Sid Roth - God Told Me to Beat the Hell Out of Someone
Now, what would you do if God told you to literally beat the hell out of someone? Find out what my guest did next.
Sid Roth: Rob, you weren't planning on being a prophet at age 22. A prophetic word came to you which literally changed your life.
Robert Sanchez: Man, Sid, I was not looking for God. I could honestly say that God was looking for me, and I was minding my own business. I was attending a very liberal art school called the San Francisco Academy of Arts. I was taking a class called Oral Communications. To be a photographer, you don't have to have a vast vocabulary, and I'll never forget going to this class and thinking this is not me. The teacher, the professor, would make us go up and stand and give oral presentation week after week. This class was 3 hours long. It was a torture to me, and I remember he calls me up to the front of the class, and he says, "Go ahead and give your presentation". Right then, right there, I stumble. I fumble all over my words, and he looks at me and, he goes, "F, go sit down," and I'm kind of dejected, and I go sit down, and then the Word of the Lord comes out of this man's mouth. He looked at me and saw something in me that I never saw. He, by the Spirit of God, though he was not Spirit filled, the spirit of prophecy came on this man. He was a Balaam prophet that gave me the Word of the Lord that started the transition of my life. He walks up to me and says these words, "You, Mr. Robert Sanchez, are by far the most gifted orator in this class".
Sid Roth: How could he say that?
Robert Sanchez: I have no idea because all I could think of was I'm fumbling and bumbling over my words. I'm thinking I can't stand this class, but he doesn't stop there. He takes it one step further, and he says, "Matter of fact, at 10 years of your photography career, you're going to come to a crossroad. You're going to lay down your camera equipment, and you're never going to pick it up again". Well, as he says this, I'm calculating. I'm about 7, 8 years deep. He's talking about the next 2 to 3 years of my life. I'm in my sophomore year in the Academy of Arts. He's telling me by this word, I'm not going to graduate. God is changing my plans, and so, I'm thinking, "You're crazy," but now he does something even crazier. He invades my space a little bit more, and he says, "Matter of fact," and he takes his finger, and he puts it down the barrel of my face like I want to emphasize this point. He says these words. He says, "Matter of fact, you are some type of oracle". I had no idea that the oracle meant prophet. He says, "You're some type of evangelist. The nations of the world are going to seek you out because you'll convey a message deep from within your heart". He doesn't say, "Thus sayeth The Lord". He doesn't say anything else, and I remember just being dumbfounded.
Sid Roth: It's 2 weeks later, your sister takes you to church. What happened?
Robert Sanchez: Oh, my goodness. My sister Ernestine, she says these words, "Precious, will you do me a favor"? But then she asked me the unthinkable. She said, "Rob, will you go to church with me"? When she said that, I was like, "Ugh". I already said yes, and in my mind, I was a CEO: Christmas, Easter only. I didn't need to go to church very often because I was a good guy. I didn't know I needed salvation, but in that very moment when she invited me to church, I agreed. I show up Sunday morning. She walks me in. We sit down in these nice, cushy little seats, and she says these words. She says, "Precious, I'll be right back". She put me in a seat, goes to the back and begins to pray that God would encounter me, that God would touch me, that God would transform me. I started to feel a shake in my body. I felt an overwhelming presence, and I got a little afraid, and I think, I said to myself something like this, "I need to get the H-E-L-L out of here". I didn't realize God was getting rid of it in me, and so, as I went to sit up, the presence of God overwhelmed me and like a seatbelt came on me, and I bent over, and immediately I began to weep. I began to cry uncontrollably. I cried out, and I said these words, "Lord, if You're real, save me," right there. No one laid hands. No one ministered salvation to me. God Himself came and delivered me. From that day forward, Sid, no one had to invite me to church. I just got up every Wednesday, every Sunday with a thought, "I'm going to the house of God," and my life was radically changed.
Sid Roth: What happened to that wonderful photography career?
Robert Sanchez: Oh! Oh my God. That's all I could say is when I least expected it, I got invited to a service in Southern California. I lived in Northern California, and I knew in my knower something inside of me was saying you need to get to this service, and there's a pastor that's speaking a message called "Lay Down Your Isaac," and he began to announce to the church, "Today we're all going to sacrifice greatly. We're going to lay down our Isaac," and he said, "We're going to do something completely different in today's service," and he says, "We're going to take the gifts that you lay down, and we're going to ask 'Bible' trivia questions, and we're going give it to the one who's able to answer the question, and we're going to believe that this was God's doing," and I was excited. I had a few dollars in my pocket, and I was like yes, Lord, I'll give it all, and the Lord spoke to me, and He says, "Rob, do you love Me"? And I said, "Lord, with all my heart. What do You want"? I'm thinking $25, $50.
Sid Roth: Right.
Robert Sanchez: You know, at that time, I'm young. I didn't have very much money, and He said, "I want your camera," and He said, "Will you give me your camera"? And in that moment, the basket is going by, and I could feel the heart, that tug. I don't know if you've ever had that tug, that inner fight with the Holy Spirit. I had that inner fight going on, and I just said, "Yes, Lord, I love you," and I took my pen, and I began to write on the offering envelope, and I threw it in, and then the Lord spoke to me a second time. Right then and there on this spot as the offering plate is going away, He says, "Do you love Me"? I said, "Lord, I just gave You my prized possession". He says, "Do you love Me"? I said, "All within me, Lord, everything in my heart". He says "Today, will you sacrifice and give all your camera equipment away"? And without hesitation, I said, "Yes".
Sid Roth: But that's, with no camera you have no career.
Robert Sanchez: That's exactly what God was after. He was after my desire so I could become His desire. He was after who I was, so He could make me who He destined me to be. And so, that day, I gave away all my photography equipment, and this is what happened. I began to reason within myself, and I said, "Surely, Lord, this is just a test. So, You're going to allow me to answer the 'Bible' trivia question when the pastor asks it out. I'm going to get it back". So, I was so excited because I was, what I felt was versed in the Scriptures, I felt like I had a good knowledge of things, and so, I had my hand kind of partway up, and so, when he got to my camera, he said, "Somebody is giving away a camera. This is amazing and all of his photography gear". He said, "This is an amazing seed. This is a seed of great sacrifice," and then he said, "And the camera is here". He says, "We can't just ask a simple question, we've got to ask a difficult one," and so, he thumbs through, and he comes up with the question. Sid, I still remember the question to this day because I know the answer now, but I didn't then, and this is the question he asked, "Who are the only two men in the 'Bible' to have their wives given away to another man"? And I'm thinking I'm going to know this, and when he said that, my heart melted. My hands fell down, and there's one lady in the whole church. She's jumping up and down. "I know! I know," and I'm like, "No," and she's like, "I know, I know" and in that moment, he scans to her, and he calls her, and he says "Who is it"? And she cries out the answer, "It's Samson and David". He says, "You are correct"!
Sid Roth: It wasn't you who knew the answer, it was her.
Robert Sanchez: It was her.
Sid Roth: So, she got the camera.
Robert Sanchez: And the pastor calls me out. He says, "Who's the young man that's giving away this camera? Where are you"? And I raise my hand with tears in my eyes, and he brings me over to the woman who has tears in her eyes. She's crying because she's elated with joy. I'm crying because my passion is being given away, and in that very moment, he asks her a simplistic question. He says, "Why are you crying"? And she began to declare these words, "God is so good. God is so good," and he goes, "Why is He so good"? And she says, "You must understand, I'm an English teacher, and I'm getting ready to go on a missions trip. I'm going to spend my summer in Mongolia, and I have been going to the photography department in the high school that I work at, at lunch every single day. Any time I pass this department of photography, I lay my hands on the sign or on the door, and I declare that God is going to give me the very best camera equipment, so I could use it for photojournalism and share it with my people that have helped me and sponsored me".
Sid Roth: So, you are being blessed. You didn't know it at the time, and she is being blessed, but that was a step, by the way, of radical obedience, but this next step, tell me about the pulpit story.
Robert Sanchez: Oh, my goodness. I'll never forget this. I was young, and I kept declaring to God, "I want to be used mightily. I want to be used mightily. I want to be used. I'll be faithful. I'll be obedient," until God puts you in a circumstance that makes you uncomfortable. Sometimes your level of obedience changes, and I'll never forget, I'm in the state of Washington ministering at this Samoan church, and I'll never forget, the Lord said these words. I was preaching and He said, "Prophesy that the pulpit is teetering and is falling," and He said, "Throw it down right now," and I said, "Lord, I can't do that. People will look at me like I'm crazy," and I remember, Sid, hearing the Holy Spirit challenge me to do it, and I simply said, "I'm afraid, and I can't," and so, I remember going into my room weeping and crying and praying saying, "God, give me another chance". He said, "Rob, you can't fear men. You've got to fear Me," and so, the next day where I'm ministering, and the power of God falls, and I grab hold of that pulpit, and the Lord says, "Prophesy," and I grab this pulpit, and I begin to violently shake it. The pulpit is teetering. The pulpit is teetering. The pulpit is teetering, and it now lies flat as a dead man. When I threw down the pulpit, it's plexiglass, the head of the pulpit pops off, and at that very moment, you think I'm done. I now reach and I grab a pitcher of water, and I began to splash it all over the altar and all over the pulpit, and I began to prophesy, and I said, I said, "The Spirit of the Lord is bringing a refreshing. This altar, the river of God is going to flow. I'm bringing healing to this land. There will be a rising of a new man, and I'm bringing forth change into this house". I pour this water all over. I splash people in the front row. The whole pulpit is soaked and so is the altar, and at the end of the service, of course they had a little meeting, and I was invited, and so, the pastor said these words. He said, "How do I know this is God"? Just then, one of his older elders came to him and said, "Pastor, can I have a word with you"? And he says, "Yes," and he invites him in, and this elder says "Man of God, when you threw down the pulpit," he said, "I was going to go run and tackle you and tell you this is not God and drag you out". He said, "But God opened my eyes". He said, "I saw chains falling off our church". He said, "I saw spirits and strongholds that have held us stuck in bondage being broken. I saw unclean things leaving, and I saw the presence of God shine when you splashed the water," and he says "This, Pastor, is a Word of God. I saw it". And right then, right there, they received the Word. We prayed. Not only did the power and the spirit of revival break out, the meetings get extended, and the chains and bondages were removed, and the power of God was being demonstrated.
Sid Roth: You know, when I have Rob come back, I am going to turn him loose to prophesy over you, and I believe chains just that came off that church, they're going to come off of you and sickness and hurts and whatever is going on in your life, I'm going to ask this guy to read your mail. Be right back.
Sid Roth: Rob, you are pushing radical obedience beyond this world. Tell me that story.
Robert Sanchez: Oh, my goodness. I will never forget. I was in Zion,
Sid Roth: I may never forget that one.
Robert Sanchez: I was in Zion, Illinois, and I was part of a prophetic conference. It's a Sunday morning. Service ends. Everybody is on their way out. I was lingering around saying hi to a few people. In this moment, a gentleman from about 20 to 30 yards away, he waves his hand at me and he goes, "Bye, prophet Rob," and I go, "Bye," and he goes, "We'll see you later," and suddenly I was like a bull seeing red. I literally looked at him and began to shout these words, "Never again. You hear me? Never again," and in that moment, I did the unthinkable. I ran at him like a bull charging a flag, and I pulled out my fist.
Sid Roth: Did you think what you were doing or you just did?
Robert Sanchez: I just did. It was a response. It was a supernatural moment. It was spontaneous. I have never been in a fight, never been in an altercation in my life. I have to get saved and become radically obedient to do the unthinkable. I ran at this man, and with my hand pulled back, I hit him in the chest. You'd think once is enough, one, two, three, four times at least. The power of God hits this man. He's kind of doing one of these flailings, and he falls forward. You think I'm done. Something comes over me, and I dive onto this man.
Sid Roth: You've been watching too many Westerns.
Robert Sanchez: I don't know what happened. I dive on this man, and I begin to squeeze him with the Father's love, and immediately I begin to prophesy. I began to speak a word right into his heart, face-to-face. I'm wrestling with him, and I begin to say these words, "Never again, never again, never again, will you pick up things that are unclean. Never again will you have dreams of the pain that you suffered as a child. Never again will you put something into your arm that is destroying your body. For the Spirit of the Lord says, 'I've come to set you free'". I come out of this prophetic atmosphere. I stand up. There's people watching, and the first thought I had is, "Oh, my God, I'm going to jail," and the Holy Spirit said, "No," and then He said, I said, "Lord, I need a word. Why would you have me do such a thing"? And he said these words, "Rob, radically this man's life was taken away from him". He said, "Radically today, I gave it back to him". And that very moment, I asked for the elders and the leaders that were there, "Can I please go talk to your pastor"? So, we go downstairs, and I look at the pastor, and I say "Can I talk to you"? He goes, "Are you okay"? My shirt was a mess. My tie was all wrinkled up. I'm hot, and my knuckles are bleeding, and I literally say, "Well, I would like to say," and he says, "Just say it," and I said, "Well, I kind of got in a fight with one of your congregational members". He goes, "Who was he"? I said, "I don't know. I didn't catch his name," and he goes, "Tell me what he looks like," and I said, "Well, he's about 5'9". I said, "He's, you know, 300-ish type pounds," and the pastor goes, "Good, I know exactly who that is".
Sid Roth: Really?
Robert Sanchez: And I said, "Well, praise the Lord, why good"? And he responds. He says, "Rob, God used you to give that man what he needed". He said, "But I couldn't give him that". He said, "God has called me to be the shepherd, the pastor, and I've got to love him, but God loves him so much He gave him what he needed," and he began to tell me the rest of the story. That man that I'm speaking about today still attends that church. He's become an elder in that ministry, and he wears what took place that day on that altar as a badge of honor because he knows that God mightily set him free.
Sid Roth: You know, not everyone is called to be a prophet. It's called the five-fold ministry, like Rob, but the "Bible" says all can prophesy, and you say, it's simple to prophesy. If you're in awe and a believer, it's simple you say. Give me a few tips.
Robert Sanchez: Well, my favorite scripture is Revelations 19:10, "Worship God! The testimony of Christ Jesus is the spirit of prophesy," and as I began to research and look and ask God for wisdom to teach this, He said, "Teach people how to give a testimony. Teach people that when they testify on behalf of My Name, the spirit of prophecy is released. " He said, "Teach them to give a word of encouragement by the Scriptures". He said, "Rob, it's so easy". He says, "Ask people that said they've never prophesied if they ever wrote in a card a Scripture and gave it to a friend or a family member," and so, I began to ask people, "Have you ever prophesied"? They'd say, "No," and I'd say, "Have you ever written a Scripture on a card and given it to a loved one? Have you ever been asked"?
Sid Roth: Texted a Scripture.
Robert Sanchez: ...texted, yeah. I even asked, "Have you ever been asked to pray for someone, and suddenly in prayer a Scripture comes out," and they said, "Yes". I said, "That's the spirit of prophecy". I asked them, "Have you ever wore a shirt or a hat that has a Scripture or a verse or a Godly saying"? They say, "Yes". I said, "You become a billboard. You are, in motion, a spirit of prophecy walking through the Earth because when people look at the Scripture, they can't just look at it. They have to say it, and they have to speak it out, or they read it out, and it gets into the atmosphere".
Sid Roth: But it's not just a coincidence. You hear what he's saying? You've been doing it already, and you didn't even realize it.
Robert Sanchez: Absolutely. Prophecy is so simple. We make it hard because we think prophecy is thus sayeth the Lord. I've come to understand all prophets prophesy but not all who prophesy are prophets, and so, God uses everyday, simple believers that have the Spirit of prophecy, which is Christ in their life. He opens up their mouth and lets them flow, and even on rare occasions, we understand that the "Bible" tells us and teaches us in the book of Acts that God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh. On that rare occasion, God might use somebody least expected, like me and my professor, to prophesy of life-changing Word.
Sid Roth: I want you to prophesy over those that are viewing as God leads you, whatever He shows you. Do it, just don't punch me.
Robert Sanchez: As I was preparing, I heard the Spirit of the Lord declare that we are in an Acts 12 moment. If you're listening and you feel like you're in bondage, and you are in a place confined to a small quarters like Peter was in prison, I heard the Lord say, "I'm sending angels out to touch you to give you the power to rise up. I will cause shackles to fall, doors of the prison to be open, and then I will take you to the gate of the city". The Lord says, "I am going to use the spirit of prophecy in you to cause the gates of the city to open, the gates of the city to your family, to your loved ones, to those in your community, to speak a word and to set them free". I sense in my spirit that God wants to awaken the voice of the Lord on the inside of you. Matter of fact, let me pray for you all right now. Father, I declare, for those that are coming into the Spirit of prophecy with boldness, they will open their mouth and declare what it is that you have given them by the Scripture and through the Word, that they would use it as simple edification to build up those that are around them, and I pray, Lord, for those that are called to be seers, those that are called to be naba' prophets, that the Word would bubble up. I pray, Lord, that as they hear my voice, that something on the inside of them would be stirred and begin to fountain, that the eyes would begin to see with clarity. Scales would be removed, and suddenly they would grab hold of the gifting call, and they would walk in radical obedience, grabbing hold of Your Word by faith and becoming what you've destined them to be. I declare it. Release this into the atmosphere and into your spirit in Jesus' precious Name.