Where Faith Meets Reality: A Journey Through Biblical Truth and Personal Awakening

What happens when we discover that everything we've been taught might be distorted truth? This soul-stirring episode takes you on a journey through scripture and personal awakening that will challenge your perception of faith and truth.

Beginning with a powerful reading from John 14, we explore Jesus's definitive statement: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." This cornerstone of Christian faith establishes that knowing Christ is essential to knowing God—a connection that forms the foundation for authentic spiritual growth. As Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father, Christ's response reveals the profound union between Himself and God, reminding us that prayer isn't merely ritual but direct divine communication.

The heart of this episode features a compelling testimony about spiritual awakening that boldly challenges conventional religious understanding. "Everything you have been taught in this life is a lie," asserts our guest, suggesting that worldly systems—from government to organized religion—have often distorted Christ's authentic message. Drawing from Luke 17, we explore how Christ returns "within you," not through external observation, representing an internal transformation where believers begin to see through illusions and align with divine truth. This perspective invites listeners to look beyond institutional Christianity to discover the revolutionary essence of Christ's teachings.

The episode concludes with Frank Shelton's powerful testimony about a seemingly frustrating PayPal customer service call that transformed into a divine appointment for salvation. This remarkable story demonstrates how God orchestrates seemingly random encounters for spiritual purposes, turning our disappointments into His appointments. Have you experienced moments where frustration unexpectedly led to spiritual breakthrough? We'd love to hear your story of how God worked through unlikely circumstances in your life!

Chapters

• 0:00 John 14: The Way and Truth
• 5:05 Awakening to Life's Illusions
• 9:35 The Pro-Life Discussion
• 12:05 Frank Shelton: Light in Darkness
• 14:23 Divine Appointment: PayPal Call Testimony
• 20:35 Salvation Invitation and Closing

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:35

Hey guys, it's B-Rob, it is the Food for Thought Faithcast, and God bless you. We're going to be reading a little bit out of John chapter 14 this morning. I hope you're having a wonderful day. Oh, man, it's a beautiful day out there, I tell you. I tell you, I tell you Lucky to be here, lucky to be alive at this day in time to witness what we are witnessing, the truth. John, chapter 14, five says Thomas said to him Lord, we don't know where we're going, so how can we know the way"?

Speaker 1: 1:18

Jesus answered I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Of course, philip's small mind. In verse 8, he says Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. Wow. So Jesus simply answers in verse 9, don't you know me, philip, even after I have been among you for such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say show us the Father? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you.

Speaker 1: 2:24

I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father living in me who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am the Father and the Father is in me, or at least believe the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, who believes in me will do the works I've been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father and I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the father may be glorified in the son. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it, guys. This is why I say prayer is important. Of course, we have to be vibrating on a spiritual level and we have to be right in our hearts for Christ and the Father. Hopefully that makes sense to you, guys, because John 14, 6 says Jesus said to him I am the way, the truth and the light. So you cannot get to the father without knowing Christ. I hope that makes perfect sense for you.

Speaker 1: 4:07

Well, guys, I'm going to share some clips with you. This next clip was a young lady that was following me on Facebook and she had a nice awakening and we've talked and she is. She did my youngest daughter's senior pictures. I paid her by silver and gold, which is kind of neat. She was really interested in that, so I showed her how to invest in that and, um, she's a good soul. So listen to what she's got to say right here I love you guys. I'll see you soon, I'll be back. Love you. God bless you.

Speaker 2: 4:57

Somebody sent me a message the other day and she said what do we do once we're awake? If you're asking me and I'm saying this with love If you're asking me and I'm saying this with love if you're asking me what you do once you're awake, you're not awake. Awakened is you're waking up to the government corruption. It's not just government corruption. Everything you have been taught in this life, everything is a lie. And I'm not saying this to put fear into you. There's nothing to be afraid of, but you need to see through the illusion of it all. It's like putting on a pair of glasses and once you put them on, you cannot take them off. Everything from religion, the school system, the government, the pharmaceutical industry, everything, everything's a lie.

Speaker 2: 6:03

All these Christians out here hollering about the rapture and the Antichrist and this, and that Religion has twisted Christ's message back and forth. Jesus says in Luke 17, for I do not return with observation, I return within you. And that is what's happening all across this world right now. Christ is returning within us and we are rising and we're speaking the truth. And we are here to flip tables. We're here to flip the system. Everything is upside down.

Speaker 2: 6:43

Second Corinthians 4, 4,. 2 Corinthians 4, 4, to the God of this world. We live in the belly of the beast. This world is the Antichrist. This is man's world. Man has twisted everything. Everything here is a lie. Understand that and you see through the actual illusion of everything. You begin to align, your body begins to change. It is time. That's why I scream healing so loud, because you have to let the old self die to become the new. Because eventually the train tracks it's like two earths splitting the train tracks to the new earth are going to go in a completely different direction from the old earth and we will no longer be associated with those people, the ones that choose to stay there.

Speaker 2: 7:43

And you might think I'm a little loony tune in everything that I'm saying and that is perfect, because I don't belong in this earth, I belong in that one and I'm ready. There are people everywhere speaking the same truths that I'm speaking. And maybe, if I'm the first one that you're hearing and you think this sounds absurd, I promise you start to dig, start to look into everything that I just said. Your food is poison. Your water is poison. Everything they have done to us since we were born was to make sure that we stayed small and that this moment didn't happen.

Speaker 2: 8:25

And in 2020, I woke up, in 2017, but other people 2020, 2021, that was a huge wake-up point. That's when it got out of control and people started to realize. We started to purify our bodies, we started to be mindful of Matthew 6, 22,. If the eye be single, the whole body will be full of light. Your mind's eye, religion goes oh, that's evil, really. Then why did Jesus tell us? Why did Christ tell us, if your eye is single, the whole body is full of light? Purify your minds, purify your bodies.

Speaker 3: 9:19

When does human development begin? It's going to be at conception, so then shouldn't our laws Purify your bodies.

Speaker 4: 9:23

why abortion is going to be the unjustified unaliving.

Speaker 3: 9:26

Well, personally I think murder is wrong. Is pretty intuitive, right?

Speaker 4: 9:29

Yeah, it's intuitive, but you're going to need to tell me why abortion fits within that unjust category.

Speaker 3: 9:32

Okay, because you're your own unique deoxyribonucleic acid at the time of conception. Yes, dna, thank you. If a being is going to get sentience in a couple of weeks, shouldn't you allow that being to continue to develop?

Speaker 4: 9:47

After it's born.

Speaker 3: 9:48

No, no, no in utero.

Speaker 4: 9:49

In utero. No, I don't find it to be morally considerable before sentience.

Speaker 3: 9:54

Oh, got it, so you can eliminate anything, even though it's growing towards sentience. Just, you know, when a baby is born, your mental faculties of a baby are not completely sentient, like, for example, when a baby is five days old. They're only awake like two hours a day. They can't speak, they cannot really reason. In fact, a brain is not fully developed until a boy is 30 years old. So what I'm saying is that the growth of the human being continues all throughout this process. The abortionist argument is that we are going to interfere with that development because of some convenient. It's too hard to raise the human being. We as pro-lifers believe that in the essence of a human being is your value and your worth, and you do not become more human because your IQ is higher or less human or if you have down syndrome. The spectrum does not work that way. You're equally human all the way through.

Speaker 1: 10:39

Amen and God bless pro-life here for sure. Um, I did not believe in murder or the murder of innocent unborn babies. End of story. End of debate. And it's in the Bible. You don't even want to know what God does to people who harm his children. It's also in the Bible that he knew your name before you were born. So, anyway, that's enough on that, guys. The rest of this I'm going to leave you with my buddy, frank Shelton. Some clips, no-transcript, and he's an amazing friend. Love you, frank, love you guys. I'm going to leave you with Frank. Hope you're blessed, hope your week is blessed.

Speaker 5: 11:54

God bless. And you know what politics means. In Latin, polly means many, and ticks are blood-sucking creatures. Can I get an amen? Just kidding, just kidding. No, the Bible says to pray for those in authority, but no, I stepped out by faith, left retirement, 401k, health insurance and I never felt like the sharpest tool in the shed but the Bible said.

Speaker 6: 12:19

He that winneth souls is wise and I want to share this thought with you. God didn't call you to be light, he called you to be light, and light, by its very nature, makes darkness uncomfortable. I like what Denzel Washington said have you ever walked into a room and it just seems like folks are irritated by your presence? He said quote sometimes the anointing in you irritates the demons and them. Hello, you know, god is still in the miracle business. He's still in the soul-saving world and there's only salvation found in Jesus alone. Acts 4.12, under heaven, there's no other name given among men whereby we must be saved.

Speaker 6: 13:11

Happy for my son, andrew, who was just named vice president of the National Honor Society for his 11th grade in school. Praise the Lord, my dear friend, proud of boxing champ, kenzie Morrison. He's 20 wins, one loss, two ties, 18 knockouts. He was baptized this past week in Texas, had the honor to be with Kenzie in Las Vegas when he beat Hasim Rahman Jr for the belt. Kenzie's daddy was two-time world boxing champ and was in Rocky V. He fought Sly in the street.

Speaker 6: 13:37

I love that revival spreading across America and around the world. God bless Kenzie. Kenzie, and yeah, if you haven't listened to the last few podcasts and sermons. You can just go to the podcast, frank Shelton Global. You can go to my YouTube channel and I believe it will bless you. You know, today I just want to share a story with you as I wrap up today's program. It's worth repeating, but it's a story that came to mind Two years ago.

Speaker 6: 14:15

In August we were celebrating my 25th ministry banquet and it was the night before the banquet I got a call from a pastor in North Carolina and he said Frank, I wanted to be with you but this week my wife and I cannot come. But we did want to give you a donation to the ministry. And he said we went to the website, clicked donate and the PayPal thing is not working. Well, my heart dropped, thinking wow, how's that possible? And then ignorance is bliss. And then I remember thinking Lord, how long has that been down? And I called PayPal that night and I was on the phone for about 45 minutes with someone in the Philippines and they said Mr Shelton, no problem, you fill out an order report and two to three business days we'll be able to help you. And I was politely trying to say I don't have two or three business days. The event's tomorrow.

Speaker 6: 15:11

I was just trying to stay cool, not in the flesh, got to live by faith, I got to show respect, even when everything inside you is screaming, and I just politely said hey, I do appreciate your help, but is there a way I could speak to a supervisor? Well, they transferred me about an hour mark. I'm now waiting and the good news is someone from Houston answers the phone. It's the supervisor, I can hear it a little bit more clearly. And she said Frank, I can help you. The catch is I just need you to fill out a report. Two or three business days we'll be able to help resolve your problem. I'm thinking to myself Houston, we have a problem. Number two they're obviously reading from the same script. And number three I'm hoping the supervisor was going to help, but I'm getting the same song and dance.

Speaker 6: 15:59

Everything inside me was screaming, but the Lord said be calm, be patient, stay in the faith, not the flesh. But I whispered a prayer and said God, I need you. And I said ma'am, I said first of all. I said you know, I do appreciate your help and you're saying the same thing that the other person in the Philippines said. But we do have a banquet. We run a nonprofit, we do our best to help others and I got folks that have flown in from 10 states. It's packed, it's tomorrow night and we are also using the PayPal to try to raise money to help more people, to spread the gospel, to fight human trafficking, and I'm just hoping that you can resolve this tonight. And she said, okay, well, give me your full name again. And I said, well, it's Frank Shelton. And then she paused and she said the Frank Shelton and I'm thinking, oh boy.

Speaker 6: 16:51

I said no. I said my dad is Frank Shelton Sr. I got an Uncle Frank. There's a couple Franks, I'm sure there's many other Frank Shelton's. I'm just one of many. And then she paused and she goes are you the Frank Shelton that I've seen preach on television? Now there's a shift on the air, a shift on the phone, and now there's a shift in my heart. I said well, it's quite possible, ma'am, where would you have seen me? She goes well, I've seen you on TV, by faith, preaching on direct TVs on Monday. And then my heart dropped and I said well, ma'am, praise the Lord, that would be me.

Speaker 6: 17:28

Then there's a long pause. Number one I'm so thankful I didn't get irate, I didn't get out of being disrespectful or rude. We represent God, whether people know it or not. People are watching, whether we know it or not. And I hear her crying on the phone and I said are you okay? And she said no, I'm not. And I said, ma'am, what's wrong? And she said well, today was my first day back to work. I believe she said her husband was 36 years old, she had just buried him of a brain tumor, and she said I was driving on my shift to work today and as I'm driving down the highway, she goes. I don't advocate this, but I'm not looking on the road, I'm basically staring at the clouds having an argument with God. And she told me God, I need to know if you're real and I need you to show me by the end of my shift tonight, because I can't take it anymore me by the end of my shift tonight, because I can't take it anymore. And the irony is she goes. I come to work and now I'm on the phone. Out of 8 billion people with the planet, I'm on the phone with the preacher that I've seen on television. She's crying. Now I'm crying. You know it was never about the money, but Billy Graham said if you don't have money, you don't have much of a ministry. And I realize now the PayPal was irrelevant. The person on the line was imperative to try to reach and I said, ma'am, I'm humbled, I can now see God, the whole reason, the devil, what he meant for evil. God meant for harm. The disappointment, the delay, the distraction would look like the dead end. I'm on the phone with PayPal overseas for over an hour. It's that God wanted me to speak directly with you and I said I'm humbled that you've called our program.

Speaker 6: 19:18

I always do my best to point people to Christ and have a prayer of salvation. On rare occasions we don't, but we try to often, more than not. But just because you're watching Christian television doesn't mean you know Christ, I said. I got to ask you a question If you die tonight, do you know for sure you'd be in heaven? She said, frank, I don't know anymore. And I said well, could I have the honor to lead you to Christ right here?

Speaker 6: 19:42

And there was another pause and I felt like I had this fish on the line and I was trying to get her into the boat and she paused and she said well, there's actually five or six of my colleagues staring at me from their cubicle and I'm thinking, oh Lord, the devil's trying to get her off the phone before her coming to faith in Christ. So I'm praying under my breath oh God, help her, get saved. Just speak to her heart, arrest her heart, draw her close to you. May this be the time. And then she said with tears I got to care more what God thinks about me on heaven than my friends on earth think about me. So, yes, let's do it here. And I had the eye on her to lead that woman to Christ.

Speaker 6: 20:19

You know I still believe in miracles. Though millions have come, there's still room for one. There's room at the cross for you and if you're listening today, god is still in the soul, saving business. If you've never trusted Christ, pray this simple prayer Lord Jesus, forgive me of my sins. I'm a sinner. You're the Savior.

Speaker 6: 20:37

I heard that you died for the world, but I realized if it was just me, jesus would left heaven to come to earth to keep me out of hell. Save my soul. When you died on the cross, you just didn't die for the world, you died for me. Your red blood takes away my dark, dirty past and cleanses me like new fallen snow. And on the third day you rose from a grave and you're in heaven, on the right side of the Father. And soon, very soon, you're going to come and collect your own Father when I die or you come back. Take me with you, be my Lord and Savior, Put my name in the reservation of heaven, save my soul and I'm trusting you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, amen. If you prayed that prayer, you've been born again. Email me, frank, at franksheltoncom. I'll send you a free gift and, yes, it's been a wild week. But I'm telling you, with Jesus we have victory, even in valleys.