The Living Water

The Living Water Exodus 17.1-7 John 4.4-14 7.37-39 I Corinthians 10.1-6 Water is necessary for life. 60% of our bodies are made up of water. You can only got three days without water. About 25% of the earth’s population does not have drinkable water. God was teaching the people they could trust Him but they were unteachable. Psalm 95 * There was water provided at Horeb for Israel when Moses Struck the Rock. 17.1-7 Like with the manna they complained and quarreled with Moses. God was testing them. Be careful not to complain about tests. Make it your business to pass them, remembering “No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you,” This morning some are facing deep grief. Come to the waters God has prepared for you. It can be a very difficult journey through Death’s Valley, many conflicting emotions. He provided water through Moses. Times when I have been so thirsty: * As a kid… fishing in Wantagh… garden hose * As an adult in Israel, Beth Shean dehydrating… drank a liter and a half of cold water, getting it down into my belly. Got it out of a refrigerated machine. * In New Hampshire, 10 years ago, July 15th, my 60th Birthday, Mountain Spring, cold, pure, clear water. Filled my water bottle, drank. My granddaughter, Lily, saying, “Poppa! How do you know that is clean?!” They were in a desert. Psalm 63. 1 You, God, are my God,     earnestly I seek You; I thirst for you,     my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land     where there is no water. David wrote this in a desert. We will get to more of this in a little bit. Maybe you today are in a spiritually dry and parched land. Maybe you have been dry. Long for the LORD. Earnestly seek Him today. You are here listening this morning. This is good. * There is a Close Relationship between Literal Thirst and Spiritual Thirst. John 4.4-14 Noon Began the conversation about water and getting a drink to talk to her about Living Water and her soul. Spiritual need crosses all societal and cultural boundaries He reveals Himself to her. v.10 He is the Living Water. This living water quenches spiritual thirst. Come to Christ and drink and Jesus will satisfy your soul. He promises and He delivers! The LORD is faithful to ALL His promises and loving to all He has made. Psalm 145.13 The Woman at the Well found it! And immediately told others. The whole village! * The Water has to do with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. John 7.37-39 37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”39 By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. He was speaking about the Day of Pentecost. Next Sunday This was fulfilled on that Day. The Living Water gushing forth in torrents. It gushed out of the Apostles to thirsty souls from every nation on earth. It continues today! Bible Studies in Faisalabad, Pakistan Tuesday Mornings, livestream 5pm on Sundays. Photos from Uganda Children’s work Is this your relationship with the Holy Spirit? Epi upon you, gushing forth from within. It is the gift of God, the Promise of Jesus. This is the greatest need in the church today! Not technology, not amazing singers, not multiple programs but people, young and old, men and women, teens, boys and girls to have the Living Water gushing forth from within! Isaiah 58. 11  The LORD will guide you always;     He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land     and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,     like a spring whose waters never fail. * This incident in Exodus served as a Warning for us! I Corinthians 10.1-13 That Rock was Christ Keep yourself free from idols Houses Cars Money Wealth Watch out for sexual immorality Do not put the LORD to the test Do not grumble Living Water gushing forth Overflowing Keeping ourselves in the love of God. Forgiveness flowing Here is where Israel fell short. We dare not We need not. We must not. It is a Christian Community Thing: Hebrews 12. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.

The Bread That Comes Down From Heaven

Exodus 16.1-5 John 6. 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.” Old Testament Israel Manna in the Desert Physical bread, food of the angels New Testament Believers Bread of Life Jesus, the Word become flesh Word of God, the Bible The LORD’s Supper Daily Bread He satisfies our deepest longing In the depths of our souls, Jesus fills us! His Spirit I was with a Doctor and a business owner yesterday afternoon. The business owner, a dear friend, asked me what I was speaking on today. When I told her, the young doctor and she sat without uttering a word. I explained further. It got even more quiet. Then she said, “My life is so busy. I cannot keep up with it.” What Eternal Truths can we glean from these passages about the Bread of Life? * God Feeds His Children From Heaven. They had to collect it. vs.4 Each day Enough for that day. God does His Part. They do their part. We do our part. Feeding in Thailand Pakistani Refugees Friday Photos We have to open our Bibles and Hearts to Him each day. As you try to do this you will find the energy to do it. It will be a battle if you haven’t been doing it. You will need to make a choice every day to spend those quiet moments in His Word. Prayer and the Word Psalm 5. 3  In the morning, LORD, You hear my voice;     in the morning I lay my requests before You     and wait expectantly. Because He answers Because He does more than we can imagine Because He weaves it into His will Proverbs 8.17 I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me. Wisdom Strength Peace They were to gather the manna in the morning. * He Feeds us The Bread of Heaven * The Manna For Israel * The Word of God, The Bread of Life For Us. We need it for daily communication with God. They knew the manna was sent down from Heaven. Eating it was a fellowship with Him. So should it be each physical meal. Look at what God has provided for JSM It has come from the earth and the sea. Vegetables, fruit, meat and fish. We need it for daily strength If we go too long without food we will get weak in our bodies. We need carbohydrates which turn into sugar and give us energy. It has a long term effect on our bones and overall health. I am talking about the Word of God as well as physical food. It is amazing, as I read through Proverbs, how the two are tied in. For instance, 14. 30  A heart at peace gives life to the body,     but envy rots the bones. How does Proverbs 3:8 relate to physical and spiritual health? Canonical Text and Immediate Context Proverbs 3:7-8 : “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.” The verse sits within Solomon’s larger call (vs. 1-12) to covenant loyalty, moral purity, and unqualified trust in Yahweh. Verses 5-6 command wholehearted reliance on the LORD; verse 7 warns against self-sufficient pride; verse 8 states the promised outcome—comprehensive wellbeing. Physical Health Implications 1. Stress Reduction. Reverent trust displaces chronic anxiety, lowering cortisol and sympathetic overdrive. Large-scale meta-analyses (e.g., Koenig, Duke University Medical Center, 2012) link regular worship and Scripture meditation with decreased hypertension, stronger immunity, and longer lifespan. 2. Behavioral Safeguards. “Turning away from evil” removes lifestyle toxins—sexual immorality, substance abuse, violence—known to shorten life expectancy (Proverbs 5:11; Romans 1:27). 3. Holistic Design. Created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), body and spirit are integrated; biblical morality aligns with our Designer’s blueprint, optimizing microbiome balance, neurochemical signaling, and skeletal integrity. That coherence is detectable today: orthopedic studies show bone density improves under reduced systemic inflammation, which in turn correlates with lower stress hormones fostered by religious coping. Proverbs 4. 20 My son, pay attention to what I say;     turn your ear to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight,     keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them     and health to one’s whole body. Get into the Word! Hebrews 10. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world,He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
    but a body you prepared for Me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
    You were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about Me in the scroll—
    I have come to do your will, My God.’” * There Are Those Who Are Fed And Those Who Are Starving spiritually The Manna was delicious and satisfied. It met their needs. It is okay to read other Christian Books. It is all important to read the Bible. It is necessary to feed on the Word of God. Every Sunday Evening we will go through the Bible together. This evening Exodus 16 What is God saying? I have a table spread for you, in the morning, in the evening. I have spiritual food, Heavenly Bread. I give Myself to you so that you may life and have it more abundantly. You can tell someone who is in the Word, with an open heart, with a humility. They remind you of Jesus. They have been with Jesus.

The LORD Is Highly Exalted

Exodus 15.1-7 The position of God is the subject for us today. His position is invisible right now. We cannot see Him. Because He is invisible does not mean He is not here. You cannot see the wind. You can see it effects. Invisibility does not diminish position. We must rely on what the Word of God tells us. It does provide great information which is inspiring to know. Isaiah 6.1 In the year King Uzziah died I saw the LORD seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Every one of the cries we utter: “Where are You, LORD? What are You doing, LORD? Why do You hide Your face? How come You do not not answer me?” Hopefully this morning you will leave here knowing His position. * The Position of the LORD v.1 Isaiah 57.15 For this is what the High and exalted One says—     He who lives forever, Whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place,” Exalted Above everything Psalm 138.1 I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. 2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, (Orthodox Jews with prayer shawls on the flight to Israel) And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your Word above all Your Name. God’s position, God’s Word, God’s Name The concept of what people have of God is far too small. It shows your faith or lack thereof. Forever * A High Place The third Heaven Above all creation * A Holy Place Revelation 21-22 tells us about Heaven being Holy It is the Holy City. Revelation 21. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be My children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 22. 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes,that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. The LORD is Holy, Holy, Holy He lives above sin. It is hard for us to conceive of a place where there is no sin. Christian Camps thrived because they provided something of this… until this kid stole my flashlight! The sexually immoral… human trafficking. A ring broken here this week! Under aged girls abducted from orphanages all over the world. It has become big business right here on Long Island. God help us! Caesar Augustus and young boys. Can you imagine no need of police be there are no murders or thieves? * The Position of the LORD In Regard to the Earth and Man vs.2 Psalm 138. 6 Though the LORD is exalted, He looks kindly on the lowly;     though lofty, He sees them from afar. Lowly= Be humble Do not exalt yourself Humbling ourselves, taking a low position, not taking on titles others call you. Psalm 8. 3 When I consider Your heavens,     the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars,     which You have set in place, 4 what is man that You are mindful of them,     The son of man that you care for them? Isaiah 57.15b    but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly     and to revive the heart of the contrite.     So even though God dwells above sin in Heaven, He forgives sins on Earth. Ephesians 2.6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, This is a present reality as well as a future hope. I pray each time we gather that we experience this seating God on High will bring new life to those who ask Him. He will bring them up. He walks with us! We must remember: Isaiah 55. 8  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,     neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,     so are My ways higher than your ways     and My thoughts than your thoughts. So if we understand this we will cease from trying to figure God out. * The Position of the LORD In Regard to His Enemies vs.3-8 It is not wise to fight against the LORD. You are not going win. You will find yourself on the wrong side of History. Th wisest thing you can do is to submit to Him. The Egyptian Army is an example for us. Moses and Israel sang this Song to the LORD. At the Red Sea, after the Passover, when the LORD fought for them, they were overwhelmed with praise. He answered from Heaven. He showed Israel and Egypt His Power. His position on high. We ought to sing to the LORD for the LORD answers prayer! The Goodness of God Psalm 27.13-14 The Love of Christ For His Church Ephesians 5.25-26 The Rule and Reign of God Psalm 93.1 He is in control The Workings of God Romans 8.28 The LORD’s SupperThe LORD Is Highly Exalted Exodus 15.1-7 The position of God is the subject for us today. His position is invisible right now. We cannot see Him. Because He is invisible does not mean He is not here. You cannot see the wind. You can see it effects. Invisibility does not diminish position. We must rely on what the Word of God tells us. It does provide great information which is inspiring to know. Isaiah 6.1 In the year King Uzziah died I saw the LORD seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Every one of the cries we utter: “Where are You, LORD? What are You doing, LORD? Why do You hide Your face? How come You do not not answer me?” Hopefully this morning you will leave here knowing His position. * The Position of the LORD v.1 Isaiah 57.15 For this is what the High and exalted One says—     He who lives forever, Whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place,” Exalted Above everything Psalm 138.1 I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. 2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, (Orthodox Jews with prayer shawls on the flight to Israel) And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your Word above all Your Name. God’s position, God’s Word, God’s Name The concept of what people have of God is far too small. It shows your faith or lack thereof. Forever * A High Place The third Heaven Above all creation * A Holy Place Revelation 21-22 tells us about Heaven being Holy It is the Holy City. Revelation 21. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be My children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 22. 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes,that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. The LORD is Holy, Holy, Holy He lives above sin. It is hard for us to conceive of a place where there is no sin. Christian Camps thrived because they provided something of this… until this kid stole my flashlight! The sexually immoral… human trafficking. A ring broken here this week! Under aged girls abducted from orphanages all over the world. It has become big business right here on Long Island. God help us! Caesar Augustus and young boys. Can you imagine no need of police be there are no murders or thieves? * The Position of the LORD In Regard to the Earth and Man vs.2 Psalm 138. 6 Though the LORD is exalted, He looks kindly on the lowly;     though lofty, He sees them from afar. Lowly= Be humble Do not exalt yourself Humbling ourselves, taking a low position, not taking on titles others call you. Psalm 8. 3 When I consider Your heavens,     the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars,     which You have set in place, 4 what is man that You are mindful of them,     The son of man that you care for them? Isaiah 57.15b    but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly     and to revive the heart of the contrite.     So even though God dwells above sin in Heaven, He forgives sins on Earth. Ephesians 2.6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, This is a present reality as well as a future hope. I pray each time we gather that we experience this seating God on High will bring new life to those who ask Him. He will bring them up. He walks with us! We must remember: Isaiah 55. 8  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,     neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,     so are My ways higher than your ways     and My thoughts than your thoughts. So if we understand this we will cease from trying to figure God out. * The Position of the LORD In Regard to His Enemies vs.3-8 It is not wise to fight against the LORD. You are not going win. You will find yourself on the wrong side of History. Th wisest thing you can do is to submit to Him. The Egyptian Army is an example for us. Moses and Israel sang this Song to the LORD. At the Red Sea, after the Passover, when the LORD fought for them, they were overwhelmed with praise. He answered from Heaven. He showed Israel and Egypt His Power. His position on high. We ought to sing to the LORD for the LORD answers prayer! The Goodness of God Psalm 27.13-14 The Love of Christ For His Church Ephesians 5.25-26 The Rule and Reign of God Psalm 93.1 He is in control The Workings of God Romans 8.28 The LORD’s Supper