You Can Have It If You’re Willing To Stretch For It

You can have it (if) you’re willing to stretch

God has put a word in my spirit for the body of Christ, and I must prophesy to any one with ears to hear: God is setting his people free. You say But Pastor, I’m a child of God.

Yes you may be a child of God and yet be bound, (bound by religion, bound by traditions and the philosophies of man, bound by the limitations of past experiences, bound by the fear of failure, bound by the fear of man, bound by insecurities, and personal doubts.)

By I prophesy that by the end of this message, somebody is going free, you are coming out and you are coming up, and you are going to get what the devil said you couldn’t have, and you are going to do what people said you could never do.

I wish somebody that believed that prophetic word would give God a shout of praise for what he is going to do.

Slap somebody high five and tell them: You can have it (if) you’re willing to stretch.

Mk 3:1

Our text begins by telling us that: Jesus entered again into the synagogue (I could preach on that one phrase all day) Jesus entered again into the synagogue.

The number one need of the church is the manifest presence of Jesus.

We’ve got talent, we’ve got central heat and air, we’ve got carpet on the floors and padded pews and we’ve got over head projectors and power point presentations, we’ve got theology, but what we need is some old fashioned kneeology.

What we need is the fire power of the old saints who knew how to get a hold of the horns of the altar and persevere in prayer until the very atmosphere was pregnant with the tangible presence of Jesus.

Somebody say it out loud: Come on in Lord Jesus

I like the modern conveniences of our day as much as you do, but if it’s a choice between modern conveniences and the manifest presence of Jesus there is no competition.

I would rather be in a barn with saw dust on the floor and hay bales for our pews, and have the presence of Jesus than the finest cathedral with every comfort and convenience money could buy.

When Jesus shows up miracles happen, when Jesus shows up the drug addicts, the alcoholics, the homosexuals, the demon possessed are instantly set free.

No wonder the old timers used to sing: Take this whole world but give me Jesus

Now I want you to notice something: Not all religious people really want Jesus to show up at church.

They like to sing about him, talk about him, preach about him, but when Jesus really shows up he messes up their routine because Jesus always comes with his own agenda

*and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

*And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; (that they might accuse him.)

Many times it’s religion itself that is the greatest hindrance to the manifest presence of Jesus.

I can’t get past this part, cause it’s such a blessing to know:

Every body don’t have to agree with you for you to get blessed, they don’t even have to like you.

I know it comes as a shock to many of you, but everybody in the church don’t want you blessed, there are some people that are happy to see you struggle and happy to see you have to pinch pennies, and worry about how you’re going to pay your light bill.

There are some people that take pleasure in your pain; they take pleasure in your loneliness, and your hardships.

It makes them feel superior to be able to look down their self-righteous noses on you

But I came to tell you: when God gets ready to bless you, he’s not going to consult with the self-righteous long nosed hypocrites, He’s not going to ask their opinion,

he’s just going to do it.

You see religious opposition couldn’t stop Jesus from ministering the power of God to needy people. Everywhere Jesus went religious Pharisee’s and hypocrites opposed him.

But he just chewed em` up and spit em` out, healed the sick cleansed the lepers raised the dead and cast out devils.

The person on either side of you may be as dead as four o clock in the morning and as dry as last years corn shucks, but if you are hungry and thirsty for God he will climb over the top of a thousand satisfied, petrified, fossilized, relics of religion, and he will come to you and he will meet you at the point of your need and he will touch you and your life will never be the same.