Preaching Daily - September 16
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- 2016 Sep 16
Today's Word for Pastors...
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
Today's Preaching Insight...
Back to the Water Source
What about your life, pastor? Do you have supernatural power in your life and ministry? What is your power source? Are you weary and worn-out — can people hear the dipper banging against the bottom of your bucket? Or are you vibrant and victorious?
We have before us one of the most remarkable and challenging statements in the whole of the New Testament. Jesus said,"If anyone thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). These words were spoken by Jesus to people who were spiritually dry, empty and defeated. They are like many people of our day, going through religious ritual and ceremony but finding no real meaning, life and victory.
The apostle John includes the commentary on the words of Jesus. Verse 39 tells us that Jesus' statement about "rivers of living water" is a reference to the Holy Spirit.
When it comes to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to go to extremes. However, despite our fear of one extreme, we must not go to the other extreme and be devoid of the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Herein lies the power for life and ministry. The Holy Spirit is our power source.
(To read the entire article, "Rivers of Living Water" by Roger D. Willmore at Preaching.com, click here).
Today's Extra...
Words
It happened in the 1840s in Uruguay. The Uruguayan Navy was desperate. They were fending off the navy of an aggressive force from Argentina. They ran out of conventional ammunition and thought their cause was lost. Someone came up with a creative idea. They would use old cheese as ammunition. So they raided the kitchen and loaded their cannons with old, hard Edam cheese and used it as cannonballs. Incidentally, they won the battle.
Is it possible for us to take good things and turn them into weapons? Words for instance can be used to edify; or, if hard, they can be used to destroy.
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