John Grant, Week Fifteen, 2020

“After he had said this, he went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.’” John 11:11

COVID-19 has brought challenge, fear, and uncertainty, but it is not all bad. Look around and see the good coming from it. Encouragement has been coming from churches who are utilizing online presentations. Neighbors are being neighborly and families are communicating. The best of medical services and strategic planning along with prevention such as social distancing is attacking this unseen enemy…. and the list goes on.

And then the words, “I’m on my way,” appear. Who said that? Who is that? What is the circumstance? What are the issues? What is the hurt, the fear, or the pain associated with this statement? Does it have application for me? Well, who said that? Jesus Said It!

In times like these, are not those words above encouraging? It suggests help is on the way! Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, were in much pain. Their brother had died and Jesus did not come to heal him. Why did he not come? Why was he not there? Ponder their thoughts, feel their anguish, visualize their tears, their anxiety, and their confusion. They had sent Jesus a message (11:3).

Questions were abounding. Fear was rising. Sadness was billowing. It could not have been worse, but then Jesus said: “I’m on My way!” But he did not come immediately. The delay was for the Glory of God to be seen. Lazarus was to be raised from the dead! Eternal Truths would be revealed! It was all in God’s plan.

There is an application for all of us. This is what is happening to us now … questions are abounding What is God doing, what does He want, what will happen next, will He protect me, will I get through this pandemic, and what is really behind all the physical and financial challenges and circumstances?

It is a time to think. What really is important? What really are the important decisions I need to make? What are the most important things I have? I will bet the list is different than it would have been a month ago. Am I doing what the Lord wants me to do? Am I using His resources that He has entrusted to me wisely, efficiently, and purposefully for the Kingdom of God?

Be assured: He is in Control. He is Working. He is Leading. He is Speaking loudly to many on many platforms of influence. And, He is still saying “I’m on My way!” He is coming … He really is coming! He is coming to heal, fulfill, and to help. He is coming this moment. He is coming to calm your fears, energize your thinking, and encourage your spirits. He is coming to do what needs to be done for you!

Never forget those words Jesus said: “I’m on My way!” Let’s Be Ready … worshipping and working for Him! Take notes, journal, write things down, and share with others. Build and strengthen your faith. See these times as times of opportunity. Not times of disaster. This is the ‘Believers’ Moment!’

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

C. S. Lewis: “God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

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Alexandra DeSanctis notes, “Too many politicians are committed to the notion that the unborn have no rights if they are deemed unwanted.”

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Mosquitoes like the scent of estrogen, hence, women get bitten by mosquitoes more often that men do.

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The WHO estimates that there were 228 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2018, with 405,000 deaths. Almost half the world’s population—about 3.2 billion people—are at risk. The disease kills a child every two minutes.

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Stop judging and evaluating yourself, for this is not your role. Above all, stop comparing yourself with other people. This produces feelings of pride or inferiority, sometimes a mixture of both. I lead each of My children along a path that is uniquely tailor-made for him or her. Comparing is not only wrong; it is also meaningless and deadly. Don’t look for affirmation in the wrong places: your own evaluations or those of other people.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. Thomas A. Edison

God doesn’t love me because I am valuable. I am valuable because God loves me. Rob Taylor

According to Gallup, Americans are among the most stressed people in the world.

What one person starts, others can continue. Jim Denison

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8 NIV

Whatever America hopes to bring to pass in the world must first come to pass in the heart of America. Dwight David Eisnehower

My goal for 2019 was to lose 10 pounds. Only have 14 to go.

A recent study has found women who carry a little extra weight live longer than men who mention it.