WE  ARE  ALL WATERING  CANS           

“And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” ACTS  4:31

 

     Maybe you are a very serious gardener who attends all the gardening workshops, has all the catalogs and visits every garden that opens its gates for a walk through. You’ve got a beautiful garden, some great ideas, but you don’t share.

     Many of us Christians are much the same.  We have our own private relationship with God, His Son and the Holy Spirit.  Maybe you have some experiences with prayer, blessings and first hand knowledge of gifts from the Holy Spirit.  Yet, you don’t share.    

     Peter and the other followers were moved to a new level of discipleship when the Holy Spirit descended upon them.  Peter, who had the problem of foot in mouth, now spoke with new found authority and thousands responded to the “good news”.  What was previously locked up inside Peter was released by the Holy Spirit to begin a new spiritual work for the Lord that has survived the generations. One day, one man and history was changed. 

     Among other things, Peter was a carrier; a vessel; a watering can; as are we.  Whose garden will you walk through today?  Will you share your water with a drought ridden fellow gardener?

  Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst;"                JOHN 4:13-14

 

SHOULDA’ WOULDA’ COULDA’

     “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”  JAMES 4:17

     While riding home from choir practice a couple was discussing the changes in people’s lives after an encounter with God.  The husband said that since his redemption and forgiveness, he was blessed not to respond to many of the temptations for the blatantly sinful behaviors from his previous life.  He quickly added that there are days when he wrestles with ‘every day’ sin. “It’s hard being human and not sinning.” he said.   “That’s why we need Jesus”, she replied.

       Probably, many of us have felt that same feeling of guilt or shame after having ‘slipped’ in our Christian walk and we seek forgiveness on a regular basis.  As one preacher puts it, “keep your prayer list short”.  However, we often overlook the sins of omission, the opportunities we had to serve others or to honor God and we let them slip away.

     Our current relationship with God might provide us relief from our sins of commission but as we think back, what about the hole in our walk where we had an opportunity that God provided and we looked the other way?  The blood of our savior, Jesus the Christ, washes away our sins but does little to fill in the gaps when we are too busy, overloaded or just turn a blind eye.

     This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.:  2 CORINTHIANS 9:12

Gardening tip: Warm spring days tempt us to put those tender plants out early. Be careful. Plan to provide some protection later.