The philoso­phers' stone.

The philoso­phers' stone - sometimes referred to as the stone of wisdom - was the name that me­dieval al­chemists gave to a sub­stance, believed to be a stone, that has the abil­i­ty to trans­form base met­als into the no­blest of met­als – gold. However, the concept of a stone was gradually replaced by an elixir and, for cen­turies, sci­en­tists were pos­sessed by the idea of cre­at­ing this di­vine elixir, which could also heal peo­ple from dis­ease and grant them im­mor­tal­i­ty. However, they were actually looking for a mystical oasis that did not, and does not, exist!

Yet the answer was staring them in the face! In John 4, the apostle records the encounter between the Lord Jesus and a Samaritan woman, at the well outside the Samarian city of Sychar - a well that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. In that record we are introduced to the true Fountain of Life that never runs dry, and that always imparts eternal vitality to all who, by faith, partake of its sin-cleansing properties. (see vs.13-14).

When we are redeemed (bought back) through the sacrificial, and atoning, death of the Lord Jesus, He so fills us with "living water" that, if we are living what Watchman Nee called "The Normal Christian Life" (sadly, not very 'normal' in the 'western' church!), we spill over in a witness that produces results for Father God. It is sad that so many believers - including yours truly! - have so many of the valves of our spiritual hearts obstructed by "the things of this world" that the precious flow is restricted, and only an occasional drop is dispensed to unsaved family members, colleagues, and friends.

In our front garden we have our own well. It requires "servicing" before we could properly use it, but one thing that I have noticed is that the water level never drops! It is continually replenished through the local water table. So the Lord Jesus, the Fountain of salvation, not only quenches our spiritual thirst, but gives us such an abundance of Holy Spirit that we, in turn, should be able to dispense the water of life to thirsty sinners!

If you are a believer, are you such a clear channel that the grace you have received overflows freely to others? Am I? Or are sin, and self, clogging our testimony? 

... and a thought: "Instead of being rivers that flow continually, some Christians are like taps that drip occasionally".

Water - we can't live without it!

When I was a boy, there were many who believed that certain markings that had been discovered on the planet Mars were canals.  This was exciting, as canals implied water and, where there was water, there would be life - perhaps even as we know it!   Of course, unmanned explorations of the Red Planet have shown that the markings are not canals and, to the best of our knowledge, there is no water on the planet - certainly not near to the surface.

However, the search goes on, as man seeks to prove that humanity, and the Blue Planet, are not as unique as was once thought.  Personally, I believe that they are - but then I'm a Creationist, not an Evolutionist!

One of the first things we have realised with our new static caravan in France, is the value of water!  For the first time in our lives, our useage of this life-sustaining substance is metered.  We don't simply - as in the UK - pay a set amount, and then use (or waste!) as much water as we wish.  Okay, we're normally in Scotland, rather than the SW of England (with hose-pipe bans), but you get the picture!   Metering means that we are much more careful about how we use - and, if possible, re-use - the precious commodity.

Jesus once spoke with a Samaritan woman, at the well outside the town of Sychar (John 4:1-26).  That He would speak with a woman whom He did not know would have been considered a shocking thing; but the fact that she was also a Samaritan, made the situation doubly so!

He asked her for a drink and, when she expressed surprise that he would do so, He answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."(v.10).   What is "living water"?  Well, it's water that is moving and, therefore, isn't stagnant.  It's water that is fresh, not stale.  It's water that gives life, rather than harbouring disease.

Water was scarce in Jesus' day, yet water was as much a necessity for life then as it is today. Just as the physical body needs water to continue living so does the spirit. Jesus is the water needed by the spiritual part of man. Without Him the spirit will eventually die. The spirit is thirsty and we try to quench that thirst with many things that satisfy for a time but, eventually, we get thirsty again. The only thing that can truly quench the thirst of the spirit is the living water, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the water that brings life to the spirit. By drinking the Living Water one can live and never thirst again. Jesus is that Living Water.  Accept His offer to drink of Him - and know life in all its fulness (John 10:10).