Staying connected in the spirit! (John 4:23-24)
A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers.
God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).
Ezekiel 47:1-7-12″
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. 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.
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. 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. 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. And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?”
Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 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. 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. 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. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. 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.”
Introduction:
So why must we walk in the spirit? Because God is spirit we must walk in the spirit to connect with him, and to be able to partake in his divine nature. We must walk in the spirit because spiritual things are more permanent than all the physical things we see and feel it means if we walk in the flesh not spirit, we will miss God totally in the spirit that’s where there is truth and reality, what is unseen is more real than what is seen. The authority of a believer is in the spirit not physically. For example the things in life that we spend our life on or that keeps us going are mostly unseen 1. The air we breathe, can you see it? The wind that brings rain, diseases can you see it, we are afraid or corona virus can you see it ? No. Love that makes people go crazy, and cross seven rivers and jump amafence can you see it. This shows that we are spirit beings and need to stay in the spirit…for us to be fruitful in all we do. If we are to be fruitful ministers of Christ there are certain things we must do. On our own we can not minister. The life is in God and must flow from his alter, through us. So what must we do to walk in the spirit?
- We must allow the man Christ to lead us, through the Holy Spirit , he knows how deep we ought to go at what time. John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” ## so we are a conduit or pipe through which God flows to touch others: #Psalms 46:4-5
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns. ##So if God is in the river to feel him you must jump in.##John 16:13-15
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. - Our only source is God, we therefore must be found connected to him always, Psalms 91:1-3 “HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. ##How do you lean on something that is unseen, you must be in the spirit to see him. ## Acts 17:28-30 “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, # we must acknowledge that on our own we are nothing but in him we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us : Phillipians 4:13
- To walk in the spirit we must believe, in God. Hebrews 11:6-10 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.## did the land become theirs, yes it did but it took a lot of believing, even if there was not much to see physically. For more than four hundred years they had to go to Egypt, but God still fulfilled his promise.## There’re times when you just hold on to the promise even if it does not make sense or you physical touch or see it.
- Initially the water may be a a trickle but be patient, the anointing will increase as he leads you deeper, it will become a river, don’t make short cuts. If we allow him he will lead us to the river where we can only swim and allow him to take control. When we go home from here let’s allow him take full control, of our lives, let us let go of our selves, and let the river flow, to the people through you. # 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. # so be like Moses the first time he went up the mountain he came down his face was not glowing after he broke the tablets in anger God said to him, come up again and he stayed there another 40 days and nights when he came back this time they could not look at him as his face shone. Exodus 34:30 “So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. ## so like Abraham he was prosperous but God wanted a whole nation to be prosperous. ## start ankle deep till you can swim!!!
- To exercise our walk in the spirit we must go out! For the river to flow we must go out of the temple, stay in the temple long enough to get the anointing, but the river only grows when we go out. The anointing will increase as you go out, because it’s not just for you but for the people out there…… Let it flow! When we swim we begin to be part of the river, and we begin to bear fruit and touch lives. Go make disciples of all nations! It is when we go out that is when we see the manifestation and power. Luke 10:1 “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go….Luke 10:17 “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” ##If you move in the spirit demons will obey you as you cast them out as you will be standing at a place higher than them..in your spiritual stronghold, and vantage point.## every invention is tested in the field not just at home.
- After we have ministered we must stand by the bank of the river to evaluate what God has done through us. The greatest enemy of success is failure to evaluate or to get feedback from the customer. If no trees are standing after the river has flown through you then we have not succeeded. In Luke 10 the disciples came back and gave feed back to Jesus, and he told them what was important was not demons obeying them but having their names written in the book of life and doing so for others.. So when we walk in the spirit we will Learn to prioritise what is important to God and for the kingdom.!!!
What fruits will come as the river flows through you? - Trees will grow on our banks, this speaks of people that will benefit from us, who will bear much fruit.
- Where ever we go there will be freshness even in previously dead places. Psalm 92:12-14
- Life will spring forth where ever we go, testimony about surgery, and our home,
- Many fishes, (people ) will come and receive life, when the water is fresh the fish will come on their own
- The trees will not wither, but will remain green and have fruits for food, the leaves shall be for the healing of the people
NB don’t be disappointed with the, ones that refuse to change, the swamps in vs 11, refuse to be fresh despite the river.
When we allow and depend on God we will become fruitful And effective, but we must stay in the river, and swim and go where it shall take us’…………
Let us allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into the deeper waters, and lets swim in his presence.
Amen, may God help us, walk in the spirit always so we can see what God has in store for us and as we fulfill our mandate…
Dr W. Ndebele