"The River of Life"
Alan Mc Savage
Scriptural Foundation
"And on the banks of the river on both its sides, there shall grow all kinds of trees for food; their leaf shall not fade, nor shall their fruit fail to meet the demand. Each tree shall bring forth new first fruits every month, these supernatural qualities being because their waters came from out of the sanctuary. And their fruit shall be for food, and their leaf for healing."
Ezekiel 47:12 (Amplified)
"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" I Cor. 3:16
"having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." Eph 2:20-22
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. Rev 22:1-3
"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." John 7:38
Dwelling Place
Ezekiel saw a sanctuary. It was a completed house - a completed temple. He saw the habitation, the dwelling place of the Lord (Ez. 47:1).
A river, with supernatural qualities, flowed out of the completed house (Ex. 47:12).
God is building a corporate house, a dwelling place in the earth. His dwelling place will be an perfect representation of His character.
Finished at the Quarry
I King 6:7 And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.
In times past, emphasis was placed on each individual lively stone maturing to reflect God's character and nature (Rom. 8:29; II Cor. 3:18).
While this is still of utmost importance, God's emphasis, in this hour, is on fitly joining these lively stones into a corporate house (I Peter 2:5, Eph. 2:21 - 22; 4:16). His house! His habitation His Dwelling Place!
Each individual lively stone must come to a personal revelation of present truth in order to supply their proper portion to the Body.
The days of leadership trying to mold people into their image and likeness must come to an end
As in the days of Solomon, the workers (The Spirit of Christ) finishes the lively stones (you and I) in the workplace, the home front, the schools and shops, the Spirit of Christ molds and fashions us into the image of Christ where the rubber hit's the road.
He works on our dedication, our relationships, our attitudes, our character. He chisels away everything that does not conform to the image of Christ. Then He places us into the temple, where He knows we will fill the greatest purpose and bring the greatest glory to God.
The days of individuals coasting on a leader's revelation and anointing are gone.
The days of simply basking in the glow of a corporate anointing without taking personal responsibility for receiving God's revelation and anointing are gone.
The dedication of Solomon's Temple was a display of corporate anointing (I Kings 8; II Chron. 5 - 7). The glory of God was evident. In order for the whole to function properly, each individual had to take accountability for personal preparation before the corporate gathering. Similarly, each lively stone must take accountability for growing and maturing in order for His corporate house to function properly in the area of the corporate anointing.
Our concept of God's house must shift from the religious idea of a physical building to that of His corporate body being His house. Even though we give mental ascent to this fact, our motions and actions speak otherwise. When Jesus drove the money changers from the physical temple, he declared, "My house is a house of prayer" (Luke 19:46).
The Greek word for house is "oikos" and means a dwelling place, a family.
The Greek word for prayer means worship.
His dwelling place in the earth today is His body, His corporate house (Eph2:21-22).
His corporate house will be a house engaged in the fullness of corporate anointing.
"CORPORATE" DEFINED
In order to understand corporate worship, it is imperative that the word "corporate" be defined. While the word "corporate" is not specifically found in scripture, the notion is clearly evident. Corporate [Latin-to be shaped into a body]
1. United in a body, as a number of individuals, who are empowered to transact business as an individual; formed into a body.
2. United; collectively one.
(Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary of the English Language) As indicated by Noah Webster's definition of "corporate" it is individuals united in a body that are empowered to transact business as an individual. His house is a many-membered body attending to His business as an individual.
FLOWING RIVER vs. FALLING RAIN
The house that Ezekial saw had a river flowing out of it. The house that Ezekiel saw did not have rain falling upon it. The river FLOWED OUT.
In Gen. 2:6 reference is made to a mist that went up to water the face of the earth.
Gen. 7:4 states that God would cause it to rain.
Looking at these two passages brings to light the fact that God's desire was that His creation would maintain the capacity for rivers to flow out of it. The first mention of rain is in reference to judgment rather than blessing. God now desires to flow out of His new creation corporate house in rivers of blessing and life. In Hosea 6:3 rain is referred to twice.
The first mention of rain, in this passage, is a Hebrew word that means to shower violently. The second mention, is in reference to the former and latter rain.
The second mention of rain is a Hebrew word that means to flow.
God is not calling a corporate house together that selfishly desires the Spirit of God to fall on them. In this hour God is calling forth a corporate house that He can flow out of in order to bring healing to the nations. Ezekiel saw the waters of the river flow from the completed house into the desert and the sea (Ex. 47: 9).
Note
Near my home are the shores of Lake Ontario, nearly every day my wife and I can be found walking along it's shore on a pathway called the "breezeway." Near the end of our walk along the pathway we come to a spot that seems to teem with natural beauty and life.
To the left is the Lake upon which can be seen giant ships coming in and out of the harbor.
To the right is a beautiful little area where there is a big pond or lagoon. Upon which you can see ducks and geese swimming around surrounded by massive old willow trees and oaks. (where the squirrels run up and down much to the enjoyment of our little dog Dachsie)
In the midst of the lagoon is the source of the refreshing waters, and is an artesian well springing up like the crippled man in the book of Acts
Leaping and shouting and praising God.
That spring is the source of refreshing to an area of land that brings rest and enjoyment to countless people that pass by and a place that the water fowl can raise their young.
All of this is right beside one of Southern Ontario's busiest highways where people go zooming along totally unaware of the beauty of God's handiwork.
This speaks to me of the people of God, while right next to and seemingly a part of the sea of humanity they are really set apart by God's right hand with the River of Life springing up from within them bringing "Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace to all men.
Num 21:17 Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! All of you sing to it--
2 Sam 6:16 Now as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
Acts 3:8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them-- walking, leaping, and praising God.
242 hallomai (hal'-lom-ahee);
middle voice of apparently a primary verb; to jump; figuratively, to gush:
KJV-- leap, spring up.
John 17:6-11 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. "Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. "For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. "And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
Dry and Barren.
Those that are dry and barren (the desert) in this hour are in need of the refreshing river. The lost masses of humanity (the sea and highway) must have the healing waters of the river to flow unto them in this hour. When the river flows from His corporate house, it will heal and bring life to all that it touches!
God is beckoning for His house to allow Him to flow out of them, as a river, or a springing fountain. (Ez. 47:12; John 3:38).
The river that Ezekiel saw flowing from the house caused the trees to bring forth fruit and provide healing. So it will be with God's trees of righteousness as rivers of Living Water flow from His house.
May everything we say and do bring Glory to God and healing to the nations.
Alan
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