Saturday, November 17, 2012

Be Vessels of Living Water

John 4:10, New King James Version Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
NKJV

1 Corinthians 12:13, (NKJV)

13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Acts 16:30-34, (NKJV)

30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

Matthew 28:19,(NKJV)

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

John 3:1-21New King James Version (NKJV)

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

John 7:37-38, (NKJV)

37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

John 4:13-14, (NKJV)

13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

John 6:45-51, (NKJV)

45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
My Comments: All I can say is Amen, Amen, Amen!!!
There are so many in my family who do not believe in the saving grace of Jesus nor do they believe He even existed. Do you?
One of my sons was hurting so much after his Dad passed in October 2012. He did not have the anchor or steady rock to stand on of Jesus the Christ. In fact even now he is positive I believe in a myth or just believe because I was "raised to believe that way."  Yet I was not raised in a church that knew to accept Jesus by actually saying it out loud (they did believe in confession of sin but not actually asking Jesus to accept them). They unfortunately believed that when a child or person of any age is Baptized that that is their rebirth. That is not what Christ was talking about when He said to Nicodemus that one must be Born Again. To be Born Again, we ask Jesus to be our Savior, confess our sin to Him then He comes into us with His living water and we are Born Again. We are not Born Again in Baptism. 
When we are Baptized (when we are old enough to understand the significance of it) it is an outward declaration of an inward change in belief. It is when we share with others we are of the body and will be walking with Jesus to bring honor and glory to the Father. We are not saved by Baptism, we are however saved by Jesus after we accept His free gift of life and we give ourselves to Him.
I had thought I knew I was saved all my life because I was Baptized at 40 days old (the tradition of the Church I grew up in). Many believe things like "Infant Baptism," and "Baptism saves," "Baptism for others dead or alive saves them" that just are not in the Bible. They are totally unbiblical and false teachings and beliefs. I had read my Bible yet did not understand what I was reading when I was a young lady and when I grew up I just did not know the importance of reading the word of God. I am so thankful to God He did not allow me to die when danger came into my life. He gave me time so I could learn the truth and receive His forgiveness, righteousness and be filled with His Living water and His Holy Spirit. I feel the quickening in my spirit to share the Good News with people and be a light where the Lord takes me so the Living Water He fills me with will flow freely to those He brings me into contact with.
The amazing thing about salvation is it is offered to everyone because Christ died for everyone's sin. He did not just die for the "good people" who have ever lived or are living and will live (because God says "none are good except the Father." He died for all mankind. He died for the homeless, the robber, even the murderer. He died to save the head of companies and the worker. He died for the prostitute and even the pimp. He died for the bully and the adulterer, the fornicator and sexual perverts of all kinds as well as the every day person who thinks of themselves as "good people" but Christ said none but the Father is good so we all need redemption. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We all need a Savior. And there is only one Savior and His name is Jesus and He is the Son of God and the second person of the Holy Trinity who willingly went to the cross to die for all mankind's sin. Unfortunately some will choose hell rather than accept the truth of Jesus and accept the salvation He offers them. God does not condemn them to Hell they choose it by rejecting Him. those who believe and are Born Again have chosen to live forever with Him in Heaven. Have you? Will you? If so I will see you there.
Abba Father, may all accept Your special and freely given free gift of salvation. Help us to share Your gift with others. Make of us rivers of flowing Living Waters so many will hear and receive Your Word of salvation and be filled with Your Holy Spirit. We praise and glorify your Holy and precious names Father and pray we will bring honor and glory to Your Holy Name.
Lord Jesus, may You shine through us to a weary world. Flow through us to a world without true water and without the bread of life. May I be Your servant and have Your servants heart in my thoughts, actions and interactions. Thank You Messiah for giving so freely of Yourself and showing us the way and buying our freedom from sin.
Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with the desires of Abba Father and our mouths with the Words of Jesus. Fill us with wisdom and understanding and the Knowledge of the Word of God.
In Jesus name in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen. In Jesus Name. Amen
Rebishka
PS: I would love to hear what you are reading in the Bible or would like to discuss in the Word of God.

1 comment: