Tag: New Life

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Water & Spirit poured out.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“But now, listen to me, Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one. The Lord who made you and helps you says: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, O dear Israel, my chosen one. For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children. They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The two powerful themes that thread through Israel’s history in the Old Testament, become a reality for all people in the New Testament. God’s prophetic promises are all fulfilled through Jesus!

The imagery explodes when Jesus begins announcing that He is the river of life! In John, Jesus tells the woman at the well that He is living water that pours out with no end. He also says in John 7: 37-39 “‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” The “living water” ties together a long history of Israel being cleaned and purified by fresh, running water and what will become the permanent illustration that is fulfilled by the Holy Spirit being poured out after Jesus returned to heaven. Tyler Staton writes, “The Spirit of God is described through the imagery of water in the poetry of Psalms and Proverbs; the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Joel; and by the Gospel writer John. But the promise comes alive most clearly in the prophet Ezekiel, who saw a vision of a river that originated in a trickle running down the temple. It grew from a trickle on the steps to a flowing river as he followed the current east.”

Everywhere the river flows, it brings life. Everyone the river touches, brings new life. God promised to pour out His Spirit on Isaiah’s descendants, blessing the children. But the promise extends much further than just the Israelites, beyond Isaiah’s, Jeremiah’s, Joel’s and Ezekiel’s children. It extends to all who will come and freely drink and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out in abundance today and on our children as well!

Prayer

​Dad,
I am not Jewish and have no ancestry connecting me to the promises you made to your people and the prophets. Neither am I a son of Abraham. However, because of Jesus I have been grafted into the tree of life, adopted into the family of God and have all the rights and privileges of being your son. Thank you for giving me life abundantly. Thank you for pouring out your Spirit on me! I am forever grateful for this life I now lead and look forward to the grand adventures yet to come in the Kingdom that has arrived, yet is still to come!

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I remember.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

”Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.“ ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s been quite a while ago, but I still remember that for a third of my life, I was a nobody. Forty-seven years ago, God changed everything about my life! I am not trying to be cruel or humble when I say I was a nobody, but for the first twenty years, I felt very invisible. I didn’t mind it at all. As long as I was invisible, I would not be held responsible.

The Apostle Paul’s admonition to the churches in Corinth, is that they too came from humble, almost insignificant beginnings. Twice he wrote, they weren’t powerful or wealthy – neither (dunatos) powerful nor (eugenes) of noble birth. Then again, they were from (agenés) unborn, of no family and even (exoutheneó) despised. In worldly standards, this is about as low as one can get. No real influence, no family name to help by dropping into a conversation and looked down on by the rest of society. That is from where God picks His “dream team?” Well, that described the church who could not possibly boast that they rose to significance on their own! Yet, God chooses these kinds of folks to shame the self-proclaimed “wise.”

I am in that community! I came from no power, no nobility, no family heritage and despised or just pitied. And, I cannot say that I rose from the ashes, from rags to riches to become some powerful leader or a social media influencer. I do remember, however, that I came from pretty much nothing and God built a really great life for me! Since my twenties, I have had the honor and privilege of being a Pastor, even in a current culture where Pastors are no longer honored! My story, my testimony is exactly what Paul says that God does in the lives of those He chooses! He chooses people like me to prove that He changes everything – if they’ll let Him. Paul is right, this stuff works!!! God does rescue, redeem and restore still today. Don’t let your past define your future! Don’t allow your family origin story to define your family’s future legacy!

Prayer

Dad,
I don’t think about often anymore, but each time Your Word reminds me of the past, I can’t help but be grateful for everything You’ve done in and through my life. It’s been a little foggy and bumpy at times, but what a ride! I can honestly tell anyone, “If God can do this in my life, He can do it in yours too!” It is true, my boasting, my pride is completely in You. Thank you.