Author: Hal Hollister Ministry

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink’ you would have asked Him and He would have given you Living Water.” John 4:10

Most believers have a remedial response to the teachings of Jesus. They hear but don’t have a clue what Jesus is really saying!

Look at the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

Jesus was thirsty after walking for many hours and asked the Samaritan woman at the well for a drink of water.

The woman replied “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan and we have nothing to do with each other. How can you ask me for a drink?”

This is typical of how you and I respond to God. Jesus speaks to us and we respond with either a lack of understanding or unbelief. And like the Samaritan woman, we create roadblocks to accepting the reality of the words of Jesus.

We try to interpret Jesus from a human perspective when He speaks to us from a heavenly point of view.

Jesus answered the woman, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Jesus is telling the woman she is overlooking the simplistic solution of overcoming thirst with a drink of water from the well. He is directing her to the Son of God who possesses the spiritual remedy to never thirst again.

This woman is still in the dark and replies to Jesus, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

This woman is still trying to deal with Jesus from an earthly point of view. She responds you can’t draw water without a bucket and the well is deep. And, she is questioning the authority of Jesus compared to Jacob who came from the lineage of Abraham and established the well.

Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again but who ever drinks the water I give them will never thirst because the water I give them will become in them a fountain of water springing up to everlasting life.”

Jesus is reasserting His authority and points the woman to the Living Water which is the life of Christ.

We tend to ask for superficial things when God wants to give us the deeper gifts that come from heaven.

Finally, the woman begins to grasp what is really important in this dialogue with Jesus. She responds to Jesus with formality. “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

The woman now understands Jesus is speaking from a godly point of view and she asks for the Living Water.

The point of this narrative is to listen to God but don’t try to interpret His words with the wisdom of man. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to compare spiritual things with spiritual.

The apostle Peter when asked by Jesus “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” declared “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus responded, “Blessed are you for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood but by My Father in heaven.”

 

 

“When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3

The foundations of the world are your security. You live and breathe and find protection in the world.

Christ Jesus has started to destroy the foundations and bring turmoil and adversity upon all nations. There is no place to escape from the wrath of God.

Christ is holy and rules over the world. His eyes see all and He examines the righteous and the evil.

Christ is a righteous God and He loves justice. He is demonstrating His justice with the judgments sweeping over the earth. They will be like a scorching fire and will create uncertainty, distress, and destruction.

This is happening because the world does not fear or respect Christ Jesus. We have made a mockery of His name. And, religion has attempted to manipulate His truths into works and laws.

Christ has power and dominion over the heavens and the earth. This can not be taken lightly. In the past, you have been able to live for self or try to placate God through religion with little or no repercussions. This leniency will no longer work for you.

The authority of God has been an intellectual concept. Now it is reality and no one can escape the scrutiny of Christ.

You cannot prevent the judgments of God but you can repent from your actions and open yourself up to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

No one can hide from God any longer! Come to the Living Christ with repentance and an open heart to know His ways.

 

 

 

 

“Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Matthew 13:11-12

Today, the secret of Christ is the unleashing of His judgments upon the world. He will no longer standstill and see His name defamed and His guiding principles corrupted.

The knowledge of Christ comes to those who are willing to die for Him. They are the remnant of Christ who seek Him out for their every need and desire to please Him.

If you are devoted to Christ and willing to deny yourself and live for Him, Jesus will reveal who He is to you.

What you now possess of Christ will be multiplied greatly and you will have an abundance. Those who take Christ lightly will have what they possess taken away from them.

God punishes those who don’t respect Him and live for self. They fall into captivity and lose their freedom.

God is mysterious and speaks in parables because most Christians don’t really want to know Him. They want His blessings but not His sufferings.

Elijah could not find God in the wind, the earthquake or the fire. God manifested these cataclysmic events but He was not present in them. God creates all things through His still small voice. This is where all His work begins.

If you want to know Christ you have to be in touch with His voice. This is what creates all of the substance in your life. Whether it is about good things or bad things your life is reflected through the still small voice of God. You can find the voice of Christ walking by faith and demonstrating your loyalty to God in all your actions.

Faith does not take shortcuts or seek a reprieve through the ways of the world.

Faith is finding your survival through Christ even when all you see is doom and failure!

 

“Because I live, you also will live” John 14:9

Most believers live miles apart from God. They enter into a relationship with God defined by rules or works. Or, they approach God with a lackluster attitude!

You can never know God through your intellect or a methodical approach. God designed you to live with Him by faith in a close and personal relationship. He is a very approachable God!

The disciple of Christ learns spiritual truth by the application of God’s principles into the reality of his life. In other words, he walks the talk!

Authenticity comes when you make a decision to live for God without any restrictions. Until then, you are just going through the motions.

Faith is trusting God for your every need. Whether you need money, physical healing, wisdom, or help in a relationship you seek out God.

Faith is living moment by moment with God in both the big and little decisions of life. You develop a mindset to inquire of Christ about all things. You learn acting impulsively will always lead to problems.

When life is exciting things with God seem to be great. However, when life is boring and mundane the vitality of God fades away. It is in the boring moments of life where God will teach you about Himself.

As you begin to trust God your perspective on life changes. You think and act differently. What was impossible before now becomes reachable. If Christ can create and hold the stars in place think what He can do for you.

God has given you the mind of Christ. He desires to have conversations with you. Develop the discipline of listening for the voice of God! This will create a fullness and intimacy in your friendship with Christ.

The purposes of Christ are perfect. He desires to give you an abundant life filled with His presence!

 

“For in Him we live and move and have our being” Acts 17:28

The deception of Christianity is accepting a mistaken identity of your role as a believer. This is a belief you find your identity in working for God not in knowing God.

If you are a believer your identity should be in the person of the Living Christ. It cannot be in a church, a pastor, or religious works.

The beginning of salvation is a commitment to know the Living Christ and to live for Him. Nothing else matters!

You know Christ by faith not by your works or religious practices. Faith is living in the promises of God and navigating through life yielding to the Holy Spirit. Jesus is your breath of life!

Believers are more comfortable working for God than hearing His voice.

Hearing the voice of God is earth shattering. It causes you to approach God with honesty and reveals your hidden motives.

Your value to God is to allow Him to live through you. This will changes lives.

Religion fails God because because its premise is built on your ability to serve God.

Religion wants to hide the importance of the Holy Spirit because He exposes and discredits the motives of the institution.

Religion has to exert control to be successful. Jesus sets people free! He tells you to go and sin no more.

 

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11

Jesus frames His words in this reference in the Bible with a statement that you and I are evil. In spite of this condition, we know how give good gifts to our children.

The comparison is to the giving of Christ who is holy and without sin and promises to give much more to those who ask of Him.

Jesus urges you to ask, seek, and knock on His door for your needs. There is a sense of perseverance in these words. Furthermore, Jesus responds that everyone who asks will receive and he who knocks the door will be opened.

This is open ended promise from Jesus. However, when asking from God you have to be willing to accept the correction of the Holy Spirit. And, your motives have to be pure.

The giving of gifts in the world is tainted with sin but God’s gifts come with His unconditional love.

The gifts of Jesus are not given to you because you are righteous. They come to you by unyielding faith and your perseverance in seeking Him out.

Jesus wants you to knock on His door! He is elated when you choose to seek Him out for your every need and reject the ways of the world.

 

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

The measure of your faith is your confidence in Christ. This cannot be determined by your intellect, emotions or religious actions. It has to be demonstrated during the adversities of life.

God will not prevent the waves of turmoil from coming upon you but He will protect and deliver you from your troubles.

The confidence of Christ is to welcome adversity because He has overcome the world. You express confidence in Christ through unyielding faith and living in His peace in the middle of a storm. You reject fear and doubt and meditate on the promises of God.

There is no panic, fear, or the need to take drastic measures because you are grounded in Christ.

The challenge is how can you have this confidence at work in your life. The most important thing is do not evaluate God on what you see with your eyes or give any power to the circumstances in your life. Live by faith trusting the words of Christ!

You can own the confidence of the Cross when you meet the Living Christ. Until this happens you will vacillate between faith and doubt.

Christ is a God of greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty. You have to experience this character of God. Then you will have steadfast confidence in the person of Christ and doubt will fade away.

You can meet the Living Christ today! Come to Him with an open heart and a desire to do His will. Your life will never be the same!

 

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” Hebrews 4:9

The Bible is filled with wisdom about resting in God. This seems so contradictory to the world you and I live in. We wake up each day with a list of many things to do and we have to deal with the devastating effects of a global epidemic and a plunging stock market.

What is important to understand is resting in God is not about idleness, procrastination, or taking a lackluster attitude about life. It is a call to action.

Resting in God is a decision to cease from your own works and enter into the rest of Christ. You do this by expressing your faith in Christ in your everyday decisions and believing in His promises.

God created the heavens and the earth in six days and rested on the seventh day. You are literally resting in the work of the creation accomplished by our amazing God. You are believing God can do for you what you can never do for yourself!

The rest of God is recognizing your human frailties and the greatness of God. You choose to draw upon the life of Christ to meet your every need. Jesus died to give you the Holy Spirit which is your source of strength, wisdom, joy, and protection.

The disciple of Christ does not try to deal with the challenges of life through self sufficiency or the ways of the world. He rests in God and appropriates this truth into His life; “It is not by might nor by power but by My Spirit.”

The great miracles of God recorded in the Bible happened to people just like you and me who stood still and saw the salvation of the Lord.

Resting in God is a decision to diligently live for Christ and to inquire of the Lord for wisdom and strength to meet your every need.

He lives so you can live!

 

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Mathew 4:1

Satan has infiltrated the world with His evil intentions. You can find His influence in the media, government, and social values. He is everywhere wreaking havoc!

The goal of Satan is to destroy the influence of Jesus in this world and draw you away from God. He is at work today to find a weakness in your armor and lure you away from God.

Jesus is the perfect role model for dealing with Satan.

After Jesus was baptized He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Jesus did not eat anything for forty days and was hungry after fasting. Satan approached Jesus to attempt to draw Him away from His Father.

The first tactic of Satan is to appeal to your immediate needs and offer a shortcut to satisfy your desires. In this situation, Satan challenged the authority of Jesus and he told Jesus that if He was the Son of God turn the stones into bread. Jesus responded “Man shall not eat by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Satan knew Jesus was the Son of God and was urging Him to prove His authority to overcome His hunger. He was trying to get Jesus to weaken in His relationship with His Father and make a decision from self.

Jesus was living in oneness with His Father through the Holy Spirit and knew that every good and perfect gift comes from heaven. Satan disguises His temptations in the form of an appealing gift but they will only lead to misery and destruction.

The second tactic of Satan was to take Jesus to Jerusalem standing on the top of the temple of God. Satan told Jesus to jump to the ground and the angels would protect Him. Jesus responded “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” The lesson in this temptation is you cannot make decisions on your own and expect God to support you. If you place self will over God you will always fail. You have to be one with God and His Spirit has to go before you!

The final tactic of Satan was a lure to power and wealth. Satan took Jesus to the top of a mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. Satan told Jesus He could have all this if He would bow down and worship Him. Jesus said “Away from me Satan! Worship the Lord you God, and serve Him only.”

The world offers you choices to obtain wealth and success. They may seem attractive at the time but will only lead you into troubles and misery unless you are yoked with Christ.

There is a way that seems right but its end is destruction. This is why you need the wisdom of Christ.

Remember, the laws of God are alive in your heart and you will not stumble if you are yoked to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus will never lead you astray. His ways are perfect!

 

 

 

Someone with an incredulous attitude is unwilling to believe or accept something without reservations. For example, they are skeptical or misunderstand the promises of Christ.

 Jesus proclaimed “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to God except through Me.”

Jesus is the way to eternal life, He speaks the truth, and He is the pathway to an abundant life. The Living Christ is the only pathway to God!

The challenge is choosing to accept this truth sight unseen. And, to understand how to follow Christ.

You accept Christ by faith without any preconditions. This happens to those who open up their heart and invite Jesus to live in them.

This is the beginning of a walk with Christ. It is an exhilarating moment and the beginning of the work of the Cross in your life.

The precept of God is to die to self and live for Christ. You cannot avoid becoming a living sacrifice to God or attempt to compromise the Cross with worldly values. It is all or nothing if you want to live with Christ.

The promise of Christ is to seek Him above all else and He will bless the desires of your heart. The misnomer in Christianity is understanding what it means to seek Christ. It is a commitment to live by faith with Christ and seek His will for your life. Knowing Christ is the ultimate goal for a believer.

Christ is not a commitment to religion or works. He detests religion because it prevents you from knowing His ways. Religion wants to be your God and exert control over your life. Jesus wants to set you free.

Christ died so you can live an abundant life filled with His strength, joy, and wisdom. The amazing thing about Christ is He literally wants to share His life with you.