LWB Newsletter - Questions & Answers

“We see in the first part of this chapter, Abraham was setting in the door of his tent on a real hot day. It must have been a very hot day. Perhaps, lot of complaints had been coming in lately by the herdsmen, that the grass was all gone, the land was drying up, and that the cattle was becoming very thin, and also, that the water supply was just about all gone. They'd found the water holes in the land, and as the water got low, they would dig out and dig out till they got down to where the water was seeping through the rocks, and still the cattle did not have enough water to supply them. You know, sometimes when things are going wrong, dark... We know by nature that it's darkest just before day. And many times when we see disastrous things happening like that, especially to believers, we must bear this in our mind, that it's Satan trying to block the blessing that's on its road. That was very much so in this case. Satan was trying to tempt them to feel that they had done wrong, and was trying to block the on coming visitation that God was going to give to Abraham and Sarah. And we're taught in the Scriptures, that all things work together for good to them that love God. And no matter how bad it seems, remember, it has to be working for your good. I'm so glad of that. Satan's been after me all day. So I just believe that there's a blessing in store here in this city, somewhere. And I know, when he tempts and tries to block out, what's he trying to do? Get you to disbelieve. And if you--the worst thing that you can do is disbelieve God. And as soon as you get a little scared, "Well, maybe I haven't done this and I haven't done that," right then, Satan's got that blessing conquered for you. You can't get to it as long as Satan makes you think that.” [Is There Anything Too Hard For The Lord? Tulsa, OK 60-0328, par. 4-5]

“Satan was trying to block Abraham and Sarah, because he knew that there was an Angelic visitation coming. And then when everything rises, all out of order, then we know something's wrong. Now, I believe, maybe, if we would listen to Satan, we might miss seeing it like Sarah did. Let's think that Sarah, being that she'd done what she did, let's think that she was kind of a little fussy that morning, that she might have said, "Abraham, you know the supplies are getting low here, and the herdsmen says the--the pasture is all dried up and the water holes. I think you made the wrong decision when you chose to come up here and let Lot and Mrs. Lot, and their family live down there with plenty. Why the other day, or sometime ago, rather, when I went to the city, why, Miss Lot had on one of the prettiest dresses I ever seen. It was styled by the Egyptians. Why, a camel caravan come through, and she got the new styles. There is no such things as them caravans and styles coming through out here. But if she just knowed, there was more than a caravan coming through. There was a host of the Lord coming that way. And I might have heard her say something like this. "You ought to have seen the new hairdo that she had." You know, a woman, sixty years old, trying to look twenty...But that just things that attracts your attention--something--from the things of God, that's what I'm trying to get at. "And you should have seen her."

And poor old Abraham, faithful old brother, I--that didn't shake him one bit. He just walks over and gets his chair and sets down in the door of the tent. I like that. Did you notice, when the Angels come to Lot, Lot was setting in the gate, but Abraham was setting in the door. The gate comes into the yard, but the door goes into the house. I like to set in the door, on the altar, close as I can get to Him. That's where my expectations is, on the altar, waiting for His appearing.” [Is There Anything Too Hard For The Lord? Tulsa, OK 60-0328, par. 15-16]

“Abraham gets his chair and sets down and see the faithful old servant of God bows his head. And maybe Sarah, a little fussy and going on, but he just let it go and begin to think back, "How many great blessings God has given me..." You know, sons of God are led by the Spirit of God. You believe that? Then while he was setting there, thinking of the time that God appeared to him in the Name of the Almighty, the El Shaddai, the Bosom, the breast of the woman, the strength Giver. Now, if you notice the word is a compound word, which means Shaddai, not a breast, but breasted (two). He was wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we were healed. Oh, I'm so glad of that. Either--either promise of God's breast, He's the strong One, the strength Giver. If you're Abraham, old man, ninety-nine years old, said, "Abraham, I am the breasted God. Just lay a hold of My promise and nurse your strength from Me." That's what it is to every believer, that'll take God's Word, and don't doubt It, but just hold onto It, and nurse your strength. It's like the baby, laying on the mother's bosom. All the time it's nursing, it's satisfied. When a real Christian can get a hold of a promise of God, and believe it's for them, he's satisfied while he's a nursing the strength, coming... He won't complain a bit; he's just satisfied. Oh, I love that satisfaction of knowing that God said so. While the aged old saint was setting there with his head down, praying no doubt, it was then when he lifted up his head and he saw three Men coming towards the tent. Oh, he jumped quickly. It must have been the Spirit, said, "Go to them." You know, there's something about Spirit-filled people that recognizes the Presence of God. I don't know why it is, but it must be that they--they got something in them that magnetize them to that Spirit of God. And he recognized that there was something. Even Lot, in his backslidden condition, when those two evangelical Angels, messengers, evangelists, or whatever you wish to call them, come down there, Lot, setting in the gate, a little spark was still left in his heart. He recognized that it was Angels. It was messengers from God. While Abraham went to meet Them, he turned Them aside and said, "Come in and set down. Set under the oak a little while and let me fetch a little water and wash Your feet, and I'll give You a morsel of bread. And just rest a little bit, then You may go on Your way." Oh, when he set Him down there, though they didn't look any different from any other men, because They were dressed, dust on their clothes and come from some other country, probably their feet dusty and their clothes ragged, but Abraham knew inside there, there was something real. The Spirit declared it. Why? He kept hisself in a spiritual atmosphere all the time, that he could recognize right from wrong, all the time. That's the way the Christian ought to do today, is keep yourself prayed up, under a spiritual atmosphere. Always--never seeing the--the bad side, looking to the good side. You are children of God, expecting His blessings.” [Is There Anything Too Hard For The Lord? Tulsa, OK 60-0328, par. 17-19]

Bible References:Genesis 18:1-19; Romans 8:28

[Answer provided by Bro. Ken Andes, Minister, Blaine, Washington, USA]