Tree of Life

Greetings in the Lord!

Today's word is from John 11:21-27~
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
~I find the dialogue very interesting between Martha and Jesus. Firstly, because she is so sure that Jesus is the Son of God that she gives a hint to Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead, saying, "God will give you whatever you ask." Then when Jesus tells her Lazarus will rise again, she assumes that Jesus is talking about the distant day of the "resurrection at the last day." No, he means he will raise him now, but instead of just making it happen, Jesus takes the moment to teach her about the "resurrection"---he is the resurrection and the life! Jesus couldn't just raise Lazarus from the dead without explaining that death will never triumph over those who put their faith in him.
Early this morning I played basketball at the high school in town. Afterwards, I was changing in the locker room getting ready to go to work, and the Holy Spirit laid upon my heart to decree life and the light of Christ over the school for the kids, teachers, and administration. In my heart several times I felt the urging to pray for the light and life of Christ Jesus, so I did from room to room. On my way to work, the Lord gave me an open-eyed vision of a huge oak tree growing on a hill--it represented this high school. While I prayed all that the Holy Spirit had put on my heart to pray, I began to see limp bodies hanging from ropes on the branches of this tree. Alarmed, I wondered what those were and the Spirit put on my heart they represented "dead" dreams, relationships, callings, etc. that had been hung up by the enemy. I prayed that the Lord would cut them down and breathe His life back into those bodies; dreams, hopes, friendships, and anything else that they represented that the enemy had considered to have triumphed over. "Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." (Verse 23). Let's come into agreement this day that the Lord's will be done in that school; that the light and life of Jesus Christ will flouish and resurrect the hopes, dreams, gifts, and hearts of the kids and adults there; that the Lord will not only bring revival and healing to that school, but use it to touch the hearts and lives of the entire regional education system. We pray all this in Jesus' name, Amen.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.

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