From Set Back To Come Back

Jesus waited until Lazarus died, because when he was dead, God could get glory out of nothing. Have you been reduced to nothing? Expect a miracle. When you're down to nothing, God is up to something. It is the crushed olive that produces the pure virgin olive oil. It is the crushed pedal of a rose that produces the rarest perfume. It is the crushed heart that cries out to God that wins total victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil. In the Genesis of time, God took nothing, dirt, and breathed into it, and you came out of that! That's all you really are is anointed dirt walking around with the breath of God in you. John the Baptist said, "He must increase, and I must decrease". Say that with me. "He must increase, and I must decrease".

John was saying, as soon as I empty myself of my will, my ego, my pride, my vanity, God can use me for His glory! As long as I'm full of me, God sees me as something corrupt and unusable. Many are willing to serve God, but only in the capacity of an advisor. God doesn't need your advice. He doesn't need your help. All He needs is your submission to His perfect will. Perhaps you're reminding God of how lucky He is to have you, your talents and your abilities. I've had people talk this way. "God can really use me. You know, I graduated from X, and my IQ is... and I'm wealthy, and my accomplishments". Partner, you're just a wad of dirt in shoe leather compared to what God is! That knocks the pomposity out of people. But it's a reality of what you are, what we are.

"If any man will come after Me," Jesus said, "Let him deny himself". The real translation is let him become nothing. "Let him take up his cross and follow Me". I repeat, God can get glory out of nothing. He spoke through a donkey to Balaam. He used nothing to get His message across. Clay in the hands of the Master Potter is nothing. He takes worthless clay and makes it a vessel of beauty and honor. David took a slingshot and changed world history. Jesus Christ was nailed to an old-rugged cross to defeat the prince of darkness and the powers of hell at Calvary. It was nothing. What does God look for when He wants to do a miracle? He looks for nothing. Nothing brings Him glory. Nothing demonstrates His power. Nothing proves His Lordship. Little is much when God is in it!

Comebacks begin with a proclamation. Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come forth"! Why did He call Lazarus by name? Because if He hadn't have called him by name, every dead person on the earth would have gotten up. Proclamations release the power of God's Word. There's a miracle in your mouth. The word to proclaim comes from the Latin word which means to shout forth. The New Testament word means to confess. Jesus is the High Priest of our confession. It's very important that you understand that statement. It means that whatever we say with our mouths, that's a confession, that's what the Bible says... Did you hear that phrase? That the Bible says Jesus is our High Priest in Heaven. He releases His authority for everything on earth to be controlled by that statement.