By J.T. Haywood

Oh, that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should have soon subdued their enemies, and turned their hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him; but their time should have endured forever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat; and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied them. Psa. 81:13-16.

But my people, saith the Lord, would none of my counsel; for they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. Therefore hath the glory of God been hidden from their eyes. Evil hath come into the land and destruction wasteth at noonday. The people to whom God gave the light of salvation, to restore the altar of the Lord that has been thrown down for centuries, are drifting with the tide of worldly ambition and missing the mark of the high calling.

When the Spirit was poured out a few years ago all hearts were rejoicing in Jesus. Time after time the Holy Spirit, in exalting
Jesus, would, in turn, prophesy through tongues and interpretation, or a voice more solemn than the natural voice of the speaker, and foretold of these days we now behold. Little heed was given to those messages because of the counterfeits that entered therein, but if you were to review some of them that are hidden away somewhere you would be startled to note the accuracy of the fulfillment of the same. We do not say that all of them were truly inspired, but there were some direct from God.

However that may be, we are facing the crisis foretold. Some have stumbled and fell, and some have been snared and taken; while others through fear have failed to go on with God. Yet there are a few who are contending for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints.
Multitudes, multitudes, are in the valley of decision! But I have made my choice forever! I will follow the lowly Nazarene through the Jordan, through the Wilderness, through the Garden, through the Judgment Hall, through Calvary’s rugged brow, and on and on until I sit down with Him in the throne of His glory. My soul is satisfied at bearing His reproach, the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death.

Had we maintained an “ear to hear what the Spirit saith,” and walked in the ways of the Lord, what wonders might our God have performed; and what a sweeping victory would have been wrought in “subduing” our enemies! Failing to understand God’s way and purpose many have cleaved to the traditions of the past, and like the golden wedge, the shekels of silver, and the Babylonish garment (Joshua 7:10-21), they have caused internal conflicts amid God’s people, and our enemies have smitten us on every side. They boast themselves, and make wide their mouths, gloating over the “failure” of the apostolic faith movement, but out of the midst of the camp comes a shout, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.” (Mic. 7:8.) Our only hope of victory is the destruction of Achan (troubler) and his forbidden treasures (traditions). See Josh. 7:22-25; Mat. 15:1-13 and Gal. 5:12. Every vine that our heavenly Father hath not planted must be rooted up. Achan must be stoned.

The traditions of men have hidden God’s truths from his people. Tradition obstructed the view of the entrance into the Kingdom of God.
This door of entrance was most beautifully exemplified at the river Jordan when our Shepherd entered in before us through “water and
Spirit,” leaving us an example, saying, “Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” The righteousness of the Law can only be fulfilled
in us through Christ by the new birth and that is by being born of water and the Spirit. See Mat. 3:13-17; Rom. 8:3, 4; 6:3-5; John 3:5;
10:2,7,9. The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan is never used by modern theologians as an example of the new birth, but instead it is used to
bolster up the Romanish idea of “three persons” (corporeal beings) in the Godhead. And all who are filled with such teachings are blinded to the deeper things of God, denying the only Lord that bought them. Acts 20:28; 2 Pet. 2:1.

Now that we have been delivered from the errors of the past through being properly baptized into Christ (John 3:5; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-5; Gal. 3:27), we have come into a rich storehouse of wisdom and knowledge of heavenly things, for in him “are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.” Col. 2:2,3. Our souls are being “fed with the finest of the wheat.” Daily there cometh down from heaven to
us “our daily bread.” The beauties of the revelation of “the Father and Son” in Christ; the New Birth of water and Spirit; the Seven Parables and Seven Candlesticks; the closing of the dispensation; the Revelation of the Ages; the Federation of the Nations, and many others heretofore hidden mysteries of God, truly have become “hidden manna” to our hearts.

But that is not all. He has also promised us “honey out of the rock.” All these promises are ours. The test of our loyalty to Christ has come. The trials are hard and many, yet there is a sweetness in it all. Through Christ our Rock we can glory in tribulations. There is a calm and sweetness in Christ in these moments that could never be experienced in any other way. Through suffering, we alone can behold his glory. Let us then be true and faithful; press the battle to the gate; love your enemies, hate the devil; through Job’s patience learn to wait. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

(The above material was published by The Voice in the Wilderness, Detroit, MI.)

Christian Information Network

Christ by the new birth and that is by being born of water and the Spirit. See Mat. 3:13-17; Rom. 8:3, 4; 6:3-5; John 3:5; 10:2,7,9. The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan is never used by modern theologians as an example of the new birth, but instead it is used to bolster up the Romanish idea of “three persons”