The Voice That Cries

March 1, 2008

The Voice that Cries

Kathleen Maples

Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isa 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

What does He mean, clear the way of the Lord? Prepare Him a way? Remove the things that hinder the Lord from working in your life. Rather than spend our spare time watching TV or surfing the internet, or shopping or doing things that we don't actually have to to do, clear these things off our schedules, and make spending time in the Word of God, letting it wash us, and prepare us, for His visitation a priority? Doesn't that sound reasonable? The voice crying out in the wilderness of this world, is the Word, and the Spirit of God. He is saying turn and look to the Lord, have respect to HIM, turn away from your distractions, put those things out of the way and make room and time for HIM. Make your way back to the prayer closet, that secret place where God is waiting to meet with you. He wants you to come. Get right, make things on your end ready. He knows you are in a dry place, a place where you have become sterile and aren't bearing fruit because this world is a dry, hot place badly in need of living water. Make a way-a time, a priority, of presenting yourself to God, getting alone with Him. When you do, He will lift up, and help you in every low place in your life, and every big problem and every small problem will be put down. Then again, remember He said those who humble themselves, and debase themselves, He will lift up, and those who exalt them self, He will bring low. He will also take that which in you tries to exalt itself against the Lordship of Jesus Christ and bring it down when you in faith present yourself to Him, for Him. Crooked? That which in us is deceitful, slippery, fraudulent and polluted, He can make it right, He can make it straight-not crooked or twisted. Those rough places, areas where we are bound, and can't seem to get through, where we are filled with uncertainty or doubt, and not totally convinced, He can and will cut through the confusion, loose the bondage, and open our understanding and lead us gently in the right direction. What will happen when all this is done? Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Who is He talking about here? He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction... (Psa_107:20) a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ-for with all the confusion and uncertainty smashed to smithereens and blown away like chaff, we can have a sound mind, and see clearly what the Spirit is trying to show us of our Lord. We need to be able to understand who He is and who we are in HIM. Jesus Christ IS the glory of the Lord. That veiled glory of the Lord, hid inside a cloud that led Israel through a rough, dry wilderness where He alone was the only Provision, that same Christ that followed and led them through that place

will lead us, through the power and might of the Holy Spirit if He dwells in us. Psa 107:7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Psa 107:9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Psa 107:10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

Isa 42:16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths

that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

He is saying I will lead those who cannot see spiritually where they are going on a journey they have never been on before. They haven't traveled this way before. Isn't that what the Lord told Joshua and the children of Israel when they were preparing to enter the promised land? There is much about this way they don't comprehend, or understand, they aren't familiar with this path I'm going to take them on. I'm going to walk with them, and lead them in a direction they have never been. They may be in darkness, they may feel like they are dead, and without hope, but I'm their life, and I'm going to turn that around and light up their way so they can see and understand. As we walk with Him, He changes us. As we spend time with Him, in His Word, in prayer, He changes us, and we begin to reflect more of Him, and less of us. Ahead of them, I will make that place which is uneven, or crooked, plain, and right. Isa 45:2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: Isa 45:3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

When John the Baptist came, preaching, this is what the Holy Spirit put in his mouth to say: Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mat 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Turn away from and hate your sins. Understand your sins have grieved the heart of the God who created you and loves you. Amend your ways, for the kingdom of heaven, which is peace with God, joy, because you've been given the righteousness of Jesus Christ as a covering, and the communion of your Teacher and Comforter, the Holy Ghost, is available. ( See Rom_14:17) It's a much better life than what you have. It's here. This was prophesied by Isaiah, there's a cry going out into the land, into the wasted places, the desolate, lonely places. Provide a place, get yourself ready to embark on the journey of a lifetime with the Lord in the lead. Without any delay, be sincere with Him, get right with Him. Make your way to Him. Don't keep the King of Kings waiting while you waver and halt between two opinions, and sit on the fence. He's coming soon and then it will be too late. Don't wait, please, don't

wait!!! John went out to the Jordan River baptize. Remember, the Jordan River was the last thing that separated the children of Israel from entering the promised land in Joshua's day. After Moses died, the Lord spoke to Joshua and told them to rise up and go over the Jordan River and possess their inheritance. God had not spoken to Israel for over 400 years, not since the time of Malachi. He spent centuries pleading with these people through the mouths of His prophets and saints, and they would not listen, they refused His correction, and slaughtered or jailed His messengers. Finally, God stopped talking to them. There was no clear word from Him for a very long time. Now, John the Baptist, a man who was baptized with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb, was speaking, preaching a Word from God again, and there was such conviction in his simple message that many came and confessed their sins and were baptized. Here comes the religious crowd, wanting to see what was going on, but they did not come for the same reason the others did. I believe it was the Spirit of God that rose up in John when he saw the Pharisees come to the Baptism with hot displeasure for those who had so misrepresented and twisted His Word. They were not His, remember 2Ti_2:19 says He knows those who are His, and those who name His name must depart from iniquity. Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

That word "generation" means offspring. He's calling them offspring of serpentswhich is about the same as calling them children of Satan. To call someone offspring of serpents was considered an offensive term for somebody who is considered to be malicious, treacherous, or ungrateful. In Mat_12:34, Jesus called them the same thing, and again in Mat_23:33. Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Mat 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

The Pharisees thought they could be assured of salvation simply be assured of salvation because they were physically descended from Abraham. I have talked to people today who are convinced they are going to heaven because Papaw is a preacher or a pastor. Dad is a pastor, so I'm a shoe-in to make it. Not so. Only those who are HIS, who have surrendered their hearts and lives into HIS hands, and have confessed, repented and been forgiven of their own sins, will make it in. Straight is the gate (Jesus Christ) and narrow is the way (only one way) and many will strive to enter in but few will be able. Most will not be able or want to lay aside self to get in and they will have to. (See Luk_13:24)

Imagine this scene. This nation of people who haven't heard from God for generations, now standing here beside this Jordan River, hearing this man who's been in the wilderness, dressed rather primitively compared with the Pharisees and their long, luxurious, flowing robes. He stands here, simply clothed, in this river, and he's speaking about the need for repentance to these people, and because he is a surrendered vessel and filled with the Holy Ghost, there is a weighty conviction to his simple message that draws people to confess and repent and be baptized. The Pharisees are disturbed enough to come out and see for themselves what is going on. Mat 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

The axe is the Word of God, which is sharper than any two-edged sword. It will go right to the foundation of everything we believe, or grew up thinking and cut it down. Man's way is not God's way. Even the Word of God, in man's hands, will become something other than what God intended. It can become obscured by men's traditions, and interpretations about what God really said. Those who are not bearing the fruit, or evidence of the Spirit of God will be dried up and withered trees, good for nothing but to be cut down and burned. What a warning this is. The fruit God expects is listed in Gal_5:22-23. When we have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in us, enthroned and reigning supreme in our vessels, we will have these in our lives. They will be obvious. The Word of God will meet us, challenge us, change us, and cut off what doesn't belong. This is a preparing. John the Baptist brought the Word, under divine inspiration, and anointing, to the people. It confronted their pre-conceived ideas and traditions, and began to change their thinking and draw them to repent and turn from what was wrong to what was right. This prepares the vessel to receive power from on high to live an overcoming life and be an accurate representation of the Lord. Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

He will come and He will cleanse His temple thoroughly, and there will be substance, but that which would hinder, i.e. the flesh and carnal ideas and habits that are dead weight in the vessel, will be consumed, and done away with. This is what happens when a sinner hears the Gospel preached by someone who is truly anointed by the Lord and has been in communication with the Lord. The Spirit convicts, and challenges the heart and their eyes are opened. When the Message is delivered, under the leadership and direction of the Holy One, it accomplishes that which it was sent to do. Hearts are convicted, the spiritually dead are raised into a new and glorious life. The devil will work furiously to obscure the glorious liberty those who are redeemed have been given to the mind of the new Christian. But the Lord is faithful to keep and protect that which is His. We must draw near to Him and make time with HIM alone our number one priority. He wants to pour out His Spirit and fill us with Himself because He knows without Him in us, without His Word in us, we will not stand in the coming days. Perilous times are here, saints, and the days will become darker and darker. I believe with all my heart that God's children, that beloved Bride of Christ will be pleading for His return before He

comes. It will not be an open display or a show but an inner groaning and desperation for His return. The darkness will vex and distress and drown those who look down, instead of up. Look up, for HE still has everything under His control. Nothing happens that He doesn't allow and it's for a reason. He is far smarter than we and we cannot even try to figure it out. We just need to focus on Him, hiding ourselves and our lives in HIM and glorying in the knowledge that our Beloved is ours and we are His. That such a glorious King would lower Himself to dwell in such feeble, weak vessels, is such an honor bestowed on us. Glory in HIM. He will keep that which belongs to Him. He will not fail us and He will not forsake us. He will not deliver us into the hands of our enemies. He will not abandon us to darkness. We are His treasure...you do not give your life up for that which means little to you. The very testimony of His brutal and tortuous death on the cross, at the hands of those who weren't worthy to speak His name much less behold Him, testifies of His love for humanity. Count on it, walk in the knowledge of it and keep yourself reminded you are greatly loved. There is a cry in the world today, a still, small pleading cry, for those who know Him to still themselves before Him, and allow Him to work into us what we lack and need so greatly--more of His Holy Spirit. We need a double portion of what the church got at Pentecost, over 2000 years ago. He knows it, and we need to know it. He's drawing and crying for the lost who need to come, for His own to bright, shining lights so the lost can see to find their way to Him. He's been grossly misrepresented by most of the church world. How it grieves His heart when those who claim to know Him, misrepresent Him and wound others, driving their hearts far from Him. We must spend time with Him to be able to know Him, and thus accurately reflect HIM to this needy world. Let Him draw you back into the secret place. That alone is where that deep inner longing will be satisfied in your soul-for only HE can do that for you.