Take the Handcuffs Off God!

Trouble is part of the landscape in this fallen world.  But, for God’s children, there is no trouble that doesn’t have a solution.  When the trouble is big, it can often be hard to see its solution.  At these times, I must look twice.  The steps of a good man or woman, boy or girl, are ordered by the Lord, and this is especially true in the case of contradictions, the big troubles.  It is in this trouble that I learn to overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11). 

🕇 Psalm 46:1-3:

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.   

🕇 Psalm 27:4-7:

4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

When I mix the Word of God with childlike faith, the trouble will become my blessing.  Young David of the Bible ran up against some really big trouble. That trouble, a nearly 10’ tall warrior giant, was named Goliath.  David mixed his childlike faith in his God, and as a result, one of the greatest stories of all time unfolds.  I Samuel 17:40-51, 54:

40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd''s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord''s, and he will give you into our hands.

48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

When we mix the Word of God with our childlike faith, the giants come tumbling down—the bigger, the better.  Hebrews 4:2:

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.   

How we need to harness this marvelous promise in found in Philippians 4:6-7!

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” is our result.

We need to mix God’s Word with our childlike faith, and the once “big trouble” will become bragging rights in Christ Jesus.

Dear visitor, have you yet to be BORN AGAIN as Jesus declares in John 3:3?

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

In just a few moments, I will invite you to follow me in a simple prompt, and if you follow from your heart, everything changes for you today.  You will be BORN AGAIN—born a literal second time, this time of the Spirit of God. You will be a brand new person.  Today, all your sins and the shame they create will be washed away by Jesus Christ’s cleansing blood. You will be pristine clean.  Today, all of Satan’s bondages in your life will be broken, every single one.  You will be free.  Today, your trouble meets the Holy Ghost solution.  Here is the prompt I promised: Click onto Further with Jesus for childlike instructions and immediate entry into the Kingdom of God. NOW FOR TODAY’S SUBJECT.

GOD SAID, Mark 6:2-6:

2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

GOD SAID, Psalm 68:1:

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

GOD SAID, I Thessalonians 5:18:

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

MAN SAID: Even if there is a God (which no enlightened man would believe), He doesn’t get involved in the daily affairs of men.  Everyone knows that, and it’s silly to believe otherwise.

Now THE RECORD: Welcome to GodSaidManSaid feature 1217 that will once again contend for the supernatural, inerrant bonafides of the beautiful Book. All of these faith-building features are archived here in text and streaming audio for your edification and to be used as bait by the fishers of men. Every Thursday eve, God willing, they grow by one.

Thank you for visiting.  May your awe and love for your Holy Bible grow more and more.

In Jesus Christ dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9).  Christ demonstrated the mighty works of God wherever He went, with the exception of one place—His own hometown.  Mark 6:2-6:

2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

Jesus marveled at their unbelief.  Unbelief handcuffs God in His children’s lives.  It has always been a faith issue from the very beginning, from the Garden of Eden forward.  Grandmother Eve fell when she believed Satan’s words over God’s.  This act of unbelief was mirrored by Eve’s husband Adam’s acquiescence. Thus the doors of the law of sin and death swung open wide.  Faith is the issue: Whose words will I believe?  The book of Hebrews tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God.  Hebrews 11:6:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.     

Whose Words will I believe?

How to take the handcuffs off of God in my life is not something that I know.  Rather, it is something that I am knowing. Psalm 68:1:

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

What does that mean?  I must let—I must allow—God to arise in my life’s circumstances and my childlike faith in His Word is required.

Several simple things are required of me if I am to dwell in a blessable place, a place where God has been allowed to arise:

1. I must be BORN AGAIN.  If you are not BORN AGAIN, please get that handled now.  Click onto “Further with Jesus” for childlike instructions and immediate entry into the Kingdom of God.

2.  I must be surrendered unto God’s inerrant Word—and if I am BORN AGAIN, I will be.

3. I must simply mix my childlike faith with God’s Words.  This is a blessable place.  The handcuffs are gone.    

I am going to tell you the story of how God began to teach me how to allow Him to arise in my life’s circumstances.  This story is continuing: It is still unfolding in my life as we speak, and the magnitude of the great riches it has created can only be measured by the God who knows the end from the beginning. Several years ago, I shared part of this story, and it has only continued to get better.  Originally, I had stated that the event took place in 1984, but upon further reflection, I believe it was more like 1981.

The full functionality of the faith is truly staggering—literally out of this world.  Watch it work as the Word of God is mixed with childlike faith.  Four verses are central to this marvelous testimony:

🕇 Psalm 68:1: Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

🕇 Psalm 37:23: The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

🕇 I Thessalonians 5:18: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

🕇 Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

My wife Connie and I gave our hearts to Jesus Christ on a Sunday evening, November 8, 1970.  We were BORN AGAIN, just like Jesus requires, and the glorious journey unto eternal life began.  Soon, God blessed us with beautiful children. 

I decided to cast my lot in with my father, Daniel, who was a mighty man of God.  In 1953, my father started an advertising agency he called dDaniel Advertising.  It was a very meager affair, something he did alongside of his 40-hour-a-week day job with the local daily paper. The agency couldn’t sustain one person, let alone two.  It needed building.

In 1971, my father and I began planning, and in 1972, we started publishing a free weekly paper called The Western Advertiser. We lived and worked in what was known as the Rust Belt, also known as the Ohio Valley, which spanned from Wheeling, WV to Pittsburgh, PA.  This was once the shining steel capital of the world, but during the late 1970s and early 1980s, things began to change dramatically.  Thanks to the ineptness of our politicians and other labor factors, the steel industry just up and died. Steel plants were shuttered, jobs were gone, and the once rich and mighty Ohio Valley became one of America’s poorest. 

The Western Advertiser was free and was totally underwritten by the sale of advertising space.  With the demise of the steel industry, this territory fell on very, very hard times.  National chains closed down their retail outlets, and local professional merchants simply closed their doors. 

I should note here that we should never evaluate the benefit of a Godly effort without looking twice, and The Western Advertiser was a Godly effort.  It is true: We worked long, arduous hours, year after year, with more debt than reward—but that was all just at first glance.  During the thirteen-year, four-month publishing history of The Western Advertiser, approximately 30 million gospel tracts were published and distributed under its banner because it carried a dedicated page that published the Word of God.  In ways, it was similar to what GodSaidManSaid does today. The Western Advertiser was absolutely foundational to the GodSaidManSaid you are visiting today—a global, evangelizing Gospel labor—and the eternal value of this undertaking is immeasurable.  Remember, always look twice.

In the late 1970s, Jimmy Carter was president of the USA.  We had crippling inflation, deep unemployment, excessively high interest rates, and (worse) gas rationing.  A new economic term was coined just to measure the new depths we were hitting, and they called it the “Misery Index.”  Newscasters would report on the “Misery Index” the way they would the weather.

Things were bleak, but we weren’t quite at the bottom yet.  On one occasion, I went to the garage to pick up my vehicle that I had taken in for a routine lube and oil, only to find that the bank had seized it for nonpayment.  I was behind one payment and a second was due.  As a road salesman, a vehicle was a necessity; without one, I could not function.  Somehow, we managed to scrape up enough money to get my vehicle out of hock.

Against this dark and hopeless backdrop, one of the brightest and richest revelations known to man was revealed unto me—and, of course, not just to me.  I was on my knees in our living room, where I started my day early in the morning, with my hands stretched out to heaven entreating God.  I spoke to our Father and told Him that I was in deep trouble: We were behind three payments on our house payment and I expected the bank to foreclose at any moment.  All earthly credit and options were exhausted.  If God did not mercifully and  miraculously intervene, my family and I would soon be homeless. 

As I prayed, I committed myself and my family unto the Lord, and I went to work.  God began to move in a way I could never have expected. 

The circumstances that followed were a make or break moment.  Several days after that morning meeting with God, my family and I were returning home from a Sunday evening service and were greeted by quite a shock.  The doors of our home were swung wide open and every light in the home was on.  Burglars had visited our home.  I told Connie and the children to stay in the car, and headed into the house in a fury.  The burglars were gone, having ransacked the place in search of money and merchandise, of which there was very little to find.  Chests of drawers, their contents, and clothing were strewn everywhere.  I was foolishly wondering why while I was serving God at His house, He had left mine unattended.  I called the police and my dark mindset continued for a short minute until the Lord rebuked and instructed me.

God’s instruction was childlike simple: I had to let God arise. Because of my unbelief and disobedience, He could not move on my behalf.  I had handcuffed God.  My instructions were:

⯍ First, I needed to remember that my steps were ordered by God. DO NOT COMPLAIN!Psalm 37:23:

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.  

⯍ Second, I was commanded to give thanks in all things—and I WAS NOT!I Thessalonians 5:18:

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Take to heart Philippians 4:6-7:

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

⯍ Third, I needed to believe God’s Word and confess over the burglary that it was working for my good (Romans 8:28), no matter how bad it looked. 

I acknowledged my error, repented of my foolishness, and did exactly as God instructed.  Immediately, that dark spirit was broken.  Somehow, the destitute state we were in would work to our good.  Romans 8:28:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

The only real things of value the burglars absconded with was a small TV and two reel-to-reel tape recorders I used to produce a 30-minute sermon which we aired on the radio.  We informed the bank and the insurance company of the damages and losses.  If memory serves, the amount the insurance company paid was just shy of $8,000 in 1981 money—which translates to just under $28,000 in 2024 money.  You would think the bank would have taken the cash off of the front end of the loan and satisfied our three delinquent payments, but instead they took it off the back end of the loan. (Which is, by the way, the proper accounting procedure.)  The bank’s foreclosure position improved nicely, but we were still candidates for eviction.  We were still 90 days in arrears.  The dark financial clouds only thickened. 

Our offices, which housed a sales team and a composition/photographic department, were in the basement of a professional building.  Somehow, “conveniently” at the top of the steps to our office was a financial company that specialized in high-interest loans to people with questionable credit.  We had already borrowed from them all that we could in order to pay employee wages.

When God is ordering steps, things just so “conveniently” happen.  Connie was coming into work and a gentleman from the finance company engaged her in conversation.  In that conversation, the issue of the burglary arose.  Unbeknownst to us, the finance company had also insured the house, which was a shock.  It was an equal shock when they paid nearly $8,000 (in 1981 money, which is just about $28,000 today) to us directly.  This basically cleared all our personal debt, including back house and car payments.  We rejoiced in the Lord and the power of His might.  Romans 8:28 was true: All things worked together for our good, even the burglars.  Unfortunately for the burglars, their reward was a paltry return from fenced goods and prison time. 

That was fantastic, wasn’t it?  But it didn’t stop there.  Because the burglars had stolen my reel-to-reel recorders, I was forced to go to the radio station early Sunday mornings and live-broadcast “The Trumpet of the Lord” radio show.  The entire radio station staff on early Sunday mornings was one.  The young man would queue up the system, flip the switch, and I would begin to preach as he monitored technical things.  That young man was exposed to the Gospel week after week, and we also became good friends.  He furthered his broadcasting career to become a major radio personality on the very first commercial radio station in the world, KDKA.  In those early days, I affectionately dubbed him The Voice of Pittsburgh. He still remains a major radio personality, too.  To this day, he invites me to be a guest on his show, where I address various subjects, and he always aggressively promotes the GodSaidManSaid ministry, which means eternal souls for Christ. 

My family’s situation was bleak.  The promises just weren’t working, but that was only the appearance of the contradiction.  God was ordering our steps. 

When God gives a commandment, obey—behind the scenes, He is orchestrating a blessing.  Things are happening, even at a microscopic level, to bring to pass that which He has purposed.  Isaiah 55:11:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Once the handcuffs were removed, HALLELUJAH!, God arose!  This story is not a once-in-a-lifetime fluke, no! Rather, it is standard, every day, Holy Ghost operating procedure!

It is true, the functionality of the Word of God is staggering.  When I mix God’s Word with my childlike faith, the handcuffs I have placed on God are removed.  HALLELUJAH!  Holy Ghost performance is the result and the benefits will last forever.

Get three ore more 3x5 index cards and write the following in your own hand.  Place these cards in a conspicuous place and read them often.  If you are in a particularly troublesome place, place these cards in your shirt pocket or purse. Take your Gos-pills every four waking hours by reading the cards. Remove the handcuffs!  Here’s what you write:

 

 

God’s Word is true and righteous altogether, a place to build a life that will last forever.  It is TRUE, saints!  It is TRUE!  Remove God’s handcuffs and let God arise!  

GOD SAID, Mark 6:2-6:

2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

GOD SAID, Psalm 68:1:

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

GOD SAID, I Thessalonians 5:18:

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

MAN SAID: Even if there is a God (which no enlightened man would believe), He doesn’t get involved in the daily affairs of men.  Everyone knows that, and it’s silly to believe otherwise.

 

Now you have THE RECORD.

 

 

References:

Authorized King James Version

GodSaidManSaid, “Hidden Goodness You Can Find”

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