WILT THOU BE MADE
WHOLE?
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken,
D.D.
"After this there was a feast
of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the
sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five
porches. In these lay a great
multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of
the water. For an angel went down at a
certain season into the pool and troubled the water: whosoever then first after
the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he
had.
“And a certain man was there,
which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
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..." (John 5:1-9)
Jesus Christ
asked this question of a man who was sick and diseased; a man who had laid for
thirty years, in a place where healings occurred supernaturally by God’s power!
You may say that was
a rather foolish question to ask one who was waiting for a miracle at the pool
of Bethesda. You may think so, but I
don't! After reading this message I am
sure you will agree with me that it was a very good question to ask. I want to
ask you that are sick and suffering, the same question, "Do you want to be healed?
Do you really want to get well?”
MY
MOTHER ANNE WAS HEALED!
In the early 1920s, my mother
received a miracle from God at the Bethesda Healing Home on the shores of the North Sea, near Oslo Norway! After seven days of
preparation and prayer, at an appointed hour, the sick and infirm folks were
taken into the waters, while releasing
their faith to God for a miracle.
There was no power in the water,
but releasing their faith brought into operation the mighty power of God. Going
into the water was their point of
contact with God, at which
moment they believed and received their miracle.
As those seeking healing stood outside the bath house, the nurse handed
my mother the key to unlock the door. As she stood there, she felt a warm hand
on her shoulder, and she was instantly healed. She took the train and walked 26
kilometers to her home! My mother passed
away at 77 years of age and had never been sickly or suffered from her previous
illness for those 44 years.
While preaching in the Norway
Crusades in May-July 1968, I spent some time in Etnedal, Valdres where my mother and father grew up and lived until
their departure to Canada in 1927. Many of my relatives remembered my mother's
healing. They told about the tremendous stir that my mother's healing made in
the community, and how she sang Gospel songs and played her guitar in the School
in Valdres.
I had the privilege of preaching
the Gospel to the precious people who gathered outside the same schoolhouse to
hear the Word of God. The Lutheran Lay
Reader was there and opened the service in prayer. He knew my mother and said, "We
all knew Anne well and are overjoyed to see the fruit of her godly life in her
son, Max Solbrekken".
I will never forget that meeting
and the ones we conducted in the large new Lutheran Prayer House where
300 people (mostly my relatives) crowded in and around the Church to hear me
preach the Gospel. More than one-half of
those present stood to their feet to receive Christ as their personal Saviour
in the final service. Hallelujah!
Let us go back to the account of, "The Healing of the Impotent Man"
and learn a few lessons about Jesus and His great ministry. Jesus goes where
the need is! Our story opens with Jesus going to Jerusalem for a special
religious gathering and feast. The very next verse tells us that Jesus was at
His Father's business of bringing healing and deliverance to an impotent
man.
In my study of the Scriptures for many years, I have observed that
Jesus Christ always went where the need was the greatest. Yes, my friend, you will always find Jesus amid
human suffering, pain, trouble, and sorrow because He is
touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Heb. 4:15), and He is
acquainted with sorrow and grief. (Isa. 53:3-5)
STENCH
OF THE SHEEP MARKET!
No rich or influential person
would live near a sheep market
because of the smell and stench of that place.
Only the poor and underprivileged
would resort to such a place. (Have you ever driven by a packing house,
feeder lot or turkey ranch on a hot, sultry day?) The Bible says, "In there lay a great
multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of
the water.”
The discouraged, defeated, sick, suffering and dying had gathered to
receive a touch from the Master. Wherever
people are being helped supernaturally by the Spirit and power of God, there
will be no shortage of people coming to receive help. Into
this arena of human suffering walked the Son of God to bring deliverance,
health, and healing to one who had no hope!
That was where Jesus went on that
memorable day! The smell from the sheep
market did not deter Him in His quest of blessing those in need; the religious
people of His day were no doubt too preoccupied with the Religious Feast and
the other traditions and ceremonials to think of walking down among the
unwanted, unfortunate, and undesirable of Jerusalem, but Jesus found His way to the bedside of an incurable man.
AN ANGEL
TROUBLED THE WATERS!
The reason the multitude of sick
and impotent folks were gathered at the pool of Bethesda was because an angel
would come down at a certain season and trouble the waters and when the people
would see the angel or at least see the waters being troubled they all hurried
to get into the pool because the first one in after the troubling of the waters
was healed of whatsoever disease he had.
We learn several lessons
here. God was so desirous to bring
healing to the sick and since He couldn't get the Priests to do His will in the
matter, (Micah 3:5-8) He sent an angel
to bring healing to the sick. I
wonder what some Gospel Ministers will do when they stand before God and try to
give an excuse to why they haven't bound up the broken and healed the sick in
His Name. (Ezek. 34:3-4)
It is the same with many of the
great truths found in the Holy Scriptures.
Some Ministers who stand behind the pulpits of our Churches and who call
themselves Ministers of God are not preaching the entire Gospel or taking a clear-cut
stand against sin and apostacy; rather
they are compromising with the world so that they can gain prominence and
acceptance from those who are the elite in the community. Approximately thirty years ago, a news report
was released over a large Radio Network in the U.S.A. regarding mysterious
happenings on a certain State Highway.
TWENTY-NINE
PEOPLE GAVE SAME REPORT!
The news reporter made the
statement that twenty-nine different people had called in
to the State patrol within a period of a few hours declaring that they had seen
a young, clean-cut, good-looking young man standing by the highway.
Every one of them had stopped and
given him a ride and in each case the stranger said, "I have come to tell you that Jesus is coming soon," and
he was gone. Twenty-nine different
motorists had given the same testimony.
There have been other recent, equally astounding accounts of angels
appearing and telling people that Jesus is soon to return.
I believe that so very few of
God's Ministers are preaching about the
soon return of Christ and He is so desirous to get the message out that He
is employing angels to do this task from time to time as the end approaches.
THE
VERY STONES WOULD CRY OUT!
Sometimes I am criticized because
we enjoy the liberty of the Spirit in our services and the people shout praises
unto God and worship Him with a loud noise.
When I am confronted with these accusations, I always let my accuser
read Luke 19:37-40 to show them how wrong they are.
"And when He was come nigh,
even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the
whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice
for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King
that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master,
rebuke thy disciples.
“And He answered and said unto
them, I tell you that, if these should hold
their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." This Scripture passage shows us the truth
about the matter of emotionalism, worship, and praise in the House of God. There
were a multitude (thousands) of disciples and followers of Jesus shouting and
praising God with a loud voice for the mighty works that they had seen.
Can you
imagine thousands of people praising God with loud voices at one time.
That's what they did and the Pharisees, from among the multitude got
nervous (and so did the devil) and said, "Master, stop thy
disciples, they are making too much noise."
But Jesus told them that it was quite alright. As a matter of fact, He enjoyed it.
Then He said, "If I tell these people to be quiet the stones would
immediately cry out." Hallelujah!
If you won't praise God, He'll find someone who will. God was so
desirous of healing the sick that He had to use an angel to bring deliverance.
WHEN
THE WATERS WERE TROUBLED!
"...Whosoever then first
after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever
disease he had." (Vs. 4) The time
to make a move for the pool was when the waters were troubled. Not before and not after, but exactly at the
time the angel was troubling the waters.
There is another great lesson to
learn here as well. Even though God can
heal the sick any hour of the day and any day of the week, there are certain times when His power is present to heal in a spectacular
and astounding way.
"And it came to pass on a
certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the
law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and
Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was
present to heal them." (Luke 5:17)
I am fully convinced that there
are times that God's power is present in a meeting in a strong way to convict
sinners or baptize with the Holy Ghost or to heal, at various times. We must move in the Spirit and so know
the mind of God in these matters to receive all that He has for us.
WHATEVER
DISEASE HE HAD!
"...Whosoever then first stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease
he had." It didn't matter how serious the sickness,
how nigh unto death the person was or how long they had been sick. They were healed if they met God's
conditions. Whatsoever disease covers
all diseases; there were none too big for God to look after.
JESUS stated, "With men
it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."
(Mark 10:27): "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him
that believeth." (Mark 9:23): "And whatsoever ye shall ask in
my name, that will I do..." (John 14:13)
There is nothing too hard for God. He cannot fail, and He will fulfill
His Word!
Remember no disease, sickness, problem, or difficulty is too hard for our
wonderful Lord! He is able to forgive,
cleanse, deliver, and liberate any and all who come to Him in prayer,
believing.
The Bible says, "Bless the
Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all
his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine
iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases..." (Ps. 103:1-3)
JESUS
KNOWS EVERYTHING!
"And a certain man was there,
which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
And when Jesus saw him lie and
knew that he had been now a long time in
that case..." (Vs. 5-6) Jesus knows everything about you, my dear
friend. He knows your troubles,
difficulties, and successes.
Nothing escapes the all-seeing eye
of God, and His ears are open to your cry. The
Scripture tells us that even a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without God
seeing it, (Matt. 10:29) and the very hairs of your head are numbered.
God looks after the lily of the field, (Matt. 6:28-30) and I am sure He will look
after you and me. Jesus walked up to the
bedside of a hopelessly sick man; a man who was incurable and had given up
hope; a man who was filled with bitterness and resentment and who had waited in
vain for thirty-eight years to receive his miracle. To this man Jesus asked a very pointed
question. "Wilt thou be made whole?"
WILT
THOU BE WHOLE?
Jesus looked down upon the sick man and asked
him a question that pierced deep within his soul. Wilt thou be made whole? What Jesus was saying was, "Do you really want to get well" or
"Are you really expecting to get healed?"
Jesus knew the man didn't expect
to get well; he had given up and was filled with resentment and bitterness.
It may surprise you to know that many people who are in hospitals do not
expect to get well; many people who go through the prayer lines or ask the
Pastor or Evangelist to pray for them do not expect to be healed; they just go
to the hospital or into the prayer line for prayer because they feel it is the
thing to do. They just go through
the motions, but they are not believing; they do not have active faith.
SOME
PEOPLE LIKE ALOT OF ATTENTION!
There was an article in a National Magazine some time ago that
told of people who are not sick but just love to go to the hospital; they will
do anything to get the attention of nurses
and doctors. Some even go so far,
the report stated, as to allow themselves to be operated on when no operation is
necessary, just to be in the hospital.
They love to be waited on and the attention they receive is most
gratifying to them. The article continued by saying that even in
some instances the patient was able to desire hospitalization so much that the
symptoms of certain diseases were manifested.
These people want to be sick to
receive attention and therefore couldn't desire healing even if they were sick.
On one occasion I was praying for
the sick in a Revival Crusade; many were receiving miracles from the Lord and
the great power of God was evidenced by all.
A blind man stood before me for
prayer; I asked him if he expected a miracle and he said he did; then I told
him that I believed God would do it for him that night. Suddenly he backed up a bit and asked the
question, "If I receive my sight will I lose my blind pension?"
I replied, "Yes" and
added that he would gain much more than just a pension; he could get a job and
support his family; then he backed off saying, "I don't think I want prayer tonight - perhaps some other
time," and someone led him away. He was afraid that if I prayed and God healed
him that he would lose his pension and have to work for a living. What a
shame!
Some religious people who deny that
the miraculous power of God today, would not dare come to our services for
prayer because if they did get healed it
would spoil their theology and they would have to deny their man-made
doctrines.
These are few and far between, but there are fanatics who hate the
Gospel and the power of God so much that they would sooner die than give in to
Christ and the Full Gospel.
MY SON
IS A PENTECOSTAL PREACHER!
I once had an experience that
taught several people a good lesson - I was conducting a Revival Crusade in a
certain city in the United States and God was blessing in a wonderful way.
A certain woman who had an inward goiter came for prayer one night; as I prayed for her in Jesus
Name, I felt a real surge of God's power and my faith touched the Lord; I knew
something was happening. I looked at her
and said, "I believe God is
healing you and making you whole!"
She disregarded what I had said
and made the following statement, "Oral
Roberts has prayed for me three times and my son is a Pentecostal Minister and
I'm not healed!" I
encouraged her to believe. The next
night she was in the prayer line again and there was a repetition of the first
night; the third night she came again and after I had prayed
fervently for her to be healed, she said the same words, "Oral Roberts
has prayed for me three times and I have a son who is a Pentecostal Minister
and I know that I'm not healed."
I turned to her and said, "Lady I have just finished praying for
your healing with faith in Christ and you tell me that you know you are not
healed. I believe that if you will
accept what I tell you and go home believing you will find that your goiter will
leave. Furthermore, it wouldn't matter
to me if Oral Roberts had prayed for you one hundred times and you had ten sons
in the ministry, the thing that matters is: do you believe God's Word?"
She looked at me as though she was
offended and walked off in a huff. The
next night she returned to the meeting "shouting happy"' she had been perfectly healed and her goiter
was gone. She testified that after I
had rebuked her she had gone home, thought it over, repented of her sins and
started to believe; suddenly she realized that her goiter which she had so
lovingly pampered for many years was gone.
Hallelujah!
Great joy filled my heart one
night when I prayed for a man with a
stiff arm in Vancouver, who had received prayer in Dr. Charles S. Price's
crusade 35 years before. God hadn't
seen fit to heal him but healed him in our meetings in 1964. Just because someone has prayed for you and
you haven't been healed doesn't mean you shouldn't go for prayer again. Keep
praying, keep believing and keep expecting and you will receive an answer to
your prayer!
You will receive an answer from
God if you don't give up. Faith holds on
until the answer comes. When Jesus asked
the man, "Wilt thou be made whole," He was asking, "Do you really want to get
better?"
HE TRIED
TO DECEIVE THE PREACHER!
In 1965 while conducting a
Revival Crusade in Winnipeg, a very
interesting incident took place. One night as I was praying for the sick a
young man stood before me, he had a crooked arm which was permanently bent at
the elbow, he could move it around in its "right angle" position, but
he could not straighten it in the least.
The young man was approximately 22
years of age and the accident had occurred when he was but a little child;
proper attention had not been given to him so therefore this arm grew in that position. As he told me all this, the Lord began to
speak to my heart about him. I looked
him straight in the eyes and said, "You must realize that when I
pray for you God's mighty power will come upon your body; are you ready to meet God's power? He answered in the affirmative.
I then felt impressed to ask him the same
question the second time. He again said that he was, adding that he was
a Christian. The mighty Spirit of God
stirred my soul as I realized that he was not telling me the truth.
The third time I questioned him saying, "Are you ready to meet
God's power?" He then began to cry
and said, "No, I am not ready, I did not come here because I expected God
to heal me. I only came so that I could
receive your prayers and then go out to tell people that
there is nothing to Divine Healing and that your prayers did not help me; our
Minister has said that you are a fake and that God no longer heals the
sick."
He was weeping and asking me to
forgive him. I said, "Ask God to forgive you for this terrible thing you
have done." After he cried out to
God for mercy and forgiveness, I laid my hands upon him and began to pray. Before
I was through praying. I heard hundreds of people shouting and praising God; I
opened my eyes and saw a wonderful sight.
George Goertzen was completely healed.
His arm was normal, and tears of joy streamed down his face.
He ran out to show his wife and
she came under the tent (she had remained in the car during the service) and
stood in amazement as she beheld the miracle.
This young man came into the prayer line for the wrong reason, but God
had mercy on his soul and as he repented the Lord healed him. Praise God.
George Goertzen became a powerful
preacher and spent some time ministering at the Cleansing Wave Gospel Church,
Sprague, MB. Praise Jesus!
THE
DISEASED MAN HAD GIVEN UP!
This man was going through the
motions, but he didn't really believe. He had given up and Jesus knew it! That's why Jesus asked him the question, "Wilt thou be made whole?" He answered by giving excuses; you can just
feel the note of resignation, failure, and bitterness in his answer.
He said, "Lord, 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." He was bitter and filled with
resentment. He had been there for 38 years - without
help; others had a friend or a relative to put them into the pool, but not him.
He was alone in this world. His relatives and friends had long ago
deserted him and he was alone in this cruel world. Bitterness will destroy an individual; it
will eat out your heart and life. Don't
ever let it get a grip on you or you'll be doomed to failure. Regardless of what life has given you,
regardless of the disappointments and heartaches. Keep believing and you will receive an answer
and a solution to your problems!
JESUS
DIDN'T GIVE HIM ANY PITY!
If you are sick, you do not need
pity, but rather compassion.
Pity has brought no healing miracle or no end to suffering, but
Compassion brings an answer! Compassion
realizes the need and brings with it a solution to the problem. Pity leaves
you where you are in your sad plight, but Compassion sets the wheels in motion
into the direction of deliverance for you!
Jesus could have agreed with him
and said, "You poor man, I feel sorry for you; yes you have grounds for
being bitter." No, a thousand times NO! Jesus looked upon the impotent man and issued
a Command of Faith. He said, "Rise, and take up thy bed, and
walk!"
A great lesson that we learn here
is that when you're dealing with Jesus you
don't need any human help if you will put your faith in Him and obey His Word. The second lesson we learn is that while we
grumble, complain and murmur about our plight in life, Jesus isn't very far from anyone of us and stands ready to help us if
we only acknowledge Him.
MAN IS
A TRIUNE BEING!
Man was created in the image and
likeness of God. Man is triune as God is triune. God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost and man is
Spirit, Soul (Mind) and Body. Jesus spoke to the impotent man's Spirit
first and said, "Rise."
Usually before you can receive a
physical miracle something must happen to your spirit. You must receive a miracle within you. Your attitudes about God, His power and
yourself, must change. Multitudes today
are sick physically because they are sick Spiritually! They have no faith in anyone. Their hopes are gone, and their spirit is
filled with resentment and bitterness.
This man was in this condition and
so therefore Jesus spoke to his spirit and said, "Rise." Something within the man rose up; his
spirit was healed, and hope and faith swept into his being. Secondly Jesus spoke to the impotent man's
Soul or mind and said, "Take up thy bed." We believe with our hearts (spirits) but
Faith without works is dead! (James 2:29)
The knowledge that creates faith (Rom. 10:17) is deep within your spirit but it must be in your mind as well or you
will do nothing about what you believe.
Your mind sends to your body orders to do certain things and your body
obeys those orders.
However, the Spirit of man is the core or seat
of his intelligence and understanding.
It is difficult for some people to believe with their heads what their
heart or spirit knows is possible.
Jesus spoke to the man's spirit or innermost being and a great
transformation took place there. Then He spoke to his mind (soul) and the man realized that what Jesus said was physically possible
by God's supernatural power.
Lastly, Jesus spoke to the impotent man's body and said,
"Walk" whereupon the man obeyed and was gloriously healed. Many people need their Spirits (which
govern their attitudes) healed - others need a mental
healing - a spiritual brainwashing.
The Word of God that creates faith, heals the mind, and renews it (John 5:5-9) the Scripture says,
"And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and
walked." (vs. 9). I ask you the same
question that Jesus asked, "Wilt
thou be made whole?" Don't hide
behind excuses but let Jesus heal your spirit and mind and I'll guarantee your
physical diseases and sicknesses will have to flee away. Hallelujah.
Amen.
Max Solbrekken World
Mission Box 44220 RPO Garside T5V 1N6. Email: [email protected]. comehometojesus.ca; My Facebook;
Blog: powerful messages and testimonies; cds and dvds on YouTube. Agree
with us for a miracle from Jesus Christ, the Great Physician! M.S.
