LESSON EXCERPT...

Are You Willing?

     Many Christians are like the man at the pool of Bethesda, who gave Jesus an excuse as to why he could not get healed.  John 5:2-9 says;

  “Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

  In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

  For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

  And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

  When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

  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.

  Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

  And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.”

Like many Christians today, this man lay there beaten down by his circumstances.  Although this man waited for the stirring of the water by an Angel to be healed, he could have at any time placed his faith in the covenant promises (the Word) of God and been healed.  God’s Word promised the children of Abraham that He would take sickness away from them.  Deuteronomy 7:15 says:

  “And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon them that hate thee.”

At any given time he could have placed his faith in the covenant word and been healed, but he was not willing to put his faith in the covenant word, rather in the impossibility of his circumstance.  This man wanted help to get the method of healing that his sight afforded him to see.  Perhaps for thirty eight years he perhaps placed his faith in getting healed through the means that he saw naturally, but God instead sent the same covenant promise to him that was always available, in the person of Jesus Christ, the Living Word.  Jesus asked him “are you willing to be healed?”  He had to believe the Word (that he had, had in his possession all the time) to receive the benefit. Psalms 107:20 says;

  “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

This Psalm was written before the earthly ministry of Jesus, thus showing us that the covenant Word was already available to him.

     Many people today have sick bodies, sick finances, sick ministries, sick family and friends who need salvation through Jesus Christ, and more.  What are you waiting for?  The Word still asks God’s covenant people today, “Will you be made whole?”  You must stop looking for a natural solution to bring you out of your circumstances, and start believing the Word of God, and you will rise up and walk into the blessings of God.