Rivers of Living Water

Services

SATURDAYS - 10AM SABBATH School, 11AM Worship Service

by: Godfrey Miranda

06/08/2023

1

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. John 7:38, NKJV

In Bakersfield, CA where I grew up, there aren't too many beautiful vistas or scenic spots. One of the few exceptions is a walking path on the Panorama Bluffs. Elevated above northern Bakersfield, it's a popular spot for a northwestern view of the sunset and...oil fields dotted with dozens of oil derricks. Even though those bluffs overlook a landscape that is generally brown and boring all year, there is a line of verdant green tree and plant life that winds through the southern portion of this area. No, it's not someone's meticulously tended property. It's the banks of the Kern River. In the midst of arid conditions, the river gives signs of life. 

According to John 7:38, that is the life-giving impact Jesus envisions every believer having on their sphere of influence. Everyone who trusts in Him and lives from confidence in God rather than self-focused anxiety can approach life as a producer and not just a consumer. In the midst of the thirsty conditions around us, we can spark revival and hope in others. How? The next verse explains what makes this potent influence possible: "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive" (Jn. 7:39).

The life-giving impact of the believer results from the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. When we depend upon God in full faith, we become sealed with the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. 1:13) not just for our own benefit but for others' transformation! Like the prophet Elisha whose legacy resurrected others around him, like a river that causes its surroundings to flourish, may we be so filled with the Holy Spirit that those around us can experience the resurrection power of Christ.
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He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. John 7:38, NKJV

In Bakersfield, CA where I grew up, there aren't too many beautiful vistas or scenic spots. One of the few exceptions is a walking path on the Panorama Bluffs. Elevated above northern Bakersfield, it's a popular spot for a northwestern view of the sunset and...oil fields dotted with dozens of oil derricks. Even though those bluffs overlook a landscape that is generally brown and boring all year, there is a line of verdant green tree and plant life that winds through the southern portion of this area. No, it's not someone's meticulously tended property. It's the banks of the Kern River. In the midst of arid conditions, the river gives signs of life. 

According to John 7:38, that is the life-giving impact Jesus envisions every believer having on their sphere of influence. Everyone who trusts in Him and lives from confidence in God rather than self-focused anxiety can approach life as a producer and not just a consumer. In the midst of the thirsty conditions around us, we can spark revival and hope in others. How? The next verse explains what makes this potent influence possible: "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive" (Jn. 7:39).

The life-giving impact of the believer results from the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. When we depend upon God in full faith, we become sealed with the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. 1:13) not just for our own benefit but for others' transformation! Like the prophet Elisha whose legacy resurrected others around him, like a river that causes its surroundings to flourish, may we be so filled with the Holy Spirit that those around us can experience the resurrection power of Christ.
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Janice

Amen and amen