Archa
Veriaci v Kristovi je bezpečne chránený. Amen. Nie na základe svojich zásluh, ale na základe svojej poslušnosti, poslušnosti vojsť do archy. Jediná vec, ktorú musel Noe urobiť bolo vojsť do korábu. On nemusel ani zavrieť dvere, Boh to urobil sám. Vojsť do vnútra, to je to jediné, čo veriaci robí, chodí vierou v Krista. Boh sa stará o ostatné. "Ten, kto počuje moje slová a verí tomu, ktorý ma poslal, má večný život, a nepríde na súd, prešiel zo smrti do života, do archy, je bezpečný na veky. Amen. Nech ju súd kolíše, kde chce.
Predstavujem si ako sa archa kymácala hore dole a všelijako ináč, ale Noe bol v bezpečí pretože tá smola bola medzi ním a súdom. A dnes Krv Ježiša Krista, Božieho Syna, stojí medzi nami a všetkým súdom. Amen. "Nebude odsúdený, ale prešiel zo smrti do života." Amen. Prečo? Pretože je v arche. Aký dokonalý obraz!
Stromy sú zoťaté. To je spôsob, ako sa to robí vo svete. Najprv sa zotne strom. Tak je to s každým človekom, ktorý prichádza na svet, rodí sa v hriechu, sformovaný v neprávosti, prichádza na svet hovorí klamstvo, nehotový, nemilý, bezbožný, preč od Boha, odcudzený, bez nádeje, bez Krista, zomierajúci, ide do hrobu hriešnych, hotový na súd. Potom prichádza Slovo, ostrejšie, než akýkoľvek dvojsečný meč, zotína ten strom, osekáva ho, odtína všetky tŕne a pichliače, vytína z neho tú najlepšiu časť a to je poddajné v ruke Staviteľa, Krista!
1Dobré ráno, priatelia. Dnes sa stala malá chyba. Pred časom som sľúbil, že keď prídem, budem sa modliť za chorých a bude to oznámené v rádiovom vysielaní bratom Nevillom. Ale nejako zlyhali sekretári, a nebolo to oznámené. Niektorí ľudia volali a chceli, aby sa za nich dnes ráno modlilo.
2Bol som trochu rozrušený, keď oznámili príchod nejakého nového chlapca a ako zakaždým, bol som veľmi vďačný za to. Keď ho sestrička vyniesla z izby, povedal som: "Jozef, štyri roky som očakával na teba. Som šťastný, že si tu." Tak to bolo pred štyrmi rokmi. To bolo predtým, ako sa narodilo dievčatko, predtým, než sme vedeli, že ona príde. Prečo? Jedného dňa som sa modlil potom, čo som čítal život Jozefa v Biblii a pomyslel som si: "Aký dokonalý muž!" Abrahám bol vyvolenie. Izák bol ospravedlnenie. Jakob bol milosť. Ale Jozef bol dokonalosť. Nič viac o tom nie je povedané. Tak som premýšľal o Jozefovi, ako sa narodil, milovaný svojím otcom.
Mimochodom, dostal som telegram z Afriky, že mu robia plášť v rôznych farbách. Áno, oni na neho očakávali.
Išiel som do malej miestnosti a začal som sa modliť. "Bože", bol som zlomený v slzách a premýšľal som, aký úžasný bol tento Jozef. Ako bol predaný za 20 strieborných, len za 20 kúskov striebra, podobne ako Ježiš. Judáš predal Ježiša. A on bol vzatý z toho hrobu a bol posadený po pravici faraóna a žiadny muž nemohol vidieť kráľa, jedine cez Jozefa. Trúbky trúbili a každé koleno sa muselo skloniť, keď išiel okolo. A to isté s Ježišom: "Každý jazyk vyzná..." Šiel som naspäť a začal som sa modliť.
6Sú tri zložky, v ktorých ľudia žijú. Prvá je humanistická (ľudská). Druhá je Božské zjavenie a tretia videnie.
Podobne je to v modlitbe, keď sa za niekoho modlíme po ľudsky, tak povieme: "Dobre, verím, že ti bude lepšie, dúfam, verím s tebou a snažím sa použiť všetku vieru, čo môžem." To je ľudské.
Druhé je Božie zjavenie, keď ti je niečo zjavené. Ty vieš vo svojom srdci, že sa to stane, keď tu ešte nič nie je len to zjavenie.
Tretie je videnie - to je to: "tak hovorí Pán". To je dokonalé a pozitívne.
10Vošiel som tu do tejto oblasti a niečo mi povedalo - budeš mať chlapca a dáš mu meno Jozef.
Dobre, mal som dcéru. Chválil som Pána za ňu. Asi po mesiaci sme zistili, že budeme opäť rodičmi. Myslel som si, možno to bude môj Jozef. Prišlo na svet a bola to Jozefína.
Mnohí povedali, že som povedal, že to bude Jozef. Povedal som: "Nie. Nepovedal som, že to bude Jozef."
Niektorí povedali: "Nepovedal si, že si mal o tom videnie?" Vidíte, ako môžu ľudia urobiť zmätok.
Povedal som: "Sú kazety, môžte si to vypočuť. Nikdy som nepovedal, že to bude Jozef. Povedal som, Pán mi položil na srdce, že budem mať syna a bude sa volať Jozef." Neviem ako, kedy alebo čo, ale to sa stane. Tak, nevedel som. Môžem mať šesť dcér predtým, než budeme mať jeho, ale on tu bude. Neodišlo to nikdy z môjho srdca. A tak sme šli ďalej.
15A potom, jedného dňa on prišiel. Je tu, tak som veľmi vďačný za neho. Viem, že keď Pán niečo sľúbi, on aj urobí, čo sľúbil. On to musí urobiť, čo sľúbil, pretože on je Boh. A on musí dodržať svoje slovo.
Ja nie som schopný niekedy dodržať svoje sľuby a vy vaše. Sľúbime sľuby s dobrými úmyslami, ale nie sme schopní ich dodržať. Prídu okolnosti, ťažkosti, a tak ďalej a privedú nás tam, kde niekedy nevieme robiť to, čo by sme chceli.
Ale Boh je schopný dodržať svoje slovo. A on ho dodrží. Pre neho je nemožné, nedodržať ho. To je to, prečo ho milujeme. Môžme odpočívať v úplnej dôvere, že Boh je schopný postarať sa o všetko, čo sme mu odovzdali.
18Vonku je zlé počasie a tu v stánku je dosť chladno, nie je tu dusno, a nie je tu príliš veľa ľudí, že by ste boli natlačení jeden na druhého a stáli okolo sedadiel. Ale je to dobrý čas, myslím, že začnem vyučovať slovo.
Posledných niekoľko hodín som hľadal vedenie Ducha Svätého, či sa máme modliť za chorých, máme tu modlitebné karty. Viete, ja nemôžem, ja to neriadim. To riadi mňa. Ja s tým nič nemám. Záleží na tom, čo On povie.
20Brat Neville ohlasoval, že tu dole u brata Cranka je evanjelizácia. Nepoznám toho muža. Včera večer cestou z nemocnice som sa tam zastavil. Brat Roberts tam včera vzadu v tej budove premietal svoj film - brata Cranka a jeho otca. Brat Crank je ešte chlapec, vyzerá na 20 - 21 rokov, ale je s ním jeho otec. Potom brat Matheny z New Albany - letničný. Myslím, že brat Crank je tiež letničný.
Sú to milí ľudia, chceli aby som tam slúžil tento ďalší týždeň. Samozrejme to sa mi nedá, viete. A potom chceli vedieť či tam budem v sobotu večer. Ja ešte neviem. Povedal som im, že budem musieť pouvažovať. Brat Cobbles skončil a chcel ďalší piatok, sobotu a nedeľu. Brat Hall musí byť jeden večer tento víkend v Milltowne. Ďalší víkend odchádzame na prázdniny. Budem mať niekoľko malých roztrúsených zhromaždení. Ešte neviem, kde to bude. Povedal som mu, že mu dám vedieť trochu neskôr.
22Moja žena sa má dobre. Skutočne si vážim všetky vaše modlitby. Bolo to jedine skrze modlitbu. Pretože je tu zmiešané obecenstvo, nemôžem povedať, čo sa stalo. Nepredpokladali, že to pôjde v normálnom čase a u nej to trvalo hodiny a hodiny dlhšie. A obyčajne praskne srdce a oni hneď zomierajú. Ale Božou milosťou sa má lepšie, ako pri všetkých ostatných pôrodoch. Tak viem, že to boli vaše modlitby, ktoré pomohli a vážim si to z celého svojho srdca.
Príchod toho malého chlapca zaznamenal v mojom živote obrat. Pred niekoľkými dňami, keď to vyzeralo, že nepríde na svet v poriadku a všetko bolo proti nám, opozícia. Je to zvyčajne najtmavší deň pred dňom obratu. Viete, u človeka to tak obyčajne prebieha. Odišiel som do Green Mill, skautskej rezervácie, na moje staré miesto. Už som to nemohol, vydržať a chcel som byť sám s Pánom Ježišom. On ma uistil, že všetko bude v poriadku. Tak potom som povedal: „Pane, sľúbil som Ti, že odteraz ..." Mal som toľko ťažkostí a všetko možné.
24Dnes ráno je tu možno jeden alebo dvaja cudzí ľudia. Neviem. Mám tu pár mien ľudí, ktorí potrebujú modlitbu. Zdá sa mi, že dnes je tu len skupina z tohoto malého zboru.
Prechádzam cez veci, o ktorých svet nič nevie, ani ľudia, veľmi ťažké veci. Nepriateľ pracuje na tých vnútorných líniách. Zvonku to nevidíte. To sú vnútorné línie, kde sú zadávané rany. Stretávam to na každom kroku. Ale očakávam na to. Keby to tak nebolo, divil by som sa, že možno ... Nechcem aby to bolo priateľstvo s diablom. Viem, že on je môj nepriateľ a že sa musíme spolu stretávať na bojisku a som tak vďačný za materiál s ktorým môžem bojovať, za Slovo živého Boha, ono bude stáť na veky.
A teraz, dúfam, že Boh mi pomôže znovu zariadiť zhromaždenia, také miesta, kde môžem zostať dlhšie a tak ďalej. Buďte na modlitbách.
27Brat a sestra Schoeman z Južnej Afriky sú na ceste sem, (A to je vedúci kazateľského združenia Južnej Afriky.) aby zariadil príchod tam na jeseň, a potom cestu do Indie a ďalšie veci.
Brat Thomas je tu z Južnej Afriky. Stretol som ho. Robí veľkú prácu medzi domorodcami. Páči sa mi program brata Thomasa, o ktorom hovorí a ktorý rozbehol s bratom Tommy Osbornom. Myslím si, že je to správne a hodné podporiť to. Pretože on posiela domorodých misionárov. Viete predsa domorodci lepšie poznajú domorodcov.
Mohli by sme sem poslať niekoho z Austrálie. Bol by to nejaký brat, my by sme ho milovali, ale on nepozná americké zvyklosti, americké spôsoby. Na to treba Američana aby robil túto prácu správne. Čo keby sme sem poslali niekoho z Číny? No predsa, je to misionár, ale pravdepodobne nevie dobre po anglicky. Bolo by to všetko posekané a nemalo by to ten účinok, ako keď človek vie, ako podísť ku Američanom, ako pracovať s Američanmi, robiť veci podľa ich spôsobu atď. To je spôsob, ktorý funguje. My sme tu určitým spôsobom porozdeľovaní ľudia, na sever, juhu, východ, západ a s írskym prízvukom atď.
30Pred nedávnom som bol na Floride. Jeden večer tam bol jeden milý brat, ktorý mal kampaň, nazýval sa brat Jackson, Gail Jackson, jeden z mojich obrátených do uzdravenia. Bol som na ceste späť. Zvyčajne, vy viete, na mojich zbierkach a tak ďalej, nedávam to ľuďom vedieť. Keď nás Pán zaopatrí, v poriadku. Ak nie, no, dostaneme to niekde inde. Gail prišiel hore a opýtal sa manažéra: "Ako je to s financiami?"
On odpovedal: "Ó, aby sme to pokryli treba nám okolo tisíc dolárov, čosi viac, možno 1500."
On povedal: "Problém je, že neviete, ako to robiť u týchto južanov." Postavil sa a povedal: "Môžem dnes vybrať vašu zbierku?" "Áno, ale nie žobraním, brat Branham by nám to vytýkal." Odpovedal: "My nikdy nežobreme." On sa tam postavil, povedal pár slov a v zbierke bolo 2000 dolárov. "Vidíš, brat Baxter, ty len nevieš, ako to robiť s južanmi, to je všetko."
Tak to je. Musíte poznať zvyky južanov. Musíte poznať zvyky južanov severanov. Musíte poznať zvyky. Myslím, že rodák, ktorý pozná ich vlastné zvyky a svoj vlastný kmeň, je na tom ďaleko lepšie aby to podal svojim vlastným ľuďom, než ako všetci tí prispôsobení, ktorých posielame. Som veľmi vďačný za tých bratov.
36Dnes ráno by som chcel hovoriť len krátko. Nie som ... Viem, že toto bude možno moje posledné zhromaždenie kým sa ku vám za nejaký čas dostanem. Ideme teraz do Maconu v Georgii. Je to podporované 42 južnými baptistickými cirkvami. Potom idem ku kresťanským obchodníkom plného evanjelia v Denveri, a potom by som chcel ísť do Kanady na nejaký čas.
Potom uvidíme, čo brat Schoeman, kam pôjdeme za more alebo budeme pokračovať v štátoch. Samozrejme brat Moore robí všetky programy, všetky tie cestovné plány. On tam bude s nami kde sa stretneme spolu s bratom Schoemanom. Dúfam, že brat Schoeman príde a vy ho spoznáte. Bude tu na jednom zhromaždení ku vám hovoriť. Je to veľmi milý muž aj jeho manželka. Zaobchádzal so mnou ako s bratom, keď som bol v Afrike. Zaobchádzajte aj vy s ním tak, keď príde, v láske Pánovej.
38Po tom, keď som sem prišiel a dozvedel som sa, povedali mi, že brat Neville sa ku tomu nedostal v rádiovom vysielaní. Ja som počúval. Koľkí z vás počúvali rádio? Poviem vám, spev bol vznešený a kázanie bolo ešte na vyššej úrovni. Včera to bolo skutočne dobré posolstvo. Vážite si to všetci? Nie aby sa za to červenal, ale je to pravda. Ak si myslím, že brat Neville urobil niečo zlé, vezmem ho stranou a všetko si to povieme a modlíme sa za to. Ak urobí niečo dobré, rád mu to poviem. Viete, to nám spôsobuje, že sa cítime lepšie.
Tie pekné malé pohľadnice a darčeky, ktoré všetci poznáte, ktoré ste poslali tam tomu maličkému. Chcem vám povedať, že si to tiež vážim. Moja žena vás všetkých srdečne pozdravuje.
A teraz si otvorme tu to staré požehnané Slovo. Ale ešte predtým, ako to urobíme prehovorme s Ním, s Autorom.
41Náš milovaný Spasiteľ, prichádzame, aby sme použili Tvoje meno,len na krátku chvíľu, keď pristupujeme ku Všemohúcemu, Stvoriteľovi, ku tomu, ktorý Ťa počal v lone panny a ona porodila toho úžasného, ktorý je prostredníkom medzi živými a mŕtvymi, jediná cesta, jediný prostredník. Sme takí šťastní, že môžme poznať skrze jeho Božské zasľúbenie, že On nám dal tieto Slová: "Čokoľvek by ste prosili Otca v mojom mene, Ja to vykonám."
Tak my prosíme dnes v mene Pána Ježiša Krista, drahý Otče, aby si prijal naše ďakovanie v našich srdciach, keď Ty si stále zhromaždený vo svojej svätyni aby si počúval chvály svojich detí. A my sme dnes vďační za všetky požehnania: za zdravie, za to, čo sa deje v cirkvi a na celom svete. My sme tak vďační za to. Otče, modlíme sa, aby si pokračoval, a nielen pokračoval, ale aby si ešte rozmnožil túto prácu všade, lebo veríme, že sme na konci času. Všetky veci ukazujú na koniec. Len to, kedy to bude, to nevieme, ale chceme byť pripravení tak, ako nám prikázal náš Pán Ježiš, aby sme tak robili.
43A teraz, Otče,ďakujeme ti. Ja ti chcem osobne poďakovať dnes za toho malého chlapca. Tvoje zasľúbenie čakalo štyri roky na svoje naplnenie. ,Ale ja, Pán, som sadil, polieval som dňom i nocou.´ Ty vždy naplníš svoje zasľúbenia, Otče. Aj keď to videnie, aj keď ono čaká, ono jednako prehovorí. Je to tak, pretože je to slovo a zasľúbenie Božie. Nebojíme sa, ideme dopredu, lebo vieme, že všetky veci spolu pôsobia na dobré.
Ďakujeme Ti, že si previedol tú matku cez to bezpečne. Modlím sa dnes v núdzi a v bolesti, aby si ju Ty podoprel. Vieme, že je to prirodzená vec, ale, Otče, daj jej pohodu, požehnaj ju, aby sa mohla skoro poponáhľať domov a stáť pri tvojom služobníkovi, keď ideme teraz spolu dopredu tam von na bojové polia aby sme žali zrno a donášali ho do obilnice pre Majstra.
46Požehnaj tu cirkev. Požehnaj nášho milovaného pastora, Tvojho sluhu, verného v službe. Modlíme sa, aby si požehnal všetkých diakonov a správcov a všetkých ďalších. Nech Tvoje požehnanie spočinie na nich na všetkých.
Prosíme dnes ráno, požehnaj, požehnaj duchovných, ktorí sú u nás na návšteve, cudzincov v našom strede. Keď zhromaždenie skončí, nech povieme ako tí, čo prišli z Emaus: "Či nehoreli v nás naše srdcia z dôvodu Jeho prítomnosti?" Vezmi nás do Slova, Otče. Nech príde Duch Svätý a zoberie Slovo. Nič dopredu premyslené, nevieme nič čo povedať, ale porúčame to všetko Tebe. Nech sa stane Tvoja vôľa, v mene Ježiša. Amen.
48Otvorme si aby sme prečítali len krátky úsek Písma, ak chcete. V knihe Genesis, začneme so 6. kapitolou. Prečítame tu len krátky citát v Slove a začneme v 8. verši 6. kapitoly. A téma dnes ráno, ak Boh bude chcieť, bude to len krátke vyučovanie zo Slova, a potom sa budeme modliť za chorých, a potom pastor ukončí zhromaždenie.
49Modlíme sa, aby Boh rozmnožil a požehnal. Vidím tu vpredu sedieť malé dievčatko. Zdá sa mi, že matka sedí tam. Myslím, že sme sa pred časom modlili za toto dieťa. Zdá sa mi, že vyzerá lepšie. Pokiaľ si pamätám, nemohla chodiť alebo niečo podobné. Vyzerá dnes o mnoho lepšie, som tak vďačný za to.
Modlíme sa neprestajne, aby Boh vylial viacej Ducha a moci na svoju cirkev a na svoj ľud všade, aby sa naša viera mohla pozdvihnúť ponad všetky ťažkosti života, aby sme sa mohli stať schopní byť "viac ako premožitelia a víťazi skrze toho, ktorý si nás zamiloval a dal svoj život za nás."
51A teraz, vy ktorí máte Biblie:
Ale Noach našiel milosť v očiach Hospodinových.
Toto sú rody Noachove. Noach bol spravodlivý muž dokonalý vo svojich pokoleniach. Noach chodil s Bohom.
A Noach splodil troch synov: Sema, Chama a Jafeta.
A zem bola porušená pred Bohom a zem bola naplnená ukrutnosťou.
A Boh videl zem a hľa, bola porušená, lebo každé telo bolo porušilo svoju cestu na zemi.
A Boh riekol Noachovi: koniec každého tela prišiel predo mňa, lebo zem je plná ukrutnosti od nich a hľa, skazím ich aj so zemou.
Učiň si koráb z dreva gófer a spravíš koráb s priehradami a pokryješ ho zvnútra i zvonku smolou.
Nech Pán teraz pridá požehnanie k čítaniu jeho Slova. Chcem dnes ráno hovoriť ak Boh dá, alebo radšej vyučovať za chvíľu slovo ohľadne Archy. Čo archa znamenala, čo naznačovala a vzory archy. Pretože archa dokonale a všetko čo je v Starom zákone presne znázorňovalo Krista. Kristus je naplnením celého Starého zákona. Celý Starý zákon bol naplnený v Kristovi Ježišovi.
53Bol to čas zničenia, čas tesne pred zničením. Celá zem bola plná násilia.
Keď si všimneme, všade, kde vidíte, že sa človek začína množiť, ľudia sa začínajú dávať dohromady, veľké zoskupenia ľudí, ktorí tam zostávajú, to mesto sa stáva zaľudnené, stále viac ľudí. Ako viete, to začína prinášať so sebou rôzne prostriedky na rekreáciu, od toho to ide ku hazardným hrám, od hazardu k pitiu, od pitia k prostitúcii, k rozbíjaniu rodín, manželstvo, rozvod, potom vražda. To sa proste šíri a šíri ako reťaz bez konca.
Keď Boh chodil len s človekom, ktorý bol sám, ten mal zaľúbenie v Bohu. Ale keď sa človek začal množiť, a začalo pribúdať viac a viac a viac ľudí, potom oni začali ... Satan mal viacej priestoru na prácu. Tento človek mohol trochu veriť, prikláňal sa na túto stranu a druhý trochu na tamtú stranu, potom keď Satan prišiel, on to len rozpálil. Potom sa to stáva týmto a tamtým a predstavy sa začínajú stávať väčšie, a potom nastupuje prevrátenosť. A keď Noach ...
56Keď si všimnete, medzi generáciami, po zabití Ábela, Boh ho nahradil Setom. Samozrejme, my sme sa učili od historikov, že Adam a Eva mali 70 synov a dcér. Ale ako Biblia hovorí len traja synovia, Cham, Sem a Jafet, to boli Noeho synovia. Prepáčte. To bol Kain, Ábel a Set, to boli Noeho synovia, či vlastne Adamovi synovia.
Som len trochu rozrušený, týchto niekoľko posledných dní odkedy sa narodil môj Jozef, tak trochu niektoré veci miešam.
Všimnite si potom túto Chámovu líniu, potom keď on tam bol cez to prenesený, cez to predpotopné zničenie. Jeho celá generácia odpadla do zlého.
Keď si všimneme líniu Kaina, je to to isté. Oni odišli do zeme Nóda, Kain tam odišiel a tam sa oženil, zobral svoju ženu, odišiel tam a neskôr sa ľudia stávajú ako obri.
Keď prešli deti Izraela cez tú zem, našli ľudí, niektorí z nich mali prsty až 14 palcov dlhé. Premýšľajte o tom, veľkí obri. Dávid zabil Goliáša, ktorý bol obor, povedal, že jeho kopija bola veľká ako tkáčsky návoj. Bol to muž 9 stôp vysoký, aký veľký chlap!
61Ale keď si všimnete, skrze líniu Kaina prichádza veľká civilizácia. Keď sa človek začína rozmnožovať, začínajú odchádzať za rôznym vzdelaním a tak ďalej, za objavmi, vynálezmi. Boli to veľkí obrábači dreva. Ako oni stavali a začali stavať a stavať a stavať, to bolo znamenie, že čas konca je blízko. Všimnite si, aký typ budov máme dnes? Je to znovu znamenie konca času.
Boli to veľkí obrábači kovu. Objavili ako môžu a čo môžu robiť z kovu. Všimnite si, čo sa robí z kovu dnes? Počul som pred nedávnom v rádiu, že robia oceľové alebo kovové domy. Vyťažili prakticky skoro všetko drevo, tak to robia z hliníka a z ocele a podobne. Veľké pokroky vo vzdelaní, vo vede. Veda sa vyvíja, to je znamenie konečného času. Všimnite si, aký pokrok urobila veda za posledných pár rokov! Veci, ktoré sa dejú, čo to je? Blíži sa konečný čas. Znak, že všetci veriaci ...
Služobníci za kazateľnicami by to mali kázať celou svojou silou, aby to ľudia uvideli. Prechádzame okolo míľniku a všetky veci poukazujú na koniec. Biblický verš, Božia Biblia, ktorú dnes čítame a veríme jej ukazuje na koniec, ktorý nie je veľmi ďaleko. Veľký vedecký svet hovorí, že koniec je v dohľade, ďalší veľký míľnik. Zverokruh v kalendári atď., astronómia a všetko ukazuje že koniec je na dohľad. Pyramída hovorí, že koniec je na dohľad. Každý veľký ukazovateľ hovorí, že koniec je na dohľad. Sme v poslednom čase.
67Všimnite si. Ale Boh vo svojej suverénnej milosti, pred časom konca ... On poukázal teraz na to v Ježišovi. Ježiš na to poukázal, povedal: "Ako bolo za dní Noeho, pred potopou, čo robili ľudia, to sa opäť zopakuje." A my to vidíme. Tak musíme byť buď duchovne slepí, alebo to vidíme. Otvorte oči, pozrite sa okolo!
Je veľký rozdiel medzi tým byť fyzicky slepý a duchovne slepý. Verím, že keby som si musel vybrať, vždy by som si vybral fyzickú slepotu. Áno. Je niečo také ako byť slepým.
69Pred nedávnom mi povedal jeden kazateľ: "Ak si sluha Boží, oslep ma."
Povedal som: "Ty si už slepý."
On povedal: "Ja, slepý?"
Povedal som: "Áno, pane." Pretože si robil posmech z Božieho uzdravovania, robil si posmech z krstu Duchom Svätým, hovoril, že tieto veci neexistujú. Povedal som: "Ty si slepý."
On povedal: "Nie, to je nejaký tvoj trik."
Povedal som: "To je Písmo. Biblia tak hovorí."
Povedal: "Kedy bola myseľ slepá?"
Povedal som: "Mnohokrát. Ježiš povedal tvojim otcom: vy slepí farizejovia! Máte oči, ale nemôžete vidieť. To je pravda! Ale keby ste poznali čas ..."
Povedal som: „Eliáš bol raz v Dotáne, ten veľký prorok a obkľúčila ho tam celá sýrska armáda, aby ho zajala. Geházi povedal: "Otče oni všetci idú na nás, celé mesto je tu obkľúčené sýrskou armádou."
On povedal: "Dobre, ale je viacej tých, ktorí sú s nami, ako tých, ktorí sú s nimi."
Povedal: "No dobre, oni sú tu ale ja nevidím nikoho, okrem teba."
On povedal: "Bože, otvor jeho oči." A keď sa jeho oči otvorili, uvidel okolo proroka zástupy ohnivých vozov, celé kopce boli v ohni ... On išiel rovno tam kde oni boli a povedal, že ich oslepil. Nie telesne. Z určitého hľadiska boli telesne slepí. On tam išiel a povedal: „Hľadáte Eliáša?" On sám bol Eliáš.
Povedali: „Áno, jeho hľadáme."
"Poďte za mnou, zavediem vás k nemu." Nevedeli to. Oni boli slepí.
78A dnes, ľudia sú ranení slepotou, pretože odmietajú Boha, milosť. Potom už ostáva len súd. Ale Boh vo svojej láske a milosti pripravil cestu. Takže predtým, ako udrie Boží súd, je tu cesta. Boh ukazuje cestu úniku všetkým tým, ktorí majú túžbu nasledovať tú cestu. To sú Jeho milosti, pripravovať cestu úniku. "Nechce, aby niekto zahynul, ale aby všetci mohli prísť k pokániu."
On je dnes vo svete, ukazuje znamenia a zázraky, kriesi ľudí, dejú sa veľké veci, ukazuje znamenia hore na nebi a na zemi. Znamenia lietajúcich tanierov vo vzduchu, kde ani Pentagon ani všetci nevedia čo si o tom myslieť. Znamenia hore na nebi a na zemi uzdravovanie chorých, kriesenie mŕtvych, otváranie očí slepých, vyháňanie zlých duchov, evanjelium je kázané, znamenia pred Jeho príchodom. "Nechce, aby ktokoľvek zahynul, ale aby sa všetci mohli pokorne, milo skloniť a činiť pokánie." Ale tí, ktorí odmietajú Krista, musia chodiť slepí.
Čo keby som ja dnes odmietol mať zrak, nechal by som aby mi boli vylúpnuté oči? Keby som odmietol zachovať si svoje oči, zobral by som niečo a vypichol si ich. To znamená, že potom nechcem vidieť
Tak je to duchovne. Ak človek odmieta dívať sa do Božieho Slova a vidieť Boží plán a vidieť Boha, on si automaticky vylupuje oči. On sám si zatvára oči pred Božími vecami. Čo za deň! Čo za čas! Čo za lekcia z ktorej sa dnes máme naučiť, keď sa dívame na čas konca.
82Ale Boh vo svojej suverénnej milosti, za dní Noeho povedal: "Chcem, aby si išiel a urobil opatrenie pre všetkých tých, ktorí túžia uniknúť tomuto súdu." Nie je to úžasné? Boh nechce, aby niekto zahynul, preto pripravuje cestu záchrany pre tých, ktorí chceli ísť Božou cestou záchrany. A tak povedal Noemu: "Noe, chcem, aby si postavil koráb."
Slovo archa (koráb) je niečo ako malá skriňa, alebo miesto úniku, miesto úkrytu. V Starom zákone sa hovorí o troch archách a chceme sa za chvíľu pozrieť na tie tri. Všetky tieto znázorňovali jednu veľkú archu, ktorou je pre cirkev dnes Kristus. Tri je potvrdenie. Všetky tieto staré veci boli len tieňom.
84Nedávno som čítal, kým som sedel na brehu potoka, ako tie židovské matky tam vtedy rodili tých patriarchov. Každá z nich, keď rodila a v pôrodných bolestiach vyslovila jeho meno, povedal čo on bude a čo bude v poslednom čase, nevediac pri tom čo robí, keď to mumlala. Keď vezmeme Genesis 49 a zoradíme to, kde oni sú a sledujeme čo to je. Je to presne tam. Ó.
Keby sme si len mohli niekedy otvoriť oči a náš duchovný sluch, aby Slovo vyšlo navonok, aby sme si uvedomili, čo to je a Duch by nám zjavil ... Modlím sa teraz, aby Duch Svätý zobral tieto Božie veci a vložil ich do našich sŕdc, každému mužovi a žene, chlapcovi a dievčaťu, ktorí tu sú.
86Archa! Jedna z nich bola tá, ktorú staval Noe, ako cestu záchrany. Druhá, o ktorej sa hovorí, bola tá, do ktorej bol vložený Mojžiš. Tretia bola archa svedectva (zákona) pre Izrael. A štvrtá, všetko sa vyplnilo v tej štvrtej, ktorou je Ježiš Kristus.
Poďme teraz naspäť a začnime prv v knihe Genezis a pozrime sa, ako sa robili prípravy na stavbu archy a pozrime sa, či to neznázorňuje presne Krista. Všetci, ktorí sa zhromaždili do každej archy alebo prišli do zmierenia skrze archu, všetci boli zachránení keď prebiehal súd. A presne s takou istotou ako oni boli zachránení v tom predobraze o čo viacej my máme byť zachránení v Kristovi v tom skutočnom obraze všetkých tých árch! Aký je On úžasný!
88Vidíme potom tam, že Boh povedal Noemu: "Chcem, aby si to postavil zo špeciálneho dreva." Nie každé drevo by bolo vhodné. Musíme mať určitý druh dreva, musí to byť drevo gófer. Študoval som tu pred niekoľkými týždňami, aké bolo drevo gófer. Bolo to mäkké drevo, poddajné. A to je to z čoho sa robila archa, z dreva, ktoré sa dalo ľahko používať, z poddajného dreva.
To je veriaci. Raz v rukách Božích, odrezaný od stromu svojej vlastnej spravodlivosti, stáva sa poddajným v rukách staviteľa. Nie točený každým vetrom učenia sem a tam, ale poddajný, že pasuje presne do Božieho Slova aby sa dal ľahko použiť.
90Všimli sme si, že to bolo drevo, ktoré ľahko nasávalo vlhkosť, prijímalo vlhkosť. A teraz, jedna vec, človek, ktorý je poddajný v Božích rukách, môže znamenať veľa pre Boha a tiež môžete znamenať veľa pre diabla.
No, keby bola archa postavená z dreva, ktoré je poddajné a nasakovalo by vodu, za chvíľu by bola úplne nasýtená vodou a okamžite by sa potopila, lebo by oťažela, lebo drevo gófer je skutočne ľahké drevo a voda by ho úplne presiakla.
Myslím, že dnes je to problém mnohých úprimných mužov a žien, ktorí sa nechcú plne odovzdať Bohu, ale urobili chybu. Preto je archa nasýtená vodou, nemôže ísť ďalej. Kymáca sa sem a ta a potápa sa.
93Tak aký Duch Svätý tam formoval tú cestu? Oni nemohli takto pozostať a ísť ďalej. Tak Boh povedal Noemu: "Natri archu zvonku aj zvnútra smolou, z obidvoch strán."
Študoval som potom, z čoho robili tú smolu. Išiel som naspäť a našiel som to, šiel som do starých slovníkov, začal som hľadať, čo smola znamená. V gréčtine som našiel, že smola znamená tiež určitú hmotu. Ako získali smolu? Vyklepali ju z iného stromu. To bolo ako živica a oni ju vytĺkli a uvarili a potom to vyliali a to bola smola.
Aká úžasná vec, že to drevo, ktoré prv bolo zoťaté, určitý druh stromu, to bol človek, Kristus vo svojej pokore, on bol človek. A cirkev, Jeho archa dnes, prichádza do svojej cirkvi, čím nie je nič iné než Jeho vlastné duchovné telo tu na zemi. Kristus bol zoťatý a život bol z neho vytlčený, aby mohol byť daný do Cirkvi.
96Keď na to jemné drevo gófer vyliali horúcu smolu, ono ju hneď nasiaklo, z vonku aj z vnútra a zostalo zapečatené. Amen. Ó, vidíte to? Pečať. Jemné drevo, namáčané v Božom slove, Kristus vylievajúci Ducha Svätého, nadšení. Nefunguje to, keď je smola studená, musí byť horúca. To čo dnes potrebujeme sú starodávne zhromaždenia Ducha Svätého, nadšení, poliati.
Zobrali to mäkké drevo gófer, veľkú naberačku a polievali to, a drevo gófer, veľmi jemné, pripravené, potom z vnútra aj z vonku ho tá smola prenikla a obalila ho ako oceľ. Žiadna voda už nijako nemohla presiaknuť dovnútra. To bola ochrana.
Každý človek, ktorý prichádza a prijíma Krista a oblieka si ho skrze Ducha Svätého, sa stáva takým jednomyseľným, že nevidí nič iné len Krista. On sa už viac nestará o veci sveta. Môžte ho udrieť, vynadať mu, vykopnúť ho, urobiť mu čokoľvek, ale on je obalený, inými slovami je zapečatený. Sú uzavreté všetky trhliny. To je to, čo urobili s tou smolou.
Viete čo znamená zapečatenie dnes, čo je to na tejto arche dnes? List Efezským 4,30 hovorí: "Nezarmucujte Svätého Ducha Božieho, ktorým ste zapečatení (alebo zasmolení, obalení) ku dňu vykúpenia." Amen. Všetko je zapečatené, každý kúsok dreva, každá malá dierka, každá skulinka, každý malý pór v tom dreve je proste zapečatený a uzavretý Duchom Božím. Ó, aké úžasné!
100Keby ste tú smolu dávali na to studenú, mali by ste v nej vzduchové bublinky. Keby ste narazili na nejaké brvno alebo na niečo, mohlo by to prasknúť, lebo má v sebe kazy. Ale keď je to naliate horúce, všade to prenikne a utesní to z oboch strán - zvonku i zvnútra. Amen.
Je to dokonalý obraz na Krista a na jeho cirkev. Ako jeden strom musel byť zoťatý, doudieraný, odretý a všetka šťava bola z neho vzatá, a potom sa to použilo na iný strom, aby bol ochránený pred súdom. Kristus bol vyťatý, aby skrze jeho život a skrze Ducha Svätého mohla byť cirkev prenesená cez súd. Vidíte to? Aký úžasný obraz. To s človekom pohne, však? Srdce vám skáče od radosti. Všetko to hovorí o Kristovi, všetko v Starom zákone ukazovalo na Krista, je to jeho tieň.
102Niekto sa ma pred nedávnom spýtal: "Brat Branham, prečo sa deje toto alebo tamto?" Áno, ona tu dnes sedí. Práve som jedol za stolom. Povedal som: "Sestra, musíš sa vrátiť na začiatok všetkých vecí. Prvé čím bola človek, pred čímkoľvek, prv ako bola jediná bunka, oni boli duch. To je základná časť. Udržiavať toho ducha v poriadku. Všetko okrem toho zahynie. Či už sú to domy, polia, zdravie, čokoľvek to môže byť, všetko speje k zániku a vráti sa späť do ducha." Haleluja. Rovno znovu naspäť do ducha, tak zachádzajte s tým správne.
Je jedno, čo máte na tomto svete alebo čo nemáte, udržujte svoje srdce v poriadku v súlade s Bohom. Lebo to je všetko, všetky naše domy, polia, peniaze, choroby, zdravie, deti, všetko, čo tu máte na zemi vás opustí a vy pôjdete znovu rovno na začiatok. Ak je to v poriadku s Bohom, znovu vystúpite, to je tak isté ako je Boh v nebi. Ak to nie je v poriadku s Bohom, musíte ísť inou cestou. Tu ste na to aby ste sa rozhodli. Rozhodnite sa dnes pre Krista
105Všimnite si. Iný význam, ktorý má slovo smola alebo zalepiť smolou je: zmieriť. Slovo zatrieť smolou znamená zmieriť. To isté slovo, ktoré bolo použité v knihe Genesis ako smola, je použité v knihe Leviticus [3. Mojžišova. – pozn.prekl.] - zmierenie, vykonávať zmierenie. Zmieriť znamená "stáť medzi". A smola, ktorá bola v dreve gófer v arche mala držať pomimo alebo zmieriť veriaceho od hnevu. Vidíte to?
Noe sa nemohol dostať do hnevu, do vôd odsúdenia. Vidíte to? Pozrite. On nemohol prísť do súdu, pretože tam bolo zmierenie medzi ním a súdom. A súd, to bola tá voda sveta.
Veriaci v Kristovi je bezpečne chránený. Amen. Nie na základe svojich zásluh, ale na základe svojej poslušnosti, poslušnosti vojsť do archy. Jediná vec, ktorú musel Noe urobiť bolo vojsť do korábu. On nemusel ani zavrieť dvere, Boh to urobil sám. Vojsť do vnútra, to je to jediné, čo veriaci robí, chodí vierou v Krista. Boh sa stará o ostatné. "Ten, kto počuje moje slová a verí tomu, ktorý ma poslal, má večný život, a nepríde na súd, prešiel zo smrti do života, do archy, je bezpečný na veky. Amen. Nech ju súd kolísa, kde chce.
Predstavujem si ako sa archa kymácala hore dole a všelijako ináč, ale Noe bol v bezpečí pretože tá smola bola medzi ním a súdom. A dnes Krv Ježiša Krista, Božieho Syna, stojí medzi nami a všetkým súdom. Amen. "Nebude odsúdený, ale prešiel zo smrti do života." Amen. Prečo? Pretože je v arche. Aký dokonalý obraz!
110Stromy sú zoťaté. To je spôsob, ako sa to robí vo svete. Najprv sa zotne strom. Tak je to s každým človekom, ktorý prichádza na svet, rodí sa v hriechu, sformovaný v neprávosti, prichádza na svet hovorí klamstvo, nehotový, nemilý, bezbožný, preč od Boha, odcudzený, bez nádeje, bez Krista, zomierajúci, ide do hrobu hriešnych, hotový na súd. Potom prichádza Slovo, ostrejšie, než akýkoľvek dvojsečný meč, zotína ten strom, osekáva ho, odtína všetky tŕne a pichliače, vytína z neho tú najlepšiu časť a to je poddajné v ruke Staviteľa, Krista!
112Jeho život bol potom vyliaty na Golgote, aby skrze vyliatie krvi, mohol vykonať zmierenie aby ochránil človeka, ktorý je v arche bezpečia. Ó. Čo za obraz. Potom podľa rozkazu na to bola daná smola, lebo inak by to nasiaklo vodou. Chcem aby ste si toto všimli. Niekto len hovorí: "Dobre, ja verím Slovu. Ja si vezmem zo Slova to alebo tamto." Bez krvi ste ponechaní vo svete. Nezáleží ako veľmi ste v arche, aký kus archy alebo akou doskou ste, musíte byť zasmolení, nasiaknutí, celí nasiaknutí Duchom Svätým, aby to nevpúšťalo dovnútra svet.
114Chcem potom aby ste si všimli, aké je to nádherné. Potom podľa poriadku, musel tam byť zoťatý iný strom, príbuzný, a bol bitý až kým z neho nevyšla všetká živica. A táto živica bola potom vyliata na ten druhý strom, ktorý bol zoťatý aby ho chránila. Amen. Ako dlho? Aha, ten hriech pred šesť tisíc rokmi ...
A ešte dnes vidieť tú starú archu odpočívať na vrchole hory. Žiadne iné drevo to nikdy nevydržalo ani nevydrží. Prečo? Pretože bolo natreté smrťou iného. Tá arch stále stojí, natretá smolou zvonku i zvnútra ako pamätník toho, čo urobí smola.
Aký dokonalý obraz na Krista a pozíciu veriaceho v Kristovi, potom čo raz vošiel do Krista, natrený z vonku ... Všetko čo musíte urobiť ... Archa je pripravená. Jediné, čo musíte urobiť je vôjsť a veriť.
Všimnite si Noeho keď vošiel do korábu. To bolo to jediné čo musel urobiť, vojsť dovnútra. Boh zavrel dvere a on bol v bezpečí zatiaľ čo prebiehal súd. Boh zavrel a Boh otvoril. To je veriaci v Kristovi dnes.
118Všimnite si. Ďalšia archa, o ktorej bolo hovorené, na chvíľu sa pri nej zastavíme, bola Mojžišova. Biblia hovorí o malom košíku ako o arche. A všimnite si, že ju zaobstarala matka, tá, ktorá mu dala život. Amen.
Nie nejaký seminár alebo nejaké teologické znalosti, ale Ten, ktorý dáva veriacemu život, pripravuje pre neho archu, prenáša ho cez súd.
120Uplietla košík z malých stoniek, ktoré tam mali, možno zo stebiel z obilia, z ľanu. V Egypte ich majú stále. Stále môžete vidieť, ako matky berú svoje malé deti, tlačia to na druhú stranu cez Níl, keď sa brodia, malý košík, tak isto, tlačia ho v košíku na druhú stranu cez Níl.
Tak ona išla a spravila mu malú archu. A to bolo urobené tak, že sa to plietlo z vnútra aj z vonku, keď to robili. Tak to robia tí, ktorí pletú košíky. Prepletajú to tam a späť.
A potom išla na natrela to slizom. Sliz, to je znovu smola. To je to isté slovo, pozrite sa dobre na to a uvidíte či tam nie je povedané „smola" alebo „zmierenie". Potom keď to pletú tie steblá dnu a von, sú v tom malé špáry a tak to drží tú smolu.
Aká je to hanba, že dnes, my všetci veriaci sme tak rozdelení: jedni metodisti, jedni baptisti, iní luteráni, iní unitári, ďalší trojiční. Aká škoda! Oni všetci by mali byť posplietaní bližšie jeden k druhému, potom by sa naliala smola a všetko by spevnila dohromady, vytvárajúc bezpečie. To je úžasné, keď sa vylieva na to tá smola.
124Malý Mojžiš bol potom položený do košíka a vystrčený do súdnej vody. Voda vždy znamená zástupy ľudí. Ten malý chlapček tam vonku v arche na Níle mal pravdepodobne malý príklop nad tvárou. Tie vody sú rýchle. Prechádzal tam v Níle pomedzi trstiny, aligátory a všeličo iné. Dažde a búrky, rôzne víchrice, ale tá malá archa prešla cez to. Prečo? Tam v arche bol kňaz. Áno, on bol kňaz. On bol zákonodarca. On bol kráľ.
Tak isto Noe. Noe bol tiež otec. A sám ten otec, ktorý postavil tú archu bol v tej arche so svojím majetkom.
Kristus, náš Otec, ktorý postavil archu so svojou vlastnou krvou je vo vnútri v nej s veriacim, majú spolu obecenstvo. Ó.
127Ako všetky deti a zvieratá počúvali, keď im Noe kázal, zatiaľ čo sa vonku odohrával súd, lialo, archa sa vznášala na vlnách, skúšaná okolo z miesta na miesto. Noe povedal: "Utíšte sa, deti. Boh zostrojil tento koráb. Je postavený podľa jeho inštrukcií. On vydrží všetko čo môže diabol naň poslať." Noe v arche, káže, je zachránený od súdu.
128Malý Mojžiš tam vonku, díva sa v noci na hviezdnatú oblohu, keď duje vietor a skučí ponad tým miestom. Starý Níl poskakuje a krokodíli plávajú popod košíkom. (Haleluja.) On je bezpečný, ochránený. Medzi ním a všetkými tými vetrami a víchricami, ktoré diabol mohol poslať stálo zmierenie. Nič nemohlo prevrhnúť malú archu. Ona ďalej cez všetko plávala.
Môžem vidieť ako ten veľký Duch Svätý stál nad ňou. Môžem vidieť ako blízko nej stoja anjeli s vytasenými mečmi. Nie veru, nič sa jej nedotkne.
Môžem vidieť, ako sa diabol snažil potopiť tam tú archu a ako Noe spieva: "Ježiš, drž ma blízko kríža," alebo čokoľvek to bolo. Ani všetci diabli v pekle ho nemohli zničiť, pretože to bolo postavené podľa Božích inštrukcií. Tam bolo zmierenie, ktoré stálo medzi súdom a milosťou.
Tak je to s každým veriacim dnes, nezáleží na tom ako ťažko to môže vyzerať. Aký ťažký sa život zdá byť. Pokiaľ ste v Kristovi Ježišovi, nie je nič v prítomnosti ani v budúcnosti, čo by mohlo dosiahnuť vašu dušu, oddeliť nás od lásky Božej v Kristovi. Amen. Diabol vypustí proti vám každú víchricu v pekle, ale Boh má zmierenie, ktoré stojí medzi vami. Preplavíte cez všetky vlny. Prejdete cez všetky hniezda aligátorov.
132Kde pristál? Presne rovno do tej línii aby bol kráľom celého Egypta. Haleluja.
A v jednom z týchto dní, keď táto stará archa pristane na druhej strane rozbúreného Jordánu, vyjdeme z nej ako kňazi a králi Bohu, ktorí stoja pod zmierením krvi Pána Ježiša Krista, ktorá je daná zadarmo každému kto chce, zmierenie, milosť.
134Tam v Starom Zákone On povedal: "Postavíte archu." Presne určil druh dreva - agátové drevo. Môžete ju urobiť z tohoto dreva. V Biblii je to nazvané "drevo šittím", ale v skutočnosti je to agátové drevo. "Urobíte ju a pokryjete ju zlatom."
Pozorujte túto archu, dívajte sa či to znázorňovalo Krista. Všimnite si, to stále znázorňovalo. Noe bol predobraz na Krista, ktorý urobil cestu. Mojžiš taktiež.
Teraz sa pozrime na archu zmluvy. On povedal: "Urobíte ju z agátového dreva a pokryjete ju zlatom." Každý, kto pozná Písmo, vie, že zlato hovorí o Bohu, ukazuje na Božstvo a drevo ukazuje na človeka. On povedal: "Pokryjete ju zlatom, po dreve." To je Božstvo okolo dreva. Kristus nad cirkvou, zvnútra i zvonku. Obklopená Bohom.
137"Urobíte na nej vrchnák. To bude trón milosti. A všetky zákony budú odpočívať v nej. Ale predtým, než ju vezmete, pokropíte ju krvou." Zákon hovorí o súde, ale medzi zákonom a zhromaždením, tam bolo niečo kde mohlo stáť na svojom mieste Božstvo. To ukazuje na Krista. Medzi hnevom Božím, súdom v pekle, medzi tým a veriacim stojí Boh sám, Kristus, stojí na ceste so zmierením, ktoré vykonal aby nás zachránil z hriechov a uzdravil z našich nemocí. Božstvo stojí na ceste medzi súdom.
139Zákon bol sudca. Zákon odsúdil, ale zmierenie stálo medzi veriacim a súdom. Tam v arche ležal súd, ktorý bol pripravený vystúpiť. Ale keď vystúpil, nemohol odsúdiť, lebo medzi ním a veriacim stálo zmierenie. Veriaci prišiel a prijal Krista, v tieni a v predobraze, preliatu krv, ktorou bol pokropený trón milosti. Vtedy mal milosť a mohol odísť, radujúc sa, lebo bol oslobodený od súdu.
"A tak nie je žiadne odsúdenie pre tých, ktorí sú v Kristovi Ježišovi, ktorí nechodia podľa tela, ale podľa Ducha." Keď človek vie, že zomrel veciam sveta, a tí ktorí vošli do Krista Ježiša a chodia podľa Ducha Svätého, a nie podľa ciest tohto hriešneho sveta, potom nie je pre neho žiadne odsúdenie. Môže pozerať zoči voči peklu a súdu a radovať sa, pretože tam je krv Kristova, ktorá vykonáva zmierenie, stojí medzi ním a súdom. Amen. Tu to máte.
Ten veriaci, ktorý tam raz vošiel, vrchnák sa zavrel, tým to navždy bolo vybavené. Amen. Zlato, Božstvo ležalo nad tým aj pod tým a všade okolo toho, obalený v Božstve. Každý človek, ktorý prichádza do Krista je obalený v Duchu Svätom a stávajú sa synmi a dcérami Božími.
142Vtedy zlato proste vytĺkali. Zohriali ho a tepali. Ten tepec zlata tepe to zlato. Musí ho tepať kladivom. Tepe ho až kým v ňom neuvidí svoje odzrkadlenie. Potom ho zohriali a vyliali na drevo a ono vsiaklo do toho dreva. Ó.
Keď je Duch Svätý, ktorý je mocou, Duch Svätý a oheň je vyliaty na veriaceho skrze krv Ježiša Krista, vytvára tam pre neho zmierenie. On je bezpečný pred všetkým Božským súdom. „Je v tom tiež zahrnuté uzdravenie?" Áno, samozrejme.
144Nie je povedané, že to nebude na vás doliehať, že sa vám nebude vysmievať, že to nepríde na vás, že to nebude toto robiť. „Mnoho zlého prichádza na spravodlivého." Mnohokrát bude tá archa postrčená tým alebo tamtým smerom, „ale zo všetkého ho vytrhuje Pán."
Veľa nárazov utrpela tá stará archa. Veľa kolísania hore a dole, prešla cez veľa víchric, ale jednako pristála na hore Ararat.
Ako som povedal, veľa aligátorov preplávalo okolo tej malej archy, prešla v noci cez mnohé víchrice, cez mnohé temné búrky, ale pristála bezpečne v trstine, tam kde sa mohol vyplniť zámer aby sa dostal na trón. Z toho najnižšieho miesta na to najvyššie. Amen.
My biedni, úbohí, od všetkého najnižšieho hmyzu, najnižší z celého stvorenia, morálne znečistení, duchovne mŕtvi - my môžme byť pozdvihnutí z toho miesta archou skrze krv Pána Ježiša Krista a byť synovia a dcéry, králi a kňazi pre Boha. Čo za obraz! Na čo máme obrátenú pozornosť? Ako môže človek odmietnuť takú ponuku, ktorú má Boh pre človeka?
148Chcem aby ste si všimli ďalšiu vec. Keď dávali truhlu na svoje miesto, Boh povedal: "Na vrch položíte zlatú korunu - veniec." Inými slovami, keď bola archa pokrytá zvrchu aj okolo, so všetkým týmto, zákon bol vo vnútri. Všimnite si potom, že tam ešte boli ďalšie veci: chlieb, ten pravý alebo manna, ktorá prvá padala, tá manna bola v nádobke, bola ukrytá v arche.
Bratu, ak si nikdy neokúsil, aký je Boh, že je dobrý, vojdi raz do tej archy, pretože to je miesto, kde leží manna. Nie vonku v nejakom starom, telesnom vyznaní alebo v niečom takom, ale v Kristovi vo vnútri. Vojdi dverami a Boh ich zavrie za tebou a súdy budú vonku.
150Všimnite si, keď on vošiel dovnútra. On zobral túto archu ... Tiež tam bola položená Áronova palica a zakvitla, tá stará palica, ktorá bola mŕtva, palica, to nebolo nič viac, než kus dreva, z ktorého odišiel všetok život. Bola úplne vyschnutá. Ale keď bola položená na to sväté miesto, znovu ožila.
Každý hriešnik, nestarám sa o to, aký bol tvoj život zakalený, aký čierny, v prítomnosti Krista znovu ožiješ a vypustíš púčky a prinesieš kvety, vyživený Duchom. Nech si akokoľvek chorý, na tom nezáleží, v prítomnosti toho zmierenia jednako budeš žiť. Aké úžasné! Čo za vec o ktorej môžme uvažovať! To je Písmo. To je Boh! To je dokonalé ... Aký pevný základ. Všetky iné základy sú topiacim sa pieskom. Všetky iné základy sú topiacim sa pieskom.
152Všimnite si, položili na to korunu - veniec! Prečo? To bol kráľ. Čo znamenal ten zlatý veniec, ktorý bol na vrchu tej truhly? To znamenalo, že tu, s tým zlatom, ktorým to bolo pokryté, že ľudskosť bola korunovaná zlatom. Na vrchu to bolo pokropené krvou a na tom ležal veniec.
Aký dokonalý obraz na Krista a jeho Božstvo, jeho lásku! On prišiel na svet a položil sám seba za ľudstvo, za svoju cirkev, za svojich veriacich. On vylial svoju vlastnú krv, aby zachránil "každého, kto chce". Dvaja anjeli vytepaní zo zlata s krídlami, ktoré ukazovali na trón milosti, kde prichádza každý veriaci, vyznáva svoje hriechy a prijíma zmierenie za svoj hriech.
154Tu je On. Pozrime sa na neho. Zlatý veniec, či to reprezentuje Krista? Áno. Keď bol Kristus tu na zemi, bol korunovaný tŕňovou korunou, aby prelial svoju krv. Je to tak. Ale každý veriaci, ktorý prichádza cez tú preliatu krv, odťahuje preč tú tŕňovú korunu a korunuje ho chválou a úctou. Každý veriaci, ktorý vchádza do jeho prítomnosti, prijíma tú krv, ktorá tiekla z poraneného čela od tŕňov a korunuje Ho slávou a chválou a majestátom ako Kráľa kráľov, uzdravovateľa, ako alfu a omegu, ako začiatok a koniec, ako Prímluvcu, ako Knieža pokoja, ako mocného Boha, večného Otca.
155Noe bol vo svojej arche otcom. Mojžiš bol otcom vo svojej arche. Kristus je Otcom vo svojej arche so svojimi poddanými, s vami ľuďmi, s cirkvou, s veriacimi, ktorí sú bezpečne chránení.
Chcem, aby ste si všimli znovu, prístup ku tej arche prechádzal cez ... Všimnite si, každý človek, ktorý prichádzal k arche, musel najprv prejsť vonkajším nádvorím, to ďalšie cez čo musel prejsť bola vnútorná opona, potom do svätyne svätých.
To bol Kristus ako prorok, ako Kňaz, ako korunovaný Kráľ. Prichádza to prvé, vidíte Ho tak ako je tu povedané, keď prvý krát prišiel, On bol prorok.
158Človek, ktorý prichádza ku Kristovi, musí prísť najprv ku krížu. Kríž, to bolo jeho kňazstvo. Kríž, to bolo tam, kde bol zachytený v smrti. Tam sa to stalo na kríži, že: "Boh tak miloval svet, že On dal svojho jednorodeného syna."
Žiadny človek na základe svojich zmyslov nijako nemôže prísť ku krížu, byť privedený pred Neho ale na základe toho, že počuje, že mu Kristus káže. Kristus je prorok a kazateľ.
160Ďalšia vec, ktorú On robí je, že potom prechádza ďalej aby vykonával zmierenie. Vchádza za tú oponu ako Kňaz aby sa prihováral, vykonával prímluvu, "prihovára sa za veriacich sediac po pravici Božej". prihovára sa za veriaceho. Veriaci prichádza do jeho prítomnosti, a potom sa Kristus za neho prihovára podľa vyznania toho, čomu verí, keď ten prichádza ku krížu.
On teraz prichádza ku Kristovi. Hovorí: "Ó, Kriste, viem, že si mi zvestoval skrze kríž svoje slovo. Verím Ti. Zmiluješ sa nado mnou?" A Kristus ako prímluvca sa prihovára. Potom ide priamo do truhly zmluvy, tam, kde je súd a berie na seba všetok jeho súd. Berie preč všetky hriechy a hanbu a zmieri ho s Bohom. Skrze zmierenie v krvi, vedie ho späť do obecenstva s Bohom a uvádza ho do archy, kde je bezpečný na veky.
162Nemusíte sa ničoho obávať. Nič vám nemôže ublížiť. Ste tak bezpeční, ako to len môže byť. Nech prídu búrky, nech sa deje čokoľvek, nech choroba doráža. Nech sa čokoľvek deje, čo diabol chce poslať. Boh vás prevedie rovno cez to všetko. Nevyskakujte von! Ostávajte v Kristovi! Hovoriac: "Pane Bože, ty si povedal, že na tejto skale postavíš svoju cirkev a brány pekla ju nepremôžu." Ja ti verím, Pane Ježišu. Ja som zakotvil svoju dušu v nebeskom odpočinku.
Kristus, ten hlavný Kapitán nášho spasenia, tam On stojí, veľký víťaz. On roztrhol oponu na dvoje a zboril všetky tie priehradné múry a pozval nás, aby "každý, kto túži" prišiel a mal účasť na jeho živote, bol prikrytý jeho Božskými požehnaniami, aby na súde na teba neudrel žiadny súd. A ak udiera súd, to ťa nemôže zasiahnuť. Môžeš byť nejakú chvíľu nemocný, možno budeš musieť cez niečo na chvíľu prechádzať; ale pamätaj, na konci je Kristus. On nikdy nepovedal, že tá archa sa bude plaviť cez takýto malý vír, kde nebudú žiadne... On nikdy nezasľúbil, že veci pôjdu ľahko, ale zasľúbil milosť, že vás v tom čase zachová. Premýšľam o tom, čo povedal básnik:
Či musím byť zanesený domov do neba
na kvetnatej posteli bez starostí,
zatiaľ čo ostatní bojovali, aby získali odmenu
a plavili sa cez krvavé moria?
Nie, musím bojovať, ak musím panovať. Posilni ma, Pane.
Tak veru. Nevšímajte si to, keď prídu ťažké skúšky, len zostaňte rovno v arche a hovorte:
„Bože, som zachránený na veky!
Zakotvil som svoju dušu v nebeskom odpočinku,
aby som sa už neplavil cez divoké moria.
Divoké búrky sa môžu preháňať,
ale v Ježišovi som bezpečný na veky."
Nech príde nemoc, problémy, srdcové problémy alebo čokoľvek, to nič neznamená. Prijímame nepohnuteľné kráľovstvo. Tam nie je povedané, že sa tomu vyhnete a tak ďalej, ale Boh vás prevedie tak bezpečne, ako to len môže byť, a v jednom z týchto dní pristanete v Jeho Kráľovstve. Ostaňte rovno v jeho arche.
Nech vás Pán žehná, zatiaľ čo na chvíľu skloníme svoje hlavy.
167Náš nebeský Otče, keď dnes pozeráme tam na Tvoj majestát a vidíme ako si bol tam vtedy s Noem. Kto ho viedol cez tie vlny? Kto bol v tej malej starej arche z dreva gófer? Kde teraz, ten najväčší boj v ktorom by sme nemohli obstáť. Celá zem bola rozhúpaná a zmietala sa, tisíce a tisíce míľ mimo svojej obežnej dráhy, otáčala sa tam ako krútňava a vlny vystupovali míle do vzduchu. Celý svet, pokrytý, tie veľké hory sa pohli od základu krútiac sa v polnočnej tme. Súd, mŕtve telá narážali a plávali. A malá stará loď z dreva gófer, natretá zvonku aj zvnútra a tí, Tvoji milovaní veriaci v nej boli tak bezpeční, ako len mohli byť. Oni sa nestarali. Urobili len to, čo si im povedal. Nasledovali Tvoje inštrukcie. A tí, ktorí nasledujú Tvoje inštrukcie, nebudú odsúdení alebo skazení. Nakoniec, Ty si utíšil búrku. Búrky života prešli a potom sme bezpečne pristáli v novom svete.
Drahý nebeský Otče, dnes na rozbúrenom mory života, nerozumieme ako je to urobené, v týchto dňoch, keď lekárska veda je tak veľká, keď cirkvi robia také veľké veci, ale my sme len ukotvení v Ježišovi. Búrky prichádzajú, povstávajú prenasledovania, ale my sme nasledovali inštrukcie. Ty nás cez to prevedieš. Udeľ to, nebeský Otče, tieto požehnania každému jednému. Požehnaj dnes ráno tých neznámych v našom strede. Požehnaj nespasených a daj, nech sa môžu stať Tvojimi deťmi.
169Zatiaľ čo máme sklonené hlavy, chcem sa opýtať, či je tu niekto, kto je mimo Krista, zodvihol by si svoju ruku a povedal: "Brat Branham, dvíham ruku k Bohu, aby si ty a On to mohol vidieť. Chcem byť spomenutý a privedený do archy prv, ako bude príliš neskoro. Budeš sa za mňa modliť?" Zodvihli by ste len ruku a povedali: "Spomeň aj mňa." Nech ťa Boh požehná, pane. Nech ťa Boh požehná, sestra. Nech ťa Boh požehná, brat. "Keď zúria búrky života, stoj pri mne."
Ja nemôžem urobiť tvoje rozhodnutie, priateľ. Môžem sa len za teba modliť. Ty musíš urobiť svoje rozhodnutie. Neverím, že by ktokoľvek, kto prichádza k Bohu s úprimným srdcom, že by nemohol prežiť a vidieť jeho lásku a to, čo On zasľúbil. Teda prečo ste zdvihli ruky? Niečo klopalo na vaše srdce. Je to Boh, ktorý sa vás snaží vtiahnuť do svojej archy. "Nikto nemôže prísť ku mne, dokiaľ by ho otec nepritiahol. A každý, kto prichádza ku Mne, v žiadnom prípade ho nevyženiem von. Dám mu večný život a vzkriesim ho v posledných dňoch."
171Nebuďte vystrašení. Boh riadi vetry. Boh riadi archu. On už všetky veci zabezpečil. Noe by nemal žiadne víťazstvá, keby tam neboli búrky a skúšky. Nebola by to žiadna radosť, keby bol život iba ako nejaký bezpečný tunel, cez ktorý by sme mali prejsť. Búrky života nám spôsobujú radosť. Nikdy by sme nevedeli, čo je denné svetlo, keby sme nemali tmu. Nikdy by sme nevedeli, čo sú vrcholy hôr, keby sme nemali hory. Nikdy by sme nevedeli, čo je to zdravie, keby sme nemali nejaké choroby. Nikdy by si nevedel, ako sa radovať zo spasenia, keby si voľakedy nebol hriešnikom. Boh učinil všetky veci na základe protikladov. On ťa miluje.
Teraz, keď máte sklonené hlavy a zdvihnuté ruky.
172Otče, Bože, modlím sa, keďže dnes sú stále ešte dvere otvorené a ľudia prichádzajú z východu a západu, severu a juhu a zhromažďujú sa. Dejú sa veľké znamenia, na oblohe strašná podívaná, atómové rozštiepenie vzduchu, vodík horí. Taniere lietajú, rakety, ktorým nerozumieme, nejaký druh inteligencie, myslia, že odniekiaľ inakadiaľ (nevedia, odkiaľ a veda to nemôže zistiť), ktoré sa záhadne pohybujú rýchlosťou svetla. Ó, Bože, sme blízko konca.
A tá veľká pyramída, ktorú staval Enoch, prešli cez poslednú miestnosť a teraz sú pripravení vojsť do kráľovskej komnaty, príchod Pánov priamo na vrchole, pre štítový kameň. Celý astronomický kalendár ukazuje priamo na to, hviezdy to oznamujú, ako to oznamovali prvý krát, keď tí mudrci pozreli hore na oblohu a videli tie hviezdy, povedali: "Veľký Kráľ prichádza." Dnes tie hviezdy znovu ukazujú.
Celá príroda vzdychá. Ľudské srdcia sú naplnené strachom. Komplikovaný čas, úzkosť medzi národmi, more buráca, všade prenikajú veľké prívalové vlny, zabíjajú stovky ľudí hore dole po pobreží, koče bez koní prechádzajú po cestách a diaľniciach, vyzerajú ako bežiace pochodne, ako blesk. A my práve prechádzame okolo týchto míľnikov akoby to nič nebolo.
175Ó, Bože, rýchlo nás zastav! Zastav tento hriešny svet kázaním evanjelia. Zachráň tých, ktorí dnes zdvihli ruky, Pane Ježišu. Udeľ toho dnes. Nech Tvoja zaobstaraná milosť spočinie na každom z nich. Nech by hneď teraz boli ... Nič by som nemohol urobiť, nič viacej sa nedá. Na nich je ten ďalší krok.
Ty si poslal Ducha Svätého. On položil Tvoje slovo do ich sŕdc. Oni zdvihli svoje ruky, že tomu uverili. Ty si povedal, že ten, kto tomuto verí, nikdy nezahynie, ale má večný život. Príď, Pane, vybav to s nimi na veky. Oni Ti veria. A veria teraz Tvojmu slovu. Ako si povedal, "Ten, kto čuje moje slová, (ktoré boli kázané) verí tomu, ktorý ma poslal (my veríme), má (pretože uveril) večný život a nepôjde na súd, ale prešiel zo súdu do života, bezpečne do archy.
Pane, daj im aby povstali ako noví muži, nové ženy, noví chlapci a dievčatá, a aby vyšli dnes z tejto modlitebni, kde sa zhromaždila táto hŕstka ľudí, a aby žili novým životom, aby kázali Evanjelium, učili ľudí aby to robili, aby všade vyvyšovali Krista. Sprav to, Pane. Požehnaj nás teraz, modlíme sa v mene Ježiša. Amen.
Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia, ó, Spasiteľu,
Počuj moje pokorné volanie;
Zatiaľ čo na druhých voláš;
Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia.
Spasiteľu, Spasiteľu;
Počuj moje pokorné volanie;
Zatiaľ čo na druhých voláš;
Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia.
Dovoľ mi byť u Tvojho trónu; (to je trón milosti, vidíte?)
Nájsť (Nech len hovorí tvoja duša k Bohu! ) ...úľavu (od mojich hriechov)
Uzdrav môjho zbitého, zraneného ducha,
pomôž mojej nevere.
(Skloňme svoje hlavy.)
Spasiteľu, Spasiteľu;
Počuj moje pokorné volanie;
Zatiaľ čo na druhých voláš;
Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia.
178So sklonenými hlavami. Myslím práve o tých nádherných chvíľach, zakaždým, keď prichádzam tu do tejto starej lodi. Verím, že je natretá smolou a vydržala mnoho búrok, preniesla ma vo dňoch problémov a skúšok.
Vidím tam vzadu sedieť Billyho. Cítim práve vedenie Ducha, aby som urobiť teraz niečo inak. Cítim, že Boh chce aby som urobil niečo trochu inak. Mám tu nejakých ľudí: pána D. Coocka, pána Longa, Erwina a niekoľkých ďalších, mám ich mená tu na papieri, ktorí prišli, aby sme sa za nich modlili a porozprávali sa. Počúvajte ma teraz, zatiaľ čo sa potom budeme modliť. Začal som hovoriť Billymu: "Prejdi cez rady a rozdaj nejaké modlitebné karty."
Ale Duch Svätý povedal: "Nerob to." To je dôvod prečo som spieval pieseň Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia, ó, Spasiteľu. Premýšľal som: "Pane, čo to je?"
181Chcem vám povedať toto. Keď mi budete veriť a počúvať. Nech je to čokoľvek, čo je v tvojom srdci. Nech je to čokoľvek, čo chceš vedieť, akákoľvek je tvoja nemoc, ver teraz Jemu. On bude teraz ku tebe hovoriť. On to bude robiť. Bude ti hovoriť osobne. Verím tomu z celého srdca. Duch Svätý to bude robiť, hovoriť ku tebe, povie ti proste čo potrebuješ. Čokoľvek ti povie, urob to. Ak si chromý, On hovorí "vstaň a choď", potom vstaň a choď. Ak máš rakovinu a On hovorí "zabudni na to od tohto dňa", tak to urob! Pozri sa, či sa to nestalo!
Ak sa nachádzaš v stave, že tvoj život je ohrozený a nevieš, ako ďalej, On ti povie, čo máš robiť. Položí ti to do srdca práve teraz. Nepochybuj! Choď a urob to! Urob presne to, čo ti hovorí! On to urobí.
183Kým máme sklonené hlavy, tí, ktorých mená zavolám, chcem aby prišli sem na chvíľu k oltáru, aby ste len sem podišli. A potom ak je tu niekto z miestnych ľudí, ktorí tiež chcú prísť aby sme sa modlili, príďte sem zakiaľ máme sklonené hlavy.
Veľmi zvláštna vec. Práve ma Duch Svätý zvláštne pred niečím varoval. Nevedel som, ako to urobiť, ale On mi práve povedal a viem, že má pravdu. Kým tí, ktorí chcú aby sme sa za nich modlili, majú niečo pred Bohom, alebo majú nejakú potrebu, nemoc, finančnú, telesnú, materiálnu, akákoľvek je vaša potreba, prišli by ste teraz na chvíľu k oltáru a my budeme zatiaľ spievať znovu tú pieseň.
Všetci majte sklonené hlavy, okrem tých, ktorí sem prichádzajú. A tu táto matka s tým malým dievčatkom, chcem aby si ju priniesla sem, rovno sem k oltáru. Dobre.
Spasiteľ, Spasiteľ;
Počuj moje pokorné volanie;
Zatiaľ čo voláš iných;
Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia.
Nechaj ma prísť k Tvojmu trónu milosti;
Aby som našiel pomoc;
Uzdrav môjho doráňaného ducha;
Pomôž mojej neviere.
Spasiteľ ...
186Moji milovaní priatelia, ktorí máte sklonené hlavy. V celom svojom živote som sa snažil byť všetkým, len nie nepoctivým. Snažil som sa byť úprimný vo svojom jednaní s Bohom a s človekom. Snažil som sa zakaždým postupovať a robiť presne tak, ako mi Duch Svätý hovoril. To je dôvod, prečo chodím z miesta na miesto, zakončím zhromaždenia a idem na iné miesto, pretože chcem nasledovať vedenie Ducha.
A dnes ráno, kým som tu kázal ... Chcel som, aby sme urobili na konci modlitebný rad, aby sem ľudia prišli k rozoznaniu, ktoré mi Pán dá, a že sa budem s nimi rozprávať. Ale niečo mi hovorilo: "Povedz ľuďom ..." Preto som sa hneď zastavil, to sa stalo. Povedal: "Zavolaj ľudí sem a povedz im: ,Príďte a žiadajte Mňa.´ak by im niečo chýbalo, Ja im poviem."
188Divíte sa, ako toto malé dievča môže byť uzdravené, ako ty s tou rakovinou môžeš byť uzdravený, ako ty tam s tým nemocným hrdlom môžeš byť uzdravený, ako ty s tou palicou sa môžeš byť uzdravený, ako ty s tou barlou môžeš byť uzdravený, ako slepý, môžeš vidieť, ako ty v bolesti a v trápení.
Je tu niekto, kto má problémy v domácnosti. „Ako sa cez to môžem dostať, brat Branham?" Oni ti to práve teraz povie.
Ostatné problémy, divíte sa tomu a tamtomu. Nasledujte to, čo sa teraz dotýka vašich sŕdc. Len sa toho držte a uvidíte, či to nie je to správne. Len to nasledujte a uvidíte, či to nie je to správne. Nepremýšľajte ináč. Len ostaňte u toho. On povedal, že bude k vám hovoriť.
A teraz, zatiaľ čo sa každý modlí.
191[Brat Branham odchádza od mikrofónu a začína sa modliť za ľudí pri oltári. – pozn.prekl.]
Otče v nebi, požehnaj môjho brata. Daj mu každú túžbu jeho srdca, čokoľvek si žiada.
Moja sestra, drahý Bože, požehnaj ju. Vezmi dnes ťažkosti z jej srdca.
Požehnaj moju sestru, Otče. Nech je na nej Duch.
Bože požehnaj moju sestru. Daj jej hlboké túžby jej srdca.
Taktiež túto moju sestru, v mene Ježiš, Otče, udeľ je to.
Keď vidíme toto dievčatko, sme Ti tak vďační, že si tak veľa pre ňu urobil, Otče. Ty si nám nedávno pomohol. Modlím sa, aby toto dieťa bolo úplne uzdravené, aby to bolo zjavené ostatným tak, aby ti mohli uveriť. Žehnám toto dieťa dnes ráno, v mene Ježiša Krista a preklínam túto chorobu jej tela!
Požehnaj môjho milovaného brata, Pane. Nech jeho viera nikdy nezanikne, keď pozerá na Golgotu, nech Ťa tam pozná, nech verí, do čohokoľvek ho tam viera vedie, Boh to potvrdí a spraví, že to sa stane.
198Požehnaj môjho brata Morgana. Daj mu túžbu jeho srdca. Čokoľvek žiada dnes, daj mu to v mene Pána.
Požehnaj moju sestru a daj jej tie veci, ktoré žiada, skrze Ježiša Krista.
Otče, Bože, môj brat túži zo srdca aby bol naplnený. Nebeský Otče, nech túžba jeho srdca, nech nájde tú túžbu v Ježišovi Kristovi. A ďakuje ti za uzdravenie, Pane.
Otče, Bože, modlím sa za môjho brata s rukami položenými na ňom, daj mu túžbu jeho srdca. Požehnaj môjho malého brata, Otče!
Toto malé dievčatko, Otče, žehnám ju. V mene Pána Ježiša Krista nech dostane to, čo si žiada, Otče, v mene Ježiš. Daj to. Pane, požehnaj moju sestru. V mene Ježiša ... [Brat Branham pokračuje v modlitbe za ľudí pri oltári, ale jeho slová nie sú počuť. Potom sa obracia znovu k mikrofónu. – pozn.prekl.]
204Všemohúci Bože, Ty si Vládca neba i zeme, Ty dávaš do poriadku ľudské srdcia. Ty si postavil hviezdy na nebi a oni tam sú. Ty si postavil slnko na svoje miesto a ono tam stojí. Ty si dal mesiac na miesto, kde je, aby dohliadal na more. Ty si určil jeho hranice, ktoré nemôže prekročiť. Ty si hovoril a oni Ťa poslúchli. Pane Bože, Ty hovoríš k ľudským srdciam, nech oni sú vždy tak poddajné a pripravené nasiaknuť Ducha a urobiť veci, ktoré si Ty prikázal.
Nebeský Otče, Ty si dnes hovoril do môjho srdca, tvojmu nehodnému sluhovi a ja som hovoril ľuďom to, čo si Ty chcel, aby som im povedal a to sa stalo s každým jedným z nich. A teraz, Otče, som išiel dolu, aby som si pripomenul to, čo si mi zjavil a položil som svoje ruky na nich. Otče, čokoľvek si položil do ich srdca, Bože, nech je to pre nich rozhodnutie na veky, nech vedia, že Tvoj Duch je tu teraz a On im to položil do sŕdc. Ak sú chromí, nech chodia. Ak sú slepí, nech vidia. Ak sú utlačení, nech sú šťastní, ak majú problémy, nech sú od nich vzaté preč. Daj im to, Pane. Ak sa snažia urobiť nejaké rozhodnutie, nech urobia to správne rozhodnutie práve teraz. Nech Duch Svätý zjaví všetky tieto veci, ktoré potrebujeme. Daj to, Pane. Sme tu, pri oltári a čakáme na Teba, vzývame Ťa.
206Otče, ak je niečo, čo si nám ešte chcel povedať, nech Tvoj Duch Svätý spadne na nás. Nech vanie hore dole po celom tomto oltári a zjaví všetko. Sprav nech každé srdce má istotu, Pane. Urob ho pozitívnym, aby tam nikde nebola žiadna pochybnosť. Nech Tvoj Duch odstráni každé napätie.
A tiež v hľadisku, kde sú títo drahí ľudia, ktorí nie sú v problémoch, ktorých si požehnal a sedia tu dnes ráno zdraví a silní. Ó, oni sa modlia za tých ostatných, ich priateľov, Pane. Oni mali podobné problémy a vedia, že Ty si im pomohol.
A teraz, Otče, modlíme sa v pokore a v jednote, aby si poslal svojho Ducha a potvrdil všetko, Pane, v každom srdci skrze pomazanie Tvojho Svätého Ducha, aby si urobil všetko to, čo vnímame, že je správne. Daj to, Pane.
209Teraz všetci v modlitbe so sklonenou hlavou budeme spievať niekoľko piesní. Nebuďte unavení.
Nie som fanatik, vy to viete. Ak by som ním bol, neviem o tom. Ale niečo jasne ku mne prehovorilo: "Ja budem hovoriť k nim. Ty ich len zavolaj sem hore." Urobil som, čo mi On povedal.
Teraz, kým máme svoje hlavy sklonené a spievame piesne, dávajte pozor na to, čo vám On povie. Čokoľvek vám povie, je to On, kto hovorí.
Kráčame vo svetle, je to nádherné svetlo;
Príď tam, kde je milosť jasná, ako kvapky rosy;
Svieti okolo nás dňom i nocou,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta.
(Kým spievame, nech sa každý modlí.)
Kráčame vo svetle, je to nádherné svetlo;
Príď tam, kde je milosť ako kvapky rosy jasná;
Svieti okolo nás dňom i nocou,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta.
(Aké svetlo? On ho dáva teraz. Svetlo!)
Kráčame vo svetle, je to nádherné svetlo;
Príď tam, kde je milosť ako kvapky rosy jasná;
Svieti okolo nás dňom i nocou,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta.
Príď , vyznaj ho ako svojho Kráľa,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta;
Potom nebeské zvony budú zvoniť,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta.
Kráčame vo svetle, je to nádherné svetlo;
Príď tam, kde je milosť ako kvapky rosy jasná;
Svieti okolo nás dňom i nocou,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta.
1 Good morning, friends. Kind of a little slip-up of me being here today. I was going... I made a promise at the times when I come to pray for the sick, that I--it would be announced on the radio broadcast by Brother Neville. But somehow the secretaries failed to get it to him yesterday and that's the reason it wasn't--wasn't published, wasn't put on the broadcast. And some folks had called and wanted to be prayed for this morning.
2 So I was a--a little bit excited, as they said, of the--the arrival of the new boy, as--as every time, very grateful for it. When the nurse brought him down out of the room, I said, "Joseph, I've looked for you for four years. So I'm sure glad you're here." So it... Here about four years ago, I was... Just before the little girl was born, before we knew that she was coming, why, I was praying one day after reading the life of Joseph in the Bible, and I thought, "Such a perfect man." Abraham was election. Isaac was justification. And Jacob was grace. But Joseph was perfection. It run out (See?), there was no more said about it. So I thought of Joseph, how he was born, loved of his father.
Say, by the way, I got a telegram or message from Africa said they're making him a coat of many colors. Just to...?... They been looking for him. So that... So there was a...
I was back, went in the little closet, begin to pray. "God..." I--I--I just broke down in tears, to think what a wonderful person this Joseph was. And how he was sold for thirty pieces of silver, just practically thirty pieces of silver, like Jesus--Jesus--Jesus--Judas, pardon me, sold Jesus. And he was took up out of the grave, you know, and set at the right hand of Pharaoh and no man could see the king except by Joseph. And the trumpet sounded, and every knee should bow as he went forward. And same thing to Jesus, you know, "And every tongue shall confess." And I just went back and started praying.
6 Now, there's three elements that people live in. First is the humanistic. Second is Divine revelation. And third is vision.
Now, this, like in prayer, when you pray for anyone in humanistic, we say, "Well, I--I hope you'll get well. See, I--I'm hoping. I'm believing with you, trying to use all the faith I can." That's human.
Second, is Divine revelation, when something's revealed to you. You just know in your heart it's going to happen, yet there's nothing but just the revelation.
And third is a vision. 'Course that's THUS SAITH THE LORD. That's perfect and positive.
10 Now, it entered up into this realm here. And Something just said to me, "You're going to have a boy, and you'll call his name Joseph."
Well, I had a little girl. So I thought, "Well..." I praised the Lord for it. And just about a month after that, we found out that we were going to be a parent again, and so I thought maybe that was my Joseph. So it come out, it was a Josephine; it was a girl.
So many thought that I said that was Joseph. I said, "No, no. I didn't say that was Joseph."
And some of them said, "Well, didn't you say that you seen a vision of this?" You know how people get things mixed up.
I said, "I got the tapes on it. See? Come, listen. I never said it was Joseph." I said, "The Lord has put in my heart that I'm going to have a son by the name of Joseph." See? I said, "I don't know how, when, or what, but it's going to be." So I didn't know. "I may have--may have six girls before we have him, but he will be here." Well, that just never left my heart. And we went on.
15 And then, the other day he arrived. And he's here, so I'm very grateful for him, knowing that when the Lord promises anything, the Lord will do what He has promised. See? He just has to. In order to be God, He has to keep His Word.
I--I can--not able to keep mine sometimes. You're not able to keep yours. Because we make promises with good intentions, but we're not able to carry it out. Circumstances, difficults, and so forth brings us to a place where we can't sometimes do what we want to do.
But God is able to keep His Word, and He will do it. It's just impossible for Him not to. That's why we love Him so this morning. Rest upon that perfect assurance, that, "God is able to keep that which we've committed to Him against the day."
18 Now, it's a bad day outside, but cool enough in the tabernacle not to be stuffy, and not enough people here to be jammed in against one another, and standing up around the rows. But it's just a good time, I think, to start and teach the Word.
I have tried hard for the last few hours to see if the Holy Spirit... Even got Billy, back there, the cards, and so forth is to be for a prayer line. But yet I can't, you... I don't govern that. It governs me. You see? I--I have nothing to do with that. Depends on what He says about it.
20 Now, Brother Neville here was announcing the revival, this Brother Crank down here. I don't know the man. I just stepped in last night on my road from the hospital to see the--the... Brother Roberts had his film shown there last night. And--and back in the back of the building, Brother Crank and his father. Brother Crank himself is just a boy, looked to be maybe twenty, twenty-one, something like that. And... But his father's with him. And then Brother Matheny from New Albany, the... a Pentecostal. Now, I believe this Brother Crank is Pentecostal too.
And so they were very nice men, wanted me to take this next week's service. 'Course, couldn't do that, you know. And then wondered if I'd be there Saturday night. I don't know yet. I told him I'd have to see. Brother Cauble was over and wanted next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And Brother Hall has got to be at Milltown one night this week, 'cause next week we leave for the summer. So then they... I got a few little meetings scattered around. I don't know just where it will be. I told him I'd let him know a little later.
22 The wife has just been doing fine. And I certainly appreciate all you people's prayers. It was through prayer alone. 'Cause it's a mixed audience, and I couldn't say what happened. But they're not supposed to go to the normal time, and she did, hours, and hours, and hours over. See? And so usually the heart flies up and they die right away. But the grace of God, she's better than she's ever been in any of the other births. So I know it was your prayers that helped. And I certainly do appreciate that with all my heart. And pray now, we have...
By the coming of this little boy, has marked a--a turning point in my life. And I have... A few days ago when it looked like that maybe he wouldn't arrive just right, and things looked like was all against us, the opposition... It's usually just darkest before day, you know, that that's the regular routine of human. And so we... I went up to Green's Mill, the scout reservation, to my old place up there. And I just couldn't stand it no longer, so I went back alone with the Lord Jesus for a while. And He just assured me everything would be all right. So I said then, "Lord, I--I'm just promised You that from henceforth..." I've had so many difficults and things, of times.
24 You see, there's probably one or two strangers with us this morning. I don't know. I got a couple names here of people that wanted to be prayed for. So I--I imagine it's just the little tabernacle group here.
But I go through things that the world don't know nothing about, neither the people (You see?), very hard things. The--the enemy works on them inside lines, you know. Outside you don't notice it. It's the inside lines that cut. And so I meet it on every hand. And so I... But I expect it. I--I--I kind of... If it didn't, I just wonder what maybe... I don't want it to be friendship of the devil. I--I know he's my enemy, and I--I got to meet on fighting grounds. So I'm so thankful for material to fight with, the Word of the living God; It'll endure forever.
And now, I just hope that God helps me to rearrange my meetings, such places that I can stay longer, and so forth. Be in prayer.
27 Brother and Sister Schoeman from South Africa is on their road here. And that's the head of the ministerial association of South Africa, to see about coming over this fall and going up into India, and so forth.
Brother Thoms is here from South Africa. I met him the other day. He's doing a great work over there amongst the natives. Reason I kind of like Brother Thoms' program is because the program that he talks of, and has got in operation, he and Brother Tommy Osborn, is what I think it's right, worthy of support. Because he--he's sending out native missionaries. You see, after all, the native knows more about the native.
And we could send a fellow from Australia here. He'd be a brother; we'd love him, accept him, and everything. But he don't know the American customs, the American ways. It takes an American to do this job right. And what if we'd send somebody here from China? Why, he was a missionary, but probably he could speak a little English. It would be all chopped up, and it just wouldn't take effect like a man who knows how to get into the Americans, to work with the Americans, to do in their customs, and so forth. And that's the way it goes. And we're kind of blocked off people here, north, and south, and east, and west, and brogues, and so forth.
30 Here not long ago, I was in Cali... in Florida. And one night there was a dear, loving brother who has a campaign by the name of Brother Jackson, and Gayle Jackson, one of my converts to healing. And so I was way back. And usually, you know, in my offerings and so forth, I just don't let the people know it. If the Lord provides, all right. If He don't, why, we get it somewhere else. So... And Gayle come up, and he said to the manager; he said, "Well, how is the finances running?"
He said, "Oh, just about a thousand dollars, a little better, maybe fifteen hundred, to catch us up."
He said, "The trouble of it is, you don't know how to handle these southerners." So he just gets up there... Said, "Could I take your offering tonight?"
Said, "Yeah, but no begging, 'cause Brother Branham would just get on us for it." Said, "We never beg." So he got up there, and he just said a few words, and there was two thousand dollars in the offering. He said, "You see, Brother Baxter, you just don't know how to handle southerners; that's all."
So that's the way it is. You have to be custom to southerners. You have to be custom to the northerners. You have to be custom. And I think a native, knowing their own customs and their own tribe, is a far better way than... far better person to put with their own people, than all the tailor-mades that we have...?... sending. That's right. So I am very grateful for--for the brethren.
36 Now, this morning, I just want to speak to you just a little while. I'm not... Knowing that probably this will be my last meeting to get to be with you for a while. We go now to Macon, Georgia. And that's sponsored by, I understand, forty-two Southern Baptist churches. So then, from there we go to the Christian Business Men's Full Gospel internationally, at Denver. And then I got to go up in Canada on a little spell.
And we'll see then what Brother Schoeman then, of what for... to where we go overseas or continue in the states. And Brother Moore, of course, makes all the programs, all the--the itinerary, and for here. And he will be with us over there where we meet Brother Schoeman. I hope that Brother Schoeman comes by and you'll know him, and he will... that he gets to speak here for you one time at the tabernacle. Very fine man he and his wife. Treated me like a brother when I was in Africa, so treat him the same way when he comes through this a way, in the love of the Lord.
38 Now, I... After coming in and knowing, they told me that Brother Neville didn't get a hold of it for the broadcast. I was listening. How many hears the broadcast? I tell you, that--that singing is sublime, and the--the preaching goes a little higher than that. So it was really a good message yesterday. You all appreciate that? Not to make him blush, but it's the truth. I... If I thought Brother Neville was doing something wrong, I'd take him back in the room, and we'd talk it all over, and pray over it. If he's doing something right, I like to tell him about it, See? That makes us feel better.
The nice little cards and presents that you all know, that sent to the little fellow down at the... there. I want to tell you I appreciate them too. My wife sends her love and regards to all of you.
And now let's turn over in the blessed old Word here. But just before, let's speak to Him, the Author, before we do it.
41 Our beloved Saviour, we come to use Thy Name, just a few moments as we approach the Almighty One, the Creator, the One Who conceived Thee into the womb of the virgin, and she brought forth this marvelous One, Who stands the Mediator between the living and dead, the only Way, the only Mediator. And we're so happy to know that though His Divine promise, that He gave us these Words, "Whatever you ask the Father in My Name, that I'll do."
So we ask today in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Father dear, that You'll receive our thanksgiving in our hearts, as Thou art always gathered in Your sanctuary to hear the praises of Your children. And we're thankful today for all the blessings, for the health, and the--the going on of the church and the work, and all around the world. We're so grateful for it. And, Father, we pray that You'll continue, and not only continue, but will pour double portions upon the work everywhere, for we believe we're running out of time. All things are pointing at the end. Just when, we know not, but we wish to be prepared, as ordained our Lord Jesus for us to do so.
43 And now, Father, we thank Thee. I want to thank You myself personally for the little boy today. Thy promise lingered for four years. "But I the Lord hath planted it; I'll water it day and night." You always make Your promises real, Father. Though the vision, though it linger, yet will it speak. It's got to, because it's the Word and the promise of God. We don't fear, just moving forward, knowing that all things are working together for good.
Thank You for bringing the mother through safely. Now, in misery and pain today, I pray that You'll ease it up. We know it's a natural thing, but give her comfort, Father. Bless her down there today, and may she hurry home, and stand by Thy servant, as we go forward now together out into the battle fields there, to reap the grain and bring it to the garner for the Master's sake.
46 Bless the church here. Bless our beloved pastor, Your servant, faithful at the post. And we pray that You'll bless all the deacons, the trustees, whatevermore. Let Thy blessings rest upon them all.
Bless--bless, we pray this morning the visiting clergymen, the strangers in our gates. And when service is over, may we say like those who come from Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us, because of His Presence?" Get into the Word, Father. May the Holy Spirit come, taking the Word. Nothing premeditated, not knowing nothing what to say, but committing it all to You... Thy will be done, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
48 Let us turn for just a little Scripture reading, if you will in the book of--of Genesis, the beginning with the 6th chapter, just to read for a little quotation here in--in the Word and beginning at the--the 8th verse of the 6th chapter. And the subject this morning, if God willing, just teaching a few minutes from the Word, 'fore we pray for the sick, and then the pastor to finish the service.
49 We're praying that God will multiply and bless. And I see a little girl setting here on the front seat. I believe the mother setting here that... I think we prayed for the child some time ago. And looks to me like that her, best I remember, she was--couldn't walk or something, or... She looks like she's a lot better today, and I'm so grateful for that.
Praying constantly God will pour more Spirit and power upon His Church and His people everywhere, that our faith may be lifted way up above all the defects of life, that we might be able to be more than overcomers and conquerors through Him that loved us and gave His life for us.
51 Now, to you who's got your Bibles:
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man, perfect in all his generation, and Noah walked with God.
And Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The earth... was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
And the Lord looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
And the Lord said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shall thou make in the ark, and thou shall pitch it within and without with pitch.
And may the Lord add His blessings now to the reading of His Word. I want to speak this morning, if God willing, or teach, rather, for a few moments, the Word, upon, "The Ark," what the ark meant, and what the ark foreshadowed, and the types of the ark. For the ark perfectly, and everything in the Old Testament typed Christ. And Christ is the fulfilling of all the Old Testament, was fulfilled in Christ Jesus.
53 Now, it was a time of destruction, the time just before destruction. The whole earth was full of violence.
If you notice, wherever you see men begin to multiply, people begin to get together, great gatherings of people, and remain, that city is becoming populated, more population. The first thing you know, it begins to bring in deviceties for recreation, from that it goes into gambling, from gambling into drinking, from drink--drinking into prostitution, breaking up of homes, marriage, divorce, then murder. It just keeps growing, growing, growing, like a chain of no end.
When God walked with just man alone, by himself, he had favor with God. But when man begin to multiply, and begin to get others and others and others, then they begin to... Satan having a more of a range to work in. This man might believe a little bit, leaning in this way, and the other one, a little bit this way; then when Satan comes in, he just fires it on. Then it becomes this and that, and imaginations begin to come great, and then corruption sets in. And when Noah...
56 If you'll notice, between the generations, after the slaying of Abel, God replaced him with Seth. 'Course we're taught by historians, that Adam and Eve had seventy sons and daughters. But as the Bible records only the three sons, Ham, Shem, and--and Japheth, was Noah's sons. Pardon me. Was Cain, Abel and Seth, was Noah's sons, or Adam's sons.
Then just a little bit excited. I have been for the last couple of days since my Joseph come, so I kind of get things a little mixed up.
Notice then through this lineage of Ham, after he carried on over through there, we'll--through the antediluvian destruction. His whole generation faded out into wickedness.
And when we come over through the lineage of Cain, it did the same thing. They went off into the land of Nod, Cain did, and there married, took his wife and went in there, and later man become like giants.
When the children of Israel come up through there, they found men, even some of them had fingers of fourteen inches long. And think of that, great giants. David slew Goliath, which was a great fellow, and he said that his spear looked like a weaver's needle. And how many... Nine feet tall and something, and what a mighty fellow he was.
61 But if you notice, there come a great civilization through that lineage of--of Cain back there, that begin to come in. When men begin to multiply, they begin to go out after different educations and so forth, and discovery of things, inventions. One, a great worker of wood, oh, how they built and begin to build and build and build, was a sign that the end time was near. Did you ever see the like of building that we got now? It's again the sign of the end time.
They were great workers of metal. And they discovered how they could, what they could do with metal. And look what they're doing with metal today, even making... I heard on the radio the other day, making steel or metal houses now. They cut out all the timber practically, so they're making them out of aluminum, and out of steel, and so forth. And great discoveries of education, and great going on of science, progress of science, a sign of the end time... Look what science has done in the last few years (Oh, my.), just the things that's done. What is it? Nearing the end time. A sign that all believers...
Ministers in the pulpit should be preaching it with all the force they got, showing to the people. We're passing milestones. And all things point to the end. The Scriptural verse, God's Bible that we read and believe today is pointing to the end, not much farther. The great scientific world says the end is in sight, another great milestone. The zodiac on the calendar and so forth, the astronomy and everything says the end is in sight. The pyramid says the end is in sight. Every great pointing place says the end is in sight. We're at the end time.
67 Notice. But God in His sovereign grace, before the end time... He referred to it now in Jesus: Jesus did, said, "As it was in the days of Noah before the flood, what people were doing, that's that kind of a repeat will come again." And we see it. So we--we just have to be spiritually blind, or we can see it. Open up, look around.
There's such a great difference between physical blind and spiritual blind. I believe if I had to take my choice, I'd take physical, any time. Yes. There's such a thing as being blind.
69 Here not long ago, a minister said, "If you be a servant of the Lord, smite me blind."
I said, "You're already blind."
He said, "Me, blind?"
I said, "Yes, sir." 'Cause he was ridiculing Divine healing, ridiculing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, saying there wasn't such a thing. I said, "You're blind."
He said, "No, that's some of your own makeup."
I said, "That's the Scripture. The Bible said so."
Said, "When was the mind ever blind?"
I said, "Well, many times. Jesus told your fathers, said, 'You blind Pharisees. You got eyes and you can't see.' That's right. 'But if you'd have knowed the time...'"
I said, "Elijah was down, that great prophet, at Dothan one time. And there the whole Syrian army got around to take Elijah. And Gehazi said...?... "Father, they're upon us. The whole city is compassed around here with the army of the Syrians."
He said, "Well, there's more with us than there is with them."
He said, "Well now, here they are, but I can't see nobody but you."
Said, "God, open his eyes." And when his eyes come open, he looked, and around that old prophet was chariots of fire, the hills was on fire...?... He walked right out to where they was, and he said he smote them blind. Walked out...?... Not physically. One way they were physically blind. He went out, said, "Are you looking for Elijah?" He was Elijah, himself.
Said, "Yes, we're looking for him."
Said, "Come follow me, I'll lead you right to him." They didn't know it. They were blind.
78 And today, men are stricken blind because they are rejecting God, mercy. That only leaves judgment left. But God in His love and mercy has so appropriated a way, that before Divine judgment ever strikes, there is a way. God makes a way of escape for all those who desire to follow that way. That's the mercies of Him, making a way of escape. "Not willing that any should perish, but all might come to repentance."
He's in the world today showing signs and wonders, and raising up people, great things taking place, showing signs in the heaven above, and on earth, signs. Signs of flying saucers through the air, where even the Pentagon and all don't know what to think of it. Signs in the heaven above, and on earth the healing of the sick, the raising of the dead, the opening of the blinded eyes, the casting out of evil spirits, the Gospel being preached, signs before His Coming. "Not willing that any should perish, but that all might humbly, sweetly bow to repentance." But those who reject Christ have to walk blind.
What if I, today, was to reject to have my eyesight, letting it be put out? If I refused to keep my eyes, I'd take something and stab them out. I don't want to see then.
That's the way it is spiritually. If a man refuses to look into God's Word and see the plan, and see God, he automatically puts out his eyes. He himself shuts up his eyes to the things of God. What a day. What a time. What a lesson we ought to learn today from looking around at the end time.
82 But God in His sovereign grace in the days of Noah, He said, "Now, I want you to go out and make a provision for all those who desire to escape this judgment." Isn't that marvelous? God, not willing that any should perish, making a way of escape for those who wanted to come God's way of escape... So He said, "Noah, I want you to make an ark."
Now, the word "ark" is "a little chest, or a place of escape, a hiding place." There's three of them spoke of in the Old Testament. And we want to look at those three now for a few moments. All those three were typing one great Ark, Christ, to the Church today. Three is a confirmation, all the old things just foreshadowing.
84 I was reading the other day while setting out on a creek bank, of how that those Hebrew mothers that gave birth back there to the patriarchs, and each one when she come forth and uttered his name while in labor, said what he would be, and what he would be in the last day, not knowing what she was doing, and muttering. Taking a hold of Genesis 49, and type it out, where their end time, where they're at, and watch what it is. It's right there. My.
How, if we could only open our eyes sometime and our spiritual hearing, that the Word comes forth, that we'd realize what it is, and the Spirit would reveal to us... And I pray now the Holy Spirit takes these things of God and put them out into the heart of every man and woman, boy and girl here.
86 The ark. There was one of them Noah built, a way of escape. Second one spoke of, was the one that Moses was put in. The third was the ark of the testimony to Israel. And the fourth, all fulfilled in the fourth, being Christ Jesus.
Let's go back now and begin at the first in Genesis, and see how the preparation was made for the ark, and see if it doesn't type Christ exactly. And all those who gathered into each ark, or under the--the--come to reconciliation by the ark, all was preserved through judgment. And just as certain as they was preserved in the type, how much more are we to be preserved in Christ, the real Antitype of all the arks. Oh, He's marvelous.
88 Then we notice back there, that God told Noah, said, "I want you to make this out of a specific type of wood." Now, just any wood wouldn't work. We got to have a certain type, and it must be gopher wood. Gopher wood now was... I was studying here a few weeks ago on what gopher wood was. And it was a soft wood, pliable. And that is what makes up the ark, was a wood that could be easily applied, a pliable wood.
That's the believer. Once in the hands of God, cut down from his own self-righteousness of the tree, he becomes pliable in the hands of the Builder, not tossed about with every wind of doctrine, but a pliable that fits right into the Word of God to be used easily.
90 And we notice that it was a wood that would suck up moisture easy, take in moisture. And now, to one thing, the man a pliable in the hands of God could be a great thing to God, or you could be a great thing to the devil.
Now, if the ark was built out of wood that was pliable and would suck into the water, it wouldn't be but a little while till it was waterlogged. And it would sink immediately, become heavy, because gopher wood is real light. And the water would soak right through it.
So that's what I think today. This is it. I believe today the trouble with many sincere men and women today, not--not willing to give theirself in completely, but went after error. And that's why the ark become waterlogged, can't go any farther. She heads up and down, about ready to sink.
93 So what kind of a Holy Spirit there formed the way? But it... They could not stand to go on like that. So God said to Noah, "Pitch it within and without, both sides, pitch it."
Then I was studying over what pitch was made out of. I went back and got it, and went back into an old dictionary, begin to find out what pitch meant. Into the Greek, I find out that pitch meant one thing, meant to... a substance. But how they got pitch, they beat it out of another tree. It was like a rosin, and they beat it out, and boiled it, and then poured it on. And it become pitch.
What a beautiful thing, of the wood before it's cut down, a certain type of timber, being human, Christ in His humility, being human. And the Church, His ark today, coming into His Church, which is no more than His own spiritual body here on earth... That Christ was cut down, and life was beat out of Him, that it might be applied to the Church.
96 Now, this soft gopher wood, when they poured this hot pitch over it, it soaked it up right quick, inside and out, and made it a sealed. Amen. Oh, you see it? A seal: soft, soaking in the Word of God, Christ pouring the Holy Spirit, het up. Amen. It won't run when it's cold. It's got to get hot. What we need today is an old fashion, Holy Ghost meeting, het up, poured down.
They took that soft gopher wood, the big ladle, and poured it on, and the gopher wood real soft, ready, then from the inside and out, that pitch went through and cased it over like steel. No water could seep in it at all. It was a protection.
And every man that comes and receives Christ, and coats him by the Holy Spirit, becomes so one minded till he sees nothing else but Christ. He doesn't care for the world any more. You can bump him, bounce him, kick him out, do everything you want to, but he's cased over. In other words, he's sealed. Seal up all the cracks, that's what they did with the pitch. And the Bible said what...
You know what the sealing is for this, have with this ark today? Ephesians 4:30 said, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed (or pitched, cased over) until the day of redemption." Amen. All sealed up, every little portion of wood, every little outlet, every little hole, every little crack, every little pore in the wood is just sealed and cased in with the Spirit of God. Oh, how marvelous.
100 See, if you put it on cold, you'd have air holes in it. If you ever hit against a log or something, it might bust it, because it's got a flaw in it. But when it's het, poured on, then it goes all the way though and seals it both sides, inside and out. Amen.
Perfect type of Christ and His Church. How one tree had to be cut down, to be beaten and bruised and all the juice took out of it; and then that applied to the other tree to preserve the tree through the judgment. Christ was cut down, that through His life, and by the Holy Spirit, the Church might be carried through the judgment. See it? What a beautiful picture. Oh, my. That thrills you, doesn't it? Just make your heart jump back and forth. See? All of it speaking of Christ, everything in the Old Testament was of Christ, foreshadowing It.
102 Someone said, the other day; he said, "Brother Branham, why is it that this happens and that happened?" Well, he's sitting present now. I was eating at a table. I said, "Sister, come back of all these things, and come back to the beginning." I said, "The first thing that person was, before anyone else, before there was one cell, they were spirit. That's the fundamental part. Keep that spirit right. From everything from that spirit, this a way will perish, whether it's houses, lands, homes, health, whatever it may be, it's perishable, and it'll go right straight back to that spirit again." Hallelujah. And right back to the spirit again, so keep that right.
No matter what you got here in this world, what you haven't got, keep your heart right in tune with God. For it's all, everything, all your houses, lands, all your money, all your sickness, all your health, all your children, all, everything that you've got here on this earth, will everything leave you, and you'll go right straight back to the beginning again. If that's right with God, you'll come forth again just as certain as there's a God in heaven. If it's not right with God, you got to take the other route. You're here to make a choice. Make it today for Christ.
105 Notice. Oh, my. Another thing that the word meant, when it said, "Pitch, pitch it," tar it, or soak it with rosin, it means "to atone." Now, the word "pitch" means "to atone." Over in Leviticus, the same word that was used for pitch in Genesis, in Leviticus is used as an atone, to make an atonement. Well, now, atone is to stand between. And the pitch that was in the gopher wood in the ark, was to keep out, or to atone the believer from the wrath. You see it?
Noah could not get into the wrath, the waters of judgment. Oh, I see it now. You get it? Look. He could not come into the judgment, because there was an atonement between him and the judgment. And the judgment was the water of the world.
And the believer in Christ is safely secured. Amen. Not upon the merits of himself, but on his obedience, obedience to walk into the ark. The only thing Noah had to do was get in the ark. He didn't even have to shut the door; God did that Himself. Walk in; that's all the believer does is walk by faith in Christ. God takes care of the rest of it. "He that heareth My words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath Everlasting Life, and shall not come into the judgment, passed from death unto life, in the ark, safe forevermore. Amen. Let the judgment rock her if it wants to.
Why, I imagine sometime the ark was standing on the end, and upside down, and everything else. But Noah was safe. The pitch stood between him and the judgment.
And today the Blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, stands between us and all the judgment. Amen. "... shall not be condemned, or come into judgment, but passed from death unto Life." Amen. Why? Because he is in the ark. What a perfect picture.
110 Trees, cut down, the way they started in the world, cut down first, that's every man comes into the world, born in sin, and shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies, undone, unlovely, ungodly, away from God, alienated, without hope, without Christ, dying, going to a sinner's grave, ready for the judgment. Then the Word comes along, sharper than any two-edged knife, cuts the tree down, hews it out, cuts off all the stickers and all the thorns, cuts the best part out of it, and is a pliable (Amen) in the hand of the Builder, Christ.
112 Then His life was poured out at Calvary, that through the shedding of the Blood, He might make an atonement to protect the man that's in the ark of safety. Oh, my. What a picture. Then in order to get the pitch to put on it... 'Cause, it'll waterlog. I want you to take notice of this. A man just says, "Well, I believe the Word. I'll just take this, that." Without the Blood, you're left to the world. No matter how much you're in the ark, how much ark or what board you are, you've got to get pitched, soaked up, all soaked up with the Holy Spirit, keeping the world out.
114 Then I want you to notice, how beautiful. Then in order... There had to be another tree cut down, a fellow kinsman cut down, and beat until all the rosin fell out of it. And this rosin then was poured onto the other one that was cut down to preserve it. Amen. And today... How long preserved? Why, that sin, six thousand years ago...
And they see the old ark yet setting on top of a mountain. No other wood has ever stood it and never will. Why? It was pitched by the death of another. The ark still stands, pitched within and without, as a memorial of what pitch will do.
Oh, what a perfect picture how Christ is. The believer's position in Christ, after once in Christ, pitched on the outside with the... All you have to do... The ark is prepared. The only thing you have to do is come in and believe.
Notice, Noah, when he came in. That's the only thing he had to do, was walk in. God shut the door, and he was safely until the judgments was passed. God done the shutting. God done the opening. That's the believer today in Christ.
118 Notice. Quickly now... The next ark was spoke of, we'll go to it just a moment, was Moses. The Bible declared that little basket to be an ark. And notice that it was provided by the mother, the one who gave him the birth. Amen.
Not through some seminary, not some theological experience, but the One Who gives the believer the birth, prepares the ark for him, carry him through the judgment.
120 So she weaved it with the little--little stalks that they had there, like a little cornstalk, flax stalk. They still have it in Egypt. You can still see them mothers taking their little old babies across the Nile River, push it across, while she's wading, a little basket, the same way, push him in a basket across the Nile River.
And she went and made him a little ark. And the way it's made, it weaves in and out, when they were making it. That's the way the weavers do, weave it back and forth.
And then she went and slimed it. Slime is a pitch again. The same word, slime, take it right through, look if don't say "pitch" or "atone." Then, you see, with the weavers a weaving the stalks in and out, made little gaps in there, so it would hold the pitch.
Oh, my. How the believer... What a shame today that we're all separated, one a Methodist, and the other one a Baptist, and one a Lutheran, and one a Oneness, and one a Threeness. And what a pity. They all should be closely knitted together, then the pitch poured on, then it all sticks together, and cements together, making a safety. Marvelous, pouring the pitch on it...
124 Then the little baby Moses was laid in the basket and pushed out into the judgment of the water. "Water" always means "thickness and multitudes of people." The little fellow out there, probably a little cover over his face, out on the ark, out on the Nile River. She's swift. And there, going down through there, through the reeds and bulrushes, and the alligators and everything else, around in the Nile. And the rains and the storms and the blizzards, and it blowing through there, the gales, the little ark rode it out. Why? There a priest was in the ark. Amen. He was a priest. He was a law-giver. He was a king.
So was Noah. Noah also was a father. And the father himself, who made the ark, was in the ark with his substance.
Christ, our Father, Who made the ark with His own Blood, is inside the ark with the believer, fellowshipping. My.
127 As all the children and all the animals listened to Noah preach, while the judgments was on, it pouring down, the ark a riding back the waves, tested about from place to place. Noah said, "Hold still, children. God has made this ark. It's built according to His instructions. It'll stand everything that the devil can send against it." Noah in the ark, preaching, taken from the judgment...
128 Little Moses out there, looking up towards the star lit skies at night, when the wind was a blowing and a howling across the places, the old Nile a jumping, and the crocodiles going under the basket (Hallelujah.), safe, protected, standing between was an atonement between him and all the gales and the heavy winds that the devil could send. Nothing would upset that little ark. He floated right on through.
I can see the great Holy Spirit standing above it. I can see the Angels of God setting near with their swords drawed. No, sir, nothing's going to touch it.
I can see the devil trying to sink the ark up there and Noah singing, "Jesus, keep me near the cross," or whatever it was. All the devils in hell couldn't take it, because it's built according to God's instructions. There was an atonement standing between judgment and mercy.
That's every believer today, no matter how hard it must seem...?... how hard life may seem. As long as you're in Christ Jesus, there's nothing present, nothing future, can't reach your soul, separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Amen. The devil will turn every gale in hell loose on you, but God's got an atonement standing between you. You'll float every wave. You'll go through every alligator bed.
132 Where did he land? Right straight in the line of being the king of all Egypt. Hallelujah.
And one of these days, when this old ark lands on the other side of the stormy Jordan, we'll walk out as priests and kings unto God, standing under the atonement of the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, freely give it to whosoever will, the atonement, the mercy.
134 Over in the Old Testament He said, "Now, you shall make a--an ark." And He specified the wood, "acacia wood." Or you can make it out of this wood. It's called, in the Bible, "shittim wood," but it's really called "acacia wood." And you can make it the same thing, the ark. And said, "You shall make it and overlay it with gold."
Watch that ark, see if it typed Christ. Notice, it typed every time. Noah was a type of Christ, making a way, so was Moses.
Now, watch the ark of the covenant. He said, "You shall make it out of acacia wood and overlay it with gold." Anyone who knows the Scripture, know that gold speaks of Deity, and wood speaks of humanity. See He said, "You shall cover it, overlay it with gold, over the wood." That's Deity over the wood: Christ over the Church, inside and out, Deity, overlaid.
137 You'll have a lid on top of it. It'll be a mercy seat, and all the laws will rest in it. But before you...?... you sprinkle it over with blood. The law speaks of judgment. But between the law and the congregation, there was something for Deity stood in its place: type of Christ. Between the wrath of God, the judgment in hell, between that and the believer stands Deity Himself, Christ, standing in the way with an atonement made to save us from our sins and to heal us from our sickness. Deity stands in the way between judgment.
139 The law was a judge. The law judged, but the atonement stood between the confessed believer and the judgment. There laid the judgment in the ark, ready to come forth. But when it did, it couldn't, for there was an atonement standing between it and the believer. And the believer come and accepted Christ in the shadow and type, shed blood sprinkled upon the mercy seat, then he had mercy, and could walk away rejoicing, because he was free from judgment.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, that walk not after the flesh, but the Spirit." And when a man knows that he's died to the things of the world, and those that get in Christ Jesus, and walking according to the Holy Spirit, and not the ways of this sinful world, there's no condemnation to him. He can look in the face of hell and judgment and rejoice, because there's the Blood of Christ making atonement, standing between him and judgment. Amen. There you are.
The believer once in, the lid shut down, that settles it for all time. Amen. Gold, Deity laid over and underneath it, and all around it, wrapped up in Deity. Every man that's come into Christ is wrapped up in the Holy Spirit and become sons and daughters of God.
142 ...?... and just beat out gold. They got it hot and beat it. And the beater of the gold, beat the gold. He had to beat it with a hammer. And they beat the gold until he'd see his reflection in it. Then get her hot, and pour it out over the ark, and it soaked into the wood. Oh, my.
When the Holy Spirit, being the power, Holy Ghost and fire, poured out upon the believer, through the Blood of Christ, makes an atonement there for him. He's safe from all Divine judgment. "Does that include sickness?" Yes, sir. Absolutely does.
144 It don't say it won't push you about, it won't mock you, it won't get on you, it won't do this. "But many are the afflictions of the righteous." Many times will the ark be tossed this way and that way, "but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."
Many bounces had the old ark. Many ups-and-downs, and many gales did she ride, but she landed on Mount Ararat, just the same.
Many alligator I said, crossed the little ark, many gales had rode through the night, many dark storms she rode through, but landed safely in the bulrushes, where the intents could be taken to the throne of the nation: from the lowest to the highest. Amen.
We miserable, wretched, from the lowest of all insects, lowest of all creatures, morally polluted, spiritually dead can be lifted from that place by the ark of the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to be sons and daughters, and kings and priests unto God. What a picture. What do we have under consideration? How can man turn such a proposition down, that God has made with man?
148 There, another thing I want you to notice. When the ark went into its place, He said, "A crown of gold you'll lay on top of it." In other words, when the ark was pitched over and around, with all this, the law was on the inside... And then notice, another thing, the bread, the kosher, or the manna that fell at first, that manna was in the pot, was kept inside the ark.
And, brother, if you've never tasted God to see He's good, get into the ark one time, for there's where the manna lays, not out in some old, carnal, free--creed or something another, but in Christ, inside. Come in at the door, and God will shut the door behind you, keep the judgments out.
150 Notice, as he walked in. He took this ark... Also, Aaron's rod was put in there and budded; an old rod that was dead, a staff, a stick, no more than that piece of wood right there that all life is gone from it. It's dry as it can be. But once put into that holy place, it lived again.
Every sinner, I don't care how dull, how black, what your life has been; in the Presence of Christ you'll live again, and bloom, and bring forth blossoms, nourished of the Spirit. How sick you are, that doesn't matter, you'll live yet in the presence of the atonement. What a marvel. What a thing we have under consideration. What a Scripture. What a God. What--what perfect... What a sure foundation. All other grounds is sinking sand. All other grounds is sinking sand.
152 Notice, put a crown on it. Why? It was the king. What did that gold crown laying on top of a box mean? It meant that here, with that gold laying over it, humanity was covered with gold. Blood sprinkled on top of it, and a crown laying on that.
What a perfect type of Christ and His Deity, His love. He come forth into the world and laid Himself over humanity, His Church, His believers. Upon that, He sprinkled His own Blood, and will save "whosoever will." And two Angels beat out of gold, and the wings pointing across each other at the mercy seat, where every believer come, confessing his sins, receive reconciliation for his sin.
154 There He is. Now, look at Him. The gold crown, does that represent Christ? Yes. When Christ was here on earth, He was crowned with a crown of thorns to shed the Blood. That's right. But every believer that comes through that shed Blood, pulls forth that crown of thorns and crowns Him with the glory of praises and honor. Every believer that steps into His Presence, accepts that Blood from His pressed brow here with thorns, and crowns Him with glory and praises and majesty, as King of kings, as Healer, as Alpha, Omega, as the Beginning and Ending, as the Counselor, the Prince of Peace, the mighty God, the everlasting Father.
155 Noah was the father in his ark. Moses was father in his ark. Christ is the Father in His ark with His subjects, you people, the Church, the believer, safely secured.
I want you to notice again, the approach to that ark come through a way that... You notice, every man come into that ark, had to come through, first, the outer court; the next he had to come through, was the inner veil; then into the holiest of holies.
That was Christ as Prophet, as Priest, as King, crowned. First thing come, you see Him spoke of here, when He first come through, He was a Prophet.
158 A man coming to Christ must first come to the cross. The cross was His priesthood. The cross was there where He was represented in death. There's where that cross, where "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son."
There's no man in his right mind, can ever come in before the cross, brought before Him, but what hears Christ preach to him: Christ is the Prophet, the Preacher.
160 Then the next thing He does, He goes through then for the atonement. He goes through the veil as a Priest to intercede, intercessions, "making intercessions, setting at the right hand of God, making intercessions for the believer." And the believer comes into His Presence, and then Christ makes intercessions for him upon the confession of what he believes when he comes to the cross. He comes up now to Christ; he said, "O Christ, I know You preached to me through the cross, Your Word. I believe You. Will You have mercy on me?" And Christ, the Intercessor, intercesses. Then He goes right on into the ark, into the judgment there, and bears all of his judgment, taking away all sin and shame, and reconciling to God; through the propitiation of the Blood brings him back into fellowship with God, and puts him in the ark safely forever.
163 Nothing to worry about. No harm can be done. You're just as safe as you can be. Let the storms come. Let the... oh, everything take place, let sickness strike. Let anything take place that the Satan desires to send. God will rock you right through every bit of it. Don't go to jumping out. Stay right in Christ. Say, "Lord God, 'Upon this Rock,' You said, 'I'll build My church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.' I believe Thee, Lord Jesus. I now anchor my soul in a haven of rest." Oh, my.
Christ, the Chief Captain of our salvation, there He stands, the great conqueror. He rent the veil in two, and took down all the middle walls of partition, invited "whosoever will" to come and partake of His Life, be covered with His Divine blessings, that there'll be no judgment strike you. And if judgment strikes, it can't hurt you. You may be sick for a little while, you may have to go through something for a little while; but remember Christ is at the end. He never said this ark will set in a little whirlpool like that, where there'll be no... calm, just as calm as it can be. No sir, He never carried a flower bed of ease. He never promised things easy, but He promised grace to sustain you in the time. I think of the poet said:
Must I be carried home to heaven on a flowery bed of ease,
While others fought to win the prize and sail through bloody seas?
No, I must fight if I must reign. Increase my courage Lord.
Yes sir. Don't notice when the hard trials come, just stay right in the ark and say:
God, I'm safe for evermore.
I've anchored my soul in the haven of rest,
To sail the wild seas no more.
The tempest may sweep o'er the wild, stormy deep,
But in Jesus I'm safe evermore.
Let sickness come, let troubles come, let dis-heartening, or heartaches, and everything come, that has nothing to do. We receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved. Didn't say you'd be jumping back and so forth, but God will land you as safely as you can be in His Kingdom one of these days. You stay right in His ark.
May the Lord bless you, while we bow our heads just a moment.
167 Our heavenly Father, today, as we look into His majesty there, we see Him back there with Noah. Who was riding out those waves? Who was in that little old gopher wood ark? Where now, the biggest battleship that we have could not stand it. The whole earth rocked and tossed about, thousands and thousands of miles out of its orbit yonder, whirled about like a whirlpool out there, and the waves jumping miles high in the air. The whole world, covered, these big old mountains being washed out of level ground, whirling around in midnight darkness: Judgment, dead bodies flopping and floating. And a little old boat with gopher wood, pitched in and without; and those, Your beloved believers, set inside the ark just as safe as they could be. They didn't care. They'd done just what You said do. They followed Your instructions. And he that follows Your instructions will not be condemned or confounded. Finally You ceased the storm. The storms of life is over, then we're landed safely in a new world.
Dear heavenly Father, today upon the storm tossed sea of life, we don't understand how it's done, in the days when medical science is great, when the churches are making such great big things. But we just anchored away in Jesus. The storms come along, persecutions rise, but we followed the instructions. Thou will see us through. Grant it, heavenly Father, these blessings to each one. Bless the stranger in our gate this morning. Bless the unsaved, and may they become Thy children.
169 While we have our heads bowed, I wonder if--if there would be someone here that's outside of Christ, would raise up your hand, say, "Brother Branham, I'm raising my hand to God, just so you and He can see it. I want to be remembered and brought into the ark before it's too late. Will you pray for me?" Would you just raise your hand, say, "Remember me"? God bless you, sir. God bless you, sir. God bless you. Bless you, sister. God bless you, brother. "When the storms of life is raging, stand by me."
I can't make your decision, friend. I can only pray for you. You have to make your decision. I don't believe there's any honest hearted person could come into the Presence of His majesty and see the love that He's promised... Now, what did you raise your hand for? Something's knocking at your heart. That's God trying to pull you into the ark. "No man can come to Me, except My Father draws him. And all that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out. I'll give him Everlasting Life, raise him up at the last days."
171 Don't be scared. God's driving the winds. God's driving the ark. He has all things provided. Why, Noah wouldn't have had any victories, wouldn't have been storms and trials. If we're just put through a little safe tunnel to run through, there's no joy. The storms of life, what makes us have the joy. We'd never know what daylight was 'less we had some dark. We'd never know what a hilltop was 'less we had a mountain. We'd never know what good health was 'less you had some sickness. You'd never know how to enjoy salvation 'less you was once a sinner. God's made all things, the law of contrast. He loves you.
Now, while you have your heads bowed, and your hands up.
172 Father God, I pray that today, as the door's still open, the people are coming from the east and west, north and south, gathering in. Great signs are happening, in the skies, fearful sights; the atomics of the air has been split, the hydrogen is being burnt out. Saucers are flying, missiles that cannot be understood, some sort of intelligence, they think, from somewhere else, they don't know, and science can't find out, mysteriously slipping down on the scene with lightning speed. O God, we're near the end.
And the great pyramid that Enoch built, the last chamber's gone through, ready for the King's chamber now, the coming of the Lord right in the top for the keystone. All the calendar of astronomy points right straight; the stars are declaring it, as they did at the first time. When the wise men looked up and saw the stars, they said, "There, the great King's coming." Now, the stars are pointing again.
All nature's a groaning. Men's hearts are filled with fear; perplexity of the times; distress between nations; the sea a roaring; great tidal waves breaking everywhere, killing hundreds up and down the bank; horseless carriages going through the highways and the broad ways, seem like torches running like lightning. And we've passed right on by these milestones as if they was nothing.
175 O God, stop us quickly. Halt this sinful world by the preaching of the Gospel. Save those who put up their hands today, Lord Jesus. Grant it today. May Thy provided mercy rest upon each of them. May they be right now... Nothing I could do, nothing else can be done. Theirs is the next move.
You sent the Holy Spirit. He put the Word in their heart. They raised their hand that they believed it. You said, "He that believeth this shall never perish, but have Everlasting Life." Come, Lord, settle it with them forever. They believe You. And they believe Your Word now. As You said, "He that heareth My Words (been preached), believeth on Him that sent Me (we do), hath (because he did) Everlasting Life, and shall never have judgment; but is passed from judgment unto Life," safely in the ark.
Lord, let them rise with new--like new men, and new women, new boys and girls; go from this little, old tabernacle today, where this handful of people has gathered, out to live new lives, to preach the Gospel, to teach them to do, exalt Christ everywhere. Grant it, Lord. Bless us now, we pray, through Jesus' Name. Amen.
Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,
Oh, hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Saviour, Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Let me at Thy throne (the mercy seat, see?)... mercy
Find (Just let your soul speak to God.)... relief (from my sins);
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Help my unbelief.
Let's bow our heads.
Saviour, Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
178 With our heads bowed. Oh, I just think of the wonderful times, every time I've come into this old hull here. I believe it's pitched, stood a many a storm, cradled me, the days of troubles and trials.
I see Billy setting back there. He's... I--I just feel led of the Spirit though, to do something different now. I--I just feel that God wants me to do something a little different. I got some people here, a Mr. D. Cook, a Mr. Long, Erwin, several others that's got their names on a paper here, that's come to have a little prayer, and talk things over. Listen to me now, while we're in prayer then. I just started to tell Billy, "Come up through the aisle and give out some prayer cards."
But the Holy Spirit said, "Don't do that." That's the reason I sung "Pass me not, O gentle Saviour." I thought, "What is it, Lord?"
181 I want to tell you this. Now, if you'll believe me and listen. Whatever it is, it's in your heart, whatever it is you want to know, whatever your sickness is, believe Him now. He will speak to you now. He's going to do it. He's going to speak to you individually. I believe it with all my heart. The Holy Spirit is going to do it, speak to you, tell you just what you have need of. Whatever He speaks to you, do. If you're crippled, He says, "Get up and walk," you get up and walk. If you got a cancer, and He says, "Forget about it from today on," you do it. See if it don't happen.
If you're stand in jeopardy, don't know which way to turn, He will tell you just what to do. He will put it in your heart right now. Don't doubt Him. Go do it. Do just what He tells you to do. He will do it.
183 Now, while we have our heads bowed, these that I called their name, I want them to come up here to the altar just a moment, if you'd just walk out. And then if there's any of the local people, too that wants to come for prayer, would you make your way while we all keep out heads bowed.
A very strange thing, I've--have very strangely warned just now by the Holy Spirit, for something. I was just wondering how to do this, but He just told me, and I know He's right. While those who desire to be--have a word of prayer, a little something before God, or has a need, sickness, financial, physical, material, whatever your troubles is, would you walk up to the altar now just a moment, while we sing that verse one more time.
Keep your heads bowed, everybody but those who are coming. And mother here with the little girl, I want you to bring her here, right here at the altar. All right.
Saviour, Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Let me at the throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Heal my broken, wounded spirit,
Help my unbelief.
Saviour...
186 My beloved friends with your heads bowed, I've tried in all my life to be anything but false. I've tried to be honest in my dealings with God and with my fellow man. And I've tried it every time to move and do just as the Holy Spirit would tell me. That's the reason I'm carried from place to place, and stop meetings, and go places, because I follow the leading of the Spirit.
And this morning, while preaching here... Was going to have a prayer line, come up, bring the people up for discernment and talk with them. But Something spoke to me, said, "Tell the people..." That's the reason I stopped all at once; it happened. Said, "Call the people up here and tell them, 'Come, ask Me.' If they lack, I'll tell them."
188 You wonder how the little girl can get well, how you with the cancer can get well, how you over here with the throat trouble can get well, how you on this cane can be made well, how you on that crutch can be made well, how the blind can be made to see, how you that's distressed and in trouble.
There's someone here that's got domestic trouble, family trouble. "How else can I ever get over it, Brother Branham?" He will tell you right now.
Other troubles, you're wondering about this, that, or the other. Just what strikes your heart, now follow that and see if it's not right. Just follow it and see if that isn't right. Don't change your mind. Stay right with it. He said He would speak to you.
Now, while everybody in prayer.
191 [Brother Branham leaves the pulpit microphone and begins praying for the people at the altar--Ed.]
Father in heaven, bless my brother. Give him every desire of his heart, whatever he desires.
My sister, dear God, bless her. Take the heaviness out of her heart today.
Bless my sister, Father. May the Spirit be upon her.
God, bless my sister. Give her the deep desires of her heart.
Likewise, to my sister here, through Jesus' Name, Father, grant it.
See this darling little girl, we're so thankful You did so much for her, Father. You helped us not long ago. I pray that You'll make this child completely well, and a revelation to others, that they can believe on You. I bless this child, this morning, in the Name of Jesus Christ, and curse the disease of her body...?...
Bless my beloved brother today, Lord. May his faith never fail as he looks yonder at Calvary, knowing You there, faith, whatever faith is laid there, God will confirm it and bring it to pass.
198 Bless my Brother Morgan. Give him the desire of his heart. Whatever he asks for today, may You give it in the Name of the Lord.
Bless my sister...?... Lord, and give to her those things which she desires, through Jesus Christ.
Father God, my brother, I...?... the desires of his heart may be fulfilled...?...
Our brother here...?... God, bless...?... Heavenly Father, may the desire of his heart, and may he find that desire in Jesus Christ. And thank You for the healing, Lord.
Father God, I pray, with hands laid upon my brother for the desire of his heart to be granted...?...
Bless my little brother, Father. This I...?...
To the little girl, Father, I bless her. In the Name of the Lord Jesus, may she get what she asks for, Father, in Jesus' Name. Grant it.
Bless my sister, Lord. In Jesus' Name... [Brother Branham continues praying for the people at the altar, but his words cannot be heard clearly--Ed.]
204 Almighty God, as Thou art the Ruler of heavens and earth, Thou sets man's heart in order. Thou put the stars in the skies, and they remain. You hung the sun in its orbit, and it stays there. You set the moon up there in the skies, and put it to watch over the sea; You set its boundaries, that it cannot pass. Thou didst speak, and they did obey. Lord God, You speak to man's heart. May it always be flexible and ready to soak in the Spirit and do the things that God has commanded.
And, heavenly Father, Thou has spoke to my heart this morning, Your unworthy servant. And I have spoke to the people, that You want to speak; and it did with each one of them. And now, Father, I have went down in commemoration of Your revelation to me, and laid my hands upon them. And, Father, whatever You put on their heart at that time, God, may it be their everlasting decision right there, knowing that Your Spirit is here now, placing upon their hearts exactly. If they're crippled, may they walk. If they're blind, may they see. If they're distressed, may they be made happy. If they have troubles, may it be taken away. Grant it, Lord. If they're trying to make a decision, may the right decision come just now. May the Holy Spirit reveal all these things that we have need of. Grant it, Lord. We're here at the altar, waiting on You, worshipping You.
206 Now, Father, if there's some here that You haven't spoke to as yet, may Your Spirit now surge down. May It move up and down this altar here and reveal everything. Make every heart sure, Lord. Make it positive, there'll be no doubt, nowhere at all. May Your Spirit just take away all friction.
And back in the audience of these dear people, the well, those who are not in trouble, those who You have blessed, and setting here with health and strength this morning, oh, they're praying for these others, their comrades, Lord. They've had like problems, and they know that You've helped them.
And now, Father, we are praying with one accord, that You'll send Your Spirit and confirm everything, Lord, just now, to every heart, as we wait humbly with Your great Holy Spirit anointing, moving, doing that thing which we feel that is right. Grant it, Lord.
209 Now, with our heads bowed, everyone being in prayer, we're going to sing some songs. Don't be weary now.
I am not a fanatic. You know that. If I am, I know it not. But Something has definitely spoke to me, said, "I'll speak to them. You just call them up here." I did what He said do.
Now, while we have our heads bowed, and singing songs, just see what He will tell you. Whatever He tells you, that's Him talking.
We'll walk in the light,
It's such a beautiful light,
Comes where the dewdrops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
While we sing softly, everyone in prayer.
We'll walk in the light, beautiful light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
We'll walk in the light, beautiful light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
We'll walk in the light (What light? He's giving it now) light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright,
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
Come, confess Him as your King,
Jesus, the light of the world;
Then the bells of heaven will ring,
Jesus, the light of the world.
We'll walk in the light, beautiful light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
We'll walk in the light, beautiful light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
1Dobré ráno, priatelia. Dnes sa stala malá chyba. Pred časom som sľúbil, že keď prídem, budem sa modliť za chorých a bude to oznámené v rádiovom vysielaní bratom Nevillom. Ale nejako zlyhali sekretári, a nebolo to oznámené. Niektorí ľudia volali a chceli, aby sa za nich dnes ráno modlilo.
2Bol som trochu rozrušený, keď oznámili príchod nejakého nového chlapca a ako zakaždým, bol som veľmi vďačný za to. Keď ho sestrička vyniesla z izby, povedal som: "Jozef, štyri roky som očakával na teba. Som šťastný, že si tu." Tak to bolo pred štyrmi rokmi. To bolo predtým, ako sa narodilo dievčatko, predtým, než sme vedeli, že ona príde. Prečo? Jedného dňa som sa modlil potom, čo som čítal život Jozefa v Biblii a pomyslel som si: "Aký dokonalý muž!" Abrahám bol vyvolenie. Izák bol ospravedlnenie. Jakob bol milosť. Ale Jozef bol dokonalosť. Nič viac o tom nie je povedané. Tak som premýšľal o Jozefovi, ako sa narodil, milovaný svojím otcom.
Mimochodom, dostal som telegram z Afriky, že mu robia plášť v rôznych farbách. Áno, oni na neho očakávali.
Išiel som do malej miestnosti a začal som sa modliť. "Bože", bol som zlomený v slzách a premýšľal som, aký úžasný bol tento Jozef. Ako bol predaný za 20 strieborných, len za 20 kúskov striebra, podobne ako Ježiš. Judáš predal Ježiša. A on bol vzatý z toho hrobu a bol posadený po pravici faraóna a žiadny muž nemohol vidieť kráľa, jedine cez Jozefa. Trúbky trúbili a každé koleno sa muselo skloniť, keď išiel okolo. A to isté s Ježišom: "Každý jazyk vyzná..." Šiel som naspäť a začal som sa modliť.
6Sú tri zložky, v ktorých ľudia žijú. Prvá je humanistická (ľudská). Druhá je Božské zjavenie a tretia videnie.
Podobne je to v modlitbe, keď sa za niekoho modlíme po ľudsky, tak povieme: "Dobre, verím, že ti bude lepšie, dúfam, verím s tebou a snažím sa použiť všetku vieru, čo môžem." To je ľudské.
Druhé je Božie zjavenie, keď ti je niečo zjavené. Ty vieš vo svojom srdci, že sa to stane, keď tu ešte nič nie je len to zjavenie.
Tretie je videnie - to je to: "tak hovorí Pán". To je dokonalé a pozitívne.
10Vošiel som tu do tejto oblasti a niečo mi povedalo - budeš mať chlapca a dáš mu meno Jozef.
Dobre, mal som dcéru. Chválil som Pána za ňu. Asi po mesiaci sme zistili, že budeme opäť rodičmi. Myslel som si, možno to bude môj Jozef. Prišlo na svet a bola to Jozefína.
Mnohí povedali, že som povedal, že to bude Jozef. Povedal som: "Nie. Nepovedal som, že to bude Jozef."
Niektorí povedali: "Nepovedal si, že si mal o tom videnie?" Vidíte, ako môžu ľudia urobiť zmätok.
Povedal som: "Sú kazety, môžte si to vypočuť. Nikdy som nepovedal, že to bude Jozef. Povedal som, Pán mi položil na srdce, že budem mať syna a bude sa volať Jozef." Neviem ako, kedy alebo čo, ale to sa stane. Tak, nevedel som. Môžem mať šesť dcér predtým, než budeme mať jeho, ale on tu bude. Neodišlo to nikdy z môjho srdca. A tak sme šli ďalej.
15A potom, jedného dňa on prišiel. Je tu, tak som veľmi vďačný za neho. Viem, že keď Pán niečo sľúbi, on aj urobí, čo sľúbil. On to musí urobiť, čo sľúbil, pretože on je Boh. A on musí dodržať svoje slovo.
Ja nie som schopný niekedy dodržať svoje sľuby a vy vaše. Sľúbime sľuby s dobrými úmyslami, ale nie sme schopní ich dodržať. Prídu okolnosti, ťažkosti, a tak ďalej a privedú nás tam, kde niekedy nevieme robiť to, čo by sme chceli.
Ale Boh je schopný dodržať svoje slovo. A on ho dodrží. Pre neho je nemožné, nedodržať ho. To je to, prečo ho milujeme. Môžme odpočívať v úplnej dôvere, že Boh je schopný postarať sa o všetko, čo sme mu odovzdali.
18Vonku je zlé počasie a tu v stánku je dosť chladno, nie je tu dusno, a nie je tu príliš veľa ľudí, že by ste boli natlačení jeden na druhého a stáli okolo sedadiel. Ale je to dobrý čas, myslím, že začnem vyučovať slovo.
Posledných niekoľko hodín som hľadal vedenie Ducha Svätého, či sa máme modliť za chorých, máme tu modlitebné karty. Viete, ja nemôžem, ja to neriadim. To riadi mňa. Ja s tým nič nemám. Záleží na tom, čo On povie.
20Brat Neville ohlasoval, že tu dole u brata Cranka je evanjelizácia. Nepoznám toho muža. Včera večer cestou z nemocnice som sa tam zastavil. Brat Roberts tam včera vzadu v tej budove premietal svoj film - brata Cranka a jeho otca. Brat Crank je ešte chlapec, vyzerá na 20 - 21 rokov, ale je s ním jeho otec. Potom brat Matheny z New Albany - letničný. Myslím, že brat Crank je tiež letničný.
Sú to milí ľudia, chceli aby som tam slúžil tento ďalší týždeň. Samozrejme to sa mi nedá, viete. A potom chceli vedieť či tam budem v sobotu večer. Ja ešte neviem. Povedal som im, že budem musieť pouvažovať. Brat Cobbles skončil a chcel ďalší piatok, sobotu a nedeľu. Brat Hall musí byť jeden večer tento víkend v Milltowne. Ďalší víkend odchádzame na prázdniny. Budem mať niekoľko malých roztrúsených zhromaždení. Ešte neviem, kde to bude. Povedal som mu, že mu dám vedieť trochu neskôr.
22Moja žena sa má dobre. Skutočne si vážim všetky vaše modlitby. Bolo to jedine skrze modlitbu. Pretože je tu zmiešané obecenstvo, nemôžem povedať, čo sa stalo. Nepredpokladali, že to pôjde v normálnom čase a u nej to trvalo hodiny a hodiny dlhšie. A obyčajne praskne srdce a oni hneď zomierajú. Ale Božou milosťou sa má lepšie, ako pri všetkých ostatných pôrodoch. Tak viem, že to boli vaše modlitby, ktoré pomohli a vážim si to z celého svojho srdca.
Príchod toho malého chlapca zaznamenal v mojom živote obrat. Pred niekoľkými dňami, keď to vyzeralo, že nepríde na svet v poriadku a všetko bolo proti nám, opozícia. Je to zvyčajne najtmavší deň pred dňom obratu. Viete, u človeka to tak obyčajne prebieha. Odišiel som do Green Mill, skautskej rezervácie, na moje staré miesto. Už som to nemohol, vydržať a chcel som byť sám s Pánom Ježišom. On ma uistil, že všetko bude v poriadku. Tak potom som povedal: „Pane, sľúbil som Ti, že odteraz ..." Mal som toľko ťažkostí a všetko možné.
24Dnes ráno je tu možno jeden alebo dvaja cudzí ľudia. Neviem. Mám tu pár mien ľudí, ktorí potrebujú modlitbu. Zdá sa mi, že dnes je tu len skupina z tohoto malého zboru.
Prechádzam cez veci, o ktorých svet nič nevie, ani ľudia, veľmi ťažké veci. Nepriateľ pracuje na tých vnútorných líniách. Zvonku to nevidíte. To sú vnútorné línie, kde sú zadávané rany. Stretávam to na každom kroku. Ale očakávam na to. Keby to tak nebolo, divil by som sa, že možno ... Nechcem aby to bolo priateľstvo s diablom. Viem, že on je môj nepriateľ a že sa musíme spolu stretávať na bojisku a som tak vďačný za materiál s ktorým môžem bojovať, za Slovo živého Boha, ono bude stáť na veky.
A teraz, dúfam, že Boh mi pomôže znovu zariadiť zhromaždenia, také miesta, kde môžem zostať dlhšie a tak ďalej. Buďte na modlitbách.
27Brat a sestra Schoeman z Južnej Afriky sú na ceste sem, (A to je vedúci kazateľského združenia Južnej Afriky.) aby zariadil príchod tam na jeseň, a potom cestu do Indie a ďalšie veci.
Brat Thomas je tu z Južnej Afriky. Stretol som ho. Robí veľkú prácu medzi domorodcami. Páči sa mi program brata Thomasa, o ktorom hovorí a ktorý rozbehol s bratom Tommy Osbornom. Myslím si, že je to správne a hodné podporiť to. Pretože on posiela domorodých misionárov. Viete predsa domorodci lepšie poznajú domorodcov.
Mohli by sme sem poslať niekoho z Austrálie. Bol by to nejaký brat, my by sme ho milovali, ale on nepozná americké zvyklosti, americké spôsoby. Na to treba Američana aby robil túto prácu správne. Čo keby sme sem poslali niekoho z Číny? No predsa, je to misionár, ale pravdepodobne nevie dobre po anglicky. Bolo by to všetko posekané a nemalo by to ten účinok, ako keď človek vie, ako podísť ku Američanom, ako pracovať s Američanmi, robiť veci podľa ich spôsobu atď. To je spôsob, ktorý funguje. My sme tu určitým spôsobom porozdeľovaní ľudia, na sever, juhu, východ, západ a s írskym prízvukom atď.
30Pred nedávnom som bol na Floride. Jeden večer tam bol jeden milý brat, ktorý mal kampaň, nazýval sa brat Jackson, Gail Jackson, jeden z mojich obrátených do uzdravenia. Bol som na ceste späť. Zvyčajne, vy viete, na mojich zbierkach a tak ďalej, nedávam to ľuďom vedieť. Keď nás Pán zaopatrí, v poriadku. Ak nie, no, dostaneme to niekde inde. Gail prišiel hore a opýtal sa manažéra: "Ako je to s financiami?"
On odpovedal: "Ó, aby sme to pokryli treba nám okolo tisíc dolárov, čosi viac, možno 1500."
On povedal: "Problém je, že neviete, ako to robiť u týchto južanov." Postavil sa a povedal: "Môžem dnes vybrať vašu zbierku?" "Áno, ale nie žobraním, brat Branham by nám to vytýkal." Odpovedal: "My nikdy nežobreme." On sa tam postavil, povedal pár slov a v zbierke bolo 2000 dolárov. "Vidíš, brat Baxter, ty len nevieš, ako to robiť s južanmi, to je všetko."
Tak to je. Musíte poznať zvyky južanov. Musíte poznať zvyky južanov severanov. Musíte poznať zvyky. Myslím, že rodák, ktorý pozná ich vlastné zvyky a svoj vlastný kmeň, je na tom ďaleko lepšie aby to podal svojim vlastným ľuďom, než ako všetci tí prispôsobení, ktorých posielame. Som veľmi vďačný za tých bratov.
36Dnes ráno by som chcel hovoriť len krátko. Nie som ... Viem, že toto bude možno moje posledné zhromaždenie kým sa ku vám za nejaký čas dostanem. Ideme teraz do Maconu v Georgii. Je to podporované 42 južnými baptistickými cirkvami. Potom idem ku kresťanským obchodníkom plného evanjelia v Denveri, a potom by som chcel ísť do Kanady na nejaký čas.
Potom uvidíme, čo brat Schoeman, kam pôjdeme za more alebo budeme pokračovať v štátoch. Samozrejme brat Moore robí všetky programy, všetky tie cestovné plány. On tam bude s nami kde sa stretneme spolu s bratom Schoemanom. Dúfam, že brat Schoeman príde a vy ho spoznáte. Bude tu na jednom zhromaždení ku vám hovoriť. Je to veľmi milý muž aj jeho manželka. Zaobchádzal so mnou ako s bratom, keď som bol v Afrike. Zaobchádzajte aj vy s ním tak, keď príde, v láske Pánovej.
38Po tom, keď som sem prišiel a dozvedel som sa, povedali mi, že brat Neville sa ku tomu nedostal v rádiovom vysielaní. Ja som počúval. Koľkí z vás počúvali rádio? Poviem vám, spev bol vznešený a kázanie bolo ešte na vyššej úrovni. Včera to bolo skutočne dobré posolstvo. Vážite si to všetci? Nie aby sa za to červenal, ale je to pravda. Ak si myslím, že brat Neville urobil niečo zlé, vezmem ho stranou a všetko si to povieme a modlíme sa za to. Ak urobí niečo dobré, rád mu to poviem. Viete, to nám spôsobuje, že sa cítime lepšie.
Tie pekné malé pohľadnice a darčeky, ktoré všetci poznáte, ktoré ste poslali tam tomu maličkému. Chcem vám povedať, že si to tiež vážim. Moja žena vás všetkých srdečne pozdravuje.
A teraz si otvorme tu to staré požehnané Slovo. Ale ešte predtým, ako to urobíme prehovorme s Ním, s Autorom.
41Náš milovaný Spasiteľ, prichádzame, aby sme použili Tvoje meno,len na krátku chvíľu, keď pristupujeme ku Všemohúcemu, Stvoriteľovi, ku tomu, ktorý Ťa počal v lone panny a ona porodila toho úžasného, ktorý je prostredníkom medzi živými a mŕtvymi, jediná cesta, jediný prostredník. Sme takí šťastní, že môžme poznať skrze jeho Božské zasľúbenie, že On nám dal tieto Slová: "Čokoľvek by ste prosili Otca v mojom mene, Ja to vykonám."
Tak my prosíme dnes v mene Pána Ježiša Krista, drahý Otče, aby si prijal naše ďakovanie v našich srdciach, keď Ty si stále zhromaždený vo svojej svätyni aby si počúval chvály svojich detí. A my sme dnes vďační za všetky požehnania: za zdravie, za to, čo sa deje v cirkvi a na celom svete. My sme tak vďační za to. Otče, modlíme sa, aby si pokračoval, a nielen pokračoval, ale aby si ešte rozmnožil túto prácu všade, lebo veríme, že sme na konci času. Všetky veci ukazujú na koniec. Len to, kedy to bude, to nevieme, ale chceme byť pripravení tak, ako nám prikázal náš Pán Ježiš, aby sme tak robili.
43A teraz, Otče,ďakujeme ti. Ja ti chcem osobne poďakovať dnes za toho malého chlapca. Tvoje zasľúbenie čakalo štyri roky na svoje naplnenie. ,Ale ja, Pán, som sadil, polieval som dňom i nocou.´ Ty vždy naplníš svoje zasľúbenia, Otče. Aj keď to videnie, aj keď ono čaká, ono jednako prehovorí. Je to tak, pretože je to slovo a zasľúbenie Božie. Nebojíme sa, ideme dopredu, lebo vieme, že všetky veci spolu pôsobia na dobré.
Ďakujeme Ti, že si previedol tú matku cez to bezpečne. Modlím sa dnes v núdzi a v bolesti, aby si ju Ty podoprel. Vieme, že je to prirodzená vec, ale, Otče, daj jej pohodu, požehnaj ju, aby sa mohla skoro poponáhľať domov a stáť pri tvojom služobníkovi, keď ideme teraz spolu dopredu tam von na bojové polia aby sme žali zrno a donášali ho do obilnice pre Majstra.
46Požehnaj tu cirkev. Požehnaj nášho milovaného pastora, Tvojho sluhu, verného v službe. Modlíme sa, aby si požehnal všetkých diakonov a správcov a všetkých ďalších. Nech Tvoje požehnanie spočinie na nich na všetkých.
Prosíme dnes ráno, požehnaj, požehnaj duchovných, ktorí sú u nás na návšteve, cudzincov v našom strede. Keď zhromaždenie skončí, nech povieme ako tí, čo prišli z Emaus: "Či nehoreli v nás naše srdcia z dôvodu Jeho prítomnosti?" Vezmi nás do Slova, Otče. Nech príde Duch Svätý a zoberie Slovo. Nič dopredu premyslené, nevieme nič čo povedať, ale porúčame to všetko Tebe. Nech sa stane Tvoja vôľa, v mene Ježiša. Amen.
48Otvorme si aby sme prečítali len krátky úsek Písma, ak chcete. V knihe Genesis, začneme so 6. kapitolou. Prečítame tu len krátky citát v Slove a začneme v 8. verši 6. kapitoly. A téma dnes ráno, ak Boh bude chcieť, bude to len krátke vyučovanie zo Slova, a potom sa budeme modliť za chorých, a potom pastor ukončí zhromaždenie.
49Modlíme sa, aby Boh rozmnožil a požehnal. Vidím tu vpredu sedieť malé dievčatko. Zdá sa mi, že matka sedí tam. Myslím, že sme sa pred časom modlili za toto dieťa. Zdá sa mi, že vyzerá lepšie. Pokiaľ si pamätám, nemohla chodiť alebo niečo podobné. Vyzerá dnes o mnoho lepšie, som tak vďačný za to.
Modlíme sa neprestajne, aby Boh vylial viacej Ducha a moci na svoju cirkev a na svoj ľud všade, aby sa naša viera mohla pozdvihnúť ponad všetky ťažkosti života, aby sme sa mohli stať schopní byť "viac ako premožitelia a víťazi skrze toho, ktorý si nás zamiloval a dal svoj život za nás."
51A teraz, vy ktorí máte Biblie:
Ale Noach našiel milosť v očiach Hospodinových.
Toto sú rody Noachove. Noach bol spravodlivý muž dokonalý vo svojich pokoleniach. Noach chodil s Bohom.
A Noach splodil troch synov: Sema, Chama a Jafeta.
A zem bola porušená pred Bohom a zem bola naplnená ukrutnosťou.
A Boh videl zem a hľa, bola porušená, lebo každé telo bolo porušilo svoju cestu na zemi.
A Boh riekol Noachovi: koniec každého tela prišiel predo mňa, lebo zem je plná ukrutnosti od nich a hľa, skazím ich aj so zemou.
Učiň si koráb z dreva gófer a spravíš koráb s priehradami a pokryješ ho zvnútra i zvonku smolou.
Nech Pán teraz pridá požehnanie k čítaniu jeho Slova. Chcem dnes ráno hovoriť ak Boh dá, alebo radšej vyučovať za chvíľu slovo ohľadne Archy. Čo archa znamenala, čo naznačovala a vzory archy. Pretože archa dokonale a všetko čo je v Starom zákone presne znázorňovalo Krista. Kristus je naplnením celého Starého zákona. Celý Starý zákon bol naplnený v Kristovi Ježišovi.
53Bol to čas zničenia, čas tesne pred zničením. Celá zem bola plná násilia.
Keď si všimneme, všade, kde vidíte, že sa človek začína množiť, ľudia sa začínajú dávať dohromady, veľké zoskupenia ľudí, ktorí tam zostávajú, to mesto sa stáva zaľudnené, stále viac ľudí. Ako viete, to začína prinášať so sebou rôzne prostriedky na rekreáciu, od toho to ide ku hazardným hrám, od hazardu k pitiu, od pitia k prostitúcii, k rozbíjaniu rodín, manželstvo, rozvod, potom vražda. To sa proste šíri a šíri ako reťaz bez konca.
Keď Boh chodil len s človekom, ktorý bol sám, ten mal zaľúbenie v Bohu. Ale keď sa človek začal množiť, a začalo pribúdať viac a viac a viac ľudí, potom oni začali ... Satan mal viacej priestoru na prácu. Tento človek mohol trochu veriť, prikláňal sa na túto stranu a druhý trochu na tamtú stranu, potom keď Satan prišiel, on to len rozpálil. Potom sa to stáva týmto a tamtým a predstavy sa začínajú stávať väčšie, a potom nastupuje prevrátenosť. A keď Noach ...
56Keď si všimnete, medzi generáciami, po zabití Ábela, Boh ho nahradil Setom. Samozrejme, my sme sa učili od historikov, že Adam a Eva mali 70 synov a dcér. Ale ako Biblia hovorí len traja synovia, Cham, Sem a Jafet, to boli Noeho synovia. Prepáčte. To bol Kain, Ábel a Set, to boli Noeho synovia, či vlastne Adamovi synovia.
Som len trochu rozrušený, týchto niekoľko posledných dní odkedy sa narodil môj Jozef, tak trochu niektoré veci miešam.
Všimnite si potom túto Chámovu líniu, potom keď on tam bol cez to prenesený, cez to predpotopné zničenie. Jeho celá generácia odpadla do zlého.
Keď si všimneme líniu Kaina, je to to isté. Oni odišli do zeme Nóda, Kain tam odišiel a tam sa oženil, zobral svoju ženu, odišiel tam a neskôr sa ľudia stávajú ako obri.
Keď prešli deti Izraela cez tú zem, našli ľudí, niektorí z nich mali prsty až 14 palcov dlhé. Premýšľajte o tom, veľkí obri. Dávid zabil Goliáša, ktorý bol obor, povedal, že jeho kopija bola veľká ako tkáčsky návoj. Bol to muž 9 stôp vysoký, aký veľký chlap!
61Ale keď si všimnete, skrze líniu Kaina prichádza veľká civilizácia. Keď sa človek začína rozmnožovať, začínajú odchádzať za rôznym vzdelaním a tak ďalej, za objavmi, vynálezmi. Boli to veľkí obrábači dreva. Ako oni stavali a začali stavať a stavať a stavať, to bolo znamenie, že čas konca je blízko. Všimnite si, aký typ budov máme dnes? Je to znovu znamenie konca času.
Boli to veľkí obrábači kovu. Objavili ako môžu a čo môžu robiť z kovu. Všimnite si, čo sa robí z kovu dnes? Počul som pred nedávnom v rádiu, že robia oceľové alebo kovové domy. Vyťažili prakticky skoro všetko drevo, tak to robia z hliníka a z ocele a podobne. Veľké pokroky vo vzdelaní, vo vede. Veda sa vyvíja, to je znamenie konečného času. Všimnite si, aký pokrok urobila veda za posledných pár rokov! Veci, ktoré sa dejú, čo to je? Blíži sa konečný čas. Znak, že všetci veriaci ...
Služobníci za kazateľnicami by to mali kázať celou svojou silou, aby to ľudia uvideli. Prechádzame okolo míľniku a všetky veci poukazujú na koniec. Biblický verš, Božia Biblia, ktorú dnes čítame a veríme jej ukazuje na koniec, ktorý nie je veľmi ďaleko. Veľký vedecký svet hovorí, že koniec je v dohľade, ďalší veľký míľnik. Zverokruh v kalendári atď., astronómia a všetko ukazuje že koniec je na dohľad. Pyramída hovorí, že koniec je na dohľad. Každý veľký ukazovateľ hovorí, že koniec je na dohľad. Sme v poslednom čase.
67Všimnite si. Ale Boh vo svojej suverénnej milosti, pred časom konca ... On poukázal teraz na to v Ježišovi. Ježiš na to poukázal, povedal: "Ako bolo za dní Noeho, pred potopou, čo robili ľudia, to sa opäť zopakuje." A my to vidíme. Tak musíme byť buď duchovne slepí, alebo to vidíme. Otvorte oči, pozrite sa okolo!
Je veľký rozdiel medzi tým byť fyzicky slepý a duchovne slepý. Verím, že keby som si musel vybrať, vždy by som si vybral fyzickú slepotu. Áno. Je niečo také ako byť slepým.
69Pred nedávnom mi povedal jeden kazateľ: "Ak si sluha Boží, oslep ma."
Povedal som: "Ty si už slepý."
On povedal: "Ja, slepý?"
Povedal som: "Áno, pane." Pretože si robil posmech z Božieho uzdravovania, robil si posmech z krstu Duchom Svätým, hovoril, že tieto veci neexistujú. Povedal som: "Ty si slepý."
On povedal: "Nie, to je nejaký tvoj trik."
Povedal som: "To je Písmo. Biblia tak hovorí."
Povedal: "Kedy bola myseľ slepá?"
Povedal som: "Mnohokrát. Ježiš povedal tvojim otcom: vy slepí farizejovia! Máte oči, ale nemôžete vidieť. To je pravda! Ale keby ste poznali čas ..."
Povedal som: „Eliáš bol raz v Dotáne, ten veľký prorok a obkľúčila ho tam celá sýrska armáda, aby ho zajala. Geházi povedal: "Otče oni všetci idú na nás, celé mesto je tu obkľúčené sýrskou armádou."
On povedal: "Dobre, ale je viacej tých, ktorí sú s nami, ako tých, ktorí sú s nimi."
Povedal: "No dobre, oni sú tu ale ja nevidím nikoho, okrem teba."
On povedal: "Bože, otvor jeho oči." A keď sa jeho oči otvorili, uvidel okolo proroka zástupy ohnivých vozov, celé kopce boli v ohni ... On išiel rovno tam kde oni boli a povedal, že ich oslepil. Nie telesne. Z určitého hľadiska boli telesne slepí. On tam išiel a povedal: „Hľadáte Eliáša?" On sám bol Eliáš.
Povedali: „Áno, jeho hľadáme."
"Poďte za mnou, zavediem vás k nemu." Nevedeli to. Oni boli slepí.
78A dnes, ľudia sú ranení slepotou, pretože odmietajú Boha, milosť. Potom už ostáva len súd. Ale Boh vo svojej láske a milosti pripravil cestu. Takže predtým, ako udrie Boží súd, je tu cesta. Boh ukazuje cestu úniku všetkým tým, ktorí majú túžbu nasledovať tú cestu. To sú Jeho milosti, pripravovať cestu úniku. "Nechce, aby niekto zahynul, ale aby všetci mohli prísť k pokániu."
On je dnes vo svete, ukazuje znamenia a zázraky, kriesi ľudí, dejú sa veľké veci, ukazuje znamenia hore na nebi a na zemi. Znamenia lietajúcich tanierov vo vzduchu, kde ani Pentagon ani všetci nevedia čo si o tom myslieť. Znamenia hore na nebi a na zemi uzdravovanie chorých, kriesenie mŕtvych, otváranie očí slepých, vyháňanie zlých duchov, evanjelium je kázané, znamenia pred Jeho príchodom. "Nechce, aby ktokoľvek zahynul, ale aby sa všetci mohli pokorne, milo skloniť a činiť pokánie." Ale tí, ktorí odmietajú Krista, musia chodiť slepí.
Čo keby som ja dnes odmietol mať zrak, nechal by som aby mi boli vylúpnuté oči? Keby som odmietol zachovať si svoje oči, zobral by som niečo a vypichol si ich. To znamená, že potom nechcem vidieť
Tak je to duchovne. Ak človek odmieta dívať sa do Božieho Slova a vidieť Boží plán a vidieť Boha, on si automaticky vylupuje oči. On sám si zatvára oči pred Božími vecami. Čo za deň! Čo za čas! Čo za lekcia z ktorej sa dnes máme naučiť, keď sa dívame na čas konca.
82Ale Boh vo svojej suverénnej milosti, za dní Noeho povedal: "Chcem, aby si išiel a urobil opatrenie pre všetkých tých, ktorí túžia uniknúť tomuto súdu." Nie je to úžasné? Boh nechce, aby niekto zahynul, preto pripravuje cestu záchrany pre tých, ktorí chceli ísť Božou cestou záchrany. A tak povedal Noemu: "Noe, chcem, aby si postavil koráb."
Slovo archa (koráb) je niečo ako malá skriňa, alebo miesto úniku, miesto úkrytu. V Starom zákone sa hovorí o troch archách a chceme sa za chvíľu pozrieť na tie tri. Všetky tieto znázorňovali jednu veľkú archu, ktorou je pre cirkev dnes Kristus. Tri je potvrdenie. Všetky tieto staré veci boli len tieňom.
84Nedávno som čítal, kým som sedel na brehu potoka, ako tie židovské matky tam vtedy rodili tých patriarchov. Každá z nich, keď rodila a v pôrodných bolestiach vyslovila jeho meno, povedal čo on bude a čo bude v poslednom čase, nevediac pri tom čo robí, keď to mumlala. Keď vezmeme Genesis 49 a zoradíme to, kde oni sú a sledujeme čo to je. Je to presne tam. Ó.
Keby sme si len mohli niekedy otvoriť oči a náš duchovný sluch, aby Slovo vyšlo navonok, aby sme si uvedomili, čo to je a Duch by nám zjavil ... Modlím sa teraz, aby Duch Svätý zobral tieto Božie veci a vložil ich do našich sŕdc, každému mužovi a žene, chlapcovi a dievčaťu, ktorí tu sú.
86Archa! Jedna z nich bola tá, ktorú staval Noe, ako cestu záchrany. Druhá, o ktorej sa hovorí, bola tá, do ktorej bol vložený Mojžiš. Tretia bola archa svedectva (zákona) pre Izrael. A štvrtá, všetko sa vyplnilo v tej štvrtej, ktorou je Ježiš Kristus.
Poďme teraz naspäť a začnime prv v knihe Genezis a pozrime sa, ako sa robili prípravy na stavbu archy a pozrime sa, či to neznázorňuje presne Krista. Všetci, ktorí sa zhromaždili do každej archy alebo prišli do zmierenia skrze archu, všetci boli zachránení keď prebiehal súd. A presne s takou istotou ako oni boli zachránení v tom predobraze o čo viacej my máme byť zachránení v Kristovi v tom skutočnom obraze všetkých tých árch! Aký je On úžasný!
88Vidíme potom tam, že Boh povedal Noemu: "Chcem, aby si to postavil zo špeciálneho dreva." Nie každé drevo by bolo vhodné. Musíme mať určitý druh dreva, musí to byť drevo gófer. Študoval som tu pred niekoľkými týždňami, aké bolo drevo gófer. Bolo to mäkké drevo, poddajné. A to je to z čoho sa robila archa, z dreva, ktoré sa dalo ľahko používať, z poddajného dreva.
To je veriaci. Raz v rukách Božích, odrezaný od stromu svojej vlastnej spravodlivosti, stáva sa poddajným v rukách staviteľa. Nie točený každým vetrom učenia sem a tam, ale poddajný, že pasuje presne do Božieho Slova aby sa dal ľahko použiť.
90Všimli sme si, že to bolo drevo, ktoré ľahko nasávalo vlhkosť, prijímalo vlhkosť. A teraz, jedna vec, človek, ktorý je poddajný v Božích rukách, môže znamenať veľa pre Boha a tiež môžete znamenať veľa pre diabla.
No, keby bola archa postavená z dreva, ktoré je poddajné a nasakovalo by vodu, za chvíľu by bola úplne nasýtená vodou a okamžite by sa potopila, lebo by oťažela, lebo drevo gófer je skutočne ľahké drevo a voda by ho úplne presiakla.
Myslím, že dnes je to problém mnohých úprimných mužov a žien, ktorí sa nechcú plne odovzdať Bohu, ale urobili chybu. Preto je archa nasýtená vodou, nemôže ísť ďalej. Kymáca sa sem a ta a potápa sa.
93Tak aký Duch Svätý tam formoval tú cestu? Oni nemohli takto pozostať a ísť ďalej. Tak Boh povedal Noemu: "Natri archu zvonku aj zvnútra smolou, z obidvoch strán."
Študoval som potom, z čoho robili tú smolu. Išiel som naspäť a našiel som to, šiel som do starých slovníkov, začal som hľadať, čo smola znamená. V gréčtine som našiel, že smola znamená tiež určitú hmotu. Ako získali smolu? Vyklepali ju z iného stromu. To bolo ako živica a oni ju vytĺkli a uvarili a potom to vyliali a to bola smola.
Aká úžasná vec, že to drevo, ktoré prv bolo zoťaté, určitý druh stromu, to bol človek, Kristus vo svojej pokore, on bol človek. A cirkev, Jeho archa dnes, prichádza do svojej cirkvi, čím nie je nič iné než Jeho vlastné duchovné telo tu na zemi. Kristus bol zoťatý a život bol z neho vytlčený, aby mohol byť daný do Cirkvi.
96Keď na to jemné drevo gófer vyliali horúcu smolu, ono ju hneď nasiaklo, z vonku aj z vnútra a zostalo zapečatené. Amen. Ó, vidíte to? Pečať. Jemné drevo, namáčané v Božom slove, Kristus vylievajúci Ducha Svätého, nadšení. Nefunguje to, keď je smola studená, musí byť horúca. To čo dnes potrebujeme sú starodávne zhromaždenia Ducha Svätého, nadšení, poliati.
Zobrali to mäkké drevo gófer, veľkú naberačku a polievali to, a drevo gófer, veľmi jemné, pripravené, potom z vnútra aj z vonku ho tá smola prenikla a obalila ho ako oceľ. Žiadna voda už nijako nemohla presiaknuť dovnútra. To bola ochrana.
Každý človek, ktorý prichádza a prijíma Krista a oblieka si ho skrze Ducha Svätého, sa stáva takým jednomyseľným, že nevidí nič iné len Krista. On sa už viac nestará o veci sveta. Môžte ho udrieť, vynadať mu, vykopnúť ho, urobiť mu čokoľvek, ale on je obalený, inými slovami je zapečatený. Sú uzavreté všetky trhliny. To je to, čo urobili s tou smolou.
Viete čo znamená zapečatenie dnes, čo je to na tejto arche dnes? List Efezským 4,30 hovorí: "Nezarmucujte Svätého Ducha Božieho, ktorým ste zapečatení (alebo zasmolení, obalení) ku dňu vykúpenia." Amen. Všetko je zapečatené, každý kúsok dreva, každá malá dierka, každá skulinka, každý malý pór v tom dreve je proste zapečatený a uzavretý Duchom Božím. Ó, aké úžasné!
100Keby ste tú smolu dávali na to studenú, mali by ste v nej vzduchové bublinky. Keby ste narazili na nejaké brvno alebo na niečo, mohlo by to prasknúť, lebo má v sebe kazy. Ale keď je to naliate horúce, všade to prenikne a utesní to z oboch strán - zvonku i zvnútra. Amen.
Je to dokonalý obraz na Krista a na jeho cirkev. Ako jeden strom musel byť zoťatý, doudieraný, odretý a všetka šťava bola z neho vzatá, a potom sa to použilo na iný strom, aby bol ochránený pred súdom. Kristus bol vyťatý, aby skrze jeho život a skrze Ducha Svätého mohla byť cirkev prenesená cez súd. Vidíte to? Aký úžasný obraz. To s človekom pohne, však? Srdce vám skáče od radosti. Všetko to hovorí o Kristovi, všetko v Starom zákone ukazovalo na Krista, je to jeho tieň.
102Niekto sa ma pred nedávnom spýtal: "Brat Branham, prečo sa deje toto alebo tamto?" Áno, ona tu dnes sedí. Práve som jedol za stolom. Povedal som: "Sestra, musíš sa vrátiť na začiatok všetkých vecí. Prvé čím bola človek, pred čímkoľvek, prv ako bola jediná bunka, oni boli duch. To je základná časť. Udržiavať toho ducha v poriadku. Všetko okrem toho zahynie. Či už sú to domy, polia, zdravie, čokoľvek to môže byť, všetko speje k zániku a vráti sa späť do ducha." Haleluja. Rovno znovu naspäť do ducha, tak zachádzajte s tým správne.
Je jedno, čo máte na tomto svete alebo čo nemáte, udržujte svoje srdce v poriadku v súlade s Bohom. Lebo to je všetko, všetky naše domy, polia, peniaze, choroby, zdravie, deti, všetko, čo tu máte na zemi vás opustí a vy pôjdete znovu rovno na začiatok. Ak je to v poriadku s Bohom, znovu vystúpite, to je tak isté ako je Boh v nebi. Ak to nie je v poriadku s Bohom, musíte ísť inou cestou. Tu ste na to aby ste sa rozhodli. Rozhodnite sa dnes pre Krista
105Všimnite si. Iný význam, ktorý má slovo smola alebo zalepiť smolou je: zmieriť. Slovo zatrieť smolou znamená zmieriť. To isté slovo, ktoré bolo použité v knihe Genesis ako smola, je použité v knihe Leviticus [3. Mojžišova. – pozn.prekl.] - zmierenie, vykonávať zmierenie. Zmieriť znamená "stáť medzi". A smola, ktorá bola v dreve gófer v arche mala držať pomimo alebo zmieriť veriaceho od hnevu. Vidíte to?
Noe sa nemohol dostať do hnevu, do vôd odsúdenia. Vidíte to? Pozrite. On nemohol prísť do súdu, pretože tam bolo zmierenie medzi ním a súdom. A súd, to bola tá voda sveta.
Veriaci v Kristovi je bezpečne chránený. Amen. Nie na základe svojich zásluh, ale na základe svojej poslušnosti, poslušnosti vojsť do archy. Jediná vec, ktorú musel Noe urobiť bolo vojsť do korábu. On nemusel ani zavrieť dvere, Boh to urobil sám. Vojsť do vnútra, to je to jediné, čo veriaci robí, chodí vierou v Krista. Boh sa stará o ostatné. "Ten, kto počuje moje slová a verí tomu, ktorý ma poslal, má večný život, a nepríde na súd, prešiel zo smrti do života, do archy, je bezpečný na veky. Amen. Nech ju súd kolísa, kde chce.
Predstavujem si ako sa archa kymácala hore dole a všelijako ináč, ale Noe bol v bezpečí pretože tá smola bola medzi ním a súdom. A dnes Krv Ježiša Krista, Božieho Syna, stojí medzi nami a všetkým súdom. Amen. "Nebude odsúdený, ale prešiel zo smrti do života." Amen. Prečo? Pretože je v arche. Aký dokonalý obraz!
110Stromy sú zoťaté. To je spôsob, ako sa to robí vo svete. Najprv sa zotne strom. Tak je to s každým človekom, ktorý prichádza na svet, rodí sa v hriechu, sformovaný v neprávosti, prichádza na svet hovorí klamstvo, nehotový, nemilý, bezbožný, preč od Boha, odcudzený, bez nádeje, bez Krista, zomierajúci, ide do hrobu hriešnych, hotový na súd. Potom prichádza Slovo, ostrejšie, než akýkoľvek dvojsečný meč, zotína ten strom, osekáva ho, odtína všetky tŕne a pichliače, vytína z neho tú najlepšiu časť a to je poddajné v ruke Staviteľa, Krista!
112Jeho život bol potom vyliaty na Golgote, aby skrze vyliatie krvi, mohol vykonať zmierenie aby ochránil človeka, ktorý je v arche bezpečia. Ó. Čo za obraz. Potom podľa rozkazu na to bola daná smola, lebo inak by to nasiaklo vodou. Chcem aby ste si toto všimli. Niekto len hovorí: "Dobre, ja verím Slovu. Ja si vezmem zo Slova to alebo tamto." Bez krvi ste ponechaní vo svete. Nezáleží ako veľmi ste v arche, aký kus archy alebo akou doskou ste, musíte byť zasmolení, nasiaknutí, celí nasiaknutí Duchom Svätým, aby to nevpúšťalo dovnútra svet.
114Chcem potom aby ste si všimli, aké je to nádherné. Potom podľa poriadku, musel tam byť zoťatý iný strom, príbuzný, a bol bitý až kým z neho nevyšla všetká živica. A táto živica bola potom vyliata na ten druhý strom, ktorý bol zoťatý aby ho chránila. Amen. Ako dlho? Aha, ten hriech pred šesť tisíc rokmi ...
A ešte dnes vidieť tú starú archu odpočívať na vrchole hory. Žiadne iné drevo to nikdy nevydržalo ani nevydrží. Prečo? Pretože bolo natreté smrťou iného. Tá arch stále stojí, natretá smolou zvonku i zvnútra ako pamätník toho, čo urobí smola.
Aký dokonalý obraz na Krista a pozíciu veriaceho v Kristovi, potom čo raz vošiel do Krista, natrený z vonku ... Všetko čo musíte urobiť ... Archa je pripravená. Jediné, čo musíte urobiť je vôjsť a veriť.
Všimnite si Noeho keď vošiel do korábu. To bolo to jediné čo musel urobiť, vojsť dovnútra. Boh zavrel dvere a on bol v bezpečí zatiaľ čo prebiehal súd. Boh zavrel a Boh otvoril. To je veriaci v Kristovi dnes.
118Všimnite si. Ďalšia archa, o ktorej bolo hovorené, na chvíľu sa pri nej zastavíme, bola Mojžišova. Biblia hovorí o malom košíku ako o arche. A všimnite si, že ju zaobstarala matka, tá, ktorá mu dala život. Amen.
Nie nejaký seminár alebo nejaké teologické znalosti, ale Ten, ktorý dáva veriacemu život, pripravuje pre neho archu, prenáša ho cez súd.
120Uplietla košík z malých stoniek, ktoré tam mali, možno zo stebiel z obilia, z ľanu. V Egypte ich majú stále. Stále môžete vidieť, ako matky berú svoje malé deti, tlačia to na druhú stranu cez Níl, keď sa brodia, malý košík, tak isto, tlačia ho v košíku na druhú stranu cez Níl.
Tak ona išla a spravila mu malú archu. A to bolo urobené tak, že sa to plietlo z vnútra aj z vonku, keď to robili. Tak to robia tí, ktorí pletú košíky. Prepletajú to tam a späť.
A potom išla na natrela to slizom. Sliz, to je znovu smola. To je to isté slovo, pozrite sa dobre na to a uvidíte či tam nie je povedané „smola" alebo „zmierenie". Potom keď to pletú tie steblá dnu a von, sú v tom malé špáry a tak to drží tú smolu.
Aká je to hanba, že dnes, my všetci veriaci sme tak rozdelení: jedni metodisti, jedni baptisti, iní luteráni, iní unitári, ďalší trojiční. Aká škoda! Oni všetci by mali byť posplietaní bližšie jeden k druhému, potom by sa naliala smola a všetko by spevnila dohromady, vytvárajúc bezpečie. To je úžasné, keď sa vylieva na to tá smola.
124Malý Mojžiš bol potom položený do košíka a vystrčený do súdnej vody. Voda vždy znamená zástupy ľudí. Ten malý chlapček tam vonku v arche na Níle mal pravdepodobne malý príklop nad tvárou. Tie vody sú rýchle. Prechádzal tam v Níle pomedzi trstiny, aligátory a všeličo iné. Dažde a búrky, rôzne víchrice, ale tá malá archa prešla cez to. Prečo? Tam v arche bol kňaz. Áno, on bol kňaz. On bol zákonodarca. On bol kráľ.
Tak isto Noe. Noe bol tiež otec. A sám ten otec, ktorý postavil tú archu bol v tej arche so svojím majetkom.
Kristus, náš Otec, ktorý postavil archu so svojou vlastnou krvou je vo vnútri v nej s veriacim, majú spolu obecenstvo. Ó.
127Ako všetky deti a zvieratá počúvali, keď im Noe kázal, zatiaľ čo sa vonku odohrával súd, lialo, archa sa vznášala na vlnách, skúšaná okolo z miesta na miesto. Noe povedal: "Utíšte sa, deti. Boh zostrojil tento koráb. Je postavený podľa jeho inštrukcií. On vydrží všetko čo môže diabol naň poslať." Noe v arche, káže, je zachránený od súdu.
128Malý Mojžiš tam vonku, díva sa v noci na hviezdnatú oblohu, keď duje vietor a skučí ponad tým miestom. Starý Níl poskakuje a krokodíli plávajú popod košíkom. (Haleluja.) On je bezpečný, ochránený. Medzi ním a všetkými tými vetrami a víchricami, ktoré diabol mohol poslať stálo zmierenie. Nič nemohlo prevrhnúť malú archu. Ona ďalej cez všetko plávala.
Môžem vidieť ako ten veľký Duch Svätý stál nad ňou. Môžem vidieť ako blízko nej stoja anjeli s vytasenými mečmi. Nie veru, nič sa jej nedotkne.
Môžem vidieť, ako sa diabol snažil potopiť tam tú archu a ako Noe spieva: "Ježiš, drž ma blízko kríža," alebo čokoľvek to bolo. Ani všetci diabli v pekle ho nemohli zničiť, pretože to bolo postavené podľa Božích inštrukcií. Tam bolo zmierenie, ktoré stálo medzi súdom a milosťou.
Tak je to s každým veriacim dnes, nezáleží na tom ako ťažko to môže vyzerať. Aký ťažký sa život zdá byť. Pokiaľ ste v Kristovi Ježišovi, nie je nič v prítomnosti ani v budúcnosti, čo by mohlo dosiahnuť vašu dušu, oddeliť nás od lásky Božej v Kristovi. Amen. Diabol vypustí proti vám každú víchricu v pekle, ale Boh má zmierenie, ktoré stojí medzi vami. Preplavíte cez všetky vlny. Prejdete cez všetky hniezda aligátorov.
132Kde pristál? Presne rovno do tej línii aby bol kráľom celého Egypta. Haleluja.
A v jednom z týchto dní, keď táto stará archa pristane na druhej strane rozbúreného Jordánu, vyjdeme z nej ako kňazi a králi Bohu, ktorí stoja pod zmierením krvi Pána Ježiša Krista, ktorá je daná zadarmo každému kto chce, zmierenie, milosť.
134Tam v Starom Zákone On povedal: "Postavíte archu." Presne určil druh dreva - agátové drevo. Môžete ju urobiť z tohoto dreva. V Biblii je to nazvané "drevo šittím", ale v skutočnosti je to agátové drevo. "Urobíte ju a pokryjete ju zlatom."
Pozorujte túto archu, dívajte sa či to znázorňovalo Krista. Všimnite si, to stále znázorňovalo. Noe bol predobraz na Krista, ktorý urobil cestu. Mojžiš taktiež.
Teraz sa pozrime na archu zmluvy. On povedal: "Urobíte ju z agátového dreva a pokryjete ju zlatom." Každý, kto pozná Písmo, vie, že zlato hovorí o Bohu, ukazuje na Božstvo a drevo ukazuje na človeka. On povedal: "Pokryjete ju zlatom, po dreve." To je Božstvo okolo dreva. Kristus nad cirkvou, zvnútra i zvonku. Obklopená Bohom.
137"Urobíte na nej vrchnák. To bude trón milosti. A všetky zákony budú odpočívať v nej. Ale predtým, než ju vezmete, pokropíte ju krvou." Zákon hovorí o súde, ale medzi zákonom a zhromaždením, tam bolo niečo kde mohlo stáť na svojom mieste Božstvo. To ukazuje na Krista. Medzi hnevom Božím, súdom v pekle, medzi tým a veriacim stojí Boh sám, Kristus, stojí na ceste so zmierením, ktoré vykonal aby nás zachránil z hriechov a uzdravil z našich nemocí. Božstvo stojí na ceste medzi súdom.
139Zákon bol sudca. Zákon odsúdil, ale zmierenie stálo medzi veriacim a súdom. Tam v arche ležal súd, ktorý bol pripravený vystúpiť. Ale keď vystúpil, nemohol odsúdiť, lebo medzi ním a veriacim stálo zmierenie. Veriaci prišiel a prijal Krista, v tieni a v predobraze, preliatu krv, ktorou bol pokropený trón milosti. Vtedy mal milosť a mohol odísť, radujúc sa, lebo bol oslobodený od súdu.
"A tak nie je žiadne odsúdenie pre tých, ktorí sú v Kristovi Ježišovi, ktorí nechodia podľa tela, ale podľa Ducha." Keď človek vie, že zomrel veciam sveta, a tí ktorí vošli do Krista Ježiša a chodia podľa Ducha Svätého, a nie podľa ciest tohto hriešneho sveta, potom nie je pre neho žiadne odsúdenie. Môže pozerať zoči voči peklu a súdu a radovať sa, pretože tam je krv Kristova, ktorá vykonáva zmierenie, stojí medzi ním a súdom. Amen. Tu to máte.
Ten veriaci, ktorý tam raz vošiel, vrchnák sa zavrel, tým to navždy bolo vybavené. Amen. Zlato, Božstvo ležalo nad tým aj pod tým a všade okolo toho, obalený v Božstve. Každý človek, ktorý prichádza do Krista je obalený v Duchu Svätom a stávajú sa synmi a dcérami Božími.
142Vtedy zlato proste vytĺkali. Zohriali ho a tepali. Ten tepec zlata tepe to zlato. Musí ho tepať kladivom. Tepe ho až kým v ňom neuvidí svoje odzrkadlenie. Potom ho zohriali a vyliali na drevo a ono vsiaklo do toho dreva. Ó.
Keď je Duch Svätý, ktorý je mocou, Duch Svätý a oheň je vyliaty na veriaceho skrze krv Ježiša Krista, vytvára tam pre neho zmierenie. On je bezpečný pred všetkým Božským súdom. „Je v tom tiež zahrnuté uzdravenie?" Áno, samozrejme.
144Nie je povedané, že to nebude na vás doliehať, že sa vám nebude vysmievať, že to nepríde na vás, že to nebude toto robiť. „Mnoho zlého prichádza na spravodlivého." Mnohokrát bude tá archa postrčená tým alebo tamtým smerom, „ale zo všetkého ho vytrhuje Pán."
Veľa nárazov utrpela tá stará archa. Veľa kolísania hore a dole, prešla cez veľa víchric, ale jednako pristála na hore Ararat.
Ako som povedal, veľa aligátorov preplávalo okolo tej malej archy, prešla v noci cez mnohé víchrice, cez mnohé temné búrky, ale pristála bezpečne v trstine, tam kde sa mohol vyplniť zámer aby sa dostal na trón. Z toho najnižšieho miesta na to najvyššie. Amen.
My biedni, úbohí, od všetkého najnižšieho hmyzu, najnižší z celého stvorenia, morálne znečistení, duchovne mŕtvi - my môžme byť pozdvihnutí z toho miesta archou skrze krv Pána Ježiša Krista a byť synovia a dcéry, králi a kňazi pre Boha. Čo za obraz! Na čo máme obrátenú pozornosť? Ako môže človek odmietnuť takú ponuku, ktorú má Boh pre človeka?
148Chcem aby ste si všimli ďalšiu vec. Keď dávali truhlu na svoje miesto, Boh povedal: "Na vrch položíte zlatú korunu - veniec." Inými slovami, keď bola archa pokrytá zvrchu aj okolo, so všetkým týmto, zákon bol vo vnútri. Všimnite si potom, že tam ešte boli ďalšie veci: chlieb, ten pravý alebo manna, ktorá prvá padala, tá manna bola v nádobke, bola ukrytá v arche.
Bratu, ak si nikdy neokúsil, aký je Boh, že je dobrý, vojdi raz do tej archy, pretože to je miesto, kde leží manna. Nie vonku v nejakom starom, telesnom vyznaní alebo v niečom takom, ale v Kristovi vo vnútri. Vojdi dverami a Boh ich zavrie za tebou a súdy budú vonku.
150Všimnite si, keď on vošiel dovnútra. On zobral túto archu ... Tiež tam bola položená Áronova palica a zakvitla, tá stará palica, ktorá bola mŕtva, palica, to nebolo nič viac, než kus dreva, z ktorého odišiel všetok život. Bola úplne vyschnutá. Ale keď bola položená na to sväté miesto, znovu ožila.
Každý hriešnik, nestarám sa o to, aký bol tvoj život zakalený, aký čierny, v prítomnosti Krista znovu ožiješ a vypustíš púčky a prinesieš kvety, vyživený Duchom. Nech si akokoľvek chorý, na tom nezáleží, v prítomnosti toho zmierenia jednako budeš žiť. Aké úžasné! Čo za vec o ktorej môžme uvažovať! To je Písmo. To je Boh! To je dokonalé ... Aký pevný základ. Všetky iné základy sú topiacim sa pieskom. Všetky iné základy sú topiacim sa pieskom.
152Všimnite si, položili na to korunu - veniec! Prečo? To bol kráľ. Čo znamenal ten zlatý veniec, ktorý bol na vrchu tej truhly? To znamenalo, že tu, s tým zlatom, ktorým to bolo pokryté, že ľudskosť bola korunovaná zlatom. Na vrchu to bolo pokropené krvou a na tom ležal veniec.
Aký dokonalý obraz na Krista a jeho Božstvo, jeho lásku! On prišiel na svet a položil sám seba za ľudstvo, za svoju cirkev, za svojich veriacich. On vylial svoju vlastnú krv, aby zachránil "každého, kto chce". Dvaja anjeli vytepaní zo zlata s krídlami, ktoré ukazovali na trón milosti, kde prichádza každý veriaci, vyznáva svoje hriechy a prijíma zmierenie za svoj hriech.
154Tu je On. Pozrime sa na neho. Zlatý veniec, či to reprezentuje Krista? Áno. Keď bol Kristus tu na zemi, bol korunovaný tŕňovou korunou, aby prelial svoju krv. Je to tak. Ale každý veriaci, ktorý prichádza cez tú preliatu krv, odťahuje preč tú tŕňovú korunu a korunuje ho chválou a úctou. Každý veriaci, ktorý vchádza do jeho prítomnosti, prijíma tú krv, ktorá tiekla z poraneného čela od tŕňov a korunuje Ho slávou a chválou a majestátom ako Kráľa kráľov, uzdravovateľa, ako alfu a omegu, ako začiatok a koniec, ako Prímluvcu, ako Knieža pokoja, ako mocného Boha, večného Otca.
155Noe bol vo svojej arche otcom. Mojžiš bol otcom vo svojej arche. Kristus je Otcom vo svojej arche so svojimi poddanými, s vami ľuďmi, s cirkvou, s veriacimi, ktorí sú bezpečne chránení.
Chcem, aby ste si všimli znovu, prístup ku tej arche prechádzal cez ... Všimnite si, každý človek, ktorý prichádzal k arche, musel najprv prejsť vonkajším nádvorím, to ďalšie cez čo musel prejsť bola vnútorná opona, potom do svätyne svätých.
To bol Kristus ako prorok, ako Kňaz, ako korunovaný Kráľ. Prichádza to prvé, vidíte Ho tak ako je tu povedané, keď prvý krát prišiel, On bol prorok.
158Človek, ktorý prichádza ku Kristovi, musí prísť najprv ku krížu. Kríž, to bolo jeho kňazstvo. Kríž, to bolo tam, kde bol zachytený v smrti. Tam sa to stalo na kríži, že: "Boh tak miloval svet, že On dal svojho jednorodeného syna."
Žiadny človek na základe svojich zmyslov nijako nemôže prísť ku krížu, byť privedený pred Neho ale na základe toho, že počuje, že mu Kristus káže. Kristus je prorok a kazateľ.
160Ďalšia vec, ktorú On robí je, že potom prechádza ďalej aby vykonával zmierenie. Vchádza za tú oponu ako Kňaz aby sa prihováral, vykonával prímluvu, "prihovára sa za veriacich sediac po pravici Božej". prihovára sa za veriaceho. Veriaci prichádza do jeho prítomnosti, a potom sa Kristus za neho prihovára podľa vyznania toho, čomu verí, keď ten prichádza ku krížu.
On teraz prichádza ku Kristovi. Hovorí: "Ó, Kriste, viem, že si mi zvestoval skrze kríž svoje slovo. Verím Ti. Zmiluješ sa nado mnou?" A Kristus ako prímluvca sa prihovára. Potom ide priamo do truhly zmluvy, tam, kde je súd a berie na seba všetok jeho súd. Berie preč všetky hriechy a hanbu a zmieri ho s Bohom. Skrze zmierenie v krvi, vedie ho späť do obecenstva s Bohom a uvádza ho do archy, kde je bezpečný na veky.
162Nemusíte sa ničoho obávať. Nič vám nemôže ublížiť. Ste tak bezpeční, ako to len môže byť. Nech prídu búrky, nech sa deje čokoľvek, nech choroba doráža. Nech sa čokoľvek deje, čo diabol chce poslať. Boh vás prevedie rovno cez to všetko. Nevyskakujte von! Ostávajte v Kristovi! Hovoriac: "Pane Bože, ty si povedal, že na tejto skale postavíš svoju cirkev a brány pekla ju nepremôžu." Ja ti verím, Pane Ježišu. Ja som zakotvil svoju dušu v nebeskom odpočinku.
Kristus, ten hlavný Kapitán nášho spasenia, tam On stojí, veľký víťaz. On roztrhol oponu na dvoje a zboril všetky tie priehradné múry a pozval nás, aby "každý, kto túži" prišiel a mal účasť na jeho živote, bol prikrytý jeho Božskými požehnaniami, aby na súde na teba neudrel žiadny súd. A ak udiera súd, to ťa nemôže zasiahnuť. Môžeš byť nejakú chvíľu nemocný, možno budeš musieť cez niečo na chvíľu prechádzať; ale pamätaj, na konci je Kristus. On nikdy nepovedal, že tá archa sa bude plaviť cez takýto malý vír, kde nebudú žiadne... On nikdy nezasľúbil, že veci pôjdu ľahko, ale zasľúbil milosť, že vás v tom čase zachová. Premýšľam o tom, čo povedal básnik:
Či musím byť zanesený domov do neba
na kvetnatej posteli bez starostí,
zatiaľ čo ostatní bojovali, aby získali odmenu
a plavili sa cez krvavé moria?
Nie, musím bojovať, ak musím panovať. Posilni ma, Pane.
Tak veru. Nevšímajte si to, keď prídu ťažké skúšky, len zostaňte rovno v arche a hovorte:
„Bože, som zachránený na veky!
Zakotvil som svoju dušu v nebeskom odpočinku,
aby som sa už neplavil cez divoké moria.
Divoké búrky sa môžu preháňať,
ale v Ježišovi som bezpečný na veky."
Nech príde nemoc, problémy, srdcové problémy alebo čokoľvek, to nič neznamená. Prijímame nepohnuteľné kráľovstvo. Tam nie je povedané, že sa tomu vyhnete a tak ďalej, ale Boh vás prevedie tak bezpečne, ako to len môže byť, a v jednom z týchto dní pristanete v Jeho Kráľovstve. Ostaňte rovno v jeho arche.
Nech vás Pán žehná, zatiaľ čo na chvíľu skloníme svoje hlavy.
167Náš nebeský Otče, keď dnes pozeráme tam na Tvoj majestát a vidíme ako si bol tam vtedy s Noem. Kto ho viedol cez tie vlny? Kto bol v tej malej starej arche z dreva gófer? Kde teraz, ten najväčší boj v ktorom by sme nemohli obstáť. Celá zem bola rozhúpaná a zmietala sa, tisíce a tisíce míľ mimo svojej obežnej dráhy, otáčala sa tam ako krútňava a vlny vystupovali míle do vzduchu. Celý svet, pokrytý, tie veľké hory sa pohli od základu krútiac sa v polnočnej tme. Súd, mŕtve telá narážali a plávali. A malá stará loď z dreva gófer, natretá zvonku aj zvnútra a tí, Tvoji milovaní veriaci v nej boli tak bezpeční, ako len mohli byť. Oni sa nestarali. Urobili len to, čo si im povedal. Nasledovali Tvoje inštrukcie. A tí, ktorí nasledujú Tvoje inštrukcie, nebudú odsúdení alebo skazení. Nakoniec, Ty si utíšil búrku. Búrky života prešli a potom sme bezpečne pristáli v novom svete.
Drahý nebeský Otče, dnes na rozbúrenom mory života, nerozumieme ako je to urobené, v týchto dňoch, keď lekárska veda je tak veľká, keď cirkvi robia také veľké veci, ale my sme len ukotvení v Ježišovi. Búrky prichádzajú, povstávajú prenasledovania, ale my sme nasledovali inštrukcie. Ty nás cez to prevedieš. Udeľ to, nebeský Otče, tieto požehnania každému jednému. Požehnaj dnes ráno tých neznámych v našom strede. Požehnaj nespasených a daj, nech sa môžu stať Tvojimi deťmi.
169Zatiaľ čo máme sklonené hlavy, chcem sa opýtať, či je tu niekto, kto je mimo Krista, zodvihol by si svoju ruku a povedal: "Brat Branham, dvíham ruku k Bohu, aby si ty a On to mohol vidieť. Chcem byť spomenutý a privedený do archy prv, ako bude príliš neskoro. Budeš sa za mňa modliť?" Zodvihli by ste len ruku a povedali: "Spomeň aj mňa." Nech ťa Boh požehná, pane. Nech ťa Boh požehná, sestra. Nech ťa Boh požehná, brat. "Keď zúria búrky života, stoj pri mne."
Ja nemôžem urobiť tvoje rozhodnutie, priateľ. Môžem sa len za teba modliť. Ty musíš urobiť svoje rozhodnutie. Neverím, že by ktokoľvek, kto prichádza k Bohu s úprimným srdcom, že by nemohol prežiť a vidieť jeho lásku a to, čo On zasľúbil. Teda prečo ste zdvihli ruky? Niečo klopalo na vaše srdce. Je to Boh, ktorý sa vás snaží vtiahnuť do svojej archy. "Nikto nemôže prísť ku mne, dokiaľ by ho otec nepritiahol. A každý, kto prichádza ku Mne, v žiadnom prípade ho nevyženiem von. Dám mu večný život a vzkriesim ho v posledných dňoch."
171Nebuďte vystrašení. Boh riadi vetry. Boh riadi archu. On už všetky veci zabezpečil. Noe by nemal žiadne víťazstvá, keby tam neboli búrky a skúšky. Nebola by to žiadna radosť, keby bol život iba ako nejaký bezpečný tunel, cez ktorý by sme mali prejsť. Búrky života nám spôsobujú radosť. Nikdy by sme nevedeli, čo je denné svetlo, keby sme nemali tmu. Nikdy by sme nevedeli, čo sú vrcholy hôr, keby sme nemali hory. Nikdy by sme nevedeli, čo je to zdravie, keby sme nemali nejaké choroby. Nikdy by si nevedel, ako sa radovať zo spasenia, keby si voľakedy nebol hriešnikom. Boh učinil všetky veci na základe protikladov. On ťa miluje.
Teraz, keď máte sklonené hlavy a zdvihnuté ruky.
172Otče, Bože, modlím sa, keďže dnes sú stále ešte dvere otvorené a ľudia prichádzajú z východu a západu, severu a juhu a zhromažďujú sa. Dejú sa veľké znamenia, na oblohe strašná podívaná, atómové rozštiepenie vzduchu, vodík horí. Taniere lietajú, rakety, ktorým nerozumieme, nejaký druh inteligencie, myslia, že odniekiaľ inakadiaľ (nevedia, odkiaľ a veda to nemôže zistiť), ktoré sa záhadne pohybujú rýchlosťou svetla. Ó, Bože, sme blízko konca.
A tá veľká pyramída, ktorú staval Enoch, prešli cez poslednú miestnosť a teraz sú pripravení vojsť do kráľovskej komnaty, príchod Pánov priamo na vrchole, pre štítový kameň. Celý astronomický kalendár ukazuje priamo na to, hviezdy to oznamujú, ako to oznamovali prvý krát, keď tí mudrci pozreli hore na oblohu a videli tie hviezdy, povedali: "Veľký Kráľ prichádza." Dnes tie hviezdy znovu ukazujú.
Celá príroda vzdychá. Ľudské srdcia sú naplnené strachom. Komplikovaný čas, úzkosť medzi národmi, more buráca, všade prenikajú veľké prívalové vlny, zabíjajú stovky ľudí hore dole po pobreží, koče bez koní prechádzajú po cestách a diaľniciach, vyzerajú ako bežiace pochodne, ako blesk. A my práve prechádzame okolo týchto míľnikov akoby to nič nebolo.
175Ó, Bože, rýchlo nás zastav! Zastav tento hriešny svet kázaním evanjelia. Zachráň tých, ktorí dnes zdvihli ruky, Pane Ježišu. Udeľ toho dnes. Nech Tvoja zaobstaraná milosť spočinie na každom z nich. Nech by hneď teraz boli ... Nič by som nemohol urobiť, nič viacej sa nedá. Na nich je ten ďalší krok.
Ty si poslal Ducha Svätého. On položil Tvoje slovo do ich sŕdc. Oni zdvihli svoje ruky, že tomu uverili. Ty si povedal, že ten, kto tomuto verí, nikdy nezahynie, ale má večný život. Príď, Pane, vybav to s nimi na veky. Oni Ti veria. A veria teraz Tvojmu slovu. Ako si povedal, "Ten, kto čuje moje slová, (ktoré boli kázané) verí tomu, ktorý ma poslal (my veríme), má (pretože uveril) večný život a nepôjde na súd, ale prešiel zo súdu do života, bezpečne do archy.
Pane, daj im aby povstali ako noví muži, nové ženy, noví chlapci a dievčatá, a aby vyšli dnes z tejto modlitebni, kde sa zhromaždila táto hŕstka ľudí, a aby žili novým životom, aby kázali Evanjelium, učili ľudí aby to robili, aby všade vyvyšovali Krista. Sprav to, Pane. Požehnaj nás teraz, modlíme sa v mene Ježiša. Amen.
Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia, ó, Spasiteľu,
Počuj moje pokorné volanie;
Zatiaľ čo na druhých voláš;
Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia.
Spasiteľu, Spasiteľu;
Počuj moje pokorné volanie;
Zatiaľ čo na druhých voláš;
Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia.
Dovoľ mi byť u Tvojho trónu; (to je trón milosti, vidíte?)
Nájsť (Nech len hovorí tvoja duša k Bohu! ) ...úľavu (od mojich hriechov)
Uzdrav môjho zbitého, zraneného ducha,
pomôž mojej nevere.
(Skloňme svoje hlavy.)
Spasiteľu, Spasiteľu;
Počuj moje pokorné volanie;
Zatiaľ čo na druhých voláš;
Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia.
178So sklonenými hlavami. Myslím práve o tých nádherných chvíľach, zakaždým, keď prichádzam tu do tejto starej lodi. Verím, že je natretá smolou a vydržala mnoho búrok, preniesla ma vo dňoch problémov a skúšok.
Vidím tam vzadu sedieť Billyho. Cítim práve vedenie Ducha, aby som urobiť teraz niečo inak. Cítim, že Boh chce aby som urobil niečo trochu inak. Mám tu nejakých ľudí: pána D. Coocka, pána Longa, Erwina a niekoľkých ďalších, mám ich mená tu na papieri, ktorí prišli, aby sme sa za nich modlili a porozprávali sa. Počúvajte ma teraz, zatiaľ čo sa potom budeme modliť. Začal som hovoriť Billymu: "Prejdi cez rady a rozdaj nejaké modlitebné karty."
Ale Duch Svätý povedal: "Nerob to." To je dôvod prečo som spieval pieseň Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia, ó, Spasiteľu. Premýšľal som: "Pane, čo to je?"
181Chcem vám povedať toto. Keď mi budete veriť a počúvať. Nech je to čokoľvek, čo je v tvojom srdci. Nech je to čokoľvek, čo chceš vedieť, akákoľvek je tvoja nemoc, ver teraz Jemu. On bude teraz ku tebe hovoriť. On to bude robiť. Bude ti hovoriť osobne. Verím tomu z celého srdca. Duch Svätý to bude robiť, hovoriť ku tebe, povie ti proste čo potrebuješ. Čokoľvek ti povie, urob to. Ak si chromý, On hovorí "vstaň a choď", potom vstaň a choď. Ak máš rakovinu a On hovorí "zabudni na to od tohto dňa", tak to urob! Pozri sa, či sa to nestalo!
Ak sa nachádzaš v stave, že tvoj život je ohrozený a nevieš, ako ďalej, On ti povie, čo máš robiť. Položí ti to do srdca práve teraz. Nepochybuj! Choď a urob to! Urob presne to, čo ti hovorí! On to urobí.
183Kým máme sklonené hlavy, tí, ktorých mená zavolám, chcem aby prišli sem na chvíľu k oltáru, aby ste len sem podišli. A potom ak je tu niekto z miestnych ľudí, ktorí tiež chcú prísť aby sme sa modlili, príďte sem zakiaľ máme sklonené hlavy.
Veľmi zvláštna vec. Práve ma Duch Svätý zvláštne pred niečím varoval. Nevedel som, ako to urobiť, ale On mi práve povedal a viem, že má pravdu. Kým tí, ktorí chcú aby sme sa za nich modlili, majú niečo pred Bohom, alebo majú nejakú potrebu, nemoc, finančnú, telesnú, materiálnu, akákoľvek je vaša potreba, prišli by ste teraz na chvíľu k oltáru a my budeme zatiaľ spievať znovu tú pieseň.
Všetci majte sklonené hlavy, okrem tých, ktorí sem prichádzajú. A tu táto matka s tým malým dievčatkom, chcem aby si ju priniesla sem, rovno sem k oltáru. Dobre.
Spasiteľ, Spasiteľ;
Počuj moje pokorné volanie;
Zatiaľ čo voláš iných;
Neprejdi okolo mňa bez povšimnutia.
Nechaj ma prísť k Tvojmu trónu milosti;
Aby som našiel pomoc;
Uzdrav môjho doráňaného ducha;
Pomôž mojej neviere.
Spasiteľ ...
186Moji milovaní priatelia, ktorí máte sklonené hlavy. V celom svojom živote som sa snažil byť všetkým, len nie nepoctivým. Snažil som sa byť úprimný vo svojom jednaní s Bohom a s človekom. Snažil som sa zakaždým postupovať a robiť presne tak, ako mi Duch Svätý hovoril. To je dôvod, prečo chodím z miesta na miesto, zakončím zhromaždenia a idem na iné miesto, pretože chcem nasledovať vedenie Ducha.
A dnes ráno, kým som tu kázal ... Chcel som, aby sme urobili na konci modlitebný rad, aby sem ľudia prišli k rozoznaniu, ktoré mi Pán dá, a že sa budem s nimi rozprávať. Ale niečo mi hovorilo: "Povedz ľuďom ..." Preto som sa hneď zastavil, to sa stalo. Povedal: "Zavolaj ľudí sem a povedz im: ,Príďte a žiadajte Mňa.´ak by im niečo chýbalo, Ja im poviem."
188Divíte sa, ako toto malé dievča môže byť uzdravené, ako ty s tou rakovinou môžeš byť uzdravený, ako ty tam s tým nemocným hrdlom môžeš byť uzdravený, ako ty s tou palicou sa môžeš byť uzdravený, ako ty s tou barlou môžeš byť uzdravený, ako slepý, môžeš vidieť, ako ty v bolesti a v trápení.
Je tu niekto, kto má problémy v domácnosti. „Ako sa cez to môžem dostať, brat Branham?" Oni ti to práve teraz povie.
Ostatné problémy, divíte sa tomu a tamtomu. Nasledujte to, čo sa teraz dotýka vašich sŕdc. Len sa toho držte a uvidíte, či to nie je to správne. Len to nasledujte a uvidíte, či to nie je to správne. Nepremýšľajte ináč. Len ostaňte u toho. On povedal, že bude k vám hovoriť.
A teraz, zatiaľ čo sa každý modlí.
191[Brat Branham odchádza od mikrofónu a začína sa modliť za ľudí pri oltári. – pozn.prekl.]
Otče v nebi, požehnaj môjho brata. Daj mu každú túžbu jeho srdca, čokoľvek si žiada.
Moja sestra, drahý Bože, požehnaj ju. Vezmi dnes ťažkosti z jej srdca.
Požehnaj moju sestru, Otče. Nech je na nej Duch.
Bože požehnaj moju sestru. Daj jej hlboké túžby jej srdca.
Taktiež túto moju sestru, v mene Ježiš, Otče, udeľ je to.
Keď vidíme toto dievčatko, sme Ti tak vďační, že si tak veľa pre ňu urobil, Otče. Ty si nám nedávno pomohol. Modlím sa, aby toto dieťa bolo úplne uzdravené, aby to bolo zjavené ostatným tak, aby ti mohli uveriť. Žehnám toto dieťa dnes ráno, v mene Ježiša Krista a preklínam túto chorobu jej tela!
Požehnaj môjho milovaného brata, Pane. Nech jeho viera nikdy nezanikne, keď pozerá na Golgotu, nech Ťa tam pozná, nech verí, do čohokoľvek ho tam viera vedie, Boh to potvrdí a spraví, že to sa stane.
198Požehnaj môjho brata Morgana. Daj mu túžbu jeho srdca. Čokoľvek žiada dnes, daj mu to v mene Pána.
Požehnaj moju sestru a daj jej tie veci, ktoré žiada, skrze Ježiša Krista.
Otče, Bože, môj brat túži zo srdca aby bol naplnený. Nebeský Otče, nech túžba jeho srdca, nech nájde tú túžbu v Ježišovi Kristovi. A ďakuje ti za uzdravenie, Pane.
Otče, Bože, modlím sa za môjho brata s rukami položenými na ňom, daj mu túžbu jeho srdca. Požehnaj môjho malého brata, Otče!
Toto malé dievčatko, Otče, žehnám ju. V mene Pána Ježiša Krista nech dostane to, čo si žiada, Otče, v mene Ježiš. Daj to. Pane, požehnaj moju sestru. V mene Ježiša ... [Brat Branham pokračuje v modlitbe za ľudí pri oltári, ale jeho slová nie sú počuť. Potom sa obracia znovu k mikrofónu. – pozn.prekl.]
204Všemohúci Bože, Ty si Vládca neba i zeme, Ty dávaš do poriadku ľudské srdcia. Ty si postavil hviezdy na nebi a oni tam sú. Ty si postavil slnko na svoje miesto a ono tam stojí. Ty si dal mesiac na miesto, kde je, aby dohliadal na more. Ty si určil jeho hranice, ktoré nemôže prekročiť. Ty si hovoril a oni Ťa poslúchli. Pane Bože, Ty hovoríš k ľudským srdciam, nech oni sú vždy tak poddajné a pripravené nasiaknuť Ducha a urobiť veci, ktoré si Ty prikázal.
Nebeský Otče, Ty si dnes hovoril do môjho srdca, tvojmu nehodnému sluhovi a ja som hovoril ľuďom to, čo si Ty chcel, aby som im povedal a to sa stalo s každým jedným z nich. A teraz, Otče, som išiel dolu, aby som si pripomenul to, čo si mi zjavil a položil som svoje ruky na nich. Otče, čokoľvek si položil do ich srdca, Bože, nech je to pre nich rozhodnutie na veky, nech vedia, že Tvoj Duch je tu teraz a On im to položil do sŕdc. Ak sú chromí, nech chodia. Ak sú slepí, nech vidia. Ak sú utlačení, nech sú šťastní, ak majú problémy, nech sú od nich vzaté preč. Daj im to, Pane. Ak sa snažia urobiť nejaké rozhodnutie, nech urobia to správne rozhodnutie práve teraz. Nech Duch Svätý zjaví všetky tieto veci, ktoré potrebujeme. Daj to, Pane. Sme tu, pri oltári a čakáme na Teba, vzývame Ťa.
206Otče, ak je niečo, čo si nám ešte chcel povedať, nech Tvoj Duch Svätý spadne na nás. Nech vanie hore dole po celom tomto oltári a zjaví všetko. Sprav nech každé srdce má istotu, Pane. Urob ho pozitívnym, aby tam nikde nebola žiadna pochybnosť. Nech Tvoj Duch odstráni každé napätie.
A tiež v hľadisku, kde sú títo drahí ľudia, ktorí nie sú v problémoch, ktorých si požehnal a sedia tu dnes ráno zdraví a silní. Ó, oni sa modlia za tých ostatných, ich priateľov, Pane. Oni mali podobné problémy a vedia, že Ty si im pomohol.
A teraz, Otče, modlíme sa v pokore a v jednote, aby si poslal svojho Ducha a potvrdil všetko, Pane, v každom srdci skrze pomazanie Tvojho Svätého Ducha, aby si urobil všetko to, čo vnímame, že je správne. Daj to, Pane.
209Teraz všetci v modlitbe so sklonenou hlavou budeme spievať niekoľko piesní. Nebuďte unavení.
Nie som fanatik, vy to viete. Ak by som ním bol, neviem o tom. Ale niečo jasne ku mne prehovorilo: "Ja budem hovoriť k nim. Ty ich len zavolaj sem hore." Urobil som, čo mi On povedal.
Teraz, kým máme svoje hlavy sklonené a spievame piesne, dávajte pozor na to, čo vám On povie. Čokoľvek vám povie, je to On, kto hovorí.
Kráčame vo svetle, je to nádherné svetlo;
Príď tam, kde je milosť jasná, ako kvapky rosy;
Svieti okolo nás dňom i nocou,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta.
(Kým spievame, nech sa každý modlí.)
Kráčame vo svetle, je to nádherné svetlo;
Príď tam, kde je milosť ako kvapky rosy jasná;
Svieti okolo nás dňom i nocou,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta.
(Aké svetlo? On ho dáva teraz. Svetlo!)
Kráčame vo svetle, je to nádherné svetlo;
Príď tam, kde je milosť ako kvapky rosy jasná;
Svieti okolo nás dňom i nocou,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta.
Príď , vyznaj ho ako svojho Kráľa,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta;
Potom nebeské zvony budú zvoniť,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta.
Kráčame vo svetle, je to nádherné svetlo;
Príď tam, kde je milosť ako kvapky rosy jasná;
Svieti okolo nás dňom i nocou,
Ježiš, Svetlo sveta.
1 Good morning, friends. Kind of a little slip-up of me being here today. I was going... I made a promise at the times when I come to pray for the sick, that I--it would be announced on the radio broadcast by Brother Neville. But somehow the secretaries failed to get it to him yesterday and that's the reason it wasn't--wasn't published, wasn't put on the broadcast. And some folks had called and wanted to be prayed for this morning.
2 So I was a--a little bit excited, as they said, of the--the arrival of the new boy, as--as every time, very grateful for it. When the nurse brought him down out of the room, I said, "Joseph, I've looked for you for four years. So I'm sure glad you're here." So it... Here about four years ago, I was... Just before the little girl was born, before we knew that she was coming, why, I was praying one day after reading the life of Joseph in the Bible, and I thought, "Such a perfect man." Abraham was election. Isaac was justification. And Jacob was grace. But Joseph was perfection. It run out (See?), there was no more said about it. So I thought of Joseph, how he was born, loved of his father.
Say, by the way, I got a telegram or message from Africa said they're making him a coat of many colors. Just to...?... They been looking for him. So that... So there was a...
I was back, went in the little closet, begin to pray. "God..." I--I--I just broke down in tears, to think what a wonderful person this Joseph was. And how he was sold for thirty pieces of silver, just practically thirty pieces of silver, like Jesus--Jesus--Jesus--Judas, pardon me, sold Jesus. And he was took up out of the grave, you know, and set at the right hand of Pharaoh and no man could see the king except by Joseph. And the trumpet sounded, and every knee should bow as he went forward. And same thing to Jesus, you know, "And every tongue shall confess." And I just went back and started praying.
6 Now, there's three elements that people live in. First is the humanistic. Second is Divine revelation. And third is vision.
Now, this, like in prayer, when you pray for anyone in humanistic, we say, "Well, I--I hope you'll get well. See, I--I'm hoping. I'm believing with you, trying to use all the faith I can." That's human.
Second, is Divine revelation, when something's revealed to you. You just know in your heart it's going to happen, yet there's nothing but just the revelation.
And third is a vision. 'Course that's THUS SAITH THE LORD. That's perfect and positive.
10 Now, it entered up into this realm here. And Something just said to me, "You're going to have a boy, and you'll call his name Joseph."
Well, I had a little girl. So I thought, "Well..." I praised the Lord for it. And just about a month after that, we found out that we were going to be a parent again, and so I thought maybe that was my Joseph. So it come out, it was a Josephine; it was a girl.
So many thought that I said that was Joseph. I said, "No, no. I didn't say that was Joseph."
And some of them said, "Well, didn't you say that you seen a vision of this?" You know how people get things mixed up.
I said, "I got the tapes on it. See? Come, listen. I never said it was Joseph." I said, "The Lord has put in my heart that I'm going to have a son by the name of Joseph." See? I said, "I don't know how, when, or what, but it's going to be." So I didn't know. "I may have--may have six girls before we have him, but he will be here." Well, that just never left my heart. And we went on.
15 And then, the other day he arrived. And he's here, so I'm very grateful for him, knowing that when the Lord promises anything, the Lord will do what He has promised. See? He just has to. In order to be God, He has to keep His Word.
I--I can--not able to keep mine sometimes. You're not able to keep yours. Because we make promises with good intentions, but we're not able to carry it out. Circumstances, difficults, and so forth brings us to a place where we can't sometimes do what we want to do.
But God is able to keep His Word, and He will do it. It's just impossible for Him not to. That's why we love Him so this morning. Rest upon that perfect assurance, that, "God is able to keep that which we've committed to Him against the day."
18 Now, it's a bad day outside, but cool enough in the tabernacle not to be stuffy, and not enough people here to be jammed in against one another, and standing up around the rows. But it's just a good time, I think, to start and teach the Word.
I have tried hard for the last few hours to see if the Holy Spirit... Even got Billy, back there, the cards, and so forth is to be for a prayer line. But yet I can't, you... I don't govern that. It governs me. You see? I--I have nothing to do with that. Depends on what He says about it.
20 Now, Brother Neville here was announcing the revival, this Brother Crank down here. I don't know the man. I just stepped in last night on my road from the hospital to see the--the... Brother Roberts had his film shown there last night. And--and back in the back of the building, Brother Crank and his father. Brother Crank himself is just a boy, looked to be maybe twenty, twenty-one, something like that. And... But his father's with him. And then Brother Matheny from New Albany, the... a Pentecostal. Now, I believe this Brother Crank is Pentecostal too.
And so they were very nice men, wanted me to take this next week's service. 'Course, couldn't do that, you know. And then wondered if I'd be there Saturday night. I don't know yet. I told him I'd have to see. Brother Cauble was over and wanted next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And Brother Hall has got to be at Milltown one night this week, 'cause next week we leave for the summer. So then they... I got a few little meetings scattered around. I don't know just where it will be. I told him I'd let him know a little later.
22 The wife has just been doing fine. And I certainly appreciate all you people's prayers. It was through prayer alone. 'Cause it's a mixed audience, and I couldn't say what happened. But they're not supposed to go to the normal time, and she did, hours, and hours, and hours over. See? And so usually the heart flies up and they die right away. But the grace of God, she's better than she's ever been in any of the other births. So I know it was your prayers that helped. And I certainly do appreciate that with all my heart. And pray now, we have...
By the coming of this little boy, has marked a--a turning point in my life. And I have... A few days ago when it looked like that maybe he wouldn't arrive just right, and things looked like was all against us, the opposition... It's usually just darkest before day, you know, that that's the regular routine of human. And so we... I went up to Green's Mill, the scout reservation, to my old place up there. And I just couldn't stand it no longer, so I went back alone with the Lord Jesus for a while. And He just assured me everything would be all right. So I said then, "Lord, I--I'm just promised You that from henceforth..." I've had so many difficults and things, of times.
24 You see, there's probably one or two strangers with us this morning. I don't know. I got a couple names here of people that wanted to be prayed for. So I--I imagine it's just the little tabernacle group here.
But I go through things that the world don't know nothing about, neither the people (You see?), very hard things. The--the enemy works on them inside lines, you know. Outside you don't notice it. It's the inside lines that cut. And so I meet it on every hand. And so I... But I expect it. I--I--I kind of... If it didn't, I just wonder what maybe... I don't want it to be friendship of the devil. I--I know he's my enemy, and I--I got to meet on fighting grounds. So I'm so thankful for material to fight with, the Word of the living God; It'll endure forever.
And now, I just hope that God helps me to rearrange my meetings, such places that I can stay longer, and so forth. Be in prayer.
27 Brother and Sister Schoeman from South Africa is on their road here. And that's the head of the ministerial association of South Africa, to see about coming over this fall and going up into India, and so forth.
Brother Thoms is here from South Africa. I met him the other day. He's doing a great work over there amongst the natives. Reason I kind of like Brother Thoms' program is because the program that he talks of, and has got in operation, he and Brother Tommy Osborn, is what I think it's right, worthy of support. Because he--he's sending out native missionaries. You see, after all, the native knows more about the native.
And we could send a fellow from Australia here. He'd be a brother; we'd love him, accept him, and everything. But he don't know the American customs, the American ways. It takes an American to do this job right. And what if we'd send somebody here from China? Why, he was a missionary, but probably he could speak a little English. It would be all chopped up, and it just wouldn't take effect like a man who knows how to get into the Americans, to work with the Americans, to do in their customs, and so forth. And that's the way it goes. And we're kind of blocked off people here, north, and south, and east, and west, and brogues, and so forth.
30 Here not long ago, I was in Cali... in Florida. And one night there was a dear, loving brother who has a campaign by the name of Brother Jackson, and Gayle Jackson, one of my converts to healing. And so I was way back. And usually, you know, in my offerings and so forth, I just don't let the people know it. If the Lord provides, all right. If He don't, why, we get it somewhere else. So... And Gayle come up, and he said to the manager; he said, "Well, how is the finances running?"
He said, "Oh, just about a thousand dollars, a little better, maybe fifteen hundred, to catch us up."
He said, "The trouble of it is, you don't know how to handle these southerners." So he just gets up there... Said, "Could I take your offering tonight?"
Said, "Yeah, but no begging, 'cause Brother Branham would just get on us for it." Said, "We never beg." So he got up there, and he just said a few words, and there was two thousand dollars in the offering. He said, "You see, Brother Baxter, you just don't know how to handle southerners; that's all."
So that's the way it is. You have to be custom to southerners. You have to be custom to the northerners. You have to be custom. And I think a native, knowing their own customs and their own tribe, is a far better way than... far better person to put with their own people, than all the tailor-mades that we have...?... sending. That's right. So I am very grateful for--for the brethren.
36 Now, this morning, I just want to speak to you just a little while. I'm not... Knowing that probably this will be my last meeting to get to be with you for a while. We go now to Macon, Georgia. And that's sponsored by, I understand, forty-two Southern Baptist churches. So then, from there we go to the Christian Business Men's Full Gospel internationally, at Denver. And then I got to go up in Canada on a little spell.
And we'll see then what Brother Schoeman then, of what for... to where we go overseas or continue in the states. And Brother Moore, of course, makes all the programs, all the--the itinerary, and for here. And he will be with us over there where we meet Brother Schoeman. I hope that Brother Schoeman comes by and you'll know him, and he will... that he gets to speak here for you one time at the tabernacle. Very fine man he and his wife. Treated me like a brother when I was in Africa, so treat him the same way when he comes through this a way, in the love of the Lord.
38 Now, I... After coming in and knowing, they told me that Brother Neville didn't get a hold of it for the broadcast. I was listening. How many hears the broadcast? I tell you, that--that singing is sublime, and the--the preaching goes a little higher than that. So it was really a good message yesterday. You all appreciate that? Not to make him blush, but it's the truth. I... If I thought Brother Neville was doing something wrong, I'd take him back in the room, and we'd talk it all over, and pray over it. If he's doing something right, I like to tell him about it, See? That makes us feel better.
The nice little cards and presents that you all know, that sent to the little fellow down at the... there. I want to tell you I appreciate them too. My wife sends her love and regards to all of you.
And now let's turn over in the blessed old Word here. But just before, let's speak to Him, the Author, before we do it.
41 Our beloved Saviour, we come to use Thy Name, just a few moments as we approach the Almighty One, the Creator, the One Who conceived Thee into the womb of the virgin, and she brought forth this marvelous One, Who stands the Mediator between the living and dead, the only Way, the only Mediator. And we're so happy to know that though His Divine promise, that He gave us these Words, "Whatever you ask the Father in My Name, that I'll do."
So we ask today in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Father dear, that You'll receive our thanksgiving in our hearts, as Thou art always gathered in Your sanctuary to hear the praises of Your children. And we're thankful today for all the blessings, for the health, and the--the going on of the church and the work, and all around the world. We're so grateful for it. And, Father, we pray that You'll continue, and not only continue, but will pour double portions upon the work everywhere, for we believe we're running out of time. All things are pointing at the end. Just when, we know not, but we wish to be prepared, as ordained our Lord Jesus for us to do so.
43 And now, Father, we thank Thee. I want to thank You myself personally for the little boy today. Thy promise lingered for four years. "But I the Lord hath planted it; I'll water it day and night." You always make Your promises real, Father. Though the vision, though it linger, yet will it speak. It's got to, because it's the Word and the promise of God. We don't fear, just moving forward, knowing that all things are working together for good.
Thank You for bringing the mother through safely. Now, in misery and pain today, I pray that You'll ease it up. We know it's a natural thing, but give her comfort, Father. Bless her down there today, and may she hurry home, and stand by Thy servant, as we go forward now together out into the battle fields there, to reap the grain and bring it to the garner for the Master's sake.
46 Bless the church here. Bless our beloved pastor, Your servant, faithful at the post. And we pray that You'll bless all the deacons, the trustees, whatevermore. Let Thy blessings rest upon them all.
Bless--bless, we pray this morning the visiting clergymen, the strangers in our gates. And when service is over, may we say like those who come from Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us, because of His Presence?" Get into the Word, Father. May the Holy Spirit come, taking the Word. Nothing premeditated, not knowing nothing what to say, but committing it all to You... Thy will be done, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
48 Let us turn for just a little Scripture reading, if you will in the book of--of Genesis, the beginning with the 6th chapter, just to read for a little quotation here in--in the Word and beginning at the--the 8th verse of the 6th chapter. And the subject this morning, if God willing, just teaching a few minutes from the Word, 'fore we pray for the sick, and then the pastor to finish the service.
49 We're praying that God will multiply and bless. And I see a little girl setting here on the front seat. I believe the mother setting here that... I think we prayed for the child some time ago. And looks to me like that her, best I remember, she was--couldn't walk or something, or... She looks like she's a lot better today, and I'm so grateful for that.
Praying constantly God will pour more Spirit and power upon His Church and His people everywhere, that our faith may be lifted way up above all the defects of life, that we might be able to be more than overcomers and conquerors through Him that loved us and gave His life for us.
51 Now, to you who's got your Bibles:
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man, perfect in all his generation, and Noah walked with God.
And Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The earth... was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
And the Lord looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
And the Lord said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shall thou make in the ark, and thou shall pitch it within and without with pitch.
And may the Lord add His blessings now to the reading of His Word. I want to speak this morning, if God willing, or teach, rather, for a few moments, the Word, upon, "The Ark," what the ark meant, and what the ark foreshadowed, and the types of the ark. For the ark perfectly, and everything in the Old Testament typed Christ. And Christ is the fulfilling of all the Old Testament, was fulfilled in Christ Jesus.
53 Now, it was a time of destruction, the time just before destruction. The whole earth was full of violence.
If you notice, wherever you see men begin to multiply, people begin to get together, great gatherings of people, and remain, that city is becoming populated, more population. The first thing you know, it begins to bring in deviceties for recreation, from that it goes into gambling, from gambling into drinking, from drink--drinking into prostitution, breaking up of homes, marriage, divorce, then murder. It just keeps growing, growing, growing, like a chain of no end.
When God walked with just man alone, by himself, he had favor with God. But when man begin to multiply, and begin to get others and others and others, then they begin to... Satan having a more of a range to work in. This man might believe a little bit, leaning in this way, and the other one, a little bit this way; then when Satan comes in, he just fires it on. Then it becomes this and that, and imaginations begin to come great, and then corruption sets in. And when Noah...
56 If you'll notice, between the generations, after the slaying of Abel, God replaced him with Seth. 'Course we're taught by historians, that Adam and Eve had seventy sons and daughters. But as the Bible records only the three sons, Ham, Shem, and--and Japheth, was Noah's sons. Pardon me. Was Cain, Abel and Seth, was Noah's sons, or Adam's sons.
Then just a little bit excited. I have been for the last couple of days since my Joseph come, so I kind of get things a little mixed up.
Notice then through this lineage of Ham, after he carried on over through there, we'll--through the antediluvian destruction. His whole generation faded out into wickedness.
And when we come over through the lineage of Cain, it did the same thing. They went off into the land of Nod, Cain did, and there married, took his wife and went in there, and later man become like giants.
When the children of Israel come up through there, they found men, even some of them had fingers of fourteen inches long. And think of that, great giants. David slew Goliath, which was a great fellow, and he said that his spear looked like a weaver's needle. And how many... Nine feet tall and something, and what a mighty fellow he was.
61 But if you notice, there come a great civilization through that lineage of--of Cain back there, that begin to come in. When men begin to multiply, they begin to go out after different educations and so forth, and discovery of things, inventions. One, a great worker of wood, oh, how they built and begin to build and build and build, was a sign that the end time was near. Did you ever see the like of building that we got now? It's again the sign of the end time.
They were great workers of metal. And they discovered how they could, what they could do with metal. And look what they're doing with metal today, even making... I heard on the radio the other day, making steel or metal houses now. They cut out all the timber practically, so they're making them out of aluminum, and out of steel, and so forth. And great discoveries of education, and great going on of science, progress of science, a sign of the end time... Look what science has done in the last few years (Oh, my.), just the things that's done. What is it? Nearing the end time. A sign that all believers...
Ministers in the pulpit should be preaching it with all the force they got, showing to the people. We're passing milestones. And all things point to the end. The Scriptural verse, God's Bible that we read and believe today is pointing to the end, not much farther. The great scientific world says the end is in sight, another great milestone. The zodiac on the calendar and so forth, the astronomy and everything says the end is in sight. The pyramid says the end is in sight. Every great pointing place says the end is in sight. We're at the end time.
67 Notice. But God in His sovereign grace, before the end time... He referred to it now in Jesus: Jesus did, said, "As it was in the days of Noah before the flood, what people were doing, that's that kind of a repeat will come again." And we see it. So we--we just have to be spiritually blind, or we can see it. Open up, look around.
There's such a great difference between physical blind and spiritual blind. I believe if I had to take my choice, I'd take physical, any time. Yes. There's such a thing as being blind.
69 Here not long ago, a minister said, "If you be a servant of the Lord, smite me blind."
I said, "You're already blind."
He said, "Me, blind?"
I said, "Yes, sir." 'Cause he was ridiculing Divine healing, ridiculing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, saying there wasn't such a thing. I said, "You're blind."
He said, "No, that's some of your own makeup."
I said, "That's the Scripture. The Bible said so."
Said, "When was the mind ever blind?"
I said, "Well, many times. Jesus told your fathers, said, 'You blind Pharisees. You got eyes and you can't see.' That's right. 'But if you'd have knowed the time...'"
I said, "Elijah was down, that great prophet, at Dothan one time. And there the whole Syrian army got around to take Elijah. And Gehazi said...?... "Father, they're upon us. The whole city is compassed around here with the army of the Syrians."
He said, "Well, there's more with us than there is with them."
He said, "Well now, here they are, but I can't see nobody but you."
Said, "God, open his eyes." And when his eyes come open, he looked, and around that old prophet was chariots of fire, the hills was on fire...?... He walked right out to where they was, and he said he smote them blind. Walked out...?... Not physically. One way they were physically blind. He went out, said, "Are you looking for Elijah?" He was Elijah, himself.
Said, "Yes, we're looking for him."
Said, "Come follow me, I'll lead you right to him." They didn't know it. They were blind.
78 And today, men are stricken blind because they are rejecting God, mercy. That only leaves judgment left. But God in His love and mercy has so appropriated a way, that before Divine judgment ever strikes, there is a way. God makes a way of escape for all those who desire to follow that way. That's the mercies of Him, making a way of escape. "Not willing that any should perish, but all might come to repentance."
He's in the world today showing signs and wonders, and raising up people, great things taking place, showing signs in the heaven above, and on earth, signs. Signs of flying saucers through the air, where even the Pentagon and all don't know what to think of it. Signs in the heaven above, and on earth the healing of the sick, the raising of the dead, the opening of the blinded eyes, the casting out of evil spirits, the Gospel being preached, signs before His Coming. "Not willing that any should perish, but that all might humbly, sweetly bow to repentance." But those who reject Christ have to walk blind.
What if I, today, was to reject to have my eyesight, letting it be put out? If I refused to keep my eyes, I'd take something and stab them out. I don't want to see then.
That's the way it is spiritually. If a man refuses to look into God's Word and see the plan, and see God, he automatically puts out his eyes. He himself shuts up his eyes to the things of God. What a day. What a time. What a lesson we ought to learn today from looking around at the end time.
82 But God in His sovereign grace in the days of Noah, He said, "Now, I want you to go out and make a provision for all those who desire to escape this judgment." Isn't that marvelous? God, not willing that any should perish, making a way of escape for those who wanted to come God's way of escape... So He said, "Noah, I want you to make an ark."
Now, the word "ark" is "a little chest, or a place of escape, a hiding place." There's three of them spoke of in the Old Testament. And we want to look at those three now for a few moments. All those three were typing one great Ark, Christ, to the Church today. Three is a confirmation, all the old things just foreshadowing.
84 I was reading the other day while setting out on a creek bank, of how that those Hebrew mothers that gave birth back there to the patriarchs, and each one when she come forth and uttered his name while in labor, said what he would be, and what he would be in the last day, not knowing what she was doing, and muttering. Taking a hold of Genesis 49, and type it out, where their end time, where they're at, and watch what it is. It's right there. My.
How, if we could only open our eyes sometime and our spiritual hearing, that the Word comes forth, that we'd realize what it is, and the Spirit would reveal to us... And I pray now the Holy Spirit takes these things of God and put them out into the heart of every man and woman, boy and girl here.
86 The ark. There was one of them Noah built, a way of escape. Second one spoke of, was the one that Moses was put in. The third was the ark of the testimony to Israel. And the fourth, all fulfilled in the fourth, being Christ Jesus.
Let's go back now and begin at the first in Genesis, and see how the preparation was made for the ark, and see if it doesn't type Christ exactly. And all those who gathered into each ark, or under the--the--come to reconciliation by the ark, all was preserved through judgment. And just as certain as they was preserved in the type, how much more are we to be preserved in Christ, the real Antitype of all the arks. Oh, He's marvelous.
88 Then we notice back there, that God told Noah, said, "I want you to make this out of a specific type of wood." Now, just any wood wouldn't work. We got to have a certain type, and it must be gopher wood. Gopher wood now was... I was studying here a few weeks ago on what gopher wood was. And it was a soft wood, pliable. And that is what makes up the ark, was a wood that could be easily applied, a pliable wood.
That's the believer. Once in the hands of God, cut down from his own self-righteousness of the tree, he becomes pliable in the hands of the Builder, not tossed about with every wind of doctrine, but a pliable that fits right into the Word of God to be used easily.
90 And we notice that it was a wood that would suck up moisture easy, take in moisture. And now, to one thing, the man a pliable in the hands of God could be a great thing to God, or you could be a great thing to the devil.
Now, if the ark was built out of wood that was pliable and would suck into the water, it wouldn't be but a little while till it was waterlogged. And it would sink immediately, become heavy, because gopher wood is real light. And the water would soak right through it.
So that's what I think today. This is it. I believe today the trouble with many sincere men and women today, not--not willing to give theirself in completely, but went after error. And that's why the ark become waterlogged, can't go any farther. She heads up and down, about ready to sink.
93 So what kind of a Holy Spirit there formed the way? But it... They could not stand to go on like that. So God said to Noah, "Pitch it within and without, both sides, pitch it."
Then I was studying over what pitch was made out of. I went back and got it, and went back into an old dictionary, begin to find out what pitch meant. Into the Greek, I find out that pitch meant one thing, meant to... a substance. But how they got pitch, they beat it out of another tree. It was like a rosin, and they beat it out, and boiled it, and then poured it on. And it become pitch.
What a beautiful thing, of the wood before it's cut down, a certain type of timber, being human, Christ in His humility, being human. And the Church, His ark today, coming into His Church, which is no more than His own spiritual body here on earth... That Christ was cut down, and life was beat out of Him, that it might be applied to the Church.
96 Now, this soft gopher wood, when they poured this hot pitch over it, it soaked it up right quick, inside and out, and made it a sealed. Amen. Oh, you see it? A seal: soft, soaking in the Word of God, Christ pouring the Holy Spirit, het up. Amen. It won't run when it's cold. It's got to get hot. What we need today is an old fashion, Holy Ghost meeting, het up, poured down.
They took that soft gopher wood, the big ladle, and poured it on, and the gopher wood real soft, ready, then from the inside and out, that pitch went through and cased it over like steel. No water could seep in it at all. It was a protection.
And every man that comes and receives Christ, and coats him by the Holy Spirit, becomes so one minded till he sees nothing else but Christ. He doesn't care for the world any more. You can bump him, bounce him, kick him out, do everything you want to, but he's cased over. In other words, he's sealed. Seal up all the cracks, that's what they did with the pitch. And the Bible said what...
You know what the sealing is for this, have with this ark today? Ephesians 4:30 said, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed (or pitched, cased over) until the day of redemption." Amen. All sealed up, every little portion of wood, every little outlet, every little hole, every little crack, every little pore in the wood is just sealed and cased in with the Spirit of God. Oh, how marvelous.
100 See, if you put it on cold, you'd have air holes in it. If you ever hit against a log or something, it might bust it, because it's got a flaw in it. But when it's het, poured on, then it goes all the way though and seals it both sides, inside and out. Amen.
Perfect type of Christ and His Church. How one tree had to be cut down, to be beaten and bruised and all the juice took out of it; and then that applied to the other tree to preserve the tree through the judgment. Christ was cut down, that through His life, and by the Holy Spirit, the Church might be carried through the judgment. See it? What a beautiful picture. Oh, my. That thrills you, doesn't it? Just make your heart jump back and forth. See? All of it speaking of Christ, everything in the Old Testament was of Christ, foreshadowing It.
102 Someone said, the other day; he said, "Brother Branham, why is it that this happens and that happened?" Well, he's sitting present now. I was eating at a table. I said, "Sister, come back of all these things, and come back to the beginning." I said, "The first thing that person was, before anyone else, before there was one cell, they were spirit. That's the fundamental part. Keep that spirit right. From everything from that spirit, this a way will perish, whether it's houses, lands, homes, health, whatever it may be, it's perishable, and it'll go right straight back to that spirit again." Hallelujah. And right back to the spirit again, so keep that right.
No matter what you got here in this world, what you haven't got, keep your heart right in tune with God. For it's all, everything, all your houses, lands, all your money, all your sickness, all your health, all your children, all, everything that you've got here on this earth, will everything leave you, and you'll go right straight back to the beginning again. If that's right with God, you'll come forth again just as certain as there's a God in heaven. If it's not right with God, you got to take the other route. You're here to make a choice. Make it today for Christ.
105 Notice. Oh, my. Another thing that the word meant, when it said, "Pitch, pitch it," tar it, or soak it with rosin, it means "to atone." Now, the word "pitch" means "to atone." Over in Leviticus, the same word that was used for pitch in Genesis, in Leviticus is used as an atone, to make an atonement. Well, now, atone is to stand between. And the pitch that was in the gopher wood in the ark, was to keep out, or to atone the believer from the wrath. You see it?
Noah could not get into the wrath, the waters of judgment. Oh, I see it now. You get it? Look. He could not come into the judgment, because there was an atonement between him and the judgment. And the judgment was the water of the world.
And the believer in Christ is safely secured. Amen. Not upon the merits of himself, but on his obedience, obedience to walk into the ark. The only thing Noah had to do was get in the ark. He didn't even have to shut the door; God did that Himself. Walk in; that's all the believer does is walk by faith in Christ. God takes care of the rest of it. "He that heareth My words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath Everlasting Life, and shall not come into the judgment, passed from death unto life, in the ark, safe forevermore. Amen. Let the judgment rock her if it wants to.
Why, I imagine sometime the ark was standing on the end, and upside down, and everything else. But Noah was safe. The pitch stood between him and the judgment.
And today the Blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, stands between us and all the judgment. Amen. "... shall not be condemned, or come into judgment, but passed from death unto Life." Amen. Why? Because he is in the ark. What a perfect picture.
110 Trees, cut down, the way they started in the world, cut down first, that's every man comes into the world, born in sin, and shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies, undone, unlovely, ungodly, away from God, alienated, without hope, without Christ, dying, going to a sinner's grave, ready for the judgment. Then the Word comes along, sharper than any two-edged knife, cuts the tree down, hews it out, cuts off all the stickers and all the thorns, cuts the best part out of it, and is a pliable (Amen) in the hand of the Builder, Christ.
112 Then His life was poured out at Calvary, that through the shedding of the Blood, He might make an atonement to protect the man that's in the ark of safety. Oh, my. What a picture. Then in order to get the pitch to put on it... 'Cause, it'll waterlog. I want you to take notice of this. A man just says, "Well, I believe the Word. I'll just take this, that." Without the Blood, you're left to the world. No matter how much you're in the ark, how much ark or what board you are, you've got to get pitched, soaked up, all soaked up with the Holy Spirit, keeping the world out.
114 Then I want you to notice, how beautiful. Then in order... There had to be another tree cut down, a fellow kinsman cut down, and beat until all the rosin fell out of it. And this rosin then was poured onto the other one that was cut down to preserve it. Amen. And today... How long preserved? Why, that sin, six thousand years ago...
And they see the old ark yet setting on top of a mountain. No other wood has ever stood it and never will. Why? It was pitched by the death of another. The ark still stands, pitched within and without, as a memorial of what pitch will do.
Oh, what a perfect picture how Christ is. The believer's position in Christ, after once in Christ, pitched on the outside with the... All you have to do... The ark is prepared. The only thing you have to do is come in and believe.
Notice, Noah, when he came in. That's the only thing he had to do, was walk in. God shut the door, and he was safely until the judgments was passed. God done the shutting. God done the opening. That's the believer today in Christ.
118 Notice. Quickly now... The next ark was spoke of, we'll go to it just a moment, was Moses. The Bible declared that little basket to be an ark. And notice that it was provided by the mother, the one who gave him the birth. Amen.
Not through some seminary, not some theological experience, but the One Who gives the believer the birth, prepares the ark for him, carry him through the judgment.
120 So she weaved it with the little--little stalks that they had there, like a little cornstalk, flax stalk. They still have it in Egypt. You can still see them mothers taking their little old babies across the Nile River, push it across, while she's wading, a little basket, the same way, push him in a basket across the Nile River.
And she went and made him a little ark. And the way it's made, it weaves in and out, when they were making it. That's the way the weavers do, weave it back and forth.
And then she went and slimed it. Slime is a pitch again. The same word, slime, take it right through, look if don't say "pitch" or "atone." Then, you see, with the weavers a weaving the stalks in and out, made little gaps in there, so it would hold the pitch.
Oh, my. How the believer... What a shame today that we're all separated, one a Methodist, and the other one a Baptist, and one a Lutheran, and one a Oneness, and one a Threeness. And what a pity. They all should be closely knitted together, then the pitch poured on, then it all sticks together, and cements together, making a safety. Marvelous, pouring the pitch on it...
124 Then the little baby Moses was laid in the basket and pushed out into the judgment of the water. "Water" always means "thickness and multitudes of people." The little fellow out there, probably a little cover over his face, out on the ark, out on the Nile River. She's swift. And there, going down through there, through the reeds and bulrushes, and the alligators and everything else, around in the Nile. And the rains and the storms and the blizzards, and it blowing through there, the gales, the little ark rode it out. Why? There a priest was in the ark. Amen. He was a priest. He was a law-giver. He was a king.
So was Noah. Noah also was a father. And the father himself, who made the ark, was in the ark with his substance.
Christ, our Father, Who made the ark with His own Blood, is inside the ark with the believer, fellowshipping. My.
127 As all the children and all the animals listened to Noah preach, while the judgments was on, it pouring down, the ark a riding back the waves, tested about from place to place. Noah said, "Hold still, children. God has made this ark. It's built according to His instructions. It'll stand everything that the devil can send against it." Noah in the ark, preaching, taken from the judgment...
128 Little Moses out there, looking up towards the star lit skies at night, when the wind was a blowing and a howling across the places, the old Nile a jumping, and the crocodiles going under the basket (Hallelujah.), safe, protected, standing between was an atonement between him and all the gales and the heavy winds that the devil could send. Nothing would upset that little ark. He floated right on through.
I can see the great Holy Spirit standing above it. I can see the Angels of God setting near with their swords drawed. No, sir, nothing's going to touch it.
I can see the devil trying to sink the ark up there and Noah singing, "Jesus, keep me near the cross," or whatever it was. All the devils in hell couldn't take it, because it's built according to God's instructions. There was an atonement standing between judgment and mercy.
That's every believer today, no matter how hard it must seem...?... how hard life may seem. As long as you're in Christ Jesus, there's nothing present, nothing future, can't reach your soul, separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Amen. The devil will turn every gale in hell loose on you, but God's got an atonement standing between you. You'll float every wave. You'll go through every alligator bed.
132 Where did he land? Right straight in the line of being the king of all Egypt. Hallelujah.
And one of these days, when this old ark lands on the other side of the stormy Jordan, we'll walk out as priests and kings unto God, standing under the atonement of the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, freely give it to whosoever will, the atonement, the mercy.
134 Over in the Old Testament He said, "Now, you shall make a--an ark." And He specified the wood, "acacia wood." Or you can make it out of this wood. It's called, in the Bible, "shittim wood," but it's really called "acacia wood." And you can make it the same thing, the ark. And said, "You shall make it and overlay it with gold."
Watch that ark, see if it typed Christ. Notice, it typed every time. Noah was a type of Christ, making a way, so was Moses.
Now, watch the ark of the covenant. He said, "You shall make it out of acacia wood and overlay it with gold." Anyone who knows the Scripture, know that gold speaks of Deity, and wood speaks of humanity. See He said, "You shall cover it, overlay it with gold, over the wood." That's Deity over the wood: Christ over the Church, inside and out, Deity, overlaid.
137 You'll have a lid on top of it. It'll be a mercy seat, and all the laws will rest in it. But before you...?... you sprinkle it over with blood. The law speaks of judgment. But between the law and the congregation, there was something for Deity stood in its place: type of Christ. Between the wrath of God, the judgment in hell, between that and the believer stands Deity Himself, Christ, standing in the way with an atonement made to save us from our sins and to heal us from our sickness. Deity stands in the way between judgment.
139 The law was a judge. The law judged, but the atonement stood between the confessed believer and the judgment. There laid the judgment in the ark, ready to come forth. But when it did, it couldn't, for there was an atonement standing between it and the believer. And the believer come and accepted Christ in the shadow and type, shed blood sprinkled upon the mercy seat, then he had mercy, and could walk away rejoicing, because he was free from judgment.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, that walk not after the flesh, but the Spirit." And when a man knows that he's died to the things of the world, and those that get in Christ Jesus, and walking according to the Holy Spirit, and not the ways of this sinful world, there's no condemnation to him. He can look in the face of hell and judgment and rejoice, because there's the Blood of Christ making atonement, standing between him and judgment. Amen. There you are.
The believer once in, the lid shut down, that settles it for all time. Amen. Gold, Deity laid over and underneath it, and all around it, wrapped up in Deity. Every man that's come into Christ is wrapped up in the Holy Spirit and become sons and daughters of God.
142 ...?... and just beat out gold. They got it hot and beat it. And the beater of the gold, beat the gold. He had to beat it with a hammer. And they beat the gold until he'd see his reflection in it. Then get her hot, and pour it out over the ark, and it soaked into the wood. Oh, my.
When the Holy Spirit, being the power, Holy Ghost and fire, poured out upon the believer, through the Blood of Christ, makes an atonement there for him. He's safe from all Divine judgment. "Does that include sickness?" Yes, sir. Absolutely does.
144 It don't say it won't push you about, it won't mock you, it won't get on you, it won't do this. "But many are the afflictions of the righteous." Many times will the ark be tossed this way and that way, "but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."
Many bounces had the old ark. Many ups-and-downs, and many gales did she ride, but she landed on Mount Ararat, just the same.
Many alligator I said, crossed the little ark, many gales had rode through the night, many dark storms she rode through, but landed safely in the bulrushes, where the intents could be taken to the throne of the nation: from the lowest to the highest. Amen.
We miserable, wretched, from the lowest of all insects, lowest of all creatures, morally polluted, spiritually dead can be lifted from that place by the ark of the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to be sons and daughters, and kings and priests unto God. What a picture. What do we have under consideration? How can man turn such a proposition down, that God has made with man?
148 There, another thing I want you to notice. When the ark went into its place, He said, "A crown of gold you'll lay on top of it." In other words, when the ark was pitched over and around, with all this, the law was on the inside... And then notice, another thing, the bread, the kosher, or the manna that fell at first, that manna was in the pot, was kept inside the ark.
And, brother, if you've never tasted God to see He's good, get into the ark one time, for there's where the manna lays, not out in some old, carnal, free--creed or something another, but in Christ, inside. Come in at the door, and God will shut the door behind you, keep the judgments out.
150 Notice, as he walked in. He took this ark... Also, Aaron's rod was put in there and budded; an old rod that was dead, a staff, a stick, no more than that piece of wood right there that all life is gone from it. It's dry as it can be. But once put into that holy place, it lived again.
Every sinner, I don't care how dull, how black, what your life has been; in the Presence of Christ you'll live again, and bloom, and bring forth blossoms, nourished of the Spirit. How sick you are, that doesn't matter, you'll live yet in the presence of the atonement. What a marvel. What a thing we have under consideration. What a Scripture. What a God. What--what perfect... What a sure foundation. All other grounds is sinking sand. All other grounds is sinking sand.
152 Notice, put a crown on it. Why? It was the king. What did that gold crown laying on top of a box mean? It meant that here, with that gold laying over it, humanity was covered with gold. Blood sprinkled on top of it, and a crown laying on that.
What a perfect type of Christ and His Deity, His love. He come forth into the world and laid Himself over humanity, His Church, His believers. Upon that, He sprinkled His own Blood, and will save "whosoever will." And two Angels beat out of gold, and the wings pointing across each other at the mercy seat, where every believer come, confessing his sins, receive reconciliation for his sin.
154 There He is. Now, look at Him. The gold crown, does that represent Christ? Yes. When Christ was here on earth, He was crowned with a crown of thorns to shed the Blood. That's right. But every believer that comes through that shed Blood, pulls forth that crown of thorns and crowns Him with the glory of praises and honor. Every believer that steps into His Presence, accepts that Blood from His pressed brow here with thorns, and crowns Him with glory and praises and majesty, as King of kings, as Healer, as Alpha, Omega, as the Beginning and Ending, as the Counselor, the Prince of Peace, the mighty God, the everlasting Father.
155 Noah was the father in his ark. Moses was father in his ark. Christ is the Father in His ark with His subjects, you people, the Church, the believer, safely secured.
I want you to notice again, the approach to that ark come through a way that... You notice, every man come into that ark, had to come through, first, the outer court; the next he had to come through, was the inner veil; then into the holiest of holies.
That was Christ as Prophet, as Priest, as King, crowned. First thing come, you see Him spoke of here, when He first come through, He was a Prophet.
158 A man coming to Christ must first come to the cross. The cross was His priesthood. The cross was there where He was represented in death. There's where that cross, where "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son."
There's no man in his right mind, can ever come in before the cross, brought before Him, but what hears Christ preach to him: Christ is the Prophet, the Preacher.
160 Then the next thing He does, He goes through then for the atonement. He goes through the veil as a Priest to intercede, intercessions, "making intercessions, setting at the right hand of God, making intercessions for the believer." And the believer comes into His Presence, and then Christ makes intercessions for him upon the confession of what he believes when he comes to the cross. He comes up now to Christ; he said, "O Christ, I know You preached to me through the cross, Your Word. I believe You. Will You have mercy on me?" And Christ, the Intercessor, intercesses. Then He goes right on into the ark, into the judgment there, and bears all of his judgment, taking away all sin and shame, and reconciling to God; through the propitiation of the Blood brings him back into fellowship with God, and puts him in the ark safely forever.
163 Nothing to worry about. No harm can be done. You're just as safe as you can be. Let the storms come. Let the... oh, everything take place, let sickness strike. Let anything take place that the Satan desires to send. God will rock you right through every bit of it. Don't go to jumping out. Stay right in Christ. Say, "Lord God, 'Upon this Rock,' You said, 'I'll build My church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.' I believe Thee, Lord Jesus. I now anchor my soul in a haven of rest." Oh, my.
Christ, the Chief Captain of our salvation, there He stands, the great conqueror. He rent the veil in two, and took down all the middle walls of partition, invited "whosoever will" to come and partake of His Life, be covered with His Divine blessings, that there'll be no judgment strike you. And if judgment strikes, it can't hurt you. You may be sick for a little while, you may have to go through something for a little while; but remember Christ is at the end. He never said this ark will set in a little whirlpool like that, where there'll be no... calm, just as calm as it can be. No sir, He never carried a flower bed of ease. He never promised things easy, but He promised grace to sustain you in the time. I think of the poet said:
Must I be carried home to heaven on a flowery bed of ease,
While others fought to win the prize and sail through bloody seas?
No, I must fight if I must reign. Increase my courage Lord.
Yes sir. Don't notice when the hard trials come, just stay right in the ark and say:
God, I'm safe for evermore.
I've anchored my soul in the haven of rest,
To sail the wild seas no more.
The tempest may sweep o'er the wild, stormy deep,
But in Jesus I'm safe evermore.
Let sickness come, let troubles come, let dis-heartening, or heartaches, and everything come, that has nothing to do. We receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved. Didn't say you'd be jumping back and so forth, but God will land you as safely as you can be in His Kingdom one of these days. You stay right in His ark.
May the Lord bless you, while we bow our heads just a moment.
167 Our heavenly Father, today, as we look into His majesty there, we see Him back there with Noah. Who was riding out those waves? Who was in that little old gopher wood ark? Where now, the biggest battleship that we have could not stand it. The whole earth rocked and tossed about, thousands and thousands of miles out of its orbit yonder, whirled about like a whirlpool out there, and the waves jumping miles high in the air. The whole world, covered, these big old mountains being washed out of level ground, whirling around in midnight darkness: Judgment, dead bodies flopping and floating. And a little old boat with gopher wood, pitched in and without; and those, Your beloved believers, set inside the ark just as safe as they could be. They didn't care. They'd done just what You said do. They followed Your instructions. And he that follows Your instructions will not be condemned or confounded. Finally You ceased the storm. The storms of life is over, then we're landed safely in a new world.
Dear heavenly Father, today upon the storm tossed sea of life, we don't understand how it's done, in the days when medical science is great, when the churches are making such great big things. But we just anchored away in Jesus. The storms come along, persecutions rise, but we followed the instructions. Thou will see us through. Grant it, heavenly Father, these blessings to each one. Bless the stranger in our gate this morning. Bless the unsaved, and may they become Thy children.
169 While we have our heads bowed, I wonder if--if there would be someone here that's outside of Christ, would raise up your hand, say, "Brother Branham, I'm raising my hand to God, just so you and He can see it. I want to be remembered and brought into the ark before it's too late. Will you pray for me?" Would you just raise your hand, say, "Remember me"? God bless you, sir. God bless you, sir. God bless you. Bless you, sister. God bless you, brother. "When the storms of life is raging, stand by me."
I can't make your decision, friend. I can only pray for you. You have to make your decision. I don't believe there's any honest hearted person could come into the Presence of His majesty and see the love that He's promised... Now, what did you raise your hand for? Something's knocking at your heart. That's God trying to pull you into the ark. "No man can come to Me, except My Father draws him. And all that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out. I'll give him Everlasting Life, raise him up at the last days."
171 Don't be scared. God's driving the winds. God's driving the ark. He has all things provided. Why, Noah wouldn't have had any victories, wouldn't have been storms and trials. If we're just put through a little safe tunnel to run through, there's no joy. The storms of life, what makes us have the joy. We'd never know what daylight was 'less we had some dark. We'd never know what a hilltop was 'less we had a mountain. We'd never know what good health was 'less you had some sickness. You'd never know how to enjoy salvation 'less you was once a sinner. God's made all things, the law of contrast. He loves you.
Now, while you have your heads bowed, and your hands up.
172 Father God, I pray that today, as the door's still open, the people are coming from the east and west, north and south, gathering in. Great signs are happening, in the skies, fearful sights; the atomics of the air has been split, the hydrogen is being burnt out. Saucers are flying, missiles that cannot be understood, some sort of intelligence, they think, from somewhere else, they don't know, and science can't find out, mysteriously slipping down on the scene with lightning speed. O God, we're near the end.
And the great pyramid that Enoch built, the last chamber's gone through, ready for the King's chamber now, the coming of the Lord right in the top for the keystone. All the calendar of astronomy points right straight; the stars are declaring it, as they did at the first time. When the wise men looked up and saw the stars, they said, "There, the great King's coming." Now, the stars are pointing again.
All nature's a groaning. Men's hearts are filled with fear; perplexity of the times; distress between nations; the sea a roaring; great tidal waves breaking everywhere, killing hundreds up and down the bank; horseless carriages going through the highways and the broad ways, seem like torches running like lightning. And we've passed right on by these milestones as if they was nothing.
175 O God, stop us quickly. Halt this sinful world by the preaching of the Gospel. Save those who put up their hands today, Lord Jesus. Grant it today. May Thy provided mercy rest upon each of them. May they be right now... Nothing I could do, nothing else can be done. Theirs is the next move.
You sent the Holy Spirit. He put the Word in their heart. They raised their hand that they believed it. You said, "He that believeth this shall never perish, but have Everlasting Life." Come, Lord, settle it with them forever. They believe You. And they believe Your Word now. As You said, "He that heareth My Words (been preached), believeth on Him that sent Me (we do), hath (because he did) Everlasting Life, and shall never have judgment; but is passed from judgment unto Life," safely in the ark.
Lord, let them rise with new--like new men, and new women, new boys and girls; go from this little, old tabernacle today, where this handful of people has gathered, out to live new lives, to preach the Gospel, to teach them to do, exalt Christ everywhere. Grant it, Lord. Bless us now, we pray, through Jesus' Name. Amen.
Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,
Oh, hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Saviour, Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Let me at Thy throne (the mercy seat, see?)... mercy
Find (Just let your soul speak to God.)... relief (from my sins);
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Help my unbelief.
Let's bow our heads.
Saviour, Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
178 With our heads bowed. Oh, I just think of the wonderful times, every time I've come into this old hull here. I believe it's pitched, stood a many a storm, cradled me, the days of troubles and trials.
I see Billy setting back there. He's... I--I just feel led of the Spirit though, to do something different now. I--I just feel that God wants me to do something a little different. I got some people here, a Mr. D. Cook, a Mr. Long, Erwin, several others that's got their names on a paper here, that's come to have a little prayer, and talk things over. Listen to me now, while we're in prayer then. I just started to tell Billy, "Come up through the aisle and give out some prayer cards."
But the Holy Spirit said, "Don't do that." That's the reason I sung "Pass me not, O gentle Saviour." I thought, "What is it, Lord?"
181 I want to tell you this. Now, if you'll believe me and listen. Whatever it is, it's in your heart, whatever it is you want to know, whatever your sickness is, believe Him now. He will speak to you now. He's going to do it. He's going to speak to you individually. I believe it with all my heart. The Holy Spirit is going to do it, speak to you, tell you just what you have need of. Whatever He speaks to you, do. If you're crippled, He says, "Get up and walk," you get up and walk. If you got a cancer, and He says, "Forget about it from today on," you do it. See if it don't happen.
If you're stand in jeopardy, don't know which way to turn, He will tell you just what to do. He will put it in your heart right now. Don't doubt Him. Go do it. Do just what He tells you to do. He will do it.
183 Now, while we have our heads bowed, these that I called their name, I want them to come up here to the altar just a moment, if you'd just walk out. And then if there's any of the local people, too that wants to come for prayer, would you make your way while we all keep out heads bowed.
A very strange thing, I've--have very strangely warned just now by the Holy Spirit, for something. I was just wondering how to do this, but He just told me, and I know He's right. While those who desire to be--have a word of prayer, a little something before God, or has a need, sickness, financial, physical, material, whatever your troubles is, would you walk up to the altar now just a moment, while we sing that verse one more time.
Keep your heads bowed, everybody but those who are coming. And mother here with the little girl, I want you to bring her here, right here at the altar. All right.
Saviour, Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Let me at the throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Heal my broken, wounded spirit,
Help my unbelief.
Saviour...
186 My beloved friends with your heads bowed, I've tried in all my life to be anything but false. I've tried to be honest in my dealings with God and with my fellow man. And I've tried it every time to move and do just as the Holy Spirit would tell me. That's the reason I'm carried from place to place, and stop meetings, and go places, because I follow the leading of the Spirit.
And this morning, while preaching here... Was going to have a prayer line, come up, bring the people up for discernment and talk with them. But Something spoke to me, said, "Tell the people..." That's the reason I stopped all at once; it happened. Said, "Call the people up here and tell them, 'Come, ask Me.' If they lack, I'll tell them."
188 You wonder how the little girl can get well, how you with the cancer can get well, how you over here with the throat trouble can get well, how you on this cane can be made well, how you on that crutch can be made well, how the blind can be made to see, how you that's distressed and in trouble.
There's someone here that's got domestic trouble, family trouble. "How else can I ever get over it, Brother Branham?" He will tell you right now.
Other troubles, you're wondering about this, that, or the other. Just what strikes your heart, now follow that and see if it's not right. Just follow it and see if that isn't right. Don't change your mind. Stay right with it. He said He would speak to you.
Now, while everybody in prayer.
191 [Brother Branham leaves the pulpit microphone and begins praying for the people at the altar--Ed.]
Father in heaven, bless my brother. Give him every desire of his heart, whatever he desires.
My sister, dear God, bless her. Take the heaviness out of her heart today.
Bless my sister, Father. May the Spirit be upon her.
God, bless my sister. Give her the deep desires of her heart.
Likewise, to my sister here, through Jesus' Name, Father, grant it.
See this darling little girl, we're so thankful You did so much for her, Father. You helped us not long ago. I pray that You'll make this child completely well, and a revelation to others, that they can believe on You. I bless this child, this morning, in the Name of Jesus Christ, and curse the disease of her body...?...
Bless my beloved brother today, Lord. May his faith never fail as he looks yonder at Calvary, knowing You there, faith, whatever faith is laid there, God will confirm it and bring it to pass.
198 Bless my Brother Morgan. Give him the desire of his heart. Whatever he asks for today, may You give it in the Name of the Lord.
Bless my sister...?... Lord, and give to her those things which she desires, through Jesus Christ.
Father God, my brother, I...?... the desires of his heart may be fulfilled...?...
Our brother here...?... God, bless...?... Heavenly Father, may the desire of his heart, and may he find that desire in Jesus Christ. And thank You for the healing, Lord.
Father God, I pray, with hands laid upon my brother for the desire of his heart to be granted...?...
Bless my little brother, Father. This I...?...
To the little girl, Father, I bless her. In the Name of the Lord Jesus, may she get what she asks for, Father, in Jesus' Name. Grant it.
Bless my sister, Lord. In Jesus' Name... [Brother Branham continues praying for the people at the altar, but his words cannot be heard clearly--Ed.]
204 Almighty God, as Thou art the Ruler of heavens and earth, Thou sets man's heart in order. Thou put the stars in the skies, and they remain. You hung the sun in its orbit, and it stays there. You set the moon up there in the skies, and put it to watch over the sea; You set its boundaries, that it cannot pass. Thou didst speak, and they did obey. Lord God, You speak to man's heart. May it always be flexible and ready to soak in the Spirit and do the things that God has commanded.
And, heavenly Father, Thou has spoke to my heart this morning, Your unworthy servant. And I have spoke to the people, that You want to speak; and it did with each one of them. And now, Father, I have went down in commemoration of Your revelation to me, and laid my hands upon them. And, Father, whatever You put on their heart at that time, God, may it be their everlasting decision right there, knowing that Your Spirit is here now, placing upon their hearts exactly. If they're crippled, may they walk. If they're blind, may they see. If they're distressed, may they be made happy. If they have troubles, may it be taken away. Grant it, Lord. If they're trying to make a decision, may the right decision come just now. May the Holy Spirit reveal all these things that we have need of. Grant it, Lord. We're here at the altar, waiting on You, worshipping You.
206 Now, Father, if there's some here that You haven't spoke to as yet, may Your Spirit now surge down. May It move up and down this altar here and reveal everything. Make every heart sure, Lord. Make it positive, there'll be no doubt, nowhere at all. May Your Spirit just take away all friction.
And back in the audience of these dear people, the well, those who are not in trouble, those who You have blessed, and setting here with health and strength this morning, oh, they're praying for these others, their comrades, Lord. They've had like problems, and they know that You've helped them.
And now, Father, we are praying with one accord, that You'll send Your Spirit and confirm everything, Lord, just now, to every heart, as we wait humbly with Your great Holy Spirit anointing, moving, doing that thing which we feel that is right. Grant it, Lord.
209 Now, with our heads bowed, everyone being in prayer, we're going to sing some songs. Don't be weary now.
I am not a fanatic. You know that. If I am, I know it not. But Something has definitely spoke to me, said, "I'll speak to them. You just call them up here." I did what He said do.
Now, while we have our heads bowed, and singing songs, just see what He will tell you. Whatever He tells you, that's Him talking.
We'll walk in the light,
It's such a beautiful light,
Comes where the dewdrops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
While we sing softly, everyone in prayer.
We'll walk in the light, beautiful light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
We'll walk in the light, beautiful light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
We'll walk in the light (What light? He's giving it now) light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright,
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
Come, confess Him as your King,
Jesus, the light of the world;
Then the bells of heaven will ring,
Jesus, the light of the world.
We'll walk in the light, beautiful light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.
We'll walk in the light, beautiful light,
Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.