That's Refreshing...

Overview

Kitchens are great places. They’re wonderful places of fellowship and refreshment.

Some pictures from last week at the Lake Geneva School of Cooking with Chef John and his team. (slide 2)

We got to choose one of four entrees we wanted to prepare. I chose pork tenderloin medallions with a mushroom apple reduction finished with a sweet corn garnish. (slide 3)

Where I come from, we just grill the pork and eat applesauce and sweet corn until we fall asleep. Corn isn’t garnish.

Members of our team grilled the pork tenderloins after we seasoned them with a special Chef John dry rub. And they were fine, we had a sample. And I asked Chef Jake, our sous chef, that’s it? Chef Jake’s return comment - ah, Chef Adam, you will experience the full flavor of the meat after it has soaked in the mushroom apple reduction...

He was not kidding. I’m sorry that you weren’t there. You’ll have to trust me on how good it was. (slide 4)

But have you ever found yourself in need of something to refresh your soul? I really really liked the food we made, it was great. Our little dollop of chocolate dessert was awesome. Let me express to you the unbelievable refreshment I had being together in that moment. It was extrovert heaven, just people people people people and nobody really cared who was walking where. It was almost perfect.

Here’s perfect. (slide 5)

That is Bennett Liam Stopka. He’s almost 3 months old and according to his grandma, he’s perfect.

Enjoy the soaking in more than that pouring out.

And right now, grandma, aka Lt. Amanda, is in Florida serving with our EDS response team based in Live Oak, FL. Yesterday 11 mobile SA units fed over 6,000 meals, and Lt. Amanda said she worked with 62 contacts, meaning she prayed with them, provided emotional support, did mental health assessments, and sat with people who were just so hurting they didn’t say anything.

What do they need? What does the world we’re called to serve need? They need people who are soaking in God’s presence.

In Ezekiel 47, the man of God is brought to the entrance of the temple and he is sees water flowing from the temple. The first five verses paint a picture of a literal river not a symbolic one. In Ezekiel 47:3, Ezekiel is brought into the water, but only up to his ankles. In verse 4, it’s up to his knees, and further on, it’s up to his waist. Finally, the river in verse 5 is so high that he can’t cross it without swimming.

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 3: Isaiah–Malachi 1. The Healing Stream (47:1–12)

In like manner the stream of redemption begins as a spring in the born-again soul (John 4:14), but finally gushes forth as “rivers of living water” (John 7:38) to bless a needy world.

John 7:38 HCSB

The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.”

Isn’t it interesting that John doesn’t provide anything else other than ‘believes in me’ as the precursor. But we must believe in, not believe that. Believing that Jesus is the source of the water is one thing. It’s another to believe in the power and depth of Jesus and to rely on it when the stuff around us is challenging.

Don’t ever be afraid go to beyond your eyes into God’s presence.

Why? Three reasons:

1. Because when the water is deep enough to swim in, when the water can not be passed through, it activates dependency on something outside of us. Swimming isn’t an innate, natural activity, otherwise my daughter, Averie, wouldn’t be employed as a lifeguard and swim instructor.

2. Soaking in God’s presence shapes us. When wood crafters need to bend wood, they have to soak it and then apply pressure. If they only apply pressure without the soaking, the boards break.

3. We want others to experience the gift of life that flows from God’s presence. In Ezekiel 47:8 the river of life transforms the Dead Sea into a living sea teaming with life.

Are you dipping into the River of Life?

Are you soaking in the presence of God for the preservation of your soul, mind, body, and spirit?

Find time every day to just soak Him up. Don’t focus on what He can do for you, just focus on who He is. That’s enough, to pursue presence over pace.

With so much work to be done, we don’t stand a chance if we, the crooked sticks, aren’t soaking in the presence of God, in order that we become straight sticks.

So, come on it, the river of life is ready to refresh you.