Take a Swim

 Ezekiel 47:3-5, "And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over."

 

Are you living in the center of God’s perfect will in your life right now? Have you reached a level of spiritual maturity and obedience to God’s Word that you feel God wants you to have? The truth of the matter is we all have plenty of room for improvement!

I want you to see what God is telling Ezekiel about wading out into the deep spiritual waters of the Spirit-filled life. In the modern church, many have become too afraid to give their all to Jesus. They are afraid because they think God may require more of them than they are willing to give. They reason within themselves that if they don’t commit to the work fully, then they won’t be found guilty of failing in their commitment to Jesus. They are just afraid of getting in over their heads.

The Prophet Ezekiel is given a vision of a river that springs forth from God’s Throne. This river of living water, coming from the Throne of God, is representative of the working of the Holy Spirit in your life.

 

Ezekiel 47:6-10, "And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed, and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many."

 

Ezekiel saw the water as it flowed and became a mighty river that brought life, healing, and deliverance to a dry and thirsty land. This land was to be the home of God’s chosen people, Israel. God had such great things in store for his people.

There are many who hear the Gospel, and they see what the Spirit can and is doing in the lives of others, yet that is as far as they get! They never really get in. They never respond and surrender their lives to Jesus.

Ezekiel first saw the waters. He could not and did not go into the water alone. God carried Ezekiel out into the water.

 

We cannot enter God’s Kingdom or experience the Holy Ghost in our lives unless we come God’s way. We don’t have the ability to step out without the Lord leading the way. We can’t even come to Him in repentance unless the Holy Spirit deals with us and brings conviction.

When the Holy Spirit deals with the life of a sinner, that sinner must respond, either in repentance or rebellion. If our response is one of repentance, then God saves us, and we begin the journey through life with Him.

We step into the water and get our feet wet. At this point in our walk with the Lord, we still behave the way we want to. We can behave according to our own thinking. There is very little “resistance” to our steps because we have not yet learned to recognize the Voice of God as He gently leads us into a deeper relationship with Him.

As we grow in the Lord and learn to trust Him, He begins to bring us into a little deeper walk with Him. The Holy Spirit begins to open doors of ministry for us and leads us to step into a more productive life in Christ. Now, we are getting knee-deep in obedience to the call of God.

Maybe you feel led to teach a class, minister to the youth, or do some of the work around the church to help the facilities be better. Whatever you see needs to be done, you are anxious to complete it.

“I’m not ready to get up in front of people; I don’t know if I’m ready to teach others.” We can come up with a lot of excuses, but none of them are as good as we try to make them appear.

Serving God in knee-deep water means that we must work a little harder, study a little more, do a little more than other people, and even draw attention to the fact that we are more committed to doing a job that needs to be done.

Just as knee-deep water is a little harder to walk in and hides many things that may cause you to stumble, so does serving the Lord. God will begin strengthening you and building your faith in Him. But this is just a knee-deep commitment.

God is saying, Step on out a little further. Let me draw you closer to me. Ezekiel is carried out into the water until it becomes waist-deep.

Now the going gets tougher. The demands upon your time, energy, and commitment now really cut into your already busy schedule. You are not just teaching a class or working around the church now. God has now called you into training for leadership within His church. Now, you must read more, study more, pray harder, and be concerned for a part of God’s work that He has entrusted you with.

Rest assured that as you try to wade out in water up to your waist, you are going to face opposition. As the Holy Ghost leads you into a deeper walk with the Lord, there will be obstacles in your path.

There will be those who will not commit themselves and will tell you that you are foolish for being so radical for the things of God. There will be those who won’t agree with your conviction or your methods. There will probably be those who will even try to convince you that you can’t do what you feel God is telling you to do.

There will always be those who only wade out ankle-deep or don’t even step into the water. These are usually the ones who try to discourage those who will step out further for God.

Finally, Ezekiel was carried out into water too deep to touch the bottom, and he had to swim. When you get committed to God enough that even your plans are scary, that’s when you are getting into this deepest walk with the Lord. That’s where you must learn to depend upon the leading of the Holy Ghost more than ever because you know you can’t do what God has called you to do on your own. When you are this deep, you have gone beyond your ability.

Ezekiel had gone so far from the shore that he could no longer walk back. Wherever the river flowed, that was where Ezekiel was going. The current was so strong, and the volume of water was so great that Ezekiel was in over his head. Still, God was carrying him, and there was no danger of the Prophet drowning. God was still in control of the water and the prophet's life.

Most Christians will never experience the joy, fulfillment, trust, and love for God that comes with this kind of commitment because they love the safety of the shore too much. They refuse to leave their comfort zone. They refuse to stretch and grow beyond what they can see. Their faith is never exercised to the point that they have complete peace no matter what the world throws at them.

If someone is to reach the deep relationship and commitment to the Lord that this represents, he has moved beyond himself and placed himself under God's hand in complete obedience and trust. That is what true spiritual maturity is all about! It is about coming to the end of ourselves and realizing just how big God is and that there is no way that we could ever do it on our own.

When Ezekiel got in this deep, his will was surrendered to the river's will. He was going to go where the river took him. God wants us to lose sight of ourselves, our goals, our ambitions, and our dreams, and He wants us to be one hundred percent surrendered to Him and His will for our lives.

Do you know what the secret to genuine revival is? It‘s God’s people getting to the place where they are as committed to Jesus and the call of God upon their lives as they can get! Revival isn’t for the ankle-deep people because they will never see what God wants to do. They will never have complete trust and faith in God to accomplish those things that seem so impossible. They will only sit by and grumble because the church isn’t growing or because they don’t “feel anything” as though it was God’s or the Preacher’s fault.

 Revival isn’t even for those who will get knee-deep in God’s work. They may sense that God wants to accomplish something great in their lives. They may even catch a glimpse of God's vision for their ministry if only they would be committed. But they will never experience the real power of the dream that the Holy Ghost will bestow upon the one who completely surrenders to the will of God.

The church will experience revival, and the individual Christians will only become all that God has intended for them to become when they surrender to God and commit their lives to Him without reservation. They must put their faith in God’s ability to keep them, God’s provision for every part of life, and God’s faithfulness to do what He has promised.

Ezekiel says about God, "He brought me through the waters."

Maybe you find yourself holding back on total commitment to the Lord because you are afraid that if you entirely sell out to Him, you will drown. God will not fail you. He is faithful and able to take care of you. He is Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord that provides. His provision is for your success in ministry, your needs in every aspect of life, and for your protection and safe journey during your life in Him.

Many Christians never realize that a deeper commitment, wading deeper and deeper into a strong relationship with Jesus and allowing the Holy Ghost to have complete control of their lives, helps them stay close to God. They will be less likely to “fall off the wagon” in their spiritual walk if they get in deep water.

Walking in water that is only ankle-deep requires little effort. The force of the water against your steps is minimal, and you can quickly get in or out at will. It’s also easy for some outside force, like wind or the push of a friend, to knock you out of the water.

Since many people never get more than ankle-deep in their commitment to Jesus, you can see why so many live such shallow lives and are so easily carried about by every little “wind of doctrine” that blows their way. These dear people rarely hear the true voice of God. Instead, they listen to every voice that says what they want to hear that makes them feel good and justifies their shallow walk with the Lord. My concern is that many of these “shallow Christians” aren’t Christians at all and will not go in the Rapture of the church.

Walking in water up to your knees requires a little more effort and a deeper commitment. Even so, it is still easy to be knocked out of the water by the same circumstances as those up to their ankles.

I believe Jesus refers to these first two categories as “lukewarm.” These are the ones that He will “spew out of His mouth.” (Revelation 3:16)

In my mind, these two categories of people, who are non-committal and compromising with the world, are the type of people that President Teddy Roosevelt was speaking of when he made this statement: "Far better it is to fail in the attempt of great things than to take rank with the weak, timid souls who know neither the glory of victory or the agony of defeat."

Only those who will get at least waist deep and ultimately “over their heads” in a deep commitment to Jesus will ever really experience the glory of victory in Jesus. Any good work for the Lord will accomplish great results after someone dives into a strong relationship with God and makes a real commitment to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes under the leadership of the Holy Ghost.

D.L. Moody said, and I believe it, “It remains to be seen what God will do and can do through someone that will commit totally unto the Lord and have absolute trust in Him!”

That’s the kind of commitment that Jesus is looking for. Sadly, those who will make such a commitment are few by comparison with those who won’t.

What about you right now? Are you still in the shallow water? What are you going to do with your commitment to the Lord?

Some reading this still haven’t stepped into the water at all. Some are in every stage of this message. Jesus is looking for a total commitment. Let the river carry you wherever the Holy Spirit leads. Allow Jesus to have the complete Lordship of your life; there is no telling what great victories lie ahead.

 

As the Deer

 Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it will not live to see another day. Every morning, the lion wakes up and knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it may starve to death and never see the sunrise again.

The moral of this story is that whichever you are, whether you are like the lion and feel as though you are the king of your world and all is well, you better be ready to run with all your might, or if you are more like the gazelle, timid and shy, and feeling nearly defenseless against the predators in life that seem to be ever after you; when the day dawns and sun rises, you better be ready to run for your life!

I don’t know about you, but there have been times when I have felt like the lion. I was on top of the mountain, and all was well. Yet, there was always this nagging feeling that I could not stop because the top of the mountain doesn’t go on forever, and the time was quickly approaching when life would see me going over the side and falling swiftly into the valley once more.

I’ve also come to understand that I spend more time going down into, staying in the depths of, or struggling to climb out of the valley than I have on the mountaintop. I’ve also understood that it is not on the mountaintop as much as in the valley's struggles that faith in God is built and made stronger.

The Bible refers to different animals as representatives of the people of God in varying circumstances.

 

Psalms 44:22 says, "Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter."

 

Isaiah 40:31 compares us in some ways to an eagle. "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

 

Psalms 42:1, “As the hart (Deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”

 

First, we must note that God has placed within each of us a natural desire to seek the truth of his existence. Though many men will suppress that desire and even deny its existence because they refuse to give God a place in their lives, that emptiness, and thirst down deep inside cannot be quenched by anything other than the presence of the Lord. There is a place in the heart that nothing, nor anyone, can fill but Jesus. So many today search for something to satisfy that longing, but nothing can ultimately make them happy.

You can give a man all the world's wealth, and it won’t satisfy the emptiness of his heart and soul. King Solomon had so many wives and lovers that his palace was becoming crowded, but no other person could fill that void that only Jesus could fill. In the end, Solomon could only say that all of life was filled with vanity, things that have no meaning without God. The excitement of travel, vacations, sports, or accomplishments in the business world cannot appease that thirst, and the temporary rush disappears in a moment. Drugs and alcohol are nothing more than tools that men use to dull the reality of the pain in their hearts because of the emptiness and sinking feeling of the meaningless life that they live without Jesus, a life without purpose or fulfillment.

If only all of mankind would allow Jesus to fill that place in their hearts that only he can fill, what a wonderful world this would be. Sadly, though, that will never happen.

Even as Christians who serve God faithfully, we often find ourselves in the same position as David in this verse. We are dry, thirsty, and in desperate need of that water of life that only Jesus can give.

There is always a battle to fight if we are in this world. Sometimes, the battles are with natural enemies, those who seem to be chasing after us all the time to take what we have worked hard to earn or to steal that which God has blessed us with. The Constitution may guarantee our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Still, that guarantee is only as good as the Constitution itself, and right now, that Constitution is being trampled underfoot by the powers that be. When the Constitution is disregarded, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are also in jeopardy.

Sometimes, the battle we must fight is more in the supernatural realm. We can never let down our guard against the enemy of our souls because Satan and the powers of darkness never sleep, and he is a relentless foe, ever seeking whom he may devour. Like that lion chasing the gazelle on the Serengeti Plains, Satan is ever roaring, searching for Christians who have strayed from the presence of God and gone searching for greener pastures out in the world. Spiritual warfare never ceases, and the closer we stay to the Lord, the safer we will be.

A lone gazelle grazing away from the herd is easy prey for the lion. A Christian who strays from the Church tries to feed his heart and soul on the TV or radio or by making up his own plan of salvation becomes easy prey for the temptations of the devil. How can anyone expect to stay strong for the Lord if they directly disobey the Word of the Lord? There is strength in being together, strength in numbers, for we all hold one another accountable in a fashion, and we all are encouraged by one another. You won’t get that by doing it on your own. Many have tried, and just as many have fallen into temptation and sin.

Staying close to God doesn’t make us immune to Satan’s attacks, but when we are close to God, then we have only a short distance to “Run” before we can feel his grace keeping us from falling prey to the devil.

We’ve often felt that hot breath of the powers of darkness as they are at our heels. The problem with most of us is that we are often running as fast as we can to get away from the attacks of the devil that we forget that what we should do is stand fast in God and resist the devil. As long as we are running, he won’t stop chasing. But the instant we stand upon the Word of God in faith and resist him, Satan must turn and flee.

David refers to the deer as a hart and gives us an example of how the deer behaves. The deer is one of the most timid creatures in the forest. Whether it is the hunter with his weapons, wolves, wild cats, or some imaginary enemy, the deer is easily spooked and will run for a long time to get away. After a time, running creates a terrible thirst, and the deer will seek water.

Whatever the reason, that deer must find that water, and whatever the reason that we as Christians find ourselves in a dry and thirsty condition, we must do like that deer and search for that water of life that only God and his Word can give.

 

Psalms 42:2, “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

 

How will you fill that emptiness and thirst within your heart and soul? It can only be filled by coming before the Lord and appearing before the courts of Heaven in prayer and supplication. When we seek Him, we will find Him; when we ask of Him, we will receive; and when we knock on the doors of Heaven, they will be opened to us. But notice this – we must make the first move! We must ask, seek, and knock first! There are too many Christians who sit around expecting God to answer their prayer that they never prayed to begin with, to open doors of blessing without ever knocking on the door, and who also expect God to reveal himself to them in a greater measure every day while they never seek to know him more!

Why do Christians have so much trouble? Why does God allow us to become tempted and tried? Why are we always running from the devil and walking in dry, thirsty places in the spiritual realms? The answer is that God must allow something or someone to chase us, ultimately making us run to Him, which is where we should have been in the first place!

 

David said in Psalms 42:3, “My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?”

 

That sounds like so many people I know, and I’ve been there occasionally. The only thing we feed on are the doubts and fears that come upon us because we failed God. When we run far enough and long enough from the presence of God, there’s nothing left but to cry out for mercy and run back to God seeking forgiveness. How far and fast do we run only to finally realize how far we are from where we should be in God?

There comes a time in our running that we finally ask, where is God? Where is that relationship that I once had with the Lord? Where is my love for the Word of God, for working for the Lord, for being in the House of the Lord, for being around God’s people? Where is that Love that I once had and that sensing of the anointing and power of God upon my heart? How far have I run?

You can see that pattern every time it begins to happen. People are excited about church and the things of God; then other things start to draw them away. Then they say things like, “I just feel led to get away from the ministry and rest.” Yes, there is a rest for the people of God, but that rest is not found in abandoning your post in the Lord’s army. It’s seen by staying faithful and leaning upon Jesus rather than running from Him.

Some say, “I just feel like I’m not getting fed what I need, so I’m going to try something else, whether it’s a new church, a new preacher, or a new position.” Understand this – you will only get out of it what you put into it. No one gets fed when they are not committed to serving the Lord with all their heart. If you want to get fed, learn how to give to others first and give God what is expected of you. God’s working in your life still operates on the laws of sowing and reaping. You will get back after you’ve put in. Give, and it shall be given to you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over! Don’t give first; you’ll get nothing in return because that’s what you have sown.

Sow prayer and reap the answer! Sow praise and reap the presence of the Lord! Sow working in the Kingdom of God and reap satisfaction and joy knowing you’ve obeyed the Lord! Sow teaching, and you’ll learn much more in the process! Sow ministering into other people's lives, and you’ll reap the blessings of receiving their thanks and kind words of appreciation. Sow work in God’s house and reap the satisfaction of feeling like you belong and are part of what God is doing! Sow the seed first; then, the reaping and harvest will come!

Those who begin to draw back soon fall into temptation and become caught up in sin, whether it’s the sin of doing things contrary to the Word of God or the sin of not doing what God requires of his people. Either way, it is a dangerous path that leads to destruction. We can’t rebel against God’s plan for our lives and expect God to continue blessing us. God’s blessings depend on our obedience to his call and the work he has set before us!

The point is that the further we run, the drier we will get in the spirit. The farther we get from where we should be in God, the thirstier our souls will become, until one day we will see that there is no more water and that we have a choice to make: either get back to the water of God’s Word or die where we stand!

 

Psalms 42:4, “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.”

 

Do you see what David is saying here? He had come to this dry and thirsty place in his life even though he had continually gone to the house of God to worship, despite lifting his voice in praise and being around the multitude of God’s people there with him.

The problem is that we can all go through the motions, seeming to do what we should, but if our heart and soul aren’t into it, then it does little good. God won’t accept half-hearted efforts. He expects us to be on fire for him, desiring him above all else. Anything less than fully committed is entirely unacceptable. We can appear to be faithfully serving God and still be on the run from him. We might fool everyone around us. We might even convince ourselves that we are okay. But you can’t fool God. He knows your heart and your motives!

 

Psalms 42:5, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”

 

Why is David feeling so cast down? Why is he unsettled and disturbed in his spirit? The reason is that he was in a dry and thirsty condition spiritually. Yet he knew there was hope, which was found in God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness. He knew that his answer was found only in returning to praise and worship from a pure heart, and if he would do that, then God would lift him again!

 

Psalms 42:6, “O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.”

 

When David began to think of his dry and thirsty soul and of his great desire for the water of life that God can give, he remembered how God had blessed him and the nation of Israel in the past. He had been in this condition before, and so had the entire country of the Jews. How often had they fallen! How often had they failed God! How often had they been left dry and thirsty, not having the blessings of God upon them because of their spiritual condition?

God had brought them back so many times. He had dried up the Jordan River that barred them from the Land of Promise. He had defeated their enemies, caused water to come out of the rock in the wilderness, given them the Law on Mt. Sinai, and led them all the way. God had brought David back from the wilderness when Saul was after him to kill him. God had blessed David’s reign as king and gave him a throne that would be forever remembered. God had blessed him after he repented of the affair with Bathsheba. David recognized that no matter how far Israel had run or how far he had fallen from God’s presence, somehow, there was always hope because God is faithful!

 

Psalms 42:7, “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.”

 

Though we might be like David, so deep in despair, so deep in the dry places, and so far from God that we can’t feel his presence anymore, there is hope. The depth of God’s love and grace reaches into the depths of David’s dry and thirsty soul. Though the storms of life, represented in the waterspouts, and the depths of sin, described in the billows over him, were so great, God was still calling him home.

I don’t care what you’ve done or how far you have run from God. It doesn’t matter how far down into the depths of sin you have plunged! God will hear your voice if you call upon him for deliverance!

 

Psalms 42:8, “Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.”

 

Like the light of the sun in the daytime, the love of God will lead us home and show us the way. His Word will be the lamp to your feet and the light to your path, all the way back to Jesus and the foot of the cross of Christ, where we can find rest again. In the darkness of our sin and despair, God will give us a song, a new hope, and a renewed spirit if we only pray to him and seek his face!

 

Psalms 42:9, “I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why am I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

 

You can see hope arising in David’s heart once again! He now sees that God is his Rock, his foundation, and his answer to his soul's dry and thirsty condition. Why should he cry and be in such despair because of his enemy? Why sit in self-pity and bewail his spiritual weakness when God is still God and able to deliver him?

I say to you that whatever you face, and whatever your spiritual condition, whether you’re on fire for God and on the mountaintop with Jesus or down in the valley, depressed and downtrodden, God is still God, and he is still your answer! Run to him!

 

Psalms 42:10, “As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?”

 

Here’s the picture that I see in this verse! As soon as you make up your mind to turn back to God in faith and begin sowing the right seed, as soon as you decide that you’ve been dry and thirsty long enough and that you have a new-found hunger and thirst for the things of God; you can get ready for the spiritual battle to get a lot hotter.

Satan doesn’t want you to get back to God, and he’ll throw everything in your path to stop you. You’ll begin to wonder if God will even accept you back. You’ll start to wonder what other people might think about you. You’ll begin to doubt whether the feeling you have inside to get back to God is even real. These are all tricks of the devil!

It’s his job to discourage you, but you must resist him and come to Jesus anyway. The devil can’t stop you if you want God more in your life, but you can let him control you if you yield to his discouragements.

Who cares what other people think; what God thinks only matters! God is always willing for us to get closer to him. He never refuses a repentant heart! He is willing that all should come to repentance and inherit the blessings of God. And yes, it is God who is dealing with your heart if you feel that desire to come back to him. Only Satan would ever tell you that the tugging in your heart isn’t real! That’s the Holy Spirit drawing you, so yield and come home to Jesus!

 

Psalms 42:11, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

 

David’s final words in this chapter are meant to encourage anyone who truly thirsts after God or is hungry for something to fill that emptiness inside to run to the Lord! There’s no reason to stay in that state of want when God is willing and able to feed you and fill you with everything you need.

Your hope is in Jesus! Your answer is found in Jesus! Your joy can only be found in knowing God and serving him with all your heart! Your victory over everything that keeps you depressed and discouraged is only found in obeying the Word of the Lord and giving God that sacrifice of praise even when you don’t feel like it.

David was determined to praise the Lord, place his faith in God’s power to deliver him, and believe in God for a breakthrough in the spirit that would satisfy his longing soul. Jesus is your answer, and He is still God! Come to him today and watch those clouds of doubt and despair disappear. The Son of God will rise in your heart, and there will be a brand-new day! God will satisfy your thirsting soul and fill your hungry heart!

If you’re on the run, searching for water, longing for an answer, seeking something that will satisfy and bring peace into your life, Jesus is your answer. Just come to him now!

 

Living Water

 John 7:37-53, "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)

Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. And every man went unto his own house."

 

On the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood amid those who had come together for a solemn assembly. It was time for the offering of the bullock upon the fire. This day he required less sacrifices than the previous seven days. The Feast of Tabernacles began with offering thirteen bullocks on the first day, and then one less bullock would be offered each day. But, on this day, the last day, only one would be offered. In total, seventy bullocks were offered in the first six days, one for each of the seventy known nations of the world. But, on this great day, the greatest day of all, the last day of the feast, only one would be offered, but it was the most important one for the Jews, for this bullock would be sacrificed on behalf of their nation.

On this last day, things would differ greatly from the previous six. On this day, a special prayer would be made, a feast greater than those of the last six days, a different song of worship would be sung, a special blessing invoked from God Jehovah, and a special offering would be given.

There would also be a special ceremony according to Jewish tradition and law on this day. An offering of water would be poured out unto the Lord.

Here is how the water offering ceremony would be done. The priests would take a golden pot, draw water out of the Pool of Siloam, then travel through the city to the Water Gate. There, they would blow their trumpets and give a long, loud shout as the priest climbed to the altar at the gate. Upon that altar were two silver basins. On the west, the basin was filled with water, while the basin on the east was filled with wine.

This ceremony, for the Jews, had a great significance. It was brought down by tradition from the time of Moses upon Mt. Sinai, and it was representative of the pouring out of the Holy Ghost upon God’s people.

Even the Prophet Isaiah referred to this ceremony when he said:

 

Isaiah 12:2-6, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee."

 

The drawing of the water from the well and pouring it out into the basins at the Water Gate was symbolic of drawing salvation from the wells of God’s mercy and grace and then allowing God to pour out the “new wine” of the Holy Ghost upon His people and filling the land with His blessings. In addition, this was the day they prayed for the rains needed for the coming year so that their crops would be productive.

Now, look at the symbolic meaning of this day, with its water being poured out to ask God’s blessings upon the rains that would be needed and for the pouring out of the Holy Ghost upon the people of God. We can begin to understand why Jesus chose this time and this day to stand and shout His proclamation to the Jews.

 

Jesus shouted, “if any man thirst, let him come to me and drink.”

 

If there was one thing that the Jews understood, it was being thirsty. Their land was hot and dry. Much of the land in the Middle East is arid, desert land. But Jesus wasn’t talking about a natural thirst when he shouted those words. He was talking about a spiritual thirst.

We are living in a dry and thirsty land right now. Even though we hear people claim to be Christian, and nearly every home in America has not just one but several Bibles, there is still a lack of knowledge of the Word of God. The Bible is nothing more than a dust collector on the shelf or the coffee table, while most of the Church is starving to death and perishing for lack of knowledge. The Church has no victory, power, or glory because the Word of God goes unread.

We hear Christian programming on the radio; we can watch it on the TV, but the vast majority of it is nothing more than fluff. Is there any real gospel being preached anymore? Not much, I believe. Just watch or listen to any program you want to and listen to what is being put forth on the airwaves.

The messages and teachings are to “better the church” and to teach Christians how to enjoy living for the Lord. Now, these aren’t bad, but where is the real message of the gospel? How many lost souls are going to come to Christ by listening to a preacher tell you about his new jet or how to have a better relationship with your spouse? When was the last time you heard anyone on the radio or TV give an altar call for lost sinners to come to Jesus at an altar of repentance?

You will hear them preach about wealth, prosperity, love, self-esteem, relationships, and many other things, but you don’t hear them preach against sin anymore. How thirsty is our soul and our land when people can go to a church for weeks on end and never hear a true message of repentance for sin and surrendering your heart and life to Christ, being born again, and then seeking after the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire?

 

Jesus shouts, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

 

With those words, Jesus was proclaiming to the Jews that it was not the ceremony, not the bullock upon the altar, and not the water poured out that they should be looking to fill their thirst – THEY SHOULD BE LISTENING TO AND LOOKING TO HIM TO FILL THEIR HEART AND LIFE!

Jesus is the Giver of Life and the Source of Life. Just as no life on earth can survive without water, neither can the soul survive without Jesus. Jesus in you becomes a river of “living water.” The Holy Spirit fills your thirsty soul and fills you with all the goodness and mercy of God. He overflows your soul with blessings and springs up from within your soul as a river that will wash you, cleanse you, and make you whole. Oh, what a river that is! The River of Living Water that comes from deep inside.

You may have woken up today with a deep thirst for something. You don’t even know what you need, but there is a longing for something better that you haven’t been able to find, and it will satisfy your search for true meaning in life and bring joy to your heart. The world doesn’t have anything that can fill your thirst.

You can try to find it in relationships, but they will only leave you thirsty for more. I run across people trying to fill their thirst by seeking a new relationship. Promiscuity rules the land as men and women everywhere search for something or someone who will be real. The reality is that no person can fill that void in your soul. No person, no matter how much love or infatuation there is, can fill the emptiness in your heart that longs after God. You know something is missing. Every morning, when you wake up, you wonder if there is more to life. Yes, there is! You need Jesus to fill that void in your soul.

You can try to find it in alcohol. God knows I did for years, but when the high wears off, it will leave you still thirsting for more. Night after night, the local bars are filled with people trying to satisfy their spiritual thirst with earthly drinks. They take that glass of some “adult beverage” (just a term used to disguise the fact that this drink will destroy you if you take enough of it, and you ought to have better sense than to drink it). They will gulp it down, and for a few brief moments, they can forget their troubles and forget that there is an emptiness on the inside that they can’t seem to fill. But when the alcohol wears off, the emptiness inside only grows larger and deeper. The very thing that they thought could satisfy their thirst only drives them deeper into despair and destruction because the thing that they are thirsty for is spiritual and not earthly.

Only Jesus can fill that emptiness on the inside. Only Jesus can take away the guilt and shame. Only Jesus can start them back on the proper path to recovery. While medical science can say that alcoholism is a sickness, and that may well be true after a little while, I believe that it’s a sin, brought into their life willingly by a sinner looking for something to fill his thirsty soul.

Some will attempt to find a way to quench this thirst in their soul by using drugs and medication, but that won’t fill the void either. The thrill, the high, and the euphoria will come quickly to an end, and then the thirst for more is stronger than ever. The thirst is still there, and it continues to grow. The flesh craves the feelings and the drugs, but the real thirst is in the soul. That craving and that thirst must be filled with something, so we are compelled to get another fix, and another, then another, and it never ends as we search for an answer. The thirst is never satisfied, the hunger for more increases, and the demon down in the soul will scream and cry for more, ever more, driving the body ever closer to death. That’s his business – to kill, steal, and destroy, and Satan will see to it that we are never really satisfied, no matter how much we take.

There’s only one answer for the thirst down in your soul. There is only one person who can fill that void in your heart. There is only one way to live on a permanent “high.” The answer to your thirst is only found in Jesus.

Jesus stands in front of you right now. Through the Words of this message, He is shouting to you, “If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

The water of the Holy Ghost is being offered to you right now. Jesus wants you to repent and let Him pour out the Holy Ghost upon your soul. If you give your heart and life to Jesus, He will fill that emptiness with His power, His presence, His mercy, and His grace, and He will give you eternal life and joy and peace that this world knows nothing about. He won’t leave you searching for something to fill the void. He will fill your life and your soul with His love. All these things will fill your emptiness so much that your life will become a “river of living water.” Everywhere you go, people will see Jesus in you. Everyone you meet will know there is something inside of you that they don’t have. That River of Living Water will flow from your soul to touch everyone you meet somehow.

As you read this message, don’t take the attitude that so many did on the day that Jesus stood and shouted his proclamation to the Jews.

 

“Many of the people, therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth, this is the Prophet. Others said, this is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him, but no man laid hands on him.”

 

I know that not everyone will receive this message and respond to it as I hoped you would. There was an associate of mine who used to say it this way, “Some will, some won’t, so what!”

Some will – they will hear the words of Jesus, and they will allow those words to sink into their heart and soul. The Word of God will not return void but will enter in and take root, and they will begin to understand and know the truth. They will recognize Jesus as their Lord and Savior and start a new life as a new man or woman, born again by the power of God. Oh, that everyone could receive this message with that kind of attitude!

Some won’t – they won’t accept Jesus’ offer to come to Him. The devil has so blinded their spiritual eyes that they can’t see Jesus for who He is. He is God, the Savior of the World, but all they will see is a man. They are so dry and thirsty that they are like a man wandering and dying in the desert who sees a natural oasis but thinks it’s only a mirage. That man will die of thirst because he fears reaching the water only to find it isn’t real.

Let me tell you that Jesus is honest. His love is real. His mercy is real. His joy is absolute. His blessing of eternal life is real. His promises are true. He will give you that River of Living water if you want it. Don’t listen to the devil; listen to Jesus and come to Him right now.

So, what – so what if you don’t hear the words of this message? So, what if you don’t come to Jesus? So, what if you close this book and keep looking for ways to fill your thirst with the things of the world?

Here’s what! If you continue down that same path, you will fall into destruction and death. You see, there is not one sinner who rejects Jesus who will not end up burning in hell itself. Not only that, but Satan will blind you even more and drag you down into the pits of sin even more, and he will take you farther than you want to go and keep you longer than you want to stay.

How far will you go before you turn around? How deep will you go into the pits of Hell before you turn around? God will let you go as far as you want to. He won’t stop you. He will let you make your choice. But the whole time you are running from Him, the Holy Ghost will be like a bloodhound on your trail. You will never forget the words of the message. You will always have a tugging at your heart to come back to Jesus.

Jesus will still love you even in your rebellion. He loved the whole world when not one man loved Him in return. Jesus went to the cross and gave his life for you, just as you are. He still loves you, and He doesn’t want your life or your soul to be destroyed, so come to Him while you can.

Here’s What! If you accept Him, come to Him, repent of your sin, confess that He is Lord, that He died for you and rose again, asking Him to come into your life – then you will become a new person this very day. That river of living water will begin to flow through you. The world will be brighter. Your life will take on a real meaning. Jesus will break the chains that bind you and set you free. You will be free to love, serve him, enjoy the life He has given you, and be free from guilt and shame. And you will be free to enter Heaven when Jesus calls you home.

The River of God

 Revelation 22:1-2, "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."

 

One of the most beautiful scenes in the Bible is described in these two verses of the Book of Revelation. John was given a vision of the great River of Life that flows from the Throne of Jesus. This crystal-clear river begins at the Throne and flows throughout the New Jerusalem to provide healing and life for all who live on its shores. The green grass, beautiful flowers, trees, and meadows along its banks can only be seen in the mind and heart of man for the present, but one day soon, we shall all see it just as John has described. What a glorious day it will be when we see Heaven for the first time. All the trials of this life will pass away when we see Jesus face to face.

We are given many word pictures of the water of life from this river. I want to stir your soul and look at this River of Living Water. One of the most beautiful pictures of the power of that river is given to us in the book of Ezekial.

 

Ezekiel 47:1-5, "Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over."

 

Ezekiel has been down to the valley of dry bones, representing the dead spirituality of Israel as a nation. These dry bones also stand for every man who ever lived who did not have the life-giving flow of God in their life. When God asked Ezekiel, "Can these bones live?" He was asking a question for which there was only one answer if we answered in the power and ability of man. The answer would be NO! But, in the power of the life-giving River of God, these bones could not only live but also become a mighty nation and be able to do great things.

When we look a little further, we can see Jesus as he is waiting for the woman at the well who heard the words of Jesus as he said in John 4:14, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

As the waters of that river flow, there is much it will do to those who will step into its water and wade out just a little bit deeper each day. Ezekiel saw the waters as they were only ankle deep as Jesus began to lead him into the unseen depths of the river. Every Christian must step out into the water and begin to explore the things of God. As Christians mature in Christ and their relationship grows, they begin to wade out a little farther from the shore and a little farther until finally, they are lost in the love of Jesus and learn to live by faith. Too many people won't go out into the deep water of their relationship with Jesus because it requires a commitment of faith to believe that Jesus' power will keep them afloat.

In these verses in Ezekiel, we see how Jesus has taken Ezekiel to the House of God, the Temple, and revealed to him the river's source that will flow out upon a dry and thirsty land to provide life for all it touches. The waters came out of the right side of the house and flowed from the south side of the altar. What an excellent type of the Blood of Jesus Christ that flowed from His side on Calvary. The Blood began as a trickle, then became a stream that reached down and began to flow from beneath the "Altar of Sacrifice," from the Cross down to the earth, flowing over the souls of a sin-darkened and lost world.

Praise the Lord; there is the real source of the Water of Life and the River of God. The precious Blood of the Lamb meets every provision for man's need. As the River of Life begins its journey through the hearts of man, there is so much that it does for us. Let's look at some of these benefits.

 

The River Brings Life!

Look again at John 4:14, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Those who choose to be washed in the Blood of the Lamb through repentance, acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus, and surrender their lives to Him will have this same well of living water within their heart. Why is this so? Jesus is the source of that river, and He dwells in the heart of every believer to provide the ability to reach out to other people and have them washed in the Blood also. The Holy Spirit within each of us is the manifestation of that river of living water as He speaks through us, leads us, and teaches us every day.

 

 

 

 

The River Satisfies!

Psalms 63:1-5, "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:"

 

David knew what it was to need God's forgiveness and blessing. He had failed God so many times. Yet, David's heart longed for the peace and forgiveness that only the River of God would bring.

Indeed, we live in a dry and thirsty land. Life in this lonely, sin-darkened world is complex. We must forever be on guard against the power of sin as it tries to invade our lives and bring the sentence of death upon us again and again.

What chance would any of us have if it were not for that constant flow and the power of the Blood of the Lamb as the river flows upon us? But we have a promise of God's help, just as David did. David wrote another song unto the Lord that we can read.

 

 Psalms 46:4-5, "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early."

 

God will not allow the power of sin to overcome us but will come quickly to our aid to deliver us from temptation. God has promised us:

 

I Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

 

The River of God, which begins at the Throne of Jesus that comes from the foot of Calvary's Cross, gives us the power to overcome and be satisfied by the Spirit of God in every circumstance, for we know that God has it all under control.

 

 

The River of God Cleanses Us!

Every day, around the world, we see people using water to wash everything around them. Water has a cleansing power that benefits all of us. Still, the cleansing power of the River of God goes far deeper than that of natural water.

The water from your tap can only cleanse the outside and make us look good. Still, the Living Water from the River of God reaches down into the very heart of man and washes away the stain and death of sin. There is an old song that says, there is Power in the Blood, Power in the Blood. Sin's stains are washed in its life-giving flow; there is Power in the Blood of the Lamb.

A painting I saw at a restaurant in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, showed just a portion of what that live-giving flow is all about. In that painting, the Blood of Jesus Christ flows from His side as He is hanging upon the Cross of Calvary. That Blood becomes a giant wave of His cleansing and keeping power as it washes across the pages of history. This painting is designed to picture America from its foundation to modern times. Still, the Blood of Jesus Christ, as the river of God, has flowed throughout the entire history of man.

Every event, every war, every birth, and every death have been affected by His Blood. The river has washed up on the shore of every nation and every life. The Blood of Jesus is given so all men can experience its cleansing power.

 

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

 

Whosoever means all people can come to Jesus because there is no limit to the cleansing power of the Blood of the Lamb. Jesus willingly poured out His Blood so that we could all experience the cleansing power of the river of God. Just as we have seen in the vision of John of the river in Heaven and that of Ezekiel, the river of God is an unending and ever-renewing source.

 

Isaiah 59:1, "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:"

 

The great I AM of eternity is omnipotent in His power to hear, to save, and cleanse man from sin. I AM has given Himself to purchase forgiveness and victory over death for each of us. The River of God is Always Increasing in the Affairs of Men! Jesus did not come and die for only a few. It is God's will that all men should be saved and that none should perish.

The early Church began as a trickle of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon men. Only 120 were gathered in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost as the Holy Ghost came upon them like a mighty rushing wind. Those 120 began a revival that continues to grow throughout the Church Age.

Along came the age of the Reformation, and greater truth was revealed through men like Martin Luther and others. The great revival that began with only a few began to spread throughout the world, giving birth to Protestantism and the revelation of the truth of living by faith and salvation by faith in the mercy and grace of God. The River of God continued to flow and would not allow the message of the gospel to die with a Pagan Church that relied on works more than faith in God.

Down through history, the river has continued its journey. The Blood of the Lamb has never lost its power, and it never will.

At Azuza Street in California, another great revival broke forth because men sought baptism in the Holy Ghost. That revival is still going on today. The Pentecostal Church was born out of this incredible outpouring of the Holy Ghost and on the river flows.

The Bride of Christ, the Church, and people like you and I will not be stopped because the River of God flows stronger than ever. Around the world, people are being saved. The river flows onward!

The Russian Bear of Communism has collapsed, and the gospel is being preached in Russia and many others of the former Soviet Union. The gospel is going forth behind the Bamboo Curtain of China; souls are being saved by the thousands.

The Church will not go out of this age as some emaciated, weak, and dying ember! The Church is the Bride of Christ and will go out in a blaze of glory.

 

Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

 

That's not a picture of a church sitting around doing nothing and waiting for it to be delivered. That's a picture of the Church as it stands under the mighty anointing of the Holy Ghost, defies the god of this world, and steps out into the devil's territory to bring the gospel message to anyone and everyone who will hear. Satan cannot stop the River of God as it moves on. Satan and the antichrist will be washed away by its cleansing power.

The River of God cannot be stopped. It is a flood of God's power to cleanse the world. Has the River Washed You Clean? Have you made a Step into the Water of His love? There is only one limiting factor in the power of this River of God to cleanse. That limiting factor is your own will. God is a perfect gentleman and never forces his will upon any man. It's up to us to accept His gentle offer and wade out into the river just as Ezekiel had to do.

God wants to let the river flow in your heart today. Why don't you open the doors of your heart and let the cleansing power of the Blood of the Lamb wash over you? Swim into the water of the River of God and experience the great salvation and peace that Jesus offers.

 

Have You Been With Jesus

 Acts 4:13, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."

 

It had been almost two months since the crucifixion of Jesus, but in the eyes of the world, Jesus’ birth, life, and death on the cross was no more than a momentary blip on the screen of time. He was just another religious fanatic who had come and gone. Pilate washed his hands of him. The Pharisees were glad to get rid of him. The people no longer cared because he was not the political Messiah they hoped for.

But when Peter and John came to town, it did not take long for the people to see that there was something different about these two disciples. They weren’t just religious fanatics or insurrectionists against the Romans or rebellious Christians fighting against the religious establishment. People sat up and took notice that there was something real about them. The Bible says that even the doubters and sinners had to take note that Peter and John “had been with Jesus."

When you got around these men, you could sense the love of Jesus, who had given his life for the sin of the world; you could see the radiance of Jesus as the glory of his power shone through, and you could feel the very presence of Jesus, as the Holy Ghost moved upon the heart of men. Let’s look at some of the characteristics of someone who has been with Jesus! The first characteristic is that of Compassion.

 

Acts 3:1-8; "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God."

 

Peter and John had traveled this path many times before. I wonder how often they had passed by this same lame man and never noticed him. They were too consumed with their own plans and concerns to see their fellowman's needs. But now, something has happened! Now they had been with the Lord, and the power of the Holy Ghost had come over them and filled them with a greater love for people. God had interrupted their plans and changed their plans to fulfill the calling of God upon their lives, and now they had compassion and took the time to show this man the love of God.

You cannot help but be compassionate with people when you have been with Jesus because Jesus was a man of compassion. We aren’t Peter and John; maybe we haven’t walked face-to-face with Jesus as they did. However, we have been saved by the Blood of the Lamb, baptized in the name of Jesus, filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, and the Love of God, which has constrained us to do His work.

God’s love is a love that is ever reaching out to those in need. He wants to supply their need and use you and me, as much as possible, to be His hands and feet in this world.

I read a story once about an orphanage with a superintendent who would always pray with his children. When he asked for the blessing, he would bow his head with all the little children in this orphanage, saying, "Lord Jesus, we thank you for the food you have provided. We want you to come and be our honored guest at this meal."

Well, one little fellow had heard that prayer many times and finally said, "Why doesn’t Jesus ever come? You always invite Him to be our guest. Will He ever come?"

This superintendent said, "Well, He will come if we want him to." This little fellow said, "Well, I’m going to put a chair out for Him." He put a chair right next to his chair and said, "This chair is for Jesus if He comes."

Well, that same day, there was a knock at the door, and they went to the door. There was an older man in rags who was hungry, shivering, and cold. The superintendent said, "Sir, come and share a meal with us. We’d be glad to have you. Just come in here and sit down and warm yourself. We even have a chair for you. Sit right here." He put the man in the chair set aside for Jesus.

After this was over, the little fellow looked at the superintendent and said, "I see it all so clearly now. Jesus couldn’t come Himself, but he sent this man to take his place." Jesus said, "If you have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto Me."

When we show compassion to others, it is as though we are offering it directly to Jesus, and, as I stated, the most significant indication of a disciple of Jesus is that we have a love for one another and that love cannot stop in the church. It must reach out to a lost and dying world.

The Second Characteristic is that of Courage – in the 4th chapter of Acts, we see Peter and John at work again under the direction of the Holy Ghost.

 

Acts 4:1-3, "And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide."

 

Peter and John were arrested for preaching that Jesus was raised from the dead. They had been warned to stop preaching, but they had a higher calling from God Almighty. As they preached to the Jews about the crucifixion and resurrection, their message became a stumbling block that made the Jews look like murderers. They knew that the Jews would be angered, but that didn’t stop Peter and John from preaching. They dared to speak the truth even though they were surrounded by opposition.

The week before September 11, 2001, 32-year-old Todd Beamer and his wife, Lisa, had spent a romantic getaway in Italy. The couple returned home Monday rested and relieved to be reunited with their boys, David, 3, and Andrew, 1.

But extended family time would have to wait. The following day, Todd, an executive with Oracle, had to attend a sales reps meeting in Northern California. He kissed Lisa, who was five months pregnant with their third child, goodbye and headed to the Newark, New Jersey, airport, where he boarded United Flight 93 for San Francisco.

About 90 minutes into the westbound flight, the Boeing 757 was approaching Cleveland when three hijackers onboard identified themselves to the 34 passengers and seven crewmembers and proceeded to take control of the cockpit and cabin. The plane, now piloted by the would-be terrorists, made a sharp turn to the south.

Todd reached for the GTE Airphone in the back of one of the seats and was connected to a GTE supervisor on the ground. He explained to her what was happening and indicated that he and the other passengers would not likely survive. He presumed the pilot and co-pilot were already seriously injured or dead.

The GTE employee explained to Todd what had already happened at the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Upon hearing this news, Todd must have realized that the hijackers were intent on crashing the plane into another prominent building near Washington, D.C. (the direction they were now headed). Even though the hijacker nearest to Todd had a bomb belted around his waist, he told the GTE representative that he and a few others were determined to do whatever they could to disrupt the terrorist’s plan.

He then asked the person on the other end of the phone to call his wife and report their entire conversation to her (including how much he loved her). Before hanging up, this committed Christian and devoted family man, who taught Sunday school each week, asked the GTE employee to pray the Lord’s Prayer with him. With the sound of passengers screaming in the background, she complied. When they concluded the prayer, Scott said, "Help me, God. Help me, Jesus."

The GTE employee then heard Todd say, apparently to the other three businessmen he’d alluded to earlier: "Are you ready, guys? Let’s roll!" With that, the phone went dead. Within a few minutes, Flight 93 nose-dived into a rural field 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, leaving a crater 40 feet deep as it disintegrated upon impact.

Because Todd Beamer was committed to Jesus Christ and his Kingdom, he was willing to do whatever was necessary to put the needs of others above his own fear of danger and imminent death. Thanks to him and the three other businessmen who joined him, the intended target in the nation’s capital was not reached, and who knows how many lives were saved because of that? No one on the ground was killed. According to Todd’s wife, Lisa, "His example of courage has given me, my boys (and my unborn baby) a reason to live."

Satan has hijacked thousands of people, intending to crash their lives. We need the courage that Todd Beamer and the others had. We need to take back the plane. We need to rescue those folks before it is too late. But where can we get the courage to lead people out of darkness and show them the light? 

 

Acts 4:13, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."

 

Peter and John possessed the strength they needed to stand courageously, and Todd Beamer possessed that same strength because they had been with Jesus. One of the most noted preachers who ever lived, Charles Spurgeon, said, "There is something in the very tone of the man who has been with Jesus, which has more power to touch the heart than the most perfect oratory.”

Do you know what the source of that power to speak is? It’s the power of the Holy Ghost within you, speaking through you and giving you the power to overcome the enemy and speak with boldness as you share the message of the cross with others.

The third characteristic is that of Commitment. Peter and John were sold out lock, stock, and barrel to Jesus. They were committed to Jesus. No one, not family nor friends, and nothing of this world meant more to them than Jesus. They were committed to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ at all costs.

If a law were passed today that would make it a crime to talk about Jesus, it wouldn’t bother some people because some of us never speak about Jesus anyway. It might even make a few nervous Christians feel better. They could blame their lack of witnessing on the new law and remove the guilt that they carry now because they don’t share Jesus.

Their lives would have been much easier if the disciples had not preached the gospel. Nobody would have ever been upset with them. They would never have been in danger of persecution or imprisonment. They could have lived a nice, quiet life and died of old age instead of the torture and torment that they had to endure for the gospel’s sake. All of them except John, who was boiled in oil but lived, gave their lives for the gospel message.

I believe that the reason most Christians don’t talk about Jesus to other people is that we are afraid of what people will say about us, and we are so scared of what people will speak against us. But if you have ever indeed met the risen Jesus or have ever really been with Jesus, you will have to say what these disciples said: "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

Peter and John were not only committed to preaching about Jesus….they were also committed to pleasing Jesus. They didn’t care about pleasing men. All they cared about was pleasing God. In Acts chapter 5, we have a re-run of this same thing that occurred in chapter 4.

 

Acts 5:25-29, "Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."

 

             Here they were, Peter and John, in prison again. How many of our church world today would shun them for having been criminals in lock up? It seemed that in those early days of the church, and even now in some of our mission fields, preachers spend more time witnessing from the jail than from the pulpit in a church.

They had been commanded to remain quiet by the law of the land. The religious leaders didn’t care whether they walked the streets or not, as long as they didn’t preach about this Jesus!

But Peter and John couldn’t keep silent. They had a higher calling and were committed to that calling in God. When a man has been with Jesus, all that matters is obeying God.

Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A restaurants, is a successful businessman. Still, for many, he is even better known—and respected—for letting his faith guide his business operation. Even though his restaurants are found in malls and shopping centers where every other business operates every day of the week, Mr. Cathy’s restaurants have been closed on Sundays since 1948. He doesn’t care whether he loses millions of dollars of business. His first commitment is to honor the Lord’s Day.

Many people have begged him to open Chick-fil-A on Sundays, but he says No. Public opinion doesn’t drive his decisions…God does!

Looking around at churches all across America, we don’t see that kind of commitment much anymore. In fact, we see Christians among those who stay in the shopping centers, forcing businesses to remain open to get their money.

Think about it. Our little towns once honored Sunday as the Lord’s Day, but no more. Now, we have our sporting events, festivals, and anything else we can come up with on Sunday because we know that’s when we will draw the biggest crowds and the most money. The love of money and pleasing the flesh is vastly more important than honoring the Lord’s Day for most Christians.

We should be so close to Jesus that we always strive to please Him, not man.

There is a valuable lesson to learn here. These disciples were uneducated. They were untrained. They didn’t have a lot of influence, power, or intellectual brilliance, but they were mighty servants of God because they had been with Jesus.

How can you tell if someone has been with Jesus? If you see compassion, courage, and a commitment to Christ…then you can tell someone has been with Jesus. Think about your own life. When people look at you, what do they see? Do they see a lukewarm, half-hearted, professing Christian? Or do they see something different? Do they see a Christian who is on fire for God? Do they see someone who has been with Jesus?