Isaiah 12 — Hans R. Waldvogel

Here's the picture that Sister Gagliotto read about. I suppose you all know what psalm it is that she read, or don't you? Pardon? Isaiah 12, yes. But it's a perfect picture of a real good. God desired and God made Pentecostal meeting.

And it's a perfect picture of a Pentecostal saint. You notice the finishing touches are very interesting. It's a command of God to every one of us to shout aloud, cry out aloud. When I first came into a Pentecostal meeting and I heard them crying, I said, well these women are hysterical.

I thought they were just imitating one another. Each one wanted to scream louder than the other. But you know after I discovered the way I screamed louder than they did. I cried and I praised the Lord in every meeting until I was hoarse.

And I found out that that was the real way that God will move upon his people if he really has his way. And this psalm or this prophecy is particularly interesting because it shows us the way that God takes.

Isaiah’s Prophecy and the Spiritual Condition of the Church

Have you noticed the very first testimony? I thank thee Lord. In that day, that means this day in which we live. That's what makes the Bible such a wonderful book. It foretold conditions in the world as it would be today.

It foretold what backsliders would look like. The love of many shall wax cold. It foretells of those that say they're rich and increased with goods and they ain't got anything. They're wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and they think they're rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.

God foretold all these things and tells of another church that says they have the name that she lives but she's dead. And we have all these conditions in the world today. But thank God we have this twelfth chapter of Isaiah also exemplified everywhere.

I've traveled around the world twice now and visited many different nations and many different assemblies of saints. And everywhere I find that Almighty God manifests himself in exactly the same way. The very first thing he does is to lead men to repentance and to cleansing.

That's how this word begins. In that day thou shalt say, I'm not afraid any more of you Lord. Oh thank God I have peace with God through my Lord Jesus Christ because you were angry with me. Did you see that advertisement of a show two on the guillotine.

I just happened to see it now coming home on the subway. And I had seen part of the guillotine in in Europe in London in the house of horror. And it's very much like it's pictured there. Beautiful head rolling down into the basket.

My head's gone. Is your head gone? Have you been executed? That's the question. Has your old man. Oh no he ain't be crucified. He's too nice. He's too nice a fella. Let's put some religious ropes on him.

A dog collar maybe. Or at least a holy face. Or a sour face too. That's part of our religion sometimes. Real sour face. Real stir. But have you been crucified with Christ? The Apostle Paul said I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.

He says don't let anybody bother me anymore. I am crucified with Christ. Beloved that's the possibility and that's the only way to life. In that day thou shalt say I will thank thee. Oh Lord because you are angry with me.

Repentance, Judgment, and Union with Christ

The wrath of God from heaven is manifested against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. God won't stand for any of it. That's the idea. We stand for a lot of foolishness. A lot of sins. A lot of carelessness.

We call it trifle. But in the sight of God there is no trifling sin. No sir. He deals with every sin alike. He crucifies. And repentance means that I do with my sin what God did with it. I accept his sentence and I accept not only his sentence but the execution of the sentence.

Oh only when I am dead with him will I also live with him. Beloved that's what the matter with Christianity today. They've turned away from the cross of Christ. The Apostle Paul writing to the Philippians says you're enemies of the cross of Christ.

When we had our Sunday school parade and I saw these floats. Oh it wasn't so very long ago this last summer. Children were with me. We saw a Pentecostal parade. 46 ,000 Pentecostal people marched up 5th Avenue.

But you couldn't tell they were Pentecostal except a few. They had floats just like the world. The women were dressed just like worldly dames. They were flirting with the boys in the on the side of the road.

Pentecost. Pentecost. Beloved God has a cure for that business. He's got a cure for everything. He's got a cure for me. Oh I will thank you my God because you were angry with me and your anger is turned away.

And where did his anger turn? And where was the wrath of God from heaven revealed against my unrighteousness and my ungodliness? There where he spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all. And it is my privilege now to be united to the Lamb of God to eat his flesh and drink his blood and I do that when I take my sin in all earnestness and I bring it to Jesus and I don't trifle with it anymore.

Cleansing from Sin Through Christ

Lots of people say they're cleansed from their sin. Outwardly everything seems okay but how is it in the heart? How is it in the feelings? How is it in the mind? God has an absolute cure for it all. Thank God.

I was telling you about Louie the other day didn't I? Louie the chief of gangsters in Detroit. He was old wicked felon when one missionary came from New Guinea and he had a little guinea with him. A little headhunter.

He was saved or at least he was converted and baptized and he brought him with him. He followed him like a little puppy everywhere. And this missionary went to fight gangsterism in Detroit. He did it in the press and wherever he had a chance and one day this chief of gangsters, Louie, took a shot at him while he was sitting in his library at night and almost killed him.

Not quite. After months of convalescing in the hospital, Mr. Weatherby came home and people brought him flowers and they brought him presents. And this little guinea brought him a present too. Pockets wrapped in in brown paper and when he opened it here was a head.

Pickled and shrunk like they do in New Guinea. And Mr. Weatherby said what can I do with this head? He gave it to the museum and they put it on exhibition and advertised that they had a real genuine head from the headhunters.

People came to view this specimen. They'd never seen one like this before. And one day a few gangsters came and their knees began shaking and they got as white as a sheet. One said, hey that's Louie. It was.

This little guinea had done a good job. He didn't say a word to anybody. But he followed that fellow like a mouse was followed by a cat and fixed him. Pickled him, shrunk him. Somebody said about being preserved, oh you need to be pickled.

Oh beloved. We don't press through to the real joy of the Lord until we know not only our sins forgiven but our unrighteousness cleansed away. And there's only one that can do it. Jesus Christ who was crucified for us.

Who was delivered for our offenses. Not to be a cloak for our sins. Not to fool us and make us believe that we're saved when we're not. But really he is able to save them to the uttermost who come to God by him.

We're coming to God this week. It's a very wonderful prophecy. Marvelous. When we really come to God through him. Oh thank you Father because you have dealt with my sin to deliver me. And when you really want to be delivered.

Isn't that our trouble. We don't really want to be delivered. We do like that chief of the Indians when they baptized him. He kept one hand over the water. The preacher tried to get that hand down and he wouldn't let him.

After a while he asked him why. He said well this is the hand I swing my tomahawk with. And so he didn't want that baptized. But oh I like this twelfth chapter of Isaiah because it's a perfect description of your life.

Grace, Comfort, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost

If you mean business. God means business. Thine anger is manifested from heaven against my unrighteousness and my sin. And you dealt with it thoroughly. It will never trouble me again. Thank God. Sin shall not have dominion over you.

Because you're not under the law. Now you're under grace. And grace is much more abundant than the power of sin was. Grace gives me the very living Son of God. Let me just turn to it quickly so I get it right.

Because it is something we all ought to know by memory. But though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me. Oh this wonderful comfort of God. Hallelujah. Not like we comfort people.

Wigglesworth used to say human sympathy is of the devil. And I think he was 99, 40, 400 percent true. You don't, you don't get anything that way. You pat people on the back and say I'm so sorry for you.

Like a woman said to me when I said I've just gone through a great trial. She says tell me about it. I'm sure I'll feel sorry for you. I told her that I was in need of money. I needed six bucks. Well I'll feel sorry.

She felt sorry for me. That didn't give me the money. That's the way man comforts. But God gives you beautiful answers. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and he shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Beloved, now are we sons of God. Hallelujah. We are sons of God because of the Son of God who laid down his wealth and his righteousness and his holiness and made it my portion. Made it a gift of God to me.

Transformation Through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

And now thou comfortest me. And that is a wonderful, wonderful comfort. Traveling through the world I see how God comforts people in all walks of life. I was in China recently and oh how God came to these people.

You know they became drunk with the glory of God. Literally drunk. Oh how happy. How contented because God comforted them. I had a letter yesterday from Miss Young telling about a man who came to our baptismal service.

He came very reluctantly. He had fought his wife and his children who wanted to be baptized. But I suppose curiosity got the best of him. So he came anyway. And he got so convicted that he got saved that night.

And now he's got the baptism in the Holy Ghost. And she says he's a wonderful witness. God comforts him. Behold God is my salvation. The Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. He also is become my salvation.

We talk about being saved. But you know to be really saved means to be made a new creation in Christ Jesus. That's what God does for us. And now it isn't a feeling or a certain line of thoughts that saves me or belonging to a church.

But to be united to Almighty God and have him be united to me. Hallelujah. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I give him. Jesus Christ used that illustration to show us what it means. I was reminded tonight of a dentist in Chicago.

Dr. Pulitutsky. He was sort of a dark creature like dentists are, you know. And he'd come to Pentecostal meetings and he'd never open his mouth. He said he wanted the baptism, but he didn't cooperate with God at all.

But one night we had a cottage meeting and Mrs. Brooks was there. She went up to him and she said, would you like to be baptized in the Holy Spirit? He almost got his teeth apart to say yes. Well the Lord took over.

That was wonderful. Now he was saved. He was a really good man. And the Lord took over and instructed him that he should now get to God and expect God to meet him. And the Lord said, if the Lord wants you to shout, why you shout?

Or if the Lord begins to shake you, why shake? That's what he was afraid of. So I was there. It took from, I suppose, ten o 'clock at night till two o 'clock in the morning. But God really shook him up.

My, he shook that business out of him. He was lying on the floor. Well he didn't get there by himself either. A man, a 250 pounder, had been dancing in the Spirit, then got hold of him around the stomach and threw him on the floor.

And I remember that fellow lay there so self-conscious. He thought every eye was on him. He didn't dare open his eyes. But anyway, we prayed and we praised the Lord and presently he forgot himself. And he began to say under his breath, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.

And then his hand began shaking. I watched that carefully. Just shook like that. And then his right foot began to shake too. And then his left hand shook. It took a long time. Really a long time. And then his left foot began to shake.

And then he became limber. And his whole body was just charged with the power of God. And before two o 'clock came around in the morning, that man was shouting at the top of his voice, prophesying and preaching in other tongues.

Knowing the Lord and Treasuring the Voice of Jesus

Is there anything sweeter than the voice of Jesus Christ? And we hear it every day. Oh we ought to treasure it. And I tell you that man was transformed. And months later I met him at a convention in Chicago.

I said, Doctor, how is it? He said, the only thing I can say is, filled with God. That's it. God. God is my salvation. They shall not teach everyone his neighbor saying, know the Lord. They shall all know me from the least to the greatest.

We all know the Lord in this meeting tonight. The flow of his light has touched every one of us. And isn't it wonderful? And we ought to practice this presence and this indwelling of God with a vengeance.

And God will give us more. And that's what he's speaking of here. Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation. Why? Praise the Lord. With joy. When I was a boy, I had to go to the woods to get kindling and then sometimes to get strawberries.

And oh, they were so few and far between. But once in a while somebody would find a field full of strawberries. My, with what joy we picked those strawberries because there were so many of them. That's what he means.

The Living Water and the Indwelling Presence of God

With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation because now God is my salvation. Hallelujah. There's no lack there at all. There's no stinginess there at all. I will be within him a fountain of living water springing up into everlasting life.

And if your repentance has been thorough and your faith has been thorough and God has been able to comfort you with the comfort of the Holy Ghost, why then you have a fountain within you. And beloved, that's what God's talking about.

And I tell you, we're too lazy, generally speaking. My, what wonders we would experience if we would really reckon with this indwelling fountain of ours. It takes care of everything. It's as if Christ is in you.

The body may be dead because of sin. That means your body is still the body made of earth. But now he that raised Christ from the dead dwells in this mortal body of yours. He'll give you life. He'll give you what you need.

The Lord is the strength of my life. Maybe you read that testimony in Pentecostal Evangelist of a woman in a wheelchair. She'd been in a wheelchair a long time. And one day her husband read this 27th Psalm.

And he said, Ma, look, the Lord is the strength of your life. You don't have to be lame. And she got hold of it. So he says, get up. And he took her by the hand. At first it seemed as if she would collapse.

But he didn't give up. He said, the Lord is the strength of your life. And in a few minutes that woman was healed. You are healed. Glory to God. Not only because you got vitamins to swallow or calories to eat.

No, God is inside of you. The Holy Ghost, praise God, has come down from heaven to do a job within you. Praise the Lord. And oh, how he, he came down when Moses stood at that burning bush. And he was afraid to look upon God.

Deliverance and Testing by the Holy Spirit

And God said, I've heard the groaning of my people, Israel, and I've come down to deliver them. That's what the Holy Ghost has come to do, to deliver. Hallelujah. And then he couldn't deliver them. For 40 years they fooled God.

They wouldn't believe him. They were tested. Beloved, that's what the tests are for. To make us draw water out of the wells of salvation. To make us know Jesus Christ. And he brings that water out of the fountain.

Oh, that fountain of living water is waiting for takers. Glory to God. Someday Jesus is going to come. And the Bible says, the day that are ready shall go with them. Now God is working to get us ready.

And he gives us scripture texts like these to work upon. We got to work at it. We got to do homework. We've got to meditate that in day and night and claim it and make it our own portion. When I had been here in Brooklyn a few months or years, I think it was about two years, I got sick.

I broke down. I still wonder why. I should have been, I was healed in the first night. But there were some folks that wanted me to be sick. They did. They insisted on giving me medicine. They just shoved it down my throat.

And I tell you, then I got sick. I got so sick I never saw anybody like me. Five times every night my clothes had to be changed. They could be wrung out. I wept terribly. And I didn't seem to get better.

Didn't seem to get better until months later. I was getting worse. God gave me a word through the Holy Ghost like this. He said, Jesus Christ is your health. Walk out on that. I got right up. I claimed it.

I said, I'm healed. I walked out on that promise of God Christ within. And a strange thing happened. My life changed. I was still weak. I remember going to church in a taxi. Couldn't walk. But when I got up to preach, Christ got up to preach.

It was as if another man was inside of me. Really. I felt it. I sensed it. And step by step my strength returned. Oh it was such a wonderful lesson. I could have been sick. And I thought in those days it would be nice to just slide off the map and go to heaven.

But the Lord didn't want me to. God doesn't want you to. You can always die and go to heaven. But you can win the battle here for God. With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation. You've got it inside of you.

Rejecting Worldly Substitutes for God’s Power

Not like these communists in Russia, in Yugoslavia, where Clausus lived. They came from the mountains. They had never seen a faucet that you could turn and get water out. Why that was wonderful. Just turn and water begins to flow.

What did they do? They chopped it off. They took it to their homes and nailed it to a tree. They substitute a circus for the power of God. You don't have to. Behold, God is my Savior. God my Father.