Chapter 4 - Two Masters

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 4 - Two Masters

We read like this in Matthew 6:24, “No man is able to be a servant to two masters: for he will have hate for the one and love for the other, or he will keep to one and have no respect for the other. You may not be servants of God and of wealth.” (BBE)

In the above mentioned verse, Jesus talks about two masters – one is God and the other money and wealth and His teaching was resolute, no one can serve two masters. The reason for this is that it is humanly impossible for anyone to serve two masters at the same time. Therefore, what countless people do, including believers is they let God be their master only on Sundays and let money have mastery over them for the rest of the week. They also try to juggle and balance their allegiance to God and money and eventually make them two distinct entities that will never intersect. However, the Lord establishes to us through His word that this sort of dual loyalty is certainly impossible as we will end up loving one and hating the other.It is indeed true that if we are a friend of God, by default we become an enemy of the world and vice versa if we don’t become an enemy of the world, we are not a friend of God. If we find ourselves taking God for granted, neglecting the fellowship of believers and prioritising other things it is a definite pointer that we are serving some other master and not God Himself.

We have been looking at various things that enslave people in the previous chapters and also how the Lord desires for each one of us to be set free from every bondage.  The assurance we receive from the Lord as we studied earlier is that, “if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 (NRSV)

Money a bad Master

One of the important areas that Jesus spoke a lot about was the enslavement to money and material possessions. Most people will not like to acknowledge that they are enthralled by money and material things. Money is essential for our basic needs and daily living, but we should be wary to not let money become our master.  When money starts to dictate how we live and what we do, then money becomes our master. Many believers are lukewarm only because they are trying hard to please God and at the same time have also set their hearts on loving money.

The perils of loving Money

We read in 1Timothy 6:10,“For the love of money is a source of all kinds ofevil.Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.” (GNB)

If we delve deep into the matter we will very often find that the root of many problems is money. Having money and being careful in spending money is okay, but if money is all that is on our mind and we are obsessed by it then it is definitely a problem. 1 Timothy 6:10 is very categorical that the love for money is the root problem for all sorts of evil and when money becomes our master we will surely go far away from the Lord.  The outcome has also been clearly spelt out – many having been driven by this desire to get rich have pierced themselves with many sorrows. We may have heard and read numerous accounts of people who wanting to multiply their money overnight,  have trusted in various schemes and were cheated of everything they invested.

Judas Iscariot – Mastered by Money, he betrays His Master

Let’s look at Luke 6:12 – 13, “At that time Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God. When day came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he named apostles:”

The Lord Jesus spent a whole night in prayer before he chose his twelve disciples. All of them spent three and half years with Jesus. They were witnesses to all the miraculous signs and wonders Jesus performed. However Judas Iscariot who was one of the chosen twelve, let money became his master. 

Look at what Judas Iscariot was doing in Matthew 26:14 – 15, “Then one of the twelve disciples---the one named Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and asked, "What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?" They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him.” (GNB)

Though Judas Iscariot had been with Jesus, he did not recognize Him as his master but instead was enslaved by his love for money. He went and negotiated with the chief priests and elders  and sets a price money of 30 pieces of silver to betray the one who had chosen him, loved him, taught him and cared for him for three and half years. The deal was clinched but the moment Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, he was so filled with regret, and shame and remorse that he actually ran back and literally threw the money back at the ones who gave it to him. Sadly it was too late. They refusedto accept it and the money that so captivated and controlled Judas did not benefit him or anyone else. The end of Judas was tragic and pathetic.

The question that Judas asked the chief priest and elders was, “what will you give me?”  He forgot the fact that there is nothing that the world can give that the Lord cannot give in better measure. As long as Judas was with Jesus all his needs were met by the Lord, but still his heart was not content and was set on acquiring more money.

This is a word of caution for everyone, even for those of us who claim to be walking with God. Judas was with the best master, Jesus Himself, and was chosen with much prayer but he deliberately chose to go after money which mastered and destroyed his life. As believers if we can learn to not run after the worldly blessings but rather run to the giver of every blessing the Lord Himself, He will take care of our every need.  He will satisfy and provide everything in perfect time as He perceives our needs even before we know them.

A beautiful example of God’s provision is from the life of the people of Israel  while they were wandering in the wilderness, even before they could cry to the Lord to quench their thirst, He not only provided the rock from which water gushed forth but also the tree that could turn the bitter water (Mara) to sweet. The Lord has a solution to every problem we face even before it comes to us.

As parents one of the reasons why we are so sensitive to the needs of our children and take such good care of them is because they are our own.  How much more will the Lord take care of us, the ones whom He created in His own image.

Francis Bacon said it this way ‘Money is a good servant but a bad master.’Once a man comes under the mastery of money every part of his being (his thoughts, his words and his deeds) will be controlled by money and sadly the only reason he will want to relate with others is if it will turn out to be beneficial to him. When money masters or enslaves us it will turn us into selfish people.

When Self Enslaves

1 Kings 21: 1-2, “Near King Ahab's palace in Jezreel there was a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth. One day Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard; it is close to my palace, and I want to use the land for a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will pay you a fair price."(GNB)

1 Kings 21:4,“Ahab went home, depressed and angry over what Naboth had said to him. He lay down on his bed, facing the wall, and would not eat.”(GNB)

King Ahab was the King of Israel everything in the kingdom belonged to him. One day he noticed the vineyard of his neighbor Naboth and coveted after it.  His plan was to take Naboth’s vineyard and convert it into a vegetable garden. When Naboth refused to sell the vineyard to Naboth, Ahab throws a tantrum. His wife Jezebel who was a wicked woman plots a treacherous plan, kills Naboth and gets the vineyard for Ahab. Ahab was so consumed by self, that he coveted a poor man’s vineyard.  Both Ahab and Jezebel faced the Lord’s Judgement and a tragic end.

Today sadly,even among many siblings there is rivalry over a small piece of property. The reason for this is that brotherly love has been overtaken by self and selfishness. Many have taken their own siblings to court.  We need to let go of our rights, and let the Lord give us the needed justice at the right time. If we get consumed by self, we can be certain that it will destroy us in the end.

Let’s read James 5:4,“You have not paid any wages to those who working your fields. Listen to their complaints! The cries of those who gather in yourcrops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty. (GNB)

The Lord expects us to be people who are just and fair, especially to those who work for us or serve us. Many employers hold back the wages that is due to the one who has labored for them.  They don’t pay as promised, procrastinate payment, make excuses and thereby cheat the poor. Let’s never hold back the wage that is rightly due to someone else,  for if we do the Lord who is our master is watching and he will definitely take up the cause for those we have wronged and we will face due judgement.

When Lust Enslaves

In the precious chapter we looked at the life of Samson. Samson was mastered by lust and died a blind slave.

Choose the Good Master

Mark 4:37- 38,“And a great storm of wind came up, and the waves came into the boat,so that the boat was now becoming full. And he himself was in the backof the boat, sleeping on the cushion: and they, awaking him, said, Master, is itnothing to you that we are in danger of destruction?” (BBE)

It is striking to note that though Jesus was in the same boat as the disciples, they were asking Jesus “Master, don’t you care that we are going to drown.” It seems as though the disciples were teaching Jesus how to worry. They forgot that the good Master was in their boat and there was absolutely no reason for them to worry, fear or fret as He was in full control.

It never does imply that if we are a believer in the Lord Jesus we will never face any storms in our life, but on the contrary we have the assurance that the Lord is with us in the midst of all our storms, He is in control and nothing will happen to us without His knowledge.

In another incident where a man brings his son who is dumb to Jesus in Mark 9:17, “And one of the multitude answered him, Master, I brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit ;”( RV)

When Lazarus died and Jesus came to visit Mary and Martha, Martha runs to Mary and says in, John 11:28, “And having said this, she went away and said secretly to her sister Mary, The Master is here and has sent for you.” (BBE)

If we were to contemplate on all the above mentioned miracles, none of them could be accomplished with money or self. No master who has money or even if you paid him money can calm a storm, cause a dumb man speak or raise the dead.  Only the good and great master of the universe, the Lord Jesus can perform these astounding miracles in our lives. If we trust the good master completely instead of trusting in money or self, we can accomplish everything with His help and strength.

A prayer :

Heavenly Father, I decide to allow Lord Jesus to be my true master and will not concede money or self to take over His place. I know that my Lord Jesus cares for me more than anybody else in this world.  Lord, You are willing to take care of our every need. Therefore, it is only appropriate that I allow You Lord to be my master. Please be my driving force.  I give you Lord the first place in my life.  I submit to You Lord, a Good Master. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : Two masters - Audio message in tamil

Chapter 3 – One little weakness

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 3 – One little weakness

We read in Act 26:18, “You are to open their eyes and turn them from the darkness to the light and from the power of Satan to God, so that through their faith in me they will have their sins forgiven and receive their place among God's chosen people.” (GNB)

As Saul was on his way to Damascus, with the cruel intent to persecute those who believed in Jesus, he had this dramatic encounter with the Lord Jesus where he was converted and transformed from Saul to Paul. At this point, when Saul asked Jesus what he was expected to do, the above words from Acts 26:18, was God’s specific command to Paul.

There are four aspects of this verse that we will consider, that will give us an explanation of what happens to a person when they are in any sort of bondage.

     They are blinded by sin

A person in bondage the Bible says is blinded to his condition and so he keeps doing the same thing over and over again. If a man falls into a pit once, it will be considered a mistake, but if he were to fall into the same pit repeatedly, it would make one surmise that he is unsighted. Many of us are not even aware that we are living in enslavement to many things.  Our prayer to the Lord is that He would intervene, break loose and set us free from every form of bondage.

They are under the power of Satan

We saw in the previous chapters that addictions and bondages are varied.  . When we continue to fall into the same sin over and over again we are allowing Satan to enslave us and keep us in bondage. If we seek to be delivered, we need to desire to be rid of the enslavement and make it our highest goal to be like Jesus. It is always good for us to ask in every situation we are placed, ‘What would Jesus do?’ and aspire to do the same. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but every day as we pray, read and meditate on the word and obey the Lord on an ongoing basis this change becomes a reality.

     Their sins are not forgiven

Also many people who are in bondage are constantly reminded of their past failures and secret sins that they feel deserve punishment. They have a sense of helplessness, and come to the conclusion that they can never be released from their condition. What happens as a result is that, they filled with a deep sense of guilt and shame, and carry a heavy burden of remorse and degradation.

They are not in fellowship with God’s people

It is also very evident that when a person is living in sin or is in bondage, they will never want to be in fellowship with other believers. They may even be members of the church but they will choose to be distant and will not be in close communion with the people of God.

The very purpose of God choosing Saul and radically changing him to Paul was that he would be instrumental in turning people from darkness to light. By placing our faith in Jesus, the Lord assures us that our sins are forgiven, that we are set free from all our guilt and shame, to live a holy life here on earth, and we are also promised the assurance of heaven. We are in the true sense transported from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to the Kingdom of God,  can come into true fellowship with other believers and become vibrant members of the body of Christ.

A Strong Man with One Weakness

The people of Israel were being tormented by the Philistines.  They often came into the Israelite territory and plundered their fields.  The people of Israel cry out in anguish and the Lord raises a mighty man named Samson.

God is a God of restoration and He is also our faithful God. Frequently when we are in distress, at a point of loss and call out to Him, the Lord comes to redeem us and restore back to us all that we have lost.

As we study the life of Samson we will understand how he was enslaved by sin. We will also be able to analyse our own lives and see how we can overcome similar temptations and bondages in our own lives. Samson was a man called and chosen by the Lord to deliver Israel and whenever the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, he was so filled with strength that no one could stand before him. But sadly Samson the strong man also had a weakness. In the book of Judges we read like this.

Judges 14:1, 2“One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye. When he returned home, he told his father and mother, "A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me." (NLT)

Samson goes to a city and sees a philistine woman, and immediately wants to marry her.  He knew nothing about her but wanted to marry her and the only reason he wanted her was just that she caught his eye and he desired to have her. He stubbornly pursued this relationship, and in the end Samson’s marriage to the Philistine woman ended in total failure.

Ecclesiastes 10:1, talks about how one dead fly can cause a bottle of perfume to stink, no matter how much effort the person took to prepare it. So also a small sin can cause big trouble in our lives as it did in the life of Samson.

Many young people today are also choosing their life partners this way.  They see someone and fall in love, often what is termed ‘love at first sight’ and generally without knowing anything about the person are ready to take the plunge. The choice is frequently made entirely on the basis of the outward appearance. Young people need to be prudent in this matter. The kind of person you choose as a life partner will decide the quality of your family life. Our partners in marriage should be God’s choice and compatible to us.  We must therefore be careful to make the right choice.

It is important for parents to pray for the spouses our children will marry in future.  We can start praying for our children when they are very young, that they will make the right choice, so the appropriate people are joined into our families. Marriage was God’s idea and families are his plan so it is always best to consult with the Lord before we make that decision. Once we are married there is no option to opt out.  If you realise the person you married is not the right person, you need to pray and by your life and good deeds lead them to the Lord.

Marriages are not fairy tales that have happy endings all the time.  For a marriage to work well both the husband and wife must work hard and do their part to make the marriage a happy one. Many people think that if the marriage doesn’t work we can opt out, divorce and find another partner.  But on the basis of God and His word, divorce and remarriage are no options for a believer.  A husband and wife need to fulfil certain marital duties to each other. We have to do our best to make our marriage work. Husbands are instructed to love their wife and the wife is taught to submit to her husband. Many children are following in their parent’s footsteps and choosing to quit their marriages even for simple reasons. Instead we need to pray, work hard and do our best to make our marriage work.

Judges 16:1, “Now Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a loose woman

and went in to her”. (BBE)

The next thing Samson did was go to Gaza and there he set eyes on a loose woman.

Our eyes if we notice are responsible for a lot of enslavements. The Bible says if our eye is holy our whole body will be holy. (Matthew 6:22)

Later we see is in Judges 16:4,“Now after this, he was in love with a woman in the valley of Sorek, named Delilah.” (BBE)

Samson was so enslaved to this love for women, that he was making the same mistake over and over again. The very women whom Samson was so in love with were also the cause for his ruin.

Judges 14:17, “she nagged him” (GNB) – this was the wife who once pleased his eyes.

Judges 16:16, “Delilah started nagging and pestering him day after day, until he couldn't stand it any longer. (CEV)-  This was the woman he loved so much.

Both the women Samson so longed to have, nagged him to the point of utter desperation.

Let’s see what happened to Samson as a result of his friendship with Delilah. Judges 16:21, “The Philistines grabbed Samson and poked out his eyes. They took him to the prison in Gaza and chained him up. Then they put him to work, turning a millstone to grind grain.” (CEV)

What happened was tragic. The philistines captured Samson, took him to Gaza the very place where he saw the loose woman, and the first thing they did was to gouge out his eyes. They chain him up, imprison him and force him to grind grain. The uncontrolled eyes of Samson were now removed. Now as he groped in his blindness, he must have been constantly reminded of the sins he committed with those very eyes. Here was a strong man who was called and anointed by the Spirit of God, called to be a deliverer of Israel, now in bondage literally and totally separated from all his family and his own people.

Today many young children who are in their early teens are also falling into this trap. As parents we need to guide our children in the right way.  We need to pray for our children that they will be protected.  We should not be careless about the matters pertaining to our children. There is also much obscene content in every form of media. As Parents we have a responsibility to guide and help our children to view the right things. We must set an example for our children. It is better to nip a habit or an addiction in the bud than to let it grow and become a problem to us or else we will be ensnared by the very thing.

Notice how sin will always thrive in darkness.  Just think about it – things that grow in the dark are not good things – they are harmful thing - for example fungus, mould etc. That is why God created light at the very beginning. All the secret things that we hide in the darkness of our hearts will surely bring us much trouble. Whatever those secrets are, we need to bring them out openly to the Lord, confess and forsake them. Only when Jesus the true light comes into our life, will all the darkness of sin will flee.

The Samaritan Woman – from darkness to light

In the last chapter we saw how Jesus met a woman from Samaria near Jacob’s well.  Jesus was sitting there exhausted when the woman came to draw water from the well. She came all alone, probably not wanting to meet with anyone when she encounters Jesus. Jesus asked her to do something that really stunned her.

In John 4:16-17, Jesus told her, "Go and bring your husband." The woman answered, "I don't have a husband." (CEV)

John 4:18, “You have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband: that was truly said.” (BBE)

When Jesus asked this woman to go and bring her husband, he very well knew all about her past. He knew that she had five husbands earlier and that the man she was living with was not her husband. What she was keeping back in her life as a secret, the Lord brought into the open.

As long as we hide our sins, and cover them up, sin will continue to grow. If we want to come out of our bondage, we need to first accept our situation, confess our sin and repent of it.  We need to truly desire to let go of it and    need to bring what is in the darkness into the light of the Lord.

When Jesus brought out all her secrets into the open all her inhibitions were gone and what the woman did something amazing.

In John 4:28-29, “The woman left her water jar, and ran back into town. She said to the people, me and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! Could he be the Messiah?" (GNB)

She left her water jar and forgot the purpose for which she had come to the well in the first place and ran into the village to bring everyone to meet Jesus.  As long as a person is living in sin and in darkness, he or she will live in isolation from society.  That is why the woman came all alone, but once her sins were brought into the open she lost all shame, fear and self-consciousness and had no qualms about bringing all of her acquaintances to see Jesus. Only when every bondage in our life is broken, can we be useful instruments in the hands of the Lord. She testifies to the whole village “come and see, the person who told me everything about me. Could this be the Christ?”

We may hide many things from others. As little children we may recall how we   would do wrong and then get caught because we didn’t know how to cover up. However, as we grow older we learn to cover up very well, so we don’t get caught.  We should sincerely ask the Lord to deliver us from every form of bondage so we are set free. Only as we search our hearts and check to see what is the thing that we are enslaved to and bring it into the light of Christ, we will be able to lead a victorious life.

Here’s the word of God to us from Proverbs 28:13, “You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.” (GNB)

A prayer :

Our heavenly Father, I understand that the many things that I hide in my life are not hidden from Your eyes and the insignificant ones can lead to significant sin and lead to failure in my life.  I decide this day to confess all my sins and shortcomings, both great and small to You and request Your forgiveness.  I bring all that have been deliberately hidden by me into the open and receive Your forgiveness that has been promised. Thank you Lord for delivering me from every form of bondage. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : One little weakness - Audio message in tamil

Chapter 2 – Source of satisfaction

Chapter 2 – Source of satisfaction

John 8:36, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”(NRSV)

We looked in the previous chapter at various things that people are addicted to – drugs, alcohol, smoking, pornography and certain kinds of friendships and relationships that are not beneficial. We also saw that for many speaking lies was an issue and they are not even aware that it is a problem and have become habitual liars.

There are others who are held captive to bitterness, unforgiveness and hurts which they carry as a baggage. Still others are in bondage to their mobile phones, to social media. They either are constantly seeking approval from others or are enslaved to its obscene content. There’s a word of caution in   Ecclesiastes1:8 ...”the eye is not satisfied with seeing” and there’s always the desire for more and more.   There are some others, who are even addicted to watching news on Television which they do so non-stop. Anger, fear and worry are some of the other things that people are also in bondage to.  Many are struggling with tempers that are uncontrollable, while others are in constant fear and worry over every little problem.

Where does this bondage or captivity begin?

It most certainly did not begin at birth. No one is born with bondage or addiction but as people grow older, they very often pick up some sort of habit or addiction from someone or sometimes from a particular place they are associated with. It most often (for example drinking or smoking) begins with the desire to experiment something new or with the urge to be part of a peer group.  Initially there is a combination of temporary pleasure along with distaste and disgust too but as time goes by the person slowly becomes enslaved to it.  Once a person is addicted to a habit they will always find reasons to justify what they are enslaved to. Gradually what seemed to initially be under their control starts to have full control over their lives. At some point many come to the resolve that they can never quit the habit or addiction that they are tethered to.

However, if a person sincerely desires to quit the habit or addiction, they can surely do so by the grace of God. We need to bring every thought under the Lord’s captivity and believe with all our heart the word of God which affirms this, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!” John 8:36 (ISV)

We saw in Luke 4:18,"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed....” (NET) how the Lord Jesus came down to free us from every sort of bondage and captivity.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John chapter 4)

John 4:7 “There came a woman of Samaria to draw water; Jesus said unto her, give me to drink.” (JUB)

Jesus is passing through Samaria and he sits down by a well as he is really tired. A Samaritan woman from the village comes to draw water from the well and she and Jesus engage in a conversation. When Jesus requested her to give him some water to drink as He was thirsty and tired, the Samaritan woman replied like this, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”

John 4:9 (KJV)

Usually if someone were to ask us for water we would simply answer yes or no. But if we look at this incident, the woman was overreacting to a simple request by Jesus. Generally a person in bondage will unnerve even in simple matters.  They very often do this, so others don’t really get to know who they are and what they are enslaved to. They are usually hiding their issues and want to appear good to others so they won’t be found out.

The next thing she said to Jesus was, “Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" John 4:12 (NRSV)

She was now distracting Jesus and started to talk about their traditions and her forefathers.  She was in a way trying to get her identity from her past. We need to be cautious that we are not satisfied with just the mere traditions of men and neither should we gloat about our antecedents. There are some who are in addiction throughout the year and then they are quite contented with just abstaining for a short period of time, for example a fast of 40 days. We need to bear in mind that traditions can only help give temporary solution, but Jesus alone can bring about permanent change.

And then Jesus said to her, John 4:13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,”... (ISV)

Jesus had to admonish her that the water from the well will never quench her thirst for ever.  She would have drink this physical water many times a day to be satisfied. This is very similar to a person who is in an addiction. The habit is never satiated.  There is a constant desire for more and the person is never fully satisfied. A person who is enslaved to something will never be appeased no matter how much they have of it.

Jesus now comes to the main issue the woman was facing. In John 4:16 -18, “He told her, “Go and call your husband, and come back here. The woman answered him, “I don’t have a husband.” Jesus told her, “You are quite right in saying, ‘I don’t have a husband,’¹⁸ because you have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (ISV)

The Samaritan woman had a moral problem, she had lived with 5 husbands and was now living with a man who was not her husband.  Jesus knew exactly what her issue was. There is nothing that can be hidden from the Lord. She appeared good on the outside but Jesus knew her real struggle. God will not judge us on the basis of how well we behave in church or society, but in our personal secret life.  In her personal life she was in bondage.

Many things today have become acceptable in society. Divorce and remarriage are no longer frowned upon, but see what the Lord says in Malachi 2:16"I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel. (GNB)

Jesus then affirms to her in John 4:14, “But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life.” (ERV)

A man of God explained it this way. A person had no source of water in their home, but kept going to various other houses nearby to get water.  But a friend who had come to their house told them of a stream right in their compound and when they dug a well, they had water in abundance and all their needs were met without having to get out of their house.  What a joy!

That’s what Jesus promises to us if we receive the Lord in our life and receive the abundant life he gives. Out of our life will flow rivers of living water. We will be a great blessing to others.

In Isaiah 55:2 we are admonished, “Why spend your money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in rich food. (ISV)

Jesus alone can give us peace and real satisfaction. None of our bondages can ever do that. Jesus is the only one who can truly set us free us from every bondage, and help us overcome every form of addiction. It is certainly not God’s will that we should live under bondage. As long as we live in bondage, we can never fulfil the purposes of God in our life. We need to lead a life that is pleasing to the Lord.  He is the only one who can make everything new and enable us to lead the abundant life He has designed for us. 

A prayer:

Our loving heavenly Father, I understand that the things of this world promise to satisfy but they do not and cannot satisfy. I believe the You alone can give me real peace and satisfaction, while all others lead me to ungodly bondage. I pray that every ungodly bondage in my life be broken and I submit to your Lordship, Lord Jesus. Thank you for giving me the abundant life that You have promised for those who believe in you. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord I pray, Amen. 

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : Source of satisfaction - Audio message in tamil