God – Page 3 – Smallchelle

Modern Day Well Diggers

Posted on February 19, 2016Leave a comment

I love a good story, and this is a great story about my friend Robert who helped dig a well in Kenya, Africa. We’ve had an email correspondence interview and that is what I’m sharing here as a follow up to the 5 Part series through John 4 where we studied the account of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well.

Clean water is essential to life. There are many great ministries doing work like this around the world and I link to a couple at the end of this interview, but Rob was in Kenya with a Navy Construction Battalion, also known as SeaBees.

The first part of the interview covers the practical side of his experience in Kenya and in the last part he was so generous to share his testimony and how his faith impacted his experience in Kenya and his military service. Let’s jump right in.

Me: When and where did your well digging experience take place?
Rob: It was in 2007. We set up a tent camp in a tiny Kenyan desert town called Shant Abaq. It was about an hours drive through the brush from a larger city called Garissa. We were very close to the Somalia border. We also had a Kenyan Army security team.

Me: Who were you working with?
Rob: There was a team of 14 of us. It was when I was Active Duty as a Navy Seabee. It was mostly comprised of EOs, equipment operators, and CMs, construction mechanics. I was the only SW, steelworker. We also had a Kenyan Army team that was set up a mile away. Although they never put steel in the ground. They were just hanging out because we were so close to Somalia and were located on a popular drug running route.

Helping our army security cut firewood — Helping our Army security cut firewood

po2ndclass8 — This one is when I made Petty Officer 2nd class

Me: Who were you digging the well for and why?
Rob: The small town was a watering hole for nomadic herders of cows, goats, and sheep. They only had 1 well for water they shared for everything. And the herds would contaminate the well water with feces. So we drilled a well outside of the village by about an 1/8 mile.

Me: How did you guys know where to dig? How did you find the water?
Rob: They look at a satellite image of the area, and use known geological data to best guess where an aquifer might be. They gave us a GPS location… And with a little skill, and a lot of luck, we found water.

robwelding1 — Here I am welding the steel casing and screens

Rob: I welded for 27 hours straight. Once you start, you can’t stop. And I was the only welder…
The screens are steel pipe with small slits in them. They’re placed at the depths where water is found to allow it to seep into the casing. Our well was about 800′ deep and we had about 90′ worth of screens. Once all the casing is lowered in, an electric water pump is lowered about 30′ off the bottom. This is to keep from getting dirt pushed up with the water. The pump just forces the water up the casing.
Our well produced 8 gallons a minute for 10 min. Then it had to recharge, or let water seep in to refill it full, for 3 min. The water would fill on its own to about 16′ from the top of the well, and the water table was 240′ down. So that was a good aquifer we hit.

On our way out of Africa, we stopped in Djibouti. The well team all went snorkeling in the Red Sea with whale sharks. This is me!

Me: How long have you been in the Navy and what is your current rank and assignment?
Rob: 10 years active, 3 years reserve. I am a E6 now. Petty Officer First Class. Currently I am an instructor at Naval Construction Group 1. I primarily teach Basic Combat Skills, and am a range coach. BCS is just like it sounds. It covers a lot of basic tactical maneuvers like setting up a convoy, how to conduct a patrol, land navigation… And as a range coach I get to do one of my favorite things; teach others how to shoot. I get to instruct handgun, rifle, and shotgun.

Me: How long have you been a Christian?
Rob: I have been a Christian my entire life. A better question is ‘how have I been as a Christian?’ I grew up in a Christian Reformed church. It was traditional in service, praise, and dress. They started becoming more modern in the sense they got a band… We went every Sunday until I was 9.
My parents divorced when I was 5, and we moved when I was 9. We never found another church with my Mom. My Dad left the church after the divorce. They treated him very poorly and he found them hypocritical. He is a religious man to this day, but doesn’t attend church. So that was my early childhood experience.
When I got into middle school and lived with my Dad I became friends with the family across the street. They attended a Non-Denominational church. I fell in love with it. The music was alive. The people were in love with God. And everyone was so welcoming and loving. For the rest of high school I went to that church every Sunday, and got involved in youth ministry on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
When I got to boot camp I attended church every Sunday. It was an hour a week where I got to be myself. Worshiping kept me sane. After boot camp I went to a 2 month school to learn my job as a welder. It was here where I started to fall away from God. I didn’t find a church there, and I didn’t find one when I got to California.
God is a funny thing in the military I’ve come to find out. There are a very small few who openly talk about their faith. And a slightly larger number who attend services regularly. I think about 3/4 would say they’re Christian, but that’s as far as their religion goes. But as whole, the military supports believing in God very heavily. Personally, I fell into the category of the members who had Christian placed on my dog tags, so should I die, they would follow traditional customs for a Christian burial.
So, as all good, cold feet Christians, I found God again during my deployment to Iraq. To spare you the details, it was a very stressful environment. I remembered how great it was in boot camp to go to service. But I didn’t have that this time. So I relied on praying. A lot. I wouldn’t say I was praying without faith, but I was being a Christian of convenience. I called to God when I needed him. But once I returned and he had got me through what I had asked for, I forgot about him. I didn’t thank him.
That lasted another year until I met Ashley, my now wife. She was religious. And part of my way of becoming more attractive to her was to attend services with her. It felt good to get back to going. But she was a Lutheran, and it bored me to tears. Finally I convinced her to go to a Non-Denominational church with me. She fell in love with it, as did I again.
Since then, our family attends regularly. We brought prayer back into our daily lives as a family before meals and bed. So there is the long answer to a short question. I am not a perfect Christian to this day, as much as I try. Cursing is one thing I have a hard time breaking…. Military and police life make that difficult.

Me: How does your faith impact you in your military service?
Rob: Once I found my faith again with Ashley in 2006, it has been a large part in my life. The hard part is reconciling some things that happened in Iraq. But I didn’t deploy with the intent to harm anyone. I wanted to help my fellow Christians have the freedom to praise and worship without fear of their entire families being killed. It is something I continue to struggle with, and others I know as well.

Me: Did your faith help you in your well-digging experience?
Rob: I loved getting the chance to talk to the local village about their experiences with Christ. It was a Christian village we drilled in. For a people with so little in the way of material things, struggling to get food and clean water, they were so in love with God. It was amazing to see how God worked in their lives. You get there and think how miserable it would be to live in a mud hut. No running water. No electricity. Scarce clean water. Inconsistent food sources. Yet, they were happy…

Me: Were any of the other’s on your team also believers? If so, did that have any impact on the team?
Rob: I was the only one who read the bible and prayed. There were others who had a background in Christian churches, and everyone was a Christian. I put together a Christmas service. And to my surprise, everyone attended. We took communion with my pastor over a satellite phone… It was a great experience.

Me: How were you able to sustain welding for 27 hours?
Rob: By the end of it… a lot of cursing lol. But seriously, it is just my personality. I get my mind set on something, and I am a freight train. I am very driven to accomplish what I set my goals to be. I hate failure. And my job as a welder was to make this happen. Not only did my team depend on me to finish this, but so did an entire village of 70 some people. From tiny babies, to the frailest of the elderly. For some of them, their lives depended on clean water. It was a huge burden lifted for all of them. So I placed a lot of pressure on myself to succeed.

Me: Other than the welding marathon what was the biggest challenge in your experience?
Rob: Time away from my family members. I have missed so much. Things you can’t ever make up. Births of my nieces and nephews, weddings of brothers and sister. Seeing a loved one in their final days. And missing a funeral once. You miss the milestones of your kids. First words. First steps. So much others take for granted, I have missed.

Me: Is well-digging a pretty common military project? I guess what I’m getting at here is that a lot of mainstream media talks about the awful stuff that happens but we don’t see hardly any stories like yours about the folks who get sent out to be a practical help in other parts of the world.
Rob: SeaBees secondary mission behind supporting war efforts is humanitarian. At anytime, SeaBees are helping others. You name a natural disaster, and we’re there to help. We build schools. We build hospitals. We build housing. We build orphanages. We drill wells. We clear debris. We do it all. And we do it with little fan fare. We are a humble group. But if you do some google searches on SeaBees and humanitarian work, you should find examples abound.

Wow Rob! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience and your heart with us. Thank you for your service and sacrifices for your country. I pray God continues to bless you and your family.

Resources: More information about the Navy SeaBees and Christian Ministries that dig wells

A Brief history of the Navy SeaBees

Official Website of the U.S. Naval Construction Force

Infographic – A Closer Look: How Wells Work

Living Water International

Samaritan’s Purse International

Gospel For Asia

John 4 Part 5 – Meanwhile…

Posted on February 12, 2016Leave a comment

We are nearing the end of our trip to Samaria with Jesus. He’s just had a very intense conversation with a Samaritan woman who has suddenly come to faith in him as her Messiah. Right after Jesus reveals this to her the disciples come strolling back from town where they bought food. An article on the Near East Tourism Agency’s website says that the town was about 1 kilometer or just over half of a mile from the well. How long does it take to walk that? 12 or maybe 15 minutes or so. Not all that long…

This got me wondering… did they cross paths? Did the disciples ignore the woman on their way to town as she was on her way to the well to draw water? I think it’s entirely possible.

The conversation between Jesus and the woman lasted maybe 45 minutes while the disciples were gone buying food. John 4:27 says, “Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” When they returned she left her jar and took off running.

So while the Samaritan woman ran back to town, witnessed her testimony to a bunch of people, then brought them all back out of the town to meet Jesus, he has a different conversation with his disciples. With how close the town was this wouldn’t have taken very long, maybe an hour or so.

The Work of God = Spiritual Food

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” John 4:31-33

Jesus has this mini leadership conference with his disciples. They are just as confused as the woman was between the spiritual and the physical. They are insisting Jesus eat physical food to nourish his physical body, but he tells them he doesn’t need it. His food, nourishment, and satisfaction came from constantly operating in God’s will and ultimately finishing his work on the cross.

Imagine the scene as Jesus speaks these next words to his disciples. He tells them to open their eyes and look… Many commentators believe he may have been pointing to a nearby field of wheat. Based on the timing we looked at earlier I believe it’s possible they would have seen the crowd of people coming back from town with the woman to meet Jesus.

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” John 4:35-38

When the disciples went to town to buy food for their hungry tummies they had every opportunity to tell the people the Messiah was in their midst, but they didn’t. Then Jesus shows them how hungry the world is for him. The woman he met ran and brought back a crowd with hearts ripe to be harvested into the kingdom. He’s telling the disciples they will reap what the woman has sown as they enter into her labor (witnessing her testimony) among the people.

This was a foreshadowing of what will also continue into their ministries after Jesus ascends. It is instruction to us as well. Some sow and some reap but we all work together in the harvest. It is satisfying to our souls to do the work of God. It is emptiness to our souls to focus on ourselves.

Psalm 63:5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. (NLT)

The Glorious Result = the Harvest

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42

I love how Jesus speaks to us. When we are in sin, when we are being selfish, when he wants to teach us about the kingdom of God, he is perfectly patient with all of us. At certain times in my life I have related to each of the folks in this account, the hurting woman, the confused disciple, the seeking townspeople. Here he spends two days with these seekers. It doesn’t even say he did miracles but that they believed because of his word.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” John 5:39-40

His word doesn’t just give us a basis for morality, but it is the very thing that shows us who he is, his love for us, and leads us to believe in him for eternal life.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this trip to Samaria with me. Jesus invites us today to participate in the harvest, casting seed and watering and even reaping when we see spiritually dead rise to new life in Christ. Be encouraged to share your testimony and help your family and friends become part of the harvest for eternal life. There’s nothing else like it.

Next Time

A Modern day well dig – My friend Rob shares his amazing experience of digging a well for a small village near Somalia and how his faith has impacted his life and military service. You won’t want to miss it!

John 4 Part 4 – Worship, Spirit & Truth

Posted on February 5, 2016Leave a comment

Do you like to worship? I love it. I love singing to the Lord at the top of my lungs. I make a joyful noise! I love corporate worship at church, worshiping around the house while doing dishes and laundry, while I’m driving in my car, women’s bible study worship… I love contemporary songs like “Oceans” and “How Great is our God” and old hymns like “Be Thou My Vision” and “Rock of Ages.” Sometimes the song is slow and contemplative, sometimes rocking and emotional. And sometimes the same song I’ve sung a million times all of a sudden wrecks me in the best way.

Worship isn’t just in the songs we sing, it’s our whole lifestyle. It’s what makes us different than the animals. We are always worshiping… the real question is what are we worshiping? What are we giving ourselves to? What are we looking to for meaning and value in our lives? Do we worship the one true and living God or something else?

“Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21

I don’t think Jesus said these things to confuse our Samaritan friend, but rather to remove her cultural and tradition biases. Up until this point God was primarily worshiped at the Temple in Jerusalem and in local Synagogues. Here Jesus shows up speaking very intimately about worship and telling her that the Father is seeking true worshipers. He tells her it’s not about the place, but the position of our hearts and minds.

What does it mean to worship in spirit and truth? How do we do that?

I had the pleasure of chatting with an awesome couple from our Church’s worship team, Matt and Alison Piro, about what it means to them to worship in spirit and in truth.

Matt: “There is a distinction and both of these things are said for a reason. What we see, the truth, and what we don’t see, the spirit. We have to worship in understanding of the full weight of what God has given to us, the promise of the Spirit that dwells in us. We worship a God that has given us His Spirit. The truth of God’s word must be the foundation of our worship. So many worship songs these days are people and feeling focused, not biblical or God centered. Our worship has to be based on the knowledge that our works don’t save us, but only the blood of Jesus.”

Alison: “It is the Spirit that enables us to worship. Our worship should also be authentic, truthful to ourselves, not just an outward show, but true from the heart.”

Matt expressed that acceptable worship also includes gratefulness, reverence and awe, as he shared this scripture with me.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Heb 12:28-29

Matt: “Know what you’re singing, and if you don’t feel like you’re there yet, make the words a prayer. Understand the gravity of what we sing, we don’t just sing along. We should be more cautious with the words we sing because we are actually singing to God.”

Another scripture Matt shares often during worship is Jeremiah 17:7-8

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Thanks Matt and Allison! Some great things to think about and pray about! In fact let’s pray right now!

God you are so awesome! Thank you for our churches and worship leaders and for the hearts and gifts you’ve blessed them with. Help us to be true worshipers and put our trust in you so we can survive the dry times while still bearing good fruit. Keep us humble in our hearts and teach us every day to live a lifestyle of worshiping you in spirit and truth. We worship you because you are worthy of our reverence and worship. We give you all the glory. Amen

Next Time

Jesus’ mini pastor’s conference with the Disciples when they return from Sychar with food.

John 4 Part 3 – Jesus’ Perfect Patience

Posted on January 29, 2016Leave a comment

(My imagining of how this portion of conversation may have gone, as told from the woman’s perspective. John 4:13-26, 28-30)

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

She thinks… ‘I hate coming here, every day, in this heat, to draw water. When that water is gone I have to come back again for more. I’ve made so many mistakes. I’ve tried so hard to make a good life and I can’t seem to get it to work. All I ever wanted was a family. Friends. Kids. A real man to take care of me. None of the other women like me or care about me. They won’t even talk to me. Life is so hard, and lonely. I don’t want to be thirsty any more. I don’t want to come here by myself anymore. It sounds like he’s offering me some kind of holy water that will make it so I’m never thirsty again. I want that. Maybe if I ask him nicely he’ll give it to me. He is a Jew, but he doesn’t seem to hate me… I’ll ask and see what he says…’

“Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

“Go call your husband and come here.”

Why would he ask me that? What does that matter? What does my man have to do with this water? Well, no reason to lie…

“I have no husband.”

“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.”

(Have you ever been called out on your sin? Take a second, close your eyes and feel her shame. The heat and blood rising in her cheeks, the tightness in her throat, the sting of tears in the corners of her eyes. The stone of shame sinking into the pit of her stomach. Her heart beat wooshig in her ears. Her limbs feeling like lead. That feeling of being found out… uncovered… naked.)

‘How could he know that? What business is that of his? Maybe he met someone else that gossiped about me. It’s not my fault they all leave me. I feed them and they keep my bed warm, until they find out the real me, then they leave me. Why should I marry a man if he’s just going to leave?— Who is this man? What right does he have to shame me like this? Maybe he does hate me. What if he knows more than that? Maybe he is some kind of prophet. Maybe he doesn’t realize why I stay here. As bad as it is, this is where I belong… It’s all I’ve ever known.’‘

(Then her shame turns to anger, her lips tighten, her brows furrow and her eyes squint as her posture turns defensive. She crosses her arms.)

“Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

“Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, then the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

‘What is he talking about? Where else is there to worship? I have never heard anyone say things like this before. He speaks as if he knows the Father. What does he mean the hour is now here? I’m so confused…’

“I know the Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”

“I who speak to you am he.”

(When did you get “saved?” Do you remember? Feel her eyes opening. Not her physical eyes, but her spiritual eyes, opening and seeing the truth of Jesus. The cobwebs of confusion all of a sudden swept away by grace. She doesn’t even know his name, but she knows his truth. He is her redeemer. Feel her heart beating faster. Feel the stone of shame in her stomach turn to butterflies.)

‘I MUST GO NOW, TELL EVERYONE what has just happened to me. I found the TRUTH! This is Messiah! I was blind but now, I SEE!

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,
“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”

(I love her sense of urgency, and how all of a sudden that water jar, and all the implications of shame that came with it, had no more meaning or power over her. It’s a symbol of how she didn’t need it, she wasn’t thirsty any more.)

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Jesus at my Well

Even my heart beats faster as I write this. I remember where I was, and all the broken wells I was drinking from. I’ve been through seasons of drug abuse and addiction, depression, false spiritualism and witchcraft, lying and stealing, self destruction, self deception… We all have our list… Water pots full to the brim with dead water.

It really only takes the tiniest glimpse of His glory, to see that Jesus is the source, the Living Water, the Spirit and the Truth. The only part of my testimony that matters is that he knows everything I’ve ever done and will do, even those secret sins, and loves me anyways. Died for me anyways. When I was at my worst, His enemy, (Rom 5:10) He saved me. We can’t clean ourselves up to come to him, that’s impossible. He comes to us when we’re dying of thirst, without hope in the world, and gives us HIMSELF. He washes us inside and out with the Living Water, his mercy and grace.

Paul explains this perfectly in 1 Timothy 1:12-17

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The woman from Sychar experienced this “perfect patience” of Jesus and went to people that weren’t even her friends, to tell them she had found Messiah. Jesus showed me his perfect patience over and over at every lonely well along my path, and still does today. You have found the Christ, the Savior of the world, invite somebody you know to meet him today.

Next Time

An Interview with Matt and Alison Piro on Worship, Spirit, and Truth.

John 4 Part 2 – Objection!

Posted on January 25, 2016Leave a comment

“Negasaurus” is a word we like to use jokingly to describe someone who is being negative. It’s a play on a dinosaur name. When one of my sons has an idea and the other one shoots it down… Negasaurus! When we all agree on where to eat but one objects… Negasaurus! When one of us is down on ourselves and we need cheering up… Negasaurus! “Negatron” also gets thrown around a fair bit. Having sons, it’s a play on “Megatron” from the ever popular Transformers. We totally discourage “name-calling,” but these family “inside jokes” are a lighthearted way for us to let each other know we may need an attitude adjustment.

In this conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well we see her throw many objections at Jesus. She is a first-class “Negasaurus.” But Jesus doesn’t give up on her. He sticks around and answers all her objections.

John 4:7-14

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”
8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?
12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”
13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus says, “Give me a drink.”

Her objection

Jews don’t talk to Samaritans

Such a simple request from a thirsty man. Why does it seem she replies so harshly? She’s basically saying “Are you talking to me?” This woman has a serious mental block about a Jewish Rabbi asking her for a drink. She already knows what John parenthesized for us in verse 9, that Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. In an extreme form of religious snobbery, devout Jews would walk miles out of their way, through the Jordan Valley, to avoid contact with the Samaritans. Jews believed the Samaritans were in a constant state of “uncleanness” because they were descendants of the Northern tribes of Israel that intermarried with the pagan Assyrians after their captivity in 721 B.C. Not fully Jew, not fully Gentile, they were half-breed relics of history.

His answer

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

Living water? What is that? Maybe her mind went to Jeremiah 17:13 which says, “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.” Maybe not, as it seems she has a few more objections coming. She seems a little confused, so she asks him “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”

Her Objections

You have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep.
Where is the living water?
Are you greater than Jacob?
This well is our inheritance from Jacob.

The well was indeed at least 100′ deep and possibly even deeper in that day. She knows in order to get herself, let alone this Jewish Rabbi, a drink she’s winding a long, long, long rope, and all she sees is his empty hands. Then she even challenges him. “Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” So her question is one of authority. She has this national pride. It’s almost like she’s questioning Jesus heritage in light of her own. The Jews might claim Abraham as their father but in her mind this well, being given to them by the Patriarch Jacob, gives them the authority to inhabit the place. But the answer to her question is yes, he is in fact greater than Jacob. Jesus addresses this later in the conversation so we’ll catch up on that next time.

His Answer

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

Her authority is coming from the Law, the old covenant made between the Lord and the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When we live our lives trying to please God with our own self-righteousness by the law we will continue to thirst. I might be righteous by the law for a second, but the whole job of the law and the old sacrificial system is to show me I can’t be righteous. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” James 2:10

Here Jesus is expressing the new covenant… Grace. We can only break free of the condemnation of the law when we drink the “living water.” It is grace that tells us only Jesus takes away our sin and failure to uphold the law perfectly. Then we are finally free to stop our Negasaurus objections and have true peace with God. And that freedom and peace bubbles over, becomes like Jesus said, a spring of water welling up to eternal life… giving the grace of God generously to everyone around us.

Living Water

If you could have living water, and never be thirsty again, and by thirsty I mean knocked down, drug out, soul weary, what would you give for it? Turns out it doesn’t cost money, but humility. We must ask and believe. Jesus repeats his “living water” offer later. In John 7:38 Jesus actually quotes proverbs 18:4 and says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John defines that “living water” for us in 7:39 saying “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Christians shouldn’t be rules lawyers, like the Pharisees, but rather “living water” drinkers. And that living water doesn’t stagnate but flows in and through our lives. There’s only one well that gives “living water.” Jesus.

Isaiah 12

This beautiful song is a powerful promise of the coming Savior. We see the grace of God, the well of salvation, and the only God worthy of our worship.

You will say in that day:
‘I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.
Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day:
‘Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.’
Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Next Time

As always, thanks for reading and I hope you were encouraged, Next time we’ll cut to the heart of the issue as Jesus calls her out on sin and then reveals himself as the Messiah sent to save her from those very sins.

John 4 Part 1 – Jesus at the Well

Posted on January 15, 2016Leave a comment

Have you ever passed by a well or fountain, surrounded by laughing children and their parents doling out pennies? Hopes, dreams, wishes, all bound up to a little copper disk at the fingertips of a child. Maybe you remember yourself at that age, looking down into the water, speckled with all the shiny wishes that had gone before yours. What did “little you” wish for? Fame? Wealth? A better life? Where is our happily ever after? When did we stop throwing pennies? Sometimes when we pray do we feel like that? Like we throw God our pennies and hope for the best? Then we watch them sink like stones and get cynical and jaded when our hopes, dreams, and wishes don’t come our way. Do we treat God like a simple childhood superstition? I have. And how poorly I underestimated God.

Throughout the bible wells have a purpose. Water is a necessary element of life. Where there is water there are people. Where there is a well or spring there is provision for life. If someone digs a well it can be a symbol of land ownership and authority. If someone finds a spring in the desert it can mean the difference between life and death.

The new testament is full of accounts where Jesus met with people at wells, pools, seas and rivers. In this series through John 4 we’ll get a deep look at Jesus’ meeting with “the woman at the well.” Let’s get started.

Where in the World is Jesus of Nazareth?

“he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria.” John 4:3-4

Since John wrote this after all these things happen I find it interesting that he made the distinction that Jesus “had to” pass through Samaria. By the end of this section of scripture we will see many lives change and many people in Samaria come to believe in Jesus as the messiah/savior. But it started with a personal meeting with one woman who was broken and alone.

“So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.” John 4:5-6

This picture of Jesus is a little hard for me. It’s the heat of the day. He’s tired. Wearied. He’s walked a long way. He’s sitting by the well, resting his sore legs, possibly mopping sweat from his brow. He appears outwardly to be only a man, but in this we get a glimpse of why it says in Heb 4:15 that he is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. It’s hard to think of Jesus in “need” of anything. Here we see he wasn’t some spiritual apparition, but a man that got tired, hungry and thirsty.

“A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” John 4:7

At first glance this seems like our Lord is being a little bit demanding. But as the conversation continues we see this for what it is. An invitation to conversation and relationship. Not like the cold, humorless wishing well, that receives our coins with no guarantee that our desires will be met. Not even like the actual well, that requires you to let down a bucket and haul it back up to be rewarded with water. It is an invitation to know him.

Remember verse 4 says “he had to pass through Samaria.” When we met Jesus it wasn’t by accident. It wasn’t a coincidence. This isn’t fatalism either. There is a God and He wants you to know that He already knows you, that He has everything you need, and that you are not alone. How many times did that woman come to the well alone? Not with all the rest of the women, in community and sharing life together, but an outcast. And on this day, this particular day, she shows up and a strange man, asks her for a drink…

Next Time

Next week we’ll dig into the next part of this conversation. In the meantime, when we pray this week, let’s ask God to show us where we’ve been treating Him like a wishing well. He’s inviting us into relationship, a beautiful two way conversation about who we think He is and who He really is. He’s not far away, but right where you are… right at your lonely well. I hope you spend some time with Him. As always, Thanks for reading.

How to Use Paul’s 8 Weapons of Righteousness

Posted on January 8, 2016Leave a comment

My kids have a weapons rack. It consists of things like nerf guns, wooden and foam swords, sling shots, cardboard shields and armor, everything a little boy needs to defend his kingdom, storm the castle, slay the dragons, defeat the bad guys and rescue the princess. Even at their young ages they understand the battle between good and evil, heroes/superheroes and villains, light and darkness. They know the bad guys are selfish, mean and greedy while the good guys fight for what’s right and help the weak.

In our Christian lives God has given us the Weapons of Righteousness to fight for what’s right and help the weak. Let’s take a look at these weapons. We need them for ourselves and our children because the world isn’t getting any safer these days.

2 Corinthians 6:3-13

“We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.”

Weapons are offensive and we must learn to wield them with skill when the enemy comes at us. Paul gives us these 8 weapons “purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God,” and he says they are for the right hand and the left. We often face hardship both from outside and sadly from within the church. We must help each other, stand with each other. The same Spirit that has called us into the sheepfold has already equipped us with these weapons of righteousness. Let’s see how to use these weapons to defend ourselves on the right hand and encourage each other on the left hand.

Purity

Purity is the opposite of hypocrisy, and isn’t that the main complaint of the world toward the church these days? We know we will never achieve sinless perfection this side of heaven but we should be growing in these things. In our sanctification process it looks like living in a way that we believe our lives are meant for more than the gratification of our own physical pleasures. As Christ becomes more beautiful to us our sins will lose their luster.
Knowledge

Knowledge is so powerful because it silences ignorance. Do you know what the bible says? About sin? Salvation? Redemption? Jesus? Do you know what Jesus said in the bible? Jesus said some amazing things, and a lot of what he said was quoting the old testament. Jesus knew his bible. He also knew how and when to use the word of God. He shut down the enemy with skill when he was being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Satan doesn’t care about your opinions but if you know the Word then Satan can’t deceive you. The word is the sword! We must know it.
Patience

Patience is a great weapon in our “Have it your way right now” culture. Patience is also learned. We are born as babies and the first thing we do is cry until our needs are met. Hungry, cold, wet, tired, gassy. Our plump baby cheeks quivered until every little thing we wanted was given to us. And rightly so to helpless babies. The two’s are so terrible because in the maturing process it is when we must begin learning patience. Regular mealtimes, bedtime, potty training… It is the process of learning submission and obedience, but all for our own good. Grown ups with unmet expectations that refuse to exercise patience are truly the most miserable people and they make everyone around them just as miserable as a colicky baby that keeps everyone up all night. We sin when we look for shortcuts to our goals and desires. Use patience to show people you care about them enough to give them the time and space they need to function.
Kindness

Kindness opens doors that brute force will only shut tighter. The bible says it this way in Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Kindness is the opposite of being mean. At every turn of the corner Christ was showing kindness to the weak and exhausted people he met with. The apostles often got this wrong while Jesus was with them, trying to keep away children, hush the cries of blind men and send hungry people away to fend for themselves. By the time the book of Acts rolls around they got it. Every miracle in the new testament was birthed out of the kindness they learned from walking with Jesus. In a recent sermon Pastor Ron Ohst reminded us the kindest thing we can do for someone is put a hand on their shoulder and say, “Can I pray for you?” This can melt the hardened heart like wax.
The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit, the helper. Let’s face facts. We all need help. We look at this laundry list of afflictions and the endurance we need and say “Who can do this?!?” When Jesus left for heaven he said he wasn’t leaving us orphans but sending a helper, his Holy Spirit, to dwell in us. The Holy spirit is a lot like a light switch, the power is always there but not always “on.” We make a mistake thinking we can find our own way in the dark until we bang our shins on the proverbial coffee table of life and end up on the floor writhing in pain. Turn the lights on! Every day when you wake up, take a moment to pray and ask the Holy Spirit for help. He delights to help you.
Genuine Love

Genuine love is a rare gem. I could give you my opinion of what “genuine love” looks like but Paul lays it out perfectly for us in Romans 12:9-18,
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
This attitude of genuine love applies in every aspect of life, in our families, workplaces, churches, and even the freeway. The strongest Christians I know are characterised by what Paul says, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation and constant in prayer.
Truthful Speech

Truthful speech. How does truthful speech give us endurance in afflictions? Again we must look at it as a weapon of righteousness. Jesus tells us where lies come from in John 8:44 as he address the religious leaders,
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
The pharisees were unwilling to tell the truth about who Jesus was. Truthful speech calls us to the discomfort of telling people they have it wrong when they say Jesus was “just a good teacher” or “just a prophet.” There is power in telling the truth about Jesus, the power that leads to salvation. Paul was a pharisee bent on murdering Christians but he was converted to the truth of Jesus. He tells this truth clearly in 1 Cor 15:3-4,11
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”
The truth of the gospel sets captives free and turns enemies into brothers.
The Power of God

The power of God is the Gospel. Paul experienced this first hand when he was blinded on the Damascus road and he ultimately gave his life for it. Let’s hop scotch through his letters to the churches and see what he says about this power and the gospel…
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
1 Cor 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Cor 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God
1 Cor 2:5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
2 Cor 13:4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
2 Tim 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
One of my favorite quotes is that “Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good, he came to make dead people alive.” -Ravi Zacharias. This is what the power of God working through the gospel of Jesus Christ does. Day in, day out.

I hope this has been an encouragement to you. Sometimes I feel like there is so much to do and I get so caught up in my own plans and my own little kingdom. I forget that God has saved me to be about his business. I forget that he’s already given me everything I need to do his will and his work. I forget that I’m in the Lord’s Army and I leave the house without my weapons and then I’m taken by surprise when the enemy comes at me. I want to be more intentional about having these weapons at the ready. Will you pray for me? I’ll be praying for you.

The 4 Reasons Why I Celebrate Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2015Leave a comment

Why I Celebrate Christmas

My faith is not blind. My favorite thing to read is my Bible. I know how weird that sounds, unless you’ve read the bible too. If you have, then you know what I’m talking about. It’s the unfolding of the human drama from creation to its future finish. The bible is not myth and legend made up by men. It’s a historical and prophetic account of a supreme being revealing himself to his estranged creation. It spans thousands of years and has 66 different authors all writing about one thing; the salvation of people by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus was a real man. The old testament prophesied the coming of a savior. Much of the old testament has been solidly backed up by archaeology. The new testament reveals Jesus as that savior. HIs life was so important that our very calendar is marked by his birth.

Modern secularists think that by separating ourselves from religion we become more “scientific” and “enlightened.” I believe the opposite is true, the more secular we become the more desperate we are to find meaning for our lives. It’s why suicide, drug abuse (illegal and rx), sexual promiscuity and “radical religion” are running rampant across the globe. We human creatures are so full of needs and wants. We are so restless. Our souls are at war with the God who created us, demanding that he make our lives easy and comfortable.

Jesus told us exactly why he came and I believe it is true.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” –Luke 4:16-21

Basically Jesus claimed to be the Messiah prophesied in scripture and then dropped the mic. Why are we so afraid to say about Jesus what he said about himself? I celebrate Christmas because what the angels told the shepherds the night he was born is true.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. –Luke 2:11

Why I Celebrate Christmas

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. –John 3:16

Jesus is the savior of the world, but he is also a personal savior. He spoke to large crowds, imparting truth, grace and wisdom but he also spoke to individuals. For 3 ½ years he poured his daily life into 12 men and a few close friends that included women like Mary and Martha. He healed individuals, lepers, blind, lame, and even the dead. I am part of a global family of God, the Church, but the bible also tells me I am a personally adopted daughter of the King.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. –Galatians 4:4-7

Why I Celebrate Christmas

This Advent our focus at church has been joy. Joy is one of those things that can get lost in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Christmas is a celebration! It’s a birthday party! Happy Birthday Jesus!

There is almost nothing more anticipated than the arrival of a baby. The birth of Jesus was no different. That night in Bethlehem, all those many years ago, an unwed teen gave birth to her own savior. Delivering a baby is scary and painful and miraculous and amazing. Almost as soon as we see those sweet baby cheeks and hear their first cries we begin to forget the pain of pregnancy and labor.

The amazing thing about Birthdays is no matter what else happened the day you were born it is still a special marker in time. A day set aside to reflect on another year of life past and to look forward to the next year ahead.

Before she gave birth this is what Mary said about her son,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Why I Celebrate Christmas

Emmanuel! God with us! Christ has come! We don’t need to look for anyone else. I celebrate Christmas with eyes wide open. I celebrate that light has come into the world and I want light instead of darkness in my life. I want peace instead of war in my soul. I want to worship a savior worthy of of my worship.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. –Colossians 1:15-20

Why do you Celebrate Christmas?

I hope these things have inspired and encouraged you this Christmas. For many the holidays are a time of hope and joy but for others it is difficult and sad. I pray that wherever your heart is this Christmas you will make room for Jesus. He loves you and longs for you to know him, not in a religious ritual or as a baby in a manger, but as your God and Savior, as your friend and as the bringer of peace to your soul.

I would love to know what Christmas means to you! Feel free to share in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Custom Fitted Calling

Posted on November 21, 2015Leave a comment

Had a strange dream last night and woke up with thoughts of custom clothing. I was trying to fit into something that wasn’t made for me.

Buying dresses, and most clothing for that matter, is a nightmare for anyone who is not of average shape or size. I am 5’ tall, with wide hips, a big booty and a small waist. I have a very short torso but large breasts and broad shoulders. I also have a soft pot belly from having three kids and gaining and losing weight rapidly. It takes me hours of shopping and trying on dozens of items to find one thing that fits.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden and tried to cover their shame with fig leaves it was God who came, in mercy and love, and made them custom garments of animal skins to cover their nakedness.

Our robe of righteousness from Christ isn’t just one size fits all. He custom makes our lives to fit us. He custom makes our garments. Our gifts and callings. Our family and friends. Even our joys and hardships. I look at my husband and kids and can see how He made them just for me. And He made me just for them.

When Jesus performed healings and miracles he dealt with each individual in different ways, with just what they needed. To one he says “Take up your bed and walk.” To another he says “Stretch out your hand.”

There is a saying that comparison is the thief of joy. It is so true in every aspect of life, both the physical and the spiritual. We look at our neighbors and think, “I am poor.” But if you are reading this on any kind of technological device you are not poor. You might be broke, but by world standards you are not poor. We look at people in ministry and think, “I am not spiritual.” But if you have the Spirit of God living in you then you are spiritual. You might look at the people in your church who seem to have it all together and think, “I’m not good enough.” News flash! Aside from Jesus Christ not a single human on the planet is “good enough.”

In 1 Corinthians 12 the Apostle Paul has a great analogy! We are all one body by the Spirit in Christ, but we are not all the same body part! The foot can’t say “because I’m not a hand I’m not part of the body.” Also, the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” I think we are all interconnected in this amazing way and we just don’t take the time to understand who we are and how the body works. When we pray for persecuted believers in the world it’s like we are the knobby knees supporting the beaten back. When we give to the causes of things like Breath of Heaven Children’s Village in Zambia we are the hands putting soothing balm on the cracked, dry feet.

I want to challenge you today to take a couple minutes here, read all of 1 Corinthians 12 and pray. Ask God what His custom calling on your life is. What part of the body are you? What spiritual gifts has He custom tailored to fit your life? You are part of the body, you need the body and the body needs you!

1 Corinthians 12

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and here are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Thanks for reading! Comment and share if you’ve been encouraged.

Spiritual Metabolism

Posted on November 6, 2015Leave a comment

I read a Bible verse a few nights ago that got me thinking about the difference between muscle and fat.

Psalm 119:70

“their (the insolent) heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.”

Most of the time the heart is used symbolically. The heart, while muscle, is also considered the seat of our emotions. Fat, on the other hand, does fat feel sorrow or pain or joy? I can’t flex my fat like I flex my bicep.

The heart is a muscle. It’s the central pump that sends oxygenated blood throughout the body. So many intricate parts in the system. If one thing goes wrong the dysfunction can cause numerous problems and even death.

This all got me thinking about metabolism. Merriam-webster.com defines it as the sum of the processes in the buildup and destruction of protoplasm; specifically : the chemical changes in living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities and new material is assimilated.

How can we relate this to ourselves spiritually? How does spiritual metabolism help us assimilate gospel truth and prevent our hearts from becoming “unfeeling like fat?”

Spiritual Metabolism

‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Matt 4:4 & Deut 8:3

To keep our bodily metabolism functioning well we must have food, water, and exercise. Likewise, our spiritual metabolism runs on the word of God, prayer, community worship and service. Nutritional input, energy output.

The word of God and prayer are like food and water. We need to take them into our spirits like our bodies take in food, on a regular daily basis, multiple times a day. Sometimes we treat Sunday church like going out to an “all-you-can-eat.” We don’t feed ourselves often enough and are so hungry when we get there that we gorge ourselves. And just like at the buffet we guilt ourselves. We wish we were in the word and fellowship more often but we are so discouraged we don’t know how to make the healthy choice necessary for optimum spiritual metabolism.

Spiritual Junk Food vs. Spiritual Health Food

We all know the difference. Junk food = pre packaged, easy, trans- fat, sugar filled, sometimes even fake food. Fast food, super size fries, burgers, sodas and shakes. It has the appearance of food but lacks any real nutritional substance. Just enough to keep the body working, but over time performance and health suffers. Health food = lean meats and vegetables, complex carbs, healthy fats, an “occasional treat.” Reasonable portion sizes. Likewise, over time performance and ability increase.

“You are what you eat,”… spiritually. The junk that should just be the occasional treat ends up consuming much of our day. T.V., social media, video games, entertainment. We are consumers. But all these things are spiritually empty calories. We let our appetites instead of the Holy Spirit guide us. I am stirred by what Paul wrote to the Philippians,

“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” Phil 3:19

Spiritual Fat vs. Spiritual Muscle

Activity builds endurance. We walk our dogs, we go to the gym, our children have recess and p.e. classes, and play sports. In order to build a muscle you must train it, over and over again, to do the work you require of it. We can train our minds in scripture and prayer, and train our eyes to see with faith rather than fear.

Daily time in the word, prayer and worship will make us examples to our friends, families and communities of what a committed disciple of Christ looks like. If we go to church once a week for 20 years but still eat the world every day what little spiritual muscle we have will be swallowed up by spare tires of unbelief and muffin tops of apathy. Would you join a gym where the before and after pics look exactly the same?

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16

Spiritual Lethargy vs. Spiritual Activity

My goal here is encouragement, not to guilt or shame. There is a better way. I want you to have a real, healthy, spiritually active lifestyle. Making changes is hard, but if you make small changes daily they will add up over time. Again, it’s the “training” model. No one can bench press 300# their first try. They would be crushed.

In the photo above I have 65# over my head. That took me a year. My first day I struggled to get a pvc pipe overhead. I’m not asking you to lift 300# today. But if you are willing to submit to daily spiritual training then someday you will lift that and more. Spiritually, this means daily time in God’s word, prayer and worship as well as a regular exercise of kindness, generosity, and self control. The Apostle Paul explained it like this,

“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Cor 9:25-27

Training Starts Today

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the LORD of hosts.” Zech 4:6

Our works don’t earn grace, but God’s grace in our lives gives us a desire to live with hearts that delight in God’s word and not as insolent people with unfeeling hearts. Don’t “wait till monday” to start eating your spiritual food and doing your spiritual activity. The Holy Spirit is whispering to you today. He is your helper. He is your trainer. Like your bodily metabolism converts food into energy, the Holy Spirit takes the gospel into your heart and converts it into the good works God has already prepared for you.

Thanks for reading! Comment and share if you’ve been encouraged.

Resources: More information about the Navy SeaBees and Christian Ministries that dig wells

The Work of God = Spiritual Food

The Glorious Result = the Harvest

Next Time

Further reading

What does it mean to worship in spirit and truth? How do we do that?

Next Time

Further reading

Jesus at my Well

Next Time

Further Reading

John 4:7-14

Her objection

His answer

Her Objections

His Answer

Living Water

Isaiah 12

Next Time

Further reading:

Where in the World is Jesus of Nazareth?

Next Time

Further Reading

2 Corinthians 6:3-13

Purity

Knowledge

Patience

Kindness

The Holy Spirit

Genuine Love

Truthful Speech

The Power of God

Why I Celebrate Christmas

Why I Celebrate Christmas

Why I Celebrate Christmas

Why I Celebrate Christmas

Why do you Celebrate Christmas?

1 Corinthians 12

Psalm 119:70

Spiritual Metabolism

Spiritual Junk Food vs. Spiritual Health Food

Spiritual Fat vs. Spiritual Muscle

Spiritual Lethargy vs. Spiritual Activity

Training Starts Today