Water Part 2

Genesis 2:10 NKJV

Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.

There was dirt in Eden. Water can sustain life without dirt, but dirt cannot sustain life without water. A river was used to water the garden of Eden. The water had to be added to the dirt to sustain life.

Spiritual parallel: We are made from dust. Jesus said:

John 6:63 NKJV

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing….”

We cannot be life-givers without the water of the Word and the Spirit. We must always be aware of our need to partner with God and never go out to minister to others dependent on our flesh – our credentials, skills, experience, etc. It behooves us to say like the songwriter, “I need thee, Oh I need thee…”

Water Part 1

I hope you enjoyed the series on Oil. We are now doing a study from scripture on water. I pray it will help and strengthen you spiritually.

Genesis 1:20a NKJV

Then God said, "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures..........."

When waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, they are living waters, or life-giving waters, or waters that are equipped to sustain life. The water of the Word is equipped to give and sustain life. Jesus said:

John 6:63 NKJV

“……The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

The water of the Spirit gives and sustains life.

John 6:63 NKJV

“It is the Spirit who gives life……”

Jesus refers to the believer’s infilling with the Holy Spirit as “rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-39) Let us avail ourselves to living waters by filling ourselves with God's Word and stirring up the gift of the Holy Spirit within us.

Oil Part 26

James 5:14-15 NKJV

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

When the elders ministered to the sick in the church, they were instructed to apply oil in the name of Jesus. The process was to be as follows:

1.       The sick members would request ministry from the elders.

2.       The elders would pray the prayer of faith over them while anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.

3.       The prayer of faith administered as described would result in the sick being saved (from their sickness) and raised up by the Lord. (They would also be forgiven if sin was involved.)

The oil would primarily represent the anointing of the Holy Spirit in this case. This lets us know that we are to expect the ministry of the Holy Spirit to be active in our healing. This is consistent with what Paul taught.

1 Corinthians 12:4, 7,9,11 NKJV

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 

[7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 

[9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 

[11] But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Although this passage is dealing with the gifts of the Spirit as a whole, it reveals that the Holy Spirit is involved in the ministry of healing. Jesus told His disciples that they would be His witnesses after being endued with power as a result of the Holy Spirit coming on them. Their demonstrating the works of Jesus, including healing in His name, was a part of them being His witnesses to show Jesus was alive and well. It was made possible by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. So, the oil used by the elders was symbolic of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Oil Part 25

Mark 14:3-9 NKJV

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

A woman ministered to Jesus with expensive oil. Foolish disciples complained that it was a waste. Jesus said the woman had done a good work for Him and would be remembered always for what she did.

Spiritual parallel: Jesus provided us with the oil of the Holy Spirit and the anointing. It was very costly. He had to suffer tremendously and give up His life for our redemption, and for us to enjoy the ministry of the Holy Spirit. How will we see what He has done? Will it be a waste for us, or will we treasure it and show our gratitude? How can we show our gratitude to someone who gave us an expensive gift? First, we receive it with gratitude. Then we use it and maintain it properly. We treasure what we have received and do our best to make sure the gift was not given in vain.

Oil Part 24

Mark 6:13 NKJV

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

The disciples of Christ were dispatched to minister on His behalf. They used oil as they brought healing to the sick. Since oil is a representative of the Holy Spirit and the anointing, we know that the Holy Spirit and the anointing are involved with healing.

1 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV: "to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,"

So as we fellowship and commune with the Holy Spirit, we should be conscious of who and what we have in our presence.

Oil Part 23

Matthew 25:3-4 NKJV

Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

Jesus told a story to illustrate the importance of having more than just enough to get by. The story describes women with oil in their lamps. Five had extra oil in a vessel and five had oil only in their lamps. When an alert came and the women had to move quickly, those with extra were prepared, while the others ran out and had to go purchase more. While the foolish women went to the store, they ran out of time and missed the important event they were waiting for.

Spiritual parallel: We can't afford to live our lives with just enough to function spiritually. We must endeavor to get more than the minimum daily requirement, because we do not know when we will be unable to get supplies. We may need the anointing and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit at a time when we have not been able to do what we normally do to stir up the gift within us. If we practice getting an overflow in the good times, we can be sustained through the dry times. Instead of drinking just until we feel good, we need to become intoxicated as often as we can so we can get extra oil. Oil in the lamp represents what we need to survive. Oil in the vessel represents extra to carry us over if we run low before we can refill. If we have to use the reserve for our lamps, it's time to fill the vessels again and replenish our reserves.