<TITLE>11. Par 39-42</TITLE>L-39 The son of that man had taken his throne after his death. One day walking out there, he had... He still hated them prophets. And he walked out there one day in his lattice and looking around, and he fell through the lattice and he got hurt. The Bible said he was sick. So he called some of his men and sent two of them, or a little company of soldiers, over to Ekron, over to consult the prophets of Baalim, whether he was to get well or not.
So you know, God makes His secrets known to His prophets. Is that right? So Elijah down there in the mountain, back in a cave, laying on a pile of--of brush or something back there, his coat laying over it, the Lord spoke to him. And he went up there and stood in the road. He said, "Go up there. Stand there, because they're going up."

L-40 Oh... Or these soldiers passed around the corner. They looked. Coming strolling down the road, come an old fuzzy-looking preacher, beard all out over his face, and a big piece of leather wrapped around him. He wasn't very much to look at, but he had THUS SAITH THE LORD. That's the main thing. Wasn't so classic.
So he stopped them. He said, "Why are you going over there to Ekron?' Said, "Go tell him, 'Why did he send over there?' Is it because there is no God in Israel? Is there no prophet here to consult? If he wanted to know something about it, why didn't he ask God? He's supposed to be the king here of Israel, so why didn't he ask God? Is it because we haven't got a God here? Is it because we haven't got no--no prophet down here? But because he's done this, go tell him, THUS SAITH THE LORD, he's not coming off of that bed." Oh, my.

L-41 I wonder today, why does men want to smoke cigarettes? Why does people want to stay home on Wednesday night and watch a television program instead of going to prayer meeting? Why is it we want to do... Because there's no joy in the house of the Lord? What makes a person want to--to drink, and run around, and act like that? Is it because we don't have any God? Is it because there's no joy in the house of the Lord any more? Is it because the Holy Spirit isn't ready to bless all of us? Is there--is there anything wrong with it?
But because that we do it, that's the reason we're cursed. That's the reason God's put this thing upon the church, this cold and dampness. We're going to other places for pleasure, instead of coming to the house of the Lord for pleasure. The house of the Lord is the joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord is the joy of His people. He wants you to come to church, and worship Him, and be happy, and satisfied, giving praise, and honor, and glory, and wisdom, and might, and power to God. He wants you to do that.

L-42 And now, you know when these messengers got back, and so... They found--went in to this king and they said, "A man sent us back and told us such-and-such a thing."
He said, "Who was he? How was he dressed?"
Said, "He was hairy all over and had a piece of leather around his loins."
And he said, "That was the Elijah, the prophet of God, the Tishbite." Oh, my. He knowed what was coming.
It wasn't because they didn't have a God. It wasn't because they didn't have a prophet. But it was a--it was the king's own stupid ways. It was his own selfish and ungodly act, like his mama and papa. He hated that prophet. And that's the reason today that judgment rests upon the world. It's not because we haven't got a God, not because we haven't got prophets. But it's because that the people hate the ways of the Lord and love the ways of the world. It's exactly right.


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