Here Is A Fundamental Truth:

There was literally 5 minutes before every miracle in the Bible.

When you stop and consider what the circumstances were like five minutes before different miracles in the Bible, it was pretty harrowing most of the time.

5 minutes before Moses opened the Red Sea, things looked pretty bad. Pharaoh’s armies were bearing down upon the children of Israel from behind and the Red Sea blocked any chance of escape before them. Everyone, except Moses, thought all was lost.  Yet, in five minutes, everything changed.

Five minutes before Goliath died.

Five minutes before the rock flung from David’s sling killing Goliath, things did not look very good either. I doubt if one man in either army thought that the young boy was going to be anything else but crow meat in the next few minutes.  I’ll wager that even David’s brothers thought their younger sibling was a goner. Yet, five minutes later, everything changed and Goliath was no more.

As Elijah poured the 3rd barrel of water over the sacrifice and altar, everyone present waited in unbelief as they watched the spectacle. All afternoon the false prophets of Baal and Ashtaroth had leapt about, cutting themselves with knives while calling on their false gods to answer by fire, yet nothing happened. Now, Elijah made sure that there was no possibility of his sacrifice turning into flame by natural means.  The prophet poured so much water on that altar that the trenches about it filled to overflowing. Yet, five minutes later everything changed and God answered by fire and burnt up not only the sacrifice but the rocks and water along with it.

Five minutes before the lame man walked.

As Peter and John looked at the lame man on his bed at the entrance to the Gate Beautiful, he had been like that for decades. However, when Jesus showed up in the guise of Peter, everything changed.  Five minutes later that cripple leapt and danced about, completely healed by the power of God.

Lazarus lay dead for 4 days.  In fact, his sister Martha told Jesus that he surely “stinketh”. Five minutes before Jesus uttered the words, “Lazarus come forth!”  everything seemed hopeless.  Yet five minutes later, Lazarus walked out of that tomb alive and everyone’s sorrow turned to joy.

Five minutes before Jesus rose from the dead the whole world was lost.  The little scroll remained sealed and no one in heaven or on Earth could open it.  The little book remained sealed and everyone remained in sin.  Yet five minutes later, Christ resurrected and the way of salvation for all mankind opened!

There are five minutes before any miracle

The point I wish to make is that 5 minutes before any miracle things usually look really bad.  The Devil fights us to the bitter end, trying to bluff his way to victory even though he knows he cannot win. The truth is, since Jesus rose on the third day the fate of Satan and his demons is hell.  It is not a matter of “if” he will suffer judgement, but only “when”.

In just 5 minutes a whole lot can change when God is involved. In fact, often times when things look ridiculously bad, that is when God is about to do a miracle.  I was sitting down the other day just laughing to myself saying, “wow, things are looking so awful I must be 5 minutes away from a miracle!”

God is near, give Him five minutes and everything will change

The next time things are looking impossible, awful, and just plain ridiculous, know that God is near to deliver.   If you, like any one of the men and women in the Bible who believed God, can stand your ground and trust what He says, that is when you are 5 minutes from your miracle too.

Believe me when I say it is not easy.  Take heart when I say it takes the grace of God to strengthen us! Believe me as I declare, in the name of Jesus, that we shall not be moved! God can do anything and will do anything in Jesus name!

Have faith my friend…really, what has anyone got to lose?  If God does not show up you have lost everything anyway….why not err on the side of ridiculous faith when you are confronted with insurmountable odds. God loves to show off and bring Himself glory through miracles. Stand back and let your Father have some fun at the devil’s expense. Amen.

Ten Commandments – Pillar of Fire and Parting of Red Sea

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