So, I’ve been camping in John 4 for about the past three years.
I sit by the fire, there, with Jesus, warm, knowing it’s about to take off with something…
Kind of like that hot and cold game we played as kids.
You know, when you’re on to something…
Warmer, warmer… warmer… Hot!
Have you ever had a fire like that?
One you’ve had to work with?
It’s just enough heat, but it’s not yet blazing….
Or, It’s like being in the middle of the woods like I’ve mentioned before , wondering if you’ve missed some turn.
You know you’re supposed to be in the woods, on a trail, but you’ve been on it for a while, and the thought occurs that you’re, lost.
You get my drift!
Jesus told picture stories like this to get our attention.
He still does that today.
But look at this:
“Now He had to go through Samaria.”
Focus on HAD.
John 4:4 AMP
We talk about breakthroughs, and going through the valley of shadows,
But here it said, he had to go, through, Samaria.
You’ll have to read this Chapter and allow Holy Ghost to illuminate even more, but here is where I find, once again, the good, acceptable and Perfect will of God.
There was a transition taking place.
It was acceptable for Jesus to remain in the acceptable.
You can camp at a trailhead., but there’s much you’ll miss out on ahead.
For ministry it looks like the baptisms of lots of people- like we see in John 4.
In Hebrews 6 Paul talks about the same thing.
He calls it elementary instead of acceptable.
It appeared to be going well.
Just like the baptisms in Jesus ministry.
Although John said Jesus wasn’t even doing the baptizing.
But the Lord noticed that it was stirring the Pharisees.
“So when the Lord learned that the Pharisees had been told that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were),”
John 4:1-2 AMP
The Word more, is always a stir to a religious mind.
And the Bible says that Jesus disciples had baptized more.
A religious mind is competitive, and jealous.
It wants to recognize and promote self.
So, Jesus began to move out of that.
I see patterns of ministry here.
As He is, so are we in this world.
He was heading on to perfection, but needed to go through Samaria.
Geographical-
yes, but a Spiritual principle also.
If we’re followers of Jesus, we will find ourselves needing to go through here too.
It’s a mentality.
The five husbands scenario that Jesus was about to address was a mindset that represents a lot of the body of Christ.
It’s no different than the children of Israel worshipping the gifts they took off of the Egyptians in the wilderness-
God had given gifts to them, yes, but not for them to Worship.
The woman He met at the well, believed the Messiah was coming.
She wasn’t an unbeliever.
And, like many of us, until He got here, she was trying to find herself some lovin.
Looking for the Lover of her soul in all of the wrong places.
Something to make her feel good, until it didn’t.
God spoke to my heart the other day and said the woman and her promiscuity represents most of our culture today,
Wanting the gift of marriage, without the marriage.
I’m not just talking about the world.
This Samaritan mindset is the the church!
Until covenant has been made with Jesus, and we become one with Him, His Heart, His will and likeness, our wells will run dry.
Whatever gift we are trying to opening our own, without having the gift Giver as our source, will not last and satisfy.
Every gift will become unshiny to others and we will wonder what we have to offer.
That’s what happens when the focus is primarily on the gift.
When Jesus is in us and we are aware of Him, we never run dry.
We’re aware that He is The Gift that CAN keep giving.
No matter if it’s to the One, or the multitudes.
We don’t have to look for what others can celebrate about us, but rather how we can be a refreshment to them.
Pointing them to Jesus.
That’s what that woman did, when she dropped her hole-y bucket and let Jesus fill her heart.
Letting The Gift fill our hearts causes a bubbling that will have no other choice but to spill over!
ThankFully Restored 