A Living Promise!

“Mary! You are a woman given the highest favor and privilege above all others, for your child is destined to bring God great delight. How did I deserve such a remarkable honor to have the mother of my Lord come and visit me? The moment you came in the door and greeted me, my baby danced inside me with joy! Great favor rests upon you, for you have believed every word spoken to you from the Lord” (Luke 1:42-45 TPT).

Mary was given a promise like no other. As a young virtuous woman, engaged to marry a carpenter in Nazareth, she was visited by an angel and given an incredible message, “You are greatly favored by God and have been chosen to bear the Christ child, the Savior of the world!” What a promise, and what a great responsibility! 

It was the highest honor to bring the Messiah in the world, but surely the weight of becoming a young mother to a Child of immense destiny tempered the joy with sober reality. She would be shamed by some for bearing a child outside of marriage. She even left her hometown to spend a few months with Elizabeth, her aunt, in the hill country of Judea. The promise would come with pain. She would live to see Him grow in popularity, then be cruelly mocked, tortured, and crucified as a common criminal. 

Mary witnessed unjust treatment, inhumane suffering, and the death of her son while she grieved at the foot of the cross. However, she also was among those who rejoiced over His resurrection. The reality of all the promises was fulfilled after Jesus rose from the dead, empowered His followers, and ascended into the heavens. Even as they watched the ascension there was also another promise, “He will come back in the same way that you saw him ascend” (Acts 1:11 TPT).

We live with that same hope and cling to His eternal promise. He will come again! As Peter proclaimed, “The Lord is not late with his promise to return, .… But rather, his “delay” simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 TPT).
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Our promise is alive. He patiently waits for repentance. He gives ample opportunity for more to respond to His mercy and accept His grace. He will come, let’s get ready! 



Theme passage:
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJ).

Let It Rain!

“Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain” (1 Kings 18:41 NKJ).

In a dry land, the promise of abundant precipitation is welcomed as an unexpected blessing. Showers are few and far between, and seldom is the rain measured in excess, or disparaged as a curse. Similarly, it was so in the Scripture. Drought was often seen as judgment, but the rains were identified as blessings.

The prophet Elijah once commanded the rains to stop until he gave the word for their continuation. It was pronounced as a judgment on the House of Ahab, king of Israel. They were given over to idolatry and pagan worship and Elijah declared the word of the Lord against their sin. 

After three and a half years of drought the famine had become severe in the land. Many suffered and people died because of the lack of food and crops resulting from the lack of rain. After a divine confrontation on Mt. Carmel, Elijah demonstrated the power of the true God against the vain incantations and antics by the powerless priests with no help from their false gods.
Elijah executed judgment against the false prophets of Baal and declared an end to the period of drought. He instructed Ahab to eat and drink and said, “there is the sound of abundance of rain.”

However, Elijah did not just speak the command, he then turned to God and began to ask for a sign that his prophecy would come to pass. Seven times, he had his servant go out and look for a rain cloud. Only on the seventh time did the servant return to report a small cloud, the size of a man’s hand coming over the horizon. That was enough sign for Elijah to declare that the rain was coming and it was time to head for shelter. 

We have had numerous promises for revival rain in our days. We are assured of an abundance of increase and the outpouring of the Spirit in our generation. Joel said, “It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh” (Joel 2:28 NKJ). Let us continually pray for the rain of the Spirit until we see the sign of fulfillment, then we will rejoice in the abundance of His Spirit outpouring! 


Theme passage:
“Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. (Joel 2:23 NLT)

Let It Rain!

“I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing” (Ezekiel 34:26 NKJ).

Singing in the Rain is a classic film, casting the movie industry’s transition from silent films to sound. The story may not match, but the choice is always before us as to how we will respond to outside circumstances. 

In the scripture text, rain is a reason for rejoicing. In arid climates and desert places rain is not something to dread. We should never curse the clouds that promise to bring relief from the drought. Fruitfulness and harvest are dependent upon the rain. The increase of the season and the promise of seed for another field will only come when the heavens open and the rains bring the needed moisture for growth and reaping.

Throughout the biblical books of the prophets the promise of rain always depicted blessings, and the lack of rain was frequently the result of judgment. When there was no rain the crops failed, there was famine, and people died as a result. However, when the rains came in their seasons, there was joy and the assurance of provision. No wonder it was called, “showers of blessing.”

God sends seasons of spiritual rain, pouring out blessings on believers and on those who do not recognize God’s gift of provision. We are the recipients of God’s increase, because He loves us enough to send an abundance of rain. That’s reason enough to rejoice in the rain!


Theme passage:
“Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. (Joel 2:23 NLT)

Let It Rain!

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: … A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 NKJ).

Every year has its seasons, and so does every life. Once we understand, the ebb and flow of life, we can live in such a way to recognize these changing moments and learn to rejoice in every season. 

Admittedly, there are seasons that provide very little occasions to rejoice. In times of loss, or death, or great need, we see very little reason for optimism. However, after a few more days, weeks, or maybe a whole lifetime, we may be afforded the opportunity to look back and see some grand purpose or great scheme that has produced good even in the most adverse circumstances. Perhaps this was what Paul referred to when he wrote, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NKJ).

Recognize that we are called to His great purpose. Though we may not understand it at the time, God is working through us to accomplish His will. We may find ourselves in a season in which we refuse to see anything good. In those times, if we can somehow learn to rejoice in God, trusting in His providence, and holding to His hand, we will find there is something over which we can rejoice.

Natures seasons can help us to understand that it is essential to have both heat and cold, times of rain and storm, and other times of sun and dry conditions. The oceans have their tides, the moon has its phases, climate experiences changes independent of our influence. These lessons teach us the importance of maintaining faith, trusting in God, and rejoicing in every season. Rejoice in His faithfulness, rejoice in times of change, and know that He will be with us and will provide for every need. 


Theme passage:
“Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. (Joel 2:23 NLT)

Let It Rain!

“See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain” (James 5:7 NKJ).

We could learn a little about patience from the farmer. His success is the reward of his work ethic, and his understanding of the seasons. Early in the trade he learns about planning, preparing, and planting. He also learns to practice patience as the seed and the soil work in tandem to produce the miraculous metamorphosis of growth, maturity, and reproduction. The harvest comes at the fulfillment of the process. 

The variable in the science of agriculture is the predictability of the rain. Irrigation is our answer to the lack of rain, but in many cultures of the past that was not an option. Their only hope for a harvest was that the rains would come in their seasons. The early rains prepared the soil. The latter rains multiplied the promise of an abundant harvest. If the rains did not come and the crops were blighted there would be little or no harvest, no produce to trade, and very little to eat. Famine was the result of years of lean harvest and no rain. 

The prophets predicted judgment and God shut the windows of heaven. When the prophets promised blessings, God opened the heavens and rain came in abundance at the time it was needed the most. 

There is a promise in the seed, in the season, and in the Savior. The seed possesses the DNA to produce incredible multiplication and an abundant harvest. The season comes year after year in its time in predictable cycles. The Savior hold the final element, the rain. Our prayer is, “Let it rain!”

Sometimes we sow the seed in its season and see no signs of growth or production. We find ourselves waiting on the promise to be fulfilled. We pray for the rain and see the showers of His blessings, but ask ourselves, “When will be see the harvest?”

Paul said, “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT). We can rejoice while waiting. We know there is a reaping promised. We rejoice because of His faithfulness. He will send the rain and multiply the harvest!



Theme passage:
“Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. (Joel 2:23 NLT)

Dead Things Come Alive!

“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31 NIV).

Throughout the community of Bethany, Lazarus’ death and the grief of his sisters, Mary and Martha, was widely felt and many came to join in the grief and offer condolences. The absence of Jesus was noticed, especially when it took so long for His arrival. They would not be able to understand God’s purpose if He had been there earlier, so Jesus delayed His arrival at the family’s home. 

Lazarus was in the tomb four days before Jesus stepped on the scene and uttered three words that changed everything, “Lazarus, come forth!” That was, without doubt, the most noteworthy miracle up to that moment in the ministry of Jesus. An empty tomb remained as a testimony of His love for a friend and His power over death. 

As a result of this miracle many came to believe in Jesus and embraced His ministry. Others, especially among the religious leaders, increased their determination to stop this movement and stomp out any suggestion that Jesus might be the Messiah. It was too late for that. Increased crowds clamored to see Him, heard His message, and pledged to follow Him.
Jesus forecasted His own rejection by the scholars, His suffering through their wrath, and ultimate humiliation of a sinner’s execution. In spite of these predictions He made no preparation for interment. “Let the dead bury the death,” He once quipped, and now it seems there would be no burial place for His body. 

It was intentional that Jesus did not secure a burial plot. He didn’t plan to stay there long. Jesus said, “… that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31 NIV). Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be given, “a grave among criminals, but he ended up instead in a rich man’s tomb” (Isaiah 53:9 TPT). Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, obtained permission from Pilate to take the body of Jesus and bury Him in his own tomb. It was a temporary occupancy, a short term rental. Only a three day stay, and the empty tomb became evidence to the resurrection of Jesus Christ! He lives! Dead things come alive!



Theme passage:
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).

Dead Things Come Alive!

Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise and live.” She replied, “Yes, I know he will rise with everyone else on resurrection day.” “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” (John 11:23-25 TPT).

Three siblings in Bethany were frequent hosts of Jesus and the disciples who traveled with Him. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus became close friends, more like family to Jesus. They believed in Him. They understood that He was the chosen One of God. 

They had been witnesses to miracles and had listened to stories of Jesus as he recounted triumphs and conflicts during His ministry throughout the region. That is why they were quick to send a messenger to find Jesus when Lazarus became so ill. Yet, even after the messenger returned, Jesus waited a few more days to arrive. 

By the time Jesus and the disciples returned to Bethany, Lazarus had been buried in a tomb for four days. Jesus met with the sisters and comforted them with the assurance that Lazarus would live again. While they believed in an eventual resurrection in the last day, they could not imagine that Jesus would raise their brother presently. 

Jesus asked to be taken to the tomb of Lazarus where He grieved along with the family and friends for the loss of one He had great affection for, and Jesus wept along with them. The bystanders witnessed how much Jesus loved Lazarus. 

Jesus was moved with compassion and His great mission, causing Him to order the removal of the stone from the grave. He cried out loudly, “Lazarus, come forth!” Incredibly, the friend who had been dead for four days sprang to life and came out of the grave! 

This notable miracle caused many to believe in Jesus, but caused great concern among the Pharisees and those who sought to discredit Jesus.  They said, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (John 12:19 NIV). They even began to plot the deaths of both Jesus and Lazarus. The truth could not be denied, dead things come alive when Jesus speaks!


Theme passage:
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).

Dead Things Come Alive!

Someone came from Jairus’ house and told him, “There’s no need to bother the Master any further. Your daughter has passed away. She’s gone.” When Jesus heard this, he turned to Jairus and said, “Don’t yield to your fear. Have faith in me and she will live again” (Luke 8:49-50 TPT).

Twelve years! What seemed like an eternity to one woman struggling with disease was just a short time for Jairus seeing an infant grow up to become a promising preteen. No doubt she was very special to her father, for he’s the one who came looking for Jesus when she became sick. 

After fretful, fear-filled days of fever and worsening conditions, the girl showed no signs of recovery. In the passing hours, Jairus began to understand he was going to lose his special daughter if something did not change quickly. They had tried everything. No treatment, potion, or poultice had made any difference in her condition, as her breathing became more shallow in the hours leading up to his decision of desperation. 

As the leader of the local synagogue, no doubt Jairus had heard about the itinerate teacher from Nazareth, Jesus, and the reported miracles that He did. He may have even witnessed these events firsthand. Previously, Jairus had questions about Jesus, “Is he from God? Are his words true? Are these miracles real?”

Now, Jairus was willing to try anything that promised help and healing to his precious daughter. He found out where Jesus was last seen, and rushed there to find a massive crowd of curious and desperate people thronging the teacher. Forgetting manners, Jairus pushed through the crowd, elbowing his way to the place where Jesus was speaking. Urgently, he pleaded for Jesus to come to his home. Both Matthew and Mark recorded Jairus confessing faith in Jesus’ ability to heal his daughter, “Come and put your hand on her, and she will live” (Matthew 9:18 NKJ).

Even when messengers came from home to tell Jairus that his daughter had died, Jesus extended hope, “Don’t yield to your fear. Have faith in me and she will live again.” The miracle was on the way to his house!

​Let that same confession be our confidence, “Have faith, and resist fear.” Dead things come alive when Jesus comes to your house!


Theme passage:
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).

Dead Things Come Alive!

Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother (Luke 7:14-15 NLT).

The loss of any child is catastrophic, but the tragedy is multiplied when it’s an only son and the loss follows on the heels of losing a spouse. News of the loss brought family members hurrying to the side of the grieving mother. The community rallied an outpouring of support to see that the child was properly prepared for burial within the proper time. 

Paid mourners were not needed because unimaginable grief ripped out the heart of the mother and poured out in a volume of pain. The expression of her intense grief stirred everyone who came near. The crowd proceeded toward the burial grounds and others joined in the chorus of mourning over this tragic death. 

The widows future look bleak. There was no hope for another child at her age even if she were to remarry. The prospects for old age, now being alone, seemed overwhelming. Her tears and grief blinded her to the activity along the path towards the graveyard. A man stepped up toward the procession, and then reached out to stop the pall bearers. “What’s going on,” she thought, “why would anyone interfere in her grief and bring attention to her misery.” 

Jesus stepped forward with kindness and tenderness and said to the child, “Get up.” In great astonishment, she saw her son take a quick gasp of air, and immediately sit up, then began talking, fully alive. Imagine the joy, the shock, and the astonishment over such an incredible miracle. Her son who had been dead for several hours, long enough for them to absorb the shock of loss, and the dismay of future prospects to sink in, but now he’s alive again! 

Jesus sometimes steps in at an inopportune time. At least that’s the way we feel. Sometimes, it seems He’s too late. But when He speaks life, everything changes. Dead things come alive when Jesus speaks!


Theme passage:
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).

Dead Things Come Alive!

He said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life’” (Ezekiel 37:4-6 NLT).

Surveying the valley before him, Ezekiel saw the remains of a devastating battle of the past. Scattered bones filled the valley where the carrion creatures finished cleaning the carcasses. The bones were bleached and dried through months of desert sun and windswept sand. 

God’s instruction rang empty in ears of skepticism. Why would anyone prophesy to the dead? Who would seek an audience of dry bones in a desolate desert. However, in response to God’s command, the prophet Ezekiel began to proclaim the Word of the Lord to the valley of the dead. As he did, the bones began to reconnect while muscle and sinew began to form, pulling the long separated parts together. Bodies emerged from the scattered debris of death and new life blew across the valley as a fresh wind. Life breathed into still bodies and they responded with resurrection power. The dead began to live again! 

The illustrated vision of Ezekiel’s prophecy contained a prediction of God’s power of restoration to the nation of Israel. As sure as God fulfilled His promise to a wayward nation, He also promises new life to spiritual wastelands and valleys of broken dreams. The power of His Word and His Spirit brings new hope and resurrection of life to those who are dead in their sins. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJ). The fresh wind of the Spirit and the fire of Pentecost brings hope in our generation, “You shall live again!”


Theme passage:
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).