Freshening Up Part 2

Freshened Up Pt 2 8 21 16

August 21, 2016
Amazing Life Church
“Freshened Up Pt 2”
“Healed”
Greet People
This week has been sort of a roller coaster week. They
come that way from time to time and I always find God
in them. Even when the days fly by so fast and furious.
It has been the consistent honor for Betty and I to serve
this amazing group of people. I say this all the time. “I
love this church, the local church, and the worldwide
church.” It is the most important institution on the face
of the earth. The hope of the world and the hope of
mankind.
I began a two part series last week. It was not my
intention to do so but information came forth in
abundance. I could actually do a spin off from today’s
message that would take several weeks to finish. I don’t
feel to do that, so I am going to do my best to finish
these thoughts today so I can address another subject.
Bear with me as I share today, ““Freshened Up Pt 2”
“Healed”Page 2
Th Bible has a beautiful way of interpreting itself. I
want to connect some dots this morning that point to my
favorite subject. They begin from words by the prophet
Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 47:1-5 NASB
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 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.
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.Page 3
God is giving Ezekiel a vision of a world changing
event that would take place in the future. This chapter
was written approx. 573 BC. This vision has an
enormous amount of spiritual significance.
Ezekiel is sharing a vision of the beginning of the
church. The water flowing is signifying the Gospel of
Christ.
Zechariah spoke of this water.
Zechariah 14:8 NASB
And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem,
half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half
toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as
in winter.
St. John in his Revelation saw it.
Revelation 22:1 NASB
Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as
crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the
Lamb.
Ezekiel saw this water spreading forth from Jerusalem
into the surrounding areas. Let’s connect some dots.Page 4
Jesus confirmed this.
Luke 24:47 NASB
and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be
proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning
from Jerusalem.
It was in Jerusalem that the 120 were empowered by the
Holy Spirit to carry the Gospel to all nations of the
world. It’s beginning was confirmed again when the
Apostles were imprisoned in Acts 5. An angel released
them and issued this charge.
Acts 5:20 NASB
“Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the
whole message of this Life.”
The Temple in this form doesn’t exist today. Christ is
the temple with the flowing water. He declared it to the
woman at the well.
John 4:14 NASB
“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him
shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will
become in him a well of water springing up to eternal
life.”Page 5
Christ has made us a conduit for the continued
channeling of this flowing water.
John 7:38 NASB
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his
innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’
Ezekiel 47:3-5 speak of the growth of this movement.
From shallow to a river flowing that can not be crossed
for it’s depth and speed. The sons of Korah saw it this
way.
Psalms 46:4 NASB
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of
God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
Where is the temple, the dwelling place of God. Paul
described it this way.
1 Corinthians 3:16 NASB
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that
the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Amplified
Do you not know and understand that you the church
are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells
permanently in you collectively and individually?
Preach-The Water flows from us!!!Page 6
Ezekiel 47:6-9 NASB
6 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 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.
The word fresh comes from the Hebrew word, “rapha.”
It means, “to heal, or to be healed.”
There is something awesome taking place in this vision.
It is declaring the grace of God. Healing the lands, the
people, the waters, the fish, the animals that drink. All
of this is a vision of a thriving Gospel preaching and
believing church. One that is connected to the same
fountain flowing from our Lord.Page 7
Grace is still pressing forward. Grace is an active
principle that heals the broken and the hurting. Forgives
the past and ever moves us towards our destiny.
As the waters increase so do the gifts increase. The
water rises and widens as the Gospel is shared. The gifts
increase as you use them.
Preach-The more you pray, praise, love, and so on.
Let me close with the last 8 words of verse 9.
“so everything will live where the river goes.”
Preach