Be The Reason
Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus. But he died. He was graveyard dead. So dead that he stank. But then his Friend came. Now, he is alive again and he lives for Jesus.
It was a miracle. Because of Lazarus, more people deserted the chief priest and followed Jesus, so the Pharisees decided to kill him. Still, I don’t think Lazarus was concerned about the threat to his life. After all, when it came to death, he had already been there and done that.
A man once said, “The problem with most churches today is no one wants to kill Christians anymore.” Wow, that’s harsh. But think about it. Nobody gets mad at ineffective Christians.
Church attendance is down all over the country. And many churches struggle to keep their doors open. Why is that? I believe it is because most Christians don’t want to offend anyone. They are unwilling to stand up for Jesus. When Christ is not lifted up, no one is drawn to Him. As a result, churches all around are dwindling away.
If you are a Christian, you are told to come out from the world and be separate. That means a person who follows Christ will be different from those who do not. Yet most “Christians” chose to look, act, and sound like the world. They don’t want to stand out, they want to blend in. That way nobody will get mad at them. But if I can’t tell by your actions that you are a Christian, are you a Christian?
Yes, it is true: when you stand up for Jesus, the world will hate you. But understand this: the world hated Jesus before it hated you. If you choose to blend in, the world will love you. But Jesus called His followers out of the world just like He called Lazarus out of the grave. So now your assignment is this. Live for Christ, and like Lazarus be the reason that people follow Jesus.
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.
As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”
II Corinthians 6:14-18 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/2co.6.14-18.NKJV
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
Y’all Come to See Us Sometime
email-pavementendsministry@gmail.com
“Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
John 11:38-44 NKJV
“Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.
Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.”
John 11,12:1-3, 9-11 NKJV
