Dwight Edwards - Releasing the Rivers Within: The Exhilaration of Utter Dependence on God

Praise for
Releasing the Rivers Within

This book will challenge you to let God do more in your life than you thought possible. God has a supernatural life for us waiting to be lived, and Dwight shows us how we can experience it.

D R . E RWIN W. L UTZER , senior pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago

Nothing exhilarates like God! Thanks for reminding us, Dwight, that we were created for more than religion.

B ETH M OORE , author, speaker, and president of Living Proof Ministries

Few books leave me in tears of hope. This one did. Dwight lives in this world, but his eyes are fixed on the new covenant, in all its wonder and possibilities. When I finished reading, I knew I could settle for nothing less than the life Jesus makes available.

L ARRY C RABB , author, speaker, psychologist, and founder of New Way Ministries

This book encourages, stimulates, and challenges us to become more like Jesus Christ and tells us the why, how, and what to consider in doing so. Practical, understandable, and applicable to a believers daily life, it points us to a life characterized by deep roots, supernatural fruit, and extending branches by allowing God to work through us.

J ACK A. T URPIN , chairman of Hallmark Energy, LLC., and coauthor of Beyond the Bottom Line

Peace on earth, the angelic birth announcement for Jesus Christ, incites revolution in every heart. A longing for His peace, a thirst for spiritual knowledge, and a desperate desire to control temptations produce deep unrest. With seasoned pastoral compassion, Dwight Edwards steps up alongside his readers with supplies for living above ones personal war zone. This timely biblical strategy for inner composure in the Christian life belongs on every believers bookshelf.

H OWARD G. H ENDRICKS , distinguished professor and chairman, Center for Christian Leadership, Dallas Theological Seminary

Intelligent and accessible, Releasing the Rivers Within goes one step further than Revolution Within by convincing me that the answer to many of my personal questions and struggles is not a what but a Who. Dwighta personal friend and counselor to meand his writing continue to be two of the sharpest tools used by God to unearth the new man He birthed within me.

S HAUN G ROVES , recording artist

R ELEASING THE R IVERS W ITHIN
P UBLISHED BY W ATER B ROOK P RESS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921
A division of Random House, Inc.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ( NIV ) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org).

Italics in Scripture quotations reflect the authors added emphasis.

Copyright 2003 by Dwight Edwards

Published in association with Yates & Yates, LLP, Attorneys and Counselors, Orange, California.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

W ATER B ROOK and its deer design logo are registered trademarks of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Edwards, Dwight, 1954
Releasing the rivers within : the exhilaration of utter dependence on God / by Dwight Edwards. 1st ed.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-8041-5058-3
1. Christian life. 2. Spiritual lifeChristianity. I. Title.
BV4501.3.E385 2003
248.4dc21

2003011384

v3.1

To Stephen, Jordan, and Brandonthe three finest sons
any father could hope to have. I so admire each of you
and so enjoy watching you develop as men of God.
May your waters run deeply, strongly, and dependently.

I f your energy level is always high, attitude perpetually positive, and faith ever forward-facing, dont mess with this book. You dont need it.

If you, like me, however, occasionally see the needle of your joy-gauge bounce against the empty side, Dwight Edwards has a word for you. A good word.

Present within you is a powera supernatural power. Your decision to follow Christ triggers His deposit of Himself within you. Dwights aim is to teach us to trust and tap into that strength.

He does it so well. If you read his first book, Revolution Within, you know what I mean. My wife loves the project so much shes distributed a case-full. I share her sentiments. Dwight reminded me that Christianity, at its core, is blatantly supernatural.

He continues that theme in this book. With careful exposition and practical application, he not only reveals the river, he shows us the best place to step in! Thanks, Dwight, for your faithful work on this essential topic.

And congratulations to you, the reader, on selecting the right book. May you discover the river, His river within you.

M AX L UCADO

T here is no way to properly recognize or thank the many, many people who have been part of seeing this message and book come to fruition. But among the many I would especially like to thank are

The men who have so deeply impacted my life: Gene Stogner (thanks for being so much more than a coach), Dave Anderson (Im still building on the foundation you laid), Larry Crabb (words cannot express my thanks for your friendship and influence), Lanier Burns (how I cherish our friendship and the many great talks over the years), and Walt Baker (your love and example have meant so much). None of you will ever know how much I appreciate each of you.

My editor, Thomas Womack: What an incredible joy to be able to work with you.

My friends at WaterBrook Press who have been as much a family as publishers: Don Pape, Laura Barker, and Kirsten Blomquist. Thank you for encouragement and expertise.

Dan Rich, for seeing the importance of this message; Doug Gabbert, for your encouragement along the way; and Sealy Yates, for your wisdom, guidance, and warm heart.

Some of the greatest church staff around. I have been privileged to work with people who have been such a blessing and help to me. Thank you so much Brian and Tristie Fisher, Brad and Susan Evans, Pat and Jeanne Coyle, Zack Nigliazzo, Don and Mary Campbell, James and Lainie Moore, Rod and Rae Lynn Mitchell. Special thanks to Annie Carpenter for such great help in source documentation.

Very special friends who have meant so much to Sandy and me over the years: Larry and Rachael Crabb, Doy and Nolan Shipman, David and Julia Gardner, Mike and Sara Grage. Your love and input have both strengthened and changed us.

The T-M family: Jack and Sally Turpin, Scott and Carol Turpin, Jeff and Lori Turpin, Mark and Kathy Turpin, Johnny and Sherri Polk. Each of you has been such a blessing to our lives.