TROUBLED PEOPLE TROUBLE PEOPLE

     The purpose of the Church is to be the habitation of God by the Holy Spirit, and the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to rage out of our bellies as a mighty river. What water comes out of you—bitter or sweet? Heaven or hell? How can you tell? Well, is your water wet or dry?

     What is this water? It is life. Water is life. Imagine if they found water on Mars—it would be a celebrated discovery of life on another planet.

     Now, the water is not originally yours. It comes out of you because you drank from it. When Jesus ministered to the woman at the well in John 4, He offered to give her His water if she would ask. The water He would give her would quench her thirst forever. What does this mean? Does it mean she would never need a glass of water again? No. It meant she would no longer have to live searching for the water of life.

     People rarely drink from Jesus. They just have encounters with Him. They want experiences—mystical moments that leave them thirsty for more “enchantments.” But Jesus offers so much more: He offers a river of water. It springs from within us. Jesus makes it clear in John 7 that the Holy Spirit is the river of water springing from our inner being. He said these would be rivers of living water!

     So, when I ask if your water is “wet” or “dry,” I’m obviously inquiring where you’ve been drinking. Those whose water is wet have been drinking from the Holy Spirit. Dry water, then, is the spirit of the world—the spirit of Satan. In the eleventh chapter of his gospel, Luke reveals that devils love dry places. Dry water is all the devils can offer. They can never satisfy man. There’s not enough money, fame, power, or carnal indulgence to quench the thirst of man’s soul. And Satan has no intention of satisfying men’s thirst—he is cruel and loves to torment.

BITTER OR SWEET, BUT NOT BOTH 

      James refers to a fountain that is either bitter or sweet—it cannot be both. Many pour out bitter waters. They leave a sour taste in almost everyone they meet. Why? Because they are bitter. Bitter because they drink from the wrong well. They do not drink from Jesus’ life but rather from Satan’s life.

     They love encounters with God. They chase one conference after another, living in pursuit of “another” word, “another” prophecy, “another” encounter. But their water doesn’t last—it doesn’t satisfy them. They remain bitter, upset with God and how He deals with them. They resist God’s discipline and live frustrated when life—or their Church—doesn’t meet their expectations. Off they go again… to another magic show.

     They are bitter—bitter toward the Church. They complain about being overlooked. They’re mad they don’t get invited to things. They live suspiciously, believing everyone is wrong but them. They conclude that life has robbed them—and it shows. Their bitter waters poison many, according to Hebrews 12.

     They are not gracious but want everyone else to be. They are critical of others but cannot bear to be corrected themselves. It’s always better over there, wherever “there” is—just not where they are. Because nothing is ever enough where they are, if they could get over there, they’d finally be happy and satisfied!

     According to James’ logic, the fountain cannot be both sweet and bitter. The point James is making has to do with living in the flesh or living in the Spirit. How can one tell? If you are living in the flesh, you are set on fire of hell. This is seen in how you talk about others. If you are living in the Spirit, you are living by the wisdom that comes from heaven above.

     If we do not live by the wisdom that comes from the Holy Ghost, then bitterness, strife, and envy will poison our lives. Though multitudes in religion know about grace, they do not operate in grace. They know there is a wisdom from God but find it difficult to stray from their own reasonings. They are not led by the wisdom of the Lord. They have not been drinking from the water Jesus offers. They’ve been drinking from the waters of affliction. They’ve filled themselves with their own wisdom and self-pity, complaining about being unloved and overlooked.

They have taken the cup offered by Satan—the cup of abuse—and now they’ve become the victim. Offended, and by the wisdom of their flesh, they believe they have every right to gripe, complain, and blame others. Their water troubles them—meaning it excites them to disturbance; it annoys and agitates them. Then, they offer that same water to others to drink.

     But it is not the water of life that Jesus offers—it is the water of Satan: very dry. Satan’s “dry” water pours out of them. Soon, their bitter poison will manifest in others whose lives begin to deteriorate just by being around them. It’s incredible how troubled people trouble people.

RELIGIOUS PEOPLE ARE TOXIC

     These troubled people are very smart—by their own estimation. They will let you know that they are well-scripted in the Scriptures. They “know the Word.” They “know the Lord.” But they are toxic. It’s hard to reason with them. They are filled with strife and envy. Their logic has convinced them of what is right and wrong. They are self-convinced they know what God wants and what God would do. And they are dangerous.

     They have a self-righteous view of themselves and are self-justifying—much like the Pharisees who opposed Jesus. Claiming to know God, they oppose all that is truly of God. They are practically impossible to deal with. In their own estimation – they are spiritually elite. Most are not “qualified” to correct them. Their wisdom is from beneath, but they are convinced it is from above.

     They take the Word of God and manipulate it for their own purposes—as though invoking God as their source of justification. They are detached from the Spirit of Life. Their knowledge has blinded them. Their water is poison, and all who drink from them will undoubtedly pay a price. Human reasoning about the letter of Scripture kills—just as the Pharisee with the Law, just as Adam and Eve died from eating from the Tree of Knowledge. Their offspring still choke to death on their own brains.

COME AND DRINK FREELY

     Why is it so hard to drink from the fountain of Jesus? It’s offered freely. All one must do is ask—and Jesus will give the water. Why is it so hard for people to ask for the wisdom from above? Why would anyone not desire to be a fountain that is consistently sweet, not bitter?

     The Holy Ghost is the gift of life—a river of living waters. He is the Father’s provision to bless you, to make you rich, and to make life pleasant. The wet waters of the Holy Spirit are the Father’s provision against the enemy who loves dry places.

     Why not bow before the Lord and ask Jesus for this water? All freedom or bondage is determined by the water you’re drinking. Today, a fountain of Living Water is free for the taking. Nothing can stop you but your own stubbornness.

     Isn’t it time for a sweet life?