Monday, November 28, 2005

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.

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Sunday, November 27, 2005

Justice is not Alone

“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)

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Had to

John 4:3-4


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

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."

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.

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Saturday, November 26, 2005

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 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)

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.

"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)

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.

"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)

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