Moving into the Unfamiliar

We all have familiar places, familiar saying, familiar relationships, familiar foods, and the list goes on into eternity.  Because of the way that life is structured we find ourselves moving into patterns; things we do on a consistent basis to a consistent schedule in our lives.  The problem with patterns and familiar places is that they can stifle growth.  There are many times when we can go to familiar places without even thinking because they have been so programmed in our lives. Have our jobs become familiar?  Have our routines become familiar?  Have our expectations become familiar?  If they have then we are at a point where we need to get up.

In John 5:2-8 we find a man who had found himself in a familiar place:
"Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water:  whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool:  but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up they bed, and walk."

So we have this guy who is impotent or lacking the ability to perform a task necessary for life. He has been like this for at least 38 years, which is a long time, and the only thing he did was sit at a pool. And he waited. And waited. And waited for the right season, at the right time, for a man to come pick him up and take him to the water. He was looking for an event, waiting for a moment, when all conditions would work in his favor and he would miraculously be healed by the water touched by the angel. He was waiting and hoping from a familiar place. I suspect that the man sat there with expectation and hope each year for change. He didn't move forward on his own because he was satisfied in the idea of just hoping. Sometimes we find ourselves in the same condition:  finding euphoria and satisfaction from the simple hope of moving forward. But when destiny is concerned we cannot rely solely on hope.

I believe this man could have easily positioned himself closer to the pool of Bethesda. He could have had a man pick him up and place him by the pool in anticipation for the angel to trouble the water. When the water was troubled he could just have fallen in and he would have been made whole. But I truly believe it was him being in his familiar spot, with his familiar people, talking about being made whole that fueled his complacency.  Where do you find yourself being familiar at today? Are there people around you hindering you from moving forward because you revel in the hope of change. Are you looking for someone to pick you up and take you to your fullness.

It took this man to have an encounter with Jesus in order for him to realize where his potential was. Jesus told him, "Rise, take up they bed, and walk." Verse 9 says, "And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked." It only took him to have an encounter with God to propel him into his destiny. Though the man was able to receive from God it took his encounter with God to facilitate his change past what was familiar.

Know today that every time we encounter Christ there is a grace to get up from familiar places. Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life, opens up an opportunity for us to be propelled into greatness every time he speaks to us. Each time he visits us in church, at home, in worship, and in prayer, he is calling us out from our places. He is commanding you to pick up your bed and walk into where he is leading. We all will find ourselves in places that are comfortable and familiar but let us use our encounters with Christ to get up. He is here right now telling you to pick up your bed, put away what is familiar, and be bold to walk by faith where you have never walked before!

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

**Writer's note**
It has been a very strong tug on my heart for the past few weeks about this topic.  I know that within my own life there are areas that are very familiar.  Even with writing this blog I find myself in familiar places of simply not being used to writing a blog.  I do know that God has called me in many areas and it is simply the faith to get up that causes something supernatural to happen.  When I commit to what he has says in the moment that he says it there is an overwhelming power to overcome.  Just like the man at the pool, there was power to get up because he did what Jesus said.  I find myself, now more than ever, endeavoring to do what Jesus says so that I can access the power.  So wherever I have familiarized and patterned my life I'm looking and expecting Jesus to come in and say get up!  I want to be in a position where I can walk into the destiny and fullness that he has created for me.  I know there is more and I sense that there is more and I know that simply experience a nice feeling from hoping and thinking about it isn't going to cut it.  So this is not only something he laid on my heart to share but something very personal.  I'm getting up, because he said so, because he got up for me, because I'm tired of what is familiar. I'm ready to believe differently, see differently, and experience differently.   I've thrown my mat away; there is no need for it where I'm going.

Son of David, Don't Pass Me By!

Our day to day life is governed by opportunities. The opportunities for each day are endless! We can do as much or as little as we put our minds to or allow. The fact of the matter is there are plenty of things that we already discredit or cancel out before we even get out of the bed. One opportunity though that we should never pass up, but always go after, is the one to encounter Jesus. I know it sounds cliche but there is always an opportunity for us to encounter God. He simply is wherever we are. He is constantly walking by in our lives so that we might reach out, cry out, and encounter Him.


Take for instance the blind man in Luke 18:35-39:
"And it came to pass, that as he [Jesus] was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:  And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passed by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace:  but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me."


This guy was blind, on the side of the road begging, and discerned something different about his surrounding. He heard a commotion that was not familiar. Who knows how often he heard multitudes coming down his familiar road, but he knew there was something that was not the same. When the people, who could see, told him it was Jesus of Nazareth something went off on the inside of him. Jesus' name had preceded Him so this blind man knew who He was. He may have even entertained the thought that if one day he met this Jesus that he would believe to receive his sight. He was in a position where his encounter with Jesus was passing him by and he cried, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" He literally said, "Don't pass me by!" He was at a point where he didn't want to continue the way he was. He knew that one encounter with Jesus would change his life.


So at the point of interception the blind man was ready.  He had probably been meditating on this day since he first heard of a guy from Nazareth healing the sick and giving sight to the blind. He had been anticipating his encounter. Are we anticipating ours? When we have the opportunity to intercept Jesus are we ready to say, "Don't pass me by!" The blind man knew that he couldn't miss this opportunity because he didn't know when the next time, if ever, he would encounter one like Jesus again. He knew that the change he experiences this time may not be the same as the next time. He was so moved to inquire of Jesus that he didn't care who was around him. Those beggars close to him, with sight, were discouraging him from bothering Jesus, but they already had their sight. He wanted something miraculous.


So as the blind man cried louder, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me," Jesus then told the people with Him to bring him closer.  He asked him, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?" and the blind man answered, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." The blind man already had an expectation in the nature of the encounter he wanted and just told the Lord that he wanted to see. What Jesus said next was the breakthrough for the man's miracle.  Jesus then said, "Receive thy sight:  thy faith hath saved thee."  The man immediately "received his sight, and followed him." (Luke 18:39-43)


This is the thing, Jesus told him that "his faith hath saved" him or made him whole. It was his anticipation of the encounter that caused the change in his life. Are you anticipating an encounter or will you let Jesus pass you by? Is your need to intercept Jesus so great that you will cry out today, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me?" After the man received his sight he continued his encounter with God because he "followed him, glorifying God:  and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God." (Luke 18:43)  So not only did he have one encounter but he made it his priority to have continuous encounters with Jesus after he had his initial encounter that made him whole. He went out and affected so many because people knew who he was and they saw who he had became; all to the glory of God.


So today are we ready to cry out for our encounter? Wherever we may be in our lives we are never above the endeavor to encounter. We always need more of Him so why not let today be the day that you meet him in your bedroom, at your job, on the beltway, in the elevator, or even at the grocery store. I know that I want everything I need from Jesus on the occasions that I have the opportunity for an encounter. I don't want to stifle the next time or miss out on anything this time. I want the one encounter to help facilitate multiple, continuous encounters with His presence.  Son of David, don't pass me by!




Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]