Tag: bible

What are you thirsty for?

Have you ever driven through the desert? Many years ago when my oldest was just a baby, we drove from San Diego, California to Yuma, Arizona. That road takes you through some incredible wilderness. I saw enormous vultures, the like I have not seen since. But what really stuck in my mind from that road trip so many years ago, was the dry heat. It was so powerful that it felt like it sucked the moisture right out of your body. We could not drink enough throughout those hours of driving, and at that time, there were almost no places to stop and get water. The thirst that I felt was unquenchable. 

As I look back on that time, I am reminded that there is also another kind of thirst, a thirst that few talk about, but most if not all of us struggle with. It is the spiritual thirst that God put in us, that causes us to never feel satisfied. God created within us a vacuum, an inner void or empty place that only He Himself could fill. Even though this thirst, or void, is spiritual, it manifests itself in physical ways. And just like the dry California desert heat, this thirst cannot be quenched by physical or emotional things. It often expresses itself through addictions, but the fix is always temporary. 

What are you thirsty for? What do you crave above all else on earth? Is it love, acceptance, food, sex or perhaps something else that is so deep and so hidden inside of your soul, that you can hardly find the words to express it? You just know that you have a deep longing for something, and nothing will satisfy that craving, no matter how hard you try. The Bible calls that intense desire, thirst.  The gospel of John tells us in John 7:37 that Jesus literally addressed this issue: “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.“ What is it that Jesus offered them to drink? He tells us in the next sentence. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38

We are told a story in John 4 about Jesus coming across a woman who was getting water from the town well at noon. He had an interesting conversation with her. Clearly, she was thirsty, which is why she was getting water. But He started the conversation with an odd request. Jesus asked the woman for a drink! This startled her and here’s what happened next: “Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” (John 4:9) He then tells her that if she knew who she was talking to, she would have asked Him for a drink and He would have given her living water. Not fully understanding what living water was, she thought it meant she would never have to walk back to the well and get water again. Jesus cut to the chase and addressed her thirst. He told her to go get her husband. If you know the story, she responds by telling him she has no husband. And that is when it gets interesting because Jesus tells her that she’s actually had 5 husbands and the one she has now is not her husband. This woman was indeed thirsty and it appears from her life that no man had ever been able to quench that thirst. 

But why would Jesus ask her to get her husband? Because it is not until we identify the cause of our thirst, that we can begin to recognize that no one, not any man or woman, not money or power, nor food or sex, or anything else on this earth can ever quench our thirst for the living God. It is not until we admit this to ourselves that we can come to Him and ask for this living water, the water that only Jesus the Rock can give us.

We are given a foreshadow of this living water in the book of Exodus when we are told about the children of Israel who had been wandering about in the wilderness with Moses. The thrill of leaving Egypt was gone and now they were left wandering around in a dry and barren land for many days. How often do our lives feel like this? We feel like we have been wandering around in a wilderness, alone, hot and without any satisfaction, looking for a promised land that never seems to get any closer than our distant horizon or dreams. They were thirsty! They were literally dying of thirst and they blamed Moses. In Exodus 17:1-6 we are told their story. They believed it was his fault that they were in this situation and he was responsible for why they didn’t have anything to drink. So Moses went to the Lord and told Him the situation. (As if He didn’t know) The Lord told Moses to go to the rock in Horeb, and the Lord Himself would stand before Moses, and Moses should strike the rock and water would come out. Moses did exactly what he was told, and miraculously, water came gushing out of the rock.

How does this relate to being spiritually thirsty? The prophet Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 53:4.

In this chapter Isaiah describes the crucifixion, and says that God would “reckon Him stricken, struck down by God and afflicted”. The Father struck Jesus, the Rock, so that living waters would come out of Him. Paul confirms this in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 when he tells us that the children of Israel “all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of the Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ”.

So I ask again, what are you really thirsty for? Identify your craving, not the physical symptom that you use to momentarily satisfy it, but the deeper one, the one that you can’t face because it is too painful. When you have found it, come to the One who has the living water and ask Him for a drink. He has promised that He will grant your request. His love for you is so great, that He laid down His life for you, so you could spend eternity with Him. He died on that cross, so you could live. And He is calling you, yes you, and telling you that He desires to give you living water. His name is Jesus. In Isaiah 55:1, Isaiah, like Jesus in the temple, cries out: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters!” Cry out to Him and He will answer you. 

Are you sick of scandal in the church?

I find myself very discouraged these days. The church seems to be full of scandal. It doesn’t matter what denomination you belong to, Protestant or Catholic, the scandals are all around. Unfortunately, just as in the time of Jesus on earth, the religious leaders of today are full of hypocrisy. Both Jesus and John the Baptist called them out for their hypocrisy back then, (“Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'”) Matthew 15:7-9. It seems that not much has changed. 

It is hard to watch these kinds of things happen, especially, when they are from people we have listened to, learned from and trusted. Sometimes I find it hard to wrap my brain around how these men or women can do the things they do.  They live one life on stage and another life in their off hours. How can we make sense of all this? We know that Jesus is not fooled by these people. In Matthew 7:22, Jesus talks about a coming day, a day when these people will stand before Him at the judgement seat and He tells us the scene from that day. They stand before Him, arrogantly proclaiming their own righteousness, proudly tell Him about their accomplishments, all done in His name. He is not fazed or swayed by their pride. “Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” I cannot imagine standing before the Almighty, and not being afraid, no, terrified for my life, knowing that He has the power to throw me into hell. Yet these people are not afraid. They are not ashamed of their hypocrisy. But listen to what Jesus says to them in Matthew 7:23: “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” They practiced lawlessness. They said one thing and did the opposite. 

But notice something else about what Jesus says to them. He says “I never knew you”. He doesn’t say, “YOU don’t know me”, no, He says, I don’t know you and I never have. “I never knew you”! That statement is very important, because it gives us some insight into what really happened here. 

The prophet Hosea actually gives us some understanding about this situation. I know it’s not a book often read these days, but I want to show you some things that God teaches Hosea, that will help us to understand what is going on in the church today. In Hosea 2:2-5, the Lord talks about Israel not being His wife, nor Him being her husband (anymore). The Lord tells Hosea that Israel has committed harlotry or spiritual adultery because of all the idols that she worships. He goes on and tells Hosea that because of this idolatry, her children are children of harlotry. At first, this seems confusing. What is the Lord talking about here? Clearly, He is referring to spiritual things, not physical. But bear with me. 

Let me put it to you in modern terms. Any person that considers themselves a Christian, and brings forth a ministry that is born out of anything, and I mean anything, other than intimacy with our Lord, is creating a child of harlotry. This distinction is very subtle and very hard to discern, because only the Lord knows our hearts. If this upsets you, I understand. Many wonderful ministries and organizations have been born out of a heart of giving. What we would call philanthropy. But here’s the kicker. Anyone can be a philanthropist. You don’t have to even be a Christian, you can just be a kindhearted person and start a great ministry, a successful ministry that helps other people. Is there something wrong with this? Not necessarily. 

But let’s  go back to all those people who had great ministries, who healed, spoke prophecies, and cast out spirits. Listen to what Jesus says to His disciples right before He tells us about these people. He says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 22:21) Jesus told His disciples on the night of His crucifixion “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4. If we want to do the will of the Father, we have to abide in Him, spend time with Him, read His word, listen to His voice, and most importantly, obey Him! 

Ministries, for want of a better word, are spiritual children, spiritual fruit. They are born out of two places: Intimacy with the Lord, or intimacy with idols. That idol could simply be self. 

An example of this would be someone who has been wounded from past hurts. They struggle with self worth and self esteem issues. Much to their delight, they discover that when they help others, they feel better about themselves. It makes them feel like they have value and worth, which is not in and of itself a bad thing. They help more people, develop their talents or gifts, and begin to have an impact on their world, i.e. the church. The problem however is that they cannot feel good unless they are helping or doing. It is a constant struggle for them because, like an addict, the only time they are feeling “high” or good, is when they are actually doing ministry. To the people who know them, they appear to be mature leaders in the church. They are walking in their gifts, how could they not be? 

But what is really going on in their hearts? It’s not about loving Jesus. It’s about loving self.

Jesus told Peter in John 21:15-17, if you love me, you will feed and take care of my lambs (baby Christians) and my sheep.  And you see, that’s where we have to examine ourselves. Why are we starting a ministry? Is it because it makes us feel good? Does it make us look kind and caring to others? Does it give us power, authority, and perhaps a good income? Or are we doing it because we love Jesus and He is asking us to do it. And that, my friend is the difference. Are we being led by the Holy Spirit or our own spirits, or worse, an evil spirit using us to lead others astray?

When I look at these failed leaders, who upon examination, lived double lives for decades, it is quite obvious, at least to me, that their ministries were never born out of abiding with Jesus and obeying Him. These ministries were nothing but children of harlotry. 

Sadly, their hypocrisy reflects badly on the Lord and in the end, people become disillusioned with the church, and rightly so. Let me encourage you if this is you. Look to Jesus. If you belong to Him, realize that He will never lie to you or deceive you.  He is faithful. These evil leaders do not represent Him nor do they work for Him. Do not allow them to steal your faith and your walk with the Lord. 

Are we living in dangerous times?

When you read the word perilous, what immediately comes to your mind? I know I think of the word danger. If you look up the word perilous, the words that are used to describe it are hazardous and extreme risk or danger. It is a word that could easily be used on a warning sign near the edge of a cliff. And yet, Paul uses this very word in 2 Timothy 3:1. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:” Notice that I left the colon, because Paul then goes on and uses 19 or 20 adjectives to describe what the world will look like in the end times. 

Here are the words he uses in verses 2-5: “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

Does this not describe our world today? Sometimes when I’m having a particularly hard day, I read this passage and for some reason, it gives me strength. Perhaps it encourages me that I’m not alone. I remember that there are others out in the world who are experiencing similar difficulties. 

What I do find interesting about this passage however, is that Paul, who no doubt was sitting in a Roman prison, dealing with an empire that was killing Christians for entertainment, certainly persecuting them, never mentions any physical dangers. He never mentions that in the last days we would be persecuted, or thrown in jail, or tortured for our faith, perhaps even killed. That was already happening in Paul’s day and has continued throughout the ages. No, what Paul mentions here when referring to the last days, is entirely about the way people would behave and treat each other. And, if you look at verse 5, he tells us that this is people in the church! (having a form of godliness but denying its power”). I could perhaps handle this passage a little easier if it was just unbelievers who behave in selfish ways. That would actually make sense to me. But Paul warns us that it will be believers who have a form of godliness, that will act this way. I would suggest, that what he is referring to is hypocrisy. 

Sadly, Paul goes on to tell us that we should turn away from such people.

I could go on to describe what this kind of person looks like in today’s world, but I’m sure, if you are still reading this, that you have encountered them yourself. It makes me sad. 

Jesus tells us in John 15:12: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Yet, when I read the adjectives that Paul used in the above passage, I see absolutely no love. The world tells us to love ourselves. The world suggests that you are enough. There are songs that suggest that self love is the greatest love of all. Yet, when I’ve met people who believed those things, I saw only selfish, and often narcissistic behavior. 

So why am I writing this you might ask? I’m writing this because I want to encourage you. If you read those adjectives and like looking in a mirror, you saw yourself in those words, repent. Ask the Lord to forgive you, to give you a new heart and a new Spirit. He is gracious and forgiving. 

If you read those adjectives and you see those behaviors and attitudes all around you and it grieves your heart and mind, then take heart, you are not alone. We are in the last days on this earth as we know it. 

Jesus tells us in Luke 21:28, after describing what the world will look like in these last days, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Soon, very soon, those of us who are His will see Him in the clouds as He calls us home. Paul called it the “blessed hope” in Titus 2:13. He tells us that we should be  “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”.

So take heart, our redemption draws near. And when the darkness envelopes you, when you  feel overwhelmed by the amount of evil around you, look up and smile. Jesus told us to keep watch: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25:13) Remember, there is a day and an hour! He will not tarry.

God’s promises are yes and amen!

I will never forget the look on my teacher’s face that evening. I was taking a class at my local church on prophecy. That particular night, the teacher felt led by the Holy Spirit to prophecy over each of his students. There were not many of us, perhaps 7 or 8, so it was a small class and did not take too long. He had each one of us sit in a chair in the middle of the group, and then he would speak to them what He felt the Holy Spirit was telling him. When it was my turn, I sat in the chair and closed my eyes, waiting patiently for the teacher to speak. What I heard changed my life. I heard the following: “You have never had a safe man in your life. Not your husband, your father or your brothers. But I am safe and I am your husband, your father and your brother and I will always protect what is yours.” 

After a few moments, I opened my eyes and looked at the man standing in front of me, and I heard him apologize. His honesty was refreshing. He told me he had heard absolutely nothing for me. I told him it was all right and I repeated what I had heard the Holy Spirit say to me. The surprise on his face was priceless. I have no idea why the Lord chose to bypass him and speak to me directly, but He did. What I didn’t know that evening, was that the word I had heard would be tested over and over again in the years to come.

Only months later, the following Summer, my son was in a hospital bed several thousand miles away, so sick, that he was afraid he would die. He’d had an operation and things did not go well. He kept calling me that weekend, because he feared he would not make it. God was silent that weekend. Finally, on Sunday evening, I became angry and I said to the Lord, why are you being silent? Have you nothing to say to me? What I heard, humbled me. “I have already promised you that I would always protect what is yours! Do I need to repeat that promise?” I answered, no. My son lived.

That weekend, waiting for my son to recover, as hard as it was, taught me many things. I began to look for things “that were mine” and ask for protection over them. Obviously, the first ones that came to my mind were my other children, and my brothers. I realized that that promise had actually been activated long before it was spoken to me. I had another son who almost died in a skiing accident. He also walked out of the hospital just hours after the accident. Another skier, jumping the same hill a week later was not so fortunate. He died, breaking every bone in his body. One of my daughters became so sick with a ruptured appendix that she developed sepsis and had to spend weeks on powerful antibiotics. She too lived to tell the tale. It seemed that the enemy had it out for my children. There were other situations, other circumstances where God protected my kids from certain death. He had already kept His promise to me, long before He spoke it to me that night. 

Several years after this word came to me, my husband and I moved to an area that could potentially see hurricane activity. We were assured when we moved here that there had not been a hurricane for decades. We were told not to worry. But not too long after we moved, we had two hurricanes come extremely close to us, within one year, just 11 months apart. They came so close that we were ordered to evacuate. God’s promise came to mind during those times, and each time, He reminded me that He would always protect what is mine. This time it was about my property and my house. The first hurricane was so powerful that the neighborhood behind us suffered enough wind damage that it took months for the city to clean up all the downed trees. They were lined up on the street edge and huge trucks had to come in and remove them. Our house, even our street, suffered nothing. The next hurricane again brought terrible flooding as the tide came in. I remember standing on my front porch, we had not evacuated for this one, even though we were told to, and I saw the water come up from the canal, edging closer and closer to our driveway. I heard the Lord speak to me very clearly at that moment: “rebuke it”. I did and almost instantly it began to recede. The neighbors commented on how fast it came and how fast it left! The neighborhood behind us suffered terrible flooding in many of the homes. Why did God choose to protect us? I have no idea. But I learned that His promises are “yes and amen”. 2 Corinthians 1:20

I could go on with how God tested His word to me, but instead I will share a story from the Bible, where the Lord tested a promise He gave to a certain man. In Genesis 15 we are told the story of a man named Abram (only later was his named changed to Abraham). God told Abram that the land of Canaan would be given to his offspring, the land that is now called Israel. God told Abram the following after Abram reminded God that he had no offspring and that a servant would be his heir:

“And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Genesis 15:4

As Genesis chapter 15 unfolds, God makes a covenant with Abram, telling him that his offspring, coming from his own body, would inherit the promised land. Abram and Sarai, his wife, not fully understanding the promise, took matters into their own hands and Abram ends up with a son called Ishmael, born to his Egyptian maid. But Ishmael was not the promised son. Fourteen more years would pass before God once again speaks to Abram in chapter 17 and this time the Lord renames them Abraham and Sarah. And, He tells them that they would have a son, born the following year. Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. That son, named Isaac was indeed born a year later. If you read the whole story however, it becomes very obvious that this “promise” of a son born to both of them, would be tested for many years. They waited 14 years for Isaac to be born!

The final test of this promised son, was still to come, however. Years later, God again speaks to Abraham and this time the test seems too hard to imagine. But Abraham knew the Lord enough by now that he trusted Him enough to obey Him. Here’s what the Lord tells him:

“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Genesis 22:1-2

No, God does not want us to sacrifice our children. Absolutely not. This was never about killing Isaac. This was about Abraham’s heart. At the last moment, the Lord calls to him from heaven and says stop. Don’t do it. Why did the Lord ask him to do it then? He tells us in the next verses. 

“But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Genesis 22:11-12

This has always been a hard story for me. It seems almost cruel. We live in a society where Jesus is considered meek and mild, kind and loving and would never do such a horrible thing as to ask that we give Him our children. Or would He? 

In Luke, Jesus tells His disciples the following: “”If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26-27

These seem like harsh words. Obviously, He’s not asking us to hate our family. He’s asking us to choose Him over our family. We must love Him more than our own families. And that is exactly what Abraham did. He chose to obey God, rather than protect his own son.

The promise that Abraham received all those years earlier, would affect the whole world. That promised land, given to Abraham and his children, would eventually become the land of Israel. And that land would bring forth our Messiah, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. 

But my story is not finished yet. I too had that promised word of protection tested. On January 1 of this year, I heard the Lord say to me that His promise, given to me all those years ago, did not just mean physical protection. It also meant spiritual protection. He would always protect my kids spiritually. From what you might ask? From hell. Two weeks later, to the day, perhaps even the hour, my oldest daughter died at age 35. It came very suddenly. She was in every sense of the word, a prodigal. She had repented of her sins and been born again as a teenager, but as she grew into adulthood, she ran away from the Lord. Her life was a series of bad choices. 

But the morning I received the news of her death, He spoke to me very clearly. As I sat there in shock, He told me that in her final moments of life, knowing she was going to die, she called out to Him because she remembered the God of her youth. Like the father in the story of the prodigal in Luke chapter 15, when she called to Him, He ran to her and He took her home. What the enemy meant for evil, God turned into good. It was not the ending I had hoped for, prayed for or expected. Do I fully understand why her life ended so young? No, I don’t. It would have been very easy for me to become angry and offended with the Lord. But I chose not to be angry. I chose to trust Him instead. Was it easy? No.

But like Abraham, I have come to know my Lord well enough to know that He is worthy of my trust. And that is all that matters. How about you?