The River of God

Zechariah 14:8

In summer and in winter shall it be.

 

The streams of living water which flow from Jerusalem are not dried up by the parching heats of sultry midsummer any more than they were frozen by the cold winds of blustering winter. Rejoice, O my soul, that thou art spared to testify of the faithfulness of the Lord. The seasons change and thou changest, but thy Lord abides evermore the same, and the streams of His love are as deep, as broad and as full as ever. The heats of business cares and scorching trials make me need the cooling influences of the river of His grace; I may go at once and drink to the full from the inexhaustible fountain, for in summer and in winter it pours forth its flood. The upper springs are never scanty, and blessed be the name of the Lord, the nether springs cannot fail either. Elijah found Cherith dry up, but Jehovah was still the same God of providence. Job said his brethren were like deceitful brooks, but he found his God an overflowing river of consolation. The Nile is the great confidence of Egypt, but its floods are variable; our Lord is evermore the same. By turning the course of the Euphrates, Cyrus took the city of Babylon, but no power, human or infernal, can divert the current of divine grace. The tracks of ancient rivers have been found all dry and desolate, but the streams which take their rise on the mountains of divine sovereignty and infinite love shall ever be full to the brim. Generations melt away, but the course of grace is unaltered. The river of God may sing with greater truth than the brook in the poem--

 

"Men may come, and men may go,

But I go on for ever."

 

How happy art thou, my soul, to be led beside such still waters! never wander to other streams, lest thou hear the Lord's rebuke, "What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink of the muddy river?"

~Charles Spurgeon~

The Persistent Purpose of God # 54

A River That Could Not Be Passed Over: The Fullness of the Spirit

We are coming to the end of our time together, and that means that there is a very great deal in Ezekiel that we shall not be able to consider. So I suggest that we give our attention to chapter forty-seven. As you know, this is the chapter of the river. I think that this chapter is well enough known by you that we shall not have to read it right through. However, we ought to read the second chapter of the Book of Acts, because I feel that Ezekiel forty-seven and Acts chapter two go together. The second chapter of the Acts is the New Testament fulfillment of what we have here in this chapter in Ezekiel. But there is a passage of Scripture between these two chapters, found in the seventh chapter of John's gospel, and we will read that. John, in chapter seven:

"Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, Whom those who believed in Him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

Now strict interpretation demands that we observe one point, for that which the Lord Jesus was referring to in John seven, "the last day, the great day of the feast," was not strictly what we have in Ezekiel forty-seven, but related to the Feast of Tabernacles, and that takes us a long way back before Ezekiel; it takes us back into the life of Israel in the old days. You will remember that the Feast of Tabernacles was the commemoration of Israel's coming out of Egypt and living in tents in the wilderness. We need not dwell with the details of that feast because that is not our subject, but it was to that that Jesus was referring.

Ezekiel forty-seven is not a celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, but there are some common features which are in Ezekiel forty-seven. John seven, and Acts two. We know that when Jesus spoke those words He was in the temple at Jerusalem. It was in the temple that the Feast of Tabernacles was being celebrated, and at that time the priest went down to the pool of Bethesda and brought water back and poured it out over the threshold of the temple. Jesus took hold of that and applied it to Himself.

The Source of the River Is the Man Hidden in the Sanctuary

Now the common feature in these three places - Ezekiel, John, and Acts - is this: the waters are flowing out from the House. And then there is another common feature of these three places: in the House, as we have seen, everything related to the Man Glorified in the Throne. The Man Glorified in the Throne governed everything. Now here in John seven, John makes that comment. He said, "This He spoke of the Spirit, Whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." So that pointed on to the future when Jesus was Glorified. Undoubtedly, that was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus was Glorified and the waters came out from the House. So, you see, we do have some common features in these books.

Now we come to some details of Ezekiel forty-seven, and to begin with, we must note that this whole situation is one that sets forth a condition in this dispensation. As we know, many believe that all this belongs to the Millennium. Well, the situation is this chapter is not a situation in the Millennium. Neither does this fully correspond to the end of the Book of the Revelation. It is true that in Revelation we have the river flowing out from the Throne  of God and o the Lamb, and there are many features that just like these features in Ezekiel. However, what we have here in Ezekiel is neither in the Millennium nor in the Coming Age, but it relates to the dispensation in which we are living. As you see, in Ezekiel it is a situation of need, it is a scene of death, and the leaves of these trees are for medicine to heal disease; it is a scene of great need. In the millennium death will be suspended for a time, and at the end of the Book of Revelation, death is no more. Here in Ezekiel death has to be met and overcome. Here an unhealthy condition has to be dealt with. It is important to realize that this chapter in Ezekiel applies to the present dispensation.

Now let us take note of a few other details. First, the Source of the river. The Source of the river is somewhere hidden under the threshold of the House. The Word says that the waters issued from under the threshold of the House, they came out from under the threshold. Perhaps we should conclude that they came out of the threshold and moved toward the side of the House, because it says that they went down toward the east. This seems to have been the movement. Now we shall come to that again in a minute. For the moment, the waters issued from some secret place under the House.

Now we know that the Lord had said the Sanctuary was the place of the Throne and the place of His Glory, the place where the Lord dwelt. I think we are to conclude that the waters came from there. Of course, this is all type and symbol. We are not told exactly where the waters started, but we are told that they came "out from under the threshold."  think that we can conclude that they started in the place of the Throne and the Glory, and that is a hidden place in the presence of God, for we know that God was hidden in the Sanctuary.

The Man in heaven is hidden in the Sanctuary. He is the Heavenly Mystery. He is on the Throne. He is Glorified, and then the Spirit comes out from Him as in that position and in that condition. We remember that Jesus said, "afterward He would not manifest Himself to the world, He would manifest Himself to witnesses whom He had chosen." After His resurrection, He did not show Himself personally to the world. So far as the world is concerned, Jesus has gone right out. The world does not know of His personal existence. He is a mystery to the world. He is an unreality to the world because He has hidden Himself from the world. He is hidden in Heaven. But there is a manifestation of Himself, and that is in the Spirit of Life which comes out from the Sanctuary. Christ is not only personally in heaven, He is enshrines within the heavenly Church.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 55)

Face to Face

And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Exodus 33:9-11

When I read the verse that says, "the Lord spoke to Moses face to face," I have a longing in my heart to see the Lord like that. What must it have been like to be in such an intimate presence of the Lord? I try to picture in my mind what it looked like when the cloud descended. Regardless of how hard I try, I am sure that my thoughts could never come close to the awesome-nessof such a meeting.

Moses was just a man, no more special than any other person. But God called him for a special purpose and God equipped him for the job. Moses had a tough job leading the children of Israel through the wilderness for forty years. I do not envy his calling, but at times, I have envied his intimacy with the Lord. These feelings of longing and envy; however, cannot remain too long within me because I have God's Spirit living within me. When I desire to be with the Lord in that intimate place of His presence, I can go to Him and be with Him.

I no longer envy Moses because I have my own personal intimacy with the Lord, and so can you. For all who come to Jesus and accept Him as their Savior are sealed with the Promise of His Holy Spirit.

Have you ever longed to be in the presence of the Lord God Almighty? Do you desire to experience Him intimately? Please know that you can find Him. The Bible tells us that if seek the Lord with all of our heart we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). The keys are in truly seeking Him, waiting on Him, and obeying His words to us. Find a quiet place and commit to just spending that time with the Lord. Start with worshiping Him and coming before Him with an open heart. Keep seeking and keep knocking until you find that sweet place of fellowship. Remember that He is always here for us…we are the ones who are distracted and turn away from Him. Practice His presence every day.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~

The Persistent Purpose of God # 53

The Altar (The Cross) Governs Everything (continued)

The Cross In Its Place (continued)

Then we have the Letters to the Thessalonians. Here the Cross is the strength for suffering - an inspiration unto the coming of the Lord. There may not be much said about the Cross actually, but the principle of these letters is the principle of the Cross. The people were suffering for Christ's sake. They were suffering the loss of all things, and they had thought that the Lord would have come to deliver them, and the Lord is delaying His coming. So the apostle tells them that their sufferings will issue in the coming of the Lord and glory. The sufferings of suffering with Christ. They are suffering for Christ's sake: it is fellowship in the Cross, but the sufferings issued in the glory. The Lord is coming, and then it will be all right. The Cross has a very real message for suffering believers. And then we just conclude with the Letter to the Hebrews.

In the Letter to the Hebrews, the Cross shows how everything is brought to fullness and to finality. Now all of this relate to the House on its inside. It touches conduct. It touches character. It touches order. It touches ministry. If the Cross is in its place, everything will be effective.

Now I have not just given you some Bible teaching. The Cross is the key to everything. Then what is true on the inside is also true on the outside. It is the Cross which affects the whole range of the Church's influence. The river comes by way of the Cross, that is, the influence that goes out from the sanctuary to the whole land. It is the Cross which gives effectiveness to the ministry to the whole world. So the apostles preached everywhere Christ crucified.

The Cross Is the Defense Against the World

And then we note another thing, the altar was the great defensive against the enemy. If you look in the Book of Ezra in chapter three, at verse three, you have this: "so they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands ..." Because fear of the peoples of the lands was upon them, they put the altar in its place. The Cross is a great defensive - the Cross defends us from the world. The world is the great enemy of the Church. The spirit of the world has always been the Church's great enemy. satan has always tried to get the world into the Church and so wreck the Church and its ministry, to destroy the influence of the Church in the world. It is a very clever and subtle move of the enemy to destroy the influence of the Church in the world by bringing the world into the Church. For Paul said, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14).

A truly crucified people are never in danger of the world. It is only when the Cross has not done its work that the world has a place. The world has no place with a crucified man or woman, or a crucified company of believers. The Cross is a great defensive against the world. If you want to keep the world out, put the Cross in its place. If the Cross is truly in its place in fullness, then everything else will come into order. The Cross is the great defensive against the world. The Cross is the great defensive against evil powers. The Cross makes everything safe; it makes everything safe for the Lord.

You see, the Lord wants to commit Himself. He wants to trust Himself to His people, but if the Cross is not there at work, the Lord cannot trust Himself to them. The Lord says, "It is not safe for Me to give Myself there, or I should be involved in their un-crucified condition." The Cross makes everything safe for the Lord, and the Cross makes everything safe for the Church. If the Cross is really at work in all of us, we can trust one another. It is quite safe to trust yourself to a crucified man or woman.

I emphasize that the Cross is not a doctrine to be taught. It is not a subject to be preached. Of course, it will be taught, and it will be preached. But in the first place, it is not a subject to be taught. It is not just a doctrine. The Cross is power, The Cross is an experience. The Cross is an event in our lives. The Cross is a crisis. The Cross is a revolution. The Cross is an earthquake. Everything will be shaken, everything will be overturned. The Cross comes into our life, there will be an earthquake. There was an earthquake. It is something tremendous. The Cross is not just a theory, not just a doctrine: The Cross governs everything. Well, that is our message about the centrality and universality of the Cross.

The Lord grant that we shall all be crucified men and women. The assemblies to which we belong - may they be crucified assemblies. The Lord grant that His whole Church may see and view the meaning of the Cross.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 54 - (A River That Could Not Be passed Over: The Fullness of the Spirit)

What Makes for an "Authentic" Christian?

Let's take a look at five earmarks of authentic Christianity, taken from 1 John.

First, an authentic Christian confesses Jesus Christ as Lord (1 John 4:15). Christianity must begin with a verbal acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. The Bible says that even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). True Christians should be able to say that Jesus Christ is their Lord.

Second, if you are a true Christian, you will be unhappy or miserable when you're sinning (1 John 3:9). This doesn't mean you will never sin if you are a Christian (1 John 1:8). But there is a difference between recognizing that we will fail in some way, shape, or form in the future and going on a willful, continual track of sin. If you really are a child of God, you will have a sense of discomfort when you sin, because you know in your heart of hearts that what you are doing is wrong.

Third, an authentic Christian enjoys fellowship with other believers (1 John 5:1). A true Christian will want to be around other Christians. Those who isolate themselves from other believers do so at their own peril, because the Bible tells us that it is important to get together, encourage one another, and correct one another (Hebrews 10:24-25). After all, why should God go to your house if you won't go to His? A lot of us want all of the fringe benefits of Christianity without applying ourselves.

Fourth, an authentic Christian obeys the commands of Jesus Christ. If you are a true believer, then you will obey the commands of Jesus Christ (1 John 5:3). I will not deny that the Bible is filled with so-called rules, but their purpose is not to make our lives miserable. Rather, they protect us from potential harm. The person who blatantly and continually breaks the commandments of God simply does not know Him.

Finally, an authentic Christian loves and obeys the Word of God (1 John 2:5). You cannot effectively live the Christian life without a love for, and obedience to, God's Word. All true disciples of Jesus Christ will be students of Scripture and will walk according to its teaching. This is vital to authentic Christian living, because the Bible is indeed the very textbook of life (2 Timothy 3:16). Yet so many believers will not read the Bible. They don't realize that success or failure in the Christian life depends on how much of the Bible they get into their hearts and minds on a regular basis. We have to do it.

~Greg Laurie~

The Persistent Purpose of God # 52

The Altar (The Cross) Governs Everything (continued)

The Cross In Its Place (continued)

The Letter to the Romans is the message of the Cross in its full measure. In that letter to the Romans, you see the great measurement of the Cross. There the Cross comprehends all things. It brings the whole race in Adam to an end, and it begins an entirely new race in Christ risen! It is very impressive that the first of the New Testament Letters should put the Cross there in its full measurement. You all know that the Letter to the Romans was not the first letter written by Paul, but the Holy Spirit has put it first in the arrangement. I think the Holy Spirit had something to do with the arrangement of the books in the New Testament, and in His sovereign arrangement of this book, He has put the altar in its fullness right at the beginning. Well, of course, you have to recall all that you know about the Letter to the Romans to see that.

In the First Letter to the Corinthians, the Cross is applied to the natural and the carnal man inside the Church. The natural and the carnal man has come in where he has no right to be. This unrighteous man has slipped in through the gate, and so the apostle brings Christ crucified over against the natural and the carnal man. The Cross in 1 Corinthians had to do with that man, not outside the Church as in Romans, but inside the Church.

The second Letter to the Corinthians sets the Cross in relation to ministry. That letter shows that that ministry flows out of a broken and humbled vessel. I can only say these things and leave the full explanation of it.

In the Letter to the Galatians, the Cross is brought down upon making Christianity into another legal system, and bringing Christians into bondage. How strong the apostle is in that letter, but see how he uses the Cross. He uses the Cross tremendously against that effort to make Christianity into a legal system, and to bring believers into bondage again.

In the Letter to the Ephesians, the work of the Cross is to put the Church on heavenly ground. The Cross in Ephesians completely cuts the Church off from all earthly ground. It puts the Church outside of time. It puts the Church outside of the world.

In the Letter to the Philippians, the Cross is applied to that which is spoiling the harmony of the Lord's people. There is a painful dislocation inside the Church. There is a spot where things are unhappy, and that is because of personal interest. Some people will not let go their pride. They have been offended, and they are not going to forgive. So the apostle brings the Cross in there over against this discord, and dislocation; and he points out that if only the Cross were in those lives, everything would be put right.

The Letter to the Colossians - this letter shows that the Cross delivers from all false spirituality. The Cross sets aside all that is mere mysticism, and everything that would make Christ less than He is.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 53)

Is There Freedom in Biblical Role of a Wife and Mother?

Why do so many women fight against submitting to God for sake of our children? I really believe it is related to fear. We hear the stories of God’s faithfulness after some tragedy. But, we do not wish to live through the tragedy to get to the “God be the glory” testimony. It is as if we do not love and trust in the God who we teach our children to love and trust. Sometimes it has been difficult to discern if my motherly convictions were founded in fear instead of faith. I had a huge lesson to learn about His love ruling in my life.

It started with my friend asking me if my 4^th grade son could attend camp with her son in the summer. I immediately told her no; I was not sending Robby to camp. Although I ended the conversation quickly, I could not dismiss the idea.

When my husband came home, I said, “Kim asked if Robby could go to camp with Nate. NO! Right?” Slowly and calmly, my husband replied, “Robby does not need to go to camp for Robby. But it would be good for Robby to go to camp for you.” I immediately thought, “Oh no, I have to pray about this now.” Waiting for an opportune quiet moment to shut the bedroom door and allow myself time to mediate, I climbed on the bed and prayed, “Lord, it does not seem necessary to send Robby to camp but I also do not want to make decisions based out of fear. Please help me.” I waited and listened. Opening the Bible, my eyes fixed on Ezra 7:10, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”  I prayed this passage frequently, asking the Lord to fulfill these words with me. “Lord, why does Ezra 7:10 seem like it is in bold print right now? What’s up with my life verse in Ezra?”

The name Ezra means help. I too want to help others know the Lord better. In the stillness of my heart, I knew that I desired to be an Ezra in other people’s lives, but I did not want anyone to be an Ezra in my son’s life. To have all the spiritual responsibility placed upon myself for my children is a burden I suddenly realized I did not want to carry alone. The Lord wanted a change of heart for me to allow others to participate in my children’s spiritual wellbeing. “Oh no, Robby’s going to camp.” It was a huge step of obedience and I admit that fear still stirred within me. However, it seemed that the word of God spoke louder than my own mind. Robby packed his bags and we headed to Indian Hills Youth Camp in Jamul.

My first mission was to find Robby’s counselor because I had a few things I needed to say. I was directed to the young man standing under the tent, alone. Perfect! I needed to explain to him that Robby had never been to camp. After several minutes of rambling, I realized that we had not been introduced. I paused, looked him in the eyes and said, “I am sorry. My name is Tonilee Adamson. What is your name?” Without hesitating, he said “My name is Ezra.” The heavens parted and the angels were smiling as I turned to my husband and said, “We need to leave NOW.” No more instructions, no more worries, no more words. We kissed Robby and headed home.

I had just one thought all week: “Did his mother name him Ezra?”  When I picked up Robby, I asked him to take me to his counselor to ask him, “Is Ezra your real name?” This 20-something young man said to me, “No, it is my camp name. My life verse is Ezra 7:10. I asked the Lord to allow me to be an Ezra in the kids’ lives as I minister this summer.” I stared at him as tears began to well up and said, “Me TOO!” We exchanged a few more words and I left thanking and praising God for His amazing ability to hear, act and use His words to expand my mind and soften my heart to receive so much amazing blessing.

There are many non-Christian women who are great mothers. Women do not need the filling of the Holy Spirit to follow the desires to love, teach and train their children. However, to teach and train a child in the ways that they should go for their children’s best interest long term does require a submitted life to the Lord. We do not stand before God someday for the choices our children have made. Instead we stand before God alone for the choices we have made. When a woman seeks the counsel of the Lord and obeys, others are blessed. The problem comes when we interpret our own thoughts to be the Lord’s will. By asking, seeking and knocking through the daily circumstances and choices of life, we will find freedom in following the Lord’s ways. Seasons of life change but the Lord is faithful. I have come to realize that when I desire to hear the Lord’s voice louder than I want Him to hear mine then I have peace to change and do things His way over my own. God has brought the best “helper” to each of us. We do find freedom when seeking His help above all others.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~