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Jesus, the One You Love is Sick

As we look at John 11, the death of Lazarus, we can echo the words of Mary and her sister Martha. They sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

We could also say, “Jesus, the nation of Australia, whom You love, is sick.”

The women knew this was very serious and that Lazarus might die, just as the praying believers know how serious this sickness of our nation is.

We are sick in our thinking, when it is acceptable that an abortion is a quick and easy solution to an unwanted problem. Sick in the idolatry of self and our seared consciences, that abortion is ok. We are sick as communities that are rampant with a sexual revolution, that has led to pregnant women being overcome with fear, and having only one solution presented to them in their vulnerability. Sick, as we have legalized the killing of our future generations at the rate of 100,000 Australians per year through abortion.

Counsel from Heaven – No matter the Circumstances

When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
~ John 11:4 NKJV.

Jesus had a timing and plan concerning Lazarus that was from Heaven’s perspective, that made no earthly sense.

We tend to feel urgency as fear grips our hearts; yet Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was taking His counsel from the Father, and He delayed going to them for two more days.

Jesus knew when Lazarus had died, and said to His disciples that He would go and wake him. He speaks plainly after His disciples missed His point.

Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

~ John 11:14-15

The point was that they would believe in His divinity.

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

When Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Martha heard Jesus was coming and ran out to meet Him, but Mary who had previously intently sat at Jesus’ feet, and who would lavish her costly perfume on His feet, did not come to him.

Might she have been disappointed that Jesus didn’t do what she wanted, when she wanted, and how she wanted, and now disappointment was distancing her heart from her Beloved?

We must lay disappointment at the cross and run to Jesus even in the darkest trials.

“Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
~ John 11:21-22

Martha had faith to believe in Jesus’ relationship in prayer with God the Father. Jesus told her what He was about to do, but she had no paradigm for it, only what she had knowledge of. Jesus revealed a most powerful truth.

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?”
~ John 11:25-26 NKJV.

Martha responds in faith and declared who Jesus is.

Jesus and Death, the Last Enemy

Mary is told “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. When Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. Jesus wept.
~ John 11:33 & 36 NKJV.

Jesus is still moved when we share our grief and disappointment with Him. Our sorrow over the abortions in this nation moves Jesus, and He still groans in the spirit and is troubled. Even though He knows the end, He enters our suffering and we enter His. This deep communion is powerful.

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 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.”

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 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. 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.” 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.”
~ John 11:38-44 NKJV

We believe Jesus is the resurrection and the life of our nation. He has groaned and interceded through us and for us. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, sent to save the world.

We say to this nation: “Australia, come forth!” and Jesus says: “Loose her and let her go!”

We agree, we pray: “Loose Australia from the clutches of death and coldness of the graves of the generations of the past 50 years, loose the future generations. We declare defeat to all abortion legislation — let our nation go now, in Jesus’ Name!”

Immediately the crowd was divided; some believed in Jesus, and others went to tell those who were plotting to kill Jesus.

“And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.”
~ John 11:49-52 NKJV.

Jesus who is the resurrection and the life did die for the whole nation of Israel and He has gathered ‘together in one’ the children of God in Australia and every nation – Halleluiah!

Prayer: Father in Heaven, we praise and thank You for the gift of your Son. We magnify and glorify You, our King Jesus Christ, who was willing to die for our nation Australia, and all the nations. Holy Spirit, thank You for continuing to gather, together in one, the children of God.

We ask for this nation to be resurrected and loosed to come forth to her destiny.

Thank You that Jesus, You became a curse as You hung on the cross, so this nation would be free from every curse and free from the power of sin and death and alive in You forever!

Wash our nation from north to south and east to west with the powerful blood of the Lamb, and let her come forth from death to life in You, forever! Amen.

Worship:

the Prayer Points:

• Declare Jesus is the resurrection and the life over every family that are dead in sin, and call them forth to life eternal in Jesus Christ.
• Decree Australia loosed and let go from the bondage to the grave clothes of grief and coldness of heart to be alive forever in Christ.
• Pray that the Ekklesia be awakened from her slumber to be the governing authority in the nation, leading the way with righteousness and justice in everything, especially eradicating the culture of death.
• Strengthen your people with courage when the enemy rages and plots to kill “Jesus’s body” in Australia in our days. Quicken us to hear the Father’s voice, and to say what He is saying and see and do what He is doing, to bring glory and honour to our Lord Jesus.
• Lord, rain down Your Spirit in great measure in the spiritual and the natural — flood this nation! Ask for rain — it’s the season of rain. Break the drought in the natural over the land, and pour out Your Spirit to rain over all the people of Australia.
• Sing Halleluiah forever to the Lamb who has overcome!!!

Spend time today listening to the Lord, and Pray what is on His Heart.

FAST + PRAY = LIFE

Today as we stand together ‘as one’ in prayer and fasting may the Lord:

STOP the proposed Abortion Reform Bill in South Australia – “Statutes Amendment (Abortion Law Reform) Bill.”

STOP the New South Wales Abortion Bill – “The Reproductive Healthcare Reform Bill 2019”

Push Back and eventually STOP Abortion in every state and territory in Australia!

SHIFT the culture of this Nation to Mercy, Peace, Righteousness and Justice

Email Oneness Call to Prayer to Register to receive the daily prayer emails throughout August. This will be kept completely confidential. Email “Unsubscribe” to stop the emails if you prefer to unsubscribe.

NOTE: The Canberra Declaration will post daily Devotions from Ann Browne every day for the 31-Day Period and on the Canberra Declaration Facebook. Please share the links and send out to your friends. Thank you.

[Image credit: JW]