You know that phrase, I'm not going to let anything
master me, is one of the greatest phrases declaring
a life purpose that has ever been uttered. The
man who was completely mastered by the will of
God said that he would not be mastered by anything.
And the opposite of that holds good too. If you're
not mastered by God, You'll be mastered by things,
circumstances, yourself, by other persons, by
the world, by sorrows, by disappointments. I'm
saying something. What are you being mastered
by? You take the last two things that master
us, the world, sorrows and disappointments, Some
are mastered by the world. Thousands of people
living today are not aware of the fact that they
are being mastered by the world. Oh, it's usually
a very slow and a very silent process. We scarcely
know what's happening, but we are slowly being
mastered by a materialistic outlook. There are
thousands of you listening to me this very hour.
You do not realize it, but you are being mastered
by a materialistic outlook. Oh, you say, but
Miss Cooman. You really, you really have to be
in the condition the world is today. You really
have to be. It's something that can't be avoided.
Oh, yes, it can be. It's been a slow process
with you. But my friend, eventually it will be.
a monster in that life of yours. I don't care
how small the thing may be today. It may only
seem a tiny thing, a very small thing. But if
you allow it to grow to the extent that you're
being mastered by it, then, my friend, You'll
awaken one of these days to find that that thing
which was so small in its beginning has become
a monster. And it will eventually destroy you.
The story goes that a robin was offered a worm
for a feather. And the bird thought that this
was a very good bargain, always a wonderful.
bargain. Dear me, he had so many feathers. Of
course. He could lose a feather and it would
never be missed. And it would save a lot of hunting
for worms. He'd not miss a mere little feather.
But one dreadful day the robin awoke to the fact
that his feathers were gone. And when his feathers
were gone, he couldn't fly. It was a very slow
process. He had sold his power to fly for worms.
He was earthbound. The counterpart of that is
happening all around us today. The powers of
soul, the ability to soar, are bartered for physical
things, material things. and soon the man is
a dead soul surrounded by many things. I'm talking
very frankly to you this hour, because we've
got to get back again to the place where I told
you before we have to look ourselves... squarely
in the face. We have to live with ourselves.
We have to come back again to the word of God.
We've got to come back again to real principles,
real living true standards. We've got to come
back again to the old -fashioned truths. It's
just like that. I want to make an amazing statement
to you, and it's so astonishing that I've waited
very carefully before making it to be absolutely
sure that nothing is being promised that cannot
be delivered. That's the reason I try to be so
practical in my preaching. It's because I want
to be dead sure that whenever I make a statement,
I can back it up. I back it up with my own personal
experience. Because there's nothing like experience,
you know. If you've been through it, then you
can help others. And you can tell them it worked
for you. And what has worked for you will work
for them. And I always know that I'm right. I
never have to apologize or back down when I give
the scripture. Because that comes from the highest
authority in heaven and earth. But it'd be a
cruelty to say anything. That was a promise or
to assure someone of something that cannot be
fulfilled. But this thing can be. And it is just
this. You do not need to remain as you are. Perhaps
you sold yourself on the idea that you have to
remain. No circumstances. You have to be the
defeated person that you are. You cannot change
things. You're a depressed person, a lonely person,
an introvert. You were born with certain weaknesses
that you feel that you'll never be able to get
victory over those weaknesses. And therefore,
because of your background, because of that which
has been inherited, because of your circumstances,
you have to remain earthbound. Again, I say to
you, and I've thought it through carefully, you
do not need to remain as you are. And this is
on the authority of the most reliable book ever
written. For it says in the epistle to the Hebrews,
Out of weakness were made strong. In 2 Corinthians,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.
Old things are passed away. Behold, all things
are become new. That, without doubt, is one of
the greatest statements ever struck off in the
history of human thought. If any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature. It means that you and I
can be... Become new. How many times in your
life have you wished that you could be born all
over again? How often have you looked at a sleeping
baby, an innocent little child, and looking down
at that sleeping child, so peaceful, so innocent,
so beautiful? And whether you've spoken the words
audibly or not, inside you've said, I wish I
could turn all the pages of my life back and
be just an innocent little child again. Born
all over. How many a man in defeat. How many
a depressed person. How many a person. Living
a life of failure would give anything in the
world if they could just be born all over again.
You can. I have news for you, my friend. I have
news for you. It comes from the Lord Jesus Christ
himself. If any man, that includes you, be in
Christ, there it is. That's the condition. He
is a new creature. And it means that you can
become new. All these old weaknesses that have
plagued you for years can be done away with.
And everything become new. This is great. I'm
saying something. I'm saying something that is
as old as the Word of God. and as new and fresh
as tomorrow morning's sunrise. I'm giving you
something that is not theory. I'm giving you
something that is not scientific. I'm giving
you something that is not complicated. I'm giving
you something that is as practical as God himself,
the creator. And behind that promise is all of
God's power. Do you really want to be a new creature?
Do you really? Are you dissatisfied with yourself?
Look at yourself now. Are you the man that you
really want? to be? Are you the woman? Are you
really the kind of person that you want to be?
Are you doing your best? Or are you living a
life of excuses? A life of failure? A life of
defeat? Inside of you 24 hours a day, there's
a battle that's raging. Oh, that inward battle.
Again and again people have said, but this is
what I am. This is the way I was made. I just
can't help myself. I'm weak in this way. That's
the way it's always going to be. Or maybe someone
will say, this is my weak But who made it weak?
Let me just ask you a question. Who made it weak?
Why does it have to be your weak point? Why do
you accept the idea that you have to be weak
at this or that point? God never built weakness
into anybody. If weakness has developed, it's
because we have developed it. You are still the
master of your own kingdom. Every human being
is a master. You are the master of yourself.
That kingdom. You are a kingdom unto yourself.
I am a kingdom unto myself. I was born with a
will. You were born with a will. Know that. You
have the will to do what you want to with that
life of yours. I want to tell you there's a power
available to us whereby we can overcome our weaknesses.
How do I know? Is it just because somebody perhaps
told me that years ago? Oh, no. It's because
I've seen it work over and over again. You see,
that's the reason I'm so enthused about the Bible.
That's the reason I've given my life to preach
the Word of God. And I mean faith. My life. Not
just five years. Not just ten years. But do you
realize that Kathryn Kuhlman has literally given
her entire life for what she believes? And I
believe it so completely that I feel it's worth
giving my life for. I'd stake my life on everything
that I give to you. I've seen this thing work
in the lives of thousands and thousands of people.
And because I've seen it work so many times in
so many people, and I have seen what it's done
for people over and over again, that's the reason
I would stake my life on what? I am saying to
you right now when I tell you that you do not
have to be the kind of person that you are. I
don't care who you are. You can be life's greatest
failure this moment. You do not have to be a
failure. You do not have to live one single day
in defeat. You do not have to be mastered by
circumstances, by troubles, by sorrows, by disappointments.
You don't have to. I've seen people whom you
might have written off as absolutely hopeless,
who have become wonderful, controlled, victorious
individuals. Oh, sure. I was on a talk show from
Cleveland, and part of it was they opened the
telephone lines for... conversation from folk
in the listening audience. And among those who
telephoned me as I was sitting there in the television
station was a man. Oh, he said, Catherine Kuhlman,
remember me? I was that bootlegger's son. At
the age of 11 years old, I was, uh, peddling,
uh, My daddy and granddaddy's booze that they
were making in a steel down someplace, you know.
But oh, he said, I'll tell you, since I've gotten
salvation, it's altogether different. It's a
wonderful life. And that man has one of the most
responsible positions today with a steel company
that few men have and thousands would covet.
I've seen it work. You don't have to be a victim
to alcohol. I tell you it. Whether you're a little
lady there in your home and you only drink when
the doors are locked and your family doesn't
know it. You're one of those silent drinkers
and you do it all alone. You wouldn't have anyone
know it for anything in the world. I know. You
told me so. Or you may be a businessman and you
say, I started out just drinking so chalet, but
now I can't stop. Or you may be an out -and -out
alcoholic. You don't have to be. You do not have
to be. I promise you. I promise you. You do not
need to remain as you are. Become a new creature
in Christ Jesus.