Ric Vargas preaches about the great provision of God for His people, emphasizing the importance of partaking in the provision God has made available since the beginning. He delves into Psalms and Genesis to reveal God's initial purpose and heart for His creation. Vargas explores the significance of the river in Genesis, symbolizing God's intent for His people to reach out and affect all of creation with fullness of provision. He highlights four streams branching from the river, each representing different aspects of God's provision for His people's needs.

Introduction That day of His coming, that day His appearing is upon us, that we gather together with the people of God. That will be proof that we really believe it; that we’re putting feet to what we believe. The Scriptures clear that all the more we should be gathering together, drawing strength, drawing encouragement, drawing from all that the Lord has available to us. So I just trust that we will learn to make that a part of our lives in this critical hour we are living in, a longing to be with people of God, a longing to be in the house of God to hear what He is saying and to be part of it within our lives. Hallelujah. Amen. I want to just start tonight in Psalm 46 and then we are going to go to the Book of Genesis. The Great Provision of God for His people I have been made aware of the great provision that God has made for us and for our need to be aware of that provision and for our need to partake of that provision. So we are going to look at something tonight of the provision of God and what He has made available and something that has been on His heart from the beginning. As we are going to look at the Book of Genesis, it's the book of beginnings, Bible scholars will tell you that if you want to see what is on the heart of God and where He was moving towards go to the book of Genesis. It will show what was on the heart of God, what His initial purpose was and what was moving Him. So that's what we're going to see tonight. So in Psalm 46:4 Psalm 46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. There is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God. The psalmist is telling us that there is a portion, there is a provision for the house of God and for the people of God. Hallelujah. Source of Life Changes after Man comes on Scene So let's go to the Book of Genesis 2. There’s a change that takes place in Chapter 2. Genesis 2:5,6 Before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. Now there’s a change that was prior to man, prior to man there was a midst that went up from the earth, because there wasn’t a man to tend the creation of God. Genesis 2:7-9 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now here’s the change. Genesis 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden There’s a change, the watering is now going to be by the river that is in the garden, that’s going to be the source of life, that is going to be the source of sustaining that which God has placed in the earth. Genesis 2:10 and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The Psalmist said what? There is a river that streams thereof. Genesis 2:11-14 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. We are going to look at this river of God. A river that branches out into 4 streams. The first thing that we see is that the initial provision of God for man was a river. He provided a river for man. And we also see the intent of God in the beginning was that it branched off into 4 heads. 4 is the number of creation, so that it was the original intent of God that which was in the garden or the city of God or house of God or the people of God, however you want to put it or the kingdom of God was to flow out and affect all of the earth. There was supposed to be a reaching out, an outreach to all of creation. It also speaks of a fullness, there’s 4 heads or 4 streams speak of fullness of provision, there was a fullness of provision. As we look at each stream we will see what they were for and what they provided for. The First Stream “Full and Flowing” to Meet the Need of Dryness The first one is called Pison, this word means “spread out, full and flowing”. Notice here as it speaks of each river it gives a definition of where it was. It was for the whole land of Havilah that simply means “sand”. This full and flowing river or stream that spreads out, we know that sandy soil, if you have sand, it takes a great deal of water to meet the need in that area. Sand has an ability to just drink up and soak up and soak up, so it needs water that spreads out. Hallelujah. It is a full flowing dimensional to meet the need of dryness and this is the provision of God through His river that is able to meet every time there is dryness within our life. There is a full flowing portion of God to meet and answer the sandy soil. Hallelujah. That whenever there are periods of dryness that we go through that we need not just hunky down into anxiety and depression, but we need to see that there is a stream that can make the city of God glad. There is a stream that can come into that location of where I am and can spread out over me and cause there to be just a soaking, a soaking, a soaking within that will be able to release that sense of sand and dryness within my life. A full flowing stream. Hallelujah. We are going to see the fullness of these streams and we are going to see wherever you are today there’s provision, there is a river the streams thereof that makes the city of God glad. We are going to see the goodness of God to man. The Second Stream Bursting Forth to Our Immediate Need He goes on and he says, and the name of the second river is Gihon, this represents “bursting forth”, and it encompasses the whole land of Ethiopia and then can represent “prosperity” and “to make one fat, to grow fat”. This second river Gihon I kind of liken it to almost that aspect of the prophetic there is that word in the Old Testament to describe the prophetic it represented the “bubbling up”. That one of the Hebrew words for the prophetic and for the prophet was “to bubble up” or “to bubble over”. So this river Gihon is that river that bursts forth, that aspect of God that quickly meets the need, is that aspect of the river and the life of God that breaks in immediately upon our life. I liken it to when Peter is falling and beginning to drown, he says “Help me”, and it says “immediately He stretched forth His Hand.” That is the stream Gihon, when there is that aspect that God is our ever present help in our time of need, that aspect of God when we feel ourselves sinking or when feel ourselves that there is no time to spend an in hour of prayer with God, “brother we are up against something we need something now.” When we’re in situations that demand an immediate answer, when we’re in situations that demand immediate response there is no time to fast for 3 days, there is no time to seek the word and get an answer from God. Those situations in life that are pressing upon us that need an immediate answer, there is a stream for that, there is a portion for that. There is a portion of the Life of God that can burst forth upon the scene and cause fatness to be our portion. To change despair into a place of prosperity where there is a fullness and a fatness that comes into our hearts and souls through the river of God. God provided that for man. This is the provision of God provided for man that in those times of need there is something that can break forth in our midst bubbling up immediately and meet the cry that is within us. Hallelujah. Glory to God. The Third Stream Sharp and Swift to Deal with Our Every Enemy The next one he says, “and the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria.” And Hiddekel means “sharp and swift” and Assyria always represented, they were always the enemy of God, of God’s people. There is a portion that is able to deal with every enemy. There is provision for us to deal with those times where the enemy has come in temptation, where the enemy has come in accusation, where the enemy has come to put us to the test. There is a stream for that. That is swift, that is sharp, that is able to deal a blow against to all of the onslaughts against our lives, He was not abandoned to the work of the enemy, He has not abandoned us just to cower in the face of our enemy, but He has made provision, Hallelujah in the stream that is able to breakforth with swiftness, with sharpness that is able to drive back every enemy from our lives. That is able to dispel, that is able to rebuke, that is able to silence. We see all of those aspects working in the Christ, all of these aspects of the river and the streams were at work in Jesus Christ. That in the different circumstances of life, and the different ones that He ran up against, oh there was a stream for them. When they were in the boat and the winds and the waves were about to take them over, He released the stream, oh that was sharp and was swift and He rebuked the wind and He rebuked the wave and there was an immediate answer. When legion comes the stream immediately released to deal with the enemy, “Come out of him, come out of her, be loosed”. That’s the provision of God against our enemies. Hallelujah. The Fourth Stream Sweet Water that Know no Boundaries This fourth stream and the fourth river is Euphrates, and this means “sweet water”, it can also mean “to bear fruit”. There is something unique about this river; it doesn’t have any boundaries, it's for every circumstance. I believe it speaks of the river of His presence, that sweet river of His presence that is not limited, but goes throughout all of the earth. That veiled that was rent that released the glory of God to the earth that released the sweetness of His presence knows no limit. Knows no limitation to circumstance, but it is a stream that is forever available to us wherever we find ourselves. It is a presence that goes with us wherever we find ourselves. It is a stream that we can always drink. It is a stream that we can always participate in. It is a stream that is forever made available to the people of God. It is that stream that will finally be released in that day of the kingdom where the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The full manifestation of His presence that is only enjoyed by the people of God will fill of all the earth, it will be released in that day in a very unusual manner for all humanity to see and to taste and to drink of. Hallelujah. It’s the stream of fellowship, it’s the stream of relationship that doesn’t know any boundary, that isn’t limited to my condition or situation. These other rivers deal specifically with need, they deal specifically with our needs from time to time, but the river of His presence is not just there to meet a need, but is there for our enjoyment. Hallelujah. Glory to God. God’s Original Intent Hasn’t Changed Go to the Book of Revelation 22. So God’s original intent for man was a river, God’s original intent and provision for man was a river that would be there for whatever circumstance he found himself in, there would be a portion and provision for man. And we go to the Book of Revelation 22 and we see that God’s intention hasn’t changed, we see that in the end that He is still talking about a river, that river that began with man is that river that will end with man. That He hasn’t changed His purpose, He hasn’t His intention, He hasn’t changed His provision for man, it is still the same there is still a river. Revelation 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. Look what this river does. This river of Life was an ability to cause there to be a producing of fruit, not seasonality, every month. Not seasons of fruitfulness, the river of Life has within it a dimension of life that has an effect that is able to be a fruit producing aspect in the house of God. There is never a season of barrenness, there is never a season of being without, but the full intent of the house of God is that there will be fruitfulness every month. There would never be a lack. The leaves of the tree are for what? The healing of the nations. Still that outreach in the heart of God, still the desire within God for the outstretching to all of the earth. Hallelujah. He Brought Me Through Go to another familiar passage Ezekiel 47. Ezekiel sees a vision. Ezekiel 47:1 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold waters He sees water again, the provision for the house was water. This prophetic vision that Ezekiel sees of God’s provision for the house is still water. Ezekiel 47:1-5 Behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. A river of fullness is what Ezekiel is seeing, but there is something important here, there is something that Ezekiel allows that we must allow. Verse 3 and 4, “And He brought me through”, “And He brought me through”, “And He brought me through”. There is a need within us to be brought through. So many times we settle, we enjoy an aspect of God, we enjoy an aspect of the Spirit of God, we enjoy an aspect of the waters of life and we desire to settle there. “Oh this is wonderful, waters to the ankle, boy I never had anything like this before, this is it we have finally arrived Glory to God, we are the people, everyone should be like me.” But He wants to bring us through, we are brought through to another dimension, “Oh praise God I never had anything like this, boy I never felt like this before, oh you should feel like this, I wish everybody could have what I have.” But he’s brought through, he’s brought through, He brought me through, He brought me through. And God is wanting to bring a people through in this hour to a dimension of fullness, to a dimension of a fullness His Spirit, to a dimension of a fullness of His Life, that will bring us into this river that can no longer be walked through, can no longer, we must leave our feet, and we must leave that dimension we are accustomed to and begin to be lost in that aspect of the Life of God, begin to experience the fullness that Christ has made available to us through the redeeming love of Calvary. Hallelujah. God is desiring that we begin to press on and to go through, that we will not settle for any past experience that we will not settle for any past joy or accomplishment, but there is a hunger and a longing within us to begin to tap in to that river that is proceeding from the throne of God tonight. That there will be an effect that is made upon us whereby that we can have an effect upon the nations of the earth. The River of Life is God’s Answer for Evangelism It goes on in the Book of Ezekiel as this chapter unfolds and we find God’s answer for evangelism. And what is God’s answer for evangelism? It is Life. This river that has Life within it wherever it goes it has an effect upon that which is dead. Glory to God. This is God’s answer for evangelism, that there will be people that are so full of the river of God, that are so a part of the river of God that wherever they find themselves they are having an effect upon the earth. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The river of God is God’s method of evangelism. Hallelujah It is God’s means of touching lost humanity. Hallelujah. Until we become, until we flow in that river we will forever need to come up with different means and methods of having to meet the needs of the lost earth. Hallelujah. What the house of God needs is a return to the river of God. What the people of God need, what the city of God needs is a revelation of the provision of God in the river of God, His Holy Spirit. His Holy Spirit is the river that has been sent into this earth. The Holy Spirit is God’s provision of water for me. The Spirit of Life that river of the water of life which is His Holy Spirit is the river of God within us tonight. There is a Stream Wherever You Find Yourself Tonight Wherever you are finding yourself tonight, if you are finding yourself just dry like sand tonight. There is a stream for you, there is provision for you, that you don’t need to go on in your wilderness journey with cotton in your mouth just seeing a mirage, just always seeing mirages of water, “Oh I know there is water out there somewhere, there’s got to be, there’s got to be water somewhere”. But that God has not provided a mirage for the wilderness, He has not provided not, He has provided a stream that overflows and spreads out. If there is a situation tonight, if you are in a circumstance where you feel like you are drowning tonight, there’s a stream tonight for you. If you feel like Peter did, he is going under, you feel like you are losing your grip tonight, you feel like you are going under, you feel like you are faltering in your walk. There is a stream tonight that will burst forth upon you that will be an immediate help that will cause you to stand up again, that will cause you to be erect again in your walk, that will cause you to be stable again in this walk and in this highway of holiness that we are on. If you are bombarded tonight by enemy, if you are being tormented in your mind, if you are being bombarded by temptation wherever you find yourself. I am telling you that there is a swift stream tonight that is sharp as an arrow that will be able to deliver you from every attempt of the enemy. And tonight if you are feeling so alone there is a stream of His presence of fellowship for you tonight. If you feel like you have been praying, but God ain’t there, He wants to bring and release you into a stream of fellowship, into a stream of His presence that He opened at Calvary tree to release you from that mentality that you are all alone, to release you from that dread that you are going alone in your walk, there is a portion of the sweetness of His presence tonight. I just want to remind us there is a river the streams thereof that will make glad the city of God. God has not left us, He has not left His church, He has not left His city without that He intended from the beginning. Water that Ezekiel saw that would affect everything that it came into contact with. The river that John saw that produced so much fruitfulness there was never a barren, there never was a time where there wasn’t anything. Nothing being produced. What is going on in your life? Nothing. John saw something better than that. What is going on in your life? Nothing is happening. Nothing to say. Nothing. Just Nothing, lots of nothing, that’s what is going on in me. But there is provision for the city of God to break us out of the nothing, to break us out. Hallelujah.