John 5:1-9, says, “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: and on the same day was the sabbath.
Johns name means “Jehovah has been Gracious“
The Bible says in the book of John that this place had five porches. The number 5 is the number of Grace. I want you to know, where ever you may be right now, God is about to show you favor.
The Bible lets us know that this place was by a sheep market. A sheep market is where people that lived to far away from Jerusalem exchanged there money for sacrifices and to eat before the presence of God. The Gospel of John is the only gospel to record this miracle in scripture. Everybody might not know what you are going through because it seems like you might not be on their radar so to speak, but God sees your situation, and all he wants you to do in this in this moment is to expect his visitation. The angel came at a certain season. We don’t know if the angel came every two weeks, or every month, but I believe it was the season for him to arrive! How many know that you’re in a situation and you’re just waiting on the right moment to step forward. The man was laid there for 38 years! I believe this man knew when the angel would come, because he saw the angel come for 38 years. The people on the 5 porches expected the angel to come down because they were there waiting. Have you ever waited and nothing happened? Have you ever saw someone else receive a miracle, but you didn’t get yours? Have you ever experienced a prophecy yet, you are still waiting on the fulfillment of it to come to pass. There must be an expectancy in what you’re believing God to do in this season! 38 years I’ve been this way the man must have thought. I put myself in situations that caused me to be in a bed that I caused for myself, yet I’m to proud to blame the enemy “in a me”, but I will blame the person that is able to move forward into their season. This is not the time to be bitter about where you are. This is not the time to miss what God is about to do for you in this season. I want you to know that the angel came at a certain season for 38 years, because he was trying to bring a message. The angel was trying to tell the people for 38 years that someone was coming in the 39th year to make you whole. You see the angel came down because he knew Jesus was coming down! The angel came down into the pool, because he knew Jesus was about to go down in the pool of the baptism of his death and rise to bring healing to the nations. You see Jesus appeared in the mans 39th year because he was going to fulfill the promises of 39 Old Testament books by receiving 39 stripes times 9! He was coming from Genesis to Malachi. In Malachi Jesus is the messenger of Jehovah, for he was the messenger of Jehovah that crushed the serpents head in Genesis. The angel that came for 38 years came at a kairos moment, that is a moment in time. That time was a Chronos period, a space of time. Jesus’ ministry was a kairos moment within the space of a chronos period! Can your ministry be a kairos moment that will free the people? Jesus is asking will you be made whole? And what I love about Jesus is he ignores your excuses on why you want to hold on to bitterness, and why you want to blame others, but the question to you is still, will you be made whole? What’s getting ready to happen is the man is getting ready to get up! But the miracle here is he not only gets up, but he steps into the pool the death of Christ where he is made whole, healed, delivered, set free, rescued. Zechariah 13:1-2, says “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts,that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the (false) prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.” For the name Bethesda means house of flowing waters, or house of mercy! The Lord is going to bring cleansing in situations where we have no control over even if we got ourselves involved because it’s your season for wholeness at the pool! This is your season for deliverance at the pool, this is your season for breakthrough at the pool, for the Lord says I’m going to cause you to be a ministry of flowing waters in the earth, and wherever you go you will bring cleansing to those who’ve been abused, and misused in the sheep market, those that have been set aside by those who are in the upper echelon of what people call “church” today! For I will use many of you in this season to display my mercy on a fallen generation, on a fallen world, on fallen humanity. And they shall see and hear your message, for now is the acceptable time, now it is the day for my help to arise upon them! For I shall cause them to dwell in a place of rest in me, I will cause them to rest from hurting, I will say to them now take up what caused you to be a mess, and turn it into a message. His bed was his mess! Has your bed been your mess? We can stay there all night, But use what the enemy tried to destroy you with to destroy him.
-Anthony Booker
The GATHERING Place 