REVIVAL – THE LIVING WATER (8) – CONVICTION OF SIN

COME AND SEE A MAN!!!

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – The Living water (8) (Conviction of sin). Her main text was taken from the Book of John. “Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 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.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him” (Jn 4:13-30).

We are still studying the wonderful revelation of the Living Water offered by the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a symbol of eternal life, salvation, spiritual maturity, being filled with the Spirit, true worship, and revival. The simplest definition of revival is a repeat of the Book of Acts! The Living Water is offered by the Lord to the Woman at the well. The Samaritan woman is a sinner. She is also religious. She is seeking for truth, for meaning in her life. Our Lord directs the conversation to the point of the revelation of Himself. Please notice how He gently ‘increases and purifies’ the vision of salvation in her heart. Initially she sees him as a man, a needy man, a stranger, and a Jew. Then she sees him as a Prophet. Lastly, she sees Him as Christ, her Savior, and her Lord! He tells her about the true worship and then, He reveals Himself to her. “I who speak to you am He” (Jn 4:26). This is the exact moment when saving faith is born in her heart. She instantly believes that Christ is the Messiah. This is the moment when King Grace saves her soul! This is when she became born again, when she became a true worshipper of the only Living God. This is when, for the first time in her life, she drank the Living Water! From this moment in time, she is never the same person again! Halleluiah! As we read these words, we sense the power and the holiness of that moment. There is a wonderful anointing on this encounter. We feel it too as we read the story. Heaven rejoices when a sinner is saved. Our Lord said this: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Lk 15:7). We join the hosts of heaven and cry: “Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12). In our Christian life and ministry, we all need to come to this holy moment. Eternal life bursts forth when truth is revealed as Love who died for us, that we may live! Glory to God!

SIN – THE HINDRANCE TO THE LIVING WATER

Our Lord guides this woman towards Himself, the only source of Living Water. As a sheep following her shepherd, she trusts, and she follows Him. Slowly, she sees that Jesus offers her a much greater life, much more satisfying than what she has experienced. She sees that He offers her something that no man can give to her. She is making spiritual progress. She comes to the point of faith saying: “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw”. This is a prayer. Talking to Jesus is prayer. At this moment, the Lord reveals to her the hindrance. That hindrance is called sin! She is a sinner. She desires a greater life, but she must repent of her sin. The Living Water comes from the Cross! Her flesh must die so that her spirit can live. This is the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected, the only hope for mankind. Glory to God!

As you can see, immediately the woman expresses her desire to drink the free-living-water, our Lord suddenly changes the subject. He exposes her sin.  “Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet” (Jn 4:16-19). This is the center of the conversation. We should not be impatient and run over it. Doctor Jesus diagnoses her sickness and the reason why she is not fulfilled in this life. That ‘sickness’ is called sin! She now knows that she sin-sick. For the first time she knows that she needs a Savior who will not judge her for her sin, but who will forgive all her sins. She needs peace with God before she can have peace with men. Later, when she runs to the town to tell her people about Jesus, the first words that come from her lips were these: “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.” (Jn 4:29). She did not tell them about worship or the living water. What impressed and excited her the most was that Jesus ‘told her all the (sinful) things that she ever did’. What is the meaning of these words?

The woman has experienced what is called ‘conviction of sin’. We should look at this doctrine closely because without the conviction of sin and repentance no one becomes saved. None can drink from the promised Living water of eternal life. What is conviction of sin? It is the deep work done by the Holy Spirit preparing the sinner to become saved. For the first time in his life, the sinner is aware that he is a sinner and that he has offended God. Before now, the sinner feels good about himself. Even if he sins, he justifies himself calling sin a mistake. He does not see himself as an enemy of God who is going to be punished by God. He sees himself as a good person that occasionally may fall. Once the Holy Spirit ‘locates’ a sinner for salvation, He shines God’s light, God’s Truth, upon him. In that holy glorious light, the sinner now sees the truth, that he is guilty before God, condemned and deserving hell. This awakening of the conscience is purely the work of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord said about the Holy Spirit: “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (Jn 16:8-11). Our Lord defines sin primarily as unbelief in Him! People born in Christian homes assume that they ‘believe in Jesus’ just because they know something about Him. The truth is that all are born sinners. We are all born lacking faith in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not aware of this sin until the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin.

The doctrine of ‘conviction of sin’ is hated by all religious unbelievers. It is because of this doctrine that Jesus was hated so much and eventually He was killed by the religious leaders. Read the Gospels and see the opposition our Lord experienced when He was telling the Jews to repent of sin. This is the truth: religion is the greatest enemy to salvation. The religious men are ignorant that they are sinners in need of a Savior. They think that they are already saved by their religious good works. That is a common deception even today!   

FALSE REPENTANCE

The doctrine of sin is hated by many people. Few pastors preach about it. They present Jesus as the solution of all problems in life. They say that Jesus is the Savior, but they avoid preaching the Cross. Without repentance there is no salvation. True repentance is a change of mind and behavior when the Holy Spirit convicts of sin. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, any change of behavior is only religion. The spirit of religion is the greatest hindrance for men to be truly saved. Many people experience a superficial form of repentance of sin. That is why there are many ‘Christians’ who say that they are ‘born again’ but in fact, they are not saved. Many churches have a lot of activities but no power to save souls. What a false conviction of sin is? There is a difference between remorse and repentance. Remorse means to feel sorry that you were caught in sin. Repentance is being sorry that as a sinner you have offended God. Just ‘being sorry’ for your sins in general, is not good enough. For example, Judas had remorse for betraying Jesus, but he was not convicted of sin, and so, he did not repent. He committed suicide. Having a guilty conscience, being ashamed of something you have done, or even fearing that God will punish you, all that is still not conviction of sin. Occasionally, the unbelievers experience a guilty conscience when they commit sin, and they feel sorry for that. They try to atone for their sins with some good works. They try to change their behavior, to become more religious. But all these good works are still rooted in the flesh. The Holy Spirit is absent from these religious works. They profit nothing before God. Cults encourage good works as a form of conversion. Many churches are in fact cults. A cult is a religious gathering that follows a man. The people may look ‘Christian’ but they are not saved. They worship their leader. The people have a religious ‘conversion’ but they are not saved. They go to church, read the Bible, pray, fast, and give offerings. But they are not saved. They have never drunk the Living Water. Their leaders are false prophets who try to enter the sheepfold by an illegal door. Their so called ‘Christianity’ lacks the foundation of true repentance. It gives them false hopes of salvation. That is why cults are dangerous and many are trapped inside. But once they hear the Truth, the Gospel, the Holy Spirit convicts them of sin and many run to Jesus!  

CONVICTION OF SIN – TRUE REPENTANCE  

What then is the true conviction of sin done by the Holy Spirit? First, we need to know the definition of sin. In Greek, there are twelve words translated ‘sin’. For example, sin is called evil, lawlessness, wickedness, deception, slavery, guilt, or hypocrisy. The most common word in Greek is ‘harmatia’. It appears sixty times in the New Testament. This word means ‘to miss the mark’. It is like a man who shuts an arrow but misses the center of the target. The arrow goes astray. Sin is an insult to God! Sin a failure to please God who has a standard of righteousness for all men, how they should stand before Him. His standard is perfect, and it is according to His will. God cannot go down to men’s standard of behavior. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only Man who pleased God and achieved God’s standard of life. Because of Adam’s fall, all men are born sinners. They cannot please God. Because God is holy, He hates it. Sin is punished with death. That is why Jesus died on the Cross as a substitute for sinners. Sin cannot be atoned except thru the death of Christ. This is the Gospel we preach, Christ crucified and resurrected!  

Sin is a break in God’s relationship with man. Sin separates man from God. “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear” (Is 59:2). Sin hinders man to arrive to glory. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).  God made man for His glory. He made man to be like His Son Jesus Christ. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom 8:29, 30). God designed the plan of salvation before the foundation of the World. From eternity God foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified some people. These are the children of God. Because this process is purely by the Grace of God, all the people whom God foreknew will be glorified. In fact, by faith, they are glorified already.

In Greek, the word ‘conviction’ is ‘elenxei’. It means “to convince someone of the truth; to rebuke, to discipline, to accuse, to show to be guilty, or to cross-examine a witness.” Imagine the court of God. You are the sinner in the box. The devil is your useless lawyer. The Holy Spirit acts as prosecuting attorney in the court. He exposes your sin, how wicked your heart is and how much you hate God. The Holy Spirit destroys all your arguments of self-righteousness and convinces you that you are guilty. You must die and go to hell. This process is spiritually and emotionally fearful. Like a Potter and his clay, the Holy Spirit breaks you. The fear of God is now going deep into your soul. You cannot save yourself! You feel like dying, going down and down. Suddenly, at the exact time, God’s time, you see Jesus crucified for you. You finally trust in Jesus! The Holy Spirit lifts you up from the miry clay of condemnation. You feel God’s mercy and grace lifting you up. You feel God’s love embracing you. The battle over your soul is over! King Grace has won! Jesus always wins! Halleluiah!  

All sinners who got saved remember this conviction of sin as death to self. Some call it ‘the dark night of the soul’. They saw death face to face. They saw themselves condemned and going to hell. They accepted the verdict of the Judge, that they were wicked sinners and enemies to God. Initially, the sinner depends on the devil, his defending lawyer. He assumes that the devil is God. He is ignorant of the truth. He is deceived by the devil who gives him false hopes. But the Holy Spirit bombards the sinner with truth upon truth. He reveals to him that his lawyer, the devil, is a criminal and eternally condemned. As truth shines brighter, the sinner sees that he is lost. He has lost his case. There is no appeal in this court. God’s court is the highest court in the universe. He now totally surrenders to God trusting in the only Savior, Jesus Christ! At this point of saving faith, the Holy Spirit gives peace and joy. A sinner has been set free. A child of God is born into the Kingdom. There is no other way to be saved. There is no other way to drink from the Living Water. You need to be defeated and die at the Cross, for you to trust and appreciate the Lord Jesus Christ. Death first before eternal life! No other religion gives a sinner access to God. It is only thru Jesus! Only Thru Jesus!      

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter” (2 Cor 7:10, 11). The Holy Spirit convicts of sin bringing you to godly sorrow that leads to repentance and salvation. The fake ‘worldly sorrow’ leads to death. There is no conviction of sin in worldly sorrow, just a form of remorse and regret at being caught in sin. This godly sorrow is also called ‘conviction of sin’. The Holy Spirit leads on from sorrow, to repentance, and to salvation. This is the road leading to eternal life and to the Living Water. God starts the process, and He always ends it. For his glory! Conviction of sin is terribly painful. But it is ‘the injection’ of the Holy Spirit towards the cure from sin. It is the gift of God. Weeping is always before rejoicing! King David said: “Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning” (Ps 30:4, 5). The weeping led by the Holy Spirit always ends in praise! Halleluiah!    

Please observe that the Holy Spirit ‘convicts of sin’ (singular) and not of ‘sins’ (plural). Because of Adam’s fall, we are born sinners. Different sins are the works of the sinful nature. We are sinners not because we commit sins, but because we are born like that. Sin is like a congenital incurable disease. It cripples us, it blinds us, it enslaves us. Because as sinners we do not understand what holiness is, we are ignorant of how much God hates sin. Sin is the root of all our problems. The sins we commit are only branches of a deep root that only God can uproot. At the Cross, when Jesus died, God defeated and destroyed sin. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). God the Father sent God the Son to die on behalf of sinners, as our Substitute. Nothing else and nobody else can save us from the wrath of God, from death and hell. Only Jesus! Only Jesus! That is why we worship Him! “Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12).

GOD’S METHOD TO CONVICT OF SIN

What is the method God uses to convict of sin? Most of the time the Holy Spirit uses anointed preaching of His Word, especially the preaching of the Gospel of Christ Crucified and resurrected. The Word of God is a spiritual sword that penetrates the hearts and convicts of sin. “Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:17). Men can argue with religious arguments, but none can block the Word of God preached under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. There is no shield against the Word of God. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:12, 13). Once the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, you feel naked and exposed before God. You see God as your Judge. God the Father is the Creator of all and the Judge of all. But because Jesus lived and died as a Man, to save men, God gave the Son the authority to judge all men. He said: “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (Jn 5:22, 23). Jesus is not only the Savior of men, but He is their Judge!

EXAMPLES OF CONVICTION OF SIN AND TRUE REPENTANCE

People assume that they can repent and become saved anytime they wish. But it is not so. God has His own timing. The Holy Spirit must do this peculiar work of convicting of sin in you before you can be saved. Give Him glory! To be convicted is to feel in your heart the wickedness of sin. This happens when you see God’s beauty, His purity and holiness. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife to commit adultery, he ran away from her. He saw adultery as a sin not only against Potiphar, his master, but against God! Joseph told his mistress: “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen 39:9). You must be convicted of sin and repent of sin before you appreciate God’s Grace and Mercy and be able to worship Him. After David committed adultery and murder, he repented before God. The Lord used the Prophet Nathan to convict him of sin. Immediately David knew that he committed sin not only against men, but against God. He pleaded for mercy. He asked God to give him a new heart and a new spirit. He said: “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight, That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge” (Ps 51:1-4). When Isaiah saw God, he immediately saw himself as a sinner living among sinners. He was terrified before God. He said: “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips . . . and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Is 6:5). Prophet Isaiah was known as a righteous man. But in the light of God, he saw himself as a wretched sinner who needs mercy. This is the work of the Holy Spirit helping a sinner to repent of self-righteousness and pride.   

Read the story of how Peter encountered the Lord. That night they went fishing but caught nothing. Jesus gets into Peter’s boat to preach the Gospel. Later, Jesus tells Peter to go back and fish again. Peter was reluctant to obey knowing that Jesus was not a fisherman. Eventually, Peter obeyed the command. He went back and caught so many fishes that his boat was sinking. Peter’s reaction to this miracle is interesting. “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Lk 5:8). Why did he do that? The Holy Spirit convicted him of sin, especially of unbelief in Jesus. Peter saw the glory of Jesus in his boat! In the light of that glory, Peter saw his sinfulness. This is conviction of sin! It ends in worship and service to Jesus. He and the other disciples forsook all and followed Jesus!  

It is the same with the Apostle Paul. He was a religious man, He hated Jesus and the believers. He tried his best to arrest and kill them. One day, the light of the glory of Jesus shines on him. He was immediately blinded. He was convicted of sin on the spot. “As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:3-6). Apostle Paul was persecuting the Christians seeking to arrest them. But the Resurrected Christ arrested Paul. He tells Paul that ‘he is kicking against the goads.’ That describes a man who is striving with the Holy Spirit. No man can fight God and win! Convicted of sin, the persecutor of the church became the great Apostle Paul, a bondservant to Christ! Praise God!

Read the dramatic story of how the Philippian Jailer got saved (Acts 16:25-34). Paul and Silas delivered a slave girl from a spirit of divination. Her master was making money from her predictions. He got angry and he arrested Paul and Silas as troublemakers. The jailer put them in the inner cell of the prison. Over there, with chains on their feet, in the middle of the night, they prayed and praised God. Suddenly, an earthquake shook the foundation of the prison. All the doors opened, and all the chains got loosed. The jailer assumed that all the prisoners escaped, and he will be killed for that. So, he tried to commit suicide. But Paul stops him. The jailer falls at the feet of Paul and Silas saying: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Ac 16:30). Why did he say that? Paul did not preach to him. But in that moment, he sensed the presence of God. He was convicted of sin. He now sees himself as a sinner fighting God. He suddenly wants to be saved from his sins. He did not ask Paul: “What must I do not to lose my job or my life?’ No! He asked: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved from the wrath of God? I want to be like you, Paul! I want to have the same joy as you, Silas! I want to drink the living water like you people. I believe that Jesus, your God, is the only God who can save me and my household…” The prison became the place for evangelism! Never despise your problems. King Grace can manifest thru them and save many!

The Samaritan woman at the well sat with the Judge of all men. In a moment, she felt convicted of sin. She believed in Him who alone can save her. She drank the Living water. That is why the first words she spoke to the others was “Come and see a Man who told me all the things I ever did”. The nearer you go to Jesus, the greater the conviction of sin and the need for forgiveness. This is the primary work before any revival. The cry of the true worshipper is “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!” (Rev 5:12). The cry of the true evangelist is “Come and see a Man!” (Jn 4:29).  May we surrender to Jesus! May we cooperate with the workings of the Holy Spirit! Worship the Lord!

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power (making it active, operative, energizing and effective); it is sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating… between joints and marrow (of the deepest parts of our nature) exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart” (Heb 4: 12, AMP)

Just like the pregnancy, like the hidden power of life within the womb, the Word of God ingested works without interruptions until it pleases God to behold the final masterpiece. There is Holy activity in my spirit. No rest until there is rest. Peace has a crown and smiles like a queen. Truth is a friend, a father and a judge. Like a bird flies away, leaving behind the sad, sad cage, so yesterday is quietly put to rest. Tomorrow is a sketch of hope’s song. Today is my gift, to fill with God’s presence until the overflow expands it to be more than twenty four hours. There is work going on inside of me. None can stop it and none can steal it. I love how God is good to me. His goodness is power that changes me, beholding His glory!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God! I am saved by the Blood of the Lamb, by the Grace of the King of Kings! I trust the Word of God! Even when I do not see much ahead, His Word is still the unquenchable light at my feet! I keep my eyes fixed on Jesus! I gaze long on the eternal things of God’s invisible Kingdom! I only glance at the visible things of this world, for they are temporary! I break any addiction with the infatuation with the material things! I love the Word of God! I trust the Word of God! In all circumstances, in Spirit and in Truth, I will worship God! This is my pledge!

In Jesus’ name,

Amen!

“Lord Jesus Christ, I am no longer my own, but Yours. Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will. Let me be employed by You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low by You. Let me have all things, or let me have nothing. As You wish, Lord! I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal. Lord, Jesus, You are my Treasure forever! And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are mine and I am Yours. So be it! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!”

(John Wesley, 1703-1791)

They say: ‘you are what you eat’. Better said: ‘you are what you hear’.

The pulpit is the center of the world.

Preach the Word!!!

REVIVAL – THE LIVING WATER (7)  

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – The Living water (7). Her main text was taken from the Book of John. “A woman of 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.  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. 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” …  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”  Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him. In the meantime, His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” Therefore, the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” (Jn 4:7-10; 21-38)

We are still studying the wonderful revelation of the Living Water offered by the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a symbol of eternal life, salvation, spiritual maturity, being filled with the Spirit, true worship, and revival. The Living Water is offered by the Lord to the Woman at the well. The Samaritan woman is a sinner. She is also religious. She is seeking for truth, for meaning in her life. Our Lord directs the conversation to the point of the revelation of Himself. Please notice how He gently ‘increases’ the vision of salvation in her heart. Initially she sees him as a man, a needy man, a stranger, and a Jew. Then she sees him as a Prophet. Lastly, she sees Him as Christ, her Savior, and her Lord! He tells her about the true worship and then, He reveals Himself to her. “I who speak to you am He” (Jn 4:26). This is the exact moment when saving faith is born in her heart. She instantly believes that Christ is the Messiah. This is the moment when King Grace saves her soul! This is when she became born again. This is the moment when she became a true worshipper of the only Living God. This is when, for the first time in her life, she drank the Living Water! From this moment in time, she is never the same person again! Halleluiah! As we read these words, we sense the power and the holiness of that moment. There is a wonderful anointing on this encounter. We feel it too as we read the story. Heaven rejoices when a sinner is saved. Our Lord said this: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Lk 15:7). We join the hosts of heaven and cry: “Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12). In our Christian life and ministry, we all need to come to this holy moment. Eternal life bursts forth when truth is revealed as Love who died for us, that we may live! Glory to God!

TRUE WORSHIP IS ALWAYS CHRIST CENTERED 

How do we drink this Living Water? By going straight to Him who offers it! Go to Jesus! Go to the Cross! Meditate on the Person of Jesus, who He is, what He has done, especially His death on the Cross! This long gaze on the Crucified brings you the Living Water and will enable you to worship Him! The source of the Living Water, of eternal life and all satisfaction, is not in a geographical place. It is a Person! In the whole universe, it is only the Son of the Living God that offers men the Living Water. You need to desire an encounter and a deeper relationship with Him. Then you shall find this Living water.  All teaching and preaching must glorify the Lord Jesus Christ! True worship is always Christ centered. The worshipper’s deepest cry is “Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12). The Holy Spirit main’s work is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ! Before going to the Cross, our Lord said this: “He (The Holy Spirit) will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:14, 15). The Holy Spirit does not glorify (advertise) any man, but Jesus! One of the most dangerous temptations we face is to ignore or marginalize the Lord Jesus Christ; to remove Him from the center of His throne! This is not possible in reality, but it can happen in our minds. The evil spirit of religion can corrupt our understanding of what is true worship. This attitude grieves the Holy Spirit. This is a test for all: Any sermon of song that does not make people to draw closer to Jesus, is a waste of time and energy. It is even worse than a waste. It is idolatry. And God punishes idolatry! Be faithful to proclaim the true Gospel, Christ crucified and resurrected! Be faithful to sing songs that glorify the Lord Jesus Christ! This leads to the salvation of sinners and to true worship. It is the holy approved platform for all true work for God! True worship is genuine ministry approved and blessed by the Father!

JESUS IS THE TIME MASTER

Let us go back to the story of the encounter between the Christ and the Samaritan woman. The Lord is totally in charge of the encounter. He chose to pass thru this Samaritan village because He had this sinner in mind.  “He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria” (Jn 4:3, 4). At that time, because of racial discrimination, the Jews do not pass thru Samaria. But our Lord ‘needed to go through Samaria’. The word ‘needed to go’ is also translated as ‘it was necessary for Him to go’ thru Samaria. You can see that the Lord knows who are to be saved and goes to them. The Lord sits and waits for the woman to come so that she will be saved. For her, it was an ordinary day. She did not know that it was her destiny day. Observe that it is the Lord who initiates the conversation. At that time, the disciples did not completely understand Christ, but they were learning who He is as they followed him. As a Man, our Lord was tired from the journey and sat at the well. His disciples went to the town to buy food. Between the time they went to buy food and the time they came back a miracle of salvation has taken place. The Lord saved a soul from the bondage of sin and death! Jesus said that His reason for coming to the earth was to finish the work of the Father, to save souls! “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10).

“Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” (Jn 4:26, 27). Our Lord just revealed to the woman that He is the Christ. This is the greatest revelation any one can receive. The disciples were surprised that He was talking with a woman in public because this was against the law of the Pharisees. According to them “a man should not salute a woman in a public place, not even his own wife”. But our Lord was free from these man-made religious laws.  At the very moment of the revelation that He is the Christ, the disciples came back. We may feel that they ‘disturbed’ the spiritual conversation, but it is not so. The Lord has finished just talking to the woman. He has opened her eyes. She got saved. Not a second was lost. See how the Lord is the Master of time! Not a word He speaks too early or too late. Not a miracle He does too early or too late. Our Lord is the second Person of the Trinity. In heaven He lives outside time. He lives eternally. But once He became man, to live on earth, He lived ‘in time’. But He mastered time! Men are slaves to time. We are either too fast or too slow. We cannot control or stop time. But even as a Man, our Lord mastered time! That is another reason why we worship Him! “Worthy is the Lamb!”

The Lord Jesus always spoke the right words, at the right place, and at the right time. The following are some examples of our Lord Mastering the time and the circumstances, for His glory!   

*Our Lord healed the servant of the Centurion with just a word spoken at the right time. “Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour” (Mt 8:13). Faith believes the Word of God spoken at this particular time! Faith does not postpone believing! “Now, faith is…” (Heb 11:1). Doubt postpones believing! Selah!

*The Lord healed the woman with the issue of Blood. She was sick for twelve years, but she was healed instantly at that very ‘hour’. “Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour” (Mt 9:22).

*Our Lord healed the daughter of a Syrophoenician woman who had faith in Him. The healing also happens at ‘that very hour’. Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour” (Mt 15:28).

*Lazarus was sick. His sisters called Jesus to heal him. But Jesus delayed His coming. He told His disciples: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (Jn 11:4). Lazarus died and was buried. Four days later Jesus comes to see Martha and Mary. They both complained that He was too late to heal their brother. Jesus said to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world” (Jn 11:25-27). Martha believes just like the woman at the well. At the tomb of Lazarus “Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (Jn 11:35-37). Martha, Mary, and the people expected Jesus to prevent death by healing Lazarus. But Jesus performed a greater miracle. He did not prevent death, but He defeated it. Lazarus was called forth and he came out of the tomb alive. The Lord delayed His coming to manifest His power over death. This miracle was truly for the glory of God that the Son of Man may be glorified thru it. We need to trust the Lord and His timing. Delay for a miracle is to increase the glory of God thru it!   

MY HOUR – HIS HOUR

Our Lord was always sensitive to time. Every word and every miracle had to happen at a particular time. For example, He gently rebuked His mother for trying to control Him to do a miracle at the wedding at Cana. He told her that each miracle must be done at a particular ‘hour’. Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come” (Jn 2:4). When He addressed His brothers, He made a distinction between them and Himself. This distinction relates to time also. Jesus told them, “Although your time is always at hand, My time has not yet come” (Jn 7:6). Our Lord often said that ‘His hour’ has not yet come to die. “He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts, near the treasury. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come” (Jn 8:20). Our Lord said that He can only be arrested when the hour of darkness has come. He accepted the sins of humanity upon Himself. He now passively goes to the Cross to die, as a Lamb goes to the slaughter. “When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness. Now they arrested Him and led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance” (Lk 22:53, 54). He did not complain during His trial and crucifixion. In the Old Testament the priests were not supposed to torture the animal before it was killed as a sacrifice. But religious leaders tortured our Lord before they crucified Him. This is to prove how much they hated Him!

“He (God) has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end” (Ecc 3:11). God created all things. Sin has damaged man and creation. But Jesus Christ came to redeem sinners and also His creation. This is a lesson for us all: You have a need. You pray and nothing happens. For a long time, things look the same. It seems like God is sleeping. But God works in mysterious ways. Suddenly, there is a movement of the Holy Spirit. What looks ordinary, now becomes beautiful and glorious. God’s time is revelation time. His Grace reveals the beauty hidden beneath. Blessed are those who acknowledge God’s time and wait for the beauty and perfection promised! Because our Lord created even time, He “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8). Please note that the same Jesus who talked to the woman at the well, He is right now in our midst, and also in heaven. When we go to heaven, our memories will go with us. We shall have fellowship with the Lord and with one another, remembering things we did on the earth. This is our Living Hope!

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT

We all have 24 hours in a day. Some people use these hours to achieve great things. Others waste their time and opportunities. We should learn to do the same. Time management is defined as the process of planning and organizing your time between different activities. The benefits of good time management are these: you always finish your task, you work with no anxiety and at the end, you will have great joy. You stay focused, you work patiently and with peace of mind. You pray before making plans. You pray as you work. You give thanks to God as you finish your task. There is no greater joy than to finish your work. Because you finish your task, you can help others who need your assistance. The opposite is that you waste your time and squander your opportunities. Without a good ‘time management’, you become impatient, easily distracted, anxious, and overwhelmed by pressure. You become a busybody. You work more and you achieve less. A poverty mentality sets in that increases your level of anxiety. Another demon that confuses you about doing the right thing is called ‘procrastination’. This is defined as a weakness of the will to start something you need or love to do. Procrastination is not laziness. Lazy people simply don’t do anything and are just fine with it. Procrastinators, on the other hand, have the desire to actually do something but can’t force themselves to start. Procrastination is the same as sin of omission. “Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (Jam 4:17). You need self-discipline, strength and courage by the power of the Holy Spirit!

As a Man, Our Lord used His time wisely. There is no greater joy than to say at the end of your life: “God, I have finished your work. I have finished the race’. Our Lord said: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (Jn 17:4). Apostle Paul said before he died: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). You need focus, wisdom, and strength to fulfill destiny on earth. That takes time management. You make plans how long your ‘quiet time’ with the Lord should be in the morning or in the evening. You make plans to study the Word of God and attend church activities. This requires wisdom, faith, and patience. You can do it!         

TRUST AND WORSHIP JESUS EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND HIM

“Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” (Jn 4:26, 27). The disciples were surprised that Jesus was talking to a woman in public. They were even more surprised that He revealed to her deeper things than He revealed to them so far. He was breaking the religious and social etiquette. It is possible that they were embarrassed by that. They wanted to rebuke Him for His freedom to talk, but there was something about Him that humbled them even at that time. They kept silent. That is good. They had to learn to trust Him even when they do not understand Him. This is a lesson for all of us. Jesus is in control of time, events, and circumstances. He leads and we follow. Always! We should learn to keep quiet and pray for spiritual understanding when things seem difficult. Control your tongue like Job! “In spite of everything that had happened, Job did not sin by blaming God” (Job 1:22).

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:1-3). In the past, most of the time, God spoke thru prophets and priests. Since Jesus Christ came to earth, died, and ascended back to heaven, He is the One who speaks to men. God the Father made the worlds thru Jesus Christ who ‘upholds all things by the word of His power’. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the glorious brightness and the express image of God the Father. He is God!

When Jesus spoke, people were amazed. He spoke like no other man. His words had authority and love that could break the hardness of any heart. “When Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mt 7:28, 29). “When the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!” (Mk 6:2). The soldiers could not arrest Him. They said: “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (Jn 7:46).

We need to learn how to trust Him, His words, and His ways. It is not easy because we are born sinners. But we must accept the truth that He does what He wants because He is God. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Is 55:8,9). King Grace is always in charge of His work. Nothing and nobody can stop His work. He came to Samaria to save this woman. Nobody could stop that! This is a great lesson: Jesus always does surprising things. As the wind cannot be controlled by man, so He is!  He told Nicodemus: “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” (Jn 3:7, 8). We worship the Lord because He is Man and God. If Christ is only Man, then we cannot worship Him. If Christ is only God, then He cannot save sinners like me and you. He is God and Man. That is why we worship Him. When He came to earth, He left the robe of glory behind. He came as a poor man, a carpenter. It was His choice to leave the external signs of glory in heaven. But take note: He did not leave His personal glory, because He is always God. But His glory was hidden by human flesh. Even so, from time to time, men saw His glory, like on the Mountain of Transfiguration. May our eyes open to see the Lamb upon the throne and to worship Him forever! “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous (difficult, unique, great) things!” (Ps 72:18).

We need to come to the place of totally trusting Jesus despite the difficult circumstances. We must say with Job: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him… Even though He kills me; I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15; NKJ; AMP). When you understand God or not, trust and worship Him to your last breath. Jesus is the Hope of your glory! He is the only Hope you have! Worship the Lord!

PRACTICAL APPLICATION – WALK AS JESUS WALKED – MAKE THE BEST OF EACH SECOND

We need to learn how to walk by faith, and not by sight, and led by the Spirit, and not by our flesh. This walk requires training in spiritual sensitivity. It is a walk of wisdom. We walk ‘circumspectly’. The meaning of this word is to be wise, alert, and watchful in the face of danger or risk; to be careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences. Watch a cat when she passes thru a dirty wet place. She watches for clean and safe stones and carefully steps on them. She avoids getting dirty as she passes thru. This is what it means to walk circumspectly. Practically, it means to be prudent in all your decisions, how and when to speak and when to keep silent. “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:15-18). As we walk led by the Spirit, we do not waste time, and we make no mistakes. We do not speak words or make decisions that we regret later. We learn to control our tongues. We avoid dangers and overcome temptations. We make spiritual progress daily.  We become more and more like Jesus! “Whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself” (1 Jn 2:6; AMP). We learn to appreciate our Lord and we worship Him with a grateful heart! Speak only led by the Holy Spirit! Then your speech will heal others and bring joy to your heart! “A man has joy in giving an appropriate answer, And how good and delightful is a word spoken at the right moment—how good it is!” (PV 15:23; AMP). Like our Lord, we need to speak only led by the Holy Spirit. Each word should be ‘in season’ and to encourage the weary. “The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned” (Is 50:4). Worship the Lord!

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life” (Col 3:1-3; TM)

My children,

One of the greatest discoveries I have made is to know myself! Next to knowing God, I discovered who I am. I now have an identity that is found in Christ alone. Before I became saved I only knew that there is a ‘me’. I knew I had a name, parents and a sister; I was a medical doctor; I had a husband and three children; I had wonderful dreams of success in this world… But all these ‘external additions’ were not able to explain to me who I really was. I defined myself thru the opinion of others. For example, as a child, I saw myself thru the eyes of my parents. Both of them were my teachers. They were very proud of me and I tried to make them proud in return. I pushed myself very hard to always be first in the class. It was my way of paying them back for their love. After I got married I saw myself thru the eyes of my husband. If he said that I was beautiful that day I was ‘floating in the air’ with happiness. I was ready to quarrel with anyone who saw me ugly. But when my husband was too busy to compliment me, I felt foolish and ugly. After I had children, if they said: ‘Mummy, you are a good mummy…’ I felt proud that I am a good mother. I was ready to ‘compete’ with other mothers for the title ‘the best mother in the world’. But when any of my children emotionally rejected me and loved ‘another mother’ more than me, I will weep, blame myself and feel so sad. It was the same with all my relationships, with family and friends. I depended totally on their words. I gave them too much power over my soul and they used it or misused it.

This situation could have gone on forever if not for the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. By the grace of God I became born again in 1986. Since then my greatest passion is to know God and to become like His Son Jesus Christ. Thank God for my husband because he too is a child of God. We encourage each other in this holy race. Like I said, one of the greatest discoveries I have made is to know myself! I study the Word of God and I apply it daily to myself and to my circumstances. I see myself now thru the eyes of God. No opinion matters except that of my Lord. I know that I am a sinner saved by grace. No man or devil can condemned me because by faith, I died with Jesus and rose with Jesus. Whatever negative things you may say about ‘me’, you are talking about a dead woman buried long ago and who feels nothing.

I no longer define myself thru my outward appearance. I do not see myself as a fat, short, ugly, wrinkled and old menopausal woman. That is not me at all! It can never be me! I see myself as a child of God, fearfully and wonderfully made. My body is nothing less than the temple of the Holy Spirit! I believe that! He changes me from inside out! I am holy because God my Father is holy. Even if I am a hundred and twenty years old like Moses, my youth can never become ‘old’ for it is ‘renewed like the eagles’. Because holiness is beautiful I am beautiful! As a wife I am precious in the eyes of God. The Holy Spirit will help my husband to see me as precious. As a mother, I am totally fulfilled. I am not a mother in ‘Warri’ but I am ‘a mother in Zion’ (Jdg 5:7). My children, natural and spiritual, are covenant children, special, unique, gifted and wonderful. If the devil likes it or not, they shall serve the Lord who brought them to me!

After I discovered myself in Christ, I developed a relationship with myself. I love myself so that I can love others. I forgive myself as the Lord has forgiving me! I encourage myself thru the Word of God! I prophesy on myself, what I should be according to the Bible. I pray for myself, that my dreams come true! I delight myself in the Lord. Therefore my heart’s desire shall manifest! It is just a matter of time… I truly enjoy my company. I am surprised at the wonderful things God has done in my life. He has made me spiritually strong. He gives me peace and joy. He puts His Words in my mouth to encourage others. My hearts sings… And His work in me continues… With unashamed face I behold Him who saved my soul! Today, I give thanks to God for my life, for what I have become, eternally safe in the Beloved! It is well with my soul….Glory to God!

Love in Christ alone,

Malia”

(I wrote this letter in 2018. The words are still fresh, and Spirit filled. Read, pray and be blessed! My husband took me this picture on the little bridge over the river where God opened the heart of Lydia (Acts 16). This was in Philippy, Greece in one of our travels. My husband is now in heaven. In all things I give thanks to God!)

Satan fears your prayers. He knows that one hour talking to Jesus destroys the stronghold he built for many years. Pray! Pray! Pray! In Jesus’ name!

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – Come to the Living water (6). Her main texts were taken from the Books of John and Revelation 4 and Isaiah 55. “A woman of 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. 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. 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…  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (Jn 4:7-10; 21-26)

“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. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 7:37-39)

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them” (Jn 10:1-6)

We are still studying the great subjects of worship and revival. We connect both with the Living Water offered by the Lord to the Woman at the well. The Samaritan woman is a sinner. She is also religious. She is seeking for truth, for life. Our Lord directs the conversation to the point of revelation. Please notice how He ‘increases’ in her heart. Initially she sees him as a needy man, a stranger, and a Jew. Then she sees him as a Prophet. Lastly, she sees Him as Christ, her Savior, and her Lord! He tells her about the true worship and then, He reveals Himself to her. “I who speak to you am He” (Jn 4:26). This is the exact moment when she believed that Christ is the Messiah. This is the moment when King Grace moved in her spirit, and she became saved. This is when she became born again. This is the moment when she became a true worshipper. This is when she drank the Living Water! We sense the holiness of that moment. There is a wonderful anointing on this encounter. We feel it too as we read the story. Glory to God! Heaven rejoices when a sinner is saved. Our Lord said this: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Lk 15:7). We join the hosts of heaven and cry: “Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12). In our Christian life and ministry, we need to come to this holy moment. When truth is revealed as Love who died for us, that we may live!  How do we drink this Living Water? By going straight to Him who offers it! Go to Jesus! Go to the Cross! Mediate on the Person of Jesus, who He is, what He has done, especially His death on the Cross and His resurrection! This long gaze on the Crucified will bring you the Living Water and will enable you to worship Him!

THE THRONE ROOM IN HEAVEN – COME UP HERE! – THE CALL OF CHRIST

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne” (Rev 4:1, 2)

Worship in heaven is Christ-centered! Christ is the Creator of the Universe! Christ is Conqueror of all powers! Christ is the Controller of the Church! The Church has only one head! It is not a human head. That Head is Christ! Worship starts with the word “Come!”. The Resurrected Christ calls us to come closer to Him. As believers we believe two opposite things: 1-God is far away from His Creation and 2-God is closer than our breathing. This is a paradox. But it is true! If you lose any of these revelations, your faith will be damaged!!! The devil always attacks our faith! If you only believe that God is far away in heaven, then you lose the intimate fellowship of the Holy Spirit. If you become overfamiliar with God, and you lose the sense of wonder, you cannot worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! We need to be balanced in doctrine! This is a wonderful scripture describing God in heaven and at the same time, intimately close to His children. “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Is 57:15)

Chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Revelation are among the most important chapters in the Bible. We should study the way worship goes on in heaven so that we can do it on earth.  The voice that sounded like a trumpet calling John to see things in heaven is the voice of the resurrected Christ. He has already talked to John previously. “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last” (Rev 1:9-11). The Lord dictated seven letters to John to send to the seven churches in Asia Minor. John was already in the Spirit. Now, the Lord calls John to a deeper spiritual level and to come to heaven to see things that ‘must take place’. This is a reminder that the Lord Jesus Christ is God. He oversees the universe and deigns the future.

We see that the Lord Jesus Christ initiates the conversation with the woman at the well, drawing her to Him, to the place or revelation and worship. He says: “Give Me a drink!”. It is the same Christ who calls John to a deeper revelation of worship, saying: “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this”. Our Lord calls both the unbelievers and the believers to come to Him to have an intimate relationship with Him. Worshipping God means to obey His call to come to Him! The holy heavenly call is vertical. Our response to come and worship God is also vertical. We bow before God so that our spirit will rise to meet Him up there in heaven!  

The Lord calls everyone who is tired of sin and oppression. He promises rest for the soul and easy satisfying labor when working for Him. The Lord calls those who hunger and thirst for knowing God. He promises that they shall be filled with peace and eternal satisfaction. The Gospel is the only Word of Hope and satisfaction in the whole world. The people who refuse the call are the religious unbelievers, the proud, and the hypocrites. They pretend not to be tired, hungry, or thirsty. They claim that this world satisfies them. They deceive themselves and others.  

The verb ‘to come’ is defined as moving closer towards the speaker. You leave a place and go to another place, a change of location and status.  God the Father facilitates the seeking and finding the Son.  You must be willing to come to Jesus!

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30)

“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out… Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn 6:35-37; 43,44)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Mt 5:6)

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (Jn 5:39, 40).

I read the biographies of many secular successful people. They all had money and fame. But on their dying bed they confessed that they failed to find rest of mind, peace, satisfaction, and joy! The world is not able to provide these. The Living Water is found in Christ alone!

THE GREAT INVITATION OF KING GRACE (Is 55:1-13)

This is a true story I saw on the internet. Ruby Ibarra was a 15-year-old girl Mexican girl. She wanted to celebrate her birthday party in a village in Mexico. Her parents are not wealthy people, but they love their daughter. To please her, her father made an open invitation on a video clip on Facebook. He said that all people are invited to come to the party. He later said that he intended it to be for the neighbors in his village. But by mistake, he posted it as ‘public’. Immediately, 1,3 million people responded. Thousands promised to come to the party. Ruby became an international ‘star.’ The Mexican airlines made 30% discount for anybody that wants to attend Ruby’s party. People posted fake pictures of fried turkeys and mountain of food and drinks waiting for the visitors. Two live bands came uninvited and raised the stage to play for the people. On that day, their small village was flooded with visitors. 20,000 people came to her party. There was a horse race competition where one man died. Of course, there was no food or entertainment for all. What a story… What a disappointment…

This story is a symbol of what the world promises but cannot satisfy. Men are born with legitimate desires to love and to be loved. That is why they fall in many deceptive traps. Men respond to the empty promises of the world. They go there hungry and thirsty, hoping for fried turkeys, but return home feeling disappointed and cheated. Sin always offers false hopes. Because of these disappointments, men have lost the desire to dream and hope for a better future. All people in the world are restless and depressed. They do not know that true Hope is found in Christ alone. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes (longing fulfilled, a wish come true), it is a tree of life” (PV 13:12). Because of the disappointment of the world’s invitation to pleasure, many have become bitter in their hearts. That is why when they hear the holy call of God, they doubt it and they refuse to obey it.

What is our problem? We do not seek God! Our desires for God are not strong enough. We are too easily satisfied with the temporary pleasures of sin. That is why we do not pay the price to seek the true God and His free offer of Grace. True satisfaction is found only in the Gospel. By Grace and By Faith in Christ, we are saved and satisfied. The word ‘satisfaction’ means the condition of having your desire or need fulfilled. It is the pleasant feeling that you get when you receive something you always wanted, or when you have done something, you always wanted to do. It is also defined as justification, vindication, or compensation for loss or injury. May we hear the call of Jesus and come to Him!

In Isaiah 53 we see Christ as the Lamb to be slain for the sins of the world. In Isaiah 54 we see the benefits of salvation in Christ. In Isaiah 55 we see God’s invitation of Grace towards sinners. Those who mock it, will meet God at the Judgment seat. Those who humble themselves and trust in Jesus Christ come to partake from this wonderful feast. Those who come shall be satisfied. They shall hunger and thirst no more. They shall worship God in spirit and in truth! This is a true invitation and open to all! These are some lessons taken from God’s invitation from Isaiah 55:  

GOD COMMANDS ALL SINNERS TO COME TO HIM! THIS IS THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED AND RESURRECTED!

*King Grace’s invites all people to come to Him! The invitation looks too good to be true! The devil is trying to convince you to reject it. This is the truth: Grace is always too beautiful for the sinners. Grace is too Kind and too Generous, ready to welcome all who believe in Jesus. Come!

*This invitation is God’s command! It is not just a fantastic opportunity to ‘enjoy ourselves’. There are 12 commands in the first 7 verses. When God commands a man, he either obeys or he disobeys. Each option has its own consequences. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Is 1:18-20). After hearing God’s invitation, there are only two ways to respond: repentance or rebellion.  The willing and obedient eat the good of the land. The stubborn and rebellious shall be eaten by the land. The words ‘the good of the land’ mean – material prosperity in the land God has given you. This is an invitation for full forgiveness, free feasting, and prosperity! Only a fool will refuse it!

*Come! The word ‘come’ appears 4 Times! Eat! God offers the Living Water, as Milk and Wine ‘Without money and without price”. Why? Because Jesus has paid the price on the Cross! For us to have a free salvation, Jesus had to die for us! Salvation is free but it is not cheap. When King Grace talks, money is deaf and dumb!

*What is the Condition necessary for the application to this party? Spiritual thirst! Thirst is a powerful force, even stronger than hunger. You can live without food for 40 days. You cannot live without water for 7 days. These are some of the symptoms of thirst: dehydration, dry mouth, no tears when crying, fatigue, dizziness, restlessness, and confusion. “If you thirst!” You need to know your need. If you are satisfied by yourself, you cannot desire the living water. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Mt 5:3-6)

*Sin deceives and destroys us. The rich live by their money and the poor, by their labor. These two lifestyles do not satisfy. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy?” (Is 55:2).

*To be a true worshipper you must live a crucified life. Come to Jesus as you are! At the Cross, you will share in His death and resurrection. You shall find the Living water! You shall worship God in spirit and in truth! “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mk 8:34-38). The word ‘profit’ means to satisfy. Gaining the whole world at the expense of your soul, will never satisfy you! You live in a mansion, but your soul is homeless. You dress with designer clothes, but your soul is naked.

*Listen and ‘eat’ the Word of God! Open your ears and your heart! You will find the glorious joy of salvation!  “Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance” (Is 55:2). The word ‘abundance’ means ashes of sacrifice and fatness! God has accepted your soul as a living sacrifice! God is now ‘free’ to bless you above your imagination!

*THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID

God calls sinners to Him! He will receive and bless them as He blessed King David, in the covenant of mercy and grace He made with him. David was the king worshipper of Israel, a man after God’s heart. God wants to give you the best of the best. He does not change His mind. The way God blessed David, He will also bless you! God promised David everlasting blessings and a great name. God said that David and his family will be royalty forever! His descendants will always sit on the throne (2 Sam 7:1-29). These promises are for us, the believers in Christ! What are the sure mercies of David? God dealt with Israel by way of mercy and grace. To make that mercy sure to all God took a man whom He had chosen, a man whom He loved, a man whom He intended to use. God made with a covenant with David that He would set him upon the throne. Because of David, God promised to bless all people that belong to him. These are “the sure mercies of David.” In the matter of our salvation, “the sure mercies of David” mean that God has laid blessings upon his Son, Jesus Christ. Because of Christ, God will bless all those who belong to Christ! “He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’ (Ac 13:34). By the death and resurrection of Christ, these sure mercies are guaranteed to us, sinners saved by Grace! God pledges Himself to defeat all our enemies, to bless us eternally, all for the sake of His Son Jesus Christ! He is our ‘Leader and commander’! He conquered all enemies including death! Christ is forever exalted. And we are one with Him! In Christ, salvation is sure and eternal! For Christ’ sake, our family shall be saved too! Our children are children of covenant! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Ac 16:31)

We trust God for revival based on the sure mercies of David. King Grace blesses the humble people, and they rise to positions of authority in the church and it the city. This shift creates a new atmosphere for the Gospel and to worship God. “When the righteous triumph, there is great glory and celebration; But when the wicked rise [to prominence], men hide themselves” (PV 28:12; AMP). During revival people become bold and they come out from their hiding places. There is rejoicing and celebration, giving all glory to God!  

*The promise of the Gospel is for all the nations. The glory of the Lord Jesus is His authority! There is no other way to go to God but thru Jesus!

*Come, but you must come on God’s terms! You must repent! Repent quickly and completely! God is not always ‘near’. You cannot find Him always. Use the opportunity you have today! No wasting of time! Repentance is more than regret. It is a deep change of heart, mind, will and behavior. It is an unconditional surrender and total submission to Jesus! How will God respond to the true repentant soul? ‘He will have mercy and abundantly pardon!’ (Is 55:7). This is more than forgiveness. It is blessings following the mercy and grace of God!

*King Grace preaches the Gospel. This Gospel is too good to be true. The Gospel also is too good not to be true! Amazing Grace!

King Jesus warns the religious people to come and buy from Him: “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Rev 3:17, 18)

WHY SHOULD WE TRUST GOD’S INVITATION?

*Because of God’s character! He alone is worthy of our trust and worship! Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let the sinner take God’s Way and think God’s thoughts! “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (PV 3:5, 6). Trust God! Listen to His call! Lean on Him! God’s thoughts and ways are higher than our imagination! Humble yourself!

*Because of God’s Word! The rain and the snow change the soil. It produces seed and bread. God is in charge from the beginning to the end, from the Promise to the Performance. ‘My Word goes forth out of My Mouth’ says God! It is not the preacher speaking. It is God using the mouth of the preacher! “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Is 55:11). The word ‘void’ means empty, useless, without result. The word ‘prosper’ means to push forward, to make progress and prosper! His Word that never fails to produce results!

WHAT IS THE RESULT OF COMING TO KING GRACE?

There shall be peace, joy, singing and fruitfulness! There shall be revival! When Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the ground to produce thorns and thistles. Now, these thorns will become cypress trees. The curse is turned in to blessings! The whole nature rejoices! Bareness becomes fruitfulness! Death dies and life takes over! This change is an everlasting sign that will not be cut off! God does all these things to ‘make a name for Himself’ so that all creation will bow to Him and give Him glory! Worship the Lord!

JUST AS I AM

Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, and waiting not

To rid my soul of one dark blot;

To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, though tossed about

With many a conflict, many a doubt;

Fightings within, and fears without,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;

Because Thy promise I believe,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

(By Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871)

“Be strong! God is with you! You will not fall! You will not be moved! God will surely help you early this morning!” (Ps 46:5)

The Word of God is faithful and true! God has already helped me in a special way this early morning. Yesterday I had a problem. Last night I did not know what to do. I prayed before I went to sleep. This morning I woke up with a fresh word of wisdom. I obeyed it. Problem solved! Joy and peace overflow! To God be all the glory!

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – Living water (5). Her main text was taken from the Books of John and Revelation. 

“A woman of 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. 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. 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…  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (Jn 4:7-10; 21-26)

WOMAN- WELL- WATER- WORSHIP

We continue to study the destiny changing encounter between our Lord and the Samaritan woman at the well. Study the words of Jesus. He is the One waiting at the well to meet this woman. He is the One who initiates the discussion. His first words are these: “Give Me a drink”. She is surprised at His request. Then Jesus says: “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…” The woman is ignorant of who is talking to her and what Jesus can provide. Follow His lead… He is stretching her imagination. Her dreams of life are so small. Her understanding is purely natural. But our Lord is challenging her to think spiritual, to dream big, from ‘bucket human effort drawing water’ to ‘fountain of eternally flowing Living Water’. He is the Greatest Fisherman. She is a fish coming into His net. Eventually the discussion ends in the revelation of the Lord, her salvation and true worship. This is the true pattern of evangelism.    

The woman has many needs. She is seeking for truth and desires to worship God. But she is ignorant of the true God. Face to face with Christ, she does not recognize Him. This is the situation with all unbelievers. Even if Jesus will come down from heaven again, they will still not recognize Him, they will still reject and kill Him. Sinners hate truth because it exposes them to the light of God and challenges them to repent! And they do not like that! They prefer to live in darkness, in ignorance, and suffer the consequences than to repent and surrender to Christ! Our Lord did not come to earth as a Man to condemn men. There was no need for that because thru Adam’s fall, all men are born sinners, therefore they are all condemned before God. Our Lord came to earth as a Savior. He came as Man to die for sinners, that they may live. Those who believe in Christ and in His Blood shed for them are forgiven of their sins. The unbelievers continue to remain condemned before God. This is the Gospel: “The Just shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17). We are saved by Grace and thru Faith (Eph 2:8). Faith in Christ is always connected with the Grace of God, with the Light of God and Eternal Life. Unbelief in Christ is sin, spiritual darkness, pride, and eternal death.  “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. 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. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (Jn 3:18-21). 

The Samaritan woman is a sinner. She is also religious. She is seeking for truth, for life. Our Lord directs the conversation to the point of revelation. Please notice how He gradually increases truth in her heart. Initially she sees him as a man, then a needy man, a stranger, and a Jew. Then she sees him as a Prophet. Lastly, she sees Him as Christ, her Savior, and her Lord! He tells her about the true worship and then, He reveals Himself to her. “I who speak to you am He” (Jn 4:26). This is the exact moment when she believes that Christ is the Messiah. This is the moment when King Grace moves in her spirit, and she became saved. This is when she became born again. This is the moment when she became a true worshipper. This is when she ‘abandoned her bucket and the well’ (Jn 4:28) and she drank the Living Water! We sense the holiness of that moment. There is a wonderful joyful anointing on this encounter. We feel it too as we read the story. Glory to God! Heaven rejoices when a sinner is saved. Our Lord said this: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Lk 15:7). We join the hosts of heaven and cry: “Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12). In our Christian life and ministry, we need to come to this holy moment. When truth is revealed as Love who died for us, that we may live!   

WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

Worshipping God is the deepest and greatest spiritual activity of man before God. We are saved to worship God. Any man who says is a Christian but cannot worship God in spirit and in truth, is not saved. “I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.” (A.W. Tozer). True worship is the eternal, heavenly, conscious, sacrificial expression of the love of man towards God.  It is an equal mixture of Love for God and the Fear of God. It is total surrender before God, in perfect adoration and awe. True worship is not the same as prayer. Worship is more than a humble attitude towards God. During worship the believer does not make any request before God. He does not even give thanks for what God has done for him. He simply bows down and loves God because of who God is as a Person! Worship is always ‘vertical’, God centered. We worship God the Father and God the Son, the Lamb of God who died that we might live! The deepest cry of the worshipper is ‘Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12)

The word ‘worship’ comes from an old English word spelled ‘worth-ship’. There is an intimate connection between worship and the worth of God. You see in heaven how the elders worship God declaring that He is Worthy to be worship (Rev 4:10, 11; 5:8-14). The more you see the worth, the greatness of God, the deeper shall be your worship. The meaning of the word ‘worthy’ is this: somebody deserving to be noticed, deserving respect, admiration, or support. To deserve it means to have earned something or be given something because of your actions or excellent moral qualities. Worth means great value, excellent character that deserves recognition. Men desire to honor a worthy person. God alone is worthy of all our love.  Because we are born sinners, and enemies to God, we do not deserve salvation, respect, or any good gift. All these are ours just because of God’s Grace. We worship King Grace who alone is worthy as a Person to receive all worship!  “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created… Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 4:11; 5:12).

Worship is God’s command. In Hebrew and in Greek, the word ‘worship’ means to kneel, to bow down or prostrate before God, or another deity. This position of the body reflects the spirit inside the body. There is a humbling, a submission, an acknowledging to the supreme God. All singing and all praying is not always worship. Singing praises should lead to worship. The preaching of the Word should lead to worship. If not, these religious activities are in vain. The word ‘worship’ appears about 200 times in the Bible. Worship is a manifestation of deep love and admiration towards God. It is a point of total surrender and humility before God. In worship, the Fear of God and the Love of God are combined in a perfect mixture. Worship is the atmosphere of heaven. God seats on the throne and all other beings worship Him. Worship is more than a beautiful song. It is a spiritual deep work in the soul of man. As God’s will is done in heaven, so it must be done on earth. We need to understand how God wants us to worship Him.

Biblical worship gives a visible expression to the relationship between God and His child. Worship is different than prayer. The worshipper does not make petitions, does not even give thanks for what God has done. During worship the believer gives himself to God, sacrificially and unconditionally. This is the unique holy pattern of true worship. God is seeking for true worshippers. God is looking for people who love and trust Him enough not to make so many demands. Like a millionaire who wants to marry a girl who loves him for himself and not for his money, God is looking for people who love Him because of who He is. There are few believers who truly worship God like this.

THE THRONE ROOM IN HEAVEN

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones, I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:1-11)

As believers we know there is a heaven. We also know that our permanent home is in heaven. But we are not given many details about heaven. This is probably because human words are not enough to describe heaven, which is another much higher spiritual realm. In the Book of Revelation chapters 4 and 5, there is a glimpse of what Apostle John saw in heaven. Clearly, in heaven there is true worship. God is seated on the throne and all other beings worship Him. Christ, the Lamb upon the throne is also worshipped. Chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Revelation are among the most important chapters in the Bible. We should study the way worship goes on in heaven so that we can do it on earth.  

John sees ‘a door standing open in heaven’. He is called from above. A loud voice like a trumpet tells him: “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne” It is the Resurrected Christ, who calls John, with the same voice ‘like a trumpet’ (Rev 1:10). He tells John that He will show him ‘things which MUST take place’. The Lord does not tell him that some things will or possibly take place. The things ‘must’ take place. You see the total authority of our Lord over the future. God not only knows the future, but He designs the future. “From the beginning I revealed the end. From long ago I told you things that had not yet happened, saying, “My plan will stand, and I’ll do everything I intended to do” (Is 46:10; GWT). The Book of Revelation was written by Apostle John when he was abandoned on the Island of Patmos to die. But the Lord shows him things of the future and tells him to write letters to the seven churches. That means John will not die on that barren island. Indeed, John was taken back to Ephesus where he continued to be the bishop of that church until he died an old man. The Book of Revelation has given much encouragement to all believers who suffer persecution or pass thru trials in this life. This is because Jesus is the Beginning and the End of all things! Jesus says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Rev 22:13). Amen!

As soon as John heard the voice of Christ, ‘immediately he was in the Spirit’. Apostle John was already in the Spirit but now, he goes deeper into the Spirit’ realm. His body is still on the island of Patmos, but his spirit rises and sees heaven and the worship there. The first thing he sees is a throne. The word Throne appears 46 times the Book of Revelation. The throne represents the total authority, power, and the justice of God. “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all” (Ps 103:19). This is not the great white throne where God will judge all unbelievers (Rev 20:11-15). This throne is God’s presence in the middle of the Temple, the center of worship. God is sitting on His throne amid the praises of His people. He sits on the throne as a King and Judge! “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed” (Ps 22:3-5). John sees ‘One’ who sat on the throne. He is Jehovah God. It is interesting that all who saw God on His throne could not describe Him in human words. It is the same with the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel (Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1). God cannot be seen by human eyes. God, “alone has immortality, is dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen” (1 Tim 6:16). Around the throne there is flashing light and loud worship!    

John sees a rainbow around the throne. This is a symbol of God as the Gracious, Merciful and Faithful Covenant and Promise Keeper. God promised Noah that He will not destroy humanity with water again. The rainbow shall be the sign of His Promise. “And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.” (Gen 9:12-17). In heaven, that rainbow is a pledge that God is gracious, and He will save His people from trials and death. The rainbow is the signature and seal of King Grace who is forever faithful!

‘Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones, I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads’. The 24 elders who sat on 24 thrones represent the Body of Christ. These are the 12 patriarchs from the Old Testament and the 12 apostles in the New Testament (Rev 21:12-14). See how close the Body of Christ is to the throne of God! They see God face to face, all the time. They are dressed in white robes, which are the imputed righteousness of Christ. They have crowns of gold which they received from Christ, as a glorious reward, for finishing the race with honor and faithfulness. Apostle Paul had faith that he will finish the race with courage and faithfulness. He said: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim 4:6-8). Our Lord said: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life… Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Rev 2:10; 3:11). During the worship, the elders cast their crown before God who sits on the throne. Christ gave them the crowns but in the presence of God, as they worship, they humble themselves. If worshipping God does not humble you, that is not true worship!   

Worship is ‘noisy’ in heaven because it is powerful. “And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices”. Anyone who hates ‘loud music’ in the church, should think again. The lightnings and the thunderings that proceed from the throne are a sign of Omnipotence and God’s Word. The first people who hear it are the members of the Body of Christ. They respond with ‘voices’ in worship. “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” These are cherubs who worship God always, day and night. They shout saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created!” The meaning of the word ‘worthy’ is this: somebody deserving to be noticed, deserving respect, admiration, or support. To deserve it means to have earned something or be given something because of your actions or excellent moral qualities. Worth means great value, excellent character that deserves recognition. God is worthy to be worshipped because He is the Creator of all. Creation must bow down and worship its Creator and Sustainer of life. He is also worthy to be worshipped because He is Omnipotent and Holy! Amen!

TRUE TREASURE IS TRUE WORSHIP

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt 6:19-21)

True worship is the only thing that engages and satisfies both the mind and the heart. Idolatry can never do that! The Bible speaks much about wealth, money, and possessions and what should be our attitude to these things. The greatest competitor to the worship of God is Mammon. This is a good test to apply to us the believers: If you store your treasures on earth, you do not worship God in spirit and in truth. If you store your treasures in heaven, you are a true worshipper of God. There is no middle ground. Search your heart. Where is your heart? In heaven or on earth!  God blesses us richly with spiritual and material blessings. These are all gifts of Grace. The danger is always to love the gifts more than the Giver. Greed is an enemy to worshipping God. Money itself is not evil. But the love of money is sin! The love of money also called Mammon is a person. It is the devil who hates the true worship of God. What should be our attitude towards money and material wealth?

These are some Biblical principles: God is good and generous. God blesses us with riches, spiritual and physical. “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deut 8:18). But we are not the owner of this wealth. We are stewards under God. We need to give account to God for the way we make and spend ‘our’ money. We also remember that we live in ‘the world’. The world is not just the physical environment where we live in. The world is a system, a way of thinking. The world is made by all the unbelievers whose ruler is the devil. The worldly people live like God does not exist. Even if they are religious and attend churches, to the worldly people, God is not the center of their lives. They are the center of their lives! Worldly people are all selfish and live for themselves. They do not worship God. But we the believers, live for God, for Jesus! We are worshippers of God! The Word of God rules our lives. The believer is often tempted to backslide and live like the worldly people. Our Lord commands us to consider our attitude to material wealth while we live in this world. If your treasure and your heart are on earth, you shall be full of doubts and anxiety. If your treasure and your heart are in heaven, you shall be full of peace and glorious joy! The difference is clear!

One of the special marks of the believers in the early church was joy. That joy, in spite of trials, was what attracted others to Christ. “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Ac 13:52). The unbelievers saw how the Christians were thrown to the lions and they died rejoicing that they will soon see Jesus. This pure joy is peculiar to the believers, and it is supremely attractive. It is the best way to do evangelism. It springs from a heart whose treasure is in heaven!  

In the scripture above there are two commands: one is negative, and the other is positive. We need to obey both! Each command has an explanation so that we understand why we should obey it. The first command is this: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Mt 6:19). The right translation is this: Do not treasure your treasures on earth! The word treasure means something of great worth or value (such as money, jewels, gold, or silver) that is hidden or kept in a safe place. Treasure is your crown, your credit, the thing that makes you proud and you boast about. In other words, different people have different treasures. For some, it is the amount of cash they have in the bank. To others, it is education, intelligence, gifts, social status, and position is society. Marriage and good family can become a treasure. All these things are good. The danger is to see them as an end of themselves, to forget that these are only temporary. Like the woman at the well, who was coming to draw water daily, the problem with these good things is that they do not satisfy. The pleasure you derive from them is temporary. Like with drugs or alcohol, you need more and more to find happiness in them. God gave them to us to enjoy, but not to find satisfaction in them. With time, they lose their attraction and keep us anxious to find something else. The pleasure of this world, even the gifts God has given to us, do not last and do not satisfy the soul. This is the greatest ‘weakness’ of any natural gift. For example, as beautiful as marriage is, it only lasts ‘until death do us part’.  We should know the truth and protect our souls from self-deception! We should enjoy them ‘loosely’ knowing that we are pilgrims in this world. Immediately you forget that this world is not our destination and destiny, and you fall in love with it, you will live an anxious life, filled with doubts and depression.

What is the solution then? It is to obey the positive command of Jesus! “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Mt 6:20). We are commanded to increase our treasures in heaven. How do we do that? First, we remember that heaven is our eternal home. Salvation is free because Jesus paid for it with His Blood. But we are told that in heaven there are different levels of rewards. Some have crowns and some do not. Some people seat on thrones and others stand on their feet. Some are close to the throne and other are far away. They all worship God but there are levels of rewards. The level of reward is not decided in heaven. It is a reflection of our lives on earth. In both the Old and the New Testament, we see that God rewards our works! “Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work” (Ps 62:12). “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Mt 16:27).

How do we treasure our treasures in heaven? We are commanded to use money and our resources of time and energy to invest in the Kingdom of God. For example, helping the needy, doing good to others, especially to the believers, these deeds are noticed and rewarded by God. He will pay into our ‘heavenly account’. That account is waiting for you to arrive in heaven. Because of your personal heavenly account, heaven will not be a strange place to you anymore. It is home! As your account increases in heaven, so your faith and confidence on earth increases. Your anointing for ministry increases too. On earth banks may close and you may lose your money. But your heavenly account is eternally secure. None can steal from it. It humbles you to know that your life on earth was not in vain. That you have used your temporary ‘treasures’ to gain eternal ones. “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Lk 16:9-12)

Your heart is intimately connected with your treasure. The worldly man’s heart is on earth. Thieves can break it. He is always anxious that he may lose his money. He has not prepared himself for death. He clings to his treasure ignoring the danger of losing it. But the true worshipper of God has found his real treasure. He enjoys his life on earth, and he uses his resources to invest in eternal things. He is a wise man! He has found his joy and satisfaction in God. He can never lose that. This is the secret of his wisdom, power, peace, anointing, and joy!  By doing good to God’s people, even to the least of them, your account in heaven is increasing. These are the true riches! “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Mt 25:34-36). These is the story and the testimony of all true worshippers!

Material wealth is to be used as a tool to help the needy. This is an investment in the worship of God. It will keep us humble and faithful. The earthly riches are ‘uncertain’. They can disappear easily. But the true foundation, the true treasure in heaven is eternal. “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim 6:17-19)

That is what our Lord was telling the woman at the well. He said: “Give Me to drink!” Like the Samaritan woman, obey His humble command! Draw water from the earthly well and give it to Jesus, or to His people who are thirsty. This action will be rewarded by the Lord! This is a seed that will become a harvest of worship. One of the true marks of a true worshipper is this deep clean soul cleansing all satisfying Joy! It is the sign that he is thirsty no more. Have you experienced this Joy of the Lord? The Living water supplies the treasure in heaven. It never runs dry! It never disappoints! What a mystery! What a holy challenge! Do you understand these things? Do you desire this Living Water? Do you want to worship God in spirit and in truth? Is Jesus Christ your true eternal love and treasure? Then you are blessed indeed! Worship the Lord!        

God is God from everlasting to everlasting.

He can’t be early or late!

When God moves and comes to help you, His time is always perfect!

Glory!

This Sunday service, Pastor Richmond Sisan Leigh preached from the Book of 2 Chronicles. “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chr 20:15). He said that recent events in Nigeria have stirred old fears that our country will become Islamized by force. The Christians are afraid and confused. Many of the pastors are not helping the matters. Pastor Richmond Leigh said that he sees two evil spirits trying to enter the churches in Nigeria. One is the spirit of material prosperity and the other is a demon of violence. In their sermons these backsliding pastors equate material prosperity with spirituality. They say that if you are not rich in this world’s goods, you are not born again. This is a serious error. Then the evil spirit of violence, of taking arms and fight for our rights, is slowly creeping in too. And many Christians think that this is normal. It is not! This is not a political or tribal fight. This is spiritual warfare and it must be addressed as such.

We need to know the truth. The Word of God is the truth! Jesus is the truth! In the Bible we are told that there are two kingdoms. There is the Kingdom of God, whose King is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Then there is the Kingdom of darkness, also called ‘the World’, whose ruler is the devil. Each has its own strategy and mind set. All human beings belong to one kingdom or the other. As born again believers we belong to the Kingdom of God. We live in this world but we are not of it. The Holy Spirit has separated us from the world’s mentality. We are people of the Holy Spirit. We have the mind of Christ! In this world, men chose their own leaders, thru voting or other violent means. But in the Kingdom of God leaders emerge, because God choses them. The philosophy of this world is ‘survival of the fittest’. But the Kingdom of God there is ‘righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost’ (Rom 14:17). Jesus told us to give respect to all leaders. “And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marveled at Him” (Mk 12:17). But our highest praise and eternal worship belongs to God! God created all things. He allows the world to go on because His process of redemption is still going on.
Read the story of King Jehoshaphat in the book of 2 Chronicles chapter 20. Judah was attacked by three enemy nations, much stronger than them. The king declared a time of fasting and prayer. Then a prophet spoke in the name of the Lord that they should not fear; for this battle is not theirs, but God’s. Then they started praising God with a loud voice and with musical instruments saying: ‘Praise the Lord; for His mercy endures forever!’ Then God caused confusion in the camp of the enemies. They fought themselves and they ‘helped to destroy one another’. The fear of God fell on all people. There was peace and rest after that. The people of Judah became rich from the spoils of war. Praise the Lord! As you can see, fasting, prayers, the word or God, the prophetic anointing of the Holy Spirit… these are the weapons of our warfare. They are not of this world. They are spiritual weapons that can never fail. Never forget! God can never lose any battle!
When a child of God is in trouble, he does not run to men. He runs to God who alone can help him. During the history of mankind, any time the people of God were in trouble and they sought the face of God, God will raise a prophet to encourage them. God has not changed. ‘Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever’ (Heb 13:8). We should not fear wars or rumor of wars (Mt 24:6). Like King Jehoshaphat we should seek God, His strength and His help. When our Lord Jesus Christ came to Israel, the people were interested in a military or a strong political ruler. But Jesus came and died on the Cross of Calvary. He shed His Blood for the forgiveness of sins. The Cross is God’s strategy for victory. ‘The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength’ (1Cor 1:25). On Calvary Hill the battle was spiritual. The victory was spiritual. It is the same now. The victory in the Spirit shall manifest as victory in the natural. Children of God, let us repent for loving the world and let us come back to God. This battle is not ours. It is God’s! And the victory will glorify His holy name! Worship the Lord!

(sermon preached by Pastor Richmond Sisan Leigh in 2018)

REVIVAL – LIVING WATER (4)

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – Living water (4). Her main text was taken from the Books of John and Revelation 4 and 5. “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (Jn 4:21-26)

“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever” (Rev 5:8-14)

We shall revisit the subject of Revival. We feel led to pray without ceasing for an extraordinary move of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, homes, in our church and for this land (Warri/ Effurun/ Nigeria). This time we shall seek God for the fullness of the Spirit, described as the Fountain of Living Waters. Our Lord teaches the Samaritan woman the meaning of true worship. We shall learn with her how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, how to worship God and how to participate in revival. Too many Christians are too easily satisfied. When they are saved an ‘amount’ of the Holy Spirit is given to them. This is because without the Holy Spirit you cannot be born again. After that, they are supposed to press on closer to God, to receive the fullness of God’s Spirit. Few do that! Revival is like ‘a fountain of Living Waters that springs up to everlasting life’. This fountain produces a peculiar water. It is the all-satisfying living water. The promise is that ‘you will never thirst again’. The word ‘never’ is categorical and definitive. Few believers press on until they arrive to that place of ‘never thirst again’. We should pay the price to experience the manifestation of this wonderful promise! The manifestation of revival is under the sovereign will of King Grace. The Living Water stands for true worship! May we please our Savior and God!

TRUE WORSHIP – WORTHY IS THE LAMB!!!

Worshipping God is the deepest and greatest spiritual activity of man before God. We are saved to worship God. Any man who says is a Christian but cannot worship God in spirit and in truth, is not saved. “I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.” (A.W. Tozer). True worship is the eternal, heavenly, conscious, sacrificial expression of the love of man towards God.  It is an equal mixture of Love for God and the Fear of God. It is total surrender before God, in perfect adoration and awe. True worship is not the same as prayer. Worship is more than a humble attitude towards God. During worship the believer does not make any request before God. He does not even give thanks for what God has done for him. He simply bows down and loves God because of who God is as a Person! Worship is always ‘vertical’, God centered. We worship God the Father and God the Son, the Lamb of God who died that we might live! The deepest cry of the worshipper is ‘Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12)

The word ‘worship’ comes from an old English word spelled ‘worth-ship’. There is an intimate connection between worship and the worth of God. You see in heaven how the elders worship God declaring that He is Worthy to be worship (Rev 4:10, 11; 5:8-14). The more you see the worth, the greatness of God, the deeper shall be your worship. The meaning of the word ‘worthy’ is this: somebody deserving to be noticed, deserving respect, admiration, or support. To deserve it means to have earned something or be given something because of your actions or excellent moral qualities. Worth means great value, excellent character that deserves recognition. Men desire to honor a worthy person. God alone is worthy of all our love.  Because we are born sinners, and enemies to God, we do not deserve salvation, respect, or any good gift. All these are ours just because of God’s Grace. We worship King Grace who alone is worthy as a Person to receive all worship!  “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created… Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 4:11; 5:12).

Worship is a command. We are commanded to show respect to people in authority because God put them there. We are to ‘pay’ them this respect, because of their office. It is a matter of ‘paying’ them. We owe them! How much more we are to pay the sacrifice of worship to God? “Pay to all what is due: tax to whom tax is due, customs to whom customs, respect to whom respect, honor to whom honor” (Rom 13:7, AMP).   

In Hebrew and in Greek, the word ‘worship’ means to kneel, to bow down or prostrate before God, or another deity. This position of the body reflects the spirit inside the body. There is a humbling, a submission, an acknowledging to the supreme God. All singing and all praying is not always worship. Singing praises should lead to worship. The preaching of the Word should lead to worship. If not, these religious activities are in vain. The word ‘worship’ appears about 200 times in the Bible. Worship is a manifestation of deep love and admiration towards God. It is a point of total surrender and humility before God. In worship, the Fear of God and the Love of God are combined in a perfect mixture. Worship is the atmosphere of heaven. God seats on the throne and all other beings worship Him. Worship is more than a beautiful song. It is a spiritual deep work in the soul of man. As God’s will is done in heaven, so it must be done on earth. We need to understand how God wants us to worship Him. Other words in Hebrew connected with worship are ‘serving the Lord’. For example, God told Moses to tell Pharoah to let the Hebrew people go free from slavery. “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me” (Ex 9:1). The word translated ‘serve’ also means ‘worship’.

Biblical worship gives a visible expression to the relationship between God and His child. Worship is different than prayer. The worshipper does not make petitions, does not even give thanks for what God has done. During worship the believer gives himself to God, sacrificially and unconditionally. This is the unique holy pattern of true worship. God is seeking for true worshippers. God is looking for people who love and trust Him enough not to make so many demands. Like a millionaire who wants to marry a girl who loves him for himself and not for his money, God is looking for people who love Him because of who He is. There are few believers who truly worship God like this.

The Patriarchs worshipped God by raising altars. At that time there was no formal corporate worship. Later, God called Moses on the mountain and showed him the pattern of the tabernacle, the sacrifices, and the priesthood. This is how the official worship of Jehovah started. The people were given clear instructions how to worship God by bringing animals to the tabernacle to be sacrificed for their sins. They also brought the first fruits and other sacrifices to the tabernacle as a token of appreciation for God blessing the work of their hands. As you can see, worshipping God is a sacrifice. Worship comes from a grateful, humble, and generous heart. No fault finder, proud, or greedy person can worship God acceptably. During the times of judges, the worship of God was low. King Saul did not care about God. King David revived worship in Israel. Many of his psalms reflect his desire to worship God. His son Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem. From that time, the corporate worship became established in Israel. The worship got corrupted by the religious leaders, but it continued until Babylon destroyed the Temple and carried the people into exile. According to the prophecy, seventy years later, God sent Ezra and Nehemiah from Babylon to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. From that time, the synagogues appeared. The Jews gathered to study God’s Word and to worship Jehovah. After the Romans destroyed the temple and Jerusalem in 70AD only the synagogues were left for the Jews where they could worship God.

The tabernacle, the sacrifices, and the priesthood, all pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. After the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, there was no need for animal sacrifices. The worship pattern started to change. The Lord Jesus Christ is now the Great High Priest and Intercessor in heaven. There is no need for an earthly priest to help the believer worship God. The Lord did not give a particular pattern how we should worship God. The Holy Spirit leads each believer and each congregation on how to worship God. After Pentecost, the Christians still used the Temple in Jerusalem to worship God. Because of the persecution, they moved to private homes. The animal sacrifices in the temple were replaced by the Holy Communion. The Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) was replaced with the first day of the week (Sunday). The early believers decided to gather every Sunday to worship God. Preaching and teaching the Word of God were extremely important during the services. The believers were hungry for the Word of God. The unity of the Spirit was manifested by the people honoring the Word of God and their weekly gathering to worship God.

The first testing of the church involved worship. The Roman emperors believed that they descended from the gods and therefore, they should be worshipped by the people. This was not so much a religious exercise but a political one. The pagans under the Roman rule had no problem in worshipping Caesar. They worshipped many gods anyway, so one more makes no difference. The only people who refused to worship Caesar were the Christians. They refused to say: ‘Caesar is Lord’. They insisted that ‘Jesus is Lord’. Because of this, many Christians suffered and died for their faith.  

This is a great picture of the early church. It is also the pattern for worship and revival. “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Ac 2:41-47). As you can see, the believers ‘continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine’. The Preaching of God’s Word has its foundation ‘in the apostles’ doctrine’. In other words, the only preaching that the Holy Spirit confirms and blesses, is the preaching of the true Gospel, Christ Crucified and Resurrected. The understanding of the true gospel leads to true worship.  Worship relates to the teaching of truth. Deception and doctrinal error destroy the true worship of God.   

To worship God in the way He desires it is the most important work we can do. The worship must be Biblical. There is an acceptable and an un-acceptable worship. We must study this extremely subject carefully. Worship must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit.  He is the Spirit of Truth, and He glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. To worship God in Truth it means to worship God according to the Word of God and not according to the traditions of men. Only the born-again believers can worship God acceptably. God does not accept the worship of the unbelievers.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter wanted to ‘retain’ the atmosphere of worship. But he wanted to use natural means, by building three tabernacles. God corrected his wrong understanding of worship and simply commanded Peter to ‘listen to Jesus!’. The preaching of God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit must give voice to the Son of God. Here we are reminded of the responsibility and privilege of preaching and listening to the Word of God. True preaching must lead to worshipping God in a deeper way. If not, that ‘preaching’ has failed its purpose. “Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid” (Mt 17:4-6). This is the story on top of the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter suggested to build three tabernacles so that they can worship Our Lord, Moses, and Elijah. God told him to shut up. None is worthy or worship except the Lord Jesus Christ! We are commanded to ‘hear Him!’. Our Lord alone teaches the acceptable way of worship, and He alone is worthy to be worshipped.

Our Lord did not give us a particular pattern on how to worship God. But He attracted our attention to the danger of religious hypocrisy.

“Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Mk 7:5-7). The religious spirits lead people to worship God according to the commandments of men. The hypocrites are busy in worshipping God, but their worship is not acceptable to God. The Lord says that this man-made worship is ‘in vain’. It will not reach or touch the heart of God.      

EXAMPLES OF TRUE WORSHIP

*Moses

When God revealed His Grace and Glory to Moses, he bowed down and worshipped God.  “Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped” (Ex 34:5-8).

*Joshua

Joshua had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Immediately, he bowed down and worshiped Him. The Commander of the Army of the Lord.  “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so” (Josh 5:13-15).

*Job

The devil attacked the righteous man Job. He lost his property and his children. In the midst of his pain, he fell to the ground and… he did not curse God… he did not complain to God… but, he worshipped God! This is a wonderful picture of the sacrifice of worship. “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:20-22)

*King David

David committed adultery and murder. His baby with Bathsheba died. Repentant, in pain, David did not accuse God, did not go to drink alcohol… but he went to the house of God, and he worshipped. “So, David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate” (2 Sam 12:20). This is another wonderful example how to offer a sacrifice of worship.   

WORSHIP IS A COMMAND

In God’s Word we are commanded to worship God, our Maker, and our Shepherd. True worship humbles and softens the heart. Worship is a special act between man and God. During worship God speaks to you. The reaction to God’s word is submission and humility. Rebellion and pride are enemies to true worship. Worship leads to spiritual ‘rest’ and satisfaction. It is the drinking of the Living Water and never thirst again. You praise God for His wonderful acts He has done. You worship God just for who He is! God is good and He helps us in many ways. But God wants us to come before Him and bow down to worship Him just because He is God! If you ‘worship’ God and you are still worried about your life, it means that God has not accepted your worship. Because true worship leads to rest of mind, peace, and total satisfaction. 

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ” (Ps 95:6-11) 

GOD IS JEALOUS OVER HIS WORSHIP

God is jealous over His Worship. Idolatry is competing with the true worship of God. In the past, men bowed before sticks and stones, thinking that these are gods. But now, the love of money is one of the greatest idols to many. ‘Greed is idolatry’ (Col 3:5). One of the Ten Commandments is to worship God alone and not any idol. Since the beginning of time, it is on record that God does not bless the idolaters.   

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Ex 20:2-6). God commands His people not to worship (not to bow down) to idols. The children of men and women who worship idols, are born with a disadvantage. Only in Christ this curse is removed. Worship is powerful. You become like the object of your worship. You worship God, you become like Jesus! If you worship idols, you become like them: blind, hardened, and foolish (Ps 115:1-8).

Apostle Paul addressed the Greek philosophers confronting their useless idolatry. They trusted and worshipped the wisdom of men. Their poets were worshipped as gods. He said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:  God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Ac 17:22-25). The Greeks were great philosophers and worshipped many gods. They even included a god whose name is ‘The Unknown God’. The unbelievers have a faint idea that their gods are not satisfying. That is why they leave a space for ‘an unknown God’. But we, the believers in Christ, know this God and we proclaim His Word: Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected!  

THE DEVIL HATES OUR WORSHIP

The devil covets our worship. This is how he tempted our Lord in the wilderness. ‘Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (Mt 4:8-11). Taking our Lord as our best example, we need to do spiritual warfare to protect the purity of the worship of God!

REVIVAL – THE LIVING WATER (3)

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – The Living Water (3). Her main text was taken from the Book of John. “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ… Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 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” … 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. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 1:16,17; 4:13,14; 7:37-39)

We shall revisit the subject of Revival. We feel led to pray without ceasing for an extraordinary move of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, homes, in our church and for this land (Warri/ Effurun/ Nigeria). This time we shall seek God for the fullness of the Spirit, described as the Fountain of Living Waters. Our Lord teaches the Samaritan woman the meaning of true worship. We shall learn with her how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, how to worship God and how to participate in revival. Too many Christians are too easily satisfied. When they are saved an ‘amount’ of the Holy Spirit is given to them. This is because without the Holy Spirit you cannot be born again. After that, they are supposed to press on closer to God, to receive the fullness of God’s Spirit. Few do that! Revival is like ‘a fountain of Living Waters that springs up to everlasting life’. This fountain produces a peculiar water. It is the all-satisfying living water. The promise is that ‘you will never thirst again’. The word ‘never’ is categorical and definitive. Few believers press on until they arrive to that place of ‘never thirst again’. We should pay the price to experience the manifestation of this wonderful promise! The manifestation of revival is under the sovereign will of King Grace. May we please Him! Jesus Christ came ‘full of Grace and Truth”. Out of His fulness we have received Grace and more Grace. The word ‘fulness’ means a container filled to the brim. There is no empty space. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is a manifestation of His fulness, as the Lord of all. It affects every area of our lives. Both is quality and quantity Grace is eternally creative. We need the Holy Spirit to understand and appreciate the Grace of God. Grace is a King helping His humble servants just because He takes pleasure in helping. Because of this fullness of Grace in Christ, we can never lose our salvation! Christ in us the Hope of Glory! Halleluiah!

Too many believers, after they become saved, live a life of spiritual ‘maintenance’. There is no excitement, no bubbling joy of growth and expanding testimony. They live ‘in past glories.’ Like a honeymoon of long ago, almost forgotten, their best has passed. This is the opposite of the true Christian life. God keeps the best for the last (John 2:10). We are going towards the glory ahead! Selah! “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]” (Jn 10:10; AMP). Eternal Life that comes thru Jesus Christ is not just a lengthy life. It has a special quality. It is a living life! It is powerful. It overflows. It is joyful and satisfying. Life in Christ is like food that is more than we can consume. It is water in greater quantity than we can drink, all our lives. It never ends. You will never see the bottom of the bucket filled with the Living Water of Christ. One thing this Living Water cannot do: It cannot disappoint you! The more you drink, the more it fills the soul. The devil is called ‘the thief’. He wants to kill the sheep and steal their pasture. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the opposite. He cares for the sheep. He finds ‘green pastures’ for them. ‘He leads them beside still waters and He restores their soul’. He prepares for them a table of healthy food. No enemy can stop this holy feast. He anoints the sheep’ head with oil of gladness. He adopts the sheep like they are His own children (Psalm 23). This is just a sample of the promised ‘abundant life’. Grace has the same effect. It overflows! “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom 5:20). Revival is always connected with Grace. Revival is the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit, blessing many believers at the same time. The unbelievers become attracted by this powerful life working in the Christians. The result is that they become converted. Many people look down on the Church. This is because they do not see much difference in behavior between the worldly people and the so-called believers. Once the Holy Spirit convicts the religious people of sin, true repentance and conversion happens. The believers will manifest the fruits of repentance. The world notices that. The Church has authority over the world only when the children of God pay the price for sanctification and the fulness in Christ. Like butterflies come to the light, so the unbelievers are attracted to truth and love, manifested in their fulness, in the lives of the believers. This is a good question: Since you became saved, do you experience this fullness of life? Are you truly filled with the Holy Spirit? Is the fountain of Living Water springing up in your spirit? Is your spirit ‘bubbling’ life toward others? Is your testimony changing others around you? Have you experienced this Niagara Falls-like ‘Glorious Rich Grace’ (Eph 1:6,7)?

HINDRANCES AGAINST REVIVAL, AGAINST RECEIVING THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT (THE LIVING WATER)

1-PrejudiceApart of the prejudice against people of a different race, gender, social status and religious affiliation, man’s greatest prejudice is against Truth. Man is born a sinner. He is born hating God and God’s Word, which is truth. He sees The Lord Jesus Christ as his enemy and the Bible as foolishness. “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14). Our Lord said this about the Holy Spirit: “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (Jn 14:17). The religious unbeliever ‘cannot receive’ the Holy Spirit of Truth. He cannot see Truth and cannot know Truth. He has no option than to lie and deceive continuously. But once a sinner repents, he immediately stops fighting the truth. He now loves God, the name of Jesus, the Bible, prayer, worship, and the fellowship of the brethren. This change is dramatic, and it is a sign of conversion. It is totally the work of the Holy Spirit.

2-The evil spirit of religion The evil spirit of religion is also a great hindrance against revival, or spiritual maturity. There is great difference between an unbeliever and a child of God. There is great difference between a Living Church and a ‘dead’ church. In fact, a ‘dead’ church is an abnormality. What are some of the qualities of a living church? A living local church acknowledges and welcomes the Holy Spirit. The pastor preaches the Word of God, the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected. Truth has a power no lie can destroy. As the pastor preaches the Truth, in the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the congregation is fed with ‘organic spiritual food’. Because of the authority of God’s Word, the congregation remains calm during preaching. Nothing changes the hearts of men except the Word of God that penetrates thru the Holy Spirit! Changes happen in the congregation. These changes lead to revival. The unbelievers repent of sins and eventually become saved. The believers love truth and desire to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ! But when the pastor and the leaders grieve the Holy Spirit thru unrepentant sin, the atmosphere of the church changes. The Holy Spirit withdraws from the people. They lose that sense of freedom and joy of salvation. An evil spirit replaces the Holy Spirit. It is a counterfeit ‘holy spirit’. It is called the spirit of religion or the spirit of antichrist! The pastor now preaches stories and not the Word of God. The church now loves ceremonies and religious entertainment. The people think worldly. Sin does not look evil to them anymore. From the leaders to the youngest member of the church, they all follow this evil spirit of religion. They are deceived and they deceive others. They now backslide. Many people join the church who become religious but have no desire to be truly saved. The leaders in the church become ‘famous’ and the congregation worships them. This is a tragedy. The Holy Spirit will intervene and discipline the leaders and the people. The church belongs to Jesus Christ! He died and shed His Blood for the church to be born. The Church is the Bride of Christ. The Bridegroom is jealous and will discipline the wayward Bride. This phenomenon has happened again and again in the history of the church. Revival is the answer to backsliding. We need to do spiritual warfare to keep the doctrine and the behavior pure, to please our Lord! Selah!

The influence of the evil spirit of religion upon a religious unbeliever, or upon a congregation manifests itself in many ways:

*Ignorance of God’s Word and lack of interest in prayer From the discussion of our Lord with the woman at the well, you can see that there are two basic conditions in receiving the Living Water: knowing the Lord Jesus and specific prayer. Our Lord said to the woman: “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” (Jn 4:10). The woman was ignorant of ‘the Gift of God’ who is our Savior and Lord. Only Him can save a soul. Only Him can give this Living Water called Eternal Life. During the discussion, the woman believed and asked for the Gift. “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw” (Jn 4:15).

What are the lessons? You need to come to Jesus! You need to surrender your life to Jesus, as your Savior and Lord! You need to pray that He will forgive all your sins and fill you with the Holy Spirit! Then you shall indeed know the Gift of God, and His Grace to men! You need to be saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! You need to know and believe the true Gospel. Jesus died and rose again for you! You need to understand the true doctrines of the Bible. Faith in the Word of God is basic to the Christian life. The devil does his best to stop sinners from reading the Bible and praying. When doing evangelism, you need to combine it with spiritual warfare. There is a false Gospel and a false ‘Jesus’. These false doctrines cannot save a sinner. But Truth always prevails!

This is a reminder of the responsibility of the pastor in caring for the flock of Christ. We preach Christ Crucified and Resurrected! This is the only true Gospel who has the power to change men’s hearts! The Gospel reveals to us the need for salvation, the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit! Ignorant of the need, we will not ask for the Living Water! Praise the Lord!

*False brethren The evil spirit of religion produces false brethren. They look and sound like Christians, but they are not saved. They do not produce fruits of repentance. They stand in times of peace and prosperity, but during times of trial, they fall. Their aim in the church is to infiltrate and attack from the inside. They are dangerous because they are hidden among the true believers. False brethren are easily satisfied with a little religion. They do not pay the price for spiritual maturity. They do not offer sacrifices of praise! They are ‘busybodies and spies’ in the church! They are wolves in sheep’ clothes (Mt 7:15). They do not care about Jesus! They only care about themselves. They gossip and create divisions in the church. We are commanded to avoid such people. “We command you, believers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by His authority, that you withdraw and keep away from every brother or sister who leads an undisciplined life and does not live in accordance with the tradition and teaching that you have received from us… Indeed, we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined and inappropriate life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies [meddling in other people’s business]” (2 Thess 3:6;11; AMP). The false brethren infiltrate the church like spies of the devil. They pretend to be Church’ members. They do the things other Christians do and speak the right words. But they are not saved. They do not even desire to be saved. They study the weakness of the church to give information to the devil. They can damage the unity of the Spirit in the Church. They desire positions of leadership in the church. They use manipulation and intimidation so that they take control over the church. They do not submit to the authority in the church, but they compete with the leadership. Apostle Paul recognized them and opposed them. As a Christian, you cannot submit to these agents of darkness. “And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Gal 2:4,5). The solution is to continue to “preach the Word” (2Tim 4:2). Light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot quench the light! Amen!*Lukewarm (backsliding) Christians The disciples of Jesus went to buy food. When they returned, they saw Him talking to a Samaritan woman. They were surprised and possibly upset but no one had the courage to rebuke Him for breaking the social rules (Jn 4:27). Our Lord knew that they too are prejudiced against the Samaritan woman. That is why He allowed them to go and buy food in the town, so that He can be alone with her. The disciples (except for Judas) stand for immature or backslidden believers. Later, the Lord teaches them lessons taken from His conversation with the woman. Humankind is divided into two groups: believers and unbelievers. The believers are also divided into two groups: There are ‘baby Christians’ and there are ‘mature Christian’s. All believers go to heaven when they die. But there is a difference between them, in the way they live their lives on earth. The difference is found in this ‘fullness of Living Waters’. The Baby Christian only drinks the milk of the Word. He is ‘carnal, a mere man’. He is not full of the Holy Spirit. The mature Christian has a different ‘diet’. He eats ‘the strong meat’ of God’s Word and is filled with the Living Waters. Apostle Paul rebuked the Corinthian believers because they were not willing to pay the price for spiritual maturity. “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1Cor 3:1-3). A Christian who is envious on others, who is a fault finder, a troublemaker and who divides people in the church, is surely a victim of the evil spirit of religion. He may be ignorant of the fact that he serves the devil, but this is the truth. He is a backsliding and lukewarm Christian. He causes a lot of harm in the body of Christ. He is in a dangerous position too (Rev 3:14-16). He walks in the same way with the false brethren. That is why we challenge and encourage people to pay the price for spiritual maturity. Listen to me, please… Humble yourself! Study the Word of God! Fast and pray! This is the royal way of the Cross! It is not easy, but it is the only way. There is no short-cut to maturity! Spiritual laziness, refusal to mature spiritually, is one of the greatest hindrances to revival in the church. Our Lord said: “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Mt 12:30). He who ‘gathers’ the harvest with Jesus, will be filled with His Living Water! It is a terrible thing to come to church for nothing. You do not listen to the Word of God. You are passive, sitting in the congregation. That is a waster of opportunities to grow and Grace. You need to repent!

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb 5:12-14). The word ‘unskilled’ means to be ignorant of the basic doctrines of the Gospel. The baby Christian has only a ‘head knowledge’ of the Gospel. He has not learned how to apply it daily in his life. He does not have a personal testimony. He has zeal, sometimes even Bible knowledge, but he lacks wisdom. He is still restless. He is still thirsty. He still needs to draw water daily with the bucket. He is not a teacher yet. “Therefore, with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Is 12:3). A baby Christian has joy, but he labors much to extend his joy to others! A baby Christian who refuses to mature, will surely backslide. He will persecute the mature Christians and ignorantly, will oppose revival in the church! *Religious spirits in the church are witchcraft spirits Apostle Paul said: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” (Gal 3:1). False prophets, false doctrines, love of money, and religious witchcraft are part of church ‘entertainment’. The evil spirit of religion is one of the greatest enemies to revival. Spiritual warfare is necessary before the Holy Spirit moves freely in the church. The woman at the well is seeking for truth. But she tries to deflect the discussion towards her advantage. She changes the subject easily. She tries to sound smart, intelligent, spiritual. She tries to impress Jesus. But she fails to distract Him. Look how the Lord directs the conversation towards the revelation of Himself so that the woman can be saved. This is how the sinner tries to run from the conviction of the Holy Spirit. This is how we behaved too. Why did we do that? Why do we avoid the questions of our conscience when convicted of sin? This is because nobody loves painful words. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin because we do not believe in Jesus (Jn 16:8,9). We try to be smart. We are skillful in running away from repentance, trying to silence our conscience. We underestimate the power of the Gospel. We deceive ourselves in thinking that we know all the answers and we do not need salvation. Like the woman at the well, she had her own bucket and water. She thought she needed nothing else. The Lord stirs her interest in ‘a better’ water. Her curiosity is aroused by the free offer of Jesus! All her manipulations fail in the presence of Him who alone can save her soul! Lastly, we want to say that except the Lord Jesus Christ thru the Holy Spirit reveals Himself to you, you cannot see Him! Selah!

THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Christianity is not just a teaching. It is a way of life. It is a spiritual phenomenon. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for sinners and to save them. He sent the Holy Spirit that bonded all believers into one body. The devil hates God and hates the believers. He tries to destroy the church, but he will always fail. Our Lord said: “on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).We are soldiers for Christ! “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Cor 10:3-6). Glory to God!

THIS IS THE MINDSET OF A CHAMPION:

The Olympic champions have something in common. They think in the same way.

1-A champion believes in God and in God’s vision for him

2-A champion is a student, loves to learn. Because of this desire, he remains humble and teachable

3-A champion has mastered his mind. He is bold, focused; not easily distracted. He kills his anxiety and doubts. He remembers the prize ahead

4-A champion has mastered his body. He kills his fleshly desires and lusts. He does not give up until he finishes his race.

5-A champion surrounds himself with others who have a similar mindset (mentors, teachers, pastors…) and avoids losers

RUN THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN IT!

One of the greatest weapons against the discouragement of the devil, is to have ‘a champion mentality’. Athletes train their bodies and also their mind. They need to have a vision of victory before they can be champions. How much more we, the true worshippers of the only Living God! We should have the mind of Christ! By the power of the Holy Spirit, we should kill all fleshly ideas, inferiority complexes, fears, and doubts about the victory our Lord gained at the Cross. The devil has lost forever! In Christ, we go from one triumph to another. For His glory! Apostle Paul said that we are like Olympic Champions. We are runners and boxers. The saints who are in heaven, they watch and encourage us to continue to the end. Apostle Paul said: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor 9:24-27).

Paul says:

*I do not run with uncertainty! The word ‘uncertainty’ means doubt, lacking a purpose, hiding from others, obscure, fearful, shy. Paul says: I run with the assurance of my goal! I run to the end! I do not hide! I run in the light! Dear believer, how can you run if you do not know your lane, you do not know the rules of the game and where the finishing line is? As for me and my household, I will run the Christian race until my last breath! I will see Jesus, face to face! I am sure of that! He is my Reward!

*I do not fight as one beating the air! A boxer may exercise by ‘beating the air’ but once he enters the ring, he must punch the enemy and win the battle! In the boxing world, ‘a perfect punch’ is said to be the punch that takes the opponent by surprise and defeats him. The professional boxers say that it is not so much a matter of strength, but that of wisdom. You need to take advantage of all opportunities, including the weakness of the enemy (the devil). You need to be dead to self and alive only to the Holy Spirit. The Cross is the only sure victory ground! Just like David who knocked down Goliath with a single stone, you can ‘punch the devil in his eyes’ and defeat him! We see that we should run for the medal, for the crown, for the reward in heaven! ‘Run in such a way…’. Stay focused! Encourage yourself and others! Christians are not in competition with one another! They help one another as they run together! You do not win the prize by comparing with others. You must focus on the prize promised to you and not to other runners! The Christian race is not a 100metre dash. It is a marathon. It is 42 Kilometers. Life is long! It is a marathon! Your testimony is a marathon! You should think like that! It is not how well you start but how well you finish it!

Every athlete practice self-control in all things: diet, exercise, and sexual abstinence. There is no success without discipline! You need to take dominion over self! To be champion is not easy! It is Self-mastery! The athlete even abstains from good things if these things hinder him to gain the crown. The fruit of the Spirit is self-control (Gal 5:23).

Paul is a spiritual champion and mentor to us! He leads by preaching the Word and by personal example! He said: “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim 4:16). Let us follow the example of Apostle Paul! He was a man of ‘one thing I do’. Thru the power of the Holy Spirit he was leaning towards the future. You need the Holy Spirit to remain focused and forget the past, with its failures and successes. You need to be excited about the future, the glory ahead. That is having the mind of Christ, the mind of a heavenly champion! Pressing Toward the Goal “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have [d]apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind” (Phil 3:12-15).

Paul lived with a holy fear. He was not afraid to lose his salvation. But he was afraid to damage his testimony and lose his reward as a servant of Christ! This is a warning especially for the preachers! As a believer, you cannot lose your salvation. But thru sin, you can be disqualified from ministry and lose your reward from God! May God forbid! Say with Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim 4:7, 8 )Finally, let us run the race like Jesus! He is our Best Example, Mentor and Champion forever! It is a race or faith that ends in joy! “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:1, 2)

“Let the Living Waters flow over my soul! Let the Holy Spirit come and take control!” Worship the Lord!

I AM QUIET, GENTLE, PRECIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL

“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1Pet 3:1-4)

MY TESTIMONY AS A WIFEI shall now boast in the Lord! My husband and I are married for almost 44 years. In Christ and by the grace of God, I declare that I am quiet, gentle, precious and beautiful! The Word of God says so! My husband says so! What others say it does not matter. I have learned over the years to speak less than my husband, especially when we are in public. For example, if he speaks 10 words, I speak maybe 3. If he is not around I can speak 8. You may joke about it, but this is the truth. I mentally count the times I open my mouth. If I do not have something good and godly to say, I am not ashamed to keep quiet. I do not have to prove that I am intelligent, anointed or educated by talking. When I talk, I make sure that I am on my husband’s ‘side’. I do not come from the opposite side. I do not stand against him spiritually speaking. I do not threaten him positionally. I am never on the side of them who argue with him, even if jokingly. If I do not understand something he says I make a mental note to ask him at home. I do not want to ask him any question while others listen to us talking. If it is an ‘emergency’ I ask him in Romanian. Thank God, most people do not understand this language. I do this because I do not want to be seen as his boss, teacher or mentor. I gladly submit to him because of God’s command. I also do not ask other men questions in my husband’s presence. I do not want to be seen as a foolish ignorant wife. That attitude will place the blame on him implying that he did not teach me well at home.You may ask… What is my ‘gain’ in all this? My gain is God’s pleasure over our home! The Holy Spirit is free to move, and work in us from inside out. Both my husband and I are ‘work in progress’ but if I obey God’s Word, the progress is faster. I love that! The devil loves to ask questions causing division, doubts, fears and confusion. I pray before I talk. I choose when to answer or when not to answer a question that is ‘thrown’ at me. My husband is the only one who has the right to ‘demand’ answers from me. No other person has the same right. Over the years, I do not regret talking too little but I regret talking too much. This strategy of keeping quiet as a wife (well… most of the time) is not legalistic or religious. It is the result of the leading of the Holy Spirit who gives me the power to choose silence when silence is the winner. Controlling your tongue is great achievement as a wife! It is not easy. But the effect of peace in the home is great! To God be all the glory!

(in the picture, my beloved husband, Richmond Sisan Leigh and I, during a trip in Italy. I wrote this note in 2016, before my husband went to heaven. The words remain true and can still bless somebody. Glory to God!)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (PV 3:5, 6). I cannot ‘trust in the Lord with all my heart’ in English. I need a heavenly language that is above ‘my own understanding’. When I pray in English, there is still a pocket of anxiety left in me. I still have some inferiority complex that I may not have ‘nailed’ the prayer. But when I pray in tongues, all limitations vanish and I can fly like an eagle. Fearlessly and joyfully! Once up there in the sky, the Lord uses the Wind of His Spirit to direct the path of my wings. Above the clouds, He creates a new imagination in me! I worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! That is why I love Jesus, my Lord! I hope that now you understand…

Love in Christ alone,

Malia!

(Picture taken from the internet)

REVIVAL – THE LIVING WATER (2)

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – The Living Water (2). Her main text was taken from the Book of John. “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ… Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 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” … 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. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 1:16,17; 4:13,14; 7:37-39)

We shall revisit the subject of Revival. We feel led to pray without ceasing for an extraordinary move of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, homes, in our church and for this land (Warri/ Effurun/ Nigeria). This time we shall seek God for the fullness of the Spirit, described as the Fountain of Living Waters. Our Lord teaches the Samaritan woman the meaning of true worship. We shall learn with her how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, how to worship God and how to participate in revival. Too many Christians are too easily satisfied. When they are saved an ‘amount’ of the Holy Spirit is given to them. This is because without the Holy Spirit you cannot be born again. After that, they are supposed to press on closer to God, to receive the fullness of God’s Spirit. Few do that! The Living Water stands for salvation in Christ Jesus, for Eternal Life. It stands for Revival, the fullness of the Spirit, worship in Spirit and in Truth and doing ministry. The woman at the well became saved, Spirit filled and anointed to do evangelism that very day. The Grace of God comes as power to change a sinner into a saint. To God be all the glory!

DESCRIPTION OF THE LVING WATER

How can we describe this Living Water? It is a peculiar water. A life-giving water. It destroys all barrenness, waste, and death. It heals the body, the soul, and the spirit. It is always fresh. Religion is boring. It fades like old clothes. But the Spirit makes everything fresh. Even if we preach the same Bible every day, there is something new in the revelation of God’s Word. Many pastors who are not Spirit filled. They got tired of preaching the Word and have replaced the Bible with books about politics, social studies, breaking news and stories. That is not preaching. Religion looks like a dress. It only covers and changes the outside behavior. Religion never goes into the heart. But the Living Water goes into the heart. “The water that I shall give him will become IN HIM a fountain”. This water goes ‘in him’. This water is all-satisfying. It is not like the water in Jacob’s well. The pleasures of the world may feel good, but they do not last. They do not satisfy. The Living Water goes deep ‘in you’, in your spirit and your soul. It affects the center of your being, your personality. Like a waterfall, the Living Water comes with power, changing everything in its path. It overflows with joy. This is a joyful powerful water. It never ends. Drinking this water, you will be satisfied. You shall search for the meaning of life no more. This Living Water is experiential. You feel when it comes inside you. This Living Water comes directly from Jesus! None can give it except the Lord Jesus Christ! Revival is like ‘a fountain of Living Waters that springs up to everlasting life’. The Lord’s promise is that ‘you will never thirst again’. The word ‘never’ is categorical and definitive. Few believers press on until they arrive to that place of ‘never thirst again’. We should pay the price to experience the manifestation of this wonderful promise! The manifestation of revival is under the sovereign will of King Grace. May we please Him! Let the Living Water flow over my soul…

HINDRANCES AGAINST REVIVAL, AGAINST RECEIVING THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT

1-PREJUDICE

Let us study the conversation between our Lord and this woman at the well. This is a classical lesson on how to do evangelism. The woman was a sinner seeking for the truth. She met Truth. She submitted to Truth. She became saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Initially, the woman is restless and religious. She talks a lot, going from one subject to another. Our Lord allows her to talk. He is gentle with her. But at the same time, He stays focused, and He is totally in charge of the conversation. He does not push her. He draws her with cords of love that the woman cannot resist. This calling of God creates a thirst for the Living Water that is irresistible. King Grace call cannot be ignored! Glory to God!  

The Lord asks her: “Give Me a Drink!” Observe that the Lord initiates the conversation. Grace always starts and Grace finishes the work! Learn to talk like Jesus! Do not get distracted!  “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” (Jn 4:7, 9). The woman has prejudice based on the social rules of her day. Prejudice is a preconceived judgment about others, not based on complete knowledge. It is rooted in fear, suspicion, and intolerance. Prejudice is a negative opinion about others because of their race, tribe, social status, gender, or religion. Prejudice damages relationships. The Lord was tired and thirsty. He asked her for a cup of water. The woman was surprised that a Jewish Man asks her for water because the Jews and the Samaritans had an historical hatred against each other. The Jews totally discriminated the Samaritans. The radical Jews said that to eat bread from a Samaritan is the same as eating pig’s flesh, and that touching the cup of water will defile a Jew. They said that no Samaritan should be accepted as a convert to Judaism and that no Samaritan will go to heaven. The Samaritans also hated the Jews thinking that they are backsliders of the true faith of Moses! Each nation despised the other. People grew up knowing about this hatred and accepted the division without checking the facts.

Samaria as a city was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. After Israel’s fall, Samaria as a region was in the central area of what used to be the northern kingdom. During the time of Jesus, Samaria was located between Galilee to the north and Judea to the south. Today, Samaria is in what is now the northern West Bank. Several hundred Samaritans still live in Israel and continue to practice their faith. The Samaritans were half Jew, half Gentile. The Assyrian Kingdom conquered the Northern Kingdom in 721 BC. Many Jews were captured and sent to Assyria in exile. Others remained in the land. They intermarried with the Assyrians. They became known as the Samaritans. They had their own system of religion. They read only the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). They rejected the Kings, the Prophets and the Temple built in Jerusalem. They too waited for a Messiah! They had their own form of worship and built a temple on top of Mount Gerizim. The southern Kingdom also called Judah fell to the Babylonians later. The Jews from the Northern Kingdom were absorbed in Assyria and disappeared from the Jewish history. They are called ‘the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel’. But the Jews from Babylon later came back to build the temple and the Jerusalem walls, under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra. Nehemiah was strongly opposed by Sanballat the Horonite, who was a Samaritan (Neh 4:2). Nehemiah resisted him. He rejected his help. He told him: “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore, we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” (Neh 2:20). Starting from that time, the Jews rejected all Samaritans. The division between the Jews and the Samaritans never healed! People developed prejudice against one another. Even today, the Jews and the Palestinians discriminate and hate one another. Prejudice is baren and makes all people sad.

The woman at the well was prejudiced against the Jews. Initially she was suspicious when Jesus asked for water. Socially, she was supposed to reject His request. Her people demanded that. She could not afford to be kind to a Jewish man, even if the man was thirsty. But there was something about Jesus that made her forget her prejudice. She was drawn to the Lord Jesus by a power greater than her fears. KING GRACE alone has the power to destroy prejudice! Everywhere He went, Jesus interacted with the poor and outcast. Whether He was healing lepers, eating with tax collectors, or speaking to Samaritans, Jesus constantly demonstrated care for those the world had rejected and showed that He didn’t care what the “religious” people thought of Him. Jesus showed that the Gospel is for everyone. He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Samaria suffered discrimination. But in Christ, there is no Jew, no Gentile. You see that in talking to the woman, our Lord avoids talking about things that produce discrimination and prejudice. In doing evangelism, we too should not talk about race, gender, and religious divisions. Talk about Christ only!

The early believers became free of prejudice. This was a miracle! Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached Christ there. He did miracles in their midst in the name of Jesus. Multitudes were saved and healed. The city of Samaria experienced great joy (Acts 8). There was a wizard called Simon who, for a long time, astonished the people of Samaria with his sorceries. He wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit with money. Peter rebuked him openly (Ac 8:20-24). We need to do warfare against every form of prejudice and discrimination. Jesus came to destroy the wall of division between Jews and Gentiles. In the same way, there shall be no hatred between people. “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation” (Eph 2:14). If you have prejudice against people, you cannot serve God, you cannot worship Him and you cannot do ministry! For God has created all people! In Christ, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28).

In the past, we have studied the subject of revival in the Book of Genesis 26. The Philistines became jealous on Isaac when God miraculously prospered him a hundredfold. They blocked his father’s wells with dirt. Isaac did not waste time and effort to dig new wells. He wisely opened Abraham’s wells. This is how in a time of crisis they found the water of life. This Living Water at the bottom of the well is a symbol of Revival. That is the Living Water. We need to do warfare and remove the religious lies that block the way to the Living Water. “Then Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So, the Philistines envied him. Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there. And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them … It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water” (Gen 26:12-18; 32). We remove the dirt from our father’s well! WE reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination! By faith, we declare that the blessings of Abraham are ours! Revival is here! Glory to God!

“Let the Living Water flow over my soul. Let the Holy Spirit come and take control. In Every situation that has troubled my mind. All my cares and worries, unto You, I roll… Father… Jesus… Spirit…” Worship the Lord!    

“King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come” (Est 1:17)

Please read the Book of Esther, chapter one. King Xerxes is married to Queen Vashti whose name means ‘Beautiful’. The king throws a great banquet to entertain and impress his military leaders, princes and nobles. He later invites all the citizens of Susa to come and enjoy the king’s feast. There is no limit to drinking wine and eating the royal special food. The reason for this party was to give glory to himself. Like Nebuchadnezzar, King Xerxes was a proud foolish man! He loves to drink alcohol. He was also a hot tempered man. Suddenly, becoming tired of the entertainment provided, the drunken king orders his Queen to come to him, dressed in her royal robes. He wanted to boast, before all his guests, of his wife’s beauty. Hating to be embarrassed in front of many drunken men, the Queen refuses to obey his orders. What? Imagine that! The great king is publicly rejected by a woman!!! Suddenly the happy party turns into a mourning gathering. The king is angry mostly because he is embarrassed by his wife’s public rejection. Both husband and wife are angry and embarrassed at each other’s actions. Who will win in this foolish emotional manipulation game? Of course the devil who takes pleasure in division, quarrels and divorce!

King Xerxes asks his wise men what to do. They advise him to divorce and disgrace Vashti. In verse 19 she is no longer called Queen Vashti. She is simply called by her name, like any ordinary woman. The poor queen has no credit of grace with anyone. Vashti is sent away from the palace! She loses her marriage, her reputation and her throne! The wise men advise the king to write a new law saying that each man should be ‘the ruler of his household’! It will be on record that all the wives should submit to their husbands. This is a foolish decree for no law can force the wives to submit or the men to love them. Submission and love are spiritual things of the heart! What are the lessons for us? The first thing I see is that without Christ, fame and riches are useless. Without Christ, there is no peace, no wisdom and no joy! Without Christ, even the best marriages scatter. Without Christ the partying, the happiness of the world will suddenly turn to disgrace and depression. The law cannot change the hearts of men. Only the grace of God found in Christ alone can change hearts and circumstances. Anger, lust, foolishness, pride, rebellion, drinking alcohol, having worldly friends… these are all drops of poison able to kill any relationship. As a married woman, I am sorry for Queen Vashti. In this story she had to go away. She vacated her throne for Queen Esther who is an ambassador for Christ. In this world, nothing is permanent. Only God never changes! ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever’ (Heb 13:8). If you marry an unbeliever, you will suffer. Money and fame cannot help a broken heart. Only God can do it! Another lesson is this: once you are married to ‘a famous’ man, or you hold a position of authority, if you like it or not, you become a role model. Others will imitate you, for better or for worst! Visibility requires responsibility! Remember that!

MY TESTIMONY My husband and I are married for almost 44 years. Both of us work full time to make our marriage happy and strong. It is a sacrifice made because of love. We are not ignorant of the attacks of the devil which is able, if given the chance, to destroy any marriage. This is the wisdom I have learned from the Book of Esther chapter one: Each time my husband calls me I will answer and immediately come to him! I promised myself that I will not be like Queen Vashti! This is my pledge to God and to my conscience: If my husband needs me, if he calls me, I will answer! It can be morning, afternoon, evening or night time. I may know or I may not know the reason for his call. I have made a covenant with my feet not to be tired to walk up and down the stairs when my husband calls me. I cannot even imagine ignoring his call. I take it as serious as the call of God. For me, rejecting my husband’s call is a luxury I cannot afford. I want our marriage to continue. If I was Queen Vashti, knowing that I will be embarrassed in a room full of drunken men, I could have still come to see my husband. I will pray in tongues in my heart that before entering that room, my husband (even if he is drunk) will pity me and let me to go back to my room. I believe that God can change the heart of any king! And even if I have to stand there embarrassed, I will ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen me among those foolish drunkards. In difficult times I pray to be able to use my pain for the glory of God! The shame I will experience will bring me closer to Jesus who also suffered shame on the Cross, dying for me. But no matter how, if my husband calls me, if he needs me, I will come at once! So help me, God! Dear Queen Vashti, I am sorry, but you cannot be my friend! I am with Queen Esther, who is my sister and mentor!

Now I have to go for my husband is calling me… “Come with Me from Lebanon, My bride, come with Me … My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me…. (SS 4:8; Jn 10:27)

(written in 2018)

REVIVAL – THE LIVING WATER (1)

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – The Living Water (1). Her main text was taken from the Book of John. “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ… Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 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” … 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. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 1:16,17; 4:13,14; 7:37-39)

We shall revisit the subject of Revival. This time we shall seek God for the fullness of the Spirit, described as the Fountain of Living Waters. Our Lord teaches the Samaritan woman the meaning of true worship. We shall learn with her how to be filled with the Holy Spirit and how to participate in revival. The problem with many Christians is that they are too easily satisfied. When they are saved an ‘amount’ of the Holy Spirit is given to them. This is because without the Holy Spirit you cannot be born again. After that, they are supposed to press on closer to God, to receive the fullness of God’s Spirit. Our Lord describes that as ‘a fountain of Living Waters that springs up to everlasting life’. This fountain produces a peculiar water. It is the all-satisfying living water. The promise is that ‘you will never thirst again’. The word ‘never’ is categorical and definitive. Few believers press on until they arrive to that place of ‘never thirst again’. We should pay the price to experience the manifestation of this wonderful promise! The manifestation of revival is under the sovereign will of King Grace. May we please Him! “Let the Living Waters flow over my soul! Let the Holy Spirit come and take control!”

Jesus Christ came ‘full of Grace and Truth”. Out of His fulness we have received Grace and more Grace. The word ‘fulness’ means a container filled to the brim. There is no empty space. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is a manifestation of His fulness, as the Lord of all. It affects every area of our lives. Both is quality and quantity Grace is eternally creative. “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10). This fullness of Grace is described as ‘manifold’. The word describes Grace as the colors of the rainbow, having many gifts and many blessings. There is no problem that the Grace of God cannot solve. Because we are born sinners, it is hard for us to imagine such a wonderful Grace. We are too stingy and too selfish to understand this revelation. We are too lazy to pray for revival. We need the Holy Spirit to understand and appreciate the Grace of God. Grace is a King helping His humble servants just because He takes pleasure in helping. Because of this fullness of Grace in Christ, we can never lose our salvation! Christ in us the Hope of Glory! Halleluiah!

Revival is always connected with Grace. Revival is the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit, blessing many believers at the same time. The unbelievers become attracted by this powerful life working in the Christians. The result is that they become converted. Many people look down on the Church. This is because they do not see much difference in behavior between the worldly people and the so-called believers. Once the Holy Spirit convicts the religious people of sin, true repentance and conversion happens. The believers will manifest the fruits of repentance. The world notices that. The Church has authority over the world only when the children of God pay the price for sanctification and the fulness in Christ. Like butterflies come to the light, so the unbelievers are attracted to truth and love, manifested in their fulness, in the lives of the believers. Lukewarm Christians are a hindrance to revival. This is a good question: Since you became saved, do you experience this fullness of life? Are you truly filled with the Holy Spirit? Is the fountain of Living Water springing up in your spirit? Is your spirit ‘bubbling’ life? Is your testimony changing others around you? Have you experienced this Niagara Falls-like ‘Glorious Rich Grace’ (Eph 1:6,7)? God wants us full of His Spirit so that “He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7). Grace manifests as Kindness. Do people know you as an extremely kind person? Kindness is a weapon of Grace that never fails!

LESSONS AT THE WELL

Our Lord has a conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well. John chapter 4 is special because it is the longest recorded conversation in the Bible between our Lord and a sinner. There are so many lessons for us to learn. We shall focus on the promised water of life, the Gift of God. We shall seek God for the fullness of the Spirit and revival, in our lives, our families, our church and our Geographical area. You can see that Jesus arrives first at the well. He is waiting for the woman. You see that it is not the woman seeking God, but it is God seeking for worshippers who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

*The Lord reveals Himself for the first time as the Messiah! Not to His disciples, but to a Gentile sinful woman! “The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (Jn 4:25, 26).

*The Living Water our Lord is talking about is not found in Jacob’s well. No human bucket can locate it. This is the Living Water of the Holy Spirit. It is the fulness of the Holy Spirit in the heart of man. This Living Water, once you drink it, it settles in your spirit and becomes a flowing fountain. The water is under pressure, cleansing everything in its way. It changes you inside and outside. It flows to eternity. It never stops. It is the source of revival. It is for the glory of God and for the blessings of men. The water of the world quenches the thirst only for a short time. But this Living Water kills the thirst, the restlessness of seeking and not finding. This Living Water satisfies your body, soul, and spirit! The Lord Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit is the only source of this fountain of Living Waters. This Water, like Grace too, it is a Gift of God. You must know it and you must ask for it. These are the conditions for receiving it. “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.” (Jn 4:10). The woman was still thinking in the natural but slowly she knew that this Man is a Prophet. She knew something from the promise of the Gift of God He offers to her. Then, she asked for the Water, fulfilling the two conditions: “The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” (Jn 4:15). Later, our Lord directs the discussion towards sin. The woman needs to acknowledge that she is a thirsty needy sinner. She needs to taste the bitter news of sin and death before she can receive and rejoice in the Good News of Grace and Life. Against all odds, she did it! She is the first person truly saved and Spirit filled in the ministry of our Lord. What an amazing Grace!

*The Lord Jesus plans His encounters with His people. Nothing is accidental with the Lord. He never makes mistakes.

We are told that our Lord “left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria” (Jn 4:3, 4). The Jews never passed thru Samaria. They used a longer roundabout road to go to Galilee. They did this because they hated the Samaritans. But Jesus does not discriminate people. He went thru Samaria because He planned to save a Samaritan woman and to anoint her as an evangelist. After a long journey, our Lord was tired and sat by Jacob’s well. His disciples went to look for food. He wanted to be alone with this woman who came to draw water in the heat of the day. Salvation and deliverance are personal. You must expect the Lord to come for you alone. Do not reject your hope of glory! The brethren can pray for you, can help you as much as they can. But they cannot save your soul. They cannot fill you with the Holy Spirit! Wait on God alone and you shall not be disappointed. He who saved the dying thief, will save and help you! Do you see how God is in charge of your circumstances? Salvation is planned and executed by the Lord! He said: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10). Jesus knows the location of all His lost sheep. He seeks them, He finds them, and He saves them, one by one. He knows each of His own before the foundation of the world! That is why we are confident in saying that we can never lose our salvation! Can you appreciate The Lord’s constant care and love for you? He feels your pains! He will locate you in your loneliness! He is never too early to save you and never too late to help you! King Grace is always in control! Glory to God!

*God is sovereign in the way He blesses people. The Lord talks to the Samaritan woman. He reveals to her deep revelations about God, about her needs, about the worship of God. What are some lessons here for us? In the previous chapter (John 3), our Lord revealed the way of salvation to Nicodemus, a theologian, and a religious ruler in Jerusalem. He came to see Jesus by night. He was a Jew, a man, a wealthy man, and a religious teacher. You may say that he had all the credentials to be blessed by fresh revelation. But in the next chapter, our Lord saves this woman who socially, is the opposite of Nicodemus. Just imagine the scene… Our Lord does Bible study with a simple illiterate woman, an adulterous woman. Nicodemus is named but this woman is unnamed. She represents us, the Gentiles, who are saved by Grace, thru faith. The Jews reject the Samaritans. This woman has nothing to recommend herself to the Lord. But Jesus wants her, to save her soul. He gently leads her to Himself. King Grace saves her soul, not because she merits anything, but because of God’s eternal plan of salvation. This is how she became saved. Nicodemus was afraid of the public opinion. That is why he came to see Jesus in the night. But this woman talked to Jesus in the light and in the public. Our Lord patiently teaches her one of the greatest doctrines in the Bible, about the true worship of God in Spirit and in Truth. Our Lord reveals Himself as the Messiah to her. She believes Him! Salvation is always by Grace and thru faith! He justifies her and freely gives her the gift of an evangelist. She starts her ministry that day. Our Lord breaks all barriers of race, gender, and social status. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). As you can see, King Grace is in charge!

*The God of all Grace surprises humble people. You can never predict or manipulate King Grace! We should live by expectant faith!

Nicodemus decided to go and meet with Jesus. But this woman did not know that she will have an encounter with King Grace that day. The women in the town draw water in the evening when the weather is cooler. She comes at noontime, alone, to draw water, so that none will see her. She avoids the people because of her life of sin. She is ashamed. That day was an ordinary day. She did not know that her life will change that day. King Grace surprises people with salvation and blessings when they least expect. This woman translates from nothing to fullness! From Zero to Hero! Your past of sin is not a hindrance to the Lord! He died as your Substitute. He paid the penalty for your sins with His Blood. Come to Jesus, as you are right now! You cannot wash yourself. His Blood with wash you and make you clean! You should live in this expectation of an encounter. Be ready to repent easily! Live by faith and not by sight! Expect God! The resurrected Christ passed thru the walls. He still does that up till today. Nothing hinders Him when He comes to visit you. Each time you come to church, expect an encounter with the only Living God. Do not be tired of waiting on God! Let it be your lifestyle. Selah! To God be all the glory!

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen 6:8).

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Heb 11:7)

The story of Noah is a wonderful story, 4500 years old. All people, including the children, love it. The most important thing said about Noah is that he “found Grace in the eyes of the Lord”. This is the first time in the Bible that the word ‘Grace’ appears. Grace is the unmerited free and full favor of God. It is the first time that Grace has found her voice among men. The word ‘found’ means to meet, to encounter Grace. ‘In the eyes of the Lord’ means in the presence of the Lord. Let us follow the story and see how Grace saves this man and his family.

At that time, the people were extremely wicked, in their thoughts, imaginations and actions. God said that He was ‘grieved’ that He made man. He decided to destroy all people with a flood. This is a type of the last judgment when God shall judge and destroy sin. In the midst of this tragedy only one man found ‘grace’ with God. This man is called ‘Noah’. In Hebrew, his name means ‘rest or comfort’. God told him about the evil in the world and that He will destroy the world with water. Grace takes man into his counsel. God told Noah that only he, his wife, their sons, and their wives, shall be saved. Grace gives hope for the future showing you the door of escape in trials. Noah responds with faith. Grace needs faith to manifest. By faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we and our household shall be saved. God gives Noah the plan of salvation. Noah must build an ark that will float on top of the waters of judgment. The only other place the word ‘ark’ appears is in the Book of Exodus. Moses’ mother made a little ark to save her son’s life (Ex 2:3-5). Both Noah and Moses were types of saviors. They are ambassadors of Christ! Thru Noah, God saved humanity. Thru Moses, God saved Israel.

Noah’s ark had a special design. God gave Noah the revelation in detail. During this time, it is only God who decides and speaks. Noah was to listen, trust and obey God. The ark was extremely big in size. Its length is five hundred feet; its width is seventy-five feet, and its height is thirty feet. To give you a better idea, the ark will be one and a half size of a football stadium. It can accommodate 120,000 sheep. It will be like three stories building floating on water. Until the 19^th century, no man has ever built a ship of this size. The ark will not be a ship for the bottom is flat like a badge. It shall have no steering wheel, no engine, no compass or nautical instruments, and no sails. There shall be no captain. There shall be no port of destination. Grace shall be the captain. Grace shall lead the ark to nowhere (better said to where God wants it to go). The only function of the ark is to rise on top of the waters of judgment. Grace is King! Grace kills and Grace makes alive whom He wishes. Grace is the greatest Lifter when we fall into sin. Noah was to build according to specifications. He will build and he will preach. That is all. Grace gives strength for you to work and to do ministry. Noah will use wood to build the ark. The wood will be made waterproof by smearing ‘pitch’ on it, inside and outside. The word ‘pitch’ is the same as the word ‘atonement’ (Leviticus 16). In other words, Noah will make the ark safe from the judgment by applying the blood of Jesus, inside and outside. Grace is sure salvation! Grace is released to men because Jesus shed His Blood on the Cross of Calvary!

There shall be only one window for light and ventilation at the top of the ark. There shall be only one door. Jesus said: “I am the Door” (Jn 10:9). God told Noah that when he will finish building the ark, He will send animals, male and female. They will willingly come and enter the ark. Noah was to gather food for all of them. At that time, all men and animals were vegetarian. Grace provides all that we need to survive! The animals will survive with Noah and his family. The building of the ark took about 120 years. During this time, Noah built and preached the Gospel (2 Pet 2:5). None of them who heard him believed the Word of God. Noah may have been a frustrated preacher but what matters is that Grace located him and saved him.

Looking at all these details, nobody but God could have this idea of building an ark to float on the waters. After the last nail was set in position, Noah, his family and all the animals entered the ark. And God shut the door. Then the rain started. It flooded the earth. As the waters were rising, the ark was lifted above them. Grace always lifts above sin, above trials and temptations. Grace is the greatest Lifter out of sorrow! The nonstop rain stopped after 40 days. Apart the sea creatures, all living beings, men and animals perished in the flood. After the screaming and pleadings of the desperate dying people, the silence of death came over the land. Noah stayed in the ark for 375 days. He came out and offered animal sacrifice to God for sparing their lives. He recognized that salvation is by Grace alone! God was pleased and promised never to destroy the world by water. Out of that flood, eight people came on earth. It was a new beginning. Grace has the power to give you a new beginning! The promised Seed that will bruise the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15) continued its journey among men. One of the descendants of Noah, Jesus Christ, came to earth as a Man full of Grace and Truth (Jn 1:14). The Ark is a symbol of Christ! There is salvation, safety, and satisfaction in Christ alone! King Grace expects faith and worship as the proper response to His royal help! Noah entered as the owner of the ark. After about one year, he came out as the owner of the world! To God be all the glory! Grace is King! Worship the Lord!