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 Overcomer, 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 our 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 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 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 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
the 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 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 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. 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. 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 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, has not 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 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 horseman," (Jeremiah 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 purposes 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 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 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 though the
chastising seemeth 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 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 thought 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!
Bill Britton served as Vice
President of Pinecrest Bible Training Center for the first three years of its
existence and was a great blessing in helping to establish the work at Pinecrest.
For more of these and
other messages:
Bill Britton
P.0. Box 707
Springfield, Missouri
65801
This is a faith ministry, made
possible by members of the Body of Christ. Not copyrighted, may be translated
or reprinted without further permission. All message free as the Lord provides.
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