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THE LIVING WATER

“ Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price .” (Isaiah 55:1).   “ If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. ” (John 7:37).   I had been reading through the Gospel of John recently, and was struck with the Apostle’s abundant use of water as a theme in recounting the details of Jesus’ early ministry.   John’s gospel is unique compared to the other gospels.   He relates stories and teachings in his gospel that are not mentioned in any of the others.   Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s accounts of Jesus’ ministry are known as the Synoptic Gospels because, according to Wikipedia’s definition, they give "an account of the events from the same point of view or under the same general aspect."   John, on the other hand, seems to use a different lens altogether to view the Lord’s ministry.   His gospel feels more intimate in many ...
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LIMITING GOD

At a certain point in the Apostle Paul’s ministry, the Holy Spirit revealed to him that he must go to Jerusalem and testify to the Jews about how the gospel of Jesus Christ had transformed his life.   This was no small thing.   The Jews hated Paul, and he knew that they would use any means necessary to have him killed and silence his witness.     As he sailed toward Jerusalem, Paul made stops along the way to strengthen and encourage the faith of some of the churches that he had helped to plant.  He knew that this would probably be the last time that he would see them in the flesh.    One stop on his voyage was at Miletus, in present day Turkey, and close to Ephesus.  From there, he called for all of the elders at Ephesus to come to Miletus and meet with him.  He ministered to these men and exhorted them to stay faithful to the Lord.  He also said the following to them: “And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, ...
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A ROOT OF BITTERNESS

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled .” (Hebrews 12:11-15).   In the twelfth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Hebrew believers the Apostle uses some very plain language to both encourage and admonish those he is writing to.   Paul is warning the believers against falling short of the grace of God, and allowing a root of bitterness to grow up in their lives .   The “root of bitterness” that he is referring to is ac...
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