09/08/08

Hey everyone,

First of all I would like to say thank you for all the prayer and FOOD that you guys have responded with. The prayers have been felt, and the food has been eaten and appreciated. I don’t know what people do that does not have a church family in times like this. Beverly continues down the slow road of recover, please keep praying as this is going to be a long process.

In John 7:38 Jesus said. . .

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

I love the river. Not too long ago I was able to go up to a cabin in North Georgia and stay the night by myself. The cabin sets right on the side of the river. I mean you can walk out on the back porch and there you are looking at the water. The bedroom I slept in was on the back of the house, and I slept with the windows open and all night long I could hear the river flow.

I also like to play on the rivers of America . I love fishing, rafting and just skipping rocks in them with my kids sometimes. Rivers are one of the most amazing things in that they are beautiful, dangerous, captivating and mysterious all at the same time.

Now when Jesus said in the above Scripture that if we believe in Him streams of water will flow through us, it makes me think about the rivers I have loved all my life, and I want us to think about a few things today.

I.                           The river is going nowhere without the source. I have trout fished the Chattahoochee before in North Georgia just above Helen, and one time me and a buddy of mine hiked all the way to where it came out of the side of the mountain. And I remember asking him, “What if this ever stopped flowing? What if the source quit? We would have no river.” In other words if the source just stopped flowing, the river would dry up. Now it is obvious where I am going with this, but stop and think for just a minute wherever you are; if your Source of life (God) stopped right now where would you be? Kinda scary isn’t it. . . I mean if God decided to “let go” all of the sudden you would just cease to be!  So when Jesus talks about streams of living water flowing from us let us first be thankful for the Source!

II.                          Whenever a river hits an obstacle it waits for the source to become such a force behind it that it either goes through or around the obstacle. For instance there is a place in Tennessee on the Ocoee River where the river has ran over a large boulder for so long that it has literally carved a trench through the top of the boulder. The river has ran and ran over this one spot for so long that it has over come a piece of solid granite! In your life and mine we are going to hit obstacles there is no way around it, Jesus said it! But here is the key to overcoming them, wait on the Source of our power and strength and He will overcome any obstacle in your life and mine. Either He will power through it or direct you around it, but one thing is for sure He will overcome it. There is nothing that can stand in your way with God as your source.

III.                        Finally wherever the river flows you will find life. I love to deer hunt it is just one of the things that I grew up doing and has continued to be a part of my life. And when I go to a piece of property to hunt that I have never been on before the first thing that I do is look for a running water source. Because no living thing can exist without water for ever, it makes sense to me that if I want to find deer I am going to have to find something that they have to have to live and be there, and they cannot live without water. Not only that, vegetation grows around water sources because, as I said, nothing lives without water. So it is with you and me, everywhere we flow through life we should be bringing life and not death. Ask yourself today, are you building people up or tearing people down? Do people see you as a source of life, or a source of death? If I were to ask the people you love the most if you brought them heath and vitality what would they say? Today is a day to look deep inside of yourself and ask if you are bringing life or death to the people and places that you touch.

Each one of us has something flowing from our lives. It may be hate, un-forgiveness, love, peace, patience ect. . . but Jesus says that if we believe in Him streams of living water will flow from us. What if flowing out of you?

I love you all. Have a great week!

Pastor Jason Lyle 
The Open Range Church of Henry County 
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.