FRIDAY, July 4th, 2008

It Is July 4th! Happy Birthday... ...America! :) So, What are your plans for today? I hope that you plan to go to the "freedom float" at 12:00 noon so that we can all swim across together at 1:00pm. Then I hope that you also plan to be at Laishley Park by 6:00pm so that we can all hang out together and watch the fireworks!

A Few Thoughts From Yesterday:
Josh L: Thanks for coming with us yesterday! I hope you get to come and hang out today as well! It will be lots and lots of fun! BTW: 6:30am is not "posting the devotions late" so calm down. :)
Jessica B: I am excited about having Australia arked on here! I got someone to visit from South Africa! Cool Huh?
Alex: That was an incredible illustration! You had to get through the puke in life before you could feel better... God knew what you needed all along! Very cool! Keep those kinds of illustrations coming!
Grace: Alright! We will miss you though! Hurry Back!
Drake: Thanks for joining us man! That was some seriously deep theology! :)
Kervin: Great Job man! It is nice to know that there is someone always watching over us!
Kacey: That is what I am talking about! Thanks for truely reading the passage and seriously applying it to your life! Great Job! I Love Reading Your Devotions! Keep up the good work!

John 11:17-27

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he (Lazarus) had already been in the tomb four days.
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.
19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.
21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

This passage is smaller, but there is still a great story. Christ comes to the place where Lazarus has been "entombed" (Placed in a tomb... because HE IS DEAD). Lazarus has been dead for 4 Days now. When Mary and Martha see that Jesus is coming, Mary stays in the house for some reason: Maybe she is upset with Jesus, because "he didnt come in time" or maybe she just wants to stay inside to mourn the loss of her brother. Martha, on the other hand ran out to meet Christ. Martha said with all the passion in her heart: "Jesus if you would have been here, then my brother would not have died!! But I know that even right now, whatever you ask from God He will give you" Martha trusted that Christ had the power to bring Lazarus back from the dead.

Jesus says to Martha: " Your Brother will rise again" Martha's response is very interesting! She says: Jesus! I know He will rise in the ressurection, but I want him to be back alive now... Then Christ reassures her by saying: "I am the resurrection and the life... He that believes in my shall never die"

How great is that statement: Christ is the source of Life in this world! We must trust that Christ can do ANYTHING in our life just as Martha did!

Ok, so here is the GREAT application for this passage! Martha had never seen anyone raised from the dead... She had probably never even dreamed that it was possible. However when she spent time with Jesus, She realized that NOTHING WAS IMPOSSIBLE WITH CHRIST! So you know what she did? She asked Him to do something greater than she could have possibly imagined! And Guess What! We are going to see that Christ answers her request!

We must ask God to do something great in our life, in our church, in our youth group! If we do not have the faith to ask God to do something so wonderful then Why would he ever do it? We must have faith in Him and ask Him to do great things in our life, our church, and our youth group!

That is some cool stuff!
Have a Happy 4th of July! My favorite Holiday EVER! :)