Ten Deň na Golgote
Čo pre vás znamená Golgota? Čo pre teba ten Deň urobil? Vypchalo ťa to nejakou teológiou? Urobilo ťa to chvastúňom? Alebo to z teba urobilo zapredaného kresťana? Haleluja! Odpustené hriechy. Väčšie skutky ako tieto budete činiť. Vidíte, čo tam znamená to „vy“, že? „Väčšie skutky ako tieto“ - odpúšťanie hriechov v Mene Ježiša Krista. Ale skrze vyznania, denominácie, a tak ďalej, to vás všetko zaviazalo do miesta, kde stále slúžite svetu.
Akýkoľvek muž, akákoľvek žena môže prísť ku Golgote a snažiť sa byť niekým veľkým, lebo niekto niečo povedal. Povedzte mi, kde sa môžete pozrieť priamo do tváre Golgoty, v tom správnom svetle, ten deň na Golgote…
Ako môžete prežiť svoj deň na Golgote a odísť s vypnutou hruďou? Ako môžete odísť ako bábka pre nejakú organizáciu a kázať nejakú ľuďmi vymyslenú náuku? Prečo nenecháte, aby vás to pokorilo do Slova Božieho? Ak tam niekedy pôjdete, odídete pokorný. Ako môžete chcieť byť niečím veľkým vo svojej organizácii s pierkom v klobúku, keď sa Sám Ježiš Kristus, Syn Boží, pokoril do porušeného tela, opľutej tváre, až bol zahanbený a vystavený na potupu, ako z Neho strhávali oblečenie a ukrižovali Ho pred celým svetom, pohŕdajúc Jeho hanbou? Ako môžete ísť na Golgotu a odísť odtiaľ nejaký iný, ako bol On Sám? Potupa, hanba.
„Ó,“ poviete, „vykopnú ma.“ Nech ťa vykopnú. Ty maj svoj deň na Golgote. Boh s tebou bude mať Svoj spôsob. Dovoľte mi to znovu zacitovať. Preži svoj deň na Golgote a Boh bude mať s tebou Svoj vlastný spôsob.
1 Nech ťa Boh žehná, brat Neville. Ďakujem veľmi pekne. Dobré ráno, priatelia. Je to výsada znovu byť tu v Modlitebni dnes ráno, aby sme slúžili Pánovi spôsobom kázania Jeho Slova a modlenia sa za chorých. A som za tento deň veľmi vďačný.
Bol som v úžase, ako som sem prišiel. Jeden brat ku mne prišiel a povedal, „Nechcem byť ako ten nehodný malomocný, ktorý bol uzdravený.“ Bol to brat Wright. Modlil som sa za neho a Pán ho kompletne uzdravil. Prišiel, plakal a podal mi ruku a povedal, že chcel poďakovať Pánovi za to, že zostal uzdravený. Chcel sa vrátiť a poďakovať. Všetko je to preč. Teraz je už dokonale v poriadku. Sme vďační za tieto svedectvá.
2 Charlie, ty a brat Jeffries, ak chcete, môžete sem prísť a zobrať odtiaľto tieto stoličky. Ste viac ako vítaní, takže nebudete musieť stáť. Ten druhý brat, čo tu je, brat Woods, práve sem prišiel, tu je pár miest, kde si môžeš sadnúť, aby si nemusel stáť. Myslím, že tu sú ešte ďalšie miesta. Ste viac ako vítaní prísť sem a sadnúť si tu.
Sme radi… Myslím, že to raz bolo povedané, „Bol som šťastný, keď mi povedali, 'Poďme do domu Pánovho.‘“ Nech ťa Boh žehná, brat. [Nejaký brat hovorí, „Vždy rád sedím bližšie ku kazateľovi.“ - pozn.prekl.] Ďakujem, ďakujem ti. Bol som šťastný, keď mi povedali, „Poďme do domu Pánovho.“ To je to privilégium Kresťana a radosť – ísť do domu Pánovho.
3 Keď sa tu tak obzerám a vidím tu dnes ráno toľko svojich priateľov, som z toho naozaj nadšený. Rád vidím brata a sestru Dauchových tuto z Ohio. Tam vzadu vidím brata a sestru Armstrongových, ktorí sú tiež až z Ohio. Nech vás Boh všetkých tiež žehná. A, ó, keď sa tu na vás všetkých tak pozerám, musím priznať, že by bolo ťažké si spomenúť všetky vaše mená. Sestra Hooverová, radi ťa tu dnes vidíme, prišla až z Kentucky. A Charlie a Nellie, brat Jeffries a jeho rodina, toľko ich tu je z pomimo mesta. A tak dnes ráno očakávame veľkolepý čas s Pánom. Očakávame, že Boh sa s nami stretne, aby požehnal naše duše a poslúžil nám vecami, ktoré potrebujeme. Ako sa tu porozhliadam, ak by som mal spomenúť všetkých svojich priateľov, ktorí tu sú, tak by mi to zabralo takmer celé ráno. Cítim sa dobre, že môžem byť opäť v zbore a vidieť, ako sú tu všetci títo ľudia. Stretnúť sa…
4 Čo to bude, keď pôjdeme do neba a stretneme sa tam na ten nádherný čas, naveky trvajúceho, večného spoločného obecenstva okolo trónu Božieho – a práve tie požehnania, ktoré sme tak veľmi mali radi... Tam budeme utvorení na Jeho podobu, na Jeho obraz a s Jeho Duchom odiati, aby sme Ho chválili a slúžili Mu po celú večnosť, nikdy nás to neunaví.
Len na to pomyslite, nie je nič, nič také vás nenapadne, čo radi robíte a ani raz by vás to aspoň trochu neomrzelo. Charlie, povedal by som, že my dvaja sme spolu chodili na veveričky viac ako čokoľvek iné, čo radi robíme, ale viete, po čase vás to unaví. A ja rád chodím na túry, len ísť do hôr a len sa prechádzať, ale niekedy som z toho unavený, máte len chuť robiť niečo iné. A tiež rád jazdím.
Niekedy mám jednoducho taký unudený pocit, unavený na pokraji nervov. Vtedy len skočím do auta a niekde vyrazím. Letím dolu cestou a ako držím volant, spievam si, „Ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich,“ alebo niečo podobné. Pevne držím volant, spievam si, dupem na plyn a vykrikujem. No, po chvíli ma to omrzí, tak sa vrátim domov a začnem robiť niečo iné. Ale keď ide o to, aby sme chválili Boha v tom novom Kráľovstve, tam nebude žiadna chvíľa, že by vás niečo omrzelo. Bude to neustále požehnanie, pôjde to ďalej a ďalej. Ale vtedy budeme, samozrejme, premenení; nebudeme, ako sme teraz. Budeme iní, iné stvorenia, ako sme teraz. Sme tak šťastní.
5 Len som nad tým premýšľal. Neviem, či som toto niekedy citoval alebo nie, brat Charlie. Prednedávnom som bol s ním dolu v Kentucky a on povedal, „Brat Branham, myslíš, že v Miléniu budeme tiež takto chodiť na veveričky?“
Povedal som, „Nemyslím si to, Charlie.“
On povedal, „No, tak veľmi to máme radi, myslíš, že to tak bude, aj keď budeme v Miléniu?“
Povedal som, „Nie, v Miléniu sa nebude nič zabíjať.“
A on povedal, „No, ale nás to jednoducho baví.“
Povedal som, „Charlie, čo ak by som ťa presvedčil, že jedného dňa si bol prasaťom a rozvinul by si sa na vyššiu bytosť, na ľudskú bytosť. Či by si sa chcel vrátiť späť a užívať si pôžitky prasaťa?“
On povedal, „Nie.“
Povedal som, „Vidíš, ako človek by si bol na tom o toľko lepšie ako prasa, že by si ním už nikdy viac nechcel byť.“ Povedal som, „Teraz to vynásob desaťtisícami a to bude približne to, aké to bude, keď budeš premenený z toho, čo si teraz, na to, čo budeš. Nikdy už nebudeš chcieť byť človekom.“ Tak veru. Bude to niečo odlišné. Som tak rád za to, že na to môžem aspoň takto pomyslieť, vediac, že jedného dňa sa vyšplháme vyššie.
6 No, ak Pán dá, budúcu nedeľu, čo bude asi… Potom odídem do Wyomingu s jedným dobrým priateľom… alebo do Idaha s dobrým priateľom, bratom Minorom Arganbrightom a bratom Claytonom Sonmorom od Kresťanských obchodníkov.
Budúci týždeň… ten po tom budúcom… no, siedmeho mám byť v Dallase, v Texase na konferencii Hlasu uzdravovania; a ja mám teda kázať siedmeho. Potom sa vrátim a pôjdem do Idaha s bratom Arganbrightom a s kresťanskými obchodníkmi a možno strávime jeden večer v Minneapolise ešte pred tým, ako odídeme. A potom raňajky kresťanských obchodníkov.
Ak Pán dá, budúcu nedeľu ráno chcem byť späť tu v Modlitebni. A ak to je možné a bude to vôľa Pánova, chcem hovoriť na tému „Víchrica vo vetri“ - ak Pán dá.
7 Zdá sa, že je to na mojom srdci po celý týždeň.
A nedávno v jedno ráno, asi o štvrtej ráno, som sa zobudil a dostal som túto myšlienku: „Ten Deň na Golgote.“ A to je to, o čom by som chcel dnes ráno hovoriť. Ten Deň na Golgote.
No, aby sme niečo prečítali, obráťme svoje Biblie do Písma, do Evanjelia Matúša v 27. kapitole; a začneme s 27. veršom a prečítame úsek Písma, aby sme vytvorili pozadie. Potom hneď začneme; po tom, ako dokončíme službu kázania, budeme sa modliť za chorých.
8 Odvtedy, ako som tu naposledy bol, ako som začal konať podľa môjho nového typu služby, začal som dostávať omnoho viac svedectiev po zhromaždeniach, ako ich bolo inokedy za dlhý čas. Niečo na tom je, že sa s tou osobou musíte skontaktovať, bez ohľadu na to, koľko nadprirodzeného je ukázané. Ale vidíte, uzdravenie závisí na viere jednotlivca.
Ak má ten daný jednotlivec vieru a vidí, ako Duch Svätý prechádza cez publikum, a vidia, ako sa dejú také a také veci („Voláš sa tak a tak a pochádzaš z takého a takého miesta a urobil si toto a toto a toto sa stane takto a takto.“), a vidíte, ako sa to presne tak stane, ten jednotlivec by sa mal pozrieť hore a povedať, „To musí byť Boh! Prijímam svoje uzdravenie.“ Ale namiesto toho ten jednotlivec povie len, „Položte na mňa ruky a pomodlite sa, aby som bol uzdravený.“
9 Ale to je ten spôsob, ako sme to my v Amerike učení, aby sme tomu tak verili, a to je istotne podľa Písma. Ale teraz nachádzame, že v Afrike a na rôznych iných miestach, tam sa len takéto niečo stane a celé publikum naraz celé vstane a v momente prijíma svoje uzdravenie – lebo neboli predtým ničomu vyučovaní. Vidíte, ich nikto neučil o uzdravení. A potom, keď to oni vidia, vedia, že existuje Boh, ktorý žije; a ak On žije, On je ten Najvyšší a On uzdravuje a to je všetko. Lebo základ už bol položený – že On je Uzdraviteľ a uzdravuje ľudí. A potom, keď uvidia Jeho prítomnosť, ako pôsobí cez Jeho cirkev, a povedia, „Tým to je vybavené. To je všetko, čo potrebujeme.“ Ale my sme boli učení tomu, aby sme kládli ruky na chorých a podobne. To je ten dôvod, prečo to v Amerike tak dobre nefunguje.
No, pamätajte, budúcu nedeľu, ak Pán dá (brat Neville to, samozrejme, ešte oznámi), „Víchrica vo vetre.“
10 Nechal som vám trochu času, aby ste si mohli otvoriť Písmo, v Matúšovi 27. Začnime teda čítať od 27. verša Evanjelia sv. Matúša. No, pozorne to počúvajme:
Vtedy pojali vojaci vladárovi Ježiša do prätória a shromaždili na neho celú čatu.
A vyzlečúc ho, odiali ho šarlátovým plášťom
a upletúc korunu z tŕnia položili mu ju na hlavu a k jeho pravej ruke dali trstinu a kľakajúc pred ním posmievali sa mu a hovorili: Nech žije kráľ Židov!
A napľujúc na neho vzali tú trstinu a bili ho po hlave.
A keď sa mu naposmievali, vyzliekli ho z plášťa a obliekli ho do jeho rúcha a odviedli ho ukrižovať.
A keď vychádzali, našli nejakého človeka, cyrenenského, menom Šimona; toho prinútili, aby niesol jeho kríž.
A keď prišli na miesto, zvané Golgota, čo znamená miesto Lebu,
dali mu piť octu, smiešaného so žlčou, a keď ochutnal, nechcel piť.
A keď ho ukrižovali, rozdelili si jeho rúcho hodiac los, aby sa naplnilo to, čo povedal prorok: Rozdelili si moje rúcho a o môj odev hodili los.
A sediac strážili ho tam.
A nad jeho hlavu vyložili jeho vinu napísanú: Toto je Ježiš, ten kráľ Židov.
Vtedy boli ukrižovaní s ním dvaja lotri, jeden z pravej a druhý z ľavej strany.
A tí, ktorí chodili pomimo, rúhali sa mu pokyvujúc svojimi hlavami
a hovorili: Hľa, ty, ktorý boríš chrám a za tri dni staviaš, pomôž samému sebe! Ak si Syn Boží, sostúp s kríža!
Podobne i najvyšší kňazi sa posmievali so zákonníkmi a so staršími a hovorili:
Iným pomáhal a sám sebe nemôže pomôcť. Je kráľom Izraelovým, nech teraz sostúpi s kríža, a uveríme mu.
Dúfal v Boha, nech ho teraz vyslobodí, ak ho chce. Veď povedal: Som Boží Syn!
A to isté i lotri, ktorí boli s ním spolu ukrižovaní, utŕhali mu.
A od šiestej hodiny povstala tma na celej zemi až do deviatej hodiny.
A okolo deviatej hodiny zvolal Ježiš velikým hlasom a povedal: Éli, Éli, lama zabachtani? ! To je: Môj Bože, môj Bože, prečo si ma opustil?!
A niektorí z tých, ktorí tam stáli, keď to počuli, hovorili: Eliáša volá tento.
A hneď bežal jeden z nich, vzal špongiu, naplnil octom, naložil na trsť a napájal ho.
Ale ostatní hovorili: Nechaj tak; vidzme, či prijde Eliáš, aby mu spomohol.
Ale Ježiš zase vykríkol velikým hlasom a vypustil ducha.
A hľa, chrámová opona sa roztrhla na dvoje, od vrchu až dolu, a zem sa triasla, skaly sa pukali,
a hroby sa otvárali a mnohé telá zosnulých svätých vstali
a vyjdúc z hrobov po jeho zmŕtvychvstaní vošli do svätého mesta a ukázali sa mnohým.
Vtedy stotník a tí, ktorí s ním strážili Ježiša, vidiac zemetrasenie a to, čo sa dialo, báli sa veľmi a hovorili: Toto bol naozaj Syn Boží.
11 Skloňme na chvíľu svoje hlavy do modlitby. Pane, my vieme, že Ty si Bohom, a po tom, čo sme prečítali toto sväté a posvätené Slovo, stále vidíme, že Tvoja povaha sa nezmenila. Ty si vždy Bohom. A zdalo sa, že Ježišovi nebude daná žiadna pomoc a že bude vzatý bezbožnými rukami a roztrhaný na kusy a budú sa Mu smiať a pľuť naňho a zavesia ho na kríž, krvácajúceho a zomierajúceho; a zdalo sa, že nikde nebola žiadna pomoc, až On Sám vykríkol, „Môj Bože, Môj Bože, prečo si Ma opustil?“ Tak sa zachovávate v situácii, kedy nič iné nemôže pomôcť.
Nám je dané na známosť, Pane, že ak existujú nejaké rieky, cez ktoré sa nevieme prebrodiť, ak máme nejaké hory, cez ktoré nevieme prejsť, Boh sa špecializuje na veci, ktoré iní nedokážu. Ty si špecialista vo Svojej práci. Lebo Ty si poznal dôvod toho dňa na Golgote. Ty, súc Bohom, Tým nekonečným, vedel si, že táto hodina musí prísť. Ale keď to bolo naplnené, potom si ukázal, že si Bohom. Ukázal si, kto bol šéfom.
12 Otriasol si zemou a svätí, ktorí spali v zemi, vyšli. Zatmel si slnko v noci… ako temnota noci, a tým si ukázal, že si Bohom; ale zdalo sa, že si bol tak dlho ticho. Nech si z tohto urobíme uzáver, že pokiaľ kráčame v Duchu, vedení rukou Božou, bez ohľadu na to, čo sa zdá, že ide nesprávne, my jednako čelíme Golgote. Boh prehovorí v tú správnu hodinu, v tom správnom čase.
A teraz, Otče, Bože, prosíme o odpustenie našich hriechov a našich prestúpení. Prosíme, aby nás Tvoj Duch viedol. Veď nás, ako holubica viedla toho baránka. Nech sme poslušní všetkému, čomu máme, vediac, že u Boha pôsobí všetko na dobré, a vediac, že všetko bude v poriadku.
Buď dnes s nami počas tejto bohoslužby. Modlíme sa, aby si zachránil tých, ktorí sú v stave, kde potrebujú byť zachránení a hľadajú spasenie. Naplň ich večným životom, ktorý hľadajú. Modlíme sa, aby si uzdravil tých, ktorí sú chorí a postihnutí, ktorí sem prišli, aby hľadali svoje uzdravenie. Budeme Ťa za to chváliť. Prosíme to v Mene Tvojho Syna, nášho Spasiteľa, Ježiša Krista. Amen.
13 Tak, ako budeme dnes ráno hovoriť, rád by som, keby sme obrátili svoju pozornosť na text, o ktorom som si vybral hovoriť, „Ten Deň na Golgote.“ Môže sa zdať, že to je trochu v nesprávnom čase; malo by to byť na Veľký Piatok. Ale na Golgotu by sme mali pamätať každý deň. A toľko sme o tom počuli, toľko sme o tom čítali. Kazatelia o tom kázali od počiatku času. Speváci o tom spievali po celé veky. Proroci to predpovedali tisíce rokov pred tým, ako sa to stalo, a proroci tohto dňa poukazujú späť na to, ako sa to stalo. Je to tak dôležitý deň.
Je to jeden z najdôležitejších dní všetkých čias, kedy Boh zoslal na zem brieždenie. A ak je to pre ľudskú rasu tak dôležité – Golgota – myslím, že by bolo pre nás dobré, ak by sme sa vrátili a skúmali a zistili, čo to presne pre nás znamená. Lebo som si istý, že v tejto neskorej hodine, v ktorej žijeme, hľadáme každú dôležitosť u Boha, ktorú len môžeme; a všetko, čo môžeme zistiť, sme tu na to, aby sme sa o tom dozvedeli. Aby sme videli, čo je pre nás a čo Boh pre nás vykonal, videli, čo zasľúbil, že pre nás urobí. A to je ten dôvod, prečo chodíme do cirkvi.
14 To je dôvod, prečo kazateľ káže. Preto študuje a premýšľa nad Písmom a hľadá inšpiráciu, lebo je verejným sluhom pre Boží ľud a snaží sa nájsť niečo, čo bude… aby Boh mohol povedať Svojmu ľudu niečo, čo im pomôže. Možno ich to odsúdi v ich hriechoch; ale bude to pomoc tým, že ich to pozdvihne, aby mohli opustiť svoje hriechy a potom povstať, aby slúžili Pánovi. A kazatelia by mali hľadať tieto veci.
15 Ak je tento deň tak dôležitý, jeden z najveľkolepejších dní, pozrime sa na tri rôzne veci, ktoré pre nás tento deň znamenal. Mohli by sme ich vziať stovky. Ale dnes ráno si vyberieme len tri kľúčové veci, na ktoré sa chceme nasledujúce chvíle pozrieť, čo pre nás Golgota znamenala. A modlím sa, aby to odsúdilo každého hriešnika, ktorý tu je prítomný, aby to spôsobilo, že každý svätý pôjde na kolená, a aby to vzbudilo vieru v každej chorej osobe a aby mohla odísť uzdravená, každý hriešnik spasený, každý odpadlík navrátený a zahanbený za samého seba, a aby sa každý svätý mohol radovať a vziať novú nádej.
16 Tá prvá dôležitá vec, ktorú pre nás a svet Golgota znamená, je tá, že to raz a navždy vybavilo otázku hriechu. Človek bol uznaný vinným hriechu a hriech mal trest, ktorý nemohol nikto zaplatiť. A ten trest bol tak veľký, až nebol nikto, kto by ten trest mohol zaplatiť. Skutočne verím, že Boh to tak určil – ten trest bol tak veľký, že žiaden človek ho nemohol zaplatiť – aby to mohol On Sám urobiť!
No, trest za hriech bola smrť. My všetci sme boli narodení v hriechu, stvorení v neprávosti a prišli sme na svet hovoriaci lož. A z toho dôvodu nebol nikto z nás hodný, nikto na zemi nebol nájdený hodný.
17 Ale hriech nemá svoj počiatok na zemi. Hriech začal v nebi. Lucifer, diabol, bol odsúdeným stvorením za svoju neposlušnosť ešte predtým, ako sa dostal na zem. Hriech má počiatok v nebi, kde Boh vložil svojich anjelov, a tak ďalej, na ten istý základ, ako dal aj ľudské bytosti. Známosť. Strom známosti… strom života a strom známosti, kde si mohol človek zvoliť. A keď bolo Luciferovi dané prvenstvo, aby si sám vyvolil, on chcel niečo lepšie ako to, čo mal Boh. To bol začiatok problému.
18 A za hriech bola požiadavka. Požiadavka bola smrť. Smrť bola tým trestom. A to je… mohli by sme v tomto ísť do podrobných detailov, lebo neverím, že existuje viac ako jedna smrť. Existuje jeden život. Verím, že človek, ktorý má večný život, nemôže nikdy zomrieť, a verím, že existuje kompletné zničenie duší, ktoré hrešia. Lebo Biblia hovorí, „Duša, ktorá hreší, istotne zomrie“ - nie človek, ale tá duša, ktorá hreší. A tak satan musí istotne zomrieť, musí byť kompletne zničený. Tuto nesúhlasím s univerzalistami, ktorí hovoria, že satan bude nakoniec spasený! On zhrešil a on sám je pôvodcom hriechu. Jeho duša zhrešila, a on bol duchom. Ten duch bude kompletne zničený a nič z neho nezostane.
19 A keď hriech zasiahol na počiatku zem ako pokrývka temnoty, ktorá padala z neba, to zem doslova ochromilo. Uvrhlo to každé stvorenie na zemi, celé Božie stvorenie do zajatia. Človek bol v zajatí smrti, choroby, problémov, smútku. Celá príroda do toho upadla. Hriech bol prostriedkom, ktorý ochromil zem! A potom sme tam ležali my bez akejkoľvek nádeje, lebo každé stvorenie na zemi bolo tomu poddané a každý, kto sa mal na zemi narodiť, bol tomu poddaný. A tak to muselo pochádzať z toho miesta, kde nebolo žiadneho hriechu. Nemohlo to pochádzať zo zeme.
My by sme sa navzájom nemohli vykúpiť. Muselo to prísť od niekoho iného. A tak preto, keď si človek uvedomil, že je oddelený od svojho Boha, stal sa tulákom. Oni plakali, kričali, lopotili sa a túlali sa po horách a cez všetky púšte, hľadali mesto, ktorého tvorcom a staviteľom je Boh. Lebo on vedel, že ak sa mu niekedy podarí dostať sa späť do prítomnosti Božej, mohol by to s Ním prebrať. Ale nebola žiadna cesta späť. Stal sa strateným, nevie, kam sa má obrátiť. Len sa vybral túlať sa, snažil sa niekde nájsť miesto, kadiaľ by sa tam mohol vrátiť späť! Niečo v jeho vnútri mu hovorilo, že to miesto, od ktorého pochádza, je dokonalé.
20 Nenachádza sa tu jediná osoba v tomto viditeľnom publiku dnes ráno alebo v publiku ľudí, ktorí budú počúvať túto pásku, ako to pôjde okolo celého sveta, nie je nikde nikto, kto by nehľadal tú dokonalosť. Zaplatíte svoje účty, myslíte si, že tým to je vybavené. Keď už máte účty zaplatené, zrazu niekto v tvojej rodine ochorie. Keď je choroba preč, máte ďalšie účty, ktoré treba platiť. Hneď na to zistíte, že vám šedivejú vlasy a chcete sa vrátiť do mladosti. A neustále to takto prebieha, lebo to je vlna hriechu. Ale vo svojom srdci, keďže to hľadáte, to ukazuje, že niekde existuje dokonalosť. Niekde existuje niečo.
21 To je dôvod, prečo sa dnes hriešnik mnohokrát túla. Nádherné mladé dievča si ostrihá svoje dlhé vlasy, aby bola trošku viac populárna, namaľuje si tvár, aby vyzerala pekne, a dá si oblečenie, ktoré ukazuje tvar jej postavy, lebo to je to jediné, čo môže nájsť, snaží sa nájsť niekde niečo, čo sa k nej môže vrátiť – keď sa jej podarí spôsobiť, že muži budú po nej pískať, mávať jej a flirtovať s ňou. Mladí muži robia to isté voči ženám. Snažia sa urobiť pre nich príťažlivejšími. Susedia si postavia dom a dajú si ho postaviť určitým spôsobom, lebo to bude vyzerať lepšie, ako to má sused oproti. Neustále sa to tak deje! Ustavične niečo hľadáme a stále viac sa to nabaľuje.
22 Nejaká mladá pani zistí, že ďalšia mladá pani je viac populárna, ako je ona. Sused sa snaží nájsť dom, ktorý vyzerá lepšie, ako má jeho sused. Nejaká žena nájde inú ženu, ktorá sa oblieka určitým spôsobom, ktorý vyzerá lepšie ako ona. Je niečo v nás, čo niečo hľadá a ukazuje to, že sme stratení. Chceme nájsť „to niečo,“ čo nás privedie do toho uspokojenia, čo zasýti to hladné miesto tam vo vnútri; ale zdá sa, že to nedokážeme nájsť.
Ľudské bytosti sa o to pokúšajú po celé veky. Plačú. Kričia. Robia čokoľvek, čo môžu, ale stále to nemôžu mať, túlajú sa po svete.
23 Nakoniec jedného dňa – to bol ten deň na Golgote – zostúpil Niekto zo slávy, Niekto Menom Ježiš Kristus, Syn Boží, ktorý zostúpil zo slávy a bola vyformovaná Golgota. To bol ten deň, v ktorý bola zaplatená cena a otázka hriechu bola navždy vybavená, a to otvorilo cestu k tomu, po čom sme túžili. Prinieslo to miesto uspokojenia.
Nie je nikto, kto by kedy navštívil Golgotu a videl, aké to bolo, že by zostal tým istým. Všetko, po čom kedy túžil, je splnené, keď dosiahne to miesto. Bol to tak dôležitý deň a taká dôležitá vec, až to otriaslo svetom! Otriaslo to svetom ako nikdy predtým.
24 Keď Ježiš zomrel na Golgote a zaplatil otázku hriechu, hriešny svet bol v zatemnení! Slnko napoludnie zapadlo. Malo nervové zrútenie, skaly sa zatriasli, hory sa trhali a mŕtve telá vychádzali z hrobov. Čo to spôsobilo? Boh sa zameral na Golgotu. On to zviera menom satan navždy zranil.
A odvtedy sa satan stal ešte krutejším, lebo to prinieslo svetlo na ľudskú rasu; a každý vie, že zranené zviera je to najnebezpečnejšie… plazí sa so zlomeným chrbtom.
No, satan bol na Golgote knokautovaný. Zem dokázala, že to tak bolo. Tá najväčšia cena, ktorá bola kedy zaplatená, a len Ten jediný ju mohol zaplatiť, prišla a stalo sa to na Golgote. Tam bola tá veľká cena zaplatená. To je len jedna z vecí.
25 Boh to vyžadoval. Nikto nebol hodný, nikto nebol schopný, nikto to nemohol vykonať. A Sám Boh prišiel a stal sa človekom a žil ľudský život s ľudskými túžbami a bol ukrižovaný na Golgote. A tam, keď si satan myslel, že On to už nedokáže, nebude môcť cez to prejsť – On prešiel cez Getsemanskú záhradu a cez každé pokušenie, aké kedy človek môže mať. On cez to prechádzal ako všetci ostatní ľudia; ale On zaplatil cenu! A to bola chvíľa, kedy sa zem zatemnila.
Ako umŕtvenie na operácii. Keď dáva lekár pacientovi anestetiká… on ho najprv uspí pred tým, ako to urobí. A keď dal Boh cirkvi operáciu, svet dostal svoju anestéziu. Príroda dostala kŕč.
Niet sa čo diviť. Boh v ľudskom tele zomieral. Bola to tá hodina, ktorú svet hľadal, a jednako mnohí z nich o tom nevedeli. Presne, ako to je aj dnes, mnohí hľadajú tieto veci a jednako ich nevedia rozpoznať. Neuvedomujú si cestu von. Stále sa snažia hľadať pôžitky a veci tohto sveta, snažia sa hľadať cestu von.
26 Bolo veľa znamení, ktoré poukazovali na ten Deň – veľa predobrazov. Bolo to v predobraze cez baránka, vola a holubicu, a všetky tieto veci; ale jednako to nevedelo zlomiť. Nevedelo to zlomiť úchop smrti! Lebo satan vlastnil zem. Práve tie skaly, po ktorých raz kráčal po zemi, horiaca síra – Lucifer bol synom rána a kráčal po zemi, keď horela lávou – práve tie skaly, ktoré schladli, keď Ježiš zomrel na Golgote, boli vyvrhnuté na zem. Tá cena, ktorá bola zaplatená, a zajatie satana bolo prelomené.
27 Boh dal späť človeku do rúk tú cestu, ktorú hľadal. Už viac nemusel plakať. Keď zlomil satanovu chrbticu priamo tam na Golgote – chrbticu hriechu, choroby – a to prináša každého smrteľníka späť na zem do prítomnosti Božej s odpustenými hriechmi.
Haleluja! Naše hriechy sú odpustené! Nikto nás už nemôže oddeliť od Boha! Bola učinená cesta, je tam telefónna búdka, linka do slávy. Prináša to každú osobu priamo na dosah toho.
Ak je človek plný hriechu, pripojí ho to na centrálu. Môže mu byť ten hriech odpustený! Nie len to, ale za ten hriech už je zaplatené! Nemusíš povedať, „Nie som hodný.“ Istotne nie si. Nikdy by si ani nemohol byť. Ale Ten hodný zaujal tvoje miesto! Si slobodný! Už sa viac nemusíš túlať. Už nemusíš byť tým človekom, ktorý len na zemi hľadá pôžitky. Lebo:
Je zdroj plný krvi,
ktorá prúdi zo žíl Emanuela;
kde keď sa hriešnik vrhne,
je zbavený všetkých hriechu vín.
Nemusíte byť stratení. „Je hradská a cesta, ktorá sa nazýva cestou svätosti; nečistí po nej neprejdú.“ Lebo najprv prídete ku Zdroju; a potom vystúpite na Cestu.
28 On zlomil moc satanovu. Otvoril dvere väzenia pekla, kde bol každý jeden človek na zemi zavretý – vo väzení – v strachu, že keď zomrú, čo za smrť to pre nich bude… On na Golgote otvoril tie dvere cely a pustil každého zajatca na slobodu. Už nemusíte byť trhaní hriechom. Už nemusíte byť poddanými členmi hriechu, pitia, fajčenia, hazardného hrania, hovorenia lží.
Môžete byť úprimní, spravodliví a bezúhonní; a satan s tým nemôže nič urobiť, lebo ste sa dostali do tej linky! Záchranné lano, ktoré je zakotvené v skale vekov. Nič vás od toho nemôže otriasť. Žiadne vetry vami nepohnú. Nič, dokonca ani sama smrť nás nemôže oddeliť od lásky Božej, ktorá je v Kristu Ježišovi.
29 To bol význam Golgoty. Ľudia, ktorí boli v zajatí, boli oslobodení. Ľudia, ktorí raz boli v strachu smrti, sa už viac nemôžu báť smrti. Človek, ktorý túži po meste, ktorého tvorcom a staviteľom je Boh, môže vystúpiť na Hradskú a obrátiť svoju tvár do neba, lebo je slobodný. Haleluja, on je vykúpený! Už sa nemusí viac túlať, lebo je spôsob, ako môže vedieť, či je na tom správne alebo nie. Boh nám dáva život. Naše hriechy sú preč. V ten deň na Golgote bola cena zaplatená.
Keď to všetko vidíme, niet sa čo diviť, že básnik napísal:
Uprostred týčiacich sa skál a tmavej oblohy
môj Spasiteľ sklonil Svoju hlavu a zomrel.
Otváracia opona zjavila cestu
do neba radostí a nekonečného dňa.
30 Abrahám sa už nemusel túlať okolo krajiny hľadajúc mesto. Hriešnik sa už viac nemusí obávať, či môže byť spasený alebo nie. Chorá osoba sa už viac nemusí obávať, či môže byť uzdravená alebo nie. Tá otvorená opona v tom dni na Golgote zjavila cestu do úplného víťazstva! Boh nám dáva moci Svojho Ducha, aby sme žili a víťazili nad všetkým; len nás prosí, aby sme tomu verili. To sa stalo v ten deň na Golgote.
Nikdy nebol taký deň ako ten. Ani nikdy viac nebude. Už to viac nie je potrebné. Cena bola zaplatená a my sme vykúpení. Vďaka Bohu! Sme vykúpení.
Už viac nemusíte blúdiť; už to nie je žiadna neistota. Všetko je to vzaté. Opona zatiahla záclonu a my vyrážame na Hradskú. Už sa viac nedivíme, ale veríme a jednoducho kráčame vpred. Kráčame priamo do Božej prítomnosti.
31 Abrahám to vedel a ostatní to vedeli, zatiaľ čo hľadali to mesto, oni vedeli, že odniekiaľ pochádzali. Niečo sa stalo. Žili v ochromenej zemi. Prišli zemetrasenia, búrky, vojny a zabíjanie. Vlk a baránok sa navzájom kŕmili… alebo vlk sa kŕmil na baránkovi a lev jedol vola. Nevyzeralo to správne. Niečo tam nebolo v poriadku. Vedeli, že niečo nebolo v poriadku. Ľudia – brat zabil brata, otec zabil syna, syn zabil otca. Niečo tam nebolo v poriadku. Začali starnúť, zomierať, hynúť, chytať choroby, boli v zajatí. Stromy rástli, ale neboli nesmrteľné. Zomierajú. Hory sa menia. Moria schnú. Vody zlyhávajú. Niečo nie je v poriadku! A on hľadal miesto, mesto, kde sa toto už viac nedialo. On vedel, že ak by sa niekedy dostal späť do prítomnosti Toho, ktorý to napravil, mohol by to s Ním prebrať.
32 Ó, čo za privilégium, hriešnik, to je dnes ráno, vedieť, že teraz máme cestu. Ten deň na Golgote pre nás otvoril cestu; pre všetkých patriarchov, ktorí Ho hľadali, túžili po Ňom. Golgota vám to dala zadarmo!
Ako by si to mohol odmietnuť? Ako by si to mohol odmietnuť a pridať sa do denominácie? Ako by si odmietol niečo, aby si to niečím nahradil? Pôžitky tohto sveta? Prečo by si to neprijal?
Tá vstupná opona prináša človeka priamo do prítomnosti Božej bez hriechu akéhokoľvek druhu a stavia ho na cestu smerom k tomu, čo hľadá – nebo, sláva, pokoj, večný život, všetko je to priamo pred ním.
33 V ten Deň to bol smrteľný úder na satanovu moc. Ukončilo to všetko. A môžem Ho tam vidieť. On bol baránkom Edenu od prvého tieňa, ktorý naň prišiel, keď vierou Ábel priniesol Bohu lepšiu obeť ako Kain.
Musel uviazať vínnu révu okolo krku baránka, vyviedol ho na skalu, vzal kameň do ruky ako kopiju a natiahol mu hlavu dozadu a bil ho, až dokiaľ nezomrel. A jeho vlna bola ponorená v jeho vlastnej krvi, váľal sa vo svojej krvi! Bol to tieň.
Ale v ten deň na Golgote, nebol na tejto zemi baránok, ale bol to Baránok Boží, ktorý zomieral – váľal sa vo Svojej vlastnej krvi. Bol rozsekaný a dobitý, opľutý, udieraný a všetko ostatné od sveta! A z kaderí Mu kvapkala krv.
34 Keď zomrel Ábelov baránok, zomieral hovoriac v jazyku, ktorému Ábel nerozumel. Bečal. A keď Boží Baránok zomrel v ten deň na Golgote, hovoril jazykom, ktorému nikto nerozumel. „Môj Bože, môj Bože, prečo si Ma opustil?“ Bol to Boží Baránok, roztrhaný na kusy a rozsekaný.
On bol práve tým Baránkom, ktorého mal Ábel na mysli, keď videl to zasľúbené semeno ženy. On bol Baránkom, ktorého Daniel videl, ktorý bol „bez rúk vyťatý z hory.“ On bol „kolesom v strede kolesa“ pre proroka. Všetko, čo predpovedali, bolo v ten deň splnené – v ten deň na Golgote. To tam prinieslo tú vec. To zlomilo satanovi chrbát.
35 Najprv by sme mali zistiť to, čo ten Deň znamenal. Po druhé by sme mali vidieť, čo ten Deň pre nás urobil, čo to pre nás vykonalo. A po tretie, pozrime sa na to, čo by sme my mali pre ten Deň robiť, čo by sme mali robiť.
Najprv sa pozrime na ten veľký Deň – najväčší zo všetkých dní. Cena hriechu bola vybavená. Moc satanova bola zlomená. A teraz chceme vidieť, čo by sme my na oplátku mali robiť.
No, keď Ježiš zomrel na Golgote, v ten deň na Golgote, On nie len že zaplatil cenu za naše hriechy, ale tiež zaplatil cenu a urobil cestu, aby sme Ho mohli nasledovať. Lebo my, ako upadnutí Adamovia, ktorí boli vykúpení… Ako Duch viedol Adama – toho prvého Adama – skrze Ducha, ktorý mal celú prírodu pod kontrolou, potom my – ten druhý Adam, alebo ten človek na zemi – ktorý bol vykúpený Kristom od toho dňa na Golgote, Ho môžeme nasledovať.
36 No, keď On zomrel na Golgote, On učinil cestu. Vydal Ducha, Ducha Svätého, ktorý to poslal späť na zem pre teba a mňa, aby sme tým žili. To pre nás znamenala Golgota, aby sme Ho nasledovali.
Najprv sa na to pozrime. Zistime, čo to pre nás učinilo, a čo musíme pre to robiť. Čo musíš ty a ja robiť? No, povieme, „Nuž, cením si to. Je to v poriadku.“ Ale musíme to prijať. A prijať to, je prijať Jeho )Osobu, Krista do nášho srdca. A potom sme slobodní od hriechu. Preto na nás nevisia žiadne zvyšky hriechu. Boh… akoby sme vôbec nikdy nezhrešili.
Dokonalá obeť nás učinila dokonalých. Lebo Ježiš povedal, „Buďte preto dokonalí, ako je aj váš Otec v nebi dokonalý.“ Potom už netreba nič viac robiť, lebo sme dokonalí v prítomnosti Božej.
37 No, ale tu je miesto, kde strácame našu pozíciu. Ak to nesledujeme, snažíme sa hľadieť na to, čo sme boli; a pokiaľ sa pozeráme na to, čím sme boli, tá Obeť potom pre nás nič neznamená. Ó, či to nemôžete vidieť, cirkev? Nepokúšal by som sa to robiť, nemohol by som, rovnako ako vy. Nemá význam sa vôbec pokúšať. Ste od začiatku stratení, pokiaľ hľadíte na to, čo ste urobili. Ale nehľaďte na to, čo ste urobili, hľaďte na to, čo pre vás urobil ten deň na Golgote!
Zaplatil vašu cenu. Vyriešilo to problém. „Vaše hriechy boli ako šarlát, ale teraz sú biele ako sneh. Červené boli ako karmín, teraz sú biele ako vlna.“ Potom nemáte viac hriechu. Ste dokonalý bezhriešny. Bez ohľadu na to, čo ste urobili, alebo čo robíte, ste stále bezhriešny! Čokoľvek, čo je odpustené, je ospravedlnené a je to zabudnuté.
Čo to potom robí? Dáva vám to, pod tou podmienkou, Jeho Ducha, aby ste Ho nasledovali a činili tak, ako On činil pre druhých, ktorí nasledujú.
38 On bol jednoducho človekom, dokonalým človekom. Dal Svoj život a urobil pre vás príklad.
A čo musíme my teraz robiť? No, to prvé, čo chcem povedať, je: Ježiš nikdy nežil pre Seba. Strávil Svoj život pre ostatných. To je dokonale večný život. Keď hovoríte, že pôjdete do cirkvi a robíte dobré veci, to je v poriadku. Ale keď žijete svoj život pre samých seba, nemáte večný život. Večný život je žitie pre druhých.
Bolo to dokázané, keď išlo o Baránka Božieho. On žil a mal večný život, lebo sa nesnažil žiť pre Seba, ale žil pre ostatných. A vy prijímate večný život tým, že prijímate ten Deň a už viac nežijete sami pre seba, žijete pre druhých.
39 Niekto povedal, „Ako môžeš len stáť a nechať, aby ti niekto takto nadával a nazýval ťa takými menami?“ Vy nežijete pre seba. Žijete pre druhých, aby ste toho človeka mohli vykúpiť. Stávate sa synmi; a ten problém je, že cirkev zabudla, že je synmi. Vy ste synovia. Berie Kristove miesto. Ste synovia; nežijete sami pre seba, žijete pre druhých.
„Nuž, brat Branham, ja môžem žiť pre tohto brata, lebo je to istotne milý človek.“ To nie je to. Žite pre toho, ktorý vás nenávidí! Žijete pre tú osobu, ktorá by vás zabila, keby mohla. To je to, čo oni urobili Jemu. Zabili Ho, a On zomrel na to, aby ich mohol spasiť. To je večný život. Keď toto dostanete do svojho srdca, potom čelíte nebu. Ale obetujete vlastné veci. Vzdajte sa ich, ako sa ovca vzdáva svojej vlny. Hľaďte na Golgotu.
40 Dúfam, že vám to pomôže dostať sa do miesta… To je to, čo Modlitebňa… to je to, čo ľudia musia robiť – zistiť, kým ste a aký je účel toho.
Cirkev nechodí do cirkvi na to, aby len hrala hudbu a spievala piesne. Cirkev je miesto nápravy. Súd sa začína v dome Božom. Musíme sa považovať za mŕtvych a živých pre Krista. Potom On urobil cestu, aby sme sa mohli obetovať a slúžiť Jemu, aby sme Ho nasledovali. Ak Ho nasledujeme, vedieme ten život, ktorý On viedol. To je nádherné. Ježiš to povedal a hovoril o tom… dovoľte mi dať k tomu pár citátov. Dobre počúvajte. Neprehliadnite to!
41 Ježiš povedal, že v tom dni rozdelí ľudí ako ovce a kozy; a kozám povie, „Postavte sa naľavo,“ a ovciam, „postavte sa napravo.“ A kozám povedal, „Odíďte odo Mňa, lebo som bol hladný a nenakŕmili ste Ma. Bol som vo väzení a nenavštívili ste Ma. Bol som nahý a neodiali ste Ma. Bol som smädný a nedali ste Mi napiť. Bol som chorý a nenavštívili ste Ma. Preto odo Mňa odíďte.“ A ovciam povie, „Bol som hladný a nasýtili ste Ma. Bol som nahý a dali ste Mi odev. Bol som chorý a poslúžili ste Mi.“ A všimnite si, dávajte si pozor, aby ste toto prijali, cirkev! Naveky toto držte v srdci! Bolo to vykonané podvedome. Ľudia to nerobia, lebo je to ich povinnosť. Človek, ktorý vám niečo dáva, alebo niekto iný, preto, lebo by to tak mal robiť, človek, ktorý vás kŕmi len preto, že by to mal robiť, má sebecký úmysel. Mal by to byť váš vlastný život, vlastné skutky.
42 Pre tie ovce to bolo tak prekvapivé, keď povedali, „Pane, kedy si bol hladný a nenasýtili sme Ťa… kedy si bol hladný a nakŕmili sme Ťa? Kedy si bol nahý a dali sme Ti odev? Kedy si bol smädný a dali sme Ti piť? Kedy si bol chorý a poslúžili sme Ti?“ To bolo automatické – z lásky. Bol to ich život, ktorý v nich žil.
Bože, nech ľudia vidia, čo pre nás urobila Golgota. Tak automaticky, „Kedy si bol Ty…, Pane. Nikdy sme o tom nevedeli.“
Pozrite sa, ako sa Ježiš obrátil a povedal, „Tak, ako ste učinili týmto, tak ste učinili Mne.“ Nesebecký život. Nie pochybnosti, nie rozmýšľanie o tom; ale ste tak mŕtvi pre veci tohto sveta a tak živí v Kristovi, že kráčate po Hradskej, tieto veci sú pre vás potom automatické. Vy to jednoducho robíte.
43 Nehovorte, „No, Pán chce, aby som teraz toto urobil.“ To nie je to. Vy ste jednoducho časťou Jeho. Jeho Duch je vo vás a vy konáte tak, ako by aj On konal. Rozumiete? „Je cesta, ktorá sa zdá byť človeku správna, ale jej koniec je cestou smrti.“ „Nie všetci, ktorí hovoria, Pane, Pane, vstúpia; ale tí, ktorí činia vôľu Môjho Otca“ - jednoducho zo srdca, slobodne.
No, ten deň na Golgote zaplatil cenu, aby sme takí mohli byť. Nie hovoriť, „No, vieš, vdove Jonesovej raz chýbalo uhlie a tak som jej nejaké to uhlie kúpil.“ Alebo, „Vieš čo, videl som brata, ktorý potreboval oblek, tak som mu išiel kúpiť oblek. Chvála Pánovi, som kresťan.“ Ó! Ty sebecký, úbohý a mizerný človek! Ste pokrytci. Nech vaša pravá ruka nevie, čo vaša ľavá ruka robí, a nech ľavá nevie, čo robí pravá.
Tak automaticky mŕtvi v Kristovi, až to jednako robíte. Je to vaša nátura, vaša povaha. Jednako to robíte. Je to jednoducho život, ktorý vo vás žije. Ste kompletne vydaný tomu Duchu a On žije vo vás svoj vlastný život.
44 Ó, či cítite toho požehnaného Ducha? Ten život, „Nie ja, kto žijem,“ povedal Pavol, „ale Kristus, ktorý žije vo mne.“ Len tak automaticky.
„No, niečo ti poviem, brat Branham. My sme tu kresťania. Pomáhame týmto ľuďom. Pomáhame im.“ Ó, hanba vám! To nie je kresťanstvo. Kresťanstvo je automaticky sa dostať do… má to byť urobené. Vy na to len zabudnite, je to len o… Choďte to urobiť!
Kristus jednoducho kompletne vydal Svoj život Bohu. On dal Samého Seba ako verejného sluhu pre ľudí. Zdarma dal Svoj život. Nemusel to urobiť. On to neurobil s nevôľou. Nepovedal, „No, bratia, mali by ste o Mne vyššie zmýšľať, veď som sem prišiel, aby som za vás zomrel.“ Žiadne také slovo nepovedal. Ale jednako zomrel! Lebo to bol Sám Boh v Ňom. Je to Boh vo vás! Je to Boh vo mne! To spôsobuje, že sa chceme pozerať na druhých.
45 Ovce na jednej strane.
Niektorí z nich povedia, „No, Pane, urobil som toto a, Pane, urobil som tamto.
On povedal, „Odíďte odo Mňa, činitelia neprávosti. Nikdy som vás nepoznal.“
Ak sa niekedy cirkvi podarí dostať sa k tým fundamentálnym základom, to nie je niečo, čo sa snažíte robiť, do čoho sa vypracujete; je to niečo, čo je vo vás zrodené.
46 Odpusťte mi, moji letniční priatelia. Ja som letničný, ale moji letniční priatelia sa musia vypracovať do miesta, kde musí byť veľa rýchlej hudby, udierania bubnov a veľa tlieskania a tamburín, veľa kriku. To je len emócia. Hudba sa hrá pred tým, ako sa ide do boja, aby sa ľudia dostali do emócie boja. Ja verím v hudbu. Verím v tlieskanie rúk, ale… Verím v tieto veci. Presne tak to je. Mali by ste to mať, ale vy vynechávate tie väčšie veci. Ten sebaobetavý život, ktorý vo vás Boh žije, automaticky robíte to, čo je správne, lebo to je správne – len to robíte, ani nad tým nerozmýšľate, jednoducho to žijete. Potom sledujte. Pozerajte sa, čo sa deje, vy jednoducho… vy ne… vy ste na Hradskej. To je to, čo Golgota znamená – na hradskej – ten Deň to pre vás otvoril.
47 No, majte na pamäti, nemôžete byť napoly kozou a napoly ovcou. Oni sa nezmiešajú. No, je veľa ľudí, ktorí povedia, „Áno, vieš čo? My máme v našej skupine organizáciu. Pomáhame chudobným. Robíme toto.“ To je všetko v poriadku, ale vy sami o tom vyspevujete. Nemá sa to tak robiť. Dávajte svoje almužny v tajnosti, Ježiš povedal. Má to byť pre vás niečo automatické.
Nie je to nič viac, ako ísť a zohnať pohár vody. Ste smädní. Ak je ďalší človek smädný, naňho myslíte rovnako. Ďalší človek má potrebu, naňho myslíte rovnako, ako by ste mysleli na vlastnú potrebu, a nevenujete tomu žiadnu pozornosť, len žijete ďalej.
48 No, nemôžete byť napoly ovcou a napoly kozou. A tak, ak poviete, „No, naša cirkev je organizácia. My rozdávame chudobným. Robíme toto, robíme tamto alebo tamto.“ Ak by ste to mali bez života Kristovho v sebe, robíte to úplne márne.
Pavol povedal v 1. Korinťanom 13, „Hoc by som dal všetok svoj majetok, aby som nakŕmil chudobných a spálil svoje telo ako obeť, nič by mi to neprospelo.“ No, toto je tvrdé, ale je to pravda. Musíte sa dostať k tomuto faktu. Rozpoznať, čo pre vás Golgota urobila.
49 No, pozeráme sa na to a hovoríme, „Ó, iste, je to milé.“ To nie je o tom. Ak by ten Syn Boží musel ísť na Golgotu, aby bol ukrižovaný, každý syn, ktorý prichádza, musí ísť na Golgotu! On tiež musí mať Golgotu. Musíte mať ten deň Golgoty. Ja musím mať ten deň Golgoty. To vybavuje otázku hriechu. Nie podať si ruky s kazateľom, nie byť donútený do cirkvi, prísť prostredníctvom nejakého listu alebo prísť skrze vyznanie; ale prísť skrze narodenie.
On nikdy nedal list, nikdy nedal vyznanie, dal narodenie. To je spôsob, ako vstupujeme. A potom odtiaľ automaticky žijeme svoje kresťanské životy.
50 No, ešte ďalšia poznámka. Polovičná koza, polovičná ovca: nič také nie je. Nie ste polovičnou kozou a polovičnou ovcou, ste buď kozou alebo ovcou. A ak len robíte dobré veci a myslíte si, že len preto vám to prejde, potom by nemusel byť žiaden deň na Golgote. Zákon by to poskytol. Ale keďže ten deň na Golgote to priniesol – aby sme nemuseli byť len členmi cirkvi, ale synmi a dcérami Božími.
To je to, čím bol deň na Golgote. To je to, čo to pre vás znamenalo, aby ste mohli konať, nasledovať a robiť skutky ako Ježiš.
No, rieka netečie hore a dolu v tom istom čase. Rieka prúdi len jedným smerom a Duch Boží prúdi len jedným smerom. Nijako sa to nemieša. Prúdi to stále tak isto.
51 Sledujte Ježiša (už končíme). Ježiš povedal, „Skutky, ktoré Ja činím, budete aj vy činiť; a dokonca väčšie ako tieto budete činiť; lebo Ja idem k Svojmu Otcovi.“ Toto nehovorím len tak pre túto cirkev, rozumiete, tieto posolstvá sa nahrávajú na pásky. Desiatky tisícov ich budú počúvať okolo sveta. Teraz zodpoviem kritikom jednu otázku. Veľakrát mi bolo povedané, „Nuž, ty veríš Biblii.“ Ježiš povedal, „Tieto skutky, ktoré Ja činím, budete aj vy činiť; a väčšie ako tieto budete činiť; lebo Ja idem k Svojmu Otcovi.
52 Ako zle na tom len môžeš byť, pane? Ako ďaleko od rozpoznania sa môžeš túlať so svojou intelektuálnou teológiou a s mentálnym poňatím niečoho? Moji drahí a stratení priatelia, či nemôžete porozumieť, že táto Biblia sa duchovne vykladá? Ježiš ďakoval Otcovi, že to ukryl pred vzdelanými, chytrými a múdrymi a bystrými, aby to zjavil nemluvňatám a takým, ktorí podídu ku Golgote.
53 No, sledujte teraz. Ježiš povedal, (sledujte, ako to povedal), „Skutky, ktoré Ja činím...“ On ich v tejto chvíli činí. „Skutky, ktoré ja činím (uzdravovanie chorých, vzkriesenie mŕtvych, otváranie očí slepých), tieto skutky budete aj vy činiť. Budete ich robiť, ak budete vo Mňa veriť. Budete tieto skutky robiť; a dokonca väčšie ako tieto budete robiť; lebo Ja idem k Svojmu Otcovi. A krátku chvíľu a tento svet Ma viac neuvidí; ale vy Ma uvidíte. Budem s vami, dokonca vo vás až do konca sveta. Nenechám vás bez utešenia. Budem sa modliť k Otcovi, aby vám poslal druhého Potešiteľa, ktorým je Duch Svätý; ktorého svet nemôže prijať; ale vy Ho môžete mať.“
54 No, všimnite si teraz, tie väčšie skutky bolo mať moc v cirkvi nielen skrze uzdravovanie chorých modlitbou, vyháňanie diablov s modlitbou, ale vyjadriť veriacim večný život. Duch Svätý prišiel a bol daný do rúk cirkvi, aby vyjadril život. To je pravý význam Golgoty.
Vyžadovalo to zhrbených, znevažovaných mužov a ženy, aby boli pozdvihnutí do pozície synov a dcér Božích, aby uzdravovali chorých a bol im udelený večný život, tým, že im, ako poslušným veriacim, bol daný Duch Svätý. Ľudia, ktorí boli raz neveriacimi, sú učinení veriacimi a majú udelený duchovne večný život.
55 O koľko väčšie to je… Povedať tejto chorej žene, ktorá tu leží, „Môžem sa pomodliť modlitbu viery,“ a bude uzdravená, to je veľká vec. To bolo to, čo On vtedy robieval, ale potom povedal, „Väčšie ako toto budete robiť. Dám vám moc, nie len na to, aby ste ho na chvíľu pozdvihli, ale aby ste mu dali večný život – ktorý bude naveky večný.“
Biedni, slepí, zúbožení ľudia, ako ste to mohli prehliadnuť? Či nevidíte, čo je tá väčšia vec? To je tá najväčšia vec, ktorá sa kedy mohla stať, aby bol ľuďom udelený večný život!
56 Čo je večný život? Život, ktorý On žil, Ten život, ktorý bol v Ňom; vložiť ho do druhých. Dokáže to človek urobiť? Syn Boží áno. Ježiš povedal, „Komukoľvek odpustíte hriechy, sú mu odpustené; komukoľvek hriechy zadržíte, tomu budú zadržané.“ No, toto je to, kde urobila katolícka cirkev a mnohé ďalšie veľkú chybu. Oni si vyjdú a povedia, „Odpúšťam ti hriechy.“ To nebolo to.
Ako im v Biblii boli odpustené hriechy? Peter odpovedal na tú otázku na deň letníc. Oni povedali, „Čo máme robiť, aby sme boli spasení? Ako môžeme obdržať toto všetko, čo ty máš?“
On tam zložil predpis. Povedal im, čo majú robiť. Povedal, „Čiňte pokánie k Bohu, každý jeden z vás, a buďte pokrstení na Meno Ježiša Krista.“ Na čo? „Na odpustenie svojich hriechov.“ To sú tie väčšie skutky.
57 Koľkí z vás kazateľov dnes ráno, koľkí z vás, ktorí počúvate moje slovo na magnetofónových páskach, ste ochotní ísť dnes ráno na Golgotu, aby ste sa pozreli, čo tam pre vás Boh urobil, a opustiť svoje denominačné vyznania a ísť kázať Evanjelium? Haleluja! Máte to priamo pred nosom! Čo s tým urobíte? Prečo? „Pokánie a odpustenie hriechov musí byť v Jeho Mene kázané po celom svete, počnúc s Jeruzalemom.“ Haleluja!
Čo pre vás znamená Golgota? Čo pre teba ten Deň urobil? Vypchalo ťa to nejakou teológiou? Urobilo ťa to chvastúňom? Alebo to z teba urobilo zapredaného kresťana? Haleluja! Odpustené hriechy. Väčšie skutky ako tieto budete činiť. Vidíte, čo tam znamená to „vy“, že? „Väčšie skutky ako tieto“ - odpúšťanie hriechov v Mene Ježiša Krista. Ale skrze vyznania, denominácie, a tak ďalej, to vás všetko zaviazalo do miesta, kde stále slúžite svetu.
58 Akýkoľvek muž, akákoľvek žena môže prísť ku Golgote a snažiť sa byť niekým veľkým, lebo niekto niečo povedal. Povedzte mi, kde sa môžete pozrieť priamo do tváre Golgoty, v tom správnom svetle, ten deň na Golgote…
Ako môžete prežiť svoj deň na Golgote a odísť s vypnutou hruďou? Ako môžete odísť ako bábka pre nejakú organizáciu a kázať nejakú ľuďmi vymyslenú náuku? Prečo nenecháte, aby vás to pokorilo do Slova Božieho? Ak tam niekedy pôjdete, odídete pokorný. Ako môžete chcieť byť niečím veľkým vo svojej organizácii s pierkom v klobúku, keď sa Sám Ježiš Kristus, Syn Boží, pokoril do porušeného tela, opľutej tváre, až bol zahanbený a vystavený na potupu, ako z Neho strhávali oblečenie a ukrižovali Ho pred celým svetom, pohŕdajúc Jeho hanbou? Ako môžete ísť na Golgotu a odísť odtiaľ nejaký iný, ako bol On Sám? Potupa, hanba.
„Ó,“ poviete, „vykopnú ma.“ Nech ťa vykopnú. Ty maj svoj deň na Golgote. Boh s tebou bude mať Svoj spôsob. Dovoľte mi to znovu zacitovať. Preži svoj deň na Golgote a Boh bude mať s tebou Svoj vlastný spôsob. Modlime sa.
59 Pane, ó, Bože, vezmi nás teraz všetkých na Golgotu. Nech sa oddelíme, Pane, od strachu človeka, strachu z toho, čo povie niekto iný. Veď celý svet sa z Neho smial, robil si z Neho žarty, ale On bol poslušný až na smrť. Bol poslušný v potupe. Bol poslušný dokonca aj pod federálnou vládou a my si uvedomujeme, že keď satan udrel túto zem, stal sa panovníkom a autoritou na tejto zemi. Stal sa svedkom tej istej hodiny pred našim Pánom a povedal, „Tieto kráľovstvá sú moje. Naložím s nimi, ako ja budem chcieť.“ A my si uvedomujeme, že od toho dňa až dodnes pod kliatbou bola táto zem pod vládou toho, ktorý ju preklial. Ale, Bože, ó, Bože, my slúžime kráľovstvu, ktoré nie je prekliate!
Otče, Bože, aké veľkolepé to je, že Ty si dnes vykonal veľké veci v tom filmovom svete, vydal si tieto veľké filmy ako Desať prikázaní, a tak ďalej; aby muži a ženy mohli vidieť, tí, ktorí by sa ani tieňom nepriblížili k dverám zboru, mohli vidieť, čo to je. Božia cesta je týmto svetom odmietnutá, lebo sa zdá, že ideme pod vládu ruského komunizmu. My sa nachádzame v tomto svete, ale nie sme z tohto sveta. Išli sme na Golgotu. Ukrižovali sme samých seba pre kráľovstvo Božie, aby sme boli jednými z tých Jeho. Bez ohľadu na to, čo hovorí svet, my sa postavíme na stranu tej hŕstky pohŕdnutých Pánových. Smerujeme do vzkriesenia.
A veríme, že čoskoro to bude nablízku, Pane, kedy budeme vzkriesení do kráľovstva, ktoré prevezme tento svet, ako to Daniel predvídal. A zlomilo to celý svet do jednej veľkej plevy a vietor ju odfúkol do letného humna. Ale ten vrch, ten Kameň, narástol na jednu veľkú horu, ktorá pokryla zem. Ten Kameň príde. Ó, Bože, chceme byť Jeho časťou! Nech zaprieme samých seba, nech každodenne berieme svoj kríž, nech žijeme pre Krista, nech žijeme pre druhých. Udeľ to, Pane.
60 Ak sú tu nejakí dnes ráno, ktorí Ho nepoznajú ako svojho Spasiteľa, a chceli by byť spomenutí v záverečnej modlitbe a chceli by byť časťou toho dňa na Golgote, či len nepozdvihnete svoje ruky a nepoviete, „Pomodli sa za mňa, brat Branham. Chcem Ho poznať ako svojho Spasiteľa.“ Nech ťa Boh žehná, mladý pane. Ešte niekto? Nech ťa Boh žehná, môj brat tam vzadu. Či je ešte niekto iný, kto by povedal, „Chcem Ho poznať. Chcem, aby bol toto pre mňa ten deň na Golgote. Som chorý a obťažený. Aký to má význam flákať sa tu uprostred tej veci, do ktorej som bol narodený? Bol som narodený, aby som bol synom Božím, a tu som a držím sa vecí tohto sveta. Bože, nech som dnes ukrižovaný. Dovoľ mi ukrižovať samého seba a moje idey, aby som mohol žiť s Kristom a žiť pre druhých. Bez ohľadu na to, čo mi oni robia, ak si zo mňa robia žarty, prenasledujú ma a hovoria na mňa zlé veci a podobne, nech len pokorne kráčam, skromne ako baránok, ako to aj On robil. Jedného dňa On zasľúbil, že ma vzkriesi v ten posledný deň. Vyhliadam ten deň.“
Zodvihnú sa ešte nejaké ruky? Nech ťa tam Boh žehná, aj teba. V poriadku, ešte nejaké. Pán ti žehnaj, aj teba nech Pán žehná. Ešte niekoľkí, predtým, ako sa pomodlíme.
61 Náš Nebeský Otče, keď Peter kázal na deň letníc, bolo povedané, že, „Tí, ktorí uverili, boli prijatí do cirkvi.“ Oni skutočne uverili z hĺbky svojich sŕdc. Títo ľudia, ktorí práve zodvihli svoje ruky, verím, že oni tomu uverili z celého svojho srdca. Ak áno, čaká tu bazén s vodou. Ak chcú, aby boli ich hriechy odpustené, je tu niekto, kto ich môže na to Meno pokrstiť, na to jediné Meno, cez ktoré môžeme byť spasení, jediné Meno, ktoré je pod nebom ľuďom dané. Ako som aj pred chvíľou citoval z Písma, že, „pokánie a odpustenie hriechov musí byť v Jeho Mene kázané celému svetu, počnúc Jeruzalemom.“ A v Jeruzaleme, keď bolo kázané pokánie a odpustenie hriechov, apoštol im povedal o Písmach a povedal, že najprv musia činiť pokánie a potom byť pokrstení na Meno Ježiša Krista. To bola práca kazateľa. Aby oni činili pokánie a aby ich on pokrstil na odpustenie ich hriechov. „Komukoľvek odpustíte hriechy, tomu sú odpustené. Komukoľvek hriechy zadržíte, tomu sú zadržané.“
62 Otče, ako sa svet mohol dostať do takéhoto záchvatu? Prečo len neveriť jednoduchému Evanjeliu? A dokonca s tým prinášajú falošné mená ako náhradu, falošné krsty, falošné krsty Duchom Svätým, podávanie si rúk s kazateľmi, používanie titulov Otca, Syna a Ducha Svätého, čo nikdy ani nebolo v Písme – dokument, ktorý vytvorili rímski ľudia; žiaden kresťan to v Biblii nikdy neučil. Odpustenie hriechov nemôže byť odpustené skrze tituly, ale skrze Meno Ježiša Krista.
No, Otče, vieme, že to je dosť nepopulárne. Tvoje cesty vždy také boli. Ale nech muži a ženy prídu dnes ráno k tomu Dňu, tomu dňu na Golgote, kde Ježiš, ktorý bol v tom dni pohrdnutý, vyzlečený na hanbu, dokopaný na kusy, pľuli naňho a celý svet si z neho robil žarty, celá cirkev, ľudia, ktorí Ho mali milovať… a jednako uprostred toho všetkého, On ani neotvoril Svoje ústa, ale išiel a zomrel za tých ľudí, ktorí si z Neho robili žarty.
63 Bože, vezmi nás dnes ráno na Golgotu. A ak povedia, že sme šialení, ak povedia, že Písma sa mýlia, čokoľvek chcú povedať; Bože, jednako nemôžu obstáť v prítomnosti Božej a povedať, že to je nesprávne.
Nemôžu Bibliou zakryť svoje hriechy. Biblia odkrýva ich hriechy, ich neveru – aby boli populárni, aby konali rovnako ako zvyšok davu. Nech len dnes ráno prídu ku Golgote a začnú pri Jeruzaleme, „činenie pokánia a odpustenie hriechov musí byť v Jeho Mene kázané všetkým národom, počnúc Jeruzalemom.“ Nech urobia ten istý krok ukrižovania, aby boli odstrkovaní, opľutí, zosmiešnení a nazvaní všetkým možným, cirkevnými odpadlíkmi – trhateľmi cirkví, budú nazvaní všetkým možným.
A nech my, Pane, dnes ráno zaujmeme svoje miesto s tou hŕstkou pohrdnutých Pánových. Nech kráčame tak ako apoštoli, neodvracajúc sa napravo ani naľavo a z dobroty sŕdc slúžiť Bohu. Udeľ to, Otče.
A uzdrav teraz chorých a postihnutých, ktorí prichádzajú do modlitebného radu. Nech tí, ktorí zodvihli svoje ruky vo svojich srdciach, aby činili pokánie. Nech tí, ktorí tam len vzadu postávali, nech sa len ponáhľajú k vode a majú svoje hriechy odpustené v Mene tej Obeti, Ježiša Krista, Syna Božieho. Amen.
1 Thank you, Brother Neville. [Brother Neville says, "Bless you, brother."--Ed.] God bless you, Brother Neville. Thank you very much. Good morning, friends. It's a privilege to be here at the Tabernacle again this morning to serve the Lord in the way of preaching the Word and praying for the sick. And I am very grateful for this day.
And I was amazed just as I come in. A brother walked up and said, "I don't want
to be like the unworthy leper that was healed." It's Brother Wright. I prayed for
him, and the Lord has healed him completely. And he come up weeping to shake my
hand and say that--that he would--wanted to thank the Lord for--for being healed.
He wanted to return and give thanks. It's all gone. He--he's perfectly well now.
We are grateful for those testimonies.
4 And Charlie, you and Brother Jeffries, if you wish to, come up here and take these seats up here. And you're more than welcome, so you won't have to stand. The other brother there, Brother Wood, just come up here and you're--here's a little couple of places here on the bench, so you won't have to stand up. I believe a couple of places here. And... If you could be more than welcome to come and take these places.
We are glad to... I believe it was said one time, "I was happy when they said unto
me... God bless you Brother. [Brother says, "Always like to be closer to the preacher."--Ed.]
Thank you, thanks, thank you. I was happy when they said unto me, 'Let us go into
the house of the Lord.'" That's the Christian's privilege and joy to go to the house
of the Lord.
6 Looking around and seeing so many of my friends in this morning, I am highly elated over this. I'm glad to see Brother and Sister Dauch here from Ohio. I see Brother and Sister Armstrong, back there, all the way from Ohio. God bless you all too. And oh, just looking around you see so many, it'd be kind of hard to get all their names. Sister Hoover, we're glad to see you in this morning from down in Kentucky. And Charlie and Nellie, Brother Jeffries and his family, and just so many in from out of the city... So we're expecting a great time in the Lord this morning. Expecting God to meet us in a way to bless our souls and minister to us the things that we have need of.
And as I view around over the place, if I go to calling all of my friends around
here, I'd take most of the morning saying different ones. It makes me feel good
to get back to church to see all the people in, get to meet...
9 What will it be when we get to heaven, and we meet there for that great time of everlasting, eternal fellowship together around the throne of God, and the very blessings that we have all cherished... We there will be made unto His likeness, and in His image, and with His Spirit upon us to worship and serve Him for all eternity, never to grow tired.
Just think; there's not anything that you can think of, that you like to do, but what once in a while you tire in doing it. Charlie, I guess you and I have squirrel hunted more than anything that we like to do in the way of that, but you know you get tired doing it. And I--I like to hike, get into the mountains and just hike, but I get tired sometimes and want to do something else. And I like to drive.
Sometimes I get feeling kind of tired, and wore out, and nerves on edge; I'll just
jump in my car, and take out, and hold to the steering wheel going down the road
singing, "I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them," or something, just gripping
that wheel and singing and stomping my foot and shouting. And well I... After while
I get tired, and then I return back home and start something else. But when we get
to worshipping God in that new Kingdom, there'll never be a tired moment, just--just...
We'll always be a blessing just on and on. But 'course we'll be changed then; we'll
not be like we are now. We--we'd be different--different creatures than we are at
this time. So we are happy.
14 I was just thinking. I don't know whether I ever did quoted this or not. Brother Charlie... Sometime ago I was down in Kentucky with him, and he said, "Brother Branham, do you think in the Millennium you and I will squirrel hunt?"
I said, "I don't think so, Charlie."
He said, "Well, we liked it so well," said, "do you--you think we will when we get in the Millennium?"
I said, "No, won't be nothing killed in the Millennium."
And he said, "Well, we just like it."
I said, "Charlie, what if I could convince you that one time you were a hog, and you'd raised to a higher being, to being a human being. Would you ever go--want to go back and enjoy the pleasures of a hog?"
Said, "No."
I said, "See, you'd be so much higher than the hog now, you're human, you'd never
want to be a hog any more." I said, "Now, multiply that by ten thousand, and that's
what you'll be when you are changed from here to what you will be. You'll never
want to be human again." That's right. It'll be something different. I'm so glad
just for the thoughts of it, knowing that someday we will climb higher.
19 Well, now if the Lord is willing, next Sunday which will be about... Then I'm going to leave to go out into Wyoming with a good friend, or out into Idaho with a good friend of mine, Brother Miner Arganbright, Brother Clayton Sonmore, the Christian Business Men.
Next week, week after next is now the seventh; I'm to be in--in Dallas, Texas, at the Voice of Healing Convention, and my speaking night is the seventh. And then I return back to go over into Idaho with Brother Arganbright and the Christian Business Men, and maybe have one night at Minneapolis before we leave, and then one Christian Business Men's breakfast.
If the Lord is willing, next Sunday morning, I want to be back here at the Tabernacle
again; and if that's permissible and be the will of the Lord, and I want to speak
on the subject of the "Whirlwind in the Wind"; if the Lord is willing.
22 It seemed to be on my heart all week; and the other morning, real early about four o'clock in the morning, I waked up and I got this thought: "That Day on Calvary." And I want to speak on that this morning. "That Day on Calvary."
And now, for this reading let's turn now in our Bibles, in the Scripture to the
Gospel of St. Matthew at the 27th chapter, and we'll begin with the 27th verse and
read a portion of this Scripture to get our background. And then we'll start right
away, and after the preaching service, then we're going to have prayer for the sick.
24 And all since the last time here, just bringing back in patterning of my new type of ministry, I had more return testimonies from that meeting than I have in any for a long time. There's something about that you must contact the person regardless of how much supernatural is shown. But, see, healing has to lay upon the individual's faith.
Now, if the individual has faith, and they see like the Holy Spirit go over the
audience and say, certain-certain things happen: and that "You're such and such
a name, and you come from such a place, and a certain thing that you've done, and
it will be this way," and see all of it happen just that way, yet the individual
setting there should look up and say, "That has to be God. I accept my healing."
But instead of that the individual says, "Lay hands on me and pray for me: so I'll
be healed."
28 But that's the way we're taught here in America--and so to believe that, and that's certainly Scriptural. But now we find in Africa and different places, just let something like that happen, the whole audience reaches right up at one time, accepts their healing, because they haven't been taught nothing. See? They haven't even been taught healing. And then when they see that, they know that there's a God that lives; and if He lives, He's--He's supreme and He--He heals, and that's it. Because the basis is already laid the foundations that He is a Healer and heals the people. Then when they see His Presence working through His church, then they say, "That settles it. That's all we need." But we've been taught laying hands on the sick and things like that. That's the reason it doesn't work so good in America.
Now, remember, next Sunday morning, the Lord willing... Brother Neville will announce
it, of course, if it's... The--A Whirlwind in the Wind.
32 Now, I've given you a little time to turn in your Scriptures to Matthew 27. Let's begin reading at the--the 27th verse of--of St. Matthew's Gospel. Now, let's listen close to the reading.
And the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe,
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
After that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put on his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross...
And when they were gone up--gone unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, and cast lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
.. sitting down they watched him there;
And set over his head an accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Then there were two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
And they--they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
And saying, Thou that destroyed the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.
He trusted in God; let Him deliver him now, if he will save him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in their teeth... in his teeth.
Now, from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calls for Elias.
And straightway one ran and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come and save him.
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
.. the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints that slept arose,
And came out of the grave after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Now, when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake,
and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the
Son of God."
33 Let us bow our heads just a moment for prayer. Lord, we know that Thou art God, and after reading this sacred and holy Word, we can still see that Your nature has not changed. You are always God. And it seem like that Jesus was not going to have any help, that He was taken by wicked hands, and was hacked to pieces, and spit upon, and mocked, and hanging on the cross, bleeding, dying; and seemed like there was no help nowhere, till even He cried Himself, "My God, My God, why has Thou forsaken Me?" But You act in the moment that when nothing else can act.
We are given to know, Lord, that if we have any rivers that we cannot cross, if
we have any mountains we cannot go through, God specializes in doing things that
others cannot do. You are a specialist on the job. For You know the reason of that
day on Calvary. You, being God, the infinite One, knew this hour must come. But
when it was fulfilled, then You showed You were God. You showed Who was Boss.
36 You shook the earth, and the saints that slept in the ground come out. You blackened the sun in the night, as the darkness of night, showing that You were God, but You seemed to be silent so long. Let us from this draw this conclusion: that as long as we are walking in the Spirit, led by the hand of God, no matter what seems to be wrong, yet we are facing Calvary, God will speak in the right hour at the right time.
Now, Father God, we would ask forgiveness of our sins and our trespasses. We would ask for Your Spirit to lead us. Lead us as the Dove led the Lamb. Let us be obedient to whatever may befall us, knowing this, that God works all things well, and know that it'll be all right.
Be with us today in this service. We pray that You'll save those who are in condition
to be saved and are seeking for salvation. Fill those with Eternal Life who are
seeking such. We pray that You'll heal those that are sick and afflicted that have
come seeking healing. And we'll praise Thee for it. We ask it in the Name of Your
Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
40 Now, in the speaking this morning, we wish to call your attention to the text that I've chosen to speak from, "That Day On Calvary." It seems like it would be a little out of season. This should be on Good Friday. Calvary should be remembered every day. And we've heard so much about it, read so much about it. Preachers has preached on it since the beginning of time. Singers have sang of it through the ages. Prophets foretold it four thousand years before it ever happened, and the prophets of this day point back to when it did happen. It's such an important day.
It's one of the most important days of all the days that God ever let dawn on the
earth. And if it's so important to the human race, Calvary, I think it's good for
us to go back and examine it and see just what it means to us. For I'm sure at this
late hour that we're living, we are seeking every importance of God that we can
know; and all that we can find out, we are here to learn of it: to see what is for
us, and what God has done for us, and see what He's promised to do for us. And that's
what we come to church for.
42 That's why the preacher preaches.
That's why he studies and meditates in the Scripture and seeks for inspiration,
is because he is a public servant to God's people, and he's trying to find something
that will--that God would have to say to His people, something that would help them.
Maybe it might be condemn them in their sins, but would be a help to raise them
up; that they might forsake their sins and then raise up to serve the Lord. And
ministers should seek these things.
43 If this day being so important,
one of the greatest days, let us look at three different things that day meant to
us. We could take hundreds. But this morning I have just chosen three different
vital things that we want to look at for the next few moments, that Calvary meant
to us. And I pray that it'll condemn every sinner that's present, it'll make every
saint go on to his knees, that'll make every sick person raise his faith to God
and walk away healed, every sinner saved, every backslider come back and be ashamed
of himself, and every saint rejoice and take new hold and new hope.
44 The one great important thing that Calvary means to us and the world is it settled the sin question once for all. Man was found guilty of sin, and sin was a penalty that no man could pay. The penalty was so great until there wasn't anyone that could pay the penalty. I truly believe that God ordained it that way, that the penalty would be so great that no man could pay it, so He could do it Himself.
Now, the penalty of sin was death. And we were all borned in sin, shaped in iniquity,
come to the world speaking lies. Therefore, there wasn't none of us that was worthy,
or they could find no one on earth that was worthy.
45 And sin did not start on the
earth. Sin started in heaven. Lucir--Lucifer, the devil, was a condemned creature
for his disobedience before he ever struck the earth. Sin began in heaven, where
God put the angels and so forth upon the same basis that He put human beings on.
Knowledge, the tree of knowledge... The Tree of Life, and the tree of knowledge,
where man could take his choice. And when Lucifer was given the preeminences to
make his choice, he wanted something better than God had. That started the trouble.
46 And there was a requirement for sin. The requirement was death. Death was the penalty, and that is... We could go into great details of this, because I do not believe that there is but one death. There is one life. And I believe a man that has Eternal Life can never die, and I believe there is a complete annihilation of that soul that sins, for the Bible said, "The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die," not the man, the soul that sinneth. So Satan must surely die to be completely destroyed.
How I disagree with the universalist that say that Satan will be saved. He sinned,
and he's the originator of sin. And his soul sinned and he was a spirit. That spirit
shall be totally annihilated to be nothing left of it.
47 And when sin struck the earth back in the beginning like a sheet of blackness falling from the heaven, it literally paralyzed the earth. It throwed every creature on the earth, and all of God's creation, in bondage. Man was under bondage of death, sickness, troubles, sorrows. All nature fell with it. Sin was an anesthetic that actually paralyzed the earth. And then we was set here hopeless, 'cause every creature on earth was subject to it, and everyone born on earth was subject to it. So it had to come from some place where there was no sin. It could not come from the earth.
One of us could not redeem the other. It had to come from another. Therefore, when
man realized that he was separated from his God, he become a wanderer. They wept;
they cried; they toiled; they wandered about through the mountains and through the
deserts seeking a city whose Builder and Maker was God. For he knew that if he ever
got back in the Presence of God, he could talk it over with Him. But there was no
way back. He become lost. He didn't know which way to turn, so he just took out
wandering, trying to find somewhere that he could find a way back to that place.
Something on the inside of him told him that he come from a--a place that was perfect.
50 There is not a person here
in this visible audience this morning, or in the audience of the magnetic tape,
where it'll go around the world; there's no one here or anywhere, but what seeks
for that perfection. You get your bills paid; you think that'll settle it. When
you got your bills paid, then there's somebody sick in your family. When the sickness
gets all right, then you got more bills to pay. The first thing you know your hair's
turning gray, and then you want to be back young. And there's something all the
time, constantly, because of that wave of sin. But in your heart, because that you
seek for that, it shows that there is a perfection somewhere. Somewhere there's
something.
51 That's the reason many times
today that a sinner is still wandering about. A beautiful young girl will cut off
the locks of her hair to be popular, paint up her face to make her look pretty,
put on clothes to show the form of her being, because it's the only thing that she
can find, finding somewhere, to try to find something to come back to her; when
she can cause men to whistle at her, wave at her, flirt with her. Young men will
do the same thing to the woman: try to make hisself attractive to her. Neighbors
will build a house and fix it a certain way because it'll look a little better than
his neighbor's place. It's all the time. We are seeking for something, and something
keeps going just a little above it.
52 The young lady will find another young lady's more popular than she. The neighbor will find a house that looks better than his. The woman will find another woman dressed a certain way that looks better than she does. It's something in us that's seeking out for something, and it shows that we are lost. We want to find that something that'll bring us to that satisfaction, that'll fill that spot of hunger in there; but seems like we can't find it.
Human beings tried it through the ages. They wept for it. They cried. They done
everything that they know how to do, but still they didn't find it, wandering about
through the world.
53 Finally one day, that's that day at Calvary, there was One came down from glory, One by the Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who came from glory, and Calvary was formed. That was the day that the price was paid, and sin question was settled forever, and it opened up the way unto this thing that we're hungering and thirsting for. It brought a place of satisfaction.
There's no man that's ever visit Calvary and seen it the way it was, that can ever
be the same. Everything that he ever desired or longed for is met when he reaches
that place. It was such an important day and such an important thing, it shook the
world. It shook the world like it was never shook before when Jesus died at Calvary
and paid the sin question.
55 This sinful world had a blackout. The sun went down in the middle of the day; it had a nervous prostration. The rocks shook, the mountains rent, and the dead bodies bursted from the grave. What did it do? God zeroed in on Calvary. He wounded that animal called Satan forever.
Now, he's been more vicious since then, because it brought Light to the human race; and anyone knows that a wounded animal is its most vicious, crawling around with his back broke.
Now, Satan was knocked out at Calvary. The earth proved that it was. The greatest
price that was ever paid, and the only One that could pay it, come and done it at
Calvary. That's where the great price was paid. That's one of the things.
56 God had required it. No man was worthy. No man was able. No man could do it. And God came Himself, and was made human, and lived a human life under human desires, and was crucified at Calvary and there, when Satan thought He wouldn't do it, He wouldn't go through it... He went to Gethsemane, and every temptation that any man ever stood; He went through it just like all men; but He paid the price; that's what blacked the earth out like an anesthetic for an operation.
When a doctor gives a man an anesthetic, he first knocks him out before he can do it. And when God gave the--the operation for the church, the world got an anesthetic. Nature had a convulsion.
No wonder, God in human flesh was dying. It was the hour that the world had looked
for, yet many of them did not know it. Like it is today, many look for these things
and yet they don't recognize them. They don't realize the way out. They're still
trying to seek pleasures and things of the world, trying to find their way out.
59 There was been many signposts
that pointed to that day, many great foreshadows. It had been foreshadowed by the
lamb, by the bullock, by the turtledove, and all these things; but yet it could
not break it. It could not break that death hold. For Satan had the earth, the very
rocks that he once walked up and down on the earth, burning brimstones. Lucifer
was the son of the morning, and he walked on the earth when it was a burning volcanic.
Those same rocks that had cooled off, when Jesus died at Calvary, belched forth
out of the earth. The price that was paid, and the bondage of Satan was broke.
61 God put back into the hands of man a way back to what he was looking for. He had to weep no more. Yet, when He broke the backbone of Satan there at Calvary, the back bone of sin, of sickness... And it brings every mortal being on the earth back into the Presence of God with sins forgiven.
Hallelujah. Our sins are forgiven. No more can Satan black us off from God. There's a highway made. There's a telephone setting there. There's a line to glory. It brings every person in reach of that line.
If a man is full of sin, it connected him in "old central." He can be forgiven of that sin. Not only that, but that sin is paid for. Glory. You don't have to say, "I'm not worthy." Sure you're not. You never could be. But a worthy One took your place. You are free. You don't have to wonder any more. You don't have to be a pleasure seeking man out here on the earth. For,
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
Where sinners plunged beneath the flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
You don't have to be lost; there is a highway and a way, and it's called the way
of holiness. The unclean don't pass over it, for he comes to the fountain first;
then he enters the highway.
64 He broke the powers of Satan. He opened the prison doors of hell. To every man that was shut up in this earth in the prisons, fearing that when he died, what death would be to him; on Calvary He opened those cell doors, let every captive go free. You don't have to no longer be torn down by sin. You don't have to no longer yield your members to sin: drinking, smoking, gambling, telling lies.
You can be honest, just, and upright; and Satan can do nothing about it; because
you got a hold of a line, a lifeline. It's anchored in the Rock of Ages. Nothing
can shake you from it. No winds can shake you from it. No nothing, not even death
itself can separate us from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus.
65 That's what Calvary meant. Men that were in bondage were set free. Men that were once under fear of death can no longer fear death. A man who longs for a city whose Builder and Maker is God, he can step on the highway and set his face towards heaven, because he's free. Hallelujah. He's redeemed. He don't need to wander no more, for there's a way of knowing whether you are right or not. God gives us Life. Our sins are gone. That day at Calvary paid the price. When we see all of that, no wonder the poet wrote,
Mid rendering rocks and darkening skies,
My Saviour bowed His head and died.
The opening veil revealed the way,
To heavens joys and endless day.
66 Abraham don't have to wander no more across the country seeking a city. The sinner don't have to wonder any more whether he can be saved or not. The sick man doesn't have to wonder whether he can be healed or not. The opening veil on that day at Calvary revealed the way to the total victory. God give us the powers of His Spirit to live triumphantly over all these things; asks us only to believe it. That happened on that day at Calvary.
There never was a day like it. There never will be one like it. It's not necessary no more. The price is paid, and we are redeemed. Thanks be to God; we are redeemed.
There's no way you have to wonder about; there's no more guessing about it. It's
all took away. The veil pulled back the curtain and we're set on a highway, not
to wonder any more, but to believe and just walk right on. We walk right into God's
very Presence.
67 Abraham knew, and others knew
that while they were seeking the city, they knowed they were from somewhere. Something
had happened. They were living in a paralyzed earth. Earthquakes came; storms come,
wars and killings. The wolf and the lamb fed on one another, or the wolf fed on
the lamb, and the lion eat the ox. It don't look right. There's something wrong.
He knew there was something wrong. Man, and brother kill brother. Father killed
son; son killed father. There's something wrong. He's getting old. He's dying. He's
withering away. Sickness is on him. He's in bondage. The trees grow but not immortal;
they die. The mountains change. The seas dry up. The waters fail. There's something
wrong, and he sought a place, a city where that didn't happen no more; He knew if
he could ever get back into the Presence of the One that made it right, he could
talk it over with Him.
68 Oh, what a privilege, sinner, it is this morning to know that you got the way now. That day at Calvary opened up the way. For all those patriarchs hunted for and sought for, Calvary gave it to you free. How would you turn it down? How would you turn it down to join a denomination? How would you turn it down to substitute something for it, the pleasures of the world. Why not accept it?
The opening veil brings a man right back into the Presence of God without sin on
him of any kind, and sets a road before him to the thing that he's seeking for:
heaven, glory, peace, Eternal Life, everything right before him.
69 That day was the--the death blow to Satan's power. It ended everything. And I can see Him there. He was Eden's Lamb from the very first shadow that come of It, when Abel by faith offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.
He must have tied a--a grapevine around a lamb's neck, drug him up to the rock, took a rock in his hand for a lance, and pulled his little head back, and chopped and hacked him until he died and his wool bathed with his own blood. He wallowed in his blood.
It was a shadow. But on that day at Calvary, there wasn't a Lamb of this earth,
but it was a Lamb of God that was dying, wallowing in His own Blood. He was hacked
and chopped and beat and spit on and slammed and smacked and everything by the world
and the Blood dropping off of his locks...
73 When Abel's lamb died, it died speaking in a language that Abel could not understand. It was bleating. And when God's Lamb died, that day at Calvary, He spoke in a language that no one understood Him, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me." It was God's Lamb, hacked to pieces, chopped up.
He was the very Lamb that Abel had in mind when he seen the promised seed of the
woman. He was the Lamb that Daniel saw that was hewed out of the mountain without
hands. He was the wheel in the middle of the wheel for the prophet. All they had
foresaw was met on that day, that day at Calvary. That brought the great thing in.
That broke the back of Satan.
76 First, we should seek what that day meant. Second, we should see what that day has done for us. Now, what it did for us... Now, third, let's look at what we ought to do for that day, what ought we to do.
First, we should look into it, for it's a great day, greatest of all the days. Sin price was settled. Satan's power was broken. And now, we want to see what we should do in return.
Now, in return, is when Jesus died at Calvary, on Calvary that day He not only paid
the price for our sins, but He also paid the price and made a way that we could
follow Him. For we, as the fallen Adam that's been redeemed, as the Spirit led Adam,
the first Adam, by the Spirit that had control of all nature... Then we--the second
Adam--or the man of the earth has been redeemed by Christ from the day at Calvary,
can follow Him.
79 Now, when He died at Calvary, He made a way. He gave up the Spirit, the Holy Spirit that sent it back to the earth for you and I to live by. That's what Calvary means to us to follow Him.
First, look into it. See what it did for us, and now what must we do in regards to it. What must you and I do? Now, we say, "Well, I--I appreciate that. That's very fine." But we've got to accept it. And to accept it is to accept His Person, Christ, in our heart. Then we are free from sin. Therefore, there's no sin shackles hanging on us at all. God... Just like we had never sinned...
The perfect sacrifice made us perfect. For Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father in heaven is perfect." Then there is no more to be done, but
we are made perfect in the Presence of God.
82 Now, there's where we lose our position. If we don't watch, we try to look back to what we was; and as long as we look back to what we was, the sacrifice means nothing to us. Oh, can't you see it, church? I would no... I would not try the job; I can't, and neither can you. There's no need of trying. You're lost to begin with, as long as you look to what you've done. But don't look to what you've done, look what that day on Calvary did to you.
It paid your price. It settled the question. Your sins be as scarlet, they're as white as snow: red like crimson, white like wool. Then you have no sin. You are perfectly sinless. No matter what you done or what you do, you're still sinless. As long as you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your sins are forgiven. Anything that's forgiven is remitted and forgot about.
Then what does it do? It gives you, after that condition, His Spirit to follow Him
and to do as He did, for others who is following on.
84 He was just one Man, the perfect Man. He gave His Life, and He made an example for you.
Now, what must we do? Now, the first thing I want to say is: Jesus never lived for Himself. His Life was spent for others. That's perfectly Eternal Life. When you say you go to church and you do good things, that's fine. But when you live your life to yourself, you haven't Eternal Life. Eternal Life is living for others.
It proved it when It come in the Lamb of God. He lived and had Eternal Life, because
He did not live for Himself. He lived for others. And you receive Eternal Life by
receiving that day, and you don't live for yourself no more. You live for others.
86 Someone said, "How can you stand and let anybody call you such bad names?" You don't live for yourself. You live for others that you might redeem that man. You become sons. And the trouble of it is, the church has forgot they were sons. You are sons. You're taking Christ's place. You are sons; so don't live for yourself; live for others.
"Well, Brother Branham, I can live for this brother because he sure is a nice man."
That's not it. Live for that man who hates you. Live for that person who'd kill
you if they could. That's what they done to Him. They killed Him, and He died that
He might save them. That's Eternal Life. When you get, that's in your bosom, you're
facing heaven then. But you sacrifice your own things, give them up like the sheep
gives its wool. You look on towards Calvary.
89 I hope this helps you to get in a place... That's what the Tabernacle, that's what all people has got to do, is find out what you are and what's the purpose.
Church isn't going to church just to play music, sing songs. Church is a place where
correction... Judgment begins at the house of God. We must reckon ourselves dead
and alive to Christ. Then He made the way that we could sacrifice ourselves to His
service to follow Him. If we follow Him, we lead the life that He led. That's wonderful.
Jesus said, and spoke of it. Let me just give you a few quotations on it. Listen
close. Don't miss it.
91 Jesus said at that day He would
separate the people like the sheep and the goats, and He would say to the goats,
"Stand on the left side," and to the sheep, "Stand on the right side." And He said
to the goats, "Depart from Me, because I was hungry and you didn't feed Me. I was
in prison, and you did not visit Me. I was naked, and you clothed Me not. I was
thirsty, and you gave Me no drink. I was sick, and you didn't visit Me. So depart
from Me." And on the sheep, He said, "I was hungry and you fed Me. I was naked and
you give Me clothing. I was sick and you ministered to Me." And notice, don't fail
to get this, church. Keep this in your heart forever. It was so unconsciously done.
The people don't do it for a line of duty. A man that gives you something or other
because he ought to do it, a man that feeds you because he ought to do it, he's
got a selfish idea. It should be your very life, your very action.
95 It was so surprising to these sheep that they said, "Lord, when were You hungry and we wouldn't feed You? When were You hungry, and we fed You? When were You naked, and we give You clothes? When were You thirsty, and we give You drink? When were You sick, and we ministered to You?" It was so automatically, out of love, it's just their life lived in them.
God, let the people see what Calvary did for us. So automatically, "When were You, Lord. We never knew that."
Look what Jesus turned and said, "Insomuch as you have done unto these, you did
it unto Me." Unselfish life, not the second thought, not to think about it; but
you are so dead to the things of this world, and so alive in Christ, and so walking
on the highway, that these things are just an automatic thing. You just do it.
99 Now, I say, "When the Lord would--the Lord want me to do that." It's not that. You're just part of Him. His Spirit's in you, and you act the way He acted. Do get it. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the way of death. Not all that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter in, but they that do the will of My Father," just from their hearts, just freely.
Now, that day at Calvary paid that price so we could be that way. Not say, "You know, widow Jones one time was... She was out of coal, and I went and bought her some coal. Uh, I tell you, I seen a brother that needed a suit of clothes, and I went and got him a suit of clothes. Bless God, I'm a Christian." Oh, my, you selfish, poor, miserable person, you are hypocrites. Don't let the right hand know what the left's a-doing, nor the left know what the right's a-doing.
Just so automatically dead in Christ till you do it anyhow. It's your nature; it's
your makeup. You do it anyhow. It's just the life that lives in you. You're completely
yielded to that Spirit, and It just lives Itself in you.
104 Oh, you feel that blessed Spirit, that life, "Not me that liveth," said Paul, "but Christ liveth in me." Just so automatic...
"Well, I tell you, Brother Branham. We are Christians here. We help these people. We help them people." Oh, my, shame on you. That's not Christianity. Christianity is just automatically got a--it's to be done. And you just forget about, all about... Go do it.
Christ just completely surrendered His Life to God. He gave Hisself as a public
Servant to the people. He gave His Life freely. He didn't have to do it. He didn't
begrudgingly do it. He didn't say, "Now, brother, you all ought to think a whole
lot of Me, because I come to die for you." He never said a word about it. He died
anyhow, because it was God in Him. It's God in you. It's God in me that makes us
look at others.
108 Sheep on one side. One of them will say, "Well, Lord, I did this, and, Lord, I did that."
He said, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity, I never even knew you."
If the church can ever come to those fundamental facts, that it's not something
you try to do, you work yourself up to do; it's something that's born in you.
111 Forgive me, my Pentecostal
friends. I am Pentecostal, but my Pentecostal friends has got to a spot to where
there has to be a lot of fast music, beating of some bands, or clapping hands, or
tambourines to bring up a shout. That's only emotions. They play the bands before
they go to battle to get people in the emotion of battle. I believe in music. I
believe in clapping of hands, but I believe in these things. That's exactly true.
We ought to have that, but you have left the great things undone, is that self-sacrifice
Life that God lives in you, automatically doing that which is right, because it's
right: just going on, don't even think nothing about it, just living it. Then watch...
You see what's going on, you just--you don't--you're on the highway. That's what
Calvary meant to you: on the highway--opened up that day for you.
113 Now, now remember, you cannot
be half goat and half sheep. They won't mix. Now, there's a lot of people who say,
"Yes, you know what? We got a organization in our group. We--we help the poor. We
do this." That's all right, but you're tooting your own horn about it. You don't
do that. You do your alms in secret; Jesus said. Just automatically something to
you; it's no more than going and getting a drink of water. You're thirsty. If the
next man's thirsty, you think about him too. The next man's need, you think about
him the same as your own need, and don't pay no attention to it, just live on.
116 Now, you can't be half sheep and half goat. So if you say, "Well, our church has got an organization. We give to the poor. We do this, and do that, and do the other." If you had that without that other, the life of Christ in you, you're just absolutely doing it in vain. Jesus...
Paul said, I Corinthians 13, "Though I give all my goods to feed the poor, and have
my body burned as a sacrifice, it profit me nothing." Now, this is hard but it's
truth. You got to come to that fact. Recognize what Calvary did for you.
118 We look at it and say, "Oh, yes that's fine." That ain't it. If that Son of God had to go to Calvary for crucifixion, every son that comes must go to a Calvary. He must also have a Calvary. You must have that day of Calvary. I've got to have that day of Calvary. That settles the sin question. Not shake hands with the preacher, not be shook into the church, not come in by letter, not come in by profession, but come in by a birth.
He never gave a letter. He never gave a profession. He gave a birth. That's how
we come in. Then from that automatically we're living Christian lives.
119 Now, another remark... Half goat, half sheep, they don't have such a thing. You're not half goat and half sheep, you're either goat or sheep. Now, if you're just doing good things, and think you can get in by that, then there wouldn't have to be a day of Calvary. The law provided that. But being it taken the day of Calvary was to bring that in, that we could not be just church members, but be sons and daughters of God.
That's what the day at Calvary was. That's what it meant to you. That you might do, and follow, and act like Jesus...
Now, the river doesn't run up and down at the same time. The river only runs one
way, and the Spirit of God just runs one way. It doesn't mix things with it, runs
the same way.
122 Watch Jesus, in closing. Jesus said, "The works that I do shall you do also, and greater than this shall you do, for I go to My Father." I'm not saying this so much to the church here; you understand; but these messages are taped. Tens of thousands hear them around the world. I'm going to answer that question for the critic right now.
I've often been said--told, they said, "Why, you believe the Bible?"
Jesus said, "These works that I do shall you do also, and greater than this shall
you do, for I go to My Father."
125 How bad can you get, mister?
How far away from discernment can you wander with your intellectual theologies,
with your mental conception of anything? My gracious and lost friend, can you not
understand that this Bible is spiritually interpreted? Jesus thanked the Father
He'd hid it from the educated, and shrewd, wise, and prudent, and would reveal it
to babes such as would come to Calvary.
127 Now, watch, Jesus said...
Watch how He stated it. "The works that I do (He's doing them right now.)--the works
that I'm doing now, healing the sick, raising the dead, opening the eyes of the
blind, these works shall you do also. You'll do these if you believe in Me. You
do these works, and then a greater than this shall you do, for I go to My Father.
A little while and the world won't see Me no more. Yet you'll see Me. I'll be with
you, even in you to the end of the world. I will not leave you comfortless. I'll
pray the Father. He'll send you another Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom
the world cannot receive, yet you can receive Him."
129 Now, notice, the greater works was to have the power in the church, not only to heal the sick by prayer, cast out devils by prayer, but to impart Eternal Life to believers. The Holy Ghost was coming and given into the hands of the church to impart life. Oh, that's what Calvary meant.
It took stooped, degraded men and women and lifted them into a place to be sons
and daughters of God to heal the sick and to impart Eternal Life. By giving the
Holy Ghost to obedient believers, men who were once unbelievers be made believers
and impart spiritual Eternal Life.
130 How much greater is it to say to this sick woman laying here, "I can pray a prayer of faith," and she'll be healed. That's a great thing. That's what He was doing then, but said, "Greater than this shall you do. I'm going to give you power, not only to raise him up for a while, but to give him Eternal Life, which will be eternal forever."
Poor, blind, wretched people, how do you miss that? Don't you see what the greater
thing is? That's the greatest thing that could ever happen was to impart Eternal
Life to people.
132 What is Eternal Life? The Life that He lived, the Life that was in Him: impart that to others. Can a man do that? A Son of God can. Jesus said, "Whosoever sins you remit to them they are remitted. Whosoever sins you retain, to them they are retained."
Now, here's where the Catholic church and many of the others made their big mistake. They go out and say, "I forgive your sins." That wasn't it.
How did they get sins forgiven in the Bible? Peter answered that question on the day of Pentecost. They said, "What can we do to be saved? How can we get this that you all got?"
He laid down the prescription. He told them what to do. He said, "Repent, every
one of you towards God, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ." What for?
"The remission of your sins." There's the greater works.
136 How many of you preachers this morning, how many of you listening to my word on magnetic tape, are willing to go to Calvary this morning and look what God did there for you, and forsake your denominational creeds, and preach the Gospel? Hallelujah. It's in your lap now. What are you going to do with it? Why? Repentance and remission of sins must be preached in His Name to all the world beginning at Jerusalem. Hallelujah, there you are.
What does Calvary mean to you? What'd that day do to you? Did it stuff you out with
some theology? Did it make you a stuffed shirt, or did it make you a Christian,
sold out (Hallelujah.), sins remitted? Greater works than this shall you do. You
see where the ye's are, don't you? Greater works than this, remitting sins in the
Name of Jesus Christ. But through creeds, and denominations, and so forth, it's
bound you down to a place you're still serving the world.
140 Tell me any man, tell me, any women can come to Calvary, and try to be a big somebody because somebody said something. Tell me where you can look in the face of Calvary in its right light, that day in Calvary...
How can you have your day on Calvary and come out a stuffed shirt? How can you come out a puppet for some organization and preach some man-made doctrine? Why don't it humble you to the Word of God? If you ever go there, you'll come out humble. How can you want to be some big something in your organization with a feather in your hat, when Jesus Christ the Son of God humbled Himself to a hacked-up body to a spitted face, until shame and disgrace, and they stripped His clothes off, and crucified Him before the world, despising the shame? How can you go to Calvary and come away anything different than what He was: a disgrace, a shame?
Oh, you say, "They'll kick me out." Let them kick. Have your day at Calvary. God
will have His way with you. Let me quote that again. Have your day at Calvary; God
will have His way with you. Let us pray.
142 Lord, O God, take us all up to Calvary just now. Let us get away from self, Lord, the fear of man, the fear of what somebody else is going to say. Why, the whole world laughed at Him, made fun of Him. But He was obedient to death; He was obedient to disgrace. He was obedient even under the federal government. We realize that when Satan smote this earth, he became the ruler and authority in this earth. He witnessed the same before our Lord and said, "These kingdoms are mine. I'll do with them what I will." And we realize that from that day to this, this world, under the curse, has been ruled by the one that cursed it. But God, O God, we serve a Kingdom that's uncursed.
Father God, how marvelous it is that You've done some great things in the--in the picture world today, letting these great pictures like "Ten Commandments," and so forth, come out, to let men and women see, that wouldn't even darken a church door, but let them see what it is. God's way is a rejected way by the world, because we're like we going to Russia under Communism...
We are in this world, but we're not of this world. We have went to Calvary. We've
crucified ourselves, with the Kingdom of God, to be one of His. No matter what the
world says, we take the way with the Lord's despised few. We go on to the resurrection,
and we believe that that's soon at hand, Lord, to when we will be resurrected into
a Kingdom that will take over this world as Daniel foresaw it, and it broke all
the world up into little chaff, and the wind blew it off of the summer threshing
floors. But the Mountain, the Stone, growed into a great Mountain that covered the
earth. That Stone shall come. O God, we want to be a part of it. Let us deny ourselves,
take up our cross daily, and live for Christ, live for others. Grant it, Lord.
146 If there be some here this morning that doesn't know Him as Saviour and would like to be remembered in the closing prayer, and would like for this to be your day at Calvary, would you raise your hands, and say, "Pray for me, Brother Branham. I want to know Him as my Saviour." God bless you, young fellow. Someone else? God bless you, my brother, back there. Would there be someone else say, "I want to know Him. I want this to be a day at Calvary for me. I'm sick and tired. What's the use of me trifling around here with the very thing that I was born to do? I was born, born to be a son of God, and here I am holding on to the things of the world. God, let me be crucified today. Let me crucify today myself and my ideas, that I might live with Christ and live for others. No matter what they do to me, if they make fun of me, and persecute me, and say all evil against me, and things, let me just humbly walk along, meek like a lamb, like He did. Someday He's promised to raise me up again at the last days. I'm looking for that day."
Would there be some more hands go up? God bless you back there, and you. All right,
some more, just would... God bless you, God bless you. Some more that before we
pray...
148 Our heavenly Father, it was
said when Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, "As many as believed was added
unto the church." They truly believe with all their hearts, these people that just
raised their hand. I believe that they have believed with all their hearts. And
if they have, there's a pool of water waiting here. They want those sins forgiven;
there's somebody here that can baptize them in that Name, and the only Name that
there is under heaven given among men, that we must be saved. For as I quoted the
Scripture a few moments ago, that repentance and remission of sin must be preached
in His Name to all the world, beginning at Jerusalem... And at Jerusalem, when repentance
and remission of sin was preached, the apostle told them of the Scriptures and said
they must repent first and then be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. That was
the preacher's business to do. For them to repent, and him to baptize them for the
remission of their sins, "Whosoever sins you remit, to them they are remitted. Whosoever
sins you retain, to them they are retained."
150 Father, how did the world ever get off on a tantrum like they have? Why not believe the simple Gospel? And they even bring in for that to substitute false names, false baptisms, false Holy Spirit baptisms, shaking hands with ministers, using the titles of Father, Son, Holy Ghost which is never in the Scriptures, a document made by Roman men, not a Christian teaching nowhere in the Bible. Remission of sins cannot be remitted through titles, but through the Name of Jesus Christ.
Now, Father, we know it's very unpopular. Your ways has always been that way; but
let men and women this morning come to that day, that day at Calvary, where Jesus
despising that day, that shame to be stripped off, to be hacked to pieces, to be
spit on, and made fun of by the whole world, by the church, by the people who should've
loved Him; and yet in all of that, He opened not His mouth and went and died for
those people that were making fun of Him.
152 God, take us to Calvary this morning, and if they say we're crazy, they say we got the Scriptures wrong, whatever they want to say, God, they cannot stand in the Presence of God and say it's wrong.
They cannot cover their sins by the Bible. The Bible uncovers their sins, their unbelief to be popular to do like the rest of the crowd. Let them come to Calvary this morning and begin at Jerusalem, that repentance and remission of sins must be preached in His Name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. Let them take that same crucified step to be hacked, and spit upon, and made fun of, and called everything that can be called in the line of religious renegades, tearer-up of churches, all they want to call.
May we, Lord, this morning take our way with the Lord's despised few. May we walk like the apostles did, neither turning right or left, and from the goodness of our hearts serve God. Grant it, Father.
Now, heal the sick and the afflicted that's coming into the prayer line. May these
who raise their hands, in their hearts repent right now. May they who have stood
back so long, quickly move to the water and have their sins remitted upon the Name
of the sacrifice, Jesus Christ the Son of God. Amen.