A wonderful thing happened last Sunday. While I was preaching about revival, a dear saint in our church stood up and began to sing the old hymn, "Revive us, again." Dave is an 81 year-old, God-fearing, Jesus-loving, Spirit-led elder in our church. He later told me that the Spirit told him twice to do this, but he refused. He dared not refuse a third time.
The moment was quite impromptu as is testified by the surprised look on my face.
Here is the segment:
Revival can come at any moment. At the right hour, God will open the floodgate and release the cleansing river into society. This was the promise of Jesus.
On the last and most important day of the feast Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person's heart, as the Scripture says." Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been raised to glory. But later, those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit. (Jn. 7:37-39 NCV)
Each word in this promise is precious! "If anyone is thirsty..." Skin color does not matter. Income level is of no importance. Background checks will not be made. There is only one qualification: thirst.
"If anyone is thirsty..." Not "if anyone is worthy, qualified, trained, or mature." All that is needed is an admission of thirst. The heart-broken man is thirsty for a second chance. The shame-filled woman is thirsty for acceptance. We are thirsty; thirsty to be happy, thirsty to have meaning, thirsty for answers and strength. Thirsty.
If anyone is thirsty, Jesus offers, "come to me and drink." Not sip. Not taste. Not sample. But gulp. Long, refreshing, swallows of Him. As we do, "...rivers of living water will flow out from that person's heart..."
A revival is a supernatural outpouring of the Holy Spirit through which God calls his children back to him. We are praying for one. May God hear our prayers.
By Max Lucado, first published at www.maxlucado.com and printed here with permission.
