Holy spirit lesson 3

HOLY SPIRIT LESSON 3
my greatest need for water was when dating Lavonne
20 miles away and my 39 plymouth had all the water
gone in the radiator. I had to pick up snow to add
water.
WATER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
A visitorto a drought strickenarea was talking to
some of the citizens about their no rain situation. As
they were complainingaboutthe difficulties it brought
to them he sought to comfort them with the it-could-
be-worse philosophy. He said, "If you think it is bad
here, you shouldgo South. They haven'thad rain for
so long that the Baptists are sprinkling, the Methodists
are using a damp rag, and the Presbyteriansare
issuingrain checks." The story is of doubtful
historicity, but the point is true that water is essential
and the amount of water availablecan be a
determining factor in the mode of baptism.

Henry Cavendish, back in 1783, was doing some experiments with the
scientific sensationof the day-electricity. He wanted to see what would happen
if he sent a current of electricity through a tube of water. He was shocked
when the watervanished before his eyes. He repeatedit againand again, and
he was astounded. He examined the contents of the tube and discoveredthat
water, the quencher of flames could be turned into a gas that was highly
combustible and stimulated fire. He published a paper by the Royal Societyin
1784, andhe calledwater, "inflammable air."
Other scientists thought he was some kind of a crackpot. Waterstimulating
fire-it was absurd. The famous French scientistdeRazier, was determined to
expose this hoax before the world. He duplicated the experiment of Cavendish
and attacheda valve to the tube so he could inhale the so-calledinflammable
air. Before a panel of prominent citizens as witnesses he switchedon the
current, filled his lungs with the gas left in the tube, and held a lighted paper
at his lips as he exhaled. There was a terrific explosion and deRazierthought
all his teeth had been blown out. He had proven the hard way that watercan
produce fire.
What a marvelous coincidence, thatthe source of life on earth has a nature so
similar to the nature of the Creator. To the student of the Bible it is no
coincidence, but rather, the design of God. Water is an expressionof His very
nature and that is why I am convincedthat waterwill be a part of all eternity.
The rich man in hell beggedfor just a drop of water. Hell is pictured as a
place with no water. Heaven, on the other hand, is portrayed as a place with
an abundance of water.
Rutherford Platt, in his book WaterThe Wonder Of Life, after describing
how essentialwateris to all that physicist do in the laboratory, writes, "It
possesses orderand creates order. Is not watersomething on the level of
divine creation?" Yes it is! And the Bible reveals it will be a part of the new
creationof eternity as well. Our text tells us that the river of heaven flows
from the throne of God and of the Lamb. There are only two thrones, and so
the Holy Spirit does not have a throne in heaven. This may just be a
coincidence, but it is of interest to note that wateris two hydrogen atoms and
one oxygenatom. The two hydrogen atoms are always in pairs. They stick

togetherlike the Father and the Son.The oxygen atom is the one that most fits
the Holy Spirit, for it stirs up and creates activity. It is the key element in the
giant sun flares, for example. The Holy Spirit if the Personof the Godhead
who moves and motivates and produces the fire, like oxygen. It could just be
coincidence, but it could also be another way Godhad built something of His
nature into water, the basic source of life.
Although 70 percent of the world is coveredby water, less than 1 percent of it
is drinkable by humans. The average personneeds a minimum of 64 ounces of
waterper day. Depending on a person's fitness and activity level, more water
may be needed to maintain proper hydration. Blood is about 92 percent
water, which is how water helps to transport oxygen, nutrients and vitamins
throughout the body.
Watermakes up more than two thirds of human body weight, and without
water, we would die in a few days. The human brain is made up of 95% water,
and lungs 90%. A mere 2% drop in our body's water supply can triggersigns
of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and
difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen. (Are you
having trouble reading this? Drink up!) Mild dehydration is also one of the
most common causes ofdaytime fatigue. An estimatedseventy-five percent of
Americans have mild, chronic dehydration
Wateris at the centre of physical life: so is the Holy Spirit central to the
spiritual life of a believer. He is the One responsible for regeneration. He is
cleansing, refreshing, and life-giving. We need waterfor every joint and
every vital function of our natural body. So too, we need to walk and live in
the Spirit of God every day.
Waterin the Bible

How many times is "water" mentionedin the Bible and how significant is it?
I have run the references to water(or derivatives of it) in scripture and come
up with 722. The significance ofwater in scripture is a huge question, and one
that will take up more space than I have here. Perhaps I cangive you just a
few thoughts that will wet your appetite for further study.
The first mention of waterin scripture is found in Genesis 1:2
and the last mention is found in Revelation22:17
. In betweenthose two books waterflows right through the pages of scripture.
This should teachis that there is a great spiritual significance to it.
John 7:37-39HOLY SPIRIT
Question:"What did Jesus meanwhen He spoke of living water?"
Answer: Jesus uses the phrase “living water” in two instances in the Bible.
The first instance is found in John chapter4. Jesus was tired and satat a well
while His disciples went into town to buy food. A Samaritanwoman came to
draw water, and Jesus askedher for a drink. The Samaritan woman was quite
shockedbecauseJesuswas a Jew, and Jews simply hated the Samaritans. Of
course, she had no idea who Jesus was andaskedHim how He could ask her
for watersince He was a Jew.
READ JOHN 4:10-14

Jesus ignoredthe question and went right to the point, “If you knew the gift of
God and who it is that asks youfor a drink, you would have askedhim and he
would have given you living water” (John 4:10). Notice that He does not say
that He is the living water, but that He would give living waterto her, and
when she receivedit, she would never thirst again. Of course, that does not tell
us what the living water is! For that, we must go to another passageof
Scripture. In this case, Jesusis in the temple surrounded by a throng of
worshippers. He suddenly cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me
and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures said, ‘From his innermost
being will flow rivers of living water.’But this He spoke ofthe Spirit, whom
those who believed in Him were to receive;for the Spirit was not yet given,
because Jesuswas not yet glorified” (John 7:37–39, emphasis added).
READ JOHN 7:37-39
Here Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the living water. External influence of
the Spirit had always beengiven in the conversionand sanctificationof the
Old Testamentsaints and prophets, but the gift of the Spirit who would
indwell believers had not yet been received(Acts 10:44–45). So, thoughmany
people saythat Jesus is the living water, Jesus Himself intended the phrase to
mean the Holy Spirit who dwells in believers and seals them for salvation
(Ephesians 1:13–14). It is the ministry of the Spirit, flowing out of a heart
redeemedby God, that blesses believers and, through them, brings life and
light to the world.
Jimmy Swaggart – There Is A River Lyrics
There is a river, and it flows from deep within
There is a fountain, that frees the soul from sin
Come to this water; there is a vast supply
There is a river, that never shall run dry.

There was a thirsty woman,
She was drawing from a well
You see her life was ruined and wasted
And her soulwas bound for hell
Oh but then she met the Master
And He told about her sin
And he said "if you drink this water,
You'll never thirst again. '
There is a river, and it flows from deep within
There is a fountain, that frees the soul from sin
Come to this water; there is a vast supply
There is a river, that never shall run dry.
This picture of LIVING WATER is especiallydramatic in the Mid Eastwhich
has a paucity of water. Jerusalemfor example has only one source of "living
(flowing) water," the Gihon ("Breaking, Gushing Forth")Spring (2Chr
32:30)which flow down Hezekiah's underground tunnel and empty into the
Poolof Siloam. [Wikipedia Note on Gihon Spring - One of the world's major
intermittent springs—and a reliable watersource that made human
settlement possible in ancient Jerusalem—the spring was not only used for
drinking water, but also initially for irrigation of gardens in the adjacent
Kidron Valley which provided a food source for the ancientsettlement.] Other
waterwas collectedin cisterns during the infrequent rains and was not

flowing (accounting for God's use in Jer2:13, a picture with which the Jews
would have been very familiar.) Indeed, sources of"living water" were rare
and their discoverywas accompaniedby greatrejoicing. How tragic that
God's people rejectedHis offer of life giving waterin Christ, the ultimate
Source of soul satiationand jubilation!
37On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus
stoodand said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is
thirsty come to me and drink.
John 7:38 Whoeverbelieves in me, as Scripture has
said, rivers of livingwater will flow from within
them."
Jesus took a few loaves and fed the five thousand, and
here he takes a drink and multiplies it so it becomes
not a pond,orstream only but rivers of living water
flowing from the one who drinks. And then he says-
39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who
believedin him were later to receive. Up to that time
the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet
been glorified.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to take the drink and
pour out rivers of living water.

Now lets face it, I never heard any preacher give a
sermon on this, and I never captured the significance
of it in all my study. It is a fascinatingsubject but
neglected because it is overwhelming in trying to make
such wondrous work of the Holy Spiritpractical, but
lets give it a try. I am sure we all feel much like the
Christianwho wrote, "Whenyou read Jesus’words
here, where He promises that from the innermost
being of the one who believes in Him will flow rivers of
livingwater, you have to stop and ask, “To what
extent is that true of me? Since I trusted in Christas
my Savior, has it been my experience that ever-
flowing, abundantrivers of living water have gushed
up inside of me and flowed out of me?”
Those questions are both convictingand hope-
producing. They are convictingbecause none of us, if
we’re honest, can say, “Yes, those words nail it! That’s
exactly how to describemy life since becoming a
Christian!”Honesty forces me to say, “Well,there has
usuallybeen a trickle of livingwater, althoughthere
have been some droughts where even it has dried up.
Occasionally, there has been a creek of livingwater.

But ever-flowing, abundantrivers (plural)?It would
be a stretch to describe my Christianlife like that!” So
Jesus’words convictme with the barrenness of my
walk with Him.
But Jesus’ words also give me hope. If my life doesn’t
match His descriptionhere, it can! So can yours! This
is a promise from the Son of God to all who will come
to Him and drink: Out of your innermostbeing will
flow rivers of livingwater. It describes, as Calvin
points out (Calvin’s Commentaries[Baker], pp. 308-
309), an ideal that none of us can possess perfectly in
the present life becauseof indwellingsin and because
of differing measures of faith. But it’s an ideal in
which we can make progress as we walk with the
Lord. We really can experience consistentfullnessof
joy in Him that flows from us to others. And so we
shouldhave hope becauseHe who began the good
work of salvationin us will perfect it until the day of
ChristJesus
BARNES, "Rivers - This word is used to express abundance, or a full supply.
It means here that those who are Christians shall diffuse large, and liberal,
and constantblessings on their fellow-men; or, as Jesus immediately explains
it, that they shall be the instruments by which the Holy Spirit shall be poured
down on the world.

Living water- Fountains, ever-flowing streams. That is, the gospelshall be
constantand life-giving in its blessings. We learn here:
2.that no man can believe on Jesus who does not desire that others should
also, and who will not seek it.
3.that the desire is large and liberal - that the Christian desires the salvation
of all the world.
4.that the faith of the believer is to be connectedwith the influence of the Holy
Spirit, and in that way Christians are to be like rivers of living water.
GILL, " the grace ofthe Spirit of God is signified by water, because it is of a
cleansing and purifying nature, as faith and hope are, having to do with the
blood of Christ, which cleansesfrom all sin; and because it fructifies and
causes the saints, as trees of righteousness,to grow, and bring forth fruit; and
especiallybecause itis cooling to those who are scorchedwith the heat of a
fiery law, and very refreshing to thirsty souls: and it is called"living" water,
because by it dead sinners are quickened, drooping saints are revived, and
comforted; spiritual life in them is maintained and supported, and it springs
up to, and issues in eternallife: and it is expressedby "rivers" of living water,
because ofthe abundance of it in regeneration, justification, and pardon; it is
grace for grace, abundance of grace believers receive from Christ; and from
him, in whom those large measures of grace are, they "flow out" again, even
"out of his belly": from within him, out of his heart, the seatof it, by his lips,
both in prayer to God, and in conversationwith the saints, to whom he
communicates his rich experiences ofgrace, to their comfort, and the glory of
God:
POOLE. "The flowing of rivers of water, signifieth the plenty of spiritual
influences with which believers shall be supplied; whether joy, knowledge,
spiritual gifts, or graces.If any ask, where the Scripture speakeththis? I
answer, in all those promises we meet with in the Old Testament, about
pouring out the Spirit.

CAMBRIDGE GREEKTESTMENT, "‘coming to Christ’ is equivalent to
‘believing on Christ;’ and believing on Him is far in advance of thirsting for
spiritual satisfaction, fora man may thirst and refuse to believe. But the
believer cannot end in satisfying his own thirst; he at once becomes a fount
whence others may derive refreshment. Whether he wills to be a teacheror
no, the true Christian cannot fail to impart the spirit of Christianity to others.
Thus we have three stages;[1] thirsting; [2] coming or believing; [3] being
filled and supplying others.
CALVIN, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. The metaphor
appears, no doubt, to be somewhatharsh, when he says that rivers of living
watershall flow out of the belly of believers;but there can be no doubt as to
the meaning, that they who believe shall suffer no want of spiritual blessings.
He calls it living water, the fountain of which never grows dry, nor ceases to
flow continually. As to the word rivers being in the plural number, I interpret
it as denoting the diversified graces ofthe Spirit, which are necessaryfor the
spiritual life of the soul. In short, the perpetuity, as well as the abundance, of
the gifts and graces ofthe Holy Spirit, (195)is here promised to us. Some
understand the saying — that waters flow out of the belly of believers — to
mean, that he to whom the Spirit has been given makes a part to flow to his
brethren, as there ought to be mutual communication betweenus. But I
considerit to be a simpler meaning, that whosoevershallbelieve in Christ
shall have a fountain of life springing up, as it were, in himself, as Christ said
formerly,
He who shall drink of this watershall never thirst,
(John 4:14;)
for while ordinary drinking quenches thirst only for a short time, Christ says
that by faith we draw the Spirit, that he may become a fountain of water
springing up into everlasting life

ELLICOTT, " “If any man thirst let him come unto Me and drink.” That
representedthe satisfactionof the individual mind. This teaches the fuller
truth that every one in living communion with Christ becomes himself the
centre of spiritual influence. There is in him a power of life which, when
quickened by faith, flows forth as a river, carrying life and refreshment to
others. No spirit grasps a great truth which satisfies its own yearnings as the
waters of the fountain slake physical thirst, without longing to send it forth to
others who are seeking whathe himself had sought. There is in him a river
whose waters no barrier can confine. This is the spirit of the prophet and the
evangelist, ofthe martyr and the missionary. It is the spirit of every great
teacher. It is the link which binds men togetherand makes the life of every
Christian approach the life of Christ, for he lives not for himself but for the
world.
Luther: "He that comethto Me shall be so furnished with the Holy Ghost,
that he shall not be merely quickenedand refreshed himself, and delivered
from his thirst, but shall be also a strong stone vessel, from which the Holy
Ghostin all His gifts shall flow to others, refreshing and comforting and
strengthening them, even as he was refreshedby Me.
Isaiah44:3 states, “ForI will pour out wateron the thirsty land and streams
on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My
blessing on your descendants.” BLESSINGSGALORE.
God's Healthy Trees - A healthy tree consists ofup to eighty percent moisture.
It draws large quantities of water through its root system or absorbs it from
dew and rain. In his book "As a Tree Grows", W. Phillip Keller says, "the
tree does not hoard this moisture for itself. The vast network of running roots
beneath the soiloften exceeds the outspreadcanopy of trunk, branches, and
leaves spreadto the sky. And vast quantities of waterare lifted through the
framework of the tree to be transpired into the surrounding air. This
moisture, along with the discharge ofoxygen, is what gives the forest
atmosphere such a fresh fragrance." Christians use the waterof life in much

the same way. In John 7:38, Jesus saidthat rivers of living waterwill flow
from the heart of the one who believes in Him. He was referring to the
ministry of the Holy Spirit in and through us. The Spirit, who we receive
when we trust the Lord Jesus as our Savior, empowers and refreshes us,
which enables us to help others. Our part is to read and study God's Word, to
receive cleansing and renewalthrough confession, and to obey the Lord.
Then, as we depend on the Holy Spirit, "living water" flows through us and
provides refreshment and goodness to people around us. —D C Egner(Our
Daily Bread)
Just as watersatisfies thirst and produces fruitfulness, so the Spirit of God
satisfies the inner personand enables us to bear fruit.
INTRODUCTORYMESSAGE ON GAL.5:13-26 1. THE FRUIT OF LOVE.
2. THE FRUIT OF JOY. 3. THE FRUIT OF PEACE. 4. THE FRUIT OF
PATIENCE. 5. THE FRUIT OF KINDNESS. 6. THE FRUIT OF
GOODNESS.7. THE FRUIT OF FAITHFULNESS. 8. THE FRUIT OF
GENTLENESS.9. THE FRUIT OF SELF-CONTROL.
We might have only one gift of Spirit, but we canhave all 9 of the fruits.
RAY PRITCHARD, "The moment we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit opens
the springs of life and a river of living waterbegins to flow from within us.
But God never gives his blessings simply to be hoarded. He gives his blessings
to us so that we can share them with others. Here is a simple sentence to help
you think about this truth: The Holy Spirit brings God to us so we can bring
God to others. The river flows from us to others. A genuine believer in Christ
is not self-centered. He says to himself, “I have been greatly blessed. I must
pass these blessings along to others.
I can’t keepthem for myself.” What Godgives me, I give away. If it’s money,
it’s not mine anyway. If it’s my time, it all belongs to God anyway. If it’s
something I own, I can give it awaybecause I don’t own anything; God owns
it all. If it’s a helping hand, I can do that because Godreacheddown and
helped me. Behind this principle is the truth I call the GreaterGoldenRule:

“Do unto others as Godhas done unto you.” Has God blessedyou? Then bless
others. Has God been kind to you? Then be kind to others. Has God shown
grace to you? Then show grace to others. Has God forgiven you? Then forgive
others. Be a river of living waterfor some thirsty soulthis week.
It only takes a spark to geta fire going,
And soonall those around can warm up in its glowing;
That’s how it is with God’s love,
Once you’ve experiencedit,
You spread his love to everyone
You want to pass it on.
I’ll shout it from the mountain top—PRAISE GOD!
I want the world to know
The Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on.
It must ever be remembered that these rivers of living watermust overflow in
testimony and service. There is no reference to the blessing of the Spirit in the
Bible that is not connectedwith its practicaloutflowing for the goodof others.
So long as this blessing is sought as an end in itself, it never canbe obtained,
because the purpose of it is to give powerfor service. It is not a true fountain
that keeps its waters within itself and does not overflow. The primary purpose
of His infilling is neither to make us holy nor happy, although it does both, but
to empower us to testify and serve. If it does not issue in love for souls and
testimony and faithful labour for the Lord, it is a false blessing. "Ye shall
receive power, when the Holy Ghostis come upon you: and ye shall be my
witnesses"(Acts 1:8, R.V.).

Dead-Sea Christians - The DeadSea is so salty that it contains no fish or plant
life. What accounts forthis unusual condition? There are absolutelyno
outlets! A greatvolume of waterpours into this area, but nothing flows out.
Many inlets plus no outlets equals a dead sea.
This law of nature may also be applied to the child of God, and it explains why
many believers are so unfruitful and lacking in spiritual vitality. It’s possible
for some people to attend Bible conferences, listento religious broadcasts,
study the Scriptures, and continually take in the Word as it is preached from
the pulpit, and yet seemlifeless and unproductive in their Christian lives.
Such individuals are like the Dead Sea. They have several“inlets” but no
“outlets.” To be vibrant and useful believers, we must not only “take in” all
we can, but we must also “give out” in service to others!
May the Lord make us refreshing fountains where thirsty souls may drink.
Indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we possessthe “waterof life” and can be channels
of blessing to those in need. From hearts of love, let us pour out to others what
we have first receivedfrom God. If we do, we will never become Dead-Sea
Christians.-- Richard De Haan (Our Daily Bread)
it brought to mind the popular saying, “Go with the flow.” To some people
that means behaving as most other people do without trying to swim against
the current of the culture. To others it speaksofbeing more accepting of
circumstances without trying to control everything that happens. But for
followers of the Lord, there’s anotherdimension of going with the flow. Jesus
said: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me,
as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”
(John 7:37-38). Christ spoke ofthe Holy Spirit, Who would make His home in
every believer. In a very real sense, whenwe invite Christ into our lives, the
Flow finds us and we find the Flow. From then on, we are recipients and
conduits of living water—the eternalsource of thirst-quenching satisfaction
for our souls. The indwelling Holy Spirit carries us along by a power and
purpose greaterthan ourselves. As channels of God’s living water, we are free
to go with His flow. - David C. McCasland(Our Daily Bread) (Bolding added)

Father, thank You for Your Spirit,
Fill us with His love and power;
Change us into Christ’s own image
Day by day and hour by hour.
—Anon.
What Jesus accomplishedfor us,
the Holy Spirit works out in us.
poet named Tersteegen, who once wrote:
He told me of a River bright
That flows from Him to me;
That I might be for His delight
A fair and fruitful tree.
Professionallytrained rescuers saythat when people fall into the river, the
mistake they make is thinking that the current will pull them under. They say
that people try to swim againstthe current out of fear and ignorance. No one,
not even a trained rescuer, is any match for that current. This is how people
drown. But they saythe best thing is to let yourself flow with the current and
even swim downstream, diagonally across the river to the other side. If the
current pulls you under, just be patient and you will pop back up to the
surface again.

Overflowing Rivers - We are savedto tell others! When the Lord redeems us,
He so fills us with "living water" that, if we are normal Christians, we
overflow to others in a witness that produces results for God. There recently
came to my attention the true story of an amputee soul winner in Melbourne,
Australia, who has a most remarkable ministry. A pastorwho visited this
crippled woman writes,
When this girl was 18, she was seizedwith a dreadful affliction and the doctor
said that to save her life he must take off her foot. Next the other footwas
removed. The disease continuedto spread, and her legs had to be amputated
at the hips. Then the malady broke out in her hands. And by the time I saw
Miss Higgins, all that remained of her was just the trunk of her body. For 15
years now she has been in this condition. I went to offer comfort, but I did not
know how to speak to her or what to say. I found the walls of her room
coveredwith texts, all of them radiating joy, and peace, andpower. She
explained that one day while lying in bed she inquired of the Lord what a total
amputee could possibly do for Him. Then an inspiration came to her. Calling
a friend of hers, who was a carpenter, she had him construct a device to fit her
shoulder, and attachto it an extensionholding a fountain pen. Then she began
to write letters witnessing to the grace of God. She had to do it entirely with
body movement, yet her penmanship was beautiful. She has now receivedover
1500 replies from individuals who have been brought to Christ through the
letters she produced in that way." The preachersaid to her; "How do you do
it?" and she smilingly replied, "You know Jesus saidof His own that out of
them `shall flow rivers of living water.'I believe in Him, and He has helped
me to overflow to others."
Does not that amputee soulwinner put all of us to shame? Have you tried to
bring even one lost sheepinto the Savior's fold? If not, why not? (Our Daily
Bread)
We are not storerooms, but channels,
We are not cisterns, but springs;
Passing our benefits onward,

Fitting our blessings with wings.
—Anon.
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is the love of God flowing through you?
Are you telling the lost of the Savior?
Are you ready His service to do?
Refrain:
Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, my service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today.
Out in the highways and byways ,
many are wearyand sad;
I want to bring some sunshine
to make the down hearted glad
Some loss soul is dying
Some one in despair
I want to let them know that there’s some one who cares
Chorus:
Make me a blessing,

Make me a blessing,
Out of my life
out of my life
May Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, to some one today
SPURGEON,"this is the figure before us: rivers of living waterflowing out of
the living man in all directions. “Ah,” sayyou, “I have not reachedto that.” A
point is gained when you know, confess, anddeplore your failure. If you say,
“I have all things and abound,” I am afraid you will never reach the fulness of
the blessing;but if you know something of your failure, the Lord will lead you
further. It may be that the spirit of life which comes forth of you is but a
trickling brook, or evena few tiny drops; then be sure to confess it, and you
will be on the way to a fuller blessing. What a word is this! Rivers of living
water!! Oh that all professing Christians were such fountains. See how
spontaneous it is: “Out of the midst of him shall flow.” No pumping is
required; nothing is said about machinery and hydraulics; the man does not
need exciting and stirring up, but, just as he is, influence of the best kind
quietly flows out from him. Did you ever hear a greathubbub in the morning,
a greatoutcry, a sounding of trumpets and drums, and did you ever ask,
“What is it?” Did a voice reply, “The sun is about to rise, and he is making
this noise that all may be aware of it”? No, it shines, but it has nothing to say
about it; even so the genuine Christian just goes aboutflooding the world with
blessing, and so far from claiming attention for himself, it may be that he
himself is unconscious ofwhat he is effecting. God so blesses him that his leaf
does not wither, and whateverhe does he prospers, for he is like a tree planted
by the rivers of waterthat brings forth its fruit in due season:his verdure and
fruit are the natural outcome of his vigorous life. Oh, the blessedspontaneity
of the work of grace when a man gets into the fulness of it, for then he seems
to eat and drink and sleepeternallife, and he spreads a savorof salvationall
round. And this is to be perpetual,—not like intermittent springs which burst
forth and flow in torrents, and then cease,—butit is to be an every day out
gushing. In summer and winter, by day and by night, whereverthe man is, he

shall be a blessing. As he breathes, he shall breathe benedictions;as he thinks,
his mind shall be devising generous things; and when he acts, his acts shall be
as though the hand of God were working by the hand of man.
I hope I hear many sighs rising up in the place!I hope I hear friends saying,
“Oh that I could getto that.” I want you to attain the fulness of the favor. I
pray that we may all getit; for because JesusChrist is glorified therefore the
Holy Spirit is given in this fashion, given more largelyto those in the kingdom
of heaven than to all those holy men before the Lord’s ascentto his glory. God
gives no stinted blessing to celebrate the triumph of his Son: God gives not the
Spirit by measure unto him. On such an occasionheaven’s grandestliberality
was displayed. Christ is glorified in heaven above, and God would have him
glorified in the church below by vouchsafing a baptism of the Holy Ghost to
eachof us.
Let us not be satisfiedwith the sip that saves, but let us go on to the baptism
which buries the flesh and raises us in the likeness ofthe risen Lord. Let us
seek that baptism into the Holy Spirit and into fire which makes us spiritual
and sets us all on flame with zeal for the glory of God and eagerness for
usefulness by which that glory may be increasedamong the sons of men.
To be a channel of blessing,
Let Christ's love flow through you.
Give as 'twas given to you in your need,
Love as the Masterloved you;
Be to the helpless a helper indeed,
Unto your mission be true.
—Wilson
The Purpose of the Spirit

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of
the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure
of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no
more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind
of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby
they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow
up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (Eph 4:11-
15)
Paul said so. He said that the gifts are given, "for the perfecting –
maturing – of the saints." He said all of this was so that we would
come, "unto the measure of the stature of the FULLNESS of
Christ." THAT is the purpose of the Holy Spirit
As a believer begins to be built up in Christ – the negative side of
which is the tearing down of our flesh – that believer will, as it were,
burst forth. There will be a flowing forth of the Spirit, as rivers of
living water. Or, to put it another way, the Christ who is in us as a
WELL, will then flow through us as a RIVER.

Why has He calledthe grace of the Spirit by the name
of water? Because by water all things subsist;because
of water are herbs and animalscreated; because the
water of the showers comes down from heaven;
because it comes down one in form, yet manifoldin its
working. For one fountainwatered the whole of the
garden (Genesis 2:10), and one and the same rain
comes down upon all the world; yet it becomes white
in the lily, and red in the rose, and purple in the violets
and pansies,and different and varied in each several
kind; so it is one in the palm tree, and another in the
vine, and all in all things; being the while one in
nature, not diversefrom itself;for the rain does not
change, when it comes down, first as one thing, then as
another, but adapting itselfto the nature of each thing,
which receives it, it becomes to each what is suitable.
Thus also the Holy Ghost being One, and of one
Nature, and undivided, divides to each His grace
"accordingas He will,"and in the name of Christ
works many excellencies.For He employs the tongue
of one man for wisdom; the soul of another He
enlightens by prophecy; to another He gives power to
drive away devils;to anotherHe gives power to
interpret the DivineScriptures. He invigoratesone

man's self-command;He teaches another the way to
give alms; anotherHe teaches to fast and exercise
himself; anotherHe teaches to despisethe things of the
body; another He trains for martyrdom: diversein
different men, yet not diversefrom Himself(John
4:14;John 5:4; 1 Corinthians12:11).
( S. Cyril.)
WE ARE TEMPLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE WATER FLOWS
FROM THE TEMPLE TO BLESS OTHERS.
Rivers of living water
1
Rivers of living water,
Rivers that flow from the throne,
Rivers o’erflowing with blessing,
Coming from Jesus alone.
Rivers of living water,
Rivers of life so free,

Flowing from Thee, my Savior,
Send now the rivers through me.
2
Whoso is thirsty come hither,
Here is abundant supply;
Watertransparent as crystal,
Come without money and buy.
3
Cleanse me, oh, cleanse me, my Savior,
Make me a channel today;
Empty me, fill me and use me,
Teachme to trust and obey.
4
Then, and then only, Lord Jesus,
Through me the rivers can flow;
Thus and thus only will others
Learn Thy greatfulness to know.
FIRST LETS GET A GIST OF THE SITUATION.
To summarize, the FeastofBooths was a time of thanksgiving for the harvest.
It was a happy time. Devout Jews lived outdoors in booths made of tree
branches for sevendays as a reminder of God’s provision in the desertduring
the wilderness wanderings. Eachmorning there was a solemn processionfrom

the temple mount to the poolof Siloamfor a pitcher of water. A priest would
fill a gold pitcher with wateras the people sang togetherfrom Isaiah12:3 (See
Commentary) The processionwould return to the Temple Mount with
trumpets blasting and greatfanfare; there the priest would pour the water
into a silver basin by the altar of burnt offering eachday for the first seven
days…
Isaiah12:3 New International Version (NIV)
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
Recallthat one reasonfor the Feastwas to celebrate God's goodprovision of
"living water" during their 40 years of "wilderness wanderings."It is notable
that the OT descriptions of the "wilderness wanderings" state veryclearly
there was "NO WATER." (ReadEx 15:22, 17:1, Nu 20:2, 21:5, 33:14, Dt
8:15). No water in the wilderness meant certainphysical death in only a few
days. God saw their physical need and provided for their physical need,
"painting" a beautiful picture of His desire and ability to provide for their
(and every man's) spiritual need that they might not remain spiritually dead
throughout eternity! Moses summarized the dry, deserttimes of Israel's
wandering, writing "He (Jehovah) led you through the great and terrible
wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where
there was no water; He brought water for you (supernaturally) out of the rock
of flint." (Dt 8:15). And so the Jews who were celebrating the Feastin John 7
would have (should have) been very familiar with God's provision of life
giving physical "living (springing up, gushing forth, running, flowing) water"
in the Old Testament. As they celebratedthe rituals associatedwith the Feast
for sevendays, the Jews were in a sense re-enacting the picture of God's OT
provision as they would dip living (running) water from a pool (which came
from a spring) and joyously transport it back up the hill, through the Water

Gate and to the Temple priests who poured it out on the altar. Onto this scene
came Jesus, crying out to dry, parched, thirsty souls living in the "wilderness
of this world," and with NO WATER that gives life to one's soul. Instead they
had forsakenthe fountain of living waterand constructedtheir own cisterns
and systems of Law keeping, of doing "good" works,etc. And yet these
religious activities failed to satisfythe spiritual "thirst" God had placedin
eachof them. Into this "spiritually dry desert", Jesus came and stoodand
cried out offering them a drink from Himself (the same One from Whom their
ancestors haddrunk physical water!1Cor10:4!). He offered them living
waterthat they might live spiritually, even as their ancestorswere enabledto
live physically in the OT after receiving the physical water
The Incident
A. Edersheim, D. D.
John 7:37-52
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood
and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to
me, and drink.…
Whilethe morning sacrificewas being prepared, a
priest, accompaniedby a joyous processionwith
music, went down to the pool of Siloam, whence he

drew water into a golden pitcher capableof holding
three log (rather more than two pints). But on the
Sabbath they fetched the water from a golden vessel in
the Temple itself, into which it had been carriedfrom
Siloamon the preceding day. At the same time that the
processionstartedfor Siloam, another went to a place
in the Kedron valley, close by, called Motza, whence
they brought willow branches, which, amid the blasts
of the priests' trumpets, they stuck on either side of
the altar of burnt offering, bending them over toward
it so as to form a kind of leafy canopy. Then the
ordinarysacrificeproceeded, the priestwho had gone
to Siloamso timing it that he returned just as his
brethren carried up the pieces of the sacrificeto lay
them on the altar. As he entered by the "water-gate,"
which obtainedits name from this ceremony, he was
receivedby a threefold blastfrom the priests'
trumpets. The priests then went up the rise of the altar
and turned to the left, where there were two silver
basins with narrow holes — the eastern, a little wider,
for the wine; and the western, a little narrower, for the
water. Into these the wine of the drink offering was
poured, and at the same time the water from Siloam,
the people shouting to the priest, "Raisethy hand," to

show that he really poured the water into the basin
which led to the base of the altar.... As soon as the
wine and water were poured out, the Temple music
began, and the Hallel (Psalm 113.-118.)was sung...
Salvationin connectionwith the Son of Davidwas
symbolized by the pouring out of water Thus the
Talmud says distinctly, "Why is the name of it called
the drawing out of water? Becauseof the pouring out
of the Holy Spirit, according to what is said:' With joy
shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.'"...
We can now in some measure realize the event. The
festivities of the week of tabernacleswere drawing to a
close. "It was the lastday, that great day of the
feast."... It was on that day after the priest had
returned from Siloam with his golden pitcher, and for
the last time poured its contents to the base of the
altar;after the Hallel had been sung to the sound of
the flute, the peopleshouting and worshippingas the
priests three times drew the threefold blasts from their
silvertrumpets — just when the interest of the people
had been raisedto its highest pitch, that from the mass
of the worshippers, who were waving towards the
altarquite a forest of leafy branches as the last words
of Psalm118, were chanted — a voice was raised

which resoundedthrough the Temple, startledthe
multitude, and carried fear and hatred to the hearts of
their leaders. It was Jesus who "stood and cried,
saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and
drink." Then by faith in Him shouldeach one truly
become like the pool of Siloam, and from his inmost
being "rivers of water flow." "This spake He of the
Spirit, which they that believeon Him shouldreceive."
Thus the significanceof the rite, in which they had just
taken part, was not only fully explained, but the mode
of its fulfilment pointedout.
(A. Edersheim, D. D.)
MACLAREN, "And then, as the priests stoodwith their
empty vases, there was a little stir in the crowd, and a
Man who had been standingwatching, liftedup a loud
voiceand cried, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto
Me, and drink.' Strange words to say, anywhere and
anywhen, daring words to say there in the Temple
court! For there and then they could mean nothing
less than Christ's laying His hand on that old miracle,

which was pointedto by the rite, when the rock
yielded the water, and assertingthat all which it did
and typified was repeated, fulfilled, and transcended
in Himself, and that not for a handful of nomads in the
wilderness, but for all the world, in all its generations.
Is there anything in human utterances more majestic
and wonderful than this saying of my text, 'If any man
thirst, let him come to Me'? There He claims to be
separatealtogetherfrom those whose thirst He would
satisfy. There He claims to be able to meet every
aspiration,every spiritualwant, every true desire in
this complex nature of ours. There He claims to be
able to do this for one, and therefore for all. There He
claims to be able to do it for all the generations of
mankind, right away down to the end. Who is He who
thus plants Himself in the front of the race, knows
their deep thirsts, takes account of the impotence of
anything created to satisfy them, assumes the divine
prerogative, and says, 'I come to satisfyevery desire in
every soul, to the end of time'? Yes, and from that day
when He stoodin the Temple and cried these words,
down to this day, there have been, and there are,

millionswho can say, 'We have drawn water from this
fountainof salvation, and it has never failedus.'
Christ'saudaciouspresentationof Himselfto the
world as adequateto fill all its needs, and slakeall its
thirst, has been verifiedby nineteen centuries of
experience, and there are many men and women all
over the world to-day who would be ready to set to
their seals that Christis true, and that He, indeed, is
all-sufficientfor the soul.
"The frail vessel thou hast made,
No hands but thine can fill;
For the waters of this world have failed,
And I am thirsty still."
LIGHTFOOT, "Letthese words, then, of our Saviour be setin opposition to
this right and usage in the feastof Tabernaclesofwhich we have been
speaking:"Have you such wonderful rejoicing at drawing a little waterfrom
Siloam? He that believes in me, whole rivers of living waters shallflow out of
his ownbelly. Do you think the waters mentioned in the prophets do signify
the law? They do indeed denote the Holy Spirit, which the Messiahwill
dispense to those that believe in him: and do you expect the Holy Spirit from
the law, or from your rejoicing in the law? The Holy Spirit is of faith, and not
of the law," Galatians 3:2.

READ I COR. 10:1-4 Jesus was aliveand well in his
pre-incarnatestateand was the source of the water of
life in the Old Testament.
THE jews are celebratingthe water that came from
the rock and that Rock is now offering them the even
greater water, the living water of eternal life. The old
water savedthem from dying for a time, but this water
saves them for ever.
NUMBERS20:1-12 WATER FROM THE ROCK.
ROCK WAS CHRIST.” (1Cor10:4) Fanny Crosby pictured this NT
fulfillment writing "Though my weary steps may falter, And my soul a-thirst
may be, Gushing from the ROCKbefore me, Lo! A Spring of joy I see."
Amen!
Matthew 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on
this rock 2 I will build my church, and the gates of hell
shall not prevail againstit.
The only realthirst quencher of our parched soul is Jesus in both testaments
The Giver of living water.
spurgeonput it-
Commenting on Ps 63:1, Spurgeonadds that "Thirst is an insatiable longing
after that which is one of the most essentialsupports of life. There is no
reasoning with it, no forgetting it, no despising it, no overcoming it by stoical
indifference. Thirst will be heard; the whole man must yield to its power; even
thus is it with that divine desire which the grace ofGod creates in regenerate

men; only (Jesus)Himself cansatisfy the craving of a soul really arousedby
the Holy Spirit."
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink" (Jn 7:37). That short
statementcontains the essenceofthe Gospelmessage.It is centeredin a
Person-Jesus Christ. It is offered to all without restriction-If anyone. It is
predicated upon human need-If anyone is thirsty. It demands a personal
response-LetHim come to me. It invites personalparticipation-and drink.
If we are dying in the desert, the most important thing in the world is a cup of
cold water. Jesus promises more than a cup. He promises a never ending flow
of clear, cool, cleanliving water. Streams without pollution. Rivers that will
never run dry. The Holy Spirit brings the life of God to the thirsty soul.
And even in some of the last words in the Bible, God seeksthose who are
thirsty, as John records in the Revelationof Jesus Christ…
And He (Glorified Christ) saidto me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts (present
tense = literally "he who is continually thirsting") from the spring of the water
of life (cp "living water")without cost. (Rev21:6-note)
And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." (presentimperative) And let the
one who hears say(aorist active imperative), "Come (present imperative)."
And let the one who is thirsty come;(present imperative - notice three
commands to come!) let the one who wishes take the waterof life ("living
water")without cost(dorean). (Rev 22:17-note)
John Phillips comments - How strange is the insanity that keeps men from
flinging themselves on their faces before God and drinking deep of the water
of life. The rich man in hell wanted just a single drop to ease the torment of
his thirst (Lk 16:24 The rich man in hades "criedout and said, ‘Father
Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of
his finger in waterand cool off my tongue, for I am in agonyin this flame.").
When he was alive, he might have come and receivedeternal accessto the

river of life. But he never came. Now for all eternity he must be tormented,
with his cravings and longings forever unquenched.
All who drink of this water may joyfully sing "I've got a river of life
flowin' out of me. Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see. Opens prison
doors, sets the captives free. I've got a river of life flowin' out of me. Spring up
Oh Well. Within my soul. Spring up Oh Well And make me whole. Spring up
Oh Well And give to me That life abundantly." (P. Wickham)
1. An artist once painted a famous picture for an altar-piece, and calledit the
Fountain of Life. It represents the SacrificedRedeemerstretchedin His
mother's arms. From the rock beneath their feetflow the abundant waters of
salvation, which are receivedinto a greatcistern. Saints, martyrs, apostles,
evangelists, are drinking of the water, or filling their vases and handing them
to eachother. From the cisternflows a streaminto a lowerplace, where a
family of poor, humble people are drinking with grateful looks. Thenthe
stream flows awayamong meadows, where the little children canreach it, and
they are taking up the precious waterin their tiny hands, and drinking it with
smiling lips. We canall see the meaning of that picture, which tells us that the
salvationof Jesus is for all who will acceptit, high and low, young and old,
rich and poor.
(H. J. W. Buxton.)
I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one

Stoopdown and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.
Quenching the Eternal Thirst - Many years ago, a crew of Peruvian sailors
were heading up the Amazon River when they happened upon an unusual
sight. A Spanish ship was anchoredoff the coastand all the sailors were
stretchedout weaklyon the deck of the ship. As the Peruvians drew closer,
they saw that the Spaniards were in terrible physical condition. They looked
as if they were one step awayfrom death, their lips parched and swollen.
Here, in this ship, these Spanish sailors were literally dying of thirst. "Can we
help you," shouted the Peruvians? The Spaniards cried out, "Water!Water!
We need fresh water!" The Peruvian sailors, surprisedat this request, told
them to lower their buckets and help themselves. The Spaniards, fearing
they'd been misunderstood cried back, "No, no we need FRESHwater!"
Again the Peruvians told the Spanish sailors to lowertheir buckets. Finally,
the sailors did as the Peruvian sailors commanded and when their buckets
were brought up to the surface, they discoveredfreshwater. Little did they
know that they were at the mouth of the fresh-waterAmazon River. All they
had to do was take a drink and their thirst would be quenched. Jesus Christ
offers Living Waterto quench man's spiritual thirst. Man doesn't have to do
anything but drink this Water. Sadly, many will die thirsty, because they do
not know about Jesus Christ, the Living Water. It is our job to tell them.
(James Scudder - Living Water)
1 Corinthians12:13 For by one Spirit we were all
baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks,

whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink
of one Spirit.
John 4:14 14but whoeverdrinks the water I give them
will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will
become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal
life."
Isaiah44:3-4 3For I will pour water on the thirsty
land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out
my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessingon your
descendants. 4They will spring up like grass in a
meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.
Ezekiel 39:29 29I will no longer hide my face from
them, for I will pour out my Spiriton the peopleof
Israel, declares the SovereignLORD."
Jeremiah2:13 13"My peoplehave committed two
sins: They have forsakenme, the spring of living
water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken
cisterns that cannothold water.
Think about water and what it means to you. Wateris
essentialto life—we die without it. The averageperson
can go about 60 days without food before he starves to

death, but one can go only about three days without
water, becauseit is so vital. In fact, the human body is
mostly water. Wheneversomeoneforsakes God, the
spring of living water, he has no choicebut to do what
Jeremiah2:13 says, to hew out his own broken cistern,
which is always one that simply “won’t hold water.”
We see that just as actual water gives life physically
and is integral to one’s physical life, so spiritualwater
(the gift of holy spirit)gives life spiritually.
To say Jesus cannot give living water is a theory that
will not hold water. It will not stand up to
examination.He is the only one who ever promisedthe
water of life that become eternal.
the one thing common with the OT and NT is the Holy
Spirit being poured out like water to meet the needs of
His people.
Isaiah44:3
'For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And
streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit
on your offspringAnd My blessingon your
descendants;

Ezekiel 36:25
"Then I will sprinkleclean water on you, and you will
be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and
from all your idols.
Isaiah58:11
"And the LORD will continuallyguide you, And
satisfyyour desire in scorched places, And give
strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered
garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do
not fail.
Revelation22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come " And let the one
who hears say, "Come " And let the one who is thirsty
come; let the one who wishes take the water of life
without cost.
Psalm 46:4
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of
God, The holy dwelling places of the MostHigh.
Isaiah 41:17-18

"The afflictedand needy are seeking water, but there is
none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the
LORD, will answer them Myself,As the God of Israel I
will not forsake them. "I will open rivers on the bare
heights And springs in the midst of the valleys;I will
make the wilderness a pool of water And the dry land
fountains of water.
Water as such is a picture of the word of God, but living
water speaks of the word being made alive and applied
to our hearts by the Holy Spirit(John 4:10; 7:37–39).
‘Running water’ in Numbers 19:17 has the same typical
meaning. The Holy Spiritapplies the word to our hearts.
In each case, the Holy Spirit is described symbolically as
the means by which God pours out His blessing to
revive and refreshChristians,much as rain is the means
by which the earth is refreshed.These revival names
should not be taken as denials of the personality of the
Holy Spirit, but rather as descriptions that picture His
influence in refreshing people who are spiritually
thirsty, wilted or dying.

Acts 2:33
“Exalted to the right hand of God, he [Jesus] has
receivedfrom the Father the promisedHoly Spirit[holy
spirit] and has poured out [like water] what you now
see and hear.”
Paul told them (1 Cor. 12:13), “Forby one Spirit we
were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or
Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made
to drink of one Spirit.”
In the book of Acts Luke has four descriptions of the Spirit being poured
out…
AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR
FORTHOF MY SPIRIT UPON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND
YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN
SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM
DREAMS;18 EVEN UPON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTHMEN AND
WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTHOF MY SPIRIT And
they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18)
"Therefore having been exaltedto the right hand of God, and having received
from the Fatherthe promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this
which you both see and hear. (Acts 2:33, cp Lk 24:49)
And all the circumcisedbelievers who had come with Peterwere amazed,
because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also.
(Acts 10:45)

C. The condition of the promise: you must be thirsty.
Jesus cries, “Ifanyone is thirsty….” You have to be thirsty for God. The Bible
often uses that kind of language (as we just saw in Rev. 22:17). Isaiah55:1
proclaims, “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;and you who have
no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and
without cost.” The psalmist cries out (Ps. 42:1), “As the deerpants for the
waterbrooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.” David cries (Ps. 63:1), “O
God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;my soulthirsts for You, my
flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” And
in Revelation21:6b, Jesus says, “Iwill give to the one who thirsts from the
spring of the water of life without cost.”
At first glance, being thirsty for God seems easyenough. But the problem is,
because ofsin people either don’t recognize their thirst or they seek to satisfy
it in wrong ways. John Piper’s dad, who was an evangelist, told him that the
most difficult thing was not getting people saved, but getting them lost. In
other words, people don’t sense their desperate need for Christ. They don’t
feel thirsty for Him. Instead, they try to quench their thirst with many wrong
things. They think that success, money, fame, sexualpleasure, or other things
will satisfythe inner thirst. But thirsting for things other than God and His
glory is the root of all sin. J. C. Ryle observed(Expository Thoughts on the
Gospels [Baker], 3:40):
Fill My Cup, Lord

1
Like the womanat the well, I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy.
And then I heard my Saviorspeaking-
"Draw from My well that never shall run dry."•
Chorus:
Fill my cup, Lord;
I lift it up Lord;
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
Breadof Heaven, feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.
2
There are millions in this world who are seeking
For pleasures earthly goods afford.
But none canmatch the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.
3
So my brother if the things this world gives you
Leave hunger that won't pass away,
My blessedLord will come and save you

If you kneelto Him and humbly pray.
Chorus:
Fill my cup, Lord;
I lift it up Lord;
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
Breadof Heaven, feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.
1. Three Things Implied in Thirsting
Verse 37: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” It seems to me
that there are three wonderful things implied in the words “if anyone thirsts.”
First is that the gift of the wateris free. The condition you must meet is need.
“If anyone thirst.” That’s the condition. And the action you must take is to
drink. Receive the gift. There is no thought here of earning or meriting.
Anyone. Anyone who knows his own thirst is invited.
Second, the human soul has thirst. We know he is not talking about physical
thirst. That’s clear. But what he is saying is that the soulhas something like
physical thirst. When you go without water your body gets thirsty. And the
soul, when it goes without God, gets thirsty. Your body was made to live on
water. Your soul was made to live on God.
This is the most important thing to know about yourself. You were made to
live on God. You have a soul, a spirit. There is a you that is more than a body.
And that you, if it does not drink from the greatness andwisdom and power
and goodnessand justice and holiness and love of God, will die of thirst.

Third, implied in the word “thirst” is that what Jesus offers is satisfying. The
aim of all theology, all study, all biblical learning, all preaching is to spread
the satisfying banquet for you to eatwith joy, and to protect the kitchen from
poison. The aim of cooking is eating. The aim of digging wells and clearing
springs is drinking. Everything Jesus came to do and teach is aimed at
providing the soul with food and drink that satisfyforever.
That’s what I see in the word “thirst.” The water is free. The soul has a thirst.
And Jesus aims to satisfy the soul forever.
"It means that when you come to Jesus to drink, you don’t just get a single
drink, but you get spring, a fountain, a well. You get Jesus. Rivers ofwater
will flow because a River-Makeris in you. That’s the point. You will never
have to searchagainfor a source ofsatisfactionfor your soul. Every river that
needs to flow for the joy of your soul will flow from Jesus. Whenyou come to
him, you get him. And he never leaves."
Isaiah58:11: “You shall be like a wateredgarden, like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.”
The one that comes to mind first is John Peterson's "Springs ofLiving
Water"
1.
I thirsted in the barren land of sin and shame
And nothing satisfying there I found
But to the blessedcross ofChrist one day I came
Where springs of living waterdid abound
Chorus:
Drinking at the springs of living water

Happy now am I, my soul is satisfied
Drinking at the springs of living water
O wonderful and bountiful supply
2.
How sweetthe living waterfrom the hills of God
It makes me glad and happy all the way
Now glory, grace and blessing mark the path I've trod
I'm shouting "Hallelujah" every day
Chorus
3.
O sinner, won't you come today to Calvary
A fountain there is flowing deep and wide
The Saviour now invites you to the waterfree
Where thirsting spirits can be satisfied

As Christians we all did drink, and now have the Holy Spirit in us as His
temple from which the rivers are to be flowing.
But maybe you’re wondering, “If the Holy Spirit is living in me, then why
don’t I experience the rivers of living water inside of me and flowing from
me? Why is my life more accuratelydescribedas a trickle of water, not
rivers?” Other Scriptures teachthat …
2. We must learn to walk in the Holy Spirit to experience His fullness.
He does not control us automatically. In Galatians 5:16, Paul writes, “But I
say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” He
goes onto list some of the deeds of the flesh and the contrasting fruit of the
Spirit. Then he repeats (5:25), “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the
Spirit.” That is, if the Holy Spirit gave us new life, then we need to rely on the
Spirit step by step, day by day.
Walking is something we have to learn how to do as children. At first, we fall
a lot. But after a while, we hardly think about it, unless we’re on a slippery
surface. Walking is not spectacular. Pauldoesn’t say, “Leapby the Spirit or
fly by the Spirit.” It’s a slow, step by step process that will gradually getyou
where you’re going if you keepat it. To walk by the Spirit means that each
day in every situation you yield yourself to Him, relying on Him to work in
and through you. If during the day the flesh rears its ugly head with impure
thoughts, selfishness, anger, orwhatever, you immediately confess it to the
Lord, turn from it, and ask the Holy Spirit to control your thoughts, words,
and actions again. As you learn to walk this way consistently, slowlythe fruit
of the Spirit will grow in your life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness,faithfulness, gentleness,and self-control(Gal. 5:22-23).
But, why does the Lord give us the Holy Spirit, portrayed here as “rivers of
living water” flowing from our innermost being?
3. Jesus Christblesses allwho believe in Him with rivers of living waterso
that we will be satisfiedin Him and so that we become a source ofblessing to
others

stevencole
The rivers flow out of us to others who are thirsty. The world is a barren
desert, and people are dying of thirst. You and I are to be the rivers of living
waterthat these dying people need. As they see Christ in us (the fruit of the
Spirit) and want what we have, we can tell them how they can come to Jesus
and drink. Lost people desperatelyneed what only we who have believed can
give them.
But the rivers should also flow from us to other believers, especiallyto those
who may be going through a dry spell. Even Paul and Titus were refreshedby
other believers (1 Cor. 16:18; 2 Cor. 7:13). As you’re filled with the Spirit and
satisfiedin Christ, you can overflow to those around you, beginning in your
home. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-controlshould be flowing daily from husbands to wives and from
wives to husbands, from parents to children and from children to parents.
These qualities should be flowing betweenus in the church, even if you find a
fellow believer difficult to be around.
If you only come to church to get something for yourself, you’ll be like the
DeadSea. It’s so salty that nothing can live in it because it has rivers flowing
into it, but nothing flows out of it. When you come to church, come with the
prayer, “Lord, fill me with your Spirit and flow out of me towardthose who
may be thirsty.” As you allow the rivers to flow out of you to others, you’ll
discoverthat you’re actually more filled than before you gave out! That’s the
key to preventing burnout: Be satisfiedin Christ and let His fullness flow
through you to others.
I’ve gota river of life flowing within me;
It makes the lame to walk and the blind to see.
It opens prison doors, sets the captives free.
I’ve gota river of life flowing within me.

Spring up, O well, within my spirit!
Rise up and tell, so all can hear it!
Spring up, O well, so I experience
That life abundantly.
2
I’ve gota river of life flowing within me;
It started gushing up when God set me free.
That I keepthe flow is my only plea.
I’ve gota river of life springing within me.
3
Once I call His name there’s a flow within;
It turns me from my day, makes Him Lord again.
As my spirit burns, Satan cannotwin.
Calling, “Oh Lord Jesus,”keepsthe flow within.
JESUS IS THE THIRST QUENCHER
WE DON'T DRINK ENOUGHWATER
a car is worthless without gas, and we are also without waterand so we need
to be regularly filled with the Spirit just as our carneeds to be filled with gas
to move forward and fulfill its purpose.

water
David's Blog
The Holy Spirit is not only representedby refreshing rivers of living water;
He is also representedby rain (side note: this is also why the cloud is a symbol
of the Holy Spirit; the cloud brings the rain).
The prophet Joelprophesiedthe coming of rain. He was referring to natural
rain, but he went on to prophesy that God would “pour out” His Spirit. The
mentioning of the Spirit and rain togethercreates this clearsymbolic
parallel—the Holy Spirit is the rain of Heaven.
Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He
hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down
for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.... And
it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream
dreams, your young men shall see visions:And also upon the servants and
upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My spirit (Joel2:23,28-29
KJV).
Watercleanses,quenches, refreshes,and gives life. The Holy Spirit cleanses
your soul, quenches your spiritual thirst, and refreshes your being.
Wherever the rivers and rain of the Holy Spirit touch, there is life.
Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this waterwill soonbecome thirsty again.
But those who drink the waterI give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a
fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternallife” (John 4:13-14).
Waterrepresents the Holy Spirit’s ability to refresh us, quench our spiritual
thirst, cleanse us, and bring forth life wherever He flows. He is the rain of
Heaven, and He is the living river that flows from within. Water canbe
symbolic for the Holy Spirit.

WATER (John 4:14, 7:38-39)
Wateralso typifies more than one thing in Scripture; in its various forms it
has different meanings. In Gen.7, the waters of the flood speak ofGod’s
judgment on men, irresistible in its effectand all-inclusive in its scope,
overwhelming and destroying. The Lord spoke ofHis death as a baptism
(Lk.12:50), and the Psalmistdescribes Christ's sufferings as an overwhelming
flood (Ps. 69: 2, 14-15).
Still, or quietly flowing waters speak to us of the Word of God and its
refreshment to the soul (Ps. 23:2-3, John 3:5). Waters drawn out in a pitcher
to be used for man suggestthat portion of God’s Word that we have
appropriated to be of benefit (Mark 14:13).
5) Water:
Wateris one of the most common symbols of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit falls on people LIKE rain, He bubbles up inside, He flows out
like a river – rivers are divers and varied – there are varied flows of the Spirit.
Watercomes in so many different forms – mist, clouds, dew, a well, shower,
rain, lakes, rivers, the ocean, floods. Wateris used for cleaning, so the Holy
Spirit cleanses.As water in the natural refreshes, quenches the thirst and
gives life, so the Holy Spirit refreshes quenches spiritual thirst and gives life.
Wateris absolutelyessentialto all physical life and God’s influence in our
lives is absolutely essentialforlife!
Isaiah44:3

:3 For I will pour wateron him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your
offspring;
The Bible speaks ofthe Holy Spirit like rain.
He falls like rain. Rain is necessaryfor the harvest. (Hosea 6:3; Zechariah
10:1; James 5:7).
The Book ofJoelspeaks ofthe dry, barren, lifeless land. It then speaks ofGod
sending the former and the latter rain (Joel2:23) transforming the land and
producing a bountiful harvest. This rain is symbolic of the Holy Spirit and the
effectHe has upon dry, barren areas.
John 4:14
:14 “but whoeverdrinks of the waterthat I shall give him will never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water
springing up into everlasting life.”
Wateris at the centre of physical life: so is the Holy Spirit central to the
spiritual life of a believer. He is the One responsible for regeneration. He is
cleansing, refreshing, and life-giving. We need waterfor every joint and
every vital function of our natural body. So too, we need to walk and live in
the Spirit of God every day.
In Jeremiah 2:13, for example, God refers to Himself as a “spring of living
water”
The imagery of God's Word also includes the idea of cleansing power. It is
likened to waterbecause watercleanses,as Psalm119:9 shows:"How can a
young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word." Jesus
adds in John 15:3, "You are already cleanbecause ofthe word which I have
spokento you." Paul says in Ephesians 5:26, ". . . that He might sanctify and
cleanse [the church] with the washing of water by the word."

Jesus says in John 6:63, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits
nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." This
statementclarifies matters: The water, the Word, and the Holy Spirit must be
consideredtogether—asone element—that precipitate the new birth,
It is more likely that the "water" and "spirit" Jesus refers to are those
mentioned in Ezekiel36:25-27:
Then I will sprinkle cleanwateron you, and you shall be clean;I will cleanse
you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart
and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh
and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to
walk in My statutes, and you will keepMy judgments and do them.
Ephesians 5:26 tells us that we are cleansed"withthe washing of waterby the
word." There are things that will be cleansed—thingsin our minds, things
that deal with conduct, things that have to do with characterand attitude—
that are cleansedby water. The word "water" here is symbolic, referring to
the Word of God, as well as to the Holy Spirit.
Thou Breath from still eternity,
Breathe o'er my spirit's barren land
The pine-tree and the myrtle-tree
Shall spring -amidst the desert sand,
And where Thy living water flows
The waste shallblossomas the rose.

May I in will and deed and word
Obey Thee as a little child;
And keepme in Thy love, my Lord,
For ever holy, undefiled ;
Within me teachand strive and pray,
Lest I should choose my ownwild way.
O Spirit, Stream that by the Son
Is open'd to us crystal pure,
Forth-flowing from the heavenly Throne
To waiting hearts and spirits poor,
Athirst and wearydo I sink
Beside Thy waters, there to drink.
My spirit turns to Thee and clings,
All else forsaking, unto Thee,
Forgetting all createdthings,
Remembering only God in me.
O living Stream, O gracious Rain,
None wait for Thee, and wait in vain.
G. TERSTEEGEN.

Jimmy Swaggart – Let Your Living Water Flow Lyrics
Let Your living waterflow over my soul,
Let your Holy Spirit come and take control,
Of every situation that has troubled my mind,
All my cares and burdens on to you I roll.
Father, Father, Father.
Give your life to Jesus, letHim fill your soul,
Let Him take you in His arms and make you whole,
As you give your life to Him, He'll set you free,
You will live and reign with Him eternally.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
Come now Holy Spirit and take control,
Hold me in your loving arms and make me whole,
Wipe awayall doubt and fear and take my pride,
Draw me to your love and keepme by your side.
Spirit, Spirit, Spirit.
Let your living waterflow over my soul
Let your Holy spirit come and take control,

Of every situation that has troubled my mind,
All my cares and burdens onto you I roll.
Father, Jesus, Spirit
I feel your touch, I canfeel Your heart
As I'm lying here alone in the dark
I hear your voice gently say, "Come to me?
I long for Your love as the earth longs for the rainfall
I'm wearyLord, I've wonderedthis deserttoo long
So come living waterflow through me like a river
My heart's been thirsting so long
Floodthrough my soul and pour out Your mercy
Come living waterfill me
Lord so many times You've calledmy name
And I've turned my face the other way
Yet before I even saw the womb, You love me
How can I be so blind when I alone have createdmy darkness
Forgive me Lord and washme cleanagain
So come living waterflow through me like a river

Come living waterfill meCome living waterflow through me like a river
Readmore: BobCarlisle - Living WaterLyrics
by SingerForGod» Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:49 am
'Have you heard the raindrops '
Have you heard the raindrops drumming on the rooftops'?
Have vou heard the raindrops dripping on the ground?
Have you heard the raindrops splashing in the streams
And running to the rivers all around?
There's water, waterof life, Jesus gives us the waterof life;
There's a busy workmandigging in the desert,

Digging with a spade that flashes in the sun:
Soonthere will be water rising in the wellshaft,
Spilling from the bucketas it comes.
Nobody can live who hasn't any water,
When the land is dry then nothing much grows;
Jesus gives us life if we drink the living water,
Sing it so that everybody knows.
Decadesago, Ivisited a ministry centerin WestAfrica and saw a little girl
climb onto a truck that had a public address system. Smiling, she beganto
sing over the microphone:
It’s bubbling, it’s bubbling,
it’s bubbling in my soul;
I’m singing and laughing
since Jesus made me whole.
Since Jesus came within,
and cleansedmy heart from sin,

It’s bubbling, bubbling, bubbling,
bubbling, bubbling in my soul!
I heard her sing that song only once. But the joy in her voice was so evident
and powerful that I remember the lyrics and tune to this day. The
Henry Clay Trumbull
And one of the promises precious to the children of God is that in heaven they
shall not thirst any more (Rev 7:16). To slake another's thirst but for a
moment, is a bounty acknowledgedgratefully by man, and not unnoticed by
God. (Mt 10:42, 25:34-35, cpActs 20:35)… One whose lips have parched with
thirst in an army-prison, or on a sandy march, or while lying wounded on a
field of battle, can realize the preciousness of"a cup of cold wateronly" as
others cannot. After one of the battles of our Civil War, a member of the
government ambulance corps was moving among the wounded on the field,
assisting in their removal. He came to a dying Southern soldier, too far gone
for hope through removal. As he stoopedover the dying man with a kindly
word, the parching lips askedfor water. The lips were tenderly moistened.
"Thank you! Now please lay my cap over my face, and let me die." As this
service was rendered lovingly, there came anothercall from the dying man: "
Will you please tell me your name, my friend ?" " Why, of course I will ; but
why do you ask it ?" "Oh, so I can pray God through all eternity to bless you

for giving me that water!" To bring waterfor his thirst, man has poured out
millions upon millions for costlyaqueducts, the very ruins of which are among
the world's wonders. He has bored the artesianwell into depths which could
never be reachedby cutting. He has tunneled under the lake's bottom, miles
beyond the shore, for a purer supply. He has linked the desertwith the river
by chains of canals. Yet at the best, pure water has not always satisfiedman's
thirst ; so he has searchedthe world overfor tempting beverages, andhas
taxed the ingenuity of his fellows for new and refreshing drinks… The longing
for drink has been neither satisfiednor removed. Men still drink and thirst,
and thirst and drink again. Only one personin all the world, and he that
travel-worn pilgrim by the well of Jacob, has everdared confidently to say, "
Whosoeverdrinketh of the waterthat I shall give him shall never thirst."…
even as fainting travelers have been deluded by the mirage of the desertinto
one more vain effort to reachthe waterwhich they longedfor, even so, also,
thirsting souls have been mockedwith the wine of superstition, have famished
at the exhaustedcistern of a false religion, or have wastedtheir lateststrength
in pursuing the mirage of some delusive philosophy of first causes and
ultimate destiny. When Philip V, of Spain, first saw in full play the
magnificent new fountains he had erectedat La Granja, it is said that an
expressionof pleasure passedover his sad face ; then his melancholy look
returned, and he said, bitterly : " Thou hast given me three minutes'
distraction from my cares ; and thou hast costme three millions." Might not
his words be spokenof many a costlyfountain erectedto gratify man's
spiritual longings? The ruins of such fountains dot the world over. What else
are the crumbling, but still magnificent, temples at Nineveh and Nuffar, at
Memphis and Thebes, at Susa and Persepolis,atAthens and Rome, at Mexico
and Cuzco!Their costwas millions. Their relief to soul-thirst was momentary.
" Brokencisterns" are they all, "that can hold no water." (Jer2:13)…
Myriads have turned, with thirsty souls, to Jesus;
"I heard the voice of Jesus say,
'Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,

Stoopdown, and drink, and live ! '
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him." (Col 3:4, Jn 20:31, 1Jn 4:9, 5:11)
Isaiah49:10 “Theywill not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching heator
sun strike them down; ForHe (Messiahthe GoodShepherd) Who has
compassiononthem will lead them and will guide them to springs of water.
Jeremiah31:25 "ForI satisfythe wearyones and refresh everyone who
languishes."
Ps 23:2 He leads me beside quiet waters.
Rev 7:16-17 “Theywill hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun
beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will
be their Shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God
will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Rev 21:6 Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the
waterof life without cost.
Re 22:1 Then he showedme a river of the waterof life, clearas crystal,
coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,
Pr 25:25 Like coldwater to a wearysoul, So is good news
Warren Wiersbe - Are You Thirsty? ReadPsalm63 King David wrote this
psalm when he was in the wilderness ofJudah. I never really appreciated
what he wrote until my wife and I visited the same spot. What a dry and
barren place it is! Look at what David wrote, "O God, You are my God; early
will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and
thirsty land where there is no water" (Psalm

Rev 7:16-17 “Theywill hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun
beat down on them, nor any heat;17 for the Lamb in the centerof the throne
will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the waterof life; and
God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Rev 21:6 And He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the
waterof life without cost.
Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears
say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come;let the one who wishes take
the waterof life without cost.
Judges 15:17-19 Whenhe had finished speaking, he threw the jawbone from
his hand; and he named that place Ramath-lehi. 18 Then he became very
thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, “You have given this great
deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall
into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 But God split the hollow place that
is in Lehi so that water came out of it. When he drank, his strength returned
and he revived. Therefore he named it En-hakkore, whichis in Lehi to this
day.
Now mark that little, but very significant, phrase "Out of"‚—not into, but
"out of." All the difference in the lives of men lies in the difference between
these two expressions. "Into" is the world's preposition. Every streamturns
in; and that means a dead sea. Manya man's life is simply the coastline of a
dead sea. "Outof" is the Master's word. His thought is of others. The stream
must flow in, and must flow through, if it is to flow out, but it is judged by its
direction, and Jesus wouldturn it outward. There must be goodconnections
upward, and a clearchannel inward, but the objective point is outward
toward a parched earth. But before it can flow out it must fill up. An outflow
in this case means an overflow. There must be a flooding inside before there
can be a flowing out. And let the fact be carefully marked that it is only the
overflow from the fullness within our own lives that brings refreshing to
anyone else. A man praying at a conference in England for the outpouring of

the Holy Spirit said: "Oh Lord, we can't hold much, but we can overflow
lots." That is exactly the Master's thought. "Out of his belly shall flow rivers
of living water."
Do you remember that phrase in the third chapter of Joshua—"ForJordan
overflowethall its banks all the time of harvest." When there was a flood in
the river, there was a harvest in the land. Has there been a harvest in your
life? A harvest of the fruit of the spirit—love, joy, peace, long-suffering;a
harvest of souls? "No," do you say, "not much of a harvest, I am afraid," or it
may be your heart says "none at all." Is it hard to tell why? Has there been a
flood-tide in your heart, a filling up from above until the blessedstream had
to find an outlet somewhere, andproduce a harvest? A harvest outside means
a rising of the tide inside. A flooding of the heart always brings a harvest in
the life. A few years ago there were greatfloods in the southern states, and the
cottonand corn crops following were unprecedented. Paul reminded his
Roman friends that when the Holy Spirit has free swing in the life "the love of
God floods our hearts." (Rom. 5:5)
Please notice, too, the source of the stream—"outofhis belly." Will you
observe for a moment the rhetoricalfigure here? I used to suppose it meant
"out of his heart." The ancients, you remember, thought the heart lay down in
the abdominal region. But you will find that this book is very exactin its use
of words. The blood is the life. The heart pumps, but the stomachmakes it.
The seatof life is not in the heart, but in the stomach. If you will take down a
book of physiology, and find the chart showing the circulation of the blood,
you will see a wonderful network of lines spreading out in every direction, but
all running, through lighter lines into heavier, and still blacker, until every
line converges inthe greatstomachartery. And everywhere the blood goes
there is life. Now turn to a book of physical geographyand geta map showing
the watersystemof some greatvalley like the Mississippi, and you will find a
striking reproduction of the other chart. And if you will shut your eyes and
imagine the reality back of that chart, you will see hundreds of cool, clear
springs flowing successivelyinto runs, brooks, creeks, largerstreams, river
branches, rivers, and finally into the greatriver—the reservoir of all. And

everywhere the waters go there is life. The only difference betweenthese two
streams of life is in the direction. The blood flows from the largesttoward the
smallest;the waterflows from the smallesttoward the largest. Bothbring life
with its accompaniments of beauty and vigor and fruitfulness. There is Jesus'
picture of the Christian down in the world. As the red streamflows out from
the stomach, and, propelled by the force-pump of the heart through a
marvelous network of minute rivers, takes life to every part of the body, so
"he that believeth on Me"—thatis the vital connecting link with the great
origin of this stream of life—out of the very source of life within him shall go a
flood-tide of life, bringing refreshing, and cleansing, and beauty, and vigor
everywhere within the circle of his life, even though, like the red streams and
the waterstreams, he be unconscious of it. An Unlikely Channel. What a
marvelous conceptionof the power of life! How strikingly it describes Jesus'
own earthly life. But there is something more marvelous still—He means that
ideal to become real in you, my friend, and in me. I doubt not there are some
here whose eagerhearts are hungry for just such a life, but who are
tremblingly conscious oftheir own weakness. Your thoughts are saying:"I
wish I could live such a life, but certainly this is not for, this man talking
doesn't know me—no specialtalent or opportunity; such strong tides of
temptation that sweepme cleanoff my feet—notfor me." Ah, my friend, I
verily believe you are the very one the Masterhad in mind, for He had John
put into his gospela living illustration of this ideal of His that goes down to the
very edge of human unlikeliness and inability. He goes downto the lowestso
as to include all. What proved true in this case may prove true with you, and
much more. The story is in the fourth chapter. It is a sort of advance page of
the Book ofActs. A sample of the power of Pentecost—beforethe day of
Pentecost. You and I live on the flood-side of Pentecost. This illustration
belongs back where the streams had only just commencedtrickling. It is a
miniature. You and I furnish the life-size if we will. It is the story of a woman;
not a man, but a woman. One of the weakersex, so called. She was ignorant,
prejudiced, and without socialstanding. She was a woman of no reputation.
Aye, worse than that, of bad reputation. She probably had less moral
influence in her town than any one here has in his circle. Could a more
unlikely person have been used? But she came in touch with the Lord Jesus.
She yielded herself to that touch. There lies the secretofwhat follows. That

contactradically changedher. She went back to her village and commenced
speaking about Jesus to those she knew. She could not preach; she simply told
plainly and earnestly what she knew and believed about Him. And the result
is startling. There are hundreds of ministers who are earnestly longing for
what came so easilyto her. What modern people call a revival began at once.
We are told in the simple language of the Gospelrecord that "many believed
on Him because ofthe word of the woman." They had not seenJesus yet. He
was up by the well. They were down in the village. She was an ignorant
woman, of formerly sinful life. But there is the recordof the wonderful result
of her simple witnessing—theybelieved on Jesus because ofthe word of that
woman. There is only one wayto accountfor such results. Only the Holy
Spirit speaking through her lips could have produced them. She had
commenceddrinking of the living water of which Jesus had been talking to
her, and now already the rivers were flowing out to others. What Jesus did
with her, He longs to do with you, and far more, if you will let Him; though
his plan for using you may be utterly different from the one He had for her,
and so the particular results may differ too. Now let me ask very frankly why
do we not have such power for our Masteras she? The Master's plan is plain.
He said: "Ye shall have power." But so many of us do not have power!Why
not? Well, possibly some of us are like Nicodemus—there is no power because
of timidity, cowardice,fearof what they will think, or say. Possiblysome of us
are in the same condition spiritually that Lazarus was in physically; we are
tied up tight—hands and feet and face. Some sin. some compromise, some
hushing of that inner voice, something wrong. Some little thing, you may say.
Humph! as though anything could be little that is wrong! Sin is never little!
which are more excellent.
"IF ANY MAN THIRST------" Just wanting a drink of water is not thirsting.
We know nothing about thirst here in a land with water on tap at our elbows.
Dr. Torrey tells us that he knew nothing of thirst until he was with soldiers of
the Spanish-American warin camp, where dust filled the air day and night
and where, as he put it, they ate dust, drank dust, slept dust and dreamed
dust, and there was no wateranywhere fit to drink. Again, he was in China

when cholera was raging and he could drink no water on the boat, but drank
soft drinks as long as he dared, then lay all night suffering with thirst and
thinking of his well at Northfield, far away. Ask some missionaryto tell you
what thirst is, when every pore of the body cries, "Water, water, water;"
when the desertseems to be inside of you, and the lips swell, and every desire,
hope and thought is just concentratedin one burning fever for a cooling
drink. That is thirst, not just a casual, ordinary, normal inclination to drink
water.
There are many Old TestamentScriptures that link waterto God’s abundant
blessing on believers (e.g. Ps. 78:15-16;Prov. 4:23; Isa. 44:3; Ezek. 36:26-27;
47:1-9; Joel3:18; Zech. 13:1; 14:8).

Hebrews 10:21-2221andsince we have a great priest
over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with
a sincere heart and with the full assurancethat faith
brings, having our hearts sprinkledto cleanseus from
a guilty conscienceand having our bodies washed with
pure water.
Ephesians 5:25-27 25Husbands, love your wives, just
as Christ lovedthe church and gave himself up for her
26to make her holy, cleansingher by the washing with
water through the word, 27and to present her to
himself as a radiantchurch, without stainor wrinkle
or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Psalm36:8, Psalm36:9; Isaiah44:3, Isaiah44:4; Joel 2:23.
protestants also believe in holy water.
Oh ! Christ He is the fountain,
The deep, sweetwell of love !
The streams on earth I've tasted,
More deep I'll drink above.

The universal searchof man has been to find a river that satisfies everythirst
of the body and soul. The quest of Ponce de Leon for the fountain of youth is a
quest that has gone on all through history. Mostof history follows the paths of
the greatrivers of the world. Babylon is built on the Euphratus; Nineveh was
built on the Tigris; Thebes was built on the Nile, and Rome was built on the
Tiber. We could go on around the world showing how the greatcities are built
by great rivers. Rivers have been the streams of life for the cities of the world.
Our own greatMississippihas played a major role in the history of our
country. The name in Algonquin means, GreatRiver.
One of the strange paradoxes is that Jerusalemwas not built by a river. This
was a draw back, and the Jews always hopedthat one day that their holy city,
like the greatcities of the world, could have a river. The prophets and
psalmists were forever dreaming and singing of the river. Ezekiel, in a vision,
saw a broad river rushing out of Jerusalem. Isaishsaw a future Jerusalem
where he says in 33:21, "There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be
like a place of broad rivers and streams." He got so disgustedwith the
disobedience of the people and God Himself lamented in 48:18, "O that you
had harkenedto my commandments! Then your peace wouldhave been like a
river..." Peace like a river, and the prosperity of a river have always beenthe
rewards of a people blessedof God. To the Jewishmind, the ideal city must
have a river. They believe that God Himself dwelt by a river in heaven. Psalm
46:4 we read, "There is a river whose streams make gladthe city of God, the
holy habitation of the MostHigh."
In John's vision of the heavenly Jerusalem, he shows us that all the hopes of a
sacredcity on a sacredriver will be fulfilled, and we will have peace like a
river forever. It is fascinating to study rivers, but here is the most fascinating
river of all. Christianity was, in a sense, born on a river. John the Baptist
beganthe New Testamentministry by baptizing in the Jordan River. Jesus
was baptized in this famous river just before He began His public ministry.

The Jordan is the most famous river of the Bible. Naamandidn't think it
compared to the rivers of Syria, but when he obeyed God, the waters of
Jordan became the waters of life for him, and they cleansedhis leprosy.
Crossing overJordan has become a symbolic wayof referring to entering
heaven. This is because, the entrance of Israelinto the promise land began
with the miracle of crossing overthe Jordan on dry ground. It was the Jordan
that made the promised land the nearestthing to the garden of Eden. It gave
life to all the rich soilof the Jordan valley, and produced abundance of fruit.
In Gen. 13:10 we read, "And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the entire
Jordan Valley was irrigated....andit was life a garden of God." Just as the
first paradise needed a river to keepit beautiful, and just as the promised land
needed a river to keepit beautiful, so the eternal paradise for all God's people
needs a river. John, as an eye witness, says it will be there.
All that a river has meant to man in history will be ours in perfectionas
dwellers in the holy city. What blood is to the body a river is to the city, and
that is why it is calledthe river of the waterof life. The blood streamhas been
calledthe river of life. When Jesus shedHis blood in atonement for our sin,
He sacrificedHis river of life. Now by trusting in that river of life for
forgiveness, we canhave the hope of dwelling by that eternal river of life. One
day gatheredby that river we will sing some such words as this,
O blessedLord, we little dreamed
Of such a morn as this;
Such rivers of unmingled joy
Such full unbounded bliss!
And Oh! How sweetthe happy thought,
That all we taste or see,
We owe it to the dying Lamb,
We owe it all to Thee.

It is understandable why many feelthis river of heaven is symbolic. Jesus used
the ideal of a river in a symbolic way. In John 7:38 Jesus said, "He who
believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of
living water." He goes onto explain that the river is symbolic of the Holy
Spirit. Back in John 4:14, Jesus saidto the Samaritan womanat the well,
"...Whoeverdrinks of the waterI shall give him will never thirst; the water
that I shall give him will become in him a spring of waterwelling up to eternal
life." These are obviously symbolic. Nevertheless, I am convinced that the
river of heaven is a real and literal river.
It is the real river and it's values that give meaning to the symbolic use of it.
DeHaanis right, I believe, when he says we will need a watersupply for all
eternity because we will enjoy the pleasures ofeating and drinking. I am
convinced that water will be part of the new heaven and the new earth. God
made water as the basis for life on this earth. The world beganwith waterand
the Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters. He had to divide the
waters before any dry land could appear.
Scientists tell us that 70 per cent of the earth is yet water. From space our
planet looks like a big drop of water. The earth is the only place known that is
suitable for H2O in liquid form. Everywhere else is either so cold or so hot
that is can exist only as a solid or a gas.. On earth alone is this unique source
of life able to flow, and bring life to animals and vegetables. This makes the
planet earth the most rare and unique place in all of God's creation. Wateris
the chemicalcreationthat God has chosento be the foundation of life. We
have some hints as to why this is the case.
God so often builds into His creationsomething of His own nature. Thus, we
can learn of Him by what He has made. Wateris an expressionofthe very
characterof God. In Jer. 2:13, God says to His people, "They have forsaken
me, the fountain of living water." In Ps. 65:9 we read of the River of God
which is full of water and by which the earth is wateredand enriched. If you
study all that the Bible says about water and compare it with all that science
knows about water, you will see why it is such an excellentsymbol of the Holy
Spirit. Wateris a part of the very nature of God.

Holy spirit lesson 3

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Holy spirit lesson 3