Even 4 Days Of Tears Vs Even Now Faith

EVEN FOUR DAYS OF TEARS? VS EVEN NOW FAITH...

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

STINGNESS IS A NAIL IN THE COFFIN... STINGNESS IS A LOVE KILLER...

I read a story by Reuters. He told about a 56 year old woman suing her husband for divorce.

The reason for the divorce was listed as STINGNESS. Her husband was a cheapskate.

The woman asked her husband to paint the living room. When he was done he gave her a

bill for the paint and the labor. When their married daughter came home to visit, he charged

her for the hot shower. He collected money each week from each family member to pay

for the electricity and to use the TV. He never took his wife on a honeymoon. He never

in all the years bought her a birthday present.

Seems the STINGNESS HAD BECOME THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN of a

relationship that had died many years before.

REAL LOVE AND LIFE ARE BASED ON GIVING... AND UNSELFISHNESS.

WHEN YOU STOP GIVING YOU WILL DESTROY LOVE...

I. THANK GOD FOR FRIENDS... JESUS HAD SOME VERY CLOSE FRIENDS THAT

HE LOVED TO SPEND TIME WITH...

John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

A. There is a precious little family in the community of BETHANY that has come to

KNOW JESUS. They welcomed Jesus to their house whenever he was in the area.

3 siblings lived together. The brother watches over the sisters in the family.

It is believed that this family belonged to the WEALTHY CLASS of people in Bethany.

1. LAZARUS: means ONE WHO GOD HELPS...

2. MARTHA: Martha want to give and do her best.

Martha was BUSY BODY, ABSORBED, PRE-OCCUPIED, FOCUSED, ABSTRACTED

We know Martha as a busy bee worker... CUMBERED

But Martha was also known as A WORRY WART, tattler... She was anxious...

While she was good to prepare--- she missed some good fellowship... running around

doing stuff.

3. MARY: Mary had an overflowing love for Jesus... CHOSE THE GOOD PART...

Mary loved the flow of the spirit. Mary was a listener. Concentrated, focus heart

B. JESUS LOVED TO SPEND TIME WITH LAZARUS, MARTHA AND MARY...

C. MARY SEEMED TO LOVE JESUS MORE THAN ANYTHING ...

MARY LOVED TO SPEND TIME WITH JESUS.

D. BUT SHE FINDS A PLACE AT THE FEET OF JESUS...

THREE TIMES MARY IS RECORDED AT "THE SWEET SPOT AT JESUS' FEET"

1. MARY COMES TO JESUS' FEET and finds a sweet spot...

TO BE TAUGHT... TO LEARN... TO BE INSTRUCTED... Luke 10:39

2. Mary finds the sweet spot at Jesus' feet to be COMFORTED in a terrible

time .... John 11:32

3. Mary's first two visits at Jesus feet causes her to desire to GIVE & TO WORK

and DO SERVICE for the SON OF GOD. Mary comes back this time to HELP...

TO ANOINT... John 12:3

MARY GIVES THE BEST THING SHE HAS EVER OWNED.

Mary washes Jesus' feet... Her anointing and gift will be preached where ever the Gospel

travels...

II. DO WE REALIZE PROBLEMS AND OBSTACLE OFTEN BECOME THE KEY TO

SOLUTIONS AND MIRACLES? GOOD TIMES CAN NEVER RELEASE MIRACLES...

BAD TIMES DO...

A. While 2015 brought us the SIBERIAN BLAST. The cold set records. There is a good benefit

of the extreme cold. YOU NEVER HAD TO SWAT A MOSQUITO or kill a fly?

John 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her

sister Martha.

B. We probably would not have heard much about this little family of Lazarus, Martha

and Mary but SOME TERRIBLE PROBLEM OCCURED... LARARUS GETS SICK.

III. WHAT DO WE DO WHEN THE NEGATIVE STORMS PASSES OVER... ???

A. Mary and Martha knew what to do... THEY CALL FOR JESUS TO COME...

John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

B. WHAT WILL WE DO WHEN PROBLEMS OVERWHELM US?

IV. JESUS DELAYS HIS COMING... WHAT DO WE DO WHEN DIVINE DELAYS INTERUPT

OUR DEMANDS FOR NOW... JESUS YOU ARE FOUR DAYS TO LATE.

A. WHY DOES JESUS DELAY HIS COMING?

WILL THIS DELAY BREED DOUBT IN OUR MIDST?

MARTHA GOES A RUNNING...?

MARY SAT STILL?

John 11:17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

B. Seems FAITH can be lost in DIVINE DELAYS:

LORD IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE...

John 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

V. EVEN NOW FAITH ... DO YOU HAVE EVEN NOW FAITH...

LAZARUS IS DEAD... THE STORM IS CRASHING OUR DREAMS...

THE REALITY --- THE PAIN --- THE DISAPPOINTMENT --- I KNOW OTHERS THAT DIED

AND THEY ARE STILL DEAD...

BUT I KNOW, THAT EVEN NOW...

John 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.