Continuing the #doyouknowHim campaign Christians from various denominations in Ramsbottom are working together to make Christ known through meeting people on the street. It’s brilliant, we all believe in Jesus, He is the Lord our God and the centre of our being together.
Before, I leave home to go to Rammy, in my prayer time I pray for those God appointments where it becomes obvious that God had arranged the meeting and conversation with a person on the street.
I pray, that there will be response from the words, “Can you spare a minute?” and if they indicate that they can, I say, “We’re on the street this morning on behalf of Churches Together in Ramsbottom, asking if you have any prayer requests that you would like us to pray for tomorrow in one of our churches intercessions. In response some are tearful suffer loss of a loved one or some take the opportunity to offload onto a stranger their problem or others may discuss their religious beliefs. If, it’s welcomed we pray for healing with them. We write these prayers into a book (first name only) that is taken to one of the churches. If we can photocopy then more than one church kindly includes them in their service prayer time.
The Lord answers these prayers according to his will. We have heard testimonies of prayers being answered.
I’m reminded of the woman of Samaria who had a God appointment at Jacob’s well with Jesus, she didn’t know Jesus, but he knew all about her.
We read Jesus’ disciples marvelled when they found him at the well, in conversation with a Samaritan women; It was forbidden under law for a Jewish man to associate with a Samaritan, especially a foreign woman. After the disciples arrived, the woman went away into the city.
In the conversation that followed between Jesus and his disciples Jesus said,35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. John 4: 35 Amos 9: 13 RSV Bible
I realised that the seeds that had been sown previously about the coming of the Messiah, Jesus described these people as the fields that were already white for harvesting.
These verses explain why Jesus had been talking to the Samaritan woman, she believed that the Messiah was coming into the world and Jesus had told her that he was the Messiah.
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” John 4: 25, 26.
The Samaritan woman was a reaper of the harvest, she went and told the people at Sychar that the Messiah had come. She told the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the city and were coming to him. John 4: 29, 30. RSV Bible
This truly was a momentous moment for all Christian women. Jesus spoke directly and revealed to her who he was, the Messiah. How liberating this word is; can you imagine how revolutionary it was at the time. Even Paul hadn’t come to terms with God’s love and grace towards women, giving us the same status, rights and responsibilities as men.
I personally believe that a man is the head of a family in the flesh, but in Christ men and women are equal, we are all children of God. In the church the bride of Christ, Jesus’ parable: the ten virgins (men and women) waiting for Jesus the bridegroom to come. Matthew 25:1-13.
36 He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ John 4: 36, 37.
The wages of sin is death, the wages of life in Christ is eternal life. Every Christian has a part in sowing and reaping and the gifts are distributed (Greek- Merismos) by the Holy Spirit.
38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour; others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.”
The woman had already received the seed, the word from the labourers that spoke of the Messiah’s coming, even though there was a division between Jews and Samaritans. The harvest was ready, the people in Sychar responded to her message that the Messiah had come and were seen coming to him.
39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.”
Jesus making peace between Jews and Samaritans, everything that divided them fell away, they were united through faith in Jesus that he was their Saviour. Every Christian is therefore united in believing in Jesus that he is the Messiah the Saviour of the world.
The Holy Spirit poured out on all who believe.
Jesus said to the woman at the well, if she had asked him for a drink of water, he would give her living water, she would receive a constant supply coming from heaven’s eternal spring. Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit.
John 7: 37-39. “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He/she who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ John wrote, now he said this about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
Today, on the street we’re sowing the seeds of good news about Jesus’ redeeming love, to know him in a personal way through the power of his cross, word and prayer and reaping the harvest of people who already know Jesus the Saviour of the world, confirming to them that the Holy Spirit is uniting His people, one in Christ.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for those who are quietly sowing and reaping within their family and friends, bless them that they will see the fruit in due course. In Jesus’ name. Amen