We need to Experience the Flow of Life out from the House of God for God’s Ultimate Move

In Ezekiel 47 we see something quite interesting and particular – the river of life flowing out of the house of God, and this week we will enjoy a deeper study on the flow of life with the ministry of life out from and for the magnificent house of God.

Throughout the Bible there’s the mentioning of the flow of life, the flow of the water of life, and many times it is related to the house of God and the city of God. The flow of life is the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit as the ultimate issue of the Triune God, and the water of life is the Triune God flowing out to be our life.

The flow of the living water began from the throne of God in eternity (not in Gen. 2 or Exo. 17 or John 4) and it continued through the incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ, and now this living water flows on in resurrection to supply all of God’s people with the riches of the divine life.

There is a flow in the universe that spans from eternity to eternity, beginning from the throne of God and ending up in a city; all the while, this flow is aimed to supply God’s people with all the riches of the divine life.

When we identify ourselves with the smitten Christ, the crucified Christ, the divine life as living water flows out of us; this is not something outside of us and apart from us, but there is a way for the flow of life to come into us, flow in us, and even flow out of us.

The flowing of the water of life in resurrection is for the building up of the Body of Christ. The aim and goal of the flow of life is the building of the Body of Christ and the preparation of the bride of Christ, consummating in the New Jerusalem.

The flow of life will bring forth the New Jerusalem. Therefore, we need to be positioned to drink of the water of life, and we need to be thirsty; we need to come to the Lord and ask Him to give us to drink, believe into Him, and call on His name.

Whenever we call on the name of the Lord, we will drink the living water for the producing and building up of the Body of Christ.

We need to Experience the Flow of Life out from the House of God for God’s Ultimate Move

Today God has an ultimate move on earth; He has moved all throughout the ages, and in this last age He has an ultimate move. For us to be part of God’s ultimate move, we need to experience the flow of life out from the house of God.

There is a flow of the river of water of life out from the church, the house of God, and we need to enjoy this deepening, life-giving, and widening flow of life, so that life would be produced, we would be healed, and fruit would be borne unto God’s glory.

What is God’s ultimate move? God’s ultimate move is His move in man to deify man by saturating man with all that He is in His life, nature, element, and essence, for the glory (the expression) of God (see 2 Cor. 3:13; 1 John 3:2).

Athanasius – one of the early church fathers – said concerning the Lord, “He was made man that we might be made God…the Word was made flesh…that we, partaking of His Spirit, might be deified”. This is the principle of God’s ultimate move, and this is what God wants to gain today.

In order for us to participate in God’s ultimate move, we need to experience the flow of life out from the house of God. The river flowing out from the house of God is a deifying river, a divinizing river, making us God in life and nature.

We need to see the very important features of the flow, the hallmarks of the flow of life, as seen in Ezekiel 47.

Drawing Closer to the Lord and Contacting Him to have an Opening and Allow the Living Water to Flow out from the Church

The water of life flowing out from the house of God flows out from under the threshold (Ezek. 47:1), showing that, in order for the water to flow, there must be a threshold, an opening (see Psa. 81:10).

If we draw closer to the Lord and have more contact with Him, there will be an opening that will allow the living water to flow out from the church.

May our spirit flow – oh, may it flow! No more self-satisfied, no more in spirit tied! May we no longer be high-minded, may we not be imprisoned by pride, may the self not imprison us, but may our trust in self be overthrown so that living water may flow!

There is a shortage of the deeper flow of life – the Spirit is not released enough, it is not flowing enough among us. We need to give the Lord an opening and allow Him to break through in us who are bound and isolated, who care for our face and preserve the self, so that the Spirit would flow freely and not just a little trickle.

If we open our mouth wide, He will fill it. In the meetings of the church we need to give the Lord an opening so that He may flow as the Spirit. For this, we need to draw near to the Lord, contact Him, and let Him deal with our being, so that the Spirit may be released.

This all is for the church to have a mighty and powerful flow of life from all the members, a flow for the glory of God!

Lord Jesus, we want to draw closer to You and have more contact with You so that there may be an opening for the living water to flow out from the church! May we be no more self-satisfied or in spirit tied! May we not be high-minded or imprisoned by pride and the self. We open to You, Lord, and we allow You to deal with all the problems in our being, so that the living water may flow freely! Gain a powerful flow of life from all the members of the Body in the meetings of the church!

Seeking and Caring for God’s Glory so that the Living Water will Flow out from the Church

The flow of the river of water from the house of God is toward the east (Ezek. 47:1); the east signifies the direction of God’s glory, showing that the river of God flows in the direction of God’s glory (see Num. 2:3; Ezek. 43:2).

The flow of life has only one direction – it faces the east; it is not for our glory or happiness or satisfaction, but for God’s glory. If everyone in the church seeks and cares for god’s glory, the living water will flow out from the church (see John 7:18; 1 Cor. 10:31).

Do we care for God’s glory, or do we want to accomplish something for ourselves? If we have reservations, if we want to something for ourselves, or we desire some recognition or acknowledgement, we will divert the flow from the east – and we will not have the flow of life.

We need to seek only God’s glory, and we need to care only for God’s glory; then, there will be a flow of life among us. When we speak in the meeting, we should speak not only to the saints but also to the Lord; our function in the church life should be unto His glory.

May we all be single in our intention and give God all the glory, doing everything for His glory in the church life.

Lord Jesus, may You get all the glory among us. May everything we do and say be for Your glory. Save us from having any reservation or seeking recognition or acknowledgement for ourselves. May we be in the flow and not divert the flow from the direction of Your glory. May God gain all the glory in the church!

The Flow of Life must have the Preeminence within us to be the Controlling Factor in our Living and Work

The water flows out from the right side of the house of God (Ezek. 47:1); the right side is the highest position, the first place (see Heb. 1:3).

This means that the flow of life must have the preeminence within us to become the controlling factor in our living and work (Rev. 22:1; Col. 1:18). We need to give the Lord the highest position, and we need to give the flow of the Lord the highest position, so that the flow of life would be prevailing.

If we don’t have the flow of life, our ministry before the Lord is finished. In serving the Lord, the controlling factor in our living and work is not our smartness or capability, but whether the flow is there. If the flow is not there, we need to stop.

We need to honor the flow, respect it, and give it the highest position in our service.

We need the Dealing of the Cross and a Full Consecration to Enjoy the Flow of Life

The river from the house of God is by the side of the altar; this shows that we need the dealing of the cross and a full consecration to enjoy the flow of life (Ezek. 47:1).

For us to have the flow of life, we need to have the dealing of the cross and have a full consecration. If we mean business to have this flow and have this ministry of life in the church, there is no cheap way, no quick way – the only way is through the cross.

We must pay the price; if there is no death, there is no life. Without experiencing the cross, there is no flow. The more we die to ourselves, the more we lose our soul life, we take up His cross, the more there will be the flow of life.

We can’t generate or fabricate the flow of life; we need to experience the cross so that the flow can issue forth.

Also, we need to have a full consecration, signified by the altar. We need to keep our consecration fresh and full so that we can enjoy this flow of life.

Lord Jesus, we mean business with You – we want to have and enjoy the flow of life. Strengthen us to pay the price of experiencing the cross and having a full consecration so that we may enjoy the flow of life. Cause us to be absolute for You and give You our full consecration. Lord, give us the experiences we need so that we may enjoy the flow of life!

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by Minoru Chen for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1969, vol. 2, “The Crucial Revelation of Life in the Scriptures,” ch. 5 as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-study of Ezekiel (2), msg. 9 (week 21 in the HWMR), The Flow of Life with the Ministry of Life out from and for the Magnificent House of God.
• Hymns on this topic:
  # Oh, may my spirit flow, / Oh, may it flow! / Now I implore Thee, Lord, / Oh, may it flow! / No more self-satisfied, / No more in self-bound pride, / No more my spirit tied; / Oh, may it flow! (Hymns #846)
  # Lord, I treasure the sweet flow of life, / And my soul-life at last I lay down; / O Lord, deepen the pure flow of life; / At Your coming may life be my crown. (Hymns #1191)
  # Waters to swim in is flowing toward the east, / Water is flowing to glory that we seek; / Having the preeminence in life, work and home, / The church life is a life-flow from which we never roam. (Song on waters to swim in)