This is Vision for Christ, Toledo, Ohio, USA. My name is Tim Taylor. Water is something we all must have. Clean drinking water is crucial, whether you live in Lusaka, Zambia, Kampala, Uganda, or Flint, Michigan, USA. Water is necessary to survive. Today I will be retelling the account in the Bible book of John, chapter 4, where Jesus compares drinkable water to the living water of eternal life that Jesus wants to give us, if only we will accept it and receive it. Father God, let me show everyone who you really are and reveal your only Son, Jesus Christ, to those who are listening. Praying in Jesus' name, amen. Our website address is www.visionforchristworld.com. You may contact us through our website contact form at www.visionforchristworld.com contact. Our website works on your internet-enabled mobile phone as well as your computer. You can listen to past, present, and future programs there. Just click on Programs at the top of the page. Also, Pastor Terry Priestap and his wife Jean have written many Bible blog articles to help you in your Christian life. That website address is www.visionforchristworld.com, and you may search our Facebook page as Vision for Christ World. Water is such an amazing substance. All life on earth must have water to survive, whether plant life, animal life, or human life. People can survive a few weeks without food, but only days without water. 75% of our world is covered with water, but the majority of that is salty seawater that we cannot drink without costly water treatment facilities. So that makes drinkable water quite precious. As the sinless Lord Jesus Christ hung on the cross made of wood, dying to pay the penalty for the sins of everyone, moments before his death, we have this part of the Gospel story from the Bible book of John chapter 19. Jesus knew that everything was now finished. Everything happened as the Holy Writings said it would happen. He said, I am thirsty. There was a jar full of sour wine near. They filled a sponge and put it on a stick and put it to his mouth. Jesus took the sour wine and said, It is finished. He put his head down and gave up his spirit and died. The Bible, which is the holy, God-inspired Word of God, predicted hundreds of years in advance that Jesus would be given sour wine while dying on the cross. This prediction was recorded in the Bible book of Psalms, chapter 69, where it says, They gave me bitter drink in my food, and because I was thirsty they gave me sour wine. We all have known thirst, and we value a good, clean well from which to drink good, clean water. Listen to this part of the Bible book of John chapter 4. So Jesus left Judea and returned to Galilee. He had to go through Samaria on the way. Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. The well of Jacob was there, and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well, and Jesus said to her, Please give me a drink. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink? Let me pause here in this Bible reading to comment. Even though most Jews would not have anything to do with Samaritans in those days, Jesus did not discriminate and loved all people of all races. The good news of salvation in Jesus is open and available today to everyone of every nation and every ethnic background. Now, back to our Bible story. Jesus replied, If you only knew the gift God has for you, and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water. But, sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket, she said, and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed? Jesus replied, anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. Please, sir, the woman said, give me this water. Then I'll never be thirsty again and I won't have to come here to get water. Go and get your husband, Jesus told her. I don't have a husband, the woman replied. Jesus said, you're right, you don't have a husband, for you have had five husbands and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now. You certainly spoke the truth. Sir, the woman said, you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshipped? Jesus replied, Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship. While we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming. Indeed, it is here now. When true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, the Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. The woman said, I know the Messiah is coming, the one who is called Christ. When He comes, He will explain everything to us. Then Jesus told her, I am the Messiah. Well, just as drinkable water is necessary for life, so the living water, Jesus Christ, is necessary for eternal life. As much as this woman in our story at the well needed water, she needed to face her sinful lifestyle. She needed to repent and meet Jesus. Earlier today I read the part of the Bible where Jesus said, it is finished. Jesus meant that he had completed the work God sent him to earth to do. He has done his part, now you must do your part. The first thing everyone must do is to repent, to change our path in life from our way to doing things the way God desires. Trust in Jesus for your complete salvation. As we read the Bible, we learn more about how God expects us to live. Reading the Bible or hearing someone else reading it out loud is how we drink in the living water Jesus has to offer us. In the Bible book of Romans, chapter 10, it says, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Let me read to you that Bible portion again about drinking living water. I think it is refreshing just to listen again to the words of Jesus. Jesus replied, anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. Please, sir, the woman said, give me this water. Then I'll never be thirsty again, and I won't have to come here to get water. Well, turning to the end of the Bible in the book of Revelation, chapter 21, it says, Then the one sitting on the throne said, See, I am making all things new. Write, for these words are true and faithful. Then he said to me, These things have happened. I am the first and the last. I am the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty I will give the water of life. It is a free gift. Well, let me give you a summary of all these thoughts in Bible verses. The salvation of our souls, the forgiveness of our sins, the restoration and healing of our mind, soul, body, and spirit, and the relief of our thirst with the life-giving water of the grace of Jesus has already been provided and made available to everyone, everywhere, by God. All that is needed now is for people everywhere to surrender their stubborn will to the control of Jesus, to admit they have failed to live up to the holy standard of God, we must agree with God that we have sinned, and we need Jesus as our only Savior. Jesus will satisfy our thirst for God if we allow this to happen. Jesus does not use force on anyone. He waits, like a courteous gentleman, for permission to enter our lives and relieve our pain. The Bible says Jesus is knocking on our door, but we must willingly open the door of our life and our will. Will you open the door of your life for Jesus right now? I am going to pray for each of you, and I ask you to join me in this prayer to God. Father God, in the name of your one and only unique Son, Jesus Christ, I ask you to send your Holy Spirit to touch the heart and mind of every person listening to me right now. Cause them to desire to have their sins taken away. to have that penalty for sin removed, so that through the faith you give them, they may believe and have eternal, never-ending life, starting today, and have a close, personal relationship with you, Father God. Amen. Please get paper and pen ready to write down the web address of Vision for Christ so you may contact us. The purpose of this program is to spread the message of what Jesus Christ has done to provide salvation for people as they believe in Jesus. Our Vision for Christ broadcast began as a shortwave broadcast from a Florida radio facility to Sub-Saharan Africa. This is still our primary audience. We have since expanded to Asia and Europe on AM medium wave radio, FM local area radio, as well as on short wave radio. Our new website address is www.visionforchristworld.com. You may contact us through our website contact form at www.visionforchristworld.com contact. Our website works on your internet-enabled mobile phone as well as your computer. You can listen to past, present, and future programs there. Just click on Programs at the top of the page. Also, Pastor Terry Priestap and his wife Jean have written many Bible blog articles to help you in your Christian life. That new website address is www.visionforchristworld.com. and search our Facebook page as Vision for Christ World. Until the next broadcast, this is Tim Taylor, praying the great blessings of God with joy and peace upon your life as you embrace Jesus Christ in a loving, intimate relationship. I will leave you today with this text from John 7, 37-39. On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, anyone who is thirsty may come to me. Anyone who believes in me may come and drink. For the scriptures declare, rivers of living water will flow from his heart. When he said living water, he was speaking of the spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in Him.