The Desire of Ages--19--At Jacob's Well

[Beacon]

"The question arose in her mind, Might not this be the long-looked-for Messiah? She said to Him, "I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things." Jesus answered, "I that speak unto thee am He."
 
"As the woman heard these words, faith sprang up in her heart."

"She accepted the wonderful announcement from the lips of the divine Teacher."

"Light was already flashing into her mind."

"The woman had been filled with joy as she listened to Christ's words. The wonderful revelation was almost overpowering."

"Leaving her waterpot, she returned to the city, to carry the message to others."

"Jesus knew why she had gone. Leaving her waterpot spoke unmistakably as to the effect of His words. It was the earnest desire of her soul to obtain the living water; and she forgot her errand to the well, she forgot the Saviour's thirst, which she had purposed to supply. With heart overflowing with gladness, she hastened on her way, to impart to others the precious light she had received."

Oh that we would have the same reacton as this women who heart burned with desire to " Share " the Good News!

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1
All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
    I surrender all,
  I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
    I surrender all.
2
All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
3
All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.
4
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
5
All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

Lyrics:Judson W. Van de Venter (1855-1939)
Music:Winfield Scott Weeden (1847-1908

[Richard Myers]

Amen Brother Beacon!!   When we are truly converted, we do not have to be told to tell others of Jesus, neither do we need to be taught to do so. It is something that comes from our hearts and minds. And, we truly find that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

     As soon as she had found the Saviour the Samaritan woman brought others to Him. She proved herself a more effective missionary than His own disciples. The disciples saw nothing in Samaria to indicate that it was an encouraging field. Their thoughts were fixed upon a great work to be done in the future. They did not see that right around them was a harvest to be gathered. But through the woman whom they despised, a whole cityful were brought to hear the Saviour. She carried the light at once to her countrymen.
     This woman represents the working of a practical faith in Christ. Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life. 

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon and Brother Richard!

Is Jesus thirsty?

"Our Redeemer thirsts for recognition. He hungers for the sympathy and love of those whom He has purchased with His own blood. He longs with inexpressible desire that they should come to Him and have life. As the mother watches for the smile of recognition from her little child, which tells of the dawning of intelligence, so does Christ watch for the expression of grateful love, which shows that spiritual life is begun in the soul." {The Desire of Ages, page 191, paragraph 1}

When we respond to the grace of God in full surrender, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing are revealed in our lives as we come into obedience to all of the light of His truth that we have come to understand and know. We can be so grateful for the goodness of God that leads us to repentance and the strength given us in Him! He is the living water to satisfy our souls!

[Dorine]

  "This woman represents the working of a practical faith in Christ. Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life."

When we make Jesus first in our hearts and lives there will be an outpouring of divine love and compassion for all who are in need of spiritual healing. Sacrifices will be made to bring joy and salvation to all who are hungering for truth. We have the best teacher anyone could ever have. May we follow His example in all things.

[Philip T]

The Saviour did not wait for congregations to assemble. Often He began His lessons with only a few gathered about Him, but one by one the passers-by paused to listen, until a multitude heard with wonder and awe the words of God through the heaven-sent Teacher. The worker for Christ should not feel that he cannot speak with the same earnestness to a few hearers as to a larger company. There may be only one to hear the message; but who can tell how far-reaching will be its influence? It seemed a small matter, even to His disciples, for the Saviour to spend His time upon a woman of Samaria. But He reasoned more earnestly and eloquently with her than with kings, councilors, or high priests. The lessons He gave to that woman have been repeated to the earth's remotest bounds.

   What great comfort there is in this, I think of the conversion of Charles Spurgeon, the great English evangelist, one rainy day he sought shelter from the storm in a church along the road, a deacon spoke as the priest was absent, he stammered and struggled through his whole message, but he touched the soul through the holy spirt, of one person that day Charles Spurgeon. Who won thousands to Christ. Jesus is our example, He will help us present His words to others when we lean on Him totally. Are we willing to do so?

[rahab]

Thank you Philip for sharing the story of Charles S.

[Beacon]

"The disciples saw nothing in Samaria to indicate that it was an encouraging field."

"Their thoughts were fixed upon a great work to be done in the future."

"They did not see that right around them was a harvest to be gathered."

"But through the woman whom they despised, a whole cityful were brought to hear the Saviour."

"She carried the light at once to her countrymen."

"This woman represents the working of a practical faith in Christ."

"Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life."

Are "WE" living each day as Born Again Missionaries for Jesus??

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1
The love of God is greater far
  Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
  And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
  God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
  And pardoned from his sin.
    O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
    The saints’ and angels’ song.
2
When hoary time shall pass away,
  And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
  On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
  All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
  The saints’ and angels’ song.
3
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky.

Lyrics & Music Frederick Martin Lehman (1868-1953)

[Dorine]

"Jesus did not convey the idea that merely one draft of the water of life would suffice the receiver. He who tastes of the love of Christ will continually long for more; but he seeks for nothing else. The riches, honors, and pleasures of the world do not attract him. The constant cry of his heart is, More of Thee. And He who reveals to the soul its necessity is waiting to satisfy its hunger and thirst. Every human resource and dependence will fail. The cisterns will be emptied, the pools become dry; but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible fountain. We may drink, and drink again, and ever find a fresh supply. He in whom Christ dwells has within himself the fountain of blessing,--"a well of water springing up into everlasting life. From this source he may draw strength and grace sufficient for all his needs."

Jesus never fails. For those who have tasted of what the Lord offers knows the deep peace that comes with it and is completely satisfied. But just as we must partake of our daily food to survive and be healthy we must daily partake of the living word to maintain that connection with Jesus and live an abundant, joyful life. If this is not our experience how will we ever draw others to Christ?

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear brother and sister!  When we find Jesus, the first thing we want to do is to share His love with others!!  The fact that the Samaritans believed the Messiah was to come as the Redeemer of the world, is similar to what many in Islam believe. And like the Samaritans, they believe much of the writings of Moses, but  not the writings of other prophets. God used Islam to protect the Protestant Reformation by punishing Rome. Luther prayed for protection from Islam, but it was Islam that caused the King of Spain to turn his army away from the reformation to protect Spain from the Ottomans who were entering Spain.

  The Samaritans believed that the Messiah was to come as the Redeemer, not only of the Jews, but of the world. The Holy Spirit through Moses had foretold Him as a prophet sent from God. Through Jacob it had been declared that unto Him should the gathering of the people be; and through Abraham, that in Him all the nations of the earth should be blessed. On these scriptures the people of Samaria based their faith in the Messiah. The fact that the Jews had misinterpreted the later prophets, attributing to the first advent the glory of Christ's second coming, had led the Samaritans to discard all the sacred writings except those given through Moses. But as the Saviour swept away these false interpretations, many accepted the later prophecies and the words of Christ Himself in regard to the kingdom of God. 

There are many among Islam that are sincere in their belief in God, as there are in Catholicism.  Despite what they have been taught many will accept the truth and the Author of that Truth. The seventh trumpet is blowing loudly and many will be called out of Rome and her children's churches. And those who will not come out of her, will again feel the punishing power of the Ottomans. God uses sin to punish sin. And like the Samaritans, Islam believed Abraham to be their father. We of all people are able to minister to Muslims because we share much in common with them that others Christians do not. Pray for contacts with Muslims, for those who are seeking truth.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon, Sister Dorine, and Brother Richard!

God yearns for each of us to be involved in His service, for it is the service of love that He values! Our involvement in God's service grows our character, and we experience the greatest blessing possible for God to bestow upon us! The woman of Samaria responded to the gospel of the grace of Christ, and she gladly shared with others about the Messiah! She revealed that when the heart is fully yielded to Christ, there will be fruit! The fruit of the Spirit will be seen in the life without one attribute of the divine nature missing, and true obedience to all of God's commandments will be the soul's highest delight! Walking in the light, we will invite others to share the joy we have found in Jesus!

"There is nothing insignificant in the work of God, and the faithfulness with which the work is done rather than the amount decides the reward of each. The work of the one who has but one talent is as valuable in the sight of God as the one who has five talents." {This Day with God, page 80, paragraph 5}

"'He that reapeth,' He said, 'receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.' Here Christ points out the sacred service owed to God by those who receive the gospel. They are to be His living agencies. He requires their individual service. And whether we sow or reap, we are working for God. One scatters the seed; another gathers in the harvest; and both the sower and the reaper receive wages. They rejoice together in the reward of their labor." {The Desire of Ages, page 191, paragraph 5}

Look to Jesus, and let Him lead you in His service to bless others! The gospel is to go to the whole world!!