Advent

This time of year,
Songs play in enemy's places,
Of a night divine, of Immanuel,
Of God with us.

Of the Father's love, and the Son's submission
In taking a dust-jacket of skin
And thus to subtract by addition.

Born of a woman, conceived by the Spirit,
Fourteen generations times three
Then He came,
All bloody and weak, and wholly divine.

I pray that
This ineffable love will amaze
Me this season.

Read More......

Justice is not Alone

One of the boys at my house this last week started talking with me about some questions he had – he is reading through the book of Numbers, and he was just saying how much killing there was, and he was thinking that if a none believer read those stories that they would think that God was evil. And I think that is what happens many times – that on the surface, when we just glance, God does some things in the Old Testament that are hard for us to reconcile with our own sense of justice – of what is right and wrong. But the justice of God, is pure – it is good – there is no injustice with God. And as we look, as God opens our eyes to what justice truly is – then we see that justice is not alone, but that in the character of God there is something that is not justice – for all men deserve to die, deserve death this second – and yet there is life.

It is the mercy of God – as we look through scripture we see God, always ready to receive those who repent, always seeking for those who will turn to Him. We forget, the very life that we have is from Him – and that man has exchanged the truth for a lie, exchanged the Creator for the created, and that is the basis of evil – sin, for which we deserve to die – we do not deserve to breathe our next breath, let alone return to the One whom we have so deeply wronged – and yet there He is, waiting.

With Cain – “Why are you angry – why are you downcast? If you do well, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do well, sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for you but you must master it”

With Rehab – that in the judgment of a whole city – a city whose walls fell in – she and her household were spared, because she sided with Israel, the people of God, and received the spies in peace. For this one family, though the wall fell over and her house was on the wall, she was spared, in all the death and destruction, such mercy! That God would care for one as this, a harlot, that He would cause her house to be saved.

Christ Himself coming to a Samaritan town, to speak with a woman – to take time, specifically with her, that she might come to salvation – and know God. How great is His mercy toward us!

So, if you know God, if you have tasted of His salvation – if you are born-again – then worship Him – break out and sing of His glorious works – and proclaim His name to the nations:

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.”
(Psa 27:1-6)

Read More......

Had to

John 4:3-4

(3) He left Judea and went away again into Galilee.
(4) And He had to pass through Samaria.

He HAD to pass through Samaria.

From eternity past it had been ordained that Jesus would pass through Samaria on this day – for some of the elect were there – the woman at the well, a chosen one of God – And Jesus, the Son of God goes to seek her out, that she might be restored.

As Jesus says later in John: Joh 10:16

"I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd."

Jesus came into the world to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10) – and here, in this narrative we see just that – The Son of God had to pass through Samaria to seek out this one sinner, that she might come into salvation - What kind of love is this? The creator of the universe, coming down, and seeking out sinners – If you are one of God’s elect you will be sought and found by Jesus – you will be saved – it is a fact, guaranteed. If you are still in your sins you will not always be. You might have been fleeing from Christ for years, but when the time comes that He has appointed, He will overtake you, and you will flee no more. Though you kick and scream and contend against Him now; however deeply you may fall into sin – it will not always be so – for He will most surly overtake and conquer you and then you will see, and then your heart will be opened and you will desire Him above all things and be satisfied in Him. Even now, He is coming!

Do not come to the false conclusion that you need not do anything – for the call to repent goes out to all men – God gave each of us a moral facility with which we discern right from wrong. We know that we are sinners, that we have committed wrongs. And if we know that we are sinners, then we need a savior – The Savior is presented to you this morning – do not harden your heart. He will receive you, if you repent and believe. He turns away no man who comes in response to His call. The door of mercy is wide open to all who believe. Do not harden your hearts, for there is no other who can save you from the wrath to come. Do not harden your hearts.

Read More......

The Woman at the Well

John 4:1-4

(1) Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
(2) (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were),
(3) He left Judea and went away again into Galilee.
(4) And He had to pass through Samaria.

Jesus has done His first miracle, turning water into wine, He has cleared the temple, consumed by zeal for His Father’s house, He has talked with Nicodemous, and now Christ’s ministry has grown to the point that He was making and baptizing more disciples than John the Baptist. Then Jesus knew – He knew, the Pharisees had heard of this – and so he left to Galilee and had to pass through Samaria.

Jesus took the most direct route from Judea into Galilee – straight through Samaria – a place despised by the Jews – Jesus traveled straight through, were many Jews would rather travel over twice the distance, going through Jericho than travel through Samaria.

In a seemingly random meeting, as it seems it was for many as they look back to their conversion stories, Jesus as a man, wearied from walking all day, sits down by Jacob’s well – as an ordinary man would, but as no ordinary man – as we are about to see. This was no random meeting – it was a divine appointment, though this women went out to get a drink of water, she left, having a well of living water springing up to eternal life.

The normal hour for women to come and draw water was about 6 pm – but it was about noon, and this Samaritan woman comes to the well because of her character – it seems as though she planned coming to draw water at this hour in order that she would not meet anyone, for everyone else was in their houses, trying to escape the midday heat. She thought no one would be at the well, but there was one there, and He was waiting for her.

The first thing Jesus does is ask the woman for a drink – considered the cheapest gift which this world contains.

The first thing the woman does is question Jesus, for why in the world He, being a Jew, would be asking her, a Samaritan, for a drink of water – for the Jews hated the Samaritans. They said that if any Israelite ate of something given by a Samaritan it was as if he was eating pig’s flesh.

But Jesus cuts right through the prejudice and goes straight to the heart.

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, `Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
(Joh 4:10)

“Give Me a drink” Of course the most simple understanding of this, is that Jesus wanted a literal drink of water, just as we see that Jesus was wearied from the journey. But the context of the text begs us to look deeper into the meaning.

Later on in the passage, the disciples urge Jesus to eat some food, but Jesus replies: "I have food to eat that you do not know about."
(Joh 4:32)

And so He says

“Give Me a drink, BUT "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, `Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
(Joh 4:10)

Jesus is opening the woman’s eyes to her need – she think she has what is needed to receive water – but in fact she does not, only Christ posses the ability to give the true water.

As it is written...you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," But you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, You must buy from Christ, gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
(Rev 3:17-18)

Open your eyes to the reality – you are helpless. As the woman, unable to give Jesus a true drink to refresh the spirit – she must first ask of Him – she had to receive before she herself could give.

The first lesson in the school of God – “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). This is what Christ is teaching this woman. And she begins to see her need – before of which she did not see – though she has not yet fully understood.

The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw."
(Joh 4:15)

Jesus then moves her even farther to see her real need – not physical, but a spiritual need, to be convicted of her sin – knowing her, knowing her heart He asks – “Go and get your husband, and then come back here”

The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true."
(Joh 4:17-18)

And she begins to see – perceiving Jesus as something more than just a normal man for He knew her.

And as is normal, when we come into contact with someone who we perceive is spiritual, we ask them questions – normally a question of some religious controversy that has been going on for ages – we want to know what they think.

"Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."
(Joh 4:20)

But this is not what is of first importance – As Martha, keeping herself busy preparing dinner for Jesus – angry that Mary is not helping, but is sitting at the feet of the Savior, listening to His every word – “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
(Luk 10:41-42)

In order to worship the Father, we must know Him, and to know Him is what salvation is all about. What this woman needs right now – what she needs, is salvation – before the questions about where she should worship – this church, that church – this denomination, that – she needs to be saved.

The place is secondary – the Person of Jesus Christ – He is of the greatest importance – let Him be first – and all else secondary.

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Note how emphatic this is—MUST.

Worship takes place in the heart of those who have been redeemed. Those who are not redeemed cannot worship – Israel could only groan, sigh, cry when they were in Egypt – but when God saved them, and parted the red sea, and when they had reached the other side, and pharaoh and his armies had been drowned

“Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, "I will sing to the LORD, (Exo 15:1)

There are three musts in the book of John

You MUST be born-again

The Son of Man MUST be lifted up

God MUST be worshiped in spirit and in truth

Only those who have been regenerated, re-born and justified by the atonement of Christ can worship God in spirit and in truth.

One must first know God, must first be saved before that person can worship.

The woman hears these things – and has faith that they will come to pass – saying

"I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us."
(Joh 4:25)

And then the good news – Jesus speaks, “I who speak to you am He”

The disciples come back – but ask no questions

And what does the woman do – she leaves her water pot at the well and goes to tell of Jesus to the people of the city.

She came for a drink of water – but she left with true water, she had a well springing forth to eternal life, satisfied, and full.

How great is the salvation of God – how valuable He is, over all else. Let us forget the carnal things of this life as this woman did, leave your jar at the well, and keep Christ close to your hearts, keep Him at the center of your desires, you will be satisfied.

Read More......