Now I hope you heard that because if you think people in your church are interested in helping you get out of debt, you’re wrong. They could not care less about what you owe. They care about what they owe.
And when you come and say, “My debt.” They say, “Your debt? Let me tell you about my debt.” Now let’s get down to where people really are. They’re not interested in getting me out of debt. They’re not interested in getting you out of debt. They want to get themselves out of debt.
What you’ve got to do is help them get out of their debt. You help them, and God helps you. You plant the seed.
God said, “You’re here, but I didn’t call you here to this bondage. I called you into joy. I called you into faith. I called you into newness of life. I called you into a healing ministry. I called you into an anointing.”
That’s what He was saying to Elijah. “Elijah, your anointing is not here. Your blessing is not here. The touch of God on your life is not here. It’s there.”
Now some of you, that may take a physical move. Some of you, it’s a move of your spirit that you’ve never known before.
And when the joy of the Lord came into my life just nine months after being pregnant with carrying ORU and the joy of the Lord came into my life, that bondage was lifted. And I moved from here to there.
Now some of you are saying, “This conference is my last chance. It’s my last hope. And I’ve got to have a word from God, and not just a word, but I’ve got to have His touch on my life.”
That’s why today in our board meeting, we talked about laying hands on you tonight and for there to be an impartation. I’ll tell you, you’ve got to have it. And I’ve got news for you, so does this country.
Someone could ask this question of the United States of America, “What are you doing here? I’ve not called you to be here. I’ve called you to be there.”
But he had a little desk and he wanted $12 for it. And I took $12 out of my $25 and bought it. Because I put it in the dining room, and I said, “I’m going to start my ministry nationwide with this little desk.”
And I was in this big tent preaching now for 9 weeks during this time, and suddenly mail began to come in. Eight letters came the first week.
ER: Well, you have to tell we were on the radio too.
OR: Oh, yeah, I had gone on the radio. And Evelyn and I sat down and answered these 8 letters by hand on that little desk. And then the next week there were more letters. And by the end of the month, there were quite a bit more letters. And we decided to answer them, just like we do now. Fifty-six years later, we still answer our mail.
But that was something we had never done and didn’t know anything about. But we said, “Dear So-and-So, we got your prayer request, and we prayed, and we want to encourage you. And after a while, they began to enclose offerings for the radio program. And that’s how the ministry got started in mail and ‘that’s how it got started.
ER: Oral, I think we should get into the time now when God showed you the miracle of seed-faith.
OR: Yes, that’s what we want to talk about. Because there’s a lot known about seed-faith today. There’s a lot known about God being a good God. But you have to go back 56 years in a nation that was not even half the size in population that America is now. In a place where in the Pentecostal Gospel ranks, there were only 10 churches in America that would seat 1,000. They were mostly little churches, 50 to 100 to 150 people, which is the kind I had pastored.
And the faith level of the people was very strong to get saved and be filled with the Holy Spirit. The faith was very strong in believing that when you died you’d go to heaven, and that someday Jesus would come the second time and would raise you from the dead. And there was great faith for holiness; and much of that holiness was not Bible-based. It was based on people’s traditions. In other words, when I married Evelyn in the church, they wouldn’t let me give her a wedding band. And they made us promise that she wouldn’t wear short sleeves, and she wouldn’t have bobbed hair; she couldn’t go to the beauty shop – she didn’t need any beauty, but that was OK.
I had come to the place where I was no longer happy with the church I was pastoring. I was no longer content with my salvation. Now that’s a hard thing for me to admit because I’d been genuinely saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit and a remarkable, miraculous healing of my lungs, and heard God’s voice to take His healing power to my generation. Someday to build Him a university based on His authority and the Holy Spirit.
I had a tremendous call come on my life. But now, twelve years after that, the whole thing was not working. My faith was not working. My people were more interested in coming and sitting there, and giving me a decent hearing, and going home. There really wasn’t much going on in me, and not much going on in them. And I was not a good example. Because I wasn’t prospering, they weren’t. They couldn’t see God working through me; therefore, they couldn’t see God working through them.
And I began to realize if the pastor was not prospering and having the abundant life, then how could his people have a vision that it could happen to them? And this was a time, in 1947, when there was great poverty in most parts of the United States. The pastor was supposed to come, and no matter what they offered him, he was to take it and not say anything about it. Just take whatever happens. And that was a factor in people not expecting to do better. And it was a national problem, as well as a spiritual problem, and I was part of the problem, rather than part of the answer.
And I was through. I wanted to walk out. Not only from the church – I wanted to walk away from the whole thing. It was a terrible time in my life. I just tremble to think what would have happened to me had these things not suddenly begun to happen; had I not given my week’s salary – which was far beyond the tithe, the tithe would have been five and a half dollars – but the check was $55, which was my salary.
And the Spirit of the Lord spoke in my heart, and I could have said no. But I gave it, and I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting anything back because that was a no-no in our denomination. No-no. You just give to God. It’s a sacrifice. And they didn’t, and I didn’t, and nobody did among my acquaintances, taught that you’re supposed to look to God to give back to you.
Sometimes I would take the pain medicine and then vomit up all my food. And I stopped eating. And I went from 185 pounds, on a six-feet-one-inch-tall frame to 160 pounds. That’s what I weigh today, 160 pounds, when my normal weight is 185. You talk about being discouraged. You talk about how difficult it was to remember the Scripture.
Yes, I’m a man of God, but a man of God can get off the line like anybody else. He can get his mind off the Scripture. I would try to pray, and it was almost impossible for the words to get above my head. Evelyn was really suffering with me. She would hurt because her husband was hurt, because her lover was hurt. It was a trying time.
And then I came to this point. I came to myself. I came to myself. (Applause) This is the real Oral Roberts. This is not the man that has preached healing to the world. This is not the man who has been on television since 1954. This is not the man that built a major university. This is not the man that has helped bring God’s healing power to his generation. This is not that man. This is another person. This is a person that the devil is succeeding with. This is the person who’s stealing my thoughts away. This is a person that the devil is saying, “You’ll be like this the rest of your life.” And you’re listening to him.
It was almost like Samson. I began to shake myself. I began to shake myself. (Response) (Tongues) Hallelujah! I feel the shaking going on right now. (Response) Everybody shake yourself.
I got a phone call from Kenneth Copeland, and he said, “Brother Oral, you’re not sick.” I said, “I’m not?” He said, “No.” He said, “You’re just growing old.” I said, ”Yeah, I’m doing that. But think of the alternative.” He said, “Body parts wear out, but you don’t have to necessarily be sick.” He said, “I don’t feel any sickness in your body.” And that was a word from the Lord. And I began to think, That’s right, I’m not sick. I’m not sick. I had surgery on my arm, and the thing won’t heal. My heart has gotten out of shape, but I’m not sick. I’m attacked. I’m under an oppression. The devil has come to oppress me.
And the Lord kept bringing this Scripture to me in II Corinthians 4:17. Everyone say that because I want you to remember it. (Response) “For we have this light affliction but for a moment.” And He kept saying to me, “In my mind this is just for a moment.” “Well, Lord, it’s certainly more than a moment for me.”
And we’ve had a time. For seven months I’ve been cooped up. About two weeks ago there’s a pastor brought his cameras down from the Chicago area from a great church where I had preached several times and asked me to do his Sunday morning service from my living room. And I did. And they said it was better than if I had been there in person. So other pastors are negotiating with me now to bring their cameras in. And if I don’t get to travel as much as I have in the past, then my ministry will go on.
I was reading a book by my friend Walton Hallam, a pastor just out in Houston, a man I love very much in the Lord, for whom I’ve also preached, titled, From This Day On. And it’s about the 40th Psalm, “I waited patiently for the Lord. He inclined unto me and heard my cry and brought me up also out of a horrible pit and put my feet on the rock.”
Well, I was enjoying the book very much, and suddenly I came across a short paragraph in which he talked about time limits, something that I knew a little about but I’d not spent a lot of time with during my ministry.
And then after he maybe spoke three or four lines, he went on with the book. But the words of that page leaped into my spirit, and it came to me at the appropriate moment of my existence.
Thirteen months ago I had surgery on the rotator cuff of my left shoulder, and it has not healed in thirteen months. I’ve had attacks on my heart, and a slowing down of certain organs in my body. And I’ve come to a new phase of my life. And if you’re not that old, and if you’re old, you’re going to reach the age that I’m at.
And I was wondering if anyone has ever talked to you from the vantage point that I have today, that I’ve got things to say to you that probably nobody has ever said to you. And the Lord took this phrase “time limits” and gave me Scriptures and took me back to the Bible and then back through my ministry and then told me to apply this to myself.
I want you to know that Oral Roberts student body in their chapels pray in tongues as a body every time. I want you to know that you’re in a place where we pray in tongues, and we’re always praying with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, in the Spirit, not just in our native tongue, though we pray in our native tongue.
We are not ashamed, we are not intimidated. We know who we are. We know we’re on the right road. We know we are winning! …SHOUTS…
I’ll tell you one thing. That’s good water.
Now he says the ungodly are not like that. They’re not prospering. They’re like the chaff which the wind blows away. Let me give you a little word. If you water a seed it will become a tree. But if you water a little piece of dross, it just becomes wet.
What are you watering? Are you putting seed in to water to produce trees, or are you watering dross that the wind blows away and it’s just wet, and nothing’s happening in your life?
You know, I’ve already blown it, so I might as well say what I want to say. …LAUGHTER… Where do you think the body of Christ is today? If you had a ladder and there were ten rungs on it… Is that the way you’d say it? Rungs, yeah. Which rung do you think they’re on? The first rung, the second rung, third rung, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth.
I say maybe they’re on the third rung, if they’re lucky. We’ve got a bunch of the deadest churches …APPLAUSE… They are a bunch of spectators…
Today I’ve come to you from a period of several weeks while the Spirit has been dealing with my spirit, that we have come to a point in the charismatic movement where the speaking in tongues, with interpretation, which initiates the release of the nine gifts of the Spirit better than anything else, has begun to subside quite a bit. And many people who used to pray in tongues every day do not pray in tongues every day anymore.
And my spirit has picked up a danger signal, and the Spirit began to reveal to me in the Word of God, and I’m going to reveal to you next, and I dwelt on it. I memorized it. I said those chapters and verses to myself many times a day and every night when I went to bed. And I’m going to give you part of them, and I’m going to go as far as time will allow.
Number one, to stop the downwards part of the charismatic movement and to take it into a new level where we go into a level of the Holy Spirit we have not yet reached.
Now since I was one of the leaders to start it, I’m one of the leaders to promote it. I tell you, God’s not through with it yet. He’s just beginning. And the International Charismatic Bible Ministries Conference is not an accident. Starting in 1986, God brings us together, and right here, you watch it, something is going to be born today that’s going to spread across America and the world. And you’re going to see it and feel it in your own soul.
In Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 10-17, Paul says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God that you might be able to stand against the wiles [or the strategies] of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, against human beings, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,? speaking of the demonic world, satan’s world.
“Wherefore, put on the whole armour of God that you might be able to withstand in the evil day.” Now we are in part of the evil day. It’s starting to come upon us.
“And stand therefore. And having done all, to stand, stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.” He’s going to talk about eight pieces of armor that the Roman army used with their soldiers when they were a world empire during the days of Jesus and the apostles and the beginning of the Christian church.
And I stood up here a year ago in June and preached, “The Bad Stuff of the Devil and the Good Stuff of God.” And, brother, sister, I’m alive! (Response) Plant your seed. If you have a need, plant your seed. But don’t park. Don’t park by your giving. Get into receiving. Receiving is an act just like giving. And listen to this, your giving is your guarantee of receiving. And if you don’t receive, it’s because you’re not looking for it, because God’s going to send it.
Amen, Richard. God bless. Surely you don’t have anything else for me to say. (Applause)
RR: I think we should stand and praise the Lord. (Response) God’s doing something here tonight, unplanned by man, but scheduled by the Holy Ghost. I think we ought to just wait on the Lord. Hallelujah! Totally unplanned. We planned to receive an offering tonight for the expenses of the conference. If you want to be a part of it, get down here and we’ll lay hands on this and we’ll pray. Tonight’s offering is for the expenses of ICBM. (Tongues) Stretch your hands out toward it. There’s many more still coming. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! (Tongues)
What were you saying a minute ago what you saw?
BJD: I believe this is a sign of a worldwide release of supernatural harvest. This is a signal in the heavenlies, the end-time transfer of wealth has begun and this body of people has put themselves in position to receive the harvest. (Applause)
RR: We shall not forget this day. God is watching. The angels are being dispatched. Miracles are on the way. Oh, satan is very well aware of what’s happening tonight. He knows he’s going to lose a considerable amount of cash. Do you see anything?
KC: Oh, I’ve got a lot of things. Hallelujah! Yeah. Praise the Lord. Yes, amen.
RR: My, my, my, my, my, my, my. Look at them come. Just going to wait on the Lord. (Tongues) You can feel the Spirit. God’s doing something. Eastman Curtis, come up here for just a minute. Eastman, come up here just a minute. Happy Caldwell, come up a minute. What are you sensing? What are you sensing in your spirit?
EC: I’m sensing that every one of these bills, every single one of these checks, every single one of these pledges represents a need. And the power of the Holy Ghost is about to break every yoke of bondage. There’s going to be so much liberty, so much life, so much anointing released in here like the world has never seen. It’s happening.
RR: Happy Caldwell, what are you sensing?
I have a friend that follows me from time to time and has for over forty years, and he will show up in different crusades or some weekend where I’m preaching, and he always says the same thing to me. No matter how great things happen, he always says, ”Oral, you can do better.” He never changes. And I say to myself as I see him coming, “Lord, don’t let him say it to me again.” “Oral, you can do better.” Say to yourself, “Self, you can do better.” Now say it to somebody near you. (Response)
Number three, don’t park beside your giving or you receiving. This was a scourge in my life. Somehow God caused me to be born into a family where the head of the family was a preacher, and we lived on what the people gave us, and they didn’t give us very much. And we grew up with terrible want.
We missed the first six weeks of school because we had to pick cotton to buy our clothes and the winter food staples. And we had to catch up at school. And one winter I went barefooted until Christmas Day here in Oklahoma-it gets cold by Christmas-because we didn’t have money for shoes. And that’s the way that it looked that it was when you were a Christian, when you serve God.
And when I got saved and began to preach and joined the church, it was a great church I joined but they were bound down in this poverty mentality, that if you prospered there’s something different about you, something scary. “Are you sure that God is in this?” And you were to be humble, and if you didn’t have much, well, thank God anyway. And we grew up like that. And it’s just real hard to have joy when you don’t have food on the table. It’s hard to say, “Thank You, Jesus,? When you don’t have proper clothes.
My daddy never owned a car until I was 20 years old, and he walked up to 14, 15 miles to get to preach somewhere and to save the money to bring back the few dollars to the family. It’s real hard to praise the Lord when you’re walking all those miles in the heat and in the freezing weather. And that thing got inside us. We didn’t know how to deal with it.
RR: And you cannot do that without the healing. And in the authority of the name of Jesus, I speak to every force coming against you, every sickness and disease, every fear, every doubt, every discouragement, everything and anything that has come against you. I rebuke it now in the name of Jesus, and I set my faith in agreement with this prophetic pronunciation over your life. I set my faith in agreement with it in Jesus’ name, and I declare that it shall come to pass.
MH: Pray in the Spirit right here just a moment. (Tongues) Father, in the name of Jesus, the covenant that You made with our father in the faith, Abraham, and then You pronounced a thousand times more blessing and we are the seed of Abraham and we’re here to do Your work. And we’re submitted to Your will. And we demand in the name of Jesus the place in the earth that You’ve promised us. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,” and we claim the ownership of the property that we need, the real estate, the buildings, the land, for our ministries and for our people. In the name of Jesus, let it be so, Lord. Hallelujah! (Response)
OR: Just keep on praising God, but be seated. And this section all the way up, stand, please. Everybody around upon the stage, we’re including all of you. You start touching yourself, every part of yourself. Don’t be bashful. Don’t be intimidated. Reach your feet, your hips, your stomach, your shoulders, your neck, your ears, your eyes, your head, every part of you. And then think of other things, family, things back at home. Put one hand on your neighbor’s shoulder, the other on your body and the others stretch your hands out toward them.
Look upon me as a servant of God, anointed by the Holy Ghost, sent by God tonight. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the living God, the man that Abraham saw, he saw him, and he saw the city whose foundations were not made by man. Abraham’s faith is here tonight. Glory to God!
As the seed of Abraham and full of his faith, I pronounce upon you the prophetic blessing of the thousand times more, that God is going to illuminate your mind. Your mind is going to come alive. The ideas are going to come from the north, the south, the east, and the west. They will come from smart people and dumb people and from no people and they’ll just be coming at you. And God will be giving you insights, wisdom, how to apply the right ideas.