In this sermon, the speaker recounts a conversation with the Lord about the power of belief. The speaker is told by the Lord that if they believe, they will see the glory of God. The Lord asks the speaker to have faith and believe in Him for their needs, even if they have little money. The speaker is given a rule of three, which will take them to different places to spread the word of God.

Read it inspirationally. That I will have a chance to bring fresh inspiration on an old text that you have read 4928 times. He said, now I have a chance at you to bring a spiritual illumination, spiritual light in teaching because you have skipped by your perfunctory reading, your traditional reading because you got a certain reaction. I'll give you a new reaction. How many of you know he can? You can read the same old thing you've read a hundred times and all of a sudden, how many of you know? A fresh reaction comes. Well, why is it? Because you are reading it with him, with his sense of inspiration and he will inspire. Well, here I was reading this wonderful chapter. It is the 11th chapter of John. Now a certain man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God. That in the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. When he had heard, therefore, that he was sick, he ran immediately to them. Did he run immediately to help them? And he said, Oh, I love them so. Isn't it wonderful how daring he can be? And those poor sisters all upset. And Jesus said, well, just wait a minute. I mean, in the flesh you would be provoked and exasperated. How many know he dares? He's dared to slay me several times. You know what I mean? I have. I had to to know something. I had to. And he loves me. He loves me so much he can trust me. And so he loved them tremendously. So he says, I'm going to hold off until God comes. He abode too for this. He finally decides to go down and see what's the matter. How many know you can't hurry God? He's never in a hurry. He's taking his time. Oh, he's taking time with me. Well, as I was reading something in this chapter, and the next day he gave me the same chapter to read again. And the third, I think I was about a week in this chapter. Because he was going to show me one of the most beautiful rules in our faith life that I had found. And I discovered it here. Now, we can't take the time for that. In his conversations with these disciples, before he goes, and when he has this conversation with Martha, who is first. Mary, who sits back in the house and doesn't go out. She is interpreted from two angles. One of them said she's so peeved she wouldn't go out. The other one said, oh no, she has such sublime faith. She knows the interpretations of poor Mary and poor Martha. We won't go only as far as God gives us light. Martha took the initiative. Mary is the younger sister and Lazarus is the brother. So, Martha goes out to meet him. Now, watch the conversation between Jesus and the people who go to tell him about Lazarus. And the conversation when he talks with Martha, and then when he repeats it again with Mary. Now, the whole thing, so the Lord said, analyze these conversations and see if you can see something in there which is something you would not notice. To get him out of that tomb, people are so interested that they only come to the passage where it says, Lazarus, come forth. Well, he said, there's an awful build up before you can get him out of the tomb. You have to get him in the tomb, and you have to have him there those three days too. You have to let him be in there dead and buried before you reach the climax. So, you want the climax without all the antecedents. But you have to have your antecedents. So, he says, it all depends upon their conversations. So, I got a pencil out in my papers, and then I just go at it. So, he says, now look at your conversations and tweak that all the way through. And do you know what I found? I found, four so far, in his conversations, every word that he said concerning this Lazarus who was sick and in the tomb and dead, and full of faith. Now, when they came and said, the one whom thou lovest is dead, he didn't say, oh, how sad. Do you know what his first attitude was in his word? This is under the glory of God. How many of you see some terrific relieving, or don't you? Can you relate a dead man in the tomb to the glory of God, or can't you? The next time God puts one in the tomb, how many of you know the best thing to do is to relate it? Don't moan in front of the tomb, oh, God, Lazarus is dying. And the Lord will say, put a stone over the tomb. Well, dear Lord, he's in the tomb, and a stone over the tomb, and he's beginning to decay, oh, Lord. You won't get anywhere. You won't get anywhere. No, you won't. You have to listen to his conversation. What was his first word? A positive word. This is not death, as you see it. It is unto the glory of God. Then he goes on to say, this is not unto death. How many of you see it as a positive statement? Do you get the positive approach, or don't you? The positive approach. It is unto the glory of God. He says a positive thing again, right away. Verse 11. He says, he sleepeth, and behold, I go to awake him. How many of you bemoan the fact? Four. This is the good part. You see, she's the one that starts this argument business. And he says unto her, he says, she will live again. Oh, yes, she says, I believe you'll live again in the resurrection. Oh, he says, listen, Martha. The resurrection is right present, right now. I am the resurrection. Now, do you relate it? How many of you had her on the spot? He surely had her right on the spot. It was good. Best thing he ever said to her. He didn't say, oh, don't cry, Martha. I'll do the best I can. He speaks of the victory. Not death, but life. Well, she says, I know we'll come up in the resurrection. Well, the resurrection is right present. How many see, he puts her exactly on the spot where she belongs. Don't get into an argument with the Lord. He always knows what he's doing. How many know he always has the last word anyway? We put up great defense mechanisms. And you get into bed. Now, and here's the tomb. And he's sealed in there. And he has already given her at least four lovely words. The first one, he speaks to the friends. Well, Martha knows what he said. That was to the glory of God. The neighbors have told him already. Jesus had given her all these words of hope. And encouragement. Which are positive. There's nothing negative in it. This is a positive thing. Keep her around the positive side if you possibly can. And he has to have permission, of course, for them to move. Said I not unto you, that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God. How many remember it? Said I, that if thou would believe, thou shall see the glory of God. So the Lord stopped me like that. He said, do you see that? I said, sure Lord, I've read that hundreds and hundreds of times. He says, I'll give you a little secret. This is one of the rules of faith in your new realm where you are. It begins with the word of God. The word which he speaks. Not the word you find in the Bible. It may be in the Bible. But you can't just go to the Bible and pick out a lot of verses because he said them. The word that I speak is life. People are stumbled like that today because they say, well, the promise is right there in the Bible. Get your leading and your word from God. Well, I never heard such preaching as that. Aren't you Pentecostal? How many know I'm not? How many know I'm Pentecostal? I don't belong to certain breeds because I don't believe in their tradition. They are purely religious traditions. So they said, I got in the Bible. Why? He has to speak. When he speaks the word, it has two characteristics. He spoke it to me. He says, my word is creative and it holds the kernel of faith. That when God has spoken, he has given you a kernel of faith with it. And life. How many know that? Sure. But how many know you can claim a promise and get nowhere? Why? Because it's not spoken by him. His word is life. Always remember that. That's why I have to go and help Jesus. I gave you the word that if you would believe what? Well, I said, Lord, that's true. Said I not? One. Two, that if you will believe what I said. Three, you shall see the glory of God. How do you see? A logical rule in there. And it's as real to me as two times two make four. It won't make six. It can't. Two times two make four. You cannot make it otherwise. You get the word from God. It carries with it a kernel of faith. And it is creative. And he can... I've had to do this because I've lived all these days. And lived my life in this kind of teaching. He gave me that verse to go around the world on one time. Just one verse. And I went around the world. Took me a year to get around. And a year from that... And I had girdled the globe and India and all these places. And got back again. How did I go? One verse. And I didn't wear it out. I didn't wear it out. That is the verse he gave me that carried me 19,000 miles on ships. And I'm a poor sailor. And didn't I dread it. Oh, I said, Lord. You're calling me to go to Australia. I don't know a soul in Australia anymore. And I could go to the moon. You are to go to Australia and carry the message I put on your heart. And I want you to go. But, Lord, it takes money to go. And I... Well, he says, you're going. I'm calling you. Now, you have to believe what I say. Well, I have to have money. Well, that's God's business. It's not mine. My business is to say, thank you, Lord. And go and make arrangements. I've had to learn that. And I've proved it for 58 years. I have lived absolutely by faith. He called me out of all professional work. He never allowed me to make a contract or work for a salary. In Bible school work and places. But you don't have to have any stated salaries or contracts with me. If you want to give me something for teaching in the college here, I'll take it. If you don't, it's just the same to me. He said, he's crazy anyway, so let's take him. And I've gone and done all my work here for 58 years. Around the world, all over Europe. And never a backing. Never. I've never gone out on any board or invited. Just, Lord said, go. And I said, thank you. And I go. Well, you have to believe what the Lord says. Well, I'd rather believe the Lord than some funny baloney stuff. I don't have much document. I believe what He says. So he showed me this. He said, you see, this is a rule. You get your word from me. And you dare to believe what I give you as your word. And you cannot help but see. How many know that's absolutely true? I couldn't preach if I didn't believe it. Here I was. I didn't know anybody in Australia. You don't have to. He's out of the board, back of me. What do you do? Well, I said, all right. I don't know about anybody in Australia. How many of you'd like to try it? You wouldn't take it. I don't believe you could take it. Would you like to try it? It's very thrilling. And every bit of your background wiped out from under you. Every bit of it. Completely washed out from under you. I was invited to dinner up here in Oakland. Remember Bernice Lee? How many of you remember Bernice Lee? Missionary of India. Years back, I was in Bernice Lee's heirs. He used to come. Well, Molly was there. He didn't know anything about what was going on. Oh, that's another trick. Well, I don't play all those funny things. If he gives me anything, I take it. And if he doesn't, it's just the same. And Molly is an Australian, you know, by rights. So Molly, she says, John, Brother John, when are you going to Australia? Well, I thought, what on earth would she say that for? She doesn't know anything about me or Australia or anything else. Well, I said, what do you mean? Oh, she says, I just have a feeling some way you should go to Australia and give those. Well, she says, they need you. Well, I said, Molly, I don't know a soul in Australia. What in the heavens would I go there and go to somebody's door and say, the Lord said to me to come. They said, well, put him in the silo until we wire home his loose. Now, she says, John. So the next day I came down in Bernice and she came down to Bernice again. She says, here. She says, I'm in Australia. I know all the places, know the churches and the preachers and nothing would suit me better than to write a letter of introduction that you're going to be let loose over. There was my list of all my appointments for four months all written down on a piece of paper from way up there, Jeabung, up, you know, in Queensland, right on down, Sydney, Brisbane, way on down. The whole work, she says, here's your list. Now, I'm going to write ahead and you write too. And you can start in Sydney. How do you see the Lord? Now, I didn't know anything about such a business, but was... I had one from Australia who knew all the ins and outs. Well, it was wonderful. Now, shall I tell you how I got started? He says, you're to go and I remember Bob Cummings from India. Well, Bob was there one time too. We were having lunch. And he leaned over and said, Brother John, when are you coming to India? Oh, Bob, I said, I don't know. You know how I live. I walk with the Lord. I don't know where I'm going or anything about it. I just run around like a child. He said, I'll tell you something. I feel to do it. We're going to put on a district convention in Bangalore next year in India and I want you to be the speaker for it. He said, I'll meet you in India and you'll have a wonderful time. You'll be the speaker for the convention for the district. And it came true. It came true. You have to get ready now to go. Well, I said, Lord, it's nice for you to tell me these things and you are shaping the thing up. Then he brought this vision of Lazarus. I said, yes. He says, take this rule of... and it'll take you farther... around the world. I said, well, how will I do? And he said, you do your part and I'll do my part. Now, he said, you're to go. Will you believe me for your offerings? For your tickets? I said, yes. I haven't had a thing. I guess I had maybe $20 or $25. You've never forsaken me. We've lived together all this time and you won't let me down. Though I haven't any money, I believe you'll do it. He said, if you do, make your plans. Then I had to go. What do? Like to Washington? Get all that. Well, I said, my heavens, yes. On what? On rule three. Didn't I say it? Yes. Well, then do it. So I tried the first few weeks and the offerings weren't worth 10 cents to get to India or any other place. I said, oh, Lord. I said, this is 10 cents. Tell afterwards to give God the glory. So I went days and days and not a letter. The offerings were just weak. Do you ever have weak spells? I don't want to be bad. But if somebody could only give me, say, five dollars, who didn't know anything about what business we were doing and not know a thing about it, but somebody could give me five dollars, Lord, it would encourage my faith. But you don't have to do it, but I kind of would like. How many of you know you can do that? That's the way I feel. If I could get five dollars and you'll help me. So I went on offering. They didn't get me anywhere. But I wouldn't. I'd go home and say, well, Lord, where are you? It's really too fantastic. The things that God has done with me and for me, they are completely out of this world. They're just fantastic. So I was getting quite nice church, gallery, good congregation, little people, four or five nights, teaching, teaching, teaching. I'm not an evangelist. Do I see another soul? Do I play the organ gently, dear? I had this week's meeting and the congregation came Friday night and I only had Sunday left. And Friday night, I was preaching, speaking, just as usual, teaching. And the Lord began to speak to me right inside, right when I'm talking out here. How many of you know you can have two things going on at once? I said, dear Lord, I couldn't do that. I don't know anything about this. I'll be with you. You give an altar call. You give the call. I'll meet them. Well, I didn't know if I was preaching. And God says there are people in here. And I said, there are people here tonight who need to meet God. You've heard truth. I don't know what you're going to do. Are you going to receive the truth? Are you going to let that come into your heart? Are you going to let it revolutionize your ways of thinking? Let it come into your prayer patterns? God, whoever wants that, you just come here and we'll pray. Well, you'll know there was such a move of the Spirit that altar was filled in no time at all. They were clambering down out of the gallery, coming down. You don't have to have any kind of a technique about it at all. Jesus is here tonight and He wants to meet you and He wants to talk to you. He told me so and I believe Him. And if you want Him, you come here and we'll pray with you. Altar was full. Very well-groomed. And I knew He wanted me. He's called me for a week. Can you send me somebody that can teach me? And the woman gave me that ticket with that name and I've come here. I have listened to this for a week. I can never tell you what it's done for me. He says, you have revolutionized my whole... Well, I said, I have some tracts at home but I don't bring books and tracts with me. He said, well, you give me your name and address and when I get home I would be very happy to... And I went home after the meeting and I was undressing, getting ready for bed and I thought, oh dear, that order... And I opened it and there was a check for five... See the glory? He brought me this old... I'd like to have a big father like that. And the Lord says, give another altar call. I'm praying, seeking God, looking to God and this gentleman came and I said, oh, what's it say to you? I don't know you. I've never seen you before and he said, oh, that's all right. He said, the address so I can send you these tracts. So he went and wrote his address and I went home and I undressed and when I went to the address there was another check for 500 dollars. Said I not? Now he says, you go on. So how many of you know I got started? Well, that's one little illustration. Illustration that God has wrought. He says, you must have faith. I'm not conscious of having... Would you have a technique and a certain thrill? Let me tell you this. I'm a poor sailor. How many of you have ever been seasick? And here was this trip ahead of me and I said, Lord, you sure got me in a mess. You know I'm no sailor. I get deathly sick and now you're asking me to cross the Pacific. And I said, Lord, I don't know. You know that I get terribly seasick but if you want me to get seasick while you're on this trip by your grace I'll get sick then and do it if you want that. How do you know what I mean? Maybe you have some contacts you want me to have by being sick. Maybe you have somebody bring me a drink of water and I'll win them to Jesus or some kind of a thing. Like folks have these funny things. And I really meant it. I said, you suffered for me. For your glory, that you're going to get something. And I meant it from the bottom of my heart. I said, I am willing to surrender myself that if you want me to be sick and have this awful time alone and no one to come and hold my hand. All these lovely folks have darlings. So I said, Lord, if I'm sick it's terrible to lie there alone and nearly dead. But it's all right. And I said, it's settled. Well, how many know the bar out from San Francisco and the ship was beginning? And I thought, well, this is terrible Oh, I thought, I went out on deck and you should have seen the deck. And between New Zealand and Australia is the Australian bike, they call it. That little piano, playing the piano. And the ship began to go up and down like this. And here I stood with one foot here and the other was just as far as I could. Is the ship going down? 19,000 miles by steamers that year. I counted them. 19,000. The Mediterranean Sea. Not once, but just sleep away. So when I got home, I had a little Thanksgiving with the Lord. I got home and I said, I was scared I wasn't getting sick. Lord, I wasn't sick. And he came right by me. He said, you're sick. Rule three, said I now. Then he clinched it. He let me hear some of these prayer warriors claiming the victories. Who brought the fire down. And we are like Elijah. Men of the same nature and passions as Elijah. And Elijah prayed and the fire fell. Well, they prayed, but I didn't seem to feel much of the real fire. I got quite a commotion. But what I would call the fire. I went home and I said, Lord, tell me how this thing goes. He said, now you go back in your Old Testament and where God comes, you will always find it. The word of the Lord came to Elijah saying, and Moses spake unto Abraham saying, and in the power of what he says, they had their miracles. Not one of them dared to move in his own initiative. I said, thank you, Lord. How many know when the Lord gives you something like that, that has cleared a lot of these funny beatings that I've heard that never gone into fire. He said, now you look in the word and it's always prefaced with the word of the Lord. Why? Let God take the initiative. Don't start planning something in front of God and ask, let God take the initiative. And when God speaks the word, how many know heaven and hell. If God says, jump over the moon. Do you know what I would do? Well, I would jump. And he has so much for us.