What Must I Do

...Pray for the little girl that Brother Morris asked prayer for and let's don't forget to pray for her Brother Dave's little one. While you are sitting there let's just bow our heads for just a moment. If you've got someone on your mind, something on your heart, something that you're concerned about just slip your hand up, let me know. Let's just pray together, can we? Precious Heavenly Father, we're so thankful tonight for the wonderful mind of the Lord Jesus, Father, that comes down to every human being at one time or another and it speaks to our thoughts and it speaks to our listening ears, God, and it make us to know that there is a way that is desired of God. And there is a right way, O God, and though every man's way seems right in his own eyes, yet You tell us to lean not to our way or our understanding because it's the ways of death, Lord, the derivative from the fall in the Garden. But, Father, the mind of Christ that created Adam, that gave him life has come back to pick up this fallen body. May it enter in, O Lord, for Thy words are spirit and Thy words are life. May it enter into us, Lord, and may it quicken our body. May it quicken our minds. Hallelujah, Lord, as we feel that quickening that raised up Jesus from the dead let it enter into us, Holy Father. Let that Holy Ghost of God enter into our heart, into our minds and into our spirits as we ask of Thee, believing and trusting in the merits of the Lord Jesus, trusting in His will, trusting in His way. Asking, O God, that you do something for us. Look down from out of heaven and help us. Father, make known to us your will and way. O Lord, let the radiance of God be a glow in our heart, Father. We ask it in the name of Jesus. Remember these, O God, that's in need tonight, the prayer request that's been turned in to us, O God. Remember Dave's little baby, remember Morris's little child. Father, heal tonight, save tonight, forgive tonight, help us. In the lovely name of Jesus we ask it. Amen. You know we've had what you might call a general discussion as of late, not only here in the sanctuary but also among the brethren in different places trying to share with them a few things that we understand, and trying to perfect their understanding in the Lord. Last night we had a little discussion on some things and tonight I'd like to talk to you a little bit, if I could. Let's read just a little bit to begin with over in the book of Mark. Saint Mark. Start at the tenth chapter, the thirteenth verse. "And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid then not: for of such is the Kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, and put his hands upon them, and blessed them. And when he was gone forth into the way, there came on running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandment, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not. Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel's, But he shall receive and hundred-fold now in this time, houses and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first." You know there is a lot (?) the teachings of Mark. The Bible says here that it is easier for the camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich man to enter into the Kingdom. It also says down here that no man in this world shall give up land, houses, wife, children, or whatever, for my sake but what he don't receive a return on that in this present world. That in this present world He will pay him back with land and houses, children, wives and whatever, and then in the world to come give him eternal life. A lot of people say, Well, Brother Pike, when it comes to eternal life you don't have to worry about keeping the commandments, but the man ask Him here what must he do to inherit eternal life. He said, Keep the commandments. See? We don't break the commandment of God, but we establish the commandment of God for the commandment is holy the Bible teaches. Notice this. The Bible said the Lord looked at this man and loved him and he ask him, What must I do. He told him; said, if you would enter into life keep the commandments. He said, Why, I've done this all my life; from my youth I have done this. But see? Jesus rebuked him. Jesus reproved him for he had not done that all his life. Because Jesus said, Yet lackest thou one thing. See? You haven't really kept the commandments because the commandments said love thy neighbor as thy self and you have not shared your wealth with your neighbor. You have loved yourself better than your neighbor. You know, the golden rule, Do unto others as you would have others do unto you, very few people do that. Very few people speak to other, act toward others, or in any manner conduct themselves toward others the way that they would like for others to do toward them. They require a lot out of others, and they want a lot out of others, but very few things likewise will they do to others. But anyway, Jesus said, Yet lackest thou one thing. I love you. I love you. He looked at him and love him. I love you, but you'll never make it. You'll never give up what you've got. I'm not forsaking you because you're rich. I'm not turning away from you because you're rich. I'm not throwing you away because you are a rich man. I'm not frowning on you, as somebody would think that God meant in this statement. I'm not doing that. I died for you just like I did anybody else. My blood avails for you, but it's you that's turning Me away. You won't receive me. You won't give up what you've got to follow my rules and regulations, therefore you cannot be My disciple. If any man will be My disciple let him come after Me, let him deny himself, let him take up a cross. And when you share with others, Brother, you're not going to have every thing plush. You're going to find out you've got a cross, because there's a lot of poor folks in the world. Now. I've heard men strain at this right here. Talk about straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. I've heard them say, Well, it really doesn't mean a needle, or the eye of a needle, but what it means that there is a place in Jerusalem called the needle's eye and the camel going through there can't go through there unless he unloads the pack. But the camel can go through there if he unloads the pack. Now Jesus didn't say a thing about a pack here being unloaded. Not a thing. He did not say the needle. He said a needle. And another thing Jesus said here was that with man this is impossible. It is not impossible for the camel to go through what's called the needle's eye in Jerusalem. That is not impossible. So He could not have been talking about that. He said, For with man it is impossible. There is no way you can push a camel through the eye of a needle, now is there? That's impossible. So He meant a needle's eye. That is, He said, It is impossible for the rich man to go to heaven with his riches. There ain't no way; it's impossible. Now, with God all things are possible. I can make it possible. If you are willing to follow me, rich young ruler, and give up what you've got I can make it possible. But otherwise, it's impossible. You will never pass into the kingdom of heaven. The camel could get through the eye of that needle easier than you could get into My Kingdom. That's something, isn't it. That's something. All right. The Lord just brought a vision to my mind then. It's astounding. I remember the vision so well. Hadn't thought of it in a long time but He reminded me just that quick of the very thing that happened in my vision. It had to do with the camel, the eye of the needle. But it tells us here that with men this is impossible. But now I want you to notice something else in this lesson. It says in the seventeenth verse the man knelt down before him saying, Good Master, what must I do that I may inherit eternal life? What must I do that I may inherit eternal life? That's a thought that we really need to think on right there. You know, the church world, as I've said so many times, they're sitting around and they're waiting for what they call the rapture. Or they're waiting for a great change to take place, for God to just sweep down and to pick them up and take them off into the Kingdom of God. And they're looking forward to entering into eternal life. But I've said this so many times. You don't enter into eternal life. The rich young ruler said, What must I do to inherit eternal life? Eternal life is not something that you enter into like heaven, or a city, but eternal life is something that enters into you. Eternal life is an inheritance. You inherit eternal life in your spirit. You receive it inside of you. Not something you go into, but something that you inherit. God is the spirit of eternal life and you must have God's spirit on the inside of you to have eternal life. And though the rich young ruler made the statement that he'd kept all of the commandments yet this Holy Ghost spirit had never entered into this rich young ruler. This great eternal spirit of God had never entered into his heart, nor into his life. If it had entered into his life he would have had eternal life. You say, But, Brother Pike, could he keep the commandments and not have eternal life? when Jesus told him, said, If you would enter into life keep the commandments. How is it that Jesus said enter into life by keeping the commandments? And the rich young ruler said I have keep the commandments, and Jesus said, Yet you can't go. Now then, did the Lord turn around and do just contrary to what he told the man? Did the Lord tell the man a lie? Did He stand there and lie to him and say, If you would enter into life keep the commandments? and the rich young ruler saying, All of these have I kept from my youth up. Did He? No, Jesus said, Lackest thou something. You haven't kept those commandments because I said if you would keep the commandments you could enter into life. Why did Jesus tell him that? You know why Jesus told him that? Because there is not a man that ever lived on the face of the earth, or ever will live on the face of the earth that ever kept the commandments of God without breaking the commandments of God. Only Jesus alone. Jesus said you can go to heaven if you'll keep these commandments. But Jesus also tells us later through the mouth of Paul, said, By the law shall no man be justified. By the law shall no flesh be justified because there's never been any flesh that ever lived up to the law. Jesus alone kept the commandments and he kept them for you and I because He Himself did not enter in through the commandments. Because the Bible said that He was made sin that the commandments might smite Him. And we esteemed Him smitten of God. No flesh shall be justified by the law. And in as much as God tabernacled in Jesus the Bible tells us great is the mystery of godliness for God, who is a spirit, manifested Himself through the life of Jesus Christ. He was manifested in the flesh but the Bible says that His justification was by the spirit. His justification was not by any natural law, for by the law shall no flesh be justified and He was flesh. Being made sin He Himself could not be justified except by spirit. Do you understand what I'm saying? But if any man would enter into life let him keep the commandments, Jesus said. If you can do it God will be pleased with you and God will receive you, but no man ever did it. There is no man that ever done that. So then, there is only one way that a man can enter into life and that's by faith in Christ Jesus who did keep the commandments. By the man that kept the commandments, though He wasn't justified by them in that He was made sin in the sight of God, yet Christ Jesus kept those commandments that I might be justified by the Spirit of God or by faith in the Son of God who did keep the commandments. It is a true fact that men of today everywhere are trying to have money. They are following after money. They want money. They want security. They want fame. They want popularity. They are wanting to lay up treasures and they are wanting to lay up riches, and that's the very thing that God told them not to do. He spoke to the preacher and said, Flee these things, O thou man of God. Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, said, for many desiring riches following after these things have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Don't be like that. Flee these things. Lay hold on eternal life. Fight the good fight of faith. I want eternal life, don't you? The only way to get it is to inherit it. I must inherit that spirit. God is the spirit of eternal life. I must inherit the Spirit of eternal life. The only way that I can get in to yonders world is by the power of transformation of my mind, by the power of the translation of my spirit, by the power of the transfiguration of my body. I cannot get into the Kingdom of God unless there is a power or a spirit that will translate, transform or transfigure my entire being. There is no way I can do it. Therefore, eternal life does not consist of the abundance of wealth that I have. It does not consist of the ritualistic practices of going to church and trying to be a good fellow, of joining the church, or paying tithe, or doing any of those things. Eternal life does not consist of the abundance of what you know and what you understand. That's why the Bible tells us that without charity we become as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. Without charity you don't have anything. You may have faith, but you know, just having faith is not sufficient. The Bible tells us that you may have faith to move mountains, but that still is no promise of heaven. You may have what the world calls vindication, miracles, but you can't prove nothing by that. Because the Bible says in the book of Revelation three unclean spirits like frogs came out of the mouth of the dragon, false prophet, and so forth, the image, see? came out working miracles throughout the land. They went forth to deceive the nations by working miracles. So that doesn't mean anything. What we must have is charity. The reason that we must have charity is because God is the spirit of charity. God is the spirit of life. God is the only spirit of life and that God is the spirit of charity. If I don't have the spirit of charity I don't have God. If I don't have God I don't have life because there is but one life and that's God. And God is, as I say so many times, the spirit of holiness. Therefore, if you have eternal life it is because you have inherited the spirit of holiness. If you have not inherited the spirit of holiness, which is the Holy Ghost. If you have not inherited the spirit of holiness then you don't have eternal life. If you have inherited the spirit of holiness then you have your fruits unto holiness. The fruits that come forth from you of righteousness, peace, godliness, contentment, brotherly love, meekness, charity, long suffering, all of these things, when they come forth from you they prove that you have the spirit of holiness. And the Bible said the end thereof eternal life. You have your fruits unto holiness and the end thereof eternal life. If you don't have the fruits of holiness you don't have the spirit of holiness, if you don't have the spirit of holiness you don't have eternal life. And brothers and sisters, the whole thing is about that one thing, and that is eternal life. Jesus said, I came into this world that you might have life and that you might have it more abundant. Building buildings, building churches, publishing the gospel, fasting, praying, sacrificing, giving, traveling, all of things is for one purpose: eternal life. The whole plan of redemption is for one purpose: eternal life. Jesus Christ came and died at Calvary for one purpose, that you might have eternal life. He is the Prince of Life because He alone is heir to the Spirit of God and that without measure. So then, we see a great thing here. God is simply stating that if a man has the wealth of this world, if a man has the riches of this world, and if he with his riches is not wholly given to God and dedicated to the service of God he has the spirit of the world, the love of the world. He will hold on to the things of the world and he doesn't have the Holy Spirit nor fruits of the holiness and as a consequence of that he does not have eternal life. A lot of people would say, Well, Brother Pike, you mean that the rich man is left out? The Bible didn't just say the rich man. In one other place it says, How hardly shall they that have riches, how hardly shall they that have riches. God's terms for the rich man is, they that have riches. For it said this rich young ruler had many things, many things. You may have many things; you may be wealthy. The rich young ruler had many things, many treasures but he didn't want to turn a loose of them. It's not just money, but Jesus said, you've got things of value; go sell those things. You know, a lot of people they have nice things around and say, Well, I don't have any money. I'm on my way to heaven because I don't have any money. But the Bible says, Sell that which you have and provide for yourself treasures in the heavens. He said to the rich young ruler, you've got things of value; go sell that. The Bible said in the early church they sold all that they had. They brought it and laid it at the apostles feet. No man said anything was their own but they had all things common. Now, I say again, this does not mean that they just pooled their money and everybody got an equal share. That's not what He calls common. When the Bible said they had all things common it means that they tried to condescend to men of low estate. And as much as they could they lived on the same level. That is, what common people had in that day, not rich people but common people. For the Bible said the common people heard Jesus gladly. And they had all things like as to common people, all things common. Everything that they had was the common dress, the common things of that life, the common things of that day. So then, it wasn't so with the rich young ruler. He didn't just have the common things of life and the everyday things of life. He had great treasures and they were very dear to him and he didn't want to get rid of them. He wasn't willing to turn them a loose. And these things that he held dead to him apparently cut him off from eternal life. That's why I say so often, Why is it that even the younger fellows want to make money, want to get money. If they have to pedal dope, be a dope pusher, or anything else, just get money, get comforts, get convenience. Why do you want to do that? You know, one of the greatest tragedies of the church today is wealth. Now, somebody say amen. I said, the greatest tragedy of the church today, one of them, is wealth. You say, How do you prove that? The Bible says concerning the last church, it is the Laodicean Church. It is classed as being lukewarm, having no get up and go for God, no drive to publish the gospel, no determination to help win souls, no get up and go to fast a little bit, no drive to pray a little bit, no desire to get around the altar or to get around the bedside, no desire to read the Word of God. A lukewarm Laodicean age. It is also classed as a church that says, Look at our buildings, look at our grounds, look at our bank roll, look at what we've got in the treasury. Classed as one that says, We're rich. We have need of nothing, look at us. Whereas, the Bible said, They know not that they have a name that they live and they are dead. They have a denominational name of being great in the sight of man but not in the sight of God. They don't understand that they are wretched in the sight of God as well as their feelings. They don't understand that they are naked without the garment of the Lord Jesus Christ, the raiment that's been tried in the fire; the wedding garment. They don't understand that they are blind and can't see afar off the judgments of God and can't see the terrors and heartaches and miseries that's coming through the tribulation. And they're blind and they can't see the good things that God has for them that humble their heart and obey Him. That is the last church age. A number of years ago the church didn't have anything, poor people, as we say, that lived across the tracts, or poor people that worked around the cotton mill that just had enough to get by on, poor people, that little foreign boy running around in ragged pants and holes in their shoes, people that went to a brush arbor rather than a big beautiful Cathedral. Those people had something from God. Those people were on their way to heaven. You say, But, Brother Pike, what difference does it make if you're poor. The Bible said have not God chosen the poor of this world who are rich in faith? Did you know that when you've got the convenience of riches and you've got the convenience of all of the things of life that you cannot have faith? Did you know that if you've got the money to take care of you every time you get a tooth ache or a pain ache, or some kind of pain or whatever, don't you know that you can't have faith? How can you have faith? Because everything that you need you've got money. And the Bible said the rich have their consolation. Their consolation is money. If they need to go to the doctor they don't have to believe for the spirit, they don't have to have the Holy Ghost as a comforter. They don't have to utilize faith to be able to get up a little money to pay the doctor bill. They've got their consolation. They've got it in the bank. They say, I've laid up for a rainy day. They don't have to worry about it because that is their consolation. They don't have to suffer, rather they let the little ones go hungry that are in need. They let the other people that they should share with be in need. They take their consolation. (Begin side two.)...needy God will not share with them. The Bible says he that giveth to the poor lendeth unto God and God will pay him back. God will make all of your beds in the time of your sickness. The death of the saints is precious in the sight of God. So then, the rich have their consolation. Now. The church back then, there was no virtue in being poor. Today there is still no virtue in being poor. But there is one thing about it. When a person is poor if they turn toward God they will have to believe because they don't have any riches. They don't have any consolation of wealth. Now then you say, But, Brother Pike, in that some of the people have been given riches, in that God hath raised them up in this day, what about that? In general there is one answer. Laodicean, luke warm, saying the rich have need of nothing when they are blind, wretched and naked. That's the general answer. But then, there is people that's been blessed of God. Whereas, the Bible said the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and addeth no sorrow. I'll make you to ride upon the high places of the earth. I'll feed you with the heritage of Jacob. I'll see that you lack no good thing, though the young lion lacks; he goes hungry sometimes but I will feed you. I'll take care of you. Now, there is a blessing from God. Now what about these people that are rich? These are the people that use everything they've got for God. These are they that give to God. No man has given up his house, no man has given up his land, no man has left his wife or children, no man has left anything but what I won't give it back to him in this life. Bless him in this life, make him rich in this life, and then in the world to come I'll give him eternal life. So then he says to the rich young ruler, Yet lackest thou one thing. Sell all you have, give to the poor, but the Bible said he turned away sorrowfully because he had many treasures. He couldn't part with those. God could not come first in his life. He could not seek God first in life. He could not put God first in his life because his life was filled with too many other things. But see, it's in that very same Scripture that Jesus tells him, right down below where he just spoke to him. He tells him in the same passage of Scripture, with the same breath of expression, if you do leave what you've got, if you do sell what you've got, if you do give up what you've got, why, I'll give it back to you many times more but it will be dedicated to God. Your cup will run over. You'll have all you need. Now, let's look at it just a little bit this way. Look at Zaccheus. Talking about they that have riches now. Treasures. Lay up your treasures in heaven where thieves don't break through and steal, where moth doesn't corrupt for where your treasures you heart will be there also. Look at Zaccheus. God said to him, Come down. He came down and stood before Jesus. A rich man. He said, Lord, you don't have to ask me nothing. Oh, I'm so glad to be here. Glory to God. I've been up in the tree. I've been looking. I know I've made a spectacle out of myself. I'm a man of reputation. I'm suppose to be a dignitary around here, but it doesn't matter. I'm so beside myself to get to see You I climbed up in the tree like a squirrel. Come down! He said. I've lost all my pride and everything because I'm so fascinated with you, Jesus. You don't have to ask me nothing. Said, Half of my goods I'll give to the poor right now. And said, Lord, if I've cheated anybody, if I've swindled anybody, if I've cut corners, pulled deals in any way, if I've taken anything from any man falsely, God, I'll give him four times what I took from him, everyone of them that will name it. Right here in the presence of all of you if you'll say that I done it I'll give you four times back what I took from you. I'll restore it four-fold. The Lord didn't say you've got to give up anything. He didn't say, Zaccheus, your riches is between Me and you. He didn't say, How hardly shall you go to heaven, or the camel that goes through the eye of the needle. He just says, I'm going down to your house. I'm going to abide with you today. Salvation has come down to your house. Isn't that something. So then, it's not in the things that we possess. But it's in the spirit that we have. A lot of people don't have anything; they'll still go to hell. A lot of people don't have any wealth but their contrary nature, their aggravating disposition, contrary disposition that is so evil and contrary will cause them to die and go to hell. Whereas some that do have riches will have a godly spirit, share and give, help, and put to the exchangers all of their talents that God may reward them even double for everything that they have given. You know, Jesus said give and it will be given unto you. If I give of my time to His service and to His people to help people God will give years unto me. If I give of my finance, whereas, the Bible said labor that you might have to give. If I give of my finance or of my substance or my treasures, God will give me more for He says here He will give me more. What ever I do for the sake of christ if I do it joyfully, in that God loveth a cheerful giver, if I do it cheerfully, if I do joyfully, if I do it without grudging, if I do it because I just love to do it for Christ, then God will reward me greatly. If I delight myself in the Lord He will give me the desires of my heart whether it's automobile, whether it's home, whether it's children, whether it's wife, whether it's clothing, whatever it is, understanding revelation, spiritual blessings, or power in my life. Whatever I want God said He would do it. He's not a liar; He will do it. He'll keep His Word. I'll give thee the desires of thine heart if you'll delight yourself in me. I'll make you to ride upon the high places of earth, feed you with the heritage of Jacob. And Jacob was a very rich man. Abraham was exceedingly rich in that they said Abraham thou art a great prince among us. So much wealth, Abraham. But old brother Abraham was the man that looked after the poor. Job was exceedingly wealthy, exceedingly rich, but Job said, I take care of the poor. I look after the poor. All that I can help I help for he loved the Lord more than all of his treasures. He loved God more than all of his treasures. You know, this has been a simple little message tonight, but I felt like this was what God wanted us to minister on. This is what he gave us. Not preparing anything before I come behind the sacred desk then I try to take what He gives me. Other things that I had on my mind, as far as my natural mind, as far as it's concerned there are a lot of things I'd like to have talked to that is different from this but I feel like this is what He wanted. If this is what He wanted then He has a purpose for it. Let's everybody stand together please. You know, the Bible teaches that we're to seek ye first, and that's our shortcoming. Seek ye first. And though I've preached this, many multiplied times I have preached this, but even unto this very day, as we draw near the judgment, you still put your desires first, your finance first, your ambitions first, your convenience first. Every man looking to his quarter for his own gain. Your desire first. you still do it, though you've been warned over and over. But the Bible said, He that being often reproved if he harden his heart, if he stiffens his neck, if he will not listen, if he rebel he shall be destroyed. The Bible said he shall be destroyed and that suddenly. It shall be a quick, sudden thing without remedy. There won't be anyone to help, there won't be anyway to get out of it. There won't be any remedy. It won't be a thing to where you can start praying and say, My God! Help me out of this! But it will be like that and that will be it. You know, Brother Al Gonzales, I believe he was with us down in South America and a few of the other. I don't know just who all. But if you remember, Brother Gonzales, we went by a police station. When we went by there we looked at some pictures of tragedies where people had been killed in wrecks, pinned in under automobiles, run over by trains, tractors and trailers, little babies just mutilated. Such horrible, horrible things until there is no way to describe it. You know, we look over into some of the foreign countries and we see leprosy eating a human face out. We're not concerned like we ought to be. Sufferings continually, but are we concerned? Little babies ribs showing, dying from malnutrition, but are we concerned? And we think, My! That's such a horrible country; I'm so glad to be in this one. But, Oh, let me tell you. If you could just take a look at some of the pictures of what's happening in this country and see the horrors. A lot of that over there is not near so bad as this over here. Not near so bad. David Paul was telling me the other night that he had to go over to this driving school over here in Athens at the college and he said it was horrible. He said that they showed the scenes one woman started to open her mouth to speak where they had got to her in a wreck, and when she did, said, blood just gushed out of her mouth, out of her eyes, out of her ears, everywhere. Little baby, I heard of them speak of it, where they backed over and just flattened it's little head. And the scenes that we saw are almost indescribable. I don't know how to express them. Sin. A lot of those people were wealthy. A lot of those people thought they had what they wanted. A lot of people figured that that would never happen to them, that that was somebody else. Numbers of people at Little Bethlehem, there's been wreck after wreck with you. God has been merciful to you. He's kept you when those wrecks took place. Friend, I don't know how many wrecks I've had. In traveling around throughout my lifetime it would have been impossible for me to travel without having wrecks. There's been numbers of wrecks. I've told this a lot of times. I've been going down the road when the car would leave the highway, go down an incline, turn over on the side and flip back up on the wheels. I've been in them with my family when I'd be going down the highway and be hit in the rear and the whole car would spin all the way around in the main highway, go over into the ditch against the telephone pole and turn up against it's side and they'd have to pull us out the side. I've been in them when we'd be going down an embankment and come to a bridge, and maybe the car would be going left to miss the entire bridge, going into the forest and into the stream this way and by a miracle God would change it and have the thing to go down and hit the bridge sideways and then run off of the end of the bridge this way into the creek below. I've been in them when people have run into me. I've been in them in all kind of conditions but the Lord has took care of me. He's never suffered me, nor my family to be hurt. We've been over at the edges of cliffs, going over when the snow would have us to where one spin and she would go over the side and the Lord by a miracle would give us traction at the last minute when the car had found no traction to that point. But through faith believing, at the last second, the children crying and screaming and God would send His angle and spare us. I've been in a lot of circumstances. I've been in them when they'd go down an incline, or an embankment, when I would have to stop and get it stopped just as it went over and get my family out and have to ride it down the embankment myself because there was no way for me to get out; ride it to the bottom. I've been over bridges when I'd have to get my wife and children out and have to take the chance of getting back over in the place when the bridge would give away as I went over. Make my family get out and get them across and when I'd go back over, just as I'd make it down the bridge would go as the back end came over. So many multiplied things, on and on and on, but until this day the Lord has blessed me, until this day God has spared me. Until this day God has taken care of me and my children, my little ones. Prayers. Not only have I had so many wrecks but my children, my loved ones, wreck and wreck. My spiritual children here, wreck after wreck. But God has been good to you and God spared you, God's hope you. You should be very grateful. You say, Well, Brother Pike, it couldn't happen to us. It happened to Bob. As Bob and Cleal went down the road, had the wreck, Bob's head popped back. It killed him. Knocked a hole in the back of his head. It killed him; a fine person. Cleal escaped death. You know, you need to pray. You need to watch. It happened to Brother Branham. Brother Branham torn up, the arm broke all to pieces, head gone through the windshield, just broke, busted all up until his brain swelled so they had to open the scull to where the brain could have room as it swelled. Horrible. So many people, God has been merciful to us. Been merciful to us. I'm so grateful. It's bad on this side of the ocean, folks. You may think it's bad over there; it's bad over here. But I'll tell you it's getting bad over here and worse over here because we don't care about that over there. If we loved them over there and we helped them over there and we considered the others then it wouldn't be like that over here. We could get rid of it over here. I tell you what, it's worthy of your consideration. I told some of them the other night, almost every man here said that he would support a little hungry child which was only two hundred and forty dollars to take care of a child. I never ask for offerings. As a rule I never preach concerning money. I wouldn't take a personal offering if you brought it because I don't receive personal offerings, but one thing God told me to do and that's plead the cause of the orphan and the widow and those little children over there, you said that you would take care of them, and some of you will still eat, drink, glutton, ride, frolic, spend money on gas, visit, go to the vacationing, everything else. But you can't do nothing for that little child. I watched and so little has come in out of so many that said they would do something. Oh, Brother and Sister, we all go to our own way. We let the house of God lay waste and some of us that do support the little ones, before we'll share and make a sacrifice we'll take that money that we were going to give to God's house and to God's work and the publication of the gospel and give that before we'll make an extra step and sacrifice the other way. You say, How do you know? I'm on the other end; I know what's going on. I'm the one that has to pay the bills. Do you love Jesus? Let's sing a little chorus together. I just say these things for one reason, not speaking in respect of want. Paul said, I've coveted no man's silver or gold. I don't have to do that because God feeds me good. God clothes me good. God gives me the desire of my heart. He said He would do it; He's done it all down through the years since I've been serving Him. I didn't have it before I started serving him but I've had it ever since I started serving him. I've never been without the desire of my heart since the day I started serving Jesus. I say these things as a reminder, not in respect of want for the Lord said He'd supply all of my needs according to his riches in glory. He does. But I say them as a reminder to you because you are going to have to face the same God that I'll face. You're going to have to go to the same judgment that I'm going to. You're going to have to make the same excuses that I'll make if I don't live right and do right. And you're going to have to pay the same penalty that I'll have to pay if I don't live according to holiness. And I'll be cut off without eternal life and you'll be cut off without eternal life and that without respect of person, rich or poor if we don't live for God and if we don't share, take up our cross and follow Him. Some of the widows here you feel like you can't do nothing, and some of you don't do nothing. You have two or three incomes in your home, you spend it, throw it away, do anything you want to with it but to give to God or carry on your responsibilities you just can't do it to save your life. Some of you men that live on the campground__ I noticed Sister Bonnie and Betty yesterday, I just over heard them in the kitchen, and Sister Bonnie was real alarmed and Betty was about the campground over here, said that some of the men just absolutely won't keep up their responsibility of just paying what little that they owe on that part for their trailers to be over there when they are not charged anything at all in the way of rent, and are told that what little there is to be paid once it's paid they don't have anything to pay. Not concerned. Not concerned. Won't pay it. I pay it. I have to pay it. See? If you don't pay it I have to pay it and I will. And I have paid it, but one thing for sure and certain, though I pay it you will be the one that will make the biggest payment in the end. When your payday comes you'll make the biggest payment. See? All because you're not concerned. All because you let your mind and the gluttony of your flesh out talk you and out reason your sense of reasoning, putting a load on these other Brethren that don't even have places on the campground to carry your load as we have to pay the bills, taking money away from hungry babies, taking money, blood money, taking blood money while souls go to hell. Keeping us from paying the bills were it not for the kindness of God. But it doesn't bother you. Though I mention it tonight you'll soon forget it because I've mentioned it numbers of times. You soon forgot it. When your appetite comes up, your temper comes up, your desire comes up, somebody crosses your grain you're going to do the same thing. Do you know why you're going to do it and why I'm so sure you'll do it? Now, you say, Brother Pike, don't you know that I'll make a change? There's no way. There's no way. You're going to do the same thing because you don't have the nature of Christ. Satan put you here for that purpose, to leach, to interfere, to gossip, to backbite, to cause trouble. He put you here for that purpose. The Bible said brute beast made to be taken and burned. See? You're not going to make a change because the Bible said the leopard can't change his spots. The Ethiopian cannot change his skin, neither can they that are accustomed to do evil do good. You can't do it. There's no way. You can get a case of do better and say, I'm going to listen. That won't do it, but the day that you get born again, the day that you get Christ in your heart, the day that you become partakers of that divine nature you won't find yourself resenting the preacher. You'll find yourself being glad for the truth and having a love for the truth instead of finding fault and resenting because it cuts across you. You won't be flying up every time somebody ruffles your feathers, as the world says. Every time somebody goes a little contrary to you you won't be contrary and hinder the publication of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You won't find fault every time somebody asks you to do something and try to, as the world says, weasel out of it and go somewhere else. You won't do that. You'll say, God help me to be a laborer in the vineyard of God and do something for the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, a widow that's a widow indeed, that loves God, that's doing everything they know to be honest and straight, trying to carry their own load, they're worthy of consideration and help for the Bible teaches to help the widows. But you know, the Bible teaches that a widow is not to be chargeable to the church. She must be sixty years old, or better, before she can be chargeable to the church. And then she must be of a good report. She must be a good woman. The Bible teaches that having lived with one husband, having washed the saints feet, being of a good report and then not having anybody to take care of them. For even at that, if she has nephews or relatives to take care of her, the Bible said let them provide for her and her not be chargeable to the church. Some of the widows have children and sons and loved ones. All they do is glutton up everything they get; run it out, foolishly spend it. Won't help their mother, won't help the widows, won't help none of them; foolish children. You know, the Bible said a foolish son maketh a sad father. Take everything that they can get from you, leach off of you. We're living in a day when sons and daughters are nothing but leaches unless God gets a hold of their heart. They don't want to work, they don't want to help, they don't want to do anything. They'll leach off of you and take every dollar that you've got and suck the very blood out of your veins like a viper, or a vampire, and won't go nothing to help you. And you know what? This is getting to be that way in the church. There are people that will take the blood out of Christ's veins and walk over it. And the Bible said count it an unholy thing. Take the very blood out of His veins. Now, let me say this to you in closing tonight, folks. You know, the truth will make you free if you'll accept it and incorporate it in your life. But let me tell you something. You that act up like you do with your short temper, and evil way of doing, you reproach Christ Jesus and you reproach God and all that He stands for, and you that lust after one another, and after your husband, or after your neighbors wife and your neighbors husband, and your neighbors daughter, and you that intermingle with all these filthy things, you are a reproach to your maker. And the Bible said in the morning He will despise thine image. And He will pursue you until you perish from off of the face of the earth, for He said, Beware, ye that forget God, lest I tear you into pieces. The wicked are an abomination in His sight. Your offering is an abomination in His sight. Your prayers are an abomination in His sight. I will pursue the wicked until they perish. All nations that forget God, I will turn them into hell, Jesus said. You women that won't honor your husbands, reverence and obey him in all things, you are a reproach to your maker. To represent the church of the Living God and have the old evil, contrary, rebellious self-willed attitude that you've got. You that fly up at your children, fly all over them, curse them and all these evil things and vex the life out of them and won't listen at all. And you that allow them to go to the evil places and give your daughters for a glass of wine, your sons, you men that lust after women, that can't be true to your wife and can't work on a job and make her an honest, decent living, and can't pay your just and honest bills, pay your creditor, and pay him justly what you owe to keep a name, a good name for your children to have when they grow up, you are a reproach to your maker. The Bible says a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. You'd rather have a dollar in your pocket, you'd rather have money to spend and glutton and to fill your stomach, whereas the Bible said all of your labor is for your belly because your belly craves it of you for He put the serpent on his belly. And John called them a generation of vipers. You'd rather feed your belly than to have a decent upright name, to share with your family and with God, or to labor that you might have to give. You are a reproach to your maker. May God have mercy on us and keep us from all of these evil powers and spirits of self-will and contrariness and lording over our brethren and doing the foolish things we do. May God help us, folks. May God help us. We're headed for the judgment. It ain't for off. May God help us. May God help us. It's hard to swear to the hurt of that old flesh, that old belly, that old gnawing of the senses. Hard to say die and make that one die that want's everything and don't want to give nothing. But I tell you, you'd better do it because on the other side your going to have life eternal. It's going to be from now on and these few short days of misery are not to be compared with the great days of joy. Lay up treasures in heaven. Where the treasures are there the heart will be. Let's lift our hands up instead of singing. Let's just lift our hands up, can we? Precious Heavenly Father, tonight may these words be quickened to my heart. May I apply these things to my own way of life. And oh, Holy Father, cleanse me and purify me, Father. lest I, after having preached to others I, myself, become a cast away, not keeping my body under subjection to Thy will and Word. Cleanse me, purge me, Oh, Holy Father. Let me take the over sight of the flock of God to feed them, Lord, that which you purchased with your blood, not by constraint, not as lord over God's heritage, not for filthy lucre but for the love of God and the love of His saints. Oh Father, be with me tonight to be a good shepherd that I give my life for the sheep and not flee when the wolf comes as the hireling would do, that when the chief shepherd appears that He may give me a crown that fadeth not away. Oh Lord, give me a concern and not only me, Heavenly Father, but every individual here, man and woman, boy or girl. Give them a concern. Oh, Lord, let the women, Lord, that are using their husbands for a crutch, for an excuse saying that they can't do anything, let them wake up and realize you won't accept that. And let the men that are using their wives for a crutch saying they can't do anything. Let them know that they are inexcusable, Oh, God. And those that are using their children, giving special liberties, making their children to feel like they are some special person, Oh, God, and won't bring them to the right teachings, won't subject them to the right ways, Lord, help them to know that you won't receive that in the day of judgment. And Lord, the teachers that abuse our little children in school because of their evil tempers when they know that they are not right with God, being so impatient, help them to know that without charity, Lord, they will be lost. Help the children to be reverent, to honor, to obey the parents, for that is the first promise of God, oh, Lord, the first commandment that has promise of long life. Oh, Jesus, be with us and help us. Bless us at Little Bethlehem. Help us not to do anything out of self-will, out of envy, out of strife...

By Rev. George Leon Pike Sr.

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

Holiness Unto The Lord