3 Words in 1

Walking with an Angel of God
The Depth of the Holy Ghost
Sitting in Heavenly Places

 

Walking with an Angel of God

When “they” said, He wasn’t there. . . . I want to share a small bit of my story, in hopes that it might help someone out there. I had lost everything that had ever meant anything to me. All of the things I had believed in, just seemed to be all for nothing; it was all in vain. I threw myself away; they had convinced me, that I was no longer any good to anyone. I could not tell anyone, they were never really my friends, to begin with. My greatest kind of opposition, had come from those closest to me; they wanted me gone.

I had been drinking heavily for some time; I drank to kill the pain; to seek some kind of escape from the life I had become. I had even gotten rid of my car; I couldn’t trust myself to get behind the wheel. In a last ditch effort, I took a job across the lake, in the big city, at a very large local hospital. I walked to work every day; it was about three or four miles. I had to cross this long bridge that went high over the avenue below. They told me I was no good; I believed them. I was led to believe, God didn’t love me anymore and I wondered, if He ever did. I was sick in body, and sick in my mind.

One day, I had to have a double strong drink, just to dress myself and put on my uniform. I remember standing there and saying, “God, if you do not help me today, I will never make it.” I left the apartment, just putting one foot in front of the other. As I stepped onto this bridge, I could see the nice hospital, a long ways off in the distance. I thought again, “it’s a long way, and I’m never going to make it.” I took several steps and all of a sudden, just to my right side, there appeared a very tall figure dressed in white. I could only see the outline of it up to the waist, but I could tell that it was much, much taller, than any human could ever be. I kept walking forward.

I didn’t have to turn to the side. I could see the bottom part of its clothing and there was part of a wing, with large feathers; the hem of the outfit was like some kind of soft, white down. It walked with me, every step of the way to the hospital. I somehow, made it through the day. But what I did notice, was that somehow, I was stronger; I had a hope I didn’t have before. I was able to find help for myself, a place I could rest and begin to recover. Oh, I know what some are thinking; he must have been having D.T.’s What’s not right about that assumption, is that it wasn’t the last time I saw such a thing.

What does matter here, is that I knew it was the angel of the Lord. There was no doubt about what it was, or, why he was there. They said, he would not be there. They said, he wouldn’t go places where people were undone and walk with them. I regret today, that I believed them. I wandered a long time, thinking I was all by myself. I gave up gifts, I gave up a calling, I gave up a ministry, because I listened to them. You see, they didn’t know Him; not for who He really is. I would never have made it that day, if he had not walked beside me. I wouldn’t make it today either; I have no desire to even try it without Him. I thought He found me. But you see, He had never left.

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The Depth of the Holy Ghost

It has always been a challenge, for each of us to decide, just what level, we want to be on. Do we want to know just enough, to get by, or do we truly wish to be fully informed about the things we encounter. I don’t wish to sound curt, but often times, you can tell just how much folks actually know about things; and how much they actually don’t know about it. It’s kind of like, trying to teach something, when you haven’t studied, you haven’t done your home work. How much, do we really want to know about certain things; do we wish to speak from our own experience, or talk about the experiences, other people have had. Is it our journey, or is it theirs.

John, was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. He did not see all of the things he did, through his own natural eyes. He did not come to know all of the things he wrote about, through his own ability or in his fleshly mind. We simply will not or cannot, know the things of God, walking in our own understanding. We were told that; many, many times, throughout the Word; one might think, we’d have surely gotten that message by now.

I want to quote a verse too many of us, seemed to have jumped over. “O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and his ways past finding out” Romans 11:33. I’d like to add some words others have used here: unfathomable, untraceable, mysterious, undiscoverable.

And His ways, His methods and His paths are beyond what we will know or find out. That should about settle, how much we think we know about God and what He’s up to. In my finite mind, I think that the first step to having knowledge or depth, is to realize that, understand it, and accept it. It might just be, that the first key to truly learning something, is to clearly see, that you don’t know anything to begin with. Some people have an unteachable spirit; others, have no root in themselves. Jesus said, that’s why they are so easily offended; there’s no depth in their heart. Even if they receive good seed, they have little earth; whatever they do know, withers under heat.

When you’ve sought the depth of the Spirit, and you convinced Him that you were serious, earnest and hungry, you got it. That’s why, a person who has walked in the Spirit, even if only for a short time, will never again be satisfied with anything less. Many of us had that in our lives. Some have decided that they didn’t want to press on for more; but you can be sure, that at the least stirring of the Spirit, it comes back to life again in them. It is possible to get use to some things; to tolerate them and even sit back. But you will never convince yourself, that you’re satisfied. How could you be?

It’s not that so many are dead against some of what they see, that is being called church today. It’s the depth of it, they cannot justify. Do we get it today, that if you have ever truly worshipped God, you know the difference; in whether others or doing it or not, and whether we are too. It might as well be said, that those who are shallow, despise those who have depth. In this hour, we are going to be hated, just for trying to be good people. You can also be sure, we will be hated if we have a depth in the Lord, that others may not have. In these final days, the depth of the Holy Ghost is the only thing that will lead and direct people in the way they should go. That which has no true depth, will fail. Being led by the Spirit, is the only safe way out.

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Sitting in Heavenly Places

Many of us spent years, trying to come to know, who we are in Christ. What is often distressing today, is to see that many who once sought to know who they are in Him, seek now, to know who they are in themselves. I have this vague idea, that one of the reasons they do this, is they have never truly experienced, just what they truly are, on their own. When you’ve blown about every chance there is of ever being a somewhat decent and loving person, you get a real look at yourself. And, it’s not pretty. It’s a genuine tragedy, to see what self, can do to a person.

Yes, we very much need to believe in ourselves. It is paramount in this life, to know your good points, as well as your bad points. We need to have the proper self-image and also, the true respect for ourselves. Many of us were not able to form the right ideas and opinions of our own true being; many have spent decades, trying to right that misimpression. But, I can think back to a time when many of us had nothing of this world’s material things. We did not have new cars or nice big houses and fine clothes to prance around in. In some cases, about all we had, was ourselves; and hopefully, some family member that loved us. Escaping in the Spirit, was Heaven.

How wonderful it was, that no matter who or what we were at the time, in this present life, we could rise above it all, and sit with the King. I tell you truthfully, it was about all the happiness, some of us had. We knew and believed, that the poorest of the poor, could also be rich. Truthfully, we could experience an elevation in our spirits, that many people don’t even have today. This Spirit in you, made you to know, that you were just as good as any other person around; you had the same rights, and the same inheritance, as those who had much more in this world. It made us all, equal; no big people and no little people. In the Heavenly Places.

I think some have forgotten along the way, that this world, is looking and searching desperately, for what some of us found many years ago. I can be honest and say, that some drugs, alcohol and other vices, can give you a wonderful feeling and take you out of your misery, to another level. The catch is, it’s only temporary; it doesn’t last. In the end, it dumps you, and leaves you more destitute and lonely, than ever before. And it’s only for a season. Sooner or later, you bottom out; it’s finished. It also costs a lot of money and you end up with nothing, in return. That’s because it’s not of a heavenly place; our spirit, didn’t really rise very far. It was only an illusion.

When we truly worship and praise Him, our spirit rises to a new dimension. Can you imagine, some of the Apostles and Prophets, soared to places, we can only dream about. The Spirit entered these people and took them out of their carnal bodies, and showed them things any man or woman on earth, would give anything to see. The deeper you seek to know and be in the Spirit, the more places in that heavenly space, you get to go to. This is not fools talk; this is the real experience of those who seek to truly know God. It’s a benefit, everyone who has the Spirit, is entitled to. This, is why we could once sing, “It is Joy unspeakable, and full of Glory.” And not even half, has ever yet been told. One day we’ll go there, and not come back.

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Robert Blackburn