<TITLE>21. Par 195-204</TITLE>L-195 Becky, my daughter, was reading to me, "The Gladiators," the other night. Said, "Listen to this, daddy." And I cannot at this time, I'm sorry, I can't call the name. But a--a young Christian had been throwed out as a gladiator to fight at the Roman arena. I've stood in that arena, praying. The old walls are falling in.
And when they would set there, and they--they just loved to see them. They had to kill one another. God speaking... In the old days they--they just meet one another and kill one another, and that was it. God was against that.

L-197 And one of the very--one of the--one of the very first signs of Christianity, refused to kill a man. That's right. And you can kill him more ways than just sticking him with a knife; speak against his character, many ways you can do it.
But this gladiator, they turned a lion loose on him. And with the strength and power of God he killed that lion with his sword, a knife. The people clapped; it was gallant. They stood up. They turned another one loose, and he killed it with his sword. And then they turned a man loose, a big, great, tall, dark African pagan. And this Christian had to fight him, which he didn't want to do. But in the fight he knocked the--the African down, had his sword right up over him, of course. The African said, "Sir, kill me quickly, so I won't suffer. Don't torture me. Kill me quickly."
The Christian threw over his sword, took off his armor, walked out before the emperor, and said, "Emperor, I am a Christian and my Lord and Saviour forbids us to take one another's life. I'll take the life of a wild beast, but not of my brother. I refuse to kill a man."

L-200 All of the emperors of Rome, and so forth, stood up, and said, "You mean a gladiator, a slave will refuse to obey the voice of Rome?"
And they called the man, "Jump up, and take that sword and kill him." He jumped up, and took the Christian's sword. The Christian, unarmed, laid his arms out. And the man struck him through the heart with a sword; right through his heart with a sword. And when the gurgles, between the blood gushing out, and filling up of his lungs, when this big knife went through his lungs, the little Christian fell on his knees, and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And we talk about suffering for Christ? What will our testimony be with men like that?
Oh, faith of our fathers! living still
In spite of dungeon, flame, and sword.

L-202 Them were men, who meant death to confess Christ. What had they been? They had received the Witness. They was filled with the Holy Ghost. Them first Christians wasn't afraid of death. After that, the Roman Empire saw that there was something about them. What did they do? They nominated it, went along and made a denomination out of it, and just bring them in by profession, without receiving this Witness.
There's where they are today, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, and too many Pentecostals, so-called; we're going down this journey without receiving God's Witness. And the Holy Ghost is our Witness. Yes, sir. How different, them churches of that day.

L-204 The church of today is, "Just join the church." As the old saying is, "When a man joins the church, he puts on a new coat." That's right. But when he's filled with the Witness, they put a new man in the coat. It isn't a new coat on the man; it's a new man in the coat. What we need today is more new men in the coat; that's the clergy coat, I'm talking about. Yes, we need it different. The early...
This church today is trying to save itself, with its own good works. "Oh, I'm a Christian, I must be real sweet. I must do this." But that first church, what was they doing? Waiting. Not trying to change themselves, but was waiting for God Himself to come and change them from Pharisees to witnesses.
And what we need today is another waiting on the Holy Ghost, the Witness of God to come change us from a bunch of Pharisees, cold and starched, to witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah.


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