A Way Through The Wilderness

Beauty For Ashes Part II - George H. Warnock

CHAPTER 8 - THE HEAVENLY CANAAN
Many of God's people do not understand why, after spending perhaps many
years in comparative ease and contentment in their little corner of church
activity and involvement, suddenly they are no longer satisfied with the
monotonous routine and they are raising questions of concern. Why, Lord?
When? How? What? As we mentioned, these are the questions that pertain
to the Manna; and all we can say is, the Manna is having its effect in their
lives. They have been eating of the wilderness food, and as a result there is
an increasing hunger for a greater reality in their lives. This is God's ongoing
work in the wilderness people, and we just want to encourage the people of
God who are somewhat discouraged, disillusioned, or perplexed about the
state of things in their own lives or in the Body of Christ, to lift up their eyes
and see the Glory of Beulah Land:
"Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be
termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah [My delight is in her],
and thy land Beulah [Married]: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land
shall be married" (Isa. 62:4).
Let us not get excited about the little excursions that people are trying to
make into the land these days as they try to grab another branch of grapes
from the valley of Eschol, or fill their sacks with a few more pomegranates.
The time is here when God would mobilize a new generation for conquest of
the whole land, and we cannot settle for anything less.
Canaan, A Place Of Victory
"He... brought thee out in His sight... to drive out nations from before thee
greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for
an inheritance..." (Deut. 4:37-38).
Canaan is that heavenly heritage that God wants His people to begin to
explore and to appropriate; and therefore it is a place to be conquered,
because it is in this realm that the forces of evil would seek to maintain their
strongholds over the hearts and minds of people. The "heavenlies" in Christ
Jesus are those realms in the Spirit that belong to God's people (Eph. 1:3,
20); and that is why our warfare is in that realm, and not in realms of the
earth (Eph. 6:12). Yes, we are in the earth, and we are concerned about the
state of affairs in the earth; but if our warfare is THERE we will accomplish
NOTHING for the inhabitants of the earth. We must war "in heavenly places"
with spiritual armor, and with spiritual weapons, or we accomplish absolutely
nothing. Nor can we mix the carnal with the spiritual in order to strike a
balance. Spiritual warfare in the heavenlies and carnal, political maneuvering
in the earth will not bring a balance, but a stalemate. God grant unto His
people in this hour such a confrontation with Himself that we will take our
shoes from off our feet, like Joshua of old, and step into the shoes of "the
preparation of the gospel of peace." Only then shall God's people know how
to go forth against their Jerichos, with the trumpet blasts of the rams' horns,
and the Ark of His presence, and see the strongholds of the Enemy crumble
before Him.
The Church for many years now has wanted to be "caught up" to be with the
Lord in the air... but actually it has been a desire to escape from the Battle.
We know that Day is coming; and not only in our spirits, but in glorified and
resurrected bodies we shall be "caught up to be with the Lord in the air. And
so shall we ever be with the Lord." We earnestly anticipate that Day; but we
must continue to emphasize that this is to happen at the "last trump," and
not at the first, or the second one. First of all there is the Day of Battle; and
for that God has provided for His people NOT WINGS BUT ARMOR!
"The night is far spent,
The day is at hand:
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness,
And let us put on THE ARMOUR OF LIGHT"
(Rom. 13:12).
Any doctrine that says the Lord must delay His coming because certain
events have yet to take place, is not scriptural... for the "Coming" of the Lord
certainly involves many aspects of His appearing that are without warning,
without imminent signs, without universal recognition. We are not talking
about "Many Comings," for the Bible says He will "appear the SECOND
TIME"-- not a second, third, and fourth times. But we speak of aspects of His
Appearing. The same scripture that says He will appear "the second time"
also states that He has already appeared ONCE (Heb. 9:28). But in that
ONE appearing, were there not many, many aspects of His appearing? First
to Mary and Joseph; then to the shepherds; then to the faithful in the temple,
Simeon and Anna; then to the wise men from the East; then to John the
Baptist in the Jordan; and then to Peter and to the other apostles as God
granted revelation to "see" Him, and to "know" Him. And finally He was
"declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the
dead." But it was all ONE APPEARING. And so we are confident that in His
SECOND appearing there will be many aspects of it: as He comes suddenly
to His Temple to purge the sons of Levi, as He appears in refining fire, in
fullers' soap; as the wise virgins enter in behind closed doors, and the foolish
stand without knocking; as He appears to His own, "comes" and takes up
His abode in those who love Him, and have made for Him a habitation; as
He "comes" to the unrepentant in Ephesus and removes their candlestick; as
He "comes" to Pergamos to fight against them with the sword of His mouth;
and as He "comes" as a thief to Sardis and finds them unwatchful and
asleep. (See Mal. 3:1-2; Matt. 25:6-11; Jn. 14:21, 23; Rev. 2:5, 16, 3:3).
I know it would be nice if we could come up with a sound, scriptural schedule
for all the events that are to take place relative to the Second Coming; and
there are many who attempt to do that very thing. I personally would not
waste my time trying to do this; because I know there is only one way we are
going to be prepared for the Second Coming... and it is not by knowing the
time-table, but by being "watchful" and "sober." To such the Lord does not
appear as a "thief in the night." To all others He will, regardless of their
understanding of end-time events. (See 1 Thess. 5:4; Mark 13:35-37).
And so while many are hoping to be translated physically to heavenly places
to escape the Battle that lies before us, there is a holy, conquering remnant
who will "see" Him and "know" Him, and rise to "heavenly places" in the
Spirit to war a good warfare in the Day of the LORD, and emerge from the
Battle in total victory. There is absolutely nothing lacking in the "Armor of
Light" that we require for total conquest over the evil hosts of Satan. Notice
that when Paul tells us to put on the "whole armor" he specifically tells us
that it is for "THE EVIL DAY" (Eph. 6:13). Can you conceive of any day that
is more "evil" than this Day, this Day of His Appearing?
Most of our weaponry is defensive; because the Enemy can defeat us in our
own territory if we do not realize that WE ARE THE INHERITANCE that he
wants to keep for himself, and which God would overcome for Himself. We
are that battle-ground which the Enemy will continue to war; and God has
given us the battle-dress that we need to maintain our position in God's
righteousness, truth, and grace.
But we do have one "offensive" weapon... and one is all we need. How we
wish God's people could understand that! "The sword of the Spirit, which is
the Word of God..." And it is not the Bible, nor our many quotations of
Scripture that we toss about to prove our doctrines... IT IS THAT LIVING
WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE LORD AS A
SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD, that will slay and cut asunder, dividing soul
and spirit, and discerning, uncovering the thoughts and the intents of the
heart.
"God, hide us in Your mighty hand, that when You see fit to draw us forth in
the Day of Battle, You may be able to speak through us a quickened Word
that will strike unerringly in the hearts of Your people, and deal a death-blow
to the hosts of wickedness that are arrayed against Your Church."
Canaan, A Place Of Flowing Waters
"A good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring
out of valleys and hills" (Deut. 8:7).
God said He would bring us OUT to bring us IN. Out from the land of Egypt
where they had to water their land with their foot, with the crude irrigation
pumps they had in those days... pumping, pumping, pumping, and wearing
themselves out to get a trickle of water. "But the land, whither ye go to
possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of
heaven" (Deut. 11:11).
How we long for those days when the Spirit of God comes into our midst in
abundant fullness, and flows in our midst. Instead of God's ministers trying to
"pump" up a little water with the sweat of their brow. Better to have a little
trickle of water than none at all... Yes, that may be true; but Jesus has
promised us in the heritage of the Spirit, "Out of his innermost being shall
flow RIVERS OF LIVING WATER."
"I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert... to give
drink to my people, my chosen" (Isa. 43:19-20).
"I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I
will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water"
(Isa. 41:18).
"And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of
water..." (Isa. 35:7).
Canaan, A Place Of Fruitfulness
"A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a
land of oil olive, and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without
scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing." (Deut. 8:8-9).
Isaiah prophesied that when the Spirit was poured out upon God's people,
that "the wilderness" would be "a fruitful field, and the fruitful field" would be
"counted for a forest" (Isa. 32:15).
In Israel's feast days, when all the people were to come together to keep the
feasts of the LORD in their season, God promised: "They shall not appear
before the LORD empty" (Deut. 16:16). Every man would have something to
bring before the LORD, as God enabled. Let the ministers of the Lord
everywhere begin to so nurture the people of God that they shall have
something to bring to the House of God when they assemble together. You
wonder about the divisions and the schisms that are so prevalent in the
House of God? God says it is because there are members in the Body that
are considered to be "less honorable," and that as He bestows more
abundant honor upon them, the schism will disappear. (See 1 Cor. 12:23-
25). Keeping the people under control and in their place will sooner or later
lead to a "schism." But as God's people are fed and nourished, and
encouraged to function as a vital contributing member in the Body of Christ,
the schisms will disappear; because all the members will have mutual
concern one for the other. The day of Saul's over-lordship in the House of
God is coming to an end; and God is going to raise up a David-Shepherd
ministry that will feed His people with Truth and Knowledge, and make them
to be mighty in God:
"And he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the
house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them"
(Zech. 12:8).
True fruitfulness is not mere church activity and church involvement. It is a
life that has come into union with the Lord, and that delights the heart of the
Husbandman. Ephraim was that tribe in Israel that was to be especially
"fruitful." The word means "double fruitfulness." The anointed people, the
"double portion" people, are to be doubly fruitful unto the Lord. Joseph was
to have a double portion through Ephraim. (Manasseh was firstborn, but he
must give way to Ephraim, the second-born. Manasseh means "caused to
forget," and it is only as we are prepared to "forget those things which are
behind," the life of the desolate wilderness, that we are going to reach forth
unto those things which lie before.) Of Joseph it was said, "Joseph is a
fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the
wall" (Gen. 49:22). But God complained about Ephraim in later centuries,
"Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself..." (Hos. 10:1).
How many of God's people today, how many of His ministers, are bringing
forth fruit unto themselves? Very active, yes; very busy for God, yes; but like
Martha, "careful and troubled about many things" rather than the ONE
THING THAT IS NEEDFUL, to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear what He has
to say.
Then as we sit at His feet, and learn of Him... as our roots go down to the
waters of the well where we are planted... then will our branches go "over
the wall" for OTHERS. God will take care of that if we but abide faithful,
rooted and grounded in Him, who is the true spring of Life by which we are
planted.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is..." The apostle is about to name many kinds of
fruit, but it is all ONE FRUIT, and so he uses the singular verb ...
"The fruit of the Spirit IS:
Love, Joy, Peace,
Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness,
Faith[-fulness], Meekness, Temperance...
(Gal. 5:22-23).
All this is first and foremost for the delight and joy of the heart of the
Husbandman; but as it delights His heart, so will He long to share the fruit
He has found with others.
God has always desired the "firstfruits" for Himself. God was consistent in
this in His relationship with Israel. The "firstborn" was to be His. The
"firstfruits" were to be His. "My soul desired the firstripe fruit" (Mic. 7:1).
If we truly love God, then we will show our love to others; but God desires
that we give Him the firstfruits. He must have His portion before all others.
Jesus said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words" (John 14:23). We
cannot say, "Lord, I love you so much... I must go forth in ministry... I love
you so much .. I must preach, I must build churches, I must be a
missionary... I will give you my money..." These and many more acts of
service that we may come up with could proceed from the longing of our own
heart for some kind of gratification, some kind of fulfillment. True love will
say, "Lord, I love you so much I give you myself." And this could lead to
many different areas of outreach. But it could also lead to a life that is very
unobtrusive, insignificant, self-effacing, unrecognized in the affairs of men or
of the Church. You may never become "known" and "recognized" as having
any worth to God or to the world about you, but you will be known in
heavenly places. Your work may be considered of little or no value in the
eyes of men, and oftentimes in your own eyes, but it is something you must
do because of your love-relationship with the Lord, and it is of great value in
His sight. Your love for Him may bring you into areas of reproach and
criticism that may be difficult for you to bear. But if it is because you "love
HIM" and are "keeping His Word," then that fruit that you are bringing forth
unto Him is not the fruit of an empty vine, but a special kind of "firstfruits"
that brings great delight to His heart. In God's sight it is far more precious
than the "fruit" you endeavor to produce as you do your own thing, go your
own way, initiate your own plans, and bring forth some kind of a product that
is acceptable and pleasing to men, but disapproved of God.
Only those who themselves have learned the ways of God will approve of
the ways of those who walk in relationship with Him. We need to be
delivered from the inherent desire that is in all of us to be "approved of men".
Then as we are planted "by the Well," and confined within the Wall of His
Will, God in His own time and way will see to it that our branches "run over
the wall." These are the branches that bring forth fruit unto others. Others
will then eat of the fruit and rejoice in the strength and the life and the joy
that it brings to their hearts. Perhaps they do not know... perhaps they shall
never discover... that it is from the vine of Joseph they are eating, "whose
feet were hurt with fetters... whose soul was laid in iron." But God knows that
it was He who caused that wall to be built, and that He did it in order to shut
the man Joseph in unto Himself. And God Himself was the first to partake of
the pleasant fruit from the vine of Joseph. The fruit inside the wall was for
God alone. God delighted Himself in the fruit of Joseph's love, his patience,
his longsuffering, his faithfulness, his meekness, his gentleness, his
goodness, his self-control. And because these virtues caused His heart to
rejoice He said, "I must share this fruit with others... I must share this fruit
with the people of Egypt... I must share this fruit with the children of Israel."
But how can mortal man bring forth fruit to delight the heart of God? Only if
that fruit is from the Seed that came forth out of the heart of God Himself.
Only if it is the reproduction of the nature and likeness of God Himself. For
then it is not the work of Man but the "fruit of the Spirit." Mortal man is merely
the garden plot, only the dust of the ground, out of which God is able to bring
forth "Fruit after His kind."
Canaan, A Land Prepared
"Great and goodly cities, which thou buildest not, and houses full of all good
things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not,
vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not..." (Deut. 6:10-11).
Cities we do not build; storehouses we do not fill; wells we do not dig; and
vineyards we do not plant... because it is a PREPARED PLACE FOR A
PREPARED PEOPLE. Canaan is the realm of the Spirit; and it is here in the
wilderness areas of our lives, and in the lives of men, that God would bring
forth and manifest this fruitfulness. God will give our enemies no credit for
having built the cities, filled the storehouses, dug the wells, or planted the
vineyards. And when men say "It is good that there is evil in the world, and
God actually designed it for His glory," they are actually heaping
condemnation on themselves. Paul did teach that God was able to bring
forth GOOD out of EVIL, and some misconstrued this to mean, "It is good
that we have evil, so that God can be glorified." But Paul would not so much
as argue the point. He simply replied, "Their condemnation is just who say
such things" (Rom. 3:7-8). It is a perverted concept of God that says, "God
made the evil... God created the Devil just as he is... because He needed
such a one to fulfill His purposes." Paul refuses to even argue against such
perversion of Truth.
And so there are vast areas out there in the wilderness of life that are ready
and waiting for the people of God to subdue. And we are going to discover, if
we follow on in the ways of the Lord, that what the Enemy planned and
subdued for his own dominion and for his own glory, these areas are going
to be conquered and subdued for God. Men and women who hated God with
a passion are going to love Him with as great a passion. The bondage they
once knew in servitude to Satan will cease; and many who were captives
and slaves to Satan will become equally captivated and enslaved to the will
of God. Yet in partaking of this new kind of captivity, captivity unto their Lord
who redeemed them, they are going to discover true freedom, and true rest,
and true joy. For he who once enslaved them is master of lies and deceit and
murder and hate; whereas He who liberated them is Master of Truth, and
Faithfulness, and Life, and Love. Can we conceive of any higher form of
liberty and freedom than to be enslaved and made captive unto Him who is
TOTAL LOVE AND TOTAL TRUTH AND TOTAL LIFE? In vain are we going
to discover any kind of real liberation in coming to KNOW ourselves, and
exploring the hidden resources of our own talents, our own natural, soulish
natures. This kind of research and exploration merely increases the
bondage. And as we seek to explore our own hidden resources, our own
inward deity, all the while thinking to discover the key to life and freedom and
power, we are becoming more and more enslaved to the "Prince of
Darkness."
Do you want to find the true "key" to happiness and freedom? There is only
one way. Like the Hebrew servant of old, having served his time in bondage
and having been liberated according to the law of God, then out of love for
his master he came and submitted his ear to be pierced at the door-post of
his master's house, and saying through that act of committal to the one he
loved: "I love you so much, I want to be your bondservant forever... My true
freedom and joy is in serving you..."
Canaan, A Life Prepared
We mentioned that Canaan was a prepared place for a prepared people.
This is what the wilderness was all about: to prepare our hearts through
entanglements, through tasting of bitter waters, through knowing hunger and
thirst in a dry and barren place, through the purging of our desires... until we
come forth as the PREPARED PEOPLE for this PREPARED PLACE.
If Canaan speaks of a Land in the Spirit that has to be subdued for God,
then how can we expect to partake of it if our own lives are ruled by self and
the carnal nature? We must first allow the Lord to subdue our own
wilderness if we are going to subdue the hearts of men, and overthrow the
principalities and powers that dominate them, and bring them into the liberty
and the freedom of Christ. This is why the weapons of are warfare cannot in
any sense be earthly and carnal. This is why our weapons consist of such
virtues as Truth about our loins, Righteousness as a breastplate, the
preparation of the Gospel of Peace for our shoes, Faith as our shield,
Salvation as our helmet, the Word of God as our one and only offensive
weapon, and PRAYER--continuing prayer--that causes all these other
weapons to be effectual and mighty. Seven spiritual weapons to overcome
the seven powerful nations of Canaan! And Paul tells us that these are all
we need: he says our weapons constitute the "whole armor," a complete
battle-dress, with nothing lacking.
Many ministers will admit, "Yes, we need Truth and Righteousness and all
that"--but their thought is--"Let's get on with the Battle." They completely fail
to understand that there is no getting on with the Battle until these virtues
are wrought in the hearts of God's people. We hear much of the necessity of
"preaching the Gospel" and scarcely anything about the SHOES OF
PREPARATION. Unless our feet are shod with the shoes of preparation
there will be no effective Gospel preached to the nations. O, the gimmicks
that men in the Church have come up with to propagate the Gospel of Jesus
Christ! Drama, and musical entertainment, and dance troupes, mime and
make-believe and clowns... and the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
has become a sad, polluted mixture. But there is a people in the earth who
are putting on the Shoes of Preparation, and when they are sent forth into
the earth with the everlasting Gospel on their lips, they shall walk in the
prepared ways of the Lord, bringing deliverance to the captives.
The Walk in the Spirit is a walk in the Prepared Life. And when we know this
we are relieved of any responsibility as to the Way we are to take, or the
work that we are to accomplish. We must recognize this, and not seek in any
way to get involved with our own strategies, our own thoughts. The prophet
tells us that these are as far below God's thoughts, as the earth is below the
heavens. Paul tells us that the mind of the flesh is "enmity against God" and
that it is "not subject to the law of God." He tells us that the natural man
"receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God," that they are foolishness unto
him.
If we pursue the Life in the Spirit we are pursuing an unknown pathway. Yes,
some have travelled it before, but it remains an unknown pathway. I mean,
though we read about it and know about it, we must discover it for ourselves.
This is what we are to learn in our wilderness walk. It is a way that God
prepares in the entanglements of life. We cannot mark out for ourselves a
smooth and a plain pathway. But as we learn God's way in this realm, we are
going to find that God is by His Spirit seeking to lead us out of the old way of
life, and into a new prepared way of the Spirit. It is not in man to know it, or
to search it out...
"There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not
seen: the lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it..."
"Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the
living. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It
cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price
thereof..."
"Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of
the air..."
"Then did He see it, and declare it; HE PREPARED IT, yea, and SEARCHED
IT OUT..."
"And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to
depart from evil is understanding." (See Job 28:7-28).
It is a Way that God has PREPARED for them that fear Him... fear Him
enough that they will fear to go their own Way or do their own thing.
We come to God as helpless, hopeless sinners and find mercy, and He
sovereignly brings us into a realm of New Creation. And then it seems the
people of God are encouraged to go their way, and do the best they can with
God's help. But Paul exhorts us to walk by the rule of New Creation life. (See
Gal. 6:15-16). It is the Rule of the Cloud... the Law of the Spirit... a Law of
Life... and therefore it is not in the heart of man to comprehend or
understand it.
This was Nicodemus' problem. He was a man of great wisdom and
understanding as far as this world goes, and as far as the "Church" of his
day was concerned. He was a teacher in Israel; but Jesus would show him a
way into a totally new kind of life:
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but
canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is
born of the Spirit" (Jn. 3:8).
Evangelical Christianity has no problem with that. We know it means the
Spirit has moved upon our hearts very sovereignly we don't know how... and
brought us to new birth in a manner far beyond our ability to comprehend.
BUT WE MUST WALK BY THE SAME RULE! WE MUST LIVE BY THE
SAME LAW OF THE SPIRIT!
We do not know where the Spirit comes from and whither He would lead us.
O yes, we know He comes from the heart of God but here in our daily lives,
here in the Land that has to be subdued for God, we fail to recognize this
principle. We do not know the course that the Wind of His Spirit will take. We
do not know what He has planned and devised. We do not know whither He
would lead us. And this causes us to feel very insecure. We want a charted
course. But it is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye
hath not seen. And so we would yield so readily to the temptation to chart
our own course... or more likely still, to get involved with some kind of
religious structure that will do it for us. They are more experienced, so we
would find safety under their canopy, under their covering, under their
shelter. And so we read their history, how their movement started, and try
and convince ourselves that the goals which they hope to reach are valid
and scriptural. We think in this way we might discover "from whence the
Wind cometh... and whither it goeth." And this may give us a certain sense of
security and safety.
But the man of the Spirit Way cannot become fettered with rules and
regulations. He must walk in the Spirit. He must find himself in the Wind of
the Spirit... in the flow of the River of God. At first, like Ezekiel of old, he will
walk hesitatingly into the waters. It is a vast River, and he must tread
carefully. A step or two... Then he finds himself in water up to his ankles. The
stream is getting more forceful as he moves on, and fear grips his heart.
Now the water is up to his knees... now up to his loins. But still he hears the
words: "Keep walking... Keep coming to Me... Do not be afraid..." Suddenly
he finds he can no longer touch bottom; they are waters "to swim in" and he
is swept along in the current.
He has lost control! He is carried along in the current of the River of the
Spirit of God! He does not know whence it cometh, and whither it goeth!
But as he is carried along in the flow of the Spirit he begins to lose his fear.
He discovers that it is a River of Peace, and that all fears have been swept
away. For this River flows out from the heart of God, and will return to the
heart of God... and he will return with it. He has found all his springs are in
Zion. He has not yet seen the City, except by faith, like Abraham of old, who
saw it afar off: a City which has foundations, whose Builder and Maker is
God. But though he sees it not, he knows the River is flowing out from the
City, and unto the City.
Ezekiel lost his footings when he found "waters to swim in." And so it must
be with the people who come into the realm of the Spirit. No longer can we
calculate, and plan, and devise, and arrange, and order, and organize, and
control...
It is the Way of the Spirit! It is the Way of New Birth! It is the Way of the
Wind! We hear the "sound" and that is enough. We know the Voice, and the
Voice is assuring. We have not gone this Way before, but He has... and He
wants us to walk in the Way that He has prepared.
Do I sense a certain fear in hearts when I say the man of the Spirit has "lost
control"? I did not say he is out of control, or that he is not under control.
Rather, the Spirit of God is now in control. Is that to be considered
dangerous? Or would you feel a little more secure if your carnal mind were
to remain in control? Or is some religious organization was to remain in
control? Or if some outstanding apostle or prophet was to have the control?
There are so many in the religious world who feel comfortable and secure in
the systems of men, and they fear the unknown Way. But the people who
have committed their whole way of life to Him, and into the care of the Spirit
of our Lord Jesus, shall know the joy and the peace and the rest of the River
of God when the heavens and the earth are shaken, and when the
mountains are dissolved in the depths of the sea:
"Therefore will not we fear,
Though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried
Into the midst of the sea...
There is a River,
The streams whereof shall make glad
The City of God,
The holy place of the tabernacles
Of the Most High"
(Ps. 46:2-4).
We do not understand all the implications of this. But we do know that when
the heavens and the earth are shaken, and the mountains are dissolved in
the sea... whether by the devices of men or by the fire of God... there is
going to be a people flowing in the River of God, making glad His City, "the
Holy Place of the Tabernacles of the Most High."
There is a spirit that controls the course of this world. It is the spirit of Satan,
"the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in [activates,
energizes] the children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2). He has succeeded in
totally captivating the spirits and souls and bodies of men and women,
making them to be the "bondslaves of sin" (Rom. 6:17). They think they are
FREE but they are not. They are prisoners to the spirit of the world and of
Satan. They are totally under his control. Only the Light of the Gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ can set them free.
Let us fear that kind of control; and having been delivered from it, let us
"stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set us free."
But never let us fear to be caught in the flow of His cleansing, purifying, life-
giving River; for it is the River of God, the River of Truth, the River of
Freedom, the River of Joy, the River of Wisdom, the River of Knowledge, the
River of Life, the River of Love that flows ceaselessly from the heart of God
and through the Land of our Inheritance! &
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