Salt & Light Blog

Revelation 22:1-6 The River of Life and The Tree of Life

1/9/2016

Revelation 22:1-6
The last part of John’s vision of New Jerusalem showed him The River of Life and the Tree of Life. Verse 1 reads,
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb”
John doesn’t say the water is crystal clear but bright as crystal. It shines. It is more than mere water, it is the water of life and it flows from its source the throne of God and the Lamb. The water of life is the water Jesus gives to those who seek Him, who are thirsty to know Him, who are parched with need of Him. The water of life utterly sates that desperate need and gives eternal life. Jesus explained the water of life, the water only He can give to the Samaritan woman in John 4:13-14.
“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The water of life does not simply slake our thirst eternally it flows out of each of us and gives eternal life. Eternal life does not refer only to our lives after the resurrection it refers to our lives now and from the moment we were sealed and filled with The Holy Spirit. Eternal life is life lived with our eyes on the invisible things, the heavenly things, the Kingdom of God. It is active, faithful, and missional. It affects other people. A spring of water flowing out like that is not meant solely for the individual it flows from, it is meant to give it others, so they too can drink from it and be satisfied and they too can have a spring of living water welling from them.
Our spirit-filled life in Jesus Christ, our eternal life begins now and it is abundant and active. It does not watch life from a pew, it lives. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Believer, you may think you do not have anything to offer but that is a lie! You have a never ending river of life flowing out of you. You have the Holy Spirit, the gifts He gave you and the Gospel of Truth. You need nothing else.
John saw more in His vision. Verse 2 reads,
“through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
The Tree of Life is there right next to the river of water of life. Until the time of New Jerusalem the Tree of Life has been hidden and guarded. Genesis 2:8-10 describes it.
“And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.”
Adam and Eve lived in that beautiful place and God gave them only one restriction. They could not eat the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17). But, they did and in order to protect them from eating from the Tree of Life and living forever in their cursed state, the Lord removed them from the garden and assigned a cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the garden and the tree (Genesis 3:22-23).
That is the tree that is in New Jerusalem; the tree with twelve kinds of fruit with leaves that heal the nations, the tree so big it lines both sides of The River of Life. The Tree of Life or its eternal life giving character is described in Proverbs in a few ways. Wisdom is a tree of life (Proverbs 3:18). The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life (Proverbs 11:30). Fulfilled desire is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12). Gentleness, especially of speech is a tree of life (Proverbs 15:30). These are life giving ways of living. When we are wise, good, generous, or gentle, we are glorifying Christ and giving life to those around who enjoy the fruit of the Spirit we express. The character we express as we live is the way we glorify (look, act, and become like) Christ. Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us what the qualities of The Spirit of God are.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
The Tree of Life is the source of Life. Its fruit causes the person who enjoys it to live forever, there is healing in its leaves. It is a real representation of Jesus, the Author of life with healing in His wings (Acts 3:15, Malachi 4:2). Jesus came to give us life and give it abundantly (John 10:10). He is the healer, not only of the body but of the spirit and soul as well. Isaiah 61:1-3 reads,
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”
Just as we are indwelled with springs of water that flow out of us as the Holy Spirit fills us and flows out of us, so too are we called oaks of righteousness like Jesus our Tree of Life. He brings good news to the poor, binds up the brokenhearted, proclaims liberty to the captives, comforts those who mourn, and gives beauty instead of ashes. Glorifying Him with the living water of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control means we are bringing good news, binding broken hearts, comforting and proclaiming freedom as Jesus does. We are to love as Jesus loves. In John 15:12 Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
Believer, you have a spring of living water flowing out of you, you have abundant life. Share it.

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Revelation 3:14-22 To the Lukewarm Church in Laodicea

12/13/2015

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Revelation 3:14-22 To the Church in Laodicea
In this message to the church in Laodicea Jesus describes Himself in verse 14.
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.’”
Jesus is the Amen. Amen means, it is true. Jesus is the Amen, the faithful and true witness. He verifies the truth, He is the truth. When we say it, we are saying yes I testify that what was said is true! I agree! Isaiah 65:16 uses the Hebrew word for Amen as a title for God. Jesus description refers the reader to that scripture. Isaiah 65:13-16 reads,
“Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, my servants shall eat,
    but you shall be hungry;
behold, my servants shall drink,
    but you shall be thirsty;
behold, my servants shall rejoice,
    but you shall be put to shame;
14 behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,
    but you shall cry out for pain of heart
    and shall wail for breaking of spirit.
15 You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse,
    and the Lord God will put you to death,
    but his servants he will call by another name.
16 So that he who blesses himself in the land
    shall bless himself by the God of truth,
and he who takes an oath in the land
    shall swear by the God of truth;
because the former troubles are forgotten
    and are hidden from my eyes.”
The servants of God, the followers of Jesus will be satisfied, while those who did not recognize their needs will watch and be hungry and thirsty and not be able to get relief form their pain. Jesus’ message to the church is in verses 15-17.
“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. “
My friend recently referred to the church in America as the same as the church in Laodicea. I certainly can see the similarities between the church there and the church here. I think what makes us so lucky in countries like America is the same thing that blinds us to the truth and binds us from real Spiritual power. We, like they are rich financially, we’ve prospered, and need nothing. According to Forbes, although we have the largest discrepancy of rich and poor among large advanced nations, the poorest 10% of Americans still live better than the richest 10% of people from countries like Russia, Portugal, and Mexico[i].
But the abundance and ease of our lives, even for those of us who are the poorest in America, keeps us from full dependence on God. We don’t need God to be God for us, because we can go to the store for food and we can turn a faucet for water. Jobs can be found. The government does the churches’ job and takes care of the poor. This has caused many of us to live a partial spiritual life. We don’t have time to zealously pursue God because we have to make money to live. We don’t need to pray fervently because our lives are so easy. Because of that we have no idea that we are starving spiritually, that we are not clothed in the garments of Christ, or that our treasure is not in Heaven.
Consider the times when you were most passionate for Jesus, remember the times when you were on a “Spiritual mountain top.” Those times were probably during and just after great suffering, a time when you had to rely on God to carry you through. When did you grow the most in Christ? When did you display the power of and fruit of the Spirit most clearly? Was it after you had been disciplined by the Lord? Was it when you were facing tribulation, persecution, and need? I would venture to guess that like me, the times you most resembled Jesus, were filled with the Spirit, and glorified the Father were those times of suffering.
I’ve heard stories about underground churches in countries like China where Christianity was illegal. The church had to meet secretly at undisclosed locations. No one could risk sending out messages about where the church would gather, yet every Christian met at the right place and the right time because the Holy Spirit told them where to go. Why doesn’t that happen in the US or the UK? We have no need of the Spirit to do that for us. We have watches, Facebook, Email, phones, and no laws restricting us yet. I’ve heard reports about churches in third world countries who meet for worship and stay and listen to teaching for hours and hours, where the people do not want to leave, where the Spirit manifests obviously throughout the day in every way. They don’t have their own bibles, they can’t regularly hear God’s word taught, and they savor the chances they have to hear it. Why don’t we experience that in the US? We have easy access to the Bible, to teaching, and to one another. We don’t know we need God’s Word so desperately so after the sermon reaches 45 minutes we start waiting for it to wind down and then think which restaurant we’ll go to after service has ended.
This easy life has made some of us complacent in our Christian walk. We’ve compartmentalized our lives, job, family, recreation, church, and Jesus. And rarely do the compartments mix. Jesus may be part of our lives if we walk like that but He is not our lives. Jesus tells us what to do if we are tepid rather than on fire, if we are complacent instead of hungry for God in verses 18-19.
“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”
To buy that pure untarnished treasure takes no money. The poorest or the richest can buy it from Jesus. Isaiah 55:1-3 reads,
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    my steadfast, sure love for David.”
Jesus is the living water who quenches our thirst perfectly. John 4:13-14 reads,
“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
He is the bread of life. John 6:35-40 says,
“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Too many of us have seen Jesus, have heard the truth, but have not believed. We have access to the treasure of gold refined by fire, but we don’t understand its worth. Matthew 13:44 reads,
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Would we be willing to give everything up, all our effortlessness of life for the treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven? Or would we like the rich young man, like many who live life without struggle who walked away unsatisfied and afraid to trust God? (Matthew 19:16-22). Jesus loves us and He wants the best for us, which is why He disciplines those He loves. He knows that in order to experience the fullness of who He is, we need to lose some of what we have on earth. We need to suffer, to be refined by fire in order to get rid of the dross (the scum) of our lives. Isaiah 48:9-11 tells us that suffering is what purifies us and makes us better able to glorify God (reflect His image). He doesn’t discipline out of anger, He disciplines out of love.
“For my name's sake I defer my anger,
    for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
    that I may not cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
    I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
    for how should my name be profaned?
    My glory I will not give to another.”
Suffering is not just something to endure, it is something to rejoice about, to embrace, and to thank God for. It is through suffer that we truly manifest the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:1-5 reads,
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us”
Jesus is waiting for us to give up our comfortable life and depend on Him. He is waiting for us to ask for gold refined by fire, garments washed in His blood (forgiveness of sin) living water, and the bread of life. Verses 20-22 read,
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
All we have to do is recognize He is offering it and open the door and accept what He has. What He has is a treasure worth more than our lives and complete satisfaction in Him. We can let some of the ease of life go and embrace our suffering which will make our joy complete. When we do that and conquer we will sit with God on His throne. We will experience perfection of eternity in unity with the Lord and there will be no more suffering. It’s okay to suffer now so that we can enjoy an eternity without it. Revelation 21:3-4 reads.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

[i] Worstall, T. (2013, July 1). Astonishing numbers: America's poor still live better than most of the rest of humanity. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/06/01/astonishing-numbers-americas-poor-still-live-better-than-most-of-the-rest-of-humanity/

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Psalm 63 My Soul Thirsts for Living Water

7/23/2015

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Psalm 63

Imagine you are in a land where all the crops have died, where there is no flowing water and you are starving and thirsty. Maybe that is too much for us in countries like America, Canada, and Great Britain. Most of us have never been as hungry or thirst as an orphan in a third world country. But try to imagine yourself at your hungriest and thirstiest, you empty stomach growling and your tongue and throat so dry you can’t speak. How badly would you want a glass of clean pure water to relieve your parched throat? How intensely would you want a piece of fresh warm bread to satisfy your growling stomach?

It that the way you yearn for God? Is that the way you long for The Lord? Do you pursue Him the same way you would search for water to alleviate your thirst? We have it so easy today. God is easy to find. I don’t know how accurate the research was but the statistic I found seems likely, the average American household has 4.7 Bibles. We have access to know God. Maybe because it is so easy for us, we don’t seek Him with the intense desperation of people in other countries. In some countries people must sneak in a Bible and worship God secretly in basements because if they are caught they will be tortured, imprisoned, or killed. But who is better off? Should we develop the desperation for God that Christians in China or India have? I think so.

David, the King of Israel who could enter the tabernacle and worship God anytime he liked had the deep desire to know God more. Verses 1-4 read,

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
    beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
    my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
    in your name I will lift up my hands.”

Even though David knew God well, he understood there was so much more of the Lord to know and experience. He didn’t take his access to the throne of God for granted. Perhaps because he was a king who understood what it meant to be royalty in a land of commoners, he understood the privilege.

When we desire God so profoundly, we act on it. We do not lay on our beds wishing we could know God more. A thirsty man doesn’t just sit feet from a spring wishing he could drink. He goes to the spring and drinks. We pray, we listen we consider all He has done, and all He has promised. We read His Word. We contemplate His love. And we praise and worship Him.

When we seek God, His kingdom, and His nature. He satisfies us. Though we yearn desperately, He gratifies completely, more than completely. David compare it to the man desperate for a crust of bread receiving a banquet fit for a king, rich flavorful fatty and nourishing foods. God does that for us. Verses 5-8 read,

“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
    and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
    your right hand upholds me.”

It is easy for the privileged, like those of us in nations where our poorest are richer than the rich of third world countries to forget to be grateful. We consider privileges to be our rights. We forget how actually blessed we are. David showed his thankfulness and appreciation to God by meditating on Him, by considering and contemplating the awesomeness of The Lord, his Provider, his Sovereign, his Redeemer, and his Almighty and Sufficient God.

David praised God for His unwavering love and His consistent ever-present help. He sang for joy in the shadow of God’s wings. The shadow of His wings refers to the wings of the cherubim on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The shadow of his wings is God’s mercy and grace to us, our salvation. We rest in the shadow of His wings since we cannot earn His love which is freely given. We cannot warrant His favor since He is just. We cannot merit Salvation since Jesus died and rose for us before we took our first breath and while we were still lost. (Romans 5:6-9). The word for mercy seat means propitiation, the satisfaction of our debt to God. Propitiation is the gaining of favor, to appease and wipe away wrath. Jesus is our propitiation, He is our mercy seat. 1 John 2:1-6 reads,

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

David clung to The Lord. To cling is to latch on, hold tightly like a baby latches on to the mother’s breast for life sustaining milk. But it was not only David who held tightly to God, God held David upright. God David’s Savior made it possible for him to be upright. The right hand of God, Jesus Christ our savior upholds us. Acts 5:29-32 reads,

“But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Jesus saves those who call on His name for salvation. But to the enemy, his minions, and his prisoners of war, Jesus will defeat them and send them to the eternal fires of the pit of Hell. Verses 9-11 read,

“But those who seek to destroy my life
    shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
    they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
    all who swear by him shall exult,
    for the mouths of liars will be stopped.”

The Lord promised this in His Word that Jesus, the Word of God would Judge and anyone not covered by His righteousness would go to the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20). It is by the Word, the Sword of God, the living will of God that people will be judged. John 1:1-5 tells us Jesus is the Word, the living manifestation of God’s will. We will all be judged by the Word of God. Either we are covered by His righteousness or we are not. Those who reject Christ choose to be judge by the Law. And no one but Jesus was able to live up to the Law.

Hebrews 4:11-13 tells us that Scripture, the Word of God is a discerning judge.

“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

And Revelation 19:11-16 describes Jesus,

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Is your soul desperate for the Lord? Do you desire Him the way a man trekking through the desert longs for water? Is Jesus your oasis, your Living Water satisfying your thirst forever? (John 4:7-14). Jesus promises to satisfy our souls’ longing for Him. John 7:37-39 reads,

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

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Psalm 46 Relax and Remember Who God is. He is God.

7/6/2015

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Psalm 46

No matter what is happening around you, no matter the chaos, the fight, or the struggle God is God. He is Almighty. In Him we have peace. He is God, our Peace and our Sovereign. He doesn’t change. There is nothing that happens on this earth that He is not aware of. There is nothing that can happen that can surprise Him and nothing that He can’t handle. Imagine the worst thing that could happen. It isn’t too much for God. We can always turn to Him for help. He wants us to always turn to Him. We can always depend on Him. Verses 1-3 read,

“God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah”

God doesn’t have to reschedule for you. You don’t have to call and hope He’ll come by and help when He gets a chance. His help is more than lip service and broken promises. When you need Him, He is there, already with you. He is a very present help in trouble. He’s not thinking about what He’s got to do later, while He says He’s with you. He is wholly with you. He has your best interest in mind. It doesn’t matter if the world is falling down around you. God made the world and He’s got you. If the ground falls out from beneath you, it’s okay. He is your foundation and He’s got you and your best interest in mind.

God is not a luxury, He is a need, a necessity. The body can’t live without water, food, and oxygen. The soul can’t live without God. A river flows through land and makes the land fertile for plants, it brings water for drinking and fish for eating. Verses 4-7 say,

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah”

God is our Life-giving River. He flows through the Kingdom of Heaven, He flows through New Jerusalem. But guess what else? He flows through His people. We are His holy habitation, His dwelling place. We are the city of God, a city on a hill glorifying God. He makes us glad. We don’t have to question where He is, because He is with us, He is in us. Like a river, He flows out from us to give life to all those around.

Through all the mayhem of life the river flows, unchanged by the wars and tumult of the land. Yet the land would die without the river. The city wouldn’t survive without the river. Jerusalem wasn’t built on a river. Hezekiah actually built an underground water system for the city that allowed the city to thrive. No, the river in the City of God is God, our Salvation, our Living Water, our Holy Spirit. John 7:37-39 Jesus describes Himself and the Holy Spirit this way,

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Not only can we depend on God for real help and not only does He dwell in us, give us life and flow from us, but He is our refuge. We can go to Him and be wrapped safe within Him. He is with us. He is in us. We are in Him. How can we ever worry about anything? This is God Almighty. This is The Creator of the whole universe and everything in it. He is our Sustainer. He is God! Lord of Hosts, the entire army of angels is ready to do His bidding. What could we possibly have to fret about? Consider all He has done. Verses 8-9 remind us of some of His acts.

“Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.”

Bows, guns, spears, and cannons might frighten us, but they are nothing to the Lord. No weapon could hurt Him and we are in Him so we don’t have to worry about all those weapons either. Sure they can hurt us physically, they can even kill us, but they can’t defeat us, they can’t take God away from us, and they can’t take our eternal life from us. God is bigger than all that, He is Sovereign Almighty God. Isaiah 54:16-17 reminds us,

“Behold, I have created the smith
    who blows the fire of coals
    and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
17     no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
    and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
    and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

Regardless of the cacophony around you, remember who God is, remember what He has done, what He can do, and what He has promised. You don’t have to worry or agonize over the confusion or the wars. Verses 10-11 read,

“Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

Be still. God says, “Be still.” He doesn’t say “run here and there and fix your problems.” He doesn’t say “worry”, “protest”, or “freak out” He doesn’t say, “figure it out for yourself” or “cross your fingers and hope I’ll be able.” No, He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

He wants to let you be still and know He is God. When you trust it to Him, He is exalted. He is glorified. All those people watching, will see who God is and what He can do. Then they too can know He is God.

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Psalm 42 As Water is Essential for Physical Life, Jesus is Crucial to Spiritual Life.

7/2/2015

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Psalm 42

Whether we are being disciplined, persecuted, or both, there are times when most of us feel as if God is far off from us. But our faith reminds us that our Lord is never far off, He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5). He loves us constantly and consistently. If we removed from Him, it is we who moved away. What do we do in those faith-testing circumstances when we feel as if even our prayers are not reaching God’s ears? James 4:4-10 says,

“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

Do we desire the world or the Lord? Do we pursue the Kingdom of God the way we pursue romance, money, and power?

Korah was swallowed up by the earth for his arrogance and discontent with his priestly duties which he considered less than the other priests. (Numbers 16). The sons of Korah were his descendants, the priests who were the keepers of the tabernacle. The prophet Samuel was one of those descendants. This Psalm is authored by one such priest and he was desperate for God, eager to now Him deeply, even through the trouble that made him feel so detached. The author of this psalm longed for God. He said it this way in verses 1-2 of the psalm titled “Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?”

“As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?”

Animals and men need water. It is not a luxury (or shouldn’t be) it is necessary to life. We know that like water is necessary for physical life, Jesus is necessary for our Spiritual life. He is the living water and when we drink from Him we will never thirst again. In John chapter 4, Jesus spoke to the woman at the well in verses 13-14 say,

“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Later in John 7:37-39 Jesus spoke again about himself as the source of eternal life and The Holy Spirit as the source of Living Water.

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

You see, we know God is with us, for us, and in us. We know we are in Him. He is not far off. He not only gives Himself to us as He gives us eternal life, but He makes us like Him so that He flows out from us. Oh, He is with us. We have not and cannot lose Him. But sometimes we do feel a bit estranged from Him. It is through these times when our faith is tested that we overcome by getting know God on a more intimate level. We pursue Him harder. We delve into Him more. We dive into The Living Waters. It is one of the reasons we sometimes suffer. The Lord knows we occasionally need to remember our critical need for Him. The author of this poem described his wretched state and remembered the past joys when he praised and worshipped God. Verses 3-6 read,

“My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember,
    as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
    and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
    a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation 6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
    therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
    from Mount Mizar.”

We are not alone when we suffer. God is with us. And we are not the only people in the world who have suffered, felt alone, or felt despondent. If the Lord’s priests could feel so low, anyone can. If Jesus could despair so that he sweat drops of blood, then we know we can feel hopeless. But our faith reminds us we have hope. The Spirit within us comforts us, not by saying, “Hush sweet baby” but by reminding us who He is, by teaching us and growing us. He is a soothing balm and a healing reassurance to us in His guidance and Word. Verse 7 says,

“Deep calls to deep
    at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
    have gone over me.”

The author felt completely overcome by his trouble, he felt as if he were drowning in the tumult of grief. But though his emotions told him one thing, His faith told him something else. Verses 8-9 read,

“By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
    and at night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock:
    “Why have you forgotten me?

Why do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”

We can look to the Lord and depend on Him. We can remember who He is, our Salvation, our Rock and our Strong Tower. Or we can look to the world for answers. But the world wants us to give up on God. They call Him a crutch and they call us fools. Verses 10-11 say,

“As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.”

Brother, you are not alone. Sister you are not hopeless. God is with you. Seek Him the way a man wandering in the desert seeks a spring of water. Pursue Him with the longing of a baby for his mother’s milk. Remember who God is and who you are in Him.

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Ezekiel 40-48 The Lord Is There

3/21/2015

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The Lord Is There. That is the glorious name of New Jerusalem. That is the awesome name of the City of God. You are the City of God. Is Jesus there?

Ezekiel Chapters 40-48

In these eight chapters of Ezekiel, The Lord gives Ezekiel very specific instructions, ordinances and measurements for the reestablishment of Israel, the Temple, and the land. He was restoring Israel and the covenant that she had so brashly thrown away. But Faithful God kept it even when they didn’t. These instructions were given fourteen years after Jerusalem had been taken, and in the middle of Israel’s captivity. It gave them hope, a reminder that they were still God’s people and He was still their God.

In Chapters 40-44 Jesus and as He shows Ezekiel the restored temple and its specifications, He shows us a glimpse of what the promise of New Jerusalem. Chapter 40 verses 2-4 describe Him.

“In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. 3 When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. 4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”

His instructions for Ezekiel were serious and they are important for us as well. Ezekiel had to hear, see, and understand what the Lord was telling him in order to obey Him. We also must look with our eyes, hear with our ears, and set our heart upon all that Jesus shows us so that we can obey and declare it to the world. God brought Ezekiel to the mountain for a reason. He brings us to the places in our lives for a purpose as well. He wants to teach us, show us, and tell us and He wants us to testify with our words, deeds, and lives.

In chapter 43 Ezekiel sees the Glory of the Lord coming just as he had seen in Chebar when the Lord came to destroy the city, but now He came to restore it. As He came Ezekiel fell on His face in worship, awe, and fear. Verses 4-7 read,

“As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, 5 the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, 7 and he said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places”

God’s presence is the most important aspect of the Temple. He is the most vital part of us as His temple as well. We can’t have a relationship with Him if He isn’t invited into it. We can’t have a relationship with Him if we have muddied it with idolatry.

The chapters continue with rules, laws, and edicts concerning the Temple, worship, feasts, and the land. Most are not new instructions but some are a bit stricter than before. Chapter 44 describes the East Gate and requires it to be kept shut. No one may enter or leave by that gate to remind Israel that that is the gate by which the Lord entered and He is there, the core of who they are and His presence is the most important aspect of the law.

In chapter 47 Ezekiel is brought back to the Temple and sees a water trickling out of the south gate of the temple. As Jesus measures the water coming out though it becomes deeper and deeper until it is no longer a trickle but a flowing river so deep Ezekiel couldn’t pass through it but He could swim in it. Verses 6-12 read,

“And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.9 And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. 12 And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

What an amazing vision of Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness. He is the living water. He brings truth and life. The gospel which was first preached in Jerusalem at the very temple and gate where Ezekiel saw the water trickle out was then preached further and further out until the whole world benefited from the life giving liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Where Jesus is, there is life, fruit, and healing.

The remainder of chapter 47 and 48 give measurements of the land and its divisions and there is an inference to these measurements not being about the Jerusalem Ezekiel knew but some other place, more spiritual than physical. Chapter 48 ends with a description and measurements of the gates of the City. There are twelve gates, three on each side of the perfect square, just like the description of New Jerusalem in Revelation. The name of the city is not called Jerusalem any longer. Verse 35 ends with “And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”

How awesome is that name? The Lord Is There! He is, and He is never leaving. I am a citizen of that city. Are you? Is Jesus your Lord? Does He live in your heart? Do you declare it to the world? Does the Living Water flow out from you and give life to others? Are you sealed with the Holy Spirit? Is your relationship with the Father pure? You and I, Believer are the Temple of God, the City on the Mountain. The Lord is there! God is with us!

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The Beatitudes Study Part 5 Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

12/31/2014

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My study of the Beatitudes continues with Matthew 5:6. This benediction from Jesus reads,

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

The Greek word translated hunger is peina and it means to be hungry, needy, and desire earnestly. (Strong's). The Greek word for thirst is dipsaó and it likewise means to thirst and desire earnestly. (Strong's). Imagine desiring righteousness as much as you want a glass of water when your mouth is parched, not just when it would be nice to have a drink but when you are thirsty, when you long for the cool water to slide down your hot throat and satisfy your need only the way water can. That is the way we should seek righteousness. Not just wanting it or thinking it would be nice, but needing it, craving it, not able to live without it as the sustenance of our souls.

Righteousness or dikaiosuné is defined as justice, justness, righteousness of which God is the source or author, God's judicial approval. (Strong's). Do you want God’s approval that desperately? Well, there is great news for you if you do.

Jesus said you can be happy because you will be satisfied. The Greek word for satisfy, chortazó means to feed, satisfy and fatten. (Strong's)You may be starving for righteousness, but Jesus will give you so much, you will be fat with it! You won’t have to be sparing with goodness. You do not have to be meager because Jesus will give you plenty to exercise.

Your yearning for righteousness will be fulfilled. He is the source of life, He is the source of eternal life and the only way to the Father. (John 14:6). Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that He was the source of living water and anyone who drank from Him would never thirst again. (John 4:14-15). Your longing for righteousness will be satisfied much deeper than you could imagine. 2 Corinthians 5:21 reads,

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

In Jesus, you are righteous! In Jesus, you are righteousness! Yes, God approves of you! God loves you and Jesus made the way for you to be reconciled to the Father and be righteousness. You aren’t that old self anymore who craved self-satisfaction or worldly things. You are a new creation, you are righteous. You are blameless in the eyes of God. He doesn’t see your sin anymore, He sees your righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)

All you have to do is ask Jesus and it is yours. Free! Done! If you sincerely want it, Jesus gives it to you. Then you will find other things happening. You will want that righteousness to be evident in your life. You will want to demonstrate your love for God by wanting to be as good as He says you are. And you will want it for other people too. And as deeply as you want it, Jesus will continue to satisfy your desire for righteousness. You will seek it out. You will pursue that need, the way you go after food and water, not as a luxury but a need. And then you will strive for it above and beyond food or water, but that is okay because Jesus also promised that if you chase God and His righteousness above all else, the rest of the stuff would fall into place. Matthew 6:31-34 reads,

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Do you want God’s approval? Do you want Him to say you are good? He will if you simply ask Jesus to make you right. Jesus promised to satisfy your want for goodness. In fact not just meet the need to make you rich with it.

References:

Strong's. (n.d.). 1343. dikaiosuné. Retrieved from http://biblehub.com/greek/1343.htm

Strong's. (n.d.). 1372. dipsaó. Retrieved from Strong's Concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/1372.htm

Strong's. (n.d.). 3983. peinaó. Retrieved from Strong's Concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/3983.htm

Strong's. (n.d.). 5526. chortazó. Retrieved from Strong's Concordance: http://biblehub.com/greek/5526.htm

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John 7:37-39 I Got a River of Life Flowin Out of Me

11/30/2014

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John Chapter 7 Verses 37-39

Today we have a continuation of Jesus at the Feast of Booths. The Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles occurred after the Days of Atonement and Yom Kippur. It was a really joyous celebration of God’s provision and fellowship. It was a weeklong party. The Feast of Booths is the most joyous of all the Jewish celebrations. There is so much a Christian can learn about Jesus by learning about this feast also called Sukkot or The Festival of Tabernacles. I encourage you to study about it.

Every morning of the feast the priests would draw water from the pool of Siloam, return to the temple, parade around it singing Psalms, and then the pour the water out as a sacrifice. It was not a quiet or solemn event. On the final day, the celebration was at a peak and the priests marched around the temple seven times before pouring out the water. It is at this point that Verse 37 picks up the narrative. Verses 37-39 read,

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

In John, water has been connected with Jesus in several ways. In chapter 2 Jesus had power over the water as He turned it into wine. In chapter 3 verse 5 Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” In chapter 4 as Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, He referred to Himself as the source of living water. In chapter 5 it was Jesus who healed the lame man instead of the healing waters of Bethesda. And in chapter 6 Jesus walked on the water. In chapter 7, He is not only the source of living water but He shares it with us.

In verse 37 Jesus offered the same invitation He gave the Samaritan woman, to drink from Him. His promise in this chapter is extended. He told the woman at the well that if she drank the living water, she would never thirst again. His promise in verse 38 says, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

First, it is for those who thirst. You have to know you have the need. If you have all you need and like the Pharisees didn’t think you needed Salvation, then you have no need of Jesus and the invitation does you no good. Second you have to believe. You have to know in your heart that Jesus is Christ and therefore Lord of your life.

Those who believe not only have the unending living water within them but it is an everlasting flow from them. The Spirit fills us and flows out of us, so that we, along with Jesus can offer the joy and truth of eternal life.

The Holy Spirit is not meant to be confined to us and allow us to live happy little private lives for Jesus. He is great, powerful, and jubilant. He makes it possible for us to share Jesus with the world and love them the way Jesus loved. Jesus didn’t love by passing out miniature Torah scrolls, or by writing a check once a year. He loved in tangible ways. He fed the hungry. He comforted the sad and tired. He healed the sick. He spoke truth and forgave sins. And He paid the price for our sins so that we could live. The Holy Spirit in us allows us to love people like that and share that life with everyone around us.

He is not meant to drip or trickle out of us. He is a flowing, running, and flooding stream without exhaustion.

Zechariah 14:8 reads,

“On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.”

That day is now. Jesus came. He lived perfectly. He died. And He lives. He ascended and the Spirit was given to us. The Spirit flows out from each of to give His life to anyone who thirsts and believes. Do rivers of living water flow out of you? Do streams trickle out of you? Do you feel empty? You are not. Jesus promised you would never thirst again if you drank from Him. If you believe, the living water is in there waiting to burst through the dam. Have you quenched the Spirit and built a wall that obstruct Him?

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Revelation 22:1-6 The River of Life and The Tree of Life

Revelation 3:14-22 To the Lukewarm Church in Laodicea

Psalm 63 My Soul Thirsts for Living Water

Psalm 46 Relax and Remember Who God is. He is God.

Psalm 42 As Water is Essential for Physical Life, Jesus is Crucial to Spiritual Life.

Ezekiel 40-48 The Lord Is There

The Beatitudes Study Part 5 Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

John 7:37-39 I Got a River of Life Flowin Out of Me

Donna Campbell

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