THY KINGDOM COME (3)

“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did” (John 4:28-30, 39 NKJV)

The Kingdom of God expands as those who had tasted the goodness of its King broadcast their testimonies to motivate others to come to Him.  The most unpatriotic citizen of the kingdom of God is a man or woman who having experienced the goodness of the kingdom refuse to share his or her experience with those who are still outside the Kingdom.  The Psalmist declared, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8 NKJV).  So many people are wallowing in ignorance of the goodness of God because people who know something of that goodness are not talking about it. Yet the Bible testifies of God that “He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9 NKJV).  Human beings are hungry for what their achievements can never provide for them. Human souls are hungry for God!  It has been said that there is a God-shaped hollow in the soul of man, which nothing else but God can fill. Over the centuries, people have tried to fill this cavity with religion, pleasure, entertainment, and so on but to no avail. God has the answer to the deepest of human longings. He promised, “I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:14 NKJV).

 The woman of Samaria chanced upon our Lord and King and tasted of His overflowing goodness.  She became instantly satisfied and dropped her waterpot as she instantly received within her soul “a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14 NKJV).  She could not contain the joy of her new discovery of the Fountain of eternal goodness all by herself. She ran off to the village and announced, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” This woman had married five times and probably divorced five times. At the time she met Jesus she was living with a man who she was not married to. She was in every way a most unlikely instrument for God to use to advance the cause of His kingdom. Yet God used her! He too can use you, if only you will tell others what He has done for you. God knows how to make something good out of the worst of us.

This woman of Samaria is known in church history as St Photini. She, her five sisters and two sons, Photinus and Joseph became fiery evangelists and died as martyrs in the hand of Nero, the notorious emperor of Rome in the first century. Photini was charged before a special court headed by the daughter of Nero, named Domnina.  The bold testimony of Photini so convicted Domnina that she ended up becoming a believer in Christ along with the entire jury.  The emperor did everything to subdue her but she stood tall for Christ. A sorcerer was hired to poison her; she drank the poison as if it was ordinary water and the sorcerer called on Christ to save her soul. She was thrown into prison and she converted all the prisoners and the prison officials to Christ. She led so many people to Christ that she is regarded as the first evangelist of the church and ranked equal to the apostles, especially in the Orthodox tradition.  St Photini, the woman Jesus met at the well of Samaria, died in AD 66, after she pleaded with God to grant her the privilege of the crown of a martyr.  

What was the secret of her outstanding life of witness?  She did not allow her ugly past to be a deterrent to her being used by God.  She poured out her heart, loving Jesus and sacrificing all for the sake of the kingdom of God.  Will you consider following the example of St Photini by calling upon all and sundry to come and see the One who has shown you so much love that He forgave all your sins and gave you new life?  If God has ever done anything good for you, use it as the basis of sharing the gospel of the kingdom to those close to you. You can never imagine what God can do with your testimony. “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.”  Some people are waiting for your word to believe in Christ. God can win an entire city just by your testimony. Tell someone about Jesus today and be fabulously blessed in Jesus Name.