A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                            A HANDFUL OF MUD PART I

"We, Jesus' disciples, were out and about... As we were walking we saw a blind man... That is not such an unusual situation....So we did not give it much attention...But it seemed Jesus took notice of him.... We did not know why that was so....After all, there was not much we could do for him.... We could perhaps give him a little money.... No doubt, he was sitting there hoping for people to give him a coin or two....But then we stopped.... So it seemed Jesus wanted to give him some of His time... Since Jesus stopped just where the man was sitting, we stopped as well.... Jesus then looked at us... Perhaps He wanted us to ask Him a question or two about this man."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that Jesus and His twelve disciples stopped when they noticed a blind man....

                ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                           A HANDFUL OF MUD PART I

Jesus and His disciples are out and about and while they are walking they see a man who has been blind all his life as you can read in John 9:1

As He (Jesus) went along He saw a man blind from birth.

When Jesus saw this man He could have ignored him but He does not do so. Instead, He stops and pays attention to him.....

 

                            A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                      IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XVIII

"I, a Samaritan woman, am living in Sychar in Samaria..... I have had such an amazing day today... It all started out as any other day.... I had gone to the well to draw water... I had gone there at my usual time.... I had gone there at 12 midday.... It was very hot at that time... I did not expect to see anyone else there.... However, there was a Jewish Man... He began to talk with me... That is very unusual... But He did not stop talking with me... Instead, He continued His conversation with me.... I then dared to mention to Him a subject that is very dear to me... I began to talk to Him about the Messiah... He then revealed to me something I never expected anyone to say to me.... He revealed to me that He is the Messiah... The Messiah was standing in front of me!!... I was so overjoyed to hear that news that I ran to back to the town.... I spoke to the people gathered in the town centre.... And they listened.... And they believed me.... I hope that my story will  be an encouragement for many other people in the future.... They too may well think they are not very important.... They too may well feel that other people look down on them.... Just as other people in my town looked down on me... But Jesus did not look down on me... Instead, He was willing to share with me that He is the Messiah.... No doubt, He knew I would then go to my town to tell others about Him.... Likewise, I believe that Jesus wants to use  many people in the future to share with others about His love for them... The same love that they have experienced no matter what they may have done wrong in their lives.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that Jesus wants to use you too just as He used the Samaritan woman for His purposes....

             ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                             IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XVIII

Jesus wants to use you too. You are not too old or too young or too insignificant for God to play a role in His Kingdom. The question is: Are you willing to be used by Him? He will help you. He will equip you for the task that He has for you. All you need to do is to be willing, just like this woman was. The moment she received the revelation that Jesus was her Messiah, she went to her town to share that Good News with all the people of the town, regardless of the way they had treated her in the past. The past was the past, a new day had begun. So it was for her, and so it will be for you. Whatever you have experienced in the past, leave it there in the past, and move into your future with Jesus, as the Apostle Paul explains in Philippians 3:13-14

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the price for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Just like the Apostle Paul, trust the Lord to award you with a price when it is the time for you to meet Him.

P.S. In my next post I will begin a new story called "A Handful Of Mud."

  

                             A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                           IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XVII

"I, a Samaritan woman, am living in Sychar in Samaria.... I had gone to the well at midday... While there I met a Jewish Man.... He began a conversation with me...I found out that He is not just a Jewish Man.... He is the Messiah.... I was overjoyed when I learned that great news about Him.... I knew too that I could not keep that amazing news to myself.... I just had to share that news with the people of my town... So I ran back to the town centre.... When I arrived there people looked at me... They have not been kind to me.... They have been ignoring me.... No doubt, that is because of my life style... Nevertheless, they were still my people.... They too have been waiting for the Messiah... Just as I have been waiting for the Messiah.... And I have met Him... I wanted them to meet the Messiah as well.... So I told them of my encounter with Him...  And they have come to believe in Him because of my testimony... They have now come with me to meet Him.... Jesus has confirmed to them that He is indeed the Saviour of the world... And He has promised to stay two more days with us....What a day this has turned out to be.... It started out as any other day.... But today I have found salvation.... And today many  of the people in my town have become believers in the Lord Jesus as well...My life has changed and so has the life of many others.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn what happened to the Samaritan people when they followed the Samaritan woman back to the well....

               ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                        IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XVII

The people of Sychar, the town in which the Samaritan woman lived, went to meet Jesus as you can read in John 4:39-42

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them and He stayed two days. And because of His words many more became believers. They said to the woman, "We no longer believe, just because of what you said; we now have heard for ourselves, and we know that this Man really is the Saviour of the world."

Jesus chose a sinful woman to save her whole town. Is that not wonderful? He looked beyond her sinful lifestyle and saw a heart that longed to get to know Him. He knew that once she had been set free to serve Him, she would serve Him with all her heart and all her strength for His glory.

 

                            A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                       IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XVI 

  "I, a Samaritan woman, am living in Sychar in Samaria... I had gone to the well at midday.... There I met with a Jewish Man... I was so surprised to see Him at that time of the day.... He started a conversation with me.... That should have never taken place.... For Jews no not communicate with Samaritans.... And most certainly not with Samaritan women!!... But this Man kept talking with me.. Our conversation changed my life!!.... For He ended up telling me that He, the Man standing in front of me, is the Messiah.... I have been waiting for the Messiah all my life.... And there He was.... Right in front of me.... I then knew what I had to do.... I had to go back to the town centre.... I did not care about my water jar.... I had more important things to take care of.... I had to tell everyone in the town that I had met the Messiah.... And so I did.... And everyone listened to me... And believed me!!.... From that moment on I was no longer a despised woman!!.... Please read the typed out attachment when we will learn that the Samaritan woman realised she had a mission to fulfill....

                     ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                                IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XVI

The Samaritan woman, overwhelmed by her encounter with Jesus, completely forgets why she has come to the well, as you can read in John 4:28-29

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come and see a Man, who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ? They came out of the town and made their way towards Him."

The Samaritan woman having received so much more than what she originally went to the well for, cannot keep to herself what she has just received: eternal life. So she runs back to the town to share with others the Good News that she has met the Messiah, the One they have all been waiting for. This woman, who up until that time had been rejected by all the people of the town, now becomes an evangelist for Jesus, and those who have not been willing to be seen in her company, listen in awe to her story of redemption, believing it for themselves.

                            A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                      IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XV

 "We, Jesus' twelve disciples, went with Him to Sychar in Samaria this morning.... We were all surprised that He wanted to go there.... For we, Jews, always avoid going to Samaria.... But we did not say anything to Jesus at that time.... We arrived at the well just outside Sychar around midday... It was time for lunch.... So Jesus asked us to go to the town centre to buy food for all of us.... When we returned we saw Him talking with a Samaritan woman.... We were all shocked that He would do so... He must know that no Jewish man will ever talk to a woman... Much less to a Samaritan woman... And here Jesus was breaking all the rules.... Who was this woman anyway?.... We had many questions we wanted to ask Him.... But we did not... We all kept quiet."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn how Jesus' disciples responded when they found Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman.....

            ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                         IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XV

As the conversation with the woman is coming to an end, His twelve disciples re-join Him. They have been food shopping in town and have now returned with lunch, as you can read in John 4:27

Just then His disciples returned and were surprised to find Him talking with a woman. But no-one asked, "What do You want?" or "Why are You talking with her?"

As proper Jewish men, the disciples are obviously very surprised to see Jesus talking with a woman, and a Samaritan woman at that. They may well have wanted to say to Jesus, "Please Jesus, what about Your reputation? Don't You know that You are not supposed to talk with her? Do You realise the damage it will do to Your reputation? Perhaps, if You don't care about Your reputation, will You not consider our reputatation, for our reputation will be damaged as well if word goes out that You have been talking to this woman." But they say none of these things. Perhaps they are learning that Jesus' standards are somewhat different than everyone else's, including their own.

                           A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                              IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XIV 

"I, a Samaritan woman, am living in Sychar in Samaria..... I was at the place where you usually find me at midday.... I was at our well... I go there every day at that time of the day.... Usually I am there all by myself.... But I was so surprised to see a Jewish Man there when I arrived... I did not say anything.... But He spoke to me... He asked me for some water....I was surprised that He did so...  But I decided that He must have been very thirsty.... That could have been the only reason for Him to have broken the rules all Jewish people as well as all Samaritan people know about.... I "forgot" about the rules as well.... For I ended up talking with Him about worship....He had some amazing things to say... Things I had never heard before... Such as that one day it will no longer be important where we worship but how we worship.... That gave me courage to talk to Him about the Messiah.... And His reply filled my heart with unspeakable joy!!... He shared with me that He is the Messiah!!.. I have met the Messiah!!... Me, this Samaritan woman, this nobody from Sychar...I have met the Messiah!!.... Can this be true?... It must be true..... I know one thing, this Man cannot lie to me.... I know too that I cannot keep this amazing truth to myself... I must tell others that I have met the Messiah."....Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that Jesus reveals to this Samaritan woman that He is the long awaited Messiah....

                 ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                            IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XIV

Jesus answers the Samaritan woman beyond her expectations, as you can read in John 4:26

Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am He."

Here you have the reason for Jesus going to Samaria. It is not to meet an important political or religious leader. No, it is to meet a sinful Samaritan woman, a women with a past, a woman rejected by her community, a woman who has to draw water at the well at midday to avoid being with the other women of the town. Such is the love of Christ for this woman that He is willing to go through Samaria, which no Jew ever did, was willing to suffer heat, thirst and hunger in order that this woman might get to know Him, her Messiah. Moreover, He has a plan and a purpose for her beyond her getting to know her Messiah.

                        

                               A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                          IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XIII

"I, a Samaritan woman, am living in Sychar in Samaria.... As usual I had gone to the well to draw water.... That is part of my daily routine.... But it is not part of my daily routine to meet anyone.... It is certainly not part of my daily routine to meet a Jewish man at the well... But I did....More than that, I began a conversation with Him.... I should really say that He began a conversation with me.... I would have never started a conversation with Him since Jews and Samaritans never talk with each other... Moreover, I am a Samaritan woman and men, be they either Jewish or Samaritan, never talk to a woman in public.... But this Man began a conversation with me... And that conversation led to me to begin speaking to Him about worship.... However, that was not all for I then dared to talk to Him about the Messiah."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that the Samaritan woman brought up the subject of the Messiah...

                     ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                                IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XIII

Jesus' words to the Samaritan woman encourage her to speak about the coming Messiah as the One who will help her understand everything, as you can read in John 4:25

The woman said, "I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When He comes He will explain everything to us."

The Samaritan woman has great confidence that the coming Messiah will help bring clarity.

                              A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                        IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XII

I, a Samaritan woman, am living in Sychar in Samaria....  I am still at the well of my town.... Normally I would go there and go home as quickly as possible.... For I always go there in the middle of the day..... It is very hot at that time of the day.... But I try to go there when no one else is around.... However, today there was a Jewish Man.... He began a conversation with me.... We started off talking about water.... But we are now talking about worship.... He has just told me that there will come a day when we will no longer worship in a physical place.... How can that be?... Jews have worshipped in Jerusalem for many, many years.... How can He say that one day it will no longer be important for them to worship in Jerusalem?... It seems that what will matter most is the condition of our hearts."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that God is looking for people whose hearts are right with Him....

 

                ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                             IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY PART XII

Jesus then explains to the Samaritan woman that true worship is related to the condition of a person's heart and mind before God as we know from John 4:23-24

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and His worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth."

The woman learns from Jesus that it is not important where we worship but how we worship.