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how bad do you need it (word of enouragement my pastor taught )
Journals
Jun 15, 2010 - 4 comments
How Bad Do You Need It???
A Word of Encouragement
Dear Friends in the Faith:
God has a habit of putting us in places where we are stuck and cannot help ourselves at all. Often times we blame such predicaments on the devil. But, truth be told it is the work of the Lord Himself. God in His sincere love for us places our lives in places where nothing that we do will change our situation. In short, God will let you see financial difficulty so severe that your car could get repossessed. God will let a good woman that is healthy have physical sickness in her body. And, God will let a man be born blind. But, the question is why?
There are several reasons for these God inspired and permitted predicaments. First of all, if we never had a problem we would never know that He could solve them. That's right, God allows problems just so that we will know that is the only one in the universe that is able to fix it. Secondly, God permits moments like this because they are grounds where your testing becomes your blessing! And, the only way for you get what you need is to get to God and tell Him that you need it. The question will then be, how bad do you need it?
Please allow me to offer this spiritual disclaimer right quick. There are those of you that need nothing from the Lord at all. You health is fine, you finances are fine, your joy is in tack, your peace is in your pocket, your kids are great, your relationships are super and your life couldn't be better. To those of you like this I say, "praise the Lord and God bless you!" But, everyone else reading this devotional that needs God to do things for you that you cannot do for yourselves hear this question, "how bad do you need it?" I submit that if you really need it you are going to have to do what Bartemaeus did in the gospel of Mark to gain it.
Here's his story, "And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way" (St. Mark 10:46-52). But, here's the question that we need to consider, how bad must you need it in order to get it from Jesus Christ?
You must need it bad enough to be willing to be content with what you've got until you can get what you want. Here's the truth, we spend way too much time complaining about what we do not have instead of being grateful about what we do have. Contentment says I do not need what God has given anyone else to be satisfied. I am thankful with everything just like it is. Bartemaeus should have complained and griped. He was blind, broke and economically barren. But, instead of fussing about his condition he used what he had to get what he wanted! Get this, he could not see, but he hear and he could talk! In other words, he knew how to simply make-do! "Making do" happens when you are trapped between where you have been and where you are headed and you still have to be thankful! Why? Because your break-through is really found in your "make do!" You see, if cannot thank God for what you've got right now you will never be thankful with more stuff later! If you really need Jesus to do it for you be content where you are and watch Him change it!!!
Secondly, you must need it bad enough to believe God for the incredible knowing that He can do the impossible. Here's the shouting news of the year---God is able!!! He is still Jehovah Jireh and He is going to provide for you! He is able! But, you have to get to the point where you believe God even when things look impossible. It is what Bartemaeus does. Watch this turn in the text, this man has been blind so long that he is now defined by his defect. People know him as "Blind Bartemaeus." But, when Jesus calls this blind man to Him, He asked this question, "what do you want me to do for you?" Now why would Jesus ask a blind man a question like this? Isn't this obvious? But, look closer. What Jesus is really saying to this blind is this, "I know you need eye sight, but can you believe me for it? If you believe me for it, I will give it to you!" Here's the shouting news of the day, if you can believe God for it He can do it for you like right now!!!!
And, lastly you must need it bad enough to be a witness for Jesus in a hostile environment. People do not mind you making noise. They just don't want you to make noise for Jesus Christ! This blind man spent his entire day shouting at people. "Give me some change! Help me! I need money!" But, when he stopped shouting after people and started shouting after the Lord the same people that ignored him had a problem with him! Listen, if you are going to get Jesus to stop and help you, you may have to shout until He stops! I know, it seems so unprofessional. It seems so silly. It seems so stupid. If it feels like that to you, it is because you don't need it bad enough! But, when you have tried calling everyone else why not call the Lord with all of your might? In fact, do it now! Stop right now and cry out to the Lord!!! Now some of you did it and others did not bother. But, here is the Word for those that did it! It is what Jesus told Bartemaeus "Your faith has made you whole!!!!" Just because you did it I believe that the God of heaven gave it to you!
Now here's the closing query, what would you do if God just gave you what you needed? Would you cry? Would you clap? Would you shout? Would you run? What would you do? Here's what you should do---follow Jesus and never turn back! Tell your story that says "if you need it bad enough the Lord will fix it for you if you do not let people keep you silent!"
Your Friend,
Dr. John R. Adolph
A Word of Encouragement
Dear Friends in the Faith:
God has a habit of putting us in places where we are stuck and cannot help ourselves at all. Often times we blame such predicaments on the devil. But, truth be told it is the work of the Lord Himself. God in His sincere love for us places our lives in places where nothing that we do will change our situation. In short, God will let you see financial difficulty so severe that your car could get repossessed. God will let a good woman that is healthy have physical sickness in her body. And, God will let a man be born blind. But, the question is why?
There are several reasons for these God inspired and permitted predicaments. First of all, if we never had a problem we would never know that He could solve them. That's right, God allows problems just so that we will know that is the only one in the universe that is able to fix it. Secondly, God permits moments like this because they are grounds where your testing becomes your blessing! And, the only way for you get what you need is to get to God and tell Him that you need it. The question will then be, how bad do you need it?
Please allow me to offer this spiritual disclaimer right quick. There are those of you that need nothing from the Lord at all. You health is fine, you finances are fine, your joy is in tack, your peace is in your pocket, your kids are great, your relationships are super and your life couldn't be better. To those of you like this I say, "praise the Lord and God bless you!" But, everyone else reading this devotional that needs God to do things for you that you cannot do for yourselves hear this question, "how bad do you need it?" I submit that if you really need it you are going to have to do what Bartemaeus did in the gospel of Mark to gain it.
Here's his story, "And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way" (St. Mark 10:46-52). But, here's the question that we need to consider, how bad must you need it in order to get it from Jesus Christ?
You must need it bad enough to be willing to be content with what you've got until you can get what you want. Here's the truth, we spend way too much time complaining about what we do not have instead of being grateful about what we do have. Contentment says I do not need what God has given anyone else to be satisfied. I am thankful with everything just like it is. Bartemaeus should have complained and griped. He was blind, broke and economically barren. But, instead of fussing about his condition he used what he had to get what he wanted! Get this, he could not see, but he hear and he could talk! In other words, he knew how to simply make-do! "Making do" happens when you are trapped between where you have been and where you are headed and you still have to be thankful! Why? Because your break-through is really found in your "make do!" You see, if cannot thank God for what you've got right now you will never be thankful with more stuff later! If you really need Jesus to do it for you be content where you are and watch Him change it!!!
Secondly, you must need it bad enough to believe God for the incredible knowing that He can do the impossible. Here's the shouting news of the year---God is able!!! He is still Jehovah Jireh and He is going to provide for you! He is able! But, you have to get to the point where you believe God even when things look impossible. It is what Bartemaeus does. Watch this turn in the text, this man has been blind so long that he is now defined by his defect. People know him as "Blind Bartemaeus." But, when Jesus calls this blind man to Him, He asked this question, "what do you want me to do for you?" Now why would Jesus ask a blind man a question like this? Isn't this obvious? But, look closer. What Jesus is really saying to this blind is this, "I know you need eye sight, but can you believe me for it? If you believe me for it, I will give it to you!" Here's the shouting news of the day, if you can believe God for it He can do it for you like right now!!!!
And, lastly you must need it bad enough to be a witness for Jesus in a hostile environment. People do not mind you making noise. They just don't want you to make noise for Jesus Christ! This blind man spent his entire day shouting at people. "Give me some change! Help me! I need money!" But, when he stopped shouting after people and started shouting after the Lord the same people that ignored him had a problem with him! Listen, if you are going to get Jesus to stop and help you, you may have to shout until He stops! I know, it seems so unprofessional. It seems so silly. It seems so stupid. If it feels like that to you, it is because you don't need it bad enough! But, when you have tried calling everyone else why not call the Lord with all of your might? In fact, do it now! Stop right now and cry out to the Lord!!! Now some of you did it and others did not bother. But, here is the Word for those that did it! It is what Jesus told Bartemaeus "Your faith has made you whole!!!!" Just because you did it I believe that the God of heaven gave it to you!
Now here's the closing query, what would you do if God just gave you what you needed? Would you cry? Would you clap? Would you shout? Would you run? What would you do? Here's what you should do---follow Jesus and never turn back! Tell your story that says "if you need it bad enough the Lord will fix it for you if you do not let people keep you silent!"
Your Friend,
Dr. John R. Adolph
