John 5:2-9 Now there is a pool at the Sheep Gate at Jerusalem, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda (house of kindness), having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, of blind, lame, withered, waiting (to accept from some source) for the moving (stirring) of the water. For an angel (messenger) went down at a certain time into the pool and troubled the water. Then whoever first stepped in after the troubling(stir or agitate) of the water was made whole of whatever disease he had. And a certain man was there, who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying, and knowing that he had spent much time, He said to him, Do you desire to be made whole? The infirm man answered Him, Sir, when the water is troubled, I have no one to put me into the pool. But while I am coming, another steps down before me. Jesus says to him, Rise, take up your bed and walk.
And immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked. And it was a Sabbath on that day. MKJV (Parenthetical definitions my addition)
Yesterday I found myself spontaneously standing before worship, which I lead at our church, and saying something to the effect of, ‘don’t worry about the songs, getting the words right, if you know them or not, worship is getting our hearts in His presence.” Then I proclaimed, ‘many are waiting for the stirring of the water, for healing or deliverance, I’m telling you, I’m stirring the water, whether you feel it or not get in, In fact you might get in and be there for a bit before you feel the stirring.’
You might ask, was worship glorious after such a proclamation? Actually if you judged it on the ‘performance’ of the songs, the answer would be nope. The monitors for some reason were not up and we couldn’t hear ourselves, causing the drummer grave concerns. We had to restart one song due to a wrong beat; a song which I had aced in practice was totally blocked from my mind in finding the right key. ‘Oy, Abba, we were troubled whether the water was stirred or not.’
Yet out of chaos, the waters of trust, not desperation, (you heard right, trust worked deeply into my heart by years of walking troubled waters) I felt deep calling to deep. The Spirit brooding (Gen. 1:2) over us ready to move. Though I can’t recall everything by any stretch that He said to me I do remember Him specifically saying that there is only a small slice in time where we can stand with Abba, in total trust, ‘knowing’ before seeing His hand move that it is already in fact moving, that He has been preparing, stirring, troubling the waters with creative purpose and has invited us to participate in this action. I felt His hearts cry for a people who would walk the waters of a storm, stirring them by the Spirit thus giving an opportunity for those caught up in the natural or demonically unctioned storm, which ever the case might be, the chance to be made whole; to be a people not waiting for an angelic messenger from heaven but who would become the messenger that would cause the stirring.
Later in the service as our church family surrounded David and myself to pray for us as the ones to lead them in this endeavor we are embarked upon, I saw a vision of all of us walking the waters of the storm, not waiting for them to part, not waiting for them to be calmed but striding out confidently. Then I saw a mountain come crashing down into the water and a way was made just beneath the surface for us to walk on. Again the storm was not abated, the waves dashed over our feet as we walked but we knew that under the storm was a foundation, firm, solid so even the ‘least’ of these would be able to follow. This foundation this way in the midst of the troubled waters was ‘The Way’. He was our foundation enabling us to walk on the waters of the storm with ease, it was His blood that gave us confidence and strength and the multitude of followers increased as we walked. I was reminded of the lepers who were cleansed ‘as they went’ (Luke 17:14). Though the nine did not return to thank Him, they at least walked toward the confirmation of healing in going to show themselves to the Priest. The tenth in my opinion got it all, physically cleansed and in returning to the source, Jesus, He worshipped and was spiritually touched (Luke 17:19) his faith according to Jesus had made him whole (saved, delivered).
