Korinťanom - kniha nápravy
Táto Kniha Korinťanom je Kniha nápravy. Mali by sme vziať Knihu Korinťanom. To je jediný zbor v celom Novom Zákone, s ktorým tí vodcovia mali podľa všetkého také problémy. Ale Korinťania boli vždy v problémoch. Pavol, keď prišiel medzi nich, jeden mal jazyk, jeden mal žalm, jeden mal pocit a senzáciu. A on mal s týmito Korinťanmi neustále problémy, aby ich udržal v jednej línii. Ak si všimneme, on tých Korinťanov nemohol učiť hlboké veci. Oni boli len v akomsi kojeneckom stave. Oni... On ku nim nemohol prísť v hlbokej hĺbke, s takými posolstvami, ako to robil pri Efežanoch a ako to robil pri Rimanoch, a vyučovať ich hlboké veci, pretože oni neboli schopní to uchopiť. Až príliš viseli na nejakých malých senzáciách a takých podobných malých veciach. Len... „No, chvála Pánovi, ja mám... Prišlo ku mne zjavenie. Mám žalm. Mám proroctvo.“
Pavol povedal, „Všetky tieto veci zlyhajú (Vidíte?), každá jedna z nich.“ Nie sú na to, aby sa na ne príliš spoliehalo. A tak... Ale to, čo sa snažil dostať do Cirkvi, bola tá kotva, kde máme kotvu v Kristovi, kde nespoliehame na nejaké senzácie, nespoliehame na zjavenia, nespoliehame na tieto veci. Iba spoliehame na Krista. Skrze vieru sa hýbeme tam von.
1 Dobré ráno, priatelia. Povedal som bratovi Nevillemu, že som bol dnes ráno trocha zachrípnutý, a tu prichádza to prebudenecké zhromaždenie, nepokúšal by som sa dnes ráno ku vám kázať, pretože som príliš zachrípnutý. Ale keďže sme tu taká malá skupinka, mohol by som mať malú lekciu nedeľnej školy a nechať ho trocha kázať, a tak budeme... Budem tu mať iba malú lekciu z Biblie alebo niečo, a môžeme rozprávať možno tak pätnásť, dvadsať minút. A možno nám z toho Pán niečo udelí. No, On ku nám bol veľmi dobrý, veľmi dobrý.
2 A tak, sme unavení. Minulý večer som bol trocha dlhšie hore. Potom, ako som bol... Odkedy som prišiel dnu, prichádzalo mnoho telefonátov a stalo sa, že som si všimol môjho malého chlapca, ako mal za hrsť sklenených guľôčok, skrátka ich prežúval a jedol ich, sklenené, a prehĺtal tieto... To bolo sklo, a tak sme ho vzali a vyčistili sme mu jeho malé ústa. Potom som s ním bol väčšinu noci hore, takže som dnes ráno trocha unavený.
A ihneď o dvanástej som musel odísť kvôli Kentucky a odísť tam dolu do Kentucky na jednu schôdzku. A potom v tento nadchádzajúci týždeň prichádza naše zhromaždenie, a teraz sa chcem pokúsiť niekoľko večerov iba rozprávať, ak budem môcť. Vôbec nie som prechladnutý; skrátka som musel kázať tak mnoho, že sa mi stratil hlas. Rozumiete? Toto sú už štyri mesiace. Rozumiete? A tak po tomto odchádzam do Kanady a potom naspäť na naše obvyklé zhromaždenia a do zámoria.
3 No, zatiaľ čo som tam len pred chvíľou sedel a rozprával sa s Leom a Genem, premýšľal som tu o Písme, ktoré by sme dnes ráno mohli použiť, ak... No, prv som si tam len na chvíľu išiel sadnúť; bol som tak unavený. Potom som si pomyslel, že by to nevyzeralo správne, aby som sedel tam vzadu v tej miestnosti a zhromaždenie je tu vonku. No, Pán by nemusel tam dozadu prísť. Chcel som vyjsť sem von, kde On je. A tak...
4 Verím, že vidím jeden z dôvodov, ktoré ma sem dnes ráno pritiahli. Je tu brat Littlefield, ak... Chcel ma po zhromaždení len na chvíľu vidieť. A brat Littlefield je zhora z Tennessee, tam, kde sme nedávno mali tie veľké zhromaždenia v telocvični na strednej škole. Jednoducho si nedokážem spomenúť, ako sa volalo to mesto. Odkiaľ si, brat Littlefield? Cleveland, Cleveland, Tennessee.
A tak sme tam hore mali nádherný čas. A on je v – prechádzal tadeto, aby ma pozdravil. A tak som mu povedal, že dnes ráno budem dolu. Išli sme dnes ráno niekam inam, a potom tam boli niektorí priatelia, ktorých som chcel navštíviť, nie kázať, len ich navštíviť, pretože som im sľúbil... A potom tu bol brat Littlefield a dr. Beelan a oni, tak som chcel dnes ráno len prejsť okolo a vidieť ich, to je dôvod, prečo som sa zastavil.
5 A tak teraz, tam v Knihe Korinťanom, asi v 10. kapitole a prvé 4 alebo 5 veršov, len nad tým chvíľku premýšľajme, aby tak náš brat mal čas na kázanie.
No, skloňme prv svoje hlavy v Jeho Prítomnosti.
6 Požehnaný nebeský Otče, je to naozaj s vďačnými srdciami, keď sa v tento deň pred Tebou pokorne skláňame, aby sme Ti poďakovali za dobré veci života. A ako si uvedomujeme, že život sám o sebe je len jedným veľkým bojom, ak to nemáme jedným spôsobom, máme to iným. Ale jedného slávneho dňa bude boj zakončený a uvidíme Ježiša, ktorého sme očakávali, aby sme Ho uvideli, odkedy sme sa do Neho zamilovali, spoznali sme Ho a stali sme sa Jeho príbuznými. A sme tak šťastní, že jedného dňa Ho budeme vidieť.
No, dnes sme sa zastavili pod starým dubom, ako to bolo tam vtedy, kvôli úteche ako Abrahám, keď tam sedel a očakával, a Boh a dvaja Anjeli prišli hore a rozprávali sa s ním; a my dnes ráno jednoducho očakávame na Teba, že ku nám prídeš a budeš hovoriť do našich sŕdc skrze Svoje Slovo, Pane, ako máme okolo Neho obecenstvo.
Žehnaj nášho drahého milovaného pastora, Pane. Modlíme sa, aby si mu dal silu a odvahu. Modlíme sa, aby si žehnal tento malý zbor, diakonov a všetkých, ktorí sú tu zahrnutí, Pane, a všetkých, ktorí sem prichádzajú, a nie len sem, ale aj na iné miesta, Tvoju Cirkev po celom svete. Žehnaj našich bratov, ktorí sú na návšteve a sú tu dnes ráno s nami na zhromaždení. Modlíme sa, aby si bol s nimi a posilňoval ich. Odpusť nám naše hriechy a hovor ku nám skrze Svoje Slovo. Prosíme o to v Kristovom Mene. Amen.
7 Ak sa nemýlim, dnes ráno tu sedí brat Coats. On bol... Minulý večer sa za neho modlilo v nemocnici pre veteránov; rakovina. A sme tak šťastní, že vás tu dnes ráno vidíme, brat a sestra Coats.
8 No, v Knihe Korinťanom, 10. kapitola. Táto Kniha Korinťanom je Kniha nápravy. Mali by sme vziať Knihu Korinťanom. To je jediný zbor v celom Novom Zákone, s ktorým tí vodcovia mali podľa všetkého také problémy. Ale Korinťania boli vždy v problémoch. Pavol, keď prišiel medzi nich, jeden mal jazyk, jeden mal žalm, jeden mal pocit a senzáciu. A on mal s týmito Korinťanmi neustále problémy, aby ich udržal v jednej línii.
Ak si všimneme, on tých Korinťanov nemohol učiť hlboké veci. Oni boli len v akomsi kojeneckom stave. Oni... On ku nim nemohol prísť v hlbokej hĺbke, s takými posolstvami, ako to robil pri Efežanoch a ako to robil pri Rimanoch, a vyučovať ich hlboké veci, pretože oni neboli schopní to uchopiť. Až príliš viseli na nejakých malých senzáciách a takých podobných malých veciach. Len... „No, chvála Pánovi, ja mám... Prišlo ku mne zjavenie. Mám žalm. Mám proroctvo.“
Pavol povedal, „Všetky tieto veci zlyhajú (Vidíte?), každá jedna z nich.“ Nie sú na to, aby sa na ne príliš spoliehalo. A tak... Ale to, čo sa snažil dostať do Cirkvi, bola tá kotva, kde máme kotvu v Kristovi, kde nespoliehame na nejaké senzácie, nespoliehame na zjavenia, nespoliehame na tieto veci. Iba spoliehame na Krista. Skrze vieru sa hýbeme tam von. Len...
9 Všimli sme si, že Pavol tam tých Efežanov mohol vyučovať o tom, ako boli predurčení spred založenia sveta do adopcie za synov Božích. No, on... Korinťania o tom nič nevedeli. Oni len... Museli mať nejaký malý pocit alebo niečo, malú senzáciu: jeden toto, to a tamto, a oni na to spoliehali. Nemohol ich vyučovať hlboké veci.
A tak si myslím, že to je skvelé, keď máte ľudí, ktorých môžete vyučovať hlboké veci. A Duch Svätý môže zaviať tieto veľkolepé pravdy a zakotviť ich do ľudských sŕdc, a tak vedia, kde stoja; senzácia alebo bez senzácie; proroctvo alebo bez proroctva, a čokoľvek by to mohlo byť. Čokoľvek to... Ak ich...
10 No, pamätajte, my nie sme... Nesnažím sa povedať, že Boh nekoná skrze proroctvo a také veci. Ale my nespočívame na tom. Máme tam vo vnútri hlbšie uchytenie. Rozumiete? Lebo on povedal, „Kdekoľvek sú proroctvá, to sa pominie; kde sú jazyky, to skončí. A kde sú...“
A všetky tieto senzácie, ktoré tí Korinťania mali, ani jedna z nich nebola dôkazom, že boli spasení. Ani jedna z nich nebola dôkazom, že boli spasení.
Nie, ak by si mohol vykrikovať, ak by si mohol prorokovať, ak by si mohol uzdravovať chorých, ak by si mohol hovoriť v jazykoch, ak by si mohol vykladať jazyky, ak by si mal múdrosť a mal poznanie, nič z toho neznamená, že si spasený, ani jedno z toho. Mohol by si mať každé jedno z toho (Pavol povedal v 1. Korinťanom 13) a byť stratený. „Som ničím.“ Vidíte? Ale keď máš lásku, kotvu...
11 Dnes ráno, asi hodinu predtým, ako sa manželka zobudila, bol som hore a Pán mi zjavoval niečo ohromné o tom, ako Boh Svoju Cirkev viaže dokopy putami lásky. A ako to tak musí byť; neexistuje pre človeka žiaden iný spôsob, aby bol spasený okrem toho, že je znovuzrodený. Ak Boh dá, chcem na to tento nadchádzajúci týždeň kázať, a jednoducho sa to materializuje v mojom srdci; možno, ak mi Pán dá ohľadom toho posolstvo.
12 No, toto posolstvo dnes ráno, ako mi to prišlo na srdce, je posolstvom varovania. A myslel som, že ak by sme možno mohli dostať toto varovanie ku ľuďom, ako tam Pavol varoval týchto Korinťanov, ak by sme mohli dostať toto varovanie ku ľuďom, keďže vieme, že teraz stojíme pred prebudením a časom preskúmania, keď musíme byť preskúmaní. No, Pavol povedal:
Lebo nechcem, aby ste nevedeli, bratia, že všetci naši otcovia boli pod oblakom a všetci prešli cez more
a všetci boli pokrstení v Mojžiša v oblaku a v mori...
No, on im dáva porozumieť, že keď Boh vyviedol Izrael z púšte – do púšte, aby Mu slúžili a aby ich vzal do zasľúbenej zeme, oni... On tu ukazuje príklad toho, ako sme my vyvedení zo všetkých materiálnych vecí, všetkých rituálov a nariadení, oni boli takisto.
13 A trocha ďalej v našej lekcii zistíme, že mnohí z nich boli zavrhnutí, pretože mohli robiť všetky tie rituály, všetky nariadenia a všetko, čo Boh požadoval, a ich srdcia stále neboli v poriadku s Bohom.
No, môžeme robiť mnoho vecí. Môžeme prijímať komúniu (večeru Pánovu). Mohli sme byť pokrstení. Môžeme chodiť do zboru, mať naše mená v knihe alebo byť tak úctyplní a úctiví, ako len môžeme byť, a stále byť stratení. To je vážne varovanie. Mohli by sme sa tak radovať, keby padal Duch. A na zhromaždení, kde bolo kázané Slovo, a naše duše by sa len radovali zo Slova a stále by sme boli stratení. Dážď padá na spravodlivých i na nespravodlivých. Ten istý dážď, ktorý spôsobuje, že rastie pšenica, tiež spôsobuje, že rastie burina. Ide o prirodzenosť tej plodiny. Rozumiete? Prirodzenosť je to, čo hovorí, čím sme. A tak, to je tá prirodzenosť, ktorá je v nás, ktorá hovorí, čím sme. Rozumiete?
Nie to, že by sme mohli byť tak nábožní, že by sme v nedeľu nepohli rukami, aby sme nič neurobili. Nemuseli by sme v nedeľu ani urobiť steh na našich šatách. Nemuseli by sme sa ani cítiť ospravedlnení, že by sme si v nedeľu kúpili jedlo. A mohli by sme byť tak nábožní a tak úctyplní. Ale jednako, ak nie sme doslovne znovuzrodení z Ducha Božieho, tak len uctievame nadarmo. A tak teraz, je to ozaj tvrdé a chceme na to skutočne prísť a spoznať pravdu; pretože pamätajme, nedostaneme ohľadom tohto druhú šancu. Je to len tento jeden krát. Takže by si si mal byť naozaj istý.
14 No, všimnite si, „Nechcel by som, aby ste nevedeli, bratia.“ No, títo Korinťania, čo som povedal prv? Oni zakladali svoje večné uchopenie na nejakej senzácii. Pavol povedal, riekol tam, „Keď prichádzam medzi vás, jeden má toto a druhý má tamto, a jeden...“ Teraz povedal, „To všetko je v poriadku. Nič proti tomu nemáme. Ale stále to nie je to, o čom hovoríme. (Rozumiete?) To nie je to.“
15 Pamätám sa, keď som bol prv obrátený a začal som vidieť konanie Ducha a to, ako niektorí mohli jednoducho napodobniť ozajstného skutočného Ducha Svätého až takým spôsobom, že by to bolo... No, bolo jednoducho takmer nemožné povedať, ktoré bolo správne a ktoré nesprávne.
A videl som jedného muža, o ktorom som vedel, a ja – a skrze rozpoznanie som vedel, že ten muž žil s manželkou iného muža. A tu on stál a hovoril v jazykoch a výklad a všetko možné, a vydával posolstvá a bolo to... A potom som sa stretol s iným človekom na mieste, kde som sa s ním chvíľu mohol rozprávať, a bol to ozajstný skutočný Kresťan. A pomyslel som si, ako môže ten Duch, ten istý Duch, kde ja... To bolo vtedy, keď som prvýkrát videl letničných, a bolo to v Mishawaka, Indiana. A poviem vám; to istotne... Počas prvých pár hodín, keď som tam bol, som si myslel, že som bol medzi anjelmi. A v priebehu ďalších pár hodín som si myslel, že som medzi démonmi, keď som videl týchto dvoch mužov, jeden vydával posolstvo, druhý vykladal. Nikdy predtým som nepočul hovorenie v jazykoch a také veci.
A sledoval som tie duchy, ako sa pohybovali; pomyslel som si, „Ó, no teda, započalo to veľkolepé milénium.“ A potom, keď sa mi tam vonku naskytla možnosť porozprávať sa s jedným z nich a mohol som povedať, z čoho bol utvorený; ten jeden tam bol tak zlý, ako len mohol byť.
A v ten večer som ich znova sledoval a premýšľal som, „Ó, dostaň ma odtiaľto preč. Nemôžem tomu rozumieť, ako je toto možné.“ A videl som, že tie veci boli v Biblii. Ale tu bol jeden, ktorý to robil, a nemal Ducha Božieho, a ten druhý, ktorý to robil, mal Ducha Božieho. Potom som bol celý zmätený a pustil som celú tú vec.
16 A o niekoľko rokov neskôr, potom, ako skončila potopa, kráčal som hore po ceste, išiel som ku Green's Mill. Pán Isler, štátny senátor, ktorý prichádza sem do zboru, on ma stretol na ceste, objal ma a povedal, „Billy, čo teraz pre teba znamená Kristus?“ Môj otec bol preč; môj brat bol preč; a moja manželka bola preč; moje bábätko bolo preč; a ja... Povedal, „Čo On znamená?“
Povedal som, „Pán Isler, On pre mňa znamená viac ako život.“ Povedal som, „Niečo sa vo mne udialo. Pred pár rokmi do môjho srdca prišiel Kristus a ja... Jednoducho sa to stalo väčším, než som ja sám. To je jednoducho niečo, čo sa stalo. Nebolo to preto, že som bol nábožný; nebolo to... To je jednoducho niečo, čo pre mňa urobil Boh skrze milosť.“ A povedal som, „Hoci by ma zabil, stále by som Mu rovnako dôveroval. A ak by som bol v pekle a bola by v pekle taká vec ako láska, stále by som Ho miloval.“ To je celé. To je niečo tu vo vnútri. On má pravdu; zaslúžim si každý trest, ktorý som kedy mal. Vy takisto. Ale to je tá kotva, to niečo, tá kotva lásky Božej, ktorá drží v ľudskom srdci, ostatné veci sa stávajú druhoradé.
17 Ako som tam hore sedel na brvne, modlil som sa ohľadom niečoho iného a moja Biblia sa otvorila a čítal som 6. kapitolu v Knihe Hebrejom. A čítal som tam o tom, že „Je nemožné pre tých, ktorí raz boli osvietení a stali sa účastníkmi Ducha Svätého, ak by odpadli preč, aby sa znova obnovili k pokániu. Lebo dážď, ktorý prichádza na zem, aby ju zavlažil, aby priniesla to, na čo je pripravená. Ale to, čo je blízke zavrhnutiu, tŕnie a bodľač, ktoré sú blízke zavrhnutiu, majú byť spálené.“
A Duch Svätý mi o tom ďalej rozprával. „Čo to je?“ Čítal som to znova, a potom prišlo videnie. A videl som, ako predo mnou stál svet, otáčal sa; bol celý poobrábaný, a ako pooraný a pripravený na sadenie. A prešiel tade Muž v bielom a sadil semeno. A potom ako prešiel za obzor zeme, vyšiel iný muž v čiernom a sadil za Ním semená. A keď vzišli tie semená, ktoré zasadil ten dobrý Muž, bola to pšenica. A ten zlý čierny muž vyšiel, sadil semená a bol oblečený v čiernom, to vzišlo a bola to burina. Ó, a jedno bolo v protiklade ku tomu druhému.
A v tom videní nastalo velikánske sucho. A tá malá pšenica sklonila svoju hlavu; bola tak smädná po vode. A tá burina sklonila svoju hlavu; bola smädná po vode. Potom tam hore prišiel obrovský oblak a začal padať dážď a tá malá pšenica sa pozdvihla a začala vykrikovať, „Chvála Pánovi! Chvála Pánovi!“ Bola tak šťastná, že dostala tú vodu.
A tá malá burina sa pozdvihla a začala vykrikovať, „Chvála Pánovi! Chvála Pánovi!“ za tú istú vodu.
Potom som tomu porozumel. Vidíte? Tu to je. Duch Svätý bude padať, ale „Podľa ich ovocia ich poznáte,“ povedal Pán Ježiš. Vidíte, vidíte? Nie skrze reakciu Ducha, či uzdravovali chorých alebo či hovorili v jazykoch alebo či spievali v Duchu alebo či sa radovali takto alebo onako; môžu to všetko robiť, a jednako byť stratení.
Ide o tvoj život, ktorý je v tebe; prežitie nového narodenia.
18 No, Pavol sa toto snažil dostať do tých Korinťanov.
Lebo nechcem, aby ste nevedeli, bratia, že všetci naši otcovia boli pod oblakom a všetci prešli cez more
a všetci boli pokrstení v Mojžiša...
Každý jeden z nich vyšiel na púšť. Ježiš povedal, „Nie všetci, ktorí hovoria, 'Pane, Pane,' vstúpia; ale ten, kto činí vôľu Môjho Otca, ktorý je v nebesiach.“
Nejde o to, čo hovoríte. Mohol by si kázať Evanjelium a stále byť stratený. Istotne. Toto nie je len nejaká detská porcia. Toto je absolútne... Je to hlboké. A Kresťanstvo nie je o tom, byť niečím nafúknutým, ako, „No, budem chodiť do zboru a viem, že je to moja povinnosť, aby som chodil.“ To nie je Kresťanstvo. Brat, Kresťanstvo nie je... To je niečo, čo urobil Boh. Boh ťa vybral v Kristovi a predstavil ťa Kristovi ako dar lásky. A to je Božie povolanie, vyvolenie. A ak máme príležitosť stať sa takým typom osoby a odvrhujeme to kvôli malým svetským veciam...
19 No, počúvajte, ako pokračujeme.
A všetci jedli rovnakú duchovnú mannu.
Počuli ste ten 3. verš?
A všetci jedli rovnakú duchovnú mannu.
O čom to hovorí? Rituály cirkvi. Ľudia prídu do zboru a povedia, že činili pokánie a sú pokrstení v Krista, prijímajú Meno Pána Ježiša. A oni to tiež robili na púšti; Pavol povedal. To je to, čo robili Korinťania. Oni prišli dnu a boli pokrstení v Krista, navonok prijali Krista vyznávajúc to, prijali Ho, prijali Ho intelektuálne.
Ale, brat, to je oveľa viac než intelekt, to ide poza to. To ide do rýdzeho narodenia, nie len mentálne poňatie alebo v emocionálnom vypracovaní, ale narodenie, prežitie, niečo, čo ide rovno dole hlboko do srdca a mení najvnútornejšiu bytosť, čo spôsobuje, že robíš veci, ktoré by si nijako inak nerobil. To spôsobuje, že miluješ tých, ktorí nie sú hodní milovania. Spôsobuje to, že sa správaš inak, ako si si kedy vôbec myslel, že by si sa správal. A keď povstanú situácie, to je tvoja kotva. Nemusíš sa v neistote čudovať, „Dokážem to?“ Ó, nie, nejde o to, či to ja dokážem, už to pre mňa zostalo dokázané. Kristus vo mne to Sám dokázal. A ja dôverujem iba v Jeho kotvu. Čo za nádherná vec.
20 Všimnite si. Oni všetci prijímali komúniu. Ten život, ktorý bol v... Vieme, že to bol prirodzený proces, pretože to bolo niečo ako malé krúpy, ktoré padali z nebies, malé oblátky, ktoré na sebe mali med. Vidíte? Tá oblátka bola len ako malý keks, malá sušienka, a na vrchu mali med. A oni všetci mali na tom účasť. Každý jeden z nich prešiel cez Červené more a bol pokrstený skrze oblak a cez more v Mojžiša. Pritom, čo nasledovali jeho inštrukcie ako Božieho služobníka, všetci boli pokrstení v neho. Všetci boli nasledovníkmi, ako sme dnes my, vedení Duchom Svätým, tým veľkolepým Učiteľom kresťanskej Cirkvi. Sme vedení cez vodný krst. A on povedal, „Oni všetci prijímali rovnakú mannu.“
Čo to urobilo? Tá manna padala pre Kóracha a pre jeho skupinu práve tak, ako padala pre Mojžiša, Kálefa a Józuu. Oni všetci boli zmiešaní spolu, všetci mali účasť na krste, všetci mali účasť na členstve, všetci mali účasť na vyznaní a teraz mali všetci účasť na komúnii.
Uchopili ste to? Pozrite na to vážne varovanie. A vy, ľudia z modlitebne, nech to ide poriadne hlboko. Pamätajte, rovno tam visí vaše večné miesto určenia. Neprejdite len okolo toho, ako keby to bolo nejaké malé zachvenie alebo niečo. Toto je niečo, ku čomu musíme pristupovať s rešpektom. Je to niečo, od čoho závisí, či v budúcnosti budeme žiť, alebo nie.
21 Oni všetci boli pokrstení v Mojžiša cez Červené more; všetci nasledovali rovnakú Duchovnú Bytosť, Oblak a Ohnivý Stĺp. Všetci boli vedení rovnakým Anjelom. Všetci vyšli von pod rovnakým pastorom. Všetci boli pokrstení v mori. Všetci jedli z rovnakej duchovnej Manny a tá Manna bol Kristus. Kristus zostupuje dolu; manna zostupovala každý večer z nebies a vytratila sa tu, aby posilnila ľudí v ich putovaní.
A Kristus prišiel z nebies a dal Svoj život, „aby ktokoľvek verí na Neho, nezahynul, ale mal večný Život.“ Kristus zostúpil a stal sa našou Mannou.
Oni jedli z rovnakých duchovných požehnaní. A preto môže rovno medzi ľudí padnúť Duch Svätý, a obaja kresťania, vlažní a poloviční veriaci a hraniční veriaci budú jesť to isté. Ale to jednako ešte neznamená to.
Ó, ako by som si prial, aby som mal slová, ktorými by som to mohol poriadne zatĺcť, a urobiť to istou vecou v srdci každej osoby, ktorá tu je, aby ste videli, aká je toto hlboká vec. To nie je niečo na hranie. To nie je iba chodiť do zboru.
22 No, počúvajte, „Oni všetci jedli rovnakú duchovnú mannu.“ Pomyslite na to: duchovná Manna. „Ó,“ povieš, „viem, že som spasený. Haleluja. Vykrikoval som v duchu. Cítil som toto.“ To s tým nemá nič spoločné. Vidíte, ako zakladáme naše večné miesto určenia na senzácii? Môžete vidieť, ako v tomto dni, v ktorom teraz žijeme, ľudia zakladajú svoje miesto určenia len na nejakej malej senzácii? Ó, hovorí, „Ja viem, že to mám, pretože som cítil, ako cezo mňa prešla moc. Robil som toto.“ To všetko môže byť úplná pravda a stále si stratený.
23 Ó, ak by sme len mali chvíľu. Len sa tu na chvíľu obráťme do 1. Korinťanom 13 a vypočujme si, čo tu o tom má Pavol do povedania.
Keby som hovoril ľudskými jazyky aj anjelskými, a keby som nemal lásky... (To je láska.) ...bol by som cvendžiacim kovom alebo zvučiacim zvonom.
A keby som mal proroctvo a rozumel všetkým tajomstvám a mal každú vedomosť a keby som mal akúkoľvek vieru, takže by som vrchy prenášal a lásky keby som nemal, nič nie som.
Počúvajte, ako to ten striktný starý apoštol zatĺka do tohto „senzačného“ zboru, v ktorom zakladali svoje nádeje na nejakej senzácii. No, toto je nedeľná škola. Toto je miesto nápravy. Toto je miesto vyučovania. A beda tým ľuďom, ktorí sa postavia za kazateľňu a budú zvádzať do bludu. Brat, je čas, aby sme porovnali Písmo ku Písmu. Je to tak.
24
A keby som venoval všetko svoje imanie na nakŕmenie chudobných a keby som vydal svoje telo, aby som bol upálený, a lásky keby som nemal, nič mi to neprospieva.
Vidíte, všetky vaše dobré skutky; všetky vaše dobré činy; všetky duchovné veci, ktoré máte; všetky dary, ktoré máte; všetky senzácie, ktoré máte; všetka radosť, ktorú máte; všetok pokoj, ktorý máte; to s tým od začiatku nemá vôbec nič do činenia. Pomyslite na to na chvíľu! A pomyslite na dnešné cirkvi. Naše veľkolepé cirkvi, presbyteriánsku, metodistickú, baptistickú a denominačnú, oni si myslia, že kvôli tomu, že povedia, „Ja verím,“ prídu dnu, zapíšu svoje meno do knihy, a že tým to je vybavené. Ako veľmi sú mimo.
Naši letniční ľudia si myslia, no, že kvôli tomu, že mali malú senzáciu, cítili sa dobre, hovorili v jazykoch, mali na svojich rukách trocha krvi, na svojej tvári trocha oleja alebo niečo také, „My to máme.“ Ó, desať miliónov míľ pomimo. Pochopili ste to? Vidíte, ako diabol, boh tohto sveta, oslepil ich oči? A oni len takto žijú a pokračujú ďalej. Počúvajte:
A keby som venoval všetko svoje imanie na nakŕmenie chudobných a keby som vydal svoje telo, aby som bol upálený, a lásky keby som nemal, nie som ničím.
Pozrite sa na všetky tie dary, všetky tie dobré veci. „Kŕmim chudobných, cítim v srdci, že som v poriadku. Robím toto. Robím tamto. Chodím do zboru. Hovorím v jazykoch. Prorokujem. Uzdravujem chorých. Kážem Evanjelium. Robím tieto veci.“ Pavol povedal, „Stále som ničím.“ Všetky tie veci môžu byť telesne napodobené. No, čo on hovorí?
Láska zhovieva, je dobrotivá; láska nezávidí; láska sa nechlúbi, nenadúva sa,
nechová sa neslušne, (Len pomyslite) ...nerozhorčuje sa, nemyslí na zlé...
Láskavosť; láska. Čo je láska? Boh. Ako ku tebe prišiel Boh? Skrze narodenie. Rozumiete?
25 No, oni všetci boli pokrstení v Mojžiša. Všetci jedli z komúnie. Všetci mali rovnakú duchovnú Mannu, ktorá prišla od Boha. Každý jeden z nich jedol rovnakú vec.
A dnes stojíme rovno okolo, počúvame Slovo a radujeme sa z Toho, prijímame Mannu, jeme To a hovoríme, „Ó, haleluja, to je dobré. Ó, cením si to. Áno, bol som pokrstený v cirkvi. Prijal som a učinil svoje vyznanie. Zapísal som si meno do knihy. Som právoplatný člen.“ Všetko to je úplne nadarmo, ak tam nie je niečo, čo urobil Boh. Ak to je... To sú veci, ktoré si urobil ty; to sú veci, ktoré vyprodukovala tvoja viera. Ale pokiaľ ti niečo neurobil Boh; nové narodenie...
26 Teraz na chvíľu, no, 4. verš:
A všetci pili tú istú duchovnú skalu, lebo pili z tej duchovnej skaly, ktorá išla za nimi, a tou skalou bol Kristus.
Všetci pili z prameňa. Radovali sa. No, čo to znamená? Pšenica a burina sa obe radovali, že dostali tú duchovnú vodu.
My chodíme do zboru. Tlieskame rukami spolu s ostatnými. Vykrikujeme spolu s ostatnými. Skáčeme hore a dole po zemi spolu s ostatnými. Chválime Boha spolu s ostatnými. Prorokujeme spolu s ostatnými. Hovoríme v jazykoch ako tí ostatní. Modlíme sa za chorých ako tí ostatní. Ale on povedal... No, počúvajte, ako ideme trocha ďalej.
27 No, to – chcem sa na minútu zastaviť na tom, že tou Skalou bol Kristus. Tou Skalou bol Kristus. Bolo to tam v doslovnej forme, ako to je dnes v duchovnej forme. Manna, Pokrm, ktorý je Slovom, ktoré prichádza od Boha z nebies; Kristus je Slovo Božie a my sa kŕmime na Slove. Vidíte? Sedíme ako pri posolstve dnes ráno; počúvame, naše duše sa načahujú, chytajú to Slovo. Žijeme skrze Slovo. On povedal, „Oni všetci jedli rovnakú duchovnú mannu; a všetci pili, všetci pili z rovnakej duchovnej Skaly: a tou Skalou bol Kristus.“
Pomyslite na to. No, čo to tu on nakoniec dodáva? On tých Korinťanov varuje, „Buďte opatrní v tom, čo robíte. Keď prichádzam medzi vás, jeden má žalm, jeden má jazyk, jeden má toto a druhý má tamto. Jeden má proroctvo; jeden má zjavenie; jeden robí toto a druhý robí tamto. Buďte opatrní; nezakladajte na tom svoju vieru.“
Tie veci sú v poriadku. Majú svoje miesto a tiež v cirkvi, ale nikdy na tom nezakladajte svoje spasenie. Ak váš život nepasuje dokopy s Božím Slovom, to je potom čas, aby ste sa dali do poriadku s Bohom.
28 Všimnite si. No, a táto Skala, táto Skala bola Skala, ktorá bola na púšti. A chcem, aby ste si všimli, že keď Boh povolal Mojžiša a poslal ho dolu do Egypta, aby vyslobodil deti Izraela spod jarma faraóna, On povedal, „Čo je to v tvojej ruke?“
A on povedal, „To je palica.“ A vzal tú palicu, hodil ju na zem a ona sa stala hadom. A on... Mojžiš utiekol. Potom to zodvihol a stalo sa to palicou v jeho ruke. A tá palica, keď sa dostal do Egypta, on ju vystrel nad Egyptom a prišli muchy. Vystrel ju a padli pliagy. To bol Boží súd. Boží súd bol v tom vystretí tej palice.
A aby ste si všimli, predtým, ako mohla byť tá palica naozaj držaná, Mojžiš vložil svoju ruku ku svojej hrudi; stala sa malomocnou tak, ako je od začiatku každý človek, podľa prirodzenosti hriešnik. Nedá sa to nijako obísť. Si narodený v hriechu, utvorený v neprávosti, prichádzaš na svet a hovoríš klamstvá. Mohol si byť posvätený na oltári v cirkvi svojej matky. Mohol si byť pokropený; mohol si byť týmto, tamtým, ale od začiatku si hriešnikom.
Potom tu je ďalšia... Boh povedal, „Vlož svoju ruku znova ku svojej hrudi.“ On si znova vložil ruky k srdcu podľa Božieho poverenia, tam, kde sme prv boli privedení, ako jeho ruka, malomocenstvo. Prv si bol Bohom privedený ako hriešnik, nie skrze výber, ale skrze prirodzenosť. Potom idete znova naspäť, a keď vyšiel von, tá ruka bola čistá a perfektná ukazujúc tak, že táto ruka, predtým, ako mohla mávať palicou súdu; predtým, ako mohla mávať, musela to byť očistená ruka. A akýkoľvek kazateľ, akýkoľvek učiteľ...
29 Dnes ráno som počul niečo, čo mi naozaj zrazilo krv. Keď som zapol rádio, práve predtým, ako som prišiel... Ak tu je niekto, kto je tej osobe príbuzný, toto nie je neúcta. Nemám v úmysle vás raniť. Ale je čas, a nech mi Boh pomáha, aby som bol vždy dostatočne takým Kresťanom, ktorý to, čo je čierne, nazýva čiernym; a biele bielym. Aby som bol úprimný. Počul som niekoho spievať a povedal, „Mám svoj Testament,“ a otvoril to a čítal Písmo a kázal z 1. Žalmu, „Požehnaný človek, ktorý nesedí na stolici posmievačov, nekráča po ceste hriešnikov.“ Viete, kto to bol? Ten rokenrolový chlapík, Jimmy Osborn v rádiu kázal Evanjelium. Ó, brat, ak tu kedy bola nejaká hanba! Takáto osoba nemá žiadne právo, aby vchádzala do Slova živého Boha.
A vezmite si tohto chlapíka, ktorý je na „stodolovom tanci“ v Renfro Valley, celú noc na veľkom večierku, tlieskajú rukami a vyvádzajú na večierku, a na ďalšie ráno trocha zmení svoj hlas a rozpráva ako kresťan. No, to je vulgárnosť a nečistota v očiach Božích! Ruka, ktorá máva touto palicou súdu, musí byť očistená skrze moc a vzkriesenie Krista. On nemá žiadne právo na to, aby zaobchádzal so Slovom Božím.
30 Dokonca mnohí kazatelia sa pokúšajú ospravedlňovať tohto Elvisa Presleyho, ktorý nie je ničím iným než moderným Judášom Iškariotským. Judáš Iškariotský dostal tridsať kúskov striebra. Elvis Presley dostal milión dolárov a flotilu kadilakov, ale zapredal sa. On bol letničným veriacim a predal svoje právo prvorodenstva, aby sa stal rokenrolom, a je inšpirovaný diablom. A nebudem si ohľadom toho dávať servítku pred ústa. Nie veru. A moderný Judáš Iškariotský...
A potom sa dokonca kazatelia snažia podporiť takú vec. A Elvis Presley hovorí, „Áno, ja dôverujem k dosiahnutiu všetkého svojho úspechu Bohu.“ Ako by kedy živý svätý Boh udelil úspech vulgárnosti?! A niečo tak diabolsky zdémonizované, to je absolútne jednou z najväčších prekážok, ktoré tento národ kedy videl, chlapík ako Elvis Presley, ktorý poslal milióny duší do pekla skrze jeho odporný špinavý rokenrolový nezmysel. Istotne, nemám vôbec žiadneho ospravedlnenia. Ak mi môžete veriť, že som Božím prorokom, pamätajte, tam je stelesnený diabol, absolútne.
31 A Jimmy Osborn a tamtí nemajú nič do činenia s Božím Slovom. A ani žiaden človek, ktorý berie nadarmo Meno Božie, a večierky a tancovačky s rokenrolom a také vulgárne nezmysly, nemá právo prísť za žiadnu kazateľňu a snažiť sa brať Slovo Božie. To je to, čo sa dnes deje s týmito mnohými cirkvami. Vezmete von z tamtých miest niektoré z týchto boogie-woogies. Drobné dievča, ktoré tam vonku žúruje a jeden večer tu robí všetok tento rokenrol a prichádza ku oltáru, a na ďalší večer ju necháte hore spievať pieseň. Niektorí z vás mužov vezmete z tamtých miest, z nočného klubu, tých hráčov na gitare, a za dva týždne ho dáte za kazateľňu, aby kázal. Brat, hovorím ti, tu by to nikdy nemohol urobiť. V žiadnom prípade, musí sa cvičiť, aby bol dokázaný a potvrdil sa ako muž Boží.
Neveríme tu na takéto skoky za jednu noc. To je to, čo dostalo cirkev do stavu, v ktorom dnes je. Potrebujeme Pravdu. Toto Slovo je Pravda. Je to tak. Ruka, ktorá máva touto palicou súdu, musí byť čistou rukou. Absolútne. Tá Mojžišova ruka súdu bola očistená. A potom bola do nej vložená tá palica. A tá palica išla dolu a priviedla súdy na Izrael.
32 A potom na púšti je taký nádherný predobraz. A musím zakončiť. Tento nádherný predobraz... Keď tam bola Skala a tou Skalou bol Kristus. A hynúci ľudia umierali od smädu a zaslúžili si to. Zaslúžili si zomrieť, pretože reptali. Sťažovali sa; od začiatku neboli veriaci. Neboli nič iné než intelektuálni veriaci. Vykonali... Udialo sa nadprirodzené a vyšiel von zmiešaný zástup. Neboli obrátení zo srdca.
Vieme len o troch z tej skupiny: Mojžiš, Áron a Kálef... Miriam, a Miriam tiež ukázala svoje prestúpenie, keď sa smiala kvôli tomu, že Mojžiš sa oženil s týmto černošským dievčaťom. A povedala, „Či tam neboli nejaké iné dievčatá na vydaj, a tak ďalej, mohol to urobiť tak.“ A Bohu sa to nepáčilo a ranil ju malomocenstvom. A jej vlastný brat vykríkol a povedal, „Či necháš svoju sestru, aby zomrela v takom stave?“ A Boh povedal Mojžišovi, aby prišiel pred Neho, a on išiel a prihovoril sa za malo– za Miriam. Ona už potom dlho nežila.
33 Nie, brat, to, čo robí Boh, je dokonalé. Nemáme žiadne právo do toho niečo vkladať s našimi mysľami; len to nechajme tak, ako to je. Boh to urobil. Boh to povedal. Tým to je vybavené. Len to vezmite, alebo neviete ako... Ak by som to dokázal vysvetliť, potom by som bol rovný Bohu. Nedokážem to vysvetliť; len tomu verím. To je celé. To je všetko, čo je odo mňa požadované, aby som robil. Od nikoho nie je požadované, aby to vysvetlil, pretože to je poza naším intelektom. Je to poza našou inteligenciou. To je Boh, ktorý to robí, takže to nemôže byť vysvetlené. Len to prijímam skrze vieru a hovorím, že je to mojím osobným vlastníctvom a verím tomu. Nedokážem to vysvetliť.
34 Ako tam ležala táto skala, Boh mal skalu, ktorá bola plná vody. Len malá skala, možno nie väčšia ako tento stôl, ale keď Mojžiš túto skalu udrel, vyšlo odtiaľ dostatočné množstvo vody, aby napojilo dva milióny ľudí, a nie len to, ale aj všetok ten dobytok a ovce a ostatné veci, ktoré mali so sebou.
Ó, keď vidím niektorého z týchto umelcov, ktorí maľujú obrazy malej kvapky, ktorá kvapká zo skaly, a dieťa tam stojí s malým vedierkom v ruke... Ó, to nikdy takto neprišlo; prišlo to skrze mocné gejzíry, ktoré sa valili von. Napojilo to dva milióny ľudí a okrem toho ich ťavy a všetky ich zvieratá. Tou Skalou bol Kristus Ježiš, nádherná paralela ku Jánovi 3:16. „Boh tak miloval svet, že dal Svojho jednorodeného Syna, aby, ktokoľvek verí v Neho, nezahynul, ale mal večný Život.“
35 A všimnite si, čo sa stalo. Ten jediný spôsob, ako z tej skaly mohli dostať von vodu, tá palica súdu musela udrieť tú skalu. A Mojžiš tú skalu udrel a na tú skalu dopadol Boží súd. A keď sa to stalo, ona vydala svoje vody. Ľudia boli úplne... Boh ich práve nechával zomrieť, pretože Mu neverili. Boli nečestní; boli zatratenci. Nezaslúžili si žiť. Dokonca... Mojžiš ich nazval rebelmi, ktorí sa búrili proti Bohu. A zaslúžili si zomrieť. A každý z nás si zaslúži zomrieť; pretože sme rebelmi proti Bohu. Správne. Všimnite si, všetci si zaslúžime zomrieť, ale Boh je taký milostivý... On by na nás nemal ani pomyslieť. Ale On je tak milostivý, že vzal hriechy každého jedného z nás a udrel to na Svojho jednorodeného Syna, Krista, aby sme nemuseli zahynúť, ale mohli mať večný Život.
36 Ako by sme mohli piť z tej Skaly a potom nebyť v poriadku vo svojich srdciach? Ale, brat, dnes ráno sú tam milióny ľudí, ktorí to robia. To je úplná pravda. Oni dôverujú preto, že sú baptistami alebo metodistami alebo letničnými. Dôverujú preto, lebo mali nejaký malý divný pocit; preto, lebo hovorili v jazykoch; preto, lebo vykrikovali; preto, lebo tancovali; preto, lebo mali zhromaždenie s uzdravovaním a Boh uzdravil chorých, alebo niečo, na čom spočívajú, preto, lebo mali zjavenie, že to bola pravda; preto, lebo robili toto. Tie veci sú v poriadku, nič proti nim nehovorím, ale to nemá nič do činenia s tvojím spasením, absolútne nič. Mohol by si zo svojej ruky vyťahovať olej, až by naplnil celý galón; vyťahovať zo svojej tváre krv, a to stále nič neznamená. Je to tak. Pavol povedal, „Mohol by som hovoriť v ľudských i anjelských jazykoch, a stále byť stratený. Hoci by som mal múdrosť a poznanie a mohol stáť a vysvetľovať tú Bibliu, len to usporiadať, pospájať to len dokopy, to s tým stále nemá nič spoločné.
37 Brat, oni všetci pili z rovnakej Skaly; tou Skalou bol Kristus. Súdy dopadli na Krista, aby si mohol mať to privilégium prísť a piť. To je Božia dobrota ku tebe, že prichádzaš piť. To je Božia dobrota ku tebe, že sa kŕmiš zo Slova; Božia dobrota, že nechal, aby si bol pokrstený; Božia dobrota, že ťa učinil občanom, udelil ti zdravie, posadil ťa dnes ráno v tomto zbore. To je Božia dobrota. To všetko je Božia dobrota. Ale čo s tvojou dobrotou naspäť voči Bohu? Si ochotný poddať všetko, každú myšlienku, každé konanie, všetko Jemu? To je to, čo pre teba urobil Boh. Čo ty urobíš pre Neho?
38 Všimnite si, len prečítajme zopár ďalších veršov, potom zakončím, aby sa tak pastor mohol dostať ku slovu. No, pozrite sa.
…a tou skalou bol Kristus.
Teraz 5. verš.
Ale vo väčšine z nich sa nezaľúbilo Bohu,...
Vidíte, On dovolil, aby boli pokrstení. On im dovolil, aby jedli Slovo a verili tomu. Dovolil im, aby obdržali duchovné požehnania. Dovolil im, aby pili z tej duchovnej Skaly. To všetko Boh urobil skrze Svoju milosť, ale jednako s nimi Boh nebol spokojný. Pozrite sa.
...lebo boli pobití a rozmetaní na púšti.
Po všetkých týchto prežitiach; po všetkých našich veľkolepých zhromaždeniach s uzdravovaním, ktoré sme videli; po všetkých ohromných zázrakoch, ktoré sme videli, ako sa udiali; po všetkých úžasných pocitoch, ktoré sme mali, vykrikovanie a chválenie Boha, pitie z tej Skaly, všetky dobré kázne, z ktorých sme sa radovali, a jednako byť rozmetaní... Všetko to skončilo. „Oddeľte sa odo Mňa, vy, činitelia neprávosti; nikdy som vás nepoznal.“ Prekontrolujte sa! Máme nadchádzajúce prebudenecké zhromaždenie. Viem, že toto je ťažké. Ale, brat, akýkoľvek otec, ktorý nenapráva svoje deti, nie je dobrým otcom. Je to tak. Rozmetaní...
39
A to všetko sa nám stalo výstražným príkladom...
(Pavol hovorí, veríte tomu? To bolo príkladom. V poriadku.) ...nato, aby sme neboli žiadostiví zlého, jako aj oni žiadali.
Dokážete si predstaviť človeka, ktorý tam stojí a je diskdžokej, dídžej, a hrá špinavý rokenrol; a niečo sa stalo a všetci zostali šokovaní; a všetky tie druhy nečistých piesní, ktoré hrá Elvis Presley a títo chlapíci, a potom príde naspäť a napodobňuje kázanie Evanjelia? Pomyslite na to! Dokážete si predstaviť muža a ženu, ako sedia vonku, a tá žena leží vonku na dvore, vyzerá nečisto, napoly vyzlečená, vystavuje sa pred mužmi, a potom príde rovno naspäť a pije z duchovnej Skaly a vykrikuje a vyvádza?
Medzi letničnými ľuďmi je veľká náuka o emancipácii žien. Nosia velikánske podlhovasté náušnice a všemožne sa obliekajú. A jeden mladý chlapík sedel pred pár dňami vpredu pred mojím domom v malom nákladiaku, vykrikoval, že jeho manželka, letničná, hovorila v jazykoch, vydávala proroctvo. Samozrejme. A hovorí to v cirkvi, kde všetci nosia šortky. A on... Ona ide rovno na ulicu o ôsmej a deviatej hodine večer, zbiera malé cigaretové špaky, ktoré iní odhodili, a fajčí a stále vykrikuje, chváli Pána a vydáva proroctvá.
40 Minule som sedel v cirkvi, kde bol jeden významný muž Boží, ktorého si veľmi ctím, a on toto odhaľoval. Po tom, ako jeden z tých ľudí, ktorý je toho hlavou, vychádza von a všetka táto krv mu vytekala z rúk a také veci... A ja som až zachrípol, ako som sa snažil od východu po západ odsúdiť tú vec na základoch Biblie, keďže to nie je z Boha. Akákoľvek krv, ktorá by vytiekla z Krista, by bola telesnou krvou. Tým pádom je tu Jeho telesné telo. Tým pádom sa zakončil druhý príchod. Ježiš povedal, „Neverte, keď povedia, 'Hľa, je na púšti.' Neverte, keď povedia, 'Tu je.' Neverte. Lebo povstanú falošní kristovia a falošní proroci a preukážu znamenia a zázraky, že by to až zviedlo samotných vyvolených.“
41 A kričal som o tom od východu po západ. A nakoniec na západnom pobreží, starý doktor Canada, ktorý je mojim blízkym priateľom, on sa postavil, a ďalší muž, ktorý bol manažérom určitého človeka, ktorý s tým začal, s jedným z týchto hnutí, prišiel tam hore a vydal veľké... Povedal, „Čistý olej“ a „svätá krv“, alebo, že dnes sa objaví krv. A oni naplnili to miesto a on ukázal, ako mal pod svojím opaskom zapichnuté dve ihly. Každý vie, že môžete tento prst prepichnúť a nebude to krvácať, pokiaľ to nestisnete alebo nestlačíte. Prepichnete do toho dieru a to sa nebude diať, pretože žily sú odtiaľ dosť ďaleko. A keď to urobil, ukázal, ako to urobil, a mal tu vzadu olej, položil tam ruky.
Potom prišiel hore a povedal, „Vidíte moje ruky? Sú úplne normálne.“ Potom povedal, „Sláva Bohu! Haleluja!“ A stisol si takto dolu ruky, ukázal, že z jeho prstov bola vytlačená krv. Zatiaľ čo všetci vykrikovali, on si utrel hlavu a bol tam kríž, keď to urobil práve ten človek, ktorý bol s tým mužom. Tam to bolo odhalené rovno pred poslucháčstvom a s... Siahol do svojich vreciek, aby ukázal ten olej. Jeden na stenu urobil srdce a povedal, „Táto stena dýcha krvou Ježiša. To je Ježišovo srdce.“
Do vnútra vošiel starý veľký muž z Texasu, nebol vystrašený. Povedali, že ak by sa toho ktokoľvek dotkol, zomrie. Mali tam všade laná. Máme z toho fotky, a všade tam, kde mala táto stena krvácať – vydychovať krv z toho srdca. A tento chlapík vošiel dnu a vkĺzol do tej cirkvi, on a jeho manželka, a zmyli z tej steny tú farbu, sadli si tam dozadu a počkali, kým prišli dnu. Pastor povedal, „No, viete, Ježiš tu bol a dal to preč.“
On povedal, „Ježiš s tým nemá nič spoločné. Sám som to urobil.“ To je pravda.
42 Čo sa stalo? Je to kvôli tomu, že ľudia sú nestabilní na Slove živého Boha. Či nehovorí Biblia, že prídu z východu, zo západu, zo severu a z juhu; bude hlad, nielen po chlebe a vode, ale po počutí Slova Božieho.
Čo za deň, v ktorom žijeme. A teraz vidíme všetky tieto veliké denominačné cirkvi, ako sa spájajú dokopy. A dostalo sa to do miesta, že musíte patriť do tohto zväzu cirkví predtým, ako vôbec môžete mať rádiové vysielanie. Si pomimo rádia, chlapče, netráp sa ohľadom toho, a zvyšok z nich je tiež, a zo všetkých televíznych programov. Predtým, ako to budeš môcť robiť, budeš musieť patriť do zväzu cirkví. A keď to robíš, netvoríš nič iné než znamenie šelmy z Biblie. Tak vidíte. Vidíte, ako to je všetko spojené dokopy?
43 Ó, vďaka buď Bohu, že existuje skutočne živý Boh. Existuje skutočne pravdivý Pán. Existuje skutočne pravdivé Slovo. Existuje skutočne pravdivé uzdravenie. Existuje skutočnosť všetkých týchto vecí. Ale, brat, nikdy nezakladaj svoju vieru na nejakej malej senzácii, na cirkevnom poriadku, na prijímaní komúnie, na jedení z tej duchovnej Skaly.
Povieš, „Poznám toto, brat, že som okúsil Boha.“ To môže byť úplná pravda. Ale do akého miesta to vpadlo? To je ďalšia vec. Do akého druhu nádoby to vošlo? Spravodliví a nespravodliví.
44 No, počúvajte.
A to všetko sa nám stalo výstražným príkladom nato, aby sme neboli žiadostiví zlého, ako aj oni žiadali.
Aká bola ich žiadosť? No, počúvajte, chcem sa dostať len trocha ďalej, ak mi prepáčite.
Ani nebuďte modlármi...
Ó, povieš, „Vďaka Bohu, že nie som modlár.“ Počkaj chvíľu. Preskúmajme to skrze Slovo. Povieš, „Neuctieval by som modlu.“ To koniec koncov neznamená, že uctievaš modlu. Stačí, aby si bol nečinný, nič nerobil. [Brat Branham používa slovnú hračku, v angličtine slovo „modla“ = „idol“ a slovo „nečinný“ = „idle“, obe slová sa vyslovujú rovnako – pozn.prekl.] Ideš do zboru. Áno, to je v poriadku, ideš naspäť domov, nič s tým nerobíš. Brat, skutočne znovuzrodený muž alebo žena nemôžu zostať potichu. Niečo v nich je. Musia svedčiť. Musia niečo robiť. Sú nútení niečo robiť. Nemôžu zostať mlčať.
45 Počúvajte.
Ani nebuďte modlármi ako niektorí z nich, ako je napísané: Posadil sa ľud jesť a piť, a vstali, aby sa hrali.
O čom to Pavol hovorí? Príklady. Oni boli pokrstení do cirkvi. Mali absolútne správny krst. Jeden je trikrát dopredu, dozadu, v mene Otca, Syna a Ducha Svätého, iba Ježiš, čokoľvek to bolo.
Oni mali správny krst. Boli pokrstení správne. My sa hašteríme, nepokojíme a hádame ohľadom takýchto malých vecí. Čo dobré to robí? Opúšťate ten hlavný princíp. Naše cirkvi sa rozdelili kvôli krstu. Presne tak.
Potom povieš, „Ó, haleluja, oni nemajú duchovné požehnania ako máme my. Sú len starí, studení, formálni. Sláva Bohu, ja jem skutočnú Mannu Božiu, viem, že to je pravda.“ To je úplná pravda. Ale čo je na tom? Povieš, „Brat, ja... Duch Svätý naozaj padá v našej cirkvi.“ To je dobre, ale aký to robí rozdiel pre teba, ak nie si správnym druhom nádoby, do ktorej To padá?
Pamätajte. Ó, povieš, „Som úprimný.“ Takisto boli oni. Opustili svoje domovy a vyšli von, dokonca vystavili svoj krk na smrť, aby nasledovali. Urobili toho omnoho viac než to, čo musíme robiť my. To s tým nemalo nič spoločné.
Len pomyslite, Biblia povedala, „Uctievajú Ma nadarmo. Uctievajú Ma nadarmo,“ absolútne ozajstné uctievanie nadarmo. Kde to začalo? Rovno zo záhrady Eden, Kain. On Boha uctieval práve tak, ako to robil Ábel, ale uctieval Ho nadarmo. Tak veru.
46 „Je cesta, ktorá sa človeku zdá správna.“
Povieš, „No, prečo to tak je? Činil som pokánie. Prečo to tak je, že nie som v poriadku. Činil som pokánie, myslím, že som práve tak dobrý ako ktokoľvek iný. Chodím do zboru. Bol som pokrstený. Obdržal som požehnania Božie. Milujem dobrú kázeň. Milujem Slovo Božie. Rád To čítam a tiež dostávam duchovné požehnania. A, haleluja, môžem prorokovať. Môžem hovoriť v jazykoch. Vykonal som všetky tieto veci. Chceš mi povedať, že to je nadarmo?“
Nehovorím, že to je nadarmo. Ale je možné, že to môže byť nadarmo. Je to tak. Záleží na tom, čím si tam vo vnútri. Presne tak. Ide o to, kým si ty, ktorý to prijímaš. Ak nie si znovuzrodený, ak tam skutočne niečo v tebe nie je, potom to je nadarmo. Všetky požehnania s tým nebudú mať nič dočinenia.
47 No, ešte jeden.
Ani nesmilnime, ako niektorí z nich smilnili, a padlo ich v jeden deň dvadsaťtri tisíc.
Páchanie smilstiev, to je duchovné smilstvo. Ak by sme mali čas... Nedeľná škola skončila. Duchovné smilstvo...
Ani nepokúšajme Krista, ako tiež niektorí z nich pokúšali a pohynuli od hadov.
Ani nerepcite, ako niektorí z nich reptali a zhynuli od zhubcu.
Reptanie, žiadostenie, miešanie sveta s tvojím náboženstvom, vychádzanie von... Boh miluje čistotu, naozaj čistú.
48 Dnes ráno som rozprával, myslel som na to, čo…No, teraz budeme končiť. Premýšľal som o tomto, „Čo je milšie v živote muža, čo je milšie, ako prísť domov, keď je unavený, a príde strhaný s taškou v ruke, potom, čo pracoval celý deň, oral alebo čokoľvek by to mohlo byť, ako príde domov a jeho milá manželka ho čaká pri dverách, sadne si mu na chvíľu na kolená, aby mu trocha pohladila čelo a pobozkala ho na líce a objala ho a povedala, 'Drahý, viem, že si unavený, tvrdo si pracoval.' Potešuje ho. Ako on vie, že tá ruka okolo neho je celkom jeho. Je jeho. Nikdy nie je okolo akéhokoľvek iného muža alebo akejkoľvek inej túžby. Ten bozk, ktorý je na jeho líci, je zo skutočného, čistého, svätého srdca, ktoré je jednoducho len jeho a jedine jeho. Ako vám to spôsobuje, že...“ Viem to.
Spôsobuje to, že napnete hruď a poviete, „No, koniec koncov, nie som až tak unavený.“ Vidíte? To je to, niečo vám to robí.
No, chcem vám niečo povedať. Ale, čo ak by bol ten bozk na jeho líci a on nemá dôveru. Mohol byť na líci nejakého iného muža. Čo ak tie ruky, ktoré ho objímajú, objímali každého a stále túžia robiť to isté? Nebude to veľa znamenať. Nie je tam toho veľa. Prečo?
49 No, oni boli na začiatku jedno. Boh, keď učinil človeka, On ho učinil dvojitou osobou, oboch, muža i ženu. On ho oddelil v tele a postavil ho tu na zemi v tele a tá ženská časť bola stále v duchu. Pozrite, priatelia. Boh bol tak opatrný. Ó, ako toto… Nech vás to neopustí. Boh nikdy nevzal za hrsť prachu, aby učinil Evu. Ona by bola iným stvorením; a ona nie je stvorením, ona je vedľajším produktom. A Boh ide do srdca Adama, berie toto rebro priamo spod jeho srdca. A berie rebro a tvorí manželku, a samotná časť Adamovho ducha bola v žene, a tí dvaja sú jedno. Duša, telo, duch, oni sú jedno. Sú dokonale jedno, skutočná žena, skutočný manžel a skutočná manželka. Oni sú spolu jedno.
Čoho je to typ? Krista. Z Jeho hrude, nie vedľajší produkt, nie metodista alebo baptista alebo letničné vyliahnutie. Nie veru. Ale zo Svojho vlastného srdca vyňal Svoju milú, ktorá je tak čistá a verná, ako len môže byť. Je tak verná ako ľalia.
Pozrite sa tam späť, Šalamún hovorí, „Poď, moja láska, kráčajme medzi granátovými jabloňami. Naplňme sa láskou.“ A keď skutočný veriaci otvorí svoju náruč s čistým srdcom a uchopí sa Krista, náklonnosť tej osoby milujúcej Krista ide do Jeho hrude ako Jeho manželka, práve tak, ako to muž robí skutočnej manželke.
50 Akým typom osoby by sme mali byť? Či odohrávame rolu smilnice voči Kristovi? Spoliehame sa na nejaké niečo malé, beháme za svetom a svetskými vecami a sme svetsky-zmýšľajúci a bez tej skutočnej lásky a oddanosti, ktorú by sme mali mať?
Vedel by si si predstaviť, ó, dokázal by si si predstaviť svoju manželku, brat, ako prichádza a sedí na tvojich kolenách s jej ozdobnými ozdôbkami a jej krátkymi spodničkami a čipkovanými vecami, a jej vlasy sú celé upravené a vyzdobené a všetko také, a objíma ťa a hovorí, „Ó, Ján, jednoducho ťa milujem. Milujem ťa.“ A rovno vtedy vieš, že niečo nie je v poriadku. Nedôveruješ jej. Nezáleží na tom, ako pekne vyzerá a ako je dobre upravená, ak v nej nemáš tú dokonalú dôveru, niečo nie je v poriadku; to neuspokojí tú túžbu, ktorú by muž mohol mať po svojej manželke.
A teraz len pomysli na samého seba, ako sa pohrávaš so svetom a flirtuješ so svetom, a ideš dolu na svoje kolená a hovoríš, „Ó, Pane Ježišu, milujem Ťa.“ To je páliaci pokrytecký Judášov bozk. Presne tak.
51 Premýšľajte o týchto veciach; budeme mať prebudenecké zhromaždenia. Rozumiete? Ó, môžeš mať nastoknutý svadobný prsteň. To je pravda. Ale nie si manželkou. Ó, môžeš byť ženou; môžeš byť domácou pani; ale ak sa takto správaš, nie si manželkou. A nie si skutočným Kresťanom; nie si skutočným ozajstným produktom pre Krista, ak Ho nemiluješ, a to so všetkým, čo je v tvojom vnútri. Nestarám sa o to, či vyzeráš pekne alebo nie; miluješ Ho a vyjadruješ samého seba. Vtedy sa vy dvaja stávate jedno. Vtedy Kristus a Jeho Cirkev, nie skrze denomináciu, nie skrze krst, nie skrze senzácie, skrze nič iné okrem skutočnej lásky. Bol si vytiahnutý z Božej hrude, keď tam On bol ranený, a On ťa vytiahol a tvoja láska, tvoja vernosť a tvoja oddanosť dokazujú, čím si.
52 Vidíte, čo tým myslím? Či si celý vyzdobený, alebo či si... Nestarám sa o to, keby si moja manželka nikdy nečesala vlasy, ak by nenosila pekné šaty, nikdy nebude dňa – bola by mojou milou. Cením si ju kvôli jej oddanosti, jej cnosti. To, čím je; to je to, čím je.
A pri kresťanských mužoch a ženách, to je to, čím sme v očiach Božích. Tu nejde o to, že môžeme chodiť do najlepšej cirkvi alebo že sa môžeme najlepšie obliekať alebo sa môžeme dostať do tohto susedstva alebo môžeme robiť toto alebo môžeme jazdiť na tomto alebo môžeme robiť tamto. To s tým nemá nič spoločné. To je cnosť našej oddanosti a našej lásky ku Kristovi a to je narodenie. To je tá vec, ktorá prichádza. „A hoci by som hovoril ľudskými a anjelskými jazykmi, som ničím. Hoci by som kŕmil chudobných, hoci by som rozdal svoje majetky, hoci robím toto, robím to a robím tamto, som ničím.“ Čo by sa Kristus zaujímal o to všetko, čo dokážeš urobiť a čo takto dokážeš robiť, ak tam nie je tá skutočná opravdivá láska a vernosť? Popremýšľajte o tom, budete?
53 Toto je nedeľná škola a pamätajte, že to je lekcia pre vás. Buďte tým vo svojom srdci. Nech má Kristus prvé miesto ako pri skutočnej žene voči jej manželovi. Žiadne iné ruky by sa jej nikdy nemohli dotýkať. Žiaden iný bozk, nezáleží na tom, ako pôvabne to vyzerá, ona by mala odvrátiť svoju hlavu. Ona má jednu lásku a to je voči jej manželovi. Je to tak. Nezáleží na tom, aký by ten muž mohol byť príťažlivý a ako uhladene a upravene by mohli vyzerať jeho vlasy a ako by sa mohol držať vystretý, nie veru, vôbec nie; ona miluje toho manžela a on je tým jediným, ktorého miluje. Ona odovzdáva všetky svoje cnosti a všetky svoje bozky, všetku svoju lásku a všetko svojmu manželovi a jedine jemu. Rozumiete, čo tým myslím?
A vy sa vzdávate všetkého zo sveta, nezáleží na tom, ako dobre to vyzerá, ako pekne to vyzerá, a ako úchvatne to vyzerá.
54 Tvoja cnosť je to, čo sa ti ráta. Nehovoríš, „Ó, haleluja, viem, že to mám, lebo som robil toto. Haleluja,“ a máš dostatok výbušnosti, aby si bojoval s cirkulárkou.
Dovoľ mi povedať ti, brat, je potrebná cnosť, ktorú si Kristus cení. „Hoci by som hovoril v ľudských a anjelských jazykoch; hoci by mi vytekala z oboch rúk krv; hoci by som vykrikoval a tancoval v duchu; hoci by som jedol Slovo Božie a miloval to; hoci by som pil z rovnakej duchovnej Skaly, ako to robia tí ostatní; hoci by som tlieskal rukami tak silno ako ostatní; hoci by som dokázal roniť krokodílie slzy; hoci by som mohol všetko toto robiť; ale ak tam nie je tá skutočne opravdivá, pravá kresťanská cnosť ku Kristovi, stávaš sa takým ako zvučiaci kov a cvendžiaci zvon.
Pavol ohľadne tohto varoval svoj zbor, Korintský zbor, ktorý bol celý zamiešaný vo všetkých druhoch senzácií. Varujem vás, priatelia; pamätajte na to, že sa tam v deň súdu budem za vás musieť zodpovedať a vaša krv nebude na mne. Nezáleží na tom, akí ste lojálni k čomukoľvek inému; buďte lojálni ku Kristovi. Pamätajte na to, ako sa modlíme.
55 Požehnaný nebeský Otče, prichádzame teraz v tomto prítomnom stave a vyznávame všetky naše prestúpenia. Ó, buď milosrdný, milostivý Bože. A modlíme sa, aby si sa pozrel dolu do nášho srdca v tejto hodine, zatiaľ čo očakávame s našimi hlavami sklonenými do prachu, pozri sa do srdca starého človeka, do srdca postarších žien, do srdca tých, ktorí sú v strednom veku, a mladých, dokonca malých detí, a nech preskúmame samých seba.
Približujeme sa ku tomu posvätnému týždňu, ktorý oslavujeme ako Veľký piatok a Veľkú noc, vzkriesenie. Hoci sme tento rok mohli byť lojálni cirkvi, hoci sme mohli prijímať večeru Pánovu, hoci sme mohli vykrikovať, mohli sme urobiť mnoho vecí; ale, ó, Bože, pozri sa dolu do môjho srdca. Hovorím sám za seba. Pozri sa do môjho srdca, do srdca týchto ľudí, ktorí sú tu dnes ráno, a preskúmaj nás, Pane. Ak tam je niečo, čo zaberá miesto Krista, ó, Bože, vezmi to preč. Ak to je lenivosť, ak nedostatočnosť, ak to je... Čokoľvek to môže byť, ja neviem, ale, Bože, vezmi to od nás. Ó, nechceme byť zavrhnutí rovno tu v čase bitky, zavrhnutí od Boha a byť Jeho nepriateľom.
Ó, Bože, pozri sa do našich sŕdc; preskúmaj nás skrze Svojho Svätého Ducha a daj nám dnes ráno vidieť, ak je v nás nejaká zlá vec. Ak je, vezmi ju preč, Otče. Kladieme to teraz na oltár a kráčame preč a nechávame to tam. Ak to je nečinnosť, ak to je rozčúlenosť, ak to je ľahostajnosť, ak to je zanedbávanie, ak to je... Čokoľvek to môže byť, ak to je nenávisť, ak to je zlomyseľnosť, ak to je zvada, ak to je... Čokoľvek to môže byť, ó, Bože, vezmi to dnes od nás.
56 A pri tomto nadchádzajúcom prebudeneckom zhromaždení, nech by sme boli tak plní Tvojej ľúbeznosti, Pane, že až prídu mnohí a budú spasení. Táto malá komunita, ktorá tu je, kde sme sa tak veľmi snažili, teraz prvé prebudenecké zhromaždenie v priebehu desiatich rokov kedy som mal... No, modlíme sa, aby si nám do sŕdc udelil skutočného, opravdivého Ducha, a nech sa tam zakotví na večnosť. Udeľ to, Pane.
Spôsob, aby sme skúmali samých seba, my, ženatí ľudia, akým spôsobom zaobchádzame s našimi manželkami, akí sme verní, alebo aké verné sú nám naše manželky. A nech to dnes ráno len vsiakne do našich sŕdc, ako by sme zmýšľali, ak by sa niečo také stalo v našom dome. A potom, nech obrátime našu náklonnosť ku Tebe a povieme, „Ó, Bože, buď mi milostivý.“
Ó, ak by manželka prišla len raz za mesiac a vložila svoju ruku do tvojej a povedala, „Drahý, milujem ťa.“ A išla ďalej, ó, ako by to vyzeralo, že si ma nevšíma. Ako by to vyzeralo, že niečo by nebolo v poriadku. A, Bože, keď možno raz za mesiac, alebo raz za čas, keď prídeme do zboru a obetujeme krátku modlitbu, ó, Ty chceš našu lásku, naše obecenstvo po celý čas, a aby naše myšlienky a sústredenia nášho srdca zostávali na Tebe. Udeľ to, Pane. Ó, zachovaj naše srdcia tak upriamené na Teba, že svetské veci sa stanú slepými a tak bezvýznamnými. Udeľ to, Pane. Vypočuj nás teraz a žehnaj nás v ďalšej časti týchto zhromaždení. Prosíme o to v Kristovom Mene. Amen.
57 No, nech vás Pán ozaj hojne požehná. A ja... Prepáčte, že som tu vzal niekoľko minút navyše, potom, ako bola rozpustená nedeľná škola. A modlím sa, aby vás Boh žehnal. Nehovoril som tieto veci; toto je zo Slova Božieho. Oni sú pre nás príkladmi. Sú príkladmi.
A teraz sa pozri, priateľu, ako by si sa cítil, ak by si vedel, že manželka, ktorá ťa bozkáva, je zradkyňou? Pomysli na to. Preštuduj to trocha. Čo by si si pomyslel? No, keď prichádzaš ku Bohu ako zradca, nerob to. Buď skutočný. Nemusíš brať senzácie. Nemusíš brať niečo iné, keď celé nebesia sú dnes plné skutočnej, ozajstnej lásky Božej. Prečo brať náhradu, keď môžeme obdržať to skutočné? Je to pre teba.
No, nech vás Pán žehná, ako odovzdám službu nášmu pastorovi, a nezabúdajte na tento týždeň. Budú malé prebudenecké zhromaždenia pre blízke okolie a taký malý okruh okolo týchto tunajších miest. Vezmite telefón, zavolajte niekoho, povedzte im, aby prišli. Budeme mať zavolania ku oltáru a očakávame počas tohto týždňa dobrý čas v Pánovi. Nech vás Pán žehná, až kým vás neuvidím nasledujúcu stredu večer.
1 Morning, friends. I told Brother Neville I was just a little hoarse this morning, and this coming on a revival, I wouldn't try to preach to you this morning, because I'm too hoarse. But just a little group of us here, I might have a little Sunday school lesson and let him preach in--in just in a little bit, so we'll... I'll just have a little lesson out of the Bible here or something, and we can talk maybe for fifteen, twenty minutes. And maybe the Lord will give us something out of that. Now, He's been awfully good to us, awfully good.
2 And so we're tired. I was up a little late last night. I'm... After I was... Lot of calls coming in since I come in, and--and I happened to notice my little boy had a handful of glass beads, just chewing them up, and eating them, of glass, and--and swallowing these... It was glass, and so we got him and washed his little mouth out. Then was up with him the biggest part of the night, so I'm kindly tired this morning.
And I got right immediately at twelve o'clock to leave for Kentucky and go down to Kentucky to appointment there. And then this coming week comes our meeting, and now, I want to try a few nights of just talking if I can. My... I'm not got no cold; I've just I've preached so much till my voice is gone. See? This is four months straight. You see? And so then after that, then I go to Canada and then back to our regular meetings and overseas.
3 Now, while I was setting there talking to Leo and Gene just a few moments ago, I was thinking of a Scripture here that we might use this morning, if the... Now, first I was just going to set there a minute; I was so tired. Then I thought that didn't look right, me setting back in the room there, and the congregation out here. Why, the Lord might not come back there. I wanted to come out here where He was. So...
4 I believe I see one of the reasons that brought me here this morning. Brother Littlefield is here, if... He wanted to see me just a moment after the service. And Brother Littlefield is from up in Tennessee there where we had the big--big meeting up there recently in a high school gym. I just can't call the name of the city. Where are you, Brother Littlefield? Cleveland, Cleveland, Tennessee.
And so we had a wonderful time up there. And he's in--was coming through to say hello to me. And so I told him, be down this morning. We were going somewhere this morning else, and then some friends that I wanted to visit, not to preach, just to visit 'cause I promised them... And then Brother Littlefield was here and Dr. Beelan and them, so I wanted to just come by and see them this morning, the reason I dropped in.
5 So now, over in the book of Corinthians just about the 10th chapter and the first 4 or 5 verses, let's just meditate on that for a few moments so our brother can have time to preach.
Now, let's bow our heads first, just in His Presence.
6 Blessed heavenly Father, it is indeed with grateful hearts that we bow humbly before Thee this day to thank Thee for the good things of life. And realizing that life itself is just one great struggle, if we're not having it in one way, we are in another. But some glorious day the battle will be over, and we'll see Jesus Who we have looked forward to seeing since we have loved Him, and become acquainted with Him, and a relative to Him. And we're so happy to know that someday we shall see Him.
Now, today as we pulled up under the old oak, as it was, for comfort like Abraham, setting there waiting, and God and two Angels come up and spoke to him, and we're just expecting You to come to us this morning and speak to our hearts through Thy Word, Lord, as we fellowship around It.
Bless our dear beloved pastor, Lord. We pray that You'll give him strength and courage. We pray that You'll bless the little church, and the deacons, and all that's concerned here, Lord, and all that comes here, and not only here but other places, Your church universal. Bless our visiting brethren who are with us this morning in the service. We pray that You'll be with them and sustain them. Forgive us of our sins and speak to us through Thy Word. We ask in Christ's Name. Amen.
7 If I'm not mistaken, Brother Coats is setting here this morning. He was... Over to pray for him the other night at the Veterans Hospital, cancer. And we're glad to see you in here this morning, Brother and Sister Coats.
8 Now, in the Book of Corinthians, the--the 10th chapter. This book of Corinthians is a book of correction. We should take the book of Corinthians. It's the only church in all of the New Testament that seemingly that the leaders had such trouble with. But Corinthians was always in trouble. Paul, when he come among them, one had a tongue, and one had a psalm, and one had a feeling and a sensation. And he was always having trouble with these Corinthians, keeping them straight.
If we notice, he couldn't teach the Corinthians deep things. They were just a baby-fashioned. They--they... He couldn't go to them in the great deep, the messages that he did to the Ephesians and he did to the Romans, and teach to them the deep things, because they wasn't able to take it. They--they depended too much upon little sensations and little things like that. Just... "Well, Praise the Lord, I got a... I had a revelation come to me. I had a psalm. I have a prophecy."
Paul said, "All these things will fail, see, every one of them." They're just not to be trusted too much.
And so... But what he's trying to get to the Church was that anchor, where we--where we have an anchor in Christ, where that we don't trust upon sensations, we don't trust upon revelations, we don't trust these things. Only we trust Christ. It's by faith that we move out there. Just...
9 We notice Paul could teach the Ephesians there, how that before the foundation of the world they were predestinated unto the adoption of the sons of God. Now, he... The Corinthians didn't know anything about that. They just... They had to have a little feeling or something, little sensation: one this, that, and the other, and they depended on that. He couldn't teach them the deep things.
So I think it's a great, when you got a people that you can teach deep things. And the Holy Spirit can wind these great truths and anchor it into the--the people's hearts so they know where they are standing, sensation or no sensation, prophecy or no prophecy, and whatever it might be. Whatever it... If them... We don't...
10 Now, remember, we're not... I'm not trying to say that God does not deal through prophecy and things like that. But we don't rely upon that. We got a deeper hold in there. You see? For He said, "Wherever there is prophecies, it'll fail; where there's tongues, it'll cease. And where there's..."
And all these sensations that those Corinthians had, not one of them was a evidence that they were saved. Not one of them was an evidence that they were saved. Not if you could shout, if you could prophesy, if you could heal the sick, if you could speak with tongues, if you could interpret tongues, if you had wisdom, and you had knowledge, none of those mean you're saved, not a one of them. You could have every one of them, Paul said in I Corinthians 13, and be lost. "I am nothing." See? But when you got love, an anchor...
11 This morning, for about an hour before the wife woke up, I was awake, and the Lord was revealing to me a great something about how God ties His Church together by that bonds of love. And how it must be; there's not another way for a man to ever be saved without being borned again. God willing, I want to preach on that this coming week and just getting materialized in my heart; maybe the Lord will give me a message on it.
12 Now, this message this morning, as it come to my heart in there, is a message of warning. And I thought maybe if we would get this warning to the people, as Paul was warning these Corinthians, if we can get this warning to the people, knowing that we're facing a revival now and an examinating time, when we must be examined. Now, Paul said,
Moreover brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
And were... baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Now, he's giving them an understanding that when God brought out Israel from the wilderness, into the wilderness to serve Him and to take them to the promised land, they... He's setting forth an example there, that as we are brought out in all the material things, all the--the rituals and the orders, they were the same.
13 And we find on down a little farther in our lesson, that many of those were overthrowed because they could do all the rituals, and all the orders and everything that God required, and still their hearts wasn't right with God.
Now, we can do many things. We can take communion. We could be baptized. We can--we can come to church, have our names on the book, or be just as respect and reverent as we can be, and still be lost. That's a solemn warning. We could be just as--just rejoice, when the Spirit would fall. And in a meeting where the Word was being preached, and our souls would just rejoice with the Word, and still be lost. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. The same rain that makes the wheat grow, makes the weed grow. It's the nature of the product. See? It's the nature of it that tells what we are. Therefore, it's the nature that's in us that tells what we are. See?
Not we might be so religious till we wouldn't turn our hands on Sunday to do a thing. We might not even take a stitch in our clothes on Sunday. We might not even feel justified to buy food on Sunday. And we might be so religious and so pious. But yet if we are not literally borned again of the Spirit of God, we're just worshipping in vain. So now, it's pretty stiff, and we want to really find it and know the truth; because remember, we're not going to get a second chance at this. It's just this one time. So you'd better be real sure.
14 Now, notice, "I would not have you ignorant, brethren." Now, these Corinthians, what did I say in the first place? They were basing their eternal holds upon some sensation. Paul said, just there, said, "When I come among you, one has this, and one has that, and one--one..." Said now, "All that's all right. We have nothing against it. But--but still that isn't what we're talking about. (See?) That isn't it."
15 I remember when I was first converted and I begin to see the working of the Spirit and how that some could just impersonate the real genuine Holy Spirit into such a way, that it would... Why, it was just impossible to tell which was right and wrong hardly.
And I seen a man, that I knew and I--and by discernment, I knew that man was living with another man's wife. And here he was standing there speaking with tongues, and interpreting, and everything, and giving messages, and it was... And then I got the other fellow to a place to where I could speak to him a few moments, and a real genuine Christian. And I thought, how can that Spirit, the same Spirit, where I... That's when I first seen Pentecost, and it was at Mishawaka, Indiana. And I tell you; it certainly... I thought for the first few hours I was there, I was among angels. And the next few hours I thought I was among demons, when I seen that--seen these two men, one give a message, one interpret. I'd never heard speaking in tongues and things like that before.
And I watched those spirits, how they moved; I thought, "Oh, my, Why the great Millennium has begun." And then when I got a chance on the outside to talk to one of them and could tell what he was made from, there was one as evil as he could be.
And--and that night, I watched them again and I thought, "Oh, get me away from here. I can't understand how this is." And I seen those things were in the Bible. But here was one doing it that didn't have the Spirit of God, and the other one doing it that did have the Spirit of God. Then I was all confused, and I just left the whole thing go.
16 And years later after the flood was over, I was going, walking up the road, going to Green's Mill. Mr. Isler, the state senator, comes here to church, he met me on the road, and he put his arms around me and said, "Billy, what does Christ mean to you now?" My father was gone; my brother was gone; and my wife was gone; my baby was gone; and I--I--I... Said, "What does He mean?"
I said, "Mr. Isler, He means more than life to me." I said, "Something has happened within me. A few years ago, Christ came to my heart, and I--I... It's just become more than I am myself. It's just something that's happened. It wasn't because I was religious; it wasn't... It's just something that God through the grace did for me. And I said, "Though He would slay me, I'd trust Him just the same. And if I was in hell, and there was such a thing as love in hell, I'd still love Him." That's all. It's something in here. He's right; I deserve every punishment that I ever got. You do the same. But it's that anchor, that something, that anchor of love of God that holds in the human heart, other things become secondarily.
17 Setting on a log up there, I was praying about something else, and my Bible come open, and I was reading in--over in the Book of Hebrews the 6th chapter. And I was reading there how that, "It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and made partakers of the Holy Spirit, seeing that they fall away, to renew themselves again unto repentance. For the rain cometh oft upon the earth to water it, to dress it for which it's prepared. But that which is nigh unto rejection, thorns and thistles, which is nigh unto rejection is to be burned."
And the Holy Spirit kept speaking to me about that. "What is that?" I'd read it over again and then a vision come. And I saw the world standing before me, turning; it was all disked up, and like plowed, and ready for to plant. And there went a man by in white, sowing seed. And after he went around the curvature of the earth, another man come in black, sowing seeds behind him. And when the seeds that the good man sowed come up was wheat. And the bad, the black man sowed the seeds come up and dressed in black, it come up and it was weed. And oh, one was contrary to the other.
And a great drought come in the vision. And the little wheat bowed its head; it was just so thirsty for a drink. And the--the weed bowed its head; it was thirsty for a drink. Then a great cloud come over, and the rains come down and the little wheat raised up and begin to scream, "Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." It was so happy to get that water. And the little weed raised up and begin to holler, "Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord," for the same water.
Then I understood. See? There it is. The Holy Spirit will fall, but "By their fruits they are known," said the Lord Jesus. See, see? Not by the reaction of the Spirit, whether they healed the sick, or whether they speak in tongues, or whether they sang in the Spirit, or whether they rejoice this a way or that, they can do all that and still be lost. It's your life within you, a borned again experience.
18 Now, Paul was trying to get this to those Corinthians.
I... Moreover brethren, I would have... wouldn't have you ignorant, how that... our fathers were all under the cloud, and... passed through the sea;
And were baptized unto Moses...
Every one of them went into the wilderness. Jesus said, "Not all that saith, Lord, Lord, will enter in; but the one that doeth the will of My Father, which is in heaven."
It isn't what you say. You could preach the Gospel and still be lost. Certainly. This is not just little kid stuff. This is absolutely... It's deep. And Christianity is not to be just a little like...?... saints, like, "Well, I'll go over to church, and I know it's my duty to go." That's not Christianity. Brother, Christianity isn't... It's something that God has done. God has chosen you in Christ and presented you as a love gift to Christ. And it's God calling, election. And if we have the opportunity to become that type of person and turn it down for little old things of the world...
19 Now, listen as we go on.
And all did eat that same spiritual manna.
Did you hear that, the 3rd verse?
And all did eat the same spiritual manna.
What's he speaking of? The rituals of the church. People come to church and say they have repented and are baptized unto Christ, taking on the Name of the Lord Jesus. And they did that in the wilderness also; Paul said. That's what the Corinthians had done. They come in and was baptized unto Christ, took on Christ outwardly, professionally, had taken Him on, intellectually had accepted Him.
But, brother, it's a lot more than intellectuals, it goes beyond that. It goes to a--a genuine birth, not just a mental conception or in an emotional work, but a birth, an experience, something that goes plumb down deep into the heart and changes the innermost being, that makes you do things that you would not have done other words. It makes you love those who are unlovable. It makes you act different than you ever thought that you would act. And when situations arise, it's your anchor. You don't have to wonder, "Will I make it?" Oh, no, it isn't whether I'll make it, it's already made for me. Christ in me has made it Himself. And I just trust in His anchor alone. What a wonderful thing.
20 Notice. They all took communion. That life that was in... We know that it was a natural process, because it was little frost-like that rained from heaven, little wafers with honey on them. See? The wafer was just a little like a cracker, a little cookie, and had honey over the top of it. And they all were partakers of that. Every one passed through the Red Sea and was baptized through the cloud and through the sea unto Moses. Following his instructions of God's servant, they were all baptized unto Him. They were all followers as we are today, led by the Holy Spirit, the great Instructor of the Christian Church. We are led through to water baptism. And he said, "They all taken of the same manna." The... What did it do? That manna fell for Korah and for his group, just the same as it did for Moses, Caleb, and Joshua. They were all mixed together, all partakers of baptism, all partakers of membership, all partakers of confession, and now all partakers of the communion.
Do you get it? Look at that solemn warning. And Tabernacle folks, get that way down deep. Remember, it's your eternal destination hangs right there. Don't just pass it by like the little flutter or something. This is something we must come respective to. It's something that means whether we live hereafter or not.
21 They were all baptized unto Moses through the Red Sea; they all followed that same Spirit Being, the Cloud and the Pillar of Fire. They all were led by the same Angel. They all come out by the same pastor. They all was baptized into the sea. They all eat of that spiritual Manna and that Manna was Christ. Christ coming down, the manna come down every night from heaven and perished here to sustain the people in their journey. And Christ come from heaven and gave His life, "that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life." Christ come down and became our Manna.
They eat of the same spiritual blessings. Therefore the Holy Spirit can fall right in amongst the people, and both Christian, and lukewarm, and half believers, and borderline believers will all eat the same. But that doesn't mean it yet.
Oh, how I wished I had words, that I could drive this down and cinch it in the heart of every person here to see what a deep thing this is? It isn't something to be played with. It isn't just going to church.
22 Now, listen, "They all did eat the same spiritual manna." Think of it: spiritual Manna. "Oh," you say, "I know I'm saved. Hallelujah. I shouted in the spirit. I feel this." That doesn't have one thing to do with it. You see how we base our eternal destination upon a sensation? Can you see in this day that we're now living, how the people are basing their--their destination upon just a little sensation? Oh, say, "I know I got it, because I--I felt the power go through me. I did this." That might be all exactly the truth and you're still lost.
23 Oh, if we just had a moment. Let's just turn to 1 Corinthians 13 here just a moment and listen what Paul's got to say about it right here.
Though I speak with tongues of men and angels, and have not charity... (which is love)... I am become as a sounding brass, and--and a tinkling cymbal.
... though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all the mysteries, and know all the knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could move mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Listen to that stern old apostle drive it into this sensational church who's basing their hopes upon sensation. Now, this is Sunday school. This is a place of correction. This is a place of teaching. And woe unto the man that'll stand in the pulpit and mislead. Brother, it's time that we've made Scripture compare with Scripture. That's right.
24 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,... though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it prevaileth me nothing.
See, all your good works, all your good deeds, all the spiritual things you have, all the gifts you have, all the sensations you have, all the joy you have, all the peace you have has nothing at all to do with it to begin with. Think of that just a moment. And think of the churches today. Our great churches, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and denominational, they think because they say "I believe," come in, put their name on the book, that settles it. How far they're off.
Our Pentecostal people think, well, because that they got a little sensation, they felt good, they spoke with tongues, they got a little blood in their hands, a little oil on their face or something, "We got it." Oh, ten million miles off. You get it? See how the devil, the god of this world has blinded the eyes of those? And they just go right on living like that.
Listen.
For though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body... burned, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Look at all those gifts, all those good things. "I feed the poor, I've got a good heart about me. I do this. I do that. I go to church. I speak with tongues. I prophesy. I heal the sick. I preach the Gospel. I do these things." Paul said, "Still I am nothing." All those things can be carnally impersonated. Now, what does he say?
Charity suffereth long,... is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself,... not puffed up,
Does not misbehave itself unseemly, (just think)... not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Charity; love. What is love? Is God. How does God come to you? By birth. See?
25 Now, they all was baptized unto Moses. They all did eat of the communion. They all had the same spiritual Manna that come from God. Every one of them eat the same thing. And today we stand right around, and hear the Word, and rejoice over it, and take the Manna and eat it and say, "Oh, hallelujah, that's good. Oh, I appreciate that. Yes, I was baptized in the church. I--I take and make my profession. I put my name on the book. I'm a charter member." All that is perfectly in vain if there isn't something that God has done. If it is... Them's the things that you did; that's the things that your faith produced. But unless God has done something to you to new birth...
26 Just a moment now. Now, the 4th verse,
And did all drink the same spiritual rock: for they drink of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
They all drank from the fountain. They rejoiced. Now, what does that mean? The wheat and the weed both rejoiced to get that spiritual water. We go to the church. We clap our hands with the rest of them. We shout with the rest of them. We jump up-and-down on the floor with rest of them. We praise God with the rest of them. We prophesy with the rest of them. We speak in tongues like the rest of them. We pray for sick like the rest of them. But he said... Now, listen as we go just a little farther.
27 Now, that--want stop a minute though on that Rock was Christ. The Rock was Christ. It was there in literal form as it is in spiritual form today. The Manna, the food, which is the Word that come from God out of heaven, Christ is the Word of God, and we eat the Word. See? We set like in the message this morning; we listen, our souls reaching, grab that Word. We live by the Word. He said, "They all eat that same spiritual manna; and they all did drink, all drink from that same spiritual Rock: and that Rock was Christ."
Think of it. Now, what's he going to put it to an end here? He's warning those Corinthians, "Be careful what you're doing. When I come among you, one has a psalm, one has a tongue, one has a this, and one has a that. One has a prophecy; one has a revelation; one's doing this; and one's doing that. Be careful; don't base your faith upon that." Those things are all right. They got their place and in the church, but don't never base your salvation on that. If your life doesn't tally up to God's Word, then it's time for a get right with God.
28 Notice. Now, and this Rock, this Rock was the Rock that was in the wilderness. And I want you to notice when God called Moses and sent him down into Egypt to deliver the children of Israel from under the yoke of Pharaoh, He said, "What is that in thy hand?"
And he said, "It's a stick." And he took the stick and threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent. And he... Moses fled. Then he picked it up, and it become a stick in his hand. And that rod, when he got into Egypt, he stretched it over Egypt, and flies come up. He stretched it and plagues fell. It was God's judgment. God's judgment was in the stretching forth of the rod.
And to notice, before that rod could really be handled, Moses put his hand in his bosom; it become leprosy like every man is to begin with, a sinner by nature. There's no way around it. You're borned in sin, shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies. You might have been dedicated on the altar of your mother's church. You might've been sprinkled; you might've been this, that, but you are a sinner to begin with.
Then there is another... God said, "Put your hand back into your bosom." Over his heart he put his hands again at the commission of God where we was brought forth first, his hand, a leper. You were brought forth by God first, a sinner, not by choice but by nature. Then you go back again, and when he come out, the hand was clean and perfect, showing that this hand, before it could wave the judgment rod had to be a cleaned hand before it could wave. And any minister, any teacher...
29 I heard something this morning that actually curdled my blood. When I turned on my radio, just before coming... No disregards if there's anybody here relation to the person. I don't mean to hurt you. But it's time, and God help me to always be Christian enough to put--make what's black, black and white, white. To be honest. I heard someone singing, and said "I have my testament" and turned on and read a Scripture and preached from the First Psalm, "Blessed is the man who setteth not in the seat of the scornful, walketh in the way of sinners." You know who it was? That rock-and-roll guy, Jimmy Osborn from on the radio preaching the Gospel. Oh, brother, if there ever was a disgrace, a person like that has got no business moving into the Word of the living God.
And you take this fellow on the Renfro Valley barn dance, up all night in an old shindig, clapping their hands, and going on an old shindig, and the next morning, change his voice around, and talk like a Christian. And why, it's vulgar and filthiness in the sight of God. The hand that waves this judgment rod must be cleansed by the power and the resurrection of Christ. He's got no business handling the Word of God.
30 Even a lot of preachers trying to justify this Elvis Presley, which is nothing in the world but a modern Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot got thirty pieces of silver. Elvis Presley got a million dollars and a fleet of Cadillacs, but he sold out. He was a Pentecostal believer and sold out his birthright to become a rock-and-roll, and is inspired of the devil. And I don't pull any punches on it. No, sir. And a modern Judas Iscariot...
And then even the ministers trying to upbuild that kind of a thing. And Elvis Presley saying, "Yeah, I trust God for all my success." How would a living, holy God ever give success to vulgarity. And a devil demonized thing that's absolutely been one of the greatest hindrances that this nation has ever been seen, is a guy like Elvis Presley, who sent millions of souls to hell by his old dirty, filthy rock-and-roll stuff. Certainly, I don't have any apology at all. If you can believe me to be God's prophet, remember there is a incarnated devil, absolutely.
31 And Jimmy Osborn and those has got no business with the Word of God. And neither any man that takes the Name of God in vain and shindigs and dances with old rock-and-roll and vulgar stuff like that to come to any pulpit and to try to take the Word of God. That's what's the matter with many of these churches today. You get some of these little old boogie-woogies out of these places out here. A little old girl that's out shindigging and doing all these here rock-and-rolls one night, and she comes to the altar, and the next night you got her up singing a special. Some of you guys take them little old guitar players out of the places out yonder on the nightclub, and put him in the pulpit preaching in two weeks. Brother, I tell you, he'd never do it here. No indeed, he's got to study to prove himself a man of God and find out.
We don't believe in this here overnight jumping around like this. That's what got the church in the condition it's in today. We need truth. This Word is truth. That's right. The hand that sways this judgment rod must be a clean hand. Absolutely. That judgment hand of Moses was cleansed. And then the rod was put in it. And the rod went down and brought judgments upon Israel.
32 And then in the wilderness is a beautiful type. And I must close. This beautiful type... When there was a Rock and that Rock was Christ. And the perishing people were dying for water, and they deserved it. They deserved to die because they had murmured. They had complained. They were not believers at the beginning. They were nothing but intellectual believers. They'd done... The supernatural had been done, and a mixed multitude had went out. They wasn't converted from their heart.
There was only three in the bunch that we know of: Moses, Aaron and Caleb... Miriam, and Miriam showed her trespassing too, when she laughed because Moses married this Negro girl. And said, "Wasn't there any other girls to be married, and so forth he could done it." And God wasn't pleased with that and smote her with leprosy. And her own brother screamed out, and said, "Would you let your sister die in that shape?" And God told Moses to come before Him and he went and interceded for lep--for Miriam. She didn't live long after that.
33 No, brother, what God does is perfect. We ain't got no business with our minds putting anything to it; just leave it the way it is. God did it. God said it. That settles it. Just take it, or don't know how... If I could explain it, then I'd be equal with God. I can't explain it; I just believe it. That's all. That's all I'm asked to do. There's nobody asked to explain it, because it's beyond our intellectuals. It's beyond our intelligence. It's God Who does it, so it cannot be explained. I just accept it by faith, and say it's my private property, and I believe it. I cannot explain it.
34 How this rock laying there, God had a rock that had a stored full of water. Just a little rock, perhaps not no bigger than that desk, but when Moses smote this rock there was enough water came from it to water two million people, and not only that but as many cattle and sheep and things as they had with them.
Oh, when I see some of these artists who paint pictures of a little--little drop falling out of a rock and a kid standing there with a--a little bucket in his hand... Oh, it never come like that, it come by bountiful gushers gushing out. It watered over two million people besides their camels and all their animals. That Rock was Christ Jesus, a beautiful parallel to John 3:16. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have Eternal Life."
35 And notice what happened. The only way that they could get that water out of that rock, the judgment rod had to strike the rock. And Moses smote the rock, and God's judgment struck upon the rock. And when it did, it gave forth its waters. The people were absolutely... God was just in letting them die, because they had disbelieved Him. They had dishonorable; they were reprobates. They did not deserve to live. Even rep... Moses called them rebels, rebellious against God. And they deserved to die.
And all of us deserve death, because we are rebellions against God. Correct. Notice, we all deserve dying, but God is so merciful He shouldn't never of thought of us. But He's so merciful till He took the sins of every one of us and struck upon His own beloved Son, Christ, that we might not perish but would have Eternal Life.
36 How could we drink from that Rock and then not be right in our hearts? But, brother, there's millions of them this morning a doing it. That's exactly right. They're trusting because they are Baptists, or Methodists, or Pentecostal. They're trusting because they had a little funny feeling, because they spoke with tongues, because they shouted, because they danced, because they had a healing service and God healed the sick, or something they're trusting upon, because they had a revelation it was true, because they did this. Them things are all right, nothing to say against them, but that has nothing to do with your salvation, not one thing. You could pull oil out of your hand till it went by the gallon, pull blood out of your faces, and it still mean nothing. That's right. Paul said, "I could speak with tongues like men and angels, and still be lost. Though I could have wisdom and knowledge, and could stand and explain that Bible, just to make it look, just tie it together, that still hasn't got nothing to do with it.
37 Brother, they all drink from the same Rock; that Rock was Christ. The judgments was upon Christ that you might be privileged to come and drink. It's God's goodness to you, that you do come drink. It's God's goodness to you that you do eat from the Word, God's goodness to you that He permitted you to be baptized, God's goodness to you to make you a citizen, to give you health, to set you in the church this morning. It's God's goodness. That's all God's goodness. But what about your goodness back to God? Are you willing to submit everything, every thought, every action, everything unto Him? That's what--that's what God has done for you. What will you do for Him?
38 Notice, let's just read a couple more verses then I--I'll close so the pastor can get to his word. Now, look.
... and this same rock was Christ.
Now the 5th verse.
But with many of them God was not pleased:...
See, He permitted them to be baptized. He permitted them to eat the Word and believe it. He permitted them to get spiritual blessings. He permitted them to drink from the spiritual Rock. All that God did by His grace, but yet God was not pleased with them. Look.
For they were overthrown in the wilderness.
After all these experiences, after all of our great healing services we've seen, after all the great miracles we've seen performed, after all the great feelings that we've have had, the shouting and praising God, drinking from that Rock, all the good sermons that we have enjoyed and yet be overthrown... It's all over. "Depart from Me you workers of iniquity; I didn't even know you." Check up. We got a revival coming. I know this is hard. But, brother, any father that won't correct his children's not a good dad. That's right. Overthrown...
39 Now, these things were our examples,... (Paul speaking. Do you believe it? It was an example. All right.)... to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Could you imagine a man standing that's a jockey, record spinner, and playing old, dirty rock-and-rolls; and something happened, and got all shook up. And all those kinds of dirty old songs that Elvis Presley and these guys play, and then come back and impersonate preaching the Gospel? Think of it. Could you imagine a man and woman setting out, and the woman laying out in the back yard, and the little old dirty looking, half clothes on, throwing herself before men, and then come right back around and drink from the spiritual Rock and shout and carry on?
There's a great doctrine among the Pentecostal people of liberation of women. They're wearing great long earrings, and--and doing all kinds of dressings. And a young fellow set in front of my house a few days ago in a little truck, crying that his wife, Pentecostal, speak with tongues, gives prophecy. Sure. And say it all the whole church wears shorts. And he... She goes right on the street at eight and nine o'clock at night picking up little cigarette stumps that others has throwed away and smoking, and still shouting, praising the Lord, and giving prophecies.
40 I stood the other day in a church where a great man of God that I have great respects for, and he was exposing this. After one of the men who's one of the head of it goes out and--and he has all this blood running out of their hands and things... And I've become hoarse from east from west trying to condemn that thing on the grounds of the Bible, when it's not of God. Any blood that would come from Christ would be corporal blood. Then His corporal body is here. Then the second coming is over. Jesus said, "Believe it not, when they say, 'Lo, he's in the desert.' Believe it not when 'He's here.' Believe it not. For there'll be false christs arise and false prophets, and they'll show signs and wonders, insomuch to deceive the very elect."
41 And I've screamed it from the east to the west. And finally on the West Coast, an old Dr. Canada who's a bosom friend of mine, stood up, and another man that was the manager of a certain man that started this, one of these moves, come up there and give a great big...?... of oil and holy blood, or blood will be shown today. And they packed the place out, and he showed that how under his belt he had two needles sticking down. Anyone knows you can pluck this finger and it won't bleed unless you milk it or squeeze it. You stick a hole in it, it won't do it because the veins are so far away from there. And when he did it, he showed how he done and he had oil back here, laid his hands on.
Then he come up and said, "See my hands? Perfectly normal." Then he said, "Glory to God! Hallelujah!" And he milked his hands down like that, showed there was blood squeezed from his fingers. While everybody was shouting, he wiped his head and there was a cross, when the very man that was with the man that did it. There it was exposed right out there before the audience and with... Went in his pockets to show oil the stuff. One put a heart on the wall and said, "This wall is breathing the blood of Jesus. That's the heart of Jesus."
A big old Texan walked in, wasn't a scared. Said if anybody touch that they would die. They had ropes all... Got the pictures of it and everything there where this wall would bleed... breathing blood out of a heart. And this fellow walks in and slips into the church, him and his wife, and washed the paint off of the wall, and set back out there and waited till they come in. The pastor said "Well, you know Jesus has been in here and took that off."
He said, "Jesus had nothing to do with it. I done it myself." That's right.
42 What's happened? It's because people are unstabled on the Word of the living God. Don't the Bible say they'd go from the east, from the west, from the north and the south; there'd be a famine, not for bread and water alone, but for the hearing of the Word of God.
What a day that we're living in. And we see now all these great denominational churches are all leaguing themselves together. And it's got to a place that you have to belong to this league of churches before you can even have a radio. You're gone from the radio, boy, don't you never worry about that, and the rest of them are too, and all the television programs. You'll have to belong to the league of churches before you can do it. And when you do that, you're forming nothing in the world but the mark of the beast, of the Bible. There you are. See how it's all leagued together?
43 Oh, thanks be to God, there is truly a living God. There's truly a true Lord. There's truly a true Word. There's truly a true healing. There's truly of all these things. But, brother, don't you never base your faith upon some little sensation, upon a church order, upon taking communion, upon eating from the spiritual Rock. You say, "I know this, brother, that I tasted God." That may be just exactly true. But what kind of a place has it fallen in? That's the next thing. What kind of a bucket did it come into? Just and unjust.
44 Now, listen.
Now, these... were examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
What was their lust? Now, listen, I want to get just a little bit farther, if you excuse me.
Neither be ye idolaters...
Oh, you say, "I thank God that I'm not an idolater." Wait just a minute. Let's examine it by the Word. Say, "I wouldn't worship an idol." That doesn't altogether mean you worship an idol. You just have to be idle, doing nothing. Go to church. Yeah, that's all right, go back home, do nothing about it. Brother, a real borned again man or woman can't stand still. There's something in them. They've got to testify. They got to do something. They are bound to do something. They can't hold their peace.
45 Listen.
Neither be ye idolaters, as they were--some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
What's Paul talking about? Examples. They were baptized into the church. They absolutely had a correct baptism. One's three times forward, backward, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Jesus only, whatever it was. They had a correct baptism. They were baptized right. We fuss and stew and argue about little things like that. What good does it do? You're leaving off the main principle. Our churches have separated over baptism. Certainly.
Then you say, "Oh, hallelujah, they haven't got the spiritual blessing we have. They're just old, cold formal. Glory to God, I eat the real Manna of God, I know it's truth." That's exactly the truth. But what difference does that make? You say, "Brother, I... The--the Holy Ghost really falls in our church." That's good, but what difference does it make to you if you're not the right kind of a vessel It's fallen in? Remember. Oh, you say, "I'm sincere." So were they. They left their homes and went out, even put their neck out for death to follow. They did a lot more than what we have to do. That didn't have one thing to do with it.
Just think, the Bible said, "In vain do they worship Me." "In vain do they worship Me," absolutely true worship in vain. Where did it begin at? Plumb from the garden of Eden, Cain. He worshipped God just the same as Abel did, but in vain he worshipped Him. Yes, sir.
46 "There's a way that seemeth right unto a man."
You say, "Well why is it? I've repented. Why is it I'm not all right? I've repented, I think I'm just as good as anybody else. I go to church. I been baptized. I get the blessings of God. I love a good sermon. I love the Word of God. I like to read it, and I get spiritual blessings too. And hallelujah, I can prophesy. I can speak with tongues. I've done all these things. You mean to say it's in vain?" I'm not saying it's in vain. But it's possible that it could be in vain. That's right. It depends on what you are in there. That's right. It's what you are that's receiving this. If you're not borned again, if there's not actually something in you, then it's in vain. All the blessings I have...?... to do.
47 Now, just one more.
Neither let us commit fornications, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Commit fornications, that's spiritual fornication. If we had time... The Sunday school is over. Spiritual fornication...
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them... murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Murmuring, lusting, mixing the world with your religion, going out... God loves purity, real pure.
48 This morning I was talking. I thought, "What..." Now, in closing. I thought this, "What is any sweeter in a man's life, what is any sweeter than to come home when he's tired and weary with his little bucket in his hand from working all day, or plowing, or whatever he might be, to walk in and have a lovely wife to meet him at the door, set down on his lap a minute, and brush his brow a little, and kiss him on the cheek, and put her arms around him and say, 'Dear, I--I know you're tired. You've worked so hard.' and give him consolation. How that he knows that that arm is around him is absolutely his. It's his. Never is it around any other man or any other desire. The kiss that's on his cheek is from real pure holy heart, that just loves him and him alone. How it makes you..." I know.
Makes you stick your chest out and say, "Well I'm not so tired after all." See? That's it, it does something to you.
Now, I want to tell you something. But what if that kiss is placed on his cheek and he hasn't confidence. It might've been on some other man's cheek. What if them arms around him has embraced everybody and still desiring to do the same? It won't mean very much. There's not much else there. Why?
49 Now, in the beginning they were one. God, when He made man, He made him a dual person, both male and female. He separated him in flesh and put him here on earth in flesh, and the female part was still in spirit. Look, friends. God was so careful. Oh, how this... Don't let it leave you. God never got a handful of dust and made a Eve. She'd been a different creation; and she's not a creation; she's a by-product. And God goes over in the heart of Adam, this rib right out from under his heart, and takes a rib and makes the wife; and the very part of Adam's spirit was in the woman, and they two are one. Soul, body, spirit, they are one. They are perfect oneness, a real woman and a real husband, a real wife. They are one together. What is it a type of? Christ. From out of his bosom, not a by-product, not a Methodist, or a Baptist, or a Pentecostal hatch up... No, sir. But out of His own heart, He took the sweetheart that's as pure and loyal as she can be. She's as loyal as a lily.
Look at--look back there, Solomon speaking, "Come, my love, let us walk in the pomegranates. Let us take our fill of love." And when the real believer opens his arms with a pure heart and holds up to Christ, that affection of that lover of Christ, goes into his bosom as His wife, just like the husband does to a real wife.
50 What type of person should we be? Are we playing the harlot with Christ? Are we depending on some little something and running after the world, and the things of the world, and worldly-minded and not that real love and devotion that we should have?
Could you imagine, my, could you imagine your wife, brother, coming and setting on your lap, with her little frickilly frills, and her little underskirts and things of lace and her little hair all done up and frickled up and everything like that, put her arms around and say, "Oh, John, I just love you. I love you." And you know right then that there's something wrong. You haven't the confidence in her. No matter how pretty she looks and how well she's fixed, you, if you don't have that perfect confidence in her, there's something wrong; it doesn't--it doesn't satisfy that longing that a man would have for his wife.
And now, just think of yourself fooling with the world and pangling with the world, and get down on your knees, and say, "O Lord Jesus, I love you." It's a burning Judas hypocrite kiss. That's right.
51 Think of these things; there's a revival coming up now. See? Oh, you might have the wedding ring on. That's right. But you're not a wife. Oh, you might be a woman; you might be a lady of the house; but you're not a wife if you act like that. And you're not a real Christian; you're not a real genuine product for Christ if you don't love Him and everything that you've got within you. I don't care whether you look pretty or whether you don't; you love Him and you express yourself. That's when you two become one. That's when Christ and His Church, not by denomination, not by baptism, not by sensations, not by nothing but by a real love... You were bought from the bosom of God when He was wounded there, and He bought you, and your love and your trueness and your loyalty proves what you are.
52 See what I mean? Whether you're all frickled up or whether you're... I don't care if my wife wouldn't never comb her hair, if she didn't wear a pretty dress, there never a day--she'd be my sweetheart. I admire her because her loyalty, her virtue. What she is, that's what she is.
And by a Christian men and women, that's what we are in the sight of God. It's not because that we can go to the best church, or we can dress best, or we can get in this neighborhood, or we can do this, or we can ride in this, or we can do this. That--that doesn't have one thing to do with it. It's the virtue of our loyalty and our love to Christ, and that's the birth. That's the thing that comes. "And though I speak with tongue of men and angels, I am nothing. Though I feed the poor, though I give my goods, though I do this and do that, and do that, I am nothing." What does Christ care about what all you can do and what you can do like that, if that real genuine love and loyalty isn't there? Think of it, won't you?
53 This is Sunday school, and remember that's a lesson to you. Be in your heart. Let Christ have first place like the real woman would to her husband. No other arms could touch her nowhere. No other kiss, no matter how charming it looks, she should turn her head. She's got one set love and that's for her husband. That's right. No matter how handsome the man might be, and how polished and slick his hair might look, and how he might hold hisself correct, no, sir, not one thing; she loves that husband and that's him alone that she love. She forfeits all of her virtues and all of her kisses. All of her lovings and everything is to her husband and him alone. See what I mean?
And you forfeit everything of the world, no matter how good it looks, how pretty it looks, and how fascinating it looks.
54 Your virtue is what you're counted by. You don't say "Oh, hallelujah, I--I know I got it because I did this. Hallelujah," and enough temper to fight a buzz saw.
Let me tell you, brother, it takes virtue that Christ respects. "Though I speak with tongues as men and angels, though I pour forth blood out of both hands, though I shout and dance in the spirit, though I eat the Word of God and love it, though I drink from the same spiritual rock that the rest of them does, though I clap my hands just as loud as the rest, though I could cry crocodile tears, though I could do all this; but if that real genuine, real Christian virtue isn't there to Christ, you become as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.
Paul was warning his church of this, the Corinthian church, which it was all mixed up in all kinds of fantastics. I'm warning you, friends; remember I will have to answer for you there at the day of judgment and your blood won't be upon me. No matter how loyal you are to anything else, be loyal to Christ. Remember that as we pray.
55 Blessed heavenly Father, in this present estate we come now and confessing all of our wrongs. Oh, be Thou merciful, merciful God. And we pray that You'll look down into our heart, and in th--this hour, while we're waiting with our heads bowed to the dust, look into the heart of the old man, into the heart of the elderly women, into the heart of the middle-age and the young, even the little children, and may we examine ourself.
We're coming into that holy week that we celebrate as Good Friday and Easter, the resurrection. Though this year we might have been loyal to church, though we might've taken communion, though we might've shouted, we might've done many things; but, O God, look down into my heart. I talk for myself. Look into my heart, into the heart of this people here this morning and examine us, Lord. If there be something that takes the place of Christ, O God, take it away. If it's laziness, if insufficiency, if it's... Whatever it might be, I don't know, but, God, take it from us. Oh, we don't want to be overthrown right here at the time of the battle, overthrowed by God and be an enemy to Him.
O God, look into our hearts; examine us by Thy Holy Spirit, and let us see this morning if there's any evil thing in us. If there is, take it away, Father. We now lay it on the altar to walk away and leave it there. If it's idleness, if it's temper, if it's indifference, if it's neglecting, if it's... Whatever it may be, if it's hatred, if it's malice, if it's strife, if it's... Whatever it may be, O God, take it from us today.
56 And at this coming revival, may we be just so full of Your charm, Lord, until many will come in and be saved. The little community here, where we've tried so hard, the first revival now in ten years that I've held... Now, I pray that You'll give us that real, real Spirit in our hearts, and may it anchor there for eternity. Grant it, Lord.
Make us to examine ourselves, we married people, by the way we treat our wives, how true we are or how true our wives is to us. And may we just get in our hearts this morning, how we'd think if something like that happened in our home. And then, may we turn our affections toward You and say, "O God, be merciful to me."
Oh if--if the wife would just about every once a month, just come by and put her hand on yours and say, "Dear, I love you." and walk on, oh, how it would seem she was neglecting me. How it would seem that something was wrong. And, God, when maybe once a month or once when we go to church we offer a little prayer, oh, You want our love, our--our--our communion all the time, and our thoughts and our intents of our heart will be stayed on Thee. Grant it, Lord. Oh, keep our hearts so set on Thee that the things of the world will become blind and so indifferent. Grant it, Lord. Hear us now and bless us in the further part of these services. We ask in Christ's Name. Amen.
57 Now, the Lord bless you real good. And I... Sorry I've taken up a few extra minutes there after the Sunday school was dismissed. And I pray that God will bless you. I didn't say these things; this is out of God's Word. They were examples to us. They're examples.
And now, look, friend, how would you feel if you knowed the wife that was kissing you was a betrayer? Think of it. Study it a little while. What would you think? Now, when you come to God in a betrayer, don't do that. Let's be real. You don't have to take a sensation. You don't have to take something different when the whole skies are full of the real genuine love of God today. Why take a substitute when we can get the real. It's for you.
Now, may the Lord bless you as I turn the service to our pastor and don't forget this week. Now, the little revival's for the community and the little round about towns here. You get on your phone, call someone, tell them to come out. We'll have altar calls and expect a good time this week in the Lord. The Lord bless you, till I see you this next coming Wednesday night.
1 Dobré ráno, priatelia. Povedal som bratovi Nevillemu, že som bol dnes ráno trocha zachrípnutý, a tu prichádza to prebudenecké zhromaždenie, nepokúšal by som sa dnes ráno ku vám kázať, pretože som príliš zachrípnutý. Ale keďže sme tu taká malá skupinka, mohol by som mať malú lekciu nedeľnej školy a nechať ho trocha kázať, a tak budeme... Budem tu mať iba malú lekciu z Biblie alebo niečo, a môžeme rozprávať možno tak pätnásť, dvadsať minút. A možno nám z toho Pán niečo udelí. No, On ku nám bol veľmi dobrý, veľmi dobrý.
2 A tak, sme unavení. Minulý večer som bol trocha dlhšie hore. Potom, ako som bol... Odkedy som prišiel dnu, prichádzalo mnoho telefonátov a stalo sa, že som si všimol môjho malého chlapca, ako mal za hrsť sklenených guľôčok, skrátka ich prežúval a jedol ich, sklenené, a prehĺtal tieto... To bolo sklo, a tak sme ho vzali a vyčistili sme mu jeho malé ústa. Potom som s ním bol väčšinu noci hore, takže som dnes ráno trocha unavený.
A ihneď o dvanástej som musel odísť kvôli Kentucky a odísť tam dolu do Kentucky na jednu schôdzku. A potom v tento nadchádzajúci týždeň prichádza naše zhromaždenie, a teraz sa chcem pokúsiť niekoľko večerov iba rozprávať, ak budem môcť. Vôbec nie som prechladnutý; skrátka som musel kázať tak mnoho, že sa mi stratil hlas. Rozumiete? Toto sú už štyri mesiace. Rozumiete? A tak po tomto odchádzam do Kanady a potom naspäť na naše obvyklé zhromaždenia a do zámoria.
3 No, zatiaľ čo som tam len pred chvíľou sedel a rozprával sa s Leom a Genem, premýšľal som tu o Písme, ktoré by sme dnes ráno mohli použiť, ak... No, prv som si tam len na chvíľu išiel sadnúť; bol som tak unavený. Potom som si pomyslel, že by to nevyzeralo správne, aby som sedel tam vzadu v tej miestnosti a zhromaždenie je tu vonku. No, Pán by nemusel tam dozadu prísť. Chcel som vyjsť sem von, kde On je. A tak...
4 Verím, že vidím jeden z dôvodov, ktoré ma sem dnes ráno pritiahli. Je tu brat Littlefield, ak... Chcel ma po zhromaždení len na chvíľu vidieť. A brat Littlefield je zhora z Tennessee, tam, kde sme nedávno mali tie veľké zhromaždenia v telocvični na strednej škole. Jednoducho si nedokážem spomenúť, ako sa volalo to mesto. Odkiaľ si, brat Littlefield? Cleveland, Cleveland, Tennessee.
A tak sme tam hore mali nádherný čas. A on je v – prechádzal tadeto, aby ma pozdravil. A tak som mu povedal, že dnes ráno budem dolu. Išli sme dnes ráno niekam inam, a potom tam boli niektorí priatelia, ktorých som chcel navštíviť, nie kázať, len ich navštíviť, pretože som im sľúbil... A potom tu bol brat Littlefield a dr. Beelan a oni, tak som chcel dnes ráno len prejsť okolo a vidieť ich, to je dôvod, prečo som sa zastavil.
5 A tak teraz, tam v Knihe Korinťanom, asi v 10. kapitole a prvé 4 alebo 5 veršov, len nad tým chvíľku premýšľajme, aby tak náš brat mal čas na kázanie.
No, skloňme prv svoje hlavy v Jeho Prítomnosti.
6 Požehnaný nebeský Otče, je to naozaj s vďačnými srdciami, keď sa v tento deň pred Tebou pokorne skláňame, aby sme Ti poďakovali za dobré veci života. A ako si uvedomujeme, že život sám o sebe je len jedným veľkým bojom, ak to nemáme jedným spôsobom, máme to iným. Ale jedného slávneho dňa bude boj zakončený a uvidíme Ježiša, ktorého sme očakávali, aby sme Ho uvideli, odkedy sme sa do Neho zamilovali, spoznali sme Ho a stali sme sa Jeho príbuznými. A sme tak šťastní, že jedného dňa Ho budeme vidieť.
No, dnes sme sa zastavili pod starým dubom, ako to bolo tam vtedy, kvôli úteche ako Abrahám, keď tam sedel a očakával, a Boh a dvaja Anjeli prišli hore a rozprávali sa s ním; a my dnes ráno jednoducho očakávame na Teba, že ku nám prídeš a budeš hovoriť do našich sŕdc skrze Svoje Slovo, Pane, ako máme okolo Neho obecenstvo.
Žehnaj nášho drahého milovaného pastora, Pane. Modlíme sa, aby si mu dal silu a odvahu. Modlíme sa, aby si žehnal tento malý zbor, diakonov a všetkých, ktorí sú tu zahrnutí, Pane, a všetkých, ktorí sem prichádzajú, a nie len sem, ale aj na iné miesta, Tvoju Cirkev po celom svete. Žehnaj našich bratov, ktorí sú na návšteve a sú tu dnes ráno s nami na zhromaždení. Modlíme sa, aby si bol s nimi a posilňoval ich. Odpusť nám naše hriechy a hovor ku nám skrze Svoje Slovo. Prosíme o to v Kristovom Mene. Amen.
7 Ak sa nemýlim, dnes ráno tu sedí brat Coats. On bol... Minulý večer sa za neho modlilo v nemocnici pre veteránov; rakovina. A sme tak šťastní, že vás tu dnes ráno vidíme, brat a sestra Coats.
8 No, v Knihe Korinťanom, 10. kapitola. Táto Kniha Korinťanom je Kniha nápravy. Mali by sme vziať Knihu Korinťanom. To je jediný zbor v celom Novom Zákone, s ktorým tí vodcovia mali podľa všetkého také problémy. Ale Korinťania boli vždy v problémoch. Pavol, keď prišiel medzi nich, jeden mal jazyk, jeden mal žalm, jeden mal pocit a senzáciu. A on mal s týmito Korinťanmi neustále problémy, aby ich udržal v jednej línii.
Ak si všimneme, on tých Korinťanov nemohol učiť hlboké veci. Oni boli len v akomsi kojeneckom stave. Oni... On ku nim nemohol prísť v hlbokej hĺbke, s takými posolstvami, ako to robil pri Efežanoch a ako to robil pri Rimanoch, a vyučovať ich hlboké veci, pretože oni neboli schopní to uchopiť. Až príliš viseli na nejakých malých senzáciách a takých podobných malých veciach. Len... „No, chvála Pánovi, ja mám... Prišlo ku mne zjavenie. Mám žalm. Mám proroctvo.“
Pavol povedal, „Všetky tieto veci zlyhajú (Vidíte?), každá jedna z nich.“ Nie sú na to, aby sa na ne príliš spoliehalo. A tak... Ale to, čo sa snažil dostať do Cirkvi, bola tá kotva, kde máme kotvu v Kristovi, kde nespoliehame na nejaké senzácie, nespoliehame na zjavenia, nespoliehame na tieto veci. Iba spoliehame na Krista. Skrze vieru sa hýbeme tam von. Len...
9 Všimli sme si, že Pavol tam tých Efežanov mohol vyučovať o tom, ako boli predurčení spred založenia sveta do adopcie za synov Božích. No, on... Korinťania o tom nič nevedeli. Oni len... Museli mať nejaký malý pocit alebo niečo, malú senzáciu: jeden toto, to a tamto, a oni na to spoliehali. Nemohol ich vyučovať hlboké veci.
A tak si myslím, že to je skvelé, keď máte ľudí, ktorých môžete vyučovať hlboké veci. A Duch Svätý môže zaviať tieto veľkolepé pravdy a zakotviť ich do ľudských sŕdc, a tak vedia, kde stoja; senzácia alebo bez senzácie; proroctvo alebo bez proroctva, a čokoľvek by to mohlo byť. Čokoľvek to... Ak ich...
10 No, pamätajte, my nie sme... Nesnažím sa povedať, že Boh nekoná skrze proroctvo a také veci. Ale my nespočívame na tom. Máme tam vo vnútri hlbšie uchytenie. Rozumiete? Lebo on povedal, „Kdekoľvek sú proroctvá, to sa pominie; kde sú jazyky, to skončí. A kde sú...“
A všetky tieto senzácie, ktoré tí Korinťania mali, ani jedna z nich nebola dôkazom, že boli spasení. Ani jedna z nich nebola dôkazom, že boli spasení.
Nie, ak by si mohol vykrikovať, ak by si mohol prorokovať, ak by si mohol uzdravovať chorých, ak by si mohol hovoriť v jazykoch, ak by si mohol vykladať jazyky, ak by si mal múdrosť a mal poznanie, nič z toho neznamená, že si spasený, ani jedno z toho. Mohol by si mať každé jedno z toho (Pavol povedal v 1. Korinťanom 13) a byť stratený. „Som ničím.“ Vidíte? Ale keď máš lásku, kotvu...
11 Dnes ráno, asi hodinu predtým, ako sa manželka zobudila, bol som hore a Pán mi zjavoval niečo ohromné o tom, ako Boh Svoju Cirkev viaže dokopy putami lásky. A ako to tak musí byť; neexistuje pre človeka žiaden iný spôsob, aby bol spasený okrem toho, že je znovuzrodený. Ak Boh dá, chcem na to tento nadchádzajúci týždeň kázať, a jednoducho sa to materializuje v mojom srdci; možno, ak mi Pán dá ohľadom toho posolstvo.
12 No, toto posolstvo dnes ráno, ako mi to prišlo na srdce, je posolstvom varovania. A myslel som, že ak by sme možno mohli dostať toto varovanie ku ľuďom, ako tam Pavol varoval týchto Korinťanov, ak by sme mohli dostať toto varovanie ku ľuďom, keďže vieme, že teraz stojíme pred prebudením a časom preskúmania, keď musíme byť preskúmaní. No, Pavol povedal:
Lebo nechcem, aby ste nevedeli, bratia, že všetci naši otcovia boli pod oblakom a všetci prešli cez more
a všetci boli pokrstení v Mojžiša v oblaku a v mori...
No, on im dáva porozumieť, že keď Boh vyviedol Izrael z púšte – do púšte, aby Mu slúžili a aby ich vzal do zasľúbenej zeme, oni... On tu ukazuje príklad toho, ako sme my vyvedení zo všetkých materiálnych vecí, všetkých rituálov a nariadení, oni boli takisto.
13 A trocha ďalej v našej lekcii zistíme, že mnohí z nich boli zavrhnutí, pretože mohli robiť všetky tie rituály, všetky nariadenia a všetko, čo Boh požadoval, a ich srdcia stále neboli v poriadku s Bohom.
No, môžeme robiť mnoho vecí. Môžeme prijímať komúniu (večeru Pánovu). Mohli sme byť pokrstení. Môžeme chodiť do zboru, mať naše mená v knihe alebo byť tak úctyplní a úctiví, ako len môžeme byť, a stále byť stratení. To je vážne varovanie. Mohli by sme sa tak radovať, keby padal Duch. A na zhromaždení, kde bolo kázané Slovo, a naše duše by sa len radovali zo Slova a stále by sme boli stratení. Dážď padá na spravodlivých i na nespravodlivých. Ten istý dážď, ktorý spôsobuje, že rastie pšenica, tiež spôsobuje, že rastie burina. Ide o prirodzenosť tej plodiny. Rozumiete? Prirodzenosť je to, čo hovorí, čím sme. A tak, to je tá prirodzenosť, ktorá je v nás, ktorá hovorí, čím sme. Rozumiete?
Nie to, že by sme mohli byť tak nábožní, že by sme v nedeľu nepohli rukami, aby sme nič neurobili. Nemuseli by sme v nedeľu ani urobiť steh na našich šatách. Nemuseli by sme sa ani cítiť ospravedlnení, že by sme si v nedeľu kúpili jedlo. A mohli by sme byť tak nábožní a tak úctyplní. Ale jednako, ak nie sme doslovne znovuzrodení z Ducha Božieho, tak len uctievame nadarmo. A tak teraz, je to ozaj tvrdé a chceme na to skutočne prísť a spoznať pravdu; pretože pamätajme, nedostaneme ohľadom tohto druhú šancu. Je to len tento jeden krát. Takže by si si mal byť naozaj istý.
14 No, všimnite si, „Nechcel by som, aby ste nevedeli, bratia.“ No, títo Korinťania, čo som povedal prv? Oni zakladali svoje večné uchopenie na nejakej senzácii. Pavol povedal, riekol tam, „Keď prichádzam medzi vás, jeden má toto a druhý má tamto, a jeden...“ Teraz povedal, „To všetko je v poriadku. Nič proti tomu nemáme. Ale stále to nie je to, o čom hovoríme. (Rozumiete?) To nie je to.“
15 Pamätám sa, keď som bol prv obrátený a začal som vidieť konanie Ducha a to, ako niektorí mohli jednoducho napodobniť ozajstného skutočného Ducha Svätého až takým spôsobom, že by to bolo... No, bolo jednoducho takmer nemožné povedať, ktoré bolo správne a ktoré nesprávne.
A videl som jedného muža, o ktorom som vedel, a ja – a skrze rozpoznanie som vedel, že ten muž žil s manželkou iného muža. A tu on stál a hovoril v jazykoch a výklad a všetko možné, a vydával posolstvá a bolo to... A potom som sa stretol s iným človekom na mieste, kde som sa s ním chvíľu mohol rozprávať, a bol to ozajstný skutočný Kresťan. A pomyslel som si, ako môže ten Duch, ten istý Duch, kde ja... To bolo vtedy, keď som prvýkrát videl letničných, a bolo to v Mishawaka, Indiana. A poviem vám; to istotne... Počas prvých pár hodín, keď som tam bol, som si myslel, že som bol medzi anjelmi. A v priebehu ďalších pár hodín som si myslel, že som medzi démonmi, keď som videl týchto dvoch mužov, jeden vydával posolstvo, druhý vykladal. Nikdy predtým som nepočul hovorenie v jazykoch a také veci.
A sledoval som tie duchy, ako sa pohybovali; pomyslel som si, „Ó, no teda, započalo to veľkolepé milénium.“ A potom, keď sa mi tam vonku naskytla možnosť porozprávať sa s jedným z nich a mohol som povedať, z čoho bol utvorený; ten jeden tam bol tak zlý, ako len mohol byť.
A v ten večer som ich znova sledoval a premýšľal som, „Ó, dostaň ma odtiaľto preč. Nemôžem tomu rozumieť, ako je toto možné.“ A videl som, že tie veci boli v Biblii. Ale tu bol jeden, ktorý to robil, a nemal Ducha Božieho, a ten druhý, ktorý to robil, mal Ducha Božieho. Potom som bol celý zmätený a pustil som celú tú vec.
16 A o niekoľko rokov neskôr, potom, ako skončila potopa, kráčal som hore po ceste, išiel som ku Green's Mill. Pán Isler, štátny senátor, ktorý prichádza sem do zboru, on ma stretol na ceste, objal ma a povedal, „Billy, čo teraz pre teba znamená Kristus?“ Môj otec bol preč; môj brat bol preč; a moja manželka bola preč; moje bábätko bolo preč; a ja... Povedal, „Čo On znamená?“
Povedal som, „Pán Isler, On pre mňa znamená viac ako život.“ Povedal som, „Niečo sa vo mne udialo. Pred pár rokmi do môjho srdca prišiel Kristus a ja... Jednoducho sa to stalo väčším, než som ja sám. To je jednoducho niečo, čo sa stalo. Nebolo to preto, že som bol nábožný; nebolo to... To je jednoducho niečo, čo pre mňa urobil Boh skrze milosť.“ A povedal som, „Hoci by ma zabil, stále by som Mu rovnako dôveroval. A ak by som bol v pekle a bola by v pekle taká vec ako láska, stále by som Ho miloval.“ To je celé. To je niečo tu vo vnútri. On má pravdu; zaslúžim si každý trest, ktorý som kedy mal. Vy takisto. Ale to je tá kotva, to niečo, tá kotva lásky Božej, ktorá drží v ľudskom srdci, ostatné veci sa stávajú druhoradé.
17 Ako som tam hore sedel na brvne, modlil som sa ohľadom niečoho iného a moja Biblia sa otvorila a čítal som 6. kapitolu v Knihe Hebrejom. A čítal som tam o tom, že „Je nemožné pre tých, ktorí raz boli osvietení a stali sa účastníkmi Ducha Svätého, ak by odpadli preč, aby sa znova obnovili k pokániu. Lebo dážď, ktorý prichádza na zem, aby ju zavlažil, aby priniesla to, na čo je pripravená. Ale to, čo je blízke zavrhnutiu, tŕnie a bodľač, ktoré sú blízke zavrhnutiu, majú byť spálené.“
A Duch Svätý mi o tom ďalej rozprával. „Čo to je?“ Čítal som to znova, a potom prišlo videnie. A videl som, ako predo mnou stál svet, otáčal sa; bol celý poobrábaný, a ako pooraný a pripravený na sadenie. A prešiel tade Muž v bielom a sadil semeno. A potom ako prešiel za obzor zeme, vyšiel iný muž v čiernom a sadil za Ním semená. A keď vzišli tie semená, ktoré zasadil ten dobrý Muž, bola to pšenica. A ten zlý čierny muž vyšiel, sadil semená a bol oblečený v čiernom, to vzišlo a bola to burina. Ó, a jedno bolo v protiklade ku tomu druhému.
A v tom videní nastalo velikánske sucho. A tá malá pšenica sklonila svoju hlavu; bola tak smädná po vode. A tá burina sklonila svoju hlavu; bola smädná po vode. Potom tam hore prišiel obrovský oblak a začal padať dážď a tá malá pšenica sa pozdvihla a začala vykrikovať, „Chvála Pánovi! Chvála Pánovi!“ Bola tak šťastná, že dostala tú vodu.
A tá malá burina sa pozdvihla a začala vykrikovať, „Chvála Pánovi! Chvála Pánovi!“ za tú istú vodu.
Potom som tomu porozumel. Vidíte? Tu to je. Duch Svätý bude padať, ale „Podľa ich ovocia ich poznáte,“ povedal Pán Ježiš. Vidíte, vidíte? Nie skrze reakciu Ducha, či uzdravovali chorých alebo či hovorili v jazykoch alebo či spievali v Duchu alebo či sa radovali takto alebo onako; môžu to všetko robiť, a jednako byť stratení.
Ide o tvoj život, ktorý je v tebe; prežitie nového narodenia.
18 No, Pavol sa toto snažil dostať do tých Korinťanov.
Lebo nechcem, aby ste nevedeli, bratia, že všetci naši otcovia boli pod oblakom a všetci prešli cez more
a všetci boli pokrstení v Mojžiša...
Každý jeden z nich vyšiel na púšť. Ježiš povedal, „Nie všetci, ktorí hovoria, 'Pane, Pane,' vstúpia; ale ten, kto činí vôľu Môjho Otca, ktorý je v nebesiach.“
Nejde o to, čo hovoríte. Mohol by si kázať Evanjelium a stále byť stratený. Istotne. Toto nie je len nejaká detská porcia. Toto je absolútne... Je to hlboké. A Kresťanstvo nie je o tom, byť niečím nafúknutým, ako, „No, budem chodiť do zboru a viem, že je to moja povinnosť, aby som chodil.“ To nie je Kresťanstvo. Brat, Kresťanstvo nie je... To je niečo, čo urobil Boh. Boh ťa vybral v Kristovi a predstavil ťa Kristovi ako dar lásky. A to je Božie povolanie, vyvolenie. A ak máme príležitosť stať sa takým typom osoby a odvrhujeme to kvôli malým svetským veciam...
19 No, počúvajte, ako pokračujeme.
A všetci jedli rovnakú duchovnú mannu.
Počuli ste ten 3. verš?
A všetci jedli rovnakú duchovnú mannu.
O čom to hovorí? Rituály cirkvi. Ľudia prídu do zboru a povedia, že činili pokánie a sú pokrstení v Krista, prijímajú Meno Pána Ježiša. A oni to tiež robili na púšti; Pavol povedal. To je to, čo robili Korinťania. Oni prišli dnu a boli pokrstení v Krista, navonok prijali Krista vyznávajúc to, prijali Ho, prijali Ho intelektuálne.
Ale, brat, to je oveľa viac než intelekt, to ide poza to. To ide do rýdzeho narodenia, nie len mentálne poňatie alebo v emocionálnom vypracovaní, ale narodenie, prežitie, niečo, čo ide rovno dole hlboko do srdca a mení najvnútornejšiu bytosť, čo spôsobuje, že robíš veci, ktoré by si nijako inak nerobil. To spôsobuje, že miluješ tých, ktorí nie sú hodní milovania. Spôsobuje to, že sa správaš inak, ako si si kedy vôbec myslel, že by si sa správal. A keď povstanú situácie, to je tvoja kotva. Nemusíš sa v neistote čudovať, „Dokážem to?“ Ó, nie, nejde o to, či to ja dokážem, už to pre mňa zostalo dokázané. Kristus vo mne to Sám dokázal. A ja dôverujem iba v Jeho kotvu. Čo za nádherná vec.
20 Všimnite si. Oni všetci prijímali komúniu. Ten život, ktorý bol v... Vieme, že to bol prirodzený proces, pretože to bolo niečo ako malé krúpy, ktoré padali z nebies, malé oblátky, ktoré na sebe mali med. Vidíte? Tá oblátka bola len ako malý keks, malá sušienka, a na vrchu mali med. A oni všetci mali na tom účasť. Každý jeden z nich prešiel cez Červené more a bol pokrstený skrze oblak a cez more v Mojžiša. Pritom, čo nasledovali jeho inštrukcie ako Božieho služobníka, všetci boli pokrstení v neho. Všetci boli nasledovníkmi, ako sme dnes my, vedení Duchom Svätým, tým veľkolepým Učiteľom kresťanskej Cirkvi. Sme vedení cez vodný krst. A on povedal, „Oni všetci prijímali rovnakú mannu.“
Čo to urobilo? Tá manna padala pre Kóracha a pre jeho skupinu práve tak, ako padala pre Mojžiša, Kálefa a Józuu. Oni všetci boli zmiešaní spolu, všetci mali účasť na krste, všetci mali účasť na členstve, všetci mali účasť na vyznaní a teraz mali všetci účasť na komúnii.
Uchopili ste to? Pozrite na to vážne varovanie. A vy, ľudia z modlitebne, nech to ide poriadne hlboko. Pamätajte, rovno tam visí vaše večné miesto určenia. Neprejdite len okolo toho, ako keby to bolo nejaké malé zachvenie alebo niečo. Toto je niečo, ku čomu musíme pristupovať s rešpektom. Je to niečo, od čoho závisí, či v budúcnosti budeme žiť, alebo nie.
21 Oni všetci boli pokrstení v Mojžiša cez Červené more; všetci nasledovali rovnakú Duchovnú Bytosť, Oblak a Ohnivý Stĺp. Všetci boli vedení rovnakým Anjelom. Všetci vyšli von pod rovnakým pastorom. Všetci boli pokrstení v mori. Všetci jedli z rovnakej duchovnej Manny a tá Manna bol Kristus. Kristus zostupuje dolu; manna zostupovala každý večer z nebies a vytratila sa tu, aby posilnila ľudí v ich putovaní.
A Kristus prišiel z nebies a dal Svoj život, „aby ktokoľvek verí na Neho, nezahynul, ale mal večný Život.“ Kristus zostúpil a stal sa našou Mannou.
Oni jedli z rovnakých duchovných požehnaní. A preto môže rovno medzi ľudí padnúť Duch Svätý, a obaja kresťania, vlažní a poloviční veriaci a hraniční veriaci budú jesť to isté. Ale to jednako ešte neznamená to.
Ó, ako by som si prial, aby som mal slová, ktorými by som to mohol poriadne zatĺcť, a urobiť to istou vecou v srdci každej osoby, ktorá tu je, aby ste videli, aká je toto hlboká vec. To nie je niečo na hranie. To nie je iba chodiť do zboru.
22 No, počúvajte, „Oni všetci jedli rovnakú duchovnú mannu.“ Pomyslite na to: duchovná Manna. „Ó,“ povieš, „viem, že som spasený. Haleluja. Vykrikoval som v duchu. Cítil som toto.“ To s tým nemá nič spoločné. Vidíte, ako zakladáme naše večné miesto určenia na senzácii? Môžete vidieť, ako v tomto dni, v ktorom teraz žijeme, ľudia zakladajú svoje miesto určenia len na nejakej malej senzácii? Ó, hovorí, „Ja viem, že to mám, pretože som cítil, ako cezo mňa prešla moc. Robil som toto.“ To všetko môže byť úplná pravda a stále si stratený.
23 Ó, ak by sme len mali chvíľu. Len sa tu na chvíľu obráťme do 1. Korinťanom 13 a vypočujme si, čo tu o tom má Pavol do povedania.
Keby som hovoril ľudskými jazyky aj anjelskými, a keby som nemal lásky... (To je láska.) ...bol by som cvendžiacim kovom alebo zvučiacim zvonom.
A keby som mal proroctvo a rozumel všetkým tajomstvám a mal každú vedomosť a keby som mal akúkoľvek vieru, takže by som vrchy prenášal a lásky keby som nemal, nič nie som.
Počúvajte, ako to ten striktný starý apoštol zatĺka do tohto „senzačného“ zboru, v ktorom zakladali svoje nádeje na nejakej senzácii. No, toto je nedeľná škola. Toto je miesto nápravy. Toto je miesto vyučovania. A beda tým ľuďom, ktorí sa postavia za kazateľňu a budú zvádzať do bludu. Brat, je čas, aby sme porovnali Písmo ku Písmu. Je to tak.
24
A keby som venoval všetko svoje imanie na nakŕmenie chudobných a keby som vydal svoje telo, aby som bol upálený, a lásky keby som nemal, nič mi to neprospieva.
Vidíte, všetky vaše dobré skutky; všetky vaše dobré činy; všetky duchovné veci, ktoré máte; všetky dary, ktoré máte; všetky senzácie, ktoré máte; všetka radosť, ktorú máte; všetok pokoj, ktorý máte; to s tým od začiatku nemá vôbec nič do činenia. Pomyslite na to na chvíľu! A pomyslite na dnešné cirkvi. Naše veľkolepé cirkvi, presbyteriánsku, metodistickú, baptistickú a denominačnú, oni si myslia, že kvôli tomu, že povedia, „Ja verím,“ prídu dnu, zapíšu svoje meno do knihy, a že tým to je vybavené. Ako veľmi sú mimo.
Naši letniční ľudia si myslia, no, že kvôli tomu, že mali malú senzáciu, cítili sa dobre, hovorili v jazykoch, mali na svojich rukách trocha krvi, na svojej tvári trocha oleja alebo niečo také, „My to máme.“ Ó, desať miliónov míľ pomimo. Pochopili ste to? Vidíte, ako diabol, boh tohto sveta, oslepil ich oči? A oni len takto žijú a pokračujú ďalej. Počúvajte:
A keby som venoval všetko svoje imanie na nakŕmenie chudobných a keby som vydal svoje telo, aby som bol upálený, a lásky keby som nemal, nie som ničím.
Pozrite sa na všetky tie dary, všetky tie dobré veci. „Kŕmim chudobných, cítim v srdci, že som v poriadku. Robím toto. Robím tamto. Chodím do zboru. Hovorím v jazykoch. Prorokujem. Uzdravujem chorých. Kážem Evanjelium. Robím tieto veci.“ Pavol povedal, „Stále som ničím.“ Všetky tie veci môžu byť telesne napodobené. No, čo on hovorí?
Láska zhovieva, je dobrotivá; láska nezávidí; láska sa nechlúbi, nenadúva sa,
nechová sa neslušne, (Len pomyslite) ...nerozhorčuje sa, nemyslí na zlé...
Láskavosť; láska. Čo je láska? Boh. Ako ku tebe prišiel Boh? Skrze narodenie. Rozumiete?
25 No, oni všetci boli pokrstení v Mojžiša. Všetci jedli z komúnie. Všetci mali rovnakú duchovnú Mannu, ktorá prišla od Boha. Každý jeden z nich jedol rovnakú vec.
A dnes stojíme rovno okolo, počúvame Slovo a radujeme sa z Toho, prijímame Mannu, jeme To a hovoríme, „Ó, haleluja, to je dobré. Ó, cením si to. Áno, bol som pokrstený v cirkvi. Prijal som a učinil svoje vyznanie. Zapísal som si meno do knihy. Som právoplatný člen.“ Všetko to je úplne nadarmo, ak tam nie je niečo, čo urobil Boh. Ak to je... To sú veci, ktoré si urobil ty; to sú veci, ktoré vyprodukovala tvoja viera. Ale pokiaľ ti niečo neurobil Boh; nové narodenie...
26 Teraz na chvíľu, no, 4. verš:
A všetci pili tú istú duchovnú skalu, lebo pili z tej duchovnej skaly, ktorá išla za nimi, a tou skalou bol Kristus.
Všetci pili z prameňa. Radovali sa. No, čo to znamená? Pšenica a burina sa obe radovali, že dostali tú duchovnú vodu.
My chodíme do zboru. Tlieskame rukami spolu s ostatnými. Vykrikujeme spolu s ostatnými. Skáčeme hore a dole po zemi spolu s ostatnými. Chválime Boha spolu s ostatnými. Prorokujeme spolu s ostatnými. Hovoríme v jazykoch ako tí ostatní. Modlíme sa za chorých ako tí ostatní. Ale on povedal... No, počúvajte, ako ideme trocha ďalej.
27 No, to – chcem sa na minútu zastaviť na tom, že tou Skalou bol Kristus. Tou Skalou bol Kristus. Bolo to tam v doslovnej forme, ako to je dnes v duchovnej forme. Manna, Pokrm, ktorý je Slovom, ktoré prichádza od Boha z nebies; Kristus je Slovo Božie a my sa kŕmime na Slove. Vidíte? Sedíme ako pri posolstve dnes ráno; počúvame, naše duše sa načahujú, chytajú to Slovo. Žijeme skrze Slovo. On povedal, „Oni všetci jedli rovnakú duchovnú mannu; a všetci pili, všetci pili z rovnakej duchovnej Skaly: a tou Skalou bol Kristus.“
Pomyslite na to. No, čo to tu on nakoniec dodáva? On tých Korinťanov varuje, „Buďte opatrní v tom, čo robíte. Keď prichádzam medzi vás, jeden má žalm, jeden má jazyk, jeden má toto a druhý má tamto. Jeden má proroctvo; jeden má zjavenie; jeden robí toto a druhý robí tamto. Buďte opatrní; nezakladajte na tom svoju vieru.“
Tie veci sú v poriadku. Majú svoje miesto a tiež v cirkvi, ale nikdy na tom nezakladajte svoje spasenie. Ak váš život nepasuje dokopy s Božím Slovom, to je potom čas, aby ste sa dali do poriadku s Bohom.
28 Všimnite si. No, a táto Skala, táto Skala bola Skala, ktorá bola na púšti. A chcem, aby ste si všimli, že keď Boh povolal Mojžiša a poslal ho dolu do Egypta, aby vyslobodil deti Izraela spod jarma faraóna, On povedal, „Čo je to v tvojej ruke?“
A on povedal, „To je palica.“ A vzal tú palicu, hodil ju na zem a ona sa stala hadom. A on... Mojžiš utiekol. Potom to zodvihol a stalo sa to palicou v jeho ruke. A tá palica, keď sa dostal do Egypta, on ju vystrel nad Egyptom a prišli muchy. Vystrel ju a padli pliagy. To bol Boží súd. Boží súd bol v tom vystretí tej palice.
A aby ste si všimli, predtým, ako mohla byť tá palica naozaj držaná, Mojžiš vložil svoju ruku ku svojej hrudi; stala sa malomocnou tak, ako je od začiatku každý človek, podľa prirodzenosti hriešnik. Nedá sa to nijako obísť. Si narodený v hriechu, utvorený v neprávosti, prichádzaš na svet a hovoríš klamstvá. Mohol si byť posvätený na oltári v cirkvi svojej matky. Mohol si byť pokropený; mohol si byť týmto, tamtým, ale od začiatku si hriešnikom.
Potom tu je ďalšia... Boh povedal, „Vlož svoju ruku znova ku svojej hrudi.“ On si znova vložil ruky k srdcu podľa Božieho poverenia, tam, kde sme prv boli privedení, ako jeho ruka, malomocenstvo. Prv si bol Bohom privedený ako hriešnik, nie skrze výber, ale skrze prirodzenosť. Potom idete znova naspäť, a keď vyšiel von, tá ruka bola čistá a perfektná ukazujúc tak, že táto ruka, predtým, ako mohla mávať palicou súdu; predtým, ako mohla mávať, musela to byť očistená ruka. A akýkoľvek kazateľ, akýkoľvek učiteľ...
29 Dnes ráno som počul niečo, čo mi naozaj zrazilo krv. Keď som zapol rádio, práve predtým, ako som prišiel... Ak tu je niekto, kto je tej osobe príbuzný, toto nie je neúcta. Nemám v úmysle vás raniť. Ale je čas, a nech mi Boh pomáha, aby som bol vždy dostatočne takým Kresťanom, ktorý to, čo je čierne, nazýva čiernym; a biele bielym. Aby som bol úprimný. Počul som niekoho spievať a povedal, „Mám svoj Testament,“ a otvoril to a čítal Písmo a kázal z 1. Žalmu, „Požehnaný človek, ktorý nesedí na stolici posmievačov, nekráča po ceste hriešnikov.“ Viete, kto to bol? Ten rokenrolový chlapík, Jimmy Osborn v rádiu kázal Evanjelium. Ó, brat, ak tu kedy bola nejaká hanba! Takáto osoba nemá žiadne právo, aby vchádzala do Slova živého Boha.
A vezmite si tohto chlapíka, ktorý je na „stodolovom tanci“ v Renfro Valley, celú noc na veľkom večierku, tlieskajú rukami a vyvádzajú na večierku, a na ďalšie ráno trocha zmení svoj hlas a rozpráva ako kresťan. No, to je vulgárnosť a nečistota v očiach Božích! Ruka, ktorá máva touto palicou súdu, musí byť očistená skrze moc a vzkriesenie Krista. On nemá žiadne právo na to, aby zaobchádzal so Slovom Božím.
30 Dokonca mnohí kazatelia sa pokúšajú ospravedlňovať tohto Elvisa Presleyho, ktorý nie je ničím iným než moderným Judášom Iškariotským. Judáš Iškariotský dostal tridsať kúskov striebra. Elvis Presley dostal milión dolárov a flotilu kadilakov, ale zapredal sa. On bol letničným veriacim a predal svoje právo prvorodenstva, aby sa stal rokenrolom, a je inšpirovaný diablom. A nebudem si ohľadom toho dávať servítku pred ústa. Nie veru. A moderný Judáš Iškariotský...
A potom sa dokonca kazatelia snažia podporiť takú vec. A Elvis Presley hovorí, „Áno, ja dôverujem k dosiahnutiu všetkého svojho úspechu Bohu.“ Ako by kedy živý svätý Boh udelil úspech vulgárnosti?! A niečo tak diabolsky zdémonizované, to je absolútne jednou z najväčších prekážok, ktoré tento národ kedy videl, chlapík ako Elvis Presley, ktorý poslal milióny duší do pekla skrze jeho odporný špinavý rokenrolový nezmysel. Istotne, nemám vôbec žiadneho ospravedlnenia. Ak mi môžete veriť, že som Božím prorokom, pamätajte, tam je stelesnený diabol, absolútne.
31 A Jimmy Osborn a tamtí nemajú nič do činenia s Božím Slovom. A ani žiaden človek, ktorý berie nadarmo Meno Božie, a večierky a tancovačky s rokenrolom a také vulgárne nezmysly, nemá právo prísť za žiadnu kazateľňu a snažiť sa brať Slovo Božie. To je to, čo sa dnes deje s týmito mnohými cirkvami. Vezmete von z tamtých miest niektoré z týchto boogie-woogies. Drobné dievča, ktoré tam vonku žúruje a jeden večer tu robí všetok tento rokenrol a prichádza ku oltáru, a na ďalší večer ju necháte hore spievať pieseň. Niektorí z vás mužov vezmete z tamtých miest, z nočného klubu, tých hráčov na gitare, a za dva týždne ho dáte za kazateľňu, aby kázal. Brat, hovorím ti, tu by to nikdy nemohol urobiť. V žiadnom prípade, musí sa cvičiť, aby bol dokázaný a potvrdil sa ako muž Boží.
Neveríme tu na takéto skoky za jednu noc. To je to, čo dostalo cirkev do stavu, v ktorom dnes je. Potrebujeme Pravdu. Toto Slovo je Pravda. Je to tak. Ruka, ktorá máva touto palicou súdu, musí byť čistou rukou. Absolútne. Tá Mojžišova ruka súdu bola očistená. A potom bola do nej vložená tá palica. A tá palica išla dolu a priviedla súdy na Izrael.
32 A potom na púšti je taký nádherný predobraz. A musím zakončiť. Tento nádherný predobraz... Keď tam bola Skala a tou Skalou bol Kristus. A hynúci ľudia umierali od smädu a zaslúžili si to. Zaslúžili si zomrieť, pretože reptali. Sťažovali sa; od začiatku neboli veriaci. Neboli nič iné než intelektuálni veriaci. Vykonali... Udialo sa nadprirodzené a vyšiel von zmiešaný zástup. Neboli obrátení zo srdca.
Vieme len o troch z tej skupiny: Mojžiš, Áron a Kálef... Miriam, a Miriam tiež ukázala svoje prestúpenie, keď sa smiala kvôli tomu, že Mojžiš sa oženil s týmto černošským dievčaťom. A povedala, „Či tam neboli nejaké iné dievčatá na vydaj, a tak ďalej, mohol to urobiť tak.“ A Bohu sa to nepáčilo a ranil ju malomocenstvom. A jej vlastný brat vykríkol a povedal, „Či necháš svoju sestru, aby zomrela v takom stave?“ A Boh povedal Mojžišovi, aby prišiel pred Neho, a on išiel a prihovoril sa za malo– za Miriam. Ona už potom dlho nežila.
33 Nie, brat, to, čo robí Boh, je dokonalé. Nemáme žiadne právo do toho niečo vkladať s našimi mysľami; len to nechajme tak, ako to je. Boh to urobil. Boh to povedal. Tým to je vybavené. Len to vezmite, alebo neviete ako... Ak by som to dokázal vysvetliť, potom by som bol rovný Bohu. Nedokážem to vysvetliť; len tomu verím. To je celé. To je všetko, čo je odo mňa požadované, aby som robil. Od nikoho nie je požadované, aby to vysvetlil, pretože to je poza naším intelektom. Je to poza našou inteligenciou. To je Boh, ktorý to robí, takže to nemôže byť vysvetlené. Len to prijímam skrze vieru a hovorím, že je to mojím osobným vlastníctvom a verím tomu. Nedokážem to vysvetliť.
34 Ako tam ležala táto skala, Boh mal skalu, ktorá bola plná vody. Len malá skala, možno nie väčšia ako tento stôl, ale keď Mojžiš túto skalu udrel, vyšlo odtiaľ dostatočné množstvo vody, aby napojilo dva milióny ľudí, a nie len to, ale aj všetok ten dobytok a ovce a ostatné veci, ktoré mali so sebou.
Ó, keď vidím niektorého z týchto umelcov, ktorí maľujú obrazy malej kvapky, ktorá kvapká zo skaly, a dieťa tam stojí s malým vedierkom v ruke... Ó, to nikdy takto neprišlo; prišlo to skrze mocné gejzíry, ktoré sa valili von. Napojilo to dva milióny ľudí a okrem toho ich ťavy a všetky ich zvieratá. Tou Skalou bol Kristus Ježiš, nádherná paralela ku Jánovi 3:16. „Boh tak miloval svet, že dal Svojho jednorodeného Syna, aby, ktokoľvek verí v Neho, nezahynul, ale mal večný Život.“
35 A všimnite si, čo sa stalo. Ten jediný spôsob, ako z tej skaly mohli dostať von vodu, tá palica súdu musela udrieť tú skalu. A Mojžiš tú skalu udrel a na tú skalu dopadol Boží súd. A keď sa to stalo, ona vydala svoje vody. Ľudia boli úplne... Boh ich práve nechával zomrieť, pretože Mu neverili. Boli nečestní; boli zatratenci. Nezaslúžili si žiť. Dokonca... Mojžiš ich nazval rebelmi, ktorí sa búrili proti Bohu. A zaslúžili si zomrieť. A každý z nás si zaslúži zomrieť; pretože sme rebelmi proti Bohu. Správne. Všimnite si, všetci si zaslúžime zomrieť, ale Boh je taký milostivý... On by na nás nemal ani pomyslieť. Ale On je tak milostivý, že vzal hriechy každého jedného z nás a udrel to na Svojho jednorodeného Syna, Krista, aby sme nemuseli zahynúť, ale mohli mať večný Život.
36 Ako by sme mohli piť z tej Skaly a potom nebyť v poriadku vo svojich srdciach? Ale, brat, dnes ráno sú tam milióny ľudí, ktorí to robia. To je úplná pravda. Oni dôverujú preto, že sú baptistami alebo metodistami alebo letničnými. Dôverujú preto, lebo mali nejaký malý divný pocit; preto, lebo hovorili v jazykoch; preto, lebo vykrikovali; preto, lebo tancovali; preto, lebo mali zhromaždenie s uzdravovaním a Boh uzdravil chorých, alebo niečo, na čom spočívajú, preto, lebo mali zjavenie, že to bola pravda; preto, lebo robili toto. Tie veci sú v poriadku, nič proti nim nehovorím, ale to nemá nič do činenia s tvojím spasením, absolútne nič. Mohol by si zo svojej ruky vyťahovať olej, až by naplnil celý galón; vyťahovať zo svojej tváre krv, a to stále nič neznamená. Je to tak. Pavol povedal, „Mohol by som hovoriť v ľudských i anjelských jazykoch, a stále byť stratený. Hoci by som mal múdrosť a poznanie a mohol stáť a vysvetľovať tú Bibliu, len to usporiadať, pospájať to len dokopy, to s tým stále nemá nič spoločné.
37 Brat, oni všetci pili z rovnakej Skaly; tou Skalou bol Kristus. Súdy dopadli na Krista, aby si mohol mať to privilégium prísť a piť. To je Božia dobrota ku tebe, že prichádzaš piť. To je Božia dobrota ku tebe, že sa kŕmiš zo Slova; Božia dobrota, že nechal, aby si bol pokrstený; Božia dobrota, že ťa učinil občanom, udelil ti zdravie, posadil ťa dnes ráno v tomto zbore. To je Božia dobrota. To všetko je Božia dobrota. Ale čo s tvojou dobrotou naspäť voči Bohu? Si ochotný poddať všetko, každú myšlienku, každé konanie, všetko Jemu? To je to, čo pre teba urobil Boh. Čo ty urobíš pre Neho?
38 Všimnite si, len prečítajme zopár ďalších veršov, potom zakončím, aby sa tak pastor mohol dostať ku slovu. No, pozrite sa.
…a tou skalou bol Kristus.
Teraz 5. verš.
Ale vo väčšine z nich sa nezaľúbilo Bohu,...
Vidíte, On dovolil, aby boli pokrstení. On im dovolil, aby jedli Slovo a verili tomu. Dovolil im, aby obdržali duchovné požehnania. Dovolil im, aby pili z tej duchovnej Skaly. To všetko Boh urobil skrze Svoju milosť, ale jednako s nimi Boh nebol spokojný. Pozrite sa.
...lebo boli pobití a rozmetaní na púšti.
Po všetkých týchto prežitiach; po všetkých našich veľkolepých zhromaždeniach s uzdravovaním, ktoré sme videli; po všetkých ohromných zázrakoch, ktoré sme videli, ako sa udiali; po všetkých úžasných pocitoch, ktoré sme mali, vykrikovanie a chválenie Boha, pitie z tej Skaly, všetky dobré kázne, z ktorých sme sa radovali, a jednako byť rozmetaní... Všetko to skončilo. „Oddeľte sa odo Mňa, vy, činitelia neprávosti; nikdy som vás nepoznal.“ Prekontrolujte sa! Máme nadchádzajúce prebudenecké zhromaždenie. Viem, že toto je ťažké. Ale, brat, akýkoľvek otec, ktorý nenapráva svoje deti, nie je dobrým otcom. Je to tak. Rozmetaní...
39
A to všetko sa nám stalo výstražným príkladom...
(Pavol hovorí, veríte tomu? To bolo príkladom. V poriadku.) ...nato, aby sme neboli žiadostiví zlého, jako aj oni žiadali.
Dokážete si predstaviť človeka, ktorý tam stojí a je diskdžokej, dídžej, a hrá špinavý rokenrol; a niečo sa stalo a všetci zostali šokovaní; a všetky tie druhy nečistých piesní, ktoré hrá Elvis Presley a títo chlapíci, a potom príde naspäť a napodobňuje kázanie Evanjelia? Pomyslite na to! Dokážete si predstaviť muža a ženu, ako sedia vonku, a tá žena leží vonku na dvore, vyzerá nečisto, napoly vyzlečená, vystavuje sa pred mužmi, a potom príde rovno naspäť a pije z duchovnej Skaly a vykrikuje a vyvádza?
Medzi letničnými ľuďmi je veľká náuka o emancipácii žien. Nosia velikánske podlhovasté náušnice a všemožne sa obliekajú. A jeden mladý chlapík sedel pred pár dňami vpredu pred mojím domom v malom nákladiaku, vykrikoval, že jeho manželka, letničná, hovorila v jazykoch, vydávala proroctvo. Samozrejme. A hovorí to v cirkvi, kde všetci nosia šortky. A on... Ona ide rovno na ulicu o ôsmej a deviatej hodine večer, zbiera malé cigaretové špaky, ktoré iní odhodili, a fajčí a stále vykrikuje, chváli Pána a vydáva proroctvá.
40 Minule som sedel v cirkvi, kde bol jeden významný muž Boží, ktorého si veľmi ctím, a on toto odhaľoval. Po tom, ako jeden z tých ľudí, ktorý je toho hlavou, vychádza von a všetka táto krv mu vytekala z rúk a také veci... A ja som až zachrípol, ako som sa snažil od východu po západ odsúdiť tú vec na základoch Biblie, keďže to nie je z Boha. Akákoľvek krv, ktorá by vytiekla z Krista, by bola telesnou krvou. Tým pádom je tu Jeho telesné telo. Tým pádom sa zakončil druhý príchod. Ježiš povedal, „Neverte, keď povedia, 'Hľa, je na púšti.' Neverte, keď povedia, 'Tu je.' Neverte. Lebo povstanú falošní kristovia a falošní proroci a preukážu znamenia a zázraky, že by to až zviedlo samotných vyvolených.“
41 A kričal som o tom od východu po západ. A nakoniec na západnom pobreží, starý doktor Canada, ktorý je mojim blízkym priateľom, on sa postavil, a ďalší muž, ktorý bol manažérom určitého človeka, ktorý s tým začal, s jedným z týchto hnutí, prišiel tam hore a vydal veľké... Povedal, „Čistý olej“ a „svätá krv“, alebo, že dnes sa objaví krv. A oni naplnili to miesto a on ukázal, ako mal pod svojím opaskom zapichnuté dve ihly. Každý vie, že môžete tento prst prepichnúť a nebude to krvácať, pokiaľ to nestisnete alebo nestlačíte. Prepichnete do toho dieru a to sa nebude diať, pretože žily sú odtiaľ dosť ďaleko. A keď to urobil, ukázal, ako to urobil, a mal tu vzadu olej, položil tam ruky.
Potom prišiel hore a povedal, „Vidíte moje ruky? Sú úplne normálne.“ Potom povedal, „Sláva Bohu! Haleluja!“ A stisol si takto dolu ruky, ukázal, že z jeho prstov bola vytlačená krv. Zatiaľ čo všetci vykrikovali, on si utrel hlavu a bol tam kríž, keď to urobil práve ten človek, ktorý bol s tým mužom. Tam to bolo odhalené rovno pred poslucháčstvom a s... Siahol do svojich vreciek, aby ukázal ten olej. Jeden na stenu urobil srdce a povedal, „Táto stena dýcha krvou Ježiša. To je Ježišovo srdce.“
Do vnútra vošiel starý veľký muž z Texasu, nebol vystrašený. Povedali, že ak by sa toho ktokoľvek dotkol, zomrie. Mali tam všade laná. Máme z toho fotky, a všade tam, kde mala táto stena krvácať – vydychovať krv z toho srdca. A tento chlapík vošiel dnu a vkĺzol do tej cirkvi, on a jeho manželka, a zmyli z tej steny tú farbu, sadli si tam dozadu a počkali, kým prišli dnu. Pastor povedal, „No, viete, Ježiš tu bol a dal to preč.“
On povedal, „Ježiš s tým nemá nič spoločné. Sám som to urobil.“ To je pravda.
42 Čo sa stalo? Je to kvôli tomu, že ľudia sú nestabilní na Slove živého Boha. Či nehovorí Biblia, že prídu z východu, zo západu, zo severu a z juhu; bude hlad, nielen po chlebe a vode, ale po počutí Slova Božieho.
Čo za deň, v ktorom žijeme. A teraz vidíme všetky tieto veliké denominačné cirkvi, ako sa spájajú dokopy. A dostalo sa to do miesta, že musíte patriť do tohto zväzu cirkví predtým, ako vôbec môžete mať rádiové vysielanie. Si pomimo rádia, chlapče, netráp sa ohľadom toho, a zvyšok z nich je tiež, a zo všetkých televíznych programov. Predtým, ako to budeš môcť robiť, budeš musieť patriť do zväzu cirkví. A keď to robíš, netvoríš nič iné než znamenie šelmy z Biblie. Tak vidíte. Vidíte, ako to je všetko spojené dokopy?
43 Ó, vďaka buď Bohu, že existuje skutočne živý Boh. Existuje skutočne pravdivý Pán. Existuje skutočne pravdivé Slovo. Existuje skutočne pravdivé uzdravenie. Existuje skutočnosť všetkých týchto vecí. Ale, brat, nikdy nezakladaj svoju vieru na nejakej malej senzácii, na cirkevnom poriadku, na prijímaní komúnie, na jedení z tej duchovnej Skaly.
Povieš, „Poznám toto, brat, že som okúsil Boha.“ To môže byť úplná pravda. Ale do akého miesta to vpadlo? To je ďalšia vec. Do akého druhu nádoby to vošlo? Spravodliví a nespravodliví.
44 No, počúvajte.
A to všetko sa nám stalo výstražným príkladom nato, aby sme neboli žiadostiví zlého, ako aj oni žiadali.
Aká bola ich žiadosť? No, počúvajte, chcem sa dostať len trocha ďalej, ak mi prepáčite.
Ani nebuďte modlármi...
Ó, povieš, „Vďaka Bohu, že nie som modlár.“ Počkaj chvíľu. Preskúmajme to skrze Slovo. Povieš, „Neuctieval by som modlu.“ To koniec koncov neznamená, že uctievaš modlu. Stačí, aby si bol nečinný, nič nerobil. [Brat Branham používa slovnú hračku, v angličtine slovo „modla“ = „idol“ a slovo „nečinný“ = „idle“, obe slová sa vyslovujú rovnako – pozn.prekl.] Ideš do zboru. Áno, to je v poriadku, ideš naspäť domov, nič s tým nerobíš. Brat, skutočne znovuzrodený muž alebo žena nemôžu zostať potichu. Niečo v nich je. Musia svedčiť. Musia niečo robiť. Sú nútení niečo robiť. Nemôžu zostať mlčať.
45 Počúvajte.
Ani nebuďte modlármi ako niektorí z nich, ako je napísané: Posadil sa ľud jesť a piť, a vstali, aby sa hrali.
O čom to Pavol hovorí? Príklady. Oni boli pokrstení do cirkvi. Mali absolútne správny krst. Jeden je trikrát dopredu, dozadu, v mene Otca, Syna a Ducha Svätého, iba Ježiš, čokoľvek to bolo.
Oni mali správny krst. Boli pokrstení správne. My sa hašteríme, nepokojíme a hádame ohľadom takýchto malých vecí. Čo dobré to robí? Opúšťate ten hlavný princíp. Naše cirkvi sa rozdelili kvôli krstu. Presne tak.
Potom povieš, „Ó, haleluja, oni nemajú duchovné požehnania ako máme my. Sú len starí, studení, formálni. Sláva Bohu, ja jem skutočnú Mannu Božiu, viem, že to je pravda.“ To je úplná pravda. Ale čo je na tom? Povieš, „Brat, ja... Duch Svätý naozaj padá v našej cirkvi.“ To je dobre, ale aký to robí rozdiel pre teba, ak nie si správnym druhom nádoby, do ktorej To padá?
Pamätajte. Ó, povieš, „Som úprimný.“ Takisto boli oni. Opustili svoje domovy a vyšli von, dokonca vystavili svoj krk na smrť, aby nasledovali. Urobili toho omnoho viac než to, čo musíme robiť my. To s tým nemalo nič spoločné.
Len pomyslite, Biblia povedala, „Uctievajú Ma nadarmo. Uctievajú Ma nadarmo,“ absolútne ozajstné uctievanie nadarmo. Kde to začalo? Rovno zo záhrady Eden, Kain. On Boha uctieval práve tak, ako to robil Ábel, ale uctieval Ho nadarmo. Tak veru.
46 „Je cesta, ktorá sa človeku zdá správna.“
Povieš, „No, prečo to tak je? Činil som pokánie. Prečo to tak je, že nie som v poriadku. Činil som pokánie, myslím, že som práve tak dobrý ako ktokoľvek iný. Chodím do zboru. Bol som pokrstený. Obdržal som požehnania Božie. Milujem dobrú kázeň. Milujem Slovo Božie. Rád To čítam a tiež dostávam duchovné požehnania. A, haleluja, môžem prorokovať. Môžem hovoriť v jazykoch. Vykonal som všetky tieto veci. Chceš mi povedať, že to je nadarmo?“
Nehovorím, že to je nadarmo. Ale je možné, že to môže byť nadarmo. Je to tak. Záleží na tom, čím si tam vo vnútri. Presne tak. Ide o to, kým si ty, ktorý to prijímaš. Ak nie si znovuzrodený, ak tam skutočne niečo v tebe nie je, potom to je nadarmo. Všetky požehnania s tým nebudú mať nič dočinenia.
47 No, ešte jeden.
Ani nesmilnime, ako niektorí z nich smilnili, a padlo ich v jeden deň dvadsaťtri tisíc.
Páchanie smilstiev, to je duchovné smilstvo. Ak by sme mali čas... Nedeľná škola skončila. Duchovné smilstvo...
Ani nepokúšajme Krista, ako tiež niektorí z nich pokúšali a pohynuli od hadov.
Ani nerepcite, ako niektorí z nich reptali a zhynuli od zhubcu.
Reptanie, žiadostenie, miešanie sveta s tvojím náboženstvom, vychádzanie von... Boh miluje čistotu, naozaj čistú.
48 Dnes ráno som rozprával, myslel som na to, čo…No, teraz budeme končiť. Premýšľal som o tomto, „Čo je milšie v živote muža, čo je milšie, ako prísť domov, keď je unavený, a príde strhaný s taškou v ruke, potom, čo pracoval celý deň, oral alebo čokoľvek by to mohlo byť, ako príde domov a jeho milá manželka ho čaká pri dverách, sadne si mu na chvíľu na kolená, aby mu trocha pohladila čelo a pobozkala ho na líce a objala ho a povedala, 'Drahý, viem, že si unavený, tvrdo si pracoval.' Potešuje ho. Ako on vie, že tá ruka okolo neho je celkom jeho. Je jeho. Nikdy nie je okolo akéhokoľvek iného muža alebo akejkoľvek inej túžby. Ten bozk, ktorý je na jeho líci, je zo skutočného, čistého, svätého srdca, ktoré je jednoducho len jeho a jedine jeho. Ako vám to spôsobuje, že...“ Viem to.
Spôsobuje to, že napnete hruď a poviete, „No, koniec koncov, nie som až tak unavený.“ Vidíte? To je to, niečo vám to robí.
No, chcem vám niečo povedať. Ale, čo ak by bol ten bozk na jeho líci a on nemá dôveru. Mohol byť na líci nejakého iného muža. Čo ak tie ruky, ktoré ho objímajú, objímali každého a stále túžia robiť to isté? Nebude to veľa znamenať. Nie je tam toho veľa. Prečo?
49 No, oni boli na začiatku jedno. Boh, keď učinil človeka, On ho učinil dvojitou osobou, oboch, muža i ženu. On ho oddelil v tele a postavil ho tu na zemi v tele a tá ženská časť bola stále v duchu. Pozrite, priatelia. Boh bol tak opatrný. Ó, ako toto… Nech vás to neopustí. Boh nikdy nevzal za hrsť prachu, aby učinil Evu. Ona by bola iným stvorením; a ona nie je stvorením, ona je vedľajším produktom. A Boh ide do srdca Adama, berie toto rebro priamo spod jeho srdca. A berie rebro a tvorí manželku, a samotná časť Adamovho ducha bola v žene, a tí dvaja sú jedno. Duša, telo, duch, oni sú jedno. Sú dokonale jedno, skutočná žena, skutočný manžel a skutočná manželka. Oni sú spolu jedno.
Čoho je to typ? Krista. Z Jeho hrude, nie vedľajší produkt, nie metodista alebo baptista alebo letničné vyliahnutie. Nie veru. Ale zo Svojho vlastného srdca vyňal Svoju milú, ktorá je tak čistá a verná, ako len môže byť. Je tak verná ako ľalia.
Pozrite sa tam späť, Šalamún hovorí, „Poď, moja láska, kráčajme medzi granátovými jabloňami. Naplňme sa láskou.“ A keď skutočný veriaci otvorí svoju náruč s čistým srdcom a uchopí sa Krista, náklonnosť tej osoby milujúcej Krista ide do Jeho hrude ako Jeho manželka, práve tak, ako to muž robí skutočnej manželke.
50 Akým typom osoby by sme mali byť? Či odohrávame rolu smilnice voči Kristovi? Spoliehame sa na nejaké niečo malé, beháme za svetom a svetskými vecami a sme svetsky-zmýšľajúci a bez tej skutočnej lásky a oddanosti, ktorú by sme mali mať?
Vedel by si si predstaviť, ó, dokázal by si si predstaviť svoju manželku, brat, ako prichádza a sedí na tvojich kolenách s jej ozdobnými ozdôbkami a jej krátkymi spodničkami a čipkovanými vecami, a jej vlasy sú celé upravené a vyzdobené a všetko také, a objíma ťa a hovorí, „Ó, Ján, jednoducho ťa milujem. Milujem ťa.“ A rovno vtedy vieš, že niečo nie je v poriadku. Nedôveruješ jej. Nezáleží na tom, ako pekne vyzerá a ako je dobre upravená, ak v nej nemáš tú dokonalú dôveru, niečo nie je v poriadku; to neuspokojí tú túžbu, ktorú by muž mohol mať po svojej manželke.
A teraz len pomysli na samého seba, ako sa pohrávaš so svetom a flirtuješ so svetom, a ideš dolu na svoje kolená a hovoríš, „Ó, Pane Ježišu, milujem Ťa.“ To je páliaci pokrytecký Judášov bozk. Presne tak.
51 Premýšľajte o týchto veciach; budeme mať prebudenecké zhromaždenia. Rozumiete? Ó, môžeš mať nastoknutý svadobný prsteň. To je pravda. Ale nie si manželkou. Ó, môžeš byť ženou; môžeš byť domácou pani; ale ak sa takto správaš, nie si manželkou. A nie si skutočným Kresťanom; nie si skutočným ozajstným produktom pre Krista, ak Ho nemiluješ, a to so všetkým, čo je v tvojom vnútri. Nestarám sa o to, či vyzeráš pekne alebo nie; miluješ Ho a vyjadruješ samého seba. Vtedy sa vy dvaja stávate jedno. Vtedy Kristus a Jeho Cirkev, nie skrze denomináciu, nie skrze krst, nie skrze senzácie, skrze nič iné okrem skutočnej lásky. Bol si vytiahnutý z Božej hrude, keď tam On bol ranený, a On ťa vytiahol a tvoja láska, tvoja vernosť a tvoja oddanosť dokazujú, čím si.
52 Vidíte, čo tým myslím? Či si celý vyzdobený, alebo či si... Nestarám sa o to, keby si moja manželka nikdy nečesala vlasy, ak by nenosila pekné šaty, nikdy nebude dňa – bola by mojou milou. Cením si ju kvôli jej oddanosti, jej cnosti. To, čím je; to je to, čím je.
A pri kresťanských mužoch a ženách, to je to, čím sme v očiach Božích. Tu nejde o to, že môžeme chodiť do najlepšej cirkvi alebo že sa môžeme najlepšie obliekať alebo sa môžeme dostať do tohto susedstva alebo môžeme robiť toto alebo môžeme jazdiť na tomto alebo môžeme robiť tamto. To s tým nemá nič spoločné. To je cnosť našej oddanosti a našej lásky ku Kristovi a to je narodenie. To je tá vec, ktorá prichádza. „A hoci by som hovoril ľudskými a anjelskými jazykmi, som ničím. Hoci by som kŕmil chudobných, hoci by som rozdal svoje majetky, hoci robím toto, robím to a robím tamto, som ničím.“ Čo by sa Kristus zaujímal o to všetko, čo dokážeš urobiť a čo takto dokážeš robiť, ak tam nie je tá skutočná opravdivá láska a vernosť? Popremýšľajte o tom, budete?
53 Toto je nedeľná škola a pamätajte, že to je lekcia pre vás. Buďte tým vo svojom srdci. Nech má Kristus prvé miesto ako pri skutočnej žene voči jej manželovi. Žiadne iné ruky by sa jej nikdy nemohli dotýkať. Žiaden iný bozk, nezáleží na tom, ako pôvabne to vyzerá, ona by mala odvrátiť svoju hlavu. Ona má jednu lásku a to je voči jej manželovi. Je to tak. Nezáleží na tom, aký by ten muž mohol byť príťažlivý a ako uhladene a upravene by mohli vyzerať jeho vlasy a ako by sa mohol držať vystretý, nie veru, vôbec nie; ona miluje toho manžela a on je tým jediným, ktorého miluje. Ona odovzdáva všetky svoje cnosti a všetky svoje bozky, všetku svoju lásku a všetko svojmu manželovi a jedine jemu. Rozumiete, čo tým myslím?
A vy sa vzdávate všetkého zo sveta, nezáleží na tom, ako dobre to vyzerá, ako pekne to vyzerá, a ako úchvatne to vyzerá.
54 Tvoja cnosť je to, čo sa ti ráta. Nehovoríš, „Ó, haleluja, viem, že to mám, lebo som robil toto. Haleluja,“ a máš dostatok výbušnosti, aby si bojoval s cirkulárkou.
Dovoľ mi povedať ti, brat, je potrebná cnosť, ktorú si Kristus cení. „Hoci by som hovoril v ľudských a anjelských jazykoch; hoci by mi vytekala z oboch rúk krv; hoci by som vykrikoval a tancoval v duchu; hoci by som jedol Slovo Božie a miloval to; hoci by som pil z rovnakej duchovnej Skaly, ako to robia tí ostatní; hoci by som tlieskal rukami tak silno ako ostatní; hoci by som dokázal roniť krokodílie slzy; hoci by som mohol všetko toto robiť; ale ak tam nie je tá skutočne opravdivá, pravá kresťanská cnosť ku Kristovi, stávaš sa takým ako zvučiaci kov a cvendžiaci zvon.
Pavol ohľadne tohto varoval svoj zbor, Korintský zbor, ktorý bol celý zamiešaný vo všetkých druhoch senzácií. Varujem vás, priatelia; pamätajte na to, že sa tam v deň súdu budem za vás musieť zodpovedať a vaša krv nebude na mne. Nezáleží na tom, akí ste lojálni k čomukoľvek inému; buďte lojálni ku Kristovi. Pamätajte na to, ako sa modlíme.
55 Požehnaný nebeský Otče, prichádzame teraz v tomto prítomnom stave a vyznávame všetky naše prestúpenia. Ó, buď milosrdný, milostivý Bože. A modlíme sa, aby si sa pozrel dolu do nášho srdca v tejto hodine, zatiaľ čo očakávame s našimi hlavami sklonenými do prachu, pozri sa do srdca starého človeka, do srdca postarších žien, do srdca tých, ktorí sú v strednom veku, a mladých, dokonca malých detí, a nech preskúmame samých seba.
Približujeme sa ku tomu posvätnému týždňu, ktorý oslavujeme ako Veľký piatok a Veľkú noc, vzkriesenie. Hoci sme tento rok mohli byť lojálni cirkvi, hoci sme mohli prijímať večeru Pánovu, hoci sme mohli vykrikovať, mohli sme urobiť mnoho vecí; ale, ó, Bože, pozri sa dolu do môjho srdca. Hovorím sám za seba. Pozri sa do môjho srdca, do srdca týchto ľudí, ktorí sú tu dnes ráno, a preskúmaj nás, Pane. Ak tam je niečo, čo zaberá miesto Krista, ó, Bože, vezmi to preč. Ak to je lenivosť, ak nedostatočnosť, ak to je... Čokoľvek to môže byť, ja neviem, ale, Bože, vezmi to od nás. Ó, nechceme byť zavrhnutí rovno tu v čase bitky, zavrhnutí od Boha a byť Jeho nepriateľom.
Ó, Bože, pozri sa do našich sŕdc; preskúmaj nás skrze Svojho Svätého Ducha a daj nám dnes ráno vidieť, ak je v nás nejaká zlá vec. Ak je, vezmi ju preč, Otče. Kladieme to teraz na oltár a kráčame preč a nechávame to tam. Ak to je nečinnosť, ak to je rozčúlenosť, ak to je ľahostajnosť, ak to je zanedbávanie, ak to je... Čokoľvek to môže byť, ak to je nenávisť, ak to je zlomyseľnosť, ak to je zvada, ak to je... Čokoľvek to môže byť, ó, Bože, vezmi to dnes od nás.
56 A pri tomto nadchádzajúcom prebudeneckom zhromaždení, nech by sme boli tak plní Tvojej ľúbeznosti, Pane, že až prídu mnohí a budú spasení. Táto malá komunita, ktorá tu je, kde sme sa tak veľmi snažili, teraz prvé prebudenecké zhromaždenie v priebehu desiatich rokov kedy som mal... No, modlíme sa, aby si nám do sŕdc udelil skutočného, opravdivého Ducha, a nech sa tam zakotví na večnosť. Udeľ to, Pane.
Spôsob, aby sme skúmali samých seba, my, ženatí ľudia, akým spôsobom zaobchádzame s našimi manželkami, akí sme verní, alebo aké verné sú nám naše manželky. A nech to dnes ráno len vsiakne do našich sŕdc, ako by sme zmýšľali, ak by sa niečo také stalo v našom dome. A potom, nech obrátime našu náklonnosť ku Tebe a povieme, „Ó, Bože, buď mi milostivý.“
Ó, ak by manželka prišla len raz za mesiac a vložila svoju ruku do tvojej a povedala, „Drahý, milujem ťa.“ A išla ďalej, ó, ako by to vyzeralo, že si ma nevšíma. Ako by to vyzeralo, že niečo by nebolo v poriadku. A, Bože, keď možno raz za mesiac, alebo raz za čas, keď prídeme do zboru a obetujeme krátku modlitbu, ó, Ty chceš našu lásku, naše obecenstvo po celý čas, a aby naše myšlienky a sústredenia nášho srdca zostávali na Tebe. Udeľ to, Pane. Ó, zachovaj naše srdcia tak upriamené na Teba, že svetské veci sa stanú slepými a tak bezvýznamnými. Udeľ to, Pane. Vypočuj nás teraz a žehnaj nás v ďalšej časti týchto zhromaždení. Prosíme o to v Kristovom Mene. Amen.
57 No, nech vás Pán ozaj hojne požehná. A ja... Prepáčte, že som tu vzal niekoľko minút navyše, potom, ako bola rozpustená nedeľná škola. A modlím sa, aby vás Boh žehnal. Nehovoril som tieto veci; toto je zo Slova Božieho. Oni sú pre nás príkladmi. Sú príkladmi.
A teraz sa pozri, priateľu, ako by si sa cítil, ak by si vedel, že manželka, ktorá ťa bozkáva, je zradkyňou? Pomysli na to. Preštuduj to trocha. Čo by si si pomyslel? No, keď prichádzaš ku Bohu ako zradca, nerob to. Buď skutočný. Nemusíš brať senzácie. Nemusíš brať niečo iné, keď celé nebesia sú dnes plné skutočnej, ozajstnej lásky Božej. Prečo brať náhradu, keď môžeme obdržať to skutočné? Je to pre teba.
No, nech vás Pán žehná, ako odovzdám službu nášmu pastorovi, a nezabúdajte na tento týždeň. Budú malé prebudenecké zhromaždenia pre blízke okolie a taký malý okruh okolo týchto tunajších miest. Vezmite telefón, zavolajte niekoho, povedzte im, aby prišli. Budeme mať zavolania ku oltáru a očakávame počas tohto týždňa dobrý čas v Pánovi. Nech vás Pán žehná, až kým vás neuvidím nasledujúcu stredu večer.
1 Morning, friends. I told Brother Neville I was just a little hoarse this morning, and this coming on a revival, I wouldn't try to preach to you this morning, because I'm too hoarse. But just a little group of us here, I might have a little Sunday school lesson and let him preach in--in just in a little bit, so we'll... I'll just have a little lesson out of the Bible here or something, and we can talk maybe for fifteen, twenty minutes. And maybe the Lord will give us something out of that. Now, He's been awfully good to us, awfully good.
2 And so we're tired. I was up a little late last night. I'm... After I was... Lot of calls coming in since I come in, and--and I happened to notice my little boy had a handful of glass beads, just chewing them up, and eating them, of glass, and--and swallowing these... It was glass, and so we got him and washed his little mouth out. Then was up with him the biggest part of the night, so I'm kindly tired this morning.
And I got right immediately at twelve o'clock to leave for Kentucky and go down to Kentucky to appointment there. And then this coming week comes our meeting, and now, I want to try a few nights of just talking if I can. My... I'm not got no cold; I've just I've preached so much till my voice is gone. See? This is four months straight. You see? And so then after that, then I go to Canada and then back to our regular meetings and overseas.
3 Now, while I was setting there talking to Leo and Gene just a few moments ago, I was thinking of a Scripture here that we might use this morning, if the... Now, first I was just going to set there a minute; I was so tired. Then I thought that didn't look right, me setting back in the room there, and the congregation out here. Why, the Lord might not come back there. I wanted to come out here where He was. So...
4 I believe I see one of the reasons that brought me here this morning. Brother Littlefield is here, if... He wanted to see me just a moment after the service. And Brother Littlefield is from up in Tennessee there where we had the big--big meeting up there recently in a high school gym. I just can't call the name of the city. Where are you, Brother Littlefield? Cleveland, Cleveland, Tennessee.
And so we had a wonderful time up there. And he's in--was coming through to say hello to me. And so I told him, be down this morning. We were going somewhere this morning else, and then some friends that I wanted to visit, not to preach, just to visit 'cause I promised them... And then Brother Littlefield was here and Dr. Beelan and them, so I wanted to just come by and see them this morning, the reason I dropped in.
5 So now, over in the book of Corinthians just about the 10th chapter and the first 4 or 5 verses, let's just meditate on that for a few moments so our brother can have time to preach.
Now, let's bow our heads first, just in His Presence.
6 Blessed heavenly Father, it is indeed with grateful hearts that we bow humbly before Thee this day to thank Thee for the good things of life. And realizing that life itself is just one great struggle, if we're not having it in one way, we are in another. But some glorious day the battle will be over, and we'll see Jesus Who we have looked forward to seeing since we have loved Him, and become acquainted with Him, and a relative to Him. And we're so happy to know that someday we shall see Him.
Now, today as we pulled up under the old oak, as it was, for comfort like Abraham, setting there waiting, and God and two Angels come up and spoke to him, and we're just expecting You to come to us this morning and speak to our hearts through Thy Word, Lord, as we fellowship around It.
Bless our dear beloved pastor, Lord. We pray that You'll give him strength and courage. We pray that You'll bless the little church, and the deacons, and all that's concerned here, Lord, and all that comes here, and not only here but other places, Your church universal. Bless our visiting brethren who are with us this morning in the service. We pray that You'll be with them and sustain them. Forgive us of our sins and speak to us through Thy Word. We ask in Christ's Name. Amen.
7 If I'm not mistaken, Brother Coats is setting here this morning. He was... Over to pray for him the other night at the Veterans Hospital, cancer. And we're glad to see you in here this morning, Brother and Sister Coats.
8 Now, in the Book of Corinthians, the--the 10th chapter. This book of Corinthians is a book of correction. We should take the book of Corinthians. It's the only church in all of the New Testament that seemingly that the leaders had such trouble with. But Corinthians was always in trouble. Paul, when he come among them, one had a tongue, and one had a psalm, and one had a feeling and a sensation. And he was always having trouble with these Corinthians, keeping them straight.
If we notice, he couldn't teach the Corinthians deep things. They were just a baby-fashioned. They--they... He couldn't go to them in the great deep, the messages that he did to the Ephesians and he did to the Romans, and teach to them the deep things, because they wasn't able to take it. They--they depended too much upon little sensations and little things like that. Just... "Well, Praise the Lord, I got a... I had a revelation come to me. I had a psalm. I have a prophecy."
Paul said, "All these things will fail, see, every one of them." They're just not to be trusted too much.
And so... But what he's trying to get to the Church was that anchor, where we--where we have an anchor in Christ, where that we don't trust upon sensations, we don't trust upon revelations, we don't trust these things. Only we trust Christ. It's by faith that we move out there. Just...
9 We notice Paul could teach the Ephesians there, how that before the foundation of the world they were predestinated unto the adoption of the sons of God. Now, he... The Corinthians didn't know anything about that. They just... They had to have a little feeling or something, little sensation: one this, that, and the other, and they depended on that. He couldn't teach them the deep things.
So I think it's a great, when you got a people that you can teach deep things. And the Holy Spirit can wind these great truths and anchor it into the--the people's hearts so they know where they are standing, sensation or no sensation, prophecy or no prophecy, and whatever it might be. Whatever it... If them... We don't...
10 Now, remember, we're not... I'm not trying to say that God does not deal through prophecy and things like that. But we don't rely upon that. We got a deeper hold in there. You see? For He said, "Wherever there is prophecies, it'll fail; where there's tongues, it'll cease. And where there's..."
And all these sensations that those Corinthians had, not one of them was a evidence that they were saved. Not one of them was an evidence that they were saved. Not if you could shout, if you could prophesy, if you could heal the sick, if you could speak with tongues, if you could interpret tongues, if you had wisdom, and you had knowledge, none of those mean you're saved, not a one of them. You could have every one of them, Paul said in I Corinthians 13, and be lost. "I am nothing." See? But when you got love, an anchor...
11 This morning, for about an hour before the wife woke up, I was awake, and the Lord was revealing to me a great something about how God ties His Church together by that bonds of love. And how it must be; there's not another way for a man to ever be saved without being borned again. God willing, I want to preach on that this coming week and just getting materialized in my heart; maybe the Lord will give me a message on it.
12 Now, this message this morning, as it come to my heart in there, is a message of warning. And I thought maybe if we would get this warning to the people, as Paul was warning these Corinthians, if we can get this warning to the people, knowing that we're facing a revival now and an examinating time, when we must be examined. Now, Paul said,
Moreover brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
And were... baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Now, he's giving them an understanding that when God brought out Israel from the wilderness, into the wilderness to serve Him and to take them to the promised land, they... He's setting forth an example there, that as we are brought out in all the material things, all the--the rituals and the orders, they were the same.
13 And we find on down a little farther in our lesson, that many of those were overthrowed because they could do all the rituals, and all the orders and everything that God required, and still their hearts wasn't right with God.
Now, we can do many things. We can take communion. We could be baptized. We can--we can come to church, have our names on the book, or be just as respect and reverent as we can be, and still be lost. That's a solemn warning. We could be just as--just rejoice, when the Spirit would fall. And in a meeting where the Word was being preached, and our souls would just rejoice with the Word, and still be lost. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. The same rain that makes the wheat grow, makes the weed grow. It's the nature of the product. See? It's the nature of it that tells what we are. Therefore, it's the nature that's in us that tells what we are. See?
Not we might be so religious till we wouldn't turn our hands on Sunday to do a thing. We might not even take a stitch in our clothes on Sunday. We might not even feel justified to buy food on Sunday. And we might be so religious and so pious. But yet if we are not literally borned again of the Spirit of God, we're just worshipping in vain. So now, it's pretty stiff, and we want to really find it and know the truth; because remember, we're not going to get a second chance at this. It's just this one time. So you'd better be real sure.
14 Now, notice, "I would not have you ignorant, brethren." Now, these Corinthians, what did I say in the first place? They were basing their eternal holds upon some sensation. Paul said, just there, said, "When I come among you, one has this, and one has that, and one--one..." Said now, "All that's all right. We have nothing against it. But--but still that isn't what we're talking about. (See?) That isn't it."
15 I remember when I was first converted and I begin to see the working of the Spirit and how that some could just impersonate the real genuine Holy Spirit into such a way, that it would... Why, it was just impossible to tell which was right and wrong hardly.
And I seen a man, that I knew and I--and by discernment, I knew that man was living with another man's wife. And here he was standing there speaking with tongues, and interpreting, and everything, and giving messages, and it was... And then I got the other fellow to a place to where I could speak to him a few moments, and a real genuine Christian. And I thought, how can that Spirit, the same Spirit, where I... That's when I first seen Pentecost, and it was at Mishawaka, Indiana. And I tell you; it certainly... I thought for the first few hours I was there, I was among angels. And the next few hours I thought I was among demons, when I seen that--seen these two men, one give a message, one interpret. I'd never heard speaking in tongues and things like that before.
And I watched those spirits, how they moved; I thought, "Oh, my, Why the great Millennium has begun." And then when I got a chance on the outside to talk to one of them and could tell what he was made from, there was one as evil as he could be.
And--and that night, I watched them again and I thought, "Oh, get me away from here. I can't understand how this is." And I seen those things were in the Bible. But here was one doing it that didn't have the Spirit of God, and the other one doing it that did have the Spirit of God. Then I was all confused, and I just left the whole thing go.
16 And years later after the flood was over, I was going, walking up the road, going to Green's Mill. Mr. Isler, the state senator, comes here to church, he met me on the road, and he put his arms around me and said, "Billy, what does Christ mean to you now?" My father was gone; my brother was gone; and my wife was gone; my baby was gone; and I--I--I... Said, "What does He mean?"
I said, "Mr. Isler, He means more than life to me." I said, "Something has happened within me. A few years ago, Christ came to my heart, and I--I... It's just become more than I am myself. It's just something that's happened. It wasn't because I was religious; it wasn't... It's just something that God through the grace did for me. And I said, "Though He would slay me, I'd trust Him just the same. And if I was in hell, and there was such a thing as love in hell, I'd still love Him." That's all. It's something in here. He's right; I deserve every punishment that I ever got. You do the same. But it's that anchor, that something, that anchor of love of God that holds in the human heart, other things become secondarily.
17 Setting on a log up there, I was praying about something else, and my Bible come open, and I was reading in--over in the Book of Hebrews the 6th chapter. And I was reading there how that, "It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and made partakers of the Holy Spirit, seeing that they fall away, to renew themselves again unto repentance. For the rain cometh oft upon the earth to water it, to dress it for which it's prepared. But that which is nigh unto rejection, thorns and thistles, which is nigh unto rejection is to be burned."
And the Holy Spirit kept speaking to me about that. "What is that?" I'd read it over again and then a vision come. And I saw the world standing before me, turning; it was all disked up, and like plowed, and ready for to plant. And there went a man by in white, sowing seed. And after he went around the curvature of the earth, another man come in black, sowing seeds behind him. And when the seeds that the good man sowed come up was wheat. And the bad, the black man sowed the seeds come up and dressed in black, it come up and it was weed. And oh, one was contrary to the other.
And a great drought come in the vision. And the little wheat bowed its head; it was just so thirsty for a drink. And the--the weed bowed its head; it was thirsty for a drink. Then a great cloud come over, and the rains come down and the little wheat raised up and begin to scream, "Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." It was so happy to get that water. And the little weed raised up and begin to holler, "Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord," for the same water.
Then I understood. See? There it is. The Holy Spirit will fall, but "By their fruits they are known," said the Lord Jesus. See, see? Not by the reaction of the Spirit, whether they healed the sick, or whether they speak in tongues, or whether they sang in the Spirit, or whether they rejoice this a way or that, they can do all that and still be lost. It's your life within you, a borned again experience.
18 Now, Paul was trying to get this to those Corinthians.
I... Moreover brethren, I would have... wouldn't have you ignorant, how that... our fathers were all under the cloud, and... passed through the sea;
And were baptized unto Moses...
Every one of them went into the wilderness. Jesus said, "Not all that saith, Lord, Lord, will enter in; but the one that doeth the will of My Father, which is in heaven."
It isn't what you say. You could preach the Gospel and still be lost. Certainly. This is not just little kid stuff. This is absolutely... It's deep. And Christianity is not to be just a little like...?... saints, like, "Well, I'll go over to church, and I know it's my duty to go." That's not Christianity. Brother, Christianity isn't... It's something that God has done. God has chosen you in Christ and presented you as a love gift to Christ. And it's God calling, election. And if we have the opportunity to become that type of person and turn it down for little old things of the world...
19 Now, listen as we go on.
And all did eat that same spiritual manna.
Did you hear that, the 3rd verse?
And all did eat the same spiritual manna.
What's he speaking of? The rituals of the church. People come to church and say they have repented and are baptized unto Christ, taking on the Name of the Lord Jesus. And they did that in the wilderness also; Paul said. That's what the Corinthians had done. They come in and was baptized unto Christ, took on Christ outwardly, professionally, had taken Him on, intellectually had accepted Him.
But, brother, it's a lot more than intellectuals, it goes beyond that. It goes to a--a genuine birth, not just a mental conception or in an emotional work, but a birth, an experience, something that goes plumb down deep into the heart and changes the innermost being, that makes you do things that you would not have done other words. It makes you love those who are unlovable. It makes you act different than you ever thought that you would act. And when situations arise, it's your anchor. You don't have to wonder, "Will I make it?" Oh, no, it isn't whether I'll make it, it's already made for me. Christ in me has made it Himself. And I just trust in His anchor alone. What a wonderful thing.
20 Notice. They all took communion. That life that was in... We know that it was a natural process, because it was little frost-like that rained from heaven, little wafers with honey on them. See? The wafer was just a little like a cracker, a little cookie, and had honey over the top of it. And they all were partakers of that. Every one passed through the Red Sea and was baptized through the cloud and through the sea unto Moses. Following his instructions of God's servant, they were all baptized unto Him. They were all followers as we are today, led by the Holy Spirit, the great Instructor of the Christian Church. We are led through to water baptism. And he said, "They all taken of the same manna." The... What did it do? That manna fell for Korah and for his group, just the same as it did for Moses, Caleb, and Joshua. They were all mixed together, all partakers of baptism, all partakers of membership, all partakers of confession, and now all partakers of the communion.
Do you get it? Look at that solemn warning. And Tabernacle folks, get that way down deep. Remember, it's your eternal destination hangs right there. Don't just pass it by like the little flutter or something. This is something we must come respective to. It's something that means whether we live hereafter or not.
21 They were all baptized unto Moses through the Red Sea; they all followed that same Spirit Being, the Cloud and the Pillar of Fire. They all were led by the same Angel. They all come out by the same pastor. They all was baptized into the sea. They all eat of that spiritual Manna and that Manna was Christ. Christ coming down, the manna come down every night from heaven and perished here to sustain the people in their journey. And Christ come from heaven and gave His life, "that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life." Christ come down and became our Manna.
They eat of the same spiritual blessings. Therefore the Holy Spirit can fall right in amongst the people, and both Christian, and lukewarm, and half believers, and borderline believers will all eat the same. But that doesn't mean it yet.
Oh, how I wished I had words, that I could drive this down and cinch it in the heart of every person here to see what a deep thing this is? It isn't something to be played with. It isn't just going to church.
22 Now, listen, "They all did eat the same spiritual manna." Think of it: spiritual Manna. "Oh," you say, "I know I'm saved. Hallelujah. I shouted in the spirit. I feel this." That doesn't have one thing to do with it. You see how we base our eternal destination upon a sensation? Can you see in this day that we're now living, how the people are basing their--their destination upon just a little sensation? Oh, say, "I know I got it, because I--I felt the power go through me. I did this." That might be all exactly the truth and you're still lost.
23 Oh, if we just had a moment. Let's just turn to 1 Corinthians 13 here just a moment and listen what Paul's got to say about it right here.
Though I speak with tongues of men and angels, and have not charity... (which is love)... I am become as a sounding brass, and--and a tinkling cymbal.
... though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all the mysteries, and know all the knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could move mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Listen to that stern old apostle drive it into this sensational church who's basing their hopes upon sensation. Now, this is Sunday school. This is a place of correction. This is a place of teaching. And woe unto the man that'll stand in the pulpit and mislead. Brother, it's time that we've made Scripture compare with Scripture. That's right.
24 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,... though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it prevaileth me nothing.
See, all your good works, all your good deeds, all the spiritual things you have, all the gifts you have, all the sensations you have, all the joy you have, all the peace you have has nothing at all to do with it to begin with. Think of that just a moment. And think of the churches today. Our great churches, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and denominational, they think because they say "I believe," come in, put their name on the book, that settles it. How far they're off.
Our Pentecostal people think, well, because that they got a little sensation, they felt good, they spoke with tongues, they got a little blood in their hands, a little oil on their face or something, "We got it." Oh, ten million miles off. You get it? See how the devil, the god of this world has blinded the eyes of those? And they just go right on living like that.
Listen.
For though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body... burned, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Look at all those gifts, all those good things. "I feed the poor, I've got a good heart about me. I do this. I do that. I go to church. I speak with tongues. I prophesy. I heal the sick. I preach the Gospel. I do these things." Paul said, "Still I am nothing." All those things can be carnally impersonated. Now, what does he say?
Charity suffereth long,... is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself,... not puffed up,
Does not misbehave itself unseemly, (just think)... not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Charity; love. What is love? Is God. How does God come to you? By birth. See?
25 Now, they all was baptized unto Moses. They all did eat of the communion. They all had the same spiritual Manna that come from God. Every one of them eat the same thing. And today we stand right around, and hear the Word, and rejoice over it, and take the Manna and eat it and say, "Oh, hallelujah, that's good. Oh, I appreciate that. Yes, I was baptized in the church. I--I take and make my profession. I put my name on the book. I'm a charter member." All that is perfectly in vain if there isn't something that God has done. If it is... Them's the things that you did; that's the things that your faith produced. But unless God has done something to you to new birth...
26 Just a moment now. Now, the 4th verse,
And did all drink the same spiritual rock: for they drink of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
They all drank from the fountain. They rejoiced. Now, what does that mean? The wheat and the weed both rejoiced to get that spiritual water. We go to the church. We clap our hands with the rest of them. We shout with the rest of them. We jump up-and-down on the floor with rest of them. We praise God with the rest of them. We prophesy with the rest of them. We speak in tongues like the rest of them. We pray for sick like the rest of them. But he said... Now, listen as we go just a little farther.
27 Now, that--want stop a minute though on that Rock was Christ. The Rock was Christ. It was there in literal form as it is in spiritual form today. The Manna, the food, which is the Word that come from God out of heaven, Christ is the Word of God, and we eat the Word. See? We set like in the message this morning; we listen, our souls reaching, grab that Word. We live by the Word. He said, "They all eat that same spiritual manna; and they all did drink, all drink from that same spiritual Rock: and that Rock was Christ."
Think of it. Now, what's he going to put it to an end here? He's warning those Corinthians, "Be careful what you're doing. When I come among you, one has a psalm, one has a tongue, one has a this, and one has a that. One has a prophecy; one has a revelation; one's doing this; and one's doing that. Be careful; don't base your faith upon that." Those things are all right. They got their place and in the church, but don't never base your salvation on that. If your life doesn't tally up to God's Word, then it's time for a get right with God.
28 Notice. Now, and this Rock, this Rock was the Rock that was in the wilderness. And I want you to notice when God called Moses and sent him down into Egypt to deliver the children of Israel from under the yoke of Pharaoh, He said, "What is that in thy hand?"
And he said, "It's a stick." And he took the stick and threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent. And he... Moses fled. Then he picked it up, and it become a stick in his hand. And that rod, when he got into Egypt, he stretched it over Egypt, and flies come up. He stretched it and plagues fell. It was God's judgment. God's judgment was in the stretching forth of the rod.
And to notice, before that rod could really be handled, Moses put his hand in his bosom; it become leprosy like every man is to begin with, a sinner by nature. There's no way around it. You're borned in sin, shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies. You might have been dedicated on the altar of your mother's church. You might've been sprinkled; you might've been this, that, but you are a sinner to begin with.
Then there is another... God said, "Put your hand back into your bosom." Over his heart he put his hands again at the commission of God where we was brought forth first, his hand, a leper. You were brought forth by God first, a sinner, not by choice but by nature. Then you go back again, and when he come out, the hand was clean and perfect, showing that this hand, before it could wave the judgment rod had to be a cleaned hand before it could wave. And any minister, any teacher...
29 I heard something this morning that actually curdled my blood. When I turned on my radio, just before coming... No disregards if there's anybody here relation to the person. I don't mean to hurt you. But it's time, and God help me to always be Christian enough to put--make what's black, black and white, white. To be honest. I heard someone singing, and said "I have my testament" and turned on and read a Scripture and preached from the First Psalm, "Blessed is the man who setteth not in the seat of the scornful, walketh in the way of sinners." You know who it was? That rock-and-roll guy, Jimmy Osborn from on the radio preaching the Gospel. Oh, brother, if there ever was a disgrace, a person like that has got no business moving into the Word of the living God.
And you take this fellow on the Renfro Valley barn dance, up all night in an old shindig, clapping their hands, and going on an old shindig, and the next morning, change his voice around, and talk like a Christian. And why, it's vulgar and filthiness in the sight of God. The hand that waves this judgment rod must be cleansed by the power and the resurrection of Christ. He's got no business handling the Word of God.
30 Even a lot of preachers trying to justify this Elvis Presley, which is nothing in the world but a modern Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot got thirty pieces of silver. Elvis Presley got a million dollars and a fleet of Cadillacs, but he sold out. He was a Pentecostal believer and sold out his birthright to become a rock-and-roll, and is inspired of the devil. And I don't pull any punches on it. No, sir. And a modern Judas Iscariot...
And then even the ministers trying to upbuild that kind of a thing. And Elvis Presley saying, "Yeah, I trust God for all my success." How would a living, holy God ever give success to vulgarity. And a devil demonized thing that's absolutely been one of the greatest hindrances that this nation has ever been seen, is a guy like Elvis Presley, who sent millions of souls to hell by his old dirty, filthy rock-and-roll stuff. Certainly, I don't have any apology at all. If you can believe me to be God's prophet, remember there is a incarnated devil, absolutely.
31 And Jimmy Osborn and those has got no business with the Word of God. And neither any man that takes the Name of God in vain and shindigs and dances with old rock-and-roll and vulgar stuff like that to come to any pulpit and to try to take the Word of God. That's what's the matter with many of these churches today. You get some of these little old boogie-woogies out of these places out here. A little old girl that's out shindigging and doing all these here rock-and-rolls one night, and she comes to the altar, and the next night you got her up singing a special. Some of you guys take them little old guitar players out of the places out yonder on the nightclub, and put him in the pulpit preaching in two weeks. Brother, I tell you, he'd never do it here. No indeed, he's got to study to prove himself a man of God and find out.
We don't believe in this here overnight jumping around like this. That's what got the church in the condition it's in today. We need truth. This Word is truth. That's right. The hand that sways this judgment rod must be a clean hand. Absolutely. That judgment hand of Moses was cleansed. And then the rod was put in it. And the rod went down and brought judgments upon Israel.
32 And then in the wilderness is a beautiful type. And I must close. This beautiful type... When there was a Rock and that Rock was Christ. And the perishing people were dying for water, and they deserved it. They deserved to die because they had murmured. They had complained. They were not believers at the beginning. They were nothing but intellectual believers. They'd done... The supernatural had been done, and a mixed multitude had went out. They wasn't converted from their heart.
There was only three in the bunch that we know of: Moses, Aaron and Caleb... Miriam, and Miriam showed her trespassing too, when she laughed because Moses married this Negro girl. And said, "Wasn't there any other girls to be married, and so forth he could done it." And God wasn't pleased with that and smote her with leprosy. And her own brother screamed out, and said, "Would you let your sister die in that shape?" And God told Moses to come before Him and he went and interceded for lep--for Miriam. She didn't live long after that.
33 No, brother, what God does is perfect. We ain't got no business with our minds putting anything to it; just leave it the way it is. God did it. God said it. That settles it. Just take it, or don't know how... If I could explain it, then I'd be equal with God. I can't explain it; I just believe it. That's all. That's all I'm asked to do. There's nobody asked to explain it, because it's beyond our intellectuals. It's beyond our intelligence. It's God Who does it, so it cannot be explained. I just accept it by faith, and say it's my private property, and I believe it. I cannot explain it.
34 How this rock laying there, God had a rock that had a stored full of water. Just a little rock, perhaps not no bigger than that desk, but when Moses smote this rock there was enough water came from it to water two million people, and not only that but as many cattle and sheep and things as they had with them.
Oh, when I see some of these artists who paint pictures of a little--little drop falling out of a rock and a kid standing there with a--a little bucket in his hand... Oh, it never come like that, it come by bountiful gushers gushing out. It watered over two million people besides their camels and all their animals. That Rock was Christ Jesus, a beautiful parallel to John 3:16. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have Eternal Life."
35 And notice what happened. The only way that they could get that water out of that rock, the judgment rod had to strike the rock. And Moses smote the rock, and God's judgment struck upon the rock. And when it did, it gave forth its waters. The people were absolutely... God was just in letting them die, because they had disbelieved Him. They had dishonorable; they were reprobates. They did not deserve to live. Even rep... Moses called them rebels, rebellious against God. And they deserved to die.
And all of us deserve death, because we are rebellions against God. Correct. Notice, we all deserve dying, but God is so merciful He shouldn't never of thought of us. But He's so merciful till He took the sins of every one of us and struck upon His own beloved Son, Christ, that we might not perish but would have Eternal Life.
36 How could we drink from that Rock and then not be right in our hearts? But, brother, there's millions of them this morning a doing it. That's exactly right. They're trusting because they are Baptists, or Methodists, or Pentecostal. They're trusting because they had a little funny feeling, because they spoke with tongues, because they shouted, because they danced, because they had a healing service and God healed the sick, or something they're trusting upon, because they had a revelation it was true, because they did this. Them things are all right, nothing to say against them, but that has nothing to do with your salvation, not one thing. You could pull oil out of your hand till it went by the gallon, pull blood out of your faces, and it still mean nothing. That's right. Paul said, "I could speak with tongues like men and angels, and still be lost. Though I could have wisdom and knowledge, and could stand and explain that Bible, just to make it look, just tie it together, that still hasn't got nothing to do with it.
37 Brother, they all drink from the same Rock; that Rock was Christ. The judgments was upon Christ that you might be privileged to come and drink. It's God's goodness to you, that you do come drink. It's God's goodness to you that you do eat from the Word, God's goodness to you that He permitted you to be baptized, God's goodness to you to make you a citizen, to give you health, to set you in the church this morning. It's God's goodness. That's all God's goodness. But what about your goodness back to God? Are you willing to submit everything, every thought, every action, everything unto Him? That's what--that's what God has done for you. What will you do for Him?
38 Notice, let's just read a couple more verses then I--I'll close so the pastor can get to his word. Now, look.
... and this same rock was Christ.
Now the 5th verse.
But with many of them God was not pleased:...
See, He permitted them to be baptized. He permitted them to eat the Word and believe it. He permitted them to get spiritual blessings. He permitted them to drink from the spiritual Rock. All that God did by His grace, but yet God was not pleased with them. Look.
For they were overthrown in the wilderness.
After all these experiences, after all of our great healing services we've seen, after all the great miracles we've seen performed, after all the great feelings that we've have had, the shouting and praising God, drinking from that Rock, all the good sermons that we have enjoyed and yet be overthrown... It's all over. "Depart from Me you workers of iniquity; I didn't even know you." Check up. We got a revival coming. I know this is hard. But, brother, any father that won't correct his children's not a good dad. That's right. Overthrown...
39 Now, these things were our examples,... (Paul speaking. Do you believe it? It was an example. All right.)... to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Could you imagine a man standing that's a jockey, record spinner, and playing old, dirty rock-and-rolls; and something happened, and got all shook up. And all those kinds of dirty old songs that Elvis Presley and these guys play, and then come back and impersonate preaching the Gospel? Think of it. Could you imagine a man and woman setting out, and the woman laying out in the back yard, and the little old dirty looking, half clothes on, throwing herself before men, and then come right back around and drink from the spiritual Rock and shout and carry on?
There's a great doctrine among the Pentecostal people of liberation of women. They're wearing great long earrings, and--and doing all kinds of dressings. And a young fellow set in front of my house a few days ago in a little truck, crying that his wife, Pentecostal, speak with tongues, gives prophecy. Sure. And say it all the whole church wears shorts. And he... She goes right on the street at eight and nine o'clock at night picking up little cigarette stumps that others has throwed away and smoking, and still shouting, praising the Lord, and giving prophecies.
40 I stood the other day in a church where a great man of God that I have great respects for, and he was exposing this. After one of the men who's one of the head of it goes out and--and he has all this blood running out of their hands and things... And I've become hoarse from east from west trying to condemn that thing on the grounds of the Bible, when it's not of God. Any blood that would come from Christ would be corporal blood. Then His corporal body is here. Then the second coming is over. Jesus said, "Believe it not, when they say, 'Lo, he's in the desert.' Believe it not when 'He's here.' Believe it not. For there'll be false christs arise and false prophets, and they'll show signs and wonders, insomuch to deceive the very elect."
41 And I've screamed it from the east to the west. And finally on the West Coast, an old Dr. Canada who's a bosom friend of mine, stood up, and another man that was the manager of a certain man that started this, one of these moves, come up there and give a great big...?... of oil and holy blood, or blood will be shown today. And they packed the place out, and he showed that how under his belt he had two needles sticking down. Anyone knows you can pluck this finger and it won't bleed unless you milk it or squeeze it. You stick a hole in it, it won't do it because the veins are so far away from there. And when he did it, he showed how he done and he had oil back here, laid his hands on.
Then he come up and said, "See my hands? Perfectly normal." Then he said, "Glory to God! Hallelujah!" And he milked his hands down like that, showed there was blood squeezed from his fingers. While everybody was shouting, he wiped his head and there was a cross, when the very man that was with the man that did it. There it was exposed right out there before the audience and with... Went in his pockets to show oil the stuff. One put a heart on the wall and said, "This wall is breathing the blood of Jesus. That's the heart of Jesus."
A big old Texan walked in, wasn't a scared. Said if anybody touch that they would die. They had ropes all... Got the pictures of it and everything there where this wall would bleed... breathing blood out of a heart. And this fellow walks in and slips into the church, him and his wife, and washed the paint off of the wall, and set back out there and waited till they come in. The pastor said "Well, you know Jesus has been in here and took that off."
He said, "Jesus had nothing to do with it. I done it myself." That's right.
42 What's happened? It's because people are unstabled on the Word of the living God. Don't the Bible say they'd go from the east, from the west, from the north and the south; there'd be a famine, not for bread and water alone, but for the hearing of the Word of God.
What a day that we're living in. And we see now all these great denominational churches are all leaguing themselves together. And it's got to a place that you have to belong to this league of churches before you can even have a radio. You're gone from the radio, boy, don't you never worry about that, and the rest of them are too, and all the television programs. You'll have to belong to the league of churches before you can do it. And when you do that, you're forming nothing in the world but the mark of the beast, of the Bible. There you are. See how it's all leagued together?
43 Oh, thanks be to God, there is truly a living God. There's truly a true Lord. There's truly a true Word. There's truly a true healing. There's truly of all these things. But, brother, don't you never base your faith upon some little sensation, upon a church order, upon taking communion, upon eating from the spiritual Rock. You say, "I know this, brother, that I tasted God." That may be just exactly true. But what kind of a place has it fallen in? That's the next thing. What kind of a bucket did it come into? Just and unjust.
44 Now, listen.
Now, these... were examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
What was their lust? Now, listen, I want to get just a little bit farther, if you excuse me.
Neither be ye idolaters...
Oh, you say, "I thank God that I'm not an idolater." Wait just a minute. Let's examine it by the Word. Say, "I wouldn't worship an idol." That doesn't altogether mean you worship an idol. You just have to be idle, doing nothing. Go to church. Yeah, that's all right, go back home, do nothing about it. Brother, a real borned again man or woman can't stand still. There's something in them. They've got to testify. They got to do something. They are bound to do something. They can't hold their peace.
45 Listen.
Neither be ye idolaters, as they were--some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
What's Paul talking about? Examples. They were baptized into the church. They absolutely had a correct baptism. One's three times forward, backward, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Jesus only, whatever it was. They had a correct baptism. They were baptized right. We fuss and stew and argue about little things like that. What good does it do? You're leaving off the main principle. Our churches have separated over baptism. Certainly.
Then you say, "Oh, hallelujah, they haven't got the spiritual blessing we have. They're just old, cold formal. Glory to God, I eat the real Manna of God, I know it's truth." That's exactly the truth. But what difference does that make? You say, "Brother, I... The--the Holy Ghost really falls in our church." That's good, but what difference does it make to you if you're not the right kind of a vessel It's fallen in? Remember. Oh, you say, "I'm sincere." So were they. They left their homes and went out, even put their neck out for death to follow. They did a lot more than what we have to do. That didn't have one thing to do with it.
Just think, the Bible said, "In vain do they worship Me." "In vain do they worship Me," absolutely true worship in vain. Where did it begin at? Plumb from the garden of Eden, Cain. He worshipped God just the same as Abel did, but in vain he worshipped Him. Yes, sir.
46 "There's a way that seemeth right unto a man."
You say, "Well why is it? I've repented. Why is it I'm not all right? I've repented, I think I'm just as good as anybody else. I go to church. I been baptized. I get the blessings of God. I love a good sermon. I love the Word of God. I like to read it, and I get spiritual blessings too. And hallelujah, I can prophesy. I can speak with tongues. I've done all these things. You mean to say it's in vain?" I'm not saying it's in vain. But it's possible that it could be in vain. That's right. It depends on what you are in there. That's right. It's what you are that's receiving this. If you're not borned again, if there's not actually something in you, then it's in vain. All the blessings I have...?... to do.
47 Now, just one more.
Neither let us commit fornications, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Commit fornications, that's spiritual fornication. If we had time... The Sunday school is over. Spiritual fornication...
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them... murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Murmuring, lusting, mixing the world with your religion, going out... God loves purity, real pure.
48 This morning I was talking. I thought, "What..." Now, in closing. I thought this, "What is any sweeter in a man's life, what is any sweeter than to come home when he's tired and weary with his little bucket in his hand from working all day, or plowing, or whatever he might be, to walk in and have a lovely wife to meet him at the door, set down on his lap a minute, and brush his brow a little, and kiss him on the cheek, and put her arms around him and say, 'Dear, I--I know you're tired. You've worked so hard.' and give him consolation. How that he knows that that arm is around him is absolutely his. It's his. Never is it around any other man or any other desire. The kiss that's on his cheek is from real pure holy heart, that just loves him and him alone. How it makes you..." I know.
Makes you stick your chest out and say, "Well I'm not so tired after all." See? That's it, it does something to you.
Now, I want to tell you something. But what if that kiss is placed on his cheek and he hasn't confidence. It might've been on some other man's cheek. What if them arms around him has embraced everybody and still desiring to do the same? It won't mean very much. There's not much else there. Why?
49 Now, in the beginning they were one. God, when He made man, He made him a dual person, both male and female. He separated him in flesh and put him here on earth in flesh, and the female part was still in spirit. Look, friends. God was so careful. Oh, how this... Don't let it leave you. God never got a handful of dust and made a Eve. She'd been a different creation; and she's not a creation; she's a by-product. And God goes over in the heart of Adam, this rib right out from under his heart, and takes a rib and makes the wife; and the very part of Adam's spirit was in the woman, and they two are one. Soul, body, spirit, they are one. They are perfect oneness, a real woman and a real husband, a real wife. They are one together. What is it a type of? Christ. From out of his bosom, not a by-product, not a Methodist, or a Baptist, or a Pentecostal hatch up... No, sir. But out of His own heart, He took the sweetheart that's as pure and loyal as she can be. She's as loyal as a lily.
Look at--look back there, Solomon speaking, "Come, my love, let us walk in the pomegranates. Let us take our fill of love." And when the real believer opens his arms with a pure heart and holds up to Christ, that affection of that lover of Christ, goes into his bosom as His wife, just like the husband does to a real wife.
50 What type of person should we be? Are we playing the harlot with Christ? Are we depending on some little something and running after the world, and the things of the world, and worldly-minded and not that real love and devotion that we should have?
Could you imagine, my, could you imagine your wife, brother, coming and setting on your lap, with her little frickilly frills, and her little underskirts and things of lace and her little hair all done up and frickled up and everything like that, put her arms around and say, "Oh, John, I just love you. I love you." And you know right then that there's something wrong. You haven't the confidence in her. No matter how pretty she looks and how well she's fixed, you, if you don't have that perfect confidence in her, there's something wrong; it doesn't--it doesn't satisfy that longing that a man would have for his wife.
And now, just think of yourself fooling with the world and pangling with the world, and get down on your knees, and say, "O Lord Jesus, I love you." It's a burning Judas hypocrite kiss. That's right.
51 Think of these things; there's a revival coming up now. See? Oh, you might have the wedding ring on. That's right. But you're not a wife. Oh, you might be a woman; you might be a lady of the house; but you're not a wife if you act like that. And you're not a real Christian; you're not a real genuine product for Christ if you don't love Him and everything that you've got within you. I don't care whether you look pretty or whether you don't; you love Him and you express yourself. That's when you two become one. That's when Christ and His Church, not by denomination, not by baptism, not by sensations, not by nothing but by a real love... You were bought from the bosom of God when He was wounded there, and He bought you, and your love and your trueness and your loyalty proves what you are.
52 See what I mean? Whether you're all frickled up or whether you're... I don't care if my wife wouldn't never comb her hair, if she didn't wear a pretty dress, there never a day--she'd be my sweetheart. I admire her because her loyalty, her virtue. What she is, that's what she is.
And by a Christian men and women, that's what we are in the sight of God. It's not because that we can go to the best church, or we can dress best, or we can get in this neighborhood, or we can do this, or we can ride in this, or we can do this. That--that doesn't have one thing to do with it. It's the virtue of our loyalty and our love to Christ, and that's the birth. That's the thing that comes. "And though I speak with tongue of men and angels, I am nothing. Though I feed the poor, though I give my goods, though I do this and do that, and do that, I am nothing." What does Christ care about what all you can do and what you can do like that, if that real genuine love and loyalty isn't there? Think of it, won't you?
53 This is Sunday school, and remember that's a lesson to you. Be in your heart. Let Christ have first place like the real woman would to her husband. No other arms could touch her nowhere. No other kiss, no matter how charming it looks, she should turn her head. She's got one set love and that's for her husband. That's right. No matter how handsome the man might be, and how polished and slick his hair might look, and how he might hold hisself correct, no, sir, not one thing; she loves that husband and that's him alone that she love. She forfeits all of her virtues and all of her kisses. All of her lovings and everything is to her husband and him alone. See what I mean?
And you forfeit everything of the world, no matter how good it looks, how pretty it looks, and how fascinating it looks.
54 Your virtue is what you're counted by. You don't say "Oh, hallelujah, I--I know I got it because I did this. Hallelujah," and enough temper to fight a buzz saw.
Let me tell you, brother, it takes virtue that Christ respects. "Though I speak with tongues as men and angels, though I pour forth blood out of both hands, though I shout and dance in the spirit, though I eat the Word of God and love it, though I drink from the same spiritual rock that the rest of them does, though I clap my hands just as loud as the rest, though I could cry crocodile tears, though I could do all this; but if that real genuine, real Christian virtue isn't there to Christ, you become as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.
Paul was warning his church of this, the Corinthian church, which it was all mixed up in all kinds of fantastics. I'm warning you, friends; remember I will have to answer for you there at the day of judgment and your blood won't be upon me. No matter how loyal you are to anything else, be loyal to Christ. Remember that as we pray.
55 Blessed heavenly Father, in this present estate we come now and confessing all of our wrongs. Oh, be Thou merciful, merciful God. And we pray that You'll look down into our heart, and in th--this hour, while we're waiting with our heads bowed to the dust, look into the heart of the old man, into the heart of the elderly women, into the heart of the middle-age and the young, even the little children, and may we examine ourself.
We're coming into that holy week that we celebrate as Good Friday and Easter, the resurrection. Though this year we might have been loyal to church, though we might've taken communion, though we might've shouted, we might've done many things; but, O God, look down into my heart. I talk for myself. Look into my heart, into the heart of this people here this morning and examine us, Lord. If there be something that takes the place of Christ, O God, take it away. If it's laziness, if insufficiency, if it's... Whatever it might be, I don't know, but, God, take it from us. Oh, we don't want to be overthrown right here at the time of the battle, overthrowed by God and be an enemy to Him.
O God, look into our hearts; examine us by Thy Holy Spirit, and let us see this morning if there's any evil thing in us. If there is, take it away, Father. We now lay it on the altar to walk away and leave it there. If it's idleness, if it's temper, if it's indifference, if it's neglecting, if it's... Whatever it may be, if it's hatred, if it's malice, if it's strife, if it's... Whatever it may be, O God, take it from us today.
56 And at this coming revival, may we be just so full of Your charm, Lord, until many will come in and be saved. The little community here, where we've tried so hard, the first revival now in ten years that I've held... Now, I pray that You'll give us that real, real Spirit in our hearts, and may it anchor there for eternity. Grant it, Lord.
Make us to examine ourselves, we married people, by the way we treat our wives, how true we are or how true our wives is to us. And may we just get in our hearts this morning, how we'd think if something like that happened in our home. And then, may we turn our affections toward You and say, "O God, be merciful to me."
Oh if--if the wife would just about every once a month, just come by and put her hand on yours and say, "Dear, I love you." and walk on, oh, how it would seem she was neglecting me. How it would seem that something was wrong. And, God, when maybe once a month or once when we go to church we offer a little prayer, oh, You want our love, our--our--our communion all the time, and our thoughts and our intents of our heart will be stayed on Thee. Grant it, Lord. Oh, keep our hearts so set on Thee that the things of the world will become blind and so indifferent. Grant it, Lord. Hear us now and bless us in the further part of these services. We ask in Christ's Name. Amen.
57 Now, the Lord bless you real good. And I... Sorry I've taken up a few extra minutes there after the Sunday school was dismissed. And I pray that God will bless you. I didn't say these things; this is out of God's Word. They were examples to us. They're examples.
And now, look, friend, how would you feel if you knowed the wife that was kissing you was a betrayer? Think of it. Study it a little while. What would you think? Now, when you come to God in a betrayer, don't do that. Let's be real. You don't have to take a sensation. You don't have to take something different when the whole skies are full of the real genuine love of God today. Why take a substitute when we can get the real. It's for you.
Now, may the Lord bless you as I turn the service to our pastor and don't forget this week. Now, the little revival's for the community and the little round about towns here. You get on your phone, call someone, tell them to come out. We'll have altar calls and expect a good time this week in the Lord. The Lord bless you, till I see you this next coming Wednesday night.