God In My Flesh

Chapter nineteen of the book of Job, and I'm omitting a little of the singing. I guess. Really, I guess it's about time to go into the Word anyway. About the time that we usually try to get into It, but I might be omitting a little bit of the singing tonight, maybe the special singing and different things, because I wanted to talk with you just a little out of my heart concerning the Word. Lot of things I'd like to say to you but I've not been able so far, and perhaps I may not be able until__ Well, I know I won't until God's appropriate hour but from time to time I'm sure He will let me say things to you. First of all I'd like to say that the ministry, our ministry here is spreading all over the nation and the different parts of the world in a great way. God is blessing us, giving us a great response. And He is helping us in every way, cutting off occasions from Satan in every way, and He is working with us in a beautiful manner, for which I'm very grateful. I can truthfully say that He hath not left me nor forsaken me as He promised me in His Word. And as He promised me when He Himself came to me in a vision in Florida and put a ring on my finger saying, I'll never leave you, nor forsake you, but I'll be with you in a time of trouble and in the time of need. He hath not failed me; He hath been with me through the years in every way. This I'm very grateful for, and I'm very thankful I can still say tonight that the glory and grace of God in my heart and my life is as fresh and clean as ever. My heart is still fresh without condemnation. My strength is still as it was when Joshua and Caleb crossed Jordan and when they said that their strength was still great in God. My strength is still great in God and the Lord is being with me and helping me in every way. I want to read just a little bit in the book of Job. If you've got your Bibles in the nineteenth chapter of the book of Job.

Job 19:1-29: “Then Job answered and said, How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words? These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me. And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself. If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach: Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net. Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths. He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree. He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies. His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle. He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me. My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight. I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth. My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children’s sake of mine own body. Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me. All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me. My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth. Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me. Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh? Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me? Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.”


One thing that we can see right off here in the complaint of Job is that Job in the bitterness of his spirit, having been cut off from God, being typical of Jesus here, is making a complaint. Job has lived holy. Job has done right. There is no reason for God to reject Job, and even though it appears that God is rejecting Job, yet God is not rejecting Job. God is only putting Job through a trial. And Job, here being typical of the Lord Jesus and the sufferings of the Lord Jesus, if you'll notice the thing that Job points out is that these ten times Ye have done this to me. These ten times, which is typical of the commandments, the ten commandments of God, or the ordinances of God that were responsible for fastening Jesus to the cross in that he suffered as a violator of the law when he had done no wrong. Job having done no wrong here is suffering as a violator and is being accused these ten times, which is typical of the accusation of the law, in that it is against sin. God is responsible for this in that God Himself made Jesus sin, and though Job has done no wrong being typical of Jesus, God has said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job? That is to turn Satan loose of Job to try Job. Not that God has found fault with Job, but rather that God desires to promote Job to even a greater place and a greater position in life than he has ever known, and to give him greater blessings than he hath ever known before. So then, it is the same way with Christ, God desiring him that he should be set at the right hand of God and that the former children that Jesus had, which were of course the Jews that had come against the Lord Jesus, that is Job, there children that had troubled Job was to be taken away and in the place of these children was to come the Gentile church, which would love the Lord Jesus with all their heart. Or, that is, that in the latter time Job was to receive more daughters that were more beautiful than ever, being typical of the glorified church and also receive a greater substance, and also being put in a position to were Satan never again could attack Job. Never again could Satan ever cross Jesus. Never again after that He has risen from the dead. Not only has God wrote these things that we might see them, comprehend them and have them as our benefit, or to know that God has written this, not just for the sake of Christ, but for our benefit that we might know that we who are numbered with the Lord Jesus in these things that we are just as secure in the Lord Jesus as Job was after that he has passed through his persecution and his trials. He makes the statement here, he said, though the skin worms will destroy the body, he said, yet I shall see God in my flesh. You know that's a good thought: I shall see God in my flesh. I shall see God, he said, and not another. I shall see him for myself, he said. I shall see God in my flesh. Now I know that we're told in the Scriptures that we can't see God and live. And I know that there is no way that you can remain a living person, as far as the old man is concerned, and see God. But I do know that if you pass through the fire, if you pass through the trials, if you are crucified with Christ, if you're buried with Him in baptism and you are arisen with Him in the resurrection then I know that you can see God in your flesh. You can see Him yourself and not another, but you can see Him for yourself. I'm thankful tonight that I, as Paul said, I've been crucified with Christ. It's not I that lives but Christ that liveth within me, and the life I now live I live but the Son of God, therefore I can see God. And Jesus said whatever the Father does I see it and I do whatever the Father tells me. I know the voice of God and I can see God, not through my natural eyes. I've said this so many times. They say there are twenty-two conductive nerves from these eyes over to the brain and I don't see God on these nerves because God is too great. God is too great for a man to hear over a few nerves that are in a fleshly body of bones. He's too great for man to behold Him as some natural figure out here over these eyes, or these little ole nerves that teletype, we'll say, things to the brain. Now, but through the eyes of your understanding, through the mind of Christ, which is the Word of God, as we grow into it, as we understand it then we become great in God, and we get to the place to where we can see God. Now, thanks, Brother Taylor. We get to the place to where we can see God and where we can understand God, and sure enough when we come to the place to where we can see God then we watch the move of God and we do what God tells us to do. And as we move with God, or as we see God, then great things start happening in our lives. You know, a lot of people they don't want to accept the fact that people can be great in the sight of God, do they? A lot of folks say, Well, I think Brother Lyman, you're just like I am. Brother Hollis, you're just like I am. Brother Taylor, you're just like I am. But let me tell you, there are people in this world that are not just as you are. There are people in this world that are exceedingly great in the sight of God. Now, it was said of John when John came into the world, when John the baptist was born prior to the birth it was said in the prophecy that God would send a man called John, and he would be a man that was sent from God. You know, God sends men into the earth. A lot of people believe that Brother Branham was a man sent from God because he did such great miracles. Well, here's a man that did no miracles and yet the Bible said he was sent from God. John, a great man sent from God, and the prophecy concerning this man, it said, and he shall be great in the sight of God. Said this man shall be great, not in the sight of the President of the bank, not in the sight of the people of the world. Not great in the organizations of the world, or in money powers, or in politics, but said, this man shall be great in the sight of God. This man was a great man in the sight of God. A man sent from God. Therefore, when Brother Branham came into the world they felt that he was a man sent from God, because the voice that spoke to him said that you will forerun the second coming as John forerun the first. And in that they said John was a man sent from God they felt that he was filling the same place of John and that he was a man sent from God. Now, but there is one thing about it, God has people in this world. There are people in this world, Brother Taylor, that are sent from God. Whether you ever acknowledge it, or not, these people are sent from God and they're sent to do a work in the earth and they're sent here as a proper child, born at a certain season for a certain time, and a certain work for your benefit they are placed in the earth. These men should be honored. They should be reverenced. They should be looked upon, not as any other man in the sense they are no different, but not in that way, but as somebody that God has His hands on. Hallelujah! The Bible says giving double honor unto them because they labor in the Lord. Not that you should regard their natural person more than any other man's person, because they are a human being just like you are a human being. And Paul said, not that anybody should think more highly of themselves than they ought to but soberly according to the measure of faith, or that no man should think of me more than they see me to be, but esteeming Christ on the inside, not knowing a man after the flesh but esteeming the Christ on the inside we should regard our brother and our fellow man who is a Christian person, not as another person in the world. Don't you ever look at a Christian as just being somebody else in the world, because they are not. They are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. If John the baptist could be regarded as some great figure in the earth, never having received the Holy Ghost, as far as the baptism of the Holy Ghost, John never having received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, if John could be regarded as a great man and yet the Bible says that any member of the church, or the body of Christ, is greater than John, how much more should we esteem the membership of the church and respect our brothers in Christ, in that they are a great instrument that God has placed in the earth for His cause. How much more should we regard that. Now, bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. If they are to be regarded in that way how much more respect should we have for the ministry, in that the Bible said be subject unto the ministry because these are they that God has ordained in the earth to watch over your soul, my Brother. They watch over your soul. A lot of people say, Brother Pike, I don't need anybody to watch over my soul. But the Bible said that these men are ordained of God to be in the earth to watch over your soul. Not only are they ordained to do that, but the Bible said that you are to be subject to them because they watch for your soul. God is going to hold them responsible, and hold them accountable, not just for their soul but for your soul. Somebody would say, Well, I'd like for you to prove that. God said to the prophet, He said, go preach to the people. He said, If you don't do it I will require their blood at your hands. Is that right? Why should He require anybody's blood at the prophet's hands? I don't see where it would be fair for God to require your blood at my hands. Why not require my blood at my hands and require your blood at your hands? See? Isn't that a little bit unfair with God? It would be if it wasn't for the fact that God has ordained a prophet, or a minister in such a way that He has given him a mind that excels the mind of the people of the earth, and give him an insight that is so extensive beyond that of mankind that he is before God accountable for them that he comes in contact with. That's why it isn't unfair. He can see farther, therefore, more is required of them. To them that He has given the more He will require the more. As Paul said when Paul preached the gospel, and the Jews would not listen to Paul, then Paul said to them, said, your blood be upon your own heads. Is that right? He said, I have preached the gospel to you and you won't hear me so he said, Your blood be upon your own heads. Isn't that right? So then, God was requiring the blood at Paul's hand. Isn't that right? Tonight he's requiring your blood at my hand if I don't lead you right. I'm going to tell you the truth. You might not like it. Some of you might not agree with me. Some of you might say things against me. Some of you might go off; you might do me like the miserable comforters did Job. I don't know. But I'm going to tell you the truth. I'm going to tell you exactly the way that God tells me. I'm going to pass it on to you so you'll know it just exactly the way that God tells me. Job said, these ten times you have accused me, he said, but I wasn't to be accused before God. God does not accuse His ministry. My Brothers and Sisters, when you see the ministry going through a trial, when you see a child of God going through a trial, don't you pounce on him. Don't you look on your Brother in the day of his calamity. Don't you get all upset; don't you find fault with him because the Bible said beware lest God turn away from that individual and turn on you. God is purging that individual. In the days of Daniel it looked like Daniel was having a hard time. It looked like the wicked was setup and Daniel was cast down. In the days of the Hebrew children it looked like the Hebrew children were cast down and the people of that day were set up, and it looked like the wicked had the preeminence. In the days of David, David said, my feet almost slipped when I saw the prosperity of the wicked until God took me to church, or to the house of God, and made me to know their end. And I want you to know today it's the same way. It looks like to some of you that the wicked are set up and you are cast down, but I want you to know that God put Daniel in the lions den, and God put the children in the fiery furnace. It was God that put them down there. Not because God didn't trust them but because God did trust them. Hallelujah! Job was going through it because God did something. He wasn't going through it because God didn't trust him. God did trust him, and God believed him, and God felt if he subjected him to those things Job would come out. And Job said, though the skin worms devour my body, he said, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Hallelujah! To me that's a real testimony. That's the way it ought to be. Brother Jimmy Kirk going through the trials he's been going through, God raised him up into a high place and then Satan struck him and God suffered him to go through it. God isn't angry at him. God isn't tearing him down. God is putting him to the test so he can give him a promotion. And if he'll believe God will do it. Hallelujah! No need to take the tuck head when somebody comes along to pity you, listen at that kind of thing Satan will over throw you. Peter came over to Jesus and Jesus was fixing to go to Calvary, and Peter came over to him, and Peter said, Nay, Lord, be it far from You. We're not going to let you be mistreated. We're not going to let somebody take advantage of you, but Jesus knew that He was in for a promotion. He said, Get thee behind me, Satan. Hallelujah! I'm going somewhere. You can't stop me. He said, My Father ordained it. Shall I not drink the cup that He has ordained that I drink? And He said, Lord, give me the cup. He said, Get thee behind me. A lot of times Satan will come with pity. He'll come with flattery, and he'll try to overthrow you. But what you need to do is say, I'm going to drink the cup my Father give me. Be it ever so bitter, but I'm going to drink the cup He gave me, because I know that if I'm going through a trial He's got a promotion for me somewhere. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I said, He's got a promotion. If you're going through a trial God has got something for you, my Brother, my Sister. Hallelujah! Don't take pity from somebody. Don't get discouraged. Don't say God has laid me aside, and God doesn't care for me. Don't try to do that. But just stand there and say, Lord, be it as You will. Thou the skin worms devour my body I'll be faithful, Lord. Though when I'm tried, Job said, You put me through the fire, he said, when the fire burns around my feet, he said, I'll be faithful God. He said, I'll come forth as gold when You get through burning me. Hallelujah! Burn all the dross out, but I'll come forth as gold when You get through. Isn't that a testimony? Hallelujah! I used to hear them sing the song about ole Job, but I'll tell you what, if we would look on Job in a different way we'd be different people. A lot of people when they get cast down they won't to say, Well, I know how Job felt. Woe is me. Everybody is against me. But that wasn't the testimony of Job. Job's testimony was, these ten times you came against me but in my flesh I shall see God. God is still with me. Hallelujah! That was the testimony of Job; I'll come forth as pure gold. That's the kind of testimony we need. I like David's testimony when David rode into the city there. David was riding along and as this fellow came up and began to curse him and find fault with him one of his great leaders said, David, all you've got to do is just go__ He didn't say it this way but that was all it would have took. If you would have just blinked your eyes to let me know you wanted me to I would have take that fellows head slap off of his shoulders. Said, that's all you'd have to do, David. You just nod your head in that direction by that letting me know. That's how loyal they were to David. David said, Don't you bother him. Don't you bother. The preparation of a man's heart is from God. I've done something or the man wouldn't be cursing me like that. David knew that guilty complex. David knew he'd done wrong. David knew he'd side stepped the will of God. He knew that God wasn't unjust, that Satan had gotten place and come against him because he'd not done the thing he had ought to. A lot of you that have problems you know that you've done wrong. You know that you've side stepped the will of God. You know that God didn't do that, that you gave place to a spirit and that spirit did that. Hallelujah! But if you'll turn around like David did and acknowledge the thing and say, Have mercy on me, Lord. Have mercy on me, Lord. I didn't mean to do it. Forgive me, Jesus. Fall down before God. God is merciful, God's sweet, God's understanding. You fall down and you begin to pray, begin to fast and call on the Lord, and say, Lord, help me, Jesus. Help me, Jesus, I didn't mean to say that. I didn't mean to do that. Give me strength and help me, and a great, big, compassionate God, it just tears Him all up. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I tell you what, you can throw out your chest and come against Him in pride, haughtiness, and come against God and say you ain't going to do this, and you're going to do that. God resists the proud. God will never even flinch because He's not afraid of anybody. He's not afraid of any power. He's not afraid of anything you can do. He'll just stand there and resist you. But when you fall down and say, Oh, Lord, help me, Jesus; I'm nothing, Lord, and You're everything. Then it just tears Him all to pieces. He looses His wrath. He looses His anger, and He just wants to get through to a little suffering child and take it up into his arms like that. Hallelujah! David knew that. David knew that. When the plagues began to come somebody said, Well, said, David, you tell us which one of these plagues you want. Said, the plague will kill so many, or this will happen. Said, we'll give you a choice and you can choose whether you want so many dead from this plague, or so many dead from that plague, or this thing to happen. Said, What do you choose, David? He said, let me fall into the arms of God. He said, Just let God turn on me. Just let God turn on me. Why did he do that? That sounds like a fools choice, don't it? But He knew how tender God was. He knew that if that plague was ordained to kill ten thousand that the Word of God couldn't be altered and Israel was gone, but he knew God was merciful and if he just fall on the mercies of God and just say, God turn Your wrath on me, that he had a chance. He had a chance, and so then he said, just let God turn His wrath on me. And God turned His wrath on him, but ole David just stayed there and David prayed and said, Mercy, mercy, God, mercy. And after awhile God quit swinging that great arm. It got slower and slower until finally He said, hold back the sword; I can't bother him any longer. David's pleading for my people, get the sword out of the way, and he moved Satan back. The Bible said it was Satan that rose up against Israel, and He said, get out of the way Satan. Get out of the way, Satan, and Satan had to draw that sword back and get back in the back ground. Hallelujah! Praise God. He's merciful, long suffering and tender, kind and understanding. Why don't we humble ourself under the mighty hand of God that He might exalt us in due season? Why don't we come together in unity to love one another. Look, friends, he that showeth mercy is going to receive mercy. If you have no mercy you will be judged without mercy, but if you show mercy God will give you mercy. Hallelujah! Somebody said, Well, I'm broke up in tears; I've been hurt. Let me tell you something, you can set and be bawling and broke up in tears and feel like you're hurt, and you might be the meanest critter on earth. Amen. Esau wept and bawled because things didn't go right for him and he was just as cruel as he could be, contrary to the will of God. The Bible said Satan humbles himself. Crying doesn't mean that you're humble. Going away somewhere__ You can kill a man and go off and cry about it and get over it and go back and kill another man. A lot of folks have done it. That don't mean nothing. Hallelujah! Do you understand what I'm saying? But why don't you get honest with God? Why don't you get straight with God and say, Lord, if there's trouble in my life I let it in somewhere; I'm to blame. If there's sorrow in my heart, if there is sickness in my body, if there's shame in my congregation I'm to blame for it; I let in in somewhere, and go face the situation. If you've got ought against your brother go to your brother. Don't go to somebody else. That's not the way to get it done. If there's ought against your brother go to your brother. Somebody says, Well, I can't go to my brother, he's to so and so, or he'd have a fit. I'll tell you one thing. Any man that would do that is not your brother. Any man that will pitch a fit and stand on his head and do all these ugly things when you go to him, you're not dealing with a brother, you're dealing with a devil. If you've got a brother you can deal with a brother. Hallelujah! Amen. You love Lord? Praise God. Somebody said, What do you mean? I mean what I said. (Begin side two.) You trespass against me and I come to you and I say, My Brother, you trespassed against me; you mistreated me. If you're a real brother you might say something back to me, but if I pick up the Scriptures and I prove by the Word of God (The Bible said, come and let us reason together.) and I prove by the Word of God that you've trespassed against me then if you're a real brother the fear of God will grip your heart and you'll say, Forgive me, my brother. I'm in the wrong. I didn't mean to do that. That's true. That's true. If you rise up when somebody proves that you're in the wrong according to the Scripture then you rise up, you are not a brother, you are a devil. You can say amen, or oh, me. I said, you are not a brother, you're a devil. Hallelujah! How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Somebody said, Well, what do you think we ought to do? Well, I don't altogether agree with Brother Charlie. He got upset one day with Brother Zell when they were travelling around a little bit. A fellow kind of pounced on Zell and Charlie kind of got upset and said, Well, I don't know but one thing, said, the Bible said cast the devil out, and Charlie was thinking about throwing him through the window. That's not the way to do it. Got just a little bit beside himself. I agree that you should cast the devil out though. He should be cast out, but not that way. Through the spiritual power of the Word, the authority of the Word, we should, by all means, drive the evil spirits out but not that way. Do you love the Lord? Sometimes we're ask this question. Brother Pike, you've got authorities out here, but now what__ If we've got somebody out here that's going to fight back, or mistreat the authorities, then you don't have a jail, you don't believe in putting people in jail, what are you going to do? I don't have to worry about a jail; they've got a jail up town. I don't have to worry about putting a brother in jail cause a brother is not going to do it. You say, But somebody might do it. Well, if they do they are not a brother. If they're not a brother then they've got no business being with us. Let the world take care of them, and if the world puts them in jail that's their place. That's the way they do things out there. So we ain't got no problem, we don't need any jails. We just need some trustworthy authorities that people here, and those that are in Christ will honor. Those that will not honor it the world will deal with them. The law is made for the ungodly, Jesus said. So let the world deal with them. How many of you understand what I'm saying tonight? All right, so then, we're to come together to love one another. I know that some of you are going through heartaches right now. I know some of you are going through trials, that the waters are deep. I know that. There are a lot of problems in your life, a lot of financial problems, lot of physical problems, but I can say in general that our people, as a whole, you've got to admit that God is taking good care of you financially, physically, and spiritual and unless you are slipping around the edges somewhere most of you will have to admit that you are getting along pretty good in your body. Now there are a few ailments and different things here and there, but everybody has them. That's right. There's a few growing pains, and some people every time they have a pain they feel like they've got cancer. It wouldn't make no difference if they had a pain in their big toe, they'd finally figure it out in that mind of fear that they had a cancer up here somewhere that was causing the toe to hurt. A lot of people have faith in God and if they had a pain in their head they'd say, Devil, you're a liar. I believe God is with me and I don't believe there is nothing wrong with me, cause God said, by His stripes I'm healed. Isn't that right? A lot of people say, Well, I just don't believe God is going to save my folks. Well, that's unbelief. Somebody says, Well, I just don't believe this thing is going to work out. I just believe it's going to turn into a big mess. That's unbelief. You are already a big mess to start with. Somebody says, Well, I don't believe that brother will ever make it. Well, that's unbelief. The Bible said charity hopeth all things. That's unbelief. If you had the right kind of spirit you'd believe for your enemies and pray for your enemies, and you'd hope all things and believe all things, and make all kind of efforts to make the thing come to pass according to the Word of God. That's the way it ought to be. If you've got the right kind of attitude toward it you'll believe. I believe the church is going to be here. I believe God is going to bless the church. I'm going to do everything I can to pray and see that God blesses it. If you don't believe God is going to bless the church you need to get out of it because you're a hindrance on the boat, you're a Jonah. Amen. If you don't believe that God is going to bless the church and bless the people it's for sure that you are never going to pray and fast and do anything to get God to do it; that's for sure. You're not going to ask God to bless something you don't believe is going to be blessed, that's for sure. So then, I don't have any need for you. God don't either. But if you believe, and I do believe that this is God's people, this is God's work, that God is going to do a work with it. God's going to have somebody He can trust and somebody that will unite together with the brethren. Somebody says, I don't believe it, and bless God you just wait until it goes down and then you'll see. If it goes down I'll say, Praise God, I'm seeing Him work in a different way. Isn't it wonderful how He took it down? He's got something brand new and better and He's fixing to give us a promotion. I'll say, that ole evil person of unbelief that kept saying it was going down, I'll say, just wait, God will turn him upside down after awhile. Somebody would say, Well, what if he told the truth and it happened? God said, don't pay any attention to it, said, I'll send prophets among you and let them speak things that will come to pass to try you to see if it's in the Word, to see if you're in the Word. Somebody said, What do you mean? I mean Balaam could see visions, fall into trances, see visions. People say, I saw a vision. I had a dream. I've done this. I've done that. That don't mean nothing. If it doesn't ring true with the Word it doesn't mean a thing. Balaam could see visions but he was perverted, loved the wages of unrighteousness. He didn't want to see the church prosper. He didn't want to see the things of God prosper and he used his gifts in a perverted way. Instead of believing to the success of the children he tried to come against them and God had to destroy him. You can have a gift and put it into the hands of the devil, did you know that? A gift is real my brother and sister. It's real, but you can let the wrong spirit have a hold of it. You can know the Word of God and still let the devil get behind it and pull it and misuse it and tear down and cause confusion and everything. Did you know that? Because you have visions, cause you tell people things, cause you've got a gift that don't prove nothing to me. Somebody said, Well, what does prove something to you? When you talk holy, walk holy, live holy. When you unite yourself with the spirit of holiness. I still conclude that the world is going to be deceived by miracles. A lot of people say, don't believe the devil can heal. Well, that's where you're mistaken. Somebody said, Brother Pike, you don't believe the devil can heal. I certainly do. I believe nature can heal. I believe__ Somebody said, the doctors can't heal. I don't agree with you. I say doctors can't heal when it comes to God having His way, but I believe nature heals. There's medicines that heal. There's doctors that heals and the devil heals. Somebody said, well, if that be true then how do we know God? Because when God gives a healing he gives a divine healing. I said, it's a divine healing. He don't have to have a remedy. He don't have to have this. He don't have to have nothing else. He gives us wisdom a lot of times for remedies and the remedy comes from God and helps us, but when God does a miracle it's a divine deliverance coming from the Holy Spirit. It's divine healing. You say, where did you ever see the devil heal anybody? The Bible said the deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after it. Somebody says, Well, what makes you believe the devil did it? Because the Bible said God gave him the power to continue forty-two months. I said God made allowance for it. Now, you say, what do you mean, Brother Pike? I mean that when that devil that was cast out of heaven, that evil spirit, went into an image and personified himself he started working miracles, that's what I mean. The Bible said, these spirits like frogs that went about working miracles in the earth, the book of Revelation said that these were miracle working spirits that went out in the earth. Do you know which way they went? Somebody said, Which way did they go? The Bible said they went working miracles to gather the kings of the earth and the people of the earth to gather them all together to the great day of the Lord. Isn't that right? I said, they went about working miracles. You know how you can tell one of them? Because it says these spirits went to the King of the earth. Every time you see a divine ministry of healing that you think is a divine ministry of healing raised up in the earth watch which way it goes. If it begins to sell and begins to peddle, begins to want the rich men behind it, wants prestige and is going to the Kings of the earth leave it along. The Bible said the spirit of Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. The common people heard Him gladly. When God raises up a ministry it goes to the poor. They're not trying to sell anything. They're no going to the kings of the earth. They're not trying to get prestige and political power. They don't want that kind of thing. Those miracle working devils do that, to try to get the mayor out, and to get this man out and get that man out and the rich man out, and everybody else behind it. Said, those spirits did that, not the holy spirit. God ain't got nothing for sale. When God puts forth a ministry it goes to the common people. It goes to the poor people. It doesn't look for money. It doesn't look for prestige. It doesn't look for a big bank account, or some rich man to back it, or try to get into politics. It goes to the common people and works with the common people and gains strength with the common people, and God's great army is going to be among the common people. Those three spirits worked miracles but they did it for kings, and they did it like Balaam with his gift. Somebody says, what do you mean? I mean he had a gift. A lot of folks don't believe the devil can work miracles, but the Bible says that these spirits that went out worked miracles. Is that right? They worked miracles. There was no make belief about it. Somebody says, Well, I just don't believe it. Well, that's just what the Bible says. If you've got any faith in the Word of God you'll believe it. When Moses was down in Egypt and Moses took his rod and he cast it down the Bible says those magicians, when he cast his rod down and it became a serpent they cast their rod down and it became a serpent, too. That was a miracle. How many of you know that was a miracle? When he cast his rod down it turned into a serpent. Why? The magician said, that ain't nothing. They took theirs, they cast it down and it turned into a serpent, too. Isn't that right? They worked miracles. But I tell you what, it's going to be so close it would deceive the very elect if it were possible. You better know where you're going. A wicked, a sinful, adulterous generation is going after the wrong thing. They're seeking after some signs. I'm not looking for signs; I'm looking for Jesus. I didn't come into this world looking for signs. I came into this world looking for Jesus. I'm looking for Jesus; that's who I'm interested in is Jesus. You say, Where are you going to find Him? This is Him right here, the Word. I come to do Thy Word, Thy will, O God. That's my pleasure. Thy will, Father. Not my will; Thy will. So then, God wants to promote us. God wants to bless us. God wants to give us a unity. God wants to pull us together. God wants us to get away from the things of the World where we won't be deceived by lying signs and wonders and come into the real Word of God. If you're self-willed, if you're going to go your own way and do your own thing and not listen to the shepherd, not listen to the Word of God and always call the man of God into question in your mind every time something comes up, God is going to turn you over to a reprobate mind, and to the devil and let you believe a lie and you're going to wind up out yonder in the snake pit. In the first place you're in violation of God's Word when you receive an accusation against an elder. The Bible says that you are not to receive an accusation against the elder unless it be established in the mouth of two, or three witnesses. I don't care who it is that comes and tells you something against a pastor, or against an elder of this church, if you know that he's a man of God you have no right to receive it until at least two, or three, and they've got to be good people, unless two, or three comes and tells you, you are moving at the spirit of the devil when you accept it, and when you believe it, and you yourself becomes a trouble maker by violating God's Word. All right. When we come together and we do not receive an accusation against an elder unless it be established in the mouth of two, or three, witnesses, and then if it is established in the mouth of two, or three witnesses then we are to call the brethren together and have that Brother that is accused brought before the Brethren. The Bible said if a Brother do wrong go to him first. Is that right? Not to rebuke an elder if you go to him, but entreat him as a father. Isn't that right? If you do it any other way you're out of order. If you go to a Brother, like I see some of you go to Brethren and you rebuke Brethren, you are altogether out of order because the Bible said if you see a Brother overtaken in a fault ye that are spiritual__ I want you to get that, now. It didn't say you that are in the church. You that are in the Brotherhood. You that say you are Christians. It didn't say that. It said, Ye that are spiritual. Is that right? If you are not spiritual you stay away from them to start with because it's probably a carnal accusation. But ye that are spiritual you go to him. And then when you go to him, it says, you go to him in the spirit of meekness. Don't get grieved and tore up, upset and temperamental and then go to him, because you are not very spiritual if you do. But the Bible said go to him in the spirit of meekness considering yourself lest the same spirit that's got that man will get on you, lest ye be tempted also. Isn't that right? And if your Brother won't hear you, it says, go and get another Brother and take him with you. And if he won't hear two, or three Brethren as you take them to him then what did it say do? It said then bring it before the church. Let the church know the spiritual misdemeanor, and then if the Brother will not be reconciled when the church as commanded the reconciliation then to treat him as a heathen and a publican. One thing that God doesn't like, if the church disfellowship a man you are suppose to disfellowship him. A lot of people say, Well, I think they didn't do it right, and I think they are cruel and I feel sorry for the Brother, because he's having such a hard time with the Sister. It wouldn't make no difference if they died twenty minutes after God disfellowshipped them, when God disfellowshipped them from the church He means for you to stay away from them and leave them alone and not be going in and out to the Brothers, and to the Sisters and going over there and trying to talk to them, and try to get them back in the church. God doesn't want them back in the church. God is waiting for them on their own to come back and to repent of their sins, and make an open confession to the church and then God will take them in. If they don't do that you've got no business whatsoever being over there with them. Somebody would say, Well, I think that I've got a right to go to them. Well, you haven't got a right. If one of them is a fornicator you don't even have any right to be around him. The Bible said don't so much as eat with him if he's a fornicator. God will get you if you so much as eat a meal with him. Do you understand what I'm saying? There is a rule and there is a regulation. There is a way of life. There is something that has to be done and it has to be done according to the Word of God. Is that right? How many of you love the Lord? You can get stirred up a little more. I'm going to let you go in a few minutes. Some of these things hit home, don't it? It rings a familiar bell in your heart you don't like the sound of, but it's true. You know why? Because it takes away our self will. It takes away our self-righteousness. It takes away us doing our own thing. It causes us to have to move over to the street called straight. That's where the trouble is. We have to get lined up right. Do you love the Lord? If you see God in your flesh__ Job said, in my flesh I shall see God. If you're going to sanctify your flesh__ The Bible said be hold in flesh and body and in spirit. My Brothers and Sisters, you are going to have to conform to the Word. Is that right? That's the truth. Do you love the Lord? I want you to stand with me. I'm telling you the truth. Somebody would say, Well, Brother Preacher, what if I see you and you don't do it. The Bible says entreat me as a father and come and say, Brother Pike. Don't come and say, Bless God, Preacher, why did you do that? God told me to come and tell you thus saith the Lord. God ain't told you nothing. I'll treat you just like water over the dam. But if you'll come and say, Brother, why did you say what you said? I don't understand it. It's not like the Word in what I understand; would you explain it to me? Maybe I misunderstood. Because if he's an elder most likely you did misunderstand; you need straightening out, not him. But if he's wrong and you go to the Word, if he's a real elder in God, if he's a real elder in God he'll confess and get straightened out right quick. He'll say, that was an error, Brother. But if, you say, what if he don't? Then he's not an elder in God. Any man that won't acknowledge the true Word of God is no elder. Do you love the Lord? You don't have to worry about treating him as nothing. Need to preach the gospel to him. All right. Let's sing a little chorus together. The Lord is good, isn't he? The Brother from overseas wrote us a letter and he said that he was looking forward to the Jamaica camp meeting. That is Brother Walker. And he ask for the brochures. Said if we'd send the brochures on over it would make him real happy. Because the people are in great expectation, the way he put it, or made it sound in the letter, and he was wanting the brochures that he could reach out in a more extensive was to try to help them. He said to tell you people he loved you. Said, he loved the camp ground. Had great respect for it. Looking forward to the U.S. ministers. He did not say I'm looking forward to Brother Pike coming over. He said, I'm looking forward to the U.S. ministers coming over and being with us in this convention. I want us to sing a little chorus together, and I want to do my best to try to help you. Folks, until we can have respect for authority__ There is no power except that that be ordained of God. Until we can have respect for authority, and if we are in authority, even the more so should be have respect for authority. I can't picture Brother Bucky, back here, when he was a JP, being all out of order with the rest of the Law trying to carry on his office. I can't picture him violating the law, or those orders, or those dignitaries, or those authorities over him. I can't see him violating those orders that were set over him to try to carry on his office. Did you know that even the Judge that sits on the seat, he has a law book that he has to go by. And he cannot give that individual anything other than what that law calls for. If he judges the case he's got a number of laws that he can work from. Some afford a little mercy, some are a little more severe, but he's got to work from that law book, according to what they have set up there. That's to protect him that he's not imposing his own thoughts, and penalty, and feelings, but it is something that is instigated by the jury. It's decided by the jury, as far as the guilt. The penalty is imposed by the judge but the law is set by those that are in parliament before them to help set up the laws and the liberties of the land. God has set the law. I didn't set it; He set it. He set the liberties, and this is the book. And I'm only here to impose upon you the penalty of your error as mercifully as I can, according to His laws for that's His way of doing it. But if you do wrong, the Bible said the minister bears not the sword in vain. He is set there to execute judgment. That is, he's a judge to execute judgment upon them that do evil. So beware. Agree with thine adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way, lest at any time the one that you are having the dispute with may take you to the judge and the judge judge the situation and turn you over to the jailer, and then the jailor puts you in prison and you don't come out in your freedom and liberty and joy and rejoicing and happiness, blessings and prosperity and health anymore until you serve your sentence. So keep it straight with your brother because God is watching you. Don't think evil of your brother. Don't speak evil of no man. Don't do anything wrong because he'll put you in prison. You're having trouble with your brother, you and your brother can't get along, if there is some kind of difference, some kind of dispute, be careful how you hurt them. It's better that a millstone be tied about your neck and you drown in the depths of the sea than just to offend one of the little ones that trust Him. Don't say anything about your brother. Jesus said if you do it to the least of them you do it to Me. So don't do anything to bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. Don't know them as a person; know them as the body of Christ after the spiritual order. Treat them with all love and respect. Love your brother. Love your sister. If he does any wrong to you, you love him. You overcome evil with good. Don't you fight back. Don't you say nothing. That way you won't be in trouble. If you say anything at all to them let it be the Word of God, and let that be with reverence, with respect, and with love, with the right kind of attitude and the right kind of spirit. You say, I can't do it. You can raise your voice and be stern and still be loving. I don't mean be a hypocrite and a counterfeit, but I mean really love that brother at heart, really have that person at heart and still raise your voice and speak with authority and speak with great respect in reverence as the body of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! I want us to sing a little chorus. We're going to dedicate Brother Bill's baby. I feel like the Lord is doing something in the birth of this child. God has His way in everything and there is a reason for the child coming into the world at this particular time. And let's us just be real reverent in the sanctuary of the Lord. And we've had a lot of moving around tonight, and I know it's unnecessary, because a lot of it's our young brothers and sisters and it shouldn't ought to be. This is where our disciplinary actions should be instead of out on the campus so much. We need a lot of it here in the house of God to kind of check things out once in awhile to see if it's authentic. I know you are pressed with necessities. Sometimes you have to go to the rest rooms and you have to take care of the babies. I know that. But there are times when that's not it at all; it's just evil spirits making you restless. Because Satan knows that if you hear the Word of God he's lost a soul, because if you convert a man's thinking you've won a soul. Because once his thinking is converted he'll automatically do what he things. As a man thinking in his heart so he is. The Word of God converts a man's soul. All right. Let's sing a little chorus together. This little chorus we sing when we're praying for the sick, Have Faith In God. (Singing) Sing it again. (Singing) Sing it with me. (Singing) Do you love the Lord? Do you believe Jesus will heal you're body, save your soul, forgive your sins? You believe Jesus will do it? How many of you believe Jesus will do it? Let me see your hands. How many of you believe Jesus wants to do it, let me see your hands. Hallelujah! I feel the Holy Ghost, don't you? I feel faith. Let's sing this little chorus. Give me another key, Sister. Another one. Give me another key. (Singing) Can you sing it with me? (Singing) Hello, Bill. How you feeling? (Singing) Sing it with me. (Singing)

By Rev. George Leon Pike Sr.

Founder and first President of Jesus Christ’s Eternal Kingdom of Abundant Life, Inc.

Holiness Unto The Lord