22-0905P_PERFECT STRENGTH BY PERFECT WEAKNESS PT.11(THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH)

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 

2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

AND WHEN THE WORLD PRESENTS SOMETHING TO THE CHURCH OR INDIVIDUAL, DON'T STOP; KEEP MOVING ON.

WHERE.HAS.THY.STRENGTH.GONE.SAMSON_  LA.CA  THURSDAY_  59-0702

  E-25    You're accepting preachers with educations instead of men who knows God to pastor the churches. I'd rather have my family go to hear a preacher that didn't know his ABC's, if he knowed Christ, than to have them with all their education. They go to school to get that. But the church is not in an educational program; it's for the power and demonstrations of the Holy Ghost. That's what the church needs tonight. That's right. Get away from those things.

But, oh, Delilah, the first thing you know... Samson oughtn't to have made his first stop. When Delilah flirted her eyes at him, he ought to have turned his head and walked on. Eve stopped just for a moment and she got in trouble. Samson stopped for a moment and got in trouble. And when the world presents something to the church or individual, don't stop; keep moving on. That's what the church needs tonight, is don't stop for these intellectual, classical prides, is keep moving on in the Holy Ghost. Just keep pressing on, going on...?...

WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE WORLD'S DONE TO THE CHURCH. IT'S JUST DONE ALL KINDS OF MANEUVERING.

WHERE.HAS.THY.STRENGTH.GONE.SAMSON_  LA.CA  THURSDAY_  59-0702

  E-26    When we say, "Well, now, our denominational is the biggest," that has nothing to do with it. "Oh, the mayor of the city comes to our church." That still has nothing to do with it, no matter who comes. The thing of it is, is Christ to come; that's Who we want to be in the church. If it's in a mission on the corner or if it's in a palace, wherever Christ is that should be home to the church, home to the people.

But Delilah she had to do some--some real maneuvering, 'cause she had to stop Samson. She--she knowed he was a mighty man of God and he had a hidden power. Now, she had to do something to do all kind of a enchantments to try to stop him. Well, that's what the world's done to the church. It's just done all kinds of maneuvering. You can do this, or you can be a better here... You can do this, that, and so forth, until it's got to a place till the church is about dead.

We don't have the meetings we used to have. The people are talking today. Billy Graham, and Brother Oral Roberts, myself, all of us, we're trying to talk of a revival in our days. How can we have a revival as long as the church is bound with the world? How can you do it when Samson is bound? The secret's been known and God shaved off his power. There's no more... It's got to a place to people... These incubator preachers has got us to a place until we so stiff-necked, till honest people make fun of some good old saint that'll pray through to victory; hear somebody shout; or speak with tongues; or--or demonstrate some power of the Holy Ghost, and then, people that call themselves Christians will make fun of those people. What's the matter? It's... All the thing has done is shaved off the power.

WHERE.HAS.THY.STRENGTH.GONE.SAMSON_  LA.CA  THURSDAY_  59-0702

  E-27    That's what happened in the Lutheran time. Luther was all right, but they got a new school in there. It begin to shave off the things that Luther talked about. See? Shave... That's the same thing in the days of Wesley: had Divine healing, and different miracles, and so forth; preached sanctification. But when the new groups come in, they begin to shave it off (See?), find the locks. And the same thing with the Holy Spirit in the Pentecostal church in this last days, it's beginning to shave off the locks. The secret: find the place, stop the prayer meetings. I know a Pentecostal church (Just talking to someone belongs to it, since I've been here.), that that Pentecostal church lets out fifteen minutes early on Wednesday night to see some television program. They all take off to the basement to watch some television program.

IT'S TAKEN THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST OUT OF THE PEOPLE, AND THEY ARE--THEY ARE GOING FOR THE THINGS OF THE WORLD INSTEAD OF COMING BACK TO GOD.

WHERE.HAS.THY.STRENGTH.GONE.SAMSON_  LA.CA  THURSDAY_  59-0702

  E-28    A minister was telling me the other day, he went to eat supper with a person, and while they were getting supper ready, this minister's wife had to go watch "We love Susie" or something like that, before she could even cook supper for them.

Brother, I'm telling you when that comes, it shows that the home life... No wonder we got juvenile delinquency. No wonder the secret's been discovered. It's taken the baptism of the Holy Ghost out of the people, and they are--they are going for the things of the world instead of coming back to God. Stop. Look, Listen. The coming of the Lord is at hand. What good is our knowledge do? What good will our big buildings do? What of our intellectual talks will do? It'll take...

WHAT WE NEED'S A GOOD CLEAN WASHED CHURCH, A REAL CLEAN CUT, HUNDRED PERCENT OUT FOR GOD…

Nothing will stand that day but the Blood of Jesus Christ, washed in His Blood and clothed in His righteousness by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. When the church loses that, it's gone. And you can see it smothering down, wooing, talking... Holy Spirit's grieved by our creeds and our denominational, and our sectarian barriers, and our class, and our fancy things. You know all that's abomination in the sight of God? What we need's a good clean washed church, a real clean cut, hundred percent out for God, out and out with no shame, no backwardness. We don't care what the world says: we got God, and He's all we care about, and He's in our hearts, and we worship Him in the Spirit and in Truth. That's what God wants in His church.

WHERE.HAS.THY.STRENGTH.GONE.SAMSON_  LA.CA  THURSDAY_  59-0702

  E-29    Delilah had a hard time showing him one thing, and another thing, and another thing, till finally he fell for her. And the church has fallen for the things of the world. And the first thing you know, it's got to a place that Divine healing has just about run out in the church.

I go to meetings, and the Lord, with the little gift that He gave me of the--the proof of His resurrection and the discernment of the Spirit... And them things will take place, and I've seen Pentecostal people set and say, "Ahhh, I guess it's all right..." Could you imagine a borned again Christian where the power of the Holy Ghost is moving like that, and so dead with the things of the world until they'll set like that?

Sinners will start to the altar to get right with God, and the Christians will set and pop chewing gum, looking at them. That's the truth. When it used to be, in the Baptist church, where I come out of, the Old Kentucky Baptists down there... Why, an old sinner boy would start to the altar, would be every mammy in there around his neck. He'd come through before he got to the altar. What's the matter? They shaved off the secret: they got away from prayer life; they got away from the Holy Ghost.

WHERE.HAS.THY.STRENGTH.GONE.SAMSON_  LA.CA  THURSDAY_  59-0702

  E-30    Crowing roosters, educated canaries with canary bird brain, trying to explain to you all the ins and outs of God. You don't know God that way. You know Him when you're borned again. That's the only way you'll ever be able to know Him. God is still God. He's just as much God today, as He ever was. He's the God that was on the mountain with Elijah. He's God that was in the den with Daniel. He's just as much... He's the God of Pentecost. He's a God in the church.

So, what we need to do tonight is to get away from all of our class and--and fancy things and get back to God. Get back to the Holy Ghost. Get back to all night prayer meetings as you had down here last night.

Psa 28:7  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. 

Psa 28:8  The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

Psa 27:10  When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. 

Psa 27:11  Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 

Psa 27:12  Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 

Psa 27:13  I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 

Psa 27:14  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.  

Psa 71:14  But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. 

Psa 71:15  My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. 

Psa 71:16  I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. 

Psa 71:17  O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. 

Psa 71:18  Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. 

Psa 71:19  Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee! 

Psa 71:20  Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 

Psa 118:13  Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me. 
Psa 118:14  The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. 

Psa 118:15  The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. 

Psa 118:16  The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. 

Psa 118:17  I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. 

Psa 118:18  The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. 

Psa 118:19  Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 

Psa 118:20  This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. 

Psa 118:21  I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. 

Psa 118:22  The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 

Psa 118:23  This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 

2Ti 4:17  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 

2Ti 4:18  And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 

2Ch 32:7  Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: 

2Ch 32:8  With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.