<TITLE>23. Par 206-215</TITLE>L-206   And when they went down and got the water, and brought it back, his soul thirst was so greater, not for Bethlehem, but from Jerusalem; his soul was. So he sacrificed the water, said, "I wouldn't even drink it." He poured it out upon the ground. See, his soul was more thirsty for God, than it was to satisfy the quench of a good... his thirst of his body, with a good cool water. He poured it upon the ground.

L-207 See, the House of God, the soul-cooling waters of Jerusalem, which is above! Jesus said, in John 6:33, "I am the, Bread of Life. I am the Bread of Life." Bethlehem, "house of God," our church, earthly church of God, the church that's here on earth. We love to go to the church here on earth, but greater is Jerusalem, which is above, which is God. Jerusalem above, which is God! Greater is that soul's thirst, to be there with Him, than it would to be just to satisfy yourself with joining a church somewhere. See, joining a church don't satisfy that thirst. David proved it here, the waters right from the house of God, see, he poured it out upon the ground; to find favor, to get a good cool drink from God. Even on that... Greater than the thirst that's in you, is that thirst of the soul-thirst for God.

L-208   Notice Jerusalem, the word. "Jerusalem is from above," the Bible said, "which we're... is the Mother of us all." And Christ is our Mother. We realize that God is our Mother, for we are born of Him. The word simply means "peace," Jerusalem, Shalom. Or, Shalom, which means "peace," Jeru-shalom, see, means "peace."

L-209 Greater should be the thirst of any soul, for the waters of Life, than to say you belong to a church; the thirst of the soul can't be satisfied, the real true thirst. It can be perverted. You can think you are all right when you join church, but that isn't It. That won't satisfy the genuine holy thirst for God. It just simply won't do it. It just... It's just not there.

L-210   Now David said, in Psalms 42:7 here, "When the deep calleth unto the Deep, at the noise of Thy waterspout," the soul's call.

L-211 Look, I've often used this as an illustration. If there is a fin on a fish's back, it had to be put there for him to swim with. He has a need for that. Now what if he'd say, "I'm going to be a different fish. I'm going to be a smart, educated fish. Uh-huh, I--I'll just... I'm going to believe some real theology! I believe I don't have to have that fin"? He wouldn't get very far in the water, would he? And that's exactly right.

L-212 What if a tree said, "Now, I know there had to be an earth first, for me to grow in. That's right. I'm supposed to grow here. But I'm going to be a different tree, I want them just set me out here in the middle of the street, so I can be noticed"? See, he wouldn't live very long. See? That's right.

L-213 "When the deep calleth to the Deep." It takes more than joining a church. It takes more than shaking hands with the preacher. It takes more than living a good, straight life. It takes something to satisfy inside of you, that pours down from God, into the soul. "The deep calling to the Deep, at the noise of Thy waterspouts, O Lord. The deep calling to the Deep!"

L-214   What kind of a thirst could we think was in us tonight? We, as Pentecostal people, where are we getting to? What kind of a thirst is in us? What kind of a thirst is in me? What kind of thirst is in you? Don't try to hush that holy thirst for God.

L-215 Years ago, when they used to have gold out here in the mountains. I read a story, many years ago, it's always stuck with me. It said there was a--a prospector went out here somewhere beyond the mountains here, and was prospecting for gold, and he struck a rich claim. And he come back, thinking; when he got to the city, what he would be, his troubles was all over. And--and he--he tried to--to say, "Tomorrow I'll get in and I'll..." Just one day's journey, he would be into the city, and he would have the gold. And he had big sacks full of it.


<A HREF="P24">Next Page</A>