Wednesday, June 26, 2019

LISTEN TO JESUS: MYSTERIOUS MEAL


LISTEN TO JESUS
MYSTERIOUS MEAL

John 4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

Susie: If the disciples had come back too soon, they would have interrupted the important exchange between Jesus and the woman. Had they been much later, they would not have been privy to His meeting with her at all. I do not believe in coincidences. God’s timing is always perfect. 

Susan: Jesus probably wanted them to catch the end of the conversation because He wanted them to understand that He did not have the “Hatfields and McCoys” prejudice that was expected of a Jewish man when in the presence of a woman, especially one from Samaria.  

Susie: The disciples were surprised that Jesus was talking with a woman but none of them were bold enough to ask him about it, not even Peter who had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth. 

Susan: Perhaps they did not want to open a can of worms or risk a lecture about why the prejudice that had existed for a long time needed to be set aside. Jesus offered salvation EVEN to the Samaritans.

John 4:28-30 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city and came unto him.

Susie: The woman abandoned her water jar in her excitement to tell the very people who had probably scorned her in the past that she believed the Messiah was right there in their town. 

Susan: In her exuberance, the very reason she went to the well flew right out of her head and she left her water behind. All she could think about was sharing the joy of the freedom she had found in the Messiah.  

Susie: Because of her testimony that Jesus knew everything about her without being told, the people headed out to see Him for themselves. 

Susan: The passion in her voice and the zeal with which she was sharing her encounter caused the townspeople to become inquisitive about whether she had truly met the Messiah. 

Susie: Perhaps their entire perspective could be changed as hers was. She obviously had found something they each lacked. The living water . . . 

Susan: . . . the meaning of which flew right past her at first . . .  

Susie: . . . was now flowing through her to others. 

Susan: After her encounter with Jesus, the Samaritan woman became insightful. 

Susie: The Holy Spirit had enabled her to understand at last.

John 4:31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

Susie: Meanwhile, back at the well, the disciples are trying to get Jesus to eat the food they purchased for Him.  They have no idea what just transpired and are only thinking of taking care of His human, physical needs. 

Susan: Jesus had sent them to get food, but now He is not eating it. What’s the deal?

John 4:32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore, said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

Susie: When Jesus tells the disciples He has food they are unaware of, they (like Nicodemus and the woman) are understanding this in terms of the physical. They wonder where this mysterious meat came from. They do not realize He is speaking of spiritual nourishment.

Ways we can apply this to our lives:

·     The woman immediately dropped everything and ran to tell her neighbors the Messiah had arrived. Are you spreading the Good News that Jesus offers forgiveness and freedom with everyone you know?
·     Do you boldly proclaim Jesus even to people who have shunned you?

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

LISTEN TO JESUS: I AM HE


LISTEN TO JESUS
I AM HE

John 4:25-26 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Susan: This is the one occasion before Jesus was brought to trial that He point blank declares Himself to be the Messiah in no uncertain terms. In the case of the Samaritan woman, He makes sure she can make no mistake about Who He is. He is God in the flesh, the Messiah.

Susie: In the original language this could be translated, “I who speak to you am.” This is reminiscent of the way God chose to introduce Himself to Moses when He said, “I am that I am.” His statement should clear up the mud in the woman’s thinking about “living water.”

Ways we can apply this to our lives:

·     The woman at the well knew the promised Messiah would hold the answers to all of life’s questions, and Jesus declared “I am He.”
·     Are you thirsty for things only God can provide – forgiveness, cleansing, and power to live victoriously for Him? Have you come to the One who can give you living water? If so, Praise Him! If not, we pray you will understand His invitation to you and surrender your life right now. If you need further information about how to do this, contact us by using the “Contact Us” tab on the website www.PreciousJewelsMinistries.org.
·     Do you have questions? Turn to the Lord in the pages of the Bible and pray to find the answers. God will show you what you need to know.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

LISTEN TO JESUS: WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH


LISTEN TO JESUS
WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

John 4:21-22 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

Susie: Jesus makes the point that it is not worth debating whether to worship in Jerusalem or Mt. Gerazim because He knows that temple worship will soon be ended. There would be no further need of daily sacrifices once His work was completed on the cross. He states that salvation is through the Jews. The promise was made that salvation would come through Abraham’s seed . . . 

Susan: . . . and David’s throne . . .

Susie: . . . but would bless all nations. The Jews knew Who they worshipped, but ultimately only those who recognize Jesus as the Messiah will be the true worshippers.

John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Susie: Jesus could tell the woman that the hour is now here because He had arrived on the scene. His ministry on earth as the God-Man ushered in the time when people must worship “in spirit and in truth.”  God’s Holy Spirit within us enables us to commune with and worship God who is spirit. 

Susan: Knowing where our life comes from, the Spirit of God, we are constantly intertwined and empowered as we worship Him with complete honesty, transparency, and vulnerability. 

Susie: We need not hold anything back because as previously stated, God already knows.

Romans 8:16 (NIV) The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Susie: We know we are His as we are led by the Holy Spirit. 

Susan: He affirms we are His chosen, adopted children by the way He moves in our lives and enables us to exalt Jesus, blazing an adventurous trail as we serve Him.

Susie: This life we live in Christ is not dull. 

Susan: It is exciting, exhilarating, and fulfilling! Come live in mine and Susie’s home for a while and you will see. 

Susie: It might get a bit cramped since there are already two of us in a small two-bedroom apartment (an upgrade from our original home in a one-bedroom apartment). Perhaps you might stick with visiting us on this blog until the Lord provides a guest room.

Ways we can apply this to our lives:

·     Our place of worship is not nearly as important as who we worship—the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, crucified to redeem us and risen from the dead
·     Where we worship does not matter as much as how we worship—indwelt by the Spirit, transparent before our Lord, and with wholehearted devotion to our Savior, Jesus

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

LISTEN TO JESUS: GO GET YOUR HUSBAND


LISTEN TO JESUS
GO GET YOUR HUSBAND

John 4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

Susan: Here’s where it gets sticky. 

Susie: Jesus seems to be changing the subject, but He is really transitioning to help her see her need of the kind of water He has to offer. 

Susan: His request draws her out and causes her to reveal what He already knows.

Susie: Once again, we see that Jesus has the power to see deep within us.

Hebrews 4:13 (ESV) And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Susie: We might as well be completely honest with God because He alone knows the complete truth about us. We cannot hide!

Psalm 139:1-3 O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

Susan: Jesus is better than Paul Harvey…He truly knows the rest of the story because, after all, He wrote it.

John 4:17-18 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

Susan: She tells the truth that she is not married, but Jesus responds with the entire truth of her past. She was not only astonished that He knew the entire truth but that He was willing to listen to her which was probably something she had not experienced ever.

Susie: Now Jesus is not only talking to a despised Samaritan woman but an adulterous Samaritan woman.

Susan: This woman had probably never been treated as if she had any substantive worth. Jesus did not detest her like most people she encountered. 

Susie: However, He made clear that she could hide nothing from Him.

John 4:19-20 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

Susie: The woman acknowledges that Jesus must be a prophet since He knew about her marital situations without being told but then brings up another controversy that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans. 

Susan: The Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch which is the first five books of the Old Testament, but the Jews recognized the remainder of the Old Testament as well. 

Susie: Both groups could cite references to support which mountain the temple should occupy. Why she brought that up is a mystery to me. Perhaps she is trying to lure Jesus into being judgmental? Or maybe she was trying to take herself and her sinful lifestyle out of the spotlight.

Susan: She may have been truly trying to understand the reason why the Jews and the Samaritans had a different view of the matter. 

Susie: Or maybe she just wanted to leave the squirmy feeling of talking about her adulterous behavior.

Ways we can apply this to our lives:
·     Jesus knows everything about us, so we might as well be completely honest with Him and with ourselves
·     Jesus sees and knows all about us but loves us anyway