Re: Why Water??

[Keithjmoon70@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 6/27/2003 1:31:03 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
sschrade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

> >>What worries me is that he is focused more on the sea than the River. 
> >>He doesn't seem to know the difference, but he is not letting it go.
> 
> Aren't you being a little too literal in your interpretation here?  It'd
> be hard for humans to completely *avoid* the sea.  Even God-fearing humans.
> 

I know, because we are in a situation where there is a sea. I see Pete being 
on this sea in his present circumstance and it is quite literal to him, but he 
may not know what way is up. Am *I* going to come to his rescue?   That's 
ridiculous. But it is hard for me to watch, just like it is hard for us all to 
watch.  

Whenever I hear "The Sea Refuses No River", It is hard to listen to because 
to me it is backwards.  We "go down" to the sea. (Like in drowned, but the 
concept of love in that song is beautiful) It is in effect calling God "The Sea", 
which according to the bible is not the case because that is not positive. 

God is the River and He is the Rain. He is the Eternal supply, always Fresh 
and always new. He comes from above and gets into us to quench all of our 
dryness and inner thirst. "Love Reign O'er Me" is a masterpiece. He drenches us 
with His love in a cleansing flood.  Many often want to do something for God.  
However, this is allowing God to do something for us.  Something we could never 
do without Him.  He displaces our inner negative situation because it is God's 
innate function to flow.  It is just what He does.  He can only flow into an 
"Empty Glass".  If it is full, there will be no room to  receive Him.  We are 
vessels that have to be open in order to receive this kind of flow.  

"Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, 
saying 'If anyone thirst let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes into 
me, as the scriptures said, out of his innermost being (spirit) shall flow 
rivers of living water',  But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who 
believed in Him were about to receive, for the Spirit was not yet, because 
Jesus was not yet glorified" (he hadn't gone to the cross yet to pay for sins and 
come up in resurrection in the form of the Life giving Spirit to enter into 
man) John 7:37-39


This is of course my view according to my understanding and experience. 

Pete has touched eastern mysticism and Sufism, among many other things 
certainly.  There are some similarities and like principles, but the person of God 
is not the same and the goal isn't the same.  The source and the goal are what 
are important to me, because I don't want to be merely adrift on an ocean with 
no purpose and no aim saying high things for who knows what reason other than 
to tickle some ears while I am getting blown all over the place.  Genuine 
spirituality is very practical and I even heard Pete himself make that statement. 


Jon in Mi.