Relate....

When I look that word up, the definitions are all about connections.

If you are related, you are connected. 

We can be related by bloodline.  We can relate by similar experiences. We cultivate RELATionships....and when we don't choose purposefully to do so, there is not much that connects us!!

Jesus was a Master at connecting with people....relating.  I see some interesting examples of that in my study of John 4.

Jesus related to the Samaritan woman at the well by talking about water. 
Jesus related to the royal official by demonstrating that just His 'say so' would be enough.

In both of these circumstances, Jesus took time and made deliberate effort to relate to them on familiar ground, drawing from their individual lives, things to use as teaching tools.
I first consider how Jesus related to the Samaritan woman.....

She  had come to the well to get water, and in the heat of the day....a very unusual time to come, (most likely because she wanted to avoid the other women who would be there in the cooler morning or evening times). 

It was a daily task, this getting water.  Water wasn't piped into the kitchen sink...and it had to be replenished daily.  (...you know what happenes to your dog's water in a couple day's time?...)

Jesus talked to her, which was huge....( any other Jewish man would have avoided contact, and in fact, Jesus' disciples might just have done that, as they probably passed her on the road as she was coming....see Luke 4:6-8...). 

Then, Jesus drew her into a conversation about water. He says something about water that will permanetly get rid of thirst.   She would be glad to find a way around coming to that well every day for water. But she didn't quite get what Jesus means with His talk about 'living water'.

Jesus continues to cultivate a way to relate to her Who He is.

Rather than accuse or condemn the wrong lifestyle He knew she was in, He presents an opportunity for her to confess to Him the wrong choices she had made and the wrong living situation she was in.

Oh boy...is that uncomfortable !  When Truth pricks thru, how do we respond?

Often, just like this woman.  Change the subject !! 

"Well, I went to church when I was growing up, but I never did like the preaching..." 
"Well, my family went to XYZ church, my spouse was raised ABC, we couldn't agree where to go..."
"Well, we went to church where we lived, but then we moved and just never found a church home...."

She took the focus off personal sin and turned it around to focus on religion.

 God and church have never been the same thing. Truth is not defined by religion. And religion does not change truth nor gaurantee truth.


Mere religion leaves us constantly thirsty, needing to drink and drink...trying to satisfy that horrible thirst that is the symptom of our sin-sickness. But if it relieves the dryness of soul at all, it is short lived.

You know ....

...the church-going habit for a while
... the 'I'm going to quit ___________' (fill in the blank with your own self-improvement issue)
... the list of good things we devote ourselves to doing.

All of it, a futile attempt to water ourselves from that well and relieve our dry parched spirit.


Jesus Christ tells the Samaritan woman (and US) that HE is The Living Water.

His mere Word does more to satiate our need than any denominational badge you care to wear. All the self improvements we can accomplish leave us as dirty as 'filthy rags' at best. (Isa. 64:6) All the good deeds and pew sitting we can manage won't do it.

Only Jesus. The Living Water.


Have you gone back to the old watering hole? Do you try to satisfy your need, over and over and over....with water that you labor over pulling up out of a man-made religious hole?

Or do you have the continuing bubble and flow of Living Water within?

 And with that ever present flow, do you take that life-giving water to share with everyone in your realm of influence? 

Do you have it with you Monday thru Friday, all day Saturday, AND Sunday when you assemble yourself with the family of God, whatever denominational badge that may be?

I echo the Samaritan woman...I leave my old method and come to tell you...

Friend, don't just labor at the well, don't settle for stagnant, temporary sustanance. 

One Word.  Jesus.



"....leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,
  "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did." (John 4:29)

I've drank from that well. 

I now drink from the "...river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb." (Rev. 22:1)

No more stagnant welled up water for me...




 

Following....

I don't presume to be Jesus, but if you like my Reflections, will you go to the Blog site and 'Follow' me? 

Outburst 2.....

.… Get ready here it comes. Unrestrained expression of emotion.

I am so blessed to have such solid support and encouragement from SO many people!!!

I left a business today with absolutely no concern about ANYthing, because I have people there who have my back.

I had about a dozen clients who had appointments today who were so willing and eager to change their schedules to accommodate this necessary day off.

I have sales reps who do the leg work for me when I can’t.

It never crossed my mind to wonder if everything was ok. I know they are all capable and dependable. And I know they would turn flips if I asked them to. (…but I don’t !) Some are family by blood, all are family. And they are part of the reason I love my job.

　

　

Today, I ….
drove a brand new vehicle…..

A vehicle with OnStar turn by turn directions to a place I’d never been to before in Dallas …..

I drove straight thru with no missed turns or questions about where the place was located…

to a hospital, that was organized, timely, and informative…..

where we were cared for by a staff of people who were real and treated us like people, not objects…

where within an hour, my husband’s hand was operated on repairing some damaged tendons and ligaments…

We had the benefit of all the current technology to feel connected to all those who love and care for us…

Cell phones and social networks do away with the miles that separated us, we never felt alone or isolated..

Prayer warriors have been on the battlefield all day, praying over us…

Offers from dozens of people to come along with us, or help here at home in any way…

Call after call to Kerry from people who are concerned and want to hear from him that all is well…

Text messages, one after another….some light-hearted, jesting, boosting our spirits and bringing smiles and even a few LOLs (Laugh Out Loud s)

Comments on social networks from friends who have moved away long ago, but are still really connected to us….

God, thank You for the blessings You have shown me thru this trial. You are so good…

Outburst...

…. an unrestrained expression of emotion

I had one yesterday. Unrestrained. THAT is the problem. It’s not the emotion. It’s not the expression OF the emotion. It’s the unrestrained part that causes the problem.

I was reminded this morning that even Moses had one. I daresay I’d have had one waaaay before he did. Forty years is a long time to keep a restraint on emotions. He’d been dealing with this mass of people for a long time, the griping, the quarreling, the blatant disobedience…..the doubting God, the fear of their unknown future.

Moses had been obedient to God. He had followed His instructions, seen God’s miraculous Hand at work in delivering this people…a people designated to be free…a people designated to be the bloodline that would bring freedom to me.

And you if you choose….

I feel for Moses. In a moment of frustration and probably pride, he had an outburst of unrestrained emotion.

　

"Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff….. (Numbers 20:10-11)

Not such a bad thing really. Except it was NOT what God had instructed him to do. And….it might have been a bit of grandstanding on Moses’ part.

I regret my outburst. But I won’t wallow in the guilt. I’ve spoken to God about it, and He says ‘…learn from it and let’s move on…’

At least He didn’t invite me up on a mountain to never come down !!

(…which, by the way, I think was more kindness on God’s part than punishment…..Moses didn’t have to continue to deal with those people anymore. He got to retire ! )

Captive....

 ..taken by force by an enemy…

“…..we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

My thoughts are not always my friend. Often, they assault me. Wrong thinking is an enemy to my spiritual health.

I don’t like some of my thoughts.. But try as I might, I can’t rid myself of them completely.

I can’t will myself to NOT think. My humanity shows itself. At times, it is not pretty. And the devil grabs every opportunity to promote wrong thinking.

Again, I am reminded of the phrases from my brother Paul.

Take captive your thoughts…

Obedient to Christ….

Fight…

Wage war…

Weapons…

Divine power…

　

Obedient…..I do want to be obedient. How thankful I am for His help in doing just that.

So I take up my weapons, the ones He has provided.

I wage war with His divine power.

And I stand. And fight.

Not with another human being, but with sin.

I again ask my Father to give me courage and strength.

I ask for discernment.

I ask that He reveal both my enemy’s lies and His Own truth…that I not be deceived.

I ask that He redirect my thoughts and bring them in line with His will and purpose.

I ask Him to remind me BEFORE I sin, that only His approval is important.

And I repent with Godly sorrow for disobedience already committed, knowing He puts my sin as far as the east is from the west.

"Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” (2 Cor. 10:17-18)

I want to be approved by Him above all else. Nothing else really matters in the eternal scope of things…..

Retaliate...

Webster says it is to return like for like.

We all know the golden rule, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. (Mt. 7:12)

Often, we choose to understand it as ‘Whatever others do to me, that’s what I can do to them’.

We want to justify our own desire to retaliate.

Life gets difficult. Relationships get complicated. People are people…with sin natures. We live in a fallen world, with fallen people. Some of them redeemed, some not. People don’t always do the right thing.

I don’t always do the right thing.

But I am not given freedom to retaliate. If we were, where would it end?

It can end with me. Right here. Right now.

I continue to seek, to listen and to hear, then follow the Holy Spirit that is within. I am assured that He is there…“God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb. 13:5, Joshua 1:5)



“ Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”(Rom.8:5)


I resolutely and repeatedly set my mind on Jesus, moment by moment choosing to believe His way and choosing to obey.

Constantly, I am on the battlefield of flesh vs. spirit.

Fruit...

In the course of our discussion Sunday morning, a question was raised about trees and fruit. We were reading the words of Jesus recorded in Luke 6, "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers.” (vs. 43,44)

The whole idea of fruit inspecting bothers me. I don’t relish the idea of anyone inspecting my fruit. Yet I am to bear fruit.

“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful…..This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”(”(John 15:2,8)

Each tree is recognized by the fruit it bears.

A peach tree will always have peaches on it, if there is any fruit.
Never apples. Never blueberries. Never acorns or pine cones.

But the peaches may or may not be great quality or quantity. There must be a lot of work and attention given to a peach tree in order to pick good peaches off of it.

Pruning, water, fertilizer, correct sun…
Frost can destroy the chance of fruit.
Bugs can ruin any fruit that grows.
Birds and worms can beat you to the taste test.


“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”(John 15:4,5)

Immediately after Jesus talked about the fruit bearing tree, He said this about the heart..
“ The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (vs.45)

I am reminded not to trust my own heart. “ The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”(Jeremiah 17:9)

Only God can change a human heart.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”(Ps. 51:10)

Only God can enable me to bear good fruit.
“…Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.”(Luke 15:4)

Albert Barnes had this to say, “The Saviour gives the proper test of their character. People do not judge of a tree by its leaves, or bark, or flowers, but by the fruit which it bears. The flowers may be beautiful and fragrant, the foliage thick and green; but these are merely ornamental. It is the “fruit” that is of chief service to man; and he forms his opinion of the nature and value of the tree by that fruit. So of pretensions to religion. The profession may be fair; but the “conduct” - the fruit - is to determine the nature of the principles.

Lord, help me to bear good fruit. Prune even though it may be painful, protect from what might destroy or disable fruit bearing, and keep me ever attached to Your lifegiving Vine.