The WELL

Jehovah Jireh says you will live a modest lifestyle so that you can stand in solidarity with the poor.  Will you still worship and praise like it is your last opportunity? If we are truly Christians, then we must follow Christ.  Christ won't be stopping by the car dealership or the new home center.  He probably won't be stopping by the ATM or the Galleria mall.  If I'm not mistaken, Christ stopped by to see the folks that others ignored.  Christ stopped by to see the sick folk and the lepers, the untouchables.  Christ hung out with the IRS and the hoochies.  If we are truly going to call ourselves Christians, we will have to start doing some Christ-like stuff.  And if we are real and serious about this thing called worship, we may have to follow Christ all the way to the cross.  We might have to make the ultimate sacrifice.  We might have to give up a whole lot more than we get. How about a fast this week?  Let us all pray for the...

"I thirst."  Mother Theresa said that these words propelled her forward into the creation of an order of nuns who served the poorest of the poor, the neglected and the dying.  These nuns took a vow of simple living.  When Jesus speaks to us, how do we respond?   Are we prompted into action?  Does His voice stir up compassion? There was a popular Gospel song some years ago that expressed a great truth: "Everything that Jesus did was for someone else!"  As Christians, followers of Christ, we should be living a life of giving.  It behooves each of us to study the life of Christ very closely.  Christianity is not a doctrine, but a way of life. Jesus was a Jew, but He was an extraordinary Jew in that Love outweighed the Law.  Christianity simply means that we are called to be extraordinary human beings who Love more than we do anything else. I'm thirsty.  Will you go to the well and give me a drink of living water?

IISamuel 24:24 David says: "I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing."  He was serious about that thing.  He was the king and folks were willing to give him whatever he needed or wanted.  But David said "no!"  He wanted to pay the price for the sacrifice.  I like the fact that David not only bought something, but he also built something, then he sacrificed something and finally, he prayed.  Wow!  It behooves each of us to look at David and follow this awesome example.  The only way that we will extend the kingdom of God, the kingdom that Jesus wanted for us, is if we are willing to buy something, build something and sacrifice something.  And by all means PRAY.  The problem with so many of us is that we are 'COUPON CHRISTIANS.'  You know who we are.  We are the ones who have accepted the free gift of salvation that God gave through Jesus Christ.  Now, we are sitting with coupon in hand waiting for the Lord to mo...

What the world needs now is still love, sweet love.  How is this love accomplished?  Empathy.  We must put ourselves in the other person's place.  We explore every avenue of possibility in regard to why the person behaves as they do.  We have to ask ourselves questions that lead us to loving even our enemy.  Jesus looked at his accusers and determined that they should be forgiven because they just simply had no clue.  Why should they be held accountable when they just did not know what they were doing?  He chose to forgive.  This forgiveness was founded in a genuine love for the ones who appeared to be the enemy.  What do we learn from the Easter experience?  We should certainly take more away than free salvation.  We should learn empathy.  It's Love They Neighbor 101.  On good Friday, we should die to self and allow God to create in us a new heart that is filled with love which uses empathy in every situation to fuel...

It is evident that many will join a church.  Many will claim a denomination.  Some will even buy the bumper sticker declaring their love for Jesus Christ, but the question is: will you follow Christ?  Will you lose all, leave all, give all for the cause of Christ?  How many of us really are willing to live a Christ-like life?  At the risk of sounding pessimistic, I must say: not many.  Most of us are doing what comes "naturally."  We are doing what "feels good."  We are even "following our hearts."  But few are following Christ.  The way of Christ is a difficult way.  It is a challenging way.  If we are honest about the Christ revealed through the Gospels, the life is not an easy one, nor is it glamorous.  There isn't anything natural about someone living a vagabond life so that others might be secure.  We can all agree that being denied by the very folks that you have saved certainly couldn't feel all that good. ...

The original questions: what is a Christian? what does it mean to be saved? what does it mean to be blessed?  The only answer: a DISCIPLE is someone who is Christian, saved and blessed.  Or maybe it sounds more convincing to say if you are Christian, saved and blessed, you are necessarily a disciple of Christ.  Or maybe it offers more clarity to say if you have chosen to be Christian, you have chosen to be saved from yourself which is a blessing, which also allows you to be a disciple---one who follows after the ways of Christ.  Sorry that I haven't mentioned money or Heaven, but those are not factors in your salvation, your Christianity or your blessings.  But it's still GOOD NEWS.  It's real news.  It's eternal news that is not determined by the world or its headlines.  It is not upset by the latest downturn.  It is Good News. Simplify life: Follow Him!  To be Christian, saved and blessed is to follow Him.  He's leading the Way!

Thought about the whole disciple thing and went to the Gospel of Matthew.  Matthew was sitting at work, minding his own business, and Jesus comes by.  "Hey, you!   Follow me!"  Jesus summons Matthew without even saying 'please.'  Essentially, Jesus tells Matthew, a stranger, that he should walk away from life as he knows it to do something radically different.  No payment is promised.  No blessing is discussed. No explanation is given.  No conversation is had.  "Follow me."  (Matt 9:9)  That's all there is. Matthew is probably not known for being the most eloquent of the Gospels, but surely the writer could have managed a simple conversation.  Jesus had them all the time.  Why wouldn't the writer think that an explanation was warranted?  Could it be that Jesus simply meant "follow me"?  Do what I do.  Get like me.(wasn’t that a game awhile ago?). Give yourself up for me.  One preacher said leave all, l...

Come to the well if you are thirsty.  Come to the well to listen.  Come to the well to share.  Come to the well to rest.  If you are heavy-laden and desire rest, come.  Come to the well. Three questions are essential: what does it mean to be a Christian?  what does it mean to be saved?  what does it mean to be blessed?  Why are these essential?  Because they are at the root of Christian belief and conversation.  They are relevant to daily Christian life.  Everyone believes, has faith and worships.  But everyone is certainly not Christian.  Yes, everyone believes in something/one, has faith in something/one, and worships something/one.  What makes Christians so different?  What is the big deal about 'getting saved' and 'being blessed'? Some might look at these questions and think that the answers are obvious if you are a Christian.  Well, I have been a Christian most of my life, taken theology classes and ...