24-0401P_TESTIMONY OF A TRUE WITNESS PT-7

Act 16:25  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 

Act 16:26  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 

Act 16:27  And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 

Act 16:28  But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 

Act 16:29  Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 

A.MAN.RUNNING.FROM.THE.PRESENCE.OF.THE.LORD_  JEFF.IN  V-5 N-8  WEDNESDAY

May all the great mysteries that we are supposed to know at this age, Lord, be unveiled to us; and we'll see the plainness of God, so that we'll know how to behave ourselves and act, correcting ourselves and bringing the members of our body into discipline to the Word, that we might know how to live in this present day at the approaching of the Lord Jesus.

THY.HOUSE_  TIFTON.GA  TUESDAY_  61-0808

And to have your house. Now, Paul said here to--to this Roman centurion, when he was... We find out that Paul had been beaten the evening before, commanded by the magistrates and had been beaten, because that he had done nothing evil: He'd been up there preaching the Gospel. And the clergy there had it against Paul, 'cause he'd preached the Gospel. And they said that he was turning the world upside down.

*AND PAUL DIDN'T NEED THE DEVIL TO ASSIST HIM IN ANYTHING, SO HE JUST TURNED AROUND AND REBUKED THAT SPIRIT IN THE WOMAN. AND WHEN IT DID, OH, THAT CAUSED AN UPROAR.

THY.HOUSE_  TIFTON.GA  TUESDAY_  61-0808

  E-11    And he went down the street and there was a little fortuneteller. A woman with a--a spirit of fortunetelling. And she was hired to tell these fortunes. And when they were going down the street, she'd cry after Paul, and say, "They're men of God, who tell us the way of--of life."

And Paul didn't need the devil to assist him in anything, so he just turned around and rebuked that spirit in the woman. And when it did, oh, that caused an uproar. And when they found out, the--the spirit had left her, and she could not tell no more fortunes.

So, the--the one that had her hired out there and was probably taking care of her, why, it caused a great uproar, and they were beaten and put into jail. And I can imagine Paul and Silas laying back in that old buggy jail on the inner courts, way back. The outside, where the best prisoners was kept, was bad enough. But they was on the inside, and when they went way back, they was put in stocks.

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  E-12    I don't know any... Did you all ever see stocks? I've had the privilege of seeing them. They--they put them in your--across your feet. And then they put them across your hands. And then put them across your neck. And there you are setting there.

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  E-13    And just think that Paul and Silas, for preaching the Gospel, was laying back in that old dirty place. And probably rats, and mice, and bugs on them, and everything. What a place for a man preaching the Gospel. And we think today, that we complain because we have things a little hard. Look what they did. And knowing what was waiting them, perhaps execution the next morning.

But they were faithful. They--they were... They stayed faithful. And along about midnight in there, and I--I can just think of how they must have felt, their backs sticking to the old dirt where prisoners... And it was leprosy and everything else that in--in them days, and laying against the old hard floor... Might have been a dirt floor, and rats running over them...

THY.HOUSE_  TIFTON.GA  TUESDAY_  61-0808

  E-14    But in the midst of all of that, perhaps no supper. And beaten till they was bleeding, and bruised, and sore. And no doctor to wash out the wounds or anything for infection that we'd use today, or something like that. Just throwed them back there, and put them in the stocks, and put them in that condition.

But they wasn't complaining. Not one word of complaint came from them. And knowing maybe the next morning, they'd--the magistrates would probably call them before the emperor and when they did--or the Sanhedrin, and they'd be executed for preaching this heresy, that it was called in them days. The Gospel that we truly, earnestly contend for that same faith today...

And then when we go to thinking about that, then the miles gets a little shorter between one another (You see?), each time we go to thinking about it.

*SEE, THAT'S OUR GOD WHEN WE HOLD OUT FAITHFUL. SEE, WE MUST STAY FAITHFUL.

THY.HOUSE_  TIFTON.GA  TUESDAY_  61-0808

  E-15    And then we find out that along about midnight, Paul and Silas must've talked about the Lord until about midnight. And then they begin to sing hymns, some good old Christian song. Oh, if we'd sing it today, we'd sing "There's Power In The Blood," or "O How I Love Jesus," or something like that.

And when they begin to sing, all of a sudden an earthquake struck the place. And notice how it done. Instead of piling those walls of that big old building right in on top of them and them--and mashing them to death, it shook the walls away from them. And not only that, but it--it--it broke the stocks and bars loose from them. And they were set free.

THY.HOUSE_  TIFTON.GA  TUESDAY_  61-0808

  E-16    Now, think. Over their feet, over their hands and over their neck they were set free, every one of them. Now, instead of that big old heavy Roman prison breaking in on them, it fell away from them, like this. And not only that, but the shackles and things fell off of them. See, that's our God when we hold out faithful. See, we must stay faithful. And as long as we're faithful and--and on, we...

Now, we may not be in that kind of a shape. We--none of us may get... I hope we don't get like that. But we can be faithful in what we've got to--what we have to go through with. Maybe it's a persecution. Maybe it's somebody laughs at you. Maybe it's somebody says, "You're old-time, you're a holy-roller," or--or whatever they might want to call you, or make fun of you, or something. Let's be faithful just the same, because God respects our faithfulness to that, just the same as He was--respect their faithfulness to what they were--they had to go through with.

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  E-17    And then, all of a sudden when the Roman prisoner--or the centurion must've--must've... The guard at the door, he must have thought that that night when Paul and Silas was talking on the Scripture, he must've learned something. Because he didn't know the men. But he must've knowed some way, or heard their singing, or something, that caused him to know right quick that they were holy men.

Because you see, they--he was a Roman. And they were Jews. And he was a pagan, and they were Christians. But did you notice, as soon as he found out that there was--that the prison had been shook down, and he knowed that he'd have to answer for that sentry...

You remember the time of Elijah? When he had hisself disguised and met King Ahab out there, and said, "I was a sentry and my life, of course, was staked with the man and he got away."

And--and he said, "Well, you'll pay for it then with your life. That's the duty of a sentry." So he unwrapped hisself and said he was Elijah the prophet. And said, "You let the king go, Agag." And he said, "You'll--you'll pay with it with your own life." And he did do it.

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  E-18    So then, we find out that this Roman centurion, knowing that he would answer with his own life for these, he pulled out his sword as soon as he found they were gone, and started to kill himself, taking his own life, instead of have to go through punishment. Some of those... Maybe set in them same kind of stocks and so forth until he died, so, he thought he would just end it all up, and jerk out his sword, and kill hisself.

But quickly, Paul screamed out when he saw it, and said, "Do yourself no harm, for we're all here." See? And the man realized then that there must've been something taking place before that, that made this man to know that they were Christian men or holy man. Because quickly he fell down at their feet.

 

*WE SHOULD BE TESTIFYING.

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  E-19    I'd imagine he heard them singing songs. He heard them testifying; he heard their conversation. Now, let's just think a minute, folks. If that Roman centurion was convinced and convicted because that he heard them two men, beaten prisoners...

Now, we're still free, and we're not beat or prisoners. But hearing their testimony had such an influence, till it caused him to say, "What must I do to be saved?" Then what ought we to do with our influence? See?

We should be testifying. You young people, whatever it is, you may not preach. Maybe God never called you to preach, but you... If you're a housewife or whatever you are, a teen-ager, let--let's do something, you know, that... And--and live a life that makes the people say, "Well, that--that's a Christian going there. That--that's a Christian."

And so, we find that this fellow must've been impressed some way, by them songs or whatever they were doing in there, to realize they were Christians. So, he got a light, and when he come in and seen that there stood Paul and even the prisoners back in there, none of them was trying to get away. Everybody was there. So, he--he put up his sword, and fell down by the feet of Paul and Silas, and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

*BUT YOU JUST DO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, AND ALL THE REST OF IT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.

THY.HOUSE_  TIFTON.GA  TUESDAY_  61-0808

  E-20    Now, did you notice, you and I today, and most all ministers or so forth, we're always trying to tell a fellow what not to do. We'd say now, "Quit your smoking. Quit your lying. Quit your stealing. Quit your this or that." Now, that--that wasn't what the man asked. He--he didn't say, "What do I have to quit doing to be saved?" He said, "What must I do to be saved?"

See, we try to tell them what they must stop doing. See? And say, "Well, I must do this, that, or the other." No. See? That isn't the question. "What must I do?" not "What must I stop doing?" But you just do what you're supposed to do, and all the rest of it will take care of itself. Your lying and stealing, or--or drinking, gambling, and doing the things that's evil. It'll stop when you do what Paul answered his question. "What must I do to be saved?"

He said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thy and thy house shall be saved."

THY.HOUSE_  TIFTON.GA  TUESDAY_  61-0808

  E-21    Now, the reason I thought about saying this, because you people here, most of you, your--your children are saved. See? They're Christians. I have admired Brother Evans' family, these young men here. Usually, who would you get a teen-ager to set around and listen to someone--preacher talk. Why, they'd be out and gone somewhere. Little girls like that...

I said to Brother Fred, his kids, why, they--they can just hear me say one thing that's wrong, they're--they're--they're ready to stop it right now (You see?) and set with the highest respect, instead of being out a hot-rodding, rambling around. They'll... When they hear you speak about the Gospel, they're ready to set right there and listen. See?

 

*IF HE HAD ENOUGH FAITH TO BE SAVED HIMSELF, HIS SAME AMOUNT OF FAITH THAT HE HAD FOR HIMSELF WOULD WORK FOR HIS CHILDREN.

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  E-22    Now, I know we all want--think our kids is renegades and things like that. But we--we must stop that. I--I believe that we must remember that these kids are the best kids in the world, because they're our children, and we claim them for God.

Now, your salvation will not save that child. But now, Paul said--said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thy and thy house shall be saved." Now, he... Now, what did he mean by that? He didn't mean that because they were saved, that their house would be saved with it. He meant this: that because they were--had... If he had enough faith to be saved himself, his same amount of faith that he had for himself would work for his children. See what I mean?

 

*BUT MY FAITH IN GOD WILL DO IT. YOU SEE, MY FAITH BELIEVING GOD WILL DO IT, AND WILL CAUSE THEM TO COME TO CHRIST.

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  E-23    Now, I've got my children. There's my little son, Joseph, and Billy, Sarah, Rebekah. Well now, I want to see each one of them a worker in the Gospel, doing something. I want to see them saved and filled with the Holy Ghost.

Now, I've committed them to God and say, "I'm holding on to God for them." See? And I believe they're going to be saved, every one of them. See? I believe they're going to be saved, and I'll have them on the other side. And--and I don't believe my salvation will save them. No. But my faith in God will do it. You see, my faith believing God will do it, and will cause them to come to Christ.

And I believe that's where you people praying for your children, and that's the reason your children has the--the manners, and the--and the real lady and gentleman in this wild age that we're living in. Yet they have that--that part about them that's the best I know of any kids. See? Well, I think the reason of that is because it's your prayers for them. And you've committed them to God and holding on.

*JOB WAS A GREAT MAN. THERE WAS NOBODY LIKE HIM IN HIS DAYS.

Now, Job was a great man. There was nobody like him in his days. Job was a prophet. And people come from far and near to hear Job. And God blessed him. And he's--he'd prospered. He was a rich man. Oh, he had thousands of head of cattle and sheep, and--and the things that he had.

And why, he said when he would go out into the streets, the young princes from the East (that's the magis, the--the wise astronomers, you know) they were saying, said they would bow before him just to ask a word of his wisdom. See? He was a smart man. He was--he was a prophet.

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  E-25    And so, the devil looked down, and he saw that--that Job was a smart man. So I'll show you how a smart man does. Now, coming back to the text, thy and thy house. Job said, when he seen everything was just in good order, like your homes are now; he said, "You know, my children is married and gone off." But said, "Maybe, one of--one... Peradventure one of them might've sinned."

Now, there's one requirement God had: That was a burnt offering. He said, "Now, I don't..." He didn't believe his children sinned. "But" said, "peradventure they might sin. Because they're visiting one another, and going to the parties at one another's homes, and so forth, and mixing up, I guess, and so forth." He said, "If one of them has sinned... So, Lord, I will bring a burnt offering and offer this burnt offering for my child." See? And that's all he knowed to do. That's all God required, a burnt offering. That's what--all He required.

Well, then when the great midnight hour come and struck and poor old Job was in the condition he was, he... You know, he'd lost all of his cattle, all of sheeps, and the storms come and killed his children. And fire burnt up his servants. And--and he bro... His own health failed. And he set in the backyard on a ash heap. And--and his own body broke out with boils, till he took a piece of crock and scraped his boils. And even his wife got discouraged with him and come and said, "Job..."

 

*BUT GOD DOES LET A RIGHTEOUS MAN BE TORMENTED LIKE THAT. SEE, GOD SOMETIMES...

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  E-26    Now, let--let's just kindly think the way she said. Now, look there sets Job. He set out there all night. There sets his consolers with their back turned to him. And they told him he sinned. That's the church member; that's the--the deacon board, or whatever it is of the church, come down to see him. And they set seven days there, and they're still telling him, "Job, you might as well make a confession. Because you have sinned, because God wouldn't let a righteous man be tormented like that."

But God does let a righteous man be tormented like that. See, God sometimes... That--that things happen to us because we sinned. But sometimes it--it's testing a saint, instead of chastising a sinner.

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  E-27    So, we find out that Job was a righteous man though. And when God was testing him, because Satan said, "Oh, sure..." When he come up before God with the sons of God, he said...

As God said to him, "Where you been?"

He said, "Oh, just walking to and fro and up and down on the earth."

Said, "You considered my servant Job? He's a perfect man. There's nobody in the earth like him." God was pleased with that. Oh, He just loves to have a servant that He can trust in. He said, "There is not another man on earth like him." See? Said, "He is a perfect man." And that was before the Blood of Jesus Christ was shed. See? And He said, "He's a perfect man. He's just; he's upright. There is none like him."

Satan said, "Oh, sure. Look what You've done for him. You've give him everything. He's got homes; he's got children; he's got cattle; he's got everything he wants. Sure, anybody could serve You like that." Said, "Let me have him one time. I'll make him curse You to Your face."

He said, "Satan, he's in your hand. But don't you take his life." Now, that was God's trust that His prophet would not fail Him. See? And He's trusting you and I, that we won't fail Him.

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  E-28    And then He... And He said, "Don't you take his life." And Satan done everything but take his life. His children got killed. And his cattle was killed. And everything was... All of his riches was lost. And he lost his health and everything but his life, set out there and scraped his boils.

And his wife come to the door, and--and Satan got in her and said, "Thou..." Looked out there and said, "Why don't you curse God and die?" Said, "You look so miserable."

He said, "Thou speakest like the foolish woman." See. Now, he's never said she was foolish; said she talked like one. See? Said, "You speak like a foolish woman." Said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord taken away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord." See? In other words, "Naked came I in the world," he said, "naked I will return. But blessed be the Name of the Lord anyhow. I never had nothing when I come here, and I will go away with nothing. But still blessed be the Name of the Lord." Oh, my.

You know, God will just let Satan tempt us so long, and then He gets tired of it. You see? So, he seen he couldn't... Satan had to leave him then. But Bildad and all of them still stayed there and said, "Why, you was a secret sinner."

But Job stayed pat on this, "I am not a sinner." See?

*BECAUSE HE WAS STANDING PAT UPON THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, THAT BURNT SACRIFICE.

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  E-29    "Job, you've... you done... You don't want to confess it (See?), because you're a secret sinner. You're doing it secretly, and God's punishing you for it, so that's the reason that things are going for you the way they are."

But he said, "No, sir. I am not a sinner." Because he was standing pat upon that righteousness of God, that burnt sacrifice. He'd offered it. That's all he had to offer. That's all God required.

And did you notice, after the Spirit of God had come on the prophet and everything got all right (You see?), God restored back to Job what? He restored back to him his... Where he had ten thousand cattle, He give him twenty thousand cattle. Where he had forty-thousand sheep, He give him eighty-thousand sheep. See? And He restored everything back to him that he ever had.

And you notice, it said, "And He restored his seven children." See? He gave Job his seven children. Not, didn't give him seven other children, but He gave Job his seven children. Now, what was it? His house, "Thy and thy house." Because he was righteous, because he was standing on everything that God gave us to be righteous--or gave him, was to offer that burnt offering.

And he knowed that that was God's Word, and it could not fail. So, did you ever think where them children was? They was in heaven waiting for him. See? He's with them today. And God saved Job's children. They were in heaven waiting for him. See?

Psa 119:88  Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth. 

Psa 119:89  LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. 

Psa 119:90  Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. 

Psa 119:91  They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. 

Psa 119:92  Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. 

Psa 119:93  I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. 

Psa 119:94  I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts. 

Psa 119:95  The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies. 

Psa 119:96  I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad. 

Psa 119:97  MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. 

Psa 119:98  Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. 

Psa 119:99  I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. 

Psa 119:100  I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. 

Psa 119:101  I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. 

Psa 119:102  I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. 

Psa 119:103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 

Psa 119:104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

Psa 119:106  I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. 

Psa 119:107  I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word. 

Psa 119:108  Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments. 

Psa 119:109  My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law. 

Psa 119:110  The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts. 

Psa 119:111  Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. 

Psa 119:112  I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.