THE CHILDREN’S BREAD
– WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL –
24th. April 2023
SCRIPTURE
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
1 Cor. 24-27, KJV.
Child of God, in one of my weekly devotionals titled, “THE PREACHER OF GRACE”, I did mentioned, that I was going to talk about my experience relating to how God talked to me using Pastor Charles Stanley. Upon hearing of his demise, I have a release in the spirit to write about it now. Nonetheless, I am going to summarize it for public consumption; Not detailed, though, over the course of time, I might keep adding few things to this devotional.
Lately, but few days before he departed this world, I began to hum the song from Luther Vandross, Dance with my father, and as time passed by, I was no longer satisfied with just humming it, but rather, I desperately needed to hear it, also as a way to stop myself from humming it none-stop! I also decided to check my private Facebook account which I do not even use, and while editing, and updating something within it, and decided to check for just some of the many secular songs which I like, as well as for “dance with my father”. The moment I decided for the few, I saved them! It woke the hunger in me, not just to listen to it, but also to watch the whole video, which I did by going to YouTube, listening to it repeatedly, after which the frequency I initially found myself humming that song some-what subsided, but still remained.
Now on the day he passed away, I got up in the wee hours of that same morning, just to pray a little because of a vision of the night which I had, that was a bit confusing, yet, troubling to me as I did not know, whom the people, that I happened to be with were. I could not understand what I was doing in the midst of a completely white family, whom I was helping, although I did not know them. When I say that, what I mean is this; In the vision, I was the only black person among them, and we had a natural connection, one that made me understand that our spirits knew each other very well, yet, not like best friends or so, but rather like colleagues. That notwithstanding, in the physical realm, I have no ties with them, neither had I met him or any member of his family before, thus, my flesh had no form of connection with them, hence, the confusion. I was troubled because the moment I got out of that night vision, based on the atmosphere, the quiet, sober, or sad countenance of this white family, as well as the questions I was being asked and my reply to them, which I am not willing to go into here, thus, from my experience, I concluded, that this was a vision to be taken very seriously! Therefore, although, I was to get up for work not long after my prayers, and hadn’t had enough sleep, yet, I knew that I couldn’t afford to go back to sleep as I needed to understand what it was, and most importantly go into prayers for some child of God somewhere, as well as for the family who were mourning. In this vision, I was the only one who was busy walking around the house, and working. I seemed to have been in a hurry to finish up within a certain time; I was taking care of things and making sure that everything was set. When I climbed upstairs, as it seemed that I spent more time in the lower compartment of that house, taking care of someone, and when I was done with it, I climbed upstairs where the family were, to give them the update of things. I told them that I was done, to which, one of them, a lady, whom I was giving the update, asked me, “has he now left?!” I quietly told her: Yes, he has. She said, “thank you.” I then went about the house arranging things as they all sat around doing nothing; Just sad. They were not wailing or bitter, but sitting together, comforting one another, which I understand to be grieving, that he has finally departed from them, as well as reminiscing on his life; The time he spent with them. It was daylight in the spirit realm, when I came up and was having this discussion with the lady. Now in the natural world, I was so worried even after prayers that morning, so much so, that I literally blocked the way of one of my daughters who was about to leave the house for school. She told me that she did not have time, else, she would miss class, and I pleaded with her that I needed someone to talk to as it was a serious vision, after which she understood from her experience as my daughter, that it must truly be so! Subsequently, she sighed, sat down, and asked to know about it, and I told tell her my vision; How worried I was because of the countenance of the people within it. We went through it, dissected it the best way we possibly could, decided to do a little prayer together for whoever it was, as well as for ourselves, then she hurried off and left for school, while I eventually left for work.
While I was at work, I would remember the vision and would not stop praying concerning the events there-in, till I came back much later in the day, and gathered, that the pastor had passed away. I was deeply saddened because it dawned on me that he was the one, whom, the Holy Spirit, using my spirit, went to take care of in the spirit-realm! Now, this brings me to the experience I had many years ago, while I listened to his teachings.
BACK STORY
This was a time and a season I was really missing someone who was so dear to me, so much so, that nothing could feel that void – My dad! Writing a letter was not enough, neither was a phone call enough. It was a void that nothing could fill. I was okay health-wise. I did not lack anything as it did not take much to keep me happy anyway. I was neither a material wife, nor was I one who was demanding – I was just okay with little or nothing, literally! Therefore, it was just a normal reaction to something, which was obviously deeper! I would listen to different ministers of the word to keep me spiritually nourished and sometimes I would come across ministers, whom the Holy spirit would highlight to me as a no-go place for me, and this He would do, by heightening my spiritual sensitivity to the danger of listening to such persons for a longer period of time, as a result, I would skip the channel, or switch off the T.V. entirely.
During that season, I was listening to a minister of the doctrine of grace from Asia, and I had been listening to him for weeks, till the LORD re-directed me to begin to listen to another Pastor; Pastor Charles Stanley!
How did this happen? Well, I have always seen him on television, but after listening to others, and the moment I knew he was about to come on, I would diligently skip the channel or put off the television completely as not to be bothered by him!
Why did you do such a mean thing sister Susan?!
Well, child of God, as always, I will defend myself! First, I do believe as a human being, each and every one of us, have our tastes, and like we all know, we eat with our eyes first before we get our inner senses invested, which makes us all superficial, or carnal. Thus, call me carnal, yes, at that point in time, I still had so much worldliness in me, which was seriously warring against the spirit of God. Therefore, I saw him as old, outdated, and out of touch, instead of in-touch! All these perceptions I had about him, was based on his outward appearance, as well as my preferred preferences, which he didn’t fit into. Don’t forget, that my preferred preferences at that time, strictly taught me, that it had to be loud and entertaining, else, don’t listen! I had my Preacher of the law who was as loud and entertaining as I wanted – My preferred preference, thus, I listened to him! I had my preacher of the doctrine of grace, who was as entertaining as I deemed perfect for me, and who would every now and again, sing and even do the moon-walk to keep me engaged, thus, it gladdened my heart, and I listened! But when it came to this Pastor and also another one, who in my opinion, is a bit like him, but whom I am not led to write about for now if at all, instead of consulting the Holy Spirit, I consulted with my flesh to get counsel if to listen to them, or not, and when my flesh told me what it wanted as it pertains to these two ministers, that they were boring- Buuuuhhh, thumbs down, etc.!! Thus, I concluded on them and obeyed my flesh – et voila!
Many years after this experience, while listening to one of Prophet Brian Carn’s sermons, he talked about having a similar experience as it relates to this particular Pastor as well, in the sense, that he was not the kind of Preacher whom he would typically have listen to. When I heard Prophet Brian Carn, narrate his experience, I couldn’t hold back the laughter because it reminded me of mine as well.
Well, child of God, on a certain Sunday, I had finished listening to this particular Pastor of grace, and as usual, decided not to listen to Pastor Stanley, consequently, I switched off the television like I had always done, as not to even hear his voice, and decided to take care of my personal business, but that was when I clearly heard the Spirit of the LORD within me say these words: Switch on that television again, sit down and listen to that Pastor, till the sermon is over! By this time, I could very well distinguish the voice of the Holy Spirit, from that which is not His. I knew that it was the LORD speaking to me, after all, by this time in my life, He was teaching me about the ministry, which He has chosen, and called me for, as well as the different kinds of ministries He has called me into, although at that particular point in time, He was only taking me through each one, patiently taking His time with me, like one would, with a little kid.
Back to Pastor Charles Stanley, the moment, I eventually listened, and sat down as those of you, who know me, should have guessed by now, that I never did that right away as I had to put up a little fight, first. Nonetheless, I eventually obeyed God and did what He told me to do, which was not even difficult; Sit down, and listen to him till the very end of his sermon! Therefore, I sat down, and about few minutes into his sermon, I felt tears dropping down my cheeks. Hmmm…, I didn’t like that, as a result, I decided to switch off the television by going for the remote control, but before I could grab it, I heard the Holy Spirit say again: Don’t you dare switch it off till the end of the sermon! This time, I obeyed without any fight. I kept listening, and the tears kept trickling down, till it turned into a silent cry, and finally into an uncontrollable sob. This was how I spent my time listening to Pastor Charles Stanley the very first time! Now the next weekend, the same thing happened, and I was then led, not to listen to him only on Sundays, but rather, to watch some of his other sermons for seven consecutive days, and as I obeyed, the same crying continued till about the eighth day, when it abruptly seized, and that was the only time I could even listen to his sermon and get something from what he was saying, but prior to this time, I never heard anything he had preached or said as I only cried me, a river!
Why were you then weeping or sobbing if you did not pay attention to his sermon, sister Susan?
Child of God, it is very embarrassing for me to reveal to you all, that the only reason why I was crying was because of the sound of his voice and the way he looked – He reminded me so much of my dad! And that season, was the very season I was just missing my dad like crazyyyyy! Now, I was sitting before a white man, whom I considered boring from afar, even without ever listening to him, but someone, who eventually turned out sounding like my dad, and also someone who had that gentle, reassuring and loving demeanor I was only used to with my dad, and my dad was a very interesting individual, at least to me he was! Now, after about 14 days of listening to him and no more tears on my face, but rather, a face that was now once again filled with big smiles, I was ready to move away from him, and I never went back to listening to him again, till recently, when I had the need to mention him in my devotional.
Why didn’t you go back to listen to him again? I felt God had used him for what he wanted to use him to do for me, and another reason was that, I did not want to be constantly reminded of my dad as not to miss him even more, thus, I stayed away!
The mystery aspect of his death to me, is that he died almost at the same age, which my dad also died, and in the same way the LORD GOD used me to get my dad’s spirit ready for his spiritual departure, he did likewise with me, obviously along with many others whom HE equally used in the realm of the spirit as it pertains to Pastor Charles Stanley – To God Almighty be all glory!
DIVORCE
While reading and listening to commentaries about him, I learned that he and his wife divorced, after about forty years of marriage, which truly broke my heart for them, but I would also imagine why the LORD GOD was telling me to listen to him; It was not just because he wanted to use him to fill a void in me as it relates to me missing my dad very much, but also because he could have been going through very though times during that season behind the seemingly perfect man, who was presenting the word of God to such a people like I was, who would not even be bothered to listen to him, yet, he continued and never gave up on God, His faith in God, and God’s calling on his life. While I celebrate his legacy, I also would not conclude on this, without remembering his late wife as well, because for her to have decided to end a marriage to someone whom she had shared her life with for about 40 years, and a man whom she must have loved and respected, would have definitely been the most difficult decision she must have made. Thus, that they were able to handle it the way they did, which would definitely have been the best way that they could, given the gravity of such a break-down, proves that they truly respected and loved each-other, regardless of the reason that led to the break-down of their marriage. Let us all never forget, that nobody walks away from a 40 years sacrifice just like that, without it leaving a deep scar within them, thus, I am grateful for both of them, that they never quit on God Almighty, and even more grateful to God that they are now in true peace, which nothing would ever take away from them again- Selah.
Therefore, to this child of God whose spirit has now departed, I say: Till we hopefully see again my brethren in the faith, I want you to shine on as you have now hopefully joined the cloud of witnesses, who are watching and cheering us on as we diligently run our race, though not perfect, as you were definitely also not a perfect man, but doing the best we can to honor and obey God Almighty, just like you ran yours with obedience to God Almighty through Christ, leaving the consequences to Him, and Him alone! I truly salute you, soldier of Christ! And to those, whom you left behind, I have these words: Weeping, and grief may endure for a time and season, but the healing of your hearts, as well as joy, and gladness will SURELY come back to you in the morning/ the next season in the most compassionate name of our Holy Savior, Jesus Christ, amen!
What did God teach me through this now departed man of God – Pastor Charles Stanley?
OBEY GOD AND LEAVE THE CONSEQUENCES TO HIM! If there is something I have been doing for very many years, it is exactly that. If I heard God well, then, by HIS grace and help, I will do my utmost best to obey HIM as it relates to what HE tells me to do!
NOTE: AFTER I HEARD HE HAD PASSED ON, I EVENTUALLY REALIZED THAT I HAD STOPPED HUMMING THE SONG!
DISCLAIMER: When I talk or write about doing anything in the spirit realm which defies our human abilities, then, please child of God, I must correct any notion or my error, that would suggest that it is my human ability or will, but rather, it is the Holy Spirit using me as His witness to what He does and how He does it. So, pardon me whenever I make the mistake of not properly clarifying this fact when I write or speak.
Another thing I would equally love to address here is, that with this devotional, I am by no means implying that the LORD is about to make me become a minister within the In-Touch ministry, or anything of that nature. What I described is what I witnessed in the spirit-realm, and though it could have impacted the physical realm to a degree, but that is also as far as it goes, therefore, no false conclusion by anyone, please.
Remembering how he and his family sacrificed for the work of the LORD, let us all keep the family of Pastor Charles Stanley in our prayers.
Child of God Almighty, be encouraged, take heart and remain blessed because our eternal hope, rests in the hands of our good, holy, most excellent, and most faithful Father, God Almighty, the Only One, Who is the Giver and Taker of life, and in Him alone – Therefore, we are not consumed!
Child of God, be happy and stay blessed
Jesus loves you!
Sister Susan!