Last week in my personal devotions, a particular verse in the book of John caught my attention and I placed a marker there to go back to it and spend some time looking into it. Today I am going to take you to that verse so you can look at it with me. It is a verse related to spiritual preparation. But let me ask you this question first: Are you truly ready to meet the Lord? Would you really be content in presenting yourself to the Lord considering the spiritual condition you are in today? What do you personally need to do to make yourself prepared for the return of the Lord?
Mt. 24:44 (KJV)
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son
of man cometh.
There are four Biblical steps required in regard to spiritual preparation:
Abandonment of idols - 1 Samuel 7:3, 2 Chronicles 19:3
Cleansing of God's temple - 2 Chronicles 29:15, 1 Cor. 6:19,20
Returning unto the Lord - Luke 1:17
Personal purification - 2 Tim. 2:21, James 4:8
Isaiah 40:3 exhorts us to prepare YE the way of the Lord. All throughout the Bible preparation preceded blessings…
2 Kings 3:16-17 shows that there was no water for the army till the ditches were dug.
2 Kings 4:3-4 shows that there was no oil till the vessels were gathered.
2 Kings 5:10 shows that there was no healing until the leper had dipped seven times.
Hosea 10:12 shows that there was no harvest until the ground had been broken up.
Joel 2:12-13 shows that there was no reconciliation without repentance.
John 9:7 shows that there was no vision without obedience.
Revelation 7:13-14 shows that there was no entrance into Heaven without cleansing.
And the verse that caught my attention last week that we are going to be looking at today shows that there is no resurrection until the stone is removed....
John 11:39 (KJV)
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was
dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been
dead four days.
Take YE away the stone.... There is much meaning behind these words - are you interested in uncovering it? If so, look with me also at verse 38 of the same chapter as we pop in on the scene of Lazarus death, where his sisters Mary and Martha were, where the Jews were gathered to sympathize with them, and where Jesus wept...
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone...
Ladies, I want to liken our hearts today to that grave to which Jesus came. He approached Lazarus’ grave groaning just as He visits those dead places in our hearts and grieves over them. Scripture says it was a cave and a stone lay upon it. Are there any stones in your heart today? If there is, then what lies behind is a cave! A very large dark place where only the echo of your own voice is heard. It is a place where no life is at all! There is no life, because there is no light....
Yes, Jesus Christ's orders for us are - "Take YE away the stone." Why? Because He wants to replace the darkness of that cave with the light of His life! Jesus wants a resurrection to take place in those dark places of our hearts! However, in order for the blessing of new life to take place, there must be some effort performed on our parts - we must take the stone away... This is the first step to spiritually preparing our hearts for the return of the Lord!
Have you got any stones to remove, dear lady? Any boulders of bitterness, rocks of wrath, or pebbles of pity? It is your responsibility to roll them away if you ever want to experience the real meaning of new life in Christ as a child of God. God expects us to do some of the work! Are you putting forth any effort toward spiritually preparing your heart for His return??
John 11:41 (KJV)
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid....
What happens after we roll the stone away? What happens when those obstacles in our spiritual lives are removed? Let's see what happened with Lazarus....
John 11:43 (KJV)
And when he thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
The first thing that happens as pictured in this verse is that the Word of God can finally be heard! And Jesus Christ can finally be seen! Truth was never before heard in the cave, only the echo of your own voice was heard... But now, with the stone removed out of the way, Jesus can be seen and heard! His words are words of life and encouragement sent in
the form of a challenge, targeted straight at your heart in the phrase, "Come forth!" What is your reaction when you finally hear the Word of God in that very private place of your heart, as Christ beckons you to come to Him??
Notice Martha's response to the Lord's instructions to take the stone away… She said, "Lord by this time he stinketh.." Ladies, so many excuses enter into the picture when God comes to the dark places of our hearts and wants to open the tomb! Martha was worried about the odor. Are you, too?? Are you afraid of what others will think when they smell the odor of past sins behind your stone once you take it out of the way? Are you afraid of admitting you stink at all?? Many times those closest to us are opposed to any newness of life in Christ becoming evident in our lives; they prefer us to remain dead in our sins. Martha's brother was dead and Jesus was about to perform a miracle and bring him back to life and she was worried about odor??? How utterly ridiculous! Don't ever let the concerns of family, friends, or even church members keep you back from living a resurrected life in Christ! If they aren't choosing to spiritually organize their hearts, don't let that stop YOU from coming forth! Forget the smell; forget the past - look to Jesus now and live! Follow Him in obedience - unless you prefer darkness to light…
Will you choose death or life today? Will it be a burial or a resurrection for your heart? How long have you been dead, Christian lady? Four days like Lazarus, or have those days turned into months, even years now? Remember how Jesus groaned over his grave. So too, He groans over that place of death in our hearts where no life is. It brings tears to our Savior’s eyes when we refuse the life of blessings He has prepared for us! Don't you think it's about time to live a resurrected life and prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord?!
John 11:44 (KJV)
And he that was dead came forth...
What a happy ending, amen? Lazarus was raised by the power of God! That can be the story of your life too! It's all up to you though, dear lady. It starts with taking away the stone… Do you realize that none of this newness of life would be possible in our lives at all if it were not for the resurrection of Jesus Christ Himself? Are you thankful for the perfect work He did for you on the cross? I hope then that you will gratefully take responsibility and roll away those stones in your heart, for God is always ready, willing, and able to do His part! In fact, Jesus said of His part, "It is finished." Can you say the same? Or is there more you need to take care of?
John 19:41 (KJV)
Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden...
I love this verse, for it shows such a contrast between life and death, yet tells a story too.... Death is depicted on the cross while surrounded by a garden full of new life! Ladies, the very place where you crucify your flesh is also the very place where you will find the resurrected life and experience new growth! From graveyard to garden… It is not the end, but the beginning of a closer walk with the Lord and preparedness for His return. What are you waiting for?? Take YE away the stone!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2004
