Broken cisterns -

 MEDITATION on John chapter 4: 25-34

1. The woman said that when the Messiah comes he will tell them about all things. (V25)
2. Jesus said that he was the Messiah they were waiting for.( V26)
3. By then his disciples came and marvelled at him talking to that woman, but nobody asked him why he was talking to her. (V27)
4. She left her pot there and ran into the city telling the men to come and see Christ and that he told her everything she did. (V28,29)
5. And all the men came to see him. ( V30)
6. Meanwhile the disciples asked of Christ to eat food. (V31)
7. BUT Christ said there is a meat that they knew not and that is to do the will of God who sent him and to finish his work. ( v32-34)

LIFE APPLICATION:

1. Many times we wait for a Messiah to come and tell us what to do. But we least realise that the Messiah has already come and he is amongst us. (V25, 26)

A. Many of us know but yet we choose to forsake the living waters.

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Jeremiah:2:13

B. We also can hew out cisterns that cannot hold the living waters.

We are those Earthern vessels that God fills with these living waters and if there are holes and leaks in the form of sin, we can never hold these living waters in us.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2 Corinthians:4:7

C. And if we choose to forsake these living waters we will be ashamed.

O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.
Jeremiah:17:13
So let us be cautious not only in filling our vessels but also keeping them full too.

2. Jesus confirmed to her that he is the Messiah they had waited for.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Daniel:9:26

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isaiah:53:8

Compare these two verses... Jesus was the Messiah who was cut off from the land of the living.

When she could comprehend that Christ is the Messiah she left the water pot and goes into the city to bring people to him. (V26)

This is why the word of God tells us not to harden our hearts when we hear his voice today.

While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Hebrews:3:15

LIFE APPLICATION 3:

Christ speaks about meat more precious than the physical one. Let us look forward to such a meat... ie. To do the will of God and to accomplish it in our lives.

The WORD of GOD says,

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Romans:14:17

So let us feed our spirit man with the Spiritual meat and drink. May the good Lord minister unto our Spirits more....

Abiding in Christ: A Meditation John 1:35-42

1. John the next day again confesses Jesus Christ of Nazareth as the Lamb OF GOD in front of his own disciples.  (V35, 36)
2. Hearing this witness of John two of his own disciples turned away from him to follow Jesus. ( v37)
3. Seeing them following, jesus asked them what they were seeking? The disciples asks him for his dwelling place?( v38)
4. They not only dwelt with him but also ABIDED with him for a day. ( v39)
5. One of the person to follow Jesus was Andrew. (V40)
6. The first thing he did once he was conviced himself, that Christ is the Messiah, he immediately informs his brother Simon Peter. ( v41)
7. When Andrew brought Peter to Jesus, he behold ( looks straight into his life) and prophesied on him, that he will no more be Simon the SON of Jona but he will be cephas...meaning a STONE. ( v42)

Life Application:
1. John had his own disciples, but still he never hesitated to glorify Christ in front of them. How are we when compared to John ?
2. Do we feel insecure when someone close to us leaves us and go? How do we react? V37.
3. We have decided to follow Christ. What will be our answer to the question WHAT SEEK YE?
4. The WORD of GOD says in psalms 91:1, that
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm:91:1
It is revealed to me that Jesus is the secret place of the most high, that the disciples dwelt.
5. The glory of CHRIST is so strong that you do not want to just dwell there, but you want to abide there all the day.
6. Oh, if we can only dwell in that secret place and abide in the presence of CHRIST, how much more can Christ reveal himself to us as he did for Andrew?
7. Immediately after he was revealed of Christ, Andrew started evangelizing to his brother Simon Peter, a close family member and brought him to Jesus.
8. When Peter came to Jesus, his life changed totally including his name.
Do we seek, dwell and abide in the presence of God so much, that we get deep revelations about Christ?
Do we advertise CHRIST and bring people to him?
How much our lives have changed after we met Christ as compared to Peter?

Let the spirit of God shed his lights into our hearts as he minister unto us, through these words. Amen.

THE ANOINTING OIL AND THE HOLY SPIRIT - Contd (Chapter -3)

Chapter -3

         JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH: MESSIAH – “THE ANOINTED ONE”

          The word Messiah gets its origin from the Hebrew word, (maw-shakh'), meaning “the anointed one”. This got the name, Christos when it was transliterated to the Greek in the New Testament. Since the first century AD the word “Christ” originating from the Greek word “Christos”, is being used to describe Jesus of Nazareth, as the “anointed one” of the Lord.

Ø  The Lord God anointed Jesus, to preach good tidings to the meek. Because of this anointing, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD was upon Jesus. (Isaiah 61:1)

1.      The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2.      To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3.       To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

God anointed Jesus with Holy Spirit and power. (Acts 10:38)

³⁸ How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

JESUS CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT:

Jesus explains about the Holy Spirit as the Comforter and the Spirit of truth in John 14:16, 17;

 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The Holy Spirit was sent by God the Father himself, when Jesus prayed to him. (John 15:26)

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Jesus had to depart for the spirit of God to be sent unto us. (John 16:7)

 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Jesus Christ himself is the one who baptizeth us with the Holy Spirit. (John 1:32, 33)

³² And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

³³ And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Spirit is given to a person when he believes. (John 7: 38, 39)

³⁸ He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

³⁹ (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

The Revelation behind the garden of Gethsemane:

Jesus Christ had to depart to his father, so that the Holy Spirit can be poured on the one who believes. (John 14:16; 16:7); But for this reason, Jesus had to pay a bigger price. He had to bear the agony of the cross, the sins of the whole world, upon him, shedding his blood as a ransom for our sins. (Hebrews 10:14-22). He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. He was wounded and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him as in (Isaiah 53:4, 5)

⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

The Mount of Olives, where Jesus spent his last night praying, (Matt 26:36) was named Gethsemane. (Gat shemen meaning a “press of oil” in Hebrews), for the numerous Olive groves, and Olive oil presses at its base. Jesus Christ was crushed, (Psalms 22; Matthew 36: 38, 39) on this Mount of Olives, so that the exquisite oil of the Holy Spirit was poured out from him.

When Jesus was crucified, water poured out from his side, denoting the Holy Spirit as it is explained in John 19:34;

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

The Holy Spirit and the resurrection of Christ:

The Holy Spirit was the power behind the resurrection of Christ.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Romans 8:11

After the resurrection of Jesus, He told his disciples to wait and pray till they receive power from heaven, i.e. the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Luke 24:49

And this verse came to pass when the disciples waited in the upper room as in Acts 2:1-4

1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

³ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.