<TITLE>06. Par 56-64</TITLE>L-56 How humiliating it must have been for Samson! With all of his framework made up, that was more than able, and had proved God had His strength through his framework. And every muscle that he ever had, still was in his body, but the blessings of the Lord had left him.

L-57   We may have all of our framework. We may have our denominational rituals. We may have our names in the papers and on the ledgers. But I wonder, today, if the Pentecostal church isn't standing about the same place, with its eyes poked out from the Word of God, and for the purpose that Jesus died, that we together could fellowship around the Word and the things of God.

L-58 Humiliated, he was, in the midst of the time that he lived. As I see Samson stand there, it's a symbol, a symbol of a fallen, morally corrupted nation, and a morally fallen, corrupted church. Cause, he both symbolized Israel as a nation, and the power of God, which belongs in the church. It was certainly a pathetic sight, as we see him stand there. After all, his bringing out there, and this lad leading him, and no eyes.

L-59 If the enemy can only blind your eyes from the real thing of God, you'll walk right over the top of it and not know it. No matter what God does, and vindicates it by His Scripture, and proves it by His power; if your eyes are not opened to the things of God, you'll walk right over it as blind as you can be.

L-60   And there he stands. So it must have been a breath-taking time, as these drunken soldiers and women, with their cocktail glasses in their hand. I can hear it echo across the halls, "So this is Samson, the mighty man of God, the mighty man of valor, the great warrior," standing in that condition. I'd imagine, through those warriors as they stood with their arms around their modern Hollywood sweethearts, and their fine tinsel jewelry dingling, the members of this great church of Dagon. I imagine some of them could remember, that by the name of Samson, his very name shook them. His very name brought--brought fear upon them, for he was anointed of God. Many of them remembered it.

L-61 Many of them soldiers standing there, could remember of seeing him standing with the jaw bone of a mule in his hand, a thousand dead Philistines laying there. How could it happen? When the jaw bone of a mule hit one of those helmets, practically an inch-and-a-half thick, of solid brass; why, you strike that helmet with a jaw bone of a mule, that mule's jaw would fly to thousands of pieces. But Samson, with the power of God upon him, beat down a thousand Philistines, breaking down their shields and laying them at the... his feet. I'd imagine many of those warriors had fled during that time, stood back up there and remembered. "And that is Samson?"

L-62   They remembered of seeing the jaw bone in his hand, and saying, "Who else wants some of this?" He was a man who could speak. He was a man who was anointed of God. God promised to bless him. He was in the strength of Jehovah.

L-63 Oh, no doubt there is many here can remember back when the church stood in that kind of strength, but now all broke up. All kinds of denominations, one fighting the other one. The old all-night prayer meetings is not heard of no more. Street meetings is absolutely gone. They're obsolete. Yet, we've got our structure, we got the framework, but where is the God of miracles? Frankly, many deny It, even denying Divine healing, many.

L-64   Right here in this state, I had a--a church man, with a great church, said. I wanted to get some seats, to put here in Hot Springs, at the Armory when I was here, me and Brother Moore. And a Pentecostal man said, "I wouldn't even let..." He wouldn't let me have the seats. He said, "I wouldn't let anybody sit on my seats, that believed in Divine healing." That's not only here; it's everywhere. What's the matter? Prejudice, because of sponsorships and other organizations, forgetting that we are God's people by Birth. Samson had forgot that, also. I'd remember...


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