Thaw out!

John 7:37-38 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. He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

The United States is currently experiencing a polar vortex—a surge of frigid air from the Arctic circle that blankets the country, bringing massive winter storms in its wake. As of now, over 350,000 people are without power. This sudden and unexpected cold snap brought to mind a story I’d like to share.

Between the United States and Canada sits Niagara Falls.  An estimated 500,000 tons of water go over the falls every minute. On March 29, 1948, the falls suddenly stopped. Those who lived near enough heard the overwhelming silence, and immediately they thought it was a sign – the end of the world had come!

However, after thirty hours had passed – the flow of water resumed.

What happened? Heavy winds had set the ice fields of Lake Erie in motion and tons of ice had jammed the Niagara River entrance near Buffalo. The ice blocked the flow of water until finally, there was a shift in the blockage and the river began flowing again.

The river had stopped flowing because of ice.

Yeshua (Jesus) warned his followers in the last days that the love of many would wax cold! Let’s heed His warning!  If we really want the flow of God’s love, peace, joy, and anointing in our lives – we cannot allow our hearts to become like ice.

As cold as the world is … may it never freeze us over!  Let’s allow the Lord to do a new work in us so that RIVERS of living water would flow through us that we may become a beacon of truth, hope, and love to this world that so desperately needs it!

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The king of the birds was looking in the mirror one day and was disappointed to see that his feathers were not as bright as they were once. "I am getting old," he said, "I think it will soon be time to choose a new king". He decided to announce that on a certain day, all the birds will gather and present themselves before him so that he would be able choose from among them the most beautiful of all to be their next king. The crow got wind of the king's plans and began to fret. "There are so many beautiful birds in the kingdom and I am only a colorless crow. I don't have a chance at becoming king." Suddenly, he had a terrific idea. He began to search through the woods and fields for colorful feathers fallen from the wings of his companions, and stuck them in amongst his own.

Recently, my wife and I have been 'stumbling' along while we are 're-deployed' to the United States for a season.  This is the first time in our lives where we truly don't know where we are going or where we are heading.  We have our long-term plans ironed out, but for the time being our lives are on hold due to the Covid pandemic, as well as some other factors. 

If you’ve never visited Niagara Falls, you’re in for a truly amazing experience! Years ago, during my first visit, I was awestruck by its enormity. It’s mind-blowing to think that every second about one-hundred and fifty thousand tons of water plunges down. The sheer marvel of Niagara Falls attracts nearly 12 million tourists each year.

Are you righteous? If you are truly a believer in the Lord, then you received His gift of righteousness! Righteousness is a gift we receive when we come to saving faith. Righteousness is not something we earn, but rather it’s a gift to be received from our Messiah! According to this passage, you have received the gift of righteousness through Him. Not because we have kept the “law” or lived a holy life . It can’t be bought with money, or earned through self-effort, or by doing “religious” works. It’s a gift!

Once there was a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject. When the big day arrived, a large gathering took place in the palace courtyard and our finalists were brought forward.

Civilization continues to erode as the world is being prepared for its greatest deception, the appearance of the false messiah — the Antichrist. The word literally means “one against Christ” and also, one “in place of Christ.” Yeshua (Jesus) predicted and warned his disciples and all believers of this dangerous development in the last days.

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. What I’ve often noticed, however, is that we focus on receiving the desires of our heart. But if we look closely at this passage we have to realize that delighting ourselves in the Lord comes first, centering in Him, delighting in Him as the source and the fulfillment of our desires, and then, also, receiving from Him after your life is centered on Him.