Stirring in the Waters

I love the Word of God. It is so pure and whole and complete in every way. It is absolute perfection and logic and holiness and love. I have gone through many, many different emotions when reading the Word, but it is all worth it when you discover those treasures hidden below the surface. Its like the truth is illuminated on the page by the Holy Spirit Himself and your life changes forever.

I was feeling that way last night and today as I was reading John 5. Jesus was a master at everything He did and said. What He did, He did perfectly. What He said was said perfectly. I like to see the religious leaders try to out wit the God of the universe standing before them in flesh and blood just as every prophecy they held so dear foretold. Jesus' message of salvation to all men is so full of love and hope and it breaks your heart to see these religious leaders not run to Him and beg Him to tell them more.

Anyway, that's later in John 5. I was reading about the healing at the pool of Bethesda. This man was sick for thirty-eight years and lived with a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered. Imagine living most of your life in that environment. What a picture of us today. We are all sick and blind and lame spiritually and we come to the church where we have heard there is healing, but we never get in the water to be healed. We all sit around waiting for something to happen and blame everyone else for it not happening. How long will we wait to go up and possess what is our inheritance, our portion laid out for us from the foundations of the world? How can we continue in our lameness and blindness when we are in the presence of the King? He is stirring the waters and He is inviting us to come and receive our healing and the abundant life that He is offering. We start out eager for what He offers, but somewhere along the way, we get our eyes on the multitude around us and our hope fades and our faith grows weak and we sit and wait for someone to come help us out.

I'm not sitting around anymore. I've had my fill of that. I'm pressing forward like Paul did and I will take hold of the prize. Not because I think I deserve it or it is owed to me because I've been good and go to church every week and do good things. Not for any of that, but because Jesus is worth it. He is worthy of our sacrifice and obedience. He is worthy of every last once of effort we can give to run this race for Him. He is cheering us on. Even from the cross, He thinks of nothing but you and I, loving us and making a way for us. What a wonderful Savior we have! I will run to the waters for Him so that He is pleased with my life and all may see what He will do to heal my sick heart and open my blind eyes and make my feet to run for Him. All will see that it is Him alone who can pull us up out of that multitude, up out of the miry clay and set our feet on a rock to stay, on Himself. There He builds a life that pleases Him and glorifies Him.

None of that happens until we say "Yes Lord" and start moving no matter what it takes to get to that water, to touch the hem of His garment, to receive what He has in store for us. Believe me when I tell you I know how to be patient and not rush into things and wait on the Lord, but there is waiting in the moving. Staying in the waiting place is staying with the Lord, being obedient to follow Him at the pace He sets for our lives. To run with him and walk with Him. That's waiting. The enemy would have us sit at the gate and live forever in the expectancy and the hope of someday being healed, someday finding the right person to carry us down to the water. Well, there is only one right person and He is right here, right now saying you don't need to wait. I am here. Come, take up your cross and follow me. Do you wish to get well?

Yes Lord.

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts on Easter

Easter is always a good time for reflection and examination. The thought of what Jesus Christ has done for me is overwhelming and brings me ultimately to the foot of the cross. What more can be done in the face of such holiness and great sacrifice? All I can do is lay my life down there as well, surrender myself, my life, all I have, and all I am or ever will be. There can be no fruitfulness or fulfillment of our purpose until we lay our life down unto death. We spend so much time striving, building ministries, making better plans, and working harder. We don’t see that from Jesus. In his essay In Him and Over Him: The Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus John O’Donnell says Jesus had to accept the failure of His human mission. He says “Jesus who came in the power of the Spirit to proclaim the Good News had to accept that because of the hardness of hearts of His people the kingdom could only come through the cross. And so Jesus goes to His death, tested to the utterness of His obedience,
Read more

More on Erasing Hell

I can defintely relate to this quote by Francis Chan from his book Erasing Hell . This is such a difficult topic and it's easier to just not think about it and move on.  I believe we are entering a season when God's people will feel an urgency to step up and speak the truth in a loving and firm way. Don't speak out of ignorance or your own thoughts. Know the Word . We are all surrounded by opportunities to learn the Word and allow it to transform our lives. There is no excuse for not knowing. Speak out of that transformation. Let the Holy Spirit speak for you. Know Christ deeply and allow Him to take control of your life fully. "What causes my heart to ache right now as I’m writing this is that my life shows little evidence that I actually believe this. Every time my thoughts wander to the future of unbelievers, I quickly brush them aside so they don’t ruin my day. But there is a reality here that I can’t ignore. Even as the conversations of people around me fill my
Read more

Obeying God's Voice

Image source The Bible makes no distinction between hearing and obeying God's voice. Hearing Him is the first step, but hearing requires us to obey. The writer of Hebrews warns us to not harden our hearts if today we hear God's voice (Heb. 3:15). There is no rest or peace in disobedience to His voice. When we harden our hearts to His voice, we reject the life that He is offering. I like to think of these times of obedience as continual alignment of my life with God's Word. As the Holy Spirit speaks we obey by yielding our will to His. Obedience brings transformation which makes us more and more like Christ. Doesn't a student who continues to yield themselves to the process of learning soon experiences changes in their thinking and behavior as a result? So a disciple (a learner) becomes more and more like the Master as they yield to His teaching. God's Word and His voice cannot be separated. God's voice, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the Biblical messag
Read more

Intervention

I saw this picture on msnbc  today which was linking to a news video concerning Pakistanis who are desperate for aid.  My heart breaks for kids like this all over the world who go hungry every day.  I've fed hungry people in India, and its overwhelming to see people desperately grabbing for a bread roll and a small banana.  I want to see the church of Jesus Christ rise up and take the authority given to us by Jesus Christ and intervene in these situations.  We are not on this earth to make it a better place, but to share the good news of Jesus.  When people know Him, we will see better living conditions where all people are loved and treated with respect and dignity.  We can end hunger and poverty and poor drinking water conditions.  My good friend and warrior in the kingdom Suresh Kumar likes to quote William Booth "Give them soup, soap, and salvation".
Read more