<TITLE>12. Par 27-29</TITLE>L-27 And now, notice another thing; after that then--after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah... We have to pass over many these great places. And then when we find then the next thing takes place that Abraham is setting out in the barren land. God has not promised us everything nice, but God's promised grace to endure. God's not promised to take us home on a flower bed of ease. Look at the patience of Job and the disciples, and down through the age, how men and women has suffered for the cause of Christ. And here was Abraham sitting upon the barren grounds under his oak, his little tent; the flock being very poor, because Lot had taken the choice grounds. And he and Sarah was setting there, and one afternoon while Abraham looked out, yet holding onto God's promise... He looked standing near the tree, there stood three men over against the... Abraham went out to them, fell down at His feet--the three man and said, "If I have found grace in Thy sight, stop by just a moment; set under the oak, under the tree, the shade, it's hot today." Courtesy. Said, "And I'll fetch a little water and wash Your feet, and I'll have a morsel of bread cooked for You. You refresh Yourself, and then You may go on." That's the way to entertain strangers.

L-28 Notice, Abraham, waiting for the promise, there was something in him that recognized that those were more than men, for One of them was Almighty God Himself, and the other one was two Angels: the other two.
And so he slipped into the tent right quick and said, "Sarah, go over to the meal barrel and get some meal and knead it right quick, or sift it out, and make some unleavened cakes right quick. And he run out into the herd and felt around till he got the fattest calf he had, churned some milk right quick, and got some butter, killed the calf, and cooked it, and got some veal chops, corn bread, some butter, the buttermilk, took it out and set it down for God and two Angels to eat. Amen.
Oh, my, I feel religious right now. Think of that. God visiting mortal man, oh, that kindly makes the little wheels go to turning. Look at it.

L-29 Now, Abraham set and watched Them, probably got him a little bush and shooed the flies away while They were eating. Did you ever do that? We used to have to do it at home: had a little fly bush out in the country before we had screen doors or could afford them.
And there he watched the Angels and God while They're eat and God has His back turned to the door, and said, "Abraham, where's Sarah?"
Said, "She's in the tent."
He said, "About this time according to life I'm going to--the time of life, I'm going to visit you." Sarah nearly a hundred years old... Said, "I'm going to visit you according to the time of life."
And Sarah (Here it is. Now, watch.), Sarah, in the tent, laughed, inside the tent at God's back, the Man setting there in human flesh, eating the meat of a calf, drinking the milk and butter from the cow, eating some corn bread... And He said, "Why did Sarah laugh?" (Back behind Him then.) What would some of you skeptics call that? Mental telepathy? Reading the mind of Sarah? Anyhow, God did it.
Sarah got scared; she said, "No, I--I--I never laughed.
Said, "Oh, yes, you did too." He knew what I was talk--what He was talking about. Amen. Isn't it wonderful? The Word so real and so simple.
After eating, He said, "Would I keep a secret from Abraham, let him know what I'm going to do?" And He revealed to him that the sins of Sodom had already reached heaven. Their cries were great; He was going down to destroy it. Think of it, that... And then He went up, vanished from Abraham. The Angels went on.


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