The Changing Church Part 4 of 8
“There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.“ (Psalm 46:4)
What can the psalmist be saying in this 46th chapter of the Psalms? Perhaps, he saw a similar vision — much more enhanced and infinitely inspired. It is interesting, in the light of the fourth vision given to me, to reflect on the river versus the stream. Why doesn’t the river cause gladness as the streams do?
My vision was of a river in a super saturated state with silt and soil that created a loathsome sight. The water was unfit to drink as it flowed, slowly, wallowing on its banks. As this filthy body of water continued in its course, however, it reached a place of divergence. That which caused an inevitable division was a formidable, mammoth rock. The muddy river was split — one part running with dirty water and the other, much smaller part, was emerging crystal clean and bubbling — a stream!
The stream was full of joy — sparkling, leaping, dancing — as it traveled on its course. It would make anyone glad who saw it. Would the river? It doesn’t seem so. Why? There was no external difference between the two. The elevation was identical as were the atmospheric conditions. The answer must lie within God’s people.
The river we see is the Church once again coming toward the rock — Jesus — again splitting into two; one side is clean and the other is polluted. Can you see the mother and child
here? The muddy, larger part of the river is the mother; the pure part is a stream which is small like a child. As the river is divided by the rock, does the mother turn away from the child? Actually, she does. She flows in one direction, and the child goes in another direction. Why does she do this? Because she refuses to be cleansed.
At this point, we see the holiness of the new move of God. We saw purity beginning individually in the vision of the sheep coming toward the Rock, Christ Jesus. Now, we see corporate holiness. Our relationship with our Lord must not only be without spot, but our relationships within the Body must be perfect, also. Hebrews 12:14 says to: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Vertical and horizontal relationships must coincide. It is not here, yet, but the day is coming when we will be truly one in Christ. Impossible, you say! How can this happen? I believe it will be instigated by a “shaking” — the intensity of which we have never known.
