OPEN YOUR SAMARIA
John 4:1-42
 
Conducting oneself according to the word of God is the identity of a believing Christian. A believer is yet to become a believer of the Word of God until living the Word inside and outside of the fellowship of believers. It is one thing for a believer to claim being a believer and it is another to be living the Word. Jesus said in John 8:31, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed.’” Questions: Who are you? Where do you stand? If the Lord shows up now will you be found ready to meet with Him? The time and days for playing religion will not prevail. Have you let the Lord go through? Can you identify if you have a need for Him to go through you? John 4:3-4, “He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria.” In the New Testament, Samaria was a region in central Palestine avoided by the Jews. Jews intensely hated Samaritans and often refused to set foot in Samaritan territory. The passing of Jesus through Samaria was a demonstration of God’s love for the sinners and not the sin. Jesus came to the world as The Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). How long will it take you to allow Him a passage through you? Could it be that you are not a sinner? Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It is not the part of you that your brethrens see every Sunday or at every fellowship gathering that counts, but the part of you that the Lord God Himself sees. Also, it is not how much or how effective you always quote the Word that matters, but it is how you meditate and observe to do the Word of God. Above all, it is not how long you have been going to church that will point you out when He comes it is how you are committed to His Word that will point you out. You can be of great service in the church and not serving God in truth and in spirit. So many are licensed to be a minister of the Word of God but very few have access to the Lord God Almighty. What makes the difference in all the above statements is in your permission to let Him pass through you. It is not a matter of you having a need to have Him pass through, it is a fact that you need to have Him pass through your Samaria. God is calling for sincerity, the time is not waiting for anyone but God is waiting for all to live in truth.
Prayer for today: Lord I ask in Jesus name, have your way in my life.

Among all His works, there is nothing the Lord requires from His creation but obeying His command. To obey Him is to fear Him. To fear God is to let all down for God to be lifted up.

In Genesis 22:12, it was clearly spelled out what the will of God is about. Abraham walked before God because it was the will of God for him. Walking before God is obeying all that God calls for in the journey of man’s life. Genesis 17:1, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” Evidently, he was walking before God all through his journey until he got to the point of sacrificing Isaac. Despite Abraham’s entire walk of faith in his journey, God did not acknowledge Abraham as a man that feared Him. However, at the point of laying his hands on Isaac in obedience to God’s command, God declared, “And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’” (Genesis 22:12) Abraham gained acknowledgement from God when he gave up his son in response to God’s request. Abraham proved to God that he was willing to let go of his son, his only son, Isaac. He was able to let go for God and that was a demonstration of his love for God. To love God is to have the fear of God. Abraham loved God and he demonstrated the fear of God. It could be challenging to be able to identify the number of believers in Abraham’s shoes today. That is, how many believers are proving there love for God today? God proved His love to all when He gave His beloved son on the cross for the sin of man. Matthew 3:17, “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Unlike Abraham’s case where God stopped Abraham from eventually using Isaac, God gave up His beloved son on the cross. When all is released unto God, as required by God, all of God’s plan and promises will be unfolded in one’s life. What is it  that you are holding to and would not let go for God to get you going in your calling? God acknowledges loyalty and loyalty is walking in His word. Walking in the word of God is rooted in the fear of His holy name. 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” When He acknowledges you, He will show Himself strong on your behalf.

Prayer for today: I ask O Lord, my God and my Shield, cause your fear to reign and rule in my life.

Psalm 92:1, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High” When understanding backs up conviction, it delivers an undeniable miracle. When thanking and praising Him is backed without understanding it becomes acts of emotion. Thanking or praising God should not be rooted in emotion because the Bible declares in Psalm 47:7, “For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with understanding.” Anytime that giving thanks and praise is short of understanding, it will be filled with emotion. It is part of understanding to know when, how and why thanking Him and praising Him will deliver. The Psalmist stated when to thank and give praises to His name. “To declare Your loving kindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night.” (Psalm 92:2) Declaring His loving kindness and His faithfulness is rooted in thanking and praising Him. As mentioned by the Psalmist, let it be consistent in the morning and every night. How to thank and praise Him is not relegated to a particular guideline but Psalm 92:3 does mention it to be: “On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound.” (Psalm 92:3) The Psalmist went further by declaring why we should thank and praise Him by stating, “For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.” (Psalm 92:4) There is no limitation as to the reason for thanking and praising God. We can also be thankful and give Him praise by declaring as did the Psalmist in Psalm 92:5, “O LORD, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep.” Volumes and pages of book will never be enough to identify what thanking and praising God has done or could bring forth. However, the Psalmist brought out some of the effects of thanking and praising in Psalm 92:7, “When the wicked spring up like grass, And when all the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they may be destroyed forever.” There is no structured pattern for when, how, and why we should render thanks and praises to God, but the written Word of God is for our learning from those who have been there, passed through and are backed by various undeniable testimonies. Spending time to learn and do just like the Word requests will undoubtedly be a blessing. Spending time in the Word of God will give life while spending time in the worlds of this life will not lead to life. Live the Word of God and live outside of the world while still living in the world.

Prayer for today: Father, fill me with the knowledge of your Word in all wisdom and understanding. 

 As a believer of the living Word of God, what kind of situation is considered as no hope by all that surrounds you? Your situation is clearly defined as no hope and all that surrounds you are only waiting to see you get over the grief of your situation. Also, in your response and behavior, there is demonstration of no hope and that all is lost. Today, do not take the Word of God only as an advice but rather take it as the prophetic living Word of God so that your situation is not of death but to the glory of God. Lazarus was not sleeping but he was dead. Lazarus was dead cold and there was no evidence of life in him. Lazarus had been prepared and positioned among the dead. Sorrow, grief and pain had taken over the popular position among the family and neighbors in regard to the death of Lazarus. Your situation has not gone down to the place of the dead just like that of Lazarus. His sisters and family knew that he was dead and he could not possibly come back to life. His sisters were wondering why there was delay from Jesus. As a result of the fact that Jesus delayed His arrival to the situation, Lazarus gained a position among the dead. Jesus is the healing Healer; He alone is the One who reverses the irreversible. He is the One who shows up in every time of need and He never fails to deliver. Above all, Jesus is the God of the eleventh hour because He does not operate with man-made time. Before Jesus could raise Lazarus, He warned, “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John11:26) Jesus questioned about the location of the dead, “…Where have you laid him…?” (John 11:34) After getting the location, Jesus gave a command: “Take away the stone…” (John 11:39) After Jesus’ response to the situation, He emphasized the need for believe. Jesus believed that God was going to bring Lazarus back to life and as a result, Jesus did not wait for Lazarus to rise before He thanked God for Lazarus’ rising from dead. “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.’” (John 11:41) Thanking Him before thanksgiving will bring an end to your painful situation. Lazarus was commanded back to life by Jesus and he was let loose and let go. Thanking God before thanksgiving provokes the hand of God for the undeniable.

Prayer for today: Father I ask in Jesus name for a heart of thanks giving.