Like a Good Neighbor?

We all have at one time or another heard the commercial either by TV or radio of a certain insurance company who will be there. It goes something like this....."Like a good neighbor, ____ ____ is there." You see, I told you that you knew it! You filled in the blanks didn't you? What should we expect from the most advertised to generation ever to live on planet earth!!!???

Today I would like to examine a treasure we've discovered in John 7:37-38....

"Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! The Scriptures declare, Rivers of living water will flow from his heart."

Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast. His brothers had prodded HIM and sought to make HIM go up to make HIMSELF known. He had refused their selfish request and had later went out in God's timing not man's prodding. He made His way directly into the Temple (even though HE knew the leaders wanted to kill HIM) and began to teach publicly. It was during this season that HE spoke the words we are studying today.

Many wonderful truths are revealed here.....First do you like the first word...ANYONE? I do. It shows that the good news HE has to offer is not limited to some special elite group. That anyone who recognizes their need may come. No pre-qualification is necessary. It doesn't say "once you get your life straightened out, get the right clothes, buy the right Bible, meet the Elders standards, but simply ANYONE can come! Praise HIM for HIS unlimited offer to all who have need!!!

Secondly, my mind fixes on the term THIRSTY. Usually, when someone is truly thirsty, they are aware of it. Unless they have gone to the point of dehydration where they are incoherent, but most never make it there before they go and get the much needed liquid. People who recognize they have need and come to Jesus will find Him more than sufficient to meet their need. But they must recognize their need!!! How often do we see people who seek to fill their lives with stuff, relationships, money, position and never get their thirst satisfied? We see it all the time but many times never recognize it. People are born thirsty for God and often times never know it. It is up to us (Christians, the Church) to share what Jesus has promised!

Thirdly, anyone, who recognizes their need and COMES TO HIM will find that HE will meet the deepest need of their heart! I love what God said through Isaiah on this subject...

"Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink-even if you have no money! come, take your choice of wine of milk- it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life..." Isaiah 55:1-3

I love this. For more than 3 decades I have seen HIM meet the deepest needs of human hearts and HE is still at work today!!!

Look around you fellow Christians....all around you are needy hearts, thirsty hearts that are spending their money on food that does not satisfy! How long will we be silent? How long will we sit idly by and watch the struggle of others as they grope in life's darkness without a right relationship with Christ? Shame on us (the Church) for not reaching out, and helping others to reach up and connecting to Christ!

All they will ever need will flow from HIS heart the moment they believe. It is up to us to connect these hurting hearts to HIM! Be alert to those around you. You are not in their lives by chance or accident. God has strategically placed you there to point them to HIM! Be a good neighbor to them...BE THERE!!!! when they need HIM!

Like a Good Neighbor, are you there???

You'll be glad you did!
Blessings
Bruce

The Battle for our Thoughts!

Well, good morning to you all! It has been quite some time hasn't it? Let me first apologize for my seeming slackness. But as many of you know my family and I have been on a journey with God.....as we shared in the sickness and home going of my dear mother. Thanks be unto God for His immeasurable blessings to us over the past 2 years having my mom with us. She is today celebrating in the presence of the Lord! We are wrestling through the day to day issues of grief. HE is faithful, and so are so many of you. Thanks for your prayers and all you have done!!!

Now on to our time in HIS word... Today's treasure is found in Psalms 10.4....

....GOD is in NONE of his thoughts....

This passage is one of the Psalmist crying out to God to rectify the seeming injustice of the attitude of the wicked vs the heart of the righteous. In the midst of his cry to God he makes a statement that caused me to stop, and think about my own life.....One of the marks of the wicked is that God does not even enter his thought life or shall we say consideration.

This struck me with a powerful blow. I realized that I understood this. I too wrestle with keeping God in my thoughts. How about you? DO you also struggle with maintaining righteous thoughts and considerations? It is sooooo easy to do isn't it? SO much is going on in our world, so much is happening in our lives that competes with Him, His word and His way.

First let me say, that this IS common to all mankind. Those who have recognized this struggle in their own life should rejoice that their personal struggle is NOT a sign of some grievous defect in the spiritual walk, but rather a common battle that each and every believer in Jesus Christ wages with his or her own flesh. I find comfort in that. When Paul identifies that in Romans 7, he is not justifying this struggle just marking it as normal in the process of walking through life.

Second, this daily struggle to keep God in the forefront of our thoughts, though it is common it does not have to be the norm! We can have a say in the matter. We have been given all the tools necessary to win the victory each and every day. Now this doesn't mean life without struggles just victory over them as they come! We have His Holy Spirit in us and His word to guide us. We can keep Him in all our thoughts!!!

Thirdly, the secret of this is found in a very simple yet profound truth. As a man thinks in his heart so is he.... Wow, what we spend our time thinking about we ultimately become. So when we read in scripture that the wicked have no thoughts of God in them, what are we to surmise? They never put themselves where they we learn about God, hear about God or see God work in their world! Now for us as believers this should challenge us. We of all people should lead the way when it comes to keeping God in all of our thoughts. But what I often find in this pleasure laden society in which we live, we can go a long time without needing HIM! How sad. How tragic.

All that HE has done to bring us to a right relationship with HIM and we neglect the most powerful relationship we will ever have! A friend recently mailed me a beautiful study on the "Inner Sanctum." That place in each of us where only God can tread. This article both blessed me and convicted me regarding my time with God, allowing HIM to stroll through my Inner Sanctum and have HIS way with me. Some thoughts were wrong and needed confession. Others were right and needed to be cultivated (considered more thoroughly, for those non farming types :) ) When we allow God to search, speak, comfort and convict us in the quietness of each and every morning BEFORE we take off on the journey of today.....we will find that HE WILL BE IN ALL OUR THOUGHTS.

Why, because we have invited HIM in early and purposed to meet and allow HIM entrance there! Have you invited HIM in early today? Have you engaged HIM in the quietness of you soul and allowed God to enter the INNER Sanctum of your soul today?

The Bible teaches us that the wicked have no thought of HIM.....What say the righteous!!!! ????

Blessings
Bruce