Author: admin

It is amazing the difference a perspective can make! Jesus’ disciples saw a closed community, resistant to the Gospel. Jesus viewed the same community as wide open and ripe for a harvest. Who was right? Jesus of course.

At times we can look for the wrong things when trying to determine how close the harvest is. We can be deceived by peoples’ outward appearance and behavior. We can focus on numbers. We can check our finances. We can pay too much attention to our critics. Eventually we can conclude that the place where we serve is far from being ready for a great work of God to occur. But the truth is that we never know the truth of our situation until we have heard from Jesus.

Jesus was one conversation away from a widespread revival. It was far closer than the disciples could have imagined. And, it was among a people who had seemed far from God with little hope of being brought near.

Are you currently praying for God to do a fresh work in someone’s life? Are you longing for revival for your church or community? Take heart. The harvest may be nearer than you think.

Jesus was motivated in ways far beyond what often drives His followers. The disciples had one thing on their minds at this point in the day: food! They were hungry, and when they were late for a meal, nothing else seemed important.

Jesus was always driven differently. It was not that He did not have the same physical appetites and needs as His followers, it is just that His appetite to serve His Father dwarfed any other desire He had in His life. He was so consumed with pleasing His Father that His physical appetites were soon forgotten.

Sadly, we are often just the opposite. We are too readily driven by our physical needs so that we neglect our spiritual calling. We may have begun with the noblest of intentions to serve our Lord, but our physical needs soon take center stage and drive God and His purposes out of our thoughts. We too easily allow our physical appetites to drown out God’s work in our lives.

Jesus found great satisfaction in doing His Father’s will. Do you?

Jesus was always surprising people. He was never what they expected. Even Jesus’ own twelve disciples were continually marveling at their Teacher. Just when they thought they understood Him, He would do something else that caught them entirely by surprise.

It was commonly understood that men did not converse with women in public. To an even greater degree, pious men never related to immoral women, under any circumstance. The disciples knew that Jesus was a rising religious leader. He had a reputation to nurture and protect. He had absolutely nothing to gain, and much to lose, by conversing with this notoriously wicked woman. But there He was, in broad daylight, talking with a woman as if she were respectable.

Though the disciples were shocked at the sight, no one challenged Him. Perhaps they felt too scandalized or embarrassed. Perhaps they had learned that questioning Jesus usually resulted in the disciple being taught another humbling lesson. Or, perhaps they wondered if, once again, they had got it all wrong. These men may have suspected that much of what they had been taught to be true, was indeed false.

Is God presently doing something that has you puzzled? Is He working in ways that you find difficult to understand? Has God’s activity around you challenged things you have always been taught? If so, don’t be surprised. Jesus has been confounding His followers for over 2,000 years.

Our lives experience moments of spiritual insight and breakthroughs that dramatically lurch us forward in our spiritual maturity. Such was this moment with the woman at the well. Previously she had known something about theology, but now she had a glimmer of insight into the Son of God.

Before, this woman had discussed concepts about God, now she was speaking face to face with Him. There is a world of difference! As she conversed with Jesus, her eyes were gradually opened to the profound reality of God’s presence in her life. This was no ordinary discussion!

Christ wants to enter such conversations with you. As you present your thoughts and questions to Him, He will gradually help you gain a clearer vision of Him. He will not allow you to remain merely in the world of speculation. He will move you into a clearer and deeper understanding of Himself. Ultimately theology is not speculation on doctrines, but an understanding of the truths of God Himself.

Never stop short of Christ! Don’t merely read books about God for your information, but always for your transformation. Don’t simply inform Christ of your doctrinal beliefs. Listen for His response. One word from Christ to your life can change everything!

God needs nothing from us. He is entirely self-sufficient. And, if He did need anything, He has legions of mighty angels standing at the ready to instantly do His slightest bidding. In light of this, it seems incredible that God seeks after anything. But He does.

God seeks worshipers. Not just any worshipers, but those who will worship Him in spirit and truth.

It is possible to attend a worship service without worshiping God. We can praise Him with our mouth while our heart is far from Him. We can sing beautiful sounding songs to Him while the lyrics are filled with falsehood. We can wear our finest clothes to church while our hands are covered in blood from the treacherous dealings we have had with others. God is not looking for just any kind of worshiper.

Are you tired of simply attending church? Have you grown bored with singing the same songs each Sunday? Do you find the pastor’s sermons uninspiring? Let God transform your worship into that which pleases Him. Approach Him at a spiritual level, in absolute truth. God is looking for you.

It is always more comfortable to debate theological fine points than to discuss our own walk with God.

Some people love a theological debate. They can loudly proclaim the shortcomings of other people’s doctrinal beliefs. They can arrogantly announce their positions on theological subjects. Yet their life can be in total disarray. Their character can be far from Christ-like. Their love for others may be non-existent. Too many people would rather discuss theological issues than to have Christ transform them.

The woman at the well tried to divert Jesus from getting too close to the real issues of her life, but He was undeterred. Theology is important and people do well to work their own beliefs out carefully. But at the end of the day it will not be what we claimed to believe, but what we did with the Person of Jesus that will matter.

In all of your discussions about religion and theology, is your life being transformed to be more like Christ? Is your life glorifying Christ more today than it was yesterday?

Jesus always asked the most penetrating and unsettling questions! He wasn’t much on small talk!

The woman at the well wanted to chatter about popular theories and theological hairsplitting. Instead, Jesus focused their discussion on her need. Jesus had no intention of leaving that encounter merely having discussed the weather and weekend sports scores! He wanted to help another person be set free. So He asked a question that opened her life up to a meaningful discussion.

This woman had based her life’s hope in finding the right husband. She’d had five already. So Jesus steered their conversation to her idol. Once He had exposed her false god, He could then lead her to the true God.

It is amazing how the right question can transform a conversation. With that question, Jesus took command of the discussion and began the process of bringing the hurting woman to salvation.

Of course, if we are always talking about ourselves, and our interests, we can’t be opening people up to the Gospel. That comes through demonstrating an interest in others and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us as we engage people in conversations that matter.

People are constantly searching for something that satisfies. The media bombards us with advertisements promising to meet the deepest needs of our lives. Billions of dollars are spent annually in a vain pursuit of happiness. People know there should be more to their life, but they can’t seem to find it.

The woman at the well had been searching all her life for that elusive joy. She had assumed it could be found in relationships, but she had been repeatedly disappointed. She had spent herself and ruined her reputation, yet had come up empty.

Jesus spoke to the deepest need of the woman’s soul. He led her to the source of life. He explained that, in Him, she could have a fountain of living water bubbling up within her. No longer would she need to find happiness in something outside of herself. Now the source of life would be continually overflowing within her.

If you are a believer, you have this same fountain springing up within your soul as well. Are you being refreshed? Or, do you need to tap into it once again?

It did not take long for the woman at the well to realize she was not having a normal conversation. Expecting racism or condescension, she was unprepared for the way Jesus treated her.

In modern society, there are certain protocols people follow. We don’t discuss certain topics. We don’t ask particular questions. We stay on the surface and play it safe.

Jesus often scandalized and surprised people when they talked with Him. He did the unexpected. He didn’t simply follow the script. He caught people off guard. He didn’t do this to offend or to be different. He did it because he never wasted a conversation. He got to the point. He knew He had the words of life so He spent sparse time on small talk.

The woman at the well would not have been the kind of divine appointment Jesus might have expected. After all, men did not speak to women in public, especially someone of her notorious lifestyle. Even though Jesus was thirsty, He would have been expected to wait until His disciple returned or a more reputable person arrived at the well.

In fact, the woman was startled that Jesus addressed her. She was accustomed to being shunned and ridiculed. But she was clearly the appointment God the Father had for His Son. We don’t know all that Jesus knew about the woman at that moment. Perhaps in His divinity, He immediately knew her entire story. Or, perhaps as He engaged her in conversation, the Spirit guided Him to know what to say. However, what is clear is that, as Jesus engaged the woman in conversation, He began to guide her on a journey to freedom.

It is tempting to squander our conversations. Perhaps we allow shyness to overcome us so we don’t initiate a dialogue with a stranger. Or we keep our talk “safe” by discussing such innocuous subjects as the weather and sports. Or we chat away but with no purpose or goal in mind.

It is clear that as Jesus spoke with this woman, He had a destination He was heading toward. He wanted this woman to experience forgiveness and wholeness. Jesus was maximizing every word He spoke.

How redemptive are your conversations?