In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal experience of handing out bundles while fasting and praying for strength. He recounts how the Holy Spirit empowered him to continue distributing the bundles until the last one was given out. The speaker also mentions a conversation with someone who acknowledged the positive change in his life since encountering God. He emphasizes the importance of relying on Jesus and resisting the desires of the self.

He said to me that back in the late forties and early fifties, he said a similar thing to me. Now he's in glory. Praise the Lord, he's one of my close brothers, close brothers. But back when our home was being built, I'm talking about not self-will, see I'm still there, I'm left that, the Lord helping me. When the home was being built, there were many instances when self would have, you know, oppressed. Because the family, my children, you see my twin daughters and Joyce and I lived in one room. We lived in one room. We slept in one room for a while. Then we finally were able, mothers, to get another room so Joyce would have a room that left four of us in one room for so many years. And so my precious twin daughters never knew what it was to have their own bed in a room until the home was built. Because for about close to, see it would be, they were born in 39 and we moved in 47. And they still, the only beds they had was those baby beds. That's all we had home sleeping. That's what they slept in. That's what they slept in from 39 to 47. We moved to mother and dad's on March the 21st, 47, so they never had anything but that baby bed. That's all they had. That's all we had. We were glad for that. We were glad. But then four of us in this room for almost seven years and they were so, I said, Daddy, did you get the flooring for the house today? I was 1952 and three. Did you get the floor? They were born in 39. No, I want to get the floor. I could order it at many lumber yards, but one, the self of me would reach for the phone to order the flooring from MoDoc, Parker Lumber Company, Randolph Lumber Company, Muncie, Van Buren, Logan Sport, Dunkirk, many lumber yards, Farmland, Selma. One of my hand would go that way. He said, no, he said, it is my will. Don't order the floors. Not self-willed. Daddy, did you get the flooring today? I'm simply bringing this not to get your attention on us, but to try to illustrate in just a little tiny way, not self-will. Now this is just about a little item, but it can be other things too, not self-will. He said, we're not to be self-willed. They'd say, Daddy, did you order the floors today? They were 13 years old, waiting for their own room. The house was plastered. It was ready, but we couldn't, we couldn't do anything until we got the floors. The rough floors were down, but you had to have finished flooring. And it was ready for finished flooring in January of 19 and 53. It was ready for finished floors in January. By the 15th to the 20th, it was ready for finished floors. And every time I'd go to the phone and say, well, I'll order the flooring, he would say within me, do not order it. Just like when I was going to leave him one night when he took me to the post office and I was going to get out of the car to go to Parsons to rest at 1115. And I went to reach for the handle, just as I started the Holy Ghost and the gifts. He said, no, wait just a moment. I said, I can't get out of your car. He said, can you go home with me? And I said, yes. Went home, stayed with him until 3.30. He wanted when I was going to leave. He tried to get my overshoes and everything ready, and I couldn't get out of there. But God came and healed his wife and he got saved. He found Jesus. He'd been in the church, he'd been in the church all of his life. How many years? 20? Since I was three years old. 22 years in the church. And he had precious parents that loved Jesus, taught him of Jesus and tried to lead him to Jesus and help him in Jesus. But that night, because God said, self couldn't go to bed in that Parsons that night. Self couldn't go in and relax that night. Self couldn't have his way. Jesus said, you go home with him. Just a little, I'm just trying to share just a slight bit. I don't know very much about this, but not self will. And because self didn't have its way to go in and lie down and rest after preaching. Sometimes when you get to preaching, you feel like you've worked a long time. My dad said that he shot horses and mowed hay. If you've ever been in a hay mile, when it was 90 in the shade, mowing hay or put it 80, just let it be 80 degrees. It is a, oh, and you can hardly breathe because of dust. And it's hot. How many have been in a mile? Look around girls. Some of you women have been in a mile too. Sister Jean, you've been in a hay mile. Your husband mowed hay. Oh, it'd be hot. You know, not baled hay. I'm not talking about bale. I'm talking about that kind you fork. See baled hay, it's heavy, but that old type hay where you just had to move. Oh, and every time you did all the dust, it's right into perspiration. Oh my. He said, I've mowed hay, I've dug ditches and I've shot horses. He said, I want to tell you preaching the gospel is so pleasant, so wonderful. But to daddy and me, he said, I think a lot of times it's a greater assignment. Lord, the self could not go in and lie down in that Parsons with Jules' brother and his wife, Robert, sister up there at Logansburg. I was supposed to go him and with his companion and be with him at midnight and stayed till 3.30 in the morning. And the Holy Ghost was on the camp. The Holy Ghost was upon us, not self-will. And because of that, you found Jesus. God did it. You found Jesus. Your life's never been the same, but God's because Jesus led. Self had no part in it. Not any part. And you have been changed. Come up here just a minute. You've been a changed man. So your, your, uh, your wife and your parents didn't know how deep in sin you were in. No, nobody. No. But you let me know after that, how God brought you from great, terrible sin. Right. Yes, sir. I'll tell you this boy, he was out in the world. Just like we all are in this earth. But if he's going down a highway, met somebody and they didn't dim their lights, he might just turn around and take a BB gun and shoot the lights right out of the car rifle. And if you hear a few things that this boy used to do, I'll tell you, you'd know for sure that God had changed him. Now people get offended me at shouting sometimes if they're a bit carnal. I don't. Well, praise the Lord. I don't know why it's always helped me. Oh, Barbara Hogan, one of our precious daughters in the Lord. She of course has been in the church for many years, just like I have and carried a burden for the church still does. And she carried a burden. I've learned that she had a burden when she was a little girl for every church that her precious father and mother were at. She had burdens. Lots of times she didn't know what she could do. All she could do is cry. But I've learned because of Jesus' love and the gifts in her that she had a burden for the church. And one time I was at a power memorial and the Holy Ghost came for me and I started shouting. She was always offended. Most shouting is in the flesh, a lot of it. A great percentage is in the flesh and it always hurt her. And I never really wanted to, but before I knew it, I was shouting. And I hadn't shouted long until I saw her and she stood straight up. And she told me later, she said, if you'd have shouted a little longer, I'd have to start shouting with you. She said, it just did something for her. See, that helped me a lot because the devil tries to holler at me. Oh, there she is. Yes. Praise the Lord. We have a mic back there. Praise the Lord. He is like a son. She is like a daughter. And we are, we're just dedicated. She told me later, you know, we were so happy. The Holy Spirit came upon the scene. And before we knew it, a shout came out. And another one, another one, another one. And before I knew it, Barbara was standing straight up. She looked so beautiful. She's beautiful anyhow. She looks so beautiful. Yes, daughter. Well, I just wanted to say that I'm still always lifted when you shout. Every time you shout, it's like music and it just lifts me up and I'm just thankful to be here. Oh, when you said that, daughter, you just lifted me a little right there. I do not agree with Reverend Helms' theology. But he said, I'll say one thing. He said, after watching the first 22 years, 25 years of your life, and then he said, watching you now, I think it was about five years ago, he said, you've never been the same. And he said, I cannot say anything against Reverend Helm because of the fact he's the first man you've met that God has used and made enough of an impact to change your life. To Jesus Christ. To Jesus that you believe. Oh, yes. Hallelujah. Because of Jesus. But you see, if the self of us would have steered us toward the Parsonage at night, 11, 15 o'clock, you see, the self of you, do you know a lot of the self of you want to get to bed of a night by 9 30 or 10? Well, it started that morning when the self of you would rather perhaps stay in bed. Oh, yes. You see, I'd been maybe up one or two o'clock trying to pray, you know, about the Holy Ghost revival. And so when you came that morning, in the morning to see me, I was there trying to cry out. I was there trying to rest. So I got up, came out of my house, go to the priest with you and talk with you and shared with you as enthusiastic the Holy Ghost is shared with some men by the Holy Ghost that we work with you as if I was preaching to 22,000 people. Correct. Just you and me. Right. You didn't stop for breakfast. You had a glass of water one time and I was impressed. I thought you're standing over there at that sink, sanctifying that glass of water. I'd never heard of such a thing. Well, we were great. Well, we're in debt for that. Then you were down. You're down praying for the companions of your twin daughters. Oh, really? Oh, yes. That impressed me. I couldn't get over that. A father pray for the companions of his daughter. That was the eighth day of December 19 and 64. Correct. Around noon. I've been talking to you since 10. Oh, yes. We talked an hour or two. We thought we ought to try to pray. And, you know, all the times that the Lord blessed and helped us in prayer. Oh, I got on my knees to try to pray. You sure did a good job. Lord help me. It would be by God's grace I could ever pray again, Joseph. About 30 minutes you prayed, I believe it was. Seemless. 20 or 30 anyway. Wonderful. I never heard anybody pray quite like that. Well, I trust you'll privilege me to pray again. The Lord helped her. We had quite a service. Talk about a camp meeting. Well, I had to go to a camp meeting every year. I was forced to go, you know, and I had to go. I always had to go, too, all my life. I just had to. I knew it was in the program. Right. My folks entertain more preachers in their home than all the other people in the church put together. God gave us a meeting right there. Just you and me. It was sweet, but I never experienced anything like it because of the Holy Spirit was in it. Now, that touched my heart on the Holy Spirit. Let's thank Jesus for that. Now, Jesus, thanks for the Holy Spirit to help us right there. When you said it touched your heart, it touched mine. When he said it touched his, I got it back. Praise the Lord. See, it was back, now it's back. Praise the Lord. I was almost sure it came back. Nobody could program anything like that. Now, when you said that, that was in my heart, just like it came back. Praise the Lord. Isn't that wonderful? Oh, yes, yes. And you told me something that I'm awfully indebted for. You said when Jesus got to pray into me, that you said that the way Jesus prayed to me, helped me to pray, did something for you. Oh, yes, certainly, certainly. And that encouraged me very much, this little being. Because of the Holy Spirit was in it. Yeah, because Jesus, the Holy Ghost was helping us. He certainly was. That was an appointment, and it was divine that day. I think you told me that no man can get worse together that fast and that sweet unless Jesus does it. No, this was a thing. That's what helped me when you told me about that. I observed you. Your flesh could not keep up with your spirit. First, I thought, is this man got like a canned sales talk? I'll interrupt him, and if it is a canned sales talk, he'll have to back up and start over a little bit. But you didn't. You couldn't. As soon as I could get my, almost take a breath, you were right back on the trail. Oh, we're in debt to Jesus. We're in debt to Jesus. Not self-willed. You see, if self had had its way, we'd have missed this meeting. We'd have missed him now. We'd have missed him there. Look at all the things we'll miss because of self having its way. Comforts. The comforts of self. You see, if the self that night would have had its way to go in and rest and get alone. See, a lot of times people want to get by themselves. But you see, we love people, and we love Jesus. And he said, you're going home with him. At midnight, I was there. His wife's a school teacher. She hadn't been strong. She had burdens for the world, for the mission field, for the churches for 11 years. A graduate of Cleveland Bible College. We didn't know Betty, but she'd been burdened for earthquakes and storms and lost in the church. He tells me she's a burden for the church for 11 years. He didn't know what in the world was wrong with her. And he didn't know why she acted like that. That's right. But God brought us in and revealed from heaven that this girl had been burdened for the church. Just like last Sunday night, I believe it was, or a week ago. Well, we had such a meeting at our church with the young people. Michael and the others, the young people, had a wonderful time in the Holy Ghost. I was blessed there. I was blessed there. I'm still blessed right now, right there. Praise the Lord. Yes. And they said, I believe we ought to go to the altar. So people went to the altar. And Jesus told me while I was praying at that altar that there were persons there in struggle. And I didn't notice that Sister Rita, the pastor's daughter, while she played, had been weeping. But John Langdon told me later, he said she was weeping. She played the piano at the beginning of the meeting. Well, we prayed a while, went back to our seats. And Sister Janice had got up and testified last night at the very last, I believe it was. She got up and she said, I feel like someone needs to go to the altar and pray. It's just so strong on me. So our pastor's daughter Rita ran to the altar. She is a precious Christian daughter. Really, she is. She loves Jesus. All the children are very exceptional in the Lord and for Christ and our community. I knew right away I need to get to that pulpit and pray with her. She was crying, just crying. I went up and I found she said she'd been burdened all week, been burdened all week. Now what the self of me would have said, you know, a lot of times self will say to us, now you don't want to go up there. See, I could have listened because of my hometown is about the hardest place for me to be a Christian because the devil fights people that know me since I was a boy. And they'll think certain things about us. And the self, I've got to die out the self because self will say, now don't get in the pulpit. Don't go up to pray someone because people will not think it's in order. But I have to overcome that and only go when Jesus leads me. I'm talking about not self will. So I got up in the pulpit and she said, you know, I've been burdened all week and she was weeping and crying. So I started to pray. I hadn't prayed more than just a minute or two to God in heaven had told me what this child's burden was for days. I said, oh, that Jesus just revealed to me that your burden is for the church. It's for the church. I want to tell you that girl came up like this, her tears dried up and just immediately on the revelation, she came right up and her burden was off. And her precious boyfriend, he got up in about 10 minutes and he said, I tell you, he made it such a beautiful confession. He said, I want it. I want you to forgive me. I want readers to forgive me because I've been hurt with her burden all week. I wonder why in the world did she have to cry? Why in the world was she all burdened down? And so I'm so sorry I let the devil get me all upset because this precious daughter, this precious one was burdened and I let the enemy and he started pleading with Jesus to forgive him. It was a beautiful service. But God revealed, but not self-will. See, I'm right on this sermon here. I've not left it. See, the self, you see, had to get back so we could get to the pulpit and then Jesus could work. But the Holy Ghost revealed to me because of 30, 40 years of walking with him, he taught me in the gifts through the Holy Spirit, the lessons and through him, would we ever know anything again? You see, only through Jesus. But that precious daughter found out through Christ what her burden was, not self-will. So your wife that night at midnight, we found out in just a little while that God had been working with her. I said, oh, Joe, look at her face. Oh, look what a, the Shekinah glory, the Shekinah glory. He said, I can't see it. I said, it's on her face. And Jesus healed his companion of about six different things in her body. And I said, Sister Betty, though I'd never seen her before, I said, you feel better now than you have felt in eight years. That was what the Holy Spirit showed me in my heart. What did she say? By God's grace to Jesus glory. She said that's when she started going to the doctors eight years prior to that time. And did she agree with me that that's right? By God's grace, that that was true. There was an improvement in her physical. I mean, I noticed that she hadn't been feeling good. Oh, the Lord did a wonderful thing for her. He touched her. And if he had been changing you, that helped her an awful lot because, see, you know, in a year or two, you know, you were kind of hitting her around like that. And I said, oh, Joseph. I said, don't do that. I said, that hurts. Oh, you said it does. I said, yes. Well, he said, I didn't know it. I've done it from the beginning. I said, oh, that hurts her awful bad. If I hit you awful hard. In fact, I said, if I'd haul off and hit you about my best, it'd hurt you about like it hurts her. He said, oh, I didn't know that. You stopped that right there. Oh, I'd quit right there. I'd been going on the years, but that stopped right there. Right there. That happened in the hallway of the travel lodge of Kansas City on the way home from Salina, Kansas. And that stops right there. Isn't that wonderful? Oh, yeah. Didn't do that anymore. My God, you know, your honeymoon began when you started with Jesus. Right, right. Certainly did. That is correct. That is the truth. My God. Yeah. And you and Betty, you see, you can pray and talk about Jesus and talk about the kingdom and get into a meeting and leave her, you know, and she goes to school and then you get down to some garage and God gives you a meeting down there. Praise the Lord. How the Lord changed your life. Yes. But you see, not self-will and do what we want to do. Do what Jesus wants. But because the Lord led, you found Jesus. Right. Praise the Lord. And oh, you've been happy. Right. Listen, Jesus has helped you wonderfully. Praise the Lord. I know he has. And it seems like it's gotten better. You know, you'll call me and tell me where Jesus had you over here and over here. And I said, Joe, this ought to be written down. This is wonderful. I'm getting blessed over this. I get so excited whenever the Lord works or leads just one time. You just, of course, you want more. But the thing is, you're just so thankful over that one time. Oh, so why? Well, I can see why you get excited. I was telling that lawyer in Cleveland, Ohio, the other day on the telephone, telling him how the Lord provided that $400 last month and how the Lord had you to send $1,000. And I said, yes, yes. I said, I get excited about these things when God works. And he said, well, I can see why. You have the right to. Of course, we all have the right to because it's the Father's business. Yes. But I'll tell you, there's nothing quite like the freshness and the romance and the thrill of seeing God work. There's nothing like it. Nothing. You're looking around, you wonder why other people don't get excited. Oh, yes. Well, everybody that's there where the glory spout is, they're all happy and all excited. The sad story is, the world, when you talk to an old downright sinner, he begins to get excited. Oh, yes. Say, I'll tell you, you can talk to him. I got talking to a beer salesman, telling him how, you know, he was selling a substitute, somebody, some church person, and scolding the poor man. Tell him how she'd like to run him out of town for selling beer. Well, I started telling him, I said, why, when you find a group of people that's trying to be obedient and be led of the Holy Spirit and come to nothing, let God have his way, you'll sit down that order book for that substitute of the real thing. Yeah. He'll be on the way. He looked at me and said, well, I believe that. Well, sure. He said, I believe I've been looking for that. See, you baited the hook with love so sweetly that he took a bite of it and liked it. You see, we can't put the bait on of our intentions and our desires of right things, we've got to leave that to the Lord and just love them until Jesus lifts them up there. I didn't scold you for all the things you had done and all these, why, we told you how wonderful the way was. Yes. Boy! It was wonderful. And you wanted in there. Oh, yeah. What a long, you got in there. Hallelujah. We're having a precious time right here, just talking about how Jesus rescued you. Right, right. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. See, we're looking right in each other's eyes. See, he looks right into me. Praise the Lord. I like what I see. Oh, wow. I sure do love you. I've always seen just nothing but love when I've looked at you. Oh, I'm indebted to Jesus. Times, folks, I've walked into this dear man's home when we came up to Indiana for something, when we come up to Indiana to stop by, and I'll tell you, I'd go to love him, and you'd just feel like a, I guess, only much quicker reaction than an ice cube in a radar oven, you know, microwave, just how, you know, that cooks something fast. But I'll tell you, just what on the inside didn't melt and run down your shoes. Just the love that the Lord poured through you to me when I love you. Oh, my, I'm indebted to Jesus. I'm indebted to Jesus for that. So this is... My, what a, what a romance, what a thrill that is, adventure. This is one of the benefits of what you've been preaching about. Well, see, that's so precious, isn't it? But it all started through not self-will. Right, right. Because Jesus wanted me with you. He didn't want me in that room by myself to rest. It's time to work. Just the beginning of something. It's time to love, time to care, time to be gentle. I'd never met anybody quite like you. Well, I haven't since. Well, we're just so unworthy of everything, you know. We really are. We're so indebted to Jesus. I pray to be faithful from now on in every way. And Jesus told me to go home with you. Wonderful. Because self, not self-will. See, that's what we're on. Isn't that wonderful? And then all these wonderful side benefits. Right. Central effects. Not side effects. Central. They weren't marginal. Because your lives hinged. Right. Your whole, your home pivoted. True. Your soul pivoted upon not self-willed. Right. And you've been in church services for 20 years. Right. But see, Jesus wanted us with you. He didn't want us over there in that beautiful parcel. So comfortable. Such a beautiful bed. He wanted me with you in the night. Hallelujah. Oh, I tell you, how could I have much better time? I don't know. But praise the Lord. Only this more what we have. Hallelujah. All because of Jesus. All because of the Lord Jesus Christ that said you go home with him. And then Jesus came. I remember you'd get the overshoes and bring over. And I'd get into the meeting. I couldn't stop. He said, well, I'll just put them back there. And whatever God tells you, I'll get them for you. Finally, I just brought them out there and put them on the chair. And you'd say, well, I believe I can go. And you'd start to go. And you'd say, oh, the Lord tells me I can't. And you'd stop. And we'd have more meeting. And you'd say, well, I believe I can go. And you'd start to take a step. And you'd say, well, I don't believe I can't. No, no, the Holy Spirit checked me and said, you're not leaving here yet. Right. You might not have been sufficiently born. You don't know the times all these thoughts have gone through my mind. Christ formed in you, you see. Paul said, you know, that Christ formed in you. Yes. And all these, I have thought of that night. I've relived it so many times in my mind, in my heart, because of the fact of how you did deny self, how you did press with every bit of zesto to you, with every bit of go. But that's great. Praise the Lord. So, of course, the thing is that's encouraging is the fact when you're obedient once and let the Lord have his way and he leads you, it does encourage you to be obedient the next time. Oh, it's such a joy. It's a great delight. Or more than that. Yes, more than that. Probably more than that. How Jesus leads. But self can't have any part of it. We've got to put self aside. Right. Not do what self wants. Right. Not self will. True. It'd be blameless, not self will. Because if self would will, we would have missed you. Yes. But, oh, Joseph, if this precious company of believers, and they're all so precious, could know how God has led you and blessed you and enriched you in many parts of the mountains in Knoxville Territory and along this border, various areas and other places where God has led you to talk about Jesus, that every skeptic in here would want to get saved. Right, right. In Gatlinburg a year ago last October, you were down there resting, and I felt like I should go in this one restaurant. And here were two couples in there. Remember that? Two couples sitting in there. And I saw them bow their head and pray. And I just felt like I should talk to them. I felt like I should go in this restaurant. I was just signed a contract with a fellow. And I thought I ought to go in there and just eat lunch and just relax and take my time. And I'm just kind of impressed. Where Gypsy Talby makes all the salad. Yeah. And I saw this. And you were there because the Holy Ghost led me in 1951. You were there in that place because of the leading Jesus gave me in 1951. Right. You were there. Right. You're being there pivoted upon that leading. Right. So anyway, I started talking to these people. And they introduced me themselves. And then they introduced me to their son and daughter-in-law was with them. Praise the Lord. Got home that evening. Grateful. And you were resting. Called Tom to have prayer with him. The Lord revealed a little bit about it. We went back and came to Gypsy's. I believe it was. You were there using the phone. You and James. Jack and Cheryl Hurst were there. Oh, what a meeting. Yes, we had a meeting. And the Lord revealed that that daughter-in-law was having hives. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. And it was spiritual. And she was burdened for the church. Yes, sir. They had taken off. They'd gotten in the evening before from Ohio. They'd taken off and gone back. Yes. Next morning when I called them, I said, I believe your hives begin to go away between nine and ten o'clock last night. As you drove up I-75. She said, do you know that's when they start going away? And that's when you had prayed for the burden for the church. She was carrying. Yes, sir. Yeah, they departed. Yes. They left it. I marvel at the revelation. And then when it all comes back. To make a contract. Yes. Not self-will. Right. Doing God's work. That leading. That night. I'm not letting self have his way. It's just been on and on and on and on at this place. And then God brought you right into the leading that God gave us in 51. And then your ministry has gone on and on and on. A missionary in the electric field. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. What I was marveling at was that night you were over there. Gypsies again. The point I didn't bring up. Again, you weren't doing self-will. You were over there to make a phone business about the kingdom. You were over there on God's business. On God's business. Yeah. Trying to help someone. Right. By God's grace. True. The Lord helping us. So we're thankful. So thankful. How the Lord has worked. Oh, we're grateful. Praise the Lord. Thankful. Get excited. Thank you for coming up with us. Not self-will. Doing God's will. Entirely. Now, when we got in with our brother and sister. We were on this home procedure. Do you remember that about 20, 30 minutes ago? Not self-will. They said, Daddy, have you ordered the floors today? And I said, well, I can't. I tried to. They said, why not? Said, we want a home. We want our room. We want our home. Daddy, we've waited so long. I said, girls, when I start to reach for the telephone. The Holy Spirit speaks to me in the gift area and says, no. Wait. You see, the self of me. You see, would have liked to have had a home, a room for my twins when they were 13 or 14. But the Lord had another plan. Yet. Well, he had good things for them. In fact, he's given them to the most precious husbands that love them. It's kind to them. See, they were going. See, right then they were headed right toward these boys. We were right toward them then. See, we're coming to them. See, we found these boys because of the leading of 1938 to 41, 1950 and 62. That's why we have two son-in-laws. Right? Yes. Of course, if Jesus guided. Yeah. Well, that's enough to make people very happy and rejoice. If only we would just hold steady and do what God wants us to do. Say only what Jesus wants us to say and not get into the self life. Because most all of us have had the experience of letting self have its way. Just a little bit. Saying something. I said, Daddy, did you order the flooring today? I said, no. Day after, time after time. I said, when I go to the phone to try to order the floors, the Lord says, no. No. I said, oh, we're so anxious. There it was, the middle of January. The last two weeks of January. All of February. No. Every time I would go. No. All through February. Do you think that's very long? You take 15 days in January and 28 days in February. How many weeks is that? And then all through March. Every time I'd go. All through March. There's another four weeks. 31 days. I said, no. I'm talking, it says not self will. He doesn't want us to will this in ourself. Not self will. We can't make the choice. God wants all of us not to will ourselves. Yesterday, it was only a few people heard the message. I think it was only 40 and about three or four hundred that heard yesterday. How many remember that? Quite a number remember that. And there probably is only just a few hearing the message now. There's still 40. Still 40 this morning. And it's about 600, between 600 and 700 here, I judge. Still 40. You see, I don't know anything, but I've got a savior who knows everything. See, it's good for us to know this so that we'll be willing to be crucified so we can hear. So we can hear. Are you still with me? I mean, with Jesus going with us? Not self will. I said, Daddy, surely. No, I said, honey, when I go to call the lumber companies, the Holy Spirit, by the gifts. If it weren't for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I just went ahead and done it. So if it weren't for the gifts, it took me years to know what the gift is that operates within me, what it means. I'm still learning. This one operation in the gift area can mean prey, weight, important. Be careful. Caution. It can mean many things. And the only way I can discern which it is, is in my heart. Lord, is this is this operation within me? Does this mean a check? Important. Urgent. Caution. Is that going to work? It's not right. And when I get to the one, he tells me right there on the Holy Ghost. So it took me years to learn this. I just gave you. I just shared with you a little secret. Jesus. When this gift operated, I hadn't been for that. You see, self and went into bed. Self would have ordered the floor. I'm trying to give you something simple so that you know that this is a walk with Jesus moment by moment, second by second, breath by breath. He said, if a man's going to follow me, let him deny himself. That's what Jesus said. Self-denial is not self-will. He said, if a man's going to follow, if a woman's going to follow me, let him deny himself. That means the self of me can no longer be in control. Must do God's will, not self-will. Are you still with me? Are we hearing better, Jesus? Are we hearing better? I've been standing here about one hour and 40 minutes. Now, if you knew the condition of my body, you would have to say only God could ever help a man do this. Did you know I was on my feet in this pulpit yesterday about six to seven hours? Because we're over 10 hours. And I wasn't seated there long when Brother Oliver was preaching. He didn't preach an hour. I'm one of the spacious and there weren't too many. Just a few. Not self-will, but doing God's will. Daddy, did you get the fours today? See, they were as soothed about fours as children are to see their team been the most precious game of the season. The most urged one of winning. They were that anxious about the fours. So they'd have a place where it'd be theirs. A place where they could lie down, a bed, by themselves. Because that is, see, with all of us in the room, four of us at that time, five of us, some of the time. But God, the Holy Ghost within me would say, do not order the fours. Paul, over at Dunkirk, Paul Ayers would have brought the fours the day I ordered them, I believe. Well, I could have got them in the lumber company where I live. The first day, they'd have brought the fours. They'd have said, oh, yes, we're delighted. Sure, here it is. We'll bring it down. The Lord said, no, you can't have it. And on this last Monday in April, following that January the 15th to the 20th, when the girls had won it all through those days and weeks, the fours for the room, that last Monday in April, I was 100 miles in the north, part of the state of Indiana, with a man I was privileged to, through the Holy Ghost, lead to Jesus in 1946. I was with him, and God did a marvelous thing for this fellow. It was a miracle what God did with him. Oh, if you'll just be faithful from the time you start out and not let anything creep in. Don't get out. Don't let anything sidetrack you, with women or business or any, or nothing. Just keep right with Jesus. Don't let self get us out. Don't be self-willed. And I was praying. I prayed with him, and here we were up there with him, Florence and me, and he came out to the car, and he said, say, Reverend Helm, he said, you see these pieces of red oak select flooring? Oh, I said, that's beautiful. He said, if you want me, I'll order this for you and get it out of Bowling Green, Kentucky. I'll set it up, and you can pay for it in 15 or 20 years. And when he said that, a burden struck my heart right here. An operation of the Holy Ghost hit my heart right here, the last Monday of April. Look at all those weeks and days that self could not order the floor. I'm with a man that was privileged to win to Jesus in 1946, you see. And this is 1953, the last Monday of April. And he said, if you like this red oak select flooring, I'll get it for you out of Bowling Green, Kentucky. And when he said that, God operated right here and spoke in my heart, and when he turned to go back in this business place, one of the owned at the time, I turned to my sweetheart right here, my wife. It's been my sweetheart since 1933 that God told me that was to be mine. He told me in light while I was preaching in my home church, and she told some friends of mine the other day something I never heard her say in 42 years. She said when I was in the church and he'd come to the door, she said, I knew he was there even though I couldn't see him right back of it. She said, as if I was attached to him. And she was sitting right there beside me. I never heard her say that to me or anybody else, but she said it was as if I were attached to him. That was before anyone knew anything. That's before I even knew she was supposed to be mine. Because indeed, I turned to her when this man that God led me to because of a leading of the Holy Ghost, and that leading came through when I was at Brother and Sister Bars. It's set right back there in 1945 when I was praying. I'd pray for their one hour, two hours, weeks, and months, and a few years, and while I was praying there, God said my dad was to go to that place where I found him. God said my dad was to go there, and he went there for four years, and we found him and prayed with him. Now he's got this red select oak that he's going to give me, and he's standing here telling me, and when he tells me, I get word from heaven, and I tell my wife. I said there's more involved in the floors of this home. And on May the 6th, a few days later, I fasted three days for the Holy Ghost revival to the Church of God Universal. In fact, in those days, we fasted so much that my family was worried about me. If you see some of the old pictures of me, you'll think I was so puny, you'd wonder how I could get around much. Is that right? And she would see the pictures, because I fasted quite a lot in those days, waiting for the Holy Ghost revival, which we've been waiting for for 37 years. And here we were. I said more than the floors involved. Then on May the 6th, I got a telephone call, and they said the truck is here with 313 bundles of red oak select for your home. You see, I tried to order it. The self-ordered it back in January. Waited to the rest of all of the last half of January, all through February, all through March, all through April, to the sixth day. And there it is. I hurried down, and I'm weak. I haven't had any food, any water, any milk, any juice for three days. It's praying. Of course, I said, I don't know how many times God had to do that. He allowed me, or gave me grace, strength. And oh, how happy I was. I got down there, and here were some of my brothers and a stranger, and the man that was in the truck, the man that owned the company wasn't there, but his driver of the truck was. And I got up in the truck to try to haul out. I'm talking about not self-will. See, I'm still on that right there. You see, if it had been self-will, I wouldn't have been in that truck. I wouldn't have been with him. I'd have had the flooring down long ago. The girls had been in the room by that time. Six weeks before that, the girls would have been in their room. They'd have had their own bed. You see how many of us let self really steer us? It's by God's grace that from now on, self won't steer me. He'll be about to die out second by second, or self will try to steer us. Did you know that self will try to steer me every minute? Can you hear that? I hope there's a half a dozen that can hear it. Self will try to steer me every minute. You too. If you haven't walked with God very much, self is steering about all the time. Most of the time. Because we have to obey God all the time. Our self just wants to take over. It wants to make the choice. It puts us under pressure. We go here, we go there. We go out here. We do as we like. So I didn't have much strength. I only weighed about 147 pounds. Yeah, I didn't have much strength. Maybe 147 or 8 pounds. That's not very much for a man to weigh my height. But I'd been fasting. But I started giving out the bundles. Well, I said, Jesus, help me. They don't need to know I'm fasting. I need strength off a bag. So the Holy Ghost got it right at me. And I could just count them out. Until the last one went out, which was a few. I didn't do a great deal. Did a little, not much, some. And of course, I guess while I was handing bundles, I was handing something else. Because I was talking to him almost like I was talking to him in that front room. This stranger I'd never seen before in my life. I didn't know him. A bit more of a strange man walks in that door that I never knew existed. That's how much I knew about him. And here I'm preaching to him, handing bundles out. And the door gets greater and greater and greater. I'm an empty front end of that truck. And the door, and God turns it into a pulpit. And I get happier and happier and happier. Because God says, don't order the floors in January. Don't you get it in February, March or April. Here we are in a meeting in the front end of a truck with a stranger. Passed it for three days. He didn't know it. But I was trusting Jesus for a revival. For the awakening. For the church to get right with God. For the organized church to do God's will as burden for the church. For the ministry. For people that would pretend to be a Christian that were still in great need of doing just God's will and not our own. And there I was preaching to him. And he was looking right at, he was looking at me like, Joe, what? He didn't look down this way and up that way and over here. He's looking right at me. Well, I was looking right at him. When I talk to you, I like to look into your eyes. Because I see in your eyes sometimes the Lord helping me about you. And oh, God was blessing me in that truck. And after a while I said, I want to show you my car. I got down out of the truck and I took him over there. I said, Jesus provided this for me. 10 to 15 families. First new car we'd ever had. I bought this 1953 Polaris blue Packard Clipper. Always, I always said, well, a Ford. I never would have anything but a Ford or a Chevy. Because I was in the bottom rung. I was clear at the bottom. I'd always be at the bottom. And I said, I want you to see this. This car's heavy. It takes a Joe. Oh, I was trying to tell him. Then I told him about where I was at this restaurant just a few days before that. A man I was privileged to see, one of the toughest men I've ever seen in my life. One of the hardest men. But he became one of my brothers. In fact, he told me, he said, whenever you leave here. He lived in Parma. I live in Parker. He said, when you leave, I can tell when you're gone. He said, I can tell when thou art gone. But he was one of the toughest men. Jesus saved him right in his own place of business. I was in there with him talking about Jesus. And I heard an awful crash. I said, oh, he said, I hope that's not your new car. And it was. A trucker had been parked right by this new, beautiful Polaris blue Packard Clipper. You see, it parked into the curb like this. You see, not this, like this. And the big truck was right next to me. And of course, he was high. He couldn't see that new truck. So he thought instead of backing out the way he should and go this way, he thought he'd just twirl this way. The message, Qualifications of the Followers of Jesus by Reverend Lauren Helm, is continued on cassette number seven, side one. Thank you.