RIVERS OF LIVING WATER
he weary elephants on their long journey were so thirsty as they crossed the brutal sandy desert. The elephant matriarch knew that beyond the desert was an island where their thirst would be quenched. The other elephants put great trust in her memory as there was no end in sight. Suddenly they finally arrived at an island with Baobab trees! Baobab trees have trunks that are swollen with all of the water from the last year's rainy season. It was the only water for 200 miles. The older elephants ripped open the thick bark so the baby elephants could reach the water stored beneath. They were saved! (Elephants - The Disney Channel).
One day as I was waking up, I heard the Lord say baobab tree, baobab tree, baobab tree. I had seen one in South Africa many months ago, but at the time I thought, "Lord what is that?" As I prayed great passion and excitement came upon me to see how something in God's creation, a baobab tree can so beautifully mirror God's desire for His people!
Baobab trees grow in Africa and Australia, and they can live for many, many years. They can grow up to 16-98 ft tall and they are so big that some of them can hold up to 40 people inside!
They are very durable and hard to kill. Even if you strip their bark off, it just grows back. They create their own ecosystems because they are a life source for many animals. The fruit of the baobab has many vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, and the bark can be used to make many items such as rope, cloth, and baskets (Kruger Park). The Baobab is sometimes known as the tree of life, because of the 1200 gallons of water it can hold. It is a giant succulent and 80% of its trunk is made of water.
In John 14, Jesus says that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. Jesus tells the woman at the well that He has living water, and that if she drinks of it she will never grow thirsty again (John 4). John 7:38 declares that "rivers of living water will flow from His heart."
In many ways, Jesus is like our Baobab tree. He is all we need to survive and thrive and experience true life! And because we are to be like Christ, we are called to be Baobab trees for others. God is asking us to be filled to overflowing with the Spirit and the anointing, so that we create an atmosphere of life to those who are empty and hurting. There is a great opportunity during this time to be stores of God's living water that can be poured out on others. We must let the fountain of living water flow through us, and produce much fruit and fruit that remains that will bring healing to the hurting. God desires that we be like a shelter and safe place to those who need protection, and that we create an atmosphere and ecosystem of heaven everywhere we go. God has called us for such a time as this to save lives physically and spiritually. I encourage you right now to spend precious intimate time with the Lord during this time, and also to be a baobab tree for others. Ask God for creative ways to love others especially during this time of quarantine, but also from now on as there will be difficult times ahead. You have the power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead inside of you, so let it flow!
~ Crystal Rupp
You Need It
We need the anointing! The anointing is what breaks every yoke (Isaiah 10:27). Jesus didn't do any miracles until the anointing came upon Him (Luke 3:22). How do we get more of the anointing? We must get rid of the spirit of poverty which hinders the anointing from flowing in our lives. The spirit of poverty causes us to resist the anointing and we won't even recognize our need for it.
The spirit of poverty is the opposite of being filled with the anointing. We want to be full of the anointing and His Spirit and His power! The anointing is what comes and conforms us and shapes us into Jesus; it's the power to be His witnesses. Often people have the spirit or mindset of poverty and they don't even know it.
In the parable of the talents those who multiplied the talents were wonderful stewards of what God had given them, but the one who hid his talent didn't understand the master, and because of false mindsets of fear and poverty, he was unable to steward the things of the Lord.
God comes and places His Kingdom within us and He expects us to produce fruit! God isn't looking at you and what you are and what you're not. He's looking at His power in you.
Tune in to our podcast to find out the characteristics of the spirit of poverty
and how to get rid of it so the anointing can flow in your life!!