10 days ago

Outline
Introduction: Why 11-11 and 33 matter today
Jeremiah 33:3 — Call unto Me and I will answer
John 16 — The Friend comes, the Spirit reveals
John 11 — Lazarus: resurrection power for your sleeping dreams
Personal testimony: pulling Michaela out of her grave clothes
Practical steps: ask, believe, hobble, unwrap, and demonstrate

Introduction: Why 11-11 and 33 matter today

Today is not an ordinary day. On November 11 we remember the fallen, but today — on 11-11 — there is an additional spiritual dimension: a portal, a gate, an open door. Numbers bear meaning in Scripture and in seasons of God. For me this year the number 33 has been showing up constantly. I see 33, 333, 3333. That led me right into Jeremiah 33:3 and into the story of Lazarus in John 11. Today is a kairos moment: 11-11 is a multiplication of new beginnings. One, one, one, one — a fourfold opening. Four is a gate, a door, a portal. God is saying, "The windows of heaven are open. Come up higher."

Jeremiah 33:3 — Call unto Me and I will answer

Jeremiah 33:3 is a direct invitation: "Call unto me, and I will show you great and mighty things which you know not." The Lord, who made the earth, who formed and established it, says, Ask Me. Call upon Me. This is not a casual suggestion. It is a command wrapped in a promise. While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard, the Lord spoke to him: call on Me and I will reveal the secrets you need to come out of confinement. Wherever you feel confined, whatever feels dead, whatever feels finished, God says it is not over.

"You ask me for anything. Ask me, and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come."

If you have felt stuck, boxed in, or like a portion of your destiny has been curtailed — hear this: the Lord is saying, "This is not the end. Call on Me and I will show you everything you need to know to get out of this confinement."

John 16 — The Friend comes: Holy Spirit as counselor

Jesus told His disciples that it is better for Him to leave so the Friend — the Holy Spirit — could come. He said, "If I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." The Spirit will expose the error of the godless world's view and will guide us into truth. He will not draw attention to Himself; He will take from the Son and deliver it to you.

"When the Friend comes, he will show you the things that are about to happen. He will take from me and deliver it to you."

This morning the same invitation rings true: ask the Father, in Jesus' name, and the Spirit will give revelation and direction. The promise is simple: ask according to what Jesus has revealed and you will receive. The joy that follows will be a river overflowing its banks. The Friend is here to equip you to navigate out of a season of confinement and into a season of increase.

John 11 — Lazarus: your dreams are not dead, they are sleeping

John 11 gives us a picture of delay, death and resurrection. Lazarus, loved by Jesus, fell ill and died. But Jesus declared, "This sickness will not end in death but to the glory of God." Then He told the disciples plainly, "Our friend Lazarus is not dead but sleepeth." When Jesus called, Lazarus came forth — even after four days.

"Lazarus, come forth."

That command is for you today. Whatever you thought was finished — your calling, your dream, your marriage, your finances — it is not dead. It is merely sleeping. God sometimes allows a divine pause so that when He acts the resurrection displays His glory and the enemy is exposed.

Personal testimony: pulling Michaela out of the grave clothes

I want to be very honest and practical: sometimes resurrection looks messy at first. My wife, Michaela, suffered multiple strokes. She could not walk, could not speak, could not hold a fork. She was, in every practical sense, shriveled up and mortified by what had happened. The doctor said it was bad. We were close to living on the edge. But I refused to accept a final verdict that was not God’s.

I pushed — hard. I held to a faith that refused to let her stay dead in that place. We airlifted her for rehab. We gave injections on flights to stop clotting. We forced her to go outside when she did not want to. She hated it. She wanted to hide. But I knew Jesus had called Lazarus to come out, and I would not leave her in the tomb.

It was not instant. She hobbled at first. She had no strength, there was atrophy in her muscles. She could not move like she once did. But in the hobbling was the building of new muscle, new neural pathways and new life. Eventually the grave clothes came off. Now she is stronger. Where there had been a shriveled up raisin there is new fullness. The resurrection was real, but it required faith, persistence and action.

Practical steps: ask, believe, hobble, unwrap, demonstrate

Here is what you must do today, in the authority of Jesus:

Ask — call upon the Lord. He said He will show you great and unsearchable things if you will ask. You have not because you ask not.
Believe — go out on a limb. Jesus said, "If you will believe, you will see the glory of God." Trust that the Friend will bring revelation and power.
Hobble — resurrection may begin with a small weak step. Lazarus did not sprint out; the scripture says he hobbled. If you have been immobilized, begin to move. Even a shaky step builds new strength.
Unwrap — remove the grave clothes. Do not keep the old identity, the old labels, the shame or the defeat wrapped around you. Jesus told them to unwrap and let him go.
Demonstrate — use the power given to you. Jesus said He has given us His power. Do not be mute. Operate in signs, wonders and the love that evidences His presence. The demonstration is for His glory, not yours.

We must stop being afraid to ask for more power. Pray boldly: "Father, fill me with more fire. I ask for the dunamis power of God. Burn off everything not aligned with You. Fill me." The Father hears every word. The windows are open. The portal is available.

Remembrance Day: prayer for the nation and honouring the fallen

Today is Remembrance Day. We honour those who laid down their lives on battlefields and in camps, and we remember the cost of freedom. We also remember that the blood of Jesus is our final answer — that no more blood needs to be spilled for our eternal reconciliation. We pray for families, for the victims of aggression, for those grieving, and for justice and righteousness to rule the land.

We acknowledge that some wars began in unrighteousness, yet we still honour the sacrifice of those who gave everything for the rest of us. Their story does not end in death. They rest in God's hands. As a church and as citizens we call for an end to violence and for a re-establishment of justice in our land. We resonate with the prophetic promise that the ruler of this godless world is being brought to trial and will be convicted. The courts of heaven are open. The Lord hears the prayers of His people.

How to respond right now

If you are here and feeling like Lazarus — dead, stalled, stuck, silenced — I call you out. You are not dead. Come forth. Start with these simple, faith-filled actions:

Pray and ask God for revelation for your next steps. Ask in the name of Jesus.
Invite the Holy Spirit to be your Counselor today. Ask Him to reveal what you need to know.
Take one shaky step toward obedience: call someone, send that email, make that call, open your business plan, forgive, show up at the hospital, step out in faith.
Cast off the grave clothes in your mind. Stop rehearsing defeat. Begin declaring resurrection.
Use the gift and power God has given you. We were not given the Spirit of timidity. Use what you have and let God increase it.

Don't be surprised if your first steps are awkward and slow. They are supposed to be. The hobbling builds strength. The voice of faith will carry you through. God is strategic; delays are often divine set-ups for a greater display of His power.

A final exhortation: this is a season of new beginnings

On this 11-11, in the presence of remembrance and resurrection, hear the voice of the Lord: "Call unto me, and I will show you great things. I have opened the door. Ask, and I will reveal the unsearchable. The Friend has come to guide you. Your dreams are not dead; they are sleeping."

Go out on a limb and believe what Jesus said. Use the power you have been given. Demonstrate the love and authority of Christ. Resist fear and refuse to be quiet. The kingdom advances when we step out by faith. If you have been mourning what was, begin celebrating what is: a new season, a fresh wind, a resurrected story.

Arise now. Hobble if you must. Unwrap the grave clothes. Come forth in the name of Jesus. Your story is not finished. The portal is open. Ask, expect, and walk into the new beginning God has prepared for you.

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