Asking for Water

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Asking for Water

 

7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

John 4:7-9

Water is such a common element that is found in the Bible. In this story Jesus uses the idea of water to express a truth to the woman at the well.

Give me a drink. It was such a simple statement and yet one that delved into a very complex interaction. He knew that this would start a conversation. He was speaking to a woman Samaritan and this would have been very strange.

Lucky for the woman, she wasn’t shy. She answered right back to Jesus and questioned how he could be speaking with her. We don’t know how she spoke. We don’t know if she was rude, taken aback by this stranger or whether she was truly surprised by this strange act. Perhaps she was happy that someone was willing to speak with her. We simply don’t know but it made all the difference.

How people respond to us when we try and interact will also be impossible to predict. We sometimes decide not to speak out of fear that someone will respond negatively. Unfortunately to many times we close the door before even knowing what’s on the other side. This is a very regrettable thing. How many people could have been reached with a positive message or even salvation if not for our fear?

We must be willing to try. We must be willing to ask people for a drink of water or whatever else can start that conversation. God is faithful and he will open doors to sharing God’s love. Will it always be positive? No. I’m sure a lot of people rejected Jesus in his life but it never stopped him. We can’t let negative events stop us either.

Try it today and throughout the week. Let’s see which doors God can open in your life. Perhaps asking for that drink of water will change someone’s life as it did the Samaritan woman.

 

Blessings

 

Pr. Steven Couto

Jesus Was Weary

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Jesus Was Weary

5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

John 4:5-6

The story of the woman at the well is one of the most well-known within the gospels. Here we have Jesus speaking to a woman by themselves, breaking many taboos and being able to reach an entire city because of it. There are so many lessons that one can build from the story but too often these introductory verses are passed over.

What I love about these two verses is that it seems to be completely void of purpose when talking about evangelism. It appears to just be a place that Jesus had to walk through to get to where he actually wanted to be. I love the fact that it says that he stopped because he was weary. Jesus was tired of walking and thirsty from his trip. As far as we know within the actual words of the scriptures, this is the only reason he stopped. What would have been in Jesus had just decided to keep going? What would have happened if the disciples had stayed with him and not gone into town? Of course God knows all things, but the story is very much set up as if it was just pure chance that Jesus and the woman met.

Have you ever had similar experienced within your ministry? Are you sometimes delayed or deviated from a plan that you have and then get nervous because things aren’t falling into place? Perhaps the plane was delayed or the car broke down. Maybe the store was closed or the person you were meeting cancelled in the very last minute.

Any of those situations can lead to frustration. We feel like we are failing in our mission because things are going according to our plans. But that just might be the issue. Our plans are rarely God’s plans. Perhaps that broken car was exactly what needed to happen.

Perhaps that broken car leads to a conversation with the Uber driver or the delayed flight creates a conversation with the other traveler beside you. Are we willing to deviate from our plans and join the plan that God is creating around us in real time?

Jesus was weary. I know that feeling and I’m sure you all do too. But that doesn’t have to be a negative in our lives. Sometimes it’s good to stop and rest. Sometimes that’s exactly what God wants us to do and actually has a hidden blessing in that time of rest.

Let’s have faith that God is in control of those very times when it seems that control is nowhere to be found.

Blessings
Pr. Steven Couto

What’s Your Need?

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What’s Your Need?

4 But He needed to go through Samaria.

John 4:4

 

Samaria has always interested me within the New Testament. In terms of location, it filled the land allotted for Ephraim and the western half of Manasseh. The name Samaria was actually the Greek version of the Hebrew name Shomron. Samarian was also the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.

It was not a welcome place for Jews and Jews didn’t like going there either. It was a place that most would see as the wrong side of the tracks. Jews avoided it unless they needed to go there for some reason otherwise they would walk around it.

But Jesus needed to go through Samaria.

It is such a small verse in this chapter and one that many people would read right over it. To most it simply sets up the story of the woman at the well. But there is something very important about this text.

The truth is, from a human standpoint, Jesus actually didn’t have to go through Samaria. He could have easily walked around it as so many other Jews did. There were other routes and there was nothing that Jesus needed within the borders for his mission.

When the Bible says that he needed to go through Samaria what it was actually saying is that God had sent him on that path and therefore he needed to follow God’s path. The need was a spiritual one and not physical.

Have you ever seen your life in those terms? Have you ever said to yourself that you needed to go or do something even though there was no human reason for it?

I have heard many people use the word ‘need’ in interesting and obviously not in literal ways. ‘I need to buy those shoes!’ ‘I need a burger so bad!’ ‘I need to watch that show!’

We use the word need very often in our speech and rarely does it actually fit the context. One could easily make the mistake that Jesus was doing the same thing but he wasn’t.

Was there another route? Yes. But did Jesus need to go through Samaria? Yes. Following God’s plan for his life was more than a want for Jesus. It was more than a good idea. It was more than something he just tried to do. Jesus truly needed to do it or else his mission would have failed.

Now the hard question. Following God’s plan in your life, is that just a good idea or is it a true need?

 

Blessings

 

Pr. Steven Couto

God’s Way

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God’s Way

1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.

John 4:1-3

Jesus was never one to stay on in a single place for very long. He was always on the move, always working and spreading his mission in Israel and its borders. It would be difficult, in human terms, to understand his reasoning of when and where he’d go as it seemed to defy his mission many times. Take the story of the man possessed by the Legion. Jesus was on one side of a lake, surrounded by people waiting to hear and see what Jesus would do, but he left them all to see one man. After saving that man, he left him as well and headed back. All of these decisions seem contrary to increasing his following but Jesus did it none the less. The only answer of course is that the Holy Spirit was guiding him. When God guides you, you rarely can accurately guess what is coming next.

Paul gives us a little insight to how the Holy Spirit guides.

6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.

Acts 16:6-7

When you have a strong relationship with the Spirit, he guides you and stops you when needed. This is what Jesus experienced in John 4. Jesus was not afraid of the Pharisees. They could do nothing to him until his mission was complete. But it would only be so if he followed the Spirits leading. It was not yet time to have that confrontation. A plan was in play and it needed to be followed.

The same is true with us. As we live our lives, we make plans and decisions and go off into the world. Many times God is more than happy to allow us our choices and paths but we must understand that God also has a path and the best one you could ever take.

Although god will never force you to do anything, we will show and lead us to things. In the end it’s our decision to follow or not. Sometimes that path may seem completely ridiculous or even contrary to what we need or want but that is where faith comes in.

The choices Jesus made in this world sometimes seem odd but in the end it was exactly what was needed. The same can be true for us if we’re willing to let God lead.

Blessings
Pr. Steven Couto

Are you Alive?

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Are you Alive?

36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

John 3:36

When people read John 3, most focus on verse 16. It is the famous verse that even makes it out to sports games on placards and signs. It is a very good verse, summing up the entire plan of salvation in just a few words. But John 3 is full of really important texts. This verse here, John 3:36, has an amazing message that many people miss.

It seems simple enough. If you believe in Jesus you have eternal life but if you don’t believe you don’t have it. Most people would just say amen and start the next chapter but that isn’t actually what the verse is saying.

The first half is simple, yes believing in Jesus can give you eternal life but the second half is saying something very different. You’ll notice that it doesn’t speak of eternal life but simple life. In fact, not believing in Jesus means you don’t even get to see life. What does that mean?

In God’s way of seeing the world and life, you must have all aspects of his original created version of humanity to be alive. That means you must have a physical body, a mind and the Holy Spirit breath in you (See Genesis 2:7).

When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost that Holy Spirit connection. That is why God said that when you eat the fruit you shall die. Although they were still standing, breathing and talking, in God’s eyes both were already dead.

For God, you only begin to live when you reconnect with him. This verse here is not the only time Jesus speaks this.

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Matthew 19:16-17
Here again, the young man speaks of eternal life but Jesus says ‘if you want to enter into

life’. Jesus was telling the man that he wasn’t even alive yet, he hadn’t entered into life yet.

So what does this all mean? Obviously our view of life is very different from Gods. You can ask the question, the person in ICU at a hospital who is in a coma who will never breathe on his own or get out of bed and be fed by a tube, is that person alive? Scientifically its yes of course but most people would say that that is living.

So the main question now- are you alive?

Blessings
Pr. Steven Couto

Experienced, to be shared

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“O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.”- John 17:25

“O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You”, These words of Jesus’ closing prayer give us a glimpse of the intimate and reverent bond He shared with His Father, His confidence and testament to knowing His Father in a personal way. We also get a sense of His sadness for the world’s rejection of His Father. But what was it that Jesus knew about His Father that the world did not know? The previous verses tell us that this was the Father’s love- for Jesus and for us.

aAll of creation exhibits the Father’s love for and through His Son. Jesus’ purpose on earth was to reveal the Father’s character to an evil world. So how exactly do you reveal a love that transcends beyond the boundaries of time as we know it? That, only Jesus knew. ꚝof the Father, He brought for everyone the gift of Grace, the hope of salvation and truth of eternal life through the act of His sacrificial death on the cross and His subsequent resurrection.

The gospels give many accounts of how much time Jesus spent alone in prayer while He was on earth. His obvious commitment is evidence that He desired to act in accordance with the will of His Father. cHis life of obedience and humility was motivated by the deep and abiding love of His Father. Remember also the dFather’s personal endorsement of Jesus: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” what beautiful love between the Father and His Son, it’s clear no amount of evil in the world could have shaken such bond that eexisted before the foundation of the world.

But what is love if it is not shared? Jesus’ voluntary self-sacrifice on the cross revealed the potency of an immeasurable love. fIt’s here we find the love that secured the success of our redemption. A love experienced was a love expressed! This was the Father’s moment- His character shone bright in heaven and earth; His love was affectionately experienced, to be dependably shared. Let us always exalt Jesus our Savior for all that He has made possible and known to us.

Jesus Christ loves you; He has unselfishly prayed for you to experience the same intimacy and security of the Father’s love that He enjoyed. The Father loves you like He loves Jesus. For this week, make a commitment to spend a generous amount of alone time in prayer every day, that through Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit you too can affectionately experience and share with those around you- The immeasurable love of our heavenly Father.

The Father’s Love

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The Father’s Love

35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.

John 3:35

When you think about a father’s love I’m sure everyone has a different image. To some
they see dad playing catch with them on the front yard or perhaps holding the back of the bike as
he teaches you to ride. Perhaps you see him hunkered down on a small chair while he drinks
imaginary tea with you and your dolls. Perhaps it’s smiling proudly on the sidelines of a game or
graduation. Perhaps it’s even looking at you with anger as he bails you out of jail. The love of a
father can be seen in many different forms.
With God, we see something quite amazing. This verse tells us that everything that exists
was given to Jesus from a loving God. That’s quite the present. Colossians gives us an even
clearer picture.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were

created through Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:16

Everything that exists was not only made through Jesus but it was made for Jesus. What
we see is a loving Father who puts his son at the middle of everything. But then something
drastic changes. Just when we think that there is nothing that God the Father could ever love
above his Son, we find a famous verse that upends all of that.
16 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

God was willing to give his son, by making him human, suffering and finally dying, so
that the people of the world could be saved. God gave up his most beloved possession. The very
universe was created for Jesus and yet something in that universe made God sacrifice his Son.
How is that possible? What kind of a love does God have for us?
Think about that question as you go about your day today. How much does God love
you? How much does God love the people you will interact with, positively and negatively, in
the day? By realizing a glimpse of that love today, will it change how you live, speak and interact
with others?

Blessings

Pr. Steven Couto

God is True

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God is True

33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

 John 3:33-34

God is true. What exactly is John talking about here? To understand this you have to break down the verse. He who has received His testimony is Jesus. We know this from the previous verse.

32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.

John 3:32

So what exactly is the testimony that Jesus has both heard and seen that makes God true? Well the only truth that is mentioned is that of the Old Testament. Within the Old Testament God claims to be loving and long suffering. The Old Testament claims that God wants the best for us and is trying to save us.

Sometimes however that is hard to believe because of some stories we find in the Old Testament filled with violence and death. Sometimes it’s hard to join together both ideas together. Even in the Old Testament we find these hard questions. Many times people ask God about his promises. He says that he blesses the good and condemns the wicked but many prophets look around the world and seem to see the exact opposite. So are the promises and truth about God trustworthy in the Old Testament? That is where Jesus comes in.

Is God loving? Well, He gave His Son to die for us on this earth. Is God long suffering? God had the right to have this world destroyed when it sinned back in Eden but God created this plan of Salvation with Jesus all those years ago and have waited for the perfect time to implement it.

Does God bless the good and punish the wicked? That is where the testimony of Jesus really makes a difference. The answer of course is yes, but in the long term. The Second Coming is when judgement comes down and rewards the good and the bad.

So if God true? Yes he is. Jesus shows us all the things that is spoken of God and shows it to be true. Everything Jesus did and said was from the Father. The love that was shown was the love of the Father. The Spirit that was used was also from the Father.

Now for the really good news. We can also show the truth of God. Like Jesus, we can also be instruments that can show the world that God is loving and longsuffering. The same Spirit that filled Jesus can fill us. We too can have a testimony.

Blessings

Pr. Steven Couto

Not believed

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Not believed

32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. John 3:32

Mr Simmons walked out of prison on July 2023. He was in prison because of the murder of Carolyn Sue Rogers which dated back to 1974. Now you might think that something like this happens all the time. People do a crime, go to jail and eventually get released. The uniqueness of this story is that he was released because of wrongful conviction- the longest known wrongful conviction in the USA.

Although he had always claimed his innocence, it took all this time for a district court to find that prosecutors had not turned over all evidence to defense lawyers, including a witness who had identified other suspects. He was 22 when he was convicted and was released at 70.

It is painful when you speak the truth and no one believes you. It is hard to be known as a liar and punished for that. It must have been a horrible 48 years in prison and yet even that extreme story doesn’t come close to what Jesus must have felt being here on this earth.

Jesus created this world with his voice. He created the first two humans with his hands. He guided Israel and spoke with them for hundreds of years and yet none of that seemed to matter when he came down. No one recognized him and even his own nation rejected him. They used the very words he gave them in the Bible to disbelieve in who he was.

All of that must have been very difficult but even more, Jesus knew that everyone who disbelieved was also attaching their future to that decision. How many people turned their backs on Jesus and how many did Jesus suffer over knowing that that choice was an eternal one?

Jesus always spoke the truth. He followed everything he did with scripture and the word of God. Even so, people just could not believe.

This can happen to us too. How many times have you clearly shown the truth to someone but they just couldn’t see it. How many have turned their backs to God in your presence. It is a hard thing to see and experience but know that Jesus has also felt it.

It never stopped Jesus. He never gave up after so much rejection. He would try and try again. That is our example. We too must be willing to go for the long run. Rejection is not an excuse to give up. May we all find the power and drive necessary to continue in the work that God has given us.

Blessings
Pr. Steven Couto

Above and Below

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Above and Below

31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

John 3:31

John the Baptist seemed to know something very early on that others didn’t. It really makes me wonder sometimes the knowledge that John had that he either didn’t share out loud or that simply wasn’t recorded. When he states that what is from above is above all, he seems to know something about the Messiah that no one else does. John knows that he is just a human, from the earth below and therefore can only speak earthly thoughts but the Messiah will be from above and be above all.

Later in his speech he speaks about the Father and the Son. Now it can be that John the disciple is putting words into John the Baptists mouth but one has to ask why he would do that. There is no need as John the disciple could write this himself without having it be a quote from John the Baptist. So I assume here that John the Baptist indeed said these words.

It makes me think of how the world works. We read the Bible and know these beautiful truths from God and yet so many people in the world have no idea. What a strange thing that is. Something so important and life changing and yet not everyone seems to know or wants to know about it.

In the end, this strange thing of our day actually confirms the words of John. We are earthly and so our words are also earthly and limited. We don’t know all the secrets of the universe or of God. And even when we do know things, we can sometimes find it hard to speak about and share with others.

Jesus, the Messiah that John the Baptist was speaking of here in this verse, is something wholly different. He wasn’t from below but from above. That means he knew all things and could speak all things. You never see Jesus in a bind to explain something in the gospels. Religious leaders and experts in the law could never trap him. He spoke and people listened. He gave people the best chance to understand.

If only we could have the same words and ability… Well actually we can. You see everything Jesus did, he did through the Holy Spirit. It was God speaking through the Spirit that came out of Jesus mouth. And that is something we too can have.

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:12-13

We might not be from above but we can be filled with a Spirit who is from above. Let us use the gift of the Spirit to also have words that can truly make a difference.

Blessings
Pr. Steven Couto