Am He

John 4. The story is about Jesus stopping to get some water, where the Samaritan's got their water. The Jews and Samaritans did not "hang out" together. But Jesus starts a conversation with a woman and explains to her the difference between his living water and the earthly water that we constantly thirst for. He told her about the 5 husbands she had had, and that she was living with a guy now. Let's' pick up the story in verse 25

Scripture

25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ[b]?" 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him

Observation

The well is over a mile from town. When Jesus told her that he was the Messiah, all she wanted to do is tell the people in town....a mile away. Forget about the water, she just met the Messiah.

Think about it. It is in the middle of the desert, she/her family needs water for the day and she leaves the water jar behind ( will another Samaritan steal it while she is gone) what type of response will she get from those back home? Where's the water? Where's the jar? What are you doing? The only answer she could utter, after rushing back to town was, "Come, see a man who told me everything, could this be the Christ?

Application

The challenge for me is; do I react this way? When I sat down today to have an encounter, a life changing engagement with Christ did I think about who I should tell and let them experience this living water, or did I think about mowing the yard later? Each time I open the scriptures and encounter Jesus, what is my response? Is it..."Oh that's nice" or is it "my mind just went completely blank as to MY agenda, because I have just had living water poured in and on me, I have eaten and will not hunger again and so what do I need to do about this life altering encounter I just had with Christ Al-Mighty?" What would have happened had the Samaritan woman just said that it had been nice meeting you Jesus, hope you have a nice day, then got her water and carried it back home? What will I do today? Pack the water home, or leave it all behind because I have met "The Christ"?

Prayer

Father, you have given Christ to this dying world. He did not come just so I could say "that it was nice to meet him", but he came to change me, to radically move things around in my life, so my priorites would change, so your kingdom would come on this earth like it is in heaven. Help me today to live like I have met Jesus today for the first time. That I would not consider things of this world, but that I would leave my things behind, like the water jar, and do things that may seem "crazy" to those around, but they are not because I am being obedient. Amen.

Scripture

John 2:10 (The Message)
9-10When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn't know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, "Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best till now!"

Observation

I have always seen this portion of scripture, Jesus turning the water into wine, as the beginning of Jesus's miracles but I have seen much more today. According the scripture, the way of the world is to serve the good stuff at the beginning and then when people can't taste a difference bring out the cheap stuff. But as always, Jesus and our Heavenly Father do things better and contrary to the world.

Application

What I am seeing here is that there are definitely two contrary ways of doing things. I knew that but this scripture is clear--"Jesus is saving the best until NOW". What I am hearing God speak to me, is that God's Best has been saved for me TODAY. What does that mean? I think that we have a tendency to say, "Yeah-but I don't feel better today I feel worse, Yeah-but I don't have as much money in the bank and things are bleak, Yeah-but I don't know what is going to happen in the future". What fools. Things, Things Things. Is that all I am going to think about, or limit my God to? What is my hope then, what best do I think has been saved for me NOW? Could it be that I accept "the best for now" as.....continued lavish love for me when I deserve God's wrath as a sinner, grace where I have earned none, righteousness of God given to me-the unrighteous? Could it be that the Jesus has saved the best for me today, as another NUGGET of revelation about who HE is, what HE is to my life, what HIS true sacrifice meant to me, what I have been REDEEMED from. So the best has been saved for me today, the best of this world is as chaff to God, so I accept the gift of Jesus's best for me today. I am NOT going to base it upon what I can see, feel or taste but ON FAITH. Jesus has saved the best for me now, today, so I accept it.

Prayer

Father, Thank You that you have saved the best, for me, until now-Today. Your word says that you have given me all things and those are the best things.

Access

Have you ever had the privilege of having been granted the access to someone? An important person, someone of significance? The Bible has something to say about access, let's check it out.

Scripture

Romans 5:1-2

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

Observation

The God of the universe wants a relation with me, and has given me the access to his throne, to his kingdom, to HIM, and I finally have Peace with God. There is no more warring with God. There is no more angst back and forth. Glory!!! How did I get that access? The Bible says that is come only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 3:5-7 the Bible says; "Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again."

Application

How do I apply access to God and having peace with him? First I have to have Faith in Jesus Christ and be born again. Now that I have access, what now? What would I do if I had access to the President? What would I ask him? What would it benefit me? That is small potatoes to the access I have with God. He has opened Himself up for me to know, to enjoy, to lavish in, to engage with, to love, and most of all to enjoy each other for eternity. In this world I may be granted access to someone for a period of time, but God has granted me access for eternity. Forever in relationship. Wow, what a God we serve.

Prayer

Thank you Father for granting me access to you. I was a sinner, a snake, but you justified me by faith in Jesus and allowed me to walk in relationship with you. I never want to take that for granted. Help me to daily lavish, wildly, in the access to have given me. Amen.

God's Kindness

Scripture

Romans 2:4 (The Message)
3-4You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.

Observation

I can point my finger and accuse others of all the problems in their life but that gets me no where. What I have to have to keep the wrath of God from me is God's Kindness.

Application

I think there is a perception that God is sitting in heaven with a Big Club just waiting for us to mess up so he can club us in the back of the head. God does see what we do, and he has already made it clear in the scripture what our sin will lead to and that is death. He doesn't have to hit me in the back of the head, I'm doing it to myself already. But in this scripture, there is something Paul talks about that I haven't heard for a while. God's Kindness. God is not a bully. He is Kind and He is leading me to change my life for the better, an eternal change. How do I apply this scripture today? For me, it is a WONDERFUL reminder about God's heart. He is Kind and will lead me that way. Allow God to take my hand, surrend the pride about doing things myself and let God to Kindly take me on a journey full of richness and eternal life.

Prayer

Father, You Kindness leads me repentance! Thank you for taking my hand and gently leading me to the truth. Help me today, to continue to let you guide me with you Kindness and have none of ME try to guide me. Amen.

Who Am I Listening To

Scripture

Matthew 16:12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducee's.

Observation

In this current world, in the US, I don't know of a person who says they are a Pharisee or Sadducee. So how does this scripture apply to me?

Application

This scripture is specifically telling me to guard myself against any teaching that does not line up with the Bible, and if it gets into me it has the possibility of increasing in volume like yeast does.

So what does that mean. It means things like Oprah, The Situation Room, The Ellen Show, The View, Many newspapers, Larry King, Jay Leno, fill in the blank; they are proclaiming things to us that are not from the bible. and we ingest it, and ingest it and ingest it. It is time we stopped taking it in and started spending more time with the Word of God, so the real truth would be in me instead of "teachings" from Pharisees and Sadducee's.

Prayer

Father, forgive me for allowing some yeast of the this world to be injected into me. Please remove it, clean it up and heal the wound. I ask that your word be would the yeast that would rise up and fill me. Thank You. Amen.

Do I Nullify or Confirm

Scripture

Matthew 15:6 Thus you nullify the Word of God for the sake of your traditions

Observation

This scripture made me wonder this.....do I have traditions in my life that I think are good, but they are actually not in line with the scripture and that is nullifying the Word in my life?

Application

I don't have an answer to that question right now, but now that I have seen and read it and acknowledged it in my heart...I have to do something with it. I need to keep it alive in my heart and QUESTION the things I do and the intent behind them. I really can't say, "That's the way I have done it, so that is what I am going to do". What IF I am wrong? Then I have nullified the Word in my life because I am making my ways and traditional actions more of a priority than God's Word. So I need to STAY ALERT to anything that "I have always done that way" and see if it lines perfectly up with the Word of God, and if it does not then I need to decide if I am just going to keep doing it that way and nullify what God is trying to do in me, or do I repent of MY ways and obey the Bible and receive the fullness of it? What IF I......follow the scripture exactly as it is written today and act on what it says. Imagine the change in this world if we all did that.

Prayer

Father, Thank you for your Word as it warns me against following traditions of man and myself and the nullification of your Word in my life if I do that. You have provided me the Word to reveal your greatness to me, and I ask that you would show me any traditions in my life that are blocking your Word from penetrating DEEP into my heart. Amen.

Who Me?

Scripture

Matthew 14:16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat".

Observation

The Bible has just told me in Matt 13 that I have been given the secrets and mysteries to the Kingdom of God. So here Jesus is telling me not to send the needy away, that I need to give them something to eat.

Application

I know this scripture could have lots of interpretations, but the Holy Spirit is telling me today that something has been given to me....I have been given Christ, I have been given Faith to believe in Christ, I have been given all good things, I have been given direction by the Holy Spirit, I have been given a relationship the God Almighty and this scripture tells me to "give" the needy something they need. It is not up to me to call my pastor or church( I'm not saying that that wouldn't be necessary at times) or an agency to help someone, but I need to give what I have been given. So how do I do that? I need to be responsive to the Holy Spirit promptings, and give when it looks like there is no way to give, as was the short sightedness of the disciples,.."We only have 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes!!!"(What shall we do????-Warren Paraphrased). So whatever someone needs today Jesus has told me..."You give them something"....that is what I must to because what would happen to the world if I lived out the words of Christ, instead of just reading them. What If I...........................

Prayer,

Father, you have given me all things and they are not for me to put into my safe storehouse to protect from this ugly sinful world. But rather you have told me to give them away, that the needy really don't need to go anywhere but here, because you have called me to be a distributor of your eternal goods. I pray that you would help me to keep the warehouse open, that I would not be a collector but rather a exporter of all things. I ask that my eyes and ears be open to those in need, and how I can give them....with what you have given me. Amen.