We live in an hour where there is a death culture running ramped in earth. Many things we see on the news or social media are marked by death. People even talk like they are dying. Their dreams and vision for the future are dying. We are seeing dead churches. Businesses seem to be dying in the economic downturns. Marriages and family relationships are dying. The freedom we once knew as Americans seems to be dying as laws are being passed and social media censorship is on the rise. You must never forget that hell’s plan in John 10:10 seems to be running ramped inside and outside of the church and that plan is to kill, steal and destroy! You must never settle for death tactics of the enemy when you have Jesus Christ who is the resurrection and the life living inside of you.
There must come a point when the church begins to shift the atmospheres around them with the power of life! Jesus came to give life and life more abundantly. You are the carrier of life in the earth. You have a Father in heaven. The word father means one who imparts life. Father God desires to impart life into you every single day. The time is now to shift the atmospheres around you with the life of God.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Be sure to watch the video podcast connected to this article for more in-depth understanding but I want to give you three things that are revealed in the story of Lazarus in John 11 that will help you shift atmospheres with the power of life.
1. FAITHFULNESS AND LOVE CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF THE POWER OF LIFE
As you desire to shift atmospheres with the power of life you must understand that faithfulness to God and understanding the power of His love is transformational to any atmosphere that hell desires to destroy. As you consider this powerful story of the resurrection of Lazarus it is hard to not notice that Mary the sister of Lazarus lived her life in a way that moved the heart of Jesus. She believed to be the same Mary that was faithful to break the alabaster box of costly perfume in the form of worship at the feet of Jesus. She held nothing back no matter the ridicule of those around her. She was faithful in worship. Worship is not the song you sing it is the life you live. Out of the life you live you will have a song to sing. Worship is obedience and faithfulness to God. Mary lived out the true meaning of worship. That was the heart of this woman who approached Jesus about needing healing because her brother Lazarus was sick. Mary also understood that when she made this request she presented it to Christ with love as the foundation. She told Jesus, “Lazarus whom you LOVE is sick.” When I think about shifting the atmosphere from death to life there are things that are clear in scripture. We must live our lives faithful to God, loving God and understanding how much He loves mankind.
2. HOLDING ONTO THE WORDS OF LIFE
We must also hold onto the words of life that God gives us even if the circumstance around us looks like it is going in the opposite direction. Being faithful to God does not make us invincible or exempt us from going through a storm of life. When the sickness came to Mary’s brother she went to Jesus and then got a Word from Him. Jesus told her that the sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified through it. This is an interesting Word from God because Lazarus did die but that was not the end. Can you imagine getting a word from Jesus and assuming it meant that the trial was over but the sickness caused Lazarus to die? A Word from God rapped in the power of life made it impossible for Lazarus to stay dead.
We must live our lives knowing that will we face situations that look like they are going the opposite of what the Word of God says. However, the Word of God will have the final say even to the point of resurrection power. Jesus made it clear in the Word of God that His words are Spirit and life.
John 6:63 says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
3. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE LIFE OF GOD
Finally, never forget that nothing is impossible for the life of God. God’s power can change any circumstance at any moment. Regardless of the hearts that were surrounding the death of Lazarus that might have been hearts of doubting, struggling or a bit confused they never stopped the power of God. Jesus walks up to the tomb and tells them to roll the stone away! Martha is struggling at this point and concerned that if Jesus does has the stone taken away that it would not be good because Lazarus already stinks because he had been dead for 4 days. The truth is that nothing is ever too dirty or too stinky for God’s life-giving power. Jesus cried out with a loud voice “LAZARUS COME FORTH!”
John 11:43-44 says, “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 grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
God full of power pressed through all of the stink, all of the bondage, and all of the death that was on Lazarus and filled him with resurrection life. As you are going through your situation that needs resurrection life, you must remember that faithfulness and love create a supernatural atmosphere of life! You must lay hold of the Word from God regardless of how opposite things look in the natural. Lastly, you must not forget that nothing is impossible for God no matter how dead or nasty the situation looks.
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