Grave Clothes

 John 11: 43-44, 'Now when He has said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Lazarus is a great picture of what our lives must look like to God before salvation. What I love about this story is, Jesus went to him, not the other way around...so many people claim that they have found the Lord...this is impossible because God isn't lost - we are!!

1st Pet. 2: 9 - '...who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;'

We've been called out of the tombs of our sin's past, shame, darkened lives. Bear in mind however, calling doesn't equal a command...just because Jesus calls, doesn't mean we have no choices to make. Lazarus, made the decision to come out of his tomb...will you?

Another thing that we must note here is, Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, but when he appeared at the mouth of the tomb, he was still wrapped in grave clothes...this is where many Christians live. You may be free, but you're still wrapped up in things that hinder your walk with Jesus!!

You see, grave clothes limit your movement, and keep you from advancing out of the dead and dark things that entangle you on a daily basis!

Let me ask you - how long are you going to entangle yourself with dead things? Jesus told us plainly in Luke chapter 9 to 'Let the dead bury the dead' > it's dead, it cannot help you at all. Leave it be.

One final thing to note which is equally important, no, it's critical as we continue our journey for Christ.

Take note of what Jesus said...He told the people to take the grave clothes off of Lazarus...Jesus didn't take them off - He used other people to do so! In this lies the power of relationship...God will use other people to remove dead things out of your life!

Listen, it's one thing for me to rebuke and / or exhort you concerning something...many of you will regard or heed the words of your spiritual leaders and pastors...but what about your brother/sister? What about someone who is younger in the faith?  Will you allow them that right?

Great example is Naaman and his servants...when they rebuked him for not listening to the prophet about dipping in the Jordan; he actually listened to his subordinates...he didn't let his pride get in the way, and the results were being healed! What about you?
Will you let others inside? There's a humility and a vulnerability that must take place in order for these grave clothes to be taken off...allowing your comrades in Christ do this, is a big step towards spiritual strength and maturity.

Overcomers

2nd Cor. 4: 8-9, 'We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed'

As children of God - overcoming obstacles, tackling difficulties, triumphing over our enemies, should be the norm. However, it's amazing to me how we spend so much energy trying to relieve ourselves of worry and fear versus giving these things to God and fighting through it all.

The Lord never told any of us that faith would be easy - only that all things are POSSIBLE. The picture you see above is a picture of a young family striving to do what is right. They are overcoming the curse that comes with fornication and illegitimacy through prayer, matrimony, and love.

Ask yourself, what is your greatest fear? If and when you're faced with it, what are you going to do? Run or Win? The choice is up to you...let Jesus give you the victory!! He wants to settle the score with sin and hell that seeks your demise...you'll never find true victory and rest without Him...

Take Heed

Matthew 27:45-54 (NKJV)

Jesus Dies on the Cross

45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

It wasn't until these people heard Christ's last cry - the supernatural take place, and the fact that He loved others to the death that they finally realized He was truly the Son of God...what has to take place in your life in order for you to draw the same truthful conclusion?

So many in our generation, and even before us, sought after some sort of physical sign that Jesus Christ is who He said He was...Jesus however, said that the only sign we were gonna get was that of  Jonah - Jonah's sign, was a divine warning!

Folks, we've been warned of Christ's return...we've seen the handwriting on the wall, but very little do anything about it...if these signs are so catastrophic and powerful, why aren't people changing? We know the truth, but we suppress the truth in our own unrighteousness.  It's high time for us to wake up; judgment is coming, and according to God's word, it's gonna start in the house of the Lord, first.

Take heed - Jesus is coming back, and His reward is with Him!

Watch Out!

Psalms 140: 3 - 'They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; the poison of cobras is under their lips.'

James 3: 8 - 'But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.'

In the forest of Costa Rica, there is a sinister wasp, and what it does it it will hijack the mind of the local spiders in the forest. This spider is larger than the wasp 10 times over, and constructs these webs that can stretch from tree to tree; in fact, its livelihood is in the web it constructs for food and survival. However, when this wasp stings the spider, it renders it paralyzed for a span of time...just long enough to lay its eggs on the spider's abdomen.

Once the paralysis wears off, the spider goes back to work, but that's when things get really bizarre. For the next 2 weeks, the spider begins to construct the web differently than before...it is now designing a place for the eggs (soon to be larvae) to cocoon and grow. Once the spider does this, it crawls to the center of the web, and dies.  It's amazing how the wasp can manipulate and control the spider for its own purposes.

I've seen this happen to God's people...they get 'Stung' if you will, and all of a sudden, their spiritual DNA has been altered; consequently, they begin to construct their own demise. Of course, we as people of God are not stung by a wasp - but we are mentally assaulted by the SERPENT...

Understand first of all, the bible associates the serpent with its ability to strike.

Job 20: 16 - 'He will suck the poison of cobras; the viper's tongue will slay him.'

Ps. 58: 4 - Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,'

This is the nature of the serpent; in striking, it releases its venom. In the bible, you find the serpent at the beginning and at the end...

Genesis speaks of the serpent beguiling Eve...then you find him in Revelation as the dragon, or that serpent of old who was cast down...the serpent's strike is not only painful, but many times...fatal.

Moses deals with the serpent at the beginning of his ministry. God tells him to throw down his rod, and it turned into a snake...then He commanded him to pick it up again...the rod is a symbol of AUTHORITY...whenever you throw it down...it becomes a serpent!!

I say Woe to God's people who defy, and / or challenge the authority that God has placed in their lives...you're asking for the spirit of the serpent (The literal translation is Divination)

Even the New Testament elaborates on the serpent...Jesus tells us in Luke 10: 17-21 that He beheld Satan fall like lightning from heaven...He also cautioned us to be grateful that our names are in the Book of Life because of the victory we can have over the serpent...

So how does this serpent strike? He strikes with words...

Proverbs 12: 18 - 'There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.'

Just like the wasp, the serpent injects his venom and leaves you to deal with the effects...many Christians are rendered paralyzed because of his venom...this venom is the words spoken by him to us...this venom comes through people! It can even come through people we love...they speak something into your life, and before you know it - you begin to question your own faith...

Things like: 'Well, I don't know about that church...' or 

'How much do you know about that Pastor?'

Ephesians 5: 6 - 'Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.'

When the serpent, (Even through people you trust) speaks, it's far more than words - they are communicating who they are! Do you wanna know who you are, and what you will become? Take inventory of your friends...YOU WILL ALWAYS BECOME WHO YOU LISTEN TO...

Think with me for a moment - When God confronts Adam and Eve about their sin; what He asked was amazing...He asked them, 'WHO TOLD YOU' you were naked? In other words, WHO HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO??

Listen Christian, you were building for the glory of God, much like this spider was building for survival, but somewhere along the way - you were stung, and now you're building things that will eventually destroy you! What's tragic about this is, the spider never saw it coming...and Christian, without leadership having a voice in your life, you won't see it coming either!

Believe it or not, the spider can be healed of the wasps' afflictions...scientists have discovered that if you remove the larvae from the spider within the 2 week period, the venom will lose its potency, and the spider will survive...

Listen Christian, if you allow Jesus to remove things you haven't judged - it will lead to your survival...you do this through the Blood of Jesus, and you also do this by cutting off people of influence in your life.  If I've said it once, I've said a million times - if you must choose between righteousness and relationship - YOU BETTER CHOOSE RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Friends, we must watch for the wasp, if you will; we must be honest with ourselves, and humble before God and the Authority He's placed in our lives; that way, we can remain spiritually healthy and stable.

All Things New

Zechariah 10:6-7

⁶ “I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; For I am the Lord their God, and I will hear them.
⁷ Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as if with wine.
Yes, their children shall see it and be glad; Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.

 Oh friend of mine, did you hear what God said on behalf of His people? He promises strength, restoration, and mercy! We should take courage in this because - the same promises God had for His people back then, are still true to this day!

I know Christians, try as they may, struggle to maintain dominion and some of us have even lost ground to the enemy. However, God promises that He will step in and restore all things, He has the power and the ability to make all things new!

Joel 2:25-26

²⁵ “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust,
The consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
²⁶ You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.

What an amazing promise by God to His people. Now, understand, this isn't a license to squander the things of God - but, we do tend to lose ground along this journey of faith...as we strive to regain what was taken, know that God will help us to recount our steps and recapture things we've lost.

So, how do we trek this road to recovery? First of all, we have to admit to God that we've lost something! Knowing where the problem exists is often half the battle. Remember the Word of God:

  2 Kings 6:4-7

⁴ So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. ⁵ But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.”
⁶ So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. ⁷ Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

 The beauty of this scripture is, when the young prophet was confronted with where the axehead fell, he wasted no time in revealing where he lost his 'edge'...God was able to do a miracle in making the axehead float - the same is true for you and me!

If you're gonna let Jesus restore everything, then you must reveal everything...He truly is the God who restores! 

Don't Lose Your Head

Ephesians 6: 17 - 'And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;'

As God's people, we must embrace and understand - NOW is not the time to lose our heads! We must don the helmet of salvation - therein lies the seat of our KNOWLEDGE...this is where the battle rages!

2 Corinthians 10:3-6
³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The devil will always challenge what you KNOW about God, not what you feel! You cannot fight a knower with feelings! You are no match with your feelings and emotions, and visions, and experience...this will NEVER impress the devil! He hovered over the throne of God for crying out loud! What have you to express compared to that? If you're gonna bring it to the devil, bring the facts!

Let me ask you, what do you know about your God? Too many of God's people are bringing a heart battle to a head fight! Understand this truth...THE DEVIL HAS NO COMPASSION...his mission is to destroy you and he really doesn't care how you feel about it!

Matthew 4:1-11

Satan Tempts Jesus

4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. ³ Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

⁴ But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”^[a]
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”^[b]

⁷ Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”^[c]

⁸ Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you,^[d] Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”^[e]
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
If you notice in this scripture - Jesus never expressed how He felt while dealing with the devil - He came with nothing but the facts...IT IS WRITTEN! No doubt, Jesus was hungry, thirsty, tired, and a list of other unpleasant feelings, but when it came to deal with the enemy, it was all about what He KNEW!

The helmet of salvation covers your head...the Head speaks of authority and leadership...you spend all this time fighting battles by yourself...where's your helmet? Don't allow the devil to assault your mind...get some humility and cover yourself!!

Sweetheart, let your husband be the leader! God placed him there for a reason - it's designed to protect you...where's your helmet? Quit fighting the devil with your feelings, instead, tell him what you know to be true about the King of kings and Lord of lords!!

No Greater Love

Jhn. 13: 35 - 'By this all will know you are Mine...that you have love for one another'

My wife and I had the privilege of traveling to San Diego CA, then on to Mexicali Mexico to witness the nuptials of my Brother in Law (Danny Camacho)! This was a momentous occasion but it came with a sweet surprise - that is...and impromptu 'Family Reunion' with my wife's family...it was amazing...

I can only speak for myself, but the last time I had seen my mother / father in law, brother in law(s),  sister in law and her fiance, my nephew / niece, had to have been at least 5 years ago...what was so awesome about it though is, when we caught up with one another, it was as if time had never passed between the meetings...Jana and I immediately felt at home, at ease, and really relaxed!

In the midst of all of this, what so impressed me and even in my spirit was the LOVE we all share between us - it was such a sweet love, I could've stayed there with them forever...it's been a long time since I really felt that down home good love! The way we laughed, the way we embraced and kissed each other, just the way we talked and swapped stories...it was intoxicating! I can say with all my heart, I am a very blessed man - to have family like this is all too wonderful to me. There are very few people on this planet who share in this type of joy like we do! I'm telling you, there is nothing like a loving family! If you have relatives but you don't see eye to eye, or there have been struggles and strife, please hurry to make amends! Blood is thicker than water my friend...make sure you have a great relationship with your family members! Trust me, it's worth it!

The Well Is Deep

John 4:7-11

7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?

Think of the depths of human nature, of human life, think of all the wells inside of you. Have you restricted the impact of Jesus’ ministry so that He can do nothing? Let’s say you’re going through trouble in your heart and Jesus comes and says, ‘Let not your heart be troubled…’ (John 14), but you shrug your shoulders and say, ‘Lord, the well is deep, there’s nothing good you can draw out of my life…

You know what; you’re absolutely correct > Jesus doesn't draw anything out of you – He draws them from Heaven down to you! Jesus doesn't bring anything up from human nature…

Matthew 13:53-58
53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables that He departed from there. 54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

We limit His ministry the moment we forget He is Almighty; the impoverishment is in us, not in Him. We will come to Jesus as Comforter or as Sympathizer, but we will not come to Him as Almighty.

In the encounter this woman has with Jesus, she puts Him on the same level as herself – she tells Him, ‘You have nothing to draw with…’ in other words – SHE DOES, but He doesn't, so how can He help her? Ever been there?

You've got plans and ideas to change your circumstances, yet you believe that Jesus doesn't…how can He help you then? You forget, GOD CAN DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING…you lower Him to your abilities…

Jeremiah 32:26-27
26 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?

The reason some of us are such poor specimens of Christianity is because we have no Almighty Christ. We have Christian attributes and experiences, but there is no abandonment to Jesus Christ. When we get into difficult circumstances, we impoverish His ministry by saying – "Of course He cannot do anything," and we struggle down to the deeps and try to get the water for ourselves.

No matter how deep you drop your pitcher, you will Never find what you're looking for...within yourself...you're gonna have to look Up and pull the blessings of God down...

At the end of this discourse with Jesus - the Bible says that she left her water pot to tell the others (Jhn. 4:28). When will you ever leave your water pot? You must be frustrated trying to get into the depths of your own soul, especially knowing that Jesus can deposit His goodness in you from above, but you must be humble and cooperative to allow this!