<TITLE>02. Par 9-16</TITLE>L-9 Now, I think they had a little regulation we had to promise to abide by, that was, not to come on the ground until about six-thirty. [Brother Neville says, "Not till five-thirty; not to be there before five-thirty."--Ed.] And what time... ["The doors open at six-thirty."] I believe it'd be a good idea for us to get there at six-thirty.
Now, they got another auditorium here in town that seats six thousand. If we be real good on this one, they might let us have the other one sometime for a big meeting, maybe sometime this summer when I get back from overseas.

L-10 And so I think we can seat up to... How many can we seat up there? [Brother Neville says, "We can seat about four thousand."--Ed.] Four thousand. So, you see, we'll have plenty of room. There'll be no rush. And so come up at six-thirty. And then everybody can come in at the right time, everybody together, and I'm sure you'll--you have a good seat. And it's elevated like this, and--and a place here where you can write and take notes down, and so forth. And that'll begin, if the Lord willing...

L-11 I think now, tonight, this being Wednesday night prayer meeting, we got... The place is just about filled up, so I think maybe we better start tomorrow night. We rented it just in hopes that maybe, if we would be enough to have an overflow here, we could go up there. But I believe it's... it'd be best to go on up, don't you think so, Brother Neville, to go on up tomorrow night? And how many thinks that'd be a good idea? And then you can have plenty of--of room. It's--it's already rented; it's paid for by some brethren here in the church. It just cost us fifty dollars a night, which is very, very... Wish I had that everywhere, could seat that many for fifty dollars a night, a brand new building, fine stage. And, but we are...

L-12 Course, we will take up a offerings, I suppose. And we don't want them man to pay for that themselves; we'll pay for... pay them back. But when we get our expenses and things, well, then, of course, we stop taking offerings. We don't...

L-13 If there's any strangers with us, we've made that a policy, to never beg, bum, push people for money. We pass the collection plate, which is just... That's a religious act. I've tried it, many times, not even to pass the collection plate, at all, but it don't work. See? Because, giving is a part of our religion. It's a part of our duty. No matter if it's just a dime, or whatever it is, or a penny, it's all...

L-14 So you remember, Jesus seen a widow passing by, one day, where the rich man was putting in much of their treasure in the treasury. And this widow passed by, maybe a couple little, hungry children walking by her side, and gave everything she had, three pennies. And Jesus said, "Who paid the most?"

L-15 Now, if I had been standing there, I'd a-said, "Don't do that, sister. We--we, look, we got plenty of money." But He never stopped her. See? He--He knew He had something greater for her down the road. So, see, after all, she had a home in Glory, that she was going to. And He never stopped her. He let her put her three pennies in, because it was just she wanted to do it. And she had to want to do it; with children, and a widow, and only three pennies to live on. She, she had to want to do that. So, you see, when people want to give, you've got to give them the opportunity to do so.

L-16 But I think of these standing, and people saying, "Who will give fifty dollars? Who will give twenty dollars?" I think that's detrimental to your--to your intelligence. I--I think that the people realizes that it takes money to--to run a--a meeting. And I never would let them do it, the managers. I said, "Whenever you have to do that, then it's time for me to return back to the tabernacle. So, we won't have to do that." But I--I do think that we have to pass the offering plate, in--in order to make it a complete religious service.


<A HREF="P3">Next Page</A>