I want to share this with you: Sharon, my wife stopped at the Albertsons Grocery Store in Rio Rancho, New Mexico on Southern blvd. on the way home Monday eveningand was in line and an elderly lady in front of her at the check out lane was crying. Before Sharon could get to the lady the store manager came and helped the lady out of the line and took her over to an empty check out and went and got her a big bouquet of fresh flowers! The ladies husband had just passed away and the people at the store knew of that and wanted to show their love to her. Sharon walked out of the store with the lady, who appeared to be in her 80’s…….and the lady cried all the way to her car with her flowers saying, “It’s so sweet that these folks would give me flowers!”  Here we see the love of God from these folks at Albertsons…….people taking time to show love. Time out of their busy day to show true love. People that actually STOPPED what they were doing to help this lovely lady. What a great store manager and staff! Only if more would show the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Every life is precious, every person is dealing with an issue or issues. Model Jesus.

From this weeks sermon at Revive Church in Rio Rancho:

As we think about the “Bride of Christ”, The Church, The Fellowship of Believers- the main ingredient that is needed to maintain that fellowship is LOVE!

The bible says that LOVE comes before anything else! It must be the foundation of everything we do. Holding others accountable is also part of love.

John 13:34-35New International Version (NIV)

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

So we are ion the NT and Jesus is saying, A NEW COMMAND I give to you…..

“COMMAND: means it’s not optional!

And then He starts talking about “Loving one another”

In fact, He says it THREE TIMES! in this text!   “Love one another”

Psalm 63:1 “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

Psalm 42:1-2 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”

John 7:37-38 “Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.”

John 4:14 Jesus answered… “But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst again. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Psalm 107:9 “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”

Physical thirst is compared with spiritual thirst.  The empty soul. The dry soul. The longing soul to know Him more deeply- A yearning, a thirst after righteousness.  Find the quenching satisfaction of that thirst through Jesus Christ.  Only Jesus, the Living Water, can satisfy the thirsty soul. Come to Him. Run to the One who alone can quench your thirst. He has been waiting for you.

Fill My Cup Lord
By Richard Blanchard

Like the woman at the well I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy,
And then I heard my Savior speaking
Draw from my well that never shall run dry

Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole

There are millions in this world who are craving
The pleasures earthly things afford
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord

Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole

Yesterday I was at our monthly food pantry where I serve as a volunteer.  I am responsible for overseeing the registration process. However this position takes my heart far beyond the paperwork. I would like to share with you some of the sights, sounds, words and emotions experienced in an evening ministering to hurting, hungry people who share their personal stories with us. Please pray.

welcome
I need to talk with you
illness
mommy crying
gratefulness
hospitality
listening
love
praying
food
pain
men crying
offering
confused
amputate
free clothing
heartbroken
compassion
pray for me
my mom died last week
physical food
spiritual food
rest
people
conversation
encouragement
lost
you are special
coming in
going out
refreshment
a blessing
blind
a time to visit
sick
tears
relief
car broke down
seniors supporting seniors
collections
I made this for you
lives
a gift
God provides
pray for us
grateful for a job
Jesus
for Him
family
dying
embracing
confined
scripture
we lost our house
prayer
words of encouragement
children laughing
lonely
caring
listening
we are so grateful
oppressed
tears
praise the Lord
needs
barely holding on
pain
sharing
wheelchair
I need prayer
service times
can you help me
neighbors
lost my job
alcoholic
first time
living in a camper
community
oxygen
new job
I need help
hands and feet of Jesus
I never thought…
embrace
strength
encouragement
we have no income
God is using you
thank you
pancreatic cancer
arrested
restraining orders
Jesus
lost my job
divorce
remission
joy
wounds
my husband left me
hospice
my walker
holding hands
serve
diagnosed
missing
distribution
they took my children
veteran
breast cancer
abandoned
benign
malignant
healed
tears
holding
Mommy, I’m hungry
terminal
supporting
hungry children
hug
cancer
custody
holding hands
if only…
I have nothing
autism
what am I going to do
tears
God bless you
thank you
you are a blessing
touch
disability
addicted to drugs
just hanging on
tears
I’m scared
healing
in Jesus’ name, Amen

Revelation 7:16-17 “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”