John 7:38

"Rivers Of Life"



What does the heavenly "River of Life" look like?  I imagine that it would be reflective of the Golden streets; it would be peaceful and exotic; it would look as though it had no bottom; and it would portray the very Glory of heaven.  Until we arrive in heaven, though, we in earth, have the honor of diving into the essential waters of the "here and now" Rivers of Life!

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said,

out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

(John 7:38)

Rivers are waters, and water is a necessity of Life!  So it is for the soul and spirit of man.  There are three rivers every human being must swim in for eternal life, the river of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the waters of baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the life giving waters of the Word of God.  That river that flows out of the belly of man is the Spirit of the Lord, the Holy Ghost and fire!  When one is filled with the Holy Ghost and speaks with other tongues, "life" emerges in the spirit of the person filled, because suddenly the Spirit of the Creator comes to dwell in a human being  ...  everything looks different, smells different, feels different; beauty has come to live in the human spirit and earth becomes heaven for a moment in time and we get a taste of our eternal home  ...  "in earth as it is in heaven!" 

Then Peter said unto them, "Repent, and

be baptized every one of you in the name of 

 Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and 

 ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

(Acts 2:38)

Why are so many people depressed, down, discouraged, and so without hope in this day and age?  The have no "rivers!"  They are dehydrated!  Water is essential for life; the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is the "living" water that flows out of the belly of man when filled with God's Spirit; waters of baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ are a likeness to the burial of Jesus Christ; and the waters of the Bible are life giving strength renewing us day by day.  We participate in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ by repentance (His death), baptism in His name (burial), and receiving His Spirit, the Holy Ghost (His resurrection).

"With joy you will draw water from the

wells of salvation."

(Isaiah 12:3)

The wells of salvation are life's golden rivers; they are the ecstasy of the human existence.  What have you got to lose?  Maybe you've tried everything else, and nothing has brought lasting, real, undeniable Joy!  Do you know what absolute, ethereal, mind-boggling, heart thrilling, soul leaping, exciting, glorious, all-consuming, powerful, and utterly beautiful JOY is?  It is "that" spoken of by the prophet Joel; it is dynamite; it is unspeakable and full of Glory; it is the epitome of heaven in earth; it is the never-thirst energy drink of eternity; it illuminates the vision, deepens the senses, thrills the psyche, and explodes the nerve cells  ... it is the Holy Ghost and fire!

"The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy

your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen

your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail."

(Isaiah 58:11)

Life's waters are within our grasp here in earth, and they prepare us to live in an imperfect world, but afford us a heavenly peek in a human experience of the "Garden of Eden!"  They are the glorious preview, the Bible command, and the "salvation ticket" to the eternal, and greatly anticipated "Rivers of Life" that are just a trumpet blast away  ... Heaven's Gates! 

   

                                                                    By Sheryl Fowler

                                                    (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

                                               PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)