The River of Life

Last week, while we were in Phoenix, AZ, we visited the church called Community Church of Joy in Glendale, AZ. This is good sized church that we visited over Memorial Day Weekend. We found this church, because our local assembly was going to be doing a small group study called "A Passionate Life." I looked up the authors of the book, Michael Breen and Walt Kalstead, and found out that Mr. Kalstead is the Senior Pastor of the Community Church of Joy in Arizona! I thought that we should check into their church while we were visiting Marty's family.

Our first visit over Memorial Day weekend was a beautiful trip. This church is big. They have a large campus (the size of a high school). Although it was a holiday weekend they had about 500 people attending service. Mike Breen was the teacher that Sunday. He is from England and he does the video segments on "A Passionate Life" studies.

This past visit, over Labor Day weekend, Mike Breen was again the teacher at church. He taught on Revelation 22:1-2, The River of Life. I guess, that since Memorial Day weekend till Labor Day weekend, they have been studying the book of Revelation. Pastor Breen brought up some insightful comments about the 22nd chapter of Revelation, talking about the River of Life.

"Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street 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."

Pastor Breen then cross-referenced this passage with Ezekiel 47:1-12:

"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. 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. 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. 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. 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. He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me back to the bank of the river. 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. 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. 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. 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. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 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."

These are some of the points Pastor Breen brought out that were very enlightening to me:

The River of Life

• It brings forth Regeneration:
  
  As you read these passages the first thing that strikes you is that the river produces new life -- 12 crops of fruit on the trees. The leaves of the trees will not wither or fail, and always will bear fruit every month, because the water from the river is fresh and new and comes from the Temple or Throne of God. Any salt water that is found will be made pure, and become fresh. There will also be fish in the river, every living creature will abound around the river and there will be new life.
  
• The river brings Refreshment:
  
  When you think of fresh water, you think of life-giving, thirst-quenching refreshment. This river of God, refreshes our souls. In Psalms it reads, As the deer pants for water, so my soul longs after God. We long and desire for the refreshment of God in our lives. This river flows continually, giving refreshment continually, and forever.
  
• The river brings Restoration:
  
  As we read in the Ezekiel passage, as well in Revelation, that out of the deadness of the land around it, up springs for restored vegetation -- trees that bear fruit all year long. The dead bring forth life, in the fish, in the creatures, and even insects swarming out of the dead. That is the way we are before we come to the river to experience new life. The river represents the life that JESUS gives us all in the newness of life. The trees bore fruit for nuritionment and the leaves of the fruit trees are used for healing.
  
  When you see a river in the lands, and you see the path it makes, it washes over rocks and trees, and the wilderness. If we look at river rocks, the rocks are smooth and rounded, not jagged and rough, as they are on dry land. The river makes our jagged lives smooth and rounded out. It smooths out the sharp edges in our lives that come from bitterness and pain, and hurts from the past. The river restores us to peace. Think of those old hymns, "I've got peace like a river," ... "When peace like a river attends my soul," .... "I've got a river of life flowing out of me." The river, who is Jesus, gives us peace, and life, and joy.
  
• The River Brings Righteousness:
  
  Revelation 22:14 says, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." When we are at the River, our robes are washed. Our robes represent our righteousness. Isaiah 61:10 "10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
  
  We have washed our robes of righteousness in the river, and we are now made clean. Our robe represents our character, our personalities, our life. Our robes are woven with fabric of our experiences. During our lifetime, our robes can be covered with the stains of the past. The River of Life, washes away those stains. Though we are sinners, God has richly poured out His love on us through the shedding of his blood on the Cross. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. God's grace has given us new life, through the blood of Jesus, and he pours out on us the new, healing manifestation of the river of life. This river washes and cleanses us from all unrighteousness ... like bleach, takes away every spot on white clothes, so does the blood of Jesus blots out every stain of sin in our life, and gives us new clothes... washed clean by the river of righteousness.
  
• So we come to Receive:
  
  We come to the waters when we are thirsty, when we are covered by sin, when we are dead in our souls, to receive regeneration = new life; to receive refreshment = water for our thirsty lives; to receive restoration = a new beginning; and to receive righteousness = forgiveness. And when we have received all this we are on our way to the Throne of God, closer in our walk with Jesus, and even though when we started our journey, the river was just a trickle of water, but as time goes by, and the farther we walk toward God, the river gets deeper, so much so, that we need to swim in the water, as it is too deep to cross or to stand in. This river of life totally engulfs our lives, it is the river of healing and refreshment, of renewal and of regeneration.

I was reminded of a secular song by Billy Joel, as I was listening to this sermon. It is called

The River of Dreams
In the middle of the night, I go walking in my sleep
From the mountains of faith, To the river so deep
I must be looking for something, Something sacred I lost
But the river is wide, And its too hard to cross

And even though I know the river is wide
I walk down every evening and stand on the shore
I try to cross to the opposite side
So I can finally find what Ive been looking for

In the middle of the night, I go walking in my sleep
Through the valley of fear, To a river so deep
I'm a searcher for something, Taken out of my soul
Something I'd never lose, Something somebody stole

I don't know why I go walking at night
But now I'm tired and I don't wanna walk anymore
Hope it doesn't take the rest of my life
Until I find what it is I've been looking for

In the middle of the night, I go walking in my sleep
Through the jungle of doubt, To the river so deep
I know I'm searching for something, Something so undefined
That it can only be seen, By the eyes of the blind,
In the middle of the night,

I'm not sure about a life after this
God knows I've never been a spiritual man
Baptized by the fire, I wade into the river
That is running to the promised land

In the middle of the night, I go walking in my sleep
Though the desert of truth, To the river so deep
We all end in the ocean, We all start in the streams
Were all carried along, By the river of dreams, In the middle of the night

Video of the Song:

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Conclusion:

Now, I know what I was looking for, and I found it in the River of Life -- Jesus Christ. Billy Joel may be on to something, and not even know it. Let's pray that Mr. Joel will find Jesus Christ in his River of Dreams, as we know this River is the RIVER the GIVER of LIFE.