This is one of those stories that God had already provided before His Spirit revealed around March of 1996 that I was called to write short stories for this generation, and one book as a spin-off to the short stories. When I replied with: “Write! Write what, Lord? I’ve never had a desire to write. Nor do I have anything to write about!” His Spirit revealed: “I have already provided the stories, and I will provide more as you go. All you have to do is record the truth as the Spirit brings them to your remembrance. And as long as you write and stick to the truth, I will be with you.”
Title: House Fit for a King July 27, 1997
Author: Robert Porter
Having plans to start my own business in the near future, my simple goal was to buy a house that I could also use for that purpose. I dreamt twice of a home; I thought I created the dream, only to discover that this was the Lord’s way of revealing the house He would eventually lead me to. After getting over my initial disappointment in not being able to afford the kind of house I had seen in my dreams, I miraculously ended up with a seven-year-old house, completely refurbished, that matched those dreams to a tee. I also spent a lot of time in public parks praying in the Spirit, and with the bonus of a backyard very much like a park, I cannot help but believe my Lord provided my own secret garden to commune with Him. For what I could afford, the Lord led me to a small yet elegant …House Fit for a King.
The year was 1994. Things on the job were going well for a change, and I had just spent a wonderful vacation during the month of September touring New York and Montreal, Canada. Now it was time to fulfill my goal to buy a house before the year was out. Other than getting my credit in order and saving money, I didn’t put much planning into buying a home. As a result, I was feeling sick to my stomach when I realized I couldn’t afford that beautiful home I had seen in my dreams. So I began to blame God for the house I couldn’t afford. It seemed a cruel joke to give me a vision of a beautiful home He knew I could never afford. Even though it was only a dream, leave it to me to blame God for my shortcomings…I didn’t do my homework.
So I decided to abandon my dream to buy a house and just buy a condominium for now. It seemed only logical in light of my situation. “At least now I can have a bachelor’s pad,” I tried to cheer myself, “with modern amenities.” This is how I met my real estate agent, Bernice Saunders of Saunders reality, responding to a condo I noticed for sale in my neighborhood. I liked the sophisticated style of the unit and wanted to look further. So I called Bernice.
One of my priorities was to find a place that offered privacy to pray in the Spirit. When I pray in the Spirit, it can get embarrassing when that Voice from the Spirit comes out of me. Someone hearing and not understanding what’s happening usually looks at me as if I’m a Martian who just landed here from Mars. For the Voice is Mighty and I have no control over it. That’s why I needed space away from others to pray in the Spirit. While this condo was an end unit, it still offered very little privacy for this purpose. I decided to buy it anyway.
Bernice accepted my application and agreed to work with my credit union, which I wanted to use for financing. The only thing I had to do now was just wait for a closing date. But there was a problem in approving the loan for that particular property. My credit union said they “liked my application, but the condominium’s home owners’ association was not approved for VA financing.” They thought it was strange, since they rarely had one not approved. They were willing to give me until February of 1995 to find a suitable property at the approved rate of interest. So I figured maybe this was omen for me to get a house, just as the Lord had suggested many years ago.
The new and used houses Bernice showed me that I could afford were less than appealing. They had no character, and were not even close to what I had seen in my dreams. And then I managed to find another condominium that was much nicer than the first. It had been completely refurbished and its style was more masculine than the other. Now I was making myself believe this was an omen. This is where God wants me to be, I made myself believe. And since I couldn’t afford my dream home, it seemed to make sense to buy a condo.
This home owners’ association was on the approved list, but the owner wanted a couple of thousand more than the loan amount that had already been approved. I’m sure my credit union would have approved the additional amount, but I felt the home owner’s association was bluffing when they said someone else had offered them more. Why would they even bother to entertain me if that was the case? I believed. So when I called their bluff, I found out they were not bluffing, and they took the other offer.
Now I was stuck with nothing, or so I thought. My feelings were hurt and I started pouting like a child. I also realized I wasn’t going to make my deadline of buying a house before the year was out. So I stopped looking during the Christmas holidays and abandoned the idea of ever buying a house. I felt like a failure in not fulfilling my goal. I was one sad sack. My white Christmas had turned black.
During the first week of January in 1995, I was communing in the Spirit when the Lord asked, “Why are you blaming Me for the house you can’t afford? Was it not your responsibility to determine what kind of house you could afford, even long before you started looking?” My heart was touched, and I repented by telling Him how sorry I was. Then I asked the Lord, “What should I do? For I don’t know anything about buying a house.”
The Spirit of the Lord both asked and replied, “What’s the worst that can happen? You stay where you are. But since the agent has your earnest money (a $500 retainer), you may as well continue looking.” I responded: “But how will I know, Lord, when it’s the right house?” His Spirit revealed, “You will know when you get that little oomph in the pit of your stomach. The same one you got when you found the car you were looking for to convert into a taxi.” The Spirit of the Lord had given me something to think about.
I remembered that exhausting search, looking for the right car. I was going through my divorce, had sold my compact car in order to buy a station wagon to convert into a taxi. People would lie about the condition of the vehicles on the phone. Once I got there, I would see the whole side caved in, or that it ran like a truck, or that the interior was shredded from dog claws. When I finally found one that matched my vision, I got that little “oomph” in the pit of my stomach the second I saw it. Here I had been thinking it was just a fluke, the results of my own patient search for the right vehicle. I didn’t have a clue that my heart (angel) had a hand in it. Acting as a hand of the Lord, she was telling me with the “oomph” that this was the one.
Bernice called shortly after this with cheer in her voice saying, “I got a new listing for you.” I should have known it was the Lord performing His magic after I repented. This is how He has always worked in my life. I said to her, “You must have known I didn’t want to be bothered. Is that why you haven’t called in weeks?” She said, “Yes, I figured you needed some time.” I said “Yeah, right, you were probably just busy enjoying the holidays.” Of course, I was just teasing her, for I liked and respected her as a person.
But I could tell my agent had become frustrated once when she said I was “picky.” She knew she was wrong when she said it, but I knew she didn’t mean it the way it came out. I still trusted her, for we had developed a trusting relationship centered around buying a house. I was grateful when she steered me away from many undesirables, and pointed out flaws I didn’t see in many I had my heart set on. She was even patient when showing me some of the houses I managed to find on my own, knowing they were not good leads. I believe she became frustrated because I didn’t like the ones she thought were great deals.
I was also impressed with her compassion while showing me one I managed to find. The owner of the house had muscular dystrophy and the house was a total mess. Every room was filthy, it didn’t have central air, the one bathroom was in disrepair, and there was nasty pink wallpaper in the kitchen that needed to be replaced. It had a tiny backyard and was not in a great neighborhood. “If I buy this,” I thought, “I will really have to do a lot of work.” But before we left, Bernice impressed me when she made an offer to the owner to come over and help clean up the house.
Back in the car, she shared with me that she felt sorry for the owner and wasn’t trying to take her away from the other agency, and could not imagine why the owner’s agent did not try to help make the house more presentable. I was thinking that maybe I should buy the house to help the owner out also. Especially since my main goal was to buy a house to use for business purposes. And since the price was almost twenty-five thousand less than my approved loan, I would save some money, and could use it as a starter home for something better later on. Just that quick, I had forgotten about the “oomph” the Lord said I would get for the right one.
But unfortunately for that lady, we went back to get a better look at the new listing Bernice had called me about. We went the first time late Thursday night, but the electronic lock box would not let us in. So we agreed to go back during the day on Saturday to get a better look. From what I could see in the dark, the makeup of the house on the outside had plenty of character. But it also had a big backyard with a hill, and I couldn’t see myself cutting all that grass.
Aside from that big backyard, I wasn’t that thrilled about going back for a better look, because I didn’t think the owner would drop the price any lower. He had already gone from $70,000 to $65,000, and my loan had been approved for 62,500. Just looking at the description of the house on paper, I just didn’t believe he would go any lower. Since my budget was tight, I didn’t cherish the idea of paying more. I only went back to get a better look because I promised Bernice I would.
That Saturday morning, while driving into the subdivision, I was thinking to myself, “Nice neighborhood.” Bernice said out loud, “I can live in a neighborhood like this.” At least we’re on the same page for once, I thought.
Arriving at the house, I went to the backyard first. The house was in a wooded subdivision with plenty of trees and a little stream that ran behind the property. Since it was winter, most of the trees and foliage were bare, which meant not much privacy from the neighbors on the other side of the stream. But even for January, it was still beautiful.
Even though the hill in the backyard leveled off nicely at the bottom, I still couldn’t get the idea of cutting all that grass out of my mind. Bernice walked up beside me and suggested, “You can really do a lot with a big yard like this, you know. If you have a big family, and you like to cook out, you can always put some picnic tables back here and have a family outing,” I thought to myself in return, “Yeah, right, you’re just trying to sell a house.”
We went next to take a look inside. I couldn’t believe my eyes when she opened the front door and I stepped inside. Not only did I get that little “oomph,” but there was the vaulted ceiling and the breakfast bar, exactly as I had seen it in both of my dreams. “This is it!” I shouted with glee, “we don’t have to look any further. This is the one.” I’m sure Bernice was happy, but she said, “Don’t you want to look at the rest of it?” I said “Sure, we can look at it, but it’s not going to matter, because I know this is the one.” I didn’t tell her how I knew, because I didn’t think she would understand. Heck, I didn’t even understand.
As we continued to look through the rest of the house, I was amazed it had the walk-in closets and a glass-enclosed shower stall in the bathroom of the master bedroom exactly as I had seen it in my visions. It seemed as if my dream had come true. It wasn’t until I wished I had dreamt of a sunken bath tub that the Lord pointed out it was not me putting the dream in my mind, but one of His spirits. How vain can you get? Before the Lord pointed this out to me, I thought I had willed this house up by just believing I could have it. I didn’t understand how God used spirits to bring gifts into our lives.
Trying to contain my excitement, I asked Bernice when we were back in the car, “How much do you think he (the owner) will want for the house?” She said, “$62,500.” I thought, yeah right! But at least she had hope. I was on pins and needles right up until the moment Bernice called me back. It was Monday afternoon, right before I was leaving work, and she said, “Congratulations! He accepted your offer of $62,500. You’re going to be a new homeowner.” She went on to say how happy she was for me, and that she would call back later with a closing date. It was commission time for her, and she sounded as excited as I was.
Seated in the waiting area of the law office waiting to begin the closing, I looked at this guy sitting across from me and said, “You’re the seller of the house I’m buying, aren’t you?” When he confirmed that he was, I said, “I’m still going to buy the house, so you can tell me if there’s anything wrong with it.” He gave it serious thought before responding with a genuine sweet Southern drawl, “There’s nothing I can think of wrong with the house. I have a new house in Henry County closer to my job, and I have been paying the mortgage on two houses for the last year. When I heard your loan had already been approved, I didn’t want to take a chance and mess with it.” In my heart, I was grateful this John Boy-looking creature had accepted my offer.
He went on to explain how, while the house was only seven years old, he had rented it out for a year to a group of people who had trashed it. They also happened to be professional house painters, so he got them to paint the inside and out before leaving. He then installed plush new carpeting and followed his realtor’s advice not to rent it out again. They thought it would be easier to sell if it was left vacant. On top of that, he allowed the built-in microwave, stove, refrigerator, and ceiling fans to stay. Even the drapes happened to match my new furniture. Plus, each room had already been wired for cable, and the cable company allowed me to keep Showtime free of charge. I couldn’t believe it: I had an energy-efficient dream home that was only seven years old, for the price of a condominium.
The Lord was blessing me and I was trying to curse this blessing with my vanity. Because I drove a taxi, it was obvious that, with a taxi parked in my driveway, I was concerned about how my neighbors would react to me. Plus, I didn’t know anything about this area of town called Jonesboro where my house was located, other than the fact the author, Margaret Mitchell, who wrote Gone With the Wind was from here. As a black man, I wondered how my neighbors felt about blacks, and spent the first few weeks peeping out my windows, wondering how I would be accepted, being both black and a cabdriver. Not only was I accepted, my neighbors turned out to be wonderful. So I finally accepted my blessing and place in my new community.
It wasn’t until almost two months later, however, that I truly realized what the Lord had done. I had just finished cutting the grass for the first time and was standing back to admire my handiwork. While admiring the beauty of it all, my mind began to drift into a trance.
It was the beginning of spring, and everything in my backyard was in full bloom: My one peach tree, three apple trees, the oak and pine trees were all blooming in perfect harmony. Not only did I have privacy now from most of my neighbors with everything in bloom, I had animals..a variety of beautiful birds, squirrels and rabbits that would come and play in my yard on occasion…and that I didn’t have to worry about taking care of. And when the trees began to bear fruit, the animals had plenty of food to eat. This was God’s way of taking care of His creation.
While still in a trance and taking in how my neighbor’s big backyard stretched into mine, with the tall lumbering pine trees in the background making a frame, it was as if I was in the midst of a big beautiful park. I couldn’t believe it was real. So when the thought just drifted into my mind: God, this looks just like a park, I suddenly realized that my Lord had given me my own secret garden in which to commune with Him…with a house fit for a king.
While still lost in my trance, my heart (angel) took me back to a time when I was living in my last apartment. She reminded me of that Friday night when I came home to find the apartment flooded. I had had many water problems before: every time the main water line had a problem, it affected my apartment. It became a natural event for me to wake up in the morning and hear that dreaded sloshing sound when my feet touched the floor. It was usually confined to the bathroom and bedrooms, but this time my feet went slosh when I first entered the living room of my apartment.
My unit was on the bottom floor and, apparently, the leak came from a busted pipe upstairs. And since there was no one home to detect it, my place was totally drenched by nine p.m. when I arrived home. Water was on the kitchen floor. My stomach churned when I looked into my daughter’s room and saw the ceiling had burst from the water and her bed was totally soaked. And it was even worse in my room. Not only had the ceiling burst and soaked my bed, but the wall was so wet it couldn’t support the nails holding the curtain rod, and the curtains had fallen to the floor. There were worms crawling up the walls, and water lying in puddles all around my bedroom.
When the answering service answered for the rent office, I told the lady what had happened, and she thought it was funny. I gave her a piece of my mind and she quickly sobered up and realized I was serious, but informed me that there was nothing they could do for the night. The only dry spot, the sofa, was where I had to sleep, and it wasn’t long enough to support the length of my body. I thought about going to a hotel, but figured why waste money that would not be refunded?
So while I was lying there with my feet in the air, realizing how ridiculous I must have looked, thinking about all the damage that had been done, I started laughing. It was an earnest heartfelt chuckle, and the more I laughed, the better I felt. Realizing there was an advantage in every disadvantage, I tried to find some good out of the whole thing. I began to reason, “This too shall pass. And one day, when I look back on this, I will laugh again.” I made a promise then and there, “When I leave here, I’m not going to take any of this furniture with me. I will buy all new furniture.” Still in my trance, I realized this declaration had also come true. For I gave all my old furniture to the Salvation Army and bought all new stuff. My new house looked like a furniture showroom.
All of this reflection while I was in the trance must have taken some time. But It seemed as if only a few minutes had passed. When I came out of it and realized what the Lord had done for me, I fell on my knees right there in my backyard and started to praise and thank Him. If any of my neighbors saw me at that point, they probably thought I was a weird little man. But I didn’t care. I was grateful my Lord had blessed me once again.
It was many years later, however, before I truly understood how God saw the beginning before the end, how He knew that house was vacant even before I started looking for a house. That’s how His spirit was able to put an accurate vision in my mind on two different occasions while I was sleeping. He could have easily touched the hearts of anyone desiring to buy the house to turn it into a desire not to buy it. Then, to lock me in with what I could afford to pay, He opened my eyes to the condominium that had been literally in my backyard the whole time.
After an exhausting search, the Lord knew I would get frustrated with the whole process, and when the time was right, He put a word in my heart that would lead me to seek His advice. All He had to do was touch the heart of the realtor who sent the new listing to Bernice, after I was ready to follow the advice of my Father that lives in the heavens, and then touch the heart of John Boy the seller to accept my offer, adding no sorrow to it. To have something great like this to happen to me, I just couldn’t understand it overnight.
My simple goal in the beginning was to buy a house I could use for business purposes. The Lord tried to show me the house He had in mind with a vision; I almost spoiled it in not understanding the vision. It seemed like a miracle: I had a seven-year old house, completely refurbished, that matched my initial visions to a tee. And what about that hill? The Lord eventually revealed:
“Every king deserves a house on a hill. For a house on a hill that is full of Light (Holy Spirit) cannot be hid. I have anointed you as a king by this Light. Let your Light so shine that others may see Me in you. And as far as the desires of your heart, I’ve given you a house that’s fit for a king. Small yet elegant…House Fit for a King.”
Read Prayers Work to see what happened to the house.
Elijah Has Come 