When The Forest Wakes.
John 11.25
Did you know that God’s provisions are for every believer who will open his or her mouth unto Him.
If you refuse God‘s provisions, you suffer spiritual, malnutrition, and fail to grow.
But if we open our mouth wide, we can be sure that God will fill it.
“All day, every day, I open my mouth-wide for my Lord!” PH
Not this evenings text but listen to,
Psalm 81.10NIV “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”
Spoken by a pastor in Michigan. “Through cold winters, the hope of spring sustain those of us who live in cold climate.’
‘May is the month when the hope is rewarded. The transformation is remarkable. Limbs that looked lifeless in, April 1 come alive by middle May. Branches that wave their green leafy-greetings.
Although the change each day is- -imperceivable, by the end of the month, the woods in my yard have changed from gray to green.”
That is God’s will, Everything grey becoming green!
God has built into creation, a cycle of rest and renewal.
Genesis 8:22NIV A post post after the flood. 22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Sometimes that which looks like death to us, is rest to God. -And just as rest is preparation for renewal, death is preparation for resurrection.
Remember I spoke on, John 12:24 two weeks ago. “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
Here’s the result of spiritual rebirth, and growing daily in trust, and with that new trust, it will produce new confidence, and authority and power for your new spiritual life.
John 12:25NIV “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
I love watching the woods awaken every spring, for it reminds me that death is a temporary condition and that it’s purpose is to prepare for new life, a new beginning, for something even better. P.H
Hear this evenings text, John 11:25-26NIV Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 “and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe?”
Howard: I’m convinced that pollen is a spring time nuisance when it coats my furniture and cars. What’s worse is that it makes people sneeze. Pollen however can remind us that God is in the business of keeping things alive.
Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. -Pollen is mother natures sperm for plants and seed growth.
Here’s the backdrop from, John 11:25.
John 11:21-24NIV ““Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.””
In the face of Jesus, Martha, lamented, if only you had come sooner, my brother wouldn’t have died.
Always remember, she did not end her thought there, however. She went on to say, but I know that if you were to ask God… He would do it for you.
In other words, she was leaving an opening for Jesus to surprise her.
-This may not have been her intention, but it was a seed of faith, nonetheless.
Have you ever been met by disappointment, recognizing that if only something or other had happened, things would be OK?, Jesus did not fail, Martha, Mary, or Lazarus, even when it might have seemed to them as if he had.
Jesus majors on turning your disappointments into a reason to celebrate.
Again, John 11:25-26TPT ““Martha,” Jesus said, “You don’t have to wait until then. I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever. 26 And the one who lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?””
Listen to me, His promise might be different for you, but listen for His voice.
And after the pain of death, He promises a glorious resurrection for those who believe in his son.
Question: Have you ever encountered the resurrection life of Jesus? Have you witnessed the power of God breaking through your expectation to a glorious new reality? The mercy of God is palpable.
Yes, there are times when God causes us to wait. There are some prayers that don’t get answered the way we expect. Yet there is Jesus, all the same, the resurrection and the life.
This is what that means, He breathes into dreams, long since buried and gives them new life.
He offers us restoration in ways that seem too good to be true. -We have only to trust Him.
Not only did Jesus come to restore life to his friend, Lazarus, but he also came to bring life to the whole world.
This directs the believer to what Jesus said in, John 3:16TPT “For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.”
After 35 years of pastoring, This is what I understand, we are so quick to push past the power of belief that Jesus spoke of. We look for the evidence and transformation, almost demanding it at once.
Faith is a journey, though. It develops and refines overtime. It is something to be practiced, to be formed as we walk it out. But first, Faith is a gift.
Here’s how a gift works, anyone, no matter their abilities, their education, or class, can believe it is a beautiful and powerful act of joining our will to the gift of God‘s grace.
What a generous Savior we have!
I want to give you a few points before and after the Forest awakens,
Before the forest awakens, 1. keep your confession! While you feel dead, confess His faithfulness, you won’t be lying!
Your confession is not a game. It’s a way of life. Your confession is greater than what you say. It’s your attitude.
Hebrews 10:23NKJV “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
And after that verse, vs 24 love deeply, vs 25 stay assembled in church, etc.
Before the forest awakens, 2. Be found guilty of serving others, doing for others, complementing and admonishing others.
Philippians 2:5-11TPT “And consider the example that Jesus, the Anointed One, has set before us. Let his mindset become your motivation. 6 He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. 7 Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! 8 He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in his death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion! 9 Because of that obedience, God exalted him and multiplied his greatness! He has now been given the greatest of all names! 10 The authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Everything and everyone will one day submit to this name—in the heavenly realm, in the earthly realm, and in the demonic realm. 11 And every tongue will proclaim in every language: “Jesus Christ is Lord Yahweh,” bringing glory and honor to God, his Father!”
So two things to remember before the forest awakens. 1. Keep your confession. 2. Serve others.
One more thing to remember before the forest awakens. 3. God is sovereign.
Philippians 1:6NKJV “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
Romans 8:28TPT “So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together for good, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose.”
One more thing to remember ‘after’ the forest awakens. 4. Serve Him with song and dance.
Just remember, as Paul and Silas praise was contagious to the jailer and all the prisoners, so is your praise contagious.
Your life was designed to attract, so let it. Get ready for the forest to awaken.
Isaiah 55:12NLV You will go out with joy, and be led out in peace. The mountains and the hills will break out into sounds of joy before you. And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Benediction. Did you know all of creation is for you? Let’s pray.
