Rev. Johnson V
23rd July 2011

Before you go to see a doctor, you make an appointment. Before you see a lawyer, you make an appointment. Before you see a government official, you make an appointment. Depending on the importance of the person - the greater the person, the more imperative it becomes to fix an appointment.
John 5:1-16, is an account of when God made an appointment with a man. The man was paralyzed and lay at the Pool of Bethesda, where he had been for the last 38 years. God made an appointment to meet him on a Sabbath day. The man wasn’t aware of the appointment, but God was, and He turned up on time.

Our Lord Jesus met him by the Pool of Bethesda. The area is steeped in Jewish history and tradition. The pool was known for its healing ability when the waters were stirred, once a year, by the messenger of God, which according to some historians, should have been translated as the High Priest.

Our Lord met him. The amazing thing about our Lord Jesus was that He did not sit cloistered in a palace or a temple, waiting for people to seek Him out. He was right where His people were, especially those who could not come to Him. Even today, He is not far removed from you and your problem. He is right there with you, as long as you open your heart to Him. Praise God! Isn’t our God wonderful? And our Lord Jesus spoke to him. Only a few words, but enough to transform his nightmarish existence of 38 years to one of freedom. Praise God. His Word is a light and life to us.

Lord Jesus Christ asked him if he wanted to get well. That is a rather rude question to ask someone who is sick. But the man’s response reveals a lot about the condition of his heart, which is what our Lord was after. The man wasn’t cynical, bitter or jaded in any way, though he had been paralyzed for a number of years. He was full of hope, and believed that if he could be healed if someone will only help him into the water after it was stirred. When we go through difficult situations, we must remember that it is only because the devil fears the impact we will have if our faith rises. But our Heavenly Father wants us to grow in faith, despite the problems that beset us. He wants us to become prisoners of hope – hopeful, no matter what the situation. Our condition may not be in our control, but we can definitely control how we respond to it. We must remember that every problem comes with an expiry date.

The paralyzed man knew the theoretical part of getting healed, after all he had been there 38 years. He had watched as other people got healed. But he was not able to turn theory into practical help for himself. Doesn’t that sound like us? We know the promises in the Bible, we know that prayer will help, we know what to do, but we can’t seem to do it. And God walked up to him, just as He meets us at our need too. He will not leave you in confusion. If you heart genuinely seeks after Him, He will come to you.

And our Lord told him to get up, take up his mat and walk. That is not an easy thing to do. But when God instructs us to do something, He gives us the ability to do it. The High Priest stirs the water in the pool, but our Lord Jesus came to stir some hearts. The Grace of God that stirred the water in the pool, was now stirring the man’s heart, until he was willing to try what Jesus told him to do. And the man was healed.

He walked, not behind Jesus, not keeping in fellowship with him, but on his own. Our lord Jesus only told him to take up his bed and walk. He did not tell him where to walk. He leaves the choice of where we walk, to us. Our Lord also didn’t wait around for thanks or worship. Again He leaves that choice to us.  And the man ignored the discouraging voices of the Jewish people gathered around him. He was still tuned into the voice of his Master who told him to walk. He went to the House of God to give thanks. And our Lord Jesus was waiting for him there. Jesus told him not to sin anymore. And the healed man went around telling everyone that it was Jesus who had healed him, not the pool not the High Priest. Praise the Lord!

Each of us has an appointed time (Kyros) with God, when He will meet us and change our lives. Here are some ways to recognize your appointed time.

• Genesis 18:14 - be spiritually sensitive, God will guide you.
• Genesis 15:13, 14 – There is an ‘afterward’, like a postscript, to every problem. We may have problems, but God promises that we will come out with great substance.
• Habakkuk 2:1-4
  o Set yourself on the tower – through prayer and bible study, spending time with God.
  o Write down the vision – let your prayers be clear, not vague.
  o Make it inspirational – it is not for you alone. Others should be able to run with your vision.
  o Believe that at the right time, it will happen.

If you are walking in faith, you are walking towards your appointed time. only unbelief, sin and disobedience can keep you away from your appointed time.