Living Water

In John 7:37-44 we read where Jesus taught about living water. Are you thirsty? Do do feel unsatisfied with what the world offers for joy and peace.Then read on and learn how to experience real satisfaction! Jesus offers life to those who believe. Jesus was a radical. Everywhere he went he messed up peoples plans -- raising the dead, casting out demons, performing miracles, correcting the religious crowd, hugging little children, and so on. Jesus never did or said what people thought he should; Jesus did His own thing. Don’t you know at some point the Pharisees just hated to see Jesus coming; but, oh, how the prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners loved it when He appeared on the scene! The religious Jews and Pharisees believed by virtue of their birth they held the title right to the kingdom of God; however, Jesus did come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance!

 John chapter seven is about Jesus’ teachings during the Feast of Tabernacles. These “feasts” were “Regular religious celebrations remembering God’s great acts of salvation in the history of His people” (Holman Bible Dictionary). This celebration and unleavened bread lasted seven days. Tabernacles remembered the gathering of the harvest. During the week the people lived in temporary tents made of branches which remembered Israel’s time in the wilderness after the Lord delivered them from Egypt. At some point they added a ceremony in which they poured out water taken from the pool of Siloam as a drink offering to the Lord. The last day of the feast they did not pour out a drink offering and everyone gathered together for the last day’s events. This is the day in which Jesus made His exclamation.

 The exclamation or invitation the Lord gives is found in John 7:37. "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.'" The Bible has lots of invitations: 1. Rest: Come unto Me and I will give you rest. . . .; 2. Explore: Come and see (John 1:39); 3. Dine: Come and dine (John 21:12); 4.Think: Come now let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18); 5. Partake freely: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1).

 Notice John 7 again and look at the parts of this invitation.
 1. Thirst -- until you thirst you’ll never drink! Well people don’t look for a doctor; happy people don’t look for a counselor; learned people don’t look for a teacher; so, also, people who aren’t thirsty don’t look for water!

 2. Come -- Realizing your need is only the beginning; you must come to Jesus. It is the Bible that instructs you; It is the Spirit that convicts, convinces, and converts you; it is our heavenly Father that provides for you; it is the savior who beckons you through this text. COME!

 3. Drink -- Jesus then, now, and until He comes again bids us drink from the well of salvation. Isaiah 12:3 tells us, “Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.” What does it means to drink? It means to appropriate or to take something that belongs to somebody else for yourself. John 3:38 defines drink this way, “He who believes in Me.” When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you drink from the well of salvation. Romans 10:9-10 says it this way, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

 The Provision He makes is found in John 7:38. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Wow! Jesus tells the crowd gathered that what He was teaching came from the Scriptures (the Old Testament). Though this exact statement is not found in the OT the idea is clearly taught. Isaiah 44:3 - 4: "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; They will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.’" Again, in Isaiah 58:11: "The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

 Doctors tell us that water makes up 70-75% of the body weight of the average human being. A person can survive for up to 4 weeks without food but no longer than 3 days without water. The human brain is made up of 95% water, blood is 82% and lungs 90%. A mere 2% drop in our body's water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen. Water performs many different functions inside the body. Water is essential for transporting nutrients, hormones and waste products around the body. Water helps control the delicate balances of concentrations within the cells.

 In the Bible the word water is used literally, metaphorically, and symbolically (see John 4:13-14). Here, Jesus uses the word water metaphorically to describe the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Verse 39 explains, “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified [crucified, buried, and raised again].” Notice what Jesus tells us:

 1. Out of the belly -- this is the heart of the very center of you spirit life. God does His work from the inside out! With Christ in your heart you have life to live out (Gal. 2:20); Power to serve(2 Corinthians 6:16); the Source of Fruit-bearing (John 15:4); the Peace to rule (Colossians 3:15); The Word to teach (Colossians 3:16); The Hope of Glory (Colossian 1:27)

 2. Shall flow rivers -- As literal water is to the natural life, so, the Holy Spirit is to the spiritual life. In the Hebrew mindset flowing water were alive and stagnant waters were dead. This gift of the Holy Spirit will be a well of water spring up into everlasting life! (John 4:14)

 3. Living Water -- “He calls that [water] "living" which ever works; for the grace of the Spirit, when it hath entered into the mind and hath been established, springs up more than any fountain, fails not, becomes not empty, stays not” (John Chrysostom). Today too many folks, some of them Christians, try to draw from the poisoned wells of the world: Wells of religion, sex, pornography, drugs, alcohol, materialism, fame, success, philosophy, and the like will never satisfy the deep thirsting of the souls of men and women, boys and girls. Only Jesus who gives the Holy Spirit to those who believe can satisfy you now and forever!

 I like the song "Springs Of Living Water" by John W. Peterson:
 I thirsted in the barren land of sin and shame,
And nothing satisfying there I found;
 But to the blessed cross of Christ one day I came,
Where springs of living water did abound.
 Chorus:
Drinking at the springs of living water, Happy now am I, my soul they satisfy.
Drinking at the springs of living water, O wonderful and bountiful supply.

 As always, Jesus caused a Division. John 7:43 reads, “So there was a division among the people because of Him.” Jesus causes controversy. Jesus is not controversial, but people in their lost and backslidden condition wrestle against God’s Word and His only blessed Son.

 Verse 40 tells us about the "many." “Many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, ‘Truly this is the Prophet.’” This bunch loved to hear Jesus preach and recognized His authority, but came short of confessing Him as the Son of God.

 Verse 41a introduces us to the "others." “Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’” These represent God’s chosen people. Like Mary in John 11, they confess, “I believe thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God who should come into the world.” In my heart I would like to believe they were Baptist, but the cold slap of experience tells me they probably weren’t!

 Verse 41b tells about the reaction of "some." “But some said, ‘Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42)Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?’” They rejected Jesus and used the Bible to back their unbelief! The Lord lovingly offered them deep, abiding satisfaction; as a free gift He invited them to experience the refreshing and life-changing forgiveness of sin and filling of the Spirit, but, instead of receiving the gift they crawled back into the dry, barren wasteland of the world. They knew the Bible, but not the Author! They knew chapters and verses, but never applied to their own hearts!

 When David hid in the dry and barren the wilderness of Judah he wrote, “ “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1). Is this your heart cry? In Proverbs 8:7 our Father tells us He loves those who love Him, and those who seek Him diligently will find Him.

 People sometimes quit working for the Lord because they dry up. They have no joy, no enthusiasm, no desire for God house. This sort of thing happened in the wilderness when the children of Israel made laps. Numbers 20:2 reads, “And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.” Things aren’t going the way folks want it to so they say, “Get rid of the preachers!” God’s spoke to Moses and the answer was simple, “8)Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” Show them the cross where Jesus died, show them the empty tomb, show them the Lord raised to glory, show them the Lord coming again! If this won’t cause the people to revive, then all the programs and entertainment in the world won’t help.

Montana Moments: The Hartley Chronicles

Montana Moments: The Hartley Chronicles October 2011-March 2012 “Looking Back in Celebration, Looking Up in Adoration, and Looking Forward in Anticipation” THE EXTENSION CCI is now The Extension. As I reported earlier, we are excited about working with Yellowstone Baptist College and offering classes through YBC. Since I last reported on the work we completed two 13 week classes and we are working on a third before summer. Last fall Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church hosted the Institute and we did Ecclesiastes (12 students). What a great class. After Christmas we met at Calvary Baptist Church and did the history of Christianity. Six students took this course. I want to thank Shelby Morgan and Elliott Baptist Church for the books they provided on Baptist history. I was able to give these books to the students and refer to them during the class. This was also a class that counted toward credit with YBC. When we completed the history of Christianity we moved immediately into another course called Introduction to Christian Doctrine. This class meets in our home on Tuesdays and has five students. In June we are planning the graduation celebration of Chuck and Opal Sanderson. Chuck is receiving an Associate Degree in Biblical Studies which took 2 ½ years to complete. His wife is receiving a Certificate in Biblical Studies for work she completed. Checkout our website and blogs: capitalbaptistfellowship.com jeanneannhartley.blogstop.com (new content) capitalbaptistfellowship.wordpress.com (new content) Thanks in advance for your partnership with us in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ! BAPTISMS AND DISCIPLESHIP Since our last report the Lord gave us seven candidates for baptism. Of these presenting themselves for Scriptural baptism, one was saved during a home Bible study and another was saved during Sunday morning worship. Pray for these new converts during the ongoing work of discipling. “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. . . . And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:41a, 47b). What's Happening? We continue to meet on Sunday mornings at the Jorgenson’s Inn and provide a fellowship meal afterwards. We average twelve on Sunday mornings. Chuck and Opal Sanderson, whom I mentioned above, help with the work in many ways. Opal is CBF’s treasurer and Chuck preaches on Sunday mornings. On Sunday nights we meet for Bible study. Last Sunday night the Lord sent 10 people for the study. We just finished a verse by verse study of Revelation and are presently working through the minor prophets. During the week classes of various kinds meet in homes, restaurants, and wherever the Lord opens up a spot for us. The work at the ski hill has come to a close. It was a productive season working with the ski patrol. The Lord gave us several opportunities to share God’s love with people in very practical ways! The 2012 summer is looking busy. Pray that the Lord gives us wisdom and direction as we work with the mission team coming in June and I finish the plans for a deputation visit later in the summer. THANK YOU ALL I want to thank all our partners for the cards, phone calls, letters, gift boxes, books, ministry supplies, monthly support and prayers with which you bless us. “I thank my upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3). Also, I want to thank those of you who responded so positively to Elizabeth’s support letter she sent. As she prepares to go to Peru for summer missions, it encourages her and us to know your prayers go with her. A special thank you goes out to Jill Oie who worked with us for 6 1/2 years. Her dedication and love for the Lord made each year a joy! She did so much for us and the work of the Lord! I’ll be writing to many of you individually, but for now, let me say again, thank you all. Prayer Requests 1. Our meeting place at the Jorgenson’s Inn is a blessing, but the people are wanting a more accessible and permanent meeting place -- a home if you please. Pray that the Lord opens up a place for worship and the Extension to meet. 2. Pray for the mission team as they prepare to work here in June. Many details need to be worked out and decisions need to be made. Ask our Father to give us all we need to fulfill His perfect will. 3. The Extension, formerly Capital Christian Institute, needs to grow and become more established here in the Helena area. During the summer I plan to meet with some of the key people who can help The Extension move to the next level. Pray that they will be open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in this regard and that He will move in the hearts of those who need to study with us. 4. Pray for Capital Baptist Fellowship as new people continue to come in. We still desire direction from the Lord about constituting. We would love to be able to do this in the early fall of 2012, but this may not be the Lord’s will for us right now. Pray that He makes His will plain to us; if He opens a door may we be faithful to walk through them; if He closes a door may He close it tightly and bolt it shut. 5. We need teams to come for visioning tours and to work with us in 2013. Pray the Lord moves in the hearts of those who need to come and that they will be obedient. 6. Pray that through the preaching of the gospel the lost be found, the backslidder restored, and the faithful worker for Christ encouraged. May He be glorified and His name made famous here in Helena and wherever this correspondence finds you. “As artists give themselves to their models, and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer” Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892). Parish Hartley 2100 Lockey Ave Helena, MT 59601 406-461-6817