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 serpents-
which 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.