Lose The Graveclothes

Free Sunday Edition #03

⁴² And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

⁴³ And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

⁴⁴ And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. - John 11:42-45 KJV

The Message For Today

It's time to step out of old seasons with intention, where certain behaviors and certain mindsets may have served you in the past. We're stepping into a season that requires a new you, a renewed you, a refined you. His mercies are new every morning. God is making all things new right now.

He is the God that stirs up our desires, our passion, and our drive to do what He's called us to do. He is the God that empowers us with his spirit, with a diversity of gifts, including the gift of mercy, the gift of preaching, the gift of tongues, the gift of administration, and the gift of interpretation. There are so many gifts and so many various functions of the Holy Spirit. He has placed that inside you and I as the body of believers that He has placed in the earth and that He has empowered by His spirit to grow.

We are called to this work. You are called to be free and to walk in the liberty of Jesus. It's time to lose the graveclothes. In this scripture, we see where Lazarus, after being dead four days, was called out of the grave. The demonstration of the power of God to bring back, restore, and revive us is powerful. In this moment, the closest we've seen in scripture of revival in this manner happened in Genesis 22, when Abraham was called to go up to the mount at the top of Mount Moriah and sacrifice Isaac, the promise.

In this scripture, Genesis 22, we see that the angel of the Lord stopped Abraham from completing his sacrifice. In this case, at the beginning of John chapter 11, we see Jesus is advised that Lazarus is sick and instead of coming straight away, he waited and he abided where he was for two more days. He knew that the sickness was not unto death.

⁴ When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Jouhn 11:4 KJV

He understood his divine assignment. So Lazarus was allowed to die. The delay was allowed for Lazarus. So by the time Jesus got there, of course, one of the sisters said to him, if you would have just been here, Jesus, my brother wouldn't have died.

²¹ Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. - John 11:21 KJV

They believed enough that He could have stopped Lazarus from dying through healing him and through removing the sickness. They believed that much. However, they did not believe that Lazarus could be resurrected from the dead. They could not perceive why Jesus stood on the outside of that tomb with the intention to bring Lazarus back. One of the sisters even said, but my Lord, he's been dead four days by now, the body is starting to stink.

³⁹ Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. - John 11:39 KJV

Yet and still, in this scripture, we see the demonstration of Jesus calling Lazarus out of the grave. But that's not all. We see that he is still wrapped up in the graveclothes in which he died. The things that he wore, the garments he had on, the wrappings, the rituals, the things that they did when someone passed, the way they prepared the body and put them in the tomb; all of that was still sitting on Lazarus who was now brought back alive.

Likewise, you may be in a season where God is calling you out of a low place. He's calling you into a new state of being, a new identity, a fresh perception. And maybe, just maybe, you're still holding on to the graveclothes. Maybe you've wondered why it is that you don't feel fully free to operate in the way that God has called you. The resurrection and the revival of Jesus is possible even now in our lives.

He can restore what was lost.

He can bring back all that was missing.

He can return to you what was lost.

God restores even now. However, restoration is only part of the battle. The other part is removing the grave clothes, removing the behaviors, the mindsets, the garments, the things you wore, the rituals, the things that you did at the end of the old season and at the end of the old you. God is making all things new.

This requires that we release every old thing, every way that we used to operate, the fears, the distractions. We must release them. Jesus gives them the instruction in John Chapter 11 to lose him and let him go.

⁴⁴ And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. - John 11:44 KJV

The people who were there to witness the death were ultimately used to unwrap him, unbind him, and liberate him in his new life. This is a season where we're going to begin to see revival on a mass scale. Lives being restored, finances being changed, and all things being made new by His grace. But it will take a level of obedience. It'll take trust. It'll take faith. Nothing will be able to block it. Nothing will be able to stop it.

God is doing the work. He is making all things new. Come into agreement and begin to release all the old thinking, all the old ways, and all the old mindsets. Let them go and step into your new season. In Jesus name.

Closing Devotional Prayer

My pray for you: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you. I thank you that the mighty woman of God is ready. She's ready to let go of old thinking and of thinking that she is still who she always was. Lord, I pray, oh God, that you would give her the courage to be new. It's okay to be brand new. It's okay to be restored.

It is okay that she's not dressing the way that she used to. It is okay that she is in part of a new season in her life. It is okay that she's had to really put her feet on the ground and determine how she's going to show up and operate in this season. It is okay for her to be elevated in her thinking and mindset. It is okay for her to let go.

So Lord, I thank you right now that all things are being made new. I thank you, oh God, that nothing, oh God, can keep her bound in the old season. Nothing can continue to hinder her. I thank you right now, oh God, that your glory is being revealed through her life and that there will be manifestation. I thank you, Lord, and I pray in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.