Celebration

Celebrating our New Life! (John 4:1-30)

10:00 PM

 

 September 6, 2019

Please read: John 4:1-30

In today’s reading we find a Samaritan woman coming to the well to get water for her daily needs and she surprisingly finds a Jewish man there, and he speaks to her… to a Samaritan: people who were despised by Jews. She probably was even rejected by her own people, because of the way she lived! In an amazing way Jesus used earthly water to bring the Samaritan woman to realize how much more Jesus’ living water would quench her thirsty heart!  

“13 Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.” (4:13-14)
This same invitation is still available to all those who are seeking and thirsting for God. His Holy Spirit will renew and refresh those broken and weary hearts. What an awesome promise!

“Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy grain and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost [simply accept it as a gift from God].” (Isaiah 55:1 AMP)

In verses 4:16-26 Jesus directs her from her sinful life to a new life. His compassionate words and the authority of his speech as he revealed the hidden things of her heart, made her realize there was Divine Power in Him.

“23 But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers.24 God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (4:23-24)

I can still remember that first day when I surrendered my life to Jesus: I too was thirsty and filled with loneliness and remorse for my worldly life. Nothing this world offered could satisfy this thirst! But when He came into my life He filled me with His love and joy: “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;” (Psalm 40:3a)


As the Samaritan woman recognized Jesus as the Messiah, she also knew her life would never be the same. This new life gave her the boldness to return to her people and share with joy about Jesus (4: 28-30) His words would give her the hope and joy to celebrate life knowing that in Him we have the assurance of His Love and Salvation:

“I have proclaimed good news of righteousness [and the joy that comes from obedience to You] in the great assembly;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips [from proclaiming Your righteousness],
As You know, O Lord.
10 I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart;
I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation.
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.” (Psalm 40:9-10)

In Jesus, don’t we have more than enough to celebrate each and every day of our lives? To worship God for Who He is and Praise Him for ALL He has given us?  
“16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!” (Psalm 40:16)

What about the times when we might be facing difficulties? I can assure you, we are not alone, for His Spirit in us will sustain and comfort us (Nehemiah 8:10, John 14:26-30)
17 Even though I am afflicted and needy,
Still the Lord takes thought and is mindful of me.
You are my help and my rescuer.
O my God, do not delay. (Psalm 40:17)

Yes, He is ALL we need and He is Worthy of ALL our praise! So let us make each day a celebration!

My God, my Father, my Creator, my Sustainer, my Provider, my Healer, my Redeemer and my Friend. You are worthy of all praise, honor and glory! Your Name is above all other names! Your Mercy is so great and your Love is so deep! I love you! I exult You!! Amen!!

Blessings,
Mari

Celebration

What Does Heaven Celebrate? (Luke 15)

12:30 AM



Who doesn’t love a happy event worth celebrating? We can all relate to such festive occasions. The decorations, bright colors, music, and delicious food become part of our most treasured memories. Throughout the Bible, God encourages His people to have celebrations and often these celebrations are to honor and remember Him. But did you know that heaven has grand celebrations too? In fact, if you have accepted Christ as your Savior, then such a grand celebration took place in heaven in honor of you. And what God wants us to realize is that every heart, no matter how sin stained it may be, belongs to Him. Each lost soul that returns to Him is worth celebrating!

As Christians, our most important task is to share the love of Christ. We certainly need to love, encourage and support other Christians but more importantly, we need to share the love of Christ with those who have yet to reconcile to Him. In Luke 15, the religious leaders questioned why Jesus was spending time among sinners. He responded with 3 examples of just how valuable the lost are to God. 

1.     The Lost Sheep: “What shepherd, Jesus asks, wouldn’t leave 99 in his flock to seek after 1 sheep that had gone astray.”(v5)  “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (v7)
2.     The Lost Coin: “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?” (v8). “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (v10)
3.     The Prodigal Son:  in this story, the youngest of 2 sons asks for an early inheritance, leaves home and squanders what he has been given. Then he comes to his senses and decides to return with a humble heart to ask to serve in his father’s home. “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.” (v 20-24)

What beautiful examples we can all relate to of just how precious each and every sin stained soul is to our Heavenly Father.  We are not supposed to ostracize ourselves from the lost. We are supposed to have a burden to see the lost be found. We are supposed to share the same burden for their salvation that Jesus had. When a lost soul is restored to the Father, heaven has a grand celebration and so should we. That’s what “this life” is all about. 


Answered Prayer

God' Waiting Room {Proverbs 13:12

12:00 PM

Have you ever sat in God’s waiting room for something you wanted so desperately it was hard to put it out of your mind?

It was always there… a scent, a sound; something would always draw your mind back to that longing. “O, if only…if only, but I’ll trust you, Lord.”

You’re never quite sure if He’ll answer this incredible desire you have. There’s really no Scripture you can find to nail down just why The Lord MUST answer this particular desire of your heart, and even if you could, what about the timing? What if He decided to make you wait for YEARS!? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been great on waiting patiently.

And I didn’t always handle the situation as I should have. 
I was trying to “put my best foot forward”. Trying to leave it all with Him, and go on with all that He had set before me, but as I alluded to before, something would always draw me back to that desire deep within me, until one day, I didn’t think I could go any further.  Nor did I want to.

I’m still not sure what I had planned to do from that moment on as I sat there on my living room floor, but thankfully I didn’t have to sit there long and try to decide! 

 Another wave of reality had just struck that made it seem as though this desire of mine would NEVER come to be, and I didn’t think I could go on pretending to trust Him for the impossible any longer.

And all I wanted to know at that particular moment was, why? Why was I here in this spot and at this time? Why hadn’t He answered? Why had He kept leading me on in this hopeless situation? Why had He taken away most of what I loved in this world? Sounds pretty much like a pity-party doesn’t it?

It was! And I told The Lord I was giving in and up. Finally, I was wholly surrendered; my resources –depleted. And He answered back, “You will get up. But this time in the power of My Son, the risen Savior; who rose to live His life through you.”

And I did! Although not me, but Christ in me. I learned that day the vast difference between me trying to do everything in my own strength, and wholly surrendered to allow Christ to do it all through me! You cannot even compare the two! My circumstances hadn't changed, only Who was in charge!

As to why God was waiting, silent, and allowing me to go through all that I was: He said it was because He was going to bless me! He saw the future; not just the next day, or year, but my entire life, and He knew the blessings that were coming!

My life, has been a living testimony to Ephesians 3:20-21,
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.  (Eph 3:20-21)

It was over two years from that day that my longing that had sent me before Him that day desperate, was answered! And on that day it was Proverbs 13:12 that came to life for me, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

If you still find yourself in God’s waiting room. Trust Him that He sees your whole life before Him and does indeed intend to do "far more abundantly beyond all that you could ask or think, according to His power working in you", in His time.

 Blessings,
sue


Celebration

Scripture Saturday ~ Exodus 15:2 ~ Celebration~ Our strength, our defense, our salvation!

12:00 AM

Saturday, August 31, 2019


Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

This coming week's memory verse is Exodus 15:2...

 The LORD is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. (NIV)

 God is our strength and our defense, and He is also our song. His strength and His defense will never let us down and we can praise Him continuously for it! 

 God was salvation to His people during the time of Exodus, and they praised Him for His enduring love and protection. Today, we can do the same...because of what His Son did for us on the cross. 

 When we are weak, He is our strength. When we fall, He is there to pick us up. When we face our enemy He is there to deliver us with His truth, His promises and His love. We will praise Him, we will exalt Him, for He is our God!
Sing a song of praise to your God today – whether out loud or silently in your heard – for He is worthy of our praise!