“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord”.  (Luke 2:11)   Those were the words of an angel messenger bringing a message of hope and joy to common folks like you and me. Life would take on new meaning.  Their lives would experience great change, the birth of Jesus would transform their view of the landscape as they had known it. This was not just new hope for a coming year, for His work was an eternal work, one that would free us from the power of sin, chaos and futility.  He is Savior, Christ the Lord.

 There was an openness of the Shepherds’ to receive the words of an angel and in haste, they set out to find the Christ Child. The Bible said that they found Mary, Joseph and Jesus, the one that the world needed so desperately. Heaven says to us today what heaven said to shepherds on the hillsides: “Unto you is born this day … a Savior, Christ the Lord”. The reference to “this day”, includes every day that will come, all 365 days of every year that you will see in your lifetime. Jesus came to work redemptively, not just today, but to work His purpose for your life every day of the year!

 Pastor Danny Borrell      

“But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask”(John 11:1-44 NIV)

 “Your brother will rise again”, were the words which invaded Mary and Martha’s world. As soon as their brother Lazarus became sick, they sent for Jesus. It seemed He was no different from other preachers – too busy to come. Lazarus had been dead four days; grief stricken friends and relatives had gathered to mourn his death. When Martha heard Jesus had come, she ran to meet Him. “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Martha exclaimed, “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”  With tender compassion Jesus answered, “Martha, your brother will rise again.” Martha, still caught up in the events of the last few days responded, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” The Jewish world knew about the resurrection of the dead and for four long days probably everyone there had attempted to console her by telling her she would see him again in the resurrection. That was “pie-in-the-sky.” She wanted her brother now.

 In reality, Martha was saying she knew it would happen in the future.  Isn’t that just like most of us, continually putting something off into the future! Jesus says, “I Am – I am the author of eternal life, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” He continues to say, “I Am – I am the beginning of your life in the Kingdom; I am all you need and all you will ever need.”

 Jesus’ response to Martha was positive: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Martha was looking at the Resurrection and didn’t know it. She believed He was the Christ, the Son of God. She believed whatever He asked God to do, God would do for Him. She believed her brother would rise someday, but she was looking Resurrection in the face and talking to the Eternal - I Am, and she could not relate it to her present need.

 Lazarus, I’m sure, was a very important part of Martha’s life. Their relationship seemed to be one she cherished dearly. Like Martha, there have been occasions in my life when a relationship or something the Lord had given me to do had died. I seemed helpless. When I turned to Jesus I didn’t hear Him say, “I Am.” It seemed all I could see was death and all I could hear was the mourners’ wail. I would say, “I believe He is the Son of God, the eternal resurrection, the beginning and the end”; yet, I could not perceive Jesus as the answer to my immediate dilemma. Faithfully, however, the same Jesus, tender and compassionate, came on the scene saying, “It will live again, Danny, for I am the resurrection.” Can you hear Him say to your dilemma, “I am the resurrection; I raise dead things and give them life”. Regardless of how long they have been buried.  He declares, “I am the resurrection.”  When Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection, I am the Bread of Life, I am the Truth, I am the Light of the World,” I believe He was endeavoring to get a point across to us – whatever we need and all we need. He is!

When Mary confronted Jesus – the great I Am – her response was not much different, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  I can almost feel the groan in Jesus’ spirit and the tug on His heart as He said, “Where have you laid him?” Is Jesus asking a similar question today? Is Jesus asking, “Where have you laid that relationship, that talent, the gift of God?” What is your “Lazarus?” Mary and Martha’s Lazarus had been tightly wrapped in grave-cloth and placed in a cave which was securely sealed with a stone. “Take away the

Stone” was Jesus’ command, “and uncover the Lazarus that you have buried; take away the seal from the grave.” His injunction continues to echo through time to those who have sealed things up and at times, forgotten them – abilities, talents, relationships, even the call to ministry. We have anointed them with our tears, wrapped them in cloths of hopelessness, despair and discouragement; then buried them down on the inside so far back in darkness that only the Holy Spirit can find them. When Jesus arrives at your grave site, He says, “Take away the stone, for it is important to uncover what you want to live again.” Then He cried out, “Lazarus, come forth” – three words which shook Heaven to its core and set the dynamic flow of the power of God into motion. Three words which caused a dead body to be penetrated with the Life of God. Let Jesus “rattle your cave” with those same three words. Respond in faith today, as Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, says to your Lazarus, “come forth.”

 Lastly, until unwrapped, Lazarus could do nothing. “Take off the grave clothes and let him go” was Jesus’ final directive. It is a directive that constrains us today to be free and strip away the cloths of hopelessness, despair and discouragement. For these would keep us from the free flow of the life of Christ and in doing so, hope rises anew and that which has been dead for so long begins to live in all of its intended beauty. And God’s power and glory will be poured forth in you and the power of death will no longer hold you in its sway, be free my friend!    

 Pastor Danny

 This article was written for the Advance Magazine by

Pastor Danny Borrell which is a publication of the

International Church of the FourSquare Gospel and

 edited for www.faithcenterchurch.org

God is more interested in love between the members of His family than in the infallibility of one’s opinions. Paul said; “don’t criticize or critique each other anymore.” (Romans 14:13 Living Bible) We must come to the decision at some point in our lives not to put any obstacle or stumbling block in the pathway of a brother or sister. In other words it is time to grow up.

Unjust and sometimes unloving criticism has been a characteristic sin of the saints of God in our day.  As people of God, let’s not be caught in that trap.  Remember the command from Jesus’ lips: “do not judge, for with what judgment you judge, you will be judged.”(Matthew 7:1-2) Let Jesus the Lord of the church bring freedom by His Word from making judgments so easily and resolve not to put a stumbling block or cause a brother to fall, we will begin to see growth in our lives and relationships, in doing so, the Lord enables us to live in the fullness of His Spirit in a forgiving way!

 Lovingly,

Pastor Danny   

   “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou may observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success”. (Joshua 1:8)

 Meditation in the Word of God is the surest way I know to build a foundation for a victorious prayer life. There must be knowledge of the Word of God as well as a knowing in your spirit of the Word of God. There is another principle equally important, that is the use of the mouth. I believe the mouth was actually created to articulate the Word of God as       we fellowship with our Father. A large part of the Bible consists of overlapping quotations, in other words, they were always repeating another person’s words, words inspired by the Holy Spirit.  They spoke them, they lived by them, it was the breath from heaven their spirit man needed.  Example, Peter in Acts 2:16 quotes Joel 2:28-32. In first Peter 2:24 there is a direct correlation to Isaiah 53:4-5 that tells me the writers of the Bible kept their word level up. If we are to be successful in life, our word level must be, “always on the increase.”

 Now, back to the subject of prayer, specificity is important, If you don’t have scripture to stand on you have real problems, it is always good to be specific when you pray or fellowship with God. Have the Word of God handy. Example –scriptures that speak of Healing, Peace and Blessing need to become a part of your vocabulary. A small concordance is very handy to have with you at all times, most bibles have a small concordance in the back. One thing demons particularly like to say to people is, “It may be not the will of God.” Devils were never known to be very smart, just persistent. Demons accuracy, when it comes to the Word of God, is somewhat lacking and distorted.

 There is a simple text in the Bible found in Matthew 4:1-11. It recounts Jesus’ battle in the wilderness with the devil, (v: 4) he said, hey, Jesus you can turn stones into bread. His response was, man does not live by bread alone, but by the Word of God.  Now look at verse seven, the devil got it wrong again and Jesus said, thou shalt not tempt the Lord your God.  And (v:10) says,  Again the devil got it wrong, Jesus said, hey ugly get out of my way; it is written God’s Word says, “thou shalt worship the Lord your God and Him only shalt thou serve.

 Notice what happened next – The devil Left Him!

 Pastor Danny

“A VOICE WAS HEARD IN HEAVEN, THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN IS CAST DOWN”.(Rev. 12:10-11)

 The next verse explains how these saints overcame. First, their robes were washed in the blood of the Lamb and made white.  Second, they held to the Word of God and stuck to their testimony of Jesus.

 They were committed to the blood of Jesus, the Word of God, and their testimony.  We too must be committed to the blood of Jesus Christ, we are washed, cleansed and made righteous by his blood. Our commitment to the Word of God brings the power of God into play, to regenerate and empower believers today. By His Word we are purified and made whole. Our lives, like theirs must be His, not ours. Therein lies the formula for casting down that old liar, satan, and bring about an overcoming lifestyle.

 Pastor Danny