It never surprises me to take a look at daily news feeds and see the main underlying theme. Mankind is on a constant search for a "Real" connection with someone or something that satisfies the deep cry within. As much as the news/system of this world has a level of interest and appeal to our sense of right, wrong, and entertainment/excitement/flesh stimulation, it will never be as exciting as discovering your "Real" life. In my own life, I have started to change my focus over the years towards my "Real life" and found the results to be much more exciting than the alternative. In Colossians 3:2-4 gives you one example where this life is located. Let's quick see what it says: "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." So, the focus and receiving mode of making it our determined purpose to know the One who holds all things together (Colossians 1:17) will cause us to find our "Real life".
As eternal spirit beings, we are always going to exist. Our relationship with our creator does not have to wait for intimacy until we get to heaven someday. See, if you really want to influence the world to receive the free gift of salvation we may want to experience the reality of it as well. Your heavenly Daddy wants to pour out His love and favor on you now-today! He longs for you to find that motivation, propelling you to spent time learning about the nature, attributes, and infinite love He has to share with you now....not wait till this world passes away. Jesus prayed in John chapter 17 that we may know the Father and that is what eternal life really is (John 17: 3).
There is no end to the affection that He has for you. When you were at your worst, God saw it and sent His Son anyway to give you the opportunity to fellowship with Him immediately. He's not mad at you...your real life is hidden in the riches of Christ Jesus...find out all you can about this life birthed in the loving heart of God before eternity past. Blessings :-)
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
"Leave Your Waterpot Behind"
I am very intrigued by the significance of the conversation Jesus had with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob in John chapter 4. He is purposeful and intentionally going out of his way to have an encounter with someone culturally, spiritually, and morally shunned.
In verse 4 of chapter 4 it says, "It was necessary (needful) for Him to go through Samaria." Well, the need was to set a person free who was bound. She was in the search for significance in the world and in this case, through relationships with men. See, she came to draw water at a time when you would not want to be walking with a heavy water pot on your head: the middle of the day in the desert. She was tired of the dirty looks, gossip, and self condemnation I'm sure as she had been married 5 times and now living with another man. Jesus spoke with her about many things without condemning her and pronouncing judgement upon her for her many sins. He gave her words of love and life that pointed to the solution to her every need. See, weather you are reading this as an unbeliever or a Christian, the solution to your daily needs and provisions are still Jesus and only Jesus. Not a prescribed formula that involves focus on self effort rather than a rest in His effort.
In verse 28 of the 4th chapter of John the Samaritan woman leaves her water pot behind and runs back to town. She begins verbally proclaiming the answer to her and everyone else's issues of daily emptiness that only an encounter with the living Jesus can cure. See, that encounter with the giver of life caused her to repent (to change the way she was thinking) of "self consciousness" to becoming " Jesus conscious". The result was that she left her "water pot" of her shame, guilt, condemnation, fear of man, and her old understanding of who God was behind. She moved forward and declared her past-her past! She turned from self focus to a new life and daily focus on the giver of living water.
If you take just 15 minutes and read John chapter 4:1-42, I promise God will reveal to you something you have been longing for all your life- daily intimacy and connection with your loving Savior. There is so much packed into these verses, we could talk for hours on it-LOL- but just for fun, take a gander at it this week and see what else He shows you.......
Jesus is interested in making an individual, personal connection with you every day no matter what you are going through or dealing with. Will you leave your "Water pot" behind?
Blessings :-) Feedback and comments welcome!
In verse 4 of chapter 4 it says, "It was necessary (needful) for Him to go through Samaria." Well, the need was to set a person free who was bound. She was in the search for significance in the world and in this case, through relationships with men. See, she came to draw water at a time when you would not want to be walking with a heavy water pot on your head: the middle of the day in the desert. She was tired of the dirty looks, gossip, and self condemnation I'm sure as she had been married 5 times and now living with another man. Jesus spoke with her about many things without condemning her and pronouncing judgement upon her for her many sins. He gave her words of love and life that pointed to the solution to her every need. See, weather you are reading this as an unbeliever or a Christian, the solution to your daily needs and provisions are still Jesus and only Jesus. Not a prescribed formula that involves focus on self effort rather than a rest in His effort.
In verse 28 of the 4th chapter of John the Samaritan woman leaves her water pot behind and runs back to town. She begins verbally proclaiming the answer to her and everyone else's issues of daily emptiness that only an encounter with the living Jesus can cure. See, that encounter with the giver of life caused her to repent (to change the way she was thinking) of "self consciousness" to becoming " Jesus conscious". The result was that she left her "water pot" of her shame, guilt, condemnation, fear of man, and her old understanding of who God was behind. She moved forward and declared her past-her past! She turned from self focus to a new life and daily focus on the giver of living water.
If you take just 15 minutes and read John chapter 4:1-42, I promise God will reveal to you something you have been longing for all your life- daily intimacy and connection with your loving Savior. There is so much packed into these verses, we could talk for hours on it-LOL- but just for fun, take a gander at it this week and see what else He shows you.......
Jesus is interested in making an individual, personal connection with you every day no matter what you are going through or dealing with. Will you leave your "Water pot" behind?
Blessings :-) Feedback and comments welcome!
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