Hear the Lord

"Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 

I knew that thou hearest me always."

John 11:41-42

It is better for a man to be silent and be [a Christian], than to talk and not to be one. It is good to teach, if he who speaks also acts. There is then one Teacher, who spake and it was done; while even those things which He did in silence are worthy of the Father. He who possesses the word of Jesus, is truly able to hear even His very silence, that he may be perfect, and may both act as he speaks, and be recognized by his silence. -- St. Ignatius

If Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness (Romans 8:10).

Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. (Ezekiel 37:12-13)

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me" (John 11:41-42).

When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Laz'arus, come out."  The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him;  (John 11:43-45).

"I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD" (Ezekiel 37:14).

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you (Romans 8:11).

Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world! (John 11:27)

"I am the resurrection and the life; 

he who believes in me, 

though he die, yet shall he live, 

and whoever lives and believes in me 

shall never die. 

Do you believe this?" 

John 11:25-26

How to bear Good Fruit

Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit (Matthew 7:17). Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 12:33). Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them (Matthew 7:20).

Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself;
it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit
unless you remain in me.
John 15:4

No man [truly] making a profession of faith sinneth; nor does he that possesses love hate any one. The tree is made manifest by its fruit; so those that profess themselves to be Christians shall be recognized by their conduct. For there is not now a demand for mere profession, but that a man be found continuing in the power of faith to the end (St. Ignatius).

Continue in the Power of Faith

No man [truly] making a profession of faith sinneth; nor does he that possesses love hate any one. The tree is made manifest by its fruit; so those that profess themselves to be Christians shall be recognized by their conduct. For there is not now a demand for mere profession, but that a man be found continuing in the power of faith to the end. -- St. Ignatius