Begin Your Encounter with God Early

           From my notes I present a digested Bible Study Lesson from our church.

Begin Your Encounter with God Early

First thing in the morning, begin your encounter with the Holy Spirit.  As you begin your day, perhaps as you wake up, acknowledge God is with you and in you.  

God is there, even in your shower or bath and in the private areas as you prepare your day.  Have reading supplies next to your bed and a writing tablet with pen or pencil to write your prayers or dreams.  

Understand you may communicate with God as you drive your car, as you walk and do your chores.  God is listening.

Our study was from John chapter 5:2-5.  “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.”

(The sheep gate was the first gate to be re-built in Nehemiah 3:1)  Sheep were gathered there in preparation for the Temple sacrifices.  

The man at the pool, needed spiritual healing as well, as evidenced when Jesus told him NOT to sin any more - - lest a worse thing come on him.

(From 'Got questions.org:') The Pool of Bethesda was the focus of a local Urban legend about healing, but Jesus showed that faith in religious legends and superstition is misplaced. 

It was at this pool that Jesus performed a miracle showing that He is greater than any human malady and that superstition and religious folklore are foolish and feeble substitutes for faith in God.

There was a logical explanation for the waters being stirred, as water was often released from an upper pool to add to this pool.  Today we have pools of healing such as Palm Springs, and the Hot Springs; their waters contain minerals and some claim to find relief there.

To our knowledge the Pool of Bethesda probably did not have healing minerals, but according to legend an Angel troubled the waters and first one in was healed. 

The power of belief was so strong that some actually did receive their healing after entering the water.

As Christians, we must research the scriptures when you are being taught by teachers or preachers.  Go to the Bible for yourself. 

Jesus asked the crippled man, lying there for 38 years, “Do you want to be healed?”

(Today, some may not want to be healed because they will lose their disability check and need to go to work.  It is sad when people lose their initiative.)

Jesus had told the man to get up and take your bed and walk; (Jesus did not wave his hand over him, but only using faith filled words.)  Jesus does not do magic, but his power is supernatural from heaven.

The Jews seeing this man carrying his bed on the Sabbath day; were furious upon discovering it was Jesus that healed him.  Community tradition said, don’t carry your bed on the Sabbath. 

Are you carrying a bed that you need to lay down?    Perhaps a bed of tradition that needs to be set aside and allow the Bible to be your guide.