#70512 – The Stream of The Kingdom Flows From The Throne of God

The Back-Water Churches

Stagnant and Dead Salt Houses

March 31, 2012

 

In the natural realms of earth the combination of many creeks, tributaries, streams and multiple water sources combine to become the rivers flowing toward the oceans. As the rivers gain more sources of water, they gain a greater magnitude of flow. AS THEY FLOW THEY GROW!

 

In the Eternal realms of heaven, the Kingdom Begins in its full power and magnitude. The Kingdom cannot be reduced or compromised or emasculated. Why? It flows from the absolute Sovereignty of God. It can ONLY flow out from its Eternal dimensions of Heaven. Its ONLY limitation of earth is in finding the people in which it can be manifested. As it contacts various individuals, within their Life experiences, they corporately manifest the progressing degrees of the Kingdom Life and Reality. AS THEY GROW THEY FLOW! The Kingdom Life and Reality forms a RIVER OF LIFE that flows out of the inner man of those who surrender to its demands. These are the believers who will manifest the Kingdom Life and Reality. This corporate group then forms that Invisible River of Life that we see in the Book of Ezekiel. This river flows from the Sanctuary and from UNDER the threshold of the house, but out from the invisible dimensions of the inner realms.

 

It starts out as a mere trickle of water flowing from the House of God but the “Farther it Flows the More it Grows.” It begins in its full magnitude of power and Life but in a very limited way. Why? It must find the people who are intense and committed enough to experience its total reality.

 

This is an opposite process from what happens in the natural realm. Therefore, Ezekiel 47, which is our text, must have a spiritual dimension for its explanation. It CERTAINLY DOES! Everywhere this river is actively flowing there is the manifestation of HIS LIFE. The Back-Waters from this river, that are stagnant and no longer flow forward, become brackish, motionless, dead and have an obviously discernable lack of HIS LIFE. Why do we say “HIS LIFE?” Because this is NOT a natural river or a natural example but explains an Eternal Principle of how the Kingdom Life, Reality and Dynamics gains volume and abundance as more and more Consecrated Believers, functioning as Priests of the New Covenant, begin to manifest the Life and Reality of the Kingdom of God.

 

Has this “River” been a part of past church history? Not up to this present time! However, it is properly prophetic and, therefore, it may apply to a future time. It may also apply to the present time! Why? Because, we believe the time for a new restoration of Truth has come. This TRUTH is the functioning Kingdom of God along with its New Covenant priesthood!

 

Ezekiel 47:1 Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. 2 And he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side. 3 When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles.

 

Ezekiel 47:4 Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. 5 Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded.

 

Ezekiel 47:6 And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me back to the bank of the river. 7 Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 Then he said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. 9 “And it will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there, and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. 10 “And it will come about that fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many.

 

Ezekiel 47:11 “But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 “And by the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

 

In all of church history we have not yet seen these realities manifested in any restoration or revival since the early church. We have seen certain past revivals gain strength and magnitude and distance but none can qualify as fulfilling these prophesies. The latest “revival” we have seen is the Charismatic Movement that was the last of the restoration of the Feast of Pentecost to the church. This “revival”, of course, died in 1985. Therefore, we could conclude that these verses are speaking of something future but possibly imminent. Of course we are not looking for some visible evidence of this Life Giving River until the Kingdom of God becomes a Living Reality progressing rapidly within the Growing and Flowing of larger groups of Kingdom minded people! At the present time this is not possible within these current church systems. Why? Because these current church systems have become the stagnant, motionless, “back-water” churches where NOTHING Grows or Flows. There is, however, an abundance of stagnant preaching and teaching ABOUT a doctrine of salt but without any sanctifying effect upon society. Why? It is because there is NO LIFE there. The “fishers of men” catch nothing eternal from those waters. Why? Death and its manifestation of the first Adam and the curse of Genesis 3 is the rule of the day. Nevertheless, the current hype from the “back-water” is promoting and extolling the ones with their poles showing and their lines in the water. They are obvious avoiding the lack of living fish that are being caught. The present hype focuses on what is ABOUT to happen and is promoted by parking lot prophets who are looking for an audience.

 

Many will disagree with this evaluation and declare that their church is not dead because there is singing, dancing, prophesies, exciting preaching and active fellowship. Of course this evaluation is quite subjective and cannot be evenly compared to the Kingdom Life and Reality. When we evaluate ourselves by ourselves, or by evaluating our group with other groups, we are limited to the visible realms which are alienated from the Kingdom, itself. All this can be the “ministry of the day” in the back-water churches which appears to be successful to us until we attach ourselves to the FLOWING AND GROWING RIVER OF LIFE. This “RIVER” will, certainly, be filled with the fish that have already been caught into the Kingdom LIFE AND REALITY.

 

As the River Grows and Flows is becomes deeper and begins to carry along into the sea of God’s purpose all those who have joined this Restoration of Truth / Reality. It becomes broader and broader until it becomes a sea. It is THIS dimension we want to use to once again attempt to unveil some of the mysteries of Matthew 5-6 & 7.

 

We have already stated that it is impossible for the Adam man or the natural man or the carnal individual to live in this higher dimension of life and character demanded by the Kingdom. These verses do NOT establish the requirements that are necessary for us to experience before we enter into the Kingdom dimensions of Life and Reality. If this was the first requirement, none of us need to try.

 

Therefore, we concluded that Matthew 5-6 & 7 reveals the way we can live AFTER the Kingdom has become Our Life. In our natural example, all these tributaries flowing into a natural river causes the river to Grow as it Flows and assimilates these different and diverse streams. The natural river then is a mixture of all these different waters from a variety of sources.

 

The River that flows from the Sanctuary of God begins from only ONE source! It begins quite small but GROWS AS IT FLOWS and becomes increasingly deep until it becomes a sea. As it GROWS AND FLOWS it sends out tributaries into new areas as it expands toward the sea. These “TRIBUTARIES” ( or manifestations) flowing out from the River (rather than into the river ) are described in Matthew 5-6 & 7. These attributes, attitudes and perfecting characteristics are manifested to a wider complement of people by these tributaries as the Kingdom Life and Reality flows, deepens and expands into the sea of God’s Purpose.

 

According to Matthew 5-6 & 7 some will manifest the Kingdom by social works like feeding the poor, looking after the orphans and visiting those in prisons. Some will manifest as “seed sowers” who are preaching and teaching the Kingdom of God. These will no longer just preach and teach ABOUT the Kingdom but because they live within the Reality and Life of the Kingdom River, they can preach and teach the Kingdom, itself! To live within the Reality and Life of the Kingdom, it is essential that they escape from the life and attributes of first Adam and are no longer bound to the flesh. Why? Because, the demands of the Kingdom forbids us from walking in the flesh.

 

It is in this dimension of the Kingdom Life that the Romans 8 experience becomes our personal reality.

 

Rom 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

 

Rom 8:13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

 

It seems obvious that those who are living in the stagnant back-water churches can NEVER live in this dimension of the Spirit. Those who set their minds on the flesh are focused upon the swamps of death where there can never be a harvest. Evangelism in this salt swamp is a big waste of precious time!

 

Rom 8:19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

 

As the Sons of God Flow out into the neighboring areas, as these tributaries of the Kingdom in the River of Life, they will evangelize the nations , feed the poor, watch over the orphans, protect the widows and visit those in prisons. They will go forth sowing the seeds of the Kingdom that will bring forth a final harvest of the First Fruits. These are the pure in heart, who are merciful, and who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Because they live in peace, they can minister and manifest peace.

 

Of course, these will be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Many will cast insults at them and persecute them, and say all kinds of evil against them falsely because they manifest Christ. However, their reward will be great in heaven, for theirs IS the kingdom of heaven.

 

These will be delivered from and reject the world’s hype and will have no desire to practice their righteousness before men, to be noticed by them, but when they give alms, they do not sound a trumpet, as the hypocrites do. But when they give alms, they do it secretly. Therefore, their Father who sees in secret will repay them.

 

Because they live in the Kingdom dimensions, they are not anxious for their life, or worry about what thy will eat, or what they will drink. Their clothing is not an issue because they are confident that life is much more than food or clothing? Why? Because, these are the ones who seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, therefore, all these necessary things can be added to them.

 

In the Kingdom Dimensions of Life and Reality, these citizens understand that they are not called to judge because they know that the standard that they use to judge will be the same standard of measure by which they will be judged. They are severely judged and disciplined in this realm and realize they must remove the log in their eye and be transformed before they can help others sanctify their lives.

 

These that sow the seed of the Kingdom soon realize that there is a very narrow and small gate that leads to the Life of the Kingdom and only a few are those who find it. They will denounce the wide gate and easy way preachers that are deceiving the people by the cheap gospel of the half priced sale in their evangelism.

 

These deceivers are false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing. They look good outwardly, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. They do not and cannot bear the fruit of the Kingdom. In the Kingdom, every good tree bears good fruit and every bad tree bears bad fruit. In the Kingdom dimension a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. The Kingdom demands that every tree that does not bear good fruit must be cut down and thrown into the fire. In the Kingdom dimension you will know them by their fruits.

 

The Kingdom message, which is so offensive, declares that not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but ONLY he who does the will of the Father who is in heaven. Multitudes will reject the message of the Kingdom Government and because of that many believers will say to the Lord at the judgement seat, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles, but the Kingdom will reject them. How? By the Truth and its Reality! He will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ (Are functioning outside the Kingdom Government)

 

Therefore, everyone who preaches the Kingdom must be quite specific. They will warn everyone who hears the Words of the King and His Kingdom to act promptly upon them or their house will NOT be built upon solid ground. Then when troubles come and the floods of adversity strike, it will surely fall, for it has not been founded upon obedience to the Word. In that same way, everyone that ignores the words of God and of His Kingdom will see their opportunities to progress into the Kingdom dimension disappear forever in the floods of adversity.

 

The successful preacher of the kingdom of God must preach and teach with a new element of authority that is not seen in the ministries today. How can that be? It is only by living within the Life, the Reality, and the Government of the Kingdom of God as personal experience. How do we know that? Because we see that fulfilled in the prototype Son. Now He has become the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him.

 

The Kingdom Reality was preached to Israel by Jesus and to many other people groups by Paul and other apostles but most ignored this Gospel of the Kingdom. For that reason Jesus said the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. This is quite simple! When will we find the Kingdom manifested. When we find a nation producing the fruit of it. What IS that nation that has been assigned this responsibility? It is the church of God that began on Pentecost but soon lost the vision and the life of the Kingdom of God! Then what does church history reveal to us? The ones that heard the Gospel of the Kingdom soon reverted back to a carnal religion of outward rituals and pomp and ceremony! They surrendered to various titles and positions of name and personal recognition and worldly fame. Many believers were forced to become submitted to man designed systems of religion that had no life and bore no eternal fruit. These systems became the first back-water churches that led to the dark ages.

 

Out of this perversion came a hierarchy of church governments that usurped the authority of Christ over His church. When these hierarchies usurped the place and authority of Christ in the church they fulfilled the title of anti-Christ. They soon became mediators between God and man and mediators between man and God and re-established an Old Covenant priesthood that could NEVER bring the church to perfection. By this, they then fulfilled the title of the false prophet. This system soon rose out of the depths as a beast and appeared as a harlot church that has appeared, sitting in many nations of the earth. They were of the earth dimension and functioned in the dirt dimensions of earth. They sought to control the believers by their dirt methods and promoted the expansion of the earth bound church systems! These were designed to function in direct opposition to the heavenly structures that Christ is building. Because they acted against Christ they have fulfilled the title of anti-Christ.

 

These carnal church systems can NEVER lead the believers to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. That is far beyond their goals or their capabilities which are limited to those of the natural man and to the visible realms. The things of the Spirit of God have become a derision to them because they simply cannot understand anything in these higher realms of the Holy Spirit. This obviously includes the Kingdom dimensions that are only revealed by the Spirit. Therefore, they can confidently preach that this pitiful assembly of “casual believers” on Sundays is the Glorious Church that is without spot or wrinkle, Holy and blameless. How do they think it got that way? Because they believed SOMETHING about Jesus or that it was the Blood of Calvary that perfected them by faith. Some even preach it is because they assemble together in a certain building! These natural explanations have obviously NOT come by reading the scriptures but have been created out of the natural minds of those who have promoted themselves as “spiritual leaders” or even as theologians by their increase of knowledge.

 

These back-water and swamp groups are so common and numerous today that the stagnant and brackish churches appear to be normal. They have become the standard of measure for the visible church. Then those who are just beginning to press into the Kingdom and its River of Life appear to be fanatics and of the lunatic fringe.

 

Those who have been transformed into dead salt, like Lot’s wife, are offended by the Life within the River that flows from the Sanctuary bringing Life everywhere it goes.

 

Our confidence is that even though the trickle has just begun, the River will continue to gain momentum, width, breadth and depth as it flows out from the real House of God, the Sanctuary of the inner man.

 

John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

 

Rev 22:1 And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

 

It is this Flowing of the supernatural River of Life that identifies the new creation which is the New Species in which the Kingdom is established and can be manifested. The New Species is birthed into a different and higher Life of the kingdom which will be the Flow from the sanctuary and from the throne of God. The life of our old self must be dead and buried so that this New Inner Life of the Son of God ( Christ in us) can be united with others and Flow and Grow into and fulfill the Eternal Purpose of God. These will be called Sons of the High Priests who will grow up in ALL things in Christ and be conformed to His image!

 

How can these things be? It is all contained within the Sperma by which we were born again. Both the Christ and the Kingdom are manifested in power and Life from out of this realm of the new inner man. It is this CHRIST in us which is our ONLY hope of manifesting His Glory. Whatever is NOT promoting the growth of this New Inner Man is working against Christ Jesus, who is building His Church out of the New Inner Man. (Hammered Gold)

 

The natural man and his natural religion is totally helpless to produce anything eternal in these dimensions. He is severely limited to the corrupt, stagnant, dead salt and brackish waters of the swamp dimensions of dead religion. Fleeing from that curse of Genesis 3 and the “mark” of Genesis 4 should be our number 1 priority. Our ONLY hope is to become part of the Growing and Flowing Kingdom of Life and the River that flows out from the Throne of God. Of the INCREASE of THIS Government there shall be NO end!

 

Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.