Let me show you what I mean.  The first supernatural healing is found in Luke 4:31-37.  Donald Stamps, the editor of the Full Life Study Bible—now referred to as the Fire Bible—suggests, “…Jesus’ first act after announcing His Messiahship was to enter into direct conflict with the demonic.  Jesus’ foremost concern in His ministry was to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).  There can be no real realization of the Kingdom of God without confronting the kingdom of Satan.”   Luke tells us, “And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice.  Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth?  Art thou come to destroy us?  I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.  And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.  And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.”  (vss. 33-35)  Satan, and evil itself, will always try to get in the last word, as we see in this last ditch body slam.  But Jesus will never let that happen—God’s Word is both the first and the last.  No matter how things appear to be in the end, our God is in absolute control, allowing many things to glorify Him!

I think we were led of the Lord to focus on these things because of what He has given our church to deal with in this past year.  Last April, my 5 year old granddaughter, Lilie, was diagnosed with a child-hood cancer.  Following surgery and radiation, she has spent much of this year in chemotherapy.  She is doing quite well—thank Jesus—and we have all received a glimpse of what purpose God has in mind.  She doesn’t spend her time griping and complaining; she actually has her focus on reaching out and helping others.  A while back, Hyundai, the car people, came to Children’s Hospital to make a huge donation for research, and in the process, asked the children if they could slap some paint on their hands.  Lilie was asked to be the first—a red hand-print on a brand new car and a red hand-print on the research doctor’s brand new lab coat.  That event inspired Lilie’s red hand-print on the cover—symbolizing the hand of God and the blood of Jesus!  Little Lilie, now 6 ½ years old, has written one of these devotionals, so you will be reading of how Jesus has touched her.  Yes, a miracle—but more importantly, a miraculous God!                   

~Pastor Roy

Yes, A. C. Gilbert, later on in life, was a toy maker.  Turning his back on becoming a doctor, he loved to make toys, and watch the little faces light up!  In fact, back during WW 1, he became known as “the man who saved Christmas.”  How did that happen?  Well, in 1913, he invented the Erector Set, to which my own childhood, back in the 50’s and 60’s, owes him a debt of gratitude—I loved it!  And his toy company took off like a rocket!  He was known as a caring and compassionate employer, always watching out for the welfare and safety of his factory workers and their children.  In 1918, when the United States’ Council of National Defense considered a ban on toy production due to the needs of the war, and, at the same time, tried to recruit him to lead the publicity charge, he was quite dismayed.  Eventually, he did consent to have his toy factory retooled for the production of armaments.  But, when he saw that the plan was actually to do away that year with Christmas altogether, he revolted.  He mounted another campaign in Washington, D.C., to reverse the decision in order to bring joy back into the hearts of all Americans while in the midst of a devastating war.  There was indeed a time when Christmas almost wasn’t!

Today, as many let the focus be entirely on materialism and greed, the true meaning of Christmas is lost to more and more people and their families.  I would like to make very clear that Jesus needs to be the focus—after all, it really is a celebration of His birthday!  Actually, all through God’s dealing with His people—both in the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament—there was a danger of losing Christmas.  Every time God called someone unto Himself, if that person responded in disobedience, it jeopardized the coming of Jesus at Christmas.  An example?  Well, very briefly, if Joseph, the patriarch, hadn’t been obedient to the leading of God, the people of God would have died off in a huge world-wide famine and—obviously—Jesus never would have been born.  You will find some details on that in these upcoming pages.   Be watching for all of the ways that obedience to God brings Jesus into the heart.  Please don’t let this be another time when Christmas almost wasn’t!

~ Rev. Roy D. Warren, Jr.

    Really?  It continues—”Prepare to go on a dizzying journey around the world—from the streets of California to the mud huts of Africa; from the underground church in China to the Gypsies in Eastern Europe—you will be challenged and encouraged by the extraordinary things God is doing in our world today.  The Finger of God reveals a world you never knew existed.  A world where God’s fingerprints are found in the most unlikely places.”

     A couple of the reviews of the DVD express  some doubt, saying,”Interesting, but some of the strange stories are not Biblical, and don’t honor God.”  Most of the reviews, on the other hand, throw caution to the wind, and believe everything they see—”Real, true stories.”  Now, I do not doubt that some of the depictions could be true, but I also don’t doubt that some could very well be “signs and lying wonders,” ( 2 Thess. 2:9)  Think about it—manna in the Pentagon?  Could be the demonic signs we are warned about in these last days of apostasy, or just simply fabricated hoaxes!  The gospel-writer John warns us in his first letter, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (4:1)  Now, my intent with all of this is not to give a movie review, but to issue a  warning—in these days of lack of discernment, many will be duped.  Jesus said that the only sign we really need is the sign of Jonah—the death and resurrection of the Christ. (Luke 11:30)  The true and real Finger of God is much, much more than intriguing and strange signs.

Let’s begin our look at this through the eyes of King David.  He once wrote, inspired by the Holy Spirit, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalms 8:3-4)  Amazing—Hebrews 2 quotes these verses from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, and applies them directly to Jesus.  The Spirit has a very watchful eye on the Son of Man, caring for Him and His mission every step of the way.  And yet, as Jesus is before Pilate, the Roman Governor, He looks about as forsaken, helpless, and dejected as could possibly be.  When Jesus doesn’t say a word in self-defense, Pilate declares, “Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?” (Mt.27:13)  John’s gospel adds, “…knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?” (19:10)  It looks absolutely hopeless; where is the Finger of God in that!  But now Jesus answers—”Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above…” (vs.11)  This is the real Finger of God!

Secondly, beyond the power of God, the finger of God is seen in the Law of God.  And how did that come to be?  Well, Exodus 31:18 tells us, “And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with Him upon Mt. Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.”  This is not only true of the original Ten Commandments, but of the Bible, too.  While human hands actually penned the Scriptures, they were under the direct control of the Divine Finger.  The 40 or so writers responsible for the scrolls were inspired by the Spirit to set forth “the certainty of the words of truth.” (Prov. 22:21)  Peter declares that “…holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:21)  And the same was true at the Cross—”And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross.  And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (John 19:19)  When the religious leaders wanted him to change it to read that Jesus only said that He was the king, “Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.” (vs. 22)  Remember?  Jesus had said it—the only power that Pilate had was given to him by God!

Thirdly, we see the Finger of God in and through the Judgment of God.  We find two references here—first of all, when the magicians in Egypt could no longer mimic the plagues that God was sending just before the exodus, they confessed, “This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.” (Ex. 8:19)  Did you catch that?—as the Lord had said!  Praise God—this whole thing was in God’s hands, and all for a purpose—to show the glory of God!  The other reference to the divine fingers stretching out in judgment is found in the sacrilegious feast of Belshazzar in the Book of Daniel.  While the king and his cronies were desecrating the vessels that had been stolen from the temple, a large hand began to write on the wall—”the fingers of a man’s hand.” (5:5)  “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.” (5:25)  Essentially, it meant that the king and his corrupt kingdom had been numbered and tested by God’s holy order, and was found to be greatly wanting and defective.  In fact, that night…he died!  We see a similar thing when Jesus was on trial.  Actually, from God’s perspective, Pilate was on trial.  He became so frustrated, “…he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be upon us, and on our children.” (Mt.27:24,25)  Did you ever see such scrambling in the wake of sin and judgment, unless, of course, it was in you?  Our sin is a personal affront to God, and the judgment will be just as personal.  What a tragedy to ignore the handwriting on the wall, absolutely insisting on our own innocence and shifting the blame to another!

The fourth way this awesome Finger is seen and known is in the moving of the Spirit of God, for the Finger of God is the Spirit of God.  When Jesus was accused of having demonic powers, He clearly stated, “…if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you.” (Luke 11:20)  As everything was moving towards the Cross, did Satan actually think that he was winning?  As Jesus was nailed securely to that Cross, was Satan doing Christ in, OR was Christ doing Satan in?  We all know the answer to that question now, but did Satan know it then?  Jesus, out of divine love, was taking our personal judgment upon Himself, but did Satan know that?  As Jesus hung there, with both arms fully out-stretched in love, both thieves on the crosses next to Him had the Finger of God pointing right at them, even as they railed against Jesus.  Others followed suit—”…they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads…” (Mt. 27:39)  In the original Greek, it means they blasphemed Him.  Some yelled, “…If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (vs. 40)  Still others screamed—”He saved others; Himself He cannot save.  If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.  He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him, for He said, I am the Son of God.”(vss. 42,43)  Was Satan mocking God right to the very end, or was he possibly really trying to get Jesus down for fear of what the Cross would mean?  I don’t really know, but two things I do know—at least one thief got saved by the Finger of God, AND that was not Satan’s idea!

Lastly, the Finger of God played a vital role in the very death and resurrection of Jesus, greatly affecting you and me.  With hands still spread out to reach the world He loved, “…when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.” (Mt. 27:50)  He did not just “give up” in total exhaustion; He gave His life—on purpose!  And that dramatic gift was manifested everywhere—the veil in the temple that separated the people from their God, was ripped from top to bottom by the very Fingers of God.  The earth shook and the rocks were split in half.  And that’s not all—”…the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” (vss. 52,53)  You see, the dead were raised, but they didn’t show themselves until after Jesus did—He was first, then the saints!  In these days following Easter, let the resurrected life live in you.  Paul tells us that we are the epistle, or letter, of Christ…”written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.” (2 Cor.3:3)  Do we see the Finger of God and what He is writing on our hearts?  He is writing, you know!  Will we be living epistles, proving that the Holy Spirit is the Penman writing the story of our lives?

It turns out that the emperor himself could not see the fabric, but he pretended he did out of pride.  When the clothes we’re finished, the tailors “acted” like they were dressing the emperor, but in reality, he just stood there in his underwear.  A gallant procession was held, and he and his government officials all acted like they could see the new clothes; none of them let on that they couldn’t, for fear that they all would appear unfit for their positions or just plain stupid!  As the parade marched on, finally a young boy shouted out, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!”

Truth be known, the story was not just a children’s fairy tale.  While still at the printers, it is said that Andersen changed the original ending, which just involved the parade, by adding the part about the child blowing the whistle.  Most literary scholars agree that his reason was to satirize the hypocrisy of the society and show that even a child could see through the lies.  In fact, it is said that a similar thing took place when he was but a child.  While standing in a crowd with his mother, waiting to see King Frederick VI, he shouted, upon seeing him, “Oh, he’s nothing more than a human being!”  His mother tried to stifle him by crying, “Have you gone mad, child?”  But it was too late; the truth had already been blurted out—this world is full of hypocrisy and snobbery; full of claims to be something that it is not!    Our society claims to be just fine, and anybody who says differently is considered a crackpot.  The fact is, this society, as it spirals out of control, is proving it has no answers—absolutely clueless.  Headlines declare the chaos—murderous Somali pirates have massacred four Americans as they traveled the world by boat and delivered Bibles.  Civil unrest is erupting in country after country against their ruthless dictators.    Gasoline prices skyrocket as the fighting in Libya continues days without end.  Gigantic earthquakes and tsunamis have led to nuclear nightmares.  Quick fixes and band-aid approaches are all the world can muster; only God as the real answers that last!

The Bible predicted such lawlessness, self-focus, and cataclysmic events in the last of times.  People all over this world—and even in the Church—are insisting that they clothe themselves with their own desires and ways of thinking.  Praise God— throughout the Scriptures, we find the call to be clothed with God—His way!  For example, what was Adam and Eve’s answer to their clothing dilemma?  Genesis 3:7 tells us, that due to their sin, “…the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”  Fig leaves would  only be a quick fix—they would not last.  But God had a different solution—”Unto Adam also and unto his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (vs. 21)  Out of love and mercy, God killed some of His own creation and made clothes that would last—an awesome picture of His plan for salvation through the Cross and the blood of Jesus.

All of the way through the Scriptures, clothes and coverings point to the ultimate covering of the Holy Spirit.  When the priesthood was established, it was absolutely essential, and repeated often, that these special men of God were to wear, “fine twined linen,” (Exodus 28: 5,6,8, etc.)  It is also explicitly mentioned that there was to be no wool used, as wool would be too warm and cause the men to sweat.  And that sweat would be evidence of self-effort and work done in the flesh—not in the Spirit.  When young David desired to fight the Philistine giant Goliath, King Saul wanted him to be clothed in the king’s own battle armor.  1 Samuel 17:39 tells us, “…And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them.  And David put them off him.”  In other words, they wouldn’t work—they would show a dependence upon the machinery of war, and not on the Spirit of God.  Moments later, David said to the giant, “…Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” (vs. 45)  A child, clothed in the Holy Spirit, would tell it like it is!

One of the most powerful examples of this is found in the story of Elijah and Elisha.  As Elijah was about to be carried away in a fiery chariot, he asked his companion, Elisha, what would be his greatest desire?  Elisha said, “I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” (2 Kings 2:9b)  As the chariot took Elijah away into the heavens, his mantle—or cloak—fell upon Elisha, and he was indeed wrapped in a double portion.  Sir Robert Grant, in his hymn, “O Worship the King,” writes, “Established it fast, by a changeless decree.  And ’round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.”  We are told the Spirit came mightily upon Samson, Saul, and David, with only the latter taking it seriously, and the other two casting the mantle aside to their destruction.  Jesus Himself is actually the epitome of taking this clothing seriously.

At His birth, the shepherds were told, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12)  A naked, newborn baby, protected from the elements with strips of cloth, swathing His body and keeping Him warm and safe.  Yes, it would start with a baby—a young child would tell it like it is!  Later in His ministry, He was transfigured before three of His disciples—”…His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.” (Matthew 17:2b)  Moments later, God would declare His opinion—”This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” (vs. 5b)  But that was God’s opinion; man had another idea.  Throughout Jesus’ ministry, the religious leaders formed the intent of murder—kill Jesus before His truth exposed their lies.  With intense abuse and torture, “They stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe,” (Mt. 27:28) but ending the mockery by giving Him His old clothes.

Once at Calvary, “…they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.” (vs. 35; Psalm 22:18)  There he hung—totally nude; the Romans did not even allow for the “dignity” of a loin cloth to “swaddle” His body.   After Jesus’ cataclysmic death—in that very moment—no one at the foot of the Cross would see things as they really were, except a few soldiers.  Yes, “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.” (vs. 54)  Just before dusk, “…when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre…” (vss. 57-60)

Clean linen cloth!  Yes, an obvious reference to the priesthood I mentioned earlier—no sweat!   Being the great High Priest in the Book of Hebrews, Jesus would do absolutely nothing out of self-effort or pride.  It doesn’t matter how man sees it, fooling himself with his own ideas about what is really important in life.  What really matters is how God sees it all—His creation, His call, His majesty, His Son—”Hear ye Him!”  In the end, it will all go His way!  And that it did, and that it will—three days after the Cross, the angel of the Lord rolled back the hindrance to seeing things as they really are—the stone—and revealed that Jesus had been gloriously raised from the dead.  To prove it, the angel’s, “…countenance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow.” (28:3)  Now all the world could see the truth of it—no more could anyone live in a fairy tale world, doing their best to keep God out of it—not honestly, that is!  Many try, but it won’t cut it in the end—it is just plain stupid!  Lawlessness and self-focus will be vanquished in the end, and all who hold to such are unfit.  How will He be seen then?—”…clothed with a garment down to the foot…His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire;  And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they were burned in a furnace…and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” (Revelation 1:13-16)  Listen, my friends, it’s not a fairy tale—the Emperor really does have new clothes, and He wants to share them with you!

With a straight face, he handed the clerk the ticket, expecting him to say, “You have got to be kidding!”  With a face that was just as composed as George’s, the clerk said, “Just a minute,” and  went to the back room to look.  Two minutes later, the man called out, “Here they are!”  “No kidding?” George called back.  “WOW, that’s amazing!  Who would have ever thought they’d still be here after all this time?”  The clerk came back to the counter—empty handed—and calmly said, “They’ll be ready this Thursday.”

Boy, isn’t that the way it goes?  So many in this society make all kinds of claims, rushing this way and that to fill up their lives with what they think is important.  And in the process, everything is under a deadline—projects at work, rushed leisure time, “drive thrus” for everything, and promises made and forgotten.  All of life has become computerized, and when that all began decades ago, it was under the pretense of carving out more time for the things we really want to do—jobs done faster so that we have more time.  But what has it all become?  A mad race, filled to the brim with emails, voice mails, and ear buds for everything.  Haven’t you noticed it?  We are actually busier than ever, with no time for anything!   And when something happens to fall through the cracks—like shoes that need to be repaired—the promise is left broken, and we still have to wait.  Truth be known—we don’t even bother to repair shoes much anymore; we just buy more!  I wonder if this fast-paced modern life has effected our attitudes toward the spiritual, as well.  Actually, I don’t wonder  at all—I know  it has!  Will anyone take time for God?

Our church has been in a preaching series for over four years!  That’s right—four whole years!  We started out looking at the Biblical names for the Father, and then, we moved on to those concerning the Son.  Recently, the Lord has brought us through several names, titles, and spiritual pictures for the Holy Spirit.  We are now focusing on some that take their meaning from the things of the created nature that is all around us.  Today, I want to bring two such things together into focus.  Dr. G. Campbell Morgan once wrote, “The whole truth does not lie in, ‘It is written,’ but in, ‘It is written,’ and, ‘Again it is written.’  The second text must be placed over against the first to balance it and give it symmetry, just as the right wing must work with the left to balance the bird and enable it to fly.  Many of the doctrinal divisions among churches today are the result of a blind and stubborn insistence that truth has but one wing.  No, truth has two wings.”  Do you see what he is saying?  You can’t just rush around, extracting bits and pieces of Scripture to make your point.  We need to take the time to see the whole picture—to see it accurately!

You see, Dr. Morgan is not trying to suggest that the two wings are working against each other, trying to counter-balance each other in order to produce the truth.  No, God’s Word is not like that—both wings are totally true, but they must be seen in the same context—working together to tell the whole story.  For example, some like to just focus on God being loving, but, at the same time, ignoring His commandments and judgment against sin.  That is lopsided—His judging of sin now is the most loving thing He can do.  Look at Luke 10—a particular religious leader tried to trip Jesus up by asking, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (vs. 25b)  Jesus knew that it was not an honest question, so He turned it around on him—He asked him how he  sees the Scriptures.  The man answered…”Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” (vs.27)  And that was the kicker!  Neighbor!  “OK, Jesus, who then IS my neighbor?” hoping to justify himself—probably hoping his neighbor was only the one living right next door, and no one else.  He wouldn’t want this love thing to involve too  many people!

Then came Jesus’ illustration—”A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves…” (vs.30a)  Yes, literally down!  You see, Jerusalem is 2,600 feet above sea level, and Jericho is half that.  The road is crooked, narrow, and winding down through the rocky crags—the perfect place for robbers to hide.  The man was robbed, beaten, and left half dead.  Before long, a Jewish priest came by, but when he saw the wounded man, he passed by on the other side.  In the Greek, it means that he purposely turned out of his way—not to help the man, but to ignore him!  Shortly thereafter, a Levite—also a religious leader—came by, saw the man, and also passed by on the other side.  Scripture had made it clear—if either of these two men had come into contact with a dead body, they would be considered ceremonially unclean!  In this case, they would not be able to do their “jobs” for a season, and neither of them had time for that!  Busy, busy, busy!!!

But then came a Samaritan—Yes, a Samaritan!  They were scorned by the Jews because they were descended from Gentile ancestry, and because their kind of worship was different from that of orthodox Judaism, maintaining a priesthood of their own.  This man, however, had compassion on the bleeding man—deep, deep feelings for him.  He stopped what he was doing, and at great risk to himself, since the  attackers could still be in the area…”went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.” (vs.34)  He even promised to reimburse the innkeeper for the care the man would need over time.  Praise God—he poured in oil and wine!  Throughout the Scriptures, oil is a very powerful symbol for the Holy Spirit, accomplishing much in the Christian life.  First of all, oil was used for various anointings, including healing for the sick.  In James 5:14 the church is asked, “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”   Likewise, the Holy Spirit marks out those he intends to move upon.  Oil was also used for illumination.  Rene’ Pache spoke of it—”Holy oil alone continually lighted the temple, where God was worshiped and where the person and work of Christ were wholly symbolized.”  And, thereby, we are enabled to worship in Spirit and Truth.

Yet another feature of oil is that it was poured over the blood to cleanse lepers, and even the priests. (Lev. 8:30; 14:17)  Blood and oil!  Do not these two put together typify how we, as sinners, were saved and called to serve the living God?  We are delivered from our spiritual leprosy by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary, and then, as a priesthood of believers, we are sanctified by the oil—the power of the Holy Spirit.  Praise God—it is the blood that is symbolized by the Scriptures’ references to wine.  That’s right, wine!  Oil and wine—two wings for the same truth!  Before Jesus went to the Cross, He used the juice of the vine to represent His blood, but after the Cross—at Pentecost—when the Holy Spirit came down, the mockers attributed the disciples’ Spirit-led words and actions to their drunkenness—”These men are full of new wine.” (Acts 2:13)  How ridiculous!

This “new wine,” in the Greek, is “gluckos,” specifically referring to fresh, sweet grape juice.  Those that mocked the disciples couldn’t possibly have really thought they were drunk; they didn’t know what else to do, but be sarcastic.  The disciples’ spiritual exhilaration and joy just had to be mocked by those who were refusing to deny themselves and experience it with them.  This striking symbol of wine represents the refreshing, stimulating, gladdening influence of the Spirit in the life of the believer.  Paul tells us, “And be not drunk with (intoxicating) wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph.5:18)  The more deeply and repeatedly we drink of Him, the more we desire to be indwelt by Him.  In a sense, you are holding the claim ticket right now—this sheet of paper contains the truth of God’s Word.  Don’t procrastinate—go get your spiritual “shoes,” and I can assure you, the Lord will not tell you to come back later.  He wants your joy to be immediate and everlasting.  In our church, we often sing this song—”He poured in the oil and the wine, the kind that restoreth my soul.  He found me bleeding and dying on the Jericho Road, and He poured in the oil and the wine.”  Don’t be too busy for the oil and the  wine—the two wings of truth, without which, we won’t be able to fly at all!

The farmer’s wife was standing at the kitchen window when she spotted her 6 year old Billy, slowly making his way to the edge of the woods, and then run back to the house.  Several times she saw this odd behavior play out, so she decided to investigate.  Following him back to the woods, she noticed that he had his hands very carefully cupped, intensely focused on not spilling a drop of the precious water.  Thorns and branches slapped his face, but he didn’t even try to avoid them—on he went to his intended destination!

To his mother’s amazement, deer were standing around the clearing—including a huge buck—as the little boy knelt down so a tiny fawn could lap up the water.  It was severely dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion.  As the boy turned to go back to the house for more, his Mom hid behind a tree to let him fulfill his mission—his way!  Back at the house, he turned on the outdoor spigot all the way, but only an occasional drop would land in his tightly clasped hands—it took 20 minutes.  Just then, the boy turned towards the woods—and there was his Mom.  The week before, he had been lectured on not wasting water, so now, with eyes filled with tears, he said, “I’m not wasting it, Mom!”  As he made his slow and tedious way back to the fawn, his mother ran into the house for a full pitcher—and followed him.  Her heart almost burst with joy as she watched the most beautiful heart she had ever seen work so hard to save a life.  Tears rolled down her cheeks to the ground, when suddenly, they were joined with tears from heaven—yes, it started to rain!  It was as if God was weeping for joy, too.  She knew others would explain it all away—just a coincidence—but not her.  It was a miracle—the rain that came that day saved their farm, and the actions of one little boy saved a fawn.

With Valentine’s Day coming up this month, it is going to take a true heart—even a mother’s heart—to see the beauty in a heart that will sacrifice everything to save the life of another.  The Seasons of Lent and Easter are also coming up, and then we will see that Jesus was willing to do that very thing—sacrifice everything to save the life of another.  For right now, I would like us to see how the Holy Spirit is absolutely bent on accomplishing the same thing.  Believe it or not, we can see this in the simple analogy of water.  Herbert Lockyer once wrote, “Water is one of the most common of symbols used to describe, not only the varied ministry of the Holy Spirit, but also the Holy Scriptures.  We could not live without water or rain.  We need water to allay thirst, to give beauty to the flowers, and fertility to crops and harvests.”

     Yes, water!  Without water, we die!  I suppose it all began very early on—Genesis 1:1-2 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”  Praise God—all of life and creation can be eternally meaningful and purposeful, if it will allow itself to come into His order.  As the people of God embarked upon the wilderness, Moses was told by God, “…thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people might drink.” (Exodus 17:6)  At the Cross, the Rock of Ages was smitten, and water, as well as blood, flowed from His eternal heart.  Paul would later verify this incredible fact, referring to the people of God in the wilderness, “…for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Cor.10:4)  When Jesus met with the woman at the well, He told her, “…whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst…” (John 4:14a)  He was seeking to show her—and us—that the Holy Spirit, as an indwelling Well of Water, was the only source of spiritual life and refreshment.  He alone will satisfy our soul’s deepest thirst—the waters of this life have failed in that, trying to fool us with substitutions, for only He can bring true cleansing, life, fruitfulness, beauty, and joy.

This life-giving water is manifested in Scripture in several different forms.  First, consider rivers.  In John 7, we read what happened at the end of the Feast of the Tabernacles—”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 believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (vss.37-38)  Not stagnant, but moving water—fresh and clean.  Did you know that it is reported that the Amazon River in South America has such a huge flow out into the Atlantic Ocean, that 100 miles out to sea, you can dip into it and still find fresh water?  Whoa!  And notice, this “living water” is plural—”rivers.”  Remember—In Genesis 2, when God put his brand new civilization in the cradle, so to speak, it was encompassed by four rivers, not just one or even two.    This massive size and plurality indicate the variety, abundance, and many facets of the Holy Spirit’s activities.  What diversity in His dealings with us—chastising and rebuking are reserved for those He loves and disciplines.  Such is true love, my friends!

A flood is another way for water to manifest itself.  In Noah’s day, the deluge was straight from God’s heart—judging the sin of the world, and at the same time, giving it a second chance.  A deluge of the Spirit is just as able to flood the earth with blessing.  Isaiah 44:3 tells us, “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour out my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.”  We must be truly baptized—immersed—in Holy Spirit and His fire.  The trouble with far too many of us is that we often only want to drink just enough to keep us alive; not enough to truly thrive!  Yet another mode for water is rain.  The Psalmist tells us, “He shall come down like rain…” (Ps. 72:6)  Joel, in his call to the people to repent, writes, “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” (2:23)  Praise God—it is the “latter rain,” at the end of the growing season, that brings the harvest all the way to fruition!

   The absence of rain undoubtedly means famine, scarcity, and ruin, as many people around the world have found out.  The Church is certainly suffering from spiritual famine, and is in sad need of hearing the sound of the abundance of rain.  This famine, however, is of many people’s own choosing—instead of a true Word, many flock around entertainment and prosperity.  It is not a famine of the Word itself; no, it is a “…famine…of hearing the words of the Lord.” (Amos 8:11)   You see, its a control issue, isn’t it?    People didn’t want it, so God sends a famine.  And don’t forget natural springs—they are still another way in which we experience water!  When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, He also told her, “…the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”  (John 4:14b)  Springs are not only reservoirs of pure, fresh water, but the source of great rivers.  The Psalmist said, “…all my springs are in thee.” (87:7), and this is true of the Spirit, who is our secret source of every precious thing.  In Him is a perennial source of supply—a Spring that never ceases to flow.  All we have to do is recognize our need for such provision, and surrender to His ways of giving it.  But once again—the issue is control, isn’t it?  If only we truly knew the blessings of such denial of self.  If only…

The last form of water that I want to look at is dew.  Even the word itself sounds insignificant, doesn’t it?  Early in the evening, its not there; a little later, it is.  What’s with that?    Just as God had said He would be His people’s rain, Hosea reveals that He, “…will be as the dew,” (14:5) gently and softly moistening the ground and the roots they hold.  As Moses concluded his ministry, he told the people, “My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.” (Deut. 32:2,3)  Yes, let’s publish the name of the Lord, as every drop falls into the cupped hand and onto the parched land.  Praise God—as the farm and the fawn have indeed ascribed greatness unto Him, may we, too, know in our hearts that without the water of the Holy Spirit, we die!  His true love, through the Spirit, waters everything and up comes life eternal!

Della so wanted to get something nice for her Jim, but she only had $1.87 saved  up.  One day, while looking in the mirror, she had a very reluctant thought—she could sell her long, beautiful hair to Madame Sofronie, who ran a little shop just around the corner called, “Hair Goods of All Kinds.”  As far as Della was concerned, they owned only two precious things—she had her hair and Jim had his gold watch, which had been both his father’s and his grand-father’s.  With the $20.00 she made by selling her beautiful hair, she bought a beautiful gold chain to replace the tattered leather strap on Jim’s beautiful gold watch.

It would be a beautiful Christmas Eve.  It was 7:48 pm., the pork chops were ready to fry in the pan, and Jim wasn’t home yet.  As he walked in, Della was worried that he wouldn’t like her short hair.  He hesitated, reached into his pocket and brought out a wrapped package.  When he tossed it onto the table, he said, “Make no mistake about it, Dell, nothing could make me love you less than I do.  But if you will just open that package, you will see why you had me going at first.”  As she opened it, there was an ecstatic scream of joy, but soon that gave way to tears.  It was the set of tortoise shell hair combs with the jeweled rims.  She had had her eye on them, so she knew they were expensive.  Jim had not seen his gift yet—she hadn’t wrapped it; she just held the glistening chain in her hand.  “Jim,” Della said, “Let me have your watch, and I’ll put it on.  I want to see how it looks on your beautiful gold watch.”  Instead, he tumbled onto the couch, and simply smiled.  “Dell,” he said, “Let’s put our Christmas presents away and keep ’em for awhile.  Honey, I sold my watch to buy your combs.  Suppose we can have those chops now?”

Some would say, “Boy, what wasted gifts!”  But is that really true?  You see, O. Henry originally entitled this story, “The Gift of the Magi.”  At the very close of the story, he wrote, “Here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.  But in a last word to the wise of these days, let it be said that, of all who give gifts, these two were the wisest.  Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest.  Everywhere they are wisest.  They are the magi.”  You know who the magi were, don’t you?  Today, we often call them  the wise men, though to many, they look the most foolish.  From their long and seemingly pointless journey to their odd and senseless gifts that they brought with them, everything about it appears to be foolishness.  But let’s remember what Jim Elliot, one of the five missionaries, who were martyred in the jungles of Ecuador, for the sake of the gospel, once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” What a senseless loss—or was it?  Jim Elliot’s wife, Elizabeth, would see his murderer born again!  How foolish is that?

     Wise men have always been called fools.  Matthew 2:1-2 tells us, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.”  “Foolishness,” their contemporaries must have thought!  You see, they were astrologers and soothsayers from Persia, and, somehow, God must have revealed to them His Son’s birth in Judea.  So, they set out on a 1,500 mile journey across the wastelands to find the little child.  Why?  To worship Him!  It sounds crazy, but it was their heart’s desire.  They hadn’t even been raised in Judaism, but God can feed any hungry heart.  The special star they had seen in the east sent them west, to the capital of Judea—Jerusalem.  It was a logical location—certainly the young King of the Jews would be born in the capital.  But when they arrived, they found the current king, Herod, and all the people of his court in a stir—they hadn’t heard a thing about it.

It was then the king gathered his own so-called “wise men,” and asked them about the exact location.  They remembered that the Scriptures had said, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee  shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:5,6)  Yes, Bethlehem, not Jerusalem!  And when the wise men stepped out of the palace, the special star they had seen in their homeland appeared again, and led them to the very house where the young family lived.  You see, it was now after Christmas—perhaps months later—and  Matthew tells us, “And when they (the wise men)  were come into the house, they saw the young child  with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (vs. 11)  Imagine—how crazy can you get?  What fools!  What is a baby going to do with those things—why not stuffed animals, or a binky?  I mean, where is the wisdom in that?

Paul put it this way—“For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God…Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Cor.1:18,25)  The gifts the wise men brought were not silly or foolish—they were not wasted at all!  The gold would be a gift fit for a King, and so He was—precious and priceless.  The frankincense is an incense and its smoke and aroma ascends into the heavens—it was their worship.  And the oddest gift of all—the myrrh, used to embalm dead bodies.  This little baby would not stay one—he would grow, and go to a Cross; He would rise again and reign forever.  Praise God!  Billy Graham once wrote, “From His very birth, Christ was recognized as King.  Something about Him inspired allegiance, loyalty, and homage.  Shepherds fell and worshiped Him.  Wise men brought Him gifts.  Herod, realizing that there is never room for two thrones in one kingdom, sought His life.  As Jesus began His ministry, His claims upon people’s lives were total and absolute.  He expected and received complete adoration and devotion from His Church.  Mature men and women left their businesses and gave themselves in complete obedience to Him. He was more than a poet, more than a statesman or a physician.  He was the King of kings, Lord of lords.”  One King, one Kingdom!

     Praise God for the wisdom of the wise men—when God warned them in a dream of Herod’s murderous intentions, they didn’t argue or debate—they went home another way!  Perhaps it was on their long journey home—which by the way, was part of their gift to the Christ Child—that a powerful flashback jolted through their brains like a lightening bolt.    Several centuries before, some young Jewish men were taken in the Captivity, and placed in their own land—Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego.  They were some of the Jewish captives that were, “Children in whom was no blemish, but wellfavoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace…” (Daniel 1:4)  Wait till you see this…

At the outset, King Nebuchadnezzar expected these chosen captives to eat his rich foods, but these four young people said, “No!”  In fact, we read, “…Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (vs. 8)  And the result?  “As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams…And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.” (vss. 17, 20)  Such wisdom would be needed for fiery furnaces and lion’s dens, not to mention, powerful prophecies concerning the coming Messiah.   And when the Messiah did come, He was worshiped by wise men in the same line, from the same country, with the same heart—Oh, for sure, the gift was not wasted, and neither will your life be, if it is given sacrificially and out of pure love.  No, not wasted at all—not at all!!!