Category Archives: Religion

Something to Consider

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Photo by Matt MacGillivray

Photo by Matt MacGillivray

Consider the Birds and the Lilies

Look at the birds of the air…
They don’t sow, reap, or gather
Their needed food into barns–
But are dependent upon God, rather.

Consider how the lilies are clothed–
They toil not, nor do they spin,
But to the heavenly Father’s care
They’re blessed to give in.

Yes, consider these,
And consider giving in
To the message of Christ’s love
Above this world’s din.

Partake, through the Bible, from God’s table
Of spiritual food fit for a King’s heir,
And be clothed in the love of Jesus,
The finest thing you could wear.

Consider the children,
So gentle and so tender–
What kind of faith
To them will you render?

One that speaks dislike
And contempt of others–
Or one that speaks love
And draws all men to be brothers?

The heavenly Father gave Jesus
To tell of God’s care and to guide.
When we take Him as Savior, He gives love
For all others for whom He has died.

So just like the lilies
Or the birds of the air,
May people of all nations be blessed to give in
To Jesus–the way to the Father God’s care….

P. A. Oltrogge

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies….” Luke 6:27

“And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.’” Matthew 22:37-40

“For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span? And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith? Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:25-34

Focus

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by J. Vetter
Guest Contributor

Have you seen those inkblot pictures where you are to pick out the face of Jesus? Depending on where your eyes focus, suddenly He becomes clear–then you wonder why you didn’t see Him at first because you can’t see anything but Jesus! The beginning of “faith” is always to see Jesus. How do we begin? First, have you truly encountered Him? Sometimes the road to real faith is to ask real questions.

For instance, when Jesus said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again,” I like the honest response that Nicodemus gave. “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” As Jesus converses with Nicodemus, He speaks one of the most quoted verses in the Bible. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

We aren’t specifically told in scripture if Nicodemus truly understood, at that time, what Jesus spoke. But in John 19:38-42, he accompanies Joseph of Arimathea in taking away Jesus’ body after His crucifixion and brings myrrh and aloes for the burial, which certainly seems to indicate he believed on Him. My question to you is, “Have you been born again?” Is your faith picture coming into focus? Have you gotten to the place where you can say, “Yes, I see Him”?

I remember so clearly the day I met Jesus. It was at Easter, and I truly needed an Easter resurrection in my life. I thought that I believed in Jesus, but I needed something more–something viable to give me strength and direction. I went to hear my neighbor’s son-in-law speak at a local church. I saw and heard people praying for one another. I felt love in that place, and I heard a compelling message from this young man about leaving his wealthy family’s brick business to go into the inner city and work with children, some of whom came from poor backgrounds.

The next day, I called my own Methodist pastor, and he came to visit. I found myself spilling out my doubts about the Bible and asking him how we can really know that Jesus rose from the dead. I remember thinking I shouldn’t be saying this to a pastor! He just smiled at me and said, “I’ll pray for you, and the Holy Spirit will show you.” He said a meaningful, though not lengthy, prayer for me and left. Immediately, I picked up my Bible; and when I read the words in the book of John about Jesus, suddenly, I knew they were true. There was a distinct “light” present at that moment and the feeling of love like I had never experienced. For about two weeks, the trees were greener, the sky brighter, and the whole world was bathed in love.

After we are reconciled to the Father’s love through Jesus, we begin to focus on loving Him and loving others, thereby beginning to bear fruit. At this point, it is the Word we focus on–still asking honest questions, because God’s Word tells us in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Often, the very question you’ve asked will suddenly be answered as you are focusing on the Word.

Remember, it is the Holy Spirit who illuminates the Word, or words people speak, to bring something you are asking for into focus. For instance, some years ago when we were planning to make a move from one state to another, I felt like the Lord said that we were to sell our home “by owner.” As the time got closer to our scheduled move, I began to get somewhat anxious, so I asked the Lord for a confirmation that we really were supposed to sell by owner. Then one day while I was reading my Bible, Hebrews 10:37 was quickened to me, “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.” Now the true meaning of that verse is that Jesus is coming back, but the Holy Spirit used it to speak to me to stay the course–that the buyer for our home would come in a little while. After that, I had peace until the day a real estate agent came and put in an offer. The contract he brought had a closing date that worked out perfectly with the date of the closing on the house in the new location.

If we focus on circumstances or ourselves, we can get discouraged. We’re pretty good at pointing out all our inadequacies and problems, and the devil, who torments, comes quickly to agree with such things. So, I love to often pray, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done.”

Of course, there are those times when our circumstances seem insurmountable–when we can’t see the end and have no clue as to how God will redeem a situation. That is a time to focus on hope. In Hebrews 6:19, the New King James Bible says, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus….” It is our soul (mind, will and emotions) that needs to be stabilized. Just think about it–by faith, we can cast an anchor to where Jesus dwells; and then our soul doesn’t drift, but remains steady. We can pray like the psalmist, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalm 42:11)

There are times when our vision gets blurred. Our future looks fuzzy or unclear. It’s time to praise God and go back to the “map”–the Word of God. I remember a shopping trip to a mall once. As I stepped into the area where the automatic doors opened, I had this impression from the Lord,”You could have just been a step away and prayed for the doors to open, but they wouldn’t have opened because you needed to get into the right position.” Suddenly, I realized prayer is not demanding my own way–but stepping into the presence of God and cooperating with Him.

Have you seen Jesus? Are you focusing on Him? If so, then others will see Jesus in you.

The Man Above All Men

Have you met up with Jesus? He’s your kind of Man.
Came down here from heaven, carrying out God’s mighty plan.
He’s still here today, capturing hearts, lives, and souls,
giving all whom He touches much worthier goals.

He doesn’t actually show up in visible form;
but you’re aware of His presence when prayer becomes norm.
And some have had visions or have seen Him in dreams,
and what they remember is the love that He beams.

That’s also reflected in the Words of His book–
the renowned Holy Bible is the right place to look.
You might think you know what could give you life’s best,
but those who follow His lead are on a sure quest.

He wants to increase your every potential,
but living for Him and others is essential.
Dedicating all that you have to Him is not loss–
the best in mind for you is why He died on the cross.

P. A. Oltrogge

Emmanuel, God With Us

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Emmanuel, God with us…
You see, we are not alone.
Emmanuel, God with us…
Through the birth of a Child, God’s presence was shown.
He couldn’t leave us without knowledge of His love,
But made Himself known, coming down from above.
Emmanuel, God with us…
From God, the Father, came a Baby so mild.
Emmanuel, God with us…
God’s Son was embodied in a holy Child.
Born of a virgin, the handmaiden of the Lord–
From His life, the goodness of God would be poured.
After humble beginnings in a manger stall,
His Name would become great–He would die for all,
So that any individual living on this earth
Could personally know their God of great worth.
Emmanuel, God with us…
It’s the greatest Name known.
Emmanuel, God with us…in Jesus…
And now we need never be alone!

P. A. Oltrogge

“In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” John 14:20

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

Cherished “Christmas of my Childhood” Memories

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We always met at our grade school on an often snowy Christmas Eve,
anticipating the gifts back home that we knew we would receive.

But thoughts, really, were on the Lord Jesus and the amazing story
that we would be telling of God sending us His Son amidst angelic glory.

We each had a part we had practiced for the yearly Christmas Eve service–
those who may have had a bigger role were sometimes a little bit nervous.

The atmosphere was one of warmth, though, but so respectful of the divine–
at my church very many years ago, these Christmas memories of mine.

We stepped outside the school and crossed over the connecting street
to the large decorated church sanctuary where everyone would meet.

To us children, the lights and nativity were always greatly impressive.
Beautifully-ornamented, tall Christmas trees made the night so festive.

Boys wearing new suits and ties and the girls in fine dresses sewn
began to sing the great Christmas carols, backed by the organ’s deep tone.

Often a solo was sung–one of the most endearing was “O Holy Night,”
which spoke of the guiding star and its sweetly gleaming light.

This song told of the wise men who came from a distant Orient land,
and how we were meant to love each other, as God had always planned.

“The weary world rejoices” were words that carol would recall,
and that Jesus Christ had been born to us in a lowly manger stall.

“His law is love and His gospel is peace.” I remember the song so well,
along with the serenity felt, as we heard the old church steeple bell.

Some of the children had the roles of shepherds or of the wise men to play;
Of course, there were Mary and Joseph by the Baby in the hay.

We were depicting the humble place where that great King had arrived–
the Giver of everything good in life that could ever be wanted or derived.

“Joy to the World” was sung with robust joy to the pipe organ music’s final beats,
after which we returned to our classrooms for sacks of nuts and other treats.

Heading home in the car with our families to continue the Christmas Eve fest,
we knew it was because of Jesus, that our lives were truly blessed.

Perhaps this reminds of your own childhood. If not, come now to join in its peace;
God wants you in His family forever, to abide in His love that will never cease.

P. A. Oltrogge

O Holy Night

The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
’til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices,
O night divine, O night when Christ was born,
O night divine, O night, O night divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
with glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
in all our trials, born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger;
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother;
and in His Name, all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;
let all within us praise His holy Name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever;
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
O night divine, O night, O night divine!

(music by Adolphe Adam
words by Placide Cappeau)

Two Significant Births

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The Hebrew people had prayed for a deliverer to be their long-promised King.
While living under Roman rule, they looked for the answer that God would bring.

Then it came to pass that two little babies were born in the same time span.
The lives of each one of them would be major in God’s great redemptive plan.

One would be a prophet named John, the baptizer, and was the son of Zacharias, the priest. The other was Jesus, who would be the focus and celebration of God’s greatest Passover Feast.

John’s mother, Elizabeth, had longed for a child and rejoiced at the birth of her son.
And Jesus’ mother, Mary, told the angel who came that God’s will for her should be done.

The angel, Gabriel, had first appeared to Zacharias and told him what to name his son–
John, “The Lord is gracious,” a preparer of the way for the Messiah, God’s Anointed One.

When betrothed, Mary’s Joseph had gained assurance from God, by having been visited in a dream too. Mary stayed with her cousin, Elizabeth, for a time before her own baby would become due.

These four parents realized, through faith, the significance of those entrusted to their care. A messenger of God, and Immanuel, “God With Us,” were birthed in answer to prayer.

P. A. Oltrogge

(from Luke 1 and Matthew 1:18-25)

Written of Jesus:

“And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father, David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ Then said Mary unto the angel, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?’ And the angel answered and said unto her, ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:30-38 KJV

of John:

“And his father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying… ‘And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high shall visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’” Luke 1:67 and 76-79 NASB

Only One Sacrifice

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“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

A look at Hebrews 10:1-18 reveals why Jesus was sent, to be born of a virgin–to live and die according to God’s will–to fulfill all the requirements of the law. The Old Testament laws were established as a way to approach God and so that God could dwell among the people. But then, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to dwell among us and give His life as the sacrifice for our sins. Today, He lives in us individually through the power of the Holy Spirit given to each believer, and we can approach God with confidence through Jesus.

“In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:22 NLT

The following is based on Hebrews 10:1-18

Animal sacrifices were made by the Hebrew priests for worshipers who drew near
to seek a cleansing of their sins from the God of Israel, repeatedly year after year.

Those sacrifices were reminders to the people, on an annual basis of all of their need to obtain forgiveness; but the blood of bulls and goats could never, with finality, succeed.

Therefore, when Christ began His ministry in the world, He made clear by declaration that such sacrifices weren’t desired by God, but He required a body of His preparation.

Jesus then further stated, “Here I am–it is written about Me in the scroll–
I have come to do your will, my God,” referring to His God-appointed, sacrificial role.

Though the old sacrifices didn’t please God, they’d been offered in accordance with the law. Jesus set aside the first to establish the second, in which God would find no flaw.

Because of Christ’s obedience to die on Calvary’s cross, we can be made holy once and for all. No priestly ritual or belief is needed, other than that it’s on Jesus’ Name we must call.

Having accomplished being the Lamb–the one sacrifice–which His Father deemed complete, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God in heaven, where He waits for His enemies to be a stool for His feet.

The Holy Spirit also testifies that God has made a covenant with those who put faith in his Son. He puts His laws in their hearts and writes them on their minds, but their sins He counts as none.

Where these have been forgiven, through Christ’s blood, the Bible says, all God’s will is fulfilled. No list of good works done will open heaven’s door; and no bull or goat needs to be killed.

For obedience to the law was not the reality, but only a shadow of God’s plan still ahead. To put an end to repetitive sacrifices, the blood of God’s unblemished Lamb, Jesus, ultimately had to be shed.

P. A. Oltrogge


“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:19-25 NKJV

“With His own blood–not the blood of goats and calves-He entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.” Hebrews 9:12 NKJV

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
Romans 10:4

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17

“When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.” John 19:30

Some references on Old Testament laws, as well as the “sacrifices” that believers in Christ can do today, not to earn salvation, but out of love and gratefulness: Leviticus 1:1-4; 4:35; 16:30; 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 51:16-17; Proverbs 21:3; Isaiah 1:11-17; Jeremiah 7:22-23; Hosea 6:6; Romans 12:1; Philippians 2:17 and 4:18; Hebrews 9:11-14 and 13:15-16

Of Highest Value

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“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:14-17

There are many things to value–family, friends, one’s home, possessions and such.
But there’s one thing in this life to value that, though they’re good, the others cannot touch.

The Word of God abides forever, and it was given to abide inside your heart.
If you’ve neglected it or never considered it much, today’s the perfect day to start.

Without it, people experience a void in their lives that they can’t easily explain;
but when the value of it is recognized, they desire to forsake all to have its gain.

Through it, we have a divine connection with our loving God who sent His Son,
that none would miss the blessings now and forever, that by Christ’s death were won.

The Word of God brings wisdom, peace, and guidance; and by it, we’re refreshed and energized. It leads us into the kingdom of heaven and is like a treasure or beautiful pearl, so greatly prized.

P. A. Oltrogge


“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Matthew 13:44

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went out and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Matthew 13:45

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, and the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word, which by the gospel was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:22-25 NKJV

From we who’ve believed, to those who yet need to receive…

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Knowing God means so much to us; therefore, we want to bear witness
to others we may meet–about Jesus and spiritual fitness.

These days there are websites abounding with true-life testimonies
to the reality of Jesus–which are so different from religious ceremonies.

Please consider searching out ministries available on the internet–
“The Porch of the Lord” is a place to start, but there are many others yet.

They tell of things, such as Easter, when we celebrate the risen Lord–
through Christ’s death and resurrection, our relationship with God was restored.

In our natural minds, we may question that there should have been this need;
but God is just and holy–an understanding we must heed.

He wouldn’t have left us here on this earth without a manual to know
that He’s for real; and through it, the Holy Bible, our faith is able to grow.

It’s easy to open your heart to Jesus, extending an invitation
for Him to dwell therein–the Bible says that then you’re “a new creation.”

We pray that you’ll come to trust, in the Father’s Son sent from above;
your life is very special to Him–may His Spirit help you to sense His great love.

P. A. Oltrogge

“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:9-19

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17

http://www.kcm.org
http://www.lenmink.com
http://www.covenantfamily.cc
http://www.porchofthelord.wordpress.com

The One and Only Deity

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I wrote a poem post for the blog recently; and before I send any of them out,
I try to make certain, for the readers, that there haven’t been any mistakes made throughout.

So, I must have ignored the “spell check,” for I did have an obvious spelling error.
The dictionary confirmed it, after the fact, and became my day’s bad news bearer.

I’d misspelled “deities,” probably because I usually think only of the One.
I don’t use the word, deities, very much at all, since there’s just One in Jesus,
God’s Son.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.'” Mark 12:28-30 NKJV

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” John 14:9

“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” 1 John 5:7 NKJV

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life–and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us–what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.” 1 John 1:1-4

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-5 NKJV

An Encounter at Jacob’s Well

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On His way to Galilee, Jesus went through Samaria to a city called Sychar, near land given by Jacob to Joseph, his son. Jacob’s well was there, and being wearied from His journey, Jesus sat down by the well before His traveling would be done.

While His disciples went away into the city to get food, Jesus asked a woman of Samaria there to give Him a drink that day. How He, a Jew, could ask a Samaritan woman for a drink was her immediate question, and she wondered what He would say.

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,'” He said, “you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” She noted that He had nothing to draw up water with and the well was deep, so where could He have gotten such to have brought her?

She asked if He considered Himself greater than their father, Jacob, whose well it had been, but which was later left to them. Jesus said that though she drank from Jacob’s well, she’d thirst many times more; but the water He could give would keep her from ever thirsting again.

This Samaritan woman must have believed He possessed some special water, for she asked Him to give to her of that kind. Then Jesus revealed personal things about her life that could only have been known by One with divine knowledge in His mind.

At that, she said she perceived He was a prophet and raised the question of where the worship of God should best be done. Jesus said the important thing was how people should worship, which would be “in spirit and in truth,” or by hearts that were truly “won.”

He said that God, the Father, seeks people with such a heart to worship Him and that she’d worshiped what she didn’t really know. He told her that salvation was of the Jews. Though she was a Samaritan and He a Jew, He was reaching out as a friend to her and not a foe.

The woman from Samaria said she agreed that the Messiah would come and would reveal to the world all things. Then Jesus said, “I who speak to you am He,” declaring He was (is) the One from whom the fountain of water to everlasting life springs.

Amazed, she left her water jug to make her way back to the city, telling the men of how He’d known all the pages in her life’s book. “Could this be the Christ?” she was inquiring and told them that they should really go out for themselves to hear and take a look.

In the meantime, Jesus’ disciples had returned with the food they’d gone to get, and urged that He should partake with them and eat. But Jesus said He had food of which they didn’t know–to do the will of His Father; working to win the lost to God was His
bread and meat.

He said the “fields” were white unto harvest! Then came out to hear Him many who’d been alerted by this “woman at the well’s” own story. And by hearing the Lord Himself, the life-giving “water” continued to flow greatly, as it still does to all today…to God be the glory!

P. A. Oltrogge

(from John, chapter 4)

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17 KJV