John
5:2-4
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which
is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great
multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the
water. 4 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.
When the
water was still all the people could do was lay or sit around and wait.
Since they had to wait for the Angel to
stir the water, they became content to wait accepting the sickness within them!
The verses lead you to believe that when the Angel stirred the water, those
that were able to move made a mad dash to be the first to step into the
swirling water so that they would be healed. It does not say that the second,
third, fourth, etc, were healed... Only the FIRST to enter the water was
healed. Once the first had stepped into the water, the swirling water stopped
moving thus no movement to heal was present those that stepped in next.
This
brings the following thoughts and questions to my mind:
1. The water had to be stirred
for the healing power to be effective.
2. Everyone there waited for
another (the Angel) to stir the water.
3. Was the Angel the only one
that could stir the water to make the healing power effective?
4. Where did the Angel come from
to stir the water? Was the Angel continuously standing next to the pool waiting
for the "certain time" to stir the water?
5. Was the Angel the only one
that could stir the water for the healing power to be effective?
6. If the Angel had a certain
time scheduled to stir the water, could it have been stirred by another at
other times?
7. Did anyone else try stirring
the water or did they become content to believe that only a certain one could
stir the water?
Before I
continue with thoughts and questions, let's try to picture the scene at the
pool. Let's also place some time constraints that one might have waiting to
have a chance to enter the water after it was swirled by the Angel. It says
there was "a GREAT multitude of
sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, were laying waiting fir the water to be
swirled. (Note... Paralyzed people were waiting. They could not move by
themselves, so one must have had to be with them to carry them or they would
have NEVER been able to get to the front of the line to be the first in the
water). Leaving the paralyzed out, let's say that a great multitude equaled to
1000 people. Now lets say that the Angel had an appointed time of swirling the
water once every 12 hours. That would mean that only 2 people per 24 hours
would have the opportunity to receive healing by being the first to enter the
water after it was stirred. Two people per day, provided no one cut in line ahead
of another and provided no others came, would mean it would take 500 days for
the 1000 to have the chance I be the first into the water. That is a little
over 1-1/3 YEARS for those around the pool to have a chance to be healed. One
and one-third years fir the last person in line to sit and wait for their
turn!! People had to become content with their sickness to sit and wait and
wait and wait and wait.....
Now that
time period was for 1000 people with no one dashing to cut ahead of another.
The verses tell us, from the man's reply, that there were people cutting ahead
of others and jumping in before their turn.
Is the
turmoil at the pool much different than what is happening in the majority of
the "organized" churches today? Are there not multitudes of people
attending service each week (with some only attending on special days like
Christmas or Easter) seeking healing yet they do not receive it because.....
1. There is no altar call for
prayer of healing (the swirling of the water)
2. There are so many that rush to
the front, if there is a call for prayer of healing, that many sit in the pews
not wanting to fight the crowd that rushed forward
3. Those that need a healing have
come to blindly accept their sickness as permanent and do not reach out for
healing
4. Many are attending the service
for the wrong reasons and really do not have faith that healing could or can
come to them
Whatever
the reasons, there are multitudes sitting in the pews of the
"organized" church waiting for the "Angel", the leader
behind the pulpit, to stir the water before they can have a chance to be the
first in the water for healing.
ALL PRAISE be given to God for by His grace, we do not have to do as
the multitude at the pool had to do or even as the multitude of those in the
church today do, to receive healing or to have to wait for another to stir the
water for healing to take place.
If we
believe, if we have been baptized, if we have faith in Christ, if we are to be
obedient to the directive from Jesus, then we are to STIR the water ourselves.
We can even stir the waters for our own personal healing. We have been given
that authority, as believers, by Christ!
And He (JESUS) said to them, “
Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes
and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out
demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if
they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands
on the sick, and they will recover.” - Mark 16:15-18
Christ
said "THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THOSE WHO BELIEVE". For the signs to
follow, we must FIRST TAKE ACTION AND DO!!! We can not sit in the pews day
after day and wait for the one up front to stir the water!!! We must take the
authority ourselves to command the demons to go, to lay hands on the sick so
they will recover and be healed. We are even to lay hands on ourselves so that
we can recover and be healed!
Rivers of
Eden is a ministry in which the water is continually moving (continually
stirred). For one to know Rivers of
Eden Ministry, one must get into the river as it is flowing. One can not
receive the creative fullness that God is providing through Rivers of Eden by
standing in the shallow water near the bank, by sitting in the pew week after
week, or by waiting for another to give a revelation to stir the water! Debra
and I teach the creative flow of Christ through individuals. Not only have we
been saved by the grace of God but by the grace of God we have been given the
authority to move in power!
Are you
ready to move with the power of God? Are you ready to move with the authority
God's grace has given you? Are you ready to jump into the swirling waters? Are
you ready to get out of the pews? Are you ready to get out of your comfortable
zone to move for Jesus? Because you believe, are you ready to go to the nations
with the signs following? If you are ready, then it takes action on your part.
You must get up and move!
