God-Sized Questions Require God-Sized Answers

John 5:1-17
"Do you want to be healed?" -This is the question Jesus asks a man who has not been able to walk for 38 years. "Do you want to be healed?" When i first read that my answer is HELL YES this man of course wants to be healed! BUT, that is not the answer the man gives.
Jesus asks him if he wants to be healed and instead he answers "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." The man simply answers that he needs someone to help him in and out of the pool so he can have temporary moments of healing every once and awhile. It seems to me he has completely lost all hope that he could ever be healed so instead he just asks for small human sized answers to his God sized problem. He simply asks for a temporary fix instead of believing that true healing is possible.
I think I do this often in my life. I have a problem and then when God asks if he can help I tell him "If you could just do this small thing that would help me feel a little better..." NO. God asks only questions he knows he can answer. He would not ask "Do you want to be healed?" if he knows he could not heal totally. I cannot allow the world to dull me so much that I lose the mentality that ALL things are possible. And in order to see those things I must start asking and expecting God sized answers to God sized questions.

I Come in the Name of...?

What or who do i come in the name of? Watch any medieval movie and someone will undoubtable come "in the name of the King". They come in the king's authority. Or what about songs like Pride by U2: "In the name of love, one night in the name of love..." We as people come in the name of things all the time. In the name of love, in the name of honor, in the name of peace, in the name of revenge, in the name of lust, in the name of the president, in the name of all that is good! What do I come in the name of?

Some things like love, honor, peace aren't bad though right? What is bad about doing something in the name of peace? I mean, its peace! But no. Peace isn't in itself worthy of authority. Peace, love, honor...these things by themselves have no authority. But Christ does. God does. And who is God? He IS peace, He IS love, He IS peace. So in everything we must come in the authority of Christ, and Christ ALONE. He is the only one with the authority. And by the Holy Spirit I have that authority! Its amazing, the same power that lived in Christ Jesus lives in me and I can come in the same authority that Christ Jesus did, and He conquered death and the world! Thats some authority.

I come in the name of Christ Jesus. Watch out. :)

Two Thoughts

I have two thoughts today....

1. Sometimes we have to tally the things we do know about something to figure out what it is we don't. Similarly to how scientist measure how much "dark matter" is in the universe. They measure what they DO know first and see whats left from the total. If you are confused by life just recite the things you do know (ex: your close friends do agree, there are people who like you, you do have power to do some things, God IS good., etc) then see what is left. Sometimes you might find that what was left "confusing" you is quite a small amount and not as big of a deal as you thought.

2. God likes to party. As I continue through Deuteronomy, God commands a lot of celebrating...sometimes a week at a time! Can't wait to see a party thrown by God in Heaven. :)

That is all my thoughts for now.