Pilgrim’s (Alan’s) Progress
[The Testimony of Alan Richardson]
Part IV - Walking
(Go to Pilgrim's [Alan's] Progress Part III - Testing.)
Project Reentry
After I completed the M.M.P.I., I was interviewed by a neuropsychologist named Dr. Pollack. He was the director of the Project Reentry, that is a program designed to rehabilitate people who suffer from brain injuries. With the help of his staff, he charted a cognitive therapy program for me that consisted of such things as doing math problems and solving puzzles. I was not sure I needed to be in the program, because I did not find the tasks any more difficult or challenging than similar exercises I had done in the past. I told my friend Drew about the test results and the concerns the doctors had, saying I had a mild brain injury. Drew was also a street racer, and we had been friends during high school, up to the time of my motorcycle accident. Drew’s response to the doctors’ reports was, “Man, you’re the same as you always were.” By that, I believe he meant, “You’re just as crazy as I’ve always known you to be.” I shared Drew’s comment on the doctor’s concerns with my friend Eric as he drove me home from church one night. Eric’s response was, “Yeah, it takes a gearhead [‘car nut’] to understand a gearhead.”
Two years after Dr. Netscher diagnosed me as schizoaffective, she recommended that I take part in a program that provided group therapy. In my depressed condition, I feared being around new people, and hesitated to participate in group therapy at the county psychiatric clinic. Within a week I began receiving services at the outpatient clinic. I became a patient of a psychiatrist named Dr. Aponte', who prescribed an antidepressant drug for me. I took the drug as prescribed but was still depressed for the year that I took it. We measured our mood in the group each day, on a scale of “1 to 10”, with “10” being the best. During that year, my mood was never more than a “6”, or 60% of what I considered to be my best and most positive mood.
Between Two Camps
About a year later Brother Bruce Hallman (FMH Children’s Club International) left his home in El Paso and set out on a God-ordained journey to meet and speak with one of the preachers at Jimmy Swaggart Ministries (Baton Rouge, Louisiana). Bruce was to stop and pick me up in Houston, on his way to Baton Rouge. The Lord had ordained that the two of us go there as prophets to deliver the Lord’s message to the ministry. My mother wanted to keep me away from Bruce, because she considered him to be schizophrenic, because he says “God told me…”, and he said I needed to get off my antidepressants. She called the county constable, and a deputy was waiting for him when he arrived. The deputy constable questioned Bruce, who passed the “attitude test”, then he witnessed to the deputy about the Lord. Then came the tug of war in the driveway that night: Bruce on one side, and my mom and our neighbor, Colleen, on the other – with me in the middle – forced to decide between the two camps. My mother told me that if I left with Bruce I would have to find another place to live. I was still burdened with the spirit of depression, and the thought of having to find shelter in that condition greatly intimidated me from getting on board with Bruce for the mission at hand. I was in the midst of a great test. I finally went into my room to pray so that I could escape the confusion and hear God’s voice. The deputy told Bruce that he would be ticketed for trespassing if he returned to my mother’s house, but he obliged Bruce by going up to the house to see that my mother and neighbor were not holding me against my will. The deputy knocked on the door to my room and asked me if I was all right. I came out of my room to join Bruce several minutes later, but I had missed my opportunity.
Losing Adrian
It was about a year later that tragedy struck the life of my long time friend and best buddy, Claud. On January 30, 2003, he lost his only brother, Adrian. My mother received the news about Adrian from Claud’s ex-girlfriend, Tisha, who called us the next day to tell us what happened. Adrian had been critically wounded in a hit-and-run, and he died several hours later. I was told of the events that led up to Adrian’s death that day, by his brother Claud, and his close friend, John. This is what they said:
Adrian was at a Southwest Houston singles’ bar with a woman/girlfriend of his when the other man approached them. Apparently the woman Adrian was with had dated the young man, who felt that Adrian was moving in on his territory. An argument began, and the strife continued outside the bar, when Adrian exited through the front entrance, around closing time. That’s when Adrian saw the other man sitting in a sport utility vehicle. Adrian challenged the man by approaching the vehicle. The conflict ended in violence when the man stepped on the throttle and struck Adrian. He was thrown into the air, and sustained a head injury. Adrian was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced brain dead. Claud later told me that that the man that hit Adrian was convicted of manslaughter, and was sentenced to eight (8) years in prison.
Of course this was a very painful event for Adrian's family and friends. Tragedy struck again the day after I received the news of Adrian’s death. On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded in orbit, killing all seven (7) of the astronauts on board. Yet I was unable to feel that pain, because I was focused on the loss of Adrian, and the impact it would have on the lives of those who were closest to him. There is a term known as “survivor guilt” that I was told about after my brother Russell passed away. “Survivor guilt” describes the responsibility that a surviving family member or friend feels for the death of another person. It is not unusual for it to happen in the case of an early death of a friend or family member.
When I think about Adrian I remember an occasion in 1998 when I was disobedient to a command that the Lord gave me. Claud’s sister, Lisa, invited a few friends over to celebrate Claud and Adrian’s birthdays at their pool in July of that year. The Lord moved on me to give both Claud and Adrian a copy of a book called A Divine Revelation Of Hell. The book gives one woman’s account of 40 consecutive nighttime visits to various parts of Hell. Because of the strong content of the book, and the implication it would make that the brothers needed to repent before God, I chose not to obey the command of the Spirit that day. I was afraid that Claud and Adrian would take offence, and a rift would be created in the relationships we enjoyed. I allowed the enemy of my soul to intimidate me. Sometimes I think about how Adrian’s life might have been changed had I been obedient to the Lord by delivering the books. In 2005 I gave Adrian’s brother, Claud, his copy of the book. Only the Lord can say if things would have been different for Adrian if I had been obedient to give him the book that day. Though I missed God in this instance, all I can do about it now is ask God's forgiveness, and strive to do better in the future.
Enter Not Into Temptation
Later that same year, Pastor Dan and his wife, Debbie, shared a dream with me following one of our regular church services. She and Brother Dan had just spent a weekend in Cancun, Mexico, which was a gift from the church. In the dream she saw a group of church members on a pier that overlooked a beautiful white beach with clear blue water, like the beaches in Cancun. The pastor then handed a gold pocket watch to each of us who were standing there. She said that through this dream, God was telling us “I’m tuning you up…”
At the time Debbie shared the dream I was in a spiritual draught. I took the dream and the words she shared as a message from the Lord for me. The word was like a drink of clean, cool water, after so many months of depression without the “water” and “light” of God. Prophetic utterances given in desperate hours have caused me to value them in a way that I could not have, before the day of temptation. Several years ago I heard a prophet from South Africa make a statement about the prophetic Word of God, which I came to greatly appreciate during periods of sore testing and spiritual darkness. He said, “God can illuminate something in a dark place in a way that He could not if you were in the light.” Another way to say this is that when the situation becomes darkest, God’s illuminating Word shines brightest.
One afternoon in August of 2003, I was sitting in my mother’s house when I had a memory of seeing a photo of a nude model from an issue of the best selling pornographic “men’s” magazine. This caused me to be curious about the possibility of finding the “pin-up” model once again. I did not have to look long before I discovered and viewed old photos of the model, again. By yielding to the temptation of the moment, the spirit of pornography took hold of me, after the Lord had helped me abstain from porn for a period of seven (7) years. Because I chose to sin at that time, the pornography stronghold became full-blown in a single night’s time. The following afternoon I could feel the oppressive presence of demons around my head as I sat in the lobby of the psychiatric clinic where I was being treated for depression.
The Sunday before Thanksgiving 2003 I attended church where I was serving with the worship team once again, after leaving the team due to my depression. The worship leader (Jesse) spoke to me, saying that God was promoting me back to the worship team. Although I was reluctant to rejoin the worship team because I was depressed, I did it. I played the bongos during the music portion of the service. As I played and praised God with the others, the thought that grated on me was that the spirit of pornography was yet again a plague in my life, and it was in my mind to visit a certain “adult” bookstore in my area, for the first time.
Victory Through Obedience
The thought that I was ensnared by the sin of pornography was especially troubling and disgusting to me at this point. This happened because in three (3) month’s time I would be celebrating the 10-Year Anniversary of the day I surrendered my life to the Lord. A battle raged within me. The Bible declares,
“The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary to the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” - Galatians 5:17 (KJV)
When the music and worship portion of the service was complete I was exhausted from the battle that had taken place between the Spirit and my flesh (my “divine nature” and my “fallen nature”). So much so, that I wanted to go home. But since I did not have my own transportation, I did not have that option. So I circled around the platform area of the sanctuary, and took my position for the preaching of the Word of God. Once I pulled into my place I recognized that something was different. What was different was me. Depression gone! et liberty. The deliverance manifested just 4 (days) before Thanksgiving Day. I was miraculously set free and was able to enjoy the Thanksgiving and Christmas season for the first time in four (4) years. I was amazed, after being squelched by depression for so long, that I no longer held out in hope that the coming holidays would be any different. I was convicted of sin. I chose Him. But God gave me back my tomorrow:
“God gave me back my tomorrow
I threw tomorrow away
He took this life
Full of sorrow
Suddenly everything changed –
The moment it happened
It was the moment I knew
It was like walking in the darkness
When the light comes shining through
I said that God gave me back tomorrow.”
– Ray Boltz
His light did shine through, and He fulfilled His word in my life through these Scriptures, which say:
“If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters [of difficulty] that pass away: And thine age [life] shall be clearer [brighter] than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, [and though you were dark] thou shalt be [bright] as the morning.” - Job 11:14-17 (KJV)
“For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour [out] my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.” - Isaiah 44:3 (KJV)
It was through my disobedience to God's will for my life and bowing to the temptation of pornography, that I was taken further into demonic bondage. Then through my obedience to God's command (will) for my life to rejoin the worship team at church, I was set free from the chains of depression.
In the year and a half before I got on board with the FMH Children’s Club International (FMHCCI) ministry, I was overcome by the power of pornography and the devils and my sinful flesh that brought the temptation my way. I found I could resist the temptation for up to a month at a time, but then became overwhelmed by the power of the sin, again and again. This resulted in guilt and despair, for I continued to fail my heavenly Father. I had no hope of getting complete victory over my sin, and expected it to be a source of suffering for the rest of my life, and therefore I also feared for my eternal soul.
The Lord gave the FMH Children’s Club ministry a simple teaching concerning doing the will of the Father. It is “Hear God and Obey God”. This is a necessity in living an overcoming life. By listening to the Lord and seeking to go only where He says to go, and yielding our mind and members to Him and doing only what He says to do – the Spirit has a greater presence and influence – and areas of the flesh that have ruled within us are going to wither and die. By forsaking temporal things as the Lord requires, and not just hearing His word, but doing it, I’ve been free from pornography since 12 a.m. (midnight), October 19, 2005 until the present (a total of 1 year and 9 months at the time of this writing).
The Lord gave me a message through numerals, which came through the space of days between my first deliverance from the spirit of depression (9/13/96) and my second deliverance (11/23/03). As I was looking back on what the Lord had done for me during the Christmas holidays of 2003, I figured the number of days that had elapsed between the two (2) dates that I was delivered. The amount of elapsed time is 7 years and 70 days. This is a reminder for all of us how importance it is for us to forgive others:
“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until SEVENTY [70] times SEVEN [7].” - Matthew 18:21-22 (KJV)
Obey God
On May 3rd, 2003 I was challenged by the voice of God to enter full-time ministry as I was on my way home from a friend’s wedding at our church. The command was actually a response (answer) to the question I asked about the partnership that the Lord spoke of following my deliverance in 1996: “How is this [marriage to Annette] going to happen?” Immediately, the Holy Spirit spoke two familiar words crystal clear to my heart, saying “Obey God”. This took place at Bayou Bridge Street, just four (4) blocks from my house. I take notice of how God gave me the word of instruction – answering yet another “burning” question I had – as he did the time before when I asked how it was I knew Brother Paul and Sister Annette were not right for each other (when He showed me she and me were meant to be together).
The message to “Obey God” was a clear command from the Spirit for my life. It was God’s instruction for me to become part of the FMH Children’s Club International. Yet it gave me a dilemma. Brother Dan (the pastor of Victory Life Fellowship church in Houston) said that because Brother Bruce (founding prophet of the FMH Children’s Club International ministry based in El Paso) was not under a pastor himself, I could not have his “blessing” to relocate to El Paso. I felt like I was a rope in a tug of war because I was being urged to stay put by church leaders in Houston, but compelled to pick up and move to El Paso by the Lord in heaven. As Samuel was the spiritual father of the “company of prophets” in Israel, Brother Bruce Hallman is the spiritual father and leader - under God - of the FMH Children’s Club International “Eagle Rock School Of Prophets”.
“And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.” - 1 Samuel 10:10 (KJV)
Several weeks following my deliverance from depression, the Holy Spirit gave me another crystal clear command to “Awake thou that sleepest..!” - Ephesians 5:14 (KJV). That was on February 2, 2004, nine (9) months after the Spirit of God commanded me to “Obey God” [move to El Paso]. This word of “shaking” was spoken to my heart at the same location (Bayou Bridge Street) where the Lord had commanded me to move the first time! On February 9 (one week later), I began to experience an overactive bladder and demonic oppression.
Inside A Tomb
The Christian “walk of salvation” can be a maddening battle at times, which includes the prophetic calling and ministry. It’s the job of the prophets to speak out strongly as in “thus saith the Lord” to help the erring Brother or Sister. On April 2, 2004 the Lord issued these two (2) prophetic messages:
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 10:33:45 -0500
From: "Angie Wall"
To: "bruce"
Subject: Brother Alan
Brother Alan said:
"It will be more painful to me to be out of God's will than to deal with the repercussions of being in His will."
Is Brother Alan actually in God's will?
Now is the time to hold fast to what you knew you heard Me speak in the secret place of your heart. You had revelation and direction, and you rose up to fulfill destiny. Yet, the enemy has planted seeds of doubt with his question, "Did God say?" And, suddenly you feel lost and without direction. Not only that, but you sense the danger of the enemy's presence to destroy all that has been built. Do not stand in fear and trembling, watching and waiting on the sidelines to see what will transpire!
[Brother Alan said:] "I've got to be 'consecrated' to God and be in His will if I'm going to be of any lasting help to my wife [to be] or anyone else". It's good to hear that I'm moving forward (I believe it was in Exodus 34 where God told Moses, "Go forward", which was also the title of one of Donnie's Campmeeting sermons, that came out on video).
Love in the Lord Jesus
Angie, John & Baby
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 00:54 +0000
From: "bruce"
To: "alan"
Subject: Will You Go Out Without Knowing?
…So, Brother Alan, "will you go out [to El Paso] without knowing?"
…[Alan wrote:] "I remember how I began to enjoy my mornings for the first time in my life (with the breakthrough of 11/23/03). Amazingly, I was getting by with 7 hours of sleep, instead of 9 - not suffering through mornings, as I always had."
…So what do you think might be the problem? Well the Lord has given me the very simple answer in the form of one little old verse:
"And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs." (Luke 8:27)
…So where is Brother Alan now? Is he in El Paso? Has his "heart been turned to the Father" through his uncompromising walk of obedience to the Father's Word? Did Brother Alan receive that "yoke destroying anointing" that only comes about through "hearing God and obeying God" in all things?
…You see, Brother Alan, your fear of the enemy that God was going to use to break your yoke was greater than your fear of the Almighty...as in "Hear God and obey God!" And seeing how you weren’t willing to step out in faith and move to El Paso you have become entombed in a tomb of death. The house that you are living in has become your curse because you weren’t willing to walk away from it when your "breakthrough" in the cloud cover came:
"I dislike saying this almost as much as I dislike experiencing it, but my prayer life stinks, and I am sick of being ridden by whatever has been making me feel faint and wired. Been disgusted and tired of it for a couple of weeks, at least. Been difficult to get to sleep, and difficult to stay up (out of bed) in the morning."
So, will the Lord give you another "break through" to fly through? If He does I wouldn't advise you to pass it up again. Pray about it!
We love you Brother Alan. Our phone number is 915-759-8814.
In the Lord Jesus Christ,
Bruce and Sandy
Staying On Course
I am grateful for these strong words from the prophets of God. The month after the Holy Ghost gave me a direct command to “Obey God” by moving to El Paso. He drove home a powerful point about the will of God. It was the last week in June 2003. The occasion was Sister Annette’s birthday. I got Annette a card to send her for her birthday, and I also wrote her a note to go with the card. In my writing, I shared the word the Holy Spirit gave me as I was laying down in our guestroom bed, late one night.
The Lord told me that Annette was called to “teach kids”. I included this in the note I wrote, and put the card in the mail on June 27th – in time for Annette to receive it for her birthday – on the 30th. Before the card was picked up by the postman I felt strongly convicted by the Spirit of God that I had overdone the note by speaking of Annette‘s calling to teach. Yet I fought against the conviction I felt, because I wanted the card to go into the mail just as it was (my way). The card went out with the mail about an hour later, I knew I didn’t proceed according to God’s will that afternoon. The Lord used the opportunity to stress the important thing in life. A positive response to the birthday card I sent Annette (what I wanted) was not nearly as important as the ever-important eternal issue: God’s will for my life (doing things His way). The will of the Father is what men and women should be focused on, because nothing else matters. What I must understand is that I must do as the Lord has commanded me to do, regardless of the pain or the loss, because that is the only way I am going to arrive at my eternal home in heaven. Amen.
To my amazement, the Lord repeated this message to me one (1) year later, on the same day of the year: June 27 (2004). I was at church Sunday morning when Brother Dan stood up and posed this thoughtful question: “What if you are not seeing the results [in you life or ministry] that you expected to see - are you going to change the course? No!” He said, “We need to have the attitude that it doesn’t matter if we get disappointed because we didn’t see what we expected to see. We must stay on course with [do all that is ordained of] the Lord.”
The Time Is Now
I made two (2) mission trips from Houston to El Paso in July and November of 2004, with the Spanish church, Jesus Is The Answer. They have a “sister church” in El Paso, by the same name. Both churches joined forces to hold weekend revivals. Since the Lord called me to El Paso the previous year, I looked at the July mission trip as a chance to see El Paso, and “get my feet wet”. A day after I arrived with the Spanish church that November, I had the unusual challenge to stay in El Paso. On the 19th of November the Lord made it clear to me that I could not wait until the following year to make the move to El Paso. He did this by speaking the words “You can’t put this off ‘til next year.” [The time is now]. And the words of Tennessee preacher Isaac Walker echoed within me: “This is my time. There’s not going to be another time...”
Gifts And Callings
Since I began working with the FMH Children’s Club ministry, I have been learning more about “…The gifts and callings of God [that] are without repentance” - Romans 11:29 (KJV). Each man and woman is created in the image of God (we are eternal spirits), with gifts and abilities we are to use in service to Him. Too many times though, people become prodigal (wasteful) and fail to walk in God’s will for their lives. Continued disobedience manifests itself in undesirable results like the strange things I experienced. I became “wired” and at times felt like I was sitting “beside myself”, after I got involved in things that I knew I shouldn’t be doing. The more gifted a person is, the more potential for problems in his or her life.
“Fragmentation” occurs in the mind of people that are called of God when they fail to seek the Lord and obey His commands (“Walk in the Spirit…” - Galatians 5:16). This allows the “curse” to remain, and manifest in the life of a Christian, which if it is not repented of, brings forth death. The pathway that the Lord ordains and commands for our lives is designed to reverse the curse of the law, and allow us to experience the sanctification process through hearing and obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit of God. (To read more about the sanctification process and having a saving knowledge of Jesus through a walk of obedience, search for the sermonet “You’ve Asked A Hard Thing Lord!” at www.fmh-child.org.)
Faith And The Will Of God
On the subject of obedience to the will of God, I’ve had the difficult assignment of unlearning some things that pastors and teachers hail as the gospel, but these particular doctrines they preach and teach are in fact distortions of Biblical and spiritual truth. I am speaking specifically of the Positive Thinking (Norman Vincent Peale), Possibility Thinking (Robert Schuller), and the Positive Confession/Word Of Faith/Faith Movement (Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland). Peale (founder of Guideposts Magazine) taught that just as there is a physical law of “electricity” there is a spiritual law of “faith”. Likewise, Hagin taught that there is a “law of faith”. In the world of “word of faith”, you can “have what you say”. These men basically taught that man, by thinking, and speaking, can have whatsoever he desires (not what God ordains).
Positive Thinking/Positive Confession (Word Of Faith) teachers omit at least two (2) important ingredients of living by faith. The two vital ingredients are prayer (hearing God) and obedience (doing the will of God). In Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan wrote, “There is no divine faith without a divine revelation of the will of God.” While Jesus said, “That whosoever…shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (the Positive Confession and Faith Teacher’s most relied upon verse), in the very next verse Jesus said, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” - Mark 11:24 (KJV)
Kenneth Hagin maintained that we speak the word (“rhema”, in the original New Testament Greek language) so that “You can have what you say.” Hagin taught that “rhema” is “the spoken word” [our confession], but that is a misleading definition, because a “rhema” is a living word (not a fleshly word):
Rhema: “A word spoken or uttered; a speech or sentence consisting of several words; a word, command; denoting the operative or all-powerful word or command of God; a report, account. Rema stands for the subject matter of the word, the thing which is spoken about.” – The Complete Word Study New Testament (AMG Publishers, 1992). A “rhema” from God is the “now” word of for one’s life.
The issue here is God’s will (Divine design) versus the will of man (the lust of the flesh). “Rhema” is a word from God, which is spoken by the Holy Spirit directly to the heart of an individual, or the Lord speaking a holy and righteousness word through a Believer (a yielded, earthen vessel) to another person. Modern Faith Teaching is appealing and convincing. Even after I had been alerted to the deception within them, I find that I am easily drawn back in the popular doctrines, especially since they have been engrained in me from years of preaching and teaching (To read more about faith, obedience, and the spirit of error, see “Jesus Died Spiritually, The Word Of Faith, And The Error In Dan Peters” at www.fmh-child.org/FallingStars/dan.html).
Overcoming error is no easy task. It takes determination, seeking God’s truth in prayer, and then obeying His instructions on a daily basis. I have found it very helpful when Brothers and Sisters who seek to believe God have another committed Believer to assist them in their pursuit to obey the truth.
The following words are from The Pursuit Of God (1982), written by an outspoken 20th Century prophet:
“The Bible is the written word of God, and because it is written it is confined and limited by the necessities of ink and paper and leather. The Voice of God, however, is alive and free as the sovereign God is free. 'The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.' The life is in the speaking words. God's word in the Bible can have power only because it corresponds to God's word in the universe. It is the present Voice which makes the written Word all-powerful. Otherwise it would lie locked in slumber within the covers of a book...This universal Voice of God was by the ancient Hebrews often called Wisdom, and was said to be everywhere sounding and searching throughout the earth, seeking some response from the sons of men.” - A.W. Tozer (1896-1963)
The key to finding eternal life is, “…That he [Jesus] might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word [rhema] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” - Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV)
“…And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” - 1 John 5:4 (KJV)
If Thou Canst Believe
A couple of years after surrendering my life to the Lord in 1994, the Lord gave me this promise: “If thou canst believe , all things are possible to him that believeth.” - Mark 9:23 (KJV). A few years later He told me that if I could honor and worship (obey) Him in every area of my life, that I could walk again.
“And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” - Mark 10:27 (KJV). When the Lord gave me these two verses in combination (Mark 9:23 & Mark 10:27), the truth is that through obeying Him, you and I can even have eternal life.
Jesus created each of us with the potential to love Him, to reflect His love toward others. Some people have a long life, while others live shorter ones. No man knows what tomorrow holds. Yet we know Who holds tomorrow: Jesus Christ (John 1:3, Colossians 1:13-17), and He has created each of us to worship Him and give Him the glory due His name. It has been said that “Life is a just a dressing room for eternity”. This means that through a personal relationship of love with the Lord, and honoring Him through obedience to His will for our lives, we cannot afford to “neglect so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3). This is why we should be “press toward the mark” (Philippians 3:14) and “run in the race” (1 Corinthians 9:24), that we can receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
The Lord gave me the following verse from “The Yielded Life” to conclude this testimony of hope and the glory we can partake of by giving our all to the Lord Jesus Christ:
“Only one life will soon be past
Only what’s done for Christ will last
And when I am dying how glad I shall be
If the lamp of my life has been poured out for Thee…”
– Floyd W. Hawkins
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Update:
I gave Sister Annette an Annette Funicello Signature Bear (called “Bearcicle”) for her birthday the same year I moved to El Paso (2004). On the night of 11/9/07 the Lord showed me that the Scripture He gave me to give to Annette with the “Bearcicle” collector bear was Psalms 111:9 , which corresponds numerically with the date moved to work with the FMH Children’s Club ministry: 11/19 [2004]!
"He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name." - Psalms 111:9 (KJV)
(Go to Pilgrim's [Alan's] Progress Table Of Contents.)
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