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Turned on to Jesus Chapter 21

SOUL SESSION

It’s midnight at His Place, and slim shafts of light play on our wooden cross.

It’s time for a Soul Session, another His Place tradition.

The Soul Session sums up the core of my belief and expresses the essence of what His Place is all about and the certainty of His return.

The words come from deep inside me. It’s not a conventional sermon — that would turn the kids off in a flash.

It’s the gospel at His Place, the only gospel thousands of kids have ever heard, a gospel to which they can relate.

The Soul Session tells it like it is and tells it like it’s going to be to the hundreds of kids jammed into the building.

Except for the muted, reverent accompaniment from our musicians all is silence as I walk to the stage.

It’s late and a lot of us feel we’re all alone, that no one seems to care.

Your hearts hurt and inside your soul it seems that you’re going to break apart. It seems like you could just cry … cry … cry all night.

But you know, brother, whenever you feel like that and you think there’s no hope for you in this world, let me just ask you, friend, to open your heart to God and pray, really pray, man.

You’ll suddenly realize that the shadows and darkness have turned to a thrilling gold. The clouds are gone, replaced by God’s brilliant sunshine.

And, man, you really feel free and one with Him.

It’s like when you walk along the beach and a cool wind braces you and the freshness of the water makes you feel everything is new and clean. It’s like running through a field of clover and you see the birds, the green trees, and the flowers.

That’s the way it feels when Christ comes into your heart.

You’ve walked into His Place from the Boulevard tonight, some of you for the first time. And when you came through the door you found something halfway between a church and a nightclub.

You had a cup of coffee or some Kool-Aid. You began to chew on a bagel or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You sat down and saw a little sign that said, “Smile, God Loves You.”
And it all made you feel a little better.

Suddenly, you saw people going upstairs and maybe you walked upstairs yourself. You saw an open Bible and a little prayer altar and a burning candle. And when you stood in that upper room it seemed like you found what you needed. You realized you needed Him in your life.

Tonight you’ve been listening to the music and the singing and you’ve seen hundreds and hundreds come in and out the door. And now you sit here at midnight at the Soul Session. And your own soul cries out and in tears you want to say to God, I’ve been turning on every way I can, but every trip’s been a bummer. It just isn’t real.

You’re spaced out on acid, some of you are high on speed, or you’ve been smoking grass. Some of you are loaded on downers or maybe you’ve hit up and felt the rush of heroin.
Let me tell you, brother, if you really want to get turned on, I mean, man, where the trip’s heavy, just pray to Jesus. He’ll turn you on to the ultimate trip. He’ll give you a high that will keep you for eternity.

Man, you don’t have to drop downers; all you have to do is drop a little Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I mean you can start dealing Bibles and Gospel tracts, and you can tell everyone about the love of God.

There’s hope for you, man.
There’s still hope.
Don’t cry.
Stand and look up.
Don’t die.
Don’t wallow.
Don’t moan.
God loves you.

The Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christ said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.”

Tonight I want you to hear that knock. Just come and kneel at the altar and open your heart and soul to Him.

I want you to say that name, that precious, matchless name.

Jesus.

Just say that name.

Jesus.

Say, Jesus come into my heart and take away all my sin. I give my heart to God.

Now say His precious name again.

Jesus.

Lift up your head, just open your soul and say …

Peace and love,
Sent from above,
Fill my heart with love.
Jesus.

And you know, brother, one day Jesus is going to come again, and on that day when Jesus comes it’s going to be so wonderful, so great. Man, how different things are going to be.
I mean Jesus will really make the scene, and He’ll be the best friend you’ve ever had.

Like tonight, if you walked out the door of His Place and looked up and down the Boulevard, you’d see hippies and bikers, teeny-boppers and movie stars, pushers, and straights.
But when Jesus comes, that’s all going to change.

Close your eyes for a moment. I want you to take a trip with me. You look down the Boulevard and you see guys and chicks, men and women, boys and girls. They’re on their knees all along the street, and they’re praying.

And there’s peace.
And there’s love.
There’s no more hassle.
No more hurt.
No more pain.
No more sorrow.
No more fear.

You look up at Whisky-A-Go-Go, and the sign’s been changed to Jesus-A-Go-Go.

Sneaky Pete’s says,”We’re Not Scared Any More.”

The Classic Cat is now The Saved Cat.

Brother, can you dig it?

The Phone Booth has been transformed to The Prayer Booth.

Mother’s is The Heavenly Father’s.

The Body Shop is The Soul Shop.

The marquee of The Losers reads, “Everybody’s a Winner Now.”

Dino’s says, “Jesus Knows.”

Brother, do you believe it?

The Palladium says, “Revival, You All Come.”

The Hollywood Bowl has a new name — The Salvation Bowl.

There are bumper stickers all over town: “Come to Griffith Park and Get Saved.”

Can you imagine what it’s going to be like in Las Vegas when they cut the crap tables down low enough for prayer altars? And the slot machines will be in front of the churches to receive the offering.

In Washington the Pentagon will be open to everybody, and they’ll sing a song, “We Ain’t Goin’ to Study War No More.”

And back here on the Boulevard, man, I can’t describe how different things are going to be when Jesus comes.

Groove on the scene when the sheriff’s men are carrying Bibles in their holsters instead of guns. Instead of police radios squawking, “Roger ten, four over and out,” they’ll be broadcasting, “John, chapter three, verse thirteen, over, out, and saved.”

That’s the day I want to see.

That’s the day I’m going to see.

But right now it just isn’t that way.

We’re going to have to wait a while longer until He comes again.

When He does return, I’m going to fall on my knees and give Him the key to His Place.
I won’t need it any more.

All the world, when Jesus comes, will be His Place.

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Copyright © Arthur Blessitt 1986
Library of Congress Catalog #87-07212 ISBN: C-934461-05-8
Printed in U.S.A.