Overthrow SELF PITY

MEDITATION John chapter 5: 1-9

1. In Jerusalem there was a pool named Bethesda having five porches where many impotent people, lame and blind were laying. (V1-3)
2. They were waiting for the water to be stirred as some times an angel comes down and troubled the water and whoever stepped in first were healed of all their diseases.  (V4)
3. There was a man lying there with an infirmity for 38 years. ( v5)
4. Jesus saw him lying and asked him if he wants to be made whole (V6)
5. The impotent man said that there was no man to put him in the pool when the water is stirred and someone else enters first. (V7)
6. Jesus told him to rise, take up his bed and walk.  ( V8)
7. Immediately the man was made whole and he took up his bed and walked.  (V9)

LIFE APPLICATION:

Today I would like to bring to light the stronghold of self-pity, which the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to, through this meditation:

1. I would like to analyse the condition of this person. If you can identify yourself with this person, then this meditation is for you.
A. 38 years of infirmity.

A long term illness undefined, that he can do nothing by himself and under the mercy of others.
Many times we are unable to pick ourself up. We are lying in our weaknesses (V5)

B. He had repeated failures;

 He has seen before his eyes the waters being stirred and someone being healed but not himself. (V7) We see a lot of people around us coming out of problems easily, but not us.

C. He was discouraged because of repeated failures:

He puts it as, when the water is stirred, someone else enters first and he misses every time. (V7)

D. He was very angry:

He was angry with people that nobody helped him out in his distress. (V7)

E. He was sad:

He was sad again, as he has no way out. (V7)

Who has more reason to feel pity for himself, more than this man??

Also the self-pity can follow a  series of emotional manifestations like,
Discouragement, disappointment, sadness, depressive thoughts, hopelessness and why not even thoughts of suicide.

So how are we to deal with it? Scroll down to know more...

 1. Waiting for Miracle:

Long term waiting is not a pleasant situation to face. The WORD of GOD says,

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Proverbs:13:12

Yes, whenever our hopes are deferred our heart is sick. But when what we desired comes it is like a tree of life.

Dear brothers and sisters, is your heart sick of waiting? God has a better way of dealing it. The WORD of GOD says,

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah:40:31

If waiting for a miracle is making your heart and life sick, wait on the Lord, for strength.
He will give you the strength to run till you receive your miracle.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
Psalm:84:5

Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
Psalm:84:6

They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
Psalm:84:7

You want to move from strength to strength? You feel your strength failing? You cannot go 1 step further, wait on the Lord and he will be your strength.

2. Dealing with repeated closed doors:

This is another source of frustration. We desire for things to happen and if it doesn't our heart is becoming sick. We don't stop there, we blame God for that too. This is human nature.

What to do when confronted with closed doors everywhere?

1. Be still:

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more forever.
Exodus:14:13

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm:46:10

Let us be still and know that he is our God.

2. BRING our desires before God:

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Psalm:145:19

Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
Psalm:21:2

3. Acknowledge GOD and allow God to direct your paths:
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs:3:6

C. Dealing with discouragement:

Discouragement hits everyone. Even the great prophets like  Elijah and Jonah were discouraged that they wanted to die.

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
1 Kings:19:4

Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
Jonah:4:3

But praise God for the blood of CHRIST we can boldly go before the throne of grace.

Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews:4:16

Dear brother, Dear sister do not be disheartened... through CHRIST we have Grace upon Grace. We do not need to stay discouraged forever.

We can boldly approach the throne of Grace when in distress.

3. Dealing with anger and sadness:

Getting angry or becoming sad, especially with other people when our things don't work our way is not going to help us any further.

This is where we renew our minds to rise up. Christ has promised us a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness.

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Isaiah:61:3

Put on the garment of praise, that is the treatment for a heavy Spirit. It is a willful act. We might sometimes have to force ourselves to give thanks to God. But do it...
 This is how we declare to the enemy that we are no more on the bed and along with the people who are going to be there in infirmity forever...

This is what CHRIST means, RISE UP, TAKE YOUR BED and WALK. My good friends, the word of life is spoken in your life. Rise up... stir your spirits and renew your strength like an Eagle...

All the more.... Rejoice! We have a miracle-working GOD

Born Again : Meditation John chapter 3:1-8 ; Part 2

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John:3:3

What does it mean to be born again?
The WORD born again is meant as ' born from above.'
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John:1:12
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John:1:13

The WORD of GOD says, if we believe in the name of CHRIST and receive him, God gives us the power to become the SONS of God.
We are not born because of the will of man, or of blood, nor by the will of man but by God himself.

If we are in Christ we are a new creature.  Old things have passed away. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are made new.

As I am being led in the spirit I would like to explain the whole plan of God's redemption.
After Adam sinned against God, we as humans have fallen short of God's glory as it is written,

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Genesis:6:5

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans:3:23

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans:3:10

There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Romans:3:11

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans:3:12

We have fallen short of the GLORY of GOD.  If we say that we do not have sin, we are liars.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 John:1:10

This explains us our need to be cleansed and forgiven of all our sins as we cannot even see the kingdom of God with our Adamic nature in us. (V3)

To take victory over this nature of Adam was Christ born as a man, to die on the cross for our sins, that through this gospel of CHRIST we can be born again in our  Spirit man.

So how are we to be born again?
We are born again by the word of God being the seed
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1 Peter:1:23,
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
1 Peter:1:25

What happens when we are born again?
1. Stage 1: the seed of the Gospel enters our heart. 1peter 1:23

2. Stage 2: we receive Christ by believing that he paid the price for our sins on the cross and we are redeemed from our sins by his BLOOD.  John 1:12

3. Stage 3:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians:2:8
This stage is purely God's work. He creates that new birth in our spirit.

 How do we know that we are born again?
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Romans:8:16
The Holy Spirit of God speaks in our hearts and confirms that we are children of God. ( Born again)

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Romans:15:13

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Romans:5:11
The joy and peace that God gives in our heart is the confirmation that we are born again.

This is something happening deep in the spirit that a natural man with a human mind cannot comprehend unless being experienced individually.
This is why Nicodemus was not able to completely comprehend what Christ was speaking about being born again. (V4)

And this is what Jesus refers to be born of water and of the spirit.
Water being the word of God.
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Ephesians:5:26
Spirit being the work of the Holy Spirit in the Human Spirit.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Ephesians:1:13

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Ephesians:1:14
In other words we are born and sealed as children of God by the Holy Spirit.

So, what are we to do once we are saved?

1. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1 Peter:2:2
So we are to desire the word of God as new born babes to grow to be mature sons and daughters of God..

2. We have to work out our salvation with fear each day.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Philippians:2:12

3. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans:12:2

We have to be transformed according to working of the holy spirit in us... each day as he renews our mind  according to the word.

You can know more about the redemption of mankind and the prize of salvation in the links attached....

Isn't it a glorious experience to be born again? May God reveal you more . GOD BLESS YOU ALL.