Jesus said, “Take the stone away.”
Martha said to him, “Lord, by now he will smell, for this is the fourth day.” Jesus replied, “Have I not told you that, if you believe,
you will see the glory of God?”
So they removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes and said,
“Father, I thank you, for you have heard me.
I knew that you hear me always;
but my prayer was for the sake of these people,
that they may believe that you sent me.”
When Jesus had said this, he cried out in a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
his hands and feet bound with linen strips,
and his face wrapped in a cloth.
Jesus said to them, “Untie him, and let him go.”
---- mine,
This is what I say to you this day, "Take the stone away, the stone of sin that has blocked the entrance of your heart and makes it impenetrable to grace. This is what I command you: like Martha, you are afraid that the stench of sin, death, and decay caused by sin will be overpowering. Obey Me, and you will see the glory of God in your life. It is of no consequence that you have been walling yourself for so long, shutting Me out. Grace and mercy will always find a way for I AM the Lord who saves. I AM Emmanuel, God who is always with you. Be not afraid to respond to My voice, and every barrier that has prevented Me from entering into your heart I will crush and destroy. All you need to do is accept My invitation, rise up, take that step, and come to Me, and you will be set loose from every sin that has kept you bound and enslaved, making it impossible for you to live. I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and I will take you by the hand and lead you to My Father's house. Rejoice and be glad, for this is the day I call you from darkness into my own marvelous light and life.
