<TITLE>02. Par 8-15</TITLE>L-8 Now, there's only one bad thing that I dread having meeting here of a morning, and that is it's a horrible, sounds like a very--a disgraceful thing to say, but I have so many friends that come so far away to--to the services. I don't see the Evanses here, but they're here somewhere, I suppose. They never miss a one. And you know how many miles they drive every Sunday to hear the preaching? Thirteen hundred miles. They can't make the trip less than sixty to seventy dollars a week to go to church. That's right. Time they come up here with their whole--their family, go over here, pay...

L-9 Now, not only that, but here's a little brother from down in Alabama, drives about the same distance every week, Brother... Oh, my, what? Brother Wel--West. I... He looks like a boy to me. He's--he's a father, got a bunch of children. But he always just reminds me... He get--so young looking, he and his wife: Brother West.
Brother and Sister Palmer, setting back there from down below Macon, Georgia. And--and Sister Ungren, they're usually here from down in Memphis, Tennessee. Are they here this morning? I--I... They usually are: Sister Ungren and--and the group from down in Memphis, Tennessee? Wait... Yeah, back in the back. And there is others, I just--they're just numerous to call. Some of them way down in southern Kentucky, some way up around Chicago, and some from Chicago, and above Chicago, around out...

L-11 Sunday I understood there was a man here all the way from California. He just had a little bit to stay, wanted to see me. And 'course, I was pressed after the meeting. And the man went back without me seeing him. Another one came in from over in Illinois somewhere. If that man's here this morning, them's the nicest, delicious apples I ever eat. And he brought me a bushel of apples. And one of the brothers from down in Georgia, I believe it was or somewhere, brought a great big package of pecans, about them big paper-shells. And oh, I can really eat them.

L-12 Right now, I'm... 'Course I'm not eating pleasant foods in these days, haven't since the going away of my mother. I'm seeking the Lord for a--a new vision, just eating soft things and such as I--little as I can get by with. Lost twenty pounds of weight, which is... Now, I'm not fasting. I don't... No, that... Just to do that, that ain't giving that to the Lord. You want to give the Lord the best you got, not the...

L-13 I happen to see Brother Sumner and them back there too. There's just so many I... Like last Sunday I was mentioning the people who--who set up with mama and things. And a real faithful sister was there; I forgot to name that woman's name. I... If she's here this morning, I apologize. But one of them was Sister Beeler and the other one was Sister and Brother Stephie.
And so many, I... You all know me well enough to know that I don't mean it when I overlook a name or overlook a person. How loyal they all were. And sometimes just setting here I'll make mention of somebody just coming on my mind, but I... For that I mean the whole group, everybody. You see, it's just so nice. And then everybody lovely and kind to us. And we sure do appreciate that.

L-15 And now, this morning we are going to try to approach the Word of God again. Now, I'd like to make this statement so it'll be real clear, that I--I do not just come to any meeting just to be seen. I don't come there just to say, "Well, I want to a--a maybe pray to the Lord to give me a--a message that will just make the people feel real good and shout." We've had plenty of that, but (and we appreciate that. That's all right. See? That's wonderful. See?)--but what I want to know is, "Lord, You direct my thoughts in something that'll be a help to the people, that will place them closer to God, that'll--that'll--that'll do something for them that--that--not so much as build them up spiritually, but build them up in the knowledge and the admonition of God, so that they'll know how to stand when the enemy comes.


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