Do You Really Want to be Well?

Monday, January 31, 2022

Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.  Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.  One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”  
John 5:2-6

Do You Really Want to be Well?  
Being stuck is no fun.  There are many situations in life that leave us feeling stuck, like there is no way out, and no way that anything will ever be any better.  Can you imagine living that way for 38 years?  In Jerusalem there was a pool called the pool of Bethesda, which means House of Mercy in Aramaic.  Many people believed the legend that an angel would come down and stir up the water and when that happened, the first person to get in the pool would be healed.  The pool was surrounded by five covered colonnades.  Because of the legend of the healing powers of the water, a great number of disabled people would gather there to wait for the waters to be “stirred.”  Blind, lame, and paralyzed people would stay under the shade of the colonnades and just wait. 

One day Jesus came to Jerusalem for a feast and He passed by the pool. He noticed one lame man in particular and He stopped and asked him Do you want to get well?  The lame man looked at Jesus and replied that he did indeed want to be well, but he was lame and had no way of getting to the water to be healed. He couldn’t drag himself fast enough to be the first one in the water, and he had no one to carry him to the water. He just sat and watched and waited for something that would never come.  And he had been doing it for 38 years.  Jesus looked at him and said Get up! Pick up your mat and walk. Immediately the man was cured, and he picked up his mat and walked. 

Just like that after 38 years, Jesus walks up and says eight words to him, and he is healed.  He didn’t need to wait for the water to be stirred get in the “healing waters.” He only needed Jesus.  He didn’t need to be faster, to get to the water quicker, He just needed Jesus.  

Sometimes it is a little easier to stay on the mat for 38 years and say I can’t help myself.  Instead of answering Jesus’ question, the man just told Him why that would be impossible.  How often do we tell Jesus “That just won’t work” instead of answering Yes Lord! I want to be well!  Getting well can be scary when you have been comfortable in one place for so long.  Getting well requires trust when we can’t move ourselves off the mat.  Getting well requires change that will be uncomfortable at first.  But the worst feeling in the world is being in desperate need and having no hope.  And as long as we are content to stay on the mat, we will have no hope.  Even when we can’t see the way, we have to trust Jesus or the stress of trying to figure it all out will drive us crazy and take a toll on us physically.  We can’t make hope for ourselves.  When we have no hope, the only place to turn is to the only one who can give hope.  When He offers hope, we have to be willing to get up off our mat and go.  Otherwise, we just stay on our mats, looking day after day, for hope that has already passed us by.  

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  James 5:15-16

Do You Want to Be Well?

                                                      Do You Want to Be Well? 

John 5:1-9

There are those walking about powerless and defeated even though they know the power available in Christ and where to find it.  Just being in the right place, hearing the truth and knowing the best for your life does not guarantee healing.  You must want to be well.

The name of the pool “Bethesda” translates to “House of Mercy.”

The condition of many of us today is that we are waiting for something.

Just being in the right place, hearing the truth and knowing the best for your life does not guarantee transformation.

A Problem is Described v.1-6a

His problem was seen to be a result of his sin. 

Addictions can also be obsessions that claim our lives.

Life’s worst condition is to be in great need but out of any hope.

A Predicament is Related v.6b-7

“Do you wish to get well?”

·      If you say “yes” it’s going to mean admitting your hurt. 

·      If you say “yes” it’s going to mean choosing healing over hurt.

Jesus’ question was directed to the man’s will rather than the man’s physical condition.

What the world has done to you is not bigger than what Jesus has done for you and can do in you!  

It is far easier to look for a rescuer than to take responsibility.  

When what should be uncomfortable becomes comfortable you have ceased to battle your problem. 

A Prescription is Given v.8

Exercise Faith.  “Get up…"

Eliminate the place of return.  “…pick up your pallet…" 

Expect no help from man.  “…walk."

·  For us to act as if we are defeated is to deny the truth of God’s word and call Him a liar.

Man's Potential is Reached v.9

What A Difference A Day Makes

 Friday, January 28, 2022

And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!" And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road. Mark 10:50-52

What A Difference A Day Makes

One day Bartimaeus was a blind beggar, hopeless and stuck. The next day he had full vision and was rejoicing, running up and down the road, spreading the good news of how Jesus had healed him and delivered him from a life of desperate hopelessness. In just one day he went from desperate hopelessness to desperate faith manifested in his life. 

It doesn’t always happen that dramatically for us. We may not physically be delivered out of hopeless circumstances, but our spirit can be delivered from hopelessness to faith. Our lives may not look different on the outside after an encounter with Jesus. For lots of reasons we will never understand, sometimes God leaves us where we are, when we think we cannot go on for one more minute. But He can take our feelings of desperate hopelessness and give us strength and faith to endure right where we are. 

The important thing to remember is that where you are is not who you are. You may be stuck in horrible circumstances. It can really make us question God and His love and care for us sometimes. It can make us feel like Bartimaeus felt – that he didn’t matter, that no one really cared about his circumstances, and no one wanted to help him. But we know that was all lies because Jesus heard, Jesus stopped, and Jesus healed. Jesus replaced all those feelings – all those lies – with the truth. Bartimaeus realized that Jesus thought he was important, even if all those people around him were telling him to be quiet. He realized that he did matter to Jesus. He realized that Jesus did care about his circumstances. Bartimaeus asked and Jesus granted his request. 

“You have not because you ask not.” James 4:2

You may be praying prayers that you feel are not being answered but please be encouraged to not believe the lies. You do matter, you are important and your circumstances matter to God. Your broken heart matters. Your struggle to get through the day, to make ends meet, to love the people in your life that may hurt you, all those cries matter to God. In hard situations when it feels like there is no hope, we have nothing to hold onto but the truth. We must choose to believe that God hears, He sees, He cares, and He is working. Do not believe the lies about yourself based on your circumstances. Believe what His word says about you. You are His child, chosen, redeemed, and loved and He never leaves us or forsakes us, even when we feel completely forsaken. Instead of a posture of hopelessness, ask in faith, keep praying, and keep crying out to Jesus. Draw strength from that faith and rest in His truth. 

 

How Desperate Are You

 Thursday, January 27, 2022

Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!" And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road. Mark 10:50-52

How Desperate Are You

We have been reading about Bartimaeus this week. He was a blind man who sat by the road and begged for his existence. Most people didn’t pay much attention to him. He was just there – day after day. Until one day when Jesus passed by and Bartimaeus called out to Him. Jesus stopped and called the blind man to come to Him. Bartimaeus doesn’t hesitate or think twice – he obeys immediately. What an example for us in our Christian walk! 

Maybe Bartimaeus figured that Jesus wasn’t going to pay any attention to him. Everyone around him treated him like he was not important, that he didn’t matter and that there was nothing they could do for him. His fate was sealed. He had been a blind beggar all his life and he would be for the rest of his life. But Jesus had a different answer.

And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him here." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you." Mark 10:49

As soon as Bartimaeus heard this, he jumped up and went to Jesus immediately. He never hesitated. The scripture says he jumped up – not easy for a blind man! First, he threw off his cloak which was probably a sense of security for him. Bartimaeus LET GO of what he had clung to for security and protection.

Letting go - It’s the ability, as well as the willingness, to relinquish control of and obsession about plans and situations and other people, both past and present.

That is the thing that holds us back sometimes when Jesus calls us to come. We are comfortable and secure and “safe.” Or we are insecure and lack the confidence (of course we do! We find confidence in Him when we step out in faith!) That is when faith is supposed to kick in – but do we have faith like Bartimaeus? Do we jump up and throw off everything that “feels safe?” Even with all our senses working we hesitate – until we are desperate enough. Bartimaeus was desperate enough. He realized that he had nothing to hope for but what Jesus could give him. 

Jesus asked him what he wanted him to do for him and Bartimaeus asked Jesus to restore his sight. If you are reading this devotional, you most likely have your eyesight. It is something we take for granted until we don’t have it. He could have asked for anything, but he just wanted to be able to see. And Jesus healed him. Can you imagine being blind your whole life and your sight is restored, and the first thing you see if the face of Jesus? It is like that for us to degree. We live in sin and blindness and then one day – He is in our face, peeling off the scales of blindness and then we can see. 

And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well."

Complete faith is obedient faith. Mark tells us that when Bartimaeus received his sight, he "followed Jesus along the road." And those who witnesses his healing and the ones he told the story to – their lives were changed. 

So, how desperate are you? How bad is it? How sick is your heart? How physically drained are you from this battle? Are you still comfortable and content in your blindness, under your warm blanket? Or are you ready? Are you ready to throw off everything that is holding you back from the healing and redemption you can ONLY find in Him? Are you ready to cry out and come to Him? He is waiting for you to come without hesitation, trusting in Him in complete faith. 

 

The Only Hope

 Wednesday, January 26, 2022

And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him here." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you." Mark 10:49

The Only Hope 

There was a Savior passing by. There was a crowd yelling and jumping up and down with excitement. And there was a blind man, sitting by the road. He heard the others in the crowd and knew it was Jesus and he began to cry out over and over again. The people around him told him to be quiet. They probably stood in front of him. I would imagine that it would be hard for his cries to carry over the cries of the crowd, especially from sitting on the ground, especially with people in front of you. 

Jesus heard. He heard the meek cry of pain that cut through the crowd. He was always listening for the cries of the ones who needed Him the most, and those cries are more important to Him than the shouts of hallelujahs. No matter how hard the others tried to get him to be quiet, he wouldn’t stop because he knew he needed Jesus more than anything. He knew that Jesus was his only hope. 

Jesus Stopped. He not only heard, but He stopped. The Son stood still, and He pays the ultimate tribute to one in need – He gave him attention. I think it is important to note here that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, where He was going to be crucified. He could have easily said He didn’t have time because He had more important things to do, but He didn’t. He stopped because He cared about a blind beggar on the side of the road as much as He cared about anyone. He mattered to Jesus, his pain, his hopelessness, and his healing.

Jesus Called. Mark records, Jesus stopped and said, Call him here. He didn’t just stop and wave, He asked the disciples to call Bartimaeus to come. Jesus used His disciples to make the call and they were obedient to share the message of encouragement - Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.

Jesus Listened. 

Jesus hears every cry. He sees every tear that falls and if you think you are not important enough for Him to pay attention to, just remember the blind beggar on the road that He stopped for on His way to the cross. He stops and listens when we call out. He also bids us to come just like He did Bartimaeus. When we are in the blindness of hopelessness it can be scary to take even one step. But like Bartimaeus, when we know that our only hope lies in coming to Jesus, even the darkness will not keep us down. Take courage and stand up today! He is listening to you and calling out of the dark hopelessness to Him. 

 

Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you!

Impaired and Hopeless

 Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Mark 10:46-48

Are You Impaired and Hopeless?

This scripture passage above is about a blind man named Bartimaeus. He had been dealt some pretty low blows in life that were not his fault. He came from Jericho, a cursed city because when Joshua captured it, he cursed it. He came from a dysfunctional family, he was blind, and he was a beggar. There was very little in his life to find hope in, and it wasn’t even circumstances that he created. He was not living in consequences of bad choices, just unfortunate circumstances. He was begging to survive, just existing from day to day. 

Do you ever feel like that? Like you are just existing from day to day with no hope? Most of us have made bad choices that have led to our circumstances. Bartimaeus was impaired with blindness. We are impaired with the addictions, anger, financial burdens, etc. of our lives and we actually drive ourselves to a hole where we can find no hope. 

Bartimaeus was surrounded by people who were not helpful. Maybe they were tired of seeing him day after day, or maybe they felt like he could help himself if he wanted to. But the bottom line is that they didn’t think he mattered. They told him to be quite and not call out to God. Have you ever been in a position where you felt like your life doesn’t matter to anyone around you? Sometimes we may treat people in society that way without realizing it. We judge silently and place people in boxes based on what we see. Today society is more sensitive to this but it definitely still happens. As we see in this story, all life is valuable to Jesus - especially the down and out, or the ones no one else thinks are important. He cares about the outcasts and the blind beggars - the ones who have absolutely no hope. 

Like Bartimaeus, for us Satan tells us not to call out. He tells us that God will not help us. He tells us that we are unworthy. He tells us that there is no hope. He doesn’t want us calling out to God because He knows the power we have in just calling His name. 

Bartimaeus was desperate. He ignored the voices in his ear that told him to be quiet and he cried out louder - but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!” In the same way, we have to roar louder than the voice of Satan in our ear! At some point, that is all we have. There is nothing else we do but call out to Him. There is no help we can see. We are helpless in our impairment. We are blind and desperate. 

Bartimaeus knew that Jesus was near, and He was the only one who could help him because he knew who Jesus was. He didn’t want to miss the opportunity. He was desperate and this was his only chance. He knew he had been given a gift and he wasn’t going to miss it. 

If you are impaired and hopeless today here are two important things to remember. 

Jesus is our only hope. Bartimaeus begged for his whole life and until Jesus came, no one ever gave him hope. They may have put a coin in his hand, but no one ever gave him hope but Jesus. 

Jesus cares. Even when you think He couldn’t possibly care about you because of the mess you have made in your life, He does. Shut out the devil and his lies and know that Jesus cares about your broken heart and your broken life. 

Have you told Jesus what you want?  Are you desperate enough? He wants you to call to Him. He wants you to lay your hopelessness at His feet and cry to Him for mercy and help. At His feet all hopelessness ends and true freedom in life begins. 

“You have not because you ask not.” James 4:2

LIVING WITHOUT REGRETS

Monday, January 24, 2022

LIVING WITHOUT REGRETS  by Donnie O'Fallon

 

At the beginning of 2022, I read Psalm 90:12, Teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom… and I determined, whatever I say and do for the rest of my life and ministry,  I will endeavor to live and serve without regrets. Look again at that passage for a moment!

 

Teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

 

If a doctor were to tell you today, “You only have a few months left to live,” would you have any regrets? Would you approach your life’s end with lengthily list of “If onlies?” I’m learning the key to dying without regrets is to learn how to live without regrets.

 

What about your attitude? For example, toward your marriage? If you knew you were going to die soon, could you say with certainty that you would leave behind your spouse with memories of only warmth and love you had given them?

 

What about your children or grandchildren and or great grandchildren? If you knew your life would end in a few months, could you say for sure that you would leave behind children who knew they were a priority in life? Would you be confident that you had instilled in them the values and skills to last them for their lifetime?

 

What about your relationships? If you knew the end of your life was soon, could you say with certainty that you have forgiven those who wronged and hurt you and that you hold no bitterness toward them? Could you name those who will be in heaven because of your influence? Most of all, what about your relationship to God? If you knew in the next few months you would be meeting Him, face to face, would you be filled with excitement or with fear?

 

How do you make sure you that you die without regrets? The key, LEARN HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT REGRETS! Starting today, learn how to live your life without any regrets about your marriage, your time, your money, your parenting, your work, your relationships and your service. Remember, we serve God by serving others. Our personal needs are met my being used of God to meet the needs in the lives of others.

 

A Desperate Faith

A Desperate Faith

Mark 10:43-52

One of the credentials of the Messiah would be the healing of the blind and thus restoring sight. (Isaiah 42:1-7)Jesus, being the Messiah, was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah as He brought healing to the blind man, Bartimaeus.  We can learn much about how to deal with our own “blindness” from this man.

  I.     Life Can Impair Us - Mark 10:46

Bartimaeus’ Problem - The place he lived was cursed... His people were bad... He was blind... He was poor(Other than that everything was fine.)

The condition Jesus found him in was without hope that anything could or would change without a miraclein his life.  

II.     People Seldom Care Enough to Help Us - Mark 10:47-48a

Three Wrong Assessments by the Crowd:

·      That Bartimaeus didn’t matter

·      That Jesus didn’t care

·      That they were better

The response of a desperate man is to minimize the negative voices that clatter around him.

III.     Never Underestimate an Opportunity - Mark 10:48b

Bartimaeus was pitifully aware of his condition. 

·      As a result of the Fall, sin is in each of us—not just the 
susceptibility to sin, but sin itself.

Bartimaeus displayed penetrating insight into the person of Christ.

Bartimaeus had passionate persistence.

Opportunities only become opportunities when we embrace them as opportunities.

IV.     Listen for the Voice of Jesus -- Mark 10:49

Jesus Heard

·      The one who seeks to minister hears the world differently than others.

Jesus Stopped! The Son stood still.

·      He pays the ultimate tribute to one in need – He gave him attention.

·      Jesus never healed anyone on the run.

Jesus Called

Jesus Listened

V.     Exercise Faith with Abandon - Mark 10:50-52

Complete faith is obedient faith.

Mentoring In The Spirit

 Friday, January 21, 2022 Submitted by Donna Lindquist

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is simply personal coaching from an experienced trusted friend, like an advisor or trainer. Some might refer to them as a therapist or counselor, but what does the Bible say about mentoring?

Scriptures are filled with several examples of teachers giving advice, guidance, or instruction to someone who is less experienced or to a child.  Proverbs has many verses on accepting wise counsel and listening and accepting instruction, and    Jesus counseled with his disciples all throughout his earthly ministry,

Later, Paul trained Silas, Barnabas and Timothy in the ministry and continuously mentored these men who were younger, less experienced, less educated, by observation and apprenticeship.  He sought to impart not only skills for life, but spiritual wisdom and discernment. 

Spiritual wisdom can only come from a personal relationship with God, and is not based on extensive experience, immense skill, or vast knowledge on a particular subject or concept. Christians naturally seek advice from a more experienced spiritual person when confronting a difficulty, such as a Christian family member, grandparent, or parent, or even a trusted family pastor. 

 

These older people have spent countless hours mentoring and demonstrating essential life lessons, like how to drive a car or tractor, create that unique family recipe, or operate a machine. They coached, offered guidance, and encouragement until the training or domestic skill was mastered. They are comfortable in asking questions and seeking practical life application to decide for themselves or for their family. This informal method of mentoring may not require excessive knowledge or study but provides training and necessary skills that develop life skills and confidence for future aspirations.

 

Are all Christians supposed to mentor others?

In biblical times, God used human teachers, or prophets to proclaim and instruct the people. In Titus 2:3-4, Paul discussed how older men and women are to mentor and counsel those younger in their domestic and cultural roles, to prevent temptation and idleness. 

Colossians 3:16 asks Christians to counsel each other with God’s wisdom using psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Christians should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit as the only essential authority in equipping believers in spiritual wisdom and transforming lives.  

 

Many of us can recall favorite teachers that motivated and inspired us throughout our school years. These teachers did more than just relay the facts of a subject or lecture information; they created a special connection that challenged us to achieve more, act better or excel higher in the subject. They are remembered as educators reaching beyond the standard academia and promoting life-long learners.  

 Proverbs 9:10 states that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and reveals the true essence of wisdom is the cohesiveness of discernment and knowledge. This means to truly understand the spiritual concepts of God, a person must first acknowledge and reverence the aspects of God. Teaching can involve different methods, and most desire to evaluate both the cognitive and behavioral, but few measures the desires and longings of the heart. 

 

“Without God’s Spirit, we are simply going through the motions of spiritual acts, without any power, or spiritual fruit and destined to fall into the temptation of evil.” Colleen Derr 

 

 Christian mentors can utilize these methods as well, but as they lean into the power of the Holy Spirit to teach others spiritual truths, extra strength and passion ignites their calling from God. Whether we are confident in counseling or not, God will use His followers to encourage others. Confidence, plus humility in the calling, is a great responsibility (James 3:1) not only for the instructor, but to the ones they teach. Philippians 2:13 says that God is working in us, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. 

 

“The Holy Spirit grants believers the ability to live and act differently and faithfully as a “new creation”. When you consider the caterpillar and the butterfly, why would you want to go back to crawling when you now have the ability to fly! It is the goal of believers to live faithfully, not looking back, but in the culture, God has placed us.” Francis Chen

 

 

Flesh vs. Spirit

Thursday, January 20, 2022

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

The Fruit of the Spirit
If you grew up in church, you probably learned about the fruit of the Spirit – maybe even memorized all of them. The fruit of the Spirit is the good stuff that comes out of our lives as a result of having the Spirit dwelling in us. If we have a growing relationship and are walking with the Holy Spirit, there should be evidence of it in our lives. Through our relationship with Him, He cultivates this fruit in our heart and nourishes us. It is our responsibility to take that fruit and bear more fruit with it. 

The fruit of the spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… To have the fruit of the Spirit in our lives we truly have to die to our flesh and many times we have to completely ask the Spirit to take over! In our flesh it is impossible to have the love, patience, kindness, gentleness, and goodness we are supposed to have for someone who is treating us unkindly. That is when we need to let the power of the Holy Spirit love them through us. 

The Bible is very clear about how our flesh is against the Spirit and it is a struggle for all of us - But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Galatians 5:16-17 Walking in the Spirit will help us, but we cannot let our guard down because we will always have those very human thoughts and feelings. The fruit of the Spirit only comes natural for us in the Spirit, not in our human flesh. Staying in the Spirit is protection and assurance that we will be more likely to act in the Spirit rather than in our flesh. 

Take Care Of The Tree
Your life will bear fruit – one kind or another. It is up to you as to whether you want it to be the fruit of righteousness, or the fruit of the world. Whatever we choose to align our lives with will be evident to the people around us. Even if you think you can hide it, you can’t. You will be the only one who believes the coverup because the fruit tells the truth. Apple trees will never bear oranges or bananas. 

A tree that is not watered and pruned will not grow and blossom and produce fruit. The only way you can really bear fruit is to just to abide in Christ – walk in the Spirit. When we cultivate our relationship with God and nurture that relationship with time with Him and prayer and studying the bible, it will produce the fruit of righteousness in our lives. He transforms our hearts, and this transforms our actions. 

We have to protect our heart and take care of it so we can bear fruit. Abiding in Christ is how we do this, and we will see fruitfulness in our lives. Bearing fruit is what happens organically in a relationship with Him. It happens automatically. It is the full cup that spills over and out to those around us. The beauty of the relationship we have with our Lord is that we are never meant to keep it to ourselves. We are meant to share it with others so they can have it too – all for His glory.

Every genuine follower of God has his glory in view by all that he does, says, or intends. He loves to glorify God, and he glorifies Him by showing forth in his conversion the glorious working of the glorious power of the Lord. (Clarke) – Blue Letter Bible