The Story of My Life: The Living Water: The Story of the Samaritan Woman

The Story Of My Life 4

The Living Water: The Story of the Samaritan Woman

by Daniel Carandang

written by Kathy Raga

That empty, vacant feeling

 You seem to be good at almost everything yet you feel as if there’s something missing. When everything you have done may not seem to satisfy your heart and mind, it’s quite unnerving. You try to reach your goals yet after succeeding you are still unfulfilled.

Ever felt this way?

You are not alone. Most of us have experienced the same feeling. We keep on searching for answers that are not easy to find. Then when everything seems quite bleak, we resolve to use the trial-and-error method in life. It’s quite the norm for us humans to keep on searching till we see the answer we want.

In truth, it is just within our grasp. It has always been there but we fail to acknowledge it, let alone believe it. It is there, right in front of us, written in the Bible- the Word of God.

The story of the Samaritan woman holds the answer to our question.

Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— ² although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. ³ So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

John 4:1-3

Jesus did not depart because He was afraid. He went to Galilee because a revelation was about to unfold before their eyes. It was the plan of His God, the Father.

Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

John 4:2-6

Now, Samaria was considered a  “cursed” place during those times. Pharisees despised the Samaritans. Even the Jews shared the same beliefs. There was a rule that Jews SHOULD NOT intermarry with foreigners for they are pagans. However, the inhabitants of Samaria disobeyed this rule and they started worshipping other gods. This caused the rivalry between the Jews and Samarians. The latter was always treated as an outcast in their society.

 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?”

John 4:7-9

This request was quite unusual because Jews hated Samarians. They would never go near them, let alone talk to them. Jesus was a Jew, so it was expected of Him to follow the belief. However, He dared to talk to the Samarian woman, proving a point: all of us are equal in our Lord’s eyes. The Samaritan Woman is perfectly aware of that rift. She was really baffled when the Jew asked her for water that she dared to ask Him.

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

John 4:10

The living water that Jesus was talking about is the Holy Spirit. He was giving the woman a hint of who He is. But apparently, the woman was quite confused with what He said.

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

John 4:11

The Samaritan woman misunderstood Jesus. She thought that the “water” He was talking about is the liquid that we drink. She didn’t understand the metaphorical reference that Jesus used. Of course, the latter elaborated for her to understand the truth He was about to uncover for her.

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Just like the Samaritan woman, we often miss the true message of the word of God. Sometimes, we don’t bother understanding it, leaving us with a shallow interpretation of it. This should serve as our reminder that simply reading the Bible will never be enough. What is the point of reading without digesting and understanding? We should study the Word and use what we learn in our lives.

¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

John 4:16-19

The woman was abashed that the Jew knew her life. All of those things that she did in the past were unraveled before her by a stranger. Because of her search for love and security, she jumped from one relationship to another, with the mentality that the current one will satisfy her. Amidst all that, Jesus revealed that she is lonely and unsatisfied. Something was definitely missing.

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

John 4:25-26

Jesus declared to her that He, the Jew who dared to cross the boundary, was the Messiah that will save all of us (even her) from eternal damnation in hell. He was the answer to the emptiness in her well of a life.

ARE YOU THIRSTY?

It doesn’t matter if you are successful in life- there will always be that void in your heart. Money, relationships, success and other materialistic stuff will never be enough to satisfy our emptiness- our thirst.  We think they do initially, but eventually, we realize that we are wasting our efforts and our time. Nothing on this earth can satiate our thirst.

The only thing that can satisfy us is a relationship with God. A relationship that can be attained by trusting Him completely. A relationship that can be attained by drinking the LIVING WATER, by living with the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives is what we need in order to fill the gap. The story of the Samaritan woman proved this point.

Right now, we should realize that it’s pointless to keep searching the world for what we think we want. Jesus is all that we need. He is the Living Water, the One who can refresh us with His Word and His grace. 

The Story of My Life: A Touch of Faith: The Story of the Bleeding Woman

The Story of My Life 3

A Touch of Faith: The Story of the Bleeding Woman

by Daniel Carandang

written by Ashley Petallano

Every person has a story. For the past blog entries, we’ve seen different lives from different points-of-views but united one common factor- God. As a human, Jesus encountered a number of people, each of them with a story to tell.

This time, let’s take a look at the tale of the bleeding woman.

Jesus spent the majority of His life serving the people around Him. Although He is God, He chose to put us first. The Son of God was not indifferent, uncaring and insensitive. He took time for people, He sacrificed for them, He ministered to them, and He felt compassion for them.

“When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around Him while He was by the lake.”

Mark 5:21

There will always be those type of people with the so-called celebrity status. At school, we’ve seen them- girls frolicking over them or guys drooling at the sight of them. Of course, people would always flock whenever their favourite actor is in sight. Girls would definitely squeal their guts out when they spot One Direction nearby.

Jesus never failed to cause a stir. People sought Him. You can say He was a part of the Most Wanted in His nation. A large crowd gathered because Jesus was a celebrity to them primarily because of His reputation as a miracle-worker.

“Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with Him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put Your hands on her so that she will be healed and live. 24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around Him.”

Mark 5:22-24

Despite being associated with the synagogue (who had people who were persecuting Jesus), Jairus humbled himself. Jesus agreed to come with him. The crowds pressed further, hoping to catch the Son of God’s attention. He was about to do another miracle, which somehow caused great curiosity with the crowd. Jesus had no guards nor bouncers, so we can be sure that His personal space was greatly invaded.

“And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.”

Mark 5:25

When we trip and scrape our knees, we don’t lose gallons of blood. Minor injuries from our clumsiness only result in minor blood loss. However, that was not the case for this woman. She was hemorrhaging; her body bled more than it’s allowed. Light-headedness and weakness are effects of constant blood loss.

We usually get sick for three days. A week is already worse for us but this woman did not only endure seven days of hemorrhage, she bled for TWELVE YEARS. Can you imagine yourself suffering such sickness for twelve long years? One week is already torture to some of us but this woman had to endure for twelve years.  No rest, no breaks.

More than the physical suffering, it also meant being an outcast.

Surely, some of us have had our share of peers who possess the dreaded bad odor. Our first response is to avoid them as much as possible to get away from the smell. When we have sore eyes, people stay away from us. Some of them refuse to look at us in the eye, with their fear of contracting the disease. This woman’s sickness also made her an outcast for reasons deeper than sore eyes or odor. It is written in their Law:

 “‘When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period.”

Leviticus 15:25

Girls those days had it rough. During your period, you will be isolated, because in their culture, if you touch blood from a dead animal, or body. You will be declared unclean, and you will have to go through a process of purification before you can mingle again and worship in the temple. On top of her struggles with her condition came the troubles of her isolation. It’s pretty obvious that she had a hard life.

This woman went through great lengths to change her situation.

 “She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.”

Mark 5:26

There were none of the advanced medicines we had now during those days. Doctors weren’t quite knowledgeable in curing during the 19^th century due to the lack of information. She spent all the money she had to find a cure but apparently, she got worse. She reached her limit yet reached no result.

How would YOU feel?

You may not have bleeding, but perhaps you're feeling just like the bleeding woman. Perhaps, you are in a situation that in your eyes is already HOPELESS. Some of us have family members that are impossible to live with. It’s like we’re waging a war every single day. Or there are others experiencing financial difficulties or diseases just like her.

Like the bleeding woman, you've tried every single solution you could think of, you tried to change things on your own, you’ve asked help from people and instead of it getting better, it just became worse.

Are you in an IMPOSSIBLE situation?

Worry not.

“Your greatest limitation is God’s greatest opportunity.”

 “When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.”

Mark 5:27-29

Unbelievable! After suffering for 12 long years, her diseases vanished in an instant.

 “At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched My clothes?”

Mark 5:30

Jesus’ power is like dynamite. In the blink of an eye, He managed to heal a woman who suffered for a long time. You see, it’s vital for us to realize that the word IMPOSSIBLE can never find its place in Jesus’ vocabulary. It doesn’t exist.

There is no situation too difficult for Him to change

 There is no problem too hard for Him to solve

 There is no need too big for Him to provide for

 There is no sickness too grave for Him to heal

 There is no heart too hard for Him to soften

Do YOU need His power today?

 “You see the people crowding against You,” His disciples answered, “and yet You can ask, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at His feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Mark 5:31-34

What is faith?

Faith is trust God and His Word.  The woman could very well be feeling hopeless and was quite DESPERATE, but when she heard about Jesus, she acted on the truth about Jesus that she received. Perhaps she heard that that demons revealed Him as the Holy One of God (1:24), that these very same demons bow to His word and power (1:25), that Jesus healed many who were ill with various diseases—even lepers, & paralytics.

She might have thought: “If He could do it to them, then surely He could do it to me as well!” In spite of the high risk of humiliation she will receive when caught being in contact with people, she STILL came up behind Jesus to touch His cloak —and she experienced His power! GENUINE FAITH results in ACTION.

Now there will be times that even if you believe, God in His infinite wisdom and perfect love will still choose to maintain your situation. And just because it did not change, does not mean that God cannot. Just because God chooses not to change your situation, does not mean He does not have the ability to do so.  Many times, He will allow trials because He wants to mold you into a better person for His greater glory.

God in His love for us, is molding us, wants us to know Him in a very real way, to have a deeper revelation of Who He is, and a deeper level of intimacy and dependence on Him.

We will never know that God is Healer… if there is no need for healing.

We will never know that God is Provider… if there is no need for provision.

We will never know that nothing is impossible with God… if there are no impossible situations that only God can change.

And we will never know that God is Lover and Father… if there is no real need for genuine love and acceptance. But you need to trust Him; you need to have faith in Him. Faith in God will enable us to experience His power.

After she was healed, the woman might have celebrated, looked forward to a brighter future. She might have had that long-deserved future but we can be assured that trials came her way still. We can only hope that her faith in Christ continued to carry her throughout her life. The same should be applied with us.  Troubles may come our way but let our faith in Christ never waver for He is bigger than our problems. We should continue to fight and shine for His glory.

The Story of My Life: Compassion and Forgiveness: The Story of the Adulterous Woman

The Story of My Life 2

Compassion and Forgiveness: The Story of the Adulterous Woman

by Jeremy Sanchez

written by Hannah Repotente

Have you ever done something you wished never happened? Something so embarrassing or just utterly wrong that once it's all over, you just want to melt right on the spot?

Undeniably, all of us have.

No one is exempted from feeling regret. Our own imperfections as humans make it impossible to always be right, leading to our mistakes which we ultimately want to take back. When these happen, we usually think “Why in the world did I do that?” or “If I can only turn back time...” It’s so shameful to screw up and fail that we wind up thinking that our existence means nothing anymore.

In the Bible, Jesus encountered a woman who did something she regrets. Let’s look at the story of the adulterous woman and see Christ’s grace and compassion to us sinners"

“Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning He was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and He sat down and taught them. As He was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.”

John 8:1-3

Merriam-Webster defined adultery as a “Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man and someone other than his wife or between a married woman and someone other than her husband.” Some synonyms include affair, cheating, two-timing but in the context of marriage. In the present, we view adultery as a minor issue to be addressed. We even use it as a subject of entertainment (let's not forget the Legal Wife, The Other Woman and Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real). But in the ancient times, adultery was viewed as a very serious sin that is punishable by death.

“If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the woman must die…”

Deuteronomy 22:22a

The Pharisees set this encounter to try to find something they can use against Jesus when He speaks. It is stated in the Law of Moses that they must stone an adulterous woman.

“They kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.”

John 8: 7-9

Jesus is without sin, yet He did not throw the stone nor showed any signs of condemnation toward the woman. Despite the heavy weight of her sin, He did not show hostility to her but was calm and peaceful, as if He has no anger upon her.

“Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

John 8:10-11

Jesus knows how much guilt the woman suffered, and He knows how much she wants to repent from it. What He’s telling her is “I know you made a mistake, and you admit it, now, get up, and do your best not to repeat it again.” He forgave her because He saw how much she regrets her actions.

That is also what He wants to say to us.

“You did something wrong? Failed to do what is just? Admit it to me and I am willing to forgive you. I will help you live your life the right way, just confess and repent. You will surely receive my peace and guidance.”

No matter how many times you’ve fallen, God will never run out of love for you. He doesn’t want us to dwell in our failings; He wants us to confess it to Him and He will help you get back up and guide you on the right track, to continue running the race with Him by your side. You are forgiven because of His grace – something we do not deserve.

GOD’S GRACE IS BIGGER THAN YOUR SIN

“…But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”

Romans 5:20

If you think your sins are too big to be given pardon, think again. There is NOTHING that God cannot forgive. If you feel that God cannot forgive you, it is clearly stated in the Bible that He CAN and is WILLING to set you free from your pain. Don’t let your dark past haunt you! Let Jesus steer the wheel in your life.

DON’T LET YOUR PAST DICTATE HOW YOU LIVE BUT JESUS LOVE AND GRACE TOWARDS YOU

Jesus knows EVERYTHING you've gone through, and He knows how deep your past is, but that doesn’t nullify your assurance of forgiveness. You might have done stupid stuff before but that doesn't mean you can stand up once again.

Repenting doesn’t mean being perfect, but turning away from sin and following Christ in your life. Jesus knows we will still fail because we are imperfect, but He still wants to forgive us and bring us back up. That’s how much He loves us. Therefore, we must always keep Jesus in our hearts and minds and continue running the race set out for us.

“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,”

Hebrews 12:1b;c

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith...”

Hebrews 12:2a

Focus your eyes on God’s love, grace, and holiness, not on your past mistakes. Let it go and let God work in your life!

If Jesus, One without sin, forgave unworthy people like us, then we should extend His compassion and grace to other people too.

“You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

Luke 6:36

We have a tendency to judge people so easily without seeing the WHOLE PICTURE of their lives. We should be compassionate and full of mercy to those who do us wrong just as Christ envelops us with grace. Do not condemn others as the Lord never condemns us. Even if they have done wrong against you, forgive and let it go. God will be the one to deliver justice.

“Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”

Romans 12:20-21

It’s not easy to forgive people, but if Jesus forgave us sinners despite the fact that we will still keep failing, we should too. We should all extend love and compassion just as Christ did when He died on the Cross for us because…

GOD’S GRACE WILL MAKE YOU LOVE PEOPLE THE WAY JESUS LOVES US

Don’t let your past weigh you down. Confess and surrender it to God and He will direct your paths. His grace is sufficient and His love never ends. Never give up because God will never give up on you!

The Story of My Life: Born Again? The Story of Nicodemus

The Story Of My Life 1

Born Again? The Story of Nicodemus

by Daniel Carandang

written by AggyApolinario

Who is Jesus?

This question doesn’t come often, and when it does, we almost always think that there’s no need for an answer because we think it’s clear who he is. But the truth is there are a lot of misconceptions and myths about Jesus. We’d probably even get a hundred different answers if we asked a hundred people about him.

We hear stories from when we were younger. As we grew older, we heard more. These are stories that talk about who Jesus is—all very different. As a result, we picture God differently, and sometimes we misunderstand His real identity.

A.W Tozer once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us”. However we picture God, it directly impacts how we live our lives. It affects the way we behave and react to things. This is why it is very important that we have a clear mindset of who He truly is.

The story of Nicodemus is one great example to show us who God is beyond all the stories we’ve heard.

"Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with Him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.””

John 3:1-3

Nicodemus is a Pharisee. He is a very prominent man, and is known to be very religious. He followed many laws, which he believed would earn his way to God. He came to Jesus one night and asked about the Kingdom of God. But Jesus answered him that no one can really see the kingdom of God unless they’re born again. Actually, even before Nicodemus went to Jesus, Jesus already knew what he was seeking. God is very supernatural that way. He knows what we want even before we ask Him. He knows our hearts very well. He knows everything.

Now, to clearly understand this, we have to know that Nicodemus lived the way he did because he believed that it was how he’ll be able to see God’s kingdom. He followed hundreds of laws, even those that are outrageous because he thought it’s a ticket to a ride to heaven, and to hear Jesus’ reply would mean like all of his efforts were put to waste.

Sometimes, we’re like Nicodemus. We do different things like feeding the poor, meditating, attending church, and even inflicting ourselves with pain—all to impress God. We think that when we do these things, it’ll earn us a ticket to God’s kingdom.

So let us ask ourselves…

“Are you trying to earn your way to God?”

Our deeds, although good, will always fall short. No matter how many religious deeds we do, they’ll never be enough. They can never truly get us to God. They can’t give forgiveness for our sins.

“All of us have become like one who is unclean and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”

Isaiah 64:6a

Jesus said that we can only see God’s kingdom when we are born again. Being born again does not mean a physical birth. It isn’t something we do to ourselves. It is something that the Holy Spirit does to us the moment we put our faith in God.

Like the wind, we cannot see it but we can feel it and its effects. It is manifested within us and how our lives our changed because of it.

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:4-8

After all of this, Nicodemus still couldn’t understand. It could be compared with the feeling we get when we stare blankly at a calculus exam. Everything just seemed confusing. None of it made sense for Nicodemus.

The problem was, as Jesus said it, because he didn’t believe. He tried to hold on to what he thought was true instead of what Jesus was revealing to him. He stubbornly disbelieved it.

““How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?”

John 3:9-12

Oftentimes, we also find ourselves disbelieving. We have a lot of questions on our minds, some which we can’t even find answers to. But here is what we should remember: the answer is to know who God is.

“No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven—the Son of Man.”

John 3:13

In here, Jesus is telling us that He is the one. No one has ever gone to heaven, learn how to get there and come back. No, only God can do that! Only Him has the power to reveal these things to us, and He is telling us that He came from heaven and He is GOD.

 So who is Jesus to you?

To some, he’s a moral person, a prophet, and a good man. But He is more than all of those things, and no religious leader is equal to Him. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

And since He is God…..

- His words are absolutely true.

- His Promises are trustworthy.

- His Wisdom is perfect.

- His Power is unstoppable.

- His Love is holy.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

John 3:16-17

There are so many blogs and podcasts that can tell us how to go to heaven, but really, God is the only one who has the authority and credibility to tell us how to get there. ONLY HIM.

There are a lot of problems in this world. People are even debating which one should be called the worst. But truly our real problem is sin. It broke our fellowship with God. We are weak and condemned because of it. And like what was stated in Romans 6:23, “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We cannot help ourselves, and no deed or person can, too. But thousands of years ago, Jesus came into our world and chose to live like us. He was insulted, crucified, and shamed, but He endured it all for us.

This is why we should remember that it isn’t about religious deeds or sects. It is about admitting to God that we need Him. We are helpless in and of ourselves, but by God’s grace through our faith, we can have forgiveness, we can be saved, we can be born again.