Sharing

In 1991 I learned I had cancer all through me. It was quite a jolt and it made me take stock of my life. I had been a Christian for many years and thought I was as committed to the Lord as anybody else, probably more so. But with a sudden, or early demise staring me in the face, I saw things differently. I'd been retired about ten years and was having a ball (or blast?). I traveled everywhere, even to China; played golf, volley ball and tennis; took up oil painting, sculpture and ceramics; and played the piano for jug bands, sing alongs and nursing homes. At the same time, I was trying to keep up with Bible reading and prayer. But now, many verses seemed to have my name on them. I'll never forget Philippians 1:21, "To me to live is Christ." I hung my head in shame. To me to live was fun. It didn't even come close to the Christ life. With final exams coming up really fast, I decided to quit everything and start seeking the Lord. For the first tune in my life, I felt the nearness and the reality of God. The Word and prayer became my daily routine. I began writing thoughts on Bible topics. First I threw them into a drawer. Then I began sharing them with friends. Some wrote back, saying they received much help from them. One said, "Your article was just what I needed," Some sent their insights on a topic, which were helpful to me. It struck me that sharing insights should be my next article, so this is it. I'm sure many people have insights they could share, but with no opportunity to do so, the insight dies in a drawer somewhere. Jesus said that after experiencing salvation, we would become wells of water. (John 4:14) That's just a little sharing, something you have to pump up, like a well. But later, He said we would become rivers of living water. (John 7:38) That's quite an increase. That would be like sharing all the time, giving out tracts and talking about the Lord at every opportunity. What made the change? Verse 39 explains about the river: "This spoke He of the Holy Spirit, which they that believe on Him (Jesus) should receive." The actual fulfillment of this prophecy happened in the early days of the church. (See Acts 2 and following.) Of course, it was supposed to continue, but for some reason, the wells and the rivers dried up. Sharing is not the "in" thing today. Testimony time used to be part of every service. Today it's long gone, but what's to keep people from writing? So, if you have an insight the Lord has given you, don't throw it into a drawer. Ask the Lord to show you how and where to share it. Your insight could be just what someone needs. Jesus said giving a cup of water to someone would be rewarded. (Matthew 10:42) Isaiah 35:6 says we should be streams in the desert. We have the object lesson of the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The first is surrounded by life. The second is surrounded by a desert. Our world today is certainly a desert and needs living water desperately. For those who aren't sure what an insight is, here's two the Lord just gave me. In Revelation 5, John is given a vision of heaven. Verse 6 says, "In the midst of the throne - stood a Lamb as it had been slain." 14:1 says, "A Lamb stood on Mt. Zion." Very briefly, the Lamb on the throne is telling us that to rule and reign with Christ as He promised, we need to have a lamb nature. The Lamb on Mt. Zion tells us that to be an overcomer, (Mt. Zion is a type of the overcomer), we need to have a lamb nature. These two insights call for an article or two. Needless to say, they are super important. Believe me, a lamb nature is not easy to come by. In conclusion, make the words of Jesus come true. Begin with a well and draw out some spiritual water. If you continue, it will become a river. You will be glad you did.