When God Is Silent

Written by John Grant

Take Today’s Next Step: Learn to recognize God’s voice.

“So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick.’ When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’” (John 11:3-4)

When Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother (Jesus’ friend) was gravely ill and requested that He come, Jesus delayed going. The family went through the entire funeral process and by the time Jesus got there Lazarus had been dead four days.

Mary, knowing the healing power of the Master, said, “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21, KJV) That would be correct. But if He had come and healed Lazarus, they would have learned nothing new about Jesus. By waiting four days, it allowed Him to show even more power. His delay and silence was not rejection. Rather, it was an opportunity to know more of Him than they had ever known.

God Used 'Dead' Lazarus, Why Can't He Use You?

Joel Osteen at Hillsong Conference

Lakewood Church Pastor Preaches Message of Encouragement and Hope in Sydney, Australia

By Nicola Menzie , Christian Post Reporter

Pastor Joel Osteen speaks Tuesday,
July 2, 2013, at the 2013 Hillsong
Conference in Sydney, Australia(Photo: screen grab)

Lakewood Church pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen, and their two teen children, visited the Hillsong Conference in Sydney on Wednesday, and the Texas megachurch preacher delivered the same message of hope, perseverance, and positivity that has brought him worldwide fame.

The Osteens delivered messages of encouragement at length between pauses of worship conducted by Lakewood Church worship leader and Grammy Award-winning artist Israel Houghton and the New Breed and the Osteen children, Jonathan and Alexandra.

Similar to the messages preached at his Houston congregation and found in his best-selling books, Pastor Osteen spoke about getting over setbacks in life, and faithfully giving God their best and expecting blessings in return.

When God Delays

Written by R. Toddy Jadoo

Take today’s next step: Are you waiting for God to answer? 

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” (John 11:5-6)

Lazarus was a friend of Jesus who fell ill and was near death. His sisters, Mary and Martha, sent word to Jesus who was healing and preaching in a town a distance away. Lazarus died while they were waiting for Jesus to get to him. Interestingly when Jesus got the message that Lazarus was sick He did not panic, worry or stop what He was doing! He continued to do what He was doing for TWO MORE DAYS! (Read the entire story in the book of John chapter 11).

Wow! What a reaction! At first it seems as if Jesus didn’t care about Lazarus’ plight and his sisters’ anxiety about his illness. Yet, the end of the story is one of the greatest miracles recorded. Lazarus died and Jesus brought him back to life!

When God Delays

Written by R. Toddy Jadoo

Take today’s next step: Are you waiting for God to answer? 

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” (John 11:5-6)

Lazarus was a friend of Jesus who fell ill and was near death. His sisters, Mary and Martha, sent word to Jesus who was healing and preaching in a town a distance away. Lazarus died while they were waiting for Jesus to get to him. Interestingly when Jesus got the message that Lazarus was sick He did not panic, worry or stop what He was doing! He continued to do what He was doing for TWO MORE DAYS! (Read the entire story in the book of John chapter 11).

Wow! What a reaction! At first it seems as if Jesus didn’t care about Lazarus’ plight and his sisters’ anxiety about his illness. Yet, the end of the story is one of the greatest miracles recorded. Lazarus died and Jesus brought him back to life!

What About Those Who Say Jesus Healed by the Power of Hypnosis?

Luke 17:11–19

Have you ever seen a stage hypnotist give water to someone they’ve put in a trance and then suggest to them that they were drinking wine? They smack their lips, get giddy and start to feel intoxicated, as though they were swigging cheap Bordeaux.

British author Ian Wilson has raised the possibility that Jesus may have been a master hypnotist, which could explain the supposedly supernatural aspects of his life. For instance, hypnosis could account for his healing of lepers, his exorcisms and his transfiguration, during which three of his followers saw his face glow and his garments shine as white as light (see Matthew 17:1–2). As evidence, Wilson cites the modern example of a 16-year-old boy whose serious skin disorder was inexplicably healed through hypnotic suggestion.

Perhaps Lazarus wasn’t really brought back from the dead (see John 11:1–44). Couldn’t he have been in a deathlike trance induced by hypnosis? As for the resurrection, Jesus “could have effectively conditioned [the disciples] to hallucinate his appearances in response to certain pre-arranged cues (the breaking of bread?) for a predetermined period after his death,” according to Wilson.

CONFESS GOD'S TRUTH

John 11:14 "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead."

JOHN 11:14

Jesus spoke of Lazarus being asleep instead of dead because that is really a much better description. Death, to their carnal minds, would be final; whereas the word "sleep" would not. When the disciples misunderstood what He was saying, He clarified the situation by saying plainly, "Lazarus is dead."

This looks like a contrary statement to what Jesus was going to do (raise Lazarus from the dead) and indeed it would have been if He had left it at that. But He went on to say in verse 15, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe." This was referring to Lazarus being raised from the dead and it turned Jesus' statement of a negative fact into a positive confession of faith.

Why Didn't Jesus Raise Lazarus Immediately?

Jack Graham

When you read the story of the death of Lazarus (John 11:1-45), you have to ask the question, “Why did Jesus delay in coming to see Lazarus?”

After all, he had gotten word two days earlier that Lazarus was deathly ill. Why did he wait for two days to go see him? Did he not care?

Yes, Jesus cared. The Bible says he loved Lazarus. Then why did Jesus delay?

There are times when we pray and God doesn’t come through the way we expect him to come through. The healing doesn’t come. The answers don’t come. We cry, we pray, the tears flow, and we wonder, does God care about me?

Yes, he does! The same one who wept at the grave of Lazarus weeps for you. His tears represent his sympathy to us as our Savior and High Priest.

Looking Beyond Disappointment

By Charles Stanley , Christian Post Contributor

John 11:3-6

When disappointments come your way in life, it is easy to blame yourself or others-or even both. Frequently it is difficult to know what to say or do because you cannot quite identify the real cause or purpose of the letdown.

Disappointment is often an emotional response to our own failure-or someone else's-to achieve a desire, hope, dream, or goal. This can lead to losing faith in someone on whom we were depending-perhaps even a person we love.

The gospel of John tells us that Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and their brother Lazarus. Because of this, they didn't sense the need to tell the Lord anything more than "He whom You love is sick" (John 11:3). Their expectation was that as soon as Jesus heard this, He would come and heal their brother. But He didn't set out for two more days.

God Delays

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days (John 11:17).

Mary and Martha were very close to Jesus. The Bible says Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Mary was the woman who came and poured expensive perfume on Jesus and the disciples rebuked her. 

Lazarus, Mary and Martha's brother, had become terminally ill. Jesus was away in Jerusalem during the time of Lazarus' illness. After Jesus heard the news that Lazarus was ill, instead of running to the aid of Mary and Martha, Jesus waited two days. Lazarus died and was placed in a tomb. His response to the news was: "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (John 11:4). Jesus had to look beyond Mary and Martha's current grief in order to fulfill God's purpose for this sickness.

"When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home" (John 11:20-22). Mary was in deep mourning over the death of her brother. When she finally went to see Jesus, she immediately cried out to Him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Martha : The Woman Who Was More Practical Than Spiritual

Scripture References—Luke 10:38-41; John 11; 12:1-3

Name Meaning—As a Chaldee or Syriac word, Martha is the feminine of moro or more, meaning “lord,” “master.” We find this in the form maran in the well-known phrase Maran-atha, “The Lord cometh” (1 Corinthians 16:22). There are those who think that Kyria, translated “lady” in 2 John 1, is a proper name, the Greek equivalent of this word. Carpzov supposes that this Kyria was the same person as Martha of Bethany.

Family Connections—Of the history of Martha, the Bible tells us nothing save that she was the sister of Mary and Lazarus, and lived with them at Bethany. Some early writers have made Martha, the daughter, wife, or widow of Simon the Leper, and that on his death the house became hers, hence the reference to the house when the resurrection of Lazarus was celebrated (Matthew 26:6; Mark 14:3). 

Others think that Martha may have been a near relative of Simon for whom she acted as hostess. But the narrative seems to suggest the home belonged to Martha and being older than Mary and Lazarus, she carried the responsibility of all connected with household affairs in a home where “Jesus found the curse of the sojourner lifted from Him, and, in reversal of His own description of His loneliness and penury, found where to lay His head.” 

The Bible and Archaeology: Jesus Christ's Arrest, Trial and Crucifixion

article by Mario Seiglie

In the four Gospels no period of Christ's ministry is more detailed than the last few days when He was arrested, tried and crucified as a common criminal. What have archaeologists found that confirm and illuminate many of the details of Jesus' last days on earth?

In recent issues of The Good News we have examined archaeological findings that shed light on the period of Jesus Christ's ministry in Judea in the early first century.

Evidence of Caiaphas's tomb

Events rushed to a crescendo as Jesus and His disciples came to Jerusalem for that final Passover feast. The chief priests began to panic after hearing that in nearby Bethany Jesus had resurrected His friend Lazarus from the dead (John 11).

For The Love Of Life

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me,  

though he may die, he shall live." - John 11:25 

Dear Loved One,

We tend to think of Easter as the commemoration of a great point in history, and that's a worthy reason for celebration. We also rejoice in anticipation of the resurrection unto eternal life ahead of us; a promise to all who open to the love of God in Jesus Christ. But there's also a present reality to be celebrated: Jesus rose from the dead, and He is alive forevermore. He's available right now to bring life to anything in your situation that may be dead or dying.

When God Doesn't Make Sense

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When therefore He heard that he was sick, He stayed then two days longer in the place where He was.  John 11:5-6

The urgent message came to Jesus.  His good friend Lazarus was very sick and needed Him ASAP.  Surely Jesus, the One who would drop everything to go heal complete strangers, would come running to Lazarus’ town of Bethany to save the day, right?  Wrong!  When Jesus heard Lazarus was deathly ill, He purposely waited two more days before making the twenty mile journey to Bethany.  By the time He finally arrived, Lazarus was stinking dead and in the tomb four days.  

Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, both said the same thing when Jesus showed up, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32).  

Undoubtedly, they were wondering WHY He didn’t come in time.  Undoubtedly, they were shell-shocked at the message He sent, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it” (John 11:4).  What in the world could that possibly mean given the fact that Lazarus died the very day Jesus uttered those words?  Is this some cruel joke?  

Is there an afterlife?

The book of Job asks the question about an afterlife very simply: “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14). Asking the question is easy, but the difficult part is finding someone to answer the question with authority and experience. “Death and taxes” have said to be the two universals that everyone living can expect to deal with. But while everyone is handled somewhat differently by government taxation, death is the great equalizer that treats everyone the same.

Because of this, it’s not uncommon for people to be afraid of death.

The ancient philosopher Epicurus (341–270 BC) recognized that the fear of death was present in everybody and therefore he sought a way to remove that fear. Epicurus taught that humanity not need fear death because human beings are nothing more than a composition of atoms which at death simply disperse and that is the end of things. Epicurus didn’t believe there were any gods tofear or anything to face once a person breathed their last. His teaching of maximum pleasure in this life with minimum pain and suffering dictated that everything ends when death occurred.

Will we be able to see and know our friends and family members in Heaven?

Many people say that the first thing they want to do when they arrive in heaven is see all their friends and loved ones who have passed on before them. 

In eternity, there will be plenty of time to see, know, and spend time with our friends and family members. However, that will not be our primary focus in heaven. We will be far more occupied with worshipping God and enjoying the wonders of heaven. 

Our reunions with loved ones are more likely to be filled with recounting the grace and glory of God in our lives, His wondrous love, and His mighty works. We will rejoice all the more because we can praise and worship the Lord in the company of other believers, especially those we loved on earth.

What does the Bible say about whether we will be able to recognize people in the afterlife? King Saul recognized Samuel when the witch of Endor summoned Samuel from the realm of the dead (1 Samuel 28:8-17). 

Resurrection Power

1

by: Alan Bullock

 

It is important to know that the Bible bases all its spiritual truths on historical facts. God’s Word, the Bible, does not proliferate ill-defined abstract theoretical ideas but irrefutable historical facts. The evidence in favor of the Resurrection of Jesus is as strong and conclusive as any historical fact established in the scriptures. It is evidence grounded in prophecy and confirmed by a great number of witnesses including devoutly virtuous women, many of His apostles and then by five hundred brethren at once. His resurrection was further confirmed by the vision and voice of angelic beings. Lifted by Love
Hung on an old rugged cross  to die
The homeless Jew His blood did supply;
Thus pardoning mankind for one and all,
Our uncancelled debt paid with bitter gall.
A stumbling block for the unbelieving,
A pardoning Savior for those receiving.
The lovely face, the tender heart,
A light of grace He did impart.
A vessel of love poured out again and again;
His Resurrection power freeing us from sin.
We remember with joy the conflicts He won,
A fiery Cherub — God’s holy Son.
Against the slings and taunts and jeers,
He sends us joy to calm our fears.
He’s sees our sadness from above
And sends us hope in the form of love.The resurrection of Jesus is important for many reasons. It witnesses to the immeasurable authority and supremacy of God. At His command, dead circumstances come back to life. If our spiritual experience with God is dead, He has the power to resurrect it if only we become a willing vessel. Leonard Ravenhill said, “Calvary expresses the love of God while the resurrection explains the power of God.” What a powerful statement! God can resurrect your broken dreams, hopes and aspirations.After Lazarus died, his body lied cold and decomposing, but our Lord has power over death. Imagine Lazarus lying in a cold tomb. Not a sound. No movement. Then he hears the voice of God — a voice so powerful that his hands and feet began to move. His mind begins to function and his faculties begin to obey God’s command. In an instant, in a mili-second of time, He felt the power of God. Those standing by heard Christ speak and say, “Lazarus, come forth!” It was then that they saw the power of our Lord. That same voice calls us today to abandon our dead spiritual relationship with both God and man. Let the resurrection power of God lift you out of life’s sorrows and bring you renewed hope, joy and power!And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you (Romans 8:11).Hope and faith lead the believer to a path of joy and fulfillment and, when fully realized, bring new life to all who trust in the Lord.

MEET THE AUTHOR

ALAN BULLOCK

Alan has pioneered several churches and has also been blessed to travel the world preaching and teaching in churches and conferences as a missionary evangelist for over thirty two years.

Copyright © 2011 by Alan Bullock

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