The River of God
Revelation 22:1-2, "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
One of the most beautiful scenes of the Bible is described is these two verse of Revelation. John was given a vision of the great River of Life that flows from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. This crystal clear river begins as a trickle from the Throne and then flows throughout the New Jerusalem to provide healing and life for all who live on its shores. The green grass, beautiful flowers, trees and meadows along its banks can only be seen in the mind and heart of man for the present, but one day soon we shall all see it just as John has described. What a day that will be when we get to see Heaven’s glorious scenes for the first time. All the troubles and trials of this life will pass into nothingness when we see Jesus face to face.
We are given many pictures and symbolisms of the water of life that comes from this river. Today, I want to try to stir your soul and take a look at this River of Living Water.
One of the greatest pictures of the power of that river is given to us in Ezekiel 47:1-5, "Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over."
Ezekiel has been down to the valley of dry bones, representing the dead spirituality of Israel as a nation. These dry bones also stand for every man who ever lived who did not have the life-giving flow of God in their lives. When God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?”, He was asking a question for which there was only one answer if we answer in the power and ability of man. The answer would have to be NO! But, in the power of the life giving River of God, these bones could not only live but they could become a mighty nation and able to do great things.
When we look a little further, we can see Jesus as he is waiting for the woman at the well who heard the words of Jesus as he said in John 4:14, " But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
As the waters of that river flow, there is much that it will do those who will step into its water and wade out just a little bit deeper each day.
Ezekiel saw the waters as they were only ankle deep as Jesus began to lead him into the unseen depths of the river. Every Christian must step out into the water and begin to explore the things of God. As Christians mature in Christ and their relationship grows, they begin to wade out a little farther from the shore and a little farther until finally they are lost in the love of Jesus Christ and learn to live by faith.
Too many people won’t go out into the deep water of relationship with Jesus because it requires a commitment of faith to believe that Jesus’ power will keep them afloat.
In these Scriptures in Ezekiel, we see how that Jesus has taken Ezekiel to the House of God, the Temple, and has revealed to him the source of the river that will flow out upon a dry and thirsty land to provide life for all it touches.
The waters came out of the right side of the house and flowed from the south side of the altar. What a wonderful type of the blood of Jesus Christ that flowed from His side on Calvary. The blood that began as a trickle, then became a flow that reached down and began to flow out from beneath the “Altar of Sacrifice of the Cross” to go down to the earth and flow over the souls of a sin darkened and lost world.
Praise the Lord, there is the real source of the Water of Life and of the River of God. Every provision for man’s need is met in the precious Blood of the Lamb who is slain from the foundation of the world. As the River of Life begins its journey through the heart of man there is so much that it does for us. Let’s look at some of these benefits.
The River Brings Life!
Look again at John 4:14, " But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
Those who choose to be washed in the Blood of the Lamb through repentance of sins and acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus and surrender their lives to Him will have this same well of living water springing up from within their own heart.
Why is this so? Because Jesus is the source of that River and He dwells in the heart of every believer to provide the ability to reach out to other people and have them washed in the Blood also. The Holy Spirit within each of us is the manifestation of that river of living water as He speaks through us, leads us and teaches us every day.
The River Satisfies!
Psalms 63:1-5, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:"
David knew what it was to need God’s forgiveness and God’s blessing. He had failed God so many times and yet David’s heart longed for the peace and forgiveness that only the River of God would bring.
Surely we live in a dry and thirsty land. Life in this desolate, sin-darkened world is hard and we must forever be on guard against the power of sin as it tries to invade our heart and bring the sentence of death upon us again and again.
If it were not for that constant flow and the power of the Blood of the Lamb as the River flows upon us, what chance would any of us have? But we have a promise of God’s help just as David did. David wrote another song unto the Lord that we can read in Psalms 46:4-5, "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early."
God will not allow the power of sin to overcome us but will come quickly to our aid to deliver us from temptation. God has promised us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
The River of God, that begins at the Throne of God and of the Lamb, that comes from the foot of Calvary’s cross gives us the power to overcome and the power to be satisfied by the Spirit of God in every circumstance for we know that God has it all under control.
The River of God Cleanses Us!
Every day, around the world, we see people as they use water to wash everything around them. Water has a cleansing power that is beneficial to all of us, but the cleansing power of the River of God goes far deeper than that of natural water.
The water from your tap can only cleanse the outside and make us look good but the Living Water from the River of God reaches down into the very heart of man and washes away the stain and death of sin.
There is an old song that says, There is Power in the Blood, Power in the Blood. Sins stains are washed in its life giving flow, there is Power in the Blood of the Lamb.
A painting that I saw at a Museum in Eureka Springs, Arkansas showed just a portion of what that live giving flow is all about.
In that painting, the Blood of Jesus Christ flows from His side as He is hanging upon the Cross of Calvary. That blood becomes a giant wave of His cleansing and keeping power as it washes across the pages of history. This painting is specifically designed to picture America from its foundation to the modern times but the Blood of Jesus Christ as the river of God has flowed throughout the entire history of man.
Every event, every war, every birth and every death have been affected by His Blood. The river has washed upon the shore of every nation and every life. The Blood of Jesus is given that all men can experience its cleansing power.
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Whosoever will means any and all people can come to Jesus because there is no limit to the cleansing power of the Blood of the Lamb. Jesus willingly poured out His blood so that we could all experience the cleansing power of the river of God.
Just as we have seen in the vision of John of the river in Heaven and that of Ezekiel, the river of god is an unending and every renewing source.
Isaiah 59:1, "Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:"
The great I AM of eternity is omnipotent in His power to hear, to save and cleanse man from sin. I AM has given Himself to purchase forgiveness and victory over death for each of us.
The River of God is Always Increasing in the Affairs of Men!
Jesus did not come and die for only a few. It is God’s will that all men should be saved and that none should perish.
The early church began as a trickle of the out-pouring of the Holy Ghost upon men. Only 120 were gathered in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost as the Holy Ghost came upon them like a might rushing wind. Those 120 began a revival that is continuing to grow throughout the Church Age.
Along came the age of the Reformation and greater truth was revealed through men like Martin Luther and others. The great revival that began with only a few began to spread throughout the world giving birth to Protestantism and the revelation of the truth of living by faith and salvation by faith in the mercy and grace of God. The River of God continued to flow and would not allow the message of the gospel to die with a Pagan Church that relied on works more than faith in God.
Down through history the River has continued its journey. The Blood of the Lamb has never lost its power and it never shall.
At Azuza Street in California another great revival broke forth because men were seeking for the baptism in the Holy Ghost and that revival is still going forth today. Our own organization and several others were born of this great out-pouring of the Holy Ghost and on the river flows.
The Bride of Christ, the Church, people like you and I, will not be stopped because the River of God is flowing stronger than ever. Around the world people are being saved. The river flows onward!
The Russian Bear of Communism has collapsed and the gospel is being preached behind what used be blocked by the KJB and the Iron Curtain. The gospel is going forth behind the Bamboo Curtain of China and souls are being saved by the 1000’s.
The Church will not go out of this age as some emaciated, weak and dying ember! The church is the Bride of Christ and will go out in a blaze of glory.
Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
That’s not a picture of a church that is sitting around doing nothing and waiting to be delivered. That’s a picture of the church as it stands under the mighty anointing of the Holy Ghost and defies the god of this world and steps out into the territory of the Devil himself to bring the message of the gospel to anyone and everyone who will hear.
Satan cannot stop the River of God as it moves on. Satan and the Antichrist are destined to be washed away by its cleansing power.
The River of God cannot be stopped. It is a flood of God’s power to cleanse the world.
Has the River Washed You Clean? Have you made a Step into the Water of His love?
There is only one limiting factor in the power of this River of God to cleanse. That limiting factor is your own will. God is a perfect gentleman and never forces his will upon any man. It’s up to us to accept His gentle offer and wade out into the river just as Ezekiel had to do.
God wants to let the river flow in your heart today. Why don’t you open the doors of your heart and let the cleansing power of the Blood of the Lamb to wash over you? Swim out into the water of the River of God and experience the great salvation and peace that Jesus offers.
