From: "Beverly French" <frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us>
To: "Heritage" <gheritage.ga@verizon.net>
Subject: Greetings To All
Date: Sunday, December 15, 2002 7:16 AM

"For with Thee is the fountain of life;
 In Thy light we see light."  Psalm 36:9

Last week in speaking of God's Gift to mankind we saw that "In Him (Jesus)
was life; and the life was the light of men."  John 1:4

Today's Scripture speaks of the fountain of life.  Webster's Dictionary
defines fountain as "a spring or source of water; the source or origin of
anything."  Our verse is telling us that the Lord is the source and origin
of life.  So with these thoughts in mind let us look at some Scriptures that
refer to 'the fountain of life'.

It Issues from God's House:
"Then he [my guide] brought me again to the door of the house [of the
Lord--the temple], and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of
the temple..."  Ezekiel 47:1

Christ the Source:
"Jesus answered her, 'If you had only known and had recognized God's gift
and Who this is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked
Him [instead] and He would have given you living water."  John 4:10

It Satisfies the Deepest Needs;
"Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out,
saying, 'If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink."  (The margin
says, 'let him keep coming to Me and let him keep drinking.)
Jesus goes on, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his
innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'"
And He tells us of the means of this 'flow of living water' in the next
verse;
"But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to
receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet
glorified."  John 7:37-39

The Supply is Inexhaustible:
"For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall
lead them unto living fountains of waters..."  Revelation 7:17
"And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming
from the throne of God and of the Lamb..."  Revelation 22:1-2

This fountain of life as living water comes from the house of God, Jesus is
the source, it satisfies, and it is inexhaustible.

Now let's look at references to God's light:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation;
 Whom shall I fear?"  Psalm 27:1a

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
 The Lord gives grace and glory;
 No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly."  Psalm 85:11

"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you,
that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."  1 John 1:5

"And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the
light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall
illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever."  Revelation 22:5

Along with the Scriptures of last week concerning Christ, the light, we see
in Revelation 21:23,
"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moo, to shine in it;
for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

Christmas is the time of celebrating of the birth of Christ, the eternal
Gift of God!  He is life and light to whomever will receive Him.
The tragedy is that for many, Christ, who is the reason for Christmas, is
set aside for all those other activities that take place during this
season.  Let us not be among those.  Rather, let us lift our voices and
with grateful hearts give our Lord Jesus, the Christ, the praise, honor and
adoration that is due Him now and forever.  Amen.