STAND SURE
TRANSLATION ALERT 19: FAITH SERMON III
Stand Sure | Neal Frisby’s Sermon | CD#914A | 09/29/82
The message tonight is “Stand Sure.’ With perseverance and knocking faith, determined until the door is opened, you can receive what you want from God. It is not praying all the time; it is faith that keeps knocking.
You may quit your praying and allow your faith to knock in the direction you want it to. Satan will try to wear out the elect with pressure, oppression, with lies and gossip at the end of the age. Pay no attention. Ignore it. You know where you stand, stand sure; because the bible said in Daniel and other scripture that he (Satan) will literally try to wear out the saints, the elect of God. Also, he is the accuser of the real, real brethren. Stand sure. Jesus has a way to reveal who has the real staying power and who has the real faith that He is looking for. He is looking for faith and the fruit of the spirit. He has a way to reveal that before the age closes out. Now, the real ones will be able to go through the fire, the test, the gossip, the oppression or whatever he (Satan) tries. You might stumble a little bit, but you will stand and you will be like the apostles—that’s the real faith. Going into the sermon, this is the foundation.
You go through the above, tried even as gold is tried and comes forth; and then, your character will be refined just as Revelation 3: 18 reveals in the bible. When you come through whatever Satan throws at you or the world should throw at you, believe me, you will have the character of faith, you will have genuine faith. You will be ready to face the devil and be prepared for the translation. It will come almost as if by the Lord’s will on the people. All you have to do is concentrate on the word, seek Him in your heart, and unconsciously, that faith will begin to grow. As the age closes out, the more tests come your way, the more your faith is growing or He would put more pressure there. The more pressure, the more your faith is growing.
But people say, “Oh, my faith is weakening. No, it is not. It is because you are reaching out to a point; just reach out there, let that faith keep working, it will begin to grow stronger and the Lord will come when you have passed the test or trial. Then, He will put more water on it your faith) and He will dig a little bit around it. You will grow stronger in the Lord. Old Satan will say, “Let me attack again before he gets too strong.” He will make another attack on you; but let me tell you something, all he can do is skin it up a bit, just keep going on. Your faith will keep on growing in the power of the Lord.
Now, in our parable, it opens in Luke 18: 1-8. He (the Lord) chose this tonight, not even knowing a few days ago, I already marked it:
“And he spake a parable to them … that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (v. 1). Don’t give up; always continue in the prayer of faith.
“…There was … a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man” (v. 2). The Lord, it seems like, couldn’t put any fear in him at that time. Nothing could move him (the judge). The Lord is bringing out a point here; how perseverance will do it when nothing else can do it.
“And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, avenge me of mine adversary” (v.3). I believe there are three things here. One is a judge, a man of authority who is a symbol of the Lord; if you would come to Him and you keep on persevering, you will get what you want there. Then, He chooses a widow because many times a widow will say, “I never can do this or that for the Lord. Be careful, He is bringing this parable here. He is trying to show you that even if you are a widow, even if you are destitute, He will stand with you if you are sure in your faith. How many of you believe that?
“And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself …. Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me” (vs. 4 & 5). See, she will not give up. He got a good look at the widow that she had solid faith and would not quit. He could discern the woman would not quit, no matter what. It could be two or three years, the woman would still be bothering him. He could look around and say, “I see a weakness there. She will eventually give up. But, I neither fear God or man, so why fear this woman?” But he started looking at the woman, the perseverance of that woman and the determination, he said, “My, that woman will never give up?” How many of you are still with me? She was coming not to bother him, but she had persevering faith, just like you come to the Lord and you come with that faith, not just prayer but that faith.
The bible says, seek and ye shall find; knock and the door shall be opened unto you. Sometimes, you go to the door and somebody may be in the backroom at the time. You’ll knock and you’ll knock; you’ll say, “Well, you know, I don’t believe anybody is at home.” Sometimes, they don’t come the first time you knock, so you knock again. Sometimes you knock three or four times and then, here comes somebody all of a sudden. Now, so you see it; like faith, you have to have perseverance. You can’t just knock and run off. Stand and wait; there will be an answer. It will come from the Lord. So, be sure, stand firm because at the end of the age He is going to show who has the faith that He is ready to speak about in a moment. He is looking for this kind of faith. The saints and the elect will have the faith that He is looking for. It is a certain kind of faith, the kind of faith that matches the word, which matches the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit and all these working in divine love. It is that strong faith. It will come to the elect. They will be anointed above their brethren. It will come that way than in other movements because He will bring it to the elect of God.
“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them. I tell you that he will avenge them speedily” (vs. 7 & 8). If a man finally gives up, who did not regard God or man, for this little woman, then, wouldn’t God avenge His own elect? He most certainly will be way ahead of that judge. He will work speedily. He might bear sometimes for a long time and somehow there seems to be an avenging that must take place. Sometimes, He moves slowly but then, all of a sudden, it is over with. He has moved in a speedy way and the problem, whatever it is, is moved.
“…Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth” (v. 8)? That’s the way He ended that. We know He most certainly will find faith on the earth. What kind of faith is He looking for? Like this woman. Many read this and they only think about avenging the woman, but the Lord gave the parable about the judge and the woman and He likened the judge to Himself. Then, He said, “Would He find faith on the earth when He returns?” He likened it to the faith at the end of the age. What kind of faith is it? It is stand sure, it is firm faith and it is powerful faith. It is determined faith, fiery faith. It is faith that won’t take No for an answer, say Amen! It would be faith like the woman’s; in her continuity, she held on and continually at the end of the age, the elect of God will hold on. Nothing would ever move them, no matter how much they are oppressed, no matter how much Satan may gossip at them, no matter what Satan does to them, they will stand sure. He cannot move them. “I shall not be moved”–it’s one of the songs and it is in the bible too.
No wonder, He said, “I will put my elect upon a Rock.” There, they will stand. He likens those that listen to His word and do what He says to a wise man. The ones that will not listen and do what He says, He likens to a foolish man that is wiped out in the sand. Can you say, Amen? These are they that listen to me that are put upon the Rock and they stand sure, they stand firm. So, it’s a sure faith and a sure stand that you have with the Lord. Will He find any faith? That was a question mark. Yes, He’ll find weak faith, partial faith, organized faith, system faith and cult-like faith. There will be all kinds of faith. But this kind of faith (that the Lord is looking for) is rare. It is rare as the rarest of jewels. It is the kind of faith that cannot be shaken. It is more powerful than the kind of faith that the apostles had when they departed from the Lord Jesus, all of a sudden; they picked it up later, the kind of faith we are going to get at the end of the age. Are you still with me? It will come and it will produce just exactly what the Lord wants. Watch! He is building a people. He is building an army. He is building the elect of God and she will stand sure.
Now, remember, no matter what it is, it may shake you some, you won’t turn loose. You will hold on to those everlasting promises. You will hold on to the salvation of the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit. Those will be the elect of God. They will come through. This is the kind of faith that He is looking for. He said when He returns, will He find any faith on the earth? Yes, in other scriptures He said, “I will find the faith and it will have patience with it.” Go through anything, neighbors can say something, it doesn’t matter; you are going on, anyway. You might even holler back, but you are going on. Amen. That’s the flesh, that’s human nature. You may argue for a moment, go on—go out of it.
“…Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain” (James 5: 7). What is He waiting for? The faith He just spoke about. It has to mature and when the right kind of faith begins to mature in the proper way, the fruit begins to come forth. You can’t leave fruits for too long either; when it gets just right, He is going to take it, He said. We have a little way to go in faith. The elect of God are increasing their faith. It is growing faith, mustard-seed faith that will keep on growing all the time. It is a fiery kind of faith that builds that character to believe. You must have the kind of faith that will help/cause you to stand against Lucifer and stand up against anything that will come your way. This is what He is going to be looking for; the faith that made that widow to say, I will not quit, I will stay right in there.” The Lord admonished it. That’s what He wants. The husband man waiteth patiently for the first fruit of the earth—that’s that kind of faith that produces it.
It took a little while for Him to get it done, that’s why He tarried. He said in Matthew 25—where the wise and foolish virgins were—as the midnight cry went forth, the faith was not where it was supposed to be for some of them. Now, the bride was getting there sooner. It was the midnight cry; some of the virgins were not ready. The faith was not where it should be. There was a tarrying time—the bible said He tarried while they slumbered and slept. But the wise because of the power of the word and faith trimmed their lamps; revival came, power came. That’s why there was a lull; they had to get it just right. He can’t take them till that faith would match that for translation and get like the faith of Elijah. In the Old Testament, those men had power and faith. It is easy for us under grace, easier to reach out there. He knows just exactly how to do it; by preaching the word this way, sowing it this way—line upon line, measure upon measure—He will bring it all together until He has like the coat that Joseph wore and send them all in. Can you say, Amen? He will fix it up real beautiful too; it will be like rainbow around the throne. We are caught up to see Him. He knows what He is doing.
He is the Master Sower. He has long patience for it until He receives the early and latter rain. “Be ye also patient…for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5: 8). It will be at the time when the coming of the Lord is drawing near prophetically and He is telling them to have patience. It will begin to take place when the latter rain pours in with the former rain. The former rain came in the 1900s—some of it came to the church a little before that time—the Holy Spirit was poured out. In 1946, the gifts of faith began to go forth; apostolic ministry and prophets began to happen. That was the former rain. Now, toward the lull, there is where He said there will be a tarrying; we are in there. There is your tarrying between the former and the latter rain. The former rain was the teaching rain. Some received the teaching and they are going on in the latter rain. Others received the teaching for a while, they had no root and they went back to the organized systems, thus saith the Lord. In between the former and latter rain, there is a lull and He tarried. During this tarrying period, faith is coming. Now, between the former and latter rain, we are reaching on out after all those years since 1946; we are coming into the latter rain. The teaching rain is blending into the latter rain. In the latter rain will come the rapturing faith and exploits that none has ever seen.
It will come and He is building for that. It will come on His people. It will come with tremendous power just like Jesus in Galilee when He healed the sick. We will see creative miracles and the power of God moving in ways we’ve never seen before. But, He will move individually too, on His people. He will pour His spirit upon all flesh. So, we go from the teaching rain of the former rain to the latter rain of rapturing faith and divine love, solid faith and power. Can you say, Amen? We are coming on through, Lord. We are going to meet you on the other side of that thing. Amen. He will come and stand in heaven up there. We go up to meet Him. I am taking them through like a locomotive! Glory to God! You go right on through, knocking back that depression; have that determination, be very positive. Have a sound mind, a good heart and be ye happy, saith the Lord. He said, have patience because Satan will try to keep you from this.
At the beginning of the sermon, we told you how—through oppression and many different ways—that he (Satan) would try to keep you from this rapturing faith, this kind of knocking faith that the widow woman had and kept on. It moved back that judge. That’s what the Lord is looking for and He is coming. He has a scripture: seek and you will find, knock and the door shall be opened. Isn’t that wonderful? Don’t let the devil keep you off it. Hold fast to your steady course, stay right on that course. Don’t go to the right or left. Stay in the word and the rapturing faith of the latter rain will definitely come to you. Your character will change; power will be given to you.
But, everything that He loves is tested. Everybody He is going to take out of here in the translation is tested. It is nothing like the depth of the tribulation is going to do to them; those that go through the great tribulation, I envy them not! That is fire like a fiery furnace that they are going to get into. But there will be a translation somewhere just before that; before the mark of the beast, He will take us up and translate us away. But everything He loves, He tests and proves who’s got the faith. So, at the end of the age, those who are able to go through what I spoke about at the beginning of the sermon, how he (Satan) will come at you—you go through it in the next day, months or years, whatever we have in front of us—those that are able to go through those things that I spoke about will have the faith of the woman. “There, will I find that kind of faith when I return to the earth.” That’s the way He finds out who really has organizational faith, cult type of faith, mediocre type of faith, faith one day and not tomorrow. He finds out by taking them through whatever they are going through, whatever Satan can throw at them. Then, He comes back and says they are my elect. Can you say, Amen? So, He will prove those who have the real genuine faith. They’ll cut right on through. They are going right through.
The Lord gave me the sermon tonight for you. Each individual here should love this sermon. We are coming out of the teaching rain into the latter rain—the lull era. He is waiting for that faith to get just right and the work of the Lord will come upon His people. I really believe that. I will read a little something here: “Determination keeps us from deteriorating.” By being determined, your faith will not deteriorate. You keep looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. With our faith, even the grave can be turned into the throne of triumph by the Lord Jesus Christ because He said, “I am the resurrection and the life” and He is eternal life. There is no stone too big but God’s angel can move it (Matthew 28: 2). This faith has got to come from the heart. Some say it is the faith of God; it is alright to talk that way. But it is the faith of the Lord Jesus. That is where that faith is coming from, the revelation of the Lord Jesus. You cannot willingly take Jesus as you savior and willing deny Him as your Lord. How can you take Him as your savior and then deny Him as your Lord? “My Lord and my God,” Thomas said.
In other words, some take Him as their savior and they just go mediocre about their way and their business. Those that not only take Him as their savior but, He is everything to them, those are the ones that will receive the faith of Jesus. He is their Lord that they are waiting to see and He is coming, the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, to make Him your Lord is in obedience to Him. Making Him your Lord makes Him your Master. Some take Him as a savior and just go about their business; they never seek the deep revelation, His power or miracles. People today seek salvation; I am happy about that, but there is a deeper walk than just salvation. It goes into the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit. They take Him as their savior but when they take Him as their Lord, that power begins to come to them. How many of you believe that? To declare one and deny the other is hypocrisy.
By taking the path of the word, it is definitely not the path of the world. The path of the word comes right along the side of the Lord Jesus. So, remember, where is this faith? “Will I find faith like this when I return?” In other parts of the scripture, He certainly will. He said, “I will avenge my elect speedily.” We have to have the faith that He spoke about in the parable, the determined, no-giving-up faith. The widow went right through. No matter how many said, “You can’t see him today, you come back tomorrow.” She said, “I will not only come back tomorrow, but the next day, the next, day; I will park here.” Remember, the judge at the time feared not God or man but this woman had him upset. See; God moved for her really! We are going to park with God! We are going to be determined! We are going to stay right at the door where He is standing. “Behold, I stand at the door.” I am standing there, Lord. Amen.
We have received His invitation in the parable of the supper (Luke 14: 16-24). He sent forth an invitation; some made excuses and He said, “Sure, they will not taste of my supper.” And the others that He invited, they accepted the invitation and He put out a great banquet for them, a bounty of the Lord. Bless the Lord Jesus Christ, He gave me the invitation, He gave you the invitation and those on my mailing list and in this building. Lord, we have received the invitation and we are coming! We have no excuses. We don’t have any excuse, Lord. We have no excuses at all; we are coming, keep the table! I just made an agreement with the Lord for everyone of you in this building tonight. We’ll meet Him, won’t we? I won’t turn it down. I am wide open to that invitation. You say, “How can anybody turn it down? Too busy. “They don’t have enough of this faith,” saith the Lord Jesus. Now, you see how that faith comes back. The determined faith will not turn back that invitation. Those with weak faith, those that have other cares of this life; they don’t have that kind of faith. But the kind of faith that Jesus is looking for when He comes–the precious fruit of the earth–He has long patience for it until it ripens from the teaching faith of the former rain into the rapturing faith of the latter rain.
Harvest is upon us. You can see how God is going to move upon the field that He’s got. He is Lord of the harvest and when the Holy Spirit blows upon those golden grains (Amen), they are going to stand up and shout “Alleluia!” Thank you, Lord. Old-fashioned sermon, tonight. And on this cassette, every one of you, I pray with my heart, you have received the invitation that the Lord has given. He said it was at supper time. Now that means at the end of the age. Supper is the last meal of the day, so we know that it’s at the far reaches of the sunset when He gives the invitation. He called it supper in the bible. So, we know it is prophetically at the end of the age when that takes place. All though history though, it would pertain to certain things, but the definitive meaning of it is that it is in our age, at the end of the age that the invitation went forth. It covered the Jews, also. When they turned it down, it turned to the Gentiles. But the real meaning comes back today. They will turn down the two major prophets; the 144,000 will take the invitation.
The invitation is still going on right through there. So, at the end of the age, He gives us this invitation. Those on the cassette, the invitation has already gone out, it’s supper time. Receive the invitation and tell the Lord, you will surely be at His banquet; that you have faith, that nothing can keep you from that—the cares of this life, of marriage or anything, children, family, whatever it is. I have no excuses, Lord. I will be there, Lord. Faith is what is going to carry me there, so make a way for me. I have no excuses. I tell the Lord, I want to be there. I will be there by the power of faith. So, those listening to this message, I am praying right now that God will give you that rapturing, the sure faith, stand sure, stand firm, the widow-knocking faith and the power faith that Jesus is looking in Luke 18: 1-8. Have that in your heart and I pray you receive the rapturing faith of this anointing that’s upon me tonight. Let the mantle come upon you and let it carry you right on through with the glory of the Lord and you run into Jesus in the heavens. Lord, bless their hearts.
Everywhere this tape goes, give the Lord a handclap. Praise the Lord. With men this is impossible, with God all things are possible, the bible says. That’s the kind of faith we are looking for. Speak the word only; he shall have what he saith. All things are possible to Him that believeth. Faith that will receive the invitation is the kind of faith we are looking for. He will find it on the earth. How many of you tonight feel that, that faith is coming to you? Nothing else is going to work. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. You must have this kind of faith to be happy. It will help you through anything and you will be happy going through any trial. He will put that joy in your heart. He will lift you up. He will make a way for you. No matter how old Satan tries to slow you down, get happy. The sermon here is to help and bless you. He will bring you through it like a good ship on the sea. He is the Captain of the ship. He is the Captain of the Hosts, the Angel of the Lord and He encampeth around faith such as has just been spoken, saith the Lord. I pray this rubs off of me on everyone here. He is going to get you. This faith is catching.
That’s the only kind of germ I want to put out there—of faith and power to the elect of God. Reach out every one of you. He has done something in your life. You won’t be the same. He will bring a blessing on you. He will reveal Himself to the group I am talking about–that sure, knocking type faith that stands on the Rock. Don’t build on the sand; put it right there on that Rock, determined that your faith is going to grow. There are changes in your heart tonight, those listening to this. The Holy Spirit is pouring Himself out. He is blessing His people. He is increasing the faith that you have. The small amount of faith that you’ve got is growing. Allow that light to shine. Let your light shine, saith the Lord, that men may see this faith and the positive power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Wipe out the doubts, wipe out the negatives. Take on the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s what He is looking for.
The Lord told me, “Begin to write those notes, son.” You can feel the tingling going on as I was writing the notes. You can feel the strength and virtue of the Lord going on, on the pen as I was writing. So, in your heart, say, Lord, I have got the invitation, I am coming and the faith is going to take me right on through. The cares of this life won’t bother me. I am coming right on through and no matter what, I want to be there. I will be there.
Stand Sure | Neal Frisby’s Sermon | CD#914A | 09/29/82