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     1. Great is the Lord   (4:31)
     2. God Is Able   (19:00)
     3. There’s a Song that’s Ringing in My Heart Today   (2:48)
     4. Jesus Never Fails   (3:28)

Philippians 3:21.  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Rom 4:20-21.  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; ²¹And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

It’s a pitch that we ought to know, we ought to join in singing it.  It’s like this: “He is able.”  God is able.  Now if I asked you to quote some scriptures that tell us what God is able to do, we might get some very interesting additions to this symphony.  Let’s see who can quote one text.

“‘He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.’”

Yeah.  That’s excellent: “Now unto Him that is able...”  Unto Him.  Now, I’d like to know who that is.  I’d really like to get acquainted with Him, and I’d like to learn how to pray to Him, and to think the right thoughts about Him.  But there’s another scripture I’m thinking of.  Let’s see if you can quote it.

“‘He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.’”

Right!  I’d like to know Him too.  “He is able,” “according to the working whereby He is able…”  We talk about the presence of the Lord, and I’m afraid we get used to it.  And we do get used to it unless we really allow God to do what He promises to do.  He is able by the working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto himself.  There’s another scripture that talks about the ability of God.

“Jude 24: ‘Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.’”

Oh boy, isn’t that something!  You think He means you and everybody in this meeting?  Think of it!  We’re all going to be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ.  All of us are going to receive the things done in our bodies.  And to think there’s someone here in this meeting who is able to keep all of us from stumbling, from falling, and to present us spotless before the presence of His glory—not in our own estimation—with exceeding joy!  I’d like to know Him.  I really would like to get acquainted with Him, wouldn’t you?  And then there’s something else about His ability.

“‘To make all grace abound toward you.’”

Yes.  Let’s see where…  Is that in the Bible?  Able to make all grace abound toward you so that always having all sufficiency, ye may have to give to him that needeth.  All right, deacon, pass the hat.  God is able.  How very wonderful, but that’s the pitch.  And if you’ll listen to me for three minutes, I’ll get started on it.

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That’s the secret of the faith life: “God is able.”  What is He able… what are You able to do?  Why, He is able to fulfill all His promises, and that is the secret of the faith life.  Abraham in the Old Testament days was “fully persuaded.”

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And God made [Abraham] His friend, and calls him His friend.  Oh, He said, “By Myself have I sworn” because Abraham believed God, because he hoped where there was nothing to hope.  And now, what did God promise to me?  That’s the question.  The Bible says that “exceeding great and precious promises” are given to us. 

Now, why did God bother to write down for you “exceeding great and precious promises”?  Why did He make them so personal that He told you not only He was going to fulfill them, but He said, “Come with boldness unto the throne of grace that you might obtain them, for He is faithful that promised”?  Now, why did He promise?  Why, because He wanted to fulfill, and because He knew He could.  But He needed somebody here upon this earth—in this sin-cursed earth—who would be interested enough in these exceeding great and precious promises not to be satisfied with anything short but their fulfillment.

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Abraham was “fully persuaded.”  What?  Not that he was worthy, oh no, no.  He said, “God, why do you talk to me?  I’m just dust and ashes.”  God says, “You’re my friend, because you believed Me, because when everybody made a liar out of Me, you said, ‘Wait a minute, that God promised.  And He is able to call the things that be not as though they were.’”

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Children of God, that’s what we’re here for, upon this earth: not to do anything, but to let God do it.  And God tells us what He’s going to do, thank God! And throughout the history of the world, you’ll find that those who’ve really made a dent into the kingdom of darkness were people that dared believe God, and “hoped against hope” because God said it.

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Oh, beloved, that’s the way of faith.  My God has promised.  And “what He has promised, He is able…”—not only able but He is willing—“to perform.”  That’s why He tells me what He’s going to do and what He wants to do.  And He does it when I believe Him.  And to believe Him means that I open my heart.

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The story of how the Lord gave the church building on Harman Street.  “They said, ‘Well, we better have a campaign.  We better send out mimeographed letters and tell people that we gotta have money.’  Money, money, money.  I said, ‘Nothing doing.  This is God’s house, and if He wants this house, He’ll pay for it.’”    (from 6:52)

The personal testimony of praying through into Pentecost.  “It was hard work, but I had the promise of God, thank God!  And I was not going to go to heaven without the baptism of the Holy Ghost….  He said, ‘You don’t amount to anything until you’re filled with the Holy Ghost.’”    (from 13:12)

Bleibet ihr hier mit dem Esel!  Ja, der Unglaube ist ein Esel.  Bleib da.  —  Stay here with the donkey.  Yes, unbelief is an ass.  Stay here.

Ich und der Junge werden hingehen und anbeten und wiederkommen. — I and the boy will go and worship and come again.

Das war in seinem Herzen felsenfest eingegraben: Wir kommen wieder!  Preis den Herrn.  —  That was deeply engraved in his heart: We will come again!  Praise the Lord.

This is an example of the mix of English and German some have termed “Ridgewood-Deutsch”:   “(unintelligible) haben sie nicht gesehen the (unintelligible) on your Maul da kann man ja the Empire-State building dort reinstecken.”

“[…] Have you not seen the […].   The Empire State building could fit in your mouth.”

Date: “It was my brother, whom we heard tonight, who showed me the way into Pentecost.”  Gottfried Waldvogel died in 1953.

Audio Quality: Fair

Original tape marked (49) C/60.  For side B, we ran light hiss reduction, DeHummer -30dB, 8 filter, 58.90Hz, and compression.

The song titles Great is the Lord and There’s a Song that’s Ringing in My Heart Today are uncertain.  A number of pauses were shortened, and stutters removed.  “But David had, David had, David knew his God” was changed to “But David knew his God.”  The words at the end of the message, “I believe our young people have a song,” were omitted.

The original media and project files are available upon request.