Thursday, June 9, 2011

JESUS THE SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE (JOHN 11:25-26) 10 APR 11

PREACHER:REV. ISAAC ETUAH-JACKSON           
Jesus is the life and resurrection of our lives. In the first reading, the Jews were in exile of the captivity and slavery of Babylon. Ezekiel like Jeremiah and Isaiah is cotemporaries and had words of encouragement was part of king Joachim’s reign. God speaks about the end time. The Israelites where taken into captivity and where throwing their hands in the air in dismay saying how can we sing the Lords song in a strange land? How can we praise God in a land of captivity? He reveals to Ezekiel that the value of dry bones and life came to them after his prophesy and they where a vast army.(Ezek 37:10)                                     God  explains the vision to him  showing him that all hope is not lost as in the case of the captured Jews (Ezek 37: 11-14)hopeless. God will speak to your situation today and turn your life around.
The Lord says he would open the gates and bring his people back to the land; this is the promise, when we think everything is hopeless. Jesus is extending a hand to us today, telling us he has abundant life. This is the life he gives to us that if we receive him. This life would be ours.
Lazarus was a friend of Jesus who had died for four days, when he was sick a message was sent to Jesus but took time to get there. Arriving on the day, Martha told Jesus his brother would not have died if he had arrived earlier. In certain situations during the loss of a loved one, we say if this doctor had been on duty our loved one would not have died, but Jesus came at the appointed time. In his time he makes all things beautiful. Was not with him and risen
To believe in Jesus is to declare our faith in him, the Sadducees (a sect of the Jews) did not believe in life after death, but Martha believed this. This body would leave and go to belong to God. Death is not the end of our lives but opens the way to eternal life that God gives. Many of our loved ones are dead but let’s have the hope we would meet with them in the end times. Jesus instructed that the storm would take us away. Did I not tell you I’m the resurrection and he who believes in me would live? The message got to the Sadducees, and instantly they started planning his death. It is not enough to believe in Jesus, but to practicalise what we believe. Jesus prayed and shouted the name of Lazarus. Come out! He was moved from the sphere of death to the sphere of life. . Believing in Jesus as the life resurrection, would lead to actions that bring Glory to God. This is the faith we have as Christians that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly what we commit to his hands. He brought Lazarus back to life and can change your situation around.
MHB 1 sums up all we have said, He speaks a little into his voice……... These are the words of Charles Wesley affirming to us that in the face of eminent trouble he speaks to turn things around. Jesus has power over death. Let’s continue to be in him and have him as the source of our lives. Let’s live to please him and in the last days he would accept us as his.

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