Gifts and Talents

       Lazarus was sick. His sisters, Mary and Martha, asked Jesus to come and heal him. Jesus was delayed when Lazarus died. Jesus waited four days on purpose before He came to see Lazarus. The Sadducees believe that the soul left the body after three days. On the fourth day, Jesus spoke the word and Lazarus came out of the grave.

      When Jesus healed people most of the time He touched them, but sometimes He spoke the word and they were healed. With Lazarus, He told him to come out of the grave. Just as God spoke the word and the universe came into existence.

      There are many words in our lives. The Doctor says we have a life-ending disease. Our boss says that we are fired. There are many words in our lives. Many words come from our enemy the Devil. He is always telling us that we can not do this or that. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the words that we hear.

      We need to ignore the words around us and listen to what God says. What does God say? God says that we are healed! God says that He has something better for us! God says that we are blessed! We are blessed coming in and we are blessed going out. We are blessed in the city and we are blessed in the country. God has the last word on everything. Our God is the last word.

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      New King James Version
Deuteronomy 28:3 "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
4 "Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
5 "Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
6 "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

      New King James Version
John 11:38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
39 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."
40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
41 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.
42 "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."
43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"
44 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."