In John chapter 5 a paralyzed man has an encounter with Jesus.  Here are some quite interesting observations regarding that encounter:

• It is Jesus who sees the man and it says that He “learned” about the man’s condition.
• Jesus cares about us before we care about Him.
• The man had been sick for 38 years, the average life expectancy at that time was only about 45.
• All the man had excuses in response to Jesus question “do you want to get well”.  How often do I have excuse when Jesus is inquiring of me?
• Here is the man, face to face with “The Living Water” and all he cares about it potentially going into the physical water.
• It is amazing to read this knowing that John in chapter 2 tells the story of Jesus turning water into wine.  In chapter 4 he also tells the story about Jesus encounter with the woman at the well and talks about living water.
• Jesus does not wait for the man to respond, He took charge in spite of excuses.

Why is it that we always think that God wants us to focus on the exceptional things?  In 2 Kings 5:1-18 we read about Naaman who reacted quite interesting when the Prophet had asked him to go and wash himself 7 times.   Verse 11, 12 tells us his response to this request!

Why is it that the so often don’t listen to God and follow him in the simple things? Could that be the reason that we often don’t see breakthroughs and miracles in our lives?

Oswald Chamber said this “It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not.  We have to be exceptional at ordinary things”.

CBS 4 News picked up the story about “Boycott Vision” .  You can read more about it here at…

Awesome day at Vision, lots of new families, salvations! One person was actually invited by the Devil himself,  (not too many people can say that) lol

www.satanhatesvision.com

I read this today on Mark Battersons blog and it really spoke to me.  Here is what he said:

Thought I’d share a few of my personal definitions of success. It’s important to define success in biblical and personal ways. You need to know what you’re aiming at or you will succeed at the wrong thing.

First of all, success is maximizing your God given potential. Success is synonymous with stewardship.

A second definition is this: doing the best you can with what you have where you are. Success is not circumstantial. Some of the most successful people are those in the worst of circumstances, but they make the most of them. That’s success.

Here’s a third definition: the people who know you the best respect you the most. We care way too much about what strangers think of us, but they won’t be the ones at our graveside. I want my wife and my kids to respect me the most.

Here’s a fourth and newest definition: success is trying until the day you die. I think most of us give up on our dreams way too easily and way too quickly. We stop trying. But if you’re still trying you’re succeeding!

One key to success is not worrying about the outcome. Winning or losing isn’t the issue. Trying is winning! That is what I told Parker when he decided to run for class president. That is the lesson I learned at our triathlon this weekend. That is what I’ve learned as a church planter. The measure of success is this: how hard did you try?

If you pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you you cannot fail.

A self-made millionaire believes that Christians in America who for so many generations have benefitted from a society based on those laws should be able to recite them, and is wondering why they – generally – cannot.

So Darrel Rundus, who is a successful business operator in the marketing field, is offering a prize of $20,000 that will be given to someone who can recite God’s laws in order in a limited time.

The campaign has been launched on the Web under the Ten And Win address, and Rundus has posted a video there and on YouTube announcing the prize.