Sunday, September 30, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Treatment of the lost, unsaved or erring Christian Part 1 (The woman at the well)
John 4:4-26 the woman at the Well.
Observations:
V. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
Jesus was weary but never too weary to be about the Father's business.
V. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
When we have received in baptism the Holy Spirit of God and thereby peace and forgiveness and hope and a future, these things should pour forth (fountain vs. having to work to get it from a well),
V.15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
People who hear about Jesus in a way they can comprehend will desire it.
V.16-18 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
God knows all. Jesus knew the woman’s circumstances before he spoke to her. He knew her sin condition and did not shun her. He treated her with respect despite her sin. He didn’t bring up her sin situation first. He brought up the sin solution first.
V. 19-22 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
When people perceive you are of God, they may ask you questions. Are you ready to give an answer? Have you studied God’s word? The answer you give may influence someone’s eternity for the better or worse.
V.23-24 But the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Philippians 3:3 states that worshipping in the Spirit means full reliance on God and not flesh and John 1:17 says that truth comes thought Jesus Christ.
V.25-26 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
Jesus is the bringer of all things. He brings reconciliation between us and God and between the Jew and the Gentile. He brings salvations and healing. His death made way for the Holy Spirit to come. He bought our citizenship in heaven and our eternal life. He did all the work. “I who speak to you am He” (the Messiah). What is he saying to you?
Observations:
V. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
Jesus was weary but never too weary to be about the Father's business.
V. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Jesus was not above interaction with those from a different culture or background; sometimes with better reception than from his Jewish contemporaries.
V. 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
No matter where we are in our spiritual walk, we all have the same Father.
V. 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”When we have received in baptism the Holy Spirit of God and thereby peace and forgiveness and hope and a future, these things should pour forth (fountain vs. having to work to get it from a well),
V.15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
People who hear about Jesus in a way they can comprehend will desire it.
V.16-18 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
God knows all. Jesus knew the woman’s circumstances before he spoke to her. He knew her sin condition and did not shun her. He treated her with respect despite her sin. He didn’t bring up her sin situation first. He brought up the sin solution first.
V. 19-22 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
When people perceive you are of God, they may ask you questions. Are you ready to give an answer? Have you studied God’s word? The answer you give may influence someone’s eternity for the better or worse.
V.23-24 But the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Philippians 3:3 states that worshipping in the Spirit means full reliance on God and not flesh and John 1:17 says that truth comes thought Jesus Christ.
V.25-26 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
Jesus is the bringer of all things. He brings reconciliation between us and God and between the Jew and the Gentile. He brings salvations and healing. His death made way for the Holy Spirit to come. He bought our citizenship in heaven and our eternal life. He did all the work. “I who speak to you am He” (the Messiah). What is he saying to you?
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Reconciliation
I know a lot about reconciliation. I work in accounting. The bottom line with reconciliation (and all of accounting) is to make sure things balance. I was just meditating on reconciling several scriptures.
We are told that we are "more than conquerors" (Rom 8:37). We are to have abundance of joy, grace and righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Corinthians 8:2, 8:14, 9:8). We are blessed (pick the beatitude you like the best). How do we reconcile that with being persecuted (see beatitudes as well as John 15:20; 1 Corinthians 4:12, 4:9), and hated (John 17:14; John 15:18; Matthew 10:22)? How do we make those seemingly conflicting circumstances balance.
We can reconcile it because our joy, peace, grace, righeousness and blessing are not dependent on our circumstances. They are ours. Our victory has been ensured; nothing can take that away. Our "blessedness" and righeousness comes from Jesus' sactrifice, once for all and for all times. Nothing can take it away. Our peace and joy comes from believing, not what our eyes can see, but what God through Jesus has promised. He will dry all our tears (Rev 7:17,21:4) He will give us all we have lost and take us home (1Corinthians 15:52).
If you are feeling alone and forsaken remember this: Satan wants you to believe your eyes and your ears and your emotions (flesh), God wants you to believe Him. Not just in Him but His promises and His love and His power. Trust Him.
We are told that we are "more than conquerors" (Rom 8:37). We are to have abundance of joy, grace and righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Corinthians 8:2, 8:14, 9:8). We are blessed (pick the beatitude you like the best). How do we reconcile that with being persecuted (see beatitudes as well as John 15:20; 1 Corinthians 4:12, 4:9), and hated (John 17:14; John 15:18; Matthew 10:22)? How do we make those seemingly conflicting circumstances balance.
We can reconcile it because our joy, peace, grace, righeousness and blessing are not dependent on our circumstances. They are ours. Our victory has been ensured; nothing can take that away. Our "blessedness" and righeousness comes from Jesus' sactrifice, once for all and for all times. Nothing can take it away. Our peace and joy comes from believing, not what our eyes can see, but what God through Jesus has promised. He will dry all our tears (Rev 7:17,21:4) He will give us all we have lost and take us home (1Corinthians 15:52).
If you are feeling alone and forsaken remember this: Satan wants you to believe your eyes and your ears and your emotions (flesh), God wants you to believe Him. Not just in Him but His promises and His love and His power. Trust Him.
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