God will lift you up

People who documented the account did not find it necessary to document the man’s name. I believe this man had a name but it was not mentioned. He was insignificant in the eyes of those who recorded the story. They had their own standard. But he was not insignificant for God’s touch.

- I want you to know that God will touch you regardless of your background.

- God will help you regardless of what people think about you.

One thing though that strikes one about this man is that he did not allow his paralysis to become an excuse for not pursuing his goal of being healed. He got others to do what he couldn’t do: he got his friends to take him to Jesus. They had to find a way!

This man was paralysed and couldn’t lift himself.

You may not be physically handicapped but you may be financially incapacitated or challenged in one area or another. Many who are not physically paralysed have been trying desperately to lift themselves for years but without success. Some are paralysed spiritually, some socially, some financially and materially.

- Whatever condition has been preventing you from lifting yourself shall be removed.

There were five different people in this man’s life.

a. His near relatives. His mother carried him expectantly for 9 months with high hopes. When he was delivered, they were relieved, but soon discovered there was a limitation. He could not walk. They must have cried and went on to start pitying him. They were disappointed.

- Your parents may not tell you but they may be disappointed because you are unable to lift up yourself. They thought you would help them after school. They were patient for a while but it turned out that you cannot lift up yourself. Your brothers and sisters and those close to you may also be disappointed for the same reason.

b. His neighbours. Some laughed at him. People who laugh at you never do it in your presence. They may be laughing at you for different reasons; maybe because you are not married or because you don’t have money etc. Some may have been indifferent to his plight. They just didn’t care!

c. Those who prevented him from reaching Jesus; they blocked the entrance. His obstacles - silent enemies. They wanted to preserve him in his state. They did not believe he needed to seek for help. There are people who believe your condition cannot change; they believe you will never be able to lift yourself. God is about to disappoint them.

- Some people have quit trying because of this kind of people.

d. His friends. They were able to carry him without changing his condition. I thank God for those who have been trying to carry you financially but unfortunately they have not been able to change your situation.

· You don’t need someone to carry you but someone to change you!

· You don’t need someone to lift you in your condition but someone to change your condition.

· You don’t need someone to lift you temporarily but someone that will lift you permanently.

· You don’t need partial lifting but total lifting.

e. Jesus. He is a permanent lifter. He is a transformer, a lifechanger, etc.

Why did Jesus raise this man?Because it is not God’s intention for you to be permanently down: and also because he wanted to be lifted. KEYS TO PERMANENT LIFTING

1. Don’t put up with being down. When you have been down so long it is sometimes difficult to believe that you can ever rise. But history is no reflection of the future. Know that where you have been is no reflection of where you are going. You can never change a situation you are comfortable with. Many people put up with their problems or limitations. They conclude it’s the only choice they are left with in life. They rationalize by saying that some people were meant to suffer. You cannot change what you don’t hate. Lazarus died poor because he did nothing but go to camp in the house of a rich man to struggle for crumbs with dogs. He may even have prayed that the dogs would not beat him to it.

Why do people accept defeat? People accept defeat when they believe the problem is beyond solution.

· When they have multiple problems: they give up on even the ones they could have been able to solve.

· When they are ignorant of other possibilities and opportunities.

· When they think they have done their best.

· When they are afraid of taking any step because of the possibility of failing.

· When they have no vision or their vision is dead.

· When there is no one to assist them to get up.

· When those they respect tell them there is no hope. 2 Watch your thoughts. 3. Decide that you will be lifted regardless of the odds against you.

4. Set goals. Start dreaming bigger. Set new goals. Think of other possibilities. Begin to dream of rising to a higher place. Begin to fill your mind with thoughts of where you want to be. Goals determine your direction.

5. Surround yourself with people who believe in your dream: people who will give you a hand. Your team determines how high you can rise. Your network, determines your net worth.

6. Lift the people around you. You lift yourself when you lift others. You are better off when the people around you improve. Jesus is lifted so high because He lifted others.

7. Be persistent and persevere. Don’t take no for an answer.

8. Do something new. If what you have been doing has not produced the results you desire in life; do something else.

9. Do something unusual, do something uncommon if you want uncommon results.

10 Make God your only source. Not your first alternative or last alternative.

Have a blessed week. Major, Pope John Paul II exclaimed: “The story of every human being is written first of all in the heart of his own mother. No wonder, then, that the same thing was true of the earthly life-story of the Son of God.”

The white-bearded Capuchin Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the only US prelate to attend the canonisation of Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto in Fatima shared his thoughts with Catholic News Agency on the lesson of Fatima: “I think the lesson is that children are called to holiness. When Francisco and Jacinta were beatified [in the year 2000 by Pope John Paul II], Cardinal José Saraiva Martins who was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints talked about how modern families entrust their children to professional teachers in school for 15, 20 years of formal academic formation, but sometimes they’re not really prepared for life. And these Fatima children, their parents were probably illiterate peasants but they taught them how to lead a good life, how to have a deep faith in God, how to love, how to serve, how to work. And in such a short life, they achieved great sanctity and holiness and the fact that the Blessed Mother chose them is very significant. So I think there’s a great lesson in this. All the saints’ lives are sermons for us but in these children, it’s a reminder of how precious children are and that they too are called to sanctity and parents have a great responsibility to transmit the faith to their children and prepare them for life - this life and eternal life.”As it would turn out, Jacinta and Francisco are the first children non-martyrs to be canonised by the Church.