2022 is your year of breakthrough! It’s a time of revival, but it’s a BYOB revival. (I know, some of you are thinking something different, but I’m talking BYO breakthrough).
Personally, I’m looking for revival to break loose.
I want to look at a scripture you’re probably familiar with in the Gospel of John. It’s the account of a healing which took place in Jerusalem and it’s a great example for anyone needing God to do something in their life.
“1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids — blind, lame, and paralyzed — waiting for the moving of the water; 4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred the water: whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be healed?’” – JOHN 5:1-6 (ESV)
Jesus was heading to a Jewish festival, but on the way He made a detour to minister to a specific person.
You need to understand that the pool where Jesus went was full of invalids (blind, lame, paralyzed) – but let’s add to OUR culture today by adding things like addicted, chronic liars and gossips, the impoverished, etc. These people had been invalids a long time; in the case of the one man, he had been paralyzed for 38 years. That’s a long, long time.
Jesus could have had the attitude, “Well, I might as well not mess with them. They’re just going to be that way; they’re never going to change…I might as well not bother with them because they’re always going to be sick.” But that’s not what Jesus did. He looked for the worst situation and He walked straight up to it.
Dealing with the Unpresentable Parts
See, sometimes we think that God can only deal with the presentable parts of our life. But breakthrough happens when you’re willing to expose “that” area of your life. The worst situation. Jesus walked up to “that” guy and “that” place and “that” situation.
Notice that Jesus asked the man a question which on the surface looked really simple and obvious: “Do you want to be healed?” Pretty obvious, yes? Maybe not. Think about it: I’ve been raised in church my entire life and I’ve seen a lot of people who come to church week after week after week with absolutely no desire to change. Like this man, the experience you have with God should make you WANT to change your life!
Some people have use experiential excuses to justify their lack of change. Whether consciously doing it or not, they look at their past and present situation.
“The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.’” – JOHN 5:7 (ESV)
Don’t get me wrong; what the man stated was a fact. But the Good News is that FAITH CAN OVERRIDE FACTS! The challenge is to realize that and to respond accordingly.
“Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk.’” – JOHN 5:8 (ESV)
Jesus told the invalid, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” Jesus gave opportunity to respond in faith! Whatever you’re dealing with in life – whatever is infirming you and challenging you – you have the ability to have a BREAKTHROUGH because of what Jesus has done. He – through His redemption and Word – has already done what is needed…now, He is waiting for YOU to GET UP.
So I ask you: What’s blocking your breakthrough?
To watch the full Jan. 9, 2022 message on which this post is based, CLICK HERE.
