Sermon Texts (Adding Now)
Sermon Texts Beginning With I
Influence (63-1114)
| Influence (63-1114) |
|
|
1
Only believe, only believe,
All things are possible, only believe;
Only believe, only believe,
All things are possible, only believe.
Let's bow our heads. Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this song, only to believe. Just see our Lord as He come to the boy that had the epilepsy, He said, "I can, if you believe, for all things are possible to them that believe." Lord, help our unbelief tonight is our prayer. We are so thankful to You for Your Presence with us, and for people who believe You and love You. And to know now, not we will be, but now we are lifted up in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, setting by with our King tonight, already seated positionally with Him. Oh, how we thank Thee for this confidence that we have in Him, His promises, knowing that it can never fail, that it's always true. We pray that You'll visit with us tonight. May the Holy Spirit take the Word of God and divide It to our hearts just as we have need, that when we leave tonight, going to our homes, we might say with those who come from Emmaus one night, saying, "Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked to us along the way?" For we ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen. May be seated.
3 I am very happy to be back again tonight to speak to you and fellowship with you around the things that belongs to Christ. That's no other purpose we have of being here, but to do that, just fellowship around His Word.
5 But I certainly am thankful for the fine cooperation that--that I get from you people in there, who are believing on God. Your--your fine cooperation makes it so easy too, for the Holy Spirit to move among the people. I wished I could find this everywhere; I--I do, where you could find people who believe. No matter what God does, how much of a gift He'd represent, you have to believe it (See?), because it's ineffective unless you believe it.
7 And God's power is limited to your faith in it. See? That's the only limit it has, is your faith. And if... All things are possible to them that will believe it. See? There's a great God in heaven, and if we could only get in contact, like a direct line to Him, all things are possible. See? But we must come in contact with Him, with no static nowhere, just a clear channel between us and God. Then He said, "If you say to this mountain, 'Be moved,' and don't doubt in your heart, but believe that what you have said..." Now, you can't bluff it. Satan doesn't bluff too easy, so you--you can't bluff it. But when you really know it, then it's got to happen (See?); it's just... It must happen.
9 Now, you that like to read the Word, or mark the places... I thought tonight, been preaching so much on Divine healing, I'd kinda changed the subject tonight a little bit. Not exactly change it, but just the running of it. Because you can't change one Word in the Bible, because it just coincides with the other Words with It. All Scripture just binds together. It's just like a--a... 12 Now, if you want your example, to lay aside your pattern, to see what the Scripture goes together with, just lay Jesus over here and go to watching Him, and place it in the Bible. You got the whole thing come out right, 'cause it is the revelation of Jesus Christ. So it's... The New Testament and Old both, all speak of Jesus (See?) Jesus Christ the Son of God, 'cause He is the--this Book of Redemption. He was the Word, and He is the Word, and that's bound to be Him. You see? So this is the whole Book of Redemption, which is Jesus Christ, fitly put together by God; with the promises of redemption and healing, and everything, for the human being. See? Do you get that now? This Book is Jesus Christ put together by God. See? And He come as a human being and redeemed us, and every promise is in Him, and for you, for He is the Redeemer.
13 Let us turn tonight in the Old Testament, to get what we wish to make our context from, as we read from Isaiah the 6th chapter of the Book of the prophet Isaiah.
15 Now, let us read from the 6th chapter.
In the year that... Uzziah died I saw also the Lord setting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
And above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried to another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD God of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thy iniquity is taken away, and thy sins are purged.
Also I heard the voice of God... the voice of the Lord, saying, Who shall I send, and whom shall... or who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
I wish to take a text, if we should call it that, on the subject of "Influence." Influence is a great thing. We are told of Scripture, that we are written epistles, and read of all men.
17 And we, as Christians, should always watch what we do and what say, that we're perfectly honest to every man. And you, if you can't be honest with your fellow man, you certainly won't be honest with God. So how we serve God, is, we serve each other. As honest as I'd be with you, that's as honest as I'll be with God. And that's the same way with you to me. We must be honest with each other in all of our dealings.
19 And our setting tonight is quite a great setting on this, because just reading it this afternoon, when I was studying, I was thinking how great God was.
21 And as we stood, we thought this: "How can God know the thoughts of every person? And how could it be that all the--the billions in the earth, and yet God knows every time you bat your eye?" He's infinite. 23 Think how great He is, and how He holds the earth. This earth, or one of those stars would move from its place, millions and billions of miles away, it would affect this earth. That whole solar system has to stay just at its place. And, see, everything God made like that obeys God. But when God made man, man seems to want to know more than He does. You see? It... We're the only ones out of place. They stay in place. And they have to stay in place to coordinate with each other.
24 For instance, the moon, if the moon would ever move out of its place, the earth would be filled with water in a few moments. See, the--the moon is--is rather like a watchdog of the sea. "He set its bounds, that it can't pass." And when the moon turns from the earth, here comes the tides in. If the moon didn't catch it around the other side, it would cover the earth. See? So the moon stops and--and he turns his back to look around the other side of the world, and--and the--here comes the waters coming in real fast, and then he turns again. He is Jehovah's servant. Sea stops and goes back to its place again, because it sees the perfect moving of Jehovah. 26 Now, this young fellow Uzziah was a king. But before he become king... He was a king during the reign of--of Isaiah the prophet. And he was a shepherd boy; he liked the outdoors. He was a great influence on--on Isaiah's life. Isaiah was a young fellow also, just a young prophet. And you read the story, if you want to take II Chronicles 26, it'll tell you how that at the age of sixteen, after the death of his righteous father, he became... They taken him and made him king over Israel. At the age of sixteen he begin to reign. And he had seen the influence of his parents; his mother was a godly woman, and his father was a godly man before him. And in that, it put the influence in the child to do that which was right. 27 I'll tell you. I think today, we have such a juvenile crime wave across the nation, but really, I think it started in the home. I--I think the parents begin to let go. And if the child had been raised up in a good, old fashion, godly home, I don't say it would be all over, certainly not, but it would certainly give that child the right kind of influence. I think, many times, that, homes that children has been brought up wrong, turned loose on the street, and just lived for themself while the mother stays in a barroom, or the--and the father, and so forth. They don't take care of this child. Another thing, they don't love it and give it the affections, to take it up. It's young. You've got to teach it to love and respect, and to read the Bible. 28 I think of Susan Wesley. I think she had seventeen children. I think that's right. But she found two hours or more, every day to pray. Down at the--the end of her dress, where the little boys knelt around, out of there produced a John and a Charles that changed the course of the world, saved the world in that day. And she didn't have a washing machine and a dryer, as we have today, and a dishwasher, and so forth, or a maid. The thing that... She did it all herself, but yet she could find time because she was putting an influence to some children that finally changed the course of the world. I think that's the old fashion mother, the old fashion home, where prayer and the understanding of the Bible.
29 I believe it was Abraham Lincoln never owned a book in his life, till he was of age, but the Bible and... I think it was either the Foxe's "Book Of Martyrs"... I might not; it might've been another book. I think it was "Pilgrim's Progress," to be right. It was "Pilgrim's Progress," and--and the Bible. You see what kind of a character that molded?
31 And I think that's the kind of a home that Uzziah must've been raised in, because of the influence of his godly parents. And as soon as he become king, he ignored all popular opinions and all political differences, and he set his mind for one thing: he'd serve God, regardless. We need some more politicians like that. He--he was determined that he was going to serve God, because that's the way he was raised, and his father give him the right influence, that he--he could serve God and live. 34 Sometimes you may think that it doesn't pay off. But it certainly does pay off. It's got to pay off. You cannot be going east and west at the same time. You can't be going right and left at the same time. You may think you're going the other way, but you're not. So if you'll set your--your mind and eyes, and motives and objectives and life on the right thing, you've got to come out on the right thing. You can't fail. See? That's the only way. No matter how much you're tempted to do the other side, turn your head from it and do what's right. And you're--you know you're right; you feel better, and you are better. And that's just all there is to it, you got... You're going to come out right. You start going west, you're not--you're not going to be going north; you're going to be going--you're going to be going west. And that's the same way it is in right and wrong.
35 And Isaiah saw this, and he saw that God blessed him. And how he... All the nations, around about, his fame went plumb into Egypt. And how the nations didn't want war with him, they--they seen that God was with him. So he just... They sent him peace offerings and herds of sheep, and things, and--and give it to him, to cause peace. And he was a good man.
37 And--and Uzziah held this standard. He was a great influence, as I've said, to Isaiah the prophet.
41 And now, we find that many times ministers gets to feeling just a little secure, and they keep leading out, and the first thing you know, they'll do things that they should not do. And we know that many times, righteous and good men will get so that they'll have too many social affairs, just they want to go out to big parties; and the first thing you know, they'll call for a little drink once in a while, and they get entangled with the world. And I think that's what's the matter with our churches today. I think that's what's the matter with our Pentecostal move.
44 And I think that the trouble with our church, we try to get too much like the--the others. See? We try to act like somebody else (You see?), and--and we begin to take on their habits. And the first thing you know, it used to be...
46 Now. You see? But since then, there's been so many little things creep into the church, because the church has to rub shoulders with the world each day. Now, and I don't mean to--to come back to this again to--to our sisters (See?), our brothers. Many times, it used to be years ago, that it was wrong (for as I said the other night) for our sisters to cut their hair. It used to be a--a Pentecostal affair that they shouldn't do that and those things. But what is it? Now, we go into the different parts of the country, and we find the--the--our Pentecostal sisters with those water-head haircuts, you know, them big haircuts like that. And you can tell them about it. And they use makeup. They--they wear clothes like men.
48 Now wait a minute, let me pick on the men. The--the brother that'll let his wife do that, he's not a much ruler over his house. See, see? Well? See?
50 And then we find other things. It used to be it was wrong for the holiness people to--to attend bioscopes or movies, you know. Now, they go all the time. See? And then Satan pulled a fast one on you, put the television right in your house, and (See?) fixed it in there. But all these things, that it used to be wrong...
53 Now, we find out, when you get lifted up, right then you're on your road down (See?) when you lift yourself up.
56 I'm a... travel quite a bit with the--these here Full Gospel Business Men. Many of them are setting right here now. And I've got to speak at their breakfast, Saturday, Saturday morning at some... What? Statler Hotel, I believe it is. They said they already sold seventeen hundred tickets for the breakfast already.
58 Don't never try to take the other fellow's place. God made you a certain thing, and you stay that. Sure. You stay just what you are. Don't try to impersonate the other. That's what always ruins our--the gifts that God sends to the world. We find so many carnal impersonations, and we find someone who tries to copy after the other one.
60 We notice we got so many Billy Graham's today. But you see, God never made but one Billy Graham. That's all. He... 63 And we mustn't try to impersonate anyone. Just be what you are (See?), and that's the way God made you, You never fashioned yourself. And, remember, as much as we ministers would like to take Billy Graham's place, we cannot do it; neither can Billy Graham take our place. See? We, each one has something to do. A common little fellow here that may be a janitor, the little woman that may be a housewife, the greatest minister on the face of the earth today could not take your place. You, God had a purpose in making you what you are, and you just serve God in that way that He made you. See? And I think, if we'd just do that, the wheels would roll a lot easier. Yes, it would, if we would do that, not get lifted up. And we find out, instead of...
64 When someone tells someone something, that's Scripturally, and we see that it's right, instead of--of trying to humble ourselves, just say, "Well, now, I--I been wrong. You forgive me. And I--I didn't mean... I did--I didn't know that, so I'll just quit doing that." Well, then, instead of doing that, too many times we do like Uzziah did; he felt like he was too big to be called down (See?); he was the king. And many times I've seen ministers that way, that felt that they were just too important to be told what the Word was truth.
66 That's where Israel made their most rashal mistake. When, grace had provided them a Pillar of Fire, Angel, a sacrifice, and delivered them, sent them a prophet, sent them a Pillar of Fire to follow them, to lead the prophet in the way. And when they come to, Exodus the 19th chapter, when they swapped grace for law, they did the most rashal thing they ever did. See? But they wanted something that they could do themselves.
68 Now, we find out Uzziah got lifted up, and he was going to do it anyhow. He grabbed up the censer and took off. It didn't make any difference what the priests said; he was going in anyhow. And it was against the Scripture. It was unscriptural for him to do that.
71 But Uzziah didn't want to do that. After God had blessed him the way He had, and yet he didn't feel like that he would do that. He felt he was going to go on, do it anyhow, because he felt he was secure. But while he was in the... It kinda made him feel angry at those men too that was telling him the Word of the Lord.
74 Remember, don't try to impersonate anyone else. Be just what you are. If God made you a Pentecostal, you be a real one. You see? If--if God... Don't be ashamed of it. I'm not ashamed to be a human being. I'm not ashamed to be an American. I--I'm not ashamed to be a minister. I'm not ashamed of the Gospel that I preach. Because... 76 Because I always believed, as a boy, that this was the Word of God, and it could never change. Jesus said, "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall never be changed. It shall never pass away." You can't substitute anything to It. It's just the way It's written, and that's the way we believe It. Don't add nothing, or take nothing from It. You know, over in the Book of the Revelation, It said, "Whosoever shall add a word, or take anything out of this Book (what?) the curse would be upon him." So just stay it just the way It is, and believe It like that, and God will honor it.
77 Now, he was smitten because of his uplifting of pride. Got the feeling that there was--he was the only one there was, and he'd do what he wished to and nobody else could stop him.
79 And one night at a meeting in--in Minneapolis, they told me that the writer of this magazine was there. And the article had just come through in the Christian magazine, so I... It was a "Christian Digest." So I... They--they pointed the man out to me, said, "That's him setting there." And he had in this article, that a--this minister had wrote something, a book that the man did not write. I know it. A lady wrote that book, and I knew the lady: "Biting Of Devils."
82 Then when this man got stricken by this leprosy, when he got lifted up in pride, this was a great lesson to that young prophet. He found out by this being a great lesson to him, that God orders His man to the place. See? Man cannot order himself. God orders His man. God makes you what you are. See? And God orders His man, and he mustn't try to take another's place. And it was a lesson to Isaiah, that he mustn't put his eyes upon human beings for an example. He must put his eyes on God.
85 Now, we find that Isaiah, he had leaned heavy upon the good king's arm, and now the arm had been taken from him; and the king was dead, and died with leprosy in shame. Now, Isaiah, during this time, the king being lifted up, well, then his young son was to take the place. And we find out that--that the people had got into a--a horrible immoral stage.
87 And--but He let Isaiah know here that he could not look upon men. So Isaiah, one day, as he wandered around, he must've got all weary, being knowed he had a great responsibility, he went down to the temple to pray. Now, that's a good thing to do for all of us. He goes down to the temple to pray.
90 Now, we find out in this vision, that he saw God lifted up high on a throne. Then he noticed another thing. Note, around Him was, and in the temple where He was at, was these heavenly Seraphims.
92 And here they were, flying through the temple while Isaiah was in the vision, and the whole temple become full of smoke. And they were crying, one to the other, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. Holy, holy, holy." Oh, in other words, "There's Something that cannot fall. There's your example. There's the King to look to. Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty."
94 Now, notice first, that these creatures were ministering in the Presence of God. And that was their duty, was crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty." And they cried day and night in His Presence, as the sacrifice is laying there. "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty."
97 I went to ask for a sandwich today in a--in a place. And the little lady, not making no remarks about her, but I thought she was dying. She looked like she'd cankered under her eyes, she had blue all around her. And--and she run up with just a few clothes on, and she said, "What will you have?"
103 And the world has got into such a place. Now, if a priest comes in and drink, the congregation has got a right to drink; there's your example. See? Oh, my, what a corruption we're living in. We need a house-cleaning, all the way from the pulpit to the... Yeah. Yes, sir, we certainly do. How the corruption of the world...
105 You must remember that God is watching you every hour. He watches you when you're asleep. Now, I think the reason that people do those things is because they--they--they--they're not conscious of His Presence. See? But yet He's there, whether you think He is or not. He sees every look that you make, and every--every move that you make. He knows all about it. But we ought to realize that.
All along on the road to the soul's true abode,There is an Eye watching you;Every step that you take, this great Eye is awake,
There is an Eye watching you; (See?)
You remember the song? Now that is true.
107 God's omnipresence knows what you're doing, and even your thoughts. One time while I was in a vision, I was speaking to a Being standing by me; and He said back; He said, "Your thoughts are louder in the heavens than your voice is on the earth." He knows what you're thinking. You might say you--you do this and you do that, and it--but (You see?), down in your heart, if you think different, you're--you're doing something wrong. You should be just what you are. See? The--the heart--the mouth should speak what's in the heart. See? And so we find that the people doesn't realize the--the Presence of God.
109 Reverence, we ought to honor one another, respect one another as brother, sister. And love one another with undying love. You say, "Well, I just can't." Well, just stay here a little longer, and then you will like people too. You'll love those who doesn't love you. That's really a good sign of Christianity: when you can, from your heart, love those who does not love you. Love the unloveable.
111 Now, we find out that these wings over their faces was because they were in the Presence of God, reverent. And if a holy Seraphim has to hide his face behind special covering, the one who knows no sin, never sinned, but yet in the Presence of the Holy God has to hide his holy face in the Presence of God, what is a hypocrite going to do on that day? What's the backslider going to do on that day? What's the ungodly going to do on that day, when you come? And you're going to have to face Him.
113 Now, secondly, they had their feet covered with wings, under their feet. Now, that represented humility. Oh, there's a word that's lost today to many people: humility in His Presence. Humble ourselves in His Presence,
115 I remember one night, a minister brought twenty-eight of his congregation and was setting... This was at Jonesboro, Arkansas.
118 And so I turned around, but this, it would not leave the boy. And now this was hundreds of people, five times of what is setting here tonight, setting there, yes, many times. They claimed there was twenty-eight thousand people there. So--so there was--there was, they was all...
122 Then I turned, I said, "In the Name of the Lord Jesus, by faith, by my commission given to me by Almighty God, this devil cannot hold this boy. You're at liberty. See? If the disobedient will be disobedient, then you're at liberty to go to them, but come out of that boy."
125 One time they brought a man to hypnotize me. I guess many of you remembers that. And they--they'd take him out to army camp, to--and take these soldiers and hypnotize them, make them bark like a dog. And they was going to have some fun out of me. So I was in an auditorium, and they brought this man. And--and I felt, when the prayer line started, there was an evil spirit somewhere.
129 We've come times that people thinks that this holiness before God is just some kind of a mockery, or some kind of a--a bunch of people who doesn't know, some kind of a cult or a clan, or something. But let me assure you, brother. There may be a lot of mockery. I--I don't say there isn't; I--I--I can't say that. I'm just a man. I ain't to judge. I'm just to preach. But there is a genuine Holy Spirit, genuine apostolic power of the Holy Spirit in our... In foreign countries, and witch doctors and things rise up, them devils, to challenge. Oh, if we'd just... I'd break my subject here, to go telling you about those things. And what? The Holy Spirit, never one time have I ever seen Him fail to do it. He'll do it every time.
131 I remember here not long ago, I was in a little museum, and--and they had the--the analysis of a man weighing a hundred and fifty pounds, what his body was worth in chemicals. I believe it was eighty-four cents, a man weighing a hundred and fifty pounds, his--his chemicals of his body. He had some calcium, and a--a little enough whitewash maybe to sprinkle a hen's nest, and so forth. Just that's about all he--he had in him, weighing a hundred and eighty-four pounds--or I mean a--eighty-four cents, weighting a hundred and fifty pounds.
134 But yet we--we want to take care... We get the pride in this eighty-four cents, wrap it up in a five-hundred-dollar mink coat, and--and stick our nose up in the air, and think we are--we're doing something. I don't mean to be joking. This is not to joke. This--this is just telling you what we are. See, we're--we're--we're...
136 Now, we find out that it--these Angels covered their feet--or these Seraphims.
138 That same Pillar of Fire appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, one day.
141 Now we see that that... Jesus said, "I come from God. I go to God." When this Pillar of Fire was made flesh, God coming from the Fatherhood [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... Sonship, and when He come into this attribute: the three attributes, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When God became manifested in flesh, He said, "I come from God. And I go to God," and He ascended up. 143 Look at Saul, humbled himself in the dirt (See?) in the Presence of God. Humility. Struck off of his feet, laying on his back perhaps, looking up. And that Pillar of Fire moving around there, he saw and knew. As a teacher from under Gamaliel, the great teacher of that day, he knew that God had led His people in a form of a Pillar of Fire. And that Fire, Pillar of Fire had been made flesh and dwelt among them, and had been crucified for their sins, "and I come from God and go back to God," and here He was, still in the Name of the Lord Jesus.
145 And then we find then in that, later just before that, John the Baptist, the greatest of all the prophets. All the prophets spoke of Him coming; John said, "This is Him." He--he introduced Him to the world. And John standing there in the water, when he was baptizing, and he--he was saying, "There's coming a time when the daily sacrifice will be taken from the temple, and there'll be a Man be a Sacrifice." And John was sure that he was going to see Messiah.
147 When, Elisabeth had conceived and the baby was dead in her womb... When Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel and told her that her cousin Elisabeth, who was past bearing, would also conceive, and Mary run up to meet her. And she had hid herself, and she was worried because the baby hadn't moved for six months, and that's subnormal. And so she seen Mary coming; she run out and met her, and hugged her. And she said, begin to talk. And--and she said, "I know she was going to be mother." She said, "Yes, and I--I'm going to be mother too."
150 Now, what kind of a boy should this be? He was to announce the coming Messiah. Malachi 3 said he would. "Behold, I send My messenger before My face."
153 Just as sure as them wise men knew, when they looked down from Babylon and seen them three stars in line, that was the sign the Messiah was already on earth. That's the reason they were crying, "Where is He, born King of the Jews?" And the church didn't have the answer. They haven't got it today. The Bible is what's got it. God's Word is what's got it. That's right.
156 Oh, my, don't think I'm excited. I know where I am. No, but it just feels good when I get to thinking about that (See?), "There's One among you." And I say that tonight. There's One among you, the great Holy Spirit promised to be poured out in the last days. I see His sign constantly, and I know He's the Messiah because He still does the Messiah sign.
159 I remember Doctor Roy Davis, that ordained me in the Missionary Baptist church, he said, "You know, what happened there, Billy," said, "what happened..."
166 [Tongues and interpretation are given--Ed.] Amen.
168 Notice, then, we find that John humbled himself in the Presence of God.
170 God's only trying to find one person He can get in His hands. He's always tried to do that. You notice, all down through the Bible, when He found an Isaiah, when He found a Jeremiah. Then He found--He found Samson one day; but Samson gave his strength to God, but he gave his heart to Delilah. See, he...
172 Now, thirdly, they could fly. They had two wings; that put them in action. 174 Just like the little woman, we spoke of the other night, at the well. Now, she was a little predestinated seed laying in her heart, but as soon as that Light flashed upon there and she seen that was the Messiah, it didn't take her long to go in action. She even forgot the water-pot that she had in her hand. That's how quick she went into action. She had to tell the people. She had to tell somebody else, because that she was sure that she had found the Messiah. Into the city she went, and quickly she went into action, telling people.
175 It was Peter, when he was--fished all night, and was setting on the bank that morning. When Jesus borrowed his boat, and had thrust out a little from the bank, and was preaching to the people. And then He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep, and let down for the draught. Let down."
177 We can't figure these things out. You... And God's past figuring out. You've got to believe It. See? God is known not by knowledge, not by education. He's known by faith, and faith only. 179 If people setting here that's sick and--and needs help from God, if you say, "I've been through every prayer line; I--I've done everything, but, at Thy Word, I'm going to let down the net. I'm coming right now, and I'm going to receive it. I believe I'm in His Presence. And I'm..." And recognize that with humility, and sincerity and reverence. Let down the net. Take ahold of it. God said so, and it--that makes it so.
180 And we find out as soon as he, being a fisherman and know what it was to--to catch a good shipload of fish, and he was a poor man, but quickly he went in action when Jesus said, "From henceforth you'll catch men." It didn't take him very long. He humbled himself, fell down before Christ, said, "Depart from me, Lord; I'm a sinful man." Said, "I--I--I just can't stay in Your Presence."
183 One time, there was a blind man that Jesus healed. It didn't take him very long to go in action; he went in action, spreading His fame everywhere. Someone come up and said, "Why, who healed you?" the priest did. He--he said, told him Who healed him.
186 Well, this blind man had a very good question for them. And he said, "It's a mighty strange thing. That you all are the spiritual leaders today, and this Man opened my blinded eyes, and I was born blind, and yet you don't know where He come from. See? Now that's a strange thing."
192 The people at Pentecost, as soon as they seen that God kept His promise... Jesus said, "Behold, I send the promise (the Scripture)--the promise of My Father upon you. But tarry ye (That's wait.)--wait up at the city of Jerusalem until you're endued with power from on high."
195 Oh, what we've seen, friends... (I know it's getting late and I don't want to keep you any longer.) But, look. What we have seen in the--in the last few years, ought to put every one of us into action. It ought to put us in action. What? First, make us reverent, humble, and in action. And love burning in our hearts, trying our best to seeing a lost world... And seeing the signs that God... Even down, as far as I know, to the very last one that the Church is going to receive before the fire falls from heaven. The same Pillar of Fire that was seen back there in the wilderness, the same One that struck Saint Paul down, is the same One even that's got Its picture taken of It, right here doing the same thing It did there, same Messiah. 197 And if this what we see and know, thousands around the world knows It, science has testified to It everywhere; the pictures is taken. It's right here now. That is true, so true. It's right here now. And if It don't bear the same kind of life It did when It was in the Person Christ Jesus, if It doesn't do the same thing in His Church, then it's wrong. But if It bears the same life, it's got to be the same Pillar of Fire that led Israel. It's leading us to the promised land. "In My Father's house is many mansions," the promise that He gave us, and It leads us there. And we see It fully a-vindicated, God's Word made manifest. The lame walks; the deaf hears; the blind see; the dead is raised up; the thoughts of the heart cannot be hid; it's called right out, the very works that He did. What is it? Some man? It's the Messiah. It's Messiah, God, the Holy Spirit, same One.
198 That ought to put the Pentecostal church... Instead of trying to criticize It, it ought to be in action, everywhere, with humility and love, trying to show It to a lost and dying people. We should respect It. We should love Him, humble ourselves, make ourselves reverent, and be in action like these Seraphims was, with reverence and humility. Vindicated clearly, promised to us in the last days, and here it is. We see it. Jesus said so, said it would happen. Here it is, just before it'll be burnt up. That sign of His coming proves that the coming is right at hand now. It could come at any time. I don't see nothing to hinder the rapture of the Church right now.
200 Word by word, it's already fulfilled. It should put us in action. That's exactly right. We should be getting every lost soul to the Kingdom of God that we can. Because one of these days you're going to bring them and it won't do no good. The door will be closed; there will be no more. Oh, they may be mentally worked up, and excited, and shout, and jump up-and-down, and claim this, you know. But when the sleeping virgin come to buy Oil, she never got It. And did you ever see a time in all the history of these last days, that there ever was a time that the Presbyterians, Lutherans, everything else is trying to come to the Pentecostal message? What did Jesus said? "While they come to buy, it was a time that the Bride went in," the wise virgin went in. They did not get the Oil. They didn't get It. That's all. That's according to the Scripture.
202 The seventh watch, He come in. Some fell asleep in the first watch, second, third, fourth, fifth. And in the seventh watch there come a cry, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh." The seventh church age, that's the watch, the age that watched it. And this is the Laodicea church age, at the end of it. Amen. Oh, it's... Why won't you awake, ye saints of the Lord, why slumber when the end is nearing?
205 I was talking to the cab driver, was bringing me over. He said, "Well, the only way I can tell, when I see a man around here acting sane, I know he's a stranger." See? Now, that's one of your cab drivers said that. Said they'd... way... 208 This is in uniting time. There's a United Nation, united church, and united effort. What's it a sign of? Christ and His Bride uniting. That's what it is. It's all shadows and types. Everything wants to be unionized, so it's a sign. Christ is fixing to unite with His Bride, a wedding supper taking place in the sky, so it ought to throw the church into action when we see the signs of His here at hand. Oh, my. All these things are signs to us, everywhere. Oh...?... we should be in action. 209 We, like the prophet of old, Isaiah, we see what self-exalted men come to. We see what, these organizations that rise up and say, "Well, because you don't belong to us, you're not even in it." We see what happens to them. What do they lose? Just like they're stricken with sinful leprosy, with unbelief, they--they lose their hold on the Word of God. Some of these people try, they exchange, lose their hold on the Word, and swap It for creeds. What do they get theirself? A mess of leprosy. That's right. 210 Like Uzziah of old, trying to take the place of anointed office, and haven't got nothing but a doctor's degree, or something. God ain't looking for doctor's degree; He's looking for humble hearts, somebody that'll believe Him. But we have took men and educated them to bishops and everything else, cardinals and whatmore, educated them enough to hold a Divine office with an education of carnality. We need the baptism of the Holy Ghost to take that office. The Holy Ghost is our Tutor. He's the One that makes Hisself known among us, the sign of the hour, the last days. But we, like Hezekiah, exalted up, they just think they can take their places.
211 Look what the effects of the vision did to the prophet. Now, he was a prophet. He was a vessel for the Word of the Lord to come to. He was chosen, borned a prophet. Finally gave his life, sawed up to pieces with a saw. But we find out that this great prophet, when he saw this vision from heaven, and saw the order, how God was preparing His man, why, it caused the prophet to confess that he was a sinner.
214 The prophet confessed, caused him to say, "I'm a man of unclean lips." A prophet... God, we need another vision like that. When he saw up there, the--saw these; cleansing power of God.
217 You see how he is, a prophet set in order. Now, He cleansed his lips, took his iniquity away. Then after he had--he confessed, humbled himself, he said, "I'm a man of unclean lips," when he saw the Presence of God. 219 I'm your brother. But He said, "The works that I do, shall He all--you do also." Is that what He said? All right. If He's here, His Spirit's here. That's what makes Him. Then if we can surrender ourselves and get our own thoughts away, just like this has no thoughts, then another voice can speak through it. That's the way. If we can empty ourselves out. There's the secret; get rid of yourself. Then God gets... Get rid of your own thinking. Get rid of your own ways, and then let God move. If He's Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever, you believe it? You believe Him right now and see if it is.
220 I been watching this little fellow setting here, right here in front of me. You don't have a prayer card. You, if God will tell me what you're setting there for, you believe it? It's a spiritual problem; you're all wound up and you don't know what to do. If that's right, raise up your hand. All right. It's all over. Take the Word, what I've said, and it's all over.
222 That man, that white man with his hand up, you believe me to be God's prophet, His servant? I don't know you. You're a stranger to me. You have prayer card or anything? Just a man setting here. All right sir, you got a tumor in your throat. That is right. Is that right? You believe me to be His prophet? You believe me with all your heart? You got another... You got a burden on your heart. It's about a little girl, your grandchild. She's got a bad hand. That's right. Is that true? There's a good connection. Just a minute. You're not from here. You're from Connecticut. And your name is Wilson. Your first name is Art. Art Wilson. That's exactly right. Is that true?
224 I challenge your faith. What is it? When the prophet saw that he was in the Presence of God, he humbled himself. Look, first he humbled himself, then the Fire cleansed him. After the Fire cleansed him, then it was a cleansed Isaiah. When he heard the Voice of God, said, "Who'll go for Me?" he went into action, "Here am I, send me." Oh, my...?...
When the coal of Fire had touched the prophet,
Making him as pure as pure could be,
When the Voice of God said, "Who will go for us?"
Then he answered, "Master, here am I, send me."
Amen. That was the call of the clean Isaiah after the Holy Ghost had cleaned him. He didn't need any seminary experiences; he didn't need any book experiences. He had been cleansed by the Fire of God and called into action. What was it? When he seen God in action, he went in action.
226 We see God in action. It's time for the church to get into action and be examples of what God is. Do you believe that? How many wants to confess all your wrongs and everything now, and say, "God, cleanse me." Healing a young man.
When the coal of Fire had touched the prophet,
Let's stand to our feet. I'll stop right here; it's getting late. Believe with all your heart now. I want you to bow your heads. Remember, after he saw God... There It is again. Amen. Now anything can happen. Anything can happen.
When the coal of Fire had touched the prophet,Making him as pure as pure could be,When the Voice of God said, "Who will go for us?"Then he answered, "Here am I, send me."
Speak, my Lord, (Raise your hands now.) oh, speak, my Lord,Speak, and I'll be quick to answer Thee;Speak, my Lord, speak, my Lord,Speak, and I will answer, "Lord, send me."Oh, millions now in sin and shame are dying, (Look on your streets.)Oh, listen to their sad and bitter cry;Oh, hasten, brother, hasten to their rescue;Quickly answer, "Master, here am I."Speak, my Lord, (Really mean it now.) speak, my Lord,Speak, and I'll be quick to answer Thee;Speak, my Lord, speak, my Lord,Speak, and I will answer, "Lord, send me."
229 Let's place our hands over our heart while we're humming. Make your confession, say, "Lord, I'm a man of unclean lips. I'm a woman of unclean lips." Let's have a real confession; we'll have a real revival. First be cleansed. Watch, the prophet had to be cleansed first. The Fire touched him; then he was in action. "Lord, give me a zeal in my heart. Place something in me I haven't got, Lord. Put Your love and Fire in me, then send me." Now make your confession; believe God with all your heart.
Speak, my Lord, speak, my Lord,
Oh, speak, and I will quickly answer Thee;
Speak, my Lord, speak, my Lord,
Speak, and I will answer, "Lord, send me."
[Brother Branham begins humming--Ed.]
... making him as pure as pure can be,
When the Voice of God said, "Who will go for us?"
Then he answered, "Master, here, send me."
230 Speak... Now, let God speak to your heart now; real humbly, sweetly, reverently in His Presence. Every sinner, every saint, this is for all of us. It's for me. It's for all. Here's His Presence. He's here what He said He would do. The sign that He said we would get, here He is. While the music's playing sweetly, let's just confess our wrong. "I'm not nothing anyhow, Lord. Speak to my heart. Cleanse me first, Lord. Send the Holy Ghost and cleanse me. I know I'm in Your Presence. I see You as Isaiah saw You, moving. The place is full of, not smoke now, it's full of Light, full of glory."
233
... Speak, my Lord,
Speak, and I will answer, "Lord, send me."
All that wants, and will, and have consecrated your lives to Christ anew right now, and want to consecrate yourself in His Presence...If I would start calling what I have seen, I'd--it'd take everybody in here, I believe, right now. I know you. You know I wouldn't stand here and say that as a servant of Christ without... It's just everywhere. You're in a condition right now to start a new Pentecost. It--it certainly is true, friends. Just humble yourselves. Cover your face; cover your feet; just get close to Him. Bow down and make your confession and believe. Do you want to do that? If you do, just raise up your hands, while we sing, "Speak, My Lord."
Speak, my Lord, (Pray now.) speak, my Lord,Speak, and I'll be quick to answer Thee;Oh, speak, my Lord, speak, my Lord.
|
||||||
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|