<TITLE>25. Par 324-340</TITLE>L-324 So, you see, he become a beggar, after all. Sometimes we got to beg. Don't make your mistake like he did. Make your investment this morning in Jesus Christ.

L-325   I'm going to take one more rich man, just one, about one minute.

L-326 I just come through the Nicaea Council, Pre-Nicaea, Post-Nicaea Council, and the Nicaea Fathers, all, to see where the church, seeing just where it made its mistake.

L-327 I come upon the writings of Saint Martin, Tours, Frenchman. And I see that he was born in a rich home. His father was a great military man. And in France, in that day, it was an order that the son should do as the father did.

L-328 I think that's still a good thing in the Christian way. If That is your Father, you take after Him.

L-329 Now we find out that Martin was--was to be a--a soldier. And he was, a call in his life, of God. And he's humble, they know. Every soldier had a--a man that should polish his boots, and--and take care of him, keep him groomed, because he was an example of the nation, before the people. And they said, "Instead of--of Martin's servant, probably the colored boy that was to shine his boots, he shined the colored boy's boots." And, yet, not even yet a Christian. He was a heathen, but that predestinated seed laid there.

L-330   Just like it did in the little woman, when she saw the miracle, that Jesus could tell her where her trouble was. Flashed like that. [Brother Branham snaps his finger once--Ed.] It went to Life. The Son shined on it.

L-331 And you--you can't keep the life down when the sun shines on a seed. A seed can lay there with no life in it, it'll just lay there. But has got life in it, it'll come when the sun strikes it.

L-332 And Martin, yet, that call in his life, and he--he wanted to--he wanted to do something for God, and he didn't know what to do. And he said... One day he stood by a gate, as the people entered the city, a real cold winter.

L-333 Like we're having in the East now. I just heard from home, was twenty below zero, and there in Indiana. That's almost a record. I guess it is a record.

L-334   Real cold, and the poor people laying out, without food, and freezing to death. And Martin, Saint Martin, come walking through the gate, and--and there he seen an old beggar laying there. And the poor old fellow was ragged. He was freezing. And Martin stopped back.

L-335 And there come men by, with great estates. And said, "Please, sir. I'm dying. Won't you, won't you give me something? I'm freezing. I--I can't make it through this night. Please don't let me die." And they just walked by, because he was nothing but a beggar.

L-336 Martin stood and looked at it. He had give everything he had away. He--he took... He had one coat. It was a shawl, like. It went over his shoulders; the soldiers had in those days. And he had one big, long, like a blanket over his shoulders. And he stood. He knowed he would freeze, too, that night, if he didn't have it. So he took his sword and cut it, half, in two. Went over and wrapped the old beggar in it, took the other half and wrapped around him.

L-337 When he went down the street, by doing a trick like that, they laughed at him, said, "What a funny looking soldier!"

L-338   No doubt, today, standing on the Word, standing for Truth, the denominational world will say, "You look like a funny-looking thing. What creed did you come from? Where is your credentials?" Right. When you're trying to do that which is right, trying to do what is right with the Word of God.

L-339 That night, while Martin was asleep, he was wakened up, in his sleep. He looked. Stand in the room, there stood Jesus, and He was wrapped in that piece of garment that he had wrapped the old man in. See?

L-340 He made an investment. He got his call there. And he was the messenger of that age. He brought the church back to the--the pentecostal principles. A great man!


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