I was asking the Lord, what is the word of the Lord for us this Sunday? And I heard him say, "keep moving."
Everybody say, keep moving.
Now tell you're neighbor like it's a life or death matter... you have to keep moving.
Medical science tells us that one of the most important factors pertaining to good health is exercise. They say that a body in motion stays in motion, that means that it is much easier to keep something moving that is already in motion, than to start it moving from a stationary position. So they encourage everyone, no matter what age they are, to keep moving.
Well truth is parallel, so what that means is, what is true in the natural, is also true in the spiritual... Momentum is paramount. You must keep moving.
Movement is evidence that there is still life. And where there is life, there is hope, and where there is hope, there is a potential for miracles, signs, and wonders.
Let's read our text, Ezekiel 47:1-9 I have to admit there is so much more here than we can unpack today, but I believe what we will share today will be a blessing to you.
The living Bible Ezekiel 47:1-9... Then he brought me back to the door of the Temple. I saw a stream flowing eastward from beneath the Temple and passing to the right of the altar, that is, on its south side. Then he brought me outside the wall through the north passageway and around to the eastern entrance, where I saw the stream flowing along on the south side of the eastern passageway. Measuring as he went, he took me a thousand cubits east along the stream and told me to go across. At that point the water was up to my ankles. He measured off another thousand and told me to cross again. This time the water was up to my knees. Another thousand after that it was up to my waist. Another thousand and it had become a river so deep I wouldn't be able to get across unless I were to swim. It was too deep to cross on foot. He told me to keep in mind what I had seen, then led me back along the bank. And now, to my surprise, many trees were growing on both sides of the river! He told me: "This river flows east through the desert and the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea, where it will heal the salty waters and make them fresh and pure. Everything touching the water of this river shall live. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will be healed. Wherever this water flows, everything will live.
So we are looking here in Ezekiel 47 at this powerful revelation about how the stream became a River, not because there was more water, or because the force of the water changed from God's side, but because of Ezekiels proximity.
The same thing is true for you and I. It is through or by proximity that Gods presence, his power and his glory is experienced, increased, and manifested to us, in us, and through us.
I want you to pay special attention to where this river came from. It came out of the temple. The temple represents the place where God lives, and it symbolizes his presence.
And notice that everything starts at the door. Jesus is the door into the fathers house, and the fathers presence. No man can come to the father except through Jesus Christ.
If you don't come through the door, Jesus said, you are a theif and a robber.
Then notice that this river issued or flowed out from under the right side of the altar.
*The altar is the place of surrender, and sacrifice. The altar is the place where self is crucified.
*The altar is where our wills, our plans, and our desires must die, so that the Christ life can manifest through us.
Just as Moses had to remove his shoes from his feet, in order to fulfill his assignment. The altar is where we remove our shoes of personal ambition, and self will, so we can embrace our divine destiny in Christ.
To put it bluntly, the altar is the place where the old man dies, so the new man in Christ can live. "And just like the water came from under the altar, we must live under the weight of the altar on our flesh every day."
Remember Jesus words, Lu 9:23... And he said unto them all... if any man come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Remember Pauls words, Gal 2:20... I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The river of God's presence and power starts at the altar, and the depth of the work of the cross at the altar, determines the depth and the width, and the force and power of the river through us.
First it's to us, then it's in us, then it's through us.
The deeper Ezekiel went into the river, the bigger the river got. In other words, the more Ezekiel died, the more the river of God's life could flow through him.
The deeper his flesh went down, the stronger the flow of the river.
This is what the Holy Spirit is saying to us today. There's more.
This Christian life is progressive... Progressive death, and progressive life.
It doesn't matter how mature you are, or how anointed you are, the truth is...
*You haven't seen anything yet.
*There's no place to get comfortable and complacent.
*The truth is, this Christian life is not automatic.
*You have to choose to get up and get moving.
*You have to choose to let go of the comfortable, the convenient, and the familiar.
*You have to choose to boldly and aggressively press, and stretch yourself out to go deeper.
*You have to choose to dive into the Word and search out the hidden riches there.
*You have to choose to sanctify yourself from the world, and live a holy life.
*You have to choose to seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.
*You have choose to lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset you.
Going to church doesn't make you holy, anymore than parking a Pinto under a Cadillac sign makes it a Cadillac.
Somebody said, pastor I'm going through such a hard place right now, I'm really struggeling... Praise God, that's Great!
Huh? It's great? Why would you say that? Because...
*That means you're still in the fight.
*That means you're not dead yet.
*That means that you haven't been conquered.
*That means there is still the possibility of you possessing everything God has promised you.
*That means you are still disturbing hell, or the devil wouldn't be fighting you so hard.
So you have to keep moving.
Look at your neighbor and prophesy to them. I mean seriously, find somebody to prophesy to.
Now prophesy to them...
*I'm going to go where I've never gone before.
*I'm going to see what I've never seen before.
*I'm going to hear what I've never heard before.
*I'm going to feel what I've never felt before.
*I'm going to do what I've never done before.
*I'm stepping into a new level of anointing.
*I'm changing addresses.
*Sickness and disease can't go where I'm going.
*Poverty and lack can't go where I'm going.
*Fear and anxiety and stress can't go where I'm going.
Friend, somebody is watching you. Somebody is waiting for you, to get across the river... to come through this valley... to walk out of this fiery furnace... To crawl out of this pit.
Tell your neighbor, I'm going to make it, because I'm going to keep moving.
Ezekiel reached the place where it was too deep to walk anymore... To go any farther he had to swim. Because this is the place we call transition.
What happens when you reach this place? This is the place of decision. This is where you either enter a new dimension, or you settle into a lesser level. Up until this point you are on your feet. There's a pressure of the flow against you, but as long as you are on your feet there is a resistance to the rivers. agenda.
The river represents the flow of the Holy Spirit. Going with the current of the river, means that you are surrendered, and yielded to the will and plan of the Holy Spirit.
Many people will never make this transition. Why? Because this is the place where your feet are no longer deciding the direction of your life. At this place, your flesh is under subjection to the Holy Spirit. This is where the Holy Spirit decides when, and where, and how far, and how fast you go. The Holy Spirit decides your stops, and your starts. Your only support is the Holy Spirit.
This means you have left the land of logic, and reasoning, and you are now in the dimension, where faith alone is keeping you.
Everything you do now, is just what is necessary to stay with the flow of the Spirit.
As I said earlier, many people will never make this transition and the reason is... they're afraid, they don't know what to expect, and they're afraid of losing control.
At this point of transition something happens... Up until this point Ezekiel is in the river and he is experiencing the increasing intensity of the current of the river, but he still has control of where he goes, when he goes and how far he goes.
In other words he still watches what he wants to watch, listens to what he wants to listen to, and goes where he wants to go.
In spite of the increasing intensity of the current of the Spirit upon his being... His feet are still in charge, but once he hits this point of transition, there is no resistance. Now he's moving in total harmony with the river. Now his will is swallowed up by the will of the Holy Ghost.
No, God didn't overthrow his will. Every step Ezekiel took in the river, was a willing participation of losing himself in the river.
In other words, the river didn't take Ezekiel. Ezekiel gave himself to the river, just like Jesus did. When he said, if there's any other way, let this cup pass from me, never the less not as I will, but as thou wilt.
The Lord's prayer says, let thy kingdom come and thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
This vision of Ezekiel is a vivid picture of the Christian life, from...
*Converted to consumed.
*From ankle deep to completely enveloped.
*From saved but carnal.
*From saved, but critical.
*From saved but still have a dirty mouth.
*From saved but still have some habits and hangups.
*From saved but still bouncing back and forth.
*In the water yes, but just barely. The old man is dying, but he's fighting hard.
*Saved but a lot flesh still showing.
*Forgiven but still having some problems forgiving others.
Many are like like the young man Eutychus who fell out of the third story window while Paul was preaching. Many are just like Eutychis... They're in the house but they still enjoy looking out the window at what God delivered them from."That's ankle deep water."
Ankle deep water is a dangerous place to be for very long. Because every problem, every trial, every resistance, and every threat of change, and you want to jump out of the river, and jump back onto the bank.
Friend, keep moving... The Christian life by its very nature, is a life of movement and progress. When you quit moving, and progressing you start dying.
Beloved there's no bottom to this river, it's unfathomable. To say it another way... it's incomprehensible. It's immeasurable. It's endless.
But the path to fullness, and the path to the depths of the presence and glory, is the path of sacrifice. The Christ, life will only manifest through you and me, to the degree of the death to the self life.
Every step into the river is a step into greater sacrifice and self-denial.
As the flesh disappears through sacrifice, the Holy Spirit gains more pull and more influence over your life. And when people look at you, they begin to see Jesus in you, and through you.
Precious friend, keep walking, keep moving. And as you walk, you forget what was behind you. And you reach for and press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
What is the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus? It is to possess him, and be possessed by him. It is to be completely submerged in him, until it is no longer I that lives, but Christ lives in me.
Friends keep moving. Keep moving. There's no place to stop.
This river is deep. This river is wide, but you have to choose to move out into this river, and move with the flow of the Holy Ghost.
One more time I want you to look at your neighbor and tell them... it doesn't matter how rough, how dark, how deep or how wide it is, or how crazy I may look, and how crazy I may even feel at times... I am going to keep on moving.
Tell them...
I will crawl.
I will walk.
I will run.
I will swim.
Or I will fly.
But there's one thing I won't do. I won't quit. I won't sit and soak and sour. I will keep moving. My life depends on it. My future depends on it. Somebody elses life depends on it.
Now tell them one more thing...I know I can't force you to move on, and go deeper with the Holy Ghost.
But I also know, you can't stop me. No one can stop me. Not even the devil himself can stop me... I'm going to keep moving. My life depends on it.
