Encouragement
John 5:12-13
They asked him, Who is the Man Who told you, Pick up your bed and walk? Now the invalid who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had quietly gone away [had passed on unnoticed], since there was a crowd in the place.
I find it interesting that the man that was healed in this story didn’t know Who healed him. It is obvious to me that Jesus exerted visually His authority or the man likely would have told Jesus to leave him alone.
I was raised in a religion that believed in Jesus but did not know Him. They never talked about having a relationship with the Lord. It was never mentioned that we could speak to Him and He would speak to us. God’s grace was never mentioned. I never grew up believing that God absolutely loved me. God was all powerful and almighty but not relationship minded. One thing that they did believe in was miracles. Not physical healing or healing from anger and bitterness. But strange miracles like a resemblance of Jesus’ face in a tortilla or statures that cry tears of blood. People would flock to these locations as if it was a holy place. In this story the man was looking for a one time miracle and not looking for a lifelong relationship. He likely would go to the pools in the appointed seasons (John 5:4) and wait for the pool to bubble. Many likely did this. (John 5:3) Even today many “Christians” are looking for the spectacular and not the supernatural. The spectacular miracles happen in the big healing meetings or in a church service. I think that is fine but if you live your life as a “Christian” living for the spectacular you will never experience the supernatural love and power of God. The supernatural comes as a relationship builds between you and Jesus. Yes you can have healing in your body or be delivered from anger and bitterness. But it comes as you learn to trust in our Savior. Having peace and joy daily in spite of circumstances, is living in the supernatural. Being delivered from sin is supernatural. Living out the fruits of the Spirit is living in the supernatural. But it all comes from having a relationship with Jesus.
“Next Level Thinking” helps us to realize that spectacular miracles don’t satisfy the soul. Only a relationship with Jesus can do that. And that relationship is the foundation for supernatural living.
Ask yourself today: “What do I want? The spectacular or the supernatural?
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