Hot Water – Warmth and Water, the Source of Life.

             Hot water is wonderful! It is perfect for a tired and sore body, relaxes tight muscles, and brings warmth to the coldness of my body. Hot water is great when added to tea and other refreshments.

The sun brings life with the warmth of its rays. Plants grow under the power of sunlight. As the morning sun rises it burns away the fog, brings the warming power to every place the ray’s touch.

Sunlight's effect on water is that it heats the body of water. It is the difference between a lake in winter and the same lake in summer. When the light of the Son shines upon us, we are likewise warmed through the power of the Spirit.

Collectively, the warm water is the church, made up of many believers, who through the Holy Spirit form the most powerful body of life for change. The hot water (the Church of Jesus Christ) has the ability to directly impact the four elements in the lower part of the iceberg.

Likewise, the power of this collective body (hot water) can encourage, strengthen, guide, and empower a person to overcome their traumatic past. Where trauma has produced negative thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and emotions, the body of Christ can reverse that through the teachings of Christ.

As the person learns forgiveness, true love, and hope, this changes their beliefs and thoughts. They grow and begin to heal. The warmer they become, the stronger they grow. The community can give them a support network to provide reliance and healing. As the Holy Spirit works, they begin to see the world through the eyes of Christ. They learn empathy, compassion, and a prosocial mindset.

However, I have seen far too many people hold onto their hurt, pain, trauma, perhaps out of fear of dealing with it head on. More often than not, they have become accustomed to the freezing water, and the change is too much to endure. These people often become lukewarm Christians at best or slip away back to the deep, icy water of despair and depression.

Questions:

·    How can the church work better at being hot for Jesus?

·    How have you seen the healing power in your own life?

·    What do you believe is the hindrance (personally) from fully engaging the Spirit and His church, in order to grow stronger?

·    Why do you believe people prefer the cold, hurtful way of life over finding healing?