‘Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.’
John 5:2-9
We have all heard this message at one time or another; it’s about the man who sat by the pool of Bethesda, waiting to be healed. We know that Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be made well.
Now, that is an odd question to ask, don’t you think? It would be as if we were having a healing meeting where only sick people were invited and Jesus would walk in and say ‘does anyone here want to be healed?’ We would think ‘what an odd question, especially from the Son of God.’
The man responded to Jesus by saying ‘I have no one to help me, and everyone gets in front of me.’ Oh my!
How many have been in a place in this year and have said ‘I am alone, there is no one to help me, there is no one who sees my vision or my plan, I am alone. Everyone around me is getting their breakthrough and here I sit, has Jesus forgotten about me? Doesn’t he know I can’t do it myself; I need someone to help me? Why is he not coming through for me?
My friend, if that is you, I have good news for you today. Jesus wasn’t only asking the man if he wanted to be made well, He was asking him if he wanted his power back.
This man was sick for thirty-eight years, for thirty-eight years he laid on a bed, waiting for his time to come, thirty-eight years of disappointment and pain…thirty eight years. He had come to a place where he blamed the people ahead of him, where he resented those who stepped in front of him and got their miracle, it appears that bitterness had set in. Then in walked Jesus asking ‘Are you ready to get your power back?’
Jesus heard his answer, his reasons for remaining in that condition but Jesus wasn’t moved by it, he said ‘Rise up and walk!’
Today I feel in my spirit that there are many who are as close to their miracle as this man was in sitting by the pool of Bethesda. So close that it is only a few feet away. In those days, healing took place by the pool, however in our day the healer lives inside of us, he is near us, and his word is near us, in our mouth. He is standing here again this day saying ‘Do you want your power back?’
I don’t know what is it that took your power, perhaps, like this man it was years of disappointment, showing up, hoping today was the day for your miracle, only to find that it didn’t manifest. Okay, so you haven’t gotten it yet – that does NOT mean the promises give to you were a lie…God does not lie. God fulfills all the promises he makes.
How much longer will you sit powerless in your situation? Take your power back. All power in heaven and earth has been given to us. (Luke 9:1) We are a church body that is filled with the power of God, yet we allow the voices that speak to us to convince us that God didn’t come through for us last time and he won’t come through for us this time. We allow that voice to say ‘your mom died of cancer, your dad died of disease, you will too.’ All these are lies. We allow the enemy to say ‘all the kids are doing drugs, all the kids are having sex, yours will too.’ LIES! All lies. We are a power filled body and it is time we take our power back and walk in the fullness of that power.
This is not the only time in the Bible we see this type of command from God. At the Red Sea God spoke to the people to go forward and cross the sea…a seemingly impossible thing but all things are possible when we move forth in God. In 2 Kings we see where four men sat at the gate, literally starving. They said ‘why sit here til we die?’ They decided to get up and walk and they walked right into their deliverance.
Remember the questions I presented before; ‘I am alone, there is no one to help me, there is no one who sees my vision or my plan, I am alone. Everyone around me is getting their breakthrough and here I sit, has Jesus forgotten about me? Doesn’t he know I can’t do it myself; I need someone to help me? Why is he not coming through for me?’ If that is you asking these questions, you are stuck in a rut and you must pull yourself out of it, it is no place for a son of the Most High God.
Whatever has happened from this day past, let it go, put it far behind you. Command all disappointment and discouragement to leave you now. Command the voices of negativity to cease and be gone. Speak to the power within you and command it to rise up and then do as Jesus commanded ARISE AND WALK….right into your destiny.
Friends, we must pull ourselves up and step out of the disappointment and into the power of God that dwells on the inside of us. We are not a powerless church, let’s stop acting like one. It is time to arise and walk.
