John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."
When we were in Arizona back in January, the desert was dry and parched. Now yes a dessert is normally dry, but usually the creek beds have water in them, when we were there they had gone over 200 days without any rain, not even a drop. There was a drought going on and it was sucking the life right out of everything. This picture is of a creek bed that is usually filled with water, but as you can see there is not even a trickle of a stream. The dry, parched land was so thirsty. Cracked and hardened, the land was desperate for rain. The plants and flowers and trees are accustomed to this climate so they can survive usually, but even some of them were suffering from the lack of rain. Out in Arizona, the humidity is low, alright extremely low. When we were out there I think the humidity level was 4 %. When you compare that to Michigan's humidity level which seems to be always around 50% at least, that is quite a difference. Out in Arizona, you take a bottle of water with you everywhere, especially if you are going on a walk. If you don't you can become very sick, very fast. We humans need water to survive. We thirst for water which brings life to our bodies. Without water, we die!
As humans we have a physical need for water, but what about a spiritual need for water? Have you ever felt like you were empty? Like something was missing in your life? Like there is some void, some empty space that nothing seems to be able to satisfy? I have. We look to anything and anyone to fill that space and quench that thirst, but nothing seems to work. There is a longing in our souls and no matter how much we may try to deny it's existence, it is there. We may try to quench our thirst with alcohol, love, intimacy, drugs, or any of the other quick fixes, but nothing seems to work. Our life seems meaningless and hopeless, yet we bury this feeling and deny it. We stick a smiley face sticker on our face and pretend all is right in our own little world. Deep down we are in pain and agony. Nothing we try satisfies our thirst, nothing fills the void. We are in a drought. Parched, dry and desperate, we search the world for the answers to our feelings. We do not tell anyone, because what will they think of us? We do not want anyone to know so we hide. I have felt like that at times. Looking for answers, longing for something to quench this thirst I have, desperate for answers. As I sat in a catholic church many years ago, I felt this emptiness. The words that I had memorized, had meaning to me, but everyone else just seemed to be repeating them without actually listening. The mass, which is beautiful, became a routine for so many catholics. Lost in the sea of routine and rituals, I noticed my fellow church goers were missing something. I became desperate and than one day, sitting in a catholic mass I heard the most beautiful song, "Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone". With that one song my thirst was quenched and my life had taken a turn I never expected.
As I listened to the lyrics of the song, tears rolled down my cheeks. That is what I had been thirsty for, a real connection with Jesus Christ, my Savior. The prayers of the mass say that I believed Jesus was my Savior, and I knew He was, but this song brought out something different in me. As I watched the other parishioners, they all seemed to just be going with the flow of the mass. Oblivious to what this song really meant. Being baptized as a baby and confirmed in 8th grade, I thought I had given my life to Christ, but no it was just another ritual. Never did I ever hear any nun or priest ell me that I had to verbally accept Jesus as my Savior, even though that is what Jesus Himself said. Anyway, something that made me thirstier than I had ever been in my life. Nothing in my church seemed to satisfy that thirst, so I searched and found Jesus Christ in St. Louis at the Edward Jones Dome. At a Joyce Meyer Women's Conference I finally had my thirst quenched forever. The void in my heart has been filled, that emptiness I felt, has been satisfied. I no longer search for fulfillment because I found it in Jesus Christ. Not in a "religion", but in the Bible. When I verbally stood up in front of 17,000 women and accepted Jesus Christ into my life and my heart, I changed. I no longer thirst, because I have been filled with the living waters of Jesus Christ.
I owe my life, my heart and my soul to Jesus Christ. I do not belong to a certain "religion" or denomination, I belong to Jesus Christ. I know many people who belong to certain denominations that are missing out on the greatest opportunity of their lives. They are so bogged down with their "religion" that they are missing out on the greatest experience of their lives. People are so afraid of what others will think if they say "I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior"? I have actually heard priests and pastors say "Being saved, or born again, is not biblical. It's not something we practice." Really? Have they read the Bible? Listen I am trying real hard not to offend anyone but God wants to use my words to shake you to your very core of beliefs. Your thirst will never be quenched just by attending mass once a week or doing certain rituals. Your thirst will never be quenched by any "religion" or denomination. It's all about Jesus Christ! Having a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior is the only way to have that thirst quenched eternally. You have to say it, you have to believe it, you have to live it! Praying to Mary will not get you to heaven. Doing good works will not get you to heaven. Being a catholic, lutheran, methodist, protestant, baptist or jew will not get you to heaven. Obeying a list of rituals and man made rules will not get you to heaven. There is only one way to heaven.
Matthew 10:32-33 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Romans 10:9-10 If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Lord, today I confess with my mouth that you Jesus Christ are my Lord and Savior. Come into my life and my heart. Quench that thirst with your living waters and forgive me of my sins. Change me and renew me from the inside out. Create in me a pure heart and let me be a light that shines in this dark world, in Jesus name I pray, amen!
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