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Chapter 4...
the Samaritan Woman
I think Jesus is letting us know he knows our hearts...
He knew the woman...
she believed Him..but her faith was weak in that she had to have other's approval.
But she has the mustard seed...
We are to spread His word...
and plant those seeds also.
17But Jesus defended himself. "My Father is working straight through, even on the Sabbath. So am I." 18That really set them off. The Jews were now not only out to expose him; they were out to kill him. Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was calling God his own Father, putting himself on a level with God.
This tells me a couple of things:
1) God's business is an everyday affair.
2) Reminded me of hate groups. In these verses, when the people started to lose control of what they believed to be the Right Way, they sought not just to shame Jesus into submission, they wanted to take him out of the picture
28 -29"Don't act so surprised at all this. The time is coming when everyone dead and buried will hear his voice. Those who have lived the right way will walk out into a resurrection Life; those who have lived the wrong way, into a resurrection Judgment.
Jesus is definitely talking about 2 types of walks here!
39 -40"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me!And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want.
This seems to be a very strong message that scripture alone doesn't cut it. It tells me I must Walk the Talk. I read somewhere in one of these threads being discussed that it's about a living and transforming gospel, and that works for me today
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Chapter 4
"You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. " (verse 22)
I just love the part in red! Non-believers can't understand this truth because they aren't led by the Holy Spirit. It's a bonus if I can point to rational, concrete evidence for my faith (which I can), but the truth expressed in this verse goes deeper. It's essentially what Paul said to the people of Athens when he talked about their altar to an unknown god. Other people groups around the world have historically acknowledged an unknown, supreme God that is higher than their chief god. I believe many are sincere in wanting to worship God, but they don't know what it is they truly worship. Although it's inexplicable to others, "I know what I know." The Holy Spirit has borne witness to the truth.
~~~~~
Aside from the above, today's reading prompted me to do some research into the historical Samaria. I definitely needed the refresher.
Right now I'm pondering verse 40: "And he abode there [Samaria] two days." I'm wondering if this verse has prophetic significance--two days with the Samaritans/Gentiles and 2000 years for the fullness of the Gentiles to come in (Romans 11:25). Currently, Christ is abiding with the church. However, I believe his return to Israel is imminent. That's why this verse struck me.
Chapter 5
v.24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Personal application....
Hallelujah! Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving us! Thank You for giving us the heart to believe and the Holy Spirit whom gives us the ability to walk in faith toward Your hope of glory!!
And that being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
"In the beginning was a June and the June pondered the inexplicable not-knowing nature of being June."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blueberry
"we worship what we do know"
I just love the part in red! Non-believers can't understand this truth because they aren't led by the Holy Spirit. Although it's inexplicable to others, "I know what I know." The Holy Spirit has borne witness to the truth.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." -Along with- "Yet a time has now come when the true worshipers will worship in spirit. God is spirit."
June: Pondering John 1:3 in conjunction with John 4:23-24
June: Pondering the seeming discrepancy between the two verses, above.
June: Pondering the fact that in essence, Jesus was informing the Samaratin woman that the way in which one 'finds' God, 'worships' God had thus been redefined, altered, changed. (John 4:21)
June: Pondering "God" (again) and "spirit."
June: Pondering Blueberry's comment, above, in the context of John 1:3 and "God is spirit."
June: Pondering "non-believers...aren't led by" versus "without him nothing was made that has been made."
June: Pondering "inexplicable" and "to know."
June: Pondering the interconnectedness of all of the above: "Without him nothing was made that has been made" + "God is spirit" + therefore the inability to separate two seemingly contradicting points = the thought: "If it's made by me, it's a part of me and I am a part of it and therefore 'me' is already in 'it' so I don't have to lead it. Especially given the fact if the 'me' and the 'I' is spirit." (Get it?)
June: Pondering what she does or does not "know" and how she does or does not "know" it.
June: Pondering herself.
(Which for now is far, far too much for June to ponder, let alone figure out.)
It would appear to June that if one accepts what is being put forth in John's gospel from the first verse on, it thereby speaks to the very nature of "God" and what "God" would be. Clearly, the first verse of John's gospel relates back to the first chapter of Genesis.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. " (Genesis)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (John)
"God created man in his own image." (Genesis)
"God saw all that he had made." (Genesis) + "Through him all things were made." (John)
So June is thinking that when one ponders "creation" and "creativity" and the nature of "God" and how and what God created, June's thinking: Symbiosis...AND...that life recreates itself. What June's hearing is that in life recreating itself, it's an ongoing manifestation of the creative spirit. June's thinking two things that would appear (on surface value, of course, given the fact that this is June posting here) to support this.
1- In life recreating itself, one conceives a child. The child, in utero, is both part of, yet separate from, it's mother. What exists is a symbiotic relationship between the two. The creation (child) is dependent upon the creator (mother) and the symbiotic nature (relationship) between the two are thereby interconnected. (Think: God and mankind.) Even once the child is born, and becomes a separate, independent being from me, that child is still "me/not me" inasmuch as I, the creator, brought him into being, and if nothing else, I can actually see my own "image and likeness" in my child. My child contains my DNA, and thus on even the deepest, most biological level, that child is still "me/not me." (Think: God and mankind after "the fall.")
You cannot truly separate and/or remove yourself from that which you create.
2- In any act of creativity, there must exist some form of "inspiration" (be it a forethought, idea,) and a process by which the artist makes that known. That which is vague and as yet unformed (inspired idea/thought) becomes externalized by the artist via the creative process. For instance: Something inspires the artist to capture, on canvas, that which he is projecting outwards. He paints. By doing so, he thus projects outwards and reproduces his inward inspiration. He thus creates something. A painting. What is required in order to do so is a process of creation/creativity. The final product ("a painting") is a part of, yet separate from he who produced, created it. ("Me/not me.") --And yet the actual creative process is also vague, unformed, and quite possibly difficult to define. (Think: "Spirit.")
In the first book of Genesis, one reads over and over that God creates, yet is separate from. And yet, if he created it, he cannot be totally removed from that which he, himself, created, and through his hovering "spirit" all things were made "in his own image."
As such, no doubt by now everyone is scratching their heads, and asking themselves: "June, what the hell is your point!?" This:
June: Pondering the nature of "creativity," "symbiotic unions," "interconnectedness," "spirit" and "the nature of what constitutes God" in terms of what she has read in the bible. (Specifically, thus far, the gospel of John.) --Along wtih the meaning of:
42They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
My testimony is good for others to hear. I can lead them to God. That's a good start. However, I think this also reminds us that faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of God. That's what seals the deal. Learning and "hearing" from God directly from His word.
Personal application: May my testimony draw others to learn more of God. May my testimony be to the glory of God and not my own.
Chapter 5:
46If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"
These verses spoke to me. I feel God has given me a burden for His truth, especially as regards Genesis and the beginning of creation. I know I'm in the minority as regards origins. I know many do not subsrcibe to a belief in a literal creation of everything just as stated in Genesis. That's probably why this passage stood out for me.
It goes to one of my core opinions that if one disregards Genesis, it makes salvation more tenuous. Without the foundation Moses provided as to why we need a savior, believing in that savior is more difficult, IMO.
We can see Genesis is the foundation. John's gospel mirrors the beginning of Genesis and tells us Jesus was there and nothing was created without him. Why should someone believe in Jesus if they can't believe in the reasons Jesus' coming and sacrifice were necessary?
Personal application: Remember all scripture is truth and useful for instruction and teaching others about Christ ... and to do this with love, compassion, humility and respect towards others, believers or not.
~~~~~~
Dearest June, your ponderings are significant and very insightful. You may be closer than you realize to hearing the music and understanding your geese {hugs}.
~~~~~~
One of the many lessons that stood out to me in this chapter is the lesson Jesus teaches us in His healing the helpless man at the pool..The man was totally helpless and could not get to the source of what he thought was his healing (the stirring waters of the pool in this case).
Jesus came to the helpless man..Just as he comes to us in our helplessness and most desperate times when there is no one around to "lower us into the pool" of healing..These are the times Jesus comes to us. He heals our infirmities, what ever they may be, and gives us comfort when there is no one else..Jesus asks a simple question "Do you want to be healed and the man told him there was no one to help him..At that instant Jesus healed Him..(and he picked up his mat and walked away)..
How many times have I been blessed and walked away not realizing or thanking the source of my healing until later, and I find that even in my unappreciative moments he is still there as Jesus later met up with the man at the pool..
John 5:43
For I have come to you in My Father's name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them.
The war has been won! Two thousand years ago Jesus faced Satan, defeated him and stripped him of his power over us. Victory is ours!
Jesus has given us the ultimate weapon...the ultimate strategy...that is 100 percent effective. We have THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME! That name is all-powerful, indestructible, unchangeable. It CAN NOT FAIL!!! Therefore, we cannot fail!!
...Jesus faced Satan with all the authority of heaven backing Him up!!!
I love you!
Verna.
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Chapter 4
