Category Archives: Cups of cold water!

Are You Pumping Your Iron??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #122

16 Wednesday Aug 2023

Posted by in Cups of cold water!, Drinking at Jesus' fountain, Encouragement, Intercessors, Iron Sharpening Iron, Iron Sharpens Iron, Service, Sharing Our Faith!, Sharing the blessings, Sharing What God Has Given, Sweet Words or Bitter Words?, Teach The Children, The Call of God!

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Are You Pumping Your Iron??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #122

“Iron sharpeneth iron;

so a man sharpeneth

the countenance of his friend.”  Proverbs 27:17

This is one of my favorite verses of encouragement and I am so grateful for the privilege of receiving the “sharpening” from those around me, as well as being a tool in The Master’s hand to sharpen others.  Oh, I can’t take time to share with you all of the times that I have been down and received a call, a note, or a text from some friend that just lifted my heart–sometimes it just the sure and certain knowledge that there are those who pray for me continually–what a blessing.

How’s your sharpening going.  Are you yielding to God’s voice and sharing The Word, The Savior, and The love of God to those around you?  I’ve had a couple of really difficult weeks, and I sent out some ‘prayer texts’ to some as I felt led the other day (Always listen to The Master’s voice! You don’t know who is in need outside of your knowledge.) and yesterday, I received the most uplifting reply (and I don’t send them out looking for replies, for many don’t reply and they know that’s ok–it’s sent to help them not stir up activity for me!) and it more than “made my day”!  It was the right word at the right time and met my need!  And this precious friend is one who tries to stand in the background, but her heart for Jesus and others shines so brightly to those who take the time to see!  We need to be light to others!

So, just a few of my favorite scriptures to encourage your heart today.  May you be encouraged and spread the joy!

“A friend loveth at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity…

….22 A merry heart doeth good

like a medicine:

but a broken spirit

drieth the bones.”  Proverbs 17:17 & 22

Share your “iron” today!

“A man that hath friends

must shew himself friendly:

and there is a friend

that sticketh closer than a brother.”  Proverbs 18:24

And in closing, the words of our Lord which resonate with joy in my heart–HE calls me friend.  Oh, how I want to honor my friend and bring help, joy, and encouragement to those HE has placed in my circle of care!  How about you?  Will YOU sharpen some iron today?

“Henceforth I call you not servants;

for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:

but I have called you friends;

for all things that I have heard of my Father

I have made known unto you.”  John 15:15

Have a great day sharpening–not crushing!

Amen and Amen!!!

What’cha Doing With Your Cup??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 19 No. 16

19 Monday Sep 2022

Posted by in Abiding In Jesus, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Cups of cold water!, Follow Jesus, Following Jesus, For Such A Time As This

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 19 No. 16   What’cha Doing With Your Cup???

Just a reminder this morning that God knows where you are and where I am, with all of our circumstances, pains, weakness, sorrow, or confusion, and HE speaks to us; will we but hear and heed what HE has to say!  We are called to follow HIM and leave the results and/or credit to JESUS!

“He that receiveth you

receiveth me,

and he that receiveth me

receiveth him that sent me.

41 He that receiveth a prophet

in the name of a prophet

shall receive a prophet’s reward;

and he that receiveth a righteous man

in the name of a righteous man

shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

42 And whosoever shall give to drink

unto one of these little ones

a cup of cold water

only in the name of a disciple,

verily I say unto you,

 he shall in no wise lose his reward.”  Matthew 10:40-42

One of the things that Jesus is telling us here is that none of us minister alone, and sometimes we’re called to be the “water boy” to assist the “prophet” on their way!  So, according to Jesus, if we are the “prophet” or the “water boy”, we each have our reward for service to HIM!  If we take up our cross and follow Jesus, the work and the rewards are according to HIS call and our willingness to serve, regardless of the task!

What are we doing for Jesus?  What has HE called you to be and do?  For the “being” must precede the doing, for if I have not yet become a child of God by being born again, the “doing” is our own, and not HIS work.  And as we have looked at recently, Jesus makes it clear in John 15, that we must abide in “the vine” to produce worthwhile fruit.

“I am the true vine,

and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me

that beareth not fruit

he taketh away:

and every branch

that beareth fruit,

he purgeth it,

that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean

through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me,

and I in you.

As the branch

cannot bear fruit of itself,

except it abide in the vine;

no more can ye,

except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine,

ye are the branches:

He that abideth in me,

and I in him,

the same bringeth forth much fruit:

for without me

ye can do nothing.”  John 15:1-5

What is your source; that upon which you depend for life, hope, strength, and direction?  If it’s not Jesus, then our work is of no real value.  Paul describes it in the most concise and picturesque way, let’s peruse its truth.

“According to the grace of God

which is given unto me,

as a wise masterbuilder,

I have laid the foundation,

and another buildeth thereon.

But let every man take heed

how he buildeth thereupon.

11 For other foundation

can no man lay

than that is laid,

which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation

gold,

silver,

precious stones,

wood,

hay,

stubble;

13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest:

for the day shall declare it,

because it shall be revealed

by fire;

and the fire shall try every man’s work

of what sort it is.

14 If any man’s work abide

which he hath built thereupon,

he shall receive a reward.

15 If any man’s work

shall be burned,

he shall suffer loss:

but he himself shall be saved;

yet so as by fire.

16 Know ye not

that ye are the temple of God,

and that the Spirit of God

dwelleth in you?”  1 Corinthians 3:10-16

Just as Jesus told His disciples, and us, in John 15, “for without me ye can do nothing”!  Do we really understand what this means?  Jesus makes it clear that He has called us to “do HIS work” not our own.  We can build with the wood, hay, and stubble, but when put to the fire test, it will burn for it is only that which is of “this world”, in contrast to the mined treasures that God created in the belly of the earth, and they must be mined by our earnest labor in the “field” of God; pursuing the things of God not the things that impress men!  The harvest is God’s, and we must labor in HIS Spirit, and HIS power not our own.

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages,

teaching in their synagogues,

and preaching the gospel of the kingdom,

and healing every sickness and every disease

among the people.

36 But when he saw the multitudes,

he was moved with compassion on them,

because they fainted,

and were scattered abroad,

as sheep having no shepherd.

37 Then saith he unto his disciples,

The harvest truly is plenteous,

but the labourers are few;

38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest,

 that he will send forth labourers

into his harvest.”  Matthew 9:35-38

I find it curious that in this conversation with His disciples, Jesus didn’t say “GO”, but HE said “PRAY” that God, “the Lord of the harvest” would “send forth labourers into his harvest”!  The harvest is God’s, and we are to pray that HE will send forth at HIS will, direction, calling and equipping!  And my friend, if you decide that YOU want to go “harvest”, you better be sure that it is God’s call and not your own—for HE IS LORD of the harvest, the work, the calling, and the sending; and if you are moved to do a work, you better be praying that God will send forth the right workers for the right job.  And that may or may not be YOU.

GOD may be calling you to support the work of those who are sent.  We aren’t to run ahead of God but take the cup of water that HE puts in our hand and supply whatever need Jesus places in front of us—with or without the recognition of the world.  God doesn’t call the equipped—he equips the called!

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren,

I would not have you ignorant.

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles,

carried away unto these dumb idols,

even as ye were led.

3 Wherefore I give you to understand,

that no man speaking by the Spirit of God

calleth Jesus accursed:

and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord,

but by the Holy Ghost.

4 Now there are diversities of gifts,

but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations,

but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations,

but it is the same God

which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit

is given to every man

to profit withal.

8 For to one is given

by the Spirit the word of wisdom;

to another

the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith

by the same Spirit;

to another the gifts of healing

by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles;

to another prophecy;

to another discerning of spirits;

to another divers kinds of tongues;

to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh

that one and the selfsame Spirit,

dividing to every man severally as he will.

12 For as the body is one,

and hath many members,

and all the members of that one body,

being many,

are one body:

so also is Christ.”  1 Corinthians 12:1-12

While this is a lengthy passage, the main thing I wanted us to see is that the gifts are given by the “Holy Spirit” at His will—HIS choosing—the choice of God The Holy Spirit to accomplish HIS work within and through the body of Christ, the church; one body doing a corporate, yet individual, work of their LORD JESUS!  It’s not about ‘me’ or ‘you’—it’s about JESUS, our Lord!  What are we doing with the ‘cup of water’ that Jesus has given each of us.  Are we so busy doing our thing, that we have missed the “call of God” upon our life?  May we do as God told the nation of Israel in the book of Haggai, when they had returned to Jerusalem, “consider your ways”.  Maybe we’ll look at that little book soon.

May God speak to our hearts today and open our eyes to see HIS call.  May we truly “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers“! May we use our cup wisely and obediently for God’s glory not our own!

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord?

or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him,

and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him,

and through him,

and to him,

are all things: to whom be glory

 for ever. Amen.”  Romans 11:34-36

Amen and Amen!!!

What’s Your Water Source??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #676

14 Friday Aug 2020

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, All About Jesus!, Amazing Grace, Cups of cold water!, Have You Heard?, Salvation

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #676     What’s Your Water Source???

 

As many of you know, we live in Oklahoma; it’s summer, and it’s HOT, really hot, triple digit hot!  A cool drink of water is welcome to quench the thirst and keep a body hydrated in extreme heat, yet there is a heat beyond imagination for those who refuse to drink of Jesus’ offer of “living water”!  The woman of Samaria—an outcast, a woman of ill-repute, a loner, a woman despised by ‘decent’ women—simply came to get her water for the day (remember she had no “faucet” to turn on!) but she came at noon!  Most of the women would draw water early in the morning or in the late evening, the cooler parts of the day; yet this woman, the outcast, came at noon and who did she find but Jesus—a Jew!  And Jesus added amazement to her day by simply asking for a drink of water; but then HE led her to see that HE could give her “living water”! (It would be good to take some time today and read the entire chapter for yourself.)

“There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water:

Jesus saith unto her,

Give me to drink…

…9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him,

How is it that thou, being a Jew,

askest drink of me,

which am a woman of Samaria?

for the Jews have no dealings

with the Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said unto her,

If thou knewest the gift of God,

and who it is that saith to thee,

Give me to drink;

 thou wouldest have asked of him,

and he would have given thee

 living water.

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob,

 which gave us the well,

and drank thereof himself,

and his children,

and his cattle?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her,

Whosoever drinketh of this water

shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water

that I shall give him

shall never thirst;

but the water that I shall give him

shall be in him a well of water

springing up

into everlasting life.

15 The woman saith unto him,

Sir, give me this water,

that I thirst not,

neither come hither to draw.”   Portions of John 4:7-15

Later, at a feast in Jerusalem, Jesus called men, women, boys and girls to Himself, the very source of God’s “living water”—water that can quench the thirst of your soul and mine!!!  I’m so grateful that Jesus came to me, not in person like the Samaritan woman, but in just as desperate a condition, and Jesus revealed my black heart, so that I could see what HE saw, then HE called me to repent and trust HIM to save me, rather than my own self-generated, good works done to impress others and convince them that I was a ‘good’ person.  Oh, praise HIS name, Jesus knew about me, and He knows about you!  Won’t you take of His water? You’ll find His grace and peace unequaled; I came to Him over 40 years ago, and HE has never failed me—ever!  Especially in this last few months of dealing with the grief over the loss of my only daughter, HE has carried me, comforted me, dried my tears, and reminded me over and over again to come to HIS cross for more of HIS life-sustaining water!  Oh, what a wonderful Savior!  Pour it on Lord, pour it on?

“In the last day, that great day of the feast,

Jesus stood and cried, saying,

If any man thirst,

 let him come unto me,

and drink.

38 He that believeth on me,

as the scripture hath said,

out of his belly shall flow

rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit,

which they that believe on him

should receive:

for the Holy Ghost was not yet given;

because that Jesus was not yet

glorified.)”. John 7:37-39

Jesus came to be the substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for my sin and yours; He not only can and will save you, but He will fill your soul with peace, joy and rest!  His water has never run dry when I come to Him in the sweltering heat of life, even knowing the many times that I fail Him—HE never fails me!  His water is an ever-flowing artesian well of life, restoration, and refreshing to my soul!  I invite you to take of HIS water and forsake that muddy puddle that you’ve been drinking from.  Jeremiah recorded God’s judgment concerning the choice of “drinking water”!

“Hath a nation changed their gods,

which are yet no gods?

 but my people have changed their glory

for that which doth not profit.

12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this,

and be horribly afraid,

be ye very desolate,

saith the LORD.

13 For my people have committed two evils;

they have forsaken me

the fountain of living waters,

and hewed them out cisterns,

broken cisterns,

that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:11-13

There is a time coming for those who will choose to follow Jesus in repentance and faith, when we will lay down our burdens, rest in His presence, drink of those fountains eternally without restraint, and have our tears wiped away!  Oh, glorious day!  Hallelujah!  May we be found faithful when HE calls, and I can’t believe it’s long till that trumpet sounds!  Are you ready!

“They shall hunger no more,

neither thirst any more;

neither shall the sun light on them,

nor any heat.

17 For the Lamb

which is in the midst of the throne

shall feed them,

 and shall lead them

unto living fountains of waters:

and God shall wipe away all tears

from their eyes.”  Revelation 7:16-17

May you have a blessed day and be filled with Jesus’ “water of life” today!!!

Amen and Amen!

Cups Of Water For The Little Ones!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #584

04 Wednesday Sep 2019

Posted by in Blessed by God, Children, Cups of cold water!

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #584   Cups Of Water For The Little Ones!!!

 

“Except the LORD build the house,

they labour in vain that build it:

except the LORD keep the city,

the watchman waketh but in vain.

2 It is vain for you

to rise up early,

to sit up late,

to eat the bread of sorrows:

for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

3 Lo, children

are an heritage of the LORD:

and the fruit of the womb

is his reward.

4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man;

so are children of the youth.

5 Happy is the man

that hath his quiver full of them:

they shall not be ashamed,

but they shall speak with the enemies

in the gate.”   Psalm 127:1-5

I just want to share a word today about the joy and delight of children!  We live in a culture of death—kill the babies but save the trees, or the whales, or the puppies, just not the babies—where life is without value and oft-times children (born and unborn) have little or no worth to our world.  Yet children are our hope—the hope that God grants perpetually!

Scripture is replete with stories of the dangers that lie in wait for children; Moses and the male babies were in danger of Pharaoh’s sword; King Joash was hidden by his sister from the wicked Athaliah who sought to kill him; even our precious Lord was delivered from the sword of Herod! There have always been those who take no delight in children for various reasons; and it seems that in our culture we regularly sacrifice our children (both the born and the unborn) to the gods of convenience, selfishness, success, eternal youth, and a host of other self-consuming evils.  God reminds us that children are our heritage—how sad that our ‘heritage’ is in such danger in these wicked days.  I don’t mean to be negative, but we all need to be reminded that GOD gives us children as a reminder of His love, His creative power, His design for the home, and His love for us!

We had the privilege of taking one of our young friends on a day of adventure yesterday, and it is such a delight to be around the young—they are so fresh, so open to see new things and learn from us, yet we are so often unaware of opportunities lost to affect the next generation—if we don’t affect them for God, there are other people and things out there seeking to destroy them!  We must take the time, the energy and the love to touch these precious gifts from God. Send a card, hug a child, give a small gift of love, share a story of your life with one of God’s “little people”!  After all God’s greatest gift to us was a “child”—the one born to save us, to love us, to grow us into HIS own image, and HE LOVES children!

“For God so loved the world,

that he gave

his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world

to condemn the world;

but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him

is not condemned:

but he that believeth not

is condemned already,

because he hath not believed

in the name of the

only begotten Son of God.”    John 3:16-18

Children are important to God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit, even the holy angels of heaven!  Here are just a few excerpts of things Jesus said about these “Little Ones”!  May we make the effort to touch and affect these precious “little ones” for Jesus?

“And whosoever shall give to drink

unto one of these little ones

a cup of cold water …”. Matthew 10:42a

“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones

which believe in me,

it were better for him

that a millstone were hanged about his neck,

and that he were drowned

in the depth of the sea…

…10 Take heed that ye despise not

one of these little ones;

for I say unto you, That in heaven

their angels do always behold

the face of my Father which is in heaven.

11 For the Son of man is come

to save that which was lost…

…14 Even so it is not the will

of your Father which is in heaven,

that one of these little ones

should perish.”    Portions of Matthew 18:6-14

Watch out today for that little one whom God may send your way!  Make a difference in the life of a child (regardless of their age!)!  Let’s make a difference in our circle of influence—for we each have a different circle—God gave you yours, just as He has given me mine. Enjoy God, bless others, walk faithfully before our Lord today—spreading a simple “cup of cold water” of HIS love today—it’s all we have!!!  Amen and Amen!!!