There
is a terrific operation of the Spirit going on today to
bring the Sons of God into an absolute confinement to
the perfect will of God. This is the Day of His
Preparation, the day in which He is preparing the
channel through which He shall pour forth His Glory for
all the world to see. This channel is His Body in the
earth, that glorious company of people who are being
conformed through much tribulation and fiery tests to
the Image of the Son of God. This is His "battle
axe and weapons of war" with which He shall subdue
kingdoms and overcome all His enemies. This is His
"mighty and strong One" to whom He shall
commit the work of judging this world. This is His
Over-comer, His "Great army" with which He
shall bring the nations into submission. The weapons of
their warfare are not carnal, natural weapons, but they
are mighty weapons, mighty through God to the pulling
down of strongholds. These are those who shall "be
strong and do exploits."
But before God can commit
this great and tremendous ministry into their hands,
they must submit themselves to the discipline of the
Lord, letting Him truly be the Lord of their entire
lives. We have long since dealt with the question of
open sin, but now God is dealing with the inward
rebellion of our own wills. Some good Christians are
not now being so dealt with, for they are not in this
Firstfruits Company, but nevertheless there is a real
dealing of God going on within those who are called
into the High Calling of God. This is a very real
thing, and is the work of the Refiner’s Fire. To
those who are going through it, some of its aspects
are horrible, but very necessary, and the end result
thereof is glorious as we are brought into absolute
and complete submission to the will of our Lord.
It was in a minister’s
conference and convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma that God
gave me a vision which I want to share with you
concerning this harnessing of our own wills. There
were more than 30 ministers present in this particular
Thursday morning service, and God, the Father of
spirits, was present to deal with His sons, to correct
them and discipline them to absolute obedience to His
will. There was such a stern dealing in the Spirit
that no one could go to the pulpit and minister, there
was a reluctance among the ministers to say anything
except that which was directly ordered by the Spirit.
And as those men of God sat there in the awesome
presence of Almighty God, some of them having many
years of ministry, some missionaries, all of them
capable of getting up and preaching a powerful sermon,
I was impressed by the way they responded to the
discipline of the Spirit. And in the midst of this
terrific dealing of God with out spirits, the Holy
Ghost gave me a vision…
I
Saw the King’s Carriage
On
a dirt road in the middle of a wide field stood a
beautiful carriage, something on the order of a
stagecoach, but all edged in god, and with beautiful
carvings. It was pulled by six large chestnut horses,
two in the lead, two in the middle and two in the
rear. But they were not moving, they were not pulling
the carriage, and I wondered why. Then I saw the
driver underneath the carriage, on the ground on his
back, just behind the last two horses’ heels,
working on something between the front wheels of the
carriage. I though, "My, he is in a dangerous
place; for if one of those horses kicked or stepped
back, they could kill him, or if they decided to go
forward, or got frightened somehow, they would pull
the carriage right over him." But he didn’t
seem afraid, for he knew that those horses were
disciplined and would not move till he told them to
move. The horses were not stamping their feet nor
acting restless, and though there were bells on their
feet, the bells were not tinkling. There were pom-poms
on their harness over their heads, but the pom-poms
were not moving. They were simply standing still and
quiet, waiting for the voice of the Master.
There
were Two Young Colts in the Field
As
I watched the harnessed horses, I noticed two young
colts coming out of the open field, and they
approached the carriage and seemed to say to the
horses: "Come and play with us, we have many fine
games, we will race with you, come catch us…"
And with that the colts kicked up their heels, flicked
their tails and raced across the open field. But when
they looked back and saw the horses were not
following, they were puzzled. They knew nothing of
harnesses, and could not understand why the horses did
not want to play. So they called to them: "Why do
you not race with us? Are you tired? Are you too weak?
Do you not have strength to run? You are much too
solemn, you need more joy in life." But the
horses answered not a word, nor did they stamp their
feet or toss their heads. But they stood, quiet and
still, waiting for the voice of the Master.
Again the colts called to
them: "Why do you stand so in the hot sun? Come
over here in the shade of this nice tree. See how
green the grass is? You must be hungry, come and feed
with us, it is so green and so good. You look thirsty,
come drink of one of our many streams of cool clear
water." But the horses answered them with not so
much as a glance, but stood still, waiting for the
command to go forward with the King.
Colts
in the Master’s Corral
And
then the scene changed, and I saw lariat nooses fall
around the necks of the two colts, and they were led
off to the Master’s corral for training and
discipline. How sad they were as the lovely green
fields disappeared, and they were put into the
confinement of the Corral with its brown dirt and high
fence. The colts ran from fence to fence, seeking
freedom, but found that they were confined to this
place of training. And then the Trainer began to work
on them, with his Whip and His Bridle. What a death
for those who had been all their lives accustomed to
such a freedom! They could not understand the reason
for this torture, this terrible discipline. What great
crime had they done to deserve this? Little did they
know of the responsibility that was to be theirs when
they had submitted to the discipline, learned to
perfectly obey the Master, and finished their
training. All they knew was that this processing was
the most horrible thing they had ever known.
Submission
and Rebellion
One
of the colts rebelled under the training, and said,
"This is not for me. I like my freedom, my green
hills, my flowing streams of fresh water. I will not
take any more of this confinement, this terrible
training." So he found a way out, jumped the
fence and ran happily back to the meadows of grass.
And I was astonished that the Master let him go, and
went not after him. But He devoted His attention to
the remaining colt. This colt, though he had the same
opportunity to escape, decided to submit his own will,
and learn the ways of the Master. And the training got
harder than ever, but he was rapidly learning more and
more how to obey the slightest wish of the Master, and
to respond to even the quietness of His voice. And I
saw that had there been no training, no testing, there
would have been neither submission nor rebellion from
either of the colts. For in the field they did not
have the choice to rebel or submit, they were sinless
in their innocence. But when brought to the place of
testing and training and discipline, then was made
manifest the obedience of one and the rebellion that
lay hidden in the heart of the other. And though it
seemed safer not to come to the place of discipline
because of the risk of being found rebellious, yet I
saw that without this there could be no sharing of His
glory, no Sonship.
Into
the Harness
Finally
this period of training was over. Was he now rewarded
with his freedom, and sent back to the fields? Oh no.
But a greater confinement than ever now took place, as
a harness dropped about his shoulders. Now he found
there was not even the freedom to run about the small
corral, for in the harness he could only move where
and when his Master spoke. And unless the Master
spoke, he stood still.
The scene changed, and I
saw the other colt standing on the side of a hill,
nibbling at some grass. Then across the fields, down
the road came the King’s carriage, drawn by six
horses. With amazement he saw that in the lead, on the
right side, was his brother colt, now made strong and
mature on the good corn in the Master’s stable. He
saw the lovely pom-poms shaking in the wind, noticed
the glittering gold bordered harness about his
brother, heard the beautiful tinkling of the bells on
his feet… and envy came into his heart. Thus he
complained to himself: "Why has my brother been
so honored, and I am neglected? They have not put
bells on my feet, nor pom-poms on my head. The Master
has not given me the wonderful responsibility of
pulling His carriage, nor put about me the golden
harness. Why have they chosen my brother instead of
me?" And by the Spirit the answer came back to me
as I watched. "Because one submitted to the will
and discipline of the Master, and one rebelled, thus
has one been chosen and the other set aside."
A
Famine in the Land
Then
I saw a great drought sweep across the countryside,
and the green grass became dead, dry, brown and
brittle. The little streams of water dried up, stopped
flowing, and there was only a small muddy puddle here
and there. I saw the little colt (I was amazed that it
never seemed to grow or mature) as he ran here and
there, across the fields looking for fresh streams and
green pastures, finding none. Still he ran, seemingly
in circles, always looking for something to feed his
famished spirit. But there was a famine in the land,
and the rich green pastures and flowing streams of
yesterday were not to be had. And one day the colt
stood on the hillside on weak and wobbly legs,
wondering where to go next to find food, and how to
get strength to go. Seemed like there was no use, for
good food and flowing streams were a thing of the
past, and all the efforts to find more only taxed his
waning strength. Suddenly he saw the King’s carriage
coming down the road, pulled by six great horses. And
he saw his brother, fat and strong, muscles rippling,
sleek and beautiful with much grooming. His heart was
amazed and perplexed, and he cried out: "My
brother, where do you find the food to keep you strong
and fat in these days of famine? I have run everywhere
in my freedom, searching for food, and I find none.
Where do you, in your awful confinement, find food in
this time of drought? Tell me, please, for I must
know!" And then the answer came back from a voice
filled with victory and praise: "In my Master’s
House, there is a secret place in the confining
limitations of His stables where He feeds me by His
own hand, and His granaries never run empty, and His
well never runs dry." And with this the Lord made
me to know that in the day when people are weak and
famished in their spirits in the time of spiritual
famine, that those who have lost their own wills, and
have come into the secret place of the most High, into
the utter confinement of His perfect will, shall have
plenty of the corn of Heaven, and a never ending flow
of fresh streams of revelation by His Spirit. Thus the
vision ended.
Interpretation
of the Vision
"Write
the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may
run that readeth it (Habakkuk 2:2)."
"Harness the horses: and get up, ye horsemen
(Jeremiah 46:4)." I’m sure that many of you who
can hear what the Spirit saith to the Church, have
already seen what God was showing in the vision. But
let me make it plain. Being born into the Family of
God, feeding in the green pastures and drinking of the
many streams of the unfolding revelation of His
purposes is fine and wonderful. But it is not enough.
While we were children, young, undisciplined, limited
only by the outer fence of the Law that ran around the
limits of the pastures (that kept us from getting into
the dark pastures of poison weeds), He was content to
watch us develop and grow into young manhood,
spiritually speaking. But the time came to those who
fed in His pastures, and drank at His streams, when
they were to be brought into discipline or
"child-training" for the purpose of making
them mature Sons. Many of the children today cannot
understand why some of those who have put on the
harness of God cannot get excited by the many
religious games and the playful antics of the
immature. They wonder why the disciplined ones run not
after every new revelation or feed on every
opportunity to engage in seemingly "good and
profitable" religious activities. They wonder why
some will not race with them in their frantic efforts
to build great works and great and notable ministries.
They cannot understand the simple fact that this
Company of saints is waiting for the voice of the
Master, and they do not hear God in all this outward
activity. They will move in their time, when the
Master speaks. But not before, though many temptations
come from the playful colts. And the colts cannot
understand why those who seemingly appear to have
great abilities and strength are not putting it to
good use. "Get the carriage on the road,"
they say, but the disciplined ones, those in God’s
harness, know better than to move before they hear the
voice of the Master. They will move in their time,
with great purpose, and great responsibility.
And the Lord made me to
know that there were many whom He had brought into
training who had rebelled against the discipline, the
chastising of the Father. And they could not be
trusted with the great responsibility of mature
Son-ship, so he let them go back to their freedom,
back to their religious activities and revelations and
gifts. They are still His people, still feeding in His
pastures, but He has set them aside from the great
purposes for the end of the age. So they revel in
their freedom, feeling that they are the Chosen ones
with the many streams of living water, not knowing
that they have been set aside as unfit for His great
work in this end of the Age.
And He showed me that
though the chastising seemeth grievous for the time,
and the discipline hard to endure, yet the result with
all the glory of Son-ship is worth it all, and the
glory to follow far exceeds the suffering we endure.
And though some lose even their lives in this
training, yet they will share alike in the glory of
His eternal purposes. So faint not, saints of God, for
it is the Lord that doth bring thee into confinement,
and not thine enemy. It is for thy good, and for His
glory, so endure all things with praises and
thanksgiving that He hath counted thee worthy to share
His glory! Fear thou not the whip in His hand, for it
is not to punish thee, but to correct and train thee,
that thou mightest come into submission to His will,
and be found in His likeness in that Hour. Rejoice
thou in thy trials, in all thy tribulations, and glory
thou in His cross, and in the confining limitations of
His harness, for He hath chosen thee, and He hath
taken upon Himself the responsibility of keeping thee
strong and well fed, so lean thou upon Him, and trust
not in thin own ability and thine own understanding.
So shalt thou be fed, and His hand shall be upon thee,
and His glory shall overshadow thee and shall flow
through thee as it goes forth to cover the earth.
Glory to God! Bless the Lord, He’s wonderful! Let
Him be Lord of your life, friends, and complain not at
that which He bringeth to pass in your life.
Plenty
in the Time of Famine
For
in the hour when famine sweeps the land, He shall feed
by His own hand those who are submitted to His perfect
will, and who dwell in the secret place of the Most
High. When terror stalks the land, those in His
harness hall not be afraid, for they shall feel His
bit and bridle and know the guidance of His Spirit.
When others are weak and frail and fearful, there
shall be those who shall be strong in the power of His
might, and shall lack for no good thing. In the hour
when the traditions of the religious systems have
proven false, and their streams have dried up, then
His Chosen ones shall speak forth with the true Word
of the Lord. So rejoice, Sons of God, that you have
been chosen by His grace for this great work in this
last hour.
The fence which kept the
colts in their own meadows and their own pastures mean
nothing to the team in the harness, for the gates open
to them, and they go forth pulling the king’s
carriage into many strange and wonderful places. They
do not stop to eat the poison weeds of sin, for they
feed only in the Master’s stable. These fields they
trample under their feet as they go forth on the
King’s business. And so to those who are brought
into absolute subjection to His will, there is no Law.
For they move in the Grace of God, led only by His
Spirit where all things are lawful but not all things
are expedient. This is a dangerous realm for the
undisciplined, and many have perished in sin as they
leaped over the fence without His harness and His
bridle. Some have though of themselves as being
completely harnessed and submissive to Him, only to
find that in some avenue of their life there dwelled
rebellion and self-will. Let us wait before Him until
He puts His noose around us and draws us to His place
of training. And let us learn of the dealings of God
and the movings of His Spirit until at last we feel
His harness drop about us, and hear His voice guiding
us. Then there is safety from the traps and pitfalls
of sin, and then shall we abide in His house forever!
