John 7:37-38 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

This is an extremely famous passage that has been preached on countless times, but we should not let familiarity breed contempt. The first thing we need to pay attention to is the matter of thirst: no one will receive anything gladly without feeling a need for it. We have the expression, “a white elephant,” meaning something that is ostensibly valuable but for which we have no particular use and will be a problem to maintain. Frankly, some people feel like that about God’s spiritual gifts! However, water is in a different category, as it is essential for life itself. This is the second time Jesus talked about “living water,” having used the expression with the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:13-14) In the Aramaic of the day, a bubbling spring was sometimes referred to as “living water,” in contrast to a well, so the expression wasn’t strange to His hearers. However, here He is obviously not talking about a physical spring, as John is careful to explain in the next verse. Countless Christians, not to mention non-Christians, spend their days parched and dry, and there is no need for that! One of the saddest branches of theology is that of cessationism, saying that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were only for the period of the original 12 apostles. It arose from people who weren’t manifesting such gifts, so they concluded that the time for such gifts was over, rather than seeking God for more of Himself. That’s the most pathetic kind of circular reasoning. Just yesterday in the message I said that one reason some people don’t hear from God is that they don’t believe He loves them enough to talk to them, and I believe God was saying that through me. If we really believe that God loves us as much as He does, then we will be totally open to what­ever He wants to pour onto, into, and through us. After all, He already demonstrated His love by sending His son! (Romans 8:32) Jesus Himself said the Father would give the Spirit to those who ask. (Luke 11:13) God wants His children to be bubbling springs of life, and we should desire that as well.

When I first heard of the tenets of the Charismatic Movement back in 1973 I immediately recognized them as Biblical, and started seeking to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. However, everything I read connected that baptism so closely with the gift of tongues that I was essentially seeking the gift, rather than Holy Spirit Himself. It wasn’t until about a year later that someone pointed out to me that we receive all of God’s gifts by grace through faith, and I should thank Him for being true to His Word and stop placing conditions on what it was supposed to look like. I tried that, and felt nothing. However, two days later I realized with a shock that I was talking to a total stranger about Jesus, Acts 1:8 came to mind, and I knew that God had poured His Spirit out on me. Various spiritual gifts did follow, as in 1 Corinthians 12, but not immediately. I have learned that I am to seek the Giver, and rejoice in whatever gifts He chooses to give me. I desire that my life be a bubbling, refreshing spring for all I encounter, drawing them to recognize their own thirst and come to Christ.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I rejoice to recount the stories of Your grace to me. I’m getting more and more push from various directions to write it all down in order. I will certainly need Your help in laying it out and sticking with it. I pray that I would be totally faithful in whatever You want me to do, so that what flows from me will not be polluted in any way but will represent You accurately, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!