Hosanna Restoration Church

As I was reading this portion of scripture, it occurred to me that we need to do spiritually what Paul told this man to do physically. The truth is that the church is guilty of creating a lot of crippled Christians. Instead of accelerating growth, many have been weighted down. Scripture tells us to grow, press, and advance, but too often we sit. It is time for us to stand up straight. It is not acceptable to be a non-walking believer.

Paul did not tell the man that it was going to be difficult but to just do the best he could. He saw that the man was ready for a change, so he commanded him to do what he was hoping he could do. The result was a man jumping up, walking around and praising God.

For a person to be truly born again, they need to be ready for a change. They need to be hungry for life. They need to be tired of what they have and ready for all that God has. Once we are born again, we need to continue with that attitude. We need to be ready to be changed all the time. The Word of God says that we are being changed from glory to glory. Ask yourself if you are changing. Are you ready to be corrected? Will you allow the Holy Spirit to point out bad attitudes and actions? If not, then you are a crippled Christian. You are not a person with a disability; you are crippling yourself by refusing to receive the word of God engrafted.

We need to read the Word of God ready to change. We need to expect to be changed when we hear the Word of God preached. We need to be prepared at all times to stand up straight and not shrink back. When this is our attitude we begin to experience the Life that is in Christ Jesus. If we will yield ourselves to this, we will never again be satisfied to sit by the wayside and miss what the Master has planned for us.

When Saul who became Paul was changed by the Lord, he stood up and went out to tell what the Lord had shown him. Certain segments of the church have been known to hold people back and tell them they have to wait. As a result they have discouraged people until they sat back down. We can always go tell what the Lord has done. We do not need a pulpit to do it. The world is a pulpit and each of us is a living message.

When that man stood up, he preached a message. When he started walking he preached another message confirming that this was not a momentary change; it was a change for a lifetime. Jesus offers us a life full of change and we need stand up straight and walk in it.

The message is that old things have passed away and we have been made new in Christ. Tomorrow we will be changed from this glory to the next glory. Our life can say that we have not seen anything yet, it just keeps getting better!