This week we come to a second aspect of Life (the second great pillar in the Lord’s recovery) – the flow of life. More precisely, the title for this week is, The Flow of Life with the Ministry of Life out of and for the Magnificent House of God.
In Ezek. 47 especially we see that out of the house of God on the right side there’s a river flowing towards the east, and this river brings life wherever it goes! Praise the Lord for the river flowing out of the house of God!
God moves in man to make man God
How does God move, and what is the issue of His move? God doesn’t move only to do something amazing among men, but God moves in man and with man, not apart from man.
In the Lord Jesus, God moved into man and gained man – He even became a man (Matt. 1:21-23; John 1:1, 14). God moved among men as a God-man – that’s the reason many in the people of Israel could not understand who Jesus was and what was He doing.
He was a man, but His activities many times were of God – He was a mystery because He was man yet God, God yet man.
Today it is the same with us – we are not only men but we are God-men. Athanasius said concerning Christ, He was made man that we might be made God, and he also said, The Word was made flesh… that we, partaking of His Spirit, might me deified.
This is how God moves on earth – God moves in man and through man, doing nothing apart from man. God moves in man to deify man, making man the same as God in life and nature but not in the Godhead. Hallelujah, we are in this process of being deified as we allow God to move in us!
The River in Ezek. 47 flows from the house of God
Very interesting: before Ezek. 47, before the house of God was mentioned, there was no mention of the river – but when the building is here, the river is here!
If there is a group of believers that are built up in oneness in the Body of Christ, there will be a flowing river out of the building. When God gets the building among us, we will have a river flowing. The flowing of the river is out from the building – the flow of the river depends on the building.
The river flows toward the east – for God’s glory
In Ezek. 47:1 the first part we see that the flow of the water is from under the threshold of the house to the east. If we as believers have more contact with God and draw closer to Him, there will be an opening that will allow the living water of God to flow out from the church.
This water flows toward the east – the direction of God’s glory (Num. 2:3; Ezek. 43:2). The river that flows out of our close contact with God is not for our satisfaction or for our glory – the river cares for God’s glory and satisfies God.
Everything we do and we say in our personal life and our church life should be for God’s glory. Whether we preach the gospel, shepherd the saints, enjoy the Lord in the meetings, take care of the new ones, or have young people’s meetings – everything should be for God’s glory.
If we care for God’s glory when we do all the things in the church life, there will be an outflow of living water. This flow will heal everything in its way and will impart life to people, bringing in God wherever it goes!
Flowing by the right side, on the side of the altar
If it were me reading these words in Ezek. 47:1, I would take them for granted and maybe would try to picture the whole verse in my head… but praise the Lord for the ministry of the age, which interprets and explains the Word of God in the light of God’s economy!
The right side signifies the highest position – we need to give the flow of life the preeminence, the highest position! When we do this, the flow will be prevailing! Also, by the side of the altar indicates that the flow is always by the cross – for us to have the flow, we must have the dealing of the cross.
We need to be willing to pass through the cross that the flow may come forth!
[sharing inspired from the life-study of Ezekiel and the life-study of Job, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Four Great Pillars in the Lord’s Recovery. You can follow the articles on The Four Great Pillars on this blog]
O, Lord, grant us to see the flow from the house of God! May we see and treasure the flow of life. We want to be in the move of God in man – move in us, Lord, and build us up into Your house. We give the flow the preeminence, the first place – Lord, we treasure the sweet flow of life. Increase the flow, Lord! May there be an opening in our being and in the church that the Triune God in Christ as the Spirit may flow as living water towards all the earth!
He was a man.He was a mystery because He was man yet God.God moves in man and through man,as we allow God to move in us.
Amen, Praise The Lord!