Divine Power

We have friends out that's doing some writings. Writing some stories on the church and taking pictures. Don't be alarmed if they may want to get pictures, or if they move around in the audience. They may want to get some that's a little closer. If they do, well, work with them. I appreciate the ones that's coming out, you know, that's reverent in the house of the Lord. Some of them come in real close to the sacred desk and close in the audience and get shots of the sacred desk and up here and around, and usually most all of them that we have to come out from the different newspapers and television stations and whatever they're always a real reverent and we appreciate that because we are in the house of the Lord and they can have just as many pictures as they want. You know, I want you to work with us now because we've got a lot to do. And the Lord is wanting us to really press the battle for Him because there's a great need, and we are trying to do our best, We talked to some of the people working in the offices today and they responded real well. It might have bothered them a little bit right at the first when we talked to them, but after we talked to them a little bit, well, they got all right and everything turned out real well. So then I want you to work with us, and I want you to help us as we talk with you and as we encourage you in the things of God. now, today I was talking to some of them about the television outreach and yesterday Brother Floyd and I, we were discussing it, and they had written us a letter from one of our television outreaches and we have about something like I believe through Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia at least fifty different channels that's carrying our program and I think that's wonderful, don't you? television from all the way from Pennsylvania to Salem, Indiana of the different stations. And then on just this one outreach that's here in Georgia reaching out into different networks of fifty different systems going out into Alabama, And into Tennessee and throughout Georgia. Fifty different channels that are carrying it. And they informed us that forty thousand new homes have just become subscribers to it, and I think it's wonderful. Over two hundred thousand that are listening that are subscribing outside of the antenna outreach from one of the outreaches, and them the Lord is blessing us in that it is a satellite station and we might be carried out by the satellite throughout the world, that would be wonderful. We've been able to reach out around the different parts of the world by some stations like XERF and XEG in Monterrey, Mexico but it would be so wonderful to be able to reach out in a greater way by television around the world. Radio outreach reaching now from Pennsylvania to Phoenix City, Arizona and we got a report the other day that it's going down into Baton Rouge, Louisiana. And the tapes, Brother Bill is doing such a splendid job, we understand that the tapes are being circulated all over the country. Some of the people down in Louisiana are really feeding from the tape ministry and over as far as Israel. Almost forty foreign languages now, thirty five or forty foreign languages that we've got the ministry into. Not considering the fact that Bill is reaching out into those places with tapes giving them the Word just exactly as it is preached here in the sanctuary. And I believe that we can really do something for God. The ladies have now I believe, Over a hundred thousand names ready for Harvester Herald, and Brother Mitch is just about ready to go to press with it. Brother Stevie was telling me that he was really going to press the battle for God and get Harvester Herald out. Now I think that's wonderful, we can all work together and do something for God. There's something that's working out in different places that are helping us in such a tremendous way and I want you to continue to help us because it is a wonderful blessing to me to be able to have your strength in aiding me to reach the people for God around the world. Pray for us, the Lord is blessing on every hand, He is so kind to us, He's always doing something nice for us and something wonderful. God has abundantly blessed us in every way and He has given us everything that heart could wish for You know the Bible teaches that God would withhold, He will withhold no good thing from them that walk upright before Him, that He will make us to ride upon the High places of the earth, feed us with the heritage of Jacob, the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and addeth no sorrow. Not only temporal riches, but eternal riches and will add no sorrow. You don't have to bother anybody, you don't have to plead with anybody, you don't have to suppress anybody asking for finance, all you have to do is pray and seek God and God will abundantly bless as He did in the days of the wilderness when He rained the manna down out of heaven. God is abundantly blessing us. He's always doing something for us, something good. As a matter of fact I was just thinking today some little something that I noticed today that they sent us a credit card an International Diners Card. They had already sent us a Diners Torch Card, but they sent us what they call an International Diners Card today, and I think there's about eighty seven key cities throughout the world that you can contact and in most of the places around the different parts of the world it's honored. But little things like that God's always doing something to be a blessing and to let us know that He loves us, that He has eyes on us always wanting to help us. To love the Lord, to have Him to stand by you means so much, so wonderful. I'd like to read just a little bit from the second epistle of Peter beginning at the first verse. We've read this a number of times but I feel like saying a little bit about it and you've got your Bibles you can read with me. First chapter.

II Peter 1:1-21 "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

II Peter 2:1-22 "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

Now I'd like to dwell just a few minute on the first part of the reading of the Scripture according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him, through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Now, we are told that we have a divine power that is given unto us. This divine power that God has given unto us is given unto us through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. That is the main thing that we must remember that if we are to have the wonderful power of God or the Lord Jesus. You know a lot of people feel like all you have to do as I've said many times is just come, say Lord I believe and then with that every thing's all right. But it's obvious that in the teachings of Peter that Peter tells us that believing is the first step of what we do to obtain this wonderful prize of God, but that with this there must be virtue, there must be knowledge, there must be temperance, and there must be patience, there must be godliness, there must be brotherly kindness, there must be charity. So then we can readily see that just saying I believe is not sufficient to get a man to heaven. You know I can't understand why that anybody would just preach that all you have to do is just believe and you'll go to heaven, because when a person tells you that it is obvious that they are not acquainted with the Word of God, that they do not understand the Word of God, they are not fully indoctrinated with the Word of God because if they were indoctrinated they would automatically know that these things must come with faith, that these things must be part of faith or else if they do not come with faith then we don't have salvation. As a matter of a fact these things are the only proof that you've got faith in your life. If you've got faith in your life then these things will manifest themselves because faith in God's Word will cause you to do the things that I've spoken of here tonight. Faith in God's Word will cause you to live a sober, Godly life in the presence of mankind. True faith in God will cause you to have the knowledge of God. True faith in God will cause you to be virtuous, pure and set apart from the rest of the world. True faith in God will cause you to have brotherly love and brotherly kindness and cause you to have patience and true faith in God will cause you to have charity. And the Bible says that if you have these things then you are not barren not unfruitful in the things of God. But brothers and sisters in Christ if you don't have these things in your life it is a positive proof that you have failed to get faith in your heart. You cannot have faith and be barren of these things. You cannot have faith and be without these things. Now you say, Brother Pike I believe. You may believe but I say so many times the devil believes too, the devil believes. Everybody in the world practically believes there is a God. I doubt if there is anybody living on the face of the earth but what they believe that there's a God. I've heard of great infidels that supposedly didn't believe there's a God, but when they were questioned and brought right down as we would say the nitty-gritty they say well that's not the way I feel, I feel that there is a God, but I don't see it the way that you do. Now then, so then we know that God has called us unto virtue. God has called us unto knowledge. Why is it that we don't want to spend any time with God trying to get a little knowledge and understanding? Why is it that we'd rather just say, I'm a Christian and God bless me, and I'm suppose to do this and I'm suppose to have this kind of ministry and I'm supposed to be here and there and everywhere, but no time to pray, no time to fast, no time to study, no time to get the knowledge of God, no time for solitude to try to understand, no time, allowing yourself no time to be indoctrinated with the things of God. how can you say that and say that you are called to the things of God? Somebody would say, well if anybody is called to the ministry. But see it doesn't say the ministry, it doesn't say that God is talking to the ministry here. It says that if we are to be partakers of His divine power it is speaking to a Christian, that just an individual, a Christian is suppose to have these things in his life. Now I know a minister should study. Paul said, study to show yourself approved a workman unto God that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth. I know that as a minister I must study. but here the Bible tells me that you must get the knowledge of God, that you must take time out to understand the Word of God, that you've got to absorb these things and you've got to grow in the things of God. For what reason should a minister have the knowledge of God if he isn't going to pass it on to the people? For what purpose would he get it? Now then, a minister is for this reason, he is to be one who will diligently search, one who will separate himself from the entire body of mankind, one that will pull himself away in solitude, one that is willing to give his life to obtain the Knowledge of Jesus and then one that will come forth and tell the people what God has taught him. That's what the minister is for because the average individual will never get the knowledge of God by pulling himself away. He is dependent upon the ministry to teach him the knowledge of God. So then he must receive the knowledge of God as a rule from the mouth of the ministry. But the ministry must go to God to get it. He must go to God. This is what Paul tried to get over. When Paul was exhorting the people he said, we wish this even the perfecting of your faith. Other ministers said we wish this even the perfecting of your faith for we are the ministry, God has sent us that we might perfect your faith in God, that we might do something for you that will cause your faith to be greater to where it can suffice you with the things that you need through this life in this world and in the world to come. The only thing that we have is faith. We have no other perfection in life but faith. You know God has given to every animal a means of perfection, isn't that right? But the only perfection that we have is love and faith isn't that right? We overcome evil with good that's our only guard and taking the shield of faith that's the only thing that we've got. See we're not like a beast, we can't fight back. We don't have something that we can fight back with. We can't fight with a sword so then we have to take the knowledge of God. Now then Paul tells us that what he is trying to do is perfect our faith. We want you to be perfect Paul said, therefore let us go on unto perfection, not turning again to lay the foundation of repentance toward dead works and dead faith toward God, lets don't just go back and repent over and over and over, lets don't just do wrong today and wrong tomorrow and wrong the next day and then have to go back and say, God forgive me I didn't mean to do that, God take that out of my life I didn't mean to do that. Let's go on Paul said, let's go on. You say go on to where Brother Pike? What do you mean go on? Let me go on to be perfect. Let me go on to be perfect. That's what perfection means. Let me go on to be perfect. Mark the perfect man among you. You know in every generation God has a perfect man. He has a perfect man in the days of Moses. Moses was Gods perfect man. Always God has had a perfect man in every age. What is that for? To show the life of Jesus Christ. Always God does that. And the Bible says mark the perfect man that is among you. Let us go on unto perfection. The He tells us to be ye therefore perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. Hallelujah! So then we come to perfection or come to desire perfection then we see something that's really taking place in our life. Why should I be perfect then that means that I can have everything that God has for me. I don't have to forfeit my right to anything because God will give me everything. All right, so then tonight I stand here, what is my goal in life? Contending for the faith. I am contending for the faith. Why am I contending for the faith? Because He tells us here according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life, I am principally interested in all things that pertain unto life. What are you interested in tonight? You know what the world is interested in tonight? All things that pertain unto life in this world. That's what they're interested in. But I am interested in all things that pertain unto life. Not in this world but unto life. And so then I am looking for life. I am interested in all things that pertain unto life. Now, according to His divine power He hath given me this. he hath given me all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Now the world would love to have all things that pertain unto life but they are not interested in that which pertain unto godliness. Am I right? I said the world would love to have everything that you're going to get that pertain unto life but they're certainly not interested in anything that pertains unto godliness. So then, they have their own way of life, they have their own religion and they say let us believe and God will save us. Now listen. I want to be a believer. So thousands of people come to the altar and they confess Christ and they say I believe and the minister says. will you confess Christ? I confess Christ. Then they say, you are the dear children of God. I want you to know that that don't mean that you're the dear children of God. You may confess Christ, You may do like Esau did, you may just break down and bawl and you may just weep and shed tears but that don't mean you've got a thing. The Bible says, the child is known by his doings. Did you know that you can fall before morning? You can fall from your steadfastness and your conviction before morning unless you add to your faith virtue and godliness and patience and all of these things that I have enumerated tonight. Unless you put these things in your life you will never stand through the coming days. The Bible says in the latter days there would be a great falling away. Why is that? Because the church world will not put these things in their life. What are these things? The nature of Jesus Christ. Now if they have the nature of Jesus Christ these things are going to be in their life. But if they don't have the nature of Jesus then they are not going to have these things. That's why they are going to fall. But Peter said, If you have these things in your life you shall never fall. That's the glory of it. There's no way to fall when you've got the nature of Christ. If you've got these things in your life ye shall never fall. So then he said, He that doeth these things he shall never fall. And then he said, Ye shall not be barren, ye shall not be barren, neither shall ye be un-fruitful. that is, you are not going to be a person that drifts through life and never gets the job done for God. Somebody would say, well I just can't seem to get the job done for God. If you have these things in your life beloved friend you are going to get the job done for God. There's no way you can keep from getting the job done for God. Hallelujah! Don't you know that today here at Little Bethlehem, set a great big beautiful fruit tree out there just running over with beautiful fruit and turn a herd of children a loose out and see if they don't just cover that tree up like a little bunch of ants. Yes sir, you couldn't keep them away from it. You know why? Because they want that luscious fruit that's on the tree. And it's the same way with you and I if we have the fruits of God in our life is going to cause people to see it and they're going to come running and they're going to reach for that fruit because they are going to see it and it's luscious and it makes them feel so good when they get a hold of it. All right, so then He said we don't follow the cunning device and fables of mankind. We really believe in the knowledge of God. We really believe in the things of God. We're not playing a game, Peter said. We believe in the things of God. I'm interested in this thing that pertains unto life. Now, what do I have to do? Let us go on to be perfect in God. Now I want you to listen for a few minutes now this will really help you tonight. Let us go on to be perfect in God. Let us go on unto perfection, not turning again to build a foundation, lets don't just build a foundation over and over, but let us go on to be perfect in God. Let us be perfect in God. What do you mean be perfect in God, Brother Pike? What do you mean by that? The Bible says, Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. To be holy in body and in spirit. A lot of people say, well I'm a believer and God is holy I'm holy because I'm a believer. But the Bible says, we are to be holy in our body as well as in our spirit. How can I then be holy in body? The Bible says by putting away the filth of the flesh. (second side of first tape begins) … a little bit of effort on your part to put away the faith of the flesh. We're going to have to lay aside some things that we like to do in the natural if we're ever going to be holy. We're going to have to get rid of those things that are in the natural. The Bible tells us that if we walk in the spirit we will not fulfill the desire of the flesh. If I walk in the spirit I won't fulfill the lust of the flesh. If I, If I walk in the spirit of God I am not in bondage to the flesh. What is the flesh anyway? Paul said, Oh who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Who is going to take me away from the body of this death, this body has me in a prison he said. My soul is in prison by bones, bars of bones. I am in prison. Who shall free me from the body of this death? If I live in the flesh then I must die. To be carnally minded is death. If I live in the body I must die because sin is in the world today because of lust and lust comes through the body and the Bible speaks of corruptible flesh. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and there's a continual warfare between the body and between the soul. And the Bible says they that are in the flesh they cannot please God because their minds is on the flesh. Their minds is on the things of the flesh, their minds is on the appetites of the flesh, their minds is on the appearance of the flesh, their minds is on these sensational feelings, those human senses that the flesh has to offer. Satan savors the things that be of the flesh, That's the thing that caused Eve's fall in the garden. But if I have the knowledge of God, If I believe in the knowledge of God it will tell me what I must do. It will cause me to be able to escape these evil infatuations of the body. It will take me away from the lust of the flesh and the things of this world, and I can become holy and I can become pure and I can be a perfect man. Mark the perfect man that is among you. Let us go on unto perfection, let us contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints of God. Let us reach out by faith taking hold of the things of God. and press in with Christ and get that which pertains unto life. For God hath given us all things that pertain unto life and we have that great opportunity tonight to have the wonderful presence of God, to have God's spirit is to have life. To be without God's spirit is to be without life. To find God's spirit is to find life eternal and to find the splendor and riches of glory. And this is the thing that we are trying to come to. According to His divine power He hath given unto me all things that pertain unto life. Having escape the corruption that is this world through lust, Eve lusted, so in came corruption so then I have escaped this. How have I escaped this? Because today my body is dead. Today my body is dead by the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today my body has been buried in baptism in the lovely name of my Savior. Today it is no more I that live but Christ that liveth within me. Today I live by the faith of the Son of God. It is no more I but Christ that liveth, Paul said, And the life I live I live by the Son of God. I am free today from the body of death. I do not walk in the flesh today because I am born of the spirit. And the Bible says he that is born of spirit he is spirit. So I am born of the spirit tonight. I walk in the spirit, I do not walk in the flesh, I walk in the spirit, therefore I do not war after the flesh because the weapons of my warfare is not after the armor of flesh. I am free from that because I have God tonight and I have the power of God in my life. But the weapon of warfare that I do have access to is mighty through the casting down of strongholds, the pulling down of imagination and all of those high things that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God that brings me this divine nature. I have the power tonight through the mind of Christ to cast down all the interrupting thoughts, all of the interfering thoughts that I might go on to be perfect. The Bible says don't faint in your mind. There's three minds. I've spoke about this a lot of times. There's a mind of man, there's a mind of God, there's a mine of Satan. The mind of Satan has to do with the fallen angels. The mind of God has to do with those holy angels and the mind of man has to do with the necessities of life. Those three minds there's three lives they're three spirits, they live, they're something that has to get into the human body. All three of them are struggling and trying to get into the human body. All three of them wants to dwell in the human body. Now my life dwells in the human body, Your life dwells in the human body because you are a human being. That life is already in there, but it's struggling to stay inside to keep the satanic forces from rooting it out. It is struggling to stay alive to keep from being smothered out by the impacts of the evil powers of satanic forces. Now then, God who sees that life which is human life on the inside of my body, God sees that life and God is watching over that life just like you would your little child because that is God's little child. That is God's act of creation. and God the Holy Spirit is trying to get down inside of your life, inside of your heart and trying to intermingle as a spirit, He is trying to intermingle with your spirit and make your spirit one spirit that you might not just have life, but great abundance of life, for Jesus said, I come that you might have life more abundant. I already have life. Christ did not have to come for me to live, I'm already living. He did not have to come for me to have life. He had to come for me to continue in life but not to have life, I already have life, and yet such a life as it is, it's a living death because of the interference of Satan that's in this life. But nevertheless I have life. Now, what Jesus came for is that I might have life and that more abundant, which means filled up and overflowing. I can have the fullness of God's life the abundance of God's living now. I can be full of the spirit of God. So then I am tonight trying to fill my being with His knowledge is His Word. His Word is His spirit, His spirit is His life, His life is God, for in the beginning was God, the life, the Word, the spirit that I'm after tonight. All things that pertain unto life, God is all things that pertain unto life, He's the Spirit. So then I'm struggling tonight to obtain that knowledge, for if I can transformate my mind, Paul said be ye therefore transformed by to renewing of your mind, if I can transform my mind from glory to glory, from faith to faith, from understanding to understanding, if I can go up from one dimension to another dimension until my mind, all of my thinking that I've inherited from Adam, all of it is completely eradicated, changed over, transformated, and I don't think anymore but God thinks in this body, I don't desire anymore but God desires in this body that I don't have any more of me in there but God is everything in there. Now you say, but Brother Pike don't you think that you are going to desire to drink and to eat? That's God, did you know that? Somebody said, now wait a minute, God don't drink and eat. Jesus sat down, God did, and He drank a little wine with them and He eat a little fish with them and He lived in this world and He walked with them. You love Jesus? I tonight have God in my heart. God and I are one, Jesus said, My Father and I are one. My spirit and His spirit, we are one spirit. we are interwoven together just as you would take that Clorox and put it in that water we're just one, we're just one and all of that which is in that water is eradicated out, That middle wall of partition like drops of ink or blackness or whatever it is in there that Clorox takes it right out. See, Satan's spirit is taken right out, the darkness is done away with when the light comes in. so then, I have the mind of God. I am transforming my mind, I am eradicating from my spirit, from my life, I am eradicating the mind of Satan. I am getting rid of it. It was necessary for God to let it be in this body during my life time. it was necessary for me to be born is sin. It was necessary for me to do that that I might be able to find God because God is a great light, no man can see it. I said the other night scientist say that you can see light. Nobody has ever seen light at anytime. Which I say again agrees with the Holy Scriptures, because He is the great Light. Paul tells us, that no man can approach unto, whom no man has seen, nor can see. So then, the great Light, how then will I ever recognize Him. There has to be a darkness, there has to be a contrast, has to be a bitter to reveal the sweet, there has to be a darkness that will show the light. So then you cannot see the light but scientist say that you see the objects of light. No light, but all the objects of light. So then if light departs there'll be no objects. So then it is so wonderful tonight to know that my life, my temporal life that I have, that life is made for one thing that's a container. That life is made as a female that I might be a receptacle to receive the male which is God that my spirit might receive God in that we might become one and that I as the weaker vessel, likened unto the woman, shall be interwoven with God and God who is the stronger may rule His wife as I submit to Him. That I may be the lovely bride of Christ adorned with His glory. So then, they said we were eye witnesses of His glory or we were eye witnesses of His majesty therefore we have a more sure word of prophesy for we were there when He appeared on the mountain and when He was transfigured in our presence. All right, a more sure word of prophesy. But brethren tonight I want to perfect your faith, Paul said, I want to help you, I want you to come into perfection, let us go on to be perfect in God. Why? Because as long as my faith is imperfect then it is my faith and I am moving in measure, but if I can perfect my faith in God then it is no longer my faith but it is the faith of Jesus Christ that which I contend for. For when my faith is completely perfected then it becomes the perfect faith of Christ Jesus. When I transform my mind completely from my mind to this word mind it is no more my mind, no more my faith, but God's mind and God's faith that comes from God's mind. So then I am moving into that faith. I am contending for that faith. I am working toward that faith. If I can, and I can and I will come into that faith then I come into that faith I have the faith of Jesus Christ, the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. What does this mean to me? Mind over matter, God's mind that created all matter. My body is a composition of matter, everything in the world is a composition of matter. If I get the mind of God then I have the faith of God. If I have mind over matter by faith I can compose or decompose. I can take my body and walk through the wall, I can put it together or take it apart because I will be the master of the situation. Every son of God has this promise. God wants you to come to this place. If you haven't come to this place you are living beneath your privilege. Now I know that we can pray, I know that we can believe, I know we can bring healing to the sick, we can do many things in God, but those things are sporadic, those things will happen maybe today and never happen again. Those things may happen to you and you may get a great healing in your body and you may never get another healing in your body because you may never touch God again with that sporadic move of faith. See, because we believe, we pray and God comes down and we touch God. But brothers and sisters God wants us to come to that place where He spoke about over there and He said, When you ask anything in My name I'll do it, when He said, Whatever you say and don't doubt in your heart it will come to pass. Decree a thing in your heart, I will do it. He said, whatever you say, it doesn't matter what you say. Jesus said, if any man, any person shall say in his heart be thus and thus and shall not doubt in his heart but believe that those things which He said shall come to pass he shall have whatsoever he saith. This is what we are suppose to do if we are not contending for the faith, if we're not moving into those virtues, if we're not trying to be perfect in God we're living beneath our privilege. If we're not moving on with Brother Pike, I could never do that, I could never do that, God doesn't intend for me to have that then God is weary of You and God doesn't want you and God doesn't want any part of you, and God isn't going to take you anywhere. But brother and sister tonight if our ultimate goal is to do these things, add knowledge, and virtue, add temperance, add patience all these things to our experience to go on to perfection to contend for the faith to come into those wonderful things of God then God knows that we are, we are a people that's on the move. We are not a people filled with lethargy, we are not a people that's just sitting around hoping for something, you know hoping for some kind of luck to take place, we are not somebody that is just setting here saying well I'm a Christian I know I may never have what brother such and such has or sister such and such has but I know I'm a Christian I'm just going to hold on and make it in. See, we're not that kind of people, if you're that kind of people you don't have anything. A person say, well bless God I may not never have what Brother Pikes got but I know that I've got God, you don't have anything. What you need to do is take God's Word, believe God's Word and what I'm saying tonight, move on in God. If you've got anything it will tell you to move on. If you've got anything it will tell you to contend for the faith. If you've got anything it will tell you to go on and be perfect; and anytime something tells you to stop, anytime you set down to be contented you don't have anything. Somebody say, I love Jesus. You say you can't prove that By the Bible. It's absolutely God's Word. I'd love to see anybody prove differently. So then, let us go on, Paul said, let us go on he said. If you're not going on you're in violation of the faith of Jesus Christ. Let us go on. Where are we going on to? To be perfect, to be perfect. Are you moving on tonight? So then, God has given us all these wonderful things of Jesus tonight that pertains unto the knowledge of God, God has given us this knowledge that we may have all things that pertains unto life. I can have it tonight if I believe God. I want it, I intend to contend for the faith. All right there's a lot of things that we would like to say tonight but I believe I've said what I ought to say tonight and if you have got anything out of it well that's good, if you haven't it's because you're not elect of God. Those that have eyes to see, those that have ears to hear will hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Those that do not have eyes to see will not see, those that do not have ears to hear will not hear: and the Bible says the wicked shall not understand but the righteous shall understand. So then, we're moving on in, and the righteous is going to understand as we move on in the wonderful things of God. All right, lets stand together. To have faith in God, to really believe in Jesus is the greatest thing that will ever happen to you. If you don't have faith in God tonight you need to get born again. It's a great hour, great opportunity, there has never been an hour like this, never been an opportunity like this. You have the greatest hour and the greatest opportunity that mankind has ever known. How wonderful to have this opportunity tonight. What are you going to do with it? What are you planning to do with it tonight? I'm going to utilize my life for Jesus, I'm going to apply my life to the cause of Christ. I don't know of anything in this world, I say this so often, I don't know of anything in this world that interests me. I have everything that life could offer. I don't know of anything that life could give me that I don't already have. God has blessed me to where I can go where I want to when I want to, eat what I want to, do what I want to, be what I want to, but there's only one thing that I want to do; I want to go to heaven and be with Him and do His will and please Him with all of my heart. That's all I desire, that's all I care for, that's all the interest that I have in this world or in this life is to please Him. To dwell in thy house forever, oh Lord, is my desire. I have no other wealth, all other things are diminishing, all other things are but lying vanities that will fade away. I know a lot of you, you don't feel that way and that's all right, you've got your own life to live, every man has to live his own life, every woman has to live her own life, every boy and girl they have to live their own life. You've got your own desires, you've got your own ambitions and you're going to run into a lot of things in life, you going to be running into all kind of things and you're going to have your own plans in life no matter what Brother Pike says, it isn't going to make any difference; but nevertheless I'm so glad that Jesus made this thing a sovereignty and an individual thing to where I as an individual can do what I want to do and that what you do doesn't affect me. It effects me in the sense that I want to see the best for you in life; but otherwise it doesn't affect me in the sense that I've got my own plans for God I'm planning to go. The song said, if mother don't go don't hinder me and if daddy don't go won't hinder me, I'm on my way praise the lord I'm on my way. Can we sing a chorus of that? (singing starts) Are you on your way to Canaan land tonight? Hallelujah! What a wonderful thing to be able to look over and see the wonderful things of God. You know I think about that I'm always reminded of this little song you know: (Sings I look Over Jordan and What Did I see). You know, you look over the Jordan and you can see by faith the wonderful chariot of God, prancing horses all ready all waiting, waiting for you to step on board; and you know what, we play around just a little in life, we forget that the thoughts that we think, we forget that every impulse and intent of our thinking and of our heart is the power that condemns us; and that God will feed us the thoughts of our heart; and we forget that we should have thought holy and we should have thought pure and that every thought should have been brought into subjection when we were in the sanctuary, when we were up in town in the stores, when we were out in the automobiles, when we were in conversation, when we were disturbed, when people had crossed our grain, when we were in the light of temptation every thought should have been holy, should have been Godly. We forget, thus we lose our eternal reward and we fail to reach our eternal destination; but you know of all of that there's some that's going to make it. There's some that's going to go, there's some that's going to lay down those thoughts and there's some that's going to reject those thoughts and there's some that's going to refuse to have any thoughts but God's thoughts. I don't care how wooing how thirsting the old flesh might get, how much pressure, how much desire, how much hunger the old flesh might get, whatever he does some are still going to resist him, some still going to reject him, some are still going to be holy, some are still going to be righteous, some are still going to be pure, and some' still going to move on in Jesus. Glory to God, they're going to move on and on and on. the song says through eternal ages I'll live on, I'll live on and on, I'll live on. While the ages roll on I'll live on. Hallelujah! Tonight if you haven't decreed in your heart to serve Jesus, If you haven't made that final commitment that one hundred percent to God then you need to do it, you need to do it because God wants your commitment, God wants you to surrender, God's looking for your surrender. If you haven't done it you need to do it. Not only do I tell you that tonight, but anybody that would hear my voice, anybody. Jesus said, It shall come to pass that whoever heareth My voice shall live. He shall live; and it shall come to pass that someday even those that are in the graves shall hear My voice and those that hear shall live, they shall live. You know, the Bible tells us that one day the sign of the son of Man is going to appear in the heavens. You know I preached a message called The Sign of the Son Of Man, how that it hath been appearing in the earth, how it has been appearing in certain people's lives and the sign of the Son of Man, the Bible says shall appear in heaven and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, you know we think of it like this that all of a sudden out of heaven is going to come Jesus and Swoop everybody is going to be gone and the Lord is going to shut the door and jump back in before anybody else can get in. But brothers and sisters it isn't going to be like that at all. The sign of the Son of Man is going to appear in heaven and it might take thirty minutes it might take an hour, it might take two days, it might take two months and it might just stand there right there in the heavens but it certainly isn't just going to say shoo, shoo and be gone. It's going to come out there and it's going stand there in the heavens because the Bible says all of the tribes of the earth are going to mourn. That means that it's going to take a little time for them to mourn when they see that they are going to mourn, they are going to mourn and that sign is just going to stand here of the Son of Man in heaven and they are going to go into places and the Bible teaches that they are going to run for the rocks and for the mountains and that's going to take a little time and He still is going to be standing there, right there in the heavens and they are going to cry for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne for then shall the sign of the Son of Man appear in the heavens and all of the tribes of the earth shall mourn; and you know what, we are getting nearer and nearer to the day, nearer and nearer to the day of the Son of Man. Remember one thing, that just before the tribulation period God is going to translate the church. (Tape two begins) … be very far away, which means that anytime things could happen. if you're not ready then you need to get ready, you need to get ready. You love Jesus? What a wonderful thought to be a Christian tonight. I'm so thankful. The song says, I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now, I wouldn't take nothing for my journey mow, I'm going to make it to heaven somehow. Praise God. I want you to lift your hands with me. If you're not filled with the Holy Ghost tonight don't try to get into the kingdom of God without the Holy Ghost folks. Don't let folks tell you that you're going to be translated into the kingdom of God without His Spirit, that won't ever be. There'll never be a day like that. If you don't have the divine presence of God, that lovely spirit of God, that wonderful Holy Ghost of God seek after it with all of your heart. Don't get in a rut of this teaching to where you can get thirty percent of it, or forty percent, or ninety percent of it, or you can just believe and go, or you can just have the Holy Ghost and go, or you can just speak in tongues and go or just one thing and then the other, don't do that. Remember God is all or nothing at all. He said, If you have not My Spirit ye are none of Mine. There's but one spirit, that's the spirit of God which is the Holy Ghost. If you don't have the Holy Ghost tonight which is the spirit of God you are none of His tonight and you are going to make the translation tonight. So don't be fooled tonight. Don't let any man deceive you from the simplicity of the gospel of Christ tonight. You contend to get that spirit of God. Get that spirit of God tonight. Get it tonight. Be filled with the spirit. Be filled with the spirit. Hallelujah! (Bro. Pike begins to pray) Father of heaven as we gather here for just a few minutes tonight I pray in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God, Mighty Father of heaven … Brother Pike speaks in tongues … Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Oh God of heaven in Jesus name, Lord we praise thee tonight, may thy great and mighty hand Father be upon us tonight, may the great and mighty hand of God come down tonight, may thy spirit move over the audience tonight, may they find the dear to their heart tonight. Holy Father, let thy presence be with us, Lord as the wonderful refreshing of the summer rain. Lord as the beautiful spring time that breaks forth in the Rockies oh Lord, when the birds are singing dear God, may the brightness of your presence be here tonight. May healing be here, may salvation be here, may deliverance be here tonight, Father do something for the people tonight. May there not be a heavy heart tonight Father, not one. May there not be one person that will go away from the sanctuary tonight not having been fed. Oh Lord, in Jesus name tonight may thy spirit be with us Heavenly Father, may thy presence enrich us. Hear from heaven and heal our lands. Hear from heaven tonight and heal our lands oh great and Mighty God. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, praise be unto God. Hallelujah! Lets sing this little chorus. ( Singing begins) Can you sing it with me? Can you sing it with me? Sing it with me. Sing it with me.

By Rev. George Leon Pike Sr.

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

Holiness Unto The Lord