Monday, January 16, 2012

Don't Drink The Water From The Faucet

Isn't it truly amazing how many water products are now on the market? Honestly! You can find water with electrolytes, vitamins, energy boosters, etc. There's spring water, mountain water, rain water, and on and on they go. Just don't drink the water from the faucet; it's contaminated with all sorts of things you don't want to know about. That's the message, right? As I sit here pondering on my need to drink more water and all the benefits I've been ignoring, I'm reminded about the water story in the Bible.

It's about Jesus' trip through Samaria. He found himself thirsty and sat by the well waiting for someone to come who could give him a drink. It's found in the book of John, chapter 4. The two verses that I will refer to here are verses 13 and 14; from The Message version it reads like this, "Jesus said, everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst --- not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life."

You know Jesus was the Master Storyteller. His stories intrigue me because they can usually be tied back to the things he created. He uses so many analogies and allegories to engage our minds so that we can apply them to our lives and understand their importance. So I decide to look at the known facts about water and see how much they can be applied to spiritual need.

• A person can live for up to one month without food, but only about one week without water.
• By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1 percent of its total water amount.
• Water leads to overall greater health by flushing out wastes and bacteria that can cause disease.
• Water can prevent and alleviate headaches.
• Water naturally moisturizes skin and ensures proper cellular formation underneath layers of skin to give it a healthy, glowing appearance.
• Water aids in the digestion process and prevents constipation.
• Water is the primary mode of transportation for all nutrients in the body and is essential for proper circulation.

I think there are many applications that can be made from these. Pastor Kenneth Haney preached a powerful message at Firstborn Ministries about the importance of renewing our minds daily which comes to mind as I write this note. He challenged us to be diligent in the renewing of our minds daily. He quoted this passage:

“I beseech you there, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12: 1-2

Get rid of the stinkin’ thinkin’ that’s between your ears! The only way we can be healthy Christians is to flush out all the waste and bacteria of the world through the infilling of the Holy Ghost on a daily basis. The headache, sickness and disease of the world prevent a healthy glow of the spirit. But proper daily cleansing with nourishment from the Word and spirit of God will transport nutrients into your mind and body that are essential to your personal health and the proper circulation and spreading of revival to the world.

From this point on, my water of choice is Spirit water. The Message version of this same scripture puts it like this and sums up my choice pretty well:
“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:1-2)