<TITLE>17. Par 77-81</TITLE>L-77 I used to... You know, I'm an ex-pugilist myself. I got--had the undefeated bantam weight championship of three--three states. I used to watch the fellows come to the ring with all kind of fancy stuff, all fancy fangdangoed on them. That didn't made them fighters. Sometimes that was a sham. That didn't have nothing to do with it. If he--if he didn't have some hidden power there to break the holds...
And that's the way we try to bring our churches today: with the highest steeple, the prettiest pews, the best-dressed crowd. That don't break the toehold. No, it takes that hidden power of the Spirit of God, that Word in there to break the hold. That's right.

L-78 Like Peter was. He was a good with his sword. When Jesus got in trouble, he pulled out his sword. He could flop any way, cut the high priest, his servant's ear off with a sword. But when it come to real Christian courage, he didn't have it. Yes. But the spiritual courage, he denied the Word made flesh standing right among them.
He was good with his sword. That's right. He could duel the creed just as good as anybody could. But he, when it come to spiritual courage, he didn't have it. So he failed right there. Now, why? He only knowed one thing, his creed. But brother, after he went up to Pentecost, he put on the whole armor of God. Now, watch him. He's a different person now. He put on the whole armor.

L-79 What was it? That Word that he'd walked with was in him, burning him up with fire in his flesh and soul. He had the whole armor of God on. That's God's provided armor. He had the baptism, filled with the Holy Ghost. What is it? God makes Himself ever present in His own army. God, on the day of Pentecost, sent down the full armor of God for His army. That was Himself among you.
"Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more. Yet ye shall see Me because I will be with you, even in you, until the end of the world." Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and forever," Matthew 28. All right. That He has... He is with us, in us. That's the armor. It's Him. He is the Word, and He is the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in us, which is the Word making the promise manifest. This is the promise. Christ is the Word, and He makes It manifest.

L-80 The Spirit quickens the Word, makes the... In other words, he's the powder that sends the bullet out there with it. Like it was the powder when David met Goliath with a slingshot with a rock in it. He only had one place to hit, and that was right between the eyes. Rest of it was armored. But God got in that spirit.
What was it? He had five stones and a slingshot. Look. F-a-i-t-h in J-e-s-u-s. Here He comes. Something's fixing to happen, 'cause there's the Word, the promise, and the power to sling it. That's what we need today, is a man that'll take God's Word with the power of the Holy Ghost behind him to press it out there and watch it come to pass. That's God's army. Amen. His Word of fire, His army is all dressed with the ever Presence of Himself in there, going with us. "I'll go with you, be in you. Not you that speaketh; the Father that dwelleth in you, He doeth the works."

L-81 In His army... He presents His army in the form of five offices, first, apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists. That's His army; that's His soldiers; that's His commanding officers, all with the baptism of the Holy Ghost, waiting out there to meet the enemy on any grounds he comes upon; to meet the enemy with the Word of God (Amen.), each one backing one another up, with Him the Chief Captain, not out there in front, up here, above, back behind; but in them. That's the army. Vindicating, vindicating what? His resurrection, by the proof of His works.


<A HREF="P18">Next Page</A>