Rivers of Living Water

There are many problems in the world today, brethren. Recently in the news we saw an executive being killed point blank on the back. And that is, it was so shocking to me. It really just hit me. How can somebody be so cold-blooded and do that?

But what even boggles my mind even more, brethren, is that there was a national poll done by Emerson College polling. And they polled about 1,000 young adults and 4 in 10, which means 40%, found the actions of the killer acceptable. Now I cannot understand, brethren, how this society is going. It just, it's the end. I mean, the moral values are completely upside down. So truly we read in Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20, woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Brethren, that is the society we're living in now. In the same book of Isaiah in chapter 1, we read at the beginning, it says here in starting in verse 2, hear heavens and give ear or earth.

For the Lord has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me. Many years ago, maybe you, maybe me as well, I kind of looked at it and said, well, most people are not rebelling against God, but I can see that today. That is the world we live in. And a bit later in verse 4, it says, Alice, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evil doers, children who are corrupted, they have forsaken the Lord.

In our society, people have forsaken God. And then a little bit later in verse 5, at the end of verse 5, it says, the whole head is sick. The whole head of this nation is sick and the whole heart faints. Jeremiah as a prophet also says something similar. And so if we just turn to Jeremiah chapter 2, starting in verse 11, Jeremiah chapter 2 verse 11, has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods?

Pagan people remain being pagan. But my people have changed their glory. And obviously in context, it's talking about Israel. They left through God. But when you and I look at our society today, mankind, people have left God. For what does not profit? Be astonished, oh Evans, all this, and be horribly afraid. Be horribly afraid. But society is not. Ah, well, this is fine. Be very desolate, says the Lord, for my people have committed to evils.

They have forsaken me. The society, people we are around, have forsaken God. The fountain of living waters. God is the fountain of living waters. And secondly, they've hewn themselves systems, broken systems that cannot hold water. The nation, religion in general.

Has forsaken the true God, the fountain of living waters. Brethren today, I want to talk about rivers of living waters. And it is understanding that, or should I say, it is better, we need to understand clearly, that quite often the Bible talks in, let's call it analogies or in symbols. And the fountain of living waters, what is it actually talking about? Now if you and I turn to John chapter seven, and again, we know that's talking about a time in the future, but let's just read what it says here, because it tells us a little bit more about living waters.

In John chapter seven, verse 37, on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. And so if we have contact with Christ and with God and God being the fountain of living waters, then we ourselves will then in turn, out of ours, will flow living water, rivers of living water.

And that's the title of my message today, rivers of living water. Is that living water flowing through you and I? Coming from the father, the fountain of living waters and coming through us and we by our example and our lives, are we also allowing that living water to flow through us, through you and I, as rivers of living water.

Verse 39, but this he spoke concerning the spirit, whom those believing in him would receive for the Holy Spirit was not given yet because Jesus was not yet glorified. And so this picture of living waters, God is the fountain from where God's early spirit proceeds as we read in John, God's early spirit proceeds from the father. He's the fountain of living waters. And we ought to receive that God's early spirit, that water, that living water and it's supposed to work in us, in our minds and our actions would then show to others and be to others because of our way of life as good fruits, godly good fruits, exhibiting the fruits of God's early spirit.

In John chapter four, verse nine through 14 adds another little bit of understanding to that and this in John chapter four, it's talking about the Samaritan woman. And in verse four, John chapter four, verse four, but it says he needed to go through Samaria and so he came to a city of Samaria and then a little later in verse nine, he says then the woman of Samaria, because he met this woman and then the woman of Samaria said to him, to Christ, how is it that you being a Jew ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?

How come you are asking me for water? And then Jesus answered, if you knew the gift of God, who it is who says to you, give me a drink, you would have asked him that he would give you, have given you living water. You see Christ is the one that gives us living water.

Yes, it comes from the Father, proceeds from the Father and Christ then is the one that passes it through to us, comes through Christ. And the woman said to him, you know, sir, you have nothing to draw with and then she didn't understand that. And then a little later in verse 13, Jesus asked and said to her, whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. So this physical water that we drink, after a while we thirsty again, we want to drink more, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him, and we've seen that this water representing God's Holy Spirit will never thirst, but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.

In other words, this living water, which is God's Holy Spirit, is the power of God that will work in us, in our minds, in our being, so that we ultimately can have eternal life. And so it is beautiful when we put these very scriptures together that we see that people have forsaken God, the fountain from whom, in other words, God's Holy Spirit comes.

And God's Holy Spirit is that living water that ultimately will give us, through God's power, eternal life. Now, of course, it comes from God, but it is God's power that will enable us to have eternal life. And what it does is, as we, as you and I, live and drink of this water, God's Holy Spirit, our way of life changes. We become different. We put off the old man, we put on a new man, and we become more and more like Christ, like God.

And therefore, we are not forsaking God, but we are indeed loving God and being close to God. See, my point today, brethren, putting it very simply, is that mankind, the whole nation, everybody has basically rejected God. In other words, they've rejected God's help, God's power to help us change. And that is well-reflected when you and I read in Genesis 2 that we see that Adam and Eve were basically given a choice of two trees, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And the tree of life representing listening to what God said was right and wrong, and therefore not forsaking God's instruction, and therefore symbolized the fountain from God of that living water, symbolizing that living water, God's Holy Spirit. Because God's Holy Spirit, as we put God's Holy Spirit to practice in our lives as we live the way, we then become more like God. So we have the tree of life, which is, yes, we listen to God's advice to what is right and what is wrong, because God tells us what's right and wrong, and we trust Him.

In other words, we are faith in what He says, and we do what He says, because faith means we do what He says. But Adam and Eve chose.

Yes, Eve was deceived, but Adam chose too to forsake the way of God, and they decided for themselves to choose to have their own knowledge, their own decision-making process of deciding based on different knowledge what is right and what is wrong. And that is the way of death. And so basically we had two trees, a tree of life and a tree of death. And that's why we read, for instance, in the Autonomy 30, later on it says, I set before you life and death. For your good and for your children and grandchildren's being, well-being. In Genesis chapter 3 verse 6, and let me just turn this so that I quote it correctly, Genesis chapter 3 verse 6, we see that Eve looked at that fruit, the fruit of that tree, and it says, it was good for food. It was appeared good for the flesh. And it says, and it was pleasant to the eyes, appeared good to look and attractive to the eyes. And a tree desirable to make one wise. In other words, that made you feel above others, proud and arrogant. And that is exactly what 1 John 2 verse 16 says. 1 John 2 verse 16, let's turn to it as well. 1 John 2 verse 16, for all that is in the world, the last of the flesh, the last of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but of the world. That's what Eve looked at, and that's what mankind has looked at it from there onwards. And yes, Eve was influenced by Satan. We know in Revelation 12 verse 9 that says, Satan deceives the whole world. Now brethren, it does not say deceives most of the world, deceives the whole world, which means that you and I can also be deceived if you're not careful. And you see, we all quite often try to make our own decisions of what's right and wrong. And we've got to be careful because we've got to look at God's standard, what is right and wrong. There's many today in, I will say in a honest attempt to search the scriptures for hope, and they become very religious.

Oh yeah, I found people very powerful religious words, or I found people very focused on technical details that make them superior than others because they know, and they can quote these scriptures and these verses like this and like that, and even prophecies, and they come and draw their own conclusions, and they have, let's just call it a very religious appearance. In 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 5, in 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 5, we are warned because in 2 Timothy chapter 3, it is talking about in the last days, bad times, and it says all these things that you find, people, lovers of money, and the sub But then in verse 5, it says having a form of godliness. In other words, they act religious. People act religious. But then it says, but they deny the power. And what is the power of God? God's only spirit. It's that living water that comes from the father. And so what it is, is people are very religious, and it's an appearance of a near, but they don't do.

And the question I have is, how are you doing? How am I doing? Because we need to examine ourselves. Examine yourselves. Don't examine the person that's next to you.

Don't examine your spouse. Examine yourself. Examine me. I got to examine myself. We all have to examine ourselves. Are we following a false religion, not using the power of God's only spirit to change ourselves? In other words, are we exhibiting a form of godliness, but denying its power? Are we? Am I? And it is something that we have to consider very carefully. And there's many forms of religion. One of the forms of religion, may or may not think that way, is getting involved in politics. How's that? Because people put hope on a false messiah, on a false leader that is not going to resolve the problems of this world or this country.

The only leader, government leader that is going to solve the problems of this world is Jesus Christ, when he comes and established the kingdom of God and was the government on God, on planet earth. Thank God. And it's not going to be any political figure that you and I may consider. And yeah, you may have temporary hope, temporary peace and safety, but in the end, it will have a backlash, even stronger and utter destruction. Brethren, the way of life is Christ. In John 14, 6, Christ said, I am the way, I am the life. I am the truth. I am the life. And Christ therefore is a model of a person when he was a physical human being that used the living water, God's only spirit.

And that's who we must follow as a standard. Don't follow me. Don't follow any other person. Follow Christ. You see, when we go back to the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we know that Adam and Eve were then expelled out of the garden so that they could not partake of the tree of life. Remember that? Which means they could not have access to, according to the symbology, how I went through it a moment ago, they could not have access to God's only spirit.

And you and I know mankind as a whole, even today, does not have access to God's only spirit except for those few that God is calling, John 6, 44. You know, some people, therefore, in many beliefs come to the point and says, well, God's plan was destroyed or hindered or impacted or gone out of track, out of its rails, by Eve being deceived by Satan. No, that is not the case. God is in control and God allowed it. God is more powerful than Satan. You and I can read in Revelation 13, verse 8, right at the end there in verse 8, and it says that Christ was, let me just read it so I have the correct words, but Christ was basically condemned to death before the creation of the world.

Revelation 13, verse 8, right at the end, it says, let me get to it, yeah, the land, which is Christ, was slain from the foundation of the world. He was condemned to death already from the foundation of the world.

Now think about it. In Genesis 1, verse 1 says, God created the heavens and the earth. That is the foundation of the world. Later we see that Adam and Eve were created. So the foundation of the world was before the creation of Adam and Eve. And therefore, the lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. And it was from the very beginning, the Father and Christ, the two God beings, Eloim, plural, two God beings, had decided to create mankind with free moral agency, therefore knowing that they soon believed that they would sin, and knowing therefore the only way to pay for the wages of sin, because wages of sin, Romans 6, 23, is death.

The only way therefore is to have Christ die for us. And so the plan required right from the beginning, Christ's death. That is also backed up by 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 9. Second Timothy chapter 1, verse 9, where it says right at the end, and it says, according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus, before time began. Now people get confused, oh, what do you mean time began?

So there's no time in eternity. Well, how do you and I measure time? Well for one, I use a clock. And how do you get 24 hours, because it's the rotation of the earth around its axis and the sun. So how do you and I measure time? By the movement of the planets of the earth and the sun, that's how time is looked at today. So before that standard of days and years and months started, that's before time began.

So Christ was slain before the creation of the heavenly bodies, because that's when time began. You see the Father and Christ knew that you and I, we would sin sooner or later. Like any mom or dad knows, that their good little boy or their good little girl sooner or later is going to do something wrong. If you think that your boy or little girl never does anything wrong, then you probably are putting it mildly deceived.

So God knew that his physical children would do something wrong sooner or later. And that's something wrong against God's laws, his sin, and the wages of sin is death. And so God does not compromise with his law. God does not compromise with his law. And so it's not that the law is done away, because if God was going to do away with the law, why didn't he do it before Christ died? Because God is law abiding.

He's not above the law, because the law is love and God is love. And so what do we have here? Is that Christ and the Father knew that that sacrifice had to happen because we sinned. But we have to change. You and I, we have to repent. Because we all, you and I, we all have forsaken at some time in your life and in my life, we have forsaken the fountain of living water, which is God. We forsaken some time in our life that revealed knowledge from God, that tree of life, and that help, which is God's only spirit. And please don't just say, oh, well, I did it because it's Satan's fault.

Well, you may have a part in it, but you and I are free moral agents, and you and I are responsible for our actions. So don't point fingers and point it to Satan, because once you point fingers, there's three back at you and one up to God. So don't point fingers. The point is you and I are accountable for our own actions, and you and I have sinned. You and I, we have walked away from the tree of life, but we have to repent and change. And that's why it says in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 19, don't quench the spirit, because even though you and I are in the church, and you and I have accepted the way of being repentant of changing from the way we lived to the way God wants us to live, even though we've been baptized and made that commitment to live the right way, and even though we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on our hands after baptism, are we daily? Are you, am I daily, using that living water? That water in me and in you that is going to change me and you to a better person. And that's why, as I say in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 19 says, do not quench the spirit. You and I must not turn that tap off or throttle that power of God's Holy Spirit, a big a pardon. You see, we must examine ourselves as we read in 2 Corinthians 13, verse 5, examine ourselves Let's turn to 2 Corinthians 13, verse 5.

2 Corinthians 13, verse 5. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Are we examining ourselves? Not somebody else, but me, myself, and moi, you yourself and yourself. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus is in you? Because Jesus is in you and I through the power of God's Holy Spirit, through that mind of Christ that is in us, through his Spirit. And we must not quench it. We must take heed of ourselves. Look 21, verse 34 through 36. Look 21, verse 34 through 36. Look 21, verse 34. He says, take heed to yourselves. Test your hearts, weigh down, a big a pardon, take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing drunkenness and cares of this life and that today come on you unexpectedly. Brethren we live in such terrible times like never before. That right is wrong and wrong is right, it's just, it's going to come suddenly brethren. And that's why then it says in verse 36, watch therefore, watch ourselves therefore and pray always that you and I may be counted worthy to escape these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. And just because you and I have God's Holy Spirit does not mean that you and I will escape unless we are walking that way. Don't be deceived. I must not be deceived. I need to be examining myself. So you. Even as we examine ourselves as we obey God, that's 532, we receive more of God's Holy Spirit. And therefore we need to be changing from what we are to become more like what Christ is. In other words, we have to have sorrow in a godly manner. Take notes and study for instance 2 Corinthians chapter 7, 8 through 11 which talks about godly sorrow and how it gives you a number of points that you could analyze very carefully about how we're doing. Because the heart is deceived, is deceitful above all things, Jeremiah 17, 9. Who can know it? It's desperately wicked. That's your heart. Yes, that's my heart. That's our heart. Please, I'm not pushing you down, please. I'm looking at myself too. We all on the same boat. I need to analyze myself. Now God did create us this way. And you may wonder how did God, why did God create us with the human nature of a carnal mind with a deceitful heart? And you could look at it in two ways, physically and spiritually. Physically is, yes, as a flesh. You need to have these drives of the flesh so you have human survival. So you've got to dominate and control these things otherwise it gets pulled towards self. Physically on the other side, God allows us so we learn to overcome. We learn to overcome lusts, temptations, desire for power, whatever it is. Why? Why? Brethren, I don't think we really grasp. I don't fully grasp because we're just physical beings, but we don't fully grasp the greatness of the glory that God wants to give you and I. We just can't figure it. But it's going to be so much power, so much glory, obviously inferior to God and to Christ, but there's going to be so much glory that he's going to give us. And he can't have. He will not have that God, that's what I mean. God will not have a second Satan in his hands. And so when he's going to give you and me and us that power, he will have made sure and double make sure that once you have that power, you'll never abuse it.

And that's why he's allowing us to go through times of trial and test because he's testing our hearts because we just cannot understand how big a power he wants to give us. That is so critical for us to understand. We have to overcome. We have to change. We have to be committed. We have to put away the old man and put him on the new man. These beautiful scriptures, like for instance, in Ephesians chapter four, verse 22 through to the end of the chapter, where he says, put away that old man, put on the new man. And then it completes that by going into chapter five of Ephesians, verse one, it says, imitate God. You see your goal and my goal, our goal is to become like God. In other words, perfect. Now, please, we'll be far inferior to God. I'm not saying, you know, but what I'm saying is God wants us to have the same character, the same person, not just personality, but value system. So ingrained in us that will never depart from it. Never, never. Even when he gives you an eye, supreme power, you will never depart from it. But before he does that, he has to know and know that he knows that you will not depart. Like he tested Abraham and he said to Abraham, now I know. And God is going to come to a point where each one of us is going to have a test, not in the same form or kind as Abraham, but you and I are going to have a test that at the end of that test, God will say, now I know and I know that I know. Then put your name in there. That so and so will always follow the way. Follow the way.

That's why I said, brethren, religion is not words and veneer and knowing all the technicalities about prophecy. Sure, we got to follow the truth. But true religion, as in James says, is the application and caring of those that are sick.

It's the way of care and love. That's true religion. That's why in the New Testament talks about the way. We ought to live the way. Remember that we are to inherit all things and we are to inherit God. That's what we read in Romans 8, verse 17. And when you look at Hebrews chapter 2, verse 6 through 9, you can see Christ is going to inherit everything. Everything's going to be put under him. And in Revelation 21, verse 7, he says, you and I will inherit all things. In other words, we'll be coheirs with Christ.

But in addition to that, we will have glory. Like God has glory. He's once again much inferior, but we'll inherit God. In other words, being sons of God. That's what we'll be. Brethren, we live in difficult times. God wants you to be there. And you read in Romans 35 through 39, that he says, nothing can separate you and I from the love of God for you and I.

God loves you. God loves me. But with that comes that he wants to give you the power, the glory to be in a family of God because he loves you. But he cannot do that unless he knows for sure that you'll never depart that way. That I'll never depart that way. But in the meantime, you and I are going through a society that is very difficult. We live in hard, difficult times.

But we know there are prophecies and you read that in Revelation chapter three verse 10 in the sixth letter to the churches in Revelation three verse 10, that it says that God will protect us. It says because you've kept my commandment to persevere. That means many are called, few are chosen, but when Christ comes, he will be with those that are faithful.

In other words, that have persevered. So being called and chosen and having God's Holy Spirit is not enough. You and I have to persevere. And because you are living in a society in which you and I hopefully are persevering or living the way, he says, I will also keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the all earth. In other words, I'll keep you and I'll protect you from the great tribulation, which is going to test the whole world.

Not just this nation or XYZ nation, it's going to test every nation, the whole world. And therefore, just look at a couple of other interesting scriptures that sometimes we don't pay attention to. Therefore, look at Isaiah 26 verse 20. Isaiah 26 verse 20. Isaiah 26 verse 20. It takes a little while to get to it, but come my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself as it were for a little moment until the indignation is passed.

There will be physical human beings in the church of God that God will protect through the great tribulation. Just because you and I are in the church of God does not mean that you will be protected because you and I have to watch and pray that you and I may be counted worthy to escape.

But even more important than escape is to be and to stand in front of the Son of Man. In other words, to be a spirit being, to be of Christ at the resurrection when he comes. But the point here from a physical point of view, I know we often are concerned about children and grandchildren.

But yeah, our powerful promises, if you and I are using the living water, the power of God's early spirit to change and striving to imitate God. Look at Zephaniah chapter 2. Zephaniah chapter 2. You know when you want to find a scripture, you don't find it. There it is, Zephaniah chapter 2 verse 1 through 3. Gather yourselves together. Yes, gather yourselves. Gather together.

O undesirable nation, who is the undesirable nation? It's God's spiritual Israelites. We will become the undesirable nation in this very country. Before the decree is issued or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger, seek the Lord all you make of the earth, all you and I that we need to be teachable and malleable and follow God. And he says, who have upheld his justice, who seek righteousness, obviously God's righteous, not self-righteousness, seek humility or meekness, it may be that you will be hidden.

It may be that you will be protected. That's why it says, watch and pray that you may be counted worthy. How am I doing? How are we doing? Are we using the living water so that it flows out of us as rivers of living water? Brethren, we must stir it up. You see God's spirit is the spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind, but we got to stir it up.

We got to use it. We got to live that way. What a great promise God has given you and I, brethren, to be children of God, to be heirs of God. Paul expressed this as a great mystery because the world doesn't get it. It's a great hope, brethren, that we have because you and I have access to this living water, to this power that will help you and I to change.

Yes, it is a process that you and I have to go through. And you and I have to be careful that we don't become like Adam and Eve that reject the tree of life, that quench God's early spirit. But you and I need to pray and ask God to help us fight daily the Christian fight. We need to ask God to help us to put daily the mind of Christ, that is spirit, in our lives. We must ask God daily to stir and to help us to stir up the Holy Spirit and use it as he wants you and I to use it.

Therefore, brethren, please let's watch ourselves that we may be counted worthy to truly be heirs of God.