COMMUNION:

COMMUNION: OUT OF HIS HEART WILL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER

Having taken on human form, Jesus Christ, as a man, could be only one place at a time. It is understood that the church as empowered by the Holy Spirit could minister The Great Commission to the entire world. It is to our advantage that Jesus departed earth to be seated at the Father’s right hand, where He ministers through the Holy Spirit to accomplish that commission (John 16:7). The question comes, how does Jesus affect His will to bring about His full plan? The answer is, through the individuals who make up His body, the church. Let us consider John 7:37-39:
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 has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
This is the gospel message before anyone could understand that message. Jesus was preparing all who would eventually follow Him for how He would operate in their lives. Jesus was preparing us to understand that we would operate by the power and life of God within our deepest being. This would be no small thing. Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” When we think of getting a drink of water we think about satisfying our thirst—this is necessary for our normal body functions—we die without water. But the river of life flows from Jesus; He satiates our spiritual thirst and empowers spiritual viability. But He does much more than this. Let us consider the phrase “…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." A thirst for Jesus creates within our deepest being a flow of living water. This is not a stagnant pond of water, a trickle of water, a stream of water, or even a river of water. These are rivers of water, take note the word is plural; these are rivers of water. A thirst for Jesus multiplies the power of the Spirit within us. This is a combined flow, spiritually speaking, of the Mississippi River, the Nile River, and the Amazon River from us all at once. Our vitality from our thirst for Christ produces within us a great swell of life which brings about God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. This causes us to pose a defining question. How thirsty are we for Jesus? He has an abundance for us beyond what we can imagine. This reminds us of the lyrics of the song, There’s a River of Life*:
There’s a river of life
Flowing out from me
It makes the lame to walk
And the blind to see
Opens prison doors
Set the captives free There is a river of life
Flowing out from me

There’s a fountain flowing
From the Savior’s side
All my sins forgiven
In that precious tide
Jesus paid the price
When for me He died
There’s a fountain flowing
From the Savior’s side

There’s a risen Savior
At the Father’s throne
Ever interceding
For His very own
Pouring down the blessings
That are His alone
There’s a risen Savior
At the Father’s throne

*Public Domain