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Sermon Texts Beginning With I
Influence (63-1130B)
| Influence (63-1130B) |
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1 I'm happy to be here this morning for this fine gathering of--of people, and especially for the young people, as I understand that this service this morning is dedicated to the young people of Shreveport. And that's a very fine time in my life, and a highlight, or I'd call it a red-letter, to get to address the boys and girls that will--will be tomorrow, if there is a tomorrow. So we're happy for this.
2 How many different denominations is represented here this morning in this little group of people? I'd say, Methodists, hold up your hands. I just heard him say it from denominations. All right, Baptists, hold up your hands. Fine. Presbyterian? Just look. Lutheran? Pentecostals? And--and, oh, Nazarenes? Pilgrim Holiness? Any other denomination I haven't mentioned, raise up your hand. Wonder if there's a Catholics in here, let's see them raise up their hands? Yeah. Uh-huh. See? 5 Years ago I used to ranch. And I was out there a few months ago again, stood right up in the gate with some of the brethren I see setting here this morning: Brother Welch Evans, and Brother Banks Wood from my church at Jeffersonville. And we passed through this gap where I've talked about so much. And I'd set there, many morning when they was driving the cattle up off of the... The--the Association, the--was driving their cattle into the forest, the Arapaho Forest. The Troublesome River Hereford Association grazes the forest on this side of the Troublesome River, which is called the East Fork. And then there is a West Fork Troublesome, and the Upper Troublesome River grazes that side.
6 And now, if your ranch can produce, I think, it's two bales of hay now a year, you can put a cow in for each two bales of hay. And 'course the Chamber of Commerce has your brand, and how many cattle your--your--your brand takes care of, or your ranch. 8 And, you know, I--I watched the ranger as he would count the cattle as they went in, checking. He never one time, as I ever seen him yet, look at a brand or examine a brand. There was many brands going in, such as the Grimes' there, the Diamond Bar, ours was the Turkey Track, and then the Tripod, and different--different brands that went in on that forest. He never noticed what brand they had, but he searched every ear to be sure the blood tag was there. Nothing but a thoroughbred Hereford could go in. 9 And I've sit there many times, I thought, "That's the way it'll be at the judgment." He'll never look at our brand, whether we're Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, or whatever we are, or Pentecostal; but He'll watch for the Blood tag, the Token. That's what'll take us in, because nothing can come into glory without it's under the Blood: a Blood tag, that we have accepted what God did for us, in Christ. See, there's--there's nothing that we can do for ourselves, we're a total failure. No way at all. When man sinned, he crossed the chasm between him and God and left... There's no way back at all. But God rich in mercy accepted a Substitute. And that Substitute today for us is Jesus Christ. Only that alone will God recognize, the Blood of His Son, when it comes to that time.
10 Now, we're having a great time over to the Life Tabernacle. We had a glorious time last evening to see the Holy Spirit move among us. And we're all looking for that.
12 I was reading an article not long ago in the Anderson movement of the Church of God, a historian writing. I believe it was in... I don't remember exactly now what age it was. It was several hundred years after the death of Christ; a--a missionary come to England, which was then called Angel-land. And He was trying to convert the king of England to Christianity. And they were setting by a large fireplace, and the lights of the fire was lighting up the--the patio, as we'd call it today. And the saint was trying to convert the king to Christianity. And a little sparrow flew into the light, circled around through the light, and went out into the darkness again. 14 And the saint asked the question, "Where did he come from, and where did he go to?" He came from the unknown and returned back in the same way. And the saint said, "This Bible holds the question like that for us, where we come in from the unknown and go back to the unknown." And the next morning, the king, after studying about it through the night, that the man was right, he and his household was baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, the next morning. Which, is about three or four hundred years, or more, after the death of the last apostle. 15 Now, I think this happening this morning of us coming together, is just not merely to come here to eat breakfast, though we--we appreciate that. I didn't come because... I was tired, and I didn't get up just at the time. I was too late. But I think this happening is for the glory of God and for the Kingdom of God.
16 Now, let us at this time read the text this morning, or read the Scripture from the Bible, that the Lord seems to put upon my heart for the young and old together, especially for the young people of Shreveport, who this meeting is dedicated to. Let us read from Isaiah the 6th chapter, if you will, beginning with the 1st verse.
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high,... lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
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 unto the other, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD God of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
And the post 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 has touched thy lips;... thine iniquity is taken away,... thy sins are purged.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and whom will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
17 I want to take a subject from that this morning called, "Influence." You know, as we might not want to believe this, but everything that we do, we are influencing someone else.
19 And then we never know just what we're doing, or what influence and what we're doing is having upon others. The Bible said, "We are written epistles, read of all men." That is, your life reads so loud to the public, until your testimony, if it's contrary to your life, is without any effect. It's what you are inside of you that people read: not so much what you say, but what you are. See? You can pin something on somebody, say, "This is bad, and so forth," but your life being different from what they say, your testimony of your life is louder than the testimony that someone could say something about you. See? So just keep that on mind, that we're bringing influences every day, and the life that you live proves what's on the inside of you. You cannot change that. It reflects. Every person reflects, outside, what he is inside. 21 Here not long ago, that a--a bridge was to be built down in Australia, and they sent for men from the United States; architects, not architects, but builders, and so forth, bridge men, to come down and see if they could build a bridge to span that strait of water. And they couldn't find a man in America that could--could take it. No. They said, "The sands, and so forth, it wouldn't stand up." So they had a universal call for bridge builders, and none of them would take it. 22 Finally, a fine company of England, they come down, and they took the--the contract after he tested all the ground. He said he would take the contract and build the bridge. Why? Remember, his reputation now as a worldwide bridge builder rested upon what his work would be in that bridge. No matter what he had done in the past, this job that he said he could do would reflect really what he was. They say that he tested every bolt, and every--every piece of metal that went in the bridge; the dirt, and so forth, beneath, and the pressure of the water upon the dirt. And then all the other builders stood around and said, "It--it won't stand. It's--it's got to go down." But on the day of the dedication, the man rode himself in head of the parade, because that he knowed his work was thoroughly tested, and it would stand. 23 And I think that's a great thing that we could look at in Christian life. There had to be a bridge to span the way for the human race to leave this world someday, and there was no one could do it: an Angel, Archangel, Seraphim, a Cherubim, nothing could do it. And God Himself came down in the form of a Man, and bridged the way and made the way, and crossed the bridge first, from the grave to glory. And it sure showed the reflection. Every--every nerve in his body, every thought in His mind, every power that was in Him was tested by the enemy. But He stood the test, even to death itself, when He conquered it.
24 This young boy Uzziah that we're speaking of this morning, he was Isaiah's hero. Isaiah, the young prophet in the days of Uzziah was watching this young fellow, because Uzziah was a great man. He come from a--a fine background. His father and mother, both were strictly staunch believers in God. And they'd raised their boy to serve and to honor God. 26 Now, Uzziah was a boy had been brought up in such a parenthood till it influenced him. Look at one of our greatest Americans that I can think of was Abraham Lincoln. He was certainly deserves all the credit that's given him and more. He had a bad start: born in a poor home, had no way of making an education, wrote in the sands. We understand that the only two books that he ever owned in his life, until he was about twenty-one years old, was the Bible, and "Pilgrim's Progress," or it might've been Foxe's "Book of Martyrs." It was one of those books. But, you see, what that man read, it influenced his life.
28 And that's the same thing it is today. Our markets are--are loaded with vulgar and--and filth to poison the minds of our young children, and then we lay the fault onto them. When I think, many times it belongs in the--to us, us Christian people who will not stand up for the thing that's right, and have those things lawed off of our shelves, and so forth. And then in our homes also, that we let loose and permit all these vulgarities and things to come into our home to influence the children. 31 This new President that's just taken over since... President Johnson, since the assassination of President Kennedy... When he asked the other day, that he called for all the clergy throughout the nation for prayer to help him. I--I admired that in the man. See, he's calling for God to--to help him. I understand that he is a believer and trusts in God. So we need men like that.
32 And we find out that Uzziah, in his time his kingdom spread all the way into Egypt and all the countries around about, till his... It was so great until his kingdom become next to Solomon's kingdom. The glory of the Lord was with him.
35 And now, here we find where that a Christian testimony, no matter how great it's been in the past, it must always continue that way.
38 How many, wonder, we're thinking of just now of great men, great servants, who God has used, and finally comes to a place till they feel that they know so much about the Word of God, till they don't even have that time off to pray no more. It's always social visits, visit somebody, go out to dinner. And the time that they should be spending with God alone, alone in preparing to come out in the sweetness of the Spirit before the congregation, they're out somewhere with some entertainment. You can't serve God and man at the same time. God's servant should be an isolated person to Him only. If we could only let the people see that. 40 And another great thing that we find, 'cause I realize I'm speaking to ministers this morning. And we want... I... When we come before a congregation, knowing this, that perhaps we'll never meet again like we are this morning... And then the things that you say, God holds you responsible for them. So you must come, praying and asking God what to say, and then depend on Him when you get in the platform for something that will help the people.
41 We all know of men in the field today, great men. Some of them gets to a spot, till after they get their congregation all around them, they feel so secure till they think they can even sin and get by with it. We've been knowing of ministers taking the wrong road. And many times that's because that they feel secured, that, "Oh, the people will let me get by with anything." The people might, my brother, but God won't. See, you're going to answer to God. You must never try, as a minister, to try to deceive the ears of your congregation, regardless of how much they could scream, or shout, or carry on, or pat you on the back, and say, "The message is wonderful." You must be a servant to Christ, to stay honorable with that Word, because that Word will reflect Itself through you, and you're going to influence somebody that's watching your life: young people, likewise, businessmen, the same way.
44 A young teenage boy said not long ago, a Christian, he was doing something, he was admiring a certain rock-and-roll young fellow that belonged to his church. And I was speaking at a Youth For Christ meeting. And this young fellow said--said, "You know, I admire So-and-so; I think he's one of the most staunch Christians." And this boy is a rock-and-roll king.
47 That influence of singing those Christian songs, and things like that before the young people, and getting out in the world like that, throws the greatest stumbling block, more than all the bootleg joints and everything else there is in the country. It's a disgrace that that it--that would be even be permitted. The church ought to rise up and not even permit those hymns to be sung by people like that. Taking the talent that God give them, and influencing with their lives speaking louder than what their words are. How can people make such plays as these men does, and then stand and sing hymns and things like that? It's the very height of hypocrisy. And we find out that that goes among Christians, believers. 50 But he got lifted up so much in his heart... Now, I want to speak this word to the Full Gospel Business Men. He got so lifted up in his heart, until he thought he could take a minister's place. He tried to become a minister, which he wasn't called to be. And I think that's a many times that where sometimes men in these ranks, and the businessmen's groups, they--they get to a spot that God blesses them in their business, and makes them prosperous, and so forth, till they get to a place till they think they ought to preach the Gospel also. And that's wrong. That is wrong. You should always let a minister do that preaching, 'cause as Oral Roberts once said, "It's hard enough to keep the thing clear by ministers, let alone by men who's not called for that office." See, you should have men there that knows and are ordained for the work.
51 This proves it. That he... We find out that this man, being a great man, a good man, an honorable man, but he took the--the offering, the censer, and went in to the altar of the Lord to burn incense before the Lord, which is only for a dedicated priest to do so. But he thought, being that God loved him so much, and--and He had been so good to him, that he could go do that anyhow. And the priest run after him and said, "You're not ordained to that office. God forbids that anyone should come in there, only a Levite that's dedicated to that service." You should never do that. 53 Now, we find out, though a good man, blessed of God; but, if God blesses you, you stay in the category that God has called you in. If it's a housewife, remain a housewife. If it's in a business, remain in that business, reflecting God. And whatever God has called you to, let it be that. Because He wants you to be a real housewife to reflect your influence upon another person that would want to be a good housewife. If you're a good businessman, let your life so be that it will reflect Jesus Christ in your business with honesty and integrity, and with things that really mean something. Because somebody is watching your life. You're influencing somebody. God has to have a real housewife. God has to have a real teenage in school. God has to have a--a--a real minister, a real businessman, somebody that will reflect Him. Because there they see in you, Christ. No matter what the rest of the world's got to do, that has not one thing to do with you or I. We are responsible to God for our life and for our experience with Christ.
54 Now, we find out that in his trying to take the--the minister's place, and someone telling him he's out of place, telling him he shouldn't do that, he's out of place, he become anger--angered; he was so angered until his face turned red.
56 Well, that... You know what happened to Hezekiah a-doing that, or--or Uzziah, rather? God smote him with leprosy. The man died in his leprosy, which is a type of sin. He couldn't stand to be corrected by the Word.
58 Now, that's exactly what Uzziah done, a good man. You say, "Well, that person was a..." Now, Uzziah was a good person too, a fine person, a God-blessed man. But no matter what it was, he must always stay in his place. Because God give him the opportunity to influence others by being a righteous king, not a priest. And the Word forbid him to do that, so he went in and was going to offer. And when he was called down, the Word was give to him, that he wasn't supposed to do that thing, that God had blessed him in his business, and whatever it was, but not to try to take this priest's place. He was out of the Word. Well, he was going to do it anyhow, no matter what anyone said.
60 And Uzziah ought to have taken that heed. Now, remember, we call him today a Christian that God had blessed. He wasn't just some ordinary man. He was a man that was blessed by God, but he did not want to stand correction. No matter how much the Word said it was so, he didn't want to understand That, because he felt secure enough that God would let him get by with something else.
62 How can a child face a father and mother that's godly; how could a teenager look in the face of a godly old mother, with her hair turning gray, then say to this teenager, "Honey, mother has raised you different"? And you see back down through the life, what's done for mother. Don't do that, and turn arrogant and say, "Take your religion, and go, I'll do what I want to." What's the outcome of that teenager, what happens to them? It's gone. They're lost, spiritually, morally, many times physically and mentally. They are completely cut off from mercy. Well, then, that would be a horrible thing for a teenage boy or girl.
65 We find out that Uzziah, because of his arrogance he was smitten with leprosy. He never did recover. He never recovered. He had to separate himself from the Presence of God and die in a lepers' house.
67 Now, he was smitten. And when young Isaiah saw this, what a lesson that was to him then to see that a man that gets out of his place, young or old, the one that gets out of his place must suffer the results. No matter how much God had blessed him, he still suffered the results.
70 As Congressman Upshaw once said, the one that was healed in the meeting, and the Lord let me see a vision over him there in California. He had been a cripple for sixty-six years, and was healed instantly by the mercies of God, threw away his crutches, and his old chair and things. He was right here in Shreveport, I think, and testifying. He used to have this saying. He was the senator, I believe, or something, for many years, and congressman from Georgia. And he was a representative of the Baptist church of the Southern Baptist Council or... And then--and then he went and was run for President on the dry ticket, and was defeated because of his position. And that night, never even hearing of the man, never... Doctor Roy Davis, the one that laid hands upon me for ordination for the Missionary Baptist church, he sent him to me. And when he come in to the meeting, the Holy Spirit there, with thousands of people setting, called him by name, and told him what he was and told him that the Lord had healed him. And he come to the platform without crutches, without braces, without anything, reached down, at the age of about seventy-something years old, and touched his toes, back and forth, completely delivered. And an orator he was, and a great man he was. What did he...
73 God orders His man, and you can't take another one's place. If you do, you're only producing a carnal impersonation, and finally it's going to be smitten. See? You can't do it. God orders you to your place.
75 Then we find at the--in the temple, when he was in prayer. Being a prophet, his makeup was to see visions. He was born that way, of course, being a prophet. And he needed a touch from God. And God had ordained him to--to be a prophet. And the vision at the temple, he saw a real King in the vision. He seen God lifted up, high above all the heavens, and His great trail filled the earth and the heavens and the skies. He saw a real Example. In other words, God said, "Look up this a way, I am your Example."
77 Now, Isaiah was a prophet, so he goes down to the temple and he saw the real Example, God. Note the heavenly Seraphims, as they flew through the temple. Now, a Seraphim is a--is a mighty word there. It's not an Angel, but It's a... What It is, It's a sacrifice Burner. It's... He has something to do with the atonement, because He offers the sacrifice to make a way for the repented sinner to the throne of mercy. What a position, higher than an Angel, greater than an Angel. For the Angels stand back. But the Seraphim goes forward with the offering, right in the Presence of God; a Burner of the... The--the Offerer of the prayer that's been made, the Burner of the sacrifice. And here They was, going through the temple, crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty." Think of it, in the temple before this young prophet. 79 Don't never trust in some man. I don't care who he is. If he's a holy man, if he's a good... There's not such a thing. Let me correct that. There's no holy man. There's no holy church. There is not such a thing. It's a holy God, not a holy man. It's the Holy Ghost. Peter one time referred "the holy mount," on Mount Transfiguration. It wasn't the mountain that was holy; it was a holy God that met them on this mountain. It's not the holy Church; it's the holy God in that Church. Not the holy man, but the Holy Spirit working in that man; the man will fail. He's a failure to begin with, anybody. The very greatest of men falls. Don't never put your confidence and your--or make some man your example. Look to God. Christ is your Example.
80 And we find that he had taken his mind now from Uzziah, the king that he loved so well. And he looked up, and he saw what he must understand to be a prophet: that God, and God alone, rules in the lives of men and in His Church. And we noticed him now, what happened.
83 Let's check this vision just a few moments, before we close. Each of these creatures, having six wings, we notice. We're going to take these wings first. "With two he covered his face." Why did He do that? Think of it. Even holy Seraphims in the Presence of God have to cover Their holy faces to stand in His Presence: that never knowed sin, never did sin, don't, there is no way for Them to sin, but yet in the Presence of God, covered Their holy faces.
85 Peter said, on the day of Pentecost, "The promise is to you, to your children, and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." What was the promise of what? The Holy Spirit that was poured out. What startled the people? Because they heard them speaking in languages that they knew not, and they were staggering like drunk men, under the influence of the Holy Spirit. And they was mocking, making fun. And Peter said, "The promise is unto you," when they wanted to repent, "and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
87 And sinful men, scholarly, educated, influential in their denominations, stand in your garb of denomination and try to inject something with that pure, unadulterated Word? Remember, the Word is God. And if a Seraphim, that knowed no sin, had to cover His face to stand in the Presence of God, how are we going to appear that day, when we stand in the Presence of His Word, preached and thoroughly a-vindicated by the Holy Ghost, and still walk away and say it's a telepathy or it's something like that?
89 Now the people doesn't have reverence for Him. Why isn't it people don't reverence God? Reverence was only pertains to God, spoke of twice in the entire Bible, both times pertaining to God. Notice, the reason they don't do it is because they are not fully convinced that it is God. They're not fully convinced. 92 How it would pay us, today, to listen to what David said. He said, "The Lord is always before Me." He bound his commandments upon the--the doorposts and--and upon his bedpost, and he--he put them up everywhere. He even bound them in his heart, purposed in his heart that he wouldn't sin against God. He stayed constantly with the Word before him. That's the reason he said, "I shall not be moved," because everything he done, he had the Word before him. And that's what we should always do, the order of God.
93 Now, He covered His face because God's all holy, and He was crying, "Holy, holy, holy."
97 Now, humbled in His Presence, these Seraphims, humble in His Presence...
100 Listen, young people, you're living in a college town here, or a town where... And I live in a university town. And science is all right, as long as it's not getting out of the Word of God. But I want to know; science cannot give you life. Science can tell you how that...
103 I was speaking recently at a meeting, and a fellow said, met me on the outside, he said, "You're--you're barking up the wrong tree, fellow." Said, "You said that, 'The world here, the six thousand years old.'"
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' Blood with righteousness.
No creed, denomination, no man's example, I want Christ, and Him alone. That's what we must have.
107 Humble... Moses, an intellectual man, but in the Presence of that burning bush, he took off his shoes. He was on holy ground: humbled himself. Humility, that's what the covering of the feet was: humility.
109 What did John the Baptist do, the man that Jesus said there was never a man borned of a woman like him, or could compare with him until that time? That great prophet, ordained of God before the foundation of the world: spoke of, twelve hundred and seven years before He ever come on, or seven hundred and twelve years, rather, before He came to the earth, by the prophet Isaiah here, what did He do when He seen a Man come walking down out of the audience, and he looked up above and saw that Fire coming down from heaven in the form of a dove? He cried out, "I have need to be baptized of Thee."
111 Be conscious of your littleness. You're nothing. You're nothing. How I'd like to dwell on that a few minutes. But you're nothing. Let me...
113 If you want to find how great you are, put your finger down in a pool of water, or a bucket of water, then pull your finger out and try to find where you put your finger. You're nothing. 115 Now, in closing, I might use the other two wings, thirdly. He could fly with these other two wings. Watch. Face covered by the holiness of God and in reverence, His feet covered in humility, and with two wings He could put Hisself in action to move. God was showing His prophet how a prepared servant ought to be. "Quit looking at Uzziah. Here is your Example I've sent before you: cover your face in reverence, cover your feet in humility, and go into action." Oh, what an example. He had looked at Uzziah so long, and seen it fail, now God's telling him what to do, showing him a prepared servant. He went into action.
116 Like the woman at the well went into action as soon as Jesus told her she had five husbands. That woman had been looking for something like that to happen: four hundred years, no prophet. And all at once she goes up to get the water one morning, unexpectedly, and there she met something real. 120 What was He? He was the Word. St. John 1, "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Hebrews, the 4th chapter, said, "The Word of God is quicker, more powerful than a two-edged sword, cutting..." It just don't baby and pat. It cuts coming and going. See, "Cutting to the marrow of the bone, and It is a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." That's the Word, the Word made flesh. And here it was; what did He do? He looked upon them and could perceive their thoughts, because He was that Word, and the unchangeable Word. And He's still the same. He doesn't change. Now, notice. In this unchangeable Word He looked right into the woman's face.
121 And here she was standing, as we'd call her today, a woman of ill fame, a street prostitute, or something, maybe a child had been turned out and let go by parents; and too many of them today. But here was this lovely, pretty, young, maybe a teenage woman, maybe in her eighteenth year, she--she'd be out of high school. And here she'd took the road that's wrong, and the morals of her life was decayed. And she had nothing she could hold onto, yet, a--a pretty girl.
123 And, many times, what if that woman would've throwed down the water-pot and walked away, like some people get up and walk out of the meeting 'fore they know? See, it'd have never been that way.
126 And she said, "Sir, otherwise, we haven't had a prophet for four hundred years. And I perceive that You are a prophet. Now, we have no Scripture saying that we're to get a prophet now outside of the Messiah. We know Messiah is coming. And this was--that's the sign of a prophet, we know He's coming and He'll do these things." 129 Now, what? She's ready. Then it's revealed to her that that is Messiah. And immediately she went into action. Stop her? You couldn't do it. Right into the city, and said, "Come see a Man Who's told me the things I done. We been looking for the Messiah, and there He is." And the Bible says that the men of that city believed because of the woman's testimony. She had something so real that she could display. Her influence, after meeting Jesus Christ and bringing back the direct results that her Bible, that she'd been taught, told her that the Messiah would do, she convinced the men that that was the Messiah. Four hundred years, they never had nothing like it, "And here is the Man." And her testimony, yet a prostitute, was convincing.
130 Oh, young lady, you might not live that kind of a life. But, oh, if you could only meet this One I'm talking about, what your influence will be to your schoolmates.
132 Peter, when he seen and was convinced, that... We find out, he'd fished all night and had taken nothing. He was a fisherman. He knowed when the moon changed, and when fish run and when they didn't. But he was kind enough to set down and listen to Jesus for a few minutes. He didn't get up and run out. He stood to hear it through. And after the message was all over, and everything, because that he was kind enough...
134 Watch the Word come. "Simon," now He's commissioning him, "let down the net for the draught."
141 The blind man that was healed, he couldn't explain. He couldn't tell just how it was that He did it. And he didn't know whether he was a sinner or not; he said, "It's a strange thing to me, that you men here, you priests asking me what, this question."
145 And then even his parents, afraid of losing their dignity, of being the member of this great church of the city, they was ashamed to say anything about it. They turned it back onto the boy, and they said, "Ask him; he's of age. Go ask him how it happened. We know that's our son, and we know he was born blind, but I--I ain't going to say nothing." Oh, that lukewarm, borderline, make-believer.
150 When the very Bible said that when He come, the blind should see, the lame men would leap like a hart. They ought to have seen the Word was manifested. See?
154 Sign, oh, the sign of His coming is at hand. And we know there's not a thing on earth... 158 I was interviewed here in Mexico. Brother Jack was with me. And the little baby was raised from the dead, after dying that morning at nine o'clock. And it was raised up from the dead, that night at eleven on the platform by a vision. Brother Jack was there. I sent him to pray for the baby. And the lady holding the baby in her arms, like this. Raining, pouring down, and he had on Brother Arment's coat. And Billy said, "I've give out..." Brother... Or this Brother Espinosa's friend, I don't know what... I called him, "Manana," because he--he--he was so--so slow. And so I said... He give out the prayer cards, and Billy just stood to see that he didn't sell one. And he give them all out. And this woman had the dead baby. And she said... Why, Billy said, "I ain't got enough ushers to hold her back." 159 And I said, "She'd never know me. She don't know me." The night before, that blind man had received his sight. And far as across this platform, just ricks of old coats and shawls, and things, poor people. And I said, "Well, Brother Jack, go down and pray for the baby." I said, "She'd never know the difference between me and you." And she just run under them man's legs and jump up on top of their backs, and walk with that dead baby: a little, pretty little girl, just about this high, maybe her first baby. And she looked to be in her twenties, very attractive girl. And so I said, "Go pray for her, Brother Jack, because she'll never know who's who." And me standing back there speaking through an interpreter, she wouldn't know whether I was the one praying for the sick or he was.
160 Brother Jack started down there. And I looked out in front of me, and there was a vision, this little baby setting here. I said, "Never mind. Bring it here." In a few moments that baby was alive, laying hands upon it.
164 Now, the prophet then seen what self-exalted denominations did. He seen they could not take the place of the office. They lose their hold with their creeds, and so forth. In expectancy of the creeds, they accept that and think that's it. And we find out that men like Uzziah try to take the place of the anointed office, and they fail. Many of them turns out neurotics, drunkards, and so forth, trying to take the place of an anointed office, trying to impersonate. Instead of having what they're talking about, and called of God to do it, and ordained of God to do it, they run off in great big swarms and build big organizations, and intellectual men, and great big things, and flashing, and like Hollywood, and preaching the coming of the Lord is at hand. We've seen men lose their hold, because they try to take an office they're not ordained to, just like Uzziah.
165 God said, "Preach the Gospel. Demonstrate the power of the Holy Ghost. These signs will follow them that believe." Not, "Go make organizations, have schools, and so forth." Nothing against it, but that don't take this office's place. And we see now, that men and women who try to take that anointed office when they're not ordained to do it, we see what happens to them.
169 Be like David, "I'd rather be a doormat at the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents with the wicked." Yes, a doormat... "Wherever You call me, Lord, let me be the best doormat You ever had. If the people have to wipe their feet on me, let me be a real doormat. I'll clean feet, if nothing else."
171 When he seen the effects, and then seen what taken place... Now, I'm closing, one more thing I say. His feet and hands... His wings covered his face in reverence, his feet in humility, and then his two wings put him in action. Just think of that, the effects of the vision upon the prophet. What did it do to the prophet? It showed him that no man, no man...
173 Watch what the--the effects did. Now, minister brothers, I want this to go down in your hearts, all of you. What happened to the prophet? It caused that prophet, ordained to an office before the foundation of the world... Gifts and callings are without repentance. It caused that prophet... What about a minister, bishop, which is nothing like a prophet; teacher, pastor, or evangelist, what ought it do to them? But to see the vision of the Lord, it caused the prophet to confess he was a sinner.
176 The prophet, a man who had been in the king's palace, known to be a prophet... Do you hear me? 'Caused this ordained prophet, the vision of the Lord caused him to cry, "Woe is me! I'm a man of unclean lips. I live among un--a people that's got unclean lips. And my eyes has seen the order of the Lord." Oh, minister brother, can you see it? "My eyes has seen the order of the Lord.
180 Notice the order. He never brought him a book, a catechism. God doesn't prepare His servants by books and catechism. He prepares His servants by Fire, cleansing Fire, Fire from the altar.
183 And the Bible said that, "The promise is unto you, and to your children, to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." This same Holy Ghost, this same Jesus that come in the form of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, is the only cleansing process God knows anything about cleansing His servant.
186 Young man and woman, your life before you, let's you and I go down to the altar this morning. Let's go down to the house of God for a few minutes. Businessman, housewife, minister, let's go down to the house of God.
188 Now, let's go down to the house of God in our heart, the altar, let's look up and see what Jesus looks like, which is the Word. And then we can answer, "Here am I, send me, Lord. Send me to the house to be a better wife. Send me to school to be a better teenage girl. Send me to school to be a better teenage boy. Send me to the pulpit a different minister. Send me to my business a different businessman. When you see your Example, Jesus Christ...
190 Let us bow our heads just a moment. [Tongues and interpretation are given--Ed.]
When the coal of Fire had touched the prophet,
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."
Speak, my Lord, 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."
[Brother Branham begins humming, "Speak, My Lord."--Ed.] Think of it now, teenager, while they're humming that song. Think of it, minister, businessman, housewife. We're down at the house of the Lord now. Look above you and see your Example, the Cherubims. Just think, you're at the end of time now. Time will fade into eternity, maybe today. We don't know just when. Think of it.
There's millions now in sin and shame are dying; (Look on the street.)Listen to their sad and bitter cry;Hasten, brother, hasten to their rescue;Quickly answer, "Master, here am I."
Oh, speak, my Lord, oh, speak... (Mean it from your heart now. Isaiah, where are you?)... and I'll be quick to answer Thee;Speak, my Lord... (Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals, where you at?)Lord, speak, and I will answer, "Lord, send me."
192 Do you really mean it? When He speaks to your heart, will you mean it?
Speak, my Lord, oh, speak, my Lord,
If He's speaking to you while they're singing it...
... will quickly answer... (Will you raise up your hand, say, "Me, Lord. Me, Lord"? God bless you.)... my Lord, speak, my Lord,
Speak, and I will answer...
"Let me be an influence, Lord, to others. I can't do it till You cleanse me. Send the Angel now, Lord."
Speak, my Lord; oh, speak, my Lord;
Speak, and I will answer, answer Thee;
Oh, speak, my Lord; speak, my Lord,
(With your hands up now.)
... and I will...
It shows He is speaking. Now may the Fire come and cleanse them.
Speak, my Lord; speak, my Lord.
196 Lord Jesus, as the song is sang, "Speak, and I will quickly answer Thee," literally dozens of hands are up in here, Lord, amongst the teenage, and amongst the old, ministers, businessmen. Surely, Lord, You're still speaking. Send the Angel now with a coal of cleansing Fire. Prepare Your servants right, Lord, for the task that lays before us.
198 Now, with your heads, and your arms, your hearts, your everything turned to God, right here in the temple of God, where the Holy Ghost is, and His train fills the building... The Presence of His Being is here. Let's just accept It now, if you can feel God touching you now, as we sing this song again.
When the coal of Fire had touched the prophet,
Making him as pure as pure could be.
Let's, as our heads and hearts bowed before Him now, sing that again. And just let the Angel of God cleanse our hearts from all filth and--and all the glamor of the world. And you little girls and boys from high school in here, little teenagers of Shreveport here, you good old southern people here that used to have the old fashion Gospel down here, you see there's something that the church don't provide for you today, but God's got it for you. Won't you let Him cleanse your heart now? You dwell among people that dance, and everything else, and call themselves church members, and you see the filth and things that's in our churches from everywhere. From Catholic, plumb--the first organized church to the last one, that's Pentecost; every one of us is guilty. Every one are guilty, without any exception.
200 You see where we've got ourself? Our great schools to educate our ministers and things, and the thing that they twisted us up in out there. Let's throw the thing aside. Do like Paul of old, "None of these things move me. I'm persuaded that there's nothing present, nor nothing future, nothing can separate us from that love of God that's in Christ. And forgetting those things that are in the past, I press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ." Oh, my. Believe it now, as we close our eyes and open our hearts to Him and sing.
When the coal of Fire had touched the prophet,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."
Oh, speak, my Lord, speak... (Now let's just raise our hands to Him, and believe it.)Speak, (Speak, Lord,)... I'll be quick to answer Thee;
Speak, my Lord; speak, my Lord,
Speak, and I will answer, "Lord, send me."
Yes, speak, my Lord...
Pray now. I'm going to ask Brother Don to come here and pray with us.
Speak, and I'll be quick to answer Thee.
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