Characteristics That Identify A Church With Walls Walls can protect or create a barrier from both sides. What you set as a wall can become a hindrance, both to you or the person on the other side. 3.3.3. No Clear Prophetic Voice When there is no clear prophetic voice in a believers life and the church, it can function for years without achieving anything significant in the Kingdom. The believer will become involved in a form of religion and the church will become involved in religious exercises. John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Because Jesus is continuously moving us forward, being a sheep that is following Him means we should continuously be moving closer to our Prophetic Destiny and purpose. We cannot remain stagnant or in a place of immaturity. There should be a constant level of development and growth in your life. Because He leads us, we should never fear when moving forward. We must be able to hear the prophetic able to hear the voice of the one that leads us. If you are a sheep, you should hear your shepherd. As a company of Kingdom people it is important that God’s voice is heard. When there is no vision/focus, you will perish…an important dimension of the Spirit is missing. When the children of Israel left Egypt, they were continually led. Even in their disobedience, murmuring, complaining…God was still giving them direction (with the Cloud and Pillar of Fire)…leading them to their inheritance. When we lose the dimension of allowing God to speak to us, we lose sight of our purpose and destiny. We can’t just be satisfied with our church attendance and ministry duties….there has to be something beyond the functions and duties….God’s VOICE has to be heard. We must seek God and seek His purpose. Work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Don’t blame situations and people. Everybody wants a promotion but they reject the responsibility that comes with it. many believers want God to promote them….but they want to function and perform the same way they did…without change. There is a blessing that comes from God and there is blessing that comes with personal development. Sometimes because of your physical, natural development you will be blessed. The Babylonian system must not become an excuse for why we can’t do what we initially promised God. If we don’t connected to our source/house, Babylon will eventually consume us. The prodigal son survived on the fathers resources for a while. If there is not a continual source, it will dry out. If your life is dry you will not produce any fruit as you have no life source. We can stay in church but if we are not connected to the life source, the Presence of God, we will eventually be cut off. If we going to increase the water level then our commitment must change. David said he loved to be in His presence. Raising the spiritual water level in the Church: continued…. 4. Allowing the Spirit Life to Break Through Ezekiel 47:1-12 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. 3 Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. 5 Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. 6 And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. 9 And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. 12 And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing." V1 - Door of the temple is the entrance. Water flowed down. The temple represents the individual believer…but also the corporate house when believers gather. Individually we are individual living stones who make up the temple. V1-2 - Each one of us comes with a different level of water that we carry….some flowing, some trickling. When these waters are consolidated in our corporate gatherings, it creates a level. Here. the level was ankle deep: To experience the water, even in ankle depth, you have to step in. You cannot stand on the sidelines and expect to have an encounter with God….you have to cross your Jabbok. Ankles represent your walk. If your don’t start your walk…you cannot begin your journey/start your race. V4/5 – “Again he measured”…There is continuous measurement taking place…God is continuously measuring our lives. He does not want us to stay in one place…in a place of familiarity. If we don’t understand this we will stay in ankle deep water…because we have had a thing of significance take place, we will want to stay there. Moses had to move on from the burning bush. We will be satisfied to come to church and go back and live the same life. But with God, there is a continuous demand for growth. V4: Knee deep: when a second measurement was taken, the water was up to the knees. The distance from the level of floor to the level of the ankle is not the same distance as compared to the distance from the ankle to the knee. The water level did not double…it multiplied. What you do, how you live, the spiritual disciplines you live will determine your water level when you return to your corporate gathering. It is not the quantity of time spent with God…There must be quality in your personal time spent before God. The spiritual dimension must be evident. It’s not about what you are doing. It’s about what you are doing and what it’s doing to you. in what we are doing…what are we becoming. Are we becoming better…is genuine change and transformation taking place inside of us??? Your life must change. God will not judge you by what you are doing but by who you are…what are you becoming. It’s not what you say….but what you are producing in your worship, your behaviour. Are you becoming better or are you becoming religious? It does not matter how much we read our bibles…pray….sing songs…these can become religious exercises. People who don’t change are called goats. If we don’t change in the house, what are we out there in the marketplace? You can only be tested by what you have been taught. The measurement used to watch your life is all that has been taught and built into you. Whatever has been taught to you… is it changing you? We must be changed in the spirit of our minds. God didn’t stop when the water was at knee deep level. There is a level of maturity that God is taking us to. There was an acceleration in the flow from ankle deep to knee deep. If we have touched ankle deep and now we are to knee deep, we are now multiplying. This is now acceleration. There is a substantial amount of increase. When we touch the dynamics of Spiritual growth, we must let those dynamics work for us. You have touched something in the spirit. Now don’t jump back into something that is of the flesh or familiar. Find scriptures that relate to the topic at hand. As you study the Word certain dimensions will be opened to you. Knees represent your prayer. It speaks about your connection with God. This means you know how to humble yourself and submit to God. It speaks about humility. We are submitting our lives to God’s authority. V4 - Then God measured again. The waters were up to the loins/waist. Waist/Loins represent a strength and birthing. As God plants things in us, we carry spiritual strength to take it full term and birth it at the right time V5 - Again he measured. It was a river, deep enough to swim in. he could not cross. God does not want us to bypass the Spirit of God and His leading. When we hear His voice we are able to enter into our place of inheritance. It is in this place that we hear His voice. We don’t just listen to what He SAID but to what He is SAYING. In the midst of storms we can still hear Him. V6: If you don’t know what God is doing or saying, how will you help others? As the river was flowing he saw lots of trees. The water will become fresh. Salt water kills trees. God was saying that when this water starts to flow out of your life, it will turn environments around. Fresh water is now changing salt water into fresh water. V10: people will now be able to fish from this water. Swamps and marshes in v11 are people who will not change. These are rebellious people. Others will bear fruit in their season. The water flows from the sanctuary. We flow from our house. If there is no connection will eventually dry up. If you have made a decision to increase the water level, then fruit bearing is your portion. When the water levels start to rise and overflow out of our lives….there is a significant effect that it produces. Verses 7-11 shows us the results of a life overflowing with the River of Life. To raise the water level in your life…you must be able to push your physical body, to come into alignment with the limits of your spirit man. You have to learn how to break through the limitations, boundaries and barriers of your body. This is Life in the spirit. Because a spirit cannot function by itself or in its own, it needs a body to express itself through. Hebrews 10:5 For this reason, coming into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me... You must be able to push yourself…don’t allow distractions. Push your lives beyond the limitations of your natural bodies. What are our natural limitations? Tiredness, sickness, laziness, hunger, sleepiness, cold or hot, pain. In order for your spirit man to rise. You cannot touch the spirit if your body is limiting you. Don’t allow your body to limit you. Learn to break through the limitations. Eliminate these barriers. Because a spirit man cannot function on it’s own. Identify the limitations of your body. Sometimes it is merely an excuse. You have to be truthful with yourself. Ask God to give you wisdom and boldness to work through this. The water levels should significantly increase in your life.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 20:52:51 +0000
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