In my Sunday morning message this past weekend, I used the illustration of two rivers to describe my beliefs about the end times. One river is the natural world in which we live and the other river is the kingdom of God. Both rivers are approaching flood stage and they are side by side but flowing in opposite directions. Soon, it will be impossible to stand in both because the current in each river will be too strong.
Those that choose to stay in the world’s river will be swept away by worry and fear and will eventually need a rescue. Those of us longing for the coming kingdom will be swept away into a life of wonder and risk. I believe the world will become more and more broken while the church, the body of Christ, will rise up as a spotless bride, a witness to a world needing answers and truth.
During the Colorado summers, we get to enjoy world class rafting on the Arkansas River. At the height of the snow melt and subsequent runoff, the strongest rapids are stage 4 or 5, which are the fastest two categories. To survive, you need an experienced guide and even then it is always dangerous and sometimes fatal.
I see danger ahead in the world’s river. The global financial mess has no easy answers and I suspect there will be riots on the streets of most countries when entitlements can no longer be funded by bankrupt governments. Wars in the Middle East will not subside anytime soon and natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes and tsunamis will continue to wreck humanity. All of this could cause us to tremble with fear, especially if you are in the wrong river, on the wrong boat, with the wrong guide.
But I am hopeful – hope filled today. The kingdom of God is breaking in all around us, if we could just look with spiritual eyes and listen carefully with spiritual ears. Notice how often in scripture, Jesus told his followers and the crowds that those with eyes to see would see and those with ears to hear would hear. The changing of the spiritual seasons should be as easy to spot as the changing of the natural seasons.
I want to lean in right now and listen. I want to focus my eyes on the things God is doing and not let my heart be troubled. I want both feet planted in the right river, in the right boat, headed in the right direction, with the Holy Spirit as my guide. This may be too mystical for some who are reading, but sometimes prophetic pictures a like a kaleidoscope, creating multiple colors and shapes that can be seen differently by each person.
The two rivers are rising, the kingdom of God is arriving and the church is becoming pure through testing and trials. We are blessed to be here on earth in this season as a witness to it all. May we be constantly alert, ever courageous and always prayerful.
August 15, 2011 at 11:26 am
Brady,
I love the certain hope you’ve communicated so well in this post. Thank you. I join you in acknowledging my dependence upon the Holy Spirit to open my eyes and direct my steps to the reality of his Kingdom and the purity of his Bride.
Much love!
Alan
August 15, 2011 at 11:35 am
Ps Brady,
Thank you for obeying God’s voice in preaching this message on the importance of being in God’s River. Your challenge to be “alert, courageous and prayerful” is needed for the church of America and me personally.
Keep up the good work!
bc
August 15, 2011 at 12:15 pm
“We are blessed to be here on earth in this season as a witness to it all.” Thank you for reminding me of this fact! Bless you!
August 15, 2011 at 1:03 pm
Hi Brady 🙂
Great illustration …
The one I use is similar: If the kingdom of this world “lives” / exists BELOW the ceiling, and the Kingdom of God (the place / realm where God is given His due credit for being in charge of everything) is ABOVE the ceiling, I can imagine Jesus spending 24/7 pointing up – – pointing to the “world” (the Kingdom) ABOVE the ceiling.
As long as we spend our day “looking up” (while still having our feet firmly planted down here “below the ceiling,” to be sure,) then the challenges of this world fade down into God’s perspective.
When I take my eyes off the “world” above the ceiling, I fall prey to the discouragements and temptations of this world.
When I keep my eyes on Home (above the ceiling) I do not fear or worry or fall.
So how to live the life-as-a-ten that Jesus promised … the promised “Abundant Life?” . . .
Keep looking up 🙂
Understanding this reality as God does – – a fleeting few decades in this three-dimensional reality, a mere shadow of the amazing n-dimensional reality where my citizenship REALLY lives – – THAT’s where the amazing life lives.
And THAT is the gospel … that God offers the amazing life to us when – – and only when – – we keep HIM at the center 🙂
Blessings, brother !
– Mike
August 15, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Hello Pastor, From the right side of HIS THRONE, proceeds the pure river….Ez 47. To ensure that the water flows purely from the pure mountain of Our God, we must walk in righteousness, lest the waters become murky…..Yes, He is Our righteousness, but we also have a responsibility to present ourselves as instruments of righteousness….May this house be established on justice and righteousness, the foundation of His Throne, with Jesus firmly set as the Chief Cornerstone. In Is 28 we are told that righteousness and justice are the plumbline and the measuring line…..Lord may your Kingdom reign prevail over this House and this city…and may your healing waters flow in our hearts and through our gatherings, that the trees planted by these waters will produce fruit for the healing of the nations….Ez 47:12
August 15, 2011 at 2:27 pm
It was a good message. But why is it you are not mentioning anything about the rapture, isn’t that the part of the end of the world? Also why you are not saying anymore that the economy is cyclical as you used to say?
August 15, 2011 at 5:26 pm
I haven’t verbalized it, but you put into words exactly what I have been feeling. So much so that it is getting where I can’t watch the “news”. It is all negative and fear based, totally anti-faith, anti-blessing, and anti-provision. Especially in this time, I believe that it is very important what we feed our minds. It is also important what we speak.
“Let not your heart be troubled.”
“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.”
Another chapter of “Fear No Evil”. : – )
August 15, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Thanks, Brady! I needed that word of encouragement and steadiness. Although we weren’t at church Sunday it warmed my heart to see the body of Christ praying together in groups at the end. We so need to come together to strengthen and lift each other up. I hadn’t looked at the passage on not forsaking meeting together as a body in light of end time revelation before but it makes sense that this is how we will stand strong to the end, bonding together in love and undergirding one another in prayer. We steady one another when we encourage each other in the truth.
August 16, 2011 at 11:25 am
Very prophetic week indeed! The Lord gave me a vision in prayer not too long ago. He showed me a river as it was flowing away from me. I saw the rivers edge as He asked me if I was coming with ‘Him’ (and all the others that were ‘in’ the river). It was as if I needed to get in the river right away lest it went on without me.
August 16, 2011 at 7:14 pm
Hey Pastor Brady,
I found your sermon, and the image of the two rivers rising, to be such a holy challenge. The kingdom is coming, it is growing brighter even as the world grows darker, and your words kindled me to hope, to work, and endure in a new way. There is so much confusion and brokenness in this world and I know for me, it is sometimes paralyzing as I wonder how to begin the healing (there are so many needs) and bring God’s light to bear on this time. But I’ve been reading a book about the huge revivals in Wales last century, and between that and your sermon, I’m so encouraged to know that God works and heals when his people simply pray and open their hearts and lives to his presence. I want to “lean in” just like you said, to listen, to expect God’s coming. You’ve inspired me to start a prayer group this fall. Thanks for the challenge and encouragement.
Oh, and if you ever decide to write a book about all this (which you should), “Two Rivers Rising” is a great title. Just sayin’.
August 17, 2011 at 7:38 am
One more thought…I always see the River of God as His prophetic flow, the flow of His heart to His people, pure, holy, and filled with love….Eph 3…For everything the Lord has, the enemy has a counterfeit…..false prophecy, a download so wicked from the place where Satan has his throne. Rev 2:13. In Rev 12:15 we are told the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, which I have not studied, but seems to be the church. Out of each of us believers rivers of living water flow, a cistern…We are told to drink from our own cistern, to not diperse our fountains….Prov 5…huge warning to be separate, pure, holy, undefiled…..That God has given each one of us a place to be satisfied…..If we offer ourselves to unrighteousness, The Holy Spirit must pull back…He can not dwell with unrighteousness….Lord may the fear of God return to your people…..May each one of us keep our wells unpolluted….One more thought….I believe if there is ever an hour for true prophets to help us navigate through this hour, I believe it is now…those who with other five fold ministry realize the seriousness of this hour, submitted to the Lord first, and then to oneanother in the fear of God….be blessed….
August 30, 2011 at 7:53 pm
Prophetic pictures are like a kaleidoscope, creating multiple colors and shapes that can be seen differently by each person… It began the night of the blood moon, December 21, 2010. The prophesies of the rivers… You are so hearing from God pastor… I hope I’m not coming off spooky… I’m an intercessors.