LIVING WATER

Next to oxygen, water is the most important element to human life.  Without this valuable resource our bodies can't survive longer then a week.  Emerging water shortages, and contaminated wells, present an alarming prognosis for our planet. Yet, just as clean, fresh drinking water is necessary for our physical health, "Living Water" is essential for our spiritual state of being. Jesus offered this amazing formula to a woman he met drawing water from a well in Sychar over 2,000 years ago.

In her day, this Samaritan woman was an outcast, living far beyond the cultural norms of society.  She was accustomed to the local community treating her like she was contaminated and dirty.  They whispered and judged her publicly, deliberately humiliating her, so she chose to draw water when she was sure to be alone.  This day of destiny, she arrived at the well and met Jesus. She was surprised to see him resting by the well, since Jews did not associate with Samaritans.  Instead of the jeers of hostility she was used to receiving He spoke to her with respect; a scandalous action between a Rabbi and a woman of her character.  As the conversation progressed the woman realized this man knew everything about her life; the good, the bad, and the ugly.  In spite of this, his words were never harsh or demeaning.

Aren't we all a little bit like the woman at the well?  If we admit it, our lives are full of secret sins we try to cover up and hide.  When we encounter Jesus, he knows who we are, where we've been, and what we've done.  The deep wells of our lives can't conceal our brokenness or failures.  He died to reach backsliders, atheists, homosexuals, drug addicts, murders, and floundering Christians.  His eye is still on the person living outside the code of acceptable conduct.

Jesus meets us right where we are, crossing the lines of hatred, prejudice, and contempt.  He offers Living Water (eternal life) to anyone who chooses to accept the cup he presents.  If you are drawing pleasure from this world's well you will always come up empty. Jesus says to you,"the water I give will become in you a flowing stream that will bring you eternal life." John 4:13  Whoever drinks Living Water will find fulfillment, purpose, and pleasure that never dries up.  You are not too dirty, contaminated by sin, or messed up to ask God for a drink.

Are you thirsty?

Prayer for Eternal Life
Thank You God that you sent Jesus, Your Son, to die for my sins.  The bible says whoever calls upon the name of Jesus will be saved.  I call upon His name and ask Him to forgive me for all my sins.  I believe I'm forgiven because Jesus payed the price by dying on a cross for me. I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and accept the Living Water (eternal life) that he offers me.


CBN/PrayerAndCounseling

Joyce Meyer Devotional

IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES

Like a seasoned race horse, most of us burst through the "New Year's Starting Gate" galloping for the finish line full of anticipation and energy.  We wear our colorful list of resolutions proudly as we jockey for position eager to make 2012 our most successful year ever.  With the heart of a thoroughbred we thunder through the year determined to realize our dreams.

Then it happens.  The smooth track gets long and hard.  The turf becomes littered with economic set backs, family problems, illness, and any number of stumbling blocks.  It's usually in the middle of the race we start to get bogged down and sucked into the miry clay of everyday life.  So what should we do when we nose dive into sudden disaster?

When Jesus encountered a crippled man at the pool of Bethesda who was waiting for a miracle, He asked the man how long he had been in that condition.  The cripple replied, "Thirty-eight years."  Jesus didn't stand with the spectators having a pity party because of the man's terrible quality of life.  He gave the guy one set of simple instructions.  "Get up."

Discouragement is an enemy that will keep us lying by the Pool of Bethesda, so to speak, just like the crippled man, waiting year after year for something good to happen.  To get up is a decision we need to intentionally make, not something that automatically happens.  When I'm bogged down and feeling trapped by life's many 'unfortunate events' I cling to this bible verse:

Arise [from the depression in which circumstances have kept you-rise to a new life]!  Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! - Isaiah 60:1

There are awesome promises in the above verse.  Yet we ( you and I) need to arise.  We have to get up if we expect God to act.  I'm not talking about our outward condition as much as our emotions.  We need to 'get up' on the inside.  Look at the world,and our problems, from a new perspective.  As children of God, we might have lots of hurdles to overcome, but God deliverers us from them all. When we do our part, God is faithful to do the rest
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The good news is the crippled man obeyed Jesus and 'got up'.  He walked into a new life.  Maybe the reason such a dramatic healing was recorded in the bible is to remind us that nothing is impossible with God.

Imagine the possibilities in your life!

End Times ?

At the movies, on TV, in magazines, everywhere…people are talking about the end of the world.  I’m not a Bible scholar but it seems scripture wrote today’s world news thousands of years ago.  Prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes.  My kids would say I have been preaching the “End is Near” since I first became a believer 35 years ago. 

We could argue that during the time of the fall of Rome, the early church thought they were living in the end times.  Yet Jesus gives us many clues about what we can expect to see happen across the globe before He returns.  You can read these passages in the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, the gospels, and the entire book of Revelation.

 CNN Headline News is beginning to line up with scripture. 

However, there are a few ways to think about end times.  For instance, we are all assigned a time to live and a time to die.  We have no guarantee what tomorrow may bring.  If Jesus comes back today, tomorrow, or sometime in the distant future is not the question we should ask ourselves.  We need to live each day as though it were our last.

I think the times we live in are a sign of the return of our Savior…”yet he is patient with us not wanting any to perish.”  2 Peter 3: 9.  I believe we need to be alert and care about the future of this generation and those to come if Jesus tarries.

In the absence of a specific timetable, and world events falling into chaos, how should we live?  The Bible has plenty to say on the subject.  One verse in particular jumped out at me.

1.)  Communicate God’s word as if we are running out of time.  2 Tim. 4:1-4

Let’s face facts! Eventually, the harvest will be ripe and prophecy will be fulfilled.  Although we do not know the day or hour, Jesus will return when we least expect him, as in the days of Noah. 

I put together a youtube trailer to spread the word to any who might have lost their way or for those who do not take the words of God seriously.  Please check this out and share it with others.

 

God’s Truth Only Marches On in Your Boots!

An astounding Newsweek editorial a few years ago titled “The Future be Damned” is a piercing observation of Americans living for today and avoiding all thought of tomorrow.  This attitude is filtering into the fabric of the next generation.  The author concludes, “We won’t endure small hurts today to avoid larger hurts tomorrow, and we know it.  Self-deception has become a way of life.”  Is this America’s epitaph?

It’s hard to believe we are entering another voting season to elect the President of the United Stated.  The candidates are lining up to answer our questions as to why they are the right person for a tremendously difficult job.  You don’t need a PhD to realize our country is on the brink of collapse and we need strong leadership to guide our nation into a safe port.

The focus right now is on jobs.  God’s strategy to transform society includes the development of economic stability. In the book of Deuteronomy ( 28:12)  He told Israel if they obeyed Him, they would be a lender to other nations and never a borrower.  Since we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever we can claim that same promise for our great nation.

In my opinion, there are three “R’s” we should include in our cluttered minds to prepare for the upcoming selection process.

• Repent:  “No matter how fervently we pray,” warns Chuck Colson, “the Lord will not grant renewal to a nation that does not honor Him.  First we must repent.”  Powerful words we must take seriously. Society needs to “turn around” and shift out focus back to God who gives us the gift of life and liberty.

• Regroup:  Our instant push-button mentalities need an adjustment.  We should focus on the rebuilding of our nation.  The most valuable things in life-such as faith, honesty, moral character; things worthy to build our lives; things worthy to build or rebuild a nation-do not come instantly.  Change begins in our own lives, our families, wherever we are.

• Refocus: Each voter should take responsibility and fully engage in the process.  Don’t just take someone else’s word on a candidate's character and platform.  Think for yourselves.  Proverbs 14:15 comes to mind when I think about accountability.  “The simple believe every word; but the prudent man looks well to his future.”

Personally, I believe we are in an hour of crisis, nationally and spiritually.
Each one us is writing the script of America’s future today.  Our words, actions, and decisions will make a difference for good or ill.  We all play a part and bear the consequences for the future.  History is rolling up like a scroll.  Don’t be deceived!   


Part of text borrowed from Charles Crismier and Dr. Tony Evens

Be A Herald In The Marketplace

I spent the last few days at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.  A fantastic line up of authors, speakers, editors and agents presided over the four day yearly event. I had the pleasure of having lunch with a Hollywood Superstar, Ted Baehr, who taught scriptwriting. Our workshops and continuing classes ran from early morning till late at night. Talk about information overload! However, one theme drove the heartbeat of the faculty.

It is time to get out of our comfortable Sunday pews and take the gospel message into the streets. 

I love this challenge of being a herald, a God ordained messenger, but where do I begin?  We brainstormed some options to take serving at soup kitchens to the next level. Since we all love to be entertained the new troubadours might want to add a little skit or funny poem to the menu to catch a few fish. One girl in our group suggested taking your home group to the next Ghost Tour in the city cemetery and prepare a monologue or poem about salvation. A creative teen could help you give it a beat.  I know this sounds a little weird and crazy but many people are suspicious of church, clergy, and Christians but will relax and enjoy something a little different.

We have to take a new approach and be salt and light to a generation that has been given a lot of mixed messages about God.  People need to see us without our religious face.  I can’t sing, dance, juggle or swallow swords but I broke out of my usual quiet shell and acted in a little drama we performed in front of the class.  For me that was huge.  I came out of my comfort zone because if I really want to be an effective witness I have to care enough to be uncomfortable.

Ted Baehr, the Chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission had some sobering statistics we need to take seriously.

•  Good News Publication noted that 50 years ago, 70 percent of children had heard the gospel and were familiar with the Bible.  Today that number is 4 percent!
•  In the United States we are experiencing an unprecedented 22 percent decline in Christianity among children and teenagers. (George Barna)
•  Christians have increasingly been adopting spiritual views that come from Islam, Wicca, secular humanism, eastern religions and other sources.

Why…..because for the past 20 years we have seen the nation’s spiritual views slowly become less aligned with the Bible.  I don’t know about you but I want to see these statistics reverse.  If you have done something out of the ordinary to reach people for Christ please post and let us know, together we are a mighty army!
Watch how this little poem captivates the listener….

Slugs, Aphids and Weeds…Oh My!

I’m a lot like my mother. She believed fruit and veggies were intended to be purchased at the market, frozen or in cans. I grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs thinking gardening was something that died out with the pioneers.

 Then I moved to Amish Country.

I learned it was unthinkable not to have a vegetable garden. Over the years I’ve grown to love gardening (for about a month). I enjoy surface digging, with gloved hands, a pink handled spade and plants that look half grown immediately. However, after numerous failed attempts to grow anything remotely eatable I realized a bumper crop was all about preparing the soil.

This is where the husband comes in handy. He unleashes the big guns, his rotary tilling beast. He and the monster begin by breaking up the hard ground and removing rocks, roots, and debris. I watch (from inside the house) as he spreads the compost. Then he tills again to make sure everything is all mixed together and the soil is rich with the proper ph. When the preparation is finished we plant the seeds.

For the first month or so I am diligent about watering and weed control. My plants look like soldiers in perfect formation. Then it happens. Mutiny! My perfect rows seem to join forces with a multitude of rebel weeds! Under the sweltering sun I begin the process of carefully separating the fragile plants from the thistle.

It’s amazing how weeds can grow anywhere! They come up through cracks in the cement, they tangle around trees, and they raise their thorny heads in dry or wet soil. These little demons will propagate if it rains or shines. Not so with good seed.

If you want to yield a harvest after your investment of time and effort, you have to prepare the ground and be vigilant to protect it from predators. In the parable of the sower Jesus warns us about infertile hearts. He illustrates the point by showing us four types of soil.

Jesus sows the seed, like your pastor who teaches the word each Sunday morning. The seed scatters through the congregation. Some will land in hard hearts where the hearer is not really interested in what God has to say. This person has already shut out the truth and prefers the world’s ideas on how to live a full life. Before long the enemy of our souls makes sure they can’t understand or retain what they hear.

Some seed penetrates hearts that are rocky. These are surface diggers clearing just enough dirt to cover the seed. Rocks represent falling into temptation and unconfused sin. This becomes a dry bed that produces shallow, legalistic or lukewarm Christians. Because these plants get little spiritual moisture fruit bearing dies away.

If your heart is thorny you accept the seed, and get off to a good start, by the cares of the world become so distracting you backslide. The world’s treasures are more important than the things of God. Life’s predators, (worries, riches and lusts) eat the fruit before it has a chance to mature.

The good soil is the prepared heart. There is some effort involved when you become a disciple of Jesus. You need to care for the seed that is sown within you. We can’t leave church on Sunday and forget what was sown by Tuesday. Each day we need to weed out sin and clear the rocks and thistle that litter our lives. If we are lax in our effort we will be overrun with aphids, slugs, and predators that will rob us of a good harvest.

I remember struggling through all three imperfect loams. I went through seasons of disinterest, hanging onto sin, and backsliding far from my church family. Thankfully, someone told me I needed to do more than scratch the surface; I needed to get serious about making Jesus the Lord of my life. The good news is we don’t have to continue growing weeds and rocks in dry unproductive soil. Once I made that decision the Holy Spirit began tilling.



Good soil is a heart yielded to God. If we want a massive harvest and abundant lives we need to patiently and carefully work toward developing the fruit of the spirit in our lives. The parable of the sower asks us all a question. What type of soil are you growing in?

Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-23

Mark 4:1-20

Luke 8:1-15

Engine Trouble

Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.

Summer is on the horizon and I have been exercising and dieting for months.  Let’s face it.  If you are breathing and over thirty, you’re working out.  I got on the scale expecting to see unbelievable progress.  After all, I had cut back calories, upped my cardio, and changed my routine.  I even secretly tried Zumba!

I had been waiting, patiently, for the little needle to drop for days.  Just a pound would have made my day.  The dang thing would not budge.  Instead of keeping my emotions in check, I flipped out and ate everything in sight.  I knew I was in trouble when I realized I was eating Doritos with whipped cream.

The husband has really bad timing.  Just as I was forcing the hundredth salty, sweet temptation into my mouth, he walked into the kitchen.  “Honey, what’s wrong?  You’re going to ruin all you’re hard work.”

I felt my lips curl into a snarl.  I felt rabid!  I faced him with beady red eyes.  “Get Out!”  I growled.  Fortunately, he’s smart.  He turned and left the scene in a flash.  That instant brought me back to my senses.  I put the tasty (yuck) delicacies away and waited for my emotional motor to slow down.

Once I regained control, I realized I needed a tune up.  For a few weeks, my internal trouble light was flashing, “Check engine!”  I ignored it.  Although my performance was low, and it took a lot more effort for me to get things done, I deliberately shunned the warning.  It’s funny how the little things can bring our lives to a screeching stop.

I was doing all the right things.  My prayer time was on track. My personal life was great.  The family was intact.  I should have been getting enough fuel and fluids to make my engine purr.  The funny thing was I felt clueless as to why my think tank was not running smoothly.  I had to take myself to the “Master Mechanic” and wait for the answer to my problem.

Sometimes, I need something close to shock therapy to hear the truth.  My eating tantrum represented one more thing I had to wait to see change. The truth was I had lots of unanswered prayer floating around and nothing was happening.  I let my mind get so caught up in what I wanted, when I wanted it, and how I wanted it, I lost focus on why I wanted it.

The why part of dieting and exercise was obvious, too much junk in the trunk! My lack of speed had a lot to do with trying to accelerate on a road loaded with stop signs.  No matter what I tried, the only lane open was slow and steady. It was like The Fast and the Furious meets Herbie.  

When I let God use His instrument of truth to check my internal code, I saw the problem.  I had been trying in subtle ways to manipulate God to speed things up. His clock does not operate on FIOS.  Inside, I was impatient, frustrated, angry, and fearful. I bought into the lie that the results I want to experience in life should be instant and easy.  I was stripping my gears and getting nowhere.

Jesus spent thirty years waiting to begin a three-year ministry.  We don’t know much about that time except that during the waiting process… “He increased in strength, wisdom, and favor with God and man.”  (Luke 2:52)

We need to idle our engines when the answers we seek are a long time coming.  Waiting is really a time of transition.  God tells us to be patient because something important is at stake. He knows our beginning and our end.  We need to trust His timing and seek His will in each situation we face in life.

How many parents are still waiting after years of prayer to see their lost child return to Christ?  You need to know you are not alone.  Many faithful prayer warriors are waiting for jobs, or reconciliation in a broken relationship. He is there to help you through.  Some of God’s faithful are waiting for healing.  Jesus will dry your eyes and calm the storm.  Are you lost and confused?  He will light the way.   We are all waiting for something.  He is standing with us!

Let’s trust God and learn from Jesus to wait faithfully, obediently and patiently.  God promises..  “As I wait for the Lord I will renew my strength and power; I shall mount up on wings like an eagle; I shall run and not be weary, I shall walk and not faint or become tired.   –Isaiah 40:31