THE POOL OF MERCY: WHEN JESUS STEPS INTO BROKEN SYSTEMS PART 9: THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS OF AGONY – THE GOD OF RESTORATION

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THE POOL OF MERCY: WHEN JESUS STEPS INTO BROKEN SYSTEMS PART 9: THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS OF AGONY – THE GOD OF RESTORATION John 5:5— (KJV) "And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years."  In Part 8, " The Hopeless – When Waiting Steals Your Expectation ," we discovered that hopelessness is one of the greatest battles a person can face. We learned that prolonged disappointment can weaken faith, drain joy, and make temporary situations feel permanent. Yet Jesus came to Bethesda to remind us that no situation is beyond His reach. Where Christ is present, hope can rise again. Today, we turn our attention to one particular man among the multitude— a man whose suffering had lasted for thirty-eight years . His story reveals the power of God's timing, the reality of long seasons, and the restoration that comes through an encounter with Jesus. John does not tell us this man's name. He does not tell us his family background. He does not tell us...
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RECOGNIZING AND DEVELOPING THE EVANGELIST WITHIN THE BELIEVER PART 2: THE EVANGELISTIC MANDATE FROM CREATION

RECOGNIZING AND DEVELOPING THE EVANGELIST WITHIN THE BELIEVER
PART 2: THE EVANGELISTIC MANDATE FROM CREATION


Genesis 1:26–28

In the previous message, Part 1: The Birth of the Message, I shared how this teaching series came into being. It was not originally planned as a series. But through prayer, meditation, and deeper study of Scripture, the Holy Spirit began revealing a pattern that runs through the Bible.

From Genesis, through Noah, to Naaman, and eventually to the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, we begin to see something remarkable: God has always been preparing witnesses to carry His message of salvation.

What initially looked like unrelated Bible stories gradually revealed a divine connection.

Another striking discovery was how God often uses tragedy as a strategy to spread the gospel. Situations that appear negative, painful, or accidental are often the very tools God uses to position His witnesses.

That discovery led us to the theme of this entire series.

Recognizing and Developing the Evangelist Within the Believer

There are two key ideas in this statement.


1. Recognizing

To recognize means to identify or acknowledge something that already exists.

Recognition sometimes happens within the individual, when a believer begins to sense a burden or passion for sharing the gospel.

At other times, recognition happens through others — pastors, mentors, friends, or people around the individual who begin to notice a certain grace or calling upon that person's life. Many people discover their calling because someone else saw it before they did.


2. Developing

Developing means nurturing, training, and allowing that potential to grow into maturity.

Something cannot be developed unless it has first been recognized. Many believers are praying for something that God has already placed within them.


A Powerful Insight

Dr. Mensa Otabil once made a profound statement:

“Scientists don’t manufacture; they discover. It means the thing was already there, and they just took the cover off.”

Scientists do not create gravity. They do not create electricity. They simply discover what already exists. The same principle applies spiritually.

God is not trying to manufacture evangelists out of believers. Instead, He has already placed within every believer the ability and responsibility to witness.

However, it is important to understand something clearly.

Every believer is called to evangelize, but not every believer operates in the office of the evangelist. The Bible speaks about the office of the evangelist as part of the five-fold ministry. That office is a special calling given to some individuals.

But the responsibility of sharing the gospel belongs to all believers. Some believers are gifted evangelists, but every believer is called to be a witness for Christ.


Evangelism Began in Creation

When we return to Genesis 1:26–28, we see that humanity was created in the image of God. Being created in God's image means humanity was designed to reflect Him and represent Him on the earth.

God then gave humanity a command:

“Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth.”

This instruction was more than population growth. It was about spreading the knowledge, presence, and glory of God across the earth.

From the very beginning, God intended that wherever humanity went, His presence and knowledge would go with them. That means evangelism did not begin with the early church. It began at creation.


The Evangelist Hidden Within the Believer

This brings us to an important question:

What has God already placed inside you that you have not yet recognized? Some believers are waiting for a calling when the calling is already present. Some are waiting for a title when God is waiting for them to discover their identity.

Inside every believer is:

A witness

A messenger

A carrier of God's truth

The real challenge is not creation — the challenge is recognition. Once something is recognized, it can then be developed.


Prayer

Heavenly Father, We thank You for the revelation of Your Word. Open our eyes to recognize what You have already placed within us. Help us to understand that we are called to be witnesses for You. Even if we do not operate in the office of the evangelist, give us the boldness and grace to share the gospel wherever we go. Develop the gifts You have placed inside us, and use our lives as instruments to bring many people into Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.


Preview of the Next Message

In the next message, we will explore Noah and the Ark.

We will examine why the animals entered the Ark two by two, and why both clean and unclean animals were preserved.

We will also see how the Ark becomes one of the earliest prophetic pictures of God’s invitation of salvation to all humanity.

God is speaking, are you listening?



Prince Julius Nenebi-Darkson 

(EL-PJ God's penman)

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