Quote1

Here is where we would like to present a short passage of scripture, and a quote from the prophet of God

This is the season when we should most be thinking of the Gift that was sent to us in the form of a little baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes.

God help us to remember and be ever thankful for that Gift.

Matthew Chapter2

2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

55 Not only in that day, but in this day also, they turn It down flat. It don't come wrapped the way they want It. They want to--to discard It, say, "There's nothing to It." So the rich and the denominations refuse that Gift. They had nothing to do with It. Why? Why would they do a thing like that? It wasn't wrapped in the custom of their creeds. That's the reason why today that they don't want the Gift of God. This United States don't want God. These churches don't want God. They want Santa Claus. They want something with tinsel and red colors, and--and--and--and bright, shiny things. They refused the Truth of the Gospel of the power and the resurrection of Christ Jesus. It won't wrap with their creeds. You can't wrap Christ in a creed.

56 I was listening this morning, as I was going down to mama's early, turned on the radio, and a--a church was quoting or saying the--what is called the Apostles' Creed. There is no such a thing. The only creed the apostles ever knowed to had is found in Acts 2:38, "Repent, every one of you, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sin, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." That's the only creed I ever seen in the Bible they ever used. This other one is a manmade creed. And you cannot wrap Christ in a Presbyterian creed, or in a Baptist creed, or a Catholic creed, or a Pentecostal creed. The only one thing that Christ will be wrapped in, and that's your heart, not your creed. He wants your heart. He's got a control tower there that He likes to work with you, bring you to Eternal Life. He just won't accept; and you cannot wrap Him in creeds. You can't then, you can't now, you never will be able to do it.

59 So they could not receive It because they thought more of their creeds than they did of the Gift. That's the way it is today. People can't accept speaking with tongues in their church; it would ruin their creed. They can't accept Divine healing, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and such great evangelical doctrines of the Bible, apostolic truths. Why? Because their creed condemns It. Oh, how foolish to take the paper the Package is wrapped in, and throw the Gift away. Like the moron, he took the box and accepted it, and throwed the gift away. That's the way the church is, and people do today, they forget that the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ. He's rejected as much today as He was then. This Christmas night, He's just as much rejected as He was the first Christmas night. They cannot do it, because it disagrees with their creeds. All down through the ages we've had the same thing.

61 No wonder there was no room for Him in the inn. No, wasn't wrapped right; It wasn't wrapped, the classical paper around It. It was wrapped as a Gift, as a Gift from God, sent from God, a God that they didn't know nothing about. They claimed they did. And they claimed they was looking for Him. But He did not come in the way that they thought He was coming, according to their creeds, and they could not receive God's Gift. He was wrapped different. He was wrapped up like a baby. He was borned in a manger. He come from poor people. He come from a bunch of fanatics, so how could they receive something like that? No wonder there was no room for Him in the inn. There's no room for Him yet, in the churches. They oust Him. They don't believe in It. They'll say, "Away with such a thing. It's fanaticism. We want nothing to do with It. It's against our fathers' doctrines, the doctrines of this church, the doctrines of our creeds of our forefathers." Therefore, Christ is just as rejected today as He was back there. There's no room tonight in our good churches, our big churches, our fine churches. There's no room in our religious circles today for a Holy Ghost meeting. They don't want It. It--it belittles them in the sight of the classes of the country. It belittles them to think that they'd humble themselves to come down to an altar to cry and to tarry there until they're filled with power from on high, to rise up from there with newness of Life; to let women let their hair grow out, and act like women ought to; to make men throw away their cigarettes, and to quit their drinking, and treat their families right. It's too much for them, so they hold onto the creed of their church instead of receiving God's Gift, God's Christmas Gift.

63 They'd rather have a creed than they would the Gift. They'd rather have the paper than the Gift. They want the paper, sure, something that's all tinsel, and a lot of fuss they can do about it. But the real Gift that's on the inside of it, they don't want It. See, He was wrapped then in a dirty cloth, a swaddling cloth. And He's wrapped today in the same thing, which they call holy-roller, fanaticism, a bunch of heretics. It's wrapped up in swaddling cloth, and the world don't want It. Oh, I'm so glad to raise that cloth off and look what's laying underneath it: Eternal Life, God made flesh and dwelt among us.

65 No, they didn't want Him. It interfered with their religious circles. To receive It today, It interferes with them. Oh, if somebody would raise up in the church, and start shouting or praising God, or somebody say, "Amen," like this group of ministers here or something, or in the audience, quickly an usher would lead them to the door. And if you had your name on the book, it'd be quickly taken off. See, God don't have a--a chance.

67 If the President-elect Kennedy would visit this city here, the flags would--would fly, and the--the tinsel would fly, and the--and the carpets would be rolled out, and--and such a welcome you--you never seen. Which that's all right if they want to do that. He's the elect-President in the United States, but if he'd come, they--they'd do all of that, and they'd give him the greatest welcome, and think that he humbled himself to come to such a small city as Jeffersonville, Indiana, when New York and the big cities are calling for him everywhere just for a moment of time, to speak with him. If he'd come to Jeffersonville, to a poor city like ours, how they would put on, what we call "the dog." And they'd do everything and--and dress up the streets and--and do everything to make him welcome. That's all right, if you're a politician; that's all right.

68 But Jesus can come in the form of the resurrection of His power, can come in the Holy Ghost, and can show signs and wonders, and every newspaper will criticize It. The people will call It holy-rollers. They'll say, "The people's crazy." No wonder we're got an atomic bomb with our name wrote on it. Spurned mercy, there's nothing left but judgment. Oh, they will not receive It. They wouldn't then; they won't now. Why didn't they do it? Just want to ask, why didn't they give and ac--accept God's Christmas Gift? Why didn't do it--they do it? If it's just a gift that they could've looked at, and It would fit in their society, It would've been all right. If our...

70 If this Holy Ghost religion would fit in people's society today, they'd take It. But why don't they take It then? Because they think more of their society than they do of Christ. That is true. You say, "You're speaking awful hard about Him." I'm taking up for Him. He's my Lord. I have a... I--I--I'm His servant; I have a right to scream out against that wicked thing. That's right. And Christians believe that, and know that, and accept that, and know it's the Truth.

72 Why was the reason they didn't receive this wrapped Package? They knowed what was on the inside of It, and they didn't want It. That's the reason the churches and people today, and the governments and the lands will not receive God's Christmas Present, is because they know what's in It. They don't want It. It'll make women act different. It'll make men act different. You'll have to bear the name of a fanatic. You'll have to take the way with the Lord's despised few. You'll have to clean up your life. You'll have to quit your meanness. You'll have to stop doing wrong, cheating, stealing, lying, committing adultery. You'll have to stop these things. And the people don't want It. Although they may know It's right, but they don't want It. It brings too much Truth to them. It uncovers their sin, so therefore, they don't want It, don't want nothing to do with It. "Keep away from It."

74 That's the way it was in that day. They knowed what was wrapped in It, so they said, "Away with it." They don't want it. It's the same thing today, never wanted It. And they don't want the Holy Ghost today, is because they know what's wrapped in It. They can watch a--a person receive the Holy Ghost. They stand out there and see that that woman, maybe a--as low as she could be, till even the dogs will hardly look at her; see that woman come up from that altar a new person, to see that woman clean her life up, get out and act like a lady. See one that runs to bridge parties, smoke four or five packs of cigarettes a day, hang around the saloons, a regular barfly; and they know if they ever accept this Gift of God, that's wrapped in the Package called Jesus Christ, It'll spoil every bit of their worldly fun, 'cause He won't stand for that. It does something to them; It changes people. People don't want to be changed. They'd rather, "Let me alone."

76 It reminds me of that demon-possessed man, that Jesus went over into Gadara, and there was a man over there had two thousand devils in him, and they said, "What have... What have we to do with thee? Why do you come here? Leave our lands; we don't want you here." They wanted to be left alone. The people felt better at home with the devils, than they did with Jesus, so they said, "Go on out of our land; we don't want You over here." Poor old Legion, he was the only one of them that--that wanted help. He always comes to those who wants Him. He comes to those who needs Him. So he was the only one was helped. I've often thought, when I get to heaven, I want to see how much--how much weight his testimony give on hog raisers over in Gadara. If it was going to cost them a herd of hogs, they didn't want no revival.