By this time…

…from John 11 on the death and raising of Lazarus…

“Now Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.’”

“Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time, there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?’”

So often in life we turn to logical courses and reason;
but now’s an opportune time—in fact, in any season,
to trust the good Lord for help that’s supernatural,
instead of leaning so heavily on mainly the factual.

In the Biblical story of Martha’s brother, Lazarus, who had died,
she seemed to sense that her brother’s death could still be defied.
Yet, when the Lord said that someone should open the cave tomb door,
she reasoned about the time that had passed and other facts in store.

“By this time” became Martha’s very predominant thought,
instead of remembering the miracles that Jesus had already wrought.
Likewise, in a crisis, we know that God can come through still;
but let’s be assured that healing and restoration are always His will.

P. A. Oltrogge

Postscript:
It’s sometimes thought that miracles are few and far between;
but, whether instant or more gradual, they’re frequently being seen.

Encouragement:
http://www.sidroth.org
http://www.johnmellor.org
http://www.awmi.net
Porch of the Lord Archive, “Lost at Sea”
and “The Supernatural Power of God”
Dodie Osteen booklet, “Healed of Cancer” at:
http://www.JoelOsteen.com

“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’” John 11:41-44 NKJV

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV

And Mark 11:23-26

His Presence

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To Our Great God…

At Pentecost, your Spirit came, with the sound of a rushing mighty wind.
The Comforter comes to us yet today, a promise you’ll never rescind.

Often, your presence is apparent through a reassuring, inner voice.
When problems threaten to overwhelm, you encourage us still to rejoice.

You’re blessed by the praises of your people…bless the Lord, oh my soul.
I’m thankful you’ve said that all of my cares—on you, dear Lord, I can roll.

It’s good to abide in your presence, for there’s fullness of joy therein.
Thank you for provision and healing, as well as for forgiving my sin.

We praise you for your creative ability, for the beauty of bird and flower,
the mountains and other majestic things that speak to us of your power.

We’re so blessed you desire to visit with us, as you did first with Adam and Eve. All that you require of us to meet with you, Lord, is to believe in the Son and receive.

P. A. Oltrogge

“‘Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him, the Father, God, has set His seal.’ Therefore they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’” John 6:27-29 NASB

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:2-4 NKJV

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” Words of Jesus in John 14:16-17 KJV

The Greatest of These…

Something to remember about the story of Joseph, whose brothers had him sold,
is that bitterness towards them isn’t recorded in the story as told.

It relates the various trials of Joseph, being imprisoned unjustly was among the worst. Perhaps a bit of revenge was enacted when, as Egyptian ruler, he treated them harshly at first.

But when Joseph observed their attitude towards Benjamin and now how much they cared, he could no longer keep from revealing himself to them, but wanted brotherly love to be shared.

He completely forgave his brothers for the evil to him that they’d done;
and they, in turn, loved Joseph, who’d been their father’s favorite son.

Most often noted is Joseph’s great faith in God, from which he never departed;
but he was also a very gracious man, loving, and tenderhearted.

P. A. Oltrogge

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 NKJV

“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.” 1Thessalonians 4:9 NKJV

“Let brotherly love continue.” Hebrews 13:1 NKJV

“Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him.”
(from the story of Joseph in Genesis 45:14-15 NLT)

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The Rebuilding of the Temple

porchofthelord's avatarThe Porch of the Lord

A very brief synopsis from the account in the book of Ezra….

By the edict of Cyrus, who became ruler of the Persian empire, the Lord let all the exiles go free–to return to their own land in Jerusalem, where Solomon’s Temple had once stood grandly for all to see.

“Building a house for God in Jerusalem,” Cyrus said, was his task, which he passed on to them that day. He also gave back to the people the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken away.

Led by Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and by Jeshua, the priest, they enthusiastically set out. Upon arrival in Jerusalem, they located the Temple’s original site, where nothing but some rubble was scattered about.

When the Assyrians had captured the Israelites in the north, they had then settled some newcomers in the land. These were Samaritans, who hadn’t wanted the Jews to come back…

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Keep the Faith…in God’s Word

Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

“Get into (and stay in) agreement with God’s Word,”

is the best advice, I believe, that I have ever heard.

For instance, when the Word says that we’ve already been healed,

why do we, at times, feel that those words have been repealed?

Jesus said to speak to the mountain to see a change occur,

so He knew that we could do so, though we feel unsure.

Jesus was our example. He even spoke to the sea that roared.

The disciples were amazed thereafter when calmness was restored.

Proverbs says that in the power of the tongue are both death and life,

so speaking the Word of God will guard against trouble and strife.

To steal, kill, and destroy are the devil’s wicked desires,

but agreement with God’s Word will put out Satan’s “fires.”

Don’t look to situations where things seem to have fallen through;

but look, instead, to the Word. We can trust it to be true.

For, in life, we’re in a battle of great spiritual dimensions—

Hold fast to your faith that God always has for you only the best intentions.

P. A. Oltrogge

“…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:16-17 NKJV

Encouraging teaching/testimonies at http://www.awmi.net
Also http://www.jerrysavelle.org

The Living One

porchofthelord's avatarThe Porch of the Lord

…from Luke 24, NASB…a poetic account…

Some of the women who had loved Jesus set out at early dawn with spices they’d prepared…in order to anoint His body.  How they might enter the tomb must have been discussed and shared.

When they discovered that the stone had been rolled away, they stepped inside the tomb and found…that Jesus’ body was not there–they were perplexed in looking around.

Suddenly, two men in dazzling clothing appeared to them–the women were terrified!  The angels had come with a message about His resurrection…and death having been defied.

“Why do you seek the living One among the dead?  He is not here, but He has risen….” as the women could plainly see.   Then the angels said to recall how Jesus had spoken of this very thing while still with them in Galilee.

Jesus had told them how the Son of Man must be delivered…

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Jesus, Closer than a Brother

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Photo by Porch of the Lord

Dear Lord Jesus,

You thought of the lowly, the forgotten, the oppressed…
You thought of us all; and, through You, we are blessed.

You’re always the Good Shepherd, our Savior and friend.
If any setbacks befall us, you help things to mend.

You’re closer than a brother; and we can draw near
to You for Your assurance that there’s nothing to fear.

You loved the little children and do to this day.
For the unborn, young, or old, You’ve taught us to pray.

And also our enemies, You’ve said, are in great need
of prayers to be enlightened, that Your Word they might heed.

Obedient to Your Father, You went to Calvary’s hill.
You prayed that cup might pass, but accepted Your Father’s will.

Yes, what a friend we have in Jesus, as the hymn goes…
You died for all of mankind, and, praise God, You then arose.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.” Acts 10:40-41 NKJV

If you have a half hour, the following regards the unborn:
http://www.ilivedonparkerave.com

Blindness “Wall” Falls at Jericho

While Jesus, His disciples, and a great multitude were going out of Jericho, a beggar was there sitting by the side of the road.

He was Bartimaeus; and though blind, his hearing was fine to have heard of how Jesus’ healing ministry had flowed.

So, when, that day, Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, Himself, who was passing by…

“Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” became his earnest and heartfelt cry.

Many, among the crowd, told him to be quiet, as if, for him, there could be nothing in store.

But his plea of “Son of David, have mercy on me!” he kept shouting out all the more.

So Jesus heard Bartimaeus, then stood still, and commanded that he be called.

The persistence and “prayer” of Bartimaeus had caused the pace of Jesus’ journey temporarily to be stalled.

Bartimaeus was now beckoned, instead, with words of encouragement, “Rise, be of good cheer; He is calling you.”

Throwing aside his garment, he got up and came to Jesus, who asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Victory was breaking through…

At that point, Bartimaeus said, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight!”

“Go your way, your faith has made you well,” Jesus said; and immediately his world turned from darkness to light.

Walls had fallen down at Jericho through faith in God in an earlier, historical Biblical story.

And a “wall” of blindness fell at Jericho for Bartimaeus, when by faith in God’s mercy, he saw the Lord’s glory.

The account closes with Bartimaeus following Jesus down that outer Jericho road…

He had been confident of mercy and grace through Jesus Christ—from whom God’s marvelous light had flowed….

and still does today!

P. A. Oltrogge

(Based on the account from Mark 10; Referenced is the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho at Joshua 6)

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.” Hebrews 11:30 NKJV

“But you are a chosen generation, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

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Further encouragement:
http://www.josephprince.org
http://www.billyburke.org

Remembering Billy Graham

I remember attending Billy Graham crusades when I was very young
and anticipating hearing Billy after George Beverly Shea had sung.

Cliff Barrows led the assembled choir in an always joyful way,
giving mighty praise to God before someone on stage would pray.

Then Billy Graham would come forward; and with his powerful voice,
he’d say we needed to make a decision—God was giving us a choice.

He always pointed to the cross and what Jesus had achieved—
redemption through His shed blood on Calvary for anyone who believed.

He said we should repent of our sins and give our hearts to Christ—
that His was the only sacrifice which God says has sufficed.

He emphasized that “God loves you” and wants to be your friend,
counselor, and advocate—from beginning of life to its end.

He said this earth was not his home—that he was just passing through—
and that a home in heaven awaits every believer in Jesus Christ, too.

After many Biblical references, Billy would give an invitation.
Then, an amazing number in the place would come forward to his station.

As they came forward, a familiar song helped set so many hearts free—
“Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me.”

Today, Billy Graham is honored for faithful service to God during his life span.
May we continue to share the Gospel of Christ—God’s gracious redemptive plan.

P. A. Oltrogge

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 NKJV

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