Devotional

We have spent a great deal of time unpacking the miracles and wonders of our Lord Jesus Christ during His time here on earth. We first discovered His miraculous birth through the conception of the Holy Spirit. Then we looked at Jesus’ adult ministry and how He fed over five thousand with just two fish and five loaves. Today, we are going to look at His ability to raise people from the dead. A feat completely impossible for any human to do.

The story of Lazarus is rather lengthy. Please take time to read John 11:1-44 on your own time. I will do my best to summarize and focus mainly on the last section, John 11:38-44. By reading the story in its entirety, you can get an idea of why this story has such a profound impact on the people, on Jesus Himself and on us.

Mary, Martha and Lazarus were all siblings. Jesus had a solid affection for them. The sisters knew Jesus well and Mary was the woman in previous scripture who had anointed Jesus’ feet with costly oil. Their brother Lazarus had fallen ill and the sisters sent word to Jesus. He was not concerned whatsoever and told the sisters, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (verse 4). Jesus stayed in their town two days longer despite the disciple’s urgings for Him to retreat. Jesus explains to the twelve that Lazarus is sleeping and He will go wake him. Unfortunately, He actually meant Lazarus was dead, but the disciples thought He meant he was in literal sleep. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead in a tomb for four days. By this time, his body would have already begun to smell and the process of decomposition would have started. Martha and Mary both try to place blame on Jesus, using words in hopes he would feel guilty like, “if you were here, our brother wouldn’t have died.” (verses 21, 32).

Jesus was overwhelmed with sadness over the death of Lazarus and this is the only time recorded in the scriptures where Jesus wept (verse 35). Martha confirms her belief in His Lordship and power, but Jesus, deeply moved, traveled into the town where Lazarus lay in his tomb. There was much mourning over the loss at the tomb, but Jesus was ready to show them His power exceeding anything they were capable of understanding up until this point.

John 11:38-44 says,

“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Although the sisters claimed deep belief in Christ, there was still doubt. Martha warned Jesus about the odor because of the amount of time which had passed. Jesus again replies, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

How many times do we see God work a miracle in our lives or in the life of someone around us and we still do not believe? God may even say something so direct as Jesus did to Martha to remind us that He knows what He is doing.

TRUST HIM.

Jesus raised Lazarus and He lived again. Jesus was not only demonstrating His power, but He was foreshadowing the very miracle which was to come in His own life. Many people believed in Him that day. Can you imagine what Lazarus was thinking?! HE WAS DEAD. THEN JESUS GAVE HIM LIFE.

This is the whole point of this story! Jesus sought out the one He loved who was dead and gave Him life.

The greatest miracle that I see from this story is how I, just like Lazarus was dead, Jesus came to me, spoke life into me and gave me life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

You want to experience redemption from death? You want to be raised in newness of life and walk with a God who has the power to redeem your dead heart?

Come.

In Part 4, we will look at the most amazing miracle of all. You will not want to miss out!

I do not know why in our human minds, we misjudge the power of Jesus time and time again. The disciples had faith enough to follow Jesus, but it was not until they saw Him change water into wine that they fully understood the capacity of their belief. When we place our faith and trust in Christ, there will be days we think He is not big enough to handle our needs. There will be days when we feel overwhelmed by His power and there will even be days when we read and marvel at all He can do. Jesus feeding the five thousand is one of those stories to me.

In Matthew 14: 13-21, Jesus shocks His disciples yet again by doing an amazing feat. The story begins with Jesus learning of the death of John the Baptist, His dear friend. John had been beheaded by King Herod and Jesus wanted to be alone. As He departed by boat, crowds heard of His location and followed Him. When He arrived to shore, Jesus was met by the large crowds and it says in verse 14 that “He had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Even though Jesus was weary and heavy in heart about the death of John, He did not withhold blessings to bestow on those who desperately needed healing. As the day progressed, the disciples came to Jesus and urged Him to send the crowds away so they could buy food for themselves in the villages. Starting in verse 16, things get awesome.

“But Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They said to Him, ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ And He said, ‘Bring them here to me.’”

What the disciples failed to recognize is the importance of providing both for the spiritual and physical needs of the people. Sure, we can preach the gospel, but when someone is physically in need, the bible says in Matthew 25:40, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” I believe Jesus wanted His power to be again displayed for the disciples who are so much like we are, fickle in our faith.

The story goes on in Matthew 14: 18-21:

“And He said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.”

This story literally gives me chills every time I read it. The disciples wanted to walk away and let the people deal with their hunger themselves. Jesus did waiver in is desire to help. He immediately took action. Again, JESUS. TOOK. ACTION. He did not hope they would come up with a better plan. He asked for the fish and bread, gazed up to His Heavenly Father and blessed it. He anticipated greatness as He looked to heaven. He did not doubt and He did not wavier in His thoughts. He immediately took action.

We also know the crowds needing food exceeded five thousand because that number only accounted for the men present. There is absolutely no other way anything on this scale could be physically possible. Jesus did a miracle and the people’s needs were met.

Two takeaways for me I want to share with you from this story are as follows; Jesus took action and He anticipated a great blessing.

It can be incredibly difficult as a believer to not struggle with bending to the temptations of the world or assuming God will not provide for your needs in whatever capacity you are needing them. It is crucial for us as children of God, to trust and believe the big things in this world He can make happen. We also need to live in such a way as with great expectations. When we do not trust God will deliver, we tune our radar out and miss amazing blessings. When we pray, we ought to pray with joy, all the while knowing He has great blessings for us just as He anticipated the great blessings from above to provide food when realistically it was impossible.

In “The Miracles of Jesus-Part 1,” Mary the mother of Jesus was told by an angel she would conceive that which was from the Holy Spirit. Before departing, the angel left her with these incredible words in Luke 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Jesus Christ’s story is a miracle in and of itself. When we think of the many miracles of Jesus, we tend to think of how He healed the sick and raised the dead, all of which are mind blowing. We will embark on a four-part series focusing on the miracles of Jesus. He presented Himself in profound ways and He touched the minds and hearts of many. He continually proved His power and complete authority over normal human abilities. It is the reason why He is so hard to understand, yet so awesome in His Lordship. Let’s jump right in and discover more about the Christ we know as Lord.

The greatest miracle of Jesus began when God placed His Spirit in the womb of a virgin, to bear the King.

I do not need to go into detail of what all takes place in order to conceive a child. Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ earthly parents, did not engage in sexual activity to bring Him into existence. God is so incredible in His infinite power, that He Himself manifested His Spirit into the womb of a pure woman and she gave birth to the world’s Savior. Though many did not believe, angels visited Mary and Joseph on separate occasions, reaffirming God’s choice for them.

The prophet Isaiah foretold of the birth of Christ in Isaiah 7:14

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

We know in the gospels, the story of Christ’s birth spreads throughout all the land. We know Isaiah was not wrong in his foretelling of this miraculous event. We know this is the first and greatest miracle, God coming in the form of a human infant, growing into a child, then into an adult for which He was destined to die.

The first miracle Jesus performed as an adult was in John 2.

Shortly after Jesus called the twelve to follow Him as disciples, in John 2, Jesus attended a wedding with them and His mother. As the wedding festivities were enjoyed, wine for the guests ran out. Jesus’ mother turns to Him and says in verse 3, “They have no wine.” We see immediately her intentions are for Jesus to use His power to remedy the situation. In verse 4 Jesus responds to His mother, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” Reading this verse might make one think He is put off with His mother, but Jesus is trying to distance Himself and His mother’s request.

Jesus ultimately decides to honor His mother’s request by instructing His disciples to fill up six stone water jars and upon drawing it out, there was wine. In fact, the bridegroom comments in verse 10 about the wine being the best. “But you have kept the good wine until now.”

The most pressing thing of importance to know about this first miracle of Jesus is in verse 11. “And His disciples believed in Him.” Remember, when Jesus first calls the twelve, they do not question, but instantly follow Jesus at His calling. This is the first time they see His words in action and for them, that was huge. They did not dismiss Him before this first miracle, but seeing something tangibly has a different effect on your faith than the simple act of only believing.

The miracles of Jesus are vast. Having faith in Him can be tough because we do not get to physically hangout with Him like the disciples did. When you come into a relationship with Christ and you obtain true salvation, miracles will be evident in ways they never were before. Starting your journey to faith in Christ is not difficult and does not require much. You only need to accept His words, ask for forgiveness and believe firmly in your heart and you will see the mighty works of our Lord.

When I was twelve years old, horrible stomach pain plagued me for nearly a week. My parents began to express concern and took me to the hospital. The doctors in the emergency room ran some tests to confirm I had appendicitis. Within the hour I would be receiving emergency surgery. I was terrified. I rarely had to go to the doctor as a child, but never to the hospital since birth and now suddenly I was going to be knocked out and cut open! I recall having a calm numbness about the situation, like everything was happening in slow motion and soon I would wake up from a dream. Unfortunately, it was all very real. I had so much inflammation you could see my appendix bulging from my side with only a glance.

My mom contacted her parents, my grandparents, and come to find out at that exact moment, my grandma and grandpa were at the local prison leading a bible study. They along with all the inmates in attendance, stopped their lesson and spent time in prayer over my health. My parents stayed near my side and also prayed continually for the next thirty minutes while doctors waited for the operating room to be cleared and ready. My doctor returned and asked how I was feeling and oddly commented about the inflammation site looking less inflamed. He ordered another quick scan of the area to reaffirm what he had already determined a short time ago. He left the room while a nurse scanned my stomach. A few minutes after the nurse left, the doctor returned looking completely baffled. He looked at my parents and I with bewilderment in his voice and said, “I do not have a medical explanation for this, but Lindsey is fine. When you brought her in, her appendix was so inflamed it was near the point of rupturing and now…the inflammation is completely gone. She has no need for surgery and you all are free to go home.” We all looked at each other speechless. It was truly a miracle. God answered our prayers.

I could tell you story after story of person or situation I know of, who have witnessed first-hand the power of prayer played out in their life. For some reason that day, God decided to heal me quickly, as to not need surgery. God just as easily could have used surgery for His glory too. I cannot pretend to understand what He did that day for me, when others have died from the same ailment. God hears every prayer and when you have faith in the words you give Him, He does listen.

Scripture says:

1 John 5:14, “And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us.”

James 5:13-14, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick. Let him call the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

Scripture also says in Mark 11:24,

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

When you pray, God will answer in one of three ways, “yes,” “no,” or “wait.” He does not love you any less when He says no. His goal for us as His children is to faithfully trust Him with our desires and be willing to accept His answer, whatever that may be. Let’s take a look at an example of each.

When God says, “Yes.”

In the first chapter of 1 Samuel, we are introduced to Elkanah. He has two wives: Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah has children and Hannah has not been able to bear children. Hannah obviously had a hard time with this and her lack of children was a steady burden to her soul, for she deeply desired them. Every year Hannah would travel with her family to the temple. The year recorded in 1 Samuel 1-19 speaks of Hannah praying in the sight of the priest, Eli. Eli thought she was drunk and when Hannah explained to him she was pouring her heart out to God, Eli says in verse 17, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” The next day she and her family returned home and she spent time with her husband, conceived and gave birth to a son.

When God says, “No.”

Our next example is of God saying “no” to His own son, Jesus. In Matthew 26, the timeline of the plot to kill Jesus, His betrayal and arrest goes by quickly. Jesus knows what is to come and how He must suffer and die on the cross for us. Even so, as He spends time in the garden of Gethsemane, in verse Matthew 26:39 it says, “And going a little farther He fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’” Of course we know God does not remove His Son from the garden to escape death, burial and resurrection. The key is when He says, “not as I will, but as You will.” In times when God clearly says “no” to something we desire to be different, if we can maintain the attitude of trusting He knows best for us, then in the end all will turn out right, just as it did through Jesus’ death.

When God says, “Wait.”

In Genesis 12-15, Abraham, a righteous man, is called by God in obedience to serve. Abraham who is already older in age, is told by God his wife Sarah will have a child. Abraham at various times becomes exceedingly impatient waiting on God. He even has relations with his servant Hagar and she bears a son. Still, God tells him to wait on the promised descendant He desires to give him. In total, Abraham and Sarah wait fifteen years for the promise to be fulfilled and their son Issac to be born. Even through his disobedience, God still kept His promise.

God’s timing can be frustrating to wait on, especially when He does not give us what we want. Prayer is powerful even when the hoped for outcome is not received. God does listen, but God also knows what He is doing. Keep praying, power will be evident. He is sovereign and His will is best. He created you, trust Him to have guidance over your path. Put on the attitude of Jesus, “not my will but yours.”

As a kid, my siblings and I were involved in a number of church activities. My favorite was a ministry called AWANA’s. Every Wednesday night my mom and dad would drop my siblings and I off at AWANA’s. Right away the fun began; two hours of learning bible stories, crafts, playing games and my favorite: bible challenges. Each week, our homework was to read through and bring back the completed workbook section, having memorized the weekly verses. The leaders would quiz us on the homework and we would take turns sitting one on one, word for word reciting the verses. You earned patches and emblems to add to your AWANA vest for the work you completed. I have awesome memories sitting with my dad in our kitchen working through verse memorization together. Each week I returned for AWANA’s, I always felt incredibly accomplished when I could recite an entire verse by memory.

AWANA takes its name from 2 Timothy 2:15

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

(Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed).

As much as you or I strive to rightly handle the word of truth, there will always be others in the world who purposefully and wrongfully handle the word of truth. These people are called False Teachers. There are MANY false teachers and false prophets in the world. Some prefer to appeal to the masses, while others simply prey on individuals to mislead.

Televangelist Benny Hinn is one popular example of a false teacher and prophet appealing to the masses. For many years, Benny has appeared on TV claiming to have special God given miraculous abilities to heal people and prophecy the return of Christ. All his attempts to heal and see the future have been proven false. I have seen first hand the work of false teachings.

I traveled to China many years ago. Several of my teammates had met a Chinese Believer who appeared to be solid in His Christian faith. My friends were invited to continue attending a local bible study taught by this man. After a few sessions, one of my friends became unsettled over some discrepancies with this man’s teaching and found them to be unbiblical. One night after the study, this friend of mine approached the man privately with some rather pointed questions regarding his doctrine. The man became angry and a verbal altercation erupted. Many days after the dust settled, the other locals were fully aware of this man’s false doctrine. As a result, he was kicked out of the group and refused further conversations with my friend.

Both examples are real and daily life happenings around the globe. For those of us who walk on solid ground they can be unsettling reminders that our world is being temporarily ruled by the Prince of Darkness, Satan. He will use workers of the flesh to entice you with untruths, in hopes to lead you astray from God. This is why you MUST clothe yourself daily with the words of the Lord in your heart and know truth from untruth.

It remains essential for you to know the truth in order to weed out false teachings. Do not fear these liars, but know what you believe and why you believe it.

1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

John makes it very clear in 1 John 4:1-3. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”

Rest assured, as you begin or continue to share your faith with others, you will encounter those with opposing beliefs. Proceed with respect and love for they have been led astray. The Holy Spirit will give you words to say and He can use you to guide them back to the truth.

For Deaf 316 Ministries’ full Biblical Doctrine, consult the BELIEFS section of our website.

Matthew 5:14-16

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let you light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

This passage in scripture is incredibly powerful. Matthew chapters 5-7 are perfectly titled, “The Sermon on the Mount.” This for obvious reasons was because Jesus gathered with his disciples on a mountain and taught them deep and meaningful truths.

When you accept Jesus Christ into your life as your personal savior, you are given the power of the Holy Spirit. You then become as Jesus says, “the light of the world.” Anytime someone looks at you, they should see the radiance of Christ. Psalm 119:105 further emphasize the words of Christ are a lamp for our feet and light for our path.

Have you ever been at home when a storm hit and you lost power? The darkness can bring about fear and most definitely disarray. Without any light you could easily lose your point of reference. But, consider what happens when you turn on a flashlight or light a candle in the dark. The entire room is illuminated. The vast depth of darkness dwindles and one seemingly small speck of light is enough to bring clarity to orient you. Consider how the darkness represents all of the lost people on this populous planet. The enemy has shielded their eyes and has forced them to live in darkness, yet as you encounter these lost souls, the brilliance you possess because of Christ removes the covering of their gaze and immediately they see the beautiful light of Jesus. They desire to experience the warmth and guidance of the light you have because of the vision it brings to their dark world.

Jesus has given you light for this purpose, to be seen. Often it can be tough to follow Christ in a world that does not understand or accept what you stand for because they do not accept Jesus. Regardless of what others think, you still hold the light. Proudly let its beam pierce through you. You have been elevated such as a city on a hill at night that is seen from afar. In the same way, do not shelter your light. Remember, Jesus was not always accepted, but in His obedience, He was rewarded. You will be rewarded with your willingness to follow Him even when people want to stay hidden in the dark or others claim they do not need your light. Jesus gave you His light to shine, so live boldly with your light burning bright.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
JOHN 15:18