Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
1 Corinthians 1, chapter 26.
Verse of 1 Corinthians 1,chapter 26,.
And we read For ye see yourcalling brethren, how that not
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many wise men after the flesh,not many mighty, not many noble
are called.
But God hath chosen the foolishthings of this world to
confound the wise, and hathchosen the foolish things of
this world to confound the wise,and hath chosen the weak things
of the world to confound thethings which are mighty and best
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things of the world and thingswhich are despised.
Hath God chosen yea, and thingswhich are not to bring to
naught, things that are that noflesh should glory in his
presence, but of him are.
Ye, in Christ Jesus, who of Godis made unto us wisdom and
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righteousness and sanctificationand redemption.
That, according as it iswritten, he that glorieth, let
him glory in the Lord.
That, according as it iswritten, he that glorieth, let
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him glory in the Lord.
Praise the Lord, praise theLord.
In the 28th verse we find thisword base and base things of the
world and things which aredespised hath God chosen.
And this word base in thisparticular case is of a low
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birth or a family not notable,not honorable.
And we read where that God haschosen the foolish things of the
world to confound the wise.
Not many wise men after theflesh, not many mighty, not many
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, not too smart.
I just read it to you in theBible we wasn't too noble, we
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wasn't very mighty.
Amen, and God has chosen someof us.
Who really is a nobody?
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
I'd like to preach tonightabout unlikely prospects and
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unlimited opportunities andunlimited opportunities.
Unlikely prospects and unlimitedopportunities.
Can I take the last verse andtell you that there is no limit
to what God can do With a man orwoman, boy or girl that will
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sell their selves out to theLord and say God, I'm yours, all
the way, in every way, ineverything I'm yours, hallelujah
.
It was said about DL Moody thathe went to hear a preacher that
he had heard so much about.
He traveled for quite somedistance to be able to hear that
preacher and when he got therehe heard that preacher make the
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statement that stuck with himand it brought it back home with
him.
Whilst there is no limit towhat God can do with a man if he
will just sell out to the Lordand be holy to the Lord.
And DL Moody said God therethat night as he heard him speak
I'll be that man.
I'm wanting to say tonight thatin the midst of us there is
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some who probably you and Iwouldn't pick to be count
meeting preachers in years tocome, wouldn't pick to be
pastors and evangelists to come.
They're unlikely prospects, butif they would just surrender
their lives to God, that wouldbe unlimited, unlimited
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opportunities for them, that Godwould open the doors.
Could I tell you just a littleof my testimony?
After that, I was saved.
You told about me being healed.
You've heard me tell aboutbeing healed and how the Lord
gloriously saved me and healedme and the left leg was inch and
a half shorter than the rightleg and how they were expecting
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me to die and give me up to die.
I'd been in the hospital forfive and a half months and how
the Lord gloriously saved me andto die.
I'd been in the hospital forfive and a half months and how
the Lord gloriously saved me andhealed me and later, well,
called me to preach and I was upin this little country church,
my home church, that I couldtell you how to get there and
you probably couldn't find itnow if I was to tell you but
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there in that Sunday school room, praying that day in what God
would have me to do in directionthat he'd have me to go, and he
said, son, if you'll follow me,I'll open doors that you've
never known or never heard of.
I'll send you to places andtake you, places that you have
never imagined that you would go, hallelujah.
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That you have never imaginedthat you would go, hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Let him glory in the Lord.
Lord, you've done it.
You've done it.
Little did I realize20-something years ago that I'd
be preaching in Richlands,virginia, especially at a camp
meeting.
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Little did I realize some yearsago that I would be involved
this summer in seven campmeetings.
How little did I realize thatI'd preach in Guatemala, that
I'd preach in Haiti, that I'dpreach in Mexico, that I'd
preach in Central America, thatI'd preach in other parts of
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South America.
Little did I realize, as acountry boy, how, with the daddy
, that most of his life had beenspent as a sharecropper's
farmer, a farmer that I would bepreaching at, sometimes To as
many as 16,000 people at onetime.
Oh, what are you saying?
I'm saying If you tonight willsurrender your life and yield
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your life to the Lord, there isunlimited opportunities for
those that are willing to followthe Lord.
I went to school, just like youwent to school, I suppose, and
I didn't think and probably Inever achieved anything in
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school.
I never was on the beta club no, I wasn't voted and one time on
4-H club.
I had a little deal going, butI didn't go very far.
The other boys succeeded andsome of them went to state.
I never won any great awards tomount anything, ah, but that
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second Sunday night in Aprilwhen I surrendered my life to
the Lord, jesus Christ, and hetook it and made it.
It maybe hasn't reached as highas some, but it's reached so
much higher than it was Whoo,hallelujah.
I want to ask you tonight, ifyou are looking for a prospect,
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how to follow Abraham and tocarry on the genealogy and to be
a man, would you look forsomebody like Joseph, who was
the son of his father's old age,who was a sport brat?
Read it, it's there, amen.
He was daddy's pet.
Daddy had him a special coatbill.
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He dressed different fromeverybody else.
He had a coat of many colors.
Somebody probably said that boywill never amount to nothing.
But you see, he talked to God,he sought God, he looked to God
and God took Joseph and made hima savior for Israel Hallelujah
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and a deliverer for.
Israel.
There is unlikely prospects inthe midst of us tonight that if
only we can get in these altars,we can find unlimited
opportunities through them.
Would you suspect somebody likeJoseph to ever be the leader?
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Oh, yes, brother Neal, I canread it.
Yes, but let's look beyond whatyou read.
Let's look at some thatsurround today.
Would you have picked them outto be where they are?
No, no, you wouldn't.
But you see, joseph put hishands and his life in the God of
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heaven and he trusted in him.
And God used Joseph amen, amento be a deliverer for Israel.
What about the sixth judge ofIsrael, gideon?
Would you have picked a boy sobashful and backward, a boy
whose daddy was an idolater, aboy who was out of the tribes of
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small and out of the poorfamily?
And he said I am the smallestin my daddy's house and my
family is poor whoa.
And the angel of the Lord saidhail thy mighty.
You see, god doesn't needbrains, he doesn't need a
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smartness, he doesn't needbrilliance, but he needs
submitted lives yielded towhatever he wants and desires,
and God can take the rest and doit.
Would you have picked a manlike this?
Would you have picked a womanlike Esther, who was with her
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cousin, had to be a savior forthe Jews at such a time.
Oh, yes, she was beautiful, butit must take more than beauty
To reach out and to be a saviorand to be a deliverer.
But Mordecai said For who ofwhat thou knowest?
But thou hast come to thekingdom For such a time as this?
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Oh, would you pick David Tosend him To go to fight against
Goliath, while he was so smalland Goliath was so large?
He was a shepherd boy, trainedin the ways of shepherds.
He was just his youngest boy,while the others looked so big
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and looked so great.
It was David that broughtvictory when he submitted to God
.
Oh, glory, the unlimitedopportunities.
Brother, it was David that slewthe giant.
We know the story.
Every little boy and girl knowsthe story.
Ah, but it was David that madethe mighty king of Israel that
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many times we read in the Bibleabout, many times he's
overlooked.
When Jesse was called andJesse's sons were called to pick
a king from Jesse's house,david was left with the sheep.
No need of taking David.
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Come on the rest of the boys.
You come on David.
See about this flock son, seeabout those few sheep.
Amen, I know it won't be David.
Uh, uh, he's the most unlikelyone of all.
And it sure won't be David.
Ah, look at my other boys.
They stand so tall, they're soexperienced, they're trained in
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war, they know how to fight,they're older and surely it'll
be one of them.
But that old prophet of Godasked the question Do you have
yet anymore?
And he said we got one more.
Who was it?
He was that unlikely prospectI've seen in some of my revivals
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across this country and othercountries.
I'd look and I'd say no,so-and-so, he'll probably get
safe.
Everybody's's praying for him,everybody's most.
Everybody's wanting him to getsaved and they're all up in arms
about him getting saved.
Of course they do want him toget saved.
But all of a sudden there comesone that nobody's even thought
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much about, probably hadn'tprayed a whole lot about
staggering to the altar andfalling to the altar and pray
through and get saved.
David, he's out of this, out ofthere watching the sheep sin
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for him.
We're not going to sit downuntil he gets here.
Amen, we're going to wait andthey send for david.
And when David comes in, theLord speaks unto Samuel and said
Arise and anoint him.
Can you see that bunch standingthere saying, well, I'll be.
I wouldn't have never thoughtDavid would have been a king.
I wouldn't have never thoughthe'd have made a singer.
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If I was cutting out singers,I'd have never cut old brother
Randall out like he is.
Amen, if I was callingpreachers and I was dealing with
men, I'd have never called NeilBridges.
Don't worry, I wonder about itmyself sometimes.
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Hallelujah, unlikely prospects,people that you leastly think,
and Paul is saying here, said toold brother and said don't you
see, there's men that are notwise?
Not many wise men called Whilehe's not.
I said don't you see there'smen that are not wise?
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Not many wise men call Whilehe's not qualified to be a
preacher.
He doesn't know too much, Ifound out.
Sometimes it's best not to knowso much Amen.
Amen, oh.
Would you have called a manlike David?
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What about those that were soodd to society, so different
from the world, so different towhat man thought?
Amen, oh, listen.
What would have been the oddsFor a man like David to go
against a giant?
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Would you have chose one ofthese little boys, or some of
these young men tonight that wasshouting around here, to face
one of the most vilest men ofAmerica, one of the greatest
warriors of our time, and sayhit him head on?
Oh, no, no, no.
What it be the odds, I'll tellyou what they're slim without
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God.
But with God on your side,you're bound to win.
Oh, and so David won thevictory.
And you know the rest of thestories.
Paul Harvey says where are theIsaiah's?
That says here am I.
I hope we'll have some heretonight in this camp meeting
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that will say Lord, here I am.
I don't have much to offer, butif you can take the little that
I have and use it for yourglory, here it is God, here it
is.
I'm persuaded to believe God islooking for yielded lies and
yielded vessels.
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He doesn't so much want you toqualify yourself as he wants you
to yield yourself that he, hemight qualify you and use you
for the job.
Amen, that is out there.
I trust God will give us someIsaiah's tonight, some that will
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say Lord, here am I, I'll do it, I'll go, I'll sing, I'll
preach, I'll testify, I'll dowhatever you want me to.
Here am I.
Where are those Jeremiah's thatcries out and says, lord, I'm
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just a child, feels soinsufficient To be the prophet
that God needs for that hour?
I'll tell you, I've neverpreached a meeting.
I don't care if it's a prayermeeting, I don't care if it's a
Sunday service, I don't care ifthere's a half a dozen.
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I have preached to as little asfive of us dozen.
I have preached to as little asfive of us my wife, myself, two
sinners and old deacon.
Everybody else was at home,snowed or froze in.
And the second night, firstnight, I went.
I didn't preach.
On the way home the Lord spoketo me and said I gave you a
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message to preach and you didn'tpreach.
Well, there wasn't but five ofus, including my wife and me,
and I said but, lord, therewasn't but five.
But he said where are two orthree?
Hallelujah?
And I said oh God, if you'llhelp me.
The Lord said if that man andwoman that was there dies lost,
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their blood's going to be onyour hands.
I gave you a message to preachand I told you what to preach
and you didn't preach.
If I'd have wanted more there,I'd have sent more.
And I said, oh god, help me toget back tomorrow night, if
you'll bless me to be back atthat little country church out
on the dirt roads in southgeorgia where the pastor wasn't
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even able to get there.
He was frozen.
I said, if I can get theretomorrow night and they come,
I'll preach the next night.
My wife went with me.
She played the piano the bestshe could, I sung Amazing Grace
the best I could and I prayedand I took my Bible and went to
the pulpit and I opened up myBible and preached Better, not
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preach in a camp meeting and Ishouted and I danced and I
rejoiced and I gave the all theservice.
And down the aisle come thatman and his wife and fell in the
altar and prayed through andthe Lord gloriously saved them.
Half of my congregation saved.
Never had that to happen before, nor since.
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Amen, I believe that's as goodas Billy Graham's doing
percentage wise Hallelujah.
You see, sometimes we judge Godby the size of the crowd and we
look at something and we saythe prospect is not good.
But I'll tell you, god can takea little and make a mountain
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out of it.
Hallelujah, brother, theunlimited opportunities that we
have, sometimes, because theyare not great in the eyes of the
world, we overlook them.
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Would you call an old boy fromthe herds, a sycamore, a fruit
gatherer?
Really, figs is what it amountsto.
Would you have called somebodyto be your prophet that was a
herder and was just a sycamorefruit gatherer and his dad
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wasn't in the ministry and hisdaddy wasn't a prophet.
He was no son of a prophet.
Our society today would haveoverlooked him.
And I said this boy's notqualified to go into preaching
amen and to be a prophet.
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He's not qualified to do whathe needs to do and what God
needs to do, because he doesn'thold papers with us, he hasn't
passed our test and he doesn'tknow this or that or the other
about who's who and?
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what's what?
He's not too wise, he's notnoble, amen, amen.
He's not valid, amen, he's notvalid, he's not mighty.
And I'll just tell you I don'tsee how God can use him.
I'll tell you what God uses thefoolish things, the small
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things, hallelujah, listen.
Would you have called?
Listen, would you have called?
Or would you have chosen aPharisee Of Pharisees, of the
strictest sect, educated, of oneof the greatest Theologians of
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that day?
I mean, he knew it upside down,downside up, ever, which way
you want to go, this fellow knewit.
And he was a starch Christianhater.
I mean 100%.
He didn't just go likeeverybody else to fight against
the Christians.
He went out of his way to tryto get them.
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Amen, he'd pay to get one.
He'd do anything in the worldto get a Christian.
He'd take any Christian that hecould and he'd destroy them and
he'd cause them to blasphemeand to backslide and to forsake
the gospel, if he could.
Ah, he held the cloak of youngmen while they stoned one of the
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deacons in one of the Christianchurches calling on the name of
young men, while they stonedone of the deacons in one of the
christian churches calling onthe name of the lord.
I'm persuaded to believe.
He is standing on the sidesaying sick him, boys, put it on
him, amen.
His name scattered abroad,throughout the whole country,
that this man is a christianhater.
There's nobody like him.
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He'll never be saved.
He's most likely gone too far,he's most likely blasphemed and
he's maybe turned over to areprobate mind.
And he'll never be saved andhe'll never know God.
He'll go to hell.
He'll never get in theChristian church, ah.
But one day, on the way toDamascus, ah Woo.
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An unusual thing happened.
The Lord Jesus Christ decidedit was time to have a convert's
class, and there's one inparticular that he wanted.
It was the unlikely AmenProspect.
It was that one that everybodythat he wanted.
It was the unlikely amenprospect.
It was that one that everybodysaid he'll never do.
Watch him, don't get close tohim, he'll persecute you because
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you're a Christian.
But that glorious day, the sonof righteousness descended with
a light brighter than thenoonday sun and sm smoked this
old, unlikely prospect to theground.
His eyes were blinded.
He could not see, but he couldsee Hallelujah, amen.
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He could not see them aroundhim, but he could see this light
brighter than the noonday sun.
This man that was in call saw,who will later become Paul.
Amen, amen to the church world.
This man, who everybody wasafraid of, will someday write 14
of epistles and be one of thegreatest church organizers of
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all time.
Glory, hallelujah.
What are you saying?
I'm saying in the midst of ustonight, there could be some
great one that we're overlooking, somebody that we don't know,
that God could mightily use himto help bring a reformation back
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to America and back to arevival, hallelujah.
And if so, I'd be glad to standsomeday and drop my head and
say hallelujah, hallelujah.
Would you have picked fishermenlike Peter and John?
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Would you have picked a doctorlike Luke?
An unlikely prospect, you see,you never know.
You never know, you never know,you never know, you never know.
There's people sitting in thiscongregation that's saved
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tonight that you wouldn't havethought would have ever got
saved.
Brother Ralph knows.
Brother Barnett knows.
Brother David knows him.
Several of you know him, oldBrother Leon Pace Down, that
comes to our church that nightat Millertown, when I was
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preaching the revival and Leonhad come his second night.
Leon was a notorious outlaw ofour area.
Brother Gary knows him.
I mean, he was notorious, leonPace.
Brother Jamie knows him.
I'll tell you, leon Pace is oneof the meanest men of our
country.
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A man split his throat one day,from ear to ear, and he still
got the scar.
And I talked to one of the menthat was standing there when
that fellow cut his throat.
They got in an argument andthat fellow pulled out his knife
and cut his throat from almostfrom ear to ear, all the way
across and that man told me hesaid I was watching it, brother
Neal the blood began to shootout as he hit those veins there
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and blood began to pump out ofhim and he said that he sailed
on that man and beat himunconscious and it took five of
us to get him off of that manand he said that some of the
times when he would roll bloodwould shoot up and hit the
ceiling.
He said blood splattered onthat ceiling and said we held
him down and finally got anambulance and some of us took
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our fingers and clapped hisveins and held his veins to try
to keep him from bleeding todeath, while some tried to hold
him and he rared and twisted andrang and tried to get loose,
still cursing and talkingterrible and saying let me to
him, I want to beat his brainsout on the floor.
I want to stomp his insidestill I can see him laying
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outside still raring andbleeding.
And we took him to the hospital, such as that.
One man told me.
He said, when I walked to thebar room and I looked in and I
saw Leon Pace, I immediatelywent the other way because I
knew there's trouble.
Ah, but old Leon come thatsecond night and when he started
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down that aisle some of themwhispered to me and said that's
one of the meanest men in thiscountry.
They never thought Leon wouldbe saved.
Praise God, he's saved and inchurch and been in church for
several years.
He'll give you the shirt off onhis back.
I'm not degrading Leon.
Leon will have more than he'sgot, but he gives everything he
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gives away.
You can go over there,especially if you're a preacher,
and say Brother Leon, those aresome pretty flowers.
He'll just load your whole carup with them and him needing
things and send them home.
Brother Leon, I like steak.
He'll just do without hishamburger or whatever and go buy
you steak and bring thepreacher steak, hallelujah.
You see, sometimes we overlooksome of the real jewels, glory.
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That doesn't look like aprospect.
I'm being a great thing for God.
Would you have overlooked Paul?
Probably in our day we'd havesaid this soul will never be
saved, but look what God madeout of him.
Look what God made out of Peter, look what he made out of Luke.
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Oh listen, would you havethought about blasphemers like
George Whitfield who balled hisfist up and held it up toward
heaven and cursed God openly anddared God to kill him and said
I dare you to try to kill me.
I dare you, if you exist, Idare you.
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They said that GeorgeWhitefield actually got down and
rolled like a hog in the mireand formed and blasphemed.
But old time, holy Ghost,conviction got a hold of George
Whitfield until one day hethrowed up both hands and said
God, I can say no more, do nomore, but surrender my life.
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And here I am, god, hallelujah,oh glory.
Would you have picked the onelike that?
Oh, would you have picked theone that gambled like Brother
Buster Wilson, I heard BrotherBuster tell about the time that
they brought him.
They had beat him so andthought he was dead and threw
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him in at the door.
A midnight gambler.
A gambler that folks had saidoh, wilson, I will never amount
to nothing.
He'll die in a joint, somewhere.
He'll die an assassin's bullet.
But Brother Buster Wilson foundthe Lord.
And more than that, the Lordfound him and made a wholeness
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preacher out of him.
An unlikely prospect.
Hallelujah, that went acrossthese mountains and across this
country.
Amen, with his famous saying, aLamb of God, hallelujah.
And preaching his way Into thehearts of many, would you have
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chosen one like Brother ClaudeHealy, with a fifth grade
education, couldn't pronouncehis words good, a lot of people
laughed at him.
But brother Healy had a way ofgetting you.
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Amen, I loved him, I loved him.
But Brother Eli had a way ofgetting you.
Amen, I loved him, I loved him.
I guess we all loved him.
I guess you loved him too.
Old mountaineer boy, saved andraised closer to you than he was
to us.
But he won the south and thewest heart and people respected
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him and he preached countmeetings across this country.
Amen, many his words he couldnot pronounce correct.
I'm telling you, sir, more thanto rely on your wisdom, rely on
God.
Amen.
Let your life be totallysurrendered to the Lord and see
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what God can make out of yourlife.
Wrote that great song thereain't no grave gonna hold my
body down, and one that'sgreater than that to me.
It hasn't reached popularitywith the outside world as much,
but it wrote he loves me moreand more.
I'll tell you to me that's oneof his tops.
Oh, he loves me.
Yes, he loves me more and more.
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I'll tell you to me that's oneof his tops.
Oh, he loves me.
Yes, he loves me more and more.
That's one thing that I'm sureFor he cometh within my heart
now to stay.
He lifts me up when I am down.
He gives to me an eternal crown.
Oh, he loves me.
Yes, he loves me more and more.
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You that didn't ever have theprivilege of meeting old brother
Claude, you'd have just met anold mountaineer boy, amen, just
talk plain.
And he used his R's and hetalked just about like these
Richlands folks talk Amen and alot of things.
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He didn't know about homileticsand about pulpitetics.
He didn't know a lot about alot of things.
But I'll tell you what he didknow.
He knew that he surrendered hislife to the Lord and his old
heel, billy way, reached soulsfor the God.
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Sometimes they go around ourchurch.
They were talking and differentones brought up Brother Ely,
and somebody said do you knowwhat Brother Ely preached the
last time before the last timehe was here at the campground in
fact that was the last time hewould ever be down south, I'm
pretty sure in the March meetingand he preached on, covered by
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the blood, hallelujah.
And they all remembered thatold fifth grade education, that
old hillbilly preacher preachedthat night on, covered by the
blood, hallelujah.
What was it?
It was an unlikely prospect.
Who would have thought?
Brother Ely told me one timethat he sparred with Joe Lewis.
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Brother Ely in his younger dayswas a great boxer and looked
like had the opportunities ofbeing a professional boxer and
looked like he had theopportunities of being a
professional boxer.
But you see, god got a hook tohis life and changed that old
hillbilly boy and made awholeness preacher out of him
and sent him across this countrywinning the loss to the kingdom
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of God with his unorthodox ways, hallelujah.
That people laughed and theyscorned Amen.
And they snickered when he saidthings.
But one thing about it theypaid attention and Brother Ely
would get their attention andpreach to them about the old,
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rugged cross, amen, and aboutthe glory of salvation and how
that Jesus saves.
Would you have chose a manthat's already become a legend
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in our day, a man that wasraised out in the oak sticks, a
man that stuttered and couldn'thardly carry on a conversation.
A man that a lot of youngpreachers have tried to imitate.
In the years coming on, they'vetried to learn how to stutter
like him.
That's not what's made him thepreacher.
He is no, no, no, no, no, no,ah, yeah, you know who I'm
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talking about.
Ah, it's no mystery to any ofyou.
A man that's preached campmeetings across this land.
A man that's got friends acrossthis land.
A man that's respected by thosethat get acquainted with him.
A man that the first time I wentto see him and hear him, I
drove all the way to Gibbertown,alabama, from over in south
(36:34):
central Georgia and I said tomyself I said, my lord, I drove
this far to hear this.
We got better prayer meetingpreachers back in our country
than what they've got over herepreaching the camp meeting.
For the first 30-40 minutes itwas amen.
Back in our country Than whatthey've got over here preaching
(36:55):
the camp meeting.
For the first 30, 40 minutes itwas amen, pray for me, help me,
and hallelujah and amen.
And then the next thing.
You know, it seemed like heavencome down and we went up and
had a mid-hour meeting and aboutthe next hour and a half we
rode the clouds of glory,hallelujah.
Where did he get that?
What seminar, what great bookdid he get it out of, on his
(37:15):
knees, saying God, I surrenderall, I surrender all.
If you can use an old stutterer, amen, somebody that can't
carry on a decent conversationwithout stuttering, I'll do it.
And God said I'll take, takeyou, havis Crawford, and I'll
(37:35):
show this smart addict world,amen, that I can take a
stuttering man, amen, that can'tcarry a conversation, and I'll
show them that I'll give himunlimited opportunities and make
him respected and honored andanointed and blessed many.
Sweet Jesus, would you havepicked a man as quiet and
(38:08):
backward as Brother Ben Shaw?
You don't know Brother Ben'sbackground, like I do see.
I preached his mom's funeral, Ipreached his dad's funeral.
His home church, where hestarted out, said where I am.
I know his brothers.
(38:29):
I know his brothers, I know hissister.
They're hard, I mean they'rehard as nails.
I mean they're hard, hard, hard.
And if you want to find out howmuch ice you can stand, visit
Brother Ben's Brothers and hissister and I say that
respectfully.
They're good in some ways butthey do not care nothing about
(38:53):
religion in any form, nonewhatsoever.
An old cotton mill boy raiseddown in Mobile, down in Crichton
what they call the littlesuburbs of Mobile Crichton in
the Mill Village.
His dad and mom worked in theMill Village and old Ben run
(39:15):
through those old back alleys,amen.
And around that country just anold nobody.
Never had no fine home.
I don't guess he ever drove anew car, as I can ever find out.
His daddy was a hard man.
He was hard against SisterLackey.
He treated her hard when she'dgo to church sometimes he was
(39:36):
hard against the holiness folks.
He didn't want any religion ofany kind either.
Ah, but the Lord said I'll takethis old cotton meal boy here
and everybody thinks he'll windup a drunk and everybody thinks
he'll wind up in prisonsomewhere.
(39:58):
That people say that boy willnever amount to nothing.
The rest of his family has gonethat way.
He'll go that way and the Lordreached down and saved his soul
when he surrendered to him andhe brought him out and made him
one of the greats of our day.
Hallelujah.
(40:23):
Unlikely prospects.
Would you have gone and got anold oakie that his teeth stick
out and one fellow fromCalifornia that I met one year
when I was preaching Bristow andthat come up there and I'd
(40:46):
already met this brother thatcome up there and I'd already
met this brother and directly hegot to talking to this other
brother with his teeth stickingout and he said don't, I know
you.
And this brother looked at himand said I don't know.
Seemed like I ought to know you.
And they got to talking andcome to find out they had gone
to school together in theirboyhood days and that brother
(41:09):
told me when I was talking tohim.
He said LD Moore could spitchew in the back of juice fuller
than anybody ever seen himalive and said he could hit the
target with it.
His daddy wasn't a religiousman, his mother wasn't a
religious woman.
I'll tell you.
It looked like that LD Moorewould have been destined for a
(41:31):
prison house somewhere.
It seemed like that he wouldhave wound up somewhere in a bar
room In a shootout or in afight or something like that and
wound up dead and in hell.
Amen.
Society said here's a boywithout a big education.
Here's a boy here that doesnboy without a big education.
Here's a boy here that doesn'thave a big background behind him
(41:53):
and no great forces to pull him.
He's not a man of might, he'snot a man of great wisdom of the
world.
And they say thumbs down.
But God, in his great wisdomand in his great knowledge,
looks beyond the thumbs down ofthe world and he says I'll take
this old boy and I'll instill inhim that he can tell things to
(42:15):
people that's facing them.
He can call people up and tellthem they're in trouble and what
to do.
Hallelujah, I'll give himwisdom that the world don't know
nothing about.
Hallelujah, I'll show himthings that doctors can't see.
I'll give him an understandingthat the scientists don't know.
I'll give him something, amen,that the schoolhouse doesn't
(42:39):
have to offer.
I'll give him my spirit ofwisdom, amen.
Would you have chosen?
Old coal mining An unlikelyprospect.
(42:59):
Just an old, poor fellowScratching to make a living,
digging coal and loading coal,coming out filth and washing in
the creeks around and getyourself clean, to go preach a
funeral.
And some said he'll neveramount to nothing.
It's all in vain His littlework and that little business
he's doing over there.
He's just an old hillbilly boy.
(43:21):
He hasn't been to any specialschooling.
He has no special training.
Oh, how wrong, my friend, howwrong.
He's been getting his schoolingon his knees, hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
He's been talking to the chief,the headquarters, hallelujah.
He's learning the basics oflife.
(43:43):
He's learning how to sympathizewith that widow when her
husband dies in a coal mine.
He learns how to sympathizewith that widow when her husband
dies in a coal mine.
He learns how to sympathizewith that man when his wife is
lying dying.
You see, he's been through thehardship.
I looked over that left eyetonight down there and I saw
that black spot down there and Isaid to myself no doubt coal or
(44:06):
something other probably putthat in there Somewhere near the
illusionist life.
Life knows what it is to comeout with, barely enough to make
it.
Amen, with them little childrenat home and that wife at home
and go preach a funeral.
And they shake his hand maybeand say preacher, you said good
things while he didn't get adime to preach, while his job
(44:29):
didn't pay him, and he walkedback out, hallelujah.
And they said he'll never mountto nothing.
Ah, it's all in vain.
He's spinning his wheels foranother thing.
But I want you to rubbernecktonight and look around this
tabernacle and see that balconyfull.
See this tabernacle and seethat balcony full.
(44:50):
See this tabernacle full,hallelujah.
An unlikely prospect, butbrother God took it and made
unlimited opportunities andanointed to go cross these hills
and tell others about Jesus.
Raise your hand, bow Jesus,raise your hand.
(45:13):
You got saved.
Hold them up high.
Hold them up.
I don't don't, because, people,you see what I'm telling you,
you see what I'm telling you.
You see what I'm telling you.
It would have never happened Ifhe'd have been selfish with his
life and if he'd have said I'mnot going to surrender all to
(45:35):
the Lord, I'm not going to do itall for God.
We wouldn't be here shoutingtonight and you, that's saved,
would possibly be lost and someof you could be in hell tonight.
And you, that saved, wouldpossibly be lost and some of you
could be in hell tonight,hallelujah.
But God chose an old boy that'sraised in the coal mines and
(45:57):
brought him out and made him aminister of the gospel and
started blessing his efforts andblessing his labors and
blessing him and blessing himand blessing him, hallelujah.
And he's still blessing, thankGod, forevermore.
But you see, sometimes, likeIsrael.
They limited the Holy One ofIsrael.
They said God can't do it.
(46:18):
In the eyes of God, there isnothing or no one insignificant.
Did you hear me?
In the eyes of God, you'reimportant.
You might not know who your dadis, but God cares about you.
(46:41):
You might not have a clean bedto sleep on, but God cares about
you.
David said this.
He said I am poor and needy,yet the Lord thinketh on me.
Where would I have been had itnot been for this?
(47:03):
I'll tell you where I'd be.
I'd be down there on a punchingclock somewhere, just barely
making a living and scratchingto get by.
I ain't so far ahead of thatnow, but I'm enjoying it anyway.
Hallelujah, where would I havebeen?
Some of those that were raisedwith me is in eternity.
(47:26):
Some of those that were raisedwith me is living with.
Some of those that were raisedwith me is living with their
third and fourth wives, and Istill got Sister Joanne that I
started out with 28 years ago,and if she can put up with me 28
more years and we can live thatlong, I think I'm going to try
to see if I can't make it thatmuch.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Ah, some of those that I runwith, they're on the bottom
(47:55):
brother, one in particular thatwas so high in our class and
most likely to succeed.
One of the most likely tosucceed is a staggering drunk
today and old meals in Virginiapreaching.
The holiness can't be, they saidNeil.
(48:20):
One of the teachers said youwon't never amount nothing if
you don't get your mind together.
Well, I must have got ittogether.
I did, after the Lord saved me.
Hi Ily prospects.
Ah, not, that fella.
Not.
I can't believe you mean to tellme I went back to uh right
(48:42):
outside of new orleans where Ilived for nine months with a
catholic family.
Uh, after I'd come fromcalifornia I had the service and
discharge and come from, wentto California and done a lot of
things.
Ain't gonna tell you about that, ain't no need come back to
Louisiana, live there for ninemonths and I ain't gonna tell
you about that.
But I left from there and comeon home and the Lord gloriously
(49:03):
saved me and I went back throughthere and I stopped to see this
family and the girl was thereand they were Catholic and of
course, the boy that was mybuddy.
He had married and left and wasliving in another section of
town and I told Dorothy.
I said knocked on the door andDorothy come to the door and I
(49:24):
said do you remember me?
They called me John, that's myfirst name.
And she looked at me and shesaid do you remember me?
They called me John, that's myfirst name.
And she looked at me and shesaid oh, and they're French.
Oh, john.
She said oh, john, you havecome back.
Yeah, oh, john, she said youlook so well.
I said yeah, I'm married now,dorothy.
Oh, and I brought my wife inand I said Dorothy, I've come by
(49:47):
to tell you that the Lord hassaved me and made a preacher out
of me.
She looked at me and she saidJohn, you have made a preacher.
Yes, In fact, I'm on my way toOklahoma right now.
(50:07):
Ha ha ha ha, my way to Oklahomaright now, hallelujah, wait,
she said.
She ran into another part of thehouse and said Mommy, come
quick.
She got on the phone and dialedand she said Harold, call
Raymond.
Harold, call Joseph, harold,call the rest of the boys that
(50:31):
John used to run with John'sover here and he's made a
preacher.
Those old cronies come overthere and they looked at me.
One of them said let's have abeer.
I said no, thank you, I don'tdrink anymore.
(50:52):
You don't drink, no.
And one of them pulled out somecigarettes and said have a
cigarette, I don't smoke anymore.
Man, what do you do?
What's happened?
I got saved.
What do you do?
(51:13):
What's happened?
I got saved.
And they'd say I can't believeit.
John has made a preacher Anunlikely prospect, but I found
God's resources unlimited when Isurrendered to him.
There's no limit to what Godwill do for us and with us and
(51:38):
to us.
If you'll just come and submit,I'll tell you about one more
and we'll try to pray.
Brother Joe, joe, brotherVirgil Gay, bill Gay stand up
over there, renee Watson, youand the sister and Patty and Tim
(51:58):
stand up.
All you Georgia folks, all youBroxton folks.
I guess I could say I don'tknow, brother Lawrence might
know him.
All right, these folks willverify what I'm fixing to tell
you you can be seated.
There's an old preacher that Ifound out since I've been up
here I thank Brother RalphProbst and Brother Bob Nims and
met him, old Brother CharlieJones.
He's had a heart attack,brother Ralph.
(52:24):
Brother Charlie Jones went toschool I mean to school, five
months.
Five months Include all hisschooling.
An old plow boy like Elishathat you wouldn't have picked, I
(52:44):
wouldn't have picked and no,that won't ever make a great
profit To do as many miraclesagain as Elijah's done.
He'll never make it.
He's just a common old plow boy.
Let me tell you about it beforeI get all the way through.
Brother Charlie, I just lookedover and seen him, old boy that,
(53:05):
come out of them old, unpaintedcabins in Arkansas.
Look at him sitting up here.
You'd think he was aPhiladelphia lawyer with the
biggest highest degree in thecountry, dr Collins.
You'd think he was Amen.
Amen Raised as we use theterminology down home, poor as
(53:31):
Job's turkey.
Amen Never thought that hedemanded anything, sung his way
in the hearts of thousands,preached his way through and
pastored churches and others whoshook their head and said
there's no way, not.
(53:56):
Old Junior Collins won't nevermake nothing.
Poor as he is when he's comefrom, he won't never amount to a
hill of beans.
But God said, I'll show youwhat I'll do with an old arcy.
I'll bring him out the sticksand I'll put him in a good car
and put a good suit on him andfolks will think they're looking
(54:18):
at a doctor Hallelujah.
Somebody that the worldoverlooked.
Somebody said this rock willnever make a diamond, but God
began to chisel on him.
God began to whittle on him.
God began to whittle on him.
God began to shape him.
(54:39):
God began to press him, godbegan to pull him.
God began to beat him and beganto correct him and began to
chisel.
And he's made a diamond amongus that most everybody knows LL
Collins.
Amen.
Amen.
(55:05):
Oh, brother, charlie, with fivemonths, schooling is all.
God says Charlie, I want you topreach my Word.
Charlie says Lord, I can't.
You see, I can't even read.
I wouldn't know Charlie Jones'name on a boxcar.
I wouldn't know Charlie Jones'name if you wrote it in gold.
(55:32):
I can't even spell, charlie.
I can't even spell Charlie.
I can't read, charlie.
I don't know one part of theBible from the other, I don't
know one book from the other.
And God says Charlie, I wantyou to carry my Gospel.
Lord, I can't.
(55:53):
And Charlie all but backslid.
He got so low till he was goingto give up and he prayed
through again.
And God says Charlie, carry mygospel, lord, I can't Again him.
And God wrestles and he finallygoes down and he comes up again
(56:15):
.
And God says Charlie, neveragain would I deal with you.
You'll either go now or I'llpass you on by.
You see, god hadn't got to haveyou and me, with or without
your education.
God hadn't got to have one ofus.
And old brother Charlie saidLord, I'll do my best, but I
(56:40):
can't read.
Many a times I've seen oldbrother Charlie go into a camp
meeting to preach, and he getsup there and he'll tell you the
book he's going to read out ofand he'd spell his words, a lot
of them, half of his words, he'dspell, and he'd say I can't
announce of them.
Half of his words he'd spelland he'd say I can't announce
that word.
He wouldn't say pronounce, he'dsay I can't announce that word.
(57:00):
But he said after a while I'lltell you what it is.
And on after a while, afterhe'd get to preaching, that old
chien would get to whoever youremember, that old chien would
get to shaking.
He'd reach down, catch him,bridge his legs like that and
quote one, two, three and fourchapters.
(57:21):
At the time he'd say, while Iwas over in my room this evening
meditating, god got to talkingto me and he wants me to preach
on pinchy for the kingdom ofheaven's hand.
He preached one day for an hourand a half on reducing spirits.
Brother Archer got on his allfours of life and preachers was
(57:44):
a hollering and Archer saidGod's a blessing Charlie, have a
blessing Charlie, and anointhim like he knows what he's
talking about.
But you know what?
There's folks a crying.
There's folks that are crying.
There's folks that are shouting.
People run to the altar andshout God.
He preached on Jonah going toNini and other things.
(58:07):
And I'm not saying ignorance isblessed If it was, I'd be
blessed to death.
I know we're supposed to applyourselves as much as we can, but
if you'll take what little bitGod has given you and be like
the lad with the two fishes andfive loaves and say, here it is
Jesus, bless and do what you canwith it, he can feed them all
at two.
Brother Billy Joe Watson andmost of you know him, brother
(58:36):
Charlie Jones is the one thatdug him out of the rough.
In our country there's not aman I'm talking about South
Georgia now there's not a man inall that country that has as
many converts, I suppose, as oldbrother Charlie Jones.
There's not a man in all thatcountry that's had the
successful revivals Overall asbrother Charlie Jones.
There's not a man in all thatcountry that's had the
successful revivals overall asbrother Charlie Jones.
(58:59):
There's not a man that's doneany more toward promoting
wholeness and bringing folks tothe realization they need a
closer life with God than thatold, uneducated, unorthodox,
(59:20):
ignorant plowboy Charlie Jonesthat's nearing the crossing of
Chile, jordan.
Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost.
I feel the Holy Ghost.
I'm telling you tonight thatyou don't have to be recognized
with nobody except God for Godto use you.
I told you a while ago no oneor nothing is insignificant with
(59:46):
God Almighty, amen, amen.
God honors your efforts and healways lacks for us to recognize
that it's Him that's done it.
(01:00:07):
Amen.
If we have a breakthrough inthis camp meeting, it will tear
me apart.
I'll feel so broken to thinkthat God would visit us with His
presence, hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
To think that the Lord would dosomething for us and move in a
(01:00:30):
great way.
Hallelujah, you see, becausemany years ago I realized this
one thing Except the Lord buildthe house, they that labor
laboreth, but in vain.
Hallelujah.
I pray as much for a burden.
I pray as much for theanointing as I do for the
(01:00:51):
message.
I pray for God to let His greatSpirit move in the midst of us.
Unlikely prospects Stand with us.
God, I've preached your Word tothe best of my ability tonight.
There's somebody here tonightthat probably we're overlooking.
(01:01:14):
Oh Lord, it could be somebodylike old, born drunk that laid
there in that cardboard box thatmorning and that track blew in
and he looked at it and it had afinger pointing toward him and
said God loves you and he died,a young man drunk, because he
was born to an alcoholic mamaand people had overlooked him,
(01:01:37):
but old, born drunk, found youIn this congregation tonight.
God, there's somebody that feelslike I'm not much.
They might be like Jeremiahwhen he said I'm just a child.
Might be like Amos when he saidI'm just a child.
(01:01:57):
Might be like Amos when he saidI'm just a shepherd boy and a
fruit gatherer.
Might be like Gideon I'm theleast in my father's house, oh
God.
But the prospects tonight foryou is great and the unlimited
(01:02:22):
opportunities they could find toreach others, to put their name
in the church work, oh Lord, tostep out and be counted with
the sanctified, oh God, o Lord,to step out and be counted with
the sanctified.
O God, let that one tonightthat feels so small come,
because the smaller we can feel,the greater you can be in our
(01:02:47):
life.
You said to King Saul when thouwast small in thine own eyes, o
God, oh God.
If you was to ask every preacherhere tonight, lord, I believe
that everyone say as I'd say wefeel like we're nothing, lord,
we're nothing, we can do nothingwithout you.
(01:03:09):
But, oh Lord, there's one heretonight that the devil is
wanting to talk to and tell themthat you're too small and
you're too insufficient andyou're not noticed.
Oh God, help them to realizeyour eyes is upon them and
(01:03:32):
you've chosen them and calledthem, with their unorthodox ways
, to come tonight and serve youand be a servant for the master.
While every head's bowed, couldI see the hands of those that
would raise and say preacher, Iwant God to use me, I want God
(01:03:55):
to use me.
I want God to use me.
Yes, brother, yes sister, yesbrother, yes brother, yes
brother, yes sister.
What about you?
Sinner friend?
Yes, sister, yes, brother.
What about you back there?
Sinner friend, did you know?
There was a time Brother RalphHorton stood where you stand.
(01:04:15):
There was a time Brother LLCollins stood where you stand.
There was a time that I stoodwhere you stand, between the
pews, and I felt the knock ofthe Master as a young boy
driving up on the flatbed of anold two-ton truck, riding on the
(01:04:36):
back of it, crawled off andfelt convicted in power.
I went up to the side of thatsecond window and crawled up on
the running board of somebody'sold truck and peeped in and I
saw them.
The church was packed out,screaming, crying, praying, and
God spoke to me, but I didn'tyield.
It was many years from then,many years.
But I look back and I say, ohGod, if that night when I looked
(01:04:59):
through that church window, ifI'd have made me an altar
somewhere, if I couldn't havegot in there and I settled the
account, I might have been ofmore use to the Master than what
I am today.
Oh God, you're not too youngfor the master to use tonight.
He used little Eli or littleSamuel to rebuke Eli, amen.
(01:05:23):
He brought little David fromthe sheep cart for deliverance
for Israel.
One little girl come up, shesits on the second pew.
She come up to, she sits on thesecond pew.
She come up to me the othernight and she said, brother Neal
.
She said I got saved under youwhen I was two years old and
(01:05:43):
she's eight tonight and neverbackslid.
That's my youngest convert Iknow of.
Did you know?
That touched my heart, justabout like when that old
81-year-old man come staggereddown that aisle and his
son-in-law helped him and he saton the altar and found the Lord
.
You see, he never could go andwitness because his health was
(01:06:06):
broken, his body was gone.
I believe he went to heaven.
But here's a little girl that'seight years old that said
Brother Neil, I got saved when Iwas two under your preaching,
when you was preaching here, andI'm living for God.
And every time she goes, whenI'm preaching, her mommy says
she goes to the altar.
You know what that says to me.
If you hadn't yielded yourself,neal, that girl might not have
(01:06:30):
been saved tonight.
Would you raise your handtonight and say I want you to
pray for me, preacher, that I'llyield myself to God in a
greater way?
Would there be another hand?
God bless that hand, that hand,that one and that one and that
one, yes, and that one and thatone there in the back, and you,
while they sing, won't you cometonight, sinner?
(01:06:52):
Won't you come and let Jesus?
Let Jesus mold your life andmake out of you?
Speaker 3 (01:07:01):
what.
Speaker 1 (01:07:01):
He wants you to be when.
Speaker 3 (01:07:02):
I was but a boy in days of childhood.
Sing it brother Joe, I used toplay till evening shadows come,
then winding play till eveningshadows come, and winding down
an old, familiar path.
Speaker 1 (01:07:22):
We'd have never had that great sermon.
Brother Bill White preachedthis afternoon.
Speaker 3 (01:07:25):
I heard my heart call a set of sun come home.
Come home at supper time, heand I probably would have never
had our paths to cross in Comehome, had not Brother George
Allen have yielded to God.
Speaker 1 (01:07:37):
He and I probably would have never had our paths
Across and have been the greatfriends we are Thank God.
Did you know among us tonightCould be some lackly prospects?
Are you praying, saints?
Don't just look pray.
Among us tonight could be a DLMoody, if we could get him to
(01:07:57):
the altar.
Among us tonight could be aGeorge Whitfield if we could get
him to pray Among us tonightcould be another Havis Crawford.
If only we could get him to comeand say here I am, Lord, Take
(01:08:17):
this feeble life so, ever sosmall and use it for your glory.
Among us tonight could beanother Brother Charlie Jones, a
Brother Grant Horton, a BrotherClaude Ely.
Hallelujah, oh, won't you cometonight, won't you come tonight
(01:08:39):
Home at suppertime.
In the balcony Young man Youngwoman, teenager, middle-ager,
won't you come tonight?
Speaker 3 (01:08:54):
Home at suppertime.
Oh God, we're going home.
Speaker 1 (01:09:02):
You that want God to use you in a greater way, step
out.
That raised your hand and saidI want God to use me In a
greater way.
Speaker 3 (01:09:11):
I want God to use me.
I want to be saved.
And her familiar voice I hearonce more.
While they come, won't you come.
I want God to use me.
I want to be saved.
While they come, won't you come?
Won't you come, son, won't youstep out tonight and be counted?
Speaker 1 (01:09:27):
Come on, hallelujah, let's pray, pray, pray for these
that wants God to use them.
Speaker 3 (01:09:36):
They're people that wants God to use them in a
greater way Come home come home.
It's suppertime.
The shadows lengthen fast.
Come home, come home, it'ssuppertime.
(01:09:57):
We're going home at last.
Come home, come home, it'ssuppertime.
The shadows lengthen fast.
(01:10:19):
Come home, come home, it'ssuppertime.
We're going home at last.
Come home, come home, it'ssupper time.
(01:10:41):
The shadows lengthen fast.
Come home, come home, it'ssupper time.
We're going home at last.
In visions.
(01:11:05):
Now I see her standing yonder.
And her familiar voice I hearonce more.
The banquet table's ready up inheaven.
It's supper time upon thegolden show.
(01:11:29):
Come home, come home, it'ssuppertime.
The shadows lean in fast.
Come home, come home, it'ssupper time, we're going home at
(01:11:59):
last.
Oh, come home, come home, it'ssupper time.
The shadows lengthen fast.
Shadows lengthen fast.
Come home, come home, it'ssuppertime, we're going home at
(01:12:27):
last.
© BF-WATCH TV 2021.
Thank you.
1 Corinthians 1, chapter 26.
Verse of 1 Corinthians 1,chapter 26,.
And we read For ye see yourcalling brethren, how that not
(00:31):
many wise men after the flesh,not many mighty, not many noble
are called.
But God hath chosen the foolishthings of this world to
confound the wise, and hathchosen the foolish things of
this world to confound the wise,and hath chosen the weak things
of the world to confound thethings which are mighty and best
(00:54):
things of the world and thingswhich are despised.
Hath God chosen yea, and thingswhich are not to bring to
naught, things that are that noflesh should glory in his
presence, but of him are.
Ye, in Christ Jesus, who of Godis made unto us wisdom and
(01:17):
righteousness and sanctificationand redemption.
That, according as it iswritten, he that glorieth, let
him glory in the Lord.
That, according as it iswritten, he that glorieth, let
(01:40):
him glory in the Lord.
Praise the Lord, praise theLord.
In the 28th verse we find thisword base and base things of the
world and things which aredespised hath God chosen.
And this word base in thisparticular case is of a low
(02:06):
birth or a family not notable,not honorable.
And we read where that God haschosen the foolish things of the
world to confound the wise.
Not many wise men after theflesh, not many mighty, not many
(02:33):
, not too smart.
I just read it to you in theBible we wasn't too noble, we
(02:57):
wasn't very mighty.
Amen, and God has chosen someof us.
Who really is a nobody?
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
I'd like to preach tonightabout unlikely prospects and
(03:20):
unlimited opportunities andunlimited opportunities.
Unlikely prospects and unlimitedopportunities.
Can I take the last verse andtell you that there is no limit
to what God can do With a man orwoman, boy or girl that will
(03:48):
sell their selves out to theLord and say God, I'm yours, all
the way, in every way, ineverything I'm yours, hallelujah
.
It was said about DL Moody thathe went to hear a preacher that
he had heard so much about.
He traveled for quite somedistance to be able to hear that
preacher and when he got therehe heard that preacher make the
(04:11):
statement that stuck with himand it brought it back home with
him.
Whilst there is no limit towhat God can do with a man if he
will just sell out to the Lordand be holy to the Lord.
And DL Moody said God therethat night as he heard him speak
I'll be that man.
I'm wanting to say tonight thatin the midst of us there is
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some who probably you and Iwouldn't pick to be count
meeting preachers in years tocome, wouldn't pick to be
pastors and evangelists to come.
They're unlikely prospects, butif they would just surrender
their lives to God, that wouldbe unlimited, unlimited
(04:57):
opportunities for them, that Godwould open the doors.
Could I tell you just a littleof my testimony?
After that, I was saved.
You told about me being healed.
You've heard me tell aboutbeing healed and how the Lord
gloriously saved me and healedme and the left leg was inch and
a half shorter than the rightleg and how they were expecting
(05:19):
me to die and give me up to die.
I'd been in the hospital forfive and a half months and how
the Lord gloriously saved me andto die.
I'd been in the hospital forfive and a half months and how
the Lord gloriously saved me andhealed me and later, well,
called me to preach and I was upin this little country church,
my home church, that I couldtell you how to get there and
you probably couldn't find itnow if I was to tell you but
(05:41):
there in that Sunday school room, praying that day in what God
would have me to do in directionthat he'd have me to go, and he
said, son, if you'll follow me,I'll open doors that you've
never known or never heard of.
I'll send you to places andtake you, places that you have
never imagined that you would go, hallelujah.
(06:04):
That you have never imaginedthat you would go, hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Let him glory in the Lord.
Lord, you've done it.
You've done it.
Little did I realize20-something years ago that I'd
be preaching in Richlands,virginia, especially at a camp
meeting.
(06:24):
Little did I realize some yearsago that I would be involved
this summer in seven campmeetings.
How little did I realize thatI'd preach in Guatemala, that
I'd preach in Haiti, that I'dpreach in Mexico, that I'd
preach in Central America, thatI'd preach in other parts of
(06:46):
South America.
Little did I realize, as acountry boy, how, with the daddy
, that most of his life had beenspent as a sharecropper's
farmer, a farmer that I would bepreaching at, sometimes To as
many as 16,000 people at onetime.
Oh, what are you saying?
I'm saying If you tonight willsurrender your life and yield
(07:11):
your life to the Lord, there isunlimited opportunities for
those that are willing to followthe Lord.
I went to school, just like youwent to school, I suppose, and
I didn't think and probably Inever achieved anything in
(07:32):
school.
I never was on the beta club no, I wasn't voted and one time on
4-H club.
I had a little deal going, butI didn't go very far.
The other boys succeeded andsome of them went to state.
I never won any great awards tomount anything, ah, but that
(08:00):
second Sunday night in Aprilwhen I surrendered my life to
the Lord, jesus Christ, and hetook it and made it.
It maybe hasn't reached as highas some, but it's reached so
much higher than it was Whoo,hallelujah.
I want to ask you tonight, ifyou are looking for a prospect,
(08:24):
how to follow Abraham and tocarry on the genealogy and to be
a man, would you look forsomebody like Joseph, who was
the son of his father's old age,who was a sport brat?
Read it, it's there, amen.
He was daddy's pet.
Daddy had him a special coatbill.
(08:45):
He dressed different fromeverybody else.
He had a coat of many colors.
Somebody probably said that boywill never amount to nothing.
But you see, he talked to God,he sought God, he looked to God
and God took Joseph and made hima savior for Israel Hallelujah
(09:08):
and a deliverer for.
Israel.
There is unlikely prospects inthe midst of us tonight that if
only we can get in these altars,we can find unlimited
opportunities through them.
Would you suspect somebody likeJoseph to ever be the leader?
(09:29):
Oh, yes, brother Neal, I canread it.
Yes, but let's look beyond whatyou read.
Let's look at some thatsurround today.
Would you have picked them outto be where they are?
No, no, you wouldn't.
But you see, joseph put hishands and his life in the God of
(09:55):
heaven and he trusted in him.
And God used Joseph amen, amento be a deliverer for Israel.
What about the sixth judge ofIsrael, gideon?
Would you have picked a boy sobashful and backward, a boy
whose daddy was an idolater, aboy who was out of the tribes of
(10:20):
small and out of the poorfamily?
And he said I am the smallestin my daddy's house and my
family is poor whoa.
And the angel of the Lord saidhail thy mighty.
You see, god doesn't needbrains, he doesn't need a
(10:53):
smartness, he doesn't needbrilliance, but he needs
submitted lives yielded towhatever he wants and desires,
and God can take the rest and doit.
Would you have picked a manlike this?
Would you have picked a womanlike Esther, who was with her
(11:15):
cousin, had to be a savior forthe Jews at such a time.
Oh, yes, she was beautiful, butit must take more than beauty
To reach out and to be a saviorand to be a deliverer.
But Mordecai said For who ofwhat thou knowest?
But thou hast come to thekingdom For such a time as this?
(11:37):
Oh, would you pick David Tosend him To go to fight against
Goliath, while he was so smalland Goliath was so large?
He was a shepherd boy, trainedin the ways of shepherds.
He was just his youngest boy,while the others looked so big
(12:02):
and looked so great.
It was David that broughtvictory when he submitted to God
.
Oh, glory, the unlimitedopportunities.
Brother, it was David that slewthe giant.
We know the story.
Every little boy and girl knowsthe story.
Ah, but it was David that madethe mighty king of Israel that
(12:27):
many times we read in the Bibleabout, many times he's
overlooked.
When Jesse was called andJesse's sons were called to pick
a king from Jesse's house,david was left with the sheep.
No need of taking David.
(12:50):
Come on the rest of the boys.
You come on David.
See about this flock son, seeabout those few sheep.
Amen, I know it won't be David.
Uh, uh, he's the most unlikelyone of all.
And it sure won't be David.
Ah, look at my other boys.
They stand so tall, they're soexperienced, they're trained in
(13:14):
war, they know how to fight,they're older and surely it'll
be one of them.
But that old prophet of Godasked the question Do you have
yet anymore?
And he said we got one more.
Who was it?
He was that unlikely prospectI've seen in some of my revivals
(13:37):
across this country and othercountries.
I'd look and I'd say no,so-and-so, he'll probably get
safe.
Everybody's's praying for him,everybody's most.
Everybody's wanting him to getsaved and they're all up in arms
about him getting saved.
Of course they do want him toget saved.
But all of a sudden there comesone that nobody's even thought
(13:57):
much about, probably hadn'tprayed a whole lot about
staggering to the altar andfalling to the altar and pray
through and get saved.
David, he's out of this, out ofthere watching the sheep sin
(14:19):
for him.
We're not going to sit downuntil he gets here.
Amen, we're going to wait andthey send for david.
And when David comes in, theLord speaks unto Samuel and said
Arise and anoint him.
Can you see that bunch standingthere saying, well, I'll be.
I wouldn't have never thoughtDavid would have been a king.
I wouldn't have never thoughthe'd have made a singer.
(14:44):
If I was cutting out singers,I'd have never cut old brother
Randall out like he is.
Amen, if I was callingpreachers and I was dealing with
men, I'd have never called NeilBridges.
Don't worry, I wonder about itmyself sometimes.
(15:06):
Hallelujah, unlikely prospects,people that you leastly think,
and Paul is saying here, said toold brother and said don't you
see, there's men that are notwise?
Not many wise men called Whilehe's not.
I said don't you see there'smen that are not wise?
(15:26):
Not many wise men call Whilehe's not qualified to be a
preacher.
He doesn't know too much, Ifound out.
Sometimes it's best not to knowso much Amen.
Amen, oh.
Would you have called a manlike David?
(15:46):
What about those that were soodd to society, so different
from the world, so different towhat man thought?
Amen, oh, listen.
What would have been the oddsFor a man like David to go
against a giant?
(16:06):
Would you have chose one ofthese little boys, or some of
these young men tonight that wasshouting around here, to face
one of the most vilest men ofAmerica, one of the greatest
warriors of our time, and sayhit him head on?
Oh, no, no, no.
What it be the odds, I'll tellyou what they're slim without
(16:31):
God.
But with God on your side,you're bound to win.
Oh, and so David won thevictory.
And you know the rest of thestories.
Paul Harvey says where are theIsaiah's?
That says here am I.
I hope we'll have some heretonight in this camp meeting
(16:55):
that will say Lord, here I am.
I don't have much to offer, butif you can take the little that
I have and use it for yourglory, here it is God, here it
is.
I'm persuaded to believe God islooking for yielded lies and
yielded vessels.
(17:16):
He doesn't so much want you toqualify yourself as he wants you
to yield yourself that he, hemight qualify you and use you
for the job.
Amen, that is out there.
I trust God will give us someIsaiah's tonight, some that will
(17:36):
say Lord, here am I, I'll do it, I'll go, I'll sing, I'll
preach, I'll testify, I'll dowhatever you want me to.
Here am I.
Where are those Jeremiah's thatcries out and says, lord, I'm
(17:59):
just a child, feels soinsufficient To be the prophet
that God needs for that hour?
I'll tell you, I've neverpreached a meeting.
I don't care if it's a prayermeeting, I don't care if it's a
Sunday service, I don't care ifthere's a half a dozen.
(18:20):
I have preached to as little asfive of us dozen.
I have preached to as little asfive of us my wife, myself, two
sinners and old deacon.
Everybody else was at home,snowed or froze in.
And the second night, firstnight, I went.
I didn't preach.
On the way home the Lord spoketo me and said I gave you a
(18:41):
message to preach and you didn'tpreach.
Well, there wasn't but five ofus, including my wife and me,
and I said but, lord, therewasn't but five.
But he said where are two orthree?
Hallelujah?
And I said oh God, if you'llhelp me.
The Lord said if that man andwoman that was there dies lost,
(19:02):
their blood's going to be onyour hands.
I gave you a message to preachand I told you what to preach
and you didn't preach.
If I'd have wanted more there,I'd have sent more.
And I said, oh god, help me toget back tomorrow night, if
you'll bless me to be back atthat little country church out
on the dirt roads in southgeorgia where the pastor wasn't
(19:23):
even able to get there.
He was frozen.
I said, if I can get theretomorrow night and they come,
I'll preach the next night.
My wife went with me.
She played the piano the bestshe could, I sung Amazing Grace
the best I could and I prayedand I took my Bible and went to
the pulpit and I opened up myBible and preached Better, not
(19:46):
preach in a camp meeting and Ishouted and I danced and I
rejoiced and I gave the all theservice.
And down the aisle come thatman and his wife and fell in the
altar and prayed through andthe Lord gloriously saved them.
Half of my congregation saved.
Never had that to happen before, nor since.
(20:06):
Amen, I believe that's as goodas Billy Graham's doing
percentage wise Hallelujah.
You see, sometimes we judge Godby the size of the crowd and we
look at something and we saythe prospect is not good.
But I'll tell you, god can takea little and make a mountain
(20:29):
out of it.
Hallelujah, brother, theunlimited opportunities that we
have, sometimes, because theyare not great in the eyes of the
world, we overlook them.
(20:53):
Would you call an old boy fromthe herds, a sycamore, a fruit
gatherer?
Really, figs is what it amountsto.
Would you have called somebodyto be your prophet that was a
herder and was just a sycamorefruit gatherer and his dad
(21:14):
wasn't in the ministry and hisdaddy wasn't a prophet.
He was no son of a prophet.
Our society today would haveoverlooked him.
And I said this boy's notqualified to go into preaching
amen and to be a prophet.
(21:36):
He's not qualified to do whathe needs to do and what God
needs to do, because he doesn'thold papers with us, he hasn't
passed our test and he doesn'tknow this or that or the other
about who's who and?
(21:56):
what's what?
He's not too wise, he's notnoble, amen, amen.
He's not valid, amen, he's notvalid, he's not mighty.
And I'll just tell you I don'tsee how God can use him.
I'll tell you what God uses thefoolish things, the small
(22:18):
things, hallelujah, listen.
Would you have called?
Listen, would you have called?
Or would you have chosen aPharisee Of Pharisees, of the
strictest sect, educated, of oneof the greatest Theologians of
(22:39):
that day?
I mean, he knew it upside down,downside up, ever, which way
you want to go, this fellow knewit.
And he was a starch Christianhater.
I mean 100%.
He didn't just go likeeverybody else to fight against
the Christians.
He went out of his way to tryto get them.
(23:01):
Amen, he'd pay to get one.
He'd do anything in the worldto get a Christian.
He'd take any Christian that hecould and he'd destroy them and
he'd cause them to blasphemeand to backslide and to forsake
the gospel, if he could.
Ah, he held the cloak of youngmen while they stoned one of the
(23:23):
deacons in one of the Christianchurches calling on the name of
young men, while they stonedone of the deacons in one of the
christian churches calling onthe name of the lord.
I'm persuaded to believe.
He is standing on the sidesaying sick him, boys, put it on
him, amen.
His name scattered abroad,throughout the whole country,
that this man is a christianhater.
There's nobody like him.
(23:43):
He'll never be saved.
He's most likely gone too far,he's most likely blasphemed and
he's maybe turned over to areprobate mind.
And he'll never be saved andhe'll never know God.
He'll go to hell.
He'll never get in theChristian church, ah.
But one day, on the way toDamascus, ah Woo.
(24:13):
An unusual thing happened.
The Lord Jesus Christ decidedit was time to have a convert's
class, and there's one inparticular that he wanted.
It was the unlikely AmenProspect.
It was that one that everybodythat he wanted.
It was the unlikely amenprospect.
It was that one that everybodysaid he'll never do.
Watch him, don't get close tohim, he'll persecute you because
(24:34):
you're a Christian.
But that glorious day, the sonof righteousness descended with
a light brighter than thenoonday sun and sm smoked this
old, unlikely prospect to theground.
His eyes were blinded.
He could not see, but he couldsee Hallelujah, amen.
(24:55):
He could not see them aroundhim, but he could see this light
brighter than the noonday sun.
This man that was in call saw,who will later become Paul.
Amen, amen to the church world.
This man, who everybody wasafraid of, will someday write 14
of epistles and be one of thegreatest church organizers of
(25:18):
all time.
Glory, hallelujah.
What are you saying?
I'm saying in the midst of ustonight, there could be some
great one that we're overlooking, somebody that we don't know,
that God could mightily use himto help bring a reformation back
(25:38):
to America and back to arevival, hallelujah.
And if so, I'd be glad to standsomeday and drop my head and
say hallelujah, hallelujah.
Would you have picked fishermenlike Peter and John?
(26:01):
Would you have picked a doctorlike Luke?
An unlikely prospect, you see,you never know.
You never know, you never know,you never know, you never know.
There's people sitting in thiscongregation that's saved
(26:24):
tonight that you wouldn't havethought would have ever got
saved.
Brother Ralph knows.
Brother Barnett knows.
Brother David knows him.
Several of you know him, oldBrother Leon Pace Down, that
comes to our church that nightat Millertown, when I was
(26:46):
preaching the revival and Leonhad come his second night.
Leon was a notorious outlaw ofour area.
Brother Gary knows him.
I mean, he was notorious, leonPace.
Brother Jamie knows him.
I'll tell you, leon Pace is oneof the meanest men of our
country.
(27:06):
A man split his throat one day,from ear to ear, and he still
got the scar.
And I talked to one of the menthat was standing there when
that fellow cut his throat.
They got in an argument andthat fellow pulled out his knife
and cut his throat from almostfrom ear to ear, all the way
across and that man told me hesaid I was watching it, brother
Neal the blood began to shootout as he hit those veins there
(27:30):
and blood began to pump out ofhim and he said that he sailed
on that man and beat himunconscious and it took five of
us to get him off of that manand he said that some of the
times when he would roll bloodwould shoot up and hit the
ceiling.
He said blood splattered onthat ceiling and said we held
him down and finally got anambulance and some of us took
(27:51):
our fingers and clapped hisveins and held his veins to try
to keep him from bleeding todeath, while some tried to hold
him and he rared and twisted andrang and tried to get loose,
still cursing and talkingterrible and saying let me to
him, I want to beat his brainsout on the floor.
I want to stomp his insidestill I can see him laying
(28:12):
outside still raring andbleeding.
And we took him to the hospital, such as that.
One man told me.
He said, when I walked to thebar room and I looked in and I
saw Leon Pace, I immediatelywent the other way because I
knew there's trouble.
Ah, but old Leon come thatsecond night and when he started
(28:34):
down that aisle some of themwhispered to me and said that's
one of the meanest men in thiscountry.
They never thought Leon wouldbe saved.
Praise God, he's saved and inchurch and been in church for
several years.
He'll give you the shirt off onhis back.
I'm not degrading Leon.
Leon will have more than he'sgot, but he gives everything he
(28:54):
gives away.
You can go over there,especially if you're a preacher,
and say Brother Leon, those aresome pretty flowers.
He'll just load your whole carup with them and him needing
things and send them home.
Brother Leon, I like steak.
He'll just do without hishamburger or whatever and go buy
you steak and bring thepreacher steak, hallelujah.
You see, sometimes we overlooksome of the real jewels, glory.
(29:18):
That doesn't look like aprospect.
I'm being a great thing for God.
Would you have overlooked Paul?
Probably in our day we'd havesaid this soul will never be
saved, but look what God madeout of him.
Look what God made out of Peter, look what he made out of Luke.
(29:41):
Oh listen, would you havethought about blasphemers like
George Whitfield who balled hisfist up and held it up toward
heaven and cursed God openly anddared God to kill him and said
I dare you to try to kill me.
I dare you, if you exist, Idare you.
(30:02):
They said that GeorgeWhitefield actually got down and
rolled like a hog in the mireand formed and blasphemed.
But old time, holy Ghost,conviction got a hold of George
Whitfield until one day hethrowed up both hands and said
God, I can say no more, do nomore, but surrender my life.
(30:23):
And here I am, god, hallelujah,oh glory.
Would you have picked the onelike that?
Oh, would you have picked theone that gambled like Brother
Buster Wilson, I heard BrotherBuster tell about the time that
they brought him.
They had beat him so andthought he was dead and threw
(30:44):
him in at the door.
A midnight gambler.
A gambler that folks had saidoh, wilson, I will never amount
to nothing.
He'll die in a joint, somewhere.
He'll die an assassin's bullet.
But Brother Buster Wilson foundthe Lord.
And more than that, the Lordfound him and made a wholeness
(31:05):
preacher out of him.
An unlikely prospect.
Hallelujah, that went acrossthese mountains and across this
country.
Amen, with his famous saying, aLamb of God, hallelujah.
And preaching his way Into thehearts of many, would you have
(31:25):
chosen one like Brother ClaudeHealy, with a fifth grade
education, couldn't pronouncehis words good, a lot of people
laughed at him.
But brother Healy had a way ofgetting you.
(31:45):
Amen, I loved him, I loved him.
But Brother Eli had a way ofgetting you.
Amen, I loved him, I loved him.
I guess we all loved him.
I guess you loved him too.
Old mountaineer boy, saved andraised closer to you than he was
to us.
But he won the south and thewest heart and people respected
(32:06):
him and he preached countmeetings across this country.
Amen, many his words he couldnot pronounce correct.
I'm telling you, sir, more thanto rely on your wisdom, rely on
God.
Amen.
Let your life be totallysurrendered to the Lord and see
(32:28):
what God can make out of yourlife.
Wrote that great song thereain't no grave gonna hold my
body down, and one that'sgreater than that to me.
It hasn't reached popularitywith the outside world as much,
but it wrote he loves me moreand more.
I'll tell you to me that's oneof his tops.
Oh, he loves me.
Yes, he loves me more and more.
(32:48):
I'll tell you to me that's oneof his tops.
Oh, he loves me.
Yes, he loves me more and more.
That's one thing that I'm sureFor he cometh within my heart
now to stay.
He lifts me up when I am down.
He gives to me an eternal crown.
Oh, he loves me.
Yes, he loves me more and more.
(33:12):
You that didn't ever have theprivilege of meeting old brother
Claude, you'd have just met anold mountaineer boy, amen, just
talk plain.
And he used his R's and hetalked just about like these
Richlands folks talk Amen and alot of things.
(33:32):
He didn't know about homileticsand about pulpitetics.
He didn't know a lot about alot of things.
But I'll tell you what he didknow.
He knew that he surrendered hislife to the Lord and his old
heel, billy way, reached soulsfor the God.
(33:52):
Sometimes they go around ourchurch.
They were talking and differentones brought up Brother Ely,
and somebody said do you knowwhat Brother Ely preached the
last time before the last timehe was here at the campground in
fact that was the last time hewould ever be down south, I'm
pretty sure in the March meetingand he preached on, covered by
(34:17):
the blood, hallelujah.
And they all remembered thatold fifth grade education, that
old hillbilly preacher preachedthat night on, covered by the
blood, hallelujah.
What was it?
It was an unlikely prospect.
Who would have thought?
Brother Ely told me one timethat he sparred with Joe Lewis.
(34:40):
Brother Ely in his younger dayswas a great boxer and looked
like had the opportunities ofbeing a professional boxer and
looked like he had theopportunities of being a
professional boxer.
But you see, god got a hook tohis life and changed that old
hillbilly boy and made awholeness preacher out of him
and sent him across this countrywinning the loss to the kingdom
(35:03):
of God with his unorthodox ways, hallelujah.
That people laughed and theyscorned Amen.
And they snickered when he saidthings.
But one thing about it theypaid attention and Brother Ely
would get their attention andpreach to them about the old,
(35:23):
rugged cross, amen, and aboutthe glory of salvation and how
that Jesus saves.
Would you have chose a manthat's already become a legend
(35:47):
in our day, a man that wasraised out in the oak sticks, a
man that stuttered and couldn'thardly carry on a conversation.
A man that a lot of youngpreachers have tried to imitate.
In the years coming on, they'vetried to learn how to stutter
like him.
That's not what's made him thepreacher.
He is no, no, no, no, no, no,ah, yeah, you know who I'm
(36:11):
talking about.
Ah, it's no mystery to any ofyou.
A man that's preached campmeetings across this land.
A man that's got friends acrossthis land.
A man that's respected by thosethat get acquainted with him.
A man that the first time I wentto see him and hear him, I
drove all the way to Gibbertown,alabama, from over in south
(36:34):
central Georgia and I said tomyself I said, my lord, I drove
this far to hear this.
We got better prayer meetingpreachers back in our country
than what they've got over herepreaching the camp meeting.
For the first 30-40 minutes itwas amen.
Back in our country Than whatthey've got over here preaching
(36:55):
the camp meeting.
For the first 30, 40 minutes itwas amen, pray for me, help me,
and hallelujah and amen.
And then the next thing.
You know, it seemed like heavencome down and we went up and
had a mid-hour meeting and aboutthe next hour and a half we
rode the clouds of glory,hallelujah.
Where did he get that?
What seminar, what great bookdid he get it out of, on his
(37:15):
knees, saying God, I surrenderall, I surrender all.
If you can use an old stutterer, amen, somebody that can't
carry on a decent conversationwithout stuttering, I'll do it.
And God said I'll take, takeyou, havis Crawford, and I'll
(37:35):
show this smart addict world,amen, that I can take a
stuttering man, amen, that can'tcarry a conversation, and I'll
show them that I'll give himunlimited opportunities and make
him respected and honored andanointed and blessed many.
Sweet Jesus, would you havepicked a man as quiet and
(38:08):
backward as Brother Ben Shaw?
You don't know Brother Ben'sbackground, like I do see.
I preached his mom's funeral, Ipreached his dad's funeral.
His home church, where hestarted out, said where I am.
I know his brothers.
(38:29):
I know his brothers, I know hissister.
They're hard, I mean they'rehard as nails.
I mean they're hard, hard, hard.
And if you want to find out howmuch ice you can stand, visit
Brother Ben's Brothers and hissister and I say that
respectfully.
They're good in some ways butthey do not care nothing about
(38:53):
religion in any form, nonewhatsoever.
An old cotton mill boy raiseddown in Mobile, down in Crichton
what they call the littlesuburbs of Mobile Crichton in
the Mill Village.
His dad and mom worked in theMill Village and old Ben run
(39:15):
through those old back alleys,amen.
And around that country just anold nobody.
Never had no fine home.
I don't guess he ever drove anew car, as I can ever find out.
His daddy was a hard man.
He was hard against SisterLackey.
He treated her hard when she'dgo to church sometimes he was
(39:36):
hard against the holiness folks.
He didn't want any religion ofany kind either.
Ah, but the Lord said I'll takethis old cotton meal boy here
and everybody thinks he'll windup a drunk and everybody thinks
he'll wind up in prisonsomewhere.
(39:58):
That people say that boy willnever amount to nothing.
The rest of his family has gonethat way.
He'll go that way and the Lordreached down and saved his soul
when he surrendered to him andhe brought him out and made him
one of the greats of our day.
Hallelujah.
(40:23):
Unlikely prospects.
Would you have gone and got anold oakie that his teeth stick
out and one fellow fromCalifornia that I met one year
when I was preaching Bristow andthat come up there and I'd
(40:46):
already met this brother thatcome up there and I'd already
met this brother and directly hegot to talking to this other
brother with his teeth stickingout and he said don't, I know
you.
And this brother looked at himand said I don't know.
Seemed like I ought to know you.
And they got to talking andcome to find out they had gone
to school together in theirboyhood days and that brother
(41:09):
told me when I was talking tohim.
He said LD Moore could spitchew in the back of juice fuller
than anybody ever seen himalive and said he could hit the
target with it.
His daddy wasn't a religiousman, his mother wasn't a
religious woman.
I'll tell you.
It looked like that LD Moorewould have been destined for a
(41:31):
prison house somewhere.
It seemed like that he wouldhave wound up somewhere in a bar
room In a shootout or in afight or something like that and
wound up dead and in hell.
Amen.
Society said here's a boywithout a big education.
Here's a boy here that doesnboy without a big education.
Here's a boy here that doesn'thave a big background behind him
(41:53):
and no great forces to pull him.
He's not a man of might, he'snot a man of great wisdom of the
world.
And they say thumbs down.
But God, in his great wisdomand in his great knowledge,
looks beyond the thumbs down ofthe world and he says I'll take
this old boy and I'll instill inhim that he can tell things to
(42:15):
people that's facing them.
He can call people up and tellthem they're in trouble and what
to do.
Hallelujah, I'll give himwisdom that the world don't know
nothing about.
Hallelujah, I'll show himthings that doctors can't see.
I'll give him an understandingthat the scientists don't know.
I'll give him something, amen,that the schoolhouse doesn't
(42:39):
have to offer.
I'll give him my spirit ofwisdom, amen.
Would you have chosen?
Old coal mining An unlikelyprospect.
(42:59):
Just an old, poor fellowScratching to make a living,
digging coal and loading coal,coming out filth and washing in
the creeks around and getyourself clean, to go preach a
funeral.
And some said he'll neveramount to nothing.
It's all in vain His littlework and that little business
he's doing over there.
He's just an old hillbilly boy.
(43:21):
He hasn't been to any specialschooling.
He has no special training.
Oh, how wrong, my friend, howwrong.
He's been getting his schoolingon his knees, hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
He's been talking to the chief,the headquarters, hallelujah.
He's learning the basics oflife.
(43:43):
He's learning how to sympathizewith that widow when her
husband dies in a coal mine.
He learns how to sympathizewith that widow when her husband
dies in a coal mine.
He learns how to sympathizewith that man when his wife is
lying dying.
You see, he's been through thehardship.
I looked over that left eyetonight down there and I saw
that black spot down there and Isaid to myself no doubt coal or
(44:06):
something other probably putthat in there Somewhere near the
illusionist life.
Life knows what it is to comeout with, barely enough to make
it.
Amen, with them little childrenat home and that wife at home
and go preach a funeral.
And they shake his hand maybeand say preacher, you said good
things while he didn't get adime to preach, while his job
(44:29):
didn't pay him, and he walkedback out, hallelujah.
And they said he'll never mountto nothing.
Ah, it's all in vain.
He's spinning his wheels foranother thing.
But I want you to rubbernecktonight and look around this
tabernacle and see that balconyfull.
See this tabernacle and seethat balcony full.
(44:50):
See this tabernacle full,hallelujah.
An unlikely prospect, butbrother God took it and made
unlimited opportunities andanointed to go cross these hills
and tell others about Jesus.
Raise your hand, bow Jesus,raise your hand.
(45:13):
You got saved.
Hold them up high.
Hold them up.
I don't don't, because, people,you see what I'm telling you,
you see what I'm telling you.
You see what I'm telling you.
It would have never happened Ifhe'd have been selfish with his
life and if he'd have said I'mnot going to surrender all to
(45:35):
the Lord, I'm not going to do itall for God.
We wouldn't be here shoutingtonight and you, that's saved,
would possibly be lost and someof you could be in hell tonight.
And you, that saved, wouldpossibly be lost and some of you
could be in hell tonight,hallelujah.
But God chose an old boy that'sraised in the coal mines and
(45:57):
brought him out and made him aminister of the gospel and
started blessing his efforts andblessing his labors and
blessing him and blessing himand blessing him, hallelujah.
And he's still blessing, thankGod, forevermore.
But you see, sometimes, likeIsrael.
They limited the Holy One ofIsrael.
They said God can't do it.
(46:18):
In the eyes of God, there isnothing or no one insignificant.
Did you hear me?
In the eyes of God, you'reimportant.
You might not know who your dadis, but God cares about you.
(46:41):
You might not have a clean bedto sleep on, but God cares about
you.
David said this.
He said I am poor and needy,yet the Lord thinketh on me.
Where would I have been had itnot been for this?
(47:03):
I'll tell you where I'd be.
I'd be down there on a punchingclock somewhere, just barely
making a living and scratchingto get by.
I ain't so far ahead of thatnow, but I'm enjoying it anyway.
Hallelujah, where would I havebeen?
Some of those that were raisedwith me is in eternity.
(47:26):
Some of those that were raisedwith me is living with.
Some of those that were raisedwith me is living with their
third and fourth wives, and Istill got Sister Joanne that I
started out with 28 years ago,and if she can put up with me 28
more years and we can live thatlong, I think I'm going to try
to see if I can't make it thatmuch.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Ah, some of those that I runwith, they're on the bottom
(47:55):
brother, one in particular thatwas so high in our class and
most likely to succeed.
One of the most likely tosucceed is a staggering drunk
today and old meals in Virginiapreaching.
The holiness can't be, they saidNeil.
(48:20):
One of the teachers said youwon't never amount nothing if
you don't get your mind together.
Well, I must have got ittogether.
I did, after the Lord saved me.
Hi Ily prospects.
Ah, not, that fella.
Not.
I can't believe you mean to tellme I went back to uh right
(48:42):
outside of new orleans where Ilived for nine months with a
catholic family.
Uh, after I'd come fromcalifornia I had the service and
discharge and come from, wentto California and done a lot of
things.
Ain't gonna tell you about that, ain't no need come back to
Louisiana, live there for ninemonths and I ain't gonna tell
you about that.
But I left from there and comeon home and the Lord gloriously
(49:03):
saved me and I went back throughthere and I stopped to see this
family and the girl was thereand they were Catholic and of
course, the boy that was mybuddy.
He had married and left and wasliving in another section of
town and I told Dorothy.
I said knocked on the door andDorothy come to the door and I
(49:24):
said do you remember me?
They called me John, that's myfirst name.
And she looked at me and shesaid do you remember me?
They called me John, that's myfirst name.
And she looked at me and shesaid oh, and they're French.
Oh, john.
She said oh, john, you havecome back.
Yeah, oh, john, she said youlook so well.
I said yeah, I'm married now,dorothy.
Oh, and I brought my wife inand I said Dorothy, I've come by
(49:47):
to tell you that the Lord hassaved me and made a preacher out
of me.
She looked at me and she saidJohn, you have made a preacher.
Yes, In fact, I'm on my way toOklahoma right now.
(50:07):
Ha ha ha ha, my way to Oklahomaright now, hallelujah, wait,
she said.
She ran into another part of thehouse and said Mommy, come
quick.
She got on the phone and dialedand she said Harold, call
Raymond.
Harold, call Joseph, harold,call the rest of the boys that
(50:31):
John used to run with John'sover here and he's made a
preacher.
Those old cronies come overthere and they looked at me.
One of them said let's have abeer.
I said no, thank you, I don'tdrink anymore.
(50:52):
You don't drink, no.
And one of them pulled out somecigarettes and said have a
cigarette, I don't smoke anymore.
Man, what do you do?
What's happened?
I got saved.
What do you do?
(51:13):
What's happened?
I got saved.
And they'd say I can't believeit.
John has made a preacher Anunlikely prospect, but I found
God's resources unlimited when Isurrendered to him.
There's no limit to what Godwill do for us and with us and
(51:38):
to us.
If you'll just come and submit,I'll tell you about one more
and we'll try to pray.
Brother Joe, joe, brotherVirgil Gay, bill Gay stand up
over there, renee Watson, youand the sister and Patty and Tim
(51:58):
stand up.
All you Georgia folks, all youBroxton folks.
I guess I could say I don'tknow, brother Lawrence might
know him.
All right, these folks willverify what I'm fixing to tell
you you can be seated.
There's an old preacher that Ifound out since I've been up
here I thank Brother RalphProbst and Brother Bob Nims and
met him, old Brother CharlieJones.
He's had a heart attack,brother Ralph.
(52:24):
Brother Charlie Jones went toschool I mean to school, five
months.
Five months Include all hisschooling.
An old plow boy like Elishathat you wouldn't have picked, I
(52:44):
wouldn't have picked and no,that won't ever make a great
profit To do as many miraclesagain as Elijah's done.
He'll never make it.
He's just a common old plow boy.
Let me tell you about it beforeI get all the way through.
Brother Charlie, I just lookedover and seen him, old boy that,
(53:05):
come out of them old, unpaintedcabins in Arkansas.
Look at him sitting up here.
You'd think he was aPhiladelphia lawyer with the
biggest highest degree in thecountry, dr Collins.
You'd think he was Amen.
Amen Raised as we use theterminology down home, poor as
(53:31):
Job's turkey.
Amen Never thought that hedemanded anything, sung his way
in the hearts of thousands,preached his way through and
pastored churches and others whoshook their head and said
there's no way, not.
(53:56):
Old Junior Collins won't nevermake nothing.
Poor as he is when he's comefrom, he won't never amount to a
hill of beans.
But God said, I'll show youwhat I'll do with an old arcy.
I'll bring him out the sticksand I'll put him in a good car
and put a good suit on him andfolks will think they're looking
(54:18):
at a doctor Hallelujah.
Somebody that the worldoverlooked.
Somebody said this rock willnever make a diamond, but God
began to chisel on him.
God began to whittle on him.
God began to whittle on him.
God began to shape him.
(54:39):
God began to press him, godbegan to pull him.
God began to beat him and beganto correct him and began to
chisel.
And he's made a diamond amongus that most everybody knows LL
Collins.
Amen.
Amen.
(55:05):
Oh, brother, charlie, with fivemonths, schooling is all.
God says Charlie, I want you topreach my Word.
Charlie says Lord, I can't.
You see, I can't even read.
I wouldn't know Charlie Jones'name on a boxcar.
I wouldn't know Charlie Jones'name if you wrote it in gold.
(55:32):
I can't even spell, charlie.
I can't even spell Charlie.
I can't read, charlie.
I don't know one part of theBible from the other, I don't
know one book from the other.
And God says Charlie, I wantyou to carry my Gospel.
Lord, I can't.
(55:53):
And Charlie all but backslid.
He got so low till he was goingto give up and he prayed
through again.
And God says Charlie, carry mygospel, lord, I can't Again him.
And God wrestles and he finallygoes down and he comes up again
(56:15):
.
And God says Charlie, neveragain would I deal with you.
You'll either go now or I'llpass you on by.
You see, god hadn't got to haveyou and me, with or without
your education.
God hadn't got to have one ofus.
And old brother Charlie saidLord, I'll do my best, but I
(56:40):
can't read.
Many a times I've seen oldbrother Charlie go into a camp
meeting to preach, and he getsup there and he'll tell you the
book he's going to read out ofand he'd spell his words, a lot
of them, half of his words, he'dspell, and he'd say I can't
announce of them.
Half of his words he'd spelland he'd say I can't announce
that word.
He wouldn't say pronounce, he'dsay I can't announce that word.
(57:00):
But he said after a while I'lltell you what it is.
And on after a while, afterhe'd get to preaching, that old
chien would get to whoever youremember, that old chien would
get to shaking.
He'd reach down, catch him,bridge his legs like that and
quote one, two, three and fourchapters.
(57:21):
At the time he'd say, while Iwas over in my room this evening
meditating, god got to talkingto me and he wants me to preach
on pinchy for the kingdom ofheaven's hand.
He preached one day for an hourand a half on reducing spirits.
Brother Archer got on his allfours of life and preachers was
(57:44):
a hollering and Archer saidGod's a blessing Charlie, have a
blessing Charlie, and anointhim like he knows what he's
talking about.
But you know what?
There's folks a crying.
There's folks that are crying.
There's folks that are shouting.
People run to the altar andshout God.
He preached on Jonah going toNini and other things.
(58:07):
And I'm not saying ignorance isblessed If it was, I'd be
blessed to death.
I know we're supposed to applyourselves as much as we can, but
if you'll take what little bitGod has given you and be like
the lad with the two fishes andfive loaves and say, here it is
Jesus, bless and do what you canwith it, he can feed them all
at two.
Brother Billy Joe Watson andmost of you know him, brother
(58:36):
Charlie Jones is the one thatdug him out of the rough.
In our country there's not aman I'm talking about South
Georgia now there's not a man inall that country that has as
many converts, I suppose, as oldbrother Charlie Jones.
There's not a man in all thatcountry that's had the
successful revivals Overall asbrother Charlie Jones.
There's not a man in all thatcountry that's had the
successful revivals overall asbrother Charlie Jones.
(58:59):
There's not a man that's doneany more toward promoting
wholeness and bringing folks tothe realization they need a
closer life with God than thatold, uneducated, unorthodox,
(59:20):
ignorant plowboy Charlie Jonesthat's nearing the crossing of
Chile, jordan.
Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost.
I feel the Holy Ghost.
I'm telling you tonight thatyou don't have to be recognized
with nobody except God for Godto use you.
I told you a while ago no oneor nothing is insignificant with
(59:46):
God Almighty, amen, amen.
God honors your efforts and healways lacks for us to recognize
that it's Him that's done it.
(01:00:07):
Amen.
If we have a breakthrough inthis camp meeting, it will tear
me apart.
I'll feel so broken to thinkthat God would visit us with His
presence, hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
To think that the Lord would dosomething for us and move in a
(01:00:30):
great way.
Hallelujah, you see, becausemany years ago I realized this
one thing Except the Lord buildthe house, they that labor
laboreth, but in vain.
Hallelujah.
I pray as much for a burden.
I pray as much for theanointing as I do for the
(01:00:51):
message.
I pray for God to let His greatSpirit move in the midst of us.
Unlikely prospects Stand with us.
God, I've preached your Word tothe best of my ability tonight.
There's somebody here tonightthat probably we're overlooking.
(01:01:14):
Oh Lord, it could be somebodylike old, born drunk that laid
there in that cardboard box thatmorning and that track blew in
and he looked at it and it had afinger pointing toward him and
said God loves you and he died,a young man drunk, because he
was born to an alcoholic mamaand people had overlooked him,
(01:01:37):
but old, born drunk, found youIn this congregation tonight.
God, there's somebody that feelslike I'm not much.
They might be like Jeremiahwhen he said I'm just a child.
Might be like Amos when he saidI'm just a child.
(01:01:57):
Might be like Amos when he saidI'm just a shepherd boy and a
fruit gatherer.
Might be like Gideon I'm theleast in my father's house, oh
God.
But the prospects tonight foryou is great and the unlimited
(01:02:22):
opportunities they could find toreach others, to put their name
in the church work, oh Lord, tostep out and be counted with
the sanctified, oh God, o Lord,to step out and be counted with
the sanctified.
O God, let that one tonightthat feels so small come,
because the smaller we can feel,the greater you can be in our
(01:02:47):
life.
You said to King Saul when thouwast small in thine own eyes, o
God, oh God.
If you was to ask every preacherhere tonight, lord, I believe
that everyone say as I'd say wefeel like we're nothing, lord,
we're nothing, we can do nothingwithout you.
(01:03:09):
But, oh Lord, there's one heretonight that the devil is
wanting to talk to and tell themthat you're too small and
you're too insufficient andyou're not noticed.
Oh God, help them to realizeyour eyes is upon them and
(01:03:32):
you've chosen them and calledthem, with their unorthodox ways
, to come tonight and serve youand be a servant for the master.
While every head's bowed, couldI see the hands of those that
would raise and say preacher, Iwant God to use me, I want God
(01:03:55):
to use me.
I want God to use me.
Yes, brother, yes sister, yesbrother, yes brother, yes
brother, yes sister.
What about you?
Sinner friend?
Yes, sister, yes, brother.
What about you back there?
Sinner friend, did you know?
There was a time Brother RalphHorton stood where you stand.
(01:04:15):
There was a time Brother LLCollins stood where you stand.
There was a time that I stoodwhere you stand, between the
pews, and I felt the knock ofthe Master as a young boy
driving up on the flatbed of anold two-ton truck, riding on the
(01:04:36):
back of it, crawled off andfelt convicted in power.
I went up to the side of thatsecond window and crawled up on
the running board of somebody'sold truck and peeped in and I
saw them.
The church was packed out,screaming, crying, praying, and
God spoke to me, but I didn'tyield.
It was many years from then,many years.
But I look back and I say, ohGod, if that night when I looked
(01:04:59):
through that church window, ifI'd have made me an altar
somewhere, if I couldn't havegot in there and I settled the
account, I might have been ofmore use to the Master than what
I am today.
Oh God, you're not too youngfor the master to use tonight.
He used little Eli or littleSamuel to rebuke Eli, amen.
(01:05:23):
He brought little David fromthe sheep cart for deliverance
for Israel.
One little girl come up, shesits on the second pew.
She come up to, she sits on thesecond pew.
She come up to me the othernight and she said, brother Neal
.
She said I got saved under youwhen I was two years old and
(01:05:43):
she's eight tonight and neverbackslid.
That's my youngest convert Iknow of.
Did you know?
That touched my heart, justabout like when that old
81-year-old man come staggereddown that aisle and his
son-in-law helped him and he saton the altar and found the Lord
.
You see, he never could go andwitness because his health was
(01:06:06):
broken, his body was gone.
I believe he went to heaven.
But here's a little girl that'seight years old that said
Brother Neil, I got saved when Iwas two under your preaching,
when you was preaching here, andI'm living for God.
And every time she goes, whenI'm preaching, her mommy says
she goes to the altar.
You know what that says to me.
If you hadn't yielded yourself,neal, that girl might not have
(01:06:30):
been saved tonight.
Would you raise your handtonight and say I want you to
pray for me, preacher, that I'llyield myself to God in a
greater way?
Would there be another hand?
God bless that hand, that hand,that one and that one and that
one, yes, and that one and thatone there in the back, and you,
while they sing, won't you cometonight, sinner?
(01:06:52):
Won't you come and let Jesus?
Let Jesus mold your life andmake out of you?
Speaker 3 (01:07:01):
what.
Speaker 1 (01:07:01):
He wants you to be when.
Speaker 3 (01:07:02):
I was but a boy in days of childhood.
Sing it brother Joe, I used toplay till evening shadows come,
then winding play till eveningshadows come, and winding down
an old, familiar path.
Speaker 1 (01:07:22):
We'd have never had that great sermon.
Brother Bill White preachedthis afternoon.
Speaker 3 (01:07:25):
I heard my heart call a set of sun come home.
Come home at supper time, heand I probably would have never
had our paths to cross in Comehome, had not Brother George
Allen have yielded to God.
Speaker 1 (01:07:37):
He and I probably would have never had our paths
Across and have been the greatfriends we are Thank God.
Did you know among us tonightCould be some lackly prospects?
Are you praying, saints?
Don't just look pray.
Among us tonight could be a DLMoody, if we could get him to
(01:07:57):
the altar.
Among us tonight could be aGeorge Whitfield if we could get
him to pray Among us tonightcould be another Havis Crawford.
If only we could get him to comeand say here I am, Lord, Take
(01:08:17):
this feeble life so, ever sosmall and use it for your glory.
Among us tonight could beanother Brother Charlie Jones, a
Brother Grant Horton, a BrotherClaude Ely.
Hallelujah, oh, won't you cometonight, won't you come tonight
(01:08:39):
Home at suppertime.
In the balcony Young man Youngwoman, teenager, middle-ager,
won't you come tonight?
Speaker 3 (01:08:54):
Home at suppertime.
Oh God, we're going home.
Speaker 1 (01:09:02):
You that want God to use you in a greater way, step
out.
That raised your hand and saidI want God to use me In a
greater way.
Speaker 3 (01:09:11):
I want God to use me.
I want to be saved.
And her familiar voice I hearonce more.
While they come, won't you come.
I want God to use me.
I want to be saved.
While they come, won't you come?
Won't you come, son, won't youstep out tonight and be counted?
Speaker 1 (01:09:27):
Come on, hallelujah, let's pray, pray, pray for these
that wants God to use them.
Speaker 3 (01:09:36):
They're people that wants God to use them in a
greater way Come home come home.
It's suppertime.
The shadows lengthen fast.
Come home, come home, it'ssuppertime.
(01:09:57):
We're going home at last.
Come home, come home, it'ssuppertime.
The shadows lengthen fast.
(01:10:19):
Come home, come home, it'ssuppertime.
We're going home at last.
Come home, come home, it'ssupper time.
(01:10:41):
The shadows lengthen fast.
Come home, come home, it'ssupper time.
We're going home at last.
In visions.
(01:11:05):
Now I see her standing yonder.
And her familiar voice I hearonce more.
The banquet table's ready up inheaven.
It's supper time upon thegolden show.
(01:11:29):
Come home, come home, it'ssuppertime.
The shadows lean in fast.
Come home, come home, it'ssupper time, we're going home at
(01:11:59):
last.
Oh, come home, come home, it'ssupper time.
The shadows lengthen fast.
Shadows lengthen fast.
Come home, come home, it'ssuppertime, we're going home at
(01:12:27):
last.
© BF-WATCH TV 2021.
Thank you.
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