Living Waters or Broken Cisterns

By Paul Veach

Substitution. This is the great sin of the Israelites in the Old Testament. In Jeremiah 2:13, God states that they had committed two evils. They had forsaken God, "the fountain of living waters," and had replaced Him with broken cisterns, "which can hold no water." This is also the great sin of the Laodicean Church and the average church member in America today; God calls them wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. What happened? In both cases, the average "believer" had substituted the power of the Holy Spirit for acts of religion. In the average church, focus is on activity, pounding ungodly rock music, and "excitement"-all of which gets the blood pumping and the heart beating fast, but is a work of the flesh nonetheless. God also called the Laodicean Church member lukewarm. The actual temperature of lukewarm is 98 degrees, near the natural body temperature. Lukewarm is a production of the flesh in worship. This book serves as both a warning and as a teaching tool to instruct honest seekers yearning to live a life in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's not only necessary, but is what God expects of a true Christian. The choice is yours: living waters...or broken cisterns.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645699477

Book preview

Illuminate - 3/27/16

What does it take to hear from God?

Your path to illuminate?

Though daily praying on your knees

And pound on heaven’s gate?

God will not speak to prideful men

When sins are unconfessed

Righteous paths they’ll seek in vain

Their life will not be blessed

Most men are led by their own flesh

Not by the Spirit of God

Though they proclaim to know the truth

It’s their own praise they laud

To hear from God, this simple truth

Confess your sins each day

The Spirit, then, will illuminate

His Lamp will guide your way

God’s Word will then be real to you

His presence you will know

His light will shine upon His Word

Only then as a Christian you’ll grow.

Paul Veach

March 27, 2016

Easter

Illuminate

by Vonda Murdock

Psalm 119:105

God declares in Psalm 119:105 that His Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. If we are rightly aligned with God, He will provide gentle direction to our life. His will for our life will become easy to discern as we seek Him each day. Why, then, do so many Christians stumble in darkness and struggle with decisions in their lives? I am convinced it has much to do with their relationship with the Word of God. God’s will is not a difficult thing to discern. Scripture reveals His expressed will in many areas. For example, He is not willing that any should perish. So His will is that all men accept Jesus Christ as Savior and put their trust in Him alone for salvation. Additionally, He desires we confess our sins daily, that we walk in the Spirit, that we fellowship with Him throughout the day, that we obey His Word, and that we walk humbly. Simple, huh? Yes, but not easy!

But I understand the struggle people face. It’s the decisions in life they want God to direct; do I move to that city, do I take this job, do I purchase this thing, and do I marry this person? This is often where the will of God seems cloudy to His children. Yet God desires to direct even in the small decisions. How is this done?

First and foremost, most people do not hear from God because they are not on good talking terms with Him. Their relationship is casual and not, as God desires, personal, close, and passionate. They say they fellowship with Him, but in reality, their prayer life is a list of wishes and their Bible reading is mechanical. John, in I John 1:6–7, calls these people liars. So again, how is this done? My pastor has written a small booklet entitled How to Have a Real Relationship with God available for a nominal cost from hopebiblicalcounseling.com. This pamphlet has been life changing for many people.

To summarize his first point, every day we need to fellowship with God. This fellowship should consist, first of all, with a sincere humbling of our heart to God. We must ask, Is there any sin that stands between You and me? If so, please show me. And then wait patiently and allow God to speak to your heart. Realize that God will not illumine your paths and guide your decisions if there is known unconfessed sin in your life. True fellowship consists of asking God questions and then waiting patiently for His Spirit to speak to your heart. There are other questions this booklet recommends that will empower your devotional life and radically change your Christian walk.

If you find you do not have a passion for the Word of God, confess that as sin and ask Him to give you a hunger and thirst for His Word. As you read your Bible, I recommend a good commentary, such as the one written by J. Vernon McGee, to have available with you as you allow the Spirit of God to shed light on your path through God’s Word.

A Sweet Life - 3/27/16

Does God’s Spirit within you live?

Have you repented of sin?

Have you bowed your heart at the cross of Christ?

Does His Spirit reside within?

Men make paths of their own to God

In these, though, you do not well

You think you have eternal life

Without Christ you’ll awake in hell

The role of the Spirit within your life

Is to point you to God’s own Son

To conform you to the image of Christ

And the self-will way to shun

To walk in Christ is to die to self

To choose to submit to His will

Abide in His Word and in fellowship

Then you with His Spirit will fill

Life will be sweet and your days will be good

When His righteous path you choose

Though doubtless, you’ll have many trials to face

But now His power you can use

So repent of your sin, accept Christ in your heart

And live for eternity

Walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh

And be what God wants you to be

Paul Veach

March 27, 2016

Easter

A Sweet Life

I Peter 3:8–12

Ephesians 4:17–32

James 4:6–10

All of us, I’m sure, want a sweet life, a life that is, well, good ! I Peter 3:8–12 outlines very specifically how to have this kind of life:

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

To have a good life you will love and see good days, one must first surrender their heart to God and accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior. Then endeavor to walk in the Spirit. The challenge to having a good life is the degree to which we walk in the Spirit. What does this mean, this walking in the Spirit?

At salvation, God grants us a new nature (Eph. 4:17–32) that, unfortunately, does not automatically overpower our old, sinful nature. Our Christian walk then is a constant battle of the old nature with the new. Whichever one becomes predominant is best explained by the following story: An old farmer had two dogs of roughly the same size that constantly fought one another. When asked which dog won the fights, the farmer replied, Whichever one I feed. When we submit to our lusts and walk in anger and pride, we feed our old nature and we displease Christ. So how to walk in the Spirit?

The Holy Spirit lives within us and yearns to help us walk a godly life. But to do so requires submission. When we are faced with a moment of spiritual impact, we have two paths we can take. We can choose to respond in pride and in the power of the old nature, or we can choose to humble ourselves, confess we are weak, and turn the situation over to God. This is the act of humbling ourselves before God, and it is the only way to live godly. James 4:6–10 describes this process. To refuse to turn it over to God at the point of spiritual impact is to say you don’t need God’s help. God calls this pride, and He not only will not help you, but His Word says He will actively resist you. The things that qualify as spiritual impact moments are as variable as people are. The things that may bother me might not bother you and vice versa. But Satan has our number and knows the things that distress us. It might be a flat tire, an angry spouse, a disobedient child, an unkind word, and so forth. Submit at the moment of impact and, further, ask God if there is anything you can thank Him for and praise Him for.

This process is not a natural thing. It requires discipline. I learned this process from my pastor, Dr. Terry Coomer—years ago, and it has made a great difference in my life, and I have had good days, and I love life!

Now and Then - 3/28/16

When the path grows dark before me

And my way so stony grows

I will run for refuge to the Light

And fellowship with Sharon’s Rose

And though my eyes can’t see the future

I know One who sees it clear

His Lamp will light my darkened pathway

As I keep my Savior near

Though human eyes may dim

I’ll ever trust in Him

For He has given me His grace

Though human strength may fail

As I walk my earthly trail

I long to see Him face-to-face

Chorus: When I see You in Your glory

And I bow before Your throne

I will praise Thee Thou my Savior

And for making me Your own

I will bow in adoration

Kneel and praise You face-to-face

In Your mercy You have saved me

In Your love You gave me grace

My eyes will never dim

When I stand with Him

In the presence of my King

My body strengthened new

When I stand in heaven’s view

Of my Savior I’ll forever sing

When I see You in Your glory

And I bow before Your throne

Paul Veach

March 28, 2016

A song, to the tune of William Joseph’s Sweet Remembrance of You

Now and Then

Revelation 4:9–5:12

Several years ago (in preparation for a Sunday school lesson I never taught), I spent countless hours in the Scripture reading all the descriptions of the throne room of heaven. As I was constructing my fleshly ideas of its beauty, I stopped the study when I realized that its true beauty was that my precious Savior was there and was the source of the beauty and majesty.

A number of years passed; my daughter brought to me a song from YouTube written by a piano player, William Joseph. The song was entitled, Sweet Remembrance of You. As there were no words to the song, one could close one’s eyes and allow their spirit to be taken to heavenly places, so beautiful was the music. As I sat and listened, my mind went back to the throne room of heaven and what I might see there. As the music lifted in a crescendo, I knew that I would not see the beauty there, for my rightful position will be on my face before Him, singing His due praises.

I entitled the words I wrote for this song, Now and Then. It is for the differences in our eyesight now, as we see through a veil darkly, and then when we see our Savior in all His glory. Now, our path can become dark and stony, our vision darkened by our lack of faith, and our strength fails. But then—oh, then! Our eyes will see Him, and we will realize His worth and worship Him with a pure worship.

Now and then. Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain.

March 28, 2016

A Wound - 3/28/16

All my sins a shame before me

As I view the wounds I’ve caused

The print of nails still in Your hands and feet

You, my Savior and my God

When I fail to walk within Your Light

It seems I wound my Savior still

And grieve the Holy Spirit in me

When I walk in my self-will

Again, to wound my Savior, Master

By this, a man of earthen sod

To think that Christ in human vessel

Would humbly bow beneath man’s rod

Oh, may I never wound my Savior

In failing to submit to Him

View pierced brow and nail print hands

And pray my love will never dim

Paul Veach

March 28, 2016

A Wound

Isaiah 53

On Easter 2016, my pastor preached a sermon, of course, on the resurrection of Christ. He spoke a phrase that the wounds of Christ were because of our sin. Isaiah 53, one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible, says, But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed (verse 5).

Indeed, His wounds were for my sin. As a Christian, we can continue to wound our Savior. Not in the flesh as when He was on earth, of course, but we can grieve Him with our ungodly ways and lack of submission to His Word. These wounds can still pierce His heart and drive His presence away.

This poem expresses the cry of my heart that I would live a life in submission to God and walk always in His Spirit.

In your time with God today, do you dare ask Him if any of your ways grieve or wound Him?

Weak and Strong - 3/30/16

Weakened brother, without hope

Despairing of your life

Clouds of doubt encompass you

Defeated, bathed in strife

You cannot glory in your God

Your lips can’t utter praise

You struggle with your cords of sin

Your lusts your body craves

Afraid to walk in truth with God

Or control your inner thought

Emotion-led, live in defeat

Though peace you often sought

The strong are called to lift the weak

To bear infirmities

Investing of their precious time

Their own selves not first to please

This help is given not of self

This wisdom not their own

In Christ is found the source of help

Through scripture hope is known

Only through the Word of God

Can weak men be made strong

One mouth, one mind, to praise the Lord

And sing the victor’s song

Paul Veach

March 30, 2016

Weak and Strong

Romans 15

The Bible speaks frequently of the responsibility of the Christian to live a selfless life in service to God and to his fellow man. This is not an easy commission to obey because we are, by our old nature, selfish creatures. While we might expect full-time Christian workers (pastors, missionaries, etc.) to live a selfless life and make themselves available to anyone anywhere anytime, we do not usually hold ourselves to this same standard.

My pastor often counsels other pastors and missionaries who have attempted to serve and minister to others but have collapsed in exhaustion. Often the problem is that in their desire to minister to others, they have neglected the needful thing of cultivating their own relationship with God and find themselves exhausted after ministering in the power of the flesh. It is difficult to give to others from an empty vessel. Christ has to fill our vessel—to be our help—before we can minister to a weaker brother.

Romans 15, especially verses 1, 2, 3, and 13, speaks of this giving of our self to others. Paul is careful here to point out that we must first be filled with the Spirit and refreshed ourselves before we can accomplish the ministering discussed in verses 29–33.

May God help us to take our time with Him seriously and be diligent in being refreshed through His Word.

The Fiery trial - 4/3/16

Think it not strange you’ve a fiery trial

For such is common to man

Know that the sorrow and grief that you face

Are part of God’s eternal plan

When Christ, in His flesh, walked earthly soil

Though perfect, chose suffering

To demonstrate hope to struggling man

That we might in victory sing

Though dark be the path you walk in the night

In sorrow, your hours may pass

Yet through comfort of scriptures, you doubtless will find

That this trial, like night, will not last

So rejoice in the Spirit, embrace suffering

In your life as you suffer your loss

That the trial will serve to drive you to Christ

And as gold, He might burn off your dross

Paul Veach

April 3, 2016

The Fiery Trial

I Peter 4:12, 13

As our pastor was preaching through I Peter, he came to these two verses:

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

No one likes to struggle, and no one in their right mind likes trials. Yet it is the wisdom of God that through trials we would be conformed to the image of Christ. It is in our trials, these very trials, that He calls us to rejoice. Too often, however, we wail and groan and kick and cry in the struggle. Why is this? That we would fight against the very plan of God to purify us in this life? Sadly, we do not readily submit to God.

When trials come into our life, our first response should be to ask God if this trial has come because of a sin in our life. If His Spirit indicates it has, our only recourse is to confess and forsake that sin and make things right. If amends need to be made, be quick to make them. But if God reveals to you it is not for sin in your life, then there is a lesson He desires to teach you. Ask Him to show you that lesson and learn it quickly, that when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Are you in trials now?

Ask God the questions you need to ask.

Rachel’s Song - 4/3/16

From the house of the Lord, the rivers flow free

His pleasure to give to His child

To the sinner who once had no fear for his God

But through Christ has been reconciled

Lovingkindness so full, never-ending supply

Who abundantly gives of His heart

The rivers of pleasure He pours on our life

And bountiful mercy impart

A refuge in trouble, a tower of strength

He gives us the shadow of wings

From this secret place, our strength is restored

And our voice of His praises will sing

His faithfulness spreads to the clouds of the air

His judgments are a great deep

His righteousness soars where the mountains touch sky

Yet man, in His hand, will He keep

With Thee is the source of the fountain of life

Your light, the source of the day

The upright in heart will see face-to-face

My God, is all we can say

Paul Veach

April 3, 2016

Rachel’s Song

Psalm 36:5–10

One Sunday afternoon, Rachel and I were sitting in our home office discussing what the Lord was showing each of us in our private devotions. This is something we have often done for most of our marriage. It provides a great context to minister to one another and share things of depth in each other’s life. That morning before church, God had led her to Psalm 36 in her devotions. The phrase in verse 8, Drink of the river of Thy pleasures, had been in her mind all morning. When she shared the phrase with me, we looked at the Psalm together. I saw where in verses 5–10 David was exuberant in his praise to God. As I pondered those verses at my desk, my wife asked, Would you write a poem about that for me? Having already determined to do so, I looked anew at these verses. Do you realize that this is what you will do for eternity? The song we sing will be simple praise to God for His endless virtues. I often ponder: how can a man of flawed flesh and blood give praise of any worth to the Creator of all? For this reason, the final line in the poem says what it says. It is called Rachel’s Song because as she was sharing with me the passage of scripture, her heart cried out, I just want to sing praise to God!

By the way, this is an excellent way to connect to and train your children to have a real relationship with God. Our pastor has taught this method for many years; just ask your children heart questions (such as what is God showing you in scripture today?) to determine if they are developing a heart for God or are headed down worldly paths.

The Spirit’s Call - 4/4/16

Respond to the Spirit when He speaks to you

Lest He calleth to you in vain

You can choose to walk in the path He leads

Or the walk in the Spirit to feign

Many will turn a deaf ear to His call

Choosing to live life in their pride

Rejecting His leading, live in self-strength

And refuse in His Word to abide

Devoured by Satan, that lion who seeks

The Christian who lives on their own

Who refuses to search in the scriptures each day

That the Lord they might closer have known

The Spirit will give understanding so clear

That you know your own character, true

To understand God and how you should walk

To live with a biblical view

If you cannot give ready answers to men

When asked, What’s God saying to you?

Then you are the one He calleth in vain

Who pulled back as the Spirit yet drew

Paul Veach

April 4, 2016

The Spirit’s Call

I Peter 5:8

Hebrews 12:5–15

Proverbs 5:22

Proverbs 28:9

Have you ever seen a video of a lion stalking its prey? He never attacks the strong animal in the middle of the herd but instead chooses a weaker younger animal standing on the periphery. The Bible describes Satan as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Like the lion on the African plain, Satan looks for the Christian who is weak and poorly nourished in the Word of God, not having fellowship with God. This Christian who walks apart from God actively chooses to live life in their own strength.

Yet God persists in drawing the straggler back to Himself. In Hosea 11:4, God speaks of drawing them with cords of a man, with bands of love. The bands of God’s love are designed to draw us closer to His side. Sadly, this passage also speaks of the cords of a man. These are the cords of his own sin, described well in Proverbs 5:22, that wrap tighter and tighter as man refuses to repent. In Hebrews 12:5–15, God describes this as the chastening of a son who refuses to submit. These cords are not designed to hurt yet will bring pain as unrepentant man fights against them. God’s purpose in chastening is to bring repentance, not harm. When a man turns his ear away from hearing God’s Word (Proverbs 28:9) and makes his ear deaf to the Holy Spirit, he now reaps the bondage his sin has sown.

There is an old joke that tells of a man drowning in a lake. As he treads water, a man in a canoe stops near him and asks if he needs help. Desiring to demonstrate his faith, he replies, No, thank you. God is going to save me. Later, a man in a rowboat approaches and asks if he needs help. Once again, assured of God’s miraculous intervention soon, he declines the offer for assistance. A third boat, a motorboat, arrives, and help is offered but is again refused. Needless to say, the man drowns. In heaven, he asks God, Why didn’t You save me? God replied, I sent a canoe, a rowboat, and a motorboat. What more did you want?

Sometimes we are deaf to what God’s Holy Spirit is saying to us. This is usually because we have our own agenda and are not really listening. When we refuse to take the time to listen to the Spirit of God in our life, we are drowning yet rejecting the help God has mercifully sent. We want help, but we usually want it our way. We insist God do a work in our life, and we have already planned what, when, and how. That’s not listening to the Spirit of God,