Kamis, 31 Desember 2009

Our Prayer for Thailand.


zoe ministries

GL Garden 01-21-02, Solok Paya Terubong 8, 11060 Penang, Malaysia

House Phone: 604-8277554 Hand Phone: 60165318276.

Email: cvs3zoe@yahoo.com

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,



Our Prayer for Thailand.



Father we ask of your forgiveness first of all -as Thai Christians we have failed to impact the nation as salt and light. We the church leaders have followed the way of the devil and seek to control and manipulate the congregations. Instead of setting an example through our life and word we have like the Pharisees oppressed our congregations with our religious systems. Like the devil we have divided the people and ruled the people. We have been violent and lawless with our congregations. Instead of feeding them with the pure word of God and giving them the liberty that comes from the true unpolluted word of God, we have poisoned them with corrupted messages, men pleasing messages and instead of feeding them and caring for them we have slaughtered them and fed upon them and fattened ourselves. Please forgive us Oh Lord. We have committed adultery with them and wounded them and destroyed their lives instead of speaking the truth and bringing healing upon them.

Our Father forgive us, Thai Christians who have been selfish instead of being selfless. We have sinned against you and your body. We are so divided Oh Lord and yet very proud that we are doing ok. Please forgive us Oh Lord. We are racialist. Tribes are divided; the rich and poor are divided. We think we are better than the other tribes and we use their bodies to make money for Thailand. We too are part of this evil Lord. Because we have not prayed for the prostitutes, we have not cared for them we have not become a voice for them and we have ignored them. And we did all this because we feared man more then you. Please forgive us Oh Father. Shine your light into our hearts and cause darkness in us to flee. Lord forgive us, instead of worshipping you we have worshipped our pastors and Church leaders. Instead of praying for them and protecting them from the evil one we have idolized them and worshipped them. Instead of correcting them and standing alongside them to restore them when they have sinned, we pretended and we ignored their sin because we feared man more than you Father. Father, we do want to see Thailand to be changed from an idolatrous, immoral, corrupted, lawless, murderous and violent nation to be a HOLY ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. A NATION that WILL DECLARE YOUR PRAISES AND DO YOUR PERFECT WILL and BECOME A BLESSING TO THE NATIONS.

We do want to become more and more like Jesus. To live like Jesus and serve like Jesus. To be a God pleaser then to be a man pleaser. We do want to lay down our lives for Thailand. Help us Oh GOD as we humble ourselves before you. In Jesus Name.



FOR THAILAND [standing in the gap]



Christopher and Vijaya.K

31/12/2009

Selasa, 29 Desember 2009

Get The Fire Raging


Get The Fire Raging

Consider a fire says the Lord. How much does it take to cause it to rage out of control? It takes just a spark and the right environment and before you know it, it has spread beyond anything that is containable. So is it with my spirit says the Lord. You have sought me to stir up the fire inside of you. At times you have felt dead and wondered even if I am near to you.

You have cried out to me so that you could feel my power again. But my child it only takes a spark of my presence to cause the fire to rage again. Do you not realize that deep inside of your spirit I have already put this spark? Only stop for a moment and realize that I have already put that flame in you since the day you were born again. I have put a desire inside of you to serve me. I have put a fire inside of you to make a difference. I have put a fire inside of you to change your circumstances.

If you will stop for a moment and just remember this small flame that already burns inside of you, you will start to see a massive difference in your life. Do you not feel my presence even now? I am right by you, calling to you and stirring up things inside of you that you thought were dead. Put aside the failures and disappointments of the past and look only to my promises. Look only at the desire that I put inside of you from the beginning.

As you do this, the small desire inside of you will begin to grow. I will blow my wind on it. What started as a small hope and vision will suddenly burst full flame into a grand hope and vision. I have not forsaken you child. I have been there all along. Glowing quietly inside of you. Tap once again into that desire and hope and soon you will see a massive change in your life and in your passion to serve me says the Lord.

PREACHING OF PAUL WASHER

WE can learn something from Paul Washer preaching

Selasa, 22 Desember 2009

"THE 5 KEYS TO DISCERNMENT"


"THE 5 KEYS TO DISCERNMENT"

-by Andrew Strom.

Practical tips for the End-time church.

Some people say that knowing Scripture is the only real key to discernment that we need. And yes - Scripture is very important - especially in exposing false doctrine. But it is not only doctrines or teachings that are the greatest danger today. It is just as likely to be false 'anointings' or spirits - perhaps even "lying signs and wonders". And we may need more than just a good understanding of Scripture to spot these things. Remember, a lot of the people caught up in the "manifestations mania" that we described in the last chapter actually know their Bible quite well. And yet they could still be deceived. So what are the things that can help us avoid deception in similar situations?

Some of the most basic keys to discernment that God has shown me are as follows:
(1) Know your HOLY GOD intimately. (When you have seen His glory, His holiness and His love - by drawing close to Him in prayer - then you can usually see through any counterfeits because you know the "real thing" so well).
(2) Know your Bible. It is very important to be able to spot teachings that are either extra-biblical or directly opposed to what the Scriptures teach. However, it is important to remember that the Scribes and Pharisees were extrememly learned in the Scriptures and yet they missed the very Messiah that was prophesied! So knowing the Bible is important - especially for doctrinal issues - but we need to be able to "discern the spirits" also.
(3) Be a "lover of truth". This is very crucial. Are you someone who will actually stand up for Truth - even against the crowd? Or do you remain silent even when you are convinced something is very wrong?
(4) Purity of heart and Humility. Many deceptions only appeal to us because there is something inside us that "wants" to believe them. They are seductive because of darkness and wrong motives in our own lives. We must search our hearts and root these out.
(5) The 'inner witness' of the Holy Spirit. We must learn to never over-ride this "still small voice", as it will save us from deception again and again. (More on this below).

Did you know that even an unbeliever can often spot a con-man or a snake-oil salesman? They get a kind-of "gut feeling" about such things. And they are often right! In fact, they are often less gullible than the Christians! (Because we are told in the church- "Do not judge", 'Touch not the Lord's anointed', "You have a critical spirit if you do not join in", etc, etc. This is the very reason why Christians are often the most gullible and easily deceived). We need to realize that the Bible says to "test the spirits" and warns very strongly that the Last Days will be a time of "seducing spirits" and great deception. So how can we become more alert to these things?

I believe that God has placed within every human being at least a measure of an inner "warning system" to protect us from being easily deceived - just as He has given us all a conscience. It is something that He has built into every one of us, in His mercy. (I guess a lot of it is simply 'common sense'). However, Christians should have an even greater advantage in this area, because we have the "inner witness" of the Holy Spirit, and the 'still small voice' of the Lord speaking to us every day.

But what I have found again and again with people who give themselves over to some form of deception is that they often "override" these inner alarms. They go against their 'better judgment'. They ignore the little voice deep inside them that is telling them that there is something wrong. Christians today do this all the time. That is how they get themselves involved in such foolish deceptions.

This may all sound very obvious, but I am telling you, this one basic area alone could wipe out half the deception in the church right now. If only people would listen to these internal 'alarm bells' and act with common sense, half of it would be gone overnight.

The Bible is very clear that the Last Days are a time of such widespread deception that it would "deceive if possible the very elect". It also shows that much of this deception will arise from WITHIN the church - luring believers who have "itching ears". Do we see evidence of this kind of thing taking place today? Absolutely! In fact, some of it is at a level that is truly shocking. And yet it is all accepted as perfectly "normal" by many Christians.

One of the problems, of course, is that those who bring in these deceptions are 'trusted' by the congregation. They have a reputation and they put across some very convincing-sounding arguments and surround the whole thing with Biblical terminology. And thus the deception is harder to spot. (After all, if it were not "deceptive" then it would not be called 'deception'!) People see spiritual power operating and assume that it "must be God". But this is a very dangerous assumption to make in these days.

As I said in a previous chapter, there is also a lot of "peer pressure" involved as well. For if everyone in the church is getting into something, then shouldn't you just ignore those little 'alarm bells' and jump right in? This is what is happening all the time in the church right now. And some preachers are very good at making people feel that they are 'hindering the Spirit' if they do not get involved.

So how do you avoid being deceived in this way?

Very simply, you do not go along to these meetings in a "gullible" frame of mind. And you do not allow yourself to be carried along with the crowd. You listen carefully to the preaching and make sure that it truly is Biblical. Then you watch the ministry happening down the front of the meeting and discern whether it really is of God or not. You do not "override" any feelings of unease or any 'alarm bells' going off inside you. And you do not allow yourself to be swayed by 'peer pressure'. Even if the whole church is getting into something, it does not mean that you have to. If you do not feel quite "right" about it then DO NOT GET INVOLVED. If you need to, make some excuse and get out of there! You do not have to get involved in things that do not feel spiritually "right" to you.

A lot of people today will go to the front to get something "imparted" to them by almost every visiting speaker - almost as a matter of course. I tell you, in today's climate this can be a very dangerous thing to do. In fact, some of this 'impartation' business has very flimsy backing in Scripture. Who knows what on earth these preachers are imparting? And who knows where they picked it up? I tell you, deceiving spirits are commonplace today, and I believe they are being imparted to Christians on a large scale.

Let me give you an example. I received the following account from a preacher in England not too long ago: "There were about 20 fellow ministers all gathered together in one large room at a local minister's house. We were introduced to the special guest... The next 3 hours were the weirdest three hours I have ever had to endure. We started listening to [her] testimony which seemed very powerful, next she spoke of the times that she meets with the Angel Gabriel and other spiritual beings, next we moved on to portals between this world and the next and then finally to how she was going to open up a portal to Heaven in the room that we were all in. Now things started to happen, really crazy things and strange noises... As [she] moved around the room ministering to individual people they were crashing to the ground, bouncing up and down, running around as if on fire and making all sorts of sounds. When she came to me she had no prophetic words for me and nothing happened to me so she just moved on. My Vineyard friend was the first to crash to the floor. Since that day his church has taken on a different guise, it is not the same church any more."

Now, you should know that this 'guest speaker' is a woman who is very high up in the Prophetic Movement - well known and highly regarded (except by people with discernment). This is typical of the kind of thing that happens in a lot of the more "powerful" prophetic meetings today. People are so desperate for a 'touch' or a spiritual experience that they will fall for anything. I myself have been in one of her meetings and what I saw was people making involuntary "bat"-like movements all over the building and an eery 'wailing' noise filling the air. It was truly awful.

Now, it should not surprise us that there are strong deceptions or "powerful delusions" around today, for this is exactly what the Scriptures predict will happen. All the way through the New Testament we are warned of these days - over and over again.

However, one of the problems we have is that God actually does 'strange and unusual' things Himself. (Especially in Revivals). So we cannot simply throw out everything unusual. Just think about the Book of Acts for a moment. Not only are there healings and miracles and demons being cast out right through the whole book, but there are also occasionally angels appearing with instructions from the Lord, and an abundance of dreams, visions and prophecies, etc. So we see that God is definitely a SUPERNATURAL GOD. He does "unusual" things. Angelic visitations DO HAPPEN. Prophetic signs DO OCCUR. But please notice that all of these things have a certain holy "character" about them. And that is the key right there. They have a holy character, because they come from a holy God.

Being a strong Pentecostal-type Christian myself, I expect to see believers speaking in tongues and moving in the gifts of the Holy Spirit - just like in the New Testament. But as I stated earlier, God never goes against His own holy character. Or against Scripture. And as I often say, we may see Him do 'unusual' things but I believe we need to draw the line at "weird" or ugly. Some of the deception that is around right now has a 'touchy-feely' New Age sense about it. Remember that the New Age movement majors on "inner healing" and unusual spiritual experiences. I do not believe in 'guided visualisation' or anything of that kind. And neither am I very fond of the writings of Catholic mystics or the like.

However, I have personally found it very helpful to immerse myself in the writings of past Revivalists and the accounts of great moves of God. A lot of the men and women involved in these Revivals lived very close to God and knew Him intimately. They knew His holiness, they knew His glory, and they knew His love. And it is enormously helpful to one's discernment to immerse oneself in these writings, I have found. I would recommend this to all Christians everywhere.

If you have been touched or involved in any way with manifestations or experiences that you think may not have been from God, then I urge you to utterly RENOUNCE (with your mouth, but also from the depths of your very being in Jesus' name) any links or involvement with that experience or 'anointing'. Please do not put this off, my friends. Some of this stuff is extremely dangerous. RENOUNCE it today.

I hope this article has been of some practical help.

God bless you all!

Kindest regards in Christ,

Andrew Strom.

Minggu, 13 Desember 2009

Concerning the Church and its mandate on planet earth!


Concerning the Church and its mandate on planet earth!



In this age of the internet and with such powerful online communities as we find on facebook, there is the tendency to consider the “Church” as dead! This tendency is largely borne out of how Satan has skilfully engineered in the mind of some teachers, a misconception of what the Church is.



The Church is not and can never be the building, contrary to what religious folks would have us believe. The Church is also not the denomination, contrary to what religious leaders think. Denominations have in the last 100 years or so done more harm than good. They have been built on strife, competition and a wrong emphasis on dogma of men as opposed to the clear word of God. Each denomination is flawed because their very existence is proof of the triumph of humanism. Above all, denominations divide the Body of Christ and make John 17 of none effect!



The Church is not physical. It is an invisible spiritual entity far beyond the imagination of mere mortals. The Church is the Body of Christ, the Habitation of God by the Spirit. The Church of Jesus Christ is not an “I” but a “We” concept. It is not a “mine” but an “Our” concept. Unfortunately for those who proclaim that it is dead, The Church cannot die. It came into being on the sure foundation of the Blood that its Head and Saviour Jesus Christ shed at the Cross of Calvary.



Jesus did not just come to redeem the individual penitent sinner. He also came to announce the Kingdom of God and call out a people peculiar unto Himself who would be His Church and Body on Planet Earth, through whom He will be made manifest. The Church is to be His witness until He returns. Some of the ordinances He decreed for His Church - including baptism, washing of feet and breaking of bread/ communion were designed to keep this truth in focus.



Psalms 42:1-2 describes the heart of Christians who yearns for more of God and Matthew 5:6 speak of the readiness of God to fill up such a heart! You have every cause therefore to expect, in faith, that the Lord will satisfy the yearnings of your soul. Hebrews 10:24,25 offers strong reasons why every one who is redeemed by the blood should be open to the specific leading of the Holy Spirit to be part of a local assembly.



It is necessary to state, clearly, that the Local Assembly is not The Church. It is but a local expression of an invisible, universal entity!

The Local Assembly God will place you in however, cannot be a religious corporation or family owned religious empire. God will never place you in a spiritual dead end where your gifts and callings will atrophy. God will not place you in a religious environment where you are put down and discriminated against because you happen to be a woman or of a particular racial or ethnic stock. He will not put you in a place where you are discriminated against because of your lower income or educational qualifications.



God will not force you to consult Him before you take up membership of a Local Assembly. He will not force you to leave the Assembly if all that they do are contrary to His laws. God will not force Himself on you. God will respect your capacity to choose for yourself, if you decide that His opinion does not count. God has a perfect will for you in everything concerning your life.



If God cares for who you marry and what career to pursue, shall God nor much more have a perfect will in where you receive spiritual nourishment to be all that He created and redeemed you to be? If the Word of God clearly articulates why you should not live in isolation but be joined to a local expression of His universal Church, it makes sense that God will have you fellowship where He is worshipped in Spirit and Truth.



It makes sense that God will join you to a group, not on the basis of your personal preference or the charismatic nature of the preacher. He will NEVER place you where you are a spectator, perpetually warming the pews. He will not join you to a place where your money or intellectual brilliance or contacts/social reach will enhance their stature!



God will join you to where you will be a specific functioning part. You are a spiritual asset that is loaded with capacity to make a difference in the life of others. You are created and redeemed to also receive constant spiritual nourishment in your spirit and soul and from other brethren who are in fellowship with you.



The local assembly is still a necessary part of God’s plan for His Church and the Kingdom. However, because of the massive corruption that strange doctrines and practices have inflicted on the Church, the Lord has ordained three experiences designed to renew and revitalize the Church. These are Reformation, Restoration and Revival. The Lord will be bringing forth expositions on what these three words mean and why those experiences are so necessary.



God is raising a breed of true saints who realize that the Kingdom of God they receive in their hearts and its lifestyle they subscribe to makes it impossible for them to live with closed minds which is what denominationalism requires. These are saints who realize that the Church of Jesus Christ is one and that He calls all of us, in the light of the truths of Galatians 3: 13 - 29 to live diffferently. These saints realize that every blood washed fellow is our brother and sister and we owe them the same obligations demanded by God.



Yet these brethren do not seperate themselves and live in isolation. No, they are going back to the bible to discover and apply ALL the express provisions in the master plan God gave for building His Body on earth. They do not want to take chances to build with combustible substances. As we commune, there are many places and groups of people across the world where these experiences are already happening and the power of the Church is being demonstrated again.



This week therefore, we will be open to the Holy Spirit to present through the Holy Bible a further revelation of what the Church is, its mandate and its relationship with the Kingdom of God. We will see the lifespan of the Church vis a vis the Kingdom of God, the Powers of the Church and its authority.



We will see clearly why Satan hates the Church with perfect hatred and why He will do any and everything to discredit and bring the Church to opprobrium. We will also see the extent of the dangerous rift he is engineering within the Church just to dissipate her strength and make the Church incapable of engaging with and overcoming his schemes.



Scriptures to reflect on throughout the week: John 13:34,35; John 17; Acts 1: 1-8; Acts chapter 2; Acts 6:1 -7; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 3:1 - 16; 1 Corinthians Chapters 12,13,14; Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians chapters 4 and 5; 1 Peter 4: 8 – 11; Hebrews 10:23 - 25.

APOSTLE GEORGE.

Senin, 07 Desember 2009

zoe ministries


zoe ministries

GL Garden 01-21-02 , Solok Paya Terubong 8, 11060 Penang , Malaysia

House Phone: 604-8277554 Hand Phone: 60165318276. Email: cvs3zoe@yahoo.com

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,



Dear Friends and Partners,

We greet you in Jesus name. We thank God for this year that is about to come to an end. We thank Him for HIS Provision, Protection and Power. We thank HIM for leading us this far through HIS GRACE and MERCY. We thank God for you who have stood alongside us faithfully praying for us and encouraging us and helping us to fulfil HIS DESIRE that is to make disciples of the Nations.

As we approach this New Year we desire to see GOD increase in us even more and in everything we do.

Please continue to stand with us and pray for the coming ministries

2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 (NKJV) Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.



Jan 2010



India –Kochi 12/1/2010 to 22/1/2010 [Highland Immanuel Fellowship (Ps. Arun Ramakrishna)]



Feb 2010



UAE –Abu Dhabi and Dhubai 15/2/2010 to 26/2/2010 [being arranged]



March 2010



Thailand –Bangkok, Chieng Mai, Nakhon Thai …. 21/3/2010 to 1/4/2010



April 2010



Philippines –Mallolos 5/4/2010 to 9/4/2010



July 2010



Indonesia



September 2010



India –Kerala, Tamil Nadu



Friends, we are a faith ministry and when you are lead by God to give towards our living and ministry, please direct it to



KRISHNASAMY A/L RAMASAMY

I/C Number -540303-07-5307



May Bank account number : 107125195025



Home Branch number 07125 -KAMPONG BHARU



Swift Code: MBBEMYKL



Or



KASIKORNBANK

Account number: 548-2-01969-4



Become a blessing to the nations by sending us to the nations to disciple the nations.



In His Majesty’s service



Christopher.K [Krishnasamy s/o Ramasamy] and Vijaya.K

Selasa, 01 Desember 2009

THE HARNESS of THE LORD


THE HARNESS of THE LORD
-by Bill Britton.

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 perfection, 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... 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 and
discipline them in 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 our spirits, the
Holy Ghost gave me this 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 gold, 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. He was working on
something between the front wheels on the carriage. I thought, "My,
he is in a dangerous place; for if one of those horses kicked or
stepped back, they would 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 the horses were
disciplined and would not move until he told them to move. The
horses were not stomping 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 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 the harness, 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 to 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 stomp
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 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 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. 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
for this torture, this terrible discipline. What 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 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. 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. This
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 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 Kings 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 brothers, 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 gold 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. It 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 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." (Hab.2:2). "Harness the horses: and get up, ye
horseman." (Jer.46:4). I am 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 purpose is fine and
wonderful. but it is not enough. While we were children, young and
undisciplined, limited only by the outer fence of the Law and 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
into young manhood, spiritually speaking. But the time came to
those who fed in His pastures, and drank from His streams, when
they were to be brought into the 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 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 effort 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 His time, with 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. They could not be trusted with the
great responsibility of mature sonship, 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 this end of the age.
So they revel in their freedom, feeling that they were 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.   

He showed me that through the chastising seems grievous for the
time, and the discipline hard to endure, yet the result with all the
glory of sonship 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 thine
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 shall 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 stables.
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 thought themselves as
being completely harnessed and submissive to Him, only to find
that in some avenue of their lives 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 we shall abide in His
House forever!   

-SOURCE: 'The Church in Action',
                  PO Box 707,
                 Springfield, MO. 65801