Natalie
June 20th, 2010, 11:41 PM
Happy Summer to you all! I am so thankful for each of you taking time out of your busyness to join us in the Bible Study here at CPC today. It just makes my heart smile, I hope that the nice weather and the summer activities don’t keep you too distracted from God’s Word. I cannot help but think of all the opportunities you will have to share your testimony with someone as you are out and about with your families enjoying the nice weather. Would you consider praying about those “divine appointments” ahead of time? Then share with us how God is opening the doors of ministry for you right in your own neighborhood!
Let's get ready for this weeks lesson by taking a moment to pray and prepare our hearts and minds to receive what the Lord has for us today. It is so exciting knowing that the Creator of the Universe, our Heavenly Father desires to speak to us! He desires and delights in our fellowship with Him. Oh praise the Lord, His love for us endures forever!
John 7:37-39 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.
vs 37 is key to understanding this very powerful segment of Scripture. “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.”
On the last day, that great day of the feast gives us a wonderful understanding of the timetable not only during the feast but how Jesus is revealing Himself to His people at this very time!!
Here is a little background about this feast which will relate to what Jesus is about to say. This feast and this ritual served as a reminder of the provision of water in the wilderness. On the second day of the feast a procession of the priests would draw water from the pool of Siloam and pour it out on the floor of the temple courtyard during each day. Men of piety and good deeds used to dance before them with burning torches in their hands, singing songs and praises. And countless Levites played on harps, lyres' cymbals and trumpets and other instruments of music, on the fifteen steps leading from the Court of the Israelites to the Court of the Women. There was much rejoicing in this ritual!
Can you imagine Jesus standing and crying out to the people after the water had been poured out “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” If they had only realized He was that Water that came from the Rock in the wilderness. He is the Living Water ready to give each of us a thirst quenching drink to relieve that spiritual thirst we all have! All that is required is that we believe on Him as the Scriptures declares!!
Water for drinking is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and water for washing is the symbol for the Word of God.
John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Ephesians 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
The long awaiting Messiah had come to Israel! He is invited them to come to Him.
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;
Isaiah 55:1-3 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for [what is] not bread, And your wages for [what] does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat [what is] good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you-- The sure mercies of David.
At this feast the people were re-enacting a tradition that could never satisfy the heart and soul! Jesus is offering them Living water that would satisfy eternally.
This same invitation is here for us today as well. “Everyone who thirsts, come...” Are you thirsty? We do not have to wait for the Holy Spirit to be poured out as verse 39 states because Jesus has been glorified and He has given us His Spirit to dwell in us. Not only are we given a measure of the Spirit when we receive Christ but we can be refilled and refreshed by the Spirit of God. We are not to stay empty!
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,)
Are you thankful for that refreshing? The best way to be refilled and refreshed is to be poured out. Just like the water that was poured out of the pitcher at the temple during the feast, we too need to be poured out. What happens when water sets in a container for too long? It becomes stagnant! If you want to stay fresh and flow with the Spirit, get filled up every day with the Word! All you have to do is ask the Father. Speak to the Rock!
Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
1 Corinthians 10:4 “and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”
Ephesians 5:17-18 :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,
I take this not as a suggestion but a directive here in Ephesians “be filled with the Spirit” so you may be asking how do I stay filled after I have asked the Lord? And that is a great question and it will be incorporated in your “homework” for the next few weeks. But keep in mind that it is by faith - and you must come to the waters! You have been invited so what are you waiting for?
How do we be filled with the Holy Spirit? How do we stay filled with the Holy Spirit? Here is your reading assignment: #1. Read the Book of Acts, this is our guideline from the early church and the working of the Holy Spirit in the believers immediately following Jesus’ ascension, we need to pay close attention to it because the Holy Spirit was given once Jesus was glorified. If you have a notebook, it would be a good exercise to write down the reference each time the work of the Holy Spirit is mentioned, too often we are ignorant to what the Holy Spirit is all about and even fearful, and that should not be! #2 Read Galatians chapter 5 and 6.
I will be taking just a few weeks off from our in-depth study and I will be back mid-July! I hope you will take the time to do the reading assignment I have suggested and if there are some joining us for the first time perhaps this would be a good time to go back to the beginning and get caught up with us. I will be around so be sure and share what you have been learning and I’m excited to hear how the Holy Spirit is using this study to help you grow deeper in love with Jesus and His Word.
With much affection,
Natalie
PS Thank you so much for your encouragement and your continued prayer support!
Let's get ready for this weeks lesson by taking a moment to pray and prepare our hearts and minds to receive what the Lord has for us today. It is so exciting knowing that the Creator of the Universe, our Heavenly Father desires to speak to us! He desires and delights in our fellowship with Him. Oh praise the Lord, His love for us endures forever!
John 7:37-39 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.
vs 37 is key to understanding this very powerful segment of Scripture. “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.”
On the last day, that great day of the feast gives us a wonderful understanding of the timetable not only during the feast but how Jesus is revealing Himself to His people at this very time!!
Here is a little background about this feast which will relate to what Jesus is about to say. This feast and this ritual served as a reminder of the provision of water in the wilderness. On the second day of the feast a procession of the priests would draw water from the pool of Siloam and pour it out on the floor of the temple courtyard during each day. Men of piety and good deeds used to dance before them with burning torches in their hands, singing songs and praises. And countless Levites played on harps, lyres' cymbals and trumpets and other instruments of music, on the fifteen steps leading from the Court of the Israelites to the Court of the Women. There was much rejoicing in this ritual!
Can you imagine Jesus standing and crying out to the people after the water had been poured out “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” If they had only realized He was that Water that came from the Rock in the wilderness. He is the Living Water ready to give each of us a thirst quenching drink to relieve that spiritual thirst we all have! All that is required is that we believe on Him as the Scriptures declares!!
Water for drinking is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and water for washing is the symbol for the Word of God.
John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Ephesians 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
The long awaiting Messiah had come to Israel! He is invited them to come to Him.
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;
Isaiah 55:1-3 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for [what is] not bread, And your wages for [what] does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat [what is] good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you-- The sure mercies of David.
At this feast the people were re-enacting a tradition that could never satisfy the heart and soul! Jesus is offering them Living water that would satisfy eternally.
This same invitation is here for us today as well. “Everyone who thirsts, come...” Are you thirsty? We do not have to wait for the Holy Spirit to be poured out as verse 39 states because Jesus has been glorified and He has given us His Spirit to dwell in us. Not only are we given a measure of the Spirit when we receive Christ but we can be refilled and refreshed by the Spirit of God. We are not to stay empty!
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,)
Are you thankful for that refreshing? The best way to be refilled and refreshed is to be poured out. Just like the water that was poured out of the pitcher at the temple during the feast, we too need to be poured out. What happens when water sets in a container for too long? It becomes stagnant! If you want to stay fresh and flow with the Spirit, get filled up every day with the Word! All you have to do is ask the Father. Speak to the Rock!
Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
1 Corinthians 10:4 “and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”
Ephesians 5:17-18 :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,
I take this not as a suggestion but a directive here in Ephesians “be filled with the Spirit” so you may be asking how do I stay filled after I have asked the Lord? And that is a great question and it will be incorporated in your “homework” for the next few weeks. But keep in mind that it is by faith - and you must come to the waters! You have been invited so what are you waiting for?
How do we be filled with the Holy Spirit? How do we stay filled with the Holy Spirit? Here is your reading assignment: #1. Read the Book of Acts, this is our guideline from the early church and the working of the Holy Spirit in the believers immediately following Jesus’ ascension, we need to pay close attention to it because the Holy Spirit was given once Jesus was glorified. If you have a notebook, it would be a good exercise to write down the reference each time the work of the Holy Spirit is mentioned, too often we are ignorant to what the Holy Spirit is all about and even fearful, and that should not be! #2 Read Galatians chapter 5 and 6.
I will be taking just a few weeks off from our in-depth study and I will be back mid-July! I hope you will take the time to do the reading assignment I have suggested and if there are some joining us for the first time perhaps this would be a good time to go back to the beginning and get caught up with us. I will be around so be sure and share what you have been learning and I’m excited to hear how the Holy Spirit is using this study to help you grow deeper in love with Jesus and His Word.
With much affection,
Natalie
PS Thank you so much for your encouragement and your continued prayer support!