Božská láska
Boh musel spraviť aby všetko zlyhalo, musel ho položiť na posteľ, ešte aj doktor povedal - my nič nemôžeme urobiť. A potom keď Božská láska prišla do svojho konca, vošla do toho zvrchovaná milosť a zaujala svoje miesto. To vždy bude tak fungovať; ak sú vaše motívy správne, ak sú vaše alternatívy správne, ak budete mať Božskú lásku, a budete veriť, kráčať vpred, nebudete nič pochybovať. Keď to prichádza, zdá sa akoby prišiel koniec cesty, a vtedy zvrchovaná milosť zaujme svoje miesto.
1 ... práve keď sme odišli zo zhromaždenia a išli sme navštíviť jednu ženu, priateľku našej pani Dobblemanovej, v Edmontone, v Alberte. Nachádzali sme sa dvadsať míľ od Kanadskej hranice, keď sme dostali správu, že môj brat zomiera. Tak sme sa hneď obrátili, išli sme cez snehovú búrku, hneď sme sa vydali naspäť domov. Cestovali sme jedenásť dní. Išli sme dlho do večera, dlho do noci sme boli hore a ráno sme zavčasu vstávali, je to veľmi únavné.
Ale len čo som sa spojil s mamou, keď sme prišli na miesto, odkiaľ som jej znovu mohol zavolať, povedala: "Bol tu brat Neville." Ľudia, to je ozajstný pastor. Mali by sme si to ceniť.
Možno, že vaši blízki sa nikdy nedostali do takého stavu, možno. Ale v kritickej hodine, keď viete, že sa niečo stalo, a viete že váš priateľ bude na vás pamätať ... A on bežal ku môjmu bratovi. A vtedy, keď som odišiel ... Hneď keď som prišiel, len som sa prezliekol a išiel som tam. Koho som tam našiel na modlitbe, ak nie brata Nevilleho; modlil sa tam s Howardom. Som mu za to vďačný.
2 A radšej to poviem hneď tu na pódiu, ako som stále hovoril: "Radšej ti dám teraz ružový púčok, než ako celý veniec, potom keď zomrieš." Teraz je na to čas. A ja si cením brata Nevilleho. A viem, všetci v tomto zbore vieme, že on je statočný pastor. Ukážte mu, ako si ho ceníte. Zodvihnite takto ruky ku Bohu. To je ono. Ďakujem. To je skutočne niečo, čo ...
Išiel som domov a povedal som žene: "Drahá, keď som tam prišiel a zaklepal na dvere ... Prešiel som cez chodbu a pozrel som sa na diagram a videl som, že jeho stav bol skutočne vážny. A išiel som tam a vo vnútri som niečo počul. Zaklepal som na dvere. Myslel som si, že niekto sa tam rozpráva. Našiel som ho ako sedí v posteli s Bibliou, a obidvaja mali sklonené svoje hlavy a modlili sa ku Bohu, a keď som tam vošiel, hneď som sa mohol ku ním pripojiť a modliť sa s nimi."
A tiež, na modlitbe hovorím Bohu, že si cením skutočného priateľa a skutočného pastora. A nech brat Neville žije dlho na tomto svete, a nech slúži Pánovi. A verím, že Boh ho tu zachová veľa, veľa rokov, aby Mu slúžil, niekto, kto je statočný. To ma dojalo viac, než čokoľvek, čo som za dlhý čas videl.
3 No, väčšinou ... Nedeľná škôlka s deťmi ešte neskončila, ešte sú tam. Tak sa možno budeme modliť za chorých. Neohlasoval som, že prídem, a že sa budem modliť za chorých, ale ak sú tu niektorí, ktorí chcú, aby sme sa za nich modlili, tak sa budeme za nich modliť.
No, keby sem teraz mohla prísť sestra Gertie a zahrať nám - Ten Veľký Lekár. A my budeme prosiť nášho Nebeského Otca, aby požehnal tých, ktorí Ho dnes potrebujú. Potom chceme aby ... Všetci, ktorí sú chorí a nachádzajú sa v potrebe, nech sa tu potom postavia okolo oltára.
Ak sa nemýlim, je toto tu Nellie Sandersová? Ó! Nech ťa Boh žehná, Nelie. Pred dvadsiatymi piatimi rokmi mala šelest srdca. Nech ťa Boh žehná, Nelie. Keď som sa pred chvíľou pozrel do publika padol mi na teba zrak, a nechcel som aby si si myslela ...Odvrátil som pohľad, aby som tak uprene nehľadel a znovu som sa pozeral, a zdalo sa mi, že vyzeráš ako Nelie.
4 Nikto z vás sa na ňu asi nepamätá. Myslím, že niekto z vás ... Koľkí sa pamätáte na Nellie Sandersovú? No, samozrejme. Ona bola jedna z prvých, ktorí sem chodili do zhromaždenia. Ona a moja nebohá žena, boli blízke priateľky a sestry v Kristovi. A oni ... Ona sa tu vydala za jedného z amerických dobrovoľníkov, za dôstojníka v tomto hnutí. A on, náš brat, odišiel ku Bohu a zanechal ju, myslím, že s dvoma chlapcami, s deťmi. Niektorý z nich ešte stále chodí do školy. A Nellie sa sama prebíja životom, a prichádza do veku, keď je človek nervózny a rozrušený. Volala mi keď som bol vo Phonixe, v Arizone, na zhromaždení, aby som sa za ňu modlil. Nelie, veľa vecí siaha až do toho času, keď tu na podlahe boli piliny, a chodili ste sem ty a Hope, to Adcockove dievča, a mnohí iní. Prešlo od vtedy veľa rokov, dvadsať päť rokov. Prechádza to okolo mňa. Rýchlo nám ubieha tá cesta. Je to tak. No, nech je Boh teraz s tebou.
5 Kto je chorý a chce sem prísť a zastať si ku oltáru, aby sme sa za neho modlili, náš pastor a ja sa spolu budeme za vás modliť. Poďte dopredu. A potom za chvíľu ... Hneď po tomto budem kázať krátke posolstvo, len pre vás. Prajeme si, aby ste tu mohli zostať. Zhromaždenie nedeľnej školy zakončíme modlitbou za chorých, a potom hneď prejdeme do ďalšej služby Slovom, a mám ešte niekoľko ohlásení, ktoré chcem povedať.
Tento veľký Lekár je teraz blízko;
Súcituplný Ježiš;
On potešuje smutné srdcia;
Nikto iný než Ježiš.
No, ak budeme mať teraz medzi sebou skutočné obecenstvo, a budeme sa modliť o uzdravenie, jeden za druhého, vieme, že Boh je tu, a zasľúbil, že nám odpovie.
[Brat Neville hovorí bratovi Branhamovi: "Jedna sestra chce, aby sme sa za ňu pomodlili." – pozn.prekl.] Dobre, to je v poriadku, pôjdeme tam a pomodlíme sa za ňu, tá pani sedí tam. Samozrejme. Dobre, brat Neville, išiel by si mi pomôcť? A teraz buďte úctiví, ako len môžete. Títo malí idú na svoje miesta. A modlime sa teraz, aby potom, keď pôjdeme dole, pomazať chorých a postihnutých, aby sme mali vieru v Boha, aby sme verili. Aby sme verili, že Boh to učiní.
6 A vy všetci, ktorí tu počúvate, ktorí ste dnes ráno zdraví a nepotrebujete prísť ku oltáru. Pamätajte len, že to bola Božia milosť, ktorá vás sem priviedla. Modlite sa za týchto, ktorí sú tu pri oltári, mladí aj starí A ako máme tu v zhromaždení vo zvyku, posielame pastora, ktorý ich pomazáva olejom. Modlíme sa za nich, a potom posielame pastora, ktorý ich pomazáva. Ja idem s ním, kladiem na chorých ruky, zatiaľ čo ich on pomazáva olejom. To je podľa Písma: "Pomažte chorého olejom v mene Pánovom. Klaďte na nich ruky, a budú uzdravení." To je podľa Písma!
A teraz, keď sa budeme modliť spolu za chorých, skloňte všetci svoje hlavy.
7 Náš nebeský Otče, v pokore prichádzame teraz do tvojej Božskej prítomnosti, za chorých, ktorí sú v potrebe, za tých, ktorí si sami nemôžu pomôcť. Otče, a mnohým z nich už lekári nemôžu pomôcť. Nič sa nedá urobiť, jedine že im bude poskytnutá Tvoja milosť. Bože, prosím dnes pokorne, z celého svojho srdca, spolu s týmto malým zborom, aby ten veľký Duch Svätý, ktorý je teraz prítomný, potvrdil Slovo Ježiša Krista, ktorý povedal: "Kde sa dvaja alebo traja zhromaždia v mojom mene, ja budem v ich strede. Za čokoľvek budú prosiť, ohľadne akejkoľvek veci, dostanú to." To je Tvoje večné Slovo, Pane, ktoré bolo povedané ešte pred založením sveta, a bolo nám dané cez Proroka, cez samého Syna Božieho.
Otče, veľmi Ťa prosíme, aby si uzdravil chorých, uspokojil potreby tých, ktorí sú tu okolo oltára. Prosím, aby si dal teraz každému jednému zvláštne požehnanie vo viere. Že keď ich pôjdeme, tvoj sluha a ja, pomazávať olejom a klásť na nich ruky, nech Duch Svätý hlboko v ich srdci vzbudí vierou, a nech každý zostane uzdravený. Prosíme to v Kristovom mene a pre Neho.
8 A teraz majte sklonené svoje hlavy a modlite sa každý jeden a pastor a ja ideme. [Prázdne miesto na páske. Brat Branham a brat Neville sa modlia za chorých. – pozn.prekl.]
Nebo aj zem sú plné Teba;
Nebo a zem Ti chválu vzdáva;
Ó Pane, Najvyšší.
Náš nebeský Otče, ďakujeme ti teraz za lekciu nedeľnej školy, ktorá povzbudila naše srdcia. Nech sa opášeme dnes ráno a odídeme z väzníc nevery a nech sme voľní keď pôjdeme. Vieme, že anjel Pánov pôjde pred nami, a bude potvrdzovať Božie Slovo, a oslobodí každého z nás z väzenia strachu, choroby, úzkosti a nemoci, a utrpenia, lebo Boh to zasľúbil. Každý, kto je dnes ráno uväznený vo svojom stave, nech práve dnes zasvieti na nich svetlo Božie, a nech odídu z tadeto ako zdraví ľudia. Ďakujeme Ti za posolstvo a za tvoje Slovo, za vedenie Ducha Svätého. Otče, udeľ nám tieto požehnania, a buď teraz s nami, keď budeme dnes ráno kázať toto krátke posolstvo, ktoré má byť povedané. Prosíme to v Kristovom mene. Amen.
9 A teraz za chvíľu, kvôli tým, ktorí teraz musia odísť, vstaňme za chvíľu a zaspievajme pieseň. Ber so sebou meno Ježiš. Tí, ktorí musia odísť môžu ísť. Tí, ktorí môžu zostať ďalších tridsať minút, budeme radi, keď zostanete. No dobre.
Ber so sebou meno Ježiš ;
Dieťa žalosti a ...
(Obráťte sa a potraste si ruky s niekým, kto stojí pri vás.)
Dá ti radosť a pokoj;
Vezmi ho kdekoľvek ideš.
Drahé meno, drahé meno, ó aké sladké!
Nádej zeme a radosť ...
Amen. Sadnite si. A nech vás všetkých Pán naozaj bohato žehná. Všimol som si, máme tu niekoľko kusov Hlasu viery, ten malý program, noviny od brata Jozefa Bozeho z Chicaga, veľmi dobrý brat. Stále ... Mali sme pekné obecenstvo, jeden s druhým. Stále keď ideme do Chicaga prežijeme pekné chvíle. Znovu sme s ním práve boli pred niekoľkými dňami. A oni sú zadarmo. Len prídite, dostanete jedny, po zhromaždení. Tu sú položené.
10 No, sme radi, keď vidíme, že mnohí z vás obetovali Kristovi svoj čas a ešte tu zostali. Rád by som vám niečo povedal, keď som tu s vami. Som unavený. Mám slabý hlas. Mal som veľké zhromaždenia. V Indiánopolis bolo veľké, mocné zhromaždenie. A ten večer sme boli takí šťastní, keď sme videli ako prichádzajú dopredu stovky ľudí, aby odovzdali svoje srdcia Kristovi. Sedelo tam okolo desať tisíc ľudí. A Russel Ford a ostatní, boli takí dojatí. A práca, ktorú pred rokmi začal brat Cadle, stále pokračuje.
Viete, rád by som mal niekedy také podobné miesto. To je jedno z najväčších miest, aké som videl, ako to bolo zariadené. A na tom niečo je. Hádam som temperamentný. Keď vidím ako niekto začal veľkú prácu, spolucítim s tým.
11 No, som zachrípnutý, boli sme v horách, chceli sme navštíviť jednu chorú ženu, našu priateľku, hore v Kanade. Už sme mali prejsť cez hranicu, keď som dostal správu, že môj brat zomiera, a vrátili sme sa naspäť. A išli sme deň a noc, desať dní sme strávili v aute. Tak si viete predstaviť ako sa dnes ráno cítim.
Ale, všetkým vám znovu ďakujem, že ste sa modlili za môjho brata, vyzerá, že sa znovu zotavuje. Boh mu dal ďalšiu šancu. A tak vám ďakujem, a za všetko chválim Boha.
Ešte treba rozhodnúť veľa veľkých vecí. Ukazuje sa cesta po svete. Afrika mi svieti do tváre, a pozvania z rôznych miest, že až neviem kde sa vydať, všade, všade. A je okolo, najmenej desať alebo aj viac, veľkých, významných konferencií, ktoré majú byť práve teraz, a každý ma volá, aby som prišiel. Za dvadsať štyri hodín sa musím nejako rozhodnúť, kde pôjdem. A tak sa za mňa modlite. Modlite sa za mňa. Potrebujem vaše modlitby.
12 Vypnem na chvíľu tento ventilátor, dúfam že vám to tu vpredu príliš nevadilo.
Bol som vystavený toľkým rôznym veciam, na svojich cestách pre Pána, všetkým rôznym podmienkam, chorobám a malomocenstvu. A objímal som sa s malomocnými, podával som si s nimi ruky, stretával som sa s ľuďmi, ktorí trpeli na všetky rôzne choroby. A išiel som ku ním na izolačky a do táborov, a všade, takmer po celom svete. A už nie som chlapec. Dúfam, že to viete, blížim sa ku ...
Dopočul som sa, keď som bol v Indiánopolis, že brat Bosworth, ktorý má skoro deväťdesiat rokov, že do srdca sa mu dostala krvná zrazenina. Zápasil o život, odpadol do bezvedomia. Pani Bosworthová volala, aby sme sa za neho modlili. Išiel som tam, oznámili sme to a začali sme sa modliť. Na druhý deň mi zavolal a vravel: "Rád by som išiel niekedy s tebou na zhromaždenie." A ja sa tu tak cítim, a mám štyridsať sedem rokov, môžem sa za seba hanbiť, ale ja len ... To je hádam len tá ľudská stránka.
Ale, ó, aké je to cenné, a aké nádherné! Nieto nič lepšie, ako byť spasený, byť spasený! Ale priateľ, ty si to neuvedomuješ. Som si istý, že diabol sa stará, ako len môže, aby to pred tebou ukryl, aby si si neuvedomil akú cenu má duša. Predstavil si si vôbec niekedy čo to je, a čo znamená večnosť, a ako dlho budeš takýto? Uvedomuješ si to? Toto je čas, kedy sa rozhoduješ, kde budeš tráviť večnosť.
13 Zdá sa mi, že minulú nedeľu som tu kázal o istote, o moci, ktorú Boh zasľúbil; a ako vás ustanovil a povolal pred založením sveta, a zapísal vaše mená do svojej Knihy. Vy ste nemohli na tom nič urobiť. Boh to urobil. Nie je to ohromné? Baránok bol zabitý pred založením sveta, a (prečo?) to sa nestalo až po štyroch tisícoch rokoch. Ale, Boh, keď to povedal, On to musel urobiť, pretože On musí dodržať svoje Slovo. A v tom istom čase, keď bol Baránok zapísaný, vaše ... vy ste boli zapísaní s Ním. Naše mená boli zapísané do Baránkovej Knihy Života, nie ten večer, keď sme prišli ku Kristovi, ale pred založením sveta. To hovorí Biblia. Vidíte? Tak to je istota. A brat sa toho dnes ráno dotkol pri čítaní na nedeľnej škole, bolo to ohromné.
14 No, prečítajme niečo z Písma, len na krátku ... Chcem ... len niečo čo mám na srdci. Rád by som o tom niekoľko minút hovoril, a potom zakončíme. A očakávame, že večer budeme mať znovu zhromaždenie. A teraz, mám na srdci posolstvo, keď nabudúce prídem, a chcem, ak dá Pán, ak tu budem na budúcu nedeľu, aby som to prvý krát priniesol tu v zhromaždení. Len niečo čo mám na srdci, ohľadne času.
Vošiel som do jednej reštaurácie, aby som niečo zjedol. A myslel som si - No, či strácam rozum? Čo sa so mnou deje? Nemôžem zniesť túto hudbu a všetko toto čo tu dnes majú, tieto bláznivé ženy, ktoré spievajú: "Dole z paláca zo slonovej kosti," alebo ... a všetko toto. Niečo nie je so mnou v poriadku.
A Duch Svätý povedal: "Ó, nie. Ó, nie. Ak miluješ svet, alebo veci toho sveta, nie je v tebe láska Božia."
Tak som si pomyslel - Dobre, potom sa nechcem prispôsobiť tomuto svetu. To je dobre.
A potom mi Duch Svätý začal zjavovať toto posolstvo. Dnes ráno som nemal čas; a pritom som bol veľmi unavený. Možno, ak bude vôľa Pánova, na budúcu nedeľu, ak tu ešte stále budeme. Tento týždeň mám niekoľko výjazdov. Ale ak tu ešte budem na budúcu nedeľu, keď bude vôľa Pánova. Brat Neville to ohlási vo svojom vysielaní, v sobotu. A my tu budeme, budem sa snažiť priniesť toto posolstvo. A chcem, pokúsim sa to nejako priniesť. To je posolstvo evanjelia na tento deň, hodinu a sezónu.
15 Pred šiestymi mesiacmi som predpovedal, že toto bol pre Ameriku záverečný rok. A budeme vidieť či je to tak, podľa Evanjelia, alebo nie. Toto je čas, keď je s ňou koniec. Tento rok buď pôjde hore alebo dole. Je to tak.
No, vy deti, chcem aby ste si priniesli kus papiera, a zapísali si to na prázdnu stranu vo svojej Biblii, že možno keď tu už brat Branham nebude, budete vidieť, či je to pravda alebo nie. Vidíte? A budete vedieť, či Pán stále ku mne hovorí, alebo nie.
A teraz, v liste Rimanom vo 4. kapitole, chcem čítať len, časť Slova, aby sme na ňom pokračovali.
Čo tedy povieme o Abrahámovi, o svojom praotcovi, ... že čo našiel podľa tela?
Lebo ak bol Abrahám ospravedlnený zo skutkov, má sa čím chváliť, ale nie u Boha.
Lebo veď čo hovorí Písmo? A Abrahám uveril Bohu, a bolo mu to počítané za spravodlivosť.
Tomu však, kto robí skutky, nepočíta sa mzda podľa milosti, ale podľa podlžnosti.
Ale tomu, kto nerobí skutkov, ale verí na toho, ktorý ospravedlňuje bezbožného, počíta sa jeho viera za spravodlivosť.
A nech Pán pridá svoje požehnanie do Slova.
16 Táto krátka téma, ak by sa to tak mohlo nazvať, to o čom vám chcem hovoriť, je - Božská láska. A keď sa Božská láska prejavila a dosahuje svoj cieľ, nastupuje zvrchovaná milosť. Vidíte? No, dokážete si to predstaviť? Zamyslite sa teraz nad tým, aby sme to mohli dobre pochopiť. Vidíte? Keď je prejavená Božská láska a dosahuje svoj cieľ, potom zavládne zvrchovaná milosť.
Je to zvláštne, ako tí ľudia ... takíto ľudia, a ako sa medzi sebou správame ... No, všetci sa musíme zmieriť s touto skutočnosťou, že sú ľudia s ktorými ste radi, a sú ľudia, dobrí ľudia a máte ich radi, ale pri tom, s tým človekom je niečo, že len ťažko môžete s nimi vydržať.
17 Chceme hovoriť o tejto skutočnosti. Príčinou toho je atmosféra, ktorú ten jednotlivec, on alebo ona, vytvárajú. Pretože ste miniatúrnym stvoriteľom, lebo ste synovia a dcéry Božie. Bez ohľadu na to, ako hlboko ste klesli do hriechu, stále ste synovia a dcéry Božie. Pretože ste upadnutí, vo svojej duši a v mysliach ste zdegenerovaní. Ale Boh je váš stvoriteľ. A vo svojom upadnutom stave ste stratení, ste zničené Božie stvorenie, nad ktorým vládne diabol. Je to tak. Ale stále ste synovia a dcéry Božie.
On nechce aby niekto z vás zahynul, ale aby všetci mohli prísť ku pokániu. Vidíte? A On urobil všetko, aby umožnil ... Toto mohol urobiť jedine sám Boh, aby dal možnosť svojmu stvoreniu, aby ste to prijali a stali ste sa tým, čím On chce. Aby ste znovu boli vo svojom správnom stave.
A nikto ... No počúvajte, je to dosť ostré, ale nikto nie je celkom duševne zdravý, až kým neprijal Pána Ježiša. To je hlboké slovo, ale je to pravda. Nikto nie je duševne zdravý, až kým neprijal Pána Ježiša ako osobného Spasiteľa. Znie to ... Ale, to je Biblia. Skutočne. Je to pravda.
18 To je ten zdravý. A vy ako stvorená bytosť ... Vy pre ten svet budete blázon, keď to robíte. Pretože musíte vyjsť z atmosféry v ktorej ste, a vojsť do tejto inej atmosféry. Keď to robíte, Boh vás dvíha zo sveta a žijete v nebeskej atmosfére. Vidíte? A potom ste iní, ako je svet. Vidíte? A toto je nezhodné so svetom. Vidíte? A to čo chcete je, aby ste boli skrze Krista pozdvihnutí do atmosféry, kde ste šťastní, pokojní. A potom, tam, vytvárate situáciu ... A my mnohokrát v zboroch ... Toto môže vyzerať divne, ale ak budete dávať na to pozor ... No, toto je pre cirkev. To je pre ľudí.
Ľudia prijímajú ducha jeden od druhého, namiesto toho, aby prijali Ducha Svätého. Choďte do nejakej skupiny ľudí, a pozorujte ako sa správa ten človek. A prvé čo zistíte, že tí ľudia, ktorí chodia do toho zhromaždenia sa správajú tak isto. Vy stále ... Zoberte dobrú ženu a zlého muža; a on buď bude cítiť ... On sa buď stane dobrým mužom, alebo ona zlou ženou. Cez atmosféru, v ktorej žijete, ukazujete svojmu okoliu čím ste.
19 Akým druhom ľudí potom máme byť, keď sme kresťania? V akej atmosfére máme žiť? Máme žiť v potešovaní, v ukľudňovaní, v atmosfére uzdravovania, v srdci sa máme stále modliť, s hlbokou láskou ku každému, s kým prichádzame do styku. A to je ...
Keď to takto poviem, malému zboru, ktorý sa za mňa modlí, za misiu vo svete, to je môj úspech, keď sa modlím za chorých. Ak nedokážem spolucítiť v nemoci s tou osobou, tak to väčšinou nič nepomôže. Musíte sa vžiť, že až to ... A sami to cítite.
20 Ako napríklad, keď raz prišiel na pódium starý Mexičan. Pribehol tam na pódium, mal toľko viery, padol na zem a vytiahol ruženec. Povedal som mu cez prekladateľa, brata Espinosa, že to netreba. Tak vstal, hmatal okolo rukami, začal takto chodiť. Bol slepý. Díval som sa na neho. Pozrel som sa na jeho zvráskavené chodidlá, možno nikdy v živote nemal na nohách topánky. Pozrel som sa na svoje, aby som videl, či by mu boli dobré. Dal by som mu svoje topánky. Bol slepý. A keď som sa pozrel, bol širší v ramenách. Veľký muž, mohol vážiť možno okolo deväťdesiat kilo. Môj kabát by mu bol malý. A ako tam stál, a díval som sa na jeho šedivé vlasy, pomyslel som si na svojho otca. Pomyslel som si: "Keby otec bol žil bol by asi v takomto veku, bol by asi takýto starý, ako tento človek, okolo šesťdesiat päť alebo sedemdesiat rokov." A ako som takto rozmýšľal, začal som cítiť lásku ku tomu človeku.
"Možno nikdy v živote sa dobre nenajedol. Možno nikdy v živote nesedel za stolom, a všetko toto, a pri tom ešte chodí stále v tme." Vtedy mi niečo vstúpilo do srdca. Bože buď mu milostivý. Je to človek. Je to brat. Vtedy keď to prichádza, niečo sa dáva do pohybu. Okolo vás sa odohráva stvorenie a vy ... a to sa prenášalo na tohoto človeka.
21Za chvíľu som ho počul, že mi ponad plecia niečo kričí. A on kričal: "Ja vidím, ja vidím." Čo to bolo? Skrze Ducha Svätého bola tomuto človekovi prejavená Božská láska, súcit. A skrze to, na konci cesty, kde nemohol ... Nič sa nedalo urobiť. A láska prišla na svoje miesto, a láska sa stretla s láskou, a potom začala účinkovať zvrchovaná milosť. A Boh, skrze zvrchovanú milosť prinavrátil tomu slepému mužovi zrak. Vidíte?
Prv musíte vojsť do tej situácie. Takto to musíte robiť pri hriešnikovi. Mnoho ľudí sa modlí za hriešnikov. To je dobre. Ale to nie je spôsob, ako získať hriešnika. Vašou úlohou je získať hriešnika. Vy ho nezískate tým, že sa budete za neho modliť. Získate ho, získate ho tým, že sa s ním budete rozprávať a predstavíte mu Krista. To je vašou úlohou. To je vaša povinnosť, získať hriešnikov, tým že budete s nimi hovoriť. A budete im prejavovať Božiu lásku, cez Slovo Božie, to premáha hriešnikov.
22 Niekto povie: "Ja by som neišiel do zboru. Ja mám skutočne rád tú ženu. Mám rád toho muža." Vidíte? Pretože vy ich získavate. Ak ste zostali doma a len ste sa modlili za hriešnika, nikdy ste s ním neprišli do styku, tam môže byť urobené len veľmi málo. Ale vy sa musíte modliť a potom ísť. To je ono. Choď a rob to.
Prejavuj túto lásku. Pred pár dňami som počúval svedectvo jedného veľkého oráča, ktorý stál na pódiu. No, sedelo tam na pódiu veľa obchodníkov z celého sveta, sedeli na pódiu, a tento oráč sa postavil a povedal: "No, nevedel som prečo som musel byť operovaný." Mám rád toho človeka. A on je veľký nasledovník brata Robertsa, nášho priateľa. A tak, keď ...
Povedal: "Keď som zistil, že som chorý a že mám kamene, ľadvinové kamene ... bol som práve na večeri s bratom Oralom." A povedal: "Brat Oral vstal a povedal - No brat, vidím že máš ťažkosti, pomodlím sa za teba."
A povedal: "Dobre, chvála Pánovi! Práve som ti to chcel povedať, brat Oral." A povedal, že Oral pristúpil ku nemu položil ruky na jeho ľadviny a povedal: "Karhám tento ľadvinový kameň, aby hneď opustil tohoto človeka." A povedal: "Keď sa pomodlil, cítil som ako sa mi uľavilo. Ale za chvíľu sa to znovu vrátilo."
23 Povedal: "Znovu som išiel za bratom Oralom a on sa znovu modlil. Uľavilo sa mi, ale zakaždým sa to vrátilo a bolo to horšie." A povedal: "Potom som si ďalej pomyslel, že čo keby som zašiel za bratom Branhamom a postavil sa pred neho, a Duch Svätý by prišiel na neho, a on by mi potom povedal prečo som nezostal uzdravený, keď sa brat Oral za mňa modlil."
Tak sa vydal na cestu a prišiel do Louisiany. Mal som tam zhromaždenie. A stál som pred ním dvadsať minút. Duch Svätý bol nemý, nič nepovedal. Modlil som sa za neho a on povedal, že sa cítil lepšie a išiel dole. Potom odišiel ... Začal byť nervózny, rozrušený. Chodil z miesta na miesto, za každým, - Modli sa za mňa, modli sa za mňa. A on miloval Pána. Ale nakoniec, to prišlo do takého stavu, že bol ... previezli ho na kliniku Mayo. Tam ho vyšetrili a povedali: "Máte jednu šancu z tisíca, aby ste to prežili. Povstala z toho infekcia. Celé vaše telo je otrávené a uremické." A zabudol som čo všetko. Povedali: "Máte jednu šancu z tisíca."
Tak, povedal - dal som sa operovať. Modlil som sa: "Ó, Bože, Ty vieš, že Ťa milujem. A bol som u všetkých tvojich sluhov." A prijal tú šancu, a oni ho uspali. A povedal, že keď sa tam v tej izbe prebudil, že bola naplnená Svetlom a okolo neho bola Sláva Božia. A doktori boli prekvapení. Prišli ku nemu a povedali: "Čo sa to tu stalo?"
Povedal: "Cítim sa tak, že by som mohol ísť domov." Čo to bolo? Vidíte, on staval svoju nádej na tom, že: "Ak sa mi niekedy niečo stane pôjdem za bratom Robertsom. Ak to nepomôže, pôjdem za bratom Branhamom." A pritom miloval Pána Ježiša.
24 Boh musel spraviť aby všetko zlyhalo, musel ho položiť na posteľ, ešte aj doktor povedal - my nič nemôžeme urobiť. A potom keď Božská láska prišla do svojho konca, vošla do toho zvrchovaná milosť a zaujala svoje miesto. To vždy bude tak fungovať; ak sú vaše motívy správne, ak sú vaše alternatívy správne, ak budete mať Božskú lásku, a budete veriť, kráčať vpred, nebudete nič pochybovať. Keď to prichádza, zdá sa akoby prišiel koniec cesty, a vtedy zvrchovaná milosť zaujme svoje miesto.
Takto som to videl fungovať. Takto som si to všimol vo svojom vlastnom živote. A nie len cez teológiu, ani nie cez nejaké ... cez prežitie niekoho iného. Som tak rád, že to dnes môžem hovoriť zo svojho vlastného prežitia, že viem že je to pravda. Prečo sa potom bojíme? Keď vieme, že láska Kristova Božským spôsobom odpočíva v našom srdci, že sme prešli zo smrti do Života, ani všetci démoni z pekla nemajú žiadnu šancu tým pohnúť, ani pri smrti, ak budete zotrvávať v tej láske a vo viere. To je ako malé dieťa. Zoberte malé dieťa ... Ukážem vám, že tak to tí malí môžu obdržať.
25 Aha, tu pred nami sedí pani Kelyová. Keď tam do nich narazil ten opitý vojak, myslím že to tak bolo. A zodvihli ju tu, ako mŕtvu. Potom ju zaviezli do nemocnice, v bezvedomí. Keď všetko zlyhalo, a ona bola na svojej ceste ... A ešte s láskou Božou vo svojom srdci, ona sa prevrátila. Vošiel som tam v ten deň, a potom po Božskej láske sa prejavila zvrchovaná milosť, a ona tu sedí dnes ráno medzi nami živá. Vidíte. Vidíte, to je niečo čo sa stalo.
Keď prídete na koniec svojej cesty, keď prídete tam, kde sa už nemôžete pohnúť, vtedy je čas, keď prichádza Boh, skrze zvrchovanú milosť, to čo hľadáte. Zoberte malé dieťa, nemluvňa. Oni robia malé kŕčovité pohyby, a budú kričať a kopať, a robiť hluk, a potom zistíte, že sa im až zastaví dych, a budete vidieť, že matka ho rýchlo vezme a ťapká ho a dáva ho na vzduch, fúka do tváre. Nechajte ho tak. Nikdy v lekárskej histórii sa nestalo, že by dieťa na toto zomrelo. Oni nezomrú. Ono sa len zlostí. Snaží sa získať súcit. Snaží sa dosiahnuť, aby ste mu vyhoveli, a to je len prejav hnevu; a potom keď prejav jeho hnevu príde až tam, že už nemôže nabrať dych, že už s tým ďalej nemôže ísť, potom zasahuje príroda a on si oddýchne a znovu začne dýchať. Všetko vaše natriasanie a panika, robí len viacej hluku a fúkanie mu do tváre, to mu robí len horšie.
Tak je to s nami keď prechádzame z cirkvi do cirkvi, od jedného ku druhému, z jedného uzdravovacieho zhromaždenia do druhého. Sláva. Zoberte lásku a kráčajte vpred, až kým neprídete na koniec cesty. Boh premietne ...?... Keď láska vykonala svoje, Boh je zaviazaný pomôcť. Keď ste prišli ku svojmu koncu a ľudia prišli ku koncu, potom nastupuje milosť. Boh to tak robí, to je jeho povaha. Ako som si to všimol, ako keď som hovoril niektoré ...
26 A prepáčte mi, že teraz za chvíľu poviem toto osobné svedectvo. Čítali ste tú knihu, ako tam vtedy v Portlande v Oregone pribehol na pódium ten šialenec a chcel ma zabiť. Možno že všetci ste čítali tú knihu. Čo sa stalo? Boh ma poslal kázať evanjelium. To som robil. Bolo zhromaždené tisíce ľudí. Na uliciach stálo plno ľudí a vo vnútri bolo niečo povyše šesť tisíc, a pršalo a ľudia tam stáli. V srdciach túžili, boli hladní. Vtedy ešte nikto nebol na misijnom poli; ... na zhromaždeniach, aby som sa dostal dovnútra polícia mi musela pomôcť pretiahnuť sa cez tie zástupy a cez všetko možné.
Doviedli ma do nejakej miestnosti a tam som priviedol ku Kristovi dvoch mladých dôstojníkov, tam v šatni, dvoch mladých chlapcov, policajtov, okolo dvadsať ročných. Matka jedného z nich bola uzdravená deň predtým, a oni sa tam obaja sklonili a ja som ich priviedol ku Pánovi Ježišovi.
27 Išiel som na pódium aby som hovoril o viere, a zrazu pribehol nejaký šialenec, ktorý popoludní udrel na ulici jedného kazateľa, ušiel z ústavu, zlámal mu kľúčnu kosť, zlomil mu sánku. Mal mániu zabíjať kazateľov. Pribehol tam a myslel si: "Teraz mám príležitosť." Prišiel hore na pódium. Vážil okolo sto desať, sto dvadsať kilo, skoro dva metre vysoký, rozháňal rukami. Povedal: "Ty pokrytec, ty had v tráve." Stál som tam, Božie zhromaždenie prebiehalo v poriadku, ľudia boli uzdravení, tisíce bolo spasených, a pri tom ešte kazatelia dostali inšpiráciu. Toto veľké prebudenie malo vtedy ešte len svoj začiatok a začínalo sa rozširovať po svete ... Sedel tam T.L.Osborn (Amen.), ktorý získal desať tisíce duší pre Krista. Sedel tam s ôsmymi alebo desiatymi z jeho zhromaždenia, dívali sa dole z balkóna.
A tento šialenec vybehol na pódium, aby narušil to zhromaždenie Pánovo, a povedal: "Ty had v tráve, ty pokrytec, vydávaš sa za sluhu Božieho; ja ti dnes ukážem, že nie si sluha Boží. A dolámem každú kosť v tvojom mizernom tele." A vybehol tam a natiahol svoju veľkú päsť, že ma udrie. Obrátil som sa. Kazatelia sa rozutekali, a tak ďalej. Stál som tam, a on mi napľul do tváre. Povedal: "Ty had v tráve. Ja ti ukážem, aký si ty sluha Boží, ty zvodca."
28 Nepovedal som ani slovo. Len som sa díval na neho, a zrazu Duch Svätý, niečo iné ... Čo by ste si pomysleli, keby vám niekto napľul do tváre? Ak máte prudšiu povahu, tak by vás to nahnevalo. Skutočne. A tu prichádzali dvaja policajti, ale títo dvaja policajti ...?... s obuškami v rukách aby zrazili toho človeka dole, ale ja som im to nedovolil. Boh mi vložil do srdca lásku ku tejto smrteľnej bytosti.
Pomyslel som si: "To nerobí ten človek. To je diabol, ktorý ho doviedol do takéhoto stavu. Ten človek by bol normálny. On chce, aby ho ľudia mali radi a chce žiť ako ostatní, ale to je diabol, ktorý ho takto ovládol. A oproti tomu mužovi vystúpila láska a začala krúžiť okolo, a vtedy ako ste videli, ten človek sa zvalil a ležal mi pri nohách. Keď bola prejavená Božská láska, vkročila do toho zvrchovaná milosť a zaujala svoje miesto. To sa vždy tak bude diať.
29 Tu nedávno, keď ... Možno som vám toto už hovoril. Minulý rok - už je tomu dva roky, kosil som záhradu, chcel som skosiť záhradu, a stále som musel skončiť, preobliecť sa, a ísť sa za niekoho modliť. No, a tráva narástla skôr, ako som ... Ešte som nestačil skosiť vpredu, vzadu už zase bola narastená. a tak ...
Raz som kosil za domom so starou motorovou kosačkou, kosil som, skúšal som túto malú kosačku. A zabudol som, že tam v rohu mali sršne hniezdo a vošiel som s tou kosačkou do neho. A za domom som mal vyzlečenú košeľu, nemal som košeľu. Narazil som do toho plotu s tou motorovou kosačkou, a nemal som na sebe košeľu a v momente som bol celý pokrytý tými sršňami. Viete čo to je - veľké hniezdo sršňov. Oni vás zabijú. Tie velikánske sršniská len tak bzučali ...
Ó, pomyslel som si ... Prv ma to vystrašilo. Keď zrazu sa niečo začalo diať. Začal som sa utišovať, tie sršne stále okolo bzučali. No, ak to znie detsky, zdá sa to ako ... Ale Boh na nebi, pred ktorého tvárou stojím, vie či je to pravda alebo nie.
30 Potom namiesto toho, aby som sa začal oháňať, a byť a zrážať tých sršňov, obklopila ma nejaká Božia láska a ja som rozmýšľal: "Chudáčikovia. Vy máte právo stavať si hniezdo. To je spôsob, ktorý vám dal Boh, aby ste sa chránili, a ja som vás vyrušil, a je mi ľúto, že som to urobil. Keby som to ešte raz mal robiť, nevyrušil by som vás. Nechcel som to urobiť, ale - povedal som - som Pánov sluha a jeho choré deti chcú, aby som sa za nich modlil. Musel som sa ponáhľať pokosiť túto záhradu. No, vy malé stvorenia Božie, v mene Ježiša Krista, choďte naspäť do svojho hniezda. Nebudem vás rušiť."
A čo to bolo? To že som sa modlil, inak som mohol byť doštípaný na smrť. A láska Božia, ktorá mi dala nové srdce, láska sa začala prejavovať, a zavládla zvrchovaná milosť. Čo mohlo povedať tým sršňom, utíšte sa ...? ... A každý sršeň zakrúžil a zoskupili sa ako rota vojakov a odleteli rovno naspäť do svojho hniezda.
Čo to bolo? Ja sa nedokážem rozprávať so sršňami. Nemám spôsob, ako ku ním prehovoriť. Ako by som im mohol zabrániť, aby ma nepoštípali? Ja som bol na konci. Ale mal som lásku. Boh mi dal lásku ku tým sršňom, a ja som v sebe ku ním prehovoril, a Duch Svätý a zvrchovaná milosť zaviedla tie sršne rovno naspäť do ich hniezda.
31 Nie ďaleko po ceste, tam raz Gernesey pri Henryville, kde ten býk zabil farebného muža, tam na Burkeho farme, zabil farebného muža, a tiež skoro tak isto zabil toho chlapca. Dali ho do ohrady. Ja som to nevedel. Bol som na obchôdzke. Mal som mať pušku. Nemal som ju.
Jedného dňa som tam prechádzal. Išiel som sa tam modliť za jedného chorého. Išiel som krížom cez to pole a nemyslel som si, že je tam zavretý ten býk. A keď som prišiel do polovici toho poľa, čo sa stalo? Viete, bol som pri skupine kríkov, keď tento veľký označkovaný býk, ktorý mal takéto dlhé rohy, zaručal. Poznal som, že to je ten zabijak. Obzrel som sa naspäť. Bol som príliš ďaleko od plotu, okolo sto osemdesiat metrov; a on nestál odo mňa ďalej ako na desať, dvanásť metrov. Tam stál, sklonil rohy, zaručal. Nemal som pušku ani tam nebol žiadny dub, na ktorý by som mohol vyliezť. Nemohol som ísť naspäť ku plotu.
Pomyslel som si: "No toto je koniec. Bill Branham, tu ťa čaká smrť, tu budeš rozmetaný na smrť, tu na tomto poli zomrieš." A stál som tam, ale zrazu sa niečo začalo diať ... sláva Bohu. Práve vtedy mi vstúpilo niečo do srdca. Proste som miloval to biedne zviera. "To nie je to biedne zviera. To je diabol, ktorý ho do toho vedie, a ja viem jedno ..."
32 Počúvajte trochu, chcem aby ste to počuli. Je len jedna vec, ktorá premôže diabla. To je čistá Božská láska. Láska premôže všetko. Boh tak miloval svet ... Ona premohla hriech, ona premohla chorobu. Ona premôže rozdiely v zbore. Ona premôže každú neprávosť. Ona to urobí, ak jej to len dovolíte.
Priateľu, keď sa toto veľké zviera rozbehlo proti mne, namiesto toho aby som to zviera nenávidel, ja som ho miloval, brat Mike, ja som ho miloval. A pomyslel som si: "Ty si Božie stvorenie. Kto iný ťa mohol stvoriť ako Boh? A ty si tu pokojne ležíš, a ja som vstúpil na tvoje územie, ktoré je tam označené. Ja som si proste skrátil cestu, aby som prešiel tam, kde som sa išiel modliť za chorého." A tu som videl prichádzať tohoto býka, takto skláňal hlavu, a pripravoval sa, že ma zabije; a ja som to vedel, ale začala prichádzať Božská láska. Pomyslel som si: "Biedne stvorenie. Nemé zviera nevie nič lepšie. Ty si tam ležíš a ja ťa vyrušujem. No, ja som Boží sluha. Ty si Božie stvorenie. V mene Ježiša Krista vráť sa naspäť a ľahni si, lebo ja sa idem modliť za choré Božie dieťa. Choď - povedal som - ľahni si." A ten býk prišiel ku mne tak blízko, ako len mohol. Nemal som žiadny strach. Nebol som o nič viacej vyľakaný, ako keby som tu sedel s bratom Neville. V srdci som mal len čistú, svätú lásku.
33 Čo to spôsobilo? To stvorilo atmosféru. A ten býk vbehol rovno do tej atmosféry, nebol odo mňa ďalej ako na tri metre a zrazu sa zastavil. V tej chvíli vyzeral taký premožený, a v tvári mal najpokojnejší výraz, otočil sa, odišiel a ľahol si. A ja som prešiel meter a pol popri ňom.
Čo to je? Keď je prejavená Božská láska, potom nastupuje zvrchovaná milosť. To bol ten istý Boh, ktorý mohol zadržať levy, aby sa nevrhli na Daniela, keď prišli s revom a Daniel tam stál ovinutý v rúchu lásky. Levy prebehli na druhú stranu a ľahli si. Bol pokoj. Hovorím ti, brat môj, keď ťa Boh môže zavinúť do Božskej lásky, potom máš v údolí pokoj. Máš ho.
34 Tu pred nejakým časom, vracal som sa z Dallasu, z Texasu. Letel som lietadlom, vracal som sa domov. Mali sme tam zhromaždenie, a cestou domov prišla búrka a lietadlo bolo nútené pristáť v Memphis. A kým som bol v Memphis dali ma tam do Peabody hotelu. Ó, veľmi elegantné miesto. Cítil som sa tam taký nesvoj. Bol som tam tú noc, a celú noc som nespal.
Na druhý deň ráno mi zatelefonovali a povedali: "Reverend Branham."
- Áno.
- Zastaví sa pre vás limuzína presne o siedmej. Lietalo bude odlietať o sedem tridsať.
- Ďakujem, pane. - Odložil som sluchátko, modlil som sa a rozmýšľal som: "No, možno budem mať čas zájsť ku poštovej schránke. Mám tu nejakú poštu, ktorú som minulý večer napísal." Vstal som a vyšiel som na ulicu, išiel som po ulici a spieval som si.
Skoro všade sú ľudia, ktorým v srdci horí oheň, Oheň ktorý zostúpil na Letnice, ktorý ich očistil, že sú čistí; ó a ten oheň horí teraz v mojom srdci. Ó, sláva Jeho menu! Som taký šťastný, že môžem povedať, že som jeden z nich.
35 Išiel som po ulici a v ruke som držal hromadu dopisov, išiel som smerom ku pošte a cítil som niečo zvláštne. Viete o čom hovorím, či nie? Ako keby bolo všetko zariadené. Ó, čo za pocit. Rozmýšľal som: "Ó, či to nie je nádherné?"
Doc, zvykol spievať taký refrén: "Daj mi chodiť s tou nebeskou holubicou, každodenne napĺňaj moju cestu láskou." Zvykol som o tom rozmýšľať, o tejto láske, ktorá sa začala vylievať, tá extra láska. My máme lásku, ale potrebujeme hojnosť lásky, máme prekypovať láskou. Vy poviete: "Dobre, ja milujem hriešnikov." Ale ó, brat, sestra či ich natoľko miluješ, aby si išiel a rozprával sa s nimi a nahovoril ich pre Krista? Vidíte čo chcem povedať?
Vy hovoríte: "Ja milujem Pána." Ale dokážete spoliehať na Neho, keď doktor potriasa hlavou? Dokážeš sa spoliehať na neho, keď už všetko zlyhalo? Potrebuješ pretekajúci krst lásky, Božskú lásku. Keď sa modlíš a zdá sa, že tvoja modlitba nie je vypočutá, stále Ho miluješ? Je tam niečo, čo ťa stále dolieva? Tam musí zavládnuť Božia zvrchovaná milosť. Musí. To je Božia povaha. Boh nič iné nemôže urobiť.
36 Keď Boh videl hriech tohoto sveta, a videl ako človek zomiera bez nádeje a nemôže byť spasený, a On pri tom vedel, že ten človek by Ho miloval, to Ho prinútilo zasiahnuť, a potvrdilo to Jeho povahu. Božia povaha je láska. Boh je láska, a to trápilo Božiu povahu, že až pre tých, ktorí chcú uniknúť, musel pripraviť cestu úniku. A On poslal na svet svojho Syna, stvoreného na podobu hriešneho tela, aby niesol naše hriechy a naše nemoci na Golgotu. To urobil Boh.
Keď vystúpila Božia láska, zavolala zvrchovanú milosť. A Boh nikdy nepovedal: "Ak ty budeš robiť to ... ak urobíš toto, Ja urobím toto." Boh, bez akýchkoľvek podmienok, On poslal svojho Syna, aby zomrel na tvojom mieste, a urovnal problém s hriechom. To nemalo s tým nič spoločného čo si ty o tom myslíš. Boh to aj tak urobil. Amen. Božská láska, keď si na konci, zvrchovaná milosť musí zaujať svoje miesto. To je všetko, keď Božská láska stojí na správnom mieste.
37 Dobre počúvajte. Keď som vtedy ráno vyšiel z lietadla ... či z hotelu, pustil som sa dole po ulici. Išiel som a spieval som si. Zrazu sa začalo na mňa niečo vylievať, veľká sprcha lásky. Pomyslel som si: "Ó, keby som len mohol ... Ó, zdá sa mi, že cítim ... Keby som len niekoho uvidel, kto by chcel aby som sa za neho modlil." Takto to cítite. Keď sa niečo vylieva do vášho srdca ... Jedného dňa ... Môžem sa ešte na chvíľu zastaviť?
Jedného dňa malá Sára ochorela. Keď sme vyrazili, ó, bolo tak teplo, a ja som každú noc bol hore, spal som asi dve hodiny. Boli tam delegáti zo všetkých rôznych strán sveta, museli ste sa stretnúť s tým a s tamtým, a modliť sa, kázal som tri razy za deň. Ó, bol som unavený. Práve som išiel ... a potom som vyrazil a musel som čakať. Vyšiel som niekoľko míľ za mesto. A mal som tam byť včas ráno, a musel som zastaviť pri ceste a pospať si. Na chvíľu si ľahnúť a potom vstať a pokračovať. A nedokázal som držať otvorené oči, snažil som sa prejsť cez tú horúcu Nebrasskú púšť, aby som sa dostal ku tejto žene.
Prechádzal som tam a myslel som si ... Ó, moja biedna Sára len vracia a vracia. Chudáčik, celú noc je chorá. Na druhý deň bola taká chorá, museli sme sa zastaviť, bola bledá po tvári. A ja som bol taký unavený a vyčerpaný. Myslel som si: "Ó Bože, ó, toto je strašná situácia. Bože, pozri sa sem. Nie som schopný riadiť auto. Som taký unavený a bol som tam s tvojimi ľuďmi snažil som sa robiť to najlepšie, čo som mohol, a malá Sára je taká chorá." No, išli sme ...
38 A išiel som tam a položil som na ňu ruky. Povedal som: "Drahý nebeský Otče, Ty si mi dal toto dieťa. Ono je tvoje. Ja ju len vychovávam." Položil som na ňu ruky. Niečo mi začalo vchádzať do srdca. To zastavilo vracanie. Od vtedy už viac nevracala.
Na druhý deň Becky vážne ochorela, akoby dostala vírus a vracala. Chudáčik vracala celú noc. Na druhý deň Méda povedala: "Dáme jej ten Pepto-Bismol." Naliala niekoľko lyžičiek a dala jej to. Chudinka, hneď to vyvracala. Prišli sme do Tetonsu. Keď sme prešli cez tú horúcu krajinu a začínali hory, ona chcela vidieť tie krásne hory. A nemohla. Taká bola chorá.
Povedal som: "Drahá, pozri sa sem. Chcem aby si ... Otecko ťa chce zobrať, aby sme mohli vidieť tam tie pekné hory."
Ona povedala: "Ó, otecko. Cítim sa ako keby som mala zomrieť." A tak sme jej dali ďalší Pepto-Bismol. Vtedy ráno sme sa za ňu modlili. Povedal som: "Pane, buď milostivý." A och, nič to nepomohlo. Keď sme tam prišli, zobral som ju von. Povedal som: "Drahá, poď na čerstvý vzduch." Bola zima, mala na sebe len tenký kabát, na zemi ležal sneh. Vystúpil som z auta a ona sa snažila vyjsť. Povedala: "Dobre, otecko." A z ústočiek jej vyšla voda. Pozrel som sa na ňu, oči mala hlboko vpadnuté a okolo úst bola úplne bledá. Podišiel som tam a pozrel som sa na tú horu. Povedal som: "Dívam sa na túto horu; odkiaľ moja pomoc prichádza. Moja pomoc prichádza od Pána." A zrazu začalo do mňa niečo vstupovať. Ó, prajem si aby som to stále mohol mať. Podišiel som ku autu, otvoril som dvere, povedal som: "Pozri sa na otecka, drahá." Ó, to vracanie hneď prestalo. Za päť minút už behala vonku a hrala sa so Sárou. Čo to je? Keď je prejavená Božská láska, nastupuje zvrchovaná milosť. Musí to tak byť.
39 No idem naspäť ku svojmu príbehu. Išiel som ráno v Memphis po ulici. A ako som si vykračoval po ulici spieval som Pánovi, a zrazu mi niečo povedalo: "Zastav sa." A ja som sa zastavil. A zrazu to povedalo: "Obráť sa a choď naspäť tou druhou cestou." No, tá viedla smerom ku rieke.
Pomyslel som si: "Ó." Išiel som na kúsok. Pomyslel som si: "No, to bolo len niečo, čo som len ..." Viete, niekedy ste pod nejakým dojmom, viete, mnohokrát. A ľudia mnohokrát urobia chybu, lebo nasledujú nejaké dojmy, namiesto Božského vedenia. A tak som išiel ďalej. Pomyslel som si: "To sa mi len zdalo." Ale čím ďalej som išiel, tým to bolo horšie. Išiel som hore, v malej bočnej uličke, pozrel som sa dookola. Bolo tam nejaké rybárske náradie. Okolo prechádzali ľudia. Robil som sa akoby som sa díval na to rybárske náradie. Keď som zostal sám, zastavil som sa a zavolal ... Povedal som: "Drahý nebeský Otče, čo chceš aby som urobil? Bol si to Ty, ktorý si zavanul do môjho srdca? Cítim sa akoby som vo vnútri až pretekal." Niečo sa začalo vylievať ...
Niečo povedalo: - Obráť sa a choď naspäť.
- Kde?
- Obráť sa a choď naspäť.
40 Nech by to bolo kdekoľvek. Bolo treba len ísť. Obrátil som sa a išiel som naspäť tou ulicou. Išiel som. Pozrel som sa na hodinky, nemal som veľa času. Čas už prešiel. Išiel som ďalej, čas prešiel, bolo už skoro osem hodín. Pomyslel som si: "O jo- joj." Prišiel som až do nejakej černošskej štvrti, bolo tam veľa malých farebných domov.
Išiel som popri nich. Slnko bolo už vysoko, bolo to začiatkom jara, mraky sa rozplynuli. Rozmýšľal som: "No, zmeškal som lietadlo." Ale, rozmýšľal som: "Ó Bože, nevadí ak som zmeškal lietadlo, len ak Ty ... Kde ma vedieš, Pane? Neviem kde ma vedieš, kde idem." To nebola moja starosť, jednoducho som išiel.
41 Len som išiel; po chvíli som uvidel typickú starú tetu Jemínu s veľkými tučnými lícami, ako sa opiera o bránu a hľadí na ulicu. Okolo hlavy mala takto obkrútenú mužskú košeľu a vzadu zaviazanú. Dívala sa na mňa, povedala: "Dobré ráno, parson."
A ja som povedal: "Dobré ráno, mamko."
Doširoka sa usmiala a pozrela sa na mňa, v očiach mala slzy. Pomyslel som si: "Ona ma nazvala parson." Takto ľudia na juhu nazývajú kazateľa, viete. A povedal som: "Ako vieš, že ja som parson?"
- Vedela som, že prídeš.
- Čo?
- Vedela som, že prídeš.
- Nerozumiem, teta. Vysvetlila by si mi to?
- Vieš. Čítal si niekedy príbeh o Sunamitke, ktorá nemala dieťa, a prosila Pána, aby jej dal dieťa a Eliáš prišiel, požehnal ju, a narodilo sa jej dieťa?
- Áno, mamko. Pamätám sa na to.
- Ja som taká žena. Nemala som dieťa, a modlila som sa Pánovi; a povedala som Pánovi, že ak ma požehná a dá mi dieťa, že ho potom vychovám pre Neho. On mi dal dieťa. Prala som na tej doske (tam na boku visela pracia doska) Právala som na tejto doske a vychovávala toto dieťa.
42Parson, a keď vyrástol, dal sa na zlú cestu. Dostal sa do zlej spoločnosti, a leží tu vo vnútri a zomiera. Predvčerom tu bol doktor, keď padol do bezvedomia, a povedal, že už viac nemôže pre neho nič urobiť. Dal mu 6-0-6, silverstand, a všetko možné, ortuť a penicillin; nič nezabralo. Má pohlavnú nemoc, syfilis, ... chlopne zo srdca. Už nemôžu pre neho nič urobiť. Leží tu a zomiera. Ó, Pane, nechcem vidieť takto zomierať svoje dieťa. Keby som ho len počula povedať, že je spasený. Modlia som sa a modlila dve noci. Sníval sa mi sen, že som videla prichádzať muža v svetlom obleku, s klobúkom, šikmo na hlave mal západniarsky klobúk. Povedala som: "Pane, ja som tá žena, ale kde je tvoj Eliáš?"
Povedal: "Tu prichádza ..." - Hneď som vstala a odvtedy tu stojím a čakám na teba.
43 Presne takto som bol oblečený. Ó, brat, keď je preukazovaná Božská láska ... Tá matka so svojím dieťaťom, on mal skoro deväťdesiat kilo, ale stále to bolo jej dieťa, ktoré tam ležalo a zomieralo v nemilosti. Bez ohľadu na to, ako hlboko klesol, stále to bolo jej dieťa. Ona ho milovala. To je materská láska. Bez ohľadu na to, koľko hanby jej priniesol, ona ho stále milovala.
A keď vy nemôžete zabudnúť na svoje dieťa, keď čokoľvek urobilo, ako by mohol Boh zabudnúť na vás. On povedal: "Vaše mená sú vyryté na mojich dlaniach. Matka môže zabudnúť na svoje dieťa, ale ja nikdy na vás nezabudnem." Bez ohľadu na to čokoľvek ste urobili, ako ďaleko ste odišli, ako veľmi ste upadli, Boh vás stále miluje. Boh vás miluje; preukazuje vám svoju lásku. Neprehliadnite ju.
44 Potom povzdychla, povedala: "Ó, nemohla by som to prežiť. Parson, sníval sa mi sen a videla som ťa, ako prichádzaš. Keď som sa dívala na ulicu a videla som ten svetlý oblek a ten klobúk šikmo na hlave, Duch mi povedal - Tu ho máš." Povedala: "Či vojdeš dovnútra?"
A pomyslel som si: "Ó, Bože, možno toto je to, kde si ma viedol. Kvôli tomuto som sem mal prísť." Ja som to nevedel. Otvoril som bránku. Bola na nej reťaz a západka. Neviem či ste to niekedy videli. Otvoril som tie dvere a vošiel som dovnútra.
45 Brat, bol som už v kráľovských palácoch. Bol som v najbohatších domoch, aké sú na svete. Bol som v domoch niektorých multimilionárov, ktoré majú cenu dvadsať, viac ako dvadsať osem miliónov dolárov. Kráčal som po ich kobercoch, ktoré boli popretkávané z jednej strany na druhú, v tých nádherných domoch by som si mohol ľahnúť a bez problémov zaspať na rohožky pri dverách. Ale tam nebola na zemi ani rohožka. Stála tam stará kovová posteľ, a ten chlapec bol prikrytý starou dekou. Na dverách bol nápis: "Bože, žehnaj náš dom." Poznal som, že sa nachádzam v kresťanskom dome. Poznal som, že som na mieste, kde sa niekto modlieva. Na stene neviseli žiadne vulgárne obrázky; ale na starom mramorovom stolíku ležala otvorená Biblia. A tam na posteli ležal veľký chlapec, v ruke mal ... a vzdychal: "Úúúúh, úúúh."
"Och." Pomyslel som si. Dotkol som sa jeho nohy, bola vlhká a studená. Na tom chlapcovi bola smrť.
A on stále hovoril: "Ó, tak temno. Je tak temno."
Opýtal som sa. "Čo to hovorí?"
Ona povedala: "Parson, teraz už niekoľko dní si myslí, že je vonku na veľkom jazere a hynie. On nevie kde ide. To mi zviera srdce. Odchádza a je stratený na tom jazere a nevie kde ide. Parson, ja som sa modlila. Urobila som všetko, čo som mohla. Parson, nechcem aby zahynul. Za to som sa modlila."
46 Opýtal som sa: "Tetuška, čo je tomu chlapcovi?"
Povedala: "Má pohlavnú chorobu. Doktor povedal, že zomiera, už sa nič nedá urobiť. Je v bezvedomí. Už dva dni hynie na tom jazere. Budeš sa za neho modliť?"
Povedal som: "Tetuška, nazývam sa Branham, počula si niekedy o mne?"
- Nie, myslím že nie, parson.
- Poviem ti čo sa mi prihodilo. Mojou službou je modliť sa za chorých.
- Ozaj?
- Áno. A porozprával som jej o tom lietadle, ako pristalo a o všetkom.
- Je to pravda, parson?
- Áno.
- Vedela som, že On ma nezanechá.
Povedal som: "Ty sa pomodli, tetuška." A ona si tam kľakla, a to vám bola modlitba. Ó, brat, ako sa tá stará, svätá žena vedela držať Boha, a modlila sa, až sa jej slzy kotúľali z očí.
Pozrel som sa na neho a on stále stenal: "Úúúh."
Povedal som: "Tetuška a teraz sa ja budem modliť." Položil som ruky na jeho nohy, povedal som: "Nebeský Otče, pokiaľ viem, moje lietadlo už odletelo, a tu matka tohoto chlapca, kričala za svoje dieťa a pokiaľ viem, toto je to miesto, kde si ma viedol. Prosím aby si mu bol milostivý."
47 A tak asi v tom čase som ho počul ako povedal: "Maminka. Ó, maminka."
Ona vstala a z očí sa jej vyhrnuli slzy. Povedala: "Áno, miláčik. Či sa maminkino dieťa cíti lepšie?" A začala ho hladkať po hlave.
On povedal: "Mami, začína sa tu rozvidnievať. Rozvidnieva sa tu." Suverénna láska! Keď sa Božská láska premietla do Božieho srdca, zvrchovaná milosť musela zareagovať a zaujať svoje miesto.
Myslím, že tá biedna matka sa vo svojich modlitbách stále držala Boha, a všetko toto, a čo sa potom stalo? Boh vo svojej milosti, Boh vo svojom milosrdenstve zniesol z oblakov lietadlo a pridržal ho na zemi. Kotva srdca, biednej nevzdelanej farebnej ženy. Keď bola premietnutá Božská láska, nezáležalo na tom, aká bola biedna, ani aká čierna, ani aká žltá, ani čokoľvek bola. Ale keď sa prejavila Božská milosť, zvrchovaná milosť musela zaujať svoje miesto. A to bola láska tam tej starej matky, ako ona kričala.
48 A ten chlapec po - asi po dvoch rokoch odvtedy ... cestoval som vlakom. Vysadol som a išiel som si kúpiť hamburger. Vo vlaku zaň chceli asi sedemdesiat alebo osemdesiat centov a na tej malej stanici som si ho mohol kúpiť asi za dvadsať centov. Vystúpil som z vlaku a išiel som do bufetu. Bol tam nejaký chlapec v červenej čiapke, povedal: "Haló, parson Branham."
Obzrel som sa a odpovedal som: "Dobré ráno, synu."
Podišiel ku mne a povedal: "Poznáte ma?"
- Nie. Zdá sa mi, že ťa nepoznám.
- Pamätáte sa, pred niekoľkými rokmi, keď ste prišli ku nám a modlili ste sa za mňa. A na moju matku tam?
- Ty si ten chlapec?
- Áno, pán parson Branham. Nie som len uzdravený, ale teraz som aj spasený. Som kresťan.
Zvrchovaná milosť. Tak veru, brat. Hovorím vám, keď milosť ... Keď Boh vidí vyžarovať lásku, milosť musí zaujať svoje miesto.
49 Pred niekoľkými rokmi v mojom dome, pamätáte sa. Mnohí z vás to vedie, keď tam ležala tá vačica. A tu dole, to mladé dievča utopilo svoje dieťa, keď jej Boh dal dieťa, a ona ho nechcela vychovávať. Zabalila ho do deky a hodila ho tam, a utopila ho v rieke. Povedal som: "To je matka, ktorá je na nižšej úrovni ako pes. Zviera by to neurobilo." A keď zvrchovaná Božia láska môže byť preukázaná zvieraťu, o čo viacej môže byť preukázaná mužovi, alebo žene. Je to tak.
A táto biedna matka vačica prišla po tom chodníku. Poznáte tú príhodu, a ako tam prišla a ležala mi pred domom na schodoch dvadsať štyri hodín a ja som nič o tom ani nevedel. Brat Wood a ostatní, sedia tam vzadu, a sestra Woodová bola ku nej milostivá a povedala: "Brat Branham, prečo ju necháš tak trápiť, a jej malé mláďatká ju cicali, a ona tam ležala a zomierala." Povedala: "Prečo ich nezabiješ, brat Branham? Alebo utrať tú biednu matku."
Ona bola už skoro mŕtva. Bola ... "Mohol by si ju zastreliť a dať ich preč od nej." A ona tam ležala celú noc.
50 A na druhý deň malá Rebeka, vyšla von. Povedala: "Ocko..." To bolo ráno, svitalo. Povedala: "Ocko, čo urobíš s touto vačicou? Celú noc som o nej rozmýšľala."
Povedal som: "Ja tiež, Rebeka." Odišiel som do izby. Povedal som: "Choď naspäť do posteli, drahá. Ešte je včas, aby si vstávala." Sadol som si tam v pracovni a rozmýšľal som: "No ..." Začal som si šuchať čelo. Rozmýšľal som: "Budem musieť s tou vačicou niečo urobiť. Neviem čo robiť."
A vtedy som počul hlas, takže som to ani nečakal. Sedel som tam v tej izbe, práve tam kde vtedy ráno prišli tie jablká pre brata Halla, keď bol uzdravený z rakoviny, tam kde boli uzdravení chorí a postihnutí. Počul som hlas, ktorý povedal: "Ja som ju poslal ku tebe. Ona tam leží ako dáma už dvadsať štyri hodín a čaká, kedy si nájdeš čas, aby si sa za ňu pomodlil, a ty si Ma ani slovom za ňu nepoprosil."
Povedal som: "No, ani ma to nenapadlo." Povedal som: "Ty chceš povedať, že si sem poslal tú vačicu?" Rozmýšľal som: "Čo sa to so mnou deje? Rozprávam sa so sebou?" Pristihol som sa ako Mu odpovedám.
51 Vyšiel som tam, kde sa stále ešte Rebeka dívala cez dvere. Vyšiel som tam, ku tej biednej vačici, bola na nej rosa a všetko možné. Povedal som: "Nebeský Otče, keď si Ty sem poslal túto biednu nevedomú vačicu, keď si ju Ty sem poslal, tak či tak, v srdci cítim ku nej lásku, je to matka, a tak som ju nedokázal zabiť, nedokázal som zabiť jej maličké. A zvrchovaná milosť ju sem priviedla, aby dala ľuďom lekciu. Bože, prosím v Kristovom mene, aby si ju uzdravil."
A tá biedna vačica, ktorá mala poranené nohy a v ranách plno červíkov a ledva sa vliekla, a bola napuchnutá, že bola raz tak veľká; sa postavila na nohy, zobrala svoje mláďatá do svojho vaku, a odchádzala tak normálne, ako každé iné zviera, ktoré ste videli. Obrátila sa ku mne, ako keby sa obrátila a povedala: "Ďakujem láskavý pane." A pokiaľ viem, dnes si šťastne žije so svojimi mláďatami. Prečo? Keď je preukázaná Božská láska, nastupuje na svoje miesto zvrchovaná milosť.
52 Môj brat, sestra je len jedna vec, ktorú musíte v živote robiť, a to: "Milovať Pána svojho Boha celým svojím srdcom, celou svojou dušou, celou svojou silou, celou svojou mysľou a veriť, že každé Slovo, ktoré On povedal je pravda. A keď prídeš na koniec svojej cesty, kde už ďalej nemôžeš ísť, keď sa Božská ... prejaví sa zvrchovaná milosť. Ako by som bol mohol povedať, keď som tu ležal, keď bratia z Mayo kliniky sa ma vzdali, sedel som vo verande, tam s bratom Coxom, ktorý sedel vedľa mňa. Chcel som vedieť, že čo ...? ... Nemohol som to už dlhšie vydržať, ale ...?...
1 As we just left the meeting and started over to see a woman friend of ours, Mrs...?... over in--in Edmonton, Alberta, and was just twenty miles of the Canadian line when we got the news that my brother was dying. So we turned right around through a snowstorm and started right back home, making us eleven days in traveling.
We got in late last evening, and up late last night, and early again this morning. So very tired, but as soon as I got up to my mother, after we got a place where we could call in again, she said, "Brother Neville has been out there." That's a real pastor, folks. That's something that we should appreciate that.
Now, it might not... Maybe your loved ones has never come to that spot. Maybe but in an hour of crisis when you know that something has taken place and know that your friend will stick by you, and run out to my brother's and then when I went... Soon as I got into and just change clothes and took out there, who did I find in the room in prayer? Brother Neville out in the room there with Howard in prayer. I'm--I'm grateful for that.
2 And I--I'd rather say it right here at the platform as... Well, I always said I'd rather give you a little rosebud now, than a whole wreath after you're gone. Right now is the time to do it, and I appreciate Brother Neville. And I know we all do around this church for being a gallant pastor. Just to show him how much we appreciate him, raise your hands like this to God. That's... Thank you. That's really a something that...
I went home, and I told my wife; I said, "Honey, when I went and knocked at the door, slipped down the hall, read the chart, see really what was wrong, and went down there; and I heard something in there, and then I cracked the door. I thought it was someone talking, and had him setting up in the bed with his Bible with his--both of them with their heads bowed praying to God when I went in couldn't do nothing but join with them in prayer.
And--and also my prayer, tell God that I appreciate a real friend and a real pastor. And may Brother Neville long live in this world to--to serve the Lord, and I believe God's keep him here for many, many years to serve Him, someone that...?... It struck my heart deeper than anything that I've had in a long time.
3 Now, usually now with the Sunday school class isn't dismissed yet back in the children, so I per--perhaps maybe we'll pray for the sick. I didn't make any announcement of coming in praying for the sick, but if there's any here to be prayed for, then we'll just have prayer for them.
Now, if Sister Gertie, if she will, come up play "The Great Physician" for us, and we'll ask our dear heavenly Father if He will bless those who are needy of Him this today. And then we want to... All that's sick and needy just gather up around the altar.
If I'm not mistaken, is this Nellie Sanders standing here? My, God bless you, Nellie. Twenty-five years ago...?... God bless you, Nellie. I looked over awhile ago and looked at you, and I didn't want you to think... Look and gazing at someone I set looking back, and I thought it looked like Nellie.
4 None of you here probably remember. I guess some of you... How many of you remembers Nellie Sanders? Why, certainly, and she's one of the first comers to the tabernacle. She and my departed wife were bosom friends and sisters in Christ, and they...
She married over here one of the volunteers of America, a officer in this move and he, our brother, has gone on to be with God leaving her with (I think) two boys, I'm think, some children anyhow. And some of them are still in school.
And Nellie is a wandering by herself and just coming into the age of real nervous and upset. She called me when I was in Phoenix, Arizona, in a meeting for prayer. Many things go back, Nellie, to a time when there was sawdust on the floor, and you and Hope had that top...?... and lot of you used to be around here many years ago, twenty-five years ago. It's passing by me. We're--we're going down the road swiftly. That's true. Well, God be with you now.
5 Those who are sick and wants to come up around the altar for prayer. Our pastor and I join together in a word of prayer for you. Come right ahead. Then in a little... Immediately after this with a short message just to you of the preaching service. Wish you could stay. We'll dismiss the Sunday school service after the prayer for the sick, and we're... Go right into the other service, and I've got a couple of announcements to make.
This great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus,
He speaks the drooping hearts to cheer,
No other Name but Jesus;
Now, if we could just enter in now to a--a fellowship of this prayer. Healing for each other, knowing that God is here and has promised to answer.
[Brother Neville speaks to Brother Branham--Ed.] Yes, that's all right. You all want to go down and pray for her, the lady setting down, certainly. All right, Brother Neville, would you come help me? Now, if you'll be just reverent as possible. The little fellows are taking their seats, and let's pray now so that when we go down...?... the sick and afflicted we're going to have faith in God to believe. Have faith that God will.
6 Now, all of you out there in the audience that's well this morning, don't need to come around the altar. Just think now that it was by grace that brought you here. Now, you pray for these others that are at the altar. Here's young and old as our custom here at the Tabernacle, we send the pastor anointing. We pray for them, and then send the pastor anointing. I come along with him laying hands on the sick, while he anoints them. The Scripture, "Anoint the sick in oil in the Name of the Lord. Lay hands on them and they shall recover." It's Scripture.
Now, all of you together, you bow your heads now, while we offer prayer together for the sick.
7 Our heavenly Father, we humbly come into Thy Divine Presence just now in the way for the needy, the sick, those who cannot help themselves, and many of them, Father, are past doctor's aid. Nothing can be done, except Thy grace be extended to them. I pray humbly today, God, with all my heart, joining with this little church that the great Holy Spirit That's present now to verify the Word of the Lord Jesus, that said, "Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name, I'll be in their midst. If they'll ask anything, that's pertaining to any certain thing, shall receive it." That's Your Eternal Word, Lord, that was spoke by even before the foundation of the world. It's been given to us by the Prophet, by the Son of God Himself.
Now, our deep desire now, Father, for You to heal the sick, the needy that's here around the altar. I pray that You'll just give each one a special blessing of faith just now. That as we go, Your servant and myself, to anoint and lay hands upon the people, may the Holy Spirit just deep down the faith in the heart and may each one be healed. We ask in Christ's Name, for His sake.
8 Now, with your heads bowed, everybody in prayer. Pastor, now go. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
Heaven and earth are full of Thee,
Heaven and earth are praising Thee,
O Lord Most High.
Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the Sunday school lesson now that's stirred our hearts. May we gird ourselves this morning and go from prisons of unbelief and be free as we walk. We know the Angel of the Lord will go before us, confirming the Word of God, and free every one of us from the prisons of fear, and sickness, and distress, and disease, and afflictions, for God has promised to. Every one that's shut up in them kind of conditions this morning, may the Light of God shining upon them just this very day and may they go from here a well person.
Thank you for the message and for your works for the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Grant these blessings, Father, and now be with us in the preaching service of this morning for the little short message coming up. We ask in Christ's Name. Amen.
9 Now, for just a couple of moments. Those who have to go now, let's just stand while we sing a hymn, and those... Take the Name of Jesus With You. Those who have to go can be dismissed. Those who can stay for another thirty minutes we'll glad for you to stay. All right.
Take the name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe
(Turn right around and shake hands with somebody by you.)
It will joy and comfort give you,
Take it, then, where'er you go.
Precious name, (Precious name.) O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heaven.
Amen. Be seated, and the Lord bless you all real richly good. I just noticed we got some of the "Herald of Faith" here, the little program, little paper of Brother Joseph Boze in Chicago, a very fine brother. He always... We have such great fellowship one with another. We have a good time every time we go to Chicago. Just with him a few nights ago again. And they're free. Just come and get you one after the service is over. It's laying down here.
10 Now, we're happy to see many of you still holding out to Christ and now, just for a few moments of your time. I would like to speak just something because of being here with you. I'm tired. My voice is low, and I've had some big meetings. In Indianapolis was a great heavy meeting, and that night we were so happy to see hundreds walk down through that tabernacle, around ten thousand people seated, come down to give their hearts to Christ on this night. And Russell Ford and them, how they was thrilled. And--and the work that Brother Cadle started years ago, still going on.
You know I'd like to have a place liken unto that sometime. It's one of the greatest place I've had...?... just how it was fixed, that there's just something about it. I may... I guess I'm temperamental. When I see a great work that someone has started, I have a feeling for that.
11 Now, being hoarse, and we've been up in the mountain trying to get to a sick woman, a friend of ours way up in Canada. We was just ready to cross the border when I heard the news that my brother was dying and returned back, and we drove for day in and out and night in and out. We've been ten days setting in that car. So you can imagine how I feeling this morning and...
But I'm thankful to you all again for praying for my brother, 'cause he, looks like, is on his road to recovery again. God giving him another chance, and so I--I thank you, and I'm praising God for all things.
Many big decisions yet to make. The worldwide tour coming up, Africa shining in the face; and places everywhere till I don't know which to turn, everywhere, everywhere. And there's about at least ten or more great outstanding conferences setting right now, and each one calling to go to. I got to make some kind of decision in next twenty-four hours, so--for the next move so pray for me. Pray for me. And I--I need your prayers.
12 I hope shutting that fan off didn't bother you all here on the front too much for a minute. I--I've been exposed to so many things in my life of traveling for the Lord and all kinds of conditions, and diseases, and leprosy. And I've hugged lepers, and shook their hands, and--and every kind of a disease, and went into isolation wards and camps and everything around the world nearly, and I--I--I'm not a boy any more. I guess you know that, and I'm getting up towards...
Then I hear Brother Bosworth the other day there almost ninety years old, and he... When I was in Indianapolis, he had a blood clot run into his heart. He had death struggles in his heart, unconscious. Mrs. Bosworth called. I had prayer for him, went over there, and we announced it, and started praying. Next day he called me up and said, "I'd like to be in a meeting with you sometime." Then I feel like that here forty-seven years old, I ought to be ashamed of myself but I just... It's just the human part I guess.
Oh, how valuable it is and how wonderful. Nothing like being saved, to being saved, but you don't realize, friends, I'm sure that the devil keeps that away from you as much as he can (he does from me) to realize what the value of a soul is. Did you ever just imagine what it is, and what eternity means, and how long you're going to be that way? Do you realize this is the time when you make your decision for eternity?
13 Last Sunday, a week, we had here, I believe I preached on the assurance, the power that God had promised and ordained you and called you before the foundation of the world and put your name in His Book. You had nothing to do with it. God did it. Isn't that wonderful? The Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world and why? It never happened till four thousand years later, but God when He spoke it, He had to do it, 'cause He has to keep His Word, and the same time that the Lamb was wrote down your... You were wrote with Him. Our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life, not the night we come to Christ, but before the foundation of the world, the Bible said. So that's the assurance, and brother touched on that this morning in this marvelous Sunday school reading.
14 Now, let's just read for a Scripture somewhere just for a little... I want... Just something that's on my heart. I just like to speak it for a few moments, and then we'll dismiss and expect the services again tonight.
And now, I got a message on my heart coming down the other day that I want, if God willing, if I'm back here next Sunday morning to bring it to the Tabernacle for the first. Just something that's on my heart of the time I went into a place to eat, and I thought, "Well, am I going crazy? What's the matter with me?" I can't stand these musics and all this here stuff that they have today, these silly women singing, "Down Out of Our Ivory Palaces," and all this. I said, "It must be something wrong with me."
And the Holy Spirit said, "Oh, no. Oh, no." You see the love of the world or the things of the world, the love of God is not even in you.
So I thought, "Well, I don't want to get adjusted then to this world. That's..." And then the Holy Spirit begin to reveal this message to me. I wouldn't have time this morning. I'm too tired. Besides, maybe the Lord willing next Sunday morning if we're still around... I've got some trips to make this week, but if I'm still around next Sunday morning, God willing. Brother Neville will announce it on his broadcast on Saturday, and we'll be in and try to bring this message. And I want to try to bring some with it. It's a Gospel message of the day, hour and season.
15 When I predicted six months ago that this was the closing year for America, and we'll see whether it is according to the Gospel or not. This is the time when she's gone. It's either going up or down this year. That's right.
Now, you young children, I want you to bring you a piece of paper and write it in the flyleaf of your Bible that when Brother Branham's done passed on perhaps, you see whether I was right or wrong. See? And you'll know whether the Lord still speaks or not. See?
Now, in Romans the 4th chapter I want to read just for a portion of Word to continue on.
What shall we say then that Abraham our father... pertaining to the flesh, has found?
For if Abraham were justified by works, he has whereof to glory; but not before God.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justified the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
And may the Lord add His blessings to the Word.
16 Now, the little subject if we should call it so, that I wish to speak to you about is "Divine Love" and when Divine love has been projected and comes to its destination, sovereign grace takes its place. See? Now, can you think of that? Now, ponder over it so you get real close now. See? When Divine love is projected and comes to its destiny, then sovereign grace takes over.
Now, it's a--it's a strange thing that how that people... The type of people and what we do in our associations... Now, we all have to face these facts that there is people that you just love to be around, and there's people that's fine people, and you love them, but yet, there's something about the person that you just--you just can't hardly stay around them.
17 Now, we want to talk of facts. Now, the reason that is, is because of the atmosphere that the individual himself or herself creates. Because you are a miniature creator, because you're sons and daughters of God. No matter how far you stooped in sin, you're still sons and daughters of God, because you're fallen, degenerated in your soul and mind, but God is your Creator and in your fallen estate you are a lost, undone creation of God dominated by the devil. That's right, but still you're sons and daughters of God.
He's not willing that any of you should perish but all might come to repentance. See? And He's done everything that--that lays possible, for the only God Himself could do this, to give the--the opportunities to the creatures of His to accept and to be what He wants you to be, back in your right estate again.
And no person... Now, here it is and it's pretty sharp. But no person is in their right mental status until they have accepted the Lord Jesus. That's a deep word, but that's the truth. No person is mentally right until they have accepted Christ Jesus as personal Saviour. That sounds... But it's the Bible. Certainly, that is true.
18 He is the one, and in your created being... Now, you'll be crazy to the world when you do that, because you have to come out of the atmosphere you're in into this other atmosphere. When you do that, God lifts you right up from the world, and you live in a heavenly atmosphere. See? And then to the world, you're just contrary to what that is. See? And this is contrary to the world. See? Now, what you want to do is be lifted up by Christ into a--an atmosphere to where you are happy, peaceful, and then in there you create a situation... And now many times we in churches... This may seem strange, but if you'll just watch it... Now, this is for the church. It's for the people.
The people get one another's spirit, in the stead of getting the Holy Spirit. You go into a group of people, and you watch the way that a person acts, and--and them kind people that come into that congregation the first thing you know they act the same way. You add, or... You take a good woman and a bad man, and he will either... She'll... He will either become a good man or her a bad woman. In the atmosphere that you live in, you project to your associates what you are.
19 Then what type of people ought we to be if we're a Christian? What type of an atmosphere should we live in? In a consoling, soothing, healing atmosphere we should live in, with our hearts constantly in prayer with a deep love for ever person we come in contact with...?...
If I say this to the little churches prayed for me for the world missions, that's my success in praying for the sick. If I can't get right down into the feeling of the sickness with the person, it usually doesn't do any good. You've got to come right down till it's just... and you feel it yourself.
20 Here sometime ago an old Mexican man down there on the platform, when he run to the platform, much faith, he fell down and grabbed out his rosary. And I--I told him, "It's not necessary," and through the interpreter, Brother Espinosa. So he raised up. He put his arms around, and he begin going some way. He was blind. I looked at him. I looked at them old wrinkled-up feet, probably never wore a pair of shoes in his life. I looked at my shoes, see if they'd fit him. I'd give him my shoes. He was blind. When I looked, he was a wider across the shoulders. This man weighed two hundred and something I guess. He couldn't have wore my coat. And as he was standing there and the gray hair, I thought of my daddy. I thought, "If daddy would've lived to be about this age, he'd been about the same aged man as this--around sixty-five or seventy years old, and I entered into a love of that man.
The way that I thought, maybe never had a decent meal in his life, maybe he never set down at a table in his life and all this, and then walking around in darkness." Then something come into my heart. God be merciful. He's a man. He's a brother. Then when that strikes, there's something went on. There's a creation moved around, and it--it projected to this person.
21 In a few moments I heard him hollering something over my shoulder, and he was hollering, "I can see. I can see." What was it? Divine love, sympathy had been projected by the Holy Spirit into this man, and by that at the end of the road where he couldn't... Nothing could be done, and love had taken its place, and love had met love; then sovereign grace went to work, and God through sovereign grace restored the sight to the man. See?
First you have to enter into that spot. That's the way you have to do to a sinner. Many people pray for sinners. That's all right, but that's not the way to win a sinner. It's your business to win the sinner. You don't win him by praying for him. You win-win--win him by talking to him and introducing to him Christ. That's your business. That's your duty is to win sinners by talking to them, and projecting to them the love of God through the Word of God that wins the sinner...?...
22 Someone say, "I never did go to church. I sure like that woman. I like that fellow." See? Because you're winning them. If you stayed home and just prayed for the sinner and never went to contact him, there's very little can be done, but you've got to pray and then go. That's right. Go and do it.
Now, the projecting of this love. Here a few days ago I was listening to a testimony of a---a great plow manufacturer standing on the platform. Well, there set businessmen from around the world, setting on the platform, and this plow man. He got up. He said, "Well, I didn't know why I had to be operated on." I love the man, and he's a great follower of Brother Roberts, my friend and so then...
He said, "When I found out that I was getting sick and having stone trouble--kidney stones... I happened to eat dinner with Brother Oral," and said, "Brother Oral got up, and said, 'Now, brother, I--I see that you're in distress,' so he said, 'I'm--I'm going to pray for you.
And he said, "Well, praise the Lord. I just wanted you to say that Brother Oral," and said, "Oral come over and put his hands on his kidneys, and said, 'I rebuked this kidney stone and to leave this man immediately.'" And said, "When he did it," said, "I got relief." And said, "Just a little while it come back again."
23 Said, "I went again to Brother Oral." And said, "He prayed again, and I got relief." But said, "Every time it come back, it come worse." And he said "Then the next thing I thought of, 'If I could go down,'" he said, 'to Brother Branham and could stand before him, and the Holy Spirit would come to him, he would tell me then why that I didn't get healed when Brother Oral prayed for me.'"
So he made his way out, and he come to Louisiana. I was in services there, and I stood before him for twenty minutes. The Holy Spirit was mute, didn't say a thing. I prayed for him, and he said he felt better, and he come on down. Then he went... Getting nervous and excited. He went from place to place. Everybody prayed for him, prayed for him. And he loved the Lord, but finally got to a place, that he was shipped him off to Mayo's. Mayo's looked him over and said, "You got one chance out of one thousand of living. It's set up an infection. Your whole body's poisoned and uremic," and I forget what all. Said, "You got one chance out of one thousand."
So he said, "I took it." He said, "I prayed, 'O God, You know I love You, and I've went to all Your servants." And he took the chance, and they put him to sleep. And said, "When he woke up in the room," he said, "There's a light shining in the room, and the glory of God was all around him, and the doctors was astonished. They come in and said, 'Well, what's happened here?'"
"Why," he said, "I feel like going home." What was it? See, he'd built his hopes upon: "If anything ever happens to me. I'll go to Brother Roberts. If that fails, I'll go to Brother Branham," and yet he loved the Lord Jesus.
24 God had to let everything else fail, till laying there on his bed, and even when the doctor said, "We can't do nothing." Amen. When Divine love had come to its end sovereign grace stepped in and took its place. He will do it ever time. If your motives are right, your alternatives are right. If you'll have Divine love and believe, walk forward, doubting nothing, when it comes to look like the end of the road has come, then sovereign grace takes over then.
How I have seen it work. How most within my own life, and not by just a theology, or not by some kind of a--a... somebody else's experience. I'm so glad today that I can talk from a personal experience to know that that is the truth. My own experience, as long as we know the love of Christ is resting Divinely in our hearts, that we've passed from death unto life, all demons out of hell hasn't got a chance of moving it. Even the...?... If you'll continue in that love and faith, it's just like a little baby. You take a little baby out... Show him it's just a little fellow can get it.
25 Here's Mrs. Kelly setting here before us. When the drunken soldier, I believe it was, ran into them out there, and she was picked up for dead there, they put her in the hospital unconscious... When everything had failed, she was...?... And yet with the love of God in her heart she turned over. Went in there that day, and then sovereign grace was projected after Divine love, and here she sets this morning, among us alive today. See, it's something that happened.
When you get to the end of your road, when you get to where you can't move, then it's time God will move in by sovereign grace the thing that you seek. You take a little kid, a little baby. They have little cramps and spasms, and they'll scream, and kick, and holler, and the first thing you know they'll hold their breath, and you'll see a mother grab it, and pet it, and throw it up in the air, blow in its face. Let it alone. There's never been in our medical history one ever died like that. They won't die. He's just having a tantrum. He's trying to get sympathy. He's trying to get some humoring, and it's just a temper spell; and after he gets his temper spell to a place he's held his breath where he can't go no farther with it, then nature steps in, and he relaxes and starts breathing again. All your picking up and screaming just makes hollering and blowing in his face makes him worse.
That's the way it is with us when we travel from church to church, from pillar to post, from healing service to healing service. Glory. Take love and start forward till you get to the end of the road. God will protect...?... When love has met its fill, God's obligated to help. When you've come to your end and man's met their end, then grace takes over. It's God's nature to do so. How I've noticed it, how when I give certain...
26 And excuse this personal testimony now for a minute. You've read the book out there that day in Portland, Oregon, when that maniac run to the platform, and was going to kill me. All of you have read that perhaps in the book. What taken place? God sent me to preach the Gospel. That I was doing. Thousands of people were gathered. The streets was standing full and sixty some odd hundred in the inside and it pouring down rain and the people standing there. Their hearts were longing, hungering. That's when no one else was on the field; tinsel was on the meetings, and they'd have to pull you through crowds and everything else and police escort you to get you in.
I'd been to a room and there led two little officers to Christ over in the dressing room, two young boys on the police force in their early twenties. One of their mother's had been healed the night before, and they both bowed there, and I led them to the Lord Jesus.
27 Walking out on the platform to speak faith, all of a sudden a maniac who had hit a preacher down the street that afternoon, broke out of an institution, broke his collar bone, broke his jaw. He had a mania to kill preachers. He run in and thought, "This was my chance." Up to the platform he come, weighing about two-fifty or two-sixty, nearly six foot ten inches tall, swinging his hands back and forth. He said, "You hypocrite, you snake-in-the-grass." There I was, God's service in order, people being healed, thousands being saved, and plus ministers inspired. This great revival just in its beginning then and start breaking forth across the world... Setting up there, set T. L. Osborn (Amen.), who has won tens of thousands of souls to Christ, setting there pastoring a church with eight or ten in his congregation watching down out of the balcony.
And that maniac run to the platform to disturb the meeting of the Lord, and he said, "You snake-in-the-grass, you hypocrite, and posing yourself as a servant of God; I'll show you tonight you're no servant of God. And I'll break ever bone in your measly little body." And he run up there and pulled back his big fist to hit me. I turned around. Preachers scattered, everything. Stood and he hocked and spit in my face. He said, "You snake-in-the-grass. I'll show you how a servant much God you are, you deceiver."
28 I never said one word. I just looked up at him, and all at once the Holy Spirit, something another... What would you think if a man spit in your face? Why, it was in his temper about to get roused. Sure it would; and here come two cops out, but them two cops...?... with things in their hands to beat the man down to take him off, but I couldn't let them do it. God had brought love in my heart for that mortal being.
I thought, "It's not the man. It's the devil that's got him in that condition. That man could be a normal man. He wants to love and live like other men does, but it's the devil has got him like that." And a love begin to swirl out to that man, and the first thing you know that man dropped and fell across my feet there. When Divine love had been projected, sovereign grace stepped in and took its place. It'll do it every time.
29 Here not long ago when... I might've told you this before. Last year--year before last it is now, I was mowing my yard there, trying to get my yard mowed down, round and round. and I had to stop and change clothes, go in and pray for somebody, come out. Well, and my yard was growed up before I... And the back, before I could get the front mowed, it was growed up, and so I...
One day I was back in the back with an old mowing machine a mowing around on it trying this little power mower. And I forgot that there was a nest of hornets in the corner there, and I ran that mower into that. And at the back yard I had my shirt off, no shirt on. I hit that fence with that mowing machine, and with no shirt on, and in a moment's time I was covered all over with hornets. You know what they are--a big nest of hornets. They'll kill you. Great big big fellows just a buzzing...
Oh, I thought... First it scared me. When all of a sudden, something begin to happen. I begin to quieten down, them hornets still buzzing around. Now, this sounds like a kid, and it sounds like it's juvenile but God in heaven knows whether it's truth or not of Whom I stand...
30 Then instead of trying to fight, and beat, and smack them hornets, there was some kind of a godly love come up over me and I thought, "Poor little fellows. You got a right to build a nest. That's the way God made for you to protect yourself, and I disturbed you, and I'm sorry that I did it. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't disturb you. I didn't mean to do it, but," I said, "I'm the servant of the Lord and His sick children have me pray for them. I got to hurry and mow this yard. Now, if you little creatures of God, in the Name of Jesus Christ go back to your nest. I'll not bother you."
And what was it? It was that I prayed, or I could've been stung to death. And the love of God that give me a new heart, the projecting of love came forth, and sovereign grace taken over. What could tell those hornets, peace...?... And every hornet broke his circle...?... and lined up like a military does its soldiers and went right straight back into their nest.
What was it? I couldn't speak to the hornets. I had no way of speaking to them. How could I keep them from stinging me? I was at the end. But I had love. God gave love to those hornets, and I spoke to them in myself, and the Holy Spirit and sovereign grace guided those hornets right back into their nest.
31 Not far down the road, where a Guernseys there at Henryville one day, this big old bull out here killed a colored man at Burke's farm out here, killed a colored man. Almost killed that...?... boy the same way, throwed him out barn...?... I didn't know. I was patrolling. Supposed to pack a gun. I didn't have it.
One day crossing out there, I was going to go over and pray for some sick person. I went across that field not thinking about that bull being in that field. And I got way out in the middle of the field, what happened? First thing you know I was out by a clump of bushes this big spotted bull his long horns like that, and he let out a roar. I knew that was that killer. I looked back. I was too far from the fence, about two hundred yards; and he wasn't standing thirty or forty feet from me. There he stood, threw his horns down, let out a great bawl. I didn't have no gun or oak tree to get into. I couldn't go back to the fence.
I thought, "Well, this is the end. Bill Branham, here's where you meet your doom to be mauled to death, going to death out here in the field. And I stood there, but all of a sudden something begin to settle down...?... the glory of God. Something come into my heart right there. I just loved that poor animal. It's not that poor animal. It's the devil that makes it do it, and I only know one thing...?...
32 Hear a little I want you to hear it. There's only one thing that will conquer the devil. That's pure, Divine Love. Love will conquer everything. God so loved the world... They conquered the sin question. They conquered the sickness question. It'll conquer the difference in the church. It'll conquer everything there is unrighteous to be conquered. It'll do it if you'll just let it do it.
Friend, when this great animal started towards me, and instead of hating that animal, Brother Mike, I loved him. And I thought, "You are God's creature. Who else could make you but God? And you're laying there peacefully, and I come on your territory with signs up there on the field like they were a part of it. I just cut off my regular territory to go over and pray for a sick man." And there I seen that bull coming, his head just a swaying like that, and he was making for me to kill me; and I knew it, but Divine love begin to come. I thought, "Poor creature. A dumb brute don't know no better. There you lay, and I disturbed you. So now, I am God's servant. You are God's creature. In the Name of Jesus Christ go back and lay down, for I'm on my road to pray for one of God's sick children. Go," I said. "Lay down," and that bull come to me just as hard as he could. No fear. I wasn't a bit more afraid than I would be with Brother Neville setting right here. Just the fear of holy love in my heart.
33 What did it do? It created an atmosphere. When that bull run right into that atmosphere, not over ten feet from him, he stopped and throwed his feet out. He looked like right here so defeated with the most meekest look on his face, and turned around, and walked the other way...?... And I passed within five feet.
What is it? When Divine love is projected, sovereign grace takes over at that time. That was the same God that could stop the lions from coming to Daniel, when they come with the...?... and old Daniel standing there wrapped in the robe of love. The lion's run over and laid down. It was peaceful. I tell you, my brother, when God can wrap you in Divine love, there's peace in the valley for you then. There is...
34 Here some time ago I was coming up from over in Dallas, Texas. I was flying by plane, coming home. We'd had a meeting over there, and on my road, got into a storm, and the plane was forced down at Memphis. And while I was in Memphis they put me up over there at that Peabody Hotel, oh, great swanky place. I kinda felt so out of place. I was up there that night, and stayed all night.
They called me the next morning, and said, "Reverend Branham?"
Said, "Yes."
Said, "The limousine will pick you up now at exactly seven o'clock. The plane will leave at seven-thirty."
I said, "Thank you, sir." Hung up. I got up, prayed, and I thought, "Well, I got time maybe to run to a post office box. Got some mail here I answered last night. I got up and started down the street, going down the street singing:
There are people almost everywhere,
Whose hearts are all on flame
With the fire that fell on Pentecost,
That cleansed and made them clean;
Oh, it's burning now within my heart,
All glory to His Name!
I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.
35 Going down the street with a bunch of letters in my hand, going towards the post office, I felt something strange. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Just like everything just settled down... Oh, what a feeling. I thought, "Oh, my, isn't this wonderful?"
Now, Doc used to sing a little song, "Let Me Walk With The Heavenly Dove, Fill My Way Each Day With Love." I used to think of that and this love begin to poured out, a extra. We got love, but we need the abundance of love, the overflowing of love. You say, "Well, I love sinners." But oh, brother, sister, do you love them well enough to go out and talk to them and woo them to Christ? See what I mean?
You say, "I love the Lord, but can you trust Him with the doctor shakes his head? Can you trust Him when everything else is gone? You need an overflowing baptism of love, Divine love. When it seems like when you pray and your prayer is not answered, do you still love Him? Is there something that keeps purging you on. That's God's sovereign grace has to take over. It's got to. It's God's nature. God can't do nothing else but do that.
36 When God seen the sin of this world, and seen that man was dying without hope and could not be saved, and yet He knowed that man would love Him, it--it strained God, and it proved His nature. God's nature is love. God is love, and it strained God's nature until He had to provide a way of escape for those who want to escape. And He sent His Son to the world made in the likeness of sinful flesh to bear our sins and sickness to Calvary. God did it.
The love of God going out called for sovereign grace. And God never said, "If you'll do it... If you'll do this, I'll do this." God, without any conditions He sent He His Son to die in your place and settle the sin question. Had nothing to do with what you think about it. God did it anyhow. Amen. Divine love, when you're strained sovereign grace has to take its place. That's all there is, when Divine love just sets at the right place.
37 Listen closely. That morning when I got out of the plane... I got out of the hotel, started walking down the street. I was going along singing. All at once something begin to pour down on me, a great shower of love. I thought, "Oh, if I could just only... Oh, I believe the way I feel, if I could just see somebody to pray for." That's the way you feel. When there's something in your heart pouring...?... The other day... May I stop just a moment again?
The other day little Sarah got sick. When we started off, oh, it was so hot, and I'd been up every night, getting about two hours sleep. Delegates from all over the different parts of the world, had to meet this one, and that one, and praying, preaching three times a day. Oh, wore out... I was just going, and then I'd got out, and I had...?... drove a few miles out of the city. And I was supposed to be there early of a morning, and I had to lay down on the side of the road and sleep. Lay down a few minutes and got up and started again. And I just couldn't hold my eyes open trying to plow on to get to this woman across a hot, burning deserts of Nebraska.
Going through there, and I thought... Oh, my, little Sarah just a heaving and a gagging. Poor little thing had been sick all night. The next morning she was so sick, we just had to stop the car, and she was white in her face. And--and I was so tired and wore. I thought, "O God, oh, this situation is terrible? God, looky here. I--I can't drive. I'm so tired, and I've been out yonder with your people trying to do the best I could, and little Sarah's so sick." Well, we went...
38 And I went over there and put my hands on her. I said, "Dear heavenly Father, You give me this child. This is Yours. I only raised her." I laid my hands upon her. Something begin to move down in my heart. That ended the vomiting. She never vomited once more from that day till this.
The second day Becky started real sick like a virus and vomiting. The little thing vomit all night. The next day Meda said, "We'll get them Pepto-Bismol." Poured out a couple of spoons and give it to her. The little thing just vomited it right up. We got into the Tetons. When we hit out of the hot country starting up, she wanted to see the beautiful mountains. She couldn't do it. She was so sick.
I said, "Honey, look here. I want to take... Daddy wants to take your picture so we can see the mountain there."
She said, "Oh, daddy. I feel like I'm dying." And so we give her another Pepto-Bismol. We offered prayer that morning.
Said, "Lord, have mercy." And oh, that didn't do no good. So got up there, and I got her out. I said, "Honey, get out in the fresh air." Cold, she had a little jacket on, snow laying around on the ground. So I got out and she was trying. She said, "Yes, daddy." [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.] And the water just come out of her little mouth. I looked, and her little eyes setting back, and her mouth just as white around it as it could be. I walked over there and looked up towards the mountain. I said, "I'm look unto the hills; from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord." So all at once something begin to purge down in me. Oh, I wish I could have it all the time. I walked over there to the side of the car, opened the door, I said, "Look at your daddy, honey." Oh, my, that settled the vomiting for...?... though. Five minutes from then she was running around playing with Sarah. What is it? When Divine love is projected, sovereign grace takes its place. It has to.
39 Down the street that morning, walking in Memphis, back to my story. But walking down the street in Memphis I was singing to the Lord, and all at once something said, "Stop." And I stopped. All at once It said, "Turn and go back the other way." Well, that was towards the river.
I thought, "Oh, my." I walked through a part. I thought, "Well, I just... Something I just..." You know, you're impressed, you know, a lot of times, and a lot of times people make mistakes by following impressions instead of Divine leadings. So I just started on. I thought, "That was just... that I felt. And there, oh, farther I got, the worse it got. I stepped up in a little side place, looked around at some fishing things, laying there. I thought I'd act like people passing by. I was looking at these fishing things, when I got alone...?... called and left the walk, the group from where the light turns. I said, "Kind heavenly Father, what were You wanting me to do? Was that You moving on my heart? I just feel like I'm bursting on the inside." Just something pouring out...
Something said, "Turn and go back."
I said, "Where to?"
He said, "Turn and go back."
40 Don't make any difference where to. Just keep on going. I turned and started walking back down the street. I walked. I looked at my watch, it still urging me. It past time. Went a little farther, past time, getting pretty near eight o'clock, I thought, "Oh, my, my, my." I'd done got way back down where it was kindly like colored houses, a lot of little colored houses down there, way down.
And I was walking along there. The sun was way up high then, early spring, clouds all gone. I thought, "Well, I missed my... I--I--I missed my plane," but I thought, "O God, it's all right if I missed the plane just as long as You--You... Where You lead me to, Lord. I don't know where You've taken me. Where am I going?" None of my business, just keep on walking.
41 I just walked on; after while I looked hanging out over a gate like this, there was a typical old Aunt Jemima hanging across the gate, and her big, fat cheeks. Had a man's shirt wrapped around her head like this and tied in the back. I was walking along like that, and I got up to her, tears running down her big, fat cheeks like that. She looked over at me, said, "Good morning, parson."
And I said, "Ma'am," said, "good morning."
She kinda grinned and looked at me, tears in her eyes. I thought, "She called me 'parson.'" That's what they call a preacher in the south, you know. And I said, "How did you know I was a parson?"
She said, "I knowed you was coming."
"What?"
She said, "I knowed you was coming."
I said, "I don't understand, auntie. Would you tell me?"
She said, "You know. Did you ever read that story about the Shunammite woman who didn't have any children, and she asked the Lord to give her a child," and said, "and Elisha come and blessed her, and she got a child?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am. I remember that."
She said, "I's was that kind of woman." Said, "I didn't have any children, and I prayed to the Lord; and I told the Lord if He would bless me, and give me a child, then I would raise it for Him." And said, "He give me a child," and said, "I've washed over the washboard (There was a little old haunt there on the side.)" said, "I've washed over the washboard and raised this child."
42 And she said, "When he got big, parson, he--he taken wrong road," and said, "he got out with the wrong company, and he's laying in here dying." And said, "The doctor man was here day before yesterday when he went unconscious and said he could never do no more for him. They'd give him 606, Salvarsan, and everything else, mercury and penicillin. Nothing..." Venereal, syphilis...?... valves out of his heart. And said, "There's nothing that can be done for him." And said, "He was laying in here a dying." And said, "Oh, Lord, I didn't want to see my baby die like that." And said, "I--I--if I could just hear him say that he was saved..." And said, "I prayed, and I prayed for two nights." Said, "This morning about three o'clock," said, "the Lord put me to sleep kneeling on my knees." Said, "I dreamed a dream, that I saw a man come with a light suit on, wearing a little hat, western hat set on the side on his head." I said, "Lord, I was the woman, but where's Your Elijah?"
Said, "Here comes..." Said, "I got right up out of that bed, and I've been standing right here ever since waiting for you."
43 That's the way I dress just exactly. Oh, brother, when Divine love is projected... That mother with her baby, nearly a hundred and eighty pounds, but he was still her baby, laying dying in disgrace. No matter how disgraceful he was, it was her baby. She loved him. That's a mother's love. No matter how much disgrace he'd brought; she still loved him.
And if you can't forget your baby, no matter what done, how much more can God not forget you. He said, "Your names are engraved on the palms of my hands. A mother may forget her suckling babe, but never will I forget you." No matter what you done, how far back you've gone, how much you've got into, God still loves you. God loves you; keep the...?... moving on. Don't worry...?...
44 Then she said--she said, "How I just couldn't do it?" And she said, "Parson, I dreamed a dream, and I saw you coming," and said, "when I looked down the street, and I saw that little light suit and that little hat, setting up on the side of your head," said, "the Spirit said to me, 'There he is.'" She said, "Won't you come in?"
And I thought, "O God." I thought, "Maybe this is where You led me to. This is the reason I was supposed to come. I didn't know. I opened up the gate, and it had a chain and plowpoint on it. I don't know whether you ever seen one or not. I opened up the little old door and went in.
45 Brother, I've been in king's palaces. I've been in the richest homes there is in the world. I've been in some that's multimillionaires worth twenty--as much as twenty-eight million dollars. I've walked on their rugs, when it was chenille from one side to the other, when I could lay down and sleep easy on the doormat in the lovely homes, but there wasn't even a rug on the floor, and a little old poster iron bed setting there. Oh, and here, a little old blanket pulled up over this boy and a sign on the door "God Bless Our Home." I knowed I was in the presence of a Christian home. I knowed I was somewhere where prayer was made, not no pinups on the wall, not no vulgar pictures, but the Bible laying open on the little old marble top table laying there. And a big boy laying there in the bed, covers in his hand going, "Ummmmm, Ummmmm. [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.]"
I thought, "Oh, my." Felt of his feet; it was sticky and cold. Death was on the boy.
And he kept saying, "Oh, so dark. It's so dark."
And I said, "What's he talking about?"
She said, "Parson," said, "him been thinking for a lot of the...?... days now, that he is out on a big sea, lost." Said, "He don't know where he's going." And said, "I was hurting in my heart." Said, "He's going away, and he's lost out on the sea, and he don't know where he's going." Said, "Parson, I've prayed. I've done everything, I've done everything. I don't want him lost, parson. And said, "Last night I was praying."
46 I said, "Auntie, what's wrong with the boy?"
She said, "It's a venereal disease. The doctor man done said he is dying, nothing more can be done." And said. "He unconscious. He's been lost on the sea for two days." She said, "Will you pray for him?
I said, "Auntie, my name is Branham. Did you ever hear of me?"
She said, "No, sir. I don't believe I ever did, parson."
I said, "Well, I'm going to tell you a story." I said, "My ministry is praying for the sick."
She said, "It is?"
I said, "Yes," and I said... Told her about the plane coming down and everything.
And she said, "Is that the truth, parson?"
I said, "Yes."
She said, "Well, I knowed He wouldn't let me down."
I said, "You offer prayer, auntie." And she got down there, and you talk about a prayer. Oh, brother, how that old saint could get a hold of God, and there she prayed till the tears rolled out of her eyes.
I looked up and he still going, "Ummm."
And I said, "Now, auntie, I'll pray. You enter along with me." I put my hands over on his feet; I said, "Heavenly Father, my plane's done gone as far as I know, and here this boy's mother was crying for her baby; and as far as I know this is where You led me to. I pray that You'll be merciful to him."
47 And just about that time I heard him say, "Mammy. Oh, mammy."
She raised up and wiped the tears out of her eyes. She said, "Yes, honey. Mommy's baby feeling better?" Begin to pat him on the head...
He said, "Mama, it's getting light in the room. It's getting light in the room." Sovereign love, and Divine love had been projected to the heart of God. Sovereign grace had to answer in its place.
I think that the poor mother a holding on with her prayers to God, and all of this, and then what happened? God in His grace, God in His mercy would bring an airplane out of the sky and hold it on the ground. The anchor of a heart of a poor ignorant colored woman. When Divine love has been projected, no matter how poor she was, how black she was, how yellow she was...?... she was. When Divine grace is projected, sovereign grace has to take its place. And that love of that old mother there how she cried.
48 And the boy a few... About two years after that I went down, and had been on the train going down. I got off, and went up there to get me a hamburger. They wanted about seventy or eighty cents for it on the plane, and--on the train, and I could buy it for about twenty cents in the little stand. I got off the train and started down. There was a redcap said, "Hello, Parson Branham."
I looked around, and I said, "Good morning, son."
Walked over and said, "Don't you know me?"
I said, "No. I don't believe I do."
Said, "You remember about a few years ago when you come down and prayed for me and my mammy."
I said, "Are you that boy?"
He said, "Yes, sir, Parson Branham." Said, "I's not only healed, but I's saved now. I's a Christian."
Sovereign grace... Yes, sir, brother. I'm telling you; when grace... When God sees love projected, grace has to take its place.
49 A few weeks ago at my house, and you remember. Many of you know when that old opossum, laying across there. And this young girl down here had drowned her baby; and when God gave her a baby, and she didn't want to raise him. She wrapped it in a blanket, and throwed it out there, and drowned it in the river. I said, "That is a mother that's lower than a dog. An animal wouldn't do it." And that the sovereign love of God will--could be projected to an animal, how much more can it be projected to a man or a woman. That's right.
And this old mother opossum making her way up that lane. You know the story, and how she come in and laid there at my steps for twenty-four hours, me not even knowing nothing about it. Brother Wood and them, setting back there and Sister Wood with mercy for the thing, said, "Brother Branham, why do you let it suffer, and them poor little baby opossums drinking that old milk from her and her laying there dead." Said, "Why don't you kill them, Brother Branham or destroy the old mother?"
She wasn't quite dead. She was... You could punch her and she'd--you'd get a move out of her. And there she laid there all night.
50 And the next day little old Becky there, she come out. She said, "Daddy..." Oh, it was at morning about daylight. She said, "What are you going to do with that opossum, daddy?" Said, "I just been thinking about it all night."
I said, "So have I, Becky." I went down in the room. I said, "Go on back and go to bed, honey. It's too early for you to get up." I'd set out there in the den room, and I thought, "Well," begin to rub my forehead. I thought I had to do something for that old opossum. I don't know what to do."
Then I heard a voice, insomuch, that I wasn't even expecting it. Right there where them apples come down that morning for Brother Hall when he was healed with cancer, there where the sick and afflicted's been healed, I was setting in the little den room. I heard a voice say, "I sent her to you. She's laid like a lady for twenty-four hours for her time to be prayed for, and you've never said a word to Me about it."
I said, "Well, I didn't even know it." I said, "Well, You mean that You--You sent that opossum there?" I thought, "What's the matter with me? Am I talking to myself?" I caught myself talking back to Him.
51 I walked out there where Becky was still looking through the door. I walked over to where that old opossum there, and dew all over her and everything else. I said, "Heavenly Father, if You sent that poor ignorant opossum, if You sent her here, somehow I'd put in my heart a love for her, being a mother, that I couldn't kill it, couldn't kill her babies. And sovereign grace to teach a lesson to people, that they ought to know, has brought her here. And God, I pray in Christ's Name that You'll heal her."
And that old opossum with her legs blowed full of maggots and so dragging it behind her, and swelled twice its size, stood upon that leg, and picked up those babies in her pocket, walked down through there just as normal as any beast you ever seen walk to the lane, as if to turn around and say, "Thank you, kind sir." And so far as I know, they live happy with her babies today. Why? When Divine love is projected, sovereign grace takes its place.
52 My brother, sister...?... only got one thing to do in your life: That's love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind, and believe ever Word He said is the Truth. And when you come to the end of your road, where you can't go any farther, then Divine, sovereign grace will be projected. How could I talk, here laying yonder, when Mayo Brothers had give me up, setting on the side of the porch, over there, with Brother Cox setting by me. Wanted to know what...?... I couldn't even stand it any longer, but...?...
1 ... práve keď sme odišli zo zhromaždenia a išli sme navštíviť jednu ženu, priateľku našej pani Dobblemanovej, v Edmontone, v Alberte. Nachádzali sme sa dvadsať míľ od Kanadskej hranice, keď sme dostali správu, že môj brat zomiera. Tak sme sa hneď obrátili, išli sme cez snehovú búrku, hneď sme sa vydali naspäť domov. Cestovali sme jedenásť dní. Išli sme dlho do večera, dlho do noci sme boli hore a ráno sme zavčasu vstávali, je to veľmi únavné.
Ale len čo som sa spojil s mamou, keď sme prišli na miesto, odkiaľ som jej znovu mohol zavolať, povedala: "Bol tu brat Neville." Ľudia, to je ozajstný pastor. Mali by sme si to ceniť.
Možno, že vaši blízki sa nikdy nedostali do takého stavu, možno. Ale v kritickej hodine, keď viete, že sa niečo stalo, a viete že váš priateľ bude na vás pamätať ... A on bežal ku môjmu bratovi. A vtedy, keď som odišiel ... Hneď keď som prišiel, len som sa prezliekol a išiel som tam. Koho som tam našiel na modlitbe, ak nie brata Nevilleho; modlil sa tam s Howardom. Som mu za to vďačný.
2 A radšej to poviem hneď tu na pódiu, ako som stále hovoril: "Radšej ti dám teraz ružový púčok, než ako celý veniec, potom keď zomrieš." Teraz je na to čas. A ja si cením brata Nevilleho. A viem, všetci v tomto zbore vieme, že on je statočný pastor. Ukážte mu, ako si ho ceníte. Zodvihnite takto ruky ku Bohu. To je ono. Ďakujem. To je skutočne niečo, čo ...
Išiel som domov a povedal som žene: "Drahá, keď som tam prišiel a zaklepal na dvere ... Prešiel som cez chodbu a pozrel som sa na diagram a videl som, že jeho stav bol skutočne vážny. A išiel som tam a vo vnútri som niečo počul. Zaklepal som na dvere. Myslel som si, že niekto sa tam rozpráva. Našiel som ho ako sedí v posteli s Bibliou, a obidvaja mali sklonené svoje hlavy a modlili sa ku Bohu, a keď som tam vošiel, hneď som sa mohol ku ním pripojiť a modliť sa s nimi."
A tiež, na modlitbe hovorím Bohu, že si cením skutočného priateľa a skutočného pastora. A nech brat Neville žije dlho na tomto svete, a nech slúži Pánovi. A verím, že Boh ho tu zachová veľa, veľa rokov, aby Mu slúžil, niekto, kto je statočný. To ma dojalo viac, než čokoľvek, čo som za dlhý čas videl.
3 No, väčšinou ... Nedeľná škôlka s deťmi ešte neskončila, ešte sú tam. Tak sa možno budeme modliť za chorých. Neohlasoval som, že prídem, a že sa budem modliť za chorých, ale ak sú tu niektorí, ktorí chcú, aby sme sa za nich modlili, tak sa budeme za nich modliť.
No, keby sem teraz mohla prísť sestra Gertie a zahrať nám - Ten Veľký Lekár. A my budeme prosiť nášho Nebeského Otca, aby požehnal tých, ktorí Ho dnes potrebujú. Potom chceme aby ... Všetci, ktorí sú chorí a nachádzajú sa v potrebe, nech sa tu potom postavia okolo oltára.
Ak sa nemýlim, je toto tu Nellie Sandersová? Ó! Nech ťa Boh žehná, Nelie. Pred dvadsiatymi piatimi rokmi mala šelest srdca. Nech ťa Boh žehná, Nelie. Keď som sa pred chvíľou pozrel do publika padol mi na teba zrak, a nechcel som aby si si myslela ...Odvrátil som pohľad, aby som tak uprene nehľadel a znovu som sa pozeral, a zdalo sa mi, že vyzeráš ako Nelie.
4 Nikto z vás sa na ňu asi nepamätá. Myslím, že niekto z vás ... Koľkí sa pamätáte na Nellie Sandersovú? No, samozrejme. Ona bola jedna z prvých, ktorí sem chodili do zhromaždenia. Ona a moja nebohá žena, boli blízke priateľky a sestry v Kristovi. A oni ... Ona sa tu vydala za jedného z amerických dobrovoľníkov, za dôstojníka v tomto hnutí. A on, náš brat, odišiel ku Bohu a zanechal ju, myslím, že s dvoma chlapcami, s deťmi. Niektorý z nich ešte stále chodí do školy. A Nellie sa sama prebíja životom, a prichádza do veku, keď je človek nervózny a rozrušený. Volala mi keď som bol vo Phonixe, v Arizone, na zhromaždení, aby som sa za ňu modlil. Nelie, veľa vecí siaha až do toho času, keď tu na podlahe boli piliny, a chodili ste sem ty a Hope, to Adcockove dievča, a mnohí iní. Prešlo od vtedy veľa rokov, dvadsať päť rokov. Prechádza to okolo mňa. Rýchlo nám ubieha tá cesta. Je to tak. No, nech je Boh teraz s tebou.
5 Kto je chorý a chce sem prísť a zastať si ku oltáru, aby sme sa za neho modlili, náš pastor a ja sa spolu budeme za vás modliť. Poďte dopredu. A potom za chvíľu ... Hneď po tomto budem kázať krátke posolstvo, len pre vás. Prajeme si, aby ste tu mohli zostať. Zhromaždenie nedeľnej školy zakončíme modlitbou za chorých, a potom hneď prejdeme do ďalšej služby Slovom, a mám ešte niekoľko ohlásení, ktoré chcem povedať.
Tento veľký Lekár je teraz blízko;
Súcituplný Ježiš;
On potešuje smutné srdcia;
Nikto iný než Ježiš.
No, ak budeme mať teraz medzi sebou skutočné obecenstvo, a budeme sa modliť o uzdravenie, jeden za druhého, vieme, že Boh je tu, a zasľúbil, že nám odpovie.
[Brat Neville hovorí bratovi Branhamovi: "Jedna sestra chce, aby sme sa za ňu pomodlili." – pozn.prekl.] Dobre, to je v poriadku, pôjdeme tam a pomodlíme sa za ňu, tá pani sedí tam. Samozrejme. Dobre, brat Neville, išiel by si mi pomôcť? A teraz buďte úctiví, ako len môžete. Títo malí idú na svoje miesta. A modlime sa teraz, aby potom, keď pôjdeme dole, pomazať chorých a postihnutých, aby sme mali vieru v Boha, aby sme verili. Aby sme verili, že Boh to učiní.
6 A vy všetci, ktorí tu počúvate, ktorí ste dnes ráno zdraví a nepotrebujete prísť ku oltáru. Pamätajte len, že to bola Božia milosť, ktorá vás sem priviedla. Modlite sa za týchto, ktorí sú tu pri oltári, mladí aj starí A ako máme tu v zhromaždení vo zvyku, posielame pastora, ktorý ich pomazáva olejom. Modlíme sa za nich, a potom posielame pastora, ktorý ich pomazáva. Ja idem s ním, kladiem na chorých ruky, zatiaľ čo ich on pomazáva olejom. To je podľa Písma: "Pomažte chorého olejom v mene Pánovom. Klaďte na nich ruky, a budú uzdravení." To je podľa Písma!
A teraz, keď sa budeme modliť spolu za chorých, skloňte všetci svoje hlavy.
7 Náš nebeský Otče, v pokore prichádzame teraz do tvojej Božskej prítomnosti, za chorých, ktorí sú v potrebe, za tých, ktorí si sami nemôžu pomôcť. Otče, a mnohým z nich už lekári nemôžu pomôcť. Nič sa nedá urobiť, jedine že im bude poskytnutá Tvoja milosť. Bože, prosím dnes pokorne, z celého svojho srdca, spolu s týmto malým zborom, aby ten veľký Duch Svätý, ktorý je teraz prítomný, potvrdil Slovo Ježiša Krista, ktorý povedal: "Kde sa dvaja alebo traja zhromaždia v mojom mene, ja budem v ich strede. Za čokoľvek budú prosiť, ohľadne akejkoľvek veci, dostanú to." To je Tvoje večné Slovo, Pane, ktoré bolo povedané ešte pred založením sveta, a bolo nám dané cez Proroka, cez samého Syna Božieho.
Otče, veľmi Ťa prosíme, aby si uzdravil chorých, uspokojil potreby tých, ktorí sú tu okolo oltára. Prosím, aby si dal teraz každému jednému zvláštne požehnanie vo viere. Že keď ich pôjdeme, tvoj sluha a ja, pomazávať olejom a klásť na nich ruky, nech Duch Svätý hlboko v ich srdci vzbudí vierou, a nech každý zostane uzdravený. Prosíme to v Kristovom mene a pre Neho.
8 A teraz majte sklonené svoje hlavy a modlite sa každý jeden a pastor a ja ideme. [Prázdne miesto na páske. Brat Branham a brat Neville sa modlia za chorých. – pozn.prekl.]
Nebo aj zem sú plné Teba;
Nebo a zem Ti chválu vzdáva;
Ó Pane, Najvyšší.
Náš nebeský Otče, ďakujeme ti teraz za lekciu nedeľnej školy, ktorá povzbudila naše srdcia. Nech sa opášeme dnes ráno a odídeme z väzníc nevery a nech sme voľní keď pôjdeme. Vieme, že anjel Pánov pôjde pred nami, a bude potvrdzovať Božie Slovo, a oslobodí každého z nás z väzenia strachu, choroby, úzkosti a nemoci, a utrpenia, lebo Boh to zasľúbil. Každý, kto je dnes ráno uväznený vo svojom stave, nech práve dnes zasvieti na nich svetlo Božie, a nech odídu z tadeto ako zdraví ľudia. Ďakujeme Ti za posolstvo a za tvoje Slovo, za vedenie Ducha Svätého. Otče, udeľ nám tieto požehnania, a buď teraz s nami, keď budeme dnes ráno kázať toto krátke posolstvo, ktoré má byť povedané. Prosíme to v Kristovom mene. Amen.
9 A teraz za chvíľu, kvôli tým, ktorí teraz musia odísť, vstaňme za chvíľu a zaspievajme pieseň. Ber so sebou meno Ježiš. Tí, ktorí musia odísť môžu ísť. Tí, ktorí môžu zostať ďalších tridsať minút, budeme radi, keď zostanete. No dobre.
Ber so sebou meno Ježiš ;
Dieťa žalosti a ...
(Obráťte sa a potraste si ruky s niekým, kto stojí pri vás.)
Dá ti radosť a pokoj;
Vezmi ho kdekoľvek ideš.
Drahé meno, drahé meno, ó aké sladké!
Nádej zeme a radosť ...
Amen. Sadnite si. A nech vás všetkých Pán naozaj bohato žehná. Všimol som si, máme tu niekoľko kusov Hlasu viery, ten malý program, noviny od brata Jozefa Bozeho z Chicaga, veľmi dobrý brat. Stále ... Mali sme pekné obecenstvo, jeden s druhým. Stále keď ideme do Chicaga prežijeme pekné chvíle. Znovu sme s ním práve boli pred niekoľkými dňami. A oni sú zadarmo. Len prídite, dostanete jedny, po zhromaždení. Tu sú položené.
10 No, sme radi, keď vidíme, že mnohí z vás obetovali Kristovi svoj čas a ešte tu zostali. Rád by som vám niečo povedal, keď som tu s vami. Som unavený. Mám slabý hlas. Mal som veľké zhromaždenia. V Indiánopolis bolo veľké, mocné zhromaždenie. A ten večer sme boli takí šťastní, keď sme videli ako prichádzajú dopredu stovky ľudí, aby odovzdali svoje srdcia Kristovi. Sedelo tam okolo desať tisíc ľudí. A Russel Ford a ostatní, boli takí dojatí. A práca, ktorú pred rokmi začal brat Cadle, stále pokračuje.
Viete, rád by som mal niekedy také podobné miesto. To je jedno z najväčších miest, aké som videl, ako to bolo zariadené. A na tom niečo je. Hádam som temperamentný. Keď vidím ako niekto začal veľkú prácu, spolucítim s tým.
11 No, som zachrípnutý, boli sme v horách, chceli sme navštíviť jednu chorú ženu, našu priateľku, hore v Kanade. Už sme mali prejsť cez hranicu, keď som dostal správu, že môj brat zomiera, a vrátili sme sa naspäť. A išli sme deň a noc, desať dní sme strávili v aute. Tak si viete predstaviť ako sa dnes ráno cítim.
Ale, všetkým vám znovu ďakujem, že ste sa modlili za môjho brata, vyzerá, že sa znovu zotavuje. Boh mu dal ďalšiu šancu. A tak vám ďakujem, a za všetko chválim Boha.
Ešte treba rozhodnúť veľa veľkých vecí. Ukazuje sa cesta po svete. Afrika mi svieti do tváre, a pozvania z rôznych miest, že až neviem kde sa vydať, všade, všade. A je okolo, najmenej desať alebo aj viac, veľkých, významných konferencií, ktoré majú byť práve teraz, a každý ma volá, aby som prišiel. Za dvadsať štyri hodín sa musím nejako rozhodnúť, kde pôjdem. A tak sa za mňa modlite. Modlite sa za mňa. Potrebujem vaše modlitby.
12 Vypnem na chvíľu tento ventilátor, dúfam že vám to tu vpredu príliš nevadilo.
Bol som vystavený toľkým rôznym veciam, na svojich cestách pre Pána, všetkým rôznym podmienkam, chorobám a malomocenstvu. A objímal som sa s malomocnými, podával som si s nimi ruky, stretával som sa s ľuďmi, ktorí trpeli na všetky rôzne choroby. A išiel som ku ním na izolačky a do táborov, a všade, takmer po celom svete. A už nie som chlapec. Dúfam, že to viete, blížim sa ku ...
Dopočul som sa, keď som bol v Indiánopolis, že brat Bosworth, ktorý má skoro deväťdesiat rokov, že do srdca sa mu dostala krvná zrazenina. Zápasil o život, odpadol do bezvedomia. Pani Bosworthová volala, aby sme sa za neho modlili. Išiel som tam, oznámili sme to a začali sme sa modliť. Na druhý deň mi zavolal a vravel: "Rád by som išiel niekedy s tebou na zhromaždenie." A ja sa tu tak cítim, a mám štyridsať sedem rokov, môžem sa za seba hanbiť, ale ja len ... To je hádam len tá ľudská stránka.
Ale, ó, aké je to cenné, a aké nádherné! Nieto nič lepšie, ako byť spasený, byť spasený! Ale priateľ, ty si to neuvedomuješ. Som si istý, že diabol sa stará, ako len môže, aby to pred tebou ukryl, aby si si neuvedomil akú cenu má duša. Predstavil si si vôbec niekedy čo to je, a čo znamená večnosť, a ako dlho budeš takýto? Uvedomuješ si to? Toto je čas, kedy sa rozhoduješ, kde budeš tráviť večnosť.
13 Zdá sa mi, že minulú nedeľu som tu kázal o istote, o moci, ktorú Boh zasľúbil; a ako vás ustanovil a povolal pred založením sveta, a zapísal vaše mená do svojej Knihy. Vy ste nemohli na tom nič urobiť. Boh to urobil. Nie je to ohromné? Baránok bol zabitý pred založením sveta, a (prečo?) to sa nestalo až po štyroch tisícoch rokoch. Ale, Boh, keď to povedal, On to musel urobiť, pretože On musí dodržať svoje Slovo. A v tom istom čase, keď bol Baránok zapísaný, vaše ... vy ste boli zapísaní s Ním. Naše mená boli zapísané do Baránkovej Knihy Života, nie ten večer, keď sme prišli ku Kristovi, ale pred založením sveta. To hovorí Biblia. Vidíte? Tak to je istota. A brat sa toho dnes ráno dotkol pri čítaní na nedeľnej škole, bolo to ohromné.
14 No, prečítajme niečo z Písma, len na krátku ... Chcem ... len niečo čo mám na srdci. Rád by som o tom niekoľko minút hovoril, a potom zakončíme. A očakávame, že večer budeme mať znovu zhromaždenie. A teraz, mám na srdci posolstvo, keď nabudúce prídem, a chcem, ak dá Pán, ak tu budem na budúcu nedeľu, aby som to prvý krát priniesol tu v zhromaždení. Len niečo čo mám na srdci, ohľadne času.
Vošiel som do jednej reštaurácie, aby som niečo zjedol. A myslel som si - No, či strácam rozum? Čo sa so mnou deje? Nemôžem zniesť túto hudbu a všetko toto čo tu dnes majú, tieto bláznivé ženy, ktoré spievajú: "Dole z paláca zo slonovej kosti," alebo ... a všetko toto. Niečo nie je so mnou v poriadku.
A Duch Svätý povedal: "Ó, nie. Ó, nie. Ak miluješ svet, alebo veci toho sveta, nie je v tebe láska Božia."
Tak som si pomyslel - Dobre, potom sa nechcem prispôsobiť tomuto svetu. To je dobre.
A potom mi Duch Svätý začal zjavovať toto posolstvo. Dnes ráno som nemal čas; a pritom som bol veľmi unavený. Možno, ak bude vôľa Pánova, na budúcu nedeľu, ak tu ešte stále budeme. Tento týždeň mám niekoľko výjazdov. Ale ak tu ešte budem na budúcu nedeľu, keď bude vôľa Pánova. Brat Neville to ohlási vo svojom vysielaní, v sobotu. A my tu budeme, budem sa snažiť priniesť toto posolstvo. A chcem, pokúsim sa to nejako priniesť. To je posolstvo evanjelia na tento deň, hodinu a sezónu.
15 Pred šiestymi mesiacmi som predpovedal, že toto bol pre Ameriku záverečný rok. A budeme vidieť či je to tak, podľa Evanjelia, alebo nie. Toto je čas, keď je s ňou koniec. Tento rok buď pôjde hore alebo dole. Je to tak.
No, vy deti, chcem aby ste si priniesli kus papiera, a zapísali si to na prázdnu stranu vo svojej Biblii, že možno keď tu už brat Branham nebude, budete vidieť, či je to pravda alebo nie. Vidíte? A budete vedieť, či Pán stále ku mne hovorí, alebo nie.
A teraz, v liste Rimanom vo 4. kapitole, chcem čítať len, časť Slova, aby sme na ňom pokračovali.
Čo tedy povieme o Abrahámovi, o svojom praotcovi, ... že čo našiel podľa tela?
Lebo ak bol Abrahám ospravedlnený zo skutkov, má sa čím chváliť, ale nie u Boha.
Lebo veď čo hovorí Písmo? A Abrahám uveril Bohu, a bolo mu to počítané za spravodlivosť.
Tomu však, kto robí skutky, nepočíta sa mzda podľa milosti, ale podľa podlžnosti.
Ale tomu, kto nerobí skutkov, ale verí na toho, ktorý ospravedlňuje bezbožného, počíta sa jeho viera za spravodlivosť.
A nech Pán pridá svoje požehnanie do Slova.
16 Táto krátka téma, ak by sa to tak mohlo nazvať, to o čom vám chcem hovoriť, je - Božská láska. A keď sa Božská láska prejavila a dosahuje svoj cieľ, nastupuje zvrchovaná milosť. Vidíte? No, dokážete si to predstaviť? Zamyslite sa teraz nad tým, aby sme to mohli dobre pochopiť. Vidíte? Keď je prejavená Božská láska a dosahuje svoj cieľ, potom zavládne zvrchovaná milosť.
Je to zvláštne, ako tí ľudia ... takíto ľudia, a ako sa medzi sebou správame ... No, všetci sa musíme zmieriť s touto skutočnosťou, že sú ľudia s ktorými ste radi, a sú ľudia, dobrí ľudia a máte ich radi, ale pri tom, s tým človekom je niečo, že len ťažko môžete s nimi vydržať.
17 Chceme hovoriť o tejto skutočnosti. Príčinou toho je atmosféra, ktorú ten jednotlivec, on alebo ona, vytvárajú. Pretože ste miniatúrnym stvoriteľom, lebo ste synovia a dcéry Božie. Bez ohľadu na to, ako hlboko ste klesli do hriechu, stále ste synovia a dcéry Božie. Pretože ste upadnutí, vo svojej duši a v mysliach ste zdegenerovaní. Ale Boh je váš stvoriteľ. A vo svojom upadnutom stave ste stratení, ste zničené Božie stvorenie, nad ktorým vládne diabol. Je to tak. Ale stále ste synovia a dcéry Božie.
On nechce aby niekto z vás zahynul, ale aby všetci mohli prísť ku pokániu. Vidíte? A On urobil všetko, aby umožnil ... Toto mohol urobiť jedine sám Boh, aby dal možnosť svojmu stvoreniu, aby ste to prijali a stali ste sa tým, čím On chce. Aby ste znovu boli vo svojom správnom stave.
A nikto ... No počúvajte, je to dosť ostré, ale nikto nie je celkom duševne zdravý, až kým neprijal Pána Ježiša. To je hlboké slovo, ale je to pravda. Nikto nie je duševne zdravý, až kým neprijal Pána Ježiša ako osobného Spasiteľa. Znie to ... Ale, to je Biblia. Skutočne. Je to pravda.
18 To je ten zdravý. A vy ako stvorená bytosť ... Vy pre ten svet budete blázon, keď to robíte. Pretože musíte vyjsť z atmosféry v ktorej ste, a vojsť do tejto inej atmosféry. Keď to robíte, Boh vás dvíha zo sveta a žijete v nebeskej atmosfére. Vidíte? A potom ste iní, ako je svet. Vidíte? A toto je nezhodné so svetom. Vidíte? A to čo chcete je, aby ste boli skrze Krista pozdvihnutí do atmosféry, kde ste šťastní, pokojní. A potom, tam, vytvárate situáciu ... A my mnohokrát v zboroch ... Toto môže vyzerať divne, ale ak budete dávať na to pozor ... No, toto je pre cirkev. To je pre ľudí.
Ľudia prijímajú ducha jeden od druhého, namiesto toho, aby prijali Ducha Svätého. Choďte do nejakej skupiny ľudí, a pozorujte ako sa správa ten človek. A prvé čo zistíte, že tí ľudia, ktorí chodia do toho zhromaždenia sa správajú tak isto. Vy stále ... Zoberte dobrú ženu a zlého muža; a on buď bude cítiť ... On sa buď stane dobrým mužom, alebo ona zlou ženou. Cez atmosféru, v ktorej žijete, ukazujete svojmu okoliu čím ste.
19 Akým druhom ľudí potom máme byť, keď sme kresťania? V akej atmosfére máme žiť? Máme žiť v potešovaní, v ukľudňovaní, v atmosfére uzdravovania, v srdci sa máme stále modliť, s hlbokou láskou ku každému, s kým prichádzame do styku. A to je ...
Keď to takto poviem, malému zboru, ktorý sa za mňa modlí, za misiu vo svete, to je môj úspech, keď sa modlím za chorých. Ak nedokážem spolucítiť v nemoci s tou osobou, tak to väčšinou nič nepomôže. Musíte sa vžiť, že až to ... A sami to cítite.
20 Ako napríklad, keď raz prišiel na pódium starý Mexičan. Pribehol tam na pódium, mal toľko viery, padol na zem a vytiahol ruženec. Povedal som mu cez prekladateľa, brata Espinosa, že to netreba. Tak vstal, hmatal okolo rukami, začal takto chodiť. Bol slepý. Díval som sa na neho. Pozrel som sa na jeho zvráskavené chodidlá, možno nikdy v živote nemal na nohách topánky. Pozrel som sa na svoje, aby som videl, či by mu boli dobré. Dal by som mu svoje topánky. Bol slepý. A keď som sa pozrel, bol širší v ramenách. Veľký muž, mohol vážiť možno okolo deväťdesiat kilo. Môj kabát by mu bol malý. A ako tam stál, a díval som sa na jeho šedivé vlasy, pomyslel som si na svojho otca. Pomyslel som si: "Keby otec bol žil bol by asi v takomto veku, bol by asi takýto starý, ako tento človek, okolo šesťdesiat päť alebo sedemdesiat rokov." A ako som takto rozmýšľal, začal som cítiť lásku ku tomu človeku.
"Možno nikdy v živote sa dobre nenajedol. Možno nikdy v živote nesedel za stolom, a všetko toto, a pri tom ešte chodí stále v tme." Vtedy mi niečo vstúpilo do srdca. Bože buď mu milostivý. Je to človek. Je to brat. Vtedy keď to prichádza, niečo sa dáva do pohybu. Okolo vás sa odohráva stvorenie a vy ... a to sa prenášalo na tohoto človeka.
21Za chvíľu som ho počul, že mi ponad plecia niečo kričí. A on kričal: "Ja vidím, ja vidím." Čo to bolo? Skrze Ducha Svätého bola tomuto človekovi prejavená Božská láska, súcit. A skrze to, na konci cesty, kde nemohol ... Nič sa nedalo urobiť. A láska prišla na svoje miesto, a láska sa stretla s láskou, a potom začala účinkovať zvrchovaná milosť. A Boh, skrze zvrchovanú milosť prinavrátil tomu slepému mužovi zrak. Vidíte?
Prv musíte vojsť do tej situácie. Takto to musíte robiť pri hriešnikovi. Mnoho ľudí sa modlí za hriešnikov. To je dobre. Ale to nie je spôsob, ako získať hriešnika. Vašou úlohou je získať hriešnika. Vy ho nezískate tým, že sa budete za neho modliť. Získate ho, získate ho tým, že sa s ním budete rozprávať a predstavíte mu Krista. To je vašou úlohou. To je vaša povinnosť, získať hriešnikov, tým že budete s nimi hovoriť. A budete im prejavovať Božiu lásku, cez Slovo Božie, to premáha hriešnikov.
22 Niekto povie: "Ja by som neišiel do zboru. Ja mám skutočne rád tú ženu. Mám rád toho muža." Vidíte? Pretože vy ich získavate. Ak ste zostali doma a len ste sa modlili za hriešnika, nikdy ste s ním neprišli do styku, tam môže byť urobené len veľmi málo. Ale vy sa musíte modliť a potom ísť. To je ono. Choď a rob to.
Prejavuj túto lásku. Pred pár dňami som počúval svedectvo jedného veľkého oráča, ktorý stál na pódiu. No, sedelo tam na pódiu veľa obchodníkov z celého sveta, sedeli na pódiu, a tento oráč sa postavil a povedal: "No, nevedel som prečo som musel byť operovaný." Mám rád toho človeka. A on je veľký nasledovník brata Robertsa, nášho priateľa. A tak, keď ...
Povedal: "Keď som zistil, že som chorý a že mám kamene, ľadvinové kamene ... bol som práve na večeri s bratom Oralom." A povedal: "Brat Oral vstal a povedal - No brat, vidím že máš ťažkosti, pomodlím sa za teba."
A povedal: "Dobre, chvála Pánovi! Práve som ti to chcel povedať, brat Oral." A povedal, že Oral pristúpil ku nemu položil ruky na jeho ľadviny a povedal: "Karhám tento ľadvinový kameň, aby hneď opustil tohoto človeka." A povedal: "Keď sa pomodlil, cítil som ako sa mi uľavilo. Ale za chvíľu sa to znovu vrátilo."
23 Povedal: "Znovu som išiel za bratom Oralom a on sa znovu modlil. Uľavilo sa mi, ale zakaždým sa to vrátilo a bolo to horšie." A povedal: "Potom som si ďalej pomyslel, že čo keby som zašiel za bratom Branhamom a postavil sa pred neho, a Duch Svätý by prišiel na neho, a on by mi potom povedal prečo som nezostal uzdravený, keď sa brat Oral za mňa modlil."
Tak sa vydal na cestu a prišiel do Louisiany. Mal som tam zhromaždenie. A stál som pred ním dvadsať minút. Duch Svätý bol nemý, nič nepovedal. Modlil som sa za neho a on povedal, že sa cítil lepšie a išiel dole. Potom odišiel ... Začal byť nervózny, rozrušený. Chodil z miesta na miesto, za každým, - Modli sa za mňa, modli sa za mňa. A on miloval Pána. Ale nakoniec, to prišlo do takého stavu, že bol ... previezli ho na kliniku Mayo. Tam ho vyšetrili a povedali: "Máte jednu šancu z tisíca, aby ste to prežili. Povstala z toho infekcia. Celé vaše telo je otrávené a uremické." A zabudol som čo všetko. Povedali: "Máte jednu šancu z tisíca."
Tak, povedal - dal som sa operovať. Modlil som sa: "Ó, Bože, Ty vieš, že Ťa milujem. A bol som u všetkých tvojich sluhov." A prijal tú šancu, a oni ho uspali. A povedal, že keď sa tam v tej izbe prebudil, že bola naplnená Svetlom a okolo neho bola Sláva Božia. A doktori boli prekvapení. Prišli ku nemu a povedali: "Čo sa to tu stalo?"
Povedal: "Cítim sa tak, že by som mohol ísť domov." Čo to bolo? Vidíte, on staval svoju nádej na tom, že: "Ak sa mi niekedy niečo stane pôjdem za bratom Robertsom. Ak to nepomôže, pôjdem za bratom Branhamom." A pritom miloval Pána Ježiša.
24 Boh musel spraviť aby všetko zlyhalo, musel ho položiť na posteľ, ešte aj doktor povedal - my nič nemôžeme urobiť. A potom keď Božská láska prišla do svojho konca, vošla do toho zvrchovaná milosť a zaujala svoje miesto. To vždy bude tak fungovať; ak sú vaše motívy správne, ak sú vaše alternatívy správne, ak budete mať Božskú lásku, a budete veriť, kráčať vpred, nebudete nič pochybovať. Keď to prichádza, zdá sa akoby prišiel koniec cesty, a vtedy zvrchovaná milosť zaujme svoje miesto.
Takto som to videl fungovať. Takto som si to všimol vo svojom vlastnom živote. A nie len cez teológiu, ani nie cez nejaké ... cez prežitie niekoho iného. Som tak rád, že to dnes môžem hovoriť zo svojho vlastného prežitia, že viem že je to pravda. Prečo sa potom bojíme? Keď vieme, že láska Kristova Božským spôsobom odpočíva v našom srdci, že sme prešli zo smrti do Života, ani všetci démoni z pekla nemajú žiadnu šancu tým pohnúť, ani pri smrti, ak budete zotrvávať v tej láske a vo viere. To je ako malé dieťa. Zoberte malé dieťa ... Ukážem vám, že tak to tí malí môžu obdržať.
25 Aha, tu pred nami sedí pani Kelyová. Keď tam do nich narazil ten opitý vojak, myslím že to tak bolo. A zodvihli ju tu, ako mŕtvu. Potom ju zaviezli do nemocnice, v bezvedomí. Keď všetko zlyhalo, a ona bola na svojej ceste ... A ešte s láskou Božou vo svojom srdci, ona sa prevrátila. Vošiel som tam v ten deň, a potom po Božskej láske sa prejavila zvrchovaná milosť, a ona tu sedí dnes ráno medzi nami živá. Vidíte. Vidíte, to je niečo čo sa stalo.
Keď prídete na koniec svojej cesty, keď prídete tam, kde sa už nemôžete pohnúť, vtedy je čas, keď prichádza Boh, skrze zvrchovanú milosť, to čo hľadáte. Zoberte malé dieťa, nemluvňa. Oni robia malé kŕčovité pohyby, a budú kričať a kopať, a robiť hluk, a potom zistíte, že sa im až zastaví dych, a budete vidieť, že matka ho rýchlo vezme a ťapká ho a dáva ho na vzduch, fúka do tváre. Nechajte ho tak. Nikdy v lekárskej histórii sa nestalo, že by dieťa na toto zomrelo. Oni nezomrú. Ono sa len zlostí. Snaží sa získať súcit. Snaží sa dosiahnuť, aby ste mu vyhoveli, a to je len prejav hnevu; a potom keď prejav jeho hnevu príde až tam, že už nemôže nabrať dych, že už s tým ďalej nemôže ísť, potom zasahuje príroda a on si oddýchne a znovu začne dýchať. Všetko vaše natriasanie a panika, robí len viacej hluku a fúkanie mu do tváre, to mu robí len horšie.
Tak je to s nami keď prechádzame z cirkvi do cirkvi, od jedného ku druhému, z jedného uzdravovacieho zhromaždenia do druhého. Sláva. Zoberte lásku a kráčajte vpred, až kým neprídete na koniec cesty. Boh premietne ...?... Keď láska vykonala svoje, Boh je zaviazaný pomôcť. Keď ste prišli ku svojmu koncu a ľudia prišli ku koncu, potom nastupuje milosť. Boh to tak robí, to je jeho povaha. Ako som si to všimol, ako keď som hovoril niektoré ...
26 A prepáčte mi, že teraz za chvíľu poviem toto osobné svedectvo. Čítali ste tú knihu, ako tam vtedy v Portlande v Oregone pribehol na pódium ten šialenec a chcel ma zabiť. Možno že všetci ste čítali tú knihu. Čo sa stalo? Boh ma poslal kázať evanjelium. To som robil. Bolo zhromaždené tisíce ľudí. Na uliciach stálo plno ľudí a vo vnútri bolo niečo povyše šesť tisíc, a pršalo a ľudia tam stáli. V srdciach túžili, boli hladní. Vtedy ešte nikto nebol na misijnom poli; ... na zhromaždeniach, aby som sa dostal dovnútra polícia mi musela pomôcť pretiahnuť sa cez tie zástupy a cez všetko možné.
Doviedli ma do nejakej miestnosti a tam som priviedol ku Kristovi dvoch mladých dôstojníkov, tam v šatni, dvoch mladých chlapcov, policajtov, okolo dvadsať ročných. Matka jedného z nich bola uzdravená deň predtým, a oni sa tam obaja sklonili a ja som ich priviedol ku Pánovi Ježišovi.
27 Išiel som na pódium aby som hovoril o viere, a zrazu pribehol nejaký šialenec, ktorý popoludní udrel na ulici jedného kazateľa, ušiel z ústavu, zlámal mu kľúčnu kosť, zlomil mu sánku. Mal mániu zabíjať kazateľov. Pribehol tam a myslel si: "Teraz mám príležitosť." Prišiel hore na pódium. Vážil okolo sto desať, sto dvadsať kilo, skoro dva metre vysoký, rozháňal rukami. Povedal: "Ty pokrytec, ty had v tráve." Stál som tam, Božie zhromaždenie prebiehalo v poriadku, ľudia boli uzdravení, tisíce bolo spasených, a pri tom ešte kazatelia dostali inšpiráciu. Toto veľké prebudenie malo vtedy ešte len svoj začiatok a začínalo sa rozširovať po svete ... Sedel tam T.L.Osborn (Amen.), ktorý získal desať tisíce duší pre Krista. Sedel tam s ôsmymi alebo desiatymi z jeho zhromaždenia, dívali sa dole z balkóna.
A tento šialenec vybehol na pódium, aby narušil to zhromaždenie Pánovo, a povedal: "Ty had v tráve, ty pokrytec, vydávaš sa za sluhu Božieho; ja ti dnes ukážem, že nie si sluha Boží. A dolámem každú kosť v tvojom mizernom tele." A vybehol tam a natiahol svoju veľkú päsť, že ma udrie. Obrátil som sa. Kazatelia sa rozutekali, a tak ďalej. Stál som tam, a on mi napľul do tváre. Povedal: "Ty had v tráve. Ja ti ukážem, aký si ty sluha Boží, ty zvodca."
28 Nepovedal som ani slovo. Len som sa díval na neho, a zrazu Duch Svätý, niečo iné ... Čo by ste si pomysleli, keby vám niekto napľul do tváre? Ak máte prudšiu povahu, tak by vás to nahnevalo. Skutočne. A tu prichádzali dvaja policajti, ale títo dvaja policajti ...?... s obuškami v rukách aby zrazili toho človeka dole, ale ja som im to nedovolil. Boh mi vložil do srdca lásku ku tejto smrteľnej bytosti.
Pomyslel som si: "To nerobí ten človek. To je diabol, ktorý ho doviedol do takéhoto stavu. Ten človek by bol normálny. On chce, aby ho ľudia mali radi a chce žiť ako ostatní, ale to je diabol, ktorý ho takto ovládol. A oproti tomu mužovi vystúpila láska a začala krúžiť okolo, a vtedy ako ste videli, ten človek sa zvalil a ležal mi pri nohách. Keď bola prejavená Božská láska, vkročila do toho zvrchovaná milosť a zaujala svoje miesto. To sa vždy tak bude diať.
29 Tu nedávno, keď ... Možno som vám toto už hovoril. Minulý rok - už je tomu dva roky, kosil som záhradu, chcel som skosiť záhradu, a stále som musel skončiť, preobliecť sa, a ísť sa za niekoho modliť. No, a tráva narástla skôr, ako som ... Ešte som nestačil skosiť vpredu, vzadu už zase bola narastená. a tak ...
Raz som kosil za domom so starou motorovou kosačkou, kosil som, skúšal som túto malú kosačku. A zabudol som, že tam v rohu mali sršne hniezdo a vošiel som s tou kosačkou do neho. A za domom som mal vyzlečenú košeľu, nemal som košeľu. Narazil som do toho plotu s tou motorovou kosačkou, a nemal som na sebe košeľu a v momente som bol celý pokrytý tými sršňami. Viete čo to je - veľké hniezdo sršňov. Oni vás zabijú. Tie velikánske sršniská len tak bzučali ...
Ó, pomyslel som si ... Prv ma to vystrašilo. Keď zrazu sa niečo začalo diať. Začal som sa utišovať, tie sršne stále okolo bzučali. No, ak to znie detsky, zdá sa to ako ... Ale Boh na nebi, pred ktorého tvárou stojím, vie či je to pravda alebo nie.
30 Potom namiesto toho, aby som sa začal oháňať, a byť a zrážať tých sršňov, obklopila ma nejaká Božia láska a ja som rozmýšľal: "Chudáčikovia. Vy máte právo stavať si hniezdo. To je spôsob, ktorý vám dal Boh, aby ste sa chránili, a ja som vás vyrušil, a je mi ľúto, že som to urobil. Keby som to ešte raz mal robiť, nevyrušil by som vás. Nechcel som to urobiť, ale - povedal som - som Pánov sluha a jeho choré deti chcú, aby som sa za nich modlil. Musel som sa ponáhľať pokosiť túto záhradu. No, vy malé stvorenia Božie, v mene Ježiša Krista, choďte naspäť do svojho hniezda. Nebudem vás rušiť."
A čo to bolo? To že som sa modlil, inak som mohol byť doštípaný na smrť. A láska Božia, ktorá mi dala nové srdce, láska sa začala prejavovať, a zavládla zvrchovaná milosť. Čo mohlo povedať tým sršňom, utíšte sa ...? ... A každý sršeň zakrúžil a zoskupili sa ako rota vojakov a odleteli rovno naspäť do svojho hniezda.
Čo to bolo? Ja sa nedokážem rozprávať so sršňami. Nemám spôsob, ako ku ním prehovoriť. Ako by som im mohol zabrániť, aby ma nepoštípali? Ja som bol na konci. Ale mal som lásku. Boh mi dal lásku ku tým sršňom, a ja som v sebe ku ním prehovoril, a Duch Svätý a zvrchovaná milosť zaviedla tie sršne rovno naspäť do ich hniezda.
31 Nie ďaleko po ceste, tam raz Gernesey pri Henryville, kde ten býk zabil farebného muža, tam na Burkeho farme, zabil farebného muža, a tiež skoro tak isto zabil toho chlapca. Dali ho do ohrady. Ja som to nevedel. Bol som na obchôdzke. Mal som mať pušku. Nemal som ju.
Jedného dňa som tam prechádzal. Išiel som sa tam modliť za jedného chorého. Išiel som krížom cez to pole a nemyslel som si, že je tam zavretý ten býk. A keď som prišiel do polovici toho poľa, čo sa stalo? Viete, bol som pri skupine kríkov, keď tento veľký označkovaný býk, ktorý mal takéto dlhé rohy, zaručal. Poznal som, že to je ten zabijak. Obzrel som sa naspäť. Bol som príliš ďaleko od plotu, okolo sto osemdesiat metrov; a on nestál odo mňa ďalej ako na desať, dvanásť metrov. Tam stál, sklonil rohy, zaručal. Nemal som pušku ani tam nebol žiadny dub, na ktorý by som mohol vyliezť. Nemohol som ísť naspäť ku plotu.
Pomyslel som si: "No toto je koniec. Bill Branham, tu ťa čaká smrť, tu budeš rozmetaný na smrť, tu na tomto poli zomrieš." A stál som tam, ale zrazu sa niečo začalo diať ... sláva Bohu. Práve vtedy mi vstúpilo niečo do srdca. Proste som miloval to biedne zviera. "To nie je to biedne zviera. To je diabol, ktorý ho do toho vedie, a ja viem jedno ..."
32 Počúvajte trochu, chcem aby ste to počuli. Je len jedna vec, ktorá premôže diabla. To je čistá Božská láska. Láska premôže všetko. Boh tak miloval svet ... Ona premohla hriech, ona premohla chorobu. Ona premôže rozdiely v zbore. Ona premôže každú neprávosť. Ona to urobí, ak jej to len dovolíte.
Priateľu, keď sa toto veľké zviera rozbehlo proti mne, namiesto toho aby som to zviera nenávidel, ja som ho miloval, brat Mike, ja som ho miloval. A pomyslel som si: "Ty si Božie stvorenie. Kto iný ťa mohol stvoriť ako Boh? A ty si tu pokojne ležíš, a ja som vstúpil na tvoje územie, ktoré je tam označené. Ja som si proste skrátil cestu, aby som prešiel tam, kde som sa išiel modliť za chorého." A tu som videl prichádzať tohoto býka, takto skláňal hlavu, a pripravoval sa, že ma zabije; a ja som to vedel, ale začala prichádzať Božská láska. Pomyslel som si: "Biedne stvorenie. Nemé zviera nevie nič lepšie. Ty si tam ležíš a ja ťa vyrušujem. No, ja som Boží sluha. Ty si Božie stvorenie. V mene Ježiša Krista vráť sa naspäť a ľahni si, lebo ja sa idem modliť za choré Božie dieťa. Choď - povedal som - ľahni si." A ten býk prišiel ku mne tak blízko, ako len mohol. Nemal som žiadny strach. Nebol som o nič viacej vyľakaný, ako keby som tu sedel s bratom Neville. V srdci som mal len čistú, svätú lásku.
33 Čo to spôsobilo? To stvorilo atmosféru. A ten býk vbehol rovno do tej atmosféry, nebol odo mňa ďalej ako na tri metre a zrazu sa zastavil. V tej chvíli vyzeral taký premožený, a v tvári mal najpokojnejší výraz, otočil sa, odišiel a ľahol si. A ja som prešiel meter a pol popri ňom.
Čo to je? Keď je prejavená Božská láska, potom nastupuje zvrchovaná milosť. To bol ten istý Boh, ktorý mohol zadržať levy, aby sa nevrhli na Daniela, keď prišli s revom a Daniel tam stál ovinutý v rúchu lásky. Levy prebehli na druhú stranu a ľahli si. Bol pokoj. Hovorím ti, brat môj, keď ťa Boh môže zavinúť do Božskej lásky, potom máš v údolí pokoj. Máš ho.
34 Tu pred nejakým časom, vracal som sa z Dallasu, z Texasu. Letel som lietadlom, vracal som sa domov. Mali sme tam zhromaždenie, a cestou domov prišla búrka a lietadlo bolo nútené pristáť v Memphis. A kým som bol v Memphis dali ma tam do Peabody hotelu. Ó, veľmi elegantné miesto. Cítil som sa tam taký nesvoj. Bol som tam tú noc, a celú noc som nespal.
Na druhý deň ráno mi zatelefonovali a povedali: "Reverend Branham."
- Áno.
- Zastaví sa pre vás limuzína presne o siedmej. Lietalo bude odlietať o sedem tridsať.
- Ďakujem, pane. - Odložil som sluchátko, modlil som sa a rozmýšľal som: "No, možno budem mať čas zájsť ku poštovej schránke. Mám tu nejakú poštu, ktorú som minulý večer napísal." Vstal som a vyšiel som na ulicu, išiel som po ulici a spieval som si.
Skoro všade sú ľudia, ktorým v srdci horí oheň, Oheň ktorý zostúpil na Letnice, ktorý ich očistil, že sú čistí; ó a ten oheň horí teraz v mojom srdci. Ó, sláva Jeho menu! Som taký šťastný, že môžem povedať, že som jeden z nich.
35 Išiel som po ulici a v ruke som držal hromadu dopisov, išiel som smerom ku pošte a cítil som niečo zvláštne. Viete o čom hovorím, či nie? Ako keby bolo všetko zariadené. Ó, čo za pocit. Rozmýšľal som: "Ó, či to nie je nádherné?"
Doc, zvykol spievať taký refrén: "Daj mi chodiť s tou nebeskou holubicou, každodenne napĺňaj moju cestu láskou." Zvykol som o tom rozmýšľať, o tejto láske, ktorá sa začala vylievať, tá extra láska. My máme lásku, ale potrebujeme hojnosť lásky, máme prekypovať láskou. Vy poviete: "Dobre, ja milujem hriešnikov." Ale ó, brat, sestra či ich natoľko miluješ, aby si išiel a rozprával sa s nimi a nahovoril ich pre Krista? Vidíte čo chcem povedať?
Vy hovoríte: "Ja milujem Pána." Ale dokážete spoliehať na Neho, keď doktor potriasa hlavou? Dokážeš sa spoliehať na neho, keď už všetko zlyhalo? Potrebuješ pretekajúci krst lásky, Božskú lásku. Keď sa modlíš a zdá sa, že tvoja modlitba nie je vypočutá, stále Ho miluješ? Je tam niečo, čo ťa stále dolieva? Tam musí zavládnuť Božia zvrchovaná milosť. Musí. To je Božia povaha. Boh nič iné nemôže urobiť.
36 Keď Boh videl hriech tohoto sveta, a videl ako človek zomiera bez nádeje a nemôže byť spasený, a On pri tom vedel, že ten človek by Ho miloval, to Ho prinútilo zasiahnuť, a potvrdilo to Jeho povahu. Božia povaha je láska. Boh je láska, a to trápilo Božiu povahu, že až pre tých, ktorí chcú uniknúť, musel pripraviť cestu úniku. A On poslal na svet svojho Syna, stvoreného na podobu hriešneho tela, aby niesol naše hriechy a naše nemoci na Golgotu. To urobil Boh.
Keď vystúpila Božia láska, zavolala zvrchovanú milosť. A Boh nikdy nepovedal: "Ak ty budeš robiť to ... ak urobíš toto, Ja urobím toto." Boh, bez akýchkoľvek podmienok, On poslal svojho Syna, aby zomrel na tvojom mieste, a urovnal problém s hriechom. To nemalo s tým nič spoločného čo si ty o tom myslíš. Boh to aj tak urobil. Amen. Božská láska, keď si na konci, zvrchovaná milosť musí zaujať svoje miesto. To je všetko, keď Božská láska stojí na správnom mieste.
37 Dobre počúvajte. Keď som vtedy ráno vyšiel z lietadla ... či z hotelu, pustil som sa dole po ulici. Išiel som a spieval som si. Zrazu sa začalo na mňa niečo vylievať, veľká sprcha lásky. Pomyslel som si: "Ó, keby som len mohol ... Ó, zdá sa mi, že cítim ... Keby som len niekoho uvidel, kto by chcel aby som sa za neho modlil." Takto to cítite. Keď sa niečo vylieva do vášho srdca ... Jedného dňa ... Môžem sa ešte na chvíľu zastaviť?
Jedného dňa malá Sára ochorela. Keď sme vyrazili, ó, bolo tak teplo, a ja som každú noc bol hore, spal som asi dve hodiny. Boli tam delegáti zo všetkých rôznych strán sveta, museli ste sa stretnúť s tým a s tamtým, a modliť sa, kázal som tri razy za deň. Ó, bol som unavený. Práve som išiel ... a potom som vyrazil a musel som čakať. Vyšiel som niekoľko míľ za mesto. A mal som tam byť včas ráno, a musel som zastaviť pri ceste a pospať si. Na chvíľu si ľahnúť a potom vstať a pokračovať. A nedokázal som držať otvorené oči, snažil som sa prejsť cez tú horúcu Nebrasskú púšť, aby som sa dostal ku tejto žene.
Prechádzal som tam a myslel som si ... Ó, moja biedna Sára len vracia a vracia. Chudáčik, celú noc je chorá. Na druhý deň bola taká chorá, museli sme sa zastaviť, bola bledá po tvári. A ja som bol taký unavený a vyčerpaný. Myslel som si: "Ó Bože, ó, toto je strašná situácia. Bože, pozri sa sem. Nie som schopný riadiť auto. Som taký unavený a bol som tam s tvojimi ľuďmi snažil som sa robiť to najlepšie, čo som mohol, a malá Sára je taká chorá." No, išli sme ...
38 A išiel som tam a položil som na ňu ruky. Povedal som: "Drahý nebeský Otče, Ty si mi dal toto dieťa. Ono je tvoje. Ja ju len vychovávam." Položil som na ňu ruky. Niečo mi začalo vchádzať do srdca. To zastavilo vracanie. Od vtedy už viac nevracala.
Na druhý deň Becky vážne ochorela, akoby dostala vírus a vracala. Chudáčik vracala celú noc. Na druhý deň Méda povedala: "Dáme jej ten Pepto-Bismol." Naliala niekoľko lyžičiek a dala jej to. Chudinka, hneď to vyvracala. Prišli sme do Tetonsu. Keď sme prešli cez tú horúcu krajinu a začínali hory, ona chcela vidieť tie krásne hory. A nemohla. Taká bola chorá.
Povedal som: "Drahá, pozri sa sem. Chcem aby si ... Otecko ťa chce zobrať, aby sme mohli vidieť tam tie pekné hory."
Ona povedala: "Ó, otecko. Cítim sa ako keby som mala zomrieť." A tak sme jej dali ďalší Pepto-Bismol. Vtedy ráno sme sa za ňu modlili. Povedal som: "Pane, buď milostivý." A och, nič to nepomohlo. Keď sme tam prišli, zobral som ju von. Povedal som: "Drahá, poď na čerstvý vzduch." Bola zima, mala na sebe len tenký kabát, na zemi ležal sneh. Vystúpil som z auta a ona sa snažila vyjsť. Povedala: "Dobre, otecko." A z ústočiek jej vyšla voda. Pozrel som sa na ňu, oči mala hlboko vpadnuté a okolo úst bola úplne bledá. Podišiel som tam a pozrel som sa na tú horu. Povedal som: "Dívam sa na túto horu; odkiaľ moja pomoc prichádza. Moja pomoc prichádza od Pána." A zrazu začalo do mňa niečo vstupovať. Ó, prajem si aby som to stále mohol mať. Podišiel som ku autu, otvoril som dvere, povedal som: "Pozri sa na otecka, drahá." Ó, to vracanie hneď prestalo. Za päť minút už behala vonku a hrala sa so Sárou. Čo to je? Keď je prejavená Božská láska, nastupuje zvrchovaná milosť. Musí to tak byť.
39 No idem naspäť ku svojmu príbehu. Išiel som ráno v Memphis po ulici. A ako som si vykračoval po ulici spieval som Pánovi, a zrazu mi niečo povedalo: "Zastav sa." A ja som sa zastavil. A zrazu to povedalo: "Obráť sa a choď naspäť tou druhou cestou." No, tá viedla smerom ku rieke.
Pomyslel som si: "Ó." Išiel som na kúsok. Pomyslel som si: "No, to bolo len niečo, čo som len ..." Viete, niekedy ste pod nejakým dojmom, viete, mnohokrát. A ľudia mnohokrát urobia chybu, lebo nasledujú nejaké dojmy, namiesto Božského vedenia. A tak som išiel ďalej. Pomyslel som si: "To sa mi len zdalo." Ale čím ďalej som išiel, tým to bolo horšie. Išiel som hore, v malej bočnej uličke, pozrel som sa dookola. Bolo tam nejaké rybárske náradie. Okolo prechádzali ľudia. Robil som sa akoby som sa díval na to rybárske náradie. Keď som zostal sám, zastavil som sa a zavolal ... Povedal som: "Drahý nebeský Otče, čo chceš aby som urobil? Bol si to Ty, ktorý si zavanul do môjho srdca? Cítim sa akoby som vo vnútri až pretekal." Niečo sa začalo vylievať ...
Niečo povedalo: - Obráť sa a choď naspäť.
- Kde?
- Obráť sa a choď naspäť.
40 Nech by to bolo kdekoľvek. Bolo treba len ísť. Obrátil som sa a išiel som naspäť tou ulicou. Išiel som. Pozrel som sa na hodinky, nemal som veľa času. Čas už prešiel. Išiel som ďalej, čas prešiel, bolo už skoro osem hodín. Pomyslel som si: "O jo- joj." Prišiel som až do nejakej černošskej štvrti, bolo tam veľa malých farebných domov.
Išiel som popri nich. Slnko bolo už vysoko, bolo to začiatkom jara, mraky sa rozplynuli. Rozmýšľal som: "No, zmeškal som lietadlo." Ale, rozmýšľal som: "Ó Bože, nevadí ak som zmeškal lietadlo, len ak Ty ... Kde ma vedieš, Pane? Neviem kde ma vedieš, kde idem." To nebola moja starosť, jednoducho som išiel.
41 Len som išiel; po chvíli som uvidel typickú starú tetu Jemínu s veľkými tučnými lícami, ako sa opiera o bránu a hľadí na ulicu. Okolo hlavy mala takto obkrútenú mužskú košeľu a vzadu zaviazanú. Dívala sa na mňa, povedala: "Dobré ráno, parson."
A ja som povedal: "Dobré ráno, mamko."
Doširoka sa usmiala a pozrela sa na mňa, v očiach mala slzy. Pomyslel som si: "Ona ma nazvala parson." Takto ľudia na juhu nazývajú kazateľa, viete. A povedal som: "Ako vieš, že ja som parson?"
- Vedela som, že prídeš.
- Čo?
- Vedela som, že prídeš.
- Nerozumiem, teta. Vysvetlila by si mi to?
- Vieš. Čítal si niekedy príbeh o Sunamitke, ktorá nemala dieťa, a prosila Pána, aby jej dal dieťa a Eliáš prišiel, požehnal ju, a narodilo sa jej dieťa?
- Áno, mamko. Pamätám sa na to.
- Ja som taká žena. Nemala som dieťa, a modlila som sa Pánovi; a povedala som Pánovi, že ak ma požehná a dá mi dieťa, že ho potom vychovám pre Neho. On mi dal dieťa. Prala som na tej doske (tam na boku visela pracia doska) Právala som na tejto doske a vychovávala toto dieťa.
42Parson, a keď vyrástol, dal sa na zlú cestu. Dostal sa do zlej spoločnosti, a leží tu vo vnútri a zomiera. Predvčerom tu bol doktor, keď padol do bezvedomia, a povedal, že už viac nemôže pre neho nič urobiť. Dal mu 6-0-6, silverstand, a všetko možné, ortuť a penicillin; nič nezabralo. Má pohlavnú nemoc, syfilis, ... chlopne zo srdca. Už nemôžu pre neho nič urobiť. Leží tu a zomiera. Ó, Pane, nechcem vidieť takto zomierať svoje dieťa. Keby som ho len počula povedať, že je spasený. Modlia som sa a modlila dve noci. Sníval sa mi sen, že som videla prichádzať muža v svetlom obleku, s klobúkom, šikmo na hlave mal západniarsky klobúk. Povedala som: "Pane, ja som tá žena, ale kde je tvoj Eliáš?"
Povedal: "Tu prichádza ..." - Hneď som vstala a odvtedy tu stojím a čakám na teba.
43 Presne takto som bol oblečený. Ó, brat, keď je preukazovaná Božská láska ... Tá matka so svojím dieťaťom, on mal skoro deväťdesiat kilo, ale stále to bolo jej dieťa, ktoré tam ležalo a zomieralo v nemilosti. Bez ohľadu na to, ako hlboko klesol, stále to bolo jej dieťa. Ona ho milovala. To je materská láska. Bez ohľadu na to, koľko hanby jej priniesol, ona ho stále milovala.
A keď vy nemôžete zabudnúť na svoje dieťa, keď čokoľvek urobilo, ako by mohol Boh zabudnúť na vás. On povedal: "Vaše mená sú vyryté na mojich dlaniach. Matka môže zabudnúť na svoje dieťa, ale ja nikdy na vás nezabudnem." Bez ohľadu na to čokoľvek ste urobili, ako ďaleko ste odišli, ako veľmi ste upadli, Boh vás stále miluje. Boh vás miluje; preukazuje vám svoju lásku. Neprehliadnite ju.
44 Potom povzdychla, povedala: "Ó, nemohla by som to prežiť. Parson, sníval sa mi sen a videla som ťa, ako prichádzaš. Keď som sa dívala na ulicu a videla som ten svetlý oblek a ten klobúk šikmo na hlave, Duch mi povedal - Tu ho máš." Povedala: "Či vojdeš dovnútra?"
A pomyslel som si: "Ó, Bože, možno toto je to, kde si ma viedol. Kvôli tomuto som sem mal prísť." Ja som to nevedel. Otvoril som bránku. Bola na nej reťaz a západka. Neviem či ste to niekedy videli. Otvoril som tie dvere a vošiel som dovnútra.
45 Brat, bol som už v kráľovských palácoch. Bol som v najbohatších domoch, aké sú na svete. Bol som v domoch niektorých multimilionárov, ktoré majú cenu dvadsať, viac ako dvadsať osem miliónov dolárov. Kráčal som po ich kobercoch, ktoré boli popretkávané z jednej strany na druhú, v tých nádherných domoch by som si mohol ľahnúť a bez problémov zaspať na rohožky pri dverách. Ale tam nebola na zemi ani rohožka. Stála tam stará kovová posteľ, a ten chlapec bol prikrytý starou dekou. Na dverách bol nápis: "Bože, žehnaj náš dom." Poznal som, že sa nachádzam v kresťanskom dome. Poznal som, že som na mieste, kde sa niekto modlieva. Na stene neviseli žiadne vulgárne obrázky; ale na starom mramorovom stolíku ležala otvorená Biblia. A tam na posteli ležal veľký chlapec, v ruke mal ... a vzdychal: "Úúúúh, úúúh."
"Och." Pomyslel som si. Dotkol som sa jeho nohy, bola vlhká a studená. Na tom chlapcovi bola smrť.
A on stále hovoril: "Ó, tak temno. Je tak temno."
Opýtal som sa. "Čo to hovorí?"
Ona povedala: "Parson, teraz už niekoľko dní si myslí, že je vonku na veľkom jazere a hynie. On nevie kde ide. To mi zviera srdce. Odchádza a je stratený na tom jazere a nevie kde ide. Parson, ja som sa modlila. Urobila som všetko, čo som mohla. Parson, nechcem aby zahynul. Za to som sa modlila."
46 Opýtal som sa: "Tetuška, čo je tomu chlapcovi?"
Povedala: "Má pohlavnú chorobu. Doktor povedal, že zomiera, už sa nič nedá urobiť. Je v bezvedomí. Už dva dni hynie na tom jazere. Budeš sa za neho modliť?"
Povedal som: "Tetuška, nazývam sa Branham, počula si niekedy o mne?"
- Nie, myslím že nie, parson.
- Poviem ti čo sa mi prihodilo. Mojou službou je modliť sa za chorých.
- Ozaj?
- Áno. A porozprával som jej o tom lietadle, ako pristalo a o všetkom.
- Je to pravda, parson?
- Áno.
- Vedela som, že On ma nezanechá.
Povedal som: "Ty sa pomodli, tetuška." A ona si tam kľakla, a to vám bola modlitba. Ó, brat, ako sa tá stará, svätá žena vedela držať Boha, a modlila sa, až sa jej slzy kotúľali z očí.
Pozrel som sa na neho a on stále stenal: "Úúúh."
Povedal som: "Tetuška a teraz sa ja budem modliť." Položil som ruky na jeho nohy, povedal som: "Nebeský Otče, pokiaľ viem, moje lietadlo už odletelo, a tu matka tohoto chlapca, kričala za svoje dieťa a pokiaľ viem, toto je to miesto, kde si ma viedol. Prosím aby si mu bol milostivý."
47 A tak asi v tom čase som ho počul ako povedal: "Maminka. Ó, maminka."
Ona vstala a z očí sa jej vyhrnuli slzy. Povedala: "Áno, miláčik. Či sa maminkino dieťa cíti lepšie?" A začala ho hladkať po hlave.
On povedal: "Mami, začína sa tu rozvidnievať. Rozvidnieva sa tu." Suverénna láska! Keď sa Božská láska premietla do Božieho srdca, zvrchovaná milosť musela zareagovať a zaujať svoje miesto.
Myslím, že tá biedna matka sa vo svojich modlitbách stále držala Boha, a všetko toto, a čo sa potom stalo? Boh vo svojej milosti, Boh vo svojom milosrdenstve zniesol z oblakov lietadlo a pridržal ho na zemi. Kotva srdca, biednej nevzdelanej farebnej ženy. Keď bola premietnutá Božská láska, nezáležalo na tom, aká bola biedna, ani aká čierna, ani aká žltá, ani čokoľvek bola. Ale keď sa prejavila Božská milosť, zvrchovaná milosť musela zaujať svoje miesto. A to bola láska tam tej starej matky, ako ona kričala.
48 A ten chlapec po - asi po dvoch rokoch odvtedy ... cestoval som vlakom. Vysadol som a išiel som si kúpiť hamburger. Vo vlaku zaň chceli asi sedemdesiat alebo osemdesiat centov a na tej malej stanici som si ho mohol kúpiť asi za dvadsať centov. Vystúpil som z vlaku a išiel som do bufetu. Bol tam nejaký chlapec v červenej čiapke, povedal: "Haló, parson Branham."
Obzrel som sa a odpovedal som: "Dobré ráno, synu."
Podišiel ku mne a povedal: "Poznáte ma?"
- Nie. Zdá sa mi, že ťa nepoznám.
- Pamätáte sa, pred niekoľkými rokmi, keď ste prišli ku nám a modlili ste sa za mňa. A na moju matku tam?
- Ty si ten chlapec?
- Áno, pán parson Branham. Nie som len uzdravený, ale teraz som aj spasený. Som kresťan.
Zvrchovaná milosť. Tak veru, brat. Hovorím vám, keď milosť ... Keď Boh vidí vyžarovať lásku, milosť musí zaujať svoje miesto.
49 Pred niekoľkými rokmi v mojom dome, pamätáte sa. Mnohí z vás to vedie, keď tam ležala tá vačica. A tu dole, to mladé dievča utopilo svoje dieťa, keď jej Boh dal dieťa, a ona ho nechcela vychovávať. Zabalila ho do deky a hodila ho tam, a utopila ho v rieke. Povedal som: "To je matka, ktorá je na nižšej úrovni ako pes. Zviera by to neurobilo." A keď zvrchovaná Božia láska môže byť preukázaná zvieraťu, o čo viacej môže byť preukázaná mužovi, alebo žene. Je to tak.
A táto biedna matka vačica prišla po tom chodníku. Poznáte tú príhodu, a ako tam prišla a ležala mi pred domom na schodoch dvadsať štyri hodín a ja som nič o tom ani nevedel. Brat Wood a ostatní, sedia tam vzadu, a sestra Woodová bola ku nej milostivá a povedala: "Brat Branham, prečo ju necháš tak trápiť, a jej malé mláďatká ju cicali, a ona tam ležala a zomierala." Povedala: "Prečo ich nezabiješ, brat Branham? Alebo utrať tú biednu matku."
Ona bola už skoro mŕtva. Bola ... "Mohol by si ju zastreliť a dať ich preč od nej." A ona tam ležala celú noc.
50 A na druhý deň malá Rebeka, vyšla von. Povedala: "Ocko..." To bolo ráno, svitalo. Povedala: "Ocko, čo urobíš s touto vačicou? Celú noc som o nej rozmýšľala."
Povedal som: "Ja tiež, Rebeka." Odišiel som do izby. Povedal som: "Choď naspäť do posteli, drahá. Ešte je včas, aby si vstávala." Sadol som si tam v pracovni a rozmýšľal som: "No ..." Začal som si šuchať čelo. Rozmýšľal som: "Budem musieť s tou vačicou niečo urobiť. Neviem čo robiť."
A vtedy som počul hlas, takže som to ani nečakal. Sedel som tam v tej izbe, práve tam kde vtedy ráno prišli tie jablká pre brata Halla, keď bol uzdravený z rakoviny, tam kde boli uzdravení chorí a postihnutí. Počul som hlas, ktorý povedal: "Ja som ju poslal ku tebe. Ona tam leží ako dáma už dvadsať štyri hodín a čaká, kedy si nájdeš čas, aby si sa za ňu pomodlil, a ty si Ma ani slovom za ňu nepoprosil."
Povedal som: "No, ani ma to nenapadlo." Povedal som: "Ty chceš povedať, že si sem poslal tú vačicu?" Rozmýšľal som: "Čo sa to so mnou deje? Rozprávam sa so sebou?" Pristihol som sa ako Mu odpovedám.
51 Vyšiel som tam, kde sa stále ešte Rebeka dívala cez dvere. Vyšiel som tam, ku tej biednej vačici, bola na nej rosa a všetko možné. Povedal som: "Nebeský Otče, keď si Ty sem poslal túto biednu nevedomú vačicu, keď si ju Ty sem poslal, tak či tak, v srdci cítim ku nej lásku, je to matka, a tak som ju nedokázal zabiť, nedokázal som zabiť jej maličké. A zvrchovaná milosť ju sem priviedla, aby dala ľuďom lekciu. Bože, prosím v Kristovom mene, aby si ju uzdravil."
A tá biedna vačica, ktorá mala poranené nohy a v ranách plno červíkov a ledva sa vliekla, a bola napuchnutá, že bola raz tak veľká; sa postavila na nohy, zobrala svoje mláďatá do svojho vaku, a odchádzala tak normálne, ako každé iné zviera, ktoré ste videli. Obrátila sa ku mne, ako keby sa obrátila a povedala: "Ďakujem láskavý pane." A pokiaľ viem, dnes si šťastne žije so svojimi mláďatami. Prečo? Keď je preukázaná Božská láska, nastupuje na svoje miesto zvrchovaná milosť.
52 Môj brat, sestra je len jedna vec, ktorú musíte v živote robiť, a to: "Milovať Pána svojho Boha celým svojím srdcom, celou svojou dušou, celou svojou silou, celou svojou mysľou a veriť, že každé Slovo, ktoré On povedal je pravda. A keď prídeš na koniec svojej cesty, kde už ďalej nemôžeš ísť, keď sa Božská ... prejaví sa zvrchovaná milosť. Ako by som bol mohol povedať, keď som tu ležal, keď bratia z Mayo kliniky sa ma vzdali, sedel som vo verande, tam s bratom Coxom, ktorý sedel vedľa mňa. Chcel som vedieť, že čo ...? ... Nemohol som to už dlhšie vydržať, ale ...?...
1 As we just left the meeting and started over to see a woman friend of ours, Mrs...?... over in--in Edmonton, Alberta, and was just twenty miles of the Canadian line when we got the news that my brother was dying. So we turned right around through a snowstorm and started right back home, making us eleven days in traveling.
We got in late last evening, and up late last night, and early again this morning. So very tired, but as soon as I got up to my mother, after we got a place where we could call in again, she said, "Brother Neville has been out there." That's a real pastor, folks. That's something that we should appreciate that.
Now, it might not... Maybe your loved ones has never come to that spot. Maybe but in an hour of crisis when you know that something has taken place and know that your friend will stick by you, and run out to my brother's and then when I went... Soon as I got into and just change clothes and took out there, who did I find in the room in prayer? Brother Neville out in the room there with Howard in prayer. I'm--I'm grateful for that.
2 And I--I'd rather say it right here at the platform as... Well, I always said I'd rather give you a little rosebud now, than a whole wreath after you're gone. Right now is the time to do it, and I appreciate Brother Neville. And I know we all do around this church for being a gallant pastor. Just to show him how much we appreciate him, raise your hands like this to God. That's... Thank you. That's really a something that...
I went home, and I told my wife; I said, "Honey, when I went and knocked at the door, slipped down the hall, read the chart, see really what was wrong, and went down there; and I heard something in there, and then I cracked the door. I thought it was someone talking, and had him setting up in the bed with his Bible with his--both of them with their heads bowed praying to God when I went in couldn't do nothing but join with them in prayer.
And--and also my prayer, tell God that I appreciate a real friend and a real pastor. And may Brother Neville long live in this world to--to serve the Lord, and I believe God's keep him here for many, many years to serve Him, someone that...?... It struck my heart deeper than anything that I've had in a long time.
3 Now, usually now with the Sunday school class isn't dismissed yet back in the children, so I per--perhaps maybe we'll pray for the sick. I didn't make any announcement of coming in praying for the sick, but if there's any here to be prayed for, then we'll just have prayer for them.
Now, if Sister Gertie, if she will, come up play "The Great Physician" for us, and we'll ask our dear heavenly Father if He will bless those who are needy of Him this today. And then we want to... All that's sick and needy just gather up around the altar.
If I'm not mistaken, is this Nellie Sanders standing here? My, God bless you, Nellie. Twenty-five years ago...?... God bless you, Nellie. I looked over awhile ago and looked at you, and I didn't want you to think... Look and gazing at someone I set looking back, and I thought it looked like Nellie.
4 None of you here probably remember. I guess some of you... How many of you remembers Nellie Sanders? Why, certainly, and she's one of the first comers to the tabernacle. She and my departed wife were bosom friends and sisters in Christ, and they...
She married over here one of the volunteers of America, a officer in this move and he, our brother, has gone on to be with God leaving her with (I think) two boys, I'm think, some children anyhow. And some of them are still in school.
And Nellie is a wandering by herself and just coming into the age of real nervous and upset. She called me when I was in Phoenix, Arizona, in a meeting for prayer. Many things go back, Nellie, to a time when there was sawdust on the floor, and you and Hope had that top...?... and lot of you used to be around here many years ago, twenty-five years ago. It's passing by me. We're--we're going down the road swiftly. That's true. Well, God be with you now.
5 Those who are sick and wants to come up around the altar for prayer. Our pastor and I join together in a word of prayer for you. Come right ahead. Then in a little... Immediately after this with a short message just to you of the preaching service. Wish you could stay. We'll dismiss the Sunday school service after the prayer for the sick, and we're... Go right into the other service, and I've got a couple of announcements to make.
This great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus,
He speaks the drooping hearts to cheer,
No other Name but Jesus;
Now, if we could just enter in now to a--a fellowship of this prayer. Healing for each other, knowing that God is here and has promised to answer.
[Brother Neville speaks to Brother Branham--Ed.] Yes, that's all right. You all want to go down and pray for her, the lady setting down, certainly. All right, Brother Neville, would you come help me? Now, if you'll be just reverent as possible. The little fellows are taking their seats, and let's pray now so that when we go down...?... the sick and afflicted we're going to have faith in God to believe. Have faith that God will.
6 Now, all of you out there in the audience that's well this morning, don't need to come around the altar. Just think now that it was by grace that brought you here. Now, you pray for these others that are at the altar. Here's young and old as our custom here at the Tabernacle, we send the pastor anointing. We pray for them, and then send the pastor anointing. I come along with him laying hands on the sick, while he anoints them. The Scripture, "Anoint the sick in oil in the Name of the Lord. Lay hands on them and they shall recover." It's Scripture.
Now, all of you together, you bow your heads now, while we offer prayer together for the sick.
7 Our heavenly Father, we humbly come into Thy Divine Presence just now in the way for the needy, the sick, those who cannot help themselves, and many of them, Father, are past doctor's aid. Nothing can be done, except Thy grace be extended to them. I pray humbly today, God, with all my heart, joining with this little church that the great Holy Spirit That's present now to verify the Word of the Lord Jesus, that said, "Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name, I'll be in their midst. If they'll ask anything, that's pertaining to any certain thing, shall receive it." That's Your Eternal Word, Lord, that was spoke by even before the foundation of the world. It's been given to us by the Prophet, by the Son of God Himself.
Now, our deep desire now, Father, for You to heal the sick, the needy that's here around the altar. I pray that You'll just give each one a special blessing of faith just now. That as we go, Your servant and myself, to anoint and lay hands upon the people, may the Holy Spirit just deep down the faith in the heart and may each one be healed. We ask in Christ's Name, for His sake.
8 Now, with your heads bowed, everybody in prayer. Pastor, now go. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
Heaven and earth are full of Thee,
Heaven and earth are praising Thee,
O Lord Most High.
Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the Sunday school lesson now that's stirred our hearts. May we gird ourselves this morning and go from prisons of unbelief and be free as we walk. We know the Angel of the Lord will go before us, confirming the Word of God, and free every one of us from the prisons of fear, and sickness, and distress, and disease, and afflictions, for God has promised to. Every one that's shut up in them kind of conditions this morning, may the Light of God shining upon them just this very day and may they go from here a well person.
Thank you for the message and for your works for the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Grant these blessings, Father, and now be with us in the preaching service of this morning for the little short message coming up. We ask in Christ's Name. Amen.
9 Now, for just a couple of moments. Those who have to go now, let's just stand while we sing a hymn, and those... Take the Name of Jesus With You. Those who have to go can be dismissed. Those who can stay for another thirty minutes we'll glad for you to stay. All right.
Take the name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe
(Turn right around and shake hands with somebody by you.)
It will joy and comfort give you,
Take it, then, where'er you go.
Precious name, (Precious name.) O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heaven.
Amen. Be seated, and the Lord bless you all real richly good. I just noticed we got some of the "Herald of Faith" here, the little program, little paper of Brother Joseph Boze in Chicago, a very fine brother. He always... We have such great fellowship one with another. We have a good time every time we go to Chicago. Just with him a few nights ago again. And they're free. Just come and get you one after the service is over. It's laying down here.
10 Now, we're happy to see many of you still holding out to Christ and now, just for a few moments of your time. I would like to speak just something because of being here with you. I'm tired. My voice is low, and I've had some big meetings. In Indianapolis was a great heavy meeting, and that night we were so happy to see hundreds walk down through that tabernacle, around ten thousand people seated, come down to give their hearts to Christ on this night. And Russell Ford and them, how they was thrilled. And--and the work that Brother Cadle started years ago, still going on.
You know I'd like to have a place liken unto that sometime. It's one of the greatest place I've had...?... just how it was fixed, that there's just something about it. I may... I guess I'm temperamental. When I see a great work that someone has started, I have a feeling for that.
11 Now, being hoarse, and we've been up in the mountain trying to get to a sick woman, a friend of ours way up in Canada. We was just ready to cross the border when I heard the news that my brother was dying and returned back, and we drove for day in and out and night in and out. We've been ten days setting in that car. So you can imagine how I feeling this morning and...
But I'm thankful to you all again for praying for my brother, 'cause he, looks like, is on his road to recovery again. God giving him another chance, and so I--I thank you, and I'm praising God for all things.
Many big decisions yet to make. The worldwide tour coming up, Africa shining in the face; and places everywhere till I don't know which to turn, everywhere, everywhere. And there's about at least ten or more great outstanding conferences setting right now, and each one calling to go to. I got to make some kind of decision in next twenty-four hours, so--for the next move so pray for me. Pray for me. And I--I need your prayers.
12 I hope shutting that fan off didn't bother you all here on the front too much for a minute. I--I've been exposed to so many things in my life of traveling for the Lord and all kinds of conditions, and diseases, and leprosy. And I've hugged lepers, and shook their hands, and--and every kind of a disease, and went into isolation wards and camps and everything around the world nearly, and I--I--I'm not a boy any more. I guess you know that, and I'm getting up towards...
Then I hear Brother Bosworth the other day there almost ninety years old, and he... When I was in Indianapolis, he had a blood clot run into his heart. He had death struggles in his heart, unconscious. Mrs. Bosworth called. I had prayer for him, went over there, and we announced it, and started praying. Next day he called me up and said, "I'd like to be in a meeting with you sometime." Then I feel like that here forty-seven years old, I ought to be ashamed of myself but I just... It's just the human part I guess.
Oh, how valuable it is and how wonderful. Nothing like being saved, to being saved, but you don't realize, friends, I'm sure that the devil keeps that away from you as much as he can (he does from me) to realize what the value of a soul is. Did you ever just imagine what it is, and what eternity means, and how long you're going to be that way? Do you realize this is the time when you make your decision for eternity?
13 Last Sunday, a week, we had here, I believe I preached on the assurance, the power that God had promised and ordained you and called you before the foundation of the world and put your name in His Book. You had nothing to do with it. God did it. Isn't that wonderful? The Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world and why? It never happened till four thousand years later, but God when He spoke it, He had to do it, 'cause He has to keep His Word, and the same time that the Lamb was wrote down your... You were wrote with Him. Our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life, not the night we come to Christ, but before the foundation of the world, the Bible said. So that's the assurance, and brother touched on that this morning in this marvelous Sunday school reading.
14 Now, let's just read for a Scripture somewhere just for a little... I want... Just something that's on my heart. I just like to speak it for a few moments, and then we'll dismiss and expect the services again tonight.
And now, I got a message on my heart coming down the other day that I want, if God willing, if I'm back here next Sunday morning to bring it to the Tabernacle for the first. Just something that's on my heart of the time I went into a place to eat, and I thought, "Well, am I going crazy? What's the matter with me?" I can't stand these musics and all this here stuff that they have today, these silly women singing, "Down Out of Our Ivory Palaces," and all this. I said, "It must be something wrong with me."
And the Holy Spirit said, "Oh, no. Oh, no." You see the love of the world or the things of the world, the love of God is not even in you.
So I thought, "Well, I don't want to get adjusted then to this world. That's..." And then the Holy Spirit begin to reveal this message to me. I wouldn't have time this morning. I'm too tired. Besides, maybe the Lord willing next Sunday morning if we're still around... I've got some trips to make this week, but if I'm still around next Sunday morning, God willing. Brother Neville will announce it on his broadcast on Saturday, and we'll be in and try to bring this message. And I want to try to bring some with it. It's a Gospel message of the day, hour and season.
15 When I predicted six months ago that this was the closing year for America, and we'll see whether it is according to the Gospel or not. This is the time when she's gone. It's either going up or down this year. That's right.
Now, you young children, I want you to bring you a piece of paper and write it in the flyleaf of your Bible that when Brother Branham's done passed on perhaps, you see whether I was right or wrong. See? And you'll know whether the Lord still speaks or not. See?
Now, in Romans the 4th chapter I want to read just for a portion of Word to continue on.
What shall we say then that Abraham our father... pertaining to the flesh, has found?
For if Abraham were justified by works, he has whereof to glory; but not before God.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justified the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
And may the Lord add His blessings to the Word.
16 Now, the little subject if we should call it so, that I wish to speak to you about is "Divine Love" and when Divine love has been projected and comes to its destination, sovereign grace takes its place. See? Now, can you think of that? Now, ponder over it so you get real close now. See? When Divine love is projected and comes to its destiny, then sovereign grace takes over.
Now, it's a--it's a strange thing that how that people... The type of people and what we do in our associations... Now, we all have to face these facts that there is people that you just love to be around, and there's people that's fine people, and you love them, but yet, there's something about the person that you just--you just can't hardly stay around them.
17 Now, we want to talk of facts. Now, the reason that is, is because of the atmosphere that the individual himself or herself creates. Because you are a miniature creator, because you're sons and daughters of God. No matter how far you stooped in sin, you're still sons and daughters of God, because you're fallen, degenerated in your soul and mind, but God is your Creator and in your fallen estate you are a lost, undone creation of God dominated by the devil. That's right, but still you're sons and daughters of God.
He's not willing that any of you should perish but all might come to repentance. See? And He's done everything that--that lays possible, for the only God Himself could do this, to give the--the opportunities to the creatures of His to accept and to be what He wants you to be, back in your right estate again.
And no person... Now, here it is and it's pretty sharp. But no person is in their right mental status until they have accepted the Lord Jesus. That's a deep word, but that's the truth. No person is mentally right until they have accepted Christ Jesus as personal Saviour. That sounds... But it's the Bible. Certainly, that is true.
18 He is the one, and in your created being... Now, you'll be crazy to the world when you do that, because you have to come out of the atmosphere you're in into this other atmosphere. When you do that, God lifts you right up from the world, and you live in a heavenly atmosphere. See? And then to the world, you're just contrary to what that is. See? And this is contrary to the world. See? Now, what you want to do is be lifted up by Christ into a--an atmosphere to where you are happy, peaceful, and then in there you create a situation... And now many times we in churches... This may seem strange, but if you'll just watch it... Now, this is for the church. It's for the people.
The people get one another's spirit, in the stead of getting the Holy Spirit. You go into a group of people, and you watch the way that a person acts, and--and them kind people that come into that congregation the first thing you know they act the same way. You add, or... You take a good woman and a bad man, and he will either... She'll... He will either become a good man or her a bad woman. In the atmosphere that you live in, you project to your associates what you are.
19 Then what type of people ought we to be if we're a Christian? What type of an atmosphere should we live in? In a consoling, soothing, healing atmosphere we should live in, with our hearts constantly in prayer with a deep love for ever person we come in contact with...?...
If I say this to the little churches prayed for me for the world missions, that's my success in praying for the sick. If I can't get right down into the feeling of the sickness with the person, it usually doesn't do any good. You've got to come right down till it's just... and you feel it yourself.
20 Here sometime ago an old Mexican man down there on the platform, when he run to the platform, much faith, he fell down and grabbed out his rosary. And I--I told him, "It's not necessary," and through the interpreter, Brother Espinosa. So he raised up. He put his arms around, and he begin going some way. He was blind. I looked at him. I looked at them old wrinkled-up feet, probably never wore a pair of shoes in his life. I looked at my shoes, see if they'd fit him. I'd give him my shoes. He was blind. When I looked, he was a wider across the shoulders. This man weighed two hundred and something I guess. He couldn't have wore my coat. And as he was standing there and the gray hair, I thought of my daddy. I thought, "If daddy would've lived to be about this age, he'd been about the same aged man as this--around sixty-five or seventy years old, and I entered into a love of that man.
The way that I thought, maybe never had a decent meal in his life, maybe he never set down at a table in his life and all this, and then walking around in darkness." Then something come into my heart. God be merciful. He's a man. He's a brother. Then when that strikes, there's something went on. There's a creation moved around, and it--it projected to this person.
21 In a few moments I heard him hollering something over my shoulder, and he was hollering, "I can see. I can see." What was it? Divine love, sympathy had been projected by the Holy Spirit into this man, and by that at the end of the road where he couldn't... Nothing could be done, and love had taken its place, and love had met love; then sovereign grace went to work, and God through sovereign grace restored the sight to the man. See?
First you have to enter into that spot. That's the way you have to do to a sinner. Many people pray for sinners. That's all right, but that's not the way to win a sinner. It's your business to win the sinner. You don't win him by praying for him. You win-win--win him by talking to him and introducing to him Christ. That's your business. That's your duty is to win sinners by talking to them, and projecting to them the love of God through the Word of God that wins the sinner...?...
22 Someone say, "I never did go to church. I sure like that woman. I like that fellow." See? Because you're winning them. If you stayed home and just prayed for the sinner and never went to contact him, there's very little can be done, but you've got to pray and then go. That's right. Go and do it.
Now, the projecting of this love. Here a few days ago I was listening to a testimony of a---a great plow manufacturer standing on the platform. Well, there set businessmen from around the world, setting on the platform, and this plow man. He got up. He said, "Well, I didn't know why I had to be operated on." I love the man, and he's a great follower of Brother Roberts, my friend and so then...
He said, "When I found out that I was getting sick and having stone trouble--kidney stones... I happened to eat dinner with Brother Oral," and said, "Brother Oral got up, and said, 'Now, brother, I--I see that you're in distress,' so he said, 'I'm--I'm going to pray for you.
And he said, "Well, praise the Lord. I just wanted you to say that Brother Oral," and said, "Oral come over and put his hands on his kidneys, and said, 'I rebuked this kidney stone and to leave this man immediately.'" And said, "When he did it," said, "I got relief." And said, "Just a little while it come back again."
23 Said, "I went again to Brother Oral." And said, "He prayed again, and I got relief." But said, "Every time it come back, it come worse." And he said "Then the next thing I thought of, 'If I could go down,'" he said, 'to Brother Branham and could stand before him, and the Holy Spirit would come to him, he would tell me then why that I didn't get healed when Brother Oral prayed for me.'"
So he made his way out, and he come to Louisiana. I was in services there, and I stood before him for twenty minutes. The Holy Spirit was mute, didn't say a thing. I prayed for him, and he said he felt better, and he come on down. Then he went... Getting nervous and excited. He went from place to place. Everybody prayed for him, prayed for him. And he loved the Lord, but finally got to a place, that he was shipped him off to Mayo's. Mayo's looked him over and said, "You got one chance out of one thousand of living. It's set up an infection. Your whole body's poisoned and uremic," and I forget what all. Said, "You got one chance out of one thousand."
So he said, "I took it." He said, "I prayed, 'O God, You know I love You, and I've went to all Your servants." And he took the chance, and they put him to sleep. And said, "When he woke up in the room," he said, "There's a light shining in the room, and the glory of God was all around him, and the doctors was astonished. They come in and said, 'Well, what's happened here?'"
"Why," he said, "I feel like going home." What was it? See, he'd built his hopes upon: "If anything ever happens to me. I'll go to Brother Roberts. If that fails, I'll go to Brother Branham," and yet he loved the Lord Jesus.
24 God had to let everything else fail, till laying there on his bed, and even when the doctor said, "We can't do nothing." Amen. When Divine love had come to its end sovereign grace stepped in and took its place. He will do it ever time. If your motives are right, your alternatives are right. If you'll have Divine love and believe, walk forward, doubting nothing, when it comes to look like the end of the road has come, then sovereign grace takes over then.
How I have seen it work. How most within my own life, and not by just a theology, or not by some kind of a--a... somebody else's experience. I'm so glad today that I can talk from a personal experience to know that that is the truth. My own experience, as long as we know the love of Christ is resting Divinely in our hearts, that we've passed from death unto life, all demons out of hell hasn't got a chance of moving it. Even the...?... If you'll continue in that love and faith, it's just like a little baby. You take a little baby out... Show him it's just a little fellow can get it.
25 Here's Mrs. Kelly setting here before us. When the drunken soldier, I believe it was, ran into them out there, and she was picked up for dead there, they put her in the hospital unconscious... When everything had failed, she was...?... And yet with the love of God in her heart she turned over. Went in there that day, and then sovereign grace was projected after Divine love, and here she sets this morning, among us alive today. See, it's something that happened.
When you get to the end of your road, when you get to where you can't move, then it's time God will move in by sovereign grace the thing that you seek. You take a little kid, a little baby. They have little cramps and spasms, and they'll scream, and kick, and holler, and the first thing you know they'll hold their breath, and you'll see a mother grab it, and pet it, and throw it up in the air, blow in its face. Let it alone. There's never been in our medical history one ever died like that. They won't die. He's just having a tantrum. He's trying to get sympathy. He's trying to get some humoring, and it's just a temper spell; and after he gets his temper spell to a place he's held his breath where he can't go no farther with it, then nature steps in, and he relaxes and starts breathing again. All your picking up and screaming just makes hollering and blowing in his face makes him worse.
That's the way it is with us when we travel from church to church, from pillar to post, from healing service to healing service. Glory. Take love and start forward till you get to the end of the road. God will protect...?... When love has met its fill, God's obligated to help. When you've come to your end and man's met their end, then grace takes over. It's God's nature to do so. How I've noticed it, how when I give certain...
26 And excuse this personal testimony now for a minute. You've read the book out there that day in Portland, Oregon, when that maniac run to the platform, and was going to kill me. All of you have read that perhaps in the book. What taken place? God sent me to preach the Gospel. That I was doing. Thousands of people were gathered. The streets was standing full and sixty some odd hundred in the inside and it pouring down rain and the people standing there. Their hearts were longing, hungering. That's when no one else was on the field; tinsel was on the meetings, and they'd have to pull you through crowds and everything else and police escort you to get you in.
I'd been to a room and there led two little officers to Christ over in the dressing room, two young boys on the police force in their early twenties. One of their mother's had been healed the night before, and they both bowed there, and I led them to the Lord Jesus.
27 Walking out on the platform to speak faith, all of a sudden a maniac who had hit a preacher down the street that afternoon, broke out of an institution, broke his collar bone, broke his jaw. He had a mania to kill preachers. He run in and thought, "This was my chance." Up to the platform he come, weighing about two-fifty or two-sixty, nearly six foot ten inches tall, swinging his hands back and forth. He said, "You hypocrite, you snake-in-the-grass." There I was, God's service in order, people being healed, thousands being saved, and plus ministers inspired. This great revival just in its beginning then and start breaking forth across the world... Setting up there, set T. L. Osborn (Amen.), who has won tens of thousands of souls to Christ, setting there pastoring a church with eight or ten in his congregation watching down out of the balcony.
And that maniac run to the platform to disturb the meeting of the Lord, and he said, "You snake-in-the-grass, you hypocrite, and posing yourself as a servant of God; I'll show you tonight you're no servant of God. And I'll break ever bone in your measly little body." And he run up there and pulled back his big fist to hit me. I turned around. Preachers scattered, everything. Stood and he hocked and spit in my face. He said, "You snake-in-the-grass. I'll show you how a servant much God you are, you deceiver."
28 I never said one word. I just looked up at him, and all at once the Holy Spirit, something another... What would you think if a man spit in your face? Why, it was in his temper about to get roused. Sure it would; and here come two cops out, but them two cops...?... with things in their hands to beat the man down to take him off, but I couldn't let them do it. God had brought love in my heart for that mortal being.
I thought, "It's not the man. It's the devil that's got him in that condition. That man could be a normal man. He wants to love and live like other men does, but it's the devil has got him like that." And a love begin to swirl out to that man, and the first thing you know that man dropped and fell across my feet there. When Divine love had been projected, sovereign grace stepped in and took its place. It'll do it every time.
29 Here not long ago when... I might've told you this before. Last year--year before last it is now, I was mowing my yard there, trying to get my yard mowed down, round and round. and I had to stop and change clothes, go in and pray for somebody, come out. Well, and my yard was growed up before I... And the back, before I could get the front mowed, it was growed up, and so I...
One day I was back in the back with an old mowing machine a mowing around on it trying this little power mower. And I forgot that there was a nest of hornets in the corner there, and I ran that mower into that. And at the back yard I had my shirt off, no shirt on. I hit that fence with that mowing machine, and with no shirt on, and in a moment's time I was covered all over with hornets. You know what they are--a big nest of hornets. They'll kill you. Great big big fellows just a buzzing...
Oh, I thought... First it scared me. When all of a sudden, something begin to happen. I begin to quieten down, them hornets still buzzing around. Now, this sounds like a kid, and it sounds like it's juvenile but God in heaven knows whether it's truth or not of Whom I stand...
30 Then instead of trying to fight, and beat, and smack them hornets, there was some kind of a godly love come up over me and I thought, "Poor little fellows. You got a right to build a nest. That's the way God made for you to protect yourself, and I disturbed you, and I'm sorry that I did it. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't disturb you. I didn't mean to do it, but," I said, "I'm the servant of the Lord and His sick children have me pray for them. I got to hurry and mow this yard. Now, if you little creatures of God, in the Name of Jesus Christ go back to your nest. I'll not bother you."
And what was it? It was that I prayed, or I could've been stung to death. And the love of God that give me a new heart, the projecting of love came forth, and sovereign grace taken over. What could tell those hornets, peace...?... And every hornet broke his circle...?... and lined up like a military does its soldiers and went right straight back into their nest.
What was it? I couldn't speak to the hornets. I had no way of speaking to them. How could I keep them from stinging me? I was at the end. But I had love. God gave love to those hornets, and I spoke to them in myself, and the Holy Spirit and sovereign grace guided those hornets right back into their nest.
31 Not far down the road, where a Guernseys there at Henryville one day, this big old bull out here killed a colored man at Burke's farm out here, killed a colored man. Almost killed that...?... boy the same way, throwed him out barn...?... I didn't know. I was patrolling. Supposed to pack a gun. I didn't have it.
One day crossing out there, I was going to go over and pray for some sick person. I went across that field not thinking about that bull being in that field. And I got way out in the middle of the field, what happened? First thing you know I was out by a clump of bushes this big spotted bull his long horns like that, and he let out a roar. I knew that was that killer. I looked back. I was too far from the fence, about two hundred yards; and he wasn't standing thirty or forty feet from me. There he stood, threw his horns down, let out a great bawl. I didn't have no gun or oak tree to get into. I couldn't go back to the fence.
I thought, "Well, this is the end. Bill Branham, here's where you meet your doom to be mauled to death, going to death out here in the field. And I stood there, but all of a sudden something begin to settle down...?... the glory of God. Something come into my heart right there. I just loved that poor animal. It's not that poor animal. It's the devil that makes it do it, and I only know one thing...?...
32 Hear a little I want you to hear it. There's only one thing that will conquer the devil. That's pure, Divine Love. Love will conquer everything. God so loved the world... They conquered the sin question. They conquered the sickness question. It'll conquer the difference in the church. It'll conquer everything there is unrighteous to be conquered. It'll do it if you'll just let it do it.
Friend, when this great animal started towards me, and instead of hating that animal, Brother Mike, I loved him. And I thought, "You are God's creature. Who else could make you but God? And you're laying there peacefully, and I come on your territory with signs up there on the field like they were a part of it. I just cut off my regular territory to go over and pray for a sick man." And there I seen that bull coming, his head just a swaying like that, and he was making for me to kill me; and I knew it, but Divine love begin to come. I thought, "Poor creature. A dumb brute don't know no better. There you lay, and I disturbed you. So now, I am God's servant. You are God's creature. In the Name of Jesus Christ go back and lay down, for I'm on my road to pray for one of God's sick children. Go," I said. "Lay down," and that bull come to me just as hard as he could. No fear. I wasn't a bit more afraid than I would be with Brother Neville setting right here. Just the fear of holy love in my heart.
33 What did it do? It created an atmosphere. When that bull run right into that atmosphere, not over ten feet from him, he stopped and throwed his feet out. He looked like right here so defeated with the most meekest look on his face, and turned around, and walked the other way...?... And I passed within five feet.
What is it? When Divine love is projected, sovereign grace takes over at that time. That was the same God that could stop the lions from coming to Daniel, when they come with the...?... and old Daniel standing there wrapped in the robe of love. The lion's run over and laid down. It was peaceful. I tell you, my brother, when God can wrap you in Divine love, there's peace in the valley for you then. There is...
34 Here some time ago I was coming up from over in Dallas, Texas. I was flying by plane, coming home. We'd had a meeting over there, and on my road, got into a storm, and the plane was forced down at Memphis. And while I was in Memphis they put me up over there at that Peabody Hotel, oh, great swanky place. I kinda felt so out of place. I was up there that night, and stayed all night.
They called me the next morning, and said, "Reverend Branham?"
Said, "Yes."
Said, "The limousine will pick you up now at exactly seven o'clock. The plane will leave at seven-thirty."
I said, "Thank you, sir." Hung up. I got up, prayed, and I thought, "Well, I got time maybe to run to a post office box. Got some mail here I answered last night. I got up and started down the street, going down the street singing:
There are people almost everywhere,
Whose hearts are all on flame
With the fire that fell on Pentecost,
That cleansed and made them clean;
Oh, it's burning now within my heart,
All glory to His Name!
I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.
35 Going down the street with a bunch of letters in my hand, going towards the post office, I felt something strange. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Just like everything just settled down... Oh, what a feeling. I thought, "Oh, my, isn't this wonderful?"
Now, Doc used to sing a little song, "Let Me Walk With The Heavenly Dove, Fill My Way Each Day With Love." I used to think of that and this love begin to poured out, a extra. We got love, but we need the abundance of love, the overflowing of love. You say, "Well, I love sinners." But oh, brother, sister, do you love them well enough to go out and talk to them and woo them to Christ? See what I mean?
You say, "I love the Lord, but can you trust Him with the doctor shakes his head? Can you trust Him when everything else is gone? You need an overflowing baptism of love, Divine love. When it seems like when you pray and your prayer is not answered, do you still love Him? Is there something that keeps purging you on. That's God's sovereign grace has to take over. It's got to. It's God's nature. God can't do nothing else but do that.
36 When God seen the sin of this world, and seen that man was dying without hope and could not be saved, and yet He knowed that man would love Him, it--it strained God, and it proved His nature. God's nature is love. God is love, and it strained God's nature until He had to provide a way of escape for those who want to escape. And He sent His Son to the world made in the likeness of sinful flesh to bear our sins and sickness to Calvary. God did it.
The love of God going out called for sovereign grace. And God never said, "If you'll do it... If you'll do this, I'll do this." God, without any conditions He sent He His Son to die in your place and settle the sin question. Had nothing to do with what you think about it. God did it anyhow. Amen. Divine love, when you're strained sovereign grace has to take its place. That's all there is, when Divine love just sets at the right place.
37 Listen closely. That morning when I got out of the plane... I got out of the hotel, started walking down the street. I was going along singing. All at once something begin to pour down on me, a great shower of love. I thought, "Oh, if I could just only... Oh, I believe the way I feel, if I could just see somebody to pray for." That's the way you feel. When there's something in your heart pouring...?... The other day... May I stop just a moment again?
The other day little Sarah got sick. When we started off, oh, it was so hot, and I'd been up every night, getting about two hours sleep. Delegates from all over the different parts of the world, had to meet this one, and that one, and praying, preaching three times a day. Oh, wore out... I was just going, and then I'd got out, and I had...?... drove a few miles out of the city. And I was supposed to be there early of a morning, and I had to lay down on the side of the road and sleep. Lay down a few minutes and got up and started again. And I just couldn't hold my eyes open trying to plow on to get to this woman across a hot, burning deserts of Nebraska.
Going through there, and I thought... Oh, my, little Sarah just a heaving and a gagging. Poor little thing had been sick all night. The next morning she was so sick, we just had to stop the car, and she was white in her face. And--and I was so tired and wore. I thought, "O God, oh, this situation is terrible? God, looky here. I--I can't drive. I'm so tired, and I've been out yonder with your people trying to do the best I could, and little Sarah's so sick." Well, we went...
38 And I went over there and put my hands on her. I said, "Dear heavenly Father, You give me this child. This is Yours. I only raised her." I laid my hands upon her. Something begin to move down in my heart. That ended the vomiting. She never vomited once more from that day till this.
The second day Becky started real sick like a virus and vomiting. The little thing vomit all night. The next day Meda said, "We'll get them Pepto-Bismol." Poured out a couple of spoons and give it to her. The little thing just vomited it right up. We got into the Tetons. When we hit out of the hot country starting up, she wanted to see the beautiful mountains. She couldn't do it. She was so sick.
I said, "Honey, look here. I want to take... Daddy wants to take your picture so we can see the mountain there."
She said, "Oh, daddy. I feel like I'm dying." And so we give her another Pepto-Bismol. We offered prayer that morning.
Said, "Lord, have mercy." And oh, that didn't do no good. So got up there, and I got her out. I said, "Honey, get out in the fresh air." Cold, she had a little jacket on, snow laying around on the ground. So I got out and she was trying. She said, "Yes, daddy." [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.] And the water just come out of her little mouth. I looked, and her little eyes setting back, and her mouth just as white around it as it could be. I walked over there and looked up towards the mountain. I said, "I'm look unto the hills; from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord." So all at once something begin to purge down in me. Oh, I wish I could have it all the time. I walked over there to the side of the car, opened the door, I said, "Look at your daddy, honey." Oh, my, that settled the vomiting for...?... though. Five minutes from then she was running around playing with Sarah. What is it? When Divine love is projected, sovereign grace takes its place. It has to.
39 Down the street that morning, walking in Memphis, back to my story. But walking down the street in Memphis I was singing to the Lord, and all at once something said, "Stop." And I stopped. All at once It said, "Turn and go back the other way." Well, that was towards the river.
I thought, "Oh, my." I walked through a part. I thought, "Well, I just... Something I just..." You know, you're impressed, you know, a lot of times, and a lot of times people make mistakes by following impressions instead of Divine leadings. So I just started on. I thought, "That was just... that I felt. And there, oh, farther I got, the worse it got. I stepped up in a little side place, looked around at some fishing things, laying there. I thought I'd act like people passing by. I was looking at these fishing things, when I got alone...?... called and left the walk, the group from where the light turns. I said, "Kind heavenly Father, what were You wanting me to do? Was that You moving on my heart? I just feel like I'm bursting on the inside." Just something pouring out...
Something said, "Turn and go back."
I said, "Where to?"
He said, "Turn and go back."
40 Don't make any difference where to. Just keep on going. I turned and started walking back down the street. I walked. I looked at my watch, it still urging me. It past time. Went a little farther, past time, getting pretty near eight o'clock, I thought, "Oh, my, my, my." I'd done got way back down where it was kindly like colored houses, a lot of little colored houses down there, way down.
And I was walking along there. The sun was way up high then, early spring, clouds all gone. I thought, "Well, I missed my... I--I--I missed my plane," but I thought, "O God, it's all right if I missed the plane just as long as You--You... Where You lead me to, Lord. I don't know where You've taken me. Where am I going?" None of my business, just keep on walking.
41 I just walked on; after while I looked hanging out over a gate like this, there was a typical old Aunt Jemima hanging across the gate, and her big, fat cheeks. Had a man's shirt wrapped around her head like this and tied in the back. I was walking along like that, and I got up to her, tears running down her big, fat cheeks like that. She looked over at me, said, "Good morning, parson."
And I said, "Ma'am," said, "good morning."
She kinda grinned and looked at me, tears in her eyes. I thought, "She called me 'parson.'" That's what they call a preacher in the south, you know. And I said, "How did you know I was a parson?"
She said, "I knowed you was coming."
"What?"
She said, "I knowed you was coming."
I said, "I don't understand, auntie. Would you tell me?"
She said, "You know. Did you ever read that story about the Shunammite woman who didn't have any children, and she asked the Lord to give her a child," and said, "and Elisha come and blessed her, and she got a child?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am. I remember that."
She said, "I's was that kind of woman." Said, "I didn't have any children, and I prayed to the Lord; and I told the Lord if He would bless me, and give me a child, then I would raise it for Him." And said, "He give me a child," and said, "I've washed over the washboard (There was a little old haunt there on the side.)" said, "I've washed over the washboard and raised this child."
42 And she said, "When he got big, parson, he--he taken wrong road," and said, "he got out with the wrong company, and he's laying in here dying." And said, "The doctor man was here day before yesterday when he went unconscious and said he could never do no more for him. They'd give him 606, Salvarsan, and everything else, mercury and penicillin. Nothing..." Venereal, syphilis...?... valves out of his heart. And said, "There's nothing that can be done for him." And said, "He was laying in here a dying." And said, "Oh, Lord, I didn't want to see my baby die like that." And said, "I--I--if I could just hear him say that he was saved..." And said, "I prayed, and I prayed for two nights." Said, "This morning about three o'clock," said, "the Lord put me to sleep kneeling on my knees." Said, "I dreamed a dream, that I saw a man come with a light suit on, wearing a little hat, western hat set on the side on his head." I said, "Lord, I was the woman, but where's Your Elijah?"
Said, "Here comes..." Said, "I got right up out of that bed, and I've been standing right here ever since waiting for you."
43 That's the way I dress just exactly. Oh, brother, when Divine love is projected... That mother with her baby, nearly a hundred and eighty pounds, but he was still her baby, laying dying in disgrace. No matter how disgraceful he was, it was her baby. She loved him. That's a mother's love. No matter how much disgrace he'd brought; she still loved him.
And if you can't forget your baby, no matter what done, how much more can God not forget you. He said, "Your names are engraved on the palms of my hands. A mother may forget her suckling babe, but never will I forget you." No matter what you done, how far back you've gone, how much you've got into, God still loves you. God loves you; keep the...?... moving on. Don't worry...?...
44 Then she said--she said, "How I just couldn't do it?" And she said, "Parson, I dreamed a dream, and I saw you coming," and said, "when I looked down the street, and I saw that little light suit and that little hat, setting up on the side of your head," said, "the Spirit said to me, 'There he is.'" She said, "Won't you come in?"
And I thought, "O God." I thought, "Maybe this is where You led me to. This is the reason I was supposed to come. I didn't know. I opened up the gate, and it had a chain and plowpoint on it. I don't know whether you ever seen one or not. I opened up the little old door and went in.
45 Brother, I've been in king's palaces. I've been in the richest homes there is in the world. I've been in some that's multimillionaires worth twenty--as much as twenty-eight million dollars. I've walked on their rugs, when it was chenille from one side to the other, when I could lay down and sleep easy on the doormat in the lovely homes, but there wasn't even a rug on the floor, and a little old poster iron bed setting there. Oh, and here, a little old blanket pulled up over this boy and a sign on the door "God Bless Our Home." I knowed I was in the presence of a Christian home. I knowed I was somewhere where prayer was made, not no pinups on the wall, not no vulgar pictures, but the Bible laying open on the little old marble top table laying there. And a big boy laying there in the bed, covers in his hand going, "Ummmmm, Ummmmm. [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.]"
I thought, "Oh, my." Felt of his feet; it was sticky and cold. Death was on the boy.
And he kept saying, "Oh, so dark. It's so dark."
And I said, "What's he talking about?"
She said, "Parson," said, "him been thinking for a lot of the...?... days now, that he is out on a big sea, lost." Said, "He don't know where he's going." And said, "I was hurting in my heart." Said, "He's going away, and he's lost out on the sea, and he don't know where he's going." Said, "Parson, I've prayed. I've done everything, I've done everything. I don't want him lost, parson. And said, "Last night I was praying."
46 I said, "Auntie, what's wrong with the boy?"
She said, "It's a venereal disease. The doctor man done said he is dying, nothing more can be done." And said. "He unconscious. He's been lost on the sea for two days." She said, "Will you pray for him?
I said, "Auntie, my name is Branham. Did you ever hear of me?"
She said, "No, sir. I don't believe I ever did, parson."
I said, "Well, I'm going to tell you a story." I said, "My ministry is praying for the sick."
She said, "It is?"
I said, "Yes," and I said... Told her about the plane coming down and everything.
And she said, "Is that the truth, parson?"
I said, "Yes."
She said, "Well, I knowed He wouldn't let me down."
I said, "You offer prayer, auntie." And she got down there, and you talk about a prayer. Oh, brother, how that old saint could get a hold of God, and there she prayed till the tears rolled out of her eyes.
I looked up and he still going, "Ummm."
And I said, "Now, auntie, I'll pray. You enter along with me." I put my hands over on his feet; I said, "Heavenly Father, my plane's done gone as far as I know, and here this boy's mother was crying for her baby; and as far as I know this is where You led me to. I pray that You'll be merciful to him."
47 And just about that time I heard him say, "Mammy. Oh, mammy."
She raised up and wiped the tears out of her eyes. She said, "Yes, honey. Mommy's baby feeling better?" Begin to pat him on the head...
He said, "Mama, it's getting light in the room. It's getting light in the room." Sovereign love, and Divine love had been projected to the heart of God. Sovereign grace had to answer in its place.
I think that the poor mother a holding on with her prayers to God, and all of this, and then what happened? God in His grace, God in His mercy would bring an airplane out of the sky and hold it on the ground. The anchor of a heart of a poor ignorant colored woman. When Divine love has been projected, no matter how poor she was, how black she was, how yellow she was...?... she was. When Divine grace is projected, sovereign grace has to take its place. And that love of that old mother there how she cried.
48 And the boy a few... About two years after that I went down, and had been on the train going down. I got off, and went up there to get me a hamburger. They wanted about seventy or eighty cents for it on the plane, and--on the train, and I could buy it for about twenty cents in the little stand. I got off the train and started down. There was a redcap said, "Hello, Parson Branham."
I looked around, and I said, "Good morning, son."
Walked over and said, "Don't you know me?"
I said, "No. I don't believe I do."
Said, "You remember about a few years ago when you come down and prayed for me and my mammy."
I said, "Are you that boy?"
He said, "Yes, sir, Parson Branham." Said, "I's not only healed, but I's saved now. I's a Christian."
Sovereign grace... Yes, sir, brother. I'm telling you; when grace... When God sees love projected, grace has to take its place.
49 A few weeks ago at my house, and you remember. Many of you know when that old opossum, laying across there. And this young girl down here had drowned her baby; and when God gave her a baby, and she didn't want to raise him. She wrapped it in a blanket, and throwed it out there, and drowned it in the river. I said, "That is a mother that's lower than a dog. An animal wouldn't do it." And that the sovereign love of God will--could be projected to an animal, how much more can it be projected to a man or a woman. That's right.
And this old mother opossum making her way up that lane. You know the story, and how she come in and laid there at my steps for twenty-four hours, me not even knowing nothing about it. Brother Wood and them, setting back there and Sister Wood with mercy for the thing, said, "Brother Branham, why do you let it suffer, and them poor little baby opossums drinking that old milk from her and her laying there dead." Said, "Why don't you kill them, Brother Branham or destroy the old mother?"
She wasn't quite dead. She was... You could punch her and she'd--you'd get a move out of her. And there she laid there all night.
50 And the next day little old Becky there, she come out. She said, "Daddy..." Oh, it was at morning about daylight. She said, "What are you going to do with that opossum, daddy?" Said, "I just been thinking about it all night."
I said, "So have I, Becky." I went down in the room. I said, "Go on back and go to bed, honey. It's too early for you to get up." I'd set out there in the den room, and I thought, "Well," begin to rub my forehead. I thought I had to do something for that old opossum. I don't know what to do."
Then I heard a voice, insomuch, that I wasn't even expecting it. Right there where them apples come down that morning for Brother Hall when he was healed with cancer, there where the sick and afflicted's been healed, I was setting in the little den room. I heard a voice say, "I sent her to you. She's laid like a lady for twenty-four hours for her time to be prayed for, and you've never said a word to Me about it."
I said, "Well, I didn't even know it." I said, "Well, You mean that You--You sent that opossum there?" I thought, "What's the matter with me? Am I talking to myself?" I caught myself talking back to Him.
51 I walked out there where Becky was still looking through the door. I walked over to where that old opossum there, and dew all over her and everything else. I said, "Heavenly Father, if You sent that poor ignorant opossum, if You sent her here, somehow I'd put in my heart a love for her, being a mother, that I couldn't kill it, couldn't kill her babies. And sovereign grace to teach a lesson to people, that they ought to know, has brought her here. And God, I pray in Christ's Name that You'll heal her."
And that old opossum with her legs blowed full of maggots and so dragging it behind her, and swelled twice its size, stood upon that leg, and picked up those babies in her pocket, walked down through there just as normal as any beast you ever seen walk to the lane, as if to turn around and say, "Thank you, kind sir." And so far as I know, they live happy with her babies today. Why? When Divine love is projected, sovereign grace takes its place.
52 My brother, sister...?... only got one thing to do in your life: That's love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind, and believe ever Word He said is the Truth. And when you come to the end of your road, where you can't go any farther, then Divine, sovereign grace will be projected. How could I talk, here laying yonder, when Mayo Brothers had give me up, setting on the side of the porch, over there, with Brother Cox setting by me. Wanted to know what...?... I couldn't even stand it any longer, but...?...