Tag Archives: Jesus

Even Thieves Need Living Water

By Pastor Jason Paul

One day a thief entered a store intending to steal some merchandise. She was not dressed like your average shopper, and her outward appearance gave the impression that she was a streetwalker. As she grabbed a shopping cart, she placed her bag into the cart and proceeded to select merchandise. Around thirty minutes later, she exits the store with a bag of unpaid merchandise as if she had not committed a crime.

A few days later, another shopper entered the same store with the intention of stealing. This lady had lost her right arm, and her attire gave the impression of being an average shopper. As this lady was getting ready to exit the store with unpaid stolen merchandise, she was approached by a friend. The ladies went on to converse, and her friend comforted her. As her friend left, the shoplifter said out loud that she would never do this again but instead attempted to steal the merchandise, not wanting to get caught.

As a retail outlet manager, I have seen people try to steal merchandise. The store’s loss prevention department often attempts to deter theft and recover the store’s inventory. Sometimes, we are successful, and sometimes not. 

But as a Christian, I know that when a person steals, that stealing is an outward sign of an inward condition. I have to get the merchandise back, but the person standing before me has a greater need than the merchandise they are attempting to steal. When you catch someone stealing from you, viewing their spiritual condition over being offended by their actions is tough. You feel violated when you know someone is stealing from you, even when what was stolen was under your care but not yours.

If I allow the thief to leave the building with stolen merchandise, I let a wrong action occur. The Apostle Paul tells Christians to “take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. (Ephesians 5:11)

As a Christian, I am to expose the thief when they steal, which leads to a question. What should a Christian do in this situation?

Dealing with the external action of stealing is easier than dealing with the person’s internal heart problem. The first thief left and entered a vehicle owned by a shady character that was inside. Why was she stealing? Is she being manipulated by someone else to steal for an organized crime syndicate? Why did she find herself in this position, to begin with? The second thief, when being consoled by her friend, was speaking about an uncurable cancer. Is that why she thought it was necessary to steal?

I may never know the answers to these questions, but why must they commit these crimes? More importantly, how can I address that their actions will not fulfill the need that they are looking for?

During Jesus’s ministry, he approached any person, no matter their sin, and spoke to them about their current spiritual need. Jesus provided an example when he met the woman at a water well in Samaria.

One day Jesus met a woman at a watering hole. The Samaritan woman came to the well during the hottest part of the day when no one would be around. She was probably trying to avoid having a conversation with anyone. She came to get water and left. But when she left, she got more than she bargained for. The Jews and the Samarians at the time of Jesus did not look upon each other’s lifestyles as equals. The Jews would have nothing to do with the Samarians since they looked down upon them.

John 4:9-39 ESV

So, when Jesus asked this woman for some water, she answered, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (John 4:9)

Jesus then proceeded to have a conversation with her about her greater need during her present condition of getting water. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”  The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”  Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”  The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”  (John 4:10-18)

Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman about her need for water and even her spiritual need for living water. Jesus exposed her sin gracefully during their conversation and her need for repentance. Her sin was causing her to miss out on God’s purpose for her life, to experience the living water that comes from having a relationship with Jesus Christ.    

As Christians, we have this living water residing in us. Only Jesus can saturate our souls to look upon people with a concern for their spiritual well-being, what we can learn from Jesus’s interaction with the Samaritan woman.

  • Jesus had a conversation with her.

The first thing that Jesus did was to have a conversation with her. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”  (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) (John 4:7-8) Jesus did not discriminate because he was a Jew, and she was a Samaritan. Jesus had a conversation with her at that moment about the situation that they were in.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) (John 4:9)     

  • Jesus spoke to her about her current need for water and her spiritual need for water.

Jesus used the moment to tie in her physical and Spiritual needs. Her need for water and why she was drawing water from the well was a temporary fix. But what Jesus would offer her was a permanent fix, living water that would fulfill her greatest need.    Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?  Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”  Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” (John 4:10-15)

  • Jesus exposed the sin that she was keeping hidden.

When the Samaritan woman asked Jesus for living water, he told her what prevented her from receiving it. Jesus wanted her to accept the living water he was offering, but first, she would have to stop committing the sin she was practicing. Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. (John 4:16-19)

Just as Jesus exposed her sin, we must expose their sin and help them see that what they do will cost them eternity. An eternity that is separated from God and is not without punishment. These individuals need a lifetime of fulfillment from a relationship with Jesus instead of sin’s fleeting, temporary fullness.   

The Samaritan woman responded by turning her life around. She left her interaction with Jesus and told everyone in the town about what he had done for her.    So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”  They went out of the town and were coming to him. (John 4:28-30)

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” (John 4:39)

Her response to the good news of what Jesus has done for her is the result we look for. Christians should all want to take as many people to heaven as possible. When Jesus died on the cross, we died there for everyone.

On both sides of Jesus, two thieves also died that day. One was an unrepentant thief who continued to mock Jesus, while the other repented. One thief died in unbelief and became separated from God. The thief that repented was forgiven and joined Jesus in heaven.

Let’s all point others to the cross, where there is forgiveness of sins, and the sinner can find the fullness of life. We have this living water inside us, which the unrepentant sinner does not have. So, let us share this good news with all, for even thieves need living water.      

A Mountain Top View of God

How do you view God?

Do you view God as approachable or unapproachable?

In today’s study from Hebrews 12, we come to a text that contains two different mountaintop views of God. As we unpack Hebrews 12:18-29, we will see these two different mountaintop views of God.

Which mountaintop view of God do you have?

To know more about Abiding in the Faith ministries, go to http://www.abidinginthefaith.org

Catch up on all of the Episodes from our current series: Hebrews, The Completed Picture.

The Company We Keep Part. 2

What kind of life do you want to live? A lifestyle that is disobedient to God or a lifestyle of obedience. Believers want to live a life that pleases the Lord and not a life that the Lord finds offensive. Sin can become a weight that will weigh us down. So what can we do? Find out on today’s episode.

Learn more about the Abiding in the Faith Podcast. Go to http://www.abidinginthefaith.org

Catch up. Listen to all episodes in our current Bible Study. – Abiding in the Faith

Ministry Moment: A Holy Examination

Jesus Christ is a great physician.  He not only has the power to heal physically but can heal you spiritually. In this Ministry Moment, Pastor Jason describes how the Holy Spirit uses different examination tools that spoke to him. When the Holy Spirit speaks, He uses examination methods that enable God to point out anything that offends him so that we can course correct.  

Learn more about the Abiding in the Faith Podcast. Go to http://www.abidinginthefaith.org

If you want to enter into a relationship with God. Go to https://abidinginthefaith.org/know-god/

The Joy of Christmas

By Pastor Jason Paul

The Joy of Christmas is everywhere around us. Many words and phrases come to mind around Christmas time. We hear words like joy and peace and phrases like joy to the world, Merry Christmas, O Holy night, Peace on Earth, and Happy Holidays. Lately, I have been thinking about the word joy. What is the true meaning of joy around this time of year? How does a person experience joy during this Christmas season? Christmas can be a time of blessing and happiness or sadness because of lost loved ones or loneliness. But even if you find yourself in either category, you can still experience joy around Christmas.

The word joy is defined as an emotion evoked by well-being, success, or experiencing good fortune. Is the joy of Christmas found in shopping or when we get together for a holiday meal? Are we experiencing the joy of Christmas when we unwrap our presents or when a loved one unwraps theirs? Or maybe you find yourself where the joy of Christmas is stolen from you, and you would love to experience the joy of Christmas once again.

Recently, two of my daughters participated in a dance recital, and one of the songs they danced to was titled “Where are you Christmas?” Maybe you remember that song? It was a power ballad written and recorded for the movie “How the Grinch stole Christmas.” As you listen to the song’s lyrics, you experience a roller coaster of emotions from the perspective of someone looking back on Christmas. You share the joy of Christmas from a young age. Then the joy you once had around Christmas becomes lost as time goes on. Finally, the joy of Christmas becomes real again when you remember the love you felt at Christmas. A love that turns into joy and fills your heart. The songwriter says, “the joy of Christmas stays inside us and fills every heart with love.”      

Is the joy of Christmas found in love? In one word: Yes. Christmas is when joy came into the world as a baby; his name is Jesus. Because God so loved the world that He gave his only Son to bring joy into the lives of those who seek him. Christmas is when God can show up and fill you with joy, expectedly or unexpectedly. Mary and Joseph experienced the joy of holding the newborn baby when Jesus was born. The shepherds experienced joy when they saw Jesus for the first time. The joy of Christmas can be found when you expect it or when you least expect it. Christmas is still a time when you can expect to find joy, just as Mary and Joseph did when they were expecting the birth of Jesus.  

Expectant Joy

The angel Gabriel delivered the good news to Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah. For nine months, Mary and Joseph were expecting the entrance of Jesus to come into the world as a baby. In Luke 2:1-7, we read the story of Jesus’s birth. “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So, all went to be registered, everyone to his city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (NKJV)

When Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph were filled with joy. Just as new parents expecting their first baby or child from adoption experience the joy of welcoming a child. For Mary and Joseph, on the first Christmas, they found joy in welcoming their firstborn Son into the world. Just like children who are joyfully unwrapping presents on Christmas morning with their parents gleaming with joy. Mary and Joseph received a gift from God, the same gift that anyone can receive today. Will you accept the joy that only Jesus can offer this Christmas season? No matter where you find yourself this Christmas, expect to find joy in the little things even when you least expect them.       

Unexpectant Joy

The joy of Christmas can also be found when unexpected. As with the case of the Shepherds who watched their flock by night.  

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. (Luke 2:8-20 NKJV)

The shepherds unexpectedly found joy when they confirmed the angel’s message as they met Jesus for the first time. The shepherds knew about the birth of the Messiah but did not know the child until they met him. When they met Jesus for the first time, they were unexpectedly filled with joy and made it known to their friends and family.

Maybe you know the Christmas story but do not know Jesus because you have not met him yet. Just like the shepherds knew about the coming Messiah, they did not know Jesus until they met him. The joy of Christmas is found when you meet and enter fellowship with Jesus Christ. Jesus will bring true joy into your life, and when the joy of Christmas may seem stolen, you can find expectant joy in Jesus.

As you meet Jesus for the first or the 100th time, Jesus wants to fill your heart with love. The joy of Christmas comes from knowing Jesus on a relationship level. Will you accept the free gift of Salvation that only Jesus can provide this Christmas season? When you accept Jesus into your heart, He will stay with you and fill your heart with joy and love.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NLT)

To learn more about knowing God, go to www.abidinginthefaith.org and click on the know God button. Find us on Facebook at Abiding in the Faith.

God bless everyone this Christmas Season.    

A Cleansed Conscience

Summary

Is your conscience bothered by something you have done wrong? If so, tune in to find out who can cleanse your conscience. In today’s study of Hebrews 9, Pastor Jason will look at that and how the old system of worship was a shadow of things to come.    

Transcription

Whenever I am on Facebook, I will come across cartoon illustrations. One of these cartoon illustrations depicted one sock having a conversation with another sock. A sock approaches another sock in tears. He begins to present to the other sock a flyer looking for his missing soul mate. The sock says to the other, “Don’t worry, we have a search team looking for them.” In the background, we see an illustration of a dryer with two socks looking for the missing. Maybe we will never find those missing socks, but what do we do with the one left? One option is to use the odd socks to create artwork. Well, that is what my brother-in-law did.  

My Brother-in-law is a successful artist who lives in New York. As an artist, he creates impressive art that illustrates the times of the culture to make a positive statement. He once collected a bunch of mismatched socks from the family to create his artwork. Those leftover socks were used to create an illustration that is now hanging on someone’s wall.   

As we have been studying the book of Hebrews, the author of Hebrews has been using illustrations to point his listeners back to Jesus. These Jewish believers were facing persecution for following Jesus. Some were thinking of returning to the old way to the old regulations and temple worship instead of embracing their newly acquired freedom under the new covenant. So, the author has been reminding them that following Jesus is worth it and that the old regulations and temple worship were but a shadow of things to come. In chapter 9, verses 1-10, the author will focus on the temple worship of the first covenant, why it was an illustration for us today, and how to have a cleansed conscience.    

The author, in his letter, knew that his Hebrew listeners were knowledgeable about temple worship and would not go into the specifics of how each piece of furniture was used. Our study for today will look at each component of temple worship and how Jesus fulfilled each one, beginning with the house that contained the furniture, the Tabernacle.

The Tabernacle

The tabernacle of the Old Testament was a place of worship, Like a church building today. In The book of Exodus, we read that God gave Moses directions on how to build a mobile worship tent they could pack up and take with them on their journey to the promised land. These directions were precise and had to be followed 100% with no deviation. The reason is that the tabernacle had to be the correct representation of the tabernacle in heaven.

The Hebrew counterpart of the Greek word Tabernacle means “dwelling place.” God commanded the people to build this royal tent to become his dwelling place. The tabernacle would become where the people could go and focus their worship on the Lord. God would dwell with his people within the tabernacle system.

Under the new covenant, God lives in the hearts of all Christians alive in Jesus Christ. I love Paul’s response to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, when he said, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.      

God is not contained in a temple. If you believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Holy Spirit dwells in you.

The Lampstands

The lampstands in the temple were lit every morning and every evening by the priest. These lamps were kept lit to signify to the people that the presence of the Lord was among them.

When Jesus walked among the people, he told them that He was the light of the world. “Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT)”. Jesus, the Son of God, became the light of the world. As Christians, we are the salt and light of the world because of what Christ has done for us. Jesus told his disciples, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, which gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father (Matthew 5:14-16).

The Bread

The table of consecrated bread was a thank-you offering, a symbol of God’s daily provisions. Twelve loaves of bread were placed on the table each week in the Holy Place, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. When Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray, he said, “give us this day our daily bread,” as a reminder to the disciples that God will provide daily for their needs. As believers in Christ, we can confidently approach God and ask him to provide for our daily needs. After this, Jesus teaches his disciples not to worry. In Matthew 6, beginning in verse 31, Jesus says, “so don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Jesus is also the bread of life. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35 NLT)

The Altar

The gold altar of incense. This golden altar was placed in front of the ark of the covenant, and incense was burned to symbolize the prayers of the people rising fragrantly to God.

Under the new covenant, the prayer of the righteous is a pleasant aroma rising to God. David understood this when he wrote Psalm 141, saying, “accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering” (Vs.2).

Not only do our prayers rise fragrantly to God, but when we live for Christ, our lives are like a Christ-like fragrance that rises to God. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that “our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? (2 Corinthians 2:15-16) The answer to this rhetorical question is no one but God is adequate to save.

The Ark

The Ark of the covenant was a chest overlaid in gold and contained the covenant symbols, and the contents served as reminders for the nation of Israel of what God had done.

The first item was a gold jar that contained mana. Mana was the heavenly food that God provided for the nation of Israel every morning to feed the families. The Bible describes manna as a white coriander seed that tasted like honey wafers. People would go out every day to collect these flakes and make meals. The manna was placed into the jar to preserve it for future generations. That was, they could see the food God had provided Israel in the wilderness when God set them free from slavery in Egypt.     

The second item was Aaron’s staff. The Lord had commanded Moses in Numbers 17, to bring twelve staffs into the tabernacle with each leader’s name imprinted on them from each tribe of Israel. Moses had to place the twelve staff in front of the ark of the covenant. God told Moses that buds would sprout on the staff belonging to the tribe that God chose to approach the Ark of the Covenant. Moses obeyed the Lord, and the next day Moses collected the staff from God’s presence. Moses found that Aaron’s staff representing the tribe of Levi had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds! Aaron’s staff reminded the people that God had chosen the tribe of Levi to be his priests.

Then the third item was the stone tablets Moses received from the Lord on the mountain. These tablets had the ten commandments inscribed onto them, and these ten chief covenant stipulations were what he required of Israel. These tablets served as a reminder for the nation and reminded them of God’s top ten.

We all need reminders, don’t we? Reminders of what God has done for us in the past. These reminders allow us to reflect on God’s provisions and the grace he has shown us. I know of people who keep a prayer journal to record prayers and God’s answers to their prayers. Some record those moments in a journal, where God shows up in their lives in unexpected ways. Moments where God delivers them out of a difficult situation or when he blesses them. I enjoy keeping a journal because I can pass these God moments down to my children and future generations.      

The Atonement Cover  

On the top of the ark of the covenant lies the atonement cover, otherwise known as the mercy seat. Once a year, the High priest would go into the Most Holy Place and approach the ark of the covenant. Once he approached the ark, he would sprinkle the blood of a special sin offering on the atonement cover to make atonement for the people’s sins. This special moment allowed the temple to stay holy, and the Lord would remain among his people.

The atonement cover served as God’s throne in the tabernacle. When the High Priest would approach the ark, he would see the presence of God hovering over the cover in the form of a cloud. The cloud was a visible manifestation of God’s presence and was called God’s Glory. On the left and right of the cloud were two carvings of angelic cherubim. The cherubim served as God’s royal attendants, with their wings shielding the area where his presence was manifested.

Imagine being that High Priest on the day of atonement. As you enter the Most Holy Place, you see the ark of God’s covenant in front of you. As you approach the ark with a sin offering, you see God’s presence and a cloud manifested over the ark sandwiched between the cherubim. Just think of the awe that you would be experiencing as you see a cloud that is not moving and is stationed right in front of you. Then you remind yourself that you are not just approaching a cloud but God himself. How cool is that!

Under the Old System of worship, a person would offer a sacrifice for their sins, and their conscience was cleansed until they sinned again. Time after time, a person under the old system would have to make continuous sacrifices to clear the conscience of their sins committed towards God. 

Under the new covenant, Jesus shed his blood to make atonement for the people’s sins on the cross. The tabernacle and the temple had a curtain separating the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place. When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn into two pieces from the top down—signifying that God accepted Jesus’s atoning sacrifice and made it so everyone could now approach God.

How to have a cleansed conscience

Jesus became our High Priest and is now sitting next to God in heaven, and he is advocating for you and me. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we come into a relationship with God, who will forgive us of our sins and cleanse our conscience with the lamb’s blood. Our relationship with God is not based on external regulations but Christ himself.  

The Bible says that one day everyone will approach God and stand before him in judgment. God will judge what we did with our lives here on earth. When people place their faith in Jesus, they receive eternal life with him in heaven. On that day of judgment, a Christian will stand before God, and Jesus will look at you and say, this is my guy; this is my gal. These are the ones that I have atoned for, and you have given me, and he will welcome you into heaven. Then some have not placed their faith in Jesus. You, too, will stand before God in heaven, but his answer will be different. When Jesus looks at you, he will say that he did not know you and to leave his presence.   

If you want a cleansed conscience and have not made that choice to place your faith in Jesus Christ, then today is a great day to do so. Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. If you want to get ready to meet the Lord and spend eternity in heaven, if you’re going to stand before God and have Jesus look at you with a loving glance and say to you that is my guy, my gal. Then go to abidinginthefaith.org and click on the know God button to learn how.