Parresia · Beholding Jesus in His Amazing Grace, Session 19, “Jesus, Our Giver of the River of Life?

Transcript of Session 19, “Jesus, Our Giver of the River of Life.”

Introduction: 50 days of grace

Welcome to Session 19 of Beholding Jesus in His Amazing Grace. This session is entitled, “Jesus, Our Giver of the River of Life.”

Today I want to share with you about three times the Israelites had a water shortage in the desert, and how in all three times God provided that water through Jesus, who was depicted in Old Testament shadows.

If we read the Old Testament with man-centered, Old Covenant lenses, we’ll miss the primary teachings about Jesus and think it’s all about us.

If we read the Old Testament with New Covenant (cross-eyed) lenses, the Holy Spirit will reveal the Substance of Jesus in all the shadows on every page! The old is the new concealed. The new is the old revealed!

So in the last session I mentioned when the Israelites came out of Egypt and reached the Red Sea. They were boxed in and had no where to go. The Red Sea was in front of them and the Egyptians were behind them. Only God could save them. They could not save themselves.

Exodus 14:13-14 – [Moses delivered a message from God -] Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation [yeshua – Jesus!] of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

When the Israelites were delivered through the Red Sea, a 50 day period of history began where we see God demonstrating pure grace to His people. However, the Israelites complained and complained and complained, but every time they complained, God just showered them with a fresh demonstration of His grace. During this 50 day time period, there was

• No record of anyone dying,
• No record of punishment or even a rebuke from God,
• No record of the word “anger” being used regarding God towards Israel – even when they sinned.

At the end of this 50 days, they reached the foot of Mount Sinai where the law was given, and we come to the beginning of a period of about 1500 years where the Old covenant of law came alongside the Abrahamic covenant of grace which had been established by God 430 years earlier through their ancestors: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Exodus 19:8 – [But at the foot of Mount Sinai when the law was given, the people boasted – ] ”All that the Lord has commanded us, WE WILL DO. [They signed on the dotted line when they should have waived the white flag]

That may seem commendable, but based on the tone and tenor of the Hebrew words, and the verb tenses, it was actually a boastful declaration of their own self-sufficiency.

They may have come out of Egypt, but the mindset of Egypt had not come out of them – the mindset of reliance on the bankrupt flesh of man.

However, even though the covenant the people were under changed, God never did. He is and always has been the God of Grace and Mercy.

About 500 years later, in Psalm 105 King David recalled this amazing exodus though the Red Sea and why God showered them with grace while that were in the wilderness:

Psalm 105:37-42 – He [God] also brought them out [of Egypt] with silver and gold, And there was none feeble among His tribes. 38 Egypt was glad when they departed, For the fear of them [the Israelites] had fallen upon them. 39 He [God] spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night. 40 The people asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it ran in the dry places like a river. [Why all of this grace?] 42 For [because] He remembered His holy promise, and Abraham His servant. [Speaking of the Abrahamic Covenant of Grace where God accounted Abraham as righteous simply because he believed God.]

So as I said – I’m going to to share with you about three water shortages that the children of Israel faced in their wilderness journey. The first two were during the first 50 days of grace. The third one was 39 years later during the year that they crossed the River Jordan and finally entered Promised Land.

All three of these events depict how Jesus – through the cross – became for us “Our Giver of the River of Life.”

The wilderness was a test

What happened after the Great Exodus was the wilderness, not the Promised Land. The Promised Land was a promise, but they had to go through the wilderness first.

The wilderness was a test – a test to see if the people who were coming out of slavery were truly free. What would that require? It would require the the people let go and let God – that they Trust God and receive His grace.

But time and time again, because of obstacles along the way, they begged to go back to Egypt – back to their disgusting pots of meat and making bricks without straw – back to the bondage of the flesh – why? – because it required no faith to be a slave.

In every step of this journey we see a picture of flesh vs. Spirit, self-sufficiency vs. effortless grace, fear vs. faith – with the provision always pointing to Jesus. And Paul tells us that what happened to them is an example to us.

1 Corinthians 10:3-4, 11 – [They] all ate the same spiritual food, [Manna from heaven] 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ… 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition…

The Song of the Redeemed

Back to Exodus 14 and into chapter 15 – They came to the other side of the Red Sea, and there was a great celebration. In Exodus chapter 15 we have a song often referred to as “The Song of the Redeemed” that Moses and the children of Israel sang to the Lord. It began like this:

Exodus 15:1-2 – “I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! 2 The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him…”

To me this is a picture of what it’s like when we’re first born again – there is a song in our hearts! The Song of the Redeemed!

And when I came into a deeper understanding of grace several years ago, I felt like I had been born again again! So I still sing the Song of the Redeemed every time I remember what Jesus has done for me!

Marah; Water = Holy Spirit

But then right on the heels of this great victory for God’s people,something unexpected happened – they were led into the wilderness where they were stripped completely of self-reliance.

Exodus 15:22 – So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

They’ve journeyed three days out from Egypt, and all the provision of water that they had brought with them was used up. Egypt’s provision- the provision of the flesh – was gone.

Who led them to the wilderness? God did. Who knew they would run out of water? God did. Who led them to a place where they would be thirsty? God did.

God knows that water is essential for life. We can live without food for 40 days, but we can’t live without water for more than 3 days.

What is water a picture of? Water in the scriptures represents the Holy Spirit. Our souls thirst for the Spirit of God. The flesh will never satisfy. The Holy Spirit is essential to everyday life.

• The Holy Spirit quickens us when we are born again.
• It is through the agency of the Holy Spirit that we are cleansed, sanctified, and made righteous.
• It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are transformed into the image of Jesus as in a mirror.
• It is through the voice of the Holy Spirit that God communicates with our spirit.
• It is through the anointing of the Holy Spirit that the teachings of the word of God is understood, and revelation comes to us of the things of God.
• It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
• It is through the Holy Spirit that we have peace in our conscience, that we have guidance for each day, and hope for the future. So water is the Holy Spirit.

The bitters waters turned sweet

Exodus 15:23-24 – [Next verse – ] Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. [Which means bitter] 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

Matthew 6:31-32 – [Remember Jesus said -] “do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

All of us at some point or another will face the bitter waters of offense, of persecution, of unfairness that will cause bitterness in our soul if we choose to drink it. So – “What shall we drink?”

What can make those bitter waters sweet? What can turn what the enemy meant for evil into good? Only the cross. Verse 25 –

Exodus 15:25 – So he [Moses] cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

What is the tree a picture of? The tree is a picture of the cross. The cross makes the bitter waters sweet. Bitterness is a curse that Jesus bore on the cross so we don’t have to.

As I said in the last session – Galatians 3:13 says “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Jesus became a curse for us – taking all our bitterness – so that we might be healed and live the sweet, blessed life of letting go of the sins of others – just as God let go of our sins.

Ephesians 4:32 – And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

I believe it is only by the Spirit that we can truly forgive because it is only by the Spirit that the amazing grace of Jesus Christ is revealed to us. And we cannot give what we have not received.

The more we drink of the cleansing waters of God’s forgiveness, the more the banks of that river will overflow from our lives to others.

Psalm 36:8, NASB – [David wrote] They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. [The word “delights” is the Hebrew word ʿēḏen {ay’-den} which is derived from the word as “Eden” as in the “Garden of Eden.”]

Ellicott translates “drink their fill” as “They shall be abundantly satisfied. They shall be intoxicated with… the stream of grace flowing from above, to enrich men as the rain enriches the earth.”

The River of His Delights speaks of the infinite mercy of God. And in that River of divine mercy and grace is where you find eternal life.

Psalm 36:9, NASB – [verse9 -] For with You [LORD] is the fountain of life; [literally “wellspring” – a source of life. The word “life” means flowing, fresh, reviving. For with You Lord is the source of life, flowing and fresh and reviving!] In Your light we see light. [A better translation is “by Your light we see light.”]

The meaning of a statement like this in the Old Testament can only be understood in the revelation of the Gospel, in the revelation of God through the manifestation of His Son, who is the “Light of the world.”

John 1:4, NASB – In Him [Jesus] was life, and the life was the Light of men. [In other words, the incarnation of Jesus is the full revelation of God to mankind.]

First mention of “rivers” in the Bible

Psalm 36:8, NASB – [back to verse 8 – ] …You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. [Not bitter waters, but the “River of God’s delight.” Again – the word “delights” is the Hebrew word ʿēḏen {ay’-den} which is derived from the word as “Eden” as in the “Garden of Eden.”]

Do you know where the first mention of “river” is in the Bible? The Garden of Eden, right? The word “Eden” means pleasure.

God created man on the 6th day after everything else was created, and then put man in a finished work that He named “pleasure.”

Everything He made He made for the pleasure of mankind. He was saying, “I love you so much that I am giving you this playground of abundance for you to enjoy. Your job is just to name the animals and tend the garden.”

Genesis 2:10 – Now a river flowed out of Eden [the Garden of Pleasure] to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers.

The names of those rivers were –

• Pison [pee-shone’] which is a noun meaning Increase.
• Gihon [gee-khone’] which means Bursting Forth.
• Tigris which means Rapid.
• Euphrates which means Fruitfulness.

Put that together: “Out of the Garden of Pleasure, increase and fruitfulness are bursting forth rapidly.”

What first Adam forfeited, the Last Adam restored.Jesus said, “I came to give life and to give it more abundantly” – by what means? The Spirit -rivers of living water flowing from our innermost being.

Drink and drink some more

John 7:37-39, NASB – [Jesus said – ] “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. [“Drink” is a verb in the present active imperative – a command that’s expected to be followed not just once, but continually] 38 He who believes in Me, [verb is in present active participle, which means we “believe and keep on believing”] as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” [What scripture? There are several that Jesus could have been referring to, but it’s probably the prophecy of Isaiah 58:11, NLT – The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.] 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive….

A cross-reference is Jesus’s words to the woman at the well in John 4 – but the verb tense of “drink” is different –

John 4:14 – “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

This time “drink” is in a verb tense that means it’s a point in time that you are drinking. (second aorist active subjunctive) And Jesus said that if you drink the water He gives, you will “never thirst.”

What I believe Jesus is saying in John 4 is that He offers unlimited refills. There is an inexhaustible supply of living water – the Spirit without limit.

Ephesians 5:18 – [Paul wrote – ] And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. [TPT – “be filled continually with the Holy Spirit”; AMP – “be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.” The verb there is passive – the Holy Spirit is doing the filling, but we are active participants. We actively come to Jesus to be filled.]

Now – think about it – when we are thirsty, no one can drink for us. We must drink to quench our own thirst. When you drink, that doesn’t quench my thirst.

When we go to Jesus to drink the waters of the Spirit for ourselves, something heavenly occurs: What we have just received for ourselves overflows from us to others.

And this water flows – it’s not a trickle. It’s living and active. It moves and is fruitful. Wherever the river flows, it causes life.

When you drink from this river of divine mercy, of grace, and of God’s delights, everything changes! You stop seeing people according to the flesh. You start seeing people according to the Spirit. Why? Because you are giving what you have received.

God accepts you in the Beloved. He doesn’t count your sins against you. He doesn’t see you according to the flesh. When you drink, it changes your whole perspective. It’s the perspective of a minister of the Gospel. We love because He first loved us. So drink and drink some more!

Go where the River flows

Then go where the river flows. Go where the Spirit leads. Everywhere the River flows, there is life.

Ezekiel 47:8-9, NLT – [The Lord spoke to Ezekiel the prophet about His glory and coming of the Holy Spirit who would flow like a river from the temple – a picture of rivers of living water flowing from heaven through us – who are the temple of God. The Lord said – ] “This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. [Flows “east” – the Gospel was first preached in the eastern parts of the world. “Through the desert” – speaking of a region where the most hopeless of sinners lived – the ones we might call the worst of sinners. And into the valley of the “Dead Sea” where fish go to die.] The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. 9 There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows. [This is a picture of the impossible being possible – the dead coming to life – like the dry bones that Ezekiel saw in chapter 37. Where the River of Life flows everything will live. NO ONE IS BEYOND THE REACH OF GOD’s GRACE! But we must be continually filled with the Spirit of grace to see that!!]

Jesus’s life was the perfect picture of this flow of grace and life. John 3:34, NIV – God gives the Spirit without limit. He was led by the Spirit, and everywhere this River flowed people were healed, delivered, fed, cared for, loved on, and blessed. And – “As Jesus is so are we in this world!” We don’t copy Jesus- we drink!! Let the River flow!

Overflow

A thought occurred to me as I was pondering all of this. Life in the Spirit is a flow. It’s not a meal at a time.

Right now we are doing Bible study. We are feasting on the word, feasting on Beholding Jesus in His Amazing Grace in the scriptures. We have a good meal, and then we go home. We don’t eat round the clock.

But how many of you sip on water all day long? My doctor said, “Drink, drink, drink. Drink all day.” Some people carry their water bottles with them everywhere they go.

And envision this: If you put a cup under a faucet of running water and keep it running, it will overflow. As long as you keep the spigot open over the cup there will be rivers of water overflowing.

Psalm 23:5-6 – [This reminds me of David’s words- My cup runs over] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. [It overflows! This is what life under grace looks like. It’s called the superabundance of God’s grace – even in the presence of enemies!] 6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

Jesus is the Rock from which the water flows

So now to the 2nd time that they faced a water shortage in Exodus 17:

Exodus 17:1-5 – [They] camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?” 3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.”

A rod was a symbol of authority. This particular rod was also symbol of judgment. It was the rod that Moses used to strike the River Nile and turn it into blood – blood signifies death. This was the first plague against the Egyptians, and it brought a judgment of death.

It’s interesting that the first miracle of Moses was turning water into blood resulting in death, and the first miracle of Jesus was turning water into wine – resulting in joy and celebration. (John 2:1-11)

Paul called the Law of Moses the ministry of death because it ministered death. The law of Jesus is “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” because it ministers life. See the contrast?

Exodus 17:6 – [Back to Exodus 17. The Lord says-] “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; [God said, “I will stand BEFORE the rock” – the word “before” is the Hebrew noun “pānîm” {paw-neem’}, and it literally means “FACE.” It’s the same word Jacob used in Genesis 32:30 after he had wrestled with Jesus, and Jesus blessed him. Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face, {“pānîm” to “pānîm”} and my life is preserved.’” Same word. Next God tells Moses- ] and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Who is the Rock in Exodus 17? Remember what Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 10? That Rock is Jesus!

1 Corinthians 10:4 – For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

So Exodus 17:6 is Jesus saying, “I’m going to stand as the face of the rock. Strike Me with the rod of judgment! Strike Me with the full force of the judgment of death and the curse of the law!”

God told Moses – who represents the law – to strike the Rock – which represents Jesus. It had to be done this way! It was an unbreakable Covenant between the Father and the Son. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

The water – the Spirit – would not have come if the Rock had not been struck. But why? Why couldn’t God just bless the people? Why couldn’t He just give them the water?

The rock had to be struck – just as Jesus had to be crucified – because God is a God of justice.God can’t be just merciful and not righteous. There must be a righteous foundation for God to bless the people. And that’s why at the cross, the mercy of God and the justice of God met. In Jesus –

Psalm 85:10 – Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness [The Hebrew word there means justice or the just] and peace have kissed. [How?]

On the cross, Jesus paid for every sin that we have ever committed or will ever commit.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We have all sinned away our inheritance. If we got what we deserved, it would be hell. But God has given us heaven.

Jesus stepped in front of us and took the judgment. He absorbed the blows for us. He is the Rock of our salvation – the Rock from whom all blessings flow!

The Psalmist Asaph recalled the grace of God in the wilderness when he wrote:

Psalm 78:15-16 – [Speaking of the striking of the rock at Horeb in Exodus 17 – ] He [God] split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. [But Asaph switches to the 3rd water shortage in verse 16 – ] 16 He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. [The word for “rock” is different in verses 15 and 16 – we’ll see why in a minute]

Numbers 20 – the third time they ran out of water

Now to the third account of the Israelites having no water. This incident occurred 39 years after Israel left Egypt and within their final year in the desert – the year that Joshua led them into the Promised Land. (In about 1407 BC)

Numbers 20:4-8 – [The Israelites complained – ] “Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? 5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? [39 years later, they are still wanting to go back to Egypt!] It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates [food of the Promised Land – food that you can pluck without backbreaking labor]; nor is there any water to drink.” 6 So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them. [I want you to notice what God told Moses to do, and then look at what Moses actually did.] 7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, [God wanted them to see His grace – to see how much He loved them] and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals…”

God told Moses to simply speak to the rock. 39 years before, in Exodus 17, God had told Moses to strike the rock – once, and only once.

What is this talking about? Jesus is that Rock! Jesus was struck once and only once.

Hebrews 10:10, 12 – …we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…. 12 this Man, [Jesus] after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.

• Why “One sacrifice?” – Because it worked the first time!
• How long did it work? “Forever!”
• Why did He sit down? Because the work was finished!

Jesus’ death will never be repeated. Today if we sin, He’s not going to come down and die again. Once was enough to pay for all sins for all men for all time.

Either all our sins of our entire life are forgiven – paid for at the cross – or none of them are. It’s either pure grace or it’s not grace at all.

Numbers 20:9-11 – [Back to Numbers and the water shortage -] So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him. [Now there is some disagreement over whether the “rod before the Lord” is referring to Moses’ rod or Aaron’s rod that had budded and was always before the Lord inside the Ark of the Covenant as a reminder of the authority of the High Priest. Both rods were well-known objects to Israel. However, it does appear that Moses used his own rod to strike the rock in rebellion.] 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, [IN ANGER] “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

Moses struck the rock, misusing his authority and misrepresenting God. Yet even though Moses struck the rock in anger, water still came out. And not just a trickle – abundantly! Why? Because God is a God of grace!

Romans 5:20 – Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more.

Moses did not represent God as gracious, and because of that, he was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. Next verse –

Numbers 20:12 – Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel,[What does that mean? Hallow means to be honored and shown as set apart and sacred. God wanted the people to see His grace because His grace is sacred, holy – that’s what sets Him apart. God is not like man. His ways are not man’s ways. His ways are ways of grace and mercy. But Moses did not believe this about God, so God’s said] therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

Right before Moses died, God showed him the Promised Land into which Joshua- a picture of Jesus – would soon lead the people.

Deuteronomy 34:4 – [God said to Moses – ] “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” [Moses didn’t lead them. Joshua did. The law will never lead us the promised land of rest. Only THROUGH JESUS can we truly rest from our works as God did from His.]

A comparison of two words for “rock”

Let’s compare the two rocks that Moses struck because the word “rock” in Exodus 17 was a different Hebrew word for rock than in Numbers 20.

• In Exodus 17 it was the Hebrew word “tsuwr” [tsür] which means large boulder.

• But in Numbers 20, it’s not the word “tsuwr”, it’s the Hebrew word “cela” [seh’-lah] which means crag or cliff. It’s a very high and exalted rock. It’s a huge mountainous cliff.

Why is this important?

• Because the 1st time, in Exodus 17:6, the rock speaks of Jesus coming down to earth and dying on the cross for us when the rod of judgment struck Him, and He fulfilled the law for us and paid the wages of our sin.

• The 2nd time in Numbers 20:8, the high and exalted rock speaks of Jesus exalted, resurrected, glorified, and ascended back to heaven. That Rock must never be struck again. We speak to that Rock, and the Spirit is poured out from heaven.

When a member of the body of Christ sins, we don’t strike them with the law, the rod of judgment, because when we do, it’s as if we are striking Jesus again. For example – when Jesus appeared to Saul on the Road to Damascus, He said,

Acts 26:14 – “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Saul was going after Christians, not Jesus, but it was the same thing to Jesus. When the law is used against Jesus’s body, it’s like striking Jesus and saying that the cross wasn’t enough.

Speak to the Rock

Today, we speak to the Rock. We don’t strike it. We speak to Jesus every day –

• If we have a problem with our children – we speak to Jesus – and the Spirit of wisdom comes to us, and we know how to love them best, and the Spirit of grace opens their eyes and changes hearts.

• If we need healing, we speak to Jesus – and the Spirit of the resurrection who dwells in us flows from the presence of Jesus to heal.

• If we need financial provision, we speak to Jesus and the Spirit of life – Jehovah Jireh – causes the bread to multiply in His hands.

• If we are thirsty, we come to Jesus, “Our Giver of the River of Life,” and we are refreshed. What seemed impossible is all of a sudden a river in the desert. What seemed dark and gloomy and depressing is all of a sudden a roadway in the wilderness.

Speak to the Rock and drink from the River of God delights!

Conclusion: “I will’s”

I want to end with this: Last week when we gathered to pray for our nation, I shared a brief message that ended with a list of over 60 times that God said “I will.” If God says, “I will,” this is his will! And we know the scripture that says –

1 John 5:14-15 – Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

If we ask anything according to His will, He does it! And we should read every “I will” with New Covenant lenses. The Old Covenant is ‘thou shalt not, thou shalt not.’ The New Covenant is ‘I will, I will, I will!” because of Jesus!

I won’t read that whole list of “I will’s” now, but you can listen to that message online. But there are Many of God’s “I will’s” that speak of water, fountains, rivers, or wells. These are referring prophetically to The Holy Spirit who would be given when Jesus was glorified.

What happens when the Holy Spirit is poured out, springs up, and fills? Hearts are transformed and minds are changed! What do we call it when Hearts are transformed and minds are changed? Revival! As I read these “I will’s”, I hear God saying it is His will to send revival!

• I will put a new spirit in them. (Ezekiel 11:19)
• I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 11:19)
• I will give you a tender and responsive heart. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
• I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home. (Ezekiel 37:11-28)
• I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. (Isaiah 44:3-4)
• I will pour out My Spirit and My blessings on your children, and they will thrive. (Isaiah 44:3-4)
• I will give My people water: Spring up o well! (Numbers 2:16-17)
• I will give them the water that springs up to eternal life. (John 4:14)
• I will open up rivers on the high plateaus. (Isaiah 41:17-18)
• I will give you fountains of water in the valleys. (Isaiah 41:17-18)
• I will fill the desert with pools of water. (Isaiah 41:17-18)
• I will give you rain in its season, …and you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. (Leviticus 26:2-13)
• I will give you rain, the early rain and the latter rain, the rain of revival, that you may gather your grains, new wine, and anointing oil. (Deuteronomy 11:14-15)
• I will give the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. (Revelation 21:6)

Amen!