Faith Vs Fear...

We live in a fear filled world. You can hear it on the news every night. You can see it in the faces of folks as they go through their daily activities. What does tomorrow hold? More earthquakes? Financial meltdowns? Tsunamis? Wars? Unemployment? How will it all affect us and what can we do about it? The feeling of helplessness sends many into depression and despair.


I have some good news for you! A life of despair does not have to be the focus of your world! There is hope! My tomorrows are not limited to the world view of the media. I see beyond tomorrow! I see it with an eye of faith. That faith is based on something solid and sure. It is the Word of God. It is a hope based on the promises I find written for every believer. 11. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

The Fear Problem

Fear of the future and what it holds often puts a person into a grip of fear that prevents them from doing anything for God. It looks ahead with fear and freezes. Think of Noah for a moment. He had heard from God that he was to build an ark to the saving of his family. He was given exact instructions. By faith, he obeyed God and began the awesome task of building something the world around him had never seen before. For 120 years they mocked him. For 120 years he worked on the project. At any time, he could have stopped, and given up. But he persisted because he had heard from God. Even after the boat was loaded with family and animals, he could have wondered, “Will the pitch hold? Will we all survive? What will the world be like when it is all said and done? Will we find food? ” But he kept his focus on God, not the problems. God speaks today to us as He did to Isaiah: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) In the middle of your moment of fear, God is with you...He will strengthen you...His hand will hold you!

One of the greatest weapons against fear is remembering the victories of the past. Just think for a moment of some of the wonderful things God has brought you through. For each person the history of victories will be different. Some will think of overcoming cancer. Others will think of how God helped with a bill. For some it will be the reconciliation of family members. What has God done for you? Make a victory file. Put in it all the things God has done. Then look back again and again at what God accomplished when you thought it was impossible and remember. Remember Jesus words in Matthew 17:20 I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, `Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. " and again...in Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

The Faith Factor

All too often the problem is not what God can or cannot do, but our willingness to believe it. "Everything is possible for him who believes." (Mark 9:23) There is nothing worse in a storm than to question and doubt the ability of the Captain. An old seaman once said: “In fierce storms we must do one thing, for there is only one way to survive: we must put the ship in a certain position and keep her there.” In the storms of our life, we must take our ‘ship’ and put it in a position of faith—facing the storm head on. “Jesus said, in this world you will have trouble. But, take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) We can expect storms to come. It is part of life. God allows it so we will learn to look to Him and as we do, we will grow stronger spiritually. Faith sees the future through God’s eyes. What get’s God into a panic? Nothing! He see’s the whole picture….past, present and future. That’s why He is called the Alpha and the Omega, the A and the Z—the beginning and the end. There is nothing God does not see. If you are facing the possibility of death, it would appear that there are reasons to fear. But Jesus gives us hope even then to conquer our fear. “I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all.” John 11:25-26 (TMB) He spoke these words to Mary at the graveside of Lazarus. They give us hope even today as many face death.

Our Future

The problems of this world are small compared to the eternity that awaits the believer. He promised us a hope and a future, but that future is not limited to the here and now. It is extended into eternity. Paul, the apostle who suffered so greatly in persecutions, shipwrecks, beatings, stonings, and other crises, learned to look at life with eternal eyes. His vision saw into eternity and life forever with God. Jesus told his followers, 1. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. 2. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:1-3) The future is always bright for the child of God. It includes time spent with Jesus. It includes a place He has prepared for each of us. It is a place that is out of reach of Satan’s schemes. It is a place where there will be no sickness or death. It is a future in which we can securely place our trust. There will be no fear in heaven or in the presence of Jesus. So we may as well choose here and now not to fear the present circumstances or the imagined ones we think may come our way. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7) We don’t gain anything by spending time worrying about everything. But we do gain the peace of God when we put it all in His capable hands.

So what are we to do in our moments of fear when our faith is down?

1. Pray. Take time to get alone with God and talk to Him about it all. Then listen!

2. Read the Word. By diving into the treasures of the Bible, you will find your faith growing in God in leaps and bounds.

3. Trust. Believe that God has a plan bigger than your problem.

4. Surround yourself with Faith. Share your need with people of prayer. Together in Christ, you are a tower of strength.

5. Hope in God 13May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Rom 15:13 (AMP)

I don’t know your personal circumstances, but I do know the God who knows everything. When you throw up your hands in despair, saying ’There is no use going on” He is still looking down on you waiting for you to ask for His intervention. He is a God of the miraculous. He wants to demonstrate His wondrous power through you. He is not wringing his hands in anxiety over your problem. He has everything under control. He sees it all. Lift your vision above your circumstances and see as He sees. There is no fear in His eyes. He wants to see faith in yours.

J. Johnson

The FORGIVEN!

“I’ll never forgive him!” “I can’t forgive!” How often I have heard other people make these statements. They have been through some horrendous pain that has left a gaping wound and multiple scars in their everyday life. They somehow feel that refusing to forgive, refusing to put the pain into the hands of the only One who can really help them heal, will somehow justify their statement. We have all experienced some kind of pain in our lives. Some have experienced abandonment, while others have experienced abuse of the worst kind. Others have been bullied, and intimidated until their spirits were crushed. They want the pain to cease. They want the person who wounded them so badly to change. They stand alone, hoping, wishing, dying on the inside. But nothing ever seems to change. Even God seems not to notice. What’s a Christian to do?


CHANGE

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned in life is that I cannot change anyone. Only God can change someone’s heart, and He can only do that if they allow Him to do it. As much a I might want to change the behavior, the thought patterns, or even the future relationship—nothing that I can do will guarantee their change—except prayer. Even then, prayer has a way of changing us rather than others. Sometimes we want God to change. But God never changes. He is ever the same. His very nature is marked by His unchangeable character—His immutability. Malachi 3:6 tells us “For I, the LORD, do not change…” He is the One who will continue to be faithful, even if all mankind is faithless. He will continue to love, even when we feel unlovable. When we allow bitterness and anger to build in our hearts, He continues to love us anyhow. He does not love the sin in which we often choose to wallow. But He does love His child. Though God never changes, there is one person that can change—YOU. You can choose to change your attitude about those who hurt you, about the God who seemed to abandon you. Your attitude colors the whole world around you. Those with a wound often carry a boulder on their shoulders. It weighs them down, hinders everything they do. It influences everyone in their lives. That boulder is like a bag of rattlesnakes. They wonder where they can leave it, yet they continue to carry it into every day of their lives. Change must come. It begins with putting Christ in full charge of all of your life. We say we have given Him our heart, but we often don’t give him our mind, or our bodies. We hang on to just the parts we want to control. He tells us to give it all to Him, and we grip that bag of rattlesnakes a little tighter. We know that God wants to control all the uncontrollable things in our lives, yet we tend to hang on to the things we think we can change, as if we deserve the credit. We want to be right. We tell ourselves, “We deserve it!” But the tighter we hang on to our unforgiving attitudes, the more we deserve all the pain we get. God cannot and will not violate our strong and sometimes childishly stubborn wills. He is like the prodigal’s father, who knew the mistakes his son was making by taking his share and leaving home before he should. He knew that a hard lessons would be learned. But he stood there, gave the boy the money, and watched him go down the road while his own heart must have been breaking. He waited, and waited and watched and watched….and one day his faith was rewarded. He longed for his child, and that desire caused him to look longingly down the road, watching for the return of the wayward child. God is like that father. He did not scold the son...he did not lecture him. He did not demand repayment of the money squandered. He ran to him with open arms. He took his coat and put it around his shoulders, put his own ring in his finger and he called him “Son” again. Earthly parents who are at odds with their children do not always behave that way. They want to continue to parent them. They want to show the wayward one they were wrong. It’s silly how we do that. When we make mistakes and learn from them, we know we made the mistake. Forgiveness looks beyond the sins of the past, and accepts the individual just as they are. God does that for us. We don’t deserve forgiveness. We often can’t forgive ourselves. We tend to be hardest on “me.” But there are lessons to be learned, and the prodigal son while still in a far country, had a sudden revelation. Why starve to death, when you can go and work for the finest employer in the land...Father—not as a son, but just as a hired hand.

HUMILITY!

It is the beginning of forgiving yourself. It is the awakening to reality. Yet how often we want God to do the humbling. He can’t do it. We must humble ourselves. “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10) How do we do this? By sincere repentance. Real humility comes when we choose to do the very thing that we hate to do—submit. Submission to God means total yielding of every area of our lives—our past, our present and our future. We fight submitting because it means that we are no longer in control...God is. But what better place to be—in His hands. He knows the future. He knows the pain. He knows all about our relationships. He knows the deepest hidden secrets in our hearts that we have never told another soul. He knows how to fix everything that is broken and make it like new. He is the one who totally forgives, and acts like it never ever happened. But family—well, that’s another thing. The prodigal’s younger brother who now owned all the rights to his Father’s remaining wealth, was shocked by the forgiving Father. He was jealous of his brother. Family may not respond like God does to us. But how should we respond to them? How did Jesus respond to those who hurt Him? “Father, Forgive them, for they know not what they do….” (Luke 23:34) Jesus knew the wicked hearts of those who crucified Him. He was not like many of us who as children were sometimes forced to say “I’m sorry,” when in our hearts we knew we were not sorry one little bit. We were play acting to appease our parents. Sometimes we carry forward into our adult lives those little pantomimes, and we say we forgive on the outside, but inside we are just waiting for the right moment to seek revenge. Jesus never pretended. Jesus, from His wounded heart, chose to deliberately forgive. Why? He knew the consequences of unforgiveness—sin, separation and death. He would have failed in His divine mission. He did not fail—He forgave!

This year, as you meet with family and friends during the holidays, take a moment in the privacy of your home and kneel before the God who chose to forgive you. Then choose to forgive those who have hurt you. It demands obedient hearts. He will walk with you into the most painful moments and put peace in your heart. If there has been a wall dividing hearts, take the adult step of offering your repentance and saying those two little words “I’m sorry” and “Forgive me”. If you want to truly experience God in your life, forgive. You can chase revivals, seek out the prophets and evangelists, have others lay hands on you, but if you do not forgive, God can’t forgive you. Unforgiveness causes all kinds of grief, including sickness, unanswered prayer, and broken relationships with God and man. “Don’t grieve God. Don’t break His heart. The Holy Spirit moving and breathing in you is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for Himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted. Make a clean break with all cutting, back biting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:30-32 TMB) J. Johnson

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Praise reports and prayer requests…..

Pray for revival! Pray for those who are struggling with forgiveness.

Pray for the Johnsons as they seek a new place of full time ministry...a church that needs strong leadership. Pray for grieving families who have lost loved ones.... Pray for Pastors, Evangelists, Missionaries, and Teachers. Pray for US Army Chaplain Steve Maglio

Pray for those needing a healing touch in their bodies: H Johnson (having back surgery Nov 1 recovering nicely) T Johnson (still having pain from her heart problems) J Deike (cancer) D Barth (cancer), J Brandon, (cancer) D Sherwin (cancer), L. Gardner (cancer). Pray for those dealing with chaos, anger, abuse, temptations and carnal sinful habits. Pray for the nation, for the President, for our service men and women, for Israel, for the unsaved, and don’t forget to Praise and thank the Lord!

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Dear friends,


We have enjoyed a ministry opportunities in October in southern IL. Had a wonderful time in the presence of the Lord. Please pray that more doors of ministry will open for us in the days ahead. Please continue to pray for us as we seek God’s placement of our ministry. We are so thankful and so appreciate each of you who take the time to pray and write. God bless you all! God is faithful and we anticipate great things in the future… …Serving the Master

Dave & Joyce

Calm In The Chaos

How often do we find ourselves swept away by a flash flood of chaos that seems to turn our world upside down? Flash floods can be devastating catastrophes. In 1976, the Big Thompson River flash flood killed 143 people in Colorado when 12 inches of rain fell on just one area, sending a 20 foot wall of water down the canyon destroying lives, homes, cars and businesses. We sometimes say that the rain falls on the good and the bad, but sometimes it falls far away and still devastates those least expecting it.


Others find themselves caught out to sea in a boat when the storm of life strikes. Like the disciples, we all tend to panic. You may have been enjoying a beautiful day on the lake until the wind suddenly changed. The boat starts rocking and destruction seems certain. With Christ in the boat, there’s no need to fear. I like the song that says, “Sometimes He calms the storm, and sometimes He calms His child.” He can bring peace in the middle of any storm. But sometimes the kind of peace we want is not what we get. God has other plans for us. Sometimes life throws us a curve ball. We want it all to go nice and easy, but when the tough times come, we must be spiritually ready to face the storm. How do we do this? How do we find calm in the chaos?

God’s Viewpoint

Remember the bigger picture—God’s view. God sees it all, and he knows how much we can take. He knows all of our tomorrows. He sees into eternity. He knows the lessons we need to learn. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes he wants to take our weaknesses and make them strengths. As you face a storm, ask yourself, “God, what do you want me to learn from this?” Perhaps we will suddenly see we have not been in the spiritual place He wants us to be. His desire is that we find our strength in Him, and we do that by feasting on the Word of God. Don’t count on your mate to feed you, or your pastor. Pick up your Bible and begin to feast as the Holy Spirit directs you to just the words you need to nourish your soul. As you read through the stories of the Old Testament historical books, you will discover that over and over again, God allowed challenges to come into the lives of the people of God. It was for one purpose—that they might come to God for help—that they might rely on Him to deliver them. Joseph needed deliverance from slavery and then from prison, and when God taught him to trust, God put Joseph in a place to deliver his own brothers (who had sold him into slavery) from starvation. God saw the bigger picture. It did not end there. In 400 years, the descendents of Joseph and his family became slaves and needed deliverance. God provided once again in Moses. Soon they were facing the Red Sea in one direction, and pharaoh’s army in the other. God used a man who had been forged on the anvil of God to lead them all, not to disaster, but to freedom and victory. God saw through the annals of time that a plan would be needed, a man who would listen to God and follow. It took faith, trust, vision, and blind obedience. From God’s viewpoint, it was all under control. But from Moses viewpoint, and the panicky throng, all they saw was water—then God stepped in and made a path in their chaos.

The Eternal Plan

God always has a plan. Usually we are too busy or too frightened by what is going on around us to seek His eternal plan. It is found in the Book. “Eye has not seen nor ear heard nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9) In fact God has you on his ‘daytimer’. You are on his eternal schedule. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) We know that that wonderful plan and future includes eternal life for the righteous. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

God’s plan does not end for man in the grave. It is the beginning of a wonderful new life with Christ. That new life in Christ is eternal. It will never end. The pain and sickness and death will end. The chaos and frustrations we have known in the earthly life will end, but our spiritual end will outlast everything we have known down here. And because we can know for certain that we are a part of His eternal plan, we can go through life here and now with peace and calm in the midst of chaos.

Family Chaos

It’s not easy raising a family today. Demands pound on our doors. Expectations crowd out the ‘normal’ life of a family. What is so necessary is for a family to determine what should take priority. What do you value the most in your family life? In the parsonage, I determined that the needs of my family out-weighed the demands and expectations of those outside our four walls. God had given me a mission-field of four children and a spouse to care for, to see their spiritual needs, physical needs, and more were taken care of. If I chose to take care of everyone else’s needs and neglected the needs of my immediate family, I would have failed both God and my family. I wanted my children to know that God was more important than other people and their expectations, more important than a job or money or pleasure. Too many confuse God’s demands with church demands. When that happens it sends a silent message to our children that they are not important, and that God is an enemy who steals away vital time. In reality, it is not God stealing us away from our family, but our own choices. God wants us to live in a healthy balance, nurturing our family, creating a hunger for God, just as they hunger for food from the kitchen. It is sad to see families disintegrating, out of control, walking in rebellion, refusing to submit to the spiritual guidance needed to restore balance. Too many walk away from church altogether. The children, as they mature, adopt a new set of non-spiritual values and drift off into the attractions of the world around them. The chaos in the home spins them into the chaos of the world.

God’s plan is for a home centered in God and His love. I love what Erma Bombeck wrote in “If I Had My Life to do Over”: I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth…..
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television -- and more while watching life. I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband. I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love yous", more "I'm sorrys" ... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

How we choose to respond to the chaos of life makes our life. I am amazed as I read how the apostle Paul faced the chaos of ministry life. In 2 Cor 11:24-28 Paul lists the horrible experiences he faced… shipwreck, beaten five times, stoned with rocks, adrift at sea, dangers of travel, bandits, sleep deprivation, hunger and thirst and all the troubles of the churches as well. Is there chaos in your life? Paul kept it all in proper perspective. He knew strength came from difficulties. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:10 NIV)

Is the storm of life tossing your boat? Remember the Master who is with you in the boat. He never leaves us alone in our chaos. He is there.

1.Turn to Him. Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

2. Trust God and His Word. God makes no mistakes, and His eternal plan is working for our good.

3.Thank Him in the chaos of life. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.1 Thess 5:18 Faith looks beyond the chaos to the coming calm.

Have you found your calm place in the chaos? Trust Him. Hold on. When peace comes, tell someone and let the glory of God shine hope into their circumstances.
J. Johnson

Praise reports and prayer requests…..


Pray for revival! Pray for those who are the midst of their storm of chaos.

Pray for the Johnsons as they seek a new place of full time ministry...a church that needs strong leadership. Praise the Lord for another great year at South Division High with Straight UP! Pray for grieving families who have lost loved ones...(the Arleen Johnson family 7-5-2010). Pray for Pastors, Evangelists, Missionaries, and Teachers. Pray for US Army Chaplain Steve Maglio

Pray for those needing a healing touch in their bodies: Bernie Dargiewicz (recovery from heart surgery) Dave Barth (cancer), Jim Brandon, (cancer) Diane Sherwin (cancer), L. Gardner (cancer). Pray for those dealing with chaos, anger, abuse, temptations and carnal sinful habits. Pray for the nation, for the President, for our service men and women, for Israel, for the unsaved, and don’t forget to Praise and thank the Lord!

We Need Living Water!

Have you ever had a drink of water from a deep well on a hot summer day? The water is usually cold and refreshing. It seems like you just can’t get enough! You want to pour it down your parched throat...dump it on your head… and keep on doing it until you are thoroughly satisfied. I grew up on a small farmette that had a well. I remember that water. I also remember other wells along the way. Some had fallen into disuse. When the water was to be used for drinking, it had to be tested. Sometimes it had to be shocked with chlorine to kill bacteria. Some wells produced insufficient water for the demand and had to be re-drilled at greater depth and with a larger pipe.

Living Water and the Feasts
In Jesus day, the Jewish people celebrated their final festival of the Jewish year, Succoth or Tabernacles, for seven days. A very important part of the celebration included water. It could not be just any water. It had to be ‘living’ water. Living water was not water that was standing in contaminated puddles. It was not salty or brackish. It was pure and clean water, springing from underground streams and rivers, flowing into lakes and ‘cisterns’ for safe use. Israel is an arid land. Rainfall for the year is very low. But when it rained, the people learned to gather that rainwater and make use of it throughout the year. They would store it in huge underground ‘cisterns’ often as large as a house. One of those large cisterns is located in the Garden of Gethsemane. Another is near the top of Masada. From those cisterns they would draw water for their needs. On Succoth, each day, a pitcher of water would be mixed with wine and poured out as a thanksgiving offering to the Lord who had provided His people with a bountiful harvest. That water used in this special festival had to be drawn from a well of living water. The high priest would make it a parade as he went to the pool of Siloam through the south gate also call the ‘Water gate’ of the city...filling his golden vessel brimming with clean, clear, cold water for use in the special offering. The procession would wave a bouquet of palm, willow, and myrtle branches, while they sang Psalms 113-118. While they sang, musicians would play their reed flutes and blast their rams horn trumpets. Upon their return to the altar, they would circle the altar seven times and then pour out the water into a double channel on the south side of the altar… water into the western half and wine into the eastern half.
It was a time of jubilation and happiness. This water spoke of several things. It reminded them that God was their source of rain and provision. It also spoke to them of the Holy Spirit. ``For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground:  I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.'' Isaiah 44:3 and also in Joel 2:28-29 “"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Ezekiel 47:1-12 also describes a healing river that will flow out from beneath the prophesied future temple where the Messiah would reign.
This water speaks to us spiritually as well. It speaks to us of life and health, of provision in drought, of the ever presence of the Lord in our midst...always there when we need Him. His holiness is reflected in the purity of the water. Are you spiritually thirsty today? Draw from His ever-flowing well of living water! It is cool and refreshing. It satisfies the soul. Remember the promise Jesus made to the Samaritan woman at the well…? He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38

Restoring Priorities...
Many of our wells are stagnant… and in a sad condition. Instead of relying on the living water provided by God, we have all too often learned to rely on what we can do, our own human resources, our effort to try and fix the problem. When we are emotionally drained, we call the pastor or the psychologist...and when we are ill, our first call is to the doctor or pharmacist. When the church suffers loss, we go to the church growth seminars and read books by famous authors who shine with success. In all our seeking, we often neglect the true source of living water….the Lord Jesus Christ. Our first call should be here! We end up like Israel in Jeremiah’s day….“ For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13) When we do things our own way, pushing our own agenda, we are digging broken cisterns...wells that can hold no water. Has America forsaken God and been so busy digging wells to satisfy it’s greed that it has forgotten who it is that sends the rain that fills those cisterns? Are we caught up in our pleasures and our worldly affairs, forgetting to honor the One who provides for us in times of drought? Where has the servant heart gone? Where is the one willing to go the extra mile, ready to give away the extra coat and the last cup of meal. As times get tougher and tougher, the children of God need to learn more and more to do things God’s way...giving in their time of need, generous with all He provides, trusting that He will provide even more. Certainly it takes faith—-but isn’t that what our God wants of us? The just shall live by faith—-not by what we hoard! Faith keeps the barrel of meal full during the famine. Faith leads the righteous to provision and safety. Faith moves us to obediently dipping in the river seven times to receive our healing. Faith means believing God! “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)
I have stood by rivers of all kinds. Some were muddy and polluted. Some you could see clearly to the bottom. What kind of river would flow out of you? What is in your heart is what will flow out of you. Sometimes I wish I could record and play back, what I hear coming out of the mouths of believers. They say they are Christians, but what comes out of their mouth is muddy and polluted. I would not want to drink of the water that flows from within them. They spew out anger and hatred and prejudice and abuse. Many have come from homes that flowed with rivers of dysfunctional pollution. But when a person surrenders his polluted heart to the Lord, He makes it a new creation...a river of life. For some it takes time for the flow to change completely...but it must change!

Spiritual Health
Another beautiful benefit of living water is it’s healing quality. Do you need healing today? Be filled to over-flowing with the living water of the Holy Spirit. Many springs of water around the country are known for their healing qualities, filled with nutrients that benefit the physical. But the living water of God is far superior to any earthly spring. It is filled with the life-giving vitality that never dies. It is a continual flowing of vivacious exuberance of the very Spirit of God. That is why when Jesus spoke to the woman at the well about it, he described it as.. “whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14) So often we cling to this carnal life as if it were going to last forever. We want to forget that one day, we will all die. If we fail to prepare for our eternity, we are like the woman at the well, expecting ordinary water to satisfy, when in reality, we need His living water to cleanse us, and heal us on the inside and prepare us for our eternal home in heaven. We need the kind of thirst Jesus was talking about here...a spiritual thirst. When you are spiritually thirsty, you long for a spiritually satisfying drink of Him...the One who is the Living Water! Nothing else will end the thirst. And once you taste of Him, you will want nothing else.
While the churches crumble into dust from the dryness within, the answer to their problem is waiting for them to come to Him and ask for a draft of ‘living water’ of a well that never runs dry. While many search for happiness and fulfillment in keeping busy doing ‘Christian’ things, they fail to spend time drinking at the ‘Well’. They are too busy drawing water from wells that do not satisfy…! I thought it was interesting in John’s story of the Samaritan woman at the well, that when she discovered the living water...she left her water pot behind and ran to tell others about the man with the Living Water. Are we ready to turn our backs on doing things our way? Are we ready to come face to face with Christ, with sin in our lives? Are we thirsty for something that will satisfy? Are our vessels empty? If Jesus came to your ‘well’ where you try to fill your life with temporary happiness, would you acknowledge Him, talk to Him, and do as He advises? Would you drink for a moment...or a lifetime? Would you go and tell others? He is already there...waiting for you!
Remember this...It is not only important what you drink, but what flows out of you. Jesus promised that living water would flow out of the person who drank from the living water. What comes out of your ‘vessel?’ What are you giving to your family, your church, your co-workers, your neighbors? Is it Living Water? Are you having an impact on them? Living water changes everything around it! You should be like a tree planted by the water...in Psalm 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. We are speaking of spiritual prosperity and vitality that comes from living water!
Are you thirsty today? Longing for a drink? Come to the well that never runs dry! He is waiting there for you with Living Water!
J. Johnson

I Can't Take It Anymore!!!

Did you ever feel like you just can’t take it anymore? Sometimes it seems like the world is crashing in all around us. Everything seems to crumble in our hands: finances, family, relationships, health, and our future...and we wonder what’s next!
These are turning points in our lives. You are not alone! If you are at the end of your rope today, hang on, for there is Hope...and God has a plan!
Can you imagine the roller-coaster of emotions the families of the Virginia mine disaster experienced? First they learned of the disaster, that their husbands and fathers were trapped in the mine. Then after hours of despair, suddenly someone tossed a rope of hope saying that all but one had survived! The church bells rang! Families praised God...and then the bottom dropped out as they learned of the mistake… Only one had survived and all the rest were dead. Swings of emotions can be devastating. Pregnant moms who are rejoicing in the new life within them often experience this same swing when they suddenly learn of the death of the pre-born child. Sometimes it is the breadwinner of the family, who has spent a lifetime working hard at a job he thought was secure, only to learn that his job has been shipped overseas...the pension gone, with retirement just around the corner. Sometimes it is the stay at home mom, who faces dealing with toddlers, diapers, toys, sickness, meals, laundry, financial stress, only to learn her husband has been unfaithful. Or perhaps it is the pastor, overloaded with the pressures of ministry, spiritually drained and burned out, straining at being spiritually fresh while continually giving and giving to others.
It is not difficult in today’s world to find yourself stressed and wanting a way to escape the pressures that surround on every side. Whether you live in the city or in the country, pressures exist. Families have troubles, people get sick, jobs and finances stress believers and unbelievers to the maximum. Yet through the years, God has provided a steady source of hope and help to those who really want to “Get away from it all.” And the advice we are given goes contrary to what we would normally tend to do. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2,3 Joy? Does it really mean JOY? How can anyone be happy when they face trials and testing? God uses the ordinary experiences of life to make us more like Himself. We tend to look at the moment...right now. God looks at the whole picture… past, present and future. He sees what we are, and what He wants us to become. Then He allows things into our lives to bring us to the end of trusting in ourselves. We are forced by the circumstances to either trust God, or not trust Him—and end up doing it all by ourselves. We soon learn that our way never works out. So we by trial and error, learn to trust God. When we do, we learn to look at the trouble that comes two ways. We ask ourselves: “What Does God Want Me to Learn From This?” Is this difficulty God’s opportunity?
What Does God Want Me to Learn?
Some of are slow learners. Others learn by doing. Some learn by watching, and still others learn by listening. There are many ways to learn. Life is one long lesson in learning. Job, the Old Testament patriarch learned that God allowed difficulties into his life to show him and his friends, that God is God, regardless of the circumstance. He is a God who knows us inside and out, our deepest thoughts, and our unspoken longings. He also knows our weaknesses. He knows where we need to be made strong. Sometimes He uses us to teach others valuable lessons. He wants us to be like Job in many ways who said…”Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;” Job13:13
Job persevered! “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4 That is Job’s story… mature, complete and without lack. God blessed him twice as much after the test. Job was not happy while he went though it all, but he learned that God had a bigger picture than Job did. He saw the end from the beginning. By faith, God is asking us to be happy, joyful, knowing that as we trust God, He will bring good from whatever difficulty we go through. Real joy is like a river of life that flows from the throne of God, not polluted with bitterness or resentment or anger, but trusting that God is working even in impossible circumstances for our eternal good.
God’s Opportunity?
Our distress is God’s opportunity. I used to wonder why God allowed my mother to die when I was just 7 years old. But then as life progressed, I saw the hand of God in my life whenever I trusted Him and needed Him. He caused me to be totally dependent on God instead of on my parents. He kept me focused on eternal values. He brought people into my life to influence me that never would have been there otherwise. Sometimes we look at the problems we are facing and that is all we see. God looks at the whole picture. He has an eternal time clock. One day, as we stand before God, we will be amazed at how God had it all under control. We just could not see it. It’s like we are looking at the backside of a needle point picture. We see crisscrossed threads of all colors, dangling strings, and a mess. But God sees the front side….a beautiful picture He is creating of our lives, one stitch at a time. He creates it with careful purpose, knowing that each stitch is painful, but fruitful. Trusting God with the end result is His ultimate goal. There is a reward waiting those who are willing to persevere to the end. “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 When Jesus gave the beatitudes to the disciples and followers, I am sure some must have turned away. He told them you are to be happy (blessed) if you are humble, sad, meek, hungry, merciful, holy and persecuted. It was a new way of thinking. We think happiness comes from having more things, more leisure time, more power or more laughter. But, the Bible teaches us differently. Psalm 126:5-6 tells us "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." It is part of the law of sowing and reaping. God designed it for man. Tears are sometimes necessary. They brings us from a place of frivolous carelessness down to a place of serious reality. Sometimes we do not face the real issues in life until we are sad. Then we can let God deal with the problem and watch Him work a miracle! It brings us to the place where we draw closer to Him than ever before. Then He turns things around for our good. James 4:8-10 says, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." It is a process. It does not happen overnight. It begins when we choose to come closer to God—then He responds to our choice—drawing closer to us. The closer we get to Him, the more we realize how unholy we are, needing repentance. When God completes the work in our hearts and lives, joy comes. It is not a superficial joy, but one that lasts, for it is a work done deeply in our hearts. That is where we can be happy even though we are going through poverty, pain, persecution, humility or any other test. I sometimes wonder what it will be like to view life on earth from Heaven’s perspective. I am certain we will rejoice over choices made with eternity in view. But perhaps we will have some regrets as we see what we could have had when we made carnal choices with our momentary pain in view. The Message Bible puts it this way “So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.” James 1:16-18 So keep your focus! Don’t give up! Look up! He’s there…! He cares! Perhaps you are feeling blessed right now with all your needs met. Then thank Him! Instead, pray for others who are going through tests and trials of their own. But, if you are in the middle of the test, remember that His nail scarred hand rests on your shoulder as you go through it. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He knows your name. He knows your pain. Put your hand in His nail scarred hand! J. Johnson