Ministry Moments:
Money Miracles --
"Give all your money to Brother Manley"
by Lynn Ridenhour
A slight variation of this account is included in Lynn's discourse
on Faith.
The Lord began dealing with me while I was in my
early 20s regarding the gift of faith. Following is one of my very first
incidents when the Lord began to teach me about the gift—believing God for
material things.
I was studying for the ministry at William Jewell College in Liberty,
Missouri. Brother J.I. Willard had asked me to be the Youth Pastor at
Six-Mile Baptist Church, a few miles outside of town.
We made a wonderful team. He was a deeply spiritual man with a lot of
common sense. It came from his being a farmer. Brother Willard became my
spiritual father. He was a praying man. A man who believed in the moving
of the Holy Spirit and revivals. I remember those all-night prayer
meetings, usually in preparation for the next evangelist.
There was one evangelist that changed my life--Brother Manley Beasley. We
usually had three to four revivals a year. It was Brother Manley's turn.
I had heard a lot about Brother Beasley, but had never met him. I was so
excited.
Brother Manley preached all week on the gift of faith. My soul was
stirred like it had never been stirred. He told story after story how,
through his believing God, he was sustained in various situations time and
time again. Truly he was a man who believed God. His favorite line
was "…what are you believing God for right now?"
It was the "…right now…" that got to me.
I had always believed God for eternal things, but this was new--believing
God for money and houses and automobiles—and things. Even the smaller
things in life. Brother Manley told how one time he forgot to pack his
razor. And he had to preach that morning. There was no time to run out
and get a new one. He believes God for a razor! It wasn't long 'till
someone knocked on his hotel door. "…Sir, do you need a
razor?" I sat spellbound all week, listening to story after story
after story.
Brother Beasley was an evangelist. He tells of the time he had run out of
money but was scheduled to hold his next revival meeting in another
state. He told the Lord, "…Lord, I can't drive. I'll never make
it in time. If you want me at that meeting, you're going to have to get me
there."
The Lord told him to pack his bags and head to the airport--that He would
provide a way. With no money in his pockets, Brother Beasley obeys the
Lord. He drives to the airport and gets in line for his ticket. He lives
in Louisiana but his meeting is in Denver. So Brother Beasley gets in
the line that departs to Denver. The line continues to get shorter and
shorter. They're down to one lady in front of him. He would be next. Suddenly
the woman in front of him begins arguing with the teller and says rather
loudly, "…I didn't want to go there anyway!" She turns
around, hands Brother Beasley her ticket, and storms out. Brother Manley flew
nonstop to Denver. And was on time for his meeting. I could listen
to this man preach and never tire. In fact, let's listen in.
"…Now neighbor, if you've ever received anything from God, it's been
by faith. God responds to faith. In fact, God does not respond to anything but
faith. Faith honors God; God honors faith, and that's it. God does not respond
to good works. Nor does He respond to sincerity. You can be as sincere as the
next fellow, and Jesus won't respond to your sincerity. What about the
father who came to the Lord one day and said, Master, heal my son. This father
was sincere. But Jesus said, if you can believe, I'll do it. Jesus responded
to this man's faith."
Brother Manley was from the Deep South. He did have a way of putting
things. He called us all "neighbor."
"…Neighbor, it's not what you do for God that counts. It's what God
does for you that matters. Take those men over there in Hebrews eleven. The
book says, these men of God did great exploits through faith, by faith,
through faith, by faith, through faith--it doesn't even say by prayer, does
it?."
I was sitting there in that little country church taking it all in. Hanging
on his every word. I was beginning to wonder what Bible faith was really all
about.
"…Baptists are great preachers of salvation by faith through grace.
Then we do everything else by works," he said, as he walked back and
forth in front of the pulpit.
His hour and a half sermons seemed like fifteen minutes. In fact, he made
the remark, "…I don't preach sermons. I have a message. A sermon is
something you sit in your office and work up. A message comes down."
He went on to remark, "…you won't see me with a note up here all
week."
Brother Manley had these catchy little sayings that made you think.
"…Which comes first? Believing or receiving? Do you receive and then
believe? Or do you believe and then receive?"
I had never looked at it like that before.
"…Any of us can believe we have a thing once we have it. It doesn't
take any faith to believe you have something once you have it. No, neighbor,
you must believe and then receive."
This was different preaching than I had grown up on.
"…Faith is acting on the Word of God. Declaring a thing so before
it's so, and it's never so until you declare it's so."
"…Faith is believing God when you can't hear it, see it, smell it,
or taste it."
Brother Beasley went on to preach that night on Hebrews eleven, verse two.
"…We won't get out of this verse tonight," he said. He gave
one of the most informative, inspiring talks that night I had ever heard on
that verse. Really, the verse is easily overlooked:
"…For by it the elders obtained a good report." He
took it apart, broke it down, and showed how these men of old got alone with
God, how they checked in to heaven, found the will and mind of God, how they
"got the report," then received the promises, were persuaded of
them, embraced them, and confessed them. It's all there in Hebrews
chapter eleven, verse 13. I just never paid that much attention:
"…These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but
having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and
confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."
"…Neighbor, before I go to my next meeting, I get alone with God and
I seek His will for that meeting. I get the report. I ask Him how many
souls he wants to save, and I seek His will concerning the offering amount. I
pray until I receive his promises. 'God, you're going to save so many
souls this week, and the offering will be so much.' I'm persuaded of
it. I test the spirits. If I can't shake the numbers in my spirit,
I embrace them, and confess them. I write it down, seal it in an envelope, and
mail the report to a friend. If you don't, you'll chicken out. Once you've got
the report, you stand on it, no matter what the circumstances. No matter what
you see, hear, taste, or smell, and declare it so before it's so."
I was sitting there spellbound. This preacher was either crazy or brave,
one of the two. I wasn't sure.
"…Neighbor, the gift of faith is unshakable. Abraham went around
saying he was a daddy before he was a daddy for years! He got the report. He
declared those things that be not as though they were-and then they were.
Elijah didn't just run outside and stop the rain. He got the report first,
found out what the will of God was, then acted. Now, the Devil will tell you,
you're a fool. But that's a pretty good sign you're on the right track. You're
out there now, if God doesn't come through, you're a fool and He's a liar. And
that's where the Lord wants us. God put you on the spot. Now you can put Him
on the spot. If God doesn't come through, you're sunk. But neighbor, that's
where you need to be, for Jesus gets all the glory. And God won't move on your
behalf unless His son gets the glory."
It was beginning to make sense. But it sounded a little scary.
Once I had got the report, once I had received the promise in my spirit
(God will do so 'n' so), and once I was persuaded it was the Spirit of God (I
couldn't shake it), then I was to embrace the promise, and confess it so
before it's so. And it's never so until I confess it's so. Wow. That's a
new life. And that makes Christianity serious business. As brother
Manley said, "…getting the report and acting on it is what turns this
book into a reality, and that’s what’s needed today."
Well…
I went away from the meeting that week a changed Christian. I was
about to get on a spiritual roller coaster. Brother Beasley warned us,
"the Devil will test you." He told how he had believed God for
a certain offering amount. The offering was taken and after the service, was
given to him. He counted it and was $23 short. He went on to his
next meeting. Within the next few days, he got a letter in the mail with
a $23 check in it. The check had slipped out of the offering plate, fell
down on to the floor, and was overlooked. The janitor discovered it when
he was sweeping. "The money was there all the time," said
Brother Manley. "And I didn't need the $23. But the Devil was
testing me."
My first real test was around the corner.
I was attending classes at William Jewell College during the day, and
hurrying home to get to the revival services in the evenings. I sure had
difficulty concentrating on my studies that week. While driving back and forth
in my '38 Chevy, I would think on Brother Manley's messages. Something
was happening. The third day into the week's services, the Holy Spirit
spoke, "…I want you to give all your money to Brother
Manley..." Brothers and sisters, that was over 30 years
ago. I remember it as though it were yesterday. To this day I know the
exact spot where the Holy Spirit spoke. I was driving across the
Missouri River Bridge, headed into Liberty, Missouri. I never drive
across that bridge but that I don't remember those words.
"…I want you to give all your money to Brother Manley."
I was really wrestling with that. I wanted to believe God. I wanted
to believe what Brother Manley was preaching. But all of it?! All
of my money?! I couldn't shake it. I did what Brother
Beasley said. I tested the spirits. By the end of the week, I was in a
tizzy. I had been on a spiritual roller coaster. This was all so
new. I felt like I had to obey the Spirit of God.
I must say--what made it so difficult was, it wasn't even my money!
Well, it was mine, but the insurance company had just settled a hospital claim
and had given me $600 to pay off my hospital bill. I had the money in
the bank, but I owed $600. And the Lord wanted it.
I wrestled with the Lord, "…Lord, the money's to pay my hospital
bill."
I couldn't shake it. The Lord wanted me to give all my money to Brother
Beasley. With fear and trembling, I went to the bank, drew out every
penny I had, and waited for this evening's service. I sat there during
the song service with every dime to my name in my pockets. Finally, the
offering plate was passed. I had told a friend of mine, Don Spaulding,
that afternoon what I was going to do so I wouldn't back out.
"…Don, God has asked me to give every penny I have to this preacher.
And tonight I'm going to obey Him." Don responded, "…well, I
got to see this." He came and sat in the service with his
girlfriend, Charlotte. Don was looking at me; I was looking at
him. And with much trepidation, I dropped the envelope in the offering
plate.
The preacher was right. I felt like a fool. In the natural,
that is. My mind was playing tricks on me. "You've done it
now." But strangely, I had great peace on the inside, even though I
didn't have gas money to get to school the next morning. No one at
church knew what I had done. I didn't want anyone feeling sorry for me and
helping me in the flesh. I had to know this was of God. I was out on the
limb now, really out on the limb. I had given my insurance money to this
evangelist. God had to come through.
A month goes by and I start receiving notices from the hospital that my
bill was due. Another month goes by. And another. I'm getting
really nervous. I don't have the money. And I tell the Lord, "…Lord,
I really need $600."
Finally, the hospital wants their money. The notices keep getting
nastier. You know how that is. I've got to do something. And I'm down in
the dumps. Here I trusted God and now look at me. I'm about to get
sued!
I don't know what to do. Out of desperation, I remember Uncle Bob.
Uncle Bob is my "rich uncle." Maybe I can sell Uncle Bob my
'38 Chevy for $600. I had fixed it up, painted it metallic blue, put
white & blue pleated leather seat covers in it, a blue shag carpet on the
floor, with white leather door panels and a white leather ceiling--and a blue
light. It was definitely worth $600. Uncle Bob lived about 200
miles away. One weekend I drove down, praying most of the way.
I pull up in Uncle Bob's driveway. He's out in the garage and notices
me. I see him walking toward my '38 Chevy. And I'm praying, "…O,
Lord, please let him notice it."
He shakes my hand, tells me how good it is to see me, and then points to
the house, "…go inside and say hello to your grandma. She'll be
glad to see you." He didn't say a word about the car.
We visit awhile, then Uncle Bob says, "…Nephew, come with
me." We get in his Jeep. "…I've never showed you our
farm." While driving me around his 150-acre farm on the way back to
the house, we come upon a '51 Chevy parked in the barn.
"…Uncle Bob, is that yours?" He nods.
"…It took me two years talking my neighbor out of it. It only has
41,000 miles on it. He only drove it to town and back. I just bought it
from him."
We pull up next to it and get out of the Jeep. Uncle Bob opens one of the
doors. It slams like new. Sure enough, the car is in mint condition.
"…Here, take the keys and drive it. We've got to go get some
ice cream."
I took the keys and drove it to the Dairy Queen. On the way back, Uncle Bob
begins talking.
"…Nephew, I've never done anything for you. I want to give you
this car."
I can't believe what I'm hearing. Here I am at Uncle Bob's to sell
him mine and he's giving me his! I didn't know what to say. Just to be nice (I
had to say something) I said, "…Uncle Bob, you can't do that. It
took you two years to buy this car from your neighbor."
"…No. I've made up my mind. Let's go back to the house and
fill out the papers."
We did. We went back to the house, filled out the papers, I drove my '38
Chevy back home, caught the train and drove my '51 Chevy back to the
house. Now I have two cars. A couple days later, the phone rings.
It's Joe Hoover, a friend.
"…Lynn, I'm going down right now to pick up a new car. The
Lord has laid it on my heart to give you my car. I'll be right over."
I can't believe it. Joe gives me his '55 Oldsmobile. Now I
have three cars. I sell one. Give one away. And keep
one. And you guessed it--I have exactly $600 to pay off my hospital
bill. I learned a valuable lesson. It's not for me to say how
or when the Lord will accomplish what He sets out to do. I never
would have paid off a hospital bill that way! But it's none of my
business. It's my business simply to believe Him. The Lord wanted me to
trust Him no matter what. Especially when circumstances look like they've
turned against me. When we're walking by faith, we can't trust our
circumstances. They lie.
I'm glad I learned that lesson early, for I would need to rely on it later
again and again.
