Death brings life? (John 12:24, 25 MKJV)

Joh 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25 He who loves his life shall lose it. And he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.

Weakness is strength? (2 Cor 12:8,9 MKJV)

2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9 And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may overshadow me.

Tears will bring joy? (Psa 126: 5,6 MKJV)

Psa 126:5 Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Psa 126:6 He who goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Love your ENEMIES? (Rom 12:14, 21; Matt 5: 44 MKJV)
Rom 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse.
Rom 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Mat 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you,

Blessed are you when you are persecuted?! Do your good deeds in secret?? Stop worrying about provision, but focus on religion first??? God as a baby? God on the cross??

Christianity must stand alone; of all of the world’s religions, it’s the one with the most apparently inane dogma. It is the most ridiculous, radical thing one can ever hope to find in religion. All you have to do to find that out is read the Bible. But was God (and, by extension, Christ) off His head?

We know He wasn’t.

I have just re-read the story of Lazarus- with new eyes because what I have hoped for from God has seemed to get further and further away, just as Lazarus died and sat in the tomb for four days. But when you read the story, you find that the Lord purposely delayed his going there to help. (Think about it: He was God in flesh; He could have sent an angel, a bird, a stone to go and heal; He could have done it by “remote control”. Yet He chose to sit and wait).

Joh 11:5 And Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
Joh 11:6 Therefore, when He had heard that he was sick, then indeed He remained two days in the place where He was. (MKJV)

That’s the Modern King James Version, but most other versions say much the same thing. NOW Jesus loved them, THEREFORE he stayed two more days. What’s more, I get the feeling He dawdled on His way back to Bethany. Why would the Lord do this, knowing how painful it was to the sisters? Did He do it just because He could, because He knew He would heal anyway, so it didn’t matter when?

Two clues:

Joh 11:4 When Jesus heard, He said, This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God might be glorified by it. (MKJV)

The NIV says “will not END in death”.

Joh 11:40 Jesus answered her, Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God? (MKJV)

There are always doubters. There are always people who will say Lazarus had just been asleep- hey, maybe in a coma, even. But Lazarus was truly dead, and stinking. How much more glory to God when we see a complete miracle, one that involves regeneration and all the other little things that need to be done to bring a person back to life? And how much more amazing for Mary and Martha (especially Martha, who struggled to believe the Lord would do something amazing in this life, rather than the next)?

For some reason, in the middle of darkness, that’s where God is working the most powerfully. It has been true, over and over, that when Christians die for their faith, a revival happens; that when we are in deep trouble, miracles happen. (After all, trouble is fertile ground; if we never had any, how would we ever see God’s power?) It is so human to fear the pain that may result for whatever bad situation we find ourselves in; but how MUCH God can do in that place! How much our faith grows from seeing Him deliver us, or our loved ones? And where the trouble is sickness resulting in death, how much deeper we who are left have to dig to reach God’s resources, and how much we mature in faith!

Yes, it’s a risky business, this faith in the Christian God. Don’t even bother to get started if you’re looking for security and comfort (although strangely enough those come, too, in the middle of trouble- just not in expected ways). It’s not for the faint-hearted; and yet my God

Psa 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. (KJV)

The strength that comes from this faith is not human; it’s from the fact of God being God, Himself. He’s the impossible God who is God of the impossible. That’s all. And that’s where this faith starts and ends.