with the news that his little girl had died and there was no need to "bother the Teacher anymore" (Mark 5:35).

If I were Jairus, in that moment, I would be emotionally compromised; maybe angry at the courageous woman that was healed, infuriated by the crowd, even annoyed at Jesus. But Jesus looked at this heartbroken father and said, "Don't be afraid; just believe." They walked on. Jesus entered Jairus' house to be bombarded by the sound of great commotion, loud wailing, and mourning. Very pastorally, Jesus said, "Stop wailing."

Then He asked "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep" (Luke 9:52; Mark 8:39). Jesus excused the family and mourners from the room, took the little girl by the hand, and said, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" Her spirit returned to her body and she got up and walked around. Of course everyone was amazed.

How It Applies

America appears deathly ill. Nearly every Believer has noticed the patterns of moral decline in our nation's culture and leadership. Articles and posts on social media from Christian writers and sermons on Sunday morning detail this decline. Trending news is fear-based and normalizes the extremes of sub-cultures that discard Biblical values. It may even appear that America is dead, but our God has a different opinion and something up His sleeve. (Photo via Pixabay)

The Lord spoke to me saying, "If you become the Body, I'll supply the Blood." I knew He was speaking about the Church because there are at least seven verses that refer to the Church as is His Body. In past revivals, the Church has experienced great power for repentance, healing, deliverance, phenomena, and fear of the Lord, but those outpourings ended. They ended partly because the Church, His Body, began to cut herself with accusation, sever appendages with factions, or she was simply missing parts to begin with. So, when the "power of the Blood" was poured into her, eventually it drained out of the wounds and holes, ending the revival.

The Church has an "issue of blood," and an issue with blood that cannot be healed until we touch Jesus. I believe this is about to happen! When the Church is healed, America will simultaneously appear dead. Fear not, Jesus will raise her like Jairus' daughter.

How We Respond

Below, are listed the five players in this story and how they represent the actions and attitudes of portions of the Church today.(Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

1. Jairus: This group has been desperately pleading, like Jairus did, with Jesus to heal the U.S. We diligently pray and wonder what is taking so long, so we pray more. Sometimes we pray like we're dragging Jesus out of a hungry mob. We've seen what we feared actually happen in our country and are straining to keep faith, like Jairus, after news reached him of his daughter's death.

2. Jairus' Servants: Another part of the Church has become weary in the waiting and looks at our present condition saying, "Don't bother the Lord, we missed our window; it is too late for our nation." We see a populace irrevocably defeated by moral failure, not one that is primed for resurrection. Sadly, this group actually discourages or at least disdains attempts to bring about healing.

3. Commotion Causers or Wailers: This group is loud. Indignation and resignation cause us to shout agitated prayers to a God we don't really believe will answer. These heated petitions sound saintly but reveal the truth that we don't understand God's heart and that we subconsciously believe we are more merciful than He is. The wailing continues as if it's the thing that's going to save us from being destroyed with the debauchers. Our shouting is provoking and mostly true, but devoid of power to actually bring about change. The flag we raise often reads, "I told you so."

4. Weepers: This is the army of preachers, bloggers, and tweeters who vociferously, but rarely eloquently, bemoan the obvious: That our nation is not a reflection of the Kingdom of Heaven. Unfortunately, our depressing fervor rarely makes us insightful but only adds to the white noise. We are genuinely dismayed because we remember growing up in a different America. We are now mostly just getting off on the tragedy and expect more calamities to be the chariot for our returning Lord.

5. Jesus: A small part of the Church is seeing the U.S. as a "little girl" who is not dead but only asleep. These people are full of hope. Their perspective infects people with love and expectancy for restoration. In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, they estimated Jairus' daughter to be 12. This is the age right before puberty, when a girl gains the attributes of a woman. So, I believe, people with the eyes of Christ see America like a girl who needs our patience and support now, more than ever, because she is about to mature. Even if she appears dead, that is not the end of the story.

Some Insight and HOPE

Interestingly, the woman who touched Jesus' garment was healed of a bleeding condition that lasted 12 years and Jairus' daughter was 12. Both these miracles were 12 years in the making. Twelve, symbolically, is the number of government: the 12 apostles to govern the Church; the 12 gates with 12 angels guarding, fittingly found in Revelation 21:12; and the 12 months to govern the year. I believe God is going to heal our government by bringing His government and resurrect America.

I don't believe our nation is under judgment. The USA is a phenomenal experiment and manifestation of freedom and justice, which God loves. Several reputable websites confirm that the U.S. sends out FAR more missionaries and financial aid than any other country. We have millions of Believers who have not bowed a knee to demonic ideology or gender-bending hogwash. GOD IS PROUD OF THE USA!

We are not "Sodom and Gomorrah." Those cities were destroyed because, among other reasons, it was normal for their visitors and virgins to get "sodomized". I'm sorry for the Biblical imagery, but as far as I know, it is not customary for visitors to be assaulted like this when they land on our soil. Conversely, we have to see that God set up the universal laws of reaping and sowing and boomerang throwing. What we sow is going to grow, and when we throw something crooked it's going to come back with a vengeance. That is the inescapable responsibility of our freedom as His creation.

Jesus is not a flag-waving patriot of any country; He is King of the Royal Nation of Holy Priests belonging to God (see 1 Peter 2:9). We belong to the Kingdom that crosses every national boundary and ocean to unite us with brothers and sisters of every race. We are aliens in our own nation; aliens with answers from a more advanced place. To get down in the mud with the dirt-throwers and chuck filth at them, paints an atrocious depiction of our King and our own royalty. (Photo by Mike De Lorenzo "Jesus' Return on the White Horse" via elijahshopper.com)

As ambassadors of Jesus, we cannot afford to go on stating what our natural eyes see, wailing and crying. I'm grateful for the Jairuses, but we need to shift even from that place of uncertain imploring to knowing our God. Let's stop broadcasting depression and just carry the message of Jesus. We are a young nation who is about to grow up. Our song should be, "Why make this commotion and weep? This child's not dead, she's only asleep." Speak kindly to her and tell her to wake up.

Jeremy Shuck
Storehouse Church & Jeremy Shuck Music
Email: jeremy@storehousedallas.com
Website: storehousedallas.com / jeremyshuck.com

Jeremy Shuck is a prophetic teacher, pastor, and songwriter with a desire to lead people into deeper friendship with Jesus and into the adventure of their callings. His teachings reveal the image and nature of Christ and the Lord's transforming kindness that leads to repentance. His prophetic perspectives inject joy and hope into circumstances that appear hopeless. Jeremy serves at Storehouse Church in Dallas, Texas, as the associate pastor and worship director where he trains dozens of worshipers to release songs of praise from within. His album, "Ain't it the Truth," is an amazing experience in worship. It has sold thousands of copies and created countless testimonies of people experiencing the Holy Spirit. He and his wife, Ashley, have four children. Jeremy also designed and leads Encounter Jesus School, a ministry school where hundreds of graduates have gained passion for the Lord and overcome fear. He plans on spending his life loving his family, releasing many worship albums, and equipping saints.

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