<TITLE>16. Par 43-44</TITLE>L-43 People are afraid of the new birth. They're afraid of it. Now, any birth, I don't care what level it's on, it's a mess. You take if it's out yonder in a pig pen, any birth makes a mess. If it's in a pig pen, if it's in a... If it's in the cow stable, if it's in a pink decorated hospital room, I don't care where a birth takes place, it's a mess. And a new birth is the same. It'll make you do things that you didn't think you'd do. You might cry, boo-hoo, and rub around on the altar; no matter what you do, I've never ask God (it wouldn't do no good) to try to bring the new birth to my level. I want to meet God's level of the new birth and receive it. I don't care what I have to do.
Someone said not long ago, "I'm afraid to receive the Holy Ghost. I'm afraid It'd make me speak in tongues like them others." I don't care if I spoke in tongues, talked in tongues, crowed in tongues, or anything else; I want the Holy Ghost. That's the main principle; I don't care what level it is. I'll meet God on His level. What He wants to say is right. There's where I want to stand. That new birth that changes a man, changes a woman, changes a new desire, changes their appetites... Wrestle with God until you can hold on until the blessing comes. Then God will change you like He did Jacob, "supplanter," to Israel, "prince." The new birth...

L-44 These women walked down through there, and they had a--a man draw out--a couple of old man run out trying to grab them. They missed them, and stroke their hands down behind them like that, one grabbed by the heel, and she sprawled out in the floor, and spilled some of her whiskey. And this other one took and poured some more in her glass. And this old man was so drunk he couldn't get up off of the floor, oh, having a nice, clean time, just a little fun.
That's what breaks up homes; that's what spoils children; that's what makes neurotics; that's what makes teen-age delinquency is when motherhood and fatherhood is broke.
That woman raised up this bottle; she pulled up that little underskirt, as much as she had on, kicked her little leg up in the air like that, and hollered, "Whoopee!" She said, "This is life."
I couldn't stand no more. I walked out there, and I said, "I beg your pardon; that's death." I said, "The devil has deceived you. That's death."
And she said, "You want a drink? Come on, honey, take a drink."
I raised out this same Bible here, laid It out before her, I said, "I'm a Gospel preacher."
And they started to drop the bottle, that make-up stuff all over their face and eyes, and everywhere, and their lips supposed to be down here, and painted plumb up around their nose, and all that kind of stuff, and that blue stuff running down their eyes.
I looked in their hands, and wedding bands on; I said, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself? I'm an American citizen too." I said, 'You disgrace the nation.'
"Oh," said, "we didn't mean nothing by it."
I said, "You don't mean nothing by it. And you're both wearing wedding rings." They started down the place like that. I grabbed them by the hand; they was too drunk to get away from me. I grabbed them by the hand. I said, "Look women, let's kneel down here and pray to God that He will have mercy on your sinful soul. Go get you some black coffee and sober up, and go home to your children and babies." Life, life... It's death!


<A HREF="P17">Next Page</A>