John 17:3 And this is life age-abiding, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
thou hast sent. We can write a lot on our desire to know the father, yet for
all the words in songs, poems and books, how little we truly know him. Some things we share out of our experiences, the joys
and pains we have endured, and the hopes that move us forward. We partook of the fullness of his grace and love and we
have come to know that he does guide us on to deeper things....some by a way that they knew not, some in paths that they have
not known, some through crooked and rough places, but all through the light of his love (Isa.42:16). How much do we know God? This is
a message about us on a journey into th reality of knowing the father.
Knowing him intimately is more than a knowledge, it cannot be taught by man, we must come to
know him as our life and dwelling place. This knowing has to do with an intimacy of a marriage relationship. So many books
have been written about knowing God (I love to say father it makes him more intimate). We know of him but do we truly know
him? The sum total of our knowledge of the father consist of what we have learned on our journey through life. I can read
every book and article out there that is written about the First Lady Laura Bush and still not know her. I may know of her
favorite perfume, flower, dessert and movie. I may even know of her most intimate fears and desires, but that in itself still
falls short of knowing her. All I have is a knowledge of her. To truly know her person I must spend time in her presence talking
to her, walking with her, expressing who she is, only then can I begin to know
her person, mannerism, way of life etc. Many times all there is is a knowledge
of who he is but the reality is not there. Reading about him is not enough.
So many today is forced to give the same confession Pharaoh did when Moses and Aaron stood before
him with a word from the father. Ex.5:2 Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel
go? I know not the Lord.... Today everyone is hearing a certain sound, however the
ability to distinguish that certain sound is yet to be a reality. We often hear this expression that he/she is full of Pentecost
or sister so and so is still in Pentecost. Oh beloved many precious saints are hearing this word of life and are still bound
under the laws that governed Egypt and Pentecost. The only
distinguishing mark is that the love of Christ compels us. The father has provided for all men in Christ Jesus. Romans 11:16 says, For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy,
so are the branches. One songwriter penned these beautiful words that show the heart of the father towards humanity, the whole
house is anointed gathered into one. Paul saw something so marvelous, so beautiful
to behold to see it one must have to view it from the third loft. Hebrews 8:11
declares, For ALL shall KNOW me, from the least to the greatest. Everyman in his own order.
We will come to see this in the story of Samuel taken from the first 3 chapters of 1 Samuel. In 1 Sam.
1:20 we read where Hannah prayed for a child. She did not pray for any
child, she asked for a son. In the fullness of time she brought forth her son and called his name Samuel. Isaiah the prophet
saw the birth of a son born in due season. He said, behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son..for unto us (world) a
child is born, and unto us (those awaken to their true identity) a son is given. Chapter 1:22
tells us that Hannah went not up to the house of the Lord until the child was weaned. Understand saints there are no babies
in the temple of God. He was weaned off
the milk of the word before he was brought into the sanctuary and before Eli the high priest. Every year that Samuel was there
his mother made him a new coat. This coat speaks of an unfolding vision and revelation of the father. Like Samuel when you
are growing in God you will need a new coat every year, if you have not grown then last years coat will do. Our knowledge
of the father will come through our experiences in life, and not from reading books about him. Samuel is now in the temple
of God ministering. And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli the
priest in the office of a priest. Now 1 Sam.2:18 read, But Samuel ministered before the Lord being a child, girded with a
linen ephod. The word of God does not define what ministering to the Lord required. We all have a different view of
what ministering to God is in every realm. Whatever ritual, form and routine were required I believe he performed faithfully
and to the best of his ability, yet Samuel did not know the Lord.
1 Sam.3:7 read, Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord revealed to him.
This is very interesting. He did all the religious work which the law required of him, yet he did not know the Lord. He was
dedicated to the service of the temple, he even wore the right garments, and he was clothed with a linen ephod, the garment
of a priest. You would think by now the father and Samuel was on the same wave length. Samuel was a servant not a son. It
shows us that one can spend their life in doing service to God and still not
know him. Our father has a plan that involves all of creation. The Lord initiated a plan that included the outer court, holy
place and the most holy place. Samuel would be drawn by the father through various experiences in every realm. He began a
journey to know to know the Lord in a much more intimate reality, a reality that deepened with every calling and drawing of
the voice of the father within.
1 Sam.2:21 And the CHILD Samuel grew before the Lord. It is here that Samuel experienced Passover. Passover
is our childhood experience where we are brought into the house of God. Verse 26, And the child Samuel GREW on and was in
favor both with the Lord and also with men. Beyond a shadow of a doubt we know
that Samuel has entered the second phase of his experience in knowing the father, called Pentecost. He is into ministry, having
the favor of God on his life, the admiration of men on his person and he loves every moment of it. It is in this experiential
stage that most of our growth in knowledge occurs. He is learning the principles of faith, the abcs of soul winning, just
working for Jesus and the father is blessing him in the realm of Pentecost. Samuel for all that he accomplished, all the time
he spent in the house of the Lord, yet he did not know the father. He did not have a relationship built on the intimacy of love with the father.
It is interesting to see that even in Passover and Pentecost the Lord is drawing and calling Samuel to
him, but Samuel did not know it. 1 Sam.3:10, And the Lord came and stood and called as at other times. Job 33:14-16 speaks
of this calling and wooing by the father to all creation. For God speaketh once (Passover) yea twice (Pentecost), yet man
perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed, then
he OPENETH the ears of men, and SEALETH (Tabernacles) their instruction. Wow!
Can you see the ultimate plan and purpose of the father for all his creation? His plan for the ages does include all men.
1 Sam.3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli, and the word of the Lord was precious
in those days, there was no open vision. Not only was there no open vision, but the lamp of God went out in the temple where
the ark of God was.The bible tells us that Eli was laid down in his place. Eli could not walk in sonship or grow in the vision
of God for humanity because his eyes were dim that he could not see. He had no vision of the plan for the ages (vs 2). Verse
3 tells us that Samuel was laid down to sleep. Samuel slept in the holy place (Pentecost) and the ark of God is in the most
holy place. Most of Christendom is still asleep in the feast of Pentecost. Samuel was just getting comfortable in the holy
place. Remember verse 7 says that Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him. Now God called Samuel and he answered here am I (vs 4), so not being able to recognize
the fathers' voice he ran to Eli and said here I am did you call? To which Eli replied I called you not, lie down again and
Samuel went and lay down again. This is interesting because Samuel heard the voice of the father and Eli did not. I found
this interesting that Samuel thought the voice of the father sound much like Eli's voice.
While reading studying the word of God my then 7 year old son came to me with a question that
resulted in the birth of this message. He said to me, mom have you ever heard dad or even grandma call your name and you answered
the call even though you know they are not at home? I said yes, after which he asked me do you know whose voice it is
that is calling to us? I said no, and then he looked at me with such seriousness and said it is the voice of God calling to
us. He went on to tell me that since we do not know what his voice sounds like he use voices that we are familiar with so
when he calls to us, we wouldn't get scared. Sounds much like the expression if you don't know where you are going, how will
you know when you have arrived? Made perfect sense to me, so I told him the next
time he hears one of those voices calling and they are not at home, say speak Lord thy servant heareth. The wisdom of God as seen through the eyes of a child.
Moving on..Verse 6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. Samuel means name of God. Let that simmer in
our spirit awhile. Now where the name of God is mentioned it speaks of his nature and character. Every time the father called Samuel by his name, he was calling forth the nature and character of God. Samuel
went to Eli and said here I am for surely thou didst call me. Now this went on 3 times before Eli perceive that it was the
Lord that called the child. Verse 8 he is still a child and very much immature in the things of God. In verse 9 Eli tells
him when you hear the voice again; say speak Lord thy servant heareth. Verse 10 And the Lord came and stood, called as at
other times, Samuel, Samuel, then Samuel answered speak Lord for thy servant heareth.
Verse 15 And Samuel lay until the morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. The morning speaks
of a new day, a new vision and revelation. Samuel heard the voice of the father and it brought him to a new vision of the
Lord, and so he opened up the doors of the house of the Lord, the same house we are! And like Samuel we need to open
our doors of our lives and declare the Christ in our temples. Verse 19 And Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none
of his words fall to the ground. This verse revealed the mystery of it all. Passover and Pentecost revealed that Samuel grew
and was in favor with both God and man. Verse 19 reveals that not only did he grow but the Lord was with him completely even
to his words. He didn't need to proclaim his sonship, his life declared his identity.
Verse 20 All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel
was established to be a prophet of the Lord. Now we have come to Samuel highest experience in true sonship, when he finally
entered the rest of God. Verse 21 of chapter3 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh for the Lord revealed
himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. We know that the father ultimate best for man
is centered in the feast of Tabernacles and what lies beyond it. We can see that Samuel entered the feast of tabernacles in
this verse (21). For Shiloh means Peaceful, engathering of the people. We also know that this feast
is a feast of peace. It is also called the feast of the engathering. It is only when we have come to Shiloh the Lord
will revealed in us his fullness, and
this word of life will come to all Israel (Humanity) (1 Sam.4:1).
We must move beyond knowing his ways, beyond knowing his acts to a place where all that we know is him.
To see him as he is, revealed in all of creation God all in all. We will truly know this when he is revealed in us in Shiloh. This is intimacy that defies expression
when we can say like Jacob, I have seen the face of Esau my brother as the face of God. The Hindu language contains a greeting
of the word Namaste and it is loosely translated to mean I celebrate the place in you where we are both one, and we know that
place to be Christ. That my friend is true intimacy.
I trust that this word has been a blessing to you as it has been to us.
Namaste,
Winston & Sarah
