The Young Lions Roared upon Him...the Wayfarer 6/19/14

The Young Lions Roared upon Him
 6/19/14

“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.

Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he spoiled?

The young Lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.”

(Jeremiah 2:12)

Although I am not a “Bible Cracker”, (someone who opens the bible and preaches from whatever scripture happens to have fallen between the thumbs and fingers as the book is opened), I find myself drawn to the scripture quoted above that presented itself to me as I finished my reading for the day and laid it open on the stand from which I read as I work daily.

That last verse quoted caught my eye, accidentally, and the reading began again, as I could not help but find a context for it in the bits of clamor on the news that feeds my addiction, long held, and recently curtailed in the extent of feeding that addiction with the additional need to focus on things closer to home since my marriage.

The talking heads had caught my peripheral attention, (like peripheral vision), and were discussing the current state of affairs that seemingly weaken our stature in a world that is looking for leadership.

That leadership is not currently in power, and any perceived weakness is not in the people being led, but in the leadership that that people has chosen.

“Preacher, here you go again, getting into politics that have no bearing on what you are supposed to be preaching.”

Yep! Here I go again! And once again the politics have great bearing on what I preach, because of the effect it has on those I choose to call the reachable and teachable. That effect and its cause cannot be ignored, my head cannot be buried in the sand as I simply stand by and wait to see how much deeper into the abyss we fall because of that politics.

I hear many ask what one can do to change things, we have no power.

GOD HAS POWER!

If we are the tools that we are intended to be then we are an extension of that power, a power far greater than any other that exists!

The cause of our consternation, our feelings of helplessness derive, solely, from the fact that we have indeed committed two evils! The living fountain of waters that we have been given from which to drink, and chosen instead to build broken cisterns.

“Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus upon the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou being a Jew, askest of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

(John 4:6-10)

That living water is still not being requested by those most in need of its ability to quench a thirst that is not quenched by the broken cisterns built by men!

Reliance on the politicians to do the right thing, to wield the right amount of power, to sagely protect the people they claim to serve can only be another of the broken cisterns when those politicians have not themselves turned to the living waters instead of their own broken cisterns.

As faith is denigrated, as Christianity is attacked, and “tolerance, and equality” are continually touted while promoting the teachings of Islam and the lack of teachings of atheism, as the morality of the scripture is deserted in  favor of votes garnered, whole nations fall victim to the broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

The woman there at the well in Samaria accepted Christ for who he was after having been told about her past, but continued to contend in her mind with the differences between Samaritans and Jews.

The answer to finding that living water is easily found within the answer given her by Christ:

“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

(John 4:21-24)

The hour has come for Christians the world over to recognize the living water, and what has been given.

The hour to worship in spirit and in Truth has come.

The hour to cease placement of faith in the empty broken cisterns of all the teachings of men has come, and for the desperate thirst of God’s people to be quenched is here.

The time to be who we claim to be, do what is required of us and to turn to that living water is now.

The young lions are indeed roaring the world over, they are yelling, and the lands are being laid waste because of the empty cisterns that have been entrusted for too long.

The time to acknowledge Christ, and His teachings, His forgiveness, His commandment, His great commission is NOW!

The time for those with eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts able to comprehend is NOW!

“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”
(Revelation 15:4)

The vials of wrath spoken of in this chapter of Revelation IS  coming, the events leading up to that outpouring are currently and constantly in progress toward that day.

That day is yet to come, for which I am most thankful, but it is coming for all.

As we progress toward that day, we progress also toward the day when each must stand before the throne and give account. That account will include the choice of either the living water given through Christ Jesus, or the choice to have continued to place faith in those broken cisterns.

I chose that living water long ago, and drink from it daily, my thirst is more than adequately quenched, and I would that all others make that same choice.

I remain that same simple sinner saved by grace through my faith in that Living Water, none less than Christ Jesus, yet and still a simple soldier continually working toward discipleship, proclaiming the choice available, the reward available, the promise given for any willing to worship in Spirit and in Truth. 

I will continue to acknowledge that there is only one Way, one Truth, that provides Life, and acknowledge the necessity to adhere to that TRUTH by following the Way shown to that Life through the teachings of no mere man, but of God given us through His Son, through the very gift of that Son and through the simple message of redemption through repentance given by Him.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Amen and Amen, even so come quickly Lord Jesus!

the Wayfarer