<TITLE>20. Par 199-210</TITLE>L-199 Pentecostal's fine, but it's a painted fire if you haven't received It yourself. Not a past tense, a present tense, what good is a God of history if He isn't the same God today? As I've often said, what good does it do to give your canary bird vitamins to make his wings grow, and put him in a cage and keep him there? What's the use of teaching that there is a God of power, and then denying the people of the privilege of serving Him? Amen. Certainly. Nonsense.
Why you got all these seminaries around like a big incubator, hatching out preachers? See?
I always felt sorry for an incubator chicken; he really didn't have any mammy. He never knowed where he come from. Nobody to mother him, he come out mechanically. That's about the way with a seminary preacher that only knows theology. He might be as smart and polished as any scholar could be; he might be able to preach in many different languages; but if he don't know who his Parent is...

L-203 As I said not long ago; if any thing is a ignorant thing, is a mule. He don't know who's papa or mama is. He's a hybrid thing (See?); he don't know who, what papa, mama. He don't know where he belongs. That's like some of these hybrid Christians, so-called, bred in by denominations. But a good thoroughbred horse is pedigreed; he knows what it's all about.
And a good thoroughbred Christian knows where the Storehouse of God is. They know that they're borned of the Word. The Word is made flesh in them. Every Word that God says, they don't different with It; they say, "It's right. Amen, and amen." They punctuate It with an "amen," every time. "Amen. Amen." Something in them punctuates It Himself.
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."
"Amen."
"He that believeth in Me, the works that I do shall he do also."
"Amen."
"Go ye into all the world, preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved. These signs shall follow them that believe."
"Amen."
The old hen said, "Cluck-cluck-cluck, the days of miracles is past."
But, "Honk-honk-honk, I smell the water."...?...
That's right. See? Why? You are putting God to the test. See, that's it. God first, act upon His Word, and see if It's right. That's true.

L-208 John the Baptist was following right along his line of duty. When just a--a boy, we don't have much record. His father was a fine man, but disbelieved God. God was going to... determined to bring it through Elisabeth, this baby. So He told her according... She would conceive this child. And he doubted it, and He struck him dumb. I'd imagine the heart of John the Baptist's parents, Elisabeth and Zacharias, was kind of grieved, because they knowed they were old. And this promised child that had been born, that God had performed a miracle and had brought this child into the world, when they were old and past age. They knowed that their hearts were grieved, because they couldn't live long enough to see him perform his great work of God. But they dedicated him to it. Glory to God. Somewhere beyond the stars and moon, they could look down and see it. They'd never see this little boy... They died. They died when he was just a child yet, a young fellow, a boy; he left his home and went into the wilderness. There he was brought up under the power of God.

L-210 God told him, "You're the voice of one crying in the wilderness. I'm sending you forth. Go, and cry."
How John must've waited each day, as he run the snakes in the rocks and kicking the stones. Oh, I can't wait."
"What are you waiting on, John?"
"Just I want to hear His commission; that's all. Get out of the way, snakes." They'd take for the rocks. That's the reason them Pharisees come out, he said, "Oh, you generation of vipers, take for the rocks."


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