Now some other thoughts. Other arguments that people have. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” That’s a great one. People always ask what was Paul’s thorn in the flesh? Now it’s a great question because there’s so much debate and confusion about it but it’s actually kind of a silly question     because the Bible actually says what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. Did you know that? It says “There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan sent to torment me.” Now that’s pretty clear. In fact the Greek word for messenger is “angelos” which is the word translated “angel,” an angel of Satan. And there’s only two other places that mention angels of Satan. Like the dragon and his angels were thrown down to the earth. Right? And I don’t remember what the other one is but only two places and it’s always referring to demons. So pretty simple. A demon of Satan was given to him.

A messenger of Satan was given to him to keep him humble. Now what did that demon do? That’s the part that’s a debate. Okay? It was just a demon. Now some demons can cause a physical problems. Sure. I’ve seen a whole lot of that happen. But in this case I’ve walked through all these questions. You know some of the popular theories like Paul having an eye problem. I mean I’ve written about this extensively. There’s no way to make that work. In fact if you want to read a classic book that’ll teach you that, F.F. Bosworth wrote one and thoroughly dismantled the idea that Paul had an eye problem. It’s kind of ridiculous when you see the logic of it especially looking at the fullness of the New Testament. But, yeah, I personally believe that it was a demon inciting persecution everywhere Paul went.

Cause he faced more persecution than anybody. In fact he said it was sent to buffet me and that word “buffet” means repeated blows [sounds of his fists hitting] as with a fist. Now furthermore some people question maybe this is my thorn in the flesh or something like that. I say, no. Throw that away. Because you know you’re telling me that you— Smith Wigglesworth. Actually if you know who he is. He was a minister back in the early 1900’s. And he— a woman came to him and said that and if I remember right he said something like are you so prideful that you think you’ve had such an abundance of revelations as Paul did that you need a thorn in the flesh? Be healed in Jesus name and the woman got healed. (laughs)  

AUDIENCE: (LAUGHTER)

ART: Yeah. So separate yourself from that thinking. Set aside the thorn in the flesh thing. That’s not for you. If you’ve had all kinds of crazy revelations of heaven that are too wonderful to share then sure you’re allowed to have one if you want to. It’s okay?  

AUDIENCE: (LAUGHTER)

ART: But until you’ve had that I’m not letting you claim it. All right? So that’s the deal. Now another one. Jacob’s limp. What about Jacob? He limped for the rest of his life and it was a blessing. Did you know that’s nowhere in the Bible? Did you know that? I searched backwards and forwards could not find anything that said Jacob limped for the rest of his life. What I did find the reason we believe it is because Jacob wrestles with that angel. Right? And some believe that is was actually a pre-incarnate Jesus that he wrestled with and he wrestles with Him until I want that blessing. Right? And then the blessing was a dislocated hip or something like that, we think. But whatever happened it says that as the sun rose over Peniel, Jacob stumbled. He limped or halted says the King James.

The Greek word there literally means “stumbled” in fact everywhere else that it’s used in the Old Testament to describe an action it’s translated “stumbled” but to describe a person it’s translated “lame.” Okay? And then the other verse we have is that at the end of his life at 140 years old it says he leaned on his staff and blessed his sons. And people say well he leaned on his staff. That meant he must have limped his whole life. Moses had a staff. We don’t think he limped. Elijah had a staff. We don’t think he limped. It was a sign of authority. And if you’re 140 years old I expect you to be leaning on a staff. Right?

SID: In other words, if you knew where they were, you could get your prayers answered, you could accomplish everything the Bible says you’re supposed to, but you have to know where it is. So what did you see?

JAMES: I saw that covering, and I prayed to the Lord to break the power of the enemy to cover the open portals. And it was then that I came to understand that these were portals for prayer. And as soon as I asked the Lord and I stood with him to rebuke them, all the dark clouds went away. All the portals were suddenly open. Now these are not little tiny little openings. They’re huge. And immediately, the prayers of the people were going through.

Now, the Lord told me that he was showing it to me that way, but actually the prayers were never stopped. It’s a delusion that the enemy has to try to bring doubt into our lives, to make us afraid and think, “Well, heaven’s closed. My prayers are not being heard.” And I hear that from people all the time, “The Lord is not hearing my prayers.” Yes, he is. He’s hearing your prayers. And even if you’re seeing the dark cloud, that’s something that’s dark within us. And what we need to do is to rebuke that, to get rid of that so that we can see it and we have the confidence to know our prayers are getting through to the Lord.

SID: You wrote an entire book on spiritual preparation. And if I was God, I would have picked a Colonel to do a manual on how to survive in the last days. Give me a couple of the steps. I happen to really like this step called, let go of excessive baggage.

JAMES: Well, that one also began with a vision. That’s a surprise, right? But anyway, I was walking on this really beautiful road up a mountain, and it was, the road was going around the mountain so you’re constantly getting closer and closer to the top. It was smooth, it was easy, which is a little unusual, but that’s what I was experiencing. And I suddenly came to a barrier, and the barrier blocked the whole road. And there was a sign there that said, to proceed, leave all unnecessary baggage behind. And I saw several bags there that other people are left behind. So I dropped everything I had, it opened, and I moved up. And so I began to pray for understanding about those bags. What is it that we really need to drop? And the Lord showed me that there’s some spiritual baggage that we need to get rid of.

You know, it’s hard enough to carry physical stuff, but if you’re also weighed down by spiritual things, and the Lord was saying that one of the things we need to get rid of is all unresolved sin. He’s already created a process to do that. All we have to do is repent and ask Jesus to forgive us and to come into our hearts again. He also said get rid of all the doctrines of man. Get back to my doctrine, but unload all that baggage, stuff that you learned all through your life that’s just really not biblical.

He said, get rid of false guilt. Now, false guilt is when we feel guilty about something we had absolutely no control over. That’s false guilt. You’re not guilty for what you couldn’t do or couldn’t have control over. But a lot of people carry that baggage, and we see it across the country now. We’re being told to feel guilty about things that happened in the past that we had no control over. We weren’t even alive when some of these things happened.

JOHN: Okay, some of you aren’t getting this, some of you are. Okay, all right. All of you know me as John Bevere, speaker, some of you know me as John Bevere, author, but there is a lady, and she is a lady, her name is Lisa, Lisa Bevere. She knows me as John Bevere, husband, she knows me as John Bevere, best friend, she knows me as John Bevere, Dad, she knows me as John Bevere, Gee Daddy, that’s grandpa because I’m way too young to be called grandpa, she knows me as John Bevere, athlete, she knows me as John Bevere, lover. Now can I say this û none of you will ever know me as John Bevere, lover!

AUDIENE: (LAUGHING)

JOHN: That is a facet of my personality you will never know. Only Lisa knows it because she’s the closest person to me on this earth. God just revealed a facet of His personality to Abraham that nobody had ever known before because he’s my friend. Now if you look at the relationship between God and Abraham it’s amazing. One day God makes this statement: Should we do what we’re planning on doing with Sodom and Gomorrah without first talking to our friend Abraham about this? So the Lord comes down by the terebinth tree, has a meal with Abraham and He and Abraham leave the two angels and everybody else, all the servants and they go over to the cliff and they look over the plains of Sodom and the Lord looks at Abe and says, “Abe, we’re thinking about blowing up these two cities. What do you think?”

AUDIENCE: (BIG LAUGHTER)

JOHN: And Abe goes SODOM! And the Lord goes yeah, yeah, yeah, Sodom, and Gomorrah, too. What do you think? And Abe goes “think, think, think— Okay, okay, wait! You wouldn’t like blow up these two cities if there was 50 righteous people, would you? And the Lord goes, “Excellent idea, excellent idea! Okay, we will not blow up the cities if there’s 50 righteous people.” Glad we talked to our friend, Abraham. Abraham goes what if there isn’t 50.  He goes wait a minute, wait a minute, what about if there was 45 righteous people? Would you blow up the cities if there’s 45? The Lord goes “another good idea. Okay, we will not blow up the cities if there’s 45.” So Abraham talks Him all the way down to ten. He figures there’s got to be ten, I mean I got Lot’s, one, all I need is 9 others. Right?

AUDIENCE: (LAUGHTER)

JOHN: But you know there’s not. Now this is what is amazing. The Bible says Sodom and Gomorrah’s buying, selling, trading, marrying, giving in marriage, planting and harvesting. What is all that in today’s vernacular? Life is great, the economy is booming, and if there is a God, He doesn’t mind our lifestyle. They’re 24 hours from being obliterated and they’re clueless. That is not what’s scary. This is what is scary! Everybody say ‘lot”!

AUDIENCE: Lot!

JOHN: Who the Bible calls righteous. Okay, let me put it to you in today’s terminology. Saved, born again, Christian.

AUDIENCE: Right, uh, huh, c’mon now. JOHN: Lot’s 24 hours away from being obliterated. He’s as clueless as Sodom and Gomorrah. It takes two messengers of mercy, two angels, because Abraham prayed, thank God Abraham prayed, to get him out. And his wife was a little too attached, that’s why she became a pillar of salt and Jesus says in the New Testament ‘remember Lot’s wife” in speaking about the fear of the Lord.

SID: I am going to take this wonderful opportunity to ask a couple of questions to John Bevere that I’ve really wanted to hear from him the answers. John, you said something when I interviewed you on television. You said there was a season in your life where you were praying in the Holy Spirit two hours every day. But then you made a switch and tell me what the switch was and the results that happened.

JOHN: The switch was, I kept— if I’m, if I’m remembering, I’m going back to our radio interview. I was praying everyday “God use me.” Use me to win multitudes to Jesus, use me to cast out demons, use me to heal the sick people, use me to restore people’s lives, restore marriages. And I was praying this way for years. And one day the Holy Spirit spoke to me and He said, “Your prayers are off.” And I said, “What!” He said, “Your prayer are off target.” And I said I’m asking you to use me win multitudes to Jesus, to heal people, to heal marriages, to heal bodies. How can they be off? And He said this to me, He said, “Judas cast our devils, Judas healed the sick, Judas preached repentance, Judas led people to me,” because when He sent the 12 out He sent the 12 out. He said, “Judas left everything he had to follow me.” He said, “Judas is in hell.”

SID: Uh!!

JOHN: When He said that to me, I literally started trembling inside. I said, ‘then what should I be praying?” And then He said to me, “What Paul prayed: that I might know Him.” And so those who know their God will be strong and do exploits. So He said, “You can use me.” He said, “I don’t use people. I transform them into the image of My son.”

AUDIENCE: Mmmm, huh!

 JOHN: I mean can you just see me coming into my— or my wife coming in to me and saying, “John, use me to make babies for you! (pleading) I want to make babies, Ohhh— I want to make babies. Give me babies or I’m going to die!

SID: Ha!

AUDIENCE: (LAUGHTER) JOHN:  Okay, so what would I look at my wife and say? Oh my gosh, who did I marry! Okay? (Sid and audience laugh) But we’re intimate and out of our intimacy came four really great boys. And He said, “I want you intimate with me.” So my whole prayer started changing. “God, I want to know You intimately. I want to know You intimately. I want to know You like You know me.” Well you know what’s interesting? This was back in 1984-85. And in this time period when I started changing my prayer, I started getting free. I was bound to pornography and here I was in the ministry. And I asked Lester Sumrall to pray for me.

I opened up to him, I said, “I’m bound, will you pray for me?” He prayed a very strong prayer and nothing happened.   Nine months later I’m on a four day fast, and May the 6st, 1985 I get completely delivered from pornography. Okay? So I’m walking in my freedom a couple a years and I said to God, I said, “I don’t get it.” I mean I humbled myself. I asked one of the strongest men of God I know on the planet to get me delivered, and I don’t get delivered. And then nine months later I’m on this fast and I get delivered.  And the Lord showed me that what I was praying, I was praying that “God use me, God use me” and I was afraid that pornography was going to keep me to the preaching ministry I know I was called to.

GUILLERMO: My back is hurting me. Do something where you couldn’t do before. If you don’t respond, God doesn’t come where He is tolerated, He comes where He is celebrated. You need to celebrate God. You need to say “Jesus I am delivered now, I am healed now” and I’m gonna jump, I’m gonna move, I’m gonna do something. So God, today I want you to move, I want you to respond. I don’t want you to say like, [said with reserve] “Well, praise you Jesus.” Pastor what are they gonna think. I think I’m crazy. No, you’re not crazy. —You need to respond to the supernatural. Can I hear an amen? I’m very ready to minister. Are you ready to respond? I say are you ready to respond. Are you ready to respond? You need to respond to the supernatural.

AUDIENCE: (STANDING, CLAPPING, SHOUTING)

GUILLERMO: Well, responding. Say with me ‘responding to the supernatural.” You need to respond. That’s what I call the “Law of Response.” —If you move in the supernatural you must disconnect your reason. Why? Because whatever God tells you to do will not make sense. I know many of you are normal so that you make sense. But the majority of the time whatever God speaks to you will not make sense. He will not make any sense. You say what? What do you mean? I don’t know. How is it— well don’t you say God I step out in faith? I will see, you will see my young people going out and ministering to the sick and prophesying and giving names to the people, who’s this person in your life and they go “What?” Because they stepping out. You must be bold. And as I prayed this morning the Holy Spirit said I want you to pray for the people to be activated in the supernatural, to be imparted in the supernatural, and then He said at the end I want you to release boldness. Okay, okay, somebody said “yeah, but that doesn’t go with my personality—

AUDIENCE: (LAUGHS)

GUIILLERMO: Hey, you’re too polite— you must be crazy for a moment. Do I have crazy people here today?

AUDIENCE: Yeah!!! (CLAPPING)

GUILLERMO: You’re too polite. I’m too polite. Yeah, I don’t care how God will do it. I don’t care. If I want to jump, I want to roll on the floor, I will do it. But you must say God— I’m willing to— (laughs) this is what I teach the people— Have you noticed in America why most of the preachers don’t demonstrate what they preach? Not here, I mean over here guys—

AUDIENCE: (LAUGHTER) GUILLERMO: Okay, you know why? 3 reasons. Number 1: because there’s nothing to prove. It is easy to preach a message that you don’t have to prove. Number 2, the reason they can’t demonstrate it is because they don’t have revelation. You can have the best message, get all the dictionaries, and all the good things but if you don’t have the breath of the Spirit nothing will happen. No demonstration. And number 3, I like this one, they don’t wanna lose, they don’t wanna risk their reputation.

Over here guys, can you help me?” You lost your reputation so you can go “amen.” They don’t wanna risk their reputation. Okay, I’ll prove it you. (to congregation) Sit down. I’ll prove it to you? Can you move this? You want me to lose my reputation? (audience laughs) Is anybody sick in their body here? Okay, I want you to stand, I want you to stand, I want you to stand if you’re sick in your body. And what I will do is pray here. I can do it, but I’ve got my people here, they can do the same thing, okay, but I will demonstrate it to you for you to see it. But if you do the most of the preachers will not do it because they say “Well, I’m too big.

SID: Well, I’ll tell you that we under-value praying in tongues. I know that everything we have today, two networks, our own television show on other networks, our own production facilities, making shows that are going all over the world happened because I got together with other believers and prayed in tongues. I know the value. Look, it’s just the simple. You’re praying perfect prayers from the spirit of God. Prayers with a 100% faith. Why? Your peanut brain doesn’t get into the way of the impossible God wants to do in your life. You’re building up your spirit man. So I would say that is one of the most important, important gifts that someone could have.

SID: But there’s another thing that has kept me straight all these years. I live in what I call instant or rapid repentance. And they say, “Well, you’d be repenting your whole life.” No, I only repent when the Holy Spirit convicts me, and it’s very easy. And I find if I’ll repent of the little fox, it’ll never grow up to be a big fox. I live in rapid repentance. I pray in tongues. There’s many other things, but those are two good ones.

LARRY: But you know, one of the things that you often talk about, Sid, is with Abraham and Moses, they went into new places. They went into new territory, they were pioneers. They were pioneers. Sid, so many of us look at you. We recognize you as a pioneer. And what I love, it was not your ingenuity. It was not your ability. It was really your simple—

SID: I don’t have to practice humility. I know it’s not me. It’s not a facade. Everything you’re seeing is God.

LARRY: God is simply looking for people who are available and say, “Lord, I have a heart to follow you wherever you are going. I believe God is going to encounter you in a powerful way.” When Sid prays for the transferable glory to be released, expect the new. Like Abraham and Moses and Sid, God is not a respecter of persons. We have so much to cover with Sid. So we’re preparing a special fourth segment with him right after this show. Don’t miss it. We’ll be right back.

LARRY: Sid, thousands of non-believing Israelis and Jews across the world have attended your lectures in the supernatural. I’ve actually seen this when I was with you in Israel, the glory will come upon them. They get healed and then they make public professions of faith. Can you talk about this? This is amazing.

SID: Well, I have to tell you, I am overwhelmed. Jewish people that know nothing about the Messiah come to my lectures. Then all I do is wait on God and the glory sweeps through the auditorium. Anywhere from 40% to 70% will raise their hand. “I’ve just been healed.” These are non-believing Israelis. Once someone is touched by the presence of God, then they want to know this God.

SID: And then I give a lecture on the supernatural, which is basically why Jesus, or his Hebrew name Yeshua, is the Messiah. My own sister and brother in law came to one of my lectures. And my sister said something only a sister can say, Larry. She said, “Sid, you weren’t that good. But why did almost every Israeli stand up and come to know the Messiah?” And I said, “You’re right. I take no credit. I am one grateful Jewish secretary. I just follow dictation really well.”