And we just want to serve them. That's all there is to it. You all got your Bibles tonight? I'd like to have you turn over to the book of Malachi. We're going to look at one verse of Scripture and we're going to get started from there. Last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. Chapter 3, verse number 1, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in. Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." Let's go to the throne of grace. Dear Lord and heavenly Father, we come before you this evening, Lord God. I just ask you to help me, Father, and fill me with your Holy Spirit from on high, Lord God. Take control of my heart, my lips, my tongue, Lord God. Grant me clarity of thought and clarity of speech, Lord God. But most of all, let this Word come forth with power and might and let it fall upon receptive ears, Lord. In everything that comes from it, now and in the future or whenever, Lord, we give all the glory and honor unto You. In Jesus' precious name I pray, Amen. I'd like to preach for just a little while tonight Strange preachers with a message from God. Strange preachers with a message from God. It says over there in verse number 3, I will send my messenger. You know who that was. That was John the Baptist who he was talking about, who he was going to send to prepare the way and to make it straight before the Lord. In Matthew 11.10 it says, For this is he whom it was written, Behold, I send my messenger before my face, which shall prepare the way before thee. John had a strange message. Amen. In Matthew 3, 1 through 3, it tells you here, In those days John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of in the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness. See, John had a strange pulpit. His pulpit was the wilderness. And believe me, he had to preach out there in the wilderness. He preached along the water. He baptized and everything else. And he had to out-bell camels at times. And he didn't have a microphone, so he must have had a good set of lungs. Amen? And John had that strange pulpit in the wilderness. But you know, the people came to hear John. They didn't come for a playground. And I'll tell you something, today, They've lost the zeal for the Word of God in our nation today. They want a playground. And that isn't what's going to help people. A playground don't help anybody. But the Word of God. It's quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. Piercing, even dividing a son or a soul in spirit. Joyce and Myron is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It cuts gone and it cuts common. It'll cut you just as quick as it'll cut me on the backswing. But God's Word cuts through everything. And John was that type of preacher. He had a strange pulpit. He was in the wilderness. He also had a strange form of dress. He was dressed with a leather girdle. How about that? And with camel hair on it. John's raiment had camel's hair and a leather girdle about his loins. He wasn't like the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the priests and everything else, where they had these nice flowing robes and the flackeries hanging off of it and everything else. No. He came to prepare the way of the Lord. He came preaching repentance. That's why I said this morning, repentance is a work of God. God, John came preaching repentance. Jesus preached repentance. Paul preached repentance. They all preached repentance. Amen? The book is plumbed full of repentance. He said, Jesus Himself said, Repent or ye shall likewise perish. Amen. John had the message. Yes, he did. He had the message. He had the strange pulpit. He had the strange dress. He also had a strange diet. He had a strange diet. This man's meat was locusts and wild honey. Wow. I don't know about that one. I mean, I don't know if I'd have cared to dine with John that much. He must have been a lean, mean preaching machine if he was eating that, amen? Amen. But let's notice some other strange preachers in the Bible. I just wanted to start out with John because that's who was being spoken of, and that was a jumping-off point here in Malachi. But there's another strange preacher too. In the book of Genesis, in 8-11 it says, and a dove came in, In the evening, we know the story of Noah, the flood. He preached righteousness for 120 years. God told him to build an ark. He built this ark. He gave him the dimensions of the ark and everything else. And the people, they come by and they poke fun at Noah and everything else. And they say, Noah, what are you doing? He says, there's a flood coming. It's going to rain. What's rain, Noah? Huh? You can imagine, you know. And even at the time when God said it was time for Noah and his family to get in the ark, there was only eight folks that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. It was just him, his wife, his three sons, and their wife. And that's who we're all descendants of going back to them and then going back from them to Adam and Eve. But Noah, he was a strange creature. And he not only was a strange creature, he also had a strange preacher on board the ark. He was supposed to get all kinds all kinds of animals, two of each, and the birds and everything else. And he loaded the ark. And God called him into the ark. And for seven days, he left the door open. But then God closed the door. Can you imagine once it started to rain, and then people in that flood came, and then people realized what was happening? I'll bet you there was a whole bunch of them who wished they'd have gotten that ark. But I'm going to tell you something, sir, ma'am, young people, You're not going to heaven in an arc. You're going through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you don't get into Him, I'll guarantee you're not going where you think you're going. And once you draw your last breath, it's going to be too late. It's going to be too late. But Noah, after this flood and after it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, he sent out a raven. That raven didn't come back. There's a reason for that. The raven's a vulture. He's a dirty bird. He didn't mind sitting on a carcass or something like that to snack for a while. But the dove came back onto Noah because she couldn't find a place to rest the sole of her foot. And then Noah sent her out again and she came back with an olive branch in her mouth. And Noah knew that the waters were abated. And so this dove In verse 8-11 it says, And the dove came in unto him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off, and no one knew that the waters were abated from the earth. The message of the dove was God's faithfulness. God's faithfulness. See, Noah put his trust and faith in the Lord and went into that ark. He didn't know what was coming, but it was God's faithfulness because you see, God, Noah, when he went into the ark and everything else, and when he came out of the ark, he'd done sacrifice unto the Lord. But I'll tell you something, the Lord, He was the old master painter from the faraway hills. He painted the violets and the daffodils. He painted a rainbow up in the sky and sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for you and I. That rainbow was to signify that he would never destroy the earth again by flood. I mean, portions of the earth have been flooded, but not the entire earth. I can remember one time being up in Missouri and going in and going for a service and I had preached the night before and it really broke my heart that I didn't get a chance to preach that night because I had a message I wanted to preach on the rainbow and a storm had just come over that prison. And there was a great big double rainbow, the most beautiful rainbows you ever wanted to see in your life, you know. And it's not very often you get to see a big double one, you know. And God does love colors because look at the colors that are in that rainbow. Praise the Lord. But that's a message of faithfulness. According to Psalm 119.90, it says, Faithfulness is unto all generations. Thou hast established the earth and it abideth. And also in Isaiah 25, verse 1, it says, The Lord, thou art God, I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name, for thou hast done wonderful things. Thy counsel of the old are faithfulness and truth. Yes, the message of the dove was faithfulness. God is faithful. He wets us with the rain. He dries us with His sun. He brings the fruit forth. He brings the vegetables forth. He gives us the air to breathe. Yes, he is faithful. He is faithful. And that message that the dove brought was faithfulness. Let's look at another strange preacher. We all heard the story of Balaam, haven't we? Balaam, he was called to go before Balak. And Balak wanted him to curse the children of God. And Balaam, He wasn't supposed to go. I mean, God said if they sent a messenger to get him in the morning to get up and go with him, but he got up without no messenger and he went. And it made the Lord mad. And when he was going, he's going down the way, and the Lord opened the eyes of his donkey and she saw the angel of the Lord, which I believe was the angel of the Lord with the sword standing in front of him. And she got scared and she went off to the side. And Balaam beat her with a switch. She got back on the path pretty quick. They're going a little further on. And she saw the angel of the Lord standing in front of her again. There was a wall on both sides. And so she went to the side and she mushed old Balaam's foot up against the wall. And he got upset and laid it on the donkey again. And then the third time, As she's going on down through there, there was a place where there was no turning to the side. There was nothing else. She saw the angel of the Lord. She just fell down. Well, Balaam, he really went berserk then. And he beat that poor donkey and God opened her mouth. And she said to him, have I not been yours and served you from the beginning and everything else and doing everything all right? Why are you beating me these three times? Can you imagine? Balaam starts talking to the donkey. I mean, he did have a problem. Yes, amen? He did have a problem. He didn't want to listen to God, but he'd listen to a donkey. Isn't that like a whole lot of folk nowadays? They won't listen to God, but they'll listen to a donkey. And the donkey wasn't talking to them, so he was listening. Amen? And anyhow, when he found out that it was the Lord's will that he didn't go to Balak, then he repented. The donkey, it says over here now in Numbers 22-28, "...And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee that thou hast smitten me these three times?" The donkey brought a message of rebuke to Balaam. She brought a message of rebuke. In Psalms 138-1, David, to bring to remembrance, O Lord, Rebuke me not, and I wrath, neither chasten me, and I hot displeasure." And in Proverbs 27.5 it says, open rebuke is better than a secret love. See, when God rebukes you and me, He's trying to help us to grow. He's trying to help us to get what we need so we can continue on and have a closer walk with Him. The Word of God, when it rebukes us, He wants us to draw nigh unto Him. He wants us to get the things that aren't pleasing to Him out of our life so that we don't have to be rebuked. I don't know about you all. Do you like getting rebuked? I don't. I don't. And God has a way of doing that, you know. I mean, God can take you out. He can take you out behind a woodshed. I mean, Hebrews chapter 12 is still in the Bible. Every son that he receiveth, he chastises. And if you don't endure chastisement, you're a bastard, not a son. That's what he said. You're illegitimate. You're not in my family. And if he takes you out, I had an earthly father that could put the fear of God in you when you heard the belt come popping out of the loops. But I'll tell you, he don't hold a candle next to my heavenly father. If he takes you out behind a woodshed, it's not going to be any fun. Amen. I found out that it's much better just to follow God and do things His way. But see, the children of God, what we really need, let's get right down to the nitty gritties. I'll tell you what we really need in this nation today is we need revival. And you can't revive a corpse, can you? Revival is not for the lost. The revival is for the saved people. Amen? He said, if my people, who is he talking to? He isn't talking to the sinners down the street. He's talking to his people. If my people who are called by my name, see, they're called by his name, shall do what? Humble themselves. We'll do that. Yes, we will. We'll humble ourselves. And pray? Oh yeah, we'll do that. We'll humble ourselves. We'll pray. Seek His face? Oh yeah, we'll seek His face. But here comes the rub, number four. Turn from our wicked ways because we don't think our ways are wicked. See? But there's four things there that God stated before He stated in the end of that verse, then will I hear from Heaven, forgive your sin and heal your land. It's got to be all four things have to be met. God didn't just say three of them. He said four of them. See, but the church of today, we were talking this afternoon, the church of today has got mixed up just like Israel got mixed up. If you went over to 36.16 of 2 Chronicles, you'll find out what really went on over there with the children of Israel and what's going on with the people today. It says they mocked God's messengers. See, they come to church and they heard the preaching. Then they went home and had roast preacher because they didn't like what they heard. Uh-oh. I wonder if that goes on today, huh? I hope I ain't getting down your corn row because I might start hoeing close to the row, amen? You break that fallowed ground up around the heart and then God can work, amen? Then He can plant. But that fallowed ground's got to be busted up. See, most of these preachers, they're not prison preachers like me, see? They like to trim around the edge of the field with a weed eater, not me. I like to jump right in the middle of it and plow it up. Then you can plant, amen? But you've got to get it plowed before you can plant. There's got to be plowing preachers. Amen. Well, I love to plow. Amen. But they said there in verse 36, they mocked the messengers of God and they despised His Word. I've got news for you, friend. If you despise His Word in John 1, 1-3, it says, "...In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things that were made were made by Him. Without Him was anything made that was made." That includes that book. That includes that Word. There is not one word in that Bible that's in there for filler just to fill up the page. God put everything in there for your admonition and mine. Every bit of it. It's all there. See? But they despise the Word. In other words, they despise God. They despised God. Not only did they despise the Word, they misused His prophets. You preach the truth. Ask Pastor Brown. It ain't long. They're going to want to get off the rocks. They always wanted to rock God's men to sleep. They'll get in on you after a minute. But I'll tell you what, then it says over there in 36.16, that they despised the Word, they misused the prophets, until the wrath of God, the wrath of the Lord, excuse me, arose against His people. Until there was no remedy. That's scary, folks. If we don't have revival in our nation, if the church don't get right with God, I'm going to tell you what, it's going to be bad. But that's what I think a message, a message of a rebuke was brought by Balaam's donkey. But then in First Timothy 520, it says, them that sin rebuked before all. and that the others also may fear. You'll remember when the Apostle Paul told Timothy, he told him, preach the Word. Be instant in season, out of season. He said, reprove. Show my people where they're wrong. Rebuke. Show my people how to get right. Exhort. Show my people how to stay right. Withal, longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but heathen themselves teachers, having itching ears. You want that, you can find it on Glass-Faced or on there all day long. Amen? They tickle the ears. Like I tell these guys in prison, try and get one of them to come in here and preach to you. Try and get one of them to come in here and talk to you. No, but what they do is they say, send us your money and we'll pray for you. We'll send you a prayer cloth. They tell me when I give my hanky, well, thanks for the prayer cloth. I say, that's not a prayer cloth. It's a hanky. Blow your nose on it, amen? That's what it's for. They want to send them a prayer cloth, and what they do is they get all the money, they put it in one pile. After they take the money out of the envelopes, of course, they shoot a satellite prayer over that pile of papers and envelopes, take it down to Dipsy Dumpster, dump it off, and go to the bank with the goodies. That's how they operate. Oh, yeah. I'll tell you. I know there's one specific preacher on TV. I'd love to preach in his church one time. He might have 30,000 people in there that Sunday, but I'll guarantee you, Sunday night, if I preached, he wouldn't have 30,000 because they couldn't handle it. Amen. They wouldn't be able to handle it. There ain't no way in the world. Amen. 2 Peter 2, 14-16 says, having eyes full of adultery that they cannot cease from sinning, beguiling unstable souls and hearts. They have exercised with covetous practices and cursed children which have forsaken the right way. and are gone astray following the way of Balaam, the son of Bulsar, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but was rebuked for his iniquity, the dumbass spake with a man's voice, forbidding the madness of the prophet." The donkey brought a message of rebuke. The donkey brought a message of rebuke. Let's look at another strange preacher. If we looked over there and we went over into Kings, First Kings, we'd find a fellow by the name, and he's one of my favorite preachers, Elijah the Tishbite. I mean, he was just my kind of preacher. I mean, I know he was a dandy. I really do. Just by what I read about him in the Bible and everything else, he was God's man. And he didn't let anything bother him whatsoever. He preached. He went into the throne room with Ahab and Jezebel and he gave them the weather report. He told them, look, it isn't going to rain around here, only, you know, it might say so, and I'm leaving town. So, you know, you're all going to be in a little bit of trouble. And then in 17.1, it says, and Elijah the Tishbite was one of the inhabitants of Gilead and said to Ahab, as the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand, there shall not be any dew nor rain these three years, but according to my word. How about that? And he told him he was leaving town. So on he went. But you understand Elijah, God gave Elijah his marching orders in verses 2 and 4. The word of the Lord came unto him saying, Get thee hence and eastward, and hide thyself at the brook Kiddush that is before Jordan. See, he was told where to go and what to do when he got there. See, that's the way God's Word works. He tells us where to go. He tells us what to do when we get there. And if we'll follow it, things will be copacetic. But if we don't follow it, we're in for trouble. But that's what Elijah done. He got there. And in verse 5, we see that Elijah did as he was commanded. He went exactly where he was supposed to go. Verse 4, God did as He said He would. Let me see once. Yeah, He said He commanded the ravens to feed thee there. Now, let me ask you a question. If He'd have been any place else on earth, would He have got fed? God said there. He's specific about His Word. He's specific where He told Elijah to go. And not only that, I mean, if we went down to 6, We see that God sent him hamburgers in the morning and hamburgers at night, and He flew them in air mail. Amen? He sent the raven to bring meat and bread in the morning, meat and bread at night. And that's exactly right. I mean, who says God can't use a dirty bird? He did to feed Elijah. He sure did. And also, as you go down through there, the lesson that was taught by the raven, he's the strange messenger, is a lesson of obedience. See, Elijah was exactly where he was supposed to be, and God fed him exactly where he was supposed to be. Now, the second lesson of obedience you'd find in verse 7 and 9. He was told when the brook dried up, He was told that the word of the Lord came on him, saying, Arise, and get thee to Seraphath, which belongeth unto Zidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman to sustain you there." See, he must have been there, or he wouldn't have got sustained. He wouldn't have got the blessings of God unless he followed God. And you remember how mad the Pharisees and the Sadducees got when God told them about Elijah getting fed? Because she was a Gentile. God didn't send him to a Jew. He sent him to a Gentile to get fed. See, that really got them upset. Oh, yeah. That really got them upset. I'll tell you what. But it tells you also In Romans 8, 28, and we know that all things work together for the good to them who love God and are they called according to His purpose. I have yet to see the first blood-bought, born-again believer of the Lord Jesus Christ that's a tithing member of a church begging bread. It won't happen. God takes care of His own. I don't care how tough it gets. I don't care how bad times get. God will take care of us. I put my faith and trust in Him. There's no possible way that He's going to let us down. Amen? Amen. Just hang in there with Him like a hair in a biscuit. You'll be alright. Amen. If you love Me, keep My commandments, He said. If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. John 15, 10. Where are you abiding? That's the question today. Where are you abiding? Are you abiding in His love? For this is the love of God, that we keep the commandments, and His commandments are not grievous." That's the message of the raven. Obedience. There it is. Plain and simple. Let's look at another quick messenger. In Luke 16, verse 21, "...and desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked the sores of Lazarus." The rich man, he didn't have any compassion, but the dogs showed a message of compassion in Luke 16. They came and licked Lazarus' sores. And so, you know, the rich man was not compassionate, but the Lord had compassion. In Mark 6, 26-9, you remember the woman? was a Greek Syphoenician by nation, and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. And Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled, for it is not meat to take the children's bread and cast it unto dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yea, Lord, Yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying, Go thy way, the devil is gone out of thy daughter." See, the Lord had compassion. He had compassion even on a Gentile. He had compassion. And praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercies endureth forever. If you went over and looked, 45, I believe it's 46 through 49, 146 through 149 of the Psalms, they all begin and end with, Praise ye the Lord. He's worthy of our praise. We ought to praise Him. We ought to praise Him. The Bible says from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, He's worthy of our praise. He's worthy of our praise all day long. And especially when you have a message of compassion, like he has compassion for you and me. Because it's of the Lord's mercy that we're not consumed. Because of his compassion, faileth not. They are new every morning, great is his faithfulness. And Lamentations 22-3. So the rich man's dog brought a message of compassion. What did Simon Peter know? Let's look at Simon Peter. You understand, Simon Peter's got a strange messenger in his life too. In Luke 22, 60 through 62, when Peter said, Man, I know not what you sayeth. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crowed. The Lord told him that he would deny him thrice before the cock crow once. When that cock crowed, do you know what his message was? It was a message of repentance. Peter went out and wept bitterly. He went out and wept bitterly. Yes, sir, that rooster brought a message of repentance. Not only that, We see that, let the wicked forsake their ways and he unrighteous his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon. God will abundantly pardon if we'll come back to him. And his message or messenger there was repentance. There's another preacher here that I want to hit quick. And that's in Acts 12, 21 through 23. And upon a set day Herod arrayed in royal apparel, set upon his throne, and made oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, The voice of a God, not a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory." And you know what the messenger was? The worms. He was smote with worms. because it's a message of judgment for not giving God the glory. See, I believe it's in Isaiah 42, maybe verse 6 or 7, somewhere around in there. He says that He'll share His glory with no man. And He will not share His glory with a man. And if you'll notice, whenever you hear me pray, when I preach, I always give all glory and honor unto Him, no matter what happens, no matter what comes. Amen? And that's the reason. That's the reason right there. See, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And I'll tell you what, I love Him, but I also fear Him. Amen? It's the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. And I'll tell you what, we need to read this Bible daily for wisdom. and for knowledge of God. It will lead us into all truth. Not some truth, but all truth. Amen? But Herod's worms were judgment. Now, you remember how Nebuchadnezzar, he didn't give God the glory? You remember what happened to him? He didn't give God the glory and judgment fell. As the king spake and said unto him and Daniel 4.30-32, as he spake and said, is not this this great Babylon that I have built for my house, of the kingdom of my might, of my power, for the honor of my majesty? While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, the kingdom has departed from thee. And thou shalt drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou knowest the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will." There's a whole lot of leaders in this world ought to really read that verse of Scripture. They should really read it. Because he gives it to whomsoever he will. And a lot of times I think it's given. He used different nations to judge Israel. And he can do the same for us if we don't get right. But the worms are of judgment. One last one, the angel of no more time. The angel in Revelation 10, 5 and 6 says, And the angel which saw and stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven. And he sware by him that liveth forever and ever who created the heavens and the things therein and the earth and the things therein and the sea and the things therein which are therein that there should be time no more. The angel of no more time brought a message of urgency. Friend, where are you at today? Time is running out. Time is running out. What are you doing with it? I mean, you just heard, there were seven of them that I gave you. Noah's dove, messenger of faithfulness. Balaam's donkey, the message of rebuke. Elijah's raven, the message of obedience. The rich man's dog, the message of compassion. Peter's rooster, the message of repentance. Herod's worms, the message of judgment for not giving God the glory. The angel of no more time, a message of urgency. Life is short. Life is very short. It's very short. Amen? It's like a vapor, according to James 4.14, where you know not what shall be on tomorrow, for what is your life? It is a vapor that appeareth for a little time, then vanisheth away. What are you doing with it? How is it glorifying God? What are you storing up and where are you storing it up? I hope you're not storing it up over in Haggai in a bag with holes that it spills out on the ground. I hope you're storing up with Amos 3. Can two walk together? except they be agreed. You can't be telling me you're walking with God if you're not in agreement with God. Amen. Life is short. According to the psalmist, 90 verse 10, it says three days, excuse me, the days of your years shall be three score and ten. And if by reason of strength, they shall be four score. Yet it is their strength and vapor and sorrow, labor and sorrow. And soon we're cut off and fly away. Death is sure, my friend. Death is sure. It's a sure thing. Do you know anybody who hasn't died? Do you know anybody like that? I don't. Genesis 3.19 says, "...and the sweat of their face shall thou eat bread, till thou returnest to the ground, for out of it was thou taken. For dust thou art, and dust thou shalt return." We're made of dust. We're going to return to dust. Hebrews 9.27 tells us, it's appointed on a man once to die, and after this, the judgment. It don't say maybe. It don't say could be. It don't say possibly. It says after this, the judgment. There is going to be a judgment. Daniel 12.2 tells you, and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake. Listen to what they're going to wake to. Some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. What will it be for you? Sin is the cause. Wherefore, if by one man sin in an inner world, death by sin passed upon all men, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The devil gave man the same thing he had, the eye syndrome. Over there in Isaiah 14, 12 through 15, he's got over there, For thou hast set in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will also, I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high. But it says yet thou shall be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit. That's the first thing that He gave to mankind. All you have to do is go back to Genesis 3 and check it out. Because when they ate of the fruit, it says in verse 7, they knew they were naked. And they made themselves aprons out of fig leaves. Get that word themselves. She wasn't thinking of him. He wasn't thinking of her. They were thinking of Umar al-Nuno, number one. And that's exactly what the devil wants to get us on. That type of a path where we think of ourselves and omit God and everything else. That's what sin is. Wherefore, if by one man sin entered into the world, death by sin passed upon all men. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But there is something nice at the end of this. Christ is the cure. Yes, Jesus Christ is the cure. He is the faithful saying and worthy of all expectation. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He sure did. There's none other name under heaven given among men whereby ye must be saved than Jesus. Neither is there salvation in any other. Oh boy, I'm telling you. Like I said this morning, you must be born again. He didn't say you should be. He said you must be. We're not talking about a physical birth. We're talking about a spiritual birth because you can only be born once physically. The spiritual birth, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. You've got to be born again. That's all there is to it. Just like I told you this morning how it happens in 1 Peter 1.23, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible seed. Of the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever. That verse right there tells me there's one Word of God. Let me help you with something. If you look up verse 2 Timothy 2.15, what you're holding in your hand, and it don't say study to start with it, you have a book. You do not have a Bible. The King James is the only one that's got it. That's what I tell them men behind bars. But examine yourselves whether you're in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know you're not? Your own selves? How that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobate? I talk to men in prison and they tell me, I don't know if I'm saved. I say, you're telling me somebody as big as God can move in? And you don't know if you're saved? Listen, could I move in your house? Could I move in your cell and you not know that I'm there? I'm just a little guy. How could God move in you not knowing? I don't believe He could. See, you must receive the cure. It's Jesus Christ. I've said it before, I'll say it again. There's only three types of people. There's believers, there's non-believers, and there's make-believers. You're going to fall into one of them categories. The question is, which category are you in? And it's not, do you know Jesus Christ? The question is, does He know you? That's the question. Does He know you? Because the saddest words that any person could possibly hear that sat in a church house all their life and never got birthed into the family of God is when they stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and He would say, depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you. He's not going to say, I never loved you. There's nobody on planet earth that can say that God never loved them. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world, but the world through Him might be saved. You're going to have to go through Jesus. He's the door. He's the way. He's the only way. I hope that everybody in here tonight knows the Lord. I really hope and pray that they do. But if the Holy Spirit of God has spoke to your heart, Pastor Brown's going to come and he's going to finish out the service the way he wants to. But you listen. If God's speaking to your heart, you come when He calls because it says the gift of God is eternal life. It's His gift. He's the giver. And He gives it when He wants to. Because if you take it, you're not getting a gift. You're taking it and working for it.