In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the temporary nature of our physical bodies and the promise of a new eternal body that God will give us. He compares our current bodies to a borrowed instrument, like a scratch box, that we must learn lessons from before receiving our own. The preacher also highlights the power of God to quicken our mortal bodies and heal us. He encourages believers to trust in God's promises and step out in faith, reminding them that even if God doesn't deliver in the way they expect, He is still their God.

And it's such a holy experience to know that my Heavenly Father watches over me, but it's an experience we have to learn better every day. If we don't learn it, it'll be too bad. I think it was Madame Guyon that says, we could never perish but for want of trusting Him, because they that trust in the Lord shall never be removed. They shall be like Mount Zion that cannot be removed. Can't be removed. Praise God, Jerusalem has been removed, but Mount Zion is still there. I was honored. Hallelujah. And you can't be removed either if you trust in the Lord. And it's a wonderful experience day by day to find out that only they who trust in the Lord cannot be removed. You can see the whole world today like in a quicksand. All the politicians, all the great nations, they're all sinking. Haven't you seen it? It's a strange thing. Only about 50 years ago they talked so big. My, they talked so big. Even those that looked like lambs, they talked like dragons. But today they're whining. Today they're sinking. The nations are sinking. The great and the strong are sinking. Oh, my Father, where are we going to be? Are we going to stand before the Son of Man? The Lord says, I'll make him stand. Oh, to learn this wonderful lesson, my heavenly Father watches. And sometimes it's quite amusing. On my trip, for instance, I came to a place where, it was in Cairo. I needed some papers that I had brought along with me. I needed them very badly to get into Israel and couldn't find them anymore. In my travels, going from town to town, I must have misplaced them or thrown them in the wastebasket with other papers. And I looked and looked through all my stuff. I don't know how many times I looked through it until suddenly a very happy thought struck me. I thought of the twins at home. They're very trustful. I've got to keep my door locked all the time and now I have to put a new lock on the door because they fooled with the key so that I couldn't get it out anymore. But I keep that door locked, they'll come up and they'll knock at the door and they'll say, Uncle, can't you say come in? Can't you say come in now? Come on. Come in. If it doesn't work, then he'll get on his belly and he'll call under the crack of the door. He'll say, Uncle, can't you say come in? Sure. Come in. He'll answer himself. Come on. Well, I'm conquered. What would you do? You'll dance around on your typewriter or do anything, but you can. You're conquered. And if he then, being evil, know how to open the door to your little children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father? Well, the thought came to me, I'm going to do like Buster now. I'll get on my stomach and I'll just, I talked to the Lord like this and said, Now Lord, I may have been stupid enough to throw, but I know that you knew beforehand that I would need that paper. You knew that long before I was stupid enough to throw the weight. And I said, Lord, I have this confidence in you that you didn't let that happen. I just trust you. I just know. I looked, there it was. Now I can go you one better than Aldini, the great magician. There I had it right in front of me. Now how it got there. You got me. Well, the Lord knew, and really he watched over me. He watched over every step of the way. He does that. He delights to do that. He loves to do it. Praise God. But when we don't trust him, when we become anxious, and oh how many times we do that. Jesus says, Anxiety is like thorns that are allowed to spring up in your heart that choke the word. God has spoken unto us by his Son, and faith cometh by hearing. Not by hearing a lot of stuff you hear today on the radio or from men, all kinds of men. When men love to talk a lot, I shut it off. Amen. I went to a religious bookstore some time ago, one of the religious, religious bookstores, you know, one of the fundamental orthodox bookstores. And I looked at their books and I said, Good night. Who can trust these fellows? Doctor, PhD, LLD, so, so, so, so, so. One says this, the other one says that, and another one says something else. And oh, I'm so thankful for the Bible. Do you know how thankful I am to God for the Bible? And as Aunt Rose says, you find everything in the Bible that you need. That the man of God may be perfect. And faith does not come by any other way, but by hearing what God says. The pure word of God, which is forever established in the heavens, is in the Bible. Praise God. He has preserved them, he says, from this generation, even forevermore. And he has preserved them for you and for me, because God, who has been blasphemed and dishonored, is hoping and trusting that at last he's going to find sons and daughters that will hear what he has to say. Thank God he does. Thank God today men and women are waking up everywhere. They're hearing the voice of the and they're stepping out on the promises of God. But when we sing, faith is the victory, we may well say, well, how will I get faith? I will need faith, because I'm face to face with the enemy that's destroying all of humanity. And there's only one victory, and that's faith. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. You need faith and I need faith. And the Bible tells us where faith comes from. It comes from hearing the word of God. Hearing what the Lord my God says. And when God says something, he tells me of the unsearchable riches of Christ. He tells me of the purchased price of Calvary. He tells me of what Jesus Christ is to me. He tells me of the wonderful things that are provided for them that trust in him before the sons of men. God tells me all that. Why don't I listen to him? Why tell me? Why? Well, my ears are dull. He says of people, they're dull of hearing. You watch, when you go out of that door, some old, what kind of a word is legal to use, will come around and tell you, goodness, you look bad. My grandmother looked just like that two days before she passed away. What's the matter with you? Need a pill? Pass around pills in the meeting, in the divine healing meeting. Pass around aspirin tablets. I got a ache. What kind of an ache have you got? Jesus didn't say what kind of an ache have you had, but he said, who's your father? Any of you that has a friend at midnight? How much more shall your heavenly father? How much more shall your heavenly father? Can I trust that word? But the trouble is, most people want to see and feel before they believe, but that is not faith. Faith is only triumphant when it's faith before you see and before you feel, because God said it. Not because you feel it, and not because the symptoms are like it, but God said it. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. The three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they said, you can heat that furnace seven times more. That's okay with us. But the God whom we serve, glory to God. What God do you serve? That's what I'd like to know. Who's your father? Your heavenly father. Who is your heavenly father? If an earthly friend will get up because you pestered a life out of him, how much more shall your heavenly father give to them that ask him? Jesus said it. And they're in connection with divine healing or anything else we need. There aren't just two questions that men ask and have to be answered. Is he willing? That leprous man. And Luke was a good physician. He diagnosed the case. He said he was full of leprosy. Now Luke must have been among the disciples and said, now did you ever in your life see anything like that? That's the way all the Brooks used to talk. Did you ever? Did you ever see? Now that fellow, I've seen lots of lepers, but that fellow's full of it. Full of it. But the leper didn't bother about the physician, Luke. There was somebody there that knew more than the, than the doctor. He went to Jesus. He went straight to Jesus, said, Lord, if you will, if you will, you can. Now that was an insult, wasn't it? Sure. If you came to me and you said, uh, I haven't any shoes. I know you could buy me a pair of shoes, but I don't know whether you will or not. That would be an insult. But if you came to me and you say, well, I need a pair of shoes, but I see you haven't got any yourself. Well, uh, I know you would if you could, but I don't suppose you can. I used this illustration some time ago in Hamburg in a convention. And, uh, after everybody was gone, we were through praying with everybody. There was a, a man sitting up in front waiting for me and he, he needed a pair of shoes. Now he honored me. He had confidence that I wouldn't turn him down. But this leper, and aren't we like that many times? Oh, if you would really analyze your feelings when you pray for healing. Oh, how many people they'll go to a promise box and pick up a promise and there it is. The Lord, thy God will heal thee. Himself took out and firm. But there's a little question mark there. Well, can I know whether he will, whether he wants to? Well, go to Calvary. That's your answer. He that spared not his own son. He that spared not his own son. When I say, God heal me. God doesn't only give me healing. He doesn't only send new life into my body. He doesn't raise some vitamins or give me some medicine, but he gives me the life of his son. Jesus gave his life for his sheep, that they might have life. I was glad for what brother Poster said. You know, we're stupid. We're positively stupid, positively stupid. We ought to believe God, but we believe the devil. We believe the flesh. You're getting old, aren't you? Aren't you getting old? Don't you feel kind of weak in the knees and, and kind of, uh, rheumatic once in a while when the weather, when the wind comes from the north and, uh, somebody lets the wind, well, always expected it, didn't you? Sure. Positively. Why? We're in Egypt and we got a bark like the Egyptians. But why don't you expect the Lord? What did he say? The Lord is my light. The Lord is the strength of my life. Walk out in the strength of the son of God. I can't understand people. They expect that when they die and like Lazarus go into corruption, they lie in the grave. They expect Jesus someday to, to get them out of that grave. Well, you better take some vitamins with you when they, when they get there. Help the Lord a little bit. Well, it sounds funny. Really tragic. Jesus Christ really wants us to take him at his word and step out on his promise and learn our lesson. Learn our lesson. God will never allow the enemy to get the best of us if he sees that we really tremble at his word. What did God say? That's sufficient for me. What did God say? The God who we serve, if he doesn't deliver us, he's still our God. Hallelujah. Praise God. Abraham said, if he doesn't deliver Isaac, he'll raise him from the dead. That was faith. I was writing to a girl in Switzerland this day, this week, who has a very severe affliction. Something that will require the amputation of her foot. And she's really an honest to goodness child of God. And she wants to trust the Lord. And I was led to write to her and say, listen, put your case in the hands of God, live or die. Put the responsibility with him, see what'll happen. That's the trouble with us. We cast our cares upon him, but we hang on. There's a long string attached to it. We hang on to it. And when he wants to take it, we pull it back. Oh, beloved, faith cometh by hearing the word of God. And that word is his son, his only begotten son, who came down from heaven, not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him. And the will of him that sent him was everlasting life. Oh, hallelujah. Oh, delight thyself in the Lord. Is he willing? Listen, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass. And so he said, I will be thou clean. Now that God says that to every person in the whole world, I will. It's in the Bible. I will. Faith cometh by hearing. Let's listen to what God says. Never mind what people say. Never mind what reason says. Never mind what your feelings say. Come on, let's get our hearts in tune with the word of God. It'll take a little time. We'd be surprised if we'd find out how we've been vaccinated with unbelief, and that poison works. It really makes us sick. No, one of the greatest things that God can do for his children is to take fear out of their hearts. Oh, love, perfect love, casteth out fear. Oh, my father, I know you're here this afternoon. I know you're breathing upon us. My God, and we've just come to a meeting, and we'll hold our tent and go home to fried potatoes and sauerkraut, and that's the end of the meeting. Beloved, we ought to hear what God says. God's talking to me, talking to you. God wants me to hear what he has to say. Oh, the victory that Jesus Christ purchased on Calvary's cross is unspeakable. The exceeding greatness of his power is toward us who believe. What? Why believe what God says? Is he willing that's settled forever? He would never have given his own son to be sin for us, and to bear our sicknesses if God hadn't been willing to deliver us, who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases. And then you ask, well, is he able? That's another question. Do you believe that I'm able to do this? And that's where many of us balk again. Well, yes, when the time comes. And so we said, stay. We put ourselves inside of a high wall when the time comes, or so and so and so. Oh, it's surprising how smart we are when we tell God how he ought to run the world and what he ought to do. Why not listen to what God said? Go to Calvary and see how he raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. And thus, the apostle says, he has fulfilled his promises. If thou shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, that resurrection life raises you, quickens you, thank God. I was very sick a few weeks ago when we started our campaign in Wuppertal. I was so sick, so dreadfully sick, and I had a long ways to walk through the slush and the blizzard to the meeting and from the meeting. And one night when I came from the meeting, there was such a heaviness on my chest. I had bronchitis and it was fearful and fever. And so I went to my room and I thought, well, what will Wally do when she finds me dead in the morning? Now, you can laugh if you please, but you know, we've always expected it. I thought, well, she'll be smart enough to call up Walter and he'll know what to do. But when I got to bed, I looked at my watch and I said, well, somebody's praying for me at home in Raytheon. I knew it. And immediately, just like that, lifted, it was so wonderful as if I had seen Jesus lay his hand upon me. Hallelujah. Well, I could have carried that thing around with me longer, you know, if I had chosen to. God says, they chose none of my ways. Oh, yes, Lord. Yes. You tell me in the Bible what you're eager to do, the exceeding great and precious promises. What promises has he made to those who pray in his name? Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do. Dear Lord, are you doing it? He said he would. When he said to Jairus, I'll come and heal her, Jairus expected him to come. But there was a, there was a delay on the way. There was that woman who came from behind and touched the hem of his garment and he healed her on the way. And in the meantime, the child was dead. But he said, I'll come. I'll come and heal her. Jesus says, I'll come and answer your prayer. He says, verily, verily. He swear by himself. Glory to God. Beloved, we don't get it because we don't believe what God says. When we don't believe when we can't feel and when we don't see it. But that's the happiest experience a Christian can have, is to believe God and to rejoice when you feel nothing and see nothing but your weakness. Hallelujah. Glory to God. And then you get a doctor book and they'll tell you what vitamins you need. They gave me a whole bottle full of that stuff. There's nothing to it. Really, what men believe that don't believe God. How different when Jesus Christ makes his strength perfect in your weakness and you know it isn't your strength. We'd like to have strength of our own and God won't have you. He will not give his glory to another. Jesus says, my strength. Oh, I love him today, Jesus. I really love him. But I feel like David. Before I was afflicted, I went astray. But now have I kept my own. Oh, it's these afflictions that teach us these lessons. One day I had to go through a campaign and just at the beginning I took very, very sick and very sick. I had again a fever raging through my veins and I heard that word. He weakened my strength and the way. But I had to go through. And when I got to meeting, I found the Lord was there and the Lord was inside of me. Praise God. And every night I experienced a miracle. Every meeting, it was Christ. Oh, that was so precious to me. Wonderful. Thank God. My strength. My grace. Oh, beloved God didn't put us upon this earth to be kicked around like a football by the enemy, but to make manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. Where are you? Where's your place? That's where Jesus wants to manifest the savor of his knowledge. Hallelujah. Are you weak? Paul says, you're strong and I'm weak. You live and I die. But I die daily that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in my mortal body. And so he gave himself to this savior. Oh, who wouldn't do that? Glory to God. I'm glad for this day. I'm glad for this meeting. There's always a lesson to be learned. A lesson about Jesus every day. Every day. Thank God. Unless you sit here dull like Lou and dumb. Oh, come on folks. Let's hear what God says. What does God say? He says it to me. He says it to you. It is his word from his heart to my heart. Oh, how I ought to tremble at the word of God. How I ought to meditate there in day and night, faith covered by hearing the word of God. And if I pay attention to it, it'll take away my fear and it'll put faith where there was doubt and defeat. Glory to God. It'll put the life of Jesus Christ into this mortal body. It's a mortal body. Don't forget it. It's a bouffalagous house. Don't forget. It isn't the final. God's going to give us a new body. He's given this to us, not for keeps. He loaned it to us so that we might learn our lessons. Praise God. Like the teacher who loaned the fiddle to me. It was a scratch box. But after I learned my lesson, then I got my own, my own violin. And someday he's going to give us a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Thank God. And there will be no more curse there. But in the meantime, he will quicken these mortal bodies. My strength. Oh Jesus, fill us with thyself today. God, can't you do something for me and all my brethren to make us believe what God says? Put your word into our hearts that we might walk out on it, that we might listen no more to the enemy and no more to self and to the flesh. But oh, that we might believe in thee as the scripture has said, until rivers of living water shall flow from us. Oh Jesus, until the savor of thy knowledge is made known by us in every place.