Plants require light to grow. Without light plants shrivel and die. Sin is exactly the opposite. Sin loves darkness. Darkness is the condition necessary for sin to grow. Anyone who wants sin to remain and take over only needs to keep away from the light. There is nothing else required.
For sin to shrivel up and die it must be brought into the light.
The Apostle John declared: If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 ESV
If we walk in the light, if...
Repentance turns on the light. Repentance is a change of mind that declares what I did was a sin, I'm responsible for what I've done and I accept the consequences.
When I change my mind about what I've done and declare it to be sin; when I take responsibility for what I've done; when I accept the consequences of my actions I have walked in the light. When I continue to admit sin, take responsibility and accept the consequences then I am walking in the light. Walking is a continuous action. Walking in the light is meant to be a continuous way of life for a Jesus follower.
Jesus, teach us how to walk in the light!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Repentance - An obsolete idea?
Repentance is a word that isn't heard much anymore. In the current mindset the word has become obsolete, it is no longer necessary. It is obsolete because there is another word that it works in conjunction with: sin. What was formerly referred to as sin has been rebranded.
The old fashion idea of sin has been replaced with "issues". A person doesn't do wrong instead they "have issues".
Sin has been replaced with “illness”. A person doesn't sin instead they are suffering from an illness.
What they did was not intentional it was a “mistake”.
The problem with replacing sin with: illness, issues and mistakes is that repentance is no longer a response to a person's choices and actions. Repentance is built on admitting wrong choices and taking responsibility for what has happened. Repentance is a change of mind that declares what I did was a sin, I'm responsible for what I've done and I accept the consequences.
Recently someone said to me “I've made peace with God.” The problem with their statement was that they were taking little or no responsibility for their actions. Repentance always takes responsibility.
The Apostle Paul wrote about the reaction of repentance in his second letter to the church in Corinth. “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment!” 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV
This is what godly repentance looks like. Is there an area in your life where you need to declare something as sin, take responsibility and shoulder the consequences?
The old fashion idea of sin has been replaced with "issues". A person doesn't do wrong instead they "have issues".
Sin has been replaced with “illness”. A person doesn't sin instead they are suffering from an illness.
What they did was not intentional it was a “mistake”.
The problem with replacing sin with: illness, issues and mistakes is that repentance is no longer a response to a person's choices and actions. Repentance is built on admitting wrong choices and taking responsibility for what has happened. Repentance is a change of mind that declares what I did was a sin, I'm responsible for what I've done and I accept the consequences.
Recently someone said to me “I've made peace with God.” The problem with their statement was that they were taking little or no responsibility for their actions. Repentance always takes responsibility.
The Apostle Paul wrote about the reaction of repentance in his second letter to the church in Corinth. “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment!” 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV
This is what godly repentance looks like. Is there an area in your life where you need to declare something as sin, take responsibility and shoulder the consequences?
Friday, June 29, 2012
America Needs You!
During WWI there was a famous JM Flagg poster that portrayed Uncle Sam pointing at the reader declaring “I want you for the US Army.” This poster morphed over the years and has taken many different forms. There are hundreds of pictures of these posters on the Internet. Seeing one of the posters recently got me thinking about the idea: America Needs You!
America does Need You!
America needs you to pray
America needs you to pray for the President, Vice-President, House of Representatives, Senate, and the Supreme Court, the military leaders, business and finance leaders. Our country needs the wisdom of God.
America needs you to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength
When each of us loves God the way we are meant to then our priorities end up in the right order, we spend our money correctly, we put people before things and not things before people. I heard Pastor Lindus say one time “Never love something that can’t love you back.” It is easy to use people and love things when we have our priorities in the wrong order. The correct priority is to love people and use things.
America needs you to love your neighbor as yourself
When each of us loves our neighbors as we should the world becomes a place of peace, creativity, stability and prosperity. When we fail to love our neighbors, no matter who they are or how different they are than us, the world becomes a place of conflict, creativity is stifled, instability becomes a way of life and prosperity is out of reach. The Scriptures talk about how easy it is to love someone like you or who loves you. The challenge given by Jesus 2000 years ago to love our neighbor was not a challenge to love those like us or who love us. The challenge was to love those who are different than us and who maybe don’t like us.
America needs these attitudes and actions from every one of us. America needs you to pray. America needs you to love God. America needs you to love your neighbor.
Matt
America does Need You!
America needs you to pray
America needs you to pray for the President, Vice-President, House of Representatives, Senate, and the Supreme Court, the military leaders, business and finance leaders. Our country needs the wisdom of God.
America needs you to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength
When each of us loves God the way we are meant to then our priorities end up in the right order, we spend our money correctly, we put people before things and not things before people. I heard Pastor Lindus say one time “Never love something that can’t love you back.” It is easy to use people and love things when we have our priorities in the wrong order. The correct priority is to love people and use things.
America needs you to love your neighbor as yourself
When each of us loves our neighbors as we should the world becomes a place of peace, creativity, stability and prosperity. When we fail to love our neighbors, no matter who they are or how different they are than us, the world becomes a place of conflict, creativity is stifled, instability becomes a way of life and prosperity is out of reach. The Scriptures talk about how easy it is to love someone like you or who loves you. The challenge given by Jesus 2000 years ago to love our neighbor was not a challenge to love those like us or who love us. The challenge was to love those who are different than us and who maybe don’t like us.
America needs these attitudes and actions from every one of us. America needs you to pray. America needs you to love God. America needs you to love your neighbor.
Matt
Friday, June 22, 2012
Praying for our country and leaders
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, the pastor of the church in Ephesus, regarding praying for those in authority. He told Timothy: I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, … (1 Timothy 2:1-3 NLT)
Paul wrote these directives at a time when Nero, the Emperor, had absolute power. Ultimate authority for life and death was literally in the hands of Nero. Nero was not a benevolent leader. History records many of the atrocious activities of this leader. Yet Paul wrote these things: Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf; give thanks for them. If this was the instruction for Timothy and the believers in the Roman Empire how much more applicable are the instructions for believers today? We are clearly instructed to: Ask God to help our leaders; intercede for our leaders; give thanks for our leaders.
As we approach the anniversary of our country’s birth and as we draw near to another election of the leaders, we need to obey the directives of Paul to Timothy. We need to: Ask God to help our leaders. We need to: Intercede for our leaders. We need to give thanks for our leaders.
The goal of praying for those in authority is, ‘so that we can live peaceful and quite lives marked by godliness and dignity.’ Living peaceful and quite lives marked by godliness and dignity happens in two ways. One way is that God answers prayer and the circumstances and conditions of society make it possible for people ‘to live peaceful and quite lives marked by godliness and dignity.’
The other way that this happens, is that God answers prayer by forming the attitude in people so that they ‘live peaceful and quite lives marked by godliness and dignity’, regardless of the circumstances and conditions of society. God answers prayer and works in hearts, so that His followers have an attitude of peaceful and quite lives marked by godliness and dignity, in a world that is opposed to them and in a society that is out of control.
The follower doesn’t get to choose which way God answers the prayer. The bottom line is that, God wants to create in us ‘peaceful quite lives marked by godliness and dignity’ regardless of what is happening in the land. If you didn’t know it ‘peaceful quite lives marked by godliness and dignity’ is what God is trying to do in you and me when we pray for those in authority.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Spiritual Growth takes Diligence
As most of you know I’m concerned for and passionate about spiritual growth. I find myself burdened by a desire to see each individual person at SWAG grow spiritually and that the nature of Jesus would be formed in their life.
Spiritual growth is best compared to ‘health’ then it is to just growth. Good physical health doesn’t just happen. It takes diligence and intentional action for good health to happen. Good health takes work when it is easy and exciting and we’re inspired. Good health also takes work when we find ourselves in the middle of the drudgery of life. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen naturally. Spiritual growth takes work and lots of it.
The Apostle Peter wrote to the first century believers encouraging them to be diligent in the drudgery. It is pretty easy to work hard when we are inspired, when there is a looming deadline or when we have a goal to achieve. Working hard and being disciplined is not so easy in the drudgery.
Peter wrote: For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8 HCSB)
Notice his words: MAKE EVERY EFFORT. Those are diligence, hard work and discipline words.
Don’t let yourself be weighed down though. Even in the area of discipline God wants to work. One of the Fruits of the Spirit is Self-control. Self-control is something produced by the Holy Spirit when we yield and cooperate with Him.
Jesus, teach us how to be diligent, hardworking and disciplined in the times of drudgery. Holy Spirit, create the fruit of self-control that we might grow spiritually. Amen
Spiritual growth is best compared to ‘health’ then it is to just growth. Good physical health doesn’t just happen. It takes diligence and intentional action for good health to happen. Good health takes work when it is easy and exciting and we’re inspired. Good health also takes work when we find ourselves in the middle of the drudgery of life. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen naturally. Spiritual growth takes work and lots of it.
The Apostle Peter wrote to the first century believers encouraging them to be diligent in the drudgery. It is pretty easy to work hard when we are inspired, when there is a looming deadline or when we have a goal to achieve. Working hard and being disciplined is not so easy in the drudgery.
Peter wrote: For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8 HCSB)
Notice his words: MAKE EVERY EFFORT. Those are diligence, hard work and discipline words.
Don’t let yourself be weighed down though. Even in the area of discipline God wants to work. One of the Fruits of the Spirit is Self-control. Self-control is something produced by the Holy Spirit when we yield and cooperate with Him.
Jesus, teach us how to be diligent, hardworking and disciplined in the times of drudgery. Holy Spirit, create the fruit of self-control that we might grow spiritually. Amen
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Passing It On
One of the lessons that will be repeated over and over as we study through the book of Judges the consequences of what happens when one generation fails to pass on to the next generation the truths of God. This is not just about failing to teach the truths but also a failure to create situations and environments for each succeeding generation to experience the love, forgiveness, intervention, guidance and provision of God.
Judges records it this way: “After that generation died (the generation that had been in the desert and had crossed the Jordon River), another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10 NLT)
The instruction to the children of Israel was clear. They were to pass on to each generation the truths of Scripture. The book of Deuteronomy starts with these instructions: “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NLT)
When grandparents and parents fail to pass on the truths of God and create situations and environments for their posterity to experience the work of God, there are disastrous consequences to future generations. Passing on the truths and creating situations and environments for the next generation to experience the work of God will not guarantee that loving, fearing and serving God will take, BUT failure to pass on the truths and failure to create situations and environments for the next generation will almost certainly destine the succeeding generations to forget God.
Judges continued to record history: “The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the LORD. They abandoned the LORD to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.” (Judges 2:11-13 NLT)
The number one priority of grandparents and parents is to pass on the truths of God and to create opportunities for the next generation to experience God.
Judges records it this way: “After that generation died (the generation that had been in the desert and had crossed the Jordon River), another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10 NLT)
The instruction to the children of Israel was clear. They were to pass on to each generation the truths of Scripture. The book of Deuteronomy starts with these instructions: “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NLT)
When grandparents and parents fail to pass on the truths of God and create situations and environments for their posterity to experience the work of God, there are disastrous consequences to future generations. Passing on the truths and creating situations and environments for the next generation to experience the work of God will not guarantee that loving, fearing and serving God will take, BUT failure to pass on the truths and failure to create situations and environments for the next generation will almost certainly destine the succeeding generations to forget God.
Judges continued to record history: “The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the LORD. They abandoned the LORD to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.” (Judges 2:11-13 NLT)
The number one priority of grandparents and parents is to pass on the truths of God and to create opportunities for the next generation to experience God.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Celebrate America - Prayer Needed
I need to ask you to pray for wisdom and for finances for Celebrate America, the annual fireworks event that South Whidbey Assembly has organized and hosted for the last 17 years, in Freeland.
This has been a very difficult year organizing the event. We have had multiple obstacles to overcome all the way from changing the firework pyrotechnicians to the fundraising. The fundraising has not gone as well as it has in previous years. The cost of most components of the event has increased again this year. We have ironed out almost all of the difficult areas except the funding.
All of the businesses that have been large supporters are either unable to help this year or they have had to cut back their support significantly. This has left us with more than a $10,000 shortage.
The determination was made, we needed to have $20,000 of the money pledged or in hand by the end of May or we would have to cancel the event. As of May 31st we are a few thousand dollars short of the $20,000. The total budget is $29,000, so even if the $20,000 was realized we still have about a third of the money to collect.
The South Whidbey Record is running another plea on Saturday and we are shaking every bush we can think of that may not have been shaken so far.
The decision has not been made yet, to pull the plug. I am waiting until the last possible minute in hopes that the funding comes in.
A decision will be made by June 10th whether or not the event will happen. It would be too bad not be able to offer this event to the community. It is in Jesus’ hands.
Please pray that we will have clarity, as the week goes by, and that, if Celebrate America should happen this year, that the money needed will come in quickly.
Thanks.
This has been a very difficult year organizing the event. We have had multiple obstacles to overcome all the way from changing the firework pyrotechnicians to the fundraising. The fundraising has not gone as well as it has in previous years. The cost of most components of the event has increased again this year. We have ironed out almost all of the difficult areas except the funding.
All of the businesses that have been large supporters are either unable to help this year or they have had to cut back their support significantly. This has left us with more than a $10,000 shortage.
The determination was made, we needed to have $20,000 of the money pledged or in hand by the end of May or we would have to cancel the event. As of May 31st we are a few thousand dollars short of the $20,000. The total budget is $29,000, so even if the $20,000 was realized we still have about a third of the money to collect.
The South Whidbey Record is running another plea on Saturday and we are shaking every bush we can think of that may not have been shaken so far.
The decision has not been made yet, to pull the plug. I am waiting until the last possible minute in hopes that the funding comes in.
A decision will be made by June 10th whether or not the event will happen. It would be too bad not be able to offer this event to the community. It is in Jesus’ hands.
Please pray that we will have clarity, as the week goes by, and that, if Celebrate America should happen this year, that the money needed will come in quickly.
Thanks.
Friday, May 25, 2012
‘Wannabe’ does not make it so
Learning and doing can be disconnected. Learning is often disconnected from life and living life.
For instance, I can read all kinds of books, attend lectures, and watch video clips about building, but until I actually start building I’m not a builder. And I’m not really a builder until I’ve built a few things.
I can read and attend lectures and watch videos about running, golf, fishing, sewing, pottery, etc, etc and never be a runner, golfer, fisherman, seamstress or potter. I am simply a wannabe. A wannabe becomes the real deal when they start putting miles on their shoes, spending hours fishing, and sewing all sorts of items. It is not the ‘wannabe’ that makes it so. It is the doing. It is in putting ‘rubber to the road.’
This is true in the Christian life. Reading about Jesus and the Christian life, attending church services, watching videos, and listening to teachings may give information and knowledge, but if that person never puts ‘rubber to the road,’ they are a wannabe Jesus follower and not a Jesus follower.
Jesus told the Apostles to make disciples and to “…teach them to obey [DO] everything I’ve commanded you.”
Jesus half-brother, James, said it this way: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22 NIV)
People can learn about something and never put it into practice and never become what they ‘wannabe.’ On the other hand, a person who does it - who puts ‘rubber to the road’ - learns it. They can’t help it. Learning happens in the doing. A person can read all about running and never become a runner, but a person who runs learns all about running and is a runner.
A person who obeys Jesus is a Jesus follower and learns more about being a Jesus follower than the person who reads, watches, and listens to teachings about being a Jesus follower but doesn’t obey.
This is also true in marriage and parenting. I can read all kinds of books, attend weekend seminars and sign-up for coaching, but unless I put into practice what I learn, I am a ‘wannabe’ and not the real deal. It is when I obey Jesus and love my wife as Jesus loves the church that I become a godly husband. When I put ‘rubber to the road’ and serve my wife and kids, I become what a husband and father is supposed to become.
‘Wannabe’ does not make it so – doing makes it so.
For instance, I can read all kinds of books, attend lectures, and watch video clips about building, but until I actually start building I’m not a builder. And I’m not really a builder until I’ve built a few things.
I can read and attend lectures and watch videos about running, golf, fishing, sewing, pottery, etc, etc and never be a runner, golfer, fisherman, seamstress or potter. I am simply a wannabe. A wannabe becomes the real deal when they start putting miles on their shoes, spending hours fishing, and sewing all sorts of items. It is not the ‘wannabe’ that makes it so. It is the doing. It is in putting ‘rubber to the road.’
This is true in the Christian life. Reading about Jesus and the Christian life, attending church services, watching videos, and listening to teachings may give information and knowledge, but if that person never puts ‘rubber to the road,’ they are a wannabe Jesus follower and not a Jesus follower.
Jesus told the Apostles to make disciples and to “…teach them to obey [DO] everything I’ve commanded you.”
Jesus half-brother, James, said it this way: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22 NIV)
People can learn about something and never put it into practice and never become what they ‘wannabe.’ On the other hand, a person who does it - who puts ‘rubber to the road’ - learns it. They can’t help it. Learning happens in the doing. A person can read all about running and never become a runner, but a person who runs learns all about running and is a runner.
A person who obeys Jesus is a Jesus follower and learns more about being a Jesus follower than the person who reads, watches, and listens to teachings about being a Jesus follower but doesn’t obey.
This is also true in marriage and parenting. I can read all kinds of books, attend weekend seminars and sign-up for coaching, but unless I put into practice what I learn, I am a ‘wannabe’ and not the real deal. It is when I obey Jesus and love my wife as Jesus loves the church that I become a godly husband. When I put ‘rubber to the road’ and serve my wife and kids, I become what a husband and father is supposed to become.
‘Wannabe’ does not make it so – doing makes it so.
Friday, May 18, 2012
People are reading your book
In the first century the Gospel was not something read in a Bible, or listened to on the radio or TV. The Gospel was read in the lives of those who were followers of Jesus. Every follower of Jesus revealed to those they came in contact with something about God and something about the values, priorities and life of Jesus. The Gospel came to people in the flesh and blood, the words, attitudes and actions of those who were following the risen Savior.
One of the earliest writings about the Gospel was the letters to the church in Corinth. In 2 Corinthians Paul was defending his apostleship against the accusation that he was not really an apostle. He told the Corinthian believers that they were his letter of recommendation, that every time someone looked at them they could ‘read’ what Paul had taught and how Paul had lived.
The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
(2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NLT)
Today, every follower of Jesus reveals something about God and theology. Every follower also reveals something about the values, priorities and ways of Jesus. Is your ‘book’ telling the truth? When someone reads your life do they read truth about who God is and what God is like? When someone reads the ‘book’ of your life, are they getting the truth about Jesus’ priorities, values and ways or are they reading a lie?
Paul continually encouraged people to follow him. He wrote:
You should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT)
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9 NLT)
Paul wrote these words with confidence because his ‘book’ was telling the truth.
Is your ‘book’ telling the truth?
One of the earliest writings about the Gospel was the letters to the church in Corinth. In 2 Corinthians Paul was defending his apostleship against the accusation that he was not really an apostle. He told the Corinthian believers that they were his letter of recommendation, that every time someone looked at them they could ‘read’ what Paul had taught and how Paul had lived.
The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
(2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NLT)
Today, every follower of Jesus reveals something about God and theology. Every follower also reveals something about the values, priorities and ways of Jesus. Is your ‘book’ telling the truth? When someone reads your life do they read truth about who God is and what God is like? When someone reads the ‘book’ of your life, are they getting the truth about Jesus’ priorities, values and ways or are they reading a lie?
Paul continually encouraged people to follow him. He wrote:
You should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT)
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9 NLT)
Paul wrote these words with confidence because his ‘book’ was telling the truth.
Is your ‘book’ telling the truth?
Friday, May 11, 2012
Are you drinking Living Water?
Water …
Upwards of 70% of the planet is covered by water. Some of the water is salt-water and some of it is fresh water. People can live for weeks without taking in food but can last only days without water. In 1981 an Irish hunger striker went 73 days without food. According to the Guinness Book of Records the longest time a human has survived without water is 18 days. Dehydration begins to impact the human body with thirst, dry mouth, dizziness, no longer making tears, no longer sweating, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting, heart palpitations. Going more than four days without water leads to kidney failure, and eventually death.
1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water. Roughly one-sixth of the world's population and half of the world's hospital beds are filled with people suffering from water related illnesses.
The human race is dependent upon water. Without it we are doomed.
Is it any wonder that Jesus used water as a running illustration of people needing to depend upon Him as the source of ‘Living Water?’ The illustration would have been so much more potent to the people that he spoke to directly than it is to you or me.
Today, getting a drink of water takes almost no effort whatsoever. For most Americans it only requires the turn of a faucet handle. Much of the world today doesn’t have the access to running water in their homes that we have. They have to go out to a river, lake or well and work for the water. In Jesus’ day people did not get water without effort and often substantial effort.
Jesus said to the woman at the well: “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask Me, and I would give you living water.” (John 4:10 NLT)
Jesus taught that the only way to live a healthy spiritual life is to receive from Him ‘living water.’ Anything short of a few days without ‘living water’ and the human spirit begins to undergo changes that, if not hydrated with the ‘living water,’ will lead to ‘spiritual organ failure. People begin to sense a thirst, then a dryness and then spiritual dizziness and so on.
People never have to be without ‘living water.’ The supply in Jesus is never ending. The well is never closed. Jesus just said, “Ask Me, and I will give you living water.”
Are you spiritually dehydrated? Ask for living water.
Has it been a few days since you drank from the well of living water? Ask for living water.
Jesus is the ‘living water’, which is available at all times to every person.
Upwards of 70% of the planet is covered by water. Some of the water is salt-water and some of it is fresh water. People can live for weeks without taking in food but can last only days without water. In 1981 an Irish hunger striker went 73 days without food. According to the Guinness Book of Records the longest time a human has survived without water is 18 days. Dehydration begins to impact the human body with thirst, dry mouth, dizziness, no longer making tears, no longer sweating, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting, heart palpitations. Going more than four days without water leads to kidney failure, and eventually death.
1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water. Roughly one-sixth of the world's population and half of the world's hospital beds are filled with people suffering from water related illnesses.
The human race is dependent upon water. Without it we are doomed.
Is it any wonder that Jesus used water as a running illustration of people needing to depend upon Him as the source of ‘Living Water?’ The illustration would have been so much more potent to the people that he spoke to directly than it is to you or me.
Today, getting a drink of water takes almost no effort whatsoever. For most Americans it only requires the turn of a faucet handle. Much of the world today doesn’t have the access to running water in their homes that we have. They have to go out to a river, lake or well and work for the water. In Jesus’ day people did not get water without effort and often substantial effort.
Jesus said to the woman at the well: “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask Me, and I would give you living water.” (John 4:10 NLT)
Jesus taught that the only way to live a healthy spiritual life is to receive from Him ‘living water.’ Anything short of a few days without ‘living water’ and the human spirit begins to undergo changes that, if not hydrated with the ‘living water,’ will lead to ‘spiritual organ failure. People begin to sense a thirst, then a dryness and then spiritual dizziness and so on.
People never have to be without ‘living water.’ The supply in Jesus is never ending. The well is never closed. Jesus just said, “Ask Me, and I will give you living water.”
Are you spiritually dehydrated? Ask for living water.
Has it been a few days since you drank from the well of living water? Ask for living water.
Jesus is the ‘living water’, which is available at all times to every person.
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