By Funmi Komolafe

Glory be to God!. In the Christian calendar, last week Sunday was Easter Sunday.  

A   day that we remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

The essence of the Christian faith is that Jesus lives.

Our God lives.  We are serving a living God.  Congratulations to all Christians.   

With the resurrection of Christ, we know that we have an advocate before our God the Father.

Jesus conquered death or if you like he rose above death and lives forever.  

Glory be to the Almighty God.

Many believe that Easter should be a greater celebration than Christmas but that is a topic for another day.

For us what is important is how to overcome all challenges that confront us in life.

A brief consideration of the life of Jesus Christ tells us a lot about what we are confronted with in life.

God sent his son to the world in human flesh and empowered him with the power of the Holy Spirit with which he performed a lot of miracles. These miracles notwithstanding, he still had enemies that mocked him and crucified him.  The grave held his body down and on the third day, he rose above death.

Brothers and Sisters, I may not know what is holding you down but whatever keeps you at a spot for sometime or a long time is holding you down.  That is stagnation.

Such issues may be sickness, indebtedness, office stagnation, barrenness or loneliness, among others. 

In most cases, negative forces, spirits contrary to the word of God are keeping you down.

You may have the desire to be free but cannot set yourself free. Then you need a superior power; the power of the Holy Spirit.

When a woman is unable to conceive, due to production of infertile eggs and other medical factors, her womb could be said to be held down. Sometimes, it the man’s fluid that is held down when it is zero count or low- count.  Medical science would never be able to identify the forces of darkness that holds anyone in this situation down.

However, whatever is held down, can bounce back to life when the Spirit of God is involved.

Let’s look at the life of a friend of Jesus called Lazarus.

You should be familiar with the story but we’ll take a look at the conversation of our Lord Jesus with his disciples as recorded in John 11 vs. 14 & 15  ( NIV) “ So then he told them plainly Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe .  But let us go to him”.

At this stage, the case of Lazarus was a hopeless one.

By the time Jesus got there, Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. Already, sympathizers were already paying his sister’s condolence visits.

By the Grace of God, no matter what the situation is with you right now, no one would pay you a condolence visit.   Those who have written you off will soon see the manifestation of God’s power in your life in Jesus name.

Let’s consider verses, 17, 21 & 22 of the same chapter.  It states: “ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days”.

Verses 21&22:  “ Lord”, Martha  said to Jesus, “ if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask”.

Can you see the demonstration of faith?.  Martha knew that late brother must have been stinking in the grave for four days but a bit of faith in her took control of her mind and mouth when she said, she knew that God would grant whatever request Jesus made from God.

What is it that is being said about you?   Many have written you off.    They seemed so sure that given your age,  you could no longer bear children.  Perhaps you are also thinking so of yourself.    This happens sometimes, but my dear sister and brother, let you faith give you hope as Martha’s did.

What followed is written in verses 23-26: “ Jesus said to her, “ Your brother will rise again”. Martha answered,  “ I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day”.

Jesus said to her, “ I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

I ask you, the same question, do you believe that stagnation would come to an end in your life?

You know about how Jesus wept at the graveside of Lazarus?

Among the sympathizers were also mockers.  It’s the same with you. While some are genuinely concerned about your situation, there are others who delight in mocking you.

Our Lord Jesus was also faced with a similar situation.

John 11 vs. 37: “ But some said, Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?  

The tomb according to the Holy Bible was a cave with a stone at the entrance of the grave.

Let see the action, taken by the Lord Jesus.

 Verses 39-44 tell us the full story.  

“ Take away the stone,” he said. “ But , Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “ by this time there is a bad  odor, for he has been there four days”.

Then Jesus said, “ Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”.

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and 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 linen, and a cloth around his face.  Jesus said to them, “ Take off the grave clothes and let him go”.

Brethren,  blocked fallopian tubes, irregular ovulation, weak sperm, fibroid  or the invisible hand squeezing your womb or man hood are stones that have kept you stagnated but the power of the most High God, every such stone would be rolled away from your life in Jesus name.

Brethren, this Easter season, if it is the only prayer, you can pray, please pray.

Say:  O Lord, whatever is the stone that has been laid against my life, let the power of resurrection, roll it away now in the name of Jesus.

Then proceed to make a declaration to yourself.  Say:  I receive life in Jesus name.

In the passage quoted above, JESUS said, “ I am the resurrection and the life”.

If you believe and you had better believe because everything we desire is about life one-way or the other.

Please pray fervently and as you pray, make sure you sing praises to the Most High God.

Either your enemies like it or not, the glory of God will manifest in your life in the name of Jesus.

Brethren, fear not, every stone in your life will hear the command of God and roll away in Jesus name.

I see the glory of God manifest in your life in Jesus name.

Make sure you tell somebody about Jesus.  Some may say, what has she to show for it, don’t be bothered. Just go ahead to pray and spread the gospel.

The Gory of God would  soon manifest in you life.