Down To The Potter's House

You can be seated. Well, it looks like we are experiencing winter time. It looks like we've got a winter time, a real genuine winter time. No mistaking it. When it gets colder in Georgia than it is in Alaska then that's winter time, and that's been the case. As a matter of fact, they said it got colder here than it was at the North Pole. Colder in Florida than it was at the North Pole. So we're experiencing a winter time. But nevertheless, we're grateful to be here, still worshipping the Lord, still enjoying the wonderful presence of God. Been out today doing some things that looks like it might prove to be a real contribution toward the advancement of the Kingdom of God in some things that the Lord is wanting us to do. As a matter-of-fact, I've been praying about some things concerning the finance, and God has miraculously blessed us, helped us, and I was telling Brother Jimmy that, Brother Smith that is, that I felt that we might be able to find a different avenue for our paper, for our printing and world evangelism, and that God was stopping us in some places, because he had something better. Whereas, what I run across today might be the answer to it, Brother Jimmy. I don't know. It could very well be the answer to it. But, as we say, at any rate today in checking some things out, I found out that the material that we're going to need for the building down here, that on the very first purchase we can probably save six, seven, maybe eight hundred dollars. Six or seven at least on the first purchase. So, that means that we can save thousands of dollars, multiplied thousands of dollars, in the building projects we've got on the purchase along with the fact that the individual made the statement that he was interested in what we were doing to the extent that he didn't know but what he might do some other things. As a matter-of-fact, he said he definitely was going to do some other things in giving us some more off on it. And he's got about everything that we need for what we're trying to do. And he said that he had previously been connected with the salvage paper that comes in by train. And even though he was not now he has a friend that is. And a very fine person. And said that he would immediately connect us with them. And he thought he could save us a tremendous amount of money, unbelievably from the way he expressed it, and the figures he that he quoted. So it might be the answer to what I was saying to Jimmy the other day. You know, if you really want to do something for God you can. Isn't that right? Never will forget reading a little article about somebody that wanted to do something for God and they didn't have any money, and they were, of course, discouraged in the fact that they couldn't do something for God, and they insisted they could do something for God. So they just went their way and they prayed, and they put their thoughts together, and their mind, as to what to do for God. And they came up with the idea that they would go down to the local stream, take all the bottles that they could find and they would drop tracts into the bottles, and put a top on the bottle and let them float out to sea. And believe it or not, they did something for God. And those tracts were picked up by people traveling to and fro, because it got back to them of those receiving the tracts. So they can do it. They can do something for God if they want to, anybody. I remember Billy James Hargis wanting to do something for God, and he couldn't figure out how to get some things over into a certain territory back around Russia, and other places, so he finally came up with the idea that what he would do, that he'd fill balloons will gas, tie Scripture, pages of Scripture to it, catch the wind blowing in the right direction and send them over the line, and so he did. And it worked. As a matter-of-fact, I had a part in that. I helped him to get some of it over there. And I thank God, because if you want to do something for God you can do something for God. People that say that they cannot do anything for God are so mistaken. They are so mistaken. If a person really wants to do something for God they can do something for God. There are so many wonderful ways to do something for God. Folks, I'm trying to do something for God. I'm not doing for God what I want to do, but I'm trying to do something for God. And we are doing a little bit, and we're planning, by the help of God, to do more as we search, and seek, and look for a way to do something for God. I just love to do things for God. You know, people will mock you. Like when David was going out to fight Goliath, you know, they just mocked him, and they made a joke out of it. But old Brother David went out and cut his head off. He won the battle. And the others can laugh and snigger, you know, and make a joke out of it, but we're going to do something for God. And then when we stand at the judgment, and you stand at the judgment, we're doing to see who sniggers, and who makes a joke out of it. When the fiery indignation of God begins to devour his adversaries, and he begins to come against those that have been full of lethargy and unconcern, full of worldliness, and full of their carelessness, then we're going to see what kind of laughing, and joking, and sniggering is doing to be going on then. It's wonderful to be a Christian, isn't it? I'm glad I'm on the winning side, and not on the sniggering side. So I praise God tonight for the opportunity to do something for God, and for those that did not snigger at little David when he went out to battle. The big brave soldiers that were suppose to win the battle sniggered, and said, You're going to do something? They sniggered at Joseph's dreams, didn't they? But old Brother Joseph wound up as their Lord. David wound up being their king. Isn't that right? Or that is, he arose to the heights of such glory that he became the king of Israel. So then, it pays us to believe, and it pays us to do something for God. Let's stand together and sing this song. It's called Zion's Hill. It's page fourteen in your little blue hymnal. You know, a lot of people they might have oil in their vessel, but they get kind of like this vessel. It's get froze up, and you can't do nothing with it. It's not available, you know, when you need it. All right. Let's sing this song. I'm glad to see the folks here from the Carolina's. We're glad to have them here with us tonight. Also Brother Gerald's wife and little family back here. We're appreciate having them come and be with us. And we appreciate everyone of you coming out to be with us. It's a real privilege to have you here at Bethlehem. I'm glad that Brother McMannus is still with us. And we trust that you will do something for God. You know, it's a thrill to me to be a Christian. I'm not bashful. I use to be real bashful. You know, when I'd get up before the congregation I was so bashful I just couldn't say nothing and I couldn't do anything, and the congregation would just tear me all to pieces. But you know, that don't bother me any. We've been before hundreds and thousands of people, and it don't bother me any at all. I just love to talk about Jesus, and to be a Christian, and don't feel embarrassed the least bit. So I thank God for the opportunity to be here, and I appreciate you being here. We're glad to have Brother Bullard with us. Brother Bullard is a wonderful person. He and his family are with us, and they have contributed much to the cause of Christ, and today he was with me taking me over to a place to look at some things and see if we could do more for God. Brother Bullard is interested in doing something for God. He's a very industrious person. He provides for His family good, but He wants to go on for the Lord, and he's really had a battle here as of late. But a Brother was telling me today that God was really bringing the joy to Brother Bullard in a dream, so that sounds pretty good, Larry. You know, the Bible speaks of losing the joy of your salvation, and when you lose the joy of your salvation you lose the strength, because the joy of the Lord is our strength. The Bible says if you faint in the day of adversity your joy is small, or your strength is small. But when you've got the joy of the Lord you've got great strength, and you can do great things for God. Let's sing this song, Zion's Hill. Well, It's good to be here. It's good to be doing something for the Lord. Brother Clyde Cobb was telling me that he went down to Danville yesterday and checked the properties out there that he and his wife gave to the work of the Lord, and said everything was just fine. Everything seemed to be just fine. The properties were still in good shape. The house was still in good shape. Praise the Lord for His wonderful blessings. As I said a little earlier, I say again, I thank the Lord for helping me today locate a place that may save us multiplied thousands upon thousands of dollars in the work and advancement of the Kingdom of God, seemingly in many ways. This of course, is an answer to my prayer because whether the Lord brings in a thousand, or ten thousand, or whether God causes a reduction in the purchase price to save a thousand, or ten thousand, it still means the same thing to me in world evangelism. And I thank God for it. But, I praise the Lord for His blessings. I praise God for those that labor with us that are conservative in their efforts toward Christ, in that the Bible says he that is wasteful is brother to a sluggard. You know, people in general they waste their lives, they waste their time, they waste God's time, and they waste other people's time by holding them up, getting in the way, or not being efficient to do what they have to do that the other man may do what he has to do to fulfill his obligations. And as a consequence of that the Bible tells us that they are a brother to a sluggard. You know, a brother to a sluggard, that means that they wouldn't be in any worse condition if they just didn't do anything at all, because a sluggard he just doesn't do anything. And he that is wasteful of his substance, whether it's life, or time, or whatever, he is brother to a sluggard. So I thank the Lord for some that are not sluggards, and they are not brothers to sluggards, and they are diligent, and they are concerned. And they are not sporadic. You know, have you ever thought about this. I've thought about these things. You know, a lot of times I think about this; God will speak to my heart. But have you ever stopped to consider what it would be like if God's creative parts in this world, or things in this world, was like some of us. And just suppose the moon and the sun, and the stars reacted like me and you, or some of us. You know, one day the sun don't come up, because it says, I'm tired, I'm tired. Or the sun doesn't arise, you know, and it doesn't shine. It says don't bother me, I don't feel like being bothered. Can you imagine? One day the sun decides it wants to take a few days off and says, I think I need a vacation. I've been doing this with a regularity. Or suppose it just says, You know, I think I'll just quit. I'm tired of this. It's just routine; I think I'm going to quit. It just the same old routine, everyday up and down, up and down, up and down. Now could you image the sun doing that? Somebody said, Brother Pike, don't talk foolish. Paul said, Bear with me a little bit in my folly. I'd love to get my point over. How much more foolish it is for you that are supposed to be the light of the world to react like that. I don't think it would be as foolish for the sun to do that as it would for you to do that. The sun is just a big ball of fire that brings light, but you are suppose to be filled with God, and you're supposed to be the light of the world and shine every day, and every minute, and every second, and every hour. Have you ever considered the fact that the world that you are shining in must be a state of chaos, because you are up and down, and you're in and out whenever you get ready. Isn't that terrible. Yet the Bible says, Redeem the time for the days are evil. And God commands us to a performance to the extent that he said bring every thought into subjection, and into the obedience of Jesus Christ. To meditate in His laws day and night, and to pray without ceasing. So then, it looks like that it would be a terrible thing if the sun reacted like we do. I'm glad that the sun comes up. You know, the clouds may be up there – Somebody will say, Well, I don't see the sun every day. I know it. I realize that, but it's up there every day. It's up there behind the clouds, and just because it's cloudy doesn't mean the sun it's shining. If the sun was not shining, even with the clouds up there this old world, scientists tells us, would freeze over like a ball of ice. And everything in it would die. Just because your mind gets a little cloudy sometimes, just because you get a little troubled sometimes, a little fatigued sometimes there is no reason to shine. You know, we get gullible, we get worldly, we get concerned about the things of the world, we let responsibilities and worldly duties, and lust, and desires get in the way, all kind of clouds come into view. You know, clouds represent either heavenly angles, or demon spirit, which are fallen angels. You know, we let all of them things get in the way, and the people to whom we are suppose to be shining, those people have a gloomily, hard lifeless day, because we take all of the life away. We take all of the energizing of God's great light and blessing away from them. Somebody would say, Well, I don't think God cares, Brother Pike. Well, He must, because the Bible says that when He sent them into Canaan the very thing that He cut the Israelites off for was because of the mumbling and grumbling. And those that went in as spies into Canaan, the Bible says He cut them off because they come back testifying of the giants, instead of testifying of the power of God, and His ability to take the land. And He said, Because you have discouraged the hearts of my people I swear you won't go in and enjoy the blessings that I've got for my people. So He must really care. You know, when you and I act out of sorts, and we don't show the love of God, and we don't have the great wonderful energizing drive and power of God in our lives, when we don't have that wonderful force of the radiance of beauty to inspire people, to drive people on and to let them know about this great wonderful God that we've got, and world evangelism, and telling the story of Jesus to those that are prisoners of fear and sickness and poverty. When we get in that kind of condition it upsets God. You say, But I feel bad. But God doesn't ever feel bad. God never feels bad at anytime. Did you know that? He's not tired. He doesn't grow weary. God wants to evangelize. God wants to sing. God wants to preach. God is the spirit of life. God wants to do something. He's not tired and weary. So then, the only time you get tired and weary and worn out is when you get away from God. Somebody would say, I don't buy that, Brother Pike. Well, you can't anyway, because it's not for sale. You know, Simon the sorcerer, tried to do that, and Paul said, Your heart is not right with God. But nevertheless, it's true. Moses stayed on the mountain and he didn't eat, and he didn't sleep, but he didn't get tired. He came down and he went back for forty more days, and he didn't eat and he didn't sleep, but he didn't get tired. He was in the presence of life, and life doesn't get tired. The body doesn't need any sleep. Paul said, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep. Moses overcame sleep, so they couldn't keep him in the grave. When he was suppose to be dead and put in the grave the Bible teaches that they found him up there on the mountain with Jesus in glory. He had done by-passed sleep because he learned the secret of life. So then, I just said that to say this, we don't have to be weary all the time, and we don't have to be tired all the time. The Bible says they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint. So than, let's renew our strength, renew our life in Christ, and everyday let's be full of the drive and the wonderful ego of the Son of the living God. You know, when Jesus came out of the grave the Bible says He was as though the sun shined in within His strength. I feel good don't you? I feel good. Seems to me like I feel good all the time. I know I have all kinds of problems. Seems to me like I have more problems than anybody in the world. And I know I don't, but seems to me like I do. Seems like there couldn't be any devils bothering anybody else, because they all seem to come over to my house and bother me. Seems like all the devils in the world are always fighting me, and so many of them that there couldn't be any bothering anybody else. But I know that's not so, you know. Whereas, I also know that I'm not taken with any temptation except that which is common unto man. But nevertheless, in spite of all those things, as Brother Walker used to sing that song I Feel Good, Good, Good, I Feel Good. I feel like I could run through a troop and leap over a wall, and I feel like I could evangelize the world by myself. I just thank God for His love and His radiance, and His blessings. I've enjoyed being with Brother Larry and them today, you know. I just kind of relaxed and they were doing the driving, and I was kind of listening, and listening to them talk and it was wonderful just to be around and feel the wonderful presence of God. And at the same time be doing something for Jesus. We were out doing something for Jesus, not just throwing our time away, but we were out doing something for Jesus. Not just throwing out time away, but we were doing something for Jesus. Brother Gerald came in just singing and jumping and hollering and telling me how he enjoyed being down at the boat. He'd done been down there for about a week, and he said, I'm ready to go back, Brother Pike. I like that down there. I'm ready to go back and do something for God. He told me, he said, you know, he said, I dropped by and talked to somebody about the Lord a few days ago, and said I went back and they're dead. Said, I dropped back by and talked to somebody else about the Lord, and I went back and, said, they're dead. And you know what? Sometimes when people come around and talk to you about the Lord the next time they come back you might be dead. So then, I said that to say this. If you're going to do something for God you'd better do something for God right now while you are not dead. You know, you can't do anything when you're dead. David said, When I'm dead and in the grave I can't praise you. Somebody would say, But I'm young, Brother Pike, I've got a long way to go. I don't know. Some people didn't go very far, you know, and they died at an early age, so you don't know how far you've got to go. You may think you've got a long ways to go, but you may not have so far to go after all. The thing to do is to do something while you can. We sing a little song, it's called I'm Going To Praise The Lord Just While I have a chance. I'm going to testify just while I have a chance, because I may not have a chance anymore. Let's stand together and sing that little chorus, before I call for the children tonight. You know, we've been having some real bad weather lately, as far as the cold. It's everywhere across the entire countryside. and even today we rode along up near Gainesville, different places, the water, we stopped at different places and the water was frozen up. Facilities were not available in different places, and it's everywhere that there is a problem, inconveniences of all kind. And you know, it really gives us a chance to learn how to appreciate some of the conveniences of life. We go over into places like India, and it's just unreal, as to the insufficiencies of things that you have to cope with. It's terrible. But over here in America everything is so plush, and everything is so just up to par until we really fail to realize what inconvenience is like. You know, we've never really been subjected to real inconvenience. And every once in awhile God will let some little something like this happen to where we can feel the infirmities of others and share with them. Like we were telling Gracie a few days ago. She wanted to go somewhere, and it was for convenience, in the sense that there was some things that she wanted to do. And I told her, I said, Gracie, I said, that isn't right, is it? I said, you know, everybody else is having inconveniences and you want to go somewhere everything is convenient. That's not like Gracie anyway. I said, Now, I said, hadn't you just rather stay with the family and suffer the inconveniences so that you can feel the infirmities of others, or whatever? I forget the words I used for expression, but that's the way I feel, you know. You run from every little inconvenience. And as a result of that you never develop faith. You know, if you're going to build muscles, you take a young boy he likes to build his muscles, and the only way that he can build muscles is have something that will resist the muscles. It takes a resistance, and you've got to take those muscles and find some kind of resistance. And one of the best ways of course, is to take weights. You take that weight and you go to pick that weight up and it resists the muscle and the muscle begins to bulge. And a little bit of that and the muscle gets bigger and bigger, and bigger, you know. It develops the body, the muscles. That's the same way it is with faith. If there is no resistance to faith, to believing, then you will never have great faith. You must have resistance. The trying of your faith, more precious than gold tried in the furnace. If you want your faith to swell out, your spiritual muscles to get bigger, and if you want that appearance in glory, as that perfect man, or perfect woman with that perfect body of Christ, because that's what the body builders and different things represent in the earth. They are just here for one purpose, and that's to represent that glorious body of the Lord Jesus Christ that one will have eternally that is developed in every capacity of life. And if you want that perfect body, you've got to have the resistance. You've got to press those weights back that does so easily beset you. You've got to be able to pick them up and put them out of the way. You've got to meet the resistance. No matter what the resistance is in the physical realms, in the natural realms, in the spiritual realms, you've got to meet those resistance. You've got to meet those evil powers with the resistance of the strength of Christ and then your faith begins to bulge, and you become that great and mighty man of God, or woman of God, in the earth that is a pillar holding up the temple of God. As you've heard it said about Atlas, you know, the world resting on the shoulders. You become a pillar in the temple of God, and you're holding up all of the world, all of eternity, all of the universe in the sense of being God's pillars in the earth. It's a beautiful thing, but you've got to have resistance. And if you don't build your faith when the translation takes place you will not be translated. Because the Bible says that Enoch was translated by faith that he should not see death. So then, if you want to by-pass death and be translated you've got to build your faith in Christ. You've got to be like Abraham, strong in faith giving glory to God. Knowing what the resistance is you've got to meet it. That's why God allows so much poverty, so many problems and different things to confront the Christian. You don't see these in the life of people in the world, they don't have these kind of problems, because they are not developing faith. Why should they develop faith? They don't need faith. They're not going anywhere anyway. You know, but we're planning to take a trip, and we need faith. So, we need resistance to build our faith, and as a consequence of that God allows the great problems of life to arise to give us the resistance to build the faith. And that's what we need to do. So then, don't run from it. Every time you have a problem don't go running from it. The trouble with Asa was that he sought the physicians rather than God, and the Bible says he died. Whereas, if he'd sought God instead of the physicians he would have lived in his lifetime. So then, it's wonderful to be a Christian. It's wonderful to see these things that come upon us to make us partakers of the infirmities of Christ. Every time you get a pain, every time you get a headache, every time you get some kind of problem don't go running somewhere to get rid of it. Now I know you don't want to carry a pain around. I realize that, and nobody wants to endure pain in the sense of enjoying it, but the thing is, it is a resistance. Try to overcome it. Try to exercise your faith. Try to make allowance sometimes. When the body is having problems don't go under with it. God hasn't allowed the problems to come crush you; that's not God's way of doing things. God hasn't let the giants come against you to overpower you, but he is letting the giants confront you that you might overcome the giants. For instance look at the difference in David when David faced the giants, and look at the difference in the people when the Israelites started into the land of Canaan to face the giants. Do you notice the difference? The people said the giants are too much. They turned, got God upset, wandered for forty years in the wilderness until everyone of them perished because of unbelief. God sware in His wrath they would not go into Canaan. But look at David. David took one look at the giant, and when David looked at the giant David said, God delivered me out from the paws of the bear. He delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, and thou uncircumcised Philistine, God will deliver me from your hands. And so God did. He met the resistance. He didn't run from it. He met it. He overcame it. He became the king of Israel. The others fretted, were afraid, turned around and lost their inheritance, but not David. (Begin tape one, side two.) … believed that God was the majority, and that God was the strength to overcome, strengthened himself in God, and defeated his opposition. So then, let's use a little bit of endurance. A little perseverance that we might do something for Jesus. If you've got problems they might be different from my problems, or they might be different from your neighbors problems, but nevertheless, everyone has problems. And those problems are to build your faith that you might be able to be translated at the coming of the Lord Jesus, because those that do not meet opposition those will not have faith, and they will not be translated in the coming when the Church goes out. All right. So, it's a wonderful thing to pit our strength against opposition. I have a lot of oppositions, financial oppositions, problems, whatever. But I go to the Lord in prayer, and I ask God to help me that I might surmount every problem, and that we might go bigger in the Lord, and do more for Jesus. And whether I feel good, or whether I don't feel good, whether I have the finance to meet my bills, whether I don't have the finance that has nothing to do with the promise God. God said He'd take care of it and that settles it. All of His promises are yea and amen. God said it; I believe it, and that's it. That's the way it works. So I thank the Lord for His blessings. I thank the Lord for you being here tonight, and of course the cold is a little opposition. That means that you came out against some opposition when you came out against the cold weather. Some people won't come out in the cold very much. The Bible says that the sluggard will not plow by reason of cold, and neither shall he reap in the time of harvest, because it's for sure that if you ever plow a field and plant a field you're going to be out in some cold days. You just don't get a harvest without enduring a little bit of cold. So, he won't ever have a harvest. You've got to have a little resistance in you if you are going to be God's man, or God's woman. We're here for one purpose tonight and that's to glorify God. I say this again, as I did just before the children sang. I hope to be able to establish a church that is not sporadic. You know, I don't like, I wouldn't like, I'll put it like that. I wouldn't like living with a sporadic wife. You know, she cooks one time, and she decides three days she don't want to cook, and she decides that she wants to be home today, and next week she decides she wants to be in Hawaii. I wouldn't like a wife like that, would you? I just wouldn't like that. I wouldn't like having a family where my children would say, Well, I'll honor you today, but day after tomorrow I'm not going to honor you. And I'll be here today and you can tell me what to do and I'll do what I want to day after tomorrow. I just wouldn't like that. I wouldn't like that. I wouldn't like working on a job, you know, to where the employer would say, Well, you can come in today and take three days off, and you can come in day after tomorrow, and you know, you might never come in no more. I wouldn't like that kind of thing. I'd like to have come consistency, some regularity. It's the same way when you go buy something and you make an agreement with a person. They expect you to have some regularity of calling, paying or something outside of making excuses. Isn't that right? To shine for Christ. Isn't that right. God expects you to have some kind of regularity in coming to the house of God. Not coming one day and being out two days, and coming when you get ready, or coming when it's convenient. Or being as some preachers have said, a fair weather Christian. Isn't that right? Not coming to the house of God and going to sleep on the benches. Or being drowsy and unconcerned, and not paying any attention to what God says, or what God is doing. Somebody says, But I can't help it. You can when you are eating cherry pie. Somebody says, Well, that's different. It certainly is. This is a lot better than cherry pie. This is called the Lord's supper. You wouldn't go to sleep if the president was talking to you. Why would you go to sleep when God is talking to you? It's a lot more serious. So then, it's just a matter of not wanting to do it. You can do it, or you don't, you know, you can just give into the flesh, or you can fight the flesh. You can put up a little resistance. Somebody said, But, I can't do it. That's unbelief. That's why you go to sleep. That's why you're in the condition you're in. That's why you are sluggish. That's why you are not revived. That's why you don't have any energy. It's because of your unbelief. You've got to believe you can do it, and God will give you the strength to do it. The Bible says through Christ that strengthens me I can do all things. I see people that say, I just can't pay my bills, Brother Pike. I just can't pay my bills. I know that you cannot pay your bills as long as you are in a condition of unbelief. But if you will take a little faith, and say, By faith in God I can do all things. I will be straight and honest. I'll pay my bills and I'll stop being so negative in confessing defeat. Somebody said, I just can't keep my lights on. I just can't keep any heat. I just can't make any money. I just can't keep my payments up on my car. I just can't. I can't. I can't. Well, praise God for the family of I can. I can. I can. There are a lot of folks that can. And a lot of folks are doing it. A lot of people believe in Jesus and they say I can through Christ, and they do. Not only that, you know, but they have surplus, too. But anyway, I just wanted to say that God doesn't like for people to be so sporadic in coming to church. He likes for us to have a regularity. He wants us to come with a regularity, have some kind of consistency. And you know what causes people not to come with a regularity is a lack of interest. That don't have any vision, and they eventually perish. But people with a vision will come to church. Somebody would say, Brother Pike, why does Brother such and such, and Sister such and such, why are they always out? Why is it that they are always missing. They just come every once in a while. Why is that? Somebody said, Why those are fine people. I know they just have a problem. They sure do. They are fine people, no doubt. They've got a problem, and their problem is that their vision is in their business, not in God's Kingdom. Their business has the preeminence in their life, and their vision is to make money rather than win souls. Their vision is to conform to the world and have the prestige of the world, and as a result of that they are worldly. You can say amen; it's okay. That's what is wrong with us. Without a vision they perish. Folks, when you get the spirit of Christ you won't act like that. People that don't do that don't have the spirit of Christ. They've got the love of the world in them, but when you get the spirit of Christ you'll want to come to church with a regularity. You'll have a vision for Christ that whether you are in church, or out of church, or wherever you are at you'll be talking about God and wanting to do something for God. You'll be doing something for God. So, this is why people don't come to church regular. You can make all kind of excuses about things, but I hope you don't mind me talking to you just for a few minutes about it. It's like I was telling some Brethren today. I said, one of the great problems with people is that people have a fault-finding devil. You know, I can remember years of my life gone by, and I use to wonder in my early Christian life, and it was a carry-over from my life before I got to be a Christian, you know. I used to wonder. I thought, Lord, why is it that that fellow don't do any better than he does? And that woman, I don't know why she doesn't do better. It seems to me like she could do a whole lot better. I think my wife could do better, and my children could do better, and seems to me like everybody is just out of sorts. And one day I was praying, and God got to talking to me, and I was just a talking to Him about people being out of sorts, and the Lord spoke to me real clear and He said, Son, said, You've got a problem. I said, What is the problem? He said, A fault-finding devil. And you know what? It just shook me up. I mean I was shook up. I'm not joking. I'm telling you. I'm telling you right. You know, I just as if to say, What did you say? And the Lord, He makes everything very clear. He doesn't mind repeating. He said, Son, said, You've got a fault-finding devil. Said, You find fault with everything. And I was shocked and shook up and didn't know what to do, you know, because He spoke to me like that a number of times real clear. I'm the kind of person, you know, you have to make it clear before I can understand it. I said, My God! You know. You know, I wanted to find out what God was trying to tell me, and when I found out what God was trying to tell me, He was trying to tell me that everybody wasn't in that kind of shape. It was me that was in that kind of shape. And you know, that didn't set well at all. That was like Brother Mike Bradley said today. Said, Brother Pike, why is it when you are reproved, said, you just don't want to take it. You just want to fight back. Said, What causes that? I said, Mike, the devil. You know, the devil is in the flesh, and the devil he wants to defend His territory, and he doesn't like it, you know. If you say anything to him he doesn't like it. But, anyway, I checked the matter out to see what was going on and that's the way it was. When I got my life straightened out I found out a lot of people did things a whole lot better than I thought that they were doing it. And I found out they were a whole lot better people than I ever dreamed that they were. And I found out that a lot of things that I thought was wrong was right. Not everything. I hadn't been wrong about everything. There was some things I'd seen in people's lives, but you know, you can get to where you evaluate wrong, and you can see the faults and the shortcomings of everybody but your own self. And you can get to the place that if there is any good thing that takes place in a person's life the first thing that you do is say, Yes, I know, you know, that's just a physiological thing. They are just doing that little bit of good to trap me to pull me into it. And you'll criticize what little good they did do thinking that you are so brilliant that you've got it all figured out that what good they're going they're going in just to trap you, that they are not really good at all. But, you know, you find out that they do have some good. There are folks that really do have some good in them. And they are not crafty, and they are trying to pull you into anything. You know, they do have some good characteristics as well as some that's not good. What we need to do is learn to evaluate properly. I know that there are some people in the world that are crafty, and they do a little bit of good to trip you up. I know that. But on the other hand there are people that make mistakes. And they don't mean to do wrong, and they try to do some things good. Now, I said all of that to say this. There are people that do have some good things about them, and we ought to try to bring the good things out. I don't want to compromise with the wrong, but I don't want to spend my life in criticism of someone and keep them from bringing out the good that is in their lives. I want to develop that which is undeveloped, and I want to try my best to capture and make use of that which is developed. That's what I'd like to do. If Christ so loved me while I was yet in my sins, when I was unbecoming, you know, and I didn't know anything and wasn't developed in anything, and yet He gave me the mercy to come to Him to develop, I can at least take somebody that is partially developed and love them enough to make allowance for their errors and mistakes, and help them to develop in the things in which they are lacking that they might become whole and become complete in Him. That's the purpose of God. But on the other hand that don't take away the fact that I feel that people are too sporadic at Bethlehem in coming to church. I have some people that need to come to church with more regularity. I've got some people that need to be more conscientious in their operations, and in their offices, and in their commitments to God. And stop making excuses and say that I can't go it. They need to get down to business with God. They really need to get down to business with God. The first news you know the judgment is going to come. It's going to catch them, and they are going to find themselves in a terrible predicament, in that they have not gone on with the Lord. I had somebody today, they were complaining, complaining, complaining about a situation, and about somebody that had caused them trouble. I said, You need to forget about that. I said, They are not causing you trouble now. And I said, You don't need that on your mind. You need to forget about that. And you need to pray for your enemies, and you need to think about the good things in life. You know, you can drive yourself crazy thinking about the wrong things. Did you know that? The Ethiopian cannot change his skin, and the leopard cannot change his spots. So then, the Bible teaches that you are not going to make anybody that's crooked straight. You are not going to make anybody that's crooked straight. If God has made them crooked, the Bible says they that are accustomed to do evil cannot do good. So, you're not going to straighten them up. There isn't any need of worrying about it, isn't any need of fighting with them, or fussing with them. They put them in jail every day, and they beat them, and they lock them up, and they keep them for years and they turn them a loose, and they are just as crooked, or worse than they were when they put them in. So, see? You can't do it. Only God can do it. Scientists say that you cannot change a man's mind. When it's made up you can't change it. You can beat him, you can put him in prison, or do whatever, but you can't change him. He's still going to be the same. But what we can do, we can love, pray, work with people, treat them right, and after while we'll have a great brotherhood that will reach around the world. We don't have to compromise with sin. We don't have to violate the principals of God. We don't have to get our feet into the things of this world and become partakers of the evil. We can still have a brotherhood. We can still be straight. We can still be godly, and reach around the world. The Bible says form a chain, make a chain, because the land is full of bloody crimes. So we need to make a chain. That is a chain reaction, or a chain of people that love and pray, that want to do something for God. Well, anyway, we didn't plan to say all of those things, but I guess God must have wanted me to say it or He wouldn't have had me to say them. We're here tonight to try to talk about Jesus, and to try to do something for God. I want you to think this over, folks. I still contend that if a man or a woman doesn't participate in services with a regularity they are not born again. You say, I think you are wrong. Well, okay. That's all right. That's your philosophy. If that's your philosophy that's okay. I have no dispute with you over it in the sense that that's your philosophy. Let you say and believe what you will, but the gospel teaches that they are in a backslidden condition. When they forsake the assembling of themselves together it is evident that they are not walking in the light. The Bible says it was the custom of Jesus to be in the sanctuary of God with a regularity. So then, if the nature of Christ is in you, the same yesterday, today, and forever, you will be there. Man of sorrow acquainted with grief, but he continued to go. Okay, let's talk about the word of the Lord. Jeremiah said, "As the partridge setting upon eggs and hatcheteth them not; so he that giveth riches and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool." That's not what we want to talk about, but it's in line with what we want to talk about. In the book of Jeremiah, the eighteenth chapter, beginning at the first verse. If you've got your Bibles I'd like for you to read with me. 

Jeremiah 18:1-10 "The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them." 

You know, this is a beautiful thing to me. A lot of people read it, and I'm sure you have read it numbers of times, and thought upon it, and maybe you've not really thought carefully upon it to the extent of really reaping the benefit of what God is telling us, or to understand these things that might prove to be your protection in the future. First of all He said, Jeremiah, I want you to go down to the potter's house. This is a prophet. He's talking to a prophet. Said, I'd like for you to go down to the potter's house. I've always thought, Lord, it would be wonderful to go down to the potter's house. And I never knew that I'd ever get the opportunity, but I related an incident to the people not too long ago where I was in Jerusalem, and while I was in Jerusalem it worked out to where we went down to the potter's house. And there I saw one of the most fascinating things I have ever saw in my life. I never realized that people are so skillful that they can take a little bit of clay, and that they can, with the potter's wheel, make that thing so beautiful, and so perfect that it looks like it has been put in a perfect mold and molded. I thought most of all this stuff we got, you know, that it was put in a mold and baked, and it just came out, you know, in precision, like they do metal and a lot of other stuff. But I came to find out down at this potter's house that he could take just a little lump of clay, put it on the wheel and just touch it here, and touch it there, and cuddle it with his hands, and over like this, and when he got through it was just a vessel that was just beautiful. And I looked at it, I scrutinized it and it was just perfect. I mean the edges were perfect, the little indentions were perfect. He could put in the little cuts in it, and the little roll-overs, and the little designs, and whatever, and it was just perfect. I just couldn't find nothing wrong with it. And I was just literally astounded. I stood there and watched him do it. But, you know, while I was standing there I also learned a lesson. I saw him when he got ready to put something on the potter's wheel when we first made our entry, there he picked up some clay, and he threw it on the potter's wheel, and he started to make a vessel with it. He worked with it a few minutes and it just wouldn't do right. It just wouldn't do right. I watched that and I thought, Well, you know, that's reasonable. You working with your hands, you can't make nothing, you know, too well. You ought to be grateful for what you get to come out of it. But as I stood there and watched him he got disgusted, or whatever, whether on purpose or what, I don't know, but he got disgusted with it and finally he just laid it aside. And the thing looked like it was just about half formed. And he quit. He didn't finish it; he just quit. He just laid it over there aside, and of course, the little vessel was marred. It was just all out of shape. It looked like he had started a good thing, and he just quit right in the middle of it. He just couldn't get it to work right. It looked like it was just a little bit too hard when he would go to lay his finger to it. It just wouldn't do like he wanted it to do. It just wasn't responding to his touch seemingly. And I didn't know the man was an expert. But he was an expert. All down through their life time, it was a thing that was hereditary. It was in his family, and all of his life he had been doing it. He was an expert. And I didn't know that, but when the man laid that aside and he reached over here, he picked up another little piece of clay and he threw it around and he threw it on the wheel, and then he started again. And it was the most beautiful, intriguing thing I have ever seen. I just stood there and watched him, and he'd touch it, you know, and he'd roll it over, and he'd touch it down here. And finally when he got through it was just beautiful. It looked like that little piece of clay responded to every touch. It didn't make any difference what he did, or where he touched it, as he worked with it, it responded just beautifully, and when he took it off it was just a perfect little vessel. And I knew then and there that he was nothing less than an expert, an unbelievable ability and skill that I had never seen in my life. And I saw him work that. You know, and as I was there I thought about what God said, because they had that same little Scripture that said the potter's house. And I thought about what God had said, Go down to the potter's house. And there we were in the Holy Land, and there we were over near Abraham's tomb, and in a little old primitive like shop down in a little old place where they made pottery, and there is was just as primitive as it was in the days when Jeremiah went down to the potter's house. And there I had seen the very same thing right to the T that Jeremiah had seen. And I had always wanted to see it, so I saw it. There it was at the potter's house. I stood there and I saw the thing take place at the potter's house. One vessel was marred because it was not flexible. Because it was not pliable, as we would say. Because it did not respond to the master's touch. The man was nothing less than a master. And because the clay did not respond to the touch it became a marred vessel, and it was set aside. We're read that little thing that speaks of the master's touch. And there it was. I saw it, and I learned what the Bible meant when it said, Doth not the potter have power over the clay? It was obvious that he was the potter, and it was obvious that the clay in his hand, he had power over it to make it unto one vessel unto honor, or unto another vessel unto dishonor. Whatever pleased him. Whatever pleased him he had the power to do, and I watched as he made one vessel unto dishonor, and rejected it and set it aside simply for the reason that it was not pliable. It was not responsive to his wonderful, masterful touch. And I saw the other vessel as he carefully worked with it, with great interest and great zeal and great enthusiasm. He worked with it and it responded. It was soft. It was tender, and it responded to every little touch until it was just a vessel to be desired. You know, the Bible says harden not your heart as they did in the days of the provocation in the wilderness when they provoked God, and caused God to swear in His wrath that He would not let them enter into the Kingdom of God, or into His Kingdom, because of the hardness of their heart. The Bible says that God said, I swear that I will not let you enter into my treasures, and into my Kingdom, because you have hardened your heart in provoking me all these many years. And so it was He did not let them go into Canaan. He let the earth open up, and the earth swallowed them up. And they did not go into Canaan. They did not enter into the wonderful treasures of God, and they did not enjoy the wonderful blessings of God that God had reserved for them that was in Canaan. And so then, He said that being typical, as we look back, that's for our admonition. And God said, I swear in my wrath, if you are not pliable in My hand, if you won't let me touch you in every way to the extent that you are going to respond to my very touch. God said, I swear that I won't take you into my Kingdom. If I can't put you on the potter's wheel, and if I can't touch you anyway that I want to, to mold you into what I want you to look like, even into the image of the Son of God, to my desire, to my liking, then I swear that I won't let you enter into my Kingdom. That is, if your conformity is not to the conformity of the image of Jesus, in that the Bible says God has ordained that we conform to the full image of the full stature, or the full measure of Jesus Christ, if you can't conform to the image of my masterful touch, God said, I will reject you. And you know a lot of people don't respond to God's touch. God will say, This is gullible, stay away from that, and He'll touch you right here to where you'll move away from that gullible desire. And He'll say this is lustful, this is lustful. Don't touch that, and He'll touch you just a little bit here, bring about a little indenture to make you move over just a little bit to where those passions don't disturb you, to where those evil, lustful things can go right on by, and you're just molded a little bit different to where they just miss you, this way. You know, it's like Grady was telling me, yesterday I believe it was, Grady said, You know, said, George, said, I had a dream about you, and said, in this I saw that you were in training like a boxer. And I use to spar around a little bit when I was a boy. And he said, In this he said, I saw you in training and he said you had some kind of a thing, said, I couldn't tell what it was, he said, but it was just as swift as light, seemingly, said, It was a thing that had gloves on it like a boxer, and said, It was over here you punch a button, and said, It would you begin to throw out a blow like this, and come out just like a hand. And said it was so fast, said it was just like that, just swift. And he said, I saw you throw the button on this thing, and you were in front of it training, and he said, I saw those blows so swift, said, it didn't seem like there was no way to get out of the way of it. Said, But in every case as it struck at you, said, you moved (Tape two, side one.) … never did strike you, not one time, and as fast as it was moving, striking at you, said, it never hit you one time. Said, You were in training. You know, now this is the way God does us. God takes our bodies, God takes our mind, and God moves us in such a way that though Satan is swift; yet the devil never hits us. The devil never strikes us, because we are acknowledging the Lord in all our ways. We are walking in God's way. We are doing God's thing. We're thinking God's thoughts. We're asking God for His leadership, and every time the devil strikes at us God has always got us moving. See? God is swifter than Satan. And God just moves us, just like that. He keeps us out of the blows of evil. He keeps us away from the evil things of the world until our potter can't even touch us. And this is the wonderful thing that I see in going down to the potter's house. I see where God just touches us a little bit here, and touches us a little bit here, and after awhile we come out into full blossom of the springtime of God's resurrection. And we come out in His masterful form, in the image of Jesus Christ just because the sunshine of His love has come down upon us. And, you know, once God molds us like this then we begin to harden, as we say. Not hardening against God, but hardening against sin. We begin to harden to the extent that the devil can't bruise us, the devil can't mar us with his touch. We become hard. Hands can handle us, but it doesn't bother anything, because we become hard like a brick. You know, we've already reached our shape. We've already taken on our form, and you can't change us. The devil can't change us. Minds of oppositions, and winds of the contrary doctrines can't change us. And then, after awhile God picks us up, and he puts us through that little process that glorifies us, that brings that wonderful glaze, that glorified look, or that glazed appearance, that will reflect the light, and that has the dazzle and the gleam to it, that has all the beautiful colors, the radiance of the colors that's interwoven with that which God has dipped us into. That is, God forms us, and once God forms us then God glorifies us to where we can be that beautiful, slick, shiny vessel unto honor to be used in the kings palace. So then, it is a true fact that it is a beautiful thing to be a Christian. Like a little story I heard one time about the horses. One running and leaping and jumping in the field and they couldn't get the bridle on him, and here come another one by and he's pulling the king's chariot because they got a bridle on him. So then, it is a true fact that you might snort, and run and jump and roll, and turn flips, and do what you want to do, but you will never be able to pull the king's chariot. Unless you submit yourself to the bridle you'll never have the beautiful decoration of the bells, and the glitter and the glamour of the horse that pulls the king's chariot. So then, it's a wonderful thought to be harnessed for God's sake. It's a wonderful thought to leave the rage, and the running and the jumping and the hollering that actually does nothing but waste energy. It's a good thing to leave that, you know, by bringing our self under subjection to something, and not just run as one that beateth the air. Not just going out, doing your own thing, but subjecting ourselves to God's bridle, God's harness, and getting in the traces so that we can do a work for Christ Jesus. So then, it's a beautiful thing here. I remember the experience so well that when we went down to the potter's house, as Jeremiah of old, I began to hear the voice of God as though it was the same Jeremiah standing there in the day that Jeremiah was there, listening to the words of God at the potter's house. You here at Bethlehem, and others that hear the preaching and the voice of this ministry, here, in the nation around the world, wherever, you know, you are in the hands of God whether here or abroad. You are in the hands of God. And as I say again, the touch of the master's hand is what makes the difference. The touch of master's hand. They have that little poem, I'm sure that you've read it, about the old violin that was down at the auction that was about to be sold for almost, hardly anything, you know, and they were making bids, and one bid a little bit, and another would bid a little bit, and the bids were not very much. And as the violin was just about to be given away the little story said that up stepped a violinist that was a master violinist. He was a perfectionist and he picked up the violin and he laid the bow to the strings. And as he did he just pulled the bow a few times, and as he did the price went up and the bids went up and higher and higher they went as the violin received one thing; the touch of the master's hand. You know, it's well said that a man is auctioned off, a woman is auctioned off for a little bit on nothing. The devil throws them up on the auction block, and they are auctioned off, and their life is gone. It doesn't amount to anything, and everybody says, That old nothing. I don't need that. I can't use that, you know. Many young boy or girl that could have had a career in the world, or had a great job in the world, or a great position in the world, they by-passed it because they didn't have the faith. They had not been developed. They'd never put themselves to the test. They'd never developed that which was required to obtain that position in life. See? Some great people are artist in the world. They have talents. Lot of stars in the world, great and mighty, because they developed themselves, and they pressed against their reasoning that said they couldn't do it. And they took the chance, and they went through a lot of places that was hard. They went through criticism. And as David of old, when the brethren criticized him they did the same thing. They did it to obtain a corruptible crown, the Bible says. They did all of these things. They withdrew from the world. They developed themselves. They did all of this to obtain a corruptible crown, you know. But many that was far greater, and many that could have been greater artist was just passed by, thrown away. Their talents greater, but they never did obtain that great height because they never put their talents to the exchangers, they didn't have the perseverance, or they didn't make the contact with the right people to get the touch of the master's hand. And so then, we as people, as Christians, if we are not careful we will be just like the violin. We'll be laid aside, thrown aside, and we won't amount to anything. And people will look at us and say, Ah, they'll never be nothing. They'll never amount to anything. They are not anything, you know. And throw you aside, you know. And you'll be thrown aside and God won't be able to use you, because you are not pliable. You are not submissive to the touch of the potter's hand. You are not submissive to the touch of the master's hand. But you know, you can come out of the world. You can come away from failure. You can come away from doubt and despondency, get in the flow of God, submit yourself to leadership, and to those that are in leadership, and develop real character, and the first news you know God will walk up, and He'll lay the bow to the strings. And then somebody hears your testimony. And somebody hears your talent, and somebody sees your radiance and your beauty, and they are ready to take you. And they'll say, You know, I never knew he could do that. My! I never knew that was in that person. That woman is amazing. I've told my wife at times, a lot of times I keep looking around, and looking around to try to find the people that have talents here, some woman or some man. And Betty, she'll say, Did you know Sister So and So, she's just an excellent typist. I marvel at her ability to type. I say, Well, my. I never knew that. I didn't know she had that kind of talent. And then somebody else, you know, there'll be a man that I'll find out that he's got an outstanding skill, or talent. And I'll say, My. Why did you have it hid? Why didn't you tell me? I didn't know you had that ability. But you know, I keep watching, I keep looking, and after awhile one will get submissive, and one will submit themselves. They'll get away from that wild notion, you know, of running from place to place, and that they are going to strike it lucky, or they're going to hit a lucky day, or they're going to find some special person, or some special place. They'll get away from that foolishness, and they'll begin to apply themselves, and they'll get down to business and quit trusting to luck, and quit going down to Egypt for their help, quit leaning on the arm of flesh, and get away from the things of the world. And the first news you know they'll put themselves under the leadership of God, or somebody that's trying to do something for God, and the touch of the master's hand comes. And as I say, the bow is laid to the strings. And the first news you know you're looking around and there is a vessel fit to honor, and you've got a great person that's on their way up. And they started to moving, started to moving through the ranks of God to come to a great place. And do you know what? A lot of people, a lot of people, even like Oral Roberts, which has obtained a great place in life, as to his steadfastness in God that has yet to be reckoned. But anyway, he has done a tremendous thing in life; a stuttering, stammering, TB patient that was nothing, that was about to pass away. But when God picked him up, and God laid the bow to the strings the most beautiful things began to come out to the extent that he has astounded the world, a stuttering, stammering, dying TB patient has astounded the world. I mean the entire world! He had such great movings of God in his early ministry that people came from across the ocean thinking that the rapture had taken place. You know, I think about somebody else. Brother William Branham, a great and a mighty man, yet just a boy born in an old cabin somewhere out in the Kentucky hills, and somebody that went through all kind of problems with the death of his wife, and the death of his little ones, and even to the extent that being a lineman, grabbed a hold of the hot wire, and the hot wire, the power of that knocked him all the way to the foot of the pole. And he lay there, should have been dead. God picked him up. He was a nothing. He was a nobody. Nobody cared about him; he was nothing. But all of a sudden, as he begin to call on God, being in a little meeting, finding himself with a bunch of people that was supposed to be the off-scouring of the earth, all of a sudden he heard something and he turned in that direction, and the great master laid the bow to the strings. And the most beautiful life that was ever lived, one of the most beautiful lives that was ever lived was lived by a man called William Branham, and he astounded the world. The beauty of it is that he astounded the world. The world is still astounded today at his great magnificence and the way that God brought forth the power and demonstration in his life. Other great men – That's just two great men that we made mention of, but did you know there are hundreds of great men that God has picked up that the world rejected that was nothing, but God picked them up, and God made them great and mighty soldiers, great and mighty people, gave them great and mighty talents and abilities, gave them great and mighty power until they shook the very foundations of the earth. Did you know those men have shook the very foundations of the earth with their ministries? with their abilities. And here we are tonight, what are we going to do? If you're out there, or as we say, here you are today. You are out there, what are you going to do? See? What are you going to do? Are you going to be auctioned off, as the man said about the violin, as something that is worthless and thrown away? Or are you going to make excuses and say, I can't do this, and I can't do that, and I can't be straight, and I can't surrender my life, and I just can't live an overcoming life. Are you going to do that and have somebody to throw you in the rubbish pile? Or are you going to stand up and say, By God's help I can and I will. First of all you've got to have a desire. That's the main thing. If you don't have a desire, folks, you will never do it. You've got to have a desire. You've got to have a concern. So then, first of all is to have a concern and have a desire for the right thing. If you don't have that, well, that stops you before you get started. But if you can get the right desire, and if you can get the right vision, the right concern, what you can do, just rise up and call upon the name of Jesus, and say, Lord, I am going to do something for God. You know, at the first of this sermon here, or little talk that I'm giving, I made the statement that I started out one day to do something for God. I said, I'm going to do something for God whether my wife, my children, or anybody else wants to go. I'm going to do something for God! I said, I can do something for God, and I'm going to do something for God. So I started out to do something for God. See? And I'm telling you the same thing. You've got to rise up. You've got to make a start. You've got to do something for God. You can do something for God. But as long as you have a negative attitude toward life, and toward success in God you're never going to do anything for God. You say, But I'm handicapped, Brother Pike. That doesn't make any difference with God. That doesn't have anything to do with it. There are people that are great and mighty in being successful that are handicapped. As a matter-of-fact, I just heard about a woman not too long ago, you hear here sing, and she makes records she's paralyzed from her head, her arms, legs, everything. she's paralyzed and she's got the most beautiful voice. She sings, she makes records, and they tell me of all kind of abilities and talents that she has, that she outshines many people that have all of their abilities and sharp mental facilities, and whatever. This woman is astounding, but yet she is helpless. But, my! look what she does. You know why? Because she is determined that she's going to do it, and she is taking God into the arrangements. She has asked God to help her do it. You can do anything. If you want to do it you can do it. Look at the president of today. He's seventy years old. He is going strong. He is astounding people with the things that he's doing. Some of them maybe we don't agree with, but nevertheless, he's astounding the people. He's going strong. He's doing things that are amazing. He's pushing right on. He's shaking up the whole world. I mean he's got everybody shook up everywhere. You know, he's not just the president over in one corner of the world, but he's shaking the whole world up. So then, I said that to say this. We can if we will, but we're going to have to take the outlook that I can and I will. You can't do by feeling, and you can't go by circumstantial environment. You can't go by saying, Well, I'm not healthy, or I'm healthy, or I can or I can't in that manner. You've got to say, I can and I will. Regardless to how I feel, regardless to what I go through with, or whatever my conflict is, I'm going to do it for God. I can do it for God, and I'm going to do it for God. I am going to do it. That's the way it's got to be, you know, when we get to the place to where we take that attitude, and we blot out everything else. Somebody said, But, Brother Pike, what if it don't happen? What do you mean what if it don't happen? Somebody says, Well, what if I try and it don't happen? What are the people going to say? Well, what are the people going to say if you don't try? The Bible says a good man will fall seven times and get back up. I'd rather them snigger at me for trying than snigger at me for not trying. I'd rather try even if I fail than to set around and not try. At least I will be satisfied with myself for making an effort even if they are not. So then, you say, What if I try and it fails? How can it fail? Somebody said, Well, what if I try it and it don't work? What do you mean, it don't work? How can it fail to work? You know the only thing that can keep it from working is the very negative attitude that you have in the sense you say, What if? You know, you're attitude is, I can do it, and I will do it. There is no failing to it. God's Word said it and I believe it, and that settles it. God's Word is settled in heaven. He said I can do it. I'm going to do it, folks, and that settles it. Somebody said, Well, – No. Don't do back down that trail now. What if it don't? See? That has nothing to do with it. The thing is it's going to work. It's going to work. See? It's going to work. Somebody said, Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute now. I said It's going to work. If you do that it's got to work because it's faith. The only thing that keep it from working is that you start in reverse with your thinking and believing, you know, and you start looking at circumstances and problems. Somebody said, Well, what if I die, Brother Pike, while I'm trying? Well, you won't have any worries, that's for sure. But the thing is, what if you don't die? And what makes you think you're going to die anyway? The very fact that you believe and go on is what's going to keep you alive. It's for sure that if you lose your vision and don't do something you're going to perish and die. You know I just like God's way of doing things. I like God's way of thinking, don't you? It just makes me feel better. If it don't do anything else for me, it makes me feel better. I like the idea of thinking about success, don't you? I like the idea of thinking it's going to work. I don't like the idea – You know, I have had my wife at times, before she really got into this thing, I'd say, Betty, I'm going to do such and such. She's say, But, what if? I'd say, Don't talk like that, Betty. You know, sometimes I'd get right indignant with her. She'd say, Well, you've got to consider those things. I'd say, No, Betty. Don't talk to me like that. I don't want you talking to me like that. I don't want those kind of thoughts in my mind. You know, I'd get right disturbed over that, and I still do. If I go to my wife and I say – Which Betty usually doesn't bother me with nothing like that, you know. But if I go to my wife and I say, Look, Betty, I'm going to do such and such, and she says, But – I say, No, no, no. Don't do that, now. Don't talk to me like that. I don't want to hear that kind of thing. I don't want to hear it, folks. You know, if I work with you – I've got some men that I work with, and I say, Look, let's do this, and they say, Well, I – I say, no, no. I don't want to hear that, you know, I say just – You know, I'm ready to leave. I don't want to hear that, because if I go to God, and I talk to God, and I find out that's God's plan then I intend to do it, and that settles it. There is no need to talk to me about it. I intend to do it. You say, Well, it might not work. It might not, but praise God, I'm going to try to do it anyway. There's no need to talk to me about it no other way. I intend to do it by faith in God. Somebody said, Well, you're just ignorant. Well, if I'm ignorant, like it's been said, I am a happy ignorant person. So, leave me alone and let me be ignorant, because I'm going to do those things because I believe that way. I don't think no other way. I don't allow myself to think no other way. God said it, I believe it, and that settles it. So then, I know you don't believe that, but nevertheless it's true. If you have to live with me a little while you'll know that what I'm saying I mean, because that's the way I operate. I said the other night when they gave out the warning in California, said, Don't you come this way. The police, the warning, all said, You can't come this way. I said, God told me to go, Betty. We're going. So we went, and we done it. And today it's on record. We did it by faith. Well, it like to have cost you your life. I know that. I know that. But the Bible says that men hazarded their life for the name of Jesus. The thing is it didn't cost me my life. I met the resistance and my faith is bigger today. And it was that resistance that helped me build the faith that has helped carry some of you over the hurdles to keep you from crashing up. So then, I thank God for his wonderful blessings and I thank God for faith in Jesus. Now, let's look at it like this. You say, Well, I don't go along with that. I tell you what, if before the night is over your little baby begins to choke and you see it's going to die, and you run over to my house, you'll sure hope that I'm thinking like I'm talking. It's for sure you aren't going to want Brother Pike to be making any make believe, and it's for sure you're going to fuss with Brother Pike when he tries to believe that your little one is going to live instead of die. I've got a feeling you're not going to give me any trouble. So then, let's do something for God, and let's yield to the touch of the master's hand, to the potter's hand. Whatever he wants to do with us just let him do it. Whatever it takes to mold you into the image of God then let Him do it. As it was said down at the supper when they had the pots filled with water to be turned into wine the mother said – They said, What must we do? She said, Whatever He says unto you, you just do it, that's all. You just do it. I've got that kind of confidence in Him. If He tells you to do it, you do it and it will be all right. It'll work out right. So, folks, that's the way I feel. If He said do it, and this book that I hold in my hand, if it says do it. It'll work out all right, because it has been proven. Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good. All right. I want you to stand with me. There's a lot of other things I'd like to say along these lines concerning faith, but I want you to understand that you must believe. You must believe! You must believe! I said the other day, Are you practicing faith? Somebody would say, Well, why do I have to believe, Brother Pike? Because you cannot be translated except by faith, and if you don't have faith you're not going to make the rapture, because the rapture is not the rapture in the sense of the word rapture. That application is wrong. It's translation. There is no Biblical terms rapture. It is translation. The Bible says Enoch was translated by faith. So then, if you don't have faith you won't make the rapture. You won't make the translation. It's going to take the translating faith that took Enoch into the wonderful world of God. It's going to take the same faith to translate you into the marvelous kingdom of this wonderful God that I'm speaking of right at this moment. You say, I'm sick, Brother Pike. The Bible says calling those things that are as though they are not, those things that are not as though they are. If you are not healthy and well, and happy, decree a thing in your heart, believe it, and it will come to pass. Draw nigh to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. If you are not well then confess by faith in God that you are well. You know, a person would say, Brother Pike, I'm sick. I hardly have enough strength, and I know that's true. I've been down that trail, you know. I just hardly have enough strength to live, to even confess. My, you know, confess strength. But you need to confess it anyway, because the Bible says let the weak say I'm strong. And be strong in the power of my might. if you are weak don't acknowledge, in your thinking, weakness. Cast down the imagination that's contrary to God and confess in your thoughts strength. Say, But my strength is gone. That's even the more reason. Be strong in the power of His strength. It's not you living but Him, anyway. So then, you confess it. If you are sick you say, It's a lying vanity. The Lord Jesus died for me. By His stripes I'm healed. And don't go telling yourself, you know, you say, I'm healed. I'm well. Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God, I'm well. That's no good. You know, in your head you can say I'm well, and you can die before morning. All night long you can lay there and say in your head, I'm well. I'm well. I'm well, you know, and you can die before morning, because that isn't faith. You say, But, I'm confessing it, Brother Pike. No. No. The Bible says with your lips you confess me. That is, you confess your thoughts in your head, you know. That from your human impulses, that is from human senses, that's no good. See? But you want to resist that, even the feeling of human reflex that comes from your human senses, of Satan suppressing, and oppressing powers. What you want to do is confess it in your heart. You say, Now, wait a minute. Differentiate, Brother Pike, right here. Let me know the difference. Well, it's easy to know the difference. Confessing Christ with your head thinking you are going to heaven when you are going to hell. Confessing Christ in a heartfelt salvation that causes you to respond to His touch, and do the way He does, living a holy, godly, overcoming life that's from the heart. The heart compels you. The love of God constrains you. That is to say, faith is in the heart and when you believe with your heart. As a man thinketh in his heart. See? Get it down in your heart. You just say. No, I'm not sick. I'm healed. By His stripes I'm healed. And begin to look at Calvary and say, Now, Lord. all trouble, all sorrow, all misery is on the other side of Calvary, and it was folded up in the body of Jesus and you smote it as you made Him in the image of sinful flesh to ever do away with it, and there is nothing on this side of Calvary. I'm on this of Calvary. I'm a believer, Father. He that has fallen from grace is still under the law, but I've not fallen from grace. I'm a believer, Father. I'm trusting you. I know it's all gone. It's gone. My sins are gone. In the sea of forgetfulness, as far removed as darkness is from dawn. And you say, I'm whole. It's not me living but Christ. This is the body that has no sin. I've discerned the body of Jesus. This is a healthy body. I'm bone of His bone. I'm flesh of His flesh. He died to die no more. I'll never die not, Father. I've passed from death unto to life. I'm healthy. I'm whole. I'm filled with the life of God. And you'll begin to feel that inspiration. You say, But, Brother Pike, what if it don't happen. You don't feel the changes that you want to feel even though you can feel them just instantaneously. Just that quick it'll change you. It'll heal you in an instant, just like that. But if you can't get it to work that quick, in that you can't get your faith going like it ought to, and can't get your faith as steadfast as it ought to. One thing be sure of, don't let it waver. If God said it I believe it. It's all a lying vanity. Jonah said, the belly of this whale, this prison that I'm in, is a lying vanity. I'm not in this. I'm free in God. The song writer said, Shut me up in a prison and throw away the key. He said, you can put out my eyes, or whatever, but I can still go free. See? That is to say, your spirit can be turned a loose in God. Another write said, Bones, bars of bones, they house my soul. You know, you can escape the bars of bones. If you really decree a thing, not in your head, but in your heart, hereby we persuade our heart, we convince our heart, with the heart man believeth. If you'll convince your heart, if you'll just say, It's got to be. It's not a fairy tale. God said it, it's got to be. This is not something the preacher is talking about. This is not some kind of a myth. This is not some kind of game. Almighty God gave his son and healed me, and took away my sins. And where there is no sin there is no sickness. (Begin tape two, side two.) Before Eve sinned there was no sickness. So then, God, I'm free from it. I'm not going to have it. Somebody said, Yeah, but when you get through it's still there, because you didn't see nothing happen. But say, Lord, I'm not walking by sight. It has nothing to do with it. You say, But you didn't feel nothing. Well, what's that got to do with it. The Bible don't say you have to feel anything. It said you're to believe it, not feel it. Feeling is the results of believing. Somebody said, But, Brother Pike, if I could just feel it. That wouldn't have nothing to do with it. You might feel – I've felt the spirit of God and still wasn't healed. A lot of people feel the spirit of God and still aren't healed. See? That's not proof of your healing because you feel the spirit of God. But it is proof that God is present to heal. It is the virtue of God. One spirit, many operations. You've got to channel God's spirit. Whether you feel it, or don't feel it, you've got to channel it in the sense of your healing. So then, you've got to make your request known boldly before the throne of grace, knowing your sins are gone. Not doubting, not wondering, not feeling under condemnation, not having the feeling that you are not worthy, or it's for someone else. Not doubting His Word, not altering it in your mind, not changing it, just taking it just like it is. And you keep on until you convince your heart. Don't get on a wild tangent.

Run here and there and start saying crazy things about your going to do this, and you're this, and you're going to be that. That don't mean that you've got faith because you tell everybody that. That don't mean nothing. It can just lead to embarrassment. If you have faith, the Bible says, have it to God. Prove your faith and then you'll have rejoicing in the works that you've accomplished. Everybody will see what you've done, and you won't think more highly of yourself than you ought to. See? Believe God in your sober, quite, meek, humble like way, humbling your spirit to God. Loving, having charity, and believe God, and keep on telling yourself over and over until after awhile, you know, something will say, I believe I'm healed. I believe I'm healed. I believe I'm healed. And something, it's real close. You'll have to watch real close. It's real dove like. All of a sudden something will move through, you know, and I think, I am healed. Praise God! I believe I am healed! See? That's faith coming in then. You really get to thinking you are healed. That inspiration strikes, and though it's real faint and you have to watch close, but all of a sudden, you know, you keep on, it's kind of negative like, and after awhile it will strike the heart. And sometimes the little broken sign on the inside, the Bible says mark them that sigh. Jesus looked up to heaven, said, Father! And that wonderful connection came and He broke in spirit. He said, I thank Thee, Father, that Thou hearest me. That is His heart had already received the resurrection of Lazarus. The chains were broken. I'm persuaded to believe that perhaps Lazarus, when he sighed that Lazarus deep down in that tomb, (Betty and I have been down in that tomb where He was.) I'm persuaded to believe that when He sighed that Lazarus probably set up, set up in the tomb, you know. Just set up. Jesus knew He'd done woke him up. He knew He'd done woke him up. And He said, Father, I thank You that You hear me. I know that You hear me always. He said, Come on up, Lazarus. And Lazarus just come right on up, you know. You say, Well, that isn't right. Well, that's what He told the disciples. Said, You know, Lazarus is asleep. Said, I'm going to go wake him. I'm going to go wake him up. "I go to awake him." Folks, that's what we need. The Bible says when they awoke they saw His glory. We're hard and fast asleep. If the be drunk or sleepy, sleep in the night of intellectual reasoning. You are not children of darkness. You are children of day; you shouldn't be sleepy. No reason to. You must be about the Father's business, to work while it's day, for soon the night cometh. The intellectual darkness of the powers and constraints of the evil one, no man can work then. Antichrist won't allow it. So then, tonight if you can decree it in your heart – I know some of you aren't listening. I understand that. I know you want to go. It's a little chilly. I'm going to let you go. I know you aren't listening, but I know there are some that are elect that are listening. They are listening, and just a few there will be that will find it. But them few are here tonight and they are listening. Having ears you don't hear; having eyes you don't see. You'll never convert, but there are those that have the eyes and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church, to have the faith to translate them. Put your talent to the exchangers and believe. I'm telling you what real faith is. I've done used it many times. I know how it works, and I know what it will do. So then, if you'll do what I'm telling you and watch this thing close; I wish I had more time to elaborate on it. Watch it close. Keep on, and keep on until after awhile something down there will begin to accept the fact, you know, and something will say, Praise God! You know, I have trusted you. Lord, you didn't fail me. I really believe something did happen. I believe you did keep you Word. You know, Lord, you are concerned about me. O, My God! I believe you are doing something for me. That's faith, folks. When that begins to register in the heart that will take to you. You don't have to talk to it, it will talk to you. And when that comes up don't turn it a loose. When that mind comes back after you have thought like that, when that mind comes back and says, Well – I say, No, no. No. He said it I believe it, and that's it. Those negative thoughts start coming back, the same that took Peter under the water after he had walked on the water, say, No! No! I felt that in my heart. No! That's the way it's going to be. Don't listen to the other. Ask in faith nothing wavering, and Brother, you're on the main line and you've got the royal telephone in your hand, and all you've got to do, Jesus said, is command thou Me concerning the works of My hands, and it will happen. That's the truth, so help me God. Okay, let's sing this little chorus together. I've enjoyed a wonderful life with Jesus. I'm still enjoying it, because it gives me eternal life, eternal health, and eternal strength, eternal prosperity, and eternal blessings. It's protected me and my children, my loved ones, all down through the years. I thank God for it. He's helped protect many other people. All down through the years He's been willing to work with us and believe. So then, I thank the Lord for it. It's an exciting thing to me to contend for the faith. It's exciting. Every day is filled with great adventure. Okay, let's sing this song together. (Singing.) Can you sing it again? (Singing) You know, without Jesus, it's true that I can't do anything. Jesus said, I always do the things I see my father do, and I likewise do always the things that I see Jesus do. If Jesus doesn't do it, I can't do it. But if Jesus did it I can do it, because He said, The things that I do, ye shall do also. Have faith, don't doubt now. Just have faith. Have faith, don't doubt. It doesn't make any difference what it is. Somebody said, But it's too hard, But the angel said, Abraham, it there anything too hard for God? Why did Sarah laugh? Oh, Sarah said, this can't be. No way! Abraham and me, at our age? No way! The angel said, Is there anything too hard for God? Didn't God make you, Sarah? Abraham, didn't God make you? Why did you say that? You know what? Now, this is my conviction. Sarah should have never laughed. You say, Why is that, Brother Pike? Well, believe it or not, after that Abraham had another wife, and children came, and another family came. Abraham believed God and his life was restored to his body, and he married Keturah. Don't snigger. Don't laugh. Saul's daughter laughed at David. David shouted and screamed hallelujah, and danced before the Ark of the Covenant with all of his might, and he got beside himself. They said, Paul, you are beside yourself. David got beside himself and danced with all of his might, and she criticized. Said, You were some pretty looking thing out there dancing before the maidens, weren't you? And the indignation of God rose up and prepared David's heart to put her away, and never come to her again. Never. Don't do that. Say, glory to God, God said it, I believe it. That's the way it is. If God said it that's the way it is. Because, folks, that is the way it is. We're going to sing another chorus. We're going to try to let you go. We sing this chorus with a regularity here at Bethlehem, and that is Enter Into The Courts With Thanksgiving and Praise. Let's sing it together, can we? (Singing.) Sing it with me now. (Singing.) One more time, now. Sing it with me, now. (Singing.) Do you believe that God has made you glad tonight? You know, gladness of heart comes from faith. Did you know that? If you're not glad then you're not serving God. See? For serving God is gladness of heart. And gladness of heart comes from faith. Of faith. You know, the Bible teaches that a sound body comes from a good heart, or a sound heart is the health of the body. When you get faith you'll have a glad heart. Or you'll stimulate your heart. Your heart won't be sad, it won't be cast down. It won't be broken. It will be a glad heart. Your heart will just chuckle. You know, wine maketh the heart merry, and this is the new wine. So then, it just makes you happy, that's all. See? When you begin to really think down in your heart now, now I want you to think about it for a minute now. You know, somebody says, I'm a Christian. Glory hallelujah. But you aren't happy. No, you're not happy. Somebody says, God promised it to me; I'm going to get it. Glory hallelujah. But you don't believe that. You aren't happy. But you know, you ask God for something and you really want it with all of your heart, and you really don't want to die, and you want your health, and you want to live, and you want to shout and you want to dance, and you want to sing, you know, serve God and do things, and you begin to believe God and down in your heart it strikes, and you begin to believe it. And some – You don't have to say it. Something will say, My God! My God! I feel good. Ooh, this feel good. My God! Whoooo! My God! Ooh! And the first news you know your heart gets so glad, and you begin to rejoice in such a great mighty way, because deferred hope sickeneth the heart. But when that real genuine faith comes down there you get to thinking, My God! He did give it to me. He did give to me. Can't nobody tell me he didn't. He gave it to me. He gave it to me. You know, He gave it to me. Like some of the boys in service, when that day come of discharge, mother had been praying, they had made it through the war and they returned back home, and he picked up the telephone and said, Mom, I made it! I made it! I'm coming home. And she begin to shout and holler, that's his voice, his voice! I believe it! I believe it! And that heart begin to overflow. He's coming home! My boy made it! My boy made it! He's coming home! And when the dad, he'd called, picked up the phone, and he'd done it, you know, and mama said, Little ones, daddy made it! He's coming home! Hallelujah! He's coming home! I'm talking about joy, folks. Reality. You know, when you get it down in your heart and that thing begins to bring you joy, what a glad heart. What a glad heart. What a glad heart. How happy. See? It's wonderful to be a Christian. You know, They're talking about getting it and getting it good. I guess I must have got it good, because it's good to me. Let's just slip our hands up tonight, and let's start serving God with a joy, with our hearts so we can have the joy of our salvation. The joy of our salvation. Hallelujah! The joy of our salvation. Folks, that's your strength. My dear God! When you begin to have a glad heart, when you begin to believe, ooh, you begin to feel something, you say, My God! Lord, I believe this. You know, I believe this thing. And when you begin to do that health, why you get a stimulation, you talk about a shock treatment for nerves, you get a stimulation from God's revelation and work of grace in your heart, and that joy that somebody saw Brother Larry getting, my, my, you begin to get that joy. Oh, David said, Lord, give me back the joy of my salvation. Lord, I've lost my strength. Give me back my joy. You know, you can be way up in age, like I heard of that man a hundred and twelve years old, but the Bible says you'll bring forth fruit in your old age. My! My! Why this fruit it'll make you just as fruitful, because there is no age with God. There's no death with God. Sin is what causes age. You don't have to do that. You just go ahead and render your service and do whatever you've got to do, and your strength will be as your day, the Bible says. And when you finish your course you say, Okay, Lord, I'm ready to go home. Jacob said bring them around. I want to bless them. Bring them on around, said, I want to bless them. He said, I bless you this way, I bless you this way, I bless you this way. When he got through he said, Goodbye, I think I'll leave. He laid down and went home. How wonderful it is to be a Christian. Old Paul said, Well, I've finished my course. You know, I haven't finished my course yet. I got some more things to do. But when I finish my course, you know, I'll do like Jacob. I'll say, Goodbye, folks. But until then I must be about my Father's work. I must do his will. While it is day I must work His works, for soon the night cometh when no man can work. So I must do His will. While you've got your heads bowed, while our Brother Doyle is standing here, tonight you need Jesus, folks. You need the love of God. I'm going to ask Brother Clyde Cobb to come up here, and I'm going to ask him to pray with you. And while Clyde is praying I want you to think, you know, think down in your heart. Say, O my God, I want to be a real Christian. I want to be a happy Christian, because there is no other kind. I want to be a Christian, a real genuine Christian. And O God, all I need is that clear conscience, just by trying to conform to the touch of the potter's hand. Lord, I want to be that wonderful thing that's worthwhile. I want the touch of my master's hand. I'm going to yield to the touch of my master's hand. Ah, it will be beautiful folks. While our Brother is coming to pray for you tonight think over this, this over it. It's for you.

By Rev. George Leon Pike Sr.

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

Holiness Unto The Lord