Transcript of a published conference session by Murrell Ewing, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
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Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
The texts: the child Samuel and young Josiah
- After the host's introduction and his own thanks — to the brethren who spoke before him, to his district superintendent, and to his friend Anthony, whom he calls more like a blood brother — he says he will not deal in many preliminary remarks, only preach out of his heart and be himself.
- He reads 1 Samuel 3:1-4: the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli, the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no open vision, and the Lord called Samuel as he lay down to sleep. He keeps returning to the first statement: "and the child Samuel."
- He turns also to 2 Chronicles 34 and reads verses 1, 2, and a portion of 3: Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father. He has the congregation repeat the phrase: "while he was yet young."
- He announces his topic and asks them to name it with him: "Early Altars" — and prays that God would anoint his lips, open their ears, and melt their hearts together.
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 3:1-4; 2 Chronicles 34:1-3
Sally and Max: hunger that invites itself
- He tells of a young couple newly come to the Lord in his church — quality people, she a registered nurse, he working in the operating-room area of the same hospital. Another young lady in the church, Tammy, a nurse with a vivacious personality who could light a fire of enthusiasm in any room, had been praying and preparing herself for God to give her souls.
- Sally, a fellow nurse, came to Tammy on the job before Tammy had ever found the moment to invite her to church: "I don't know what it is you've got... all I can say is I want it." Tammy, picking herself up off the floor, told her of a church that preaches an experience with God that changes your life.
- The next morning Sally came to work already changed in appearance — hair up in a knot, things missing from ears and nose and fingers, a skirt on — though she had never yet been to the church: "I don't have to be at your church. I just know that whatever you've got, I want it, and if it's done all of this for you, I want it to do it for me."
- He preaches to preachers who have worn themselves weary begging faithless people to stay faithful: God is about to inundate the church with a hungry world. The first time Sally got to church she received the Holy Ghost, spoke in tongues, and was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, with no coaxing needed.
- Max, her husband, was another story: aghast at the change, playing second fiddle, resisting — until the house was so saturated with the Holy Ghost from Sally's praying in tongues that he gave up and came and got the Holy Ghost himself. All of this, he says, was about three months before.
Early altars check you out: Joan, her cousin, and his father
- Some weeks later Sally came to his office — not, as he feared, in trouble, but smiling: three months in the church, she found God dealing with her heart about foreign missions, and she did not want to appear presumptuous in saying so.
- His human reasoning had two strikes against it, but God opened the whole thing up to him, and he told her this was not the first time he had heard the story. His wife Joan — Joan Clark when he first knew her, long before they were husband and wife — had shared with him in the early years of her life the desire that her life would probably one day include the mission field.
- Joan's cousin Glenn Clark — whose father, a missionary, was home on furlough while the two boys attended the same high school for a few months — had shared with him, with tears in his eyes as a teenage boy, a dream and vision from God of preaching on a mission field somewhere. Glenn Clark is now in the Philippines, an appointed missionary of the UPC; Joan wound up a pastor's wife stateside, and they visit the mission field as often as they can.
- His own daddy, who pastored the church until his death and never preached a sermon on foreign soil, said the highlight of every conference was the missions service, where he dedicated himself anew: "God, I'm available" — the call of God and the will of God never put him there, but he was always willing to go.
- So he told Sally what he believes God is doing in some of her early altars: checking her out with the ultimate of commitment — the ultimate severance, saying goodbye to homeland and security — and if she can make the ultimate commitment now, she will never have to worry about whatever His will calls for from here on.
The rich young ruler: the whole barrel of wax up front
- The Lord brought to his mind the rich young ruler, who came to Jesus asking what steps he had to follow to become a follower. Of all the people who came to Christ with inquiries, no one else received this particular answer.
- Jesus knew what a contribution the man's influence and tithing would be, but in His wisdom He would forego any of that rather than let him cast his lot and find out later what it cost, and be damaged by it. He gave him the whole barrel of wax at the start: go sell what you've got, give it to the poor, and come follow me.
- The very fact that the man could not do it proved why Jesus had to tell him. Different people were told different things — another fellow heard about foxes and holes and birds — but this man was told what he would have to do, because God knows what every person in the building will have to have in their experience to be a success and make it to the finish line.
Bear with one another's consecrations
- It would be wise, he says, in our bearing with one another: we love to bear with the weak, but if someone has gone a little beyond in consecration we quickly have knives of self-justification — "I don't like that holier-than-thou attitude."
- If somebody prays more than you, don't cut them down; if somebody fasts more than you, encourage them; if somebody has a standard beyond yours, put your scabbard up and cease your sword. Nobody knows the individual consecrations that had to be made at early altars for another person to continue on and be successful walking with God.
The uncle's coffee: a vow made over a dying baby
- He tells of an old uncle who would serve everyone coffee in the house but never drink it himself; pressed for the reason over the years, he finally told it with tears in his eyes. In his early years there was a sick baby in the family, dying, and the doctor said there was no way the baby could live.
- He went to his room and knelt down: "God, if you'll heal my baby, if you won't take my baby, I'll never touch another cup of coffee as long as I live" — and he never did.
- Ewing confesses how close he came to cheapening himself by intruding on that man's personal consecrations with jokes about coffee; God made coffee, and a lot of things God made He does not intend for us to indulge in. The point stands: early consecrations, made early in a life, hold.
Early features last a lifetime
- Early in the life of a child there appear features that last a lifetime: look at the early pictures of 97-year-old Pop Gibson and you will see features he carries to this day; likes and dislikes formed early last as preferences until the dying day; toys become tools and the games of children become occupations.
- He read in the paper a mother's letter to the President of the United States: she had just carried her son to the train station and waved goodbye to him in his U.S. Army uniform. Coming home, her mind wandered back over the years — the little plastic soldiers, tanks, and guns of his childhood, some probably still in the ditches around the house.
- She had no qualms, she wrote: that is what he dreamed of, and he is now what he always wanted to be. But, Mr. President, be careful with the country — don't make any mistakes. Some of the earliest dreams, expectations, and consecrations that move us into the service of God happened around early altars.
Abraham, David, and Joseph: prepared at early altars
- We know a lot about Abraham and Mount Moriah, but we sometimes miss the ultimate consecration made when God called him out of the security of a homeland to search for a city he never did find — and then, beyond saying goodbye to it all, being asked on Moriah to give the son of promise. He was not asked to sacrifice his mistake; he was asked to contribute his promise.
- What prepared David for the giant was the early consecrations he made on the backside of the sheepcote when nobody was around — the bear and the lion. What prepared Joseph was the altars of self-dedication made in the midnight hours when the dreams were coming, holding on through whatever suffering had to be suffered until the ultimate fulfillment.
- Some in the building have relegated yesterday's experiences to childhood and let the wilderness of the years tarnish them, until the devil says it is all over. But the God who talked to you back there will talk to you again now: go back to Moriah, back to the early commitments.
His father's brush arbor and his own revelation
- He was raised in a pastor's home; his dad was preaching this gospel before he was born. His father came to God as a 17-year-old: he heard the truth under an old brush arbor, went home and told his mother and dad they would have to have what those Pentecostals had.
- On the way home one night he got down in the middle of the gravel road at a waterhole slough and hollered hallelujah as loud as he could; it fell off the end of his tongue — you couldn't have heard it at the road ditch. His grandfather, who had just bought a new 98-cent Bible, started going to the brush arbor to save his boy from false doctrine, and tore that Bible up trying to make liars out of the Pentecostal preachers — instead he convinced himself they were preaching the unadulterated truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Ewing felt the call of God early, graduated from high school and went straight into the ministry, preaching revivals between his junior and senior year. In a neighboring room of a place they were staying he looked up at an artist's picture of Jesus Christ and told Him: whatever conviction You gave to my daddy — that kept him on the field drinking water and asking people to cook him something when he was hungry, rather than going to Orange, Texas to work in the shipyards — "I've got to have a revelation of your truth. I cannot preach it just because daddy preaches it."
- God took him at his word and came into that room and gave him a revelation of this truth; from that time he has never had another question about what it takes for a man to be saved. Make an altar — the earliest you can — and get a hold of what you believe: your convictions, your doctrine, what makes you tick, and live by it until the last breath is in your body.
The closing appeal: it will happen — renew the early altars
- To an Elijah figure who has seen the seven, he says: if you've seen seven, there are seven more; if you've seen thirteen, let your dying breath be number fourteen — it will happen. To Abraham, Satan will come and say the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea were childhood fancy: are you going to let him steal your dream and your promise as well?
- "Not on your life. I'm going to claim it until my dying days. I'm gonna have revival, I'm gonna preach to thousands, I'm gonna have miracles, signs, and wonders — because God confirmed it at an early altar."
- He closes by having them reach over and touch somebody on the shoulder and pray that early experiences and early altars would be renewed and rekindled in their lives right now.
Scripture index: 1 Samuel 3:1-4; 2 Chronicles 34:1-3.
Transcript
Amen from Lake Charles Louisiana man that I love very very much when my critical years young life was my father's assistant pastor this man is a great Christian great singer and a great preacher welcome to the pulpit for the Merle Ewing would you do that call from brother Hudspeth in the office thank you my loved brother more than just casual acquaintances Anthony I suppose is more like a blood brother to me than just a friend my esteemed brother and sister Mangan my district superintendent my love deeply early days in my life he was the best man in my wedding that tells you anything and to all of those who have spoken before me to God be praised and honored that I would be invited or included in such a gathering as this to be a participant much less a speaker I'd like so very much to be used of the Lord this afternoon I realize that we have had some of the most beautiful emotional experiences with God already we have heard some of the greatest preaching that you'll ever hear and for me to stand in this pulpit this afternoon after you have raised and worshipped and had such spiritual highs this morning and then I had a chance to go eat for all practical purposes it's nap time but if God would help us I feel like that perhaps even that time to be turned into praise time I won't deal a lot with preliminary remarks just know that I am counted the greatest honor and privilege to be numbered with God's people and if you could just let me talk to you and preach to you out of my heart just be me I won't try to step in anybody else's shoes or I'll try to mimic her a challenge or threat to anybody that's been here but I guess the coach today that's calling the shots for the team I think he's in touch with the owner of the team and he's been doing some pretty good calling the shots and he knew what I could do before I got up here and you knew what I couldn't do and he knows that I still swing at the same kind of pitches Here I am whatever purpose I'm supposed to play in this here I mean thank you but how many of you feel with me that perhaps the Lord would like to share some more with her Samuel her chapter verses 1 through 4 there's a scripture reading then I'd like to
share with you now I'll rush through the reading here but just just get the gist of it if you will and the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli and the word of the Lord was precious in those days there was no open vision it came to pass at that time when he lie was laid down in his place and his eyes began to wax dim but he could not see there the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord where the Ark of God was and where Samuel was laid down to sleep that the Lord called Samuel and he answered I understand this is an episode in the life of the first statement remember and the child Samuel I want to turn also 2 chronicles chapter 34 second chronicles when I read verse 1 2 and a portion of 3 Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign and he reigned in Jerusalem 1 in 30 years and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and he walked in the ways of David his father and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left were in the 8th year of his reign while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his father in the eighth year of his reign while he was yet young you say that phrase with me while he was yet young I want to talk to you today and if you want to name this or refer to it my particular topic let's not come up with is just refer to it as early altars would you say that with me early altars I want us to ask God God knew from the beginning who would be here what at this point what yet be needed and I humbly submit myself to the will of God and knowing that our God giving me something to say what I would say would be worthless but would you ask God to anoint the lips of his feeble servant that he would have gnawed our ears to hear the word of the Lord that he would melt our hearts together let's pray father in your holy name in your holy and righteous name Etobicoke yatta yatta la bahía you double your candle Ibaka Shaka I love you I love you I love you I magnify your name and North the lips of your people servant I note our ears to hear the word of the Lord hallelujah melt our hearts together in the presence of the Lord I love you in Jesus name Amen now before you're seated if you would just simply you understand you understand the city you can sit back for a nap and make it hard on me but if you love me let's perk up together make it easy and I'm falling right into the trap brother Huntley told about I'll get in gear here in a minute and now ladies god bless you you have it stick what I am feeling to speak to you today was born in my heart just just last week pardon me pardon me was this week Monday of this this very week where we left town
was a precious young couple it just came to the Lord in our church and when I say precious I'm talking about quality people and with a great spirit when I tell you the little bit about the story you'll understand I think I think both of them if I am knowing the story right she is a registered nurse he is an assistant perhaps in the operating room area both of them employed I believe at the hospital we have another young lady in our church that new converts she has been in the church now her name is Tammy she's been in the church for a while Tammy has one of the most vivacious personality anybody you'll ever meet that girl she could she could light a fire of enthusiasm and and well she can she can just walk into a room and her vivaciousness causes everybody in there to come alive she just gives birth to enthusiam she is that way on her job she's that way everywhere she is she's that way worshiping the Lord in church and Sally the young lady that I referred to earlier sally was a fellow nurse same hospital with Tammy both of them registered nurses I believe and all of a sudden of course Tammy has been praying and believed in God now that God would use her give her souls she has a tremendous desire tremendous hunger or so God give me Souls and she has applied herself greatly to try to prepare herself to be used of God for that purpose to win souls and she said when Sally came up to her they had evidently not been working together very long or this had happened a long time before it did but somehow another that came together in the same department in the same floor in the same area and I don't I don't know how many days it was that they were working together and all of a sudden Sally walks into where Tammy is on this particular day and on this particular ship she said Tammy I don't know what it is you've got I don't know what it is it makes you different and I really don't care all I can say is I want it I want it that's it Tammy told us later she said when I picked myself up off the floor she said I I couldn't believe what I was hearing and she said when it you know I got the reasoning with myself well this this is not the way it's supposed to be this is not it this is not it at all you're supposed to you're supposed to whine and whimper and plead and beg and and and all of this business for about six months before you never even get them to talk to you about going to church with you and then you work on another six months trying to get scheduled for him to go to church with you at the right time and during a revival and sing in and all of this you know you gotta be wise and she said here I had not so much yet has been with her enough to find the time right to say Sally I want you to go to my church with me she hadn't had time to get around to there all she had had time to do is just your Christian now the other was company understand but she hadn't had time to get around all that yet you just stuff she said Sally Tammy I I don't know what it is I just want whatever it is and of course Tammy was very happy to tell her when she picked herself up off the floor well it's very simple I go to a church that preaches
a little more than just the norm in denominationalism I go to a church that preaches that Calvary purchased more than just a handshake or a card signed I go to a church that preaches there's an experience with God that changes your life and of course it didn't it didn't take much for Sally I mean Sally was the one he said I had not even gotten around to invite Sally and hearing Sally was inviting herself to go with me that was between services and it was not we were not in revival at the time we were not having nightly services so the next morning Sally comes back to the job and sally has got her shortened hair balled up the best way she can in a knot on the back of her head what pins and all won't do hair nets did you know and she wounded up to where she looked like there were a few or sundry items that were missing from ears and noses and fingers and what-have-you fine to look like Tammy the pants were missing no no no no skirt was on hooked up what what Sally I can't believe what I'm seeing what's happening here you've never even been to my church I don't have to be at your church I just know that whatever you've got I want it and if it's done all of this for you I wanted to do it for me I'm preaching to somebody here today that's lost faith in the hunger of humanity there are some people hungry for God and I'm preaching the preachers that have you have warned yourself totally weary and frazzled out preaching the people that you've had to beg to try to keep out of hell beg to do something for God they're to be faithful to church they're to put in the offering bad to even pay a visit to Calvary you've had to beg every step of the way I think it's about time God is about to inundated Church with a hungry world that's ready to do anything I'm talking about a world that's ready to cry out preacher it don't matter to me what it takes I'm ready to shock her she'll just leave it to the crib I thought somebody say hallelujah preachers it would behoove us not to wear ourselves faithless working on knucklehead we stay with faithless knuckleheads long enough will wonder ourselves if there's a God in heaven burn sure it won't be long - you'll be a knucklehead whoa versed in Lord needless to say first time Sally got the church Sally Sally didn't need no coaxing she didn't need to see but she just needed to get the presence of the Lord Sally was ready Sally got the Holy Ghost she talked in tongues she was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and she immediately set out on match the max was a different story
max had just a little bit different approach to religion his hunger was not quite to the appetite that sandwich was and he he didn't first of all he was totally aghast at what had happened in Sally's life and you know he he just he was living living with a new woman there for there for days and all of a sudden he found out that that allegiance had changed that he was playing second fiddle he was accommodating but you know sometimes king of the mountain it's hard to settle down into the right place under God's Howard you know it he he started to come here resisting to say the least put it mildly and Sally made up her mind that she was going to do for him what Tammy had done for her so best way she knew to make it operate was to find a place where he could hear her and get in the spirit and so she did and she talked in tongues and she talked into and she talked in tongue and she talked in town she talked in tongues and the letter house was so saturated with the Holy Ghost that he he had that he had to give up himself in there is there is a you stand so much way to say make a long story short and beautiful story max come and got the Holy Ghost now that's that's just been caught three months ago maybe three months ago and as all pastors when she came last weekend for the Ewing we need to talk Oh my god you've been the ship in the bottle convert and now here we're starting down the slippery slopes into the valley of death oh my my heart just was stopping and with you and this is one of those not the case of squeaking wheels and for the sake of tape ministry I will say no more but you understand while those situations you didn't put off until convenient time you made time for this kid because you knew the hand of God was there and if the devil was trying to throw a monkey wrench in the spot where you wanted to get to it quickly before you messed up the wheel well when I made the appointment ax was not able to come he wanted to be there but his job did not but she wanted to come home she wanted to come because she had to talk to her pastor took a deep breath Sally come on here's the office and I was a little taken back with a smile on her face you know just figured we were heading way down in the deep dark tactics secrets of the devil tricks the devil was trying to and when she sat down in the chair she opened it up she said pastor I don't want to appear what's what's the word I'm trying to taking things for granted or being presumption that's that thank you thank you she said I don't want to appear presumptuous she said but there's something happening to me and I I didn't know I just I just had to share it with you I want to talk to you about it and I can't able to look on her face if it wasn't so bad so I my heart at least come up a little bit you know and
then and then she just she just blurted out she just failed to be she said I know I have only been in the church now for a short while and and there's so much I don't know and and I don't want to be presumptuous but she said she said I find God dealing with my heart about foreign missions I mean in one way a sigh of relief I mean tremendous relief and then in another way in my faint lightheadedness trying to figure out what's going on God dealing with Sally three months old and Max about for a mission you understand I've been around long enough know about these boards no unkindness meant brother but really I compensate stares you besides the board if your common sense don't do it the board will but common sense tells you you don't go from the altar to the mission field donut right you know that sure we all know that and Here I am sitting there trying to figure all this out mission field and and and honey look you know my my human reason I had two strikes against me because first of all I was recouping was sigh of relief next I was trying to figure out what's going on here and then just like God is so sweet to do just like a man just opened the whole thing up to me and I understood and when I understood somehow another I knew that I was supposed to talk about this at this meeting today it was not just something for Sally it was something for us here today and I started I started in very kindly and I said Sally this is not the first time that I've heard this story because in that New York minute God had allowed me to remember some things I started Sally you know this is not the first time that I've heard new converts coming to grips with commitments would include foreign mission fields I said in fact if you want to know a little bit a little bit about what I'm speaking I said you're pastor's wife Joan was one in my earliest acquaintances with her long before we became husband and wife or long before we even became girlfriend and boyfriend the Joan Clark at that moment shared at that time shared with me some desires and some inner secrets of her heart that one day her life probably would include they should feel that was in the early years of Joan's life and then not only not only that but I said her cousin Glenn Clark he and I shared companionship in a high school that we attended for a fuse a few months of time when his dad being a missionary was her home on furlough and I said Glenn Clark shared with me with tears in his eyes as a teenage boy about a dream that he had had and a vision that he had from God when he was just a child had him on a mission field somewhere preaching to heathens and
I said not only Glenn and not only Joan your pastor's wife but my own daddy my own daddy told me that year after year the highlight of the conference was the mission service because it was in that service where he all over again was able to dedicate a new to God God I'm available my dad always said the call of God and the will of God never put me there but I was always willing to go so I said Joan in her early commitments and her early consecrations and God dealing with her early in her life she thought she would go to a mission field and she's wound up a pastor's wife stateside that is and we visit the mission field as oft as we can to do what we came there she's not a missionary but Glenn Clark her cousin he is now in the Philippines and appointed missionary of the UPC I own dad pastored this church until his death never was able to set foot or preach a sermon on foreign soil so I said Sally if I could share with you I think probably what God is doing is in some of your early altars it's checking you out to see and Sally I've got an idea that the call of God and the will of God in your life it could and then again it may not include a mission field but I said I think what God is doing he's checking you out with the ultimate of commitment the ultimate of the severance of tithe the ultimate of saying goodbye to Homeland Security and everything that I know in my raising he's checking you out and if you're able to make the ultimate commitment now you'll never have to worry about whatever his will would call for you to do from here on and then the Lord brought to mind the rich young ruler and I told Sally about the rich young ruler I said if you will remember the story of the rich young ruler he came to God who came to Jesus Christ asking him what must I do what steps do I have to follow what procedures do I get in on whatever is going on here how do I become a follower and all of the inquiries and all the people that came to Jesus Christ no one else did he ever give this particular answer not another somehow in his divine knowledge knowing the ultimate commitment that would have to be made for him to be a success from that moment on Jesus Christ hit him with the hardest thing he'd ever have to do I don't want to I don't want to throw any dampers or anything like this but you know sometimes when you get to the Bible Way we talk about being apostolic when we get to the Apostolic Way and we get to the Bible way we're talking about being Christians and when we get to Christ away it's so far removed from our concepts you go ahead and do it like you want to do it but I'm telling you how Jesus did it our concept is that if we can give them just enough but that did it bury them alone until finally they get their feet on the ground enough and then somewhere down the road we put the whole old I say again you do it the way you want to do it and I understand that there's got to be
tax and I understand that there's got to be wisdom and I understand that utmost there must be love but somewhere down the line there's got to be truth Jesus Christ looked at that rich young ruler and nobody knew any better than he what a contribution his influence would be to their rapport with the community nobody knew any better than he what a tremendous effect that his tithing would have on the coffers nobody knew any better than he the tremendous blessing that he would be in the overall picture of what he was trying to accomplish but Jesus in his wisdom would forego any of that to save damaging experiences tomorrow for he knew that if he came and cast a lot and then down the road would find out what he had to do that perhaps for damage would be done than if it was nipped in the bud to begin with so he just went ahead and given the whole barrel of Wax he said if you are gonna come after me and ever be successful at being my disciple what you're gonna have to do is go sell what you've got give it to the poor and come follow me not too much to shout about it I'm not a little bit of that shout out when you stagger at the reality but you see the truth of the matter was that Jesus Christ told him that he didn't tell that he told another fellow about boxes and holes and birds and that no different people different things they were going to have to do but this guy he told him what he was going to have to do and the very fact that he could not do it did not do it proved why Jesus had to tell him that's why you don't have to do you still with me you're successfully following me this is what you're going to happen I want everybody to hear me today God has enough enough sense to know what you and what me and what everybody else in this building is going to have to have in their experiences to be a success and to make it to the finish line and let me cast in just a little injection here it would be very very wise for us in our bearing with one another we love to bear with the weak we love to bear with those that are have not reached where we are but sometimes if someone has gone a little beyond in consecration quickly have knives self-justification to say I don't like that holier-than-thou energy bear with the weak but somebody has gone a little beyond in consecration sometimes it digs up a little something in us that we want to reach around election why can't we let everybody be content in the things that God has told them this is what you've got to do to be saved I'm not talking about the doctrines I'm talking about Holy consecrations unto God does anybody know what I'm saying here today
in the name of the Lord let's bear with one another let's bear with one another and if somebody prays more than you do don't come out with a knife of justification cutting them down for trying to be holier than thou if somebody fast more than you do don't discourage them encourage them encourage them if somebody has a standard and preaches a little more than what you preach put your scabbard up and cease your sword don't cut them to pieces let them go ahead and have the consecration that God has given to them cause nobody knows the individual in his god consecrations that had to be made at early authors for me to continue on and be successful and walking with God mmm and not the life out of you have a steer with me I've got a I've got an old uncle that old uncle four years ed around the house and everybody else to serve coffee my old uncle no thank you finally if I got brave enough to ask up the both of us what's the deal what's the deal tell me you don't drink coffee well I made a consecration to the Lord one and and I was about to go into this big hello come over ain't nothin all coffee God loves coffee handle of coffee with a makeup he made it for Hurston and we make it again you know I mean it is God loved it and he made it a lot of things God loves that he made he made marijuana hey cocaine maybe nothing but coke a lot of things God made he don't intend for us to indulge in uh-huh usually wisdom your patient her priorities gotta have a little hole to go not happening to that chance Naga Butler now you're missing out on a lot of lesson you don't understand what coffee does man when you get up morning break a couple you'll I bet you send you in two men are John we enjoy that morning cup of coffee and that's that cup of coffee after if it's not too far past bedtime if it's not before two o'clock in the morning to get to the bedroom we're just about going to sit down and then blue chairs and have us a a good night cup of coffee not a big deal I said that's stupid but I'm telling you to bless it have all kind of fun drinking coffee uncle battler you're missing out on a whole lot I'm just about to do that until
with tears in his eyes he continued the story he said one time he said in my early years he said there was a there was a sick baby in the family and he said that baby was nine to death and the doctor said there's no way the baby can live he said I went to my room and I didn't know what else to say to God I didn't know what else to do I just I just knelt down in that room somewhere nough said God if you'll heal my baby if you won't take my baby I'll never touch another cup of coffee as long as oh I won't you know when he said that sure glad I didn't say about happier couple I would have cheapened myself to have intruded on that man's personal consecrations convictions I submit to you today that early in the life of a child will there appear features that will last a child a lifetime look at the look at the early pictures of a 97 year old pop Gibson and I'll guarantee you you'll see some features that he carries until this day in that childhood picture early in the child's life their likes and dislikes that last as preferences in that existence until their dying day there are toys that become tools and games of children that become occupations that last a lifetime I am preaching to you today that there are early commitments early consecrations early early convictions commitment consecration Christian's experience that will last I heard I read in the paper I heard on the radio and then I read in the paper of the news account her mother had written to the President of the United States and I could not help but weep and even referring to it it brings tears to my eyes mother wrote to the President and finally the strip to the letter was in the news in the paper her City and I do not verbatim but this is the gist of the of the letter to the president addressed him mr. president and then she went into the the experience of raising her son and she first of all course told that just a few moments ago mr. president I carried my son to the train station and I waved goodbye as he now with a uniform of US Army on as his apparel and the captain and all sitting just right she said I waved goodbye for now he is a member of US Army she said when I come back home and the impact of waving goodbye knowing
knowing the inevitability of his being gone for a while and the possibility of his being gone forever she said my mind wandered back over the years she said I remember him as just a talk his favorite toys were the little plastic soldiers and the tanks and the guns and the implements of warfare that were made in the form of toys for children and probably still in the ditches somewhere around the house some of those soldiers and rusted pieces of guns probably still lie some of the helmets probably kicked up under his bedroom bed I could find the implements of his childhood dreams in the form of toys all over the house and I don't have any I don't have any qualms mr. president because that's what he dreamed of and that's what he wanted most and he is now what he's always wanted to be but mr. president it just dawned on me now the concern that I really need to have and so I didn't know anybody to appeal to but you now that I have a son in the army mr. president be careful with the country be careful with it don't make any mistakes you understand what I'm what I'm saying to you today you do you do you catch the drift of what I think the Holy Ghost would like for us to share some of the earliest dreams and some of the earliest expectations and some of the earliest consecrations and some of the earliest Moving's that would us into the service of God were things that happen to us around early alters I dare say that every preacher in this building today I doubt that's not that seriously that you've got your first impression sometime later after you've got the Holy Ghost truth probably is that every preacher in the house dreamed somewhere in your early childhood I'm standing in a pulpit and preaching the people I know when I was just a kid I'd walk behind the lawnmower and I'll never have never preached sermons any greater than some of those I preached the blades of grass behind a lawn mower some of my best sermons didn't have ears to hear if grass could repeat honey I'd I had a harvest I'm talking about God dealing with me early don't tell me that mother killed or sits here a last day product there were early dealings of the Holy Ghost in an old school bus cart around over the country with his family crying himself to sleep at night I'm talking about some consecrations I'm talking about some dreams I'm talking about some ambitions that came early in our experience at early alters let's lift our hands and ask God rude all about sundown a bhai if you can make the consecration in those early altars if you can make the consecration to do the ultimate in early on of altars yes Sally if you can make a consecration to be a foreign missionary in an early halter you will never walk and anything else he ever asked you to do if you can consecrate to the ultimate at the beginning you'll never wander our stager and anything else that God ever moves on you to do somebody say hallelujah me
ha ha ha ha ha we know an awful lot about Abraham and his mount moriah we know an awful lot about his offering His only Son his only son of promise we know a lot about that but what we don't figure sometimes is the ultimate consecration that was made when God called him out of the security of a homeland when he said goodbye to the whole works and started out in search of a city that he never did fine the ultimate consecration would when he walked away from our of the Cowley's and then Moriah what no use kicking it back I thought I've done make the consecration to say goodbye to it all one more one more step in the consecration and go harelip me has to admit it was a little it was a little it was a little hard to cope with because not only was he told to go to Mount Moriah he was told to give that son that only son of promise we've been too hard all freshmen oh it's not hard for us to come to concentration with offering our mistakes you knew I was sitting sit alone I humbly submit to you that I pulled a boo-boo yeah we all know at Abraham and it's not just that everybody will know it in fact everybody Lord from their own your young uns until their dying day at the end of the world to the end of time starting into the eternity they're all gonna know you pulled a fool he wasn't asked to contribute on the altar sacrificed his mistake he was asked to contribute his promise when are we gonna the trip to the fact that the thing that that's his God is the things we offer him that cost us a little bit hang in there with me just a little while would you I mean for their so I'll try to get on a little they have you support that we can't even get up when I get through after early commitment darshan said it's the other night the thing that prepared David for the giant was the early consecrations that he had made on the backside of the sheep coat when nobody was around it was a bear and a lion it's the altars of self dedication that Joseph made in the midnight hours when dreams were coming to him like some kind of a projection those are the things that prepared him hang in there until whatever prize had to be paid whatever suffering had to be suffered until the ultimate fulfillment I'm preaching to people in this hour I'm preaching the preachers in this
auditorium I'm preaching the faith in this building up until now somehow you have been flustered or frustrated you have been oppressed you have been depressed because you have relegated yesterday's experiences to childhood dances but I'm telling you God wants to revive the memory of some of those consecrations and some of those dedications and yeah some of those dreams and early altars I'm telling you they're still just as real now as they were when you first made them I'm allowed old dead lukewarm backbiting rumor Decarie gossip written churches somebody come along to confirm your awareness and they call your field of labor or burn over for you you have allowed the wilderness of the years to tarnish the sharpness of some of those experiences you had udderly altars but there's a God in heaven let's walk in the aisles of this conference he has not just come to those that are having revivals he hasn't just come to those that's got it going right now he hasn't just come to those that have experienced the explosive growth he's come to some of you that the devil has told it's all over you may as well pull in the towel over your head crawl in your casket and die I'm telling you the devil is a liar he's the author of the lies if you'll go back to that death of if you'll go back to Mount Moriah if you go back to those experiences where you had those early commitments the God that talked to you first will talk to you again I set the gob to talk to you back there we'll talk to you again now it's not over somebody get out of coat a handkerchief a thought or something and let's wave it to the Lord reach over with the other hand and touch your brother and say it's not over less God the Holy Ghost is teleworking the holy God of heaven is still a talking the revival it's not just for them it's for me - ha ha bah ha ha ha heheheheh yael abouhalkah tire heat caliber hot Attalla bhai hahahaha he cuts on over higher hopefully you've been to more than just this conference but probably some of you that have not been to some of the others and maybe some of you that have been to another one or two you still come back to this one with the devil telling you there's no use boy there's no use it's all over it's all over you came here frustrated you come here some of you so frustrated you don't even know what you believe let me tell you what you're gonna have to do if you don't know what you believe now no wonder you're in frustration a man that doesn't know what he believes
is the victim of nothing but frustration first of all you have to learn what you believe where do you learn it preacher you're learning it early authors I may have told you this before but I'm telling you again hold it just right where you are just a minute I was raised in fact I discovered America in a pastor's home my dad was preaching this gospel before I was born he made consecrations and commitments first of all the way he came to God as a 17 year old child he heard the truth under an old brush armor that was pitched in his part of the country God got ahold of his heart he went home one night he told his mother and dad he said mom and daddy I don't care what that preacher says I don't care what ain't huh exist another rest of them say if we go back with Jesus when it comes we're gonna have to have what then Pentecostals under that brush barber of God God got ahold of his heart how did he find that out he was going home one night after the old brush Harbor he was going home he got down to the middle of middle of the gravel road he said God if those people can say hallelujah and get that much good out of it I'm a Christian I can do it too he got right on in the middle of the gravel road at a waterhole Slough he said I got back and I hollered hallelujah as loud as I could holler he said those people under that brush harbored Saint Nick you could hear it ringing five miles through the woods he said when I said it he said you fell off the end of my tongue you couldn't hurt it at the road ditch he got up rocked in and went to his mom and dad and said we got to have what the Pentecostal peoples got it tore my grandfather up he had just alderman new $0.98 Bible he started going to that brush Arbor with that boy to try to save his boy from false doctrine he toured that Bible up trying to make false preachers and Liars out of those preachers those Pentecostals he told that Bible up but instead of making Liars out of the Pentecostals he convinced himself that they were preaching the truth the unadulterated truth the gospel of Jesus Christ I preached this gospel I felt the call of God on my life God dealt with me early I was I was I graduated from high school and I went straight into the ministry in fact I preached some revivals between my junior and senior year but when I got out there in the real heavy stuff man we're running about 30 and sunday-school heavy but it was heavy enough for the devil to make fun of me or I got up in that pulpit I declared I declared that true that man I said it just like I'd heard my dad appreciate I preached it just like I've heard them fellers it kept meeting free I turn up the dead the only thing about me when I get back home to my Sunday School room where I was sleeping a hotel porter Holiday Inn the devil would laugh at me I heard him he's over behind the door I got over behind though he's in the closet I got to plug these darts and a bathroom with one no bathroom mr. path I heard him laughing haha what's so funny ah what you laughing whoever you you learned them maybe they bring back a statement to that man Jesus Christ can't do anything you've run that by me live here laughs and he'd say we're saying as real tougher one you forked cusco become green fly me back devil
let's go dice there said who are you well I pretty quick that one no dude like again I said let's got that cause my daddy says who's your daddy founded by the time found out that he didn't care that much weight network I said as God the one of God said it and don't lose your victory but he said what's the word ago the fact that it exists is not what's Topsy it's the fact that it's huge so I found early I found out early and I went into a neighboring room I looked up on the wall this wasn't my first revival kids people coming to God not was stir and it would be just a few of us in that church but God was Stern and there were people come in and the devil wanted to he wanted this he wanted to abort but God whatever God wanted to in my life he wound aborted early in the game I went to the next room and I looked up at a picture it was some artists concept of Jesus Christ I realize that he didn't look just like that probably but I had nothing else in my mind that would have better than my mental picture so I just looked him out of high I said Jesus Christ I want you to know I love you I love you with everything of God I love you with all my lava I love you as much as I know how to love and I'm dedicated to carrying your gospel and doing whatever you want out of my life I'm dedicated I'm telling you one thing whatever conviction you gave to my daddy that kept him on the field drinking water and asking people to cook him something to eat when he was hungry when they were trying to get him to go to the orange Texas to work in the shipyard where he could have been hauling in money whatever it was whatever truth it was that you reveal to him the champion I've got to have a revelation of your truth I cannot preach it just because daddy preaches it I cannot preach it just because for the week's preaches it I cannot preach it just because our old home pastor preached it I've got to have a revelation of my own i'ma telling you today as sure as there's a God in heaven and as sure as I'm standing in this pulpit God took me at my word I said if I can't have that revelation I'll go back to college and Lake Charles and I'll be one of dads musicians I'll help him there but if you want me to carry this gospel I've got to have a revelation God came into that room and gave me a revelation of this truth from that time until then this there's never been another question in my mind as to what it took for a man that he's saved I've never had another question about the truths of this doctrine I don't preach it today because brother Mannion preaches it I don't preach it because brother Ewing preach - I don't preach it but close brother tini priest and I don't preach it because for the person preaches it I preach it because
God gave me a revelation of this truth I cannot tell you that there has not been a few winds that have blown there probably be some more I'll tell you what I did I made a commitment and an early order live died sink or swim I made some commitments and I got a hold of some principals in the Holy Ghost that I'm gonna live by I call about Shakuntala bhai meet Allah bhai brother I'm a telling you if you've never had a real revelation of truth this is about the earliest that you can make an altar but make you an altar and get a hold of what you believe get a hold of your convictions get a hold of your doctrine get a hold of what it is that makes you tick and you live by that so help you God until the last breath is in this body don't let nothing change somebody shout hallelujah let's clap our hands under the Lord I'm talking to an elijah or in elijah pardon me you hundred for the man was cast in your direction you hundred so much until it was rained down it came to you but somewhere in the enactment of the fourteen to double the seven you have been wearing there's a God in heaven that's damaging if you've seen seven there's seven more if you've seen ten there's four more if you've seen 13 then you go to your grave hang in there let your dying breath be number fourteen that's gonna come it'll happen it'll happen I'm preaching to a Joseph I'm preaching to a David I'm preaching to an Abraham Earl the county's only a preparation your face Mount Moriah now but the beautiful thing about God is once you make it to the top of that altar in your race at night God said hold it just a minute Abraham look over here in the bushes I've had it prepared all along it's just that I had to know that you loved me as much as the heathen love their God the heathen throws there's two the Ganges River and never thinks twice about it and now I know that you love me as much as the heathen loves their God in Abraham's mine Isaac was just as good as dead but friend that's not all Satan is gonna come along Abraham and he's going to tell you that those that's--and of that see you saw humility and the stars of heaven remember that you remember seeing that Abraham he gonna come along and tell you that was childhood fancy he don't tell you that you were just a loosening
what about it Abraham are you going to let him steal your dream are you gonna let him steal your promise you've offered to give him Isaac well you're gonna let him take the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea as well not on your life I'm going to claim it until my dying days I'm gonna have revival I'm gonna have revival I'm gonna preach the thousands I'm gonna have miracles I'm gonna have signs I'm gonna have wonders we're gonna have it because God confirmed it an early artist I want you to reach over right now and touch somebody on the shoulder and I want us to pray that early experiences and early altars would be renewed and rekindled in our lives right now
Scripture references as spoken: 1 Samuel 3:1-4; 2 Chronicles 34:1-3.