Participants: Pr. Walter Pearson
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000307
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00:02 Announcer: BREATH OF LIFE PRESENTS RELENTLESS PURSUIT WITH
00:08 PASTOR WALTER L. PEARSON, JR. 00:11 (theme music) WP: TONIGHT I WANT TO 00:24 DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO JOHN, CHAPTER 5. 00:27 IT IS A STORY THAT I'M SURE YOU THINK YOU KNOW. 00:34 JOHN, CHAPTER 5, AND I THINK I CAN CAPTURE WHAT WE NEED 00:42 BEGINNING AT VERSE 5. 00:45 AND HERE'S WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: "AND A CERTAIN MAN WAS THERE, 00:50 WHICH HAD AN INFIRMITY THIRTY AND EIGHT YEARS. 00:56 WHEN JESUS SAW HIM LIE AND KNEW THAT HE HAD BEEN NOW A LONG TIME 01:01 IN THAT CASE, HE SAID UNTO HIM, 'WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE ?' 01:08 THE IMPOTENT MAN ANSWERED HIM, 'SIR, I HAVE NO MAN, WHEN THE 01:13 WATER'S TROUBLED, TO PUT ME INTO THE POOL, BUT WHILE I'M COMING 01:18 ANOTHER STEPETH DOWN BEFORE ME.' JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, 'RISE, 01:25 TAKE UP THY BED AND WALK.'" 01:31 I'VE LIFTED A FEW WORDS FROM THIS TEXT TO 01:33 ENTITLE THIS MESSAGE. 01:34 I CALL IT I HAVE NO MAN. 01:42 WOULD YOU PRAY WITH ME ? 01:45 FATHER IN HEAVEN, TONIGHT WE OPEN THE SCRIPTURES, BUT WE 01:49 DON'T DO IT WITHOUT ASKING FIRST THAT THE POWER OF GOD WOULD BE 01:55 DISPENSED INTO THIS PLACE. 01:59 I RECOGNIZE THAT WITHOUT JESUS MY VOICE WOULD MEAN NOTHING; 02:05 MY LANGUAGE WOULD BE BABBLING; THERE WOULD BE NO 02:11 MEANING WHATEVER. 02:13 AND SO I CONFESS THAT ANY GOOD WORD THAT HAS EVER 02:16 PROCEEDED FROM MY LIPS HAS COME BY THE POWER OF GOD. 02:22 NOW, WE TRUST THEE, FATHER, FOR WE NEED TO HEAR FROM 02:25 THE LORD TONIGHT. 02:27 SPEAK TO US AND OUR HEARTS SHALL BE SATISFIED. 02:31 IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WE PRAY, AMEN. 02:36 YOU HAVE HEARD 25-30 SERMONS ON THE POOL OF BETHESDA. 02:46 THE NAME OF THE PLACE IS HOUSE OF MERCY. 02:51 I SUGGEST TO YOU THAT IT'S A STRANGE THING TO BE CALLED 02:56 BECAUSE THE VERY STORY THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO READ SUGGESTS THAT 03:00 THERE IS SOMETIMES NO MERCY IN A PLACE CALLED THE HOUSE OF MERCY. 03:09 THE BIBLE SAYS THERE IS THIS POOL. 03:13 I HAVE BEEN TO THE PLACE WHERE THEY SAY IS THE POOL. 03:17 YOU'VE GOTTO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE EVEN IN THE HOLY 03:19 LAND PEOPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS CORRECT IN WHAT THEY SAY. 03:24 BUT THEY TOOK MY WIFE AND I TO A PLACE AND WE LOOKED AT 03:26 IT, AND THERE WE WERE, LOOKING AT JERUSALEM, THE SCHOLARS 03:32 ARE STILL ARGUING WITH EACH OTHER--IS IT THE SHEEP GATE; 03:36 IS IT THE SHEEP MARKET; IS IT THE SHEEP POOL ? 03:40 SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT AT THIS POOL, WHILE YOU ARE THERE TRYING 03:46 TO BE HEALED, YOU ARE EXPOSED TO THE ENTERPRISE--YOU'RE NOT 03:52 SOMEWHERE OUT IN THE WOODS. 03:55 YOU CAN LOOK UP AT JERUSALEM AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. 03:59 SO, YOU'RE NOT ISOLATED FROM THE ACTIVITY OF HEALTHY PEOPLE 04:04 OF WEALTHY PEOPLE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BLESSED WITH 04:08 HEALTH AND MOVEMENT. 04:11 AND SO THE BIBLE SAYS AT THIS PLACE THERE ARE PEOPLE GATHERED 04:16 BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT AN ANGEL COMES BETIMES 04:23 AND MOVES THE WATER. 04:25 I READ A LOT OF SCHOLARSHIP ON THESE THINGS. 04:28 I DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT I READ, BUT IT'S INTERESTING. 04:33 ONE SCHOLAR SAYS THAT THIS POOL IS FED BY THE STREAM OF SALOM. 04:38 THAT MEANS THAT IT MIGHT BE PART OF AN AQUEDUCT THAT COULD 04:44 CAUSE SURGING IN THE WATER. 04:48 MAYBE THE STORY THAT IS TOLD ABOUT THIS POOL 04:53 IS SOMEWHAT ASKEW. 04:56 THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IN FACT, 05:00 RELIABLE CRITICS HAVE LOOKED AT THE BIBLE TEXT AND SUGGEST TO US 05:05 THAT THE PART OF VERSE 3 THAT TALKS ABOUT THE MOVING OF THE 05:09 WATER, AND ALL OF VERSE 4, WHICH SAYS AN ANGEL MOVES THE WATER, 05:16 WAS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL TEXT. 05:19 SOME PRO-ACTIVE SCHOLAR CAME AND SAW WHAT WAS THERE AND SAID, 05:25 "AHA, WE NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS." 05:28 YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE IS JUST ABOUT ENOUGH BY ITSELF. 05:32 DOESN'T REALLY NEED MUCH HELP--WHAT DO YOU SAY ? 05:36 BUT ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS CONFIRMS THAT THIS WHOLE STORY 05:44 IS NOT BUILT ON TRUTH; IT'S BUILT ON A TALE THAT IS PASSED. 05:51 HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT ONCE YOU START A STORY, 05:53 IT GAINS MOMENTUM. 05:56 THERE ARE SOME OF US WHO HAVE BEEN AT THE WRONG END OF A 05:59 STORY THAT GAINED MOMENTUM. 06:02 SOMEBODY TELLS A LITTLE TINY LIE ABOUT YOU, BUT LIES ARE 06:07 SO IRRESISTIBLE THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF 06:12 HIS OR HER PERSONALITY TO IT, AND BY THE TIME YOU 06:15 HEAR IT, IT IS GIGANTIC. 06:19 SO, I UNDERSTAND HOW IT COULD BE, BUT THE FACT IS THAT PERHAPS 06:24 THERE WAS A GRAIN OF TRUTH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY. 06:28 I READ SOME THINGS THAT WERE FANTASTIC. 06:31 THEY TALKED ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED AT THE BIRTH OF 06:33 JESUS, WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED AT THE BUILDING OF THE WALL 06:37 AROUND JERUSALEM, THAT SOME GREAT EVENT MIGHT HAVE BROUGHT 06:40 HOLINESS TO THIS LAND THAT SEEPED INTO THE WATER. 06:46 BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT MAKES ME SUSPICIOUS. 06:50 JESUS DOES NOT HEAL BY CHOOSING THE ONE WHO NEEDS IT LEAST. 06:58 THE STORY SAYS THAT THERE ARE TIMES, AND I READ VERY 07:03 CAREFULLY, AND THEY SAID THAT SOMETIMES IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 07:05 CONSIDERED WEEKLY, BUT PROBABLY LESS LIKELY THAN EVERY WEEK. 07:10 PEOPLE WERE LOOKING ALL THE TIME. 07:13 DURING THE DAY THE PLACE WAS CROWDED; HUNDREDS GATHERED 07:16 THERE, AND THEY WATCHED FOR THE WATER TO MOVE. 07:20 PEOPLE WHO COULD NOT WALK TO THE POOL WOULD DRAG 07:24 THEMSELVES TO THE POOL. 07:26 THOSE WHO HAD ENOUGH MONEY OR ENOUGH CLOUT OR ENOUGH 07:29 CONNECTIONS HAD SOME PEOPLE TO COME WITH THEM, TO BE THERE 07:33 WHEN THEY NEEDED TO GET TO THE WATER, BECAUSE YOU WERE 07:36 HEALED IF YOU WERE FIRST IN THE WATER, AND THEREIN LIES 07:40 MY PROBLEM, BECAUSE IF YOU'VE GOT A MIGRAINE HEADACHE 07:44 YOU CAN GET THERE FIRST. 07:46 IF YOU HAVE TERMINAL CANCER, IF YOU ARE PARALYZED, YOU ARE 07:50 UNLIKELY TO GET THERE FIRST. 07:53 GOD DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. 07:58 I HAVE SEEN HOW GOD MOVES. 08:01 THERE ARE TIMES WHEN HE TAKES THE MOST PITIFUL OF CASES. 08:05 IN FACT, IN THIS VERY PASSAGE, JESUS DOESN'T GO DOWN AND 08:09 SAY, "WHO LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE ALMOST HEALED. 08:14 WHO LOOKS THE HEALTHIEST ?" 08:16 YOU KNOW, I WOULD ALMOST BE READY TO PUT THIS THING DOWN IF 08:19 JESUS OPERATED IN THAT FASHION; THAT HE CHOSE THE ONE WHO NEEDED 08:24 HIM LEAST AND HEALED THEM. 08:26 I BELIEVE THAT IN ORDER TO SHOW HIS DIVINITY, GOD OFTEN 08:32 CHOOSES THE WORSE CASE, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME CASES THAT NOBODY 08:38 THINKS CAN BE HEALED. 08:39 I HAVE A SERMON THAT HAS AS ITS MAJOR THESIS THAT GOD 08:43 SOMETIMES WAITS UNTIL EVERYBODY SAYS THERE'S NO HOPE. 08:49 IT CAN'T BE DONE. 08:50 THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED, AND WHEN 08:53 EVERYBODY HAS SIGNED OFF ON THE IMPOSSIBILITY, THEN GOD STEPS 08:58 IN, BECAUSE GOD SPECIALIZES-YOU KNOW WHAT THE FOLKS SAY-IN 09:04 THINGS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE. 09:07 SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU ARE WILLING TO GO WITH ME OR NOT, 09:10 BUT I THINK I'M ABLE TO SUBSTANTIATE THAT THIS WAS NOT 09:16 A STORY THAT WAS BASED ON FACT. 09:18 YOU KNOW THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE GONE THERE WHO HAD A 09:21 PSYCHOSOMATIC ILLNESS, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ILL, 09:24 BUT IT'S NOT PHYSICAL. 09:28 DON'T WORRY; I'M NOT GOING TOO FAR DOWN THAT PATH. 09:31 SOME PEOPLE WILL BE ANNOYED WITH ME. 09:34 BUT SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE THINKING THEY'RE SICK, AND IF 09:37 YOU THINK YOU'RE SICK, YOU ARE. 09:40 YOU CAN SIT IN YOUR BED; YOU CAN LIE THERE AND BE SICK. 09:45 YOU MAY NOT BE SICK, BUT IF YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU'RE SICK. 09:50 I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SICK FOR AGES. 09:53 NO DOCTOR HAS BEEN ABLE TO VERIFY IT, BUT THEIR 09:56 ILLNESS SEEMS PALPABLE. 09:59 IT'S IN THEIR HEADS, BUT COULD IT HAVE BEEN THAT 10:03 SOMEBODY WHOSE ILLNESS WAS NOT PHYSICAL, BUT PSYCHOSOMATIC, 10:06 WENT DOWN TO THE POOL, SAW IT MOVE, JUMPED IN, GOT UP 10:09 AND SAID, "HEY, I'M HEALED !" 10:15 AND YOU KNOW HOW THAT WILL TAKE OFF. 10:18 THAT'S A STORY THAT HAS LEGS-IT'LL FLY. 10:20 SO, IF IT IS TRUE, AND I BELIEVE THAT IT IS, THAT THIS 10:25 STORY IS BASED ON AN OLD WIVES TALE, IF YOU WILL, AND THAT 10:31 PEOPLE ARE WAITING THERE BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE NO OTHER HOPE, 10:35 YOU WILL HOPE IN ANYTHING. 10:38 INCIDENTALLY, THAT'S WHY I THINK CHRISTIANS OUGHT TO SPEAK UP. 10:42 I WISH I HAD BEEN THE ONE WHO SAID IT, BUT A GENTLEMAN 10:45 WROTE THAT EVERYBODY IN SOCIETY HAS COME OUT OF THE 10:49 CLOSET EXCEPT CHRISTIANS. 10:56 WE WALK AROUND WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO WAY OF GETTING 11:00 ANY HELP FOR THEIR NEEDS, AND HERE WE ARE WITH THE SOURCE 11:04 OF ALL POWER, BUT WE ARE UNDERCOVER CHRISTIANS. 11:11 AND SO PEOPLE PASS US ALL THE TIME WHO NEED TO KNOW 11:13 WHAT WE HAVE KNOWN ALL ALONG, BUT WE DARE NOT SHARE IT 11:17 WITH THEM BECAUSE IT WILL IDENTIFY US AS CHRISTIANS. 11:20 FRIENDS OF MINE--THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING MANY THINGS THAT 11:23 ARE ODD, THAT ARE STRANGE, THAT ARE LIKE ICOOCLASTIC, WHY IN 11:26 THE WORLD WON'T CHRISTIANS STAND UP AND BE COUNTED, LET THE 11:30 REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO ! 11:35 WELL, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO BELIEVE IN-SO 11:40 THE PEOPLE ARE GATHERED. 11:41 THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO GATHER THERE DAY AFTER DAY. 11:44 SOMEONE BRINGS THEM AND THEN THEY TAKE THEM BACK. 11:49 BUT THERE ARE SOME WHO DON'T LEAVE. 11:51 THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO COME TO THIS PLACE AND 11:54 STAY NIGHT AND DAY. 11:58 DURING THE DAY THE SUN SCORCHES, SO SOMEBODY GOT INGENIOUS. 12:03 THEY SAID, "LET'S PUT SOME SHADE--LET'S CREATE SHADE." 12:07 AND THEY PUT SOME COVERING OVER SOME OF THE PORCHES 12:12 THAT HAD BEEN BUILT, SO THAT DURING THE DAY THE SUN 12:15 WOULD NOT SCORCH PEOPLE. 12:16 AND THEN PEOPLE WHO CAME TO STAY DURING THE NIGHT UNDERSTOOD 12:20 THAT IT GOT COLD, SO THEY HAD BLANKETS, AND THEY HAD THEIR 12:25 RUGS, AND THEY WOULD LIE DOWN ON THEM-NOT THE MOST COMFORTABLE 12:29 WAY TO SLEEP, BUT IF YOU WANT TO BE THERE JUST IN CASE AT 12:33 DAYBREAK, THE WATER SHOULD MOVE. 12:37 AND YOU CRAWLED DOWN TO THE EDGE, AND YOU WANT TO BE 12:41 THERE IN CASE IT HAPPENS AT THE BREAK OF DAY. 12:44 PERHAPS IN THE GRAY OF MORNING IT WILL COME. 12:48 SO THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE. 12:51 THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE WHO DIE THERE. 12:56 THERE IS FOR THEM NO HOPE ANYMORE. 13:00 THEY HAVE WAITED TILL THEIR MOMENT COMES--THE WATER MOVES, 13:03 BUT THERE'S NOBODY TO PICK THEM UP, AND SO THEY TRY 13:06 THEIR BEST TO GET DOWN, THEY CRAWL, THEY USE WHATEVER 13:10 POWER THEY HAVE, BUT THEY CAN'T GET THERE IN TIME. 13:15 IN FACT, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DECLARE THAT WHEN THEY THOUGHT 13:19 THE WATER MOVE, THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WOULD BE LIKE DRIVEN 13:24 ANIMALS, WOULD STEP OVER THE HEADS OF PEOPLE WHO HAD OTHER 13:30 ILLNESSES, WOULD TRAMPLE THEM UNDER AND PERHAPS SOME OF 13:33 THE DEATH THAT OCCURRED AT THIS PLACE HAPPENED BECAUSE 13:38 SOMEBODY WAS TRAMPLED TRYING TO GET TO THE WATER. 13:42 THAT, MY FRIEND, IS NOT THE WAY GOD WORKS. 13:46 GOD IS A GOD OF DECENCY AND ORDER; EVEN WITH GOD MOVES 13:53 WITH LARGE GROUPS THERE IS ORDER THERE, BUT AT THIS 13:57 POOL YOU CAN TELL IT WAS SOMETIMES WITHOUT MERCY. 14:04 WELL, THE BIBLE SAYS THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO CAME THERE, BUT WHEN 14:08 JESUS PASSED BY--AND I LOVE THIS PART OF THE STORY--HE MIGHT HAVE 14:15 HEALED EVERYONE THERE, BUT THE POLITICAL SITUATION WAS SO 14:20 TENSE, AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU THINK THAT THE BIBLE IS SO, SO 14:25 PRETTY, AND IT'S SO DELICATE--ALL OF YOUR JESUS 14:30 STORIES ARE PRETTY--"YES, JESUS WOULD ALWAYS GO 14:37 AND HEAL THE PEOPLE." 14:39 YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND--THERE WERE FOLK AROUND TRYING TO 14:41 KILL JESUS; TRYING TO IMPUGN HIS CHARACTER; TRYING TO 14:46 DETRACT FROM HIS CREDENTIAL. 14:49 HE HAD NOT GONE TO ONE OF THE SCHOOLS OF THAT DAY, HIS 14:52 WISDOM CAME FROM SOMEWHERE, BUT HE SPOKE WITH AUTHORITY, 14:57 SO THEY KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT BACKED HIM UP. 14:59 YOU AND I KNOW HE WAS NOT IN A REGULAR PROGRAM; YOU 15:03 MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THESE DAYS NOT EVERYBODY GOES TO AN 15:07 ORDINARY EDUCATIONAL SITUATION. 15:09 THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF DISTANCE LEARNING. 15:15 THIS IS WHY I LOVE MY JOB; I GET TO DO STUFF LIKE THIS. 15:18 JESUS WAS ENROLLED IN A DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM. 15:22 EARLY IN THE MORNING, A GREAT WHILE BEFORE DAY, HE WOULD WAKE 15:25 UP AND COMMUNE WITH HIS FATHER. 15:28 HIS FATHER WOULD SEND DOWN A LESSON OR TWO, AND HE WOULD 15:32 FULFILL THE LESSON AND FILL IN ALL THE BLANKS AND SEND 15:35 IT BACK UP, SO THAT HIS EDUCATION WAS COMPLETE AND 15:39 SUPERIOR TO ANYTHING ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. 15:43 IT JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN AT A NORMAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION, 15:45 AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE IS TENSION BETWEEN FORMAL 15:49 EDUCATION AND SPIRITUAL EDUCATION, LET ME SAY QUICKLY, 15:53 LEST SOMEBODY TRYING TO LEAVE THIS INSTITUTION BLAME IT ON ME. 16:01 SO LONG AS YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WISDOM COMES FROM GOD 16:04 YOU CAN GET YOUR INFORMATION FROM ANYWHERE. 16:07 IN FACT, THE CLOSER YOUR INFORMATION COMES FROM 16:10 DIVINITY, THE BETTER IT IS AND THE MORE RELIABLE--IT 16:12 IS SUPERIOR INFORMATION. 16:14 BUT GOD HAS NO TENSION AGAINST LEARNING. 16:17 GOD USED PEOPLE WITH FORMAL EDUCATION THE APOSTLE PAUL 16:21 BEING A STERLING EXAMPLE. 16:25 HE WAS NO LESS EFFECTIVE BECAUSE HE WAS TRAINED. 16:28 HIS MIND WAS SHARP AND GOD USED HIM IN A DIFFERENT WAY. 16:31 THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE COULDN'T USE SOMEBODY WHO DIDN'T 16:33 HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. 16:35 REMEMBER THAT INFORMATION COMES FROM ALL SOURCES, MANY SOURCES. 16:40 WISDOM COMES FROM GOD. 16:43 AS LONG AS YOU'VE GOT THAT, YOU GOT IT STRAIGHT. 16:45 SO HERE WE ARE WITH THIS SITUATION. 16:48 LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW. 16:50 THESE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE DEDUCED. 16:53 THIS MAN WHO HAD BEEN PARALYZED FOR 38 YEARS, COULD 16:56 NOT TAKE HIMSELF TO THIS POOL. 17:02 SOMEBODY TOOK HIM, AND NOW THE SOMEBODY IS GONE. 17:10 ARE WE TOGETHER SO FAR ? 17:13 THIS IS NOT WRITTEN, IT CAN BE DEDUCED. 17:16 HE GOT THERE, BUT IF HE'S PARALYZED, HE COULDN'T 17:19 TAKE HIMSELF, BUT BY THE TIME JESUS GETS THERE, YOU 17:21 REMEMBER JESUS SAYS, "DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WHOLE ?" 17:26 AND I CATCH THE WORDS OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS, WHO 17:28 SAYS THAT THE MAN LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT FACE, THAT FACE 17:34 UNLIKE ANY OTHER FACE. 17:36 JESUS' FACE WAS NOT DIFFERENT BECAUSE HE WAS TOO HANDSOME. 17:40 HE HAD NO FORM OF COMELINESS, ISAIAH SAID, THAT WE 17:44 MIGHT DESIRE HIM. 17:46 GOD MIGHT HAVE MADE JESUS SO HANDSOME THAT EVERY WOMAN WOULD 17:50 HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH HIM; SO MUSCULAR THAT EVERY MAN WOULD 17:52 HAVE ENVIED HIM, BUT HIS BEAUTY WAS NOT FROM HIS MUSCULATURE. 17:57 IT WAS FROM WHAT WAS WITHIN. 18:00 SO, WHEN THAT FACE BENT DOWN OVER THAT MAN, IT WAS NOT THAT 18:03 HIS FEATURES WERE SO HANDSOME; IT WAS THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING 18:07 OF LOVE AND POWER IN THAT FACE, AND WHEN THE MAN SAW HIM, 18:12 SOMETHING INSIDE OF HIM LEAPED, BUT THEN HE SAID, "NO, I'VE 18:17 BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE." 18:19 SO, WHEN JESUS SAYS, "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU," HERE 18:22 IS HIS ANSWER, AND PREACHERS ENJOY IGNORING THE MAN'S ANSWER. 18:28 HE SAYS, "I HAVE NO MAN." 18:31 NOW, YOU KNEW I WAS GOING TO TAKE A PIECE OF THAT. 18:37 IN MY TRAVELS, AND I'M GLAD THAT MY WIFE IS MOST OFTEN WITH ME 18:41 BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT GENDER GROUPS THAT APPROACH 18:45 WITH SEPARATE REQUESTS. 18:52 WHEN A GROUP OF YOUNG WOMEN COME, I CAN ALMOST TELL WHAT 18:57 THEIR QUANDARY MIGHT BE. 19:00 I PULL MY WIFE CLOSE. 19:05 AND SOMETIMES THEY SAY THE VERY WORDS THAT THE PARALYZED 19:09 MAN SAID, "PASTOR PEARSON, I HAVE NO MAN." 19:19 WHAT CAN I TELL THEM ? 19:22 I'VE HAD YOUNG LADIES ASK ME, "WHEN YOU TRAVEL, WOULD YOU TAKE 19:25 ME A PICTURE OF ME WITH YOU ?" 19:27 WELL, I WOULD END UP WITH A LARGE POCKET FULL OF PICTURES 19:30 I'M NOT SURE MY WIFE WOULD BE COMPLETELY IN CONSONANCE 19:34 WITH THAT PLAN, SO I DO NOT ACCEPT PICTURES. 19:37 I HOPE YOU'RE FOREWARNED. 19:40 "I HAVE NO MAN." 19:42 WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS NOT JUST THAT "I DON'T HAVE A 19:45 MAN NOW, BUT I'VE HAD SOME EXPERIENCES WITH MEN." 19:50 LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THIS MAN'S REAL PROBLEM IS. 19:53 DO YOU MIND IF WE CUT THROUGH THE RED TAPE. 19:57 WHAT THE MAN IS SAYING IS THIS: "SOMEBODY BROUGHT ME. 20:01 AT LEAST THEY WERE KIND ENOUGH TO BRING ME HERE." 20:03 I DON'T KNOW WHO IT WAS. 20:04 I'VE DONE AS MUCH RESEARCH AS I CAN DO. 20:06 I CANNOT FIND OUT WHO IT WAS THAT BROUGHT HIM, BUT 20:08 WHOEVER BROUGHT HIM MIGHT HAVE STAYED WITH HIM FOR A WHILE, 20:12 BUT EVENTUALLY THEY BECAME ENCHANTED WITH SOMETHING 20:17 ELSE, AND THEY LEFT HIM. 20:19 SO I HAVE AN IDEA HOW THE CONVERSATION WENT. 20:23 DAY AFTER DAY, WITH NO MOVEMENT OF WATER, MAYBE 20:26 THE MOVEMENT DID HAPPEN AND THEY SAID, "COME ALONG, COME 20:28 ON, WE'VE GOT TO GO !" 20:29 AND HE SAID, "YEAH, BUT I. . ." 20:30 "COME ON, MAN, SEE, LOOK WHAT HAPPENED. 20:34 IF YOU'D COME WHEN I TOLD YOU TO COME, WE'D HAVE MADE IT. 20:38 NEXT TIME DON'T PLAY AROUND. 20:42 I'M HERE WITH YOU, BUT I CAN'T CODDLE YOU. 20:45 THIS IS TOUGH LOVE. 20:47 AND WHEN THAT WATER MOVES I'M GOING TO SNATCH YOU NEXT TIME; 20:50 I HOPE YOU'RE READY." 20:52 BUT AFTER A FEW SNATCHES, WHOEVER IT WAS WHO CAME--COULD 20:56 IT HAVE BEEN HIS WIFE, COULD IT HAVE BEEN A SON ? 20:59 THEY MUST HAVE SAID TO HIM, "YOU KNOW SOMETHING ? 21:02 YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, DON'T YOU, BUT I'VE BEEN THINKING, 21:07 I THINK I'D BE MORE HELP TO YOU MAYBE GOING OUT AND 21:12 GETTING A JOB SOMEWHERE. 21:13 LOOK, RIGHT UP THERE I SEE PEOPLE. 21:15 I BELIEVE THERE ARE JOBS AVAILABLE UP NEAR THE 21:18 SHEEP GATE, OR DOWN HERE NEAR THE SHEEP POOL. 21:21 I BELIEVE THAT I COULD GO DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES MORE SENSE 21:25 THAN SITTING WITH YOU EVERY DAY WAITING FOR THIS WATER TO MOVE 21:28 AND THEN TRYING TO GET YOU UP. 21:29 WOULD YOU MIND ? 21:31 COULD I TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS AND JUST GO CHECK ?" 21:35 WELL, WHAT'S HE GOING TO SAY ? 21:37 HE CAN'T FORCE THEM TO STAY. 21:39 "SO, OKAY, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK; HEY, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK." 21:45 OKAY, YOU KN HOW THAT GOES. 21:49 I BELIEVE THAT SOMEBODY ABANDONED HIM. 21:52 THEY MAY HAVE COME BACK ONCE OR TWICE, OR MAYBE THEY CAME TO 21:56 CHECK ON HIM, BUT THEIR VISITS BECAME FEW AND FAR BETWEEN, AND 22:00 EVENTUALLY THIS MAN FOUND HIMSELF AT THE PLACE OF HEALING, 22:05 WHERE THE WATER WAS SUPPOSED TO MOVE, BUT NOBODY TO PICK HIM UP 22:07 AND TAKE HIM OVER THERE. 22:09 AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME YOUNG LADIES WHO HAVE 22:12 HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. 22:13 THEIR REAL COMPLAINT IS NOT THAT "I HAVE NO MAN," BUT THAT "I HAD 22:17 A FEW AND THEY ABANDONED ME." 22:23 "HONEY, I KNOW A PLACE WHERE I COULD TAKE YOU. 22:28 I HAVE LOOKED AT YOU AND I'VE SEEN YOUR PROBLEM. 22:32 YOU KNOW I CAN READ INTO YOUR MIND, AND IT'S JUST 22:37 A GIFT I'VE GOT. 22:40 I'M ABLE TO DO THAT. 22:43 AND SINCE I KNOW WHAT YOUR WEAKNESS IS, AND TRUST ME, YOU 22:46 ARE ALMOST PERFECT, BUT YOU DO HAVE THAT ONE LITTLE THING, 22:50 AND I KNOW A PLACE WHERE I CAN TAKE YOU WHERE WATER MOVES. 22:58 COULD I TAKE YOU DOWN THERE ?" 23:01 "I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT." 23:02 "DON'T WORRY ABOUT, I'VE HEARD OF IT. 23:05 I'LL TAKE YOU THERE, GIRL, AND I'LL STAY WITH YOU. 23:08 I'LL BE THERE UNTIL THE WATER MOVES. 23:13 AND WHEN THAT WATER MOVES, GIRL, I'M GOING TO GRAB YOU 23:17 AND RUN DOWN TO THAT WATER. 23:20 I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYBODY DOWN THERE BY THAT POOL WHO 23:23 CAN MOVE AS FAST AS I CAN. 23:24 BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, I'LL HAVE YOU SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF 23:27 THAT WATER, AND WE'RE GOING TO COME AWAY WITH A HEALED WOMAN. 23:32 GIRL, YOU READY TO BE HEALED ?" 23:36 LADIES, YOU'RE MIGHTY QUIET. 23:42 AND IT'S OKAY IF HE'D STAYED, BUT EVENTUALLY SOMETHING 23:50 CAUGHT HIS EYE BY THE GATE OF JERUSALEM. 23:54 "HEY, REMEMBER I SAID I WAS GOING TO STAY HERE WITH YOU ? 23:59 AND YOU KNOW I MEAN THAT. 24:01 DON'T YOU KNOW I MEAN THAT ? 24:05 BUT I JUST SAW A FRIEND OF MINE UP THERE, AND I KNOW THIS MAN 24:09 GOT SOMETHING GOING ALL THE TIME, AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU 24:11 SOMETHING, IF YOU GIVE ME A FEW MINUTES, IN FACT, MAYBE LIKE A 24:14 DAY AND A HALF WITH HIM, I'LL GO UP THERE AND GET A COUPLE OF 24:17 THINGS MOVING, I'LL COME BACK DOWN HERE AND BRING YOU SOME 24:19 FOOD AND STUFF--YOU KNOW WE DON'T HAVE MUCH DOWN HERE--ALL 24:22 WE'VE GOT IS LIKE THIS RUG. 24:25 I'LL BRING US BACK SOMETHING SO WE CAN AT LEAST BE 24:28 COMFORTABLE WHILE I'M WAITING ON THAT WATER TO MOVE. 24:30 YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT WATER, WAITING ON THAT WATER TO MOVE, 24:33 SO LET ME JUST RUN. . .AND YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, BUT 24:37 RIGHT NOW, I'VE GOT TO GO. 24:40 I'M GOING TO BE RIGHT BACK." 24:43 LADIES, YOU KNOW THE WHOLE STORY, DON'T YOU. 24:46 I HAVE A DAUGHTER. 24:47 WE HAVE HAD DEEP ANALYTICAL CONVERSATIONS. 24:52 IT IS RARE WHEN THE BROTHER EVEN MAKES THAT PHONE 24:57 CALL HE PROMISES. 24:59 Y'ALL ARE REAL QUIET; YOU ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW 25:02 ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ? 25:03 ARE YOU TRYING TO ACT LIKE YOU ARE NOT THE ONE 25:05 WHO KNOWS THIS STUFF ? 25:06 ALL THE OTHER WOMEN KNOW, BUT YOU HAVE NEVER 25:08 EXPERIENCED THIS ? 25:10 WELL, ALL I'M SAYING TO YOU IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO 25:14 WOULD TAKE YOU PLACES PROMISING HEALING THAT THEY CANNOT GIVE, 25:18 AND THEN WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT HAPPEN, THEY ABANDON 25:21 YOU, AND THE HURT IS NOT JUST IN THE FACT THAT THEY TOLD 25:26 YOU THINGS THAT WERE NOT TRUE; THINGS THAT WERE FANTASTIC; 25:30 THINGS THAT WERE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, AND CERTAINLY THEY 25:33 SOUNDED LIKE THEY REALLY WERE. 25:36 OR MAYBE IT'S SOME MAN, AND BROTHERS DON'T YOU THINK THAT 25:38 THERE'S NOT SOME SISTERS WHO CAN SAY THAT SAME STUFF. 25:43 Announcer: JOIN US NEXT TIME FOR MORE OF PASTOR PEARSON'S MESSAGE 25:46 ON THE POOL OF BETHESDA. 26:21 Announcer: TO ORDER CD OR AUDIOCASSETTE COPY OF THIS 26:23 BREATH OF LIFE BROADCAST, JUST CALL OUR TOLL FREE NUMBER, 26:26 877-BOL-OFFER. 26:28 THAT'S 877-265-6333, OR YOU MAY WRITE TO: 26:33 BREATH OF LIFE, P.O. 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Revised 2015-02-05