On one side of the room was a "boardroom" style meeting table that was the epitome of power broker tables. So gaudily grotesque was it in it's design that it screamed "decisions are final here." The cold thick iron legs of the table were fashioned to possibly resemble the legs of a fearless mastodon, eternally immovable in its stance. While the surface of the table was crafted from a thick fiery red, highly polished stone; but its original beauty was hard to imagine due to an immensity of tarnished stains left behind by carelessly handled drinking vessels (whatever was spilled was left to dry).
On the opposite side of the room was a heap of shattered glass containers littered with strewn filthy surgical gloves. The array of colors of these broken vessels created a pallet of colors that would be the envy of the noble had they not be handled so carelessly and dashed against the damp stone wall of the room. Had there been a window behind the dark azure curtains that hung on the opposing sides of the room, (almost ominously hiding some former hideous events) even the smallest ray of light making its way to this pile of broken vessels would have sent the room dancing in streams of magnificent color. BUT that would not happen here because this was, and is GAOWN ... Dreams die here. Let's momentarily leave this scene and move to another realizing that the handle to the door of this room is not very far out of reach and beckons us each with an evil yet almost irresistible pull.
Scene 2 (John 11): Lazarus was "dead four days," grief had rolled into town with its professional mourners and soothsayers, family and friends were numb with "had He been here;" but a New Hope was about to abruptly interrupt the mourning and be placed into our world of broken dreams.
(WAIT A MINUTE THOUGH!! Had the occupants of this horrible room been sequestered on the day that Jesus came to Bethany (at what appeared to be a "too late to help" arrival), the surgical gloves would have been pulled on, and the glorious jar of the resurrection would have been quickly stolen away to THE ROOM GAOWN. After a brief ignominious meeting, and the clank of the steins filled with the dregs of Hell, this jar also would have been hurled and shattered against the cold stone wall of the room Gaown. The filthy gloves would have been tossed to the heap and the door would be locked behind - end of story. Praise God ... it didn't happen.)
On the opposite side of the room was a heap of shattered glass containers littered with strewn filthy surgical gloves. The array of colors of these broken vessels created a pallet of colors that would be the envy of the noble had they not be handled so carelessly and dashed against the damp stone wall of the room. Had there been a window behind the dark azure curtains that hung on the opposing sides of the room, (almost ominously hiding some former hideous events) even the smallest ray of light making its way to this pile of broken vessels would have sent the room dancing in streams of magnificent color. BUT that would not happen here because this was, and is GAOWN ... Dreams die here. Let's momentarily leave this scene and move to another realizing that the handle to the door of this room is not very far out of reach and beckons us each with an evil yet almost irresistible pull.
Scene 2 (John 11): Lazarus was "dead four days," grief had rolled into town with its professional mourners and soothsayers, family and friends were numb with "had He been here;" but a New Hope was about to abruptly interrupt the mourning and be placed into our world of broken dreams.
(WAIT A MINUTE THOUGH!! Had the occupants of this horrible room been sequestered on the day that Jesus came to Bethany (at what appeared to be a "too late to help" arrival), the surgical gloves would have been pulled on, and the glorious jar of the resurrection would have been quickly stolen away to THE ROOM GAOWN. After a brief ignominious meeting, and the clank of the steins filled with the dregs of Hell, this jar also would have been hurled and shattered against the cold stone wall of the room Gaown. The filthy gloves would have been tossed to the heap and the door would be locked behind - end of story. Praise God ... it didn't happen.)
Jesus' Word and power cut through that hour. Here are some sound bites from the event: "Take away the stone" ... "If thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the Glory of God" ... "Lazarus, come forth" ... "Loose him and let him go." Oh, the precious order and power of these words, that if captured in our hearts, will keep us from moving toward the Room Gaown. Hearing and obeying the Voice of God, no matter what clamor of opinions may be pressing in around us and within us, is the key to abundant life in Him. Many of us may groan at the thought of taking away the stone ... the weight and the consequences have us reaching for the handle of the door to the room Gaown. "Just let me see and then I will believe" will have us taking a place at the table of Gaown to judge with our eyes instead of our spirit. When "Lazarus come forth" is heard in the air we could choose to lift the the stein of Gaown to our lips and guzzle away to drown out the sound of His voice, because "it was not my idea." And if Jesus expects us to unwrap a former stinky dead man, that Jar is hitting the wall, "it's not my job" ... could be our response.
Scene 3 (On my knees): Lord, do not let my wandering heart lead me into being a participant of this room Gaown. Help me to be a lover of your glory and an encourager of the dreams of your people. Let me dare not take part with those who ingloriously gloat within the walls of the Room Gaown (Pride).
I want to live (take away the stone) ... I want to breathe(believe) ... I want to dream(see) ... I want to love (loose him and let him go).
HLFA,
Scene 3 (On my knees): Lord, do not let my wandering heart lead me into being a participant of this room Gaown. Help me to be a lover of your glory and an encourager of the dreams of your people. Let me dare not take part with those who ingloriously gloat within the walls of the Room Gaown (Pride).
I want to live (take away the stone) ... I want to breathe(believe) ... I want to dream(see) ... I want to love (loose him and let him go).
HLFA,
Jeff