Pastor John

John 5:8 “Rise, take up your bed and walk”.

Have you ever wished that the rules could be changed to your favor in situations that you sometimes find yourself in?  What if I told you that, in fact, it is possible to change the rules of life, that come to hold you back.  You and I have been taught from the beginning, that there are set rules that govern life and cannot be changed.  Because of this thinking, we many times, negate the Power and Ability of God to change the rules in our favor.

In John 5:1-15, we have the story of a man who was lame for 38 years, and lay by the Pool of Bethesda waiting for an angel to come and stir the waters, then he would receive his healing.  But the problem was that when the waters stirred, someone always beat him to the healing.  This is how it worked and would work no other way!  That is until Jesus showed up, and note this, whenever Jesus shows up the “Rules Change!”  As you read the story, Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed and the man began to explain how things “work” around here, and it cannot work any other way, until he would discover that when Jesus shows up the rules operating the situation are about to change!  Jesus told the man to take up his bed and walk, and Praise God, that is what happened!

Listen, I don’t know what you are going through right at this moment, and I know there are explanations about how’s and why’s.  But I have discovered that if Jesus shows up in your situation, the rules that are governing your life are about to change.  He makes the impossible, possible!  This allows the presence of Jesus to come to your need, and when He comes, the rules change!  So remember in your situations of need, get Jesus in your situation and things will have to change!

I fully expect that when Jesus shows up, the “Rules Change!”

Three Thoughts when going to Church

1. Remember that you are not a Critic!

2. Be Careful.

3. Everybody wants to feel good. I don’t go to church to feel good, I go for Growth!

Ten things to Do!

1. Reorder your Priorities and Values.

2. Reorganize your Schedule and give God First place.

3. Remain faithful to Fellowship with the Holy Spirit daily.

4. Rely more on the Holy Spirit and not on your own ability.

5. Respond to every command of the Holy Spirit without hesitation.

6. Renew your pledge to live totally for God and abandon yourself.

7. Remove every Distraction.

8. Release every non-productive habit in your life.

9. Resist every opportunity to stay as you are … Go Forward!

10. Remember to thank God daily for what He has done, and for what He is going to do. An attitude of Gratitude.

Luke 18:24-25.  How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of  God, For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus is commenting here to his disciples concerning a rich young ruler who approached Jesus with a question about how to inherit eternal life.  Jesus gave him a list of the commandments and the young ruler had kept them all, and Jesus told him that he lacked one thing,  that was to sell his possessions and give to the poor, and then he would have treasure in heaven.

The issue here was a desire to have eternal life.

Eternal life is the most valuable thing we can have, material things will not last, but the Soul of man is to last forever.

We should not be concerned about what we have here and now, but what we have laid up for us when we die.

The Kingdom of God is where I want to be, eternal life is offered by Jesus and I want that.  I need to beware of things that try to subsitute for spiritual things.

Note here:

If Jesus told you that you lacked “one thing” to recieve eternal life, it stands to reason that I would be willing to do it, for it is not many things but one thing!  But it’s the “one thing” that we need to beware of.  It’s easy to cast away impersonal things.  If “one thing” was standing in my way, I pray I would take care of it.

The second thing is that Jesus did not say it was impossible, it was just hard. verse 24.   It is hard to give up something that we like, It is hard to give up one master for another.  God never asks us to do the easy things, because we can do them, He ask for the hard, so that He can help us.  The hard things for us always deals with who’s in charge.  Is it God’s kingdom, or our kingdom, in any kingdom there is only one king.  and in the young ruler, his weath was king.  To enter God’s kingdom he would have to let go and embrace God’s kingdom and rule.  Which makes it hard for many people, but not impossible.

Next, Jesus used a Camel going through the eye of a needle,  most everone agrees that this refered to when a traveler can to a city late, the main gate being closed, the traveler had to pass through a openeing in the wall called the needle, His camel had to be unburdened of all the luggage and then the camel could squeeze through.  the point is clear.  If we are to enter God’s Kingdom, we must come unburdened, or have all the stuff in our lives removed.  Our possesions will keep us from entering God’s kingdom.  It’s not about us having stuff, it’s about stuff having us and the place that God wants in our lives.  Jesus said to ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.’   God help me to remove those things in my life that seek to take your place in my life!

Next, wealth is not a bad thing, when it is a tool and not a possession and trust.  The Bible makes it clear that we are to trust the Lord.  Wealth without a mission and a purpose will be wasted.  Jesus was not telling the rich young ruler to become poor, but to become obedient and trusting God.  Seeing that the ability to have wealth was to help others in need. to relive suffering and hunger and poverty.  How we all strive to be rich and have all our needs and worries provided for,  because the world says “money answers all things”  when the Bible says God answers all things.  With God all things are possible, verse 27.  Wealth simply shows who we really trust when it comes to spiritual things.

The next thought, We see a conflit between trusting riches which we can see and trusting God who we cannot see.  We must be ever careful about the senses.  we are a triune being, Body, Soul and Spirit.  So much of our conflict comes through our mind will and emotions.  God requires us to trust him by faith.  The rich young ruler had this problem.  clearly we see where is real heart lie.  He trusted his weath more than he trusted God, and when it came to which one he would give up, He gave up God.

God does not want you broke and beat down, God is all about prosperity.  God wants you prosperous so you can use your prosperity to be a blessing.  The highest form of prosperity is not to be blessed, but to be a blessing!

Lastly, I believe that Jesus was looking for a replacement for Judas.  Here was a man who had an invitation to come and follow Jesus, His name could have been among the Disciples, and yet all we know is that he was called the rich young ruler, and the choice he made.  I don’t know about you, but as for me, I am in pursuit of the Kingdom of God, Where Jesus is king and lord of my life, and I want at all times to be unburdened and in a place of obedience, that God can work in me and through me.  God is not finished with the pages of my life, and I want to make right Godly choices, and If I lack “ONE THING” I pray that I will do that one thing God wants me to do.

I Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

I have read that scripture many times, and have heard people say, Oh the things God has prepared for us when we get to heaven.  But this is not the point here, God does have wonderful things prepared for us in heaven.  But in Heaven I won’t need a thing.  think about that, there will be no need for healing for there will be no sickness!  There will be no need for money, because there will be no lack!

Where I am in most need, is where I live right now!  Thanks be to God, because He has provided for us to live this life in victory and power.  It does not mean that we don’t ever go through stuff.  but when we go through stuff, He gives us His stuff to go through in victory!

Which brings us to the”things” prepared for us.  God has things prepared for those who love Him!  Things could be what ever you need at the moment you are in.  Just think about that.  God knows where you are and what you need.  Well I love God, so how do I get these things.  This was an Old Testment Quote, but now is revealed in the New Testament!  And we find out in the next verse, that the things are no longer hidden from us, but revealed to us.

And how are they revealed?  Ver. 10 “But God had revealed them to us through his Spirit”

It’s the Holy Spirits job to reveal the things that God has prepared for us!

That why Jesus told us, that another reason for His going away was that the Helper (Holy Spirit) would come.

Just think, when you send time with God, His Spirit will reveal things prepared for us.  Then we can stand on God’s Word and get ready to recieve the things prepared for us!

We must be saved (Trusting in God’s Son Jesus Christ) and learn to walk in the Spirit.

I don’t know about you, but I want the things that God has prepared for me, to allow me to go through life with help and power and the ability to demonstrate God’s love for His creation.

What an Awesome God is He!  That He cares and provides for us!  We need to know how to access the things.

1.  Love Him

2.  Let His Holy Spirit reveal them to us.

3.  Recieve them by Faith!

Be Blessed!

I remember the slogan of the real estate market, Location, Location, Location. The sucess of a good agent is to understand Location is everything.
One of the things that is critical for people to understand about sucess and life, is Attitude!
Attitude, Attitude, Attitude!
I remember going into a electical supply store, and over the doors to the warehouse was the word “ATTITUDE”. What the owner was teaching his employees was that in this business, the employees attitude is everthing. The Proper Attitude brings the customer back to his store, it also boosts moral and productivity. I recently ate at a seafood resturant, the food was great, but the service was terrible. Do you think I will go back? Not a chance. Even though the food was great, the employees told me that I was not welcome.
As a pastor, beleiving God to do awesome things among the people, I get frustated with God promising to do miracles, signs and wonders and never seeing them. Until I realized, that the blockage is not with God, but with our Attitude. Your attitude allows you to recieve from God or prevents you from recieving. People who come to church, really don’t want to be there, are watching their time, ready to leave as soon as possible. Guess what, they checked out with their attitudes before they came in. They didn”t expect nothing, and thats what they got!
There is a statement that says “Attitude affects your Alititude! When I was learning to fly, my instructor told me to watch the attitude of the airplane. If it was in a nose up attitude, that means the plane is flying. If it was in a nose down attitude, I was on a crash course! How important for us to have a nose up Attitude! A wrong attitude can cause us to crash and burn, while a positive attitude will cause us to soar with the eagles!
Tony Miller told me one time that “What you respect, you attract!” If you build a business around the customer and respect them, that will build and keep customers. In the Church if we respect God and His anointing, then His presence will be there!
Our Attitude, where is it? You know! Ask yourself, Am I Nose up or Nose down? Either I am soaring with the Eagles or I”m ready to crash and burn.
The Hinderance to the Church today is the Attitude of People! God get me into a place of surrender. I will check my attitude and keep it right, so the blessings of God can flow in my Life and the people around me.
You can apply this to what ever place you are at. Change your attitude, and watch what happens. Attitudes are very contagious! Make sure you are spreading the right one!
Concerning God! I will have the right attitude that attracts God, His Presence and His power.
Attitude, Attitude, Attitude!

1: Be a Doer. for things to happen you have to be involved. so many people today, just simply don’t want to do nothing and yet have everything. we must be risk takers. get up, get out and do something that you have never done before.

2: Love People. The Bible says to have a friend one must show himself friendly. Our whole business is to love people. As Scrooge said, “Humanity is our business” I am not going through life selfish, I want to invest in others.

3: Don’t Quit. Everybody fails, but failure is not Quiting. When you Quit everthing stops. We need to make up our minds that Quiting is not an option. Everyone can have a good beginning, but not everyone has a great finish. I refuse to quit.

Must have a Spirit of Excellence!
To exceed expectations I Peter 2:9
1. Value Excellence. I Kings 10:1
2. Don’t settle for average. (Average is the best of the worst and the worst of the best)
3. Pay attention to the details.
4. Be Consistent. Not an event, it’s a process.