RAISING THE DEAD. By Pastor Mark Olson

SCRIPTURE - John 11:44

The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

OBSERVATION

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after he’d been in the tomb four days already. When Lazarus came out of the tomb, he was alive but still covered with grave clothes and needed assistance from the others to get the grave clothes off and release him to life again.

APPLICATION

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he walked out of the tomb still covered in his grave clothes. And Jesus instructed his followers there to take the grave clothes off Lazarus so he could walk on his own. Lazarus must have looked like a “dead man walking”. He was alive – Jesus has just given him life. But he still looked like a dead man.

Sometimes, I feel like I am covered in grave clothes. I know I have a new life that Jesus gave me, but I still feel bound up by the grave clothes – the reality and consequences of my past failures. I can’t seem to go on sometimes when my past seems to rise up to haunt and entrap me. And those failings of the past seem like grave clothes binding me and keeping me from walking the walk God has called me to. What am I to do with this mess ?! How can I walk when I am bound up like this ? Jesus called on his followers to assist Lazarus to take off the grave clothes and “let him go” so he could walk and live again. How does that work in God’s kingdom ? How can I help others to shed the grave clothes of their past and allow them to walk freely in the life God called them to live. And how can I shed my own grave clothes and walk the way You want me to, Lord ? Is there a piece of this life I am missing ? Maybe my brothers and sisters in the faith are more important than I thought ? Maybe, as Paul compares us to a physical body, the other members of the body of Christ are so very much more important than I realized. We need them to help us shed the “grave clothes” – the things in our past that bind us up and keep us from walking the path God has called us to live. Maybe God is telling us we cannot live this new life without them. It is impossible to live the Christian life without my brothers and sisters walking along side and helping me shed the clothing of the grave.

There are times with I have my towel all rolled up and ready to throw it in and walk away. But I know I can’t. As Peter put it in John 6:68 “Lord, to whom shall we go?” In other words, there is no one else we can go to, no one else to lean on, no one else to worship, to follow, to give us eternal life ! We may often want to return to the grave, because walking in grave clothing is hard ! But as we learn to lean on our brothers and sisters in accountability, in fellowship and to help us shed those grave clothes of the past, we can begin to be released to live this life God has called us to here on earth.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus - Help me to walk in this new life you have given me. Help me to shed the grave clothes that may still bind me from walking fully in this life. Help me to lean on my brothers and sisters to assist in shedding the grave clothes of the past. I commit to following you, Lord. I commit to walking freely in newness of life. There is no one else, other than You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

SCARS OF HOPE. BY TJ Gorum

SCRIPTURE

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7

OBSERVATION

Scars stories are fun to listen to sometimes. Sometimes people have scars that look like they got into a knife fight but really are from something stupid like getting head butted while playing football (not me of course ;-) Other times though theses scars are trophies that come from a battle. They act as reminders of triumphs or lessons learned. The clearest picture of this would be a war hero general. If you were to look at some of the most successful combat heroes they will probably not be perfect and untouched, but rather carry brands in their flesh from near death experiences. During the time when the wound happened it was one of the most painful times in that persons life, but they experience they received from it was life changing. Some people may say that these scars are reminders of their mistakes, which may be true sometimes. However, let me ask you this question...would you rather follow a general into battle with scars on their body and experience or a unblemished inexperienced general with a perfect record? I’ll take the scared general any day. Many times I feel like we would try to answer and say both, I want a general who is proven and has no scars. Yet these generals don’t exist. The reality of life and battle is that you will get wounded, sometimes because of your own fault, sometimes because of things beyond your control. But the confidence and experience a scared soldier has is priceless. They know what works in real battle, not just what works in the classroom. When they experience victory because of their experience they learn to trust the method and not the feeling.

A first time warrior is petrified of battle. It is the nature of man to be that way. Questions and doubts flood their mind that never have before because in real life they have everything to lose. What if this doesn’t work? What if we made a mistake? What if I am wrong? They can then deviate from the plan, disqualify themselves or worse, lose faith. But the solider who has seen the battle plans in action is able to face battle with much more confidence, not just because they know what can work in battle, but because they have the scars and experience to prove it.

APPLICATION

With the Christian life it is the same. Christians who have suffered and have scars from it have way more confidence in God. Yes, when they were in the vally and suffering it was/is the hardest times in life. BUT when you see God come through in these hard times and bring you out from death you learn to trust who God is vs. what you feel. The problem with many Christians today is that we want to walk with as little pain as possible. We don’t want to suffer. We don’t want to put ourselves on the line. What we want is to talk about our great faith without ever having to exercise it. We aren’t warriors of faith anymore. We are historians of faith. We talk about what others have done.

Today I realize what Peter says that when you have proof of your faith-a spiritual scar, than it is worth more than Gold. You don’t just know about God’s faithfulness, you KNOW GOD. When you face future battles you aren’t relying on a book but rather a source of power that you know actually works. In the beginning of my walk I wanted to not suffer and know God. Now that I have suffered I found that without it I’m not sure I would have ever known Him.. Was it painful? Yes. Do I want to experience that stuff again? NO. Is it worth it and would I do it again if I knew where I would be today? YES

PRAYER

Father, thank you for being faithful. THank you for my spiritual scars. Help me to be a warrior of faith and to not be afraid to suffer and wage war for you. Help me to lead others into battle and would you prove yourself to them that they may know you. Amen.

ABOUT SUFFERING. By Kamu Sing

Scripture
1 Peter 5:8b - Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Observation
As followers, believers, disciples of Jesus, we are destined to suffer. It is inevitable that we will be persecuted by those who do not share the same belief and faith. We will be pointed at for the small things because we don’t resemble what the world looks like in the big things.
Paul writes about suffering on how we are to conduct ourselves when it comes. He doesn’t say if...it’s when. As a Christian, we are to consider ourselves blessed if we face trials of suffering because we identify with Christ.
What stood out to me is one advice that Paul gives when suffering, is to remember those who are sharing the same trials that we are all around the world. In my own experience, when I suffer, I have a huge tendency to be very inward focused. A lot of my thoughts, feelings, sometimes even actions are geared toward what is happening to me. As Paul shares this word of advice to look out, I can really see the value of focusing on how others are suffering too. This way, it helps to keep our flesh, our selfish nature, the evil in us away from the unhealthiness of thinking that life should be easy and fair and comfortable.

Application
For me personally, I feel like I’ve come to a point where suffering isn’t a surprise in life. It is a clear indicator that I must be doing something that the enemy doesn’t like. I must be in some way on the right tract. Now, I don’t want to imply that every moment of suffering means that we’re doing good or right. Sometimes God allows suffering in my life to correct too. But suffering isn’t all the time, everyday of the week. As we begin to hear God clearly and act in obedience, suffering isn’t so much a bad thing than a type of discipline that God gives to us. It’s kind of like a baby learning through trials and circumstances. When a child is doing something they shouldn’t, like trying to stick a metal object into an electrical outlet, the parent will discipline pretty severely so that the child will understand that this is not to happen ever again. The child suffers for a period of time and then learns the lesson. If that child doesn’t learn the lesson and continues in the same action, either the parent will increase in discipline or the unfortunate circumstance will take it’s place. Likewise for us as children of God. He will allow suffering to happen to sometimes teach us certain lessons.
Many of us as believers will focus on the suffering and lose sight of the lesson. As we take the first step to refrain from being inward focused, I know that there is so much to learn that God wants to show in that suffering.

Prayer
Lord, I am truly grateful for your continued Truth that allows me to remember and respond correctly. As much as I might not want to remember this lesson, it is very important to meditate on this and live it out when suffering happens...not if, but when. Thank you for guiding me where I am in my life. I look forward to more of this adventure that You’ve already set before me. I love you. In Jesus name, Amen.

THE MIGHTY EIGHT. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE
⁵For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. ⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
2 Peter 1:5-9

OBSERVATION
This is Peter's version of the fruit of the Spirit when we truly become fully devoted followers of Christ. The change in our lives is reflected by an increase of these eight virtues. Faith is the starting point and love is the goal. In between, we need to grow in goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness and brotherly kindness. Peter suggests that they work together as one overflows over the other. The more faith I have, the more goodness I will develop. The more goodness I have, the more knowledge I will have, and so forth. The reverse process is also true. I cannot have a measure of love greater that my measure of brotherly kindness. I cannot have a measure a measure of brotherly kindness larger than my measure of godliness, and so forth.

APPLICATION
As I prepare for what has for next year and for the future, looking at Peter's mighty 8 provides me with a clear idea of who I want to become and also a strategy to accomplish that. Just like a pyramid, the base of faith must be vastly large. On top of that I must build goodness, and on top of that knowledge, etc. I think my problem is that I try to work in all these virtues separately, not as unit. I need to realize that the work must be comprehensive, one building upon each other and feeding from each other. I cannot be strong in godliness and week in perseverance. I cannot say that I lack self-control but I abound in love. Only if I focus in all eight of them and increase my measure in each one of them, I will see my life thriving and growing, giving glory to God, and showing that He truly lives in me.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please let me fgrow in each area of the mighty eight. Help me to understand more and more about the way each one of them build on each other and feeds from each other. I want to honor you with my life and reveal to the world that you live in me by the way I grow in your image. I love you Lord Amen!

LOVING MY NEIGHBOR. By Kim Matsukawa

SCRIPTURE:
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. James 2:8-9

OBSERVATION:
James gives instructions on how not to commit sin by the law of “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Reminding us that we need to treat everyone equal, whether they are rich or poor, have a mansion or live in a box. What a humbling thought, reminding us that as Jesus put it in Matthew 25, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

APPLICATION:
I am totally guilty of giving preferential treatment to certain people. I would like to think that I have a purer heart, one that accepts everyone just the way they are, however, know that is not true. Reading this scripture with Matthew 25:40 as well as “you’re your neighbor”, reminds me that when I treat, or don’t even acknowledge those that I am not comfortable with; they too are God’s creature and I need to treat them as such.

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, forgive me for my selfishness of not sharing with those less fortunate as much as I probably could. Your humbling scripture reminds me that I need to love everyone equally and without thinking of what could I get out of it. I ask You for a heart of unabounding love for others who hardly get a chance to receive it. Help me to know what to do when approached and when I need to approach someone else. Amen…