The DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware, makers of better things for better living through chemistry, presents the Cavalcade of America. Tonight's star, Robert Cummings. Tonight's play, the story of Finn Magnus, a 20th century pied piper, The Melodyman. Dear mother, I have just read your letter. Mama, please do not worry. This is 1933, and there are no savage Indians in New Jersey. It's not even Tamewan. Yes, yes, I have been to New York City, and it is very big, too big to find cousin Olaf, unless, of course, he has a last name. You asked me about New Jersey. Well, New Jersey is a state, sort of like the corner of Denmark between cousin Johann's Farm and cousin Sven's House in Copenhagen. It is famous for industry, and oh yes, for girls, for girls, the prettiest girl is named Miss Jones. In fact, I am sitting in her office right now, and I think she's looking at me.  Oh, yes, Miss Jones. Well, I don't like to rush you, but it's five o'clock and the office is closing. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize it was so late. Well, it's none of my business, but you came here on Monday to see Mr. Jamison, and I told you he wouldn't be back in town till Friday. Don't you believe me? Oh yes, I believe you all right. I'll be back tomorrow. But tomorrow's Thursday. Yes, that's right. Look, you've been here every day this week.  Miss Jones, do you like music? Music? Well, it's... I have two tickets to Carnegie Hall for tonight, and I was thinking we could have dinner in New York and then go to the concert, and you do like to go to concerts, don't you? Well, all right. Then you'll go? Mr. Magnus, did anybody ever say no to you? We can catch the 525 train. I bought the tickets this morning, you see. Yes, I have a reservation in a restaurant. Wait a minute, wait a minute. You were quite sure that I'd say yes, weren't you? Well, I was hoping. All right. It'll take me a few minutes. Oh, Miss Jones. Yes? Miss Jones, please, excuse me, but what is your name, Miss Jones? Music Now, let's start at the beginning, Mr. Magnus. As I understand it, you want some rubber sheeting for a table tennis paddle that you've invented. Well, Mr. J... Rubber sheeting? Well, I'm sure that my secretary understood you. Oh, yes, but most important, I would like a job. Job? Well, she didn't mention anything about a job. She wrote down the... On the way home last night, I got the idea. I'm sure that my background is all right. Well, we are thinking of hiring a few machinists, two or three, but... Yeah, I worked at the stevedor, my first job when I came from Denmark, and then a stock clerk in a steel factory. Did you ever work in a steel factory? Well, no, but... I worked in an automobile factory, too. I made cash registers. You see, I'm very, very interested in mass production. Yes, yes, I'm sure you are, but this is a small business. We only have 37 employees. More than... There's a future with a small business. A man can grow with a small business.  It's on a machine and only pays 35 cents an hour. I'll take it. Well, all right. You can start Monday morning. Thank you. You don't give a man a chance to think. Very well, Monday morning it is. If it's all the same to you, sir, I'd like to start right now. But it's four o'clock. We shut down an hour for the weekend. Yes, I know, but since I have to stay until five anyway, I thought I might as well start working now. You have to stay? Well, yes, you see, Ms. Jones and I are going to the opera tonight. It's Pagliacci. Oh, well, good luck. Yes, thank you, sir. Well, good afternoon, Mr. Jones. Good-bye. The opera? Hmm, funny. But I'd have sworn our Ms. Jones was tuned there. Dear mother, everything I've been writing is true. After one year, I was called foreman, and they gave me a plain wooden desk.  And now, five years later, I am general manager, and my desk is mahogany. And also, please, mama, do not refer to Elsie as that American girl. We have been married for two years, and everyone but you is convinced that she is good enough for me. Please, mama, your son's thin. Where's thin, Elsie? He's in his office, Mr. Janssen. I tried to get him on the phone. Doesn't he ever answer the thing? Stand here a moment, and you'll see why. It's terrible. Well, at home, I'm the chairman of the board, and I won't let him play it. But here, I'm only his secretary. You're the chairman of the board. He's all yours. Well, this is better than the bagpipes. Not much, but better. Finn, Finn. Oh, hi, Charlie. I'm getting pretty good with this thing, you know. Listen, stop, stop, please, Finn, for the sake of my nerves. I just came to remind you and Elsie that we're expecting you over for Christmas Eggnog tomorrow. Oh, thank you. We'll be there, Charlie. Is it safe to come in? He's all yours, Elsie, but please, please don't let him bring that thing into my house. I have a five-year-old child, and he could be scarred for life. Your son and I understand each other, Charlie. Oh, I must have a talk with that young man. Well, I've got some shopping to do. So have we. Come on, Finn. She always leaves everything to the last minute. I finished my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving, with a little thought to do. I know, I know the proper present for the proper present. Elsie, you are married to a machine. I'll see you tomorrow. On the way home, we'll stop at Alan's department so I saw something there for Ruth. Elsie, am I really a machine? No, Finn. You're very, very human. Oh, that's good. Because I think of myself as a very practical man, a man who really gets things done, you know? Well, then, I won't remind you that this is the end of December and the screens are still up. You want to fight this mob with me? No, thanks, darling. Well, then, where will I find you? I'll be at the music counter. I just thought of something else that I'd like to buy for Charlie's boy. Just don't start roaming around. What can I do for you, sir? How do you do? I'd like to look at a harmonica. What? I said I'd like to look at a harmonica. Sir, I'm sure you know there's a war on. Well, yes, I know that, but we're not fighting it over harmonicas. Well, oh, oh, are we? I'm sorry, sir.  Women yelling at me, my feet are killing me.  You understand. Oh, sure, I know all about that. I understand. You see, most harmonicas come from Germany and Japan. Oh, few from Switzerland, but nearly all from Germany. Excuse me, you mean we don't manufacture any harmonicas here in America? Oh, a few, but our labor costs are so high that we just can't compete with the Germans. Got a beautiful last trade, dear. It was the last one, and somehow he tried to grab it from me. You coming? Elsie, Elsie, do you know something? I can't buy a harmonica here. Well, darling, what in the world do you want with a harmonica? Well, I just want one. As I was explaining to the gentleman, we import our harmonicas from Germany, but with the war. We can't compete with the Germans, eh? Come along, Elsie. Oh, thank you. I'm sure we'll find one in another store. But madam, nobody listens to me. Nobody. Customers, my wife, my wife. I wonder if 46 is too old to join the Navy. It was nice of you to come over, Charlie. Is he down, Miss Heller? Every waking moment for the past five months. He doesn't look too good. If only you weren't so stubborn. He set his mind and nothing's going to move him. He respects you, Charlie. And I thought. I'll see what I can do. It's me, Finn, Charlie. Welcome to my workshop, Charlie. It's a good thing you told me. It looks more like a junkyard. Not a very funny joke, huh? I'm sorry, Charlie. My sense of humor seems to be slipping. Sit down, won't you? Thanks. I suppose you know what you're doing. Well, I know what I'm trying to do. Christmas afternoon, you said you'd found a new hobby. You were going to spend, what was it, $200? Yes, so far I've spent over 2,000. I'm still stuck, Charlie. Why? Why am I doing this, you mean? Yes. Because it's important. Oh, I know at first it was just something to do, but now it's more than that. A good harmonica, imported, costs over $5. And I think I can make them a lot cheaper. An expensive harmonica is a difficult instrument to play. And I want to make one that anyone, including a child, can play. And also I want to prove something. The infinitive practical. You're a practical man. Look what you've done for us. When you joined us, we had 37 employees. Now we have 3,700. We're a power in the button industry, thanks to your being practical. Your practical improvements, inventions, and efficiency methods. Now what's happened to you? Charlie, I can build this harmonica. I know I can. Once I hit on the proper ingredient. Yes, yes, but is it important? Really important. Charlie, any time you bring music to children, that's important. It cannot be done, Finn. Believe me, it cannot be done. Oh, Elsie, why does everyone keep saying that to me? I know it can be done. Finn, Hans is your friend. He wouldn't say anything to this way, dude, if he thought there was a challenge.  Hans, I worked in Dayton. I built cash registers in half an hour. In Detroit, I saw them build an automobile in an hour. Now imagine that, Hans, a whole automobile in an hour. And you try to tell me that I can't build a harmonica in second. A harmonica is not an automobile. Finn, I work for Hona as a child. Look at that harmonica. It has 80 separate pieces. It takes 150 separate hand operations to put it together and make it play. And I say I can build one in five pieces and assemble it in 15 seconds. He won't listen, Elsie. Finn, it isn't the money or even the time, but you're wearing yourself out. In the past 10 months, you haven't slept more than four hours a night. Buttons all day and this all night. Hans, look please, I didn't ask you over tonight to argue. I called you over to tell you that I am almost ready to build a harmonica. Well, I will have to see it done. I have tried all types of materials and for the last few months, I have been working with plastics. Well, I've hit the formula. What do you think, Elsie? Well, I'm worried about my husband, Hans. Not a harmonica. Well, by this time next week, your worries will be over. I hope you're right, Finn. But the harmonica is a delicate instrument. It must be put together with tenderness and care. Believe me, Finn, you might be able to make a dozen automobiles in an hour, but all they have to do is ride over bumps, not play a concerto. So this is the night of the grand experiment, eh, Finn? I have gathered all my critics and disbelievers. Right, Elsie? Charlie, if my husband says he's going to assemble that harmonica tonight, he'll do it. Mr. Chamerson, when I was a child in Germany, I worked for Hona. And some day, Hans, you will be telling your grandchildren how you work for Magnus. I enough of this monkey business. How long will it take, Finn? Well, I'm all set up. Then what are we waiting for? Oh, dear, I'm so nervous. Now, Elsie, there's nothing to worry about. I put in 15 months of hard work, and if I wasn't sure that I could do it. I am not sure. You're not sure. You're not sure of anything. I am sure that the harmonica is not an automobile. Mass production. Hans, I'll prove it my point right now. This machine will turn out five separate plastic pieces, which I will assemble by hand in 15 seconds. I'm waiting. All right. Then we're all set. Now, Elsie, please stop shaking. I can't. Oh, here it goes. Is it all right? Is it all right? Oh, Finn, oh, darling. I'm sorry, my friend. I just don't understand it. 15 months, it must, it should have worked. Maybe the press applied too much pressure.  An imperfection in the plastic. No, no, it is not. Well, it is possible. But the plastic. No, no, Hans, it's an imperfection in the man. Darling, you can't blame yourself. Look, it's like a little broken toy. Please, Finn, you're tired. There's so much, so much disappointment in a broken toy. You are listening to the Dupont Cavalcade of America starring Robert Cummings and our Bill Hamilton speaking for the Dupont Company. To build the plants where Dupont's better things for better living are produced, Dupont engineers use all kinds of construction materials, stainless steels, copper alloys, lead, rubber and plastics to name just a few. The requirements of the chemical industry are so exacting that all these materials must meet certain standards of quality. These standards have been set by the American Society for Testing Materials, one of the important technical associations in which Dupont men are active members. Membership in societies such as these does much to broaden the knowledge of the engineers, scientists and other technical people who bring you the Dupont Company's better things for better living through chemistry. Tonight on Cavalcade of America, Robert Cummings is starring as Finn Magnus in The Melody Man. Finn Magnus was determined to see his dream come true. Month after month, dragged by. Four hours of sleep became a luxury and a sandwich, a banquet. For the hobby became an obsession in the plastic harmonica of future. But future was to become an ever-ending series of disappointments. Mind, Mr. Magnus, it is only the opinion of a music professor the sound of the harmonica depends on the tolerance in the reed, a tolerance of a 10,000th of an inch. Plastic cannot be molded at that time. Do I make myself clear? Yes, yes, too clear. Finn, you've been panking with us for 14 years. I saw your account grow. I saw you grow in the community.  You have two bank loans for 5,000. I need a little more time, just a little more time. Maybe if I explain it this way, I spent four years at Ohio State, took three years of medicine at Johns Hopkins and graduated with honors, interned at Michael Reese in Chicago, practiced for 27 years.  Oh, but I feel fine. You look terrible. I appreciate your taking this walk with me, Hans. Well, it is better than sitting in your cellar. I spend more time in your cellar than in my living room. Yes, yes, I didn't want Elsie to overhear us. I am not dumb, Finn. Elsie, Hans is a little sick. He needs a walk.  No, she worries about me. Well, she's a wife. Hans, the last batch of plastics was a complete failure. Finn, Finn, I have been in that cellar in the dead of night, how many times? Four, five, ten? And always when we work the machine, the same crunch. It is a horrible sound. How much longer, Finn? Well, that is why we are taking this walk. I cannot say I'm sorry. It is only because I am a friend that I can tell you what is in my heart. Hans, have I been selfish, you think? A little blind. Finn, there is no disgrace in admitting that you are wrong. Well, it is not easy to see everything collapse. I am left with an empty feeling. I feel like an aimless wanderer. The man does not live by himself, Finn. He is not an islander. Yes, I know. I know. That is why I've decided for Elsie's sake and Charlie's and for myself too. Tomorrow it's back to the factory. Enough of this fooling around with a new industry. I'm a big success in the button industry. And respect it, Finn. Respect it. How much does one man supposed to do in a lifetime? Enough is enough. Yes, tomorrow I will get back to the factory early. And when I... Hans, listen. I was listening. You were talking. See how well he plays. Well, he can't be more than eight or nine years old. Shine, mister? No, thank you. No shine. You can use shine. Only ten cents. Say, Sunny, you're very good with that harmonica. Where did you get it? For my brother, he gave it to me. Of course, more than five bucks, I bet. You can use a shine bad. Do you see anything, Hans? I see only a dirty-faced boy with a harmonica. I've got the only one on the block. The only one on the block? Finn, he should be in bed. I should be in bed. And you don't feel sorry? Look, I feel tired. And I feel sorry? Sorry for all the other kids on his block. Good evening, Mike. Oh, you, Mr. Magnus. I didn't recognize you in the dark. I was just enjoying the air. I thought I saw you last night. That was you, wasn't it? I've been having a little trouble sleeping here. That's one trouble I don't have. Mine is my feet. Yes, you've been on this beat for a long time, haven't you, Mike? 18 years. That's a lot of walking. Yes. No, uh, no promotion. Plenty of chances. Only it's a funny thing. I had to do a lot of walking to find out what I wanted. And what I wanted was what I was doing. Does that make sense? Yes. Yes, that makes very good sense.  Oh, thank you. You know, the people around here know me. They like me. Me? I like what I'm doing. Well, there aren't many men that can say that. Now, take my brother-in-law. Oh, is he a policeman? No, no. He's a businessman and respected and successful and unhappy. Successful yet unhappy? Yes, Mr. Magnus. All his life, he wanted to be a baseball player. Was a great shortstop too. But he listened to lots of well-meaning people. Went into business, became successful and unhappy. There's no running away, is there, Mike? No, no. Not from yourself. Oh, say, isn't that your Mrs. on the porch? Oh, yes. Elsie. Well, good night, Mr. Magnus. Oh, yes, good night, Mike. Elsie, what are you doing? Elsie, do you feel all right? I couldn't sleep. But why? Because you couldn't sleep. Well, you'll catch coldsing out here in your bathroom. Mm-mm. Where'd you go, Finn? Last night and the night before. Oh, I was talking to the policeman. Every night this week? No, just tonight. He was telling me about his brother-in-law. Finn, oh, Finn, Finn, what am I going to do with you? He wanted to be a baseball player. We should be in bed, dear. Come on, let's go in. I can understand a man like that. Well, I'm sure I couldn't. I can even understand why he was running away. You're tired, dear. You need a good night. Bedroom's upstairs. You're heading towards the cellar. Oh, yes, I know, Elsie. Because I'm tired of running away. Again, I'm in the cellar. I thought he gave up this foolishness. Well, he wants to try just once more. In Finn, there's too much stubbornness. Yes, he's going to snap. I've seen him at the office. He's tight as a spring. I know it. We should have seen him at night. He can't sleep. Paces back and forth, back and forth. Elsie, I don't want to pile more worries on your head, but I'm at Doc Brown on the golf course. No. He said that it's more than a physical thing, that Finn has been driving too hard. I found the wrench. We were all set to go now. Oh, Hans, did you look over the blueprints? On paper, Finn. On paper, it looks right. Yes. But only my son can make music with paper, and he uses a call. He calls it music. I call it noise. You think it'll work this time, Finn? It has to work. I am going to let you hold the stopwatch, Hans, and as soon as the machine stops, just push this little button. I know how to run a watch, even if I never built an automobile. Now, the secret of mass production is in the time. According to my figures, I must assemble a harmonica in 15 seconds. Anything I can do? Just hold Elsie's hand there. She's shaking so hard she's able to break. No. You hold my hand, Elsie. We'll shake together. Now, believe me, there is nothing to worry about. All right. All set, Hans? All set. Here we go. It didn't break. It didn't break. Great. Wonderful. You're in the home stretch. Now, come on, Finn. All right. Now, start timing. I'm going to assemble it. Fun. Two. Not a crack in any of the pieces. The reeds are all connected to this brace, you see. Five. Five operations in 15 seconds. Careful, Hans. Careful. Insert here. Bend this in place, and it's finished. Oh, darling. With seconds to spare, congratulations, Finn, a plastic harmonica. Wonderful. Why must I always be the pessimist? What do you mean? Forgive me. I can see the plastic, and it is very pretty, but a harmonica is not to see. It is to listen. What? No, no, no. Hans is right. Hans is right. It must play music. Into? Not like paper on a comb. A harmonica must be like a bird. Go on, play it. See what comes out. Play it for him, Finn.  You play it, Hans. No. I will listen. Elsie, how about you? You play it, Finn. I'm sure it'll work. Yes, it'll work. All right. Now, here goes. Dear mother, I am writing you this letter on the fifth anniversary of the Magnus Harmonica factory. I know that you are happy that everything is going so well, but please do not worry that I am driving myself too hard. Mama, America is not all rush, rush, hurry, hurry. For besides automobiles and radios and harmonicas, they also mass produce happiness. Your son, Finn. The drive and the dream that has been Magnus has become a reality. For he has turned plastic into concertinas and clarinets and bagpipes. And though it sounds unbelievable, Magnus, the melody man, makes almost half the harmonicas in the world. All thanks to Robert coming to the Cavalcade Players for tonight's story, The Melody Man. And now Bill Hamilton speaking for the DuPont Company. You know what the refrigerator in your kitchen does. Cooled by DuPont Freon, fluorinated hydrocarbon safe refrigerant, which is used in nearly all recent home models, it lowers the temperature enough to keep food safe and fresh. Manufacturers in many fields find that refrigeration is as helpful to them as it is to you. For instance, a bakery must cool bread before wrapping it. The process once took several hours. Now, cooling time is cut to 80 minutes by placing the loaves in special rooms cooled by DuPont Freon. Cooling can help an automobile manufacturer, too, just as it can a baker. For instance, in assembling motor parts. If some of them are warm and others cool, they don't fit. One automobile manufacturer solved this problem by having a special room 200 feet long in his engine assembly plant. The air is filtered and cooled, and all parts remain at the same temperature, and they fit. A manufacturer of delicate communications equipment cuts down rejects by cooling his plant to keep his employees' hands from perspiring. In the metalworking industry, refrigerated oils help machine tools cut faster and stay sharp longer. Simple problems solved by getting the temperature down a few degrees or controlling the humidity. But they are simple only because chemical science makes available the useful chemical compounds known as refrigerants. The DuPont Freon refrigerants that cool the food in your kitchen refrigerator that help to solve production problems for bakeries, automobile manufacturers, the communications, metalworking, and many other industries are some of DuPont's better things for better living through chemistry. Tonight's DuPont Cavalcade was written by David Harmon. Original music was composed by Arden Cornwell conducted by Donald Boris. The program was directed by John Zoller. With our star, Robert Cummings, you heard Judith Parish as Elsie. Ed Begley was Jameson, and Dan Ackow was Hans. And this is Si Harris, reminding you to be with us next week when the DuPont Cavalcade will present starring McDonald's Kerry. The DuPont Cavalcade of America comes to you from the Belasco Theater in New York City and is sponsored by the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware. Makers of better things for better living through chemistry. Tonight played Truth or Consequences on NBC.


landed right here at Bishop Arlington. I could have been dead and sleeping in my grave. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord God. Thank you for your name Lord God. For you alone Lord God. You are worthy of the praise Lord God. Lord Lord God. In the precious name of Jesus Lord God. We come this morning Lord God saying thank you Lord God. Thank you for your mercy Lord God. Thank you for your grace. Thank you and your tender love and mercy Lord God. We thank you this morning Lord God. For the physical reign Lord God. And the spiritual reign Lord God. In the name of Jesus Lord God. That spiritual reign. That the Jesus Lord God. We thank you this morning Lord God. We ask you this morning Lord God. In the name of Jesus Lord God. That you will have your way Lord God. In this service Lord God. In the name of Jesus Lord God. Help us Lord God. To worship you Lord God. To praise you Lord God. In spirit Lord God. Said Lord God. Lord God. You dwell, Lord God. Lord God, we ask you this morning, Lord God. Don't you will annoy Lord God. Every portion, Lord God, of this service, Lord God, that you Lord God and you all Lord God, may be glorified, magnify Lord God. Do we each ever one of us, Lord God? You said Lord God. He's you the Lord. Hallelujah, Lord God. I know the praise team as they come forth, Lord God. In the name of Jesus, Lord God, that they play skillfully before you, Lord God. I didn't even anoint you, Lord God. I'm the Holy Ghost, Lord God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Lord God. As your message that come forth, Lord God. Lord you, some Lord God. Speak to him, Lord God. In the name of Jesus, Lord God. You know the needs, Lord God. In the name of Jesus, Lord God. Jesus, Lord God. Send your word, Lord God. You are great, Lord God. And greatly to be And greatly to be. Shall I be afraid?  Though war shall rise against me, confident once it troubles he shall hide villains in the secret of my enemy round about me. Therefore will I offer in this tabernacle, sacrifice of joy. Yea I was seen crazy until I received my sight and now I'm happy. Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus. Hallelujah. So we want the Lord to keep us near. Amen. Near the cross. Near the cross. Hallelujah. Where the Lord's blood was shed for us. Amen. And redeemed us unto him. He's greatly to be prayed. You know what we say to everything God says to us? We say hallelujah. Cry it out today again. It just came to my mind. Elder Ross with the other day. And when I got ready to start it again, it wouldn't start. I had the jumper cables, but nobody to jump it. I had to call AAA. And the man came out and he says, this battery is old. I said, you need another battery. I said, no, it's not. I need another battery. I need a charge. I need my battery to be revived again. It's been revived from several different times, but it needs to be revived again. One more time. The revival is needed in the charge of God. And when he finally decided to check the battery, he said, this battery is good. He said, it's an old battery, but it's good. And so he said, we just go ahead and put it on there. And the car started up instantly and he checked it and he said, it's a good battery. Now, the thing is, he didn't know what the situation was. He didn't know what could be done because of the date on the battery. He said, it's not a good battery, but he had to concede. And what the Lord wants to do for us, he knows our every need. He knows all about us. He knows what kind of charge you need. I'm not trying to preach the preachers coming, but the preach came. I like to sing this song a little bit more. Like we used to sing it back in the old days. Somebody needs to be over there with this group. Somebody over here, raise your hand and sing with this group. So what we do is say, hallelujah, thine the glory. Hallelujah, amen. Hallelujah, thine the glory, revive us again. Hallelujah, thine the glory. Well, it's convention time, saints are the most time. Time to fix our heart, amen. This is revival time. Amen. Apostle Henry and Bishop Marty have set aside time. And that time is April the 12th through the 15th. Amen. Hearts to receive whatever he has, amen, to say to us. But on April the 15th, April the 12th through the 15th, we will be in convention time. And the theme this year is, I will say it the Lord. Amen. It's taken out of Acts 15 and 16. Hallelujah, amen. Amen. The guest for that week will be Bishop Kelly R. Wood from Covenant Worship Center in Berkeley, California. And also Bishop Gentry Richardson Jr. from Bethlehem Temple here in Los Angeles. And for the women, amen, Friday afternoon has been set aside. And Apostle Veronica Moore will be the guest speaker there. You don't want to miss it, saints. Amen. From Wednesday to Saturday, there will be seminars during the day and evening services at night. Amen. And a special day on Saturday for all the young people. So start preparing your hearts now. Start getting ready. The Lord wants to say more to you. Hallelujah. Amen. And so let's receive what the Lord has to say for us. The registration cost is only $20. Amen. Only $20. Amen. And so also we are accepting or receiving sponsors. Amen. And the sponsorship is for $100. You can sponsor a family. You can sponsor whoever you'd like to sponsor. But their sponsorship is for $100. You can put the names on there you want. Amen. But the sponsorship is for $100. Amen. Amen. So let's just prepare our hearts. If you'd like to sing with the choir, Apostle Henry is expecting a 100-voice choir. Amen. There's almost 100 in here. We could do it. We could do it, y'all. Amen. Amen. We definitely have the musicians and the membership. Amen. But praise God if you'd like to be an usher, if you'd like to participate in any kind of way. Amen. And go on ShieldFellowship.org and you can get information there on how to register and how to participate in the convention in any other ministry or department. Amen. Amen. Amen. God bless you. Amen. Okay. All right. All right. I'm back alive. The sponsorship is a way that we determine. Thank you, your microphone. Feedback. The sponsorship is to provide financing for the convention before the convention. Amen. Now offerings will be taken during the convention, but we don't want to beg and beg and beg during the convention while the Lord is trying to have a conversation with us. Amen. The bills to be paid ahead of time. Amen. And you've got a lot of time between now and the 12th of April. Put your money together. Make yourself a little savings account and lease up to $100 to sponsor the convention. Amen. Can you do that? Amen. Yes, we can do it. Amen. Yes. And the Lord will be pleased and will be satisfied that that is necessary to put on this great convention will be carried forward in an orderly and untagg mystic way. Amen. All right. So now at this time, we're going to have our solo for the morning. Amen. And I'm so delighted for that that the Lord has done for us. I'm so glad for our musicians. Amen. Let's say amen for the musicians. I thank God for the musicians. I thank God for the singers. And I thank God for the power of the Holy Ghost that is brought into this place by His service. So let's receive the band assistant Marilyn Alexander and the praise team in Jesus name. All right. God bless you. And praise and praise and God bless you. Hallelujah. Lord, we know you dwell in the midst of praise. Goodness of Jesus and all that is done for me. Bishop, I recognize I owe him my praise. See, well, I could have been there, but I'm still here because he's a waymaker. He's a rescuer. That's who he is. I was standing in my seat just a few minutes ago and God says, I'm getting ready to do a new thing. You think you see something now?  But he says you got to raise your expectations. Raise your expectation.   Make a new way. I'll tell you, I feel like singing. I ain't going to try to sing, but it's good to know that's who he is. Just take about one minute and open up your mouth and clap your hands.  And glorify his name. We bless your name. We glorify your name. We lift up the name of Jesus to live of all the youth. Can I ask a thing? I know about you, but I came to bless him. But when I came in the room, I could feel that the saints came to bless the name of Jesus. I bless the name of Jesus. I give him praise and glory and honor. Give honor to our bishop, our pastor, Bishop Orling McClure Alexander II. I just want to appreciate him and our first lady, Pastor Bobby, she's such a blessing. And the ministers of God and to the saints of God, I say praise the Lord everybody. I've got good news today with all the craziness that's going on around us and with all the uncertainty about the future. We can rejoice. Hallelujah. Rejoice. Because our future is right. We have a goodly inheritance in Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for your goodness. We thank you for your mercy. We thank you for your glory that you brought us back into this place. Father, we pray that you would speak a word to us as a body. For we believe that you're doing a new thing. Something that we haven't seen before, something we haven't experienced before. But our expectations are that you're going to do a new thing. We have a goodly inheritance. Salvation is part of our inheritance. Healing is part of our inheritance. Prosperity is part of our inheritance. Safety is part of our inheritance. Wisdom from God is part of our inheritance. See sometimes we need a word from the Lord to know what to do in a situation. Love, joy and peace, they're all part of our inheritance and on and on and on about the promises of God. But Satan will try to do everything he can to convince you that you're not worthy of the inheritance. To try to convince you that you just can't have what God said you can have. What God said today to tell the people that I am faithful to my word, I'm able to do everything that I said I was going to do and if you will expect it and believe it, know what your inheritance is. That's why I kind of went through that long list. It's even more than that but you need to understand this inheritance belongs to you. See a lot of times we think God's talking about somebody else. But God said you need to know because he's taking us into a new place but when you go into a new place you can't take your old thinking to another level. When you go to another level you need to have some new thinking. You need to know who you are and what you are and what God has promised to you. That you have an inheritance. See when I know who I am I don't just take anything from the devil. When the devil comes with something I said you better back up. I got an inheritance. I got a promise from God. It ain't going to happen like that. Not up in here but to catch these hands Sister Merlin. Sometimes you got to talk to the devil like that. He understands street talk like that. And so it is that the devil will try to convince you that your heritage doesn't belong to you that you can't have what God said you can have it.  Whenever he speaks to you he's lying. Even when he tells you the truth he's saying the right word but he's doing it for the wrong reason and he's still lying. So it is imperative that we believe the report of the Lord. Whose report will you believe? I will believe the report of the Lord. I won't believe the report of people. I won't believe the report of my experience. But if God says I can have it. I can have it. If God says he's going to heal me. He's going to heal me. If God says he's going to deliver me he's going to bring me out. I don't care what it looks like. So we've got to believe the promises of God today. We've got to believe that every promise in him is yea and amen. See some of us think we are twisting God's arm when we ask him to bless us. But it's his desire to bless us and when we understand who we are when we understand what the word of God has said about us we can come bold into the throne of grace. Say father here I am today. See I had a father. My father was a good father. He was kind of short. That wasn't his problem. But anything that I needed if my father had it all I had to do was to go to him and ask for it. See my father and I have children and I tell my children everything that I have all you have to do is ask me for it and I will give it to you. The 12 and 14 hours a day that I was working I was doing it because I wanted to bless them. And you have to understand that we have a good good father. And today I want to talk about we have a goodly heritage. Turn to Psalms chapter 16. Psalms chapter 16 verse 5 and 6 says that the Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup thou has maintained us my lot. The lines are falling up to me in a pleasant place. Yeah, I have a goodly heritage. A goodly heritage. I believe that all of us at some point in time in our life we dreamed about having a rich relative that would leave us a multimillion-dollar inheritance. And if it happens, pay your tithes. Is that right Bishop? Pay your tithes. If it happens, pay your tithes. And if y'all find a lottery ticket it's worth ten million dollars. Pay your tithes. I ain't telling y'all to go out and play.  Me and Bishop, very Bishop. But the beautiful thing about an inheritance you don't have to work for. Somebody left it to you because they want it to bless you. Romans chapter 8 says, let me back up. I'm sorry. It says, now when we are the inheritance of a will or a trust what we really want to know all of us is how much am I going to get and when do I get it. Or what am I going to get is going to be stocks or bonds or money or what else. But the Bible said that we are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We are heirs of the promise inheritance. God has made us some exceeding great and precious promises. And we have been made heirs and joint heirs to the promise that God made. We don't have to be ashamed. All we have to do is access it by faith. The Bible said the just shall live by faith. Now every good thing that we have we have received from the hand of God. God may have used some people to give it to us but every blessing we have is from the hand of God. There was a sister, she was a saint. She was on a ship on a cruise and she wanted some fresh oranges and she was just praying and she asked the Lord Lord if you could just give me some fresh oranges I would be so happy. And it was a guy he happened to be an atheist that heard what she said and she closed her eyes and went to sleep and he went and got some oranges and laid it on her lap and he ran back up to watch and see what she was going to say. She woke up and she said oh God thank you thank you for the oranges in there and he was laughing and said you think that God gave you those oranges and God was laughing and said you think you gave her those oranges. See God knows how to get the blessing to you.  And you know what I said? I didn't say it out loud, I thought I don't care because I know where my source is. See I am add to the promise I am add to the things of God and when you know who you are and you know what you are I don't care what the enemy tries to do I don't care what the enemy tries to say you know I belong to God and God is going to bless me no matter what. He's going to find a way to get it to me. He's a way maker, yes he is. He's a miracle worker. He can do what he wants to do. Let's read that again in Psalms chapter 16. It says the Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot. My lines are falling up to me in pleasant places. I have a goodly inheritance. So verse five says the Lord is the portion of my inheritance. The beautiful thing is that we possess the possessor of everything. See we belong to God and he belongs to us and so everything that we need we can find in him. He is our inheritance, he is our true treasure. So it says the other portion of my inheritance and my cup and that speaks of the condition of my life. God is in charge of our lives. He's super intending our lives. He's moving something over here and putting something over there and placing us right here and moving things around because he's trying to, he says at the end of the day my will is going to be done and my will is to bless my people. He super intends my life. He says that he maintains my lot. He guards and he preserves our internal inheritance for us. And verse six says and the lines have fallen up to me in pleasant places. I have a goodly heritage that is chosen by God specifically for me. See my inheritance is not a one size fits all. He does some things for me that he doesn't do for Sister Merlin. He does something for a First Lady that he doesn't do for me but he knows what I need and he's going to meet what I need and he's going to deliver what I need if I stay in place and stay in line everything that I need he's going to bring it my way. Now I'm going to fast and pray and ask God for it but he's going to bring it to me. We have an inheritance with God. God says I want you to raise your expectations and to believe that every promise that you see in the world is directly to you. He says every promise is yay and amen. In other words, before you ask me I'm saying yes. So he says my lines have fallen into pleasant places. When Israel conquered Canaan, God assigned each tribe a portion of the land except for the tribe of Levite whose inheritance was the Lord himself. Each inheritance they inherited a section of Canaan and it was carefully allocated and marked. Measuring lines show which land was which for which tribe and which clan and which family. He says there was a landmark that was permanent and the people were not to move the landmark that the old men the old gentlemen had put in place and David said he rejoiced because his inheritance had fallen into pleasant places and it's something about the Lord. He causes us our lines to fall in a pleasant place. He said the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. Now there may be trouble all around me but he makes me to lie down in green pastures. People may be panicking all around but the good shepherd is with me and I can lay down in peace. My lines have fallen into a good place. I was reading they said a good shepherd will find a place where his sheep can drink by still waters. She won't drink running water but he finds a place where I can drink by the still waters and so he makes my lines to fall in a pleasant place. Psalm 16 and 6 in the King James Version said the lines are falling unto me in a pleasant place. In the American Standard Version it says the measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Indeed my inheritance is beautiful to me. The Jewish Bible said pleasant places were measured out for me and I am content with my inheritance. So you need to understand that God has carefully measured out all that you need for your life to be blessed and to be successful.  He came from no place but God brought him up and brought him out and brought him into a land. Flowing with milk and honey. I so often look at with amazement what God did for my family, my uncles and my aunts and my mother, family of 16 kids. And as far as I know my grandmother didn't work. My grandfather took care of a family of 16 kids but you know how he did it? God did it. God ordered his steps. God gave him strength. God gave him away. It seemed like a way out of no way but then God turned around and did the same thing with the battles. They were rich but God made them to prosper. Prosper. Look at all of them are blessed and prospering because they serve a living God. They understand what their inheritance was and they say I'm standing on the promises of God and I'm going to have everything God says I can have. You need to know what your inheritance is. Turn to Numbers chapter 18. Numbers chapter 18. We're going to speak up to Aaron. Thou shall have no inheritance in their land. Neither shall thou have any part among them. He says I am your part. I like that. He says I am your part and I'm your inheritance among Israel. So God said to them he said to the tribe of Levi they were the priests and the praises. That's who we are today. We are the priests and the praises. The Bible said that we are chosen generation. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. We are the praises and the priests and God says unto them he says I am your portion. I am your inheritance. I am your way. I am your peace. I am your joy. I'm everything that you need me to be. And God said people of God don't worry how it looks like when the wicked people seem to prosper. He says I am your peace. I am your joy. I am your portion. I am your inheritance. I am your blessing. I thought about that. He says he is my portion. And I was thinking about that this morning. If I love milk, would I rather have a gallon of milk or have a cow? See when you have Jesus, you have everything. When you have Jesus, whatever you need, He says I shall supply all of your needs according to my riches and glory in Christ Jesus. And as far as I know there is no depression in heaven. So everything we need, everything that we want, everything that we can desire is in Jesus. Someone said it's all in Him the fullness of the Godhead. Nobody can do what He does. But everything that we need we can find in Him. Jesus said it is my good pleasure to give to you the kingdom. See sometimes we think it's just Lord I don't want to bother you. I don't want to ask you. I just need a little money so I can make myself a bologna sound to have a little something in God. He says you don't have to eat bologna. He says I'll give you a steak. The cattle in the thousand hills belong to me. I know how to get the cattle down to your house and you can eat steak. But you got to ask me. You got to ask me. You got to come to me in faith. That's my heritage. It ain't nothing wrong with bologna. But I'd rather eat a steak if one's available. I remember while I was growing up I'd go over to my aunt Irma's house and she always had some fruit. And she said you want an orange? See we grew up it was a time when people offered you something you know what you said. No thank you. And she said you know you want this orange? See she shouldn't have asked me twice since she didn't mean it. I grabbed that orange and ate the peel and oh well no I take the peel off. But that's how God is. He says I want to bless my people. And it's not just money. And it's not just stuff. See sometimes I need peace. Sometimes I need rest. Sometimes I need wisdom from God because I don't know what to do. I'm in a corner I don't know what to do and where to go. And I fall back and my father I stretch my hands to you. No other help I know. Father speak to me. Give me wisdom. And he always gives me what to do. I remember I did that one time and I said Lord I don't even remember what it was. And I asked him and he said do this and do that and do this. And I did what he told me. It worked out just the way he said.  It was amazing. Lord said I talk to you all the time. Most of the time you ain't listening. I said oh, ow. God has surprised me there. But you have to understand that you belong to the king.  And God said whatever you need I've already measured it out and the lines have fallen in the present places and I'm going to give you what you need. I'm going to give you the desires. But here's the deal. Do it around with me. I know it sounds too good to be true. Make me feel like singing too. He says if you will harken diligently unto my voice and obey. We don't like that old word. Not much. He says if you will diligently listen to me and obey.  He says I'm going to bless you in the city. I'll bless you in the field. I'll bless you coming in. I'll bless you going out. I'll bless your children. I'll bless your basket. I'll bless your beast. Everything you put your hands into. I'll bless it. If you just do what I say do. If you live how I say live. The Lord said I am your blessing. I am your portion. You need to know that I am all that you need to.    I don't care what it looks like. I don't care what it feels like. You need to know you're blessed. JB said Lord bless me and bless me indeed. God said it's time to enlarge your territory. To expect more. It's time to clear out the space and get that old junk out of your life. See we got some stuff we've been holding on to sister pastor Bobby. We need to let it go. He says if you will do, if you will make room for me and you will clean up your act. And you need to make room for the blessing.   But you need to rejoice. You need to rejoice. You need to listen to my word. The blessing is on the way. It's your inheritance. It belongs to you. Healing is on the way. It's your inheritance. It belongs to you. Breakthrough. It's on the way. It's my inheritance. It belongs to me. I've got a granddaughter. She's four years old. And I saw her playing with her cousin, my other granddaughter.  And one of them picked up and said, uh-uh. That belongs to me. You can't play with it. Ain't no sense of you crying. Because that belongs to me. See sometimes you got to tell the devil. Say devil, get out of here. That belongs to me. God promised that to me. God said I can have it. And if God said I can have it, I'm going to have it. You better go kick a rock someplace. But since God said this is your inheritance. Then you got to look for it. I said you got to look for it. It may not come today, but you got to look for it. It may not come tomorrow, but you got to keep looking for it. You may not come next week, but I will keep on looking for it. Because God says it's coming. And what God has for me is for me. Can't nobody have it? Can't nobody steal it? Can't nobody take it? What God has for me is for me. What God has for me, I want it. And I want it bad. I have a goodly inheritance. My future is bright.  That I have a heritage from God. I have the blessing of God all my life. God promised it to me. God said I could have it. Your lines are falling into pleasant places. God has set you on a course to be blessed. And it's not hard. He says all I want you to do is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We are in pursuit of holiness. We are in pursuit for perfection. And if I will continue to pursue it to my shortcomings, grace will pick up my shortcomings and God will bless me. God will make a way for me. God will open doors for me. God will open and deliver me from the enemy. He said the enemy will come in one way. I'll make him run seven ways. The favor of God is on your life. The favor of God is on your house. The favor of God is on your children. You have an inheritance. And your inheritance is the Lord. The Lord is your portion of your inheritance. He has chosen you and we have chosen Him. I think it was Bishop saying that the Lord talks about He doesn't want nobody that don't want Him. The Lord has chosen you. The Lord has anointed you. The Lord has given you exceeding great and precious promises. But you've got to want Him. You've got to love Him. You've got to reach back to Him. He'll step towards you, but you've got to step towards Him. If you do that, He'll say, I open up the windows of heaven. I'll pull you out of blessing. I'll make a way out of no way. I'll make your enemies get out of the way. I'll open up doors for you. I'll make the way for you. My heritage is in the Lord. My heritage is greatness. I was talking to a man this morning.  I said, well, I guess I can't deny it. And he began to tell me about the troubles he was going through. See, when you don't have a covenant with God, you're exposed to the enemy. You don't have any protection. And he began to share his story.  And the Spirit of the Lord says, you're not to be ordinary. I want you to be extraordinary. And God's saying to you that you are a special people. I have chosen you not because you were so strong, but because you were so smart. He says, I just chose to love you because I chose to love you. That was my grace. That was my peace. I chose to love you. And I'm a covenant keeping God. I keep covenant to a thousand generations. I will bless you. I'll bless your children. I'll bless your grandchildren. I'll bless your great-grandchildren. If you honor me, if you live for me, if you stand on the covenant and say, I have an inheritance. And God is my portion. I have an inheritance. Bishop, thank you, Lord. Hallelujah to God. God has promised. He promised me. Yes. He promised you. You need to wrap our minds around the promise that God has given. And I told this episode that happened to me when I was probably about four years old. I went to choir rehearsal with the big folks, Mr. Dorothy Stevens was playing the piano. And I sat on the piano bench next to her while she was trying to play. I was clucking. And she asked me to stop. I stopped for a while. I started again. And she asked me to stop. And she gave me a promise. We lived on the same street. We lived in the 4,200 block of St. Pertinan. Mr. Stevens lived in the 4,400 block of St. Pertinan. She said, when we walk home this evening, I'll buy you a raisin cake. She made me a promise. And I stopped because I believed the promise. And when we began to walk home, when we got to Viv's confectionary where the raisin cake was, she kept on walking as she walked right past the raisin cake. And I cried. Didn't nobody know what I was crying about. I was crying over the promise that was not kept. And so many years later, when she came to Los Angeles for the National Convention of the Pentecostal Assembly to the world, she was visiting in our home. And I said, Sister Stevens, I have something I need to talk to you about. And I told her what she had done. And she said, oh, I'm so sorry. Well, now, she didn't intend to break a promise. That's right. I can tell you, I believe her all the way down to the depth of her soul. But she actually intended to keep that promise. But because of the human being that she was, she wasn't in control of keeping all of her promise. What I want to tell you today, there's one whose name is Jesus. Jesus, who's the King of kings and the Lord of the lords. And he never fails to keep his promise. He said, if you trust me, if you get a hold of the faith that you've got to have, he said, I'll come through for you every time. At every situation where you need me, he said, I'll be there. And all that you need is in me. Thank God for Jesus. Thank God that he keeps his promise. Joy, peace applied. Life would be worth it. I say, rejoice, you're supposed to jump. The stuff you used to do, you don't do it no more. Oh, how wonderful. Go to the water. But I just want to encourage everybody. If you're a part of the Lord, his promise. Now, people want to wonder, I sure hope that I can get to heaven. You don't have to wonder whether you're going to go to heaven because God has promised you a home there. Obey. That's a funny sounding word. Obey. We don't like to obey. But you can depend on God that he made a place for you. If you don't get there, you'll fight against him to make sure you don't go. After this message today, it's a message that should strengthen our resolve. Help us get a hold of ourselves. Give us more determination to sacrifice. Give us a determination to see his face in peace. Don't see his face, but some will see it in peace while others see his face in fear. I want to encourage everybody here. Hold on to your faith. Hold on to your faith. Hold on to the doctrine that you've received. Hold on to that that you believe when Jesus filled your heart with love and He filled you with the Holy Ghost. When He took your sins away to water baptism and caused you to walk in the newness life, just know that you've inherited a great and wonderful... I'd like to sing, He's everything to me. He's that... To each and every one of us, may you build money. You can't tell these bill collectors you don't have no money they don't want to hear that. So as the Lord has given to each and every one of us, He wants us to give back to Him. Not that He need it. He don't need it. But He wants us to be blessed. He wants to be blessed. In order for us to receive His... be blessed by His promises, we got, like the bishops say, we got to obey. Obey the Word of God. His command that us bring all our times offering unto His stored house. One scripture I'm reading to you here in Luke 6.38. He said, Give, and it shall be given unto you. Good measures, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall men give it unto your bosom. For with that same measure that you meet with all, it shall be measured to you again. Now if you start penny pitching with God, He's going to do the same to you. He's going to return that favor. He's going to give it right back to you. You won't be able to hold on to that money. Every time you put money in your pocket, you're going to fall out. They're going to fall out every time you put it in. But if you give to God, I guarantee He'll give back to you. He said He will supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Please stand with me. Let's hold on to the Lord in Jesus' name. Father, in the name of Jesus, we come this evening, Lord God. Giving back to you, Lord God. You have given us, Lord God. Lord, you said this money is not ours. We're just good stewards over it, Lord God. In the name of Jesus, Lord God, we ask you this evening, Lord God, that you will bless it, multiply. Let it meet the needs, Lord God. Just church, Lord God. Let it make further the work, Lord God. That's going forth, Lord God.  Test you, Lord God.  In Jesus' name, Lord God. We ask you, Lord God, that you bless everyone that are given this evening, Lord God. In Jesus' name, and those that are not able, Lord, we ask you that you will make a way for each and every one of them, Lord God. That they may get in, Lord God, on this blessing that you may bless them. Also, Lord God, in Jesus' name, you said you love a cheer-for-giver. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen, amen. You're now in the hands of the ocean. It's your mercy. A sad thing that I have to announce. The great workers for the kingdom of God, Pastor Given's wife passed away on last night. He depended on his wife a lot. She was a great help. She was a worker, worker, worker, worker. He's going to miss her dearly. She left two children. One is grown and the other is still in high school. We're going to ask the Lord to bless them. Give them peace. Give them courage. Give them everything that they need to persevere. My brother, I won't tell which one, but he's always making jokes. He says, the reason I'm in the condition I'm in was I was only 43 when my mother died. Well, that's not the testimony of this family. These are young people who still need a mother, still depend on a mother. So we're going to ask the Lord to bless them and give them everything that they need and help them receive the promises that he's made for them. All right. Let's see. Pastor Maryland, why don't you do this prayer before we go back to that song? Come on and ask the Lord to bless that family and give them all that they need at this time of the year. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Lord God, we come before you. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. You are the promise keeper. Yes, Lord. And you promised hallelujah to be a help in the time of trouble, oh God. And we're asking right now that you bless the given's family, hallelujah. There is someone who is missing. There's strength that is missing. There's the nurturing that is missing. There's a mother who is missing, God.  Hallelujah, Father, and we thank you that we're standing in the gap right now in the name of Jesus. Strengthen that family, oh God. Give them everything that they need. Hallelujah. Feel every void. Be everything to them. Hallelujah. Truly you are the way maker, the promise keeper. You're the light in the darkness, God. And be that light for them. God in the name of Jesus. Be the strength. Be the bridge over the trouble waters, God. And we thank you and we praise you, God. They'll lack nothing. Hallelujah. Everything that they need will be provided in this time, God. Strength, grace, peace, and mercy, God. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord. Amen. Can I just say this, Bishop? I love this message. As a people, we don't know very much about trust. As a people and inheritances. We don't know a lot about them, but it's in the scripture. And sometimes when you hear that message, you don't quite get it.  Now in a natural trust, if you disobey the trust, you will be disinherited. That's in a natural trust. But in the spiritual trust, God says all we have to do is repent. Blood of Jesus. Hallelujah.   Hallelujah. You have to be disinherited. Shoot, don't forget. And he's worthy of our praise. It's yours. For everything that has gone on today, we thank you for the word of God that is precious for us to heal us. Hallelujah. Take us from this place in Jesus' name. If you have something good and somebody wants to share it, would you share it? Yeah. Bring somebody with you, Sunday. Amen. Amen. All right.