Hello family!
Today’s message is one many of you will know, for Agnes always emphasized the importance of God’s training method: “Line upon line, precept upon precept. Here a little, there a little.” We hope you enjoy the message, and the it imparts what the Lord will have for you today! ~ 7.31.12
Please turn to Isaiah 28. There are only two ways to go; the way of the Lord that gives life or the way of lies and falsehoods, the end thereof is death. There is no in between! We were having a hard time getting anybody to teach. God said, “Whom shall he teach and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?” He showed us the way, He wants to teach us; but no one wants to do it His way, they want to do it their own way.
The children of Israel decided to do it their own way and they ended up in strange countries with other Gods and forgot the Living God. He’s saying to us, “Are we going to let Him teach us His way or are we going to end up like the children of Israel.” Truly the Lord was very disgusted with them; because He wanted to teach them the right things, so they could enter into His rest. They didn’t know what His rest was and they ‘could care less’ what His rest was; because they didn’t have ears to hear. “Therefore hear the word of the lord.” But He said, ‘They didn’t hear.’ Verse 10: “For precept [must] be upon precept…line upon line…”
Somebody said today “This is like the law here. The word says ‘Rule upon rule and here a little there a little’, but no one wants to do it. We thought if they were baptized in the Holy Ghost they would do it; but that didn’t work either. The Lord said, “Let them go backwards. I’ll go over here and get these boys off the streets of Los Angeles and I’ll take all of the garbage out of them and teach them rule upon rule, precept upon precept and they are going to go where I want them to go and say what I want them to say.”
Some of you young people have been taught here since the day you were born; you need to take heed, instead of being stubborn and talking back. Someone was sitting in the house tonight and asked a question. One of you answered it as though you were the one being asked the question. I asked them what they doing answering that question when the question was being directed to someone else. Do you understand? The word says, ‘A little child shall lead them;’ but they have to be trained in righteousness. Where is the authority?
God has a plan for us. Sometimes we have to get down so low we can’t even crawl up; then we begin to cry to God for help. It’s like the little boy when the parents that told him to sit down, he answered “I’m sitting down but I’m still standing up in my heart.”
That’s what we’re facing today. Think about how long God has faced it with His creation. He sent Jesus to be the living example for us; not only the living example, but partakers of His nature. How often He stressed it. Isaiah 28:9 “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?”
He’s making us grow up whether we want to or not. Someone said to me, “There’s a little child inside of us and that little child has to be taken care of; we have to have psychiatric care to get rid of the pain of that child.” The problem is most people never grow up. God can change us in the twinkling of an eye if we want to grow up; but if we don’t want to grow up, forget it. God says He can’t teach you doctrine or knowledge because you won’t grow up; you are still on the milk drawn from the breast.
But the Lord says, “I have something for you; I have this rest that I want to give you, so that you may cause the weary to rest.” This is the refreshing; yet they wouldn’t hear, wouldn’t open their ears to it. They didn’t want to hear it or do it. They wanted to remain a baby.
But the Lord is dealing with us in a new way. He’s doing a new thing because He’s bringing us into something, that He may do His work. Verse 21: “For the Lord shall rise up as [in] mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as [in] the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.” We have lots of religious people that know it all, but they don’t know what God wants them to do.
Turn to Hebrew 4: 1 “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2:For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it].
3: For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4: For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5: And in this [place] again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6: Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
7: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is sa id, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8: For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9: There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10: For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his.
11:Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12: For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13: Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
14: Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.
15:For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.
16: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
He has given us His rest, if we obey Him. He’s given us His principles for action, if we let Him train us. We can’t go out there if we aren’t trained. If you were in the army and you were on the front lines and you weren’t rained you wouldn’t last very long. Neither will we if we don’t allow God to train us. If we don’t allow His rules of action to be our rules of action, we will never be able to do anything.
This which God has spoken to us is a command or principle intended as a general rule of action or conduct. It is serious what we have permitted today in the lives of the young people. It is serious in the lives of the adults, because they don’t have the fear of God. God is calling us. To put it boldly: 11: “Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
Jesus is the example that was given to us, not only the example, it’s his temple we live in and He lives in us. If we have been born again and filled with the spirit of God and God has called us, who are we, to think we can tell God what to do. He will leave your temple, He doesn’t have to be insulted by you; if you don’t appreciate Him He will vacant your temple. Some of us are so smart we think we know it all.
The Lord’s rest was finished before the foundation of the world. God wanted so much to make a people that would enter into His rest and into His peace and joy. He longs for it, but only if we do it His way.
I told God, “Let me do it another way, because these people aren’t paying any attention to the way you want it done.” “No! You have to do it my way.” We are clamping down on the rules of Sommer Haven. God gave these rules! He wants to bring you into His rest. If you have unbelief you don’t belong here away. If you have belief, you have to obey Him. He said you must enter into His rest. He’s given us His ‘word, which is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.’
If you don’t believe God can do this, watch out. He’s increasing in this place, as we are obedient to Him. You know there’s another thing. Verse 13: “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”
Are we going to smart off and tell God how to train us? We better watch out, because He’s going to have the last word in our lives. Jesus not only gave us an example, He lives in us and the more that we rebel against Him, the more we are asking for trouble. God’s love, peace and rest are ours, but we have to get it God’s way; we can’t get it just because we want it. We have to get it His way, according to His word. The Lord is speaking to us and we need to realize how powerful this word is.
I read this 28th chapter, it says they were not going to hear what God says, they weren’t going to be trained the way the Lord wanted them trained, so the Lord let go of them. He let them go their way. He sent Jesus to be their example and their foundation, but they rejected Him. We have no excuse for not doing things the way God wants them done.
He is so much desiring that we enter into His covenant, to keep it and enter into His rest, so that we can go out there and cause the weary to rest. This is also the refreshing the Lord spoke of.
Heb. 4: “Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
9: “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10: For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his.”
God wants us to rest in Him and flow by His spirit, so He can minister through us. That doesn’t mean you can sit down and tell everybody to work around you or go to bed all afternoon when everyone else is working with the food. That’s not the rest He’s talking about. He is talking about the inside of us. If we are willing and obedient to Him and allow His spirit to teach us His knowledge and give us understanding; then His grace and peace will be multiplied to us.
What’s the matter with us? Do we hear and believe His word? Do we enter into it? He doesn’t have a shot gun around to shoot you with if you don’t. It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. He’s been very patience with us in this place.
He’s going to bring some that are ready and will run and rejoice; because they know the word is mighty, ‘it’s quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.’ Let’s open our ears that we can hear, open our hearts, that we can understand it. He said, ‘He that hardens his heart and stiffens his neck shall suddenly be cut off.’ If we don’t hear him, then he will let us go. What is so wonderful, is when He tells us all to do things, we know He won’t make a mistake. We make mistakes, but He doesn’t make them. Thank you, Jesus!
Paul says in Hebrews 5:8: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9: And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10: Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11: Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12: For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13: For every one that useth milk [is] unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14: But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Chapter 6:1: Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2: Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3: And this will we do, if God permit.
4: For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5: And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6: If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.
7: For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8: But that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end [is] to be burned.
9: But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10: For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11: And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13: For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
14: Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
15: And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
16: For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation [is] to them an end of all strife.
17: Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath:
18: That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19: Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
20: Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
He’s called us who have an open heart and open ears to hear, receive and obey. We’re called to enter into His rest, peace and joy. In us the Lord wants to be everything that He wants us to be to man. We have to have ears to hear and a heart to obey. God has called us into willing and obedience. We need to search our hearts. Paul’s scripture, given by inspiration of God, is profitable for doctrine and reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness; in order that the man of God may be perfectly, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. God is calling us to minister His word by His spirit. He must bring to us His principles of the kingdom and we must allow these principles to operate in our lives. He has called us to bring His love, peace, joy, His righteousness and His holiness, to the uttermost parts of the earth; but He has to work in us first. We have to have ears to hear, a heart to receive and a heart to obey.
I pray tonight we will search our hearts and determine and purpose in our hearts that we are going to learn Gods way; the way He wants to go, not the way we want to go. God has given us rules here and regulations and people have ignored them. If you try to tell them this is the way, they will tell you that they have a better way.
I believe it’s very important that we stop. How many of you really want God to have His way? We want our ears cleaned out, so we can hear the word. We want our heart purged and purified so the Lord can use us. I think we need to come before Him.
One of these days I’m going to minister the words of our mouth. Somebody came to me today and they were telling me how they talked to people. We need to weigh our words and be careful that we have the right attitude; because God is going to cause us to answer for what we say and how we say it. There are new people here that we can damage their walk with God, if we don’t realize we need to be kind one to another. If we think we can talk any way to anyone, we are mistaken.
The children learned this verse from the day they went to school, “Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted forgiving one another as God, for Christ sake, has forgiven us.” I think I’ll make a big poster of it. We need to put it back up to remind us every time we think about talking a certain way. We need to remember God has called us in His love. I know that you love every body, but they don’t know that. I know because I know you; but they don’t know you, and they may not forgive you the way I do.
I want us to think about it and what God wants us to do. He wants us to come into a maturity in Him, so that ‘we can grow up like calves of a stall,’ and be able to with stand against the works of the enemy in this day. Jesus has given us that authority.
I want to see you come forth by His spirit, His way. We need to realize we are a people that God is forming for Himself; that He might be pleased with us, that He might be able to sing to us. And that we might be able to recognize ‘that the Lord our God in the midst of thee is mighty.’ We need to recognize that the Lord in the midst of us is mighty.
We need to shake ourselves and decide we are going to let Him sing to us. That’s the greatest honor anybody can have. I’ll read it to you: Zeph. 3: 14: “Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15: The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, [even] the LORD, [is] in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
16: In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
17: The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
I don’t know of anybody else, but I’d rather have God sing to me than anyone else. This is what we have will have.
20: At that time will I bring you [again], even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.
We need to watch what we say and what we do and how we act, so the Lord will smile upon us and sing to us. Let’s realize how much He loves us tonight and love him with the same love that He loves us. God’s love never fails. We need to know that He is God and we are His servants. It’s in your lap what are you going to do with it. Let’s make a choice to serve Him with all our heart, soul, mind and all that is within us. Serve Him ‘with His love,’ so that His love will reach out to our neighbors and they will know that God loves them.
It’s hard work to do all this food. If you look at it in the wrong way, you’re going to wear yourself out. If you look at it in the right way you’re going to be blessed. If we do it God’s way, the riches of heaven are going to come down on our frail bodies and make us strong.
What a mighty God we serve and He’s in the midst of it. Let’s stop and realize He’s here and we don’t want to offend Him, we want to hear Him. Receive and obey Him for He is our teacher, counselor, guide and He loves us. He’s given us His mighty word that nothing can withstand. He said, “Though heaven and earth shall pass away, my word shall never pass away.” We’re going to face it down the road; but we don’t want to face it now. Let’s face it now. Let’s understand what He is saying to us, to enter into His rest so that He, by His spirit, can lead and train us and bring us to that place, in Him, where we can be taken, by Him, to the high places of the earth. I’m getting ready for a ride.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan to go to heaven right now. I’m going to get close though, if I ride in Ezekiel’s wheel, with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We live in the day which many generations have desired to see. They heard of it, but they couldn’t participate in it; because they were in the wrong generation. But we are in the right generation tonight. This is one of the greatest privilege that God has given to any people. This is that ‘new work, a strange act and a strange work.’
He said, “There won’t anybody be able to say they did it; because they can’t.” Only God can take these temples of clay and change our lives; put in us His mighty Son and fill us with the resurrection power. His resurrection power is going to do a work the devil can’t stop. Neither will the wicked or rich man of the earth for He’s going to bring them to naught. The suffering of the present time doesn’t compare with the glory. We’re going to see it before He comes. I believe that! He has put in us that which is going to be revealed out there to all mankind.
Let’s decide we are going to be willing and obedient and get rid of all the stuff that we have accumulated that doesn’t belong to us and doesn’t show forth His love, peace and joy. God bless you tonight.
January 4, 1996
