Uncategorized

Living Water

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14 ESV

The first stanza of the hymn “Springs of Living Water,” begins with the words, “I thirsted in the barren land of sin and shame.” Now, certainly every one of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus have been there at one time or another. The worst part of that time in the desert was that we were dying of thirst with no idea that we needed water. But our barren lands are not always limited to sin and shame. This morning some of us are wandering in the barren land of grief, a failed marriage or a life changing health issue. And just like the woman in today’s verse, we are trying to fill our thirst at a well that is filled with only a temporary solution. The good news is that Jesus is sitting by our well of temporary solutions and He offers us His gift of Living Water. The difference between His gift and what is in our well, is that while our water quenches thirst, it lasts only for a moment. The water that Jesus offers will become a well inside of us that will flow out to others. By grace His Living Water can pour out through us to others who are grieving, to people sitting alone or abandoned. The gift that Jesus gives, becomes Living Water not only to us, but through us for others and where “thirsting spirits can be satisfied” God will get all the glory!

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Isaiah 44:3 ESV

Gossip Weeds

/ pastorpete51 / 8 Comments 
So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! James 3:5 ESV

My New England home is famous for its Vermont cheese, maple syrup and Fall foliage, but one lesser-known product which we have in abundance is poison ivy. This lovely plant has nice shiny leaves, prolific annual growth and pretty red berries. Those lovely berries are greatly loved by the birds, which happily gobble them down and then generously plant them everywhere that isn’t paved or under water. In today’s verse, the Apostle James tells us about a far deadlier poison than that in our ivy: That is the poison of our words. A single seed of malicious gossip, whether by text, social media or by phone, can destroy relationships, careers and even lives. James says, that though started by just a tiny spark, that they can set an entire forest on fire. But the good news is that in the same way that gossip spreads, words of grace can also spread, and in an even more powerful way, In Galatians, we are given the list of the kinds of seeds that God wants us to plant:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; Galatians 5:22-23a

Right this moment we have the opportunity to begin planting loving words, joyful praises, peaceful phrases, patient encouragements, kind offers, good suggestions, faithful promises, gentle assurances and self-controlled responses. These seeds, when planted in our garden will lead to a far different and better harvest. James ends by calling it:

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:18

Though we must be patient because it will take a season for these seeds to grow, the harvest will be worth it. So, what’s growing in your garden today?

How is Your Garden of Prayer?

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Pulling Weeds in the Garden of Prayer

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  Romans 8:26 ESV

In my time as a landscaper, I think I learned more spiritual lessons on my knees in the garden, than on my knees in church. Maybe the most important was that weeds grow far better than flowers, both in a perennial bed as well as in our prayer life. This came to me after spending two days weeding and edging the flower beds at a weekend place in the country of one of my customers. Then on Saturday they ca3lled and asked me to stop by. That morning as we walked around surveying the vast flower beds, Mary Ann turned to me and said, “I can’t believe it Peter. You’ve done such a marvelous job. Those flowers are growing so strong that they are choking out the weeds!”

For a moment I was struck speechless but deciding that explaining the details of the 16 hours of work it took to make it that way, I simply smiled and nodded. Our prayer life in many ways is not unlike those gardens. When everything is in order and we are seeking God, amazingly things will blossom around us, as God goes to work in every corner of His garden. But when we neglect our time in the prayer closet, it won’t take long for weeds to grow, and those flowers (answers to prayer) will not choke out the weeds. We need to get back down on our knees, and with God’s strength and direction, begin to pull them out one by one. The kinds of weeds that grow are almost endless, but here are three of the most common –

The Weed of Prayerlessness – Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way. 1 Samuel 12:23 KJV

Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com

2) The Weed of Selfishness – You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. James 4:3 ESV  

 

3) The Weed of Sleepiness – And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Luke 22:45-46 ESV

We need the Holy Spirit to motivate us – to direct our hearts, wake us up so that the light of Christ can shine in our hearts again!