Now, in the Bible, many reads and say, "Anoint my handkerchief." Now, I don't pack anointing oil; that's all right though (See?); that's just fine. The Bible does teach to anoint with oil. And anything the Lord does, why, and blesses, I'm sure for it. But now if you'll just watch, the Scripture doesn't say that Paul anointed the handkerchiefs; they said, "They took from the body of Paul, handkerchiefs and aprons." Acts 19. And see, they had noticed that God was with the apostle, and so they just---that's---they knew that.
And you know where I think Paul got that in the Scriptures, when the Shunammite woman, her baby that had been promised her by Elijah the prophet, because she was so kind to him and did for him. And he told her that she was going to have a baby, and she didn't believe it. So then the baby came. And when it was got to be a young child, ten, twelve, years old, one day it was out in the field with his father, about eleven o'clock. I think it must've had a sun stroke, it's--- "My head, my head," the baby cried.
However, the father took the young servant and had him pack the child, laid it on its mother's laps, and about noontime it died. And she took it and put it on the prophet's bed. What a wonderful place to put it. And then she said, "Saddle a mule and ride and don't stop. We must go to the prophet." She wanted to find out why that the baby had died.
So God don't reveal all things to His servants, you know. So Elijah didn't know why it died. But He had a staff that he had handled, and he told Gehazi, his servant, "Now, you take this staff and go lay it on the baby."
And now, I think that's where Paul must've got laying handkerchiefs on the people that come from him. He knowed what he touched was blessed. If the people-- But the woman in that case, she knew--she didn't know about the staff; she knew God was in His servant. So he went and laid his own body across the baby and it come to life.
Now, there's many---some times there's thousands of these a week. And the other night, about two weeks ago, a little more, in Old Mexico, is a pathetic sight. Three nights service. And after a little baby had been brought back from the dead--- When I went in that night--- The poor people didn't have handkerchiefs. A good first class brick mason has to work eight days straight, save every penny, to get himself a pair of shoes. Gets about sixteen pesos a day, and there's about twelve and a half pesos to a dollar. That's poncho. But little Pedro that works out in the street, he has, well, perhaps eight pesos a day. He's got six children to feed. Little tortilla, he get about two for a peso. So he can't get any shoes, he just goes barefooted, to feed his children. Oh, it's pathetic.
If you'd only see, dear Christian friends, to see how happy we are to be an American. It's a saying, "It's great to be an American." That's more than just a saying; that's a truth. This is a blessed nation. We should appreciate it more than what we do. See the people well fed and clothed, and intelligent people. Go in some of those countries where they lay by the tens of thousands, and not even dressed, and starving. And many of them die from starvation right on the grounds, waiting to be prayed for. And you can just imagine what a pathetic sight it is. So, I trusting to God that somehow that... Well, I can't do nothing about it, only pray and minister.
And now, with these handkerchiefs, I pray over them now, if you will bow your head just a moment with us, so that they go out.
Now, kind heavenly Father, these handkerchiefs here represent poor, sick mortals. I'm so thankful that they believe in You, Lord. And even though, after their doctor maybe, has give them up, they still believe that there's hopes if they will ask You. Maybe Thou knowest, maybe some poor old blind daddy, somewhere out here in the rural, setting, little dark place tonight, waiting for a handkerchief to come home. A mother with her baby that's just at the point of death, couldn't bring it, waiting for the handkerchief to come home---
Dear Father, we pray that You'll watch over each of those. And we're taught in the Bible that they taken off of the body of Saint Paul, handkerchiefs and aprons; they were laid on the sick, and unclean spirits left them and diseases. Father, we know we're not Saint Paul, but we know that You're still Jesus, and it was You that did the work.
And so now in this Scripture, it was taught that when Israel was cut off from the promised land by the Red Sea... One writer said, "That God looked down through that Pillar of Fire with angry eyes. And the sea got scared and opened up a way for God's people to cross over."
And Father, when these handkerchiefs are placed on the sick tonight, may those eyes look back through the Blood of Jesus, to Who died for this purpose. And may the diseases, the enemy that's got the people bound, be scared and move back off of the people, and let them cross to the promise of good health and strength. For it's this purpose that we send them in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.