<TITLE>16. Par 54-56</TITLE>L-54 Your virtue is what you're counted by. You don't say "Oh, hallelujah, I--I know I got it because I did this. Hallelujah," and enough temper to fight a buzz saw.
Let me tell you, brother, it takes virtue that Christ respects. "Though I speak with tongues as men and angels, though I pour forth blood out of both hands, though I shout and dance in the spirit, though I eat the Word of God and love it, though I drink from the same spiritual rock that the rest of them does, though I clap my hands just as loud as the rest, though I could cry crocodile tears, though I could do all this; but if that real genuine, real Christian virtue isn't there to Christ, you become as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.
Paul was warning his church of this, the Corinthian church, which it was all mixed up in all kinds of fantastics. I'm warning you, friends; remember I will have to answer for you there at the day of judgment and your blood won't be upon me. No matter how loyal you are to anything else, be loyal to Christ. Remember that as we pray.

L-55 Blessed heavenly Father, in this present estate we come now and confessing all of our wrongs. Oh, be Thou merciful, merciful God. And we pray that You'll look down into our heart, and in th--this hour, while we're waiting with our heads bowed to the dust, look into the heart of the old man, into the heart of the elderly women, into the heart of the middle-age and the young, even the little children, and may we examine ourself.
We're coming into that holy week that we celebrate as Good Friday and Easter, the resurrection. Though this year we might have been loyal to church, though we might've taken communion, though we might've shouted, we might've done many things; but, O God, look down into my heart. I talk for myself. Look into my heart, into the heart of this people here this morning and examine us, Lord. If there be something that takes the place of Christ, O God, take it away. If it's laziness, if insufficiency, if it's... Whatever it might be, I don't know, but, God, take it from us. Oh, we don't want to be overthrown right here at the time of the battle, overthrowed by God and be an enemy to Him.
O God, look into our hearts; examine us by Thy Holy Spirit, and let us see this morning if there's any evil thing in us. If there is, take it away, Father. We now lay it on the altar to walk away and leave it there. If it's idleness, if it's temper, if it's indifference, if it's neglecting, if it's... Whatever it may be, if it's hatred, if it's malice, if it's strife, if it's... Whatever it may be, O God, take it from us today.

L-56 And at this coming revival, may we be just so full of Your charm, Lord, until many will come in and be saved. The little community here, where we've tried so hard, the first revival now in ten years that I've held... Now, I pray that You'll give us that real, real Spirit in our hearts, and may it anchor there for eternity. Grant it, Lord.
Make us to examine ourselves, we married people, by the way we treat our wives, how true we are or how true our wives is to us. And may we just get in our hearts this morning, how we'd think if something like that happened in our home. And then, may we turn our affections toward You and say, "O God, be merciful to me."
Oh if--if the wife would just about every once a month, just come by and put her hand on yours and say, "Dear, I love you." and walk on, oh, how it would seem she was neglecting me. How it would seem that something was wrong. And, God, when maybe once a month or once when we go to church we offer a little prayer, oh, You want our love, our--our--our communion all the time, and our thoughts and our intents of our heart will be stayed on Thee. Grant it, Lord. Oh, keep our hearts so set on Thee that the things of the world will become blind and so indifferent. Grant it, Lord. Hear us now and bless us in the further part of these services. We ask in Christ's Name. Amen.


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