Archive for June 2018
The Sound Man Was Blind!
The Sound Man Was Blind!
It was Youth Rally Night in the little Tennessee country church. I sat in the audience, only two or three of the people even knew me. The small building was very full. The weather very bad. The guests had all braved the storm. They opened the service with prayer. They prayed for the storm to pass on by. “We beta hope de Ward heas our pwayer!” That was what the tongue-tied service leader said, trying to encourage faith in the congregation.
Something was terribly wrong with the microphone. They tapped it, they shook it, and then examined the cord. Nothing worked. All heads turned toward the small sound booth. The sound man was not looking down; he was looking up while he adjusted the board. What? Then it became apparent. He was blind. The sound man was blind and he was the one adjusting the board! Someone had changed the microphone settings and he was trying to restore them by feel. He got it back pretty close to normal too. Unbelievable.
He also ran the computer music software for the overhead projector. The slides on the screen did not always match the words being sung. But, no one seemed to care.
The organ player was taking pictures of the congregation with one hand while playing with the other. She extended her arm full length toward the audience as she took the photos.
They sang! They worshiped! They Shouted. The visiting ministers were all asked to testify. The teenage guest preacher for the Youth Rally was really nervous and it showed. He had never “preached out” before. He preached with anointing and then conviction fell. Young people moved to the altar area to pray. While she played for the altar call song, the organ player took flash photos with her left hand, of the folks coming down the aisle.
No, it wasn’t “perfect church”, like some of the big churches might have, but the congregation went home rejoicing and happy knowing they had been in the presence of the Lord.
This is Home Missions
Don’t Bother Praying? Yes, You Heard Me Right… Don’t Bother Praying!
Don’t Bother Praying? Yes, You Heard Me Right…
Don’t Bother Praying!
The Holy Scriptures screams the need for us all to pray. The Apostle Paul even said for us to pray without ceasing. Every pastor encourages his listeners to pray. I certainly agree with the admonition.
- Yes, we know that God is a prayer-answering God!
- He specializes in responding to our needs.
- He specializes in healing our bodies and saving our souls.
- He will hear a sinner’s prayer of repentance.
- He answers all prayers for deliverance, forgiveness, and salvation.
- He encourages us to just to ask, and He says, it shall be given.
But, There Are Times, When The Lord Tells Us It Won’t Do Any Good To Pray!
(Yes, You’ve Read That Last Sentence Right!)
1.) God Will Not Choose To Ignore Your Sinning, And Bless You Anyway…
Don’t Bother Praying!
Isa 59:1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Those who think they can continually gratify their fleshly lusts and ignore God’s Word when they pray are only fooling themselves. God is not in the mood to listen to them. Be warned.
2.) If You Still Want To Hang On To Your Sin…
Don’t Bother Praying!
Psa. 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
(NLT) – Psa. 66:18 18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
(ESV) – Psa. 66:18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
3.) If You Refuse To Receive Instruction From God’s Word…
(Saying you’re not convicted, e.g.)
Don’t Bother Praying!
Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
4.) When You Ask For What You’ve No Right To Ask For.
Don’t Bother Praying!
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
(The Message) – James 4:3 And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.
5.) If You’re Guilty Of Destroying God’s Men And His Saints With The Sword Of Your Tongue, And With Your Railing…
Don’t Bother Praying!
Isa 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
6.) When You Mistreat Your Wife…
Don’t Bother Praying!
1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
(NCV) 1 Peter 3:7 …do this so that nothing will stop your prayers.
(The Message) 1 Peter 3:7 …so your prayers don’t run aground.
Every husband must show his wife honor and respect her at all times. If he doesn’t, there is no need for him to bother God by trying to pray. God already has said He chooses not to listen to that man when he prays. No matter who he is.
A man who abandons his wife and family needs to remember that the only prayer God will entertain from him is one of true and complete repentance. He also owes the same repentance to his wife and family.
Sir: Don’t Make God Place A ‘Do Not Answer” Stamp On Your Prayer Request.
7.) If Your Refuse To Forgive
Don’t Bother Praying!
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
- God hears the prayer of the humble.
- God hears the prayer of the repentant.
- God hears the prayer of the submissive.
- God hears the prayer of the obedient.
- God hears the prayer of those hungry for Him.
May We All Pray Prayers That God Will Hear!
He Was Ashamed Of His Stuttering, But He Gave Him A Tract Anyway!
He Was Ashamed Of His Stuttering, But He Gave Him A Tract Anyway!
(To The Embarrassed Man, Who Stuttered… Thank You!)
No one knows your name.
You came out of nowhere. You stopped when you saw the car teetering on the edge of the cliff with the front tires dangling out into space.
A young man sat behind the wheel with his foot on the brake desperately trying to keep the vehicle from moving forward. Only a wrecker could pull the car back onto the road. His friends had gone to get one.
Uncertainty showed in your body language. You knew you couldn’t do anything for the car, but yet you came closer. You walked with your head down and only glanced up to make sure you were walking in the right direction.
When you arrived at the driver’s window, you dug into your pocket and pulled out what looked like an old and well-worn Gospel Tract.
You were nervous and stuttered badly as you handed the tract to the Catholic boy behind the wheel.
It seemed like it took you forever to say, ‘I want you to read this.”
The young man thanked you and watched as you shuffled out of his life. But he never forgot you.
He wondered why the tract you had given was old and not new. Was it your personal favorite or was it the last one you had?
What You Didn’t Know!
You didn’t know that the young man had been raised Catholic.
You didn’t know that he had been a gang leader in Los Angeles and a fugitive from justice as well.
You didn’t know that he wanted to turn his life around.
You didn’t know that he would read your old tract slowly taking in every word.
You didn’t know that when the tract talked about the coming of the Lord and asked the question, “Are you ready?” that the young man realized he wasn’t ready.
You didn’t know that you were the first person to ever make him think about his soul being lost and that he needed the Lord.
You didn’t know that he prayed, “God if there is more for me from You, then I want it. If it is real, I want it.”
What You Never Knew!
The power of a single tract.
The young man soon visited an Assemblies Of God Church in Fresno, California.
Rev. Charles Price preached him to the altar that night and he received the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues.
What You Couldn’t Have Known!
The past caught up with him and he went to San Quentin Prison.
He regularly attended a Bible Study group.
His cellmate was a backslider from a Trinitarian church and he once had the Holy Ghost.
The cellmate would watch the others in the Bible Study group but never join in.
One day the cellmate received a tract from his wife about Acts 2:38. She had just been baptized in Jesus Name and wanted him to be as well.
The backslidden cellmate didn’t want the tract, so he gave it him.
What You May Never Know!
The young man you gave the tract to, read this 2nd tract and received a revelation of the Oneness of God and the importance of Jesus Name baptism, and was thrilled with the new knowledge.
He preached his first sermon in the prison yard. “Though Thy Sins Be As Scarlet, They Shall Be White As Snow!”
After being released, he went into the Army and searched for two years for someone to baptize him.
He found that place in Christ Church, Oregon City, Oregon. The Pastor, Andrew Baker baptized him in Jesus Name.
His family disowned him for leaving the Catholic Church.
He married the most lovely and godly young woman you could ever hope to find. They had five children who also were baptized in Jesus Name and filled with the Holy Ghost.
He pastored nine churches, six of which he started.
He evangelized everywhere for twenty-five years and pastored twenty-five years as well.
His sermons were life changing and unforgettable.
All who have his tapes and CD’s still treasure them.
You would have cried and rejoiced listening to him preach under the anointing.
You would have cried listening to him and his wife sing.
His son became a preacher.
Of his four daughters, one died in her teens, the others are involved in ministry.
Two of his son’s in law are preachers.
He has eleven grandchildren who all have received the Holy Ghost and have all been involved in ministry of some kind.
Five became pastors.
Of his twenty-one great-grandchildren, those who are old enough have been baptized in Jesus Name and filled with the Holy Ghost.
The oldest ones are presently preparing themselves for the work of the Lord.
What I Want You To Know!
He never forgot your willingness to witness, in spite of your stuttering and embarrassment.
You were the first one to ever witness to him, even though you simply handed him an old tract.
He’s not here today to say thank you.
He died on September 11, 1994. His wife, Content died on January 13, 2012.
So I would like to thank you for him!
You see, I’m his son.
His name was Carl Joseph Ballestero.
Apostolic Expository Series
Christy Ballestero (My Beautiful DIL)
http://marciaballestero.com/
Pastor Anthony & Kim Ballestero, New Destiny Worship Center, Clearwater, FL (My Son)
Pastor Bryan & Christy Ballestero, Temple Of Pentecost, Raleigh, NC (My Son)
James Groce Blog – "Toward The Mark"
Kenneth Bow Blog
Kingdom Speak Podcast
Philip Harrelson – "The Barnabas Blog"
Verbal Bean Ministries
Holy Ghost Radio
The Ballestero Blog 