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)

Taming the Storm - Part One

I think I was in the sixth grade when we had an illustrated lesson on storms. The teacher had a teapot that was clear. He filled about one-third of the pot with water and placed it over a Bunsen burner to heat. Soon the steam began to build up to the point that it whirled and swirled; faster and faster the hotter it grew. Finally, it was too much to contain in the teapot and began to whistle noisily through the small hole in the cap.

It was an incredible show; small whips of mist built up into very noticeable white steam. Swirls that changed and moved faster and faster the hotter the temperature was. Oh yes, I almost forgot the point he was making. There was a thermometer there. As the temperature of the water rose the steam was more noticeable and it moved faster.

This morning as I was having my devotions, I remembered one thing very clearly - the water was pretty calm throughout most of the experiment. The teacher did mention this, but we really didn’t focus on that. Little water bubbles formed and would move to the top of the surface and escape. The hotter the temperature of the water, the more little bubbles formed and escaped. When the temperature reached the boiling point, that’s when the water erupted into roiling waves.

Today, as I remember this illustrated lesson, I am struck again by how great God is. Jesus’ teachings in the Bible used nature and physical things to teach us spiritual lessons. How did he know so much? He wasn’t very old; he started his public ministry when he was 30. How could he except that he was God. He understood natural science and physiology because he was the Creator of all things.

How many times have you been reminded of this? How many lessons from your early years do you recall that now turns the light of understanding on in your life? Do you see God differently now?

Storms are inevitable. Matter of fact, storms are necessary to the maturity of all living things; including human beings. Storms clean the air and water and encourage growth.

How is your journey so far? Are you praying for a storm-free life? Or are you learning and growing from them? I challenge you to look back at the storms you’ve come through. Can you see the growth experienced because of the storm?

I’m hoping you’ll take some time to share your thoughts with me.

Anybody Can Write A Sermon

There are two aspects of my life that I am passionate about. They are spiritual and political. I am passionate about them because they shape and impact my present and my future.

I am blessed to be the daughter, the wife, the niece and a sister-in-law of amazing men of God who write and preach some inspiring sermons. I attend a church where the senior pastor is a prolific writer and speaker; you're never bored listening to his sermons. I enjoy hearing people talk about these men in my life with gratitude for their inspiring words of faith and hope. I love the Christ of whom they preach. I've found the faith, hope and salvation they speak about and wouldn't ever think about living any other life. I have a blessed life.

Living in the home I'm blessed with, we pay attention to politics as well. We believe it is not only our right but it is our responsibility as a citizen of the United States of America to participate in the process that supports these freedoms. We have taught our children that if you don't participate in the process and vote, then you have no right to complain or criticize. The political shenanigans, speeches, debates and propaganda really get to me after awhile.

The interesting thing about these two very different and diverse areas of my life is how similar they really are. A politician and a minister have positions of influence in peoples lives. Their job is to convince, persuade and challenge people to support their cause, belief or party. Their oratory can be boring, fiery, animated, passionate or charismatic. They are recorded, quoted, and taped. They are talked about, lied about, idolized, misquoted, loved and hated. They live in glass fish bowls and their life as well as the lives of anyone who is connected to them are examined and judged. Depending on your persuasion, the same politician or minister can be seen as the hero or the villain.

At the end of the day, however, it's not the words of their sermon or speech that matter. Anybody can write a sermon. It's the life they live that's important. It all goes back to the age old adage 'Actions speak louder than words.'

I'm tired of hearing charismatic speeches and sermons. You don't impress me with your oratory ability and your winning personality. Your percentages in the polls do not impress me or convince me to vote for you. The number of people that attend your church does not persuade me that you or the God you say you serve is a place I want to be or the God I want to dedicate my life to.

No, I choose to vote for you because your values are reflected in your voting record or your work in the community. I attend your church not because of the prolific oratory of your sermons, but because you extend mercy and forgiveness when I fail or people do you wrong. You show kindness and love to every person in your life without favor. You help others when they are hungry, hurting, destitute and just want attention.

Anybody can write a sermon. The people I choose to vote for and allow in my life and the lives of my family will be those who live out the life they sermonize about.