KEY SCRIPTURE: John 5:5 KJV “And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.”

Disease is a very frustrating condition for anyone. God our Father, has demonstrated in His word that it is not His will for men to be tormented that way. (Acts 10:38) Unfortunately many men find themselves in such terrible conditions. Our key scripture says the impotent man suffered as long as thirty-eight years. We could make the following deductions from his experience and condition.

1. His condition was humanly incurable. Many people in these days suffer from conditions that are humanly impossible.

2. He had no man to get him into the water when it was stirred by the angel. How did He get to the pool side in the first place? I believe some people, might have carried him there. Why did they not wait to help him into the water each time the water was stirred? The people might not have been kind enough to wait. It could also have been his making. There are certain sick people who are very insulting and extremely unbearable. Could he have been like that? There are those who would not receive any further help because they never show gratitude for the little kindness that was expressed to them.

This man did not only have negative lessons to teach from his story, but some positive aspects as well.

1. Despite his incurable situation, he did not commit suicide, to end his life. He kept his hope alive. He believed in life and so made a constant effort each year when the water was stirred but failed. John 5:7 KJV “The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool, but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.” From the preceding verse we see that, although every effort of his failed, year after year, he never gave up trying. In life we ultimately get what we aspire for or what we are ready to perspire for. Don’t give up on any good thing you have started doing.

On the day he met Jesus, he said I have no man who would help me get into the water. He put every hope to succeed on his sole effort, and wished somebody could help him. It seems God was not in his thoughts. It seems he never anticipated a miracle coming his way. Dear one, no matter the challenges and the outcome never loose hope in God and in his ability to work a miracle for you. This impotent man thought the only thing that could bring a change was the help of men. Psalm 146:3 KJV “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” The scripture cautions us not to put our trust in princes, for there is no help in them. True help comes from God. It is God who uses men to help. Always put God first.

THOUGHT:BE POSITIVE ABOUT LIFE, AND TRUST IN GOD

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 118:8 KJV” It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

Proverbs 3:5 KJV Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 5:3 KJV” In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.”

At the pool of Bethesda, there were a camp of sick folks who waited for the moving of the water. The scripture says at a certain time of the year, an angel gets into the water and stirs, so that anyone who first falls into it was healed from whatever sickness that troubled or tormented him. It was so called the house of mercy, because of the healing that came freely to all who would first land into the water.

Beloved although this was a great relief and showed mercy to those who would be fast enough to fall into the water, by the great sacrifice of our master Jesus, we have a limitless house of Mercy. Now everyone, anywhere can obtain this great mercy of healing. This is a universal house of mercy. In Isaiah 53:1 the prophet said ” Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” The arm of the Lord, that is the healing grace of God would come on anyone who would believe the report of the Lord. What is the report. The report says in verse 5 that, “…by His stripes ye are healed “Apostle Peter also said the same thing in the following way “….by whose stripes you were healed”

Apostle Peter’s statement revealed that, it was a concluded matter. He said by His stripes ye were healed. This is a settled matter. It is up to you to claim your healing or better still to possess your already settled healing. If you would believe that Jesus has indeed carried away your sicknesses the power of God, or the hand of God would be released to you.

How do you take hold of the mercy of healing;

1. Thank the Lord for giving Jesus to take away all our diseases.                 

2. Declare to your body that our Lord Jesus has healed us by the stripes He bore and so you are healed.

3. Rebuke the devil to take his hands off your body in Jesus’ name.

4. Thank the Lord for your healing.

5. From now keep thanking the Lord for healing you.

6. Refuse to consider any symptoms that may be showing up.

7. Continue looking at the word as you thank the Lord for healing.

THOUGHT JESUS, THE ETERNAL HOUSE OF MERCY

FURTHER STUDIES

 Matthew 8:17 KJV” That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”

Isaiah 53:4 KJV” Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 4:51 KJV” And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.”

The ruler who came to Jesus received healing for his son. He was met on his way home by his servants, who announced to him that his son was well. He enquired about the time when his son was healed; and it was the very time when the Lord said to him go thy son is well. This man had the faith to take his son’s healing. By faith you can take your answer. In Mark 9:22, the man who brought his son to the disciples, but could not be helped, asked the Lord, if he could have compassion, and heal his son. The Lord also said to him, if you can all things are possible to him that believes. The power for your own answer lies within your faith.

How can one grow his or her faith to obtain answers?

1. You develop your faith by knowing God for yourself. Knowing the word without knowing the God of the word, is frustration. You do this by accepting God’s revelation about himself and living to please Him. Hebrews 11:6

2. Give more time to feeding on faith building teachings. Watch and listen to testimonies of God’s great acts in the lives of others. Do not give attention to those who speak reasonably but not scripturally. Mark 4:24 ” And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

3. Always do what the word says. Do not give up if things don’t go as expected.

4. Never speak contrary to what the word says. Your faith is strengthened or weakened by your words.

5. Refuse any, negative thought or impression that opposes the word of God.

One thing that overthrows the faith of most people, is when their expectation seems to delay. If your faith happens to grow weak, then there is a big question about your faith. The foundation of faith is established on the nature of God. Heb 6:18 and God’s oath to be faithful. These two things cannot change. God’s nature cannot change, and He cannot break His oath. You must not let down your hold on Him under any condition, for your foundation for your faith, cannot be affected by anything. When your faith begin weaken under any condition then that faith was not established on these two unchanging or immutable qualities of God.

THOUGHT: FAITH DOES NOT FAIL IF ESTABLISHED ON THE RIGHT FOUNDATION.

FURTHER STUDIES

Hebrews 6:18 KJV “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

Hebrews 10:35 KJV “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 4:50 KJV “Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.”

The word of God is God’s instrument for working miracles. He said, all things were made by the word, and without the word there was not anything made, that was made (John 1:3).

The Lord, told the man, Go your way, your son is well. The scripture added, and the man believed the saying of Jesus. His son was healed the very same hour. What is your challenge? The scripture says those who have believed have entered into their rest. Heb 4:3.

What is the sign that one has believed.?

In our story the ruler stopped his anxious pleading with Jesus to come to his house. He joyfully left.

1. The man who has believed is no more anxious Philip 4:6&7

2. Anyone who has believed demonstrates actions that shows confidence in God.

3. A little child who believes the promise of his father tells his friends his father is bringing home the thing he promised. If you believe, you would surely announce to all that, you have received what you prayed for.

Dear reader, if you would dare to believe God, a lot of the sorrows would cease. Men would know that there is a God in the heavens who hears the heart cry of His children. There are a lot of situations that men call impossible, yet if they would believe God, that situation would have been averted.

I was once at the Accra business area, when I heard a large sound of something hit the floor. It was a child of about one year and a few months old, who had fallen from a height of about six meters, or approximately eighteen feet. Incidentally, there was a medical team having health screening at that moment. I quickly, rushed to the scene, the moment I heard the fall. The child was taken to the medical team, who checked her pulse and heart beat with the stethoscope, but found no life in the baby. The doctor, who was a lady checked other parts and just shook her head in a disappointed manner. The doctor pronounced the baby dead. I was not moved by that. A man carried the baby on the shoulder whiles I laid my hands on her commanding life back into her. I prayed in the midst of the market women whiles we ran to get a taxi to get her to the children’s hospital. I joined the taxi and kept praying. By the time we got to the hospital the child started crying. At the hospital she was attended to, and amazingly, no bone, head or any part of her body was broken The Lord had restored her totally. The baby is normal and very healthy. It took somebody to believe God for a miracle.

THOUGHT: DARE TO BELIEVE GOD ALWAYS AND YOU WOULD ALWAYS HAVE THE LAST LAUGH

FURTHER STUDIES

Hebrews 11:2 KJV” For by it the elders obtained a good report.”

Hebrews 11:33 KJV” Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 4:47 KJV “When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.”

Many people pray, yet a lot of people do not receive answers to their prayers, because they do not pray rightly. In the above verse a noble man, or a ruler head about Jesus’ presence in Cana which was close to Capernaum, where he was. He had a very pressing need. His son was very sick at the point of death. He went to see Jesus, and asked Him to come heal his son. Nothing seemed wrong with his request until the Lord revealed the man’s error. In verse 48, the Lord said,” Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” This man wanted a solution from Jesus, but did not come in faith. He prayed with passion like most people do, yet lacked the vital punch to bring the answer.  He came to the master with a preconceived thought about how the Lord must answer.

His anticipation was that, the Lord must come to his house and lay his hands on the child or do something in the presence of the child before his son would be healed.

The bible says whosoever comes to the Father must believe.

 To believe means, when you place your request before the Lord, the next is to leave assured of the answer.

It becomes an act of unbelief when you create in your mind the process by which, the Lord should answer you. In verse 49, he voiced out his expected approach to be answered.

 Lord come down, or else my son dies.

Dear child of God, it is the desire of God to answer your prayers.

John 16:24 KJV “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” This is the master’s candid desire for you. He wants your joy to be full by answering your request. Don’t create barriers to your answers. He says “when you pray, believe that ye receive the answers, and you shall have what you ask for” Mark 11:24

Hindrances to most people’s prayers come from a clear misunderstanding of the following,

1 The power of God Jeremiah 32:17

2 The love of God Rom 8:38,39

3 The word of God. PS 119:89,90

The power of God shows His works and acts. His love reveals his nature, which makes you, His favourite. His word declares His covenant. All creation is sustained by the word of His power (Heb 1:3). Failure of His word in the shortest moment, would mean the disintegration of all creation, but His word cannot fail. So long as the universe is held intact, then God’s word is fully in force and whatever He said is sure. Meditate on these three qualities about God and come always to Him, in full assurance of faith.

THOUGHT: ANSWERS =ASK + BELIEVE + RECEIVE

FURTHER STUDIES

Jeremiah 32:17 KJV” Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”

Rom 8:38, 39 KJV For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalms 119:89 KJV LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 4:45 KJV” Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.”

Life is about advancing and making a positive impact wherever you go. Our key scripture says the Lord was accepted in Galilee because the Galileans saw what the Lord did at the feast. The gift of a man shall make room for him, and bring him before great men. Proverbs 18:16. Your works shall always speak for you. This demands you put in your best. The Lord had come to do the will of the Father and He was absolutely given to that. He was not doing anything to project his image but only to glorify the Father. In the light of this He gave Himself over to prepare to be effective.

Let’s consider some of His preparatory acts to bring him to such a place of honour, impact and acceptance

1. He accepted to be baptised by John, to fulfill all righteousness Matt 3:15

2He was led by the Spirit to fast for forty days and nights. Matt 4:1

3 He maintained a consistent life of prayer every day. Mark 1:35

4 He found a group of men who He would teach, train and send them out. These men were to continue with His mission on earth after He had left the earth scene Matt 4:19

5.He started reaching out to propagate the good news of the kingdom of God, in the midst of a number of difficulties and challenges.

The difficulties were 1 A Jewish people who were expecting a conquering king type of Messiah.

2 A Jewish religious leadership who were legalistic, envious and hostile to His teachings. The Lord overcame all these difficulties.

We can follow the steps of our master to equally make great impacts in our world

1. Accepting to be baptised by John was an act of self-denial and humility. This is the first step into doing anything worthwhile for God.

2. Fasting and prayer is also vital to fine tune every servant of God for effectiveness.

3. A life of consistent prayer is also very vital to daily receive the support of the Spirit in all your endeavours

4. Jesus needed a team to work with. You have to function in a team, in a church setting and with a special role. If your heart is set on bringing glory to the father, then your impact would surely be felt and your gift would make a way for you.

THOUGHT: A READY HEART TO PLEASE THE FATHER WOULD EXCEL IN MINISTRY.

FURTHER STUDIES

1Timothy 4:6 KJV” If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”

1Timothy 1:5 KJV “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 4:44 KJV” For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.”

The office of a prophet is a very unique one. The prophet is a mouthpiece of God unto His people.2Ki 21:10 KJV” And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,” The prophet is not just a mouth piece of God, but storehouse of the power of God that manifests God’s works and acts to deliver, bless and restore the people of God. Prophets are God’s instruments to lead His people from the bondage and control of the devil.

 This makes a prophet a person of great honor, not a position of pride and manipulation of others but an instrument of God to answer lots of questions of men.

Although every prophet carries such an honor, on many occasions, the very people who are so close to him give him no honour. As a result of this these people do not receive the blessings that God has deposited in His vessel the prophet. Please read Mark 6:1-6. In this passage the Lord Himself went to his home town, and taught the scriptures, yet they questioned where did this one get this power? Is he not from among us? The following was the Lord’s remarks, Mark 6:4 KJV But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. The Lord could not heal and bless the people as he’s done elsewhere,

because of dishonour among His people.

Once a family relation of mine came to me, and informed me about his father who had been bed ridden at the hospital. I told him I would want to do something for his father. I took an handkerchief prayed over it and gave it to him to be sent to the father and he would be well. I added this word to him, ‘when you go don’t tell your father, I gave the ‘mantle’ or handkerchief to you. Just say a man of God gave it to me. Why did I say that? This man knew me from childhood, and would have despised the grace upon that mantle. The brother did as I told him, and the father was discharged a day after sending the mantle.

Dear one, never treat any instrument of God without honor.

 The value you place on a thing, will determine the virtue or power that would flow to you.

Never become too familiar with your pastor. Hold the word of God he teaches in very high esteem and your life would be lifted very high.

THOUGHT:  HONOUR YOUR PROPHET, SO YOU WOULD BE PROFITED.

FURTHER STUDIES

1Timothy 4:12 KJV “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

Mark 6:5 KJV “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching and healed them.”

KEY SCRIPTURE Joh 4:41 KJV” And many more believed because of his own word;”

The Samaritans believed after the two-day encounter with the master. This is a message to all leaders of churches, that, it is the teaching of the word of truth that establishes real Christians. Prophecies and miracles are good, and confirms what the scripture has said, and at times excite people’s curiosity, but strong faith always comes by hearing the word of God (Rom 10:17).

When apostle Paul was leaving the brethren in Ephesus, he clearly told them,” I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them who are sanctified.”(Acts 20:32) Dear one it is the word of God that builds the child of God up, making him or her ready or qualified to take possession of his inheritance among all the saints.

The word must be taught clearly such that the new Christian establishes his faith in Jesus. We live in a day when knowledge has abounded so much that all kinds of strange teachings are going around. There are even some who have tried to discredit the bible. Many such people have disjointed teachings that one can only see, if he is systematically taught the word of God. He or she must have a settled mind on who Jesus is . Joh 17:3 KJV “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” The Lord taught that, salvation is knowing the Father and Himself. We would know and see the Lord working on our behalf as we do His word. Teach the new believer to show their faith by doing what the word says.

The word says we should not be only hearers but doers James 1:23-25. It says further that when a man is a doer of the work, he shall be blessed in whatever he does. The lord would manifest himself to such a person. The first apostles were ready to die for their faith, because they encountered the resurrected Christ. Anyone who experiences the power and proof of Jesus’s presence would always be ready to trust and stand for Christ no matter the danger.

THOUGHT: STRONĢ CHRISTIANS ARE THOSE WHO DO THE WORD OF GOD

FURTHER STUDIES

John 14:21 KJV He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

John 14:19 KJV” Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 4:40 KJV “So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.”

When the people of Samaria came to Jesus, and heard Him speak, they pleaded with Him to stay two extra days, so they could hear. The Lord Jesus is the Living word of God. Whenever a person is truly converted, he would have a strong desire for the word of God and to fellowship with the brethren. When the apostles won the initial converts they did the following, Acts 2:46 KJV “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,” Please note the scripture said they were daily in the temple. The temple was the public place of worship, and they met for the times of prayer, that is at nine o’clock in the morning, which is called the third our and again at three o’clock in the afternoon, which is the ninth hour in the Jewish daily time.

They also met in their homes to share meals and to break bread. Everyone who is sincerely converted loves to fellowship with other brethren. When a brother looses the sense and essence of fellowshipping with other brethren, he is backslidden. There may be some brethren who do join others to fellowship. Such people are also losing the fires of conversion. The people of Samaria with every excitement would not want Jesus to depart right away. Be mindful of the fact that, that arrangement was not planned for, yet because they had genuinely repented or converted, they wanted to fellowship around the word of God.

The word of God enjoins us not to neglect the assembly of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but we should keep admonitioning one another as we see the day approaching (Heb 10:25) Whenever you notice your brother or sister is staying away from the fellowshipping of the brethren, then quickly be alarmed and do everything to help him or her into the fold. No Christian can survive and sustain his faith without fellowshipping with the brethren. We are one body and always need one another to survive.

There are a number of reasons that make brethren distance themselves from the assembly of the household of faith. Some of these are

1. A sinful life

2. Offence by a member, a leader or the Pastor

3. I don’t have money syndrome

4. Shear lack of enthusiasm

5. Unanswered prayer

6. No definite reason

7. Owes a church member

8. Some T V program takes that time

9. any other reason

 Please note that, the underlying reason for not participating in church is lack of love for Jesus or a Spirit of backsliding that is drifting you away. Repent and address the cause and get unto fellowship with the brethren.

THOUGHT: ONE SIGN OF REAL VITALITY IS YOUR DESIRE FOR FOOD.

FURTHER STUDIES

Acts 2:42 KJV “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

1Peter 2:2 KJV “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 4:39 KJV” And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.”

John testified in his account that, the Samaritan woman went to her townsfolks and testified about all Jesus said about her. She did not go about giving a long sermon, but just talked about the change that has come to her through her encounter with Jesus. Personal testimony is one of the very powerful means of communicating the gospel. When she talked to them about her encounter with Jesus, many believed and followed her to the master. The amazing truth is that everyone who has been genuinely converted has a personal testimony.

Personal testimonies can be used by the man who may not be so much vested in the word of God or anyone who has a very compelling testimony. Remember PROOFS CANNOT BE DENIED.

Personal testimonies may be presented in   three main stages

1. Your life before Christ.

2. Your encounter with Christ

3. The changes after surrendering to Jesus.

An example of a personal testimony used in sharing the gospel can be found in Acts 26:9-28

Now the break down into the three segments are as follows:

 1.His life before Christ Acts 26:9-12 Here he talked about how he violently persecuted the church. He even obtained authority from the chief priests to go and drag the Christians to be killed or imprisoned.

2. His encounter with Jesus. Acts 26:13-18

He talked about how Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. The mystery light that hit his eyes, which also blinded him, commissioning to send the gospel to the Gentile world.

3. The change of life after the encounter with Jesus. He talked about his quick response to the call and his subsequent commitment to the call.

Paul after his personal experience introduced Christ as Saviour who suffered, died and resurrected to show light unto all people (Acts 26:23).

King Agrippa hearing all this said to Paul, you almost persuaded me to be a Christian. Beloved personal testimonies are extremely powerful to communicate the good news. As you go about talking to people you may share personal testimony if led to do so. To those who might not have had any deeper knowledge of the scriptures then your personal testimonies would do a great deal. This week find a friend or anyone and share with him or her your personal testimony.

THOUGHT:  ONE MAY ARGUE WITH A TEACHING, BUT YOU CANNOT ARGUE WITH AN EVIDENCE

FURTHER STUDIES

Acts 9:6 KJV “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do”.

Acts 22:1 KJV “Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you”