Apostle, The (1997)
Posted: 11/12/20 08:51
PREACHER: Hallelujah! Thank you, Lord.
CONGREGATION: Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Glory to God. They put a thief...
WOMAN 1: Yeah. WOMAN 2: Yes.
On each side of Jesus.
CONGREGATION: Yes!
Can you say, "Yes, Lord"? Yes, Lord!
Pray the name of the Lord. Pray the name of the Lord.
One on the right hand. Yes, Lord.
And one on his left. Yes, Lord.
Glory to God. Glory to God.
The Bible tell me... Pray the name of the Lord.
(ALL PRAISING INDISTINCTLY)
Tell me they spit on him. Yes, Lord.
Pray the name of the Lord.
Can you say, "Yeah, Lord"? Yeah, Lord.
Yeah, Lord. Yeah, Lord.
Yeah, Lord. Yeah, Lord.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Yes, Lord.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
They nailed nails... Yes, Lord.
In his hands... Yes, Lord.
Sisters and brothers, for you and I. Yes, Lord.
They put nails in his feet for you and I. Yes, Lord.
They pierced him in the side for you and I. Yes, Lord.
Hey! They put thorns about his head for you and I. Yes!
Can you say, "Yeah, Lord"? Yeah, Lord.
Say, "Yeah, Lord." Yeah, Lord.
Whoo! Glory! Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Hey, hallelujah!
Hey, hallelujah. Hallelujah.
(ALL PRAISING)
My Lord. My Lord. Whoo! Glory.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah. Hallelujah!
Whoo! Glory to God.
Hey! Thank you. Thank you, Lord.
My Lord, my Lord, my Lord.
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
Glory to God. Glory to God.
Jesus said, "Blessed are those that hadn't seen and believed."
Hey! (PRAISING)
Hey! Hey!
Hey!
Blessed is those that hadn't seen.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.
And they still believe in him. Yes, Lord.
Yeah, Lord. Whoo! Yeah, Lord.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hey! Glory! (PRAISING)
(STOMPING)
(PRAISING CONTINUES)
CONGREGATION: ♪ Trouble of the world
♪ Soon will be done
♪ With the trouble of the world
♪ Goin' home to live with God PREACHER: Oh, yeah!
♪ No more weepin' and prayin'
♪ No more
♪ No more weepin' and prayin'
♪ No more weepin' and prayin'
♪ Goin' home to live with God Hallelujah!
(SINGING CONTINUES)
WOMAN: Thank you, Lord!
♪ Goin' home to live with God
♪ We'll be done with the trouble of the world
♪ I'm goin' home to live with God ♪
(WOMAN SPEAKING ON POLICE RADIO)
How many's in that car there?
There's two there and there, and one there, and I guess there's two in this one here.
Pretty sad, sad. I hate this.
Like that little dog, you never know who he belongs to.
Good little boy.
Little puppy, where you been? Who do you belong to?
You belong to this car or you belong to that one down there?
I like that little kind of little dogs, they're smart little dogs.
MAMA: Sugar is a good little thing.
Grab a big ol' handful of sugar, throw that in it. And a lot of hot peppers.
Mama, wait, now. Don't. Hold on. Hold on, Mama.
I'll pull up just here.
Oh, Lord, Son.
Just hush, now. Just hush.
You stay put, Mama.
You stay put.
MAN: I was just running down there.
I get in the car and she tried to follow me back.
Then I go get the man, told him to come out.
For years they thanked me for it, you know.
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)
"Therefore when I passed by thee
"and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, "I said unto thee when thy wast in thy blood, "live.
"Yea, I said unto thee when thy wast in thy blood...
"Live."
Live, live. (SWITCHES OFF MUSIC)
Son, can you hear me?
You don't have to say anything, just know I'm here to help you.
I'm a minister of the Lord. I want you to know the Lord loves you here today, and I love you.
Now, if you can't answer, just nod.
If you can't nod, just, you know, think it.
Answer me in your mind...
And in your heart.
If the Lord were to call you right now, would you be ready?
Do you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior?
Are you ready for him?
Are you ready to follow and accept him at this very instant?
Now, if you open your heart and let him come in, he will stand with you whether you go home or whether you stay here with us.
And if it isn't your time, he'll stand by you, brother, both you and your wife, he'll deliver you through this entire ordeal.
Listen to me, now.
There are angels, even in this automobile at this precise moment.
He has sent his angels here to watch over you.
Now, do you accept him...
Here today?
Yeah.
(WHISPERING) Thank you, Jesus. Hey, mister.
Thank you, Jesus. You have to get outta there.
You can't be in there. Thank you, Jesus.
You hear me? Let's go. Yeah.
When that ambulance gets you, on your way, you're gonna fly down the highway.
Lord's gonna have a whole flock of his angels leadin' you on that highway. Come on, get out.
He's gonna go all the way with you.
You've taken the Lord today, he's gonna go all the way with you, 'cause you both are his champions here today.
Praise God.
Thank you. Thank you, sir.
Don't have to thank me, son.
Thank the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You're in his hands now.
Bless you both. Bless you both.
"Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there will I be also."
Mister, I'm sorry about this, but you got to go back to your car.
You can't be out here. You're not allowed here.
Yes, sir. I understand that.
I guess you think you accomplished somethin' in there, huh?
I know I did. What?
All I know is I did not put my head through that window in vain.
How would you know that? Well, I'm gonna tell you.
I'd rather die today and go to heaven, than live to be 100 and go to hell.
Is that a fact? Yes, sir.
Yes, sir, it is.
Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent that reigneth in the Book of Revelation.
Whoo! Glory!
Whoo! Glory! Thank you.
♪ You ain't going to hold my body down
♪ You ain't going to hold my body down No, sir. No.
♪ Victory is mine Victory is mine today
♪ I told old Satan to get thee behind
♪ 'Cause victory is ours today ♪
(SIREN WAILING)
Mama?
Mama, we made news in heaven this mornin'.
Mama, we made news in heaven.
What is it? There's two young people there who got miles ahead of 'em.
One may live, one may die.
I don't know. Touch and go, so let's pray for 'em, Mama.
Oh, my Lord. Yeah.
Pray with me, Mama.
Just sing and pray, Mama.
MAMA: ♪ Sometimes my steps are weary
♪ Sometimes my steps are slow
(SIREN WAILING)
♪ But I've got another journey
♪ On my mind
"Yea, though I walk
"through the valley of the shadow of death, (CONTINUES SINGING)
"I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
"Thy rod and thy staff will comfort me.
"Thou prepareth a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
"Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over.
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
"And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen"
♪ I'll be sitting, drawing pictures in the sand Come on, Mama. Sing it. sing it.
♪ And when I see you comin'
♪ I will rise up with a shout Praise God! Praise him today!
♪ And I'm runnin' through the shallow water
♪ Reachin' for your hand... ♪
ALL: ♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Because he first loved me Your turn.
KIDS: ♪ It tells me of a savior's love
♪ Who died to set me free
(CHUCKLES) ♪ It tells me of his precious blood
♪ A sinner's perfect plea And...
♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Because he first loved me ♪
Let's give a big hand clap for Jesus.
Maybe when vacation Bible school is over, we'll sing together at the temple, all right?
That way, we'll get Mama Jessie to play for us.
MAMA: I could sing the harmony part. (CAR HONKING)
Come on. Let's go now.
Let Grandmother rest. Come on, let's go.
GIRL: Bye, Grandma. Play for us?
We'll see. Mmm.
I'll see you in a minute. Yeah.
BOBBIE: Bye, Grandma.
When are you comin' back?
I'll call you, all right? All right, Son.
Listen, Ma, about three weeks, all right?
All right. I love you and the Lord loves you.
Make you snug here. All right.
I love you, Son. Take care.
All right. Okay.
Sonny? Mmm-hmm?
If you don't mind, would you go back there and get my double comforter?
You all right? Yeah, I'm all right.
You sure? Yeah.
I'm just... I'm just a little chilly.
All right, hold on now. Hold on.
And bring me my other blanket.
YOUNG SONNY: (SHOUTING) One day, you're gonna board an airplane...
CONGREGATION: Yes!
And that plane's gonna be way past yon stars...
CONGREGATION: Yes! Yes! And yon moon!
I'm talkin' sun and moon and constellations, get on out of my way!
Yes! Jupiter and Mars, move over!
'Cause I'm tellin' ya, we're gonna be goin' straight up to the pearly gates!
Mama, I can't take you with me now, so get on back in your chair.
Now, I know you died on me and gone on home to heaven, so I hope you can still hear me.
Now, you be good while I'm gone, and I'll call you tonight, all right?
I can't take you with me now, okay?
All right? Eh? Eh, Mama?
Hug St. Peter's neck for me, would you?
(DOOR OPENS)
Bye-bye, Mama. Kiss an angel for me.
I'm gonna hit the road, Mama. Gotta work. (DOOR CLOSES)
Gotta go to work.
Jessie, I'll call you to see if you wanna fly to Little Rock and drive back with me and Joe.
I have my Women's Aglow meeting so, um, maybe.
You call me?
See you in a few weeks. Horace, bless you.
Bye, Sonny. You have a good trip.
I'll do my best.
Have a good time at camp, and learn the books of the Bible.
Let me hear you say 'em right now. No, you.
No, no, no. You say 'em. You, you, you.
You say 'em right now. Say, "Genesis, Exodus..." You, you, you, you.
"Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy..." No, you...
"Joshua..." You, you, you. You, you, you.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, et cetera, et cetera, on into Revelation.
(ENGINE STARTING)
(TIRES SCREECHING)
SONNY: I may be on the devil's hit list, but I'm on Jesus' mailing list.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, "I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." (CONGREGATION CHEERING)
And why, why, why do I say this?
Because we got Holy Ghost power here today!
We got Holy Ghost power.
I got a sea of his son's blood wrapped around my body.
Can everyone sense we got Holy Ghost power in this tent today?
(ALL PRAISING)
Say it again! Holy Ghost power!
Holy Ghost power!
I said Holy Ghost power!
Power to change ya. We who don't wanna be changed.
Power to remake ya. We who don't wanna be remade.
Say hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! (ALL PRAISING)
Hallelujah!
Holy Ghost power. Holy Ghost power. Hallelujah.
The devil thought he had the keys.
The devil thought he had the keys.
But Jesus went to hell. He made a house call on the devil.
He took him off of his throne.
Did a back flip on the devil, and stripped him of all of his power, and come outta hell with the keys to the Kingdom.
At church, we got the keys to the Kingdom!
Church! Church! We got the...
We got the keys to the Kingdom! Hallelujah!
Whoo! How 'bout it?
(LAUGHING)
Come on and shout, "Holy Ghost"! ALL: Holy Ghost!
Shout, "Holy Ghost! Holy Ghost!"
"The Holy Ghost!"
Shout, "Holy Ghost"!
WOMAN: ♪ I have decided to follow Jesus
♪ I have decided to follow Jesus
♪ I have decided to follow Jesus
♪ No turn around No turn around ♪
Who's the King of kings?
ALL: Jesus!
Before Abraham was, was who?
ALL: Jesus!
Who was the first and the last?
ALL: Jesus!
If I'm on the devil's hit list, who do I have by my side?
ALL: Jesus!
Who's the lily of the valley?
ALL: Jesus!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, who is by my side? ALL: Jesus!
PREACHER: Come on and say, "Jesus," beloved. ALL: Jesus!
If I wake up in hell in the mornin', who do I look up to?
ALL: Jesus!
Shout it loud and say, "Jesus."
ALL: Jesus!
I can't hear ya.
ALL: Jesus! ♪ Jesus ALL: Jesus. Jesus.
ALL: Jesus.
PREACHER: ♪ His name is Jesus ALL: Jesus!
Give another hand clap for Jesus.
Come on. Everybody give me a hand clap.
Amen.
"Yea, though I walk... (TRANSLATING IN SPANISH)
"Through the valley of the shadow of death, (CONTINUES TRANSLATING)
"I will fear no evil."
Because I'm walkin' with Jesus.
I walk with Jesus. I talk with Jesus.
I walk with Jesus. I shout with Jesus!
I walk with Jesus. I stomp with Jesus.
We stomp on the devil! We stomp on the diablo!
I wanna walk with him and stomp with him.
Come on. Somebody give me an "Amen". ALL: Amen.
Yes, thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.
Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
Come on. Joe? Joe?
Joe? Joe, come on.
JOE: What's goin' on? Joe, come on.
We gotta go, now. Come on, Joe.
(HORN HONKING) Okay, okay.
I'm comin'.
JOE: Let me in! What, are you tryin' to k*ll me?
What's goin' on, man? We're goin' the wrong way.
SONNY: If someone's in my bed that's supposed to be there, we'll be back on the road in 24 hours in the right direction.
I can assure you of that. You mean Jessie?
Yeah, my sweet wife, Jessie, you bet.
I'll call you in the mornin'.
Jessie?
Jessie?
Jessie? Jessie?
(MINISTER PREACHING ON RADIO)
Sonny?
(THUD)
What's that? (SHUSHING)
Just go to sleep. Go back to sleep.
(SIGHS)
Okay.
It was nothin'. Nothing.
"Thou shalt not k*ll."
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
(GLASS SHATTERING) (SCREAMS)
Sonny? Damn it, Sonny!
(STARTS ENGINE)
(MINISTER ON RADIO CONTINUES PREACHING)
SONNY: I appreciate your friendship, Joe.
I really, really do.
Just sit tight in case I start chokin' this woman to death.
If I do, you'll know it. You hear? Mmm-hmm.
(CHUCKLING)
SONNY: What are we gonna do about this, Jessie? Hmm?
Give me some kind of answer. What?
I just want out of all this. I just want out, that's all.
Out of what? This marriage?
Yeah.
Well, I have to think about that.
There's not a lot for you to think about, Sonny.
Yeah?
Just want to get on with it.
You just, you know, keep your hands where they are, okay?
Don't. What?
(LAUGHS)
What do you want to get on with?
My life.
SONNY: That's it.
I'm gonna tell you somethin'.
I might make a little noise about all this.
You know that, don't you?
Yeah, I imagine you will.
Nobody better mess with my children, especially any puny-assed youth minister.
You hear me?
Nobody will. I assure you of that.
(b*ll*ts CLATTER)
I wouldn't make too much over this if I were you.
I certainly know as much about what you do and have done as you think I do, and you know that.
Yeah, I guess I do. (CHUCKLES)
What?
Huh? It's okay.
Hold on. It's okay, baby.
Why don't you get down on your knees with me one more time, just this last time.
Why, Sonny? Come on, Jessie.
Why, Sonny?
I want...
I want... I want us to pray together.
Understanding and loving, understanding for possible future reconciliation for us and for our son and daughter.
No, Sonny.
It's not the time. Come on. Jessie, come on.
I don't want to pray with you today.
No, no. Tomorrow? Maybe next week?
No.
(SOFTLY) All right.
I see.
Boy, you're somethin'.
(SCOFFS)
We ain't never had a problem we haven't been able to solve when we get down to it.
And you know that. He's already given me my answers.
Who? Who's givin' you answers?
The Lord.
Our Lord has?
Yeah. Uh-huh.
Are you sure it was the Lord talkin'?
We prayed together since before we were married.
My knees are worn out over us.
I don't want to live like this anymore.
Because of my wanderin' eye and wicked, wicked ways? Hmm?
Goes beyond just that.
I tell ya, I have a wanderin' bug in me
'cause I love to evangelize.
But I love my wife and family. Always have, always will.
I love my wife.
I love my beauties, my babies.
Look at me, Jessie.
You know I love you. You know that.
Yeah, I do.
Yeah.
(WHISPERING) Don't.
God bless you.
You're gonna need it.
JOE: I'm with you all the way, brother.
If it hadn't been for you leadin' me to the Lord, who knows what jail I'd be in.
I ain't never gonna let you forget that.
I appreciate it.
You hear me now, don't ya?
What do we have here, now?
What do we have here?
(GROANS)
SONNY: Morning. Hi, Son.
What's going on here?
Whose funeral are we about to tend to here?
Don't tell me it's, uh, mine.
I don't know how to begin.
Open your mouth and just kinda get to it.
That's the best way I know.
Seems that sister Jessie don't want you among us anymore, and she's gonna take the church away from you through proper channels.
That's why we're here.
How come I knew that?
How come I knew that? Let me sit down on this one.
I'll tell ya.
How come I knew that?
I was just there. You're all here.
I mean, I was just there, and you're here already.
She wanted it to come from some portion of the church body.
She did? Uh-huh, I see.
She can't do that, Son, you know she can't.
Oh, yes, she can. I imagine she can do about anything she wants to at this point.
Can't she, Brother Edwards?
It all happened too quick-like.
What are you tellin' me?
It seems that a proper church vote was taken, according to the church bylaws, and the laws of the State of Texas for nonprofit organizations.
You helped set it up the way it is.
When was a proper vote taken, seein' as I wasn't there?
The day before yesterday. That's what we were told.
We're sorry.
It's just such a shock.
I don't know what else to say.
I just don't know what else to say.
You've delivered your message, and I've received it.
Thank you very much.
SONNY: Somebody, I say somebody, has taken my wife, they stole my church.
That's the temple I built for you.
And I'm gonna yell at you 'cause I'm mad at you.
I can't take it!
Give me a sign or somethin'.
Blow this pain out of me.
Give it to me tonight, Lord God Jehovah.
If you won't give me back my wife, give me peace.
Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me, give me peace.
Give me peace.
I don't know who's been foolin' with me, you or the devil.
I don't know.
I won't even bring the human into this.
He's just a mutt, so I'm not even gonna bring him into it.
But I'm confused, I'm mad.
I love you, Lord. I love you, but I'm mad at you.
I am mad at you!
So deliver me tonight, Lord. What should I do?
Now, tell me, should I lay hands on myself? What should I do?
I know I'm a sinner and once in a while a womanizer, but I'm your servant.
Since I was a little boy, you brought me back from the dead, I'm your servant!
What should I do? Tell me.
I've always called you Jesus. You always called me Sonny.
What should I do, Jesus? This is Sonny talkin' now.
(THUNDER RUMBLING) (DOG BARKING)
(PHONE RINGING)
All right.
SONNY: You let me down. hello?
WOMAN ON PHONE: Miss Dewey, it sounds like you got a wild man over there carryin' on and hollerin' and whatever. I'm just...
Who is that over there?
Is that your son or... Who is that?
Oh, well, that is my son.
He's... I tell ya, ever since he was a little bitty boy, sometimes he talks to the Lord, and sometimes he yells at the Lord.
And tonight, he just happens to be yellin' at him.
Well, could you tell him to talk a little softer or whatever, 'cause people gotta get their sleep, Miss Dewey.
Do you know what time it is? hello?
SONNY: Now, I'm callin' you, Jesus. Talk to Sonny.
You don't talk to Sonny tonight, it seems like.
(CHUCKLING) (SONNY CONTINUES RANTING)
JOE: I reckon you didn't sleep much.
SONNY: I ain't slept in 48 hours.
I was yellin' at God till sunup.
You got the Pentecost croup?
(LAUGHING) And how, yeah.
Why are you goin' where you're not wanted?
Come on, Joe. They can't lock me out.
They can vote me out, but they can't lock me out.
These people love me.
(LOUD UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
WOMAN: Let me hear you say "Yeah."
CONGREGATION: Yeah! Yeah!
ALL: Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Say, "Yeah."
Yeah! Say, "Yeah."
Yeah! Say, "Yeah."
Yeah! Say, "Yeah."
Yeah! Say, "Yeah."
Yeah! Yeah!
♪ He's all right ALL: ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ That's what I tell ya ♪ He's all right
♪ I need him ♪ He's all right
♪ Yes, he is ♪ He's all right
♪ Yes, he is ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know him as a healer ♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know him ♪ As your savior ♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know him as your friend ♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know him as a lawyer ♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know him as a doctor ♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know he's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
(INDISTINCT)
WOMAN: ♪ Can I get a witness ♪ He's all right
♪ Can I get a witness ♪ He's all right
(WOMAN VOCALIZING) ♪ He's all right MAN: ♪ Jesus, Jesus
♪ Lord of Lords ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
(SINGING CONTINUES)
He's all right. He's all right.
He's all right. He's all right.
He's all right. Yes, he's all right.
Yes.
(INDISTINCT)
MAN: God loves you, Sonny!
What happened, Sonny?
I'm no longer your local pastor is what it is.
You sure showed 'em with that $50 bill, praise God.
I sure liked that.
It was a $100 bill.
MAN: Well, what you gonna do next?
I don't know.
A lot of people will go with you.
I know I will, if you'd start your own church.
Well, this was my own church, sister.
This was my own church.
God go with you. I'd go with you. Bless you.
I love you, and the Lord loves you.
(ALL PRAISING) Yes.
MAN: Pastor, they can't vote you out of the church.
Your body's the temple and tabernacle of the Holy Ghost.
God's walkin' up and down the avenues of your soul!
Romans 8:28. God said, "All things work together."
Be encouraged, Pastor, in Jesus' name. Be encouraged.
(CROWD CHEERING)
(KIDS SHOUTING)
MAN: Come on, Bobbie. Bring him home, Bobbie.
Bring him home. Let's go, Bobbie.
MAN: Good eye. Good eye.
Bobbie, Bobbie, Bobbie.
Bobbie, Bobbie.
JESSIE: Keep your eye on the ball. (WHOOPS)
BOY: Yeah, hit that ball!
Come on, Bobbie. Come on, Bobbie.
Come on, Bobbie. Come on, Bobbie.
I really wish you hadn't come here.
I come here to see my beauties, Mrs. Jesus-He's-All-Right Dewey, if that's all right with you. Hmm?
Everything all right here?
Everything's in order, Rodney. Yeah.
I'll go get 'em. Y'all stay here.
Right on, Your Highness. Right on.
You feel all right?
I feel about as good as I ever felt in my life thus far, Rodney.
Yeah, I do.
Sonny, why don't you just stay here, you know?
And my name's not Rodney.
Well, I want to see my beauties, if you don't mind, okay?
Sonny, listen to me.
I'm really and truly sorry about what's happened here, I really am.
Well, let me tell you somethin'.
Why don't you just butt outta here before I take my boot here and tear you out another assh*le right where your nose is at, you understand me?
All right?
Sonny, there ain't no call for that kind of talk now.
We'll see about that.
Come on, let's go. Let's everybody go home now.
Let's everybody... Y'all go ahead and play.
I'm sorry to break up the party here. Come on, let's go.
Come on. Let's go, now.
Here, give me that.
Sonny, don't... Don't...
(CROWD GASPS) One for the road, Rodney. One for the road.
What's the matter with you? (SCREAMING)
Sonny!
Let's go home now. Let's go home now.
(ALL SCREAMING)
Let me go!
Now, come on, come on, everybody, move.
Horace! You wanna go with me? Wanna go with me?
Baby, give me a kiss. Give me a kiss, baby. Come on.
JESSIE: Horace!
(CROWD MURMURING)
WOMAN: Oh, God, we plead your mercy, Lord.
Your mercy, Lord.
In the name of Jesus.
In the name of Jesus Christ.
(ALL PRAYING INDISTINCTLY)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
(HONKING)
Sonny? Joe.
I done it this time. What happened?
(CHUCKLING) I let that sucker have it.
How bad? What happened?
I beat him like a one-legged stepchild is what I did.
Is he hurt bad?
Yeah, I imagine. Bad enough.
Come on, what happened?
I think he might be on the road to glory this time.
Mmm-hmm. I don't know, I gotta go.
I'm gonna miss my beauties, praise God.
Give 'em my love when you see 'em. You bet.
And check on Mama.
I can't tell her what I've done, I really can't.
I sure as hell hope to see you soon.
Well, I don't know, I gotta go. I gotta go.
God bless you.
God bless you. Love my neck.
God bless you.
I promise.
You're the best! You're the best!
How am I gonna get in touch with you?
SONNY: Call you every night collect.
I love you, son. I love you.
I love you too, Sonny.
(CHOIR HUMMING)
(TIRES SCREECHING)
"Behold I sent an angel before thee to keep thee in the way
"and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Amen."
CHOIR: ♪ And I will sing Hallelujah ♪
(ENGINE REVVING)
(TIRES SCREECHING)
Glory! Glory!
Glory! Yes, sir. Thank you.
Adios, amigo. hello, Jesus.
That's it.
I got a pre-heaven address.
2120 and a half on the move.
ZIP code, non-existent. That's it.
All right.
Whithersoever thou leadest, I will follow.
Thank you.
Yes, sir.
♪ I don't know about tomorrow
♪ It may bring me poverty ♪
Mornin', friend.
Good morning.
Let me ask you, do you catch any freshwater mullet out of here?
Sometime. I caught a few here before, but I catch more catfish.
I see.
(STUTTERING) You mind if I sit here for a while with you?
Oh, no, no. Go right ahead.
(SIGHS)
You see, I'm on my journey.
Satan... Satan's driven a big wedge between me and my family, you see, and it's a...
(SIGHS) I tell ya.
You have any children?
Yes, sir, and I have eight grandchildren besides.
So I reckon you would know what it means to face the possibility of losin' everybody and everything.
It had never happened to me, no, sir, but I could sure relate to that.
Yeah.
Would you mind if I stayed around here for a day or two, just to rest a while and see whatever the Lord has for me next?
Would you mind that?
You have no place to go?
Not that I know of yet, but the Lord's leadin' me, and he's talkin' to me, he is.
Yeah.
You sound like a preacher.
(CHUCKLING) Yeah, well, yeah.
I have been a minister of the Lord since I was 12 years old, back when God called me. Yeah, I am.
I do have a pup tent in the back that my grandchildren be with me a lot and they plays in it sometime.
Could you use that?
Oh, come on. I'll sleep in any pup tent anytime, anywhere.
I'd appreciate it. Yes, sir.
It's like a mansion on a hill. It's yours.
It's a mansion on a hill.
MAN: Dear Father in heaven, we thank you for this food that we are now about to receive.
Amen.
(HUMMING)
♪ It may bring me poverty
(SINGING CONTINUES)
Glory. Thank you, Jesus.
JESSIE: I feel as if I have crucified Christ afresh in what I have done.
Adultery is a demonic oppression, and as we seek the deliverance needed from such iniquity, I know that never will I be touched or weakened by it again.
Never, till the day I die.
As thou know, oh, Lord, once one has nullified the work of the Cross, iniquity sets in.
Mornin', my friend. Good morning.
I left some breakfast on the table for you.
No, sir, I believe I started my fast after supper last evenin', but thank you.
I'll be back about noontime. You want some dinner then?
No, sir.
JESSIE: I am chagrined at my sin, and, at this time, even as I pray, I ask for the strength to carry on the work of the ministry in this holy temple.
I also beseech you at this time to let the sorrow end here, that the brokenhearted may be bound up.
I pray with all the fervency I possess and cherish.
That you find it in your supreme and holy power to forgive us for our deeds, and to let us carry on your work.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen and amen.
(PREACHER CLAPPING)
CONGREGATION: (CHANTING) Jesus.
SONNY: I always called you Jesus. You called me Sonny.
Now heal this broken heart.
MAMA: Don't you let her have them kids now.
Fight for those children, Sonny, you hear me?
Mama.
JESSIE: Sonny, I don't want to pray with you anymore.
HORACE: Sonny, listen, I really and truly am sorry about what's happened here, I really am.
JESSIE: I want out of all of this. I just want out, that's all.
(CHANTING CONTINUES)
SONNY: With great humility, I ask permission to be accepted as an apostle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
And with your gracious permission, I wish to be baptized as an apostle of our Lord.
I therefore, without witnesses, baptize myself in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
(INHALES DEEPLY)
(MAN PRAYING SOFTLY)
And in the name of Jesus.
I have a first cousin which is a retired pastor.
Uh-huh. He fasted once a year.
Oh, I understand.
He's a good man. I understand. I understand.
Where does he reside?
He resides in a place called Bayou Boutte.
Uh-huh. Where is that, in Texas?
It's, uh, it's in Louisiana. Ah, yeah.
It's south of here, a few hours.
Uh-huh. What's his name? Maybe I heard of him.
His name is Charles Blackwell.
Charles Black... I know a lot of Blackwells, but I never heard of him.
Never heard of Charles Blackwell.
I know a lot of preachers, but I don't know Charles Blackwell.
Oh, yes, sir. Praise God.
You're a blessed man.
Thank you, Lord. I'm your apostle now, from now until the end of all eternity.
Ever since the day you rung my bell, when I was 12 years old, I've been with you.
Sometimes I zigzagged off-course, more zagging than zigging, but I'm gonna tell you, I'm with you now in a straight line forever. I'm your apostle now.
In the name of Jesus, you don't have to go back in there, you hear me?
In the name of Jesus and the Holy Ghost, you don't have to go back in there.
Say 21 times, "Jesus will save me." Jesus will save me.
Twenty-one times...
(WHISTLING) Hey, wait, wait!
Twenty-one times. Don't go back in there now. Don't go back in there.
(WHISTLING) Hey! You have Holy Ghost power! Holy Ghost power!
MAN: ♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
(PEOPLE CLAPPING) ♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ Oh, I believe I'll die CHORUS: ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Oh, I believe I'll die
♪ In the army Oh, hallelujah! CONGREGATION: Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Glory!
(MAN SPEAKING IN FRENCH OVER PA)
Glory. Glory.
You do it your way, I do it mine, but we get it done, don't we?
(CHUCKLES) Yeah.
Yeah.
"Bayou Boutte."
How you doin'? Real good.
(CHUCKLING) Lord, I'm yours.
Which way, Lord?
You pick. I'll follow...
Every step of the way.
Yes, sir, every step of the way, every step of the way.
Amen.
You lead me on. Yes, sir.
Excuse me. Is there a hotel, motel around here?
You know, bed-and-breakfast, anything like that?
There used to be a motel in town called the Red Apple Restaurant.
I don't think it's there anymore.
I see. Yeah, well...
(EXHALES)
What's your problem there?
Well, I set the points.
What about 'em?
Well, I set them, and I set the floater.
Uh-huh. Let me see that.
But it's gotta be somethin' else.
You probably got a vacuum down in there. Let's see.
Well, your breaker plate's not advancing, see?
You see that little old tube there? You know what that's for?
What? Well, I'm gonna tell you. It's messed up.
You gotta clean it, snip it. Then you put it back in, and your problem's solved.
That'll be it. Yeah. Right there.
Well, I... I appreciate it. Yep.
Yes, sir. I knew it was right in there, but, uh...
Well, thank you. Thank you. My pleasure.
Thank you very much. Yes, sir.
MAN: How's it comin' along down there, Sam?
You got that figured out yet?
Well, you had a small malfunction in your distributor.
We got it fixed as good as new.
That's great. It looks like we found ourselves a new mechanic.
What do you say?
Well, I'm ready if you are. Yeah.
You serious? Only if you are.
You give me the proper parts, I'll build you any vehicle you want from the ground up.
So, where you from?
See where I'm standin'? That's where I'm from.
Oh, really? Yeah.
You name it, I been there. I got a little of everywhere in me.
Sound like my first two wives. You get around, huh?
(LAUGHING) Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, well, I been every state except Alaska and a few foreign countries as well, includin' Mississippi.
Mississippi. I like that. Yeah.
Well, talk it over with my partner.
Now, he knows more about the cars than I do.
All right, I will. Thank you. I'll check you later.
Any of you people know or hear of a Reverend C. Charles Blackwell...
Might live around here somewhere?
Uh... I think down that way, sir.
This way? Yes, sir.
All right, thank you. Mmm-hmm.
Pardon me. Does C. Charles Blackwell live up here this way?
He lives on the next block. This way?
Uh-huh. Thank you. Appreciate it.
The house with the pretty flowers.
(CLAPPING)
Yes, sir?
You the Reverend C. Charles Blackwell?
Yes, sir. Well, I'm the apostle EF.
Believe it or not, the Lord sent me to have fellowship with you, so if you could spare me a minute of your time, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Come on in.
Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.
I had this dream that I'd be meetin' a man such as yourself, and the Lord told me to come right to you.
And when he talks to me, I always listen and follow him.
Yes, sir, I see. Mmm-hmm.
WOMAN: Excuse me. Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
Thank you, honey.
You don't have to get up. You're welcome.
Now, in my dream, it appeared that I would talk to you about a church or startin' a church jointly.
Talkin' at least never hurt nobody, so I thought we might examine the subject somewhat.
You know, reflect on it, you know.
Mmm-hmm. Yes, yes.
Well, Apostle, I don't minister no more.
Now, I'm in touch with some of my people, but, uh, most of 'em are off and joined with other churches.
Mmm-hmm. I see. Well, uh...
If I was to get with some of those people, and they was willin' to start up a new temple, you know, small, would you be willin' to come along with me and help me in the community?
(LAUGHS) Well, there is a possibility.
You see, I don't preach no more. Mmm-hmm.
Now, I had two heart att*cks in six months.
When I get up on that pulpit and the spirit start movin' in me, praise God, I... I wouldn't hold back, and I can't do that no more.
Amen. I got to take everything a little calmer these days.
Praise God.
But I'll pray on it. I will. Mmm-hmm.
Well, you might consider it, 'cause you know, I set up temples all over, you know, all over.
Tell me somethin'.
Why should I trust you?
Lord knows what you could have been or done in the past.
No, sir, we got to look out for the devil, 'cause if he robs you of your babies, he could rob somebody around here of their babies, especially if he followed you down here from wherever you come from.
Oh, I... I get it. I get it.
Right on. Right on.
Now, you say God led you to me and not to anybody else?
Yes, sir, I do believe that. Yes, sir.
Well, if, in fact, he led you to me, I could accept that.
If he didn't, I'm gonna find out soon enough, 'cause he's the one gonna let me know one way or the other.
And if he did, then naturally, I'd want to be with you, wouldn't I?
Because then, I would be with him, right?
So, in other words, if he leadin' you, he got to lead me, too.
Well, you put that a lot better than I can, that's for sure.
(CHUCKLING) Yeah.
Yeah.
I'll tell you what.
I'm gonna keep my eye on you, and the Lord keep his eye on both of us.
And we'll all three keep an eye out for the devil, all right?
(LAUGHING)
(SHOUTING)
Hey!
You hand my boot back!
(LAUGHING)
Good morning. I'm Apostle EF. I'm here to see Elmo.
Hey, you. I'm Toosie. Welcome to KBBR.
He's up there. I'll just buzz him for you.
Course, he may be on the air at the moment.
You can sit down if you like.
That's all right, no.
Can I get you some coffee?
No, thank you. No.
Workin' hard?
(LAUGHS) Hardly workin'.
So they sl*ve drivers, are they?
Oh, well, no.
They keep me pretty busy, but there's lots of lulls, too, you know.
ELMO: What you got, Toosie?
Oh, a Mr. EF is here to see you.
Ah, the apostle. Send him up.
Just go on up. Yeah. I'll see you in a bit.
It was good to meet you. Yeah, ditto.
ELMO: ♪ Mmm, that's why I need ya
♪ Ooh, that's why I love ya
♪ Ooh
♪ That's why I need ya ♪
(HUMMING TUNE)
Sir. Well, Apostle.
Good to see you this mornin'.
How you been? Yes, sir. Good mornin'.
Well, pull up a chair. Yes, sir.
What can I do for the apostle this mornin'?
Well, I'll tell ya.
How'd you know I was an apostle?
Oh, news spreads. What can I do for you today?
Well, I tell ya.
I'd like to see about gettin' on the radio for some promotion of a church I'm tryin' to get goin' for the Lord.
I have a holiness background, and what I want to know is, had you had any religious spots in the past that you sold to preachers to air on?
Yeah, you bet I have.
You did. So how'd it work out for the most part?
Well, I've had a number of preachers in the past, some good and some not so good.
How so?
Well, some have been all right, but others, for instance, have skipped town before they paid me.
Is that right?
Yeah, so I've had to learn the hard way, it's gotta be a pay-before-you-pray deal.
That's what I tell everybody.
Course, there haven't been that many lately, but it's pay before you pray and that's for those who just lookin' to pass on through.
I don't blame you on that.
One other thing.
No fancy stuff. We don't allow speakin' on tongues.
Only the King's English. No speakin' on tongues over these airwaves.
I... I understand. I can understand that.
So, uh, what kind of preacher are you, anyway?
Oh, well, I can preach on the Holy Trinity, Old and New Testament, hell, resurrection.
You name it, I can do it. I see.
Yeah, I can preach on the devil backwards and forwards.
I'll give you about anything you want to hear, but no tongues.
Well, sounds good. Sounds good.
ELMO: You know, we'd have to come up with some angle of gettin' some money in here while you got the word out over the air.
What do you think? SONNY: Absolutely. You know, make ends meet.
That's Elmo's place. It is?
Yes, sir. Old Elmo, he's all over, isn't he?
(BOTH LAUGHING) He's somethin', that guy.
He's got his fingers in almost everything, I guess.
That's your house, huh?
Yes, sir. Yeah, that's it.
Where'd you learn about cars?
Cars? Whatever I know, I learned from my brother.
He used to race them out at Fresno, California, so anything I know, he taught me.
My brother Robbie. He really is an expert.
Well, that ain't no race car or nothin', but that's it, right there.
Yeah. looks like you could get someplace in a hurry in it, though.
(LAUGHING) Well, it ain't goin' nowhere right now.
It's just pretty much sittin' there, I guess, but I plan to get it...
It's got a 350 in it and...
Looks good. Looks like you know what you're doin'.
Well, I... I been tryin', you know?
I been workin' for about four years now.
By the way, I'm EF. The apostle EF.
But people do call me EF.
I... I'm Sam, EF. Nice to...
I'm not gonna put you out here? You got enough room?
Yes, sir, I got plenty of room.
Don't even worry about that. Just me out here, so...
I appreciate it.
Your welcome.
But I wanna paint it black, and, um, and everything.
You like it? Yeah, I do.
SONNY: Lord, I'm not mad, and I'll never be mad at you ever again.
I know you're leadin' me. You led me right to this man Sam.
He's a nice little fella and a good little fella, and I know you love him tonight, just as I know you love me.
So whithersoever thou leadest, I will follow.
BROTHER BLACKWELL: Well, there she is.
I pastored here over 27 years, till my health broke down.
SONNY: Where's everybody gone to, your flock?
Oh, they all spread out or gone on.
Yeah.
I don't know if you'd want it or be interested in it.
It's just a thought.
Uh-huh. Want it?
I'd fight 10 men over it. I would. (LAUGHING)
Glory. Glory. I tell ya.
Let me tell you somethin'. Hold on now. Hold on.
Yeah, but here's what I'm gonna need.
All right now.
Resurrection time. Resurrection time.
I need about, what? I'd say about 29, 30 gallons of white paint, about five gallons of another color for trim.
I need cement lathes, mortar sand, you name it.
And the roof needs a...
You know, a fair amount of material for the roof, obviously, but we'll get her done.
I think I can get her done, yes, sir.
It'll come out of my first two paychecks, third, if necessary.
Yes, sir.
Now, there ain't no rent 'cause it belongs to me.
Well, bless you.
There are a few back taxes due, though. That's all.
Really? Well, I can get another job, I have to.
I'll get another job. I can set these churches up in my sleep, no problem.
(LAUGHS) No problem.
You move faster than any man I ever seen.
Well, when I was young, I tell everybody I quit school 'cause I didn't like recess.
Yeah. Yeah.
Now look. This is somethin' here.
Let me see now.
You got you a good foundation here.
Yes, sir. Let's see on the inside.
You got no lock. No lock.
Yes, sir. Hold on now. Hold on.
(ECHOING) Whoa! I mean, I could do some shoutin' in here!
Yes, sir. This here's a shoutin' church.
I'm gonna shout some for the Holy Ghost. Ha!
Boy, I... Well...
I mean, that'll do me just fine, if you're sure.
Oh, I'm positive. That'll do me fine.
It's yours. Yes, sir. Well, bless you. You a good man.
Glory be to God. Praise him.
Oh, glory. Praise him. Glory. Glory.
Well, God bless you, and have a good day, all right?
Snow cone? We don't have no snow cones.
Snow cones are down the street, all right?
Wait. Hold on. Here you go. Here you go.
Lollipop. (CHUCKLING)
No snow cones, though.
(ZYDECO WALTZ MUSIC PLAYING)
(ALL HOOTING)
(BAND SINGING IN FRENCH)
(CROWD CLAPPING RHYTHMICALLY)
Good amigo, friend Joe. How are you? JOE: Sonny.
Yeah. How's it goin'?
Good, good. So, uh...
You know Horace ain't doin' too good.
You hold it against me, don't you, Joe?
No way, Sonny. I might have done the same thing myself.
I just want you to be all right, 'cause I love you.
(STUTTERING) Well, you say he's still in a coma?
The whole church is prayin' for him round the clock in one-hour shifts.
Yeah.
The police have questions?
Maybe I shouldn't call you anymore for a while.
Maybe for a while. They came by and asked me a bunch of questions.
I told 'em I didn't know where you are, which is the truth, actually.
Let me ask you somethin', Joe.
How come I hadn't been able to get a hold of Mama?
I tried quite a few times, and there's no answer.
I been meanin' to tell you. What?
Your mother's not doin' too well.
She's admitted in the hospital.
I didn't know how to get hold of you.
What's wrong, Joe?
I don't know what it is, Sonny.
It's somethin' to do with her kidneys, I think.
Uh-huh. Well, now, what's the telephone number?
What hospital is she in?
No, I can't give you the number, Sonny.
You can't be callin'. Them switchboards, the police is all over them.
Okay. Would you go visit her for me, Joe? Would you do that, son?
I visit her every day, Sonny, you know I do and I will continue to.
Yeah.
Well, I'm gonna go now. I love you, son. God bless you.
You toein' the line? Yeah, I am.
Yeah, God bless you, son.
Gettin' back at me, Lord, ain't ya? Gettin' back at me.
Give me Mama.
(SONG ENDS) (CROWD CHEERING)
SONNY: You know, Reverend Blackwell, one of these days, I'd like to start me an orphanage.
What do you think?
Well, one thing at a time, Apostle.
Yeah, I know, I know. Maybe a year from now or somethin' like that.
I'd like to do somethin' for the homeless and the fatherless, 'cause when Satan robs you of your children or separates you from your mama, it makes you want to truly help others.
It really does. Yeah, well, it all takes money.
We'll get there. It all takes time.
I know. We'll try to create a little local interest on the radio.
Elmo's gonna plug us and also the newspaper. We have a newspaper, don't we?
BROTHER BLACKWELL: Oh, yeah.
Extra, extra, read all about it.
Holy Ghost man is here right now. The Jesus people is here.
(LAUGHING) Yeah. Yeah, Lord's movin' in me, tellin' me things.
What do you think, baby? Huh? Lord's movin' in me.
Movin' it all.
(CHUCKLING)
Lean on that brush, Sam.
I'm leanin'. (BROTHER BLACKWELL LAUGHING)
Well, I'll tell ya. We can have dinner on the ground.
We play softball, I pitch a pretty mean curveball.
Play the Methodists. Sell some tickets. Get some good publicity.
Don't get so far ahead of yourself now. (LAUGHING)
We'll show 'em. We'll show the community that the Holy Lord is here to stay.
Yeah, praise God. (ENGINE STARTING)
Can't get rid of us. Can't get rid of us. Mmm-hmm. Yes, Lord.
SONNY: I'm preachin' like I'm goin' to w*r this mornin'.
I got on my w*r clothes. I'm preachin' like I'm goin' to w*r this mornin'.
I'm a genuine, Holy Ghost, Jesus-filled preachin' machine this mornin'.
I tell you, I'm a genuine, Holy Ghost, Jesus-filled preachin' machine here this mornin'.
Now if God be for us, who can be against us?
He's God here in this radio station. He's God in Georgia.
He's God in Tennessee. He's God in the pulpit.
He's God at the front door. He's God in the 7-Eleven.
And yea, though I walk... I say, yea, though I walk...
"I say yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,"
"I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."
And why, why, why do I say this? Oh, why, why?
Because I got Holy Ghost power here today.
We gonna have a Holy Ghost expl*si*n.
We gonna short-circuit the devil here today, and the Holy Ghost is our power line to heaven.
I'm gonna tell you right now. In days of old, Moses went up into the mountain.
When he got up in the mountain, high, high, high on the mountain, the Lord God above gave him 10 commandments.
He didn't give him 11 or 12 or 13 or 14.
He gave him 10 commandments, and the 11th commandment...
Thou shalt not shout, does not exist.
How'd I do? Did I do all right? (SHRIEKING)
Well, it seemed you did fine to me. Oh, yeah.
I've never heard anyone speak like that. You never did?
No. The preachers I heard, they more or less talk. Praise God.
I was actually fascinated by it.
Well, when we're ready, come on over to our church sometime.
I guarantee you, you won't see nobody sittin' on their hands.
Will you, Brother Blackwell? Not too many.
I don't believe in goin' to no church in the morgue.
I can believe that.
We're not the frozen children.
(LAUGHING)
Yeah, well, seriously, though, I'd like to get you out to dinner sometime before church.
That way, you won't get scared off.
I promise you, I promise you, I'll be quiet at you across the table, okay?
Well, that might be nice. We'll see. We'll talk about it.
Well, I gotta get back to work. All right.
We'll see you. Bye-bye.
WOMAN: Listen, everybody... CHILDREN: ...I can talk to you
'bout the books of the Bible...
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers.
Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth.
I Samuel, II Samuel, I King, II King, Ezra...
Ezra... ALL: Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes.
CHILDREN: There's law and history, poetry and prophecy in the Old Testament.
Revelations! Revelations! Revelations! Revelations!
Revelations! Revelations! Revelations!
Revelations! Revelations! Revelations!
Revelations! Revelations! Revelations! Revelations!
Revelations! Revelations! Revelations! Revelations!
SONNY: Glory, we're on fire for Jesus!
We're on fire for Jesus! Revelations! Revelations!
(ALL SQUEALING EXCITEDLY)
CHILDREN: (CHANTING) Revelations! Revelations!
(LAUGHING) How's that?
SONNY: Oh, what do you think you're gonna have?
TOOSIE: Give me a chance to read the menu.
Oh, right, right, right. Well, I think I know what I'm gonna have.
What? I'm gonna have me some of these gulf shrimps.
Yeah.
I guess I'll have the same.
You sure? Yeah. That'll be fine.
Good.
What?
Nothing. I don't...
Whatever possessed you to move down here?
Oh, my husband got a good offer on the offshore crude lines.
Your husband. Whoo-hoo, that's the end of this deal, isn't it?
Huh? Ho-ho! No.
No, we're, kind of, separated at the moment.
Oh, Lord, please let it work in my favor.
(LAUGHING)
You have any kids?
I have two boys. They stay with my mother.
Where at?
Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Oh.
You ask a lot of questions. Do I?
I guess I do.
You know, I've evangelized there a time or two.
Oh, yeah. It seemed to me, there were a lot of preachers come through there when I was a girl.
Well, I could have been one of 'em, but it's been a while.
You have any children?
I have a boy and girl. It's my beauties.
I call 'em my beauties.
Where do they live?
They live a long ways from here, same as yours.
Yes, ma'am.
Yep.
You miss your babies a lot?
Yes, I do. Oh, well, they're...
They're not exactly babies anymore, but, uh...
Yes, I do miss them.
So...
(STUTTERING) You think I'm a good date? What do you think?
What do you mean? How am I doin' so far?
(LAUGHS) Ah.
Well, you're not supposed to ask that. I'm not?
No! You're supposed to let the evening develop on its own...
Draw your own conclusion.
You think? Yeah.
(CHUCKLING)
I wouldn't have gone out with you if I didn't think you...
Oh. (SIGHS)
(CHUCKLING)
Thank you.
Ooh.
Now hold on. Hold on a minute. Wait.
Dear Lord, thank you for this food we're about to receive into our bodies.
We thank you for the spiritual fellowship between a good woman and a good man.
We thank you for the day in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen. Now we can eat.
You've got... Oh.
Pig. I'm a pig. No!
TOOTSIE: Yeah, when I was real young... SONNY: Uh-huh?
You know what my mother would sing?
I love to tell the story.
That's always been a favorite in my family, as well.
Always.
♪ I love to tell the story
♪ 'Twill be my theme in glory ♪ My theme in glory Yes.
BOTH: ♪ To tell the old, old story
♪ Of Jesus
♪ And his love That's good.
Yeah.
Well, what do you think? Oh.
This gonna be it? Hmm?
I have to think about it. Mmm-hmm. Yeah.
I told you we're separated. Yeah.
I can't see you anymore. I mean, this is the end.
This is the end. I told you we'd see.
(SIGHS) You silly. I... I had a real nice time.
Did you really? Real nice. Yes, I did.
Come here. Come over here.
No.
(WHISPERING) Come here, come here, come here.
Give me a hug now.
I can have a hug now, at least, can't I?
Oh! Of course you can.
Sweet thing. Hmm.
(KISSING)
(SIGHS DEEPLY)
I had a super time.
I'll see you again sometime?
We'll see. Bye-bye.
Get some sleep. Bye-bye.
(PHONE RINGING)
JESSIE: hello?
Who is this?
Sonny?
Sonny.
Sonny.
SONNY: "Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God."
Job 37:14.
A little old church in the wildwood.
Yeah. Lord, let this church live.
Just, uh, pray you let Horace live.
In the name of Jesus, let him live.
I don't know how long it's gonna last, Lord, 'cause they could be comin' for me...
'Cause they comin'...
But in the meantime, we've done something, haven't we?
We've done somethin'.
I want to thank you for that.
I really do.
Good night, Jessie.
I love you, and I'll always love you.
Good night, Toosie.
This is the day that the Lord hath made.
BOTH: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Thank you for the support, brother. I appreciate every bit of it.
ELMO ON RADIO: Even as I speak to you today, the apostle EF is making his rounds in his own private bus to bring you physically to his ministry out on Old Highway 10, at his newly renovated One-way Road to heaven holiness temple.
He is co-pastoring with the Reverend C. Charles Blackwell.
You're all, not only safe in his hands, but you are truly in God's hands on this day of worship here in Bayou Boutte, near Pecan Island, Louisiana.
Remember, for just one month, for both the Sunday services, the apostle EF, will pick you up personally at the very spot designated for each and every one of you.
I don't want you runnin'. Take your time there now.
I want y'all to act right on that bus. You hear me?
Okay, we goin' to praise the Lord, and I don't wanna have to get disrupted to have to whoop you, okay?
Goin' to praise the Lord. We'll have a good time.
ELMO ON RADIO: You will also receive a small rose of Sharon from the apostle himself.
Those who play, please remember to bring your instruments.
God bless you.
SONNY: Mornin', ma'am. All right. How you doin', Apostle?
Here's a rose for you. Rose of Sharon. Oh, praise God. Thank you!
What's your name, sister? Sister Johnson.
SONNY: Good to see you. BROTHER BLACKWELL: Morning, sister Johnson.
JOHNSON: God bless you, brother. How you doin'?
SONNY: You boys ready for church? BOY: Yes, sir!
Yeah, they're ready for church.
They been gettin' ready all the morning for this.
Yes, sir, they're twins. They're double trouble and double blessings.
Hey, hey! Wait for me!
Jesus. You're able to stop him.
Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Wait! Here I am!
SONNY: We're waitin' for you. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus.
Here's a pretty little rose of Sharon for you. Oh, thank God for you!
Hi, brother Blackwell. Praise God.
JOHNSON: What are you doin' here?
DELILAH: Same as you, goin' to church.
(BOY LAUGHING)
(HORN BLOWING)
DELILAH: Thank you. JOHNSON: Almost got it lookin' like the same place, too.
Hey, ma'am. How you doin'? Welcome to One-way Road to heaven.
Y'all come on in.
And living God.
BROTHER BLACKWELL: Okay, be careful now. Thank you.
Sammy, how are you? Some good seats. Real good, EF.
Come on, boys. Let's go now. Get in here.
Come on, here.
Y'all come on in. JOHNSON: Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Apostle. I got you there in one piece.
Hallelujah! Praise God! Thank you, Jesus.
Hi, ma'am. Welcome to One-way Road to heaven.
Oh, praise God, brother. Bless you.
Always a pleasure. Yes, sir. That's good.
Apostle, I know what you're thinking.
All I can say is that whenever you've been on the radio, most of all the white people think you're black.
Most all the colored people know you ain't black, but they sure do like your style of preachin'.
Well... So what you see is what we get.
Yeah, well, we got what the Lord sent. That's right.
I'll see you, Minister. Thank you. You bet. All right. Hmm.
Yeah.
"He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God."
Yeah. John 3:34.
We're gonna have church here this mornin'. ALL: Oh, yes. Amen.
Let's hear somebody say, "We're gonna have church here this morning."
ALL: We're gonna have church here this mornin'.
SONNY: Let the church say, "We're gonna have church here this mornin'."
We're gonna have church here this mornin'. Yes, sir. SONNY: Glory, glory, glory.
Let's put our hands together and welcome Jesus Christ into our church.
(APPLAUSE) 'Cause this is his home.
This is his home. If this isn't his home, we'd better go on home ourselves and lock this place up, because we'd better always be ready to make God welcome...
ALL: Amen! ...in our house of worship, because this is his home.
Glory be to God. Amen! Amen.
I also want to say I'm not gonna take any tithes and offerings today.
That'll be next week.
I won't pass the collection plate today, but when I do, I'm gonna pass it...
If you bring ten dollars, you give me one, for the church. Amen.
Ten potatoes, you give one potato.
Amen. Ten pigs, you give us one pig.
All right? Ten percent.
Here's what I want you to do now. I want you to open your Bibles.
You brought your Bible, didn't you? ALL: Amen!
Open your Bibles to the 150th Psalm.
That's the last Psalm there is.
We're gonna praise him. The 150th Psalm says, "Praise ye the Lord.
Yeah! "Praise God in his sanctuary"
"and praise him in the firmament of his power."
WOMAN: Amen. Praise him. Yes, sir.
"Praise him for his mighty acts." Praise him. Yes, sir.
"Praise him according to his excellent greatness." Praise him. Yes, sir.
"Praise him for the sound of the trumpet."
Do we have a trumpet here today? We got a trumpet?
WOMAN: Amen. Amen! SONNY: Blow it!
WOMAN: Glory to God. Amen.
We have a trumpet. Glory. Thank you, sir. That's great.
(CHUCKLING)
"Praise him with the psaltery and harp." I don't think we got a harp here, do we?
(CONGREGATION MURMURING)
"Praise him with the timbrel and dance." Do we have a timbrel?
(TAMBOURINE JINGLING) Praise the Lord.
(CONGREGATION PRAISING) SONNY: I guess that's what you call a timbrel.
I love it. I love it.
Now, "Praise him with stringed instruments and organs."
We got an organ, but no organ player.
"Praise him with stringed instruments."
We got stringed instruments? Come on!
WOMAN 1: Hallelujah! WOMAN 2: Praise him, brothers.
SONNY: Babes stringin'.
WOMAN 2: Whoo!
Hallelujah, honey.
Praise the Lord. Praise him.
SONNY: Out of the mouth of babes.
Amen. Amen.
BROTHER BLACKWELL: Yes, Lord. (LAUGHING)
Glory. Glory be to God. Hallelujah!
(TRUMPET SOUNDING)
WOMAN: Say, "Hallelujah!" Okay, that's enough. That's enough.
That's enough. Thank you. That's enough.
(BROTHER BLACKWELL LAUGHING)
I want everybody to reach over and hug somebody's neck and say, "I love you, and the Lord loves you here today."
Don't be strangers. We're all in the house of Jesus now.
Nobody's gonna bite you. I love you, and the Lord loves you, son.
I love you, Grandma. I love you.
I love you, sister. Love ya.
I love you, and the Lord loves you. God loves you, too, sweetie.
God bless you. Glory to your name, God.
God bless you.
Let's everybody come up and join hands in a circle.
I love you. The Lord loves you.
Let's form a little Holy Ghost circle here. WOMAN: Yeah.
We're small, but we're powerful. Hallelujah!
Can somebody say, "We're small, but we're powerful."
ALL: We're small, but we're powerful. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord.
(PRAYING INDISTINCTLY)
ELMO: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to radio station KBBR in Bayou Boutte, Louisiana.
Today the apostle EF and his glorious choir are gonna sing a song for us. Apostle.
I'm gonna fly away someday. I got me my own little airplane.
Someday, I'm goin' down that runway. I'm gonna take off.
I'm not goin' to Jackson, Mississippi.
I'm not goin' to Chicago, Illinois.
I'm not goin' to Paris, France.
Yeah!
I'm goin' down that runway. I'm goin' yonder to heaven.
I'm gonna get up there and say, "Get out of the way, moon. Get out of the way, stars.
"I'm on my way to heaven. I'm on my way to heaven."
Glory!
(UPBEAT TUNE PLAYING)
ALL: ♪ Some glad mornin' when this life is o'er
♪ I'll fly away
♪ To a home on God's celestial shore
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
♪ We'll go, hallelujah By and by
♪ I'll fly away
(SONG CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY)
(KNOCKING)
♪ I'll fly away Thank you! Praise the Lord. Thank you!
Oh, it's a miracle. God, it's a miracle. Where did this come from?
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
(KNOCKING)
♪ We'll all go, hallelujah, by and by Whoo-hoo!
Happy Thanksgiving!
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory Thank you, brothers! God bless you!
♪ I'll fly away WOMAN: ♪ Came a thirsty woman
♪ She was drawing from the well Baptize thee in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost and in the name of Jesus. ♪ Her life was ruined
♪ And wasted Hallelujah.
Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus. Glory. Praise God.
Glory to God. Thank you, Jesus. I've been born.
♪ There she met
♪ The master SONNY: I baptize thee in the name of the Father...
♪ Who told of her great sin
♪ He said if you'll just bring us Oh, glory! Glory!
♪ This water Hallelujah! Thank you, Lord!
♪ You will never serve again ♪ Thank you! Thank you, Jesus!
(ACCORDION AND UKULELE PLAYING OFF-KEY)
(CHILDREN SINGING OFF-KEY)
(RHYTHMIC CLAPPING)
ALL: ♪ Victory is mine Victory!
♪ Victory is mine Victory!
♪ Victory today is mine
"I told Satan!"
♪ I told Satan
♪ Get thee behind WOMAN: Victory!
♪ Victory today is mine Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah.
Yes. Yeah. Yes, that's it.
That was real good. Kids are good.
How come they call you EF?
You ain't got a whole name? Well...
Maybe I do, maybe I don't. (CHUCKLING)
How are you?
Well, I just come in to see what was goin' on, you know?
Music was good. Them kids friends of yours? These folks here?
Well, they're just children, children of the Lord. Let's put it that way.
We a Jesus church, and they're Jesus children.
Is that right? I'll be dogged. Yes, sir.
Take your hat off? Oh, I'm sorry.
Stand here in the house of the Lord with my hat on. I didn't mean to do that.
Well, can I do anything for you?
I'm just kind of curious why they call you EF. That's all. I don't know.
Well, now that's no concern of anybody's but mine and the Lord's, so...
If you'd like to discuss this outside, you know, that's fine.
Whatever you want. Yes, sir.
You gonna preach to me? No, sir, I'm not.
What's your problem? I don't have no problem. You do.
No, I don't think, I do. I don't think worshipping the Lord is any kind of problem.
I wish you'd either leave these premises, or if you want to come back into our church this time as a gentleman, that's all right, too, but otherwise, just go on home.
I ain't goin' in any church with anybody named EF.
Another thing is, I don't want to sit around with a bunch of n*gg*r*s.
Well, just get on out of here. Get on out of here right now!
I'll leave when I choose to, Mr. EF. That's what I'll do.
Come on around the other side, buddy. Stay right there.
Okay, let's go.
Let's see what you're made of.
You want the Lord to watch me kick your ass?
I don't need the Lord, son. Is that what you want? Huh? Come on.
Come on.
(CONGREGATION MURMURING)
(THROWING PUNCHES)
(ORGAN PLAYING)
♪ In the blood
♪ Of the lamb
♪ There is power, power
♪ Wonder of his power
♪ In the precious blood of the lamb
(RHYTHMIC CLAPPING)
♪ There is power, power...
I can't believe this.
SAM: You ever seen a preacher hit anybody like that before?
♪ There is power, power Take your hat and get out of here. Get on out.
♪ In the precious blood of the lamb I don't ever want to see your face around here again.
I'm gonna come back and see you.
Yeah. Do the same thing once again, won't you? Yeah.
We'll see about that, by God.
♪ In the precious blood of the lamb
♪ There is power, power ♪ Power, power
♪ Wonder of his power
♪ In the blood ♪ Oh, in the blood
♪ Of the lamb
(MUSIC STOPS) I appreciate your support.
I know it's not the Christian thing to do. You supposed to turn the other cheek, but...
(PANTING) If you do that, somebody gonna take your church, and nobody's gonna take any church of mine.
CONGREGATION: Amen.
'Cause I love his church... Yes, you do.
More than I do myself.
Nobody's gonna destroy it. Amen. Thank God. Amen.
Somebody give me an "Amen." ALL: Amen!
(APPLAUSE) WOMAN: Glory! Glory!
Glory! Glory!
♪ I love
(ORGAN PLAYING) ALL: ♪ To tell the story
♪ Of the unseen things above
♪ Of Jesus and his glory
♪ Of Jesus and his love
♪ I love to tell the story
♪ Because I know 'tis true Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
♪ It satisfies my longing Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
♪ As nothing else can do
♪ I love to tell the story
♪ 'Twill be my theme in glory
♪ To tell the old, old story
♪ Of Jesus
♪ And his love
(APPLAUSE) MAN: Amen. Amen!
Here we go again. (CHUCKLING)
Yeah. Yep. All right.
At least tonight, I'm gonna walk you to the front door.
All right. Sweetie, I am. Right up on the front porch.
Yes, ma'am.
(CLEARS THROAT) Yep.
Well...
So,
you think I'm intense, do you?
A little. Yeah?
Mmm-hmm.
Well, I fit in pretty good, though, don't you think?
Because even though I'm a preacher, I don't always have to be talkin' 'bout the Lord.
I think about him a lot. I'm not like other preachers.
What I'm tryin' to say is that I'm a man, you're a woman.
I feel comfortable with you, and I like you.
Well, I like you.
You do understand me? Yes, I do.
Yeah.
You hear me. Uh-huh. Mmm-hmm.
Come here.
Come on, woman. Come on.
Hmm.
(SIGHS)
Now what does EF stand for?
What do you want to know for?
(SIGHS) Because...
Let me come in. I'll tell you.
Promise? Yeah.
(CHUCKLING)
Next time. No.
Maybe there won't be a next time. Now listen to me.
Toosie, all I need is somebody or somethin' to hold onto at this time of my life.
That's all I need.
That's why I want to come in.
You understand me? Hmm?
Next time. Yes, ma'am.
(MUFFLED LAUGH) Mmm.
I gotta go.
You're too much.
Can I come with you?
Next time.
(DOOR SHUTS)
Call me Sonny. Everybody calls me Sonny.
(CHUCKLING)
SONNY: Yeah, well, I'm gonna have to, Joe, somehow.
JOE: You better do it soon.
Well, I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but somehow, just, you know...
JOE: She needs you pretty bad.
I been gettin' over to visit her almost every day.
She asks for you a lot. Sometimes she even thinks I'm you and calls me Sonny.
SONNY: I'm gonna try to make it somehow.
Tell her to hold on.
I will, brother. Be very, very careful, whatever you do.
Tell her that I built the prettiest little church this side of heaven, out in the wildwood.
Tell her that.
(CRYING) Tell her the bad boy done it again.
I can't make it. You know...
You know, I'm gonna try, so tell her to hold on.
Okay, Sonny, I will.
All right, brother. I love you. Bye-bye.
(SIGHS)
I tell you, a spare tire without a jack is like a church without Jesus.
Amen.
(BOY LAUGHING)
Is this what you're lookin' for?
Where on earth did you find that, sister Delilah? Underneath the seat. Here.
Practically walked on it. Give it to me. Glory. Thank you.
Amen!
Speakin' and believin'. Everybody, give a handclap for Jesus.
ALL: Amen. Hallelujah.
Oh, yes, he speaks to me. Talks to me most all of the time.
You probably never hear him when he really does talk to you, 'cause you run your mouth all the time.
I can hardly hear how you can hear anything.
(BOYS LAUGHING) Hey, sister Johnson, I believe you better get off the bus now, 'cause if you don't, Papa and EF won't be able to jack it up high enough to put the spare on.
Praise God! Come on now, ladies. It's the Sabbath day.
The Lord's not gonna take to all this gossip and nitpicking.
All right? I ain't sayin' nothin'.
You said it. Nothin' from nothin' leave nothin'. SONNY: Come on now.
Off the bus, everybody. We gonna jack this thing up. Come on, babies.
Let go of this nitpickin' and yellin' and nippin' at each other.
Sabbath day. Come on now. Give a big handclap for Jesus Christ.
Praise the Lord. Sister Johnson, come over here.
Come over here. Thank the Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
I want you to love this woman's neck. Make up now. Oh, praise God.
No more fightin' now. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
♪ Let the church roll on Let the church roll on
♪ Let the church roll on
♪ Let the church roll on
♪ Let the church roll on
♪ Let the church roll on
♪ There's members in the church
♪ And he won't do right
♪ Tell me what you gonna do ELMO: And this is radio station KBBR.
We're comin' to you live from the One-way Road to heaven holiness temple.
It's out on Highway 10, north of town, Old Highway 10.
Today's the one-month anniversary of the first service the church held.
I tell you, that first service, mighty slim. Seven, eight people.
It's grown in one month to... Folks, the grounds are just full of people.
I'm lookin' around. I see kids playin'. Frisbees.
Kids playin' with kick balls, baseballs, softballs.
Right here, we got an old-fashioned sack race. Mark, get set, go!
Let's see. We got a winner here. We got... Whoa!
Oh, and we got chicken. How you doin' today?
I'm doin' all right. I been missin' you down by the Bayou. (ELMO CONTINUES INDISTINCT)
SONNY: $2.95, $3.95, $4.95.
No, I can't eat 'em. Too much for me!
(LAUGHING)
(ALL TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
WOMAN: You got to get some more weight on you. Oh, yes.
It's a glorious day. Isn't it beautiful? Yeah, it is.
Couldn't have had a better day. Couldn't be better.
ELMO: But come out. I tell you. We're on Highway 10.
We could have used you this morning for a bit of bus transportation.
(CHUCKLING) Welcome.
I told you I'd come back, didn't I?
SONNY: Yeah, you did. You told me that.
Now if you'd like to join in to the auction, we have some pretty fair homemade cakes and pies, that you're welcome to bid on if you want to.
We ain't here to bid on no cakes and pies.
What are you here for then, cowboy?
I believe you just better step out of there.
WOMAN: Stand your ground, Pastor. Why?
'Cause I'm here to take that church of yours out. SONNY: No, sir.
I'm bringin' it down. We don't want to hear no more.
Nobody goes anywhere, and that house of God stays right where it's at.
CONGREGATION: Amen! Amen.
WOMAN: Glory to Jesus.
Now, what do you got to say for yourself?
You can say "amen" all you want to.
It don't make me no difference, 'cause I'm takin' that church out.
Tell you right now. See this? Yeah, I see it.
You see it? Yeah, I see that book.
I open that to the 91st Psalm.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high"
"shall abide under the shadow of the almighty."
WOMAN: Oh, my. Glory! CONGREGATION: Amen.
If you want to go at that church, you have to go at that holy book first, and, brother, if you do, I don't want to set where you're settin' right now, no, no.
Apostle, maybe I'd better call the police. Oh, no, no, no.
Don't call the police. No, no. We and the Lord will handle it.
'Cause he gonna strike you down on a Sunday afternoon, like you never been struck.
That's a promise I can make you right now. ALL: Amen!
Do I hear an "Amen"? Glory. Amen!
Don't you start threatenin' me like that. You move that Bible.
SONNY: No, sir.
I said, yes, sir. You move the Bible.
I want you to move it right now.
WOMAN: No, sir.
WOMAN: God's on our side. MAN: That's right.
SONNY: Can I hear somebody say, "Amen"? CONGREGATION: Amen!
Who's with us right now? The Holy Ghost. Say it. Amen!
Pick that Bible up right there. I can't do that.
JOHNSON: Thank you, Lord.
That book stays right where it's at.
Do I hear somebody say, "Amen"? ALL: Amen!
WOMAN: Glory! Hallelujah, Jesus.
(INDISTINCT)
Let's say that we have Holy Ghost power here right now.
ALL: We have Holy Ghost power here right now!
I can pick the Bible up myself.
Don't start the preacher stuff with me, all right?
DELILAH: "No weapons formed against us shall prosper." Hallelujah!
Amen! Glory to God.
Don't look at me like that. I know what you're tryin' to do.
And you think I can be had, don't you?
JOHNSON: Bible say, "No weapons formed against us shall prosper." Hallelujah.
SONNY: Nobody moves that book. Nobody.
WOMAN: Amen. Well, I can move it.
I can move it just as quick as you can. SONNY: No, sir.
WOMAN: Glory.
Hallelujah.
Let's everybody say, "Nobody moves that book."
ALL: Nobody moves that book.
Say it one more time.
Nobody moves that book! And a third time.
Nobody moves that book! And a fourth time.
Nobody moves that book! One more time!
Nobody moves that book! No, sir. Nobody.
(WHISPERING) Nobody moves it. Nobody.
(WHISPERING) No, sir.
I know why you came here.
You didn't come here to knock my church down, did you?
You came for another reason, didn't you?
No, I came to knock your church down.
No, sir. Yes, sir, I did.
Well, you ain't gonna knock it down. I want you to know that.
ELMO: (WHISPERING) Folks, I'm just havin' a hard time.
Let me see if I can position myself where I can hear a little better.
And there it is. Yes.
I didn't come to knock your church down.
Yes, sir. I know.
I know. That's why I'm kneelin' with you.
And I'll pray with you if you want me to. I'll even cry.
I'll do anything you want me to do with you.
'Cause I know you're a good man.
I know it.
ELMO: (WHISPERING) Yes, yes.
The young man's not nearly as angry. In fact, I believe he actually has a tear in his eye.
Amen. Now if you reach out, the Lord will accept you here today.
If you reach out, he'll accept you here forevermore.
He will love you forever, even as we in this church love you now.
Forevermore.
Do I hear somebody say, "Amen"? ALL: Amen!
(WHISPERING) This may be the very first conversion we've had over the airwaves.
CONGREGATION: Amen!
In fact, I'm quite sure that it is.
(WHISPERING) I feel embarrassed.
(WHISPERING) Oh, no, no, you don't have to feel embarrassed.
I feel embarrassed, but... I was a worse sinner than you were in my time.
(CRYING) I was a worse sinner than you were.
This is an incredible sight.
I'm tryin' to be as quiet as possible, not to disturb this moment.
This is an important moment in this young man's life...
More important than even he can realize at this point, I'm sure.
Go ahead, brother. Cry.
I'll cry with you. I'll cry with you.
(WEEPING) Somebody say, "The Holy Ghost is here right now."
CONGREGATION: The Holy Ghost is here right now.
Say it again. The Holy Ghost is here right now.
"We love the Holy Ghost." Somebody, say it. We love the Holy Ghost.
WOMAN: Wonderful Jesus. MAN: Praise Jesus.
Victory is ours today.
WOMAN: ♪ Victory is mine ALL: ♪ Victory is mine
♪ Victory, today is mine MAN: We love you, brother.
♪ I told old Satan
♪ Get thee behind
♪ Victory today is mine MAN: Yes! ♪ Joy is mine WOMAN: ♪ Joy ♪ Joy is mine
♪ Joy, today is mine DELILAH: "I told Satan."
♪ I told Satan DELILAH: "Get thee behind!"
♪ Get thee behind
♪ Joy, today is mine
♪ Happiness is mine
♪ Happiness is mine Yes!
♪ Happiness is mine This is absolutely incredible.
♪ Happiness, today is mine I just... I don't know what to say.
I absolutely don't know what to say.
♪ I told Satan For those of you who know me, ♪ Get thee behind For me to be speechless...
♪ Victory, today is mine ELMO: Well, you better mark this on your calendar, folks.
♪ Love is mine Love is mine
♪ Love, today is mine DELILAH: I told Satan!
♪ I told Satan DELILAH: Get thee behind me!
♪ Get thee behind DELILAH: Victory! ♪ Victory, today is mine MAN: Let's praise him today. Praise Jesus Christ.
Doesn't workin' here tire you out with preachin'? hell, yeah. hell, I only work part-time, but if I get tired, the Lord always gives me the energy if I need it, and when I need it.
You sure got a lot more than I do, I can tell you that.
It's not me, brother. It's the Lord workin' through me, praise God.
Don't you ever forget it. Yeah.
(BELL DINGS)
(INDISTINCT)
SONNY: Terry, tell the boss I quit.
What's up?
Not much.
I'll never serve nothin' through that window ever again. That's it.
SONNY: And that's why, you know, I'm a mystery.
That's why, you know, I come out of the blue, out of nowhere.
Being here maybe the best thing I ever done in my life thus far.
You know.
Well, what are you gonna do?
What do you want me to do?
Whatever you want to do.
We love you.
You've helped many, many people in the town.
Yeah, well...
Amen.
(WHISPERING) Amen. Amen.
If and when they come,
I want you to take my gold, my watch, my jewelry.
Hock 'em. Get every penny you can to help this ministry.
Stay alive, you know, 'cause I love this little old church, and, uh... (CHUCKLES)
You never know how long the Lord's gonna let you hang around.
Well, we'll all know.
He places us right where he wants us to be, in all times and in all places.
You believe that?
Amen, brother. I do.
I do.
For just $7.95, you can receive one of these beautifully hand-painted scarves, right here from Bayou Boutte, Louisiana, and the apostle EF, that's me, will personally bless these scarves for you.
That you can slip under your pillow and sleep more peacefully at night.
In the name of Jesus. Glory be to God.
$7.95.
(MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)
Draw me a cross, a nice cross. Okay.
(STATIC BUZZING) ELMO: ...the apostle EF.
(MUSIC DISTORTING)
ELMO: Don't wait. Who's that?
Send it to this station.
The One-way Road to heaven...
(STATIC BUZZING) Bayou Boutte, Louisiana.
ELMO: So don't wait, because we don't have many left.
You've been very generous. In fact, we've gained momentum and even more momentum...
(MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING)
WOMAN: Louisiana State Police for Bayou Boutte, Homicide Division.
How may I direct your call?
SONNY: Somebody, say, "Amen."
ALL: Amen! Glory be to God.
We gonna need to have a baby Jesus, so if we have any volunteers, otherwise, we can always use a doll of some type, you know, and, uh, those who want to be Wise Men, report to mother Blackwell.
'Cause she's to be directin' the Christmas pageant.
She knows all about that kind of thing.
ALL: Amen.
After the first of the year, I'm gonna have a little surprise for you.
We're gonna have a marriage workshop.
ALL: Amen!
Brother Blackwell will preside, 'cause he's definitely more successful than I ever was at any time in my experience. (LAUGHING)
So if brother Blackwell has a word to say here, we'd appreciate it.
Apostle, you know, we just feel that if Las Vegas can build up those casinos that tear up marriages... WOMAN: Uh-huh.
...then we ought to be able to build up a humble temple, a modest temple, where we can try to save and salvage those marriages.
CONGREGATION: Amen! SONNY: Hallelujah!
No tag-team parenthood here. Oh, glory be to God. Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Yes, sir. We'll be with you in a minute, after the service, so you can just set tight for a while and you might learn somethin'.
So just, you know, carry on. Yeah.
Now, uh... (CONGREGATION MURMURING)
(MOUTHING)
Yes.
Sorry 'bout this.
Uh... MOTHER BLACKWELL: It's all right.
(STUTTERING) Just a minute. We're gonna, uh... MAN: Reverend?
Open this meeting to testimonies, and before we get to the main floor, I want my little friends maybe to say somethin' here. Amen!
These wonderful little children are an important part of our church service.
These young people. You have somethin' to say, son?
Thank you, Jesus. ALL: Amen!
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you.
Thank you, Jesus. Right on.
Thank you... Thank you, Lord. (CONGREGATION LAUGHING)
Good boy! Hey! Let's everybody say, "Thank you, Jesus."
(SHOUTING) Thank you, Jesus! Out of the mouths of babes.
Out of the mouths of babes. Glory.
Sister Delilah.
Well, I'd like to, Apostle. Glory to God tonight.
I'd like to give God glory and honor for all he's doing.
I want to thank him for bein' so real tonight. Yes!
I been married twice in my life, but both my husbands have gone on.
They were good Christians. But I dare to let that stop me, you know, because Jesus lives in me!
Glory to God. Hallelujah. Oh, thank you, Jesus, for being so good.
Hallelujah!
I found this beautiful penny, this beautiful black penny on the ground the other day, and I remembered the Lord said in his word, "You have the power to call the things that are not, to become the things that are."
And I found that penny, and I said, "Lord, "this penny is the down payment on my house and my car!"
(CONGREGATION SHOUTING) Glory to God. He's real tonight, isn't he?
He's real, amen! And glory to God. (CONGREGATION PRAISING)
Glory! Hallelujah!
Uh-oh. Equal time here, equal time.
(LAUGHTER) Sister Johnson.
Oh, I praise God tonight, and I praise you for bein' in the midst, and all the congregation and believers.
You know, I'm saved tonight. CONGREGATION: Amen!
I'm sanctified. I'm Holy Ghost filled. CONGREGATION: Yeah!
I'm fire baptized. And you know, my husband ran off with another woman.
CONGREGATION: Oh! Oh, yes, he did, but I'm here to tell you tonight, if I decide to ever do it again, I'm gonna have to check out his credentials.
He gonna have to be saved! Sanctified! And Holy Ghost filled!
(CONGREGATION PRAISING) Glory for his name!
I thank God. Thank God.
Thank you, sister Johnson. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Glory to God. Glory to God. You have anything to say, Sammy?
I'm just... I'm happy to be here... WOMAN: Praise the Lord.
And I'm happy that everybody else is here, too.
Thank you so much.
MAN: Come on! And now we have Mr. Elmo of KBBR.
Mr. Elmo. Well, let's see, Apostle. I guess, uh...
(LAUGHS) I'm thankful that... I'm thankful that God sent you to my station, and I'm thankful that there were plenty of these people listenin' and they're here tonight.
I'm just thankful to be anywhere! We're a good team, aren't we?
That's right. That's right.
(CONGREGATION PRAISING) Glory be to God. Glory be to God.
Yes, sir, Elmo's very helpful in this area.
Now, brother George.
He's been preparin' somethin' on the horn for us. He's a wonderful musician.
He's gonna play somethin' like, Haven't I Been or one of these wonderful religious songs.
Okay, George. Take it away.
(CONGREGATION APPLAUDING)
(NOTES FALTERING) MOTHER BLACKWELL: It's all right.
(MELODY STRENGTHENING)
(INDISTINCT TALKING ON POLICE RADIO)
DISPATCHER: They're outside of Bayou Boutte.
Consider suspect armed and dangerous.
SONNY: Learn your ABC's.
A, acknowledge that you're a sinner.
B, believe in Jesus Christ. Trust in him.
C, confess that your saved! ALL: Yeah!
Confess it to others. Shout it in the hills and valleys.
Yes!
Now if you keep your eye on Jesus, he'll keep his eye on you.
He will!
Just as you can't escape the gaze of a painted picture on the wall.
No matter where you look, his eyes will follow you, those eyes of Jesus Christ.
Whithersoever thou leadest, I will follow.
In the lamb, with you always. Everybody, say, "Always." Always!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. (CONGREGATION APPLAUDS)
When I turn, he turns. Yes, Lord!
When I jump up and down, Jesus jumps up and down, and, neighbor, he backs up what I'm preachin' here today.
Somebody, give me an "Amen." Somebody. Glory.
Glory be to God on high. Glory be to God on high. (CONGREGATION PRAISING)
He backs me up here tonight. He backs me up here tonight. You grab somebody.
Look 'em in the eyeballs, and say, "Jesus is here right now."
CONGREGATION: Jesus is here right now!
Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever.
Now any time...
Any time you think the devil's gettin' ahead of you, you say, "Get thou behind me, Satan. Don't push."
Somebody say, "Get." Get!
"Get behind me, old slew-foot, 'cause the Lord don't want me drinkin'.
"Because he got his eye on me." Yeah!
You can't hide the bottle if he's got his eye on you! (PRAISING)
"Get behind me, because the Lord don't want me out dancin'."
"He's got his eye on me." Get!
"Get behind me. The Lord don't want me sinnin'."
"He's got his eye on me." Get!
He's got his everlastin' eye on me and you, because he loves you and me.
And why does he love us? How do we know he loves us here tonight?
How do we know he'll love us from now until the end of all eternity? How do we know that?
Because... No, because... Because!
Because... Because... Because...
Because he sent his only begotten son. Yes!
Put him in a tabernacle of clay, so we could recognize him.
(SHOUTING PRAISES)
He came to save us. Hallelujah!
He came to save us. Yes!
He could have called on how many? How many? How many?
How many? How many? How many angels?
How many angels? He could have called on 10,000 angels!
Ten thousand!
But he came to save us. Save us.
He took our place. He hung on that tree so we wouldn't have to.
That cruel, cruel tree. He hung on that tree.
He died for us so we could be saved. It's free, but it ain't cheap.
Am I right here this evenin'? Am I right here this evenin'? Yes!
Glory be to God on high. Somebody, give me an "Amen."
Amen! Glory be to God on high!
Glory be to God on high! Glory be to God on high! Glory be to God on high!
Glory be to God on high. Now let me ask you somethin'.
Let me ask you somethin'. Do you want it? I know I want it.
I got it! WOMAN: Yes, I want it!
I know if you felt 300 or 400 volts of the Holy Spirit, then I know you're gonna want it.
Do you wanna get plugged in? WOMAN: Yes!
Come on. Do I hear somebody say, "Amen"? ALL: Amen!
Somebody get plugged in, you might get three in the one, the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost.
That's a mighty high-cost baptism!
(ALL SHOUTING PRAISES) Hey!
Now if you wanna go for it, be saved. Folks will be saved.
If God sent his only son, then he's worth it. Praise his name!
Did you want to be on the devil hit list? ALL: No!
Do you want to be on the devil's hit list? No!
Then you better get on Jesus' mailing list. (SHOUTING)
You better get on Jesus' mailing list. Glory!
Put all the enemies and the devil behind you. Work on it.
Get rid of all the combined Satanic forces, and get right with God here tonight!
This ain't no parish subject.
This is the Holy Ghost power we're talkin' about. Yes!
Get the Holy Ghost power. You want to have a Holy Ghost expl*si*n?
ALL: Yes! We're gonna short-circuit the devil tonight.
We're gonna short-circuit the devil tonight. You devil, get behind me.
You stay there. You stay there. You stay there. You stay.
Oh, you stay there, devil. Oh, you stay there, devil.
You stay there. You stay there.
Oh, my, my, my. Oh, my, my, my, my, my, my, my.
We're gonna meet Jesus tonight. Oh, my, my, my, my, my, my, my.
We're gonna be with Jesus tonight. Oh, we're gonna be with Jesus tonight.
Can somebody say, "We're gonna be with Jesus tonight"? (SHOUTING PRAISES)
Say it again. "We're gonna be with Jesus tonight."
Let all the people out yonder on Pecan island hear you.
We're gonna be with Jesus tonight!
ALL: "We're gonna be with Jesus tonight!"
(SONNY SHUSHING)
(CONGREGATION MURMURING)
(WHISPERING) Praise God.
Now look at these beautiful, beautiful little hands.
Look at 'em. Now imagine a nail piercin' the palms of this child's hands.
CONGREGATION: No, Lord, no! And then picture the nails goin' into an old board...
If you was to take two boards and nail 'em together... MAN: Mercy!
I know I don't have that much love in me, to do this to my son. Do you?
WOMAN: Oh! SONNY: I know I don't.
I don't have that much love in me. Amen!
But God does. Amen!
(ALL APPLAUDING) God does.
Bless you. Bless you. Thank you.
Put your hand over your heart.
Your other hand, reach out and touch somebody.
The Holy Ghost can and will enter you, but there's yet another side to this issue.
On the other side of the Holy Ghost expl*si*n is a still, small voice...
The still, small voice of Jesus within you, in your heart, talking to you, leadin' you.
ALL: Hallelujah. Leadin' us on. This powerful, quiet force can penetrate the most callous and hardhearted atheist you'd ever wanna meet.
(SHOUTING PRAISES)
The onliest place the still, small voice of Jesus Christ cannot enter, is into the heart of any man or woman who says, "No, you cannot come in."
WOMAN: Mm-hmm. Mercy!
"You cannot enter here tonight."
Mmm-hmm. Not gonna say that.
SONNY: Glory.
WOMAN: Hallelujah. Amen.
MAN: Glory! I want every head bowed, every eye closed.
(ORGAN PLAYING)
Is there anyone here who wants to come forward and accept our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as his personal savior?
Let him do so now.
Once you're saved, it's a done deal. WOMAN: Oh, yes! Oh, yes!
Can you say, "I'm set flat on ready tonight"?
For any mother's son or daughter who wants it, it's here tonight.
Oh, yeah.
Jesus is here. Jesus is here.
It's a one-way road to heaven. One-way road to God!
Jesus is waiting, and the Holy Ghost conductor is callin', "Board! All aboard!"
WOMAN: All aboard.
♪ Softly and tenderly
♪ Jesus is calling
♪ Calling for you and for me ALL: ♪ See o'er the portals he's waiting and watching
♪ Waiting, oh, sinner Come home SONNY: Come on now.
♪ Come home WOMAN: ♪ Home ALL: ♪ Come home
♪ Ye who are weary come home
♪ Preciously, tenderly Jesus is calling Oh, Sammy. My heart's broke for joy tonight, Sammy.
♪ Oh, sinner, come home My heart's broke for joy.
Thank you, Jesus. Come here, son.
♪ Come home You've come to accept the Lord tonight?
Do you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior?
♪ Come home Are you ready for him? Are you ready to finally be accepted, at this very instant?
(HYMN CONTINUES) He's ready for you. St. Paul says, "Any man who accepts Christ as his savior is a saint."
You're a saint here tonight, Sammy.
You goin' to heaven. I'm gonna to jail, you goin' to heaven.
(CHUCKLING) ♪ Preciously, tenderly Jesus is calling I love you, son. I love you, too.
♪ Oh, sinner, come home Glory be to God on high. Glory be to God on high.
Let's give the Lord God on high a big handclap.
We have a new member of Christ in our midst.
♪ Come home
♪ Ye who are weary
♪ Come home
♪ Preciously, tenderly
♪ Jesus is calling
♪ Calling for you
♪ And for me Glory. We love you.
Amen. How many believe I preached here tonight?
ALL: Yes! Glory.
(CRYING) I'm gonna have to leave you now.
Satan has called me in the arena one more time.
I'm gonna go now. I may never see you much more again, but I love you one and all and I just want to say, before I leave, I've told you in the past, some people get on an airplane.
They fly to Jackson, Mississippi. Others fly to London, England.
Some fly to Chicago. Some, to Dallas-Fort Worth. Hallelujah.
But I got my own little airplane. Someday, I'm goin' down that runway.
(APPLAUSE) I'm gonna take off. I'm not goin' to Jackson, Mississippi.
I'm not goin' to Philadelphia. I'm not goin' to London, England.
I'm goin' yonder to heaven. I'm gonna get up there and say, "Get out of the way, moon. Get out of the way, stars. I'm on my way to heaven!
"I'm on my way to heaven! I'm on my way to heaven!"
♪ Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
(INAUDIBLE)
♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away You're under arrest for first-degree m*rder at Fort Worth.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you can't afford one, one will be appointed to you by the State.
Do you understand those rights? Yes, sir.
Place your hands on the car, sir. Spread your legs for me.
CONGREGATION: ♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away Place your right hand behind your back.
Sammy, the jewelry's for the church.
Take it in to Reverend Blackwell.
Yes, sir.
Keep the church goin' long as we can.
Sammy? Go back in there where you're needed.
My Bible's for you, son. That's for you.
Watch your head, sir. Yes, sir.
You are Euliss F. Dewey, aren't you?
Don't say that name too loud around here.
♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away SONNY: Yes, sir, I'm your man.
I'm also the apostle EF, but I am your man.
I'm from a long line of Deweys.
My granddaddy was blackjack Dewey.
Professional blackjack player, cardsharp, before he got saved.
(SIREN WAILING)
I thought... You still drive these Fords?
I thought you switched to Chevys like they do back in Texas.
(CHUCKLES) Or maybe it's the other way around. Yeah.
"Right to remain silent." Seems like I always got somethin' to say.
♪ I'll fly away I do a lot of talkin'.
♪ Just a few more happy days and then
♪ I'll fly away
♪ To a land where joys will never end
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
♪ When he calls on high Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
SONNY: Before Abraham was who? MEN: Jesus!
Who was our alpha and our omega? Jesus!
Yea, though I walk through the valley, who walks with me? Jesus!
If I lie down in green pastures, who lies down there with me?
Jesus!
If I ascend up to heaven in the mornin', who will I talk to first?
Jesus! Who is our heavenly Father's son?
Jesus! And who was sent on earth to save us here?
Jesus! Yea, though I walk through the valley, who's my Lord and Savior? Jesus!
He's our what? Jesus!
Again. Jesus!
One more time. Jesus!
If I walk down the street, who walks with me? Jesus!
If I go to New York City, who will I meet in the middle of Times Square?
Jesus!
If I jump up and down, who jumps up and down with me? Jesus!
If I walk through the valley, who's with me? Jesus!
Let's say it again. Jesus!
One more time. Jesus!
And? Jesus!
The Father sent his son. What was his name? Jesus!
What's his name again? Jesus!
One more time. Jesus! Jesus!
Again. Jesus! Jesus!
Who's our Lord and Savior? Jesus!
Who do we love more than anything on earth? Jesus!
Who was Mary's own darlin'? Jesus!
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier ♪ Soldier
♪ In the army
♪ I'm a soldier ♪ Soldier
♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier ♪ Soldier
♪ In the army
♪ I got my w*r clothes on ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Got my w*r clothes on ♪ In the army
♪ I got my w*r clothes on ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Got my w*r clothes on ♪ In the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ Oh, I believe I'll die ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Oh, I believe Yeah, yeah ♪ In the army
♪ I believe I'll die ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ I believe I will die ♪ In the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I got my breastplate on ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Got my breastplate on ♪ In the army
♪ I got my breastplate on ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Got my breastplate on ♪ In the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I'm gonna fight until I die ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Gonna fight until I die now ♪ In the army
♪ I'm gonna fight until I die ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Gonna fight until I die ♪ In the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
CONGREGATION: Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Glory to God. They put a thief...
WOMAN 1: Yeah. WOMAN 2: Yes.
On each side of Jesus.
CONGREGATION: Yes!
Can you say, "Yes, Lord"? Yes, Lord!
Pray the name of the Lord. Pray the name of the Lord.
One on the right hand. Yes, Lord.
And one on his left. Yes, Lord.
Glory to God. Glory to God.
The Bible tell me... Pray the name of the Lord.
(ALL PRAISING INDISTINCTLY)
Tell me they spit on him. Yes, Lord.
Pray the name of the Lord.
Can you say, "Yeah, Lord"? Yeah, Lord.
Yeah, Lord. Yeah, Lord.
Yeah, Lord. Yeah, Lord.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Yes, Lord.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
They nailed nails... Yes, Lord.
In his hands... Yes, Lord.
Sisters and brothers, for you and I. Yes, Lord.
They put nails in his feet for you and I. Yes, Lord.
They pierced him in the side for you and I. Yes, Lord.
Hey! They put thorns about his head for you and I. Yes!
Can you say, "Yeah, Lord"? Yeah, Lord.
Say, "Yeah, Lord." Yeah, Lord.
Whoo! Glory! Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Hey, hallelujah!
Hey, hallelujah. Hallelujah.
(ALL PRAISING)
My Lord. My Lord. Whoo! Glory.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah. Hallelujah!
Whoo! Glory to God.
Hey! Thank you. Thank you, Lord.
My Lord, my Lord, my Lord.
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
Glory to God. Glory to God.
Jesus said, "Blessed are those that hadn't seen and believed."
Hey! (PRAISING)
Hey! Hey!
Hey!
Blessed is those that hadn't seen.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.
And they still believe in him. Yes, Lord.
Yeah, Lord. Whoo! Yeah, Lord.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hey! Glory! (PRAISING)
(STOMPING)
(PRAISING CONTINUES)
CONGREGATION: ♪ Trouble of the world
♪ Soon will be done
♪ With the trouble of the world
♪ Goin' home to live with God PREACHER: Oh, yeah!
♪ No more weepin' and prayin'
♪ No more
♪ No more weepin' and prayin'
♪ No more weepin' and prayin'
♪ Goin' home to live with God Hallelujah!
(SINGING CONTINUES)
WOMAN: Thank you, Lord!
♪ Goin' home to live with God
♪ We'll be done with the trouble of the world
♪ I'm goin' home to live with God ♪
(WOMAN SPEAKING ON POLICE RADIO)
How many's in that car there?
There's two there and there, and one there, and I guess there's two in this one here.
Pretty sad, sad. I hate this.
Like that little dog, you never know who he belongs to.
Good little boy.
Little puppy, where you been? Who do you belong to?
You belong to this car or you belong to that one down there?
I like that little kind of little dogs, they're smart little dogs.
MAMA: Sugar is a good little thing.
Grab a big ol' handful of sugar, throw that in it. And a lot of hot peppers.
Mama, wait, now. Don't. Hold on. Hold on, Mama.
I'll pull up just here.
Oh, Lord, Son.
Just hush, now. Just hush.
You stay put, Mama.
You stay put.
MAN: I was just running down there.
I get in the car and she tried to follow me back.
Then I go get the man, told him to come out.
For years they thanked me for it, you know.
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)
"Therefore when I passed by thee
"and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, "I said unto thee when thy wast in thy blood, "live.
"Yea, I said unto thee when thy wast in thy blood...
"Live."
Live, live. (SWITCHES OFF MUSIC)
Son, can you hear me?
You don't have to say anything, just know I'm here to help you.
I'm a minister of the Lord. I want you to know the Lord loves you here today, and I love you.
Now, if you can't answer, just nod.
If you can't nod, just, you know, think it.
Answer me in your mind...
And in your heart.
If the Lord were to call you right now, would you be ready?
Do you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior?
Are you ready for him?
Are you ready to follow and accept him at this very instant?
Now, if you open your heart and let him come in, he will stand with you whether you go home or whether you stay here with us.
And if it isn't your time, he'll stand by you, brother, both you and your wife, he'll deliver you through this entire ordeal.
Listen to me, now.
There are angels, even in this automobile at this precise moment.
He has sent his angels here to watch over you.
Now, do you accept him...
Here today?
Yeah.
(WHISPERING) Thank you, Jesus. Hey, mister.
Thank you, Jesus. You have to get outta there.
You can't be in there. Thank you, Jesus.
You hear me? Let's go. Yeah.
When that ambulance gets you, on your way, you're gonna fly down the highway.
Lord's gonna have a whole flock of his angels leadin' you on that highway. Come on, get out.
He's gonna go all the way with you.
You've taken the Lord today, he's gonna go all the way with you, 'cause you both are his champions here today.
Praise God.
Thank you. Thank you, sir.
Don't have to thank me, son.
Thank the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You're in his hands now.
Bless you both. Bless you both.
"Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there will I be also."
Mister, I'm sorry about this, but you got to go back to your car.
You can't be out here. You're not allowed here.
Yes, sir. I understand that.
I guess you think you accomplished somethin' in there, huh?
I know I did. What?
All I know is I did not put my head through that window in vain.
How would you know that? Well, I'm gonna tell you.
I'd rather die today and go to heaven, than live to be 100 and go to hell.
Is that a fact? Yes, sir.
Yes, sir, it is.
Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent that reigneth in the Book of Revelation.
Whoo! Glory!
Whoo! Glory! Thank you.
♪ You ain't going to hold my body down
♪ You ain't going to hold my body down No, sir. No.
♪ Victory is mine Victory is mine today
♪ I told old Satan to get thee behind
♪ 'Cause victory is ours today ♪
(SIREN WAILING)
Mama?
Mama, we made news in heaven this mornin'.
Mama, we made news in heaven.
What is it? There's two young people there who got miles ahead of 'em.
One may live, one may die.
I don't know. Touch and go, so let's pray for 'em, Mama.
Oh, my Lord. Yeah.
Pray with me, Mama.
Just sing and pray, Mama.
MAMA: ♪ Sometimes my steps are weary
♪ Sometimes my steps are slow
(SIREN WAILING)
♪ But I've got another journey
♪ On my mind
"Yea, though I walk
"through the valley of the shadow of death, (CONTINUES SINGING)
"I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
"Thy rod and thy staff will comfort me.
"Thou prepareth a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
"Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over.
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
"And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen"
♪ I'll be sitting, drawing pictures in the sand Come on, Mama. Sing it. sing it.
♪ And when I see you comin'
♪ I will rise up with a shout Praise God! Praise him today!
♪ And I'm runnin' through the shallow water
♪ Reachin' for your hand... ♪
ALL: ♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Because he first loved me Your turn.
KIDS: ♪ It tells me of a savior's love
♪ Who died to set me free
(CHUCKLES) ♪ It tells me of his precious blood
♪ A sinner's perfect plea And...
♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Oh, how I love Jesus
♪ Because he first loved me ♪
Let's give a big hand clap for Jesus.
Maybe when vacation Bible school is over, we'll sing together at the temple, all right?
That way, we'll get Mama Jessie to play for us.
MAMA: I could sing the harmony part. (CAR HONKING)
Come on. Let's go now.
Let Grandmother rest. Come on, let's go.
GIRL: Bye, Grandma. Play for us?
We'll see. Mmm.
I'll see you in a minute. Yeah.
BOBBIE: Bye, Grandma.
When are you comin' back?
I'll call you, all right? All right, Son.
Listen, Ma, about three weeks, all right?
All right. I love you and the Lord loves you.
Make you snug here. All right.
I love you, Son. Take care.
All right. Okay.
Sonny? Mmm-hmm?
If you don't mind, would you go back there and get my double comforter?
You all right? Yeah, I'm all right.
You sure? Yeah.
I'm just... I'm just a little chilly.
All right, hold on now. Hold on.
And bring me my other blanket.
YOUNG SONNY: (SHOUTING) One day, you're gonna board an airplane...
CONGREGATION: Yes!
And that plane's gonna be way past yon stars...
CONGREGATION: Yes! Yes! And yon moon!
I'm talkin' sun and moon and constellations, get on out of my way!
Yes! Jupiter and Mars, move over!
'Cause I'm tellin' ya, we're gonna be goin' straight up to the pearly gates!
Mama, I can't take you with me now, so get on back in your chair.
Now, I know you died on me and gone on home to heaven, so I hope you can still hear me.
Now, you be good while I'm gone, and I'll call you tonight, all right?
I can't take you with me now, okay?
All right? Eh? Eh, Mama?
Hug St. Peter's neck for me, would you?
(DOOR OPENS)
Bye-bye, Mama. Kiss an angel for me.
I'm gonna hit the road, Mama. Gotta work. (DOOR CLOSES)
Gotta go to work.
Jessie, I'll call you to see if you wanna fly to Little Rock and drive back with me and Joe.
I have my Women's Aglow meeting so, um, maybe.
You call me?
See you in a few weeks. Horace, bless you.
Bye, Sonny. You have a good trip.
I'll do my best.
Have a good time at camp, and learn the books of the Bible.
Let me hear you say 'em right now. No, you.
No, no, no. You say 'em. You, you, you.
You say 'em right now. Say, "Genesis, Exodus..." You, you, you, you.
"Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy..." No, you...
"Joshua..." You, you, you. You, you, you.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, et cetera, et cetera, on into Revelation.
(ENGINE STARTING)
(TIRES SCREECHING)
SONNY: I may be on the devil's hit list, but I'm on Jesus' mailing list.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, "I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." (CONGREGATION CHEERING)
And why, why, why do I say this?
Because we got Holy Ghost power here today!
We got Holy Ghost power.
I got a sea of his son's blood wrapped around my body.
Can everyone sense we got Holy Ghost power in this tent today?
(ALL PRAISING)
Say it again! Holy Ghost power!
Holy Ghost power!
I said Holy Ghost power!
Power to change ya. We who don't wanna be changed.
Power to remake ya. We who don't wanna be remade.
Say hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! (ALL PRAISING)
Hallelujah!
Holy Ghost power. Holy Ghost power. Hallelujah.
The devil thought he had the keys.
The devil thought he had the keys.
But Jesus went to hell. He made a house call on the devil.
He took him off of his throne.
Did a back flip on the devil, and stripped him of all of his power, and come outta hell with the keys to the Kingdom.
At church, we got the keys to the Kingdom!
Church! Church! We got the...
We got the keys to the Kingdom! Hallelujah!
Whoo! How 'bout it?
(LAUGHING)
Come on and shout, "Holy Ghost"! ALL: Holy Ghost!
Shout, "Holy Ghost! Holy Ghost!"
"The Holy Ghost!"
Shout, "Holy Ghost"!
WOMAN: ♪ I have decided to follow Jesus
♪ I have decided to follow Jesus
♪ I have decided to follow Jesus
♪ No turn around No turn around ♪
Who's the King of kings?
ALL: Jesus!
Before Abraham was, was who?
ALL: Jesus!
Who was the first and the last?
ALL: Jesus!
If I'm on the devil's hit list, who do I have by my side?
ALL: Jesus!
Who's the lily of the valley?
ALL: Jesus!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, who is by my side? ALL: Jesus!
PREACHER: Come on and say, "Jesus," beloved. ALL: Jesus!
If I wake up in hell in the mornin', who do I look up to?
ALL: Jesus!
Shout it loud and say, "Jesus."
ALL: Jesus!
I can't hear ya.
ALL: Jesus! ♪ Jesus ALL: Jesus. Jesus.
ALL: Jesus.
PREACHER: ♪ His name is Jesus ALL: Jesus!
Give another hand clap for Jesus.
Come on. Everybody give me a hand clap.
Amen.
"Yea, though I walk... (TRANSLATING IN SPANISH)
"Through the valley of the shadow of death, (CONTINUES TRANSLATING)
"I will fear no evil."
Because I'm walkin' with Jesus.
I walk with Jesus. I talk with Jesus.
I walk with Jesus. I shout with Jesus!
I walk with Jesus. I stomp with Jesus.
We stomp on the devil! We stomp on the diablo!
I wanna walk with him and stomp with him.
Come on. Somebody give me an "Amen". ALL: Amen.
Yes, thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.
Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
Come on. Joe? Joe?
Joe? Joe, come on.
JOE: What's goin' on? Joe, come on.
We gotta go, now. Come on, Joe.
(HORN HONKING) Okay, okay.
I'm comin'.
JOE: Let me in! What, are you tryin' to k*ll me?
What's goin' on, man? We're goin' the wrong way.
SONNY: If someone's in my bed that's supposed to be there, we'll be back on the road in 24 hours in the right direction.
I can assure you of that. You mean Jessie?
Yeah, my sweet wife, Jessie, you bet.
I'll call you in the mornin'.
Jessie?
Jessie?
Jessie? Jessie?
(MINISTER PREACHING ON RADIO)
Sonny?
(THUD)
What's that? (SHUSHING)
Just go to sleep. Go back to sleep.
(SIGHS)
Okay.
It was nothin'. Nothing.
"Thou shalt not k*ll."
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
(GLASS SHATTERING) (SCREAMS)
Sonny? Damn it, Sonny!
(STARTS ENGINE)
(MINISTER ON RADIO CONTINUES PREACHING)
SONNY: I appreciate your friendship, Joe.
I really, really do.
Just sit tight in case I start chokin' this woman to death.
If I do, you'll know it. You hear? Mmm-hmm.
(CHUCKLING)
SONNY: What are we gonna do about this, Jessie? Hmm?
Give me some kind of answer. What?
I just want out of all this. I just want out, that's all.
Out of what? This marriage?
Yeah.
Well, I have to think about that.
There's not a lot for you to think about, Sonny.
Yeah?
Just want to get on with it.
You just, you know, keep your hands where they are, okay?
Don't. What?
(LAUGHS)
What do you want to get on with?
My life.
SONNY: That's it.
I'm gonna tell you somethin'.
I might make a little noise about all this.
You know that, don't you?
Yeah, I imagine you will.
Nobody better mess with my children, especially any puny-assed youth minister.
You hear me?
Nobody will. I assure you of that.
(b*ll*ts CLATTER)
I wouldn't make too much over this if I were you.
I certainly know as much about what you do and have done as you think I do, and you know that.
Yeah, I guess I do. (CHUCKLES)
What?
Huh? It's okay.
Hold on. It's okay, baby.
Why don't you get down on your knees with me one more time, just this last time.
Why, Sonny? Come on, Jessie.
Why, Sonny?
I want...
I want... I want us to pray together.
Understanding and loving, understanding for possible future reconciliation for us and for our son and daughter.
No, Sonny.
It's not the time. Come on. Jessie, come on.
I don't want to pray with you today.
No, no. Tomorrow? Maybe next week?
No.
(SOFTLY) All right.
I see.
Boy, you're somethin'.
(SCOFFS)
We ain't never had a problem we haven't been able to solve when we get down to it.
And you know that. He's already given me my answers.
Who? Who's givin' you answers?
The Lord.
Our Lord has?
Yeah. Uh-huh.
Are you sure it was the Lord talkin'?
We prayed together since before we were married.
My knees are worn out over us.
I don't want to live like this anymore.
Because of my wanderin' eye and wicked, wicked ways? Hmm?
Goes beyond just that.
I tell ya, I have a wanderin' bug in me
'cause I love to evangelize.
But I love my wife and family. Always have, always will.
I love my wife.
I love my beauties, my babies.
Look at me, Jessie.
You know I love you. You know that.
Yeah, I do.
Yeah.
(WHISPERING) Don't.
God bless you.
You're gonna need it.
JOE: I'm with you all the way, brother.
If it hadn't been for you leadin' me to the Lord, who knows what jail I'd be in.
I ain't never gonna let you forget that.
I appreciate it.
You hear me now, don't ya?
What do we have here, now?
What do we have here?
(GROANS)
SONNY: Morning. Hi, Son.
What's going on here?
Whose funeral are we about to tend to here?
Don't tell me it's, uh, mine.
I don't know how to begin.
Open your mouth and just kinda get to it.
That's the best way I know.
Seems that sister Jessie don't want you among us anymore, and she's gonna take the church away from you through proper channels.
That's why we're here.
How come I knew that?
How come I knew that? Let me sit down on this one.
I'll tell ya.
How come I knew that?
I was just there. You're all here.
I mean, I was just there, and you're here already.
She wanted it to come from some portion of the church body.
She did? Uh-huh, I see.
She can't do that, Son, you know she can't.
Oh, yes, she can. I imagine she can do about anything she wants to at this point.
Can't she, Brother Edwards?
It all happened too quick-like.
What are you tellin' me?
It seems that a proper church vote was taken, according to the church bylaws, and the laws of the State of Texas for nonprofit organizations.
You helped set it up the way it is.
When was a proper vote taken, seein' as I wasn't there?
The day before yesterday. That's what we were told.
We're sorry.
It's just such a shock.
I don't know what else to say.
I just don't know what else to say.
You've delivered your message, and I've received it.
Thank you very much.
SONNY: Somebody, I say somebody, has taken my wife, they stole my church.
That's the temple I built for you.
And I'm gonna yell at you 'cause I'm mad at you.
I can't take it!
Give me a sign or somethin'.
Blow this pain out of me.
Give it to me tonight, Lord God Jehovah.
If you won't give me back my wife, give me peace.
Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me, give me peace.
Give me peace.
I don't know who's been foolin' with me, you or the devil.
I don't know.
I won't even bring the human into this.
He's just a mutt, so I'm not even gonna bring him into it.
But I'm confused, I'm mad.
I love you, Lord. I love you, but I'm mad at you.
I am mad at you!
So deliver me tonight, Lord. What should I do?
Now, tell me, should I lay hands on myself? What should I do?
I know I'm a sinner and once in a while a womanizer, but I'm your servant.
Since I was a little boy, you brought me back from the dead, I'm your servant!
What should I do? Tell me.
I've always called you Jesus. You always called me Sonny.
What should I do, Jesus? This is Sonny talkin' now.
(THUNDER RUMBLING) (DOG BARKING)
(PHONE RINGING)
All right.
SONNY: You let me down. hello?
WOMAN ON PHONE: Miss Dewey, it sounds like you got a wild man over there carryin' on and hollerin' and whatever. I'm just...
Who is that over there?
Is that your son or... Who is that?
Oh, well, that is my son.
He's... I tell ya, ever since he was a little bitty boy, sometimes he talks to the Lord, and sometimes he yells at the Lord.
And tonight, he just happens to be yellin' at him.
Well, could you tell him to talk a little softer or whatever, 'cause people gotta get their sleep, Miss Dewey.
Do you know what time it is? hello?
SONNY: Now, I'm callin' you, Jesus. Talk to Sonny.
You don't talk to Sonny tonight, it seems like.
(CHUCKLING) (SONNY CONTINUES RANTING)
JOE: I reckon you didn't sleep much.
SONNY: I ain't slept in 48 hours.
I was yellin' at God till sunup.
You got the Pentecost croup?
(LAUGHING) And how, yeah.
Why are you goin' where you're not wanted?
Come on, Joe. They can't lock me out.
They can vote me out, but they can't lock me out.
These people love me.
(LOUD UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
WOMAN: Let me hear you say "Yeah."
CONGREGATION: Yeah! Yeah!
ALL: Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Say, "Yeah."
Yeah! Say, "Yeah."
Yeah! Say, "Yeah."
Yeah! Say, "Yeah."
Yeah! Say, "Yeah."
Yeah! Yeah!
♪ He's all right ALL: ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ That's what I tell ya ♪ He's all right
♪ I need him ♪ He's all right
♪ Yes, he is ♪ He's all right
♪ Yes, he is ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know him as a healer ♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know him ♪ As your savior ♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know him as your friend ♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know him as a lawyer ♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know him as a doctor ♪ He's all right
♪ Do you know he's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
(INDISTINCT)
WOMAN: ♪ Can I get a witness ♪ He's all right
♪ Can I get a witness ♪ He's all right
(WOMAN VOCALIZING) ♪ He's all right MAN: ♪ Jesus, Jesus
♪ Lord of Lords ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
♪ He's all right ♪ He's all right
(SINGING CONTINUES)
He's all right. He's all right.
He's all right. He's all right.
He's all right. Yes, he's all right.
Yes.
(INDISTINCT)
MAN: God loves you, Sonny!
What happened, Sonny?
I'm no longer your local pastor is what it is.
You sure showed 'em with that $50 bill, praise God.
I sure liked that.
It was a $100 bill.
MAN: Well, what you gonna do next?
I don't know.
A lot of people will go with you.
I know I will, if you'd start your own church.
Well, this was my own church, sister.
This was my own church.
God go with you. I'd go with you. Bless you.
I love you, and the Lord loves you.
(ALL PRAISING) Yes.
MAN: Pastor, they can't vote you out of the church.
Your body's the temple and tabernacle of the Holy Ghost.
God's walkin' up and down the avenues of your soul!
Romans 8:28. God said, "All things work together."
Be encouraged, Pastor, in Jesus' name. Be encouraged.
(CROWD CHEERING)
(KIDS SHOUTING)
MAN: Come on, Bobbie. Bring him home, Bobbie.
Bring him home. Let's go, Bobbie.
MAN: Good eye. Good eye.
Bobbie, Bobbie, Bobbie.
Bobbie, Bobbie.
JESSIE: Keep your eye on the ball. (WHOOPS)
BOY: Yeah, hit that ball!
Come on, Bobbie. Come on, Bobbie.
Come on, Bobbie. Come on, Bobbie.
I really wish you hadn't come here.
I come here to see my beauties, Mrs. Jesus-He's-All-Right Dewey, if that's all right with you. Hmm?
Everything all right here?
Everything's in order, Rodney. Yeah.
I'll go get 'em. Y'all stay here.
Right on, Your Highness. Right on.
You feel all right?
I feel about as good as I ever felt in my life thus far, Rodney.
Yeah, I do.
Sonny, why don't you just stay here, you know?
And my name's not Rodney.
Well, I want to see my beauties, if you don't mind, okay?
Sonny, listen to me.
I'm really and truly sorry about what's happened here, I really am.
Well, let me tell you somethin'.
Why don't you just butt outta here before I take my boot here and tear you out another assh*le right where your nose is at, you understand me?
All right?
Sonny, there ain't no call for that kind of talk now.
We'll see about that.
Come on, let's go. Let's everybody go home now.
Let's everybody... Y'all go ahead and play.
I'm sorry to break up the party here. Come on, let's go.
Come on. Let's go, now.
Here, give me that.
Sonny, don't... Don't...
(CROWD GASPS) One for the road, Rodney. One for the road.
What's the matter with you? (SCREAMING)
Sonny!
Let's go home now. Let's go home now.
(ALL SCREAMING)
Let me go!
Now, come on, come on, everybody, move.
Horace! You wanna go with me? Wanna go with me?
Baby, give me a kiss. Give me a kiss, baby. Come on.
JESSIE: Horace!
(CROWD MURMURING)
WOMAN: Oh, God, we plead your mercy, Lord.
Your mercy, Lord.
In the name of Jesus.
In the name of Jesus Christ.
(ALL PRAYING INDISTINCTLY)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
(HONKING)
Sonny? Joe.
I done it this time. What happened?
(CHUCKLING) I let that sucker have it.
How bad? What happened?
I beat him like a one-legged stepchild is what I did.
Is he hurt bad?
Yeah, I imagine. Bad enough.
Come on, what happened?
I think he might be on the road to glory this time.
Mmm-hmm. I don't know, I gotta go.
I'm gonna miss my beauties, praise God.
Give 'em my love when you see 'em. You bet.
And check on Mama.
I can't tell her what I've done, I really can't.
I sure as hell hope to see you soon.
Well, I don't know, I gotta go. I gotta go.
God bless you.
God bless you. Love my neck.
God bless you.
I promise.
You're the best! You're the best!
How am I gonna get in touch with you?
SONNY: Call you every night collect.
I love you, son. I love you.
I love you too, Sonny.
(CHOIR HUMMING)
(TIRES SCREECHING)
"Behold I sent an angel before thee to keep thee in the way
"and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Amen."
CHOIR: ♪ And I will sing Hallelujah ♪
(ENGINE REVVING)
(TIRES SCREECHING)
Glory! Glory!
Glory! Yes, sir. Thank you.
Adios, amigo. hello, Jesus.
That's it.
I got a pre-heaven address.
2120 and a half on the move.
ZIP code, non-existent. That's it.
All right.
Whithersoever thou leadest, I will follow.
Thank you.
Yes, sir.
♪ I don't know about tomorrow
♪ It may bring me poverty ♪
Mornin', friend.
Good morning.
Let me ask you, do you catch any freshwater mullet out of here?
Sometime. I caught a few here before, but I catch more catfish.
I see.
(STUTTERING) You mind if I sit here for a while with you?
Oh, no, no. Go right ahead.
(SIGHS)
You see, I'm on my journey.
Satan... Satan's driven a big wedge between me and my family, you see, and it's a...
(SIGHS) I tell ya.
You have any children?
Yes, sir, and I have eight grandchildren besides.
So I reckon you would know what it means to face the possibility of losin' everybody and everything.
It had never happened to me, no, sir, but I could sure relate to that.
Yeah.
Would you mind if I stayed around here for a day or two, just to rest a while and see whatever the Lord has for me next?
Would you mind that?
You have no place to go?
Not that I know of yet, but the Lord's leadin' me, and he's talkin' to me, he is.
Yeah.
You sound like a preacher.
(CHUCKLING) Yeah, well, yeah.
I have been a minister of the Lord since I was 12 years old, back when God called me. Yeah, I am.
I do have a pup tent in the back that my grandchildren be with me a lot and they plays in it sometime.
Could you use that?
Oh, come on. I'll sleep in any pup tent anytime, anywhere.
I'd appreciate it. Yes, sir.
It's like a mansion on a hill. It's yours.
It's a mansion on a hill.
MAN: Dear Father in heaven, we thank you for this food that we are now about to receive.
Amen.
(HUMMING)
♪ It may bring me poverty
(SINGING CONTINUES)
Glory. Thank you, Jesus.
JESSIE: I feel as if I have crucified Christ afresh in what I have done.
Adultery is a demonic oppression, and as we seek the deliverance needed from such iniquity, I know that never will I be touched or weakened by it again.
Never, till the day I die.
As thou know, oh, Lord, once one has nullified the work of the Cross, iniquity sets in.
Mornin', my friend. Good morning.
I left some breakfast on the table for you.
No, sir, I believe I started my fast after supper last evenin', but thank you.
I'll be back about noontime. You want some dinner then?
No, sir.
JESSIE: I am chagrined at my sin, and, at this time, even as I pray, I ask for the strength to carry on the work of the ministry in this holy temple.
I also beseech you at this time to let the sorrow end here, that the brokenhearted may be bound up.
I pray with all the fervency I possess and cherish.
That you find it in your supreme and holy power to forgive us for our deeds, and to let us carry on your work.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen and amen.
(PREACHER CLAPPING)
CONGREGATION: (CHANTING) Jesus.
SONNY: I always called you Jesus. You called me Sonny.
Now heal this broken heart.
MAMA: Don't you let her have them kids now.
Fight for those children, Sonny, you hear me?
Mama.
JESSIE: Sonny, I don't want to pray with you anymore.
HORACE: Sonny, listen, I really and truly am sorry about what's happened here, I really am.
JESSIE: I want out of all of this. I just want out, that's all.
(CHANTING CONTINUES)
SONNY: With great humility, I ask permission to be accepted as an apostle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
And with your gracious permission, I wish to be baptized as an apostle of our Lord.
I therefore, without witnesses, baptize myself in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
(INHALES DEEPLY)
(MAN PRAYING SOFTLY)
And in the name of Jesus.
I have a first cousin which is a retired pastor.
Uh-huh. He fasted once a year.
Oh, I understand.
He's a good man. I understand. I understand.
Where does he reside?
He resides in a place called Bayou Boutte.
Uh-huh. Where is that, in Texas?
It's, uh, it's in Louisiana. Ah, yeah.
It's south of here, a few hours.
Uh-huh. What's his name? Maybe I heard of him.
His name is Charles Blackwell.
Charles Black... I know a lot of Blackwells, but I never heard of him.
Never heard of Charles Blackwell.
I know a lot of preachers, but I don't know Charles Blackwell.
Oh, yes, sir. Praise God.
You're a blessed man.
Thank you, Lord. I'm your apostle now, from now until the end of all eternity.
Ever since the day you rung my bell, when I was 12 years old, I've been with you.
Sometimes I zigzagged off-course, more zagging than zigging, but I'm gonna tell you, I'm with you now in a straight line forever. I'm your apostle now.
In the name of Jesus, you don't have to go back in there, you hear me?
In the name of Jesus and the Holy Ghost, you don't have to go back in there.
Say 21 times, "Jesus will save me." Jesus will save me.
Twenty-one times...
(WHISTLING) Hey, wait, wait!
Twenty-one times. Don't go back in there now. Don't go back in there.
(WHISTLING) Hey! You have Holy Ghost power! Holy Ghost power!
MAN: ♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
(PEOPLE CLAPPING) ♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ Oh, I believe I'll die CHORUS: ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Oh, I believe I'll die
♪ In the army Oh, hallelujah! CONGREGATION: Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Glory!
(MAN SPEAKING IN FRENCH OVER PA)
Glory. Glory.
You do it your way, I do it mine, but we get it done, don't we?
(CHUCKLES) Yeah.
Yeah.
"Bayou Boutte."
How you doin'? Real good.
(CHUCKLING) Lord, I'm yours.
Which way, Lord?
You pick. I'll follow...
Every step of the way.
Yes, sir, every step of the way, every step of the way.
Amen.
You lead me on. Yes, sir.
Excuse me. Is there a hotel, motel around here?
You know, bed-and-breakfast, anything like that?
There used to be a motel in town called the Red Apple Restaurant.
I don't think it's there anymore.
I see. Yeah, well...
(EXHALES)
What's your problem there?
Well, I set the points.
What about 'em?
Well, I set them, and I set the floater.
Uh-huh. Let me see that.
But it's gotta be somethin' else.
You probably got a vacuum down in there. Let's see.
Well, your breaker plate's not advancing, see?
You see that little old tube there? You know what that's for?
What? Well, I'm gonna tell you. It's messed up.
You gotta clean it, snip it. Then you put it back in, and your problem's solved.
That'll be it. Yeah. Right there.
Well, I... I appreciate it. Yep.
Yes, sir. I knew it was right in there, but, uh...
Well, thank you. Thank you. My pleasure.
Thank you very much. Yes, sir.
MAN: How's it comin' along down there, Sam?
You got that figured out yet?
Well, you had a small malfunction in your distributor.
We got it fixed as good as new.
That's great. It looks like we found ourselves a new mechanic.
What do you say?
Well, I'm ready if you are. Yeah.
You serious? Only if you are.
You give me the proper parts, I'll build you any vehicle you want from the ground up.
So, where you from?
See where I'm standin'? That's where I'm from.
Oh, really? Yeah.
You name it, I been there. I got a little of everywhere in me.
Sound like my first two wives. You get around, huh?
(LAUGHING) Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, well, I been every state except Alaska and a few foreign countries as well, includin' Mississippi.
Mississippi. I like that. Yeah.
Well, talk it over with my partner.
Now, he knows more about the cars than I do.
All right, I will. Thank you. I'll check you later.
Any of you people know or hear of a Reverend C. Charles Blackwell...
Might live around here somewhere?
Uh... I think down that way, sir.
This way? Yes, sir.
All right, thank you. Mmm-hmm.
Pardon me. Does C. Charles Blackwell live up here this way?
He lives on the next block. This way?
Uh-huh. Thank you. Appreciate it.
The house with the pretty flowers.
(CLAPPING)
Yes, sir?
You the Reverend C. Charles Blackwell?
Yes, sir. Well, I'm the apostle EF.
Believe it or not, the Lord sent me to have fellowship with you, so if you could spare me a minute of your time, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Come on in.
Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.
I had this dream that I'd be meetin' a man such as yourself, and the Lord told me to come right to you.
And when he talks to me, I always listen and follow him.
Yes, sir, I see. Mmm-hmm.
WOMAN: Excuse me. Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
Thank you, honey.
You don't have to get up. You're welcome.
Now, in my dream, it appeared that I would talk to you about a church or startin' a church jointly.
Talkin' at least never hurt nobody, so I thought we might examine the subject somewhat.
You know, reflect on it, you know.
Mmm-hmm. Yes, yes.
Well, Apostle, I don't minister no more.
Now, I'm in touch with some of my people, but, uh, most of 'em are off and joined with other churches.
Mmm-hmm. I see. Well, uh...
If I was to get with some of those people, and they was willin' to start up a new temple, you know, small, would you be willin' to come along with me and help me in the community?
(LAUGHS) Well, there is a possibility.
You see, I don't preach no more. Mmm-hmm.
Now, I had two heart att*cks in six months.
When I get up on that pulpit and the spirit start movin' in me, praise God, I... I wouldn't hold back, and I can't do that no more.
Amen. I got to take everything a little calmer these days.
Praise God.
But I'll pray on it. I will. Mmm-hmm.
Well, you might consider it, 'cause you know, I set up temples all over, you know, all over.
Tell me somethin'.
Why should I trust you?
Lord knows what you could have been or done in the past.
No, sir, we got to look out for the devil, 'cause if he robs you of your babies, he could rob somebody around here of their babies, especially if he followed you down here from wherever you come from.
Oh, I... I get it. I get it.
Right on. Right on.
Now, you say God led you to me and not to anybody else?
Yes, sir, I do believe that. Yes, sir.
Well, if, in fact, he led you to me, I could accept that.
If he didn't, I'm gonna find out soon enough, 'cause he's the one gonna let me know one way or the other.
And if he did, then naturally, I'd want to be with you, wouldn't I?
Because then, I would be with him, right?
So, in other words, if he leadin' you, he got to lead me, too.
Well, you put that a lot better than I can, that's for sure.
(CHUCKLING) Yeah.
Yeah.
I'll tell you what.
I'm gonna keep my eye on you, and the Lord keep his eye on both of us.
And we'll all three keep an eye out for the devil, all right?
(LAUGHING)
(SHOUTING)
Hey!
You hand my boot back!
(LAUGHING)
Good morning. I'm Apostle EF. I'm here to see Elmo.
Hey, you. I'm Toosie. Welcome to KBBR.
He's up there. I'll just buzz him for you.
Course, he may be on the air at the moment.
You can sit down if you like.
That's all right, no.
Can I get you some coffee?
No, thank you. No.
Workin' hard?
(LAUGHS) Hardly workin'.
So they sl*ve drivers, are they?
Oh, well, no.
They keep me pretty busy, but there's lots of lulls, too, you know.
ELMO: What you got, Toosie?
Oh, a Mr. EF is here to see you.
Ah, the apostle. Send him up.
Just go on up. Yeah. I'll see you in a bit.
It was good to meet you. Yeah, ditto.
ELMO: ♪ Mmm, that's why I need ya
♪ Ooh, that's why I love ya
♪ Ooh
♪ That's why I need ya ♪
(HUMMING TUNE)
Sir. Well, Apostle.
Good to see you this mornin'.
How you been? Yes, sir. Good mornin'.
Well, pull up a chair. Yes, sir.
What can I do for the apostle this mornin'?
Well, I'll tell ya.
How'd you know I was an apostle?
Oh, news spreads. What can I do for you today?
Well, I tell ya.
I'd like to see about gettin' on the radio for some promotion of a church I'm tryin' to get goin' for the Lord.
I have a holiness background, and what I want to know is, had you had any religious spots in the past that you sold to preachers to air on?
Yeah, you bet I have.
You did. So how'd it work out for the most part?
Well, I've had a number of preachers in the past, some good and some not so good.
How so?
Well, some have been all right, but others, for instance, have skipped town before they paid me.
Is that right?
Yeah, so I've had to learn the hard way, it's gotta be a pay-before-you-pray deal.
That's what I tell everybody.
Course, there haven't been that many lately, but it's pay before you pray and that's for those who just lookin' to pass on through.
I don't blame you on that.
One other thing.
No fancy stuff. We don't allow speakin' on tongues.
Only the King's English. No speakin' on tongues over these airwaves.
I... I understand. I can understand that.
So, uh, what kind of preacher are you, anyway?
Oh, well, I can preach on the Holy Trinity, Old and New Testament, hell, resurrection.
You name it, I can do it. I see.
Yeah, I can preach on the devil backwards and forwards.
I'll give you about anything you want to hear, but no tongues.
Well, sounds good. Sounds good.
ELMO: You know, we'd have to come up with some angle of gettin' some money in here while you got the word out over the air.
What do you think? SONNY: Absolutely. You know, make ends meet.
That's Elmo's place. It is?
Yes, sir. Old Elmo, he's all over, isn't he?
(BOTH LAUGHING) He's somethin', that guy.
He's got his fingers in almost everything, I guess.
That's your house, huh?
Yes, sir. Yeah, that's it.
Where'd you learn about cars?
Cars? Whatever I know, I learned from my brother.
He used to race them out at Fresno, California, so anything I know, he taught me.
My brother Robbie. He really is an expert.
Well, that ain't no race car or nothin', but that's it, right there.
Yeah. looks like you could get someplace in a hurry in it, though.
(LAUGHING) Well, it ain't goin' nowhere right now.
It's just pretty much sittin' there, I guess, but I plan to get it...
It's got a 350 in it and...
Looks good. Looks like you know what you're doin'.
Well, I... I been tryin', you know?
I been workin' for about four years now.
By the way, I'm EF. The apostle EF.
But people do call me EF.
I... I'm Sam, EF. Nice to...
I'm not gonna put you out here? You got enough room?
Yes, sir, I got plenty of room.
Don't even worry about that. Just me out here, so...
I appreciate it.
Your welcome.
But I wanna paint it black, and, um, and everything.
You like it? Yeah, I do.
SONNY: Lord, I'm not mad, and I'll never be mad at you ever again.
I know you're leadin' me. You led me right to this man Sam.
He's a nice little fella and a good little fella, and I know you love him tonight, just as I know you love me.
So whithersoever thou leadest, I will follow.
BROTHER BLACKWELL: Well, there she is.
I pastored here over 27 years, till my health broke down.
SONNY: Where's everybody gone to, your flock?
Oh, they all spread out or gone on.
Yeah.
I don't know if you'd want it or be interested in it.
It's just a thought.
Uh-huh. Want it?
I'd fight 10 men over it. I would. (LAUGHING)
Glory. Glory. I tell ya.
Let me tell you somethin'. Hold on now. Hold on.
Yeah, but here's what I'm gonna need.
All right now.
Resurrection time. Resurrection time.
I need about, what? I'd say about 29, 30 gallons of white paint, about five gallons of another color for trim.
I need cement lathes, mortar sand, you name it.
And the roof needs a...
You know, a fair amount of material for the roof, obviously, but we'll get her done.
I think I can get her done, yes, sir.
It'll come out of my first two paychecks, third, if necessary.
Yes, sir.
Now, there ain't no rent 'cause it belongs to me.
Well, bless you.
There are a few back taxes due, though. That's all.
Really? Well, I can get another job, I have to.
I'll get another job. I can set these churches up in my sleep, no problem.
(LAUGHS) No problem.
You move faster than any man I ever seen.
Well, when I was young, I tell everybody I quit school 'cause I didn't like recess.
Yeah. Yeah.
Now look. This is somethin' here.
Let me see now.
You got you a good foundation here.
Yes, sir. Let's see on the inside.
You got no lock. No lock.
Yes, sir. Hold on now. Hold on.
(ECHOING) Whoa! I mean, I could do some shoutin' in here!
Yes, sir. This here's a shoutin' church.
I'm gonna shout some for the Holy Ghost. Ha!
Boy, I... Well...
I mean, that'll do me just fine, if you're sure.
Oh, I'm positive. That'll do me fine.
It's yours. Yes, sir. Well, bless you. You a good man.
Glory be to God. Praise him.
Oh, glory. Praise him. Glory. Glory.
Well, God bless you, and have a good day, all right?
Snow cone? We don't have no snow cones.
Snow cones are down the street, all right?
Wait. Hold on. Here you go. Here you go.
Lollipop. (CHUCKLING)
No snow cones, though.
(ZYDECO WALTZ MUSIC PLAYING)
(ALL HOOTING)
(BAND SINGING IN FRENCH)
(CROWD CLAPPING RHYTHMICALLY)
Good amigo, friend Joe. How are you? JOE: Sonny.
Yeah. How's it goin'?
Good, good. So, uh...
You know Horace ain't doin' too good.
You hold it against me, don't you, Joe?
No way, Sonny. I might have done the same thing myself.
I just want you to be all right, 'cause I love you.
(STUTTERING) Well, you say he's still in a coma?
The whole church is prayin' for him round the clock in one-hour shifts.
Yeah.
The police have questions?
Maybe I shouldn't call you anymore for a while.
Maybe for a while. They came by and asked me a bunch of questions.
I told 'em I didn't know where you are, which is the truth, actually.
Let me ask you somethin', Joe.
How come I hadn't been able to get a hold of Mama?
I tried quite a few times, and there's no answer.
I been meanin' to tell you. What?
Your mother's not doin' too well.
She's admitted in the hospital.
I didn't know how to get hold of you.
What's wrong, Joe?
I don't know what it is, Sonny.
It's somethin' to do with her kidneys, I think.
Uh-huh. Well, now, what's the telephone number?
What hospital is she in?
No, I can't give you the number, Sonny.
You can't be callin'. Them switchboards, the police is all over them.
Okay. Would you go visit her for me, Joe? Would you do that, son?
I visit her every day, Sonny, you know I do and I will continue to.
Yeah.
Well, I'm gonna go now. I love you, son. God bless you.
You toein' the line? Yeah, I am.
Yeah, God bless you, son.
Gettin' back at me, Lord, ain't ya? Gettin' back at me.
Give me Mama.
(SONG ENDS) (CROWD CHEERING)
SONNY: You know, Reverend Blackwell, one of these days, I'd like to start me an orphanage.
What do you think?
Well, one thing at a time, Apostle.
Yeah, I know, I know. Maybe a year from now or somethin' like that.
I'd like to do somethin' for the homeless and the fatherless, 'cause when Satan robs you of your children or separates you from your mama, it makes you want to truly help others.
It really does. Yeah, well, it all takes money.
We'll get there. It all takes time.
I know. We'll try to create a little local interest on the radio.
Elmo's gonna plug us and also the newspaper. We have a newspaper, don't we?
BROTHER BLACKWELL: Oh, yeah.
Extra, extra, read all about it.
Holy Ghost man is here right now. The Jesus people is here.
(LAUGHING) Yeah. Yeah, Lord's movin' in me, tellin' me things.
What do you think, baby? Huh? Lord's movin' in me.
Movin' it all.
(CHUCKLING)
Lean on that brush, Sam.
I'm leanin'. (BROTHER BLACKWELL LAUGHING)
Well, I'll tell ya. We can have dinner on the ground.
We play softball, I pitch a pretty mean curveball.
Play the Methodists. Sell some tickets. Get some good publicity.
Don't get so far ahead of yourself now. (LAUGHING)
We'll show 'em. We'll show the community that the Holy Lord is here to stay.
Yeah, praise God. (ENGINE STARTING)
Can't get rid of us. Can't get rid of us. Mmm-hmm. Yes, Lord.
SONNY: I'm preachin' like I'm goin' to w*r this mornin'.
I got on my w*r clothes. I'm preachin' like I'm goin' to w*r this mornin'.
I'm a genuine, Holy Ghost, Jesus-filled preachin' machine this mornin'.
I tell you, I'm a genuine, Holy Ghost, Jesus-filled preachin' machine here this mornin'.
Now if God be for us, who can be against us?
He's God here in this radio station. He's God in Georgia.
He's God in Tennessee. He's God in the pulpit.
He's God at the front door. He's God in the 7-Eleven.
And yea, though I walk... I say, yea, though I walk...
"I say yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,"
"I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."
And why, why, why do I say this? Oh, why, why?
Because I got Holy Ghost power here today.
We gonna have a Holy Ghost expl*si*n.
We gonna short-circuit the devil here today, and the Holy Ghost is our power line to heaven.
I'm gonna tell you right now. In days of old, Moses went up into the mountain.
When he got up in the mountain, high, high, high on the mountain, the Lord God above gave him 10 commandments.
He didn't give him 11 or 12 or 13 or 14.
He gave him 10 commandments, and the 11th commandment...
Thou shalt not shout, does not exist.
How'd I do? Did I do all right? (SHRIEKING)
Well, it seemed you did fine to me. Oh, yeah.
I've never heard anyone speak like that. You never did?
No. The preachers I heard, they more or less talk. Praise God.
I was actually fascinated by it.
Well, when we're ready, come on over to our church sometime.
I guarantee you, you won't see nobody sittin' on their hands.
Will you, Brother Blackwell? Not too many.
I don't believe in goin' to no church in the morgue.
I can believe that.
We're not the frozen children.
(LAUGHING)
Yeah, well, seriously, though, I'd like to get you out to dinner sometime before church.
That way, you won't get scared off.
I promise you, I promise you, I'll be quiet at you across the table, okay?
Well, that might be nice. We'll see. We'll talk about it.
Well, I gotta get back to work. All right.
We'll see you. Bye-bye.
WOMAN: Listen, everybody... CHILDREN: ...I can talk to you
'bout the books of the Bible...
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers.
Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth.
I Samuel, II Samuel, I King, II King, Ezra...
Ezra... ALL: Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes.
CHILDREN: There's law and history, poetry and prophecy in the Old Testament.
Revelations! Revelations! Revelations! Revelations!
Revelations! Revelations! Revelations!
Revelations! Revelations! Revelations!
Revelations! Revelations! Revelations! Revelations!
Revelations! Revelations! Revelations! Revelations!
SONNY: Glory, we're on fire for Jesus!
We're on fire for Jesus! Revelations! Revelations!
(ALL SQUEALING EXCITEDLY)
CHILDREN: (CHANTING) Revelations! Revelations!
(LAUGHING) How's that?
SONNY: Oh, what do you think you're gonna have?
TOOSIE: Give me a chance to read the menu.
Oh, right, right, right. Well, I think I know what I'm gonna have.
What? I'm gonna have me some of these gulf shrimps.
Yeah.
I guess I'll have the same.
You sure? Yeah. That'll be fine.
Good.
What?
Nothing. I don't...
Whatever possessed you to move down here?
Oh, my husband got a good offer on the offshore crude lines.
Your husband. Whoo-hoo, that's the end of this deal, isn't it?
Huh? Ho-ho! No.
No, we're, kind of, separated at the moment.
Oh, Lord, please let it work in my favor.
(LAUGHING)
You have any kids?
I have two boys. They stay with my mother.
Where at?
Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Oh.
You ask a lot of questions. Do I?
I guess I do.
You know, I've evangelized there a time or two.
Oh, yeah. It seemed to me, there were a lot of preachers come through there when I was a girl.
Well, I could have been one of 'em, but it's been a while.
You have any children?
I have a boy and girl. It's my beauties.
I call 'em my beauties.
Where do they live?
They live a long ways from here, same as yours.
Yes, ma'am.
Yep.
You miss your babies a lot?
Yes, I do. Oh, well, they're...
They're not exactly babies anymore, but, uh...
Yes, I do miss them.
So...
(STUTTERING) You think I'm a good date? What do you think?
What do you mean? How am I doin' so far?
(LAUGHS) Ah.
Well, you're not supposed to ask that. I'm not?
No! You're supposed to let the evening develop on its own...
Draw your own conclusion.
You think? Yeah.
(CHUCKLING)
I wouldn't have gone out with you if I didn't think you...
Oh. (SIGHS)
(CHUCKLING)
Thank you.
Ooh.
Now hold on. Hold on a minute. Wait.
Dear Lord, thank you for this food we're about to receive into our bodies.
We thank you for the spiritual fellowship between a good woman and a good man.
We thank you for the day in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen. Now we can eat.
You've got... Oh.
Pig. I'm a pig. No!
TOOTSIE: Yeah, when I was real young... SONNY: Uh-huh?
You know what my mother would sing?
I love to tell the story.
That's always been a favorite in my family, as well.
Always.
♪ I love to tell the story
♪ 'Twill be my theme in glory ♪ My theme in glory Yes.
BOTH: ♪ To tell the old, old story
♪ Of Jesus
♪ And his love That's good.
Yeah.
Well, what do you think? Oh.
This gonna be it? Hmm?
I have to think about it. Mmm-hmm. Yeah.
I told you we're separated. Yeah.
I can't see you anymore. I mean, this is the end.
This is the end. I told you we'd see.
(SIGHS) You silly. I... I had a real nice time.
Did you really? Real nice. Yes, I did.
Come here. Come over here.
No.
(WHISPERING) Come here, come here, come here.
Give me a hug now.
I can have a hug now, at least, can't I?
Oh! Of course you can.
Sweet thing. Hmm.
(KISSING)
(SIGHS DEEPLY)
I had a super time.
I'll see you again sometime?
We'll see. Bye-bye.
Get some sleep. Bye-bye.
(PHONE RINGING)
JESSIE: hello?
Who is this?
Sonny?
Sonny.
Sonny.
SONNY: "Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God."
Job 37:14.
A little old church in the wildwood.
Yeah. Lord, let this church live.
Just, uh, pray you let Horace live.
In the name of Jesus, let him live.
I don't know how long it's gonna last, Lord, 'cause they could be comin' for me...
'Cause they comin'...
But in the meantime, we've done something, haven't we?
We've done somethin'.
I want to thank you for that.
I really do.
Good night, Jessie.
I love you, and I'll always love you.
Good night, Toosie.
This is the day that the Lord hath made.
BOTH: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Thank you for the support, brother. I appreciate every bit of it.
ELMO ON RADIO: Even as I speak to you today, the apostle EF is making his rounds in his own private bus to bring you physically to his ministry out on Old Highway 10, at his newly renovated One-way Road to heaven holiness temple.
He is co-pastoring with the Reverend C. Charles Blackwell.
You're all, not only safe in his hands, but you are truly in God's hands on this day of worship here in Bayou Boutte, near Pecan Island, Louisiana.
Remember, for just one month, for both the Sunday services, the apostle EF, will pick you up personally at the very spot designated for each and every one of you.
I don't want you runnin'. Take your time there now.
I want y'all to act right on that bus. You hear me?
Okay, we goin' to praise the Lord, and I don't wanna have to get disrupted to have to whoop you, okay?
Goin' to praise the Lord. We'll have a good time.
ELMO ON RADIO: You will also receive a small rose of Sharon from the apostle himself.
Those who play, please remember to bring your instruments.
God bless you.
SONNY: Mornin', ma'am. All right. How you doin', Apostle?
Here's a rose for you. Rose of Sharon. Oh, praise God. Thank you!
What's your name, sister? Sister Johnson.
SONNY: Good to see you. BROTHER BLACKWELL: Morning, sister Johnson.
JOHNSON: God bless you, brother. How you doin'?
SONNY: You boys ready for church? BOY: Yes, sir!
Yeah, they're ready for church.
They been gettin' ready all the morning for this.
Yes, sir, they're twins. They're double trouble and double blessings.
Hey, hey! Wait for me!
Jesus. You're able to stop him.
Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Wait! Here I am!
SONNY: We're waitin' for you. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus.
Here's a pretty little rose of Sharon for you. Oh, thank God for you!
Hi, brother Blackwell. Praise God.
JOHNSON: What are you doin' here?
DELILAH: Same as you, goin' to church.
(BOY LAUGHING)
(HORN BLOWING)
DELILAH: Thank you. JOHNSON: Almost got it lookin' like the same place, too.
Hey, ma'am. How you doin'? Welcome to One-way Road to heaven.
Y'all come on in.
And living God.
BROTHER BLACKWELL: Okay, be careful now. Thank you.
Sammy, how are you? Some good seats. Real good, EF.
Come on, boys. Let's go now. Get in here.
Come on, here.
Y'all come on in. JOHNSON: Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Apostle. I got you there in one piece.
Hallelujah! Praise God! Thank you, Jesus.
Hi, ma'am. Welcome to One-way Road to heaven.
Oh, praise God, brother. Bless you.
Always a pleasure. Yes, sir. That's good.
Apostle, I know what you're thinking.
All I can say is that whenever you've been on the radio, most of all the white people think you're black.
Most all the colored people know you ain't black, but they sure do like your style of preachin'.
Well... So what you see is what we get.
Yeah, well, we got what the Lord sent. That's right.
I'll see you, Minister. Thank you. You bet. All right. Hmm.
Yeah.
"He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God."
Yeah. John 3:34.
We're gonna have church here this mornin'. ALL: Oh, yes. Amen.
Let's hear somebody say, "We're gonna have church here this morning."
ALL: We're gonna have church here this mornin'.
SONNY: Let the church say, "We're gonna have church here this mornin'."
We're gonna have church here this mornin'. Yes, sir. SONNY: Glory, glory, glory.
Let's put our hands together and welcome Jesus Christ into our church.
(APPLAUSE) 'Cause this is his home.
This is his home. If this isn't his home, we'd better go on home ourselves and lock this place up, because we'd better always be ready to make God welcome...
ALL: Amen! ...in our house of worship, because this is his home.
Glory be to God. Amen! Amen.
I also want to say I'm not gonna take any tithes and offerings today.
That'll be next week.
I won't pass the collection plate today, but when I do, I'm gonna pass it...
If you bring ten dollars, you give me one, for the church. Amen.
Ten potatoes, you give one potato.
Amen. Ten pigs, you give us one pig.
All right? Ten percent.
Here's what I want you to do now. I want you to open your Bibles.
You brought your Bible, didn't you? ALL: Amen!
Open your Bibles to the 150th Psalm.
That's the last Psalm there is.
We're gonna praise him. The 150th Psalm says, "Praise ye the Lord.
Yeah! "Praise God in his sanctuary"
"and praise him in the firmament of his power."
WOMAN: Amen. Praise him. Yes, sir.
"Praise him for his mighty acts." Praise him. Yes, sir.
"Praise him according to his excellent greatness." Praise him. Yes, sir.
"Praise him for the sound of the trumpet."
Do we have a trumpet here today? We got a trumpet?
WOMAN: Amen. Amen! SONNY: Blow it!
WOMAN: Glory to God. Amen.
We have a trumpet. Glory. Thank you, sir. That's great.
(CHUCKLING)
"Praise him with the psaltery and harp." I don't think we got a harp here, do we?
(CONGREGATION MURMURING)
"Praise him with the timbrel and dance." Do we have a timbrel?
(TAMBOURINE JINGLING) Praise the Lord.
(CONGREGATION PRAISING) SONNY: I guess that's what you call a timbrel.
I love it. I love it.
Now, "Praise him with stringed instruments and organs."
We got an organ, but no organ player.
"Praise him with stringed instruments."
We got stringed instruments? Come on!
WOMAN 1: Hallelujah! WOMAN 2: Praise him, brothers.
SONNY: Babes stringin'.
WOMAN 2: Whoo!
Hallelujah, honey.
Praise the Lord. Praise him.
SONNY: Out of the mouth of babes.
Amen. Amen.
BROTHER BLACKWELL: Yes, Lord. (LAUGHING)
Glory. Glory be to God. Hallelujah!
(TRUMPET SOUNDING)
WOMAN: Say, "Hallelujah!" Okay, that's enough. That's enough.
That's enough. Thank you. That's enough.
(BROTHER BLACKWELL LAUGHING)
I want everybody to reach over and hug somebody's neck and say, "I love you, and the Lord loves you here today."
Don't be strangers. We're all in the house of Jesus now.
Nobody's gonna bite you. I love you, and the Lord loves you, son.
I love you, Grandma. I love you.
I love you, sister. Love ya.
I love you, and the Lord loves you. God loves you, too, sweetie.
God bless you. Glory to your name, God.
God bless you.
Let's everybody come up and join hands in a circle.
I love you. The Lord loves you.
Let's form a little Holy Ghost circle here. WOMAN: Yeah.
We're small, but we're powerful. Hallelujah!
Can somebody say, "We're small, but we're powerful."
ALL: We're small, but we're powerful. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord.
(PRAYING INDISTINCTLY)
ELMO: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to radio station KBBR in Bayou Boutte, Louisiana.
Today the apostle EF and his glorious choir are gonna sing a song for us. Apostle.
I'm gonna fly away someday. I got me my own little airplane.
Someday, I'm goin' down that runway. I'm gonna take off.
I'm not goin' to Jackson, Mississippi.
I'm not goin' to Chicago, Illinois.
I'm not goin' to Paris, France.
Yeah!
I'm goin' down that runway. I'm goin' yonder to heaven.
I'm gonna get up there and say, "Get out of the way, moon. Get out of the way, stars.
"I'm on my way to heaven. I'm on my way to heaven."
Glory!
(UPBEAT TUNE PLAYING)
ALL: ♪ Some glad mornin' when this life is o'er
♪ I'll fly away
♪ To a home on God's celestial shore
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
♪ We'll go, hallelujah By and by
♪ I'll fly away
(SONG CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY)
(KNOCKING)
♪ I'll fly away Thank you! Praise the Lord. Thank you!
Oh, it's a miracle. God, it's a miracle. Where did this come from?
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
(KNOCKING)
♪ We'll all go, hallelujah, by and by Whoo-hoo!
Happy Thanksgiving!
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory Thank you, brothers! God bless you!
♪ I'll fly away WOMAN: ♪ Came a thirsty woman
♪ She was drawing from the well Baptize thee in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost and in the name of Jesus. ♪ Her life was ruined
♪ And wasted Hallelujah.
Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus. Glory. Praise God.
Glory to God. Thank you, Jesus. I've been born.
♪ There she met
♪ The master SONNY: I baptize thee in the name of the Father...
♪ Who told of her great sin
♪ He said if you'll just bring us Oh, glory! Glory!
♪ This water Hallelujah! Thank you, Lord!
♪ You will never serve again ♪ Thank you! Thank you, Jesus!
(ACCORDION AND UKULELE PLAYING OFF-KEY)
(CHILDREN SINGING OFF-KEY)
(RHYTHMIC CLAPPING)
ALL: ♪ Victory is mine Victory!
♪ Victory is mine Victory!
♪ Victory today is mine
"I told Satan!"
♪ I told Satan
♪ Get thee behind WOMAN: Victory!
♪ Victory today is mine Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah.
Yes. Yeah. Yes, that's it.
That was real good. Kids are good.
How come they call you EF?
You ain't got a whole name? Well...
Maybe I do, maybe I don't. (CHUCKLING)
How are you?
Well, I just come in to see what was goin' on, you know?
Music was good. Them kids friends of yours? These folks here?
Well, they're just children, children of the Lord. Let's put it that way.
We a Jesus church, and they're Jesus children.
Is that right? I'll be dogged. Yes, sir.
Take your hat off? Oh, I'm sorry.
Stand here in the house of the Lord with my hat on. I didn't mean to do that.
Well, can I do anything for you?
I'm just kind of curious why they call you EF. That's all. I don't know.
Well, now that's no concern of anybody's but mine and the Lord's, so...
If you'd like to discuss this outside, you know, that's fine.
Whatever you want. Yes, sir.
You gonna preach to me? No, sir, I'm not.
What's your problem? I don't have no problem. You do.
No, I don't think, I do. I don't think worshipping the Lord is any kind of problem.
I wish you'd either leave these premises, or if you want to come back into our church this time as a gentleman, that's all right, too, but otherwise, just go on home.
I ain't goin' in any church with anybody named EF.
Another thing is, I don't want to sit around with a bunch of n*gg*r*s.
Well, just get on out of here. Get on out of here right now!
I'll leave when I choose to, Mr. EF. That's what I'll do.
Come on around the other side, buddy. Stay right there.
Okay, let's go.
Let's see what you're made of.
You want the Lord to watch me kick your ass?
I don't need the Lord, son. Is that what you want? Huh? Come on.
Come on.
(CONGREGATION MURMURING)
(THROWING PUNCHES)
(ORGAN PLAYING)
♪ In the blood
♪ Of the lamb
♪ There is power, power
♪ Wonder of his power
♪ In the precious blood of the lamb
(RHYTHMIC CLAPPING)
♪ There is power, power...
I can't believe this.
SAM: You ever seen a preacher hit anybody like that before?
♪ There is power, power Take your hat and get out of here. Get on out.
♪ In the precious blood of the lamb I don't ever want to see your face around here again.
I'm gonna come back and see you.
Yeah. Do the same thing once again, won't you? Yeah.
We'll see about that, by God.
♪ In the precious blood of the lamb
♪ There is power, power ♪ Power, power
♪ Wonder of his power
♪ In the blood ♪ Oh, in the blood
♪ Of the lamb
(MUSIC STOPS) I appreciate your support.
I know it's not the Christian thing to do. You supposed to turn the other cheek, but...
(PANTING) If you do that, somebody gonna take your church, and nobody's gonna take any church of mine.
CONGREGATION: Amen.
'Cause I love his church... Yes, you do.
More than I do myself.
Nobody's gonna destroy it. Amen. Thank God. Amen.
Somebody give me an "Amen." ALL: Amen!
(APPLAUSE) WOMAN: Glory! Glory!
Glory! Glory!
♪ I love
(ORGAN PLAYING) ALL: ♪ To tell the story
♪ Of the unseen things above
♪ Of Jesus and his glory
♪ Of Jesus and his love
♪ I love to tell the story
♪ Because I know 'tis true Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
♪ It satisfies my longing Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
♪ As nothing else can do
♪ I love to tell the story
♪ 'Twill be my theme in glory
♪ To tell the old, old story
♪ Of Jesus
♪ And his love
(APPLAUSE) MAN: Amen. Amen!
Here we go again. (CHUCKLING)
Yeah. Yep. All right.
At least tonight, I'm gonna walk you to the front door.
All right. Sweetie, I am. Right up on the front porch.
Yes, ma'am.
(CLEARS THROAT) Yep.
Well...
So,
you think I'm intense, do you?
A little. Yeah?
Mmm-hmm.
Well, I fit in pretty good, though, don't you think?
Because even though I'm a preacher, I don't always have to be talkin' 'bout the Lord.
I think about him a lot. I'm not like other preachers.
What I'm tryin' to say is that I'm a man, you're a woman.
I feel comfortable with you, and I like you.
Well, I like you.
You do understand me? Yes, I do.
Yeah.
You hear me. Uh-huh. Mmm-hmm.
Come here.
Come on, woman. Come on.
Hmm.
(SIGHS)
Now what does EF stand for?
What do you want to know for?
(SIGHS) Because...
Let me come in. I'll tell you.
Promise? Yeah.
(CHUCKLING)
Next time. No.
Maybe there won't be a next time. Now listen to me.
Toosie, all I need is somebody or somethin' to hold onto at this time of my life.
That's all I need.
That's why I want to come in.
You understand me? Hmm?
Next time. Yes, ma'am.
(MUFFLED LAUGH) Mmm.
I gotta go.
You're too much.
Can I come with you?
Next time.
(DOOR SHUTS)
Call me Sonny. Everybody calls me Sonny.
(CHUCKLING)
SONNY: Yeah, well, I'm gonna have to, Joe, somehow.
JOE: You better do it soon.
Well, I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but somehow, just, you know...
JOE: She needs you pretty bad.
I been gettin' over to visit her almost every day.
She asks for you a lot. Sometimes she even thinks I'm you and calls me Sonny.
SONNY: I'm gonna try to make it somehow.
Tell her to hold on.
I will, brother. Be very, very careful, whatever you do.
Tell her that I built the prettiest little church this side of heaven, out in the wildwood.
Tell her that.
(CRYING) Tell her the bad boy done it again.
I can't make it. You know...
You know, I'm gonna try, so tell her to hold on.
Okay, Sonny, I will.
All right, brother. I love you. Bye-bye.
(SIGHS)
I tell you, a spare tire without a jack is like a church without Jesus.
Amen.
(BOY LAUGHING)
Is this what you're lookin' for?
Where on earth did you find that, sister Delilah? Underneath the seat. Here.
Practically walked on it. Give it to me. Glory. Thank you.
Amen!
Speakin' and believin'. Everybody, give a handclap for Jesus.
ALL: Amen. Hallelujah.
Oh, yes, he speaks to me. Talks to me most all of the time.
You probably never hear him when he really does talk to you, 'cause you run your mouth all the time.
I can hardly hear how you can hear anything.
(BOYS LAUGHING) Hey, sister Johnson, I believe you better get off the bus now, 'cause if you don't, Papa and EF won't be able to jack it up high enough to put the spare on.
Praise God! Come on now, ladies. It's the Sabbath day.
The Lord's not gonna take to all this gossip and nitpicking.
All right? I ain't sayin' nothin'.
You said it. Nothin' from nothin' leave nothin'. SONNY: Come on now.
Off the bus, everybody. We gonna jack this thing up. Come on, babies.
Let go of this nitpickin' and yellin' and nippin' at each other.
Sabbath day. Come on now. Give a big handclap for Jesus Christ.
Praise the Lord. Sister Johnson, come over here.
Come over here. Thank the Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
I want you to love this woman's neck. Make up now. Oh, praise God.
No more fightin' now. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
♪ Let the church roll on Let the church roll on
♪ Let the church roll on
♪ Let the church roll on
♪ Let the church roll on
♪ Let the church roll on
♪ There's members in the church
♪ And he won't do right
♪ Tell me what you gonna do ELMO: And this is radio station KBBR.
We're comin' to you live from the One-way Road to heaven holiness temple.
It's out on Highway 10, north of town, Old Highway 10.
Today's the one-month anniversary of the first service the church held.
I tell you, that first service, mighty slim. Seven, eight people.
It's grown in one month to... Folks, the grounds are just full of people.
I'm lookin' around. I see kids playin'. Frisbees.
Kids playin' with kick balls, baseballs, softballs.
Right here, we got an old-fashioned sack race. Mark, get set, go!
Let's see. We got a winner here. We got... Whoa!
Oh, and we got chicken. How you doin' today?
I'm doin' all right. I been missin' you down by the Bayou. (ELMO CONTINUES INDISTINCT)
SONNY: $2.95, $3.95, $4.95.
No, I can't eat 'em. Too much for me!
(LAUGHING)
(ALL TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
WOMAN: You got to get some more weight on you. Oh, yes.
It's a glorious day. Isn't it beautiful? Yeah, it is.
Couldn't have had a better day. Couldn't be better.
ELMO: But come out. I tell you. We're on Highway 10.
We could have used you this morning for a bit of bus transportation.
(CHUCKLING) Welcome.
I told you I'd come back, didn't I?
SONNY: Yeah, you did. You told me that.
Now if you'd like to join in to the auction, we have some pretty fair homemade cakes and pies, that you're welcome to bid on if you want to.
We ain't here to bid on no cakes and pies.
What are you here for then, cowboy?
I believe you just better step out of there.
WOMAN: Stand your ground, Pastor. Why?
'Cause I'm here to take that church of yours out. SONNY: No, sir.
I'm bringin' it down. We don't want to hear no more.
Nobody goes anywhere, and that house of God stays right where it's at.
CONGREGATION: Amen! Amen.
WOMAN: Glory to Jesus.
Now, what do you got to say for yourself?
You can say "amen" all you want to.
It don't make me no difference, 'cause I'm takin' that church out.
Tell you right now. See this? Yeah, I see it.
You see it? Yeah, I see that book.
I open that to the 91st Psalm.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high"
"shall abide under the shadow of the almighty."
WOMAN: Oh, my. Glory! CONGREGATION: Amen.
If you want to go at that church, you have to go at that holy book first, and, brother, if you do, I don't want to set where you're settin' right now, no, no.
Apostle, maybe I'd better call the police. Oh, no, no, no.
Don't call the police. No, no. We and the Lord will handle it.
'Cause he gonna strike you down on a Sunday afternoon, like you never been struck.
That's a promise I can make you right now. ALL: Amen!
Do I hear an "Amen"? Glory. Amen!
Don't you start threatenin' me like that. You move that Bible.
SONNY: No, sir.
I said, yes, sir. You move the Bible.
I want you to move it right now.
WOMAN: No, sir.
WOMAN: God's on our side. MAN: That's right.
SONNY: Can I hear somebody say, "Amen"? CONGREGATION: Amen!
Who's with us right now? The Holy Ghost. Say it. Amen!
Pick that Bible up right there. I can't do that.
JOHNSON: Thank you, Lord.
That book stays right where it's at.
Do I hear somebody say, "Amen"? ALL: Amen!
WOMAN: Glory! Hallelujah, Jesus.
(INDISTINCT)
Let's say that we have Holy Ghost power here right now.
ALL: We have Holy Ghost power here right now!
I can pick the Bible up myself.
Don't start the preacher stuff with me, all right?
DELILAH: "No weapons formed against us shall prosper." Hallelujah!
Amen! Glory to God.
Don't look at me like that. I know what you're tryin' to do.
And you think I can be had, don't you?
JOHNSON: Bible say, "No weapons formed against us shall prosper." Hallelujah.
SONNY: Nobody moves that book. Nobody.
WOMAN: Amen. Well, I can move it.
I can move it just as quick as you can. SONNY: No, sir.
WOMAN: Glory.
Hallelujah.
Let's everybody say, "Nobody moves that book."
ALL: Nobody moves that book.
Say it one more time.
Nobody moves that book! And a third time.
Nobody moves that book! And a fourth time.
Nobody moves that book! One more time!
Nobody moves that book! No, sir. Nobody.
(WHISPERING) Nobody moves it. Nobody.
(WHISPERING) No, sir.
I know why you came here.
You didn't come here to knock my church down, did you?
You came for another reason, didn't you?
No, I came to knock your church down.
No, sir. Yes, sir, I did.
Well, you ain't gonna knock it down. I want you to know that.
ELMO: (WHISPERING) Folks, I'm just havin' a hard time.
Let me see if I can position myself where I can hear a little better.
And there it is. Yes.
I didn't come to knock your church down.
Yes, sir. I know.
I know. That's why I'm kneelin' with you.
And I'll pray with you if you want me to. I'll even cry.
I'll do anything you want me to do with you.
'Cause I know you're a good man.
I know it.
ELMO: (WHISPERING) Yes, yes.
The young man's not nearly as angry. In fact, I believe he actually has a tear in his eye.
Amen. Now if you reach out, the Lord will accept you here today.
If you reach out, he'll accept you here forevermore.
He will love you forever, even as we in this church love you now.
Forevermore.
Do I hear somebody say, "Amen"? ALL: Amen!
(WHISPERING) This may be the very first conversion we've had over the airwaves.
CONGREGATION: Amen!
In fact, I'm quite sure that it is.
(WHISPERING) I feel embarrassed.
(WHISPERING) Oh, no, no, you don't have to feel embarrassed.
I feel embarrassed, but... I was a worse sinner than you were in my time.
(CRYING) I was a worse sinner than you were.
This is an incredible sight.
I'm tryin' to be as quiet as possible, not to disturb this moment.
This is an important moment in this young man's life...
More important than even he can realize at this point, I'm sure.
Go ahead, brother. Cry.
I'll cry with you. I'll cry with you.
(WEEPING) Somebody say, "The Holy Ghost is here right now."
CONGREGATION: The Holy Ghost is here right now.
Say it again. The Holy Ghost is here right now.
"We love the Holy Ghost." Somebody, say it. We love the Holy Ghost.
WOMAN: Wonderful Jesus. MAN: Praise Jesus.
Victory is ours today.
WOMAN: ♪ Victory is mine ALL: ♪ Victory is mine
♪ Victory, today is mine MAN: We love you, brother.
♪ I told old Satan
♪ Get thee behind
♪ Victory today is mine MAN: Yes! ♪ Joy is mine WOMAN: ♪ Joy ♪ Joy is mine
♪ Joy, today is mine DELILAH: "I told Satan."
♪ I told Satan DELILAH: "Get thee behind!"
♪ Get thee behind
♪ Joy, today is mine
♪ Happiness is mine
♪ Happiness is mine Yes!
♪ Happiness is mine This is absolutely incredible.
♪ Happiness, today is mine I just... I don't know what to say.
I absolutely don't know what to say.
♪ I told Satan For those of you who know me, ♪ Get thee behind For me to be speechless...
♪ Victory, today is mine ELMO: Well, you better mark this on your calendar, folks.
♪ Love is mine Love is mine
♪ Love, today is mine DELILAH: I told Satan!
♪ I told Satan DELILAH: Get thee behind me!
♪ Get thee behind DELILAH: Victory! ♪ Victory, today is mine MAN: Let's praise him today. Praise Jesus Christ.
Doesn't workin' here tire you out with preachin'? hell, yeah. hell, I only work part-time, but if I get tired, the Lord always gives me the energy if I need it, and when I need it.
You sure got a lot more than I do, I can tell you that.
It's not me, brother. It's the Lord workin' through me, praise God.
Don't you ever forget it. Yeah.
(BELL DINGS)
(INDISTINCT)
SONNY: Terry, tell the boss I quit.
What's up?
Not much.
I'll never serve nothin' through that window ever again. That's it.
SONNY: And that's why, you know, I'm a mystery.
That's why, you know, I come out of the blue, out of nowhere.
Being here maybe the best thing I ever done in my life thus far.
You know.
Well, what are you gonna do?
What do you want me to do?
Whatever you want to do.
We love you.
You've helped many, many people in the town.
Yeah, well...
Amen.
(WHISPERING) Amen. Amen.
If and when they come,
I want you to take my gold, my watch, my jewelry.
Hock 'em. Get every penny you can to help this ministry.
Stay alive, you know, 'cause I love this little old church, and, uh... (CHUCKLES)
You never know how long the Lord's gonna let you hang around.
Well, we'll all know.
He places us right where he wants us to be, in all times and in all places.
You believe that?
Amen, brother. I do.
I do.
For just $7.95, you can receive one of these beautifully hand-painted scarves, right here from Bayou Boutte, Louisiana, and the apostle EF, that's me, will personally bless these scarves for you.
That you can slip under your pillow and sleep more peacefully at night.
In the name of Jesus. Glory be to God.
$7.95.
(MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)
Draw me a cross, a nice cross. Okay.
(STATIC BUZZING) ELMO: ...the apostle EF.
(MUSIC DISTORTING)
ELMO: Don't wait. Who's that?
Send it to this station.
The One-way Road to heaven...
(STATIC BUZZING) Bayou Boutte, Louisiana.
ELMO: So don't wait, because we don't have many left.
You've been very generous. In fact, we've gained momentum and even more momentum...
(MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING)
WOMAN: Louisiana State Police for Bayou Boutte, Homicide Division.
How may I direct your call?
SONNY: Somebody, say, "Amen."
ALL: Amen! Glory be to God.
We gonna need to have a baby Jesus, so if we have any volunteers, otherwise, we can always use a doll of some type, you know, and, uh, those who want to be Wise Men, report to mother Blackwell.
'Cause she's to be directin' the Christmas pageant.
She knows all about that kind of thing.
ALL: Amen.
After the first of the year, I'm gonna have a little surprise for you.
We're gonna have a marriage workshop.
ALL: Amen!
Brother Blackwell will preside, 'cause he's definitely more successful than I ever was at any time in my experience. (LAUGHING)
So if brother Blackwell has a word to say here, we'd appreciate it.
Apostle, you know, we just feel that if Las Vegas can build up those casinos that tear up marriages... WOMAN: Uh-huh.
...then we ought to be able to build up a humble temple, a modest temple, where we can try to save and salvage those marriages.
CONGREGATION: Amen! SONNY: Hallelujah!
No tag-team parenthood here. Oh, glory be to God. Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Yes, sir. We'll be with you in a minute, after the service, so you can just set tight for a while and you might learn somethin'.
So just, you know, carry on. Yeah.
Now, uh... (CONGREGATION MURMURING)
(MOUTHING)
Yes.
Sorry 'bout this.
Uh... MOTHER BLACKWELL: It's all right.
(STUTTERING) Just a minute. We're gonna, uh... MAN: Reverend?
Open this meeting to testimonies, and before we get to the main floor, I want my little friends maybe to say somethin' here. Amen!
These wonderful little children are an important part of our church service.
These young people. You have somethin' to say, son?
Thank you, Jesus. ALL: Amen!
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you.
Thank you, Jesus. Right on.
Thank you... Thank you, Lord. (CONGREGATION LAUGHING)
Good boy! Hey! Let's everybody say, "Thank you, Jesus."
(SHOUTING) Thank you, Jesus! Out of the mouths of babes.
Out of the mouths of babes. Glory.
Sister Delilah.
Well, I'd like to, Apostle. Glory to God tonight.
I'd like to give God glory and honor for all he's doing.
I want to thank him for bein' so real tonight. Yes!
I been married twice in my life, but both my husbands have gone on.
They were good Christians. But I dare to let that stop me, you know, because Jesus lives in me!
Glory to God. Hallelujah. Oh, thank you, Jesus, for being so good.
Hallelujah!
I found this beautiful penny, this beautiful black penny on the ground the other day, and I remembered the Lord said in his word, "You have the power to call the things that are not, to become the things that are."
And I found that penny, and I said, "Lord, "this penny is the down payment on my house and my car!"
(CONGREGATION SHOUTING) Glory to God. He's real tonight, isn't he?
He's real, amen! And glory to God. (CONGREGATION PRAISING)
Glory! Hallelujah!
Uh-oh. Equal time here, equal time.
(LAUGHTER) Sister Johnson.
Oh, I praise God tonight, and I praise you for bein' in the midst, and all the congregation and believers.
You know, I'm saved tonight. CONGREGATION: Amen!
I'm sanctified. I'm Holy Ghost filled. CONGREGATION: Yeah!
I'm fire baptized. And you know, my husband ran off with another woman.
CONGREGATION: Oh! Oh, yes, he did, but I'm here to tell you tonight, if I decide to ever do it again, I'm gonna have to check out his credentials.
He gonna have to be saved! Sanctified! And Holy Ghost filled!
(CONGREGATION PRAISING) Glory for his name!
I thank God. Thank God.
Thank you, sister Johnson. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Glory to God. Glory to God. You have anything to say, Sammy?
I'm just... I'm happy to be here... WOMAN: Praise the Lord.
And I'm happy that everybody else is here, too.
Thank you so much.
MAN: Come on! And now we have Mr. Elmo of KBBR.
Mr. Elmo. Well, let's see, Apostle. I guess, uh...
(LAUGHS) I'm thankful that... I'm thankful that God sent you to my station, and I'm thankful that there were plenty of these people listenin' and they're here tonight.
I'm just thankful to be anywhere! We're a good team, aren't we?
That's right. That's right.
(CONGREGATION PRAISING) Glory be to God. Glory be to God.
Yes, sir, Elmo's very helpful in this area.
Now, brother George.
He's been preparin' somethin' on the horn for us. He's a wonderful musician.
He's gonna play somethin' like, Haven't I Been or one of these wonderful religious songs.
Okay, George. Take it away.
(CONGREGATION APPLAUDING)
(NOTES FALTERING) MOTHER BLACKWELL: It's all right.
(MELODY STRENGTHENING)
(INDISTINCT TALKING ON POLICE RADIO)
DISPATCHER: They're outside of Bayou Boutte.
Consider suspect armed and dangerous.
SONNY: Learn your ABC's.
A, acknowledge that you're a sinner.
B, believe in Jesus Christ. Trust in him.
C, confess that your saved! ALL: Yeah!
Confess it to others. Shout it in the hills and valleys.
Yes!
Now if you keep your eye on Jesus, he'll keep his eye on you.
He will!
Just as you can't escape the gaze of a painted picture on the wall.
No matter where you look, his eyes will follow you, those eyes of Jesus Christ.
Whithersoever thou leadest, I will follow.
In the lamb, with you always. Everybody, say, "Always." Always!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. (CONGREGATION APPLAUDS)
When I turn, he turns. Yes, Lord!
When I jump up and down, Jesus jumps up and down, and, neighbor, he backs up what I'm preachin' here today.
Somebody, give me an "Amen." Somebody. Glory.
Glory be to God on high. Glory be to God on high. (CONGREGATION PRAISING)
He backs me up here tonight. He backs me up here tonight. You grab somebody.
Look 'em in the eyeballs, and say, "Jesus is here right now."
CONGREGATION: Jesus is here right now!
Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever.
Now any time...
Any time you think the devil's gettin' ahead of you, you say, "Get thou behind me, Satan. Don't push."
Somebody say, "Get." Get!
"Get behind me, old slew-foot, 'cause the Lord don't want me drinkin'.
"Because he got his eye on me." Yeah!
You can't hide the bottle if he's got his eye on you! (PRAISING)
"Get behind me, because the Lord don't want me out dancin'."
"He's got his eye on me." Get!
"Get behind me. The Lord don't want me sinnin'."
"He's got his eye on me." Get!
He's got his everlastin' eye on me and you, because he loves you and me.
And why does he love us? How do we know he loves us here tonight?
How do we know he'll love us from now until the end of all eternity? How do we know that?
Because... No, because... Because!
Because... Because... Because...
Because he sent his only begotten son. Yes!
Put him in a tabernacle of clay, so we could recognize him.
(SHOUTING PRAISES)
He came to save us. Hallelujah!
He came to save us. Yes!
He could have called on how many? How many? How many?
How many? How many? How many angels?
How many angels? He could have called on 10,000 angels!
Ten thousand!
But he came to save us. Save us.
He took our place. He hung on that tree so we wouldn't have to.
That cruel, cruel tree. He hung on that tree.
He died for us so we could be saved. It's free, but it ain't cheap.
Am I right here this evenin'? Am I right here this evenin'? Yes!
Glory be to God on high. Somebody, give me an "Amen."
Amen! Glory be to God on high!
Glory be to God on high! Glory be to God on high! Glory be to God on high!
Glory be to God on high. Now let me ask you somethin'.
Let me ask you somethin'. Do you want it? I know I want it.
I got it! WOMAN: Yes, I want it!
I know if you felt 300 or 400 volts of the Holy Spirit, then I know you're gonna want it.
Do you wanna get plugged in? WOMAN: Yes!
Come on. Do I hear somebody say, "Amen"? ALL: Amen!
Somebody get plugged in, you might get three in the one, the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost.
That's a mighty high-cost baptism!
(ALL SHOUTING PRAISES) Hey!
Now if you wanna go for it, be saved. Folks will be saved.
If God sent his only son, then he's worth it. Praise his name!
Did you want to be on the devil hit list? ALL: No!
Do you want to be on the devil's hit list? No!
Then you better get on Jesus' mailing list. (SHOUTING)
You better get on Jesus' mailing list. Glory!
Put all the enemies and the devil behind you. Work on it.
Get rid of all the combined Satanic forces, and get right with God here tonight!
This ain't no parish subject.
This is the Holy Ghost power we're talkin' about. Yes!
Get the Holy Ghost power. You want to have a Holy Ghost expl*si*n?
ALL: Yes! We're gonna short-circuit the devil tonight.
We're gonna short-circuit the devil tonight. You devil, get behind me.
You stay there. You stay there. You stay there. You stay.
Oh, you stay there, devil. Oh, you stay there, devil.
You stay there. You stay there.
Oh, my, my, my. Oh, my, my, my, my, my, my, my.
We're gonna meet Jesus tonight. Oh, my, my, my, my, my, my, my.
We're gonna be with Jesus tonight. Oh, we're gonna be with Jesus tonight.
Can somebody say, "We're gonna be with Jesus tonight"? (SHOUTING PRAISES)
Say it again. "We're gonna be with Jesus tonight."
Let all the people out yonder on Pecan island hear you.
We're gonna be with Jesus tonight!
ALL: "We're gonna be with Jesus tonight!"
(SONNY SHUSHING)
(CONGREGATION MURMURING)
(WHISPERING) Praise God.
Now look at these beautiful, beautiful little hands.
Look at 'em. Now imagine a nail piercin' the palms of this child's hands.
CONGREGATION: No, Lord, no! And then picture the nails goin' into an old board...
If you was to take two boards and nail 'em together... MAN: Mercy!
I know I don't have that much love in me, to do this to my son. Do you?
WOMAN: Oh! SONNY: I know I don't.
I don't have that much love in me. Amen!
But God does. Amen!
(ALL APPLAUDING) God does.
Bless you. Bless you. Thank you.
Put your hand over your heart.
Your other hand, reach out and touch somebody.
The Holy Ghost can and will enter you, but there's yet another side to this issue.
On the other side of the Holy Ghost expl*si*n is a still, small voice...
The still, small voice of Jesus within you, in your heart, talking to you, leadin' you.
ALL: Hallelujah. Leadin' us on. This powerful, quiet force can penetrate the most callous and hardhearted atheist you'd ever wanna meet.
(SHOUTING PRAISES)
The onliest place the still, small voice of Jesus Christ cannot enter, is into the heart of any man or woman who says, "No, you cannot come in."
WOMAN: Mm-hmm. Mercy!
"You cannot enter here tonight."
Mmm-hmm. Not gonna say that.
SONNY: Glory.
WOMAN: Hallelujah. Amen.
MAN: Glory! I want every head bowed, every eye closed.
(ORGAN PLAYING)
Is there anyone here who wants to come forward and accept our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as his personal savior?
Let him do so now.
Once you're saved, it's a done deal. WOMAN: Oh, yes! Oh, yes!
Can you say, "I'm set flat on ready tonight"?
For any mother's son or daughter who wants it, it's here tonight.
Oh, yeah.
Jesus is here. Jesus is here.
It's a one-way road to heaven. One-way road to God!
Jesus is waiting, and the Holy Ghost conductor is callin', "Board! All aboard!"
WOMAN: All aboard.
♪ Softly and tenderly
♪ Jesus is calling
♪ Calling for you and for me ALL: ♪ See o'er the portals he's waiting and watching
♪ Waiting, oh, sinner Come home SONNY: Come on now.
♪ Come home WOMAN: ♪ Home ALL: ♪ Come home
♪ Ye who are weary come home
♪ Preciously, tenderly Jesus is calling Oh, Sammy. My heart's broke for joy tonight, Sammy.
♪ Oh, sinner, come home My heart's broke for joy.
Thank you, Jesus. Come here, son.
♪ Come home You've come to accept the Lord tonight?
Do you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior?
♪ Come home Are you ready for him? Are you ready to finally be accepted, at this very instant?
(HYMN CONTINUES) He's ready for you. St. Paul says, "Any man who accepts Christ as his savior is a saint."
You're a saint here tonight, Sammy.
You goin' to heaven. I'm gonna to jail, you goin' to heaven.
(CHUCKLING) ♪ Preciously, tenderly Jesus is calling I love you, son. I love you, too.
♪ Oh, sinner, come home Glory be to God on high. Glory be to God on high.
Let's give the Lord God on high a big handclap.
We have a new member of Christ in our midst.
♪ Come home
♪ Ye who are weary
♪ Come home
♪ Preciously, tenderly
♪ Jesus is calling
♪ Calling for you
♪ And for me Glory. We love you.
Amen. How many believe I preached here tonight?
ALL: Yes! Glory.
(CRYING) I'm gonna have to leave you now.
Satan has called me in the arena one more time.
I'm gonna go now. I may never see you much more again, but I love you one and all and I just want to say, before I leave, I've told you in the past, some people get on an airplane.
They fly to Jackson, Mississippi. Others fly to London, England.
Some fly to Chicago. Some, to Dallas-Fort Worth. Hallelujah.
But I got my own little airplane. Someday, I'm goin' down that runway.
(APPLAUSE) I'm gonna take off. I'm not goin' to Jackson, Mississippi.
I'm not goin' to Philadelphia. I'm not goin' to London, England.
I'm goin' yonder to heaven. I'm gonna get up there and say, "Get out of the way, moon. Get out of the way, stars. I'm on my way to heaven!
"I'm on my way to heaven! I'm on my way to heaven!"
♪ Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
(INAUDIBLE)
♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away You're under arrest for first-degree m*rder at Fort Worth.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you can't afford one, one will be appointed to you by the State.
Do you understand those rights? Yes, sir.
Place your hands on the car, sir. Spread your legs for me.
CONGREGATION: ♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away Place your right hand behind your back.
Sammy, the jewelry's for the church.
Take it in to Reverend Blackwell.
Yes, sir.
Keep the church goin' long as we can.
Sammy? Go back in there where you're needed.
My Bible's for you, son. That's for you.
Watch your head, sir. Yes, sir.
You are Euliss F. Dewey, aren't you?
Don't say that name too loud around here.
♪ When I die Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away SONNY: Yes, sir, I'm your man.
I'm also the apostle EF, but I am your man.
I'm from a long line of Deweys.
My granddaddy was blackjack Dewey.
Professional blackjack player, cardsharp, before he got saved.
(SIREN WAILING)
I thought... You still drive these Fords?
I thought you switched to Chevys like they do back in Texas.
(CHUCKLES) Or maybe it's the other way around. Yeah.
"Right to remain silent." Seems like I always got somethin' to say.
♪ I'll fly away I do a lot of talkin'.
♪ Just a few more happy days and then
♪ I'll fly away
♪ To a land where joys will never end
♪ I'll fly away
♪ I'll fly away Oh, glory
♪ I'll fly away
♪ When he calls on high Hallelujah, by and by
♪ I'll fly away
SONNY: Before Abraham was who? MEN: Jesus!
Who was our alpha and our omega? Jesus!
Yea, though I walk through the valley, who walks with me? Jesus!
If I lie down in green pastures, who lies down there with me?
Jesus!
If I ascend up to heaven in the mornin', who will I talk to first?
Jesus! Who is our heavenly Father's son?
Jesus! And who was sent on earth to save us here?
Jesus! Yea, though I walk through the valley, who's my Lord and Savior? Jesus!
He's our what? Jesus!
Again. Jesus!
One more time. Jesus!
If I walk down the street, who walks with me? Jesus!
If I go to New York City, who will I meet in the middle of Times Square?
Jesus!
If I jump up and down, who jumps up and down with me? Jesus!
If I walk through the valley, who's with me? Jesus!
Let's say it again. Jesus!
One more time. Jesus!
And? Jesus!
The Father sent his son. What was his name? Jesus!
What's his name again? Jesus!
One more time. Jesus! Jesus!
Again. Jesus! Jesus!
Who's our Lord and Savior? Jesus!
Who do we love more than anything on earth? Jesus!
Who was Mary's own darlin'? Jesus!
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier ♪ Soldier
♪ In the army
♪ I'm a soldier ♪ Soldier
♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier ♪ Soldier
♪ In the army
♪ I got my w*r clothes on ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Got my w*r clothes on ♪ In the army
♪ I got my w*r clothes on ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Got my w*r clothes on ♪ In the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ Oh, I believe I'll die ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Oh, I believe Yeah, yeah ♪ In the army
♪ I believe I'll die ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ I believe I will die ♪ In the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I got my breastplate on ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Got my breastplate on ♪ In the army
♪ I got my breastplate on ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Got my breastplate on ♪ In the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord
♪ I'm a soldier in the army
♪ I'm gonna fight until I die ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Gonna fight until I die now ♪ In the army
♪ I'm gonna fight until I die ♪ In the army of the Lord
♪ Gonna fight until I die ♪ In the army
♪ I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord