“‘Believing’, As the Scripture Says [Part 1]”

John 7

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Today’s sermon was a summary of God’s working at the beginning of the revival, 1966.

These verses troubled me in 1966 at Maphumulo. I did believe in Jesus, but saw no rivers of Living waters flowing out of my life. I cried to God, that for 12 years I’ve been preaching day by day, and yet there are no rivers of Living waters flowing out of my life. That Sunday I asked the congregation who of them believed on the Lord Jesus. All answered in the affirmative. Then I read this verse to them and made my concern clear to them. Why are there no rivers of Living water flowing out of our lives? As we studied this verse, it became clear that we must ‘believe as the Scriptures declare’.

From then on we studied the Bible to see where our fault lies. On a certain Saturday we had our meeting earlier than usual. Across the road from us were gathered together the magistrate, assistant magistrate, the head of the local police and others playing tennis, who knew me well. The assistant magistrate was an atheist. They did not like me and blamed the missionaries for the troubles in the country.

We used to cry to the Lord as we sought His face. I was ashamed of being heard and seen together with these black people, so I closed the windows. As I did it, I heard God’s voice clearly, ‘That is fine if you want to close the windows. Then you can carry on inside and I will remain outside’. I did not need an interpreter to understand what God was saying to me. It was not the glass that kept Him outside, but the pride of my heart. As I turned to start the service, I saw written in big letters in front of me, ‘God resists the proud’. That shook me. All these years I thought that Satan was resisting me, but now I saw that God Himself was resisting me. There and then my heart broke and I cried to God for forgiveness and deliverance from this pride.

At another time I came from work to the service and still wanted to change, when I felt the urge to enter as I was and take the service. Immediately I had a struggle and started to think what the people would think of me. Then I heard Paul’s words, ‘If I yet want to please men, I am not a servant of Christ’. I remembered Elijah who stood before his earthly king and said, ‘God, before whom I stand’. He saw God, even when standing before his king. Then I saw myself as if I entered into a Hindu temple, and went to each idol, bowed and worshipped. My heart broke and once again I cried for forgiveness to God from my sin.

After God dealt with me, then He could work and send revival. May each of us test ourselves to see whether we believe as the scripture says.