Kingdom's Keys Fellowship
Where God's Kingdom Meets Man's Heart.
Pentecost 40 Take Away the Stone (John 11)
Pentecost 40 Take Away the Stone (John 11)
“There’s no time like the present.” You’ve heard that expression many times. It may just be that today for someone you meet or have been meeting with the time to share your faith is now. There really is no time like the present. But this is not about you it is about the other person. What situation are they in? What is the circumstance they are facing? What problem lies before them? It means stepping out of our shoes and feeling the fit of the shoes of another. Where are they? What are they feeling, thinking and planning to do?
Sharing our faith always seems to center on reluctance, fear of risking looking bad or maybe even offending someone. Sharing becomes all about me rather than all about them. Perhaps what we need to do is heed Jesus’ words to ‘take away the stone.’
When Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus he found people weeping. Then there was Martha and others suggesting, perhaps even mildly accusing, that if Jesus had come sooner Lazarus wouldn’t have died. Even miracle workers can’t do anything about death. The atmosphere was that death is inevitable, that there is nothing to do but accept death for what it is, the final chapter of a person’s life. Even Jesus cried and appeared to be in agreement that death gets us all. You go on with life but the pall of death hangs over everything. Grieve, get over with it and move on.
But then Jesus, “deeply moved came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” He said.”
That command began the opening of a cave holding man’s destiny captive from Adam on. Death had been the dreaded end of personal human experience. Beyond death was only speculation. Even the good die. The dead are only meaningless names on forgotten tombstones. When the body dies, that’s it. No one had ever survived death. This command must have been shocking to say the least.
Today that command is for us. We need to take away the stones of fear, reluctance, excuse and procrastination, the ideas that maybe this isn’t the right time, place or situation. What are the stones we need to take away to let others know God really loves them and that they too can have eternal life that begins right now? There really is no time like the present. “Take away the stone.”
Stay tuned for more about Jesus, moving stones, the raising of Lazarus and the power of the Holy Spirit………
“There’s no time like the present.” You’ve heard that expression many times. It may just be that today for someone you meet or have been meeting with the time to share your faith is now. There really is no time like the present. But this is not about you it is about the other person. What situation are they in? What is the circumstance they are facing? What problem lies before them? It means stepping out of our shoes and feeling the fit of the shoes of another. Where are they? What are they feeling, thinking and planning to do?
Sharing our faith always seems to center on reluctance, fear of risking looking bad or maybe even offending someone. Sharing becomes all about me rather than all about them. Perhaps what we need to do is heed Jesus’ words to ‘take away the stone.’
When Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus he found people weeping. Then there was Martha and others suggesting, perhaps even mildly accusing, that if Jesus had come sooner Lazarus wouldn’t have died. Even miracle workers can’t do anything about death. The atmosphere was that death is inevitable, that there is nothing to do but accept death for what it is, the final chapter of a person’s life. Even Jesus cried and appeared to be in agreement that death gets us all. You go on with life but the pall of death hangs over everything. Grieve, get over with it and move on.
But then Jesus, “deeply moved came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” He said.”
That command began the opening of a cave holding man’s destiny captive from Adam on. Death had been the dreaded end of personal human experience. Beyond death was only speculation. Even the good die. The dead are only meaningless names on forgotten tombstones. When the body dies, that’s it. No one had ever survived death. This command must have been shocking to say the least.
Today that command is for us. We need to take away the stones of fear, reluctance, excuse and procrastination, the ideas that maybe this isn’t the right time, place or situation. What are the stones we need to take away to let others know God really loves them and that they too can have eternal life that begins right now? There really is no time like the present. “Take away the stone.”
Stay tuned for more about Jesus, moving stones, the raising of Lazarus and the power of the Holy Spirit………
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Comment
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Comment by jacque Wright on July 30, 2009 at 7:42pm
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Thank you Whitey; you always come through when I need it. I just had to talk to my sister's husband in the hospital this morning after finding out he had pancres cancer with little hope for healing. God did give me the words to use in helping him to see death as a means to an end for us all. What a wonderful thing it is to know that we will be with Jesus and all of our loved ones who have already graduated. I know now for sure, that saying the things I said, was of the Lord. We must face death head on without fear knowing that we will all be there with our Lord one day and that's a good thing! We miss you but want you to know that Tues. Bible Study is going good. Blessings,
Jacque
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Comment by Rita Campbell on July 30, 2009 at 4:23pm
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Your message on Monday was so on target - seems we just learn to focus on self even when trying to pray - thanks you for today's pearl of wisdom, excellent reminder - my problem is I don't want to suffer physical pain even though I know the Lord will come along side and walk me through it!!
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