<TITLE>21. Par 213-222</TITLE>L-213   If that ain't the picture today, I never told it. The only thing that can save the people, they're afraid of It: Jesus Christ. In this hour of tragedy that we're in, when the church is just about ready to go into the federation of churches, and to the World Council of Churches, and--and all these things, and our denominations are coming, drained down, and each one. And you know. We all know that.

L-214   Our Baptists and our Pentecostals, getting the same way. We love our brethren, and everywhere, no matter where they are. But never did a denomination ever denominate, and fall, that ever rose again. Now, you just search history. When they go, they are finished. And our Pentecostal denominations! Now, the system, not the brethren, but the system of denomination has. It's just getting warm. It just... It's got lukewarm, and it's just getting to ice cold. See, it's--it's leaving. And the people is getting cold, and formal, and caring for the things of the world. And we're getting big fine everything, you know, and just getting everything handed to our hand.

L-215 God told Israel, "When you had nothing, I found you in the field bloody and washed you off." He appreciated God. But when you got big, and begin to have plenty, then they forgot God.

L-216   And that's just the way it's begin to get. See? And now, see, when all the things seems to be that our... We're begin to look about, "How many more members we can get? How much more congregation? Can we get a little bigger church than this other brother on the other side of the city? How much Sunday school race can we have? And give them a gold pin for doing certain thing, bringing so many to Sunday school. The Baptists had a little say there, though, in '44, said, "A million more in '44," a slogan. What have you got when you got in there?

L-217 Setting with Billy Graham, not long ago, he put his... stood up there, and held up the Bible. He said, "This is God's Example." I was at his breakfast. He said, "I... Saint Paul took this Word of God, and went into a city, and preached, and had one convert. He went back a year later, and he had a third... thirty from that one. That one convert won thirty." And he said, "He had thirty grandchildren then, see, from that one child." He said, "I go into a city, I'll have thirty thousand confessions. And I come back in a year, I can't find thirty." And he said, "Now, what's the matter?"

L-218   I appreciate that evangelist. I think God is using him out there in that, where he's at. Got to be somebody go to Sodom, you know. All of them can't stay with Abraham and his group, the pulled-out, Elected. But there was one stayed there, showed a certain sign, got them ready for the going. Notice.

L-219 And Billy said, "You know what's the matter?" He never pulled no punches. He said, "It's you lazy bunch of preachers," he said. He said, "I'll give you these decision cards, and you'll set out there, and put your feet up on the desk, and won't even go bother them; and--and maybe write them a letter, and tell them you'd like to have them, a member of your church. You ought to get out there and persuade them, and get them in the church."

L-220 Well, I set and watched, for a while, you know. I thought, "That sounds very good." I thought, "Oh, Brother Graham. I would just sure like to ask you a question right now. But I'm just a little dummy, you know, and you're a great man. So I--I wouldn't do it. But I'd like to say, 'Brother Graham... '" Here is what, if I could have asked him.

L-221 Now, remember, no reflection on him, 'cause I love him. And he's a great man. I pray for him, all the time, and we must do it.

L-222 And now, "I'd like to say, 'Brother Graham, who, what did this fellow, with this one convert that Paul won, what preacher took, went to him?' Cause, he had no pastor to be left with.'" See?


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