List Židom 3.kap
Pavol bol vo väzení a prosil Pána, aby ho z toho uzdravil. A tri razy o to prosil. Ale čo povedal Pán? „Moja milosť ti je dostatočná, Pavel.“ Pavel povedal: „Teda sa budem chváliť svojimi slabosťami.“ Pretože povedal: „Aby som sa prevelikosťou zjavení príliš nepovyšoval, daný mi je osteň do tela, anjel satanáš, aby ma pohlavkoval.“ Chvíľami sa mu polepšilo a potom to znovu prišlo. Pohlavkovanie, to znamená „úder za úderom“ Ako loď na mori, viete, vlny do nej udierajú. Vidíte, úder za úderom. A polepšilo sa mu, a potom to znovu dostal a potom sa mu polepšilo a znovu to dostal. „ Pane, čo sa deje, nezoberieš to odo mňa?“
„Dosť ti je moja milosť, Pavel, len sa drž.“ To do držalo ...
„No, keby to ... keby som bol proste dokonalý a všetko by bolo dokonalé, potom ďalej by som sa nafúkol a povedal by som. Vidíte, na mne nie je nič zlého. Brat, Pán sa o mňa stará. Haleluja.“ Potom sa stávate samospravodliví.
Boh vám raz za čas musí dať trochu niečo, aby vás tak pokoril, viete. Je to tak. Aby ste si tak uvedomili, že On je šéfom. Ó, či nie je ohromný! Tak veru. To je jednoducho úžasné.
Tak On ... Pavel potom hneď, keď mal toto veľké prežitie, ...
No, keby to bol zažil niekto dnes, oni by povedali: „Ó, chvála Bohu, haleluja. Človeče, Pán pre mňa niečo urobil. Sláva Bohu.“ Ale Pavel nebol taký, on bol vyučený z Biblie.
To prežite muselo súhlasiť s Božím Slovom. Tak veru! Ak to všetko spolu nezapadalo presne do Biblie ... Nie len pozrieť sa sem a povedať: „Ó, áno, tu to je, rovno tu. Chvála Bohu, mám to.“ Och! Boh to takto nedáva.
To musí pasovať s celou Bibliou. Všetko. Pretože vy môžete ... Neveriaci používajú túto Bibliu ako pole svojich diskusií. Ale oni zoberú jedno miesto Písma tu a prejdú sem a tu zoberú iné miesto a snažia sa ich spojiť, a pritom sú to dve rozdielne témy. Tak Písmo sa musí porovnávať s Písmom.
Ako povedal Izaiáš v 28. kapitole: „To musí byť riadok za riadkom, riadok za riadkom, trochu tu a trochu tam. Držte sa pevne toho, čo je dobré.“ Vidíte? Takto to prichádza. Riadok za riadkom, Slovo za Slovom, Písmo za Písmom. To musí byť všetko spolu zostavené. Preto si myslím, že v takýchto lekciách ako teraz máme, to je pre cirkev veľká vec, pretože to ich privádza na miesto, kde všetky miesta Písma zapadajú do seba. A naše prežitie musí zapadať do Písma (Ó, tu to máte.), ak to tak nie je, potom je to nesprávne.
1Dobré ráno priatelia. Je to privilégium, že tu môžeme dnes ráno byť a slúžiť Pánovi. Máme nádej a veríme, že prežijeme pekné chvíle.
2Bol som práve vzadu v ... Nazývali sme to kancelária diakonov, kde sú teraz magnetofóny. Rozprával som sa tam s jednou mladou paňou a s jej matkou. Oni sú z Joleit, z Illinois. A rozmýšľal som práve, že akým dielom Božej milosti je to dievča. Mnohí z nás tu z okolia ju poznajú. Ona je alkoholička. Jeden z najhorších prípadov. A nikdy mi ten príbeh nebol jasný, až dnes ráno, ako sa to stalo, keď odišla z pódia ... Pán jej zjavil všetko čo bolo zlé a čo sa stane. A ona odišla z pódia, plakala a radovala sa, pretože Boh ju zachránil od alkoholického hrobu. A ona ... Nejaká pani prišla hore ku nej a začala plakať, že jej dcéra, myslím, že bola závislá na drogách. A viete, z milosti Božej, to dievča sa nazývalo (Myslím, že to bolo večer, na druhý deň, nazývala sa Rossela). A to dievča bolo z tých narkotik uzdravené. A ona a jej muž kážu evanjelium. A keď vidíte také milé dievča ako Rossela, a taká skúsená. A ona je teraz veľmi čestná, má ... cíti v srdci povolanie. Ale vie, čo Biblia hovorí o ženách kazateľkách. Vidíte? Vie, že je to niečo iné a Boh ju vedie do väzníc a na iné miesta, aby vydávala svedectvo.
3To je nádherné, keď viete - keď hľadáte vôľu Božiu. Niekedy máme pocit, ale chceme tento pocit priniesť na správne miesta. Ak na to nedáte pozor, diabol zoberie tento pocit a prevráti to na niečo iné. Ale pokiaľ stojíme na Biblii, tak sme v poriadku. Vidíte, pohybujeme sa presne podľa vôle Pánovej.
4A tak verím, že Rossela sa nakoniec vydá niekde na misijné pole, pretože Amerika nechce evanjelium (to viete), to by sme tiež mohli pripustiť. S týmito anglo-saskými ľuďmi je koniec, to je to. Už nie je evanjelium, ktoré Amerika príjme. Ó, sem-tam máte niekoľkých roztrúsených. Ale čo sa týka evanjelia, s tým je koniec. A ani im nemôžete kázať, nemôžete s nimi hovoriť. Oni ničomu nebudú veriť. Vidíte? Oni majú svoje vlastné tvrdohlavé predstavy, majú svoj postoj, a to ďalšie čo prichádza na tento národ, to je súd. Príde aj na Ameriku. Môže to byť skrze krízu, môže to byť skrze atómovú bombu, môže to byť skrze veľkú pliagu, chorobu alebo niečo také. Ale ona je pripravená. Súd prichádza. Padnú milióny.
5 Včera sme prechádzali, brat Zabel a ja, išli sme do ... a brat Wood, išli sme dole z Kentucky, kde sme boli tri dni a išli sme okolo sídliska a brat Zabel povedal: „Nie je tam ...“ (Zabudol som.) „Sotva je tu niekto z týchto ľudí na tomto sídlisku, kto by chodil do nejakého zboru.“
6Keby ste sa ich to opýtali: „No, my máme televíziu, pri tom nachádzame pohodlie.“ Vidíte? To je americký postoj. Vidíte? „My máme televíziu. Máme dosť peňazí. Máme pekné autá, máme pekné domy. Čo potrebujeme s Pánom? My to nepotrebujeme!“ A to je ich postoj.
7Ohľadne toho jediného náboženstva a spasenia, ktoré máme a milujeme, a to je medzi skutočnými pobožnými ľuďmi. Viete že Biblia povedala, že to sa stane? (Je to tak.) Ktorí čítate Bibliu, počul som vás zakričať „Amen“ aj vás kazateľov tam vzadu. Je to tak. Láska bude v tých posledných dňoch tak vzdialená, že jediná láska, ktorá zostane, to bude láska medzi vyvoleným Božím ľudom.
Otec bude proti matke a matka proti otcovi a deti proti rodičom a každý jeden proti druhému. A jediná láska, ktorá zostane, to budú len tí vyvolení. Len tí vyvolení. Slovo vyvolený pochádza od slova vyvoliť. Boží vyvolený ľud.
8A keď mi Rossela rozprávala pred chvíľou v tej miestnosti ten príbeh, rozmýšľal som práve, ona povedala, že v ten večer sa niečo stalo. A ako to ... povedal všetko z jej života, keď bola ... proste alkoholička so skleneným pohľadom. Nemohla ... žiadna protialkoholická liečebňa. Štyria doktori sa jej vzdali, nedalo sa už nič urobiť. A ako práve od tej chvíle sa niečo stalo.
9No, ona už nemá ten sklenený pohľad ... je to milá, pekná, mladá žena, 33 ročná a vyzerá asi na dvadsať dva. Práve tak ako Boh pre ňu urobil to, čo urobil a ako vyzerá inak. A ... ale ja som povedal: „Rossela, pred založením sveta Boh určil túto chvíľu.“ Tak veru! Vidíte. Práve .. A keď malý Billy Paul tam ten večer rozdával ľuďom modlitebné karty, on sotva vedel komu dá tú modlitebnú kartu. Či to nie je nádherné, Rossela? [Rossela hovorí z obecenstva. – pozn.prekl.] Amen. Nech ťa Pán žehná, Rossela. Som si istý, že to budeme robiť. Ona chce aby sa zbor za ňu modlil, aby ju Boh viedol. To je ... aby nasledovala jeho nemennú ruku. Ó, to je tak dobre.
10Dnes ráno mi bola predložená strašná ponuka. Nejaký multi, multi, multimilionár chce tu v Louisville, v Kentucky podnikať a postaviť mi modlitebňu za päť miliónov dolárov. Ale niečo v mojom srdci mi povedalo: „Zadrž, ty nie si pastor.“ Vidíte? Tak potom, 5 milión dolárov, to by bolo vhodné ... No, to ... musieť ísť na úrady a platiť za pálenku a takéto veci, ale chcel to dať na modlitebňu pre Pána. Ale dúfam, že sa to dostane nejakému sluhovi Božiemu, ktorý bude ... a na nejakú službu pre Boha. Ale tých 5 miliónov dolárov by bolo teraz vhod, len si to predstavte. Akú modlitebňu by sme mohli postaviť. Vidíš Rossela ako pekne to vyzerá? Ale niečo tu dole hovorí niečo iné. Vidíš? Vidíte? Niečo tu dole.
11My chodíme do tejto malej, starej modlitebne, pre vás cudzích. Dobre, toto tu na rohu by mohlo byť nádherné miesto, neuvedomujete si to, že tí ľudia chceli postaviť toto miesto a postavili to. Ale takto sa nám to páči. Vidíte? Takto sa nám to páči. Staré sedadlá, na ktorých sme sedávali tu v modlitebni boli tie staré pôvodné sedadlá, prežili tú povodeň a boli zaplavené.
12A moja Biblia ležala otvorená takto na kazateľni. Oprela sa až o strop a zase klesla naspäť a Slovo bolo na nej: „Ja Hospodin som ju sadil; Ja ju budem zavlažovať vo dne i v noci, že ju nič nevytrhne z mojej ruky“ [Jedná sa asi o Izaiáša 27:3 – pozn.prekl.] Ako to bolo napísané navrchu, tu a znovu klesla dole. Tie sedadlá znovu prišli na svoje miesto. Jediné čo bolo treba urobiť, očistiť to a pokračovať. Vidíte, vidíte? Tak, takto sa nám to páči. Kde sú obyčajní ľudia, obyčajné miesto a predivný Pán. Amen.
13No, dnes, máme ... začíname sa dostávať ku smotane. Viete, keď je odobraté všetko mlieko a je len smotana. A pamätajte, na vyprodukovanie smotany potrebujete mlieko. Viete. Smotana je súčasťou mlieka.
14Tak, boli sme v prvej, druhej a končíme tretiu a začíname štvrtú kapitolu tejto slávnej knihy Židom. A ó, náuka tejto knihy! Mohli by sme byť pri tom ... tri mesiace pri jednom verši a len ukazovať, že celá Biblia nadväzuje na seba, každý verš. Premýšľali ste niekedy o tom? Nie je ani jeden verš, na ktorý by ste mohli položiť prst, ktorý by z milosti a s pomocou Ducha Svätého nenadväzoval presne na seba, od Genesis do Zjavenia.
15Nie je žiadna iná literatúra, kdekoľvek napísaná, ktorá by to dokázala. A matematicky a geograficky a každým spôsobom, nie je v Biblii kniha, napísaná ako Biblia ... Chcem povedať, že nie je na svete kniha, ktorá by bola napísaná ako Biblia. Nie je nič také. Duchovnosť Biblie je úplne v harmónii. Ešte aj v kapitolách a v znamienkach a vo všetkom. Je to dokonalé. Žiadna iná kniha ... nemôžete v nej prečítať kapitolu, ktorá by si sama neprotirečila. Ale v celej Biblii si ani jedna vec neprotirečí. A písali ju mnohí, mnohí, mnohí ľudia. A v rozmedzí stovky a stovky a stovky rokov. A nevedeli ani ... Jeden to písal tu a druhý to písal tu a ďalší to písal tam, a keď to bolo všetko dané dohromady, vytvorilo to Božiu Bibliu. A nič si tam navzájom neprotirečí. A nie je ... matematicky, geograficky a všetko v Biblii (všetko), duchovne, všetko ide dokonale spolu. Ak to nie je inšpirované, tak potom neviem čo nazývate inšpiráciou. Ja sa tak radujem z tejto požehnanej, starej Biblie.
16Niekto z ľudí mi povedal: „Čo si, katolík? Protestant?
Povedal som: „Ani jedno. Ja verím Biblii.“ To je ono. Ja verím Biblii a som rád, že stále máme v tomto národe slobodu, že to môžeme kázať. Ó, to je nádherné.
17A teraz budeme z tohoto študovať. A prejdeme do knihy Židom a začneme v tretej kapitole a skončili sme pri 15. verši.
18A teraz, všetci ... Videl som pred chvíľou, že niekto si všimol, keď som si zobral ku čítaniu okuliare. To nie preto, že mám zlé oči, ale prekročil som štyridsiatku. Môžem čítať, hneď tu, úplne normálne, ale s okuliarmi môžem čítať lepšie. A urobili mi jedny okuliare na čítanie, ktoré chcem používať, pretože môžem lepšie čítať a rýchlejšie a som ... na to ich mám.
19A teraz v ... Najprv chceme trochu zopakovať to čo sme preberali, pretože môžu byť medzi nami niektorí cudzí, ktorí neprešli cez tú prvú časť knihy Židom.
20Ty tam na konci si pani Coxová? Dobre. Som naozaj rád, že ju vidím. Prv ako začnem, poviem toto na svedectvo milosti Božej. Bola tu žena, ktorá mala zožratú celú tvár od rakoviny. Bola to matka sestry Woodovej. A ja som bol v Michigan s Gene a Leo a ostatnými, ktorí robia nahrávky a na ceste domov mi zavolala moja žena (či vlastne ja som jej zavolal) a povedala: „Choď sa hneď modliť za matku od pani Coxovej, lebo rakovina jej zožrala celú tvár.“ Prešla od strany oka a dole na kosť a prešla po celej tvári a rozširuje sa. Nejaký doktor urobil to či ono, a to sa len zhoršilo a proste sa to rozšírilo. Dali na to nejaký liek.
21A priviedli ju zdola do Camelsville, Kentacky, hore do ... Myslím Acton, Kentucky, hore do Louisville, na ošetrenie.
22A tak pani Woodová, keď som ju prv videl bola celá roztrhaná, pretože to ... pretože to bola je matka a ona sa cítila celá roztrhaná. Vošiel som do tej miestnosti a modlil som sa za ňu s dôverou, že Boh povedal, že On odpovie na modlitbu. A za niekoľko dní bola prepustená a teraz tam sedí ... Úžasná milosť, ako to On pre ňu urobil.
23Povstala by si? Nechcem aby si robila verejné ... Kde bola tá rakovina? Na líci. Vidíte? Tam na jej líci, až tu dole ku sánke, hore okolo očí. A Boh ju uzdravil. Či nie je úžasný?
24Koľkí ste tu boli minulú nedeľu a videli ste čo urobil Pán skrze videnie? Muž, chromý aj slepý, sedel rovno tu v invalidnom kresle. A niečo ma zabolelo, keď ten starý muž, ktorý tu sedel povedal: „Brat Branham ...“ (Myslím, že to bol práve tento brat tu.) Povedal: „Urob to isté pre moju ženu.“ On tu mal svoju chromú ženu. Skoro sa my rozlialo srdce. Prajem ... Dal by som všetko na svete, keby som mohol, ale to nie je ... to nie je v mojej moci. Ale modliť sa, aby to Boh urobil, to je v mojej moci a vo vašej moci. On má chromú ženu a zdá sa, že má ochrnutú ruku a nohu. A tento muž bol v oveľa horšom stave ako ona, pretože ona môže vstať a môže trochu chodiť, ale tento muž nemohol ani to. A on ... mal poškodený hlavný nerv v mozgu, ktorý udržiava rovnováhu. Klinika Mayo a mnohí iní sa ho vzdali. A poslal ho sem nejaký katolík, doktor - katolík. A jeho chlapec je kňazom vo St. Meinrad dole v Jasper, v Indiáne. Ale to kladie základné kamene toho prebudenia, ktoré tam povstáva.
25A keď vstal, povedal: „Ale nemôžem ...“ Pozrel sa a povedal: „Áno, môžem!“ On si myslel, že nemôže vidieť, viete. A pozrel sa, zodvihol hlavu a mohol chodiť a videl. Sám prešiel cez túto uličku. A oni boli presbyteriáni, on bol ortodoxný. A hovoril ... Vy si myslíte že len letniční, alebo ľudia svätosti dokážu kričať. Mýlite sa. Oni istotne dokážu kričať, keď vidia niečo takéto. Objímali jeden druhého a kričali. Chodil hore dole po schodoch, tlačil svoje invalidné kreslo bez nervu, ktorý udržiava rovnováhu a on chodil. Predstavte si to! Chodil tak ako vy alebo ja. Ó, On je úžasný!
26No, Pavel napísal list Židom a v tomto liste Židom ... On to napísal. A prv ako napísal tieto listy ... Zistili sme teraz, budeme ... Toto je lekcia nedeľnej školy a ja sa budem snažiť dávať pozor, aby som nehovoril príliš dlho. A potom budeme mať zhromaždenia, na ktorých budeme v tom pokračovať dnes večer, ak bude vôľa Pánova.
27No, v liste Židom a v ďalších Pavlových epištolách ... Kto bol Pavel? To bol horlivý Hebrej, vzdelaný človek a veľký učiteľ Starého Zákona. A bol vyučený od jedného z najlepších mužov v tom čase. Niekto mi povie ako sa nazýval. Gamaliel, jeden z najväčších učiteľov v tom čase. A Pavel sedával pri nohách Gamaliela.
28Niečo na tom je ... kde chodíte, do akej cirkvi chodíte a aký učiteľ vás učí. Viete to? Na tom niečo je. Preto si máme vyhľadať tú najlepšiu, akú môžeme nájsť, aby sme tak mohli dostávať to najlepšie. Nie preto, že je to sociálne a tak ďalej, ale skutočné Biblické učenie.
29Pozrite, raz keď Izrael vyšiel na púšť so svojimi armádami a sedem dní obchádzali a minula sa im voda. A hrozilo im, že zahynú, povedali: „Ó, keby tu bol na blízku prorok.“
30A jeden z nich povedal: „Tu neďaleko je Elizeus. On lieval vodu na ruky Eliáša.“ Vidíte? To bol jeho priateľ. Inými slovami. „Tu je Elizeus, ktorý mal obecenstvo s Eliášom. U neho je Slovo Pánove.“ Rozumiete? On bol správne vyučovaný. A on povedal: „On je tu. Poďme tam dole a poraďme sa s ním, pretože jeho učiteľom bol Eliáš a on sa drží Eliášovej náuky.“ Vidíte, aký to má význam? Istotne, chceme byť vyučovaní.
31Tak, Pavel bol vyučovaný od Gamaliela. A Gamaliel bol ten veľký muž, ktorý urobil to rozhodnutie, on sám bol vyučený, a keď toto všetko začalo prebiehať v tej prvotnej cirkvi, on povedal: „Bratia, neklaďme na to ruky, ak to nie je od Boha, aj tak sa to rozpadne. Ale ak je to od Boha a my budeme proti tomu bojovať, budeme nájdení ako takí, ktorí sa boria s Bohom.“ Vidíte, on mal nejakú dobrú náuku.
32Pavel vyrástol pri tomto mužovi a on vedel, že Pavel je veľký učiteľ. Tak jedného dňa, úprimný v srdci, prenasleduje cirkev, ide tam a chce ich pozatvárať ...
33No, zoberme ďalšiu etapu z Pavlovho života, keď preberáme to pozadie.
34Keď sa Judáš prehrešil a odpadol (tým, že miloval peniaze a pýchu života), vypadol z milosti a odišiel na svoje miesto. A učeníci povedali: „Musí byť dvanásť.“ A cirkev so všetkou svojou dôstojnosťou (aby som vám ukázal, čo je cirkev), so všetkou svojou dôstojnosťou a so všetkou svojou mocou, je ešte stále prikrátka, milión míľ vzdialená, hoci robí to najlepšie. Oni povedali: „Musíme vybrať jedného spomedzi nás, ktorý zaujme to miesto.“ A oni vrhli losy a pomocou toho vybrali Mateja. (Matiáša, myslím, alebo Mateja.) Myslím že Mateja. A keď ho vybrali a dali ku tým dvanástim (ku tým jedenástim, doplnili do dvanásť), on neurobil ani jednu vec. To je jediný raz kde je v Písme spomenuté jeho meno. To bola voľba, ktorú urobila cirkev.
35No, oni si mysleli: „On je džentlmen.“ Bez pochyby. „On je úžasný človek. On je učený. Je chytrý, vzdelaný. Je to ohromná osoba. On zaujme miesto Judáša a bude jedným z nás.“ Ale viete, Boh niekedy urobí (podľa našej mienky) najnezmyselnejší výber.
36No, Boh videl malého krivonosého žida, takého temperamentného ako len mohol byť, s ústami nakrivo: „Ja tam pôjdem a zavriem každého z nich. Dám ich do väzenia. Ja to urobím.“ To bol Boží výber. Tí ostatní vybrali učenca a diplomata. Tak vyberá cirkev.
37Vidíte? Vy neviete, kto je pri oltári. Vy neviete, kto je ten, komu svedčíte ... vo väzení alebo kdekoľvek. Môže vyzerať ako boxerista so zlomenými ušami a očami vytreštenými ... Ale vy neviete kto to je. Vy len vrháte svoj los, to je všetko. Dávate mu Slovo. Boh robí ten výber.
38A Boh vyberá tohoto malého temperamentného žida ... alebo vybral, na jeho ceste. „Ja tam pôjdem a pozatváram ich. Ja im ukážem, čo môžem urobiť.“ Niečo také. A Boh ho zrazil na zem. Boh povedal: „To je moja voľba, práve tam.“
39Či by to nebolo hlúpe pre cirkev? „Veď on prenasleduje cirkev. To je telesný človek.“ Ale Boh vedel čo bolo vo vnútri toho človeka. Rozumiete, čo chcem povedať?
40Tak, Pavel mal prežitie. Koľkí veríte, že pri obrátení prichádza prežite? Skutočne! Ak nie, pochyboval by som o tom obrátení. Obrátenie prináša prežitie. A vy teraz nemôžete určiť ako sa to prejaví. Niekedy ten človek môže vykrikovať. Niekedy môže hovoriť v jazykoch. Niekedy môže plakať. Niekedy môže vzdychať. Neviete čo to bude, tak sa to nesnažte prideliť, pretože všetko, čo by ste skúsili, by bolo zlé. Vy metodisti a vy baptisti a nazaréni a letniční.
41Videl som ľudí kričať tak hlasno, ako len mohli a ukradli by vám zlato zo zubov, ak by mohli. Tak veru! Videl som ľudí hovoriť v jazykoch, ako keď sypete hrach na suchú kravskú kožu. A v skutočnosti, na druhej strane úst žujú tabak a keby mohli, podrezali by vám hrdlo. Je to tak. Tak tieto veci ... Nie je žiadny dôkaz, ktorým to môžete dokázať, jedine skrze život, ktorým ten človek žije. „Podľa ovocia ich poznáte.“
42Tak to všetko je na Bohu. On robí výber. On dáva dokopy tie veci a je to tak, ako to má byť. Tak ak sa váš život zhoduje s ovocím Biblie, tak ste sa celkom pekne počali. Ak váš duch svedčí s Jeho Duchom, že ste synovia a dcéry Božie, ste ... Všetko to zlé odpadlo a všetko sa stáva novým a žijete v láske a máte pokoj a milosť a tak ďalej. Potom sa dostávate celkom blízko ku Kráľovstvu. Pretože ten Život, ktorý je vo vás produkuje takýto druh života. Vidíte?
43Ak hovoríte: „Ó, haleluja, hovoril som v jazykoch. Haleluja!“ To nič neznamená. To neznamená nič viac, než ako keby ste prišli sem a zahrali na gitare nejaký tón alebo niečo také. To nič neznamená. Hoci by ste hovorili v jazykoch, hoci by ste kričali, a behali hore dole pomedzi rady a plakali a tiekli by vám slzy, ako keby ste lúpali cibuľu, to nič neznamená, vôbec nič, až kým za tým nestojí presne ten každodenný život, ktorý s tým ide.
44No, ak robíte tieto veci plus ten život, „Amen“, to je pekné. To je dobre. Ale môžete robiť tieto veci bez toho, aby ste mali ten život.
45Tak potom, nie vykrikovanie, ani nič takého nie je dôkazom. Ježiš povedal: „Podľa ich ovocia ich poznáte.“ A ovocie Ducha nie je hovorenie v jazykoch. To nie je ovocie Ducha. Vykrikovanie nie je ovocie Ducha. Plakanie nie je ovocie Ducha. Ale láska, radosť, pokoj, zhovievavosť, dobrota, dobrotivosť, vernosť, krotkosť, zdržanlivosť. To je ovocie Ducha. To je to, čím je ovocie Ducha. No dobre.
46No, keď máme tieto veci, to spôsobuje, že ľudia radi robia organizácie. Viete? „Dobre, my to budeme mať. Chvála Bohu, všetci, ktorí veria tak ako my, my pôjdeme touto cestou. A všetci, ktorí veria tak ako my, pôjdeme takouto cestou.“ Ale Boh chce, aby všetci išli touto cestou. Rozumiete? Rovno hore!
47No, Pavel, potom keď mal toto prežitie, potom si myslel, že to bolo nádherné prežitie. No, ako ... Pozrime sa trochu na to prežitie. Pavel bol na ceste do Damašku, aby tam uväznil niektorých ľudí, pretože sa tam dostalo evanjelium. Evanjelium znamená „dobrá správa.“ A tak oni sa tam rozpŕchli a povstávalo mnoho ľudí, plných lásky a radosti a milovali Pána Ježiša. A ono sa roznieslo až tam, tak Pavel zobral nejaké listy od najvyššieho kňaza. Povedal: „Pôjdem tam a všetkých ich pozatváram.“
48Tak si zobral so sebou malú družinu strážcov (chrámových strážcov, vojakov) a vydal sa na cestu. A keď išli po ceste a on len ... všetci vedeli čo ide robiť a zrazu sa niečo stalo. Zrazu sa pred ním zjavilo veľké Svetlo, veľké Svetlo. No, ono svietilo ako slnko. Stala sa zvláštna vec. To Svetlo svietilo tak silno, že on ... Skoro mu vypálilo oči a on spadol na zem. A ležal na zemi a pozrel sa hore.
49Bolo s ním okolo desať alebo pätnásť mužov. Či niektorý z tých mužov videl to Svetlo? Nie. Pavel to videl! Tým ľuďom nebolo dané, aby to videli. Tak, niektorí ľudia môžu vidieť určité veci, zatiaľ čo ostatní nie. Rozumiete? Tak, Pavel videl to Svetlo až tak, že ho až oslepilo. On niekoľko dní nemohol vidieť, pre neho to bolo také skutočné. A on nemohol vidieť niekoľko dní ... neskoršie, keď písal listy, jeho oči ho od vtedy tak trápili, že písal veľkými písmenami. Povedal: „Vidíte, že som vám to napísal veľkými písmenami.“ On skoro nevidel.
50On bol vo väzení a prosil Pána, aby ho z toho uzdravil. A tri razy o to prosil. Ale čo povedal Pán? „Moja milosť ti je dostatočná, Pavel.“
51Pavel povedal: „Teda sa budem chváliť svojimi slabosťami.“ Pretože povedal: „Aby som sa prevelikosťou zjavení príliš nepovyšoval, daný mi je osteň do tela, anjel satanáš, aby ma pohlavkoval.“ Chvíľami sa mu polepšilo a potom to znovu prišlo. Pohlavkovanie, to znamená „úder za úderom“ Ako loď na mori, viete, vlny do nej udierajú. Vidíte, úder za úderom. A polepšilo sa mu, a potom to znovu dostal a potom sa mu polepšilo a znovu to dostal. „ Pane, čo sa deje, nezoberieš to odo mňa?“
52„Dosť ti je moja milosť, Pavel, len sa drž.“ To do držalo ...
53„No, keby to ... keby som bol proste dokonalý a všetko by bolo dokonalé, potom ďalej by som sa nafúkol a povedal by som. Vidíte, na mne nie je nič zlého. Brat, Pán sa o mňa stará. Haleluja.“ Potom sa stávate samospravodliví.
54Boh vám raz za čas musí dať trochu niečo, aby vás tak pokoril, viete. Je to tak. Aby ste si tak uvedomili, že On je šéfom. Ó, či nie je ohromný! Tak veru. To je jednoducho úžasné.
55Tak On ... Pavel potom hneď, keď mal toto veľké prežitie, ...
56No, keby to bol zažil niekto dnes, oni by povedali: „Ó, chvála Bohu, haleluja. Človeče, Pán pre mňa niečo urobil. Sláva Bohu.“ Ale Pavel nebol taký, on bol vyučený z Biblie.
57To prežite muselo súhlasiť s Božím Slovom. Tak veru! Ak to všetko spolu nezapadalo presne do Biblie ... Nie len pozrieť sa sem a povedať: „Ó, áno, tu to je, rovno tu. Chvála Bohu, mám to.“ Och! Boh to takto nedáva.
58To musí pasovať s celou Bibliou. Všetko. Pretože vy môžete ... Neveriaci používajú túto Bibliu ako pole svojich diskusií. Ale oni zoberú jedno miesto Písma tu a prejdú sem a tu zoberú iné miesto a snažia sa ich spojiť, a pritom sú to dve rozdielne témy. Tak Písmo sa musí porovnávať s Písmom.
59Ako povedal Izaiáš v 28. kapitole: „To musí byť riadok za riadkom, riadok za riadkom, trochu tu a trochu tam. Držte sa pevne toho, čo je dobré.“ Vidíte? Takto to prichádza. Riadok za riadkom, Slovo za Slovom, Písmo za Písmom. To musí byť všetko spolu zostavené. Preto si myslím, že v takýchto lekciách ako teraz máme, to je pre cirkev veľká vec, pretože to ich privádza na miesto, kde všetky miesta Písma zapadajú do seba. A naše prežitie musí zapadať do Písma (Ó, tu to máte.), ak to tak nie je, potom je to nesprávne.
60A ako som ja chodil niekoľko rokov a nevedel som, čo to bolo za Svetlo, ktoré zrazilo Pavla na zem. Keď ten vonkajší svet, ľudia, kazatelia sa mi skrze Písmo snažili povedať: „To je z diabla. Ty budeš veštec. Ty budeš špiritista. Nezahrávaj sa s tým, Billy. Na tom je niečo zlé. Nerob to, človeče, to je falošné. To je diabol. Človeče, ty budeš úplné médium. Ak to budeš robiť, bude z teba špiritista. Ó, to je všetko z diabla. To nie je v poriadku.“
61Ale keď ... Ja som to nechcel kázať. Ale ako na ceste do Damašku, Pavel to nechcel kázať. Tak on zistil, či je to správne alebo nie. Tak on išiel dole do Arábie na tri roky a študoval Písma. Keď z tade prišiel povedal: „Teraz mi to skúste vyhovoriť.“
62On vedel, že sa bude musieť postaviť pred farizejov. Musí sa postaviť pred sadúcejov. Musí sa postaviť pred svetom a pred pohanským svetom. A tak Pavel ... Táto Biblia je napísaná ... tento list Židom je napísaný kvôli tomu. On trasie tými židmi a berie ten Starý Zákon a ukazuje to tu v Novom Zákone. „Toto je Boh,“ povedal. „Tu to je vo všetkých tých prorokoch a vo všetkom.“ Začína tam na začiatku, v tej prvej kapitole, ktorú máme: „Boh za dávna (vtedy v dávnych časoch), mnohorakým spôsobom hovorieval ku otcom skrze prorokov.“ Tak Boh prinášal svoje posolstvo overené pomocou Urím a Thumím. „Ale v týchto dňoch prehovoril ku nám skrze svojho Syna, Krista Ježiša.“ A to je overené pomocou jeho Biblie. Tu to máte.
63Tak tieto prežitia, o ktorých svet hovorí: „Ó, to je nenormálne. Aha, nikto ...“ Keď sa zjavil ten anjel, to Svetlo tu dole nad riekou, keď som tu na rohu kázal na svojej prvej evanjelizácii a krstili sme všetkých tých ľudí ... Myslím, že brat Freeman, ty si tam asi bol ... Neviem, či si tu vtedy bol alebo nie. Koľkí ste tu boli, keď sa zjavilo nad riekou to Svetlo? Je tu niekto z tých starších? Áno, niekoľko z nich. Keď to bolo tu dole nad riekou.
64A ľudia povedali: „To bol len optický klam.“ Mnohí z nás tam stáli, dívali sme sa na to a tu to prichádza dole. A potom po rokoch to Boh potvrdil pomocou objektívu fotoaparátu. Je to pravda!
65„Dobre, je to nejaká predstava? Je to niečo, čo ..?“ Vôbec nie! Nachádzame to rovno tu v Biblii a ukazujeme vám to. To je ten istý Pán Ježiš. On robí tie isté veci. Jeho skutky sú také isté. Jeho moc je taká istá.
66Pozrite tu, minulú nedeľu. Ležal som tam v posteli, nikdy v živote som nevidel toho človeka, vystúpil som a povedal: „V zhromaždení je človek, šedivý ... čiernovlasý, prešedivelý. Je slepý a nemôže chodiť, je na invalidnom kresle. Poslal ho čiernovlasý muž, doktor. Doktor Ackerman, čiernovlasý muž, katolík. Videl som tam práve sedieť človeka a TAK HOVORÍ PÁN. Vstal a chodil a mohol vidieť a všetko bolo v poriadku. Čo to bolo? Tu je ten istý anjel. Ten istý anjel, ktorý zrazil na zem Pavla tam na ceste do Damašku, žije dnes vo svojej cirkvi a vo svojich ľuďoch. Písmo sa porovnáva s Písmom, tak to musí byť.
67Ó, máme vlažných ľudí. Za chvíľu ku tomu prídeme. Ó, máme pred sebou hlboké veci, ak sa len ku tomu budeme môcť dostať, dnes alebo zajtra. No, to je len začiatok, aby sme sa dostali na hlbšie vody, kde ...
68Viete, keď som bol malý chlapec, mával som taký malý rybník vonku za týmto miestom a zvykol som tam chodiť. A všetci z nás, keď sme boli malé deti sme behali nahí. Malí, okolo šesť, sedem roční. A my ... Tá voda bola asi takáto hlboká. Nebolo to hlbšie ako mláka pre prasatá. A mal som tam krabicu na skákanie. A ukazoval som, že sa viem ponárať. Držal som si nos a špliechal, a tak som plával. A bruchom som narážal do bahna, viete, a to lietalo na všetky strany. A povedal som otcovi, že viem plávať.
69On ma tam jedného dňa zobral a povedal: „Chcem vidieť ako plávaš.“ A ja som skočil za krík, vyzliekol som sa a bežal som do vody. A špliechal som, že bahno lietalo na všetky strany, a otec sedel na mostíku, sedel tam a chvíľu ma pozoroval, povedal: „Vyjdi z tej mláky, umy sa a poď domov.“ Vidíte?
70No, tak je to s niektorými z nás, ktorí hovoríme, že sme kresťania, plazíme sa v bahne. Je to tak. Kým sa držíte toho, že: „Ja som metodista. Ja som letniční. Ja som presbyterián. Ja mám dôkaz, že to mám.“ Plazíte sa v bahne!
71Raz som bol so svojím strýkom a stále som hovoril ... On bol asi o 15, 16 rokov starší. Boli sme na rieke. Povedal som: „Strýko Art, ja viem plávať.“ A sedel som vzadu v člne, viete. Cítil som sa dobre a bezpečne. On len zobral veslo a strčil ma dole do asi tri metrovej vody. To bolo potom iné, všetok ten šplechot a krik, aký ste v živote počuli.
72Jedného dňa budete vystrčení. Bude lepšie, aby ste vedeli, kde stojíte. Tak veru. Ak Ho poznáte, bude cítiť ... Bude lepšie, aby ste Ho skutočne poznali! Je to tak. Ale teraz ideme na hlbšiu vodu, na hlbšiu vodu, tam sa potopíte, ak nie si dobrý, vykŕmený kresťan.
73Všímajte si Slovo! Pavel, prv našiel to ... išiel naspäť do Starého Zákona a našiel toto. On tam jasne videl svoje prežitie. „Čo to bolo, čo ma zrazilo na zem?“
74To bolo Svetlo, stálo tam veľké Svetlo a svietilo ako slnko, stálo pred ním a On povedal: „Saule, Saule, prečo Ma prenasleduješ?“
75On povedal: „Pane, kto si, že Ťa prenasledujem?“
76On povedal: „Ja som Ježiš.“
77„Ja som si myslel, že On je človek, že má prebité ruky, ľudia tvrdia, že sa teraz zjavuje na zhromaždeniach, s jazvami od klincov na rukách a na hlave.“ Nie, nie. Nie to telo, nie v tom tele. Vidíte?
78On je teraz Svetlo. Saul ... Keď On bol tu na zemi, povedal: „Prišiel som od Boha a idem naspäť ku Bohu.“
79On bol ten anjel, ktorý viedol deti Izraelove v tomto svetle cez púšť. On sa vrátil naspäť do toho istého Svetla a Pavel to videl zo Starého Zákona. On povedal: „Ja som Ježiš, ten Anjel Zmluvy.“
80A On sa stal telom, aby nás vykúpil. Nezobral na seba formu anjelov, videli sme to v predchádzajúcich kapitolách ... nášho štúdia. On nezobral na seba prirodzenosť anjelov, ale bol Semenom Abrahámovým, aby Ho ľudia mohli poznať, aby človek mohol vidieť Boha. Amen. A teraz hovorí: „Vrátim sa naspäť do toho.“
81A Pavel, keď to videl, povedal: „Skutočne, to bol On. To bol On!“
82Peter mal jednej noci prežitie, keď sa modlil. To isté Svetlo vošlo do tej budovy, otvorilo pred ním dvere, vyšiel von na ulicu. A Peter si myslel, že sa mu sníva, tak bol pomazaný. Nevedel, čo sa stalo. Povedal: „Či som sa práve zobudil? Ale som tu vonku na ulici!“
83A išiel do domu Jána Marka. A malé dievča otvorilo dvere, nejaká pani. Mali tam modlitebné zhromaždenie: „Niekto klepe na dvere.“ Otvorila dvere. „Ó“ povedal: „Práve je tu Peter. Vy sa za neho modlíte, aby sa dostal z väzenia. Pán ho oslobodil!“
84„Ó,“ povedali: „ale choď.“ „Ó, Pán ho oslobodil!“
85„Aha,“ povedala: „Stojí tu pri dverách a klepe.“ Peter stále búchal: „Pustite ma dnu.“
86„Ó,“ povedala? „To je Peter.“ V tých dňoch ... oni to stále majú, malé odsúvacie okienko. Malý príklop, ktorý ste tu zodvihli a pozreli ste sa von. Viete. Prv ako ste pustili dovnútra svojho hosťa, museli ste vedieť kto vám klepe na dvere. Pretože boli zbojníci, keby ste otvorili dvere, zabili by vás.
87Tak oni otvorili dvere. Ona povedal: „To je Peter.“
88Oni povedali: „Ó! Ó, on je mŕtvy. To tam stojí jeho anjel.“ Vidíte? Prešiel do svojho osláveného tela, viete, do tej teofánie.
89Pamätáte sa ako sme to preberali, ten veľký diamant a ako on odrážal svetlo, ako to tam prechádzalo naspäť? „Keď tento zemský stánok bude zborený, máme iný, ktorý na nás už očakáva.“ A oni si mysleli, že Peter zomrel a že toto staré telo skonalo a oni ho už za tých niekoľko dní pochovali, a že on vošiel do svojho anjela, alebo do svojho oslá... nie do osláveného tela, ale do svojej teofánie. Do tela, ktoré je už pripravené. Ono si nemôže potriasť s vami ruky. Ono nemá ruky, aby si ich takto mohlo potriasť, ale to je na obraz človeka.
90Prišiel tam a klepal na dvere. Ona povedala: „Nie! To je Peter, on tam stoj.“ Otvoril dvere a vošiel dovnútra a bol tam. No, Petra vyslobodilo toto svetlo.
91Tak isto ako tá prvotná ... ako Pavel, v tej prvotnej cirkvi videl to svetlo Božie, ktoré zasvietilo na Pavla, teraz prišlo dole to isté. No, ľudia môžu vravieť čokoľvek, to ešte neznamená, že je to pravda. Ale keď Boh niečo potvrdzuje, to, čo to robí je dôkazom. Potom to potvrdzuje fotoaparát. A všetko, čo ... čo Pán vykonal, bolo úplne neomylne dokázané, že to je Boh. Podľa Písma, podľa prejavov, podľa prežitia. Ale ľudia nechcú počúvať.
92Pozrite sa tu v tejto modlitebni. Pamätajte, vy viete, netúžime po veľkých davoch. Nemáme ani pre nich miesto. Ale pozrite sa, zhromaždenie takéhoto typu, kde sa kvôli tomuto schádzame, má upútať pozornosť Falls Cities. Ale oni sú mŕtvi. Oni sú úplne mŕtvi. Majú oči a nevidia. Poviete: „Prečo, brat Branham, prečo nejdú k doktorovi a nedajú si napraviť zrak?“ On nevie napraviť taký zrak!
93Ježiš povedal: „Keby ste poznali mňa, poznali by ste môj deň.“ On povedal: „Vy slepí farizejovia. Tvárnosť oblohy dokážete rozoznať, ale znamenia času nedokážete.“
94Prechádza vám to ponad hlavy? Počúvajte! Pozrite sa na znaky, v ktorých teraz žijeme. No, toto nie je nejaká ... Ja sám o sebe som len človek, ani nie kazateľ. Nemám žiadne vzdelanie na to, čo svet nazýva „kazateľ.“ A my sme len biedni ľudia. Pozrite sa na túto budovu, v ktorej sme. Pozrite sa dnes na tie katedrály. Ale pozrite kde je Boh! To je hlavné.
95Taký bol Moáb, keď tam stál v celej svojej skvelosti a nádhere. A Izrael bol tam v stanoch. Ale kde bol Boh? Tam dole bola malá skupina nejakých fanatikov, ktorí robili všetko možné, čo bolo zlé. Ale Balám, ich biskup si nevšimol tú udretú Skalu a toho mosadzného hada, ten Ohnivý Stĺp. Jeho oči boli slepé, on to nemohol vidieť. On povedal: „Oni si to len vymýšľajú.“ Ale On tam bol!
96Chvála Bohu, On je tu! Boh je tu! A robí tie isté veci, ktoré robil. A On bude ... Porovnávame Písmo s Písmom. Boh sa nikdy nezobrazil na zemi ako niečo veľké, ale On stále prebýval medzi obyčajnými, pokornými ľuďmi. A On je tu dnes ráno a robí tie isté veci. Písmo to potvrdzuje. Fotoaparát to potvrdzuje. No to ... Dôvod, že som poukázal na ten obrázok nie je ten, že som na ňom ja. Ja som len hriešnik spasený z milosti, tak ako vy. Ale sa vám snažím povedať, že to je s nami Jeho prítomnosť. To je to hlavné. No, ak ma On urobil stelesneným Eliášom, ak nemáte vieru, aby ste tomu verili, nič vám to nepomôže. „On prišiel ku svojím vlastným a jeho vlastní Ho neprijali.“
97Preto dnes tu v meste ... Aha, mohol by som tu zahájiť evanjelizáciu v nejakej veľkej budove alebo v niečom, nezískali by ste veľa ľudí, ktorí by tomu verili. Oni proste nebudú veriť. Nemôžu. Ich deň skončil.
98Táto istá lekcia dnes ráno by v Afrike možno potiahla desať tisíc ľudí, najmenej desať tisíc duší pre Krista. A tu dnes ráno sem-tam možno potiahne jedného hriešnika alebo niekoho ... nejakého odpadlíka. Väčšina z nich sú len prečesaní znovu a znovu až kým to neskončí. To je všetko. Ale čo sa snažíme povedať je, že Písmo súhlasí s Písmom.
99Nezáleží na tom aké veľké je to prežitie, ak sa nezhoduje s Písmom, s tým Urím a Thumím, je to zlé. Nezáležalo na tom, aký dobrý bol ten prorok, ak hovoril a to svetlo na tom Urím a Thumím sa nerozsvietilo, bolo to zlé. Nezáležalo na tom, ako dobre vyzeral ten sen, ak sa to Urím a Thumím nerozsvietilo, bolo to zlé. Keď sa skončilo to kňazstvo, Boh dal svoju Bibliu. Pavel povedal: „Keby prišiel aj anjel z neba (Galaťanom 1:8) a kázal by iné evanjelium ako to, ktoré vám bolo zvestované, nech je prekliaty.“
100Anjel z neba (povedal Jánovi, ktorý napísal Zjavenie), ktorým bol sám Boh: „Ja, Ježiš som poslal svojho anjela, aby vám svedčil, alebo ukázal tieto veci.“ On povedal: „Keby niekto ku tomu pridal jedno slovo alebo odňal z toho jedno slovo, tak isto bude odňatý jeho diel z Knihy Života.“ Toto je to, Biblia!
101A tak tieto prežitia a tieto veci, ktoré sa tu stali, keby to nebolo potvrdené Božím Slovom, bolo by to zlé. Je mi jedno, čo sa dialo, bolo by to zlé. Tak to súhlasí s Písmom, je to úplná pravda. Ó, som tak šťastný, že som členom toho veľkého Kristovho tela.
102No, poďme teraz, ideme do tejto lekcie. No, zakončili sme tu, kde on povedal: „Aj my keď máme taký veľký ... „Prepáčte. To je ... Citoval som dvanástu kapitolu. Čítal som to, ale som to neštudoval.
103Brat Norman sa zastavil tam u mňa doma a on vie, že som prišiel len včera a tí bratia tam vedia, že som práve prišiel. Jediný čas, ktorý som mal čítať si Písmo, to bolo práve keď som tu sedel pred niekoľkými minútami. Je to tak, neštudoval som to. Očakávam len na Ducha Svätého, aby nám to dal tak, ako On chce. On vie, kde je tá osoba, ktorá to musí mať. A tak ak som si niečo poskladal vo svojej mysli, čo chcem povedať, potom to je zlé. Ale keď len nechám Jeho, aby to urobil, On to položí priamo tam, kde to patrí. Rozumiete? „Nestarajte sa o to, čo budete hovoriť, pretože nie ste to vy, ktorí hovoríte, to je váš Otec, ktorý prebýva vo vás. To On hovorí.“
104No, tá posledná kapitola, tá predchádzajúca, počuli sme toto, že: „Akože my utečieme, ak zanedbáme toto veľké spasenie?! Ktoré nám prv kázal Pán Ježiš a On s tými, ktorí Ho počuli.“ Tie isté veci, ktoré robil Ježiš, aby ukázal ... Tie isté veci sa dejú tu. Ten istý anjel Boží, tie isté skutky, ten istý dôkaz, všetko to isté, všetko ako tam. To isté evanjelium, presne podľa Slova. Keď to Pán učil, potom to potvrdil skrze svojich učeníkov, čo sme počuli, Pavel bol ním tak isto. Akože my utečieme ak zanedbáme také veľké spasenie?
105No, Pavel toto hovorí svojím hebrejským poslucháčom. No, oni nemali magnetofóny, ako dnes tu máme, ale mali pisárov, ktorý tam sedeli a zapisovali to tak, ako to Pavel kázal. A to je to, čo je práve tu. My to zachytávame pomocou magnetofónov a tieto pásky idú po svete (vidíte?) aby ukázali, že toto je pravda. Naše náboženstvo nie je márne, to je úplne vzkriesený Ježiš Kristus, tak isto. A tak to nesmieme zanedbať.
106No, neodchádzajte dnes zo zboru a nehovorte: „Dobre, rád tam chodím. Rád spievam a mám rád tých priateľských ľudí tam v tom malom zbore.“ Nehovorte tak.
107Brat, nech sa rozhorí tvoje srdce. Povedz: „Aha, musím s týmto niečo urobiť. Musím vyjsť a budem vidieť, či budem môcť priviesť niekoho ku spaseniu.“
108A nechoďte a nehovorte: „Chvála Bohu, ak nebudeš činiť pokánie, zahynieš.“ Nie. Pristupuj ku tomu nežne. Buďte chytrí ako hady a prostí ako holubice. Vidíte, tak treba ísť. Pristúpte ku človeku, ak on chová kurence, hovorte s ním za chvíľu o kurencoch. Rozumiete? A potom ani nebudete vedieť ako a budete hovoriť o Pánovi. Ak je to farmár, hovorte s ním o farme.
109Ak predáva autá, hovorte s ním za chvíľu o autách: „Aké máš pekné autá,“ a tak ďalej. Rozumiete?
110Až kým nezachytíte Ducha, keď Otec hovorí: „Teraz je čas podísť ku nemu ohľadne jeho duše.“
111Môžete to začať, viete: „To je dobré auto. Vieš doprava sa dnes stala dôležitou vecou. Ó, ako sa tým krajiny priblížili jedna ku druhej. A mestá v našich krajoch sa priblížili. Priatelia a matky môžu navštíviť jeden druhého. Vieš, to je ohromná vec mať také autá, ako ty predávaš.“
112„Áno, samozrejme, ó.“ (Viete, poťahuje cigaretu, či niečo.) „Áno, to sú dobré autá.“
113Zamyslel si sa niekedy, čo by si ľudia voľakedy pomysleli, keby videli niečo takéto?“ A ďalej takto pokračujete, viete.
114A po chvíli poviete: „Áno, istotne je. Vieš, a ďalšie v čom to slúži, prinesie to, ako máme pri ... ako pri evanjelizáciách. Ľudia môžu prísť rýchlo na evanjelizáciu aj z druhej strany krajiny.“ Vidíte? Po celý čas otvárate cestu. Viete.
115No, ak cítite, že niečo hatí tú cestu, hneď tam prestaňte, odstúpte sa nabok. Ako povedal jeden doktor vo Phonixe: „Pane, naplň moje ústa dobrými slovami a potom ma štuchni, aby som veľa nehovoril.“ Vidíte? „Štuchni ma, keď som už dosť povedal.“
116No, všimnite si, začneme od 15. kapitoly ... či od 15. verša tretej kapitoly. Pristúpme teraz ku tomu:
Teda keď je povedané: Dnes, keby ste počuli jeho hlas, nezatvrdzujte svojich sŕdc ako v tom rozhorčení Boha!
117No. Dávajte pozor, čo tu Pavel hovorí. Teraz je povedané: „Dnes, po toľkom čase, ...“ Za chvíľu ku tomu prídeme, ku tomu „dnes, po toľkom čase.“ Prichádzame do ďalšej kapitoly: „Po toľkom čase.“
... je povedané: Dnes, keby ste počuli jeho hlas, nezatvrdzujte svojich sŕdc, ako v tom rozhorčení Boha!
(Keď rozhorčovali Boha)
118No, čítajme ten ďalší verš.
Lebo niektorí počuli a rozhorčili.
... (No o čom hovorí? O evanjeliu.) ...Ale nie všetci, ktorí vyšli z Egypta skrze Mojžiša.
A na ktorýchže zanevrúc hneval sa štyridsať rokov? Či nie na tých, ktorí hrešili, a ktorých telá popadali na púšti?
(Zastavme sa tu na chvíľu.)
119Rozhorčenie — keď oni rozhorčili. No, čo urobil Boh? Pavel sa to snaží povedať. Čo ich vyviedlo von z Egypta? Bol to Mojžiš? Nie! Mojžiš bol telesný nástroj.
120Máme tu teraz pozadie. Chceme sa dať teraz napraviť. Keď sa za chvíľu dotkneme tu tohoto miesta, budete to vidieť.
121No, Boh nemal svoj ľud na pevnom odpočinku. Oni boli v Egypte. Neboli na svojom pravom mieste. Boli pomimo svojej vlasti. Boli cudzincami a pútnikmi a Boh sa ich snažil priviesť z toho miesta, kde boli usadení, v Egypte, hore do vlasti.
122Predobraz na dnes. Sme v neistom stave. Ľudia tu nie sú dlho. Malý chlapec s bacuľatými rúčkami hrá guličky, malé dievčatko sa hrá s bábikami a ani sa nenazdáte máte šedivé vlasy a vrásky. Niečo tu nie je v poriadku, toto nie je domov. Sme na nesprávnom mieste. Preto hovoríme, že sme pútnici a cudzinci. Niečo sa stalo.
123Jedna mladá pani povedala dnes ráno v tej miestnosti, ako sa jej ľudia niekedy smejú. Povedal som jej: „Ale drahá sestra, ty nie si z tých ľudí.“ My sme iní ľudia.
124Moje malé dievča mi povedalo: „Ocko! Tie a tie dievčatá robia to a to ... to urobili.“
125Povedal som: „Ale pozri sa drahá ...“ Oni majú tie platne Elvisa Presleyho. Povedal som: „Ja by som to nechcel v mojom dome.“
126Ona povedal: „Ale, otecko, to sú veľmi milé dievčatá.“
127Povedal som: „Môžu byť, nič proti tomu nehovorím, ale tam je jeden rozdiel, my sme iní. My sme iní. Nie že by sme chceli byť iní, ale Duch, ktorý je v nás, vyšiel z toho. Vy ste z iného sveta.“
128Keď idem do Afriky, nemôžem sa prispôsobiť ich spôsobu života. Oni nenosia žiadne šaty, sú nahí. A zoberú niečo, čo je už zhnité, sú v tom červíky a aj tak to jedia, vôbec im to nevadí. Vidíte? Ja ... Toto je iné.
129Viete voľakedy sme všetci boli takí. Ale civilizácia nás priniesla a urobila inými. A obrátenie spravilo ten rozdiel miliónkrát väčší. My už viac nechceme zhnité veci tohoto sveta. Kristus z nás spravil kresťanov. Ako civilizácia spravila, že sme čistí. A všimnite si, nie len to, ale my vyznávame, že sme pútnikmi a cudzincami. Nie sme z tohoto sveta. Potom nechcete mať nič spoločné s týmto svetom. A tieto veci pominuli.
130No, Izrael bol dole v Egypte. Oni neboli Egypťania. Egypťania ... pre Egypťanov bola hanba, dotýkať sa oviec a Izraeliti boli pastieri oviec. A ako to nakoniec muselo dostať Mojžiša, ako Egypťana (tá nedôstojnosť, chovatelia dobytka). Všimli ste si, čo povedal faraón Jozefovi a tak ďalej? „Je to ohavnosťou.“ Povedal: „Tvoji ľudia sú pastieri stáda.“ A Egypťania nemôžu ani len položiť svoje ruky na pastierov. On bol iný ľud.
131A tak je to dnes s kresťanom. Keď sa znovuzrodí, to nie je ... pre neho je to špinavosť stýkať sa tam, kde ľudia pijú a hovoria špinavé žarty a kde sú nahé ženy a všetko možné ... To je špinavosť. A ó, chvála Pánovi. My sme tu pútnici. Sme tu cudzinci. Duch sa obrátil a my hľadáme Mesto, kde ženy nechodia v šortkách. Hľadáme mesto, v ktorom nie sú krčmy, kde čapujú pivo. Hľadáme mesto, v ktorom prebýva spravodlivosť. Tak my sme pútnici.
132Tak Boh prišiel dole vo veľkom chumáči svetla ako svätožiara, zostúpil do kríka a začal sa zjavovať najprv Mojžišovi. Mojžiš povedal ... Viete, ako sme raz večer mali tú lekciu ako to, keď Ježiš bol tu dole na zemi, On povedal: „Prv ako bol Mojžiš, JA SOM.“ To bol Ježiš v tom horiacom kríku, v tom Ohnivom Stĺpe. To je Ježiš dnes, ten istý! A On sa zjavil v Ohnivom Stĺpe a Mojžiš mal to prežitie. On išiel dole do Egypta, kázal evanjelium (dobrú správu), a nasledovali ho znamenia a zázraky. Pochopili ste to. To isté je dnes!
133Nie len to, ale keď tí Hebreji vyšli von (kráčali vo svetle), boli vedení tým istým Ohnivým Stĺpom. A Biblia hovorí že: „Nepokúšajte Boha.“
134Pozrite sa sem, dovoľte, že to prečítam.
Teda keď je povedané: Dnes keby ste počuli jeho hlas, nezatvrdzujte svojich sŕdc
... (Jeho Hlas hovorí do vášho srdca.) ...ako v tom rozhorčení Boha.
(Keď Ho oni rozhorčovali.)Počúvajte:
Lebo niektorí počuli a rozhorčili ...
135Koľkí viete, že Izraeliti rozhorčili Boha svojou neverou? Oni šomrali. Oni úplne ... Boh išiel rovno tam a ... Keď on vyšiel ... Prvé kvôli čomu sa dostali do problémov. Tu nad nimi bol tento Ohnivý Stĺp. Ja neviem, či to videli alebo nie. Prinajmenej to videl Mojžiš a to bolo nad nimi a oni to pozorovali. A keď prišli dole ... Povedzme, že ak to nevideli. Ja neviem či to videli alebo nie. To išlo pred nimi, Biblia hovorí, že to tam bolo.
136Je povedané, že tá hviezda išla pred tými mudrcmi. Nikto okrem tých mudrcov ju nevidel. Ona prešla ponad všetky observatóriá. Ľudia podľa hviezd počítali čas. Nikto okrem tých mudrcov ju nevidel. Ona bola tam na to, aby ju oni videli. A tá hviezda bola poslaná pre tých mudrcov.
137A ten Ohnivý Stĺp bol poslaný ku Mojžišovi, a Mojžiš bol poslaný ku deťom Izraelovým. A oni mali nasledovať Mojžiša. Oni mohli vidieť Mojžiša a Mojžiš videl to Svetlo. Oni tam išli, boli vedení. A keď vyšli, prišli ku Červenému moru. A oni všetci ... Oni už viacej nevideli diať sa znamenia a zázraky a také veci, ako kým boli stále v tej starej zemi, v Egypte. Ale keď stade vyšli na svoju cestu (len čo sa obrátili a vyšli), potom sa ani nenazdali a dostali sa do problémov.
138Boh vás rád privedie do problémov. On rád privedie problémy a díva sa čo s tým budete robiť. Tak On dal do cesty Červené more, a ani ste nezbadali, vypochodoval s nimi rovno na toto miesto a potom poslal za nimi faraóna. Vidíte ako to Boh rád robí? On rád prejaví svoju moc a lásku. On je Boh a On vám proste rád ukáže kto On je. Amen! A dnes je ten problém, že ľudia hovoria: „Ó, tie dni už pominuli.“ Nie. Ako sa Boh môže prejaviť, keď vás učia niečo takéto? Ale Boh sa rád prejavuje.
139Tu prichádzajú deti Izraela, idú v tom svetle. Mojžiš ide pred nimi. Tu oni idú: „Poďte, toto je tá cesta. Boh nás volá a my ideme. Ideme do zasľúbenej zeme. Ó, Haleluja!“ Oni tu všetci boli, vykrikovali a vyskakovali a prežívali pekné chvíle. Viete. A ani sa nenazdáte, pozreli sa naspäť a povedali: „Ó, čo je to za prach?“
140Jeden z nich vyšiel na kopec a povedal: „Ó, beda! Beda! To je faraónova armáda!“
141Boh povedal: „Čoho sa tak bojíš? Či si neveril tomu, čo som robil tam dole? Čo sa strachuješ? Prečo ma hneváš?“
142Keď tam prišli, Mojžiš prosil Boha. Boh jednoducho otvoril Červené more a oni cezeň prešli a tých nepriateľov v ňom zavrel. Boh to takto robí. Nestrachujte sa. Nebuďte celý rozrušení. Neznervózňujte sa. Tým rozhorčujete Boha.
143Čo On potom urobil? Vyzeralo to ako: „Dobre, mali sme jednu veľkú skúšku. Chvála Bohu, máme to za sebou. Už to viacej nebudeme mať. Sme na ceste do zasľúbenej zeme.“ A On ich viedol rovno do púšte, kde nebola voda. Vidíte? Dokážete si to predstaviť? Boh so svojím posväteným, svätým ľudom, ich vedie rovno do tejto pasce, potom ich vyviedol z tejto pasce a vedie ich rovno sem, kde nebola voda. A pritom ich mohol viesť nejakou cestou, kde bola voda. Prečo? On keby chcel, mohol spraviť aby celou cestou tiekla okolo rieka. On mohol v radosti odlomiť každý vrch a spraviť, aby tryskala voda stopäťdesiat metrov do vzduchu, keby chcel. Určite. On by to mohol. Ale keby to urobil, bolo by to príliš ľahké. Ó, nech je požehnané meno Pánove!
144„Brat Branham, prečo Boh dovolil, aby sa toto stalo? Prečo Boh...?“ Boh to robí. Nechajte ho, kráčajte len ďalej. To je Božia starosť. „Kroky spravodlivých sú riadené od Pána.“ Tak veru! Či to niečo na tom mení?
145„Brat Branham, prišiel som o všetky svoje peniaze.“ Dobre, aj tak nech je požehnaný Boh!
146„Och, urobil som toto a toto sa stalo, víchrica mi zrútila dom.“
147Nech je požehnaný Boh, pri tom všetkom. „Pán dal, Pán vzal, nech je požehnané meno Pánove.“ Len ďalej kráčaj, to je všetko sláva Božia. Boh vie, čo robí.
Niekedy cez vodu, niekedy cez príval.
Niekedy cez ťažkú skúšku,
ale stále cez Krv. (On nás takto vedie)
148Je to tak. Ó! Cítim sa, že by som mohol zakončiť a kričať od radosti. Takto On vedie svoje drahé deti. Ó, či môžete cítiť ...? No, ja nie som psychológ, ale môžete cítiť teraz toho milého Ducha, ktorý obklopuje toto miesto. Čo keby sa vám teraz otvorili oči a videli by ste, čo tu stojí popri týchto stenách a pomedzi rady?
149Ó, Elizeus raz ráno, keď ten chlapec bol tak strašne slepý a povedal: „Pozri, tam dole sú Sírovia.“
— Ale s nami je viacej.
— Ja nikoho nevidím.
— Pane, otvor oči tomu chlapcovi.
150On sa pozrel okolo toho starého proroka a všade dookola to ... tie kopce boli v ohni, plné ohnivých koní a ohnivých vozov. On sa potom presvedčil.
151On povedal: „Vyjdeme len tam a raníme ich slepotou.“ Oni mali dokonalí zrak tak ako vždy, ale boli slepí na neho. Opýtal sa: „Hľadáte Elizeusa?“
— Áno, pane.
152„Tak poďte, ukážem vám, kde je.“ A to ich on viedol. Oni to nevedeli.
153A tak je to dnes. Kristus je tu! Duch Svätý je tu a robí tie isté veci, ktoré stále robil a svet je na to slepý! Oni to nevedia. „Ó, ja neviem, čo sa toho týka, môj pastor ...“ Ó, biedni, schátralí ľudia! Rozumiete, čo myslím? Oni sú na to slepí. Oni to nevedia. Boh vedie ľudí.
154No, oni vyšli na púšť Sín. Tam nebola žiadna voda. Boh to mal všetko pripravené. Ó, a našli mláku s vodou a povedali: „Toto je to.“ A nemohli ju ani ochutnať. Ó, to bolo strašné. Ó, to je horšie ako 100 percentná síra. Viete? Ako skazené vajcia, viete. „Och, joj, to je strašné.“ To bola otrava. No, nazývalo sa to púšť Sín [Po anglicky slovo sin znamená hriech. – pozn.prekl.] Rástlo tam niekoľko paliem a tam kde rástli tie palmy bol prameň. Potom Mojžiš povedal: „Ne ...“
155Ale Boh povedal: „Prečo ... prečo ma rozhorčujú? Dobre, keď som tam vtedy robil tie veci, či nemôžem urobiť niečo v tejto situácii?“
156Keď ťa dostal z jednej choroby, či ťa nemôže dostať i z druhej? On ťa vyviedol z jedného problému, či ťa nemôže vyviesť aj z ďalšieho? Chvála Bohu, keď ma vyviedol z hriechu, dokáže ma vyviesť aj z hrobu. On je Boh. Aký je v tom rozdiel? Len ďalej maj svoje oči obrátené na Neho.
157Povedal: „Keď som za vami zavrel Červené more a zatopil Egypťanov, či nedokážem urobiť niečo s touto vodou? Prečo ma s tým hneváte? Oj, vy neveriaci! Vy ma vašou neverou popudzujete do hnevu.“
158 Tu je použité slovo hriech, rozhorčovali. Robili ... oni to robili preto, že neverili. Oni tam nevyšli a nezačali hrať kocky alebo niečo takéto. Oni nechodili za ženou niekoho iného, nevyšli a neklamali. To nebolo to, čo robili. Ale to nie je v podstate hriech.
159Žiť v cudzoložstve nie je hriech. Fajčiť, žuť, piť, hrať hazardné hry, preklínať, prisahať a tak ďalej, to nie je hriech. To sú prejavy nevery. Vy to robíte, pretože ste neveriaci. Ak ste veriaci, tak to nerobíte. Preto Ježiš povedal: „Ten kto čuje moje slová a verí tomu, ktorý ma poslal, má večný život.“ Nie ten kto hovorí, že verí, ale skutočne verí. Tu to máte. To odsúva nabok všetky vaše počiatočné prejavy. Vidíte? Tu to máte. Nie „Ten, kto počuje moje slovo a kričí.“ Nie: „Ten, kto počuje moje slovo a hovorí v jazykoch.“ Nie: „Ten, kto počuje moje slovo a má na rukách alebo na tvári krv.“ Ani nič takéto. To nie je to. „Ten, kto počuje moje slovo a verí v toho, ktorý ma poslal, má večný život a nepríde na súd, ale prešiel zo smrti do života.“
160Čo je to hriech? Nevera! Môže povstať niečo malé a namiesto toho, aby ste išli rovno do Písma a zistili, či je to pravda alebo nie, hovoríte: „Ó, ja ... hmm. Ja ...“ Vidíte? Idete ďalej svojou cestou. „Ja zostanem ďalej presbyteriánom, ako som. Vieš, ja ...“ Zostaň. Slepý! A rozhorčujete Boha.
161Keď Boh niečo robí, on očakáva, že ľudia sa toho chytia. Ale namiesto toho: „Vieš, no dobre, neviem o tom.“ Vidíte? On očakáva, že ľudia to porozumejú. Ak ste dostatočne presvedčení, sadnite si ku Písmu, prechádzajte cezeň a skúmajte ho hore dole a pozorujte, či sa to stalo. Či je to predpovedané, že sa to stane a tak ďalej. Potom to porozumiete. Amen.
162No všimnite si:
Teda keď je povedané: Dnes, keby ste počuli jeho hlas, nezatvrdzujte svojich sŕdc ako v tom rozhorčení Boha.
(Keď bol Boh z nich rozhorčený. Vidíte?)Lebo niektorí počuli
... (Počuli evanjelium, počuli kázať Mojžiša.) ...a rozhorčili. Ale nie všetci, ktorí vyšli z Egypta skrze Mojžiša.
163Koľkí viete, že koľko ľudí bolo spasených z tej pôvodnej skupiny, ktorá vyšla? Koľko? [Zhromaždenie hovorí: „Dvaja.“ – pozn.prekl.] Áno, dvaja. Koľkí viete ako sa volali? [Zhromaždenie odpovedá: „Kálef a Jozua.“ – pozn.prekl.] Áno. Kálef a Jozua, len dvaja, z okolo dvoch miliónov.
164Počúvajte toto:
A na
... (17. verš teraz)A na ktorýchže zanevrúc hneval sa štyridsať rokov?
... (kvôli nevere) ...Či nie na tých, ktorí hrešili
(neverili), ...165Zoberte si slovník a nájdete čo znamená slovo hriech, zoberte si Biblický slovník. To je nevera. Nevera je hriech! „Ten, kto neverí je už odsúdený.“ Ev. sv. Jána 4. Vidíte? „Už odsúdený!“
... ktorých telá popadali na púšti?
A ktorýmže prisahal, že nevojdú do jeho odpočinku, ...
166Vaša nevera ... Ó, takto nikdy nepreberiem túto kapitolu. Ale pozrite sa, to je to, čo sa deje dnes s týmto národom. Znamenia a zázraky prešli krížom krážom cez tento národ. Čo oni robia? Stále sa ku tomu obracajú chrbtom. A On povedal: „Prisahám, že im nedám vojsť do zeme, do ktorej sa vybrali.“
167Čo sa dnes deje s týmito veľkými cirkvami? Ich nevera popudila Boha. Haleluja! On je schopný z týchto kameňov vzbudiť deti Abrahámovi. On sa im snažil dať evanjelium a oni zatvrdili svoje srdcia. Stali sa kultom a urobili malé denominácie a „My veríme toto a nič iné.“ A Boh nemohol vojsť dovnútra. Kde sú dnes? Odstavení nabok.
168Božia malá verná skupinka ide rovno vpred so znameniami a zázrakmi. On ich dáva do skúšky. Každý syn, ktorý prichádza ku Bohu musí byť najprv cvičený a skúšaný, vycvičené dieťa.
169Stala sa prvá malá vec: „Ó, dobre, možno na tom aj tak nezáleží.“ Ste nemanželské dieťa a nie dieťa Božie.
170Lebo dieťa Božie je Semeno Abrahámove, ktorý nazýva veci, ktoré nie sú, ako keby boli. „Boh tak povedal!“ A ďalej sa toho držia. Amen. Bez ohľadu na to, čo kto hovorí alebo čokoľvek sa deje, oni aj tak tomu veria: „Boh tak povedal!“
171On dvadsaťpäť rokov čakal na to dieťa, nevadilo mu aké to bolo protikladné. A on sa oddelil od tých neveriacich, amen) aby tak mohol veriť. Ó, cítim sa nábožne. Predstavte si to. Vy sa musíte oddeliť od svetskej dogmy. „Och, dni zázrakov pominuli. Také niečo už neexistuje. To je fanatizmus.“ Oddeľte sa od toho!
172Biblia hovorí: „Vyjdite z pomedzi nich a oddeľte sa, hovorí Pán, a Ja vás prijmem.“ Aké nádherné. „Ja vás prijmem, potom keď ste sa oddelili. Budete moje deti a ja budem váš Boh. Oddeľte sa. Nepriahajte sa do jarma s neveriacimi.“ To je ono.
173Mladý muž sa žení, berie si nejaké dievča, ktoré neverí. Alebo nejaké mladé dievča sa vydáva za chlapca, ktorý neverí. To nemajú robiť. Nestarám sa aký je on milý a ... alebo aká je ona milá a aké má veľké oči. To všetko v jednom z týchto dní zvädne. Ale brat, tvoja duša bude žiť naveky. Buď opatrný, čo robíš. Ona nie je skutočná veriaca alebo on nie je skutočný veriaci, nepriahaj sa takto. Drž sa preč od niečoho takého, to ti spôsobí na ceste problémy.
174No, počúvajte, 17. verš.
A na ktorýchže zanevrúc hneval sa štyridsať rokov? Či nie na tých, ktorí hrešili, a ktorých telá popadali na púšti?
A ktorýmže prisahal, že nevojdú do jeho odpočinku, ...
175Oni sa vydali na cestu, ale ... Videli zázraky, ale nikdy sa nedostali do zasľúbenej zeme. Len vyvolená skupina, ktorú tvorili dvaja, vošli do zasľúbenej zeme.
176No čo robí Pavel? On hovorí teraz kresťanom. Nenechajte toto isté evanjelium, ktoré bolo tam vtedy kázané v znameniach a zázrakoch, a viedol ich Ohnivý Stĺp ... a keď sa znovu dejú tieto veci, neodpadnite skrze neveru, aby ste začali pochybovať, lebo ich telá popadali na púšti.
177No, teraz ku tomu rýchlo prídeme. Dávajte dobrý pozor.
... ak nie tým, ktorí neposlúchali?
A vidíme, že nemohli vojsť pre neveru.
(On to raz nazýva „hriech“, a druhý krát tomu hovorí „nevera“. Nevera je hriech. Oni nevošli pre ich neveru.)178Oni videli toho proroka Mojžiša, videli čo robil. Videli, čo povedal, to bola stále pravda. Chodili presne v pravde. Tento Ohnivý Stĺp sa zjavoval pred ním. Oni to pozorovali. Oni to videli.
179Pavel sa snaží dostať ... trochu neskoršie, tu ďalej prišiel ku prežitiu, ktoré mal on. Vidíte? Snaží sa dať do spojitosti to prežitie, on to prirovnal ku Starému Zákonu. Povedal: „My teraz skrze Ježiša Krista vchádzame do novej veci, do tohoto nového zriadenia.“ Za dávna sa im Pán zjavoval skrze prorokov, ale teraz je zjavený skrze svojho Syna, Ježiša. Vidíte? A zachádza do svojho ... aby im zobrazil tie prežitia a ukázal, čo sa dialo. Ako tie znamenia a zázraky a všetko a čo bolo napísané.
180No, on povedal: „Oni nevošli pre ich neveru.“ Oni neverili!
181Ale teraz, my ktorí vchádzame do tohoto zriadenia ... A nezatvrdzujte svoje srdcia. Nesprávajte sa tak ako oni v tých dňoch rozhorčenia, keď hnevali Boha. Ako to oni robili? Nie tým, že žili nemorálne. Dovoľte, že vám toto predstavím.
182Vy hovoríte: „Brat Branham, ja chodím do zboru.“ To je dobre.
— Nikdy v živote som neklamal. — To je dobre.
183„Nikdy som nekradol. Nikdy som neurobil toto, tamto ani nič také.“ To je veľmi pekné. To je všetko dobre, ale to stále nie je hriech. Hriech je to, keď sa Boh ukáže a vy tomu neveríte, nechcete to počúvať.
184Poviete: „Ale, moja cirkev to neučí.“ Keď to učí Biblia a Boh to potvrdzuje, to je hlavné.
No, dávajte teraz na chvíľu pozor. Chceme začať teraz niečo skutočne, skutočne hlboké. No, dajte si do vrecka svoje svedomie, kým nevyjdete von.
185Dávajte teraz dobrý pozor:
Bojme sa tedy, aby snáď nejako, keď sa ešte ponecháva zasľúbenie vojsť do jeho
(jeho, jej, to sú teraz osobné zámená. Čo?) ...nezdal sa niekto z vás, že zaostal.
186No, Pavel sa im snažil povedať v tej predchádzajúcej kapitole o všetkých týchto veciach, ale teraz sa im snaží povedať, čo to je. Ó, máme čas? Ja ... možno bude lepšie, keď počkáme do večera. Je neskoro a budeme sa modliť za chorých. Možno bude lepšie, keď sa toho chytíme dnes večer, pretože toto je naozaj plné vitamínov, duchovných vitamínov. Treba veľa urobiť a ja mám dnes popoludní veľa práce.
Bojme sa ... Bojme sa tedy, aby snáď nejako, keď sa ešte ponecháva zasľúbenie ...
187No, mali oni tam dole v Egypte zasľúbenie o zasľúbenej zemi? A keď Boh prišiel dole a robil toto zasľúbenie reálnym ... Aha, Boh povedal Abrahámovi pred stovkami a stovkami rokov, že On to urobí. To bolo podľa Písma.
188Jozef povedal: „Neberte odtiaľto moje kosti, až kým nepôjdete do tej zasľúbenej zeme a pochovajte ma tam s ostatnými mojimi otcami.“ Pretože on vedel, že nastane vzkriesenie, keď Ježiš vstane zmŕtvych. Pretože on vedel, čo povedal Jób.
189Vidíte? Každý z tých prorokov vedel presne, čo povedal ten iný prorok a vedel, že ten Duch bol ten istý. A oni to sledovali. Ó, brat. Ó, to mám rád. To nás má striasť z nášho znepokojeného stavu. Oni mali svoje oči, nie na tom, čo hovoria ľudia, ale na tom, čo povedali ich proroci. Každý jeden dával na to pozor.
190Abrahám povedal: „Pochovajte ma rovno tu, kde bol pochovaný Jób.“ Povedal: „Sárah, kúpim kúsok zeme a budeme pochovaní rovno tu.“
191Izák bol prorok po svojom otcovi, povedal: „Počúvajte! Nepochovajte ma nikde inde, nie tu dole v Egypte, ale zoberte ma rovno naspäť do zasľúbenej zeme. Pochovajte ma rovno tu.“
192Jakob zomrel dole v zasľúbenej zemi, ale povedal svojmu synovi, ktorý bol prorok. Povedal: „Vieš, jednej noci sa ten anjel dotkol môjho boku a ja odvtedy krívam. Poď polož svoju ruku ...“ (Ó, milosrdenstvo.) „Môj prorocký syn, ja som starý a som slepý, ale polož sem svoju svätú ruku, ty sám si prorok, polož ju na to miesto, kde mal svoju ruku ten anjel a prisahaj mi na nebeského Boha, že ma nepochováš tu dole.“
193Nech je požehnané ... Či vidíte to duchovné zjavenie Slova? Prečo, polovica z nich nevedela ... 90 percent nevedeli, o čom hovorí, ale on vedel, o čom hovorí. „Polož svoju prorockú ruku na toto miesto, kde ten anjel položil svoju ruku. Ja som bol raz veľký, silný muž, robustný zbabelec. Ale On sa ma dotkol a odvtedy krívam. Ale odvtedy som kniežaťom, hoci odvtedy krívam. Odvtedy som zmenil spôsob môjho chodenia, som knieža.“ (Áno.) „Polož sem svoju ruku a prisahaj na nebeského Boha, že ma tu nepochováš.“ Prečo? Nikto nevedel o čom on hovorí. (Jozef to vedel!) On povedal: „Zoberte ma tam a pochovajte ma v tej zasľúbenej zemi.“ Tam to bolo, istotne.
194Keď po rokoch zomrel Jozef, on povedal: „Nepochovajte ma tu, pozrite sa na moje kosti, keď budete prechádzať okolo, pretože jedného dňa pôjdete odtiaľto preč, a keď pôjdete, zoberte so sebou moje kosti.“
195Tu to máte. Nech si svet hovorí čo chce, a nech si robí čo chce. Nech je požehnané meno Pánove. Nech zostávam v Kristovi, ak ma akokoľvek prezývajú ... fanatik alebo blázon. Jedného dňa On príde a tých, ktorí sú v Kristovi, Boh privedie s Ním, keď On príde. To je všetko duchovne zjavená Pravda, ktorá tam leží a je potrebná duchovná myseľ aby to zachytila. Odpočívajte na tom cez deň, myslite na to. Ak budete bez večere, myslite na to.
196A dnes večer pôjdeme do jeho odpočinku, to zostalo, a budeme vidieť čím je dnes toto zasľúbenie. Čo je to dnes? Keby to Boh nemal tu v Biblii a nedokázal to, že to je práve teraz tu, potom som falošný prorok. Presne tak. Ale to je tu! Čím je tento odpočinok?
197On povedal:
Bojme sa tedy, aby snáď nejako, keď sa ešte ponecháva zasľúbenie vojsť,
ako oni ...198A to musí byť to isté zasľúbenie. To musí byť ten istý odpočinok. To musí byť ten istý Boh. To musia byť tie isté znamenia. To musí byť to isté. Ale odpočiňme si. No, čo to je? Nech nám to Boh dá dnes večer.
A teraz skloníme svoje hlavy.
199Požehnaný Pane, jedine Večnosť zjavi tie veľké veci, s ktorými sa teraz spolu zdieľame. Trochu veľa je tých, ktorí sú určení na odsúdenie. Ako je to povedané v liste Júdu, že „ľudia dávno, vopred zapísaní k tomu odsúdeniu, budú obracať milosť nášho Boha na nestudatosť.“ A dnes mnohí, ktorí kážu evanjelium (milosť Božiu), robia z toho systém, ktorý im prináša peniaze, majú veľkú cirkev a najviac ľudí v nedeľnej škole. Berú milosť Božiu a obracajú to na nestudatosť. A svet je slepý a idú ako slepé prasatá, nerozumejú.
200Ó, Bože, daj nám porozumieť. Nech naše porozumenie nie je ako porozumenie detí tohoto sveta. Lebo Ty si povedal vo svojom Slove: „Deti tohoto sveta sú múdrejšie ako deti svetla.“ Na počiatku to tak bolo. Kainove deti sa stávali väčšími odborníkmi vo vede. Stali sa veľkými vzdelancami. Začali obrábať materiály. Robili pokroky, boli veľmi nábožní, ale boli zavrhnutí a prepadli pod súd. A ich telá plávali po vode. A ich duše odišli do pekla.
201A Ježiš keď zomrel, išiel a hovoril ku ním. „A odišiel do pekla a kázal tým dušiam, ktoré boli v žalári, ktoré nečinili pokánie, keď vyčkávala Božia zhovievavosť za dní Noeho,“ hovorí Písmo. A Boh keď stál na zemi, povedal: „Ako bolo vo dňoch Noeho, tak bude pri príchode Syna človeka.“
202Ale všimnime si potom tú líniu Seta: pokorný človek, skutočný muž Boží, ktorý nevedel príliš veľa o veciach tohoto sveta, nestaral sa vôbec o veci tohoto sveta, ale odložil nabok každé bremeno a veril Bohu a stal sa prorokom a veľkým mužom v Kráľovstve. Kým tí ostatní, ten ostatný náboženský svet sa z nich vysmieval. Robil si z nich žarty. Ale prišla hodina, keď prišla potopa a súd.
203Tak to bolo pri príchode Ježiša Krista. Ako sa mu oni vysmievali a robili si z neho žarty a pritom mali svoje vlastné náboženstvo a svoje veľké cirkvi. Ale robili si žarty z Rannej Hviezdy a vysmievali sa Mu. Ale nakoniec prišiel na nich súd. A keď utekali a vošli do Jeruzalema, potom jedli od hladu svoje vlastné deti a ich krv tiekla po ulici von cez bránu, keď zapálili mesto a chrám. A ich duše išli do pekla.
204Pane, znovu sme tu, po tretí krát. Toto je posledný krát. Tri je číslo života a tu sme pripravení na vytrhnutie. Cirkev ide ďalej, ten veľký vedecký svet ... cirkvi sú dnes plné veriacich, ktorí pochybujú, desiatky tisíce ľudí, ktorí majú zapísané v knihe svoje meno (áno, milióny) a vysmievajú sa z evanjelia a hovoria že „to sú nevzdelaní ľudia a nič nevedia.“ Možno je to tak, Pane, ale to čo nám chýba vo vzdelaní si nám Ty doplnil v milosti tým, že si nám poslal svojho anjela Svetla tým, že manifestuje svoju moc, potvrdzuje Slová tým, ktorí sú biedni a nevzdelaní, ako my. Ale my Ťa za toto milujeme, pretože to je milosť Božia, ktorá to urobila a my vieme, že sme sa narodili. A nie sme vôbec atraktívni. Sme veľmi neatraktívni. Ale Ty, skrze milosť si sa natiahol dole svojou milostivou rukou a otvoril si nám oči, ako sa Ježiš za nás modlil. Ako to urobil Eliáš Geházimu, keď sa pozrel okolo seba. A dnes máme otvorené oči a vidíme veci Božie a vieme, že sa pohybujeme v poslednom čase, keď dni pohanov sú u konca a On vezme ľudí pre svoje meno. Nech sme do toho zahrnutí, Pane, pokorne prosíme. Prosíme, aby si to urobil.
205Požehnaj nás. Požehnaj toto malé publikum dnes ráno. Oni sú zo všetkých rôznych náboženstiev a veriacich, ale polož ich dnes nabok, Bože. A nech sa môžu pozrieť rovno na Golgotu a nech povedia: „Bože, sformuj ma a sprav ma. Som ako ...“ Prorok povedal, že išiel do domu hrnčiara, že mohol byť zlámaný a znovu sformovaný. Sformuj nás a urob nás podľa vzoru, ako nás chce mať Boh. Nezáleží na tom, či budeme musieť byť rohožkou na podlahe v Dome Pánovom. Radšej budem rohožkou, než ako prebývať v stanoch s bezbožným. A daj toho, Pane. Proste nás požehnaj a zachovaj nás v pokore. Nech sú otvorené naše srdcia a naše mysle čisté na veci Božie, lebo to prosíme v Kristovom mene.
206So svojimi sklonenými hlavami, chcel by som vedieť, či by chcel byť niekto spomenutý v slovách modlitby za spasenie svojej duše? Zodvihli by ste ruku? Je toto hriešnik? Nech ťa Boh žehná, mladý človek. Ešte niekto? Nech ťa Boh žehná, teba tam vzadu, pane. Nech ťa Boh žehná, pani. Ešte niekto by chcel byť teraz spomenutý v modlitbe za svoju dušu? Nech ťa Boh žehná, pane, ktorý si zodvihol ruku. Nech ťa Boh žehná, aj teba tu. Nádherné! Bude tu ešte niekto, prv ako zakončíme? Cítim, že ešte niekto je. Nech ťa Boh žehná, tam vzadu, pane, tam vzadu.
207Aha, pozrite sa, chcem sa vás niečo opýtať. Vôbec nechcem aby ste si mysleli, že to je kvôli tomuto malému zhromaždeniu. Nechcem, aby ste si mysleli, že to je kvôli týmto ľuďom. A pre milosrdenstvo Božie, nemyslite si, že to je kvôli tomu, že ten anjel Pánov bol odfotený spolu so mnou, a že ja ... a niečo také ... že preto to máte robiť. Ó, Bože, keby som to tak chápal, potom brat, potom by som ja potreboval ísť ku oltáru, namiesto toho, aby som tam volal teba. Ale ja toto hovorím len, ja toto hovorím len na základe Písma, aby ste videli, že toto je pravda. Ak som to povedal a to by bolo na tom všetko, dialo by sa to tak ako pri každom inom kazateľovi alebo niečom inom, alebo každom inom. Dobre, potom by to bolo niečo iné. Ale vy to vidíte. Boh prichádza rovno sem a potvrdzuje, že je to pravda. Vidíte? To je to, čo to robí skutočným, že to Boh potvrdzuje. A potom nie len to, ale jeho Slovo hovorí, že On to bude robiť. A tu to On robí.
208No ak nie ste v poriadku, ak vaše srdce nie je v poriadku s Bohom, zodvihli by ste jednoducho svoju ruku? Povedzte: „Modli sa za mňa.“ Dobre, rovno tam kde ste. Zodvihlo sa asi osem alebo desať rúk, ktorí chcú milosť pre svoju dušu. Kým máte sklonené hlavy, modlite sa teraz. Pamätajte, vy ste tí, ktorí majú činiť pokánie. Ja len za vás prosím, aby vám Boh bol milostivý. Ale to je oltár, Boh vás priviedol na miesto vo vašej mysli, to je oltár. My veríme, že treba prichádzať ku oltáru, samozrejme, ale to nespôsobí — to neurobí ... To je v poriadku. Ale váš skutočný oltár je tam, kde sa Boh s vami stretol; a On vás stretol rovno tam kde sedíte. To je váš oltár.
209Teraz povedzte: „Bože, buď milostivý mne hriešnikovi. A od tohoto dňa, ak mi budeš pomáhať, budem žiť pre Teba. Budem Ti slúžiť. Nestarám sa o to, čo ktokoľvek hovorí, robím dnes ráno krok. Modlím sa rovno tu a Ty zober tohoto starého, drzého ducha preč odo mňa. Zober odo mňa túto zlostnú povahu. Viem, že sa nemôžem takto správať a byť v poriadku s Bohom. A ja mám v srdci nenávisť. Som žiarlivý. Mám v sebe zlosť. Mám toto a tamto. Zober to odo mňa, Bože. Nechcem byť taký. Urob ma príjemného, pokorného a krotkého. Urob, aby som bol vľúdny. Urob zo mňa takého človeka, aby som iných mohol získať pre Teba. Dovoľ mi robiť niečo pre Teba, aby sa ukázalo niečo hodnotné v mojom živote.“ To je modlitba, ktorú sa teraz modlíte, kým sa spolu modlíme.
210Nebeský Otče, oni sú tvoji. Oni sú ovocím, ktoré dnes ráno prinieslo toto posolstvo. Oni zodvihli svoje ruky. Niečo ich priviedlo ku tomu, aby to urobili. Premohli zákon príťažlivosti, keď zodvihli svoje ruky. To bol duch v nich, ktorý urobil to rozhodnutie. Oni zodvihli ruky na znak, že prijali Stvoriteľa, ktorý ich stvoril.
211 Nebeský Otče, prosím, aby si ich žehnal a dal im hneď teraz večný život. Nie je nič, čo by som ja mohol urobiť (zavolať ich okolo oltára, priviesť ich do zvláštnej miestnosti a robiť všetko toto) treba aby si to Ty urobil, Pane. My nemôžeme nič urobiť viac, ako kázať Slovo. Ty si povedal: „Viera prichádza z počutia a počutie Slova, Slova Božieho.“ My sme teraz kázali Slovo a oni zodvihli svoje ruky na znak toho, že tomu veria. A teraz im daj večný život, pretože si zasľúbil, že to urobíš. A ak boli úprimní, keď zodvihli svoje ruky, pôjdu z tejto budovy dnes ráno ako príjemní, krotkí, pokorní kresťania. Pretože Ty si to zasľúbil a tvoje Slová nemôžu sklamať. Prosím to v mene Ježiša Krista. Amen.
Vyhliadam, čakám a túžim po tom krásnom meste,
ktoré Ján videl prichádzať.
V tom krásnom meste, (Oslavujte Ho teraz.)
perlovo bielom meste.
Mám zámok, harfu a korunu.
Vyhliadam, čakám a túžim po tom krásnom meste,
ktoré Ján videl prichádzať.
212Či Ho jednoducho nemilujete? Posolstvo sme teraz skončili. Toto je oslavovanie Pána. Neprichádzame do zboru, len aby sme počuli posolstvo. Prichádzame aby sme oslavovali Pána. Zabudnite proste na toho, kto sedí vedľa vás. Oslavujte jednoducho Pána. Ó, aké krásne, aké nádherné. Povedzte Mu len vo svojom ... Nemusíte Mu to hovoriť nahlas. Povedzte mu to len vo svojom srdci: „Milujem Ťa, Pane. Odpusť mi moje hriechy.“ Ó.
... perlovo bielom mesto,
Mám zámok, harfu a korunu.
Vyhliadam, čakám a túžim po tom krásnom meste,
ktoré Ján videl prichádzať.
213Otče náš, Bože, prijmi nás. Očakávame, keď počúvame Slovo. Túžime, naše srdcia túžia po Tebe, ako reve jeleň za potokom vody. Naša duša túži po Tebe, ó Bože, túžime a očakávame. Očakávame potom na tú hodinu, keď príde Ježiš. Očakávame na ten čas, keď budeme zavolaní na oblaky. Nie zastať pred Sudcom na súde. To sa už stalo. Sme mŕtvi pre veci tohoto sveta a vošli sme do Krista, a On zobral na seba náš súd. On je teraz naším Advokátom, na stolici spravodlivosti. Náš požehnaný Advokát, nášho vyznania. On sa zastáva nášho prípadu až poznávame, že sme nehodní. Ako tá drahá, stará sestra dnes ráno povedala vo svojom svedectve a priniesla svoje drobné: „Od vtedy ako sem chodím, učím sa, že to nie je moja svätosť, to je Božia svätosť.“
214Skutočne, Pane, my učíme ľudí, že v človeku nie je nič dobrého, vôbec nič: „Čo je človek, že pamätáš na neho?“ Ale to je milosť Božia, ktorá sa nám zjavila. A my dúfame jedine v Jeho zásluhy a nie v naše vlastné. A my Ťa oslavujeme, Najsvätejší Bože, za tvoju dobrotu, že si nás zahrnul do svojho veľkého Kráľovstva a do svojich veľkých plánov. Prijímame Ťa do svojich sŕdc skrze vieru. A z milosti, veríme, že si nám to dal na slávu Božiu, na službu Božiu.
215Pane, uzdrav nemocných, keď prišli dnes ráno aby sme sa za nich modlili. Daj im tú radosť, oni túžia byť zdraví. Daj im poznať, že toto malé, ľahké utrpenie, ktoré doľahlo na nich, to je len krátky čas skúšky. Boh o tom všetkom vie. On to dopustil, aby videl, čo s tým budeme robiť. Ako ich nechal Boh, že hneď vykročili a dožadujú sa toho dokončeného diela. Nech ... Nech Ťa nerozhorčujú skrze ... tým, že by behali sem a tam, hore dole: „Dobre, ja nepoznám toto, tamto a ...“
216Pane, nech sa jasne postavia a povedia: „Pane, Ty si ten, ktorý si ma spasil. Ty si ten, ktorý si toto všetko pre mňa urobil. Ja Ti verím a dnes spolieham na Teba.“ A ja sa modlím, aby si udelil toto týmto ľuďom v Kristovom mene. Amen.
1 Good morning, friends. It's a privilege to be here this morning in the service of the Lord. And we're hoping and trusting for a great time.
2I was just back in the... what we used to call the deacon's office, where the recorders are now, and was just talking with a young lady and her mother back there, from up at Joliet, Illinois. And I was just thinking of what a product of God's grace that girl is. Most of us around here know her. She's a--a an alcoholic, one of the worse kind. And I never had the story clear to me until this morning, how that when she went off the platform. The Lord had revealed to her all that was wrong and what was going to take place. And she went off the platform, weeping and rejoicing because God had saved her from a--a drunkard's grave. And she... A lady walked up to her and begin weeping, that her daughter, I believe it was, was a dope addict. And you know, by the grace of God, that girl was called. I believe, was the next night, Rosella was called. And the girl from dope was healed. And she and her husband is preaching the Gospel. And--and--and to see a lovely little lady like Rosella, and just seasoned. And now she, very respectable, she's got a... feels a call in her heart. But, knowing the Bible about women preachers, see, she knows it's something else. And God is leading her into jails and things, to give testimony.
3It's just wonderful to--to--to know, to seek after the will of God. Sometime we have a feeling, but we want to carry that feeling into places; if you don't watch, the Devil will take that feeling and pervert it into something. But as long as we stay in the Bible, then we're right, you see, we're moving right with the will of the Lord.
4 And so I believe that--that Rosella will finally turn into the mission fields somewhere, because America doesn't want the Gospel.
You know that. We just might as well admit that, that, this Anglo-Saxon people, it's finished. That's all. There's no more Gospel that America will receive. Oh, you get a few stragglings, now and then. But, just as the Gospel, it's over. And you can't even preach to them, can't talk to them. They won't believe nothing. See? They just got their own hardheaded ideas, and they're set.
And the next things for this nation is judgment. She is going to have it, too. It may be through depression. It may be through an atomic bomb. It may be through a great plague, a disease or something, but, she is ready. It's coming. Thousands times thousands will fall.
5We passed by, yesterday, Brother Zabel and I, to... and Brother Woods, coming in from down in Kentucky, where we had been for three days, and passed by a housing project. Brother Zabel said, "There's not..." I forget. "Not hardly any of those people, in that project, that even goes to any church."
6 You'd ask them about it. "Well, we got our television. That's how we find comfort." See? That's the American attitude. See? "We got television. We got plenty of money. We got fine cars, got nice homes. What do we need with the Lord? We don't need That." That's the attitude.
7About the only religion and salvation we have, and love, is amongst the real godly people. You know, the Bible said that would happen. [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Uh-huh. You Bible readers, I heard you holler "amen," and you preachers back there. That, that's right. The love would be so far away, in the last days; the only love there would be left, would be between the Elect of God's people. "The father would be against mother, and mother against father, and children against parents, and different ones against each other." And the only love would be left, would just be that Elect, just the Elected. The word "Elect" there comes from the word "Elected," God's elected people.
8 And when Rosella was quoting the story to me in the room, a while ago, I was just thinking, that, on that night, she said something happened. And how that said, all down through her life, when she'd be just a walleyed alcoholic. Couldn't, no Alcohols Anonymous. Four doctors give her up. Nothing could be done. And how, from that very moment, something taken place.
9Now she is not that batty-eyed. She's a lovely, beautiful young woman of thirty-three years old, and would pass for about twenty-two; just how that God did for her what He did, and how she looks different. And, but I said, "Rosella, before the foundation of the world, God ordained that moment." Yes, sir. See? Right. And when little old Billy Paul back there, where he's at, was pushing out prayer cards to the people that night, how little did he know who he was giving a prayer card to.
Isn't it wonderful, Rosella?
[Sister Rosella Griffith says, "Brother Branham, I wonder if the church could pray that God will guide for us, how He was strong."--Ed.]
Amen. The Lord bless you, Rosella. I'm sure we will do that. She wants the church to pray that God will guide her. That's, follow His unchanging hand. Oh, that's so good.
10 Had an awful proposition put before me, this morning. It's about some, a multi-times multi-times multimillionaire that wants to produce here at Louisville, Kentucky, and build me a five-million-dollar tabernacle. But something down in my heart said, "Hold on, you're not a pastor." See? So, then, five million dollars of money that would be appropriated. Now to have to go to the government, to pay for whiskey and stuff like that, but wants to put it on a tabernacle for the Lord. But I hope that it goes to some servant of God that will... and some service to God. But, that's five million dollars appropriated now. Think of that, what a tabernacle that would make.
See how flowery that looks, Rosella? But there is something down here that says different. See? See? Something down here.
11We come into this little, old tabernacle, you strangers. Well, this could be a glamorous place here on the corner, you don't realize that, that people has wanted to build this place and make it. But this is the way we like it. See, this is the way we like it. Old seats we were setting on there, was the--the old original seats out of the tabernacle here, went through the flood and floated up.
12My Bible laying open like that on the pulpit. It stuck against the ceiling and come back down with a Word on It, "I the Lord hath planted it. I'll water it day and night lest some shall pluck it from My hand." How we rowed across the top of it with a skiff, here. And she come right back down, the seats moving right back to their place. All they had to do was scrub it out and go on. See? See? So this is just the way we like it, where it's a common people, common place, and a wonderful Lord. Amen.
13 Now, today, we got some, we're just beginning to get over into the cream, you know, after the--the milk is all taken out, and just the cream. And remember, it takes the milk to produce the cream, you know. The--the cream is the contents of the milk.
14So we been in the 1st, 2nd, and we're ending up in the 3rd, and beginning in the 4th chapter of the glorious Book of Hebrews. And, oh, the teachings of this Book! We could stay with It, for on one verse, for three months, and just show that the entire Bible ties into every verse in the Bible. Did you ever think of that? There's not one verse that you can put your finger on, but what, with the grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, that we can tie Genesis to Revelation right into It.
15 There's not another piece of literature written anywhere that can do that. And mathematically, and geographically, in every way, there's not a Book in the Bible wrote like the Bible... There's not a book in the world, I mean, wrote like the Bible. There's nothing. The pneumatics of the Bible is perfectly in harmony; just even chapters, and punctuations, and everything, is perfect. Not another book; you couldn't read a chapter out of it without crossing itself back. But there's not one cross-up in the entire Bible. And was wrote by many, many, many people; and hundreds, and hundreds, and hundreds of years apart. Not knowing one piece; one wrote It here, and one wrote It here, and one wrote It over here. When It was all formed together, It made God's Bible. And not one contradicts the other one, and, no, not mathematics, geographics. Anything else of the Bible, everything, pneumatic, everything runs perfectly together. That isn't inspired, I don't know, what will you call inspiration? I'm so glad for the blessed, old Bible.
16Some of them said, "Are you a Catholic? Protestant?"
I said, "Neither one. I believe the Bible." That's right. I believe the Bible, and I'm glad that we still have the freedom to preach It in this nation. Oh, It's wonderful.
17 Now we're going to study from It. And now we'll turn over in the Book of the Hebrews and begin with the 3rd chapter. And we left off at the 15th verse. And now you all...
18I seen somebody notice, a while ago, when I picked up my reading glasses. It's not that my eyes are bad, but I'm past forty years old. I can read it, right here, just ordinarily, but I can read it better with the glasses. And they made me a pair of reading glasses that I want to use, because I can read it better and faster. And that's what I got them for. Now in the...
19 First, we want a little background, 'cause there may be some strangers among us, that has not picked up the first part of the Book of Hebrews.
20Are you Mrs. Cox, setting right here on the end? Well, I am sure glad to see her, just before I start, as a testimony to the grace of God. Here was a woman with a cancer eating her face off. That's Sister Wood's mother. And I was in Michigan with Gene and Leo, and them, taking the recordings. And on the road home, wife called me, or I called her. She said, "Go to prayer immediately for a Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Wood's mother, for a cancer is eating her face off." Done went into the side of the eye and down to the bone, slick on the side of her face, and just scattering. Some doctor done something other to it, just made it worse, and just scatter it up; put some kind of medicine in it.
21And they brought her from down to Campbellsville, Kentucky, up to... or, I believe, Acton, Kentucky, up to--to Louisville, for treatment.
22 And so Mrs. Woods, the first time I ever seen her that she was tore up. Because, of course, is her--her--her mama, and sure she'd feel tore up. Went into the room and prayed for her, with the confidence that God said He'd answer prayer. And few days, she was out. And there she sets now. With just amazing grace, how He's done for her.
23Would you stand up? I don't want to make you a--a--a public... Where, where was the cancer located? On--on the side of the face, see there, on that side of her face, down around here, to her cheekbone, up around her eye. And God healed her. Isn't He wonderful? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]
24 How many was here last Sunday to see what the Lord did by a vision? Man, both crippled and blind, setting right here in a wheel chair. And something hurt me when that old man setting here said, "Brother Branham..." I believe it was this brother right here. Said, "Do the same for my wife." He's got a wife here that's crippled. My heart just melted. I wish... I'd give anything in the world if I could, but it's not... don't lay in my power. But it does lay to my power and your power, to pray that God will do it. He's got a crippled wife, a paralyzed hand, a paralyzed foot, looks like. And this man was far worse off than her, 'cause she can stand up and can walk a little, but this man could not even do that. And he... The brain, main balance nerve was gone. Mayo's, lot of the others, had give him up. And a Catholic sent him here, a Catholic doctor; and his boy is a priest at St. Meinrad's down in Jasper, Indiana. But that's laying foundation stones for that revival coming up, down there.
25 And when he raised up, he said, "But I can't..." He looked, said, "Yes, I can." He thought he couldn't see, you know. And he looked up, and just happen to raise his head up, and there he could walk and see; walked down that aisle, by himself. And they were Presbyterians. He was orthodox. And talk... You think that just the Pentecostal or the Holiness people can shout; you're mistaken. They can sure do some shouting when they see something like that happen; hugging each other and shouting. Walked right out and down the steps, pushing his wheel chair; walking, with the balance nerves out of his head. Think of it. Walking like you or I would walk. Oh, He's wonderful.
26 Now, Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews. And in this writing of Hebrews, he wrote It. And before He wrote these Books... We find out now. We go... This is a Sunday school class, and I'll try to watch and not take too long. And then we're going to have services, to continue them on tonight, the Lord willing. Now, in the Book of Hebrews and the rest of the Epistles of Paul...
27Who was Paul? He was a staunch Hebrew, a scholar, and a great teacher of the Old Testament. And he had been taught by one of the best men of his day. Somebody tell me what his name was. Gamaliel, one of the greatest teachers of his day. And Paul had set at the feet of Gamaliel.
28There is something about the... where you go, what church you go to, and what teacher teaches you. Did you know that? It, it's got something to it. Therefore we ought to seek out the very best that we can find, so we're getting the best; not because it's sociable and so forth, but the real Bible teaching.
29 Look, one time when Israel had got out into the wilderness with their armies, and they had a seven-day compass, and they run out of water. And they were about to perish, they said, "Oh, if there was a prophet near!"
30And one of them said, "We have down here, Elisha. He poured water on the hands of Elijah." See his associates? Other words, "Here is Elisha who has had associations with Elijah. The Word of the Lord is with him." You get it? He had been taught right. And he said, "He's here. Let's go down and consult him, because his teacher was Elijah, and he's got the teaching of Elijah in him." See what a difference it makes? Sure. We want to be taught.
31 So, Paul had the teaching of Gamaliel. And Gamaliel was that great man who made the choice, being a scholar himself, that when all of this carrying on started of the early church, he said, "Let's not put our hands on that, brethren. If it is not of God, it will come to naught, anyhow. But if it is of God, and we fight against it, we'll find ourself fighting against God." See, he had had some good teaching.
32Paul had come up under this man, and he knew that Paul was a great teacher. So, one day, honest in heart, persecuting the Church, going down to arrest them.
33Now let's take just another little phase from Paul, as we get our background.
34 When Judas fell, by transgression, by the love of money and the pride of life, he fell from grace and went to his place. And the disciples said, "There must be twelve." And the church, with all of its dignity, to show you what the church is; with all of its dignity and all of its power, it's still millions of miles short, at its very best. They said, "We've got to look out, one among us, who will take the place." And they chose, by casting lots, Matthias. Mattheas, I believe, or Matthias. Matthias, I believe it is. And whenever they chose him and put him with the twelve, with the eleven, which made up the twelve, he did not do one thing. That's the only time his name is ever mentioned in the Scriptures. That was the church making its choice.
35Now, they thought, "He is a gentleman." No doubt. "He's a wonderful man. He's a scholar. He's smart. He's educated. He's a wonderful person. He would take the place of Judas and be one of us."
36 But, you know, God sometimes makes some of the... to our opinion, some of the most foolish choices. Now, God seen a little hook-nosed Jew, just as full of temper as he could be, with his mouth setting sideways, "I'll go down, arrest every one of them. I'll--I'll throw them in jail. I'll do this." That was God's choice.
The rest of them taken a scholar and a diplomat. That's the church's choice.
37See, you don't know who that is at the altar. You don't know who that is you're testifying, in jail or wherever it is. It might look like a pugilist, his ears broke down, eyes skinned up, and, but you don't know who that is. You just cast your lot, that's all, give him the Word. God takes the choice.
38And God choose this little high-tempered Jew, or chose him, rather. On his road down, "I'll go down and get them. I'll--I'll show them what I can do like that," and God just knocked him down.
God said, "That's my choice, right there."
39Wouldn't that be foolish, to the church? "Why, he persecutes the church. He's a carnal man." But God knowed what was on the inside of man. See what I mean?
40 So, Paul had an experience. How many believes experience comes by conversion? Sure. If it hasn't, I would doubt the conversion. A conversion brings experience. And you can't lot it to anything now. Sometimes it might be shouting. Sometimes it might be speaking with tongues. Sometimes it might be weeping. Sometimes it might be groaning. You don't know what it is, so don't try to lot it. Because, every one of you has proved to be wrong in it, you Methodists, and you Baptists, and you Nazarenes, and Pentecostals.
41I seen people shout just as hard as they could shout, and steal the gold out of your teeth, they could. Yes, sir. I seen people speak with tongues like pouring peas on a dry cowhide, and--and honest to goodness, with a chew tobacco on other side of the mouth, and cut your throat if they could do it. That's right. So them things has not... There's no evidence that you can prove it, only by the life the person lives. "By their fruit, you shall know them."
42 So, that's all up to God. He makes a choice. He brings the things together, and that's the way it is. So if your life is comparing with the fruits of the Bible, you got a pretty good conception. If your spirit is bearing record with His Spirit, that you're sons and daughters of God, you're... All the old evil has dropped away, and everything has become new, and you're living in love, and you got peace, and grace, and so forth, you're getting pretty close to the Kingdom then. Because, the Life that's in you is producing that kind of a life. See?
43If you say, "Oh, hallelujah, I spoke with tongues. Hallelujah!" That don't mean nothing. That don't mean a bit more than if you'd got out here and played a tune on a guitar or something. That doesn't mean one thing. Though you spoke with tongues, though you shouted, and run up-and-down the aisle, and cried tears till like you had been peeling onions, that don't mean one thing, not one thing, unless that everyday life backs up just exactly, stays with It.
44 Now, if you do those things, plus that life, "amen," that, that's fine. That's good. But you can do those things without having that life.
45So then, no shouting, no nothing like that is evidence. Jesus said, "By their fruit, you shall know them." And the fruit of the Spirit is not speaking with tongues. That's not the fruit of the Spirit. Shouting is not the fruit of the Spirit. Weeping is not this fruit of the Spirit. But, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance, that's the fruits of the Spirit. See? That's what the Spirit's fruits are. All right.
46Now, the reason we have these things, they like to make organizations, you see. "Well, we'll have it. Bless God, all believes the way we do, we'll go this way. All believes like we do, we'll go this way." But God wants all to go This way, right up.
47 Now, Paul, after he had this experience, then he thought that was a wonderful experience. Now, how... Let's--let's--let's quote that experience a little bit. Paul was on his road to Damascus, to arrest some people down there, 'cause the Gospel had got scattered down there. Gospel means "the good news." And so they got scattered down there, and many people was raising up, full of love, and joy, and loving the Lord Jesus. And It had got scattered down that way. So, Paul got some letters from the High Priest. He said, "I'll go down, and I'll arrest them, every one."
48So he took him a little company of guards, temple guards, soldiers, way down the road he went. While they were marching down the road, and him just all know what he's going to do, all of a sudden, something happened. All of a sudden, there was a great Light before him. Great Light, now, It shined like the sun. That's a strange thing to happen. The Light shined insomuch that he just... His eyes went out, almost. And fell to the ground. And he--he's laying down on the ground, and he looked up.
49 There was probably ten or fifteen men with him. Did any of those men see that Light? No, sir. Paul saw It. It wasn't designated for them men to see It. So, some people can see things, where, others don't. See? So, Paul saw that Light, insomuch that It even blinded him. He couldn't see, for several days, It was such a reality to him. And he couldn't see for several...
Later on, when he wrote letters, his eyes bothered him so bad from that, until he wrote with great big letters. He said, "Seeing that I have written to you with large letters." He couldn't hardly see.
50He was in jail, and he asked the Lord to heal him of it. And he consulted Him three times. But what did the Lord say? "My grace is sufficient, Paul."
51Paul said, "Then will I glory in my infirmities." Because, he said, "Except I would be exalted above the abundance of the Revelation, there was given to me a messenger of the Devil, a thorn in the flesh, that buffet me." He'd get better for a while, and then away they go again.
Buffet mean "blow after blow." Like the ship on the sea, you know, the waves buffet it, see, blow after blow.
And he would, he'd get better, and then have it again; then get better, have it again. He said, "Lord, what's the matter, You don't take this away from me?"
52He said, "My grace is sufficient, Paul. Just keep on." It'd keep...
53 He said, "Now, if--if I was just perfect, and everything perfect," said, "then when I went along, oh, I'd get puffed up and say, 'You see, nothing wrong with me. Lord takes care of me, brother. Hallelujah!'" Then you're getting self-righteous.
54God has to give you a little something, once in a while, to kind of meeking you up a little, you know. That's right. Kind of make you realize that He's the Boss. Oh, isn't He wonderful? Yes, sir, just glory!
55So he, Paul, then, right after having this great experience...
56Now, if that would been somebody today, they'd said, "Oh, bless God, hallelujah. Boy, the Lord has done something for me! Glory to God!" But not Paul; he was a Bible scholar.
57 That experience must tally with God's Word. Yes, sir. If it isn't altogether hooked into the Bible... Not just look over here, say, "Oh, yes, here it is right here. Bless God, I got It." Huh-uh. That's not the way God gives It.
58It must be the entire Bible, all of It. Cause, you can... Infidels use this Bible for their grounds to debate on. But they'll take a little Scripture here, turn over here and get another little one over here, try to make them tie together, and it's two different subjects, altogether. So, you got to make Scripture compare with Scripture.
59 As Isaiah said, the 28th chapter, "It must be line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little." "Hold fast to that what's good." See, there's the way It comes: line upon line upon line, Word upon Word, Scripture upon Scripture. It must all compile together. That's why, I think, in these lessons like we're having now, it's a great thing to the church, because it brings them to a place that all the Scriptures tie together. And our experience must tie with that Scripture. Oh, here it is! If it doesn't, then it's wrong.
60And how that I walked for years, not knowing what that Light was that struck Paul down. When, the outside world, the Scriptures... The people, the preachers tried to tell me, "That's of the Devil. Why, you'll be a fortune-teller. You'll be a spiritualist. Don't you fool with That, Billy. Something wrong with That. Don't you do that, boy. That's wrong. That's the Devil. Well, boy, you'll be a regular medium. You'll be a spiritualist if you do that. Oh, all that's of the Devil. That's--that's not right." But when... I didn't want to preach that.
61 But as on the road down to Damascus, Paul didn't want to preach it, till he found out whether it was right or not. So he goes down into Arabia for three years, and studies the Scripture. Ah! When he come out, he said, "Now shake it out of me."
62He knew he had to face Pharisees. He had to face Sadducees. He had to face the world, and the Gentile world. And so Paul, this Bible is written, this Book of Hebrews, is written for that purpose. He is shaking those Hebrews, and taking that Old Testament and show It over here in the New Testament. "This is God," he said, "here it is on--on all the prophets and everything." Starts off back there at the beginning, the 1st chapter we had, "For God in sundry times, way back in old time, in divers manners, spoke to the fathers by the prophets." That's how God brought His message, tested by the Urim Thummim. "But in this day has spoke to us through His Son, Christ Jesus," tested by His Bible. There you are.
63 So these experiences that the world says, "Oh, it's mental. Why, nobody..." When that Angel appeared, that Light down here on the river, when I preached my first revival here on the corner, we baptized all those people. I believe, Brother Fleeman, you might have been in the... I don't know whether you was here then or not. How many was here when the--when the Light appeared on the river? Is any of the old-timers here? Yes, some of them. When It down here on the river.
64And they said, "It was just an optical illusion." Many of us was standing, looking at It, and here It come down. And then years later, God proved It by a mechanical eye of a camera. It's true.
65"Well, is it--is it some fiction? Is it something that--that..." No, sir. We're taking it right here in the Bible and showing you. It's the same Lord Jesus. He does the same thing. His action is the same. His power is the same.
66 Look, last Sunday, here. Yonder, laying on my bed, never seen the man in my life. Come out and said, "There's a man at the tabernacle, and he's gray, black-headed, graying. He is blind, and he can't walk. He's in a wheel chair. A black-headed man sent him up; a doctor, Dr. Ackerman, a black-headed man, Catholic man. Sent a man, set right there. And THUS SAITH THE LORD, raised up, walked out with his sight and everything. What did it? Here is the same Angel. The same One that struck Paul down, on the road going down to Damascus, lives in His Church and His people today. It's Scripture comparing with Scripture. That's the way it must be.
Oh, we have the lukewarms. We're getting into that, after while.
67Oh, we got a deep thing before us, if we can just get into it, today and tonight. Now it's just begin to get into the deep waters. Where you...
68 You know, when I was a little boy, I used to have a little pond out behind the place, and I'd go out there. And all of us little kids would go in, nude; little, about six, seven years old. And we... The water is about that deep. It wasn't no more than a hog wallow. And I had a soapbox there. I'd show I could dive; hold my nose, and splash, going like that. And my little belly would hit the mud, you know, and it would just fly every way. I told my daddy I could swim.
69He took me back there one day. He said, "I want to see you swim." I jumped off there, you know; stripped my clothes, a little locust thicket; and run down, hit the water. I had been splashing, the mud flying every way. And Pop was setting on a culvert. He set there and watched me for a few minutes. Said, "Get out of that hole of water, and get yourself a bath, and get home." See?
70Well, that's just about the way, some of us that call ourselves Christians. We mud-crawl. That's right. Long as you're anchored, "I'm a Methodist. I'm a Pentecostal. I'm a Presbyterian. I got an evidence; I got It." You're mud-crawling.
71 One day I was with my uncle. I kept tell him... He was about fifteen, sixteen years old. We was at the river. I said, "Uncle Lark, I can swim." And I was setting on the back of the boat, you know, felt good and safe. He just took the oar and pushed me out, in about ten-foot of water. It was different then; all the splashing, screaming, you ever heard in your life.
72Someday you get pushed off, you better know where you're standing. Yes, sir. If you know Him, you better really know Him. That's right.
But now we're going into deep water, deep water, where it'll make you drown if you--if you're not a good, fattened-up Christian.
73 Notice the Word. Paul, first found that. He went back in the Old Testament, and he found this. He seen that experience of his, absolutely. "Now what was That that struck me down?"
74It was a Light, big Light standing there, shining like the sun, standing in front of his face. He said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?"
75He said, "Lord, who are You that I persecute?"
76He said, "I'm Jesus."
77"I thought He was a--a man, had scarred hand, that they claim is appearing in meetings now, with nail scars in His hands and His head." No, no; not that body, not in that body. See? He is now a Light. Saul...
78When He was here on earth, He said, "I come from God. I go back to God."
79He was the Angel that led the Children of Israel in this Light, through the wilderness. He returned back to that same Light. And Paul saw It, out of the Old Testament. He said, "I am Jesus, the Angel of the Covenant."
80And He become flesh, to redeem us. "Took on not the form of Angels," we find in previous chapters, we are... study. "He never took on the nature of Angels, but was the Seed of Abraham," that He might be known, that men could see God. Amen.
Now He says, "I'll return back to That."
81And when Paul seen That, he said, "Sure, that was Him. That was Him."
82 Peter had an experience one night while he was praying. That same Light come into the building, opened up the doors before him, went out into the streets. And Peter thought he was dreaming; he was so anointed. He didn't know what taken place. He said, "Have I just woke up? But I'm out here on the street."
83And he went down to John Mark's house. And the little girl opened the door, some little lady there, been in a prayer meeting. Somebody was knocking at the door. Opened up the door. "Oh," she said, "here is Peter right now. You're praying for him to get out of prison. The Lord has delivered him."
84"Oh," they said, "go on."
"O Lord, deliver him!"
85"Why," she said, "he is standing at the door, knocking."
Peter just kept pounding, "Let me in."
86"Oh," she said, "it's Peter." Them days, they still have it, a little drawbar. Little lid here, you raise back and look out, see. Before you let your guest in, you have to know who is knocking at your door. Cause, they had robbers; if you opened the door, they'd kill you.
87So, they opened the door. She said, "It's Peter."
88They said, "Oh! Oh, my, he's dead. That's his angel standing there. See? Done got in his glorified body, you know, that theophany."
89 Remember how we took It, the big Diamond, how It reflected the Light, how It went back to there? The... "This earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have one already waiting."
And they thought Peter done died, this old body had dropped, and they'd bury it in a few days. "He had entered into his angel, or his glori-..." Not glorified body, but in his theophany, the body that's already prepared. It couldn't shake your hands. It has no hands to shake, like that, but it's in an image of a man. "Come down, and was knocking at the door."
90She said, "No. It's Peter. He's standing there." He opened the door and walked in. There he was. Now, Peter had been delivered by this Light.
91 Now, the same way that that early... that Paul, in the early Church, seen that Light of God that shined on Paul, the same Thing has come down. Now, people can say anything, that doesn't make it right. But when God proves anything, the work of It proves It. Then, the camera proves It. And everything that we... that the Lord has did, has been absolutely, infallibly proved that It's God, by the Scriptures, by Its action, by experience. But they won't listen.
92Look here in this tabernacle. Now, remember, you know this. We don't crave crowds. We ain't got no place to put them, anyhow. But, look. A meeting of this type, where we was coming together for this, ought to attract the Falls Cities. But they're dead. They're absolutely dead. They have eyes but they can't see.
You say, you, "Why, Brother Branham, won't they go to a doctor and get their eyes fixed?" He can't fix that kind of seeing.
93 Jesus said, "If you would have known Me, you would have known My day." He said, "You blind Pharisees. You can discern the face of the skies, but the signs of the time, you can't discern."
94Does that go over top of your head? Listen. Look at the signs we're living in here. Now, it just ain't some... I, myself, I'm just a man, not even a preacher, to talk about. I have no education, what the world call, "a preacher." And we're just poor people. Look at the building we're in. Look at the cathedrals, this morning. But look where God is at. There's the thing.
95 So was Moab standing there in all his splendor and his beauty, but there was Israel in tents. But where was God at? There was a bunch of little holy-rollers down there, doing everything there was was wrong. But Balaam, their--their bishop, failed to see that smitten Rock, that Brass Serpent, that Pillar of Fire. His eyes was blind. He couldn't see It. He said, "They're just imagining That." But He was there.
96Bless God, oh, He is here! God is here, and He's doing the same thing that He has done. And He will. We compare Scripture with Scripture. God has never painted Himself some big something, on earth, but He's always dwelt among the common and humble people. And here He is this morning, doing the same thing. The Scripture vindicates It. The camera vindicates It. Now, That, reason I refer to that picture, it isn't because I'm there. I'm--I'm just a sinner, saved by grace, like you are. But what I'm trying to say, is, It's His Presence with us. That's the main thing. Well, if He made me a--a incarnated Elisha, if you didn't have faith to believe it, it'd never do you any good.
"He came to His own. His own received Him not."
97 That's the reason, here in the city today. Why, I could start a revival here, in some big building or something, you would never get many people to believe it. They just won't. They can't. Their day is done.
98This same lesson, this morning, in Africa, would probably produce ten thousand, at least, ten thousand souls to Christ. Or, there might be one sinner setting here this morning, or something, some backslider. Most of them is just combed through and through, till it's just finished. That's all.
99But what we're trying to say, is, Scripture compares with Scripture. Now, don't matter how great the experience is, unless it compares with the Scripture, it's wrong.
The Urim Thummim, no matter how good the prophet was, if he spoke and them lights didn't flash on the Urim Thummim, it was wrong. How well the dream seemed, if it didn't flash on the Urim Thummim, it was wrong.
When that priesthood ended, God put His Bible up. Paul said, "If an Angel from Heaven would come," Galatians 1:8, "and would preach any other gospel than what's already been preached to you, let him be accursed."
100 The Angel from Heaven said to John the revelator, which was God Himself, "I Jesus sent My angel to vindicate, or to show these things." He said, "If any man will add one word to It, or take one Word out of It, the same will be taken out of the Book of Life, for him." This is It, the Bible.
101Therefore, these experiences and these things that we're having to happen here, if it wasn't vindicated by God's Word, it would be wrong; I don't care what would take place, it would be wrong. So it's Scripturally, absolutely the Truth. Oh, I'm so happy I'm a member of the great Body of Christ.
102 Now, let's go now, we're coming down to the lesson. Now, we ended up over here where he said, "Seeing that we're compassed about now..." I'm sorry. That's, I was quoting 12th chapter. I been reading it, but I haven't studied it. I...
103Brother Norman, staying at my home up there, and he knows that I just got in yesterday, and the brothers know, down there, I just got in. The only time I got to read the Scripture down, was setting right here, a few minutes ago. That's right. Don't study It, I just wait for the Holy Spirit to give It just as He wants it. He knows where the person is at--at, that has to have It. So if I got something made up in my mind I'm going to say, then it's wrong. But if I just let Him do it, He will take It right straight to the spot where It belong. See? "Take no thought what you shall say, for It's not you that speaks, It's your Father that dwelleth in you. He doeth the speaking."
104 Now, the last chapter, previous chapter, we heard this, that, "How shall we escape, if we neglect this great salvation; Who was first preached to us by the Lord Jesus, and Him with those who heard Him?" The same things that Jesus did, to show, them same things like takes place here: same Angel of God, same works, same evidence, same everything, everything along, same Gospel, right with the Word. "If that was taught by the Lord, then confirmed by His disciples that we've heard," Paul being the same, "how shall we escape, if we neglect such great salvation?"
105Now, Paul was saying that to his Hebrew audience. Now, they didn't have tape recorders, today, like we got here. But they had scribes who was setting there, taking It down just as Paul was preaching It.
And that's what It is right here. We're getting It by tape recorders, and these tapes go over the world, see, to show that It is the Truth. Our religion is not in vain, It's absolutely the resurrected Jesus Christ, same thing. Now we mustn't neglect It.
106 Now, just don't go away from church, today, and say, "Well, I kind of enjoy going down there. I like the singing, and the people are friendly around that little old church." Don't do that.
107Brother, let your heart become a flame, say, "Here, I got to do something about this. I got to get out and see if I can get somebody saved."
108And don't go out, saying, "Bless God, if you don't repent, you're going to perish." No.
Go at it gentle. "Be as wise as a serpent, as harmless as a dove." See, that's the way to go. Approach the person, if he's raising chickens, talk about chickens, to him, for a while. See? And then, first thing you know, you'll be talking about the Lord. If he's a farmer, talk about his farm.
109If he sells automobiles, talk about his automobiles, for a while, "What nice cars you got," and so forth. See?
110Till you catch the Spirit, when Father says, "Now is the time to approach him about his soul."
111You can wind it off, see, "That's a fine automobile. You know transportation, today, has become great. Oh, how the nations has been brought close together; and the cities of our nations, close together. Friends and mothers can visit each other. You know, it's a wonderful thing to have automobiles like you're selling."
112"Yes, sir. It sure is. Uh-huh." You know, puffing on his cigar, or whatever it is. "Yeah, them, them is good cars."
113"Did you ever think of what the old-timers would have thought if they'd seen something like that?" Just keep going like that, you know.
After a while, say, "Yep, yeah, sure is."
114You know, another thing it does, it brings like we having, like in revivals. People can come across the country, quickly, for a revival." See, you're opening the way, all time, you know.
115If you feel Something chock up the way, stop right there, move over here. Like a doctor said, out at Phoenix, said, "Lord, fill my mouth with good words, and then nudge me when I've said enough." You see? Yeah. "Nudge me when I've said enough."
116 Now, notice now, we're going to start from the 15th chapter, or 15th verse of the 3rd chapter, closely now.
While it is said, To day if you... hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
117Now watch Paul speaking here. Now it is said, "Today, after so long a time." We're going to get into it after a while, that, "Today, so long a time." Comes into the next chapter, "After so long a time."
... it is said, To day if you... hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the day of provocation, when they provoked God.
118Now let's read the next verse.
For some, when they had heard, did provoke:...
Now what's he talking about? Gospel.
... howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
But with whom he was grieved for forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
119 Let's stop here a minute. The provocation, "when they provoked." Now what did God do? Now Paul is trying to speak. What is It led them out of Egypt? Was it Moses? No. Moses was the flesh instrument.
120Now we got a background here. We want to get straightened out now. When we hit this spot down here, in a few minutes, you'll--you'll see it.
121Now, God had His people with unsettled rest. They were down in Egypt. They were out of their right position. They were out of their homeland. They were strangers and pilgrims, and God was going to bring them from that housed-in place, in--in Egypt, up to the homeland.
122A type of today; we're unsettled. Here it don't take long. Little chubby-handed boys playing marbles, little girls with the dollies, playing; the first thing you know, you got gray hair, and wrinkled up. There's something wrong here. This is not home. We're in the wrong place. That's why we say we are pilgrims and strangers. Something has happened.
123 A little lady said, this morning in the room, about how people laugh at her, sometime. I said, "But, sister, dear, you're not of them people." We are a different people.
124My little girl said, "Daddy, certain-certain girls did certain-certain things that they did."
125I said, "But, look, honey." They had these records of Elvis Presley. I said, "I wouldn't want them in my house."
126She said, "But, daddy, they're nice little girls."
127I said, "They may be. I have nothing to say against that. But there is one thing, we are different. We are different. Not as that we want to be different, but the Spirit that's within us has come out of that. You're of another world."
128When I go into Africa, I can't get adjusted to their--their--their ways of living. They don't wear any clothes. They're naked. And they pick up something that's rotten, got maggots in it, they eat it, anyhow; don't make any difference. See?
129 And This is different. You know, one time, we were all like that, but civilization has brought us and made us different.
And conversion has doubled that by million. We don't want the rotten things of the world no more. Christ has made us become Christians; like civilization has made us become clean. And notice, not only that, but we profess that we are pilgrims and strangers. We're not of the world. Then, you want nothing to do with the world. And those things has passed away.
130Now, Israel was down in Egypt. They wasn't Egyptians. Egyptians, it was a disgrace for an Egyptian to put his hands on a sheep. And Israel were sheepherders. And how it must have gotten Moses, after all the indignity of being an Egyptian, cattle raisers.
Did you notice what the Pharaoh had said to Joseph, and so forth? "It is an abomination." Said, "Your people are sheepherders." And even an Egyptian couldn't even put his hands on a sheepherder. He was a different people.
131 And that's the way it is with a Christian, today, when he's born again. It's not... It's filthy for him to associate where people are drinking and telling dirty jokes, and women naked. And every... It, it's--it's filthiness. Oh, blessed be the Lord! We are pilgrims here. We're strangers here. The spirit has been converted, and we're looking for a City where women don't wear shorts. We're looking for a City where they don't have beer taverns. We're looking for a City wherein dwelleth righteousness. So, we're pilgrims.
132 So, God came down in a big bundle of Fire, as a Halo, swept down into a bush and begin to reveal Himself to Moses, first. Moses said...
You know how we had the lesson the other night, how that when Jesus was here on earth, He said, "Well, before Moses was, I AM." That was Jesus in the burning bush, in the Pillar of Fire. It's Jesus, today, the same.
And He revealed Himself in a Pillar of Fire, and Moses got the experience. He goes down into Egypt. He preaches the Gospel, the good news, and signs and wonders followed him. You get it? Same thing today.
133Not only that, but them the Hebrews come out, walked in the Light, they was led by the same Pillar of Fire. And the Bible said that, "Do not tempt God."
134 Watch this. Let me read It.
While it is said, To day if you... hear his voice, harden not your heart, his voice speaking to your heart, as in the provocation, when they provoked Him.
Listen.
For some, when they had heard, did provoke:...
135How many knows that the Israelites provoked God with their unbelief? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] They murmured. They completely... God walked right down there. And when they got all... First thing, they got in trouble.
Here was this Pillar of Fire above them. I don't know whether they all saw It, or not. At least, Moses saw It. And It was above them, and they watched It. And when they come down... Say if they didn't see It, I don't know whether they did or not. It went before them. The Bible said It was there.
136 It said, "The Star went before the wise men." Nobody saw It but the wise men. It went over every observatory. They kept time by the stars. No one saw It but the wise men. It was for them to see It, and the wise men was who the Star was sent for.
137And the Pillar of Fire was sent to Moses, and Moses was sent to the children of Israel. And they was supposed to follow Moses. They could see Moses, and Moses saw the Light.
There they went!...?... And as they went out, they come to the Red Sea. And, oh, they--they never seen all those signs of miracles and things taking place while they were still down in the--in the old land of Egypt, but when they got out there in their journey, just converted and brought out. Then, the first thing you know, they got in trouble.
138God loves to bring you in trouble. He loves to put trouble down and see what you'll do about it. So He just stopped up the Red Sea, and the first thing you know, marched them right out into this place, then sent Pharaoh after them. See how God likes to do it? He loves to display His power and love. He is God, and He just loves to show you who He is. Amen.
And the trouble of it is, today, people say, "Oh, them days is past." No. How can God display Himself, when you're taught such stuff as that? But God loves to manifest Himself.
139 Here come the children of Israel, walking in the Light. Moses, going on before them. There they was. "Come on. This is the way. God is calling. We're going out. We're going to the promised land."
"Oh, hallelujah!" Here they all was, shouting, and jumping, and having a good time, you know. And the first thing you know, they looked back and said, "Oh, what's that dust?"
140One of them climbed up on a hill, said, "Oh, oh! Alas, alas! It's Pharaoh's army."
141God said, "What you so scared about? Didn't you believe what I did down there? What you so worried about? Why you make Me angry?"
142When they got down there, Moses went out and interceded to God. God just opened up the Red Sea and they walked across; closed the enemy in. That's the way God does it. Don't get scared. Don't get all excited. Don't be flusterated. You provoke God.
143 Then what did He do? Look like, "Well, we had one big trial; bless God, we got over it. We won't have no more. We're on our road to the promised land." And He led them right out into the desert, where there's no water. Could you imagine? God, with His--with His sanctified, holy people, led them right out in this trap; then got them out of that trap, and led them right out here where there's no water. When He could have took them some way where there was water. Why, He could just made a river, all the way along, if He wanted to. He could have broke every mountain into joy, spurting water fifty feet in the air, if He wanted to. Sure, He could. But if He done that, it'd been too easy. Oh, my! Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
144 "Why did God let this happen, Brother Branham? Why did God?"
God is doing that. Let Him alone. Just walk on. That's God's business. "The footprints of the righteous are ordered by the Lord." Yes, sir. What difference does it make?
145"Lost all my money, Brother Branham." Well, bless God, anyhow.
146"Oh, I did this, and this happened, storm blowed away my house."
147Bless God, anyhow. "The Lord give, the Lord taken away, blessed be the Name of the Lord." Just keep walking on. It's all the glory of God. God knows what He's doing.
Some through the water, some through the flood,
Some through deep trial, but all through the Blood.
148That's the way He leads us. That's right. Oh, my! I feel like I could just stop and scream. That's the way He leads His dear children. Oh, can you just feel... Now, I'm not a psychologist, but can you just feel that lovely Spirit now bathing over the building? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] What if our eyes would come open just now, and look what is standing around the sides of these walls, up-and-down these aisles?
149 O Elisha! One morning, when that boy was just as blind as he could be, he said, "Look at the Syrians down there."
Said, "But there's more with us."
Said, "I don't see nobody."
Said, "Lord, open that boy's eyes."
150He looked around that old prophet, all around that, mountains was on Fire, and horses of Fire, and chariots of Fire. He was convinced then.
151He said, "We'll just go out and smite them blind." They had their sight just as perfect as they ever did, but they was blind to him. Said, "You all seeking Elijah?"
Said, "Yes, sir."
152"Come on, I'll show you where he's at." And that was him, leading them. They didn't know it.
153That's the way it is today. Christ is here. The Holy Ghost is here, doing the same things that He's always done, and the world is blind to It. They don't know It. "Oh, I--I don't know about That. My pastor..." Oh, poor decrepit people! See what I mean? They're blind to It. They don't know It. God is leading.
154 Now, they come up, through the Wilderness of Sin, there was no water there. God just had it all provided. Oh, and they found a puddle of water, they said, "This is it." And they couldn't even taste it. Oh, it was terrible. My, it's--it's worse than a hundred percent sulfur. See, just like rotten eggs, you know. "Oh, my! It's terrible." It was poison. Now, called the Wilderness of Sin. Several palm trees grow there, and the spring where those palms growed. Then Moses said, "Don't..."
155God said, "Why do they? Why do they? What are they provoking Me for? Well, if I did that back there, can't I do something about this situation?"
156 If He got you out of one sick spell, can't He get you out of another one? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] He got you out of one trouble, can't He get you out of another one? ["Amen."] Bless God! If He got me out of sin, He can take me out of the grave. He is God. Difference does it make? Just go on, keep your eyes on Him.
157Said, "If I closed the Red Sea behind, and drowned them Egyptians, can't I do something about this water? What do you make Me angry about? Oh, your unbelief! You provoke Me to anger, because of unbelief."
158 Now the word here is used, "Sin," provoked. Made... The reason they did it, they disbelieved. They never went out and got to shooting craps, now, and things like that. They never run around with somebody else's wife, and went out and told lies. That wasn't what they were doing. But, that's not sin, to begin with.
159Living in adultery is not sin. Smoking, chewing, drinking, gambling, cursing, swearing, so forth, that's not sin. That's the attributes of unbelief. You do that because you're an unbeliever. If you are a believer, you don't do that. That's the reason Jesus said, "He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me, has everlasting Life." Not says he believes, but really believes! There it is. That takes all your initial evidence away. See? Now, there you are.
Not, "He that heareth My Words and shouts." Not, "He that heareth My Words and speaks with tongues." Not, "He that heareth My Words and has blood in his hand or in his face," or whatever more. That's not It.
"He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Eternal Life, and shall never come to the Judgment, but has passed from death to Life."
160 What is sin? Unbelief. A little something can raise up, instead of going right to the Scripture and find out whether It's true or not, "Oh," you say, "I'm... Naw! See, there, you go ahead. I'll just continue a Presbyterian like I am, see." Go ahead, blind, and you provoke God.
161When God does anything, he expects the nation to grab It. But, instead of that, "You know, well, I don't know about That." See? He expects the people to get It. If you're concerned enough, set down with the Scripture. Go through It and search It, back and forth, and see if It happened, if It's predicted to came to pass, and so forth. Then you'll get It. Amen.
162 Now notice.
While it is... To day if you... hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, when God was provoked with them, you see.
For some, when they had heard, heard the gospel Moses preached, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
163How many knows how many people was saved out of that original bunch that come out? How many? [Someone says, "Two."--Ed.] Two, is right. How many knows their names? ["Caleb and Joshua."] That's right. Caleb and Joshua, the only two, out of two million something.
164Listen to this. "But he..." The 17th verse now.
But with whom he was grieved forty years, because of unbelief. Was it not with them that had sinned, disbelieved...?
165Take the dictionary and find out what sin means. Take the Bible dictionary. It's unbelief. Unbelief is "sin." "He that believeth not is condemned already," Saint John 4, see, "condemned already."
... whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest,...
166 Your disbelieving! Oh, how I'll never get to my chapter. But, look, that's what's the matter with this nation, today. Signs and wonders has crossed through this nation. What do they do? Continually turned their back on It. And He said, "I'll sware that I'll not let them enter into the Land they started to."
167What's the matter with these big churches today? Their unbelief has provoked God. Hallelujah! He is able of these stones to rise children to Abraham. He tried to give the Gospel to them, and they hardened their hearts. They cult themselves, and they made little denominations, "And we believe this and nothing else," and God couldn't move in. Where they at today? Setting on a sideline.
168 God's little, faithful group is moving right along, with signs and wonders. He is putting them to the test. "Every son that cometh to God must first be tried and tested," child-trained.
169First little thing happened, "Oh, well, maybe there's nothing to It, anyhow." You're the illegitimate child, and not a child of God.
170For a child of God is the Seed of Abraham, who calls those things that were not, as though they were, "God said so," and just keeps moving on. Amen. No matter what says, or anything different, they keep moving on, anyhow. "God said so."
171 Twenty-five years he waited for that baby, no matter how contrary it was. And he separated himself from them unbelievers, amen, so he could believe. Oh, my! I feel religious.
Think of it. You've got to separate yourself from that dogma of the world, "Ah, them days of miracles is past. There's no such a thing as That. That's fanaticism." Separate yourself.
172The Bible said, "Come out from among them, and be ye separated, saith the Lord, and I will receive you." How wonderful! "I will receive you, after you've separated yourself. You shall be my children. I'll be your God. Separate yourself. Don't yoke yourself up with unbelievers." That's right.
173Young man getting married, married some girl that don't believe; or some young girl marrying a boy that don't believe. Don't you do that. I don't care how cute he is, and--and, or how cute she is, and what those big eyes she's got; they'll all fade out one of these days. But, brother, your soul is going to live forever. You be careful what you're doing. She ain't a real believer, or him a real believer, don't you yoke yourself up like that. Stay away from such. It'll cause you trouble down the road.
174 Now listen, 17th verse.
But... whom he... was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
... to whom he sware that they should not enter into the rest,...
175They started out, but they seen the miracles, but they never did get to the promised land. Just a selected number, of two, enter the promised land.
176Now what's Paul doing? He is speaking to the Christians now, "Don't you let this same Gospel, that was preached back yonder, in signs and wonders, and the Pillar of Fire led them; when these things go to taking place again, don't you fall by the wayside, by unbelief, to go to doubting, for their carcass fell in the wilderness."
177 Now we're coming in, quickly now. Watch close.
... but to them that lived not?
So we see that they should not enter in because of unbelief.
He calls it sin once, he calls it unbelief the next time. Unbelief is "sin." "They entered not, because of their unbelief."
178They seen that prophet, Moses. They seen what he done, seen what he said. It was true, every time, moved right on the Truth. This Pillar of Fire would appear before them. They watched It. They seen It.
179Paul, trying to get, later on, get down here, the experience that he had. See? Trying to relate the experience, he typed it to the Old Testament. He said, "Now we've entered into a new thing, to this new dispensation, by Jesus Christ. Old times, the Lord appeared to them by the prophets, but now He's by His Son, Jesus." See? And he goes in, to type the experiences and show them what was taking place, how the signs and wonders, and everything, and what's wrote.
180 Now he said, "They entered not, because of their unbelief." They did not believe.
181"But now, we, we move into a dispensation, and don't you harden your heart. Don't you act like they did, in the days of provocation, when they provoked God." How did they do it? Not by living immorally. Let me grind this down to you.
182You say, "Brother Branham, I go to church." That's all right. "I never lied in my life." That's fine. "I never stole. I never done this, that, or the other." That's very fine. That's all good. But, that still isn't sin.
183The sin is when God shows Himself and you disbelieve It, you won't listen to It.
184"Oh," you say, "my church don't teach That." As long as the Bible teaches It, and God proves It, that's the thing.
Now watch just a moment. Now we're going to start now on something real, real deep. Now, put your conscience in your vest pocket till you get outside.
185 Now watch real close.
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us to enter into his...
His, her, personal pronouns now. What?
... any of you should seem to come short of it.
186Now, Paul is trying to tell them, in the previous chapter, about all these things. But now he is trying to tell them what It is.
Oh, have we got time? I... Maybe we better wait till tonight. It's getting late, and we going to have prayer service. Maybe we better catch it tonight, 'cause this is really full of vitamins, spiritual vitamins. Got a lot to do, and I'm busy this afternoon. "Let us..."
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise...
187Now, did they have a promise for the promised land, down in Egypt? And, when, God came down, to make this promise a reality. Why, God told Abraham, hundreds and hundreds of years before, that He was going to do it. It was Scriptural.
188 Joseph said, "Don't you move my bones from here until you go to that promised land and bury me up there with the rest of my fathers." Cause, he knowed the resurrection was coming, when Jesus rose from the dead, 'cause he had known what Job said. See?
189Each one of them prophets knowed just what the other prophet had said, and knowed that their Spirit was the same. And they was watching. Oh, brother! Oh, that ought to shake us out of our worldly condition. They had their eyes, not on what people were saying, but what them prophets said. Each one of them was watching.
190Abraham said, "Bury me right here where Job was buried." Said, "Sarah, I'm going to buy a piece of ground. We're going to be buried right here."
191Isaac was a prophet, after his daddy. Said, "Listen. Don't you bury me anywhere else, not down here in Egypt, but you take me right back in the promised land. You bury me right here."
192Jacob died down in the promised land, but said to his son, who was a prophet, said, "You know, one night the Angel touched me on the side. I've limped ever since. Come, put my hand..." Oh, mercy! "My prophet son, I'm old and I'm blind. But put your holy hand, being a prophet yourself, lay it on the place where the Angel had His hand, and swear to the God of Heaven that you'll not bury me down here."
193 Blessed be! There! You see the spiritual revelation of the Word? Why, half of them, nearly ninety percent, didn't know what he was talking about. But he knew what he was talking about. "Put your prophet hands on this place where the Angel laid His hand. I was once a big, stout man, a robust coward. But, He touched me, and since then I've been a limping man. But I've been a prince ever since I limped. Ever since I changed my way of walking, I been a prince." Yes. "Put your hand here. Swear by the God of Heaven, you'll not bury me here." Why? No one knowed what he was talking about. Joseph did. He said, "Take me up yonder and bury me in that promised land." There is where it was at. Certainly.
194When Joseph died, years later, he said, "Don't you bury me down here. But you look at my bones when you pass by, 'cause someday you're going out of here. And when you go, take my bones with you."
195 There you are. Let the world say what they want to, and do what they want to do. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Keep me in Christ, if I'm called anything... a fanatic, or holy-roller. Someday He's coming, and those that are in Christ will God bring with Him, when He comes. It's all a spiritual, revealed Truth laying right there, and it takes a spiritual mind to catch It. Rest on that, through the day. Think of it. Even if you do without your dinner, think of it.
196And tonight, we'll go into His Rest, that was left, and see what this promise is today. What is this thing today? If God hasn't got It here in the Bible, and prove It, It's right here now, then I'm a false prophet. That's exactly right. But It's here. What is this Rest?
197He said:
Now, let us... fear, lest, a promise being left us to enter in just like they did,...
198And It's got to be the same promise. It's got to be the same rest. It's got to be the same God. It's got to be the same signs. It's got to be the same thing. But let us rest. Now what is It? May the Lord grant it to us, tonight.
While we bow our heads.
199 Blessed Lord, only Eternity will reveal the great things that we now share together. Little...
Is many who are ordained to condemnation. As Thou hast said in the Book of Jude, that, "Men of old, foreordained to condemnation, would take the grace of our God and turn it into lasciviousness." And many today are preaching the Gospel, the grace of God, turn It into a money-making scheme, having a great big church and the most in Sunday school, taking the grace of God and turn It into lasciviousness. And the world is blind, and going like blind pigs. They don't understand.
200O God, open to us understanding. Let our understanding not be like the children of this world. For Thou hast said in Thy Word, that, "The children of this world are wiser than the children of the Light." In the beginning it was so, "the children of Cain" become great master scientists. They become great educators. They become workers of material. They went on progressing, very religious, but was condemned and drowned in the judgment. And their carcasses floated on the water, and their souls went to hell.
201And Jesus went and spoke to them, when He died. "And went to hell and preached to the souls that was in prison, that repented not in the long-suffering, in the days of Noah," saith the Scripture. And God, as He stood on earth, He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man."
202 But we notice, "the lineage then of Seth," humble men, real men of God, not knowing too much of the things of the world, caring nothing for the things of the world, but had laid aside every weight and had believed God, and become prophets and great men in the Kingdom. While the others, the other religious world, laughed at them, made fun of them. But the hour come when the floods and judgment came.
203So was it in the coming of Jesus Christ. How they laughed and made fun of Him, while they had their own religions and their great churches. But they made fun of the Morning Star, and they laughed at Him. But yet they entered into judgment. And when they flee and went into Jerusalem, there they eat their own children, from starvation, and their blood run out the street gates when they burnt the city and the temple, and their souls went into hell.
204Lord, here we are again, on the third. This is the life time. Three is the number of life. And here we are, ready for the Rapture.
The church moving on, the great scientist world. The churches today setting full of skeptic-believers. Tens of thousands with their names on the book, yes, millions, and would laugh at the Gospel, and say, that, "They're uneducated. They don't know."
Maybe that's so, Lord, but what we lack in education, You make up in grace; by sending Your Angel of Light, by manifesting His power, confirming the Words to those who are poor and illiterate as we. But we love You for this, because it's the grace of God that has did it, and we know that we were born. And we're not lovely, at all. We're very unlovely. But Thou, through grace, reached down Thy merciful hand and has opened our eyes, as Jesus prayed for us; as Elijah did for Gehazi, as he looked to see around him. And today our eyes are open, and we see the things of God, and know we're moving at the end time; when the Gentile people's days are about finished, and He'll take a people for His Name. Let us be included there, Lord, humbly we beg. We pray that You'll grant it.
205 Bless us. Bless this little audience this morning. They're made up of all different types of religions and beliefs, but lay them aside today, God. And may they look straight towards Calvary, say, "God, mold me and make me. I'm like the..." The prophet said that he went down to the potter's house, that he might be broke up and remolded. Mold us and make us after the fashion that God would have us. No matter if we have to be the floor mat at the House of the Lord. I'd rather be the doormat than to dwell in tents with the wicked. And grant it, Lord. Just bless us now, and keep us humble. Let our hearts be open, our minds clear, to the things of God, for we ask it in Christ's Name.
206 With our heads bowed, I wonder if someone would want to be remembered in a word of prayer, for your salvation of your soul? Would you raise your hand, and just a sinner? God bless you, young fellow. Someone else? God bless you, back there, sir. God bless you, lady. Someone else like to be remembered in prayer just now, for your soul? God bless you, sir, with your hand up. And God bless you, and you here. Wonderful. Would there be another one, just before closing? I feel there'd be. God bless you, back there, sir, in the back.
207Say, now look, I want to ask you something. I don't want you to think at all because it's this little tabernacle. I don't want you to think it's because it's this people. And merciful God, don't think it's because that the Angel of the Lord had His picture taken with me, and I... and--and something of that, to do that. O God! If I felt that way, then, brother, I need to be at the altar instead of asking you. But I'm only saying this, I'm only saying this by the Scripture, that you'll see that this is the Truth. If I said It, and that's all there was to it, went on like any other preacher or something another, or any other, well, then, it would be different. But you see the thing, God comes right back around and proves that it's the Truth. See? That's what makes It real, is God proving It. And then, not only that, but His Word says that He'll do it. Here He is doing it.
208 Now if you're not in the right, your heart is not right with God, would you just raise your hand? Say, "Pray for me." All right, right where you are. About eight or ten hands has been up, wanting mercy for their soul. While you have your heads bowed, now you pray. Remember, you're the one to repent. I'm only asking for you, that God will be merciful. But that's the altar, God has brought you to a place in your mind; that's the altar. We believe in coming to the altar, sure, but that doesn't--that doesn't... It's all right. But your real altar is where God has met you. And He has met you right where you're setting. That's your altar.
209Now say, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And from this day on, if You'll help me, I'll live for You. I'll--I'll serve You. I don't care what anyone says, I'm stepping out, this morning. I'm praying right here, and You take this old sassy spirit away from me. You take this temper away from me. I know I can't act like that and be right with God. And I got hatred in my heart. I'm jealous. I got malice. I got this, that. Take it out, God. I don't want to be like that. Make me sweet, and humble, and meek. Make me gentle. Make me such a person I could win others to You. Let me do something for You to show appreciations in my life." That's the prayer you pray now, while we pray together.
210 Heavenly Father, they're Yours. They're the fruits of the Message this morning. They raised their hand. Something made them do that. They, they defied the laws of gravitation when they raise their hands. There was a spirit in them that made a decision. They raised up their hands, that they accepted the Creator who made them.
211Now, Heavenly Father, I pray that You'll bless them, and give to them Eternal Life, right now. There's nothing I could do; call them around the altar, putting them in an extra room, doing all the work. It, it takes You to do it, Lord. We can't do no more than preach the Word. You said, "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word, the Word of God." Now, we've preached the Word, and they've raised their hands, that they believed It. Now give them everlasting Life, 'cause You promised You would do it. If they were sincere in raising their hands, they'll go out of this building this morning, a sweet, meek, humble Christian, because You promised it. And Your Words cannot fail. I ask it in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
Now I am watching, waiting and longing,
For that bright City, John saw coming down.
In that bright City, (worship now), pearly white City,
I have a mansion, a harp and a crown;
Now I am watching, wait and longing,
For that bright City, John saw coming down.
212 Don't you just love Him? The message is over, now. This is worship. We don't come to church just to hear a message. We come to worship. Just forget the person next to you. Just worship Him. Oh, how beautiful! How wonderful! Just tell Him in your... You don't have to tell Him loud. Just tell Him in your heart, "I love You, Lord. Forgive me of my sin." Oh, my!
... pearly white City,
I have a mansion, a harp and a crown;
Now I am watching, waiting and longing,
For that white City, John saw coming down,
213 Our Father, God, receive us. We are waiting, as we're listening at the Word, longing. "Our hearts thirst after Thee, like the hart panteth for the water brook. Our soul thirsts after Thee, O God." Longing and waiting, waiting that hour and when Jesus shall come, waiting to the time that we'll be summonsed to the sky. Not to stand before the Judge in judgment; it's done past. We're dead to the things of the world. Has entered into Christ, and He took our judgment. He's our Attorney now, at the seat of justice. Our blessed Attorney, that, on our confession, He pleads our case till we know that we're unworthy. As a dear old sister this morning, said in her testimony, and putting in her pennies, "Since I come here I learned that It's not my holiness, it's God's holiness."
214Truly, Lord, we teach the people, there's nothing good in man, not one thing. "What is man that Thou art mindful of him?" But it's the grace of God that's appeared to us. And we trust only in His merits, not in our own. And we worship Thee, Most Holy God, for Thy goodness, to include us in Thy great Kingdom, in Thy great plans. We receive Thee into our hearts, by faith. And by grace, we believe that You've give it to us for the glory of God, for the service of God.
215 Now, Lord, heal the sick as they come up to be prayed for, this morning. Give to them that joy, that they long to be well. Let them know that this little, light affliction was put upon them, is just a little testing time. God knows all about it. He did it to see what we'd do about it. How God... May they step right out there and claim that finished work! May You... May they not provoke You, by be running here and there, and in and out, "Well, I don't know this, that."
216Lord, may they take a straight stand, say, "Lord, You was the One who saved me. You was the One who did these things for me. I believe You, and I'm trusting You, today." And I pray that You'll grant this to the people, in Christ's Name. Amen.
1Dobré ráno priatelia. Je to privilégium, že tu môžeme dnes ráno byť a slúžiť Pánovi. Máme nádej a veríme, že prežijeme pekné chvíle.
2Bol som práve vzadu v ... Nazývali sme to kancelária diakonov, kde sú teraz magnetofóny. Rozprával som sa tam s jednou mladou paňou a s jej matkou. Oni sú z Joleit, z Illinois. A rozmýšľal som práve, že akým dielom Božej milosti je to dievča. Mnohí z nás tu z okolia ju poznajú. Ona je alkoholička. Jeden z najhorších prípadov. A nikdy mi ten príbeh nebol jasný, až dnes ráno, ako sa to stalo, keď odišla z pódia ... Pán jej zjavil všetko čo bolo zlé a čo sa stane. A ona odišla z pódia, plakala a radovala sa, pretože Boh ju zachránil od alkoholického hrobu. A ona ... Nejaká pani prišla hore ku nej a začala plakať, že jej dcéra, myslím, že bola závislá na drogách. A viete, z milosti Božej, to dievča sa nazývalo (Myslím, že to bolo večer, na druhý deň, nazývala sa Rossela). A to dievča bolo z tých narkotik uzdravené. A ona a jej muž kážu evanjelium. A keď vidíte také milé dievča ako Rossela, a taká skúsená. A ona je teraz veľmi čestná, má ... cíti v srdci povolanie. Ale vie, čo Biblia hovorí o ženách kazateľkách. Vidíte? Vie, že je to niečo iné a Boh ju vedie do väzníc a na iné miesta, aby vydávala svedectvo.
3To je nádherné, keď viete - keď hľadáte vôľu Božiu. Niekedy máme pocit, ale chceme tento pocit priniesť na správne miesta. Ak na to nedáte pozor, diabol zoberie tento pocit a prevráti to na niečo iné. Ale pokiaľ stojíme na Biblii, tak sme v poriadku. Vidíte, pohybujeme sa presne podľa vôle Pánovej.
4A tak verím, že Rossela sa nakoniec vydá niekde na misijné pole, pretože Amerika nechce evanjelium (to viete), to by sme tiež mohli pripustiť. S týmito anglo-saskými ľuďmi je koniec, to je to. Už nie je evanjelium, ktoré Amerika príjme. Ó, sem-tam máte niekoľkých roztrúsených. Ale čo sa týka evanjelia, s tým je koniec. A ani im nemôžete kázať, nemôžete s nimi hovoriť. Oni ničomu nebudú veriť. Vidíte? Oni majú svoje vlastné tvrdohlavé predstavy, majú svoj postoj, a to ďalšie čo prichádza na tento národ, to je súd. Príde aj na Ameriku. Môže to byť skrze krízu, môže to byť skrze atómovú bombu, môže to byť skrze veľkú pliagu, chorobu alebo niečo také. Ale ona je pripravená. Súd prichádza. Padnú milióny.
5 Včera sme prechádzali, brat Zabel a ja, išli sme do ... a brat Wood, išli sme dole z Kentucky, kde sme boli tri dni a išli sme okolo sídliska a brat Zabel povedal: „Nie je tam ...“ (Zabudol som.) „Sotva je tu niekto z týchto ľudí na tomto sídlisku, kto by chodil do nejakého zboru.“
6Keby ste sa ich to opýtali: „No, my máme televíziu, pri tom nachádzame pohodlie.“ Vidíte? To je americký postoj. Vidíte? „My máme televíziu. Máme dosť peňazí. Máme pekné autá, máme pekné domy. Čo potrebujeme s Pánom? My to nepotrebujeme!“ A to je ich postoj.
7Ohľadne toho jediného náboženstva a spasenia, ktoré máme a milujeme, a to je medzi skutočnými pobožnými ľuďmi. Viete že Biblia povedala, že to sa stane? (Je to tak.) Ktorí čítate Bibliu, počul som vás zakričať „Amen“ aj vás kazateľov tam vzadu. Je to tak. Láska bude v tých posledných dňoch tak vzdialená, že jediná láska, ktorá zostane, to bude láska medzi vyvoleným Božím ľudom.
Otec bude proti matke a matka proti otcovi a deti proti rodičom a každý jeden proti druhému. A jediná láska, ktorá zostane, to budú len tí vyvolení. Len tí vyvolení. Slovo vyvolený pochádza od slova vyvoliť. Boží vyvolený ľud.
8A keď mi Rossela rozprávala pred chvíľou v tej miestnosti ten príbeh, rozmýšľal som práve, ona povedala, že v ten večer sa niečo stalo. A ako to ... povedal všetko z jej života, keď bola ... proste alkoholička so skleneným pohľadom. Nemohla ... žiadna protialkoholická liečebňa. Štyria doktori sa jej vzdali, nedalo sa už nič urobiť. A ako práve od tej chvíle sa niečo stalo.
9No, ona už nemá ten sklenený pohľad ... je to milá, pekná, mladá žena, 33 ročná a vyzerá asi na dvadsať dva. Práve tak ako Boh pre ňu urobil to, čo urobil a ako vyzerá inak. A ... ale ja som povedal: „Rossela, pred založením sveta Boh určil túto chvíľu.“ Tak veru! Vidíte. Práve .. A keď malý Billy Paul tam ten večer rozdával ľuďom modlitebné karty, on sotva vedel komu dá tú modlitebnú kartu. Či to nie je nádherné, Rossela? [Rossela hovorí z obecenstva. – pozn.prekl.] Amen. Nech ťa Pán žehná, Rossela. Som si istý, že to budeme robiť. Ona chce aby sa zbor za ňu modlil, aby ju Boh viedol. To je ... aby nasledovala jeho nemennú ruku. Ó, to je tak dobre.
10Dnes ráno mi bola predložená strašná ponuka. Nejaký multi, multi, multimilionár chce tu v Louisville, v Kentucky podnikať a postaviť mi modlitebňu za päť miliónov dolárov. Ale niečo v mojom srdci mi povedalo: „Zadrž, ty nie si pastor.“ Vidíte? Tak potom, 5 milión dolárov, to by bolo vhodné ... No, to ... musieť ísť na úrady a platiť za pálenku a takéto veci, ale chcel to dať na modlitebňu pre Pána. Ale dúfam, že sa to dostane nejakému sluhovi Božiemu, ktorý bude ... a na nejakú službu pre Boha. Ale tých 5 miliónov dolárov by bolo teraz vhod, len si to predstavte. Akú modlitebňu by sme mohli postaviť. Vidíš Rossela ako pekne to vyzerá? Ale niečo tu dole hovorí niečo iné. Vidíš? Vidíte? Niečo tu dole.
11My chodíme do tejto malej, starej modlitebne, pre vás cudzích. Dobre, toto tu na rohu by mohlo byť nádherné miesto, neuvedomujete si to, že tí ľudia chceli postaviť toto miesto a postavili to. Ale takto sa nám to páči. Vidíte? Takto sa nám to páči. Staré sedadlá, na ktorých sme sedávali tu v modlitebni boli tie staré pôvodné sedadlá, prežili tú povodeň a boli zaplavené.
12A moja Biblia ležala otvorená takto na kazateľni. Oprela sa až o strop a zase klesla naspäť a Slovo bolo na nej: „Ja Hospodin som ju sadil; Ja ju budem zavlažovať vo dne i v noci, že ju nič nevytrhne z mojej ruky“ [Jedná sa asi o Izaiáša 27:3 – pozn.prekl.] Ako to bolo napísané navrchu, tu a znovu klesla dole. Tie sedadlá znovu prišli na svoje miesto. Jediné čo bolo treba urobiť, očistiť to a pokračovať. Vidíte, vidíte? Tak, takto sa nám to páči. Kde sú obyčajní ľudia, obyčajné miesto a predivný Pán. Amen.
13No, dnes, máme ... začíname sa dostávať ku smotane. Viete, keď je odobraté všetko mlieko a je len smotana. A pamätajte, na vyprodukovanie smotany potrebujete mlieko. Viete. Smotana je súčasťou mlieka.
14Tak, boli sme v prvej, druhej a končíme tretiu a začíname štvrtú kapitolu tejto slávnej knihy Židom. A ó, náuka tejto knihy! Mohli by sme byť pri tom ... tri mesiace pri jednom verši a len ukazovať, že celá Biblia nadväzuje na seba, každý verš. Premýšľali ste niekedy o tom? Nie je ani jeden verš, na ktorý by ste mohli položiť prst, ktorý by z milosti a s pomocou Ducha Svätého nenadväzoval presne na seba, od Genesis do Zjavenia.
15Nie je žiadna iná literatúra, kdekoľvek napísaná, ktorá by to dokázala. A matematicky a geograficky a každým spôsobom, nie je v Biblii kniha, napísaná ako Biblia ... Chcem povedať, že nie je na svete kniha, ktorá by bola napísaná ako Biblia. Nie je nič také. Duchovnosť Biblie je úplne v harmónii. Ešte aj v kapitolách a v znamienkach a vo všetkom. Je to dokonalé. Žiadna iná kniha ... nemôžete v nej prečítať kapitolu, ktorá by si sama neprotirečila. Ale v celej Biblii si ani jedna vec neprotirečí. A písali ju mnohí, mnohí, mnohí ľudia. A v rozmedzí stovky a stovky a stovky rokov. A nevedeli ani ... Jeden to písal tu a druhý to písal tu a ďalší to písal tam, a keď to bolo všetko dané dohromady, vytvorilo to Božiu Bibliu. A nič si tam navzájom neprotirečí. A nie je ... matematicky, geograficky a všetko v Biblii (všetko), duchovne, všetko ide dokonale spolu. Ak to nie je inšpirované, tak potom neviem čo nazývate inšpiráciou. Ja sa tak radujem z tejto požehnanej, starej Biblie.
16Niekto z ľudí mi povedal: „Čo si, katolík? Protestant?
Povedal som: „Ani jedno. Ja verím Biblii.“ To je ono. Ja verím Biblii a som rád, že stále máme v tomto národe slobodu, že to môžeme kázať. Ó, to je nádherné.
17A teraz budeme z tohoto študovať. A prejdeme do knihy Židom a začneme v tretej kapitole a skončili sme pri 15. verši.
18A teraz, všetci ... Videl som pred chvíľou, že niekto si všimol, keď som si zobral ku čítaniu okuliare. To nie preto, že mám zlé oči, ale prekročil som štyridsiatku. Môžem čítať, hneď tu, úplne normálne, ale s okuliarmi môžem čítať lepšie. A urobili mi jedny okuliare na čítanie, ktoré chcem používať, pretože môžem lepšie čítať a rýchlejšie a som ... na to ich mám.
19A teraz v ... Najprv chceme trochu zopakovať to čo sme preberali, pretože môžu byť medzi nami niektorí cudzí, ktorí neprešli cez tú prvú časť knihy Židom.
20Ty tam na konci si pani Coxová? Dobre. Som naozaj rád, že ju vidím. Prv ako začnem, poviem toto na svedectvo milosti Božej. Bola tu žena, ktorá mala zožratú celú tvár od rakoviny. Bola to matka sestry Woodovej. A ja som bol v Michigan s Gene a Leo a ostatnými, ktorí robia nahrávky a na ceste domov mi zavolala moja žena (či vlastne ja som jej zavolal) a povedala: „Choď sa hneď modliť za matku od pani Coxovej, lebo rakovina jej zožrala celú tvár.“ Prešla od strany oka a dole na kosť a prešla po celej tvári a rozširuje sa. Nejaký doktor urobil to či ono, a to sa len zhoršilo a proste sa to rozšírilo. Dali na to nejaký liek.
21A priviedli ju zdola do Camelsville, Kentacky, hore do ... Myslím Acton, Kentucky, hore do Louisville, na ošetrenie.
22A tak pani Woodová, keď som ju prv videl bola celá roztrhaná, pretože to ... pretože to bola je matka a ona sa cítila celá roztrhaná. Vošiel som do tej miestnosti a modlil som sa za ňu s dôverou, že Boh povedal, že On odpovie na modlitbu. A za niekoľko dní bola prepustená a teraz tam sedí ... Úžasná milosť, ako to On pre ňu urobil.
23Povstala by si? Nechcem aby si robila verejné ... Kde bola tá rakovina? Na líci. Vidíte? Tam na jej líci, až tu dole ku sánke, hore okolo očí. A Boh ju uzdravil. Či nie je úžasný?
24Koľkí ste tu boli minulú nedeľu a videli ste čo urobil Pán skrze videnie? Muž, chromý aj slepý, sedel rovno tu v invalidnom kresle. A niečo ma zabolelo, keď ten starý muž, ktorý tu sedel povedal: „Brat Branham ...“ (Myslím, že to bol práve tento brat tu.) Povedal: „Urob to isté pre moju ženu.“ On tu mal svoju chromú ženu. Skoro sa my rozlialo srdce. Prajem ... Dal by som všetko na svete, keby som mohol, ale to nie je ... to nie je v mojej moci. Ale modliť sa, aby to Boh urobil, to je v mojej moci a vo vašej moci. On má chromú ženu a zdá sa, že má ochrnutú ruku a nohu. A tento muž bol v oveľa horšom stave ako ona, pretože ona môže vstať a môže trochu chodiť, ale tento muž nemohol ani to. A on ... mal poškodený hlavný nerv v mozgu, ktorý udržiava rovnováhu. Klinika Mayo a mnohí iní sa ho vzdali. A poslal ho sem nejaký katolík, doktor - katolík. A jeho chlapec je kňazom vo St. Meinrad dole v Jasper, v Indiáne. Ale to kladie základné kamene toho prebudenia, ktoré tam povstáva.
25A keď vstal, povedal: „Ale nemôžem ...“ Pozrel sa a povedal: „Áno, môžem!“ On si myslel, že nemôže vidieť, viete. A pozrel sa, zodvihol hlavu a mohol chodiť a videl. Sám prešiel cez túto uličku. A oni boli presbyteriáni, on bol ortodoxný. A hovoril ... Vy si myslíte že len letniční, alebo ľudia svätosti dokážu kričať. Mýlite sa. Oni istotne dokážu kričať, keď vidia niečo takéto. Objímali jeden druhého a kričali. Chodil hore dole po schodoch, tlačil svoje invalidné kreslo bez nervu, ktorý udržiava rovnováhu a on chodil. Predstavte si to! Chodil tak ako vy alebo ja. Ó, On je úžasný!
26No, Pavel napísal list Židom a v tomto liste Židom ... On to napísal. A prv ako napísal tieto listy ... Zistili sme teraz, budeme ... Toto je lekcia nedeľnej školy a ja sa budem snažiť dávať pozor, aby som nehovoril príliš dlho. A potom budeme mať zhromaždenia, na ktorých budeme v tom pokračovať dnes večer, ak bude vôľa Pánova.
27No, v liste Židom a v ďalších Pavlových epištolách ... Kto bol Pavel? To bol horlivý Hebrej, vzdelaný človek a veľký učiteľ Starého Zákona. A bol vyučený od jedného z najlepších mužov v tom čase. Niekto mi povie ako sa nazýval. Gamaliel, jeden z najväčších učiteľov v tom čase. A Pavel sedával pri nohách Gamaliela.
28Niečo na tom je ... kde chodíte, do akej cirkvi chodíte a aký učiteľ vás učí. Viete to? Na tom niečo je. Preto si máme vyhľadať tú najlepšiu, akú môžeme nájsť, aby sme tak mohli dostávať to najlepšie. Nie preto, že je to sociálne a tak ďalej, ale skutočné Biblické učenie.
29Pozrite, raz keď Izrael vyšiel na púšť so svojimi armádami a sedem dní obchádzali a minula sa im voda. A hrozilo im, že zahynú, povedali: „Ó, keby tu bol na blízku prorok.“
30A jeden z nich povedal: „Tu neďaleko je Elizeus. On lieval vodu na ruky Eliáša.“ Vidíte? To bol jeho priateľ. Inými slovami. „Tu je Elizeus, ktorý mal obecenstvo s Eliášom. U neho je Slovo Pánove.“ Rozumiete? On bol správne vyučovaný. A on povedal: „On je tu. Poďme tam dole a poraďme sa s ním, pretože jeho učiteľom bol Eliáš a on sa drží Eliášovej náuky.“ Vidíte, aký to má význam? Istotne, chceme byť vyučovaní.
31Tak, Pavel bol vyučovaný od Gamaliela. A Gamaliel bol ten veľký muž, ktorý urobil to rozhodnutie, on sám bol vyučený, a keď toto všetko začalo prebiehať v tej prvotnej cirkvi, on povedal: „Bratia, neklaďme na to ruky, ak to nie je od Boha, aj tak sa to rozpadne. Ale ak je to od Boha a my budeme proti tomu bojovať, budeme nájdení ako takí, ktorí sa boria s Bohom.“ Vidíte, on mal nejakú dobrú náuku.
32Pavel vyrástol pri tomto mužovi a on vedel, že Pavel je veľký učiteľ. Tak jedného dňa, úprimný v srdci, prenasleduje cirkev, ide tam a chce ich pozatvárať ...
33No, zoberme ďalšiu etapu z Pavlovho života, keď preberáme to pozadie.
34Keď sa Judáš prehrešil a odpadol (tým, že miloval peniaze a pýchu života), vypadol z milosti a odišiel na svoje miesto. A učeníci povedali: „Musí byť dvanásť.“ A cirkev so všetkou svojou dôstojnosťou (aby som vám ukázal, čo je cirkev), so všetkou svojou dôstojnosťou a so všetkou svojou mocou, je ešte stále prikrátka, milión míľ vzdialená, hoci robí to najlepšie. Oni povedali: „Musíme vybrať jedného spomedzi nás, ktorý zaujme to miesto.“ A oni vrhli losy a pomocou toho vybrali Mateja. (Matiáša, myslím, alebo Mateja.) Myslím že Mateja. A keď ho vybrali a dali ku tým dvanástim (ku tým jedenástim, doplnili do dvanásť), on neurobil ani jednu vec. To je jediný raz kde je v Písme spomenuté jeho meno. To bola voľba, ktorú urobila cirkev.
35No, oni si mysleli: „On je džentlmen.“ Bez pochyby. „On je úžasný človek. On je učený. Je chytrý, vzdelaný. Je to ohromná osoba. On zaujme miesto Judáša a bude jedným z nás.“ Ale viete, Boh niekedy urobí (podľa našej mienky) najnezmyselnejší výber.
36No, Boh videl malého krivonosého žida, takého temperamentného ako len mohol byť, s ústami nakrivo: „Ja tam pôjdem a zavriem každého z nich. Dám ich do väzenia. Ja to urobím.“ To bol Boží výber. Tí ostatní vybrali učenca a diplomata. Tak vyberá cirkev.
37Vidíte? Vy neviete, kto je pri oltári. Vy neviete, kto je ten, komu svedčíte ... vo väzení alebo kdekoľvek. Môže vyzerať ako boxerista so zlomenými ušami a očami vytreštenými ... Ale vy neviete kto to je. Vy len vrháte svoj los, to je všetko. Dávate mu Slovo. Boh robí ten výber.
38A Boh vyberá tohoto malého temperamentného žida ... alebo vybral, na jeho ceste. „Ja tam pôjdem a pozatváram ich. Ja im ukážem, čo môžem urobiť.“ Niečo také. A Boh ho zrazil na zem. Boh povedal: „To je moja voľba, práve tam.“
39Či by to nebolo hlúpe pre cirkev? „Veď on prenasleduje cirkev. To je telesný človek.“ Ale Boh vedel čo bolo vo vnútri toho človeka. Rozumiete, čo chcem povedať?
40Tak, Pavel mal prežitie. Koľkí veríte, že pri obrátení prichádza prežite? Skutočne! Ak nie, pochyboval by som o tom obrátení. Obrátenie prináša prežitie. A vy teraz nemôžete určiť ako sa to prejaví. Niekedy ten človek môže vykrikovať. Niekedy môže hovoriť v jazykoch. Niekedy môže plakať. Niekedy môže vzdychať. Neviete čo to bude, tak sa to nesnažte prideliť, pretože všetko, čo by ste skúsili, by bolo zlé. Vy metodisti a vy baptisti a nazaréni a letniční.
41Videl som ľudí kričať tak hlasno, ako len mohli a ukradli by vám zlato zo zubov, ak by mohli. Tak veru! Videl som ľudí hovoriť v jazykoch, ako keď sypete hrach na suchú kravskú kožu. A v skutočnosti, na druhej strane úst žujú tabak a keby mohli, podrezali by vám hrdlo. Je to tak. Tak tieto veci ... Nie je žiadny dôkaz, ktorým to môžete dokázať, jedine skrze život, ktorým ten človek žije. „Podľa ovocia ich poznáte.“
42Tak to všetko je na Bohu. On robí výber. On dáva dokopy tie veci a je to tak, ako to má byť. Tak ak sa váš život zhoduje s ovocím Biblie, tak ste sa celkom pekne počali. Ak váš duch svedčí s Jeho Duchom, že ste synovia a dcéry Božie, ste ... Všetko to zlé odpadlo a všetko sa stáva novým a žijete v láske a máte pokoj a milosť a tak ďalej. Potom sa dostávate celkom blízko ku Kráľovstvu. Pretože ten Život, ktorý je vo vás produkuje takýto druh života. Vidíte?
43Ak hovoríte: „Ó, haleluja, hovoril som v jazykoch. Haleluja!“ To nič neznamená. To neznamená nič viac, než ako keby ste prišli sem a zahrali na gitare nejaký tón alebo niečo také. To nič neznamená. Hoci by ste hovorili v jazykoch, hoci by ste kričali, a behali hore dole pomedzi rady a plakali a tiekli by vám slzy, ako keby ste lúpali cibuľu, to nič neznamená, vôbec nič, až kým za tým nestojí presne ten každodenný život, ktorý s tým ide.
44No, ak robíte tieto veci plus ten život, „Amen“, to je pekné. To je dobre. Ale môžete robiť tieto veci bez toho, aby ste mali ten život.
45Tak potom, nie vykrikovanie, ani nič takého nie je dôkazom. Ježiš povedal: „Podľa ich ovocia ich poznáte.“ A ovocie Ducha nie je hovorenie v jazykoch. To nie je ovocie Ducha. Vykrikovanie nie je ovocie Ducha. Plakanie nie je ovocie Ducha. Ale láska, radosť, pokoj, zhovievavosť, dobrota, dobrotivosť, vernosť, krotkosť, zdržanlivosť. To je ovocie Ducha. To je to, čím je ovocie Ducha. No dobre.
46No, keď máme tieto veci, to spôsobuje, že ľudia radi robia organizácie. Viete? „Dobre, my to budeme mať. Chvála Bohu, všetci, ktorí veria tak ako my, my pôjdeme touto cestou. A všetci, ktorí veria tak ako my, pôjdeme takouto cestou.“ Ale Boh chce, aby všetci išli touto cestou. Rozumiete? Rovno hore!
47No, Pavel, potom keď mal toto prežitie, potom si myslel, že to bolo nádherné prežitie. No, ako ... Pozrime sa trochu na to prežitie. Pavel bol na ceste do Damašku, aby tam uväznil niektorých ľudí, pretože sa tam dostalo evanjelium. Evanjelium znamená „dobrá správa.“ A tak oni sa tam rozpŕchli a povstávalo mnoho ľudí, plných lásky a radosti a milovali Pána Ježiša. A ono sa roznieslo až tam, tak Pavel zobral nejaké listy od najvyššieho kňaza. Povedal: „Pôjdem tam a všetkých ich pozatváram.“
48Tak si zobral so sebou malú družinu strážcov (chrámových strážcov, vojakov) a vydal sa na cestu. A keď išli po ceste a on len ... všetci vedeli čo ide robiť a zrazu sa niečo stalo. Zrazu sa pred ním zjavilo veľké Svetlo, veľké Svetlo. No, ono svietilo ako slnko. Stala sa zvláštna vec. To Svetlo svietilo tak silno, že on ... Skoro mu vypálilo oči a on spadol na zem. A ležal na zemi a pozrel sa hore.
49Bolo s ním okolo desať alebo pätnásť mužov. Či niektorý z tých mužov videl to Svetlo? Nie. Pavel to videl! Tým ľuďom nebolo dané, aby to videli. Tak, niektorí ľudia môžu vidieť určité veci, zatiaľ čo ostatní nie. Rozumiete? Tak, Pavel videl to Svetlo až tak, že ho až oslepilo. On niekoľko dní nemohol vidieť, pre neho to bolo také skutočné. A on nemohol vidieť niekoľko dní ... neskoršie, keď písal listy, jeho oči ho od vtedy tak trápili, že písal veľkými písmenami. Povedal: „Vidíte, že som vám to napísal veľkými písmenami.“ On skoro nevidel.
50On bol vo väzení a prosil Pána, aby ho z toho uzdravil. A tri razy o to prosil. Ale čo povedal Pán? „Moja milosť ti je dostatočná, Pavel.“
51Pavel povedal: „Teda sa budem chváliť svojimi slabosťami.“ Pretože povedal: „Aby som sa prevelikosťou zjavení príliš nepovyšoval, daný mi je osteň do tela, anjel satanáš, aby ma pohlavkoval.“ Chvíľami sa mu polepšilo a potom to znovu prišlo. Pohlavkovanie, to znamená „úder za úderom“ Ako loď na mori, viete, vlny do nej udierajú. Vidíte, úder za úderom. A polepšilo sa mu, a potom to znovu dostal a potom sa mu polepšilo a znovu to dostal. „ Pane, čo sa deje, nezoberieš to odo mňa?“
52„Dosť ti je moja milosť, Pavel, len sa drž.“ To do držalo ...
53„No, keby to ... keby som bol proste dokonalý a všetko by bolo dokonalé, potom ďalej by som sa nafúkol a povedal by som. Vidíte, na mne nie je nič zlého. Brat, Pán sa o mňa stará. Haleluja.“ Potom sa stávate samospravodliví.
54Boh vám raz za čas musí dať trochu niečo, aby vás tak pokoril, viete. Je to tak. Aby ste si tak uvedomili, že On je šéfom. Ó, či nie je ohromný! Tak veru. To je jednoducho úžasné.
55Tak On ... Pavel potom hneď, keď mal toto veľké prežitie, ...
56No, keby to bol zažil niekto dnes, oni by povedali: „Ó, chvála Bohu, haleluja. Človeče, Pán pre mňa niečo urobil. Sláva Bohu.“ Ale Pavel nebol taký, on bol vyučený z Biblie.
57To prežite muselo súhlasiť s Božím Slovom. Tak veru! Ak to všetko spolu nezapadalo presne do Biblie ... Nie len pozrieť sa sem a povedať: „Ó, áno, tu to je, rovno tu. Chvála Bohu, mám to.“ Och! Boh to takto nedáva.
58To musí pasovať s celou Bibliou. Všetko. Pretože vy môžete ... Neveriaci používajú túto Bibliu ako pole svojich diskusií. Ale oni zoberú jedno miesto Písma tu a prejdú sem a tu zoberú iné miesto a snažia sa ich spojiť, a pritom sú to dve rozdielne témy. Tak Písmo sa musí porovnávať s Písmom.
59Ako povedal Izaiáš v 28. kapitole: „To musí byť riadok za riadkom, riadok za riadkom, trochu tu a trochu tam. Držte sa pevne toho, čo je dobré.“ Vidíte? Takto to prichádza. Riadok za riadkom, Slovo za Slovom, Písmo za Písmom. To musí byť všetko spolu zostavené. Preto si myslím, že v takýchto lekciách ako teraz máme, to je pre cirkev veľká vec, pretože to ich privádza na miesto, kde všetky miesta Písma zapadajú do seba. A naše prežitie musí zapadať do Písma (Ó, tu to máte.), ak to tak nie je, potom je to nesprávne.
60A ako som ja chodil niekoľko rokov a nevedel som, čo to bolo za Svetlo, ktoré zrazilo Pavla na zem. Keď ten vonkajší svet, ľudia, kazatelia sa mi skrze Písmo snažili povedať: „To je z diabla. Ty budeš veštec. Ty budeš špiritista. Nezahrávaj sa s tým, Billy. Na tom je niečo zlé. Nerob to, človeče, to je falošné. To je diabol. Človeče, ty budeš úplné médium. Ak to budeš robiť, bude z teba špiritista. Ó, to je všetko z diabla. To nie je v poriadku.“
61Ale keď ... Ja som to nechcel kázať. Ale ako na ceste do Damašku, Pavel to nechcel kázať. Tak on zistil, či je to správne alebo nie. Tak on išiel dole do Arábie na tri roky a študoval Písma. Keď z tade prišiel povedal: „Teraz mi to skúste vyhovoriť.“
62On vedel, že sa bude musieť postaviť pred farizejov. Musí sa postaviť pred sadúcejov. Musí sa postaviť pred svetom a pred pohanským svetom. A tak Pavel ... Táto Biblia je napísaná ... tento list Židom je napísaný kvôli tomu. On trasie tými židmi a berie ten Starý Zákon a ukazuje to tu v Novom Zákone. „Toto je Boh,“ povedal. „Tu to je vo všetkých tých prorokoch a vo všetkom.“ Začína tam na začiatku, v tej prvej kapitole, ktorú máme: „Boh za dávna (vtedy v dávnych časoch), mnohorakým spôsobom hovorieval ku otcom skrze prorokov.“ Tak Boh prinášal svoje posolstvo overené pomocou Urím a Thumím. „Ale v týchto dňoch prehovoril ku nám skrze svojho Syna, Krista Ježiša.“ A to je overené pomocou jeho Biblie. Tu to máte.
63Tak tieto prežitia, o ktorých svet hovorí: „Ó, to je nenormálne. Aha, nikto ...“ Keď sa zjavil ten anjel, to Svetlo tu dole nad riekou, keď som tu na rohu kázal na svojej prvej evanjelizácii a krstili sme všetkých tých ľudí ... Myslím, že brat Freeman, ty si tam asi bol ... Neviem, či si tu vtedy bol alebo nie. Koľkí ste tu boli, keď sa zjavilo nad riekou to Svetlo? Je tu niekto z tých starších? Áno, niekoľko z nich. Keď to bolo tu dole nad riekou.
64A ľudia povedali: „To bol len optický klam.“ Mnohí z nás tam stáli, dívali sme sa na to a tu to prichádza dole. A potom po rokoch to Boh potvrdil pomocou objektívu fotoaparátu. Je to pravda!
65„Dobre, je to nejaká predstava? Je to niečo, čo ..?“ Vôbec nie! Nachádzame to rovno tu v Biblii a ukazujeme vám to. To je ten istý Pán Ježiš. On robí tie isté veci. Jeho skutky sú také isté. Jeho moc je taká istá.
66Pozrite tu, minulú nedeľu. Ležal som tam v posteli, nikdy v živote som nevidel toho človeka, vystúpil som a povedal: „V zhromaždení je človek, šedivý ... čiernovlasý, prešedivelý. Je slepý a nemôže chodiť, je na invalidnom kresle. Poslal ho čiernovlasý muž, doktor. Doktor Ackerman, čiernovlasý muž, katolík. Videl som tam práve sedieť človeka a TAK HOVORÍ PÁN. Vstal a chodil a mohol vidieť a všetko bolo v poriadku. Čo to bolo? Tu je ten istý anjel. Ten istý anjel, ktorý zrazil na zem Pavla tam na ceste do Damašku, žije dnes vo svojej cirkvi a vo svojich ľuďoch. Písmo sa porovnáva s Písmom, tak to musí byť.
67Ó, máme vlažných ľudí. Za chvíľu ku tomu prídeme. Ó, máme pred sebou hlboké veci, ak sa len ku tomu budeme môcť dostať, dnes alebo zajtra. No, to je len začiatok, aby sme sa dostali na hlbšie vody, kde ...
68Viete, keď som bol malý chlapec, mával som taký malý rybník vonku za týmto miestom a zvykol som tam chodiť. A všetci z nás, keď sme boli malé deti sme behali nahí. Malí, okolo šesť, sedem roční. A my ... Tá voda bola asi takáto hlboká. Nebolo to hlbšie ako mláka pre prasatá. A mal som tam krabicu na skákanie. A ukazoval som, že sa viem ponárať. Držal som si nos a špliechal, a tak som plával. A bruchom som narážal do bahna, viete, a to lietalo na všetky strany. A povedal som otcovi, že viem plávať.
69On ma tam jedného dňa zobral a povedal: „Chcem vidieť ako plávaš.“ A ja som skočil za krík, vyzliekol som sa a bežal som do vody. A špliechal som, že bahno lietalo na všetky strany, a otec sedel na mostíku, sedel tam a chvíľu ma pozoroval, povedal: „Vyjdi z tej mláky, umy sa a poď domov.“ Vidíte?
70No, tak je to s niektorými z nás, ktorí hovoríme, že sme kresťania, plazíme sa v bahne. Je to tak. Kým sa držíte toho, že: „Ja som metodista. Ja som letniční. Ja som presbyterián. Ja mám dôkaz, že to mám.“ Plazíte sa v bahne!
71Raz som bol so svojím strýkom a stále som hovoril ... On bol asi o 15, 16 rokov starší. Boli sme na rieke. Povedal som: „Strýko Art, ja viem plávať.“ A sedel som vzadu v člne, viete. Cítil som sa dobre a bezpečne. On len zobral veslo a strčil ma dole do asi tri metrovej vody. To bolo potom iné, všetok ten šplechot a krik, aký ste v živote počuli.
72Jedného dňa budete vystrčení. Bude lepšie, aby ste vedeli, kde stojíte. Tak veru. Ak Ho poznáte, bude cítiť ... Bude lepšie, aby ste Ho skutočne poznali! Je to tak. Ale teraz ideme na hlbšiu vodu, na hlbšiu vodu, tam sa potopíte, ak nie si dobrý, vykŕmený kresťan.
73Všímajte si Slovo! Pavel, prv našiel to ... išiel naspäť do Starého Zákona a našiel toto. On tam jasne videl svoje prežitie. „Čo to bolo, čo ma zrazilo na zem?“
74To bolo Svetlo, stálo tam veľké Svetlo a svietilo ako slnko, stálo pred ním a On povedal: „Saule, Saule, prečo Ma prenasleduješ?“
75On povedal: „Pane, kto si, že Ťa prenasledujem?“
76On povedal: „Ja som Ježiš.“
77„Ja som si myslel, že On je človek, že má prebité ruky, ľudia tvrdia, že sa teraz zjavuje na zhromaždeniach, s jazvami od klincov na rukách a na hlave.“ Nie, nie. Nie to telo, nie v tom tele. Vidíte?
78On je teraz Svetlo. Saul ... Keď On bol tu na zemi, povedal: „Prišiel som od Boha a idem naspäť ku Bohu.“
79On bol ten anjel, ktorý viedol deti Izraelove v tomto svetle cez púšť. On sa vrátil naspäť do toho istého Svetla a Pavel to videl zo Starého Zákona. On povedal: „Ja som Ježiš, ten Anjel Zmluvy.“
80A On sa stal telom, aby nás vykúpil. Nezobral na seba formu anjelov, videli sme to v predchádzajúcich kapitolách ... nášho štúdia. On nezobral na seba prirodzenosť anjelov, ale bol Semenom Abrahámovým, aby Ho ľudia mohli poznať, aby človek mohol vidieť Boha. Amen. A teraz hovorí: „Vrátim sa naspäť do toho.“
81A Pavel, keď to videl, povedal: „Skutočne, to bol On. To bol On!“
82Peter mal jednej noci prežitie, keď sa modlil. To isté Svetlo vošlo do tej budovy, otvorilo pred ním dvere, vyšiel von na ulicu. A Peter si myslel, že sa mu sníva, tak bol pomazaný. Nevedel, čo sa stalo. Povedal: „Či som sa práve zobudil? Ale som tu vonku na ulici!“
83A išiel do domu Jána Marka. A malé dievča otvorilo dvere, nejaká pani. Mali tam modlitebné zhromaždenie: „Niekto klepe na dvere.“ Otvorila dvere. „Ó“ povedal: „Práve je tu Peter. Vy sa za neho modlíte, aby sa dostal z väzenia. Pán ho oslobodil!“
84„Ó,“ povedali: „ale choď.“ „Ó, Pán ho oslobodil!“
85„Aha,“ povedala: „Stojí tu pri dverách a klepe.“ Peter stále búchal: „Pustite ma dnu.“
86„Ó,“ povedala? „To je Peter.“ V tých dňoch ... oni to stále majú, malé odsúvacie okienko. Malý príklop, ktorý ste tu zodvihli a pozreli ste sa von. Viete. Prv ako ste pustili dovnútra svojho hosťa, museli ste vedieť kto vám klepe na dvere. Pretože boli zbojníci, keby ste otvorili dvere, zabili by vás.
87Tak oni otvorili dvere. Ona povedal: „To je Peter.“
88Oni povedali: „Ó! Ó, on je mŕtvy. To tam stojí jeho anjel.“ Vidíte? Prešiel do svojho osláveného tela, viete, do tej teofánie.
89Pamätáte sa ako sme to preberali, ten veľký diamant a ako on odrážal svetlo, ako to tam prechádzalo naspäť? „Keď tento zemský stánok bude zborený, máme iný, ktorý na nás už očakáva.“ A oni si mysleli, že Peter zomrel a že toto staré telo skonalo a oni ho už za tých niekoľko dní pochovali, a že on vošiel do svojho anjela, alebo do svojho oslá... nie do osláveného tela, ale do svojej teofánie. Do tela, ktoré je už pripravené. Ono si nemôže potriasť s vami ruky. Ono nemá ruky, aby si ich takto mohlo potriasť, ale to je na obraz človeka.
90Prišiel tam a klepal na dvere. Ona povedala: „Nie! To je Peter, on tam stoj.“ Otvoril dvere a vošiel dovnútra a bol tam. No, Petra vyslobodilo toto svetlo.
91Tak isto ako tá prvotná ... ako Pavel, v tej prvotnej cirkvi videl to svetlo Božie, ktoré zasvietilo na Pavla, teraz prišlo dole to isté. No, ľudia môžu vravieť čokoľvek, to ešte neznamená, že je to pravda. Ale keď Boh niečo potvrdzuje, to, čo to robí je dôkazom. Potom to potvrdzuje fotoaparát. A všetko, čo ... čo Pán vykonal, bolo úplne neomylne dokázané, že to je Boh. Podľa Písma, podľa prejavov, podľa prežitia. Ale ľudia nechcú počúvať.
92Pozrite sa tu v tejto modlitebni. Pamätajte, vy viete, netúžime po veľkých davoch. Nemáme ani pre nich miesto. Ale pozrite sa, zhromaždenie takéhoto typu, kde sa kvôli tomuto schádzame, má upútať pozornosť Falls Cities. Ale oni sú mŕtvi. Oni sú úplne mŕtvi. Majú oči a nevidia. Poviete: „Prečo, brat Branham, prečo nejdú k doktorovi a nedajú si napraviť zrak?“ On nevie napraviť taký zrak!
93Ježiš povedal: „Keby ste poznali mňa, poznali by ste môj deň.“ On povedal: „Vy slepí farizejovia. Tvárnosť oblohy dokážete rozoznať, ale znamenia času nedokážete.“
94Prechádza vám to ponad hlavy? Počúvajte! Pozrite sa na znaky, v ktorých teraz žijeme. No, toto nie je nejaká ... Ja sám o sebe som len človek, ani nie kazateľ. Nemám žiadne vzdelanie na to, čo svet nazýva „kazateľ.“ A my sme len biedni ľudia. Pozrite sa na túto budovu, v ktorej sme. Pozrite sa dnes na tie katedrály. Ale pozrite kde je Boh! To je hlavné.
95Taký bol Moáb, keď tam stál v celej svojej skvelosti a nádhere. A Izrael bol tam v stanoch. Ale kde bol Boh? Tam dole bola malá skupina nejakých fanatikov, ktorí robili všetko možné, čo bolo zlé. Ale Balám, ich biskup si nevšimol tú udretú Skalu a toho mosadzného hada, ten Ohnivý Stĺp. Jeho oči boli slepé, on to nemohol vidieť. On povedal: „Oni si to len vymýšľajú.“ Ale On tam bol!
96Chvála Bohu, On je tu! Boh je tu! A robí tie isté veci, ktoré robil. A On bude ... Porovnávame Písmo s Písmom. Boh sa nikdy nezobrazil na zemi ako niečo veľké, ale On stále prebýval medzi obyčajnými, pokornými ľuďmi. A On je tu dnes ráno a robí tie isté veci. Písmo to potvrdzuje. Fotoaparát to potvrdzuje. No to ... Dôvod, že som poukázal na ten obrázok nie je ten, že som na ňom ja. Ja som len hriešnik spasený z milosti, tak ako vy. Ale sa vám snažím povedať, že to je s nami Jeho prítomnosť. To je to hlavné. No, ak ma On urobil stelesneným Eliášom, ak nemáte vieru, aby ste tomu verili, nič vám to nepomôže. „On prišiel ku svojím vlastným a jeho vlastní Ho neprijali.“
97Preto dnes tu v meste ... Aha, mohol by som tu zahájiť evanjelizáciu v nejakej veľkej budove alebo v niečom, nezískali by ste veľa ľudí, ktorí by tomu verili. Oni proste nebudú veriť. Nemôžu. Ich deň skončil.
98Táto istá lekcia dnes ráno by v Afrike možno potiahla desať tisíc ľudí, najmenej desať tisíc duší pre Krista. A tu dnes ráno sem-tam možno potiahne jedného hriešnika alebo niekoho ... nejakého odpadlíka. Väčšina z nich sú len prečesaní znovu a znovu až kým to neskončí. To je všetko. Ale čo sa snažíme povedať je, že Písmo súhlasí s Písmom.
99Nezáleží na tom aké veľké je to prežitie, ak sa nezhoduje s Písmom, s tým Urím a Thumím, je to zlé. Nezáležalo na tom, aký dobrý bol ten prorok, ak hovoril a to svetlo na tom Urím a Thumím sa nerozsvietilo, bolo to zlé. Nezáležalo na tom, ako dobre vyzeral ten sen, ak sa to Urím a Thumím nerozsvietilo, bolo to zlé. Keď sa skončilo to kňazstvo, Boh dal svoju Bibliu. Pavel povedal: „Keby prišiel aj anjel z neba (Galaťanom 1:8) a kázal by iné evanjelium ako to, ktoré vám bolo zvestované, nech je prekliaty.“
100Anjel z neba (povedal Jánovi, ktorý napísal Zjavenie), ktorým bol sám Boh: „Ja, Ježiš som poslal svojho anjela, aby vám svedčil, alebo ukázal tieto veci.“ On povedal: „Keby niekto ku tomu pridal jedno slovo alebo odňal z toho jedno slovo, tak isto bude odňatý jeho diel z Knihy Života.“ Toto je to, Biblia!
101A tak tieto prežitia a tieto veci, ktoré sa tu stali, keby to nebolo potvrdené Božím Slovom, bolo by to zlé. Je mi jedno, čo sa dialo, bolo by to zlé. Tak to súhlasí s Písmom, je to úplná pravda. Ó, som tak šťastný, že som členom toho veľkého Kristovho tela.
102No, poďme teraz, ideme do tejto lekcie. No, zakončili sme tu, kde on povedal: „Aj my keď máme taký veľký ... „Prepáčte. To je ... Citoval som dvanástu kapitolu. Čítal som to, ale som to neštudoval.
103Brat Norman sa zastavil tam u mňa doma a on vie, že som prišiel len včera a tí bratia tam vedia, že som práve prišiel. Jediný čas, ktorý som mal čítať si Písmo, to bolo práve keď som tu sedel pred niekoľkými minútami. Je to tak, neštudoval som to. Očakávam len na Ducha Svätého, aby nám to dal tak, ako On chce. On vie, kde je tá osoba, ktorá to musí mať. A tak ak som si niečo poskladal vo svojej mysli, čo chcem povedať, potom to je zlé. Ale keď len nechám Jeho, aby to urobil, On to položí priamo tam, kde to patrí. Rozumiete? „Nestarajte sa o to, čo budete hovoriť, pretože nie ste to vy, ktorí hovoríte, to je váš Otec, ktorý prebýva vo vás. To On hovorí.“
104No, tá posledná kapitola, tá predchádzajúca, počuli sme toto, že: „Akože my utečieme, ak zanedbáme toto veľké spasenie?! Ktoré nám prv kázal Pán Ježiš a On s tými, ktorí Ho počuli.“ Tie isté veci, ktoré robil Ježiš, aby ukázal ... Tie isté veci sa dejú tu. Ten istý anjel Boží, tie isté skutky, ten istý dôkaz, všetko to isté, všetko ako tam. To isté evanjelium, presne podľa Slova. Keď to Pán učil, potom to potvrdil skrze svojich učeníkov, čo sme počuli, Pavel bol ním tak isto. Akože my utečieme ak zanedbáme také veľké spasenie?
105No, Pavel toto hovorí svojím hebrejským poslucháčom. No, oni nemali magnetofóny, ako dnes tu máme, ale mali pisárov, ktorý tam sedeli a zapisovali to tak, ako to Pavel kázal. A to je to, čo je práve tu. My to zachytávame pomocou magnetofónov a tieto pásky idú po svete (vidíte?) aby ukázali, že toto je pravda. Naše náboženstvo nie je márne, to je úplne vzkriesený Ježiš Kristus, tak isto. A tak to nesmieme zanedbať.
106No, neodchádzajte dnes zo zboru a nehovorte: „Dobre, rád tam chodím. Rád spievam a mám rád tých priateľských ľudí tam v tom malom zbore.“ Nehovorte tak.
107Brat, nech sa rozhorí tvoje srdce. Povedz: „Aha, musím s týmto niečo urobiť. Musím vyjsť a budem vidieť, či budem môcť priviesť niekoho ku spaseniu.“
108A nechoďte a nehovorte: „Chvála Bohu, ak nebudeš činiť pokánie, zahynieš.“ Nie. Pristupuj ku tomu nežne. Buďte chytrí ako hady a prostí ako holubice. Vidíte, tak treba ísť. Pristúpte ku človeku, ak on chová kurence, hovorte s ním za chvíľu o kurencoch. Rozumiete? A potom ani nebudete vedieť ako a budete hovoriť o Pánovi. Ak je to farmár, hovorte s ním o farme.
109Ak predáva autá, hovorte s ním za chvíľu o autách: „Aké máš pekné autá,“ a tak ďalej. Rozumiete?
110Až kým nezachytíte Ducha, keď Otec hovorí: „Teraz je čas podísť ku nemu ohľadne jeho duše.“
111Môžete to začať, viete: „To je dobré auto. Vieš doprava sa dnes stala dôležitou vecou. Ó, ako sa tým krajiny priblížili jedna ku druhej. A mestá v našich krajoch sa priblížili. Priatelia a matky môžu navštíviť jeden druhého. Vieš, to je ohromná vec mať také autá, ako ty predávaš.“
112„Áno, samozrejme, ó.“ (Viete, poťahuje cigaretu, či niečo.) „Áno, to sú dobré autá.“
113Zamyslel si sa niekedy, čo by si ľudia voľakedy pomysleli, keby videli niečo takéto?“ A ďalej takto pokračujete, viete.
114A po chvíli poviete: „Áno, istotne je. Vieš, a ďalšie v čom to slúži, prinesie to, ako máme pri ... ako pri evanjelizáciách. Ľudia môžu prísť rýchlo na evanjelizáciu aj z druhej strany krajiny.“ Vidíte? Po celý čas otvárate cestu. Viete.
115No, ak cítite, že niečo hatí tú cestu, hneď tam prestaňte, odstúpte sa nabok. Ako povedal jeden doktor vo Phonixe: „Pane, naplň moje ústa dobrými slovami a potom ma štuchni, aby som veľa nehovoril.“ Vidíte? „Štuchni ma, keď som už dosť povedal.“
116No, všimnite si, začneme od 15. kapitoly ... či od 15. verša tretej kapitoly. Pristúpme teraz ku tomu:
Teda keď je povedané: Dnes, keby ste počuli jeho hlas, nezatvrdzujte svojich sŕdc ako v tom rozhorčení Boha!
117No. Dávajte pozor, čo tu Pavel hovorí. Teraz je povedané: „Dnes, po toľkom čase, ...“ Za chvíľu ku tomu prídeme, ku tomu „dnes, po toľkom čase.“ Prichádzame do ďalšej kapitoly: „Po toľkom čase.“
... je povedané: Dnes, keby ste počuli jeho hlas, nezatvrdzujte svojich sŕdc, ako v tom rozhorčení Boha!
(Keď rozhorčovali Boha)
118No, čítajme ten ďalší verš.
Lebo niektorí počuli a rozhorčili.
... (No o čom hovorí? O evanjeliu.) ...Ale nie všetci, ktorí vyšli z Egypta skrze Mojžiša.
A na ktorýchže zanevrúc hneval sa štyridsať rokov? Či nie na tých, ktorí hrešili, a ktorých telá popadali na púšti?
(Zastavme sa tu na chvíľu.)
119Rozhorčenie — keď oni rozhorčili. No, čo urobil Boh? Pavel sa to snaží povedať. Čo ich vyviedlo von z Egypta? Bol to Mojžiš? Nie! Mojžiš bol telesný nástroj.
120Máme tu teraz pozadie. Chceme sa dať teraz napraviť. Keď sa za chvíľu dotkneme tu tohoto miesta, budete to vidieť.
121No, Boh nemal svoj ľud na pevnom odpočinku. Oni boli v Egypte. Neboli na svojom pravom mieste. Boli pomimo svojej vlasti. Boli cudzincami a pútnikmi a Boh sa ich snažil priviesť z toho miesta, kde boli usadení, v Egypte, hore do vlasti.
122Predobraz na dnes. Sme v neistom stave. Ľudia tu nie sú dlho. Malý chlapec s bacuľatými rúčkami hrá guličky, malé dievčatko sa hrá s bábikami a ani sa nenazdáte máte šedivé vlasy a vrásky. Niečo tu nie je v poriadku, toto nie je domov. Sme na nesprávnom mieste. Preto hovoríme, že sme pútnici a cudzinci. Niečo sa stalo.
123Jedna mladá pani povedala dnes ráno v tej miestnosti, ako sa jej ľudia niekedy smejú. Povedal som jej: „Ale drahá sestra, ty nie si z tých ľudí.“ My sme iní ľudia.
124Moje malé dievča mi povedalo: „Ocko! Tie a tie dievčatá robia to a to ... to urobili.“
125Povedal som: „Ale pozri sa drahá ...“ Oni majú tie platne Elvisa Presleyho. Povedal som: „Ja by som to nechcel v mojom dome.“
126Ona povedal: „Ale, otecko, to sú veľmi milé dievčatá.“
127Povedal som: „Môžu byť, nič proti tomu nehovorím, ale tam je jeden rozdiel, my sme iní. My sme iní. Nie že by sme chceli byť iní, ale Duch, ktorý je v nás, vyšiel z toho. Vy ste z iného sveta.“
128Keď idem do Afriky, nemôžem sa prispôsobiť ich spôsobu života. Oni nenosia žiadne šaty, sú nahí. A zoberú niečo, čo je už zhnité, sú v tom červíky a aj tak to jedia, vôbec im to nevadí. Vidíte? Ja ... Toto je iné.
129Viete voľakedy sme všetci boli takí. Ale civilizácia nás priniesla a urobila inými. A obrátenie spravilo ten rozdiel miliónkrát väčší. My už viac nechceme zhnité veci tohoto sveta. Kristus z nás spravil kresťanov. Ako civilizácia spravila, že sme čistí. A všimnite si, nie len to, ale my vyznávame, že sme pútnikmi a cudzincami. Nie sme z tohoto sveta. Potom nechcete mať nič spoločné s týmto svetom. A tieto veci pominuli.
130No, Izrael bol dole v Egypte. Oni neboli Egypťania. Egypťania ... pre Egypťanov bola hanba, dotýkať sa oviec a Izraeliti boli pastieri oviec. A ako to nakoniec muselo dostať Mojžiša, ako Egypťana (tá nedôstojnosť, chovatelia dobytka). Všimli ste si, čo povedal faraón Jozefovi a tak ďalej? „Je to ohavnosťou.“ Povedal: „Tvoji ľudia sú pastieri stáda.“ A Egypťania nemôžu ani len položiť svoje ruky na pastierov. On bol iný ľud.
131A tak je to dnes s kresťanom. Keď sa znovuzrodí, to nie je ... pre neho je to špinavosť stýkať sa tam, kde ľudia pijú a hovoria špinavé žarty a kde sú nahé ženy a všetko možné ... To je špinavosť. A ó, chvála Pánovi. My sme tu pútnici. Sme tu cudzinci. Duch sa obrátil a my hľadáme Mesto, kde ženy nechodia v šortkách. Hľadáme mesto, v ktorom nie sú krčmy, kde čapujú pivo. Hľadáme mesto, v ktorom prebýva spravodlivosť. Tak my sme pútnici.
132Tak Boh prišiel dole vo veľkom chumáči svetla ako svätožiara, zostúpil do kríka a začal sa zjavovať najprv Mojžišovi. Mojžiš povedal ... Viete, ako sme raz večer mali tú lekciu ako to, keď Ježiš bol tu dole na zemi, On povedal: „Prv ako bol Mojžiš, JA SOM.“ To bol Ježiš v tom horiacom kríku, v tom Ohnivom Stĺpe. To je Ježiš dnes, ten istý! A On sa zjavil v Ohnivom Stĺpe a Mojžiš mal to prežitie. On išiel dole do Egypta, kázal evanjelium (dobrú správu), a nasledovali ho znamenia a zázraky. Pochopili ste to. To isté je dnes!
133Nie len to, ale keď tí Hebreji vyšli von (kráčali vo svetle), boli vedení tým istým Ohnivým Stĺpom. A Biblia hovorí že: „Nepokúšajte Boha.“
134Pozrite sa sem, dovoľte, že to prečítam.
Teda keď je povedané: Dnes keby ste počuli jeho hlas, nezatvrdzujte svojich sŕdc
... (Jeho Hlas hovorí do vášho srdca.) ...ako v tom rozhorčení Boha.
(Keď Ho oni rozhorčovali.)Počúvajte:
Lebo niektorí počuli a rozhorčili ...
135Koľkí viete, že Izraeliti rozhorčili Boha svojou neverou? Oni šomrali. Oni úplne ... Boh išiel rovno tam a ... Keď on vyšiel ... Prvé kvôli čomu sa dostali do problémov. Tu nad nimi bol tento Ohnivý Stĺp. Ja neviem, či to videli alebo nie. Prinajmenej to videl Mojžiš a to bolo nad nimi a oni to pozorovali. A keď prišli dole ... Povedzme, že ak to nevideli. Ja neviem či to videli alebo nie. To išlo pred nimi, Biblia hovorí, že to tam bolo.
136Je povedané, že tá hviezda išla pred tými mudrcmi. Nikto okrem tých mudrcov ju nevidel. Ona prešla ponad všetky observatóriá. Ľudia podľa hviezd počítali čas. Nikto okrem tých mudrcov ju nevidel. Ona bola tam na to, aby ju oni videli. A tá hviezda bola poslaná pre tých mudrcov.
137A ten Ohnivý Stĺp bol poslaný ku Mojžišovi, a Mojžiš bol poslaný ku deťom Izraelovým. A oni mali nasledovať Mojžiša. Oni mohli vidieť Mojžiša a Mojžiš videl to Svetlo. Oni tam išli, boli vedení. A keď vyšli, prišli ku Červenému moru. A oni všetci ... Oni už viacej nevideli diať sa znamenia a zázraky a také veci, ako kým boli stále v tej starej zemi, v Egypte. Ale keď stade vyšli na svoju cestu (len čo sa obrátili a vyšli), potom sa ani nenazdali a dostali sa do problémov.
138Boh vás rád privedie do problémov. On rád privedie problémy a díva sa čo s tým budete robiť. Tak On dal do cesty Červené more, a ani ste nezbadali, vypochodoval s nimi rovno na toto miesto a potom poslal za nimi faraóna. Vidíte ako to Boh rád robí? On rád prejaví svoju moc a lásku. On je Boh a On vám proste rád ukáže kto On je. Amen! A dnes je ten problém, že ľudia hovoria: „Ó, tie dni už pominuli.“ Nie. Ako sa Boh môže prejaviť, keď vás učia niečo takéto? Ale Boh sa rád prejavuje.
139Tu prichádzajú deti Izraela, idú v tom svetle. Mojžiš ide pred nimi. Tu oni idú: „Poďte, toto je tá cesta. Boh nás volá a my ideme. Ideme do zasľúbenej zeme. Ó, Haleluja!“ Oni tu všetci boli, vykrikovali a vyskakovali a prežívali pekné chvíle. Viete. A ani sa nenazdáte, pozreli sa naspäť a povedali: „Ó, čo je to za prach?“
140Jeden z nich vyšiel na kopec a povedal: „Ó, beda! Beda! To je faraónova armáda!“
141Boh povedal: „Čoho sa tak bojíš? Či si neveril tomu, čo som robil tam dole? Čo sa strachuješ? Prečo ma hneváš?“
142Keď tam prišli, Mojžiš prosil Boha. Boh jednoducho otvoril Červené more a oni cezeň prešli a tých nepriateľov v ňom zavrel. Boh to takto robí. Nestrachujte sa. Nebuďte celý rozrušení. Neznervózňujte sa. Tým rozhorčujete Boha.
143Čo On potom urobil? Vyzeralo to ako: „Dobre, mali sme jednu veľkú skúšku. Chvála Bohu, máme to za sebou. Už to viacej nebudeme mať. Sme na ceste do zasľúbenej zeme.“ A On ich viedol rovno do púšte, kde nebola voda. Vidíte? Dokážete si to predstaviť? Boh so svojím posväteným, svätým ľudom, ich vedie rovno do tejto pasce, potom ich vyviedol z tejto pasce a vedie ich rovno sem, kde nebola voda. A pritom ich mohol viesť nejakou cestou, kde bola voda. Prečo? On keby chcel, mohol spraviť aby celou cestou tiekla okolo rieka. On mohol v radosti odlomiť každý vrch a spraviť, aby tryskala voda stopäťdesiat metrov do vzduchu, keby chcel. Určite. On by to mohol. Ale keby to urobil, bolo by to príliš ľahké. Ó, nech je požehnané meno Pánove!
144„Brat Branham, prečo Boh dovolil, aby sa toto stalo? Prečo Boh...?“ Boh to robí. Nechajte ho, kráčajte len ďalej. To je Božia starosť. „Kroky spravodlivých sú riadené od Pána.“ Tak veru! Či to niečo na tom mení?
145„Brat Branham, prišiel som o všetky svoje peniaze.“ Dobre, aj tak nech je požehnaný Boh!
146„Och, urobil som toto a toto sa stalo, víchrica mi zrútila dom.“
147Nech je požehnaný Boh, pri tom všetkom. „Pán dal, Pán vzal, nech je požehnané meno Pánove.“ Len ďalej kráčaj, to je všetko sláva Božia. Boh vie, čo robí.
Niekedy cez vodu, niekedy cez príval.
Niekedy cez ťažkú skúšku,
ale stále cez Krv. (On nás takto vedie)
148Je to tak. Ó! Cítim sa, že by som mohol zakončiť a kričať od radosti. Takto On vedie svoje drahé deti. Ó, či môžete cítiť ...? No, ja nie som psychológ, ale môžete cítiť teraz toho milého Ducha, ktorý obklopuje toto miesto. Čo keby sa vám teraz otvorili oči a videli by ste, čo tu stojí popri týchto stenách a pomedzi rady?
149Ó, Elizeus raz ráno, keď ten chlapec bol tak strašne slepý a povedal: „Pozri, tam dole sú Sírovia.“
— Ale s nami je viacej.
— Ja nikoho nevidím.
— Pane, otvor oči tomu chlapcovi.
150On sa pozrel okolo toho starého proroka a všade dookola to ... tie kopce boli v ohni, plné ohnivých koní a ohnivých vozov. On sa potom presvedčil.
151On povedal: „Vyjdeme len tam a raníme ich slepotou.“ Oni mali dokonalí zrak tak ako vždy, ale boli slepí na neho. Opýtal sa: „Hľadáte Elizeusa?“
— Áno, pane.
152„Tak poďte, ukážem vám, kde je.“ A to ich on viedol. Oni to nevedeli.
153A tak je to dnes. Kristus je tu! Duch Svätý je tu a robí tie isté veci, ktoré stále robil a svet je na to slepý! Oni to nevedia. „Ó, ja neviem, čo sa toho týka, môj pastor ...“ Ó, biedni, schátralí ľudia! Rozumiete, čo myslím? Oni sú na to slepí. Oni to nevedia. Boh vedie ľudí.
154No, oni vyšli na púšť Sín. Tam nebola žiadna voda. Boh to mal všetko pripravené. Ó, a našli mláku s vodou a povedali: „Toto je to.“ A nemohli ju ani ochutnať. Ó, to bolo strašné. Ó, to je horšie ako 100 percentná síra. Viete? Ako skazené vajcia, viete. „Och, joj, to je strašné.“ To bola otrava. No, nazývalo sa to púšť Sín [Po anglicky slovo sin znamená hriech. – pozn.prekl.] Rástlo tam niekoľko paliem a tam kde rástli tie palmy bol prameň. Potom Mojžiš povedal: „Ne ...“
155Ale Boh povedal: „Prečo ... prečo ma rozhorčujú? Dobre, keď som tam vtedy robil tie veci, či nemôžem urobiť niečo v tejto situácii?“
156Keď ťa dostal z jednej choroby, či ťa nemôže dostať i z druhej? On ťa vyviedol z jedného problému, či ťa nemôže vyviesť aj z ďalšieho? Chvála Bohu, keď ma vyviedol z hriechu, dokáže ma vyviesť aj z hrobu. On je Boh. Aký je v tom rozdiel? Len ďalej maj svoje oči obrátené na Neho.
157Povedal: „Keď som za vami zavrel Červené more a zatopil Egypťanov, či nedokážem urobiť niečo s touto vodou? Prečo ma s tým hneváte? Oj, vy neveriaci! Vy ma vašou neverou popudzujete do hnevu.“
158 Tu je použité slovo hriech, rozhorčovali. Robili ... oni to robili preto, že neverili. Oni tam nevyšli a nezačali hrať kocky alebo niečo takéto. Oni nechodili za ženou niekoho iného, nevyšli a neklamali. To nebolo to, čo robili. Ale to nie je v podstate hriech.
159Žiť v cudzoložstve nie je hriech. Fajčiť, žuť, piť, hrať hazardné hry, preklínať, prisahať a tak ďalej, to nie je hriech. To sú prejavy nevery. Vy to robíte, pretože ste neveriaci. Ak ste veriaci, tak to nerobíte. Preto Ježiš povedal: „Ten kto čuje moje slová a verí tomu, ktorý ma poslal, má večný život.“ Nie ten kto hovorí, že verí, ale skutočne verí. Tu to máte. To odsúva nabok všetky vaše počiatočné prejavy. Vidíte? Tu to máte. Nie „Ten, kto počuje moje slovo a kričí.“ Nie: „Ten, kto počuje moje slovo a hovorí v jazykoch.“ Nie: „Ten, kto počuje moje slovo a má na rukách alebo na tvári krv.“ Ani nič takéto. To nie je to. „Ten, kto počuje moje slovo a verí v toho, ktorý ma poslal, má večný život a nepríde na súd, ale prešiel zo smrti do života.“
160Čo je to hriech? Nevera! Môže povstať niečo malé a namiesto toho, aby ste išli rovno do Písma a zistili, či je to pravda alebo nie, hovoríte: „Ó, ja ... hmm. Ja ...“ Vidíte? Idete ďalej svojou cestou. „Ja zostanem ďalej presbyteriánom, ako som. Vieš, ja ...“ Zostaň. Slepý! A rozhorčujete Boha.
161Keď Boh niečo robí, on očakáva, že ľudia sa toho chytia. Ale namiesto toho: „Vieš, no dobre, neviem o tom.“ Vidíte? On očakáva, že ľudia to porozumejú. Ak ste dostatočne presvedčení, sadnite si ku Písmu, prechádzajte cezeň a skúmajte ho hore dole a pozorujte, či sa to stalo. Či je to predpovedané, že sa to stane a tak ďalej. Potom to porozumiete. Amen.
162No všimnite si:
Teda keď je povedané: Dnes, keby ste počuli jeho hlas, nezatvrdzujte svojich sŕdc ako v tom rozhorčení Boha.
(Keď bol Boh z nich rozhorčený. Vidíte?)Lebo niektorí počuli
... (Počuli evanjelium, počuli kázať Mojžiša.) ...a rozhorčili. Ale nie všetci, ktorí vyšli z Egypta skrze Mojžiša.
163Koľkí viete, že koľko ľudí bolo spasených z tej pôvodnej skupiny, ktorá vyšla? Koľko? [Zhromaždenie hovorí: „Dvaja.“ – pozn.prekl.] Áno, dvaja. Koľkí viete ako sa volali? [Zhromaždenie odpovedá: „Kálef a Jozua.“ – pozn.prekl.] Áno. Kálef a Jozua, len dvaja, z okolo dvoch miliónov.
164Počúvajte toto:
A na
... (17. verš teraz)A na ktorýchže zanevrúc hneval sa štyridsať rokov?
... (kvôli nevere) ...Či nie na tých, ktorí hrešili
(neverili), ...165Zoberte si slovník a nájdete čo znamená slovo hriech, zoberte si Biblický slovník. To je nevera. Nevera je hriech! „Ten, kto neverí je už odsúdený.“ Ev. sv. Jána 4. Vidíte? „Už odsúdený!“
... ktorých telá popadali na púšti?
A ktorýmže prisahal, že nevojdú do jeho odpočinku, ...
166Vaša nevera ... Ó, takto nikdy nepreberiem túto kapitolu. Ale pozrite sa, to je to, čo sa deje dnes s týmto národom. Znamenia a zázraky prešli krížom krážom cez tento národ. Čo oni robia? Stále sa ku tomu obracajú chrbtom. A On povedal: „Prisahám, že im nedám vojsť do zeme, do ktorej sa vybrali.“
167Čo sa dnes deje s týmito veľkými cirkvami? Ich nevera popudila Boha. Haleluja! On je schopný z týchto kameňov vzbudiť deti Abrahámovi. On sa im snažil dať evanjelium a oni zatvrdili svoje srdcia. Stali sa kultom a urobili malé denominácie a „My veríme toto a nič iné.“ A Boh nemohol vojsť dovnútra. Kde sú dnes? Odstavení nabok.
168Božia malá verná skupinka ide rovno vpred so znameniami a zázrakmi. On ich dáva do skúšky. Každý syn, ktorý prichádza ku Bohu musí byť najprv cvičený a skúšaný, vycvičené dieťa.
169Stala sa prvá malá vec: „Ó, dobre, možno na tom aj tak nezáleží.“ Ste nemanželské dieťa a nie dieťa Božie.
170Lebo dieťa Božie je Semeno Abrahámove, ktorý nazýva veci, ktoré nie sú, ako keby boli. „Boh tak povedal!“ A ďalej sa toho držia. Amen. Bez ohľadu na to, čo kto hovorí alebo čokoľvek sa deje, oni aj tak tomu veria: „Boh tak povedal!“
171On dvadsaťpäť rokov čakal na to dieťa, nevadilo mu aké to bolo protikladné. A on sa oddelil od tých neveriacich, amen) aby tak mohol veriť. Ó, cítim sa nábožne. Predstavte si to. Vy sa musíte oddeliť od svetskej dogmy. „Och, dni zázrakov pominuli. Také niečo už neexistuje. To je fanatizmus.“ Oddeľte sa od toho!
172Biblia hovorí: „Vyjdite z pomedzi nich a oddeľte sa, hovorí Pán, a Ja vás prijmem.“ Aké nádherné. „Ja vás prijmem, potom keď ste sa oddelili. Budete moje deti a ja budem váš Boh. Oddeľte sa. Nepriahajte sa do jarma s neveriacimi.“ To je ono.
173Mladý muž sa žení, berie si nejaké dievča, ktoré neverí. Alebo nejaké mladé dievča sa vydáva za chlapca, ktorý neverí. To nemajú robiť. Nestarám sa aký je on milý a ... alebo aká je ona milá a aké má veľké oči. To všetko v jednom z týchto dní zvädne. Ale brat, tvoja duša bude žiť naveky. Buď opatrný, čo robíš. Ona nie je skutočná veriaca alebo on nie je skutočný veriaci, nepriahaj sa takto. Drž sa preč od niečoho takého, to ti spôsobí na ceste problémy.
174No, počúvajte, 17. verš.
A na ktorýchže zanevrúc hneval sa štyridsať rokov? Či nie na tých, ktorí hrešili, a ktorých telá popadali na púšti?
A ktorýmže prisahal, že nevojdú do jeho odpočinku, ...
175Oni sa vydali na cestu, ale ... Videli zázraky, ale nikdy sa nedostali do zasľúbenej zeme. Len vyvolená skupina, ktorú tvorili dvaja, vošli do zasľúbenej zeme.
176No čo robí Pavel? On hovorí teraz kresťanom. Nenechajte toto isté evanjelium, ktoré bolo tam vtedy kázané v znameniach a zázrakoch, a viedol ich Ohnivý Stĺp ... a keď sa znovu dejú tieto veci, neodpadnite skrze neveru, aby ste začali pochybovať, lebo ich telá popadali na púšti.
177No, teraz ku tomu rýchlo prídeme. Dávajte dobrý pozor.
... ak nie tým, ktorí neposlúchali?
A vidíme, že nemohli vojsť pre neveru.
(On to raz nazýva „hriech“, a druhý krát tomu hovorí „nevera“. Nevera je hriech. Oni nevošli pre ich neveru.)178Oni videli toho proroka Mojžiša, videli čo robil. Videli, čo povedal, to bola stále pravda. Chodili presne v pravde. Tento Ohnivý Stĺp sa zjavoval pred ním. Oni to pozorovali. Oni to videli.
179Pavel sa snaží dostať ... trochu neskoršie, tu ďalej prišiel ku prežitiu, ktoré mal on. Vidíte? Snaží sa dať do spojitosti to prežitie, on to prirovnal ku Starému Zákonu. Povedal: „My teraz skrze Ježiša Krista vchádzame do novej veci, do tohoto nového zriadenia.“ Za dávna sa im Pán zjavoval skrze prorokov, ale teraz je zjavený skrze svojho Syna, Ježiša. Vidíte? A zachádza do svojho ... aby im zobrazil tie prežitia a ukázal, čo sa dialo. Ako tie znamenia a zázraky a všetko a čo bolo napísané.
180No, on povedal: „Oni nevošli pre ich neveru.“ Oni neverili!
181Ale teraz, my ktorí vchádzame do tohoto zriadenia ... A nezatvrdzujte svoje srdcia. Nesprávajte sa tak ako oni v tých dňoch rozhorčenia, keď hnevali Boha. Ako to oni robili? Nie tým, že žili nemorálne. Dovoľte, že vám toto predstavím.
182Vy hovoríte: „Brat Branham, ja chodím do zboru.“ To je dobre.
— Nikdy v živote som neklamal. — To je dobre.
183„Nikdy som nekradol. Nikdy som neurobil toto, tamto ani nič také.“ To je veľmi pekné. To je všetko dobre, ale to stále nie je hriech. Hriech je to, keď sa Boh ukáže a vy tomu neveríte, nechcete to počúvať.
184Poviete: „Ale, moja cirkev to neučí.“ Keď to učí Biblia a Boh to potvrdzuje, to je hlavné.
No, dávajte teraz na chvíľu pozor. Chceme začať teraz niečo skutočne, skutočne hlboké. No, dajte si do vrecka svoje svedomie, kým nevyjdete von.
185Dávajte teraz dobrý pozor:
Bojme sa tedy, aby snáď nejako, keď sa ešte ponecháva zasľúbenie vojsť do jeho
(jeho, jej, to sú teraz osobné zámená. Čo?) ...nezdal sa niekto z vás, že zaostal.
186No, Pavel sa im snažil povedať v tej predchádzajúcej kapitole o všetkých týchto veciach, ale teraz sa im snaží povedať, čo to je. Ó, máme čas? Ja ... možno bude lepšie, keď počkáme do večera. Je neskoro a budeme sa modliť za chorých. Možno bude lepšie, keď sa toho chytíme dnes večer, pretože toto je naozaj plné vitamínov, duchovných vitamínov. Treba veľa urobiť a ja mám dnes popoludní veľa práce.
Bojme sa ... Bojme sa tedy, aby snáď nejako, keď sa ešte ponecháva zasľúbenie ...
187No, mali oni tam dole v Egypte zasľúbenie o zasľúbenej zemi? A keď Boh prišiel dole a robil toto zasľúbenie reálnym ... Aha, Boh povedal Abrahámovi pred stovkami a stovkami rokov, že On to urobí. To bolo podľa Písma.
188Jozef povedal: „Neberte odtiaľto moje kosti, až kým nepôjdete do tej zasľúbenej zeme a pochovajte ma tam s ostatnými mojimi otcami.“ Pretože on vedel, že nastane vzkriesenie, keď Ježiš vstane zmŕtvych. Pretože on vedel, čo povedal Jób.
189Vidíte? Každý z tých prorokov vedel presne, čo povedal ten iný prorok a vedel, že ten Duch bol ten istý. A oni to sledovali. Ó, brat. Ó, to mám rád. To nás má striasť z nášho znepokojeného stavu. Oni mali svoje oči, nie na tom, čo hovoria ľudia, ale na tom, čo povedali ich proroci. Každý jeden dával na to pozor.
190Abrahám povedal: „Pochovajte ma rovno tu, kde bol pochovaný Jób.“ Povedal: „Sárah, kúpim kúsok zeme a budeme pochovaní rovno tu.“
191Izák bol prorok po svojom otcovi, povedal: „Počúvajte! Nepochovajte ma nikde inde, nie tu dole v Egypte, ale zoberte ma rovno naspäť do zasľúbenej zeme. Pochovajte ma rovno tu.“
192Jakob zomrel dole v zasľúbenej zemi, ale povedal svojmu synovi, ktorý bol prorok. Povedal: „Vieš, jednej noci sa ten anjel dotkol môjho boku a ja odvtedy krívam. Poď polož svoju ruku ...“ (Ó, milosrdenstvo.) „Môj prorocký syn, ja som starý a som slepý, ale polož sem svoju svätú ruku, ty sám si prorok, polož ju na to miesto, kde mal svoju ruku ten anjel a prisahaj mi na nebeského Boha, že ma nepochováš tu dole.“
193Nech je požehnané ... Či vidíte to duchovné zjavenie Slova? Prečo, polovica z nich nevedela ... 90 percent nevedeli, o čom hovorí, ale on vedel, o čom hovorí. „Polož svoju prorockú ruku na toto miesto, kde ten anjel položil svoju ruku. Ja som bol raz veľký, silný muž, robustný zbabelec. Ale On sa ma dotkol a odvtedy krívam. Ale odvtedy som kniežaťom, hoci odvtedy krívam. Odvtedy som zmenil spôsob môjho chodenia, som knieža.“ (Áno.) „Polož sem svoju ruku a prisahaj na nebeského Boha, že ma tu nepochováš.“ Prečo? Nikto nevedel o čom on hovorí. (Jozef to vedel!) On povedal: „Zoberte ma tam a pochovajte ma v tej zasľúbenej zemi.“ Tam to bolo, istotne.
194Keď po rokoch zomrel Jozef, on povedal: „Nepochovajte ma tu, pozrite sa na moje kosti, keď budete prechádzať okolo, pretože jedného dňa pôjdete odtiaľto preč, a keď pôjdete, zoberte so sebou moje kosti.“
195Tu to máte. Nech si svet hovorí čo chce, a nech si robí čo chce. Nech je požehnané meno Pánove. Nech zostávam v Kristovi, ak ma akokoľvek prezývajú ... fanatik alebo blázon. Jedného dňa On príde a tých, ktorí sú v Kristovi, Boh privedie s Ním, keď On príde. To je všetko duchovne zjavená Pravda, ktorá tam leží a je potrebná duchovná myseľ aby to zachytila. Odpočívajte na tom cez deň, myslite na to. Ak budete bez večere, myslite na to.
196A dnes večer pôjdeme do jeho odpočinku, to zostalo, a budeme vidieť čím je dnes toto zasľúbenie. Čo je to dnes? Keby to Boh nemal tu v Biblii a nedokázal to, že to je práve teraz tu, potom som falošný prorok. Presne tak. Ale to je tu! Čím je tento odpočinok?
197On povedal:
Bojme sa tedy, aby snáď nejako, keď sa ešte ponecháva zasľúbenie vojsť,
ako oni ...198A to musí byť to isté zasľúbenie. To musí byť ten istý odpočinok. To musí byť ten istý Boh. To musia byť tie isté znamenia. To musí byť to isté. Ale odpočiňme si. No, čo to je? Nech nám to Boh dá dnes večer.
A teraz skloníme svoje hlavy.
199Požehnaný Pane, jedine Večnosť zjavi tie veľké veci, s ktorými sa teraz spolu zdieľame. Trochu veľa je tých, ktorí sú určení na odsúdenie. Ako je to povedané v liste Júdu, že „ľudia dávno, vopred zapísaní k tomu odsúdeniu, budú obracať milosť nášho Boha na nestudatosť.“ A dnes mnohí, ktorí kážu evanjelium (milosť Božiu), robia z toho systém, ktorý im prináša peniaze, majú veľkú cirkev a najviac ľudí v nedeľnej škole. Berú milosť Božiu a obracajú to na nestudatosť. A svet je slepý a idú ako slepé prasatá, nerozumejú.
200Ó, Bože, daj nám porozumieť. Nech naše porozumenie nie je ako porozumenie detí tohoto sveta. Lebo Ty si povedal vo svojom Slove: „Deti tohoto sveta sú múdrejšie ako deti svetla.“ Na počiatku to tak bolo. Kainove deti sa stávali väčšími odborníkmi vo vede. Stali sa veľkými vzdelancami. Začali obrábať materiály. Robili pokroky, boli veľmi nábožní, ale boli zavrhnutí a prepadli pod súd. A ich telá plávali po vode. A ich duše odišli do pekla.
201A Ježiš keď zomrel, išiel a hovoril ku ním. „A odišiel do pekla a kázal tým dušiam, ktoré boli v žalári, ktoré nečinili pokánie, keď vyčkávala Božia zhovievavosť za dní Noeho,“ hovorí Písmo. A Boh keď stál na zemi, povedal: „Ako bolo vo dňoch Noeho, tak bude pri príchode Syna človeka.“
202Ale všimnime si potom tú líniu Seta: pokorný človek, skutočný muž Boží, ktorý nevedel príliš veľa o veciach tohoto sveta, nestaral sa vôbec o veci tohoto sveta, ale odložil nabok každé bremeno a veril Bohu a stal sa prorokom a veľkým mužom v Kráľovstve. Kým tí ostatní, ten ostatný náboženský svet sa z nich vysmieval. Robil si z nich žarty. Ale prišla hodina, keď prišla potopa a súd.
203Tak to bolo pri príchode Ježiša Krista. Ako sa mu oni vysmievali a robili si z neho žarty a pritom mali svoje vlastné náboženstvo a svoje veľké cirkvi. Ale robili si žarty z Rannej Hviezdy a vysmievali sa Mu. Ale nakoniec prišiel na nich súd. A keď utekali a vošli do Jeruzalema, potom jedli od hladu svoje vlastné deti a ich krv tiekla po ulici von cez bránu, keď zapálili mesto a chrám. A ich duše išli do pekla.
204Pane, znovu sme tu, po tretí krát. Toto je posledný krát. Tri je číslo života a tu sme pripravení na vytrhnutie. Cirkev ide ďalej, ten veľký vedecký svet ... cirkvi sú dnes plné veriacich, ktorí pochybujú, desiatky tisíce ľudí, ktorí majú zapísané v knihe svoje meno (áno, milióny) a vysmievajú sa z evanjelia a hovoria že „to sú nevzdelaní ľudia a nič nevedia.“ Možno je to tak, Pane, ale to čo nám chýba vo vzdelaní si nám Ty doplnil v milosti tým, že si nám poslal svojho anjela Svetla tým, že manifestuje svoju moc, potvrdzuje Slová tým, ktorí sú biedni a nevzdelaní, ako my. Ale my Ťa za toto milujeme, pretože to je milosť Božia, ktorá to urobila a my vieme, že sme sa narodili. A nie sme vôbec atraktívni. Sme veľmi neatraktívni. Ale Ty, skrze milosť si sa natiahol dole svojou milostivou rukou a otvoril si nám oči, ako sa Ježiš za nás modlil. Ako to urobil Eliáš Geházimu, keď sa pozrel okolo seba. A dnes máme otvorené oči a vidíme veci Božie a vieme, že sa pohybujeme v poslednom čase, keď dni pohanov sú u konca a On vezme ľudí pre svoje meno. Nech sme do toho zahrnutí, Pane, pokorne prosíme. Prosíme, aby si to urobil.
205Požehnaj nás. Požehnaj toto malé publikum dnes ráno. Oni sú zo všetkých rôznych náboženstiev a veriacich, ale polož ich dnes nabok, Bože. A nech sa môžu pozrieť rovno na Golgotu a nech povedia: „Bože, sformuj ma a sprav ma. Som ako ...“ Prorok povedal, že išiel do domu hrnčiara, že mohol byť zlámaný a znovu sformovaný. Sformuj nás a urob nás podľa vzoru, ako nás chce mať Boh. Nezáleží na tom, či budeme musieť byť rohožkou na podlahe v Dome Pánovom. Radšej budem rohožkou, než ako prebývať v stanoch s bezbožným. A daj toho, Pane. Proste nás požehnaj a zachovaj nás v pokore. Nech sú otvorené naše srdcia a naše mysle čisté na veci Božie, lebo to prosíme v Kristovom mene.
206So svojimi sklonenými hlavami, chcel by som vedieť, či by chcel byť niekto spomenutý v slovách modlitby za spasenie svojej duše? Zodvihli by ste ruku? Je toto hriešnik? Nech ťa Boh žehná, mladý človek. Ešte niekto? Nech ťa Boh žehná, teba tam vzadu, pane. Nech ťa Boh žehná, pani. Ešte niekto by chcel byť teraz spomenutý v modlitbe za svoju dušu? Nech ťa Boh žehná, pane, ktorý si zodvihol ruku. Nech ťa Boh žehná, aj teba tu. Nádherné! Bude tu ešte niekto, prv ako zakončíme? Cítim, že ešte niekto je. Nech ťa Boh žehná, tam vzadu, pane, tam vzadu.
207Aha, pozrite sa, chcem sa vás niečo opýtať. Vôbec nechcem aby ste si mysleli, že to je kvôli tomuto malému zhromaždeniu. Nechcem, aby ste si mysleli, že to je kvôli týmto ľuďom. A pre milosrdenstvo Božie, nemyslite si, že to je kvôli tomu, že ten anjel Pánov bol odfotený spolu so mnou, a že ja ... a niečo také ... že preto to máte robiť. Ó, Bože, keby som to tak chápal, potom brat, potom by som ja potreboval ísť ku oltáru, namiesto toho, aby som tam volal teba. Ale ja toto hovorím len, ja toto hovorím len na základe Písma, aby ste videli, že toto je pravda. Ak som to povedal a to by bolo na tom všetko, dialo by sa to tak ako pri každom inom kazateľovi alebo niečom inom, alebo každom inom. Dobre, potom by to bolo niečo iné. Ale vy to vidíte. Boh prichádza rovno sem a potvrdzuje, že je to pravda. Vidíte? To je to, čo to robí skutočným, že to Boh potvrdzuje. A potom nie len to, ale jeho Slovo hovorí, že On to bude robiť. A tu to On robí.
208No ak nie ste v poriadku, ak vaše srdce nie je v poriadku s Bohom, zodvihli by ste jednoducho svoju ruku? Povedzte: „Modli sa za mňa.“ Dobre, rovno tam kde ste. Zodvihlo sa asi osem alebo desať rúk, ktorí chcú milosť pre svoju dušu. Kým máte sklonené hlavy, modlite sa teraz. Pamätajte, vy ste tí, ktorí majú činiť pokánie. Ja len za vás prosím, aby vám Boh bol milostivý. Ale to je oltár, Boh vás priviedol na miesto vo vašej mysli, to je oltár. My veríme, že treba prichádzať ku oltáru, samozrejme, ale to nespôsobí — to neurobí ... To je v poriadku. Ale váš skutočný oltár je tam, kde sa Boh s vami stretol; a On vás stretol rovno tam kde sedíte. To je váš oltár.
209Teraz povedzte: „Bože, buď milostivý mne hriešnikovi. A od tohoto dňa, ak mi budeš pomáhať, budem žiť pre Teba. Budem Ti slúžiť. Nestarám sa o to, čo ktokoľvek hovorí, robím dnes ráno krok. Modlím sa rovno tu a Ty zober tohoto starého, drzého ducha preč odo mňa. Zober odo mňa túto zlostnú povahu. Viem, že sa nemôžem takto správať a byť v poriadku s Bohom. A ja mám v srdci nenávisť. Som žiarlivý. Mám v sebe zlosť. Mám toto a tamto. Zober to odo mňa, Bože. Nechcem byť taký. Urob ma príjemného, pokorného a krotkého. Urob, aby som bol vľúdny. Urob zo mňa takého človeka, aby som iných mohol získať pre Teba. Dovoľ mi robiť niečo pre Teba, aby sa ukázalo niečo hodnotné v mojom živote.“ To je modlitba, ktorú sa teraz modlíte, kým sa spolu modlíme.
210Nebeský Otče, oni sú tvoji. Oni sú ovocím, ktoré dnes ráno prinieslo toto posolstvo. Oni zodvihli svoje ruky. Niečo ich priviedlo ku tomu, aby to urobili. Premohli zákon príťažlivosti, keď zodvihli svoje ruky. To bol duch v nich, ktorý urobil to rozhodnutie. Oni zodvihli ruky na znak, že prijali Stvoriteľa, ktorý ich stvoril.
211 Nebeský Otče, prosím, aby si ich žehnal a dal im hneď teraz večný život. Nie je nič, čo by som ja mohol urobiť (zavolať ich okolo oltára, priviesť ich do zvláštnej miestnosti a robiť všetko toto) treba aby si to Ty urobil, Pane. My nemôžeme nič urobiť viac, ako kázať Slovo. Ty si povedal: „Viera prichádza z počutia a počutie Slova, Slova Božieho.“ My sme teraz kázali Slovo a oni zodvihli svoje ruky na znak toho, že tomu veria. A teraz im daj večný život, pretože si zasľúbil, že to urobíš. A ak boli úprimní, keď zodvihli svoje ruky, pôjdu z tejto budovy dnes ráno ako príjemní, krotkí, pokorní kresťania. Pretože Ty si to zasľúbil a tvoje Slová nemôžu sklamať. Prosím to v mene Ježiša Krista. Amen.
Vyhliadam, čakám a túžim po tom krásnom meste,
ktoré Ján videl prichádzať.
V tom krásnom meste, (Oslavujte Ho teraz.)
perlovo bielom meste.
Mám zámok, harfu a korunu.
Vyhliadam, čakám a túžim po tom krásnom meste,
ktoré Ján videl prichádzať.
212Či Ho jednoducho nemilujete? Posolstvo sme teraz skončili. Toto je oslavovanie Pána. Neprichádzame do zboru, len aby sme počuli posolstvo. Prichádzame aby sme oslavovali Pána. Zabudnite proste na toho, kto sedí vedľa vás. Oslavujte jednoducho Pána. Ó, aké krásne, aké nádherné. Povedzte Mu len vo svojom ... Nemusíte Mu to hovoriť nahlas. Povedzte mu to len vo svojom srdci: „Milujem Ťa, Pane. Odpusť mi moje hriechy.“ Ó.
... perlovo bielom mesto,
Mám zámok, harfu a korunu.
Vyhliadam, čakám a túžim po tom krásnom meste,
ktoré Ján videl prichádzať.
213Otče náš, Bože, prijmi nás. Očakávame, keď počúvame Slovo. Túžime, naše srdcia túžia po Tebe, ako reve jeleň za potokom vody. Naša duša túži po Tebe, ó Bože, túžime a očakávame. Očakávame potom na tú hodinu, keď príde Ježiš. Očakávame na ten čas, keď budeme zavolaní na oblaky. Nie zastať pred Sudcom na súde. To sa už stalo. Sme mŕtvi pre veci tohoto sveta a vošli sme do Krista, a On zobral na seba náš súd. On je teraz naším Advokátom, na stolici spravodlivosti. Náš požehnaný Advokát, nášho vyznania. On sa zastáva nášho prípadu až poznávame, že sme nehodní. Ako tá drahá, stará sestra dnes ráno povedala vo svojom svedectve a priniesla svoje drobné: „Od vtedy ako sem chodím, učím sa, že to nie je moja svätosť, to je Božia svätosť.“
214Skutočne, Pane, my učíme ľudí, že v človeku nie je nič dobrého, vôbec nič: „Čo je človek, že pamätáš na neho?“ Ale to je milosť Božia, ktorá sa nám zjavila. A my dúfame jedine v Jeho zásluhy a nie v naše vlastné. A my Ťa oslavujeme, Najsvätejší Bože, za tvoju dobrotu, že si nás zahrnul do svojho veľkého Kráľovstva a do svojich veľkých plánov. Prijímame Ťa do svojich sŕdc skrze vieru. A z milosti, veríme, že si nám to dal na slávu Božiu, na službu Božiu.
215Pane, uzdrav nemocných, keď prišli dnes ráno aby sme sa za nich modlili. Daj im tú radosť, oni túžia byť zdraví. Daj im poznať, že toto malé, ľahké utrpenie, ktoré doľahlo na nich, to je len krátky čas skúšky. Boh o tom všetkom vie. On to dopustil, aby videl, čo s tým budeme robiť. Ako ich nechal Boh, že hneď vykročili a dožadujú sa toho dokončeného diela. Nech ... Nech Ťa nerozhorčujú skrze ... tým, že by behali sem a tam, hore dole: „Dobre, ja nepoznám toto, tamto a ...“
216Pane, nech sa jasne postavia a povedia: „Pane, Ty si ten, ktorý si ma spasil. Ty si ten, ktorý si toto všetko pre mňa urobil. Ja Ti verím a dnes spolieham na Teba.“ A ja sa modlím, aby si udelil toto týmto ľuďom v Kristovom mene. Amen.
1 Good morning, friends. It's a privilege to be here this morning in the service of the Lord. And we're hoping and trusting for a great time.
2I was just back in the... what we used to call the deacon's office, where the recorders are now, and was just talking with a young lady and her mother back there, from up at Joliet, Illinois. And I was just thinking of what a product of God's grace that girl is. Most of us around here know her. She's a--a an alcoholic, one of the worse kind. And I never had the story clear to me until this morning, how that when she went off the platform. The Lord had revealed to her all that was wrong and what was going to take place. And she went off the platform, weeping and rejoicing because God had saved her from a--a drunkard's grave. And she... A lady walked up to her and begin weeping, that her daughter, I believe it was, was a dope addict. And you know, by the grace of God, that girl was called. I believe, was the next night, Rosella was called. And the girl from dope was healed. And she and her husband is preaching the Gospel. And--and--and to see a lovely little lady like Rosella, and just seasoned. And now she, very respectable, she's got a... feels a call in her heart. But, knowing the Bible about women preachers, see, she knows it's something else. And God is leading her into jails and things, to give testimony.
3It's just wonderful to--to--to know, to seek after the will of God. Sometime we have a feeling, but we want to carry that feeling into places; if you don't watch, the Devil will take that feeling and pervert it into something. But as long as we stay in the Bible, then we're right, you see, we're moving right with the will of the Lord.
4 And so I believe that--that Rosella will finally turn into the mission fields somewhere, because America doesn't want the Gospel.
You know that. We just might as well admit that, that, this Anglo-Saxon people, it's finished. That's all. There's no more Gospel that America will receive. Oh, you get a few stragglings, now and then. But, just as the Gospel, it's over. And you can't even preach to them, can't talk to them. They won't believe nothing. See? They just got their own hardheaded ideas, and they're set.
And the next things for this nation is judgment. She is going to have it, too. It may be through depression. It may be through an atomic bomb. It may be through a great plague, a disease or something, but, she is ready. It's coming. Thousands times thousands will fall.
5We passed by, yesterday, Brother Zabel and I, to... and Brother Woods, coming in from down in Kentucky, where we had been for three days, and passed by a housing project. Brother Zabel said, "There's not..." I forget. "Not hardly any of those people, in that project, that even goes to any church."
6 You'd ask them about it. "Well, we got our television. That's how we find comfort." See? That's the American attitude. See? "We got television. We got plenty of money. We got fine cars, got nice homes. What do we need with the Lord? We don't need That." That's the attitude.
7About the only religion and salvation we have, and love, is amongst the real godly people. You know, the Bible said that would happen. [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Uh-huh. You Bible readers, I heard you holler "amen," and you preachers back there. That, that's right. The love would be so far away, in the last days; the only love there would be left, would be between the Elect of God's people. "The father would be against mother, and mother against father, and children against parents, and different ones against each other." And the only love would be left, would just be that Elect, just the Elected. The word "Elect" there comes from the word "Elected," God's elected people.
8 And when Rosella was quoting the story to me in the room, a while ago, I was just thinking, that, on that night, she said something happened. And how that said, all down through her life, when she'd be just a walleyed alcoholic. Couldn't, no Alcohols Anonymous. Four doctors give her up. Nothing could be done. And how, from that very moment, something taken place.
9Now she is not that batty-eyed. She's a lovely, beautiful young woman of thirty-three years old, and would pass for about twenty-two; just how that God did for her what He did, and how she looks different. And, but I said, "Rosella, before the foundation of the world, God ordained that moment." Yes, sir. See? Right. And when little old Billy Paul back there, where he's at, was pushing out prayer cards to the people that night, how little did he know who he was giving a prayer card to.
Isn't it wonderful, Rosella?
[Sister Rosella Griffith says, "Brother Branham, I wonder if the church could pray that God will guide for us, how He was strong."--Ed.]
Amen. The Lord bless you, Rosella. I'm sure we will do that. She wants the church to pray that God will guide her. That's, follow His unchanging hand. Oh, that's so good.
10 Had an awful proposition put before me, this morning. It's about some, a multi-times multi-times multimillionaire that wants to produce here at Louisville, Kentucky, and build me a five-million-dollar tabernacle. But something down in my heart said, "Hold on, you're not a pastor." See? So, then, five million dollars of money that would be appropriated. Now to have to go to the government, to pay for whiskey and stuff like that, but wants to put it on a tabernacle for the Lord. But I hope that it goes to some servant of God that will... and some service to God. But, that's five million dollars appropriated now. Think of that, what a tabernacle that would make.
See how flowery that looks, Rosella? But there is something down here that says different. See? See? Something down here.
11We come into this little, old tabernacle, you strangers. Well, this could be a glamorous place here on the corner, you don't realize that, that people has wanted to build this place and make it. But this is the way we like it. See, this is the way we like it. Old seats we were setting on there, was the--the old original seats out of the tabernacle here, went through the flood and floated up.
12My Bible laying open like that on the pulpit. It stuck against the ceiling and come back down with a Word on It, "I the Lord hath planted it. I'll water it day and night lest some shall pluck it from My hand." How we rowed across the top of it with a skiff, here. And she come right back down, the seats moving right back to their place. All they had to do was scrub it out and go on. See? See? So this is just the way we like it, where it's a common people, common place, and a wonderful Lord. Amen.
13 Now, today, we got some, we're just beginning to get over into the cream, you know, after the--the milk is all taken out, and just the cream. And remember, it takes the milk to produce the cream, you know. The--the cream is the contents of the milk.
14So we been in the 1st, 2nd, and we're ending up in the 3rd, and beginning in the 4th chapter of the glorious Book of Hebrews. And, oh, the teachings of this Book! We could stay with It, for on one verse, for three months, and just show that the entire Bible ties into every verse in the Bible. Did you ever think of that? There's not one verse that you can put your finger on, but what, with the grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, that we can tie Genesis to Revelation right into It.
15 There's not another piece of literature written anywhere that can do that. And mathematically, and geographically, in every way, there's not a Book in the Bible wrote like the Bible... There's not a book in the world, I mean, wrote like the Bible. There's nothing. The pneumatics of the Bible is perfectly in harmony; just even chapters, and punctuations, and everything, is perfect. Not another book; you couldn't read a chapter out of it without crossing itself back. But there's not one cross-up in the entire Bible. And was wrote by many, many, many people; and hundreds, and hundreds, and hundreds of years apart. Not knowing one piece; one wrote It here, and one wrote It here, and one wrote It over here. When It was all formed together, It made God's Bible. And not one contradicts the other one, and, no, not mathematics, geographics. Anything else of the Bible, everything, pneumatic, everything runs perfectly together. That isn't inspired, I don't know, what will you call inspiration? I'm so glad for the blessed, old Bible.
16Some of them said, "Are you a Catholic? Protestant?"
I said, "Neither one. I believe the Bible." That's right. I believe the Bible, and I'm glad that we still have the freedom to preach It in this nation. Oh, It's wonderful.
17 Now we're going to study from It. And now we'll turn over in the Book of the Hebrews and begin with the 3rd chapter. And we left off at the 15th verse. And now you all...
18I seen somebody notice, a while ago, when I picked up my reading glasses. It's not that my eyes are bad, but I'm past forty years old. I can read it, right here, just ordinarily, but I can read it better with the glasses. And they made me a pair of reading glasses that I want to use, because I can read it better and faster. And that's what I got them for. Now in the...
19 First, we want a little background, 'cause there may be some strangers among us, that has not picked up the first part of the Book of Hebrews.
20Are you Mrs. Cox, setting right here on the end? Well, I am sure glad to see her, just before I start, as a testimony to the grace of God. Here was a woman with a cancer eating her face off. That's Sister Wood's mother. And I was in Michigan with Gene and Leo, and them, taking the recordings. And on the road home, wife called me, or I called her. She said, "Go to prayer immediately for a Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Wood's mother, for a cancer is eating her face off." Done went into the side of the eye and down to the bone, slick on the side of her face, and just scattering. Some doctor done something other to it, just made it worse, and just scatter it up; put some kind of medicine in it.
21And they brought her from down to Campbellsville, Kentucky, up to... or, I believe, Acton, Kentucky, up to--to Louisville, for treatment.
22 And so Mrs. Woods, the first time I ever seen her that she was tore up. Because, of course, is her--her--her mama, and sure she'd feel tore up. Went into the room and prayed for her, with the confidence that God said He'd answer prayer. And few days, she was out. And there she sets now. With just amazing grace, how He's done for her.
23Would you stand up? I don't want to make you a--a--a public... Where, where was the cancer located? On--on the side of the face, see there, on that side of her face, down around here, to her cheekbone, up around her eye. And God healed her. Isn't He wonderful? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]
24 How many was here last Sunday to see what the Lord did by a vision? Man, both crippled and blind, setting right here in a wheel chair. And something hurt me when that old man setting here said, "Brother Branham..." I believe it was this brother right here. Said, "Do the same for my wife." He's got a wife here that's crippled. My heart just melted. I wish... I'd give anything in the world if I could, but it's not... don't lay in my power. But it does lay to my power and your power, to pray that God will do it. He's got a crippled wife, a paralyzed hand, a paralyzed foot, looks like. And this man was far worse off than her, 'cause she can stand up and can walk a little, but this man could not even do that. And he... The brain, main balance nerve was gone. Mayo's, lot of the others, had give him up. And a Catholic sent him here, a Catholic doctor; and his boy is a priest at St. Meinrad's down in Jasper, Indiana. But that's laying foundation stones for that revival coming up, down there.
25 And when he raised up, he said, "But I can't..." He looked, said, "Yes, I can." He thought he couldn't see, you know. And he looked up, and just happen to raise his head up, and there he could walk and see; walked down that aisle, by himself. And they were Presbyterians. He was orthodox. And talk... You think that just the Pentecostal or the Holiness people can shout; you're mistaken. They can sure do some shouting when they see something like that happen; hugging each other and shouting. Walked right out and down the steps, pushing his wheel chair; walking, with the balance nerves out of his head. Think of it. Walking like you or I would walk. Oh, He's wonderful.
26 Now, Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews. And in this writing of Hebrews, he wrote It. And before He wrote these Books... We find out now. We go... This is a Sunday school class, and I'll try to watch and not take too long. And then we're going to have services, to continue them on tonight, the Lord willing. Now, in the Book of Hebrews and the rest of the Epistles of Paul...
27Who was Paul? He was a staunch Hebrew, a scholar, and a great teacher of the Old Testament. And he had been taught by one of the best men of his day. Somebody tell me what his name was. Gamaliel, one of the greatest teachers of his day. And Paul had set at the feet of Gamaliel.
28There is something about the... where you go, what church you go to, and what teacher teaches you. Did you know that? It, it's got something to it. Therefore we ought to seek out the very best that we can find, so we're getting the best; not because it's sociable and so forth, but the real Bible teaching.
29 Look, one time when Israel had got out into the wilderness with their armies, and they had a seven-day compass, and they run out of water. And they were about to perish, they said, "Oh, if there was a prophet near!"
30And one of them said, "We have down here, Elisha. He poured water on the hands of Elijah." See his associates? Other words, "Here is Elisha who has had associations with Elijah. The Word of the Lord is with him." You get it? He had been taught right. And he said, "He's here. Let's go down and consult him, because his teacher was Elijah, and he's got the teaching of Elijah in him." See what a difference it makes? Sure. We want to be taught.
31 So, Paul had the teaching of Gamaliel. And Gamaliel was that great man who made the choice, being a scholar himself, that when all of this carrying on started of the early church, he said, "Let's not put our hands on that, brethren. If it is not of God, it will come to naught, anyhow. But if it is of God, and we fight against it, we'll find ourself fighting against God." See, he had had some good teaching.
32Paul had come up under this man, and he knew that Paul was a great teacher. So, one day, honest in heart, persecuting the Church, going down to arrest them.
33Now let's take just another little phase from Paul, as we get our background.
34 When Judas fell, by transgression, by the love of money and the pride of life, he fell from grace and went to his place. And the disciples said, "There must be twelve." And the church, with all of its dignity, to show you what the church is; with all of its dignity and all of its power, it's still millions of miles short, at its very best. They said, "We've got to look out, one among us, who will take the place." And they chose, by casting lots, Matthias. Mattheas, I believe, or Matthias. Matthias, I believe it is. And whenever they chose him and put him with the twelve, with the eleven, which made up the twelve, he did not do one thing. That's the only time his name is ever mentioned in the Scriptures. That was the church making its choice.
35Now, they thought, "He is a gentleman." No doubt. "He's a wonderful man. He's a scholar. He's smart. He's educated. He's a wonderful person. He would take the place of Judas and be one of us."
36 But, you know, God sometimes makes some of the... to our opinion, some of the most foolish choices. Now, God seen a little hook-nosed Jew, just as full of temper as he could be, with his mouth setting sideways, "I'll go down, arrest every one of them. I'll--I'll throw them in jail. I'll do this." That was God's choice.
The rest of them taken a scholar and a diplomat. That's the church's choice.
37See, you don't know who that is at the altar. You don't know who that is you're testifying, in jail or wherever it is. It might look like a pugilist, his ears broke down, eyes skinned up, and, but you don't know who that is. You just cast your lot, that's all, give him the Word. God takes the choice.
38And God choose this little high-tempered Jew, or chose him, rather. On his road down, "I'll go down and get them. I'll--I'll show them what I can do like that," and God just knocked him down.
God said, "That's my choice, right there."
39Wouldn't that be foolish, to the church? "Why, he persecutes the church. He's a carnal man." But God knowed what was on the inside of man. See what I mean?
40 So, Paul had an experience. How many believes experience comes by conversion? Sure. If it hasn't, I would doubt the conversion. A conversion brings experience. And you can't lot it to anything now. Sometimes it might be shouting. Sometimes it might be speaking with tongues. Sometimes it might be weeping. Sometimes it might be groaning. You don't know what it is, so don't try to lot it. Because, every one of you has proved to be wrong in it, you Methodists, and you Baptists, and you Nazarenes, and Pentecostals.
41I seen people shout just as hard as they could shout, and steal the gold out of your teeth, they could. Yes, sir. I seen people speak with tongues like pouring peas on a dry cowhide, and--and honest to goodness, with a chew tobacco on other side of the mouth, and cut your throat if they could do it. That's right. So them things has not... There's no evidence that you can prove it, only by the life the person lives. "By their fruit, you shall know them."
42 So, that's all up to God. He makes a choice. He brings the things together, and that's the way it is. So if your life is comparing with the fruits of the Bible, you got a pretty good conception. If your spirit is bearing record with His Spirit, that you're sons and daughters of God, you're... All the old evil has dropped away, and everything has become new, and you're living in love, and you got peace, and grace, and so forth, you're getting pretty close to the Kingdom then. Because, the Life that's in you is producing that kind of a life. See?
43If you say, "Oh, hallelujah, I spoke with tongues. Hallelujah!" That don't mean nothing. That don't mean a bit more than if you'd got out here and played a tune on a guitar or something. That doesn't mean one thing. Though you spoke with tongues, though you shouted, and run up-and-down the aisle, and cried tears till like you had been peeling onions, that don't mean one thing, not one thing, unless that everyday life backs up just exactly, stays with It.
44 Now, if you do those things, plus that life, "amen," that, that's fine. That's good. But you can do those things without having that life.
45So then, no shouting, no nothing like that is evidence. Jesus said, "By their fruit, you shall know them." And the fruit of the Spirit is not speaking with tongues. That's not the fruit of the Spirit. Shouting is not the fruit of the Spirit. Weeping is not this fruit of the Spirit. But, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance, that's the fruits of the Spirit. See? That's what the Spirit's fruits are. All right.
46Now, the reason we have these things, they like to make organizations, you see. "Well, we'll have it. Bless God, all believes the way we do, we'll go this way. All believes like we do, we'll go this way." But God wants all to go This way, right up.
47 Now, Paul, after he had this experience, then he thought that was a wonderful experience. Now, how... Let's--let's--let's quote that experience a little bit. Paul was on his road to Damascus, to arrest some people down there, 'cause the Gospel had got scattered down there. Gospel means "the good news." And so they got scattered down there, and many people was raising up, full of love, and joy, and loving the Lord Jesus. And It had got scattered down that way. So, Paul got some letters from the High Priest. He said, "I'll go down, and I'll arrest them, every one."
48So he took him a little company of guards, temple guards, soldiers, way down the road he went. While they were marching down the road, and him just all know what he's going to do, all of a sudden, something happened. All of a sudden, there was a great Light before him. Great Light, now, It shined like the sun. That's a strange thing to happen. The Light shined insomuch that he just... His eyes went out, almost. And fell to the ground. And he--he's laying down on the ground, and he looked up.
49 There was probably ten or fifteen men with him. Did any of those men see that Light? No, sir. Paul saw It. It wasn't designated for them men to see It. So, some people can see things, where, others don't. See? So, Paul saw that Light, insomuch that It even blinded him. He couldn't see, for several days, It was such a reality to him. And he couldn't see for several...
Later on, when he wrote letters, his eyes bothered him so bad from that, until he wrote with great big letters. He said, "Seeing that I have written to you with large letters." He couldn't hardly see.
50He was in jail, and he asked the Lord to heal him of it. And he consulted Him three times. But what did the Lord say? "My grace is sufficient, Paul."
51Paul said, "Then will I glory in my infirmities." Because, he said, "Except I would be exalted above the abundance of the Revelation, there was given to me a messenger of the Devil, a thorn in the flesh, that buffet me." He'd get better for a while, and then away they go again.
Buffet mean "blow after blow." Like the ship on the sea, you know, the waves buffet it, see, blow after blow.
And he would, he'd get better, and then have it again; then get better, have it again. He said, "Lord, what's the matter, You don't take this away from me?"
52He said, "My grace is sufficient, Paul. Just keep on." It'd keep...
53 He said, "Now, if--if I was just perfect, and everything perfect," said, "then when I went along, oh, I'd get puffed up and say, 'You see, nothing wrong with me. Lord takes care of me, brother. Hallelujah!'" Then you're getting self-righteous.
54God has to give you a little something, once in a while, to kind of meeking you up a little, you know. That's right. Kind of make you realize that He's the Boss. Oh, isn't He wonderful? Yes, sir, just glory!
55So he, Paul, then, right after having this great experience...
56Now, if that would been somebody today, they'd said, "Oh, bless God, hallelujah. Boy, the Lord has done something for me! Glory to God!" But not Paul; he was a Bible scholar.
57 That experience must tally with God's Word. Yes, sir. If it isn't altogether hooked into the Bible... Not just look over here, say, "Oh, yes, here it is right here. Bless God, I got It." Huh-uh. That's not the way God gives It.
58It must be the entire Bible, all of It. Cause, you can... Infidels use this Bible for their grounds to debate on. But they'll take a little Scripture here, turn over here and get another little one over here, try to make them tie together, and it's two different subjects, altogether. So, you got to make Scripture compare with Scripture.
59 As Isaiah said, the 28th chapter, "It must be line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little." "Hold fast to that what's good." See, there's the way It comes: line upon line upon line, Word upon Word, Scripture upon Scripture. It must all compile together. That's why, I think, in these lessons like we're having now, it's a great thing to the church, because it brings them to a place that all the Scriptures tie together. And our experience must tie with that Scripture. Oh, here it is! If it doesn't, then it's wrong.
60And how that I walked for years, not knowing what that Light was that struck Paul down. When, the outside world, the Scriptures... The people, the preachers tried to tell me, "That's of the Devil. Why, you'll be a fortune-teller. You'll be a spiritualist. Don't you fool with That, Billy. Something wrong with That. Don't you do that, boy. That's wrong. That's the Devil. Well, boy, you'll be a regular medium. You'll be a spiritualist if you do that. Oh, all that's of the Devil. That's--that's not right." But when... I didn't want to preach that.
61 But as on the road down to Damascus, Paul didn't want to preach it, till he found out whether it was right or not. So he goes down into Arabia for three years, and studies the Scripture. Ah! When he come out, he said, "Now shake it out of me."
62He knew he had to face Pharisees. He had to face Sadducees. He had to face the world, and the Gentile world. And so Paul, this Bible is written, this Book of Hebrews, is written for that purpose. He is shaking those Hebrews, and taking that Old Testament and show It over here in the New Testament. "This is God," he said, "here it is on--on all the prophets and everything." Starts off back there at the beginning, the 1st chapter we had, "For God in sundry times, way back in old time, in divers manners, spoke to the fathers by the prophets." That's how God brought His message, tested by the Urim Thummim. "But in this day has spoke to us through His Son, Christ Jesus," tested by His Bible. There you are.
63 So these experiences that the world says, "Oh, it's mental. Why, nobody..." When that Angel appeared, that Light down here on the river, when I preached my first revival here on the corner, we baptized all those people. I believe, Brother Fleeman, you might have been in the... I don't know whether you was here then or not. How many was here when the--when the Light appeared on the river? Is any of the old-timers here? Yes, some of them. When It down here on the river.
64And they said, "It was just an optical illusion." Many of us was standing, looking at It, and here It come down. And then years later, God proved It by a mechanical eye of a camera. It's true.
65"Well, is it--is it some fiction? Is it something that--that..." No, sir. We're taking it right here in the Bible and showing you. It's the same Lord Jesus. He does the same thing. His action is the same. His power is the same.
66 Look, last Sunday, here. Yonder, laying on my bed, never seen the man in my life. Come out and said, "There's a man at the tabernacle, and he's gray, black-headed, graying. He is blind, and he can't walk. He's in a wheel chair. A black-headed man sent him up; a doctor, Dr. Ackerman, a black-headed man, Catholic man. Sent a man, set right there. And THUS SAITH THE LORD, raised up, walked out with his sight and everything. What did it? Here is the same Angel. The same One that struck Paul down, on the road going down to Damascus, lives in His Church and His people today. It's Scripture comparing with Scripture. That's the way it must be.
Oh, we have the lukewarms. We're getting into that, after while.
67Oh, we got a deep thing before us, if we can just get into it, today and tonight. Now it's just begin to get into the deep waters. Where you...
68 You know, when I was a little boy, I used to have a little pond out behind the place, and I'd go out there. And all of us little kids would go in, nude; little, about six, seven years old. And we... The water is about that deep. It wasn't no more than a hog wallow. And I had a soapbox there. I'd show I could dive; hold my nose, and splash, going like that. And my little belly would hit the mud, you know, and it would just fly every way. I told my daddy I could swim.
69He took me back there one day. He said, "I want to see you swim." I jumped off there, you know; stripped my clothes, a little locust thicket; and run down, hit the water. I had been splashing, the mud flying every way. And Pop was setting on a culvert. He set there and watched me for a few minutes. Said, "Get out of that hole of water, and get yourself a bath, and get home." See?
70Well, that's just about the way, some of us that call ourselves Christians. We mud-crawl. That's right. Long as you're anchored, "I'm a Methodist. I'm a Pentecostal. I'm a Presbyterian. I got an evidence; I got It." You're mud-crawling.
71 One day I was with my uncle. I kept tell him... He was about fifteen, sixteen years old. We was at the river. I said, "Uncle Lark, I can swim." And I was setting on the back of the boat, you know, felt good and safe. He just took the oar and pushed me out, in about ten-foot of water. It was different then; all the splashing, screaming, you ever heard in your life.
72Someday you get pushed off, you better know where you're standing. Yes, sir. If you know Him, you better really know Him. That's right.
But now we're going into deep water, deep water, where it'll make you drown if you--if you're not a good, fattened-up Christian.
73 Notice the Word. Paul, first found that. He went back in the Old Testament, and he found this. He seen that experience of his, absolutely. "Now what was That that struck me down?"
74It was a Light, big Light standing there, shining like the sun, standing in front of his face. He said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?"
75He said, "Lord, who are You that I persecute?"
76He said, "I'm Jesus."
77"I thought He was a--a man, had scarred hand, that they claim is appearing in meetings now, with nail scars in His hands and His head." No, no; not that body, not in that body. See? He is now a Light. Saul...
78When He was here on earth, He said, "I come from God. I go back to God."
79He was the Angel that led the Children of Israel in this Light, through the wilderness. He returned back to that same Light. And Paul saw It, out of the Old Testament. He said, "I am Jesus, the Angel of the Covenant."
80And He become flesh, to redeem us. "Took on not the form of Angels," we find in previous chapters, we are... study. "He never took on the nature of Angels, but was the Seed of Abraham," that He might be known, that men could see God. Amen.
Now He says, "I'll return back to That."
81And when Paul seen That, he said, "Sure, that was Him. That was Him."
82 Peter had an experience one night while he was praying. That same Light come into the building, opened up the doors before him, went out into the streets. And Peter thought he was dreaming; he was so anointed. He didn't know what taken place. He said, "Have I just woke up? But I'm out here on the street."
83And he went down to John Mark's house. And the little girl opened the door, some little lady there, been in a prayer meeting. Somebody was knocking at the door. Opened up the door. "Oh," she said, "here is Peter right now. You're praying for him to get out of prison. The Lord has delivered him."
84"Oh," they said, "go on."
"O Lord, deliver him!"
85"Why," she said, "he is standing at the door, knocking."
Peter just kept pounding, "Let me in."
86"Oh," she said, "it's Peter." Them days, they still have it, a little drawbar. Little lid here, you raise back and look out, see. Before you let your guest in, you have to know who is knocking at your door. Cause, they had robbers; if you opened the door, they'd kill you.
87So, they opened the door. She said, "It's Peter."
88They said, "Oh! Oh, my, he's dead. That's his angel standing there. See? Done got in his glorified body, you know, that theophany."
89 Remember how we took It, the big Diamond, how It reflected the Light, how It went back to there? The... "This earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have one already waiting."
And they thought Peter done died, this old body had dropped, and they'd bury it in a few days. "He had entered into his angel, or his glori-..." Not glorified body, but in his theophany, the body that's already prepared. It couldn't shake your hands. It has no hands to shake, like that, but it's in an image of a man. "Come down, and was knocking at the door."
90She said, "No. It's Peter. He's standing there." He opened the door and walked in. There he was. Now, Peter had been delivered by this Light.
91 Now, the same way that that early... that Paul, in the early Church, seen that Light of God that shined on Paul, the same Thing has come down. Now, people can say anything, that doesn't make it right. But when God proves anything, the work of It proves It. Then, the camera proves It. And everything that we... that the Lord has did, has been absolutely, infallibly proved that It's God, by the Scriptures, by Its action, by experience. But they won't listen.
92Look here in this tabernacle. Now, remember, you know this. We don't crave crowds. We ain't got no place to put them, anyhow. But, look. A meeting of this type, where we was coming together for this, ought to attract the Falls Cities. But they're dead. They're absolutely dead. They have eyes but they can't see.
You say, you, "Why, Brother Branham, won't they go to a doctor and get their eyes fixed?" He can't fix that kind of seeing.
93 Jesus said, "If you would have known Me, you would have known My day." He said, "You blind Pharisees. You can discern the face of the skies, but the signs of the time, you can't discern."
94Does that go over top of your head? Listen. Look at the signs we're living in here. Now, it just ain't some... I, myself, I'm just a man, not even a preacher, to talk about. I have no education, what the world call, "a preacher." And we're just poor people. Look at the building we're in. Look at the cathedrals, this morning. But look where God is at. There's the thing.
95 So was Moab standing there in all his splendor and his beauty, but there was Israel in tents. But where was God at? There was a bunch of little holy-rollers down there, doing everything there was was wrong. But Balaam, their--their bishop, failed to see that smitten Rock, that Brass Serpent, that Pillar of Fire. His eyes was blind. He couldn't see It. He said, "They're just imagining That." But He was there.
96Bless God, oh, He is here! God is here, and He's doing the same thing that He has done. And He will. We compare Scripture with Scripture. God has never painted Himself some big something, on earth, but He's always dwelt among the common and humble people. And here He is this morning, doing the same thing. The Scripture vindicates It. The camera vindicates It. Now, That, reason I refer to that picture, it isn't because I'm there. I'm--I'm just a sinner, saved by grace, like you are. But what I'm trying to say, is, It's His Presence with us. That's the main thing. Well, if He made me a--a incarnated Elisha, if you didn't have faith to believe it, it'd never do you any good.
"He came to His own. His own received Him not."
97 That's the reason, here in the city today. Why, I could start a revival here, in some big building or something, you would never get many people to believe it. They just won't. They can't. Their day is done.
98This same lesson, this morning, in Africa, would probably produce ten thousand, at least, ten thousand souls to Christ. Or, there might be one sinner setting here this morning, or something, some backslider. Most of them is just combed through and through, till it's just finished. That's all.
99But what we're trying to say, is, Scripture compares with Scripture. Now, don't matter how great the experience is, unless it compares with the Scripture, it's wrong.
The Urim Thummim, no matter how good the prophet was, if he spoke and them lights didn't flash on the Urim Thummim, it was wrong. How well the dream seemed, if it didn't flash on the Urim Thummim, it was wrong.
When that priesthood ended, God put His Bible up. Paul said, "If an Angel from Heaven would come," Galatians 1:8, "and would preach any other gospel than what's already been preached to you, let him be accursed."
100 The Angel from Heaven said to John the revelator, which was God Himself, "I Jesus sent My angel to vindicate, or to show these things." He said, "If any man will add one word to It, or take one Word out of It, the same will be taken out of the Book of Life, for him." This is It, the Bible.
101Therefore, these experiences and these things that we're having to happen here, if it wasn't vindicated by God's Word, it would be wrong; I don't care what would take place, it would be wrong. So it's Scripturally, absolutely the Truth. Oh, I'm so happy I'm a member of the great Body of Christ.
102 Now, let's go now, we're coming down to the lesson. Now, we ended up over here where he said, "Seeing that we're compassed about now..." I'm sorry. That's, I was quoting 12th chapter. I been reading it, but I haven't studied it. I...
103Brother Norman, staying at my home up there, and he knows that I just got in yesterday, and the brothers know, down there, I just got in. The only time I got to read the Scripture down, was setting right here, a few minutes ago. That's right. Don't study It, I just wait for the Holy Spirit to give It just as He wants it. He knows where the person is at--at, that has to have It. So if I got something made up in my mind I'm going to say, then it's wrong. But if I just let Him do it, He will take It right straight to the spot where It belong. See? "Take no thought what you shall say, for It's not you that speaks, It's your Father that dwelleth in you. He doeth the speaking."
104 Now, the last chapter, previous chapter, we heard this, that, "How shall we escape, if we neglect this great salvation; Who was first preached to us by the Lord Jesus, and Him with those who heard Him?" The same things that Jesus did, to show, them same things like takes place here: same Angel of God, same works, same evidence, same everything, everything along, same Gospel, right with the Word. "If that was taught by the Lord, then confirmed by His disciples that we've heard," Paul being the same, "how shall we escape, if we neglect such great salvation?"
105Now, Paul was saying that to his Hebrew audience. Now, they didn't have tape recorders, today, like we got here. But they had scribes who was setting there, taking It down just as Paul was preaching It.
And that's what It is right here. We're getting It by tape recorders, and these tapes go over the world, see, to show that It is the Truth. Our religion is not in vain, It's absolutely the resurrected Jesus Christ, same thing. Now we mustn't neglect It.
106 Now, just don't go away from church, today, and say, "Well, I kind of enjoy going down there. I like the singing, and the people are friendly around that little old church." Don't do that.
107Brother, let your heart become a flame, say, "Here, I got to do something about this. I got to get out and see if I can get somebody saved."
108And don't go out, saying, "Bless God, if you don't repent, you're going to perish." No.
Go at it gentle. "Be as wise as a serpent, as harmless as a dove." See, that's the way to go. Approach the person, if he's raising chickens, talk about chickens, to him, for a while. See? And then, first thing you know, you'll be talking about the Lord. If he's a farmer, talk about his farm.
109If he sells automobiles, talk about his automobiles, for a while, "What nice cars you got," and so forth. See?
110Till you catch the Spirit, when Father says, "Now is the time to approach him about his soul."
111You can wind it off, see, "That's a fine automobile. You know transportation, today, has become great. Oh, how the nations has been brought close together; and the cities of our nations, close together. Friends and mothers can visit each other. You know, it's a wonderful thing to have automobiles like you're selling."
112"Yes, sir. It sure is. Uh-huh." You know, puffing on his cigar, or whatever it is. "Yeah, them, them is good cars."
113"Did you ever think of what the old-timers would have thought if they'd seen something like that?" Just keep going like that, you know.
After a while, say, "Yep, yeah, sure is."
114You know, another thing it does, it brings like we having, like in revivals. People can come across the country, quickly, for a revival." See, you're opening the way, all time, you know.
115If you feel Something chock up the way, stop right there, move over here. Like a doctor said, out at Phoenix, said, "Lord, fill my mouth with good words, and then nudge me when I've said enough." You see? Yeah. "Nudge me when I've said enough."
116 Now, notice now, we're going to start from the 15th chapter, or 15th verse of the 3rd chapter, closely now.
While it is said, To day if you... hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
117Now watch Paul speaking here. Now it is said, "Today, after so long a time." We're going to get into it after a while, that, "Today, so long a time." Comes into the next chapter, "After so long a time."
... it is said, To day if you... hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the day of provocation, when they provoked God.
118Now let's read the next verse.
For some, when they had heard, did provoke:...
Now what's he talking about? Gospel.
... howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
But with whom he was grieved for forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
119 Let's stop here a minute. The provocation, "when they provoked." Now what did God do? Now Paul is trying to speak. What is It led them out of Egypt? Was it Moses? No. Moses was the flesh instrument.
120Now we got a background here. We want to get straightened out now. When we hit this spot down here, in a few minutes, you'll--you'll see it.
121Now, God had His people with unsettled rest. They were down in Egypt. They were out of their right position. They were out of their homeland. They were strangers and pilgrims, and God was going to bring them from that housed-in place, in--in Egypt, up to the homeland.
122A type of today; we're unsettled. Here it don't take long. Little chubby-handed boys playing marbles, little girls with the dollies, playing; the first thing you know, you got gray hair, and wrinkled up. There's something wrong here. This is not home. We're in the wrong place. That's why we say we are pilgrims and strangers. Something has happened.
123 A little lady said, this morning in the room, about how people laugh at her, sometime. I said, "But, sister, dear, you're not of them people." We are a different people.
124My little girl said, "Daddy, certain-certain girls did certain-certain things that they did."
125I said, "But, look, honey." They had these records of Elvis Presley. I said, "I wouldn't want them in my house."
126She said, "But, daddy, they're nice little girls."
127I said, "They may be. I have nothing to say against that. But there is one thing, we are different. We are different. Not as that we want to be different, but the Spirit that's within us has come out of that. You're of another world."
128When I go into Africa, I can't get adjusted to their--their--their ways of living. They don't wear any clothes. They're naked. And they pick up something that's rotten, got maggots in it, they eat it, anyhow; don't make any difference. See?
129 And This is different. You know, one time, we were all like that, but civilization has brought us and made us different.
And conversion has doubled that by million. We don't want the rotten things of the world no more. Christ has made us become Christians; like civilization has made us become clean. And notice, not only that, but we profess that we are pilgrims and strangers. We're not of the world. Then, you want nothing to do with the world. And those things has passed away.
130Now, Israel was down in Egypt. They wasn't Egyptians. Egyptians, it was a disgrace for an Egyptian to put his hands on a sheep. And Israel were sheepherders. And how it must have gotten Moses, after all the indignity of being an Egyptian, cattle raisers.
Did you notice what the Pharaoh had said to Joseph, and so forth? "It is an abomination." Said, "Your people are sheepherders." And even an Egyptian couldn't even put his hands on a sheepherder. He was a different people.
131 And that's the way it is with a Christian, today, when he's born again. It's not... It's filthy for him to associate where people are drinking and telling dirty jokes, and women naked. And every... It, it's--it's filthiness. Oh, blessed be the Lord! We are pilgrims here. We're strangers here. The spirit has been converted, and we're looking for a City where women don't wear shorts. We're looking for a City where they don't have beer taverns. We're looking for a City wherein dwelleth righteousness. So, we're pilgrims.
132 So, God came down in a big bundle of Fire, as a Halo, swept down into a bush and begin to reveal Himself to Moses, first. Moses said...
You know how we had the lesson the other night, how that when Jesus was here on earth, He said, "Well, before Moses was, I AM." That was Jesus in the burning bush, in the Pillar of Fire. It's Jesus, today, the same.
And He revealed Himself in a Pillar of Fire, and Moses got the experience. He goes down into Egypt. He preaches the Gospel, the good news, and signs and wonders followed him. You get it? Same thing today.
133Not only that, but them the Hebrews come out, walked in the Light, they was led by the same Pillar of Fire. And the Bible said that, "Do not tempt God."
134 Watch this. Let me read It.
While it is said, To day if you... hear his voice, harden not your heart, his voice speaking to your heart, as in the provocation, when they provoked Him.
Listen.
For some, when they had heard, did provoke:...
135How many knows that the Israelites provoked God with their unbelief? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] They murmured. They completely... God walked right down there. And when they got all... First thing, they got in trouble.
Here was this Pillar of Fire above them. I don't know whether they all saw It, or not. At least, Moses saw It. And It was above them, and they watched It. And when they come down... Say if they didn't see It, I don't know whether they did or not. It went before them. The Bible said It was there.
136 It said, "The Star went before the wise men." Nobody saw It but the wise men. It went over every observatory. They kept time by the stars. No one saw It but the wise men. It was for them to see It, and the wise men was who the Star was sent for.
137And the Pillar of Fire was sent to Moses, and Moses was sent to the children of Israel. And they was supposed to follow Moses. They could see Moses, and Moses saw the Light.
There they went!...?... And as they went out, they come to the Red Sea. And, oh, they--they never seen all those signs of miracles and things taking place while they were still down in the--in the old land of Egypt, but when they got out there in their journey, just converted and brought out. Then, the first thing you know, they got in trouble.
138God loves to bring you in trouble. He loves to put trouble down and see what you'll do about it. So He just stopped up the Red Sea, and the first thing you know, marched them right out into this place, then sent Pharaoh after them. See how God likes to do it? He loves to display His power and love. He is God, and He just loves to show you who He is. Amen.
And the trouble of it is, today, people say, "Oh, them days is past." No. How can God display Himself, when you're taught such stuff as that? But God loves to manifest Himself.
139 Here come the children of Israel, walking in the Light. Moses, going on before them. There they was. "Come on. This is the way. God is calling. We're going out. We're going to the promised land."
"Oh, hallelujah!" Here they all was, shouting, and jumping, and having a good time, you know. And the first thing you know, they looked back and said, "Oh, what's that dust?"
140One of them climbed up on a hill, said, "Oh, oh! Alas, alas! It's Pharaoh's army."
141God said, "What you so scared about? Didn't you believe what I did down there? What you so worried about? Why you make Me angry?"
142When they got down there, Moses went out and interceded to God. God just opened up the Red Sea and they walked across; closed the enemy in. That's the way God does it. Don't get scared. Don't get all excited. Don't be flusterated. You provoke God.
143 Then what did He do? Look like, "Well, we had one big trial; bless God, we got over it. We won't have no more. We're on our road to the promised land." And He led them right out into the desert, where there's no water. Could you imagine? God, with His--with His sanctified, holy people, led them right out in this trap; then got them out of that trap, and led them right out here where there's no water. When He could have took them some way where there was water. Why, He could just made a river, all the way along, if He wanted to. He could have broke every mountain into joy, spurting water fifty feet in the air, if He wanted to. Sure, He could. But if He done that, it'd been too easy. Oh, my! Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
144 "Why did God let this happen, Brother Branham? Why did God?"
God is doing that. Let Him alone. Just walk on. That's God's business. "The footprints of the righteous are ordered by the Lord." Yes, sir. What difference does it make?
145"Lost all my money, Brother Branham." Well, bless God, anyhow.
146"Oh, I did this, and this happened, storm blowed away my house."
147Bless God, anyhow. "The Lord give, the Lord taken away, blessed be the Name of the Lord." Just keep walking on. It's all the glory of God. God knows what He's doing.
Some through the water, some through the flood,
Some through deep trial, but all through the Blood.
148That's the way He leads us. That's right. Oh, my! I feel like I could just stop and scream. That's the way He leads His dear children. Oh, can you just feel... Now, I'm not a psychologist, but can you just feel that lovely Spirit now bathing over the building? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] What if our eyes would come open just now, and look what is standing around the sides of these walls, up-and-down these aisles?
149 O Elisha! One morning, when that boy was just as blind as he could be, he said, "Look at the Syrians down there."
Said, "But there's more with us."
Said, "I don't see nobody."
Said, "Lord, open that boy's eyes."
150He looked around that old prophet, all around that, mountains was on Fire, and horses of Fire, and chariots of Fire. He was convinced then.
151He said, "We'll just go out and smite them blind." They had their sight just as perfect as they ever did, but they was blind to him. Said, "You all seeking Elijah?"
Said, "Yes, sir."
152"Come on, I'll show you where he's at." And that was him, leading them. They didn't know it.
153That's the way it is today. Christ is here. The Holy Ghost is here, doing the same things that He's always done, and the world is blind to It. They don't know It. "Oh, I--I don't know about That. My pastor..." Oh, poor decrepit people! See what I mean? They're blind to It. They don't know It. God is leading.
154 Now, they come up, through the Wilderness of Sin, there was no water there. God just had it all provided. Oh, and they found a puddle of water, they said, "This is it." And they couldn't even taste it. Oh, it was terrible. My, it's--it's worse than a hundred percent sulfur. See, just like rotten eggs, you know. "Oh, my! It's terrible." It was poison. Now, called the Wilderness of Sin. Several palm trees grow there, and the spring where those palms growed. Then Moses said, "Don't..."
155God said, "Why do they? Why do they? What are they provoking Me for? Well, if I did that back there, can't I do something about this situation?"
156 If He got you out of one sick spell, can't He get you out of another one? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] He got you out of one trouble, can't He get you out of another one? ["Amen."] Bless God! If He got me out of sin, He can take me out of the grave. He is God. Difference does it make? Just go on, keep your eyes on Him.
157Said, "If I closed the Red Sea behind, and drowned them Egyptians, can't I do something about this water? What do you make Me angry about? Oh, your unbelief! You provoke Me to anger, because of unbelief."
158 Now the word here is used, "Sin," provoked. Made... The reason they did it, they disbelieved. They never went out and got to shooting craps, now, and things like that. They never run around with somebody else's wife, and went out and told lies. That wasn't what they were doing. But, that's not sin, to begin with.
159Living in adultery is not sin. Smoking, chewing, drinking, gambling, cursing, swearing, so forth, that's not sin. That's the attributes of unbelief. You do that because you're an unbeliever. If you are a believer, you don't do that. That's the reason Jesus said, "He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me, has everlasting Life." Not says he believes, but really believes! There it is. That takes all your initial evidence away. See? Now, there you are.
Not, "He that heareth My Words and shouts." Not, "He that heareth My Words and speaks with tongues." Not, "He that heareth My Words and has blood in his hand or in his face," or whatever more. That's not It.
"He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Eternal Life, and shall never come to the Judgment, but has passed from death to Life."
160 What is sin? Unbelief. A little something can raise up, instead of going right to the Scripture and find out whether It's true or not, "Oh," you say, "I'm... Naw! See, there, you go ahead. I'll just continue a Presbyterian like I am, see." Go ahead, blind, and you provoke God.
161When God does anything, he expects the nation to grab It. But, instead of that, "You know, well, I don't know about That." See? He expects the people to get It. If you're concerned enough, set down with the Scripture. Go through It and search It, back and forth, and see if It happened, if It's predicted to came to pass, and so forth. Then you'll get It. Amen.
162 Now notice.
While it is... To day if you... hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, when God was provoked with them, you see.
For some, when they had heard, heard the gospel Moses preached, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
163How many knows how many people was saved out of that original bunch that come out? How many? [Someone says, "Two."--Ed.] Two, is right. How many knows their names? ["Caleb and Joshua."] That's right. Caleb and Joshua, the only two, out of two million something.
164Listen to this. "But he..." The 17th verse now.
But with whom he was grieved forty years, because of unbelief. Was it not with them that had sinned, disbelieved...?
165Take the dictionary and find out what sin means. Take the Bible dictionary. It's unbelief. Unbelief is "sin." "He that believeth not is condemned already," Saint John 4, see, "condemned already."
... whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest,...
166 Your disbelieving! Oh, how I'll never get to my chapter. But, look, that's what's the matter with this nation, today. Signs and wonders has crossed through this nation. What do they do? Continually turned their back on It. And He said, "I'll sware that I'll not let them enter into the Land they started to."
167What's the matter with these big churches today? Their unbelief has provoked God. Hallelujah! He is able of these stones to rise children to Abraham. He tried to give the Gospel to them, and they hardened their hearts. They cult themselves, and they made little denominations, "And we believe this and nothing else," and God couldn't move in. Where they at today? Setting on a sideline.
168 God's little, faithful group is moving right along, with signs and wonders. He is putting them to the test. "Every son that cometh to God must first be tried and tested," child-trained.
169First little thing happened, "Oh, well, maybe there's nothing to It, anyhow." You're the illegitimate child, and not a child of God.
170For a child of God is the Seed of Abraham, who calls those things that were not, as though they were, "God said so," and just keeps moving on. Amen. No matter what says, or anything different, they keep moving on, anyhow. "God said so."
171 Twenty-five years he waited for that baby, no matter how contrary it was. And he separated himself from them unbelievers, amen, so he could believe. Oh, my! I feel religious.
Think of it. You've got to separate yourself from that dogma of the world, "Ah, them days of miracles is past. There's no such a thing as That. That's fanaticism." Separate yourself.
172The Bible said, "Come out from among them, and be ye separated, saith the Lord, and I will receive you." How wonderful! "I will receive you, after you've separated yourself. You shall be my children. I'll be your God. Separate yourself. Don't yoke yourself up with unbelievers." That's right.
173Young man getting married, married some girl that don't believe; or some young girl marrying a boy that don't believe. Don't you do that. I don't care how cute he is, and--and, or how cute she is, and what those big eyes she's got; they'll all fade out one of these days. But, brother, your soul is going to live forever. You be careful what you're doing. She ain't a real believer, or him a real believer, don't you yoke yourself up like that. Stay away from such. It'll cause you trouble down the road.
174 Now listen, 17th verse.
But... whom he... was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
... to whom he sware that they should not enter into the rest,...
175They started out, but they seen the miracles, but they never did get to the promised land. Just a selected number, of two, enter the promised land.
176Now what's Paul doing? He is speaking to the Christians now, "Don't you let this same Gospel, that was preached back yonder, in signs and wonders, and the Pillar of Fire led them; when these things go to taking place again, don't you fall by the wayside, by unbelief, to go to doubting, for their carcass fell in the wilderness."
177 Now we're coming in, quickly now. Watch close.
... but to them that lived not?
So we see that they should not enter in because of unbelief.
He calls it sin once, he calls it unbelief the next time. Unbelief is "sin." "They entered not, because of their unbelief."
178They seen that prophet, Moses. They seen what he done, seen what he said. It was true, every time, moved right on the Truth. This Pillar of Fire would appear before them. They watched It. They seen It.
179Paul, trying to get, later on, get down here, the experience that he had. See? Trying to relate the experience, he typed it to the Old Testament. He said, "Now we've entered into a new thing, to this new dispensation, by Jesus Christ. Old times, the Lord appeared to them by the prophets, but now He's by His Son, Jesus." See? And he goes in, to type the experiences and show them what was taking place, how the signs and wonders, and everything, and what's wrote.
180 Now he said, "They entered not, because of their unbelief." They did not believe.
181"But now, we, we move into a dispensation, and don't you harden your heart. Don't you act like they did, in the days of provocation, when they provoked God." How did they do it? Not by living immorally. Let me grind this down to you.
182You say, "Brother Branham, I go to church." That's all right. "I never lied in my life." That's fine. "I never stole. I never done this, that, or the other." That's very fine. That's all good. But, that still isn't sin.
183The sin is when God shows Himself and you disbelieve It, you won't listen to It.
184"Oh," you say, "my church don't teach That." As long as the Bible teaches It, and God proves It, that's the thing.
Now watch just a moment. Now we're going to start now on something real, real deep. Now, put your conscience in your vest pocket till you get outside.
185 Now watch real close.
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us to enter into his...
His, her, personal pronouns now. What?
... any of you should seem to come short of it.
186Now, Paul is trying to tell them, in the previous chapter, about all these things. But now he is trying to tell them what It is.
Oh, have we got time? I... Maybe we better wait till tonight. It's getting late, and we going to have prayer service. Maybe we better catch it tonight, 'cause this is really full of vitamins, spiritual vitamins. Got a lot to do, and I'm busy this afternoon. "Let us..."
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise...
187Now, did they have a promise for the promised land, down in Egypt? And, when, God came down, to make this promise a reality. Why, God told Abraham, hundreds and hundreds of years before, that He was going to do it. It was Scriptural.
188 Joseph said, "Don't you move my bones from here until you go to that promised land and bury me up there with the rest of my fathers." Cause, he knowed the resurrection was coming, when Jesus rose from the dead, 'cause he had known what Job said. See?
189Each one of them prophets knowed just what the other prophet had said, and knowed that their Spirit was the same. And they was watching. Oh, brother! Oh, that ought to shake us out of our worldly condition. They had their eyes, not on what people were saying, but what them prophets said. Each one of them was watching.
190Abraham said, "Bury me right here where Job was buried." Said, "Sarah, I'm going to buy a piece of ground. We're going to be buried right here."
191Isaac was a prophet, after his daddy. Said, "Listen. Don't you bury me anywhere else, not down here in Egypt, but you take me right back in the promised land. You bury me right here."
192Jacob died down in the promised land, but said to his son, who was a prophet, said, "You know, one night the Angel touched me on the side. I've limped ever since. Come, put my hand..." Oh, mercy! "My prophet son, I'm old and I'm blind. But put your holy hand, being a prophet yourself, lay it on the place where the Angel had His hand, and swear to the God of Heaven that you'll not bury me down here."
193 Blessed be! There! You see the spiritual revelation of the Word? Why, half of them, nearly ninety percent, didn't know what he was talking about. But he knew what he was talking about. "Put your prophet hands on this place where the Angel laid His hand. I was once a big, stout man, a robust coward. But, He touched me, and since then I've been a limping man. But I've been a prince ever since I limped. Ever since I changed my way of walking, I been a prince." Yes. "Put your hand here. Swear by the God of Heaven, you'll not bury me here." Why? No one knowed what he was talking about. Joseph did. He said, "Take me up yonder and bury me in that promised land." There is where it was at. Certainly.
194When Joseph died, years later, he said, "Don't you bury me down here. But you look at my bones when you pass by, 'cause someday you're going out of here. And when you go, take my bones with you."
195 There you are. Let the world say what they want to, and do what they want to do. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Keep me in Christ, if I'm called anything... a fanatic, or holy-roller. Someday He's coming, and those that are in Christ will God bring with Him, when He comes. It's all a spiritual, revealed Truth laying right there, and it takes a spiritual mind to catch It. Rest on that, through the day. Think of it. Even if you do without your dinner, think of it.
196And tonight, we'll go into His Rest, that was left, and see what this promise is today. What is this thing today? If God hasn't got It here in the Bible, and prove It, It's right here now, then I'm a false prophet. That's exactly right. But It's here. What is this Rest?
197He said:
Now, let us... fear, lest, a promise being left us to enter in just like they did,...
198And It's got to be the same promise. It's got to be the same rest. It's got to be the same God. It's got to be the same signs. It's got to be the same thing. But let us rest. Now what is It? May the Lord grant it to us, tonight.
While we bow our heads.
199 Blessed Lord, only Eternity will reveal the great things that we now share together. Little...
Is many who are ordained to condemnation. As Thou hast said in the Book of Jude, that, "Men of old, foreordained to condemnation, would take the grace of our God and turn it into lasciviousness." And many today are preaching the Gospel, the grace of God, turn It into a money-making scheme, having a great big church and the most in Sunday school, taking the grace of God and turn It into lasciviousness. And the world is blind, and going like blind pigs. They don't understand.
200O God, open to us understanding. Let our understanding not be like the children of this world. For Thou hast said in Thy Word, that, "The children of this world are wiser than the children of the Light." In the beginning it was so, "the children of Cain" become great master scientists. They become great educators. They become workers of material. They went on progressing, very religious, but was condemned and drowned in the judgment. And their carcasses floated on the water, and their souls went to hell.
201And Jesus went and spoke to them, when He died. "And went to hell and preached to the souls that was in prison, that repented not in the long-suffering, in the days of Noah," saith the Scripture. And God, as He stood on earth, He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man."
202 But we notice, "the lineage then of Seth," humble men, real men of God, not knowing too much of the things of the world, caring nothing for the things of the world, but had laid aside every weight and had believed God, and become prophets and great men in the Kingdom. While the others, the other religious world, laughed at them, made fun of them. But the hour come when the floods and judgment came.
203So was it in the coming of Jesus Christ. How they laughed and made fun of Him, while they had their own religions and their great churches. But they made fun of the Morning Star, and they laughed at Him. But yet they entered into judgment. And when they flee and went into Jerusalem, there they eat their own children, from starvation, and their blood run out the street gates when they burnt the city and the temple, and their souls went into hell.
204Lord, here we are again, on the third. This is the life time. Three is the number of life. And here we are, ready for the Rapture.
The church moving on, the great scientist world. The churches today setting full of skeptic-believers. Tens of thousands with their names on the book, yes, millions, and would laugh at the Gospel, and say, that, "They're uneducated. They don't know."
Maybe that's so, Lord, but what we lack in education, You make up in grace; by sending Your Angel of Light, by manifesting His power, confirming the Words to those who are poor and illiterate as we. But we love You for this, because it's the grace of God that has did it, and we know that we were born. And we're not lovely, at all. We're very unlovely. But Thou, through grace, reached down Thy merciful hand and has opened our eyes, as Jesus prayed for us; as Elijah did for Gehazi, as he looked to see around him. And today our eyes are open, and we see the things of God, and know we're moving at the end time; when the Gentile people's days are about finished, and He'll take a people for His Name. Let us be included there, Lord, humbly we beg. We pray that You'll grant it.
205 Bless us. Bless this little audience this morning. They're made up of all different types of religions and beliefs, but lay them aside today, God. And may they look straight towards Calvary, say, "God, mold me and make me. I'm like the..." The prophet said that he went down to the potter's house, that he might be broke up and remolded. Mold us and make us after the fashion that God would have us. No matter if we have to be the floor mat at the House of the Lord. I'd rather be the doormat than to dwell in tents with the wicked. And grant it, Lord. Just bless us now, and keep us humble. Let our hearts be open, our minds clear, to the things of God, for we ask it in Christ's Name.
206 With our heads bowed, I wonder if someone would want to be remembered in a word of prayer, for your salvation of your soul? Would you raise your hand, and just a sinner? God bless you, young fellow. Someone else? God bless you, back there, sir. God bless you, lady. Someone else like to be remembered in prayer just now, for your soul? God bless you, sir, with your hand up. And God bless you, and you here. Wonderful. Would there be another one, just before closing? I feel there'd be. God bless you, back there, sir, in the back.
207Say, now look, I want to ask you something. I don't want you to think at all because it's this little tabernacle. I don't want you to think it's because it's this people. And merciful God, don't think it's because that the Angel of the Lord had His picture taken with me, and I... and--and something of that, to do that. O God! If I felt that way, then, brother, I need to be at the altar instead of asking you. But I'm only saying this, I'm only saying this by the Scripture, that you'll see that this is the Truth. If I said It, and that's all there was to it, went on like any other preacher or something another, or any other, well, then, it would be different. But you see the thing, God comes right back around and proves that it's the Truth. See? That's what makes It real, is God proving It. And then, not only that, but His Word says that He'll do it. Here He is doing it.
208 Now if you're not in the right, your heart is not right with God, would you just raise your hand? Say, "Pray for me." All right, right where you are. About eight or ten hands has been up, wanting mercy for their soul. While you have your heads bowed, now you pray. Remember, you're the one to repent. I'm only asking for you, that God will be merciful. But that's the altar, God has brought you to a place in your mind; that's the altar. We believe in coming to the altar, sure, but that doesn't--that doesn't... It's all right. But your real altar is where God has met you. And He has met you right where you're setting. That's your altar.
209Now say, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And from this day on, if You'll help me, I'll live for You. I'll--I'll serve You. I don't care what anyone says, I'm stepping out, this morning. I'm praying right here, and You take this old sassy spirit away from me. You take this temper away from me. I know I can't act like that and be right with God. And I got hatred in my heart. I'm jealous. I got malice. I got this, that. Take it out, God. I don't want to be like that. Make me sweet, and humble, and meek. Make me gentle. Make me such a person I could win others to You. Let me do something for You to show appreciations in my life." That's the prayer you pray now, while we pray together.
210 Heavenly Father, they're Yours. They're the fruits of the Message this morning. They raised their hand. Something made them do that. They, they defied the laws of gravitation when they raise their hands. There was a spirit in them that made a decision. They raised up their hands, that they accepted the Creator who made them.
211Now, Heavenly Father, I pray that You'll bless them, and give to them Eternal Life, right now. There's nothing I could do; call them around the altar, putting them in an extra room, doing all the work. It, it takes You to do it, Lord. We can't do no more than preach the Word. You said, "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word, the Word of God." Now, we've preached the Word, and they've raised their hands, that they believed It. Now give them everlasting Life, 'cause You promised You would do it. If they were sincere in raising their hands, they'll go out of this building this morning, a sweet, meek, humble Christian, because You promised it. And Your Words cannot fail. I ask it in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
Now I am watching, waiting and longing,
For that bright City, John saw coming down.
In that bright City, (worship now), pearly white City,
I have a mansion, a harp and a crown;
Now I am watching, wait and longing,
For that bright City, John saw coming down.
212 Don't you just love Him? The message is over, now. This is worship. We don't come to church just to hear a message. We come to worship. Just forget the person next to you. Just worship Him. Oh, how beautiful! How wonderful! Just tell Him in your... You don't have to tell Him loud. Just tell Him in your heart, "I love You, Lord. Forgive me of my sin." Oh, my!
... pearly white City,
I have a mansion, a harp and a crown;
Now I am watching, waiting and longing,
For that white City, John saw coming down,
213 Our Father, God, receive us. We are waiting, as we're listening at the Word, longing. "Our hearts thirst after Thee, like the hart panteth for the water brook. Our soul thirsts after Thee, O God." Longing and waiting, waiting that hour and when Jesus shall come, waiting to the time that we'll be summonsed to the sky. Not to stand before the Judge in judgment; it's done past. We're dead to the things of the world. Has entered into Christ, and He took our judgment. He's our Attorney now, at the seat of justice. Our blessed Attorney, that, on our confession, He pleads our case till we know that we're unworthy. As a dear old sister this morning, said in her testimony, and putting in her pennies, "Since I come here I learned that It's not my holiness, it's God's holiness."
214Truly, Lord, we teach the people, there's nothing good in man, not one thing. "What is man that Thou art mindful of him?" But it's the grace of God that's appeared to us. And we trust only in His merits, not in our own. And we worship Thee, Most Holy God, for Thy goodness, to include us in Thy great Kingdom, in Thy great plans. We receive Thee into our hearts, by faith. And by grace, we believe that You've give it to us for the glory of God, for the service of God.
215 Now, Lord, heal the sick as they come up to be prayed for, this morning. Give to them that joy, that they long to be well. Let them know that this little, light affliction was put upon them, is just a little testing time. God knows all about it. He did it to see what we'd do about it. How God... May they step right out there and claim that finished work! May You... May they not provoke You, by be running here and there, and in and out, "Well, I don't know this, that."
216Lord, may they take a straight stand, say, "Lord, You was the One who saved me. You was the One who did these things for me. I believe You, and I'm trusting You, today." And I pray that You'll grant this to the people, in Christ's Name. Amen.
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