John 4
Hi all – How nice for an opportunity to fellowship with some old acquaintances and some new. It is always good to hear different perspectives and be open to be challenged by them - whilst LISTENING out for the whispers of THE Spirit, of course.
Going through the requirements of the Blog, here is how I’ve done this week.
1. Have I sought GOD every day? Yes .... nothing new there! Have I done it in a radical way? I have prayed in THE Spirit every day (not usual for me) and yesterday, in an attempt to keep me focussed on listening out for HIM, I uttered a ‘mantra’ out loud for approx 3 minutes. “Jesus is my Lord. Jesus is my Lord. Jesus is my Lord”
2. Am I reading, thinking and praying through John? Well, I AM reading it, I am also listening to it on my ipod (Samuel L Jackson and others), I AM praying before I read and listen – for guidance and to ask The Father to highlight any bits he wants me to ‘Get’!. Am I thinking????? Hmmmm ... intentionally? About John? ... Nah!
3. Am I listening to The Holy Spirit – I believe so.
4. And yes, I am contributing ;)
With regards to no 3. I said I believe so, because the cross-over line between self-justification and our Father in heaven speaking to us can be easily blurred! Wouldn’t you agree?
So, John 4 .... hmmmm ... The Woman at the Well.
39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony,
This jumped out at me when I re-read John 4 again earlier. Yesterday, Andrew and I had a conversation in which we discussed the power of relevant testimony. So, what John 4 highlighted to me (this time!) is the importance of getting in ‘amongst’ it and encouraging those who have been saved to do likewise and share their stories. Jesus has prepared the way for us:
37Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true.
God’s blessings upon us as we get out there and reap for GOD what his son sowed for us!
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An eight week journey of seeking God as we read.think.pray.live our way through the gospel of John
An Invitation
Please join us during this lead up to Christmas 2009 by doing the four things listed below. Anyone can join at any time throughout this 8 week period although obviously it would be best if you can begin with us on the first of November 2009.
Requirements:
1. Commit to seeking God EVERY DAY in Nov & Dec '09 in a way that is more radical than anything you have ever done before.
2. Read.think.pray.live your way through the Gospel of John in seven weeks (3 chapters each week) and then 1 John, 2 John, 3 John in the final week.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey whatever he says to do!!
4. Contribute your insights and experiences to this blog.
May we all continue to seek the Kingdom of God before anything else!
Requirements:
1. Commit to seeking God EVERY DAY in Nov & Dec '09 in a way that is more radical than anything you have ever done before.
2. Read.think.pray.live your way through the Gospel of John in seven weeks (3 chapters each week) and then 1 John, 2 John, 3 John in the final week.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey whatever he says to do!!
4. Contribute your insights and experiences to this blog.
May we all continue to seek the Kingdom of God before anything else!
4 comments:
Great to hear from you Gemma :) I'm heading out for the day now so will add my comment later this evening!
C'mon my friends... jump online and leave a comment. It only has to be a sentence or two but it is more fun when more people contribute to the discussion :)
Gemma, interesting to hear about your experiment in praying a phrase out loud over and over again. Did you find it helpful?
Yes we can easily self-justify and that is where it is critical to be totally surrendered and willing to follow any prompting of the Spirit.
I am still on John 3 Gemma but good to see you are keen :) John 4 is one of my favourite chapters but I leave my comments until next week.
Having said this I do believe in the power of testimony and am always encouraged when I hear people testify to the way God has transformed or is transforming their life. Feel free to share any stories on this blog...and with anyone you come across.
Two 'well' images come to mind tonight as I read the chapter again. One is from a book I have just finished about the charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade at Beersheba (31/10/1917).
The Brigade had gone a day and a night without water, and when the horses smelled the water coming from the town they couldn’t be held back. They charged in (carrying their riders with them), jumped the Turkish trenches, and headed for the wells of life giving water.
The thought that comes to me is the hope that I might be so overcome with the desire for the “Living Water” that I too will hazard any obstacle to be filled.
The other ‘well-thought’ has to do with the movie, ‘Sahara’ which I watched last week. In one scene the heroine shimmies down a dry well to get a water sample. She digs at the dirt at the bottom of the shaft, and a small muddy pool forms.
Thinking on this image I draw the analogy that this dry well is me (us) when we are not filled, not thirsting, not in communion with the “Living Water”. On our own we might dig deep (as they say), but all we’ll have to offer those around is a muddy substitute.
Is this what we as the church is offering? If there are over 1billion Christians on the face of the globe, why isn’t the world rockin’ for Christ?
Jesus, you are my Messiah, the anointed One. I am thirsty...quench my thirst! Amen.
Amen Jim!!! I am with you 100%.
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