<TITLE>02. Par 6-9</TITLE>L-6 And now, tomorrow night is the closing night. And then, I hear that Brother Erickson's coming pretty soon to this city. I've met Brother Erickson, a very fine brother; I certainly love him. And I certainly trust that you all will go out to hear Brother Erickson when he comes. Brother Valdez, Jr., is just across the water here in the city of San Francisco, in some kind of a revival center; maybe the--some of the brethren can announce his meeting. I've met Brother Valdez twice, a real Christian brother. I'm so happy to get to meet men like that. And he's having meetings, going to carry on the rest of the week. I'm sure it would do you good if you'd go over and see Brother Valdez.
And then, I pray for all you pastors and shepherds. A "pastor" means "a shepherd." And I trust that God will bless you abundantly, and may great revival sweep this city before the end time.

L-7 Now, I wish to read just by the way of the Scripture tonight, the Lord willing, a little text here in the Bible, and may the Lord give us the context from it. That's in Saint John the 1st chapter and the 29th verse to begin, and read down to the 32nd, inclusive. Now, listen close to the reading of the Word; for His Word won't fail; mine will; His won't. So if you get no more than just the reading of the Word... How many reads the Word daily? Let's see your hands. Oh, that's wonderful. Just start right in and make a--a habit of reading a chapter every night before you go to bed, and a chapter every morning just as you get up. And oh, it just don't take no time till you just... You know the Holy Spirit feeds on the Word of God, and it's good for you to read.
Now, beginning with the 29th verse, we read.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest unto Israel, therefore I am come baptizing with water.
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

L-8 Last evening, I believe, or one day last week, I made this statement: that we are not supposed to produce fruit but to bear fruit. If we have tried to produce fruit, and we... We bear education and we bear theology; we... Sometimes we bear things in trying to bear fruit, or produce fruit, rather; we produce the wrong thing.
Now, to produce anything, could be an outward reform, but to bear anything has to come from the inside of you. Now, the tree is known by its fruit. The life in the tree proves what it is, regardless of what the bark looks like, or what the limbs look like, or what shape the tree is grown in. It's the fruit that counts. It might have sycamore bark on it and have limbs on it like a--a pecan tree, but if it bares apples, that shows that the sap or the life in the tree is apple tree life.

L-9 And that's how a Christian is known, by the fruit that he bares; not the way he dresses, how intellectually he is, how well educated he is, what church he goes to. He's known by the life that he lives. That's what proves that's inside of him.
And when we find out that... Many times we try to make the Christian church look good on the outside; we try to make ourself neatly appeared on the outside. That's all right. Sometimes if we try to shout and act like the next Christian, why, I don't know whether I'd say that was right or not. I don't believe it is. I believe you're trying to impersonate there. You must be just what you are on the inside. It's just a natural thing. If you try to make yourself act like something, then it becomes hypocrisy. You're... Jesus said, "How can you call Me Lord and do not the things that--that--that He asks you to do? How can you call Me Lord?" for "lordship" is "ownership." So if we call Him Lord, we must do the things that He told us to do.


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