Embracing The Process - Rev. Grace Reyes
“A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “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.”
Submitted by: Rev. Grace Reyes
Many people that are not of the Greek Orthodox faith do not know the name of the woman at the well who met Jesus. She is referred to in John 4:7-10 and Luke 10:33 as “the woman at the well” that came upon Jesus.
Her name was Photeine (or also Photini) and she was the woman Jesus encountered at Jacob’s well that hot fateful day. From the very moment of that fateful encounter her empty sin-filled life was changed. Here was a man who called himself the Messiah who told her all about her life, a prophet, she first wondered, and asked, as she began to realize that he was the Son of God, the Messiah sent to rescue the lost. She ran into town and never stopped declaring the wonders of God.
· Photeine, meaning “luminous one” or “enlightened one” received baptism. It is believed on the day of Pentecost. She shared the Gospel message with her five sisters and two sons who also gladly received it. She continued living in Sychar, Samaria, but traveled far and wide spreading the gospel message.
· After Photeine heard of Apostle Paul and Paul’s martyrdom, she and her family moved to Carthage in Africa. They continued fearlessly sharing Christianity in Carthage until Photeine had a vision of Jesus Christ who told her to go to Rome. She sailed to Rome with many Christians.
· She was one of the 120 in the upper room at Pentecost.
· She is known as the first female Apostle and missionary who died a Martyr
Her faith in Jesus Christ was so strong that she did not wait for Nero to summon her and punish her for preaching His Holy Gospel.
Instead, she sought him out. And when the infamous Roman tyrant (54-68 A.D.) glared at her and demanded to know why she and several of her companions had asked to meet with him, she answered without hesitation: “We have come to teach you to believe in Christ!” She walked boldly in her faith.
· She spent three years in a Roman prison and many Romans converted and were baptized.
What does the word “Process” mean?
A series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end
There needs to be intentional worship to be strengthened for spiritual warfare. You are not and cannot be an idle observer in this Kingdom. Once you have accepted the cross you must bear the cross walk intentionally in your role as a disciple of Christ. There are and will be battles to be fought.
· You can embrace the process, the learnings and the growing in Him. There will be rewards for your faith and sorrows to overcome. Either way, I can assure you of one thing, like Esther, life will continue with or without you. You will not be exempt from the storms regardless of your decision. The difference will be that you have a savior who covers and defends you at all times. The difference is that faith is rewarded and like Ester you will have an outcome that will influence generations to come.
Esther 4:14
“For Such a time as this”
“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
God is just waiting for us to walk in faith. Don’t give up.
· Is the trail dark….don’t sit
· Is the road longer than you wish it would be…don’t stop
· Does darkness seem to envelop you?....Don’t quit.
He still sits on the throne and it isn’t done with any one of us. Our future is held in the hands of the mightiest of mighties. He shapes us and teaches us, tests us and comforts us. There are so many examples of trials we could talk about, the bible is full of one example after another in order to encourage us in our daily walk. This is the reason God is constantly calling us to read his word.
· The word tells us that God has a plan for his people, starting with Moses and all the prophets. The word shows us that when we are disappointed, we need to know through his word that God is always in control. We need to be confident that life’s mishaps and tragedies are not a reason to bail out they are simply a reason to trust Him.
· Need direction on how to deal with discouragement? Go back to the stories, Moses, Job, Abraham, Daniel. It will remind you that you are not the first person to weep. Read the stories and remember their stories are yours.
· Your mountain too high? Read the stories, grief and disappointed threaten to derail your faith pick up the book. Remember in the very shadow of the cross we see the suffering for us, and it will give straight direction and faith the stories will fill us with wisdom and HOPE.
James 5:13 NKJV
When you are under attack
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? 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. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.
MATTHEW 16:19 KINGDOM KEYS
And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
· We must take authority over our own destinies. God has made promises. “I will back up whatever you do and say as long as it is in alignment with my word and my will.”
· He has given us the keys We are his chosen and we have been blessed. Why is it we do not act in this way?
· The process is real..but it is necessary and beneficial for our growth in Him. He wants us to speak to our situations with authority and believe in him. Not what the enemy will have us believe.
Deuteronomy 32:11 being stretched
As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up,
Carrying them on its wings,
2 CHRONICLES 7:14 NKJV coming into repentance
If, my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Let this world fall on its face, in fullness of surrender. Trusting that God is faithful and full of Mercy. We need to look at the past courageous followers of Christ and believe that the darkest moments we are facing are in reality the brightest moments for us to shine our light of faith upon the path to lead others to this wonderful God we serve.
Spirit rhema words
ISAIAH 41:10
JEREMIAH 29:10
2 Chronicles 7:14