Everything is possible with God

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 29 MARCH 2026 – Mr Stephen Cargin

 

My opening text will be from Mark chapter 10 verse 27. A familiar passage and a familiar verse.  The title of what I want to share with you this morning is everything is possible with God.  Everything is possible with God. How do I know this? Let's just read our opening verse.  Mark 10 verse 27. I'll read it from the amplified version.  It says, "Looking at them, Jesus said, with people, as far as it depends on them, it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God." The Complete Jewish Bible brings it out like this. “Yeshua looked at them and said, "Humanly it is impossible, but not with God. With God everything is possible."

 

I think we're in a very serious mess as a society. We're in a very serious position, probably like none of us have ever experienced before. And as I was preparing for the message, I was just doing some prayer and some study and I came across one of my father's old books in his library which I have been privileged to inherit and I found this quotation from Canon Duncan in a book that was printed in 1910 and it's on the story of Oh God Our Help and Ages Past the old hymn. And Canon Duncan writes this “Moses is generally regarded as the author of the 19th psalm of which this hymn is a paraphrase. Moses in trustful confidence felt this experience worketh hope and the sure and certain hope that the God of the past would be the God of the future. the same yesterday, today and forever. And he was their God.” What a great reminder. And the first verse of that great hymn by Isaac Watts says this, "Oh God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home." And what a what a timeless reminder that is. I'll read it again. “O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home.”  And as the writer expands on this, he says this, listen carefully to what he's saying here. “One of the most ancient hieroglyphics represents God as an eye upon a scepter to denote that God sees and rules all. And the most wonderful thing in history is the way in which God has looked after his people. And he had made all things work together for their good.” Pagan Rome might use her imperial power to prescribe Christian worship and scatter the Christians. But Rome herself became for centuries the centre of Christian influence and her armies as missionaries to spread the gospel throughout the world. England in the Middle Ages might become the stronghold of Popery and the bonfire for consuming the scriptures and the saints of God. But listen to what he says here. This is printed in 1910. “But England Reformed has become the storehouse of Christian truth, the training school for God's missionaries and the printing press for the Bible to evangelize the world and bring millions of people home to God.”  Is that the case today, friends? Is that is that the England of the United Kingdom of today? He goes on to say this. “As the city of refuge was a place of security for the poor refugee, so has our God been for those who served and trust him trusted him. The great Armada might set sail to destroy our freedom and worship, but the breath of God would scatter it as matchwood along the seashore.” Two things I was reminded of as I read that. I read that with sorrow. That's not the UK and the England that we are part of today. But that Armada that sailed around the west coast and up around the north of Ireland and down the east coast going down, God destroyed that Armada on these very coasts. Some of that shipwreck is right off the causeway reefs there Many don't realize what happened in that Armada as it was destroyed. The Spanish Armada was rented by the king of Spain from Jewish merchants who owned those ships, who crewed those ships and the soldiers were put on board. Many people don't realize this. When those ships floundered off the coast of Ireland, many of the crew members survived and came ashore. Many historians have researched the history of the Jews who came to Ireland are able to say that those crew people came ashore and there's photographs that they call them the dark Irish Melungeon Jews dotted around the coasts of Ireland. They were the survivors of the Spanish Armada. They came ashore here and they brought their families to live in Ireland. It's a Jewish history that most people don't realize that we enjoy. But what of this this country that we're part of, friends? Should we be concerned? I think we should. The census, the last census that I got the figures from in 2021. Those who identified as Christians in England and Wales, only 46.2% Christian. England is no longer a Christian country. 37.2% had no religion. Of Scotland, 39% identified as Christian. In Northern Ireland, we were privileged. 79.7% identified as Christian. We have a heritage, friends, that we cannot afford to squander. The Republic event of Ireland identified 69.1% Catholic and other Christians. But the story is worse, friends. Abortion figures in the United Kingdom. In the last 10 years, we have averaged in England, Scotland, and Wales 215 to 2130,000 abortions annually, equating to between two to 2.3 million abortions, surpassing the population of Northern Ireland. How does God feel about that? Should we be surprised that we're in the mess we're in when we murder those unborn, those with the destiny that God has ordained? In Northern Ireland since 2020, when abortion became legal, we've aborted just over 11,000 babies, many of whom are aborted in our own hospital. and the Republic of Ireland since abortion became law in 2019. Between 2019 and 24, over 50,000 babies were aborted in the Republic of Ireland. Violent crime rates continue to grow across the UK, a third higher than a decade ago with 1,200 violent crimes for 100,000 people. Public order offenses have tripled since 19 or since 2012. Domestic abuse, police incidents and crimes. In 2024, there were 1.35 million alone. Anti-semitism, which to me demonstrates the heart of a nation when we decide to hate and attack God's chosen people. 2020 where there were 600 incidents. In 2023 that grew to 4,296  These are only official statistics provided by the Jewish agency. What does that tell us about the heart of our nation? Church closures across the United Kingdom in the last 10 years. How many churches have closed in the UK in the last 10 years? It's estimated between 2 to 3,500 churches have closed. There's headline news about one of those churches been bought over by the Islamic Centre, a reformed Presbyterian church. Should we be alarmed? Should we be concerned by this? Is there a reason for this? in Wales. In the last decade, about 25% of historical churches and chapels have closed. I think we're in a serious mess. The church isn't disrepute. It's a disgrace. It's weak. It's selfish. It lacks unity. We lack the power of prayer. It's sinful. It's dying. It's an apostasy. We abuse people in the churches in this own country of ours. It's hard to find a prayer meeting these days. The power of prayer is gone. I realize this is a hard message this morning. This is what God has put on my heart. And I believe that we don't wake up, folks, before it's too late. Perhaps if we believe what Jesus said as he looked at the disciples and he said intently. Imagine that look that Jesus looked at them and this is the story of the young ruler. Humanly speaking, it's impossible. But with God, all things, everything is possible. Folks, it is if we would only believe. Revivals have broke out across the world when small groups of people sought God. And I'm going to look at some of those this morning. You know, the church has become satisfied with its slumber, its sleep. We've lost sight of the lost, the broken, the hurting, and the hungry. We are no longer concerned for what breaks God's heart. I ask you a question. When's the last time you saw a preacher in a pulpit trembling at God's word? When's the last time you or I trembled at God's word? When we realize what we have been given, what this word means, and the power of this word, but the awesome responsibility that we have as God's people to fulfil what he's called us to do. Age is no matter in this. My dad used to remind me, you never retire in God's work. You just refire. Bible doesn't talk about retirement. Where's the fear of God in the church today? We've lost sight of God. I believe we've turned our back on his word, his ways, his presence. We've compromised. He's called us to be holy people, to be godly people, to be set apart. Are we? I believe that we need a fresh acquaintance of God. A fresh conviction of our sins. We need to seek God. Let us look at what the psalmist said in Psalm 139. This is the prayer the psalmist prayed. And I believe this is a prayer that we should seek to be praying. He says this in verse 23, "Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life." Again, the Complete Jewish Bible says this, "Examine me, God, and know my heart. Test me and know my thoughts. See if there's in me any hurtful way and lead me along the eternal way. Do you know in Scandinavian countries that word “search” means ransack. They interpret that word as ransack. “Ransack me, oh God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path.” When you read it with that, it'll ransack me. Allow the Lord to ransack us. You know, when you go into a house to search it for something you've lost, you ransack it. You'll not leave anything uncovered. Would we allow God to ransack us and uncover our thoughts and our sins and those things that we have hidden? Would we? There's an old negro spiritual that says this, "My not my brother nor my sister, but it's me, oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer." I came across this quotation from Charles Finny, one of the great old preachers who experienced revivals "A revival of religion may be expected when Christians begin to confess their sins to one another. At other times, they confess it in a general manner as if they are only half as earnest. They may do it in eloquent language, but it does not mean anything. But when there is an ingenious breaking down and a pouring out of the heart and a confession of sin, the floodgates will soon burst open and salvation will flow over the place.” Isn't that a powerful reminder, folks? Can we learn about revival? I believe we can. I've been doing some research and I've always had an interest in the revival and I'm blessed with many books and so forth on the subject. I came across this the other day. The biblical foundation of revival, is found in 2 Chronicles 7 and 14. And it says this, "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins. I'll heal their land." There's a pattern of biblical revival, of spiritual revival that we find. When you look and research revivals across the world. People humbled themselves.  There was prayer with fervency. They sought God's face and they turned from their wicked ways. The Moravian revival in 1727 took place in a place called Herrnhut in Germany. The Moravians had been persecuted for centuries and they moved to Germany to get refuge. They found a guy by the name of Count Zinzendorf who was a man of God of his time at the time. And he was actively wanting to use his wealth and his position to be a blessing. And he gave these Moravians a safe place to build their homes. And they set up a community in this part of Germany. And this man blessed them. He was a man of God. But the town or the area they set up and they built their own houses and so forth was called Herrnhut. But there was a lot of division started in in Herrnhut and the churches and communities got into disunity and they fell out with each other and there was gossip and there was the division and the Moravians were really concerned by this. The pastor of the local church was called Pastor Joan Andreas Roth put in place by this count. And the Moravians called them both together and they called it the beast of the apocalypse, the false prophet because of how the people were behaving. On the 12th of May 1727, Zinzendorf addressed the congregation at Herrnhut and spoke for three hours on the blessedness of Christian unity. Let's look at our own town for an example. Coleraine's our hometown. Is there unity in the churches in this town? Is there unity in the body in this town? No, there's not. Being honest about it. There are so many fractions and broken churches and so forth. And we learn from this, folks. Conviction took the town that summer and everyone began seeking God for revival. As men, women, and children confessed their sin to one another, prayed together, and found new strength and seeking God. Their hearts were knit together, afresh, and the community experienced a golden summer. That wasn't enough, however. Listen to this. The people of Herrnhut wanted power to take the message of Christ to the ends of the earth. What a vision from one town to take the message to the ends of the earth. This became a constant subject of prayer to the point that on the 5th of August 1727, Zinzendorf and 14 other Moravian brethren spent an entire night seeking and interceding for God's power to fall on their community. On the 10th of August, Pastor Roth was so overcome with the presence of the Holy Spirit in an afternoon service in Herrnhut that he threw himself to the ground to repent before God. The meeting continued through the night as others did likewise, crying out to God and weeping and repentance until around midnight when the congregation burst forth in praise, worship, and singing. Zinzendorf and Roth then felt they could have a joint meeting between Benzondorf and Herrnhut that Wednesday night, a neighboring town on August the 13th to share about what was God was doing in Herrnhut. The count visited every home in the village urging the inhabitants to attend. Imagine the count doing this. Could you imagine some of our royal family doing that? Once the meeting began, the Holy Spirit took over the congregation again fell into the repentance for their sins. And at one point, Count Zinzendorf took the podium to voice a remorseful confession on behalf of the entire community for the division that had they had seen in the previous years and to call for a rededication to the principles upon which the town had been founded. Once that had been voiced, the Holy Spirit fell on the congregation. Count Zinzendorf later described it as a day of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It was its Pentecost. The congregation began praying for groups still under persecution, for unity in their community and for the body of Christ the world over and to increasingly intercede that the word of God would spread mightily around the world. Listen to this. And just two weeks later, on the 27th of August, 24 men, and 24 women covenanted together to begin praying around the clock. They agreed that one man and one woman in different places would pray in 24 one-hour shifts that would fill each hour of the day, every day of the week, and every day of the prayer. Now, listen to this. They would pray for whatever God put on their hearts, but all mostly for revival and the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ to every corner of the earth. It was a prayer vigil that would last for the next 100 years and would be the womb for which revival was born. Could you imagine if we would do this? Could you imagine? There are other great examples that I'll share with you some of those examples because we can learn from this. The Welsh revival, Evan Roberts, the coal miner, consumed by prayer. Evan Roberts at the age of 26, a coal miner became consumed by prayer. hunger for God and his testimony revealed the intensity of spiritual pursuit. And he said this, "I was led to pray for the Holy Spirit to descend. The spirit answered and filled me." Roberts would awake at 1:00 a.m. each morning praying for four hours until dawn, interceding for wheels and crying out for revival. When revival came, Roberts preached a simple four-point message. Confess all the known sins. Remove anything doubtful in your life. Be utterly obedient to the Holy Spirit and publicly confess Christ as Savior. This straightforward call to holiness and obedience became the framework of one of the most of history's most powerful revival with over a 100,000 conversions in Wales. It's that powerful. The Korean revival demonstrates the power of transparent repentance and confession before God. A church elder confessed to stealing $100 before 1,500 people. His confession broke the ice and others began confessing their sins. What followed was described as agonized private prayer throughout the congregation. The intensity of conviction and repentance created an atmosphere where God's presence was undeniable and the revival transformed Korean Christianity and established prayer as a cornerstone in the Korean church. The Hebrides revival that many of us will be familiar with. On the island of Lewis, two sisters Peggy and Christine Smith prayed fervently in their cottage for revival. They invited the Reverend Duncan Campbell to come. Widespread conviction fell throughout that island. Duncan Campbell arrived on the dock to be met by one of the church ministers and two of his elders. The

elders approached Duncan Campbell and said this, "Reverend Campbell with all due respect, how well do you know your God?" These people had been seeking God for repentance, for revival, but in repentance, they had a such a fear of God. When they met Reverend Campbell, that's the first question he was asked. And those of you who have heard this story will know that during a prayer meeting in a barn, one young man who hadn't been saved that long, but it says that he was a young man who was filled with the spirit of God. And he reminded God of Isaiah 44 verse 3. And he said this, "Oh God, you made a promise to pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. And Lord, it's not happening. Lord, I know that I am thirsty." Shortly after he prayed that prayer, the Holy Spirit fell and the doors and the windows of that little barn and that that farmhouse, people came knocking, seeking God. Because a group of Christians came together and prayed and sought God and repented of their sins. The Presbytery at that time had written to all the churches calling them to a time of repentance and the Holy Spirit fell in revival in Lewis. As one of the stories that Duncan Campbell told were hundreds in Lewis who were seeking God. Where did they go to? They went to the police station. Why did they go to the police station? Because it said that the constable was a man who feared God. He was a God-fearing man. They went to the police station to find God in a constable who was said to be a God-fearing man. Isn't that incredible folks? The Shandong revival in the 1930s in China. In China's Shandong province, prayer groups had been seeking revival since 1925. Her persistent intercession finally broke through. Chinese churches united under the prayer. Listen to this. “Lord, revive the church, beginning with me.” Revival meetings continued for four days and nights of prayer and confession. And the spirit of repentance and brokenness was profound. An observer described the prayer culture that emerged. The spirit of prayer was outstanding. People loved to pray. Prayer was meetings lasted two to three hours. Fervent, sometimes tearful, always as if talking to the Father with confidence that he was listening. The revival stained the Chinese church through the coming decades of persecution and demonstrated that prayer creates an unshakable foundation across centuries of revival, continents, cultures, genuine revival of these characteristics. Persistent fervent prayer often for months or years before breakthrough. deep humility and brokenness before God. Public confession of sin and genuine repentance, unity among believers across denominational lines, and complete dependence on the Holy Spirit rather than human programs. That prayer from the Shangdong revival challenged me. Lord, revive thy church beginning with me. Would we dare to pray that? Lord revive thy church beginning with me?” Murray that well-known speaker said this. Believers must be brought into conviction of the shame and evil of their carnal state. God brings believers into what may be called a second conviction. Conviction of a need of deliverance from the power of sin.” Duncan Campbell himself speaking on the topic of why no revival said this. “Sin in the church is a main and the only hindrance for revival and comments. It's no good praying for revival unless we're rightly related to God. We must ask ourselves is my heart pure and my hands clean.” Leonard Ravenhill wrote a number of great books on revival. One called Why revival tarries said this. “We appease sin but not oppose it.” James 5 verse 16 says this. “Confess to one another, therefore, your faults, your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins, and pray also for one another that you may be healed and restored to a spiritual tone of mind and heart. Listen, the earnest, heartfelt, continued prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working. Confession and prayer of the earnest man makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working.” Jeremiah said this in Jeremiah 29:13, "Then you will seek me, inquire for and require me as a vital necessity, and find me when you search me with all your heart.” Would we be willing to seek and search God in these days with all our heart for this town, for this province, for this nation, for this island of ours? Would we folks? Matthew 5 verse 6 in the complete Jewish Bible says this. “How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.” That's a promise folks. Would we hunger and thirst for righteousness and achieve this promise and be filled? Another old book that I found in my father's library written by J. Edwin Orr who quite often Billy Graham would have quoted. He travelled around the world looking at different revivals to gain a knowledge and he captured those in some of his writings and this is what he said. “The Holy Spirit is the author of revival both individual and collective. It is his ministry that brings a believer to a sense of need. That brings a church to repentance. That brings a whole community to hunger of heart. And yet the Holy Spirit is comparatively speaking the unknown quantity and personality of the Godhead.” According to Christ himself, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convince the world of sin and righteousness and of judgment. Many believers mistakenly rely upon their conscience alone rather than upon the conscience enlightened by the word of God and quickened by the spirit of God. The work of the Holy Spirit therefore is to show the sinner how far he has fallen short to show him also the standard of righteousness in Christ and to warn him of inevitable judgment. It is noteworthy that the Holy Spirit performs a parallel work in the life of the Christian, convincing him of carnality which is falling short, spurring him to practical sanctification, which is approaching the righteousness of Christ for everyday living and warning him of the judgment seat of Christ where he may lose his rewards. Is that not sobering? We will come to the judgment seat of Christ. We will give an account and we can lose our rewards. Don't believe me that read what God's word says.

J Edwin Orr goes on to say this. “It is the Holy Spirit that the Christian must look if he is ever to find the place of revival for his own soul. Spiritual blessing for the believer is depending upon the confession of sins and the restitution of wrongs. But confession in turn is dependent upon conviction. And with conviction comes the searching of the heart by the Holy Spirit. That book's titled Full Surrender. We need a move of the Holy Spirit. What happened in Kells down the road in 1859? A group of believers prayed, sought God on behalf of this province of ours and the Holy Spirit fell. People were convicted of sin in the town hall here around the centre of Coleraine. Some of you might know that in Ballyhome Road 2 to 3,000 people gathered a night for weeks and an old evangelist was in holiday in Portrush and God used that man preached for weeks to two to 3,000 people on the Ballyhome road. At the same time, people were convicted of sin in this town center. Why? Because the Holy Spirit came in response to men and women who were faithful to pray. John 7:38-39 says this, "He who believes in me, who cleaves to and trusts and relies on me. As the scriptures has said, from his innermost being shall flow continuously springs of living water." Do you realize that? “He who believes in me, who cleaves to and trusts and relies on me, as the scriptures said, from his innermost being shall flow continuously springs of living water.” Is that our experience? Is that what we experience? Those continuous springs of flow of living water that we've been promised when people see us and meet us, they see the light of Jesus, the light of the Lord in our lives. And Jesus said in verse 39, "But he was speaking here of the Spirit whom those who believed, trusted, had faith in him afterward to receive. For the Holy Spirit had not been given because Christ Jesus was not yet glorified, raised to glory.” We need a move of the Holy Spirit." I was challenged as I was reading about Pentecost, as I was preparing this message. Acts 1 verses 4 and 5 says this “once when he was eating with them he commanded them ‘do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised. As I told you before, John baptized with water but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” I hadn't seen this before. You see, he told them to wait. They weren't to leave Jerusalem. These were the believers that he was speaking to. Wait for the Holy Spirit. Wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Complete Jewish Bible brings it in a lovely translation here. It says “At one of those these gatherings he instructed them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father promised which you heard about from me for Yeshua. But in a few days you will be immersed in the ruach hakadesh, the Holy Spirit.” Would we wait for the Holy Spirit? Would we wait to be filled with the spirit, for the spirit to move? Luke 24 verse 49 “Now, I'm sending forth upon you what my Father promised. So stay here in the city until you've been equipped with power from above.” Another call to the church to stay and wait for the spirit. “Now I am sending forth upon you my what my Father promised. So stay here in the city until you've been equipped with the power from above. I look around the churches in this land of ours. Where is the Holy Spirit? Where is the power of the Holy Spirit that we have seen and I've shared with you from these revivals and moves of God throughout centuries. There's no power of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because we have tried to control the Holy Spirit. The old song, “we've done it our way.” We think we know better than the Holy Spirit. You know, when you look at churches in Africa there are moves of the Holy Spirit, they don't come to church for an hour. They come to church and they spend all day in church. Why? Because the Holy Spirit moves. Listen to what was happening in those revivals. They were praying for hours and days and weeks. That church, that prayer meet went on for a hundred years. They say that of St. Patrick. St. Patrick raised up disciples and it went on for centuries where they prayed. Friends, are we challenged by this message today? I ask you, what has the Holy Spirit been saying to us today? What action do we need to take as a body of believers? If the Holy Spirit's been speaking to us,  should we neglect that call? Should we neglect that challenge? We will meet him face to face. I've been really challenged recently about my period of time in life. My parents have both passed on. My cousin and myself are the same age and we were chatting in our house a couple of weeks ago and he said, "You know, we are our parents' generation now." We will meet the Lord face to face. I believe sooner than most people probably realize, but there is a window of opportunity for the believers, God's people. We have a such an inheritance, a heritage in Northern Ireland. What a privilege. 79% of people say they're Christians. What that means is another story. But we have a great heritage here. And if we would realize who we are in Christ, that out of our innermost being will flow streams of living water. And he wants, the Holy Spirit, I believe, wants to move. And those who are available and those who are passionate and will see and hunger for the lost and to see God move in this land, he will. He has. History has shown it. His word, his promises are the same yesterday and today. I remind us of that opening verse that I said at the beginning - Mark 10 verse 27. Jesus looked at them intently. Look at that. Imagine that. Jesus looked at them intently. He looked at them intently. This is one of those moments where the Holy Spirit is looking at us this morning intently. And he says this, “humanly speaking, it's impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God. Everything is possible with God. What do we want to see God doing in this nation? I know I want to see God moving in in in my family, saving my family and my grandchildren. But I want my life to count. the days that God has left that I have left. I don't want to miss the opportunity. I want to make meet him face to face and I want him to hear him said, "Stephen, you've been a good and faithful servant." Can we say that? Will he say that to us? Or will he take all our rewards away from us because we've neglected what we could have done? Age is no barrier. You might say to me, "I'm too old." No, none of us are too old. We can pray. The greatest weapon that we have is prayer. Would we be prepared as I finish like the Shandong revival in China to pray that prayer, “Lord, revive thy church beginning with me?” Revival in Northern Ireland and Coleraine starts with us, with you and me. Why? Because we're called for such a time as this. We were purposed to live and dwell for such a time as this. And the Holy Spirit lives and dwells within us, folks. and he wants to move and reign and have his way. Revival starts with us. When we would search ourselves, confess our sins, seek God, turn from our wicked ways, humble ourselves, and pray. What's he saying? I'll heal your land. I believe God wants to heal this land. A land that's saturated in blood and hatred for centuries. But he wants to heal this land. I believe that this land could be a beacon throughout the world. This church, I believe, can be a beacon in this n in this town and in this province. Why? Because we would seek God as he calls us to do. Things can happen. Why? Humanly speaking, it's impossible. Not with God, everything is possible. Would we come to the God of impossibilities today? Can I challenge you? Would you be like those believers in China in 1930 and their prayer was, "Lord, revive thy church beginning with me. Revive thy church beginning with me." I will close with that young man that stood in Lewis and reminded God of his promise. God is a promise keeping God. If he didn't, what hope are we for our salvation? But he is. He doesn't change. And this was the promise that he prayed. “For I will pour out water on him who is thirsty. And streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on your offspring and my blessings on your descendants. And they will spring up among the grass like willows by the streams of water. This is a promise of God. This is a promise, an eternal promise for us. “I will pour my out water on him who is thirsty.” Who's thirsty?