John 5

To the man sick for 38 years,
Jesus says "Do you want to be healed?"
It seems like we can all relate to this, we are all sick in some way, maybe not physical but we all suffer from something that God would like to cure us of.

But do we really want God to heal us?

If we do, I believe we need to be sure God knows we would like to be healed of whatever may be slowing us down. In other words I believe in our prayers we need to remember to pray for ourselves and ask God for the things we need (and no, I don't mean a new car).
I am talking about the things we really need, help with being more patient would be something I need at times.

Jesus tells the man, "Stand up, pick up your mat and walk!"
and Jesus quietly slipped away, leaving others wondering who he was.

(He didn't stick around to boast!)

I should do nice things for others, but not so that I can brag about what I have done. Because I know God loves (LOVES not LOVED) me so much that he sent his only Son. That is how much he loves ME (and you too!).

A true loving relationship should be reciprocated. How do we do that with GOD?

By living our lives in a way that would make God proud. Jesus teaches us to forgives mercilessly and so I will forgive to no end! It is the least I can do, as God has forgiven me!

Jesus was starting to get some slack for telling this man to
"pick up your mat and walk!"
because it was on the Sabbath. For the man to do as Jesus said, he would not be RESTING on the Sabbath. From what I gather, Jesus is trying to make a point that all of the specific rules about work on the Sabbath were man-made rules and Jesus is making the point that these "rules" the Jews followed were not God given.

The point, I believe, is we do need to TAKE A BREAK from our labor, but as for the detailed rules, that is not specifically from GOD.

SO why do I pray , fast, and alms give during Lent??
Not to gain points with GOD (that is NOT how it works!)
I do it to help me draw closer to GOD.

I was reading something on lent and it described the season of Lent as sort of the SPRING CLEANING. I try to live my life for God all year, as we clean all year, but Lent is the time for the down and dirty spring cleaning, get rid of the sin that creeps up in us throughout the year.

.......... move the couch and vacuum under it, remove the screens and wash the windows inside and out.

That is the real point of LENT!

5:28 An hour is coming...........

5:29 who have done right shall rise to live; judgment is honest......

5:46 If you believed in Moses you would then believe me, for it was about me that he wrote.
But if you do not believe what he wrote,
how can you believe what I say?

**This gives me some reassurance that the OLD and NEW testament are all tied together!