Bible in One Year: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 (Job 25 - Job 27) Memorise: "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts" ( Hag 2:9) Read: John 5:2-9 2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. In the life of an individual, there is the former and the latter house experience. The former house refers to the best a man can achieve by his own efforts, wisdom, or strength. It is only a foretaste of things to come. Unfortunately, many have taken it to be their ultimate. They have taken their starting point to be their peak. No wonder some people cannot experience the latter house glory. The latter house experience is where God begins, having seen the limits of man. It is God's unlimited possibilities channelled through a willing and prepared human vessel. The moment some believers hit a couple of millions, they suddenly become heady, uncontrollable and dictatorial. They now want to be in charge. Their pastor must either lick their feet or forget about their support. Such people are turning their former house prosperity to their final level. Your attitude towards the former house will determine whether you will go beyond the former house or not. If you allow pride, selfishness, disobedience to God, excuses for non-performance of Kingdom obligations, compromise with sin, and inability to justify God's purpose for blessing you at your present level, you may not experience the latter house glory that is awaiting you. If you look at the life of Jesus Christ and His extended ministry, you will observe that He started by choosing illiterate fishermen and others as His disciples. But He did not stop there. He moved on to educated people, until He began to use professors. Recently, a white man observed that it is those of African origin that are now bringing salvation back to white people. Some of these Africans never went to the university but they are full of the Holy Spirit. Each time we went abroad and informed the brethren there how God is moving multitudes into His Kingdom, they would say that Africans do not know how to count. In every sphere of life, God is moving from the former house to the latter house. In today's reading, a man was by the pool of Bethesda waiting for an angel to come and trouble the water before a single miracle could be released to the first entrant. In those days, angels were the ones bringing healings and other blessings but today, the Creator of angels is with us. In your life, family, academics and ministry, God is moving you to the latter house experience. The latter house is far greater than the former. Ask God to destroy every hindrance in your life preventing the latter house glory experience. ACTION POINT: God can use an illiterate person as well as an educated fellow. However, illiteracy restricts your reach while education opens larger doors to reach more people. Do something about your present educational level!