"Just as Jesus wept with Mary and Martha, He weeps with you and understands your pain. His delay is not a sign of His absence but a part of His divine plan. Trust that He hears your prayers and sees your tears. Keep faith that in His perfect timing, He will act in a way that brings greater glory and purpose than you can imagine. Lean on Him and find strength in His promise to never leave or forsake you."
[00:00:00] We're the spray friends together on our knees, let us pray friends together on our knees. And I fall on my knees with my face to the rise in sun, all over the earth, you see on the knees.
[00:00:27] Welcome to the Bible Speaks with Elgin Carelock. The Bible Speaks is a weekly ministry of harvest international.
[00:00:33] Our prayer is that the Bible Speaks will encourage you in your study of God's Word. You will be able to contact Elgin at the address given at the end of this broadcast. And now here's Elgin.
[00:00:46] Brothers and sisters, I welcome you, whoever you are, wherever you are, and whenever you're listening to the Bible Speaks. And we always look forward to an opportunity to rightly divide the Word of Truth.
[00:01:03] And once again, I have the lovely wife of mine, Judy Carelock, joining us for our discussion about an on time God. Our spiritual inspiration comes from John chapter 11 verses 1 through 43.
[00:01:29] Now I'm not going to read it all to you, but just know that we will be referencing various verses as we go through our discussion today. And it's very familiar to you because it is the story of Lazarus.
[00:01:47] There's a popular gospel song that says, he may not come when you want him, but he'll be there right on time. But do we always trust God's timing? Jesus' interaction with this family reveals a unique bond marked by love, trust and mutual respect.
[00:02:13] Lazarus, Mary and Martha lived in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem, and their home served as a place of rest and refuge for Jesus during his ministry.
[00:02:27] The visit of Jesus to the home of Mary and Martha in Luke 10 verses 38 through 42 offers a vivid portrayal of the sister's contrasting response to Jesus' presence, and highlights important spiritual lessons.
[00:02:46] Upon Jesus' arrival, Martha immediately sets about serving, bustling and preparation to ensure everything is perfect for their honor and guests. Her focus on the task at hand, though commendable, leads her to feel overwhelmed and frustrated, prompting her to ask Jesus to encourage Mary to help.
[00:03:11] In contrast, Mary chooses to sit at Jesus' feet, attentively listening to his teaching, demonstrating her desire to prioritize his words above all else.
[00:03:25] Jesus gently addresses Martha's concern, affirming that while her efforts are appreciated, Mary has chosen what is better, the one thing necessary, spending time with him and absorbing his heart.
[00:03:40] This encounter underscores the balance between active service and worship, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing our relationship with Jesus and being spiritually nourished by his presence above the business of daily life.
[00:04:00] For us in today's world, it is an example of understanding how to approach to Lord, but more importantly when. There are times when praise and worship are in order and all of the activities that come with it.
[00:04:17] But there are times when we should sit at the feet of the Father and be in His presence appreciating who He is. Versus 1 through 3 of our spiritual texts, reads, now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
[00:04:39] This Mary whose brother Lazarus now lay sick was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sister sent word to Jesus, Lord, the one you love is sick.
[00:04:55] The Bible does not specifically give reference to the relationship between Jesus and Lazarus. But his sister's reference to him as the one you love is an indication that there was a closeness.
[00:05:11] Hello everyone, Jesus states that Lazarus illness will not end in death but is for God's glory so that the Son of God may be glorified through it in John 1114. By delaying His visit and allowing Lazarus to die, Jesus creates an opportunity to perform a greater miracle.
[00:05:35] By demonstrating His divine power and authority more profoundly. So tell me what you mean by Jesus showing His power more profoundly. In Jewish belief, it is commonly held that the spirit of a deceased person hovered over the body for three days, hoping to reenter it.
[00:05:57] By waiting four days to raise the Lazarus, Jesus ensured that there could be no doubt about the miracle, demonstrating His power over death in a way that went beyond traditional Jewish expectations and beliefs.
[00:06:15] Another interesting point for me was when Jesus told the disciples that he wanted them to go back to Bethany. They were apprehensive because of past experiences, even though they had the Son of God with them.
[00:06:32] Do we sometimes let past experiences keep us from relying on the fullness of who He is? Jesus had performed twenty-five miracles to this point, including walking on water. He had the disciples were concerned about His safety.
[00:06:52] Jesus tells His disciples that He is glad He was not there when Lazarus died so that they may believe John 1115. The miracle of raising Lazarus from the day it serves to strengthen the faith of His disciples and others who witnessed it.
[00:07:12] Martha's reaction in verse 21 was raised Lord Martha said to Jesus, If you had been here, my brother would not have died. It's natural and many of us have experienced things that we have asked to Lord for,
[00:07:31] and he did not respond in what we felt like was time enough. Whether it was a loss of a love one who was sick or a pressing knee that was time sensitive, it's not easy to grasp the concept of God's sovereignty and timing because of our emotions.
[00:07:52] But we have to have faith in the fact that He loves us, and even when we can't see the logic in His action, He's working for our good. When waiting on God and it seems like it's becoming too late, I feel frustrated, afraid discouraged, alone,
[00:08:12] like He doesn't hear my prayers or care about my situation, and often feel doubt, lack of faith and trust in God. Recently we were giving a young lady a ride to church when the car started overheating. We parked and waited a while but no change.
[00:08:31] One of the deacons was outside that we knew, and he took us to the store to buy any freeze. We put the antifreeze in the car, and the warning light went off, and we were able to drive home.
[00:08:44] As soon as we pulled into the garage, all the antifreeze ran out of the car. We had no idea how much repairs were going to cost or how we would pay for it.
[00:08:56] But God put us in touch with a mechanic that was honest and made sure we had the provisions to get the repairs done. I wanted to add that when we got home in the car gave out,
[00:09:10] I began to worship God because that could have happened to us the night before. On one of the dark roads we traveled are now way home from church, which is 45 miles away. I also wanted to point out that,
[00:09:30] at that time we had no idea how we would pay for a repair that was undoubtedly going to be thousands of dollars. I closed the garage and ridden the car for seven days because I believe in that time God was going to deliver a solution.
[00:09:48] And guess what? He did. I'm sure Lazarus' sisters felt disappointment, frustration, confusion, and possibly anger due to Jesus' delay and coming. But they also show that they still have faith. Martha, for example, says to Jesus,
[00:10:08] but even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you John 1122. Verse 41 is a pivotal verse in us understanding that sometimes things that happen that are not what we want are not about us. Verse 41 reads,
[00:10:31] So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here that they may believe that you sent me.
[00:10:50] Lazarus' death and ultimate resurrection was about the people seeing for themselves the power of God through Jesus. This would facilitate the spread of the good news throughout the land and many lies would be saved as a result.
[00:11:07] I'm not saying that there are times when I can't understand why people go through some of the tragedies of life when we serve such a loving and powerful God. But I am saying no matter what we see and understand,
[00:11:23] His starts and ways are so far above ours that we have to trust in Him and not what we see. God's timing is perfect even when it doesn't align with our expectation.
[00:11:38] God's delays are not denials but often part of a greater plan that we may not understand at the moment. Remember that God is with you while you wait. He boosts 13-5B. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
[00:11:57] Sometimes waiting has a purpose. It can be a time for growth, strengthening, faith and learning to rely more fully on God. God often uses these periods to prepare us for what lies ahead. Stay hopeful and prayerful, encourage them to keep their hope alive and remain steadfast in prayer.
[00:12:22] Prayer is a powerful way to maintain a connection with God and find peace, amit, uncertainty. God's unfailing love even when it feels like God is silent. His love for us never wavers, Romans 828 says that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.
[00:12:48] Brothers and sisters, just as Jesus wept with Mary and Martha, he weeps with you and understands your pain. His delay is not a sign of his absence but a part of his divine plan. Trust that he hears your prayers and sees your tears.
[00:13:08] Keep faith that in his perfect timing, he will act in a way that brings greater glory and purpose than you can imagine. Lean on Him and find strength in His promise to never leave or forsake you.
[00:13:24] I thank you for spending time with us on today and I look forward to our conversation on tomorrow. Until then, God bless. God bless. I've run it far away. This program is cared for by listeners who care.
[00:13:49] Your prayers and financial investment in this ministry helps to keep the good news on the air. We look forward to hearing from you and invite you to write us at harvest international post office box 660-90 O'Cala Florida 34488. Again, that's harvest international post office box 660-90 O'Cala Florida 34488.