For Thought and Meditation - Saturday, Nov. 21

[Pine Baron]

Good morning and welcome to the weekend. Today's devo gets a big AMEN. Have a safe and blessed day.

Saturday, November 21, 2020 - Pastor Greg Laurie
Would you like to get well?

“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’”
—John 5:6

John’s gospel tells the story of a man who lived with no real hope to speak of. He would lie by the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, believing that an angel would come and stir the water, and whoever was first into the water would be healed.

The problem was there was no one to help him into the pool. But one day as he was lying there, Jesus showed up and said, “Would you like to get well?”

Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if this man had said, “What kind of question is that to ask? Why do you think I’m lying here, hoping that someone will help me get to the water when the angel touches it?”

But it’s actually a very good question, because not every person wants to change. Not every person who’s an alcoholic wants to stop being an alcoholic. Not every person who’s a drug addict wants to stop being a drug addict. And not every person who’s addicted to pornography wants to stop being addicted to pornography.

You have to want to change.

Maybe you’re saying, “Look, you don’t understand. I have a history of addiction in my family. My mother was an addict. So were my grandparents. It just passes from one generation to the next.”

Let me just say that my mother was an alcoholic, and she was married and divorced seven times. However, I’m not an alcoholic, and I’ve been married for 46 years.

I’m not boasting about what I did. It’s what God did. And He can do that for you as well. Christ can break the cycle of sin in your life.

Do you want to be made whole? Do you want to change?

Jesus Christ has paid the price for your sin. He has set you free. But you need to walk out of your prison cell.

[USMC87]

Amen and thank you for a great start of the day!

[Markopolo]

Big Amen!!!

[Wayne Smith]

Amen - and we need to walk out of our self constructed prison cells.

[Boaz]

GOD is there to help us . It's up to us to begin the healing...he waits .

[Thundarstick]

But you need to walk out of your prison cell.

First off, thanks for posting these daily. I'm usually a day behind because my day starts hours before yours.

From someone who deals with addictions and addicts every day, that last statement is GREATLY over simplified! No one WALKS out of a prison! Once you're in, you have to make an escape plan, FIGHT, BREAK FREE, RUN AWAY, be willing to do whatever it takes to ESCAPE your prison, and NOT be caught again! I've seen one of the greatest disservice churched people do for addicts, is tell addicts, "just pray and accept Jesus and he'll set you free"! Then when the addiction don't magically disappear their faith is destroyed and they are WORSE than before, because God didn't love them enough to set them free! Please think on this brothers and sisters, and don't leave off the part about doing ANYTHING and EVERYTHING nessary to escape your prison of addiction! Jesus will be there for you, but you have to break down the walls and escape!