Rozoznanie ducha
Máme nariadenie od Boha, a to je rozoznanie ducha, skúšanie ducha. Verím, že to je veľmi dobrá a veľká lekcia pre cirkev v dnešnom dni, to je skúšať ducha čohokoľvek, mať rozoznanie ducha. Nemyslím si, že by sme kedy mali akýmkoľvek spôsobom snažiť sa posudzovať nejakú osobu podľa toho, do akej denominácie patrí alebo s akou skupinou sa schádza, či sú to metodisti, baptisti, presbyteriáni, letniční alebo čokoľvek sú. Nikdy by sme nemali posudzovať človeka podľa denominácie, do ktorej patrí. Vždy by sme ho mali posudzovať podľa ducha, ktorého má (rozumiete?), ducha. Či je od skupiny jarného dažďa, pozdného dažďa alebo vnútorného alebo vonkajšieho dažďa alebo žiadneho dažďa alebo čímkoľvek je, nikdy by sme ho nemali posudzovať podľa toho, ale podľa jeho ducha. Máme rozoznávať duchov. Pozorovať, čo má ten človek v mysli, čo sa snaží dosiahnuť. Ak ten človek pomocou nejakého daru, nezáleží na tom, aký veľký je ten dar...
Tak vidíme, ako všetci tí proroci hovoria. Každý jeden z nich oslavoval Boha a prichádzajúceho Mesiáša. A keď sa dostali do Ducha, oni konali a hovorili a žili život taký ako Mesiáš. Ak to spôsobilo toto po tamtej strane kríža, keď hovorili o Jeho príchode, o čo viac to spôsobí po Jeho príchode, umiestni to Ducha Mesiáša do cirkvi, aby konala, robila, pracovala a žila tak ako Mesiáš, to je Duch Boží.
Rozoznajte ducha, vidzte, či je to z Boha alebo nie, vidzte, či to koná ako On, vidzte, či vaše emócie... Ak niekto proti vám kopne a hodí na váš život špinu, pričom viete, že ste tak nevinný, ako len môžete byť, a viete, že máte Ducha Božieho, nesnažte sa oddeliť, nesnažte sa byť k nim hrubý. Nepreklínajte ich. Len choďte ďalej vediac, že Boh to dal, aby vám dal test, aby videl, ako to vezmete. On ku tomu jednako bude musieť prísť.
1 Náš Nebeský Otče, ak môžem, chcel by som dnes ráno vyjadriť, ako to vo svojom srdci cítim ku Tomu, ktorý je Ten najsvätejší svätý, ako prišiel dolu na zem a vykúpil hriešnika, ako som ja. A som si istý, že títo kazatelia, ktorí sú tu prítomní, to môžu cítiť rovnako, že to bolo skrze Tvoju milosť, že sme boli učinení kazateľmi tejto zmluvy, ktorú si Ty dal Adamovej upadnutej rase. A sme tu dnes ráno, Otče, zhromaždení za žiadnym iným účelom, iba tým: poznať a študovať, vlastne poznať vôľu Božiu a čo musíme urobiť, aby sme učinili Krista pre ľudí tejto generácie reálnym. S istotou vieme, že v deň súdu budeme privedení tvárou v tvár s touto generáciu. A tým, že sme kazatelia, budeme sudcami. A tí ľudia, ku ktorým sme hovorili, a ich postoj voči Slovu, ktoré im prinášame, určí ich večné konečné miesto. Preto, Pane, v tom dni budeme sudcami pre alebo proti tej generácii, ku ktorej sme kázali.
2 Otče, Bože, prosím skrze Ježišove meno, nedovoľ nám povedať jediné slovo, ktoré by bolo nesprávne. Ale nech môžeme mať úprimné srdcia a otvorené mysle, aby sme mohli prijať veci, ktoré sú Tvoje, aby sme mohli byť schopní ísť von na tie rozličné polia práce v tomto dni, a aby sme boli lepšie vystrojení z nášho stretnutia sa s Tebou dnes ráno. Udeľ to, Pane. Či prídeš a budeš naším hovorcom do našich uší a cez náš jazyk a naše myšlienky? Nech rozjímanie môjho srdca, myšlienky môjho srdca, všetko, čo je vo mne a v týchto mojich bratoch a sestrách, nech môže byť prijateľné v Tvojich očiach, Pane, aby sme tak mohli byť naplnení a nabití Tvojím Duchom, Tvojej prítomnosti, ktorá je tu, až sa tá miestnosť stane... tá miestnosť, nie tak veľmi tá budova, v ktorej sedíme, ale tá stavba, v ktorej žijeme, aby sa to spolu všetko stalo oblakom slávy Božej. Môžme dnes ráno toto miesto opustiť tak naplnení Tvojím Duchom, až budeme viac rozhodnutí ako kedykoľvek predtým vo svojom živote niesť posolstvo tej zomierajúcej generácii, v ktorej žijeme. Vypočuj nás, Pane, a hovor k nám cez Svoje Slovo, lebo to prosíme v Mene Tvojho Syna a nášho Spasiteľa, Ježiša Krista. Amen.
3 Chcel by som dnes ráno prečítať porciu Písma, ktorú nachádzame v Žalme 105. Chcel by som prečítať len úryvok. Vy, ktorí si zapisujete miesta Písma, ktoré čítame, vidím mnohých z vás, ktorí to robia, kazatelia, a tak ďalej. Je dobré čítať Slovo. (A teraz, o koľkej obyčajne končíte? Asi o dvanástej? Prosím? Ďakujem ti, brat.) Žalm 105:
Oslavujte Hospodina! Vzývajte jeho meno! Oznamujte jeho skutky medzi národami!
Spievajte mu, spievajte mu žalmy! Rozmýšľajte o všetkých jeho divoch!
Chváľte sa menom jeho svätosti. Nech sa raduje srdce tých, ktorí hľadajú Hospodina!
Hľadajte Hospodina a jeho silu; hľadajte jeho tvár ustavične!
Pamätajte na jeho divy, ktoré učinil, na jeho zázraky a na súdy jeho úst,
vy, semeno Abraháma, jeho služobníka, synovia Jakobovi, jeho vyvolení!
On je Hospodin, náš Bôh; jeho súdy na celej zemi.
Pamätá na veky, na svoju smluvu, na slovo, ktoré prikázal, na tisíc pokolení,
na svoju smluvu, ktorú učinil s Abrahámom, a na svoju prísahu, ktorú prisahal Izákovi.
A postavil to Jakobovi za ustanovenie, Izraelovi za večnú smluvu
povediac: Tebe dám Kananejskú zem za podiel vášho dedičstva,
vtedy, keď ich bol ešte len malý počet, keď ich bolo máličko, a boli v nej pohostínmi.
A chodili od národa k národu a z kráľovstva k inému ľudu.
Nedopustil niktorému človekovi, aby ich utiskoval, a karhal kráľov pre nich
povediac: Nedotýkajte sa mojich pomazaných a mojim prorokom nerobte zlého!
Nech Pán požehná prečítanie Jeho Slova.
Mám tu niekde zapísaných niekoľko miest Písma, na ktoré som sa chcel možno odvolávať, ako pôjdeme ďalej.
5 Som zvedavý, kto dnes bude ďalším prezidentom? Viete, prichádzajú voľby. Kto bude prezidentom v tom ďalšom období? Čo ak by som to vedel? Je iba jeden, ktorý to vie, a to je Boh. A čo ak by mi Boh zjavil, kto bude ďalším prezidentom, a ja by som tu stál vo Phoenixe a vyhlásil by som predpoveď, že ten a ten muž bude ďalším prezidentom Spojených štátov? A oni by to uverejnili v novinách, a tak ďalej, a ja by som to trafil presne do bodky. Bolo by to dokonalé a bolo by tak, že všetko, čo by som povedal, by sa stalo. Ale čo dobré by to urobilo? K čomu by to vôbec bolo, ak by som niečo také urobil? Noviny by to zverejnili a vyšlo by to von a možno, ak by nejaká osoba dokázala urobiť takú predpoveď, a to by sa stalo, všetky noviny a časopisy by to zverejnili.
6 Ale viete, Boh nerobí také veci, Boh nepoužíva Svoju moc a Svoje dary na bláznovstvo. To bude, ktokoľvek bude prezidentom, bude prezidentom. A vedieť teraz, ktorý bude prezidentom, nám ani za mak nepomôže. To by nám ani najmenej nepomohlo vedieť, kto bude ďalším prezidentom. A tak preto Boh nerobí také veci.
A potom, ak by som takéto niečo predpovedal, a to by sa stalo, a noviny by to zverejnili a časopisy, potom by to bolo na moju slávu. Ľudia by povedali, „Pozrite, aký veľký prorok je brat Branham.“ On nám povedal dávno predtým, ako sa to stalo, kto bude prezidentom.“ A to by bolo na moju slávu, ale Boh nechce... On nemá v záujme pôsobiť veci na moju slávu alebo na slávu nejakého človeka. On sa zaujíma o konanie vecí na Jeho slávu, niečo, z čoho bude úžitok.
8 Ako povedal Pavol, „Ak hovoríme v jazykoch a nemáme vykladača, na čo je nám to dobré? Vtedy oslavujeme len sami seba.“ A to je..., vlastne, že „sa sami vzdelávame (povznášame).“ A to je trochu pomimo Božej línie. Boh Sám chce byť povznesený. A my nemáme hľadať povznesenie samých seba, ale povznesenie Boha, vo všetkom, čo robíme.
A tak preto, verím dnes ráno, že ak by som vedel, kto to bude, a vedel by som presne, kto bude zvolený a, ó, o koľko hlasov bude mať viac ako ten druhý alebo čokoľvek by to bolo, to by ani trošku nepomohlo, keby som to povedal. To by bolo najlepšie, aby som si to len nechal pre seba, ak by som to vedel, a nesnažil sa to zverejniť, pretože neexistoval by pre mňa žiaden dôvod, aby som to robil. Pretože jednako to bude, a to pre nás nerobí veľký rozdiel, kto bude prezidentom.
10 Ale Boh, keď On používa Svoje dary, On ich používa na Svoju vlastnú slávu a na slávu Svojich ľudí a slávu Svojej cirkvi na povznesenie tela Kristovho a na slávu Kráľovstva Božieho. To je to, prečo dáva do Svojej cirkvi tieto veci a prečo má učiteľov, prorokov, evanjelistov, pastorov. Oni sú pre budovanie cirkvi a na slávu Božiu. Prorok nemá vyjsť von a miešať sa so svetom a snažiť sa vziať ten dar, ako to urobil Balám, a urobiť s tým rozruch alebo vyťažiť z toho nejaké peniaze alebo niečo. Ak je prorokom, on má zjaviť cirkvi Boha a zostávať pomimo vecí sveta. To je všetko na slávu Božiu.
11 Tak, máme... A myslím, že je to pre nás, ako pre kazateľov, dobré, aby sme nasledovali svoj poriadok, keď vidíme vo svete takéto veci, aké vidíme dnes. A máme nariadenie od Boha, a to je rozoznanie ducha, skúšanie ducha. Verím, že to je veľmi dobrá a veľká lekcia pre cirkev v dnešnom dni, to je skúšať ducha čohokoľvek, mať rozoznanie ducha. Nemyslím si, že by sme kedy mali akýmkoľvek spôsobom snažiť sa posudzovať nejakú osobu podľa toho, do akej denominácie patrí alebo s akou skupinou sa schádza, či sú to metodisti, baptisti, presbyteriáni, letniční alebo čokoľvek sú. Nikdy by sme nemali posudzovať človeka podľa denominácie, do ktorej patrí. Vždy by sme ho mali posudzovať podľa ducha, ktorého má (rozumiete?), ducha. Či je od skupiny jarného dažďa, pozdného dažďa alebo vnútorného alebo vonkajšieho dažďa alebo žiadneho dažďa alebo čímkoľvek je, nikdy by sme ho nemali posudzovať podľa toho, ale podľa jeho ducha. Máme rozoznávať duchov. Pozorovať, čo má ten človek v mysli, čo on má... Čo sa snaží dosiahnuť. Ak ten človek pomocou nejakého daru, nezáleží na tom, aký veľký je ten dar...
12 Tak chcem toto dnes ráno dostať do cirkvi, ktorí ste v rozličných denomináciách, stále ste spolu cirkvou Živého Boha. A toto je tá vec, ktorú do vás chcem dostať, to je, že my nie sme skutočne rozdelení. Sme kameňmi, ktoré sú okresané do rozličných foriem, všetko na slávu Božiu.
Tak existuje v tomto dni, v ktorom teraz žijeme, tak mnoho toho, čo sa týka darov. Tak mnoho ľudí posudzuje druhých ľudí skrze dary, ktoré majú. No, verím, že tieto veci sú dary. Verím, že to, čo vidíme sa diať, sú dary, a to sú Bohom dané dary. Ale my... Ak ich nepožívame správnym spôsobom, tým, ktorým ich Boh mienil použiť, potom vieme s týmito darmi urobiť viac škody, ako by sme urobili, ak by sme tieto dary vôbec nemali. Raz večer som urobil jedno vyhlásenie za kazateľňou a povedal som toto, že radšej by som videl medzi cirkvami existovať bratskú lásku, ak by sme nemali a nemali by sme ani jeden prípad uzdravenia alebo niečoho takého. Vidíte, my musíme vedieť, kvôli čomu sú tieto veci.
14 Tak ak prichádza nejaký človek a má veľký dar, nezáleží na tom, či on patrí do našej denominácie alebo inej denominácie, neposudzujte ho podľa toho, z akej denominácie prichádza, ako sa oblieka, ale to, čo chcete vidieť, je to, čo sa on snaží s tým darom urobiť, aký má zámer. Ak sa snaží vziať tento vplyv a vybudovať si z toho veľké meno, tak budem mať dostatok rozoznania ducha, aby som vedel, že to je nesprávne. Nezáleží na tom, akým veľkým učiteľom je, aký je mocný, aký je intelektuálny alebo ako funguje jeho dar, ak sa nesnaží dosiahnuť niečo pre prospech tela Kristovho, vaše vlastné duchovné rozoznanie vám povie, že to je nesprávne. Nezáleží na tom, aké je to presné, aké dokonalé, aké to je, je to nesprávne, ak to nie je použité pre telo Ježiša Krista.
15 Aby niečo dosiahol, možno má veľký dar, ako by mohol potiahnuť ľudí a dať ich dohromady s nejakou veľkou intelektuálnou alebo duchovnou mocou, až dokáže ľudí spojiť dohromady a možno sa snaží vziať ten dar a urobiť sa slávnym, aby tak mal veľké meno, aby tak iní bratia na neho hľadeli hore ako na nejakú veľkú osobu. To je potom nesprávne. Možno sa snaží vzdelať určitú vec tu, ktorou chce, aby všetci ostatní išli pomimo obraz, a aby iba on a jeho skupina boli v obraze. To je stále nesprávne. Vidíte?
16 Ale ak má Boží dar a snaží sa vzdelať telo Kristovo, potom mi je jedno, kam patrí. Vy nerozoznávate toho človeka, vy rozoznávate toho ducha, ten život, ktorý je v tom človeku. A to je to, čo nám Boh povedal, aby sme robili. Ani raz sme neboli poverení, aby sme rozoznávali podľa skupiny človeka. Ale sme nútení Bohom a je nám Ním prikázané, aby sme rozoznávali ducha v človeku, to, čo sa snaží vykonať, to, do čoho sa ho snaží viesť ten duch, ktorý je v jeho živote. A potom, ak môžme zistiť, kam sa snaží ľudí viesť (Nie snažiť sa ich rozbiť), ale priviesť ich dohromady a priviesť cirkev živého Boha, nie všetkých do jednej denominácie, ale do porozumenia, obecenstva, jednoty ducha. Potom ak on patrí k ľuďom pozdného dážďa alebo jarného dážďa alebo čokoľvek to je, jeho duch a jeho zámer je správny. A ten duch, ktorý je v ňom, bez ohľadu na to, k akému hnutiu patrí, ten duch, ktorý je v ňom, sa snaží poukázať ľuďom na Golgotu, preč od samého seba a preč od čohokoľvek iného, ale jeho jediným zámerom, ktorý má, je poukázať im na Golgotu. Jemu nezáleží na tom, či je známy alebo nie. Jemu dokonca nezáleží ani na tom, či jeho vlastné hnutie... Čo je v poriadku. (Rozumiete?) To je dobré, či on je metodista, presbyterián alebo rímsky katolík alebo čímkoľvek chce byť podľa denominácie.
17 Ale to, čo sa snaží urobiť, ten zámer jeho srdca, to, čo sa on snaží získať? Potom môžete vidieť, čo je v živote toho človeka, či sú jeho motívy pre jeho denomináciu, či sú pre neho samého, či sú pre svetskú slávu, či sú pre nejaké veľké mená, aby povedal, „Ja som to predpovedal a presne tak sa to stalo.“ Tak vidíte, že to je rovno tam nesprávne, hneď od začiatku. Ale ak sa snaží použiť to, čo mu Boh dal, ako učiteľ, ako prorok, ako vidiaci...
18 Novozákonný prorok je kazateľ. Všetci to vieme. Akýkoľvek kazateľ, ktorý káže, je prorokom, novozákonným prorokom, ak on prorokuje, káže, nesnaží sa vzdelať samého seba, aby si urobil veľké meno, alebo vzdelať svoju organizáciu. Pričom, on by mal byť v organizácii. Ja som tu bez žiadnej organizácie, ale jednako vám kážem, že by ste mali byť. To je v poriadku. Každý človek by mal mať domovskú cirkev. Mali by ste mať miesto, nielen lietať z miesta na miesto, ale mať niekde miesto, kde chodíte do zboru a nazývate to svojím zborom, miesto, kde platíte svoje desiatky, a miesto, kde pomáhate podporiť vec. Sami si vyberte, ale potom sa nikdy nesnažte oddeliť od obecenstva s tým druhým, len preto, že nepatrí do vašej skupiny. Rozumiete? Rozoznávajte jeho ducha a vidzte, či má v srdci ten istý zámer, a potom máte obecenstvo jeden s druhým. Pracujete pre jednu veľkú vec. A to je vec Kristova. Myslím si, že je to absolútne správne.
19 Tak ak si všimneme motívy a zámery starozákonných prorokov, tí muži mali jeden cieľ, a to bol Ježiš Kristus. Oni mali jedinú vec, na ktorej bola postavená téma celého Starého Zákona, a to bol príchod Mesiáša. Oni nešli von a nerobili veci len pre peniaze alebo pre slávu. Oni mali jednu vec, oni boli pomazaní Duchom Božím a predpovedali príchod Mesiáša. A tí muži boli tak pomazaní tým Duchom, až niekedy konali ako ten Duch, ktorý bol v ňom, až sa zdalo, že hovoria o samých sebe. Sledujte, čo spôsobil Boží Duch v tých mužoch, aké konanie.
20 Ak vezmeme napríklad Mojžiša, toho veľkého proroka, ako ten muž nemal vôbec žiaden sebecký zámer. On mohol byť kráľom Egypta, on mohol mať svet pod svojimi nohami. Ale pretože bol v srdci prorokom, odmietol byť nazývaný synom dcéry faraónovej a vybral si radšej trpieť prenasledovanie a skúšky Kristove považujúc poklady neba za väčšie poklady ako tie Egyptské. On opustil a zaprel svetskú slávu, ten luxus a veci, ktoré život ponúka. On sa musel dívať poza to. Vidíte, on tým všetkým mohol byť.
21 Vezmite kazateľa dnes: Ak má krst Duchom Svätým a vie, že káže to Slovo, že to odsekne jeho slávu preč, to ho umiestni niekde do nejakej maličkej cirkvi alebo niekde na ulicu. Ale on vie, že niečo v jeho srdci horí. On vidí príchod Pánov. On sa nestará, či má veľký zbor alebo malý zbor. On sa nestará, či má dnes jedlo alebo nemá žiadne jedlo. On sa nestará, či má dobré oblečenie alebo nemá dobré oblečenie, on hľadí na jednu vec, a to je ten život, ktorý v ňom kričí. On sa snaží dosiahnuť niečo pre slávu Božiu a ten človek, pretože to tak robí, bude konať presne podľa života toho Ducha, ktorý je v ňom. Rozumiete to? On to vyjadrí.
22 Pozrite na Mojžiša, keď prišiel do času, že preukázal, že všetok jeho život bol Duch Kristov, pretože Kristus bol v ňom. Kristus bol v Mojžišovi podľa miery. Tak ak si všimnete, on sa narodil v čase prenasledovania. Deti boli zabíjané, snažili sa ho tým dostať, presne tak ako pri Ježišovi. Ale zisťujeme, že keď prišiel do miesta, kde ho deti Izraelove neposlúchali až tak, až sa Boh na nich rozhneval a povedal Mojžišovi, „Odstúp sa a Ja zničím celú tú skupinu a z teba vezmem a vyzdvihnem ďalšiu generáciu.“
Mojžiš sa vrhol do cesty Božieho súdu a povedal, „Vezmi mňa predtým, ako vezmeš ich.“ Inými slovami, „Predtým, ako by si mohol zobrať ich, budeš musieť prejsť cezo mňa.“
To je presne to, čo urobil Ježiš Kristus. Boh by vymazal z celej tváre zeme týchto hriešnikov, teba a mňa, ale Sám Kristus sa vrhol do tej cesty. Boh to nemohol urobiť, musel by prejsť cez Svojho vlastného Syna.
A keď Boh videl toho Ducha v Mojžišovi, ako tam visí v súde ako kríž, „Nemôžeš prísť k nim, musíš vziať najprv mňa,“ vidíte toho Božieho Ducha v Mojžišovi? Keď pritom mohol byť kráľom Egypta, keď mohol mať každý luxus na svete, byť populárnym, mohol byť veľkým kráľom sveta v tom čase, ale on si vybral trpieť prenasledovanie a trápenie, lebo považoval pohanenie Kristovo za väčšie poklady ako tie Egyptské... Vidíte, on sa vrhol do cesty. Prečo? To bol Boh v Mojžišovi, ktorý to urobil. To bežné myslenie, ten intelektuálny človek by to nikdy neurobil, on by si zvolil tú ľahkú cestu. Tak bez ohľadu na to, akým fanatickým sa Mojžiš zdal byť, on sa snažil... Vidíte, že on bol pravým prorokom Božím, pretože on sa snažil dosiahnuť niečo pre Kráľovstvo Božie.
26 No, so svojím veľkým darom proroctva mohol byť múdrym mužom, mohol sa postaviť v Egypte a povedať, „Tak počkajte, ja budem prorokovať tak a tak. Poviem to a to,“ a akoby bolo jeho proroctvo. Ale to je... A, ó, on by bol svetovo známy. Ale to nebolo v jeho srdci. To nemohlo byť v jeho srdci.
Tak ak vidíte nejakú osobu s veľkým darom, ktorá sa snaží urobiť niečo, aby oslávila samú seba, vaše vlastné rozoznanie ducha vám hovorí, že je to nesprávne. Ale Mojžiš sa snažil dosiahnuť niečo pre slávu Božiu. Nezáleží na tom, aké zlé to bolo, ako hrozne to vyzeralo, koľko o tom ľudia hovorili, ten Duch v Mojžišovi ho smeroval rovno do línie povinnosti: ten Duch v ňom.
28 Pozrite sa na Jozefa, Jozef bol… Keď sa narodil, bol milovaný svojím otcom a nenávidený svojimi bratmi: dokonalý obraz Krista. A ten jediný… On im bol pokrvným bratom, mali toho istého otca. Ale dôvod, prečo ho jeho bratia nenávideli bez príčiny, bol, pretože Boh ho urobil prorokom, duchovným, vidiacim. A oni ho práve preto nenávideli. Ale Jozef si nemohol pomôcť, pretože to bol Boh, ktorý ho takým urobil.
29 Pozorujte Ducha Božieho v Jozefovi. Pozorujte, čo on urobil. Dokonca odohral časť Krista. Bol nenávidený svojimi bratmi, milovaný svojím otcom, pretože ten Duch urobil rozdiel. On bol duchovným človekom. Vídal videnia, vykladal sny. Nerobil to pre svoju vlastnú slávu. On to robil, pretože niečo bolo v ňom: Duch Boží. On by tam nešiel sám od seba, on bol hodený do jamy a jeho starý, biedny otec bol všetky tie roky zarmútený, bol predaný za takmer tridsať strieborných, vytiahnutý z jamy a stal sa človekom po pravici faraóna, kráľa zeme, ktorý bol v tom čase. A v jeho väzení bol čašník a pekár a jeden bol stratený a ten druhý zachránený skrze jeho predpovede vo väzení.
30 A či ste si všimli, že Ježiš, keď prišiel, bol milovaný Otcom. A otec dal Jozefovi plášť mnohých farieb (dúha, zmluva). A Otec Boh dal svojmu Synovi Ježišovi zmluvu, a potom Ho tento židovský brat nenávidel bez príčiny. On nemal jediný dôvod Ho nenávidieť, On bol duchovným a On bol Božie Slovo, ktoré bolo zamanifestované. On prišiel, aby konal vôľu Otca, prišiel vyplniť Písma. On im prišiel priniesť pokoj, ale oni Ho neporozumeli a nenávideli Ho bez príčiny. Oni sa nepozastavili, aby sa snažili vidieť, čo sa On snaží dosiahnuť. Oni Ho zle posudzovali len preto, že On s nimi nesúhlasil. Oni urobili... „On sa robí tým a tým. On sa Sám robí Bohom.“ On bol Bohom. Boh bol v Ňom. Biblia hovorí, že Boh bol v Kristovi manifestujúci Seba Samého svetu. On bol Božou slávou, ktorá manifestovala slávu Božiu.
31 Pozrite na Mojžiša, on si nemohol pomôcť, že bol do toho uvrhnutý. On to neurobil pokrytecky. On to urobil, pretože Boh bol v ňom. Ani Jozef si nemohol pomôcť byť tým, čím bol, pretože to bol Boh v ňom, ktorý pôsobil alebo preukazoval Samého seba skrze človeka, on to nerobil na svoju slávu. Akýkoľvek človek, ktorý... Ak by tí kňazi mali len to rozoznanie ducha, ako ku vám dnes ráno hovorím, bez ohľadu na to, koľko svet o Ňom hovoril, oni by stále boli vedeli, ak by sa len boli pozreli do Slova, uvideli by Jeho zámer. On vždy robil to, čo oslavovalo Otca. On povedal... Oni povedali, „Ó, tento človek je veľký uzdravovateľ, On robí takéto veci.“
On povedal, „Ja nemôžem robiť nič, kým mi to Otec neukáže. To nie som Ja, ktorý činím tie skutky. To je Otec, ktorý prebýva vo Mne, On činí tie skutky.“ Nikdy si neprivlastnil slávu.
34 Ani žiaden sluha Boží si neprivlastní slávu. Ani žiaden sluha Boží nevezme Boží dar na to, aby sa s ním snažil osláviť alebo niečo také, ale jeho priamy zámer je urobiť niečo na slávu Božiu. To je to, prečo vidíte to isté dnes. Musíme mať rozoznanie ducha, aby sme videli, čo sa tá osoba snaží vykonať. Snažia sa osláviť Boha? Snažia sa osláviť sami seba?
35 Tak Duch Boží pôsobiaci v ľuďoch spôsobuje, že tí ľudia konajú ako Boh. Niet divu, že Ježiš povedal, „Či nie je napísané, 'vy ste bohovia?' A ak sú nazvaní bohmi tí, ku ktorým prišiel Duch Boží, ako môžete odsudzovať Mňa, keď Ja som Syn Boží?“ Ak by ste mohli vidieť Ducha Božieho v Mojžišovi, ktorý bol Bohom. Mojžiš bol bohom. Jozef bol bohom. Proroci boli bohmi. Biblia hovorí, že boli. Oni boli bohmi, pretože oni sa kompletne odovzdali Duchu Božiemu a oni pracovali na slávu Božiu.
A keď je nejaký človek tak pomazaný Duchom... Tak nech toto ide skutočne hlboko pod piate rebro na ľavej strane. Keď je nejaký človek pomazaný Duchom Božím, jeho zvyky, jeho skutky a všetko, to je Boh, ktorý sa v ňom pohybuje. Niekedy je zle posúdený.
37 Pozrite na Dávida v dvadsiatom treťom Žalme, ako zvolal, „Môj Bože, môj Bože, prečo si ma opustil?“ To vyzeralo, ako by Dávid bol tým človekom. „Všetci, ktorí prechádzajú popri mne, sa mi bezdôvodne posmievajú.“ On bol tak pomazaný Bohom, on bol tak dokonale odovzdaný Bohu, a to pomazanie bolo na Ňom až tak, že keď zvolal skrze Ducha Božieho, ak by tam niekto vtedy stál, povedal by, „No, pozrite, on si myslí, že niekto sa mu bezdôvodne posmieva. Prečo ho Boh opustil?“
To nebol Dávid, to bol Duch, ktorý volal skrze Dávida. „Môj Bože, môj Bože, prečo si ma opustil, všetky moje kosti hľadia na mňa. Prebodli moje ruky a moje nohy.“
40 Tak niekto by povedal, „Počúvajte tam toho pokrytca. Koho ruky sú prebodnuté? Koho nohy sú prebodnuté?“ To bolo intelektuálne.
Ale ten, ktorý mal rozoznanie Ducha, vedel, že to bol Duch Boží v ňom, ktorý volal. Keď je nejaký človek pomazaný Duchom Božím, on má akciu Božiu a tá Božia akcia nikdy nemá rozlámať nás. Tá akcia Božia je potiahnuť nás spolu dohromady, pretože sme jedno v Kristu Ježišovi a Boží zámer je zjednotiť nás. „Milujete jeden druhého.“
42 Tak teraz ten veľký prorok, vidíme, ako sa Duch v nich pohyboval a Ježiš ich nazval bohmi. Povedal, že sú bohovia. Tak ku nim prišiel Duch podľa miery, ale keď to prišlo k tomu jednému, Ježišovi, ktorý bol Synom Božím, k Nemu to prišlo bez miery. Plnosť Božstva telesne prebývala v Ňom, pretože On bol dokonalým príkladom. On bol Božou slávou, ktorá manifestovala slávu Božiu ľuďom. Boh, ktorý bol v Ňom, ktorý sa dával poznávať. Pozorujte Jeho život, celú Starú Zmluvu, On bol témou Starej Zmluvy. Všetci tí starí proroci tam vtedy v Starej Zmluve volali nie na seba, oni volali pod Duchom Božím, ktorý spôsoboval, že oni konali ako Boh až tak veľmi, až boli nazvaní bohmi, a potom plnosť Ducha bola prejavená v Ježišovi Kristovi.
43 Pozrite na Dávida, keď ho zosadili z trónu, kráľa Izraela, bol odmietnutý svojimi vlastnými ľuďmi, kráčal na Olivovú horu na sever od Jeruzalema a pozrel sa späť na to mesto a plakal, pretože bol odmietnutý. Čo to bolo? To bol Duch Kristov.
O päťsto rokov neskôr Syn Dávidov, Ježiš, sedel na tej istej hore a díval sa z vrchu na mesto, On, ako odmietnutý kráľ, a volal, „Jeruzalem, Jeruzalem, ako často som ťa chcel zhromaždiť (Vaše rôzne denominácie a všetko to) ako sliepka svoje kurence, ale nechceli ste. Ako často Som to chcel urobiť.“ Tak ten istý Duch, ktorý bol v Dávidovi, ktorý sa v plnosti prejavil v Kristovi, je dnes v cirkvi a volá k ľuďom, „Ako často som vás chcel zhromaždiť.“ A keď vidíte rozdelenia a rozdiely a rozbité bratstvo a kresťanský život, jeden proti druhému, potom to spôsobuje, že Duch Boží vo vašom srdci kričí. Snažíte sa dosiahnuť niečo, pravdivý prorok Boží, pravdivý učiteľ sa snaží priviesť cirkev do jednoty Ducha, aby ľudia mohli rozpoznať Boha; snaží sa to dosiahnuť bez ohľadu na to, do akej denominácie patria alebo podobne. Máme rozoznanie ducha, rozlíšiť ducha, ktorý je v človeku, aby sme videli, či je to Boží Duch alebo nie.
46 Tak všímame si, keď On bol tu na zemi, ako išiel a činil dobre. Všimol som si ďalšiu vec, ktorá mi prichádza na myseľ. Všimli ste si, že keď Dávid bol odmietnutý ako kráľ, on vyšiel z mesta a jeden malý Benjamínec, ktorý mu mal byť bratom, mal by mať ľútosť nad tým, že bol odmietnutý, ale on... Bol to chromý človek. A on sa ťahal vo svojom chromom stave a hádzal hlinu na Dávida a nazýval ho všetkými možnými zlými menami a preklínal ho v mene Pánovom, preklínal kráľa Dávida v mene Pánovom, tento malý, chromý Benjamínec. Pozorujte Ducha Božieho a ducha diabla pri práci.
47 Tak ak si všimnete, on bol chromý. To reprezentuje duchovné ochromenie ľudí dneška, ktorí si robia žarty z pravdivého Ducha Božieho v Kristovi, ktorý manifestuje samého seba. To bol Duch Kristov v Dávidovi, odmietnutý ako kráľ. A dnes, keď si ľudia robia žarty z ľudí, ktorí prijali Ducha Svätého a snažia sa dosiahnuť niečo, aby potiahli metodistov a letničných a baptistov a letničných a presbyteriánov a všetkých spolu do jednoty ako telo Kristovo, a oni vidia toho ducha, ako pôsobí, a povedia, „No, pozrite, on je letničný. Preč s ním. Poznám jedného takého, ktorý odišiel so ženou iného muža. Viem, že tamten sa opil. A viem, že tento urobil toto. A viem, že tamten urobil zase tamto.“ Všetko to, ale oni sú dosť veľkí na to, aby ukryli svoje vlastné veci, dokážu ich skryť. Ale Dávid bol odkrytý. Prečo? On mal v sebe Ducha Kristovho.
Ten strážca povedal, „Mám tomu psovi, ktorý preklína môjho kráľa, zoťať hlavu?“
49 Pozorujte Ducha Kristovho v Dávidovi „Nechaj ho tak, lebo Pán mu povedal, aby ma preklínal.“ Porozumievate to? „Nechaj ho tak, lebo Pán mu povedal, aby ma preklial.“
Namiesto toho dnes chceme pozdvihnúť svoje päste a bojovať s ním, odseknúť mu hlavu. „Áno, preč s ním, on nepatrí k nám.“
„Nechaj ho tak, lebo Pán mu povedal, aby ma preklial.“ A ten chromý tam chodil okolo a hádzal špinu na Dávida...
To je to, čo oni dnes robia Duchu Kristovmu. „To je banda náboženských fanatikov. Áno, oni sú banda tohoto. Nič na nich nie je. Nie je nič na Božskom uzdravení. Neexistuje niečo také ako anjeli. Neexistuje niečo také ako proroci.“ Všetky tie veci, „Dni zázrakov pominuli,“ hádžu špinu. Ale nechajte ich tak. Ale keď sa Dávid vrátil v moci (Haleluja), keď sa vrátil späť ako plný kráľ Izraela... Nebojte sa, tento Ježiš, ktorého Ducha máme dnes, odohral svoju časť, On sa navráti späť vo fyzickom tele, po druhýkrát v sláve, moci a majestáte.
53 Ten malý hádzač špiny padol na svoju tvár a prosil o milosť. „Nechaj ho tak,“ Duch Kristov v nás. Neexkomunikujte ho. Pamätajte, že všetky tieto veci sa musia stať. My máme jednu vec, ktorú musíme urobiť: Hýbať sa vpred. Boh zasľúbil, že On spôsobí, že všetko bude spolu pôsobiť na dobre tým, ktorí Ho milujú. Zachovajme rozoznanie ducha, držme správny ten cieľ. Sme tu, aby sme slúžili Bohu, každý jeden mali obecenstvo medzi sebou, išli a slúžili Bohu. Ak má človek nesprávny druh cieľa, čo sa potom stane? Vidíte?
54 Zisťujeme teraz, že v Ňom bol Boží Duch. Všetci proroci za dávna o Ňom hovorili. Každá miera Ducha, ktorá bola daná, každá maličká časť oslavovala Jeho (cez tých pravých prorokov), všetci pravdiví proroci Ho prejavovali, hovorili o Ňom. A všetko, čo povedali, sa v ňom naplnilo. To ukázalo, že Duch Boží bol v nich, keď sa to naplnilo. Rozumiete? Boh manifestujúci Samého Seba skrze týchto prorokov.
55 Nie brať slávu, „Kto bude ďalším prezidentom? Kto bude týmto,“ a udrú vás po hlave, „Povedz nám, kto ťa uderil, a uveríme ti.“ To nie je to. Ide o to, čo prejaví Boha. Nie niečo, čo urobí brata Weathersa tu alebo brata Shoresa alebo brata toho a toho, ktorý je tu, veľkým človekom a urobí ho väčším nad všetkých ostatných v jeho skupine a urobí ho najväčším človekom vo Phoenixe. To nie je učiniť Williama Branhama niečím veľkým. Ale čo to má urobiť? To nemá učiniť Orala Robertsa niečím veľkým, Billyho Grahama niečím veľkým. Ale ide o srdcia, my sa snažíme dosiahnuť niečo pre Kráľovstvo Božie. To prejavuje Boha. Všetky dary a veci nerobia jedného väčšieho od druhého, to len spôsobuje, že všetci spolu pracujeme ku zdokonaleniu Tela, aby nás to priviedlo spolu ako jeden ľud, ako ľud Boží. Ale keď ich vidíte, ako idú proti tomu, nepreklínajte ich, len ich nechajte tak, niekto to musí robiť. Ale čakajte, kým Ježiš príde k moci.
56 Tak vidíme, ako všetci tí proroci hovoria. Každý jeden z nich oslavoval Boha a prichádzajúceho Mesiáša. A keď sa dostali do Ducha, oni konali a hovorili a žili život taký ako Mesiáš. Ak to spôsobilo toto po tamtej strane kríža, keď hovorili o Jeho príchode, o čo viac to spôsobí po Jeho príchode, umiestni to Ducha Mesiáša do cirkvi, aby konala, robila, pracovala a žila tak ako Mesiáš, to je Duch Boží.
Rozoznajte ducha, vidzte, či je to z Boha alebo nie, vidzte, či to koná ako On, vidzte, či vaše emócie... Ak niekto proti vám kopne a hodí na váš život špinu, pričom viete, že ste tak nevinný, ako len môžete byť, a viete, že máte Ducha Božieho, nesnažte sa oddeliť, nesnažte sa byť k nim hrubý. Nepreklínajte ich. Len choďte ďalej vediac, že Boh to dal, aby vám dal test, aby videl, ako to vezmete. On ku tomu jednako bude musieť prísť.
58 Ako som jedného dňa povedal, myslím, že v cirkvi brata Fullera, o tom cyklistovi v Kanade. Tak všetci si mysleli, že dokážu tohto chlapca predbehnúť, tohto malého slabocha. A on bol ten jediný, ktorý nedokázal jazdiť bez držania sa riadidiel.
Som šťastný, že mám rád tých jazdcov s riadidlami, ktorí sa uchopia oboch strán kríža a povedia, „Nič neprinášam na svojich rukách. Dovoľ mi držať sa kríža, Pane, nemám žiadne intelektuálne schopnosti. Nemám nič. Dovoľ mi držať sa tu a hľadieť tam vpred.“
60 A mali tam dvanásťpalcovú dosku, po ktorej mali prejsť na dĺžku asi mestského bloku, aby vyhrali stodolárový bicykel Schwinn. Všetci tí chlapci, ktorí dokázali jazdiť bez držania sa riadidiel a chodili dolu a vrátili sa, priniesli mame potraviny bez toho, že by sa vôbec dotkli riadidiel, a každý sa na nich díval. Oni neboli zvyknutí držať riadidlá, a tak spadli. Ale tento chlapec sa tam dostal a držal sa riadidiel a prešiel až do konca. Opýtali sa ho, „Ako si to dokázal?“
On povedal, „Tu je to, kde ste, chlapci, urobil chybu. Vy ste všetci lepší cyklisti ako ja, ale vy ste sa dívali sem,“ a povedal, „to vás ešte viac znervóznilo, keď ste videli... Snažili ste sa udržať rovnováhu a vypadli ste.“ Povedal, „Ja som sa sem dolu vôbec nedíval, ja som sa díval na ten koniec a pevne som sa držal.“
To je to, čo my máme robiť. Nedívaj sa na tieto malé veci tu, „Či tento urobil toto a tamten zase to,“ sleduj koniec a drž sa pevne. Kristus prichádza. Pozoruj koniec, len sa drž pevne. Nevšímaj si to, čo sa deje teraz. Sleduj to, čo bude pokračovať tam ďalej za koncom času, kedy sa budeme musieť postaviť a vydať počet za naše životy.
63 Dávid sa nedíval na toho malého Benjamínca, ktorý naňho hádzal špinu, on bol jednako chromý. Vôbec si ho nevšímal. Dokonca ani nedovolil strážcovi, aby mu sťal hlavu, povedal, „Nechaj ho tak, Boh mu povedal, aby to urobil. Boh mu povedal, aby ma preklínal, nechaj ho tak.“ Pretože Dávid vedel, že jedného dňa sa navráti v moci. A na toho Benjamínca príde čas.
Áno, to je to, cirkev povstane v triumfe. Ja som jednako len poslaný, aby som sa modlil za jeho choré deti. To je všetko, čo môžem robiť. Kdekoľvek sú a v akejkoľvek cirkvi sú, nerobí to žiaden rozdiel. Ja sa snažím modliť za Jeho choré deti snažiac sa prejaviť ten dar na Jeho slávu. To je ten dôvod, prečo som nikdy do ničoho nepatril.
Tak pamätajte, to je v poriadku. Vidíte, ja nie som... Ja toto teraz nehovorím, ja chcem, aby ste ma dobre rozumeli, že verím, že Boh má kresťanov v každej cirkvi, Svoje deti. On mi to nikdy nespochybnil. Ja som len poslaný, aby som sa modlil za Jeho deti a konal tieto veci a prejavil Jeho.
66 Tak vidíte, Ježiš a títo proroci, všetko, o čom hovorili, muselo byť pravdivé, pretože to bola Božia moc v nich, Boh Sám hovoriaci cez nich o Sebe samom, ako prichádza ku Svojej vlastnej sláve.
„Kto bude prezidentom? Kto to bude? Kto to bude? Budeme mať tento rok dosť dažďa?“ To neznamená nič. Niečo na Božiu slávu, niečo, čo by postavilo cirkev do poriadku, niečo pre moc Božiu, nie, aby si si vybudoval meno, ale nechal, aby bola Božia sláva prejavená.
68 Tak všímame si, že všetci títo proroci, oni všetci hovorili o Ňom, všetko sa stalo, pretože On bol tou témou Starej Zmluvy. Ježiš, Mesiáš, prichádzajúci Mesiáš bol tým, na čo každý prorok vyhliadal od Adama až po Malachiáša. Každý prorok hovoril o príchode Pánovom. Každý jeden do toho vložil svoju časť, pretože bol pomazaný Bohom. To je všetko, o čom mohol hovoriť.
Tak prial by som si, aby sme mali na toto viac času. Ale pozorujte. Všetko, čo oni povedali, sa stalo. Pozrite sem. Vezmime len niekoľko vecí, ktoré tí proroci povedali.
70 „Panna počne a porodí dieťa.“ Stalo sa to? Iste. Jeho meno bude nazvané Emanuel, knieža pokoja, mocný Boh, večný Otec.“ To je to, čím bol, presne, „Večný Otec.“ Žiaden človek nebude nazvaný otcom na tejto zemi, ale Boh je vaším Otcom.
V poriadku, pozrime sa teraz znovu. „On bol zranený pre naše prestúpenia, bol zdrtený pre naše neprávosti, kázeň nášho pokoja bola zložená na Neho, Jeho ranami sme uzdravení.“ Pilátovi v súdnej sieni, zatiaľ čo práve ten človek, ktorý mal svoj chrbát takto zbičovaný tým deväť-remienkovým bičom, si neuvedomoval, že tie Písma to takto povedali. Tí kňazi, ktorí povedali, „Preč s ním, preč s ním,“ nemali rozoznanie ducha.
72 A tam na kríži, kedy sa naňho osopovali, a tieto veci, kedy Ho počuli zvolať, „Môj Bože, prečo si ma opustil?“ Oni nemali rozoznanie. Vidíte, nedokázali rozoznať Ducha. To je to, čo hovoril Dávid v dvadsiatom druhom Žalme, že sa naňho osopili a nevedeli, čo robia. Presne to, čo urobil ten Benjamínec Dávidovi. Vidíte, on si myslel, že Dávid sa celkom mýlil, pretože on s ním nesúhlasil na jeho princípoch spravovania svojho kráľovstva. On nerozumel, že to bol Duch Boží v Dávidovi, ktorý to robil.
To je to, čo musíme my rozlišovať dnes, ducha človeka. Čo sa snaží urobiť? Do čoho prichádza? Nie do akej skupiny patrí alebo čo toto, to alebo tamto, či je biely, čierny, žltý alebo čímkoľvek je. Viďme, čo sa snaží dosiahnuť, a vezmime to: Pozrime, čo sa snaží urobiť pre Kráľovstvo Božie. Ak má nejaké idey, ktoré sa nám zdajú zvláštne, to je úplne v poriadku, ak sa snaží dosiahnuť niečo pre Kráľovstvo Božie. To v ňom rozlišujte. Ak sa mýli a je pravdivý v srdci, Boh ho po nejakom čase privedie späť ku pravde tej veci. Nechajte ho tak, nechajte ho tak a vidzte, čo sa snaží urobiť.
74 Tak vidíme tu potom, ako Ho nachádzame v Jeho smrti, keď zomrel na kríži a volal všetky tie veci, ktoré proroci o Ňom hovorili, „Prebodli moje ruky a moje nohy.“ Tam sa to vyplnilo. Tí proroci mali pravdu. Ľudia si mysleli, že to boli oni sami alebo že oni sami kričali, ale to sa prejavilo na kríži.
„Bol počítaný s priestupníkmi.“ To je to, čo sa s Ním stalo. Bol s priestupníkmi. „Vo svojej smrti bol pochovaný s bohatými.“ Bol, bol pochovaný v hrobe bohatého človeka. „Nezanechám Jeho duše... On nezanechá mojej duše...“ Povedal Dávid, hovoril to Duch Boží v Dávidovi. „Nezanechám mojej duše v pekle, ani nenechám, aby jeho Svätý videl porušenie,“ ako keby Dávid bol tým Svätým. To nebol Dávid, to bol Duch Boží v Dávidovi, ktorý volal. Vidíte, Duch Boží, ako volá cez človeka.
Niekto povedal, „Počujte tam toho starého pokrytca hore.“
On tým nebol, to bol Duch Boží v ňom, ktorý kričal. Vidíte, Duch Boží sa Sám manifestuje „Nezanechám Jeho duše v pekle i nenechám, aby môj Svätý videl porušenie.“
77 Tak bratia, ako zakončujeme, dovoľte mi povedať toto, náš čas ubieha. Ale pozrite, nech toto smiem povedať, ako končím pri týchto miestach Písma tu. Pozrite. Ak nejaký človek, kde celá tá Starozákonná téma bola o Ňom, všetci tí svätí proroci pomazaní Božím Duchom, ak všetko to a všetko, čo povedali, sa vyplnilo do písmena presne v Ňom, potom istotne tá veľká osoba nazvaná Syn Boží by mala vedieť, ako postaviť Novozákonnú cirkev. Či to neveríte? On by mal mať plán a vedieť, ako zbudovať Novozákonnú cirkev.
78 Tá prvá vec, ku ktorej chcem upútať vašu pozornosť, je tu v Matúšovi, šestnástej kapitole, kedy On tam hovorí, keď prichádza dolu a hovorí k učeníkom. On povedal, „Čo hovoria ľudia, že kto som Ja, syn človeka?“
A oni povedali, „Niektorí hovoria, že Ty si Eliáš, a iní, že si ten a ten, a niektorí hovoria, že si ten a ten a tak,“ bolo to rôzne.
On povedal, „Ale čo hovoríte vy, že kto Ja som?“
A Peter povedal, „Ty si Kristus, Syn živého Boha.“
On povedal, „Požehnaný si, Šimon, syn Jonášov, lebo telo a krv ti to nezjavili, ale môj Otec, ktorý je v nebesiach, ti toto zjavil. A hovorím ti, že ty si Šimon alebo Peter, a na tejto skale postavím Svoju cirkev a brány pekla ju nepremôžu.“ Tak tam bolo hovorené o cirkvi. Tak sledujte teraz pozorne a ak sa mýlim, nech mi to Boh odpustí, aj vy mi odpustite.
82 Tak katolícka cirkev hovorí, že to bol ten kameň, ktorý tam ležal, Peter, a na tom Petrovi je postavená cirkev. Tak my vieme, že to je nesprávne. My protestanti s tým nesúhlasíme.
Ale my protestanti hovoríme, „To bol On Sám, ktorý postavil... Na ktorom postavil cirkev, na Samom Sebe.“ Ale ak si všimnete, chcem s tým nesúhlasiť a byť priateľský. To nebolo to. To bolo na duchovnom zjavení Jeho Samého. Rozumiete? „Telo a krv... Nikdy si sa to nenaučil v tomto seminári, hocaký dobrý je. Nikdy si sa toto nenaučil skrze nejakú cirkevnú dogmu, hocaká dobrá je. To je všetko v poriadku, ale telo a krv ti toto nezjavili. To nie je intelektuálna koncepcia toho, ako predniesť svoju reč, ako sa musíš ukloniť, a ako alebo akú veľkú vec musíš urobiť tu na zemi. To nie je to, čo to je. To nie je postavené na nejakej veľkej veci alebo na vykonaní nejakej veľkej veci. To, čím to je, je zjavenie Božieho Slova. On bol Slovom. „Na počiatku bolo Slovo a to Slovo bolo s Bohom a to Slovo bol Boh. A to Slovo bolo prejavené a prebývalo medzi nami.“
85 On bol... To bolo zjavenie Božieho Slova, Duch v Petrovi zjavoval skrze duchovné zjavenie, že On je Syn Boží zamanifestovaný, Boh slávy manifestujúci slávu Božiu. „Na tejto skale (duchovné zjavenie Slova) postavím Svoju cirkev.“ Prečo? Ak boli tí proroci pod Bohom a hovorili skrze Svätého Ducha, že to bol Syn Boží, ten istý Duch na tejto strane zjavuje späť rovno tú istú vec. Vidíte to?
„Telo a krv,“ nedokážete sa to naučiť v seminári. Učíte sa svoje... Získavate svoj titul doktora teológie a vaše PhD. a L.D. alebo... To je v poriadku, prial by som si, aby som to mal. To je v poriadku, ale to stále nie je to. Vy to nemusíte mať, a pritom je to dobre mať. Vy môžete byť toto plus, ale ak musíte vymazať to plus, tak vezmite toto. Toto je to, ak toto nie je to, tak nech mám jednako toto. Ja chcem toto, toto.
87 „Telo a krv ti toto nezjavili.“ Nikdy si sa to nenaučil skrze vzdelanie. Nikdy si sa to nenaučil cez denominácie. Ony sú v poriadku, vzdelanie, denominácia je v poriadku. To je časť toho. Ale ľudia na to kladú príliš veľký dôraz a oni opúšťajú to duchovné rozoznanie. Rozumiete?
„Telo a krv ti toto nezjavili, ale môj Otec, ktorý je v nebesiach, ti toto zjavil. A na tejto skale zbudujem svoju cirkev a brány pekla ju nepremôžu.“ „Nebudú ju môcť premôcť,“ ukázal tým, že budú proti nej.
Tak pozorujte, proti čomu sú brány pekla. Oni nie sú proti denominácii. Vláda ich uznáva. To nie je to. Svet uznáva naše denominácie, všetky z nich. Máme právo každý jeden z nás, ako americkí občania, mať právo na denomináciu, čo je v poriadku, ceníme si to. Ale to nie je to, proti čomu sú brány pekla. Oni sú proti duchovnému zjaveniu, že Kristus je práve teraz tu, ten istý včera, dnes i naveky. To je to, proti čomu sú. „Brány pekla budú proti nej, ale nikdy ju nepremôžu.“
90Tu to máte: duchovné zjavenie. Bez ohľadu na to, kto to je, je to môj brat, pokiaľ sa len snaží dosiahnuť ten istý zámer, pre ktorý ja pracujem. Či je prorok, či je pastor, či je diakon alebo je to a to, nech ho Boh uctí v tomto, v tamtom alebo čokoľvek to je, ak mňa chce uraziť, čokoľvek chce urobiť, ale jednako je to môj brat. Pracujeme pre tú istú vec. Vysielame všetky naše skutky tam do toho istého Kráľovstva. On pracuje pre tú istú vec ako ja. Duchovné rozoznanie, duchovné zjavenie Boha. Pozrite sem, ak to chcete.
91 Ježiš... Kázal som o tom niekde jedného dňa, možno tam dolu, „Na počiatku nebolo tak.“ Musíme sa vrátiť na počiatok, aby sme teraz zistili, čo je teraz naším textom. Tam na začiatku bol Kain, intelektuálny, vystavil peknú cirkev (povedali by sme), urobil pekný oltár, obetoval obeť, modlil sa, bol úprimný, vzdal vďaku, zaplatil svoj desiatok, všetko, presne tak nábožne ako Ábel.
92 Ale Ábel (v tých dňoch nebola žiadna Biblia), ale skrze Duchovné zjavenie Ábel videl, že to nebolo ovocie poľa, ktoré zapríčinilo náš hriech. To neboli jablká, ktoré jedli. Vidíte, to zjavenie mu povedalo, že to neboli jablká. A to nebolo ovocie, ktoré ho doviedlo do toho, že musel odtiaľ vyjsť von. To bol život, oddelenie života, tak on išiel a zaobstaral si baránka a obetoval ho na jeho mieste skrze vieru, čo je duchovné zjavenie. Amen. Zjavenie Božie, duchovné zjavenie, bolo mu to zjavené. To nebolo ovocie, neboli to jablká, neboli to broskyne, slivky, hrušky. To bolo oddelenie života, tak on išiel a priniesol a obetoval život namiesto ovocia.
93 Ovocie, to je práca vašich vlastných rúk, čo tam robíte, „Pôjdem a vystavím toto, pôjdem a urobím toto. Toto podporím.“ To je dobré. On mal oltár presne tak ako ten druhý. Obaja mali oltáre. To bolo v poriadku.
Ale išlo o duchovnú zjavenú pravdu tej veci, pretože Duch Boží to zjavil. A na tej skale, tá skala, na ktorej zomrel Kristus, tá Skala vekov, na tej Skale zomrel Ábelov baránok... Ten malý Ábel, ako položil na toho malého baránka svoje ruky a jeho malá biela vlna bola zmočená, ako vzal skalu, a v tých dňoch nemali kopije, a presekol mu ten malý krk a udrel ho. A ten drobný tvor zomieral, krv zmočila jeho ruky a jeho drobná vlna bola celá od krvi a on bečal a volal.
95 O čom to hovorilo? Baránok Boží, o nejakých štyritisíc rokov neskôr, bolo to duchovne zjavené a cirkev Ho odmietla. A ľudia Ho nazvali Belzebúbom a diablom, pretože všetci proroci prehovorili. A oni zapreli proroka. Ó, On povedal, „Vy budujete hroby a kladiete ich do nich, vy obielené steny,“ povedal im. Bez duchovného rozoznania nevedeli, že to bol Baránok Boží, ktorý mal byť takýto a takto konať, pretože On vypĺňal Božie Slovo.
96 A cirkev Svätého Ducha dnes takto koná, koná tie veci, ktoré konajú, oni vypĺňajú Božie Slovo. Haleluja. Vidíte, Peter povedal na deň Letníc, „Toto je to.“ A povedal, „Je to pre vás a pre vaše deti a pre tých, ktorí sú široko ďaleko, pre koľkýchkoľvek, ktorých si povolá Pán náš Boh.“
Tí istí inšpirovaní proroci povedali, že zasvieti večerné svetlo, že bude jarný a pozdný dážď spolu ako vo dňoch milosti. Pozrite sem... Čo to je? Prichádza jarný dážď a pozdný dážď už prešiel. Potom sa to prelína a ide to spolu, ten jarný a pozdný dážď spolu, Duch Svätý, ktorý je prejavovaný skrze moc a vzkriesenie Ježiša Krista. Tu to máte, prichádza to spolu, ten jarný... Božia milosť... On povedal, „Ako bolo vo dňoch Noeho.“ Jeho milosť bola dlhozhovievajúca. Tu je to dnes, dlhozhovievajúci, to prelínanie prináša ten oblak z tých starých dní a oblak z tohoto dňa spolu. Jarný dážď prišiel najprv, ten prvý dážď, ktorý sme mali, a tu prichádza teraz pozdný dážď, jarný dážď prichádza k tomu pozdnému dažďu, východ a západ sa stretajú, oba dažde padajú spolu, Božské uzdravenie plus anjel Boží zjavujúci tajnosti srdca, a spôsobuje, že všetko sa vypĺňa. Ó, vyzerá to, že pravdivo narodené deti Božie to uvidia. Tu to máte, Duch zjavuje. Zjavenie, to je to, čo Ježiš povedal, že na čom bude postavená cirkev.
98 Tak potom by niekto mohol povstať a povedať, „No, istotne my takí a takí sme na tom postavení.“
Vezmime Jeho Slovo trošku ďalej. Pri poslednom poverení pre Jeho cirkev On povedal, „Choďte do celého sveta a kážte Evanjelium každému stvoreniu.“ Do celého sveta... Ako dlho to má potrvať? Do celého sveta. Ku koľkým? Každému stvoreniu. „Ten, kto verí a bude pokrstený,“ nie cirkev, „Ten,“ to je osobné zámeno. „Ten, kto uverí...“ Jednotlivec.
Tak, ako Dávid DuPlessis povedal o tých vnúčatách, že v Kráľovstve Božom neexistujú žiadne vnúčatá, len deti. Tvoj otec bol letničný a ty chodíš len sem do tejto cirkvi, pretože on sem chodil na jedenástu ulicu A. Garfield, prijal Ducha Svätého, a ak ťa len priviedol ako vnúča, tak sa mýliš. Boh sa ti Sám musí zjaviť.
A žiaden človek nemôže nazývať Ježiša Kristom pomocou intelektuálneho poňatia. Žiaden človek nemôže nazvať Ježiša Kristom, kvôli tomu, že len cíti ľútosť na svojimi hriechmi a prichádza a činí pokánie. Nikto nemôže nazývať Ježiša Kristom, jedine skrze zjavenie Ducha Svätého, ktoré mu je dané poznať. „Na tejto skale postavím Svoju cirkev a brány pekla ju nikdy nebudú môcť premôcť.“ Tam je to zjavenie. Tam to je, na čom je postavená Jeho cirkev.
102 Kto to vykonal, Peter? Nie, nie, nie. Kto to vykonal? Kristus povedal, „Zjavenie Boha, to je Duch Svätý, ktorý ti to prinesie. Malú chvíľu a Ja vás opustím, ale budem sa modliť k Otcovi a On vám pošle Utešiteľa, On vám pripomenie tieto veci.“ Je to pravda? To je to, čo On robí dnes ráno. Čo to urobí? „Ukáže vám veci, ktoré majú prísť.“ Duch Svätý v cirkvi v poslednom dni...
Tak povieš, „Brat, haleluja, to je moja cirkev.“
Počkaj chvíľu. Ježiš povedal, „Podľa tohoto budú všetci ľudia poznať, že ste mojimi učeníkmi...“ Vo Svätom Jánovi 13:35, „Podľa tohoto budú všetci ľudia poznať, že ste mojimi učeníkmi, keď budete mať lásku jeden k druhému.“ Duchom zjavená pravda Kráľovstva Božieho má prísť a vyhliada na koniec, ktorí videli proroci a volali o Ňom, vidíme, o čom Ježiš hovoril, a tu ten istý Svätý Duch vo vás volá rovno naspäť, „To je pravda, to je pravda.“ Čo je to? Duchovne zjavená pravda. Ja milujem svojho brata bez ohľadu na to, kam chodí do cirkvi, či patrí pozdnému dažďu alebo jarnému alebo vôbec žiadnemu dažďu, pokiaľ je v Tele Kristovom a snaží sa dosiahnuť nie niečo za takým účelom, aby prejavil samého seba na zemi, ale za tým účelom Kráľovstva Božieho a slávy Jeho príchodu, aby zjavil a dal na známosť Jeho skorý príchod.
104 Teraz pri zakončení chceme na toto myslieť. „Na tejto skale postavím Svoju cirkev,“ správne. A potom nachádzame v Jánovi 14:7, On povedal toto, „Skutky, ktoré Ja činím, vy tiež budete činiť. Skutky, ktoré ja činím...“ Aký druh skutkov On činil, aby sa dal poznať? Pamätáte si Petra? (že?) O čom sme hovorili, a Filipa a tú ženu pri studni, ako predpovedal, aby nešli k pohanom, ale že to bude v posledných dňoch, ako On povedal, „Ako to bolo vo dňoch Sodomy, tak to bude pri príchode Syna človeka.“ Existuje zjavenie zapísané v tajomstvách, ako je toto pre ten vonkajší svet, ten svet o tom nič nevie. Ale vy, moji vzácni bratia, vy, moje vzácne sestry, vy nie ste deti temnosti, vy nie ste deti noci, ale vy ste deti svetla, kráčate vo svetle, ako On je vo svetle, potom máme obecenstvo jeden s druhým, a zatiaľ čo nás krv Ježiša Krista, Božieho Syna, očisťuje od všetkých našich hriechov, všetkých nás. Tu to máte, sluhovia Pánovi...
105 Ježiš... Ako citujem svoje miesto Písma, ktoré tu mám, mám tu Marka 16, áno, Marek 16, On povedal, „Choďte do celého sveta.“ Tu je to, aký druh cirkvi On vystavil, to posledné poverenie pre cirkev, „Choďte do celého sveta, kážte Evanjelium každému stvoreniu. Ten, kto uverí a pokrstí sa, bude spasený, ten ktorý neuverí, bude odsúdený.“ Tak pozrite sem, pozrite sa na toto duchovné rozpoznanie. „Ten, kto verí a pokrstí sa.“ On tam nepovedal presne, akým spôsobom, ale my sa o tom chceme hádať, vidíte, o tej ďalšej veci, vidíte, „Ten, kto verí a pokrstí sa, bude spasený.“ Akokoľvek chce byť pokrstený, to je na ňom. Ak je jeho zámer dosiahnuť niečo pre Kráľovstvo Božie, poď, brat, pochodujeme ďalej v tom istom Duchu. Ak sa mýlim, potom to povieš, bude to takto, a ak sa ty mýliš, bude to takto. Ale naše srdcia a naše motívy a naše ciele sú tam pre Kráľovstvo Božie. My sme tam a ukazujeme na Golgotu.
106 Ja a moje idey, no, ja mám... Nemám takého brata, ktorý má tak veľmi rád čerešňový koláč ako ja, ale jednako sme bratia. Rozumiete? Niktorý z nich nepoľuje a nerybárči tak rád ako ja, ale sme bratia. Rozumiete, čo myslím? Ja mám svoje myšlienky, ale to nerobí, že on nie je mojím bratom, lebo jeho Otec je mojím Otcom, jeho rodina je mojou rodinou. Tu to máte.
Patriarchovia sa všetci líšili jeden od druhého, ale oni boli z jedného Otca a oni by mali spolu pracovať ku jednej veci, ale oni odmietli toho hlavného, ktorý tam bol, pretože bol duchovným. Rozumiete, čo mám na mysli, bratia? Nedokážete vidieť, o čom hovorím?
108 Všimnite si teraz, ako zakončujeme, „Choďte do celého sveta, kážte Evanjelium každému stvoreniu. Ten, kto uverí a pokrstí sa, bude spasený. Ten, kto... [Prázdne miesto na páske – pozn. prekl.]... a tieto znamenia budú nasledovať tých, ktorí veria, v Mojom Mene budú vyháňať démonov, budú hovoriť novými jazykmi.“ Čo je to? Duchovné zjavenie. Vidíte? „Budú hovoriť novými jazykmi. Ak vezmú hadov alebo vypijú niečo smrtonosné, neuškodí im. Ak položia ruky na chorých, uzdravia sa.“ To bolo to, čím bola tá nová cirkev. To je ten druh cirkvi, o ktorej Ježiš Kristus, ten veľký, o ktorom všetci proroci volali, bude robiť. Zisťujeme, že Jeho Duch sem prichádza a predpovedá, že Jeho Duch v jeho ľuďoch sa navráti a bude robiť veci, ktoré On robil.
109 Dovoľte mi zakončiť s týmto. Mám tu ešte asi tucet miest Písma, ale nemáme čas. Ale počúvajte toto. Nech zakončím s tým, že poviem toto. Každý znovuzrodený prorok Pánov, kazateľ, učiteľ nedeľnej školy, vidiaci, apoštol, misionár, čokoľvek je, jeho celé srdce je tak nastavené a on je tak naplnený a pomazaný Duchom Božím, tak pomazaný... Akýkoľvek je jeho úrad, čímkoľvek môže byť, či káže, vyučuje alebo evanjelizuje alebo vída videnia, čímkoľvek je, on to bude robiť pre Kráľovstvo Božie. A Duch Boží bude hovoriť rovno späť cez toho človeka a bude manifestovať Kráľovstvo Božie.
110 Potom my... Ja, ako baptista, vidím vás ako letničných, vy ste moji bratia. Vy nepatríte do baptistickej cirkvi, ja som patril. To je jediná cirkev, do ktorej som kedy patril, to bola baptistická cirkev. Ale to mi nestojí v ceste, ja vidím, čím je Duch Boží vo vás. Vidím, čo sa vy snažíte robiť. Tak potom ak ja, baptista, to takto môže cítiť, istotne potom zhromaždenia Božie, cirkev Božia, zjednotení letniční a nezávislí a my všetci bratia spolu by sme to mali vidieť, že sa snažíme pracovať pre jeden cieľ. Majme duchovné rozoznanie.
111 Počúvajte teraz. Ako zakončujem, urobím túto poslednú poznámku. Mnohí sú chorí a slabí medzi vami a mnohí spia, duchovne mŕtvi, pretože nerozpoznávajú telo Kristovo. Toto choré telo, ktoré máme... Bože, pomôž nám mať duchovné rozoznanie, zjavenia Kráľovstva Božieho a lásky Božej v našich srdciach, ktorá je rozliata doširoka skrze Ducha Svätého, aby sme sa snažili vystrieť svoje ruky a povedať, „Sme bratia,“ rozumiete, čo mám na mysli? A každý jeden malý dar, ktorý máte, nepoužite to, aby ste sa snažili urobiť niečo veľké pre samých seba, ale urobme to pre Kráľovstvo Božie, aby sme pracovali jeden s druhým a snažili sa vyzdvihnúť túto vec, Ježiša Krista, pretože Jeho príchod je na blízku. Veríte tomu?
112 Je mi ľúto, že som vás držal tak dlho. Brat Dávid tu bude zajtra kázať, učiť vás z Písma, ale teraz len skloňme svoje hlavy na chvíľu. [Nejaký brat hovorí v inom jazyku. Nejaká sestra podáva výklad. – pozn.prekl.]
Napred, kresťanskí vojaci,
pochodujme do boja.
S krížom Ježišovým
ideme vpred,
nie sme rozdelení,
sme všetci jedným telom,
jedno v nádeji a náuke,
jedno v láske.
Ó, napred, kresťanskí bojovníci! (Veríte, že tým ste? Zodvihnite svoje ruky.)
Pochodujme do boja (S čím?)
S... (Naším cieľom) Ježišom,
ideme vpred.
Nech vás Boh žehná. Váš pastor.
1 Our heavenly Father, I want to express if I can this morning, how in my heart I feeled towards One, the holiest of Holy coming down to the earth and to redeem a sinner like myself. And I'm sure that these ministers that's present now can feel the same way, that it was by Your grace that we have been made the ministers of this covenant that Thou has given with Adam's fallen race. And we are here this morning, Father, gathered for no other purpose but to know and to--to study to know, rather, the will of God and what we must do to make Christ real to the people of this generation. Knowing surely that in the day of the judgment we will be brought face to face with this generation. And, being ministers, we will be judges. And the people to which we have spoken to, and their attitude towards the Word that we bring them, will determine their eternal destination. Therefore, Lord, in that day we would be a judge for or against the generation that we preached to.
2 Father, God, please, through Jesus' Name, let us not say one word that would be wrong. But may we have sincere hearts and open mind that we might receive the things that's Yours, that we might be able to go out into our different fields of work after today, and--and be better equipped because of our meeting with You this morning. Grant it, Lord. Won't You come and be our speaker and our ears, and our tongue, and our thoughts? Let the meditation of my heart, thoughts of my mind, all that is within me, and within these my brethren and sisters, may it be acceptable in Thy sight, Lord, that we might be so filled and charged with Thy Spirit of Your Presence here, that the room would become... the room, not so much the building that we are sitting in, but the building that we are living in, become altogether a cloud of the glory of God. We might leave here this morning so filled with the Holy Spirit that we would be more determined than ever before in life to carry the message to the dying generation that we're living in. Hear us, Lord, and speak to us through Thy Word, for we ask it in the Name of Thy Son and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
3 I wish to read, this morning, a--a portion of Scripture found in the Psalms, the 105th Psalm. I wish to read just a portion. You that keeps down these Scripture readings, I see many of them had been, were ministers and so forth. It's good to read the Word. (And now, what time do they usually leave, about twelve o'clock? What say? Thank you, brother.) Psalms 105:
O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the hearts of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
Remember his marvelous works that he has done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
O ye seed of Abraham his servants, and ye children of Jacob his chosen.
He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
He has remembered his covenant forever, the words which he commanded to a thousand generations.
Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of Your inheritance:
When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.
When they went from one nation to another, and from one kingdom to another people;
He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sake;
Saying, Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
May the Lord bless the reading of His Words. I have a few Scriptures written out here somewhere that I was going to refer to perhaps along the road.
5 I wonder today who's going to be the next President? The election's coming up, you know. Who's going to be President this next term? What if I knew? There's only One that does know, and that's God. And what if God would reveal to me who's going to be the next President, and I stood here in Phoenix and made a prediction that such-and-such a man would be the next President of the United States? And they would place that in papers and so forth, and I would hit it right on the dot. It would be perfect, and it would be all that I had said would come to pass. But what good would it do? What good is it anyhow if I--if I should do such a thing? The papers would advertise it, and it would go out maybe, if such a person could make such a prediction and it would be true, all the newspapers and magazines would--would pass on it.
6 But you know that God doesn't do things like that; God doesn't use His power and His gifts for foolishness. It's going to be, whatever's President, it'll be President. And to know now which would be President wouldn't help us one penny. It wouldn't do us one bit of good to know who's going to be President. So therefore, God doesn't do those things like that.
And then if I made such a prediction as that, and it come to pass, and the newspapers packed it, and the magazines, then it would be to my glory. People'd say, "Look what a great prophet Brother Branham is. He told us long before it happened just who would be President." And that would be to my glory. But God doesn't want... He's not interested in working things to my glory or to--to any other man's glory. He's interested to work things to His glory, something that will profit.
8 Like Paul said, "If we speak with tongues and do not have an interpreter, what good does it do? We only glorify ourselves," and that's--or "edify ourself." That's kinda out of the line for God. God wants to be edified Himself. And we're to not seek self-edification, but to edify God with all we do.
So therefore, I believe this morning, if I knew who he would be and exactly when he would be elected, and oh, how many votes he'd be over or under, or whatever it might be, it wouldn't do one bit of good to tell it. It'd be best for me just to keep it still if I did know it, not try to publish it, because there would be--there would be no reason for me to do it. 'Cause it's going to be anyhow, and it doesn't make us that much difference who's going to be President.
10 But God, when He uses His gifts, He uses them for His own glory, and for the glory of His people, for the glory of His church, for the edifying of the body of Christ, and for the glory of the Kingdom of God. That's why He gives these things in His church, why He has teachers, prophets, evangelists, pastors. They are for the edification of the Church and for the glory of God. The prophet is not to get out and mingle with the world and try to take a gift like Balaam did and make havoc, or--or money out of it, or something. If he's a prophet, he's supposed to reveal God to the church and stay out of the things of the world. It's all for the glory of God.
11 Now, we do have... And I think it's a good thing for us, as ministers, to follow our order, when we see such things in the world as we see today. And we have an order from God, is for the discerning of spirit, trying the spirit. I believe that that is a very great lesson for the church today, is to try the spirit of anything, have discernment of the spirit. I do not think that we should ever, by any means, ever try to judge a person by the denomination they belong to, or by the group that they are assembled with, whether they be Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, or--or whatever they are. We should never judge the man by the denomination that he belongs to. We should always judge him by the spirit he has (See?), the spirit. Whether he's latter rain or former rain or inner, outer rain, or no rain, or whatever it might be, we should never judge him by that, but by his spirit. We are to discern spirits. Watch what the man has in mind, what he has--what he's trying to achieve. If the man, by a gift, no matter how great the gift is...
12 Now, I want to get this to the church this morning, which in the different denominations you are still the church of the living God together. And this is the thing I want to get to you (See?), that we are really not divided. We are the stones that's cut in different forms, all to the glory of God.
Now, there is so much in the day that we live in pertaining to gifts. So many people judge people by gifts that they have. Well, I believe that these things are gifts. I believe that what we see take place is gifts, and they are God-given gifts. But we--if we do not use them in the right way that God intended them to be used, then we can do more harm with the gifts than we could if we did not have the gifts. The other night I made a statement at the pulpit, saying this, that I would rather see brotherly love existing among the church, if we didn't have one case of healing or anything else. See, we must know what these things are for.
14 Now, if a man comes and he has a great gift, no matter if he belongs to our denomination or another denomination, don't judge him by what denomination he come from, how he dresses, but what you want to see is what he's trying to do with that gift, what purpose he has. If he's trying to take his influence and build himself a great name out of it, I'd have discernment of spirit enough to know that's wrong. No matter how great a teacher he is, how powerful he is, how intellectual he is, or how his gift operates, if he isn't trying to achieve something for the benefit of the body of Christ, your own spiritual discernment would tell you that that's wrong. No matter how accurate, how perfect, how it is, it's wrong if it isn't used for the body of Jesus Christ.
15 To achieve something, maybe he's got a great gift that he could draw people together with a great intellectual or a spiritual power, that he could draw people together, and maybe he's trying to take that gift and make hisself famous so that he'll have a big name, so that other brethren will look up to him as some big person. Then that's wrong. Maybe he's trying to--to edify a certain thing here that he wants everybody else to get out of the picture and let him and his group be the picture. That's still wrong. See?
16 But if he has a gift of God and he's trying to edify the Body of Christ, then I don't care what he belongs to. You're not discerning the man, you're discerning the spirit, the life that's in the man. And that's what God told us to do. Not one time was we ever commissioned to discern the--the man's group. But we was constrained and commanded by God to discern the spirit in the man, what he's trying to do, what the spirit in his life is trying to lead him to. And then if we can find out that he's trying to lead the people (not to break them up, but to bring them together) and to bring the church of the living God, not all to one denomination, but to a understanding, a fellowship, a unity of spirit. Then if he is former rain or latter rain, or whatever it is, his spirit and his purpose is right. And the spirit that's in him, no matter what move he belongs to, the Spirit that's in him is trying to point the people to Calvary, away from himself or away from anything else, but his only achievement he has is to point them to Calvary. He doesn't care whether he's even knowed or not. He doesn't care whether even his own movement... which is fine (See?), it's good, if he is a Methodist, or a Presbyterian, or a Roman Catholic, or whatever he wants to be by denomination.
17 But what is he trying to do, the purpose of his heart that he's trying to get? Then you can see what's in the man's life, whether his motives is for his--his denomination, whether it's for hisself, whether it's for worldly fame, whether it's for big names, to say, "I predicted that, come just exactly to pass." Now, you see that's wrong right there, to begin with. But if he's trying to use what God's give him, as a teacher, as a prophet, as a seer...
18 A New Testament prophet is a preacher. We all know that. Just any minister that's a preacher is a prophet, a New Testament prophet, if he's prophesying, preaching, not to try to edify himself to make a big name, or to edify his organization. Which, he should be in an organization. Here I am without one, but yet preaching you should be. That's right. Every man ought to have a church home. You ought to have a place, not just to float about from pillar to post, but have somewhere that you go to church and you call it your church, somewhere you pay your tithe, and somewhere that you help support the cause. Take your choice, but then don't never disfellowship the other man because he don't belong with your group. See? Discern his spirit and see if he's got the same purpose in heart, then you got fellowship one with another. You're working for one great cause. That's the cause of Christ. I think that that is absolutely true.
19 Now, if we will notice the motives and objectives of the Old Testament prophets, them men had one objective, and that was Jesus Christ. They had one thing that their whole theme of the Old Testament was built around the coming Messiah. They--they did not go out and do things just for money or for fame. They had one thing, they were anointed with the Spirit of God, and they predicted the coming Messiah. And those men were so anointed with the Spirit until they sometimes acted like the Spirit that was within them, they spoke seemingly of themselves. Watch how the Spirit of God made them men act.
20 We'll take, for instance, Moses, the great prophet, how that that man had no selfish objectives at all. He could've been the king of Egypt. He could've had the world under his feet. But because that he was a prophet at heart, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer the persecution and the trials of Christ, esteeming the treasures of heaven greater treasures than them of Egypt. He forsook and denied himself of the worldly fame, of the luxury and the--the things that life offers. He had to look beyond that. See, he--he could've been that.
21 Just take the minister today: if he has the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and he knows that if he preaches that Word, it's going to cut his fame down; it's going to put him in a little bitty church somewhere, or maybe out on the street. But he knows that something in his heart is burning. He sees the coming of the Lord. He doesn't care whether that he has a big church or a little church. He doesn't care whether he has today's food or not no food. He doesn't care whether he has good clothes or doesn't have good clothes, He's only mindful of one thing, and that's the very Life within him crying out. He's trying to achieve something for the glory of God, and that man, in doing so, will act the very Life of the Spirit that's in him. Do you follow me? He'll act it out.
22 Look at Moses when he come to a time that he displayed, all his life was the Spirit of Christ, for Christ was in him. Christ was in Moses by measure. Now, if we notice, he was borned in the time of persecution. The children was killed to try to get him, just exactly like they did Jesus. And we find out that when he come to a place that the children of Israel had disobeyed in such a way until God was angry with them, and He said to Moses, "Step aside and I'll destroy the whole group of them, and I'll take of you and raise up another generation."
Moses threw hisself in the path of God's judgment and said, "Take me before You take them." In other words, "Before You can get them You'll have to come over me."
That's exactly what Jesus Christ did. When God would've wiped the whole face of the earth off with these sinners, you and I, but Christ threw Hisself in the path. God could not do it; He couldn't come over His own Son.
And when God seen that Spirit in Moses, hanging in the judgment like a cross there, "You can't come to them; You'll have to take me first," see the Spirit of God in Moses? When he could've been king of Egypt, when he could've had every luxury in the world, to be popular, when he could've been the great king of the world at that time, but he chose to suffer the persecution and the affliction, for he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater treasures than that of Egypt...?... See, he threw hisself in the way. Why? It was God in Moses did that. The normal thinking, intellectual man would never do that, he would take the easy road. So no matter how much a fanatic Moses seemed to be, he was trying... You see, he was a true prophet of God, because he was trying to achieve something for the Kingdom of God.
26 Now, with his great gift of prophecy he might've been a wise man, could have stood up in Egypt and said, "Now wait, I'll prophesy so-and-so. I'll say so-and-so," and as with his prophesy. But it's... and, oh, he would have been world-famous. But that wasn't in his heart. It couldn't be in his heart.
So if you see a person with a great gift, trying to do something to glorify themselves, your own discernment of the spirit tells you that's wrong. But Moses was trying to achieve something for the glory of God. No matter how bad it was; how evil it looked, how much it was talked about, the Spirit in Moses directed him straight to the line of duty: the Spirit in him.
28 Look at Joseph; Joseph was... When he was born, he was loved of the father and hated by his brethren: perfect type of Christ. And the only... He was a blood brother to them, the same father. But the reason his brethren hated him without a cause, because God had made him a prophet, spiritual, a seer. And they hated him for that very purpose. But Joseph could not help it, because God had made him that way.
29 And watch the Spirit of God in Joseph. Watch what he did. He even acted the part of Christ. He was hated of his brethren, loved of his father, because of the Spirit made the difference. He was a spiritual man. He saw visions; he interpreted dreams. He did not do it for his own glory. He did it because there was something in him: the Spirit of God. He wouldn't have went out there by his own self, and have been thrown into a ditch, and have his poor old father to grieve all those years, sold for nearly thirty pieces of silver, taken up from the ditch, and became the right-hand man of Pharaoh, the king of earth at that time. And in his prison house there was a butler and a baker, and one was lost and the other one was saved, by his predictions in the prison house.
30 And did you notice Jesus when He came, He was loved of the Father. And the father gave Joseph a coat of many colors (the rainbow, a covenant). And the Father God gave His Son Jesus the covenant, and then the Jewish brother hated Him without a cause. He had no reason to hate Him; He was spiritual, and He was God's Word made manifest. He come to do the will of the Father; He come to fulfill the Scriptures. He came to bring them peace, but they misunderstood Him, and hated Him without a cause. They didn't stop to try to see what He was trying to achieve. They just judged Him because that He didn't agree with them. They made... "He makes Himself so-and-so. He makes Hisself God." He was God. God was in Him. The Bible said God was in Christ, manifesting Himself to the world. He was the God of glory manifesting the glory of God.
31 Look at Moses; he couldn't help throwing himself there. He didn't do that hypocritically. He did it because God was in him. Neither could Joseph help being what he was, because it was God in him working or displaying Himself through the man: never did he do it for self-glory.
Any man that... If those priests would've only had the discernment of spirit, as I'm speaking to you this morning, regardless of how much the world talked about Him, they still would've knowed if they'd have looked to the Word, if they would've seen His purpose. He was always doing that to glorify the Father. He said... They said, "Oh, this man's a great healer, He does these things like that."
He said, "I can do nothing till the Father shows Me. It is not Me that doeth the works. It's the Father that dwelleth in Me; He doeth the works." He never took the glory.
34 Neither would any servant of God take glory. Neither would any servant of God take a gift of God and try to glorify himself, or anything else, but his right achievement is to do something to the glory of God. That's why you see the same thing today. We must have discernment of spirit to see a person what they're trying to do. Are they trying to glorify God? Are they trying to glorify themself?
35 Now, the Spirit of God working in men makes men act like God. No wonder Jesus said, "Is not it written, 'Ye are gods'? And if they called them God to whom the Spirit of God came to, how can you condemn Me then, when I am the Son of God?" If you could see the Spirit of God in Moses, which he was God. Moses was a god. Joseph was a god. The prophets were gods. The Bible said they were. They were gods because it--they had completely surrendered themselves to the Spirit of God, that they were working for the glory of God.
And when a man is so anointed with the Spirit... Now, let this go real deep under the fifth rib on the left side. When a man is anointed of the Spirit of God, his habits, his actions, and everything is God moving in him. Sometimes he's misjudged.
37 Look at David, in the 23rd Psalm he cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" as if he was, if David was the man. "All they that pass me by shoot their lip out at me." He was so anointed with God, he was so perfectly surrendered to God, and the anointing was on him in such a way and when he cried by the Spirit of God, if somebody'd been standing there and say, "Why, look, he thinks somebody is shooting their lip out at him. Why has God forsaken him?"
It wasn't David; it was the Spirit crying out through David. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? My bones all stare at me. They have pierced my hands and my feet."
40 Well, somebody said, "Listen to that hypocrite up there. Who's hands is pierced? Who's feet is pierced?" That's the intellectual.
But one who had discernment of spirit knew that that was the Spirit of God in him crying out. When a man is anointed of the Spirit of God, he's got the action of God; and the action of God is never to break us up. The action of God is to draw us together for we are one in Christ Jesus, and God's purpose is to bring us together. "Love one another."
42 Now, that great prophet, we see the Spirit moving in them, Jesus called them gods. He said they were gods. Now, when the Spirit come to them by measure, but when It come on the One, Jesus, which was the Son of God, It come to Him without measure. The Fullness of the Godhead bodily dwelt in Him, for He was the perfect example. He was God of Glory manifesting the glory of God to the people, God in Him going about. Watch His life, all the Old Testament, He was the theme of the Old Testament. All the old prophets back in the Old Testament cried out, not to themselves; they cried out under the Spirit of God, making them act like God insomuch that they were called gods, and then the Fullness of that Spirit was manifested in Jesus Christ.
43 Look at David when he was dethroned as the king of Israel, rejected by his own people, going up Mount Olives, north of Jerusalem, and he looked back over the city and wept because he was rejected. What was it? It was the Spirit of Christ.
Five hundred years later, the Son of David, Jesus, set on the same mount looking over the city as a rejected king, and cried, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you (your different denominations and everything) as a hen does her brood, but you would not. How oft would I have did it."
Now, the same Spirit that was in David, that was manifested in fullness in Christ, is in the Church today crying to the people, "How oft would I have gathered you." And when you see separations and--and differences and--and brotherhood broken up, and Christian life, one against the other, then it makes the Spirit of God in your heart cry out. You're trying to achieve something, a true prophet of God, a true teacher is trying to bring the church to a unity of spirit, a unity of spirit, that they might recognize God; trying to achieve it no matter what denomination they belong to or what about it. We have discernment of spirit to discern the spirit that's in the man to see if it be the Spirit of God or not.
46 Now, we notice when He was here on earth, how He went about doing good. I noticed another thing that comes in my mind. Did you notice when David was rejected as king? He went out of the city, and a little Benjamite, Benjamite, which was supposed to have been a brother to him, should've been sorry because he was rejected, but what... He was a crippled man. And he drug along there with his crippled condition, throwing dirt on David, and calling him all kinds of bad names, and cursing him in the Name of the Lord, cursing King David in the Name of the Lord, this little old crippled-up Benjamite. Watch the Spirit of God and the spirit of the devil working.
47 Now, if you notice, he was crippled. It represents the spiritual crippleness of the people today that would make fun of the true Spirit of God in Christ manifesting Itself. That was the Spirit of Christ in David being rejected as a king. And today, when the people make fun of the people who has received the Holy Spirit and trying to achieve something to draw Methodists and Pentecostals, and Baptists and Pentecostals, and Presbyterians and all together as a unity, as a Body of Christ, and they see the Spirit working, and say, "Well, look, that's a Pentecostal. Away with him. I know one went off with another man's wife. I know this one got drunk. I know this one did this. I know this one did that." All that, but they're big enough to hide their own things; they can hide it. But David was exposed. Why? He had the Spirit of Christ in him.
That guard said, "Shall I take the head of that dog that would curse my king?"
49 Watch the Spirit of Christ in David, "Let him alone, for the Lord has told him to curse me." Do you catch that? "Let him alone; the Lord has told him to curse me."
Instead, today we want to get up our fists and fight him (See?), chop his head off, "Yeah, get him out; he don't belong to us."
"Let him alone; the Lord has told him to curse me." That little cripple running along there, throwing dirt on David...
That's what they do today on the Spirit of Christ. "They're a bunch of holy-rollers. Why, they're a bunch of this. There's nothing to them. There's nothing to Divine healing. There's no such a thing as Angels. There's no such a thing as prophets." All those things, "The days of miracles is past," throwing dirt. But let them alone. But when David returned in power (Hallelujah.), when he come back as full king of Israel... Don't worry; this Jesus, Who's Spirit we have today, acted His part out, will return again in a physical body, the second time, in glory, in power, and majesty.
53 That little dirt-thrower fell on his face and begged for mercy. "Let him alone," the Spirit of Christ in us. Don't excommunicate him. Let's remember that all these things has got to come to pass. We've got one thing to do: move on. God promised that He'd make everything work together for good to them that love Him. Let's keep the discernment of spirit, keep the objective right. We're here to serve God, each one fellowshipping, going along and serving God. If the man's got the wrong kind of an objective, then what will happen? See?
54 Now, we find out that the Spirit of God was in Him. All the old prophets spoke of Him. All the Spirit in portion, every little portion, wasn't glorifying hisself (true prophets), all the true prophets was manifesting Him, speaking of Him. And everything they said was fulfilled in Him. Showed it was the Spirit of God in them, it was fulfilled. What was it? God speaking of Himself. See? God manifesting Himself through these prophets.
55 Not taking glory, "Who will be the next President? Who will be this?" And hit you on the head, "Tell us who hit you and we will believe you." That isn't it. It's something to manifest God. It isn't something to make Brother Weathers here, or Brother Shores, or Brother So-and-so out there, a great man, and make him a greater than the rest of the men of his group, make him the greatest man in Phoenix. It isn't to make William Branham something great. But what is it to do? It isn't to make Oral Roberts something great, Billy Graham something great. But it's the hearts, we're trying to achieve something for the Kingdom of God. It's manifesting God. All gifts and things doesn't make one greater than the other; it just makes us all working together for the perfection of the body to bring us together as one people, as a people of God. But when you see them going contrary, don't curse them; just let them alone, somebody has to do it. But wait till Jesus comes in power.
56 Now, we see all those prophets speaking. Every one of them was glorifying God and the coming Messiah. And when they got in the Spirit, they acted, and spoke, and lived the life out just like the Messiah did. If it did that side the cross, speaking of His coming, how much more will it after His coming, will put the Spirit of the Messiah in the Church to act, do, work, and live like the Messiah? It's the Spirit of God.
Discern that spirit; see whether it is of God or not; see whether it acts like Him, see if your emotions... If somebody kicks up something against you and throws dirt upon your life, when you know you're as innocent as you can be, and you know that you've got the Spirit of God, don't try to separate yourself, Don't try to act mean towards them. Don't curse them. Just walk on, knowing that God did that to give you a test to see how you'd take it. He'll have to come to it anyhow.
58 As I said the other day, I believe in Brother Fuller's church, of the bicycle rider in Canada. Well, all of them thought they could outride this boy, this little old sissy. And he's the only one that couldn't ride without holding the handlebars.
I'm glad I like the old handlebar riders, take a hold of both sides of the Cross and say, "Nothing in my arms I bring. Let me hold to the cross, Lord; I have no intellectuals. I have nothing. Let me just hold here, look way out yonder."
60 And they had a twelve-inch plank to ride for a city block to get a hundred-dollar Schwinn bicycle. All those boys who could ride without holding, go downtown and get their mother's groceries and come back without even touching the handlebars, they every one begin to look. They wasn't used to holding to the handlebars, and they fell off. But this little old boy got on there and held the handlebars and rode it to the end. They asked him, said, "How did you do it?"
He said, "Here's where you make your mistake, fellows. You're all better riders than I am, but you were looking here," and said, "made you nervous to see what... You was trying to balance yourself, and you fell off." Said, "I never looked here at all; I watched the end and kept steady."
That's what we're to do. Don't look to these little things now, "Did this one do this or that one do that?" Watch the end and keep steady. Christ is coming. Watch the end; just keep steady. Don't notice what's going on now. Watch what's going to go on out yonder at the end time, when we're going to have to stand and--and give an account for our lives.
63 David wasn't watching that little old Benjamite throw dirt on him; he was crippled anyhow. He never noticed him. He wouldn't even let the guard cut his head off, said, "Let him alone; God told him to do that. God told him to curse me; let him alone." For David knew that someday he was returning in power. That Benjamite would have his time.
Yes, that's it. The Church will rise in triumph. I was just sent to pray for His sick children anyhow. That's all I can do. Wherever they are and what church they are, it makes me no difference. I'm trying to pray for His sick children, trying to manifest the gift for His glory. That's the reason I never did belong to anything.
Now, remember, that's all right. See, I'm not--I'm not saying that now. I want you to get me clear that I believe that God's got Christians in every church, His children. He's never questioned me on that. I just sent to pray for the children, and to do these things, and to manifest Him.
66 Now, you see, Jesus and these prophets, everything that they spoke of had to be true, for it was the power of God in them, God Himself speaking through them of His own Self coming to His own glory.
"Who's President? Who's going to, is going to? Are we going to have enough rain this year?" That don't mean nothing. Something to the glory of God, something to set the church in order, something for the power of God; not to make yourself a name, but to make the glory of God manifested.
68 Now, we notice that all those prophets and all they said about Him, everything come to true because He was the theme of the Old Testament. Jesus, the Messiah, coming Messiah, was what every prophet looked from--from Adam to Mi--Malachi. Every prophet spoke of the coming of the Lord. Each one put his part in, because he was anointed of God. That's all he could speak of.
Now, wish we had more time on it. But watch. Everything that they said come to pass. Looky here. Let's just take some of the things the prophets said.
70 "A virgin shall conceive and bear a child." Did it happen? Sure. "His Name shall be called Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, everlasting Father." That's what He was, exactly, the "everlasting Father." No man shall be called father, on this earth, but God is your Father.
All right, now let's see again. "He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquity; the chastisement of our peace upon Him, with His stripes we were healed." Pilate's judgment hall, while the very man, having His back lashed like that with a cat-of-nine-tail whip, didn't realize that the Scriptures said it would be that way. They didn't have discernment of spirit, those priests who said, "Away with Him, away with Him."
72 And on the cross when they shot out their lips, and things like that, when they heard Him crying, "My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" They didn't have discernment. See, they couldn't discern the Spirit. That's what David was speaking of in the 22nd Psalm; they shot out their lip not knowing they were doing it. Just the same as that Benjamite did to David. See, he thought David was all wrong 'cause he didn't agree with him on his principles of running his kingdom. He didn't understand that it was the Spirit of God in David doing it.
That's where we must discern today, the spirit of a man. What's he trying to do? What's he getting at? Not what group he belongs to, or what this, that, or the other, whether he's a white man, black man, yellow man, or whatever he is. Let's see what he's trying to achieve, and take that: see what he's trying to do for the Kingdom of God. If he's got odd ideas to ours, that's perfectly all right if he's trying to achieve something for the Kingdom of God. Discern that in him. If he's wrong, and true in heart, God will bring him around to the truth of the thing after while. Let him alone; let him alone; see what he's trying to do.
74 Now, we see here, then we find out in His--in His death, when He died at the cross, and crying all the things the prophets spoke of Him, "They pierced My hands and My feet." There it was fulfilled. The prophets was right. They thought it was themselves or cried like it was themself, but it was manifested in the cross.
"He--He was numbered with the transgressors." That's what He was done. He was with the transgressors. "In His death He made His burial with the rich." He did; He was buried in a rich man's grave. "I will not leave His soul... He will not leave my soul," said David, the Spirit of God in David speaking out. "He will not leave my soul in hell, neither will He suffer His holy One to see corruption," like as if David would be the holy One. It wasn't David, it was the Spirit of God in David crying out. See, the Spirit of God in the man crying out.
Someone said, "Listen to that old hypocrite up there."
He wasn't; it was the Spirit of God in him crying out. See, the Spirit of God manifests itself, "Not leave His soul in hell, neither will I suffer My holy One to see corruption."
77 Now, brethren, in closing may I say this; our time gets away. But look, may I say this in closing with these Scriptures here. Let's see. If a man, that all the Old Testament theme was about Him, all the holy prophets anointed with God's Spirit, if all that and everything that they said was fulfilled to the letter exactly in Him, surely that great Person called the Son of God ought to know how to set up the New Testament church. Don't you believe that? He ought to have a conception to know how to set up the New Testament church.
78 The first thing I want to call to your attention over here in Matthew, 16th chapter, that when He--He is speaking then, when He come down and was talking to the disciples. He said, "Who does man say I the Son of man am?".
And they said, "Some say You're Elias, and some say You're So-and-so, and some say You're So-and-so, and like that," different ones.
He said, "But Who do you say that I am?"
And Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
He said, "Blessed art thou Simon, son of Jonas, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in heaven has revealed this to you. And--and I say unto thee that thou art Simon, or--or Peter, and upon this rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell can't prevail against it." Now, there was speaking of the church. Now, watch closely, and if I'm wrong, God forgive me and you forgive me.
82 Now, the--the Catholic church says that that was a stone laying there, Peter, and upon Peter He built the church. Now, we know that that's wrong. We Protestants disagree with it.
But we Protestants said, "It was Himself that He built Himse--a church upon, Himself." But if you'll notice, I want to disagree with that, friendly. It wasn't that. It was upon the spiritual revelation of Himself. See? "Flesh and blood... You never learned this in a seminary, as good as they are. You never learned this by some church creed, as good as it is. It's all right, but flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. It's not a intellectual conception of how you can make your speech, how you must bow yourself, how or what great thing you must do here on earth. That isn't what it is. It isn't build a great thing or do a great thing. What it is is a revelation of the Word of God. He was the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made manifest and dwelt among us."
85 He was... That was the revelation of the Word of God; the Spirit in Peter revealing by spiritual revelation that He was the Son of God made manifest, the God of glory manifesting the glory of God. "Upon this rock (spiritual revelation of the Word) I'll build My church." Why? If them prophets was under God, speaking by the Holy Spirit that that was the Son of God, the same Spirit on this side reveals right back the same thing. You see it?
"Flesh and blood," you can't learn it in a seminary. You learn your--get your D.D. and your Ph.D. and the L.D., or... Them's all right, wished I had it. That's right, but still that's not It. You don't have to have it, yet it's good to have it. You can be this plus; but if you have to rub out the plus, take this. This is that. If this ain't that, let me have this anyhow. I want this, this.
87 "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you." You never learned it through the educational line. You never learned it through denominational lines. They're fine; education, denomination is fine. That's part of it. But people are laying too much to that and they're leaving the spiritual discernment. See?
"Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in heaven has revealed this to you. And upon this rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell can't prevail against it. "Will never be able to prevail," showed they would be against it.
Now, watch and see where the gates of hell is against. It ain't against the denomination. The government recognizes that. It ain't. The world recognizes our denominations, all of them. We have the right, each one of us as American citizens, we have the rights of denomination, which is fine; we appreciate that. But that's not what the gates of hell's against. It's against the spiritual revelation of Christ being here now, the same yesterday, today, and forever. That's what it's against. "The gates of hell shall be against it, but it shall never prevail."
90 There you are: spiritual discernment. Regardless of who it is, it's my brother as long as he's trying to achieve the same purpose that I'm working for. Let him be prophet, let him be pastor, let him be deacon, let him be so-and-so, let God honor him this way, that way, whatever it is, dishonor me, whatever he wants to do, but yet that's my brother. We're working for the same thing. We're sending our--our--all of our works into the same Kingdom yonder. He's working for the same thing I am. Spiritual discernment, spiritual revelation of God. Looky here, if you want it.
91 Jesus... I preached the other night somewhere, maybe down there, "It Wasn't So From The Beginning." We have to go back to the beginning to find our text now for just a moment. At the beginning there was Cain, intellectual, built a fine church (we would say), made a fine altar, offered up a sacrifice, prayed, sincere, gave thanks, paid his tithe, everything just as religious as Abel was.
92 But Abel (There was no Bible in them days.), but by spiritual revelation he seen that it wasn't fruits of the field that caused us to sin, it wasn't apples that they eat. See, it wasn't apples, revelation told him that. And it wasn't the fruits that caused him to come out of there. It was life, the separation of life; so he went and got a lamb and offered it in his stead by faith, which is spiritual revelation. Amen. The revelation of God, spiritual revelation, it was revealed to him. It isn't the fruit; it isn't apples; it isn't peaches, plums, and pears. It was a separation of life, so he went and got a life and offered it instead of fruits.
93 Fruits is what you--your works of your own hand, what you do there: "I'll go and build this. I'll go do this. I'll support that." That's good. He had an altar just the same as the other one did. Both of them had altars. That was good.
But it was the re--spiritual revealed truth of the thing, for the Spirit of God revealed it. And upon that rock, the rock that Christ died on, the Rock of ages, upon the rock that Abel's lamb died on... That little Abel, as he put his hands upon that little lamb, and its little white wool being bathed as he took a--a rock, they didn't have a lance in that day, and chopped its little neck like that and hammered it. And the poor little thing dying, the blood bathing his hands, and his little wool all bathed with blood, and bleating and crying.
95 What did it speak of? The Lamb of God, some four thousand years later, spiritually revealed the church turning Him down. And the people called Him Beelzebub and a devil, because all the prophets had spoke out. They denied the prophet. Oh, He said, "You build their sepulchers, and you put them in there, you whited-walls," He said to them. Without spiritual discernment, not knowing that that was the Lamb of God, that He was supposed to be that way and act that way, because He was fulfilling the Word of God.
96 And the Holy Ghost Church today, acting the way they do, doing the things they do, they're fulfilling the Word of God. Hallelujah. See, Peter said, on the day of Pentecost, "This is That." And he said, "It's unto you and to your children, and them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
Them same inspired prophets said the evening Light would shine, there'd be a former and latter rain together as in the days of grace. Looky here... What is it? The former rain's coming over, and the latter rain is past due. Then it's lapped over, and it's together, the former and latter rain together, the Holy Spirit made manifest by the power and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There you are, coming together, the former... God's grace... He said, "As it was in the days of Noah." His grace was longsuffering. Here it is today, long-suffering, a lapover brings a cloud from the old days and a cloud from this day together. The former rain run in first; the first rain we've had, now here comes the latter rain coming over, the former rain coming over the latter rain, east and west meeting together, both rains falling together, Divine healing plus the Angel of God revealing the secrets of the hearts and bringing everything to pass. Oh, looks like true born children of God would see that. There you are, the Spirit revealing. Revelation, that's what Jesus said the church would be built upon.
98 Well, then somebody might raise up and say, "Why, sure, we So- and-so, we're built upon that."
Let's take His Word a little farther. The last commission to His church, He said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." All the world... How long is it to last? All the world. To how many? Every creature. "He that believeth and is baptized," not the church, "he" is a personal pronoun. "He that believeth..." the individual.
As David duPlessis said about the grandchildren, there's no grandchildren in the Kingdom of God; it's children. Your father was Pentecostal and you're just coming here to this church because he come here to--to Eleventh and Garfield, received the Holy Ghost, just brought you in as a grandchild, you're wrong. God's got to reveal Himself to you.
And no man can call Jesus the Christ by intellectual conceptions. No man can call Jesus the Christ because he feels sorry for his sins and comes and repents. No man can call Jesus the Christ, only by the re--that revelation of the Holy Ghost making it known to him. "Upon this rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell will never prevail against it." There's the revelation. There it is, what He's built His church upon.
102 Who did it, Peter? No, no, no. Who did it? Christ said, "The revelation of God, the Holy Spirit would bring it to you. A little while and I'll leave you, but I'll pray the Father and He'll send you the Comforter, will bring these things to your remembrance." Is that right? What He's doing this morning. And will what? "Show you things to come." The Holy Spirit in the church in the last day...
Now, you say, "Brother, hallelujah, that's my church."
Wait a minute. Jesus said, "This will all men know you're My disciples..." in St. John 13:35, "This will all men know you're my disciples, when you have love one for the other." The Spirit-revealed Truth of the Kingdom of God to come, looking out to the end yonder seeing what the prophets cried about, see what Jesus spoke about, and here the same Holy Spirit in you crying right back, "That's right. That's right." What is it? The spiritual revealed truth. I love my brother regardless of where they go to church, whether they're former or latter, or no rain at all, as long as they're in the Body of Christ, trying to achieve, not something for a certain purpose to--to manifest yourself on earth, but the purpose for the Kingdom of God and the glory of His coming, to reveal and make known His soon appearing.
104 Now, in closing, we want to think of this. "Upon this rock I'll build My church," correctly. And then we find out over in John 14:7, He said this, "The works that I do, shall you do also. The works that I do..." What kind of works did He do to make Hisself known? You remember about Peter (Don't you?), what we been talking about, Philip, the woman at the well, predicting it not to go to the Gentiles, but would be in the last days, as He said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." There's a revelation written in mysteries like this to the outside world, to the world that knows nothing about It. But you precious brethren, you precious sisters, you are not children of the darkness; you're not children of the night; but you're children of the Light, walking in the Light as He is in the Light; then we have fellowship one with another, while the Blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses all our sins from all of us. There you are, the servants of the Lord...
105 Jesus... As I quote my Scripture over here, I got Mark 16, yes, Mark 16, He said, "Go ye into all the world." Here's what kind of a church He set up: the last commission to the Church, "Go ye into all the world, preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned." Now, look here, look at this spiritual discernment. "He that believeth and is baptized." He never exactly said which way, but we want to fuss about that (See?), the other thing. See? "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Whatever he wants to be baptized, that's up to him. If his achievement's for the Kingdom of God, come on, brother, we're marching on with the same Spirit. If I'm wrong, then you'll tell, it'll come out that way. And if you're wrong, it'll be that. But our hearts and our motives and our objectives is for the Kingdom of God yonder. Yonder we are, we're pointing to Calvary.
106 Me and my i--ideas, why, I got... I ain't got a brother likes cherry pie as well as I do, but we're brothers. See? None of them likes to hunt and fish like I do, but we're brothers. See what I mean? I got my own ideas, but that don't make him not my brother; his father's my father; his family's my family. There you are.
The patriarchs all differed one from another, but they was of one father and it should work to one thing, and they rejected the main one in there because he was spiritual. Don't you see it, brethren? Can't you see what I'm speaking of?
108 Now notice, and we're--in closing, "Go ye into all the world, preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... And these signs shall follow them that believe; in My Name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues." What is it? Spiritual revelation. See? "They shall speak with new tongues. If they take up serpents or drink deadly things, it shall not harm them. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." That was what the new church was. That's the kind of church that Jesus Christ, this great One that all the prophets cried out would do. We find His Spirit comes over here and predicts that His Spirit in the people would come right back and do the things that He did.
109 May I close in saying this. I got about a dozen more Scriptures here, but we haven't got the time. See? But listen at this. May I close in saying this. Every true borned again prophet of the Lord, preacher, Sunday school teacher, seer, apostle, missionary, whatever he might be, his whole heart is set, and he's so filled and anointed with the Spirit of God, so anointed... Whatever his office is, whatever it might be, to preach, or to teach, or to evangelize, or to see visions, whatever it is, he'll do it for the Kingdom of God. And the Spirit of God will speak right back through the man and manifest it's the Kingdom of God.
110 Then we... Me as a Baptist, I see you Pentecostals, you're my brother. You don't belong to the Baptist church; I did. That's the only church I ever did belong to, was the Baptist church. But that don't stand in my way; I see what the Spirit of God is with you. I see what you're trying to do. Well, if me, a Baptist, can feel that way, surely the Assemblies, the Church of God, the United Pentecostals, the Independents, and all of us brethren together ought to see that we're trying to work for one purpose. Let's have spiritual discernment.
111 Now, listen. In closing I'll make this last remark. Many are sick and weakly among you, and many are asleep, spiritually dead, because they don't have discernment of the Body of Christ. This sick body that we got... God help us to have spiritual discernment of that revelation of the Kingdom of God and of the love of God in our hearts, shed abroad by the Holy Ghost, to try to put our arms way out, say, "We are brethren." See what I mean? And every little gift that you have, don't use it to try to make it some great something for ourselves, let's make it for the Kingdom of God to work with everyone to try to uplift the cause of Jesus Christ, for His coming is soon. Do you believe it?
112 I'm so sorry to keep you so long. Brother David will be here tomorrow to teach you the Scriptures, but right now let's bow our heads just a moment. [A brother speaks in another tongue. A sister gives an interpretation--Ed.]
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before;
We are not divided,
All one body we;
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity.
Oh, onward, Christian soldiers! (You believe you are? Raise your hand.)
Marching as to war, (With what?)
With the... (our objective) Jesus
Going on before.
God bless you. Your pastor.
1 Náš Nebeský Otče, ak môžem, chcel by som dnes ráno vyjadriť, ako to vo svojom srdci cítim ku Tomu, ktorý je Ten najsvätejší svätý, ako prišiel dolu na zem a vykúpil hriešnika, ako som ja. A som si istý, že títo kazatelia, ktorí sú tu prítomní, to môžu cítiť rovnako, že to bolo skrze Tvoju milosť, že sme boli učinení kazateľmi tejto zmluvy, ktorú si Ty dal Adamovej upadnutej rase. A sme tu dnes ráno, Otče, zhromaždení za žiadnym iným účelom, iba tým: poznať a študovať, vlastne poznať vôľu Božiu a čo musíme urobiť, aby sme učinili Krista pre ľudí tejto generácie reálnym. S istotou vieme, že v deň súdu budeme privedení tvárou v tvár s touto generáciu. A tým, že sme kazatelia, budeme sudcami. A tí ľudia, ku ktorým sme hovorili, a ich postoj voči Slovu, ktoré im prinášame, určí ich večné konečné miesto. Preto, Pane, v tom dni budeme sudcami pre alebo proti tej generácii, ku ktorej sme kázali.
2 Otče, Bože, prosím skrze Ježišove meno, nedovoľ nám povedať jediné slovo, ktoré by bolo nesprávne. Ale nech môžeme mať úprimné srdcia a otvorené mysle, aby sme mohli prijať veci, ktoré sú Tvoje, aby sme mohli byť schopní ísť von na tie rozličné polia práce v tomto dni, a aby sme boli lepšie vystrojení z nášho stretnutia sa s Tebou dnes ráno. Udeľ to, Pane. Či prídeš a budeš naším hovorcom do našich uší a cez náš jazyk a naše myšlienky? Nech rozjímanie môjho srdca, myšlienky môjho srdca, všetko, čo je vo mne a v týchto mojich bratoch a sestrách, nech môže byť prijateľné v Tvojich očiach, Pane, aby sme tak mohli byť naplnení a nabití Tvojím Duchom, Tvojej prítomnosti, ktorá je tu, až sa tá miestnosť stane... tá miestnosť, nie tak veľmi tá budova, v ktorej sedíme, ale tá stavba, v ktorej žijeme, aby sa to spolu všetko stalo oblakom slávy Božej. Môžme dnes ráno toto miesto opustiť tak naplnení Tvojím Duchom, až budeme viac rozhodnutí ako kedykoľvek predtým vo svojom živote niesť posolstvo tej zomierajúcej generácii, v ktorej žijeme. Vypočuj nás, Pane, a hovor k nám cez Svoje Slovo, lebo to prosíme v Mene Tvojho Syna a nášho Spasiteľa, Ježiša Krista. Amen.
3 Chcel by som dnes ráno prečítať porciu Písma, ktorú nachádzame v Žalme 105. Chcel by som prečítať len úryvok. Vy, ktorí si zapisujete miesta Písma, ktoré čítame, vidím mnohých z vás, ktorí to robia, kazatelia, a tak ďalej. Je dobré čítať Slovo. (A teraz, o koľkej obyčajne končíte? Asi o dvanástej? Prosím? Ďakujem ti, brat.) Žalm 105:
Oslavujte Hospodina! Vzývajte jeho meno! Oznamujte jeho skutky medzi národami!
Spievajte mu, spievajte mu žalmy! Rozmýšľajte o všetkých jeho divoch!
Chváľte sa menom jeho svätosti. Nech sa raduje srdce tých, ktorí hľadajú Hospodina!
Hľadajte Hospodina a jeho silu; hľadajte jeho tvár ustavične!
Pamätajte na jeho divy, ktoré učinil, na jeho zázraky a na súdy jeho úst,
vy, semeno Abraháma, jeho služobníka, synovia Jakobovi, jeho vyvolení!
On je Hospodin, náš Bôh; jeho súdy na celej zemi.
Pamätá na veky, na svoju smluvu, na slovo, ktoré prikázal, na tisíc pokolení,
na svoju smluvu, ktorú učinil s Abrahámom, a na svoju prísahu, ktorú prisahal Izákovi.
A postavil to Jakobovi za ustanovenie, Izraelovi za večnú smluvu
povediac: Tebe dám Kananejskú zem za podiel vášho dedičstva,
vtedy, keď ich bol ešte len malý počet, keď ich bolo máličko, a boli v nej pohostínmi.
A chodili od národa k národu a z kráľovstva k inému ľudu.
Nedopustil niktorému človekovi, aby ich utiskoval, a karhal kráľov pre nich
povediac: Nedotýkajte sa mojich pomazaných a mojim prorokom nerobte zlého!
Nech Pán požehná prečítanie Jeho Slova.
Mám tu niekde zapísaných niekoľko miest Písma, na ktoré som sa chcel možno odvolávať, ako pôjdeme ďalej.
5 Som zvedavý, kto dnes bude ďalším prezidentom? Viete, prichádzajú voľby. Kto bude prezidentom v tom ďalšom období? Čo ak by som to vedel? Je iba jeden, ktorý to vie, a to je Boh. A čo ak by mi Boh zjavil, kto bude ďalším prezidentom, a ja by som tu stál vo Phoenixe a vyhlásil by som predpoveď, že ten a ten muž bude ďalším prezidentom Spojených štátov? A oni by to uverejnili v novinách, a tak ďalej, a ja by som to trafil presne do bodky. Bolo by to dokonalé a bolo by tak, že všetko, čo by som povedal, by sa stalo. Ale čo dobré by to urobilo? K čomu by to vôbec bolo, ak by som niečo také urobil? Noviny by to zverejnili a vyšlo by to von a možno, ak by nejaká osoba dokázala urobiť takú predpoveď, a to by sa stalo, všetky noviny a časopisy by to zverejnili.
6 Ale viete, Boh nerobí také veci, Boh nepoužíva Svoju moc a Svoje dary na bláznovstvo. To bude, ktokoľvek bude prezidentom, bude prezidentom. A vedieť teraz, ktorý bude prezidentom, nám ani za mak nepomôže. To by nám ani najmenej nepomohlo vedieť, kto bude ďalším prezidentom. A tak preto Boh nerobí také veci.
A potom, ak by som takéto niečo predpovedal, a to by sa stalo, a noviny by to zverejnili a časopisy, potom by to bolo na moju slávu. Ľudia by povedali, „Pozrite, aký veľký prorok je brat Branham.“ On nám povedal dávno predtým, ako sa to stalo, kto bude prezidentom.“ A to by bolo na moju slávu, ale Boh nechce... On nemá v záujme pôsobiť veci na moju slávu alebo na slávu nejakého človeka. On sa zaujíma o konanie vecí na Jeho slávu, niečo, z čoho bude úžitok.
8 Ako povedal Pavol, „Ak hovoríme v jazykoch a nemáme vykladača, na čo je nám to dobré? Vtedy oslavujeme len sami seba.“ A to je..., vlastne, že „sa sami vzdelávame (povznášame).“ A to je trochu pomimo Božej línie. Boh Sám chce byť povznesený. A my nemáme hľadať povznesenie samých seba, ale povznesenie Boha, vo všetkom, čo robíme.
A tak preto, verím dnes ráno, že ak by som vedel, kto to bude, a vedel by som presne, kto bude zvolený a, ó, o koľko hlasov bude mať viac ako ten druhý alebo čokoľvek by to bolo, to by ani trošku nepomohlo, keby som to povedal. To by bolo najlepšie, aby som si to len nechal pre seba, ak by som to vedel, a nesnažil sa to zverejniť, pretože neexistoval by pre mňa žiaden dôvod, aby som to robil. Pretože jednako to bude, a to pre nás nerobí veľký rozdiel, kto bude prezidentom.
10 Ale Boh, keď On používa Svoje dary, On ich používa na Svoju vlastnú slávu a na slávu Svojich ľudí a slávu Svojej cirkvi na povznesenie tela Kristovho a na slávu Kráľovstva Božieho. To je to, prečo dáva do Svojej cirkvi tieto veci a prečo má učiteľov, prorokov, evanjelistov, pastorov. Oni sú pre budovanie cirkvi a na slávu Božiu. Prorok nemá vyjsť von a miešať sa so svetom a snažiť sa vziať ten dar, ako to urobil Balám, a urobiť s tým rozruch alebo vyťažiť z toho nejaké peniaze alebo niečo. Ak je prorokom, on má zjaviť cirkvi Boha a zostávať pomimo vecí sveta. To je všetko na slávu Božiu.
11 Tak, máme... A myslím, že je to pre nás, ako pre kazateľov, dobré, aby sme nasledovali svoj poriadok, keď vidíme vo svete takéto veci, aké vidíme dnes. A máme nariadenie od Boha, a to je rozoznanie ducha, skúšanie ducha. Verím, že to je veľmi dobrá a veľká lekcia pre cirkev v dnešnom dni, to je skúšať ducha čohokoľvek, mať rozoznanie ducha. Nemyslím si, že by sme kedy mali akýmkoľvek spôsobom snažiť sa posudzovať nejakú osobu podľa toho, do akej denominácie patrí alebo s akou skupinou sa schádza, či sú to metodisti, baptisti, presbyteriáni, letniční alebo čokoľvek sú. Nikdy by sme nemali posudzovať človeka podľa denominácie, do ktorej patrí. Vždy by sme ho mali posudzovať podľa ducha, ktorého má (rozumiete?), ducha. Či je od skupiny jarného dažďa, pozdného dažďa alebo vnútorného alebo vonkajšieho dažďa alebo žiadneho dažďa alebo čímkoľvek je, nikdy by sme ho nemali posudzovať podľa toho, ale podľa jeho ducha. Máme rozoznávať duchov. Pozorovať, čo má ten človek v mysli, čo on má... Čo sa snaží dosiahnuť. Ak ten človek pomocou nejakého daru, nezáleží na tom, aký veľký je ten dar...
12 Tak chcem toto dnes ráno dostať do cirkvi, ktorí ste v rozličných denomináciách, stále ste spolu cirkvou Živého Boha. A toto je tá vec, ktorú do vás chcem dostať, to je, že my nie sme skutočne rozdelení. Sme kameňmi, ktoré sú okresané do rozličných foriem, všetko na slávu Božiu.
Tak existuje v tomto dni, v ktorom teraz žijeme, tak mnoho toho, čo sa týka darov. Tak mnoho ľudí posudzuje druhých ľudí skrze dary, ktoré majú. No, verím, že tieto veci sú dary. Verím, že to, čo vidíme sa diať, sú dary, a to sú Bohom dané dary. Ale my... Ak ich nepožívame správnym spôsobom, tým, ktorým ich Boh mienil použiť, potom vieme s týmito darmi urobiť viac škody, ako by sme urobili, ak by sme tieto dary vôbec nemali. Raz večer som urobil jedno vyhlásenie za kazateľňou a povedal som toto, že radšej by som videl medzi cirkvami existovať bratskú lásku, ak by sme nemali a nemali by sme ani jeden prípad uzdravenia alebo niečoho takého. Vidíte, my musíme vedieť, kvôli čomu sú tieto veci.
14 Tak ak prichádza nejaký človek a má veľký dar, nezáleží na tom, či on patrí do našej denominácie alebo inej denominácie, neposudzujte ho podľa toho, z akej denominácie prichádza, ako sa oblieka, ale to, čo chcete vidieť, je to, čo sa on snaží s tým darom urobiť, aký má zámer. Ak sa snaží vziať tento vplyv a vybudovať si z toho veľké meno, tak budem mať dostatok rozoznania ducha, aby som vedel, že to je nesprávne. Nezáleží na tom, akým veľkým učiteľom je, aký je mocný, aký je intelektuálny alebo ako funguje jeho dar, ak sa nesnaží dosiahnuť niečo pre prospech tela Kristovho, vaše vlastné duchovné rozoznanie vám povie, že to je nesprávne. Nezáleží na tom, aké je to presné, aké dokonalé, aké to je, je to nesprávne, ak to nie je použité pre telo Ježiša Krista.
15 Aby niečo dosiahol, možno má veľký dar, ako by mohol potiahnuť ľudí a dať ich dohromady s nejakou veľkou intelektuálnou alebo duchovnou mocou, až dokáže ľudí spojiť dohromady a možno sa snaží vziať ten dar a urobiť sa slávnym, aby tak mal veľké meno, aby tak iní bratia na neho hľadeli hore ako na nejakú veľkú osobu. To je potom nesprávne. Možno sa snaží vzdelať určitú vec tu, ktorou chce, aby všetci ostatní išli pomimo obraz, a aby iba on a jeho skupina boli v obraze. To je stále nesprávne. Vidíte?
16 Ale ak má Boží dar a snaží sa vzdelať telo Kristovo, potom mi je jedno, kam patrí. Vy nerozoznávate toho človeka, vy rozoznávate toho ducha, ten život, ktorý je v tom človeku. A to je to, čo nám Boh povedal, aby sme robili. Ani raz sme neboli poverení, aby sme rozoznávali podľa skupiny človeka. Ale sme nútení Bohom a je nám Ním prikázané, aby sme rozoznávali ducha v človeku, to, čo sa snaží vykonať, to, do čoho sa ho snaží viesť ten duch, ktorý je v jeho živote. A potom, ak môžme zistiť, kam sa snaží ľudí viesť (Nie snažiť sa ich rozbiť), ale priviesť ich dohromady a priviesť cirkev živého Boha, nie všetkých do jednej denominácie, ale do porozumenia, obecenstva, jednoty ducha. Potom ak on patrí k ľuďom pozdného dážďa alebo jarného dážďa alebo čokoľvek to je, jeho duch a jeho zámer je správny. A ten duch, ktorý je v ňom, bez ohľadu na to, k akému hnutiu patrí, ten duch, ktorý je v ňom, sa snaží poukázať ľuďom na Golgotu, preč od samého seba a preč od čohokoľvek iného, ale jeho jediným zámerom, ktorý má, je poukázať im na Golgotu. Jemu nezáleží na tom, či je známy alebo nie. Jemu dokonca nezáleží ani na tom, či jeho vlastné hnutie... Čo je v poriadku. (Rozumiete?) To je dobré, či on je metodista, presbyterián alebo rímsky katolík alebo čímkoľvek chce byť podľa denominácie.
17 Ale to, čo sa snaží urobiť, ten zámer jeho srdca, to, čo sa on snaží získať? Potom môžete vidieť, čo je v živote toho človeka, či sú jeho motívy pre jeho denomináciu, či sú pre neho samého, či sú pre svetskú slávu, či sú pre nejaké veľké mená, aby povedal, „Ja som to predpovedal a presne tak sa to stalo.“ Tak vidíte, že to je rovno tam nesprávne, hneď od začiatku. Ale ak sa snaží použiť to, čo mu Boh dal, ako učiteľ, ako prorok, ako vidiaci...
18 Novozákonný prorok je kazateľ. Všetci to vieme. Akýkoľvek kazateľ, ktorý káže, je prorokom, novozákonným prorokom, ak on prorokuje, káže, nesnaží sa vzdelať samého seba, aby si urobil veľké meno, alebo vzdelať svoju organizáciu. Pričom, on by mal byť v organizácii. Ja som tu bez žiadnej organizácie, ale jednako vám kážem, že by ste mali byť. To je v poriadku. Každý človek by mal mať domovskú cirkev. Mali by ste mať miesto, nielen lietať z miesta na miesto, ale mať niekde miesto, kde chodíte do zboru a nazývate to svojím zborom, miesto, kde platíte svoje desiatky, a miesto, kde pomáhate podporiť vec. Sami si vyberte, ale potom sa nikdy nesnažte oddeliť od obecenstva s tým druhým, len preto, že nepatrí do vašej skupiny. Rozumiete? Rozoznávajte jeho ducha a vidzte, či má v srdci ten istý zámer, a potom máte obecenstvo jeden s druhým. Pracujete pre jednu veľkú vec. A to je vec Kristova. Myslím si, že je to absolútne správne.
19 Tak ak si všimneme motívy a zámery starozákonných prorokov, tí muži mali jeden cieľ, a to bol Ježiš Kristus. Oni mali jedinú vec, na ktorej bola postavená téma celého Starého Zákona, a to bol príchod Mesiáša. Oni nešli von a nerobili veci len pre peniaze alebo pre slávu. Oni mali jednu vec, oni boli pomazaní Duchom Božím a predpovedali príchod Mesiáša. A tí muži boli tak pomazaní tým Duchom, až niekedy konali ako ten Duch, ktorý bol v ňom, až sa zdalo, že hovoria o samých sebe. Sledujte, čo spôsobil Boží Duch v tých mužoch, aké konanie.
20 Ak vezmeme napríklad Mojžiša, toho veľkého proroka, ako ten muž nemal vôbec žiaden sebecký zámer. On mohol byť kráľom Egypta, on mohol mať svet pod svojimi nohami. Ale pretože bol v srdci prorokom, odmietol byť nazývaný synom dcéry faraónovej a vybral si radšej trpieť prenasledovanie a skúšky Kristove považujúc poklady neba za väčšie poklady ako tie Egyptské. On opustil a zaprel svetskú slávu, ten luxus a veci, ktoré život ponúka. On sa musel dívať poza to. Vidíte, on tým všetkým mohol byť.
21 Vezmite kazateľa dnes: Ak má krst Duchom Svätým a vie, že káže to Slovo, že to odsekne jeho slávu preč, to ho umiestni niekde do nejakej maličkej cirkvi alebo niekde na ulicu. Ale on vie, že niečo v jeho srdci horí. On vidí príchod Pánov. On sa nestará, či má veľký zbor alebo malý zbor. On sa nestará, či má dnes jedlo alebo nemá žiadne jedlo. On sa nestará, či má dobré oblečenie alebo nemá dobré oblečenie, on hľadí na jednu vec, a to je ten život, ktorý v ňom kričí. On sa snaží dosiahnuť niečo pre slávu Božiu a ten človek, pretože to tak robí, bude konať presne podľa života toho Ducha, ktorý je v ňom. Rozumiete to? On to vyjadrí.
22 Pozrite na Mojžiša, keď prišiel do času, že preukázal, že všetok jeho život bol Duch Kristov, pretože Kristus bol v ňom. Kristus bol v Mojžišovi podľa miery. Tak ak si všimnete, on sa narodil v čase prenasledovania. Deti boli zabíjané, snažili sa ho tým dostať, presne tak ako pri Ježišovi. Ale zisťujeme, že keď prišiel do miesta, kde ho deti Izraelove neposlúchali až tak, až sa Boh na nich rozhneval a povedal Mojžišovi, „Odstúp sa a Ja zničím celú tú skupinu a z teba vezmem a vyzdvihnem ďalšiu generáciu.“
Mojžiš sa vrhol do cesty Božieho súdu a povedal, „Vezmi mňa predtým, ako vezmeš ich.“ Inými slovami, „Predtým, ako by si mohol zobrať ich, budeš musieť prejsť cezo mňa.“
To je presne to, čo urobil Ježiš Kristus. Boh by vymazal z celej tváre zeme týchto hriešnikov, teba a mňa, ale Sám Kristus sa vrhol do tej cesty. Boh to nemohol urobiť, musel by prejsť cez Svojho vlastného Syna.
A keď Boh videl toho Ducha v Mojžišovi, ako tam visí v súde ako kríž, „Nemôžeš prísť k nim, musíš vziať najprv mňa,“ vidíte toho Božieho Ducha v Mojžišovi? Keď pritom mohol byť kráľom Egypta, keď mohol mať každý luxus na svete, byť populárnym, mohol byť veľkým kráľom sveta v tom čase, ale on si vybral trpieť prenasledovanie a trápenie, lebo považoval pohanenie Kristovo za väčšie poklady ako tie Egyptské... Vidíte, on sa vrhol do cesty. Prečo? To bol Boh v Mojžišovi, ktorý to urobil. To bežné myslenie, ten intelektuálny človek by to nikdy neurobil, on by si zvolil tú ľahkú cestu. Tak bez ohľadu na to, akým fanatickým sa Mojžiš zdal byť, on sa snažil... Vidíte, že on bol pravým prorokom Božím, pretože on sa snažil dosiahnuť niečo pre Kráľovstvo Božie.
26 No, so svojím veľkým darom proroctva mohol byť múdrym mužom, mohol sa postaviť v Egypte a povedať, „Tak počkajte, ja budem prorokovať tak a tak. Poviem to a to,“ a akoby bolo jeho proroctvo. Ale to je... A, ó, on by bol svetovo známy. Ale to nebolo v jeho srdci. To nemohlo byť v jeho srdci.
Tak ak vidíte nejakú osobu s veľkým darom, ktorá sa snaží urobiť niečo, aby oslávila samú seba, vaše vlastné rozoznanie ducha vám hovorí, že je to nesprávne. Ale Mojžiš sa snažil dosiahnuť niečo pre slávu Božiu. Nezáleží na tom, aké zlé to bolo, ako hrozne to vyzeralo, koľko o tom ľudia hovorili, ten Duch v Mojžišovi ho smeroval rovno do línie povinnosti: ten Duch v ňom.
28 Pozrite sa na Jozefa, Jozef bol… Keď sa narodil, bol milovaný svojím otcom a nenávidený svojimi bratmi: dokonalý obraz Krista. A ten jediný… On im bol pokrvným bratom, mali toho istého otca. Ale dôvod, prečo ho jeho bratia nenávideli bez príčiny, bol, pretože Boh ho urobil prorokom, duchovným, vidiacim. A oni ho práve preto nenávideli. Ale Jozef si nemohol pomôcť, pretože to bol Boh, ktorý ho takým urobil.
29 Pozorujte Ducha Božieho v Jozefovi. Pozorujte, čo on urobil. Dokonca odohral časť Krista. Bol nenávidený svojimi bratmi, milovaný svojím otcom, pretože ten Duch urobil rozdiel. On bol duchovným človekom. Vídal videnia, vykladal sny. Nerobil to pre svoju vlastnú slávu. On to robil, pretože niečo bolo v ňom: Duch Boží. On by tam nešiel sám od seba, on bol hodený do jamy a jeho starý, biedny otec bol všetky tie roky zarmútený, bol predaný za takmer tridsať strieborných, vytiahnutý z jamy a stal sa človekom po pravici faraóna, kráľa zeme, ktorý bol v tom čase. A v jeho väzení bol čašník a pekár a jeden bol stratený a ten druhý zachránený skrze jeho predpovede vo väzení.
30 A či ste si všimli, že Ježiš, keď prišiel, bol milovaný Otcom. A otec dal Jozefovi plášť mnohých farieb (dúha, zmluva). A Otec Boh dal svojmu Synovi Ježišovi zmluvu, a potom Ho tento židovský brat nenávidel bez príčiny. On nemal jediný dôvod Ho nenávidieť, On bol duchovným a On bol Božie Slovo, ktoré bolo zamanifestované. On prišiel, aby konal vôľu Otca, prišiel vyplniť Písma. On im prišiel priniesť pokoj, ale oni Ho neporozumeli a nenávideli Ho bez príčiny. Oni sa nepozastavili, aby sa snažili vidieť, čo sa On snaží dosiahnuť. Oni Ho zle posudzovali len preto, že On s nimi nesúhlasil. Oni urobili... „On sa robí tým a tým. On sa Sám robí Bohom.“ On bol Bohom. Boh bol v Ňom. Biblia hovorí, že Boh bol v Kristovi manifestujúci Seba Samého svetu. On bol Božou slávou, ktorá manifestovala slávu Božiu.
31 Pozrite na Mojžiša, on si nemohol pomôcť, že bol do toho uvrhnutý. On to neurobil pokrytecky. On to urobil, pretože Boh bol v ňom. Ani Jozef si nemohol pomôcť byť tým, čím bol, pretože to bol Boh v ňom, ktorý pôsobil alebo preukazoval Samého seba skrze človeka, on to nerobil na svoju slávu. Akýkoľvek človek, ktorý... Ak by tí kňazi mali len to rozoznanie ducha, ako ku vám dnes ráno hovorím, bez ohľadu na to, koľko svet o Ňom hovoril, oni by stále boli vedeli, ak by sa len boli pozreli do Slova, uvideli by Jeho zámer. On vždy robil to, čo oslavovalo Otca. On povedal... Oni povedali, „Ó, tento človek je veľký uzdravovateľ, On robí takéto veci.“
On povedal, „Ja nemôžem robiť nič, kým mi to Otec neukáže. To nie som Ja, ktorý činím tie skutky. To je Otec, ktorý prebýva vo Mne, On činí tie skutky.“ Nikdy si neprivlastnil slávu.
34 Ani žiaden sluha Boží si neprivlastní slávu. Ani žiaden sluha Boží nevezme Boží dar na to, aby sa s ním snažil osláviť alebo niečo také, ale jeho priamy zámer je urobiť niečo na slávu Božiu. To je to, prečo vidíte to isté dnes. Musíme mať rozoznanie ducha, aby sme videli, čo sa tá osoba snaží vykonať. Snažia sa osláviť Boha? Snažia sa osláviť sami seba?
35 Tak Duch Boží pôsobiaci v ľuďoch spôsobuje, že tí ľudia konajú ako Boh. Niet divu, že Ježiš povedal, „Či nie je napísané, 'vy ste bohovia?' A ak sú nazvaní bohmi tí, ku ktorým prišiel Duch Boží, ako môžete odsudzovať Mňa, keď Ja som Syn Boží?“ Ak by ste mohli vidieť Ducha Božieho v Mojžišovi, ktorý bol Bohom. Mojžiš bol bohom. Jozef bol bohom. Proroci boli bohmi. Biblia hovorí, že boli. Oni boli bohmi, pretože oni sa kompletne odovzdali Duchu Božiemu a oni pracovali na slávu Božiu.
A keď je nejaký človek tak pomazaný Duchom... Tak nech toto ide skutočne hlboko pod piate rebro na ľavej strane. Keď je nejaký človek pomazaný Duchom Božím, jeho zvyky, jeho skutky a všetko, to je Boh, ktorý sa v ňom pohybuje. Niekedy je zle posúdený.
37 Pozrite na Dávida v dvadsiatom treťom Žalme, ako zvolal, „Môj Bože, môj Bože, prečo si ma opustil?“ To vyzeralo, ako by Dávid bol tým človekom. „Všetci, ktorí prechádzajú popri mne, sa mi bezdôvodne posmievajú.“ On bol tak pomazaný Bohom, on bol tak dokonale odovzdaný Bohu, a to pomazanie bolo na Ňom až tak, že keď zvolal skrze Ducha Božieho, ak by tam niekto vtedy stál, povedal by, „No, pozrite, on si myslí, že niekto sa mu bezdôvodne posmieva. Prečo ho Boh opustil?“
To nebol Dávid, to bol Duch, ktorý volal skrze Dávida. „Môj Bože, môj Bože, prečo si ma opustil, všetky moje kosti hľadia na mňa. Prebodli moje ruky a moje nohy.“
40 Tak niekto by povedal, „Počúvajte tam toho pokrytca. Koho ruky sú prebodnuté? Koho nohy sú prebodnuté?“ To bolo intelektuálne.
Ale ten, ktorý mal rozoznanie Ducha, vedel, že to bol Duch Boží v ňom, ktorý volal. Keď je nejaký človek pomazaný Duchom Božím, on má akciu Božiu a tá Božia akcia nikdy nemá rozlámať nás. Tá akcia Božia je potiahnuť nás spolu dohromady, pretože sme jedno v Kristu Ježišovi a Boží zámer je zjednotiť nás. „Milujete jeden druhého.“
42 Tak teraz ten veľký prorok, vidíme, ako sa Duch v nich pohyboval a Ježiš ich nazval bohmi. Povedal, že sú bohovia. Tak ku nim prišiel Duch podľa miery, ale keď to prišlo k tomu jednému, Ježišovi, ktorý bol Synom Božím, k Nemu to prišlo bez miery. Plnosť Božstva telesne prebývala v Ňom, pretože On bol dokonalým príkladom. On bol Božou slávou, ktorá manifestovala slávu Božiu ľuďom. Boh, ktorý bol v Ňom, ktorý sa dával poznávať. Pozorujte Jeho život, celú Starú Zmluvu, On bol témou Starej Zmluvy. Všetci tí starí proroci tam vtedy v Starej Zmluve volali nie na seba, oni volali pod Duchom Božím, ktorý spôsoboval, že oni konali ako Boh až tak veľmi, až boli nazvaní bohmi, a potom plnosť Ducha bola prejavená v Ježišovi Kristovi.
43 Pozrite na Dávida, keď ho zosadili z trónu, kráľa Izraela, bol odmietnutý svojimi vlastnými ľuďmi, kráčal na Olivovú horu na sever od Jeruzalema a pozrel sa späť na to mesto a plakal, pretože bol odmietnutý. Čo to bolo? To bol Duch Kristov.
O päťsto rokov neskôr Syn Dávidov, Ježiš, sedel na tej istej hore a díval sa z vrchu na mesto, On, ako odmietnutý kráľ, a volal, „Jeruzalem, Jeruzalem, ako často som ťa chcel zhromaždiť (Vaše rôzne denominácie a všetko to) ako sliepka svoje kurence, ale nechceli ste. Ako často Som to chcel urobiť.“ Tak ten istý Duch, ktorý bol v Dávidovi, ktorý sa v plnosti prejavil v Kristovi, je dnes v cirkvi a volá k ľuďom, „Ako často som vás chcel zhromaždiť.“ A keď vidíte rozdelenia a rozdiely a rozbité bratstvo a kresťanský život, jeden proti druhému, potom to spôsobuje, že Duch Boží vo vašom srdci kričí. Snažíte sa dosiahnuť niečo, pravdivý prorok Boží, pravdivý učiteľ sa snaží priviesť cirkev do jednoty Ducha, aby ľudia mohli rozpoznať Boha; snaží sa to dosiahnuť bez ohľadu na to, do akej denominácie patria alebo podobne. Máme rozoznanie ducha, rozlíšiť ducha, ktorý je v človeku, aby sme videli, či je to Boží Duch alebo nie.
46 Tak všímame si, keď On bol tu na zemi, ako išiel a činil dobre. Všimol som si ďalšiu vec, ktorá mi prichádza na myseľ. Všimli ste si, že keď Dávid bol odmietnutý ako kráľ, on vyšiel z mesta a jeden malý Benjamínec, ktorý mu mal byť bratom, mal by mať ľútosť nad tým, že bol odmietnutý, ale on... Bol to chromý človek. A on sa ťahal vo svojom chromom stave a hádzal hlinu na Dávida a nazýval ho všetkými možnými zlými menami a preklínal ho v mene Pánovom, preklínal kráľa Dávida v mene Pánovom, tento malý, chromý Benjamínec. Pozorujte Ducha Božieho a ducha diabla pri práci.
47 Tak ak si všimnete, on bol chromý. To reprezentuje duchovné ochromenie ľudí dneška, ktorí si robia žarty z pravdivého Ducha Božieho v Kristovi, ktorý manifestuje samého seba. To bol Duch Kristov v Dávidovi, odmietnutý ako kráľ. A dnes, keď si ľudia robia žarty z ľudí, ktorí prijali Ducha Svätého a snažia sa dosiahnuť niečo, aby potiahli metodistov a letničných a baptistov a letničných a presbyteriánov a všetkých spolu do jednoty ako telo Kristovo, a oni vidia toho ducha, ako pôsobí, a povedia, „No, pozrite, on je letničný. Preč s ním. Poznám jedného takého, ktorý odišiel so ženou iného muža. Viem, že tamten sa opil. A viem, že tento urobil toto. A viem, že tamten urobil zase tamto.“ Všetko to, ale oni sú dosť veľkí na to, aby ukryli svoje vlastné veci, dokážu ich skryť. Ale Dávid bol odkrytý. Prečo? On mal v sebe Ducha Kristovho.
Ten strážca povedal, „Mám tomu psovi, ktorý preklína môjho kráľa, zoťať hlavu?“
49 Pozorujte Ducha Kristovho v Dávidovi „Nechaj ho tak, lebo Pán mu povedal, aby ma preklínal.“ Porozumievate to? „Nechaj ho tak, lebo Pán mu povedal, aby ma preklial.“
Namiesto toho dnes chceme pozdvihnúť svoje päste a bojovať s ním, odseknúť mu hlavu. „Áno, preč s ním, on nepatrí k nám.“
„Nechaj ho tak, lebo Pán mu povedal, aby ma preklial.“ A ten chromý tam chodil okolo a hádzal špinu na Dávida...
To je to, čo oni dnes robia Duchu Kristovmu. „To je banda náboženských fanatikov. Áno, oni sú banda tohoto. Nič na nich nie je. Nie je nič na Božskom uzdravení. Neexistuje niečo také ako anjeli. Neexistuje niečo také ako proroci.“ Všetky tie veci, „Dni zázrakov pominuli,“ hádžu špinu. Ale nechajte ich tak. Ale keď sa Dávid vrátil v moci (Haleluja), keď sa vrátil späť ako plný kráľ Izraela... Nebojte sa, tento Ježiš, ktorého Ducha máme dnes, odohral svoju časť, On sa navráti späť vo fyzickom tele, po druhýkrát v sláve, moci a majestáte.
53 Ten malý hádzač špiny padol na svoju tvár a prosil o milosť. „Nechaj ho tak,“ Duch Kristov v nás. Neexkomunikujte ho. Pamätajte, že všetky tieto veci sa musia stať. My máme jednu vec, ktorú musíme urobiť: Hýbať sa vpred. Boh zasľúbil, že On spôsobí, že všetko bude spolu pôsobiť na dobre tým, ktorí Ho milujú. Zachovajme rozoznanie ducha, držme správny ten cieľ. Sme tu, aby sme slúžili Bohu, každý jeden mali obecenstvo medzi sebou, išli a slúžili Bohu. Ak má človek nesprávny druh cieľa, čo sa potom stane? Vidíte?
54 Zisťujeme teraz, že v Ňom bol Boží Duch. Všetci proroci za dávna o Ňom hovorili. Každá miera Ducha, ktorá bola daná, každá maličká časť oslavovala Jeho (cez tých pravých prorokov), všetci pravdiví proroci Ho prejavovali, hovorili o Ňom. A všetko, čo povedali, sa v ňom naplnilo. To ukázalo, že Duch Boží bol v nich, keď sa to naplnilo. Rozumiete? Boh manifestujúci Samého Seba skrze týchto prorokov.
55 Nie brať slávu, „Kto bude ďalším prezidentom? Kto bude týmto,“ a udrú vás po hlave, „Povedz nám, kto ťa uderil, a uveríme ti.“ To nie je to. Ide o to, čo prejaví Boha. Nie niečo, čo urobí brata Weathersa tu alebo brata Shoresa alebo brata toho a toho, ktorý je tu, veľkým človekom a urobí ho väčším nad všetkých ostatných v jeho skupine a urobí ho najväčším človekom vo Phoenixe. To nie je učiniť Williama Branhama niečím veľkým. Ale čo to má urobiť? To nemá učiniť Orala Robertsa niečím veľkým, Billyho Grahama niečím veľkým. Ale ide o srdcia, my sa snažíme dosiahnuť niečo pre Kráľovstvo Božie. To prejavuje Boha. Všetky dary a veci nerobia jedného väčšieho od druhého, to len spôsobuje, že všetci spolu pracujeme ku zdokonaleniu Tela, aby nás to priviedlo spolu ako jeden ľud, ako ľud Boží. Ale keď ich vidíte, ako idú proti tomu, nepreklínajte ich, len ich nechajte tak, niekto to musí robiť. Ale čakajte, kým Ježiš príde k moci.
56 Tak vidíme, ako všetci tí proroci hovoria. Každý jeden z nich oslavoval Boha a prichádzajúceho Mesiáša. A keď sa dostali do Ducha, oni konali a hovorili a žili život taký ako Mesiáš. Ak to spôsobilo toto po tamtej strane kríža, keď hovorili o Jeho príchode, o čo viac to spôsobí po Jeho príchode, umiestni to Ducha Mesiáša do cirkvi, aby konala, robila, pracovala a žila tak ako Mesiáš, to je Duch Boží.
Rozoznajte ducha, vidzte, či je to z Boha alebo nie, vidzte, či to koná ako On, vidzte, či vaše emócie... Ak niekto proti vám kopne a hodí na váš život špinu, pričom viete, že ste tak nevinný, ako len môžete byť, a viete, že máte Ducha Božieho, nesnažte sa oddeliť, nesnažte sa byť k nim hrubý. Nepreklínajte ich. Len choďte ďalej vediac, že Boh to dal, aby vám dal test, aby videl, ako to vezmete. On ku tomu jednako bude musieť prísť.
58 Ako som jedného dňa povedal, myslím, že v cirkvi brata Fullera, o tom cyklistovi v Kanade. Tak všetci si mysleli, že dokážu tohto chlapca predbehnúť, tohto malého slabocha. A on bol ten jediný, ktorý nedokázal jazdiť bez držania sa riadidiel.
Som šťastný, že mám rád tých jazdcov s riadidlami, ktorí sa uchopia oboch strán kríža a povedia, „Nič neprinášam na svojich rukách. Dovoľ mi držať sa kríža, Pane, nemám žiadne intelektuálne schopnosti. Nemám nič. Dovoľ mi držať sa tu a hľadieť tam vpred.“
60 A mali tam dvanásťpalcovú dosku, po ktorej mali prejsť na dĺžku asi mestského bloku, aby vyhrali stodolárový bicykel Schwinn. Všetci tí chlapci, ktorí dokázali jazdiť bez držania sa riadidiel a chodili dolu a vrátili sa, priniesli mame potraviny bez toho, že by sa vôbec dotkli riadidiel, a každý sa na nich díval. Oni neboli zvyknutí držať riadidlá, a tak spadli. Ale tento chlapec sa tam dostal a držal sa riadidiel a prešiel až do konca. Opýtali sa ho, „Ako si to dokázal?“
On povedal, „Tu je to, kde ste, chlapci, urobil chybu. Vy ste všetci lepší cyklisti ako ja, ale vy ste sa dívali sem,“ a povedal, „to vás ešte viac znervóznilo, keď ste videli... Snažili ste sa udržať rovnováhu a vypadli ste.“ Povedal, „Ja som sa sem dolu vôbec nedíval, ja som sa díval na ten koniec a pevne som sa držal.“
To je to, čo my máme robiť. Nedívaj sa na tieto malé veci tu, „Či tento urobil toto a tamten zase to,“ sleduj koniec a drž sa pevne. Kristus prichádza. Pozoruj koniec, len sa drž pevne. Nevšímaj si to, čo sa deje teraz. Sleduj to, čo bude pokračovať tam ďalej za koncom času, kedy sa budeme musieť postaviť a vydať počet za naše životy.
63 Dávid sa nedíval na toho malého Benjamínca, ktorý naňho hádzal špinu, on bol jednako chromý. Vôbec si ho nevšímal. Dokonca ani nedovolil strážcovi, aby mu sťal hlavu, povedal, „Nechaj ho tak, Boh mu povedal, aby to urobil. Boh mu povedal, aby ma preklínal, nechaj ho tak.“ Pretože Dávid vedel, že jedného dňa sa navráti v moci. A na toho Benjamínca príde čas.
Áno, to je to, cirkev povstane v triumfe. Ja som jednako len poslaný, aby som sa modlil za jeho choré deti. To je všetko, čo môžem robiť. Kdekoľvek sú a v akejkoľvek cirkvi sú, nerobí to žiaden rozdiel. Ja sa snažím modliť za Jeho choré deti snažiac sa prejaviť ten dar na Jeho slávu. To je ten dôvod, prečo som nikdy do ničoho nepatril.
Tak pamätajte, to je v poriadku. Vidíte, ja nie som... Ja toto teraz nehovorím, ja chcem, aby ste ma dobre rozumeli, že verím, že Boh má kresťanov v každej cirkvi, Svoje deti. On mi to nikdy nespochybnil. Ja som len poslaný, aby som sa modlil za Jeho deti a konal tieto veci a prejavil Jeho.
66 Tak vidíte, Ježiš a títo proroci, všetko, o čom hovorili, muselo byť pravdivé, pretože to bola Božia moc v nich, Boh Sám hovoriaci cez nich o Sebe samom, ako prichádza ku Svojej vlastnej sláve.
„Kto bude prezidentom? Kto to bude? Kto to bude? Budeme mať tento rok dosť dažďa?“ To neznamená nič. Niečo na Božiu slávu, niečo, čo by postavilo cirkev do poriadku, niečo pre moc Božiu, nie, aby si si vybudoval meno, ale nechal, aby bola Božia sláva prejavená.
68 Tak všímame si, že všetci títo proroci, oni všetci hovorili o Ňom, všetko sa stalo, pretože On bol tou témou Starej Zmluvy. Ježiš, Mesiáš, prichádzajúci Mesiáš bol tým, na čo každý prorok vyhliadal od Adama až po Malachiáša. Každý prorok hovoril o príchode Pánovom. Každý jeden do toho vložil svoju časť, pretože bol pomazaný Bohom. To je všetko, o čom mohol hovoriť.
Tak prial by som si, aby sme mali na toto viac času. Ale pozorujte. Všetko, čo oni povedali, sa stalo. Pozrite sem. Vezmime len niekoľko vecí, ktoré tí proroci povedali.
70 „Panna počne a porodí dieťa.“ Stalo sa to? Iste. Jeho meno bude nazvané Emanuel, knieža pokoja, mocný Boh, večný Otec.“ To je to, čím bol, presne, „Večný Otec.“ Žiaden človek nebude nazvaný otcom na tejto zemi, ale Boh je vaším Otcom.
V poriadku, pozrime sa teraz znovu. „On bol zranený pre naše prestúpenia, bol zdrtený pre naše neprávosti, kázeň nášho pokoja bola zložená na Neho, Jeho ranami sme uzdravení.“ Pilátovi v súdnej sieni, zatiaľ čo práve ten človek, ktorý mal svoj chrbát takto zbičovaný tým deväť-remienkovým bičom, si neuvedomoval, že tie Písma to takto povedali. Tí kňazi, ktorí povedali, „Preč s ním, preč s ním,“ nemali rozoznanie ducha.
72 A tam na kríži, kedy sa naňho osopovali, a tieto veci, kedy Ho počuli zvolať, „Môj Bože, prečo si ma opustil?“ Oni nemali rozoznanie. Vidíte, nedokázali rozoznať Ducha. To je to, čo hovoril Dávid v dvadsiatom druhom Žalme, že sa naňho osopili a nevedeli, čo robia. Presne to, čo urobil ten Benjamínec Dávidovi. Vidíte, on si myslel, že Dávid sa celkom mýlil, pretože on s ním nesúhlasil na jeho princípoch spravovania svojho kráľovstva. On nerozumel, že to bol Duch Boží v Dávidovi, ktorý to robil.
To je to, čo musíme my rozlišovať dnes, ducha človeka. Čo sa snaží urobiť? Do čoho prichádza? Nie do akej skupiny patrí alebo čo toto, to alebo tamto, či je biely, čierny, žltý alebo čímkoľvek je. Viďme, čo sa snaží dosiahnuť, a vezmime to: Pozrime, čo sa snaží urobiť pre Kráľovstvo Božie. Ak má nejaké idey, ktoré sa nám zdajú zvláštne, to je úplne v poriadku, ak sa snaží dosiahnuť niečo pre Kráľovstvo Božie. To v ňom rozlišujte. Ak sa mýli a je pravdivý v srdci, Boh ho po nejakom čase privedie späť ku pravde tej veci. Nechajte ho tak, nechajte ho tak a vidzte, čo sa snaží urobiť.
74 Tak vidíme tu potom, ako Ho nachádzame v Jeho smrti, keď zomrel na kríži a volal všetky tie veci, ktoré proroci o Ňom hovorili, „Prebodli moje ruky a moje nohy.“ Tam sa to vyplnilo. Tí proroci mali pravdu. Ľudia si mysleli, že to boli oni sami alebo že oni sami kričali, ale to sa prejavilo na kríži.
„Bol počítaný s priestupníkmi.“ To je to, čo sa s Ním stalo. Bol s priestupníkmi. „Vo svojej smrti bol pochovaný s bohatými.“ Bol, bol pochovaný v hrobe bohatého človeka. „Nezanechám Jeho duše... On nezanechá mojej duše...“ Povedal Dávid, hovoril to Duch Boží v Dávidovi. „Nezanechám mojej duše v pekle, ani nenechám, aby jeho Svätý videl porušenie,“ ako keby Dávid bol tým Svätým. To nebol Dávid, to bol Duch Boží v Dávidovi, ktorý volal. Vidíte, Duch Boží, ako volá cez človeka.
Niekto povedal, „Počujte tam toho starého pokrytca hore.“
On tým nebol, to bol Duch Boží v ňom, ktorý kričal. Vidíte, Duch Boží sa Sám manifestuje „Nezanechám Jeho duše v pekle i nenechám, aby môj Svätý videl porušenie.“
77 Tak bratia, ako zakončujeme, dovoľte mi povedať toto, náš čas ubieha. Ale pozrite, nech toto smiem povedať, ako končím pri týchto miestach Písma tu. Pozrite. Ak nejaký človek, kde celá tá Starozákonná téma bola o Ňom, všetci tí svätí proroci pomazaní Božím Duchom, ak všetko to a všetko, čo povedali, sa vyplnilo do písmena presne v Ňom, potom istotne tá veľká osoba nazvaná Syn Boží by mala vedieť, ako postaviť Novozákonnú cirkev. Či to neveríte? On by mal mať plán a vedieť, ako zbudovať Novozákonnú cirkev.
78 Tá prvá vec, ku ktorej chcem upútať vašu pozornosť, je tu v Matúšovi, šestnástej kapitole, kedy On tam hovorí, keď prichádza dolu a hovorí k učeníkom. On povedal, „Čo hovoria ľudia, že kto som Ja, syn človeka?“
A oni povedali, „Niektorí hovoria, že Ty si Eliáš, a iní, že si ten a ten, a niektorí hovoria, že si ten a ten a tak,“ bolo to rôzne.
On povedal, „Ale čo hovoríte vy, že kto Ja som?“
A Peter povedal, „Ty si Kristus, Syn živého Boha.“
On povedal, „Požehnaný si, Šimon, syn Jonášov, lebo telo a krv ti to nezjavili, ale môj Otec, ktorý je v nebesiach, ti toto zjavil. A hovorím ti, že ty si Šimon alebo Peter, a na tejto skale postavím Svoju cirkev a brány pekla ju nepremôžu.“ Tak tam bolo hovorené o cirkvi. Tak sledujte teraz pozorne a ak sa mýlim, nech mi to Boh odpustí, aj vy mi odpustite.
82 Tak katolícka cirkev hovorí, že to bol ten kameň, ktorý tam ležal, Peter, a na tom Petrovi je postavená cirkev. Tak my vieme, že to je nesprávne. My protestanti s tým nesúhlasíme.
Ale my protestanti hovoríme, „To bol On Sám, ktorý postavil... Na ktorom postavil cirkev, na Samom Sebe.“ Ale ak si všimnete, chcem s tým nesúhlasiť a byť priateľský. To nebolo to. To bolo na duchovnom zjavení Jeho Samého. Rozumiete? „Telo a krv... Nikdy si sa to nenaučil v tomto seminári, hocaký dobrý je. Nikdy si sa toto nenaučil skrze nejakú cirkevnú dogmu, hocaká dobrá je. To je všetko v poriadku, ale telo a krv ti toto nezjavili. To nie je intelektuálna koncepcia toho, ako predniesť svoju reč, ako sa musíš ukloniť, a ako alebo akú veľkú vec musíš urobiť tu na zemi. To nie je to, čo to je. To nie je postavené na nejakej veľkej veci alebo na vykonaní nejakej veľkej veci. To, čím to je, je zjavenie Božieho Slova. On bol Slovom. „Na počiatku bolo Slovo a to Slovo bolo s Bohom a to Slovo bol Boh. A to Slovo bolo prejavené a prebývalo medzi nami.“
85 On bol... To bolo zjavenie Božieho Slova, Duch v Petrovi zjavoval skrze duchovné zjavenie, že On je Syn Boží zamanifestovaný, Boh slávy manifestujúci slávu Božiu. „Na tejto skale (duchovné zjavenie Slova) postavím Svoju cirkev.“ Prečo? Ak boli tí proroci pod Bohom a hovorili skrze Svätého Ducha, že to bol Syn Boží, ten istý Duch na tejto strane zjavuje späť rovno tú istú vec. Vidíte to?
„Telo a krv,“ nedokážete sa to naučiť v seminári. Učíte sa svoje... Získavate svoj titul doktora teológie a vaše PhD. a L.D. alebo... To je v poriadku, prial by som si, aby som to mal. To je v poriadku, ale to stále nie je to. Vy to nemusíte mať, a pritom je to dobre mať. Vy môžete byť toto plus, ale ak musíte vymazať to plus, tak vezmite toto. Toto je to, ak toto nie je to, tak nech mám jednako toto. Ja chcem toto, toto.
87 „Telo a krv ti toto nezjavili.“ Nikdy si sa to nenaučil skrze vzdelanie. Nikdy si sa to nenaučil cez denominácie. Ony sú v poriadku, vzdelanie, denominácia je v poriadku. To je časť toho. Ale ľudia na to kladú príliš veľký dôraz a oni opúšťajú to duchovné rozoznanie. Rozumiete?
„Telo a krv ti toto nezjavili, ale môj Otec, ktorý je v nebesiach, ti toto zjavil. A na tejto skale zbudujem svoju cirkev a brány pekla ju nepremôžu.“ „Nebudú ju môcť premôcť,“ ukázal tým, že budú proti nej.
Tak pozorujte, proti čomu sú brány pekla. Oni nie sú proti denominácii. Vláda ich uznáva. To nie je to. Svet uznáva naše denominácie, všetky z nich. Máme právo každý jeden z nás, ako americkí občania, mať právo na denomináciu, čo je v poriadku, ceníme si to. Ale to nie je to, proti čomu sú brány pekla. Oni sú proti duchovnému zjaveniu, že Kristus je práve teraz tu, ten istý včera, dnes i naveky. To je to, proti čomu sú. „Brány pekla budú proti nej, ale nikdy ju nepremôžu.“
90Tu to máte: duchovné zjavenie. Bez ohľadu na to, kto to je, je to môj brat, pokiaľ sa len snaží dosiahnuť ten istý zámer, pre ktorý ja pracujem. Či je prorok, či je pastor, či je diakon alebo je to a to, nech ho Boh uctí v tomto, v tamtom alebo čokoľvek to je, ak mňa chce uraziť, čokoľvek chce urobiť, ale jednako je to môj brat. Pracujeme pre tú istú vec. Vysielame všetky naše skutky tam do toho istého Kráľovstva. On pracuje pre tú istú vec ako ja. Duchovné rozoznanie, duchovné zjavenie Boha. Pozrite sem, ak to chcete.
91 Ježiš... Kázal som o tom niekde jedného dňa, možno tam dolu, „Na počiatku nebolo tak.“ Musíme sa vrátiť na počiatok, aby sme teraz zistili, čo je teraz naším textom. Tam na začiatku bol Kain, intelektuálny, vystavil peknú cirkev (povedali by sme), urobil pekný oltár, obetoval obeť, modlil sa, bol úprimný, vzdal vďaku, zaplatil svoj desiatok, všetko, presne tak nábožne ako Ábel.
92 Ale Ábel (v tých dňoch nebola žiadna Biblia), ale skrze Duchovné zjavenie Ábel videl, že to nebolo ovocie poľa, ktoré zapríčinilo náš hriech. To neboli jablká, ktoré jedli. Vidíte, to zjavenie mu povedalo, že to neboli jablká. A to nebolo ovocie, ktoré ho doviedlo do toho, že musel odtiaľ vyjsť von. To bol život, oddelenie života, tak on išiel a zaobstaral si baránka a obetoval ho na jeho mieste skrze vieru, čo je duchovné zjavenie. Amen. Zjavenie Božie, duchovné zjavenie, bolo mu to zjavené. To nebolo ovocie, neboli to jablká, neboli to broskyne, slivky, hrušky. To bolo oddelenie života, tak on išiel a priniesol a obetoval život namiesto ovocia.
93 Ovocie, to je práca vašich vlastných rúk, čo tam robíte, „Pôjdem a vystavím toto, pôjdem a urobím toto. Toto podporím.“ To je dobré. On mal oltár presne tak ako ten druhý. Obaja mali oltáre. To bolo v poriadku.
Ale išlo o duchovnú zjavenú pravdu tej veci, pretože Duch Boží to zjavil. A na tej skale, tá skala, na ktorej zomrel Kristus, tá Skala vekov, na tej Skale zomrel Ábelov baránok... Ten malý Ábel, ako položil na toho malého baránka svoje ruky a jeho malá biela vlna bola zmočená, ako vzal skalu, a v tých dňoch nemali kopije, a presekol mu ten malý krk a udrel ho. A ten drobný tvor zomieral, krv zmočila jeho ruky a jeho drobná vlna bola celá od krvi a on bečal a volal.
95 O čom to hovorilo? Baránok Boží, o nejakých štyritisíc rokov neskôr, bolo to duchovne zjavené a cirkev Ho odmietla. A ľudia Ho nazvali Belzebúbom a diablom, pretože všetci proroci prehovorili. A oni zapreli proroka. Ó, On povedal, „Vy budujete hroby a kladiete ich do nich, vy obielené steny,“ povedal im. Bez duchovného rozoznania nevedeli, že to bol Baránok Boží, ktorý mal byť takýto a takto konať, pretože On vypĺňal Božie Slovo.
96 A cirkev Svätého Ducha dnes takto koná, koná tie veci, ktoré konajú, oni vypĺňajú Božie Slovo. Haleluja. Vidíte, Peter povedal na deň Letníc, „Toto je to.“ A povedal, „Je to pre vás a pre vaše deti a pre tých, ktorí sú široko ďaleko, pre koľkýchkoľvek, ktorých si povolá Pán náš Boh.“
Tí istí inšpirovaní proroci povedali, že zasvieti večerné svetlo, že bude jarný a pozdný dážď spolu ako vo dňoch milosti. Pozrite sem... Čo to je? Prichádza jarný dážď a pozdný dážď už prešiel. Potom sa to prelína a ide to spolu, ten jarný a pozdný dážď spolu, Duch Svätý, ktorý je prejavovaný skrze moc a vzkriesenie Ježiša Krista. Tu to máte, prichádza to spolu, ten jarný... Božia milosť... On povedal, „Ako bolo vo dňoch Noeho.“ Jeho milosť bola dlhozhovievajúca. Tu je to dnes, dlhozhovievajúci, to prelínanie prináša ten oblak z tých starých dní a oblak z tohoto dňa spolu. Jarný dážď prišiel najprv, ten prvý dážď, ktorý sme mali, a tu prichádza teraz pozdný dážď, jarný dážď prichádza k tomu pozdnému dažďu, východ a západ sa stretajú, oba dažde padajú spolu, Božské uzdravenie plus anjel Boží zjavujúci tajnosti srdca, a spôsobuje, že všetko sa vypĺňa. Ó, vyzerá to, že pravdivo narodené deti Božie to uvidia. Tu to máte, Duch zjavuje. Zjavenie, to je to, čo Ježiš povedal, že na čom bude postavená cirkev.
98 Tak potom by niekto mohol povstať a povedať, „No, istotne my takí a takí sme na tom postavení.“
Vezmime Jeho Slovo trošku ďalej. Pri poslednom poverení pre Jeho cirkev On povedal, „Choďte do celého sveta a kážte Evanjelium každému stvoreniu.“ Do celého sveta... Ako dlho to má potrvať? Do celého sveta. Ku koľkým? Každému stvoreniu. „Ten, kto verí a bude pokrstený,“ nie cirkev, „Ten,“ to je osobné zámeno. „Ten, kto uverí...“ Jednotlivec.
Tak, ako Dávid DuPlessis povedal o tých vnúčatách, že v Kráľovstve Božom neexistujú žiadne vnúčatá, len deti. Tvoj otec bol letničný a ty chodíš len sem do tejto cirkvi, pretože on sem chodil na jedenástu ulicu A. Garfield, prijal Ducha Svätého, a ak ťa len priviedol ako vnúča, tak sa mýliš. Boh sa ti Sám musí zjaviť.
A žiaden človek nemôže nazývať Ježiša Kristom pomocou intelektuálneho poňatia. Žiaden človek nemôže nazvať Ježiša Kristom, kvôli tomu, že len cíti ľútosť na svojimi hriechmi a prichádza a činí pokánie. Nikto nemôže nazývať Ježiša Kristom, jedine skrze zjavenie Ducha Svätého, ktoré mu je dané poznať. „Na tejto skale postavím Svoju cirkev a brány pekla ju nikdy nebudú môcť premôcť.“ Tam je to zjavenie. Tam to je, na čom je postavená Jeho cirkev.
102 Kto to vykonal, Peter? Nie, nie, nie. Kto to vykonal? Kristus povedal, „Zjavenie Boha, to je Duch Svätý, ktorý ti to prinesie. Malú chvíľu a Ja vás opustím, ale budem sa modliť k Otcovi a On vám pošle Utešiteľa, On vám pripomenie tieto veci.“ Je to pravda? To je to, čo On robí dnes ráno. Čo to urobí? „Ukáže vám veci, ktoré majú prísť.“ Duch Svätý v cirkvi v poslednom dni...
Tak povieš, „Brat, haleluja, to je moja cirkev.“
Počkaj chvíľu. Ježiš povedal, „Podľa tohoto budú všetci ľudia poznať, že ste mojimi učeníkmi...“ Vo Svätom Jánovi 13:35, „Podľa tohoto budú všetci ľudia poznať, že ste mojimi učeníkmi, keď budete mať lásku jeden k druhému.“ Duchom zjavená pravda Kráľovstva Božieho má prísť a vyhliada na koniec, ktorí videli proroci a volali o Ňom, vidíme, o čom Ježiš hovoril, a tu ten istý Svätý Duch vo vás volá rovno naspäť, „To je pravda, to je pravda.“ Čo je to? Duchovne zjavená pravda. Ja milujem svojho brata bez ohľadu na to, kam chodí do cirkvi, či patrí pozdnému dažďu alebo jarnému alebo vôbec žiadnemu dažďu, pokiaľ je v Tele Kristovom a snaží sa dosiahnuť nie niečo za takým účelom, aby prejavil samého seba na zemi, ale za tým účelom Kráľovstva Božieho a slávy Jeho príchodu, aby zjavil a dal na známosť Jeho skorý príchod.
104 Teraz pri zakončení chceme na toto myslieť. „Na tejto skale postavím Svoju cirkev,“ správne. A potom nachádzame v Jánovi 14:7, On povedal toto, „Skutky, ktoré Ja činím, vy tiež budete činiť. Skutky, ktoré ja činím...“ Aký druh skutkov On činil, aby sa dal poznať? Pamätáte si Petra? (že?) O čom sme hovorili, a Filipa a tú ženu pri studni, ako predpovedal, aby nešli k pohanom, ale že to bude v posledných dňoch, ako On povedal, „Ako to bolo vo dňoch Sodomy, tak to bude pri príchode Syna človeka.“ Existuje zjavenie zapísané v tajomstvách, ako je toto pre ten vonkajší svet, ten svet o tom nič nevie. Ale vy, moji vzácni bratia, vy, moje vzácne sestry, vy nie ste deti temnosti, vy nie ste deti noci, ale vy ste deti svetla, kráčate vo svetle, ako On je vo svetle, potom máme obecenstvo jeden s druhým, a zatiaľ čo nás krv Ježiša Krista, Božieho Syna, očisťuje od všetkých našich hriechov, všetkých nás. Tu to máte, sluhovia Pánovi...
105 Ježiš... Ako citujem svoje miesto Písma, ktoré tu mám, mám tu Marka 16, áno, Marek 16, On povedal, „Choďte do celého sveta.“ Tu je to, aký druh cirkvi On vystavil, to posledné poverenie pre cirkev, „Choďte do celého sveta, kážte Evanjelium každému stvoreniu. Ten, kto uverí a pokrstí sa, bude spasený, ten ktorý neuverí, bude odsúdený.“ Tak pozrite sem, pozrite sa na toto duchovné rozpoznanie. „Ten, kto verí a pokrstí sa.“ On tam nepovedal presne, akým spôsobom, ale my sa o tom chceme hádať, vidíte, o tej ďalšej veci, vidíte, „Ten, kto verí a pokrstí sa, bude spasený.“ Akokoľvek chce byť pokrstený, to je na ňom. Ak je jeho zámer dosiahnuť niečo pre Kráľovstvo Božie, poď, brat, pochodujeme ďalej v tom istom Duchu. Ak sa mýlim, potom to povieš, bude to takto, a ak sa ty mýliš, bude to takto. Ale naše srdcia a naše motívy a naše ciele sú tam pre Kráľovstvo Božie. My sme tam a ukazujeme na Golgotu.
106 Ja a moje idey, no, ja mám... Nemám takého brata, ktorý má tak veľmi rád čerešňový koláč ako ja, ale jednako sme bratia. Rozumiete? Niktorý z nich nepoľuje a nerybárči tak rád ako ja, ale sme bratia. Rozumiete, čo myslím? Ja mám svoje myšlienky, ale to nerobí, že on nie je mojím bratom, lebo jeho Otec je mojím Otcom, jeho rodina je mojou rodinou. Tu to máte.
Patriarchovia sa všetci líšili jeden od druhého, ale oni boli z jedného Otca a oni by mali spolu pracovať ku jednej veci, ale oni odmietli toho hlavného, ktorý tam bol, pretože bol duchovným. Rozumiete, čo mám na mysli, bratia? Nedokážete vidieť, o čom hovorím?
108 Všimnite si teraz, ako zakončujeme, „Choďte do celého sveta, kážte Evanjelium každému stvoreniu. Ten, kto uverí a pokrstí sa, bude spasený. Ten, kto... [Prázdne miesto na páske – pozn. prekl.]... a tieto znamenia budú nasledovať tých, ktorí veria, v Mojom Mene budú vyháňať démonov, budú hovoriť novými jazykmi.“ Čo je to? Duchovné zjavenie. Vidíte? „Budú hovoriť novými jazykmi. Ak vezmú hadov alebo vypijú niečo smrtonosné, neuškodí im. Ak položia ruky na chorých, uzdravia sa.“ To bolo to, čím bola tá nová cirkev. To je ten druh cirkvi, o ktorej Ježiš Kristus, ten veľký, o ktorom všetci proroci volali, bude robiť. Zisťujeme, že Jeho Duch sem prichádza a predpovedá, že Jeho Duch v jeho ľuďoch sa navráti a bude robiť veci, ktoré On robil.
109 Dovoľte mi zakončiť s týmto. Mám tu ešte asi tucet miest Písma, ale nemáme čas. Ale počúvajte toto. Nech zakončím s tým, že poviem toto. Každý znovuzrodený prorok Pánov, kazateľ, učiteľ nedeľnej školy, vidiaci, apoštol, misionár, čokoľvek je, jeho celé srdce je tak nastavené a on je tak naplnený a pomazaný Duchom Božím, tak pomazaný... Akýkoľvek je jeho úrad, čímkoľvek môže byť, či káže, vyučuje alebo evanjelizuje alebo vída videnia, čímkoľvek je, on to bude robiť pre Kráľovstvo Božie. A Duch Boží bude hovoriť rovno späť cez toho človeka a bude manifestovať Kráľovstvo Božie.
110 Potom my... Ja, ako baptista, vidím vás ako letničných, vy ste moji bratia. Vy nepatríte do baptistickej cirkvi, ja som patril. To je jediná cirkev, do ktorej som kedy patril, to bola baptistická cirkev. Ale to mi nestojí v ceste, ja vidím, čím je Duch Boží vo vás. Vidím, čo sa vy snažíte robiť. Tak potom ak ja, baptista, to takto môže cítiť, istotne potom zhromaždenia Božie, cirkev Božia, zjednotení letniční a nezávislí a my všetci bratia spolu by sme to mali vidieť, že sa snažíme pracovať pre jeden cieľ. Majme duchovné rozoznanie.
111 Počúvajte teraz. Ako zakončujem, urobím túto poslednú poznámku. Mnohí sú chorí a slabí medzi vami a mnohí spia, duchovne mŕtvi, pretože nerozpoznávajú telo Kristovo. Toto choré telo, ktoré máme... Bože, pomôž nám mať duchovné rozoznanie, zjavenia Kráľovstva Božieho a lásky Božej v našich srdciach, ktorá je rozliata doširoka skrze Ducha Svätého, aby sme sa snažili vystrieť svoje ruky a povedať, „Sme bratia,“ rozumiete, čo mám na mysli? A každý jeden malý dar, ktorý máte, nepoužite to, aby ste sa snažili urobiť niečo veľké pre samých seba, ale urobme to pre Kráľovstvo Božie, aby sme pracovali jeden s druhým a snažili sa vyzdvihnúť túto vec, Ježiša Krista, pretože Jeho príchod je na blízku. Veríte tomu?
112 Je mi ľúto, že som vás držal tak dlho. Brat Dávid tu bude zajtra kázať, učiť vás z Písma, ale teraz len skloňme svoje hlavy na chvíľu. [Nejaký brat hovorí v inom jazyku. Nejaká sestra podáva výklad. – pozn.prekl.]
Napred, kresťanskí vojaci,
pochodujme do boja.
S krížom Ježišovým
ideme vpred,
nie sme rozdelení,
sme všetci jedným telom,
jedno v nádeji a náuke,
jedno v láske.
Ó, napred, kresťanskí bojovníci! (Veríte, že tým ste? Zodvihnite svoje ruky.)
Pochodujme do boja (S čím?)
S... (Naším cieľom) Ježišom,
ideme vpred.
Nech vás Boh žehná. Váš pastor.
1 Our heavenly Father, I want to express if I can this morning, how in my heart I feeled towards One, the holiest of Holy coming down to the earth and to redeem a sinner like myself. And I'm sure that these ministers that's present now can feel the same way, that it was by Your grace that we have been made the ministers of this covenant that Thou has given with Adam's fallen race. And we are here this morning, Father, gathered for no other purpose but to know and to--to study to know, rather, the will of God and what we must do to make Christ real to the people of this generation. Knowing surely that in the day of the judgment we will be brought face to face with this generation. And, being ministers, we will be judges. And the people to which we have spoken to, and their attitude towards the Word that we bring them, will determine their eternal destination. Therefore, Lord, in that day we would be a judge for or against the generation that we preached to.
2 Father, God, please, through Jesus' Name, let us not say one word that would be wrong. But may we have sincere hearts and open mind that we might receive the things that's Yours, that we might be able to go out into our different fields of work after today, and--and be better equipped because of our meeting with You this morning. Grant it, Lord. Won't You come and be our speaker and our ears, and our tongue, and our thoughts? Let the meditation of my heart, thoughts of my mind, all that is within me, and within these my brethren and sisters, may it be acceptable in Thy sight, Lord, that we might be so filled and charged with Thy Spirit of Your Presence here, that the room would become... the room, not so much the building that we are sitting in, but the building that we are living in, become altogether a cloud of the glory of God. We might leave here this morning so filled with the Holy Spirit that we would be more determined than ever before in life to carry the message to the dying generation that we're living in. Hear us, Lord, and speak to us through Thy Word, for we ask it in the Name of Thy Son and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
3 I wish to read, this morning, a--a portion of Scripture found in the Psalms, the 105th Psalm. I wish to read just a portion. You that keeps down these Scripture readings, I see many of them had been, were ministers and so forth. It's good to read the Word. (And now, what time do they usually leave, about twelve o'clock? What say? Thank you, brother.) Psalms 105:
O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the hearts of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
Remember his marvelous works that he has done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
O ye seed of Abraham his servants, and ye children of Jacob his chosen.
He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
He has remembered his covenant forever, the words which he commanded to a thousand generations.
Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of Your inheritance:
When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.
When they went from one nation to another, and from one kingdom to another people;
He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sake;
Saying, Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
May the Lord bless the reading of His Words. I have a few Scriptures written out here somewhere that I was going to refer to perhaps along the road.
5 I wonder today who's going to be the next President? The election's coming up, you know. Who's going to be President this next term? What if I knew? There's only One that does know, and that's God. And what if God would reveal to me who's going to be the next President, and I stood here in Phoenix and made a prediction that such-and-such a man would be the next President of the United States? And they would place that in papers and so forth, and I would hit it right on the dot. It would be perfect, and it would be all that I had said would come to pass. But what good would it do? What good is it anyhow if I--if I should do such a thing? The papers would advertise it, and it would go out maybe, if such a person could make such a prediction and it would be true, all the newspapers and magazines would--would pass on it.
6 But you know that God doesn't do things like that; God doesn't use His power and His gifts for foolishness. It's going to be, whatever's President, it'll be President. And to know now which would be President wouldn't help us one penny. It wouldn't do us one bit of good to know who's going to be President. So therefore, God doesn't do those things like that.
And then if I made such a prediction as that, and it come to pass, and the newspapers packed it, and the magazines, then it would be to my glory. People'd say, "Look what a great prophet Brother Branham is. He told us long before it happened just who would be President." And that would be to my glory. But God doesn't want... He's not interested in working things to my glory or to--to any other man's glory. He's interested to work things to His glory, something that will profit.
8 Like Paul said, "If we speak with tongues and do not have an interpreter, what good does it do? We only glorify ourselves," and that's--or "edify ourself." That's kinda out of the line for God. God wants to be edified Himself. And we're to not seek self-edification, but to edify God with all we do.
So therefore, I believe this morning, if I knew who he would be and exactly when he would be elected, and oh, how many votes he'd be over or under, or whatever it might be, it wouldn't do one bit of good to tell it. It'd be best for me just to keep it still if I did know it, not try to publish it, because there would be--there would be no reason for me to do it. 'Cause it's going to be anyhow, and it doesn't make us that much difference who's going to be President.
10 But God, when He uses His gifts, He uses them for His own glory, and for the glory of His people, for the glory of His church, for the edifying of the body of Christ, and for the glory of the Kingdom of God. That's why He gives these things in His church, why He has teachers, prophets, evangelists, pastors. They are for the edification of the Church and for the glory of God. The prophet is not to get out and mingle with the world and try to take a gift like Balaam did and make havoc, or--or money out of it, or something. If he's a prophet, he's supposed to reveal God to the church and stay out of the things of the world. It's all for the glory of God.
11 Now, we do have... And I think it's a good thing for us, as ministers, to follow our order, when we see such things in the world as we see today. And we have an order from God, is for the discerning of spirit, trying the spirit. I believe that that is a very great lesson for the church today, is to try the spirit of anything, have discernment of the spirit. I do not think that we should ever, by any means, ever try to judge a person by the denomination they belong to, or by the group that they are assembled with, whether they be Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, or--or whatever they are. We should never judge the man by the denomination that he belongs to. We should always judge him by the spirit he has (See?), the spirit. Whether he's latter rain or former rain or inner, outer rain, or no rain, or whatever it might be, we should never judge him by that, but by his spirit. We are to discern spirits. Watch what the man has in mind, what he has--what he's trying to achieve. If the man, by a gift, no matter how great the gift is...
12 Now, I want to get this to the church this morning, which in the different denominations you are still the church of the living God together. And this is the thing I want to get to you (See?), that we are really not divided. We are the stones that's cut in different forms, all to the glory of God.
Now, there is so much in the day that we live in pertaining to gifts. So many people judge people by gifts that they have. Well, I believe that these things are gifts. I believe that what we see take place is gifts, and they are God-given gifts. But we--if we do not use them in the right way that God intended them to be used, then we can do more harm with the gifts than we could if we did not have the gifts. The other night I made a statement at the pulpit, saying this, that I would rather see brotherly love existing among the church, if we didn't have one case of healing or anything else. See, we must know what these things are for.
14 Now, if a man comes and he has a great gift, no matter if he belongs to our denomination or another denomination, don't judge him by what denomination he come from, how he dresses, but what you want to see is what he's trying to do with that gift, what purpose he has. If he's trying to take his influence and build himself a great name out of it, I'd have discernment of spirit enough to know that's wrong. No matter how great a teacher he is, how powerful he is, how intellectual he is, or how his gift operates, if he isn't trying to achieve something for the benefit of the body of Christ, your own spiritual discernment would tell you that that's wrong. No matter how accurate, how perfect, how it is, it's wrong if it isn't used for the body of Jesus Christ.
15 To achieve something, maybe he's got a great gift that he could draw people together with a great intellectual or a spiritual power, that he could draw people together, and maybe he's trying to take that gift and make hisself famous so that he'll have a big name, so that other brethren will look up to him as some big person. Then that's wrong. Maybe he's trying to--to edify a certain thing here that he wants everybody else to get out of the picture and let him and his group be the picture. That's still wrong. See?
16 But if he has a gift of God and he's trying to edify the Body of Christ, then I don't care what he belongs to. You're not discerning the man, you're discerning the spirit, the life that's in the man. And that's what God told us to do. Not one time was we ever commissioned to discern the--the man's group. But we was constrained and commanded by God to discern the spirit in the man, what he's trying to do, what the spirit in his life is trying to lead him to. And then if we can find out that he's trying to lead the people (not to break them up, but to bring them together) and to bring the church of the living God, not all to one denomination, but to a understanding, a fellowship, a unity of spirit. Then if he is former rain or latter rain, or whatever it is, his spirit and his purpose is right. And the spirit that's in him, no matter what move he belongs to, the Spirit that's in him is trying to point the people to Calvary, away from himself or away from anything else, but his only achievement he has is to point them to Calvary. He doesn't care whether he's even knowed or not. He doesn't care whether even his own movement... which is fine (See?), it's good, if he is a Methodist, or a Presbyterian, or a Roman Catholic, or whatever he wants to be by denomination.
17 But what is he trying to do, the purpose of his heart that he's trying to get? Then you can see what's in the man's life, whether his motives is for his--his denomination, whether it's for hisself, whether it's for worldly fame, whether it's for big names, to say, "I predicted that, come just exactly to pass." Now, you see that's wrong right there, to begin with. But if he's trying to use what God's give him, as a teacher, as a prophet, as a seer...
18 A New Testament prophet is a preacher. We all know that. Just any minister that's a preacher is a prophet, a New Testament prophet, if he's prophesying, preaching, not to try to edify himself to make a big name, or to edify his organization. Which, he should be in an organization. Here I am without one, but yet preaching you should be. That's right. Every man ought to have a church home. You ought to have a place, not just to float about from pillar to post, but have somewhere that you go to church and you call it your church, somewhere you pay your tithe, and somewhere that you help support the cause. Take your choice, but then don't never disfellowship the other man because he don't belong with your group. See? Discern his spirit and see if he's got the same purpose in heart, then you got fellowship one with another. You're working for one great cause. That's the cause of Christ. I think that that is absolutely true.
19 Now, if we will notice the motives and objectives of the Old Testament prophets, them men had one objective, and that was Jesus Christ. They had one thing that their whole theme of the Old Testament was built around the coming Messiah. They--they did not go out and do things just for money or for fame. They had one thing, they were anointed with the Spirit of God, and they predicted the coming Messiah. And those men were so anointed with the Spirit until they sometimes acted like the Spirit that was within them, they spoke seemingly of themselves. Watch how the Spirit of God made them men act.
20 We'll take, for instance, Moses, the great prophet, how that that man had no selfish objectives at all. He could've been the king of Egypt. He could've had the world under his feet. But because that he was a prophet at heart, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer the persecution and the trials of Christ, esteeming the treasures of heaven greater treasures than them of Egypt. He forsook and denied himself of the worldly fame, of the luxury and the--the things that life offers. He had to look beyond that. See, he--he could've been that.
21 Just take the minister today: if he has the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and he knows that if he preaches that Word, it's going to cut his fame down; it's going to put him in a little bitty church somewhere, or maybe out on the street. But he knows that something in his heart is burning. He sees the coming of the Lord. He doesn't care whether that he has a big church or a little church. He doesn't care whether he has today's food or not no food. He doesn't care whether he has good clothes or doesn't have good clothes, He's only mindful of one thing, and that's the very Life within him crying out. He's trying to achieve something for the glory of God, and that man, in doing so, will act the very Life of the Spirit that's in him. Do you follow me? He'll act it out.
22 Look at Moses when he come to a time that he displayed, all his life was the Spirit of Christ, for Christ was in him. Christ was in Moses by measure. Now, if we notice, he was borned in the time of persecution. The children was killed to try to get him, just exactly like they did Jesus. And we find out that when he come to a place that the children of Israel had disobeyed in such a way until God was angry with them, and He said to Moses, "Step aside and I'll destroy the whole group of them, and I'll take of you and raise up another generation."
Moses threw hisself in the path of God's judgment and said, "Take me before You take them." In other words, "Before You can get them You'll have to come over me."
That's exactly what Jesus Christ did. When God would've wiped the whole face of the earth off with these sinners, you and I, but Christ threw Hisself in the path. God could not do it; He couldn't come over His own Son.
And when God seen that Spirit in Moses, hanging in the judgment like a cross there, "You can't come to them; You'll have to take me first," see the Spirit of God in Moses? When he could've been king of Egypt, when he could've had every luxury in the world, to be popular, when he could've been the great king of the world at that time, but he chose to suffer the persecution and the affliction, for he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater treasures than that of Egypt...?... See, he threw hisself in the way. Why? It was God in Moses did that. The normal thinking, intellectual man would never do that, he would take the easy road. So no matter how much a fanatic Moses seemed to be, he was trying... You see, he was a true prophet of God, because he was trying to achieve something for the Kingdom of God.
26 Now, with his great gift of prophecy he might've been a wise man, could have stood up in Egypt and said, "Now wait, I'll prophesy so-and-so. I'll say so-and-so," and as with his prophesy. But it's... and, oh, he would have been world-famous. But that wasn't in his heart. It couldn't be in his heart.
So if you see a person with a great gift, trying to do something to glorify themselves, your own discernment of the spirit tells you that's wrong. But Moses was trying to achieve something for the glory of God. No matter how bad it was; how evil it looked, how much it was talked about, the Spirit in Moses directed him straight to the line of duty: the Spirit in him.
28 Look at Joseph; Joseph was... When he was born, he was loved of the father and hated by his brethren: perfect type of Christ. And the only... He was a blood brother to them, the same father. But the reason his brethren hated him without a cause, because God had made him a prophet, spiritual, a seer. And they hated him for that very purpose. But Joseph could not help it, because God had made him that way.
29 And watch the Spirit of God in Joseph. Watch what he did. He even acted the part of Christ. He was hated of his brethren, loved of his father, because of the Spirit made the difference. He was a spiritual man. He saw visions; he interpreted dreams. He did not do it for his own glory. He did it because there was something in him: the Spirit of God. He wouldn't have went out there by his own self, and have been thrown into a ditch, and have his poor old father to grieve all those years, sold for nearly thirty pieces of silver, taken up from the ditch, and became the right-hand man of Pharaoh, the king of earth at that time. And in his prison house there was a butler and a baker, and one was lost and the other one was saved, by his predictions in the prison house.
30 And did you notice Jesus when He came, He was loved of the Father. And the father gave Joseph a coat of many colors (the rainbow, a covenant). And the Father God gave His Son Jesus the covenant, and then the Jewish brother hated Him without a cause. He had no reason to hate Him; He was spiritual, and He was God's Word made manifest. He come to do the will of the Father; He come to fulfill the Scriptures. He came to bring them peace, but they misunderstood Him, and hated Him without a cause. They didn't stop to try to see what He was trying to achieve. They just judged Him because that He didn't agree with them. They made... "He makes Himself so-and-so. He makes Hisself God." He was God. God was in Him. The Bible said God was in Christ, manifesting Himself to the world. He was the God of glory manifesting the glory of God.
31 Look at Moses; he couldn't help throwing himself there. He didn't do that hypocritically. He did it because God was in him. Neither could Joseph help being what he was, because it was God in him working or displaying Himself through the man: never did he do it for self-glory.
Any man that... If those priests would've only had the discernment of spirit, as I'm speaking to you this morning, regardless of how much the world talked about Him, they still would've knowed if they'd have looked to the Word, if they would've seen His purpose. He was always doing that to glorify the Father. He said... They said, "Oh, this man's a great healer, He does these things like that."
He said, "I can do nothing till the Father shows Me. It is not Me that doeth the works. It's the Father that dwelleth in Me; He doeth the works." He never took the glory.
34 Neither would any servant of God take glory. Neither would any servant of God take a gift of God and try to glorify himself, or anything else, but his right achievement is to do something to the glory of God. That's why you see the same thing today. We must have discernment of spirit to see a person what they're trying to do. Are they trying to glorify God? Are they trying to glorify themself?
35 Now, the Spirit of God working in men makes men act like God. No wonder Jesus said, "Is not it written, 'Ye are gods'? And if they called them God to whom the Spirit of God came to, how can you condemn Me then, when I am the Son of God?" If you could see the Spirit of God in Moses, which he was God. Moses was a god. Joseph was a god. The prophets were gods. The Bible said they were. They were gods because it--they had completely surrendered themselves to the Spirit of God, that they were working for the glory of God.
And when a man is so anointed with the Spirit... Now, let this go real deep under the fifth rib on the left side. When a man is anointed of the Spirit of God, his habits, his actions, and everything is God moving in him. Sometimes he's misjudged.
37 Look at David, in the 23rd Psalm he cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" as if he was, if David was the man. "All they that pass me by shoot their lip out at me." He was so anointed with God, he was so perfectly surrendered to God, and the anointing was on him in such a way and when he cried by the Spirit of God, if somebody'd been standing there and say, "Why, look, he thinks somebody is shooting their lip out at him. Why has God forsaken him?"
It wasn't David; it was the Spirit crying out through David. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? My bones all stare at me. They have pierced my hands and my feet."
40 Well, somebody said, "Listen to that hypocrite up there. Who's hands is pierced? Who's feet is pierced?" That's the intellectual.
But one who had discernment of spirit knew that that was the Spirit of God in him crying out. When a man is anointed of the Spirit of God, he's got the action of God; and the action of God is never to break us up. The action of God is to draw us together for we are one in Christ Jesus, and God's purpose is to bring us together. "Love one another."
42 Now, that great prophet, we see the Spirit moving in them, Jesus called them gods. He said they were gods. Now, when the Spirit come to them by measure, but when It come on the One, Jesus, which was the Son of God, It come to Him without measure. The Fullness of the Godhead bodily dwelt in Him, for He was the perfect example. He was God of Glory manifesting the glory of God to the people, God in Him going about. Watch His life, all the Old Testament, He was the theme of the Old Testament. All the old prophets back in the Old Testament cried out, not to themselves; they cried out under the Spirit of God, making them act like God insomuch that they were called gods, and then the Fullness of that Spirit was manifested in Jesus Christ.
43 Look at David when he was dethroned as the king of Israel, rejected by his own people, going up Mount Olives, north of Jerusalem, and he looked back over the city and wept because he was rejected. What was it? It was the Spirit of Christ.
Five hundred years later, the Son of David, Jesus, set on the same mount looking over the city as a rejected king, and cried, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you (your different denominations and everything) as a hen does her brood, but you would not. How oft would I have did it."
Now, the same Spirit that was in David, that was manifested in fullness in Christ, is in the Church today crying to the people, "How oft would I have gathered you." And when you see separations and--and differences and--and brotherhood broken up, and Christian life, one against the other, then it makes the Spirit of God in your heart cry out. You're trying to achieve something, a true prophet of God, a true teacher is trying to bring the church to a unity of spirit, a unity of spirit, that they might recognize God; trying to achieve it no matter what denomination they belong to or what about it. We have discernment of spirit to discern the spirit that's in the man to see if it be the Spirit of God or not.
46 Now, we notice when He was here on earth, how He went about doing good. I noticed another thing that comes in my mind. Did you notice when David was rejected as king? He went out of the city, and a little Benjamite, Benjamite, which was supposed to have been a brother to him, should've been sorry because he was rejected, but what... He was a crippled man. And he drug along there with his crippled condition, throwing dirt on David, and calling him all kinds of bad names, and cursing him in the Name of the Lord, cursing King David in the Name of the Lord, this little old crippled-up Benjamite. Watch the Spirit of God and the spirit of the devil working.
47 Now, if you notice, he was crippled. It represents the spiritual crippleness of the people today that would make fun of the true Spirit of God in Christ manifesting Itself. That was the Spirit of Christ in David being rejected as a king. And today, when the people make fun of the people who has received the Holy Spirit and trying to achieve something to draw Methodists and Pentecostals, and Baptists and Pentecostals, and Presbyterians and all together as a unity, as a Body of Christ, and they see the Spirit working, and say, "Well, look, that's a Pentecostal. Away with him. I know one went off with another man's wife. I know this one got drunk. I know this one did this. I know this one did that." All that, but they're big enough to hide their own things; they can hide it. But David was exposed. Why? He had the Spirit of Christ in him.
That guard said, "Shall I take the head of that dog that would curse my king?"
49 Watch the Spirit of Christ in David, "Let him alone, for the Lord has told him to curse me." Do you catch that? "Let him alone; the Lord has told him to curse me."
Instead, today we want to get up our fists and fight him (See?), chop his head off, "Yeah, get him out; he don't belong to us."
"Let him alone; the Lord has told him to curse me." That little cripple running along there, throwing dirt on David...
That's what they do today on the Spirit of Christ. "They're a bunch of holy-rollers. Why, they're a bunch of this. There's nothing to them. There's nothing to Divine healing. There's no such a thing as Angels. There's no such a thing as prophets." All those things, "The days of miracles is past," throwing dirt. But let them alone. But when David returned in power (Hallelujah.), when he come back as full king of Israel... Don't worry; this Jesus, Who's Spirit we have today, acted His part out, will return again in a physical body, the second time, in glory, in power, and majesty.
53 That little dirt-thrower fell on his face and begged for mercy. "Let him alone," the Spirit of Christ in us. Don't excommunicate him. Let's remember that all these things has got to come to pass. We've got one thing to do: move on. God promised that He'd make everything work together for good to them that love Him. Let's keep the discernment of spirit, keep the objective right. We're here to serve God, each one fellowshipping, going along and serving God. If the man's got the wrong kind of an objective, then what will happen? See?
54 Now, we find out that the Spirit of God was in Him. All the old prophets spoke of Him. All the Spirit in portion, every little portion, wasn't glorifying hisself (true prophets), all the true prophets was manifesting Him, speaking of Him. And everything they said was fulfilled in Him. Showed it was the Spirit of God in them, it was fulfilled. What was it? God speaking of Himself. See? God manifesting Himself through these prophets.
55 Not taking glory, "Who will be the next President? Who will be this?" And hit you on the head, "Tell us who hit you and we will believe you." That isn't it. It's something to manifest God. It isn't something to make Brother Weathers here, or Brother Shores, or Brother So-and-so out there, a great man, and make him a greater than the rest of the men of his group, make him the greatest man in Phoenix. It isn't to make William Branham something great. But what is it to do? It isn't to make Oral Roberts something great, Billy Graham something great. But it's the hearts, we're trying to achieve something for the Kingdom of God. It's manifesting God. All gifts and things doesn't make one greater than the other; it just makes us all working together for the perfection of the body to bring us together as one people, as a people of God. But when you see them going contrary, don't curse them; just let them alone, somebody has to do it. But wait till Jesus comes in power.
56 Now, we see all those prophets speaking. Every one of them was glorifying God and the coming Messiah. And when they got in the Spirit, they acted, and spoke, and lived the life out just like the Messiah did. If it did that side the cross, speaking of His coming, how much more will it after His coming, will put the Spirit of the Messiah in the Church to act, do, work, and live like the Messiah? It's the Spirit of God.
Discern that spirit; see whether it is of God or not; see whether it acts like Him, see if your emotions... If somebody kicks up something against you and throws dirt upon your life, when you know you're as innocent as you can be, and you know that you've got the Spirit of God, don't try to separate yourself, Don't try to act mean towards them. Don't curse them. Just walk on, knowing that God did that to give you a test to see how you'd take it. He'll have to come to it anyhow.
58 As I said the other day, I believe in Brother Fuller's church, of the bicycle rider in Canada. Well, all of them thought they could outride this boy, this little old sissy. And he's the only one that couldn't ride without holding the handlebars.
I'm glad I like the old handlebar riders, take a hold of both sides of the Cross and say, "Nothing in my arms I bring. Let me hold to the cross, Lord; I have no intellectuals. I have nothing. Let me just hold here, look way out yonder."
60 And they had a twelve-inch plank to ride for a city block to get a hundred-dollar Schwinn bicycle. All those boys who could ride without holding, go downtown and get their mother's groceries and come back without even touching the handlebars, they every one begin to look. They wasn't used to holding to the handlebars, and they fell off. But this little old boy got on there and held the handlebars and rode it to the end. They asked him, said, "How did you do it?"
He said, "Here's where you make your mistake, fellows. You're all better riders than I am, but you were looking here," and said, "made you nervous to see what... You was trying to balance yourself, and you fell off." Said, "I never looked here at all; I watched the end and kept steady."
That's what we're to do. Don't look to these little things now, "Did this one do this or that one do that?" Watch the end and keep steady. Christ is coming. Watch the end; just keep steady. Don't notice what's going on now. Watch what's going to go on out yonder at the end time, when we're going to have to stand and--and give an account for our lives.
63 David wasn't watching that little old Benjamite throw dirt on him; he was crippled anyhow. He never noticed him. He wouldn't even let the guard cut his head off, said, "Let him alone; God told him to do that. God told him to curse me; let him alone." For David knew that someday he was returning in power. That Benjamite would have his time.
Yes, that's it. The Church will rise in triumph. I was just sent to pray for His sick children anyhow. That's all I can do. Wherever they are and what church they are, it makes me no difference. I'm trying to pray for His sick children, trying to manifest the gift for His glory. That's the reason I never did belong to anything.
Now, remember, that's all right. See, I'm not--I'm not saying that now. I want you to get me clear that I believe that God's got Christians in every church, His children. He's never questioned me on that. I just sent to pray for the children, and to do these things, and to manifest Him.
66 Now, you see, Jesus and these prophets, everything that they spoke of had to be true, for it was the power of God in them, God Himself speaking through them of His own Self coming to His own glory.
"Who's President? Who's going to, is going to? Are we going to have enough rain this year?" That don't mean nothing. Something to the glory of God, something to set the church in order, something for the power of God; not to make yourself a name, but to make the glory of God manifested.
68 Now, we notice that all those prophets and all they said about Him, everything come to true because He was the theme of the Old Testament. Jesus, the Messiah, coming Messiah, was what every prophet looked from--from Adam to Mi--Malachi. Every prophet spoke of the coming of the Lord. Each one put his part in, because he was anointed of God. That's all he could speak of.
Now, wish we had more time on it. But watch. Everything that they said come to pass. Looky here. Let's just take some of the things the prophets said.
70 "A virgin shall conceive and bear a child." Did it happen? Sure. "His Name shall be called Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, everlasting Father." That's what He was, exactly, the "everlasting Father." No man shall be called father, on this earth, but God is your Father.
All right, now let's see again. "He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquity; the chastisement of our peace upon Him, with His stripes we were healed." Pilate's judgment hall, while the very man, having His back lashed like that with a cat-of-nine-tail whip, didn't realize that the Scriptures said it would be that way. They didn't have discernment of spirit, those priests who said, "Away with Him, away with Him."
72 And on the cross when they shot out their lips, and things like that, when they heard Him crying, "My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" They didn't have discernment. See, they couldn't discern the Spirit. That's what David was speaking of in the 22nd Psalm; they shot out their lip not knowing they were doing it. Just the same as that Benjamite did to David. See, he thought David was all wrong 'cause he didn't agree with him on his principles of running his kingdom. He didn't understand that it was the Spirit of God in David doing it.
That's where we must discern today, the spirit of a man. What's he trying to do? What's he getting at? Not what group he belongs to, or what this, that, or the other, whether he's a white man, black man, yellow man, or whatever he is. Let's see what he's trying to achieve, and take that: see what he's trying to do for the Kingdom of God. If he's got odd ideas to ours, that's perfectly all right if he's trying to achieve something for the Kingdom of God. Discern that in him. If he's wrong, and true in heart, God will bring him around to the truth of the thing after while. Let him alone; let him alone; see what he's trying to do.
74 Now, we see here, then we find out in His--in His death, when He died at the cross, and crying all the things the prophets spoke of Him, "They pierced My hands and My feet." There it was fulfilled. The prophets was right. They thought it was themselves or cried like it was themself, but it was manifested in the cross.
"He--He was numbered with the transgressors." That's what He was done. He was with the transgressors. "In His death He made His burial with the rich." He did; He was buried in a rich man's grave. "I will not leave His soul... He will not leave my soul," said David, the Spirit of God in David speaking out. "He will not leave my soul in hell, neither will He suffer His holy One to see corruption," like as if David would be the holy One. It wasn't David, it was the Spirit of God in David crying out. See, the Spirit of God in the man crying out.
Someone said, "Listen to that old hypocrite up there."
He wasn't; it was the Spirit of God in him crying out. See, the Spirit of God manifests itself, "Not leave His soul in hell, neither will I suffer My holy One to see corruption."
77 Now, brethren, in closing may I say this; our time gets away. But look, may I say this in closing with these Scriptures here. Let's see. If a man, that all the Old Testament theme was about Him, all the holy prophets anointed with God's Spirit, if all that and everything that they said was fulfilled to the letter exactly in Him, surely that great Person called the Son of God ought to know how to set up the New Testament church. Don't you believe that? He ought to have a conception to know how to set up the New Testament church.
78 The first thing I want to call to your attention over here in Matthew, 16th chapter, that when He--He is speaking then, when He come down and was talking to the disciples. He said, "Who does man say I the Son of man am?".
And they said, "Some say You're Elias, and some say You're So-and-so, and some say You're So-and-so, and like that," different ones.
He said, "But Who do you say that I am?"
And Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
He said, "Blessed art thou Simon, son of Jonas, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in heaven has revealed this to you. And--and I say unto thee that thou art Simon, or--or Peter, and upon this rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell can't prevail against it." Now, there was speaking of the church. Now, watch closely, and if I'm wrong, God forgive me and you forgive me.
82 Now, the--the Catholic church says that that was a stone laying there, Peter, and upon Peter He built the church. Now, we know that that's wrong. We Protestants disagree with it.
But we Protestants said, "It was Himself that He built Himse--a church upon, Himself." But if you'll notice, I want to disagree with that, friendly. It wasn't that. It was upon the spiritual revelation of Himself. See? "Flesh and blood... You never learned this in a seminary, as good as they are. You never learned this by some church creed, as good as it is. It's all right, but flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. It's not a intellectual conception of how you can make your speech, how you must bow yourself, how or what great thing you must do here on earth. That isn't what it is. It isn't build a great thing or do a great thing. What it is is a revelation of the Word of God. He was the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made manifest and dwelt among us."
85 He was... That was the revelation of the Word of God; the Spirit in Peter revealing by spiritual revelation that He was the Son of God made manifest, the God of glory manifesting the glory of God. "Upon this rock (spiritual revelation of the Word) I'll build My church." Why? If them prophets was under God, speaking by the Holy Spirit that that was the Son of God, the same Spirit on this side reveals right back the same thing. You see it?
"Flesh and blood," you can't learn it in a seminary. You learn your--get your D.D. and your Ph.D. and the L.D., or... Them's all right, wished I had it. That's right, but still that's not It. You don't have to have it, yet it's good to have it. You can be this plus; but if you have to rub out the plus, take this. This is that. If this ain't that, let me have this anyhow. I want this, this.
87 "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you." You never learned it through the educational line. You never learned it through denominational lines. They're fine; education, denomination is fine. That's part of it. But people are laying too much to that and they're leaving the spiritual discernment. See?
"Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in heaven has revealed this to you. And upon this rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell can't prevail against it. "Will never be able to prevail," showed they would be against it.
Now, watch and see where the gates of hell is against. It ain't against the denomination. The government recognizes that. It ain't. The world recognizes our denominations, all of them. We have the right, each one of us as American citizens, we have the rights of denomination, which is fine; we appreciate that. But that's not what the gates of hell's against. It's against the spiritual revelation of Christ being here now, the same yesterday, today, and forever. That's what it's against. "The gates of hell shall be against it, but it shall never prevail."
90 There you are: spiritual discernment. Regardless of who it is, it's my brother as long as he's trying to achieve the same purpose that I'm working for. Let him be prophet, let him be pastor, let him be deacon, let him be so-and-so, let God honor him this way, that way, whatever it is, dishonor me, whatever he wants to do, but yet that's my brother. We're working for the same thing. We're sending our--our--all of our works into the same Kingdom yonder. He's working for the same thing I am. Spiritual discernment, spiritual revelation of God. Looky here, if you want it.
91 Jesus... I preached the other night somewhere, maybe down there, "It Wasn't So From The Beginning." We have to go back to the beginning to find our text now for just a moment. At the beginning there was Cain, intellectual, built a fine church (we would say), made a fine altar, offered up a sacrifice, prayed, sincere, gave thanks, paid his tithe, everything just as religious as Abel was.
92 But Abel (There was no Bible in them days.), but by spiritual revelation he seen that it wasn't fruits of the field that caused us to sin, it wasn't apples that they eat. See, it wasn't apples, revelation told him that. And it wasn't the fruits that caused him to come out of there. It was life, the separation of life; so he went and got a lamb and offered it in his stead by faith, which is spiritual revelation. Amen. The revelation of God, spiritual revelation, it was revealed to him. It isn't the fruit; it isn't apples; it isn't peaches, plums, and pears. It was a separation of life, so he went and got a life and offered it instead of fruits.
93 Fruits is what you--your works of your own hand, what you do there: "I'll go and build this. I'll go do this. I'll support that." That's good. He had an altar just the same as the other one did. Both of them had altars. That was good.
But it was the re--spiritual revealed truth of the thing, for the Spirit of God revealed it. And upon that rock, the rock that Christ died on, the Rock of ages, upon the rock that Abel's lamb died on... That little Abel, as he put his hands upon that little lamb, and its little white wool being bathed as he took a--a rock, they didn't have a lance in that day, and chopped its little neck like that and hammered it. And the poor little thing dying, the blood bathing his hands, and his little wool all bathed with blood, and bleating and crying.
95 What did it speak of? The Lamb of God, some four thousand years later, spiritually revealed the church turning Him down. And the people called Him Beelzebub and a devil, because all the prophets had spoke out. They denied the prophet. Oh, He said, "You build their sepulchers, and you put them in there, you whited-walls," He said to them. Without spiritual discernment, not knowing that that was the Lamb of God, that He was supposed to be that way and act that way, because He was fulfilling the Word of God.
96 And the Holy Ghost Church today, acting the way they do, doing the things they do, they're fulfilling the Word of God. Hallelujah. See, Peter said, on the day of Pentecost, "This is That." And he said, "It's unto you and to your children, and them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
Them same inspired prophets said the evening Light would shine, there'd be a former and latter rain together as in the days of grace. Looky here... What is it? The former rain's coming over, and the latter rain is past due. Then it's lapped over, and it's together, the former and latter rain together, the Holy Spirit made manifest by the power and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There you are, coming together, the former... God's grace... He said, "As it was in the days of Noah." His grace was longsuffering. Here it is today, long-suffering, a lapover brings a cloud from the old days and a cloud from this day together. The former rain run in first; the first rain we've had, now here comes the latter rain coming over, the former rain coming over the latter rain, east and west meeting together, both rains falling together, Divine healing plus the Angel of God revealing the secrets of the hearts and bringing everything to pass. Oh, looks like true born children of God would see that. There you are, the Spirit revealing. Revelation, that's what Jesus said the church would be built upon.
98 Well, then somebody might raise up and say, "Why, sure, we So- and-so, we're built upon that."
Let's take His Word a little farther. The last commission to His church, He said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." All the world... How long is it to last? All the world. To how many? Every creature. "He that believeth and is baptized," not the church, "he" is a personal pronoun. "He that believeth..." the individual.
As David duPlessis said about the grandchildren, there's no grandchildren in the Kingdom of God; it's children. Your father was Pentecostal and you're just coming here to this church because he come here to--to Eleventh and Garfield, received the Holy Ghost, just brought you in as a grandchild, you're wrong. God's got to reveal Himself to you.
And no man can call Jesus the Christ by intellectual conceptions. No man can call Jesus the Christ because he feels sorry for his sins and comes and repents. No man can call Jesus the Christ, only by the re--that revelation of the Holy Ghost making it known to him. "Upon this rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell will never prevail against it." There's the revelation. There it is, what He's built His church upon.
102 Who did it, Peter? No, no, no. Who did it? Christ said, "The revelation of God, the Holy Spirit would bring it to you. A little while and I'll leave you, but I'll pray the Father and He'll send you the Comforter, will bring these things to your remembrance." Is that right? What He's doing this morning. And will what? "Show you things to come." The Holy Spirit in the church in the last day...
Now, you say, "Brother, hallelujah, that's my church."
Wait a minute. Jesus said, "This will all men know you're My disciples..." in St. John 13:35, "This will all men know you're my disciples, when you have love one for the other." The Spirit-revealed Truth of the Kingdom of God to come, looking out to the end yonder seeing what the prophets cried about, see what Jesus spoke about, and here the same Holy Spirit in you crying right back, "That's right. That's right." What is it? The spiritual revealed truth. I love my brother regardless of where they go to church, whether they're former or latter, or no rain at all, as long as they're in the Body of Christ, trying to achieve, not something for a certain purpose to--to manifest yourself on earth, but the purpose for the Kingdom of God and the glory of His coming, to reveal and make known His soon appearing.
104 Now, in closing, we want to think of this. "Upon this rock I'll build My church," correctly. And then we find out over in John 14:7, He said this, "The works that I do, shall you do also. The works that I do..." What kind of works did He do to make Hisself known? You remember about Peter (Don't you?), what we been talking about, Philip, the woman at the well, predicting it not to go to the Gentiles, but would be in the last days, as He said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." There's a revelation written in mysteries like this to the outside world, to the world that knows nothing about It. But you precious brethren, you precious sisters, you are not children of the darkness; you're not children of the night; but you're children of the Light, walking in the Light as He is in the Light; then we have fellowship one with another, while the Blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses all our sins from all of us. There you are, the servants of the Lord...
105 Jesus... As I quote my Scripture over here, I got Mark 16, yes, Mark 16, He said, "Go ye into all the world." Here's what kind of a church He set up: the last commission to the Church, "Go ye into all the world, preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned." Now, look here, look at this spiritual discernment. "He that believeth and is baptized." He never exactly said which way, but we want to fuss about that (See?), the other thing. See? "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Whatever he wants to be baptized, that's up to him. If his achievement's for the Kingdom of God, come on, brother, we're marching on with the same Spirit. If I'm wrong, then you'll tell, it'll come out that way. And if you're wrong, it'll be that. But our hearts and our motives and our objectives is for the Kingdom of God yonder. Yonder we are, we're pointing to Calvary.
106 Me and my i--ideas, why, I got... I ain't got a brother likes cherry pie as well as I do, but we're brothers. See? None of them likes to hunt and fish like I do, but we're brothers. See what I mean? I got my own ideas, but that don't make him not my brother; his father's my father; his family's my family. There you are.
The patriarchs all differed one from another, but they was of one father and it should work to one thing, and they rejected the main one in there because he was spiritual. Don't you see it, brethren? Can't you see what I'm speaking of?
108 Now notice, and we're--in closing, "Go ye into all the world, preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... And these signs shall follow them that believe; in My Name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues." What is it? Spiritual revelation. See? "They shall speak with new tongues. If they take up serpents or drink deadly things, it shall not harm them. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." That was what the new church was. That's the kind of church that Jesus Christ, this great One that all the prophets cried out would do. We find His Spirit comes over here and predicts that His Spirit in the people would come right back and do the things that He did.
109 May I close in saying this. I got about a dozen more Scriptures here, but we haven't got the time. See? But listen at this. May I close in saying this. Every true borned again prophet of the Lord, preacher, Sunday school teacher, seer, apostle, missionary, whatever he might be, his whole heart is set, and he's so filled and anointed with the Spirit of God, so anointed... Whatever his office is, whatever it might be, to preach, or to teach, or to evangelize, or to see visions, whatever it is, he'll do it for the Kingdom of God. And the Spirit of God will speak right back through the man and manifest it's the Kingdom of God.
110 Then we... Me as a Baptist, I see you Pentecostals, you're my brother. You don't belong to the Baptist church; I did. That's the only church I ever did belong to, was the Baptist church. But that don't stand in my way; I see what the Spirit of God is with you. I see what you're trying to do. Well, if me, a Baptist, can feel that way, surely the Assemblies, the Church of God, the United Pentecostals, the Independents, and all of us brethren together ought to see that we're trying to work for one purpose. Let's have spiritual discernment.
111 Now, listen. In closing I'll make this last remark. Many are sick and weakly among you, and many are asleep, spiritually dead, because they don't have discernment of the Body of Christ. This sick body that we got... God help us to have spiritual discernment of that revelation of the Kingdom of God and of the love of God in our hearts, shed abroad by the Holy Ghost, to try to put our arms way out, say, "We are brethren." See what I mean? And every little gift that you have, don't use it to try to make it some great something for ourselves, let's make it for the Kingdom of God to work with everyone to try to uplift the cause of Jesus Christ, for His coming is soon. Do you believe it?
112 I'm so sorry to keep you so long. Brother David will be here tomorrow to teach you the Scriptures, but right now let's bow our heads just a moment. [A brother speaks in another tongue. A sister gives an interpretation--Ed.]
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before;
We are not divided,
All one body we;
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity.
Oh, onward, Christian soldiers! (You believe you are? Raise your hand.)
Marching as to war, (With what?)
With the... (our objective) Jesus
Going on before.
God bless you. Your pastor.