Refresh

Isa.55:^8-9 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Please read John 5:16-47; every time we open God’s Word, we must approach it knowing that it is so hugely important. So, my prayer for us is that God will teach us Himself and give us understanding in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Jesus was an enigma. There was nothing they could do about Him even though the truth He was telling them was deeply offensive. These were religious leaders that controlled the entire thought pattern as far as God was concerned in that time and they held that office very tightly. But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know God, the love of God is not in you and you cannot make it to heaven. You will only make it to heaven if you believe in Me.’ They probably were like, ‘This carpenter’s son, how old is he? He is not even up to forty years old.’ It was a big deal and they struggled.

However, Jesus does what He does regardless of people’s opinions. Jesus saw the man crippled for thirty-eight years and He knew it was the Sabbath. But He says, ‘I prefer mercy and not sacrifice.’ Jesus chose to show mercy to the man regardless of what the Law says. He healed the man and all hell broke loose. John 5:^16-18 “So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.” Jesus had just healed a man that was crippled for thirty-eight years and all they could see was how Jesus did not obey their tradition. And Jesus went off on them for the next twenty-eight verses.

People worry about all sorts of things. Some lady sent me a message telling me that she would not come to church anymore because I take a tablet to the altar of God instead of the Bible. I explained to her that the tablet has a Bible app on it. But she insisted on having the old-time religion and she stopped coming to church. What has that got to do with the old-time religion? Two days ago, we talked about the old-Christian mindset. The Pharisaic spirit is alive, it blinds people from seeing the work of God and focuses them exclusively on the traditions of men. It takes away the beauty of the gospel and people begin to focus on the letter and the title of the Word. Meanwhile, they leave out the Spirit that gives life.

John 6:³⁰ “They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” [please also read John 4:48]. These same people had gone to John the Baptist for an enquiry about the Messiah. Then they went to Jesus asking for a miraculous sign. But the irony is, there was one right in front of them. Jesus had just healed a man that was crippled for thirty-eight years and still, they did not believe. It is a huge irony for people to demand miracles and be unable to accept them when they occur.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please renew my mind and heart daily, in Jesus Name. Amen!