27/05/2017

 2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV

 ‘So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’

I was intrigued to find out that ‘Jesus Met A Woman At the Well’ is the title of an old gospel song, (1) which relates the story of Jesus met with a Samaritan woman, which occurred in the Gospel of John at 4:4-26. And how this story has mirrored ‘Addicted To Love.?

If we would write a play on this most famous Bible story and the cast of the leading roles are Jesus and the Samaritan woman. And the setting is the Jacob’s well; the scene is that Jesus alone with the woman having dialogue, while HIS disciple went to town to get food.

The long and deep-rooted dislike between the Samaritans and the Jews was the scene that’s ‘unseen.’ The screen started rolling as Jesus, being the son of man, traveled from Judea to Galilee, interlaced with what says in John 4:4 NIV that ‘now HE had to go through Samaria.’ Therefore, Jesus made a detour and went to the ‘well’ and asked for water.

The nameless Samaritan woman also went to the well. She was not only an ethnicity out cast in the eyes of the Jews, but also was a social out cast to her own people. What’s ‘unseen’ is that she was divorced 5-time; had a bumpy love life and was with her 6^th man at the time.

No matter it was by chances, or by choices, or due to all of her former husbands dealt treacherously against her, she indeed was divorced 5-time. And after gone through 5-marriage, she still had faith to be with her 6^th man, then her addictive personality to love was evident.

It says in Malachi 2:16a, ‘“I hate divorce!” says the LORD, the God of Israel.”’(1) Also having God’s curse for women, in mind that says in the book of Genesis @3:16b, it has always been a trying deed and feeling shameful a cruelty especially for the divorced women.

Gen 3:16 b

“ In pain, you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you,”- New American Standard 1977

Why Jesus wanted to be alone, at the well to meet with this scandalous divorcee? The scripture tells us that Jesus did what the One who sent HIM to do (2) that’s to do what God wills him to do.  But as the son of man, didn’t HE have concern for HIS reputation or temptation? Was that drawing water what is all about?

As the dialogue between them had evolved, evidently, it’s all about the water. And it’s to compare and contrast between the natural water that quenches the physical human thirst, and the Living Water that is for the thirsting soul.

Being all-knowing, Jesus knew all about this nameless woman but didn’t reproof her current state of life. Jesus didn’t hold a double standard, as the Son of God to the woman. HE has always been a God of compassion, HE knew that the woman needed a savior.

Exodus 34:5b-6 NIV

……”And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,”

Being all-powerful, as the giver of the Living Water, Jesus reached out to her and taught her the Divine things on high. HE further emphasizes that the Living Water is the Spirit, which would spring from within, and would no more feel thirsty again. The woman immediately said that “give it to me.”

Immediately, with a new spirit, she becomes an Evangelist to spared the good news to her people. No past sins could hinder her of acceptance of the Lord of God, Jesus. Today, the old Jacob’s well is still in the city of Nablus, in the West Bank, hypothetically the play would be a low-cost production, but it actually cost our dear Lord of God everything to send His one and only Son to come down to die for us.

And don’t we all, as women need that drop of living water to live a curse-free life? With no condemnations, and then scripture comes to me as below:

Isaiah 12:3 NIV

With Joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation

 

 1.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SYxW8uCVkU

2.John 4:34 – “my food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work”

Stay Tuned

 

 

 

 

 

15/07/2017

In the midst of expounding on the late Amy Winehouse, I found what Paul Lester wrote in his contribution to theGuardian with the title of “Whitney and Amy: worlds-apart artists who wound up in the same place.’ (1)

I was a puzzled why Paul used the phrase of ‘wound up’ as the title of his article, but I have appreciated how Paul Lester insightfully compare and contrast Amy and Whitney in line of their personalities, up brings and their talents in music.

Unlike Whitney, Amy didn’t have the ‘mainstream showbiz linkage,’ but Amy wrote her own songs and lyrics to tell her stories. So Amy’s popularity was a true validation of her as the gifted Singer/Song writer.

Whereas Whitney was a Christian, with deep trace of gospel in her voice. As for Amy who had a Jewish up bring. With their ‘world-apart differences, they were both sadly wound up ‘stumbling wrecks dependent on ‘bad boys and drugs.

 15-02-2012 edit

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

 ‘To everything there is a season; A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plants, and a time to pluck what is planted;

I have never been a real fan of either artist. It was few months earlier that Amy died. And now Whitney was found dead, drowning in the hotel room. Immediately, Whitney’s candid dialogue with Oprah Winfrey(2 )in the exclusive interview (2009) came to my recollection.

My heart went to her for her emotional afflictions that she had to go through, as a public figure. I was puzzled, at first, as she helplessly devoted to her husband. And it made a lot of sense when she said that she was addicted to her love for him, and he was like drug to her.

But her testimony of ‘‘come through moment’ at the interview was up lifting and edifying. She openly professed that it was the Spirit of God that had sustained her through out, and she had humbly claimed nothing on her own efforts and strength for it.

I was then, facilitating a Monday night women’s Bible study at the church. So I shared what I heard from the interview with ladies in the class, and invited them to pray for her, only whenever they felt led to pray, and we were all in agreement that Whitney Houston needed prayer supports.

Then she died, and few days later, I watched the Anderson Cooper Live, on CNN, with few Medical Doctors on the panel; the discussion was centered on the terms of ‘Drug Death’ or ‘Pill death’ that quoted by the MDs to reveal the horrific drug abuse situation in Hollywood.

It revealed that most of the entertainers would rely on prescription drugs to ease up their pressure in their line of works or to handle their instant success that led to. It all started off with addiction, then it led to death on drug over doses.

The panel cited all the drug-related deaths such as Michael Jackson (June, 2009), Amy Winehouse (July 2011), Whitney Houston (February 2012) and definitely Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe were also mentioned.

As my daily scriptures reading from Philippians 4:10-20, I learned that even Apostle Paul had to learn to be contented by asking his dear Lord to give him the ‘spiritual muscle to endure lean times and to avoid the pitfalls of abundance’ – OurDailyBread 15/02/2012 

As the media would keen to focus on what Whitney died of? I wished to know, definitely on why she died pre-maturely? She was gifted with a unique voice in singing, she was good to look at from all angles, and she always professed her love for Jesus.

Is it because her spiritual muscle was not strong enough to save her at the end? It brought warmth to my heart to know that a private funeral service was schedule to hold in her home church where she used to sing for God, there, when she was only 11.

I am sure that it would be a God glorifying funeral service, and a good sent off for Whitney. I was led to pray with the following scripture, as God would minister to her family, especially her daughter and her fans, all over the world.

Evidently, in Whitney’s case, for whatever our dear Lord of God, Jesus, gave and HE was taken it back. We shall rejoice that Whitney has finally found her rest and her true Love that’s in the bosom of her Daddy God, and Whitney could sing her heart all out to Jesus that ‘I Would Always Love You!(3)

Romans 8:38-39

(38) For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 p.s.

Bobbie Kristina Brown, Whitney Houston’s daughter tragically died at 22, on July 26, 2015, was she also wound up in the same place like what her mother was at?

 Stay Tuned

 Kay

 

1. (Paul Lester for the Guardian – Last modified on Tuesday 14 February 2017 25 GMT)

2.  Oprah.com/whitney houston interview

3.  https://en.wikipedia.org/…/Grammy_Award_for_Record_of.