Fren-07 Samuel Le Prophète (Samuel the Prophet) — Art Katz

May you be impelled toward sainthood because of tonight. By his own word begot he us. And except that we are begotten by his word, we ain't begotten. It doesn't happen by virtue of the operation of our mind.

Or of flesh or blood or the will of man. But of God. This is not my text tonight, but I just have something humming in my spirit. The phrase, the holy prophets of old. The word holy is almost always affixed to the word prophet.

The holy apostles and the prophets. We even read this morning from Acts the third chapter that Jesus must be contained in the heavens until the restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

The Holy Prophets and the Origin of Samuel

I want that to hum in your spirit also. It's a fixed conjunction. You're not holy. You're not a prophet. The two are inseparable. And then it goes on to speak about what Moses said unto the fathers, that a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you.

Him shall you hear in all things. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken have foretold of these days.

You are the children of the prophets. You are the children of the prophets. Prophet, prophet, prophet, prophet, prophet. Prophet, prophet, prophet, prophet. It's a wonder that we've gone on so long without this consciousness.

And that somehow if we needed holy prophets of old, that we can somehow subsist without them now. So may God restore again holy prophets. And it's in my heart tonight to speak of the origin of one of them, the beginning of one of whom we've been speaking so far in these days.

The prophet Samuel and his beginning. His call. How did it begin? What was the origin? You say, why are you occupied with beginnings? Just a little fascination I have with Alpha and Omega. Just a little fascination I have with Alpha and Omega.

That somehow the beginning has everything to say about the end. Surely that was true for the beginning of the Apostle Paul. Any conversion that began as radically as that has got to have a conclusion equally as radical.

Has got to have a conclusion equally as radical. And I think that there's a particular instruction for us tonight in the way that Samuel himself began. In the way that Samuel himself began. Because we know that it was a barren time.

Because we know that it was a barren time. It says the word of the Lord was precious in those days. It says the word of the Lord was precious in those days. That means rare. In French it's rare. Rare.

It may have been a day like this. It may have been a day like this. In which there was much speaking about God. In which there was much speaking about God. But little speaking by God. But little speaking by God.

Had they had our technology, then they too would have been inundated in all kinds of cassette messages. Had they had our technology, then they too would have been inundated in all kinds of cassette messages.

Practically we are swimming in all kinds of messages. And yet the word of the Lord is rare in these days. There's a remarkable correspondence in my seeing from the age in which Samuel was birthed and our own.

There was a religious establishment then as there is now. And its eyesight was dim. It was defunct and full of contradiction. So I'm going to ask my brother to read from chapter 3 of 1 Samuel. Right through the entire chapter.

At the same time, Eli was lying in his place. His eyes began to weaken. He could no longer see. The lamp of God was not yet extinguished and Samuel was lying in the temple of the Eternal where the Ark of God was.

Then the Eternal called Samuel and he answered, Here I am. And he ran to Eli and said, Here I am, for you have called me. Eli replied, But I did not call you. Go back to bed. And he went to bed. The Eternal called Samuel again.

And Samuel went up to Eli and said, Here I am, for you have called me. Eli replied, But I did not call you. Go back to bed. Samuel did not yet know the Eternal and the word of the Eternal had not yet been revealed to him.

The Eternal called Samuel again for the third time. He went up to Eli and said, Here I am, for you have called me. Eli understood that it was the Eternal who was calling the boy. Eli said to Samuel, Go, go to bed.

And if they call you, you will say, Speak, Eternal, for your servant is listening. And Samuel went to bed in his place. The Eternal came and introduced himself. And he called out every time, Samuel, Samuel.

And Samuel replied, Speak, for your servant is listening. Then the Eternal said to Samuel, Here I am, for you have called me. I am going to do in Israel a thing that will make the ears of whoever will hear it tremble.

On this day I will accomplish on Eli all that I have said against his house. I will begin and I will finish. I have declared to him that I myself want to condemn his house to perpetuity because of the fault he knows and by which his sons have become despicable without having repressed them.

This is why I swear to Eli's house that the fault of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifices or offerings. Samuel went to bed until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Eternal's house.

Samuel feared to tell Eli the vision. But Eli called Samuel and said, Samuel, my son. And he replied, here I am. Eli said, what is the word that you have spoken to the Eternal? Do not hide anything from me.

May God do this to you and may he add this. If you hide anything from all that he has said to you. Then Samuel brought him all the words without hiding anything from him. And Eli said, it is the Eternal.

Let him do what seems good to him. Samuel grew up and the Eternal was with him. And he did not let any of his words fall to the ground. All of Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was established prophet of the Eternal.

And the Eternal continued to appear in Silo. For the Eternal revealed itself to Samuel in Silo by the word of the Eternal. I was very touched and impressed coming through Athens to see that at a particular church where we spoke when it was time to pray for the Lord's blessing on the word, all of the saints arose.

I want to pray the Lord's blessing on this word. And I'm going to ask you to arise also. From the way I'm looking at you tonight, you look very French. Very languid and at ease. Your arms kind of folded over your chest.

A leg crossed here and there. Saying, let's hear what this man is going to say. Ready to rub your chin in a thoughtful way. And critically analyze his exegesis of the text. As if God has given it for that purpose.

We need to rise from our French posture and come to a renewed and holy reverence for the word of God. For the blessing that I'm going to ask is his own speaking. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

And let him give us a prophetic commentary from a prophetic text. Not that we should weigh and analyze. But be smitten. And so I ask that tonight, Lord. Come and deal with our crusty and cultured lives.

This languid air of cynicism and doubt. That wants to analyze and weigh. That somehow exalts when it can find defect in the speaker. By which one's own self-esteem can be elevated. Lord, this is not a mentality appropriate either for the hearing of your word or the becoming of prophets ourselves.

Deal with us. And give us such a respect for the holy word of God. That we tremble even so much as to hear it read. And wait upon your words. That can change us. Do it tonight, we pray. Only you can. We ask it of you in Jesus' holy name.

And God's people said, Amen. You may be seated. It says in my English text that the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. Some texts use the word child. It's remarkable that God had some use of him.

And it was a diligent and sincere service. Though as we have heard already, he did not yet know the Lord, for the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Yet in that condition, he was ministering before the Lord.

Before Eli. And I want to underline that in your heart. Because I think it's a kind of a dot addressed to our independent mentalities. We don't mind a service unto God. But we're very skittish about it being unto men.

But there's a conjunction here that is critical for our understanding. He ministered to the Lord. Before Eli. Indeed, true service will always require us to minister before men. And anything that has no need of man and that is abstract and sufficient in itself is not a true service.

Samuel's Service Before God and Before Eli

And it happened at that time that Eli was lying down in his place and his eyesight had grown dim and he could not see. The lamp of God had not yet gone out. But it was dangerously flickering. And there in those few words, God gives us a sketch of the religious condition of the age.

As the priest, so also the people. His eyesight was dim. His sons were fornicating at the door of the tent of the sanctuary. God describes them as sons of Belial. And this priest was unable even to chastise or reprimand or discipline his sons.

And that is the ultimate end of man-pleasing churches. Whose fear of man is greater than fear of God. Your sons will run riot. And you shall not be able to control them. Your eyesight will be dim. You will not be able to glimpse the purposes of God.

Nor see nor understand the hour. And the light of God will flicker dangerously out. But even as this religious system hardens and is fading, a prophetic kingdom is in process of being birth. Waiting for the word of the Lord that must come.

To a child who waits in the bosom of the old system. But before the ark of God. That's the place to wait. That's where Samuel waited. He was lying down, it says in the third verse, in the temple of the Lord.

Where the ark of God was. That which stands for the law of God. Righteousness and truth. Is the place to wait. If the voice of the Lord is going to come to us. To call us to our prophetic task. To bring us from childhood to manhood.

By the word that comes and not by evolution. We had better be found waiting in the right place. However much a child Samuel was. His heart instinctively knew where to wait. And indeed the Lord called to Samuel there.

Here I am, he said. Aren't those precious words? Here am I. Of course he thought it was Eli calling. And that's even the greater marvel. That this old doddering priest whose eyesight is dim. Should call him in the wee hours of night.

And the youth disrupted from his convenience. Says here am I. I'm impressed by this attitude. This total and unconditional availability. What a servant's heart. Here am I. God is waiting and looking for such hearts.

That must first express themselves before men. Before they can hear from God. Even men who are wanting and defunct. But whose office needs to be respected. To him Samuel said here am I. Instant and unbegrudging he came.

The fifth verse says then he ran to Eli. Not this French ease and mindset that takes its sweet old time. Murmuring even as it comes. What has it all fooled for me at this hour? Couldn't he have waited for morning?

And other such comments. He ran. Not because he was Jewish. Not because he was reflecting the culture of his generation. But because he reflected the culture of heaven. God despises slack souls. Who come at their own disposition.

And they're in their own time. When they're ready. The old man called. And Samuel ran. Can you not help love such a one as this? Called from his mother's womb. Appointed to be the prophet of God. In an age that was barren.

In which there was no open vision. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days. And Eli said I didn't call you. Go lie down again. So he went and laid down. And the Lord called as before. Samuel. So Samuel arose and went again to Eli.

Here I am for you called me. No murmuring. No indignation. No something rising and welling up in his heart of the kind that we continually experience. The kind of contemptuous disdain that the younger generation has for an older.

Why doesn't the old fool make up his mind? Is he calling or is he not calling? What does it take for a man to get his sleep? So he arose and he came. Have you called? One such man as this can save an entire Israel.

An entire France. A whole Switzerland. I did not call my son. Lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord nor had the word of the Lord. Yet been revealed to him. In my Bible I've underlined the word revealed.

Because that's the condition. For which we must wait. And cannot compel. Nor for which any alternative can be found. We are condemned and compelled to remain as children. However sincere and well-meaning.

We cannot properly know the Lord. We may know about him. But we do not know him. That we can express him. And convey his person to others. Until the word of the Lord comes. Until it's revealed. My, how little we understand this.

And we have thought by intellectual endeavor. By cramming our brains full. By seminary training. By wrestling with concordances. That somehow we could come to the maturity as servants. The text contradicts this.

We are children. Until he calls. What an offense to our age. For the whole spirit of it is impatient. It wants what it wants and it wants it now. And if you've graduated a seminary. You're qualified to preach.

As a minister. And I don't know how many months of instruction at the YWAM schools. And you're an evangelist. It's the instant age. For tea, for soup, for ministers. We have no disposition to wait. And waiting is at the heart of priestliness.

And needs again to be understood and found by God's people. So I want to ask you evangelical sophisticates a question tonight. Will you abandon that sophistication? And choose to be as a child. Not knowing.

But waiting. Lying down. Before the ark of God. Until he shall call. By name. Then can you run. Not only are we swimming in cassettes. We are inundated in ministries. Mostly initiated by men. But we are those that are initiated by God.

That come in his time. His moment. For which he will allow an entire generation to be barren. Without an open vision. And the word of the Lord is rare. Until it is revealed to a single one. A child. Who waited in the right place.

And served God before men. However lacking that man's condition was. This is already a revelation of the character of God. That must be found in his servants. Especially his prophets. For the foundation of the church is laid by the apostles and the prophets.

Not only in what they speak. Not only in what they know. But especially in what they are. For if the church is to be a glory. It must reveal its king. As the apostle and the prophet. So also the church.

And how shall the church wait? How shall it again reveal the word of God that comes? How shall it again esteem the revelation that God alone can give? Except it sees all these things demonstrated. In the character and life of the men who are its very foundation.

So I want to ask you again. Are you willing to be as a child? And to forsake your sophisticated understanding. And your clever exegesis. And wait before the ark of the Lord. Until his voice shall call.

And the word of the Lord shall be revealed unto you. Then shall you know him. Then may you serve him. Then can the word of the Lord again come. To the Israel of God. For it has come unto its Samuel. Eli said to Samuel go lie down again.

It shall be if he calls you that you shall say speak Lord for thy servant heareth. Then the Lord came and stood and called as before. Samuel Samuel. What would we have done in such a moment? Now persuaded indeed it's very Lord calling.

Would we not rise to our full stature in God? And express all of our rhetorical gifts. And say yes Lord. I have long waited on this moment. And I know that when your call comes. Blah blah blah. But do you know what Samuel said?

Exactly the words that Eli said that he should speak. Go and lie down in your place. Go and lie down in your place. How many of you are in that place tonight? The place that God intends for you. And not that which you have attained for yourself.

However much it has elicited the esteem and the appreciation of men. Go and lie down in your place. Down. Lowly place. In humiliation. Still a child. Though everyone else is growing in leaps and bounds.

Everyone is speaking prolifically about the body of Christ. And submission and authority. And discipleship and community. And there you are as a child. And you cannot speak. For you do not yet know. For the word of the Lord has not yet been revealed to you.

And you are not going to seek for yourself an alternative. In hearing the cassettes of others. Or straining through the pages of the concordance. That you with equal facility and goodness can also speak about the body of Christ.

Impressively. And not understand one bit its mystery. Go and lie down again in your place. And when the Lord shall call. This is what you shall say. Speak Lord. For your servant heareth. And when the Lord called.

Despite the grandeur of the moment. This simple child could not be distracted from his obedience. And spoke exactly the words which he had been commanded. Nothing more. Nothing less. Would this not be for us an embarrassment.

A loss of our much cherished individuality. No opportunity to exhibit our profound spirituality. Speaking the words that another man has commanded us. Whose own eyesight is dim. And cannot even control his own sense.

And those are the words that Samuel spoke. As the holy prophets of old. How we need them again. Such a character. The very character of Jesus. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. This selflessness.

This humility. This waiting. This obedience. That hears even the voice of men. And rushes and runs to obey. Have you that spirit? I think there is a God waiting to call. If he can but find one. With this spirit.

In the place that God intends. Laying down in that place. Waiting. For the word alone. That reveals. Or you'll be an embarrassment. You'll be a reproach. Your colleagues will pass you by. Their ministries will move you to envy.

And you're still waiting. Never coming to maturity. Simply before the ark of God. For the word which alone must come. That cannot be compelled. And comes in God's own moment. Then the Lord came and stood and called as in the past times.

And when he said speak Lord for thy servant heareth. The Lord did speak. And what a word he gave him. A word of judgment. Absolute and terrifying. Ultimate and irreversible. Total judgment. On a defunct religious system.

That cannot be salvaged. Because the Lord had told Eli before. To judge his own house. Because his sons had brought a curse on themselves. But he did not rebuke them. The Lord had told him. But he did not do it.

He did not hear. In order to do. And therefore brought judgment upon himself. What a contrast in these two. A religious system so caught up in itself. So unhearing of God. So without discipline and the ability to discipline.

So loath to exercise judgment and to offend men. That it must itself finally be judged of God. By one who is even presently in its very midst. But not yet really recognized. Because it appears so much as a child.

Without intellectual or theological distinction. And yet that child is about to be called of God. And itself bring the word. That shall judge that religious system. You say you're taking liberties with the text.

It's a prophetic license. So Samuel lay down until morning. And opened the doors of the house of the Lord. But he was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. How much like Jeremiah. I'm a child and cannot speak.

Do you know who expressed that this evening? I did. In my own room across the street. In anticipation of this meeting. I'm 53 years old. I missed out. I said 53 children. Lord forgive him. 18 years in the Lord's service.

Spiritual adventures and encounters and demands of all kinds. And yet for you tonight. I trembled. And I confessed before the Lord. I'm as a child and I don't know how to speak. I came with trembling.

And I'm not intimidated because you're French speaking. But because I wanted something that's holy. A continuing unfolding of God's heart toward us. That these days might be consummated as an event. Fitted into the history of the church from the beginning.

The calling and the releasing of prophetic men and women. Even in these days. Even through the word that comes as message. And who is sufficient for these things. Samuel trembled from the first call of God.

To speak the word that he received. And as his life began in trembling. I think it always continued in trembling. Because as one begins so must one conclude. This is the alpha of his life. But it describes to us also his omega.

Trembling Before the Word of Judgment

A prophet who trembles. To speak the word of the Lord. Fearful. Because it can be a word that destroys. It's a word of judgment. It's not opinion. Not commentary. Not exegesis. It's the Lord's own word.

And when it is spoken through men. It becomes an event and a fact. For ill or for good. And who is sufficient for these things. And yet he was obedient. He was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But more fearful before God than before men.

So Eli called and said, Samuel my son. And he said, here am I. These precious words of availability. What would be the old priest's response? How would he receive this terrible word of judgment? We know that the prophets are not popular.

They are slain between the porch and the altar. They are stoned to death. Men hate their message. And cannot disassociate the word from the man. And if they cannot reject the word. They will often reject the man.

And that unto death. The word Samuel itself means heard of the Lord. Because he himself hears. In order to obey. You want to be a mouthpiece for God? To speak the words that he will give? No matter what they are.

Even if they should offend you. And bring a curse upon you. And bring upon you a head reproach and misunderstanding? God is waiting for men who will hear. In order that they might faithfully speak. It says that Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him.

What a way to commence a prophetic ministry. His first statement is full of fearful judgment even to the house of God. He told him everything. And hid nothing from him. That's why he was holy. Because he lived in the fear of God.

He might have been echoed by Paul later on. Who said I did not withhold from you the entire counsel of God. He told him everything. And hid nothing from him. Oh for the absoluteness of obedience. That does not withhold.

That does not determine what it speaks by looking out at the faces. Oh I could tell you stories. Of the episodes through which I've passed. In the largest charismatic centers in the United States. I'll tell you this one.

A Prophetic Word in a Charismatic Center

Because it began in a television studio in CBN in Virginia. And there I bumped into a man who is nationally known in my country. Great charismatic personality with a significant church and even their own seminary.

I had met him some years ago in the parking lot of his church. And I couldn't get away fast enough. You say why? Because he said Art how would you like to speak in our church? And before I could answer he said I'll see to it that you'll get at least $500 that night.

That's all that I had to hear. I was sick in my soul. At this male imitation of Kathryn Kuhlman. And wanted never again to darken the door of that church. And years later here I bump into him in the television studio.

He said and where are you going from here? Oh I told him. It's the state where his church is. He said do you have a free night? I said only Thursday because there's been a cancellation. Oh he said that's the night of our midweek service.

And the Lord said go. I said well I'm available. Came that night some weeks later. And I was bowed before the Lord in prayer for that night service. Really groaning. What's the Lord's word for this significant charismatic congregation?

Lord I have no inclination of my own to be there. But it's pleased you to arrange this. So you must have a distinct word. I don't want to have to shop around for something appropriate. I want your word.

And all that I got in prayer was this. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. And with that little word I went that night. I don't think I'll forget that night. It was a very great crowd with an appropriate anticipation.

Full of the kind of excitement and charismatic fervor that many of us know. And yet in my own spirit was a strange soberness. When I came to the platform these were my first words. I said what would you like tonight?

A message or an event. They said with one voice event. I said okay. You asked for it. And then I prayed. The Lord confirmed that I should speak a little leaven. Leavens the whole lump. And I began. And the Lord began to unfold a very sharp and penetrating word.

I remember one particular moment in that message. In which I heard myself saying that there comes to every man and to every congregation a moment of truth. And I said to myself I'm going to preach this message.

And if we will not yield to that truth in that moment. If we swallow that moment down or look away. In that very moment a little leaven enters the lump. And has finally its ultimate sway. In a whole corruption that comes.

And I went on like that. And all of a sudden to my utter astonishment. I had never heard this before. I was interrupted in the middle of my message. By the pastor himself. With these words. Don't flay the sheep he said.

Preach the gospel. I stopped. And I thought well that's what I am doing. And I went right on preaching. And the message came to a close. And I gave an invitation. For those who were conscious that their lump was corrupted by leaven.

To come and to be purged at the altar of the Lord. And there was a remarkable breaking out of the congregation. Different ones deeply affected. Some weeping. It was evident to me that the Lord had spoken.

This was not some process of psychological manipulation. This was the breaking of God. Rare enough on any occasion. And before it continued. This man came. This man came up to the platform to the microphone.

The picture of religious assurance. And took authority against the spirits. That had come into the congregation. That were heavy and oppressive. Through my speaking. Of which I myself was not conscious.

And then in a very condescending and patronizing way. He said something like this. I have always appreciated our dear Jewish brother's ministry. But it's evident that he has some need. Let's pray for our brother.

That his need be met. And they all stood up like the sheep that they were. And bowed their heads dutifully. As this kind of prayer went forth. That wasn't the end of it. When the meeting was over I was taken to the pastor's office.

I was grilled and interrogated. By four men. How dare you? By what authority do you speak these things? And I said, did you find that what I had to say was somehow unscriptural? No, they said, that was not the problem.

There was nothing to be faulted there. Well, I said, did I express some heretical doctrine? No, no, nothing there. I said, what then is your offense? Well, brother, you should have looked out on the congregation and have seen.

How young some of these believers are. And they can't take a word like yours. It's too severe. You should look and see. And determine what you speak. On the basis of what you see. I said, never. Never.

Will I ever determine what I shall speak? By any natural seeing. By any calculation of my own mind. By something that I determine to be expedient. Or acceptable. I said, all I know is this. I came tonight with trembling.

And this afternoon in prayer. As I was bowed before God. The Spirit breathed a word into my soul. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. And I could not speak any word other than that. There's a system that's dying away.

Its sight is increasingly dim. Not only will it not chastise and not rebuke and not judge. It will not receive the preliminary judgments of God. That it might be saved from a greater. A judgment that is total and irreversible.

Samuel told him everything. And hid nothing from him. And the old man said, it is the Lord. Thus we read, Samuel grew. And the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail. May God do as much for this Samuel.

Let none of my words fail. Fall to the ground. Become merely ceremonial. Religious utterance. Placating men. Filling the requirement of the hour for a sermon. That's letting the word fail. The Lord was with him.

And let none of his words fail. Because he had honored God's word. And would speak nothing more nor nothing less. Than the word of the Lord that is revealed. What would our church be today? The church of Jesus Christ in the earth.

If they could come Sunday by Sunday. And hear that word. The word that is given. The word that is revealed. The word that comes. Not the word that is striven for. Fabricated, devised. To please and to soothe men.

To guarantee their return. Rather than risk. Speaking the whole counsel of God. Hiding nothing. Letting the consequences be what they will. For the fear of God is greater than the fear of men. O for such men in their pulpits.

Who will wait for such a word. And speak it when it comes. Telling everything. Hiding nothing. I assure you with all my heart tonight. That the Lord be with such men. And let none of their words fail.

They shall accomplish the purpose whereunto it is sent. Even if men scowl. Even if they writhe in their seats in discomfort. Even if they yawn in your face. Or they look at you with anger and bitterness.

God's word shall accomplish his purpose. And his purpose is our purpose. We have no other purpose. Holy prophets of old. May God send such men again. Who will wait. Who will hear. Who will speak. Who will hold back nothing.

That the word of the Lord can come again to Israel. Because the Lord revealed himself to Samuel. By the word of the Lord. And the fourth chapter begins with these words. Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Samuel's Word and Israel's Battle Against the Philistines

Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle. What a significant continuation. Just to stop right there. That the word of the Lord came to a man. A boy who became a man. In the moment of hearing and obedience.

Because he ran. The word of the Lord came to Israel through Samuel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines. For the word had come. And there's a battle that's waiting us. There's an ultimate engagement that's waiting us.

The ancestral enemies of the spirit of God. Principalities and powers that brood over the great cities of the earth. That have never been challenged nor dislodged. Waiting for a people. To whom the word of the Lord has come.

That they might go out. And meet the Philistines in battle. By the same quality of obedience. By the same way in which things are revealed and given. And another character and quality of prayer. No longer religious, nor ceremonial, nor polite.

Powerful, prophetic, and swelling. For even their prayer is the word that is revealed. Have you not even experienced that? That your own prayers are inadequate. And to wait for his prayer. That there might be an agreement in earth with that in heaven.

And for the word of the Lord to come. And something to well up in your own heart. Beyond what you yourself have contemplated. God's own word of prayer. Weighty and powerful. However impolite. For the word that has come.

Whether it's message or prayer. Direction. Guidance. The church is built upon this foundation. Of the apostles and the prophets. Holy men. Who wait. Before the ark of the Lord. Willing to be children.

Who don't know how to speak. Until the Lord himself gives his word. You know what my prayer for this night has been? That this very message. Would be a God speaking to someone. Samuel. Someone who has been waiting.

Someone who has seen the light dangerously flickering on. Pained and grieved by the condition of the church. Though it wallows in its charismatic frivolity. Swims in cassettes and messages. Knows that he knows.

That the word of the Lord is rare. And waits in his place. Until the word of the Lord comes. Calling his name. That the Lord himself might be revealed. In his word. That a man might be called. To bring the word of God.

Even in judgment. To the church. And to nations. Who need to hear it. Before the fearful coming of the day of the Lord. I want us to bow our heads now. If God might find such a heart. Such a waiting spirit.