A Pavel, len čo sa obrátil, prv ako mohol svoje prežitie ... No, on mal ohromné prežitie. No, verím, že keď prijmete Krista, ako svojho osobného Spasiteľa, to je prežitie. Verím, že to je radosť, keď môžete vedieť, že sú vám odpustené hriechy, bez prestávky vám srdce podskakuje od radosti. Ale potom, keď prichádza dole ten požehnaný Duch Svätý. To je prežitie (To nové narodenie), ktoré nikdy nezabudnete. Stávate sa dieťaťom Božím. A toto robí to ... „Ako to poznáš, brat Branham?“ No, toto sú lekcie vyučovania. Mnoho ľudí ... Metodisti sa snažia povedať: „Oni kričali, keď to prežili.“ Dobre, to je v poriadku. Ak to prežili a kričali. Dobre! Ale preto, že ste kričali, to nebol znak, že ste to prežili. Pretože mnohí kričali a neprežili to.
Letniční hovorili: „Keď hovorili v jazykoch, vtedy to prežili.“ To je v poriadku. Ak ste hovorili v jazykoch a prežili ste to, dobre. Ale mohli ste hovoriť v jazykoch a stále to ešte nemáte.
Tak vidíte, napokon, to je prežitie, že ste prešli zo smrti do života. Keď všetko to staré zomrelo a všetko sa stalo novým. Kristus sa stal skutočným, staré veci odpadli. Staré korene telesnosti ... Viete ako vykopať koreň? My sme na to zvykli zobrať motyku a kopali sme, až tam z neho nezostal ani kúsok. A oni povedali: „Ak by sa objavil medzi vami nejaký koreň horkosti, vyryte ho!“ A to je pravda. A to robí Duch Svätý - vyrýva všetky tie korene. Vykopáva ich, vyhrabáva, páli, zbavuje sa ich. Potom môžete mať dobrú úrodu. Keď toto robíme.
217Tam tá 7. a 8. a 9. a 10. kapitola. Ó. Pripravte si ceruzku a papier a všetko, lebo verím, že Pán nám dá prežiť nádherné chvíle.
218No my sme ... Pavel vyvyšuje a kladie na správne miesto Pána Ježiša. No, keby sme to dnes večer preberali, v nedeľu ráno ... Väčšina z tohoto bude nadväzovať na to v posolstve v nedeľu ráno, pretože to je oddeľovanie Sabatu. To je dnes veľká otázka medzi tými, ktorí svätia sobotu. A ja by som vás chcel všetkých pozvať, aby ste prišli v nedeľu ráno. Lebo, ktorý deň je správny, na oslavu Boha, sobota, alebo nedeľa? Čo o tom hovorí Biblia? A tak potom, či to ... Táto kniha oddeľuje zákon a milosť a umiestňuje jedno i druhé na svoje miesto. Židia boli vychovaní podľa zákona a Pavel im pomocou zákona ukazuje, ako sa prejavuje milosť.
219No, zoberme teraz trochu to pozadie. Začneme trochu ...
220Zobral som si aj nejaké okuliare. Možno budem môcť ... Keby som náhodou niečo rozsypal, mám ich so sebou. Viete, som ... Už mi chýbajú len dva roky a budem mať päťdesiat rokov, a už na blízko nevidím tak, ako voľakedy. Keď sa mi zrak ... Všimol som si, že sa mi slová začínajú rozmazávať a myslel som si, že strácam zrak. Išiel som na vyšetrenie a doktor povedal: „Nie synu, len si prekročil štyridsiatku.“ No, povedal, že ak by som ešte dlho žil, znovu by sa to mohlo navrátiť a znovu by som videl na blízko. Opýtal sa: „Môžeš čítať Bibliu, ak ju držíš ďalej od seba?“
221Povedal som: „Môžem.“
222Povedal: „Za nejaký čas nebudeš mať na to dosť dlhé ruky.“
223A tak dúfam, že teraz, keď toto študujeme, že ... Táto malá Collinsova Biblia má dosť veľké písmená. Celkom dobre sa mi v nej číta. Ale keď sa dostaneme ku tým veľkým, hlbokým miestam, kde musíme zobrať Nový aj Starý Zákon a dať do dokopy, mám tu malú Scofieldovu. A som zvyknutý na Scofieldovu Bibliu, na jej poznámky. Nečítam teraz Scofieldove poznámky, pretože nesúhlasím so Scofieldom - s mnohými jeho teóriami. Ale páči sa mi spôsob ako je to uložené, pretože to je ... Mám ju už dlhý čas a čítam z nej a veľmi ... viem ako v nej nájsť to čo chcem.
224Táto je pre mňa úplne nová, a keď učím, ja nie som veľmi učiteľ. Ale keď so mnou trochu vydržíte, poviem vám pravdu, keď to budem vedieť.
225No, táto kniha je ... Pavel, pamätajte, on bol ... Čo sme sa o ňom dozvedeli? On bol v prvom rade veľký učiteľ ... alebo veľký učenec. A bol vycvičený v Starom Zákone. Môže mi teraz niekto povedať, že čo sme zistili, kto bol jeho učiteľ? Gamaliel - jeden z najlepších učiteľov v tom čase.
226A videli sme, že potom Pavel jedného dňa, prv ako dostal meno Pavel ... Môže mi niekto povedať ako sa predtým volal? [Zhromaždenie hovorí: „Saul.“ – pozn.prekl.] Saul. A on bol veľkou autoritou v Jeruzaleme. Náboženskou autoritou. A stal sa z neho skutočný, skúsený, náboženský muž. Vedel hovoriť štyrmi alebo piatimi jazykmi a bol veľmi chytrý. No, či mu pomohlo jeho vzdelanie a chytrosť? Nie. On povedal, že musel všetko zabudnúť, aby sa správne mohol naučiť Krista.
227Tak potom, sme zistili, že na to netreba chytrého ani vzdelaného človeka. Na to treba človeka, ktorý je ochotný pokoriť sa pred Bohom, bez ohľadu na to, ako ...
228Vedeli ste, že Dwinght Moody bol taký nevzdelaný, že až. To čo napísal bolo také biedne, ako neviem čo. Jeho posolstvá museli stále opravovať. On bol taký biedny pisateľ, veľmi nevzdelaný.
229Vedeli ste o tom, že Peter a Ján, z Biblie, boli takí neučení, že sa nevedeli ani podpísať? Ani by nevedeli ako vyzerá napísané ich meno. Apoštol Peter, ktorý mal kľúče Kráľovstva, nevedel ani ako vyzerá napísané jeho meno. Predstavte si to. Biblia hovorí, že on bol nevzdelaný a neučený. Tak to mi dáva šancu. Amen. Tak veru. Takto to ide ďalej, aby sme videli, že Boh to môže človekovi zjaviť.
230No ... a videli sme, že len čo Pavel mal to veľké prežitie ... Chcem sa vás opýtať: „Či prísť ku Kristovi je prežite? Či mal každý toto prežitie?“ Tak veru! Áno, to je narodenie. To je prežitie.
231A tak sme boli nedávno na lutheránskej univerzite, mal som to privilégium dnes popoludní. Mal som tam o dvanástej obedovať s Tomom Haire. Koľkí ste o ňom počuli? O tom írskom, slávnom modlitebníkovi? A on bol s týmto bratom Eppom na jeho programe a zjavil sa tu v Amerike na mnohých miestach. A dnes som s ním bol na obede. A boli sme ... Ja som sa spozdil asi o tri hodiny. Bolo okolo pol štvrtej alebo trištvrte na štyri, keď sme jedli. Ale všetko bolo v poriadku. A rozprávali sme sa o týchto veciach, o tom, ako je Ježiš Kristus hlavou všetkého.
232No, potom keď Pavel toto zistil, keď mal toto prežitie ... A potom, prv ako prijal toto prežitie, muselo to byť zhodné s Bibliou. A videli sme, že on - že on to nechal a odišiel do iného národa a zostal tam tri roky. Študoval Písma, aby zistil, či bolo jeho prežitie správne.
233No, uvedomujeme si, že sa musel postaviť pred veľkú vec. Musel prísť naspäť a povedať svojej cirkvi a všetkým ľuďom, že práve tá vec, ktorú prenasledoval je správna.
234Museli ste urobiť niečo také? Samozrejme, skoro všetci. Museli sme ísť naspäť a povedať: „Tí ľudia, ktorých sme nazývali “sväté motovidlá“, zistili sme, že oni sú v poriadku.“ Vidíte? To je to. Museli sme sa obrátiť. A tie veci, ktoré sme voľakedy nenávideli teraz milujeme. To je obrátenie. Zvláštne, neobyčajné.
235Povedal som ten výraz, “sväté motovidlo“. Také niečo neexistuje. Nie je niečo také. Ale oni nazývajú ľudí ... (svätých ľudí). Ale neexistujú “sväté motovidlá“. Neexistuje niečo také. Nie je zaznamenané v žiadnej cirkvi ani nikdy niečo také nebolo zaznamenané, pokiaľ viem, medzi okolo 960 rôznymi denomináciami. Nieto taká denominácia, ako “sväté motovidlo“. To je len meno, ktoré diabol prilepil na cirkev.
236Ale ľudia ich v tom čase nazývali ... Koľkí viete, ako ich nazývali v čase Pavla? Heretici! Viete, čo znamená heretik? Blázon! To sú blázni. Tak ja tiež zakrátko budem nazvaný sväté motovidlo, heretik. Vy tiež? Tak, ak ich tak nazývali a oni sa radovali ... A čo povedal Ježiš, že čo máme vtedy robiť? On povedal: „Radujte sa a plesajte, lebo je mnohá vaša odplata v nebesiach, lebo tak prenasledovali prorokov pred vami.“ Oni to robili.
237Povedal, aby sme plesali od radosti. Všetko, čo plesá je povznesené, skutočne šťastné. A učeníci, keď boli nájdení hodní niesť pohanenie pre meno Ježiša, oni sa radovali veľkou radosťou, že mohli niesť pohanu za Jeho meno.
238A dnes, mnoho ľudí dnes, keby sa stalo, že by ich niekto nazval sväté motovidlo, oni by sa zľakli: „Ó, možno som sa od začiatku mýlil.“
Ale oni sa z toho radovali. Ó! Za to, že mohli niesť to meno.
239V druhom storočí ich nazývali “krížové chrbty“. A to bolo vtedy, keď kresťania zvykli nosiť na chrbte kríž, aby ukázali, že boli ukrižovaní s Kristom. Ľudia ich nazývali “krížové chrbty“. Viem, že katolíci hovoria, že to boli oni, ale to nebola katolícka cirkev. To bola protestantská cirkev, ešte skôr ako dostala názov protestantská cirkev. Oni protestovali len proti hriechu. Dôvod, že to dnes bolo nazvané protestantská cirkev bol ten, že protestovali proti katolíckej dogme. Ale to je ... to je ... v tom čase ešte nebolo žiadneho sektárstva, keď ich nazývali, “krížové chrbty“.
240Zoberte si len históriu Josephusa a tých ostatných pisateľov, Hislopove Dva Babylony, a tak ďalej. A Budete vidieť, že je to tak, že oni neboli žiadnou cirkvou. Prvá organizovaná cirkev, ktorá kedy povstala, bola katolícka cirkev, asi okolo tristo rokov po posledných apoštoloch. Asi po tristo rokoch bolo zorganizovaná katolícka cirkev. A nastalo prenasledovanie a nasilu nútili ľudí do katolíckej cirkvi. A oni zjednotili cirkev so štátom.
241To bolo po takzvanom Konštantínovom obrátení od pohanstva ku katolicizmu. Ale ak niekto čítal o ňom históriu, čo on urobil, to nebolo obrátenie. Och! Jediná náboženská vec, ktorú kedy urobil, to bolo to, že postavil kríž na chrám sv. Sofii. To bola jediná náboženská vec, ktorú kedy urobil. Bol to bezbožný človek. Ale oni to pokladajú za jeho obrátenie. Toto sa skoro podobá na dnešné takzvané obrátenia.
242No ... Ale vidíme, že keď sa Pavel obrátil a mal toto skutočné prežitie, on sa úplne otočil na druhú stranu. A viete, obrátenie, to znamená otočiť sa na druhú stranu. Idete touto cestou a otočíte sa a idete naspäť touto cestou. Tak veru. To znamená otočiť sa čelom vzad.
243A Pavel, len čo sa obrátil, prv ako mohol svoje prežitie ... No, on mal ohromné prežitie. No, verím, že keď prijmete Krista, ako svojho osobného Spasiteľa, to je prežitie. Verím, že to je radosť, keď môžete vedieť, že sú vám odpustené hriechy, bez prestávky vám srdce podskakuje od radosti.
244Ale potom, keď prichádza dole ten požehnaný Duch Svätý. To je prežitie (To nové narodenie), ktoré nikdy nezabudnete. Stávate sa dieťaťom Božím. A toto robí to ... „Ako to poznáš, brat Branham?“
245No, toto sú lekcie vyučovania. Mnoho ľudí ... Metodisti sa snažia povedať: „Oni kričali, keď to prežili.“ Dobre, to je v poriadku. Ak to prežili a kričali. Dobre! Ale preto, že ste kričali, to nebol znak, že ste to prežili. Pretože mnohí kričali a neprežili to.
246Letniční hovorili: „Keď hovorili v jazykoch, vtedy to prežili.“ To je v poriadku. Ak ste hovorili v jazykoch a prežili ste to, dobre. Ale mohli ste hovoriť v jazykoch a stále to ešte nemáte.
247Tak vidíte, napokon, to je prežitie, že ste prešli zo smrti do života. Keď všetko to staré zomrelo a všetko sa stalo novým. Kristus sa stal skutočným, staré veci odpadli. Staré korene telesnosti ... Viete ako vykopať koreň? My sme na to zvykli zobrať motyku a kopali sme, až tam z neho nezostal ani kúsok. A oni povedali: „Ak by sa objavil medzi vami nejaký koreň horkosti, vyryte ho!“ A to je pravda. A to robí Duch Svätý - vyrýva všetky tie korene. Vykopáva ich, vyhrabáva, páli, zbavuje sa ich. Potom môžete mať dobrú úrodu. Keď toto robíme.
248No, Pavel vedel, že niečo sa stalo, a tak odišiel dole do Arábie a tam za tri roky študoval všetkých starozákonných prorokov, ako oni prorokovali. A zistil, že to bola úplná pravda.
249No, porovnajme to s dneškom (vidíte?) na tomto prežití, ktoré sme mali tu v tomto malom zbore, o tej Rannej Hviezde, ktorá sa tam zjavila. To veľké Svetlo, ktoré zostúpilo, ktoré predpovedalo a ukazovalo veci, ktoré sa mali stať. Viete, je to ohromné. Ale moji bratia kazatelia mi hovorili, že to je diabol. A ja som nemohol pochopiť.
250Tak, nič som o tom nehovoril až kým neprišla jedna noc, keď som mal to prežitie tam v Green Mill, v Indiáne, keď tam prišiel anjel Pánov a zastal predo mnou a dokázal to pomocou Písma. Potom to zapálilo oheň. Potom sa to začalo šíriť.
251Nie dávnejšie, ako minulú nedeľu sme videli neklamné dôkazy Ježiša Krista, ktorý môže zobrať človeka, ktorý nechodil a spraviť ešte aj ... Mal odumreté nervy, ktoré udržujú rovnováhu. Klinika Mayo a najlepší doktori povedali: „S tým sa už nič nedá robiť.“ A on tam sedel slepý. Potom vstal a vyšiel von, tlačil dole schodmi invalidný vozík. Môže chodiť a vidí, ako každý druhý. To ukazuje, že to je moc vzkrieseného Pána Ježiša. Je to tak. On je ten istý včera, dnes i naveky.
252Tak, či nie sme dnes šťastná skupina, keď vieme, že Boh potvrdil toto veľké prežitie, ktoré sme mali, že sa to zhoduje s Bibliou a so zasľúbeniami? A tak máme byť nad mieru šťastní (máme plesať). A potom si uvedomujeme, že v 2. kapitole sme našli, že nemáme zanedbať tieto veci. Nemáme ich brať na ľahko.
A
akože my utečieme, ak zanedbáme také veľké spasenie?
253Čo budeme robiť, keď sa postavíme na súde vo svetle Božieho Slova? Nemôžete povedať: „Nevidel som žiadny rozdiel.“Ale áno, videl si! „Dobre, no, brat Branham sa mohol mýliť.“ To je pravda. Ale Boh sa nemýli. Jeho Slovo sa nemýli. A len si predstavte, to isté (Biblia), to čo raz žilo v apoštoloch, to znovu žije. Ó, nech je požehnané meno Pánove.
254Keď si predstavím, že mám 48 rokov, skoro 50 a moje mladé roky už prešli a tak ďalej, keď viem od malého chlapca, že mám toto požehnané zasľúbenie a hovoril som o tom mojim bratom a sestrám, a keď môžem vidieť doslovne tisíce tých, ktorí vyšli z tmy, keď môžem vedieť, že ideme do nášho večného domova, pre požehnaných. A keď tento zemský stánok bude zborený skôr, ako skončím kázať, je iný ktorý tam na mňa očakáva. Haleluja! Keď môžem vedieť, že sú tucty ľudí, ktorí tu sedia, ktorí keby hneď teraz mali opustiť tento život, skorej ako by pohrebná služba zobrala ich telo, boli by tam v tom oslávenom tele, radovali by sa už so svätými Božími v prítomnosti Božej, žili naveky v dokonalosti (to je úplne potvrdené, že je to tak.) Amen.
255Ó, to robilo, že presbyterián kričal. Nedeľa, či nie? Tí ľudia boli presbyteriáni. Samozrejme to robí, keď si predstavíte ... Ó, nie divu, že ľudia boli emocionálni. Ak sa ľudia dostávajú do emócie, keď niekto kopne loptu alebo ju hodí do koša, o čo viacej sa vy správate emocionálne, keď viete, že ste prešli zo smrti do života. Že ste novým stvorením v Kristovi. Viete to podľa toho, že váš duch vás vedie preč od zlého úmyslu a podvodu a nepriateľstva a od všetkých vecí tohoto sveta a centrom vášho srdca sa stal Kristus. To sú vaše motívy. To je všetko, o čom rozmýšľate vo svojej mysli, čo máte na srdci, celý deň a noc. Keď večer idete do postele a kladiete si takto pod hlavu ruky, proste tam ležíte a chválite Ho až kým nezaspíte. Zobudíte sa ráno a stále Ho chválite. Amen. Ó!
256Zvyknem Ho chváliť .. Každé ráno vstávame o 4 hodine, brat Wood a ja a zavčasu ráno ideme poľovať na veveričky. Chválim Ho pod každým stromom, verím, ku ktorému idem. Nemôžem sa pozrieť na strom bez toho, aby som Ho nechválil. Predstavte si to, On dal vyrásť tomu stromu. Vidím skákať malého koníka. On vie o tom koníkovi. Ó, vy poviete: „Nezmysel, brat Bill.“ Ó, nie! On vie o každej veveričke, kde je. On vie o každom vtáčikovi, kde lieta.
257Aha, On raz potreboval nejaké peniaze a povedal: „Peter, jedna ryba pred nedávnom prehltla peniaz (je to práve toľko, koľko potrebujeme). Choď a hoď udicu. Ja ju tam pošlem. Vyber jej z úst ten peniaz, pretože ona ho nemôže nikde použiť. Choď a zaplať desatinu a poplatok.“ Amen!
258A pred niekoľkými týždňami som videl malú zabitú rybku, ako plávala na hladine. (Všetci ste počuli tú príhodu. Brat Woods a jeho brat a ostatní sú svedkovia.) A tá rybka ležala mŕtva pol hodiny na vode. Mala vytrhnuté vnútornosti, cez ústa. A veľký Duch Svätý sa zniesol dole ... deň predtým On povedal: „Budete vidieť vzkriesenie malého živočícha.“ A asi na druhý deň ráno, krátko po východe slnka sme videli tú malú rybku, nebola ani taká veľká. Keď zostúpil Duch Pánov a povedal: „Malá rybka, Ježiš Kristus ťa uzdravuje!“ A tá mŕtva ryba, ktorá prakticky pol hodiny ležala na hladine sa navrátila do života a odplávala tak rýchlo, ako len mohla. Ó, nech je požehnané meno Pánove! Aký je On ohromný.
259Nie divu, že Pavel mohol povedať, že On bol podľa poriadku Melchisedechovho. On bol Melchisedech. Melchisedech nemal počiatok ani koniec dní. On nemal koniec rokov. Nemal začiatok ani koniec života. Nemal ani otca ani matku. Tak On nemohol byť nikým iným. Ktokoľvek to bol, žije ešte aj dnes. Tak On ... jediný druh večného života, a ten patrí Bohu.
260Minulí večer, keď sme sa rozprávali, jeden brat nemohol porozumieť Božiu trojicu a ako my o tom hovoríme. Ako to, že Ježiš tam stál, asi tridsať ročný muž a povedal ... Oni povedali: „Naši otcovia jedli mannu na púšti.“
261On povedal: „A oni sú všetci mŕtvi.“ Ale On povedal: „Ja som chlieb života, ktorý prichádza od Boha z Neba, aby z neho jedol človek a nezomrel.“
262— Ó, naši otcovia pili na púšti vodu zo skaly.
263— Ja som tá skala. (Tridsať ročný muž) Abrahám splesal, aby videl môj deň.
264— Čo, ty chceš povedať, že si taký starý ako Abrahám a nemáš ešte ani päťdesiat rokov a chceš povedať, že si videl Abraháma, ktorý je už 800 rokov mŕtvy? Teraz vieme, že máš diabla. Ty si blázon! (To znamená mať diabla - blázon) Máš diabla a si pomätený.
265— Prv ako bol Abrahám, JA SOM.
266To bolo to, čo On bol. On nebol len človek a nebol len prorok. On bol Boh. Boh prebýval na zemi v tele z mäsa, ktoré sa nazývalo Ježiš, stelesnený Syn Boží. To je presne to, čo On bol.
267No, videli sme Ho tu, že ... Teraz v poslednej časti, na záver tejto druhej kapitoly som sa chcel dostať ku tomu. Začnime od 16. verša, alebo od 15.
A vyprostil ich, všetkých, ktorí bázňou smrti po celý čas žitia boli držaní v rabstve.
On povedal, že toto urobil Ježiš. Že On ich prišiel vyslobodiť z otroctva, ktorí boli v strachu smrti po celí čas života.
268Netreba sa báť smrti. No, samozrejme, my ... nikto z nás nechce to, čo nazývame, zomrieť. Ale viete, že keď je človek znovuzrodený, že nemôže zomrieť? Ako môže mať večný život a potom zomrieť? Nemôže. Jediné, čo smrť ... Slovo smrť znamená oddelenie. Teraz bude človek oddelený z prítomnosti našich očí. Ale je stále v prítomnosti Božej, a stále bude. Tak to nie je nič ťažké. Smrť je slávna vec. Smrť je to čo nás berie do prítomnosti Božej.
269Ale teraz, samozrejme, my ako ľudia, ktorí tu chodíme v týchto temných veciach, nerozumieme to tak ako by sme mali. A samozrejme, keď prichádza tá dusivá bolesť smrti, to spôsobuje, že aj ten najsvätejší z nás sa bojí a odťahuje sa. To spôsobilo, že i Syn Boží povedal: „Mohol by ma minúť tento kalich?“ Je to strašná vec, nerozumejte to zle, pretože my .. Smrť, to je trest za hriech. A to musí byť strašné. Ale keď sa môžeme pozrieť za oponu, tam ďalej. Tam to zašlo (chvála Pánovi) za oponu. Tam sa dnes človek túži pozrieť. Malá Anna Mae Snellingová a oni tu zvykli spievať takú pieseň: Pane, dovoľ mi pozrieť sa za oponu času. Každý by to chcel vidieť.
270No, teraz čítame tu ten 16. verš.
Lebo v pravde nepriodial ... lebo v pravde on nepriodial na seba prirodzenosť anjelov, ale priodial na seba semeno Abrahámovo.
[Anglický preklad KJV. – pozn.prekl.]271Ó, znovu sa chceme teraz tohoto chytiť. Teraz ideme rovno dole aby sme dostali ... pretože prvá časť tejto tretej kapitoly ... tá posledná časť z toho, to nadväzuje na ten deň, ktorý je určený na Sabat (odpočinok), to bude túto ďalšiu nedeľu.
272No, dávajte pozor:
... on nepriodial ... prirodzenosť anjelov ...
No, kto je to „on“, o ktorom hovorí? Kristus. Kto je Kristus? Boh! Božie Logos.
273No, dovoľte mi to znovu vysvetliť, aby ste mali istotu. Boh, to nie sú traja Bohovia. Trojica Božia je Jeden Boh. Otec, Syn, Duch Svätý, to neznamená, že to sú traja rôzni Bohovia. Keby to tak bolo, boli by sme pohania. Preto to židia nemôžu pochopiť. To Biblia nikdy neučila. To učili v katolíckej cirkvi, presne tak. Odtiaľ pochádza trojičný krst.
274V Afrike krstia trikrát tvárou dopredu. Raz - na Boha Otca, raz - na Boha Syna, raz - na Boha Ducha Svätého. To je zle. Biblia nič takéto neučí. Vidíte?
275 No, to je to čo oni učia. To prešlo cez Luthera, z Luthera do Wesleya a tak ďalej, ako prechádzali veky. Ale to nikdy nebolo biblické učenie. To bola stále chyba, hneď ako to začalo.
276No ... Tak, Boh bol na počiatku. Skôr, ako bolo nejaké svetlo. Skôr, ako bol vôbec nejaký atóm. Skôr, ako bola nejaká hviezda. Skôr, ako bola akákoľvek viditeľná vec, Boh vyplňoval celý priestor. A v Tom nebolo nič okrem čistoty: čistá láska, čistá svätosť, čistá spravodlivosť. To bol Duch. On pokrýval celý priestor ... od večnosti, kde to nedokážeme pochopiť. To zachádza poza všetko, čo by sme si dokázali predstaviť.
277Ako keď cez ďalekohľad môžeme vidieť na vzdialenosť sto a niečo miliónov svetelných rokov. Predstavte si to! Priestor vzdialený sto milión svetelných rokov. A svetlo ide rýchlosťou okolo 8000 míľ za sekundu. A priestor vzdialený sto milión svetelných rokov ... Len si predstavte koľko milión míľ by to bolo. Nemohli by ste to ani vyčísliť. Mohli by ste napísať rad deviatok, ktorý by bol dlhý cez celé Jeffersonville a stále by ste to ešte nemali vyčíslené v míľach. Predstavte si to! A ďalej za tým sú stále ešte hviezdy a planéty. A Boh bol skôr, ako bola niektorá z nich, On už bol! Vidíte?
278A teraz to Logos, ktoré vyšlo z Boha, ktorým bolo to Logos, všetko toto sa začalo formovať do tvaru tela. A tento tvar tela bol odborne nazvaný „Logos.“ Logos, ktoré vyšlo z Boha. Inými slovami, lepšie slovo na to je ... to, čo nazývame teofánia. Teofánia je oslávené ľudské telo. Nie presne z mäsa a krvi, aké bude v tom oslávenom stave, ale to je forma ľudského tela, ktoré neje, ani nepije, ale je to telo. Telo, ktoré na nás očakáva, len čo opustíme toto telo. No, tam, vojdeme do toho tela. A to je taký druh tela v akom bol Boh. Lebo On povedal: „Učiňme človeka na svoj obraz a podľa svojej podoby.“
279No, keď sa stal človek takým telom, on vládol nad všetkými rybami a nad vtáctvom a nad zvieratami na zemi. A vtedy nebolo človeka, aby bol obrábal zem (Genesis 2). On učinil muža a ženu, ale nebolo človeka, aby bol obrábal zem. Potom Boh učinil človeka z prachu zeme. Dal mu ruky, ako má šimpanz. Dal mu nohy, ako má medveď. Dal mu ... Učinil ho na obraz ... toto zemské telo je na obraz zvieracieho života a je učinené z toho istého druhu materiálu. Vaše telo je učinené z takého istého materiálu ako kôň, alebo pes, alebo všetko také. Skladá sa z kalcia, magnézia, ropy, kozmického svetla. Vy ste len ... všetko telo, ktoré je ... Nie to isté telo, to je iné telo, ale je učinené z prachu zeme, z ktorej pochádza. Ale rozdiel medzi zvieraťom a človekom: Boh dal do človeka dušu a do zvieraťa ju nedal, pretože duša, ktorá bola daná do človeka je tou teofániou.
280Ó, nikdy sa nedostanem ku tejto lekcii, ale musím toto prebrať. Pozrite sa! Nepamätáte sa, keď bol Peter vo väzení a anjel Pánov prišiel a otvoril dvere?
281Prechádzali sme tu jedného dňa cez obchodný dom a dvere sa pred nami otvorili. Povedal som: „Vieš, Biblia to mala skôr.“ Vidíte?
282No, dvere sa otvárajú samé od seba. A keď Peter vyšiel, prešiel popri týchto strážcoch, oni boli na neho oslepení. On prešiel popri vnútornej stráži, popri vonkajšej stráži, vyšiel von do dvora, za múr von na ulicu. A nikto z nich nevedel, kto on je a ani si nevšimli ... oni si mysleli, že to bol iný strážca alebo niečo také. Oni ... On jednoducho prešiel okolo a dvere sa samé od seba otvorili a on vyšiel a za ním sa zavreli. A keď vyšiel von, myslel si, že sa mu to snívalo. A prišiel ku domu Jána Marka, kde mali modlitebné zhromaždenie a zaklepal ... [prázdne miesto na páske. – pozn.prekl.] ... bol medzi nimi. Ó, On je úžasný. On je ohromný.
283No, všetko ... „On nebol učinený na formu anjelov, ale On zobral na seba Semeno Abrahámove.“ Boh sa stal Semenom Abrahámovým.
284No, keby sme mali čas ísť naspäť a ukázať, ako to urobil v tej Zmluve. Počuli ste ma o tom veľakrát kázať, ako on zobral tie zvieratá a rozsekol ich na dvoje a hodil tam hrdličku a holuba. Potom sa pozrel a všimol si malý, čierny, strašný dym - smrť. Ďalej, dymiacu pec - peklo. Ale za tým išlo malé biele svetlo. A to malé biele prešlo pomedzi každý kúsok tej rozťatej obeti, ukazujúc tým ... čo bude robiť. A keď toto urobil, On prisahal a napísal Zmluvu, tým ukazuje, čo bude robiť.
285On, Ježiš Kristus prišiel na zem (Boh, Emanuel: Boh v tele) a na Golgote bol roztrhnutý a jeho Duch prišiel naspäť na cirkev. A jeho telo vystúpilo hore a sedí na tróne Božom. Na tróne Božom? Ten, ktorý sedí na tróne je Sudca. To vieme. Dobre, kde je súd? Otec dal ... On nesúdi žiadneho človeka. Ale Otec poručil všetok súd Synovi. Tak On je ... a Jeho Život je ten Najvyšší Kňaz, ktorý tam sedí so svojím vlastným telom, ako obeť, aby zastával naše vyznania. Amen! Brat, to ti niečo dáva.
286Všimnite si, On si priobliekol Semeno Abrahámove. On sa stal človekom. Boh sa stal telom medzi nami, aby nás vykúpil. Inými slovami, Boh sa stal hriechom, aby sme sa my hriešnici, mohli stať Jeho časťou. A keď sme Jeho časťou, sme časťou Jeho ... My ľudia sme postavení do priestoru a času, na sedemdesiat rokov. A Boh prišiel dole a stal sa jedným z nás (ako sedemdesiatnik) na svoj vyznačený čas, aby sme sa my mohli stať účastníkmi Jeho Večného Života. A potom, keď sme znovuzrodení sme synovia a dcéry Božie a máme Večný Život a nikdy nezahynieme. Ó, aký požehnaný Spasiteľ! Ó, nedá sa to opísať. Nedá sa to vysvetliť. To je jednoducho nevysvetliteľné. Nikto nedokáže vysvetliť, aký je On veľký. A - Aký si veľký! Aký si veľký! je to tak!
pre čo bol podlžný byť vo všetkom pripodobnený bratom,
... (zamyslite sa nad tým) ...aby bol milosrdným a verným veľkňazom čo do vecí u Boha,
... (počúvajte toto) ...aby zmieril hriechy ľudu.
Aby zmieril ... Boh, ktorý vie, čo znamená spravodlivosť sa musel stať nespravodlivosťou, aby cítil, čo to je byť hriešnikom, aby potom išiel naspäť a zmieril, vykonával zmierenie a bol ľuďom milostivý.
287Ďalší verš. Počúvajte to tu.
Lebo tým, že sám trpel ...
288Boh nemohol trpieť v Duchu. On sa musel stať telom, aby cítil bolesť nemoci, aby cítil pokušenie žiadosti, aby cítil pokušenie chcenia, aby cítil pokušenie hladu, aby cítil moc smrti. Aby to On mohol zobrať na seba, aby stál v prítomnosti toho veľkého Ducha Jehovu (Ducha, nie človeka, Ducha), aby sa prihováral za tento život. A Ježiš to zniesol, aby sa za nás prihováral, lebo On vie, aký je to pocit. Keď ochoriete, On vie ako sa cítite. Keď ste pokúšaní, On vie ako sa cítite.
289No, všimli ste si niekedy, keď volíme prezidenta, každý farmár bude voliť prezidenta, ktorý bol farmárom, lebo on pozná tú ťažkú časť farmárskeho života. Vidíte? On potrebuje niekoho, kto tomu rozumie.
290A prv, ako Boh mohol porozumieť (On, ktorý je tou veľkou svätosťou) ... Ako by On mohol porozumieť, potom keď odsúdil človeka ... On vo svojej svätosti odsúdil človeka. A jediný spôsob, ako sa dozvie, ako ospravedlniť človeka je, že sa stane človekom.
291A Boh zatienil pannu a ona porodila telo. To nebola židovská krv, ani pohanská krv, ale Jeho vlastná krv. Božia stvorená krv. Nebol v tom vôbec žiadny sex, žiadna sexuálna žiadosť. A táto Bunka Krvi, stvorená v lone tejto ženy, zrodila Syna. A keď Ho Ján Krstiteľ pokrstil, Ján povedal: „Vydávam svedectvo, že som videl Ducha Božieho (ako holubicu) zostupujúceho dole a zostal na Ňom.“
292Nie divu, že Ježiš mohol povedať: „Daná mi je každá moc na nebi aj na zemi.“ Boh a človek sa stali jedno. Nebesia a zem sa navzájom objali a On bol ten, ktorý mohol vykonať zmierenie za naše hriechy. Preto sa v Jeho mene dejú uzdravenia. On pozná vaše nemoci.
293Počuli ste niekedy túto starú pesničku?
Ježiš pozná tvoju bolesť,
On môže spasiť a uzdraviť,
prines len svoje bremeno Pánovi a nechaj ho tam.
(Je to tak. On to pozná.)
Keď je naše telo ubité nemocou
a nemôžeme znovu získať zdravie,
pamätaj len Boh v nebi odpovedá na modlitby.
Ježiš pozná tvoju bolesť.
On môže spasiť a uzdraviť,
prines len svoje bremeno Pánovi a nechaj ho tam.
294To je všetko, čo On chce: „Len to tam nechaj.“ Prečo? On je Veľkňazom, ktorý tam stojí, ktorý vie ako sa cítiš. A On vie, ako ťa zmieriť naspäť do milosti a ako ťa navrátiť naspäť do zdravia. On vie o tom všetko, On trpel. Keď nemáš miesto, kde by si hlavu sklonil, On bol na tom tak isto. Keď nemáš šaty na prezlečenie, On bol na tom tak isto. Keď sa z teba vysmievajú a prenasledujú ťa. On bol na tom tak isto.
295Počúvajte teraz tento posledný verš. Dobre.
... môže spomáhať pokúšaným.
Alebo inými slovami: Môže ich ochrániť, pomôcť im, súcitiť s nimi, pretože sám Boh sa stal človekom, aby to cítil.
296Pamätáte sa minulý večer, či sme to neučili? Ako musel Boh ... Bol v tom osteň smrti a strach z toho. „Ktorí bázňou smrti po celý čas žitia boli držaní v rabstve.“ A potom prišiel Ježiš, aby mohol zobrať smrti ten osteň. Keď išiel hore na ten vrch, pamätáte sa ako sme to predstavovali? Zo všetkých tých malých červených škvŕn na jeho rúchu sa po chvíli stala jedna veľká škvrna a okolo neho kvapkala krv. Jeho slabé telo ... On už ďalej nevládal ísť a spadol. Šimon Cyrenénsky, černoch mu pomohol niesť kríž na ten kopec. A keď Ho pribili na kríž a On stenal, aby mu dali vodu. Každý kto krváca potrebuje vodu.
297Pamätáte sa keď som kázal raz večer: „Ako reve jeleň za potokom vody, tak reve moja duša po tebe, ó Bože?“ Ak je jeleň ranený a žije, krváca, musí prísť ku vode, inak zomrie.
298Ja som bol podstrelený, tam v poli, keď som mal 14 rokov. A ležal som tam a nohy som mal roztrhané na franforce. Od dvanásť kalibrovej pušky. A skuvíňal som, aby mi dali vodu: „Ó, daj mi piť!“ Bol som stŕpnutý. Mal som stŕpnuté pery.
299Môj kamarát bežal ku nejakému jazierku, močiaru - boli tam všetky možné larvy. Nestaral som sa čo to je. On nabral z tade vodu a držal mi otvorené ústa a vylial mi to takto všetko do úst. Ó, musel som mať vodu!
300On krvácal. On povedal: „Dajte mi piť!“ A oni Mu dali na špongii ocot a On to odmietol a neprijal to. On bol Boží Baránok, ktorý zomieral namiesto nás, aby priniesol človeku zmierenie. Čo to bolo? Nebeský Boh!
301Billy Sunday raz povedal, že na každom kríku sedeli anjeli a povedali - Len si uvoľni ruku a ukáž prstom, zmeníme túto situáciu.
302A tá drzá banda náboženských fanatikov, ktorí boli pokladaní za veľkých vzdelaných učencov s titulmi D.D. a Ph.D. chodili okolo neho a hovorili: „No, ak si Syn Boží ... Iným si pomáhal, sebe nemôžeš pomôcť. Zostúp z kríža a uveríme ti.“
303Oni nevedeli, že mu robili komplimenty. On sa mohol zachráni. Ale keby bol zachránil seba, nemohol by zachrániť iných. Tak, On dal samého seba. Nech je požehnané jeho meno! On dal samého seba, aby som ja mohol byť spasený a aby si ty mohol byť spasený. Ó, láska ktorá nemá roveň!
304On nemusel byť chorý. To drahé telo, ktoré sa narodilo z panny nemuselo byť choré. Ale on ochorel, aby mohol vedieť ako sa má za mňa prihovárať, keď som chorý.
305On sa nemusel trápiť, ale On sa trápil. Čítal som raz o tom taký príbeh, neviem či je to skutočné alebo nie. Keď vzkriesil z mŕtvych toho chlapca tam v Nain, sadol si na skalu a stenal od bolesti hlavy. Pretože On musel niesť naše nemoci.
306On musel niesť náš hriech a tam zomrel. A na Golgote, keď tá stará včela a smrť pichla raz svoje žihadlo ... každý vie, že keď včela pichne žihadlo, už viacej nemôže uštipnúť. Keď tá včela odletí, alebo iný hmyz, ktorý štípe, keď bodne svoje žihadlo, ono sa jej vytiahne. To je stále včela, ale už nemá žihadlo. Jediné čo môže robiť, to je bzučať a robiť hluk.
307To je to jediné, čo smrť môže robiť veriacim, hluk. Ale haleluja, nech je požehnané meno Pánove. On zachytil ten osteň smrti vo svojom vlastnom tele. Emanuel to urobil. A na tretí deň znovu povstal, striasol tam ten osteň a dnes je nesmrteľný. A Jeho Duch je v tejto budove. A On sa medzi nami potvrdzuje, že je živý. To je náš Mesiáš. To je náš požehnaný Spasiteľ.
217 The 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th chapter, from there in, oh, my! Have your pencil and paper, and everything, ready, for I believe the Lord is going to give us a great time. Now we're...
218Paul is exalting and placing, positionally, the Lord Jesus. Now, if we get through this tonight, Sunday morning... Which the most of this is going to blend right in with Sunday morning's Message, because it's "separating the sabbath." That's a great question amongst Sabbatarians today. And I would invite you all to come for Sunday morning. For, which is right, Saturday or Sunday, for worship? What does the Bible say about it? And so then, whether the... This Book is separating law and grace, and It's placing each one to its place. The Hebrews was raised by the law, and Paul was telling them what grace played, with law.
219 Now, let's get just a little background now. We're going to start back.
220By the way, I got me some reading glasses. Maybe I can... If I happen to make a--a spill tonight, I got them. You know I'm all... I just lack two years of being fifty years old, and I don't see like I used to, close to me. When my sight... I begin to notice the words blurring, I thought I was going blind. I went for an examination. The doctor said, "No. You're just past forty, son." Well, he said, if I live to be old enough, it might come back again, get that short sight back again. He said, "Now, you can read your Bible if you push it out from you?"
221I said, "Yes."
222Said, "After while, your arm is not going to be long enough."
223 And so I--I hope now, in this studying, that I... This little Collins Bible has a good-sized print in it. I can make it out pretty well. But when we get over in the big, deep places where we got to take the New and Old Testament, and blend together. I got a small Scofield. And I'm used to the Scofield Bible, its markings. I don't read the Scofield notes now, because I don't agree with Scofield on many of his--his theories. But I--I do like the way it's set up, because it's... I've had it for a long time, and read it, and so much, till I kind of know how to find my subject.
224This is all new to me, of teaching, and I'm not much of a teacher. But, you put up with me for a little while, I'll tell you the Truth as far as I know It, anyhow.
225 Now, this Book is Paul, remember. He was... How did we find him? He was a great teacher, to begin with, or a great scholar. And he was trained in the Old Testament. Can anybody tell me now who we found his teacher was? [Congregation says, "Gamaliel."--Ed.] Gamaliel, one of the noted teachers of the day. And then Paul, we find out, one day...
226Before he was called Paul, can anybody tell me what his name was? [Congregation says, "Saul."--Ed.] Saul. And he was a great authority in Jerusalem, a religious authority. And he come up as a--as a real-trained, religious man. He could speak four or five different languages, and a very smart man. Well, did his education and smartness help him? No. He said he had to forget all he knowed, in order to learn Christ.
227So we find out, then, it doesn't take a smart man or an educated man. It takes a--a man that's willing to humble himself before God, regardless of how.
228 Did you know Dwight Moody was--was so uneducated till, honest, his writings were poor as I don't know what. They had to fix up his messages, all the time. He--he was such a poor writer, very uneducated.
229Did you know that Peter and John, of the Bible, were so unlearned till they couldn't even write their own name, and wouldn't know it laying before them? The Apostle Peter, who had the keys to the Kingdom, wouldn't know his name signed before him. Think of it. The Bible said, that, "He was ignorant and unlearned." So, that gives me a chance. Amen. Yes, sir. That goes right on down, to find that God could do that to a man.
230Now, and we find out, as soon as Paul had a great experience... I want to ask you. Is it an experience to come to Christ? Does everybody have an experience? [Congregation says, "Yes."--Ed.] Yes, sir. Yes, sir. It's a Birth. It's an experience. And so we were in a Lutheran College, not long ago...
231 I had the privilege this afternoon, late, supposed to be there at twelve o'clock, for dinner with--with Tom Haire. How many ever heard of him, the famous, Irish, prayer warrior? And he's been with this Brother Epp, on his program, and appeared here in many places in America. And I had dinner with him today. And we were... I was just about three hours late. It was about three-thirty, quarter to four, when we eat. But it was all right. And we were discussing on these things, of how that Jesus Christ is the Head of all things.
232 Now, when Paul found this out, he had this experience. And then before he would accept this experience, it must be back to the Bible. And we find out that he--that he left and went into another nation, and there he stayed for three years, searching the Scripture, to see if his experience was right.
233Now, we realize that he had a great thing to face. He had to come back and tell his church, all the people, the very things that he had persecuted was right.
234Did you have to do something like that? Certainly, nearly all did, have to go back and say, "Them people that we called 'holy rollers,' come to find out, they were right." See? That's it. We just had to turn around. And the things that we once hated, we now love. It's a conversion, a strange thing.
235 Ah! I made that statement, of "holy-roller." There is no such a thing. There's no such a thing. But, they call people that, holiness people. But there's no holy-rollers. There's no such a thing. There's no record of any church ever recorded like that, as far as I can see, of the nine hundred-sixty something, different denominations. There is no such a denomination as holy-roller. It's just a--a name that the Devil tacked on the Church.
236But they call them, in that day... How many knows what they called them in the day of Paul? Heretics. You know what heretic means? "Crazy." It's crazy people. So, I just soon be called a "holy-roller" as a "heretic." Wouldn't you? So if they--if they was called that, and rejoiced!
And what did Jesus say for us to do about it? He said, "Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad; for great is your reward in Heaven, for so persecuted the prophets before you." They did it.
237 Said to, "Be exceedingly glad." Anything exceedingly is "lifted way up," real happy. And the disciples, when they was found worthy to bear the reproach of the Name of Jesus, they rejoiced with great joy that they could bear the reproach of His Name.
238And today, many people today, if they would happen to call them a holy-roller, they would cow-down, "My! Maybe I was wrong, to begin with."
But they was happy about it, "Oh, my, to bear the Name!"
239And now, in the second century, they called them "crossbacks." That's when the Christians used to pack a cross on their back, to show that they were crucified with Christ. They call them crossbacks. Now I know the Catholic calls themselves that, but that wasn't the Catholic church. It was the Protestant church before it was called Protestant church. It protested nothing but sin. The reason it's called Protestant church today is because it protested the--the Catholic dogma. But it's a... It, still, it was non-sectarian at that time, when they were called crossback.
240 Just get the history of Josephus and the other writers, and Hislop's Two Babylons, and so forth, and you'll find out that that's right, that they was not no church. The first organized church, ever was, was the Catholic church, about three hundred years, at the round of--of the last apostles. About three hundred years later, the Catholic church was organized. And a persecution set in, and forced the people into the Catholic church, and they had church and state, united.
241That was after, what was so-called, the conversion of Constantine, from paganism to Catholicism. But, if anybody ever read his history, he wasn't converted, the things that he did. Oh, my! The only thing he ever done religious was put the cross on the St. Sophia church. That's the only thing he ever done, acted even religious. He was a--a reprobate. But they call it his--his conversion. Just about compares with some so-called conversions today.
242 Now, but, we find out, when Paul got converted and had this real experience, he was absolutely turned around.
And, you know, conversion means to be "turned around." You're going this way, and you turn and start back this way. Yes, sir. It's a turn-around, about-face.
243And Paul, as soon as he was converted, before he could ever make his experience... Now, he had a marvelous experience.
Now, I believe, when you accept Christ, just as your personal Saviour, it is an experience. I believe, the joy of knowing your sin is forgiven, just thrills your heart, through and through.
244But then when the blessed Holy Spirit comes down, that's an experience, that new Birth, that you'll never forget. You become a Child of God. And here is what does it.
"How do you know it, Brother Branham?"
245 Now, these are teaching lessons. Many people, the Methodists, try to say, "They shouted when they got It." Well, that's all right. If you got It, and shouted, okay. Because you shouted, wasn't a sign you had It, 'cause a lot shouted and didn't have It.
246The Pentecostals said, "They spoke in tongues. They got It." That's all right. If you spoke in tongues, and got It, all right. But you could speak in tongues and still not have It. So?
247So, you see, after all, it is the experience of passing from death to Life; when all the old things die, and all things become new. Christ becomes real. The old things drop away, the old roots of carnality. You know how to dig a root out? We used to take a grubbing hoe and just get down at it, and dig it till there wasn't a speck left in it. And they said, "If there be any root of bitterness spring up into you, grub her out." That's right. And that's what the Holy Spirit does, root out all the roots. Dig them out. Pile it up; burn them. Get rid of them. You get a good crop then, if we do that.
248 Now, Paul knowed that something happened, so he goes back down into Arabia, and there he studies for three years on all of the Old Testament prophets, how they prophesied. And he come to find out that It was absolutely the Truth.
249Now, compare that with today, see, on this experience that we had here at this little church: of the Morning Star appearing yonder, that great Light that come down, that would foretell and show things to happen. You know, that's marvelous. But my ministering brother told me, "It was the Devil." And I--I couldn't understand it.
250So, I didn't say nothing about it until one night, there was an experience happened up yonder at Green's Mill, Indiana, when the Angel of the Lord walked across the floor and stood there, and proved it by the Scripture. Then it set fire. Then it started going.
251 And no longer than last Sunday, we seen the infallible marks of Jesus Christ, who can take a man that hasn't walked, and didn't... His balance nerve gone, when the Mayos and the best doctors said, "It's finished, forever." And setting blind; raised up and walk out of the building, pushing his wheel chair down the steps, could walk and see like anybody else. That shows that it's the power of the resurrected Lord Jesus. There it is. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
252So aren't we a happy group tonight, to know that God has vindicated this great experience that we have, to be compared with His Bible and with the promises? Therefore we ought to be exceedingly glad. And we realize then, that in the 2nd chapter, we find out, "We should not let these things... We should not neglect these things." We should hold fast those things.
And how are we going to escape, if we neglect such a great salvation;...
253What are we going to do, in the light of God's Word, when we stand at the Judgment Bar? You can't say, "I never knew any different." Oh, yes, you did. "Well, now, Brother Branham could have been wrong." That's true. But God isn't wrong. His Word isn't wrong. And just think, of the same thing, the Bible, that once lived in the apostles, are living again. Oh, blessed be the Name of the Lord!
254 When I think that I'm forty-eight years old, nearing fifty, and my youthful days are gone, and so forth; to know that since a little boy that I had this blessed Promise, and have declared It to my brothers and sisters; and to see the literally thousands of those that's come out of darkness, to know that we are going to our Eternal Home, to the blessed. "And if this earthly tabernacle be dissolved," before I get through preaching, "there's one waiting yonder for it." Hallelujah! To know that there's dozens of people setting here, that, if they should leave this life right now; before we could get their body to the undertaker, they would be in that glorious body yonder, rejoicing with the saints of God, already in the Presence of God, to live forever. With the perfect, absolutely vindication that it's so! Amen.
255 Oh, that would make the Presbyterian shout! Did Sunday, didn't it? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Them people were Presbyterian. Certainly would, to think. Oh, no wonder people get emotionally! Why, if you get emotionally from batting a ball or throwing one in a basket, how much more will it make you emotionally to know that you've passed from death to Life, that you're a new Creation in Christ! You know it by the way your spirit leads you away from malice, and guile, and enmity, and all the things of the world. And your heart sets centered on Christ. That's your motives. That's all that you think of in your mind, on your heart, all day and night. When you go to bed at night, and put your hands behind you, like this, and just lay there and praise Him till you go to sleep. Wake up, of a morning, still praising Him. Amen. Oh, my!
256 I've tried to praise Him of a morning. We been getting up about four o'clock, Brother Woods and I, going out early in the morning, to go squirrel hunting. I praise Him under every tree, I believe, I've come to. I can't see a tree, without praising Him. Think, He growed that tree. See a little old grasshopper fly up; He knows that grasshopper. "Oh," you say, "nonsense, Brother Bill." Oh, no, it isn't. He knows where every squirrel is. He knows where every butterfly is.
257Why, at one time, He needed some money, and He said, "Peter, there's a fish, a while ago, swallowed a coin, just enough, much as we need. Go cast the hook in. I'll send him over there. Take that coin out of his mouth, 'cause he can't use it, himself. Go pay him our tithing and tribute." Amen.
258 And a few weeks ago, I seen a little fish killed, laying on the water. All of you heard the story of it. There's Brother Woods, and his brother and them here to witness it. That little fish laying dead for a half hour, on the water, with his entrails pulled out of its mouth. And the great Holy Spirit swept down, after He said, the day before, "You're going to see the resurrection of a little animal." And the next morning about, little after sunup, we saw that little fishy, not over that long. When the Spirit of the Lord came down, and said, "Little fish, Jesus Christ makes you whole." And that dead fish, had been floating on top the water for practically a half hour, come to life and swam away just as hard as he could. Oh, blessed be the Name of the Lord. How wonderful He is!
259 No wonder Paul could say, that, "He was in the order of Melchisedec." He was Melchisedec. "Melchisedec had no beginning of days. He had no ending of years. He had no beginning of life or ending in life. He had neither father nor mother." So, He couldn't been no one else. Ever who He was, He's alive yet tonight. So, He's only one type of Eternal Life, and that belongs to God.
260Last evening when we were having a discussion, a brother could not understand the trinity of God, and how we were talking about it. How that Jesus stood there, a Man, of about thirty years old. And He said...
They said, "Oh, our fathers eat manna in the wilderness."
261He said, "And they're, every one, dead." But He said, "I'm that Bread of Life that come from God out of Heaven, that a man eats and don't die."
262"Oh," they said, "our fathers drank from the Rock in the wilderness."
263He said, "I'm That Rock." A Man of thirty years old. Said, "Abraham rejoiced to see My day."
264"Why," said, "now You mean to tell me that You're as old as Abraham, and You're not fifty years old yet, and mean to say that You've seen Abraham who has been dead eight hundred years? We know that You got a devil now. You're crazy." That's what's... That's what a devil mean, "crazy" person." Said, "You got a devil, and You're mad."
265He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM."
266That's who He was. He wasn't just merely a man, neither was He a prophet. He was God, God dwelling on earth in a body of flesh called "Jesus," the--the incarnate Son of God. That's exactly who He was.
267 Now, we find Him over here, that in the last part now, of the closing of the 2nd chapter, which I want to get to, beginning with the 16th verse, or the 15th verse.
And delivered them... through the fear of death--of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
That's what he said that Jesus did, that He come to deliver them from bondage, who had been in fear of death all their lifetime.
268Now there's no need of fearing death. Now, of course, we do; we, none of us want to, what we call, die. But do you know that if a person is born again he cannot die? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] How can he have Eternal Life and then die? He can't do it. The only thing that's death, the word death, means "the separation." Now he'll separate from the presence of our eye. But he's always in the Presence of God, and always will be. So, death isn't a hard thing. Death is a glorious thing. Death is what takes us in the Presence of God.
269 But now, of course, we, being human, walk in these dark elements here, we--we do not understand it as we should. And, of course, when the choking pangs of death come, it makes the very saint-est of us fear and draw back. It made the Son of God say, "Could this cup pass?" It's a horrible thing. Don't get it wrong. Because we... It's a penalty of sin, death is, and it's got to be horrible.
But if we can look just beyond the curtain, yonder, there is where it's at. Blessed be the Lord! Just beyond the curtain, that's where man desires to look tonight. Little Anna Mae Snelling and them used to sing a song here, "Lord, Let Me Look Past The Curtain of Time." Everybody wants to see that.
270 Now, now here we are, in the 16th verse. "For verily He took..."
For verily he took not on him, upon him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
271Oh, we want to hold to that again now. Now we're coming right down to get... Cause, the first part of this 3rd chapter, the last part of it, blends in on "that day for the sabbath," for this coming Sunday.
272Now watch.
... he took not... the nature of angels;...
Now, who is "He," he is talking about? Christ. Who is Christ? God, the Logos of God.
273Now let me explain this again, so you be sure. God is not three Gods. The trinity of God is One. Father, Son, Holy Ghost, doesn't mean that there is three different Gods. If it is, we would be heathen. That's the reason the Jews can't understand. Never was it taught in the Bible. Now, it's taught in the Catholic church, absolutely, that's where the triune baptism come from.
274 In Africa they baptize you three times face forward: once for God the Father; once for God the Son; once for God the Holy Ghost. Now, that's an error. There's no such teachings of that in the Bible. See?
275And now, that's--that's what they taught. It come down through Luther; out of Luther, into Wesley; on down into the ages as it rolls on. But it never was a Bible teaching. It was always been a error, since it was begun.
276 Now, so, God was in the beginning. Before there was any light, before there was ever an atom, before there was ever a star, before there was any visible thing, God filled all space. And in That was nothing but purity: pure love, pure holiness, pure righteous. It was Spirit. He covered the whole space all from Eternity, where we can't fathom It. It goes beyond anything that we could imagine.
277Like through that glass, we could see a--a hundred and something million years of light space. Think of it. A hundred million years of light space. And light--light travels about eight thousand miles per second. And a hundred and million years of light space... Just think how many million miles that would be. You couldn't even numerate it. You can just take a row of nines and run it around Jeffersonville, and still you wouldn't have it broke down in miles of miles. Think of it. And beyond that is still stars and planets. And God, before one of them was, He was. See?
278 And now the Logos that went out of God, which was the--the Logos, all this begin to form into a--a body shape. And this body shape was called, in the scholar's teaching, Logos, the Logos that went out of God. In other words, a--a better word for it, was what we call a theophany. (Theophany is a human body that's glorified.) Not exactly with flesh and blood like it will be in its glorified stage, but it is of a form of a human body that doesn't eat, neither does it drink, but it's--it's a body, a body that's waiting for us as soon as we leave this one. Now, in there, we enter into that body. And that's the kind of body that God was, for He said, "Let us make man in our own image and in our likeness."
279 Now, when man become into that body, he had control of all the fishes, and fowls, and--and beasts of the field. "And then there was no man to till the soil," Genesis 2. He done made male and female, but there's no man to till the soil.
Then God made man out of the dust of the earth. He give him a hand like a--like a chimpanzee. He give him a foot like a bear. He give him, He made him, on the image. And this earthly body is in the image of animal life, and it's made out of the same kind of material. Your body is made just the same kind of material as a horse, or a dog, or anything like that. It's made out of calcium, potash, petroleum, cosmic light. You're just no... All flesh like that is not the same flesh; it's different flesh, but it's made out of the dust of the earth where it come from.
But, the difference between an animal and a man, God put a soul in a man, and He didn't put it in the animal. Because, the soul that was in the man is that theophany.
Oh, I--I, I'll never get to the... this lesson, but I got to get this.
280 Look. Don't you remember when Peter was in prison, and the Angel of the Lord came and opened the doors?
281We was going through the supermarket up here, other day, and the door opened in front of us. I said, "You know, the Bible had that first." See? Now, the swinging door is by itself.
282And when Peter came out, walking by these guards, they were blinded to him. He passed the inner guard, the outer guard, out into the court, through the wall, out into the street. And none of them know who he was. And didn't pay any... They thought he was another guard or something. They... He just passed by, and the door opened by itself, as he went out, and shut behind. And when he got out there, he thought he had a dream. And he went down to John Mark's house, where they had a prayer meeting. And he was knock... [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit. Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... to be among you.
283 Oh, He's glorious. He's wonderful.
Now, oh, he wasn't made in the form of an angel; but he took on... the seed of Abraham. God became the seed of Abraham.
284Now, if we had time, to go back and show how He did it in the Covenant! You've heard me preach on it, many times, how that he took those animals and cut them apart, and throwed the turtledove and pigeon in. Then he looked, and he noticed a little smoke, black horror, death. Next, a smoking furnace, hell. But, beyond that, went a little white Light. And that little white went between each piece of that cut sacrifice, showing that what He would do. And He took an oath, when He did that, and He wrote a Covenant, showing what He would do.
285And He, Jesus Christ, come to the earth; God, Emmanuel, "God in flesh." And at Calvary, He was torn apart. And His Spirit come back on the Church. And His body was lifted up and set on the Throne of God.
The Throne of God! The One that's on the Throne is the Judge. We know that. Well, where is the Judgment? The Father has given... He judge no man. But the Father has commit all judgment to the Son. So He is... And His Life is the High Priest, setting there with His Own body, as a sacrifice, to plead our confessions. Amen. Brother, that puts something in you.
286 Notice, "He took on the Seed of Abraham." He become a Man. God, made flesh among us, to redeem us. In other words, God became sin, that we sinners might become partakers of Him. And when we partake of Him, we partake of His... We were time-space people, three score and ten. And God came down and become one of us, three score and ten, for His lotted time, that we might partake of His Eternal Life. And when we're born again, we're sons and daughters of God, and have Eternal Life, and shall never perish.
Oh, what a--what a--what a blessed Saviour! Oh, there's no way to write it. There's no way to explain it. It's just beyond explaining. No one can explain how great It is. "How great Thou art! How great Thou art!" is right.
Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto His brethren,... (Think of that.)... that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,... (Listen at this.)... to make reconciliations... the sin of the people.
To reconcile, now, God, knowing justice, had to become unjustice, to feel what it was to be a sinner, to go back to reconcile, through "reconciliation," and have mercy on the people.
287 Next verse, listen at It here.
For in that he himself had suffered...
288God could not suffer in Spirit. He had to become flesh, to feel the pain of sickness, to feel the temptation of lust, to feel the temptation of want, to feel the temptation of hunger, to feel the power of death. That He might take it upon Hisself to stand in the Presence of the great Spirit Jehovah, the Spirit, not the Man; the Spirit, to make intercession to this life. And Jesus took that, in order to make intercession for us, for He knows how it feels. When you get sick, He knows how you feel. When you're tempted, He knows how you feel.
289 Now, did you ever notice when we vote for a president, every farmer will vote for a president that's been a farmer, for he knows the hard part of the farmer's life. See? He wants some man who understand.
290And before God could ever understand; Him being that great Holiness. How He could ever understand, after He condemned man? By His holiness, He condemned man. And the only way He will ever know how to justify man is to become man.
291And God overshadowed the virgin and she brought forth a body, not Jewish blood, not Gentile blood, but His Own Blood. God's created Blood, no sex at all in, it at all, no sexual desire. And this Blood Cell, created in the womb of this woman, brought forth the Son. And when He was baptized by John the Baptist, John said, "I bear record, seeing the Spirit of God (like a dove) coming down and abiding upon Him."
292 No wonder Jesus could say, that, "All powers in Heaven and earth is given into My hand." God and man became One. Heavens and earth embraced each other, and He was the One Who can give reconciliation for our sin. That's the reason that, in His Name, healing takes place. He knows your pain.
293You ever hear this little, old song?
Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
That's right. He knows.
When our body is racked with pain, and our health we can't regain,
Just remember God in Heaven answers prayer;
Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal;
Just take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
294That's all He asks, "Just leave it there." Why? He's our High Priest standing here, that knows how you feel. And He knows how to reconcile you back to grace, and how to bring you back to your health. He knows all about it; He suffered. When you haven't got a place to lay your head; He had the same. When you got one change of clothes; He had the same. When you are made fun of, persecuted; He had the same.
295 Listen at the last verse now. All right.
... he is able to succour those that are tempted.
Or, in other words, He is able to secure those, to help those, to make those... to sympathize with them. Because, God Himself became man, in order to feel it.
296Remember, the other night, didn't we teach on that? How that God had to... Death had a sting in it, a scare in it. "All their days they were in bondage about this death." And then Jesus came, that He might take that stinger out of death.
And when He was going up the mountain, remember how we illustrated it? Them little red dots on His coat, after while they all become one big dot, and splashing the Blood around Him. His little, frail body, He couldn't go any further, and He fell. Simon Cyrene, the colored man, helped Him bear the cross on up the hill.
And when they nailed Him to the cross, and He screamed for water. Any man bleeding needs water.
297 Remember when I preached the other night on "The deer and the hart thirsts for the water brook, so my soul panteth after Thee, O God"? If the deer is wounded and living, losing blood, he's got to get to water or he'll die.
298I was shot, down in the field, when I was fourteen years old. And I was laying there. My legs blowed over me, like hamburger, from a twelve-gauge shotgun. And I screamed for water, "Oh, give me a drink!" I numb; my lips was numb.
299My buddy run over to an old pool, had all kinds of little old wiggletails, swamp. I didn't care what it was. And he had raked it full of water, and I held my mouth open, and he squeezed his cap out like that, in my mouth. You had to have water.
300He was bleeding. He said, "Give me a drink." And they give him vinegar on a sponge, and He rejected it, and refused it. He was God's Lamb dying in our stead, to bring reconciliation to the human being. What was it? The God of Heaven.
301 Billy Sunday once said, that, "Every bush had Angels setting in it, saying, 'Just pull Your hand loose and point Your finger, We'll change the situation.'"
302That sassy bunch of religious fanatics, called some big educated scholars of D.D., Ph.D., walked by Him and said, "Now, if you are the Son of God! You saved others; yourself you can't save. Come down off the cross, and we'll believe you."
303They didn't know that they was paying Him a compliment. He could have saved Himself. But if He saved Himself, others He could not save. So, He gave Himself. Blessed be His Name. He gave Himself, that I could be saved and you could be saved. Oh, what matchless love!
304 He didn't have to be sick. That precious virgin-born body didn't have to be sick. But He became sick, that He might know how to intercede for me when I was sick.
305He didn't have to weary, but He did weary. I read a little history one time on it, I don't know whether it was authentic or not. "When He raised that boy from Nain there, up from the dead, He set on a rock and groaned with a headache," 'cause He had to bear our sickness.
306He had to bear our sin, and there He died, and on Calvary when that old bee and death once anchored its stinger. Anyone knows, when a bee anchors its stinger, it can't sting no more. When the bee flies away or any insect that stings, when he anchors his stinger, he pulls the stinger out. He's still a bee but he hasn't got a stinger. The only thing he can do is buzz and make a lot of noise.
307That's the only thing that death can do to the believer, is make a lot of noise. But, hallelujah, blessed be the Name of the Lord, He anchored that stinger of death in His Own flesh. Emmanuel did it. Rose up again, on the third day, shook the stinger out of there, and is Immortal tonight. And His Spirit is in this building, and He proves Hisself alive among us. That's our Messiah. That's our blessed Saviour.
217Tam tá 7. a 8. a 9. a 10. kapitola. Ó. Pripravte si ceruzku a papier a všetko, lebo verím, že Pán nám dá prežiť nádherné chvíle.
218No my sme ... Pavel vyvyšuje a kladie na správne miesto Pána Ježiša. No, keby sme to dnes večer preberali, v nedeľu ráno ... Väčšina z tohoto bude nadväzovať na to v posolstve v nedeľu ráno, pretože to je oddeľovanie Sabatu. To je dnes veľká otázka medzi tými, ktorí svätia sobotu. A ja by som vás chcel všetkých pozvať, aby ste prišli v nedeľu ráno. Lebo, ktorý deň je správny, na oslavu Boha, sobota, alebo nedeľa? Čo o tom hovorí Biblia? A tak potom, či to ... Táto kniha oddeľuje zákon a milosť a umiestňuje jedno i druhé na svoje miesto. Židia boli vychovaní podľa zákona a Pavel im pomocou zákona ukazuje, ako sa prejavuje milosť.
219No, zoberme teraz trochu to pozadie. Začneme trochu ...
220Zobral som si aj nejaké okuliare. Možno budem môcť ... Keby som náhodou niečo rozsypal, mám ich so sebou. Viete, som ... Už mi chýbajú len dva roky a budem mať päťdesiat rokov, a už na blízko nevidím tak, ako voľakedy. Keď sa mi zrak ... Všimol som si, že sa mi slová začínajú rozmazávať a myslel som si, že strácam zrak. Išiel som na vyšetrenie a doktor povedal: „Nie synu, len si prekročil štyridsiatku.“ No, povedal, že ak by som ešte dlho žil, znovu by sa to mohlo navrátiť a znovu by som videl na blízko. Opýtal sa: „Môžeš čítať Bibliu, ak ju držíš ďalej od seba?“
221Povedal som: „Môžem.“
222Povedal: „Za nejaký čas nebudeš mať na to dosť dlhé ruky.“
223A tak dúfam, že teraz, keď toto študujeme, že ... Táto malá Collinsova Biblia má dosť veľké písmená. Celkom dobre sa mi v nej číta. Ale keď sa dostaneme ku tým veľkým, hlbokým miestam, kde musíme zobrať Nový aj Starý Zákon a dať do dokopy, mám tu malú Scofieldovu. A som zvyknutý na Scofieldovu Bibliu, na jej poznámky. Nečítam teraz Scofieldove poznámky, pretože nesúhlasím so Scofieldom - s mnohými jeho teóriami. Ale páči sa mi spôsob ako je to uložené, pretože to je ... Mám ju už dlhý čas a čítam z nej a veľmi ... viem ako v nej nájsť to čo chcem.
224Táto je pre mňa úplne nová, a keď učím, ja nie som veľmi učiteľ. Ale keď so mnou trochu vydržíte, poviem vám pravdu, keď to budem vedieť.
225No, táto kniha je ... Pavel, pamätajte, on bol ... Čo sme sa o ňom dozvedeli? On bol v prvom rade veľký učiteľ ... alebo veľký učenec. A bol vycvičený v Starom Zákone. Môže mi teraz niekto povedať, že čo sme zistili, kto bol jeho učiteľ? Gamaliel - jeden z najlepších učiteľov v tom čase.
226A videli sme, že potom Pavel jedného dňa, prv ako dostal meno Pavel ... Môže mi niekto povedať ako sa predtým volal? [Zhromaždenie hovorí: „Saul.“ – pozn.prekl.] Saul. A on bol veľkou autoritou v Jeruzaleme. Náboženskou autoritou. A stal sa z neho skutočný, skúsený, náboženský muž. Vedel hovoriť štyrmi alebo piatimi jazykmi a bol veľmi chytrý. No, či mu pomohlo jeho vzdelanie a chytrosť? Nie. On povedal, že musel všetko zabudnúť, aby sa správne mohol naučiť Krista.
227Tak potom, sme zistili, že na to netreba chytrého ani vzdelaného človeka. Na to treba človeka, ktorý je ochotný pokoriť sa pred Bohom, bez ohľadu na to, ako ...
228Vedeli ste, že Dwinght Moody bol taký nevzdelaný, že až. To čo napísal bolo také biedne, ako neviem čo. Jeho posolstvá museli stále opravovať. On bol taký biedny pisateľ, veľmi nevzdelaný.
229Vedeli ste o tom, že Peter a Ján, z Biblie, boli takí neučení, že sa nevedeli ani podpísať? Ani by nevedeli ako vyzerá napísané ich meno. Apoštol Peter, ktorý mal kľúče Kráľovstva, nevedel ani ako vyzerá napísané jeho meno. Predstavte si to. Biblia hovorí, že on bol nevzdelaný a neučený. Tak to mi dáva šancu. Amen. Tak veru. Takto to ide ďalej, aby sme videli, že Boh to môže človekovi zjaviť.
230No ... a videli sme, že len čo Pavel mal to veľké prežitie ... Chcem sa vás opýtať: „Či prísť ku Kristovi je prežite? Či mal každý toto prežitie?“ Tak veru! Áno, to je narodenie. To je prežitie.
231A tak sme boli nedávno na lutheránskej univerzite, mal som to privilégium dnes popoludní. Mal som tam o dvanástej obedovať s Tomom Haire. Koľkí ste o ňom počuli? O tom írskom, slávnom modlitebníkovi? A on bol s týmto bratom Eppom na jeho programe a zjavil sa tu v Amerike na mnohých miestach. A dnes som s ním bol na obede. A boli sme ... Ja som sa spozdil asi o tri hodiny. Bolo okolo pol štvrtej alebo trištvrte na štyri, keď sme jedli. Ale všetko bolo v poriadku. A rozprávali sme sa o týchto veciach, o tom, ako je Ježiš Kristus hlavou všetkého.
232No, potom keď Pavel toto zistil, keď mal toto prežitie ... A potom, prv ako prijal toto prežitie, muselo to byť zhodné s Bibliou. A videli sme, že on - že on to nechal a odišiel do iného národa a zostal tam tri roky. Študoval Písma, aby zistil, či bolo jeho prežitie správne.
233No, uvedomujeme si, že sa musel postaviť pred veľkú vec. Musel prísť naspäť a povedať svojej cirkvi a všetkým ľuďom, že práve tá vec, ktorú prenasledoval je správna.
234Museli ste urobiť niečo také? Samozrejme, skoro všetci. Museli sme ísť naspäť a povedať: „Tí ľudia, ktorých sme nazývali “sväté motovidlá“, zistili sme, že oni sú v poriadku.“ Vidíte? To je to. Museli sme sa obrátiť. A tie veci, ktoré sme voľakedy nenávideli teraz milujeme. To je obrátenie. Zvláštne, neobyčajné.
235Povedal som ten výraz, “sväté motovidlo“. Také niečo neexistuje. Nie je niečo také. Ale oni nazývajú ľudí ... (svätých ľudí). Ale neexistujú “sväté motovidlá“. Neexistuje niečo také. Nie je zaznamenané v žiadnej cirkvi ani nikdy niečo také nebolo zaznamenané, pokiaľ viem, medzi okolo 960 rôznymi denomináciami. Nieto taká denominácia, ako “sväté motovidlo“. To je len meno, ktoré diabol prilepil na cirkev.
236Ale ľudia ich v tom čase nazývali ... Koľkí viete, ako ich nazývali v čase Pavla? Heretici! Viete, čo znamená heretik? Blázon! To sú blázni. Tak ja tiež zakrátko budem nazvaný sväté motovidlo, heretik. Vy tiež? Tak, ak ich tak nazývali a oni sa radovali ... A čo povedal Ježiš, že čo máme vtedy robiť? On povedal: „Radujte sa a plesajte, lebo je mnohá vaša odplata v nebesiach, lebo tak prenasledovali prorokov pred vami.“ Oni to robili.
237Povedal, aby sme plesali od radosti. Všetko, čo plesá je povznesené, skutočne šťastné. A učeníci, keď boli nájdení hodní niesť pohanenie pre meno Ježiša, oni sa radovali veľkou radosťou, že mohli niesť pohanu za Jeho meno.
238A dnes, mnoho ľudí dnes, keby sa stalo, že by ich niekto nazval sväté motovidlo, oni by sa zľakli: „Ó, možno som sa od začiatku mýlil.“
Ale oni sa z toho radovali. Ó! Za to, že mohli niesť to meno.
239V druhom storočí ich nazývali “krížové chrbty“. A to bolo vtedy, keď kresťania zvykli nosiť na chrbte kríž, aby ukázali, že boli ukrižovaní s Kristom. Ľudia ich nazývali “krížové chrbty“. Viem, že katolíci hovoria, že to boli oni, ale to nebola katolícka cirkev. To bola protestantská cirkev, ešte skôr ako dostala názov protestantská cirkev. Oni protestovali len proti hriechu. Dôvod, že to dnes bolo nazvané protestantská cirkev bol ten, že protestovali proti katolíckej dogme. Ale to je ... to je ... v tom čase ešte nebolo žiadneho sektárstva, keď ich nazývali, “krížové chrbty“.
240Zoberte si len históriu Josephusa a tých ostatných pisateľov, Hislopove Dva Babylony, a tak ďalej. A Budete vidieť, že je to tak, že oni neboli žiadnou cirkvou. Prvá organizovaná cirkev, ktorá kedy povstala, bola katolícka cirkev, asi okolo tristo rokov po posledných apoštoloch. Asi po tristo rokoch bolo zorganizovaná katolícka cirkev. A nastalo prenasledovanie a nasilu nútili ľudí do katolíckej cirkvi. A oni zjednotili cirkev so štátom.
241To bolo po takzvanom Konštantínovom obrátení od pohanstva ku katolicizmu. Ale ak niekto čítal o ňom históriu, čo on urobil, to nebolo obrátenie. Och! Jediná náboženská vec, ktorú kedy urobil, to bolo to, že postavil kríž na chrám sv. Sofii. To bola jediná náboženská vec, ktorú kedy urobil. Bol to bezbožný človek. Ale oni to pokladajú za jeho obrátenie. Toto sa skoro podobá na dnešné takzvané obrátenia.
242No ... Ale vidíme, že keď sa Pavel obrátil a mal toto skutočné prežitie, on sa úplne otočil na druhú stranu. A viete, obrátenie, to znamená otočiť sa na druhú stranu. Idete touto cestou a otočíte sa a idete naspäť touto cestou. Tak veru. To znamená otočiť sa čelom vzad.
243A Pavel, len čo sa obrátil, prv ako mohol svoje prežitie ... No, on mal ohromné prežitie. No, verím, že keď prijmete Krista, ako svojho osobného Spasiteľa, to je prežitie. Verím, že to je radosť, keď môžete vedieť, že sú vám odpustené hriechy, bez prestávky vám srdce podskakuje od radosti.
244Ale potom, keď prichádza dole ten požehnaný Duch Svätý. To je prežitie (To nové narodenie), ktoré nikdy nezabudnete. Stávate sa dieťaťom Božím. A toto robí to ... „Ako to poznáš, brat Branham?“
245No, toto sú lekcie vyučovania. Mnoho ľudí ... Metodisti sa snažia povedať: „Oni kričali, keď to prežili.“ Dobre, to je v poriadku. Ak to prežili a kričali. Dobre! Ale preto, že ste kričali, to nebol znak, že ste to prežili. Pretože mnohí kričali a neprežili to.
246Letniční hovorili: „Keď hovorili v jazykoch, vtedy to prežili.“ To je v poriadku. Ak ste hovorili v jazykoch a prežili ste to, dobre. Ale mohli ste hovoriť v jazykoch a stále to ešte nemáte.
247Tak vidíte, napokon, to je prežitie, že ste prešli zo smrti do života. Keď všetko to staré zomrelo a všetko sa stalo novým. Kristus sa stal skutočným, staré veci odpadli. Staré korene telesnosti ... Viete ako vykopať koreň? My sme na to zvykli zobrať motyku a kopali sme, až tam z neho nezostal ani kúsok. A oni povedali: „Ak by sa objavil medzi vami nejaký koreň horkosti, vyryte ho!“ A to je pravda. A to robí Duch Svätý - vyrýva všetky tie korene. Vykopáva ich, vyhrabáva, páli, zbavuje sa ich. Potom môžete mať dobrú úrodu. Keď toto robíme.
248No, Pavel vedel, že niečo sa stalo, a tak odišiel dole do Arábie a tam za tri roky študoval všetkých starozákonných prorokov, ako oni prorokovali. A zistil, že to bola úplná pravda.
249No, porovnajme to s dneškom (vidíte?) na tomto prežití, ktoré sme mali tu v tomto malom zbore, o tej Rannej Hviezde, ktorá sa tam zjavila. To veľké Svetlo, ktoré zostúpilo, ktoré predpovedalo a ukazovalo veci, ktoré sa mali stať. Viete, je to ohromné. Ale moji bratia kazatelia mi hovorili, že to je diabol. A ja som nemohol pochopiť.
250Tak, nič som o tom nehovoril až kým neprišla jedna noc, keď som mal to prežitie tam v Green Mill, v Indiáne, keď tam prišiel anjel Pánov a zastal predo mnou a dokázal to pomocou Písma. Potom to zapálilo oheň. Potom sa to začalo šíriť.
251Nie dávnejšie, ako minulú nedeľu sme videli neklamné dôkazy Ježiša Krista, ktorý môže zobrať človeka, ktorý nechodil a spraviť ešte aj ... Mal odumreté nervy, ktoré udržujú rovnováhu. Klinika Mayo a najlepší doktori povedali: „S tým sa už nič nedá robiť.“ A on tam sedel slepý. Potom vstal a vyšiel von, tlačil dole schodmi invalidný vozík. Môže chodiť a vidí, ako každý druhý. To ukazuje, že to je moc vzkrieseného Pána Ježiša. Je to tak. On je ten istý včera, dnes i naveky.
252Tak, či nie sme dnes šťastná skupina, keď vieme, že Boh potvrdil toto veľké prežitie, ktoré sme mali, že sa to zhoduje s Bibliou a so zasľúbeniami? A tak máme byť nad mieru šťastní (máme plesať). A potom si uvedomujeme, že v 2. kapitole sme našli, že nemáme zanedbať tieto veci. Nemáme ich brať na ľahko.
A
akože my utečieme, ak zanedbáme také veľké spasenie?
253Čo budeme robiť, keď sa postavíme na súde vo svetle Božieho Slova? Nemôžete povedať: „Nevidel som žiadny rozdiel.“Ale áno, videl si! „Dobre, no, brat Branham sa mohol mýliť.“ To je pravda. Ale Boh sa nemýli. Jeho Slovo sa nemýli. A len si predstavte, to isté (Biblia), to čo raz žilo v apoštoloch, to znovu žije. Ó, nech je požehnané meno Pánove.
254Keď si predstavím, že mám 48 rokov, skoro 50 a moje mladé roky už prešli a tak ďalej, keď viem od malého chlapca, že mám toto požehnané zasľúbenie a hovoril som o tom mojim bratom a sestrám, a keď môžem vidieť doslovne tisíce tých, ktorí vyšli z tmy, keď môžem vedieť, že ideme do nášho večného domova, pre požehnaných. A keď tento zemský stánok bude zborený skôr, ako skončím kázať, je iný ktorý tam na mňa očakáva. Haleluja! Keď môžem vedieť, že sú tucty ľudí, ktorí tu sedia, ktorí keby hneď teraz mali opustiť tento život, skorej ako by pohrebná služba zobrala ich telo, boli by tam v tom oslávenom tele, radovali by sa už so svätými Božími v prítomnosti Božej, žili naveky v dokonalosti (to je úplne potvrdené, že je to tak.) Amen.
255Ó, to robilo, že presbyterián kričal. Nedeľa, či nie? Tí ľudia boli presbyteriáni. Samozrejme to robí, keď si predstavíte ... Ó, nie divu, že ľudia boli emocionálni. Ak sa ľudia dostávajú do emócie, keď niekto kopne loptu alebo ju hodí do koša, o čo viacej sa vy správate emocionálne, keď viete, že ste prešli zo smrti do života. Že ste novým stvorením v Kristovi. Viete to podľa toho, že váš duch vás vedie preč od zlého úmyslu a podvodu a nepriateľstva a od všetkých vecí tohoto sveta a centrom vášho srdca sa stal Kristus. To sú vaše motívy. To je všetko, o čom rozmýšľate vo svojej mysli, čo máte na srdci, celý deň a noc. Keď večer idete do postele a kladiete si takto pod hlavu ruky, proste tam ležíte a chválite Ho až kým nezaspíte. Zobudíte sa ráno a stále Ho chválite. Amen. Ó!
256Zvyknem Ho chváliť .. Každé ráno vstávame o 4 hodine, brat Wood a ja a zavčasu ráno ideme poľovať na veveričky. Chválim Ho pod každým stromom, verím, ku ktorému idem. Nemôžem sa pozrieť na strom bez toho, aby som Ho nechválil. Predstavte si to, On dal vyrásť tomu stromu. Vidím skákať malého koníka. On vie o tom koníkovi. Ó, vy poviete: „Nezmysel, brat Bill.“ Ó, nie! On vie o každej veveričke, kde je. On vie o každom vtáčikovi, kde lieta.
257Aha, On raz potreboval nejaké peniaze a povedal: „Peter, jedna ryba pred nedávnom prehltla peniaz (je to práve toľko, koľko potrebujeme). Choď a hoď udicu. Ja ju tam pošlem. Vyber jej z úst ten peniaz, pretože ona ho nemôže nikde použiť. Choď a zaplať desatinu a poplatok.“ Amen!
258A pred niekoľkými týždňami som videl malú zabitú rybku, ako plávala na hladine. (Všetci ste počuli tú príhodu. Brat Woods a jeho brat a ostatní sú svedkovia.) A tá rybka ležala mŕtva pol hodiny na vode. Mala vytrhnuté vnútornosti, cez ústa. A veľký Duch Svätý sa zniesol dole ... deň predtým On povedal: „Budete vidieť vzkriesenie malého živočícha.“ A asi na druhý deň ráno, krátko po východe slnka sme videli tú malú rybku, nebola ani taká veľká. Keď zostúpil Duch Pánov a povedal: „Malá rybka, Ježiš Kristus ťa uzdravuje!“ A tá mŕtva ryba, ktorá prakticky pol hodiny ležala na hladine sa navrátila do života a odplávala tak rýchlo, ako len mohla. Ó, nech je požehnané meno Pánove! Aký je On ohromný.
259Nie divu, že Pavel mohol povedať, že On bol podľa poriadku Melchisedechovho. On bol Melchisedech. Melchisedech nemal počiatok ani koniec dní. On nemal koniec rokov. Nemal začiatok ani koniec života. Nemal ani otca ani matku. Tak On nemohol byť nikým iným. Ktokoľvek to bol, žije ešte aj dnes. Tak On ... jediný druh večného života, a ten patrí Bohu.
260Minulí večer, keď sme sa rozprávali, jeden brat nemohol porozumieť Božiu trojicu a ako my o tom hovoríme. Ako to, že Ježiš tam stál, asi tridsať ročný muž a povedal ... Oni povedali: „Naši otcovia jedli mannu na púšti.“
261On povedal: „A oni sú všetci mŕtvi.“ Ale On povedal: „Ja som chlieb života, ktorý prichádza od Boha z Neba, aby z neho jedol človek a nezomrel.“
262— Ó, naši otcovia pili na púšti vodu zo skaly.
263— Ja som tá skala. (Tridsať ročný muž) Abrahám splesal, aby videl môj deň.
264— Čo, ty chceš povedať, že si taký starý ako Abrahám a nemáš ešte ani päťdesiat rokov a chceš povedať, že si videl Abraháma, ktorý je už 800 rokov mŕtvy? Teraz vieme, že máš diabla. Ty si blázon! (To znamená mať diabla - blázon) Máš diabla a si pomätený.
265— Prv ako bol Abrahám, JA SOM.
266To bolo to, čo On bol. On nebol len človek a nebol len prorok. On bol Boh. Boh prebýval na zemi v tele z mäsa, ktoré sa nazývalo Ježiš, stelesnený Syn Boží. To je presne to, čo On bol.
267No, videli sme Ho tu, že ... Teraz v poslednej časti, na záver tejto druhej kapitoly som sa chcel dostať ku tomu. Začnime od 16. verša, alebo od 15.
A vyprostil ich, všetkých, ktorí bázňou smrti po celý čas žitia boli držaní v rabstve.
On povedal, že toto urobil Ježiš. Že On ich prišiel vyslobodiť z otroctva, ktorí boli v strachu smrti po celí čas života.
268Netreba sa báť smrti. No, samozrejme, my ... nikto z nás nechce to, čo nazývame, zomrieť. Ale viete, že keď je človek znovuzrodený, že nemôže zomrieť? Ako môže mať večný život a potom zomrieť? Nemôže. Jediné, čo smrť ... Slovo smrť znamená oddelenie. Teraz bude človek oddelený z prítomnosti našich očí. Ale je stále v prítomnosti Božej, a stále bude. Tak to nie je nič ťažké. Smrť je slávna vec. Smrť je to čo nás berie do prítomnosti Božej.
269Ale teraz, samozrejme, my ako ľudia, ktorí tu chodíme v týchto temných veciach, nerozumieme to tak ako by sme mali. A samozrejme, keď prichádza tá dusivá bolesť smrti, to spôsobuje, že aj ten najsvätejší z nás sa bojí a odťahuje sa. To spôsobilo, že i Syn Boží povedal: „Mohol by ma minúť tento kalich?“ Je to strašná vec, nerozumejte to zle, pretože my .. Smrť, to je trest za hriech. A to musí byť strašné. Ale keď sa môžeme pozrieť za oponu, tam ďalej. Tam to zašlo (chvála Pánovi) za oponu. Tam sa dnes človek túži pozrieť. Malá Anna Mae Snellingová a oni tu zvykli spievať takú pieseň: Pane, dovoľ mi pozrieť sa za oponu času. Každý by to chcel vidieť.
270No, teraz čítame tu ten 16. verš.
Lebo v pravde nepriodial ... lebo v pravde on nepriodial na seba prirodzenosť anjelov, ale priodial na seba semeno Abrahámovo.
[Anglický preklad KJV. – pozn.prekl.]271Ó, znovu sa chceme teraz tohoto chytiť. Teraz ideme rovno dole aby sme dostali ... pretože prvá časť tejto tretej kapitoly ... tá posledná časť z toho, to nadväzuje na ten deň, ktorý je určený na Sabat (odpočinok), to bude túto ďalšiu nedeľu.
272No, dávajte pozor:
... on nepriodial ... prirodzenosť anjelov ...
No, kto je to „on“, o ktorom hovorí? Kristus. Kto je Kristus? Boh! Božie Logos.
273No, dovoľte mi to znovu vysvetliť, aby ste mali istotu. Boh, to nie sú traja Bohovia. Trojica Božia je Jeden Boh. Otec, Syn, Duch Svätý, to neznamená, že to sú traja rôzni Bohovia. Keby to tak bolo, boli by sme pohania. Preto to židia nemôžu pochopiť. To Biblia nikdy neučila. To učili v katolíckej cirkvi, presne tak. Odtiaľ pochádza trojičný krst.
274V Afrike krstia trikrát tvárou dopredu. Raz - na Boha Otca, raz - na Boha Syna, raz - na Boha Ducha Svätého. To je zle. Biblia nič takéto neučí. Vidíte?
275 No, to je to čo oni učia. To prešlo cez Luthera, z Luthera do Wesleya a tak ďalej, ako prechádzali veky. Ale to nikdy nebolo biblické učenie. To bola stále chyba, hneď ako to začalo.
276No ... Tak, Boh bol na počiatku. Skôr, ako bolo nejaké svetlo. Skôr, ako bol vôbec nejaký atóm. Skôr, ako bola nejaká hviezda. Skôr, ako bola akákoľvek viditeľná vec, Boh vyplňoval celý priestor. A v Tom nebolo nič okrem čistoty: čistá láska, čistá svätosť, čistá spravodlivosť. To bol Duch. On pokrýval celý priestor ... od večnosti, kde to nedokážeme pochopiť. To zachádza poza všetko, čo by sme si dokázali predstaviť.
277Ako keď cez ďalekohľad môžeme vidieť na vzdialenosť sto a niečo miliónov svetelných rokov. Predstavte si to! Priestor vzdialený sto milión svetelných rokov. A svetlo ide rýchlosťou okolo 8000 míľ za sekundu. A priestor vzdialený sto milión svetelných rokov ... Len si predstavte koľko milión míľ by to bolo. Nemohli by ste to ani vyčísliť. Mohli by ste napísať rad deviatok, ktorý by bol dlhý cez celé Jeffersonville a stále by ste to ešte nemali vyčíslené v míľach. Predstavte si to! A ďalej za tým sú stále ešte hviezdy a planéty. A Boh bol skôr, ako bola niektorá z nich, On už bol! Vidíte?
278A teraz to Logos, ktoré vyšlo z Boha, ktorým bolo to Logos, všetko toto sa začalo formovať do tvaru tela. A tento tvar tela bol odborne nazvaný „Logos.“ Logos, ktoré vyšlo z Boha. Inými slovami, lepšie slovo na to je ... to, čo nazývame teofánia. Teofánia je oslávené ľudské telo. Nie presne z mäsa a krvi, aké bude v tom oslávenom stave, ale to je forma ľudského tela, ktoré neje, ani nepije, ale je to telo. Telo, ktoré na nás očakáva, len čo opustíme toto telo. No, tam, vojdeme do toho tela. A to je taký druh tela v akom bol Boh. Lebo On povedal: „Učiňme človeka na svoj obraz a podľa svojej podoby.“
279No, keď sa stal človek takým telom, on vládol nad všetkými rybami a nad vtáctvom a nad zvieratami na zemi. A vtedy nebolo človeka, aby bol obrábal zem (Genesis 2). On učinil muža a ženu, ale nebolo človeka, aby bol obrábal zem. Potom Boh učinil človeka z prachu zeme. Dal mu ruky, ako má šimpanz. Dal mu nohy, ako má medveď. Dal mu ... Učinil ho na obraz ... toto zemské telo je na obraz zvieracieho života a je učinené z toho istého druhu materiálu. Vaše telo je učinené z takého istého materiálu ako kôň, alebo pes, alebo všetko také. Skladá sa z kalcia, magnézia, ropy, kozmického svetla. Vy ste len ... všetko telo, ktoré je ... Nie to isté telo, to je iné telo, ale je učinené z prachu zeme, z ktorej pochádza. Ale rozdiel medzi zvieraťom a človekom: Boh dal do človeka dušu a do zvieraťa ju nedal, pretože duša, ktorá bola daná do človeka je tou teofániou.
280Ó, nikdy sa nedostanem ku tejto lekcii, ale musím toto prebrať. Pozrite sa! Nepamätáte sa, keď bol Peter vo väzení a anjel Pánov prišiel a otvoril dvere?
281Prechádzali sme tu jedného dňa cez obchodný dom a dvere sa pred nami otvorili. Povedal som: „Vieš, Biblia to mala skôr.“ Vidíte?
282No, dvere sa otvárajú samé od seba. A keď Peter vyšiel, prešiel popri týchto strážcoch, oni boli na neho oslepení. On prešiel popri vnútornej stráži, popri vonkajšej stráži, vyšiel von do dvora, za múr von na ulicu. A nikto z nich nevedel, kto on je a ani si nevšimli ... oni si mysleli, že to bol iný strážca alebo niečo také. Oni ... On jednoducho prešiel okolo a dvere sa samé od seba otvorili a on vyšiel a za ním sa zavreli. A keď vyšiel von, myslel si, že sa mu to snívalo. A prišiel ku domu Jána Marka, kde mali modlitebné zhromaždenie a zaklepal ... [prázdne miesto na páske. – pozn.prekl.] ... bol medzi nimi. Ó, On je úžasný. On je ohromný.
283No, všetko ... „On nebol učinený na formu anjelov, ale On zobral na seba Semeno Abrahámove.“ Boh sa stal Semenom Abrahámovým.
284No, keby sme mali čas ísť naspäť a ukázať, ako to urobil v tej Zmluve. Počuli ste ma o tom veľakrát kázať, ako on zobral tie zvieratá a rozsekol ich na dvoje a hodil tam hrdličku a holuba. Potom sa pozrel a všimol si malý, čierny, strašný dym - smrť. Ďalej, dymiacu pec - peklo. Ale za tým išlo malé biele svetlo. A to malé biele prešlo pomedzi každý kúsok tej rozťatej obeti, ukazujúc tým ... čo bude robiť. A keď toto urobil, On prisahal a napísal Zmluvu, tým ukazuje, čo bude robiť.
285On, Ježiš Kristus prišiel na zem (Boh, Emanuel: Boh v tele) a na Golgote bol roztrhnutý a jeho Duch prišiel naspäť na cirkev. A jeho telo vystúpilo hore a sedí na tróne Božom. Na tróne Božom? Ten, ktorý sedí na tróne je Sudca. To vieme. Dobre, kde je súd? Otec dal ... On nesúdi žiadneho človeka. Ale Otec poručil všetok súd Synovi. Tak On je ... a Jeho Život je ten Najvyšší Kňaz, ktorý tam sedí so svojím vlastným telom, ako obeť, aby zastával naše vyznania. Amen! Brat, to ti niečo dáva.
286Všimnite si, On si priobliekol Semeno Abrahámove. On sa stal človekom. Boh sa stal telom medzi nami, aby nás vykúpil. Inými slovami, Boh sa stal hriechom, aby sme sa my hriešnici, mohli stať Jeho časťou. A keď sme Jeho časťou, sme časťou Jeho ... My ľudia sme postavení do priestoru a času, na sedemdesiat rokov. A Boh prišiel dole a stal sa jedným z nás (ako sedemdesiatnik) na svoj vyznačený čas, aby sme sa my mohli stať účastníkmi Jeho Večného Života. A potom, keď sme znovuzrodení sme synovia a dcéry Božie a máme Večný Život a nikdy nezahynieme. Ó, aký požehnaný Spasiteľ! Ó, nedá sa to opísať. Nedá sa to vysvetliť. To je jednoducho nevysvetliteľné. Nikto nedokáže vysvetliť, aký je On veľký. A - Aký si veľký! Aký si veľký! je to tak!
pre čo bol podlžný byť vo všetkom pripodobnený bratom,
... (zamyslite sa nad tým) ...aby bol milosrdným a verným veľkňazom čo do vecí u Boha,
... (počúvajte toto) ...aby zmieril hriechy ľudu.
Aby zmieril ... Boh, ktorý vie, čo znamená spravodlivosť sa musel stať nespravodlivosťou, aby cítil, čo to je byť hriešnikom, aby potom išiel naspäť a zmieril, vykonával zmierenie a bol ľuďom milostivý.
287Ďalší verš. Počúvajte to tu.
Lebo tým, že sám trpel ...
288Boh nemohol trpieť v Duchu. On sa musel stať telom, aby cítil bolesť nemoci, aby cítil pokušenie žiadosti, aby cítil pokušenie chcenia, aby cítil pokušenie hladu, aby cítil moc smrti. Aby to On mohol zobrať na seba, aby stál v prítomnosti toho veľkého Ducha Jehovu (Ducha, nie človeka, Ducha), aby sa prihováral za tento život. A Ježiš to zniesol, aby sa za nás prihováral, lebo On vie, aký je to pocit. Keď ochoriete, On vie ako sa cítite. Keď ste pokúšaní, On vie ako sa cítite.
289No, všimli ste si niekedy, keď volíme prezidenta, každý farmár bude voliť prezidenta, ktorý bol farmárom, lebo on pozná tú ťažkú časť farmárskeho života. Vidíte? On potrebuje niekoho, kto tomu rozumie.
290A prv, ako Boh mohol porozumieť (On, ktorý je tou veľkou svätosťou) ... Ako by On mohol porozumieť, potom keď odsúdil človeka ... On vo svojej svätosti odsúdil človeka. A jediný spôsob, ako sa dozvie, ako ospravedlniť človeka je, že sa stane človekom.
291A Boh zatienil pannu a ona porodila telo. To nebola židovská krv, ani pohanská krv, ale Jeho vlastná krv. Božia stvorená krv. Nebol v tom vôbec žiadny sex, žiadna sexuálna žiadosť. A táto Bunka Krvi, stvorená v lone tejto ženy, zrodila Syna. A keď Ho Ján Krstiteľ pokrstil, Ján povedal: „Vydávam svedectvo, že som videl Ducha Božieho (ako holubicu) zostupujúceho dole a zostal na Ňom.“
292Nie divu, že Ježiš mohol povedať: „Daná mi je každá moc na nebi aj na zemi.“ Boh a človek sa stali jedno. Nebesia a zem sa navzájom objali a On bol ten, ktorý mohol vykonať zmierenie za naše hriechy. Preto sa v Jeho mene dejú uzdravenia. On pozná vaše nemoci.
293Počuli ste niekedy túto starú pesničku?
Ježiš pozná tvoju bolesť,
On môže spasiť a uzdraviť,
prines len svoje bremeno Pánovi a nechaj ho tam.
(Je to tak. On to pozná.)
Keď je naše telo ubité nemocou
a nemôžeme znovu získať zdravie,
pamätaj len Boh v nebi odpovedá na modlitby.
Ježiš pozná tvoju bolesť.
On môže spasiť a uzdraviť,
prines len svoje bremeno Pánovi a nechaj ho tam.
294To je všetko, čo On chce: „Len to tam nechaj.“ Prečo? On je Veľkňazom, ktorý tam stojí, ktorý vie ako sa cítiš. A On vie, ako ťa zmieriť naspäť do milosti a ako ťa navrátiť naspäť do zdravia. On vie o tom všetko, On trpel. Keď nemáš miesto, kde by si hlavu sklonil, On bol na tom tak isto. Keď nemáš šaty na prezlečenie, On bol na tom tak isto. Keď sa z teba vysmievajú a prenasledujú ťa. On bol na tom tak isto.
295Počúvajte teraz tento posledný verš. Dobre.
... môže spomáhať pokúšaným.
Alebo inými slovami: Môže ich ochrániť, pomôcť im, súcitiť s nimi, pretože sám Boh sa stal človekom, aby to cítil.
296Pamätáte sa minulý večer, či sme to neučili? Ako musel Boh ... Bol v tom osteň smrti a strach z toho. „Ktorí bázňou smrti po celý čas žitia boli držaní v rabstve.“ A potom prišiel Ježiš, aby mohol zobrať smrti ten osteň. Keď išiel hore na ten vrch, pamätáte sa ako sme to predstavovali? Zo všetkých tých malých červených škvŕn na jeho rúchu sa po chvíli stala jedna veľká škvrna a okolo neho kvapkala krv. Jeho slabé telo ... On už ďalej nevládal ísť a spadol. Šimon Cyrenénsky, černoch mu pomohol niesť kríž na ten kopec. A keď Ho pribili na kríž a On stenal, aby mu dali vodu. Každý kto krváca potrebuje vodu.
297Pamätáte sa keď som kázal raz večer: „Ako reve jeleň za potokom vody, tak reve moja duša po tebe, ó Bože?“ Ak je jeleň ranený a žije, krváca, musí prísť ku vode, inak zomrie.
298Ja som bol podstrelený, tam v poli, keď som mal 14 rokov. A ležal som tam a nohy som mal roztrhané na franforce. Od dvanásť kalibrovej pušky. A skuvíňal som, aby mi dali vodu: „Ó, daj mi piť!“ Bol som stŕpnutý. Mal som stŕpnuté pery.
299Môj kamarát bežal ku nejakému jazierku, močiaru - boli tam všetky možné larvy. Nestaral som sa čo to je. On nabral z tade vodu a držal mi otvorené ústa a vylial mi to takto všetko do úst. Ó, musel som mať vodu!
300On krvácal. On povedal: „Dajte mi piť!“ A oni Mu dali na špongii ocot a On to odmietol a neprijal to. On bol Boží Baránok, ktorý zomieral namiesto nás, aby priniesol človeku zmierenie. Čo to bolo? Nebeský Boh!
301Billy Sunday raz povedal, že na každom kríku sedeli anjeli a povedali - Len si uvoľni ruku a ukáž prstom, zmeníme túto situáciu.
302A tá drzá banda náboženských fanatikov, ktorí boli pokladaní za veľkých vzdelaných učencov s titulmi D.D. a Ph.D. chodili okolo neho a hovorili: „No, ak si Syn Boží ... Iným si pomáhal, sebe nemôžeš pomôcť. Zostúp z kríža a uveríme ti.“
303Oni nevedeli, že mu robili komplimenty. On sa mohol zachráni. Ale keby bol zachránil seba, nemohol by zachrániť iných. Tak, On dal samého seba. Nech je požehnané jeho meno! On dal samého seba, aby som ja mohol byť spasený a aby si ty mohol byť spasený. Ó, láska ktorá nemá roveň!
304On nemusel byť chorý. To drahé telo, ktoré sa narodilo z panny nemuselo byť choré. Ale on ochorel, aby mohol vedieť ako sa má za mňa prihovárať, keď som chorý.
305On sa nemusel trápiť, ale On sa trápil. Čítal som raz o tom taký príbeh, neviem či je to skutočné alebo nie. Keď vzkriesil z mŕtvych toho chlapca tam v Nain, sadol si na skalu a stenal od bolesti hlavy. Pretože On musel niesť naše nemoci.
306On musel niesť náš hriech a tam zomrel. A na Golgote, keď tá stará včela a smrť pichla raz svoje žihadlo ... každý vie, že keď včela pichne žihadlo, už viacej nemôže uštipnúť. Keď tá včela odletí, alebo iný hmyz, ktorý štípe, keď bodne svoje žihadlo, ono sa jej vytiahne. To je stále včela, ale už nemá žihadlo. Jediné čo môže robiť, to je bzučať a robiť hluk.
307To je to jediné, čo smrť môže robiť veriacim, hluk. Ale haleluja, nech je požehnané meno Pánove. On zachytil ten osteň smrti vo svojom vlastnom tele. Emanuel to urobil. A na tretí deň znovu povstal, striasol tam ten osteň a dnes je nesmrteľný. A Jeho Duch je v tejto budove. A On sa medzi nami potvrdzuje, že je živý. To je náš Mesiáš. To je náš požehnaný Spasiteľ.
217 The 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th chapter, from there in, oh, my! Have your pencil and paper, and everything, ready, for I believe the Lord is going to give us a great time. Now we're...
218Paul is exalting and placing, positionally, the Lord Jesus. Now, if we get through this tonight, Sunday morning... Which the most of this is going to blend right in with Sunday morning's Message, because it's "separating the sabbath." That's a great question amongst Sabbatarians today. And I would invite you all to come for Sunday morning. For, which is right, Saturday or Sunday, for worship? What does the Bible say about it? And so then, whether the... This Book is separating law and grace, and It's placing each one to its place. The Hebrews was raised by the law, and Paul was telling them what grace played, with law.
219 Now, let's get just a little background now. We're going to start back.
220By the way, I got me some reading glasses. Maybe I can... If I happen to make a--a spill tonight, I got them. You know I'm all... I just lack two years of being fifty years old, and I don't see like I used to, close to me. When my sight... I begin to notice the words blurring, I thought I was going blind. I went for an examination. The doctor said, "No. You're just past forty, son." Well, he said, if I live to be old enough, it might come back again, get that short sight back again. He said, "Now, you can read your Bible if you push it out from you?"
221I said, "Yes."
222Said, "After while, your arm is not going to be long enough."
223 And so I--I hope now, in this studying, that I... This little Collins Bible has a good-sized print in it. I can make it out pretty well. But when we get over in the big, deep places where we got to take the New and Old Testament, and blend together. I got a small Scofield. And I'm used to the Scofield Bible, its markings. I don't read the Scofield notes now, because I don't agree with Scofield on many of his--his theories. But I--I do like the way it's set up, because it's... I've had it for a long time, and read it, and so much, till I kind of know how to find my subject.
224This is all new to me, of teaching, and I'm not much of a teacher. But, you put up with me for a little while, I'll tell you the Truth as far as I know It, anyhow.
225 Now, this Book is Paul, remember. He was... How did we find him? He was a great teacher, to begin with, or a great scholar. And he was trained in the Old Testament. Can anybody tell me now who we found his teacher was? [Congregation says, "Gamaliel."--Ed.] Gamaliel, one of the noted teachers of the day. And then Paul, we find out, one day...
226Before he was called Paul, can anybody tell me what his name was? [Congregation says, "Saul."--Ed.] Saul. And he was a great authority in Jerusalem, a religious authority. And he come up as a--as a real-trained, religious man. He could speak four or five different languages, and a very smart man. Well, did his education and smartness help him? No. He said he had to forget all he knowed, in order to learn Christ.
227So we find out, then, it doesn't take a smart man or an educated man. It takes a--a man that's willing to humble himself before God, regardless of how.
228 Did you know Dwight Moody was--was so uneducated till, honest, his writings were poor as I don't know what. They had to fix up his messages, all the time. He--he was such a poor writer, very uneducated.
229Did you know that Peter and John, of the Bible, were so unlearned till they couldn't even write their own name, and wouldn't know it laying before them? The Apostle Peter, who had the keys to the Kingdom, wouldn't know his name signed before him. Think of it. The Bible said, that, "He was ignorant and unlearned." So, that gives me a chance. Amen. Yes, sir. That goes right on down, to find that God could do that to a man.
230Now, and we find out, as soon as Paul had a great experience... I want to ask you. Is it an experience to come to Christ? Does everybody have an experience? [Congregation says, "Yes."--Ed.] Yes, sir. Yes, sir. It's a Birth. It's an experience. And so we were in a Lutheran College, not long ago...
231 I had the privilege this afternoon, late, supposed to be there at twelve o'clock, for dinner with--with Tom Haire. How many ever heard of him, the famous, Irish, prayer warrior? And he's been with this Brother Epp, on his program, and appeared here in many places in America. And I had dinner with him today. And we were... I was just about three hours late. It was about three-thirty, quarter to four, when we eat. But it was all right. And we were discussing on these things, of how that Jesus Christ is the Head of all things.
232 Now, when Paul found this out, he had this experience. And then before he would accept this experience, it must be back to the Bible. And we find out that he--that he left and went into another nation, and there he stayed for three years, searching the Scripture, to see if his experience was right.
233Now, we realize that he had a great thing to face. He had to come back and tell his church, all the people, the very things that he had persecuted was right.
234Did you have to do something like that? Certainly, nearly all did, have to go back and say, "Them people that we called 'holy rollers,' come to find out, they were right." See? That's it. We just had to turn around. And the things that we once hated, we now love. It's a conversion, a strange thing.
235 Ah! I made that statement, of "holy-roller." There is no such a thing. There's no such a thing. But, they call people that, holiness people. But there's no holy-rollers. There's no such a thing. There's no record of any church ever recorded like that, as far as I can see, of the nine hundred-sixty something, different denominations. There is no such a denomination as holy-roller. It's just a--a name that the Devil tacked on the Church.
236But they call them, in that day... How many knows what they called them in the day of Paul? Heretics. You know what heretic means? "Crazy." It's crazy people. So, I just soon be called a "holy-roller" as a "heretic." Wouldn't you? So if they--if they was called that, and rejoiced!
And what did Jesus say for us to do about it? He said, "Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad; for great is your reward in Heaven, for so persecuted the prophets before you." They did it.
237 Said to, "Be exceedingly glad." Anything exceedingly is "lifted way up," real happy. And the disciples, when they was found worthy to bear the reproach of the Name of Jesus, they rejoiced with great joy that they could bear the reproach of His Name.
238And today, many people today, if they would happen to call them a holy-roller, they would cow-down, "My! Maybe I was wrong, to begin with."
But they was happy about it, "Oh, my, to bear the Name!"
239And now, in the second century, they called them "crossbacks." That's when the Christians used to pack a cross on their back, to show that they were crucified with Christ. They call them crossbacks. Now I know the Catholic calls themselves that, but that wasn't the Catholic church. It was the Protestant church before it was called Protestant church. It protested nothing but sin. The reason it's called Protestant church today is because it protested the--the Catholic dogma. But it's a... It, still, it was non-sectarian at that time, when they were called crossback.
240 Just get the history of Josephus and the other writers, and Hislop's Two Babylons, and so forth, and you'll find out that that's right, that they was not no church. The first organized church, ever was, was the Catholic church, about three hundred years, at the round of--of the last apostles. About three hundred years later, the Catholic church was organized. And a persecution set in, and forced the people into the Catholic church, and they had church and state, united.
241That was after, what was so-called, the conversion of Constantine, from paganism to Catholicism. But, if anybody ever read his history, he wasn't converted, the things that he did. Oh, my! The only thing he ever done religious was put the cross on the St. Sophia church. That's the only thing he ever done, acted even religious. He was a--a reprobate. But they call it his--his conversion. Just about compares with some so-called conversions today.
242 Now, but, we find out, when Paul got converted and had this real experience, he was absolutely turned around.
And, you know, conversion means to be "turned around." You're going this way, and you turn and start back this way. Yes, sir. It's a turn-around, about-face.
243And Paul, as soon as he was converted, before he could ever make his experience... Now, he had a marvelous experience.
Now, I believe, when you accept Christ, just as your personal Saviour, it is an experience. I believe, the joy of knowing your sin is forgiven, just thrills your heart, through and through.
244But then when the blessed Holy Spirit comes down, that's an experience, that new Birth, that you'll never forget. You become a Child of God. And here is what does it.
"How do you know it, Brother Branham?"
245 Now, these are teaching lessons. Many people, the Methodists, try to say, "They shouted when they got It." Well, that's all right. If you got It, and shouted, okay. Because you shouted, wasn't a sign you had It, 'cause a lot shouted and didn't have It.
246The Pentecostals said, "They spoke in tongues. They got It." That's all right. If you spoke in tongues, and got It, all right. But you could speak in tongues and still not have It. So?
247So, you see, after all, it is the experience of passing from death to Life; when all the old things die, and all things become new. Christ becomes real. The old things drop away, the old roots of carnality. You know how to dig a root out? We used to take a grubbing hoe and just get down at it, and dig it till there wasn't a speck left in it. And they said, "If there be any root of bitterness spring up into you, grub her out." That's right. And that's what the Holy Spirit does, root out all the roots. Dig them out. Pile it up; burn them. Get rid of them. You get a good crop then, if we do that.
248 Now, Paul knowed that something happened, so he goes back down into Arabia, and there he studies for three years on all of the Old Testament prophets, how they prophesied. And he come to find out that It was absolutely the Truth.
249Now, compare that with today, see, on this experience that we had here at this little church: of the Morning Star appearing yonder, that great Light that come down, that would foretell and show things to happen. You know, that's marvelous. But my ministering brother told me, "It was the Devil." And I--I couldn't understand it.
250So, I didn't say nothing about it until one night, there was an experience happened up yonder at Green's Mill, Indiana, when the Angel of the Lord walked across the floor and stood there, and proved it by the Scripture. Then it set fire. Then it started going.
251 And no longer than last Sunday, we seen the infallible marks of Jesus Christ, who can take a man that hasn't walked, and didn't... His balance nerve gone, when the Mayos and the best doctors said, "It's finished, forever." And setting blind; raised up and walk out of the building, pushing his wheel chair down the steps, could walk and see like anybody else. That shows that it's the power of the resurrected Lord Jesus. There it is. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
252So aren't we a happy group tonight, to know that God has vindicated this great experience that we have, to be compared with His Bible and with the promises? Therefore we ought to be exceedingly glad. And we realize then, that in the 2nd chapter, we find out, "We should not let these things... We should not neglect these things." We should hold fast those things.
And how are we going to escape, if we neglect such a great salvation;...
253What are we going to do, in the light of God's Word, when we stand at the Judgment Bar? You can't say, "I never knew any different." Oh, yes, you did. "Well, now, Brother Branham could have been wrong." That's true. But God isn't wrong. His Word isn't wrong. And just think, of the same thing, the Bible, that once lived in the apostles, are living again. Oh, blessed be the Name of the Lord!
254 When I think that I'm forty-eight years old, nearing fifty, and my youthful days are gone, and so forth; to know that since a little boy that I had this blessed Promise, and have declared It to my brothers and sisters; and to see the literally thousands of those that's come out of darkness, to know that we are going to our Eternal Home, to the blessed. "And if this earthly tabernacle be dissolved," before I get through preaching, "there's one waiting yonder for it." Hallelujah! To know that there's dozens of people setting here, that, if they should leave this life right now; before we could get their body to the undertaker, they would be in that glorious body yonder, rejoicing with the saints of God, already in the Presence of God, to live forever. With the perfect, absolutely vindication that it's so! Amen.
255 Oh, that would make the Presbyterian shout! Did Sunday, didn't it? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Them people were Presbyterian. Certainly would, to think. Oh, no wonder people get emotionally! Why, if you get emotionally from batting a ball or throwing one in a basket, how much more will it make you emotionally to know that you've passed from death to Life, that you're a new Creation in Christ! You know it by the way your spirit leads you away from malice, and guile, and enmity, and all the things of the world. And your heart sets centered on Christ. That's your motives. That's all that you think of in your mind, on your heart, all day and night. When you go to bed at night, and put your hands behind you, like this, and just lay there and praise Him till you go to sleep. Wake up, of a morning, still praising Him. Amen. Oh, my!
256 I've tried to praise Him of a morning. We been getting up about four o'clock, Brother Woods and I, going out early in the morning, to go squirrel hunting. I praise Him under every tree, I believe, I've come to. I can't see a tree, without praising Him. Think, He growed that tree. See a little old grasshopper fly up; He knows that grasshopper. "Oh," you say, "nonsense, Brother Bill." Oh, no, it isn't. He knows where every squirrel is. He knows where every butterfly is.
257Why, at one time, He needed some money, and He said, "Peter, there's a fish, a while ago, swallowed a coin, just enough, much as we need. Go cast the hook in. I'll send him over there. Take that coin out of his mouth, 'cause he can't use it, himself. Go pay him our tithing and tribute." Amen.
258 And a few weeks ago, I seen a little fish killed, laying on the water. All of you heard the story of it. There's Brother Woods, and his brother and them here to witness it. That little fish laying dead for a half hour, on the water, with his entrails pulled out of its mouth. And the great Holy Spirit swept down, after He said, the day before, "You're going to see the resurrection of a little animal." And the next morning about, little after sunup, we saw that little fishy, not over that long. When the Spirit of the Lord came down, and said, "Little fish, Jesus Christ makes you whole." And that dead fish, had been floating on top the water for practically a half hour, come to life and swam away just as hard as he could. Oh, blessed be the Name of the Lord. How wonderful He is!
259 No wonder Paul could say, that, "He was in the order of Melchisedec." He was Melchisedec. "Melchisedec had no beginning of days. He had no ending of years. He had no beginning of life or ending in life. He had neither father nor mother." So, He couldn't been no one else. Ever who He was, He's alive yet tonight. So, He's only one type of Eternal Life, and that belongs to God.
260Last evening when we were having a discussion, a brother could not understand the trinity of God, and how we were talking about it. How that Jesus stood there, a Man, of about thirty years old. And He said...
They said, "Oh, our fathers eat manna in the wilderness."
261He said, "And they're, every one, dead." But He said, "I'm that Bread of Life that come from God out of Heaven, that a man eats and don't die."
262"Oh," they said, "our fathers drank from the Rock in the wilderness."
263He said, "I'm That Rock." A Man of thirty years old. Said, "Abraham rejoiced to see My day."
264"Why," said, "now You mean to tell me that You're as old as Abraham, and You're not fifty years old yet, and mean to say that You've seen Abraham who has been dead eight hundred years? We know that You got a devil now. You're crazy." That's what's... That's what a devil mean, "crazy" person." Said, "You got a devil, and You're mad."
265He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM."
266That's who He was. He wasn't just merely a man, neither was He a prophet. He was God, God dwelling on earth in a body of flesh called "Jesus," the--the incarnate Son of God. That's exactly who He was.
267 Now, we find Him over here, that in the last part now, of the closing of the 2nd chapter, which I want to get to, beginning with the 16th verse, or the 15th verse.
And delivered them... through the fear of death--of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
That's what he said that Jesus did, that He come to deliver them from bondage, who had been in fear of death all their lifetime.
268Now there's no need of fearing death. Now, of course, we do; we, none of us want to, what we call, die. But do you know that if a person is born again he cannot die? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] How can he have Eternal Life and then die? He can't do it. The only thing that's death, the word death, means "the separation." Now he'll separate from the presence of our eye. But he's always in the Presence of God, and always will be. So, death isn't a hard thing. Death is a glorious thing. Death is what takes us in the Presence of God.
269 But now, of course, we, being human, walk in these dark elements here, we--we do not understand it as we should. And, of course, when the choking pangs of death come, it makes the very saint-est of us fear and draw back. It made the Son of God say, "Could this cup pass?" It's a horrible thing. Don't get it wrong. Because we... It's a penalty of sin, death is, and it's got to be horrible.
But if we can look just beyond the curtain, yonder, there is where it's at. Blessed be the Lord! Just beyond the curtain, that's where man desires to look tonight. Little Anna Mae Snelling and them used to sing a song here, "Lord, Let Me Look Past The Curtain of Time." Everybody wants to see that.
270 Now, now here we are, in the 16th verse. "For verily He took..."
For verily he took not on him, upon him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
271Oh, we want to hold to that again now. Now we're coming right down to get... Cause, the first part of this 3rd chapter, the last part of it, blends in on "that day for the sabbath," for this coming Sunday.
272Now watch.
... he took not... the nature of angels;...
Now, who is "He," he is talking about? Christ. Who is Christ? God, the Logos of God.
273Now let me explain this again, so you be sure. God is not three Gods. The trinity of God is One. Father, Son, Holy Ghost, doesn't mean that there is three different Gods. If it is, we would be heathen. That's the reason the Jews can't understand. Never was it taught in the Bible. Now, it's taught in the Catholic church, absolutely, that's where the triune baptism come from.
274 In Africa they baptize you three times face forward: once for God the Father; once for God the Son; once for God the Holy Ghost. Now, that's an error. There's no such teachings of that in the Bible. See?
275And now, that's--that's what they taught. It come down through Luther; out of Luther, into Wesley; on down into the ages as it rolls on. But it never was a Bible teaching. It was always been a error, since it was begun.
276 Now, so, God was in the beginning. Before there was any light, before there was ever an atom, before there was ever a star, before there was any visible thing, God filled all space. And in That was nothing but purity: pure love, pure holiness, pure righteous. It was Spirit. He covered the whole space all from Eternity, where we can't fathom It. It goes beyond anything that we could imagine.
277Like through that glass, we could see a--a hundred and something million years of light space. Think of it. A hundred million years of light space. And light--light travels about eight thousand miles per second. And a hundred and million years of light space... Just think how many million miles that would be. You couldn't even numerate it. You can just take a row of nines and run it around Jeffersonville, and still you wouldn't have it broke down in miles of miles. Think of it. And beyond that is still stars and planets. And God, before one of them was, He was. See?
278 And now the Logos that went out of God, which was the--the Logos, all this begin to form into a--a body shape. And this body shape was called, in the scholar's teaching, Logos, the Logos that went out of God. In other words, a--a better word for it, was what we call a theophany. (Theophany is a human body that's glorified.) Not exactly with flesh and blood like it will be in its glorified stage, but it is of a form of a human body that doesn't eat, neither does it drink, but it's--it's a body, a body that's waiting for us as soon as we leave this one. Now, in there, we enter into that body. And that's the kind of body that God was, for He said, "Let us make man in our own image and in our likeness."
279 Now, when man become into that body, he had control of all the fishes, and fowls, and--and beasts of the field. "And then there was no man to till the soil," Genesis 2. He done made male and female, but there's no man to till the soil.
Then God made man out of the dust of the earth. He give him a hand like a--like a chimpanzee. He give him a foot like a bear. He give him, He made him, on the image. And this earthly body is in the image of animal life, and it's made out of the same kind of material. Your body is made just the same kind of material as a horse, or a dog, or anything like that. It's made out of calcium, potash, petroleum, cosmic light. You're just no... All flesh like that is not the same flesh; it's different flesh, but it's made out of the dust of the earth where it come from.
But, the difference between an animal and a man, God put a soul in a man, and He didn't put it in the animal. Because, the soul that was in the man is that theophany.
Oh, I--I, I'll never get to the... this lesson, but I got to get this.
280 Look. Don't you remember when Peter was in prison, and the Angel of the Lord came and opened the doors?
281We was going through the supermarket up here, other day, and the door opened in front of us. I said, "You know, the Bible had that first." See? Now, the swinging door is by itself.
282And when Peter came out, walking by these guards, they were blinded to him. He passed the inner guard, the outer guard, out into the court, through the wall, out into the street. And none of them know who he was. And didn't pay any... They thought he was another guard or something. They... He just passed by, and the door opened by itself, as he went out, and shut behind. And when he got out there, he thought he had a dream. And he went down to John Mark's house, where they had a prayer meeting. And he was knock... [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit. Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... to be among you.
283 Oh, He's glorious. He's wonderful.
Now, oh, he wasn't made in the form of an angel; but he took on... the seed of Abraham. God became the seed of Abraham.
284Now, if we had time, to go back and show how He did it in the Covenant! You've heard me preach on it, many times, how that he took those animals and cut them apart, and throwed the turtledove and pigeon in. Then he looked, and he noticed a little smoke, black horror, death. Next, a smoking furnace, hell. But, beyond that, went a little white Light. And that little white went between each piece of that cut sacrifice, showing that what He would do. And He took an oath, when He did that, and He wrote a Covenant, showing what He would do.
285And He, Jesus Christ, come to the earth; God, Emmanuel, "God in flesh." And at Calvary, He was torn apart. And His Spirit come back on the Church. And His body was lifted up and set on the Throne of God.
The Throne of God! The One that's on the Throne is the Judge. We know that. Well, where is the Judgment? The Father has given... He judge no man. But the Father has commit all judgment to the Son. So He is... And His Life is the High Priest, setting there with His Own body, as a sacrifice, to plead our confessions. Amen. Brother, that puts something in you.
286 Notice, "He took on the Seed of Abraham." He become a Man. God, made flesh among us, to redeem us. In other words, God became sin, that we sinners might become partakers of Him. And when we partake of Him, we partake of His... We were time-space people, three score and ten. And God came down and become one of us, three score and ten, for His lotted time, that we might partake of His Eternal Life. And when we're born again, we're sons and daughters of God, and have Eternal Life, and shall never perish.
Oh, what a--what a--what a blessed Saviour! Oh, there's no way to write it. There's no way to explain it. It's just beyond explaining. No one can explain how great It is. "How great Thou art! How great Thou art!" is right.
Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto His brethren,... (Think of that.)... that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,... (Listen at this.)... to make reconciliations... the sin of the people.
To reconcile, now, God, knowing justice, had to become unjustice, to feel what it was to be a sinner, to go back to reconcile, through "reconciliation," and have mercy on the people.
287 Next verse, listen at It here.
For in that he himself had suffered...
288God could not suffer in Spirit. He had to become flesh, to feel the pain of sickness, to feel the temptation of lust, to feel the temptation of want, to feel the temptation of hunger, to feel the power of death. That He might take it upon Hisself to stand in the Presence of the great Spirit Jehovah, the Spirit, not the Man; the Spirit, to make intercession to this life. And Jesus took that, in order to make intercession for us, for He knows how it feels. When you get sick, He knows how you feel. When you're tempted, He knows how you feel.
289 Now, did you ever notice when we vote for a president, every farmer will vote for a president that's been a farmer, for he knows the hard part of the farmer's life. See? He wants some man who understand.
290And before God could ever understand; Him being that great Holiness. How He could ever understand, after He condemned man? By His holiness, He condemned man. And the only way He will ever know how to justify man is to become man.
291And God overshadowed the virgin and she brought forth a body, not Jewish blood, not Gentile blood, but His Own Blood. God's created Blood, no sex at all in, it at all, no sexual desire. And this Blood Cell, created in the womb of this woman, brought forth the Son. And when He was baptized by John the Baptist, John said, "I bear record, seeing the Spirit of God (like a dove) coming down and abiding upon Him."
292 No wonder Jesus could say, that, "All powers in Heaven and earth is given into My hand." God and man became One. Heavens and earth embraced each other, and He was the One Who can give reconciliation for our sin. That's the reason that, in His Name, healing takes place. He knows your pain.
293You ever hear this little, old song?
Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
That's right. He knows.
When our body is racked with pain, and our health we can't regain,
Just remember God in Heaven answers prayer;
Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal;
Just take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
294That's all He asks, "Just leave it there." Why? He's our High Priest standing here, that knows how you feel. And He knows how to reconcile you back to grace, and how to bring you back to your health. He knows all about it; He suffered. When you haven't got a place to lay your head; He had the same. When you got one change of clothes; He had the same. When you are made fun of, persecuted; He had the same.
295 Listen at the last verse now. All right.
... he is able to succour those that are tempted.
Or, in other words, He is able to secure those, to help those, to make those... to sympathize with them. Because, God Himself became man, in order to feel it.
296Remember, the other night, didn't we teach on that? How that God had to... Death had a sting in it, a scare in it. "All their days they were in bondage about this death." And then Jesus came, that He might take that stinger out of death.
And when He was going up the mountain, remember how we illustrated it? Them little red dots on His coat, after while they all become one big dot, and splashing the Blood around Him. His little, frail body, He couldn't go any further, and He fell. Simon Cyrene, the colored man, helped Him bear the cross on up the hill.
And when they nailed Him to the cross, and He screamed for water. Any man bleeding needs water.
297 Remember when I preached the other night on "The deer and the hart thirsts for the water brook, so my soul panteth after Thee, O God"? If the deer is wounded and living, losing blood, he's got to get to water or he'll die.
298I was shot, down in the field, when I was fourteen years old. And I was laying there. My legs blowed over me, like hamburger, from a twelve-gauge shotgun. And I screamed for water, "Oh, give me a drink!" I numb; my lips was numb.
299My buddy run over to an old pool, had all kinds of little old wiggletails, swamp. I didn't care what it was. And he had raked it full of water, and I held my mouth open, and he squeezed his cap out like that, in my mouth. You had to have water.
300He was bleeding. He said, "Give me a drink." And they give him vinegar on a sponge, and He rejected it, and refused it. He was God's Lamb dying in our stead, to bring reconciliation to the human being. What was it? The God of Heaven.
301 Billy Sunday once said, that, "Every bush had Angels setting in it, saying, 'Just pull Your hand loose and point Your finger, We'll change the situation.'"
302That sassy bunch of religious fanatics, called some big educated scholars of D.D., Ph.D., walked by Him and said, "Now, if you are the Son of God! You saved others; yourself you can't save. Come down off the cross, and we'll believe you."
303They didn't know that they was paying Him a compliment. He could have saved Himself. But if He saved Himself, others He could not save. So, He gave Himself. Blessed be His Name. He gave Himself, that I could be saved and you could be saved. Oh, what matchless love!
304 He didn't have to be sick. That precious virgin-born body didn't have to be sick. But He became sick, that He might know how to intercede for me when I was sick.
305He didn't have to weary, but He did weary. I read a little history one time on it, I don't know whether it was authentic or not. "When He raised that boy from Nain there, up from the dead, He set on a rock and groaned with a headache," 'cause He had to bear our sickness.
306He had to bear our sin, and there He died, and on Calvary when that old bee and death once anchored its stinger. Anyone knows, when a bee anchors its stinger, it can't sting no more. When the bee flies away or any insect that stings, when he anchors his stinger, he pulls the stinger out. He's still a bee but he hasn't got a stinger. The only thing he can do is buzz and make a lot of noise.
307That's the only thing that death can do to the believer, is make a lot of noise. But, hallelujah, blessed be the Name of the Lord, He anchored that stinger of death in His Own flesh. Emmanuel did it. Rose up again, on the third day, shook the stinger out of there, and is Immortal tonight. And His Spirit is in this building, and He proves Hisself alive among us. That's our Messiah. That's our blessed Saviour.