God verifies that He was speaking to You

[benny balerio]

One day I was on this offshore oil rig,witnessing to two men from San Salvador in my room.

One was an old man,..the other was about 19 years of age.

I was telling them that Jesus was coming back and because I perceived that their ability to understand was limited,..I chose to explain His coming for the Bride in a basic way.They had told me that they were Catholic,..and were full of questions to my delight.

At one point,..the old man left,..and I continued to tell about some signs of the Lords return,...when I heard in my mind the Lord talking to me,....He said......Benny ask Him....and even though I am talking to the young man,..I answered the Lord and said,..Lord,..he said he was Catholic,........And again the Lord spoke to me,..but said this more firmly.....Benny ask him!

So I did,...I said to the young man,......Have you ever invited the Lord Jesus the Christ into your heart to forgive your sins and be your Lord and Savior?

The young man answered..........No............................The Lord knew something that I didn't,..I had assumed that he was a christian and saved because he had earlier told me he was Catholic.

Well,..I asked the young man if he would like to ask the Lord into his heart,....and he said yes.

So I told him how to pray in asking the Lord into his heart,..and the young man said,.......Well before I go to sleep at night,..I will ask the Lord into my heart.

So the next morning,..we were getting our sand blasting and paint equipment ready for the days work,.....the compressors had not been turn on yet and it was still quiet,..the morning sun was attempting to loom into the earliy morning night,..there were rednecks all around me when I looked at the young man and said,.....Well did you do it?

And the young man said,..what?

And I said ...what we talked about last night.

And the young man said,...Oh yes! I asked the Lord Jesus into my heart last night beside my bed before I went to sleep!

And immediately I point my finger at him and said in a very loud voice,...."Praise the Lord,..when the rapture happens,..Your going!

What happened next,..I never saw it coming nor expected it,..but It happened!

It was like I had been struck by a bolt of lightning that hit me at the top of my head and shot down to the bottom of my feet in one huge tremendous energy surge!

This happened the very split atomic second that I said ,...."Praise the Lord,..when the rapture happens,..Your going!

It was not one of those situations where you are thinking..."Do i just think this happened,..No!..you knew it happened!!!

A week later,..I went home and told my brother n law what had happened,..and he said,...Benny Ray,...that was the Holy Spirit,..and that is His way of saying to you,..DO it AGAIN!

[~candice~]

Wow, you use the rapture / end times as a witnessing tool?

PS - FWIW, so many people claim to be Christians and have no idea what that label means or what they are supposed to believe that I tend not to ask people if they are Christians, since they always answer yes, instead ask them about Jesus.

[benny balerio]

Wow, you use the rapture / end times as a witnessing tool?

PS - FWIW, so many people claim to be Christians and have no idea what that label means or what they are supposed to believe that I tend not to ask people if they are Christians, since they always answer yes, instead ask them about Jesus.

That depends on the person,..and what you have to understand is never attempt to witness on an interlectual level without Jesus.Always pray first,..walk in the Spirit, and listen.

I'll tell you another story tomorrow if the Lord willing.

[~candice~]

Wow, you use the rapture / end times as a witnessing tool?

PS - FWIW, so many people claim to be Christians and have no idea what that label means or what they are supposed to believe that I tend not to ask people if they are Christians, since they always answer yes, instead ask them about Jesus.

That depends on the person,..and what you have to understand is never attempt to witness on an interlectual level without Jesus.Always pray first,..walk in the Spirit, and listen.

I'll tell you another story tomorrow if the Lord willing.

God can will and does use anything as a way of drawing people... and if you are acting in obedience using eschatological conversations with the lost then I'm not going to criticise. I do find it interesting though I've never really come at it from this angle. I tend to suggest that we should believe and repent because He tells us, and because He is worthy, not to escape end times doom.

I do agree about not witnessing merely at the intellectual level.

[benny balerio]

A few years ago,..I had just come in from church and I went to my bedroom and began prayingand just talking to the Lord like a friend,..after awhile I began to praise him with lifted hands,..and then I just became silient,..getting everything out of my head.

After awhile,..the Lord spoke to me in a very quite voice, like a small whisper,..and He said,....."Go see your dad"

And I thought to myself..."Ok I 'll tell him that I love him"

But I waited 3 days before I left to go see him. It had bee a couple years since I had last seen him and I was not certain which street he lived on.

But as I was in the neighborhood,..the Holy Spirit was all over me,..electricity all over me.

But I found his home, and there he was in the back using a post hole digger, setting up a fence for his beloved dog.

Well I talked to him for a few minutes,straining not to mention the Lord to him....and then he said to me.."Benny Ray..you want to come in the house with me?"

And I replied,.."Sure Dad,..I'll go in the house with you."

Well unknown to me,..My dads wife's daughter was there visiting from California.I sat on the big couch and I began to talk to her.

Well,...anyone who knows me knows that I cannot keep my mouth shut about Jesus and somehow, someway I'm gonna find a way to start a conversation about Him and His coming back to take us home.

She listened to me, and even responded in a nice and polite negetive way.

And My Dad said,...All right benny Ray,..we do not want to hear any preaching.

And I said,..Ok Dad.

About that time,..My dad said,..Benny ray,..you want to eat some pizza with us?

And I said,..Sure Dad I'll eat some pizza with you.

So I went into the kitchen,..and My dads wife sat on one end of the table(Table was up against the wall) and her daughter sat on the other end,...And I thought to myself,..I think i'll just sit right in the middle of them both!

Well here we were eating pizza, and my dad was pacing back and forth behind me,..and I was smiling to myself because I knew the reason why that he was pacing back and forth behind me was because he was gonna make sure that I did not talk about Jesus,..I knew my dad very well.

Well a few minutes later ,..my dads wife got up from the table and before she left,..she was behind me,..and her daughter, I could see was looking up above my head and I knew that My dads wife was taking her finger twirling and pointing it towards her head,to indicate to her daughter that I was sick in the head.I was smiling on the inside,..but you could sense the spirit of dread coming from them.

Anyway about that time,..My dad said,...Benny Ray,..you want to go to the store with me?

I said yes,..But I knew he was really trying to make sure that I would not talk about Jesus while he was gone and smiling I said ...sure dad,..I'll go to the store with with.

Well off we went in his old white pickup truck,...it was misting outside and his wind shield wipers did not work,..and yet he managed to drive straight.

About half way to the store I said,...Dad,..when did your wifes daughter get here from California?

He said,....."THREE DAYS AGO".......And it was immediately that I realized why the Lord told me to go see your dad.

When she came in from California,..that was when the Lord told me to go see him.

When we return to his house,..the daughter was still sitting at the table and I sat down with her.

And you know the drill!...Yes,..my dad was again pacing back and forth making sure that I did not talk about Jesus,...well Being that she was from California and How I have a great interest in prospecting for gold with a metal detector,...I asked about the area that she lived in,..and that was what the conversation mainly consisted about.

Well my dad decided to go outside,..And I looked at the daughter,..and said,......"I will probally not ever get to meet you again in this lifetime.

Do you mind if I tell you a story that you will never forget for the rest of your life?

And she agreed to hear my story.

I explained the Gospel to her in such a way as she had never heard it explained in this way before, but it really opens up ones eyes!,..and I explained to Her who the Lord had told me to go see my dad and about the time she had flew in from California.

Tears were flowing down this hard core womans face behind her glasses,..and I knew the Holy Spirit was working on her.

With that,......I got up and Shook her hand and told her that Jesus loves her,..and about that time,..My dad and his wife came in from outside,..and I walked up to both of them and told them that I loved them,..and as I was driving away in my car,..I could see all three of them in my rearview mirror looking staring at me,..and I smiled from ear to ear,.because I had just saw the hand of God move on my dads wife's daughter.

Without faith,..it is impossible to please God.

[Sian12]

Benny, what a great story!! I'm moved! I'm also the world's worst witness for our Lord. Please pray for me that I get better at it.