Friday, 24 October 2008

•   "River of Life in the Valley”

  This is a study I did for our Womens Bible Study Group.. I thought I'd share it.

   Deb spoke on “Renewal” a few weeks ago and here is a summary of that study...

  We need to rebuild, revive or replace what has decayed (our marriages, families, our homes). This can be compared to a Foundation of a home.  You must have a solid foundation in which to build your house on. The same applies to our lives, our families and our friends. 

  God has laid the Cornerstone upon which he constructed this world.. he breathed life into us and gave us a manual to follow.. that manual is the Bible .. the WORD of God  (the water that keeps us alive both physically and spiritually).

  Then Pastor Don gave what God placed on his heart for us which was the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 YEAR AFTER YEAR she went to the house of the Lord, wepted and prayed from the deepest inner most part of her soul.  Her wish was finally granted and her face was no longer sad. What did this mean?  This meant, she came into her faith (she was finally able to get pregnant and gave birth to Samuel whom she gave to the Lord when he was old enough).  Pastor’s message was “its not cancelled..it’s only postponed.  Our hard work, our feelings of being unappreciated, everything we do, day in and day out, thoughts of “when’s it going to be my time?” when is someone going to Love me? Hug me? Notice me? God is there, he dwells within us. We need to stay strong in our faith (especially now as things become even harder) Stand solid on that foundation.    Don’t give up even when it seems hopeless.

   

  This brings me to my study:  “River of Life in the Valley”

  From the Foundation (knowing Gods Word), the Cornerstone (from which it was constructed – by Christ) to keep building our faith to the How do we do that?  How do we keep our families strong? How do we keep our self esteem in check and believe in what God wants for us? Receive in Faith. Well, we stay in the WORD… God gave us flowing LIVING WATER which is constantly running.  He pours his word onto us and we only have to open our minds and hearts to him.  His word is his gift, his life force for us and by that the word is alive and flowing into us.  Take that time to read the word, or listen to it in your car… keep the faith music playing…. Surround yourself in that water.

   

  Ephesians 2:20-22

  Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

   

  INTERESTING FACTS:

  • Water Replenishes
  •   Water Cleanses
  •  The average human body is about 65% water
  •  Our bodies MUST have water to survive. Constantly flowing through us or our bodies break Down and die.  We need the blood to circulate. Revive and refresh our bodies.. we cannot allow it to go stagnant.
  •  Its Free!
  • You only have to Believe to Receive
  • The word water appears 396 times in the bible (from my Strongs Concordance)

  John 4:13 – Jesus said “whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.   (The prophet John is speaking about we that dwell in God and god that Dwells in us) 

  Living water: In ancient times, they called spring water living water because it seemed "alive" as it bubbled up from the ground. At first glance, it might seem that Jesus tells this woman about a nearby active spring. But Jesus makes a play on words with the phrase "living water," because He means the spiritual water that quenches our spiritual thirst and gives life.

  Keep our foundation Solid (the lord is my rock) keep our Spirit  built up and confident in the gifts god has given us, use our gifts (we have our friends to help encourage us) and let the Flowing Waters pour out on to us by staying in the word and receive that constant replenishing waters here in the valley. 

   

  Definitions from Websters Dictionary

   

  v  Definition of Water:  (1)Colorless liquid of rivers, lakes ect.. (2) Water solution (3) Body secretion, tears, to supply with water.
  
  

  v  Definition of Stream:  (1) Small river (2) Steady flow, as of air  (3) Move swiftly
  

  v  Definition of Living:  Having life, having use, true, lifelike, enough to live on, way that one lives
  

  v  Life: active existence

   

  

   

   

   The Source + Its Flow + Its Channels + Receivers = Water of Life

  ITS SOURCE,  in God (Jeremiah 2:13) They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns - broken cisterns that can hold no water (The people of Isreal turned to other resources rather than depending on God for the Living water – other gods)
  
  (Psalm 36:9) For with You is the fountain of life; In your light we see light.
  
  

  ITS FLOW, from Christ (John 4:14)- He who seeks the word of God, which comes from the father.. will never thirst for they will have Everlasting Life
  
  Revelation 22:1 - And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the lamb

  Interesting fact/Definition (Revelation) - I decided to look up some of the words from Revelation 22:

  
  Crystal means - Solified substance with its molecules arranged symmetrically
  
  Symmetric means: well-proportioned, as a body or whole
  
  Molecule means: The smallest particle of a substance that retains the chemical and physical properties of the substance and is composed of two or more atoms; a group of like or different atoms held together by chemical forces.

  A small particle; a tiny bit

   

  ITS CHANNELS, through believers (John 7:38-39) come to me and drink because I will fulfill that need in your life.  I will fill that thirst.  Not only will I fill the thirst but I will cause your life to become an overflowing cup."  (here he tells us how to drink from Him. That area of man that so consistently is seeking to be fed will become the source). God is not satisfied to just fill your life, he wants your life to OVERFLOW.

  Interesting points

  John's Gospel begins (chapter 1, verse 1): In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

   

  ITS RECEIVERS, the thirsty (Isaiah 55:1) God freely offers everything necessary to give his people abundant life and the word LISTEN carries the idea of obedience) Gods word never fails… The word has power .. The word RESTORES life to his people like rain coming down from the heaves bringing new life to the earth)
  
  (Rev. 22:6) - Then he said to me, "These words are faithful & True.

   

  Symbol of River (in Ezekiel) River brought life everywhere it flowed.  The tree of life stood next to the river bearing its fruit CONSTANTLY and the leaves of that tree are for the healing of nations.

  Deuteronomy 8:7 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;

  Psalms 104:8-10 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth. He sunset the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
  

  Isaiah 45:8
  "You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it

   

  Isaiah 40:3

  "Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked plances shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

   

  JUST FOR THOUGHT...

   Imagine two natural rivers: one, a narrow and calm river with less water, so slow that it is unable even to sweep away the dead leaves that have been clinging to it for a long time; the other, full of lively waters with a flowing stream and gushing sound that from a distance brings chills to anybody passing by.

  These two rivers remind me of two types of Christians: one, joyfully active and fruitful in his or her calling; the other, a secret and closet believer whom nobody can tell if he or she is a Christian. Then I said to myself, "Christians must come out of their closets and start praying for the gifts of Holy Spirit to empower them."

   

  I had stayed up all night with this study and the Lord then decided to change it on me. At first I didn't understand because I knew he wanted me to speak on the "Living Water" but there was something else tied to it.  I came across something in regards to the Feast of Tabernacles and when I tied it in with my study it all made sense.  What I didn't realize at the time, until I started the reading the study was that we were on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.  That was powerful and showed the Power of God. 

  Here is what I closed with:

  FEAST OF TABERNACLES

  And then in the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink (John 7:37)

  The last day, the great day of the feast would have been the eighth day of the feast.  For the Feast of the Tabernacles lasted for eight days.  On the last day,  there on the temple mount, thousands of people assembled for this feast.  it was one of the three major feast days in the Jewish calendar when all of the adult males were required to come and present themselves before God.  According to the historian Josephus, as many as two and a half million people would gather in Jerusalem for these feasts during the time of Christ.  And so you can imagine the large multitude of people on the temple mount.

  Now there was a significant symbolic action that took place each day of the feast.  As the priest would fill the water jugs at the pool of Siloam, and singing the Hallel Psalms, ascend the steps from the pool to the temple mount area, and before the people pour out these jugs of water letting them splash upon the pavement.  To remind the people that when their fathers were dying in the wilderness God preserved them by the miraculous, giving of water out of the rock when it was smitten by Moses. And so, water had a very important symbolic part to the Feast of Tabernacles.  They realize that thir fathers were about to be exterminated, but God preserved them and saved them by the water out of the rock.

  And so, Jesus on his last day, the great day of the feast, cried, "If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink."  The thirst Jesus is referring to is not a physical thirst, or an emotional thirst, but that deep thirst in the spirit of man for God.  Way down deep in every man (women) there is that thirst, that need for a meaningful relationship with God.  And I don't care who you are or what your background is, or where you are, every man deep down inside has the thirst for God. There are people who try to cover it.  They try to cover it with a facade.  They try to put on show, an act, a display. They try to put on a grandiose kind of a front, like, "I've got it made, theres no problems.  I don't need any help. I can do it all on my own." But down deep inside theres a cry for a meaningful relationship with God.

   

  "THE OVERFLOWING LIFE"

  I.  "The Great Day of the Feast."

       Feast of Tabernacles, eight days.

       Seven days, preist journey to pool of Siloam

       Signified: 
                 Miraculous supply of water in wilderness
                 Promise of God to bring them into a land, a well-watered land flowing.

       Eighth day no procession, no pouring of water.
  
       No longer in wilderness but God has brought them into the Land.
       On this day, "The Great Day."

                Jesus stood and cried.  
                His standing is significant.
                Teachers always sat, Heralds stood.
                He is Heralding a new day.

  II.  "IF ANY MAN THIRSTS, LET HIM COME UNTO ME AND DRINK"

         Here we have Gospel - Thirst
         Thirst is Discriptive word for world
         The problem with the world is the futile attempts or methods with which   
         they try to slack their thirsts.
  
         "he who drinks of this water shall thirst again."
         "Come unto me"

                  Herein lies the answer to the thirsty soul.

   

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