Our Spring of Life

Some of the most beautiful places on earth are located around a spring of water. Usually a spring is located on the side of a hill and it provides a constant flow of pure water to everything living down below. Any time we need a drink, the cool water is flowing to meet our needs. Our spiritual life has this same principle at work. Jesus tells us; But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. John 4:14 (NLT) Jesus taught that His water would be available through the Spirit living inside of us. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. John 3:6 Our spiritual life is actually born out of this eternal spring of water. When we drink spring water it only sustains life on earth but when we drink of the water provided by the Holy Spirit we sustain our eternal life. Everything God has for us will come through His Holy Spirit. We receive everything by our faith and as the Spirit imparts it to us it bubbles out for others.

Jesus taught his disciples many things about the kingdom of God. These things encourage us to live for our Savior. However, we don’t always think of the spring of water within us as the kingdom, but it must be. What is the kingdom if there were no Spirit of God as our spring of life? For example Paul said; For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness (righteousness) and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 (NLT) These three things are in the Holy Spirit who gives us eternal life and they are major parts of the Kingdom. God and his Kingdom are both totally righteous. Of course, we can only become righteous when the righteousness of Jesus Christ lives in us. And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right (righteousness) with God. Romans 8:10 Our eternal life has started here on earth because we are born again and have became part of God’s Kingdom. Righteous behavior should be bubbling out of a kingdom member all the time.

It is very exciting to be living in the righteousness of our Lord. We know that peace and joy will be the result of this type of life. In this next verse Paul says we can be led into eternal life. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to (eternal) life and peace. Romans 8:6 (NLT) Somehow people today think that believing is enough. It is not. A member of God’s family MUST yield their will to the control of the Spirit of God. Remember that the Spirit is never separate from the Father or the Son. Yielding to one is yielding to all three at the same time.  The Church today has split into thousands of ideals and it really confuses our minds at times. May the Lord help us to see more clearly what our service really is. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 1 Cor 12:6 (NLT) We serve one God and He is ready to guide us with His Spirit but we must let the Spirit control our mind. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:10 We need the Spirit to make the right confession.

Our spiritual identity must be established and maintained in the Truth. Righteousness and truth are brothers that cannot be separated. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. John 3:21 (NLT) For example, the original scripture for this verse says “doing the truth” in place of what is righteous. Either way, the truth will bubble from our spring of the living Spirit. John mentions the truth many times; If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 1 John 2:4 (NLT) We are required to live in the truth and then, of course, truth is what will bubble up from our spring of life. The next verse mentions that we learn from the Spirit; For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. 1 John 2:27 The source of our spring is truth itself which gives us peace. How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded. 2 John 1:4 It is important that we do as the Father commanded. The following of God brings great joy as our living spring continues to bubble in us. 

Demonstration of the Spirit living in us is one way our Lord convicts the world. Paul said it this way; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 2 Cor 4:2 (KJV) It seems like a big job representing God to other people but the Spirit directs us in our behavior. He gives us all the help necessary;  A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 1 Cor 12:7 (NLT) Many people today want to spend their spiritual time going over Bible arguments that will never be settled here on earth. This is a waste of time and the Spirit is not going to honor these discussions. With the limited time we have left in this world we must get on with the work that the Lord has for each of us. It is time for believers to press on to maturity. The Scripture says; You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. Heb 6:2-3 (NLT) The Spirit is always happy to teach us what we need to know as the water springs forth from our life.

Leading a Godly life is so beautiful that it is really its own reward. Yet this life can never compare to anything we will enjoy when we live with God in eternity. It is not possible to over emphasize how much we need the Spirit of Jesus bubbling up in our life. Everything in the Scriptures springs forth from Jesus Christ. It is difficult to watch Christians today wasting their time on everything in the world while neglecting the Spirit of Christ. We have no excuse for ignoring the call of God. The Bible says; Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Cor 1:7-9 (NLT) Paul tells us that we have been invited into a partnership. In this world people get all excited about a rich partnership and its benefits. If we are not fighting for a chance to be partners with the Son of God then we simply are not a real believer.

Forever A Love Affair

Simply put, love is a human feeling concerning a personal attachment… This powerful feeling can energize us to do anything including changing the entire course of our life. However, even poets struggle to define the feeling called love. It is like trying to describe our God. Incidentally, love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 (NLT) What if God had not given us love? We might as well say that He had not given us life because the two are intertwined. This brings us to the greatest love affair of all time because this is the first reason that our God created humans. See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 (NLT) Sometimes worldly people try to claim this love for themselves but it will never happen. The greatest love affair is reserved for people that are born again and obey the commands of our Savior Jesus Christ. This love affair must take place through Jesus, who is the gate to heaven, and He said that anyone trying to get in another way was a thief who would be caught and punished.

Many people believe that a far away Creator probably has some affection for humans. This foggy type of thinking makes God’s love into some spiritual abstract. On the contrary, the Scripture introduces us to someone who is compelled by intense feelings. In other words, our God is very passionate about us. For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT) Most people have heard this verse but have we considered the idea of giving our own child to die. This act of God certainly shows a serious dedication to His purpose. The many people who refuse to serve God are hurting Him by making the sacrifice of his son null and void in their life and death. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are involved in the most intimate of all relationships. This unique union is only possible if the Spirit comes to live inside of us. It is crucial that we allow the Spirit to direct this intimate relationship. This means that we must not neglect our receptivity or we lose some intimacy. Intimacy is how love grows.

We are talking about the love of God and this includes all three of the Trinity. The Father is the original and lasting authority, the Son paid the price and is our fountain of life, and the Spirit is the communion and comfort for our relationship. All of this is included when we receive and then learn about the Grace of God. Remember we are involved in a love that will last forever. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. 1 John 4:16-17 (NLT) This verse leads us to believe that as eternity moves forward we will continue to grow in our love of God. It is beautiful that as time passes we gain more love in our affair with our Creator. Also His love is very specific to each individual. One body is how He views the church but God is dealing with us individually every day. We know this because of the Scriptures and our own experience.

Everything we know about God’s love and his grace is contained in Jesus. The Bible says; Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. Heb 1:1-2 (NLT) The importance of the Son cannot be exaggerated. Absolutely everything we have ever heard about God has been given to us through His Son. Jesus gives us all the information but He continually assures us that; the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father. John 16:27-28 (NLT) Jesus was only here for one short lifetime but He changed the world by giving us a chance to receive the love of God and to live forever by loving Him. We began our love affair on this earth by responding in affection to Jesus and His Spirit. Our delight should continue to be in service to the Savior and communion with Him will portray our total satisfaction with every freedom we enjoy while living in obedience to God.

Jesus said; When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. John 15:10-12 (NLT) Just like other love affairs we should be happier in our relationship with God than with anything else on earth. We do not even have to worry about not reaching God at any time of the day. The Bible says we have two mediators on our behalf. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness Heb 12:24 (NLT) We also read this; the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. Romans 8:26-27 (NLT) Our little selves are nearly overwhelmed by the love being poured out in the relationship we have with God.

This fantastic union is also full of power. When a person enters a relationship with God and does not feel God’s power it indicates a lack of faith. They are living in unbelief and this can kill any relationship. Love is completely based on trust. I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NLT) Our unbelievable union with God always works and cannot fail if we fill our life with the power of the Spirit. When we sin there is an isolation that crepes into our relationship. Because God is holy every sin drives a little wedge between us and our love for Him. We can imagine what a continuing of sin in our life will do to our love affair. When we are right with the Lord, our service for Him is a happy privilege. This is because we only work as the Spirit is working inside of us. Life is sweet when the Spirit is allowed to set us aside for God and work His comfort in us. This is the connection that gives the promises of God such wonderful meaning to our life. Seek your everlasting love affair today.

What A Great Life

Being a servant of God is the greatest life on earth. There is no other life with a nobler purpose than helping pull humans from the flames of Hell. What other life offers wonderful adventures that will last for all eternity? Where else can we find loving people that we will live with and enjoy forever? And there are no words that can describe the riches we will inherit someday including roads made of solid gold. People say that they can never have this great life because they are too busy or some other lame excuse. It is also impossible to reach this goal in life with our own power. The secret is to turn our life over to the Spirit of Jesus and let Him show us the way while relying on His power. The Bible tells us over and over what is available to us if we will just let go of our natural life. It is like the hand in the small necked jar that will not let go of some large item of desire. We must remember that there are many better items available outside of the jar.

It is always a matter of faith. We must trust, believe, hope, expect, rely on, count on, bank on, depend, expect, or be convinced that Jesus really means what He is telling us. The Savior wants us to live our life in His love.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Eph 3:19-20 (NLT) Here the Bible calls this great life “the fullness of life”. No other life on this earth can compare in any area with the fullness that leads to life eternal with God.  The greatness of our life cannot even be defined with language which proves the absolute necessity for our faith. If we cannot see something and cannot describe it well, we are pretty much left with our belief in it. Because the greatest life on earth is only available through faith we must have the help of the Spirit to give understanding to any inquiring mind.

This great life is a brotherhood and nobody can do it alone. The great Paul who is an inspiration to every Christian gave mention of people that helped him. Even when he made this bold statement; For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. Phil 4:13-14 (NLT) Paul’s success would have been much different if people had not contributed to his effort to serve the Lord. Paul did give most of the credit for his work to the strength of the Master as seen in both these verses. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, 1 Tim 1:12 (NLT) But he goes on to say that he was a trustworthy man. This means that he was faithful in his duty to the brotherhood and to his God. Of course, if God himself were not trustworthy we would all be lost. God needs to know that each of us is trustworthy in order to make us a reliable member of his family.

We must be convinced that God is faithful in everything He says about our life. Then we can really enjoy the greatness of His promises. Look what happened in this verse; Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. Romans 4:20-21 (NLT) There are two things that happened to Abraham when he trusted God. His faith grew stronger which is what will happen to us when we rely on the Spirit of Jesus. Also at the same time he brought glory to God that we still appreciate today when we read about it. What other type of life can we have that will build us up and at the same time bring glory to the creator of our universe? In a normal life on this earth almost everyone will let you down at some time of another. This is the reason we must pull back from many things that we would enjoy if we could trust others. But we can really reach out and do the impossible when our life has been totally given to God. Our Lord has never pulled the rug out from under his servants.

If we live this great life of faith it gives us an opportunity to have our name written on the eternal records along with the greatest people in history. The Bible says that; By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. Heb 11:33-34 (NLT) We tend to say, “I can never be like those great people of God.” But the verse says they were weak until God turned them into someone strong. Believe it or not, God is looking for someone weak that will rely on Him so that He can turn us into a strong person. God’s strength begins by causing us to endure. Paul said; We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people Col 1:11-12 (NLT) The power is available if we simply trust Him with our life.

Most of us have heard the expression “pay it forward” that is used when talking about some good deeds that people have done for others. Maybe this is what Paul was telling his young friend in this passage. Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.    2 Tim 2:1-2 (NLT) The strength that God gives people in this great life can be used to pass it on to others. There is nothing more rewarding than someday running into our friends as we wander those streets of gold. Peter said this is the greatest life; And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. 1 Pet 1:12 GLORY TO GOD FOREVER. The angels are watching the Spirit at work in our lives according to this verse. We must live a life that pleases God so that the angels will not be disappointed in us. Because the Bible tells us this life is available we must reach out and claim it. God will enjoy our efforts in faithfulness if nothing else.

This begs the question “do we appreciate this great life that God is providing for us”? Many people who claim to know Jesus have never lifted a finger to do anything for the Master. Is it possible to know and love our Savior but only live for ourselves? It does not matter if we live overseas or in the house we were born in. We need to greet Jesus in the morning with a big thank you and after a day of doing what he wants, then lay down at night to tell him we love Him. Paul said it this way; Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thess 5:14-18 (NLT) Things are getting rough in this old world. We must make our stand now and show this beautiful life to others because there is not much time left.