Christian in the Arena
Volume 13 The Miracle of Supply
by Ernest Angley
December 1993
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). My God will supply all by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 4:6). Not by man’s spirit nor the power and might of man, but by His Spirit will God supply, the Spirit of the living God. We see the Lord performing a great, great miracle for a woman who desperately needed the miracle supply. He used oil to do it. Through the oil of the Holy Spirit, through the oil in your lamp you can expect the miracle of supply.
We see the Early Church coming on the stage of action, a huge arena filled with trials and persecutions. Many suffered, even at the hands of their own families. So will it be in this final hour. Many of you will be persecuted by members of your own families. Expect it. No need to let it break your heart. You’ve lined up with Jesus who came to separate His own from the world. The Bride is being separated into the arms of Jesus, into the greatness of Him as He takes the Bride into the secret place of the Most High.
It’s exciting to see the Christian in the arena today again displaying the same Spirit as the early Christians in the beginning of the Church Age. The Church Age will close the way it began, with the Christian in the arena, undergoing great persecution, trials and sufferings at the hands of audacious people raised against the Lord. Even within the Christian world persecutions come, for many who claim to be Christian are not lined up with God. Some of the early Christians’ worst persecutions came through the religious world.
The Spirit of Antichrist Is in the Land
This hour will be vicious, dumbfounding, as the spirit of Antichrist grows stronger in the land. Demons of all the ages will gather to battle against the Bride of Christ because she is adorned with the righteousness, Spirit, grace, power of her Master. But Christian, look up. Don’t dread this hour. God’s power is stronger than all the multitudes of demons that are coming against the Bride of Christ in her last hour, all the devils that possessed the evil rulers of the past—Pharaoh, Ahab, Jezebel. The same demons in King Herod who sought to destroy the child Jesus are seeking to destroy the Bride of Jesus. The demons that were in all the persecutors who came against Jesus Christ and the Early Church Christians are the same tormenting devils coming against the Bride of Christ in the arena. The demons know if they can’t destroy her, she will trample them underfoot. They know she has been given power over them all, even over Lucifer himself.
Paul Was on a Divine Mission
The Lord chose Paul for a mission, and he suffered much for the Lord. He was, no doubt, from a wealthy family, educated by the greatest teachers known in the world in that day. Much of the time after his conversion he lived in the arena, imprisoned, beaten, persecuted—but what a message God sent through him, the pure Word of God! The letters Paul wrote weren’t contaminated with opinions of man; they were the Word of God poured out as pure gold, refined again and again.
God will get the most out of you during hours of suffering, trials and persecutions in the arena. You will cling to the Old Rugged Cross with greater determination, greater strength because you will draw on Him for the power you need.
Paul Lived in the Arena
Listen to Paul in the arena as he tells of his trials. He had been persecuted again and again, but it didn’t destroy him. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches (II Corinthians 11:24-28).
Paul had established many churches, and he felt a great burden for them. It didn’t matter what he had to go through to help them; he did not spare himself. His trials were very difficult, full of danger as he journeyed for the Lord. Paul is a great example of the Christian in the arena.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body (II Corinthians 4:8-10). Persecuted, mistreated, robbed of life just like Jesus was robbed of life—the Early Church went through all of that. The human body can take a limited amount of stress, but the words of the Lord held Paul when he was under more than he thought he could bear: My grace is sufficient for thee; my grace is sufficient.
A devil went everywhere Paul went, stirring up strife against him, buffeting him, striking him again and again through people that the demon could take over. Three times Paul sought the Lord to remove the devil; Paul knew the Lord could do it, but the devil continued to buffet him. Paul sought the Lord and got his answer: God’s grace is sufficient.
The Bride can have answers in this final hour. We don’t have to be tormented with questions. In Jesus we have the answer already no matter what it incorporates when it finally comes. Paul’s answer was that God’s grace was sufficient, that His strength was made perfect in Paul’s weakness. No longer did Paul seek the Lord for his problem. He trusted God completely.
You who are in the arena will not have it easy, but as you trust the Lord you will win. You must trust God completely. He provides all the power you need so you will come up lacking in nothing.
The Early Church in the beginning was supplied with all the power they needed to defeat the demonic powers of the kingdom of Lucifer. Had the Church only held to it…what a difference it would have made!
Study the life of Paul. Next to Christ, he has been the most profound inspiration to me. The Lord has used Paul’s life to take me into the greatness of God. I never knew I could go into God’s greatness, that I could have even one of the nine gifts of the Spirit. I never counted myself worthy to be able to reach them.
Paul’s attitude in the face of great persecutions is a shining example of how to live the Christian life. No one else has suffered more for the sake of Christ. Paul didn’t complain, and the Lord was able to pour out the marvelous Pauline Epistles through him.
Paul Kept the Faith
In II Timothy, we read Paul’s farewell letter to Timothy, one of his spiritual sons in the Lord: I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith (II Timothy 4:6,7).
Paul kept the faith of Jesus Christ, believing Him in everything and all things; he never let the enemy rob him of God’s promise. Whatever the Lord told Paul, Paul accepted, trusting Him all the way. This Christian in the arena looked as though he were all alone. A cruel tyrant had sentenced him to death, but that sentence couldn’t be carried out until Paul had finished his course.
Finally Paul’s work was done; the Lord had poured out the last message through him; Paul had encouraged the last soul; graduation day had come. A swordsman awaited to send him to his heavenly home.
Some wouldn’t have liked that kind of graduation ceremony, but Paul knew it was the Lord’s way for him to go, and with all humility, with all love, he bowed to it through the faith of God and the faith of Jesus Christ. His grace was sufficient.
Was Paul alone in the arena? No. A cloud of angels surrounded him. The heavenly host was looking on as a great warrior sealed his testimony with his own blood.
Some people would have said Paul was too valuable to have been sacrificed, but that wasn’t what the Lord decided. God had the final say for his life. Paul gave himself in the hands of God, not begging for his life to be spared. Paul was resigned to die because he had kept the faith, he knew he had finished his work. He didn’t care to stay on Earth longer than the Lord planned. God would not be giving Paul any more of His Word to write for others. He had trusted Paul with the message for God’s people, a message, now, that others would teach. Paul was ready, a Christian in the arena.
You who serve the Lord and walk with God cannot be killed in this last hour until you finish your mission, your course. If you walk with God one hundred percent, are humble, dedicated and consecrated to Him, do what He wants you to do, the devil cannot kill you until the Lord is ready for you to die. Let that confidence dissolve all your fears in this longest of dark nights.
The Church Age is about to end, a night almost two thousand years long. But remember the words of that Christian in the arena: I have finished my course; I have kept the faith, and a crown of righteousness is laid up for me, and for all those who love His appearing.
Many of you will be in the arena when Jesus comes or calls, and your spirit will be shouting, I am now ready! I have kept the faith; I have done all of my work for the Lord! There is no more for me to do.
With no sorrow, Paul walked out to the chop block. How Nero despised Paul and all he stood for; how he resented Paul going to his death without a care, praising God! In my mind’s eye, I can see Paul with the glory of the Lord shining upon him, angels on each side giving him great strength. He is almost there now, and he bends down on his knees. I can hear him saying, Jesus, I’m almost home! I’m almost home! I’ll be there in a few moments.
The swordsman performs his gruesome deed, and Paul’s life on Earth is over. Another warrior has finished his course and lifts his eyes on the streets of Glory, a place with no arena.
Stand the Test
You are in the arena to bless and please God, to sanctify the Lord God daily. You’re the only “Bible” many people will ever see or read. Live your life the way the Lord wills; walk hand in hand with Him. Let no member of your family or anyone else hear you grumble or complain. Be always thanking, blessing and praising the Lord in this long, long night.
Pen can’t write all that the children of God have suffered, but the closing of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, the faith chapter, tells of some of the faithful. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment. Many were beaten, spent much time in dungeons, in filthy places. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins [They may have had to disguise themselves as animals at night to leave their hiding places in search of food]; being destitute, afflicted, tormented [They were tormented in mind and body]; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) (Hebrews 11:36-38). The world was not worthy of such people, and the Lord took them to His Heaven, those Christians in the arena.
Now the mockings, the persecutions of all kinds are yours. The saints of God in Bible days stood the test, and you will have to stand the test—you must for the sake of Jesus Christ. Let nothing discourage you or turn you back. Stand to be counted; stand strong as the soldier the Lord willed you to be. Stand up to whatever comes; you are suffering these things for His name’s sake.
God’s Grace Is Sufficient for the Bride
The Bride is in the arena with the power of Heaven and the grace of God. My grace is sufficient for thee (II Corinthians 12:9). Bury that verse deep within your spirit; keep it there the rest of the journey. Hear the Lord saying to you in the darkest hour of this long night, the final hour of the Church Age, My grace is sufficient. Listen to the Holy Spirit whispering it over and over. You’ll hear these words of Jesus many times in this your last hour.
What ferocious battles will take place in this hour, but what fantastic victories for the children of God! The Bride, wearing the whole armor of God, cannot lose because she has given herself completely, totally into the Lord’s hands. The lions will not prevent her from doing what the Lord wants done. Some of the faithful will fall in battle, but their sacrifice will just give greater grace and power to the body of Christ, the Bride, like it did in the beginning when the blood of martyrs became the seed of the Church.
We don’t know all that will happen. We only know those who are yielded to God will finish their mission one way or another. Some will seal their testimonies with their own blood; others will go all the way to Rapture ground. Each member of the bridal company, all who have entered that place in the Lord of the greatness of the Holy Spirit, are willing to live or die for His name’s sake, just as the Early Christians were. They sacrificed everything—home, possessions, family—that they might win Christ. In doing so, the Lord was able to use them in a most wonderful, wonderful way.
In the grace of God is everything needed, all the power of Almighty God, the great I-Am, all the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit—more than enough power to defeat all the demonic spirits and to destroy Lucifer himself. There is nothing lacking. The power in the grace of Jesus Christ will put Lucifer into the bottomless pit. The chain of the greatness of Jesus, His blood, His grace, His power will do it. There is nothing to fear, nothing to worry about.
The more we have to suffer for His name’s sake, the more God can use us. Look how the Lord used John the Baptist. What a power for God he was! He died for the sake of Christ.
Jesus is available to each member of the bridal company with all Heaven’s love, faith, and greatness in the grace of God, all Heaven’s hope, peace, power, and protection for each child of God. The grace of God is our cloud of protection, our cloak of deliverance, strength. His grace is sufficient for you.
Hear the Man of Galilee saying through the Holy Spirit to you right now: My grace is sufficient for thee. In your trying hours, cling to Him through His promise: My grace is sufficient for thee.
A Song Written in the Blood of the Lamb
In your sufferings and persecutions, God will get the glory, and He will give glory to you on that day of rewards. His glory will be handed out freely to true soldiers of the Cross. But in the meantime, you will shed many, many tears. The night will seem long and dark, but He has given you His song in the night, the song of all songs, the song of His love, grace and peace written in the blood of the Lamb. The song in the night will forever ring in your soul, Christian in the arena. Through the Old Rugged Cross you have this song, reminding you of His sufferings, of how they plucked out His beard, spit upon Him, mocked Him and told Him to prophesy who was hitting Him. They crowned Him with thorns and then struck Him on the head—what a hideous sight! It’s all in the song in the night—but He won. You can hear Him cry in the song in the night: It is finished! Now everyone who wants to go to Heaven can; everyone who wants to be holy can live holy. Everyone who wants light instead of darkness, everyone who wants eternal love and joy can have these things and more through the blood of the Lamb.
Christian, you better have that song, and you can only have it by walking hand in hand with Jesus. This song in the night belongs to the Bride. All the power of the great I-Am is in this song, all the strength of the armies of Heaven. Everything you need is in the song in the night.
You may look as though you are all alone in the arena; it may seem to you that no one else is there, but you begin to sing the song in the night, and you realize you are never alone.
My Savior is with me,
Wherever I roam.
I’ll hold to His hand,
Lean on His strong arm.
My Savior is with me,
I’m never alone.
The assurance that Jesus is with you helps make up the song in the night: I’m never alone; my Savior is with me. In the arena, the Lord will never leave you by yourself. All kinds of lions will roar, charge out to devour you; but the Lord will be there to close their mouths, preserve you as long as you’re on His divine mission.
We do not know when we will get to the finish line, what it’s going to be like. We just know the Lord will be with us. We will have to suffer, and we might as well be ready for it. Just as I was put in prison in Germany for the sake of Christ, we must be ready for whatever comes our way. I never thought I would ever be in prison; it was unpleasant, an ordeal. There I was—guards sitting over me with guns in my hotel room, keeping me awake all night until they locked me up in a dank, dirty jail cell. During it all, I had the song in the night.
The Lord visited me and told me of the destruction, of the judgment that He would bring. He didn’t tell me what it would be, but He brought it. A disastrous storm sent by God pounded the Munich area with hailstones, some as large as grapefruit, injuring 300 people and causing extensive damage. Snowplows were needed in July to clear the hailstones off the streets.
Would-Be Assassins Rendered Helpless
In another country where we held a fantastic crusade, evil hearts planned to kill me. Thousands of people attended this crusade, among whom were two armed would-be assassins. But the two were rendered helpless. The Spirit of God took them over, convicted them of their sins, and up went their hands as they said the sinners’ prayer. Gloriously saved, they refused to kill the man of God. Later their story came out in a book in that country, the first I knew of their plot and how they found Jesus.
In another country a gang came to a crusade with the intention of stoning me and my workers. As I finished the sermon and was ministering to the sick, they came, stones in hand, and climbed the steps to the platform where I was. One man was just a matter of a few feet from me, but God stopped him in his tracks. He stood there unable to throw the stone he had in his hand. Not one person could cast a stone. The Lord held them until He finished performing His miracles, and then He took me off the platform. The God of miracles lives.
In different cities people have planned to kill me, even set the time. I was told I would be killed, but I went on the platform, a Christian in the arena. I had promised God my life, that whatever He wants He can have. I promised God all of me, holding nothing in reserve.
Again I say, the Christian in the arena will not die until the mission is finished that God planned. I know I am on a divine mission that will lead me to many parts of the world, that my workers and I will be in jeopardy as the lions roar. Many times the smell of death will hang heavy in the air, but I don’t intend to walk in fear, in the dark. I have the light of Jesus in this night at all times.
Christian, you are in the arena. Although you may not go to foreign fields, your life is in danger. The devil would like to destroy every one of God’s children if he could. In the manner of the Christians in the arena at the opening of the Church Age, put self on the altar, die completely to self, loved ones, home and whatever may distract you from the Lord, and put God first.
I’m Here to Win the Lost at Any Cost
Take the whole world but give me Jesus. I’ll do anything for His name’s sake. I have been so persecuted that there have been times death would have been welcome—had it not been for the mission. I knew the mission wasn’t finished. I have to go on living to finish it. Paul had to live to finish his mission. Others in the Early Church had to live to finish their mission. Whatever the Lord wants we must do.
It would be wonderful to arrive at Rapture ground, but if more people can be brought to the Lord by my death, it’s all right with me. Heaven’s going to be mine either way. I know I have bowed completely to God’s will, to whatever He wants. I must have the perfect will of God no matter what it is. I would be happy if God wants to use me in a sacrificial way to bring more people into His Kingdom. I am out to win the lost at any cost. Of course I would like to be here to give the devil that last blow, but if I can’t be, others will.
God’s Greatness Is Flowing
Happy with the song in the night, we won’t pine over anything. The song in the night, the love song of Jesus to the Bride with all the greatness of Heaven, is pouring forth like a great river of God. In that great river is strength for you, the sufficient grace of God flowing from the throne of God into your soul. Jesus said, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive…) (John 7:38,39).
We will flow His greatness to the inhabitants of the earth. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Whatever the Lord wants of us, we will give.
As you find yourself in the arena with the lions surrounding you, with death so near, look beyond to the many, many angels that have come to help you. Be conscience of the grace of God abounding for you; feel the strength of God flowing through every part of you, and give your mind over to the Lord. Don’t let the devil scramble that mind with all kinds of thoughts. Take on the mind of Christ—it’s a must for the Christian in the arena.
Suffering for His name’s sake so willingly the way they did in the Early Church may take a different form, but it will be all-out sacrifice. The price is to be paid, but what a prize: multitudes, millions of souls! The Lord said so many would come to Him through this Jesus ministry that no human mind would be able to count them.
Death Took My Helpmate
I paid the dearest price when the Lord took my wife, Angel, home to be with Him. This Christian was in the arena, and death had taken the helpmate he thought would be with him the whole journey. Angel was dead; Angel was gone. Three different times the Lord had tried to tell me He would take her, but I wouldn’t accept it. Just about a week before she died, the Lord came to me saying, “You’ll have to surrender Angel.” He called her Angel. Again He used her name, saying, “Angel is not your source of power. I am your source of power.” He left me amazed and dumbfounded. It was the first time the Lord had ever visited with me that I saw the devil there, too, standing tall as a man. But seeing the devil didn’t baffle me as much as what the Lord had said about Angel. As the Lord moved out, I was saying, “Well, Lord, I’ve never put her ahead of you that I know of. Lord, I never put her ahead of you.”
The Lord is so kind; He was warning me. I didn’t know what a strength Angel was to me. The Lord knew what was going to happen; He tried to tell me, but still I didn’t accept it. Then a few days later, a day or two before He took her, He came again to remind me that He was going to take her. I still wouldn’t accept it. Why, the Lord wouldn’t take the only little lamb I had, I thought. She was my wee little lamb. She had been such a wonderful helpmate. In our college days when we would sit out on the campus planning our marriage, our lives together, she had promised me that she would never hinder me. “I’ll go anywhere God sends you,” she said. She did exactly as she promised.
God had given her many talents. Surely such a helpmate would be priceless in this final hour, surely we would work together till day was done; surely we would hear the cry together, Behold the Bridegroom cometh! Go ye out to meet Him! The Lord wouldn’t take her, I reasoned.
I wouldn’t accept her death. I was on a divine mission and Angel was with me. Then it happened, the worst thing that could ever have happened to me, it seemed. Angel was no longer with me in the arena.
The Way of the Lord Is Perfect
Later I opened Angel’s Bible. On the flyleaf she had written a message; it was just for me at that time: The way of the Lord is perfect. With tear-dimmed eyes I read and re-read the words. I could hear her saying it: The way of the Lord is perfect, Honey. You can’t improve on perfection. This is His way, His perfect way, His perfect will to have taken me on home ahead of you.
Yes, it was a wonderful message. The Lord moved in to live with me. I walked into my house, never more tormented, more distressed. But the whole house was filled with the glory of God, every room. I knew God was perfect in all His ways. If the Lord never did anything else for me but stand over me night and day as my nursemaid at that time, I would praise Him for all eternity.
Don’t worry about me in any arena from here on out; none will be that horrible, absolutely none. We’re in the arena, but I don’t seem to mind because the glory of the Lord has become so great and the power of God so mighty. That miracle power from the gift of miracles is possessing me until nothing else seems to matter, only getting the Gospel to the world. That’s what I live for. I don’t think of the price I will have to pay, what I will have to go through to take the Gospel to the world. It makes no difference to me, just so I get it there, just so I finish the divine mission.
A Vision of a Sky Full of Stars
The Lord took me into a vision where He numbered the souls as the stars of Heaven. Again and again He brought this vision to me. Days and nights before He took Angel He showed me the stars—a sky full of stars. I’d get down to pray, and go into the vision. I’d stand in the pulpit and go into the vision. Suddenly there would be no roof on the building, only a sky full of stars. Then after the Lord took Angel, He visited with me and showed me the sky again. It was different this time. Vacant spaces were all through the sky of my vision where once stars had been. My soul seemed to die within me. What had happened to the vision, to the sky? I was going through so much it seemed I couldn’t take any more. Then the Lord spoke, “The blank spaces are for the souls Angel helped you win. It was my divine will to have taken her when I did. By taking her when I did, she will win more souls for me than had I left her with you. You’ll have to go on without her.” The Lord had come in person to deliver His message. He didn’t send an angel that time. Jesus had come.
Learn the Sweetness of God in Your Arena
My heart cries for you in the arena, child of God. Some of you bow as one dumb before your persecutors; you don’t know how to handle the battles of the mind that the enemy is hammering into you, bombing you with daily. Some of you don’t know how to walk through the valleys and remain sustained by the song in the night. I cry for God to give you the know-how to help and strengthen you. I cry for God to lay His tender hand on you, shelter you, hug you close to His bosom so you won’t hurt so much. I pray He gives you understanding of why you are in that valley, why He willed that valley for you, why you are in the arena.
Sometimes when we do our best it’s hard to understand why the arena; then we remember Jesus and the disciples, the true ones who lived in the arena. Why would we think we could follow in their footsteps and never be in the arena?
You will learn the way of the Lord more and more, learn of His love, the sweetness of Him in the arena like never before. You will learn to talk to Him on a personal basis. He will become living reality to you, greater reality than any human being. At last you will have found someone who understands every heartbeat and every heartache, every thought you battle with or are encouraged with. He will understand when you’re weary and tired, that you would love to go home; and He will let you know why you must stay to finish the mission.
A Love Stronger Than Death
The song in the night, the glorious song, will be your consolation, the strength the Early Church had. Parts of the song were new to them, the Crucifixion part, the Resurrection part, the Ascension part. The sufferings of Jesus were new to them. They never thought He would be crucified, but He was.
Now He has ascended back to Heaven with the promise: I will come again. Angels repeated the promise: This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:11). With that song in their hearts they made it through their long, dark night.
Jesus sent the Comforter, the Holy Spirit as He had promised, to strengthen them, to make Him alive in their hearts. Imprisoned, they watched through iron bars, looked out into the arena and saw their dear brothers and sisters in Christ torn to bits, eaten by lions, trampled by vicious wild animals. They watched while others burned at the stake. They saw them as they entered the arena, not drawing back, but singing the song in the night. The glory of the Lord shone on their faces even though they knew soon they would be killed. Their sacrifice was for His name’s sake, to carry on His work. They loved Him so very much that they died in His arms of love, paying the supreme price. They praised God with the song in the night until there was no more voice.
I read the story of one man being burned for the sake of Christ. Others, knowing he would die that day had told him they wanted a message of confirmation. “If there is anything after life, if the end of the way is as you said, if it’s like we’ve been told, just raise a hand and let us know when you’re crossing over.” The fire was lit, the flames crept higher and higher. The body was being eaten by the flames, the hair burned off, but no hand had gone up. The body was charred. Those left looked at each other in disappointment. He didn’t find what he was looking for at the end of the journey, after all this, they thought. As they were about to turn away, a charred hand slowly went up. He had found it. Then it dropped; there was no more life.
How great to be possessed by the love of God until nothing else matters in this world, nothing will stop us! The arena—no matter how vicious it may be, no matter how hot the furnaces are heated—will not take the love of God out of us. We are His chosen ones. We have been chosen to do His work, to preach His Gospel to the whole world and we must do it.
What price victory? It matters not, Christian in the arena. Christian, hold to your song in the night. You’ll make it. Bathe in it, drink of it, live with night and day. You have everything you need in His song in the night for the Bride of Christ.
That song will dry our tears so many times. It will heal our bodies, strengthen us when we feel our strength is gone. From that song will flow the strength of Heaven into the body of the Christian in the arena.
The Bride Will Meet Jesus in the Air
Thank God, the long night will soon end! The last child of God will have given his or her life for the sake of Christ, and the Bride will arrive with the light of the Holy Spirit at Rapture ground. The Holy Spirit will change her in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. As her feet leave the ground it won’t matter about the arenas, about the enemies of God persecuting and torturing the children of God. It will all be over. She will have won, finished the mission, evangelized the world. All will have been given an opportunity to accept Him or reject Him.
Blood-washed, blood-bought, wearing His shoes and spiritual robe, the Bride will meet Jesus in midair. He will not be waiting at the pearly gates for her; He will meet her in the air to usher her through to Heaven and down the Avenue of Glory. The long night is behind her; it’s all over. She has eyes for no one but Him. Bowing humbly before the throne of God, the Bride will thank Him for Jesus, for the wonderful Holy Spirit who helped her to use all of Jesus—the Jesus redemption, love, strength and help—to make her what the Lord wanted her to be.
Do You Have Jesus?
Behold, the Bride! Behold the Bride of Christ! No more arenas, no more nights of darkness. It’s all over. She is a winner.
Look up, no matter what you’re going through. Live pure, clean, holy before God and never turn back. Ever onward He is drawing on you. If you don’t have Jesus, come to Him now. Come while you yet have time. When God rises up without His love, when God takes off His robe of love and puts on the robe of judgment, the arena for His children will look like nothing compared to the judgments that will fall on the earth. The tormentors of God’s people are about to undergo horrors beyond the mind as God rains down judgment. Where will you be?
If you need to get right with the Lord, pray this prayer with me now: Oh, God, I am lost. Please, God, I don’t want to go to hell. Save my soul! I’m so sorry that I sinned against you, but I have come home, and I’m going to serve you, Lord, the rest of my life. I believe that Jesus died for me, and I will live for Him. I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all my sins, all of my sins. Come on in Jesus! Come into my heart!
If you meant that prayer you can now say, Hallelujah, He has come! Hallelujah, He is my Savior, my Redeemer!
God Is the Healer
You who are sick and afflicted, let me pray with you. My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). My God shall supply all of your needs, and you have a great need for healing. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, the two-fold atonement, the miracle supply is yours, the miracle supply for the children of God. All things are supplied by Him. Tell the Lord you’ll be His witness and give Him all the glory.
You who have been an invalid for years, there is a miracle for you. You may be paralyzed all over, but there is a miracle for you that will bring life into that helpless body. Let the Lord know you want to be a part of Him this last hour, that it doesn’t matter about the arenas, about the persecutions. You just want to be His witness. Lord, there are so many hopeless, helpless ones, so many who need your touch today, the miraculous touch of the Lord right now. Oh Lord, place your miracle hands on blinded eyes, touch the deaf ears, the crippled ones, re-create parts of bodies that must be re-created. Heal the people of all manner of sickness and disease. Heal! in the holy name of Jesus. Heal! in the name of the Lord. Heal! in the all-powerful name of Jesus of Nazareth.
The miracle, healing power is flowing. Let that miracle power as well as the healing power go into every part of you. Let the Lord make you whole for His honor and glory. Give Him all the honor and glory. Praise Him daily and get completely well.
Thus Saith the Lord
Yea, saith the Spirit of the Lord: I am preparing you; I am preparing you for your sufferings that are ahead—not sicknesses and diseases, but the persecutions. You will be tested and you will be tried. You will be persecuted. Your valleys will be deep ones, but I have given you your light and your song in the night. I have given my servant these messages for you. He sat at my feet and I taught him these subjects; I gave him the scriptures, and I gave him the song in the night for you.
I have anointed you through these messages with a special anointing that you’ve never had before. I have anointed you to be more willing to suffer for my name’s sake than you’ve ever been willing before. Many of you have not been conscious of this, but I have brought you together service after service to hear these messages that I have given to my servant to give you strength and courage, to breathe upon you as I have breathed and am breathing upon him, to give you the will as I have given it to him to live or die for my name’s sake.
I’m anointing you with my greatness to be willing to do all that I need done. I’m giving you an anointing as I have given to him for your journey, for your work. You are on a divine mission for me. You’re not on this mission by choice. I chose the mission for you, and I have chosen all paths for you. All roads I have paved with my greatness. I will light up your way and make plain paths for your feet.
Fear not the last hour of this long night because I am your light. I am your light of love; I am your light of peace; I am your light of faith; I am your light of strength. I am your overcoming light. Why should you fear the darkness? Why should fear Satan’s kingdom? It’s a kingdom of darkness.
I have all power, and I give all power unto you as I gave my Son. All power is given unto you, and you will trample the powers of darkness under your feet. You will command, and it will be done. You will speak, and it will be the same as if I had spoken. I have given you that authority; I have given you that power. Through your fastings and your prayers you’ve entered into my greatness, saith the Lord.
I call unto you with my song in the night for you to sing. I call unto you with all of my greatness; I call unto you. I will cradle you in my arms, and I will be with you. I will give you my thoughts to think, and they will be thoughts of strength and grace.
Do not be troubled. Do not be discouraged. I the Lord thy God walketh with thee. I the Lord thy God will strengthen thee. I the Lord thy God am with thee. Trust me. Trust me, saith the Lord.
God has given you a mighty song in the night. It’s a song of the man called Jesus for the Bride of Christ, the Christian in the arena. Sing, sing, oh Bride of Christ! Sing the glorious song in the night: Victory! Victory! Heaven’s victories will be yours!
CHRISTIAN IN THE ARENA, All rights reserved. Copyright © 1993 Ernest Angley.
All literature available on this page is owned exclusively by Ernest Angley Ministries and is available for your personal, noncommercial use only. You may freely download, print or distribute this literature without prior permission, as long as it is NOT altered and is distributed in its entirety.