| This article is inspired by people who want all the | | | | confronted this man with an honest question. He will |
| happiness, health, and wholeness in their lives, but yet | | | | ask you the same thing too. "Do you want to get |
| they aren't willing to make that one life changing | | | | well?" It's not a difficult question.But, here's what the |
| decision in order to get it. I'm trying to understand what | | | | man answered. Could he have been making excuses? |
| it is they are waiting for.People tend to make all kinds | | | | Remember, excuses will only hold you back."The |
| of excuses for their decisions and to me, an excuse is | | | | invalid answered, Sir, I have nobody when the water is |
| something that will only hold you back. We hear so | | | | moving to put me into the pool; but while I am trying to |
| many different opinions, we listen to other peoples' | | | | come (into it) myself, somebody else steps down |
| advice based on their personal experinces and we | | | | ahead of me." Jn. 5:7 (Amplified)Had this man prepared |
| hear negative feed back which keeps us sitting on the | | | | himself before hand to be ready to simply roll into the |
| side lines and never allow us to get in the game. Jesus | | | | pool, he would've been healed a long time ago. Do you |
| said He came to give us life to the fullest. He never | | | | know anyone who keeps waiting in the background |
| intended for us to sit down and wait for someone else | | | | and won't step forward to help themselves? No |
| to do the job for us. If we want to get something done, | | | | matter how much they hear about the saving grace of |
| we have to make up our own mind to do it, and then | | | | God and what they need to do to receive it, they will |
| our heavenly Father can take us by the hand and | | | | still wait because of false opinions or advise from |
| provide us with all the things we only wish we had.I am | | | | other sick people.Christ has compassion but He |
| writing this from personal experience. While I was in | | | | showed this man "tough love." Sometimes we need a |
| the world, I sought happiness but couldn't find it in terms | | | | forceful shove in the right direction. We need to realize |
| of fulfillment. I was still empty. This high expectation of | | | | that there is no better time than now."Jesus said to |
| fleeting happiness turned into negativity and that turned | | | | him, GET UP! PICK UP YOUR BED AND WALK!" Jn. |
| into defeat. I expected happiness to come from the | | | | 5:8 (Amplified)Once the man was given an order, not |
| outside, through other people, places and things. But, | | | | an option, he was made to realize that this was |
| this only set me up for bigger let downs. True | | | | something he had to do for himself. Without Christ to |
| happiness, health and wholeness must come from | | | | be the One to have the faith and confidence, this man |
| within, through a personal relationship with Christ. | | | | would never have been healed. When we choose |
| Anything else is superficial and it just won't last. But | | | | other Christian believers to associate with, they will |
| Christ is forever, His promises are real and His Truth | | | | challenge us to come closer to Christ as well. When |
| will never fail us. Once we make up our own mind to | | | | we have people who believe in us, we too will realize |
| receive Him, our waiting period is over.The Bible is full | | | | our potential. We don't have to remain on the sidelines |
| of examples that show us how people are defeated | | | | anymore. We just have to get up and walk!So what |
| through wrong thinking and motives. People were the | | | | are you waiting for? Don't just sit there. He knows |
| same back then as they are today. That's why God's | | | | how we hate to wait for things. When we listen to |
| Word will never go out of style. God will not leave us | | | | Him, things will begin to change immediately. He won't |
| hanging, He always gives the answer so we may | | | | make us wait. The invalid found this out and realized |
| overcome defeat when the devil comes to keep us in | | | | he had wasted 38 years of his life...just waiting."Instantly |
| the dark.The example I want to use is found in John | | | | the man became well and recovered his strength and |
| chapter 5. It describes the place where all the sick | | | | picked up his bed and walked. But that happened on a |
| people gathered. When we expose ourselves to | | | | Sabbath." Jn. 5:9 (Amplified)Jesus will instantly heal you |
| people that don't edify us, we will never strive to | | | | too, He will give you strength to keep walking in truth. |
| survive either. We must choose our friends carefully. If | | | | You will learn to listen to His voice and will no longer |
| we expose ourselves to negative, sick people, we will | | | | listen to negative people. But this man's healing led to a |
| be negative and sick also. But if we fix ourselves on | | | | problem. Unfortuneatly, once we become healed, |
| positive people, our own outlook will be raised up to | | | | Satan will move right in and want to cause us |
| another level. So all these sick people were gathered | | | | problems. The Pharisees heard about this and |
| together in one place, trying to out do the other people | | | | immediately wanted to have Jesus killed. There are |
| in seeing who could get into the pool first in order to be | | | | those who will not be happy about your walk with |
| healed. In other words, they waited on someone else | | | | Christ. But this should not deter you one minute longer |
| or something else to make them better. In this case it | | | | from coming to Christ. As I said in the beginning of this |
| was the angel of the Lord. In between the appointed | | | | article, Jesus is true to His promises."Just as the Father |
| time that the angel of the Lord would stir up the water | | | | raises up the dead and gives them life [makes them |
| in the pool, they would not prepare themselves for | | | | live on], even so the Son also gives life to whomever |
| their own healing. There are those today who are in | | | | He wills and is pleased to give it." Jn. 5:21 (Amplified)It's |
| need of healing, but are waiting for someone or | | | | God's desire that all come to Christ in order to be well. |
| something to give it to them without preparing first. | | | | One of the divine attributes of God is His Spirit of |
| Everyone needs to be ready."There was a certain | | | | giving. He is so pleased when someone who has been |
| man there who had suffered with a deep-seated and | | | | sitting by the pool decides to pick up his bed and walk, |
| lingering disorder for thirty eight years." Jn. 5:5 | | | | His angels in heaven rejoice over them.If this person is |
| (Amplified)I know people who have been suffering a | | | | you, what are waiting for? Get up and walk!When you |
| long time with the disorder of remaining unsaved. | | | | receive Christ, God's work in you has just begun.Vivian |
| Without Christ, we will have deep-seated and lingering | | | | Gordon is led by the Holy Spirit to reach out and |
| illnesses in our lives as well. But they prefer to sit on | | | | give the Christian and non Christian alike something to |
| the side lines and wait for a miracle. They want to be | | | | think about in their own lives. These articles are meant |
| convinced by an outside source. Healing begins from | | | | |
| within. It's something that only you can decide for | | | | to edify the reader and bring them deeper. They are |
| yourself.When Christ saw this man in his helpless | | | | based on spirituality, inspiration, and today's morals |
| condition He stopped and said, "DO YOU WANT TO | | | | and how we need to get back to basics. |
| BECOME WELL?" (vs.6)In other words, Christ | | | | |