LIVING WATER

Matthew 25:34-37 & 40 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink ... "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?" The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

The Zimbabwean cholera outbreak is an ongoing cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe that began in August 2008, swept across the country and spread to Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia By 23 July 2009 there had been 98,592 reported cases and 4,288 deaths making it the deadliest African cholera outbreak in last 15 years. The Zimbabwean government declared the outbreak a national emergency and requested international aid. The principal cause of the outbreak is lack of access to safe water in urban areas. This is due to the collapse of the urban water supply, sanitation and garbage collection systems, along with the onset of the rainy season leading to feces with cholera bacteria being washed into water sources, in particular public drains, as well as providing readily available but contaminated water. Wikipedia

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Awareness is the first step and action, in the name of Christ, to help is the next. I received my second newsletter for Campus Crusade for Christ, who we support with prayers and offerings, updating the details of this crisis situation. 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water. For children under age 5, water-related diseases are the leading cause of death. American families use an average of 400+ gallons of water per day – African families use about 5 gallons a day. The water and sanitation crisis there claims more lives through disease than any war claims through weapons. Water is an absolute necessity to life. Water is scarce, murky and contaminated with life-threatening germs. So when CCC teams bring lifesaving water filters to these thirsty people suffering from waterborne illnesses, it easily translates to talking about the Living Water of Jesus Christ, and, of course, they need them both. Clean water opens the door to life, health and faith. The Zimbabwean people are spiritually thirsty as they are physically thirsty, and mission teams are providing a wellspring of each.

John 6:35 “Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

I hope that you take a minute to pray about, research and check into this dire need for clean drinking water for these dear people, made in the image of God, and precious in His sight. And if you are able, to help in some way, shape or form. There are many organizations on the internet that you can contact; we used www.ccci.org/water. May God bless you.

Revelation 21:2-6 “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.”

In Christ, Brian