Visiting Angel
Religion August 24, 2018
I had a family room downstairs in my house, and I had established it as my prayer closet. My favorite way to pray was on my knees with my elbows on a round footstool. One night I had just finished praying, and I went upstairs to bed. It seemed as soon as I lay down, I was taken back downstairs where I was on my knees with my elbows on the footstool praying again. Just where I was before. All at once, an angel was standing beside me. I looked up with surprise and called him by name first, and then he called me Bob. It is an amazing thing that without one previous thought I knew who he was and addressed him first. Whenever you step into the Spirit realm you know things by the Spirit without learning or having ever entertained a thought about the person. At that time, he put his arms around my arm, and I guess you would say under my shoulder and carried me to heaven. I asked him where he was taking me, and he said, “I am taking you to meet Jesus.” I yelled stop! He said,” why Bob?” I said I don’t want to meet Jesus. He said,” why Bob?” and I said I don’t want to look upon his face.” Again he said, “why Bob?” and I said least my deeds should be reproved. At that point, he turned and took me back to my bedroom, but he had picked me up in my family room downstairs. I know for sure I was out of my body because on my way back to earth when we got over the top of my house I could hear the phone ringing in my bedroom. I could also see my body lying there, and I knew it had no life in it to answer the phone. I actually felt my spirit re-enter my body and I reached over and answered the phone. I still don’t understand how I left the family room downstairs when my body was upstairs in the bedroom.
Now I am so far out in left field with my life; I was just learning about the Lord, and I had not been saved very long. I wasn’t sure of anything, and now I was scared to meet with Jesus because of my deeds. I mean, I had the honored, and pleasure of meeting with Jesus, but I was in such bad shape, so I thought, at that time that I was scared to death of Him. I think that was the scariest I have ever been in my life! I can’t quite tell you what it’s like to feel such strong FEAR at the thought of meeting the Lord Jesus face to face. I had been seeking Him day and night, and reading the Bible. I was in the First Baptist Church, and going to every church service that I could get to. I had made it a priority to witness of Him to as many people as possible and was seeing people saved. I was trying to learn the right way to live. I very much wanted to live the Christian life. I was on my knees praying when he took me up, that tells you I was seeking him.
Every day I was searching my heart and crying out to God and asking him what my wrong deeds were. Well finally, I thought this is what my problems must be: I was spending too much time in the Apostle Paul’s teachings and too much time learning about the Holy Spirit. I concluded that it must be my desire for the supernatural, and I was trying to learn about spiritual gifts. I thought maybe I took my eyes off Jesus. I didn’t know what else it could be. This had to be it. I made up my mind that I would spend all of my time just reading about Jesus and nothing else. I can say for sure that this is a problem that you never want to have, that is being fearful of facing or being rejected by The Lord Jesus.
Well, by now this is how it looked to me: I must get my deeds straightened out, whatever they are. After trying unsuccessfully to share my trip to heaven with my wife and pastor, I made up my mind that this would be the last time I would try to share it. In the meantime; I just kept seeking the Lord, witnessing and doing everything I could that I thought would please Him. I just kept going, and I noticed the Lord began to use me in prophecy and I was hearing from Him. I was really being used by the Holy Spirit. I was preaching, and serving in many ways, and in many places. I just moved on without ever finding an answer for the reason I was so fearful of meeting the Lord Jesus.
Part #2 – The Vision
Some years later, I was home alone for lunch, and I thought I would get a little prayer time in. It had been over ten years, and I still did not have any answers concerning my deeds; although by now I had led many, many people to the Lord. I had all but quit praying about it. While on my knees praying, the memory of the trip to heaven floated up again to my mind. I asked the Lord about my visit. I asked God if spiritual gifts were the problem you could have sent someone to teach me, and I would have listened.
At that point, He took me into an open vision, and He began to reveal to me the real reason for the visit, to heaven. It was not about gifts, or about me, but about what it would be like when He returns and our deeds are not right, and we are unsaved. I saw men running for their lives, with unspeakable fear. They were trying to bury themselves under the rocks. I heard these words three times IT’S OVER! IT’S OVER! IT’S OVER! The words seemed to be the only sound on earth! The whole sky spoke. The whole heaven spoke. This might be the sound of the last trump! I am not sure about that. I saw men in such fear it looked like they were running fast er than cars, trying to get away to keep from facing the Lord Jesus; somewhat like the fear, I had when I was to face Him. He was the last person they ever wanted to meet, or they ever wanted to see. It is hard to explain, but the day will come when it’s over! THE DOOR WILL CLOSE, AND THE CHANCE FOR SALVATION IS OVER!
They were caught out in darkness. Somehow, I was made to understand that they knew everything and had a perfect understanding of Jesus, but they were better off in darkness than they were facing the light. The light guides us, and they knew that the light would consume them. Every one that doeth evil hates the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” John3:20 People who have rejected or not accepted Jesus will, not only, not seek Him, but will flee from His presence in indescribable fear. They are forever condemned and know it. Just as the Lord promised the sinner, their end would be a burning hell. Please listen to me; this is not a sermon. This is a word from the Lord Jesus speaking to you on behalf of your family, friends, and anyone you have feelings for. I would have jumped out of heaven before I would have met Jesus face to face. The Lord let me carry this fear like an albatross around my neck for a very long time; It seemed like forever. It was a long, long time before I could move on. I was already going through, what seemed to be, a hell of my own. He burned this message into me to help me express, His burning love for you, your loved ones as well as the sinner. He is sending me, in his love, to make this desperate plea for your salvation. I can say with permission from the Lord that you are hearing from Him and that this is His perfect will for you that you believe in Him and to be a witness for Him. Not one good person, if they are a sinner, and not washed in His blood, will get into heaven, even if it is your mother. I know. I was made to carry this stigma, the fear of a rejected sinner, to talk to you today. You would be wise to listen. Not one sinner can enter paradise. Adam only committed one sin. When God came looking for him, he was hidden behind the fig leaves. One sin condemned him, and Adam knew It without God saying a word.” So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”(Gen3:24) [ Not one sinner will ever get in] Listen to me, this is not a might happen. I have already watched it play out. I might have seen some of your loved ones out there running from the burning flame. If, my friend, you will get one person saved in your lifetime it will be the greatest achievement of your life. This message should make every Christian want to be a preacher. Together let’s take this message to the world by sending it to as many people as you can and encouraging them to keep it moving forward. I would love to know if you are on board with me.
When He comes back clothed in a vesture dipped in blood and a two-edged sword in His mouth, I don’t think it will be a good time to try and make a deal. Absolutely no loopholes here. May we all come together around this scripture,( Acts 26:18) Jesus said,”Paul, turn men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”
Regardless of how much you have now the only thing you can take to heaven is people.
The Apostle Paul said,” And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. (2Thess 1:7-9) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (V: 12)
Visit from the Lord about Sin
Religion May 23, 2018
Revela
I want to share with you a visit I had with the Lord. The Lord talked to me about the great depth of sin. I want to make it clear this is a revelation from God and not from man. I also had an angel to visit me. I was taken to heaven and received more revelation of sin. I also had an open vision .I got a quick view of the last day on earth for the sinner. I may have seen some of your family or loved ones caught out in darkness. Unless they get right with the Lord before they leave this world or the last trumpet sounds; it will be too late.
I will be sharing all of this with you.
In my own home, I watched the one that the Apostle Paul calls “the god of this world, the ruler of the darkness of evil” take over a person from the First Baptist Church in Maryland and change their face, even the color of their eyes. Their language changed before my very eyes. The evil one spoke to me and said, “ I say, you just stand accused.” For sure, I met the accuser of the brethren spoken of in Rev.12:10 “for the accuser of the brethren is now cast down.” Satan picked up this kind of authority over mankind when Adam ate from the forbidden tree. I had two more personal visits from the evil one at that time, but I will only be sharing the first one with you in this message. If you know the Lord, you need to hear this. It will make you a better minister and or witness. I will be breaking this up into more than one teaching. I don’t want you to miss any of it since it has been given to me by the Lord for you.
One night while approaching the foot of my bed, the Lord spoke to me in an audible voice. It was very loud and very clear! In fact, it was so loud and clear that this thought actually crossed my mind,” I hope He doesn’t wake my wife.” I feared God, but I also feared her. However, He had put her into a deep sleep. I knew that she could not stand my telling her again I was hearing from God. She was already reporting me to the pastor. I was sure it was an audible voice, because of my fear of her waking up. I guess I feared her seeing me standing at the foot of the bed talking out loud to the Lord. You might be thinking, Bob, why would you be talking out loud to the Lord? Because that was the way God was talking to me. This was a two-way conversation with the Lord, and I answered Him just like I heard his voice.
The Lord asked me this question,” What killed Jesus”? I said He was crucified. The Lord said, “Yes, but what killed Him”? And I said He was hung on a cross and had nails driven thru His hands and feet. The Lord said,” Not a bone in His body was broken. That did not kill Him.” By this time, I was panic-stricken, and I realized that I was talking to the Almighty God and I didn’t have an answer. I had heard that the Jews killed Him, that the Romans killed Him and the pastor had recently preached a message that He died of a broken heart. So I said, “Lord He bled to death” And the Lord said, “He didn’t bleed to death when the spear was stuck in His side. Blood and water gushed out, so that didn’t kill Him”. I said, Lord, I don’t know.
The Lord then said to me ,“Sin.” Then He repeated the word again, and said, “Sin, Sin killed Jesus.”
I had little, to no understanding of what He was trying to teach me. I remember trying to sleep with these words running through my head all night long: sin killed Jesus, sin killed Jesus. All the next day, and for days I kept trying to understand it all. There was no need to talk with the pastor. By now, he was trying to get me to see a Christian COUNSELOR about my claiming to hear from God. He had been serving the Lord twenty years and had worked for Billy Graham. I had just gotten saved. By the same token, I also knew by now that of all the things that were important to God for me to know and understand, SIN WAS IT! And that sin killed Jesus.
My knowledge of the Lord at that time, well it was little to nothing somehow I just never got involved in church or religion in any way I remember my wife talking about God and about Jesus, and I said to her I know about God, but I don’t know anything about Jesus, and she set me down and explained Jesus to me. I was just starting to go to the First Baptist church. I had never been to church with my parents. We just didn’t go to church. My first time in church with them was when I was forty-one years old. It was at my oldest brother Bill’s funeral . I was a Christian then. In fact, I prayed the sinner’s prayer with my Dad and Mom before they left this world to make sure they were in.
By now I am seeking God day and night, and searching the scriptures continuously for answers as well as talking to anybody that knew the Lord, and that would listen to me. This question from the Lord would shape my life as well as my ministry forever. I notice everything I do in ministry revolves around sin. Why and how did sin kill Jesus? I have spent much time pondering The Lord’s visit with me that night.
When God breathed His breath, His spirit into Adam, he became a living soul [ or a soul that lives by God’s breath, God’s Spirit]
” And “so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul.” 1cor15:45. The Lord told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for the day he ate he would surely die. Adam lived 930 years, but the Spirit of God that led Adam was now dead to Him Adam is now of the world. The wicked one would now have access to his life.” The living soul which is your mind, will, and emotions would no longer be spiritual, pure, and holy but would now have a death sentence. Adam sinned when he disobeyed God .“The soul that sins, it shall die.” Ezek18:4b. ” For the wages of sin is death.” Rom6:23 “He who knew no sin was made to be sin” 2cor5:21 [ He was made to be sin, so he could be killed to pay the wage that you owed. ”Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; he hath put Him to grief.” Isaiah 53:10 [ Father God make the soul of His precious Son an offering for our sins ] Oh! how He suffered!
The Jimmy Story
Religion January 22, 2018
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The Jimmy Story Are you hurting, or concerned over a loved one? Are you willing to love the Lord and trust Him with all your heart? If you Love the Lord, and trust enough to turn that loved one or any issue in your life over to Him; He will go to work for you. If it is a loved one, He will give them every opportunity to get right with Him. If you care, God cares. First of all, He cares about you and what you are going through. He is not willing that anyone should ever perish, but that they should be loved and free from sin and prosper in all their ways. The Lord gave me an understanding of this through a young man I met, named Jimmy; He worked for a man in Stuart, Fl. Jeff bought and sold cars. He would buy at the auction in Ft. Lauderdale and sale up and down the coast to dealers. I ask him if he would buy a specific car for me, for a fee, and he said he would. He called me and said he had purchased my car, but I would need to go with him the next day to the auction to pick it up. When he picked me up, he had Jimmy with him and he was going along to pick up another car. It turned out to be a long day. He made several stops doing business deals. Jimmy and I would stay outside, and I would talk to him about the Lord Jesus. Jimmy was polite and quiet, but he would never answer me. He had a Nazis swastika tattooed on his neck which did not seem to fit his “nice guy “image. I knew by his boss’s name that he was working for a Jew. This seemed strange to me.I seemed to be obsessed with getting Jimmy saved. I was on him all day. Late in the afternoon, I thought I was running out of time, and I said, “Jimmy, before you die, make sure you cry out, Jesus save me.” Then I said,” do you hear me, Jimmy? Remember Jimmy as you are dying, cry out, “Jesus save me.” I said it several times. He looked at me, and I am sure he thought, this old man is crazy. And I remember saying to myself, Bob, what is wrong with you? This young man is only 21 years old you have got to lighten up. This guy thinks you are a nut, and I was ready to agree with him Someone else purchased the car that was for me, so I rode back with Jeff. Jimmy drove another vehicle back. I talked to Jeff about Jesus. He said his dad was a Jew, but his mother was a Catholic, and he knew about Jesus, and he was going to do better. When we got to Jeff’s place, he had one car there with 10,000 miles on it. The car was 3 or 4 years old, but looked like new. I made the deal. He said he would have Jimmy detail it, and I could pick it up tomorrow. The next afternoon, he had not called, so I called him . He said, “Jimmy died.” I said, what do you mean Jimmy died! The boy was only 21, and in perfect health. He said Jimmy’s mother had called and told him that he came in around eleven last night and talked a while then went to bed. The next morning she went in to wake him, and he was dead. I told Jeff that I spoke to him about the Lord, and he said, he told me you did after you left. This is a mystery. I have no clue why Jimmy had to die, but this I know, Jimmy could not have died without me, or someone like me, that would tell him about Jesus. The Lord ordered that whole day on behalf of Jimmy. Some little Mother, Dad, or Granny had lit the fire of God over Jimmy’s life. I gave him the plan of salvation every way I knew how , and he never responded to me, but God purged Jimmy in his dying breath. What a Wonderful, Magnificent, Awesome, Loving Father and God we have. If you have a loved one out there and you have done all you know to do , just remember Father God is a family man. He doesn’t want you in heaven and your family member in hell, or suffering. Keep crying out, keep praying, start speaking with the authority that God has given you. God will consume their problem and cleanse them just for you, My friend. The word in your mouth can be someone else’s eternity. Pray, speak. Don’t forget Num23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie,” you can, above all, trust what he has said. |
THE POWER OF THE WORD
Religion October 9, 2017
The power of God’s word
I want to give you a word of encouragement today. Perhaps some of you are going through fiery trials even now. Stand firm, keep trusting the Lord.
I have noticed most people I know who truly live the Christian life, and not just go to church, but have the word of God working in their lives, seem to have a noticeable peace and rest about them. I believe, and I share this from experience, that rest may well be the highest order of the blessings of God. The blessed people seem always to know in depth the word of God. I concluded that the word of God must have strength, power, and wisdom in it. If it were not of great value, we would not pursue it.
Exodus 33:13-14 Moses said to God, “ Now, therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know you, that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation is your people.” I am thinking here, did anyone ever know God like you did Moses? The guy is standing in miracles up to his knees. He had just led millions of people out of Egypt after practically destroying the country by the hand of God. Now he is saying, “I don’t really know you.”
Moses was God’s man of the month. God’s man of the hour, but he did not feel like he truly knew God.
And God said, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give you rest.”What a promise Father God made to Moses: I will be present with you, and you will have rest. My friend rest comes from believing the promises of God. The greatest promise God could make to Moses was to give him rest.
Listen to this wonderful promise from the Lord Jesus to us.
John14:16-18 “ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive because it sees him not, neither knows him: but ye know him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” His spirit will always go with you, and He, The Holy Spirit, will give rest to you.
Ps119:105 The Psalmist said, “ The word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” God’s word takes the load off and shows you the next step I will take that every time.
The word of God is Spirit, and it is life. I will take that kind of life. Come and let it light up your life.
John10:27,” My sheep hear My voice.” His word, as well as his Spirit, is His voice.
The Word will protect you. It will be your rear guard.
The Psalmist said, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.” The word will keep you clean, and pure.
The word is what Father God desires to say to all mankind. He knows everything and owns everything. It is His world. He inspired all the words of the Bible. It is His story.
Jer.15:16 ( Don’t forget what Jeremiah said)”Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and the word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” Father God responds and gives rest to His children who know his word and is secure in Him.
2: Peter1:3 the word says he has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness; through the knowledge of Him, that has called us to glory and virtue. We get His knowledge by hearing what He has to say. It is a great thing to be able to apply His knowledge to your situation. I am trying to tell you God wants to talk to you through His word today.
The entrance of the Word brings light. Has it entered you, my friend? Is your path lit up? It should be.
How are things, how is your life? Listen as I tell you about God’s plan and see if it is working well for you. And if not, you are probably missing out on what He is saying.
If the Word has priority in your life, it will shine a light on your path. Your thinking will change for the better, and you will make better decisions and better choices in life. That will help you to prosper in every area of your life.
The Word will show your feet where to step, and it will keep you on the right path. Even a flashlight can be king in a dark room.
Have you thought of the Word as power for life? It can be. It powers my life. The Lord quickened the Word to me years ago, and I have ordered my life by it. God’s Word is the greatest treasure and the greatest value of my life. It has delivered everything that it’s promised.
Psalms12:6,” the words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times.” That’s big.
Think about the power of the Word. When your heart is full of the Words of God, it will overcome your old sorry, sinful life.
If you have a sin problem, the infilling of the Word in your heart will push it away. It leaves very little room for sin.
Ps119:89, “Forever, O Lord thy word is settled in heaven”. Let’s talk about this. It is a rope you can hang on to, an anchor that will secure you and a stabilizer that will keep you in balance.
Isaiah 40:8, “The word of our God shall stand forever.”
Matt 24:35 Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall never pass away.”Nothing else has this kind of shelf life..
John 14:24 “Jesus said, and the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s which sent me.” We could say, all of the heavens back His Word. I heard a statement from a Rabbi that goes something like this, “the words of men that represent God today have overpowered and overshadowed the Word of God.” Men are starving us out. There is a true famine of the true Word of God.
John 4:24 Jesus said, God is a spirit.” Jesus said My Word is a Spirit, and it is Life, so the Life of God flows out of the Word of God to us. Paul called him The Invisible God in Col 1:15
God is a Spirit, so His Spirit, His Word must touch our spirit and influence our flesh to work. If you pick up His Words and run with them, you will score every time.
John 17:7Jesus said,” Father I have given them the words that you gave me. I finished the work that you gave me to do”. Think about that. Jesus gave you the Words of Life, for your life.
Vision of the Strait Gate
Religion September 18, 2017
Vision- Strait Gate
Recently,
while just getting up from my couch, in the middle of the afternoon, I had
an open vision of the Lord Jesus. I did not see a full face of Him, but I
did see the whole person. I walked up behind him. He was standing inside
of a fenced yard with his left hand on the gate as if he were pulling it
toward himself. It looked to be about 15- 20% closed. Over his head were
two words written in very large, bold letters” *STRAIT GATE”*Jesus was
looking straight ahead as if with great concern. I believe, by the way he
was looking out that gate, he was looking for the people who are yet to
come into the kingdom. Even though I could not see his face, I sensed his
feelings.* Jesus did not say a word to me, but I believe he was saying,”
Time is winding down Bob, Now is the time to move in the day of my power.
Work while you have the light; while the door is still open and the fields
are white already for harvest.” * I can’t say for sure, the straight gate
is beginning to close, but I can say for sure that day is coming.
Luke 13:24 Jesus said,” Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I
say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” I ask you, my
friend, do you still spend time thinking about the straight and narrow way
that leads to the strait gate? Are you striving for it? I hope you are
showing your family and friends how to get on the path that leads to the
strait gate. Help them find it! Will you? No matter what we are doing in
the body of Christ, our priority should be telling others about Jesus who
loved us and died for us.
Luke 19:10 Jesus said,” For the Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost.”When the Lord visits us with visions, I assure you it
is for a good reason. Jesus wants to make a statement and I feel like this
is it; He loves all people, but they will never be his unless they come
through that straight gate that leads to him. You only get there by being
born again
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said, unto Nicodemus,” Verily! Verily! I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Just as Jesus told Nicodemus you must be born again I ask you, my friend,
will you speak for Jesus, Will you tell others they must be born again? If
nobody speaks, then nobody hears.
2nd Peter3:9,” The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men
count slackness but is longsuffering to us-ward not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.”Bring everyone who will
listen to you in while the gate is still open. Jesus said,” come unto me
all you that are weary and I will give you rest.”When I saw Jesus he was
wearing a purple robe; I believe he was wearing purple for a reason. He was
treated and tried as a common criminal dressed in purple before he was
crucified. Purple still speaks of his suffering, bleeding, and dying for us
The color purple is mentioned 48 times in the Bible.Some of the things it
stands for are royalty, majesty and high officials (Judge.) It is true that
judgment is coming someday, but for now, his loving hand of grace and mercy
is extended to as many as you will bring to him.
1Peter3:18,” For Christ, also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit.” If Jesus suffered and died to bring you to God,
he also suffered and died for your neighbor.
Jn 10:9 “Jesus said I am the door: by me, if *any man* enters in, he shall
be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” “I also believe he
would say to some of us, that we have taken our eyes off of the narrow path
that leads to the strait gate and that we are traveling over the by-pass
road because it is the quicker and easier way. Be careful.The off-ramp
will drop you off in the wrong place. If you see fire and hear weeping and
gnashing of teeth, you will know you took the wrong exit.
Jesus said,” Fear not, little flock it is the Father’s good pleasure to
give you the kingdom.” The Kingdom belongs to you, but you can show the
door to someone else, maybe your own family. You, my friend, are priceless
in the Father’s eyes. He created you and is not about to leave you in a
dark place without giving you and your family a way out, even at the price
of the blood of His Son.
You have heard the old saying, “you are one in a million.” That is not
true. You, my friend, are one in 7 billion; yet our Father knows you well
enough to know every hair on your head. And if that weren’t good enough;
not one person in the world has your fingerprints. Not one other person has
your DNA. You have a special place in the Lord, and his Kingdom. If my
friend, you are not sure of your place in the Lord, and you want in just
say Dear Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and wash my sins away. I
will pray for you just e-mail me with; I did it, I want in, I prayed, or
yes.
Dr. Bob Allen
* God Loves You. Keep your eye on the Straight Gate.*
Practical Faith
Religion June 6, 2017
Today, I want to talk to you about your faith, but I don’t want to do just another faith teaching that won’t work for you any better than the last one you heard. I want to help you to power up the faith you have. Faith works by love, so then, love will be your power source to walk by faith. You can measure your faith in the Lord by your love for Him. Faith is reaching out with love, and appropriating what has already been spoken and offered to you.
Rom.12:3, Paul said,” For I say, through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, as God hath given to every man the measure of faith.” The Father jump starts all of us in our faith walk. We increase it by learning to listen to His Word, knowing His will, and learning His way.
Gal.3:22 The Apostle Paul said, “The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith [of] Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
Paul also said,” I walk by the faith of Christ Jesus.” Faith is not something you get, but something you have when you receive and believe Christ Jesus. We must learn to receive and live by His faithfulness.
I want you to take a look at Gal.1:3-4. Paul said,” Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world; according to the will of God and our Father.” We must change worlds. You have to walk out of this evil world and put no faith in it at all but keep your heart set on the Faithful One, Christ Jesus, and His Kingdom.
Gal. 2:20, Paul said,” I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live; yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith [of] the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” When you believe and trust everything Jesus said and did, and can believe Him for His future promises; you will be full of faith. (although you’re standing in the midst of an evil world)
Rom.10:17, Paul said,” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” You can add to your faith by taking in more of the Word of God. Our big challenge is understanding how faith works and when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.
Heb.11:1,” Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We must work the substance and believe the evidence of something we cannot see. Faith believes what cannot be tasted, touched, seen, heard or smelled.
Faith is a place between A-men, and there it is. I prayed. I believed. I have it. Faith is what you hold on to until the thing you are praying for comes into your hand.
1John5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” Faith is Big, Big, Big.
How do you use faith? Faith does not come from or operate out of the natural realm. Your spirit touches things of the Spirit. By faith, your spirit touches the supernatural realm. Your soul, which is your mind, will, and emotion touches the sense realm: reason, thought, feelings, and desires.
Your body touches the five senses: touch, smell, hear, feel, and taste.
The natural man says,” if I see, it I will believe it”. The spiritual man says,” If I believe it, I will see it.” Jesus said, My Word is Spirit, and it is Life. Do you have the Life of the Spirit working In you?
Remember Peter. He was taught perfectly by the Master. He knew everything about Jesus, but when his faith was tested, he failed the test. He said, “I don’t know the man.” After he walked on water with Jesus, and after twice working with Jesus in feeding multitudes with a few fish and bread, the #1 Jesus school graduate had little faith in the man. Christ Jesus.
When Jesus appeared to His disciples in Galilee, after his resurrection, Matt28:17 says the eleven worshiped, but some doubted. That alone shows you that faith doesn’t come easily. Even the men that were with the Master all the time showed little faith. Jesus said, my Word is Spirit, and it is Life. Faith then comes by hearing His Word. After Peter was filled and baptized with the Holy Spirit, he was able to tell the lame man,” in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth what I have, give I you, rise and walk.”
Rom.1:11, Paul said, “For I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gifts to the end you may be established.” This is big because spiritual gifts do not operate out of the natural man.They operate by faith out of the spirit. The natural man’s faith is only in what he can see or control. You have to step out of the natural man into the spirit realm and establish yourself in the spirit to move by faith.
When it comes to the things of God, you can‘t have it unless you can get it by faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. I believe this tells us the more faith we have, the more we can please Him. Tell me, is anything greater than pleasing our wonderful Father?
My friend, if you are trying to walk by faith based on what you have learned without first getting the word down deep in your spirit, you will lose every time! After you are saved and become a child of God, you must learn to live by faith. The Lord seldom, if ever, responds to pain, suffering, or sorrow. God responds to faith.
Prov.20:27, “The spirit of the man is the candle of the Lord.” God sees what is in your spirit, and he measures your faith from there. How do you think you look? What condition is your spirit? Are you praying every day in the spirit? If so, you should have your spirit built up until you can believe His word. True faith moves the Lord’s, heart. Little faith grieves him.
Gal.5:6,” Faith works by love.” God lavished his love upon you when He took you into His family. He washes your hurting, ugly, sinful life away, and promises you a future and a hope, and a love that lasts forever. My friend, this should make your faith rise and work for you.
Luke 22:31, “Simon, Satan has desired to have you that he may, sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith fails not.” Prayer is the bridge that faith travels over. It is not unusual to doubt your faith, but those who move the kingdom forward, never doubt The Master. You must have faith in all that He says.
Study and learn God’s word. If the Word is not understood, the enemy gobbles it up. We need faith to trust God in everything we do. Not just faith in Him, but confident in our position in Him. In other words, we need to be filled with His love and walk in His ways. We can operate the things of God in our lives by our faith in Him. Again, you will never walk in more faith than you can believe.
You cannot withhold anything from God and still have faith in His promises. You will not speak for Him with authority. You must live a pure life through Him, My friend; we have an anchor and someone to hold on to forever: The Man, Christ Jesus.
Matt. 9:29 Jesus said, “According to your faith let it be done unto you.“
Eph. 6:16 Paul said,” Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” I assure you the darts will come. So Faith up.
Please remember faith works by love: little love, little faith. We must learn to love in order to walk in great faith that pleases the Lord.
Gal.3:11, “The just shall live by faith.”
Rom.8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” You are made right, put right, justified. That makes You a just person! Now you can live by faith. Jesus said,” I am the light of the world.” Before He left, He said you are the light of the world. Throw your light out there, let it shine. Jesus said,” Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”. Matthew 5:16r.
-Bob Allen
God Loves You. Keep your eye on the Straight Gate.
Resting and Trust
Religion February 3, 2016
Religion column written by Larry Bennett
“So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:9 NLT)
The context of the book of Hebrews has to do with convincing the unbelieving Jews of the superiority of Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment of all that they hold dear. Jesus is better than Angels, Moses, and the Law because He is the fulfillment of all of those things. So the writer of the book is admonishing them to not harden their heart in unbelief like their ancestors, but enter into the rest that salvation can give them.
This message of rest is also for us today. Because of the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross we can enter into a Spiritual rest for salvation.
This rest not only applies to salvation, but also to everyday life. Our salvation is so complete that it not only deals with our eternal destiny, but it can offer us rest in the midst of every problem. The same rest that is available for the salvation of our souls is also available for every challenge of life.
Learning how to rest is an important element of victorious living. Saying, “I’m resting” is not some spiritual incantation that enters us into the resting mode, but rather it’s a lifestyle based on absolute truth. As the invitation in Hebrews states, “therefore be diligent to enter into that rest” (V 11). Entering into God’s rest is an exercise of the will, trusting in the authority of His Word.
It’s a deliberate acknowledgment that God is fully aware of your situation and He understands the severity, the timing and the gravity of your problem. In other words, resting is agreeing to allow God to “fix it” in His way, on His terms, and in His timing. Its the act of “casting all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7)
Bottom Line
When my daughter Leslie was a toddler she was a trusting soul. I would lift her up and put her on the kitchen counter. She would leap off the counter with enthusiasm into my arms. No matter how far I got from the counters edge she would leap with complete trust that I was going to catch her. After each jump she would say, “again,again”.
That’s how God wants us to experience Him. He wants us to take the leap of faith and learn torest in Him, again and again. He will, without fail, catch us when we take the leap of faith and give all our anxiety to Him.
There is a song written in 1920 by a Englishman named Edward Henry Joy called “All our Anxiety”. I believe the song echoes the message of rest in Hebrews 4.
Is there a heart bound by sorrow?
Is there a life weighed down by care?
Come to the cross each burden bearing
All you anxiety leave it there
All our anxiety all our care
Bring to the mercy seat, leave it there.
Never a burden He cannot bear,
Never a friend like Jesus”.