HOW TO APPROACH GOD

by Tony Alamo

Revelation 3:14-17 states, “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans [located in Turkey] write; These things saith the AMEN [JESUS], the faithful and true witness [JESUS], the beginning of the creation of GOD; I [JESUS] know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. [I would that you were something, but you are lukewarm!] So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of MY mouth [MY body]. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.”

This brings to mind all of today’s multi-millionaires and billionaires who foolishly believe they will live forever in this present world (Psalm 49:6-14). They will live forever in either Heaven or Hell; Heaven if they repent, and Hell if they don’t repent.

Luke 16:19-31 states, “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in Hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

This can easily be proven. JESUS rose from the dead and was seen ascending into Heaven by over five hundred people,1 and yet people still don’t believe.

The rich man chose the wrong time to pray. We must pray on this side of eternity rather than the netherworld.2 When GOD created the universe, it was with the one object of making the creature partaker of HIS perfection and blessedness, and so showing forth in it the glory of HIS love and wisdom and power. The rich man never manifested these virtues to Lazarus or anyone else, but calls on GOD at the wrong time and with a prayer that is wrong.

GOD’S desire is to reveal HIMSELF in and through created beings by communicating to them as much of HIS own goodness and glory as they are capable of receiving. The rich man’s wealth caused him to not have the capacity for any of this.3 But this communication was not giving to the creature something which it could possess in itself. It must, in prayer, come from GOD HIMSELF. Man has no charge to have it or dispose of it—by no means. But as GOD is the ever-living, ever-present, ever-acting ONE, who upholds all things by the WORD of HIS power, and in whom all things exist,4 the relation of the creature to GOD could only be one of unceasing, absolute, universal dependence. This is why it is necessary to pray always, pray without ceasing.5 We must be in touch with GOD, always, to stand.

As truly as GOD by HIS power once created, so truly by that same power must GOD every moment maintain the universe, as well as every born-of-the-SPIRIT Christian. We who are Christians have only to look back to the origin and first beginning of existence and acknowledge that we there owe everything to GOD. Our chief care, our highest virtue, our only happiness, now and through all eternity, is to present ourselves empty vessels in which GOD can dwell and manifest HIS power and goodness (Romans 12:1). The rich man possessed none of this.

And so pride, or the loss of humility to GOD, is the root of every sin and evil.6 It was when the now-fallen angels began to look upon themselves with self-complacency (which means self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies) that they were led to disobedience, and were cast down from the light of Heaven into outer darkness.7 Even so, it was when the serpent breathed the poison of his pride, the desire to be as GOD, into the hearts of our first parents, that they too fell from their high estate into all the wretchedness in which man is now sunk.8 In Heaven and earth, pride, self-exaltation (as the Vatican’s U.N. antichrist government and the deceived world population) is the gate, and the birth, and the curse of Hell.

GOD’S meaning of humility is for us to do what HE commands, to be humble to HIM and not man.9 We, as Christians, are to be soul-winners.10 At salvation, we are to allow the HOLY SPIRIT, the triune GOD, to dwell in us, and to keep ourselves ready for whatsoever may befall us. If the triune SPIRIT of GOD is dwelling within us, we are then ready for whatever, and if we’re ready, we don’t have to get ready.

When we pray, we should pray that GOD does everything for us, for even JESUS said, “The SON can do nothing of HIMSELF” (John 5:19). “I can of MINE own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and MY judgment is just; because I seek not MINE own will” (John 5:30). “I receive not glory from men” (John 5:41). “I am come… not to do MY own will” (John 6:38). “MY teaching is not MINE” (John 7:16). “I am not come of MYSELF” (John 7:28). “I do nothing of MYSELF” (John 8:28). “I have not come of MYSELF, but HE sent ME” (John 8:42). “I seek not my own glory” (John 8:50). “The words that I say…, I speak not of MYSELF” (John 14:10). “The WORD which ye hear is not MINE” (John 14:24).

It is important to be empty of ourselves and filled with the GODHEAD instead.11 JESUS, by the HOLY SPIRIT, is to be the only being in us. HE is the fullness of the GODHEAD bodily (Colossians 2:9-10). HE will teach us all things if we seek HIM.12

Some of HIS teachings to guide us are found in Matthew 25:31-46, which says, “When the SON of man shall come in HIS glory, and all the holy angels with HIM, then shall HE sit upon the throne of HIS glory: And before HIM shall be gathered all nations: and HE shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And HE shall set the sheep on HIS right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the KING say unto them on HIS right hand, Come, ye blessed of MY FATHER, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave ME meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave ME drink: I was a stranger, and ye took ME in: Naked, and ye clothed ME: I was sick, and ye visited ME: I was in prison, and ye came unto ME.

“Then shall the righteous answer HIM, saying, LORD, when saw we THEE an hungred, and fed THEE? or thirsty, and gave THEE drink? When saw we THEE a stranger, and took THEE in? or naked, and clothed THEE? Or when saw we THEE sick, or in prison, and came unto THEE? And the KING shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these MY brethren, ye have done it unto ME.

“Then shall HE say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from ME, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave ME no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave ME no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took ME not in: naked, and ye clothed ME not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited ME not. Then shall they also answer HIM, saying, LORD, when saw we THEE an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto THEE? Then shall HE answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to ME. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

Matthew 16:26 says, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

When all the men of GOD in both the Old and New Testaments would pray when the adversary was causing them trouble, they would pray for GOD to fight for them. If they would call out to GOD, “I rebuke Satan,” that would do much; but GOD moved mightily for them when they would cry, “GOD, fight for us! If YOU don’t fight for us, we can’t win. But if YOU fight for us, we cannot lose. YOU have never lost a battle. LORD, we need YOU to fight for us. Our enemies are more than the hairs on our head. YOU said the gates of Hell shall not prevail against YOUR church. We thank YOU, FATHER GOD, and we thank YOU, JESUS, for the victory.” Every Christian—pray with us for the victory in JESUS’ name.

A Scriptural example of how to pray in all Christianity’s situation today is found in 2 Chronicles 20:6-13, which states, “[King Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem] And said, O LORD GOD of our fathers, art not THOU GOD in Heaven? and rulest not THOU over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in THINE hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand THEE? Art not THOU our GOD, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before THY people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham THY friend forever? And they dwelt therein, and have built THEE a sanctuary therein for THY name, saying, If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in THY presence, (for THY name is in this house,) and cry unto THEE in our affliction, then THOU wilt hear and help.

“And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom THOU wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of THY possession, which THOU hast given us to inherit. O our GOD, wilt THOU not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon THEE. And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.”
When they prayed to GOD like this, GOD said, “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17).

And when Judah came up the next morning, “The LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped” (2 Chronicles 20:22-24).

We need for JESUS to fight for us. If we pray earnestly for HIM to fight for us, HE will do it. GOD the FATHER, JESUS, and the HOLY SPIRIT are our only hope. So be sure that you prevail in prayer. Reach the throne that GOD may prevail for us, in the name of JESUS.
If you’re not saved, become saved now by saying this prayer:

Prayer

My LORD and my GOD, have mercy upon my soul, a sinner. 1 I believe that JESUS CHRIST is the SON of the living GOD. 2 I believe that HE died on the cross and shed HIS precious blood for the forgiveness of all my former sins. 3 I believe that GOD raised JESUS from the dead by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT 4 and that HE sits on the right hand of GOD at this moment, hearing my confession of sin and this prayer. 5 I open up the door of my heart, and I invite YOU into my heart, LORD JESUS. 6 Wash all of my filthy sins away in the precious blood that YOU shed in my place on the cross at Calvary. 7 YOU will not turn me away, LORD JESUS; YOU will forgive my sins and save my soul. I know because YOUR WORD, the Bible, says so. 8 YOUR WORD says that YOU will turn no one away, and that includes me. 9 Therefore, I know that YOU have heard me, and I know that YOU have answered me, and I know that I am saved. 10 And I thank YOU, LORD JESUS, for saving my soul, and I will show my thankfulness by doing as YOU command and sin no more.11

After salvation, JESUS said to be baptized, fully submerged in water, in the name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY SPIRIT.12 Then study the King James Version Bible, and, for your benefit and the benefit of others, do what it says.13

CHRIST and GOD the FATHER now live in you through the HOLY SPIRIT. There is a way you can receive a fuller portion of the divine nature of GOD in you. The more the divine nature of GOD lives in you, the more you will be able to stand against the temptations that have so easily moved so many millions of Christians away from salvation. Pray for the baptism in the HOLY SPIRIT.14 For instructions on how to receive the baptism in the HOLY SPIRIT and to receive more of GOD’S holy nature, ask for our literature or call. For without holiness, no man shall see GOD (Hebrews 12:14).

The LORD wants you to tell others of your salvation (Mark 16:15). You can become a distributor of Pastor Tony Alamo’s Gospel literature. We’ll send you literature free of charge. Call or email us for more information. Share this message with someone else.

If you want the world saved, as JESUS commands, then don’t rob GOD of HIS tithes and offerings. GOD said, “Will a man rob GOD? Yet ye have robbed ME. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed THEE? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed ME, even this whole nation [and this whole world]. Bring ye all the tithes [a ‘tithe’ is 10% of your gross income] into the storehouse, that there may be meat [Spiritual food] in MINE house [souls saved], and prove ME now herewith, saith the LORD of HOSTS, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of HOSTS. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of HOSTS” (Malachi 3:8-12).

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footnotes:

1. Acts 1:1-11, 1 Cor. 15:3-6 return

2.1 Chron. 28:9, 2 Chron. 7:14, 15:2, 19:3, Prov. 1:20-33, 8:17, Isa. 55:6-7, Jer. 9:23-24, Amos 5:6-8, Matt. 7:7-8, Mark 11:20-24, Heb. 9:27 return

3. Job 21:7-19, Prov. 18:11-12, 28:11, Matt. 6:19-21, 19:16-26, Luke 12:15-21, 1 Tim. 6:17-19, James 1:9-11, 2:1-10, 5:1-6 return

4. Eph. 3:9-11, Col. 1:16-17, Heb. 1:1-3, Rev. 10:5-6 return

5. Psa. 34:1, Matt. 26:41, Luke 11:5-10, 18:1, 21:36, 22:40, 46, Acts 2:42, 6:4, Rom. 12:12, Eph. 6:17-18, Phlp. 4:6, Col. 4:2, 1 Tim. 2:8, James 5:16-18, 1 Pet. 4:7, Jude 20-21 return

6. 2 Chron. 32:24-26, Psa. 10:2-11, 73:3-12, Prov. 16:5, 18-19, 18:10-12, 21:4, 29:23, Jer. 13:15-18, Ezek. 16:49-50, Dan. 4:30-37, Hos. 5:5, 7:10, Mark 7:14-23, 1 John 2:15-16 return

7. Isa. 14:6-20, Ezek. 28:12-19, Luke 10:18, 2 Pet. 2:4, Jude 6, Rev. 12:3-4, 7-11 return

8. Gen. 3:1-19, Rom. 5:12-14, 1 Cor. 15:21-22 return

9. Ex. 19:3-6, 1 Sam. 15:16-23, Psa. 51:16-17, 103:17-18, Prov. 21:3, Isa. 66:1-2, Mic. 6:8, Matt. 5:3, 7:21-27, Luke 14:33, John 5:30, 8:31-32, 14:21-24, Acts 4:13-20, 5:25-29, Rev. 22:7, 14-15 return

10. Ezek. 3:16-21, Matt. 7:17-21, 22:1-14, 25:14-30, 28:18-20, Mark 4:2-20, 16:15-16, Luke 24:46-48, John 15:1-8, 16, 17:18, Acts 1:8, Rom. 1:15-18, 7:4-6, 10:13-15, 1 Cor. 9:16-24, 2 Cor. 5:17-21, 2 Tim. 4:1-5 return

11. Matt. 10:37-39, 13:44-46, Luke 9:23-26, John 14:21-27, Acts 1:8, 2:38-39, 5:30-32, Eph. 3:14-21, Phlp. 3:8-11 return

12. Mark 13:11, John 14:26, 16:13-15, 1 John 2:27 return

Prayer footnotes:

1. Psa. 51:5, Rom. 3:10-12, 23 return

2. Matt. 26:63-64, 27:54, Luke 1:30-33, John 9:35-37, Rom. 1:3-4 return

3. Acts 4:12, 20:28, Rom. 3:25, I John 1:7, Rev. 5:9 return

4. Psa. 16:9-10, Matt. 28:5-7, Mark 16:9, 12, 14, John 2:19, 21, 10:17-18, 11:25, Acts 2:24, 3:15, Rom. 8:11, I Cor. 15:3-7 return

5. Luke 22:69, Acts 2:25-36, Heb. 10:12-13 return

6. I Cor. 3:16, Rev. 3:20 return

7. Eph. 2:13-22, Heb. 9:22, 13:12, 20-21, I John 1:7, Rev. 1:5, 7:14 return

8. Matt. 26:28, Acts 2:21, 4:12, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14 return

9. Matt. 21:22, John 6:35, 37-40, Rom. 10:13 return

10. Heb. 11:6 return

11. John 5:14, 8:11, Rom. 6:4, I Cor. 15:10, Rev. 7:14, 22:14 return

12. Matt. 28:18-20, John 3:5, Acts 2:38, 19:3-5 return

13. Deut. 4:29, 13:4, 26:16, Josh. 1:8, 22:5, 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:14-17, James 1:22-25, Rev. 3:18 return

14. Isa. 28:11-12, Joel 2:28-29, Luke 3:16, 11:9-13, John 1:29-34, 7:37-39, 14:15-29, 15:26, 16:7-14, Acts 1:1-8, 2:1-18, 32-39, 5:29-32, 19:1-7, Rom. 5:3-5, 15:13 return