Redemption Of The Body

...come here to get our minds programmed with the wonderful Words of life. I said the other night, I don't share the enthusiasm of many people as to just go to church, and you know, just be religious. It just never has seemed to be real exciting to me, but I like for my people to think about what the thing really is, and think of it in the way that it really is. That is to say, we come because we're seeking eternal life. Jesus, a man, the man of Galilee, walking along the Galilee shores. Some of you have been into Galilee and know what I'm speaking of. He just simply said, If you'll come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I'll give you rest. If you'll take my yoke you'll find out it's light. It's not heavy yoke of a religious task that casts you down, makes you dread to get up in the morning. But it's light. It's jubilant. All my paths are peace, and serving me is joy, peace, and righteousness in the Holy Ghost. All of them are happy if they keep my law. And we think of it as making us to ride upon the high places of the earth, as making us rich and adding no sorrow, of giving us the desires of our heart, and I know when I say all of these things, you know, the rebound is there. As somebody would say, Well, Brother Pike, I don't see it that way'cause it don't happen to me that way. But the reason it doesn't happen to you that way is because you don't serve God that way. It is utterly impossible to do what I'm telling you and serve God the way that I tell you, and the way that the Word instructs you, and not be partakers of these benefits and have the kind of life that I've given description of here. So,I like to think of Him as the one who has eternal life, and the one that has given me eternal life, and the one that has given you eternal life. And not only that, but He said that I've come that you might have life more abundantly. I am the Prince of Life. That is to have life filled up and overflowing, as the song writer said, Fill my cup, Lord. And I love to think of Christ as He really is, and if you think of Him the way I tell you to think of Him, then He's going to give you the abundant filled up life that He really genuinely wants you to have. You know, the church is powerless, almost powerless, in the day that we're living in. It has been for many years, but it isn't because they are powerless, in that they don't have power. It isn't because God hasn't filled them with power, in that He says, Behold, I give unto you power over all the powers of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Which means when He said, power over all the powers of the enemy it means over death, too. You have the dread of death. The Bible said all of our lives we are subject to bondage, because of the fear of death. Subject to bondage by fear of death. But when we're born again we don't fear death anymore, so we're not subject to bondage anymore, that of fear, be- cause we don't fear death anymore. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. If you fear then you're not made perfect in love. So then, we don't fear death anymore, because death hath no power over us. We now, because of our new birth, having the infilling, as the song says the Holy Ghost within, then we have power over death. He said, And ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost has come upon you, or that is after the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And as I say, the original rendering of it is when the Holy Ghost comes upon you, be- cause the Holy Ghost is power. It's a measure of God's Spirit as to whatever you will receive. So, I like to think of my religious activities as being saved from death. I know I'm saved from my sins, and I cannot sin that He has saved me from my sins. I am born of God. His seed remaineth in me and I cannot sin, because I'm born of God. That's what the Bible says. I believe that. That's how I'm saved from sin. Now, a lot of people say, Well, I think I still sin. Well, then you're not saved from your sins. And not only that, You're not saved from death. If you still sin you're not saved from death, because the Bible said the soul that sinneth shall surely die. And if you sin after that you come to the knowledge of the truth, then you're going to die. So then, He saved me from death, because He saved me from my sins. And He hath broken the appointment for me. He hath broken the appointment with death. For He heard me in a time accepted, that is at Calvary. He succored me at the time accepted. And the Bible said He heard the groaning of the prisoners, and He looked down and loosed them that was appointed unto death. So then, He hath abolished death for my sake. He hath defeated it at Calvary. He hath eradicated my sins, and today He says, since your sins are gone all you have to do is believe in my finished works as to the atoning of my blood. Be strong in what I have done, He said. You're weak in your own ability, but let the weak say I'm strong, for I've finished your work for you. Now all you have to do is believe in My righteousness, my righteous works, and because you believe in them I'll send My Spirit in your heart. Because you have faith I'll purify your heart with My Spirit, or that is by faith I'll purify your heart. Through faith I'll do it. I'll send the power of purification into it. So I like to think of it as life. And that's what it really is. People have made such ritualistics out of it as the Jews. They had such ritualistics, so much formalities until Jesus said, You make burdens that's grievous to be born. You don't touch it with your finger. You laden them with these things, and He said you love the salu- tations in the market places. Like to be called of men Rabbi. You make long prayers for pretense, and all these other things. And Paul said, I'm afraid of you because you observe signs, and seasons, and new moons and all these kinds of things He pointed out and He said God is a Spirit and you make sacrifices and these kind of things when salvation is not in meats and drinks. It's in joy. It's in peace. It's in righteousness. And it's in the Holy Ghost. God could care less about your fasting, and your sacrifice, and your giving, and all these other things as the world says. He could care less about that. What He wants is your affection, and your love. And like again, I was saying this morning, I was talking to somebody, God wants our love. I don't want a sock washer. I want my wife's love and affection. I can find a sock washer any- where. Just give them a few dollars. Do it my self. Go down and throw them in the machine. A man don't want a dish washer for a wife. He wants a wife, and then she can wash dishes because she loves him. So, it's like the Jews. The Bible said the servant abideth not in the house forever. They are called servants. And the reason is; because they didn't understand. They kept doing ritualistics like the dish washer. Ritualistics. Doing things in a ritualistic manner, and finally God walked off and left them and said, I want love. I'm going to seek a bride. And He went to get Himself a bride. And so they were left outside. That is why the Bible said to love Him with all of your might, with all of your heart, with all of your strength. And said and teach your children to do this. Teach your children to love Him with all of their might, all of the strength, all of the heart. Cause this is what God wants. And when you love somebody then you love in deed. The Bible said if you shut up your bowels of compassion how dwelleth the love of God within you. It's because of the release of your bowels of compassion that shows the love. To love in deed and not in word. That is to see somebody have a need and you share that need then that is manifested love. That is the proof of love. That is the love one to another. So by this shall all men know that you're my disciples. Ye have love in efforts, in endeavors. One to another. Well, I want to read this. I've read it before, but I want to read it again and comment on it a little bit. It's in the book of Zechariah. We could go on and go on exhorting you, and making mention of things that might be edifying to you. Chapter three of the book of Zechariah. (Brother Pike reads all of chapter three, and chapter four through verse six.) All right. So, we see a great wonderful lesson. A lesson that's in this. I brought out one time concerning the seven eyes. The Bible speaks of it over in the book of Revelation. It speaks of these seven eyes, and I spoke of this stone. See, in the Old Testament there are things that are spoken of that a lot of times we might not understand. But there is nothing that is out of school, as we say. Nothing out of order. For it's very evident that these things are pointed out in the New Testament, and between the Old Testament and the New Testament if we will study, then we're able to under- stand. Like in chapter five of the book of Revelation, sixth verse. "And I beheld, and,lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." So, it's evident here when He said this stone has seven eyes, it is the stone that the builders speak of as being the head stone, the stone which the build- ers rejected, the same having become the head of the corner. So, everything fits together in Jesus and no man can get unto the Father except through the Lord Jesus. And He said here these seven eyes, "Behold I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." By these seven eyes, by this stone, by the head stone He said I will remove the iniquity in one day. He did this at Calvary. One day the Lord went to Calvary and that completely eradicated the iniquity. Now when it comes to the Jews, the revealing of the stone, as the Bible said the little stone that was hewn out of the mountain that came rolling down through Babylon tearing down the kingdom of the world, when this stone is revealed to the Jews it will do the same thing to the Jew that it did to the Gentile. It will re- move their iniquity in one day. For the Bible said, Who hath heard of such a thing that a nation should be born in one day? For soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children. All right. So, we see a great thing. Down in Egypt when they travailed, soon as they travailed. The Egyptians could not do what the Jewish people did. They brought forth their children, and God did it with- out great travail, because He lifted the curse, in that the curse is upon the woman to travail because of her sin. So if the iniquity is removed then there is no more travail. So if the church be in travail if the iniquity is removed then there is no more travail because the iniquity is taken away. Therefore, as soon as Zion travails, or goes into travail she brings forth her children because there is no travail before God. His yoke is easy. His burden is light. I don't have to travail. Paul said I travailed'til Christ be formed within you. My travail, therefore, is a willing travail that I might bring forth Christ in your heart, because I don't have to travail because Christ travailed for me. He prevailed and travailed for me at Calvary against iniquity, or to bring forth. And so then, I have Christ in my heart because of His works. And this is the works of God, that I should believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. So then, He said, Joshua, I've taken away the old garments. I've removed your old Garments. That is, Joshua, this is as a sleep. Now, as it was to the prophet, and it is as it was with Eve and Adam, and now I take away your travail. I take away the old garments. I move the old garments. That is to say, I've born the image of the earthly as to the earthly man, as to this body, and I am in this tabernacle of clay. But in that I have born this image one day it will be dissolved and I have another image, even the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. A new garment. A clean garment that is not infiltrated with the mistakes, and curse of Adam. I have a new garment. I have now a new garment. Joshua, I am putting you on a new garment. I am no longer Brother Pike, for being born of my natural Father I had an interwoven iniquity because of the sins of Adam. And so then, I had to put away my dirty garment. Being Baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus I laid aside my dirty garment. It went into the waters for washing. As to the regeneration that when a person dies they are buried, and then when they are brought forth after the washing of the regeneration then it is a clean new garment, for when I was baptized and went into the washing when I came up I came up as the body of the Lord Jesus Christ; all spotless and clean. I came up refreshed in the bowels of His mercy, and I came up with a new garment, and I now am purged and clean from my iniquity. So, there is a lot to be said when it comes to the redemption of the body. And as I was tell- ing somebody yesterday, redemption; we speak of redemption. In the Old Testa- ment when a certain thing was lost it had to be redeemed, and there was a day of redemption. And even Pentecost was also a day of forgiveness, and of gett- ing back things that belong to you. So then, the redeemer, Christ, He hath redeemed me from my sins. He hath taken away mine iniquities. I can just be baptized in water, and by this I've went through the washing of regeneration because my faith in the spirit world, or in the spirit cleansed my heart by bringing His spirit in to my heart by me doing what He commanded me to do. So, when He said be baptized and wash away your sins I am baptized. I do the natural things He told me to do. There is no virtue in the water. There's no virtue in anything that I do as to the natural but I go down through the symbols, and I come up and I'm washed and I'm clean, because I've washed away my iniquity. It wasn't going down into the water that did it, but since I'm a natural man I have to go through the natural things because as in the spirit so in the flesh. As in heaven so in the earth. And what I do in the natural shows what I'm doing in the spirit. So when they baptize me the minister puts me down, and baptizes me in the water, then it indicates that Christ Jesus has taken my spirit and placed my spirit within the waters, within the living waters and He's brought me back out and now I am clean and I'm holy and I'm free from iniquity. I now have a new body. I'm now bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. I'm filled with God's spirit and I now am no more I that liveth but Christ that liveth within me and the life I now live I live by the Son of God. So when I think of this I remember that redemption. When somebody had lost anything it could be redeemed. Salves, different things, people, what- ever. There was a redemption. There was a redemption. And we are in the age of the Pentecost. We are in the age of the redemption. We can be redeemed. I am redeemed. I am redeemed by love divine. I am redeemed. Glory, glory, Christ is mine. I'm redeemed because I have a redeemer. And as it was in the days of Ruth, and in the day of Naomi there was a redemption. Not a redemption for Orpha, because Orpha, represented the flesh. And when time came for the wash- ing of regeneration she didn't make the trip. She came down to the waters of the Jordan, but she wouldn't cross over the waters of the Jordan. Lot of religious people in the world today, there's a lot of people that they come down to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. They come down to the acknowledging of their iniquities and their sins as Orpah, recognizing the lost in that she knew she had lost her companion, or her bread winner, or that one that was to have secured her. Her security. But when she got down to the Jordan she wouldn't cross over and go with Naomi. She wouldn't do that. See, when she come down to that place she wouldn't do that. She come down to that and then she begin to look back into Egypt and think about her relatives, and think about where she come from, and everything on that side over there. And it wasn't long before she bade Naomi good bye and she went on her way and returned back to her people. Because Naomi had said there is no more children within my womb, and if there was you wouldn't wait that long for another husband anyway. And I don't have anything to offer you. I've lost my husband. You've lost your husband, and said, go on back to your people. Stay with your people. The Bible said make to yourself friends of the unrighteous mammon that they may receive you into everlasting habitation when God rejects you. Go on back. And so she did. She looked back and she went back to what she felt was her security, because she felt, I have no husband and the only security I've got is my relatives. Whereas, God said to Abraham, Get thee out of the land of thy kindred. That is get away from the flesh, and go ye into a land, even a land of promise. Journey by faith. The Bible said Abraham so journeyed by faith, not knowing where he was going as a person in a strange land, but he continued by faith believing what God had said. See, so then, she, that is Orpha turned back to her relatives. She turned back to her family security. She turned back to her fleshly delights. She turned back to Egypt in her heart as the Bible has stated. Many of them that come out of Egypt with them God was not well pleased, for the Bible said they turned back in to Egypt in their heart. But Ruth, she said, No. Said, I'm not going back. But I don't have anything to offer you. I don't have anything to offer you at all. But I'm not going back, she said. But look, Ruth. I don't have anything. I'm stripped of everything. My husband is gone. My wealth is gone. I don't have anything. She said, That's all right. I'll stay with you the more. That way I can help take care of you. That was her attitude. I'll stay with you the more. I'm younger than you are. And so then, she stayed with Naomi, and that one thing right there was the thing that proved to be the greatest thing that ever happened in her life. Because she knew that she was younger, and she knew that the mother- in-law was older; yet she was willing to sacrifice her youth for the age and security of that woman. Then later she married a man that was older than she was, but he was a rich, wealthy man that she loved very dearly and he loved her. And she got the desires of her heart. The one thing that Boaz said to her, said, the other younger man, I noticed that you didn't notice them. But the reason was, is she had already had a young man. She'd already been married to a young man. She'd already revealed in the passions. But see, she learned that there was something else. That there is security. That you've got to have security. If you're going to have life, and you're going to have happiness you've got to have security. And so then, she begin to look toward a source of security. She thought of bringing security to this woman, and then, in that this was this way with her this woman found a security so she decide that that's the way that she would find security. And so she found security. When Orpha got down to the Jordan she couldn't get over. A lot of people today, even people at Bethlehem, and other people that I've preached to, different ones that hear my voice, see you've come to a certain place in life, and you've come to the knowledge of the truth and you've come to the intellectual expose' that you've been stripped down, that there's really nothing for you so far as the frivolous ways of life. But see, you're still going to turn away from it, and you're still going to go back out in the world. Some have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost. They've been partakers. They've tasted of the good Word of God to come. Like Judas, the Bible he obtained part of that ministry and failed by transgression. And the world, the entire world, God has let it go until it has become religious. The entire world, therefore, has become religious, and since the entire world has become religious now they've tasted of the grace of God. Everybody throughout the world, everybody, even sinners have come to the knowledge of right and wrong, and the blood on the seat of atonement has taken care of it. So then, when Orpha come down to the Jordan she wouldn't cross over. Many people have come to recognize the carnal mind, and know that they've got to die out, to go down into the Jordan which symbolizes death. They"ve got to die out. They've got to die to the carnal mind. They've got to die to their passions. They've got to die to their human rights, and their human desires, and then they come into this of the Ancient Of Days, and they become the bride of the Ancient Of Days, and then they have security. They have eternal security, because we've got to remember, see, that in Heaven their is neither male nor female. You neither marry nor given in marriage. In the earth youth, as you understand youth, is only given, not for passion and reveling in the world, not for the gullible desire of the flesh. It's not for that, but the stimulation is given for reproduction that children can be born into the world, tutored, loved and brought up to the acknowledgme- nt of God, and God's ways of life, and then after they're grown up they become God's subjects. They are God's human bodies that He might dwell in the more, and the more the greater His kingdom. Like He said to Joshua, He said, I'll make you to walk in the midst of these, Joshua. Among these if you'll keep my laws. If you'll do what I tell you. And so then, Joshua was blessed. And even when Joshua had crossed over the Jordan he was still a strong man. Caleb. Caleb crossed over. Done passed a hundred, moving on up, but still strong. Moses, his eyesight had not waxed dim. The natural sources of his body wasn't abated, but see, he turned from the way of passions, and he turned to become a champion of justice for God. He left that behind and was away from his compan- ion many times. So then, I'm saying that to say this; that we come down to the carnal mind, and we say, Oh, no. I'm not going to quit eating and drinking, to fast. I'm not going to do that, to hunger and thirst after God instead of after food. As Jesus said, I have food to eat that you know not of. He that overcometh I will give him the hidden manner. So then, we come down to the carnal mind, and somebody says, No, I just can't stand it. I can't fast. I can't give up my passions. Whereas, there were certain times of Israeli journey where God said abstain from human relation. You ought to stay away from man and wife. There's certain days you've got to sanctify yourself... (Begin side two of tape no. one.)... But see, the world says, No. I'm going on. But Paul had no companion. Elijah had no companion. See, because they gave themselves fully unto God. Now, there is no sin to have a companion. No sin to marry. That's fine. Multiply and replenish the earth, but the thing is, you are suppose to be given to God; completely to God. Everything to God, and any- thing beyond that is suppose to be a secondary thing in your life. But see, it's not. It's a preeminent thing. Like with Orpha, it's a preeminent thing. You loose your redemption. See, it's a preeminent thing. It's like Esau; his eating, his drinking, his appetite, having his mind on the natural, and the jubilance of hunting and those kind of things, the thrill of activity, then that made him loose his birthright. But not Jacob. Jacob could care less about hunting and the things of the world. He wanted the birthright, and he kept his mind on the birthright. That's all he could think about; the birthright. If I get that birthright I don't have to worry after that. I don't have to worry. If I get that birthright I'm going to take my Dad's place. I'm going to be one with my father. I'm going to be over all of the servants. I'm going to have all of this income, the corn, the wine. I can just do anything I want to. I'll just do without right now. Esau, you live it up, but I'm laying in wait. I'm going to get that birthright. And he knew he would because God had already revealed it. Revealed it to him. But it took an effort on his part. You know, God has already revealed to me that I can have the birthright, and I do have it. But He revealed it to me before I got it. But I had to put forth some effort. It takes effort on my part, and my effort is that the Bible said, draw nigh to God, and then God will draw nigh to you. So then, my effort is to draw nigh to God that God might draw nigh to me. See, I don't want to come down to the intellectual, and then come down there and start counting my dollars, and my business, and my job, my education, all of my activities, all of the things I could do, the passions of life, and say, I just can't I can't. I can't. And then turn around and go back to the flesh, and the fleshly way of life, and the fleshly family in the earth. I don't want to do that. But the devil will say. But see, look, there ain't nothing out there. There's nothing there. See, there's nothing there. And the Lord, He'll say, That's right. You know, I come in a manger. To this world I'm a pauper. I have nothing to give. Nothing at all to give. Satan has become the prince of the world, and he's taken all that I have. Even my life has been taken. But if you'll follow me. if you'll follow me, there is life. There is eternal life. There's eternal riches. There's eternal power, and and if you'll follow me, and once you do cross over the Jordan of intellectual reasoning, once you do conquer death then you've got everything. Not only the natural, but you've got the spirit- ual. You've not only got health and happiness in this world, as to a restorat- ion, as to marrying Boaz, see, you not only have that here, but you've got it as to an eternal source. Even the royal seed, as to David coming to set upon the throne, and then beyond that the great son of David coming, even Christ, to sit upon the throne. So, I said all of that to say this, there is a redemp- tion, and we should be redeemed. And I am redeemed by love divine. Glory, glory, Christ is mine! So, there is a redemption, but it take an effort. I call on a lot of times to do something natural. I say, Will you come and do something natural? Oh, no. I can't do that. But you do natural things all day. You're so spiritual you can't do that. See, and I say, But. look. I want you to help me. But you say, I'm redeemed. I'm already a Christian. What it is you've been born again. If you've been born again, you've been born again of the spirit. But see, I must redeem the body. God is not just interested in my new birth in the sense that I'm in the womb of the heart. That is to say, Christ, the new creature within me. See, there has got to be a travailing to the extent of that birth of my own desire, and not a constraint as that of God, even though the love of God constraineth me. Yet, I must have a willing- ness, a desire, an ambition, an enthusiasm, a delight in the things of God if I'm to receive this wonderful inheritance as to eternal life. So I say, Will you help me? No, I'm busy. I promise you. But you're not there. Then somebody says, So what? Building, lands, whatever. I'm a Christian. That's the main thing. But see, you're so blind. You're so wrong. Noah could have said. I be- long to God. I'm saved. I don't have to worry about it. And that could have been true in that he found favor in the sight of God as a leader and he could have went on over, but speaking of the natural part, as to him and his house- hold, his household perhaps is not in that kind of condition. And had it not been for the natural thing that Noah did in building that ark he would have drowned, and all of his household would have drowned, and he'd never have seen that great wonderful world that God had for him. He'd never have seen it. See? So I'm saying that God gave these natural things to do because He must have natural facilities. We've got to have natural things. God made a natural world. If there wasn't a natural world right now in force and in operation, if there wasn't natural activity of natural intellectual skillful people we wouldn't have jobs. We wouldn't have nothing to eat. We wouldn't have a place to stay. We wouldn't have a government. We wouldn't have anything. because we, ourselves, as little babes in God in the past we've not been capable of doing those things. Even the Bible said the children of the world are wiser in their ways, because they develop themselves. They try to congregate and understand and unite, Well, I'm saying this; that God gives these things so that we can coordinate. If it's needful to pack a box with garments, if it's needful to wash a garment before it's packaged. If it's needful to labor to buy a truck, or to be able to put in fuel, if its needful to load a truck, if it's needful for any of these things to get this out to the poor, if it's needful for me, you, our printer, whoever to stay around the machines and print, to work, to oil, to change, to fix, to scrap, to paint, whatever if it's needful, if it's needful to run electric lines, as to an electrician, or if it's needful for a carpenter to build a building as a housing for the presses, if it's needful for skill and technical ability to bring forth a machine to print the gospel, to send it into all the world as a witness, if it's needful that somebody can excel in electronics that I can have a mike to magnify my voice to reach more people, or go to them through T.V., or through radio or any other source, or somebody that can build a plane that can take me overseas, or a boat that can take supplies, and on and on and on, if it's needful, and it certainly is needful, then if it's needful then we must do it. We do it. Now, somebody would say, but Brother Pike, God's got all of them people out yonder to do that. I know it, but if they do it we've got to buy it. Then if we've got to buy it we've got to work on a job still to get it and we find out that they are over it and they're getting the revenue of it and here we are laboring as a simple common laborer still building the planes, still building the boats, still doing whatever even if they use it in war, and we still find ourselves having to do the natural thing. Whereas, God has always desired to have a called out people, to get them out of Egypt, come out of Egypt, come out from among them, be ye a separate people, touch not the unclean things, don't be affiliated with them. You have to be among them. Sometime you have to eat with them, but come out from among them. Bring your children out of their schools, out of their places and let's tutor them right. So then, what is that for? It is the redemption of the body. When you nail, when you saw, when you do some- thing in the natural, it means that God is getting your mind, and coordinating your spirit, and bringing it to a unified endeavor as to a shepherd, and as to Him. Somebody would say, Well, I don't see that, Brother Pike. Well, let's look at it and see if it's like that. You go out here in the world, or you worked out there in the world when you was in the world, you go out there, or whatever you go you work. You make your dollar. you do that. The people out there do that. See, and you work and labor for them. They do that for the revenue and the benefit of what that's going to be to them. to bring the convenience. So then they do that. Someone would say, Well, if I do that am I not doing the very same thing? You certainly are. When you work for them and you go out there and you don't make it a ministry, in that you are laboring to give, then you're doing the same thing they're going. But, whereas, the Bible uses the terms that the kingdom of this world have become the kingdom of His God, and or His Christ, and they shall reign forever and ever. When you con- vert over from the mind of Lucifer as to the gullible desires of the flesh, when you change over from the things that Lucifer desires as to doing all of this for his kingdom, and for the world and for self advantage, and you change over from that and you go to the mind of Christ, and all that you're doing for God, then you are redeeming the things of the world. Whether you be involved in the political side of it, or the musical side of it as to the celebrities of the world, or the ministry, or as an individual as a common laborer, as a worker, whatever. See, and you are doing things for God. Doing all things as unto the Lord and especially here at Bethlehem in the way that we are doing. So, you are redeeming the body because you are doing the same things, but you're doing it in the mind of Christ to bring back to God and do it in a more perfect way, in the right way, by bring back to God that which was His in the beginning that was lost through the weakness of the first man Adam, you are thus restoring it through the strength of the second man Adam, and bringing it back to the millennium regime that will be on this very earth, through the millennium regime as to the restoring of the kingdom as to the redemption of the natural, as to the redemption of the body. The same thing as to faith when you are baptized, or whatever you do in trying to overcome habits or things that are habitually wrong, the same thing as to your physical being as to the chemistry restoration, or the chemical side of life. So, in this when you fail to do those things then you are lost. You are lost, because does God care for buildings? Of course He does or He wouldn't have give us knowledge to make them. Does God care for the birds? Of course. He wouldn't have made them had He not cared for them. Does He care for trees? And des He care for stars, and does He care for all these things? He must have He took a long time to make them according to His ability to create. Does He care then for human beings? Somebody would say, But I personally don't care for the natural, Brother Pike. I'm very spiritual. I can't come out there to work with you. But yet you hug and kiss on the wife. She's so natural, but you hug and kiss on her, and she hugs and kisses on you. And you cuddle your babies and they love you. Isn't that right? Because you have the natural desires. There's nothing spiritual about it at all. Not anything spiritual about it. When time comes to eat you smack your lips, and drink down the good things that you've got in the glass, and you are just as natural and carnal as you can be. Nothing spiritual about it at all. And on and on and on we could go. When somebody says, Here. Here's five hundred, and take it. You're just as natural as you can be. There's not- hing spiritual about you at all. As a matter of fact, I'm thoroughly convinc- ed, other than you might draw back from what I previously said or just have said, that if I'd started to passing out five hundred dollar bills, if there is such a thing, this morning, If I'd started passing out, you'd have grabbed yours. You'd have been up here. You'd have been one of the first ones. I'd have said, Folks, I'm giving out five hundred dollar bills, but I'm limited. You better hurry. (Pops fingers.) Just like that. It would have been like popcorn. Now, I might not get a good alter response that fast, but I'll guarantee you, beyond the shadow of a doubt. Oh, somebody said, Not me. Oh, yes, you would have done it. You'd have been here. I said, You would have been here. I said, You'd have been here right on time. You'd have been the first one. See? Somebody said, Well, how do you know that? Because I know that you go with a regularity to pick it up wherever you can get it. Whether it's on a Monday morning, or tuesday, or anywhere that you can trade for a Job, or wherever you can get it. And the quicker you can get it the better you like it, and the less you have to do to get it the better you like it. So I know that you'd be there. A child is known by his doings. So, what we need to do is just reverse it. And when Brother Taylor and somebody is up here saying we're taking up five hundred dollar bills, which we don't do that at Bethlehem, but they do that under the tents and different places, but we're taking that up, you should be the first one to come, the first one to give. (Pops fingers.) Like that. Somebody would say, Well, why would you do that, Brother Pike? Be- cause you want to put your money in the bank, and you don't want to put it where thieves break through and steal. Like those people that tried to rob the Nat'L Bank here not to long ago, that killed a man trying to rob. See, you want to put your strength in God. You want to put your understanding in God. You want to put your love and affection in God. You want to set it on things above. You want to make your investment in God. Whether it's a dime or a dollar, you want to make your investment in God, because that is redemption of the body. It is the things that pertain to the body that you do that brings the redemption of the body. And when you don't do anything as pertaining to the body you might as well forget this thing about having God, and having faith, and those kind of things. You're just simply foolish. You're blind. You don't understand. There is no redemption in that kind of thing. See, and not only that, everything that we do in this world, like building these buildings, or whatever, God receives that. He doesn't receive that that they do out yonder, but receives that, and He makes it perfect. Though the earthquakes may shake it to the ground every bit of it is preserved. to be restored out yonder in the millennium, cause you did your best to make it right. Not like running out in the world out there and trying to make five hundred dollars, or a thousand dollars, and you stick this together and tack that together, and stuff a hole with paper over here, and put caulking on the top of it and paint it as I've had people to try to get me to do in the past out there, and I'm telling you the truth. The hole big enough sometimes that a weasel could have went through it. I refused to do it. I thought, I ain't going to do that those people paying for this house and that contractor doing that, I'm not going to do it. And of course, they never like me because of it. But see, you do it right, and you work together, and you make everything right and then God looks down and says, Now, they didn't bring me the halt, and cripple, the lame, and the blind. They done the best they could, and because of that I'll make that work perfect, and I'll preserve it forever. Whether it's your body as to the faults, and stumbling and staggerings, or whether it's building a house, or whether it's planting your vineyard, or whatever it might be, the redemption is coming, and soon we'll be raising up here and raising up there, and one over yonder, and one over here, and one in the government, and one everywhere, like Daniel down in Babylon. And we'll be taking over like Daniel made third ruler in the kingdom, and the first news you know the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our God, not the kingdoms of heaven. We already have the kingdoms of heaven. His desire was to redeem, to redeem the body of man, and redeem the world back. For God so loved the world, just like He so loves you, that He wants His creation back. So, He ultimatum is to redeem you that you might redeem the world. So, He, as a spirit, redeem your spirit that you might redeem the world. And in redeeming the world you save your own body because it's made out of the dust of the world. So then, God does this that He works through you to do this, not with the perfecting of ear bobs, and lip- stick, and painting your eyes like a lizard, and all these other things of plating the gold in your hair. That's not the right way. But when we go God's way then we redeem it, and because we redeemed it God gives it to us as a gift forever. It is eternally ours. So, saying a few more words, and I'm going to close. To redeem is to do something. You have to do something. If the Lord says, Brother Pike, be baptized. Wash away your sins calling on My name. Then what must I do. I say, Well, we won't go to all that trouble. I'll just call on your name. I'll just call on your name. See. but that wasn't what He said. So then, I said, But I've got faith. Where is your faith, the writer said, in that you didn't do what He told you to do.? Isn't doing what God said the proof of your believing? Doesn't that prove what you are, and what you believe in that you do what you was commanded and faith come by the hearing of the command? Didn't Eve disobey instead of doing what God said? And didn't it bring a death? In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shall surely die. Didn't she die? So then, redemption is in doing something. You people that stay at Bethlehem that do nothing are nothing but parasites. You are nothing but trouble makers. You are a thorn in my flesh, and in the flesh of God in that the thorns that were placed in the fleshly body of God, even Jesus, indi- cated the sharp,evil cuttings, backbitings, and iniquities that you perform in driving the nails into His hands. You are a thorn in His side. You that labor, you that labor, He said, Come unto me all ye that labor. He didn't say, Come unto me all ye that don't labor. But He said, Come unto me all ye that labor, and I will give you rest. So then, we are to labor for Christ. We are to work for God. We are to give our bodies, not our minds, our spirits. We're suppose to have already given that to God, but we're to give our bodies a living sacr- ifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is a reasonable service. And when you give your body that don't mean. When you are setting around doing nothing, riding and eating and talking and fellowshipping, you're not giving your body to anything. Not anything. But when you forsake your way of life, and you go, when you go to Calvary for Jesus, whether it's all night long out here in that we're trying to do something for God, and I say if this isn't of God you need to quit and forget about it anyway. Somebody said, Well, that's what I've done, because I don't really believe it's of God. Well, let me know when you're going to move your trailer. If it's not of God you don't need to be occupying this non-God country. You need to move on down the road, and you don't need to be fellowshipping these non-God people. Cause if you're so spiritual you need to move on down the road and find out where there is some- body that is spiritual, somebody you can get with. All right, let's give Him a hand. I love you and I'm trying to get you to see that God is using this for discipline. He's using this for coordination. He's trying to get your mind into one way. Into one leadership. I've something here. It's from one of the securities, and they say that on the other side of the road that there's two cars that are parked in the roadway, which is against the rules. And they say that, talk like it's there with a regularity, and that some children almost got hurt, killed or run over the other day. They happened to see it when the children darted out and the car darted out, because these cars were in the roadway that almost caused the death of our children. Whereas I tell you this over and over, when you violate the way of God, and the words of God for your own convenience, to your own fleshly selfish conveniences, then you're going to kill somebody, hurt somebody, destroy somebody, or do something that you have no business doing. So, whoever this might pertain to, or whatever it might pertain to, you need to see to this right away in that I feel sure that if you are the right kind of person that you wouldn't do anything to hurt any- body, or anything to hurt little ones especially. All right. Remember that when you go down to get the cars down here, when you drive them up here, when you go out as to coordination, and leadership as to whoever is over that, to work with them. And remember this. In closing I want you to remember this. Don't forget. When you come down to work, or to do something, don't be evasive and go every way but through the leadership, or find out, or that is you don't find out what God wants. You don't know where they want to use you. Now it's all right if you come up and you go to work helping somebody. That's alright, you know, because somebody may come and move you and ask you to help somewhere else, but don't be evasive and just play around, and just go from place to place and try to evade the issue when it comes to leaders. Don't do that. Don't do that, because if you spare any of them they'll be pricks in your side. All right. Let's stand together, can we? Might be a little cool, and you're welcome to turn on the heaters. I appreciate your reverence and respect in letting me get these things It takes a little Calvary, sometimes a little cool or discomforts to be able to reach the world. Okay. Let's sing a song or two together, and we'll let you go. I know many of you are looking forward to your meal. Certainly nothing wrong with that. As the appetite for the natural, you'll have the same appetite for the spiritual to hunger and thirst after the things of God. He'll give you all that you need to satisfy, as to the milk and honey in Canaan. So, I know that you want to go, and have some time, it's a little freedom with your wife and children, and when Brother Pike says some- thing about it from time to time I'm not mocking, because I think it's wond- erful. I go out with my companion, too, to get away for a little bit, because we have a lot of traffic day and night there at the home. But on the other hand I do mock a little bit like Elijah did the prophets of Baal, when some- body comes in and that's all they think about is their belly. They're on their belly continually. That's all they think about. They don't listen to nothing spiritual. They can't hardly stand it waiting just to get out there to feed the belly. Sometimes I say tummy,'cause some of you like it better. It sounds better, you know, but it's still says belly in the Bible. So, I love to see you go out and eat and drink. Solomon said that's the best thing that you can do out of all of your labor, but when you do this, he said, Remember that for all of these things you will still be brought into the judgement. So, get over the carnal mind. Don't turn back. Don't look back into Egypt. Get over the carnal mind. Go on with faith. Go on with faith in might have nothing but a promise, but go on because there is a land of Canaan. And as Ruth reached the land of Canaan, Naomi's kindred, in that God doesn't have any kindred among the flesh. Not down here in this world. It's only in His home land that there is that kindred, and we've got to get over the Jordan to get into the land where it's bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh, and cast our lot with His people. Then we reap the benefits of Canaan. Okay, let's sing together. (Bro- ther Pike leads in singing "Ten Thousand Words won't Change My Heartache.) Can you sing it with me? I know you might not know the words to it, but try to learn them and sing with me. (Continues singing.) Let's sing this little cho- rus, can we? (Leads in singing, Some people Steal, They Cheat and Lie.) Can you sing with me. Used to sing this a lot of times. (Continues singing.) Can you sing. (Continues singing) (Begin tape two side one.) Can you sing it? (Continues.) Let's sing it again. I forgot that verse. (Continues.) I still don't have it right. Let's see if we can sing it right? I've sung it many times in the past. It's been a long time since I've sung it. (Sings it again.) Well, Satan didn't want me to sing that. First time we had that much problem in a long time singing a chorus, but we're going to sing it again now that we know it. (Sings again.) I'd rather be-. I really mean that. I'd rather be there in a deep dark-. (Continues singing.) Let's sing it again. (Continues singing.) Can you sing it one more time? (Continues.) Let's give the Lord a hand. I don't sing those songs very often. I used to sing those songs when I was back out in the world, and they didn't have a whole lot of meaning to me. But every once in awhile maybe we'll sing one of them. Lot of wonderful stor- ies behind songs like that. You just can't imagine unless we brought them out, as to some that others have wrote, and that song, and some that I have writt- en. And it was yesterday that Jerry and I went off to lunch, he reminded me of that song. He said, You remember that one, don't you? And I thought I remembe- red. When I started singing it I thought I remember it, but I do remember it, some of it. But you know, you wonder why people cheat, and yet it's to satisfy the flesh. You wonder why they steal, and yet they do it with regularity, even people that profess Christianity. You wonder why they lie, but they do it with a regularity. When it is convenient in singing a contract, or doing anything else, and it's convenient, they'll lie about it. They'll cheat a little bit. Someone would say, Well, not folks here. Yeah. People here at Bethlehem. Not too long ago a man came from the bank. He'd pulled a little deal, told a lie, and was real pleased over it because it worked out to his favoritism. And people that do that they call it a little white lie, and they feel like's part of the program, you know, if it works out to their benefit God's pleased with it. But He isn't. All right, let's sing another little chorus that we know, and we're going to let you go. (Leads in singing, Come Into My Heart.) The altars are open. (Continues singing.) Can you sing it again with me. Open your heart and let Jesus come in now. (Continues singing.) You know, like trying to sing that song a little bit ago, trying to sing that one verse, it reminds me of salvation. You can't make it work. I thought, Well, I'll just go on, and I'll make the thing work out, and we'll get it right. But it wouldn't work out, and the more I went the worse it got. A lot of people, you know, they don't back up. They don't stop. They don't start over to where they can really get the thing right with God, and they make such a mess of it. And then after they make a mess of it they remember it. And then when they do it, it just shows up the mess even the worse that they have already made. So, we really need to watch. We need to pray. You know, being a song writer, I could have made up things and just went right along with it. I've done that many times. The congregation never did know the difference. They went right along with it. Cause I like to do that anyway. Brother Branham he done that. Other people do that. They're worshipping God, you know, and they're liable to just put in any thing. But I do that sometimes. I just do it because I feel like praising Him that way. But it's so good if you know what you're doing, and you know the song you're going to sing, and you know the life that you're going to live. And if you'll live it like you're suppose to live it, my, how wonderful it could be! How wonderful! I'm going to say this in trying to close before we sing another little chorus here. The Jews, they didn't listen to God, and be- cause they didn't listen to God they got into trouble. The Lord said, You are a holy people, a called out people, a separated people. Don't mix anybody with your people. Don't intermingle with any other nationality. But they didn't listen. They got to thinking about having to cut the wood. And they got to thinking about the convenience of the flesh, and they got to thinking about all of the things that could be done if they had some of the people from the forces of the enemy. If they could just bring some of them over they could convert them, make hewers of wood, make servants, and so they went and got them. And out of their own fleshly desire, and their own gullibleness for convenience of life they got them. But it wasn't long that some of the woman, they got their eyes on the young men, and some of the young men got their eyes on the woman, and then they begin to intermarry, and as they begin to inter- marry then it wasn't long before the doctrines of the heathenistic world, wasn't long before it begin to enter in to the Jews, and husbands was convert- ed to pagan wives and their convictions. And Wives were converted to pagan re- ligions through their husbands, and took up paganistic practices. And it stir- red the wrath of God, and He killed thousands of them at one time. He said you spare any of them they'll be pricks in your side. See. That was only a type, only a shadow. Those people had to be through. They had to be explicit. They had to be clean in the commandments of God as just to do a natural thing, to lay down a natural type and a shadow for the great spiritual thing that was coming as to you and I, and our way of life, and our salvation. Only pointing to it, but it had to be right, and God got upset because they didn't do it right, because it brought something that would cause us to misunderstand. But, you know, God allowed that. He knew they were going to do that. He did that. He allowed that. Just like the men of old as they made their mistakes, prop- hets or whatever, see, He allowed that because He knew when you and I come a- long, and He knew when people of this age came along, when the Gentile church come in, that they were going to be interwoven with different things, and be- cause of their desire for folly, and convenience that they were going to make allowance, and they were going to be hypocritical, and they were going to be- come intermingled, and interwoven with those things that were unlike God. He knew that so the type and the shadow, to lay it to the line, had to come out that way. But still, it was a broken commandment so far God's command and it had to be paid for. And folks, it's the same way today. In the world today, and in the religious realms of life you're going to have to pay for it. The- re's grace. There's mercy. And God knew it would be like this, and so it is like this, because it relates to that that showed that it would be like this as to the forerunner. But it is still the commandment of God for you and me to go on to be perfect, and to lay aside the dirty garments and to put ye on the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, to make no provisions for the flesh to fulfill worldly desire, or the lust of the world. It's His desire for us to do it, and it's a broken commandment for us not to do it. So, we have it to pay for. If we do these things then we have it to pay for. You might slip around and say, Well, God understands, but He doesn't understand. You'll have to pay for it. Be not deceived for God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. So, let's remember that. When we're making a mess of things and we're not doing right, well' let's remember that. God suffers everything for His own purpose to let us know how He feels toward us about the situation, and how imperfect that we are when our imperfections show how imperfect that we are, and how unlearned that we are, and how that the human side of life can so interfere with the wonderful ways that He has outlined in Christ for us as to bring bodily redemption. And, of course, a lot of you make blunder after blu- nder, and I do. And I think it's wonderful, to this extent, that when we blu- nder it magnifies the Heavenly Father, and it shows Him to be so great and so wonderful, He that makes no mistakes. It magnifies Him the more. Our short- comings, our inabilities, our lack of skill magnifies Him the more. But it's not wonderful in the sense that we'll have it to pay for when we blunder, because we should perfect our ways before Him. We should know what we're doing. We should be very skillful, and though bodies get tired and minds get oppressed and suppression comes, and men get weary, and men makes quick decisions, and men do things out of stride and out of school, Woman do the same thing. And in this they have to pay for it. They have to pay for it. Whether it's rebellion in the home against the companion, or evil surmising against the neighbor, or lack of activity toward the needy. Whatever it is they have to pay for it. All right. Let's sing another chorus, and I'm going to try to dismiss you and let you go. The altars are open. If you'd like to come, then you can. Sing just a little more here. Let's sing, I Love Him, can we? If I love Him I will keep His commandments and His commandments are not grievous. (Leads in sing.) Remember He's looking for love. He's the God of love. (continues.) God is the God of love. (Continues.) And herein is love. Not that we've loved Him, but that God loved us, and He sent forth His Son to be a propitiation for our sins. And He saved us, and redeemed us. As the writer said, It shall come to pass that whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. God is love. God is light. and in Him there is no dark- ness. Walk in the light is to have fellowship one with another. When you are busy out in the world, and you're making money and you've just got to be out in the world, and you just can't have no time for God to come and fellowship the Saints of God, or to relate to the Saints of God, and you've got your own way of life, then you can be sure that you're walking in your own intellect- ual darkness and you are not walking in the mind of fellowship which is the mind of Christ, or the light, for if you walk in the light you will forsake all of your ideas, all of your ambitions and you will have fellowship one with another. You will do it. There's no question about it. You will do it. All right. Let's lift our hands up together, close our eyes. If you are looking for something, the Lord has it for you. He has it for me, but I've got to do what He wants me to do. I've got to do what He wants me to do. While you're standing with your hands up and your eyes closed I think I'll ask Brother Don Kleinknecht to come up if he will. Don's been with us for a good while. He's from over in New York, Christ Is The Answer, tried to help us here. He's done things here that's been outstanding. He and his wife, and little family. the- y've made sacrifices so that we could continue on with the world outreach. Let's pray. Let's pray that God will bless, that God will bless us on our trip. I think perhaps that Don is considering going into Nigeria and setting a meeting there before we get into Nigeria. But let's pray that God will bless us on our trip, and right now pray that God will do what needs to be done in our government and in our world affairs. God rules in men's affairs. If we pray He'll give us the right kind of leaders. I made the statement that the only real President that I saw up there was Bush. George bush. And from the revelation that I understood that it had to do with this age, and had to do with Bush. Whereas, it was, from what I understand, when they started this race off he fell behind in those things, but I learned, it was yesterday, they say that he has moved out front. So there's a possibility that he might move right on in. One thing about it, revelation definitely shows the age, and him connected with it, and that it's for him as to a thing that's about to happen. So, let's pray, and let's ask God to help us. And pray that God will put the right one up there whether it's Bush, or Pat Robinson, or Whoever. I want to say this in closing. I believe that's one reason that God stopped Jimmy Swag- gart. I really believe that with all my heart. I told some of them, I said, Jimmy is headed for a political thing. And he was speaking of the man down in the foreign country, He's the political leader, speaking of him there, prais- ing him, and I saw something that was happening, and I said, According to what I see Jimmy is trying to stand up behind Pat Robinson, you know, and that God hit that thing just at the right time to stop that thing. And I believe, I believe that this Washington for Jesus that's coming yp right now, I remember the vision I had of Washington for Jesus before. Very strange. We went there, a hundred thousand tracks was given out, but this thing, Washington for Jesus, they say is coming up now, I really believe that it was headed for a preemine- nce as to the Pat Robinson thing as it was before when they marched down, I believe it was Confederate Avenue, and Jimmy Swaggart, in being the outstand- ing figure, and God hit it. He stopped it, because that's not the plan. Even though last time it was for Jimmy Carter, as to the invitation, as to J.C., we say having to do with Christ. Jimmy didn't come so God frowned on it. And the- re was not one during the time of the administration, the Reagan administrat- ion, so now it's moving back around, but it looks like that God also stopped the thing concerning Jimmy again in another way. And that the things that He's trying to do that He's trying to do that He might have His will done on earth as in Heaven to bring in His power in the earth as in Heaven, for he that overcometh, the Bible says that God will give to him a rod of iron, and the hidden manna and will let him rule the nations with a rod of iron, and we're on the verge of doing that right now. Right now. When we learn what the hidden manna is, when we learn what the rod of iron is, then we can reach and get it, and things can happen. Until we learn we can never get it, because we don't ever know what it is. Brother Don.

By Rev. George Leon Pike Sr.

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

Holiness Unto The Lord