You Need An Encounter with Him.
Published by Deborah Negron Child of God
12/4/2021
Were you healed, restored and delivered?
Then, live righteously, Walk in newness of life.
Galatians 5:1
For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.
John 5:6-17.
When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
I have heard many speak of this man at the pool of Bethesda. But rarely have I heard someone mention the few verses after the healing. Jesus had healed this man and had run away through The crowd. The man did not even know who had healed him. Your man just had a touch of Jesus.
When we have a touch of Jesus, There can be a healing. There can come some restoration. But it is in the second encounter That this man is challenged by Jesus.
We can go to church and the have a great experience. We can feel blessed and even participate in the fellowship of other believers. We can feel that all is well, But in order for us to true I know Christ we must come To meet him again. As we come to know Christ more and more we come to understand that we must walk in him, and continue in him in order to truly become part of his Kingdom.
Yes his desires to save us, But salvation comes by the hearing of the word. The instruction and the application of the word of God is what enables us to walk in the newness of life there Christ’s affords us.
We just can’t get a touch of Jesus and keep living the way we were living before. I have met so many who have begun the race and have walked away. Somehow they missed out on the true gift of salvation. They just had a wonderful experience, and kept on living the way they were living.
You see Jesus told the man whom he had healed, Look, Behold, you have been made whole. You are healed, made a new, go and sin no more lest a worst thing happen to you.
You see, the man had not truly been converted. He had just had a wonderful gift of healing. Yet he had not yet truly understood what an encounter with Jesus really meant.
When we come to Jesus Christ, we come because the Holy Spirit of God has allowed, and had caused us to be draen to the truth about him. Yet when we repent of our sins; when we understand that God’s desire is that we would not perish, not be lost but rather to bring us in to unity and communion, closeness and love. He wants to transform not just our circumstance but rather our eternal destiny. He wants to restore our lives to what he intended for us. His desire is to heal, to mend, to make a new creation in us, then we are truly saved. Then our sins are erased from our record. This is when we need to then turn away from sin and the old life and live for God.
This does not come because of some external healing. This only comes as we surrender to Christ and acknowledge we are sinners.
When we do and confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.
There are a lot of good people in churches across America today who have had a nice experience. Perhaps they have had an initial encounter with Jesus. But they have not given their hearts and lives to him.
Rituals and traditions, social events and gatherings may make us feel well. Endorphins and hormonal exchanges happen when people find themselves in crowds having a good time.
The euphoria and phenomenon of human brings being ignited to come together and perform acts of kindness can be wonderful. Being part of something greater than oneself is always thrilling.
Yet this does not mean one is saved. This does not ensure one has the salvation.
Salvation can only come through an acknowledgment of sin, a confession and a repentant heart that recognizes the great need they have to reconcile with God.
Jesus came that we may have life and this life is to be more abundant. This life is the life that He gives us. He forgives our sins, He regenerates us through the work of the Holy Spirit. We then are made a part of His church. Not the physical organization so many belong to. But rather the True church.
Those who have surrendered their lives to Chrost and have turned away from their sins. Those that have been washed by the blood of Jesus. Those that believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, died on a cross for our freedom and accept that He arose fr ok m the dead on the third day.
The Manger, The Cross and the Empty Tomb are part of their encounter with the Lord. For these there is salvation. For these there is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that helps us live righteous lives.
We see people fall away and think they were a part of the Kingdom, when in truth they had just been having external experiences with the Lord without allowing Him to become I ultimate with them.
You See, Christ knows our weaknesses. He knows the hidden things. He is able to cause us to face our demons and surrender to Him. He is our only Hope. He alone can change us and make us able to live a truly Christian life.
I do not want a touch of Jesus.
You see I had an Encounter where He confronted me with my sin. He saw deep inside and still loved me. He forgave me. He made my external experience become a day to day internal reality.
I can now claim Him as my Lord because I was able to submit to the truth, that without Him I can do nothing.
We can be counted with the Redeemd of the Lord, as we ask Christ Jesus to make us new. Not to heal our external bodies alone, but to heal the internal workings of our souls.
He desires to become your All in All.
Won’t you ask Him to enter in? Won’t you tell him that you really want to know Him. Not just have healing?
I pray you can sing the words of that song…
I want the Healer more than the healing…
I want the Savior more than the Saving.
I want the Giver of Life more than the giving.
I want you Jesus more than anything.
May you know Jesus and His Unfailing Love for you.
Life and Faith By Deb 
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