Personalised Encounter

*Recap of*

*Be Inspired Bible Studies 5th December 2019*

*Anchor:* Sis Leah Adepehjuh

*Topic:* Personalised Encounter

*Text:* John 11

A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. This was the same Mary who massaged the Lord’s feet with aromatic oils and then wiped them with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Master, the one you love so very much is sick.” When Jesus got the message, he said, “This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, but oddly, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed on where he was for two more days. After the two days, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” They said, “Rabbi, you can’t do that. The Jews are out to kill you, and you’re going back?” He said these things, and then announced, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. I’m going to wake him up.” The disciples said, “Master, if he’s gone to sleep, he’ll get a good rest and wake up feeling fine.” Jesus was talking about death, while his disciples thought he was talking about taking a nap. Then Jesus became explicit: “Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn’t there. You’re about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let’s go to him.” When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. Bethany was near Jerusalem, only a couple of miles away, and many of the Jews were visiting Martha and Mary, sympathizing with them over their brother. Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house. Martha said, “Master, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you.” Jesus said, “Your brother will be raised up.” Martha replied, “I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time.” “You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world.” After saying this, she went to her sister Mary and whispered in her ear, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” The moment she heard that, she jumped up and ran out to him. Jesus had not yet entered the town but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When her sympathizing Jewish friends saw Mary run off, they followed her, thinking she was on her way to the tomb to weep there. Mary came to where Jesus was waiting and fell at his feet, saying, “Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him. He said, “Where did you put him?” “Master, come and see,” they said. Now Jesus wept. The Jews said, “Look how deeply he loved him.” Others among them said, “Well, if he loved him so much, why didn’t he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man.” Then Jesus, the anger again welling up within him, arrived at the tomb. It was a simple cave in the hillside with a slab of stone laid against it. Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” The sister of the dead man, Martha, said, “Master, by this time there’s a stench. He’s been dead four days!” Jesus looked her in the eye. “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” Then, to the others, “Go ahead, take away the stone.” They removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, “Father, I’m grateful that you have listened to me. I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I’ve spoken so that they might believe that you sent me.” Then he shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him loose.”

John 11:1‭-‬8‭, ‬11‭-‬15‭, ‬17‭-‬34‭, ‬34‭-‬44 MSG

If you have read this chapter before or actually had a quick catch up after posting this evening raise your hand🙋🏼🙋🏼‍♂.

I will give you a gift... 

But while we wait for hands.. 

What is *personalised Encounter*

*Sis Ohla:* A meeting with a person or thing, especially a casual, unexpected, or brief meeting: Our running into each other was merely a chance encounter.

*Sis Leah:* Thanks, sis. An encounter is an experience that is unexpected or is beyond imagination and when it's personalised.. it means it is set to fit purpose for one person or group of people.

In Luke 11... The story of the death of Lazarus was told and the writer let us see from a perspective of the mutual relation between Lazarus, his sisters and Jesus.

It's beyond a relationship of a rabbi and his followers only.

When Jesus was informed about Lazarus' death, the expectations of his sisters was that He would rush down there considering the fact that they were so close. 

But Jesus waited where He was until the 4th day.

How many people have seen a dead person before?

🙋🏼‍♂

I am not trying to create a grim memory or picture.

But if you have actually seen life leave someone or seen someone post-death you will know that the body can become cold so quick due to lack of inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide.

Anyway not to digress further.

Jesus eventually made His way.. there

 It was not a far journey.

And in fact it didn't have to take 4 days.

But this delay was to the glory of God.

Have you ever been in that situation where you want God to do something and you are basically using your *Religious skills and timing?*

So you have sown seed...

Prayed...

Fasted...

Gone on evangelism...

Spoken in tongues...

Sing praises...

Worship from this side of earth into the holy of holies...

And yet it just seemed like God had gone on leave. 

It seemed like God is just taking His time. 

In fact people were beginning to talk just like the Jews said.

*If He really loved Lazarus why did he let him die?*

If she/he is really serving God why is he/she still single?

If they really know God how come their circumstances is getting worse?

Does she really serve a good God? How come she has not received her healing?

If God was truly their God how come He let that person die?

If they really trust God how come there hasn't been any significant testimony in their lives?

Let me tell you something. Human beings can take stock of what is going wrong in your life and use it to weigh your level of faith. 

But God doesn't weigh your level of faith with whatever challenges you face.

His word says if you have faith like a mustard seed.

Have you gotten to that stage like Martha and Mary?

Martha was the outspoken one; she went to Jesus more like accusingly: if you had been here he would not have died.

Then she kind of went on to Mary to say well master is here and Mary ran to Jesus.

Mary was the religious sister, the more conservative one.

As she ran the people who came to sympathize with them ran after her thinking it was the grief that was driving her to her brother's tomb.

But Jesus knew why He took that time.

And you could hear the sky talk.

In fact some people most probably would have been like: does He realy like them?

Some already said well He healed the blind, He is a miracle worker.

It was more like: Physician heal thyself.

But Jesus knew that a miracle that they had never encountered before was about to take place.

And when He got to the tomb, He thanked God to start with, then He called Lazarus.

In that tomb or close to that tomb or in the proximity of that tomb there were other dead bodies.

A proverb goes thus:

We all kneel and pray but we do not know where exactly the shoe is causing discomfort to anyone's foot.

When Jesus called Lazarus it was a personalized encounter.

Who born grave clothe that it will not answer to the creator of the universe? 🤕😷🤒🧠🦷👃🏽🦶🏽🧟‍♀🧟‍♂

Whatever was dead or rotten or at the beginning of decomposing in the body of Lazarus received new life.

They all ran to the tomb...

Grave clothe or no grave clothe, the Word was working, the Word was speaking.

Yes it was 4 days...

Yes the place was close enough to where Jesus was...

Yes Jesus came late...

Yes the people were mocking their relationship...

Yes his family were devastated at their loss...

Yes it all seemed like a lost hope...

Hopeless case...

A journey of no return but when Jesus is in it...

Say to yourself:

Relax *your name* when Jesus is in it there ain't no limit.

It doesn't matter what has been said to be late.

It doesn't matter what time it is in the calendar of the universe.

When your time for personalised encounter is here nothing and nobody can stop it.

And Lazarus the one  who had been mourned by family, Relatives, Community members... Stood up just like that and came back to life.

Can I just say something.

If you do not study the word in the bid to hear from *The Word* it's mere reading of ancient stories.

But when you study the word allowing *The Word* to minister to you it's a recipe for divine encounter.

Personalised Encounter has a specific date.

It has the definition of divinity over it.

It is not man made.

It is not limited.

It cannot be overwritten.

It can not be short-changed.

This is because God does what can only be done by Him at that moment when it all seems rather impossible. 

I want to speak to someone today.

Jesus is not late.

He is not late over your case. 

You may be thinking but age isn't on my side...

It's been too long...

It's never too long.

It's never late.

No condition is permanent except God says so.

The verdict is not the end when Jesus is in charge.

Are you ready to have a personal encounter?

Jesus is going to visit you.

Do not lose hope.

You need to learn to be consistent in your faith.

You need to learn to be consistent in your walk with God.

You need to learn to be consistent with studying the word of God.

Some personalized encounter will only come when you have understanding about the word.

Some will come when you have revelation through digging deep in the word.

God will speak to you personally if you are itching to hear from Him.

Lazarus had that personalized encounter even in the dead state, how much more you.

If He can raise the dead He can do much more for you.

*Let us pray:*

Thank God for the revelation through His word.

Ask that God will forgive you in anyway you have limited your expectations due to your experiences, predicament or challenges.

Say, Father I want to have a personalized encounter with you this season.

Say, Lord concerning (mention) speak the word of resurrection over it in Jesus.

Say, Lord grant me grace to constantly seek you regardless of what I face.

 

Lord eternal grant me grace not to allow circumstances below your intervention so that I can Encounter you personally in Jesus name.

*Pray over the things you are waiting on God for it doesn't matter how long ask for your own personalized encounter.*

Lord we worship you, we give you praise, honour and glory for the word this evening. We ask that you will continue to grant us grace to actually wait for your voice, touch and word no matter the situation. Father for every one that has been regarded to be at a dead end bring their situation to life in Jesus name and Lord let us all have that personalized encounter that will cause people to know we serve a living God in Jesus mighty name. Amen.