In this sermon, the speaker shares a story about a young man who came to his office. The young man had been in Nicaragua and witnessed the power of God there. He tells the speaker that despite his prayers, he feels that God's favor is not present in their country. The speaker then mentions a book called "The Life of God in the Soul of Man" by Henry Scougal, emphasizing that being born again is not just about giving up bad habits but having a personal relationship with God. The speaker also mentions other books and stories about the growth of individuals and the expansion of God's work.

I would have the lights on all the time. The lights. I don't mind walking in the lights, but I can't beat in it. I couldn't see who was here, then I saw my three Hebrew friends. Okay, I want you to stand. Holy, holy... We're so glad we don't have... I think there's another great... Lord, we wonder what would happen if you said... We've been so sad... We're not mature yet, we're still infants. And we cannot inherit our rights in the presence of God. Breathe on us breath of God tonight. Lord, wedge us in somewhere. Lord, do what we've never seen you do in a world of fire. They love to live in a state of comfort. Lord God, we thank you for your mercy. We've broken yours this morning. And Lord, at this very moment, gambling saloons are filled. And your house is almost empty. Lord God, save us from this horrible one hour of holiness every Sunday. We truly say tonight, beyond the sacred page, we seek thee, Lord. Your servant Malachi said, The Lord whom ye seek... Lord, we're not seeking miracles tonight. We're not seeking healing tonight. We're not seeking some spectacular thing. We're seeking God. As Wesley said, less than thyself, O do not give. In my spite, deepen our compassion. Quicken us with the fire that comes from heaven. Help us to realize and even feel tonight our God is... Quite a while ago, and the director met me when I got... He said he writes his own... We don't have to trade John Wesley's stuff. Okay. Shall we take a break at midnight? Would that be alright, Brace? Good, good, good. Don't tempt me. Okay. Okay. I've had a habit for 60 of my 83 years of gathering books. I don't have many. Maybe I have 3,000. That's not many. I have 25,000. But... I'm just thinking of the many volumes of biographies or autobiographies which I like so much, written in two volumes. For instance, there's a very wonderful life of the founder of the China Inland Mission, Hudson Taylor. A big fat volume. Number one is The Growth of a Soul, explaining the expansion of the young man's personal relationship with God. The second one is The Growth of a Work, explaining the expansion of the work when he went to inland China without money, and saw a marvelous revival of the Spirit of God. There are two great volumes written by Begbie on the life of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. And there are many other wonderful life stories I'd like to tell you about, I need the time. But only God could write the life story. One of the greatest men that ever crossed the bridge of time. He strangled the economy of a nation. The army turned out looking for a preacher. He shut up heaven so there would be no rain. He defied hundreds of prophets. He brought fire from heaven. He brought rain from heaven. He brought life where there was death. And yet his whole life is summed up about three thousand years after he ministered. In two words in the epistle of James, he prayed. I wonder how many, we dare write that as an epitaph for how many preachers. Maybe we have to write on their gravestones, they prayed not. How many of you men are known as men of prayer I wonder? Not many. But then when it says he prayed, immediately after it says he prayed again. Because he locked up heaven. And then when he prayed he released heaven. Otherwise we may have had no rain until today. He shut up heaven and he released heaven. But not only did he pray, he prayed again. Not only did he pray, he prayed before he prayed. You know this story makes very real to me anyhow. That God's ways are not our ways and God's thoughts are not our thoughts. For a moment. By the way I usually tell people I'm reading from the What version now? Bill Cook. What did I usually say Bill? Oh yes, oh thank you. I'm reading from the living Bible. Then everybody feels comfortable that you read from that silly revelation. You know there are only ten versions. Five are wise and five are foolish. Did you get that? I'm just checking to see if you're sleeping, it's warm in here. But I'm not, I'm not, I'm not preaching from Again that version tonight. I'm preaching from the living Bible, yes. No, I'm preaching from the NIV tonight. The never in through version, King James. So you are awake, thank you. OK, reading from this great version. The book of Kings, first book of Kings. And the 17th chapter. And Elijah the Tishbite, Who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel, before whom I stand, There shall be no rain, due no rain upon these ears. Listen, according to God's word. He didn't say that. What did he say? He said according to my word. You see, there are errors in faith, obviously. Many of you read about, how many of you read about Somewhere he read something about Smith. Well, he wasn't a Baptist. I won't tell anybody to raise your hand. He was a Pentecostal, isn't that terrible? But you know, that man got so bold in God. A man came into his meeting one night with no feet. And he wanted prayer. So the man of God looked at him and said, go buy some shoes. What? Joking about me having no feet. The man went home. In the middle of the night, he said, that preacher scorned me. I have no feet. He said, all right. And you imagine the miracle. He said, what did the man of God tell you to do? He said, buy shoes, but I have no feet. Well, he said, do as the man says. So he went to a shoe shop the next morning. And he said to the man, hey. The man said, can I help you? He said, yes, I need shoes. And the man said, yes. You have no feet. He said, no. He said, black. And he got them and he put them down. What do you want me to do? Put them on my feet. You have no feet. Well, stick them on the stump. He did. And the foot grew like that. What did he do? He was a Baptist. He said, well, that's good. And then he said, put your other foot down. And he put the shoe on the other man. And the foot came. Immediately, that man realized. That God is the same yesterday and forever. We've been through all that syndrome before. It's very good. I lived in the days in England in 1925 up to 40. When miracles like that happen continually. Almost every night. You could get an auditorium. That was empty one night. And packed to the rafters the next night. And people got out and went around the building. And lined up for the meeting. The next afternoon at three o'clock. That's revival. When nobody wants to go to work. People don't want to eat. They don't want to talk. They don't want sports. The movie houses. Nobody wanted to go. You see, you've got to get to the back. Praise the game. I believe God. You've got a bumper sticker on him. Smile. God loves you. Put the other end out. God is your God. I made a promise. And I kept my promise. I made a promise to God weeks ago. That from then until Christmas. I'm not going to be public. I'm not going to take invitations. And then Martha said you promised. Brother Timmy. I said well I'll go. Because I made a promise. Then on the 24th of this month. I'm going to the little Baptist church. There in common ground. On the Sunday morning. Apart from that. I'm not going anywhere. Till next year. I'm going to get away with God. And be quiet. And hear God's voice. We're living on the edge of the greatest disaster in history. Look at this for a minute. I'm of the inhabitants. We don't care a hill of beans where he came from. You don't know his pedigree. You don't know his father. You don't know his mother. You don't know his nationality hardly. At least you didn't tease him. He said where's that? He says why? What does it say here? Verse 2 says the word of the Lord came unto him saying. Get thee hence and turn thee eastward. And hide thyself by the brook Kirith. Hide thyself? Now look at the conditions this man comes to. Who is this man? He's in a bracket of the most amazing men that ever walked this planet. Smart men walk on the moon. Men that want to risk their lives. Walk on the ocean. Walk across the coast of Florida. But men who are smarter than either the scientists or the others. They're the men that walk with God. This is the man Elijah who walked with God. And God gave him revelation and authority. You see he's in that bracket again. He is a prophet. Did you get that? All over the nation. Last year I got invitations all over. Come to a prophetic conference. The year before I got one. Come and meet with a hundred and twenty prophets. From all over the world. Come and be with this distinguished group of prophets. For three days on Mount Carmel. The very place where Elijah stood. And I said to my class. My Friday night class. There's a hundred and twenty men going to meet on that mountain. For three days. I think they're staying in the same hotel that Elijah stayed in. Do you think they did? Do you think they stayed in a cave with bugs and bats? And rats? This man is one of the most unique men. Do you know how big he is? With all his achievements. Raising the dead. Turning the nation upside down. Terrifying a king. Do you know what? He can't get a place in Hebrews 11. What a majestic character. I can't read Hebrews 11 without going to tears. Do you read it? Now you're dumb when you read it. Do you realize this man never had a Bible in his hand? Do you realize that people in Hebrews 11. Who subdued kingdoms. Wrought righteousness. Obtained promises. You've got every word almighty God has said. I like the hymn. Our firmer foundation. God isn't going to add another chapter. Listen. God is not on trial in America. I think Shraggart and the other guys in P.T.L. Broke the heart of God. Until he comes back over those men. They had the world at their feet. These men are dreadful men. There's a great American scholar. A Jewish scholar. By the name of Bux Basin. And years ago he wrote. He wrote a very wonderful exposition. On Isaiah. Isaiah if you like. I'd like to have met that man. But he's long since gone ahead of me. But Bux Basin says this about a prophet. The prophet by the very nature of his call. He has a fierce loyalty to God. He has a broken heart. You see we've got. Hundreds and hundreds of evangelists in America. What's that brother? Where is he now? Oh well Ralph Sexton. Where are you Ralph? Bless you. Get some of these tapes. They stirred me. Not many things stirred me. But Ralph's message. I'll tell you why. He's not one of these guys that comes for a one night stand. He stays in the city for 5, 6, 7, 8 weeks. You see evangelists. Live. On God's faithful. Revivalists live on. Evangelists. Normally. Raise funds. Revivalists raise hell. America doesn't have a prophet tonight. I preached at a prophets conference. My three brothers were there. About 3 months ago. 1,500 men from all over the country. They introduced me as a prophet. Which I denied. Because of the prophetic urgency. Because this is the most difficult hour in American history. It's not only the most critical hour in American history. It's the most critical hour in world history. By 1990 to 1992. America will have changed. And it will never change back. What's the minister of education called? Bennett? You know he said on the news this weekend. He said listen. We're moving in a new direction. Things are going to change. Now here he is. He said you know what? The white man's supremacy in America is finished. By the year 2000 to 2005. The number 1 population in America will be Hispanic. He didn't say that. I add this on. Number 1 population in America is Hispanic. Number 2 is black. So get your kiddies at least to be bilingual. We've had our day of privilege. I think the day of the Gentiles is fulfilled. Do you think that? We've had the majority. We've done as we like. But that's over. But look how this man comes to see. This man is a tragic figure. He comes to an atmosphere that's sold out to sensuality. Idolatry. Wickedness. Violence. Corruption of every kind. Let's run down this thing a minute here. In the same chapter. Chapter 17 it says. In verse 30. Ahab the son of Omri. Did evil in the sight of the Lord. Above all that were before him. All right. 50 years before Elijah came onto the stage. The most beautiful nation in the world. The most powerful in the world was Israel. But they got corrupted very quickly. After the dividing of the kingdom. There had been an evil king. After him came a more evil king. The second king was more evil than the first. The third was more evil than the second. The fifth more evil than the fourth. The sixth more evil. Because he exceeded the iniquity. All the aggregate iniquity of all the people. This one king Ahab defied everybody. He loved everything. That wasn't. That didn't have virtue. He loved everything that was vile and corrupt. And it tells you what he did. In verse 33. It says Abraham made a grove. Verse 32. He reared up an altar for Baal. In the house of Baal. Which he had built in Samaria. Ahab made. Did more to provoke the God of Israel. To anger all the kings that were before him. And he rebuilt Bethlehem. It says in verse 34. So here you have this man. And God says to this man. Do you get this? It is a man with a heart that flames. To see his nation change. And God says go hide thyself. Where is the sense? He is the only man around who is walking with God. Unless you say Elisha was there. But you see this is a secret of his own life. The Lord says go hide thyself. In chapter 18. And verse 1 it says. The Lord came in the third day and said go I will send on you. I was preaching in a certain place. A while ago. One of the national leaders. Of a great movement in America was there. And he said Mr. Raymond I went home. And I pondered that word that you said. Go hide thyself. We have a young man coming to our prayer fellowship. Which is Thursday mornings now. If you pastors want to come. He is only a young man. But recently he earns very good money. But recently God said to him. You take one third of every day. Take eight hours every day. In prayer and Bible study. Then I met a man. With some famous preachers. Two or three months ago. And he said the same thing. God has told me. Now I have to give eight hours a day. To Bible study. And to prayer. What kind of men will they be in a year or two. If they do that. Isn't it amazing what men will do. In the news the other morning. It showed a young man. He's from China. He's come to learn how to box. He's gone to Gleason's famous. What do you call it. Gymnasium in New York. Do you miss China. Yes. How long are you here. Till 1992. He said three years ahead. I'm going to practice so many hours a day. Well do you like the food here. Not very much. What's the hardest thing. I left my wife. We've been married less than two years. We have a baby six months old. I won't see my wife for two more years. I won't see my baby. But I'm going to be a boxer. He's so determined to do that. Now I read about these other fellows. All the energy they put into. Obtain what Paul calls a corruptible crown. You know the trouble with our generation. We've lost sight of eternity. We haven't. We're not living anymore in 2 Corinthians 4. Where it says the things that are seen are temporal. The things that are not seen are eternal. And God takes this man. This dramatic character. And he says go hide thyself. And he goes into a cave. What do you think he did. Again he wasn't studying botany. He wasn't studying rats. What did he do. I believe he prayed. Do you realize where this man is living. He's living right after the glorious days. When the she kind the glory of God. Used to fill the temple. We don't see the she kind of glory. Most of us don't even know what it is. We don't want it. Because we don't drink and smoke and swear. And do some lousy things. Whether the sanctuary is where the presence is. Pregnant with deity. And people move out. They know they want God. So God has to get this man alone. And that's the hard thing. No man will ever be great for God. Unless he gets alone. Do you realize Moses a third of his life. Was on the backside of the desert. Read the 7th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. He was a genius. In all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He could maybe speak 10 languages. Before he gave the world the 10 commandments. He made the laws for Egypt. The greatest nation in the world at that. Takes him away. On the backside of the desert. How long do you think the colors were in his royal robes. He didn't stop and change his shoes. Didn't even put on his sports attire. He went straight out of the palace of an angry king. To have company with God on the backside of the desert. But listen. You see God is reserving something. As Peter said. Something's reserved in heaven for us. God doesn't pay his bills now. Let me go back to this man Elijah for a minute. God had to get him in the quietness. So he could hear the voice of God. And he's there for three years. Do you realize that's over a thousand days. I challenge you to get a thousand minutes alone. Without any noise. Listen to God. And see what God says. Can I take a thousand hours. Sometime when you have a vacation. Instead of going to see the Eastern Sea. The others go get quiet. Go in a motel and say for a number of days. A number of hours. A number of days. So this man goes on for three years. There he is. I don't believe when this man went out. From the busy life he had. He left. Send me some food. Or ask all the people that love me. Send stamps. And if they can't send stamps. Send me money. This man is under orders from God. And he moves. He only moves when God says go. He doesn't ask any questions. Don't you think he could have turned around and said. Lord this isn't fair. I'm living in the most vile corrupt generation. Here in Dallas tonight. It is corrupt. We're a broken nation. We have more homes broken with divorce. We have more children. We have more jewelry. And witchcraft. And we've got power. The greatest thing we need now. Is men who touch God. We've touched everything else. Isn't it silly to say. The best way to fight crime. So that the best way to get healthy. Is to give everybody a free car. Isn't that wonderfully logical. You see everything is out of control. The economy is out of control. With its trillions of dollars in debt. Everything is out of control. Vice is out of control. We don't know what to do with the crime. We're trying to find an answer. We don't need a nation to destroy. I don't believe Russia is going to send bombs into this country. We're going to kill ourselves. We're on a mission right now to self-destruct. I read this week that at least a hundred thousand people with AIDS in America. Who are known and there's many more that are not known. But look again. Is this man equipped. What's he doing sitting in at that. Then he's looking every day. He doesn't run out and say Lord. Please don't let anybody kill a little bird that's been my breakfast. He wasn't trusting the bird. He's trusting God. Most of the evangelists today. They don't trust God. A faithful God. They trust God's faithful. There's a big difference. You can tell when a ministry runs on money instead of faith. It screams over TV. Send us money. Don't send money. Let them go off the air. It's the biggest blessing in America if they went off the air. This is a crisis out in America. Our nation is doomed. Our neighbors are damned and we don't care. Two things are always very, very pregnant in revival. Number one is a prayer meeting. Number two is a street meeting. Do you realize the revival that shook England from senators to conference. Under the Westleys was never in a building. It was always in the streets. Do you realize that when the power of God was on in the early days of George Whitfield in this country. The people stood in snow up to their knees for two or three hours to listen to him. Do you realize the difference between just praying church on Sundays as good as we are. You ought to preach. Some days you go home blazing mad. I think some of you will tonight. At least I've prayed you will. You're going to get hurt tonight. You're going to face issues tonight. Not because of me but because of God. It's later than we think in America. We haven't much time left. By the year 1992. What? They're going to have what? European common market is going to have. What do you call it now? A universal money system. And it will be greater than the Japanese system. Japan's going out of the picture. Europe's coming into the picture. America won't be in the picture financially. In every other way. We're going to be made to cast ourselves on God. I was reading today. Listen. Ezekiel 14. Let me read it quickly. The word of the Lord came unto me. It says in the 14th chapter of Ezekiel in verse 12. The word of the Lord came unto me. Now listen to verse 14. These three men Noah, Daniel and Job were in it. That's if they pray. They will not save anybody but their own souls. Look again in verse 16. Though these three men were in it as I live, said the Lord God. They shall not deliver their sons or their daughters. They only shall be delivered. And verse 18. Though these three men were in it as I live, said the Lord. They shall not deliver. It goes down in verse 20. And it says the same thing. And yet verse 22 says yet behold therein shall be left a remnant. That shall be brought forth both of sons and daughters. In other words. There comes a time when God turns away from us. He's been calling us. We won't listen. And we'll call him and he won't listen. In America. Did God love the children of Israel? Why did they cut them off in Malachi? And Malachi to Matthew. 400 years. How many of them are being used today? How many people really know what a real Holy Ghost prayer meeting is? Some of these good men that are here have come to our prayer meeting for 10 years. 500 Friday night prayer meetings. There were tears and brokenness. Not because they're rich. But listen. Here is Elijah. He doesn't have a book. This isn't a book. It's a library. 66 most precious books in the world. He didn't have them in his pocket. I don't think he sent a word down to Elijah. Listen. I'm going to hide in a cave for years. Send me some help. He cut off from Elijah. The time when God won't let you trust in anyone at all. You do as God says. And so there he was waiting there. Don't you think he might have said. Listen Lord this isn't fair. The first man they ever read of in the Bible. Was a majestic man. He'd never seen a priest. He'd never seen a sacrifice. He'd never seen an altar. He'd never seen a Bible. He'd never heard anybody preach. And yet one day he went down Main Street. And he. That's the word of a prophet. That's a man who doesn't care a hill of beans. About the persecution of the opposition. He not walk with God. The man who walks with God. The man who walks with God is never poor. The man who is rich. And doesn't walk with God. He's afraid of God filled men. So Elijah. Is there in the cave. He'd prayed and prayed and prayed. He doesn't say anything about his tears. But you can't walk with God. And not have tears. Don't you think of. Later. Elijah says. Where is the Lord God and Elijah. I think Elijah says. Where is the God of Enoch. Please show my generation. Your she kind of glory. Show us your majesty. Do you remember when the angel came to. When the angel came to Gideon. And the angel says. God is with thee. Thou mighty man of valor. Do you know what he did? He turned to the angel and said. Do angels tell jokes? You've gone to church for 20 years. And never seen a miracle. And it doesn't bother you. Either a physical miracle. Or a spiritual miracle. You see. When revival comes. As dear Dr. Joseph used to say to me often. Remember Leonard. When revival truly comes. It changes the moral climate. Of a community. That's what it does. There's a little book being published. I thought I didn't bring a copy of it. I was going to show you. Anyhow. I brought the details of it. This is from a book. That's recently been put out. By the banner of truth. It's 200 years ago. Well listen. This happened. In a country called America. It says this. I read in the newspaper recently. Of an awakening in Denver. In 1905. Under the preaching of Wilbur Charles. Says in his headline. The entire city. This January 20th. 1905. At the end. At Denver Post says. The entire city. Pauses for prayer. Even at high noon. An entire city. Nobody wanted to shop. Nobody wanted to go to the bank. God was moving. They didn't know what the next manifestation would be. Maybe a prayer meeting would break out. In Sears Roblox or somewhere. Suddenly business was transformed. And a holy God came in. Sovereign power. Some of these boys in the seminary. They're trying to teach the Holy Ghost. He came to teach us. We better get into line. Otherwise he'll desert us. Forget my English for a minute. A young man came in my office last week. Last year rather. Charming young guy. Rough. I want to give him a dollar. I want to give him 50 cents for his shoes. And his hat and everything he had. He had a pack on his back. He and his two brothers had been in Nicaragua. They'd been with the Sandinistas. Where bullets were flying past. And the three men worked together. These three brothers. And they told me about the power of God. That they'd witnessed there. But this is the thing he said to me. He said Mr. Ray. You spent more than half a century praying. Yes never live another half I'll do it. He said but don't you realize this. God's favor isn't here. He said look. We've got the greatest army in the world. Now he's an American. Forget my tongue. We've got the greatest army in the world. We've got the greatest Air Force in the world. We've got the greatest Navy in the world. But we can't liberate 10 fine young Americans in Lebanon. Who are rotting in prison cells there. Noriego he thumbs his nose at us every day. We can't get him out of there. We're totally helpless. Our strength is no good in military power. God is going to deliver it through theology. God ordained. God energized theology. These big shots have had their days. Nobody knew where Enoch was. Nobody knew where Elijah was. He hid in a cave. But he never moved. And here's his secret. Until he heard the voice of God. He doesn't say Lord I want to see the coming Jesus. Because the nightclubs are full with naked. Lusting lying people. And here I am sitting here. Lord I want to get up and go. Don't you think people said the same about the Apostle Paul. Somebody comes on a tour. And they say who's in that prison cell there. It's a man by the name of the Apostle Paul. Or by the name of Paul. Maybe they didn't call him Saint Paul then. It's a man there in the backside of a prison cell. A prison cell running with rats. A lousy prison cell. And here's one of the greatest men that ever lived. My brother here teasing me when I say he had a colossal intellect. I believe Paul was the greatest genius that ever lived outside. Writing love letters to the Philippians. Dear God what's he doing there? That man can raise the dead. Get up and get going. You see we're activists. I guarantee most of you preachers. We went to bed last night. Some of you guys want to be famous in your denomination. Forget the denomination. Maybe it's an abomination. Listen what we've had in evangelism in the last 25 years has not moved America. We're more sinful. We've more divorces. We've more sex. We've more crime. We've more AIDS. And we have our million dollar crusades. Why in God's name do preachers need million dollar homes. Million dollar swimming pools. Million dollar airplanes. What good is it? I'd rather have no shoes. And nothing to eat with the anointing of God. And have all these creature comforts that men are having. Since when has almighty... Oh there's a Pentecostal preacher in prison now. He should be there for 100 years. Do you want a testimony that will kick you out? Do you approve it? Or are you trying to preserve your little wife and children? Listen I've lived without income as it were for 66 years. I've never sent out a newsletter. My precious son has been on the mission field 30 years. Never once asked for a dime. And he's 5 children and he has to pay for his 10 radio stations. But listen. I'll tell you what. We're going to have to approve what we've taught in theology. We're going to have to eat it before very long. We're running into a crisis in America unparalleled in American history. America has never been more religious than it is at this moment and she's never had less power. My country gave the world a Bible. William Booth stepped on the gutter. His wife had a curvature of the spine. He had no money. He had no assets. She said William what are we going to do? He said darling we'll go for the worst. And they stepped out. And eventually they had a Holy Ghost revival. They've lost their anointing now. But who hasn't? Now it's fashionable. But listen I'll tell you what. I'd like to be on the devil's list of most wanted men in America. You really mean that? Because you may be before the week's out. Sure the apostle was the greatest theologian ever. Look at the majesty of the epistles of the Romans. Look how he unveils the second coming of the Lord Jesus. But then he unveils the cross. The majesty of the cross. You see nowadays we've forgotten two things. The average preacher today has lost sight of the awesome beauty and thrilling majesty of the cross. John Wesley says I went to Wednesbury. Or I went to Lancashire. Or I went to London. Or I went to Birmingham. And what did he do? He said I offered men Christ. We don't offer men Christ. We offer forgiveness. There's no substitute for this. Jesus said if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto him. We're not preaching Christ. Here you have a young man. A brilliant scholar like his brother. Teachers in Oxford University. So what happened? One day. The old mother Wesley. She's a wonderful woman. She has 17 children. That doesn't make her wonderful. She has 17 children. She found a copy of a little book which has been republished fairly recently. It's been published more than any other book in England except Mousy Habits. What's the good of having your name on a church roll? You might as well have it on an egg roll. I'd rather have the egg roll. It's got a better taste in it anyhow. Do you know what? Here's a book you've got to get you preachers. Getting Evangelicals Saved. Isn't that a job? Do you know what preaching is? It's 30 minutes to raise the dead. I go to churches. This is different. I guess you're all alive. I go to churches. Churches are insane. They've gone to church for 20 years and never felt the power of conviction. We've lost all sight of conviction and the power of God. Listen, you can rub two ice cubes together and if you're rubbing your theology on the psychology you'll die dead too. There'll be no fire. But listen to what this says. I want to get a copy of this written by a friend of mine Paris Reid. I hope you get him sometime Gracie for 30 years. Let me get this for a moment and read it to you. If I can find it. Here it is. You can assume you're saved he says with a third and fourth and fifth generation where we stand to the day we find today if you just say this and say who are afterwards you're declared saved. And then he says probably now listen. This is in the greatest Baptist where our brother lives somewhere up there. The greatest. Let me read it correctly. The practice led the pastor of a large church in Memphis Memphis Adrian Rogers is there now to make a bold statement once before the Southern Baptist Convention in Spartanburg Carolina. He declared on the base on his 40 years of close observation in the church. Listen this is an established distinguished Southern Baptist I've preached with him not long ago he's a principal guy and he says probably not more than one out of 10 of the Southern Baptists experientially know anything about the new birth. That's not a criticism from a Pentecostal. It's one of the finest when they've ever preached. He hasn't got 10 12000 membership away there in Memphis Tennessee and he says most of the people in the Baptist church are not even born again. Carl Henry says he made a survey and he says 20 percent of church members that he contacted never prayed 25 percent never read the Bible 30 percent don't attend Sunday school 90 percent never had family prayers. Come on you're a Sunday school teacher a deacon. Do you have family prayers in your house every day. No. Neither do they in Russia. You better get your children indoctrinated they're going to live in a hell of a world. Why schools are jungles now. What did I say yesterday on the news. The one million school children who got involved in crime last year. Children nine years of age got involved in sex. It's a tragic hour in which we live. The world is broken people's minds are broken families are broken hearts are broken bodies are broken nerves are broken but the church isn't half wrong about it. We couldn't care less. When did you last end your prayer meeting in tears. Why dear God you've got a daddy and mummy not saved. Oh but my son in law is a preacher. Will that be a comfort when they're in hell. You know one of the agonies of hell will be they'll see straight into heaven they'll see daddy and mummy at the marriage supper of the Lamb while they're mummies name over. How do I know because Jesus said there was a man and he's in Abraham's bosom and there's a man in hell and he sees Abraham he sees David in the bosom of Abraham typical of heaven and he could see that man in comfort. What an agonising thing. Some of you people you care more about your Sunday school children than your own children. You take more concern about ruling the church than ruling your own house. How many of you men are really king in the home and priest in the home. I better get off there except on the next page it mentions that Dr. Chaucer says just about the same thing. He says in my denomination which is Christian Missionary Alliance he said they Dr. Chaucer Dr. Chaucer made the same sad observation among evangelical churches including the society of which I'm a part and he was the leading preacher in the Christian Missionary Alliance he says in the churches and the society of which I'm a part probably not more than when one out of ten or anything experientially about the new birth he said exactly what the Baptist brother has said isn't it. Look I make an appeal here I'm not going to ask you for a thing do you know what we're dying of in America we're overstuffed with teaching and no preaching where are the preachers where is the thus saith the Lord you talk about Spurgeon I was having a meal in a house in 1937 I went for a snack in a very gorgeous home full of antiques and Persian rugs and everything else and the old lady was sitting on a chair with carved arms and a plush seat and back a little thing on her head a lace collar and she said oh I'm so glad to see you I've wanted you to come for a year my daughters, my girls she said the girls, one was 72, one was 74 so take courage you old girls my girls go to the first Baptist Sunday morning but they come to the tabernacle to hear you Sunday night and Miss Rainer I want to tell you something I said do she said you preach just like Spurgeon I said please, please she said my daughters make notes and they come home we sit round the fire and we, we I listen to them oh Mr Rainer said but Mr Rainer said you know he makes you want to believe it he makes you believe there is a heaven there is a heaven he makes you believe that Jesus is waiting to receive us and she said you know when they're talking like that I say you know Spurgeon used to do that and I said dear lady oh I just realised you are 95 aren't you she said yes did you hear Spurgeon oh hear him she said he was wonderful but Mr Rainer did you know it was when he preached he was wonderful very often it was when he prayed he lifted us into eternity you may as well have a parrot in your church or a tape recorder or we will ask Deacon Smith to pray Lord bless the service this morning bless the preacher bless the offering bless the choir Amen thank you drop dead listen you ought to have soul in eternity for 5, 6 days in the week you are glad to come down to earth and share what you have seen you ought to come with the power of another in the days of Alexander White there was a man he was a great Shakespearean actor in his day and he was packing the theatre up the road so that every day the press said the theatre was packed last night standing room only the preacher went and looked the next day and people going up the road and there they were packing so he sent notice to the preacher he said would you like to drop in and see me I pastor the greatest church in this town but he said my church is only three quarters full he said sir is it true that everywhere you go you pack the theatre to the brim he said yes he said what is the secret he said preacher could it be this I make artificial things look real is that true in your church he said listen there are things you don't know about Spurgeon there is a new biography of him out you need to read do you know what he did he was saved at 15 years of age after what after 7 weeks of conviction dear God you talk about abortion there are more people people aborted spiritually yesterday in America they were aborted all last week in the hospitals they come to the front with the heart man believers not memory listen you preachers at the judgment seat of Christ I don't listen to much TV but I like animals and I like I like to see some things going on so they said tonight on TV we are going to show you the birth of a giraffe well I have met a lot of stiff necked people so I watched it 15 feet above his feet he is 19 feet tall the female is 15 feet tall she is pregnant and watch there was a rerun and then the animal turned this way and he said watch and she spread her legs at the back and suddenly she dropped the baby a little baby giraffe from the mothers womb to the ground is 5 feet and the little thing fell in the straw and she looks around as though she is smiling and the man said this awesome thing that struck me so forcibly she won't leave that baby for 3 to 4 hours she will lick it clean she will wait and he said now watch watch and he kept watching once or twice he tried to get off it rolled over this way rolled over that way and finally she put her hoof behind it very gently and the little thing stood up and she looked as though she is smiling nodded her head the little thing walked away a giraffe who spent 3 to 4 hours with his baby and then you spent 3 minutes at the altar yesterday morning asked somebody to fill out a 3 by they weren't born again and you know it but you do it every Sunday every card that they sign will face you at the judgment seat why did you leave them why didn't you say listen I will stay behind with you one of the greatest priests in the world in my generation was Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones in London and I talked with him do you know the evening on a Sunday morning when I was preaching in Ockingay's great church Park Street in Boston and a young man came to me and he said well old chap how are you I said he was English of course you know and I said what are you doing here why do you come to this church I mean there are all kinds of churches here why do you go here and he answered like this he had his Bible he said Mr. Raymond when I come to this church I need my brains and my Bible other churches need emotion why did you get saved he said I got saved in Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones church in London I know that I've been in there Westminster chapel around the corner from Westminster Avenue he said a friend said to me you're an intern now at St. Luke's hospital in London what did you do on Sunday golf of course go to church church nobody was listening to he said come with me to Westminster chapel the pastor there used to be the assistant to Lord Horder who was a physician to the King of England he's a genius come and hear him and he said I went and week by week I listened as this man expounded the word of God preaching in Romans and going out one Sunday morning he said doctor I'm concerned about my spiritual life I don't believe I'm born again could I see you next Sunday morning after chapel he said yes sir what is your name I'm Dr. Jones all right doctor I'm a physician I'm a doctor I'll see you at half past twelve half an hour after Sunday morning worship in my office and I said what was it like I didn't go he said why he said I was going out the doctor said oh I know you're the young doctor you want to see me at half past twelve no sir well you did as conviction left you and you troubled about your soul not a bit why not he said because sir this morning I said you can't find your young people they've been to the altar fifty times they don't know they've passed from death unto life we think that salvation is for beggars and tramps and bums and harlots and it is thank God but going back to Wesley for a minute he's got a man of impeccable morality a scholar and a gentleman and he gets born again of the spirit of God and he wrote that lovely hymn and can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour's blood remember the second stanza here is a man he has no trail of crime he isn't divorced he hasn't lived in uncleanness he's as clean as Nicodemus himself but he writes in the second stanza long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night nigh nigh defuse the quickening lay I walk the dungeon flame with listen change the change is the maid of gold so you change the customs in the church you're not free at all but whom the sun sets you're free and free indeed when Whistley got emancipated did he know he says yes 24th of May 1738 the clock was touching 15 minutes to 8 to 9 when suddenly I felt my heart was strangely he was having an epileptic fit well I hope 50 of you have one tonight no epileptic fit it transformed him it brought him to America as a missionary so he lay down in the forest in Georgia went to sleep and woke up frozen to the ground leg free then pull his arm free pull his hair out of the mud and then brush the snow off our preacher would come home and tell you how heroic they were send them to California for a month's holiday or something this man goes on in weariness and painfulness why? because he'd been miraculously transformed what is salvation? it's the life of God in the soul of man when men come in my office I say tell me one thing do you know God? well I didn't ask you that well let me ask you another question does Christ live in you? well I would say I didn't ask you that have you a new nature? have you new habits? have you new desires? have you a new language? have you a new interest? have you a new vision? if any man be do you know how rotten men are? how sinful? well let me hurry I've only 2 hours left ok so here you have this man Elijah go hide thyself he doesn't quarrel he doesn't say please send Elijah to come and help me he stays for 3 years in solitary confinement walking with God talking with God I believe he saw visions we don't know a thing about at all doesn't Jesus say later in the gospels your father Abraham rejoiced I see my day where did he see it? come on let me go a minute here I'm hopping up and down I know that but wait a minute here is a man and the soldiers are turning every sod over they're looking behind every tree to try and find this man of God ok he's got Ahab he's got Ahab digging a pit for his feet he's got the wicked Jezebel the essence of everything that's diabolical breeding down his neck there's a price on his head he hears men hollering keep going keep going they're looking for him they'll stab him do you? I don't you see God doesn't lay all the prizes in front of us if I could push the door of heaven open an inch and put like you've seen it tonight you'd never backslide you'd never lose your fervor you'd never lose your vision you'd never get selfish and cantankerous enough things to eat we don't seem to eternity your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day so he turns his back on all that all the wealth of the greatest nation in the world ok Elijah stands on the mount of transfiguration with all the angels looking on and all the demons looking on there is Jesus in all his majesty and this is the little man that was running in front of Ahab this is the man that called fire from heaven this is the man that raised the dead don't you think that few minutes he had with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration eclipsed everything in his life what about Moses going up the hill his garments are torn he's been running after sheep so often he's sick to death of eating the old same old meat and stuff everyday and now he hears a noise in the valley it sounds like thunder it isn't it's the children of Israel murmuring against him because his sisters turned their back on Moses his brother who is supposed to be the high priest has led people into nakedness and dancing and sin and Moses is crushed he's left behind the wealth of the greatest empire in the world and here his brother fails him his sister fails him and everybody in the valley is grouchy about Moses they are not getting the right thing do you think at that moment do you ever dream that one day in eternity that whoever conducts the music there Gabriel says stop a minute we are going to sing the hallelujah chorus better than Handel ever dreamed of it and the whole creation joins in the hallelujah chorus and he says wait a minute we are going to sing something more glorious than that what are you going to sing and there is Moses standing with 50 billion people and suddenly Gabriel says there is Moses listen Moses I know you had it rough you got out of Egypt you were terrified but listen you enjoyed the hallelujah chorus yes so well listen now we are going to sing the song of Moses not the lamb what will it be like you think we are worrying about his blistered feet you think we are worrying about his brother who back slid you think about all the priests that failed him there is a hymn that says the eternal glory you know it is going to be glorious eye has not seen or ear heard but God has revealed it to us sometimes I go to bed at 9 at night I get up at midnight usually sometimes I have not been in bed for an hour I feel the bed booming my heart is full of joy and ecstasy I go in my office my sweet precious Martha come at 2 o'clock and say Lynn are you coming to bed I won't be long you always say that she says I am going to keep singing cheer up there and then I maybe spend another hour do you know I will tell you what only the last 5 years as Christ has become as precious as to become I have never seen things as I see them now we live we are so earth bound we so see the things that are seen that are temporal not seen return or ok here is a book called take your glory Lord where is do you have a copy of this did you give me it back you did you sure gosh I couldn't find it today I didn't think you sold it but listen I will tell you I have this you can't buy this I won't tell you this for a hundred dollars try me with a thousand and I will give it to a mission do you know what it is about it is a little black man he went into a meeting in Spartanburg and I told this story in Spartanburg and there is a big fellow at the back and he is doing he knows somebody wound him up coming out of the meeting he said listen I enjoyed what you said tonight about Duma I said why have you heard this story before no I haven't heard it I was there when it happened what a little black man comes to the altar in a church in South Africa going out the pastor says Duma can I help you sir can I help you he says no oh yes yes yes he said give me a church what I have never seen you before what do you want give me a church what do you mean give you a church oh he said you are the little black man nails at the front down here he said no I am not he said you are he said nobody else wears clothes like the piece of cloth they wear down here you are the black man at the front he said what do you mean you are not he said the man that went to the altar died I am a new man he said I am a new man man man he said I am a new man he said I am a new man he said I am a new man he ended the man he said I am a new man he said God. He raised the dead. People ask me do you pray for the dead? I say no, I preach to them. He prayed over the dead. I told a famous, world famous preacher who lived a mile away from me. I said you need to read this. He read it. I said what do you think of it? He said Len I can't take it. Why not? He said it's not documented. It's alright. He said Miss Kuhlman said that but a lot of things she couldn't document. He said that story of Dilma has been stretched. Okay. Two years ago a man knocked at my door and I said hey good to see you. For the moment I didn't get who he was. Then I suddenly realized he's a famous evangelist from South Africa. And I've forgotten his name, my dear mother. I can't hear you sweetie. Anyhow it doesn't matter. Oh thank you. Roger Volk. Thank you. Roger Volk. I said by the way Roger, did you ever meet a man called Dilma? He said William Dilma. I said yes. I said listen I've got a book here. He raised the dead. He cast out demons. He did wonders. But a very world famous preacher won't believe that. He said I'll tell you something greater than that. He said yes. He said the month before I left South Africa, that's two years ago, my daughter presented me with my first grandchild. What's miraculous in that? This is it. There was a knock on the door. I went there's William Dilma. Oh brother William, what are you doing at my house? The Lord told me in prayer last night get on because there's somebody very very desperately sick in your house. He said yes my daughter's lying on the floor. We signed the paper. The doctor took a third of her brain away. And she's lying like a vegetable. She can't even make spittle for her own lips. And she's a vegetable. I want to pray for her. I said all right. He went in and prayed. Nothing happened. He went in and prayed. Nothing happened. He went in and prayed again. Took her by the hand and said rise in the name of Jesus. And immediately life came. And she became whole. Became so whole with a third of her brain moved. And I said what about this book? He said I'll tell you the name of the hospital where the dead person was raised. If it you need on the raising of the dead. But more he said when I see my daughter that was destined to death. That lay for months like a vegetable. Gets pregnant. Raises a gorgeous baby. What do you do? You don't give any credit to medical science. God intervene. God doesn't need to intervene for us. We've got it all planned out where we'll go. We don't get people delivered. We send them to the psychologist. The guy himself needs deliverance. We've got so many crutches today. I want to see the God of Elijah come in majesty and come in glory. And see these awakenings again that stop the traffic. If I were to ask you and I'm going to hurry. If I were to ask you as the greatest preacher amongst the Baptists. I guess most of you would say Spurgeon. Well he wasn't. Here's a new life of John Bunyan. Just put out by the banner of truth. I think it's the best edition ever on his life. Do you know what happened to John Bunyan? John Bunyan was an illiterate man. He was a tinker. He used to come around in England with pieces of metal and repair your pens. You know pens were all made of tin then. They put a patch on it. And his parents were like that. So here is John Bunyan. You say Spurgeon was the greatest soul winner. Do you know in all the years that Spurgeon was in London he never once made an altar call. He said after Sunday morning service if you're troubled about your soul come and see me in the morning at 7 o'clock in my office. In the evening service if you're concerned about your spiritual condition come to my office at 7 o'clock Monday night. And people stream in all day to see him. What do you do on Sunday and Monday? Glow over your preaching. Get up in the morning say to people if you're disturbed about your soul Spurgeon never made an altar call. Spurgeon isn't known as a preacher and he was but he's a man of prayer. A new biography that is out of him. I didn't bring it with me. Do you know what it says? Brother Bracey I thought of this. He says he was so convulsed in prayer he would pray and sweat before going on the platform. And some days this mighty man of God would say I'm totally unworthy to preach. I shouldn't go and preach this morning. You don't do that do you? Look at the wall and see a diploma. Listen fellows there's something. Saturday morning a man called me from the other end of America. He said I've just got a copy of my Revival Tarot. I'm reading chapter 3 and you say there with all your gasp that the anointing of God is far beyond the afflating divine mysterious finger of God that comes. The greatest preacher in England in the day of John Bonny and the illiterate man who was the greatest preacher. He was the king preacher of all the Puritans. By the name of what? John Owen? There's a brief sketch of this on the back a word sketch. The greatest preacher in England was the vice-chancellor of Oxford University. King Charles II would say I have celebrities coming from all over the world. Tell Dr. John Owen to be here at one o'clock tomorrow to preach. And every time they had celebrities they sent for Owen. Do you know people went to heads listen to this. Dear God you have to tempt people and beg them to come to church. Do you know what they did in the days of the Puritans? Two thousand people went to hear John Owen in the morning, Sunday morning and there was no mass communication and they listened for two hours. Dear God our people can't listen to anyone. Of course they can watch a football match. They can go and watch opera all night. Last year in Wimbledon England title ladies were sleeping out in the street to get into the court. They're not concerned about the court of the king of kings. But these beautiful dressed stylish ladies could speak half a dozen languages, lived in mansions, came by plane and train. They wanted to see an exhibition of tennis and they lay all night. Dear God you can't get people to your church for a half night of prayer if you turn the heat on and give them free sandwiches and all the rest. We've no hunger for God. And until we have hunger for God, hunger for holiness, hunger for righteousness, the taverns will still be filled and the jails. People say Mr. Raymond you don't realize every Sunday morning every church in America almost is filled. I say listen you tell me they come Sunday morning for an hour. Do you know the jails in America are filled? You know people don't care the nation is damned. Oh they'll sing with their hand on their heart. So did those guys that have all gone to jail. The guys that were doing all the inside trading. Millions of dollars. They sang my country it is of thee. And it didn't mean a thing. Don't you sing where the whole realm of nature of mine. You won't give up an ounce of anything for God. You see we've got mixed up. You go to Bible school. You go to a seminary in Dallas or Fort Worth. Why? To learn to know your Bible. Forget it. You don't need to know your Bible. Elijah didn't know the word of God. There wasn't one. He knew the God of the world. And then what? God the King is going to kill me. Well you'll see. He doesn't care a hill of beans about that. But going back a moment there. What does it say here? The great Puritan Vice Chancellor of Oxford University John Owen. Why do you so frequently? You're a man of scholarship. When he went to the King's presence he had a red scarf around his neck and a yellow scarf denoting all his distinctions in his degrees. He was a Hebrew scholar. He was a Greek scholar. He was a philosopher. He was a historian. And here he goes to a beggar of a preacher that murders his English. The King says, Dr. Owen, I heard of thee in his old English that thou dost go and hear that babbling Baptist very often preach. Doctor why do you go? He said your majesty if I could preach like that man I would lay all my robes at his feet. He has something scholarship hasn't given me. He has something history hasn't given me. He's something that's mysterious about him. People stand and weep. John Gunyan could preach two hours and people would tremble under the power of God. They don't tremble anymore. Demons tremble when they hear about God. But our people don't. But I'll tell you what when Holy Ghost can reach. Let me go back a minute to Spurgeon. When Spurgeon got older they asked him when were you saved. I was 15 years of age. I was under conviction of sin. That had been a dirty movie. His life was clean. But he knew there was a distance between him and God. I came to Jesus Christ as clean as any man that ever came to Christ. I lived in a strict Methodist home. A praying father and a singing mother. It was wonderful. And the thing that brought me to Christ was this. My daddy loved his Bible. I didn't love my Bible. Listen many of you are not prodigals wandering away from God. You're rebels. You won't let God rule your life. Elijah went and showed himself to Ahab. I'm going to restore this now. I want to just hold on to one thing here before I wind up. You've got all the armies. Isn't it an amazing thing that at the end of his trip Elijah says to the king you bring all the people of Israel before me. Isn't that stupid? What do you mean? Everybody in Israel hates you. Look at them walking. They're lame. They've had no food for three years. They've had no new clothes. They're weary and they're worn. You're asking to be assassinated. He said I don't care about that. All I care is I want God to be vindicated. And so they bring all the people trudging along the roads hungry and tired. And the judgment, the proof is this. As you know Elijah says get the prophets of Baal to come. And there are 800 of them all together. And he's alone by himself. But one man with God is the majority. You say what can I do? Do you know this week we celebrated 50 years from World War I. When Hitler was scorned in England. They said that little German has challenged. He's insane. We don't need to fear him. He made the whole world shake. Just one man who had a fanatical idea. And he made the world to tremble. In our day the Ayatollah Khomeini he was in prison in France for 10 years. The Shah of Persia had the largest air force in the Middle East. There he was. Here's a ragged Ayatollah living on bread and butter. He hardly had anything. He sacrificed like Gandhi did. Gandhi hardly had anything he owned his own. He lived on bread and drink and water. He sacrificed so people follow him. Can you find an evangelist you want to live like today? Why do you need million dollar homes, million dollar swimming pools, million dollar jets? Won't they be a little ridiculous at the judgment seat? Read the back of your Bible and see where Paul went without any train or plane. He was standing in prison all because the power of God motivated him. OK let's get these people. They're all lined up. And Elijah says come on now. You can have the first try. The God that answers by fire let him be God. Now you try. So the priests stand there and they beat their breasts and they shout and they scream and they're dead till the sun's going down. And Elijah gets scornful. He says well call on your God. Maybe he's gone shopping. Maybe he's sleeping. Maybe he's on a vacation. Somebody once said to Dr. Toast you're pretty scornful at times. He said so is Elijah and so am I. When it comes to mocking the priests of Baal. You say all that we see around him groves to ash trough and to Baal. They're all in America today. I looked at the seven and in England too. I looked in the 17th chapter of Acts today. What does it say there. It says that when Paul went up Main Street in what was it Athens. He saw the people. It says they were worshipping one. Strange gods. There were Epicureans and Stoics and philosophers and poets. And he marched in the middle of them and he talked to them about the resurrection of Jesus and Judgment Day. But he says when he looked round and he saw the streets were lined with temples to false gods. It says in the English King James Version. His spirit was stirred. Philip said in his translation. He was exasperated beyond endurance that people could give their money to strangers. I talked with a man not long ago. Went to the Middle East. What happened. He wanted to go in a mosque. They said sir you can go in a mosque when you grow a beard. You've got to prove you're a sign of your dedication to your God. He said Mr. Rainier went through the Middle East. You talk about prayer meetings. If we don't get a revival of praying. If we don't concentrate in prayer. Your children will be praying in concentration camps in America. And it will happen in your time. What happened when he went to the mosque. Crack of dawn. He couldn't get in. Three thousand pairs of shoes outside. Every man is down on his face. Staying there for two hours if need be. Listening to an address by the Ayatollah. Saying how great Jesus Christ is. No. How great Allah is. And yet one man says the greatest sermon I ever had on Jesus Christ was by Mohammedan. Saying Jesus Christ is beyond all these other leaders of religion. I heard this recently of a man who got saved. He was a. I tell you how he got saved. His wife was a wonderful Christian. He was still a Mohammedan. And she talked to him about the Lord. And in mercy God came and visited him in the night. He had a dream. And he went to heaven. And he said when he got to heaven he said to one of the guards there. I want to meet Allah. Allah doesn't live here. He said alright. Show me Mohammed. He doesn't live here. He said who lives. He said there. Jesus Christ the son of God. And he said in my dream I saw Jesus Christ. And I realized Allah isn't in heaven and Mohammed isn't there. That Jesus is there. And it changed his whole life. But you see God isn't going to give us visions like that. He's revealed himself here in his word. OK. We skipped over one event there that must take me a minute here. Do you remember what happened? This man Elijah. The Lord tested him by the brook clear. That wasn't a nice stream. It's a dirty stream. And he fed him with a raven. That raven didn't go and steal filet mignon off the table of the king. The raven is a carnivorous bird. It went to carcasses. It went to old bodies and ripped pieces of flesh and brought them to the man of God and brought him bread. And he drank water of the stream. But the stream dried up first. The natural always dries up before the supernatural. And there he was. The stream had dried up. Then when God has tested him in hiding. Go hide. Forget everybody else. Break rank. Get three years with yourself. Dear God in eternity I'm going to ask you what did you learn those three years. It's going to be awesome. He had a thousand revelations. God would let him reveal to us in the three years of obedience. It's obedience that will bless us nothing else until we get into line with the will of God. OK. So then after he's proved himself. God says go to a widow. A widow? Who wants to sponge on a widow apart from TV evangelists. But you see he says I commanded the ravens to feed thee there. I commanded a widow woman to feed thee there. And as long as you're in timing with God you won't die and you won't starve. I've commanded the raven to feed thee there. He goes to the widow and says make me a cake. I've only a handful of meal a drop of oil. And I put them together and she made them. Put them together. Then what? Each three years in a cave she's three years making doughnuts and fancy meals. It's rough you know when you pray and get somebody else out of bondage and the Lord leaves you in it. That's a test of faith isn't it? OK that was good thank you. But wait a minute. He scored when he went and hid. He scored when he went to the woman there. And now he comes and he's coming to the most critical thing of all. Because our God is consuming fire. Notice it doesn't say the woman went to the door and said get the town crier. Go all over town and say listen this is a man of God he raised the dead. That's our business. Your business isn't to make people clever in your church it's to raise the dead. Check and see how many of your deacons are born again. How many of your Sunday school teachers are genuinely born again. Did it take time to be all holy that they feed on this word? Or are they doing it by rote? Every child they teach they'll face a judgment seat. This is an awesome thing. No they didn't run around and say this man has proved his identity because he raises the dead. He says bring all the nation to and the God that answereth by fire. Come on. Our God is a consuming fire. The most gorgeous building ever built in the history of the world was built by Solomon. He used gold to splash on the walls and gold on the floor and gold on the desk. It cost multiplied millions maybe billions of dollars. He dressed the priests up in their garments. He slew thousands of oxen and thousands of sheep. It's the greatest show on earth. There's never been anything to equal it. And then what? The priests are there in their robes. The others are playing their instruments. The people are all gaping and wondering what's wrong. And he says there's just one thing missing. Oh yes we've got to sacrifice it but there's no fire. Let God of heaven come down and fire came down and vindicated the call of that man. When God was leading Israel he led them with a pillar of fire. They needed water. He could have sent a river to follow them but he didn't at that time. He sent a pillar of fire. Fire is the most destructive thing. Listen to what it says. That when this man cried and said that said let the fire come down the fire came. Even though it saturated the sacrifice with water. The sacrifice was saturated but the fire came down and consumed it. But more than that it says it ate up the sacrifice. It licked up the stones. It ate up the dust. It ate up the water. In other words there's nothing left. There's nothing left. I got a letter this morning for a very wonderful president of a Pentecostal church. And he said thank you for your note to me please. Would you pray that I may have a new baptism of fire. I need the fire. I need the fire. That's what the church needs today the fire. Scholarship on ice. Give it to the ducks. Scholarship on fire yes. Wesley had a genius of a brain and he got on fire. Mr. Charles Wesley says all thou who camest from above the pure celestial fire to impart. Kindle a flame of sacred love on the mean altar of my heart. There let it for thy glory burn within extinguished blaze and trembling to its soul's return in constant prayer and fervent praise. Jesus confirmed my heart's desire to walk and speak and think of thee. Still let me guard the holy fire. Brother I think when he was singing tonight said many of us we haven't lost it. You didn't lose your first love. You left it. You left it purposely. Some of you spent far more time looking in the lousy stinking TV than you spend with God. And you sing where the whole realm of nature man forget it. We we've changed from knowing God the word the God of the word to knowing the word of God. This you don't get too far just knowing the word that you've got to know the God of the word. And what does Daniel say the people that do know their Bibles. No. What does he say. The people that don't know their God. We don't know God. You don't know the God of New Testament. You don't know the God of miraculous. They stuffed you in some stupid seminary. A seminary without the fire of God is a sepulcher. I don't care how much Greek you know. We never had a more learned pulpit in America. When I came to America in 1950 there were only about 50 doctors in the place. Everybody's a doctor now. Does it scare the devil. Of course it hasn't. It's when we begin to burn with compassion burn with love burn for a lost world. Oh you shout amen. Listen if God the Holy Ghost starts telling you right now you're spiritually bankrupt don't wait till the end get up and come and kneel here and cry to God. I don't care about the meeting being broken up. The meeting that God doesn't have to wait to the end of the meeting to get you to decide whether you'll take deity into your being to consume everything. OK. Let me go to Edwin Hatch. He wrote one of the most lovely hymns I think ever. I sang it 80 years ago in England. Breathe on me breath of God. Fill me with life anew. That I may love what thou wouldst love and do what thou wouldst do. Fill me. Fill every part of me with praise. Let all my being speak of thee and of thy love oh Lord pour though I be in me. I'm trying to think of the other verses. Breathe on me breath of God till I am wholly thine. Till all this earthly part of me glows with thy fire divine. What did this young man who knows his Greek and Hebrew do you know what he did? He was saved in a Baptist meeting years ago and he became zealous testifying. Then he decided to go for a scholarship and he climbed up the rung until he got his PhD and he's a brilliant doctor now. But he said Mr. Raymond I lost my anointing. So did some of you guys. Before you leaned on your authority and leaned on your psychology and leaned on the degrees you used to pray and weep. I spent a month preaching in the greatest Baptist church in the country maybe. And that covers over Mr. the man that's coming tomorrow night I think Dr. Christmas. I spent a month in the pulpit of Dr. Stanley Dr. Stanley in Atlanta. I prayed in three Saturday nights. He'd lay on his belly there weeping and groaning and traveling. Send revival to my church. Sunday morning he preached till the sweat run off his nose and off his chin. And I said after Charles Jeremiah couldn't have lamented over his nation more than you did and wept for it. And he was constantly crying that this holy fire might be upon him. The fire is gone. Our churches are cold. There's no burning compassion for the lost. We sit in church and sing. What do we sing? Let the earth hear his voice. How? One way you prove you love God you're obedient to him. And he says go into all the world not into all the churches. Get in the street and preach. Let them see you're burning with a holy love. Let them see it's transformed you from selfishness and self-interest and self-seeking and self-glory. And you're consumed from senators' conference with the fire of God. Breathe on me breath of God. I love that great old hymn. One other thing I was preaching in Ireland years ago. And behind me was a picture of a woman. It looked like my mother. She had a lace collar and lovely hair. As I went into church they said they knew who's that picture is. I said no somebody very beautiful. It's Amy Wilson Carmichael. You remember she founded a Donovo Fellowship. She got a one-way ticket to India and stayed there 35 years. She had a curvature of the spine. The last three years of her life they lifted her in and out of bed every day. She wasn't playing tennis like you. Wasn't doing exercises to roll the fat off before TV. That woman worked herself until 350 children over and over again. She got replays of 350 and they became saved. I went out to India to witness. And this is what she wrote. Here's a frail woman weighing 95 pounds. Give me a love that leads the way. A faith which nothing can dismay. A hope no disappointments tire. A passion that will burn like fire. Let me not sink to be a cloud. Make me thy fuel flame of God. You see what it's saying. She wanted to be fuel for God's fire to burn out. And then she blazed out for God. Fire. I'll tell you once the fire of God touches you. You'll never forget that. God may have to do the same with you. He did with the three Hebrew children. They went into the burning fiery furnace. What happened? All that happened was the fire burned off them what the world had put on them. They were strapped but the fire set them free. You've been saying Lord set me free. Do you mean it? Are you absolutely sure tonight you want the fire to come on that life of yours? Here's the last thing. The horrible backsliding of these preachers in the last three or four years has brought an avalanche of criticism and bitterness and ridicule on the church of the living God. You know I don't care that much about it. I care for them. I weep. I groan that men claiming to be filled with the Holy Ghost can be led into such rotten sin. But wait a minute. It's not what the world says about them that troubles me. You know it hurts me about the church in which I live and you live. It's what Jesus said about it. Listen stuff your mind in the back of your mind. Get rid of your pre pre tribulation theory or your post tribulation theory or a mid tribulation theory. Here is the church that Jesus Christ bled for and agonized in Gethsemane for. And he bled on the cross for it. As the hymn says with his own bloody barter and for a life he died. When you've got rid of all your theories of post and mid and pre trib. Most of you will agree. I asked the class that we had last week or the week before. Do you believe we're living in a laodicean period? Yes the church is laid back. What does Jesus say about it? Listen it's his criticism. It's not John writing. It's not a critic writing. Jesus says of his church this last phase you and I are in. She's poor, wretched, naked, blind, miserable and now nasty. No wait one minute. Our young princes in England all want to get married in Westminster Abbey. And when they go they have a naval uniform on. It's got about eight gold buttons. They have a sword with a gold handle. Three thousand of the greatest people in the world kings and presidents scientists are allowed to come into that Abbey which seats three thousand people. You're three thousand of the choicest people in the world so called socially. And the man up in the organ right above the altar at the front says listen how will I know when the bride comes to the door. Because there are men six trumpeters there and they'll give a blast and immediately they blast you start on that organ. Here comes the bride. Here comes the bride. So here's the fanfare. And the guy up there said oh this is the moment of my life. I trained for years to play this multimillion dollar organ. Here it is. It's a royal wedding. And he starts. Here comes the bride. And just as he does there's a woman there at the front. She's got some artificial wedding clothes she bought in a junk shop. And suddenly she jumps in front of the prince that's coming down the aisle and bares herself throws her clothes off. She's stark naked and stinking. And a priest will get told Hey you wicked woman what are you doing. Just I'm the bride and the bride and the bride. Come on with all your theories of the return of Jesus Christ the son of God coming for a bride that's dirty and lame and blind. Answer. Well then we have to revival of holiness. He's not coming for a filthy lousy bride. And you claim you're part of the bride. Which means at this very moment Jesus Christ can come because at this moment and every business transaction today you're conscious you're wearing a snow white robe of his righteousness. Every day you live more for his coming than for business. Every moment you. He's not going to give you a moment to get changed. He's not going to give you a moment preach to get rid of those dirty magazines you have. He may come at the moment you're watching that dirty show that you watch when your wife's gone to bed. This means there's no playing. It's all going to be caught out. He's not coming for a dirty bride. There has to be a revival of true holiness. And the only way to holiness is purity. What did he say to the disciples. You should be endued with powerful and high. Suddenly there was a rushing mighty wind and it sat on each of them. And there was a clove and the symbol was fire. The symbol of Christianity is not a cross. That's a Roman cruel thing. The sister's signal of true Christianity is a tongue of fire. The day of Pentecost came that babbling tongue of Peter's was so mighty they began to cry out. Here's the difference. Read the third chapter of Luke. When Luke was preaching and remember it was a Baptist who first preached the baptism with the Holy Ghost. And while he was preaching it said what the people cried out. He went on preaching the Pharisees cried out. He went on preaching the publicans cried out. You see evangelists make an altar call revival people make the altar call. They cried out what should we do. We can't stand this. We can't go back to our ritual and formality. We've seen spirit anointing men. Oh then leap over to one other thing. The day of Pentecost was fully come and Peter isn't running away from a woman pointing a finger. Peter is there anointed of God. And what did the people the people cried out again. What should we do. What should we do. Listen preacher the best thing you could do for your church is to get some hellfire preaching and not make an altar call for a month. People are used to altar calls. They give themselves for it. Either they come forward easily or they ignore it. You get to the place where they start ringing you up at night. I can't sleep. I'm not right with God. I'm not a true. I'm not a true Sunday school teacher. I'm not a true deacon. I'm not a true witness. I'm faking it. Listen he's coming in a moment in the twinkly benign. If he comes 50 seconds from now will you be taken. He's not going to give you notice. He's not going to give you time to memorize a few scriptures. He's not going to give you time to pray. He's not going to give you time to get right with some people that you hate. He's coming for a pure church. There'll be a very very small remnant inside of a remnant when he comes. But that's who he's coming for. I don't believe he's coming for the whole church. For the simple reason Paul says if by any means I may attain to the rest by any means. What do you mean. The man has built more churches written more epistles seen more miracles raised the dead. And he says if there's any way I can be in that minority I want to be there. I'm going to get it whatever the cost may be. And it's going to cost that. It may not cost you anything to get right with God because you ought to stay right. Cost you opposition. Cost you ridicule. Well I'm going to stop now. I wonder how many of us tonight really left your first love. You didn't lose it you left it deliberately. You read other books more than you read this blessed book. You talk with people more than you talk with God. You're more stiff and starchy about your position as an elder or a deacon or a preacher or a preacher's wife than you are about your relationship. There's one thing will revolutionize your life. When I came to the altar a second time you don't believe in a second blessing. OK that's your business. I'll tell you who did Spurgeon did. Dr. A.J. Gordon over on the East Coast believed in the second blessing. Find a book it's called the what's the book called Famous Christians. No. Yes. Yes. I forget the right term but it is. Oh thank you. There's a man knows he's Greek. Deeper experiences of famous Christians. Every one of them. George Fox had an experience of God but he couldn't keep sweet. Listen don't you think you're going to live a normal life. You get filled with the Holy Ghost. The trouble with our church is you can predict everything. The Holy Ghost has a chance in the office on Wednesday. They planned what the whole got out to do on Sunday morning. Stand up for their sins sit down. The choir will sing Miss Jones will gargle to music and then we'll have a few more things. Forget it. The New Testament church was totally unpredictable. You know we're going to get back to the place where there are churches where no man dared join himself. That if you're living in duplicity immediately walk through the door you'll drop down dead because you're a hypocrite. It's going to come back. Don't pray for the Holy Ghost to come if you want normality. He shatters normality. He's totally unpredictable. The first time you go in a Holy Ghost meeting you'll say God where have I been the last 20 years. You'll go home and you won't sleep. You'll go home you won't want to eat. You say I can't stay like this. I'm sick of this wretched state I'm in. My eyes never have any tears. My heart never burns for a lost world. My country is in siege to the devil now. Every day there are more people in America spend more time reading horoscopes than reading the Bible. We have more witchcraft in America than we've ever had in our history and yet the church is normal. That's hypocrisy. I want to go home and get with God. Say I'm going to go home. I'm going to get quiet with God and I won't get into bed until I know tonight God has baptized me with the Holy Ghost. He can burn up all my habits. He can burn up everything he likes as long as he brings purity and as long as he brings holy energy and he brings holy power. It's going to take that to move our generation to God. Would you stand. Father we thank you tonight for your presence. I'm sure you spoke to many hearts. Lord I ask you to make the next five minutes a tragedy to the devil. I pray people get rid of fear. Fear of man. Fear of consequences. Fear of death and their judgment. Because at this moment you're going to ask. They're going to make a pledge that before they get into bed tonight man and wife will kneel together and say Lord burn up every dross. Every bit of dross in our lives. Burn away our emptiness. Empty us and fill us. Strip us and clothe us. Baptize us with this fire that will give us a passionate love for souls and help us walk in purity. So Jesus comes. I'm going to ask you with your heads bowed and eyes closed. I'm not asking you to come forward. I want to know so I can go and pray for you. I'm going to have to drive home now. But you say I'm in business with God tonight. I'm tired of mediocrity. I'm going to move into a new sphere by the power of God. I promise you tonight I'll go home and I'll get quiet with God and I won't get into bed until I know God has really cleansed me and anointed me with the Holy Spirit of God. Will you do that? For God's sake raise your hand. Thank you dozens, hundreds. Lord this is your fruit not mine. Lord I expect to see a new anointing upon ministers and deacons tonight. That Lord this weekend men will preach as they never preached in their lives. They'll have a passion and compassion. A mighty anointing in the spirit. Bless the next speaker I pray in Jesus name.