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| How are We Satisfying our Thirst? |
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Imagine that you are walking in the woods and the heat becomes so horrific that you desperately need a drink. The scorching humidity motivates you to look for something to satisfy the lingering thirst within. You search feverishly for a stream or some other body of water from which you could drink. Finally after several minutes you stumble onto a pond. However, you notice the debris on the shore and the obvious pollution has overtaken the pond. The filthiness is evident by the dinginess of the water. But then, all of a sudden, you notice that someone, in haste to get back to their campsite, left a cooler full of fresh cold water. You proceed to open up a one of the fresh bottles of water that satisfies your lingering thirst. After finishing your water you see a fellow sojourner walking down the path. You notice his obvious need for a drink. You ask him if he would like a fresh bottle of water. But to your amazement, he refuses and instead opts to drink out of the dingy, dirty pond. Likewise, Jesus has offered us the cool, fresh living water that only He can give. In the story of the Samaritan woman, Jesus goes out to get water at the same time as the woman. After He strikes up a conversation, He takes the opportunity to teach the woman a spiritual truth. The woman was seeking to satisfy her thirst from the polluted pond of this world. She thought that relationships would satisfy the longing that was burning in her heart. Jesus taught her that she had a thirst of which she was not aware. It was a thirst that God has placed in each of us that can only be satisfied by a relationship with our Heavenly Father. The question we must ask ourselves is this; are we drinking from the living water that Jesus gives or from the dirty pond of this world? May we resolve to drink from the water that Jesus offers which causes us to never thirst again. |
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Oh man Pastor Tim that's gonna take some more reflection and a vidit to the book of John. Thanks .. If I ever find myself up north we gotta pray together.
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| Sounds good Dave. God bless! |
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Denise |
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August 25, 2007 at 2:45pm |
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Pastor Tim
This sounds so similar to the message my brother in law gave at my brother's funeral yesterday. "Which side are you on?" It also makes me think of the dream my brother had. I posted his description of that dream on my blog yesterday evening. It all boils down to what choices we are willing to make, do we want to drink from a dirty pond or choose the living water, do we want to serve God because he makes us serve Him or because we love Him? I love Him, and yes I will take that living water!!!
Thanks for sharing
Denise |
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| Thanks Denise. I enjoyed reading your brothers story. Gos is good. |
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Kay |
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August 25, 2007 at 3:45pm |
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That was amazing! We must always remain faithful to the Lord and always drink from the water that Jesus gives to us.
Please pray for Paula nd Randy White of Without Walls International Church. A Mega Church with 22 thousand members and they have just announced they are divorcing after 18 years of marriage. |
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Thanks Kay,
I will be praying for them both! |
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| Thanks ca_flicker. It sounds like you are growing in Christ. I will be praying that you can find a home church where you can continue to grow in your relationship with Jesus. |
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Grant |
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August 25, 2007 at 8:14pm |
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So true! We who preach can mistake OUR words for that water, but truly only what we pass on from Jesus satisfies. He alone can satisfy and we all are either mere servants or passing on polluted water of our own devising.
Blessings, Grant. |
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| Great imagery! When I was reading this I thought about all the people who are walking down the road of life and those of us who are Christians are calling them to enjoy the fresh, living water that only God can give. Many times they opt for the polluted water of the world, but we keep calling and believing that they will put their lives in God's hands completely. |
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| Thank you for the complement Michelle. Since you are my wife you are probably biased:) |
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Sometimes we get so thirsty we thing that any ole water will do...it is those times we need to slow down the most and take a sip from the living water. Also means we need to know our Master's voice...another topic for another post... |
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| Thanks Voice. You may have given me an idea! |
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| Praise the Lord how true that is. We must choose to follow the world or Jesus but we cannot follow both. The true question is are we drinking when we get the opportunity or are we just sipping. If you havent please go read my blog Powerless Gospel. |
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| Pastor Tim, great metaphor for the choice we all make. As I read this I also thought of the old story of the guy who digs around in dumpsters for scraps to eat when he's got a coupon for a lifetime of free steak dinners in his pocket. I wish the choice was as obvious to everyone as we see it to be -- Satan blinds so many, they don't see the pond scum, they never think to reach into that pocket for the coupon. ~mike |
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| You are so right. I think I prefer the steak dinner! |
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Tim, In India, we tell other believers that tasting Jesus is like tasting good 'briyani' (a famous moghul food). Those of us have tasted the Lord, we need to tell others where they can get good 'briyani'. Your message gives us a thrust to share gospel with our fellow human beings. Nice thought. |
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| Simple, but profound. God's blessings on your family and ministry. |
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Kathy |
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August 26, 2007 at 10:09am |
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Pastor Tim, it is exciting to see how God is using your blogs!
ca_flickerfly, we are all fellow travelers on this Christian journey, walking in the right direction, but not yet having arrived! There are many detours, which lead us down wrong paths along the way, some even claiming to be God's way. I pray today that God leads you to a church where you can grow, as you walk alongside fellow travelers who are walking the path in God's direction! God bless you, my sister! |
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Matthew, Ragland, and Kathy thank you for your kind words.
John 7:37b-38 - ... "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." |
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In our Connection Group this Sunday the discussion was about times when we read the Word, pray and listen to Christian music but God seems far from us. We wondered if everyone has "dry spells" in their spiritual lives? Some suggested ways to "make the water wetter"...like keeping a journal to check how close you and God were in the past (not that good, "holy" feelings are required every moment of the day), doing evangelism so you could look at things from a new Christian's eyes, reading the hymns, writing out a current list of praises and things you are thankful for, or just trusting that fact that He promises to never leave us or desert us...but is listening to every prayer we pray and is making all things work together for good in our lives. I think the reason pastors and Sunday School teachers get such great insights from scripture and seem so close to Christ is that they put a lot more effort into their Bible study than most people. Many are not aware of HOW to study the Bible in depth ( a Walk Thru the Bible course helped me). There are other books on HOW to study the Bible. I love commentaries because the men who write them share their insights and these become part of me as I study on my own...and keep me from going too far off the path as I compare several different ones. (Check your church library or ask your pastor/S.S. teachers or go to a Christian book store for these or wholesale Christian Book distributor.) I'm not saying that these substitute in any way for drinking the water on your own...but they "flavor" the water a lot. Let's all try digging deep wells so the water of salvation may gush up out of the boundless springs within the Word of God. <:)))>< Connie Radomski |
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Connie,
I like what you said regarding flavoring the water. Learning how to study the Bible is a must! |
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This kinda goes with Dr. Thomas blog. He felt the Lord was saying the same thing. Great to see the confirmations across the map of the States.
Thank you for leading us closer to the heart of Jesus! |
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Thanks Shannon. There is nothing like drinking from the fountain that Jesus offers. It always satisfies.
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Wonderfully put! This verse came to mind as I was thinking about your post: 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
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MaKelly |
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September 09, 2007 at 8:12am |
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Pastor Time I agree the word of the living water is the only way. There is something new for me every time I open the bible or read a blog, My cup truly be running over with the love of God's word, and when you get the revalation that Gods's word is the thirst quencher you will keep coming back for moore, this does sounds like your thirst is not satisfied but satisfaction to me is keep coming until Jesus comes, because I can read the same scripure you get from God's and I see or hear a total different revalation for my life. Therfore the satisfaction I get for my thirst is I can keep coming back and each time I get filled up some times it's running over I'm loving it.
Then you start doing like the lady at the well start telling eveyone about this new love of Living water. that's everlasting. |
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Pastor Tim,
I love readying your posts, you are such an excellent writer. This story reminds me of my addiction with pepsi cola. I grew up with pepsi cola. Dinner wasn't complete unless I had a cold glass of pespi besides my dinner plate. It was me and pepsi, didn't think anything was wrong with that, that is until I learned better. Water is so good for you and good for your health. I wasn't much of a water drinker, but I slowly converted over to water and put sodas of all kind down.
Just recently while at my mom's (who is still on that pepsi kick, I might add) she asked me if I wanted a glass of pepsi. Why not, I said to myself, it's been a long time since a had a pepsi, "sure ma, pour me a glass," I said. Well, it only took a sip, just one sip for me to quickly realize, that pepsi wasn't for me anymore. It tasted so nasty. Pepsi could no longer satisfy me, not like a simple glass of water. The pepsi was that "dirty pond" and a glass of water symbolizes "the living water" offered to me by Jesus Christ.
To dear Ca_flickerfly, you said, "I feel like I'm still a baby in my walk with Jesus. Like I can't yet drink or walk alone beside Him." I feel you, I understand you. I can't drink of His water in and of myself, because I'm not worthy, no really, I'm not. It is by His Grace, that I am able to partake of this living water. I say to you, yes my dear sister, you can drink of it also. It's a gift, and you don't wanna turn down a gift do you? We will keep you in our prayers, as the Lord leads you closer to Him.
"Taste the Lord and see how good he is. The person that depends on the Lord will be truly happy." Psalm 34:8
Pastor Aminata |
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Aminita, thanks for the compliment.
When I was a kid I was a Coca Cola man. I have since switched to diet lemonade. It is much better for me.
MaKelly, I can see that you are like the woman at the well - telling everyone about Jesus! |
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