Happy new year folks! This is it, it's 2012! Which also means school is starting in less than a week. Oh bummer!
Well, I am supposed to tuck myself in to bed by now. Attempting to adjust back the body clock in preparation for school, but (there's always a "but"!) I've also been wanting to post something since a couple of days now. It is plain to see what took preeminence.
So what was it that I wanted to share so badly that I'm "sacrificing" my sleep for? Read a very familiar story in the Book of Mark the other day and got an important reminder from "upstairs". Which, I thought would be good to share it with you too! This is probably a story that you'll go "orh, that one ah", simply because it has been quoted so many times in our pastors' preaching. Nonetheless, it teaches us such an important principle and today, let this serve as a reminder to us! Hopefully it'll change the way we pray, that way we see situations and people around us.
Jesus was teaching in the synagogues and the place where He was at was so packed out that there were even people standing outside the building. Then came four guys, who looked at their paralyzed friend and decided that today shall be his day of miracle. Seeing that there was no way they could get their friend through the crowd and to Jesus, they carried him up to the roof, tore a hole in that roof just so they could lower their friend to Jesus. The best part of the story is this, that Jesus seeing their faith (the four dudes) said to the paralyzed man (who was probably in shock and embarrassment because of what his friends put him through) "your sins are forgiven" and healed him!
The paralyzed guy was the one in need, but he couldn't do anything to get himself to Jesus. He may not even have wanted to get to Jesus in the first place, but poor chap would not had been able to put up much of a struggle against his four friends anyway. But he had friends who cared enough about his condition and who had faith to believe for his miracle. They didn't just have faith, they had a breakthrough faith. Can you imagine what would have happened, if their friends saw the massive crowd between them and Jesus and decided, 'sorry dude, too crowded man. I guess it's just not your day'. That chap would probably have died a paralytic.
These four friends were so desperate for the miracle of their paralyzed friend that NOTHING could stop them from bringing their friend to Jesus, even if it meant extra work, even if it meant going out of the way. They had resolved in their hearts they were going to go all the way to Jesus.
This generation is full of paralytics. People whom we know needs to get to Jesus so they could receive their miracle. Whether they want to or not, that's not the issue. Because you and I know, Jesus is their solution. Problem is, there is a lack of people who have that breakthrough faith the four friends had. A faith that would go all the way, past every kind of obstacles and in-between, till you actually get your friend to Jesus! A lot of us stop when we see the crowd, when it requires too much of us, when it gets too difficult. We need to ask God today, for a tenacity not just when it comes to our own needs, but even when we begin to see the needs of others, that we'll go all the way for them, just to see them receive their miracles because of our faith, our prayer, our perseverance.
I have friends whom I know need Jesus today, whom I need to begin standing in the gap for, for their salvation and their coming back to Jesus. My prayer tonight is that I'll have that same breakthrough faith for them to go all the way in my prayers and intercessions, in my love and concern for them. That I'll not stop until I bring them to Jesus. At the end of the day, I can't bring about their miracle, only Jesus can. But I'll do all I can, and pray that they receive their miracle because I never would give up!
Who are you standing in the gap for today? Are you willing to pay the price, to go all the way, so that your loved ones can get to Jesus & receive their miracle because of your faith.
