Dear Rev. Banks: Go on with your bad self, Preacherman! I needed EVERY word you wrote to confirm what God has already been saying to me in the Spirit. I won't go into the details, but I too have recently made a decision to stop letting the devil and his minions walk all over me because I'd "forgotten" who I am and Whose I am. I could just hear your booming voice from the pulpit and see you striding back and forth from one end to the other, while the faithful and not as faithful marveled at your strength and energy. Witnessing the power of God through His people is an amazing blessing! I know you're receiving a lot of comments from many readers, but I want you to know that although I haven't written lately, I have not missed reading your blog entries. Up until now I was so "caught up" that I didn't know what to write. So many scriptures and words of encouragement whirled through my head that I wasn't sure if it was for you or for me or for others that I've been keeping in my heart and in prayer. How does one "preach to the Preacher"? Before I start rambling, I do want to share one thing that I know that you already know. THIS EARTH IS NOT OUR REAL HOME! I used to think that I will understand everything that's happened to me on this earth when I get home to heaven, but I've realized that it won't matter then. Why then should I try to understand it while I'm here on earth? All this earth is then is preparation for when we get to our real home. How will we really be able to appreciate heaven and praise God as we most certainly will, if we have nothing to compare the glory experience against? I know that all the saints will meet one another there someday, sooner than we think. Isn't it wonderful to know that there it won't matter what we've been through individually on earth? All that will matter is that we made it through by the grace of God! Just so you know, early on in the experience of my husband's recovery from stroke, it was prophesied to me that I'd put three petitions before the throne of God: 1) my husband would come to church 2) he would rededicated his life to the Lord and 3) he would be healed. The prophet (for the skeptical-this prophet passed all tests prescribed by the Bible) correctly communicated that God had answered 2 of those petitions because my husband was with me in the church that day, and had previously given his life back to the Lord. The prophet said that the third petition, healing, would also be answered. Being the impatient human I am, I began to lose a little faith, asking God "When?" after too much time, in my opinion, had passed. Daddy God, being the patient and indulgent Father that He is, sent the Holy Spirit to me in a dream several months later. I was standing outside an exam room in a hospital emergency room, watching the doctors and nurses working on my husband, a scene I'd experienced many times before. A man walked around the corner, stopped in front of me and said, "If he's not healed on this side, he will be healed in glory." It took me a while to understand that dream, but when I did I knew that man was Jesus. That was 8 years ago and we are still waiting on God and will continue to wait. Whenever I get a little impatient or discouraged, the Holy Spirit brings that remembrance back to me and I am encouraged. Who wouldn't be if Jesus Himself came to speak to them? Remember the song "It is no Secret"? Well, I share that story with you because "What He's done for others, He'll do for you". Be encouraged, Rev. Banks.

BANKS' RESPONSE: Thanks for your encouragement, Marie. Thanks for

reading my blog and for continuing to inspire us all with your testimonies. You are

charged to tell it wherever you go. Praise the Lord with gratitude and testimony.

Satan wants us to keep quiet. But as each blessing of God brightens our life, it

also intensifies our light. And as the light of the world, we are charged to let our

light so shine before men that they ultimately glorify our Father which art in

heaven. We are walking and living testimonies about the goodness of God. And

as His disciples, we are to let the world know that He still in in the blessing

business. Inpatience is another enemy of our faith and stumbling block to us being

blessed more. We can't wait. We get too anxious and jump the gun and decide to

put others before God. We can't wait. So we give up, give out and give in. We

forfeit the victories that are there for us to claim if we will but wait. One big mistake

we often make in waiting is that we don't wait the right way. We wait idly. We wait

guessing and just hoping, rather than wait aggressively believing and claiming and

thanking God in advance. While we wait, we must continue to pray and praise. We

must to continue to work the works of Him who sent us while it is day. We should

wait with concrete commitment. We must wait knowing that it is not a matter of

if, but a matter of when and where and how, which are all God's private property.

Our job is to pray. His job is to answer prayers. Our job is to get sick. His job is to

heal us. Our job is to ask, seek and knock and His job is to make sure that we get,

find and have doors opened before us. And as redeemed of the Lord, Marie, ain't

no doubt about it. We are in a win-win situation. Thank you, Jesus!!!

Alright Preacher! The Devil is a LIE! Fly Eagle, fly! Still in prayer.

BANKS' RESPONSE: Yeah, Gwen, I feel like I'm sprouting wings and I feel like

flying high above the fray. Even more, sometimes I feel like flying away to be at

home. The devil indeed is a lit and we know him for who he is. He was the liar and

a murderer and even the father of lies from the foundation of the world. We was a

false accuser of the brethren. So the first step to our victory is to know who Jesus

is and who the devil is. They are not the same. Far from it. They are exact

opposites. That's why we have to choose whom we shall serve. We can't serve

both. Know Jesus for the Truth He is. Know the devil for the lie that he is. That's

why the ungodly are not so. But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

That's also why the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement nor sinners in the

congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the ways of the righteous. But

the ways of the ungodlay shall perish.

My, My! It's a fired-up preacher who starts on a Friday and is still preaching on a Sunday morning. To your message of faith over doubt, allow me to add: Amen!

I have said before that you and I have different beliefs regarding the nature of God, but we are in total agreement about faith over doubt. You must live according to your faith, otherwise I don't know whose life you'd be leading, but it wouldn't be yours.

I have collected many seeds of wisdom over the years and I wanted to offer a couple to you, Lacy, that you might tuck them into a corner of that healthy brain of yours and let them grow. Maybe they'll help keep doubt of there:

"Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark." -Rabindranath Tagore

"I paint not by sight, but by faith. Faith gives you sight." - Amos Ferguson (Sound familiar?)

and finally:

"Everything that happens to you is your teacher. The secret is to learn to sit at the feet of your life and be taught by it. Everything that happens is either a blessing which is also a lesson, or a lesson which is also a blessing." - Polly Berrien Berends.

See, you're such a powerful preacher, you've got me doing it!!

I join with all others in praying for a magnificent outcome for you.

BANKS' RESPONSE: Aahhhhhh, the Power of words. Yes, John, you got

the Power, my brother. The power to pierce through the poison of doubt so that it

won't stagnate and stop you. the Power to peer into the future and see the fruits

of faith yield rich harvest. The Power to pound perils into pearls. The Power to

crystalize chaos into cosmos. The power to prevail over any adversity in the name

of Jesus and by the grace of almighty God. After his triumphant resurrection, Jesus

commanded through some women evangelists that they go His disciples to meet

Him Jerusalem so that they could receive Power. And when they did gather in the

upper room, the Holy Ghost--can I hear some saint holler "Holy Ghost!"--yeah, the

Holy Ghost, the third member of the trinity, somehow came into the room without

anybody having to open any doors or any windows. He came into the room and

then he got all inside the 120 saints, who were praising God in that upper room.

And you talk about "uppers," John, you talking about pep pills, or performance-

enhancing this and that. Well, the Holy Ghost was all this and all that and some

more. And when He got finish giving them Power from on high, they got high and

starting speaking in other tongues. Tongues that they had not learned at any

Berlitz school before this happened long, long before Berlitz. It was one grand

university of diversity and a united nations of unanimity where the Germans heard

testimonies in German, the French got theirs in French, the Italians got their in

Italian, the Russians got theirs in Russian, the Japanese got theirs in Japanese,

the Chinese got theirs in Chinese. Somebody suggested that these saints were

drunk off some strange wine. Well, they were drunk. But they weren't drunk off

some old wine. Rather, they were drunk off the New Wine fro the True Vine that

is Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!!! And every now and then, John Powers, the Holy

Ghost makes me feel high when I have every reason to feel low. He makes me

feel glad when I have every reason to feel sad. That's why why I am sad, to Him

I go. For no other one can cheer me so. When I am sad, Jesus makes me glad.

He's my friend. And oh what a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and grief to

bear. And a privilege--I said what a privilege--it is to carry everything to God in

prayer.

Thank you, Lacy, for being such an inspiration. You make my day brighter and always remind me of the greatness of our God. Thanks for the gift you are giving so many of us.

BANKS' RESPONSE: To know of the shere, supreme greatness of our God,

His very omnipotence, Ellen, is a gift indeed. But the benefactor is not me. He is the

Holy Ghost. I, like you, am simply another beneficiary. When Simon Barjona defied

errant public opinion of Jesus' true and said, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the

living God," Jesus said, "Blessed art thou Simon Barjona. For flesh and blood hath

not revealed this unto you, but my father in heaven. And I say unto thee that thou

art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not

prevail against it." Even Peter as a disciple could not declare on his own that Jesus

is Jesus. He had to have help fro heaven. The Lord reveal it unto Peter through

the Holy Ghost, the indwelling oneness of the Godhead. Thank God for sharing

with us the I Am that He is.

Hi Mr. Banks,

I have been reading your blog for some time now. I just never left a comment before. I must tell you how much I admire your trust in the Lord. I love reading your blogs and reading how strong you are! This one is my favorite! I am so happy you put Satan in his place!

I will pray for the Lord to heal you! After reading your blogs I have learned that you have an amazing family, you need to be here with them! I am a firm believer in God does not give us anything we can not handle. God will get you and your family through this hard time in your life. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

God Bless!

Your sister in Christ,
Shawna

BANKS' RESPONSE: Thank you, Shawna, my dear sister in Christ. You have

comforted me greatly by continuing to read my blog and for finally e-mailing your

encouragement. Thank you for increasing my strength in God through your prayers

and through your expressed confidence in my divine calling. I pray that God

blesses you richly for your kindness. I pray that His countenance shine upon you

more and more and give you peace, indeed that perfect peace from the Prince of

Peace, that peace that passes all understanding. I pray that God be ever merciful

unto you and grant you the desires of your heart.

My, my,my it was by 'accident' that I clicked on this but once I began to read it was every word I needed and much more...thank you my brothter in Christ! So many times we forget about the almighty God we serve and the loving Son that He sent to die on the cross for me, you and even those that despise Him!

Whew, I needed that word!
Bless you in Jesus name. I will be praying for you!

Thank you Lord!
Hallelujah!

BANKS' RESPONSE: Walk tall through it all, Steph. Walk on by faith each

day. Walk loud and proud knowing that you have the victory through Christ Jesus.

Walk with the blessed assurance that you can do all things through Christ Jesus,

who strengthens us.
Mmm, mmm, mmm!

Hi Mr. Banks,

I have never left an entry on your page, but I have been following your blog for about 3 months now. I happened to "stumble" upon it one day & tears flooded my eyes from the encouragement that came from reading your words. You truly are an inspiration to anyone who has read our entries. I have been going through my own personal issues with doubt & I know that if I lean and call on Him that everything will work out according to His will. I pray that God continues to strengthen us all on our individual journies.

God Bless You :)

BANKS' RESPONSE: There is an old Negro spiritual that we used to sing,

thank you Jesus! I first heard a recording of Marian Anderson singing it, Marie, and

it set my heart on fire. The words of this song go: "On ma journey now, Mount

Zion. Ma journey now, Mount Zion. Well, I wouldn't take nothing, Mount Zion, for

my journey now, Mount Zion." Whilst on our respective life journeys, Marie, we

can often encounter diverse adversity. Yes, Marie, you see, into each life, some

rain must fall. And often, Marie, when it rains, it pours. If it ain't one thing, it's

another. Every child of God has to cry sometime. But thank God for Jesus. He

promised never to leave us, never to leave us alone. So I don't what adversities

may be occasioning you right now. But I've come to tell you to be encouraged. God

has not abandoned you and he has not abandoned me. Sometimes He has to

try us in the furnace of affliction. Sometimes, we may have to wait all nightlong.

But be encouraged, God is not through with us yet. He is still working on you and

me. He is still working to perfect us. And when God gets through, we shall come

forth not just as pure gold. But in due season, I said due season, we shall even

come forth as divine diamonds. Remember that diamonds are the result of carbon

or, for example, coal, compressed under extreme pressures deep into the bowels

of the earth, pressed and pressed and pressed and pressed so much so until

black coal is transformed or metamorphosed into clear, crystalized diamonds. So,

Marie, we welcomed the pressures that God allows to thunder down on you and

on me. We welcomed the woes that we must suffer in this world for Jesus' sake.

For in the worlds to come, in the new heaven and the new earth that are headed

our way, we shall be changed from mortal matter to divine diamonds. Bless the

name of Jesus, Marie. And God bless real, real good. Keep on believing in Jesus.

Keep on praying, Marie. God bless you real, real good.

I am singing "Long as I got King Jesus" Long as I got King Jesus. Long, Long as I got him. I don't need nobody else". Preach Rev. Banks preach. If you can still have joy and peace in the face of your storm because of your faith. Why can't I? My storms are small and I am oh of little faith right now. I want to be stronger in my faith and you give me that hope. I am going to lay on face and pray. I am going to P.U.S.H. I am going to pray until sometime happens. And when I get up I am going to release this storm. I am going to let my God handle it. Thank you for renewing my faith. Now it is up to me to strenghten it. Thank you for sharing you life. Sharing your struggle. It is truly inspiring and heartbreaking. But I love you blogs. God Bless and be well.

BANKS' RESPONSE: God bless you Cheryl and you are exactly right about

Christ. He suffices. His grace, for example, is sufficient to supply all of our needs

according to His riches in glory. He suffices because all power is given unto Him in

heaven, in earth and all under the earth. He suffices because He hears and

answers prayers. He suffices because whatever we dare ask for in His name, God

will grant it. He suffices. And because He suffices, we shall not want. Because He

suffices, we are more than conquerers through Christ Jesus. Because He suffices,

yea though we walk through the valley of the shadow on death, we don't have to

fear any evil because God is with us and His rod and staff comfort us.

I tried to leave you an email before but it wouldn't go through.
I pray you receive this.

Yes devil you are a liar. You are the father of lies, and we don't believe anything you try to come aginst us with.
Lacy Banks is a child of the most High God.
He is redeemed and we decree that no weapon formed against him shall prosper and any tongue that rises up against him in judgement shall be condemned.
Father God you said in your word that You are not a respecter of persons.
So many others have received their healing, that we anticipate and wait on the manifestation of Lacy's healing.
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and cried out before You and You restored him to life.
We thank you Father God in advance for Lacy's new and improvedness.
Mr. Banks they told you 8 months left.
Well in essence they were correct.
7 is God's perfect number. It is completed. This thing will be over.
8 means new beginnings. And we decree just that.
New health, Newness of life. Another place in Christ. Another level in ministry. Greater annointing power.
A New and improved you. Dance for joy. Then stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.
Father we await the latter rain, and know that Mr. Banks best years have not come to pass yet.
You(Lord God) said eye that not seen, ear hath not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man (us) those things which the Lord has for us that love You (Jesus).
We choose to:
Worship
Aanticipate
In
Thee
And we do so with joy and thanksgiving. Because Father God you have been so good to us.
In Jesus name, praying and interceding on your behalf-Li

BANKS' RESPONSE: Thank you, Li, for your fervent intercessory prayer. This

is what makes being a member of the heavenly family on earth so wonderful. We

network in the spirit of the living God. We reach out to touch and help each other in

time of need. We share and we care. This is Christ in action. This is Christ in us.

Isn't it so wonderful that the Lord has chosen earthen vessels like us to save and

thus give us cause to present our bodies as living sacrifices in praise and

thanksgiving to Him? I rejoice even more so now in His grace and mercy. But for

those priceless blessings of His grace and mercy, we are all wretches doomed and

undone. That He so loved us to send His only begotten Son is beyond human

comprehension. But we are glad that He did. So we dare not forsake so great a

salvation. We dare not let this harvest past. We dare not refuse to redeem the

times. We dare not cast out pearls to the swine.

What an encouraging message. As you live, breathe and encourage yourself, you are certainly encouraging others. What a testimony you have because God has already healed you. The manifestation of that just has to come forth!

My family and I are standing and believing and praying for you in your journey.

God Bless you and your family Rev. Banks.

April Robinson

BANKS' RESPONSE: April, I can feel the fire and fervor of your family's

prayers pleading dearly on my behalf. April, please thank every family member

who is holding my name and my needs before the Lord in prayers of faith. The

likes of you are what makes it so nice to be a redeemed child of God. Redeemed

children of God stick together. They care and share. They don't dare abandon

one another in times of need. They close ranks and bear one another's burdens.

We are our sister's keep as well as our brother's keeper. So I pray that God

drape the Robinson household with a rich canopy of His divine grace and mercy.

I pray that He drenches all of you with showers of blessings. Rejoice in the Lord

with me! Will you? Let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Let us raise our voices

in jubilant praise to the rock of our salvation. Let us sing unto the Lord a new song

for He has done great things for us. God bless you all real, real good.

I don't normally read blogs and I honestly can't tell you how I landed on this one. I am positive The Lord led me to this blog today. With that being said, thank you for the boxing gloves and strengthening my faith in the Lord. I forgot I can get GHETTO with the devil. The battle is the Lord's and he is more than a conquerer. I will add you to my prayer list and may God bless you and your family as you go through this trial. Quote for today "All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have
not seen." Emerson

BANKS' RESPONSE: You something, DD? Our God is an awesome God. Our

God is ultra spectacular. It's super incredible the way he drops people like you into

my life. People, who, like you, say they stumbled onto my blog, read it, got

touched at least in some small way, and end up e-mailing me a work of comfort.

Three and four times a week, somebody likes you reads my blog for the first time

and becomes an instant friend and prayer partner. Then you e-mail words that lift

my spirit and strengthens my resolve to stay on the battle field for our Lord. DD, I

pray that God grants you some special blessings for helping my hope. For when

you take the time and energy to do good and help others, God rewards you and in

due season, when you find yourself in a bind as I am in, then he will send

somebody to uplift you as you are uplifting me.

I am moved by your latest post. My Mother took her last breath on earth and her first in heaven on April 23, 2009. She fought the fight and kept the faith but Gabriel's lungs were getting tired from blowing the horn as I believe it was her third call for her. Momma held out until I left Chicago to go home to see her. What I realized and witnessed during those 75 minutes of talking with her as she lay there still yet her left hand wrapped around two of my fingers, was that Satan didn't win as Momma fought back from her coma to let me know that she loved me in a way that only she and I understood. It amazed the doctors and the nurse. They learned something from it.

I haven't been able to sleep much since Momma's departure but I found a peace reading your post. I thank you so much.

Bless You.

BANKS' RESPONSE: God bless you, Barb, for your sharp, eagle-eyed

perception of the supernatural. God bless your mother, whose earthen vessel of

dust has been returned to the dust, from whence it came, and whose spirit has

been laid to rest to await that last trumpet of glory that will signal the rapture,

where our Savior, King Jesus, shall return in the air for a church without a spot or

wrinkle. First, the dead in Christ shall rise. Next, we redeemed who are left on the

earth, shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from flesh to spirit and shall be

caught up to be with Jesus forever and ever more. I rejoice in your testimony of

blessed assurance that we and our redeemed loved ones shall be reunited again

in a land where we'll never grow old. Be encouraged, as I feel you already are, that

earth has no sorrow that heaven can not heal. Be encouraged to know that your

mother has been blessed with a providential promotion instead of suffering a

disastrous demotion.