(Editor’s note: This tape was transcribed by Norman Scott. The editors gratefully acknowledge his invaluable assistance.)
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Jones: (unintelligible word) in all the churches, suffer not a woman to speak. Suffer not a woman to teach. Now what would happen if a woman shut her mouth? What would happen? The world would be a much less blessed place, it’d be a much less free place and it would certainly drive all the women crazy and the men, too. They couldn’t possibly be shut, you couldn’t shut your mouth. But that’s what the King James says. Women keep silent. That means honey, if you don’t understand plain English: (emphatically) shut your cotton pickin’ mouth (1 Corinthians 14:34-35, “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” Also, 1 Timothy 2:12, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”).
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: And there are many other things like that. So I only brought those out to say when I get up and tell you that I am here, representing the very highest manifestation of God, I am here demonstrating the Word made flesh (John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”). The only reason you say it’s not so is because somebody told you, it can’t be. And yet, if you really read your Bible, and read it correctly, you’ll see that it is very definitely so. Genesis 32:30: “Jacob called the name of the place Piniel, for he had seen God face to face,” and his life was preserved because he wrestled with him all night – didn’t know who he was – but it was God in a body that he was wrestling with (Genesis 32:24-30). So there’s good things there that can be brought out. You say, “Well, how do you know the good from the different?” By a prophet. A prophet. You need apostles, pastors, teachers, prophets, evangelists for the perfecting of the saints. You can’t get perfected without a spokesman from heaven. That’s why we’ve got the need (Ephesians 4:11-12, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”). We need desperately, we need so desperately, oracles, beautiful oracles, and I don’t see– as I said, I don’t see– the only minister I’ve seen except Brother Jackson who’s here is that brother over there from Bakersfield that passed a cancer couple of weeks, uh for mo– mo– month ago. I’ve seen one like him. You don’t see ‘em. They’ve bowed their knees to Baal (1 Kings 19:17-18, “And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”), they sold out their soul for a mess of pottage, they’ve sold their birthright (Genesis 25:30-34). You can’t get a preacher– you have to travel 500 miles to find one that hasn’t sold out.
Congregation: (Cheering and applause)
Jones: It’s almost that bad. ‘Cause I wouldn’t know anyplace to stop only in Bakersfield with that brother. And I gather that’s where he’s from, Bakersfield, his spirit bears witness with my spirit and there’s some other (unintelligible as tape speed varies for several seconds) Couple of (unintelligible) little (unintelligible). But I– I’ll tell you. You know it’s the truth. They’ll sell short, sell short for anything. And look at that Cadillac and then they– they look at the people, they look at that Cadillac and the Cadillac wins every time.
Congregation: (Scattered cheering).
Jones: Every time. (Cries out) No, it’s the truth. (Voice moderates, then builds throughout) You’ve got to have a preacher. How can you hear without the– faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”), and the word of God will discern the thoughts. Hebrews 4:12 tells you what I’m doing. It discerns the thoughts of the mind, the intents of the heart, it will separate soul from spirit, quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, will divide the moan from the barrow, the bone from the marrow, just as I did this week, separating that woman in San Francisco, yesterday, separating the bone from the marrow, healing her, when she’d been crippled for 32 years, oh yes, God almighty!
Congregation: (applause)
Jones: (Moderates) You want to know what I am, you read Hebrews 4:12, you’ll find out what I am (Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”). Well, you say, “What’s the word?” Let’s go back. In the beginning, John the first chapter, In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God, and the word was and is made flesh and dwells amongst you. (Tone intensifies) How much you need to see what I’m saying to you today? (John 1:1, 1:14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”) How much you need to hear this vivid reality and get it in your soul, because it’ll make you free! (Quietens) This woman [Marceline Jones] that’s standing beside me, been married to me for twenty-some years. You think this woman would’ve stood beside me? She’s very straight when it comes to things like that. You look at her face. Do you think she would’ve sh– upheld me if I am not what I say I am? Do you think that this woman would’ve stood by me all these years if I’m not what I say I am? Oh no, she wouldn’t’ve. Oh no! She had to have it proven to her, because she too thought it was up there, until she saw me go through walls, and saw me, (stumbles over words) she was given up to die, when her back was crippled, and she laying on her back in traction, and they said her spine would never be able to walk again, and I said you shall live (in full throat) and I touched her and she got out her bed and walked!
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: She had to have it proven to her! (Calms) She had to have it proven to her. And I don’t blame you for having to have it proven to you, so stick around. Stick around. Just come more than once, stick around. And you’ll find that you will not be dismayed, you’ll find the truth, the more you get around, the more you’ll see the truth, and the more you know the truth, the more it’ll set you free (John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”). Yes, it’s the same God that spoke to Exodus 24 and said, then went up Moses, Aaron, Nahab– Nadab, and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and (deliberate) they saw God (Exodus 24:9-10, “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel.”). Exodus 33, and the Lord God spoke unto Moses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend (Exodus 33:11, “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.”). Exodus 33, and I will take away mine hand and thou shalt see my back parts. That means you’ll see the hind end of God (Exodus 33:23, “And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.”). (Pause) (Small laugh, then cries out) S’what he said! (Moderates) But you shall not see my face, because you’re not prepared to see it (Exodus 33:20, “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.”). Isaiah 7:20, in the same day, God himself shall (emphasizes each word) shave with a razor (Isaiah 7:20, “In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.”). I think I have said enough. Matthew 28:20 says, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20, “And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”). Now I’m either with you, or I’m not with you. I have said that this spirit, that calls out the sick, will always be in this chair. I will always be there, may not just look exactly the same, I will always be in this chair. I have promised you that, that I will never leave you, nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”). Say, what’s this chair got to do with it. It’s nothing. I just happen to be sittin’ in it, and I intend to sit here, I intend to sit here (ministerial fervor) because the time has come that God shall rule the nations and establish justice in the land of the people (generally, Ezekiel 29)!
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Say, I don’t wish to believe that. I wish you did, because it’s the truth. But if you don’t wish to believe it, I’m not gonna try to argue with you, but I’m gonna tell you one thing, you’ll have to be a hypocrite if you go out saying you believe everything that’s in the Bible from now on. ‘Cause I just proved to you and if you– if you’re too s– sue– too stubborn that you won’t read this, then there ain’t no hope for you anyway.
Nearby Woman: So true.
Jones: And when I was speaking awhile ago and telling you about what I am, some of you sit down and you looked astonished. Others were on their feet. And if you notice that people on their feet, many of ‘em I looked at, they had been– how many in this, this room have died and I’ve restored to life, just today? Not– uh, nearly all of our congregation, how many? There’s a pastor’s wife there, she was dead, there’s a woman back there that they said couldn’t live without a pacemaker, she had died, last week!
Nearby Woman: Oh yeah, my God.
Jones: Yes, there’s a brother, there, over there, see all these hands? They were dead. All of the room, some are in the aisles, one of the sisters bringing you the pictures, that are so blessed, that’s why she does it. She’s crippled. She was also crippled for years. She died, that’s why she gave– takes to you now, walks all around, her heart was supposed to be so bad she couldn’t do that. She fell dead, and I restored her to life. There. There she is. She was dead, brought to life. I’m telling you, dead, I mean dead. You can say what you want to, read in a few d– a few weeks, you’re gonna see it in a national paper, it’s gonna go from magazine (stretches out word) all over this United States, it’s gonna show a picture of a woman, and it gonna say, Prophet Jones raised ‘em from the dead. You’re gonna see it, the prophet that raises the dead. It’s gonna be (cries out) all over the United States. You hear it, you hear what I say!
Congregation: (applause)
Jones: So I might as well say it now, because it’s gonna be out in three million and twelve million families are gonna read it, in just a matter of some days. Twelve million gonna read, (cries out) there is one in Redwood Valley that though they were dead, yet shall they live! (John 11:25, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”)
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: (Voice moderates) It’ll be there. It’s not supposition, that’s knowledge. (Pause) It’ll be there and you can then know that I’m not going to be able to withhold the truth any longer. People’re going to find their way to this truth. We’re going to keep this truth before the minds of the people. And– why not? Because when people see God in me, they reproduce God in themselves. If you see me as the other fellow, if you see me as the devil sittin’ up here, you’re gonna to be the meanest devil when you get through with this meeting that you ever were. Because you– (emphatically) what you see is what you get.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: (Laughs) See me as God. Say, how do you feel when you’re preaching this? Never do I feel so good. I can feel– every time I have to water down and work with people and I see a bunch of people there that are not able to take it– and I love people, I don’t wanna upset them, but when I go through speaking in parables, (stumbles over words) you’re ver– rare experience today, ‘cause I’m not givin’ you one parable. I’m just layin’ it out just like it’s plain as the day. I’m just layin’ it out so you can smell it, breathe it, and see it.
Congregation: (applause)
Jones: But sometimes I’ll speak in parables, and when I speak in parables inside, I’ll be choked up and my chest’ll feel tight, but when I say (in full throat) I am the I AM. When I say I am God, when I say I am God, when I say I am God! (glossolalia) When I say, I am God, then I feel (unintelligible word) well up within my soul. And I see it well up in you, and I see the sick healed, and the blind see, and the dead raised. (Short unintelligible phrase). You wanna know how I feel, I never feel so good as when I say I am God.
Congregation: (applause)
Jones: (glossolalia) Never do I feel so good, because I’m telling the whole truth, nothing but the truth, and I feel the strength flow from me and transmit to you, and if you are in that consciousness, (voice rises throughout) you’ll feel a quickening in your body, and the aches and the pains, the sickness and the disease, even now will begin to disappear, the aching joints will begin to move, the crippled legs will begin to walk, crippled back pains, the arthritis, will begin to be free, as a spirit of the consciousness, of the presence of God. Heals and satisfies every good desire. Oh, I never feel so good as when I tell the truth that I am hath sent me.
(tape edit)
Jones: I’m gonna keep on saying it. You want a scripture for it? Jesus said there are thirty-fold, sixty-fold, one hundred-fold. That means there are thirty percent God. That’s a seed that falls in good ground. A whole lot of seed falls out in these old churches, they never come up because they’re out in parched ground, stony ground, they never get anything. They never get, they– they– they never resurrect the Christ (The Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:3-30; Mark 4:13-32). See, that’s the beautiful of– beauty of God. As you think in your mind, so are you. You say, in my mind, if I thought I was God, you’d be that? Yes, if you’ll pay the price, sell out to self, modify the deeds of the body, because you can do just exactly what it was said in the scripture: (emphatically cries out) I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me! (Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:”)
Congregation: (applause)
Jones: Jesus said, upon the seeds of time, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Didn’t say a mind like Jesus’, it said the same mind. Let the same mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of a slave considered it not robbery to be equal with God, equal with God, equal with God (Philippians 2:5-6, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”). (pause) Now it’s what you think. That’s what I said. Ol’ Flip’s [Flip Wilson] not far wrong, what ya see is what you get, what you think is what you are. If you think you’re a slave, then you’re a slave, if you think you’re a jackass, then you’re a jackass, (voices rises) but if you think you’re a temple of the holy ghost, if you think you’re the body of God, if you think you’re the holy ghost, then that’s what you are.
Congregation: (cheering)
Congregation Member: Hallelujah!
Jones: See elder Reverend Jackson [David Betts (“Pops”) Jackson] there, standing just a moment. He saw me as God. His leg was broken. Because he saw me as God, I rushed through the scenes and told him what was there. I told him what he saw. I wasn’t there in the natural, as you would see the natural, but I transmitted myself through the earth, and through the ether waves, because he expected me, I showed up, and the moment I came the healing took place, and his leg was healed, though he’s nearly 90 years of age, his leg was healed instantaneously, because he saw me as (emphatically) God God God God God God God!
Congregation: (cheering)
Jones: (glossolalia)– Mother [Marceline] LeTourneau who preaches to you every day, their middle eighties, just now got married to Brother Kleinast, saw me as God. She was crippled from a fall, she saw me – this white haired sister – saw me as God. And the moment she did, the crippling went away, the very moment it went away, because (ministerial fervor) she saw her God, and she reproduced her God in herself. (Moderates tone) How beautiful it is. I cannot make you see it, but I’d like for every one of you to be, as one at 90, she at 80, or Sister Ever [Ever Rejoicing, aka Amanda Pointdexter] that comes with us at 96. My God, I’d like all of you to be that well, to come traveling across the country, or Sister Love [Heavenly Love], out there someplace. Sister Love. There. She’d never seen me, but I showed up in her apartment, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, s–her hand’s up there, back there. She’s up past her three score and ten years, too. But she was dying, they said she couldn’t even travel on the airplane, they said you have to travel at your own risk, they put a sign around her neck, but she said I saw him and I didn’t even take time – there she stands there – she said I did not take time to even get my hat, because I knew my God was in Redwood Valley, and she said that, that– I heard that there was no dying there, and I saw you, and though I’d never seen you with my natural eyes– She traveled by airplane. When I met her in the bed, I said you’ve found a home, and she’s been on her feet ever since.
Congregation: (applause)
Jones: Been on her feet ever since.
Congregation: (applause)
Jones: [You] Say, I do not want to believe such stuff as that. Then, just stay down where you are. Grovelin’ around, givin’ old preachers your money, wastin’ your time waitin’ till you die. I don’t why some of you don’t stay at home, you’re waitin’ till you die to get to heaven, that’s all a preacher could ever tell ya, says stay around and wait till you die and go to heaven. You can stay home and believe that. I’d stay home and believe that, no use to go to church to hear that. Who needs to be told, they’ll hear me, they’ll get up– I heard somebody on the radio just a while ago just before I came in here. It’s appointed unto man three score and ten years and he must die. Yes. All appointed to die. And the spirit will return to the God who gave it. Now that– what do we need some fool like that on the radio tell us that? (Hebrews 9:27-28, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”) Anybody can look around and see death, (emphatically) but I’d come around where there’s been somebody every time this year, fifty-two times they’ve died in my presence, and fifty-two times they’ve lived! So I’d get over there where somebody’s livin’! (Pause) (Calms) Try it out, see if it don’t work. (Pause) (Short laugh) Shift yourself, child. Shift yourself.
(woman or child cries out)
Jones: Say, you can be thirty percent God, sixty percent, or 100 percent (The Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:3-30; Mark 4:13-32). I am transforming the natural to the spiritual. In other words, I am God, and I’m making the material things spiritual, and the spiritual things material. (Organ music starts). God is bringing the materialization of every good desire into our expression. Your fondest imagination is taking place if you look upon God, and know him aright, where you will no longer suppositionally discern that heaven is up there above the skies, but you will say along with me, that (emphatically) heaven is here, and all around you. The kingdom of heaven is within you, not up in the sky. The sky is nowhere, and is everywhere where there is nothing. (Organ music stops) (Calms) But you will say with your redeemer, that the heavens are now unfolded, the kingdom of heaven is within you. God himself has come, to build a new world. (pause) To build a new world. (pause) (Whispers) God, God.
Congregation: (cheering and applause)
Jones: Try to see God aright, and see what happens. Try to see him aright and see what happens. (Clears throat)
(tape edit)
(Piano music starts)
Jones: This has been a week, this is the week that was. Throughout the nation, voices have been common, commentating about us, they’ve been commending, uh, commending and common, uh, commendation has come and condemnation has come. But you know, it’s beautiful to behold a principle. Every knock is a boost. And as Brother [Donald James] Fields once said, good that people are writing about us, let’s hope they continue to write about us. Just let us hope that they spell our name right.
Congregation: (Calls of assent and applause)
Jones: I had a call from Tallahassee, Florida this week saying, I heard that people, given up, stopped breathing, no pulse, no heart. I heard something took place, and they’re now walkin’ again. Said, I’m comin’ this way, to see what’s going on. Another woman, precious little old white sister in Tennessee, said, I knew one day there’d come a day, there’d come an hour, when those that were dead in Christ should live (1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”), when they would be quickened, in whatever state we wanna call it, they’d be quickened and brought back to a consciousness (Ephesians 2:4-7, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved); And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”). She said, I been looking forward to this day and she said, I heard, I heard the good news, I heard forty-three had had such a release this year. Said, how do I get there? How do I get there? How do I go about finding such a people? I said– I said, well, darling, you know the paper said we’re mostly black, said, I don’t care if you’re green I’m on my way.
Congregation: (cheering)
Jones: They’ve tried everything this week. Been on television a dozen or fifteen times, and they won’t give the full testimony when they say, “Are you God?” and I try to answer them what God means, that what I am, everybody is. I try to answer them and they cut out this and try to make it look bad, but you know they– no matter what they have to say, they’re not gonna do anything but good for us, because it’ll always help us in the end.
Congregation: (applause)
Jones: We’re gonna fill up the spaces with people that love God, that love truth, that live the apostolic life, that believe in sharing. That’s what’s troubling people. They see too many of us gettin’ together. They see that race doesn’t have any meaning with us, they see there’s no old or no young, they see we’re livin’ too long! Not only gettin’ con–converts, but we’ve got ‘em sittin’ up there on the front rows cookin’ in our senior citizens homes, like Sister Ever with her hand up, 95 years of age, they see that we’re livin’ too long! Now for, for my loved ones – I’m gonna tell you, you tell it everywhere – for my loved ones, they’ve been after– [Timothy O. Stoen] the district attorney is a member of our church, because he said I have seen what I have seen, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve seen 43 that were not breathing start breathing. And they tried to get his job this week. You don’t know what we’ve been through. They’ve been doing everything. They tried to take his job away, because he said I have seen with my own eyes. And because, because of the oppressors that would hurt my loved ones, and you’re the– nobody’s gonna fight for you like I– I’ll fight for you. Nobody gonna look after you like I look after you ‘cause I’ve come in the name of Jesus, (ministerial cadence) walking in the name of Jesus, talkin’ in the name of Jesus, livin’ in the name of Jesus.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Anybody here that’s got pencil in hand, or little– little instruments of electronic devices to hear, now you’ll get it real straight. I’ve come to look after my people like Jesus did.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: And for that reason, I’ve been a little careful this week, but, I said brothers it won’t do any good to be careful. You’re gonna get hurt anyway, but we’re gonna get together over it all, when you’re wounded for his transgressions, and the other fellas (unintelligible with tape distortion)– gressions when you’re burdened down for your neighbor, when you become your neighbor’s keeper, when you really suffer and bear one another’s burdens, he said we’ll be healed (Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”). Said when we take up our cross, we will follow him. We haven’t had enough crosses. Well, they’re comin’ this week (Matthew 16:24, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Par. Mark 8:34, Mark 10:21, Luke 9:23). We’re on the headlines up and down the nation– Yes brother, get it straight, get it straight back there, get your news straight.
Congregation: (applause)
Jones: It makes no difference, makes no difference, makes no difference what they say. Just let ‘em talk about us.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Someone said that they’re being raised by the marvelous work of God, they’re being lifted up– being lifted up in this beautiful name of Jesus. The beautiful name of Jesus is lifting them up. And she said, well, her minister said it’s the antichrist. And I don’t care what it is, if it’s lifting me up, I’m going over and look and see what it is.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Well, it’s ridiculous to know, you know, that the antichrist doesn’t do anything but that which is against Christ. “Anti” means against. And we’re all for Jesus, aren’t we?
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: We love the teachings of Jesus, we love the salvation of Jesus, we love the redemption of Jesus, we love the baptism of Jesus. So we’re certainly not against Jesus. But, didn’t make any difference to that sister. She said, I’ll tell ya. She said, I’ll tell ya. When people are writing things, telling that people are getting healed, and the paralyzed are walking, and the blind are seeing, she said I could care a little less what they’re saying you are, I’m gonna get over there and find out what’s going on.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: So the preacher said go over there and somethin’ bad will happen to ya. She said it been happenin’ bad to me here for 22 years, so I might as– nothin’ else could happen worse.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: (short laugh) It’s wonderful. (Claps hands once) It’s wonderful. (Pause) But I’m glad we have each other. When trials come you know how much you need each other. You know how much you need the body of Christ. That’s why I sing, nobody knows– I never sung that publicly, but it kinda rang in my heart, because I love you. My har– my hide’s thick. I don’t mind what they do, I– as one TV commentator said and– on channel 5, a different one spoke, said you’re the most compelling person, you must believe what you say. You must believe. Tonight at 6:30 up in s– in, in, in, uh, Northern California they’re gonna hear a program. And one time the man come at me with somethin’, and I said it so strong back to them, that uh, District– Assistant District Attorney Stoen and Attorney [Eugene] Chaikin and Sister Jones said he actually went back. Said he just fell back, he just fell back. If they think they gonna push us around. You can’t push God around, God (unintelligible) said you can’t push God around.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: My only empathy for you is, is the problems you may have to endure, but count it all joy when these things come upon you, count it blessed (James 1:2, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.”). They that live godly in Christ Jesus shall – didn’t say maybe – but said shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”). They’ll say all manner of things falsely against you for his namesake (Matthew 5:11, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”). (Voice rises) Finally the day’ll come when we’re livin’ in such an hour that they will kill you, thinkin’ they do God a service (John 16:2, “…yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”). So if you haven’t been gettin’ it, you’re not Christian. And when you start gettin’ it, then you know you’re close to the heart of God. You livin’ near the body of God when you gettin’ the persecutions that’ve been talked about, (voice calms) lo these many years. But we’ll sing to each other and be glad, no matter how much trouble we had at the end, we’ll sing glory hallelujah. (Hums) Sing it again. Nobody knows.
(music, “Nobody Knows The trouble I’ve Seen”)
Jones: (singing) –body knows– (Pause) trouble– (Pause) (unintelligible) (Speaks) Restart, restart, restart, we’ll let you start, musicians. But I love them. Used to sing it when I was a child, when I was poor and cold, you know. Nobody knows. Nobody really cared, ‘till I looked and found out where God was. And I found out somebody cared, and ever since then, all of us temples of Holy Ghost been gettin’ together, and we’re not gonna be hungry anymore, are we?
Congregation: No!
Jones and Congregation: (singing): Nobody knows the trouble we seen/ Nobody knows like Jesus/ Nobody knows the trouble you see/
Jones: (speaking) But we’re gonna see anyhow–. (singing) Glory, hallelujah.
(music stops, pause)
Jones: (Quietly) Last evening I had the pleasure– rather, the experience, to see an editor of a paper who had said bad things about one of our people – not immoral things, just the truth about them – but distorted it so terribly. The truth that they had to tell the world that they had seen people brought back to life. And you’d think that– you’d think that people would be glad to know that someone had life. But a high official in our church in the government has been pressured (stretches out word) all around town, all around town, because he will not deny what he’s seen, and what he’s heard. The world wants us to say that mortality is in command. Unrighteous Mammon wants us to declare that God is dead. Mortal fair– mortal affairs want us to think, that what they had on the day of Pentecost is confined to those great historic events of yesteryear, or projected to some great never-neverland that we’ve been lookin’ for, for a hundred thousand years. But we declare, as scriptures declare, I am with you always (Matthew 28:20). We declare that God is the same today, yesterday and forever (Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.”). We affirm that these things shall you do, and greater sayeth Jesus because I go to the Father (John 14:12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”). Greater things? Well, he was a pretty great being. He loved without respect of race or creed. He fed the hungry and clothed the naked, he took in the stranger and he went into the prison when someone was standin’ up for their rights, fighting for human beings (Matthew 25:34-46), went even all the way down into a Hell one time, into a prison. (Voice builds) But he said, these things shall you do and greater. We have seen those things, we have seen with our own eyes the last time we were here – when the man fell with a stroke and no pulse, no heartbeat – we saw him get up and walk upon command! We saw the blind, seven of them in this very city, just a service ago, healed as we walked down the aisle. We’ve seen the growths passed before our eyes, we seen the crippled walk, the lame have leaped with the hart as a hart would leap, (voice calms) ran across the brook with new life (Isaiah 35:5-6, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”). Whattaya want us to do? Deny that? You might as well go drop, because we’re not gonna deny it.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: How would anyone know that God lived, with two out of three babies going to bed hungry, with Semitic people, Arab people killing Arab people, Jews and Arabs alike, with little Irish children, killing and stoning each other in schoolyards? How would anyone know that God had ever lived, if it wasn’t that he moved and had his being today. When we see people in the world, because of their color, treated so badly. When we see them shot down like some common animal. When we see napalm dropping upon little babies across the seas. Look and gleer all you want to, ‘cause anyone would be stupid to believe, unless he had God in his life. I’m speaking again for the benefit of those unrighteous ones who come in to spy out our liberty, those iniquitous ones who think they are smug, but God will take care of you in his own due time.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: I’m glad you– who could else could put us on the front page. We had front page, c– uh, p– front page coverage last week. Largest paper, you– all around the nation, front page: Prophet raises the dead. Didn’t say prophet claims to raise the dead, because I didn’t. Others said it, it said, prophet raises the dead. If we had taken out such advertisement, it would’ve cost us ten thousand dollars. (pause) You are the silly ones. You’re playin’ into God’s hands.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
(Music starts)
Jones: (Voice builds throughout) You’re doing just exactly what God wants you to do. God wants you to lift your mortal voices, he wants to lift your carnal minds, he wants you to speak out of your carnal thoughts, and it’ll only cause God to rise up, every time you ri– rise up against the spirit, the spirit’ll rise a little higher. Every time the serpent calls and rattles his little rattler, every time he lisps and spits out his sputum, every he would try to declare his venom, (Voice drops) the spirit will rise up, the spirit of righteousness will rise up, and it’ll (unintelligible word) the serpent’s head!
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: I’m so glad. We’ve waited for such a day as this. We don’t like suffering, but we’ve waited for such a day as this. Tomorrow morning I’m gonna meet people wi– newspaper, at seven. When I get– no, not tomorrow morning, Monday morning when I get home from the bus, we sleep here tonight back there in the back room on the floor uh– (stumbles over words) they equipped it for me so beautiful, but we’re gonna sleep right here and when we get up from this meeting tomorrow afternoon after many have been healed and saved and converted, we’re going to go on that bus all night and we’re gonna meet a reporter with photographers at seven o’clock. He said is that too early for you? I said there’s never too early for me.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Then about eight-thirty comes another one from another city. You’re gonna hear about us, so I’m gettin’ you ready. So be – yes – be prepared. If you love God, you have to be willing to pay the price to love God.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Woman: Glory to God, Glory to God! Yeah!
Jones: Know one thing, child. It never gonna come out the way you said it. Because those that have the power in any society, couldn’t admit that God Love was the most important thing. Why then, who’d buy TV’s? Who’d buy Cadillacs anymore? When you find the spirit of love and sharing, who in the world would get involved with all that mess anymore? So they’re not gonna tell it just as it is, but in spite of the fact that in, how many cities, according to [Rep. John H.] Rousselot, one of your congressmen here who made the complaint, how many, a hundred and eighty or three – no, it’s more than that – fifteen hundred and eighty cities in America, there’s only one newspaper. In spite of the fact that the press is controlled too much – in spite of the fact – every way they tell it, it’ll come out to help the chosen ones of Israel. It’ll come out to help.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Well, enough has been said for that. We have really had a interesting time this week. We’ve been up at night and day, been on television and radio and every newspaper up and down our way up there. ‘Cause it is news, when people get up when they’re supposed to be dead. That’s news. Can’t expect to keep it a secret. Said what kinda news the world wants to hear about? And 43 times people have been quickened and given this deliverance from the jaws of death in this year alone. You oughta know it was comin’. You oughta know it was comin’. They’ll try to do everything they can to put it out, because they don’t like this. (Short laugh) We do, though, don’t we?
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Tell you something else they don’t like. They won’t– they don’t have the nerve to preach about that. They don’t like peace in the land. They don’t like for black and white people to get together, and Indian people to get together, and iron out their differences peacefully and be in one accord and one mind, one spirit as it was on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”). They don’t like that. Because there’s certain interest in this– in this land like every great nation, that would like to see a dictatorship established upon the people. And it is my confirmed opinion that they’re trying to divide the classes and the races, so that they’ll war amongst themselves, as a justification for establishing tighter and tighter rule so that the– what would we say, the rich rulers, the Illuminati, the International Bankers or whatever you wanna call it, those that have the power, they’d like to control the things, and the best way they can control it is by gettin’ us little people (stretches out word) all divided against ourselves. What they’re trobly– what their real problem is!
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Now I’m gonna get into this and that’s where I’m gonna stay from now on. Some of my– some of my counselors have been very kind, and brother Chaikin has been healed of cancer, he just cares for me and cares for the others. An attorney of law, he was healed of cancer. (Voice builds) They’d like for him not to say that, and they won’t print it! He’s written every kind of newspaper, he wants ‘em to know he been healed of cancer. Diagnosed with cancer, doctors said it’s healed now, it’s gone. It’s gone from his body. But you know, that not one of ‘em gonna print it. They said that he’s an attorney, they said he’s Jewish, they said this and that and the other thing, but they’ve never said (voice calms) that he was healed of cancer. No matter how many times he writes, or who he tell– talks to, or what you say over the radio, they cut it out. I have actually given interviews ‘til I was preachin’ in television rooms this week, and they would take one question and put it to another answer. I’ve had it happen to me just yesterday. ‘Till you wouldn’t know what I was talkin’ about, unless you knew God. But somethin’ down inside people that knows God, cause them to lift up the phone five minutes later and says, “Where can I find you?”
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: I thought I’d just prepare you down southway because it’s movin’ north, the wind has been blowin’ north, so it’ll be blowin’ south after awhile and (laughs) I want you to be prepared. It’s blowin’ east and it’s blowing over in Florida, and it’s blowin’ over in Tennessee, so it’s bound to blowin’ down here after awhile. Now you get in your mind what they’re after. We had it clearly said that, there were riots established in San Jose, and the mayor of the city said so. I mean, the uh, chief of police of the city said so. Said there wasn’t no riot here, that this riot was inspired uh, so that the election could be won. And when he spoke it two months later, he lost his office as the chief of police. Adolf Hitler, when he wanted to take over Germany, he burned down his own Parliament and had some riots. Said the people are divided, the people are in confusion, I’ll– elect me and we’ll have law and order. We’ll bring back order to the society, he did. He brought back order and he murdered seven million Jews, and a whole lotta other people, he burned them and gassed them and buried them alive. And that’s what they’re mad at me for, I’m getting the people together through the name of Jesus!
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: (Calls out) Twenty or thirty Jewish families in Redwood Valley alone, not to mention the Jewish members that’re in the churches in the various extensions, are comin’ together. And he see– they see Jews and Gentiles, black and white, they see all races and nations coming together as one people and they don’t like what they see. Because that’s workin’ against ‘em. They gotta keep the people divided– yes, get it down, be sure you get it down back there. Now you just be sure you get it down, now you– you– you gonna want to go a little, I’ll go slower.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: You write it, because if you write this, you’ll lose your job. They won’t put this in print, you know they won’t put it in print. They’ll say how I dress or how I look or, uh, what kinda healing. They’ve even manufactured a picture that I have never had, they’re guilty of forgery. Fraudulent use of pictures. (Calms) That’s all right, I don’t care what it comes. It’ll make no difference to me. I’d– I’d enjoy gettin’ joy whatever persecution, I said I’ve seen pictures that did not exist! And somebody has used pictures fraudulently. They wanna make us look like something other than what we are. (Laughs) It’s beautiful. They tried to, eh (stumbles over word), one of our precious sisters, Sister [Christine] Bates, was dancin’ last week because, two years ago she was laying in a hospital bed or thereabouts. They (unintelligible word) said hoppin’ around, gyratin’ around, frenzied. Well all right, that’s all right, sure we’re frenzied. When you’re layin’ on a hospital bed and you’re dyin’ of cancer and heart disease and you get up and walk, you got a right to hop around, we’re gonna hop around all we please!
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: They only print those little things, and th– then– did you ever notice the first article– the people up North can tell ya, the first article said (emphatic) “mostly black.”
(laughter)
Jones: Mostly black. That’s what they wanted to get at (stretches out word) all the time. That particular meeting that they came to the first Sunday was about, in Redwood Valley, about sixty percent, forty percent, really. But “mostly black.” Very few white people. They wanted to be– they’re terribly afraid, they know that the– they know us poor folk are gettin’ together, and they’re afraid some of the poor white folk gonna wake up and get together, so they wanna scare ‘em out and say (stretches out word) “mostly black.”
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: If you’re not (unintelligible word) if you don’t know what’s happening in America, surely you know that President [John F.] Kennedy wasn’t shot down by one man [Lee Harvey Oswald]. Computer automation magazine says he was sh– uh, Republican Electronic Magazine last May a year ago said at least fifty people, according to every statistical calculation, at least fifty people from the top to the bottom, from the lowliest law enforcement agency all up to the top agency was involved in the murder of your president. Surely you know that Sirhan Sirhan was not alone. He didn’t have a job, when he killed Senator [Robert] Kennedy here in this city, and hundred dollars bills found on him? Surely you know that, [Arthur] Bremer, that shot down the gentleman from the, the governor from the South [Alabama Governor George Wallace] and they found all kinda money and he hadn’t worked since January? Surely you know, he wasn’t alone. They’re tryin’ to divide the people, they’re tryin’ to kill whoever might unite a certain segment of the people. They’ll even now and then kill somebody that didn’t look like he is a people man, just to confuse you. I didn’t think I would preach at (unintelligible word)? I wanna know how to get to heaven. This is how to get to heaven, do somethin’ bout this Hell that’s on Earth, that’s how to get to heaven.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Said, Jesus was made obedient, he overcome through the things that he suffered (Philippians 2:8-9, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:”). You think we’re gonna make it any other way, Revelations 3:12 says to him that overcometh– that means the one that’ll stand up (Revelation 3:12, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”). That means the one that’ll cry aloud and spare not! That means the one that’ll show that people of transgression of the house of Jacob their sins, the one that’ll speak aloud to the– the– the kings of their day (Isaiah 58:1, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”). Jeremiah was a prophet. Do you wanna be a prophet? Then do like Jeremiah (Book of Jeremiah). He wrote a note, he wrote a letter to the king, the president of his day, made the king so mad because it was so full of truth, and tore up that king and talked about that king, he opposed that king, and the king cut it up with a penknife. And Jeremiah ended up in a– a cistern. Throwed him in a well. Throwed him down an old well, and I suppose old Jeremiah, the old Jew’d been there still, but an old black man come along and pulled him out.
Congregation: (Scattered applause)
Jones: But the good books says, (calms) down there in the cistern, nobody wanted him to speak, nobody wanted him, nobody was left that’d stand up for him. Why honey, we got two thousand folk in here gonna stand up for each other, you come for one, you better be willing to come for all of us.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: I know some of you that’re not ready to clap yet, ‘cause you don’t know it, but I’ll bet you my eyeteeth– I suppose I have one. I never lost any yet. Same teeth I had when I come in here a few– few decades ago. And I’m a grandfather, and soon be a great-grandfather. And I– I still have that eyeteeth I guess. I’ll bet you my eyeteeth, and I’m not a gambler, nor a drinker nor a smoker– but I’ll tell you this, that all you in here before long, you’ll be clappin’, you’ll be mighty glad to be with us, ‘cause they’re not gonna take you in, you’ll have to get on our side.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: How many more do they have to kill before you know what the truth is? How many more of our brothers have to fall by the wayside before you know that there’s a conspiracy to destroy? That’s why they wanna deal with us and make us look like fools– (tape breaks up) –healing, and then if they’d portray the healing right, it would be beautiful, thousands would beat a path to our door, but they can’t quite do that. Even now and then some do. Channel Five gave me a wonderful coverage. Wonderful coverage. But he got a lot of pressure. (Pause) Hmm. He said channel Five, I gave you the wrong channel, ‘cause I know you’re a devil out there, so you just have to figure out what channel it was.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: But we know which one it was, he gave us a beautiful coverage. One of our enemies that they used, they use a– a preacher, often do. Preacher come in with his high collar, said, oh it’s beautiful, all races together, so beautiful. Said I– I’m thrilled with what I see. Then went out and lied ‘til he’s about to lose his mind. That was on Sunday he did that. On Sunday. And Wednesday, he act so foolish, that he looked like he was about to lose his mind, didn’t he? And they caught it on TV. And he– he– he– he created libel? Now he’s runnin’ scared. He got on there and, (unintelligible word) his face and runnin’ around with a hat in hand, runnin’ around with a hat in hand to our people for an offering. And they caught him right on the channel, caught him on the TV, the TV reporters caught him with his hat in hand trying to get an offering. He’s hard up. (Calms) He thought he was a good man on Sunday, but he was so crazy by Wednesday he’s taking an offering.
Congregation: (laughter and applause)
Jones: Didn’t have enough together to live, evidently, he’s out there taking an offering. That’s what he did, didn’t he do it? How many saw him on the TV taking an offering? Sunday he thought he’d lie about the– the great principles of God. (Ministerial cadence) He thought he’d lie about the messenger of truth, he thought he’d lie about the body of Christ, he thought he’d lie about the spirit that has come. (Calms) But by Wednesday, he looked like a man of unsound mind. Then I got to follow him, the TV commentator let me come on right after him. Right after him. And everybody said–
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: –everybody said, even businesspeople, TV commentators, said you showed who is right. Your spirit showed who is right. And he showed by his actions how wrong he was. Well, I was only saying this, as I said, to prepare you. Now go get your feet a little wet and enjoy your quiet while you have it, because you’ll have enough to come your way probably in time. Oh, you’ll come through beautifully. You might see yourself on television, who knows.
Congregation: (laughter)
Jones: Now I’ve never liked, uh, news, never liked to be on the news, but, I, I tell ya, I– I– I’m gettin’ so used to it it’s almost like drinkin’ water. ‘Cause everyplace I turn, there’s somebody wantin’ to– wantin’– wantin’ me to comment. And sooner or later, they’ll slip up, there, one of their tapes’ll slip in, why they’re doin’ it. It’s like they tried to keep certain things healed, about healing, but here’s our sister sitting here who was paralyzed, and I came to her and spoke the word to her and she was paralyzed, uh, by a stroke and started walking immediately, been walking all those years since. They thought they’d keep her down–
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: They thought they’d keep it down, you know, they play healing down. But somehow the camera got mixed up and just followed her placard all around. And her, her c– her card said I was paralyzed and Jim Jones came and spoke the word to me, made me whole (short tape dropout) again. And they looked at that, said p– all that went right down the TV for thousands and thousands to see. So they can’t keep the truth from the people all the time, you can lie to s– most of people much of the time but you can’t lie to all the people all the time.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: You can open that w– open that door. They not, th– this is not the shootin’ stage, honey, they’re trying to shoot us down with words. So we can have war– they wouldn’t want to shoot me down right now, that– that’d show who’s behind it. So no danger of me bein’ shot today. Umm-um [No]. They wouldn’t shoot me today. ‘Cause that’d be an admission. They just wanna try to talk us to death now. We’re in that talkin’ stage. And I hope that you really have enough determination to live for what you believe. ‘Course I don’t know, you folks– folk don’t have any choice. You got no choice. Your color’s wrong. You can’t sell out. There no way for you to sell out. Look at history. The Jews couldn’t sell out. They tried, some of them, but they couldn’t sell out. Finally, Hitler got every one of them. And that may be Peoples Temple today, but tomorrow, Baptists and Methodists, they’ll be comin’ after you!
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: And Salvation Army and Church of God and Nazarene and all the rest of them. If you gonna live right, you gonna speak your conscience, they’re gonna be comin’ after you. If they don’t come after you, you are a backslidden heifer in Israel. You’ve lost your first love. If nobody’s botherin’ you, nobody knockin’ you, nobo– (tape dropout) (unintelligible word) decided.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Some lady met me back there in the, in the vestibule a while ago when I was picking up some debris out on the steps, a little litter, we want to keep this block litter free, we oughta pick up every little piece of paper, to show Christ in deeds and actions, not just words. She got up to me and says, ah, “Have you got the Holy Ghost?” She didn’t know who I was. (pause) I said, uh, “What you think?” Well, she said, “Only you know!” I said “Not important what I know, it’s what others say.” I remember one who said, it’s not what I say I am, it’s who do you say that I am (tape dropout) –That’s what counts. That’s what counts in your neighborhood, not what you say you are, it’s what somebody says you are that counts (Matthew 16:13-15, “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” Par. Mark 8:27-29, Luke 9:18-20). She said I know I’ve got it, I said how you know it? She begin telling me different ways she knew she had it. Said, you gettin’ any persecution? Whoa, no! she said, I’m uh, blessed. Said everything’s going well, said everything’s prospering for me. I said, you ain’t got no holy ghost, you got a ghost, but it’s not holy.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
(tape dropout)
Jones: (Ministerial fervor) You know this, that if you’ve got the holy ghost, you’re gonna get all this kind of stir that Paul got when he got thrown in prison, that Peter– that Peter got, you’re gonna get all those things. Paul– hung upside down like the apostles, you’re gonna be stoned like Stephen (Acts 7:59, “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”), you’re gonna be persecuted all the great Jeremiahs (Book of Jeremiah), and if you’re not gettin’ it, you haven’t got no holy ghost, you got a ghost, but it isn’t holy.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: (Calms) If everybody’s speakin’ well o’ you, you better go get baptized over again. You better go back to your first love. If everybody smile at you when you walk down the street, there’s somethin’ wrong. (Pause) I did not mean to preach so long, I’ve already talked ourselves out of an offering, the enemy’s upon us, come in like the flood anyway. We need our help more’n we ever needed it before, ‘cause it come in, the very moment it came when he saw us spread to Los Angeles. He didn’t like this big building bein’ in uh, in the hands of the– the body of Christ, didn’t like that at all. Didn’t want the Apostolic Church to get over here on Hoover and Alvarado. Didn’t know how, you say how do I know it, because some people told me so. Said they’re gonna stop you, they wanna keep you up there in the hills of Redwood Valley, they don’t want you to come down to Los Angeles, I said that’s the very– very way to get me down here more often. So, I’ll be back two weeks from this Saturday.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: And you keep foolin’ with me, and I’m gonna be back here every weekend, because you cannot keep me out.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: One– one reporter called me up and said I– I– I feel badly. One editor was so drunk last night talkin’ to Tim Stoen and I– the Assistant District Attorney, he was so drunk, he couldn’t even talk. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I said, you should be sorry. I’m not gonna appease him. I’m not gonna let his drinking drown his conscience. I said, you should be sorry. You have run people through the mill, even dragged Mother LeTourneau who just preached to you, who’s been in the Assembly of God for fifty years, called up on the telephone and said, “If you don’t speak to me, I’ll dirty your name all over the United States of America.” Devils like that oughtta have a bad conscience. I said devils like that oughtta have a bad conscience.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Said, we’ll I didn’t mean it, I– I just work here. I said well you– how did you get to be the editor? How many bodies did you crawl over? How many people did you walk on? How much blood have you seen shed? Said, I just wanted to– I just want you to be satisfied. I said I’ll be satisfied when you do right. Said “can’t we have some understanding”, I said no. (Ministerial cadence) When you do right, I’ll have an understanding. When you retract all your lies, then I’ll have an understanding. When you tell the truth, then I’ll have an understanding. But for now you’re gonna have to suffer in your own guilt, because you’re sinning and you know you are. (Calms) If you don’t believe that he was drunk, you ask Tim Stoen, the Assistant District Attorney of the county. He was so drunk, he didn’t hardly know which end was up. That shows you, my child, the world doesn’t have any peace. Goes out there, cuttin’ up people, cuttin’ down people, those that’re hurtin’ people, they may have a great big job and drive up to the office in a Cadillac like some of them do, but they don’t have any peace. On Friday night, here at uh, eight o’clock he was drunker than a hoot owl. So you think you wanna trade places with him? No, not for me and my house, (cries out) I will serve God, as for me and my house I will be a Pentecostal apostolic divine equalitarian, I’m gonna be one. (Calms) As for me and the house of Jones, we shall follow holiness with all men. And peace without which, no man can see God (Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”). We’ve seen God and we’re gonna keep seein’ God. We’ve heard God and we’re gonna keep hearin’ God. We don’t want the r– reputations of the world, we don’t want the esteem of the monies of the world, we just want to be free in our conscience. And I can go to bed, at night– I don’t even have t– to have a bed at night, that’s the beauty– I haven’t been in a bed, since sometime last week. Before last Sunday, it’s been before last Sunday since I’ve been in a bed. And it’s a wonderful thing when your hearts right, (calls out) you don’t need a bed! When your heart’s right, wherever you are, ‘tis heaven there. Whether you’re out of bed or in a bed, ‘tis heaven there. Don’t have to have air conditioner, fine car, or new suit. I’m just wearing this suit coat today, it don’t belong to me, it’s uh, you see it’s about big enough for me and quarter of another at least. I’m wearin’ it today ‘cause I wanna be ready for that photographer with that picture back there, that doesn’t have a flashbulb.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: I want– Do you know what that devil’s gonna say? The devil’ll probably say this is wine. Don’t make any difference, they’ll wonder what kinda thing it is. Come over, it’s grape juice. You know– I know what it is. I give it to you all the time to drink it, cranberry, grape juice. The Holy Spirit’s revealed to me, the things about the herbs and the leaves for the healing of the nation. That’s the way they do, you know, they pick up a little thing here, pick up a little thing there. It’s beautiful. I’m glad for it, I’m really glad. If it hadn’t been happenin’, I’d wonder what was going’ wrong. (Pause) Now if our hands are clasped, and shift yourself slightly. Shift your hips a little so you can relax, ‘cause I care about ya, I know you’ve been here a long time. (Hums a 3-note tune and pauses) (Organ music starts very faintly) (Hums and then starts to sing:) Standing/ somewhere/ in the shadows/ You’ll have to find Jesus/ (speaks:) You won’t find him anyplace else. (singing:) He’s the one who always cares and understands/ Standing somewhere in the shadows/ You will find him/ And you’ll know him from the straight talk he gives to the land. (speaking:) You see, you won’t always know him by the nail scars, but he’ll give you straight talk. When the Holy Ghost speaks in you, he’ll give you straight talk. When it speaks in me, he’ll give you straight talk. If you’re not in the shadows, you’re not under persecutions, you can’t find him. Say, you mean to say I don’t know God, I’m having it easy? I mean that. If you’re able to sit home at night, night after night and watch TV in comfort, you don’t know Jesus. World’s dying for a little bit of love. We’ve got missions up there in Redwood Valley, four senior citizen homes to feed, clothe senior citizens, some of them that have been put out of decent surroundings. We have a children’s home in which it’s filled to overflowing with little– little waifs and babies that couldn’t find their place under the sun. We have clothing distribution and food distribution. We got counseling for people that’re at the end of their wits, suicides comin’ to us, and they get healed. The lamest people have come, now over a hundred and thirty or forty of them on drugs, hardline drugs. One young man just wrote me this– this Saturday, he’ll be coming back Monday. Said, I’m sitting in a room, high on drugs. Said, I don’t know what’s real from unreal, I don’t know the TV from reality. Said, can you take me in? And I’ve sent a message by Brother [Richmond] Stahl – yes, there, stands there in the aisle – I said take him in. Said certainly we’ll take him in and he’ll get cured. And if you got time to sit in your room, while we’re adopting babies like myself – I’ve adopted eight children and many in this room have legally adopted children – if you got time to sit comfortably in runt– in front of your TV and just read your Bible, sittin’ there patiently in your air-conditioned room, you don’t know Jesus. Said, I got a Bible. I don’t care what you’ve got, you don’t know Jesus. The letter kills, child, it’s the spirit that makes alive (2 Corinthians 3:6, “for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”). Said I got plenty of time to get down on my knees and pray. You don’t know Jesus. When you know Jesus, you won’t have much time to get on your knees, you’ll have to pray on the run.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: You got a lotta time to find yourself on your knees, you don’t know Jesus. ‘Cause you’ll have to pray, every angle expressible. Take no thought for what you’ll say in that hour. You won’t have no time to get down and take any thought. You know what I’m talkin’ about. God, if you don’t know, you don’t know Jesus (Matthew 10:19, “But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.” See also Matthew 6:25-34, Mark 13:11, Luke 12:11-26). Hmm. Some of you don’t know how to pray as you ought. But the spirit itself is gonna have to make intercession and groanings and– and– and utterings, and utterances that you cannot express, you’re not gonna have time to pray, you got some time to get a long-winded prayer and say “Oooooh, our father, our lovely father, how art thou, and how am I”, you don’t know Jesus (Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”). These days of trial when the church is being bruised on every hand, when the winds of the apocalypse are upon us, when the four horsemen are loose in the land, you’ll have no time to get down on your knees (Revelation 9:13-21), you’re gonna have to learn to let the spirit pray and take no time to think thought for what you’ll say in that hour.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: They’ll deliver you before the council and before the ungodly, before the unrighteous and I hear some of you say, “Get on with the healings”. I hear you, the man that’s got the hand, and your hand and the man from Galilee. I hear ya say, in your minds, “Oh, I’ve come to get healed, why don’t you shut up? Why don’t you quit talkin’? I want you to heal.” I couldn’t heal anybody that’s that selfish. If you don’t wanna hear what the spirit have to say to the church, (thunderous) you’re already lost! You cannot get, any healing here.
Congregation: (Cheers and applause)
Jones: Say, I want my body healed. I want my body healed. There’s Reverend Jackson, standin’ up back there, he’s eighty-eight, nearly eighty-nine years of age. His leg was broken, but he would see Jesus, and when I came to him, his leg was broken, didn’t think it’d get healed, I healed it the same day it was broken. There he’s standin’ up on my right. (ministerial fervor) But he didn’t come to see me to heal– to heal him of his broken leg, he came that I might heal the nations, he came that I might change the minds of people, he came that I might put them on the right course! Some of you are comin’ here for a healing, you won’t get healed. Because you don’t know Jesus. And you don’t wanna know Jesus, and you don’t wanna pay the price to know Jesus, you don’t wanna sell out of the things of this world. Say, sell all that you have, sell all that you have. You won’t do it. You’re wastin’ your time here (Matthew 19:21, “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Par. Mark 10:21, Luke 12:33, Luke 18:22). You got ulcers and cancers and heartaches and arthritis. You been tryin’ to keep out of trouble, and look what you’re in. You got a whole lotta trouble tryin’ to keep out of trouble. I’ve been without sleep, and they been runnin’ after me like wolves, after a– some, some beautiful bird. ‘Cause the spirit in me is beautiful. They been after me like wolves. But I had no time to roost this week. I’ve had no time to sit down, to one meal. (Tape slows. Long pause)
(Note: what follows may be a different sermon)
Jones:–Custer’s [Gen. George Armstrong Custer] greatest. (Mutters unintelligibly). Murderers, murderers. Christianity, and some of you still hold on to Christianity. I only use one word in Christianity – Christ – which Christos means, uh, revolutionary. It’s an adapted word, anyway. It actually is to (short laugh) (pause) Jay-zoos, Christos. Do you know who Jay-zoos is? Jay-zoos– That isn’t, that isn’t the original name of God, that isn’t the original Messiah. Yah is the name of God. That’s an adopted name. Jay-zeus, Zeus. It’s the Greek God Zeus. Jesus is a terrible word, it’s a heathen word. Layin’ you low now, aren’t I, honeys? It’s like Christmas didn’t happen December 25. The shepherds were tending their flocks by night. Some of you preachers won’t know whether you’re catchin’ or pitchin’ when you leave tonight.
(Nearby man laughs)
Jones: While the shepherds tendin’ their flocks by night, Jesus was born (Christmas story, especially Luke 2). And wasn’t it December twenty-fifth, you’ll freeze your posterior. It’ll fall off at December twenty-fifth. Catholic Church just said that it was Jesus was born at that time because there were so many people worshipping the Sun God. Easter, there no such thing as Easter. It’s a– the word comes from the Ester, meaning, the Goddess Ester. It’s a foreign thing to Christianity, another adopted institution. If Jesus rose on Easter, why is it in one time it’s in March and then sometimes that’s in April, and it always is one week to another. Why we can’t get any agreement about, you know, a bunch of phony stuff we’ve been given? We black people and bl– brown people, we lived in peace ‘til these crazy Christians come along. They had peace in Africa, great kingdoms, and they come along, put us in chain by the King James religion, w– drug us over here by their Bibles, and murdered us and throwed us off in chainloads, throwed us off, when the– they– they would come after us, even other pirate ships to steal the slaves, or governments that had thrown off the shackles of slavery, they’d throw off every human being they could in chains and they go down the bottom of the sea. Christians!
Congregation Member: That’s right!
Jones: You better, s– get ready to save yourself from this bunch of Christians.
Congregation Member: That’s right!
Jones: They’re a murderous lot. And I know one thing, some of you’ll have to be– it’ll have to happen. There’ll have to be a dark March fifth like there was in Germany. And h– [President Richard] Nixon’s got the same power that Hitler had, he can declare martial law anytime he pleases. And he will do it, w– if he needs to. ‘Fore he sees McGovern [Sen. George McGovern (D-SD)] take power, he’ll do it. He don’t even need to right now. I don’t think he needs it, I think he’s got all the power he needs, right now in his hands. I think the black man’s got the shaft. You can look at every inner city and see how it’s built. Look at the black section in the Fillmore. Look at this tunnel that’s been built recently, perfect way to set a tank on the other side of– of– of the Fillmore, set a tank and cordon that Fillmore section off and you couldn’t move outside of it. Put barbed wire around Nineteenth street– they’ve built it just, just right. Never– look at every complex that they build now, the– these black tenement section. Look where they– how the entrance is. All built in facin’ each other, all these rar– these holes for Mexicans and for blacks, all these apartment complexes, they got it fixed up just beautiful. They’re already made, they just make a livin’ concentration camp out of it. A livin’ hell set up ready for us. And I told you what the radio said, nobody did, got nervous about it. Said that the barbed wire would be around every major freeway before 1975, KCBS and uh, the big CBS network said that, three months ago, and people just, “blah, b– blah, won’t happen”. One of our sisters said I came by Oakland the other day and I saw barbed wire around some of the freeways. (pause) You’ll see it one day. (pause) But I’d hoped that you and I wouldn’t be here. Or if I am here, you’re gone. I’d hoped to have you someplace in peace. That’s what a family to– does, if it’s got a good father, it takes care of its family. That’s all we are anymore. Just one last tribe, tribe of free people, a tribe of loyal people tryin’ to look after each other. That’s what this movement is. Sunday I may talk in terms about bein’ God, as long people talk about somebody in the sky, who lets little babies who want to talk not be able to talk, or lets the most sweet, sensitive women have cancer and suffer like this sister in front of me, or lets those be crippled, like one of my little children I want something done about, to see if we can get her legs straightened, if she doesn’t get a miracle. I do all the miracles I can, more miracles than anybody you ever saw, you never saw peoples cause cancer to be spit up like I do. You never saw the number of blind that’s been healed by me, real healings, you never seen the number of cripples that started walkin’, after that one healing on Saturday, seven people walked, one woman said, she hadn’t been, I haven’t been on my feet in seven years. (Pause) You never seen forty people raised from the dead. (pause) I wouldn’t let people be in mess like this. I wouldn’t let one of ya suffer a minute. And I’m not the Skygod, honey. I’m Jim Jones. And I only infuse the name of God because they use the Skygod name all the time, praisin’ “Jay-zues” and praisin’ the Holy Ghost, imagine praisin’ some Holy Ghost. A ghost that’s holy, yeah, now that’s somethin’ else. I didn’t know any ghosts were holy, but we would holy ghost. We’ll use their word, the word I like the best is comforter, which means with forts, with strength. Spirit of bravery. I like to be called a comforter, but don’t like to be called the holy ghost, but I’ll use it when they’re talkin’ bout, d– some dummy– dumb holy ghost. Holy ghost here and a holy ghost there. People livin’ in misery. All around our church there in Los Angeles. Poor people on drugs, their mind gone, we’re in a beautiful church, we got a beautiful church in Los Angeles. But people every– every block you take, just in misery. Hell, misery all around you. And that Skygod’s supposed to have all power. Well, I don’t wanna meet him, if he’s got all power. He couldn’t make a universe that could stay in orbit, and then uh, then I go back to the original statement. I want you to hear this in closing. Why did God make anything in the beginning? Why did God make anything? In the beginning, (emphatically) God was lonely! God was lonely! Now if Jim Jones was lonely, and he looked out and saw all this racism and all the guns, and Irish killin’ Irilish– Irish, and Arabs killing Arabs, and all the hate that’s in the land, Jim Jones would stay lonely. I wouldn’t make anybody. Any kind of a God that’d make people because he was lonely, and you fallin’ for that crap all your years, you’ve listened to that crap and you’ve believed that crap that God was lonely. And he made man because he was lonely. What kind of a God he was, I wouldn’t wanna meet him, I’d like to put one right between his eyes, I’d like to punch his nose ‘till it sunk in his head. I’d like to meet that Skygod, I’d– I’d– I tell you I got a– I got a number to (stumbles over words) to square off with that character. Blacks, the most precious, forgiving, sensitive, more warmth, more laughter, more kindness in ‘em, and they, the poorest jobs, our wage scale’s half the white man’s wage scale, the housing, we got one-fourth the housing in every big city that the white man has. The nicest people on earth, the black and brown, they got the dirtiest shaft. That’s a fine way the Skygod has of payin’ ‘em off, it’s a fine way he pays them off. I like the way he’ pays off the Indians that protected nature, I like the way he’d let ‘em trust the white man. (pause) Now you know Jim Jones. You may not wanna come back. Makes no difference whether you do or you don’t, ‘cause it’ll be just one less person I’ll have to worry about. I’ll still worry about you, though, that’s the pity of it, I still will worry about you. (pause) All right, sweetheart, you think about it. There’s no explanation you could make in the universe, that makes any sense except in Jim Jones. There’s no sensitive loving caring deity that makes any sense except as you see it in the face of someone that’s sitting now before you, who has healed the sick, who has taken you in when you were in prison. Like one sister there is back there three times was in prison. Third time I still fought for you even though you didn’t come back ‘til the third time, to say thank you. Still fought, still fight, still will fight. Nobody cares like this, and that’s the only way you can know the savior, and any kind of savior you’ve ever known, you have to know it in the face of this one that’s sitting here, you’ve d– only talked about saviors, you’ve never seen them. And some of you who are strangers hard on you tonight, ‘cause you don’t understand this. You’ve not been in jail, and seen me come and get you out. You’ve not had your home lost and me saved it like I have for homes like the Beams [Jack & Rheaviana Beam], and other many homes in this house. You’ve not been in the hospital when the hospital bill, when you didn’t have healing or faith for it, and I paid for the hospital bill or got you a doctor, the best surgeon, or the best dental, uh, surgeon. You’ve never been in that shoes, so you– you don’t know to identify with this. I just seem like some kind of a weird person, but when you go read that Bible, you’ll see how weird it is. (pause) Then I won’t look so weird when you read it. ‘Cause you all you have to do is get that little yellow book [The Letter Killeth] and I want, our new guests tonight, anyone that’s new be given, hm, (tape distortion), Deanna [Mertle], a yellow book to (tape distortion) read it. And if they got an honest mind, they’ll see what I’m tellin’ is the truth. (pause) All right, I’ve talked enough.
End of tape
Tape originally posted March 2008