"The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming 0ut from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side. As the man went eastward with the measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in--- a river that no one could cross. He asked me, 'Son of man, do you see this?'" (Ezekiel 47:1-6)
The human race has navigated wars, famines, pestilences, etc., throughout our history. I have the sense from our text, however, that our Lord Jesus Christ is saying, "The day is coming when you will stand before a river which only I can cross."
We have walked through ankle-deep, knee-deep, and waist-deep waters in our history, and have seemed to "get by." Now, however, we are standing before, "....a river that I could not cross." No one has answers, and those who claim to have some are contradictory and at times very confused. My observation is that the whole earth is standing at, "....a river that no one c[an] cross."
I come back to Mumford's statement, "You can control the Church, but you cannot control the Kingdom." The pandemic and the violence: "The Philistines are upon you, Samson,.." and the Church's "hair" is very short. When will it ever grow back?!?
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for whatever more understanding which You may have for me in this "word." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
