Can You Believe

..come together to worship a little bit, talk about the Lord and the good things of God. Sing a little chorus or two and then we want to worship the Lord. I felt like I should come tonight and be in service with you. Sue came along tonight and she wanted to come and everything was falling in line pretty much the way I felt the Lord wanted it. The past Wednesday I wasn't around and I wanted to come last week. I had it in my mind to come and somebody came to the door right about the time I was fixing to come and they were desperate for help and Betty ask them if they'd go back and call me over the telephone and talk to me a few minutes because I was coming to church. I had to get ready for church and, of course, when the individual got on the phone they were torn up so bad that they talked and wept through the whole service. The church service was over when they finished talking. I just sat and listened because they were torn up pretty much. Sometimes God leaves the ninety and nine to go look for the stray. God always wants us in the house of the Lord but in the ministers life He does strange things in strange ways. And most times we out because we feel to be out, in the sense that we might not feel too good and don't come to church. Most of the time I love to be in the house of the Lord. It's just always been my way to want to be in the house of the Lord. The last time I was here I was talking to you about faith. I said some things and different ones seemed to be inspired by it. A number of them came to me concerning the faith and though we didn't have time to elaborate on it the way I would have like to, seems like we never do in the church. I talked quite a bit to the Brethren. Like today I've been ministering to them a great part of the day and getting into revelation, the different things, but in church it seems like we're real limited. And I know that it's not always the time for I have people that will sit and listen in the church, but you do have a mixed audience. You have children, you have wives and you have just such a mixture of ages until a lot of people they never even get into what you say. They don't even come to church to get into what you say. It's just with them routine that they come to church. It's their church night and they come to sing a little bit, to worship a little bit and hear a little bit about the Lord and just to get inspired to go on to another day. And very few people really come to church hungering and thirsting after the things of God. During the day the evidence of that is that they never get their mind on the Lord. They never take any time to study. They never take any time for prayer. They never take any time to witness, nor to distribute literature or to be a testimony for God in any way. So, they really don't have their mind on heaven nor spiritual things. They don't think about going to heaven. All day long they thing about eating and drinking and buying and selling and paying their bills and having heat and being comfortable and getting something new, or trading cars or whatever it might be. Their whole life is built around the tangible sources of things of the world and they really don't ever have anytime for God. Whereas, the Bible tells us to take time to be holy but they don't do that. And it makes it a real quaint situation with them. But when the minister comes he wants to speak to them. As Paul said, I would like to speak unto you as unto spirituals. So, God being a spirit He spoke to the woman at the well as unto someone that He wanted to be spiritual. And He said, God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. And said, You worship you know not what. So a lot of people in the world today they're worshipping, folks. Like the woman at the well, she worshipped. They had a place of prayer and prayer meetings and they went there together. But He said, Ye worship ye know not what. And a lot of people in the world today their form of worship is that you worship you know not what. For salvation is always of the Word of God. Salvation. God, the Word. It's always the mind of Christ. It's always God, the Word. The same to a thousand generations. And to hunger and thirst after the Word is to hunger and thirst after God. If you do not hunger and thirst after the Word then you do not have a God. Someone would say, Well, Brother Pike, surely to God you don't think that I am going to worship a Bible, or I'm going to worship a book, or I'm going to worship a printed page, or some form of printed matter, some characters of print that's printed on paper? No. God is not a print that's on paper. He's not paper and ink. God is a spirit. But God has conveyed Himself to our intelligence by the means of our human senses. And sight is one of the most powerful senses of the body with twenty-two conductive nerves from the eye to the brain. So then, God said faith cometh by hearing and hearing by His Word. And so then, we are listening in to see what will be said, for the Bible says when the minister speaks it shall not be him speaking but God speaking from within him. So then, we come to hear God speak. Someone would say, But if God is a spirit, Brother Pike, what makes you think that if we come to church we're going to hear God speaking because you said something, because the Bible says he that God sendeth will speak God's word and it shall not be him speaking but God speaking from within him. And does God have a body outside of the body that you're looking at? Where is God's body. He said you do it to the least of these, my Brethren, you've done it unto me. You fail to do it unto them, you fail to do it unto me. I was hungry and you visited me not. I was naked and you didn't cloth me. I was sick and in prison and you didn't visit me. And they said, When did we see you like this and did not minister to you. He said, In as much as you did it not to the least of these, my Brethren, you did it not to me. So then, when He spoke of those that did worship Him, or do something for Him, He said, You did it to my Brethren, you did it unto me. I will make them come and kneel at your feet and know that I've love you. I will have them to glorify God within you. Ye are the temples of the living God. I shall suddenly appear within you and all of the ends of the earth shall come to your shining. Put on your beautiful garments, Zion. Let your light so shine that men may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. So then, are we not the body of the God of heaven and bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh? Aren't we the mind of Christ? Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus. Aren't we the royal blood? For He said royal blood flows through your veins. So then, aren't we a new creature? and the old having passed away, no remembrance of former things from God to us. All of that born of Adam is gone. It's the image of that was despised and rejected. He destroyed it at Calvary. Aren't we the resurrected? For the Bible says give your bodies holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service as those that are alive from the dead and reckon yourselves, as for this first body, to be dead indeed by the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptized into Christ, having put on Christ, now ye are the very members of His body. So if this is true then we know that we are worshipping the right God. We are following the right God. I said the other night in our little sermonette, I said, you cannot get anything from God more than what you've got. You cannot get God to do anything more than what God has already done. I said, if you pray and pray and pray it won't do any good. If you fast and fast and fast and fast it won't do any good. If you ask and ask and ask it won't do any good. It doesn't matter what you do, what you have got from God was given you in Christ by foreknowledge before the world ever was. The Bible says and these things were given to us in Christ before the world ever was and then they were brought to light at Calvary, or understanding at Calvary, through the rent veil of the body of the Lord Jesus. Now hath come light, He said, understanding. Now, and these things that are given to you. Someone would say, Well, Brother Pike, you insinuated the other night that we shouldn't ask God for anything. If I did you misunderstood because the Bible says you have not because you ask not. Or you ask and receive not because you ask a miss to consume it on your own lust. So then, is it that I feel that you should not ask of God? Certainly you should ask of God. Even Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus, when He started to raise him from the dead, he said, Father. And He said, Father, I know I don't have to do that. He said, But for them that are standing close by that are listening I do that so they'll know that it's not Me, and just Me that's doing it, but there is a heavenly Father. There is a spiritual one and the flesh won't get the glory for it while I'm here in the image of iniquity. So then, He stood there and He said, Father, I know that Thou hearest Me always, but for these sake I've said it. See? He said, Lazarus, come forth. So then, do I believe that you should ask God in prayer? I definitely believe that you should pray and ask God. Whatever you desire you ask God for it. You go to God for it. Your importunity will bring it to you. That is, your consistency toward God. But the thing is, when you pray the Bible says believe. And I was trying to stress the point the other night that you're not going to get it because you ask. You're going to get it because you believe. Because when they said, Lord, You can do this if You will. Or, Lord, will You make me whole? He said, I would that you be made whole. He said, Now I would according to your faith. According to your faith. Not according to your asking but according to your faith. It doesn't matter if you ask me. It's not according to your asking. Nor is it according to respect of person; it's according to your faith. It's according to what you believe. But, Lord, I ask you for this. But that doesn't make any difference. It's according to your faith. See? For many shall call upon the name of the Lord and shall not be saved. Whereas, the Bible says it shall come to pass that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Then someone would say, Well, Brother Pike, for a certainty then that means that if we call on the name of the Lord we will be saved. It certainly does not mean that for the Bible says you can say Lord, Lord, and not be saved for many have said Lord, Lord. But just saying Lord, Lord, isn't going to save you but he that doeth the will of My Father, which is in heaven. It shall come to pass that whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord according to His will, and doeth the things according to His will. And he that endureth to the end. If you call upon the Lord in the right way. Like the man said, Paul, go down to the street called Straight. Be baptized. Wash away your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin calling upon the name of the Lord. So then, when it comes to calling upon the name of the Lord you've got to call upon the name of the Lord in the right way. If you don't call upon the name of the Lord in the right way then you don't get saved. So, it doesn't matter how you look at it there is one thing that God has done and that is that God has already appropriated everything for His people from the foundation of the earth and God has given it all to them in Christ and great and mighty promises have been given to us in Christ Jesus by these printed pages that we call the Word of God. And so then, these great promises hold all the riches of God and they've already been given to us in Christ before the world ever was, brought to understanding to be preached beginning with Calvary for the law and the prophets until John, since that time the kingdom has come. And the kingdom is the abundance of all things. And so then, God has brought us all these wonderful riches and treasures. My blessing maketh rich and addeth no sorrow. Someone would say, Why do I have to have the blessings of God? Or, what difference does it make, Brother Pike, if I don't have the blessings of God? Well, the blessings of the God of heaven makes all the difference in the world. If you don't have the blessings of the God of heaven then that means that you don't have the riches and you don't have the power, and you don't have the wonderful time that God's going to give in this world nor in the world to come. See? But when you have the blessings of the Lord, the Bible says, He is the God that giveth thee the power to get wealth. His blessings make rich and adds no sorrow. So then, the blessings of the Lord maketh rich. That's what I want. That's what I've got to have, is the blessings of the Lord. The blessing of the Lord guides my feet. He is a lamp unto my pathway. He is a light unto my feet. It is God. I need Him every day of my life. I need God. I need the mind of God all the time. So then, a lot of people all they want is a little knowledge and they won't be get something that makes them look good and they can say things. And sometimes even ministers get in that rut, to be able to lord over congregations and to have followings and set up some kind of something throughout the world and have a name. And they do these kind of things not knowing how childish and how foolish that really is for knowledge puffeth up. But the difference between knowledge and understanding is that charity edifieth. And the difference between the tree that was in the garden that he ate of and the one that he should have eaten of was the difference of life and death. And so then, to be carnally minded is death. To be spiritually minded is life. And to have conceit and to have the distorted thoughts that you have concerning the things of the flesh and the things of the world, and just knowledge to be puffed up, that's death. And the more that you learn coming to church the more is required of you, the more you're puffed up and the more you want to tell somebody and the more you feel like you know. But when you come to God's Word and you come to the understanding of God's Word then you're really growing in God and you're not puffed up. Understanding will humble your heart. It will make you realize just how feeble you really are as a human being of just bones and guts and blood. And that you're going to the worms and be feed to the worms, or be thrown in a box and the dirt is going to be put over your face. Or you're going into a hole, a dark hole, or into the flames of hell. And you're going to burn there where the fire is not quenched and the worm dieth not, and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever and where there is no more peace and no more rest day nor night. And where they gnash on one another with their teeth. That's what knowledge can do for you. But charity edifieth. Charity makes you to escape the judgment of eternal doom. It makes you to have the blessings of God. Faith worketh by love and love is shed abroad in your heart by the mighty Holy Ghost. You know, we were talking today about these things, as to the war between the cattlemen and the shepherds. We spoke of this in time past. The little sheep when they feed they feed differently from the cattle and it caused the war, the range war, back in the early days, because wherever shepherds came it upset the cattle herders. Because the little sheep when they eat they don't eat like cattle. They eat the grass and then pull up the roots and then the whole land become dusty and barren. Whereas the cattle will graze and they will come back next year and graze again and just bite the top off. See? That's the difference between God's people and the world. The world grazes in the green pastures. God is pouring out of His Spirit upon all flesh, even the tare and the wheat. They get the rain and the sunshine together but the thing is, when the cattle come they eat. They graze throughout the world and then when they're finished they go away to another place and the pastures grow back green and they come and they graze again. Because the blood is on the seat of atonement and everything is just right for them. And God has so made it to where the rain can come on the tare. And they graze and re-grace, but when it comes to the little sheep, the little sheep they eat the grass and they pull up the root and there is nothing else left. See? Delivered as sheep to the slaughter all the day long. This is those that graze, that pull up the root. That is to say, when we are grazing we not only look for the word, as to the intellectual side of it, as to the printed page, or the doctrine, or the indoctrination, but we are looking for the revelation. We're looking for the revelational roots of this thing. Whereas, the Bible says, had God not left us a root, as to the offspring of David, we'd be like unto Sodom and Gomorrah. And in the day that we're living in with the gays that we have it's for sure that we would. So then, they pull up the roots. When they get the roots there is no more grass growing and then the old serpent has to go on his belly and feed on the dust. The cattle doesn't have anything to feed on anymore. And, folks, when we get through grazing as the sheep of God, you can be sure by then the blood will be off of the seat of atonement because we're going to get everything that God's got. We're going to pull up the roots and leave it a barren land just for those that are on their belly. From the dust thou art and to the dust thou shalt return. And we're going to leave it barren to them, desolate. And we're going to pull up all the roots. We're going to have the revelational things. You know, in the world they say, What is the root to that word? Did you ever study the root word? they say. We did more than study it, we actually got it and ate it up. Somebody say amen! So then, that means that we have the benefits of God. See? We have received the wonderful infilling of God's Spirit. We have had the grazing of the green pastures and we've grazed along with the cattle to that extent. We have fed on the roots and we have that real energizing force that comes from God. This is the thing that we're trying to get over, is that there is a difference between knowledge and understanding. When you come to understanding there is a difference. So I say, Which way to God? And I say, heavenly Father, listen to my prayer. And heavenly Father, share with me the wonderful things of God, and He does. But when I pray then I must believe. I must believe. You know, it's like I say so many times, when you pray believe. If you don't believe there's no need to pray. If you do pray you must believe. If you believe then you must pray. To pray you must believe. Either way faith without works is dead and works without faith is dead. So then, faith — I believe. I believe. I am not trying to do the works to get to heaven. I'm trying to believe to get to heaven. My faith is not the result of my works. My works is the result of my faith. I show you my faith by my works. And so then, it is my faith that causes me to produce the things that I do in my life, as to want to walk right and do right. The Bible says make straight paths for yourself that the lame be not turned aside by rather let it be healed. In the days of Noah when Noah built the ark, Noah did that by faith. He built the ark. It was by faith that he was inspired to do the work. And so then, if you don't have a vision you don't have faith. If you don't have faith then you don't have any works. So then, the child is known by his doings. When I look at you, or I look at the congregation, or I look at the people as a shepherd, I observe the people and I say, He doesn't do the will of God. He doesn't work the works of God. She doesn't work the works of God. Therefore I know that they are a bonds child that's in bondage to the beggarly elements of the world and dependent upon their human senses for survival. But we're not in that category of life. We're not in a bondage to the creature, which is the body. We are a free child. We're born to the heavenly one and we belong to God and we're not under bondage to human senses. Paul said, Meat for the belly and belly for the meat, but I won't come under the bondage of any of them. So then, like Moses on the mountain. For eighty days he did neither eat, or whatever. He was right there because he was not under the bondage of that to survival. We are children of God. We ask but we receive because we believe. Jesus said, According to your faith. Do you believe? Somebody would say, Well, Brother Pike, indeed I believe. But I said the other night, Do you believe? Or do you just have a human infatuation of your human senses? That's not faith. Faith doesn't come from your human senses. Faith comes from your heart. With the heart man believeth unto righteousness and confession unto salvation is made with the lips. So then, it's a stimulation of life from a quickening that has nothing to do with your human senses. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And God only used the human senses to convey that from one place to another in the sense that when we speak, as to a vocal utterance it disturbs the molecular atmosphere around us and because of that through the electronic forces of the cosmic energies conveyed over to our intelligence and our human sense picks it up, records it and takes it down to the heart, or transmits it to the heart to where it is a stimulation that sets off something down there. And that something down there is faith in God. So then, we are working together as Brethren. We are the bone and flesh of the body. We are the very sons of God. Now, I said this to some of the brethren today and I'll relate to nigh the same thing. I said there's not many scientists in the world. When it comes to real outstanding scientists there are not very many. Science, of course, the word means knowledge. You have men like Einstein, Albert Einstein, and then there are others. I've read about others that were great mighty men. And though Albert got all the glory for those things; yet I learned that there were numbers of men that got into what he got into and numbers of men that constituted things that Albert got credit for and they, more or less, formulated it and Albert put it all together and added some things to it and got the highlight of it. He kind of capstoned the thing. The thing is there are not a lot of scientist in the world that are really brilliant men. Why? They're the ones that run the world. They're the ones that control the world and they're the ones that gives you all the goodies. Though they give their life in dedication to search these things out you are the ones that get the benefit of it, as to a derivative of that, in as much as all of that emanates from them and their research and self-sacrifice. See? But, they being typical of sons of God there are not many sons of God in the world when it comes to real genuine sons of God. Little flock, few there be that find it but these are great and mighty people. And when I say this I'm speaking of those that have excelled in a great way to have control and have measures beyond the average measure in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are not many of these. And these people are the ones that are responsible for your blessings and for the kingdom of God in the earth. And they are constantly giving their lives and putting things together in prayer and seeking and searching to bring about a new world and a new order. Behold all things, I've made them new, He said, and you are a new creature in Christ and I'm going to reveal these things. Paul was the great one of his day. Having been caught up into the third heaven he saw this, received the revelation. John came a long and saw the revelation and these men put these things together and passed them on down through the ages that they might be re-discovered in the end time because during the transitional changes of these things there came the dark age and things went out. And God let even the monks in the Catholic Church, the nuns and the different ones working together, people penned this Word and preserved this Word in a script all down through life so that you and I could have a record of it in the end time and God could bring it in an indoctrination and then cause it to leave the printed page and come back to the quickening of the Spirit that it might be made human flesh. That is, it might be manifested in a human body, we say. Brought to light at Calvary, Jesus the Word was made flesh. And today we are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh that it might not be a printed page but a living word of God. The Bible says in times past God, having spoken to us by the prophets, He did this in divers manners, different seasons, but now He has spoken to us in this latter day by Him own self, by His body, by the church, by the very voice of God Himself. And as it is written, they shall all be taught of God. And out of the mouth of babes and sucklings God hath perfected praise. So then, when I say according to your faith I'm saying that you should ask of God. You should ask of God regularly. You have not because you ask not, but when you pray believe. If you're going to get anything from God you're going to have to believe. If I get anything from God I'm going to have to believe. You've got many things that can help you through life, many ways to be aided through life, many sources. You've got all kind of help. I forgot my handkerchief tonight, Betty. Many things you have. You have a wife to brighten your heart. She has a husband. You have little children. You have people that help you, friends of the bridegroom. You have clothing. You have food. You have the birds to sing to you. You have the fish, and you have all kind of things. All through life you have medical help. You have financial help. You have spiritual help. All of these things you have to aid you through life. But one thing that you must be in remembrance of, and that is that you don't seek those things. You don't seek those things. The remembrance is that you seek God and you seek God first, not second. You seek Him first and anything that you do, any place that you go, any aid that you have, you put on confidence in anything except God. For whatever God does it will be a miracle. It will be a miracle. If you survive it will be a miracle. Even to survive in our day is a miracle. To survive and be able to eat and stay out of the way of the IRS is a miracle in our day. And in our day is the miracle. He might use the man on the corner over here at the grocery store to work the miracle to give you the food. He might work a miracle in somebody getting the clothing or raising a patch of cotton, or whatever he has to do, or having some industry and putting it all together and bringing you clothing. He might work a miracle and it might be in the medical field or some doctor or some nurse that does something for you. God will work the miracle. He might use a man or a woman to bring it to pass. He might do it by a preacher. He might do it by a prayer band. He might do it through the wonderful ways of medicine. He might do it through another source. It might be another source altogether but whatever He does it will be a miracle. Your existence is a miracle. God is a miracle. The world is a miracle. Everything in this world is a miracle. It's like it was said when the angel spoke to Gideon, said, Oh, thou mighty man of valor, God is with thee. (Begin tape one, side two.) If God is with me where is the miracles? Because he knew that if God was with Him there would be miracles and he was saying, They've come in. They've come in. The alien power has come in and taken our crops away from us and we're hungry and don't have anything to eat. Where is the miracle if God is with us? Why hasn't something miraculously preserved our heritage and our food? Why are our little children going hungry? Where is the miracle? And then God worked the miracle and did what He did and overthrew all of that great army with a little small army and Gideon leading them. And the angel looking beyond the failures and those things, as to where he was dwarfed at that moment, that is Gideon. He saw him in battle and saw him as a great conqueror and a great master in the situation and being praised by the people. He said, Oh, thou mighty man of valor. You're going to have victory. You're going to have triumph. See? And this is what you've got to come to. Though you might feel defeated and you might be defeated, so far as a depletion of body and mind and you may not have the things that you'd like to have. And you might not excel, as to that of your neighbor, but the thing is, it is because it is according to your faith. According to your faith. A lot of people will say, Why does God bless that renegade across the street when I know they're not living like I live and her I am, I'm just barely getting by? Why, when I try to do so good? But did you ever stop to think it might be self-righteousness? And there's a good possibility and you're in the same condition that the Jews were in? And that that renegade across the street has accepted the fact that he is an adulterer and a drunkard, and he's turned to God and he's calling on God? and he's saying, I'm not worth anything; have mercy on me. You know. And is it that that man has gone down to his house justified rather than the man that was fasting and felt like he didn't have any need for anything? Could it be that by faith that this man has discovered the righteousness of God and the justification of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ? And could it be the other man has stumbled at it by trying to offer his own works? Whereas, the Bible says, going about to establish their own works they stumble at the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ. So then, we fail to get what we want because it's according to your faith. And I said the other night, according to your faith. If thou canst believe, all things are possible to them that believe. I said, God cannot give you more than He's already given you. Someone would say, Well, where do you get that in the Bible? The Bible says God has given us through Christ all things that pertain unto to life. Is that Bible? If He has given us all things that pertain unto life, including Himself what is there left for Him to give us? He said unto the prodigal, all that I have is thine, my son. All that I have. The man that stayed at home did not kill the fatted calf, but it wasn't because he didn't have the fatted calf. He was in the stall. He could have had a jubilee with his friends. He could have had a wonderful time but he didn't do that. He was too busy doing his own thing. Isn't that right? But when the prodigal came, having been down to the hog pens and having done without the good things of life, when he came and he saw the condition of things, turned to his father and said, There's bread enough to spare in my father's house and I'm out here perishing, I'll go and just be a servant. But when he came the love of God, that is, the love of the father, overwhelmed him and he said, I'm sorry, father. And as he apologized and begged forgiveness the father seemed to hear nothing. He said, Get the ring for his finger. Put the shoes on his feet. Give him a robe. Said, My son that was lost he's found. He was dead, not he's alive. Said, Kill the fatted calf. Somebody say hallelujah! Said, Kill that fatted calf. But, you know, that boy that stayed at home he didn't like that. He had some plans for that fatted calf and that was for him to stay in the stall. And he didn't like it. But, nevertheless, the father reproved him, gave a jubilee, and folks, that's the way it is. You know, I've noticed in the last little bit, we've got quite a few prodigals that have been returning and some of them have overwhelmingly gotten in to try to do something for God. And they come to me and they pour their hearts out and they say, I'm so sorry for what I did, Brother Pike. I'm so sorry. If only I could make up for it. Oh, my God! Lord, if you would just help me. If you would just help me I'll just do anything. And they're just pressing every way to try to get in. I see some of the others, you know, real pious like say, Well, what does he think he's doing? He's been out here all this time and I've been around here and here he comes acting like that. And, you know, I'm listening to them pour their heart out and I'm thinking, My God, where is that ring and where are the slippers for their feet and Lord, help me to find that robe. Somebody said, What do you mean, Brother Pike? I said, These are my children. They were dead and now they're alive. They were lost and now they are found. Why not? They're our brothers and sisters. I say, Kill the fatted calf. Isn't that right? Kill the fatted calf. Let's have a feast, welcome them home and when one rejoices let's all rejoice together. So then, according to your faith. Son, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to them that believe. Let the wanderer return unto me. And though he hath wandered away I will abundantly pardon him if he'll come back and make his confession, for he that cometh unto me I shall in no wise cast out, saith the Lord. All right. Let's stand together. Just a little exhortation tonight, not to try to keep you a long time but just to say a few little things to you to let you know that we love you, that we're interested in you and don't mean to mislead you, or misguide you. We want you to have the very best and do anything that we can for that, so we try to exhort you as much as we know how. I appreciate the little paper napkin because I went off without my handkerchief. Sister Betty, she's really inquisitive and she usually don't let me do that but tonight she slipped up and at the last minute — I was to blame for it, which I usually am. Well, let's sing a little chorus together, Brother Taylor. (Singing) Can you sing that with me? Sing it like this. (Singing) The altars are always open. Any time that we're here the altars are always open and you're welcome and renew your vows to God and always start over. And a lot of times, you know, I look at it like this. I say, Well, today is the first day of the rest of my life. Today. Not yesterday, but today is the first day of the rest of my life. So then, that's what I'm interested in, the rest of my life. I can do nothing with what has happened. Forgetting those things that are behind I must do what I can with what I've got left. Isn't that right? And that's what God wants. The prodigal could not do anything which was gone. He was sorry. That's all God ever required of us, you know, when we come to Him, is that we be sorry. That's all that He requires of you today. And the prodigal was sorry but he that then the rest of his life to enjoy his life. And, folks, let's enjoy our life in the Lord and let's start a new day. The old, old things have passed away and now all things have become new and now we are a new creature in Christ. We're the apple of his eye. He's watching us. It is His delight to bless you. God wants to bless you. Don't let anyone tell you that God doesn't want to bless you. God delights in health, healing and salvation. And God delights in prosperity. God delights in salvation. God delights in righteousness and holiness. Even as thy soul prospereth, God wants you to be blessed. His blessings makes rich and adds no sorrow. I will give thee the desires of thine heart if thou shalt delight thyself in the Lord and I will make thee to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob. God is with you and if God be for you who can be against you. Can you sing that little chorus with me once again? There is room at the cross for you. Let's sing it together. (Singing) Isn't that good? (Singing) Let's lift our hands up, close our eyes and sing together. (Singing)

By Rev. George Leon Pike Sr.

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

Holiness Unto The Lord