Hello Family! Welcome to our 20th posting of Agnes’ messages! We’re so blessed to be able to share the Gospel in this way, to “make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” In this message, Agnes speaks on knowing the voice of the Lord, knowing Him. We pray you enjoy this message, that it ministers to you in the way He intends. God Bless you all, and Merry Christmas!
The 176 verses of Psalms 119 are all God’s precepts.
111. “Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they [are] the rejoicing of my heart.”
105. “Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
I believe there are 176 verses in Psalm 119. Do you want to memorize it? The reason I’m saying this is that all 176 verses are His precepts.
11. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12. Blessed [art] thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
13. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as [much as] in all riches.
15. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
16. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.”
9. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed [thereto] according to thy word.
10. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.”
As we are studying all of this that is happening today, concerning that scripture, which God spoke in Isaiah 28 remember that precept is a commandment or direction given as a rule of action or conduct. His word says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Isaiah 28:10 says, “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” We’re talking about spiritual things; God is teaching us to hear Him with our ears. How do you think you’re going to follow Him if you don’t know His voice?
“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.” How do we know His law? He’s given us precept upon precept, this is His law and He has given it a little here and a little there, line upon line. If we didn’t hear it the first time we can still receive it for its precept upon precept; line must be upon line; here a little and there a little. He’s speaking to us in a very special way because He’s teaching us to hear His voice, to believe in Him and to know Him.
How are you going to know the Lord? You have to know His voice! You have to know His voice or you don’t know Him. You can say I’m a Christian, I’m born again and I know Jesus; but how much do you know Him? We have to get acquainted with Him. How much does somebody know you if they just say hello to you? I know a lot of people say they know me. They may know me by name, but really, I don’t know them. The Lord is bringing us into an intimate relationship with Him for He said that He’s closer than a Father, closer than a Mother, a Brother or a Sister. Where is He? Where does He live? You say, “He lives in our hearts!”
How is He going to live in our hearts if we don’t know anything about Him? We need to praise Him; prayer is another way and worshiping Him. That’s what draws us near to Him so we can know Him as He says, “I give you my rest.” How many of you get weary and you long for rest and you don’t get any? He said, “Come unto me and I will give you rest; come and you will find rest for your souls.”
Now why don’t we come to Him? Sometimes we don’t hear His voice, sometimes when He says, “Come and walk with me or come and pray to me,” what do we do? We say, “We’ll go out and play ball first or something else first.” The Lord says, “I’m calling you away now to come to me and hear my voice.”
See what He’s saying. He says, “I will sing to you.” Did you know the Lord wants to sing to us? He can’t sing to us if we don’t know His voice. If we don’t know His voice He could be screaming at us. We would know if we would get quiet before Him and say, “Lord, I want to know you.” Just because our sins are forgiven doesn’t mean we know Him. How much do we know Him? This 119th Psalm brings us in, so tremendously, to know Him and to know His word; all 176 verses.
Oh, how wonderful is our God. He said in Matthew, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He cried out to the children of Israel; He brought them out of the bondage of Egypt. He said to Moses, “I want to be your God and I want you to be my people.” High up in the mountain, He reveals Himself to Moses. The people said, “We don’t want You Lord; we’ll take Moses but we don’t want you.” Mind you, He had just brought them out of captivity in the land of Egypt, where they were slaves; where they were beaten and treated very cruelly.
God, through Moses, leads them out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and takes care of them. He opens that sea so they can walk out on dry land, back into His Promised Land. What did they do, very quickly, when they got to the Promised Land? Moses has disappeared they don’t know where he is. He’s high up in the mountain talking to God. God is telling him, “I have some written commandments for you.” Do you know who wrote those commandments? God Himself with His finger! He wrote every one of those commandments He wants us to keep.
What happened while He was up there and God was writing the beautiful wonderful commandments? Down there in the valley, they were so hungry to go back into bondage and be treated like slaves, that they made a golden image and worshiped it. People are still worshipping other gods everywhere in the world. The Christians are doing it, too. If God is not first in our lives, if we’re not drawing close to Him, if we haven’t hidden His word in our hearts, then we’re in trouble.
What happened when Moses came down off of the mountain? They had taken everything God had let them bring out of Egypt and offered it to idols! All that God had given them was destroyed. God wrote the law with His own finger because of the love He had for these people He had created. When Moses came down, what happens to the tablets? Why were they broken? The people had already broken the laws in their hearts! “Oh, God, save us from this horrible condition in Egypt.” They were slaves and were treated very badly and had to make the bricks without straw. Here they were crying, “Take us out of this.” But when God brought them out they forgot Him. God spoke to Moses in His anger and said, “I’ll just blot them all out.” Moses said, “Then who is going to honor your name and your word if you blot them all out?” Moses pleaded, “Forgive them; if you won’t, blot my name out, too.”
It was Moses that was obeying the Lord; the rest of them weren’t. Here are these beautiful commandments written by the finger of God and here was a people called by His name and they were worshiping a golden calf of their own making. They didn’t know Him and weren’t grateful that they were brought out. They said, “Let us go back into Egypt, back into slavery.”
God takes us when we’re born again and forgives all our sins. Then what happens? Our flesh says, “I want a cigarette or a drink of beer or whiskey or drugs.” If we listen to our flesh rather than the Lord, the devil will keep us bound by these things. We don’t let go of them and because we don’t, the devil still holds onto us. We need to say to the devil, “I don’t want this, you keep it.” If we’re willing God will take these desires instantly and sweep us clean of everything.
God is saying to us, “I give you a commandment that you love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy might.” Does that leave any room for anything else? Jesus is saying, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest and you can cause the weary to rest; but we fight back. We’re no match for our flesh or the devil; because the devil is going to rule our flesh when we yield to these things. God is saying, “Come unto me and I will give you rest. I will take all of this out of you and give you my rest and my peace.” But we fight with Him, we argue about our precious flesh that’s only destruction. We will never win with our flesh; it has to die.
The Lord said, “Precept upon precept, here a little, there a little and line upon line.” I’ve taught this scripture for so long that people thought I didn’t know another. I did it because the Holy Ghost wanted it to penetrate. The Lord said to me that just because they have ears, it doesn’t mean they hear.
God has given us His word that we might walk in His way. Before Jesus came it wasn’t possible for us to be forgiven without the shedding of the blood of animals. After Jesus came and shed His blood on that cross it is possible, through His grace, for us to keep the commandments. It is through His word and His righteous blood that we no longer have to kill animals. His precious blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. God will take away our stony hearts and give us a clean heart of flesh and put a new spirit within us. We will then have His peace, His love, His joy and His righteousness.
He’s talking about these children of Israel as they came out of Egypt. He had for them a new heart and was going to take out the stony heart and put in a heart of flesh and He had a new spirit to place within them, but they did want Him.
When God does this for us there is no reason for us to sin. We’re not connected with the old Adam any more. We’re set free from him because we become a new creature in a new creation with a new heart, and He gives us His Spirit that enables us to keep His commandments and statutes. If we don’t get close to Him and allow Him to speak to us we soon wonder off in the direction of our flesh. He has given us a new heart, a new mind and a new soul and set us free with His precious spirit to guide us. But we have to hear it and follow it or else our flesh and the devil will come and disrupt God’s plan for us.
Moses was in God’s presence on the mountain. It’s so awesome to imagine God writing these commandments with His own finger. Moses was there watching Him down below in the valley. Aaron was helping to build the calf, Moses’ right hand man. Not anybody but Moses was standing with God; how sad God must have been. “Moses, just blot them all out! They don’t deserve my love or to have come out of Egypt or to come to know me.”
God said, “I’ll give you a new heart. I’ll take out your stony heart and give you a pure heart and new spirit and place my Spirit within you.” But here they were down there worshiping, very loudly, the golden calf. So loud was their noise that it came up the mountain where God was giving Moses the 10 commandments. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and all that is within thee.” He said, “Come unto me, I’ll not cast you out. I’ll take your sins and throw them away and destroy them and I will lead you by my word and my Spirit. And I will bring you unto myself.”
How many obey and tell the truth? They cover their lies because they don’t want anybody to know it’s a lie. I’m going to tell you one thing I know, God is coming to Sommer Haven by the mighty power of His Spirit. I don’t think persons will continue to get by with cheating, stealing or lying here; because God has come to bring this Word of Life to us boldly. I’m praying that the Holy Spirit will come and there will not be one thing that anybody will get by with. The scripture says to bring every thought into captivity. This is what God wants of us. He wants every thought to be brought into captivity so that Jesus might be the only one in our lives, nothing else. Not our flesh or the devil, but Jesus.
He’s calling us unto Himself and this word is a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our path. God said to have a Christian school. There are other children that don’t go to a Christian school and they don’t hear about Jesus every day in a class room. They don’t have the privilege of playing or singing anywhere they want to sing and worship, but we have that privilege.
Let me tell you the results of Isaiah 58. People decided they would make lies their refuge and false hood their covering. Then God said, “I’m going to send a deluge and storms and everything.” They laughed at Him. They said we’re hid under lies. We’re covered with false hood and you aren’t going to effect us when that storm comes. Do you know when the storm is coming? It’s come right now over the whole earth; because man said we’ve made lies our refuge and false hood our covering.
“I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation” and no man is going to hide from it. They’ll be destroyed by it if they don’t receive it. God is saying that He has laid before us a sure foundation, Jesus Christ in us. But with Him come His laws, His rules and way of life; His way of direction and action and conduct. He is saying, “Put it in your heart.”
They said, “We are not going to do it because we going to do our own thing and our things are not going to affect us.” But today through every part of the world God is sending storms and floods; He’s sweeping the whole earth. In Orcia, India alone, 27,000 villages were swept away. Why were they swept away? It’s God’s storm and God’s judgment. They said no to God and they burned the missionaries. “We don’t want God or His anointed;” so He sends a cyclone and destroys 27,000 villages. “We’re not afraid of Him. We don’t want to keep His Word; we can lie, cheat and steal and live as we want.”
You better not because God is moving in His judgment upon the whole earth. That which He spoke about in Isaiah 28 is now sweeping the whole wide world. That’s how it is right now, things are happening all over the world and judgment and justice are covering the earth. If we can be in with what God is doing, He will use us. We can’t play around with the flesh and the devil or we will be swept away by the storm. He has given us His word and it is true and He is faithful. What we need to do is not lie to God or play games with Him. We have to hear what He’s saying. We have to do it God’s way.
They say, “We’re covered with lies and false hoods and your avalanche of storms is not going to affect us.” God sent a storm that took out 27,000 villages. Don’t say God can’t do it. Turn your lives over to Him and He will take out those things and fill you with His love and His word and then the enemy won’t be able to lie to you or trick you; because you will know God’s voice and the enemy’s voice. You will not follow Satan but you will follow the voice of the Lord as He guides you by His Word and His Spirit.
God is calling us unto Himself so He can love us and we can rest in that love. If we argue with Him and want our way, we will lose. It’s Gods way that’s coming forth and in Him we’re going to move and live and have our being. He’s calling us unto Himself, into that which He chose for the children of Israel and they refused. He’s still calling us to come and receive it. The children of Israel didn’t know the Lord, but they had His commandments. They knew the Living God, but they refused to serve Him.
We have to be careful that we’re not holding onto anything, but to realize that the Lord has given us His commandments. He has given us His Word and His Word will stand forever. The earth will pass away, but His word will never pass away. The word He has given to us, He wants to hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against Him. We must realize that everything else is going to pass away but His kingdom will be forever. His love, provision and His glory will be forever. We have to walk the way He has called us to walk, according to His laws and according to the statutes which His Spirit gives to us to guide us so that we do not go in the path of the enemy or the way of our own flesh.
Just cry out to Him and ask that He take away everything and give you a new heart, with His love and His Spirit that we might keep His statutes and His laws. God has placed it before us; but we need to realize that God requires us to do exactly what He calls us to do. It is not impossible; it’s only impossible if we refuse to do it. That’s our fault, it’s not God’s.
119:90. “Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
91. They continue this day according to thine ordiances: for all are thy servants.
92. Unless thy law hath been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. 93. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.
94. I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.
95. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies.
96. I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.
97. Oh how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
98. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than my enemies: for they are ever with me.
99. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for my testimonies are my meditation.
100. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
102. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.
103. How sweet are my words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than the honey to my mouth! 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.”
Why was God so upset in Isaiah 28? Because here are His precepts and laws! The drunkards of Ephraim said, “We’ll stay under lies and false hoods, they are our covering.” But the Lord said, “The Lord hath a mighty and strong one, [which] as a tempest of hail [and] a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.” This is the penalty today. This same word goes out to the nations and to every individual. We’re doing the same thing they were doing in their day. God is calling for a reckoning day, according to His word. I long to see the Holy Ghost come in this place so strong that people will fall on their faces before God.
I was in college and the Spirit of the Lord was calling. It wasn’t a Pentecostal group, just people who loved the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord came with such might and one of the girls was rejecting him. We started up the stairs and she was rejecting the Spirit of the Lord. And as she came up to her room Satan met her at the door. She screamed when she saw him. I ran up the steps and she said, “Satan was standing at my door.” She fell on her face and began to ask the Lord to forgive her. She met Satan face to face and I will never forget that night. We rushed up there to pray with her and she gave her life to the Lord. She couldn’t resist Him any longer. She found out where she was headed, right into the arms of Satan, to be forever destroyed.
The Lord has forgiven us. The Word says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I have sworn and I will perform it and will keep thy righteous judgment.”
Father, I thank you for this word. Quicken it to each one of our hearts that we might know and obey you.
September 22, 2000
