[0:00] Let's just turn again to John chapter 7. I want to continue a little bit with this morning. What is your greatest desire?
[0:39] Then that desire, is it centered on Christ? Or does it center around you? Self.
[0:51] But I'll say if it centers around Christ, the beautiful thing is that when we allow the cross to work in our lives and it deals with the self-life, and that's not a pretty thing.
[1:11] That's deep. But when it deals with the self-life and it changes us and our desires line with God's desires, we can have our desires.
[1:26] We heard this morning about God said, I will, I will, I will, repeatedly.
[1:38] If God wills it, then what's left? We must will it. And if we say yes to God's will, if we consent to Him, if we submit to Him, if we open our heart to His will, then there's nothing that can stop that.
[2:04] Again, just want to bring out the reality again of the Old Covenant versus the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was works-based. The New Covenant's by faith. But again, faith is a deep word, and we begin to look at that, and it implies a complete committing to, a trust, a dependence upon.
[2:27] It refers to a full surrender. And I looked up the word brokenness as well. And brokenness is surrender of the self-will.
[2:45] It's a shattering of pride. It's a complete dependence on God. God uses the broken.
[2:57] The Word of God says He's near to the brokenhearted. And I want to read here again in John chapter 7, verse 37. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If, there's a lot of emphasis on that if.
[3:19] If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. And I just say, if that's what Romans 7 is all about. God's dealing with us and showing us our self and our unbelief and our pride.
[3:32] He reveals Himself to us. He shows us who we are. When we come to the end of ourselves, we thirst. I don't thirst if I think I can do it.
[3:44] If everything is going well, I've got it all together. Everything's under control. I don't really thirst. And so much of God's, what was said the other evening, what our brother mentioned is, if we want it, we can have it.
[4:06] We're saying that Jesus Christ is made to me all I need, all I need. How much do we need Him? How much do we need Him? How much do we need the Holy Spirit?
[4:19] You know, if I'm at home in my house, I wouldn't give up a dime for a glass of water. But if I would be out in the desert, and it be hot, and I'd be out of water, I'd give up $100 out of my pocket, or more, for a bottle of water.
[4:45] What's the difference? It all comes down to our need. And once we see our need enough, we'll be willing to pay the cost.
[4:58] We resist the cross. We resist brokenness. We resist God's dealing with us until we see how much we need Him. And once we realize how much we need Him, we're willing to give up.
[5:10] If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
[5:22] But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. I do hope that you never read that verse again, and just go over that word believe, like you did before.
[5:38] So I think we emphasize that this weekend. Believing. It is a complete committing of ourselves into the hand of God.
[5:50] Without reserves. The total surrender to Him. I'd like to turn now to Revelation chapter 22. We just want to look at the river of life.
[6:13] What is your greatest desire? And why is that so? Why do you want what you want? Why do you seek what you seek? It says here in verse 1, And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
[6:41] So what is this river? Again, we mentioned before, this river is the fullness of Jesus. As we say, it's His wisdom. It's His righteousness. It's His power.
[6:53] It's His love. It's all the fruit of the Spirit. It's the character of Jesus. It's His gentleness. It's His power. And it's not only what Jesus is, but it's who He is.
[7:08] It's His presence. This river is just simply the presence of Jesus. As we heard about this morning. And it's only the Spirit that gives life. There's no substitute for the Spirit because He is the Spirit of life.
[7:23] Life comes no other way. And I just say, there's no substitute for the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Not just in emotion or experience.
[7:35] I'm not referring to that. But the genuine indwelling of the Spirit of God in our lives. Leading us. Guiding us into all light. Into all truth. Making Jesus real to us.
[7:47] Speaking to us. Showing us the way we need to walk. Showing us Christ. Showing us ourselves. He does so much in our lives.
[7:58] In our everyday walk of life. You know, we're born again only by the Spirit of God, right?
[8:12] If that's how we're born again, if that's how we're born, that's how we need to live. That's how we need to walk everyday. That's how we started. That's how we continue.
[8:24] Again, not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit. You know, we can't bring one soul to Christ. But the Holy Spirit can convict the hardest sinner.
[8:35] That's the difference between me and the Holy Spirit. And if He can live in me, He can do the work of God through me. And to come to this place of absolute dependence upon the Holy Spirit, it will affect a lot of areas of our life.
[8:51] It will affect the way that we look at sin. Because if I need the Holy Spirit, if I desperately need Him, I'm not just going to easily compromise and violate Him.
[9:06] I'm going to make sure that He feels welcome because I need Him. And if I know the difference when He's there and when He's not there, if I can recognize that in my prayer life, in my relationships, in my everyday walk of life, if I can recognize that, then I can recognize when He withdraws, when He's grieved.
[9:38] And that is the work of the cross, to bring us to a place of complete dependence upon Christ. Again, are you dead? I never depended on a dead man to do something for me.
[9:54] And our flesh is no better. We can do nothing more than a dead man can do in the kingdom of God. And so all of God's dealing with us is to bring us to that place to realize the flesh profits nothing.
[10:08] I need to depend on God. And you know, what a beautiful thing. He's not left us alone. He's given us a helper. If I know one of my children is going through something and I don't know, how do I help them in this?
[10:22] And it may be a small thing. It may be a physical thing like work or school. It may be a spiritual thing. But I can come to God every morning and ask God for wisdom. If I don't know how to minister to my wife, I can come to God and ask.
[10:39] There's nothing I can't ask God for. And the Holy Spirit is there to help us. And I just said, what do we really desire in life? That song, I will serve thee because I love thee.
[10:54] Not I will serve thee because you love me. And that's true as well. But when we receive his love, and we begin to see his intense love for us, if I love him back, what do I want to do?
[11:09] Serve. Serve. I mean, if you're in love with someone, if you're in love with your spouse, you love to serve. You just love to do something that is, you know they enjoy in simple ways.
[11:27] May God give us that in his kingdom. And lately, it's been a lot more real to me and my wife. Somehow, it's just really speaking to me, Lord, I want to serve.
[11:41] I want to serve. And this river is a river of life, so how can I serve? Only through Jesus in me. But when there's a need, when a need comes up in the body, and it may be a simple need, something came up a few weeks ago and my wife called me and I just said, hey, do it.
[12:03] This is an opportunity. Do it as unto Christ. Can we see that? He did so much for us. Is our desire to serve him? Is that my utmost desire?
[12:16] Can I get up in the morning with a purpose? Lord, give me opportunities today to serve you. Flow through me, Holy Spirit. Minister through me. It'll bring purpose in your life.
[12:28] And again, if the self-life isn't broken, we're so consumed with self that we miss those opportunities. But Jesus said, if you give a cup of cold water to someone simply because they're a disciple, you're not going to lose your reward.
[12:44] And I would just ask, how much sacrifice is it to give a cup of cold water? That's not very much of a sacrifice. But Jesus said, there's eternal reward for that.
[12:55] And if there's a reward for that, how much more when we're willing to give up self and lay down our life and serve and minister in the kingdom of God? He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal.
[13:15] This is the fullness of Jesus brought to us by the Holy Spirit. Where does it flow out of?
[13:31] throne of God. Where's his throne? I know this is talking about heaven. It flows up there.
[13:44] But where else is his throne? In here. You know, we can try to serve God and that's what they did under the old covenant.
[14:00] They tried, but it didn't work. And really, even under the old covenant, the first commandment was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, your mind, your strength, your soul. But you know, can we really love God without his spirit of love?
[14:16] And I know love is a choice. But we need, we need his presence and his grace in our lives to do that. We need his spirit to do that.
[14:26] The fruit of the spirit is love. It's fruit. It's not the work. Can we make fruit happen? We can do a work, but we can't, we can't just produce fruit.
[14:39] Genuine fruit. We talked about that a little bit yesterday. Again, it is a choice. And God doesn't force us to make a choice, but he will enforce the choice we make, the decisions we make.
[14:55] when we make a right decision, he stands behind it. When I choose to forgive, he gives me the power to forgive. That river flows out of the throne of God.
[15:09] And so, again, is Jesus Lord of my life? Is the Holy Spirit Lord of my life? In Acts 10, when Peter was preaching to Cornelius' house, he said, he was talking about Jesus, and he said, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing those oppressed of the devil.
[15:39] Now, just say, that anointing is nothing more, nothing less than the Lordship of His Holy Spirit in our lives. And the Lordship of the Spirit, the Lordship of Jesus, it's one and the same. I refer a lot to the Holy Spirit.
[15:50] The Holy Spirit is not more important than Jesus. The Holy Spirit glorifies and honors Jesus. Jesus is the one that we are to lift up.
[16:00] But, the Holy Spirit is here on earth with us to make Jesus real. And when He's Lord, when He's on the throne, the throne of God, then He can flow out of us.
[16:14] And do we so desire to minister His love in His life? Are we so full of His love that we want His anointing to go about doing good and healing those oppressed of the devil?
[16:29] There's a lot of that today. There's a lot of oppression today. And this is a river of life. It flows out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
[16:41] And in verse 2, in the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river was there the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month.
[16:54] And the leaves of the tree were for the healing or the restoration of the nations. How much healing is needed today? How much restoration is needed today?
[17:06] In our own lives, what's the answer? where that river flows, there's life.
[17:17] Ezekiel 47 says, and whatever that river touched lived. It lived. The tree of life.
[17:30] Jesus is the tree of life. There's fruit fruit. And there's the leaves. There's healing. There's restoration. And there shall be no more curse.
[17:50] But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. And that's why there is no curse. Because again, what is the curse? What is the great curse?
[18:01] It's self. Self. Self. And there shall be no more curse. There shall be no more self on the throne. Do you know every, if it wouldn't be for self, our prisons would be empty.
[18:17] We wouldn't need any police in our nation. Self brings such a curse. It was self that caused Eve to take that fruit. All the pain that's inflicted because of self.
[18:31] Self will. And we've all failed in that. But that's the beauty of the cross is that the cross really deals with the death in our life so that the life can live.
[18:46] But how the devil so deceives us and blinds us to hold on to our own way, our own self life, our own self will. We don't let go. We want to be in control.
[18:56] And yet that very thing is what brings death. It hinders life. The cross never kills life. The life of Christ kills death.
[19:08] It kills the self life but that's not life. That's not true life. The cross deals with the curse. And there shall be no more curse but the throne of God.
[19:18] That's the opposite. Where the throne of God is not, there's a curse to a certain degree in all of our lives. If I make something else more important than God, there's going to be a certain element of curse in my life.
[19:37] There's going to be a certain element of the blessing and the power of God that is lacking in my life. And whatever degree, whatever aspects of my life that may touch, and his servants shall serve him.
[19:59] And I want to say, first of all, we see the need in our own lives but as God works in us and he shows us his love and he shows us what he's done for us, he begins to put that love in us for others.
[20:16] And I want to say one of the, can I just say the Holy Spirit is chiefly given as empowerment for service. Not for us.
[20:29] To serve God by serving others. And his servants shall serve him. I think in our desire is really, truly to serve God.
[20:43] The Holy Spirit will be very welcome in our hearts. Yes, he gives us that desire. He gives us a desire to please and honor God. But yet, it's also a choice we have.
[20:57] It's a bit like Dad said today, we take one step, small step toward God. He takes a big step towards us. When I choose, I have choices. And when I choose to honor God in a small area, God takes a big step toward me.
[21:13] That's honoring me. To think of Almighty God, how great thou art. And yet, he draws nigh to me. What an honor. God says, I'll honor those that honor me.
[21:25] And that's why I said this morning, it is so important to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our life. Our conscience may not always be right, but it's very important not to violate that.
[21:39] It can be trained. And the Holy Spirit can work through that. Not that our conscience is always the Holy Spirit. But he speaks. And to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit, it's so important because when I do that, I am honoring God.
[21:55] And God will do what he says. He said, if you honor me, I'll honor you. Those that honor me, I'll honor. And those that just lightly esteem me will be lightly esteemed.
[22:07] How does God honor us? I don't know really of any greater honor than just the reality of his presence in my life.
[22:21] What an honor. And when we honor him, as we take those steps, he draws near to us. We take another step toward him, he draws closer to us.
[22:38] And it says, and they shall see his face. And his name shall be in their foreheads. Maybe I need to clarify something. I know this is talking about heaven. But the word of God says the Holy Spirit is given to us as a deposit of what's to come.
[22:53] So there's a measure of this that takes place here. The full reality of this will take place in heaven. I mean, we're going to deal with the curse as long as we're here on this earth. But there's a measure of this that we can walk in today.
[23:09] They shall see his face. No, not literally. But how does it say again in 2 Corinthians 3? And we all with open face behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.
[23:20] And we're changed from glory to glory as we behold his face. And his name shall be in their foreheads. And name denotes character.
[23:32] So we are changed from glory to glory. More and more as we see him as he's our focus. And I would just say again in the situations of life you go through there's things that take our focus at times.
[23:44] But in the difficulties of life can we turn to God and say God what do you want to do in me through this? What are you speaking to me? What are you wanting to teach me?
[23:55] And in every situation of life recognize God what do you want to do? And I this was a while back a number of years back but I once my wife was talking with me and we were talking about something in our I guess in our children that or one of our children at least that frustrated us a bit.
[24:19] I won't embarrass you. And I just somehow it just came to me let's look at this as an opportunity.
[24:32] Sometimes we can look at things as challenges but let's look at it as an opportunity. I guess that really just spoke to me how many times in my life do I look at something as I'd rather just get out of this.
[24:46] and God seeing it here's an opportunity and when we see it as God sees it when we're spiritually minded it's life and peace and it begins to take on a whole new dimension in our lives and we begin to we begin to look at it completely different and now our ears are open our eyes are open to what God wants to do and it's life.
[25:09] and there shall be no night there and they need no candle neither light of the sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign forever and ever and I know we go through dark times in this life but really we have the spirit of light to lead us we have the word of God that's our lamp and our light and when we don't have natural light we still have light that will never fail us and they shall reign forever and ever and I'll just say again if Christ is on the throne of our hearts then we can rule and we can reign over self and over sin and over the powers of darkness no matter what we're going through we can be more than conquerors you know this complete dependence on God it changes our attitude in prayer and again I believe many times the battle is won or lost in prayer it's our vital connection to God and many times it's there where God breaks our self will it's there where God shatters our pride yes he uses things but it's in prayer and our connection to God when we can hear his voice and he says to us
[26:25] I want to use this to break you and back to the lamp stand and the two olive trees we see there's a continual flow of oil a continual flow a daily flow again the Holy Spirit he's a source of life he's a source of power he's a source of love of wisdom of truth of light of holiness we can say Jesus is the source we can say God's the source but we believe in the Trinity they're all one and so what are we plugged into sometime our plug is just plugged into ourself there's no power there right you gotta plug your phone in if it's not plugged into the wall if the surge protector or whatever is not plugged into the electricity there's nothing there that's our life without Christ we're channel only we don't have anything of ourselves but if we're connected to God if we're plugged into him if he's on the throne of our hearts that river can flow that love can flow that wisdom that grace that ministry sometimes we go to use a tool at least I do
[27:51] I pull the trigger don't work now we have a lot of battery tools but sometimes I forget to plug it in I say yeah it usually helps when you plug it in but it's our way with God it's really our life with God are we connected to him and without being plugged into the source we can do nothing and that really should humble us and humility is a realization that I am nothing humility is really being nothing so that God can be everything and God has to break us again and again so that we depend on him but when I know my need of the Holy Spirit I don't just easily quench him I don't just easily ignore him God's love God's heart can we receive that can this river flow through us this river of life and if we would if we could see what God longs to do and wants to do through us we'd realize how far we've fallen short of the glory of God every one of us we've fallen far short of the glory of God but the work of the cross is to reveal that to us and bring us to that place of desperation and I
[29:17] I just say that as long as I'm satisfied with my own ability my own wisdom my own efforts my own fruitfulness my own prayer life as long as I'm satisfied I don't see my need but if we recognize Lord without your presence I fall so far short of your glory it brings us to just a desperate need of the Holy Spirit and do we feel a shortage in our lives our prayer life our character our speech our thought life the fruit that we bear we could go on you whatever you want to put in there I do and not that I'm condemned God's not here condemning us if we're open to him but he is inviting us come what is our purpose of existence what's the purpose of the church is it not to bring this river of life the presence of God first of all that the presence of God can be in me and then that I can bring the presence of God again ministry is bringing the presence of God to others and that may be a small part of God whether it's his love whether it's his gentleness whether it's his kindness whether it's his goodness but it's just bringing a measure of God to others and what an opportunity in the body of Christ and if we're faithful to do that in the body of Christ we can do that to the lost world around us but we are kidding ourselves if we cannot do it here we're never going to do it out there if we can't love one another if we can't minister to one another how can we minister to those without Christ
[31:15] Jeremiah 17 I'd like to read those verses Aaron read them this morning I'd just like to read them again and this hits us in two ways well let me just read this first beginning in verse 5 thus saith the Lord cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord and again maybe we don't so much realize when we depart from the Lord but when I think I can do it on my own let me just put it in this word pride when I think I can do it on my own
[32:16] I really depart from the Lord when I have unbelief I depart from the Lord I go my own way I pursue my own will it says he shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness in a salt land and not inhabited blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is again we could say trust we could say believe but we see that trusting believing committing all total surrender brokenness these are all tied together they're all intertwined he trusts in the Lord whose hope and whose hope the Lord is for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaves shall be green and shall not be careful or anxious in the year of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit
[33:23] God wants to make us fruitful he wants to make us servants in his kingdom but what a blessing to be servants of God to serve the king of kings and the lord of lords and as we do it unto one of the least of these we do it unto him what a service to God and the holy spirit is given as empowerment for service I mentioned this morning about the power of the holy spirit in our lives and are we aligned with the will of God are we tuned in to God can he use us can he flow through us and if you look at the members of a natural body they just flow so naturally but they're all connected to the head and they serve one another men of a mosquito is here we we just do it without thinking we serve one another and if we're connected to the head we can minister the life of Jesus to one another by bringing the presence of Jesus to one another every member of this body brings a measure of the head it might be a small measure but it's important it brings a measure of the head empowerment for service maybe sometimes we refrain from asking God for power because we've seen it done wrong we can we can seek
[35:00] God we can ask God for the Holy Spirit we can ask God for power we can ask God for a lot of things with wrong motives but we can ask God with pure motives love purifies our motives and when I have such a desire to serve I see a need and I say God I don't have what it takes but God gives me compassion he gives me love he gives me a burden I can come to him Lord empower me anoint me use me to meet this need and God can do that before before I married my wife and she thought she never wants to get married married but the year before God started dealing with her on that and over
[36:08] Christmas she had gone back to her home area a few hours away and there was a church she'd go to there when she was in that area in her home area and there was a man there that asked her start a relationship a Christian and she came back to where the mission was where she was staying began praying and I don't think she was completely clear but she wanted to be open to the Lord and she began praying about that she spent some time in prayer and fasting and she had a close friend and she just said God would you confirm to me through my friend and it was during the week one evening we had a church service and after the service as they were leaving a friend just came up to her and said not now not now that's all she said she later said she felt kind of stupid for saying that she had no idea but my wife knew exactly praise God for that but I'm saying when we're in tune with God he can take two words and they can minister life and direction a life altering decision in ourself we can speak a thousand words they don't minister life but when it's God when it's his life when it's that river flowing through us it ministers
[37:53] I need to grow in that so much more so much more being yielded to the spirit of God and realizing it's myself so many times that limits God that hinders God and again it's not about us but he is so worthy he is so worthy that his life could flow out of us the Christ life that river could flow out of our lives he is a spirit of love love serves love ministers and again I want to just say the Holy Spirit is given mainly as empowerment for service to serve and if our heart is to serve if that's our heart if God's love is in us and we long to serve and we we begin to be faithful and the little that God brings into our lives he'll bring more into our lives we could go on and on about how
[38:56] God used little little things the five loaves the two fishes what's in your hand today what has God given you today don't despise the day of small things be faithful in the little that God gives you today be faithful young people be faithful where God has called you to walk today if you're faithful today he'll open doors and you'll find your purpose in life and what a blessing it's more blessing to give than to receive that's true that is so true what a blessing when the life of Jesus can flow out of us and really that we are sowing and we reap what we sow and if we just reap selfishness if all we live for is for self we're gonna reap what we sow but if we sow the love of God the life of Jesus we are gonna reap and we always reap more than we sow so don't be weary in well doing if we sow to the flesh we'll reap to the flesh if we sow to the spirit we'll reap to the spirit and that begins with the little promptings of the
[39:59] Holy Spirit in our everyday walk of life and the little things are everyday discipline faithfulness self control not in our own strength but everyday saying Lord I want to serve you I want to honor you today I want to please you I want to glorify you and realizing I can't do that of myself but the decision is still mine the choice is mine God is not going to force me once I make the choice he'll be there to help me he'll be there to back!
[40:26] Ezekiel 47 We'll find in our lives that and this is a never ending process sanctification dealing with self but we will find in our lives that the more we allow God to deal with self the more we will know the blessing of serving God and the blessing of his presence in our lives again the Holy Spirit does not dwell comfortably where self is in control but where where we make our heart the throne of
[41:27] God where that's our heart and desire even in our weakness even if we fail that but where that is our heart and our desire we open our heart and say yes to God the Holy Spirit he finds a welcome place he's drawn there verse 1!
[41:42] afterward he brought me again under the door of the house and I'll just say when the word of God talks about the house it's normally talking about Christ unless it specifies otherwise and behold waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward this is speaking about the temple in the Old Testament we know today the temple is we are the temple of the!
[42:09] the house of God they issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward for the forefront of the house stood toward the east and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house at the south side of the altar or the cross the altar the cross again the work of the cross in our lives is to deal with self to break this outer man so that the inner man can be released the life of Christ this outer person has to be broken and again the potential that is in a seed when we look at a little tiny seed the color is in that seed the taste is in that seed the shape is in that seed and it's just amazing what all is in a tiny little seed the potential but that seed can sit somewhere for 20 years 50 years never no life come out of it it's there no life come out of it what has to happen the cross death but you put that seed in the ground and
[43:23] I just say that if we're born again the seed of God is within us and all the nature of God is in that seed all that Jesus is all his love all his power all his holiness all his wisdom all his life all his grace his victory everything that we need is in that seat it's there but it doesn't do any good if it can never come out I mean I shouldn't say it can never do!
[43:56] I mean might get us to heaven I don't know but it's never going to do good on this earth I have to be broken I have to die that self life has to be broken and so we see on the right side down under from the right side of the house at the south side of the altar and he brought me out of the way by the gate northward and led me there ran out waters on the right side when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward he measured a thousand cubits and he brought me through the waters the waters were to the ankles and so he measured another thousand and brought him to the knees another thousand brought him to the loins or the waist another thousand let me just read that afterward he measured a thousand that could not be passed over and you know wherever we're at
[45:01] God's measuring out another distance sing that song deeper deeper but there's a further depth but there's something that happens the deeper we go in the river you go in the river with a current the less I'm in control if I'm into the ankles I can still go where I want to go I can go any direction but if I'm into the waste at least if it's a river flowing I can only go the direction the river is going and in our lives to grow in our walk with God where it's less and less of me and it's more and more of him and his Holy Spirit within me directing my life leading me guiding and barely feel which way it's flowing but if you're into your waste you can sense it you can know which way it's going and yet there's a further depth waters to swim in if you're into the waste you're still standing on your own feet once you're swimming it's not you anymore the rivers carry you and if you are a good swimmer you basically just relax and with a few little moves you just stay on top of the water and the river just takes you as much you'll get there a lot faster than walking but do we trust
[46:35] God in that way the river the spirit of God the spirit of life the spirit of Jesus within us will never! lead us wrong! Now I know we can listen to wrong spirits but the Holy Spirit will never lead us wrong!
[46:51] That river will lead us home! And then verse 8 Then said he unto me these waters issue out toward the east country and go down into the desert and go into the sea which being brought forth into the sea the water shall be healed.
[47:15] I'm assuming he's referring to the dead sea but normally when a river goes into the sea the river of the fresh water becomes salt but this is the opposite this river overpowers the sea and the sea becomes life the waters are healed they become fresh it doesn't take much in this world today of the presence of Jesus to make a big change if you and I can simply be a vessel bring the presence of Jesus in our marriage in our home in our workplace in the church God can multiply that like he did the five loaves and the two fishes it didn't take much God multiplied it to feed the thousands we look in the upper room that day when the presence of
[48:18] God came that was the answer it couldn't be contained in there it multiplied! God can do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think if we would just commit ourselves fully into the hand of God much more than we can ever do and it shall come to pass that everything that liveth which moveth whithersoever the river shall come shall live and there shall be a very great multitude of fish because these waters shall come thither for they shall be healed and everything shall live whither the river cometh and then it again talks about the trees by the side of the river the trees in verse 12 bringing forth their fruit Isaiah 57
[49:19] I want to just close there again with man it's impossible but with God all things are possible so what is the answer then without faith it's impossible to please God he that cometh to God must believe that he is he is who he said he is and that he is the rewarder of those that diligently seek him and I want to just encourage you in your life if you!
[49:59] diligently seek you seek God God will not fail you he'll do what he said he'll reward those that diligently seek him I want to leave you with this verse Isaiah 57 verse 15 for thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place so he dwells in heaven in the high and holy place it's not the only place that he dwells with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones we read in revelation 22 you know why heaven is heaven because there's no curse there there's no self!
[50:57] the throne of God is here he's Lord his presence is there and it is not hindered or limited in any way but how can we bring heaven to earth by bringing the presence of God to this earth the presence of God is life and if we can live in his presence walk in his presence seek his presence for our lives and then bring that presence wherever we go he says he lives in heaven but he also dwells in the heart of the contrite ones then he says this to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite he will do it he will do what he said when we are humble when we trust and lean on him he will revive us and can we just say that it's not about us it's not just about God reviving us so that we can feel good but it is about us being instruments and vessels to bring the love and the life of
[52:05] Jesus to the world around us and what a blessing what a blessing to serve him you'll find that in being the servant of the most high God in serving him you'll find the greatest joy in life for that is the purpose we were created to contain the creator to have his presence and by having his presence serve him and bring glory and honor to his name what a joy what a joy to do that I would just like to ask us to stand and I guess I just I want to just ask a blessing you as a church here and not just church but anyone that's here in your walk with the Lord I just want to stand in closing here it was very good to be here fellowship with you all and you young men it's good to see your heart after
[53:08] God keep pursuing God blessed by that and you young women all of you but I just want to ask I just want to ask a blessing of God and I want to ask God for his life his river to flow to be here to flow through you so let's pray father we just come again in the name of Jesus Lord that lovely name that wonderful name that beautiful name that worthy name that name above every other name father what a lovely name we just find that in the name of Jesus we find all that we need in your name and your character and who you are Lord we find all that we need Lord I just ask that you bless the body here I ask your blessing on each one here in the name of Jesus father each one every father every husband every mother every wife Lord each young person here Lord may your hand just be upon each one father
[54:11] I ask for the anointing of the Holy Ghost in power to heal to minister your love and your life to go about doing good healing those oppressed of the devil Lord the anointing of your spirit father that portion that mantling of your spirit father upon every vessel here to bring the presence of Jesus the love of Jesus the life of Jesus that healing that restoration that deliverance Lord to each place that they may go father I just I just ask father for your presence in this body Lord give each one a heart that is just willing to come to the cross and lay down and give up whatever hinders the presence of Jesus whatever hinders the reality of your presence whatever hinders the Holy Spirit father in your love and mercy reveal to us show us Lord and Lord give us a willing heart father work in each heart both to will and to do your good pleasure may that be our joy may that we find great pleasure in that great joy father and as it brings joy to your heart when we minister your love and your life father when we're broken and we are poured out as wine on the altar for you and your river your life can flow out of us and as that brings joy to the heart of the father you said my joy will be in you father may we experience that may we taste of that lord of being a partaker of your joy lord of what brings joy to your heart father just make us servants servants of god lord empower!
[55:53] empower us to serve to bring Jesus to those around us lord i just ask even for the body here lord the difficulties the challenges the impossibilities father we know it's possible with you father may you take even the weapons of the enemy father in every personal life in every individual life in every family here and also in the body here lord and may you just take them and turn them around and lord use them father for the destruction of the enemy's plans but for the glory and honor of your name lord even use what has been meant to destroy us use those things father to break us and make us channels that your love and your life can flow through lord father the very things that the enemy meant for destruction as joseph he meant to destroy him when he was sold in egypt but you meant it for good father take the things the enemy means for evil and lord may you bring good out of them for the glory of your name lord again it's not about us it's not about our will or our agenda but lord it's about you and your kingdom and lord
[57:00] I just ask that for the body collectively lord but I also just ask that for each individual life lord that your hand would be darkness father the lying spirits of the enemy the spirit of fear the spirit of unbelief lord father the pride the stubbornness the spirits of rebellion confusion compromise lord we face these things but lord we just thank you again that in the name of Jesus through the blood of Jesus we have the victory we proclaim the victory of Jesus lord our hope is in you in the Lord it's not in Jesus we just proclaim that you are our only hope our rock our refuge our fortress our deliverer our light our salvation lord we just thank you for that truly you are worthy lord you deserve all the glory the honor the praise you deserve our best you deserve our all you deserve all the glory we just want to give that to you thine be the glory the honor the power forever and ever amen god bless you