Rejecting The Cornerstone

We're glad to be here tonight in the sports arena. I've never ministered here in this part of Atlanta and we're certainly grateful to be here. Ministering in the middle of the building like this it's a little bit different from wrestling. You know, they tussle and tumble and they're in every direction and I just have to keep moving around here. But, anyway, it's a privilege to be here and we're sorry that we're late. I was surprised that Brother Taylor called me right up because I thought they had some special singing for the girls back there and it would have been a whole lot better if you had taken care of that without me coming up. But, anyway, we're thankful for those we see here. Some I see from Tennessee and different places, and I see our people from Bethlehem and I really appreciate the people coming to be with us. This is the first night of the meeting and I believe God is going to give us a meeting. I believe that God is going to give us a meeting. As I've said so many times, we are here__ I say this so often, we are here, you know, in our meetings not because we wanted to come, not because we planned it this way. It wasn't our idea. We didn't do it for that purpose. We did it because the Lord Jesus Christ lead in this direction. And so then, God leading in this direction then that is why we are here. One of the main reasons that we're here at the sports arena Brother Curly had three dreams, one right after another, that we were here in the sports arena, that God wanted us here and that we were to have a meeting here. There was one right behind another and that God wanted to bless us here and bless the people of Atlanta, Georgia. And so then, we are here. That is one of the reasons, but I did not come because of the dream. We had felt to come here and have a meeting quite a number of months before and we had waited for the Lord's time before we came into this area to have a meeting. And then when the dreams came, well, it all just worked right together for what we were trying to do for God. So then, that's why we're here. This meeting has a great spiritual significance, as well as all of our meetings. You know, I say this so often in our meetings. I'm always saying this and I know a lot of people wonder because I say it so often but it is a true fact that our meetings have a great spiritual significance. It has a great bearing concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophets of old were led by the Spirit of God and because they were led by the Spirit of God then God used them in a great and mighty way in connection with His coming. That is, for judgment, or whatever, in the day they were living in, His visitations. So then, the visitation of the Lord in our day is just the same and the Lord uses those that follow His Spirit, as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God and we believe in being led by the Spirit of God and that's why we're here. So then, the Atlanta meeting has such a fantastic significance that if I attempted tonight to explain to you I'm sure that numbers of you wouldn't understand what I'm saying. But you can take my word for it. It has a great significance in that we are here in Atlanta, Georgia, here at the sports arena. And though our crowd tonight is not very large, yet the Lord is in our meeting here and we're expecting God to bless us. Now. The last meeting that we had, I believe it was over in Jeffersonville, Indiana, so far as a crusade, and we had a wonderful meeting. The weather wasn't favorable but there under the tent we still had a wonderful meeting. God blessed us and He sent the crowds out and the Lord really gave us a wonderful meeting. The t.v's all around covered it. The devil got stirred up and all the t.v. stations came out and covered it and favored us in our meeting and the paper gave us a full page spread, almost a full page on the front page of the biggest paper there because God was moving by His Spirit. And so then, here we are in Atlanta, Georgia tonight and we are here to try to do something for God. Now. I know that we've had some advertisement in Atlanta, too, front page on the Atlanta Journal. And maybe it wasn't quite so tasteful to some of you, but nevertheless, we love Jesus and anything that the news media says that's all right. That's their business. That's between them and God. It's our job to stand for the truth and to preach the gospel and to be a witness for God in the earth. What other people do that's their business. They'll have to answer to God for that. As long as I tell the truth. As long as I do what's right, as long as I do what God commands me to do then that's all I have to do. Do you love Jesus? All right. So then, it's our privilege to be here tonight. We're very grateful for Mr. Paul Jones, who's here with us, sitting right here with Mike. He owns this building. It's his building. It has belonged to him for numbers of years and they've had meetings in it, wrestling and all kind of things here in the way of entertainment and he has let us have this building here to hold this meeting in and we're very grateful for him and his wife being so gracious to us. Now. I want to say again that we are thankful for the privilege of being here with you and we're going to talk to you about the Word of God in just a little bit but I think the girls we going to sing us a song tonight. I believe they have a song for us and I'd like to hear them sing it for us if they will. I noticed these steps are just a little bit rocky on this side and I'm not a rock singer, nor a rock follower so we'd like to stabilize that if you don't mind. All right. If they will they'll sing for you then we'll come back and we'll talk to you about Jesus. (Singing) Can we all stand together? Let's just have a word of prayer tonight. Let's just bow our heads together now and ask God to bless us. Precious, wonderful Heavenly Father, Lord, as we gather together here in this sports arena to glorify the wonderful name of Your lovely Son Jesus we ask for Your presence, and we ask for Your blessings. We ask for Your anointing, Father, for we know that it's not by power and it's not by might that we accomplish anything through life but it is by Thy Spirit. And, dear God, we know that nations crumble, O God, because they do not have Thy presence and Thy Spirit for, Lord, You raise up one and You put down another and kings and mighty rulers, God, reign because of You. And, Father, You rule in man's affairs and You have Your way in man's affairs. And, dear God, we know tonight that You, as God from on high, that You are looking down here in this area and, Father, that You are having Your way here in this meeting and in this area. And I ask, O God, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Lord, that You hear my prayer tonight and, Father, that You bless every person that has come out here tonight to enjoy the wonderful presence of Jesus Christ. I ask that You bless them, that You bless them financially, Father, that You bless them physically, Father, and that You bless them spiritually. I ask You to do it. I ask You to bind every spiritual power, Lord, that would be contrary, Lord, to Your wonderful sweetness and glory and love, Lord, to drive it far from us. Sanctify this area, God. Sanctify it afresh with Your blessings and with Your presence. Let the great Holy Spirit make these grounds pure, Lord. Make them holy for Your sake. In Jesus wonderful name I ask it. Amen. You can be seated. Now then. I'd like to take my time and talk with you just a few minutes tonight. It would be nice if we'd had just a little bit of water over here to kind of wet our throat with. How many of you are glad that you are here tonight? Let me see your hands. Could I see your hands tonight? Could I do that gain? How many of you are glad you're here tonight? Let me see your hand. All right. I'm glad that I'm here tonight. We want to apologize, in that we had a little problem on the way. The Lord impressed me not to come too early and I didn't know just why and I said something to my wife about it and she wanted to come on a little early and my daughter wanted to come a little early because Gracie was to help sing. But I still felt to wait around a little bit. And it was the hand of God because as we came up Highway 20, as we were coming up the highway I noticed a car, or a truck, stopped on the side of the road and there I saw Brother Bill and some of the others and we pulled over and stopped right hurriedly to learn that a sister had had a severe heart attack and was dying. And Bill and I prayed. We prayed earnestly and as we begin to pray God began to undertake and it was a very pitiful sight. A very pitiful sight. You know, I've held people's hand when they would die. I've seen them breathe their last breath. I've been there when they would die and the person was dying and their breath was gone. Their life was gone and just a matter of seconds, I mean just seconds, and that's all there was. And it was such a pitiful thing as they were crying and begging and pleading for life and for breath. And we prayed to God and as we prayed to God, God undertook. I caught the person's hand and as we prayed to God, God undertook and the pulse came back. And as the pulse came back the life began to revive and the person could breath. So, we got the person into the bus with us and we started over to the Dekalb General to where they could give her some care over there while we could come on to the meeting, and as we did the life left her again on the way over and she was in the same pitiful, pitiful fix. And so we stopped again. I whipped in at a service station and we stopped and I ran back and grabbed her arm and her pulse was gone again. We began to pray again and God restored it again. And when we got there they took her into the wheelchair and took her on into Dekalb and we notified the husband and they came on over and we came on over to our meeting. And that's why we didn't get here any earlier. But the Lord undertook and I'd like for you to pray, especially pray for the Sister because she desperately needs your prayers. The nurses and all were really alarmed and she needs your prayers. But we'll believe and pray and that way God can undertake and do something for her. You know, one thing that you really need to remember, folks, one day it's coming to you. It's coming to me; it's coming to everybody. One day, if Jesus tarries, you are going to be choking and you're going to be trying to get your breath. And you're going to come down to the river. You're going to come down to the Jordan and it's going to be your time to go over. Everybody does it. It doesn't matter if you're a celebrity, if you're a king, a president. It doesn't matter if you're some famous movie star. It doesn't matter if you're a preacher. If you're some great athlete. It doesn't matter. One day you're going to start choking for breath because the angel of death is going to come down and he's going to reach to get you. And when he does that's going to be the moment that you're going to need Jesus. You're going to need Jesus because you're going to make that crossing. And like the song says, you're going to walk the lonesome valley and you're going to do it by yourself. Some folks can hold your hand until you breathe your last breath but they can't go any farther than that. It takes Jesus from that point to go on. So then, you need to make preparations. If you've not made preparations you need to make preparations and be sure that everything is well with you at that moment when that particular thing takes place. You need to do that. All right. We live real light hearted in this world, you know, and we've got plenty of things to do and we're too busy to take time out for Jesus. But strangely enough when death comes around, just the moment that the angelic powers of death reaches for us we take time at that time. We have plenty of time at that time. We can't do anything. We just give in and go wherever He says go. That is, unless we've got Jesus. I want to read to you a little bit tonight from the book of St. Peter, chapter two. If you've got your Bibles you can read with us. "Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisy, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to off up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." All right, now. I want you to notice here, it says in the sixth verse, Behold__ It says, "Wherefore also it is contained in the Scriptures, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded." I'll lay my Bible right here. Now. I want to get comfortable just for a minute or two and I want to talk to you. And I'm going to set this over here to where I can move around and look around. Now. I read to you here in the Scriptures where it tells us that God has laid in Sion a stumbling stone of offense. A corner stone, elect and precious. This stone that I spoke of here, this very meeting that we're in tonight has to do with that stone. This very meeting that we are in tonight has to do with that stone. That is the reason why that they have put this arena, put this wrestling ring out here for us to minister on. It is not because we desired it, but it was because that was the first move toward the ministering in this building and it was their idea to do it this way and God was in it. And we watched to the point that we told them said, It's not necessary to put it out there. But they put it out there anyway. So then, tonight we're here because God is trying to let us know that the chief corner stone Jesus Christ, has been rejected. It has been rejected, and being rejected by the people it has highly displeased God and everything and everybody, every walk of life has been magnified except this great wonderful Jesus the Christ. Everything has been lifted up and everything has been magnified through life, dignitaries, movie stars, presidents, celebrities of all kind have been praised, but the Lord God of Heaven has been laid aside. The Bible tells us that My people have forgotten me days without number. You know, we belong to God. We don't belong to the president. We don't belong to the movie stars. We don't belong to the millionaires. We belong to God. God made us. God is the one that created us and put us in this world. Therefore, we should not glorify the celebrities of the world. We should not praise the millionaires of the world. We should not praise the kings and rulers of the world, but we should praise the Lord Jesus Christ because we are God's creature. God wants us to love Him and to give Him glory. He doesn't care how much money you have, He doesn't care how much blessings you have. The Bible said the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and addeth no sorrow. The Bible tells us that God will make us to ride upon the high places of the earth, feed us with the heritage of Jacob. He will make all of our beds in the time of our sickness. God will take care of us in everything that we do. We will be like a tree that is planted by the waters and we can bring forth our fruit in our season; our leaves shall not wither. Whatever we do, the Bible tells us it will prosper because it is God's will for us to be in such circumstance and condition. But, folks, when we forget Jesus we've done a serious thing. And I know tonight we don't like to accept the idea and the thought that we, as a people, or as a nation, or as a world, we don't like to accept the thought that we have forsaken, or forgotten all about the Lord Jesus Christ. But it is a true fact that we magnify everything but salvation and everything but the Lord Jesus. We have a big time in the world in everything but God. We are desirous to take part in everything but real old time salvation and world evangelism. We count Christianity as something that is a side line. We want to do that on the side. We want to do the things that we do, or want to do, and we want to feel that should have the preeminence over everything, and then God should be something that we do on the side. Just some kind of a hobby through life. But I want you to know that Jesus doesn't want it that way. It's like the lady tonight coming down to that place. What a horrible experience. What a depressing moment. What a depressing thought to know that within a few seconds that if God had not undertaken, that she would have crossed over the Jordan and would have gone out into eternity and all of the things of the world would have meant exactly nothing to her. The Bible teaches that when we lay up treasures to ourself and we heap together blessings to ourself, when we don't consider other people and we don't give of our strength and we don't give of our substance and we don't consider the others that we become a foolish person. Because we are told of God that we should give of our strength, that we should give of our substance, that we should lay up treasures in Heaven to where we can have something over in the other world. Isn't that right? But, Brothers and Sisters, the world has rejected Jesus. You know, the world at this point, or this time of life, it is more religious than it's ever been in the history of mankind. Did you know that? But still with all of that they have fully rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. I made the statement quite a number of years ago, I said toward the end time, as it approaches more and more, I said, People will turn away from God. I said, And they will forget about God and they will become very religious, but they still won't have the Holy Spirit in their lives. And today people are very religious. They are just as religious as they can be. Everybody has got religion today. It doesn't matter who you talk to, they've got some kind of religion. There are very few people in the world today that you talk to but what they've got some kind of religion. Is that right? But I want you to know that a religious life isn't going to be good enough. You are going to have to have God in your heart. You're going to have to have an experience with God. You are going to have to call on the name of the Lord. And you're going to have to love the Lord. And you're going to have to worship God. You know, God wants us to worship Him. God doesn't just want somebody to make a confession that they are a Christian because they belong to some kind of a church, or because they're part of some kind of a religious body. God isn't looking for that. But God wants somebody to pray. He wants somebody to praise Him. He wants somebody to lift their hands up. The Bible said lift up your hands, holy hands, and praise God. He wants somebody that will lift up their hands, holy hands, that have been made holy by the blood of Jesus Christ. And He wants somebody to praise and give honor and glory unto God. That's what God is looking for. And, folks, that's what we're going to have to do. But the world has gotten away from Jesus. They have rejected the chief Cornerstone. The Chief Cornerstone has been rejected. And because it has been rejected then that means that God is about to pour out His wrath upon the world. (Begin tape one, side two.).......We don't like to think about the end. We don't like to think about death. We don't like to think about anything that's depressing. We don't like to think about anything that might make us feel bad but we might as well to face the issue. The world is on the verge of a great calamity. Disaster is about to befall mankind and we might as well acknowledge it and get ready for it. We can say all kind of pretty things and we can make it look real good and we can tell people that they don't have to be disturbed but, Brother and Sisters, that's not going to change God's Word. God's Word definitely states that when you see these things come to pass know that it's nigh, even at the door. And I want you to know that I'm seeing them come to pass. All of these things that the Bible s spoke of, I'm beginning to see them some to pass and we're living in the very moment of the coming of the Lord. Right now the Lord Jesus is preparing to return to this earth. Now, you say, Brother Pike, you don't know that. Yes, I do know that. How do you know that? The Bible tells me that we're not children of darkness, we're children of light. If I was a child of darkness, which means intellectual reasoning, somebody that did not understand, or somebody that could not understand; I wouldn't know about the coming of the Lord Jesus. But, see? I'm not a child of darkness. The Bible tells me that I am a child of light. He said, therefore ye shall know when these things are nigh, even at the door. So then, these things are close, folks. These things are nigh even at the door. Right now the coming of the Lord is nigh, even at the door. Jesus said when you see these things know that it's close, even at the door. Now. I look at some of you tonight and I can tell that death is close to you. Some of you may cross over anytime. It's close to you. But I'm speaking about the end of the world. We're living in the end of the world. You know, it has gotten to be where when you tell people about that it doesn't seem to effect people. Do you know why? They've seen so many things on t.v. and read so many things in the newspaper and read so many books and different things until they've got passed feeling. And it's just like telling them some kind of fairy tale or some kind of, you know, something that's not real. But you wait until the sting of death gets a hold of you and then you're going to grasp the reality of death. You say, But, Brother Pike, I'm not afraid of death. I tell you that the Bible said that a man will give all that he hath for his life. I don't care how brave you are. You may be brave when it comes to facing situations in life but I want you to know that you are not going to be brave when death reaches out for you. It's going to take God to give you braveness in that hour. It's going to take God to give you courage at that moment. When death reaches out for you it's going to take God in that moment to make you brave. A doctor recently, down in the areas of Macon, Georgia watch a sister in Christ die. As the sister died__ The sister had gone through much suffering. She had lost some of the members of her body. As she died, she died loving Jesus and praising God. And the tears filled the eyes of the doctor and he said, I hope to God that I could have that kind of attitude and that kind of feeling and that kind of courage when I go out to meet my maker. Oh, hallelujah! What a thought. Let your light so shine that men may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. This woman had lived godly for years. I'd known her for years. Lived godly all down through her life and when she got ready to meet Jesus she went out loving the Lord. That's the way it should be. That's the way Jacob went out. But the world has come to the end of the trail. We've had wonderful things. We've lived it up. We've had brand new automobiles. We've had nice homes. We've had money. We've had education. We've had everything. All of that is wonderful. That's good. You know, I thank God for every bit of it. I appreciate God letting us have it. But, folks, that's no good when it comes to death. That's no good on the other side of the river. That isn't going to do us any good. All that we have here is of no value on the other side of the river. The Bible said if you're not rich toward God then at the time of death you're in bad shape. So then, we thank God for the blessings. I thank God for my health. God has blessed me with health and with strength. I thank God for it. I thank God that I've been able to preach across the nation and across the different parts of the world. I thank God for the health of my family and the prosperity that God has blessed me with. I thank God for all these wonderful things but that doesn't take the place of my fellowship with God or my relationship with God. There is nothing that God has given me that takes the place of my fellowship and my relations with Him. I'd rather have the spirit of God and the fellowship of God and the blessings of God than all that the world can afford for there is nothing to be compared with the peace, with the joy, with the faith, with the rest, with the assurance that a man has in his heart when he has Christ. So then, it is a wonderful thing tonight to know that you are a Christian. It is a joy. It is a great jubilance. Not a make-believe. It's not something that somebody has to manufacture, not something you have to conjure up. It's not something that you have to, you know, make believe. It's real. Serving God is joy and peace and righteousness in the Holy Ghost. You can have the Holy Spirit in your heart, you can be healthy, you can be happy, you can be prosperous, you can be blessed. You can have peace when you lay down at night. You can have faith in God and know that everything's going to be all right. And, Brother, if you haven't got faith in God you need faith in God. Sister, if you haven't got faith in God you need faith in God. Here, as we stand on this platform tonight, I am aware of the fact that the world has rejected Jesus. I lay in Sion a stumbling stone of offense and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. If you fall on this stone you can be broken but if you be hard hearted, selfish, if you won't listen, if you won't pay any attention, if this stone falls on you it will grind you to powder. You've got to listen to God. You've got to believe what God tells you. You've got to give your heart to God. In the time of your prosperity, in the time of your plenty, give your heart to God; give your soul to God. Don't be like the rich man; be a fool. Don't lay up and lay up for this life like the rich man that laid up and kept laying up. Do something for God. While you've got your health, while you've got your strength, while you've got time do something for Jesus. Stand up and be a witness for Jesus. Invest in Jesus. Invest your time, invest your substance. The Bible said lay up treasures in heaven where thieves don't break through and steal, where moth doesn't corrupt. For wherever your treasure is there your heart will be also. Why is it that the people's hearts are in the world like today? Tell me something. Why is it today that people's hearts are so much in the world? so much in the flesh? Why is it that people's hearts are so wrapped up in the side of life? Do you know why? Because their treasures are here. Their treasures are here. All of their investments are here. They've not made an investments on the other side of the river. Do you follow me? They've not invested in the spirit. They've not prayed. They've not fasted. They've not give. They've not fed the hungry. They've not sent the gospel out to the needy. They've not invested in that side. They don't have an investment over there. That's why they don't want to leave this side of it. All of their labor is here. All of their treasures are here. And, consequently, because of that their hearts are here. Brothers, let me tell you again; it's good to have treasures on this side and if you walk with God you will because the blessings of God will come upon you. God has blessed me in my lifetime with many hundreds of thousands of dollars because it's taken it to preach the gospel. But, Brother, that's not what's important. The money that God has blessed us with, that's not what's important. The property and things and materialistic valves of this world that God has blessed us with, that's not important because we're going to leave those behind. What good is it anyway if we can't use it for God. I appreciate this arena tonight being let out to us to where we can use it for God. I thank God tonight that Mr. Paul would let us use this arena for God tonight because this is the only way he can get a blessing. This is the only way you can lay up treasures on the other side, is to take your substance and use it for God. Utilize your ability. Utilize your strength. Do something for Christ. This is what we need to do. I get excited every time I think about it. We need to do something for God. The world has forsaken Jesus and they've turned away from the Lord Jesus Christ. They've gone their own way. They're busy in everything in the world. They're busy with their sports. They're busy with making money. They're busy with getting worldly gain. They're busy in buying properties. They're busy out there in politics. They're busy with education; busy with everything but God. Whereas Jesus said, I must be about My Father's business. Hallelujah! What we need to do is to do something for Jesus. How many of you agree we need to do something for Jesus? Let me see your hand tonight. We need to do something for God. Hallelujah! Tonight I stand here in this area, knowing that more than twenty children around in this area somewhere has been killed by a ruthless killer. In this area somebody has killed the little children, one right after another. Why is that? Why is that? Somebody would say, Well, Brother Pike, I don't understand why that would be. Well, let me tell you why it is. The Bible said if you don't obey God and you don't honor God cursed shalt thou be in the field. And the Bible said, cursed shalt thou be in the city. In the Atlanta area, the city, because you have not honored God, cursed shalt thou be in the city. Folks, God hasn't forgotten. Just a few, it hasn't been but just a few months ago when the gays and the perverts got out here and marched up and down the streets and the city of Atlanta made allowance for it. You say, Well, there's nothing wrong with that. Yes, there is something wrong with that. God said when people multiply that do those perverted things, I will burn the earth with fire and with brimstone. Because that's what He did with Sodom and Gomorrah. He burned it. When people did that He burned it. You say, Well, they can't help it. I tell you one thing: they can help it. They can repent of their sins. They can call on Jesus Christ and God will deliver them, my Brother, Sister. There is nothing that God cannot deliver you from. The Bible said, is there anything too hard for God? If there anything too hard for God? When the angel came to visit Abraham under the oak of Mamre and stood there and Sarah doubted in her heart, the angel of God spoke and was moved and said, If there anything too hard for God? Oh, my Brother, there is nothing too hard for God. The writer said, I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. Hallelujah! I can do anything with God's help. There is not anything I can't do as long as Jesus stands by me. Cursed shalt thou be in the city. Brother, when you lose twenty precious lives, little children being killed, twenty little children or more, I want you to know that is a curse. That is such a hideous thing that nations and different people around the world are noticing it and they are looking down here and they are sending money, much money, out of compassion, hoping to right the wrong, or to help the hurt. But that isn't going to do it. That's wonderful. I think that's wonderful that people would consider with their finance but that isn't going to do it. The Lord said one time, said, Why haven't you prayed and mourned before God that such a thing be taken out of your midst. That's why we need to do. We need to get back to God. We need to pray. We need to ask God to help us. Somebody said, God can't do anything, Brother Pike. God can. I want you to know tonight God can do it, just like that. The Bible said, Can evil come to a city I've not sent it? saith the Lord. I create the good. I created the evil. I have My way in both. I wound. I bind up. I kill and I make alive. Is that right? God. I rule in the affairs of me. Old Daniel stood before the great king down in Babylon. Every thing was topsy-turvy and the king couldn't figure it out. He called for all the astrologers. He called for the wise men. They called for the witches. They called for the wizards. They called for everything, but nobody didn't have the answer. The old king said, There is one fellow, I believe, has got it. Said, His name is Daniel. Hallelujah! There is a God man somewhere. I believe he's got the answer to it. The old king said bring Daniel. You know, that was the rejected stone. That was the one they didn't like. Those wise men said, Why do you always have to bring that fellow into the picture? Why is it he has to mess with him when he's got all of us wise men, all of us educated fellows, all of us polished scholars? Why is it he always has to go back to that fellow? But, see? Them other people, they didn't know what Daniel knew. Isn't that right? They didn't understand the way Daniel understood. Do you know why? They were studying books. They were studying the stars. They were trying to figure the thing out through black magic, or something. But, Daniel was fasting and Daniel was praying and Daniel was calling on God and Daniel was saying, God, give me the answer, God. And consequently, God gave Daniel the answer. Can you say hallelujah! Praise God! Gave him the answer. That's what we need. Now, what we need is the answer. Somebody said, Well, where are you going to get it? Right here at the arena? What is the answer? Christ is the answer. Christ is the answer. Do you agree that Christ is the answer? Christ is the answer. I don't care what is wrong with you, Christ is the answer. Christ has got the answer to it, Brother Ed. Christ is the answer. All you've got to do is call on Jesus. It doesn't matter if it's death, if it's sickness, if it's poverty, heartaches, problems, Christ is the answer. It doesn't matter if you're young, middle aged, old; it doesn't matter. Christ is the answer. Hallelujah! God has got the answer to it. So then, this great Christ is here in Atlanta, Georgia. God has got the answer to it. What is it? Cursed shalt thou be in the city. The Bible said watch. The Bible said pray. Are the people praying? No. Are the mothers and daddies watching? No. Children roam the streets. Does mothers watch the children? No. Do they pray? No. He said watch. He said pray. Watch and pray. That's what we need to be doing, is watching. Hallelujah! We need to be praying. You know, I've said this a lot of times and I say it again tonight. You can get religious and you can get the idea that God is going to take care of you and you can set around, mothers can, and say, Well, God is going to watch after my children. My children are going to be all right. I've heard them say this a lot of times. I'd say, Mother, do you know where you're child is? Maybe we'd be over at a neighbor's or somewhere. I'd say, Do you know where you're child son or daughter is? Why, I don't worry about them; God will take care of them. But, let me tell you something. Did you know that God cannot condone lethargy? God can't condone unconcern. God cannot take care of children when mothers are making no effort to take care of them. If you'll do your very best and if you'll watch then God will help you and where you fall short God will make up for it and He'll see that everything will be all right. But if you don't watch and if you don't pray, the judge of all the earth shall not He do right? Abraham said, Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? Shall the judge of all the earth condone lethargy and unconcern? Shall He watch children while mothers frolic and run up and down the road, that don't guide the house, that have no concern? Should God do that? Will God do that? No. No, He won't do it. Because God isn't that kind of God. He can't condone wrong. But, I'll tell you what, if you'll do all you can, if you do everything you can, I'll guarantee you one thing. God will watch them. God will take care of them. If you'll watch and you'll pray God will lift the curse from the city. God will lift the curse from the city. If you'll watch and you'll pray God will lift the curse from the city. You say, Well, I don't know about that, Brother Pike. The police can't do this and the police can't do that. The police can't do nothing except what God allows them to do. The police can't do nothing but what God allows them to do. That's just like people getting hung up on hospitals and medicine. Hospitals and medicine, that's a good thing. All of the aids are a good thing but, Brother, it's a good thing because God is in it. But when God leaves it, it won't be a good thing. It won't be a good thing. You say, Well, Brother Pike, it doesn't matter whether God's in it or not. A bottle of pills is a bottle of pills. It will heal. Well, tell me, why does the Bible say, In that day there will be no healing medicines? Why is it that the medicines can heal now and it won't heal in that day? Because God won't let it heal in that day. God has given it for pain. He's given it to help you. He's given all of these things to aid you, but when you get to where you lean on them and you don't pray and you don't seek God and you just trust in the arm of flesh, the Bible said, cursed is the man that leaneth upon the arm of flesh. Cursed is he that goeth down to Egypt for his help. Do you love Jesus? See? There is a right way and there is a wrong way. No one can save you. The Bible said, In that day no orator will be able to save you. Jesus Christ alone shall be exalted in that day. There won't be any balm in Gilead. There won't be any healing medicines. The hospital won't be able to do you any good. But, Brother, I'll tell you what, if you seek God, God can help you. The Bible tells us that the man in the Old Testament there, that sought the physicians rather than God, he died. Isn't that right? God smote him in his feet. And the Bible said he sought the physicians rather than God, and the Bible said he died. He died. Is that right? The Bible said he died. Why did he die? The Bible said he died because he sought the physicians rather than God. Somebody said, Well, he was a wretch, that's why he died. The Bible teaches he was a fine man and had done just about everything to please God but he side stepped God in some things. God smote him in his feet and when God smote him in his feet he took sick and he died. But if he'd gone to God, if he'd said, Lord, why am I having this problem? What's causing my sickness? Lord, help me. Help me to get rid of this. Have I been selfish? Have I been ungodly? Have I displeased You? And, according to the Bible he had displeased God. That's what caused it. Have I displeased You, Lord. Then the Lord would have said, That's all right. I forgive you. And then he'd have gone back to his medicine and everything would have been fine, if he'd wanted to use his medicine. Is that right? Somebody say I love Jesus. I'm going to stop in just a few minutes now. But let me talk on just a few more minutes. It isn't that late. Somebody say praise the Lord. Hallelujah! I feel the Holy Ghost here. How many of you feel God here? How many of you believe God sanctified this place for us to have a meeting? How many of you are going to fast and pray and ask God to do something? Praise God! I believe God's going to heal some people in this meeting. I believe God is a healer and I believe God will heal some people in this meeting. I praise God for the healings that He gave us back yonder in Indiana in the last meeting. I praise God for the healings He gave us down yonder in Bethlehem. I praise God for the healings He gave us in the different places where we've gone. I praise God for Richard the Jews healing, that's sitting over here tonight when the psychiatrists couldn't do anything for him, when the mental institutions couldn't help him. But when he turned to God and called on God, God healed him and delivered him. Completely. He's healthy, whole, married, working, got a family, having a good time in the Lord. I thank God for His blessings, of those that have been healed here tonight. There's people that have been healed and delivered. God at some time or another, somewhere in your life by some man of God, or by your prayer, or by faith God has healed you. If there's anybody here tonight that at some time in your life you've had some kind of disease, or something has been wrong with you and God has touched your life and God has healed you, I want to see your hand tonight. Do you see these hands? That's a positive proof. That's a positive proof that God is living. Is that right? And so then, tonight the world has rejected Jesus. The world has rejected Jesus. The world has rejected Jesus. Now you say, Brother Pike, what's going to happen? The Lord is going to come like a roaring lion and he's going to shake the world. And John said, I saw the mountains flee out of their places. I saw the mountains flee out of their places. I saw the nations of the world literally crumble to the earth. The big skyscrapers like those in New York. The great big skyscrapers like these in Atlanta, Georgia, all of these great buildings. He said, I saw them crumble. I saw them shook. I saw them crumble to the earth. I saw the nations literally crumble to the earth. He said the mountains were moved out of their places. He said, I looked and the stars fell from heaven. I saw the stars literally turn loose and fall out of their sockets, John said. I saw the moon turn into blood. I saw everything turn dark. I saw the earth go into a convulsion, begin to reel and roll. It reeled to and fro like a drunk man. What's going to happen? Because the world has rejected Jesus. The world has rejected Jesus. Noah pleaded with them. He begged them. He cried. He ask them__ He said, Please turn away from your wrongs. Call on the name of the Lord. He loves you. And people, you know, they're complacent in this day. You say, folks, turn away from sin and love the Lord. They say, Who are you to tell me? I'm already religious. I'm already a Christian. But do you really know what a Christian is? Did you know that being a Christian means to be Christlike? Did you know that being a Christian means Christlike? Did you know the Bible said, Let everyone that names the name of Jesus depart from iniquity? Depart from iniquity. Do you know what it is to depart from iniquity? Do you know what it is to get away from the things of the world and turn yourself away from the things of evil, the things that are ungodly? the things that are unlike God? Do you know what it is to turn away from those things. Do you know what it is to be a Christian? Are you a real Christian tonight? You say, But I belong to the church, Brother Pike. I go to church. But do you know what it is to be a Christian? Going to church isn't going to do you any good. I tell you this tonight as I go to close here. Going to church isn't going to do you any good. You may go to church all you want to but that doesn't mean it's going to do you any good. You can join every church__ I want you to listen to me just a minute. You can join every church. You can listen to every preacher in the nation but, Brothers and Sisters, if you're not born again you're going to die and go into the Lake of Fire. You're going to die and go to hell unless you're born again, the Bible teaches us. You've got to be born again. You've got to be born again. The Bible said unless you're born again you'll never see the Kingdom of God. God is a spirit. His Kingdom is a spiritual thing. The more you get into the world, the more you get into the natural, the more you get away from God. Oh, what a beautiful thing when you think about heaven, streets of gold and gates of pearls. What a beautiful thing. What a beautiful thing. I just read an article. I believe it was tonight. Tonight before I came up here, or it was yesterday. Just recently I read an article. This man, you may have read it in the paper, this man had some kind of an operation and while they were cutting on him, and while he had the operation, he said that he died. Seven minutes, was it? Seconds, it was. It couldn't have been seven minutes. Well, it could have been. Seven seconds. Seven seconds. And he said that he saw a lot of things. He told how many things he saw. Seven seconds. And he said how__ He told how he saw this great big mansion and how that the way to it was just literally paved with rubies and beautiful jewels. He said it was beautiful. Unbelievably beautiful. He said he saw people and he said the people were so radiant, he said, they were transparent. The people were transparent. Said and he wanted to be part of them but a voice said, You can't. You're not part of us yet, not yet. And he told about the wonderful things that he saw. He said the beautiful colors in this spiritual being that came over him, he said, he looked up and, said, it was such a beautiful thing. He said he was in such pain and agony as they were operating and he couldn't get no relief. Couldn't get no relief. And he said he looked up, said, I can't stand it any longer and he called on God. And about that time this great Shekinah covering came down on him, this real beautiful interwoven, intermingled coloring (It was so beautiful, he said.) picked him up and took him away. Now wouldn't you like to be able to experience something like that? You say, Well, I'm going to heaven. All right. I want you to listen to me and I'm going to close now. You say, Brother Pike, I'm a Christian. Why are you a Christian? Because I've joined the church. I've shook hands with the preacher. I've pledged my life to God. Have you been born again? Have you been born again? Have you been born again? You've got to be born again. You must be born again, Nicodemus, Jesus said. You must be born again. He said, But I'm a leader. That's no good; you've got to be born again. You've got to be born again. Now. (Begin tape two, side one.)....dreadful disease in your body. If you have cancer in your blood stream, if you have some terrible disorder of the blood, a deadly thing that was in your veins. I want to ask you a question. If they rushed you over to Dekalb General, if they rushed you over to the Grady Hospital, or some of these hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia and the doctor run out and shook hands with you and said, That will be all right, be all right. Would that save you? Would that save you? Somebody run out and say, No, doctor, you've got to do more than that. You've got to admit them to a hospital. So, they admit you to the hospital. Does that save you? No. You die right on, don't you. You can go to the hospital, you can shake hands with the best physician in the hospital, you've still die. They can admit you to that hospital, take you out and admit you to the other hospital, you'll still die. What have you got to do? You've got to have some kind of a something, some kind of serum, some kind of a perfected something that can be injected into your blood that will go down into your blood, kill that disease, counteract that thing and take that death out of your blood. Folks, sin is in your heart. Sin is in your heart. Sin is in your blood. You've got to have the Holy Spirit. It's the only thing that will take death out of them veins. If you have not My spirit, the Bible says, you're none of Mine. You can be as religious as you want to, belong to all you want to but you've got to have something that will get down in your blood, down in your heart, go down into the fibers of the cells of your body into those genetics. You've got to kill out death. You've got to get rid of that that is taking your life. Sin. Sin. You've got to get rid of it. That's the only way to be saved. That's the only way to be saved. Let God fill you with His spirit and God will do the job if you'll believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to stand with me. I appreciate your kind attention tonight. Now, when we're in meeting from night to night, we pray for people. We're not going to do it tonight because we're late getting here tonight. We held you up some but from night to night we're going to pray for the sick. Now. I believe that God will heal. That's why I pray for the sick. If I didn't believe God would heal I wouldn't pray for the sick but I've seen many things that God has healed. In my ministry and in other men's ministries and from prayer, and I believe that God heals. And from night to night we're going to pray for the sick and we're going to ask God to heal. So then, I'm asking you to come here praying and believing with me. I want you to come every night and I want you to invite some body. The Bible said to go out into the highways and hedges, compel them to come in that the house may be filled. I want you to invite somebody and I want you to come back. I want you to be with us. I want you to pray with us. I want you to fast with us. I want to see people healed and I want to see God do something here in Atlanta, Georgia. And I'll tell you what I'll do. I challenge you tonight, as a people. to pray with me that God will catch that killer and I promise you in the name of the Lord before this meeting is over they'll get that killer if you'll pray with us and believe. If you'll pray with us and believe. You say, Brother Pike, it can't be. I guarantee you God will do it if you'll pray and believe. When those hostages were held over yonder we prayed to God and we ask God to release those hostages and it looked like they were going to get released and all of a sudden it took a turn for the worse and everything went wrong. And it looked like for sure that they would be killed, that there was no way out of it. I said, it don't make any difference. I said, there was one morning on my knees about three o'clock that I was talking to the Heavenly Father and He said, Don't worry, I will bring them home safe. I will bring them back. I said, And they'll be back and they'll set foot upon this soil and they'll be safe. And, Brother, they're back. God, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever, God will get that killer. You say, Brother Pike, you say that and it will make him mad. I tell you what. I say this reverently, anybody that would stoop so low, that's one of the lowdownest, meanest, cruelest fellows I ever heard of in my life. I want him to know I said it. Somebody said, Aren't you afraid? I'm not afraid one bit. I think it's one of the meanest, cruelest, lowdown wretched thing. You know, when a man kills a man that's bad but at least the man can fight his way out of it. But when a fellow stoops so low that he'll take a little child and kill a little child that's a low down, evil, wretched thing. Do you love Jesus? All right. Let's sing a little chorus together, can we? Hallelujah! Let's sing this little chorus. We sing it quite often. I like this chorus. (Singing) Can you sing it with me again? (Singing) Sing it with me again, now. (Singing) Don't you love Jesus? One more time. Can you sing that one more time? (Singing) Can you lift your hands? Can you lift your hands? Oh, the Bible said you need an anchor for the soul, my Brother, Sister. You need an anchor for the soul tonight. It's a good thing that the soul be anchored. Can you love Jesus tonight? Can you love Jesus tonight? Hallelujah! I feel the presence of God here tonight. Can you love Jesus tonight? Can you worship God with your spirit? Oh, how wonderful it is. Glory to God! I stand here tonight, I see Mr. Paul with his hands lifted up to God and I see you with your hands lifted up to God. What a wonderful thing tonight. Can you worship Jesus? Can you worship Jesus? Let's worship Him in song and prayer tonight. Let's ask God to heal tonight. I want to pray for this Sister tonight. We've been praying for this sister. She's had a number of heart attacks. God was merciful, brought her out of intensive care when she would have died and she's been going real good but she was present tonight when this heart attack took place on the other sister. I believe it's the same sister. You were in there tonight, wasn't you, Sister? And it really left a lot of pressure on her because she just had come out from under that. So, let's pray tonight. I want to pray for her tonight. Can you walk up here? Would it be all right? Can you walk up there? Just keep singing. Just keep playing. Just keep worshipping the Lord for just a few minutes. Can you do it? We're just going to pray for this sister. I want you to pray with me and believe with me tonight as we pray for her. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God, I thank you for your healing tonight. Forgive our sins, Father. Forgive my sins in the name of Jesus and heal tonight. I feel You healing tonight, Jesus. Father, heal. I feel that wonderful Spirit of God. I feel it, Jesus, tonight. Heal, Oh, God. That wonderful presence. That wonderful quickening. That wonderful virtue. Heal in the name of the Son of God tonight. I can feel His wonderful presence here tonight. You know, if we pray and believe God, God will do something for us tonight. If we pray and believe God, God will do something for us tonight. Can you love Him? Just before we dismiss, just before we go, can you lift your hands and love Jesus? I would that men everywhere lift up holy hands without wrath and without doubting. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I want you to worship the Lord for just a minute tonight. Can you do that? Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Let's pray together. Let's pray together. Father of Heaven, in the name of Jesus, sweep over our soul tonight. Father, heal tonight. Deliver tonight. May your spirit tonight be here. May bodies be healed. May people receive their blessing from Heaven, Father. Mighty God of Heaven, hear us. Speak from Heaven tonight and heal and save and forgive, O God, and cause people to go away tonight being filled with your presence, being healed. Cause people to go away tonight being blessed. I feel Your mighty anointing right now, in the name of the Son of God. In the name of the Son of God. Hallelujah! Do you love Him tonight? Do you love Him tonight? Hallelujah! While our Brother Taylor continues to sing, you continue to worship with him for just for just a few moments. I want to ask you this question. Have you made the commitment to God you need to make? Have you made the commitment to God? Have you made the commitment to God? Have you really made the commitment to God? Have you just been a church member? Just belonging to some organized religion. Have you really made a commitment to God? Have you really called on the name Jesus? Oh, hallelujah! I feel the Spirit of God, don't you? Have you ever felt the wonderful presence of the spirit of the living God? Have you ever felt that spirit that quickened the body of Jesus when it came up out of the grave? He said if this spirit be in you that raised up Christ from the grave that it will quicken your mortal body. Have you ever felt His spirit. The Bible said if you have not My Spirit you are none of Mine. Have you ever felt that spirit that is relative to your spirit? Have you ever believed with you heart? The Bible said with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and confession unto salvation is made with the lips. Have you ever made a confession unto God? Have you ever believed? I ask you tonight to call on Jesus. Call on Jesus. You say, Brother Pike, I'm already a Christian. Well, call on Jesus for somebody else. Call on Jesus for somebody else. Call on Jesus for somebody else. If you're already a Christian call on Jesus for somebody else. The Bible said pray that God would grant repentance unto life for them that are without. Call. Make intercession for Christ sake. Will you do that? Call on Him in Jesus name tonight. Ask the Lord to save your soul tonight. Will you do that? Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Tonight I wonder if Mr. Paul would come up and let me pray with him? Would you come up, Mr. Paul? All right. This is nothing new to this gentleman here. He's been before the public all of his life. Come on up. He owns this building. He's a wrestler. He's wrestled as high as about five thousand times, been defeated very few times in his life in that. I know you wouldn't ever believe this but he's__ Praise God! (Mr. Paul Jones speaks) Father, Lord of Heaven, in the wonderful name of your precious Son the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord, we thank You for Mr. Paul tonight and the wonderful attitude he's had toward us, Lord, and toward Your kingdom. I ask you to save his soul. Forgive his sins. O, dear wonderful God of Heaven, fill him with your great lovely Holy Spirit. Make him a wonderful child of God and a testimony and a light, Lord, that will burn like the brightness of Heaven. Grant it, O lord. Grant it, O God, as he calls upon Your lovely name tonight and worships Your lovely name, Jesus. We ask You to do it. Bless him, strengthen him, give him years, in Jesus name. Hallelujah! In Jesus name. Isn't that wonderful? I want you to slip your hands up one more time with me now. If you love the Lord I want you to pray for Mr. Paul. I want you to pray for him and his wife. God has blessed this man. He's blessed him with finance. Motels. Land. Houses. But he said this is his pleasure tonight to be here talking about his maker. Isn't that wonderful? That's the way it should be, folks. That's the way it should be. Can you love Jesus? Will you lift your hands with me and love Jesus tonight? Hallelujah! You're such a wonderful audience. Would you lift your hands and love Jesus tonight? Let's love Him. While they're singing tonight just close your eyes and love Jesus. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I'm going to ask__ Hallelujah! While you've got your hands up, your eyes closed for just a moment I want you to call on the name of Jesus. I'm going to ask our Brother Jerry to come pray the closing prayer tonight. I want you to come back tomorrow night filled with the love of God, with the strength of God. Invite somebody. Will you invite somebody? Tell them to come out here and be with us. Tell them we're having a good time in Jesus out here and we're expecting great things from God. So I want you to do that for me in Jesus name.

By Rev. George Leon Pike Sr.

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

Holiness Unto The Lord