THIS DAY, Daily Bread

Jesus did not say, give us our daily bread. He said; give us THIS DAY, our daily bread. Why this day? We have people in the church eating rotten manna that smells. Too many people living off yesterday’s anointing, yesterday’s blessing, yesterday’s praise, yesterday’s worship. God is looking for people who want something fresh every day! Fresh bread awaits you today!

Declaration

Make this your declaration from Matthew 16:19. Today is my day to bind and release. I bind fear and release faith....I bind sin and release holiness....I bind failure and release success....I bind sorrow and release joy....I bind poverty and release prosperity.....I bind little and release abundance.....I bind hatred and release love...I bind bitterness and release forgiveness....I bind going down and release going up....I bind demotion and release promotion....I bind rejection and release acceptance.....I bind enemies and release friends....I bind curses and release blessings....I bind hell and release heaven....I bind the silence of defeat and release the shout of victory!!!

*Living In Your Nightmare When You Can Be Walking In The Light*

Psalm 130: 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

(NIV) Psalm 130:3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

1 John 1:7-9  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

When God Forgives, He Forgives Totally!

The guilt of sin can crush our souls. Weighed down by shame, the sinner asks, "Will God forgive me?" The good news is that, through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, we can experience God's total forgiveness. How "totally" forgiven? — one hundred percent!


• Our worst nightmare — God keeping a record of our sins

• Our fondest dream — “with [God] there is forgiveness.”

• Multitudes labor under the crushing guilt of unforgiven sin. The good news for them, and for all of us, is that with God there is complete forgiveness!

(NIV) Psalm 103:10-12  He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

When God Forgives, He Forgives Totally!


• How great is God’s love for us? “As high as the heavens are above the earth!”

• And that love is manifested in His willingness to forgive those who look to Him.

• We “deserve” punishment and condemnation for our sins. But what God offers is His love and forgiveness.

• And when God forgives, it is TOTAL forgiveness. How total? — “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

• God doesn’t just ignore our sins. He is willing to “remove” them far away from us.

Romans 3:23-25a  …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood — to be received by faith.

• How does this forgiveness, this removal of our sins, come to us today?

Consider these thoughts:
1) “All have sinned.” Recognize and admit your sinfulness to God. Confess your sins to Him in sincere repentance. Ask for His forgiveness.

2) Believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, as your Savior.

3) Believe that the blood He shed at the cross is sufficient to save us from our sins.

4) Turn to Jesus and accept God’s free justification, entirely by His mercy and grace, not by our works (Ephesians 2:8-10).


1 John 1:7-9  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

With God’s grace, work at overcoming temptation and sin.

• If you do falter and sin, immediately repent and confess the sin to God (vs. 9). The blood of Jesus will purify you from the sin, and the Lord will faithfully forgive.

If you will repent and confess your sins to Him, all your sins will be forgiven.
Determine to “walk in the light,” open and transparent before God, and you will experience the ongoing power of “the blood of Jesus … [to] “purify [you] from all sin.”

Romans 8:1  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

• Not only are your sins forgiven by God, but if you remain “in Christ,” there is no condemnation! God removes your guilt, and you do not ever need to feel condemned by the memory of those forgiven sins of the past.

• Don’t let the devil whisper to your mind, “Ah, but do you remember that ____ sin?
That was a really bad one, and you can’t be sure that God really forgives something that bad.” When you hear thoughts like that, reply to the devil............I am now a believer ‘in Christ.’ He is my Savior. His blood has purified and forgiven me, and now I have no condemnation from God for my sins. So I'm not going to accept any condemnation from you, devil.

Isaiah 1:18  “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

• Beautiful picture!
No matter how bad, no matter how shameful our sins were, with God’s forgiveness they have become “as white as snow … like wool.”

Micah 7:18-19  Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

These two short verses are greatly encouraging. God pardons sin … He forgives us … He does not stay angry … He delights to show mercy … He has compassion on us … He will tread our sins underfoot … He will cast our sins into the depths of the sea!

If you are having a hard time accepting the fact that you are forgiven, read those two verses again.
You are pardoned, you are forgiven, and God has thrown away your sins.

Isaiah 38:17  …In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.

• Why can we be forgiven? Because God loves us.

• Motivated by His love, He will put all our sins behind His back. In a manner of speaking, God is saying He won’t see our sins anymore.

Hebrews 8:12  For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

• God doesn’t have memory failure! He’s saying that He will never bring our forgiven sins back up to us again. Once forgiven, as far as God is concerned, our sins are forgotten, and He will never bring them up again to accuse us.

Let’s quickly look at God’s amazing promises to those who look to Him for the forgiveness of sins through what Jesus has done for us:

• God is willing not to keep a record of our sins (Psalm 130:3).

• There is forgiveness with God (vs. 4).

• He does not treat us as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:10).

• He will remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).

• By His grace God offers us free justification from sin (Romans 3:24).

• This redemption from our lost condition comes “by Jesus Christ” (vs. 24).

• We are forgiven through repentance (Acts 2:38) and faith in the blood Jesus shed on the cross for us (Romans 3:25).

• Now, in our daily walk with God, if we do sin, confess it to God and the blood of Jesus will purify us from the sin and God will forgive (1 John 1:7-9).

• Remain “in Christ,” serve Him daily, walk under the guidance of His Holy Spirit, and you will experience no condemnation (Romans 8:1-4).

• Your sins may have been glaring like scarlet, but God says they shall be as white as snow. Though once red as crimson, they shall be like wool. God forgives! (Isaiah 1:18).

• God in His mercy treads our sins under His feet (Micah 7:19).

• He casts our forgiven sins into the depths of the sea (vs. 19).

• God takes the repentant person’s sins and puts them behind His back — that is, forever out of His sight (Isaiah 38:17).

• Once God forgives, He will never again bring our sins back to remembrance (Hebrews 8:12).

• In light of all these blessings, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Come to Jesus … believe in Him … confess your sins to Him and repent of them … let His blood wash your sins totally away … and for you there will be no condemnation!


Why are you .....*Living In Your Nightmare When You Can Be Walking In The Light*


When God Forgives, He Forgives Totally!

The key to *HOLINESS* is *SUBMISSION!!*

1 Peter 1:13-16

13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

James 4:7-8 

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 

Verse 7 does not say just *resist the devil.* 

We cannot be holy or hope to do holy on our own strength. 

We have to humble ourselves before God and admit that we cannot do it without his help. 

**By submitting ourselves to God we recognize that He is holy and we are not. 

**By submitting ourselves to God we recognize that without Him we can do nothing. 

**By submitting to God we put ourselves in position to be strengthened by Him. 

**By submitting to God we put ourselves in position to be changed by Him. 

**By submitting to God we put ourselves in position to become more like Christ everyday. 

According to Peter....holiness is...

A matter of the will.....A matter of difference....A matter of submission!! 

Whose will are you submitting to?

Are you willing to be different?

Are you daily humbling yourself before God?

**WHAT IF YOUR TOMORROW WAS CANCELLED?*

Luke 12:16-21

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down MY barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all MY fruits and MY goods.

19 And I will say to MY soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry.

20 But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So [is] he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

James 4:13-14

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

As I write this...it is 11:55 PM and I am on the brink of another tomorrow...but then I could have a massive heart attach and be gone before the new day. Not one minute is guaranteed. Garth Brooks sang a song that spoke to the issue of our mortality. The lyrics are curious if the singer made sure that his wife was aware of his love for her and if he had prepared her to live without him. 

Death is one subject no one really wants to talk about. We always live as if it happens to everyone else...but IF it happens to us, it will happen many....many years from now. I remember one of my friends brag that he would live to be a hundred. He made it to fifty. I am now 46 soon to be 47. 

I see that the clock has gone to 12:03 AM so I made it into that tomorrow....which is now today so tomorrow still may not come and if it does there will be a day when it does not. What will I have to show for my life? What will men say about me? Who will truly mourn my death? 

What will God say when I stand before Him? Will His evaluation of my life be greatly different than my own or other men’s estimation? While some may praise my achievements...other will curse my failings and God will judge both. Praise Him that I will be judged in relation to receiving Jesus by His mercy in saving me and not as a man with no Savior. Still...it will be a somber time and maybe a sad time and maybe a time of great loss and tears. 

We live for such fleeting things and waste our time on things that are destroyed while we are still here...left behind when we go or will be destroyed when He comes. I am in the preparing even at 46...why? 

Because what.....

**IF MY TOMORROW IS CANCELLED**

**WHAT IF YOUR TOMORROW WAS CANCELLED?**

Imagine this scene (scenario) if you would: It is evening, and you have just finished supper. You decide to sit in your recliner and relax for a few moments. You and your family tune into the Cosby show for some reruns and humor. Suddenly, right in the midst of your laughter, you hear a voice from the news center saying, “we interrupt this program to bring you a very important announcement. TOMORROW HAS BEEN CANCELLED.”

How ridiculous, you may say, but is it? For you see, that announcement comes to millions of people in the course of every day life.

For all you and I know, this announcement could be for you and me today. 

In the past year how many do you know who have heard those same words, YOUR TOMORROW HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

For many of you, who are sitting here today and listening as I preach, this announcement has almost become a reality in your life. A near heart attack, a near fatal accident, brushing death with cancer or pneumonia – those things and others have almost brought the announcement – YOUR TOMORROW HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Every one of us is only a breath away from this announcement, that our tomorrow has been cancelled.

James tells us that we should live our lives with the realization that our plans, our very lives, are not certain. What seems to us so stable and sure is what we have “in this present world.” Yet what we have in this “present world” may crumble and fall today.

To many people this is the “real world.” To them there is no other world. To them this is all that life has to offer.

Most people say – “Yes, it’s the real world and you only go around once so you’d better grab all the gusto you can get.”

The tragic thing is, that we Christians often buy into this philosophy. But according to God’s Word, it’s a lie. This is not the real world; there is a world beyond this one, a world where there is no pain, sickness, or tears. A world with gates of pearl and streets of gold. A world where death is not allowed to exist.

Be careful how you get attached to this present world.

If we get too friendly, too attached – possessive of our possessions to the point that they possess us – then we become a friend to this world and an enemy of God.

I ask you, WHAT IF YOUR TOMORROW WAS CANCELLED?

Tomorrow was cancelled for this rich man in Luke’s gospel chapter 12. This is a parable that Jesus is sharing but for many this parable has become a reality.

The world’s philosophy is “Take care of number one!” Notice the repeated word “my” which points to this man’s ingrained selfishness.

He was concerned only about himself and nobody else. He didn’t care to help the poor and needy. He wanted to get all he could in this life for himself so he could just sit back and enjoy it.

This man had success, satisfaction and security. What more could he possibly want. You could say that as far as this world was concerned he had it made, he was enjoying life.

We need to be careful about having a false confidence in things or in people.

2 Kings 18:21

Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, [even] upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so [is] Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

Psalm 30:6 

And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

Obadiah 1:3 – “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; you who say in your heart, ‘who will bring me down to the ground?’”

Jesus made it clear that life does not come from an abundance of things, nor does true success or security. This man had a false view of both life and death.

There are a lot of people that are like this rich man. In this world they feel secure, invincible, that they will live to be 100 years old. They refuse to think of death; they refuse to think of eternity; they refuse to think of judgment. As far as they are concerned this world is all that there is. But how foolish to think this way, death will come to all. All will face eternity either in the presence of God or expelled from his presence eternally. All will face the judgment one-day.

But this man’s tomorrow was cancelled with the words of verse 20 – “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you.” 

Death caught this man when he least expected it.

We would be tempted to say, “Too bad this fellow dies just when he had everything going for him! How tragic that he could not finish his great plans.” But I tell you, the great tragedy of this story is not what this man left behind but what laid before him: eternity without God!

Death has no favorites. It doesn’t respect age, position, importance, prosperity or anything else. Young people hear me, just because you are young and have your whole future ahead of you don’t think you can’t hear those words, YOUR TOMORROW HAS BEEN CANCELLED! There may be some here today who would say, I’m a good person, I treat people fair so I should live a while yet but you could also hear those words, YOUR TOMORROW HAS BEEN CANCELLED!

This man lived without God and he died without God. What a tragedy.

But, what if you and I had a guarantee? Let’s say tomorrow is not cancelled. How are we going to live? Are we going to live as if this is the real world? Or as if there is something beyond this world?

John said: “This world and all its desires is passing away. But, they who do the will of God will abide forever” (1 John 2:15-17). 

James said: “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Life is short. Listen to the Word of God:

Job 14:1-2 – “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue.”

Proverbs 27:1 – “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

1 Peter 1:24 – “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away.”

James could have easily said, “Today or tomorrow I’ll travel the world…I’ll buy that house…I’ll write that book…I’ll finish that project…I’ll…I’ll.” All of this presumes that tomorrow will not be cancelled.

We are a presumptuous people. We presume that we will have a tomorrow to deal with our sin or to do what we have been putting off for some time now.

But what if tomorrow was cancelled and you were not able to take care of that sin that you have been dealing with?

God’s favorite word is today. Now is the accepted time; Today is the day of salvation, not tomorrow. Listen to Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:2 from the Living Bible: “For God says, ‘Your cry came to me at a favorable time, when the doors of welcome were wide open, I helped you on a day when salvation was being offered.’ Right now God is ready to welcome you. Today he is ready to save you.” We Christians & sinners, presume that we have a tomorrow & will take care of that thing, but God says, “Don’t put it off, do it now, get help, open your heart to someone, spend time in prayer. Do it! Tomorrow might be cancelled. Don’t presume that you will have a tomorrow.”

Closing...........

Augustine made this statement: “God has promised us forgiveness for our repentance, but God has not promised us a tomorrow in which to repent.”

Now, today is the only time you have. Don’t put God off anymore. Your tomorrow may be cancelled before the close of this service.

Then look at the other side of the coin. Think of all the good and right and loving things you intend to do. All the loving acts of justice, mercy, kindness and mission. Good intentions. There are many in the church who have intentions to work for the Lord but never do. We presume that we’ll have a tomorrow in which to do those things. But what if tomorrow is cancelled?

What if all the things you intended to do or say to your spouse never get done or said?

What about all the loving actions you intended towards your neighbors and friends?

What about all the great things you intended to do for the church?

WHAT IF YOUR TOMORROW WAS CANCELLED?

How easy to forget that this is not the real world. It’s not going to last forever.

I want to close with these few thoughts.

Each one of our lives hangs by a thread.

Anyone of us could be called upon at any time to stand before God and give an account of himself. What if tomorrow were cancelled for you? For me?

The good news is this – that if tomorrow is cancelled, and you are in Christ – don’t worry about it. Because the day after tomorrow has already been planned for you. You will spend eternity in heaven before the Lord. 

The bad news is that if tomorrow is cancelled and you aren’t ready to meet God then you will have to spend eternity in hell, banished from the presence of God. Don’t put off what you must do today, now.

The choice is yours and you must make it before your tomorrow is cancelled.

*I Ask You, Will You Be A Rope Holder?*

Acts 9:23-31

23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:

24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let [him] down by the wall in a basket.

26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

27 But Barnabas took him, and brought [him] to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.

30 [Which] when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

You see, here we find (Saul) Paul in great need. His life is threatened. He must get out of the city of Damascus or be killed. In the darkness his Christian friends put him in a basket and lowered him over the city walls to safety. In this story we see a great example of people enabling someone else to do what they themselves cannot do.

Paul was the greatest teacher, preacher and missionary the world has ever known. No one could have taken his place. He could do what no other believer in Damascus could have done. Yet he would be unable to do it if he were caught and killed, and by himself he could not get out of the city to continue the great work God had given him.

Phil 4:13 *I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me* 

We teach this to be a faith verse as we encourage others that are struggling....but Paul.....in this verse....He wrote actually meaning he could from experience....he was shipwrecked, snake bitten, beaten, imprisoned, stoned, left for dead and driven from one city to another!! 

Sometimes we have to experience the Perils=Dangerous times like Paul....to realize that * We can do all things through Christ which strengthens us* 

But if it wasn't for a few good friends ...he wouldn't have went through those things but rather would have died thus no Phil 4:13 

So, we find a group of fellow believers, none of whom could have done what Paul could do, placing him in a basket and lowering him over the wall to safety. The fact is, if these believers had not done what they did the ministry of the greatest missionary the world has ever known would have been over. 

There is a great parallel here for many of us that become discouraged because they can no longer do what they once did in the church, or feel that their best days of service have passed them by. Just because you are not the great missionary doesn’t mean you are useless. The great missionary would never have been able to accomplish the task that God had for him if there hadn’t been some people willing to hold the ropes.

Lets look at those who held the ropes for Paul and see what we can learn form them.

I. THEY HELD THE ROPES INCONSPICUOUSLY (not noticed)  

A. We don’t know their names.

B. We don’t know anything about them.

C. We don’t know where they came from.

D. We don’t know their occupations.

E. What we do know is that they held the ropes for Paul so   

        that the Gospel could continue to be spread.

F. Maybe you aren’t the leader in the church you once were

        .......maybe you can’t do what you once did....maybe the 

        newer (younger) people in the congregation don’t even

        know of your great past contributions. But you can still 

        have a vital part of the future by holding the ropes for the

        next generation.

2. THEY HELD THE ROPES GALLANTLY (with bravery) 

A. Those who held the ropes for Paul did so in the darkest hour of the night.

B. At a time when they probably felt they needed to be resting they were on the city wall holding the ropes of Paul’s basket.

C. Even though there was a danger that they would be caught, they held the ropes.

D.     Rather than being concerned for themselves they held the ropes so the Gospel could go on after them.

E.      Veterans, you have been the leaders of this church for many  years. Some of you have poured your lives into this church, and maybe now you feel that you are on a shelf and a new generation of leaders has moved into place. But remember, it is not to your glory that you have worked it is to the Lord’s, and even now when you deserve a rest, you are needed to hold the ropes so the new generation can carry on the work of Christ.

3. THEY HELD THE ROPES OPTIMISTICALLY ( with hope and confidence)

A. Those who held the ropes did so without knowing the future.

B. They did not know what Paul would accomplish.

C. They did not know he would write almost 2/3 of the New            Testament.

D. They didn’t know that some day he would take the gospel as far away as Rome and Spain.

E. They had no idea what great things God would use Paul to do, but they held the ropes.

F. Before grabbing the ropes they did not quiz Paul to make sure he was going to do things just like they would have, they simply grabbed the ropes and held on trusting God for the outcome.

G. Veterans, you have carried the torch passed to you from the last generation well. You have indeed been faithful stewards, and now the new generation has moved into leadership, grab the ropes and hold on as they lead us into the future, without you holding the ropes, how will they continue the work?

4.      THEY HELD THE ROPES PATIENTLY

A. They stayed at the task until it was complete.

B. They didn’t let the basket half way down and drop it.

C. They held on until Paul was safely at the bottom, out of the basket             

        and on his way.      

D. They stayed with the task until it was complete.

E. When is our task complete?

F. When God calls us home.

***CLOSING***

Veteran saints, you have served well, and I know you may think you deserve a rest, but there is still work to be done. God may have raised up a new generation to lead this church into the future, just as Paul was destined to do great things for the kingdom of God. But those things would never have been accomplished if some people hadn’t held the ropes that night.

If the church is to move forward winning their community to Christ we must have some faithful rope holders who aren’t concerned if anyone knows their name, who will hold on no matter the cost, who hold on not worrying about the future but trusting a sovereign God to bless their humble efforts, and who will hold on until the task is completed. 

I ask you tonight,  will you be a rope holder? 

**Take Your Eyes Off The Pool, Your Miracle Stands in Front Of You**

  **Take Your Eyes Off The Pool, Your Miracle Stands in Front Of You**

                                       It’s My Turn Now

John 5:1-9

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 

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

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

4 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.

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

6 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?'

7 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.

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

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

 I want to tell someone........Like this man at the pool of Bethesda, you’ve been overlooked, crowded out, passed over, outran and pushed out.

 But you’re getting ready for your Miracle

You’ve been like this man, you’ve been looking at it, dreaming about

it, talking about it, and singing about it (but you’re getting ready to get

it).

 I can imagine this man staring at the water, watching for the slightest

ripple, saying to himself. (don’t miss it this time)

 For hours and days and weeks, months, and years he watches the

water then for a minute he dozes off, or something caught his

attention and he misses it.

 Shouts ring out .......as a once lame man cries out I can walk I can walk.

 His heart sinks as he realizes (I missed it again, somebody got ahead

of me again).

 I’m talking to someone today who has watched other people get

blessed, get healed, get promoted, get their new car.

And it looks to you from all natural evidence that it will never be you.

But the Lord said to tell you, it’s coming.

Be not weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap if you

faint not.

The Lord said to tell you to take the limits off him, don’t restrict him

to past methods or past experiences or past manifestations.

 He says: Behold I will do a new thing.

For years the sick, the afflicted, the feeble would come to this pool and wait for a move of the water, but on this particular day God chose to move in a new way.

  **Take Your Eyes Off The Pool, Your Miracle Stands in Front Of You**

Jesus stood in front of this man (Jesus the Word, Jesus who is health and healing, and blessing and prosperity).

Jesus who is the full manifestation of everything he ever dreamed of is standing right in front of this man.

Yet the impotent man’s mind is still on the pool.

He could believe for his miracle, his breakthrough, but he couldn’t see

beyond past glory.

God is bigger than that.

  **Take Your Eyes Off The Pool, Your Miracle Stands in Front Of You**

Yes, Gods spirit was in the pool, but the pool was not God.

God is bigger than the last method he used.

For one blind man he touched his eyes and said according to your

faith be it unto you, for another blind man Jesus spit in the dirt and

made mud and rubbed it on his eyes.

This man almost missed his miracle because his faith was still

attached to the pool, he was expecting his miracle to come in the

water.

He almost missed his miracle because it didn’t come in the way he

expected it.

  **Take Your Eyes Off The Pool, Your Miracle Stands in Front Of You**

When you need a miracle from God you have to give God the latitude to use whatever means he desires to get it to you.

If you are not careful you can miss the glory, the blessing, the miracle you need simply because it doesn’t come in the package you expected.

Remember God can use a dirty bird to bless you, God used a raven to feed his prophet Elijah.

Some of you: If God was to send your blessing by raven express, you’d shoot the raven before the blessing got to you.

There are some folk that are so caught up on king James pronunciation that if a prophecy comes to them and it’s not in King James English they won’t receive it.

Many times it’s not the devil that keeps us from receiving our miracle, it's our narrow minded religious attitudes that try to tell God how to do his business.

Bless me God, and here’s how I want it, and when I want it.!!!

This man almost missed the person with his blessing because he was

still attached to the pool.

His breakthrough had come, but it didn’t come the way he expected it

and he almost missed it.

He was so locked into the experiences of the past that he thought the

only way he could get his breakthrough and his miracle was, to get in the crowd and push and kick and crawl and cry and fight and work his way into the pool.

 He could not fathom that it be as simple as just receiving.

Your miracle your blessing and your breakthrough is here and it’s not in the pool, it’s in the person and it’s not in your works it’s in your faith.

Yes faith has works (faith without works is dead).

But you can wear yourself out trying to work your way into a

blessing, or a miracle.

You can wear yourself out trying to make things happen, trying to get

people to recognize you, trying to open doors for yourself, trying to

get a platform for your gift.

Trying to convince God that you deserve a blessing, that you deserve

a breakthrough, that you deserve a promotion.

Yes faith has works, but faith culminates not in (trying) but in (trusting).

Not in (wrestling) but in (nestling).

Somebody needs to quit wrestling with God, and start nestling with

God.

 I want to encourage somebody today who is on the verge of quitting, not turning your back on God per se’ but shutting down, turning off the switch of faith, you’ve questioned if it’s even worth it.

Somebody’s dream is on life support and your about to pull the plug, you’ve been in the fight of your life and you just don’t feel like you’ve got any fight left.

To you I say: Hold on, faith never quits, (quitters never win, and winners never quit).

The difference between success and failure is just getting up one more time than you fall.

Faith never quits, (your money may run out, your feelings may run out, your friends may run out).

But your faith will carry you through.

 Never give up, never quit, never say die,.

You never know when the break through is coming; you never know

when the manifestation will come.

  **Take Your Eyes Off The Pool, Your Miracle Stands in Front Of You**

You never know when the door will fly open, or when the power of God will show up in your behalf and turn the whole thing around.

One of the main ingredients of this mans miracle was his persistence, even though he had missed his miracle time and time again, and he had watched other people get in the water ahead of him, he kept coming.

He had something the old folks called (gumption) it’s kind of a old fashioned way of saying (grit) or (guts) or backbone.

Gumption is a good thing to have, It will get you up and get you moving, it’s the kind of thing that is a part of your character that won’t let you just lay around and be lazy and feel sorry for yourself.

Gumption made him keep coming, it made him press through his pain, press through his disappointment and discouragement.

Everybody needs some gumption (But gumption alone is not enough)

It’s one thing to have gumption, it’s another thing to have unction,

Unction is another word for the anointing.

Acts 1:8 Jesus said: But ye shall receive (power) unction after that the

Holy ghost is come upon you.

When gumption and unction come together, you’ve got some power

to function.

He had been a long time in that case, but he never gave up.

He woke up this particular morning and everything was the same....         he went thru the same routine as every other day.

What he didn’t know was that this was his day for a miracle.

Tell your neighbor: It’s closer than you think.

Now was this man just a random choice, or was there a principle at

work here?

Did it just so happen that Jesus was in that place, and did it just so happen that out of all the people there that Jesus came only and specifically to him?

No: Jesus came to him because according to this mans own words (he kept coming) he may have been outran, he may have been ran over, he may have been crowded out, but his persistence kept him coming and his persistence got God’s attention.

He kept coming:

He kept coming through his pain, through his discouragement.

 Let me make it a little plainer (he kept coming through his bankruptcy, through his confusion, through his betrayal, through his rejection, he kept coming.

Tell your neighbor: I’m coming,

I’m wounded but I’m coming.

I’m hurting but I’m coming.

I’m confused but I’m coming.

I’m battling depression but I’m coming.

I’m dragging my leg, but I’m coming.

I may even have to crawl, but I’m coming.

To be honest sometimes I don’t feel like coming, it’s a challenge just to get up and get moving, but I know that if I don’t keep moving I’ll die.

And I made up my mind, If I’m going to die I’m going to die moving in the direction of my miracle.

I’m going to die like the little woman with the issue of blood, with my hand stretched out for the hem of his garment.

Tell your neighbor: Just keep moving.

Movement is a sign your still alive.

If you can’t move your legs, move your arms, if you cant move your

arms, move your head, if you can’t move your head wiggle your toes, and if you can’t wiggle your toes stick out your tongue, or roll your eyes, just do something to tell the devil your still here and you're alive and you're still moving!!! 

Now tell your neighbor: I don’t won’t to discourage you, but I’m next.

 I want to tell you (God is God and he doesn’t always do things the

same way) he can change the procedure anytime he wants.

 All of these people were gathered around the pool waiting for their turn.

 They were following the pattern of the pool method, they were waiting for the moving of the water.

But Jesus completely bypasses the pool procedure and comes to this man.

 Jesus didn’t walk through the crowd, checking numbers, to see what order they were in, and who was next in line.

 Let me say right here (Somebody’s getting ready to go to the front of the line).

Somebody’s getting ready to experience some divine favor.

Favor can do for you what no amount of education can do.

Favor can open doors, favor will elevate you, favor will change

peoples minds about you.

Favor will cause money to come to you, Favor is a magnet that draws

the blessings of God to your life.

Favor will cause people to bless you that don’t even like you.

Favor will put you in the front of the line, when others are more

qualified, and when others have been there longer.

Favor took Esther from a humble peasant girl to the queen of a nation.

Favor took Joseph from the pit to the palace.

Favor can completely reverse situations.

Wicked Haaman, plotted to destroy the whole Jewish race including

Esther, But God gave Esther favor with the King, and Hamans Plot was completely reversed.

Jesus said to the man: Rise take up thy bed and walk.

And Immediately = without hesitation or delay, he was made whole.

Is there anybody who has some immediate faith?

Some right now faith?

Not when I get to heaven...

Not one of these days...

Not 6 months from now, or 2 weeks from now, but right now.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things

not seen.

Like this man, like Paul and Silas, Like Joseph in the prison, like Daniel in the lions den, like the 3 Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace...

You may be in a midnight hour, it may be the darkest hour of your life, But what I really like about midnight is no matter how bad it is, how dark it is, It is gone in 60 seconds.

Weeping may endure for the night but Joy comes in the morning.

Somebody said: when is it going to be my turn?

The line is so long and I’m so far back I don’t know if I’ll ever reach

the place of blessing, the place of promotion, the place of breakthrough, the place of miracles.

Just look over and tell your neighbor: God is getting ready to flip the script.

  God is getting ready to turn things around.

  Somewhere I remember reading a scripture that said: Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due season.

 Then I remember another scripture that said, “The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.”

 Touch 3 people and tell them: I feel a turn around coming.

 There’s something about God, that when it’s your turn, it doesn’t

matter where you’re standing in line, it doesn’t matter where you're at education wise, and it doesn’t matter where you're at socially, or economically.

It doesn’t matter if you're not the prettiest one or most handsome one, and it doesn’t matter if you’re the most qualified one from man’s perspective.

It doesn’t matter if you were voted the least likely to succeed.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the biggest one and the strongest one

In fact God gets pleasure out taking the little things, and using them in

big ways.

In fact the bible says: 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

And again the bible says: 2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

When it’s your season, You move to the front of the line.

In fact when it’s your turn, things other people are struggling with, for

you will just come to you.

A multitude was waiting for the moving of the water, but his miracle came to him, his blessing found him.

**Take Your Eyes Off The Pool, Your Miracle Stands in Front Of You**

David was out in the fields tending sheep (out of sight out of mind).

From all natural perspective he was not even in the line up, his name

was not even on the sign up sheet.

Samuel tried to anoint Jessie’s sons but the anointing refused them.

But when the Holy Ghost said: It’s your turn, David went from

obscurity and insignificance to the person of interest and the center of attention.

Send for him, for we will not sit down until he come.

And the bible says: Samuel anointed David in the midst of his

brethren.

When it’s your turn, God is going to bless you and he is going to do it

in such a way that you will be an example of his goodness, and his

faithfulness.

He’s going to raise you up, and he’s not going to do it in the closet,

he’s going to anoint you in the midst of your brethren.

Because God is not ashamed of his anointed ones.

I Believe Somebody is coming into their anointing right now.

Something you have been waiting for and pressing for and struggling

for, is getting ready to come to you.

You know what God is saying to some right now? 

**Take Your Eyes Off The Pool, Your Miracle Stands in Front Of You**

God said: I’ve been watching you, and you may have been overlooked by others, and you may have been left out by others.

But you’re my choice, and it’s your turn now. 

It’s your turn now to shine.

It’s your turn now to prosper.

It’s your turn now to be healed,

It’s your turn now for doors to open for you.

It’s your turn now for a fresh and increased anointing.

Tell your neighbor: Don’t be angry with me, I don’t mean to crowd you but it’s just my turn now.

**Take Your Eyes Off The Pool, Your Miracle Stands in Front Of You**