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The Importance of the River In 1994 a huge outpouring of the Holy Spirit fell on a small church on the end of the airport runway in Toronto. Night after night people would flood to the church and be literally overwhelmed with the love of God. Lives would be changed, dried-out people restored, people would find God for the first time, and relationships would be mended. Since then literally millions of people have travelled from all over the world to receive this love and have returned ready to give it away. Much has been written about this move of God, some wise, much in error, some out of jealousy and fear. Some people who embraced it at first became disappointed because they misunderstood its purpose. They thought if they just waited the revival would move on into towns getting transformed. When that didn’t happen automatically they "left the station". It is possible to treat our life with God as a train journey. People stop at a station for a while, enjoy what is there, and then move on, leaving behind what God did, just taking our new T-shirt with “done that, what’s next?” on the front. Many have moved on from what God has done in this outpouring of his love, when it is supposed to be foundational for everything else we do. What is this foundation? It is the love of the Father. The prodigal son went to look for parties but he discovered that the best party was in his Father's house. Isn't that the truth? (See Luke 15:12 and following) We have to receive this love and then we have something to give away. Our message includes all that we have already come to know: we depend on his grace, through the cross, through Faith, and we live our lives according to the Scriptures through the power of the Spirit. But without our lives transformed how can we change someone else’s? Too often Churches think it’s a witness to open the doors and have meetings. But our witness is his love poured out through us. And that can happen if we receive it for ourselves! One of the challenges facing God’s people now is that in the midst of a revival of interest in the supernatural in the world around us and also a rejection of traditional church it is time to be released into what the Church has always been meant to be. This is what the outpouring which began in Toronto is about – a refreshing and revival of Acts chapter 2, God’s people being healed and renewed, and a Church in which the lost can feel the love of the Father and receive healing and transformation from a supernatural God! So why is this relevant in this Church? Well there are at least two reasons… 1/ It’s relevant everywhere, so why not here? 2/ God by his grace is beginning to do it right here. We have to be able to say yes to him and not miss the boat. We all can be transformed – but we have to see what he is doing to realise the importance. What is he doing here? Firstly he is refreshing his people. In the words of Sandy Millar “Pouring out his Spirit, refreshing his people and drawing them closer to himself, revealing his love to them and a deep sense of preciousness in away that kindles their own sense of the love of God, their love for Scripture, and their desire to be involved in the activities of the Spirit of God today." Enabling us to rest and receive. (Heb 4:9-11, Is 55:1-3, Mt 1:28-30, Ps 62:1 etc.) Secondly he is restoring communication between Heaven and Earth. His people are learning to hear his voice again. Jn 10:27 says "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." Thirdly he is bringing his people into an experience of the Father’s love, which is actually our inheritance. Soaking has been a huge help in this. As we learn to be able to handle stillness we begin to be touched by the Love of God. John 3:16 tells us Jesus came because God SO loved the world. God is causing his love to be poured out on us, and we in turn can love others. This is for all of his children. Fourthly he is healing life’s hurts. The different damage that our sin and other peoples’ sin has caused gets forgiven when you get saved. But it takes more to remove the effects of it – however there are biblical ways to be healed of these things. The more we get healed up the more we will be able to feel God and live for him– and he’s doing it. Fifthly he is activating his people in the prophetic. The prophetic has often been seen as the area for certain types of churches or extrovert Christians. But Paul says that he would desire that ALL would prophesy, and God wants all of us to be able to function supernaturally in the prophetic realm, whether we’re praying for unbelievers, or our workmates, or we’re entering into that realm as we worship (we are called to worship in spirit and in truth, John 4:24).... living in the Supernatural is for all of us. It is time to be activated and to break out from where the enemy has held us captive. Find the lost but Don’t leave the River Ezekiel 47:1-12 is a prophetic picture of the activity of the Spirit of God in these last days. It speaks of the deepening and deepening of the river that flows from God (Also see Revelation 22:1). Then it describes how the water flows down to the Dead Sea and makes it fresh! Salt is concentrated in the Dead Sea, which has no outlet of its own, so that no life can survive except near the inlet. Certainly only a miracle can sweeten the bitter waters of the Dead Sea. This is where the river is going! If we stay in the river, and continue to receive more of him, getting changed and transformed, becoming more and more “carriers of his presence”, this river will take us to those that are lost and in need of his love. A few years ago a picture was circulated on the internet which showed a river winding through the desert. It was full of people splashing around and having fun. Some climbed out and got into Land-Rovers which they proceeded to drive down to the Dead Sea. But the Land-Rovers did not make it there! However the river did…. It's not an "either/or". We should not just keep this river just for ourselves. Equally we should not leave the river and stop seeking his presence to "reach the lost". No, the Father calls us to seek his presence and remain in his love, to enjoy the vast privilege of his Spirit being poured out, to open up to him our deepest places, and to go to those who need that same healing in their lives. Bring them to the river (or perhaps the river to them?) and let them jump in! Let the Father's love be your foundation because he wants to find his lost children! He is making his Church into a River-People! |
