Removing Your Grave Clothes

There are many stories in the Bible that we can draw life from. There are stories of people dying and then being raised to life once again, because they encountered the life of Jesus Christ. Painful situations can be used to help others and bring joy. May the Word of God and these testimonies release life and joy in your hearts as you read them.

In John 11:1-4 it reads, “Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Later in this chapter we see the stone in which the tomb where Lazarus lay being rolled away and then Jesus said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me. When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Recently in a regional meeting, leaders saw their sister had need of life and freedom of Jesus Christ. This woman was reminded of times throughout her childhood where she desperately desired a close relationship with her mother. Her mother was a busy woman and did not demonstrate loving attention to her daughter. It became apparent the current situation with her own daughter triggered this area in her heart that “needed the stone to be rolled away.” It was like seeing Jesus calling her to come out of this dead place. He was also asking those of us around her to take off her grave clothes and let her go. As we came together to bring her to a place of encounter with Jesus, she was able to see an impression of herself as a little girl weeping and seeing Jesus standing with outstretched arms towards her. She wept as Jesus released the heart revelation and truth that she was not alone when Mommy had not spent time with her. Jesus called her to come out of the entombed place and into a place of truth and freedom. Life was released and the truth of Jesus Christ brought freedom. What a glorious opportunity to witness the life of Christ for this sister. The life that she received will be a testimony of Jesus to her own daughter. She tasted and saw that the Lord is good and His goodness will have an affect on those around her.

While in Northern India, we had the opportunity to share the gospel of Christ in a regional meeting. One young man came forward after the message to share of the pain he was experiencing because of the situation with his relationship with his wife. He was sad because of the condition of their marriage. When we shared the hope of Jesus Christ, he repented and accepted Jesus as his Savior. He was like Lazarus in grave clothes. The Body of believers in that area had been praying for this marriage and for salvation. They were like Mary and Martha coming to Jesus on behalf of their brother because he was sick. In 2 Corinthians 7:9 says, “Now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to God, that you might suffer loss in nothing by us. For the grief according to God works repentance to salvation, not to be regretted. But the grief of the world works death.” This young man was spiritually dead and those around him loved him enough to ask Jesus to come and heal their brother. We were those around him privileged to remove the strips of linen that had him bound. We witnessed this young man encounter Christ as his Savior and repent for the condition of his marriage. He also received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The passion for Christ was released into this young man. The following night, he brought a friend that needed life. His friend received the gift of salvation praise God!

In 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 says, “… We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” That man received eternal life and brought another to receive of the life and freedom he had received. What a privilege to witness this man who had received salvation and comfort the night before, bring another to Christ. Praise God for He who comforts us in our troubles also uses us to comfort others from the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

In another meeting in the State of Bihar India, we broke bread with a group of believers and non-believers. After the meal, we had a time of sharing the gospel of Christ and prayed for different people. We sensed one woman struggling with depression. She was relying on her own strength and not on God. As we extended an invitation to pray for her, she declined. We continued to pray for others and later the hostess of the meeting asked if we could pray for this woman privately in another room. She had a hard heart that was like that stone covering Lazarus’ tomb. Jesus had called her to come out of her tomb, but she had declined and was now responding. Jesus asked us to remove the grave clothes. As we prayed for her, she wept as Jesus revealed these dead places in her heart. She had lost all hope and confessed she wanted to commit suicide. That evening, the compassion of Jesus poured over her hurting soul. She received hope, life, and peace. Her desire was to bear children. She and her husband had tried to conceive for quite some time, and after no success, she felt there was no reason to live. Others around her were like Mary and Martha coming to tell Jesus their sister was sick. The response of Jesus to them was that her sickness would not end in death, but would glorify the Son. Jesus was glorified in this woman as she received the love, life, and joy of Christ. There was a divine exchange that took place that evening. No longer did death have a hold on her soul. She was thankful that there were those around her that cared enough about her to go to Jesus on her behalf and remove her grave clothing. She realized that her value was not determined by whether she could have children; it was determined by who she is in Christ. Our value is not determined by what we do or how we perform. We are valued by who we are as sons and daughters of Jesus Christ.

Can you identify with any of these stories in your life? Are there places in your heart that Jesus is calling you to come out of the dead places, or places that are spiritually asleep to Christ? The apostle Paul reminds us that we were chosen and predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory. Things may not appear as they are, because we can either be spiritually asleep or have dead places in our hearts towards the truth of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2:4-7 it reads, “But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” May the life of Christ permeate every part of your heart so that you may be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. When He calls, step out of the tomb and allow the life of Jesus Christ to permeate your inner being and remove your grave clothes!

Heart to Heart Connections

In book of Luke, the parable of the Good Samaritan talks about a man from Jericho who had fallen into the hands of robbers and had left him half dead. A priest passed by and when he saw this man, he passed by on the other side of the road. A Levite also passed by the wounded man and went to the other side of the road. It was only the Samaritan that took pity on him when he saw this man from Jericho. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. (See Luke 10:30-37)

Are we like the priest or the Levite who passes by the wounded on the other side of the road? Do we have oil and wine to pour out to those that have spiritually fallen into the hands of robbers? May we be dressed and ready for service with our lamps burning and have fresh oil and wine to pour out to others. His desire for us is to know Him intimately. In Luke 17:6 it reads, “I have revealed to you to those who you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.” From the love we have received from our Heavenly Father, may we pour out the oil and the wine to others.

Master’s Touch Prayer Focus

PRAY FOR:
• Wisdom and revelation for Master’s Touch Ministries. (Eph. 1:17-19)

• To see and hear the council of the Lord and to speak His word faithfully. (Jer. 23:18, 28)

• Prophetic Insight for the people and nations Master’s Touch Ministries serves. (Phil. 1:9-11)

• For a servant heart. (Matt. 20:26)

• Integrity in all aspects of ministry and for Godly character to be reflected in all Master’s Touch Ministries is involved with. (1 Thes. 2:4-8)

• Attributes of Jesus Christ to be manifested personally and in all ministry service

• Balance in the being and the doing in personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 10:38-42)

• Hungarian pastors Paul and Kati Henderson for wisdom in their time of transition.

MISSION PRAYER NEEDS:
• For the leadership teams in the different churches that Master’s Touch Ministries serves, such as pastors, their wives, and their respective leadership. May they continue to be encouraged by the Lord and strengthened in the work that has been entrusted to them.

• For the Indian host pastors, tribal pastors, their wives and families protection against terrorist attack or harm

• For God to raise up the provision for many of the needs that were witnessed in different tribal regions of India, as well as, for the cost for upcoming missions to Hungary and India this fall

• For God to release revelation, insight, and strategies for our continued work in the nations of India and Hungary and for the missions to these nations in the fall of 2004

• For Master’s Touch Ministries to fulfill God’s purpose and plan in regional ministry involvement

Thank you for your continued partnership, prayers and support!

RIGHT
Paul and Kati Henderson family
of Hungary

LEFT
Castle in the city
of Budapest
Hungary