Welcome new Devotion writer Joel Perales. Joel formerly sang with the Galalians, and Pastored a hispanic church in Lavergne, TN. Currently Joel and his wife Rosa travel together ministering in concerts and revivals:
John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”.
A fish emblem, a bumper sticker, a church membership is not enough to label a person a Christian. This verse describes what a Christian should be so well in comparing us to a river. Not a lake even though it is bigger, the water of a lake is stale and smelly. Not the ocean, even though it covers 71% of the earth but is salty. But a river describes a Christian. First of all, the scripture starts by saying “He that believeth” and is followed by “as the scripture hath said” (careful to disqualify Christians by name only). These here are true Christians and this is the evidence, “out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”.
The characteristics of a river are so beautiful:
1. It flows – entrance and exit of living water. It is fresh, clear, life giving, comes from on high, made of melted snow that was salty water from the ocean, filtered and transformed to snow.
2. From the mountains it makes its way throughout the land back to the ocean (the world) that is in need of this fresh water.
3. These rivers are like veins on the map. Check out a national map and see the blue veins. These waters attract animals, people and all kinds of life….just as Christians should.
4. Finally, “out of his belly”. The innermost part of us, the true person, the true Christian….”flows rivers of living water”.
So the measuring stick is out for you and me. God measures us daily, what does he find in you?
Joel Perales
www.peralesministries.com
email: joeljoelperales@comcast.net
