Sarah’s Corner
Volume 102 - 19, December 2019
www.thecarpenterschurch.org/sarahscorner
Overcoming Odds
Pastor Charles Omofomah 1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the Word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you”. 6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and gloriWied God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Mark 2:1-12
where there are odds on your way. In this article we will identify some of these odds and how to overcome them.
Identify The Odds 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you”. Mark 2:5
The Odd Of Sin And Its Likes Jesus told the man that his sins were forgiven. This was not because the sin would be a hindrance to Jesus’ ability to heal but because it could be a hindrance to the man from receiving the healing Jesus was offering. Jesus could be praying and the man could be thinking of his sins and that could hinder the Wlow of the healing grace or anointing. One can make the Word of God of no effect in their lives because of unbelief. Of course if there is sin in your heart, deal with it by confessing and repenting of it because God does not like sin, but it would not be a hindrance for Jesus. Remove the sin barrier. It may not be a barrier to Jesus but it may be a barrier to you.
The Odds Of Doubt, Unbelief And Fear Other barriers are that of unbelief, doubt and fear. These are spiritual barriers. In this story, there were also physical barriers: the crowd and the roof. Think about it. The whole
Overcoming odds means overcoming hindrances, hiccups place was full to capacity. He could have given up and said, and obstacles. God can heal and will heal but there are times “Maybe God does not want me to be healed”. Don’t ever give
The Carpenter’s Ministry: All rights reserved. No portion of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or any other, without the prior permission of the above.
Sarah’s Corner
www.thecarpenterschurch.org/sarahscorner
Volume 102 - 19, December 2019
yourself a reason to doubt the willingness of God to heal Carry out actions that correspond with the Word you heard. you. This was a paralyzed man and Jesus said to him, “Take up your bed and walk”. The Bible says: Always see through every obstacle; always see a reason in 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving every obstacle for you to be healed. Discover a positive yourselves. reason, or a way out of every obstacle. See the roof and 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a not the crowd. Jesus did not even try to address the issue man observing his natural face in a mirror; of the roof that was broken. That is how much God wants 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets you to be healed. Know that God wants you healed, what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in pregnant and to carry your own baby at all costs. He is it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will happy when you receive from Him. Get that as a be blessed in what he does. revelation. James 1:22-25
Confront The Odds 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? Mark 2:9
That phrase, “take up your bed” is what I would like you to meditate on. This phrase rings a bell for the paralytic. Just what he needed to hear! How he would want to take up his bed and walk. Hear the Word of God that is relevant to your situation. If you are sick and diseased, hear words in the area of healing. Pay your tithes, give your offering and be faithful in sowing and hear messages on giving if you need breakthrough in your Winances. Hear the Word of God that is relevant to your situation. God has called you “A joyful mother of beautiful healthy vibrant children” (Psalms 113:9). The Bible says, “You shall be like a fruitful vine in your husband’s house and your children like olives around his table” (Psalm 128:3). You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock (Deuteronomy 7:14). Receive your babies! Hear the Word of God that is relevant to your situation.
3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down t h e b e d o n w h i c h t h e paralytic was lying. Mark 2:3-4
Make friends with people of like minds. It is not good if you are one who says, “Christians pretend a lot that is why my best friend is an unbeliever”. Don’t just have friends who are born again, have friends who believe the Word like you do. Unequal yokes also happen between believers too. You may believe in divine healing but the other person does not believe. You have tried and tried and the person would not believe. Love such a person from a distance - No permanent friend, and no permanent enemy. Don’t allow an unequal yoke pull you down. No matter how strong you are, standing on a higher plane, if you try to pull someone up, the one down will pull you down faster than you would pull them up. Stay where you are and draw them to your level. That is what God is saying to you and that is how you should live your life.
Make friends with people of like minds because “on Mount Our text goes on to say in verse 12 that, “Immediately, he Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; the arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of house of Jacob shall possess their possessions” (Obadiah1:17). them all, so that all were amazed and gloriWied God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’ “ (Mark 2:12).
Overcome The Odds
The Carpenter’s Ministry: All rights reserved. No portion of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or any other, without the prior permission of the above.