Living River From God’s Throne

”¹…I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east)…⁷When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. ⁸ He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. ⁹ Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live” (Ezekiel 47: 1, 7-12) 

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22: 1-2)

 

How does salt water become fresh water

It does not

At least not in nature here on earth

 

At best salt and fresh water come together

And become brackish water

Brackish water is harmful to plants and damaging to the environment

 

Estuaries contain both fresh and salt water

Where the fresh water stays on top

And the salt water is on the bottom

Like oil and vinegar

They do not mix

 

Ezekiel saw water flowing out of the temple

Fresh water that enters the Dead Sea

Making the salt water fresh

 

 Presently

There are no living creatures in the Dead Sea

 

 Nonetheless

 

Wherever this water flows

Salt water becomes fresh water

 

There is life in this water

Renewing life in this water

The water that flows from the temple

 

In Ezekiel’s vision the Dead Sea is teeming with life

Abundant life

 

How would this come about

Salt water becomes fresh water

Dead Sea teeming with life

 

Not possible here on earth

At least not in this present earth

 

 

However

 

In the New Jerusalem

We see the river of the water life

Flowing from the Throne of God and of the Lamb

 

The Tree of Life is on either side of this river

Yielding crops of fruits throughout the year

Whose leaves are for healing of the nation

 

Living water

 

River of life

 

Coming from the Throne of God

 

The Source of all life

 

God’s life

 

Water of life

 

Flowing from the temple threshold

Flowing from the throne of God

 

Living water

 

Giving life

 

Teeming life

 

Abundant life

 

"The River" - Jordan Feliz

Know The Enemy During The Pandemic

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” – I Peter 5:8

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” – John 10:10

"Woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short" - Revelation 12:12b

Know our enemy so we can know what to expect

And be armed

Equipped to do battle

For we are in a spiritual battle

Especially during this pandemic

For Satan is whom he is

Prowling around like a roaring lion

Seeking to steal

Kill

Destroy

And to ensnare as many as he can

For he knows his time is short

Before the pandemic

Poor communication with our significant others

Idiosyncrasies annoying to us

Patterns of behavior of our loved ones we did not like

During the pandemic

Communication breaks down to nil or assumptions being made

Idiosyncrasies are blaringly irksome to us

We find ourselves quick to assign negative motivations to behaviors

Quarantine life makes us feel

Bored

Restless

Listless

Stifled

Pent-up

Fed-up

Angry

Walls closed in

Shut down

Depressed

Desire to isolate

To break out

To act out

To take out

our anger and frustration

This death-drive of not being able to live normally has contributed to

Patience gone

Tempers flare

Unforgiveness rampant

We become stubborn and recalcitrant

Ready to fight to syphon off our pent-up anger and frustration

Patience to better communicate is gone

Peaceful protests turn into riots

Playing right into Satan’s hands and schemes

To steal

To kill

To destroy

To turn husband and wife against one another

To turn family members against each other

To turn the protector into the aggressor

To turn the powerful into the oppressor

To turn temperance into exaggeration

To turn tolerance into hatred

To turn society into chaos

But we are not unaware of this spiritual battle

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood

But against the rulers

Against the authorities

Against the powers of this dark world 

Against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms

Therefore

Put on the Full Armor of God

So that we may be able to stand

Stand against the evil schemes of the Enemy

Stand together

Stand with one another

Stand side by side

With linked arms

Not fists

With tender hearts toward one another

Not iron hearted toward each other

May we go down on our knees

In humility

In repentance

In forgiveness

To seek God’s forgiveness for our wrongs

To forgive those who have wronged us

To forgive ourselves for our wrongful acts

To humble ourselves

So that God may lift us up

And to embrace the “Life Drive”

To have life abundantly

Through Jesus and what He has accomplished for us on the cross

Our punishment in His body on the cross

Our sins forgiven and washed

Our stains cleansed

Death turned into life

Life abundant

For Jesus has come to give us

Life

Abundant life

Despite the quarantine

Despite the circumstances around us

LIVE

Life

Fully

In Jesus

Through Jesus

BE His witness

BE His voice to speak up against wrongs and to admit our wrongs

BE His heart to grieve wrongs done by us and by others

BE His arms in embracing others

BE His hands to reach out to others

BE His feet to go reconcile with others

BE the bridge between all opposing parties

Starting in our family

Then in our neighborhood

And in our community

That the Name of Jesus might be lifted up

As a shining beacon

In this dark and depraved world

May His Kingdom come

May His Will be done

On earth

As it is in Heaven

Even in the midst of this pandemic

 Especially during this pandemic

The Triune God in John 14

¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,^[f] to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be^[g] in you…²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 

While Jesus walked on earth

He was our Healer

Miracle Worker

Truth Teller

Teacher

Prophet

Messiah

Sacrificial Lamb

God

Jesus was in constant communion with

God the Father

God the Holy Spirit

Through Whom He

Healed

Performed miracles

Spoke God’s truths

Taught

Prophesied

Jesus was also our Helper

The Advocate

The One who interceded for us

Before God the Father

Through the Holy Spirit

Jesus often did this while on earth

When He returns to God

He does not leave us as orphans

Jesus sends the Holy Spirit

“Another Helper”

As our Advocate

Who searches our hearts and knows the will of God

And intercedes for us in accordance with the will of God

Jesus walked on earth for a brief time

He accomplished the work of salvation

And returned to the Father

Holy Spirit comes to us after Jesus’ ascension

He comes to

Teach

Bring to remembrance

Advocate

Intercede

Dwell with us

Live inside of us

Forever

The Triune God does not leave us alone

He comes into us

To dwell forever with us

Until we too return to Him

And live with the

Triune God

Father

Son

Holy Spirit

As we join Him

In His perfect

Fellowship of the Trinity

For we also become

Part of this circle of fellowship

Of the Triune God

God the Father

Jesus the Son

Holy Spirit the Advocate

IF

We accept the completed work of Christ

The Messiah’s perfect sacrifice

For us on the cross

The way we gain entry into this fellowship

with the Triune God

Is by acknowledging our sinfulness

We cannot save ourselves

But Christ the Sacrificial Lamb has made a way for us

The Only Way to the Father

Then

Salvation

Forgiveness of sins

Indwelling of the Holy God

Through the Person of the Holy Spirit

Now while we live on earth

And

In eternity

Therefore

Come and taste

Come and partake

How sweet it is

To have our sins forgiven

To enjoy the full acceptance of God

To partake in the fellowship of the intimacy of

God the Father

God the Son

God the Holy Spirit

Three in One

And now we in Him

One with Him

The Triune God

Living Hope - Phil Wickham

Triune God - Brian Doerksen