Viete, neporozumenia nás dostávajú do mnohých problémov. Mnohokrát ľudia povedia veci, ktoré zopakujú po niekom druhom, pričom ich zle porozumeli. To privádza tú osobu do ťažkostí. Verím, že by to bolo pre nás dobré, ak by sme len čakali, kým porozumieme, o čom hovoríme. Nemyslíte si? Viem, že pre mňa je to veľmi dobré, najprv to zistiť, a potom to povedať. Rozumiete? Ale zdá sa, že sme vždy neporozumení. A Dávid tu hovorí o Izraeli, ktorý neporozumel Jeho zázraky, keď boli v Egypte. Tak, neporozumieť, to nie je len povedať, „No, ja som nepočul, čo povedal,“ ale to je vidieť niečo vykonané a neporozumieť, kvôli čomu to je, a to potom kompletne míňate ten cieľ. Boh nekoná zázraky, len aby povedal, „Vidíte, Ja som Boh.“ Boh koná zázraky kvôli porozumeniu. Rozumiete? Boh to robí za určitým účelom.
1 …Nech vás Pán žehná. Modlite sa dnes večer za mňa. Mali sme taký malý lejak, dosť na to, aby ochladil vzduch, a sme za to vďační, a ja spolieham, že budeme mať jednu z takých duchovných spŕch vo vnútri, aby nám to tak trošku pomohlo.
Myslím, že brat Neville... Ak by som to teraz hodil na teba, čo povieš? Ja, a teraz hovoriť... trochu ma ofúklo a potom ja... Táto moja plešivá hlava mi spôsobuje, že to na mňa príde a blokuje mi to hrdlo. Tak, nechal som, aby dali dnes večer otázky a odpovede, aby sme trochu... Ten dôvod, prečo toto robíme, je zistiť, čo je na srdciach ľudí.
4 Myslím, že je to veľmi dobré pre pastora, urobiť toto a potom zistiť, o čom ľudia rozmýšľajú, keď napíšu svoje otázky a niečo majú. A myslím si, že každý jeden z nás je naozaj zaviazaný podeliť sa so svojimi myšlienkami s našimi pastormi a našimi duchovnými vodcami, a tak ďalej, a čokoľvek vidíme, tak to je preto, aby všetko išlo hladko a pekne a pre prospech Božieho kráľovstva.
A potom som... Až do času asi pred pol hodinou som mal asi len dve alebo tri, ktoré som... Billy dnes ráno po zhromaždení pozbieral a priniesol ich ku mne. A potom som odišiel a študoval som Písma, myslel som, že budem dnes večer trochu hovoriť tým, že som sa zmienil, že tu budem. A potom ma zavolal, asi pred pár minútami, a povedal, „Počkaj, mám ich teraz plné ruky.“
Tak sa budem snažiť ísť ku týmto otázkam a dať na ne odpovede podľa môjho najlepšieho poznania. A potom, ak skončím ešte v dobrom čase, mám jeden text, na ktorý by som rád hovoril, na asi dvadsať alebo tridsať minút, je to len krátky text.
7 A potom, pamätajte, ak bude Pán chcieť na ďalšiu nedeľu ráno, chcem urobiť najlepšie, ako viem, z milosti Božej, vysvetliť sedemdesiat Danielových týždňov. A ako som dnes ráno povedal, je to veľmi dôležité miesto Písma. A to nie je tak veľmi hovoriť o tom, ale skôr umiestniť to tam, kde to patrí, aby to pasovalo s celým zbytkom Biblie.
A začali sme od Zjavenia 1 a dostali sme sa do šiestej kapitoly. Samozrejme, dostávame sa teraz ku tým siedmim posledným Pečatiam. A tie Pečate budú prebiehať od šiestej, od poslednej časti šiestej kapitoly do devätnástej kapitoly, vrátane. A to zaberie dlhý čas. Tak mohol by som vziať povedzme sedem večerov a prejsť sedem Pečatí, otvárať ich. Ale ak to tak urobíte, potom ľudia minú tú veľkú časť, ktorá je tuto, ktorá to vypĺňa. Ak nie sú skutočne vyučovaní, tak to nemusí byť dobré. Ale prvé tri alebo štyri z nich sú len udalosti, ktoré by sme mohli tak poporadí vziať a prejsť nimi, ale tá ďalšia z nich, musíte sa potom vrátiť späť znovu do Daniela, a vrátiť sa späť do Genesis, vrátiť späť do Zjavenia, a potom sa vrátiť späť do Evanjelií, a len to zvinúť dohromady, pretože to je stopa Izraela, ako Boh koná s Izraelom. Pretože, keď cirkev pôjde hore, to je tá posledná cirkev, až kým ona nepríde s jej Pánom ako Nevesta a Ženích v devätnástej kapitole, a počas toho obdobia On koná s Izraelom. A aby sme porozumeli sedemdesiat Danielových týždňov, to pripravuje ten obraz na nadchádzajúce otváranie prvej Pečate.
9 Potom som si pomyslel, že ak bude Pán chcieť, na ďalšiu nedeľu o tom budem hovoriť. Ak to neskončím v nedeľu ráno, potom sa to pokúsim pokračovať v nedeľu večer. A to potom otvorí cestu, ak nás Pán tak bude viesť, nebudeme sa musieť zastaviť pri tej časti, ale pôjdeme rovno do tých siedmich Pečatí a len to budeme prinášať tak dlho, ako budeme vidieť, že to Pán vedie.
Tak dnes večer tu máme nejaké otázky, a to sú všetko rozumné a citlivé otázky. Je tu jedna, o ktorej by som chcel hovoriť najprv len na krátko. To bol niekto, kto sa ma opýtal... To nie je otázka, je to len jedna prosba, niekto sa ma opýtal, „Kde sú moje kľúče? Prosím, povedz mi.“ Oni ich stratili v toto popoludnie.
11 Tak, poviem vám, pred pár týždňami, asi pred pár dňami, to bolo tu v Modlitebni. Zvykol som ísť na modlitbu a očakávať na Pána a zistiť, kde sú tie veci, ktoré ľudia stratili. Našiel som ľuďom autá. Pán ku mne hovoril o tom, kde ľudia...
Brat Welch Evans sem prišiel a stratil auto, niekto mu ho ukradol v Louisville. On a brat Fred Sothmann a niektorí z bratov... brat Tom Simpson, myslím, tam bol tiež toho dňa. Alebo, bol si, brat Tom? A oni prišli domov a bol tam brat Evans bez auta, bez šiat, všetko, čo mal, bolo v jeho aute. Oni ho zaparkovali pri Millerových a niekto ho vzal.
A my tu máme také miesto v Louisville, kde oni odtiahnu autá, a oni ich potom odvezú do Bowling Green alebo niekde a prestriekajú ich. A v Kentucky nemusíte mať svoje auto zaregistrované, a tak oni môžu tie autá zmeniť behom pár minút a predať ich, akokoľvek chcú.
14 A tak brat Evans a jeho malé auto a všetko, čo mal v ňom, a Pán mi dal pre neho odpoveď. A predtým, ako sa dostali domov, auto už stálo tu, malo asi polovicu nádrže, kde ich Pán otočil na ceste do Bowling Green a priviedol späť. A oni zaparkovali auto rovno tam so všetkým, čo v ňom bolo, nechýbala ani jedna vec, len ten benzín, ktorý minuli.
Mnohokrát ľudia povedali určité veci a oni poprosili a ja som išiel pred Pána a čakal som na videnia a čakal som, kým prídu. Ale zistil som, že sa to stalo pre ľudí veľkým kameňom potknutia. Skutočne, ľudia v Amerike nie sú pripravení pre taký druh služby, tie cirkvi. To je pravda. Je to pomimo ich času, rozumiete? A robia všetko možné, niektorí vás nazvú diablom, niektorí vás nazvú špiritistom, niektorí vás nazvú synom Božím, bohom, a všetkým možným. Rozumiete? Tak ja som sľúbil Pánovi, že to nechám tak a budem len čakať a použijem tú službu v Afrike alebo pri osobných rozhovoroch, keď ich tu budem mať.
16 Tak my sme tu stále pre osobné rozhovory, to stále prebieha ohľadne takých vecí. Ale... Ale ten spôsob, ako to obdržať, je nie prísť do cirkvi, ale choďte k môjmu sekretárovi, môjmu synovi, Billy Paulovi, a on vám dá taký malý lístok a povie vám, kedy to má byť, a tak ďalej. A všetko takéto, čo je na osobné rozhovory, tu alebo tam na poli, môže prísť jedine týmto spôsobom. Je to tam na tabuli zverejnené, alebo v knihe alebo na tej poznámke, na nástenke o tom, ako k tomuto pristúpiť. Ale prísť len sem na pódium...
Tak, máme v cirkvi dary. Máme tu brata Nevilleho, ktorý prijal dar proroctva. Brat Higginbotham, ktorý tu sedí, má dar hovorenia v jazykoch a vykladanie jazykov. Poradil by som vám... Budem sa modliť, aby vám Boh dal vaše kľúče, ale poradil by som vám možno, ak by Duch Svätý dnes večer prehovoril možno cez brata Nevilleho alebo brata Higginbothama alebo cez niektoré z týchto darov v cirkvi, ohľadne ktorých máme aj niektoré otázky, ktoré za pár minút preberieme, tak možno by to oni mohli urobiť.
18 Ale čo sa mňa týka, ja som dal sľub Bohu, že už to viac v Amerike na verejných zhromaždeniach nepoužijem, pretože to len spôsobilo, aby som opustil pole. A potom vás niektorí označia rovno za diabla a iní vás urobia bohom. A tak vidíte, oni na to ešte nie sú pripravení. A tak Boh v tom nemôže konať a som si istý, že tá osoba, ktorá sa to pýtala, to porozumie. Tak možno dnes večer Duch Svätý... Len sa modlite. Budem sa modliť, aby vám Duch Svätý ukázal priamo, kde je ten váš balík, na ktorý čakáte. Modlím sa, aby ste ho našli, a verím, že ho nájdete.
Ale teraz... A potom Billy Paul, ak by mal niekto takú vec ako toto, keby mu zavolali a on ich odkáže na cirkev a ja sa budem snažiť zobrať tie naliehavé prípady, keď budem doma.
20 Tak pristúpme teraz ku týmto otázkam... Najprv by som chcel povedať, že ak niektorá odpoveď nie je podľa vašej viery alebo podľa Biblie, ak to nie je podľa Slova, potom to nemusíte prijať. A tak sa možno dostanem k tomu, k tomu textu možno dnes večer, rád by som pokračoval a odpovedal na ne, na tie, o ktorých si myslím, že majú odpoveď podľa Písma, dobre, na tie odpoviem najlepšie, ako budem môcť. Ale dostal som ich len pred pár minútami, všetky okrem troch a ani tie tri z nich nemajú... Sú to len malé veci ohľadne niekoho, komu sa sníval nejaký sen alebo niečo, a oni chcú vedieť, či to majú povedať, alebo niečo podobné. Rozumiete? Tak skloňme teraz svoje hlavy, ako pristupujeme k Jeho milosti.
21 Pane, sme Tvojím ľudom, ktorý je povolaný skrze Tvoje Meno. A sme dnes večer tak šťastní, že môžeme vedieť, že máme nebeského Otca, ktorý na nás dohliada a stará sa o nás a miluje nás ako svoje vlastné drahé deti. A tak som šťastný, Pane, že som započítaný s týmito ľuďmi, aby som bol ich bratom, a oni sú mojimi bratmi a sestrami. Som tak vďačný.
Je tu niekto, Pane, kto stratil nejaké kľúče. Ty vieš presne, kde oni ležia, a tak sa modlím, aby si to zjavil a tie kľúče im rovno priniesol. Pre nich je to vzácna vec, je to od ich auta. A modlím sa, Otče, aby si tým ľuďom udelil túto žiadosť.
Teraz sa modlím, aby si požehnal nášho pastora, nášho milovaného brata Nevilleho. Sme tak radi, že Ťa môžeme vidieť pôsobiť v našom strede, v týchto veľkých duchovných daroch v našej cirkvi, v tej časti tela Kristovho, ktorá uctieva tu na rohu Ôsmej ulice a ulice Penn. Sme tak radi, že sme započítaní s tou skupinou ľudí a že vieme, že Boh zjavuje tajnosti Svojim ľuďom. Modlím sa, aby si požehnal brata Nevilleho, nášho pastora, a brata Higginbothama, brata Funka, brata Juniora Jacksona a naše sestry, ktoré hovoria v jazykoch a dávajú výklad. Modlíme sa, Otče, aby si ďalej pokračoval v prejavovaní Samého Seba cez tieto veľké dary, aby naša cirkev mohla byť známa ako duchovná cirkev, kde ľudia, ktorí sú unavení, môžu prísť a posadiť sa v prítomnosti všemohúceho Boha a vedieť, že On hovorí a zjavuje tajnosti srdca.
24 A, Otče, modlím sa, aby si nás dnes večer požehnal pri odpovedaní na tieto otázky. Niektoré z nich, Pane, sú mierne a niektoré sú silné. Pre každého, kto tú otázku položil, je to silná otázka. Je to niečo, čo je na ich srdci, oni to chcú mať vyjasnené. A, Otče, my všetci sme nedostatoční v týchto povinnostiach, ale my vieme, že Ty si viac ako dostatočný. A tak sa modlíme, aby si nám vyložil tieto otázky, aby sme tak mohli dať ľuďom tú správnu odpoveď, aby im bolo pomožené, a cirkev, aby bola zveličená, a Božie Meno uctené.
Teraz, Otče, ak je to Tvoja vôľa, modlím sa, aby si s nami konal počas tohto týždňa a pomohol mi, ako študujem sedemdesiat Danielových týždňov, aby som mohol byť schopný na ďalšiu nedeľu ráno, ak to bude Tvoja vôľa, otvoriť pre týchto ľudí Písma. Bože, udeľ to, aby ich duše mohli byť občerstvené. Vyučuj tých, Pane, ktorí hľadajú hlboké veci. Spas tých, ktorí sú stratení. Uzdrav tých, ktorí sú chorí. My všetci očakávame na Teba, Otče. V Ježišovom Mene. Amen.
26 Tak táto prvá otázka nie je tak celkom otázkou, je to taká malá vec za... Povedzte, či stojím príliš blízko tohto tu? Či sa to tam ozýva vzadu? Ak áno, zodvihnite svoju ruku.
132. Brat Bill, povedz, prosím, niečo ohľadne obojich: deťoch aj dospelých, ktorí sú príliš hluční počas bohoslužby a pobehujú. Táto modlitebňa potrebuje pár lekcií ohľadne úctivosti.
Amen. Deti, či neviete, ako sa máte správať v dome Božom? Či neviete, že toto je Svätyňa Božia? Boh je vo Svojom svätom chráme, a tak nech je každý ticho. To je miesto Božie, kde ľudia prichádzajú, rozjímajú, snažia sa nájsť spasenie duše, snažia sa nájsť problémy v ľudských životoch, snažia sa niekomu pomôcť. To najmenej, čo by ste mali robiť, je byť úctiví, byť ticho. Dajte si pohár vody predtým, ako začne bohoslužba, ja viem, že tí malí potrebujú piť. Matky, ktoré majú týchto maličkých, ak budete sedieť blízko zadnej časti, udržte ich v tichosti, ako je len možné. A nemalo by tu byť ani zašepkanie, ani jedno zašepkanie. Všetci sme vinní. Ale keď sa číta Biblia a kazateľ vchádza za kazateľňu, mali by sme byť ticho, očakávať na Pána. Tak, prosím, snažte sa to robiť.
28 Ja viem, že vy, maličkí, sa trochu potrebujete vrtieť. Ak to robíte, urobte to veľmi ticho. A, pamätajte, mama nechce, aby ste to robili, ani ocko nechce, aby ste to robili. A tak...
A ja to poznám, mám tiež malých, ktorí sa vrtia, Jozef. A Méda hovorí, „Nemám zo zhromaždenia nič, lebo sa celý čas snažím udržať Jozefa potichu.“ Tak ona sa to snaží robiť, aby niekto druhý mal niečo zo zhromaždenia. Rozumiete? A vždy chceme jeden druhého rešpektovať, jeden druhého uctiť a ponad všetko uctiť Boha a uctiť Jeho Dom.
31 Tak ďalšia otázka je:
133. Dnes ráno tu boli pri oltári dve deti vo veku šesť a osem rokov. Aký je doporučený vek, kedy môžu byť pokrstení?
Tak rýchlo, ako len môžete. Čiňte ihneď pokánie a buďte pokrstený, a to v Mene Ježiša Krista. Tak, to je otázka číslo jedna. To by som poradil. Ale nachádzame v Písmach...
„Poviete, je to podľa Písma?“
Keď Peter kázal na deň Letníc, tri tisíc duší bolo spasených a pokrstených v tom istom čase. „Všetci, ktorí uverili v Pána, boli pokrstení,“ tak akonáhle veríš v Pána a prijímaš Ho ako svojho Spasiteľa, choď rovno vtedy do vody a urob svoje vyznanie rovno tam, či si mladý alebo starý, bez ohľadu na to, kto to je.
Poviete, „No, tieto deti môžu byť ale veľmi mladé.“
Ježiš povedal, „Nebráňte maličkým prísť ku Mne, nezabraňujte im, takých je kráľovstvo Božie.“ Ja by som si nedovolil zastaviť dieťa, ktoré chce prísť ku oltáru alebo byť pokrstené v akomkoľvek veku, nestarám sa o to, koľko majú rokov.
36 Tak otázka číslo dva:
134. Jeden náš priateľ, kazateľ, krstí na meno Otca a Syna a Ducha Svätého. Budeme my zodpovední za to, ak mu nepovieme jeho omyl?
Verím, že ako kresťan, je to povinnosť, a ak on je vaším osobným priateľom... Nie pustiť sa s ním do hádky, ak to robíte, potom sa mýlite, váš duch nie je správny. Ale ak toho brata milujete, pričom musíte, pretože ste povedali, „Je to priateľ, kazateľ...“ Potom... Nikto sa tu v týchto poznámkach nepodpísal, ja neviem, odkiaľ tieto otázky prichádzajú.
37 Tak, ja by som vám poradil, ktokoľvek to je, ak tento priateľ, kazateľ takto krstí, a vy ho navštevujete doma, a tak ďalej, ja by som len... Ja by som niekedy túto otázku spomenul. A to by vám mohlo dať... Len o tom začnite hovoriť, len hovorte okolo a okolo toho a nechajte, nech to Pán otvorí, a potom je to Pán, ktorý vám hovorí, aby ste to urobili. Rozumiete? Len čakajte, kým Pán otvorí túto otázku. Potom mu povedzte, povedzte, „Brat, zamýšľam sa, lebo v Písme v Matúšovi 28:19 a Skutkoch 2:38 je napísané a v Písme to pokračuje, je v tom nejaký rozpor? Vedel by si vysvetliť, prečo jedno miesto hovorí, 'Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý,' a to druhé, 'V Mene Ježiša Krista?'“
Tak, nesnažte sa... Ak nie ste naozaj študentom a neviete, o čom hovoríte, tak to radšej nechajte tak. Rozumiete? Môžete mu len povedať, povedzme, „No, keby si len tak mohol prísť...“ ak sa zdá byť úprimným, povedzte, „Čo keby si sa stretol s naším pastorom alebo s niekým a prediskutoval to.“
39 Poviem vám, je to hlboká vec. Neberte to na seba, pretože sa môžete zamotať, ak vy... No, ale ak viete, o čom hovoríte, a ste v tom pevne presvedčení a poznáte Písma, tak v poriadku. Ale neurazte ho, čokoľvek robíte, neurazte ho. Rozumiete? Neprinášajte urážku, len mu povedzte, že... A, samozrejme, on sa mýli. To je pravda. Človek, ktorý takto krstí, je v omyle. A ktokoľvek krstí v mene Otca, Syna a Svätého Ducha, je podľa Písma v omyle, to je pravda.
41 Otázka číslo 3:
135. Vo vyznaní viery oni hovoria, „My veríme v jedného Boha večného, existujúceho v troch osobách: Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý. Matúš 28:19,18 a 19; 1. Korinťanom 3:14,“ nemali by toto byť tri úrady namiesto tri osoby?
Správne. Neexistujú žiadne tri osoby v Božstve. A nemôže existovať osobnosť bez toho, že by bola osobou, tak, je potrebná osoba, aby tvorila osobnosť. Neexistujú žiadni traja Bohovia. Existuje len jeden Boh, a ten Boh je Ježiš Kristus. Boh je Duch, ktorý žije v Ježišovi Kristovi, a žije v Jeho cirkvi, a v tebe a vo mne dnes, rozdelil sa pre nás vo forme Svätého Ducha, čo je Sám všemohúci Boh žijúci v tebe.
Áno, máš pravdu, to je, „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý,“ sú to tri úrady toho istého Boha, ale nie traja Bohovia. To by bolo podľa Písma nesprávne.
43 136. Môže ísť kresťan do neba, ak on alebo ona neplatí desiatok?
Tak, toto je jedna otázka, na ktorú by som nevedel odpovedať podľa Písma.
Tak, tento, „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý,“ ak je ten kazateľ úprimný, dajte nám len vedieť, budeme radi... Brat Neville a ja, brat Beeler alebo brat Collins, alebo ktorýkoľvek z týchto kazateľov tu, ktorí sú ordinovaní do tejto služby, a tak ďalej, to môžu urobiť. Ale teraz to: či kresťan nepôjde do neba kvôli tomu, že neplatí desiatok?
Nevedel by som povedať, či áno alebo nie. Ale verím, že každý kresťan je zaviazaný platiť desatiny, pretože to je prikázanie Pánove. „A požehnaný je ten, ktorý činí všetky Jeho prikázania, aby tak mohol mať právo vstúpiť do Života, ku Stromu Života.“ Verím, že platenie desiatkov je podstatnou časťou kresťanského prežitia. Lebo, dostanem sa ku tomu pri ďalšej otázke za niekoľko minút, viem, že je tam ešte jedna takáto, ktorá ku tomu patrí.
46 137. Brat Branham, som spasený a pokrstený v Mene Ježiša Krista, ale ako sa zbavím vzdorovitého ducha, od ktorého, zdá sa, že sa nedokážem prelomiť?
No, môj kresťanský brat alebo sestra, ktokoľvek to je. No, väčšinou, keď nájdete ľudí, ktorí majú tvrdohlavého ducha, to je obyčajne komplex, ktorý toto spôsobuje, je to buď zdedené od matky, otca, strýka, tety alebo starej mamy, starého otca alebo niekoho takého. A ak to preskúmate spätne cez ten život, zistíte... No, ja som to mnohokrát zažil pri tom rozpoznaní, pretože som mal takéto prípady na pódiu, tisíce z nich mali takého ducha. A tá prvá vec, viete, ja som toho ducha pod rozpoznaním spätne stopoval a zistil som, že tam bol starý otec, bola tam stará matka, bol tam predtým niekto a vy to prirodzene dedíte.
Tvrdohlavý, tvrdohlavosť nie je od Boha. No a ten jediný spôsob, ako sa od toho dostať, je mať vieru, že to premôžeš, to je vtedy, ak si Kresťan. Si Boží syn alebo Božia dcéra, jedno alebo druhé, a ty nikdy nebudeš môcť len stáť a karhať to a karhať to a karhať to. To je ako dráždenie štrkáča, on tam leží pripravený ťa uštipnúť. Ak ho len budeš ignorovať a odídeš od neho, tak ti nemôže ublížiť. Rozumiete?
Tak, ak cítiš, že máš tvrdohlavého ducha, polož tú vec na oltár a ver, že tá vec je mŕtva a že ty to nikdy viac nebudeš mať, a len pokračuj a už tomu vôbec nevenuj žiadnu pozornosť, a tá vec ťa opustí. Sprotivte sa diablovi a utečie od vás, to znamená, „rýchlo odíde preč.“
Tak, to by bola moja rada, ako to premôcť. My premáhame diabla vierou. To je to, ako premôcť všetko zlo, skrze vieru.
49 138. Prečo krstíš na Meno Ježiša Krista na miesto mena „Otca, Syna a Ducha Svätého?“
No, neexistuje nič také ako meno „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý.“ To je ten dôvod. V Biblii nebol nikto pokrstený na meno „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý.“ Každá osoba v Biblii alebo až po tristo rokov po tejto strane Biblie, bola pokrstená v Meno Ježiša Krista. Ani jeden apoštol, ani jeden kresťan nebol ani raz pokrstený ako, „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý,“ nikdy nepoužil krst, až kým sa katolícka cirkev nezorganizovala na Nicejskom koncile tristošesť rokov po smrti posledného apoštola.
Neexistuje žiadna taká vec ako meno „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý.“ Otec nie je meno, Syn nie je meno, Duch Svätý nie je meno. To sú tri tituly, tri úrady, tituly toho Mena: Ježiš Kristus. Tak preto neexistuje žiadna taká vec ako meno „Otec, Syn, Duch Svätý.“ A tak žiadne... To nie je žiadne meno, tak ja krstím na Meno Ježiša Krista, čo je meno Otca, Syna a Ducha Svätého. Je to jasné?
51 139. Niektorí ľudia hovoria, že, „Kristus bol v Hádeši pred vzkriesením.“ Je toto... je na toto miesto Písma?
Tak, toto je otázka podľa Písma, rád by som na ňu odpovedal z Písma, pretože oni sa opýtali, „Je to v Písme?“
Chcel by som, aby ste si so mnou otvorili 1. Petra 3:18 a 20, vy, ktorí to chcete počuť, či ste sa vy opýtali tú otázku alebo nie, aby ste tak na to nemuseli mať slovo niekoho iného. Môžete si to prečítať a zistiť, či je to pravdivé alebo nie. My vždy chceme zostať s pravdou, a tam, kde to Biblia hovorí. A táto drahá osoba, ktokoľvek to je, sa opýtala, že chce na to poznať referenciu z Biblie, či je toto tak alebo nie.
53 Tak nachádzame toto v... ak to nájdem. Táto stará Biblia je už tak potrhaná, mám ju už niekoľko rokov. Ak len môžem vidieť, či to tu mám, myslím, že možno... Len minútku, brat, som si istý, že... pozrime sa, to prichádza rovno po Timotejovi, Títovi a Židom. Tu to máme, áno, mám to. Ďakujem. 1. Petra 3, tretia kapitola, 1. Petra. Tretia kapitola a začnime s osemnástym veršom:
Lebo aj Kristus raz trpel a zomrel za hriechy, spravodlivý za nespravodlivých, aby nás priviedol k Bohu, usmrtený telom, ale oživený Duchom, (v ktorom aj odíduc kázal duchom v žalári,
ktorí kedysi neposlúchali, keď raz vyčkávala Božia zhovievavosť za dní Noeho, keď sa staval koráb, v ktorom bolo málo, to jest osem duší zachránených vodou)
54 Teraz sa obráťme do Skutkov 2, Skutky 2 a vezmeme 30. verš. V Skutkoch 2, a toto je apoštol Peter, ktorý tiež hovorí. Skutky 2. kapitola a 30. verš, takto som si to tu napísal:
A teda súc prorokom a vediac, že sa mu Boh zaviazal prísahou, že z plodu jeho bedier, podľa tela, vzbudí Krista a dosadí na jeho trón,
a vidiac to vopred hovoril o zmŕtvychvstaní Kristovom, že ani nebola zanechaná jeho duša v ríši smrti, ani jeho telo že nevidelo porušenia. (Kristovo telo)
Jeho telo zostúpilo do pekla a kázalo duchom alebo dušiam, ktoré nečinili pokánie počas dlhozhovievavosti za dní Noeho. Jeho duša zostúpila do pekla a On kázal tým duchom a vstal na tretí deň. To je podľa Písma, to je pravda.
56 140. Bolo päť panien stratených?
Domnievam sa, že oni sa pýtajú otázku, „Päť panien,“ päť bolo múdrych a päť bolo bláznivých. No, ak by ste boli s nami na tých posledných vyučovaniach na knihu Zjavenia, zistili by ste, že tie panny, tých päť bláznivých panien nebolo stratených, ale nebolo im dovolené vojsť na svadobnú večeru, ale oni trpeli prenasledovanie a boli zabití ako mučeníci, a potom znovu povstali pri všeobecnom vzkriesení v tom poslednom dni. To sú tí ľudia, kde ich On oddelil ako ovce od kozlov (vidíte), keď stáli pred súdom.
Poviete, „Dobre, brat Branham, či sa my ako cirkev nepostavíme?“ [Pred súd – pozn.prekl.]
Nie veru. My nebudeme stať pred súdom. My teraz stojíme pred súdom. Boh položil naše hriechy na Krista a my... „Ten, ktorý čuje moje Slovo (Svätý Ján 5:24), a verí v Toho, ktorý má poslal, má večný život a nepríde na súd, ale prešiel zo smrti do života.“ Nie je viac súdu pre cirkev, ona je vzatá vo vytrhnutí a vracia sa, aby vykonala súdy na ľuďoch, ktorí neprijali Ducha Svätého. Či Pavol nehovorí, že či sa niekto z nás opovažuje vziať nejakú záležitosť pred súd, pred ten nespravodlivý pozemský súd, keď, „Či neviete, že svätí budú súdiť zem?“ My sa posadíme s Kristom a budeme ako sudcovia a králi a kňazi a budeme súdiť týchto ľudí, ku ktorým sme kázali a hovorili o krste Duchom Svätým, a oni to odmietli prijať. Pomyslite na to.
Nie, ony neboli stratené, ale ony nikdy nebudú v Neveste. Ony prídu pri druhom vzkriesení, ale nikdy nebudú v Neveste, aby boli súdení podľa toho, ako zaobchádzali s tým Svetlom, ktoré prijali. Tak, tá časť bude na Kristovi. Ale ony neboli stratené.
60 141. Brat Branham, v 1. Korinťanom v 14. kapitole, vo veršoch 34 a 35 je povedané, „Nech vaše ženy mlčia v zboroch, pretože im nie je dovolené hovoriť.“ 35. verš, „Lebo je to hanba pre ženu hovoriť v cirkvi.“ Teraz, ak žena s krátkymi vlasmi hovorí, hovorí v jazykoch v zbore, je to Svätý Duch, ktorý hovorí, alebo je to falošný duch?
Tak, vy ste... A toto je naozaj ťažká otázka, a ja na ňu môžem odpovedať len najlepšie, ako viem. Tak, ja nemôžem súdiť, pretože som nebol poslaný súdiť. Ale myslím si, že je tak mnohokrát... Mám tu ďalej ešte jednu otázku, ktorá k tomu tiež patrí. Ale ak nejaká osoba hovorí v jazykoch, ona je pomazaná Bohom. Rozumiete? Ony môžu byť mimo poriadku, to môže byť pravda, a ony môžu robiť aj niečo, čo nie je správne, ale ja by som nechcel povedať, že to nebol Svätý Duch, pretože ja neviem. Rozumiete?
A tak teraz, mnohokrát sa stáva, že toto... ľudia zle posudzujú jedni druhých. A to je veľmi zlá vec robiť to. Poviete, „No, ona má krátke vlasy, ona má šaty, ktoré sú príliš krátke, tak to na nej nie je Svätý Duch.“ Nerobte to. Nerobte to, to nie je správne. Vy neviete, čo je v srdci tej ženy. Neviete o tom nič. Vy viete, že Svätý Duch by pri nej spôsobil, aby sa správala trochu lepšie, to môže byť pravda. Ale poviem vám, že tak ako vy alebo ja, nech je to Boh, ktorý to súdi, a nech sa ty a ja len modlíme za tú osobu, aby jej Boh ukázal Svetlo.
62 Prednedávnom ma tu stretol jeden človek na jednej strane. Mal som tu klaviristku, ktorá mala malú, krátku sukňu, a to nebolo veľmi, hádam, nebolo to veľmi správne. A tá pani mala krátke vlasy, a ona bola len nemluvňaťom na tejto ceste, a ona hrala na klavír. A jeden človek ma tu stretol a trhal ma na kusy, povedal, „A ty si letničný kazateľ a ty necháš, aby si tam mal takú ženú s krátkymi vlasmi,“ a takto ďalej o tom pokračoval.
„No,“ povedal som, „Myslím, že tá žena má v sebe dobrého ducha. Istotne s tým nesúhlasím, vieš, aj tá sukňa tu potiaľto, tie dve časti, a jedna časť visí tu dole a druhá tu vyššie, to je taká sukňa, akú nosia.“ A je to také príliš tenké a ukazuje to ten odev, ktorý má pod tým. A ja si nemyslím, že by sa to malo robiť. Mne sa to nepáči, skutočne sa mi to nepáči.“ Tak, ja neviem povedať, ony môžu byť naplnené Duchom Svätým tak ako hocikto iný, ja neviem, Boh to vie. Ale ja by som tú ženu neodsudzoval a nehovoril, že ona pôjde do pekla kvôli tomu, ako vyzerá.
A tento istý človek mal v cirkvi jednu ženu, ktorá mala dlhé vlasy a nosila dlhé šaty a mala toľko výbušnosti, že mohla zápasiť s motorovou pílou, a bola taká hrubá, ako neviem čo. Tak dlhé vlasy a dlhé sukne vás nevezmú do neba. Nie veru. To je ten duch, ktorý je v tebe, ten ťa vezme do neba. Ale ak ty ako kresťan...
66 A potom by ste mali pamätať na to, že mnohokrát sa pastori o tých veciach nezmieňujú a ľudia len automaticky pokračujú ďalej mysliac si, že je to v poriadku. Ale pastor by to mal naozaj trhať. A potom sestry v cirkvi, tie sestry, ktoré stoja v tom charaktere a nosia svoje oblečenie slušne, správne, ony by mali byť príkladom vľúdnosti a mali by byť ako matky a sestry.
A myslím si, že ktorákoľvek žena, ktorá má ten materinský cit a je zbožná a má sesterský cit, by mala k takej osobe ísť a vo vľúdnosti ducha sa s takou ženou len posadiť a porozprávať sa. A ak je ona z Boha, Duch Svätý bude tie veci rozumieť a ona sa napraví. Ale ak ju len rýchlo odsúdite a odoženiete, môžete uškodiť tomu mladému narodenému dieťaťu. Rozumiete? Tak ja by som tú osobu neodsudzoval.
68 Takže osoba, ktorá hovorí v jazykoch. No, musím tu povedať niečo, čo bude znieť možno zvláštne, ale ak so mnou nesúhlasíte, to je v poriadku. Vidíte, my tieto veci tak mnohokrát zle posudzujeme. Vždy sa snažme myslieť to najlepšie o komkoľvek, kto sa snaží robiť to, čo je správne. Vyjadrime im to najlepšie, čo je v nás. Ó, ony sa snažia. Nepoznáme ich srdce, jedine, že máte rozpoznanie. A ak sa mýlia, potom, ak máte... Biblia hovorí, „Ak je nejaký brat premožený omylom, nech tí, ktorí sú duchovní, idú za tým bratom v duchu krotkosti, dávajúci pozor sami na seba, aby neboli pokušení, a viďte, či môžete tú osobu prinavrátiť späť ku Bohu.“ Nehovorte, že oni nemajú toho správneho ducha, pretože...
70 Počúvajte, teraz tu poviem niečo, čo vás na chvíľu naozaj uštipne, tak len chvíľu ticho seďte. Duch Svätý môže hovoriť aj cez pokrytca. Presne tak. Videl som to, ako sa to dialo, a môžem vám to dokázať pomocou Písma, že je to tak. Môžem vám dokázať pomocou Písma, že démonské moci vezmú tie duchy a použijú ich, istotne, vezmú tie dary a použijú ich. A stál som rovno... Videl som diablov, ako hovorili v jazykoch a vykladali to. A videl som pokrytcov brať skutočného Svätého Ducha a hovoriť, hovoriť cez neho. To je ten dôvod, prečo nemôžete povedať, že hovorenie v jazykoch je jediný dôkaz Svätého Ducha.
71 Tak, pred nejakým časom, keď som sa prvýkrát dostal ku letničným, išiel som do Mishawaka do modlitebne brata Rowe. A oni tam mali takú konferenciu, to boli ľudia Ježišovho Mena. Tak, ja nesúhlasím s ľuďmi Ježišovho Mena, oni nie sú, oni nie sú... Oni sú moji bratia, ale dôvod, prečo to hovorím...
„Krstenie na obnovenie v Mene Ježiša Krista,“ v to ja neverím. Ja neverím, že voda vás zachráni od hriechu. Ja verím, že Krv Ježiša Krista je obnovením. Ale ľudia od jednotárov krstia na obnovenie. Meno Ježiša, oni len krstia v Ježišovom Mene a hovoria, že sú spasení, pretože On povedal, „Čiňte pokánie a pokrstite sa v Mene Ježiša Krista na odpustenie vašich hriechov.'“
Ale čo prichádza prvé? Činenie pokánia, Božský žiaľ za vaše hriechy, a potom otočenie sa. Potom byť pokrstení v Mene Ježiša Krista, a to je v poriadku. Všetko toto si urobil pre odstránenie hriechov.
74 Tak, a tam bolo niekoľko tisíc ľudí. V tých dňoch mali na severe segregáciu, vlastne na juhu, a oni, oni to museli mať tu, pretože mnohí farební bratia prichádzali do týchto zhromaždení. To bolo PAZW. A z PAZG-J.C predtým, ako sa to zlúčilo. A to molo v Mishawaka, boli tam farební aj bieli, všetci spolu, a v tom čase to oni nemohli mať na juhu. A tak som videl dvoch bielych mužov, ako tam sedeli. Nikdy v živote predtým som nepočul nič o týchto posolstvách. A tí muži povstali a jeden hovoril v jazykoch a ten druhý dával výklad a hovoril ľuďom rovno v zhromaždení, čo s nimi nebolo v poriadku, a hovoril ľuďom, čo urobili. A potom tento niečo hovoril a ten druhý to vykladal. Pomyslel som si, „Ó, dostal som sa tu medzi anjelov.“ Nikdy som nič také nepočul!
75 V poriadku, modlil som sa na tom kukuričnom poli. Tak odkedy som bol malým dieťaťom... Verím, že dary a povolania sú bez pokánia, a tak vždy som bol schopný vídať videnia. A na ďalšie ráno ma požiadali, aby som hovoril, a ja som hovoril. A vonku bolo tak mnoho ľudí, ktorí prišli ku mne a pozývali ma do svojich zhromaždení, a ja som bol pritom misionárskym baptistom. A tak som len išiel vpred a nechal som to tak. A po nejakom čase som bol dychtivý stretnúť týchto dvoch anjelských mužov. A nikdy predtým som nepočul...
Oni až zbledli a povstali a hovorili v jazykoch. A ten druhý sa postavil a povedal, „Tak hovorí Pán: John tam, urobil si predvčerom určitú vec. Keď si išiel okolo domu, zobral si peňaženku, ktorá patrí tomuto mužovi, ktorú tento stratil. Tak hovorí Pán, vráť to späť.“
„Bože, buď mi milostivý, tu to je.“ Vidíte, pravda, keď je tak povedaná, ona hovorí rovno ku ľuďom. Pomyslel som si, „Ó, či to nie je ohromné.“ A tak som si pomyslel, „Toto je Boh.“
79 Tak, a potom som sa dostal k jednému z tých mužov a zatiaľ čo som s ním hovoril, modlil som sa, „Pane, dovoľ mi to mať, čokoľvek to je.“ Nevedel som, ako to nazvať, videnia, nevedel som, ako to nazývať. A keď tá vec prišla predo mňa a ja som upriamil jeho pozornosť a len som ďalej k nemu hovoril, až som zachytil jeho ducha práve tak ako tá žena pri... Ako to Ježiš urobil pri žene pri studni. Len som ďalej hovoril, až som zachytil jeho ducha. A on bol kresťanom, skutočným, pravdivým, svätým Božím. Pomyslel som si, „Nech je požehnané Meno Pánovo.“
Stretol som potom toho ďalšieho muža pri rohu asi o pol hodinu neskôr a hovoril som s ním. Ak som niekedy hovoril s pokrytcom, tak to bol jeden z nich. Jeho žena bola čiernovlasá a on žil s blondínou a mal s ňou dve deti, a jednako hovoril v tom istom Duchu, ako hovoril tento druhý muž, a dával rovnaký výklad, ktorý bol presne správne. Potom som vedel.
81 Pred mojím obrátením som mal raz jedno prežitie, keď som išiel s indiánmi do tábora čarodejníkov. Oni sú tanečníci diabla. Vzali hada a omotali sa ním a mali rituálne tance a hovorili v jazykoch a vykladali to a povedali presne to, čo bola pravda tam medzi ľuďmi. A videl som čarodejníka, ako vzal ceruzku a položil ju, a videl som, ako sa tá ceruzka postavila a písala v neznámych jazykoch a on to vykladal a hovoril ľuďom presne to, čo sa tam deje. Na zhromaždení špiritistov...
A tak som povedal (Rozumiete?), „Dostal som sa medzi diablov,“ a tak som nechal celú tú vec ísť.
83 Tak jedného dňa pri Green's Mill, bol som tam a modlil som sa v mojej jaskyni, nie za to, a vyšiel som von a položil svoju Bibliu. Ja... Vzadu v tej jaskyni, to bolo zatuchnuté a ja som chcel trochu slnečného svetla, a to bolo popoludní, tak som vyšiel von a položil svoju Bibliu. Išiel som si trochu prečítať na takom kmeni, ktorý bol položený na zemi smerom dolu z kopca. A tak som si položil Bibliu a začal som čítať. A zafúkal vietor a otočil strany na List Židom, 6. kapitolu. Pomyslel som si, „Možno Pán chce, aby som si to prečítal.“ Prečítal som to.
„My, ktorí sme boli raz osvietení a stali sme sa účastníkmi Svätého Ducha, ak by sme odpadli... Aby sme sa znovu obnovovali ku pokániu. Dážď prináša... zem prináša ovocie a dážď je poslaný, aby ju zavlažil, a tŕnie a bodľač, ktoré sú blízke zavrhnutiu, ktorých koniec je, aby boli spálené,“ niečo na ten spôsob. Tak som si to prečítal a pomyslel som si, „No, chvála Pánovi.“ Obrátil som si to na iné miesto a pomyslel som si, „Tak, prečítam si niečo tu ďalej, niečo iné.“ Takto som to položil, pretrel som si oči a vietor to znovu obrátil na List Židom 6. A to sa stalo asi tri alebo štyrikrát, myslím, že trikrát. Pomyslel som si, „Nevidím na tom nič, čo by bolo nesprávne. Čo tam je?“
86 Dovoľte mi len, môžete... Čítali ste to mnohokrát, List Židom 6, „Bodľač a tŕnie. Dážď prichádza často na zem, aby ju zavlažoval, aby ju odial kvôli jej ovociu. Ale tŕnie a bodľač, ktoré sú blízke zavrhnutiu, ktorých koniec je, aby boli spálené, aby boli zhromaždené a spálené.“
Nevedel som z toho nič dostať. Pomyslel som si, „Tak, tŕnie a bodľač majú byť spálené, Boh vezme Svoju pšenicu do sýpky, a tým je to vybavené.“ Povedal som, „Nič také na tom nevidím.“
Sedel som tam, díval sa naokolo a prišlo predo mňa videnie. A videl som svet, ako sa takto otáča, a to bolo celé zvalcované a pripravené, aby to bolo posiate. A prišiel muž v bielom rúchu, hlavu mal sklonenú a díval sa do vreca, kde mal semená, a išiel ďalej. A neviem, či si niektorí z vás pamätajú ten starý spôsob rozsievania, ako ste... Videl som svojho otca, ako to robil. Takto to rukou rozhodil a to spadlo na zem, takto tie semená spadli na zem. Tak tento muž takto sial semeno. A akonáhle prešiel, za ním začala vzchádzať pšenica.
89 No, akonáhle on zašiel za obzor zeme, videl som niečo čierne, čo tam začalo povstávať, niečo ako čierny mesiac. A pozrel som sa a prizrel bližšie, a to bol človek oblečený celý v čiernom, do čierneho. On sa tam takto vkrádal. A on mal vrece so semenami, akurát, že tam mal kúkoľ. A on to takto rozsieval medzi tú pšenicu, rozsieval takým istým spôsobom ako ten prvý a teraz tento. A za ním začali vchádzať kúkoľ, bodliaky, tŕnie a všetko možné.
No, pomyslel som si, „To je hanebné, aby človek robil niečo takéto.“ V tom videní, ja som o tom nerozmýšľal, že je to podľa Písma. Rozumiete? A povedal som, „Ten človek seje ten kúkoľ na pšeničné pole tamtoho človeka.“
Potom sa skutočne oteplilo. Tá malá pšenica takto držala svoju hlávku a stonala, „Ach, ach, ach,“ takto, a len lapala po dychu. Ten malý kúkoľ mal takto svoju hlavu a robil, „Ach, ach, ach,“ a tiež žíznil po vode. A každý sa začal modliť o dážď.
Po nejakej chvíli sa priblížil veľký búrkový mrak a začalo silno pršať, a tak dážď zasiahol zem. A tá malá pšenica začala vyskakovať hore a dolu a kričať, „Haleluja, chvála Pánovi, haleluja, chvála Pánovi.“ A ten malý kúkoľ vykrikoval, „Chvála Pánovi,“ narovnal sa a do toho kúkoľa prišiel život tak isto ako do pšenice.
A potom tam prišlo to Písmo, „Dážď padá na spravodlivých aj na nespravodlivých.“ A tam som to uchytil. Rozumiete?
94 Toto je to, že ak osoba, ktorá sedí v zhromaždení, a duch môže na tú osobu spadnúť, a jednako vy viete, že oni sa mýlia, oni nežijú ten správny druh života, buďte opatrní, čo poviete o tom duchu, to môže byť Duch Svätý. Neposudzujte toho ducha podľa tej osoby. Tá osoba sa môže mýliť, ale teraz, či Biblia nehovorí, „Dážď padá na spravodlivých aj na nespravodlivých“? Či nepovedal Ježiš, že keď boli polia posiate, „Nechajte to všetko spolu rásť, kúkoľ a pšenicu spolu. Nesnažte sa ten kúkoľ vytrhať. Nesnažte sa ich súdiť, len ich nechajte spolu rásť. A v tom dni budú poslaní anjeli a oni zoberú preč všetok kúkoľ a spália ho a pšenica bude zhromaždená do sýpky“? Ale podľa ich ovocia ich spoznáte. Vy môžete vedieť vo svojom srdci. Ďalej sa snažte konať s tou osobou.
95 Nepovedzte, že táto žena, ak je ona nemorálne oblečená alebo... Ako to tu bolo napísané? „Povedzme, že Duch Svätý navštívi...“ Pozrime sa. Nie, to tu mám nejako nesprávnu otázku. Ó, tu to je, áno.
„Žena, ktorá hovorí v jazykoch. Tak, ak žena s krátkymi vlasmi hovorí v jazykoch v zbore, je to duch... Pozrime sa. Je to Duch Svätý, ktorý skrze ňu hovorí, alebo falošný duch?“
Pozrite, nič by som nepovedal. A ak by ste si mysleli, že tá žena nie je úplne poriadku, lebo má krátke vlasy... (Verím, že to je tá téma.)... Áno, „Krátke vlasy.“ Čo keby si ty, brat, ak si ženatý muž a toto je vydatá žena, čo keby si vzal svoju manželku a porozprávali by ste sa s touto dámou? Verme, že ona má Ducha Svätého. Ak je ona v tomto zbore, budem veriť, že ona ho má. A potom, povedzme, možno, že ona je...
Či ste vedeli, že z času na čas, keď sa preskúmame, tak zistíme, že tiež môžme mať niečo malé nie v poriadku. Viete, že to je pravda, viete. Tak niekto by nám mohol niečo povedať. Mnohokrát mi ľudia povedali mnoho vecí, ktoré boli nesprávne, a ja som konal nesprávne; cením si to.
98 Ale, povedzme, že... Verme, že čokoľvek to je... Povedzme, že tá žena nie je celkom kresťankou, a ak to ona len napodobňuje, Boh ju za to bude súdiť. To je pravda. Ale... A ak je oblečená nemorálne a tie veci, ktoré robí, nie sú správne, Boh sa o to postará. Ale verme, že ten Duch na tej žene je Svätý Duch (Rozumiete?), pretože my nevieme.
Tak, ak ten výklad toho „svätého ducha“ niečo dáva, niečo prináša a preklína to Krista... „Žiaden človek hovoriaci v Duchu nemôže prekliať Krista.“ Ak tá žena hovorí v jazykoch a prichádza výklad, kde Kristus je preklínaný, potom viete, že na tej žene je zlý duch. Ale pokiaľ vás to žehná a vzdeláva do Krista, potom tomu Duchu verme. Rozumiete? Amen. Dúfam, že to nerobí zmätok. Dúfam, že to jednako dáva trochu svetla na túto vec.
100 142. V 5. Mojžišovej, 23. kapitole a v 2. verši, neučí to, že osoba, ktorá je narodená pomimo manželského zväzku, nemôže byť spasená? Hovorí to, že Boh navštívi neprávosť rodičov na ich deťoch až do tretieho a štvrtého pokolenia. Vysvetli, čo to znamená.
V poriadku. Cudzoložstvo bolo takou hroznou vecou v čase Biblie, že až muž, ktorý mal s nejakou ženou dieťa, ktorá nebola jeho manželkou, to dieťa, jeho deti a ich deti a ich deti, až do štyroch generácií, štyristo aj niečo rokov nemohli vstúpiť do zhromaždenia Pánovho, pretože krv býkov a kozlov a jalovíc nebola dostatočná, aby odstránila hriech. Ona mohla len rozviesť alebo len prikryť hriech, ona nedokázala vymazať hriech. Rozumiete? Ona nedokázala hriech vymazať, ona ho dokázala len prikryť. Cudzoložstvo je hrozná vec. Žena, vzácny klenot, ktorý Boh stvoril, aby bola matkou a je jej s dôverou zverené jej materstvo, ak by priviedla na svet dieťa od iného muža, ktorý nie je jej manželom, potom bola na tom dieťati kliatba a na jeho deťoch a ich deťoch a ich deťoch až do troch a štyroch generácií. Dokonca mnohokrát zasiahne ľudí syfilis a slepota a podobné veci. Áno, bolo to hrozné, hroznou vecou pre ženu mať dieťa pomimo svätého manželstva. No, nielen vtedy, ale je to stále hroznou vecou, istotne je, vždy.
102 143. Či sa Ezechiel 38 a 39 vyplní pred vytrhnutím?
Tak, ak si všimnete, Ezechiel 38 a 39 hovorí o Gógovi a Magógovi, čo je Rusko, severná krajina. Tak, ja nehovorím, že toto je správne, ale podľa toho, ako to učím, že to sa stane po vytrhnutí, po tom, ako je cirkev vzatá. A Boh koná s Gógom a Magógom, keď oni prichádzajú dolu pred Izraelom. A ja si myslím, že to sa stane po vytrhnutí. No, týmto to neznamená, že to tak bude. Rozumiete? Ale to je len to, ako to ja učím. Nazdávam sa, že to je to, čo oni chceli vedieť, aká je moja myšlienka o tom.
103 144. Pán nám skrze proroctvo povedal, aby sme svedčili iným o tých veciach, ktoré sme počuli a videli tu, ako je blízkosť príchodu, krst v Ježišovo Meno, a podobné veci. Povedali sme tieto veci niektorým ľuďom, ktorí sa zdali byť kresťanmi, ale jednako zdá sa, že oni tomu neveria. Čo si myslíš, že sa tým ľuďom stane? Pôjdu do vytrhnutia?
Tak som rád, že ste to takto povedali, „Čo si myslíš?“ Čo znamená, že to nie je zákonite pravda, pretože to si len ja myslím. Myslím si, že žiaden človek nemôže kráčať vo svetle Božom, kým mu ho Boh nezjaví. A ja neverím, že ktokoľvek, kto... Všetky tieto skryté veci sú pred ľuďmi ukryté a nikto ich nedokáže vidieť, jedine, že mu to Boh zjaví, verím v to, pretože v Biblii to vždy tak bolo.
104 Či nepovedal Ježiš, „Máte oči a nevidíte, máte uši a nepočujete“? A pritom v Matúšovi, verím, že je to buď Matúš 8. alebo 12. kapitola, je povedané, že, „Hoci Ježiš vykonal medzi nimi toľko zázrakov, jednako nemohli uveriť.“ Pretože Izaiáš povedal, to proroctvo hovorilo, že oni mali oči a nedokázali vidieť, mali uši a nedokázali počuť. Rozumiete?
A Ježiš povedal, „Nikto nemôže prísť ku Mne, jedine, že ho najprv zavolá môj Otec, a všetkých, ktorých Mi Otec dal, ku Mne prídu.“ Tým je to vybavené. Rozumiete? Tak, vy ste zodpovední za rozširovanie Svetla, vy nie ste zodpovední za to, či oni to Svetlo príjmu. Vy se zodpovední za to, aby ste im to priniesli, ale vy nie ste zodpovední za ich reakciu. A potom, ak im Boh dovolí vstúpiť, to bude na Ňom. Ak nemajú na sebe to rúcho, a tak ďalej, a oni ne... Ale oni... Pamätajme, oni to nedokážu uvidieť, kým im to Boh nezjaví.
108 145. Brat Branham, v Danielovi 11. kapitole a 31. verši je vyučované o dni, kedy bude odstránená denná obeť, a je tam ohavnosť, ktorá bude robiť pustošenie. Vysvetlil by si, prosím, čo toto znamená?
Ó, táto osoba sa tu na tejto otázke podpísala. Toto je mojou témou na budúcu nedeľu, a to prichádza so sedemdesiatimi Danielovými týždňami. Ale... Možno toto by som vám mohol povedať, podpísal sa tu môj veľmi vzácny brat, ktorý je veľmi drahým priateľom nás všetkých... Áno, „Ohavnosť pustošenia,“ Ježiš o tom hovoril v Matúšovi 24. Ohavnosť (znamená špinavosť), ktorá robí pustošenie, tá ohavnosť bola moslimská... Omarova mešita, ktorá je postavená na pôde chrámu tam, kde stálo to sväté miesto.
109 V roku 96 prišiel Títus a zabral Jeruzalem a spálil chrám a postavili tam Omarovu mešitu (Mohamedánske náboženstvo), rovno na pôde chrámu a ona tam stále stojí až do tohoto dňa. A to tam bude stáť, kým sa Boh nevráti znovu k Židom. „A ohavnosť (To je tá Omarova mešita), ktorá robí pustošenie toho svätého miesta,“ stojí to na svätom mieste... Rozumiete?
Ježiš sa na to odvolával a je tam, „(Nech ten, kto číta, rozumie).“ Rozumiete? Preto On dal toľko a toľko dní od toho času po tom kniežati, a toľko a toľko dní, a tak ďalej, do čoho sa dostaneme na budúcu nedeľu. A vynasnažím sa podľa môjho najlepšieho poznania predložiť vám to na budúcu nedeľu. Ale tá ohavnosť, to je Omarova mešita, ktorá zabrala miesto chrámu, kde, „Keď uvidíte ohavnosť pustošenia spomínanú v prorokovi Danielovi, ako stojí na svätom mieste...“ Rozumiete? Stojí to tam, kde stál chrám (Sväté miesto), Omarova mešita...
111 146. Brat Branham, necítiš to tak, že každý, kto tvrdí, že je kresťanom, by mal platiť desiatky, platiť svoje desiatky do domu pokladu Pánovho? Daj nám prosíme na túto otázku miesta Písma.
V poriadku, ak chcete... Toto je pravda, ktorá je v Biblii povedaná v Malachiášovi v 4. kapitole, „Či bude človek okrádať Boha? A poviete, „V čom sme ťa okradli?“ V desiatkoch a v obetiach. „Prineste celý svoj desiatok a obete do Môjho domu pokladu a skúste Ma,“ hovorí Pán, „Či vám nepootváram okná nebies a nevylejem požehnania tak, že nebude pre neho dostatok miesta.“
To je výzva pre každého jednotlivca. A ak by som mal len čas, ak by som mal len čas a nemohol by som sa dostať ku tomuto malému miestu Písma, ku ktorému sa chcem dostať asi na ďalších desať minút, povedal by som vám osobné svedectvo, ako keď som bol dokonca hladný a moja matka a ostatní boli hladní a môj otec chorý, ale ja som vzal najprv svoj desiatok a dal som to Bohu a mali ste vidieť, čo sa stalo. Nikdy v živote som nevidel, že by nejaký muž alebo žena, ak zarobíš len dolár týždenne a prinesieš z tých peňazí desať centov a dáš to do domu pokladu do tvojej cirkvi, kde prichádzaš, ak to Boh nepožehná, nazvite ma pokrytcom. Tak veru. To je výzva pre každého. Každý kresťan (to ide spolu s tou ďalšou otázkou), každý kresťan by mal platiť desiatky. To je pravda. Má sa to robiť.
113 V poriadku, tak teraz:
147. Ak nejaká osoba alebo osoby hovoria v neznámych jazykoch v tom istom tóne hlasu za každým razom, tá istá vec, ale ten výklad cez toho vykladača je zakaždým iný, môže to byť Svätý Duch?
No, dovoľte mi to znovu prečítať.
Ak nejaká osoba alebo osoby hovoria v neznámych jazykoch tým istým tónom hlasu (inými slovami, hovoria stále tú istú rovnakú určitú vec, určité slovo stále dokola a dokola) za každým razom a tú istú vec zakaždým, ale výklad skrze vykladača je zakaždým odlišný, môže toto byť Svätý Duch?
Tak, táto je ťažká, ale dovoľte mi vrhnúť na toto trošku svetla, ak len môžem. A som si istý, že to porozumiete, že toto je len brat Branham, ktorý sa snaží urobiť najlepšie, ako vie, ale dovoľte mi len podať vám toto ako svoje osobné prežitie pri konaní s týmito duchovnými vecami. A ja si cením vašu dôveru, že sa ma pýtate takéto otázky. Ak by ste vo mňa nemali dôveru, neopýtali by ste sa ma nič také. Verím, že kresťan by sa nepýtal otázky, aby vzbudil hádku. Verím, že oni sa snažia nájsť to, čo je pravda. Rozumiete? A ja by som neodpovedal, ak by oni... A ja na to odpovedám a ak by som to mohol urobiť veľmi jasným, tak to bude podľa môjho najlepšieho poznania, a potom, ak sa v tebe ten duch rozhnevá, to ukáže, že to v tebe nie je Svätý Duch. Rozumiete? Tak potom Duch Svätý sa nebude hnevať, to bude zakaždým napravené so Slovom a obstojí v náprave.
114 Tak, dovoľte mi povedať toto, že ja... V tomto prípade pamätajte, Boh je mojím sudcom, ja... Toto je William Branham. Ja by som nevedel povedať. Ale v tých skúsenostiach, ktoré mám, pri ktorých som bol svedkom, zatiaľ čo som bol pod pomazaním na takýchto zhromaždeniach, a verím, že tá osoba, ktorá hovorí tú istú vec za každým razom, ten istý tón hlasu, že ona skutočne hovorí v jazykoch. Verím, verím tomu, že skrze Ducha hovorí v jazykoch, ak je to kresťan. Oni hovoria v jazykoch, bezpochyby. Ale verím, že vtedy máte trochu nesprávne naklonený výklad.
Tak, mnohokrát ľudia... Chcem... Teraz sú tu len domáci členovia zboru, aspoň si myslím, myslím, že dnes večer sú tu len oni. Či nie, brat Neville? Kto všetko tu prišiel? Tak ak sú tu nejakí cudzí a vy sa v tomto líšite, ja sa snažím hovoriť ku svojmu vlastnému zboru. Rozumiete?
116 Tak ako váš otec v Evanjeliu, ako váš pastor, rád by som trochu neskôr, keď vaše duchy a dary začínajú prichádzať do dokonalosti... Tak ich pozorujete a oni sa utrhnú a dostáva sa to... Potom sa radšej musíte mať na pozore, dávať pozor na tú osobu, nechať to len ísť, pretože to nie je na nich Duch Boží. Ale keď sú milí a krotkí a pokorní a pripravení a všetko to, to je Duch Boží. A ak sa niekto dostáva mimo poriadku a pastor to musí stlmiť a ten duch sa potom rozhorčí, potom to nie je Duch Boží. Duch Boží vždy stojí a prichádza ku Slovu. Rozumiete? On zakaždým rozpoznáva Slovo.
Takže... Ale ja sa teraz nesnažím niekomu lichotiť alebo niekoho striasť, ja sa len snažím vyhlásiť pravdu. Tak ak niekto hovorí v jazykoch a iný tie jazyky vykladá... Dobre teraz počúvajte (A ja si myslím, že toto sa teraz nahráva, že?), pri výklade jazykov... Tak budem musieť ohľadne tohoto ísť do náuky. Pri výklade jazykov mnoho ľudí vykladá jazyky skrze také nezvyčajné výrazy, pretože cítia povedať takú vec. To nie je výklad.
118 Výklad je vtedy, keď oni hovoria v neznámom jazyku a vy ich počujete v angličtine a iba opakujete to, čo oni hovoria. Ale ak táto osoba hovorí vo vašom zbore... Nemyslím si, že niekoho takého máme. Ak áno, tak som to nikdy nepočul.
Ale ak niekto povstane a hovorí určité Slovo dokola a dokola a v tom istom tóne hlasu a stále to dokola opakuje a opakuje a opakuje... Poviem vám niečo. Myslím, že Junie Jackson tu dnes večer nie je, alebo je? Nemyslím si, že tu je. Ale vždy som bol ohromený pri Junie Jacksonovi a ako hovorí v jazykoch, a brat Higginbotham a mnohí z vás ľudí tu, ako vidíte tú zmenu hlasu vo výklade. Tak, to je v poriadku. No, ja ne... Ja sa nechválim svojou cirkvou. Nie veru. Ak moja cirkev potrebuje nápravu, tak ja tu budem stáť a urobím to najlepšie pre môjho Spasiteľa (To je pravda), či to niekoho raní alebo nie. Som vaším otcom v Evanjeliu a chcem... Vy nechcete nesprávneho ducha, chcete mať správneho Ducha. Robte všetko...
Prečo by sme mali brať nejakú náhradu, keď pritom existuje celé letničné nebo plné toho skutočného, prečo by sme mali jesť z odpadkového koša, keď existuje dobrý, veľký, čistý stôl prestretý tu pred nami s kuratami a haluškami a všetkým možným. Rozumiete? Prečo to nerobíme? Berme to skutočné, to je to, čo chceme, to skutočné, ozajstné.
122 Tak ja verím, že v tomto vyhlásení tu, to je rovnaká vec, verím, že v tom vyhlásení tu oni majú obaja pravdu, ale nemyslím si, že ten, ktorý vykladá, vykladá jazyk tej osoby. Neverím tomu. Verím, že Duch je prítomný a ten vykladateľ prorokuje. Verím, že on vtedy prorokuje namiesto vykladania, ak on nepočuje ten hlas vo svojom vlastnom jazyku, „Ako to, že my počujeme, každý človek počuje vo svojom jazyku, v ktorom sme sa narodili?“ Vidíte, musíte to rovnako počuť. Musíte to počuť v angličtine. Ak...
Tu je napríklad vykladač. Tak ja sa môžem postaviť a ja poznám len dve alebo tri slová v cudzom jazyku, to je všetko, čo viem. Tak ja teraz toto beriem ako doslovný príklad, nie teraz duchovne. Tak, ja poviem napríklad, „Baie, baie, blei. Aj... Ekke wil Afrikaans sprekken.“ No, pochybujem, že je tu nejaká osoba, ktorá rozumela, čo som povedal. Áno, brat, čo som povedal? [Nejaký brat v zhromaždení hovorí, „Povedal si, že vieš hovoriť afrikánsky.“ – pozn.prekl.] V afrikánčine, „Baie, baie, bly,“ „Som veľmi, veľmi šťastný. Som tu, aby som hovoril afrikánsky,“ „Afrikaans sprekken.“ Rozumiete? „Som tu, aby som hovoril afrikánsky.“
124 Tak, čo on urobil? On... Ja som hovoril afrikánsky, ale on ma počul v angličtine. Je to tak? Pretože poznáš afrikánčinu. Tak ak hovoríš... Ak tu stojím a hovorím a kážem a brat Neville to prekladá do iného jazyka pre ľudí, on hovorí v ich jazyku to, čo ja hovorím. On hovorí to, o čom ja hovorím, pretože on pozná môj jazyk.
Ak hovoríte v neznámom jazyku a vykladáte, vy počujete, vy to počujete v jazyku, v ktorom ste sa narodili, pretože to je jediný spôsob, ako môžete vykladať to, čo hovoríte, pretože Duch Svätý vám to vyložil a vy len hovoríte za Svätého Ducha.
126 Ale potom, ak je Duch prítomný, aby požehnal túto biednu osobu, a vy stojíte... Ako jeden vzácny starý brat, ktorý už odišiel, dnes večer je už v Sláve, verím tomu tak. To bola jedna veľmi drahá duša, ktorú som poznal, brat Ryan, všetci z nás sme ho poznali. On tu zvykol stávať na ulici. (A, Bože, odpusť mi, nemyslím to ako svätokrádež, lebo viem, že rúhanie sa Svätému Duchu je neodpustiteľné.) Ale brat Ryan zvykol hovoriť dokola jedno slovo po celý čas, dokola niečo ako, „Sikem a Sikem a Sikem,“ alebo niečo také. Zvykol mať... Niekto povedal, „Ty si myslíš, že to je od Boha?“
Povedal som, „Istotne je to od Boha. Samozrejme, verím, že je to od Boha.“ Ale on hovoril v jazykoch a ja som nedokázal povedať, čo on hovorí, pretože som to nerozumel. Ale prítomnosť Ducha tam bola.
Tak ak je tam prítomnosť Ducha a táto osoba hovorí len jedno slovo dokola a dokola a niekto druhý vyskočí a snaží sa dať tomu výklad, a pritom nevie, čo on hovorí... Ak tento človek nedáva výklad, tak on prorokuje, je na ňom duch proroctva a on prorokuje, a on nedáva výklad.
129Tak preto, drahý Kresťan, ty, ktorý si sa opýtal, „Môže to byť Svätý Duch?“ To môže byť Svätý Duch, ktorý používa dva úrady, jedným žehná dušu tým, že hovorí v jazykoch, a druhý prorokuje, čo nemusí byť vykladané, čo hovorí. Ale jednako to povedal. Duch Svätý naňho prichádza v proroctve presne vtedy, keď tento hovorí v jazykoch, a on si myslel, že je to výklad, tak, aký je v tom rozdiel? Je to Duch Boží, ktorý dáva cirkvi posolstvo. Ale výklad, to musí byť porozumené v angličtine a opakované presne to, čo tá osoba povedala, to je dar výkladu.
130 148. Ak už na jednom zhromaždení vyšli tri posolstvá v neznámych jazykoch, môže byť potom v modlitebnom rade viac posolstiev, ktoré prídu, aby to bolo stále pri tom duchovnom poriadku zhromaždenia?
No, istotne. To je pravda. Iste. Viem, kam mierite. To je to, kde Pavol povedal, „Ak oni... ak prorokujete a hovoríte v jazykoch,” niečo také, Pavol hovorí o...
O niečo neskôr, keď vy všetci... Brat Neville, keď vy všetci chcete vedieť, títo ľudia, ktorí majú tieto duchovné dary... Tak, ak dôverujete môjmu porozumeniu Písma, tak urobíme zhromaždenie len s vami ľuďmi, ktorí máte tieto dary, len s vami všetkými, aby sme si tak mohli spolu sadnúť... A ak cítite... A pozorujte to, brat Neville, musíte to vidieť v cirkvi, že to je Boh a že sa Boh medzi nimi pohybuje, to je to, čo chceme, ale chceme to mať na poriadku, aby to tak mohlo byť požehnaním pre cirkev a aby to niečo urobilo. Tak Boh nie je... Ja viem, poznám Písma, čo robiť. A to je to, čo chceme robiť.
132 Tak, táto osoba tu, ja viem, že ona hovorí v jazykoch, to má byť plynule zaradom, dvaja alebo nie viac ako traja. To je správne, ale ak si to tu všimnete, ak by to bolo...
To je ako niekto, kto by nám tu dal... ako keby sa postavil brat Sothmann a vypovedal by posolstvo v proroctve alebo by hovoril v jazykoch. Výklad jazykov je proroctvo (Rozumiete?), Duch proroctva. Tak ak len hovoríte v neznámych jazykoch a nie je tam vykladač, tá osoba je požehnaná Duchom, ale to cirkev nezraňuje.
Tak to, čo sa Pavol snaží dosiahnuť pri tomto tu, je toto, „Vy použijete celú bohoslužbu len na hovorenie v jazykoch (Rozumiete?) a neučeníý povie, 'O čom vôbec toto všetko je.'“ Vidíte, oni to nerozumejú, ak tam nie je výklad. Tak nech sú jedno, dve alebo maximálne tri posolstvá na zhromaždení.
135 Tak tá osoba tu hovorí, „A potom v modlitebnom rade?“ To muselo byť to, že asi niekto v modlitebnom rade... Možno brat Neville alebo v nejakej inej cirkvi, alebo odkiaľ to je, že v tom modlitebnom rade tento človek alebo na zhromaždení s Božským uzdravovaním, mohlo to byť na zhromaždení brata Robertsa alebo brata Allena alebo na niektorom, možno na mojom zhromaždení alebo niekto iný, ja neviem. Ale čokoľvek to je, to, o čom Pavol hovorí, je posolstvo ku zhromaždeniu, „Nech sú len tri,“ pretože posolstvo Boha je hovorenie posolstva, ktorého snahou je dostať to do zhromaždenia. Ale keď je ten človek v modlitebnom rade, on prorokuje nejakému jednotlivcovi, nie všetkým. Ak by to tak bolo, tak ja som to mal potom v modlitebných radoch celé mimo poriadku, keď ich je tam tridsať alebo štyridsať za večer. Tak ak prorokujete nejakému jednotlivcovi... Ale tento človek prorokuje ku celému telu, vtedy nech sú dve alebo tri posolstvá, a potom nech sa to zastaví. Hoci Duch Svätý možno stále chce prehovoriť, ale počkajte chvíľu, dajte Slovu šancu, aby vyšlo. Vidíte? A tak potom by to hovorenie naozaj malo byť buď pred alebo po Slove, nič by nemalo prerušovať Slovo, ako ono vychádza. Avšak dostaneme toto do poriadku neskôr, keď tie duchy a dary začnú prichádzať do dokonalosti.
Hovoríme teraz o tej vážnosti letničnej cirkvi, mám na mysli skutočnej letničnej cirkvi. A sme radi, že Boh stále žije a panuje a hovorí ku nám.
138 Tak, ak je to tak, že napríklad, ak by tu nejaká sestra mala posolstvo v jazykoch alebo proroctvo, a nejaká pani vedľa nej by mala posolstvo v jazykoch alebo proroctvo, a potom tá ďalšia pani vedľa nej alebo niekto vzadu alebo niekde bude mať posolstvo alebo proroctvo alebo jazyky. Niet pochýb, že oni všetci hovoria takmer o tej istej veci, ak je to Božie naliehavé varovanie so snahou niečo predložiť, vyvolať nejakého jednotlivca v cirkvi, aby niečo urobil alebo čo on chce, aby bolo vykonané.
Tak potom napríklad, keď je zavolaný modlitebný rad, a brat Neville alebo ja alebo nejaký iný kazateľ ide dolu k tomuto jednotlivcovi, to nie je ku celému telu, to je ku tomuto jednotlivcovi. A Duch Boží prichádza na neho, aby niečo tomuto jednotlivcovi povedal, a potom mu povie, pretože on nehovorí ku celému zhromaždeniu. On hovorí k tomuto jednotlivcovi, nie ku celému zhromaždeniu, takže to je v poriadku.
140 149. V poriadku, drahý brat Branham, z času na čas mi Pán ukazuje rôzne veci v snoch. Ukázal mi nejaké veci ohľadne môjho syna v námornom letectve, o ktorých mi syn povedal, že boli tajné. Ukázal mi niečo o smrti rôznych ľudí a tajomstvá ľudských sŕdc. Je toto dar od Boha? Keď mi ukazuje v snoch srdcia a mysle ľudí, všetko sa vždy ukázalo, že bolo tak, ako mi to bolo ukázané vo sne.
Áno, môj brat alebo sestra, ktokoľvek si. Nech ťa Pán žehná. To je, podľa môjho názoru, Boží dar. Je to dar od Boha. Či neviete, že Biblia hovorí o snoch? Jozef, ako sníval sny a vykladal ich, a ako iní snívali sny. Tie veci sú od Boha. Tak, ak je to od Boha, to bude vždy pravdivé, to sa vždy stane presne tak, ako to On povedal.
141 A tak ne... Ak sa s tým začnete vychvaľovať, to vás opustí. Tak buďte len úctiví a milí. A keď vám On niečo ukazuje a je to niečo, čo by ste niekomu mali povedať, že urobili napríklad niečo nesprávne, tak potom neurobte to tak, že povstanete a karháte tú osobu, choďte za nimi a povedzte, „Sestra, brat, vieš, Pán mi v jednej noci povedal, že si robil niečo zlé, určitú vec.“
Ak tá osoba povie, „Mýliš sa. To je klamstvo. Ja som to neurobil.“
Tak potom tá vec, ktorú treba robiť, je vrátiť sa a povedať, „Nebeský Otče, mýlil som sa?“
Tak, ak tá osoba... Ak vám tá osoba hovorila pravdu, potom máte nesprávneho ducha. Ale ak tá osoba klamala a ona to urobila, Boh bude s tou osobou konať. Rozumiete? Tak veru. Pretože, čo on tam urobil? On sa rúhal proti Duchu Svätému a zapieral, že Duch Svätý chcel upútať jeho pozornosť. A tak to je zlá vec.
145 150. Brat Branham, ako môže byť v cirkvi tancovanie, vykrikovanie, hovorenie v jazykoch a nechanie Ducha... (Počkajte chvíľu)... Alebo byť unesený Duchom, keď je pri tom veľmi zriedka čítané niečo z Písma. Nerozumiem tomu.
Ani ja, „vykrikovanie, tancovanie, hovorenie v jazykoch a nie je ani čítané Písmo...“ Ja poviem toto, pamätajte, William Branham sa môže mýliť milión míľ. Verím, že väčšina ľudí... Dnes sa ma to opýtal jeden brat, niečo podobné, že keď sa idú modliť za chorých, nejaký brat sa možno pomodlí za jedného, a potom ich všetkých dovedie do toho, že budú spievať alebo tancovať v Duchu mysliac si, že to medzi ľudí prináša moc. Nie, ja... Čo sa mňa týka, verím, že to je nesprávne.
146 Verím, že osoba, ktorá prichádza do zhromaždenia s uzdravovaním, bude na tom tak, ako keď niekto prichádza kvôli spaseniu, prichádza úctivo a verí. Každá osoba, ktorá tam je, nie, že vykrikuje a tancuje, ale vidí, ako ich brat alebo sestra ide dopredu, aby prosila Boha o milosrdenstvo, vtedy skláňate svoju hlavu a začínate sa modliť, „Bože, pomôž môjmu bratovi, ako sa teraz bude pastor za neho modliť, pomaž ho. Nech na neho príde Duch Svätý a dá mu vieru veriť za jeho uzdravenie. Je to vzácny brat. Je to vzácna sestra.“ Modlite za neho namiesto spievania, kričania a tancovania.
Ale vidíme toho tak mnoho v našich letničných zhromaždeniach, je to ustavičné... Verím, že je to uctievanie, skutočne verím, že oni uctievajú Boha. Tak veru. Verím to z celého svojho srdca. A ja verím v hovorenie jazykoch, kričanie a tancovanie. A verím každý kúsok toho, áno. Verím všetkému, čo robia v Biblii, že je to tak isto dobré dnes, ako to bolo vtedy, ale verím, že to má svoj čas a svoj poriadok.
Tak keď je prítomné to veľké požehnanie a ľudia kričia a sláva Pánova je vylievaná a ľudia chcú vykrikovať a robiť, čokoľvek im Duch povie, a tak potom v poriadku, robte to. Správne. Ale keď nejaký človek prichádza, aby bol uzdravený, kde je to pre neho otázkou medzi životom a smrťou, verím, že vtedy by sme mali byť úctiví a hovoriť k Otcovi a hovoriť k Nemu ohľadne toho brata. Namiesto toho, aby sme ho vtedy uctievali, poprosme Ho, „Otče, ja som Tvoj ctiteľ. Milujem Ťa. Ty vieš, že Ťa milujem. Vyjadrujem Ti svoju lásku. Vyjadrujem Ti svoju vieru v Teba a tak pomôž môjmu bratovi, aby bol uzdravený, urobíš to, Otče?“ Verím, že týmto dosiahnete lepšie výsledky. Skutočne to tak verím. A majte v úcte Ducha Božieho.
149 Ó, to môže byť sto míľ mimo. Dúfam, že som ich zodpovedal... že som na to vrhol trochu svetla. Tak trochu teraz viem, čo je jednako vo vašich mysliach. A poviem vám niečo, o trochu neskôr chcem požiadať pastora, aby sem prišiel a pomohol mi, možno sa zídeme a zhromaždíme spolu všetkých ľudí, ktorí majú na sebe Ducha Božieho vo forme darov a trochu o tom budeme hovoriť. Možno vám budem môcť pomôcť vyšplhať sa po tom rebríku trochu vyššie a dostať sa s tým trochu bližšie ku Bohu a postaviť to do lepšieho poriadku v cirkvi. Pozoroval som to nejaký čas, zdá sa mi to ohromné. A milujem to vidieť, ako sa to hýbe vpred a vpred a vpred a stále dopredu.
Ako ideme hore, nedovoľte satanovi, aby sa tam vplazil. Chlapče, on je chytrák. Hmm. Jeho neprekabátiš, nesnaž sa to, pretože to nedokážeš. Len spoliehaj na Boha a len ďalej kráčaj pokorne. Boh to urobí a zistíš, že Boh ťa použije viac a viac a viac. Nech vás Pán žehná.
151 Máme ešte čas asi na dvadsať minút pre kázanie? Ďakujem vám, ďakujem. Hádam to bolo dosť na to, aby ma to naštartovalo, Ben. V poriadku.
Otvorme si na chvíľu Žalmy. Zdá sa, že Pán mi dal odtiaľto takú malú myšlienku, ktorú by som vám rád všetkým dnes večer vyjadril ako malú kázeň, ak môžte vydržať ešte pár minút. Viem, že je horúco, a tu hore je tiež horúco. Ale pamätajme, asi sa už viac nestretneme až do stredy večera. Tak len čakajme, a predtým, ako zaspievame tú starú dobrú pieseň, „Požehnané sú putá, ktoré nás zväzujú,“ hovorme o tom napísanom Slove. Tieto otázky nás tak trochu nechali v nepokoji. Poďme od toho teraz preč a hovorme zo Slova. Tak mohli by sme teraz na chvíľu skloniť svoje hlavy?
153 Nebeský Otče, cez tieto otázky som sa snažil zistiť, čo majú ľudia vo svojich srdciach, zistiť, či sa opýtajú ohľadne tohoto alebo tamtoho. Vidím, Pane, že oni túžia po duchovných daroch. A tí, ktorí majú duchovné dary, chcú vedieť, ako s nimi zaobchádzať. Pre niektorých to vrhá veľké svetlo na cirkev, iní sa nad tým zamýšľajú. Tak, Pane, pomôž nám. Pomôž nám, Pane. Sme Tvoje deti. Nerobíme tieto veci, aby sme uctili sami seba, robíme toto na česť Božiu skrze dar, ktorý nám Boh dal.
Modlíme sa, Otče, aby si požehnal tieto dary a prejavoval ich v cirkvi. A nech sa stane, že pútnici a cudzinci, ktorí prídu, a prejdú sem cez tie dvere a sadnú si na pár minút, nech Duch Boží je tak veľký na tomto mieste, až to dá poznať tajomstvo každého srdca, ktoré prejde cez dvere. Udeľ to, Pane. Nech je to v takej vľúdnosti a pokore, nie príkrom karhaní a trhaní. Vieme, že Duch Boží nie je taký.
Tak sa modlíme, aby si nás vo všetkom požehnal. Požehnaj náš zbor, požehnaj našich ľudí. Požehnaj ľudí iných zborov. A, Otče, vieme, že existuje len jeden zbor, cirkev a my sme všetci do toho narodení.
A modlím sa, Otče, aby si nás požehnal ďalej, ako prečítam tento krátky text, ktorý, zdá sa, že si mi dal, ako som tu bol dnes popoludní za stolom. A pomôž mi, Pane, nie, aby som držal ľudí príliš dlho, ale len prehovoriť a vyjadriť tu pár vecí. Modlím sa, aby si bol v tom. A daruj nám nejakú malú myšlienku, aby sme s ňou mohli ísť domov a ďakovať Pánovi za Jeho dobrotu. Prosíme v Ježišovom Mene. Amen.
157 Tak nezabudnite na ďalšiu nedeľu ráno, ak bude Pán chcieť. Teraz si otvorme Žalm 106, siedmy verš. Chcel som to čítať celé, kúsok, časť z tohoto Žalmu. Ale to je Dávid. Prečo to ku mne prišlo, to bolo kvôli tomu posolstvu dnes ráno. Položím si sem hodinky a budem sa snažiť zakončiť do deväť tridsať, ak to bude možné. Tak teraz siedmy verš Žalmu 106.
Naši otcovia neporozumeli tvojim divom v Egypte, nepamätali na množstvo tvojich milosrdenstiev, ale provokovali ho pri mori, áno, pri Červenom mori.
Prečítam ďalší verš.
Avšak On ich zachraňoval pre Svoje meno, aby dal poznať svoju veľkú moc.
Nech Pán pridá k tomu Svoje požehnania. Chcem ku vám hovoriť, ak bude Pán chcieť, na tému neporozumenia, Boh, ktorý je neporozumený. Vezmem to takto: „Neporozumený Boh.“
161 Viete, neporozumenia nás dostávajú do mnohých problémov. Mnohokrát ľudia povedia veci, ktoré zopakujú po niekom druhom, pričom ich zle porozumeli. To privádza tú osobu do ťažkostí. Verím, že by to bolo pre nás dobré, ak by sme len čakali, kým porozumieme, o čom hovoríme. Nemyslíte si? Viem, že pre mňa je to veľmi dobré, najprv to zistiť, a potom to povedať. Rozumiete? Ale zdá sa, že sme vždy neporozumení. A Dávid tu hovorí o Izraeli, ktorý neporozumel Jeho zázraky, keď boli v Egypte.
Tak, neporozumieť, to nie je len povedať, „No, ja som nepočul, čo povedal,“ ale to je vidieť niečo vykonané a neporozumieť, kvôli čomu to je, a to potom kompletne míňate ten cieľ.
163 Boh nekoná zázraky, len aby povedal, „Vidíte, Ja som Boh.“ Boh koná zázraky kvôli porozumeniu. Rozumiete? Boh to robí za určitým účelom. A či ste si všimli, keď sme čítali tu v Žalme ten siedmy verš? Myslím, že je to nádherné, chcem to znovu prečítať.
„Naši otcovia neporozumeli Tvojim divom v Egypte (Vidíte, oni to nerozumeli)... Nepamätali na množstvo Tvojich milosrdenstiev, ale provokovali ho pri mori, áno, pri Červenom mori. Avšak On ich zachraňoval pre Svoje Meno, aby dal poznať Svoju veľkú moc.“
Vidíte, oni nerozumeli, prečo Boh tam dolu v Egypte vykonal tieto zázraky. On sa im snažil ukázať Svoje milosrdenstvá. On sa im snažil dať porozumenie, že On je Bohom v ich strede. Milujem to.
165 V mojej malej kázni, ktorú som tu prednedávnom kázal tu hore v Chicagu, a potom myslím, že som to kázal aj tu, chlapci majú tú pásku na tému, „Ako orlica povzbudzuje svoje hniezdo,“ ako trepe krídlami nad svojimi maličkými. Ako tá stará matka orlica berie svojich malých potomkov... Pred tým, ako ich vezme na let, oni majú na sebe mnoho uvoľneného peria. Oni ju v skutočnosti nikdy nevideli v tom najlepšom, pretože oni boli celý čas učupené dolu v hniezde. Ale ona nad nimi rozprestrie svoje mocné krídla, nad tým hniezdom. Čo robí? Zakričí, ona chce, aby poznali jej hlas. Rozťahuje svoje veľké krídla.
Samica orla je niekedy najväčšia. Hovoria, že niekedy orly, mnohé samice majú krídla na šírku štyri metre od špičky krídla ku ďalšej špičke krídla, dokážu zodvihnúť malé teľa a odletieť s tým preč. Štyri metre od špičky k špičke na krídlach, to je asi tak ako na šírku tohoto pódia, od tohto stĺpu k tomuto.
167 Ona tam príde pre tých svojich maličkých, kvôli čomu? Ide ich vziať na let. Oni ešte nikdy neboli mimo toho hniezda. A ona ich ide vziať hore do nebies, a potom ich striasť a nechať ich potom, aby sami trepotali krídlami, aby sa naučili lietať. Tak, ona chce ukázať, akú má autoritu. Rozťahuje svoje veľké majestátne krídla s perami a vykríkne, a potom ich ovieva. Ó. Pierka len lietajú z hniezda, a všetko možné, a ona vytvára taký prúd vzduchu ako prúdové lietadlo. Ona toho maličkého prevráti, ľahne ho na chrbát, on sa pozrie hore a povie, „Mami, aká si veľká. Aká si len veľká.“
„Vidíš, aké silné sú moje krídla? Môžem ťa zodvihnúť a niesť, kdekoľvek len chcem. Som mocná.“
169 To je to, čo Boh robil Izraelu. Viete, On povedal, „Ako orlica povzbudzuje svoje hniezdo,“ to je to isté. On našiel Izrael v pustej zemi a vyviedol ho z Egypta a vzal ich do zasľúbenej zeme na krídlach orla. Rozumiete? A kvôli čomu Boh robil tieto zázraky? On sa snažil dostať do svojich ľudí, že On je ten mocný Jehova. A to je to, čo sa On snaží robiť dnes. On neuzdravuje ľudí len preto, že ich dokáže uzdraviť. On sa snaží do vás dostať, že On je vzkriesením, že On ťa môže uzdraviť, že On môže vzkriesiť tvoje telo. On môže robiť, čokoľvek chce, On je Jehova. Páči sa mi to.
Ale ľudia Ho neporozumeli. Boh je tak ľahko zle porozumený neveriacimi, tými, ktorí nechcú porozumieť. Mnoho ľudí sa snaží porozumieť. Mnohí nechcú rozumieť, oni sa chcú len uzatvoriť do seba a povedať, „Neexistuje nič také,“ a, „Neverím v také niečo.“ Potom nemôžu nikdy porozumieť.
172 Ale človek, ktorý je ochotný rozumieť, ktorý je ochotný sadnúť si („Poďte a pravoťme sa spolu,“ hovorí Pán), tak to je ten človek, ktorý je v línii, kde sa môže niečo od Pána naučiť. Ale ľudia, ktorí sú vždy spojení s Bohom a Božou mocou... Sotva môžete byť spriaznení s Bohom bez toho, že by ste boli spriaznení s Jeho mocou, pretože keď ste spriaznení s Ním, tak ste oboznámení s Ním, alebo ste s Ním v príbuzenstve, a potom máte v sebe Jeho moc.
To je ten dôvod, prečo ľudia dnes nedokážu veriť v zázraky, pretože nemajú v sebe nič, s čím by verili. Oni musia mať niečo v sebe, aby tým verili. A keď je Duch Boží v človeku, on povie, „Amen,“ na každé Slovo Božie a každý Boží zázrak. Ale tak, ako zvykla hovoriť moja matka, „Nemôžeš dostať krv z repy, pretože v nej žiadna nie je.“ A tak isto je to tu, nemôžete dostať vieru z neveriaceho, pretože tam nie je nič, s čím by on veril.
174 Jeden človek mi povedal, „Neverím v Božské uzdravenie, je mi jedno, čo povieš.“ Istotne to nie je pre neho, to je len pre tých, ktorí môžu veriť. Ak máš získať krv, tak ju získaj z niečoho, v čom tá krv je. Ak máš získať vieru, dostaň to z niečoho, čo má v sebe vieru.
A tak to je. Boh používa niečo, čo má v sebe vieru. On ťa neposiela sem na nejakú uzdravovaciu kampaň, keď nemáš dostatok viery, aby si tomu veril. Ako by ťa On poslal na prebudenecké zhromaždenie so zázrakmi, keď ty pri tom nemáš dostatok viery, aby si tomu veril? A On chce niečo, čo tam v sebe má niečo, z čoho On môže niečo vyprodukovať. A tak ľudia neporozumievajú.
176 Noe bol vo svojom dni veľmi neporozumený. Noe, ktorý bol s Bohom spriatelený, bol to sluha Boží a veriaci v Boha. A keď sa stávaš veriacim v Boha, tak robíš veci, ktoré sú tak protiklade s tým, čo si ľudia myslia, že je správne, až si oni myslia, že si blázon. A Noe, ktorý bol varovaný od Boha, pripravil archu pre spasenie svojej domácnosti. A ľudia si mysleli, že je blázon. On nebol blázon, on bol len zle porozumený, pretože on nasledoval príkazy Boha. Amen. To sa mi páči. On bol neporozumený.
„Ako by mohol človek...“ Hoci by ste povedali, „Nikdy z oblakov neprišiel žiaden dážď. Čo je to dážď?“ Nikdy predtým nepršalo, Boh zavlažoval zem. „Noe, kde je ten dážď?“
„Ja neviem.“
„Ukáž mi, kde je.“
„Nedokážem ti ukázať, kde je.“
„No, tak potom, ako vieš, že to príde sem dolu tam z hora, keď tam hore nie je nikto, kto by tu dole prišiel.“ Noe mohol povedať niečo takéto, „Boh mi povedal, že to príde. A keď Boh povedal, že to príde dolu, On je schopný to tam hore vyviesť, a potom to zoslať dolu,“ a tak tým je to vybavené. Ak tak Boh povedal, to je všetko, na čom záleží. Rozumiete? On bol neporozumený, pretože on nasledoval Boha.
180 Eliáš... mohol by som zostať na tejto téme dlhý čas, ale mám tu ešte niekoľko príkladov, ku ktorým by som chcel rýchlo prísť. Eliáš bol svojím národom neporozumený. Eliáš bol Izraelitom, bol Židom a bol neporozumený, pretože stále odsudzoval svoj národ, odsudzoval kráľa, odsudzoval kráľovnú, odsudzoval všetko, čo bolo okolo neho, a on ich odsudzoval. On sa zdal byť šialencom. Ó, ale všetko prišlo cez, „Tak hovorí Pán. Boh ťa potresce, teba, Jezábeľ, teba, toho a toho.“ On bol neporozumený. Prečo? On nasledoval Boha. To nebol Eliáš, ktorého oni neporozumeli, to bolo pôsobenie Ducha Svätého v Eliášovi, ktoré oni neporozumeli.
182 Ako by mohol nejaký človek povstať proti svojmu vlastnému národu? Rúhal sa svojmu vlastnému národu, naprával ho a položil na neho Božiu kliatbu, práve na ten národ, na tých ľudí, s ktorými žil. Jeho vlastná rasa, jeho vlastná farba, jeho vlastné vyznanie, jeho vlastný druh, a jednako predpovedal Božie súdy a zavolal na nich hlad. On bol neporozumený, pretože to nebol Eliáš, to bol Boh v Eliášovi, ktorého oni neporozumeli. To nebol Eliáš neporozumený, to bol Boh, ktorý viedol Eliáša, a oni neporozumeli, že Boh je Svätý Boh a že On nemôže tolerovať hriech.
A nezáleží na tom, či je to tvoj brat, sestra, matka alebo ktokoľvek to je, v Božích očiach je to hriech a na nich príde za to súd. Neporozumený...
184 Daniel bol neporozumený, keď sa všetky ostatné deti Izraela skláňali tomu obrazu, ale on a Sadrach a Mézach a Abednégo sa odmietli skloniť. Tak oni povedali, „Čo sa s ním deje?“ Celý národ povedal, „Čo sa deje s týmto bláznom? Veď všetci ostatní Hebreji rozpoznali nášho Boha, rozpoznali to, klaňajú sa mu, keď hrajú na trúby a trúbia na trúby a hrajú na harfy, a tak ďalej, a na flautu. Oni sa všetci skláňajú, ale čo sa to deje s týmto šialencom, čo sa to s ním deje, či on to neurobí?“ Pretože on bol v kontakte s Bohom. To je to, čo sa deje. On bol neporozumený. On bol považovaný za „blázna alebo stratil rozum. No, to bola banda hlupákov.“ Ale oni len nasledovali vedenie Ducha. To je ten dôvod, prečo boli neporozumení.
185 Všetci proroci v Starej Zmluve, ako oni povstali a prorokovali proti svojmu národu, ako prorokovali proti ľuďom, ako prorokovali proti tej veci, umiestnili na nich kliatby a robili takéto veci. Oni neporozumeli. Prečo? Oni boli Boží služobníci, oni konali vôľu Božiu. Oni konali službu Božiu, a preto boli neporozumení.
A ktokoľvek nasleduje Boha, je neporozumený. Ježiš, náš Pán, keď sa narodil, bol neporozumený.
Mudrci, oni boli neporozumení. Oni nasledovali nadprirodzené znamenie, aby našli Kráľa, ktorý sa narodil ako Kráľ Židov. Oni vedeli, že povstane hviezda z Jakoba podľa proroctiev Daniela. A oni vedeli, že tento Kráľ bude Spasiteľom, že On bude Kráľom Izraela. A oni išli dva roky celú cestu z Indie až dolu ku rieke Tigris a cez púšte a cez pohoria všade a jedného dňa prišli do miesta Jeruzalem pri západe slnka a kričali, „Kde je On, ten narodený Kráľ Židov? Kde je?“
188 A nikto o tom nič nevedel. Bolo zvláštne, že sa narodil Kráľ Židov a ľudia, ktorí boli vzdialení stovky míľ, o tom vedeli, a rovno tu v tom meste, kde sa On narodil, a miesto, kde sa narodil, medzi ľuďmi, kde sa narodil, a oni o tom nič nevedeli. Oni tých mudrcov neporozumeli. Povedali, „Neexistuje nič také, ako kráľ Židov. My tu máme kráľa, Heroda.“
On bol neporozumený pri svojom narodení, keď sa narodil. A Mária bola už matkou predtým, ako sa zosobášila s Jozefom. Neporozumený... Oni si mysleli, že On sa narodil pomimo svätého manželského zväzku, a oni nevedeli, že to bol Duch Svätý, ktorý dal počatie tomuto dieťaťu v nej. Ale bolo to neporozumené. Bol to skutok Boží a ľudia to neporozumeli. Oni to stále neporozumievajú, ten skutok Boží je obyčajne neporozumený.
191 Jedine skrze duchovných veriacich ľudí, ľudí, ktorí veria v Duchu... Ale to bolo neporozumené, tí Mudrci boli neporozumení. Herodes to neporozumel. Keď Herodes povedal, „No, povedzte mi, kde to dieťa je, a ja Ho tiež prídem uctievať,“ on bol pokrytcom, on klamal. To, čoho sa on bál... On nepoznal Písma, že má prísť Mesiáš, Kráľ nebies. A Herodes si myslel, že to bude zemský kráľ. A on ho chcel zabiť a zbaviť sa Ho.
To nebol zemský kráľ. On povedal, že táto zem nie je Jeho kráľovstvom, „Ak by toto bolo Mojím kráľovstvom, Moji poddaní by za Mňa bojovali, ale Moje kráľovstvo je zhora,“ Herodes to neporozumel, on si myslel, že to bol zemský kráľ.
194 A to je to, ako je to dnes, „Do akej cirkvi patríš, ak si kresťanom? Do akej denominácie?“
„Do žiadnej.“
Oni to nerozumejú. Vidíte, oni to nedokážu porozumieť. Oni si myslia, že denominácia znamená, že si kresťan. Je to práve naopak, je to presne naopak. Ale je to ľuďmi neporozumené.
Tak zisťujeme, že Herodes to neporozumel, nemohol tomu porozumieť.
Nikodém, nedokázal to porozumieť, to nové narodenie, keď prišiel v noci k Ježišovi. Niekto ho odsudzoval. Ja ho neodsudzujem. On bol dobrý človek, on chcel niečo zistiť. Bol cez deň príliš zaneprázdnený, možno bol v kancelárii kňaza, alebo niečo podobné a musel prísť v noci. Každopádne tam prišiel a urobil omnoho lepšie, ako robí mnoho ľudí dnes. Oni neprídu ani cez deň ani v noci. Ale on nakoniec prišiel, a ty si ho už predtým odsúdil, však? Nakoniec sa ku Ježišovi dostal, tak ho neodsudzujme, ak sme tam neboli. Ak by si sa tam dostal, nemyslím, že by si ho odsudzoval. Nie, tak on sa tam dostal. On prišiel večer, možno bol príliš zaneprázdnený. Každopádne prišiel. Možno Ježiš bol príliš zaneprázdnený, niekde modlitbami za chorých, a podobne, a jediný čas, kedy Ho mohol zastihnúť kvôli tomuto osobného rozhovoru, bol v nočnom čase. Ale nakoniec sa tam dostal a zostal tam, až kým nemal osobný rozhovor s Ježišom. A keď Ježiš povedal...
On povedal, „Rabbi, my vieme, že si ty človekom poslaný od Boha, lebo nikto by nemohol robiť tieto veci, jedine, že by s ním bol Boh.“
Ježiš povedal, „Ak sa človek nenarodí znova, nemôže vstúpiť do kráľovstva, dokonca nemôže ani uvidieť to kráľovstvo.“
A ten veľký rabbi, učiteľ v Izraelovi povedal, „Ja, starý muž, aby som vošiel do lona svojej matky a bol znovu narodený?“ Vidíte, on neporozumel, o čom Ježiš hovorí, on to jednoducho nerozumel. Pretože Ježiš hovoril o duchovnom narodení, a on sa to snažil aplikovať na prirodzené narodenie. On im bol neporozumený, on to nechápal. On len... To, ako to ľudia robia... Práve ako Nikodém, mnohí z nás neporozumievajú veci Božie, pretože my to len vezmeme a aplikujeme to na prirodzenú vec.
200 Ako napríklad lekár povie, „Ó, ja neverím v Božské uzdravenie, ja neverím, že niečo také existuje.“
Počul som, ako raz povedal jeden lekár jednej žene v kancelárii, povedal... A ona nevedela... On chcel vedieť, čo sa stalo s tým výrastkom, ktorý mala. Ona povedala, „Brat Branham sa za mňa pomodlil a Pán ma uzdravil.“
On povedal, „Ja tomu neverím.“ On povedal, „Nikdy, nikdy by som nemohol veriť niečo takéto.“ Povedal, „Povedzte mi, kto vám to dal preč.“
Ona povedala, „Nájdite tú jazvu.“
On povedal, „Čo ste si na to dala?“
Povedala, „Nič, vôbec nič.“ Povedala, „On ma len vyvolal na zhromaždení a tá vec odišla.“ A ja som sedel rovno vo vedľajšej miestnosti (Veru tak), sedel som rovno tam a počúval. Ona nevedela, že ja som tam. A on nevedel, že ja som tam, pretože on ma ani nepoznal. A tak ja som tam sedel. A on povedal... Zavolal niekoho ďalšieho do tej ordinácie. Bolo to presne tak. A ja som mohol počuť, čo on hovorí, mal som tam pacienta, a keď som vyšiel von, zistil som, že on tomu neverí.
Tak on povedal, „Neverím ani jednému slovu z toho.“ Povedal, „Nikdy som nič také nevidel, čo by mohlo niečo takéto urobiť. Jednoducho tomu neverím.“ Povedal, „Musím to najprv vidieť predtým, ako tomu budem veriť.“
Ona povedala, „No dobre, a čo môj výrastok?“
On povedal, „Musel by som to vidieť, ako to odchádza predtým, ako tomu uverím.“
206 Vidíte, vidieť nie je veriť. „Viera je podstata vecí, ktoré nevidíme.“ Vidíte, vy to najprv veríte, a potom sa to deje. A tak ten človek nebol veriaci, tak pre neho to bolo celé tajomstvom. On ani nevedel, o čom hovorí, pretože on to nedokázal porozumieť a pre neho to bola hádanka.
Ľudia dnes povedia, „Ó, ja neverím v Božské uzdravenie. Neverím v Ducha Svätého. Neverím v hovorenie v jazykoch. Neverím vo vykrikovanie. Neverím vo všetky tieto veci ako to. Neverím v to.“ Prečo? Je to tajomstvo. Vy to jednoducho neporozumievate. To je Boh. Tu to je v Biblii. Tu to prináša tie isté výsledky, o ktorých Biblia hovorila, že to prinesie, tak potom to musí byť Boh. Vy to len neporozumievate, to je všetko. Boh je neporozumený.
208 Jeho učeníci nedokázali porozumieť Jeho zázrak toho večera, keď vstúpil do lode a povedali, „Čo je toto za človeka, že dokonca aj vetry a vlny ho poslúchajú?“ Oni neporozumievali, že On nebol človekom, On bol Bohom.
To je to, čo sa dnes deje s ľuďmi. Oni z Neho chcú urobiť nejakého malého maskota alebo niečo alebo niekoho takého, kto nosí bejzbalovú pálku. Oni z Neho chcú urobiť len takého chlapca, ktorý je okolo tábora.
On nebol nejakým malým chlapcom okolo tábora. On bol Jehova Boh. Oni Ho neporozumeli. Oni očakávali, že On bude jedným z nich. On nebol jedným z nich, On bol Bohom medzi nimi. On bol viac ako človek. Ako som často povedal, On bol človekom, keď bol hladný, ale On bol Bohom, keď nasýtil päť tisíc s kúskom chleba, s dvomi kúskami chleba, nejakými kúskami rýb. On bol človekom, keď bol unavený dolu v lodi, ale On bol Bohom, keď spôsobil, že vetry a vlny ustali, a On spôsobil, že ho poslúchli. „Čo za človeka je toto?“ To nebolo niečo za človeka, to bol Boh prejavený v človeku. Oni Ho neporozumeli. Oni si o Ňom mysleli, že je človek, syn Márie, tesár, ale On bol Bohom prejaveným v tele. Amen.
211 Tí rímski vojaci Ho neporozumeli, keď Ho postavili na tom súdnom nádvorí a dali Mu okolo očí handru a udierali Ho po hlave a hovorili, „Tak, ak si prorokom... Všetci hovoria, že Ty si prorok. Povedz nám, kto Ťa udrel po hlave.“
Vidíte, oni neporozumeli, že Ježiš povedal, „Ja činím len to, čo Mi Otec ukazuje, aby som činil. Činím to, čo Mi Otec ukazuje, a potom činím to, čo Mi hovorí, aby som urobil.“ Oni to neporozumeli.
213 Oni neporozumeli Jeho službu. Židia Ho neporozumeli: Ako On príde ako ich priateľ a Spasiteľ a oni Ho chceli urobiť niečím zlým. Oni neporozumeli Jeho službe. On povedal, „Kráľovná juhu povstane na súde s touto generáciou a odsúdi ju, pretože ona prišla z ďalekých končím zeme, aby počula múdrosť Šalamúnovu. A tu je väčší ako Šalamún.“ Ale oni neporozumeli, že On bol väčším ako Šalamún. Oni si mysleli, že On je len človek.
Mnohí z nich si mysleli, že sa narodil z nemanželského zväzku, že prišiel zo zlej rodiny, ktorá mala takéto žiadosti, a tak ďalej, a že bol bastardským dieťaťom. Ó, čo sme mali práve otázku, že oni dokonca nemohli ani... Tak oni povedali, „No, my vieme, že Ty si sa narodil mimo manželského zväzku. Máš na sebe diabla. A Ty sa nás snažíš učiť? My sme rabíni.“
On povedal, „Vy ste zo svojho otca diabla,“ vidíte, oni neporozumeli.
215 Keď sa raz vrátili tí rímski vojaci, aby Ho počúvali, povedali, „Nikdy takto nehovoril človek. Nikdy sme nepočuli žiadneho človeka takto hovoriť.“
To nebol človek, ktorý hovoril, to bol Boh. Tak veru. Človek tak nehovoril. Človek hovorí a vypovie Písma, ale Ježiš robí Písma živými. Človek nežije takto, „Písmo hovorí toto tu a tu to je.“ Človek môže povedať, že Písmo to hovorí, ale to je asi všetko, čo dokáže. Ale Ježiš mohol povedať, „Ja a Otec sme jedno, môj Otec prebýva vo Mne. Ten, kto videl Mňa, videl Otca.“ Nikto iný to nedokázal povedať. Amen. Haleluja. To je pravda. „Ten, kto videl Mňa, videl Otca.“ Nikto iný to nemohol povedať.
Niet divu, že tí vojaci povedali, „Nikdy takto človek nehovoril.“ On nehovorí ako nejaký zákonník alebo kazateľ, On hovorí s autoritou. A dokonca i diabli Ho poslúchajú a vetry a vlny ho poslúchli. Oni si mysleli, že On bol človekom, ale On bol Bohom. Vidíte, On bol neporozumený.
218 Povedali, „No, ty si sa narodil ako bastard. Ty si sa narodil mimo manželského zväzku a Ty sa nás snažíš učiť? Tak my vieme, že si šialený a máš diabla. Si Samaritán, bol si tam a tam si nabral na seba diablov. Ty sa snažíš učiť nás? Nás, svätých rabínov?“
On povedal, „Vy ste zo svojho otca diabla.“
Áno, Oni Ho neporozumeli, oni nevedeli, kým On je. To je to, čo sa deje dnes, ľudia sa Ho snažia urobiť niečím, čím On nie je. On nie je len človek, On je Boh v človeku: Nie tretia osoba, On je tá jediná osoba. Tak veru. Iste, oni Ho neporozumeli.
220 Farizej, ten farizej, ktorý Ho pozval dolu v čase večere na veľký banket, on Ho neporozumel. On si myslel, že on Ho tam len bude mať. Prednedávnom som na to kázal posolstvo, tu na raňajkách, myslím v Chicagu, na raňajkách. Ten farizej povedal, „Tak pozrite na Neho, ako tam sedí, sedí tam a nemá umyté nohy a to všetko. A tá žena tam prišla a umyla Ho slzami a utrela svojimi vlasmi.“ On povedal, „Ak by On bol prorokom, vedel by, čo je to za ženu, ktorá umýva Jeho nohy. To ukazuje, že On nie je prorokom.“
Ježiš sa postavil a povedal, „Šimon, mám ti niečo povedať.“ Amen. On to neporozumel, to je všetko. On povedal, „Ja... Ty si ma pozval, aby som prišiel a ja som zanechal svoj plný program, aby som prišiel na tvoje pozvanie. A keď... Vôbec si ma pri dverách nestretol. Neumyl si mi nohy. Nepomazal si mi hlavu. Nepobozkal si ma na privítanie. Nechal si ma len vôjsť špinavého a zapáchajúceho, plný potu, a nechal si ma tam sedieť v rohu, aby ste si zo Mňa robili žarty. Ale táto žena, táto žena ustavične bozká Moje nohy. A umyla ich svojimi slzami pokánia (Čo za nádherná voda) a utrela ich vlasmi. Niečo mám proti tebe, Šimon. Amen ti hovorím, že jej hriechy, ktoré sú mnohé, sú jej všetky odpustené.“ Amen. Šimon neporozumel, ona porozumela.
Šimon povedal, „On je len človek.“
Ona povedala, „On je Boh, môj Spasiteľ.“ On bol neporozumený. On je stále neporozumený.
222 Učeníci na Golgote, oni Ho neporozumeli, keď Ho všetci zapreli a odišli preč. Ako mohli vidieť človeka, človeka, ktorého poznali, ako Toho, ktorý vykonal zázraky a kriesil mŕtvych, a teraz sa Sám poddal smrti a vykročil tam zbitý a plačúci a pľuvance Mu stekali po tvári a krv sa s tým zmiešala, kde Mu vytrhali za hrste z brady, trhali Mu to z tváre, šľahali Jeho chrbát, až sa cez to zaleskli Jeho kosti, a kopali Ho, a bili Ho a opití vojaci Ho preklínali a bili tam na ulici a učeníci tam len stáli a nechali ich to robiť?“ Oni to neporozumeli, tak stáli zďaleka. To je pravda.
Diabol Ho neporozumel. Diabol povedal, „Istotne to nemôže byť Syn Boží, ktorý by tu takto stál a nechal, aby s Ním bolo takto zle zaobchádzané, a oni ho preklínajú a moji učeníci tam dolu s Ním takto zaobchádzajú a On to len necháva. On nie je Synom Božím.“
224 Tak isto farizeji, kňazi Ho neporozumeli, povedali, „Ak si Synom Božím, zostúp odtiaľ.“
Ten zlodej po Jeho ľavej ruke Ho neporozumel, „Ak si Ty Syn Boží, osloboď nás od tohoto kríža, zachráň Seba a nás tiež.“
Ale ten zlodej po Jeho pravej strane Ho porozumel, povedal, „My sme vykonali zlé a my si zaslúžime to, čo sa nám dostáva, ale tento Človek neurobil nič. Pane, pamätaj na mňa, keď prídeš do Svojho Kráľovstva.“
Sledujte, ako mu ten hlas odpovedal, „Dnes budeš so mnou v raji.“ On porozumel, že to bol Boh, ktorý zomieral za naše hriechy. Ten jediný spôsob, ako mohol zomrieť, by bolo byť vydaným na smrť v tele. On by nemohol byť vydaný na smrť v duchu, pretože On je večným Duchom. A On musel byť v tele, aby bol vydaný na smrť, tak oni to neporozumeli. On to porozumel.
228 Jedného dňa asi o desať dní potom, alebo štyridsať dní potom, bolo to päťdesiat, učeníci prišli hore do vrchnej dvorany a zostávali tam desať dní a nocí, kým neprišiel ten päťdesiaty deň. Potom zrazu prišiel zvuk z neba ako nesúci sa mocný vietor. Pretože Ježiš im povedal, „Hľa posielam na vás zasľúbenie svojho Otca, ale čakajte v meste Jeruzaleme, kým nebudete odiati do moci z výsosti.“ Oni vedeli, že to príde. Tak oni vedeli, že sa to musí stať. „Choďte tam hore a čakajte, kým to nepošlem.“ Oni tam hore čakali. Oni vyznávali a dostávali všetko preč zo svojich myslí a sŕdc. Oni tam čakali, boli všetci v zhode na jednom mieste, očakávali na zasľúbenie, chodili hore a dolu, mužovia a ženy, a chodili tam v tejto vrchnej dvorane, všetky dvere boli pred Židmi zatarasené, aby sa tam nedostali a neublížili im.
229 A tu zrazu, ako tam hore chodili, prišiel zvuk z neba ako nesúci sa mocný vietor, zakrúžil tam a potom na nich začali sadať jazyky ohňa. Dvere sa rozleteli, okná sa otvorili a oni vyrazili do ulíc a boli neporozumení! Neporozumení až natoľko, že ľudia povedali, „Či nie sú títo plní nového vína? Títo ľudia sú opití, pretože ich počujeme niečo bľabotať a my nevieme, o čom oni hovoria.“ Zrazu oni povedali, „Ako to, že ich počujeme každý jeden vo vlastnom jazyku, či nie sú títo Galileania?“ Oni neporozumeli, že to bolo zasľúbenie Otca.
Potom tam mal Boh proroka, ktorý sa mohol postaviť a povedať, Peter povedal, „Vy, mužovia Jeruzalema, a vy, ktorí bývate v Júdei, neporozumejte toto zle. Toto je to, čo bolo hovorené skrze proroka Joela, „A stane sa v posledných dňoch,“ hovorí Boh, „že vylejem Svojho Ducha na každé telo. A na moje služobnice a na mojich služobníkoch vylejem Svojho Ducha a budú prorokovať. Ukážem divy na nebesiach hore a na zemi dole a oheň a paru a stĺpy ohňa. Stane sa predtým, ako príde ten veľký a hrozný deň Pánov, že ktokoľvek bude vzývať Meno Pánovo bude spasený.“ To bolo dielo Božie. To bol Duch Svätý, ale oni to neporozumeli.
233 On bol neporozumený. On bol vždy neporozumený. Izrael Ho neporozumel. Ľudia v čase Noeho Ho neporozumeli. Ľudia v čase Daniela Ho neporozumeli. Ľudia v Jánovom čase Ho neporozumeli. Ľudia v čase proroka Ho neporozumeli. Ľudia v letničnom veku Ho neporozumeli. Ľudia v tomto veku Ho nerozumejú, to je stále to isté. Oni to nechápu, pretože On je zle porozumený. Je čas porovnať to prirodzené s tým duchovným.
Keď ľudia teraz... Po dní Letníc, keď boli všetci naplnení Svätým Duchom a mali tam toto veľké zhromaždenie, zavolali dolu človeka, ktorý bol chromý od lona svojej matky, dvaja z nich tam prechádzali ulicou a tento žobrák potriasol plechovkou a prosil o nejaké peniaze. A on povedal, „Striebra ani zlata nemám, ale to, čo mám, ti dávam.“ Povedal, „V Mene Ježiša Krista z Nazaretu vstaň a choď.“ A vzal toho človeka za ruku a pozdvihol ho a jeho nohy a kĺby okamžite obdržali silu. Začal chodiť, skákať a behať, vyskakovať, chváliť Boha a vošiel do chrámu. A všetci ľudia sa začali schádzať, kričať a vystrájať. Tak to bolo neobvyklé.
236 A vsadili ich do väzenia a pohrozili im, že, „Nemajú už viac kázať v Mene Ježišovom.“
A Peter povedal, „Koho máme počúvať, Boha alebo ľudí?“ A oni ich prepustili a mysleli si, že, pretože ich trochu zbičovali a pohrozili im, že ich na druhýkrát zavesia alebo upália alebo zavesia na kríž alebo niečo, že ich týmto zastavia. Ale kde ich našli na ďalšíkrát, oni boli znovu na ulici. Prečo? Oni neporozumeli. To neboli tí ľudia, to bol Boh v tých ľuďoch, ktorý konal tieto veci.
239 Keď chytili malého Štefana a v to ráno ho postavili pred súd v Sanhedrine, „Vezmeme ho pred tento súd. Keď všetci títo rabíni a Židia a veľkňazi a svätí otcovia a všetci z nich tam budú zhromaždení, títo doktori teológie, to ho celkom vystraší.“ Tak Ho tam priviedli v reťaziach, postavili Ho tam, no, ten chlapík tam bol ako baránok medzi svorkou dravých vlkov. Oni povedali, „Sledujte Ho, ako to teraz odvolá a povie, „Všetko to beriem späť, bratia, neobťažujte ma už.“' On povedal, „Vy tvrdošijní a neobrezaného srdca a uší. Prečo odporujte Svätému Duchu? Ako to robili vaši otcovia, tak robíte aj vy.“ Amen.
Oni zistili, že to nebol on. Zodvihli hrudy a zapchali si uši, začali na neho škrípať zubami a ukameňovali ho na smrť. A keď zodvihol svoju hlavu k nebu, oni ho udierali z jednej strany na druhú a on povedal, „Vidím nebesia otvorené a Ježiša stáť po pravici Boha.“ Amen. A on zaspal v náručí Pána Ježiša. Keď zomieral, povedal, „Otče, nepočítaj im tohto hriechu.“
Vidíte, oni neporozumeli, čo urobil. Pavol, ktorý tam stál a díval sa na to, neskôr sa to dotýkalo jeho nervov a povedal, „Ja som tým najmenším z nich, pretože som niesol svedectvo Štefanovej smrti, Tvojho svätého. Amen. To je to.
243 Vidíte, ľudia neporozumeli toto nadšenie. Ľudia to nerozumejú dnes. Oni neporozumeli moc Svätého Ducha. Oni to nazývajú banda náboženských fanatikov. Oni to nazývajú banda ľudí, ktorí nemajú zdravý rozum. Oni to neporozumievajú, že vy ste museli stratiť svoju – to, čo nazývate zdravý rozum... Pretože vy v sebe máte myseľ Kristovu. Vy nemôžete mať v tom istom čase myseľ sveta a myseľ Kristovu, lebo jedna je telesná a tá druhá je duchovná. „Ten, ktorý chodí podľa tela, je telesný, ale ten, ktorý chodí podľa Ducha, je duchovný.“ Amen. Tak ja strácam samého seba a nachádzam to, Pane, v Tebe. Tak veru.
Tak Boh je zle porozumený. To nie je, že oni teba neporozumeli, to je Svätý Duch, ktorý ťa robí takým, že oni to neporozumievajú. Amen. Oni nehovoria proti tebe, oni hovoria proti Nemu. Ľudia sú neporozumení.
Potom ich nechali ísť, ale oni sa znovu vrátili na ulicu a začali znova. To isté je dnes, oni tých ľudí nerozumejú. Oni nevedia, čo to je.
245 Ja som dnes vo svojej službe, v ktorej ma On poslal ku ľuďom, neporozumený. Oni nerozumejú. Každý z nich hovorí, „My veríme, že brat Branham...“ Hovoril som pred chvíľou s jedným kazateľom a on povedal, „Brat Branham, my všetci vieme, že si bol poslaný do cirkvi, ale ide o to, ako to, že krstíš na Ježišovo Meno?“ Oni nerozumejú Písma. Nerozumejú tomu. To je to, kvôli čomu ma On poslal, to je môj účel, pre ktorý som tu. „Prečo učíš semeno hada a také veci, ktoré sú v protiklade k tomu, čo my učíme.“ Nuž, brat, to je to, prečo som tu. Oni to neporozumievajú. Amen. Ale Boh nesie svedectvo skrze Svoje Slovo a znamenia Ducha Svätého v... Nezáleží na tom, koľko to oni zle zrozumievajú, Boh potvrdzuje Slovo. Amen.
Boh bol vždy neporozumený. A tí, ktorí žijú s Bohom, sú neporozumení s Bohom, pretože to je Boh pôsobiaci v nich. Amen. Veríte tomu?
Milujem Ho, milujem Ho,
lebo On prv miloval mňa. (Milujete Ho?)
Zodvihnite svoje ruky a chváľte Ho.“
…A vykúpil mi spasenie na Golgote.
247 Ste radi, že ste neporozumení? Zvykli sme spievať jednu malú pieseň, kde sa hovorí, „Teraz som označený, označený, označený, označený Božským Duchom.“ To je pravda. Ľudia, ktorí ma raz milovali, sa teraz ku mne otočili chrbtom, pretože som označený, označený Duchom. Amen. Stratil som svoju myseľ veciam tohoto sveta, aby som prijal myseľ Kristovu. Preto, ak mám myseľ Kristovu, moja myseľ hľadá tie veci, ktoré sú hore. Bol by som rád, keby mi niekto ukázal nejaký iný správny krst pomimo na Meno Ježiša Krista. Bol by som rád, ak by mi niekto ukázal miesto Písma, ktoré hovorí, že had nemal semeno. Bol by som rád, keby mi niekto ukázal miesto Písma, ktoré hovorí, že existujú traja bohovia. Potom hovoria, „Dobre, a čo je to?“
249 Boh posiela Svoje posolstvo a nesie o ňom svedectvo. On potvrdzuje Svoje Slovo so znameniami, ktoré Ho nasledujú. To je to, čo hovorí Biblia. Nemôžu to poprieť, je to fakt. Ale čo urobili? Oni to nerozumejú, pretože ja som neprišiel v mene Zborov Božích, Jednotárov, Trojičiarov alebo Cirkvi Božej alebo Baptistov, Metodistov, Presbyteriánov, Luteránov. Neprišiel som v žiadnom z tých mien, prichádzam v Mene Ježiša Krista. A Boh skrze Svoju milosť potvrdzuje to posolstvo mocou vzkriesenia Ježiša Krista. Tak to je stále Duch Boží, ktorého ľudia zle porozumievajú. To je pravda. Neporozumievajú to.
Isteže ste neporozumení, všetci, ktorí žijú zbožne v Kristu Ježišovi, sú neporozumení. Po celý čas od Noeho až po dnešok, kedy je ten svätý tohto súčasného dňa neporozumený, ako aj vždy bol. Ľudia to neporozumievajú.
Izrael to neporozumel. Oni to nerozumejú, nedokážu to, pretože sú v duchu telesní a nie... To sa nezlúči s tým duchovným, pretože to sa nemôže zmiešať.
252 Ale som rád, že my žijeme v Kráľovstve, ktoré nie je učinené rukami ľudí. Som rád, že ideme do Kráľovstva, s ktorým človek nemá nič spoločné. Som rád, že naše Kráľovstvo je hore. A ak je naše Kráľovstvo hore, sme narodení zhora, potom hľadáme veci, ktoré sú hore, kde je Kristus posadený po pravici Božej. Ó, a On sa za nás nehanbí, ani za naše svedectvo. My sa nehanbíme za Neho na tejto zemi, pretože sme pútnikmi a cudzincami. My nie sme z tejto zeme, sme narodení z Ducha Božieho. Sedíme spolu v ponebeských miestach v Kristu Ježišovi, umytí v Jeho Krvi, narodení z Jeho Ducha, naplnení Jeho milosťou. To je to: Neporozumení. Ale čo sa o to staráme? My Ho milujeme. Či Ho milujete?
253 V poriadku, Teddy, daj nám tón na pieseň, „Milujem Ho,“ a zaspievajme to na plné hrdlo.
Milujem Ho, milujem Ho,
Pretože On prv miloval mňa
A vykúpil mi spasenie
na Golgote.
Nie je On nádherný? Nemilujete Ho? Či nie ste radi, že ste zvláštnym kráľovským kňažstvom, vybraným ľudom, zvláštnym ľudom, obetujúci duchovné obete, ovocie našich rtov, dávajúcich Jemu chválu? Zaspievam vám teraz jednu pieseň, cítim sa, že by som spieval.
Nachádzam mnoho ľudí, ktorí nerozumejú,
Prečo som tak šťastný a slobodný.
Bol som naplnený Duchom, niet v tom pochýb,
A to je to, ako je to so mnou.
A to je to, ako je to so mnou.
A to je to, ako je to so mnou.
Bol som naplnený Duchom, niet v tom pochýb,
a to je to, ako je to so mnou.
Páči sa vám to? Zaspievame to potom.
Nachádzam mnoho ľudí, ktorí nerozumejú,
Prečo sme tak šťastní a slobodní.
Sme naplnení Duchom, niet v tom pochýb,
a práve to stalo sa mi.
A práve to stalo sa mi (Chvála Bohu).
Ó, to je to, čo stalo sa mi
Bol som naplnený Duchom, niet v tom pochýb,
a práve to stalo sa mi.
Ó, keď som tak šťastný, spievam a kričím.
Niektorí tomu nerozumejú, ako vidím,
ale prešiel som Jordánom do nádhernej zeme Kanaán.
A práve to stalo sa mi. A práve to stalo sa mi (Chvála Bohu)
A práve to stalo sa mi.
Prešiel som Jordánom do krásnej zeme Kanaán,
a práve to stalo sa mi.
257 Ó, ja to milujem, vy nie? Prejsť Jordánom do nádhernej zeme Kanaán. Zamával som svetu na rozlúčku, som pozdvihnutý ponad veci sveta a teraz žijem v tejto nebeskej atmosfére. Samozrejme, že pre tie kane tam dolu sa správam smiešne. Veru tak, ja lietam ponad to. To je pravda, či sa staráme, my žijeme v zemi Kanaán (Amen, veru tak) a jeme to nové hrozno, máme ohromný čas plný slávy, plný moci, plný Ducha Svätého. Veru tak.
Bolo povedané, že Štefan bol plný. Plný čoho? Plný čoho? On bol plný Svätého Ducha, on bol plný moci, bol plný múdrosti, bol plný sily. Čo ho takto vybudovalo? On bol plný Svätého Ducha. To je to, kde všetky tieto veci prebývajú. To je to, kde je cirkev živého Boha. Ste z toho šťastní, kresťania? Tak to je. Ak ste neporozumení, „Všetci, ktorí žijú zbožne v Kristu Ježišovi, budú neporozumení.“ Tak to bolo vždy v celej Biblii.
Tak, čo sa snažím povedať? Vám, ľudia, ktorí hovoríte v jazykoch, vám, ktorí kričíte, tancujete v Duchu, ľudia povedia, „Ó, to je nezmysel,“ pamätajte len, ja som sa rovno vrátil a ukázal vám to. Rovno cez Písma, že oni sú vždy neporozumení. Pamätajme, ste v Písmach a robíte to, čo je správne. Zostaňte rovno s tým. Boh je s vami. Zostaňte rovno v Písmach. Boh sa postará o ten zbytok toho. Amen.
260 Milujem Ho. Zaspievajme tú starú dobrú pieseň ku krstu, tá, ktorá bola po prvýkrát spievaná, keď sa anjel Pánov objavil pred ľuďmi v Jeho prítomnosti. Ja sám som to videl predtým, ale po prvýkrát, keď On zostúpil dolu. A keď zostúpil, On povedal, „Ako Ján bol poslaný, aby predchádzal prvý príchod Kristov, tvoje posolstvo bude predchádzať druhý príchod Kristov.“ Stovky a stovky a stovky ľudí tam stálo na brehu, keď to zostúpilo dolu v júni 1933 pri rieke. A my sme stáli na brehu a spievali:
Stojím na rozbúrených brehoch Jordánu
A vrhám túžobný pohľad
Do krásnej a šťastnej zeme Kanaánu,
Kde leží celé moje vlastníctvo.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Kedy dosiahnem toto miesto plné zdravia
a budem naveky požehnaný.
Keď uvidím tvár môjho Otca
A odpočiniem na Jeho hrudi.
Ó, som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Všetci, ktorí sú tam na tom širokom mieste,
svietia večným dňom.
Potom Boh Syn naveky zavládne
A rozpráši všetku tmu.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Zaspievajme to znovu a potrasme si rukou s niekým okolo seba.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
262 Tak bez tieňa pochybnosti, každý jeden z vás, ktorí ste prijali Krista a viete, že ste sa znovu narodili z Ducha, zodvihnite teraz svoje ruky a zaspievajte to.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Áno, som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Dlhý čas som toto nevidel. Dámy, načiahnite sa do svojej kabelky a vezmite si vreckovku. Páni, siahnite do svojho vrecka a vyberte si svoju vreckovku.
Dáme teraz dar pozdvihnutia (zamávania Pánovi). Dobre, teraz všetci spolu zamávame, ako ideme teraz do Kanaánu, zamávajte svojou vreckovkou. V poriadku, dobre.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Tak, ak je tu teraz niekto, kto si ešte neurobil svoje vyvolanie a povolanie istým, kto by rád prišiel, zatiaľ čo to znovu zaspievame, kto by tiež rád vytiahol svoju vreckovku a zamával znovu s nami. Brána je teraz otvorená, lístky sú zdarma. Či prídete? Nastúpte na palubu tej starej lode Siona, ona ide, pohýňa sa. Poďme.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi (Už to nebude dlho).
Ó, smerujem do zasľúbenej zeme,
ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
265 Ako skloníme svoje hlavy.
Byť ako Ježiš, byť len ako Ježiš,
To túžim na zemi, byť ako On.
Počas púte môjho života zo zeme do slávy,
Len to si žiadam, byť ako On.
Z jasiel Betlehema vyšiel jeden cudzinec,
Tu na zemi túžim byť ako On.
Počas celej púte môjho života zo zeme do slávy,
Len to si žiadam, byť ako On.
Nezabudnite na nedeľu. Nezabudnite, že v stredu večer máme modlitebné zhromaždenie. Pamätajte, modlite sa veľa, modlite sa za mňa, modlite sa za svojho pastora, modlite sa za svojho suseda, svojich diakonov, svojich dôverníkov, modlite sa, aby mal Boh Svoj spôsob s nami všetkými.
Byť ako Ježiš, byť ako Ježiš,
Tu na zemi túžim (To je túžba môjho srdca) byť ako On. (Neporozumeným)
Pamätajte, Boh... (Či to nie je vašou túžbou? Pomyslite na to.)
… Zo zeme do slávy,
Len to si žiadam, len byť ako On.
[Brat Branham si začína hmkať pieseň – pozn.prekl.]
… Pokorne a unížene,
Tu na zemi túžim byť taký ako On.
Počas celej púte svojho života
zo zeme do slávy,
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Teraz so svojimi sklonenými hlavami a zavretými očami a našimi srdcami sústredenými na Boha, zavoláme teraz môjho vzácneho, dobrého priateľa, brata Roy Bordersa z Kalifornie, keby prišiel a vyhlásil požehnanie na toto zhromaždenie. Brat Borders.
1 ...?... The Lord bless you. Pray for me tonight. We had just a little shower, enough to cool off, and which we're grateful for, and I trust that we'll have one of the spiritual showers on the inside to kinda help us out a little bit.
I believe, Brother Neville, if we'll turn that around on you, how about that? Me speaking, I get a little, get that air on me and then I... This bald head of mine lets that come down and stop up my throat.
Now, I gave out some--for some questions tonight, and answers just to kind of... The reason we do this is to kinda find out what's on the hearts of the people.
4 I think that's very good for a pastor to--to give out this, and then he finds out just about what the people's thinking about if they'll write their questions and have something. And I think every one of us is duty bound to expel our thoughts to our pastors, and--and our spiritual leaders, and so forth, and anything that we see, that's so we can make everything run smooth and fine, and for the Kingdom of God's sake.
And then I... Up till about a half hour ago I only had about two or three that I'd--Billy had picked up after the service this morning and he brought them up to me. And then I went in and studied on a Scripture, thought I'd speak then a little bit tonight, being I'd mentioned it, and of being up here. Then he called me a few minutes ago, said, "Just hold it, I got a handful now."
So I'll try to get right in on these and answer them the best of my knowledge. And then if I get finished in time, I have a text I'd like to--to speak on for just maybe twenty or thirty minutes, just a short text.
7 And then, remember, if the Lord is willing, next Sunday morning I want to do my best by the grace of God to explain the Seventy Weeks of Daniel. As I said this morning, it's a great Scripture. And it's not so much to speak on, but to place it where it belongs to make it fit with the rest of the Bible.
And we have started from Revelations 1, got over in the 6th chapter. And of course, we get in now to the seven last Seals. And those Seals will run from the 6th--last part of the 6th chapter unto the 19th chapter inclusive. So it would take a long time. Now, I could take, say, seven nights, and run the Seven Seals, opening them up. But if you do it that way, then the people will miss the great part back here that fills in this. And if they're not really taught, it might not be good. But the first three or four of them is just happenings that we could take all right, just coming right in a row; but the next of it, then you have to go back into Daniel again, come back over into Genesis, go back over into Revelations, come back down into the Gospels, and just weave it in there, because it's the trace of Israel, God dealing with Israel. For when the church goes up, that's the last of the church until she comes with Her Lord as Bride and Bridegroom in the 19th chapter; during this time it's dealing with Israel. And to get the Seventy Weeks of Daniel in now, it sets the picture for this coming opening, First Seal.
9 Then I thought, the Lord willing, I--next Sunday I'd speak on that. If I don't get finished Sunday morning, then I'll try it Sunday night again. And that would open the way then, if the Lord should lead us, we wouldn't have to stop with that part, we'd go right straight on into the Seven Seals and just carry it on as long as we'd seen the Lord leading.
Now, tonight we've got some questions, and they're all sensible, reasonable questions. There was one here that I'd like to speak of first, just a moment. It was someone asked... It's not a question; it's just someone asked me: Where are my keys? Please tell me. They--they'd lost them this afternoon.
11 Now, I'll tell you, a few weeks ago, about a few days ago I was here at the Tabernacle. I used to go into prayer and wait on the Lord and find out where those things were for the people. I have found people's cars. The Lord would speak to me where the people would...
Brother Welch Evans come up here and lost his car; somebody stole it in Louisville. He and Brother Fred Sothmann and some of the brethren... Brother Tom Simpson, I believe, was along that day. Or was you, Brother Tom? And they come up to the house, and there was Brother Evans without a car, without clothes, everything that he had was in that car. And they pulled in over at Miller's and somebody took it.
Well, we got a racket, a ring in Louisville, where they pull these cars off, and they'll run them down to Bowling Green or somewhere like that and respray them. And in Kentucky you don't have to have a title anyhow to your car, and they can change those cars in a few minutes and sell them any way they wanted to.
14 Well, Brother Evans with his little car and all he had in it, and the Lord gave me the answer for it. And before they even got home, the car was setting out here about half empty of gasoline, where He turned them around on the road to Bowling Green, and brought them back, and set the car right back out there with everything in it, not a thing missing, just what gas they'd used.
Many times people have said that certain things, and they'd ask, and I'd go before the Lord and wait for those visions, and now, waiting till they come. But I find out that that has brought a great stumbling block before the people. Really, the people of America are not ready for such a ministry, the churches. That's right. It's--it's beyond their time, See? And it causes everything; some call you a devil; some call you a spiritualist; some call you a son of God, a god, and everything. See? So I just promised the Lord that I'd let it go and just wait and use that ministry in Africa or on personal interviews when I have them here.
16 Now, we're here for personal interviews; that still goes on such things. But... And the way to obtain them is not come to the church; you go to our secretary, my son, Billy Paul, and he'll give you a little--a ticket telling you just when it's to be and so forth. And anything like that, that's on personal interviews, here or in the field, can only come through that way. There's a--a board of it published, or a book, or a note on the bulletin board there of how to do this. But just to come up here to the platform...
Now, we have gifts in the church. We have Brother Neville here who has received a gift of prophecy. Brother Higginbotham setting here, who has a gift of speaking with tongues and interpreting tongues. I would advise you... I'll pray that God will give you your keys, but I--I advise maybe that if the Holy Spirit would speak tonight maybe through Brother Neville, or Brother Higginbotham, or some of these gifts in the church, that we're got some questions on in a few minutes, that maybe they could do that.
18 But for myself I made a promise to God, no more in America in public meetings (See?), because it just caused me to leave the field. And then some will run you plumb out to be a--a devil; the others will make a god. And so you see, and they're just not ready for it. And so God cannot work that, and I'm sure the person that's asked it will understand. Now, maybe the Holy Spirit yet tonight... You just be praying. I'll pray that the Holy Spirit will show you right where your parcel is that you're waiting for. I pray that you'll find it, and I do believe you will find it. See?
And--but now... And then, now, Billy Paul, if someone has such a thing like that, if they'd call him, he would refer them to the church; I try to take the emergency cases when I'm at home.
20 Now, let us now before we approach these questions... First I want to say that any answer that's not according to your faith or the--in the Bible, it's not according to the Word, then you don't have to receive it. And so that I can get down and maybe get to the text also tonight, I'd like to go on and answer them and those I think that--that got Scriptural to answer by, well, I'll answer them, everything that I can. But I just got them a few minutes ago, all but three, and neither three of those has any... Just little things about someone had dreamed a dream or something, wanting to know if they should tell it, or something another like that. You see? So let us bow our heads now as we approach His mercy...
21 Lord, we are Thy people that are called by Thy Name. And we are so glad tonight to know that we have a heavenly Father Who watches over us and cares for us, and loves us as His own dear children. And so I am happy, Lord, that I'm numbered with these people, to be their brother, and they are my brothers and sisters. I'm so grateful.
There is one, Lord, who has lost some keys. Thou knowest right where they are laying, I pray that You will reveal it and will bring them right straight to those keys. It's a precious thing to them; it's to their car. And I pray, Father, that You will grant this request to those people.
Now I pray that You will bless our pastor, our beloved Brother Neville. We're so glad to see You working in our midst in these great spiritual gifts in our church, the part of the body of Christ that is worshipping on this corner of Eighth and Penn. We are so glad to be numbered with that group of people, and to know that God reveals the secrets to His people. I pray that You'll bless Brother Neville, our pastor, and Brother Higginbotham, Brother Funk, Brother Junior Jackson, and our sisters, who are speaking with tongues and giving interpretations. We pray, Father, that You will continue to manifest Yourself through these great gifts, that our church might be known as a spiritual church, that where people that are weary can come and set in the Presence of Almighty God and know He speaks and reveals the secrets of the heart.
24 And, Father, I pray that You'll bless us tonight in answering these questions. Some of them, Lord, are--are mild, and some of them are strong. To each one that asked the question, it's a strong question. It's something that's on their heart; they want it settled. And, Father, we are all insufficient of these duties, but we know that Thou art more than sufficient. So we pray that You will interpret these questions to us, that we might give the people the correct answer, that they might be helped and the church be magnified, and God's Name be honored.
Now, Father, if it's Your will, I pray that You'll deal with us this week and will help me as I'm studying on that Seventy Weeks of Daniel, that I might be able next Sunday morning, if it be Thy will, to open the Scripture to those people. God, grant it, that their souls might be refreshed. Teach those, Lord, who are seeking deep things. Save those who are lost. Heal those who are sick. We're all waiting on You, Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
26 Now, this first question is not exactly a question; it's just a little thing for... Say, do I stand too close to this? Does that blur, back there in the back? If it does, raise up your hand.
132. Brother Bill, please say something about both children and adults being so noisy in morn--moving about during the service. This tabernacle needs some lessons in reverence.
Amen. Children, do you not know how to obey yourself in the house of God? Do you not know this is the sanctuary of God? God is in His holy temple; let everybody keep quiet. It's the place of God where people are coming, meditating, trying to find salvation to the soul, trying to find the problems of the people's lives, trying to help someone. The least you can do is be reverent, be quiet. Get you a drink of water 'fore church starts; I know little ones has to have drinks. Mothers that's got those little fellows, if you'd set near the back, keep them just as quiet as possible. And there should never be a whisper, never one whisper. We're all guilty. But when that Bible is read and that minister enters the pulpit, we should be silent, waiting on the Lord. Now, please try to do that.
28 I know, you little fellows, you've got to squirm around a little. See? That, if you do, make it just--just be real nice. And you remember, mother don't want you to do that, and daddy don't want you to do that. And so...
And I know; I got little ones too that squirm around, and Joseph. And Meda says, "I don't get anything out of the service, trying to keep Joe quiet." Well, she's trying to do that so somebody else can get something out of the service. See?
And we always want to respect one another, honor one another, and above all things, honor God and honor His house.
31 Now, this next question is:
133. The two children aged six to eight years were here at the altar this morning. How soon is it advisable to have them baptized?
Just as soon as you can. Repent immediately and be baptized, that's in the Name of Jesus Christ. Now, that's question number one. I would advise that. But we find out in the Scriptures...
You say, "Is that Scriptural?"
When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, three thousand souls were saved and baptized the very same time. "As many as believed on the Lord were baptized." So as soon as you believe on the Lord and accept Him as your Saviour, go right straight to the water and make your confession start right there: young or old, no matter who it is.
You say, "Well, these children might be very young."
Jesus said, "Suffer little children to come unto Me; forbid them not, for such is the Kingdom of God." I would daresn't put my hand upon a child that wants to come to the altar or be baptized at any age; I don't care what age they are.
36 Now question number two:
134. A minister friend of ours baptizes in the name of Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Would we be held responsible for not telling him of his error?
I believe, as a Christian, as a duty, and if he is a personal friend of yours... Not to pick an argument with him; if you do that, then you're not right; your--your spirit's not right. But if you love that brother, which you must, because you said, "A minister friend..." Then... No names is signed to any of these notes; I do not know who they come from: these questions.
37 Now, I would advise you, whoever it is, if this minister friend baptizes like this, and you visit his home and so forth, I would just--I would just mention the question sometime. And that might give you... Just talk up to it, just keep talking around about, around about; and let the Lord open it up, and then it's the Lord telling you to do it. See? Just wait till the Lord opens up the question. Then you say to him; you say, "Brother, I just wonder, in the Scriptures of Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38, and continuing on, is there some contradiction there? Could you explain why that one said here, 'Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,' and the other one said, 'The Name of Jesus Christ'?"
Now--now, don't try... If you're not really a student, and you don't know what you're talking about, better leave it alone. See? You can just tell him, say, "Well, I wish you'd come up..." If he seems to be sincere, say, "Wonder if you'd meet our pastor or someone and discuss it?"
39 I tell you, it's a deep thing. See? Don't take it upon yourself, 'cause you might wind yourself around if you... Now, if you know what you're talking about, and firmly settled and know the Scriptures, all right. But don't offend him, for whatever you do, don't offend him. See? Don't bring offense, just tell him that...
And of course, he is in error. That's true. The man is in error when he baptizes like that. And any man that baptizes in the name of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" is Scripturally in error. That's right.
41 Question number three:
135. In a statement of faith, they said, 'We believe in one God, Eternal, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19, 18 and 19; I Corinthians 13:14." Should this not be three offices instead of three persons?
You are correct. There's no three persons in the Godhead. And there cannot be a personality without being a person; it takes a person to make a personality. There is no three Gods. There's only one God, and that God is Jesus Christ. God is a Spirit that lives in Jesus Christ, and is living in His church, you and I today, separating Himself to us in the form of the Holy Spirit, which is God almighty Himself living in you.
Now, you are right; it is "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," is three offices of the same God, but not three Gods; that is Scripturally wrong.
43 136. Can a Christian go to heaven if he or she does not pay tithe?
Now, that's one that I could not answer Scripturally.
Now, this "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," if the minister is sincere, just let--let us know (You see?), we'd be glad... Brother Neville, myself, or Brother Beeler, or Brother Collins, or any of these ministers here who are ordained to this ministry, and so forth, can--can do so.
Now, but now: Does a Christian not get to heaven because they do not pay tithe?
I--I could not say yes or no to that. But I do believe that every Christian is obligated to pay tithings because it is a commandment of the Lord. "And blessed is--are they that do all His commandments, that they might have a right to enter into the Life, the Tree of Life." Now, I do believe that tithe-paying is essential to a Christian experience. For I'll get to that in another question in a few moments; I know there's another one in here pertaining to that.
46 137. Brother Branham, I am saved and have been baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, but how do I get away from a stubborn spirit that I can't seem to break away from?
Well, my Christian brother or sister, whoever it may be, now, most times when you find people that's got stubborn spirits, it's usually a complex that causes this, either they have inherited it from a mother, father, uncle, aunt, or grandmother, grandfather, somebody like that. And if you'll chase back down through your life, you'll find... Now, I've taken it by experience under discernment, because I have met cases on the platform, thousands of those that had that spirit. And the first thing you know, I'd chase that spirit right back by discernment and find that there was a granddaddy, there was a grandmother, there was somebody else back down there, and you inherit that by nature.
47 Stubborn--stubbornness is not of God. And now, the only way to get away from that is you have to have faith to overcome that, that's if you are a Christian. You are a son or daughter of God, whichever you may be, and you will never be able just to stand and rebuke it and rebuke it and rebuke it. It's just like tantalizing a rattlesnake; he's laying there ready to bite you. If you will just ignore him and walk away from him, he can't hurt you. See?
So when you feel that you got a stubborn spirit, lay the thing on the altar, and believe God that the thing is dead and you will never have it no more, and go on and don't even pay any attention to it no more, and the thing will leave you. Resist the devil and he will flee from you; that's "get away quickly." So that would be my advice how to overcome it. We overcome the devil by faith. That's what we overcome all evil, is by faith.
49 138. Why do you baptize in the Name of Jesus Christ in place of the name of the "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost"?
Well, there is no such a thing as a name of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." That's the reason. There was nobody in the Bible ever baptized in the Name of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." Every person in the Bible, or three hundred years this side the Bible, was baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. Not one apostle, not one Christian, not one time was the "Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost" ever used for baptism until the Catholic church was organized at the Nicene Council, three hundred and six years after the death of the last apostle.
There is no such a thing as name of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." Father is not a name; Son is not a name; Holy Ghost is not a name. It's three titles, three office titles to a Name: Jesus Christ. So therefore, there is no such a thing as the name of "Father, Son, Holy Ghost." And it's no... There's no name to it, so I baptize in the Name of Jesus Christ which is the Name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Clear?
51 139. Some people say that "Christ was in hades before the resurrection." Is this... Is there Scripture for this?
Now, here's a Scriptural question; I'd like to answer you from the Scriptures, 'cause they've asked, "Is it in the Scriptures?"
I would that you would turn with me to I Peter 3:18 and 20, you that wants to hear it, whether you asked the question or not, so that you won't have to take someone else's word. You may read it and find out whether this be true or not. We always want to stay with the Truth, and where the Bible says it. And this dear person, whoever it was, has asked it as wanting to know for a reference from the Bible if this is so or not.
53 Now, we find this in... If I've got it. This old Bible is about tore up here, that I--I've had it now for several years. If I can see if I got it in here; I think maybe... Just one second, brother, if I--I--I'm sure that's... Let's see, it comes right after Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews. Here we are, yeah, I got it. Thank you. I Peter 3, the 3rd chapter of I Peter. The 3rd chapter, and let's begin with the--with the 18th verse:
For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (quickened by the Spirit)
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
54 Now turn to Acts 2, Acts 2, and we will take the--the 30th verse. In Acts 2, and this is the Apostle Peter also speaking. Acts, the 2nd chapter, and the--the 30th verse I have written down here:
Where... Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had swore with an oath to him, that of the fruits of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did His flesh see corruption (Christ's body).
His soul descended into hell and preached to spirits, or souls that repented not in the long-suffering in the days of Noah. His soul did descend into hell and He preached to spirits, and rose on the third day. That is Scriptural, the Truth.
56 140. Now, were the five of the virgins lost?
I presume that they are asking the question, "the five virgins," the five wise and the five foolish. Now, if you were with us in the last teachings in Revelation, you find out there that those virgins, the--the five foolish virgins were not lost; but they were not permitted to go into the wedding supper, but they suffered persecution, and was martyred, and raised again at the general resurrection in the last day. Those are the people where He separated the sheep from the goats (See?); they stood before judgment.
You say, "Well, Brother Branham, don't we stand, the Church?"
No, sir. We do not stand before the judgment. We are now standing before the Judgment. God put our sins upon Christ, and we... "He that heareth My Word (St. John 5:24) and believeth on Him that sent Me has Eternal Life, and shall not come into the judgment but has passed from death unto Life." No more judgment for the Church, it's took up in the rapture, and comes back to pass judgment upon the people who did not receive the Holy Spirit. Does not Paul say that he dares any of us to take a--a matter to the court, to the unjust magistrate, when, "know ye not that the saints shall judge the earth?" We will set with Christ and judge, kings, and priests, and judge these people that we preached to and told them about the baptism of the Holy Ghost and they refused to receive It. Think of it.
No, they were not lost, but they will never be in the Bride. They were come in the second resurrection, but never be in the Bride, to be judged according to the way they treated the Light that they received. Now, that part will be up to Christ. They were not lost though.
60 141. Brother Branham, in the I Corinthians--Corinthians chapter the 14th, verse 34th and 35th, says, "Let your women keep silent in churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak." 35th, "For it is a shame for women to speak in church." Now, if a woman with short hair speak--speaks in tongues in--in churches--in church, is it the Spirit of--of the Holy Ghost that speaks through her or is it a false spirit?
Now, you are... And this is a real hard question, and I can only answer it the best that I know how. See? Now, I could not judge, because I was not sent to judge. But I think there's so many times... I got another question down here somewhere that goes right along with that. But if a person is speaking in tongues, they are anointed of God. See? They may be out of order; that may be true; and they may be doing something that's not right; but I wouldn't want to say that it wasn't the Holy Spirit, because I wouldn't know. See?
And now, there's many times that this... that people misjudge one another. And it is a bad thing to do. You say, "Why, she's got short hair; she's wearing a dress that's too short; that--that's not the Holy Spirit upon her." Don't do that. Don't do that, that's not right. You don't know what's in that woman's heart. You don't know nothing about it. You know that the Holy Spirit would make her conduct herself a little better; now that may be true. But I'll tell you: as you and I, let God do the judging of that, and let's you and I just pray for that person that God will show them the Light.
62 Here sometime ago a man met me out here aside. I had a pianist here that had a little, short, little skirt, and wasn't just exactly, I guess, just right. And the lady had short hair, and she was just a babe in this Way, and she was playing the piano. And a man met me out there and just tearing me to pieces; he said, "And you're a Pentecostal preacher, and let that woman set up there, that short hair," and just going on like everything.
"Well," I said, "I think the woman has a good spirit in her. I certainly do not agree with that, you know, the skirt part up here, the two pieces; one of them is down here and one kind of up here; it's a shirt like they wear." And so it's real thin and shows that underneath garment that they have around there. I don't think that--that should be done. I--I don't like that; I really don't." Now, I can't say; they might be just as Spirit-filled as anybody else; I don't know; God knows that. But I wouldn't condemn that woman and say that she was going to hell by the sight.
This same person had in his church a lady who had long hair and wore long dresses, and had a temper enough to fight a buzz saw, and just as mean as she could be. Now, long hair and long skirts don't take you to heaven. No, sir. It's the Spirit that's in you takes you to heaven. But if you as a Christian...
66 Then you should remember that many times pastors don't mention those things, and the people just automatically go on, think it's all right. But a pastor should really tear into that. And--and--and then the sisters of the church, those sisters who are in character standing, wearing their clothes neatly, they should be examples of sweetness, and--and motherly and sisterly-like.
And I think that any woman that's motherly and godly and sisterly ought to go to such a person, and with sweetness of the Spirit, just set down and talk to that lady. And if she is of God, the Holy Spirit will understand those things, and she'll correct herself. But when you real quickly condemn her and drive her away, you might harm that young born baby. See? So I--I wouldn't condemn the person.
68 Now, the person speaking with tongues. Now, I--I have to say something here that may be just a little strange, and if you don't agree with me, that's okay. You see, we misjudge these things so many times. Let's always try to think the very best of anybody who's trying to do what's right. Let's express our very best to them. Oh, they're trying. We don't know their heart, unless you have a discernment. And if they're wrong, then if you got... The Bible said, "If a brother be overtaken in a fault, let them which are spiritual go to that brother in a spirit of meekness, considering your own self lest you be tempted, and see if you can't reconcile that person (See?) back to God." Don't say that they haven't got the right spirit, 'cause...
70 Listen, now I'm going to say something that's going to really stab you for a minute, so just set still just a moment. The Holy Spirit can speak through a hypocrite. Exactly. I've seen it done, and I can prove you by the Scriptures that that's right. I can prove to you by the Scriptures that demon powers take up those spirits and use them, sure, they take up those gifts and use them. I've stood right... and seen devils speak in tongues and interpret it. And I've seen hypocrites take the genuine Holy Spirit and speak with it. That's the reason you can't say that speaking in tongues is the only evidence of the Holy Ghost.
71 Now, sometime ago when I was first brought into Pentecost, I went to Mishawaka to Brother Rowe's tabernacle. There they were having a convention; it was a Jesus Name people. Now, I did not agree with the Jesus Name people; there's not--there's not... They're my brethren, but the reason I say...
"Baptize for regeneration in the Name of Jesus Christ," I do not believe that. I do not believe that water saves you from sin. I believe it's the Blood of Jesus Christ is regeneration. But the Oneness people baptize unto regeneration. The Name of Jesus, just baptize them in Jesus Name, and that's--they're saved, because he said 'Repent, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.'"
But what comes first? Repentance, godly sorrow for your sins, then turn away. Then be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, it's all right. You've done all of this for remission of sins.
74 Now, and in there, there was several thousand people. In them days they had segregation in the north here--or in the south, and they had to have up here because many colored brothers was coming to this convention. It was the P. A. of W. and the P. A. of G--J. C. before the a merging. And it was at Mishawaka, colored and white, all together; they couldn't have it in the south at that time. Well, I seen two white men setting on the seat. I'd never heard anything of these messages before in my life. And there those men would raise up and one speak in tongues and the other one give the interpretation, and tell the people right in the meeting what was wrong with them, tell the people what they had done. Then this one would speak and the other one interpret. I thought, "My, I've dropped down here amongst angels." Never heard of such a thing!
75 All night, in the cornfield, I prayed. Well, since a little baby... I believed gifts and callings are without repentance; I've always been able to see visions. And the next morning they asked me to speak, and I did. Outside there was many people who came to me and invited me to their meetings, yet I was a Missionary Baptist. So I--I just went ahead and let it go like that. After a while I was anxious to get a hold of these two angel men. I never heard any...
They'd turn white around the mouth, and raise up and speak with tongues. And the other one stand right up and say, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, 'Jones over here, he did a certain thing day before yesterday. When you walked around the house you picked up that pocketbook that belongs to this man, this man lost over here.' THUS SAITH THE LORD, 'Take it back!'"
"God, have mercy on me, here it is."
See, truth, just say such as that, tell people right out. I thought, "Oh, my, isn't that wonderful." So then I thought, "This is God."
79 Well, then I got to one of those men, and while I was talking to him, I'd prayed, "God, let me have that, ever what It is." I didn't know what to call it, visions, I didn't know what to call It. And when that thing come before me, and I caught his attention, just kept speaking to him till I caught his spirit, just like the woman did at the... Jesus did, the woman at the well. Just kept talking till I caught his spirit. And he was a Christian, a real, genuine saint of God. I thought, "Blessed be the Name of the Lord."
I met--met the next man coming around the corner about a half hour later, and I talked with him. And if I ever talked to a hypocrite, he was one of them. His wife was black-headed, and he was living with a blond and had two children by her; and yet speaking with the same Spirit this man was speaking with, and giving the same interpretation, just exactly right. Then I knew.
81 Before my conversion, I had an experience to one time going into a witch camp with Indians. They're devil-dancers. Take a snake and wrap it around them, and do the corn dance, and speak in tongues and interpret it, and tell exactly the truth what's setting amongst the people. And seen a witch take a--a pencil and lay it down, and see that pencil rise up and write in unknown tongues, and interpret it, and tell the people exactly what was going on out through there. In a spiritualist's meeting...
So I said (You see?), "I've got amongst devils," and I left the whole thing go.
83 So one day up at Green's Mill, I'd been up there praying in my cave, not for that, and I come out and laid my Bible down. I... Musty back in the cave and I wanted some sunlight, and it was in the afternoon, and I come out and laid my Bible down. I was going to read a little while out on the log that lays kind of down the hill. And I just laid the Bible down; I started reading. And the wind blowed and blowed over to Hebrews the 6th chapter. I thought, "Maybe the Lord wants me to read that." I read it.
"We which were once enlightened, made partakers of the Holy Ghost, seeing we fall away... to renew ourselves again unto repentance. The rain bringeth forth the... earth bringeth forth fruits and the rain is sent to water it, and thorns and thistles which is nigh unto rejecting, whose end is to be burned," something on that order.
Well, I read it and I thought, "Well, praise the Lord." Turned it over to another one, I thought, "Well, I'll just read somewhere over in here somewhere else." Laid it down like that, wiped my eyes, the wind blowed it back to Hebrews 6 again. Well, that happened three or four times, as many as three anyhow. I thought, "I don't see nothing wrong with that. What's in there?"
86 Just let me, you can... You've read it many times, Hebrews 6, "Thorns and thistles. The rain cometh oft upon the earth to water it, to dress it (See?) for its fruit. But thorns and thistles which is nigh unto rejection, whose end is to be burned, be gathered and burned."
I couldn't get nothing out of that. Thought, "Well, thorns and thistles to be burned; God takes His Wheat to the garner, and that settles it." Said, "I don't see nothing about that."
I was setting there; I was looking out like that, and a vision came before me. And I seen a world turning like this, and it was all disked up ready to be planted. And a man with a white robe on, head bent down into a feed sack, or a seed sack, rather, he was going along. And I don't know whether any of you remember the old broadcast system, how you... I seen papa do it. Throw it with his hands like that, and they'd just fall on the grounds, them seeds like that. Well, this man was sowing seeds like that. And as soon as he went along, up behind him come wheat coming up.
89 Well, as soon as he went around the curvature of the earth, I seen a black something coming up, like a black moon. And I looked, and it got closer; it was a--a man, solid black, dressed in black. He was slipping along, looking like this. And he had a seed sack, only in there he had weeds. And he was sowing them amongst this wheat like that, throwing it first one way and the other. And behind him come up weeds, thistles, thorns, briers, and everything.
Well, I thought, "That is a shame for that man to do a thing like that." In a vision, I wasn't thinking of it being Scriptural. See? And I said, "That man's sowing them weeds in that man's wheat field."
Then it got real hot. The little wheat held its head over and going "huh, huh, huh" like that, just panting like this for breath. The little weed had his head over, "huh, huh, huh," he was panting for water too. Everybody prayed for the rain.
After while it got... A great thunder cloud come up and just rained all down, and when it did, the rain struck the earth. And the little wheat begin to jump up-and-down, hollering, "Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord." And the little weeds a-hollering, "Praise the Lord," straightened right up, the life come to the weed just the same as to the wheat.
And then the Scripture come, "The rain falls on the just and the unjust." There I caught it. See?
94 This, if a person is setting in a congregation, a spirit can fall upon that person, and yet you know that they are wrong and they don't live the right kind of life, be careful what you say about that spirit, it might be the Holy Spirit. Don't judge the--the spirit by the person. The person may be wrong; but, now, does not the Bible say, "The rain falls on the just and the unjust"? Did not Jesus say, when the fields was planted, "Let them all grow up together, the tares and the wheat together. Don't you try to pull up the tares. Don't you try to judge them; just let them grow together. And at that day the angels will be sent forth; they will take all the tares and burn them, and the wheat will be gathered into the garner"? But by their fruits we know them. You can know in your heart. Keep trying to deal with that person.
95 Don't say that this woman, if she's immorally dressed or... How did it read? "Let's say that the Holy Ghost will visit..." Let's see. No, I got the wrong one here somehow. Oh, here it is, yes.
The women speaking in tongues. Now, if a woman with short hair speaks in tongues in the church, it is the spirit... Let's see. Is it the Spirit of the Holy Ghost that speaks through her or is it a false spirit?
You see, I wouldn't say nothing. And if you thought the woman wasn't just exactly right by having short hair... (I believe that was the subject.)... yeah, "short hair," why not you, brother, if you're a married man and this is a married woman, why--why don't you take your wife or get your wife to sweetly talk to this little lady? Let's believe she has got the Holy Ghost. If she's in this church, I'm--I'm going to believe that she has. And then, just say, maybe she's a...
Did you know, once in a while, we might examine and find out we might have a little something wrong too. You know, that--that's right, you know. So somebody might have to tell us something. Lot of times people has told me a lot of things was wrong, that I was doing wrong; I appreciate it.
98 But now let's say that... Let's believe that whatever it is... Let's believe that if the woman is not exactly a Christian, if she's just putting on, God will judge her for that. That's right. But... And if she's dressed immoral, and the things that she's doing is not right, God will take care of that. But let's believe that that Spirit on that woman is the Holy Spirit (See?), because we don't know.
Now, if the interpretation of that holy spirit gives something, a curse to Christ... "No man speaking by the Spirit calleth Christ accursed." If that woman is speaking in tongues and the interpretation comes that Christ is accursed, then you know that's an evil spirit on the woman. But as long as it's blessing you and edifying Christ, then believe that Spirit. See? Amen. I hope that doesn't confuse. I hope that gives a little light on it anyhow.
100 142. Deuteronomy the 23rd chapter, the 2nd verse, doesn't it teach that a person whom out of wedlock cannot be saved? It says that God will visit the iniquity of the parents upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. Explain what this means.
All right. Adultery was such a horrible thing in the time of the Bible until even if a man had a child by a woman that wasn't his wife, that child, its children's children's children, for four generations, four hundred and something years, could not enter even into the congregation of the Lord, because that the blood of bulls and goats and heifers was not sufficient to take away sin. It could only divorce--or could only cover sin, it could not omit sin. See? It could not omit sin, it could only cover sin. Adultery is a horrible thing.
A woman, a precious jewel, that God has made her to be a mother, and entrusted her with motherhood, that if she would bring forth a child from another man not being her husband, then there was a curse upon that child, and his children, and his children, and his children, to three and four generations. Even many times such as syphilitic, and--and blindness and things struck the people. Yes, it was a horrible, horrible thing for a woman to have a baby outside of holy wedlock. Now, not only then, but it's still a horrible thing, sure is, always.
102 143. Will Ezekiel 38 and 39 come to pass before the rapture?
Now if you will notice, Ezekiel 38 and 39 deals with Gog and Magog, which is Russia, the north country. Now, I do not say that this is correct, but to my way of teaching it, that, it comes to pass after the rapture, after the church is taken up. And God deals with Gog and Magog when they come down before Israel there. And I think that will come to pass after the rapture. Now, that doesn't make it so. See? But that's just my way of teaching it. I suppose that's what they wanted to know, what my idea was.
103 144. The Lord has told us through prophecy to witness unto others of the things which we have heard and seen here, such as the nearness of the coming, baptism in the Name--in Jesus' Name, and such things. We have told these things to some who seem to be Christians, yet they don't seem to believe. What do you think will happen to those people? Will they go in the rapture?
Now, I'm glad you said it that way, "What do you think?" Which that wouldn't make it right because I would think it. I believe that no man can walk in the Light of God until God reveals It to him. And I don't believe that any man that... All these hidden things are hid from the people, and no man can see them except God reveals them; I believe it; 'cause in the Bible it's always been that way.
104 Did not Jesus say that "You have eyes and you can see not, you have ears and you hear not"? And yet in Matthew, I believe it's either the 8th or 12th chapter, it said that "Though Jesus had done so many miracles among them, yet they could not believe." Because Isaiah said, the prophecy said that they had eyes and could not see, and ears and could not hear. See?
And Jesus said, "No man can come to Me except My Father calls him first, and all the Father has given Me will come to Me." That settles it. See?
Now, you're--you're responsible for spreading the Light; you're not responsible for them receiving the Light. You're responsible to take it to them, but you're not responsible for their reaction. And then if God lets them in, that'll be up to Him. If they haven't got the garments on, and so forth, and they don't... But they... Remember, they cannot see it until God reveals it to them.
108 145. Brother Branham, in Daniel the 11th chapter, the 31st verse, teaches of the day... taking away of the daily sacrifice, and the abomination that maketh desolation. Would you please explain what these are?
Oh, this person has signed their name to this one. That is my subject on next Sunday, and that comes in with the--with the Seventy Weeks of Daniel. But... And I might just say this to you, my most precious brother that signed this here, which is a very dear friend to all of us... Yes, "the abomination that maketh desolation," Jesus, in Matthew 24, spoke of it. The abomination (means filthiness) that maketh desolation, the abomination was the Moslem--Mosque of Omar that was built on the temple grounds where the holy place stood.
109 In A.D. 96, Titus came in and captured Jerusalem and burnt the temple, and they built the Mosque of Omar (the Mohammedan religion) right on the temple grounds, and still stands there to this day. And it will stand there until God returns to the Jews again. "And the abomination (that is the Mosque of Omar) that maketh desolation of the holy place," standing in the holy place... See?
Jesus referred to it, said, and in parenthesis, "(let he that readeth understand)." See? Therefore, He give so many days from that time until the--after the Prince and so many days, and so forth, which we get into next Sunday. And I'll try to, the best of my knowledge, to get that in for you for next Sunday. But that abomination is the Mosque of Omar that took the place of the temple, that, "When you see the abomination that maketh desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place..." See, standing where the temple stood (the holy place), the Mosque of Omar...
111 146. Brother Branham, don't you feel that everyone who claims to be a Christian should pay tithes, pay their tithes into the storehouse of the Lord? Please give Scripture to this question.
All right, if you will... That is right, that the Bible said in Malachi the 4th chapter, "Will a man rob God? And you say, 'Where have we robbed Thee?' In tithe and offerings. Bring all your tithe and offerings into My storehouse and prove Me," saith the Lord, "if I will not open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there'll not be room enough to receive."
That's a challenge to any individual. And if I only had the time, and would not get to this little Scripture that I wish to get to in about the next ten minutes, I would like to give you a personal testimony of how that I was even hungry, and my mother and them hungry, and my daddy sick, but I took my tithes out first and give it to God, and you ought to see what happened. I have never seen in my life, that any man or a woman, that if you only make one dollar a week, will bring the ten cents of that money and put it into your storehouse, your church where you come, if God don't bless that, call me a hypocrite. Yes, sir. That's a challenge to anybody. And every Christian... That goes to this other question. Every Christian should pay tithes. That's right. It should be done.
113 All right, now:
147. If a person or persons speaking in unknown tongues in the same tone of voice each time, the same thing, but the interpretation is different by the interpreter each time, could that be the Holy Spirit?
Now, let me read that again.
If a person or persons speaking in unknown tongues in the same tone of voice (in other words, just saying the same thing like certain-certain word over and over and over) each time, and the same thing each time, but the interpretation by the interpreter is different each time, could this be the Holy Ghost?
Now, there is a stiff one, but let me shed just a little light on this if I can. And I'm sure you'll understand that this is just Brother Branham trying to do my best, but let me just give this as my own personal experience of dealing with spiritual things. And I appreciate your confidence of asking me questions like this. If you didn't have confidence in me, you wouldn't ask me no such. I believe a Christian wouldn't ask questions to raise an argument; I believe they're trying to find what's truth. See? And I would answer, and if they... And I answer it, and if I've made myself clear it's the best of my knowledge, and then if that spirit in you gets angry, that shows it isn't the Holy Spirit in you. See? So then the Holy Spirit will not anger, it'll be corrected each time with the Word, and stand correction.
114 Now, let me say this, that I... In this case, remember, God be my judge, I... This is William Branham. I couldn't say. But in experiences that I have witnessed while under the anointing of such meetings, I believe that the person that's saying the same thing over each time, the same tone of voice, is really speaking in tongues. I do; I believe, by the Spirit they're speaking in tongues, if they're Christians. They are speaking with tongues, no doubt. But I believe that you get the wrong slant of interpretation.
Now, many times, people... I--I want to... I... It's just the church folks here, I guess, tonight anyhow, about. Isn't it, Brother Neville, just about what comes? So if the strangers are here and you different with this, I'm trying to speak to my own church. See?
116 Now, as your father in the Gospel, as your--as your pastor, I would like a little later on, when your spirits and gifts begin to come to perfection... If you go to watching them flying loose and getting... Then just you better watch--watch that person, just let it go 'cause it's not the Spirit of God on them. But when they're sweet and meek and humble and ready, and everything, that's the Spirit of God. And if--if somebody gets out of order and the pastor has to call it down, and that spirit flies up, then it's not the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God always stands, comes to the Word. See? It recognizes the Word every time.
Now... But now I'm not trying to--to--to flatter or to shake down; I'm only trying to make a truth. Now, someone speaking in tongues, and another one gets up to interpret tongues... Now listen close. (And I think this is being taped. Is it?) In interpretation of tongues... Now, I'm going to have to get down in some doctrine now with this. In the interpretation of tongues, many people interpret tongues by a extraordinary expression of them feeling to say such a thing. That is not interpretation.
118 Interpretation is when they are speaking in a unknown tongue, you are hearing them in English, and just repeating over what they're saying. But the--if this person speaks in your church... I don't think we have it in this one. If it does, I never heard it.
But someone getting up just saying like some certain word, over and over, or some same tone of voice running right down, right down, right down, right down...
I tell you. I don't believe Junie Jackson's here tonight. Is he? I don't think he is. But I've always amazed at Junior Jackson and his speaking in tongues, and Brother Higginbotham, and many of you people here, how that you see that change of voice in the interpretation. See? Now--now, that's all right. Now, I don't... I ain't boasting my church up. No, sir. If my church needed correction, I--I'm going to stand here and do my best for my Saviour (That's right.), whether it hurts or whether it doesn't. I'm--I'm your father in the Gospel (See?), and I want... You don't want a wrong spirit; you want the right spirit. You do all...
Why take--take a substitute when there's a whole Pentecostal skies are full of the real? Why eat in a garbage can when there's a fine, big, clean table set here with chicken and dumplings and everything? See? Why don't we do that? See? Let's get the real; that's what we want, the real, genuine one.
122 Now, I believe in this statement that's made here, same thing over, I believe in that statement that they're both correct, but I do not believe that the interpreter is interpreting the language of the person. I do not believe that. I believe that the Spirit is present and the interpreter is prophesying. I believe he is a prophesier instead of an interpreter if he does not hear the voice in his own lang... "How hear we every man in our own language wherein we were born?" See, you've got to hear in the same; you've got to hear it in English. If...
Here, here's an interpreter. Now, I can stand up, and I--I only know two or three words in a--in a--in a different language, that I know of. Now I'm just taking this one literal, not in spiritual now. Now I'm going to say, "Baie, baie bly. I... Ekke wil Afrikaans sprekken." Now, I doubt whether there's a person here know what I said. Yeah, brother, what'd I say? [A brother in congregation says, "You said you could speak Afrikaans"--Ed.] Afrikaans, "Baie, baie bly," "I am very, very happy. I am here to speak Afrikaans (See?), Afrikaans sprekken." See? "I am here to speak Afrikaans."
124 Now, what did he do? He... I was speaking Afrikaans but he heard me in English. Is that right? 'Cause you know Afrikaans. Now, if you are speaking... If I'm standing here a-saying, preaching, and Brother Neville is interpreting to another language of people, he's saying in their language what he hears me say; he knows what I'm talking about, 'cause he knows my language.
And if you're speaking in an unknown tongue, and interpreting, you're hearing in the language that you were born in, because that's the only way you can interpret what they're saying; because the Holy Spirit has interpreted it to you, and you're just speaking for the Holy Spirit.
126 But then if the Spirit is present to bless this poor person, and they're standing up... Like a precious old brother, gone on, he's in glory tonight, I really believe. The dearest old soul that I know, Brother Ryan, all of us knowed him. He used to stand there on the street. (And God, forgive me, not to be sacrilegious, I know it's a--blaspheming the Holy Ghost is unpardonable.) But Brother Ryan used to say one word over and over all the time, something about "seekem and seekem and seekem," or something like that. He used to have... Why, somebody said, "Do you think that's of God?"
I said, "Certainly, it's of God. Certainly, I believe it's of God." But he was speaking in tongues, but I couldn't say what he was saying 'cause I don't know. But the Presence of the Spirit was there.
So if the Presence of the Spirit is there, and this person's just saying one word over and over and over, and this other one jumps up and tries to give an interpretation, yet he don't know what he's saying... If this man is not giving the interpretation, he's prophesying; the spirit of prophecy's upon him and he's prophesying, not giving an interpretation.
129 So therefore, dear Christian, to you who said that, "Could that be the Holy Spirit?" It could be the Holy Spirit using two offices; one blessing a soul in speaking in tongues; and another one prophesying, not have to be interpreting what he's saying. But yet he said it. The Holy Spirit come upon him in prophecy just the same time that this one's speaking in tongues, and he thought it was an interpretation, what difference does it make? It's the Spirit of God giving a message to the church. But interpretation, it's got to understand in English and repeat back exactly what the person said; that's the gift of interpretation.
130 148. If there is--if there is already three messages gone out in unknown tongues in one meeting, then in the prayer line can there be more messages go out and still be in the spiritual order of the meeting?
Why, certainly. That's right. Sure. I know where you're getting to. There's Paul said, "If they... If you prophesy and speak in tongues," something like that, Paul speaking of...
Little later on, when you all... Brother Neville, when you all want to now, these people that's got these spiritual gifts... Now, if you'll trust my understanding of the Scripture, I will come down to the meeting just with you people alone who has these gifts, just with you all, so we can set together... And if you feel... And you watch, Brother Neville, and see in the church, that it is God and God a-moving among them, that's what we want, but we want to put that in order so it can go to blessing the church and doing something. Now, God ain't... I know, and know the Scriptures, what to do. And that's what we want to do.
132 Now, this person here, I know he's speaking in tongues; it's supposed to be by courses, two, or not more than three. That is correct, but if you'll notice here, if it was a...
It's like someone give us up there... Like Brother Sothmann raised up and give a message in prophecy or speaking in tongues. Interpretation of tongues is prophecy (See?), spirit of prophecy. Now, if you just speaking in unknown tongues, there be no interpreter, that person's blessed of the Spirit, but he doesn't hurt the church.
Now, what Paul was trying to get at is this, "You use the whole service just in speaking in tongues (See?), and the unlearned said, 'What--what's this about, anyhow?'" See, they don't get it but there be an interpretation. And let there be one, two, or as many as three messages in a meeting.
135 Now, the person here says, "Then in the prayer line?" That must have been that maybe someone in the prayer line... Maybe, Brother Neville, or in some other church or wherever it's from, that in the prayer line this man--or in Divine healing meetings, might have been in Brother Roberts' meeting, Brother Allen's meeting, or some, in my meeting, or somebody else, I don't know. But, whatever it is, what Paul is speaking of is a message to the congregation out there, "Let that just be three," because the message of God is speaking a message trying to get it over to the congregation. But when the man in the prayer line, he's prophesying to an individual, not the whole. If that be so, how can I avoid it all along in my prayer lines (See?), when thirty or forty of them in a night? See, if you're prophesying to an individual...
But this man prophesying is to the whole body; let that be two or three messages and then stop it. Though the Holy Spirit may still want to speak, but wait a minute, give the Word a chance to go out. You see? And then, really, that speaking should be either before or after the Word, nothing should interrupt the Word as It's going out. But, however, we get that in order later on when the spirits and gifts begins to get into perfection.
We're talking now on--on the seriousness of the Pentecostal church, I mean the real Pentecostal church. And we're glad that God still lives and reigns and speaking to us.
138 Now, but if it's like, for instance, if the sister here would give us a message in tongues or a prophecy, and the lady next to her would give a message in tongues or prophecy, and then the lady next to her or somebody back there, someone will give a message or a prophecy, or tongues. No doubt but what it's nearly all speaking on the same thing, if God's urgent, trying to put something over, calling some individual in the church to do something, now, or something that He wants done.
Now, then for instance, the prayer line's called, and Brother Neville or myself or any other minister goes down to this individual, that's not to the body; that's to this individual. And the Spirit of God comes upon him to tell this individual something, then tell them, 'cause he's not speaking to the congregation. He's speaking to this individual, not to the congregation, so that is all right.
140 149. All right. Dear Brother Branham, time after time the Lord shows me things in dreams. He has showed me things about my son in the navy, which my son told me were secrets. He has showed me of people's deaths and of the secrets of people's hearts. Is this a gift from God? When He shows me in dreams the hearts and minds of people, everything has always turned out like the dream shows me.
Why, yes, my brother or sister, whoever it may be. The Lord bless you. That is, to my opinion, the gift of God. It's a gift of God. Don't you know the Bible speaks of dreams? Joseph, how he dreamed dreams and interpreted, and how others dreamed dreams. Those things are of God. Now, if it's of God, it'll always be truthful, it'll always happen just exactly the way He said.
141 And now, don't... If you start showing off with it, it'll just leave you. See, just be reverent and sweet. And when He shows you anything, and it's something that you should tell somebody, that they've done something that's wrong, then just don't stand right up and rebuke that person, go to them yourself and say, "Sister, brother, you know, the Lord told me the other night that--that you were doing something wrong, a certain thing."
If that person says, "You are wrong. That is a lie. I did not do that."
Now, the thing to do then is go back and say, "Heavenly Father, was that wrong?"
Now, if that person... Then if that person was telling you the truth, then you've got the wrong spirit. But if that person was lying, and he did do it, God will deal with that person. See? Yes, sir. Because (See?), what he's done there? He's blasphemed against the Holy Ghost, denying what the Holy Ghost has called to his attention. See, so it's the wrong thing.
145 150. Brother Branham, how can a--a church dance, shout, speak in tongues, and let the Spirit... (Let's see, now wait a minute.)... and get lost in the Spirit, and ever very seldom any time Scripture read. I don't understand it.
Neither do I, "shouting, dancing, speaking in tongues, and not even read the Scripture..." I--I--I say this, remember, William Branham, which could be a million miles wrong. I believe that most of the people... I was asked that question today by a brother, something on that order, that when they go to pray for the sick, a brother will maybe pray for one, then get them all singing or dancing in the Spirit, thinking that brings power amongst the people. No, I--I... For myself, I believe that's wrong.
146 I believe that a person coming in the healing meeting will be like coming for salvation, come reverently, believing. Every person in there, not shouting and dancing, but seeing their brother or sister going up there to ask God for mercy, bow your head and start praying, "God, help my brother now as pastor prays for him, anoints him. Let the Holy Spirit come upon him and give him faith to believe for his healing. He's a precious brother. She's a precious sister." Be praying for him instead of just singing, shouting, and dancing.
But we see so much of that in our Pentecostal meetings; it's a constant... I believe it's a worship; I truly believe they're worshipping God. Yes, sir. I believe it with all of my heart. And I believe in speaking with tongues, shouting, and dancing. And I believe it every bit, yes. I believe anything that they do in the Bible is just as good today as it was then (Sure.), but I believe it has its time and its order.
Now, the great blessing's on, and the people are shouting, and the glory of the Lord is a-falling, and people want to scream and shout and do whatever the Spirit tells them, go ahead. That's right. But when a man's coming to be healed, where the question between death and life is involved, I believe we should be reverent and speak to Father and talk to Him for this brother. Instead of worshipping Him, let's ask Him, "Father, I'm--I'm a worshipper of Yours. I love You. You know I do. I express my love to You. Now I'm expressing my faith in You; help my brother to be well, will You, Father?" I believe you'll get a better results by doing that. I really do. And reverence the Spirit of God.
149 My, these may be a hundred miles long. I hope I've answered them...?... throwed just a little bit of Light. I kind of know what's on your minds now anyhow. And I'll tell you what. A little later on I want to ask pastor here if he'll come and help me to--maybe come down and get all the people together that's got the Spirit of God upon them in the form of gifts, let's talk about it a little while. Maybe I can help you to climb the ladder just a little bit higher and get a little closer to God with it and set it more in order in the church. I've been watching along; it seems wonderful to me. And I just love to see it move on and on and on, and on and on and on.
And as we're coming up, don't let Satan creep in now. Boy, he's smart. Hmm. Don't outwit him; don't try to, because you can't. You just depend on God and just keep walking humbly; God will do it, and you'll find out that God will use you more and more and more like that. The Lord bless you.
151 Do we have time for twenty minutes of speaking? Thank you. Thank you. I guess that was enough to start me, Ben. All right.
Let's turn to Psalms just a moment. The Lord seemed to give me a little thought here I would like to express to you all tonight just in a matter of a sermon, if you will, just--just a few minutes. I know it's hot, and it's hot up here too. But remember, we won't meet any more, maybe, till Wednesday night. So let's just wait and--and 'fore we sing the good old song of "Blest Be The Tie That Binds," let's--let's talk about the--the written Word. These questions kind of make us--leave us in a stew. Let's--let's get out of it now and--and speak in the Word. Now can we bow our heads again just a moment?
153 Heavenly Father, these questions, I've tried to find what the people's got on their hearts, see if they'll ask about this about that. I see, Lord, they're desiring spiritual gifts. And those who have spiritual gifts are wondering how to conduct it. To some, it's throwing great Light on the church; to others they're wondering. Now, Lord, help us. Help us, Lord. We are Your children. We are not doing these things to honor ourselves; we are doing this to the honor of God by a gift that God has given us.
We pray, Father, that You'll bless these gifts and manifest them in the church. And may it come to pass that pilgrims and strangers coming by, and drop in that door and set down a few minutes, and may the Spirit of God be so great in here till it'll make known the secret of every heart that enters the door. Grant it, Lord. May it be with such sweetness and humility, never harsh and rebuking and tearing down. We know the Spirit of God isn't like that.
So we pray that You'll bless us in everything. Bless our church; bless our people. Bless the people of other churches. And, Father, we know that there are only one church and we are all born into that.
And I pray, Father, that You'll bless us further as I read this little text that You seemed to give me, setting there by the desk this afternoon. And help me, Lord, not to keep the people too long, but just to speak a few expressions here. I pray that You'll be in it. And give us a little thought, that we can go home with it and thank the Lord for His goodness. We ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
157 Now, don't forget, next Sunday morning, the Lord willing. Now turn to Psalms 106 and the 7th verse. I was going to read on down, a piece--a part of this Psalm. But it's David. Why it come to me, was because of this morning's message. And I'll get my watch here and try to be out at nine-thirty, if all possible. Now on the 7th verse of Psalms 106:
Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even... the Red sea.
I'm going to read the next verse:
Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
The Lord add His blessings. I'm going to speak to you, if the Lord willing, on the subject of the misunderstanding, God, misunderstood. I'll take it like that: "God Being Misunderstood."
161 You know, misunderstanding gets us in a lot of trouble. Many times that people say things that they repeat after somebody else, where they misunderstood them. That gets a person in trouble. I believe it would be good for us if we just, well, wait till we understood what we was talking about. Don't you think so? I know it would be for me, a very good for me to find out first and then say it. See? But we're always, seem to be, misunderstood. And here David is speaking of Israel misunderstood His miracles when they were in Egypt.
Now, to misunderstand is just not to say, "Well, I didn't hear what he said," but to see something done and misunderstand what it's for, that's a--that's you're missing the boat all completely then.
163 Now, God doesn't do miracles just to say, "See, I'm God." God does a miracle for an understanding. See? God does it for a purpose. And did you notice the reading of the Psalms here in this 7th verse? I think it's so beautiful; I want to read it over again.
Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt;... (see, they didn't understand it)... they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even... the Red sea.
Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
See, they did not understand why that God, down in Egypt, performed these miracles. He was trying to show them His mercies. He was trying to get them to understand that He was God in their midst. I love that.
165 In my little sermon that I preached here sometime ago, up at Chicago, and then I believe I preached it here, the boys has got it on tape, "As The Eagle Stirreth Up Her Nest," flutters over her young. How that the old mother eagle takes her little babies... Before she takes them on a flight, they got a lot of loose feathers in them. And they've never seen her really in her best because they're all squatted down in the nest. But she gets up over the nest and she spreads her big mighty wings. What's she doing? She screams; she wants them to know her voice. She stretches forth her big wings.
The female eagle's sometimes the largest. They are said that eagles sometime, many females has wings fourteen feet from tip to tip, pick up a calf and fly away with it. Fourteen feet, tip from tip to wings, far as across this platform right here, from post to post.
167 She gets up there before this little fellow, because why? She's going to take him on a flight. He's never been out of that nest. And she's going to take him way up in the heavens and then shake him off, and let him up there to flop for himself to learn how to fly. So she wants to show the authority she has. She spreads forth her big wings to the strutting of the feathers, and she screams, and then she fans them. Oh, my. The feathers fly out of the nest, and everything else, she's throwing wind in there like out of a jet plane. Knocks him backwards, and he lays on his little back, and looks up and saying, "Mother, how great thou art. How great thou art."
"See how strong my wings are? I can pick you up and pack you anywhere I want to. I'm powerful."
169 That's what God was doing to Israel. You know, He said, "As the eagle stirreth up her nest," that's the same thing. He found Israel in a howling land down there, and He brought him up out of Egypt and took him into the promised land on the wings of an eagle. See? And what was God doing these miracles? He was trying to get to His people that He was the mighty Jehovah.
And that's what He's trying to do today. He just doesn't heal people just to--because He can heal. He's trying to get to you that He's the Resurrection, that He can make you well, He can raise up your body. He can do whatever He wants to; He's Jehovah. I like that.
But the people misunderstood Him. God is so easily to be misunderstood by unbelievers, by those who don't want to understand. Many people try to understand. Many don't want to understand; they just shut up themselves and say, "There's no such a thing," and, "I don't believe in such." Then they can never understand.
172 But a man that's willing to understand, that's willing to set down ("And come let us reason together," saith the Lord) now, that man is--is on the line of learning something from the Lord. But people who always are associated with God and God's power... You can hardly be associated with God without being associated with His power, because when you're associated with Him you are acquainted to Him, or a relative to Him, and then you have His power in you.
That's the reason that people cannot believe in miracles today, because they don't have anything in them to believe with. They've got to have something in there to believe with. And when the Spirit of God is in a man, he will say "amen" to every Word of God and every miracle of God. But as my mother used to say, "You can't get blood from a turnip, because there's no blood in it." So that's the same way; you can't get belief out of unbeliever, because there's nothing there to believe with.
174 A man said, "I don't believe in Divine healing, no matter what you'd say." Certainly, it's not for him; it's only to those who can believe. If you're going to get blood, get it out from something that's got blood in it. If you're going to get faith, get it out to something that's got faith in it.
And that's the way; God uses something that's got faith in it. He don't send you out here in a healing campaign when you ain't got faith enough to believe it. How is He going to send you out in a miracle-working revival when you ain't got faith enough to believe it? He wants something that's got something in there that He can produce something with. So the people misunderstood.
176 Noah was very much misunderstood in his day. Noah, acquainted of God, a servant of God, a believer in God. And when you become a believer in God, you do things so contrary to what people think that's right till they think that you're crazy. And Noah, warned of God, prepared an ark for the saving of his household. And the people thought that he was crazy. He was not crazy; he was just misunderstood, because he was following the direction of God. Amen. I like that. He was misunderstood.
"How could a man..." Though You say, "There's never no rain come from the sky. What is rain?" Never had rained; God irrigated the ground. "Noah, where's that rain at?"
"I don't know."
"Show me where it's at."
"I can't show it to you."
"Well, how do you know it's going to come down from up there when there's none up there to come down?"
Noah might've said something like this: "God told me it was coming down. And if God said it's coming down, He's able to take it up there and then bring it down." So that--that settled it. If God said so, that's all there is to it. See? He was misunderstood because he was following God.
180 Elijah... I could stay on these subjects a long time, but I've got several of them here I would like to come to quickly. Elijah was misunderstood by his nation. Elijah was an Israelite; he was a Jew, and he was misunderstood because he was always condemning his nation, condemning the king, condemning the queen, condemning everything there was around, and condemning them. What a crackpot he seemed to be. Why, my, everything, it came "THUS SAITH THE LORD. God's going to punish you, you Jezebel, you so-and-so."
He was misunderstood. Why? He was following God. It was not Elijah they misunderstood; it was the working of the Holy Spirit in Elijah that they misunderstood.
182 How could a man raise up against his own nation? Blasphemed his own nation, corrected, and put the curses of God upon it, the very nation, the very people that he lived with. His own race, his own color, his own creed, his own kind, and yet predict the judgments of God and called a famine upon them. He was misunderstood, because it wasn't Elijah; it was God in Elijah that they misunderstood. It wasn't Elijah being misunderstood; it was God leading Elijah, and they misunderstood that God was a holy God and He cannot in-tolerate sin.
And no matter if it's on your brother, sister, or mother, no matter who it is, it's sin in the sight of God and the judgment will come upon them for it. Misunderstood...
184 Daniel was misunderstood when all of the rest of the children of Israel bowed down to the image, but he and Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down. Well, they said, "What's the matter with him?" The whole nation said, "What's the matter with this crazy guy? Well, all the rest of the Hebrews recognized our god; they recognized it; they bow down when we play the trumpets, and sound the trumpets and play the psalteries, and so forth, and sound the flute. They all bow down, but what's the matter with this crackpot? What's the matter with him; he won't do it?" Because he was in contact with God. That's what's the matter. He was misunderstood. He was supposed to be "Crazy, or had lost his mind. Well, they was a bunch of cranks." But they were only following the leading of the Spirit. That's the reason they were misunderstood.
185 All the prophets of the Old Testament, how they rose up and prophesied against their nation, how they prophesied against the people, how they prophesied against the thing, putting curses upon them, and doing things like that. They misunderstood. Why? They were God's servants; they were doing the will of God. They were doing the service of God; therefore, they were misunderstood.
And anybody that follows God is misunderstood. Jesus, our Lord, when His birth, He was misunderstood.
The Magi, they were misunderstood; they were following a supernatural sign to find a King that was born King of the Jews. They knowed there was a star rising out of Jacob, according to the prophecies of Daniel. And they knowed this King would be a Saviour; He would be the King of Israel. And they come two years, all the way from India down by the Tigris River, and across the deserts and through the mountains, everywhere, and come into the city of Jerusalem one evening about sundown, screaming, "Where is He that's born King of the Jews? Where is He?"
188 And nobody knowed nothing about it. It was a strange thing that the King of the Jews was born and people hundreds of miles away knowed about it, and right here in the city where He was born, and the place He was born, amongst the people He was born to, and they knowed nothing about it. They misunderstood the Magi. They said, "There's no such a thing as the King of the Jews. We got a king up here: Herod."
He was misunderstood in His birth when He was born. And Mary was to be mother before she was married to Joseph. Misunderstood... They thought It was born out of holy wedlock; they did not know that the Holy Ghost had conceived this Child in her. But it was misunderstood. It was a act of God, and people misunderstood it. They still misunderstand it, an act of God is usually misunderstood.
191 Only by spiritual believing people, people who believe the Spirit... But it was misunderstood; the Magi was misunderstood. Herod misunderstood it. When Herod said, "Well, you tell me where the baby is, and I'll go worship Him too," he was a hypocrite; he was a-lying. What he was afraid of... He didn't know the Scriptures that there was supposed to be a Messiah come, a King of heaven. And Herod thought it would be an earthly king, and he wanted to kill Him to get rid of Him.
It wasn't an earthly king; He said this earth is not His kingdom, "If this was My kingdom My subjects would fight for Me, but My Kingdom is of up above." Herod misunderstood it; he thought it was an earthly king.
194 That's the way they say today, "What church do you belong to if you're a Christian? What denomination?"
"None."
They don't get it. See, they can't understand it. They think a denomination means a Christian. It's vice versa, very much so. But it's misunderstood by the people.
Now, we find out that Herod misunderstood it; he couldn't understand it.
Nicodemus couldn't understand it, the new birth, when he came to Jesus by night. Someone condemned him. I don't condemn him. He was a good man; he wanted to find out something. He was busy through the day, maybe he was at his priest's office, or something another; he had to come by night. Anyhow he got there; he done a lot better than a lot of people does now. They won't come day or night. He finally arrived; 'fore you condemn him, have you? He finally got to Jesus, and let's not condemn him if we haven't been there. And if you get there, then I don't think you'd condemn him. No, he--he got there. And he come by night; maybe he was busy. Anyhow he come. Maybe Jesus was too busy out praying for the sick and things, only time he could catch Him for this interview would be at nighttime. But he finally got there; he stayed there till he got an interview with Jesus. And when Jesus said...
He--he said, "Rabbi, we know that You are a man sent from God, for no man could do these things that You do except God be with Him."
Jesus said, "Except a man be borned again he cannot enter the Kingdom, not even see the Kingdom."
And the great rabbi, master in Israel, said, "Me, an old man, to be a--enter into my mother's wombs and be borned again?" See, he misunderstood what Jesus was talking about; he just didn't get it. Because that Jesus was talking about a spiritual birth, and he was trying to apply it to a natural birth. So he misunderstood Him; he didn't get it. He just... The way people do... Just like Nicodemus, many of us misunderstand the things of God, because we just take it and apply it for a natural thing.
200 Like, say, a doctor say, "Oh, I do not believe in Divine healing. I don't believe there's anything."
I heard a doctor tell a woman in an office one time, said... And she didn't know... He wanted to know what become of a growth she had. She said, "Brother Branham prayed for me, and the Lord healed me."
He said, "I do not believe it." He said, "I can never--I can never believe anything like that." Said, "Tell me who took it off."
Said, "Find the scar."
Said, "What did you put on it?"
Said, "Nothing, not at all." Said, "He just called me out of the meeting and the thing left."
And I was setting right in the next room (That's right.), setting right in the next room listening. She didn't know I was in there. And he didn't know I was in there, 'cause he didn't even know me. See? And there I was setting in there. And he said... Taking somebody else to a doctor's office. That's exactly right. And I could overhear what he said; I got--I got the patient and got out of there when I found that, that he didn't believe.
So he said, "I don't believe one word of it." Said, "I've never seen anything yet that could do anything like that. I just don't believe it." Said, "I've got to see it before I believe it."
She said, "Well, what about my--my growth?"
He said, "I'd have to see it leave before I'll believe it."
206 See, seeing is not believing. "Faith is the substance of things you don't see." See, you believe it first and then it happens. So the--the man was not a believer, so therefore it was all a mystery to him. He didn't know what he was talking about, because he--he couldn't understand it; it was a riddle to him.
People say today, "Oh, I don't believe in that Divine healing. I don't believe in that Holy Ghost. I don't believe in that speaking in tongues. I don't believe in that shouting. I don't believe in all this stuff like that. I don't believe in it." Why? It's a mystery. You're just misunderstanding. It's God; here it is in the Bible. Here it is bringing the same results that the Bible spoke of bringing; then it's got to be God. You just misunderstand it; that's all. God is misunderstood.
208 His disciples couldn't understand His miracle that night when He come into the boat, and he said, "What manner of man is this that even the winds and the waves obey Him?" They misunderstood that He wasn't a man; He was God.
That's what's the matter today with people. They want to make Him a little mascot boy, or something another that carries the bat. They want to make Him just a little fellow around the camp.
He wasn't a little fellow around the camp; He was Jehovah God. They misunderstood it. They expected Him to be just one of them. He wasn't one of them; He was God among them. He was more than a man. As I've often said, He was a man when He was hungry, but He was God when He fed five thousand with a biscuit--two biscuits and some pieces of fishes. He was a man when He was tired on the back of a boat, but He was God when He ceased the winds and waves and made them obey Him. "What manner of man is this?" He wasn't a manner of a man; He was God manifested in a man. They misunderstood Him. They thought Him to be a man, Mary's son, a carpenter, but He was God manifested in the flesh. Amen.
211 The Roman soldiers misunderstood Him when they had Him set in the court, and put a rag around His eyes, and hit Him on top of the head, and said, "Now, if you are a prophet... They all say you're a prophet; come tell us who hit you on top of the head."
See, they misunderstood that Jesus said, "I do only what the Father shows Me to do. I do what the Father shows Me, and then I do what He tells Me to do." They misunderstood it.
213 They misunderstood His ministry. The Jews misunderstood Him: how He come to be their Friend and Saviour, and they wanted to make Him a--a something was evil. They misunderstood His ministry. He said, "The queen of the south shall rise up in the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And a greater than Solomon is here." But they misunderstood that He was greater than Solomon. They thought He was just a man.
Many of them thought He was born out of holy wedlock, come up out of a bad family that had these desires and so forth, and a bastard child. Which we just had the question, they could not even... Why, they said, "Why, we know that you were born out of holy wedlock. You got a devil on you. Why, you try to teach us? We're rabbis."
He said, "You are of your father, the devil." See, they misunderstood.
215 When the Roman soldiers went back one time, listening at Him, said, "Never a man spoke like this. We never heard a man speak like this."
It was not a man speaking; it was God. Yes, sir. Man didn't speak like that. A man tells and speaks the Scriptures; Jesus makes the Scriptures live. A man don't live like this: "The Scripture says this here; here it is." Man can say the Scripture says it, but that's about all he can do. But Jesus could say, "I and My Father are One; My Father dwells in Me. He that's seen Me has seen the Father." Nobody else could say that. Amen. Hallelujah. That's right. "He that's seen Me has seen the Father." Nobody else could say that.
No wonder them soldiers said, "There never was a man spoke like this." He don't speak like a scribe or a preacher; He speaks with authority. And even the devils obey Him, and the winds and the waves obeyed Him. They thought He was a man, but He was God. See, He was misunderstood.
218 Said, "Why, you're--you're born a bastard. You're born out of holy wedlock, and you try to teach us? Why, we know you're mad and got a devil. You're a Samaritan, been over there and got them devils on you. You're trying to teach us, us holy rabbis?"
He said, "You're of your father the devil."
Yes, they misunderstood Him; they didn't know Who He was. That's what's the matter today, people trying to make Him something that He isn't. He's not just a man; He's God in man: no third person, He's the only Person. Yes, sir. Sure, they misunderstood Him.
220 The Pharisee, that Pharisee that invited Him down there that time for a dinner, a big banquet, he misunderstood Him. He thought he'd just have Him down there. I preached on that message out here not long ago at a breakfast, I believe, at Chicago, at that breakfast. That Pharisee said, "Now, look at Him setting back there, setting back there, unwashed feet and everything. That little woman come in and washed Him with the tears, and wiped with the hairs of her head." He said, "If He was a prophet He'd know what manner of woman that is there washing His feet. Shows He's not a prophet."
Jesus stood up and said, "Simon, I got something to say to you." Amen. He just misunderstood; that was all. He said, "I... You invited Me to come, and I left My busy schedule to come to your invitation. And when... You never met Me at the door. You never have washed My feet. You never anointed My head. You never kissed Me welcome. You just let Me come in, dirty and stinking and full of sweat, and set Me over here in a corner to make fun of Me. But this woman, this woman, she's constantly kissed My feet, and she's washed them with the tears of repentance (What beautiful water.), and wiped them with the hairs of her head. I've got something against you, Simon. Verily I say unto you, her sins which are many are all forgiven her." Amen. Simon misunderstood; she understood.
Simon said, "He's just a man."
She said, "He's God, my Saviour." He was misunderstood. He's still misunderstood.
222 The disciples at Calvary, they misunderstood when they all denied Him and went away. How could they see a man, a man that they had knowed to perform miracles and raise the dead, yet submit Hisself to death, and walk up through there, beaten, and crying, the spit running off His face, and blood mixed with it where they'd pulled their handfuls of beard out, plucked it from His face, and warped His back till His bones was shining through, and kicking Him, and beating Him around, them cussing, drunken soldiers beating Him right up the street; and stand and let them do that?" They misunderstood, so they stood far off. That's right.
The devil misunderstood Him. The devil said, "Surely that cannot be a Son of God that would stand there and be mistreated like that, and them cussing, and my disciples down there just treating him any way, and him taking it. He's not the Son of God."
224 Also the Pharisees, the priests, misunderstood Him, said, "If Thou be the Son of God, bring yourself down off of there."
The thief on His left misunderstood Him, said, "If thou be the Son of God, take us off the cross, save yourself and us too."
But the thief on the right understood Him; he said, "We have, and we've done evil and we deserve what we're getting, but this Man's done nothing. Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom."
Watch that Voice come back, said, "Today shall thou be with Me in paradise." He understood that that was God dying for our sins. The only way He could die, would be put to death in the flesh. He can't be put to death in Spirit, because He's the Eternal Spirit. And He had to be in flesh to be put to death, so they just misunderstood. He understood it.
228 One day about ten days after that, or about forty days after that, fifty days it was, the disciples climbed up into an upper room, and they stayed up there for ten days and nights until the fiftieth day come. Then all of a sudden there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind. Because Jesus had told them, "Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you, but wait in the city of Jerusalem until you're endued with power from on high." They knowed that It was going to come. Now, they knowed it was--had to happen. "Go up there and wait until I send It." They waited up there. They confessed, got everything out of their minds and hearts. They were waiting, all in one accord, in one place, waiting for the promise, walking back and forth, the men and the women, up there walking around together in this upper room, all the doors barred so the Jews couldn't get in and--and hurt them.
229 All at once, they was up there walking around, and there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, whirled around through there, and then licks of Fire begin to set upon them. The doors flew open; the windows come open, out into the streets they went. And they were misunderstood, insomuch that they said, "Are these men not full of new wine? These people are drunk because we hear them blabbering off something we don't know what they're talking about." All at once they said, "How hear we every man in our own language, are not all these Galileans?" They misunderstood that it was the promise of the Father.
Then God had a prophet there who could stand up and speak, Peter said, "You men of Jerusalem and you that dwell in Judaea, don't misunderstand this. This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel, 'And it'll come to pass in the last days,' saith God, 'I'll pour out My Spirit upon all flesh. And upon My handsmaids and maid servants will I pour out of My Spirit; they shall prophesy. I'll show wonders in the heavens above and in the earth below, and fire, and vapor, and pillars of smoke. It shall come to pass, before the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come, that whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." It was the work of God. It was the Holy Ghost, but they misunderstood it.
233 He was misunderstood. He's always been misunderstood. Israel misunderstood Him. The people in Noah's time misunderstood Him. The people in Daniel's time misunderstood Him. The people in John's time misunderstood Him. The people in--in the prophet's time misunderstood Him. The people in the Pentecostal age misunderstood Him. The people in this age misunderstands Him; it's still the same. They don't get it, because He's misunderstood. It's the time to compare the natural with the spiritual.
When the people in now... After the day of Pentecost, when they was all filled with the Holy Ghost, had this great big meeting up there, they called a man down there that's crippled from his mother's womb, two of them was going along the street and this beggar shook a can and asked for some money. And he said, "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I'll give it to you." He said, "In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." And he took the man by the hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. He begin walking, and leaping, and running, and jumping, and praising God, went into the temple. And all the people begin to come together, and screaming and carrying on. Why, it was unusual.
236 And they put them in jail, and threatened them that they "Should not preach any more in the Name of Jesus."
And Peter said, "Who should we listen to, God or man?"
And they turned them loose, thinking because they'd whipped them a little bit and threatened them that they'd hang them the next time, or burn them, or put them on the cross, or something, they'd stop it. But the next thing they found; they was out on the street doing it again. Why? They misunderstood. It wasn't them people; it was God in those people doing those things.
239 When they caught up little Stephen at the Sanhedrin Court, that morning, said, "We'll take him before this court. When all these rabbis and Jews and high priests and holy fathers, and all of them gathered out there, these doctors of divinity, it'll scare him in the wits." So they brought him out in his chains, and stood him out there, a little fellow like a lamb amongst a bunch of raving wolves. They said, "Watch him take down now and say, 'I'll take it all back, brethren; don't you all bother me.'"
He said, "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. Why do you resist the Holy Ghost? Like your fathers did, so do you." Amen.
They found out that it wasn't him. For they picked up clods, and throwed their hands in their ears, and begin to gnash upon him, and clod him to death. And when he raised his head up towards that, and the bats beating him from one side to the other, he said, "I see the heavens open, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." Amen. And he fell asleep in the arms of the Lord Jesus. When he died, he said, "Father, lay not this sin to their charge."
See, they misunderstood what they did. Paul, standing there look at it, later on it got on his nerves, and said, "I'm the least among all of them, because I bore witness to Stephen's death, Thy saint." Amen. That's it.
243 See, people misunderstood this enthusiasm. People misunderstand today. They misunderstand the power of the Holy Spirit. They call it a bunch of holy-rollers. They call it a bunch of people that ain't got their right mind. They misunderstand that you had to lose your--what you call your right mind...?... because you have the mind of Christ in you. You can't have the mind of the world and the mind of Christ at the same time, one's carnal and the other one's spiritual. "He that walks after the flesh is carnal; he that walks after the Spirit is spiritual." Amen. So I'll lose myself and find it, Lord, in Thee. Yes, sir.
So God's misunderstood. It's not you that's misunderstood; it's the Holy Spirit making you do that that they misunderstand. Amen. They're not speaking against you; they're speaking against Him. People are misunderstood.
There they let them go, but they get right back in the street and start again. The same today, they misunderstand the people. They don't know what it is.
245 Today I'm misunderstood in my ministry, that He sent me to the people. They misunderstand. Every one of them said, "We believe Brother Branham..." I talked to a preacher awhile ago, said, "Brother Branham, we all know that you was sent to the church, but, the idea is, how do you come baptizing in Jesus' Name?" They misunderstand the Scriptures. They misunderstand it. That's what He sent me for; that's my purpose of being here. "Why do you teach the serpent's seed, and things like that that's contrary to what we teach?" Well, brother, that's why I'm here. They just misunderstand it. Amen. But God is bearing record by His Word and the signs of the Holy Ghost in...?... No matter how much they may misunderstand it, God's confirming the Word. Amen.
God's always been misunderstood. And those who live with God are misunderstood with God, because it's God working in them. Amen. You believe it?
I love Him, I love Him
Because He first loved me (Do you love Him? Raise up your hands and say praises.)
.. purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
247 Are you glad you're misunderstood? We used to sing a little song, saying, "Now I'm marked, marked, marked, marked by the Spirit Divine." That's right. People that once loved me, turn their back on me now because I'm marked, marked by the Spirit. Amen. I lost my mind to the things of the world to receive the mind of Christ; therefore, if I have the mind of Christ, my mind seeks those things which are above. I'd like for somebody to show me any different correct baptism besides the Name of Jesus Christ. I'd like for somebody to show me a Scripture that says the serpent didn't have a seed. I'd like for somebody to show me a Scripture that says there's three gods.
Then they say, "Well, what is it?"
249 God sends His Message and bears record of it. He confirms the Word with signs following. That's what the Bible said. They can't deny that; it's a fact. But what did they do? They misunderstand it, because I didn't come in the name of the Assemblies of God, the Oneness, or the Twoness, or the Threeness, or the Church of God, or the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterian, Lutheran. I come in none of them names; I come in the Name of Jesus Christ. And God by His mercy confirms the Message by the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So it's still the Spirit of God that the people misunderstand. That's right, misunderstood.
Sure, you're misunderstood; all that live godly in Christ Jesus is misunderstood, all the way from righteous Noah, all the way down till the modern day saint today is misunderstood: always been, people misunderstand it.
Israel misunderstood it. They don't understand; they just can't because they are carnal in spirit, and not... It won't deviate with the spiritual, because it will not mix.
252 But I'm glad that we live in a Kingdom that's not made with hands of men. I'm glad that we're going to a Kingdom that man had nothing to do with. I'm glad that our Kingdom is above. And if our Kingdom is above, we're born from above, then we seek those things which are above, where Christ sets at the right hand of God, oh, where He's not ashamed of us as our testimony. We're not ashamed of Him on this earth, because we are pilgrims and strangers. We're not of this earth; we're borned of the Spirit of God. We're setting together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, washed in His Blood, borned of His Spirit, filled with His grace. That's it: misunderstood. But what do we care? We love Him. Don't you love Him?
253 All right, Teddy, give us the note on "I Love Him," and let's sing it from the top of our voice.
I love Him, I love Him
Because He first loved me
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
Isn't He wonderful? Don't you love Him? Aren't you glad that you're a peculiar, royal priesthood, chosen people, peculiar people, offering spiritual sacrifices, the fruits of your lips, giving praise to Him? I'll sing you a song now; I feel like singing.
I find many people who can't understand
Why I am so happy and free;
I've been filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And that's what's the matter with me.
Oh, that's what's the matter with me,
Oh, that's what's the matter with me;
I've been filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And that's what's the matter with me.
You like that? Let's all sing it then.
We find many people who can't understand
Why we are so happy and free;
We're filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And that's what's the matter with me.
Oh, that's what's the matter with me, (Praise God.)
Oh, that's what's the matter with me;
I've been filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And that's what's the matter with me.
Oh, when I get happy, I sing and I shout,
Some don't understand it, I see;
But I've crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land,
And that's what's the matter with me.
Oh, that's what's the matter with me, (Praise God.)
Oh, that's what's the matter with me;
I've crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land,
And that's what's the matter with me.
257 Oh, I love that, don't you? Crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land. I bid farewell to the world, lifted up above the things of the world, now I'm living in this heavenly atmosphere. Sure I act funny to them buzzards down there. Yes, sir. I'm flying above it. That's right. What do we care? We are living in Canaan's land (Amen. Yes, sir.), eating the new grapes, just having a wonderful time, full of glory, full of power, full of the Holy Spirit. Yes, sir.
Said a Stephen was a man full. Full of what? Full of what? He was full of the Holy Ghost; he was full of power; he was full of wisdom; he was full of might. What'd it all make up? He was full of the Holy Ghost. That's where all these things dwell. That's what the church of the living God is. Aren't you happy for it, Christians? That's rightly. If you're misunderstood, "All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall be misunderstood." They've always been down through the Bible.
Now, what am I trying to say? To you people who speak with tongues, to you who shout, dance in the Spirit, people say, "Oh, it's nonsense," just remember I've went right back and showed you. Right down through the Scripture, they're always misunderstood. Remember, you're in the Scripture, and you're doing that which is right. Stay right with it. God's with you. Stay right in the Scripture. God will take care of the rest of it. Amen.
260 I love Him. Let's sing that good old baptismal song, the one we was singing the first time that the Angel of the Lord there ever appeared before men in his presence. I'd seen it before, myself, but first time He ever come down. And when He come down, He--He said, "As John was sent to forerun the first coming of Christ, your message will forerun the second coming of Christ." Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people standing on the banks down there when It come down on June, 1933, at the river. And we were standing on the banks, singing:
On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye,
To Canaan's fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.
I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
Oh, I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
When shall I reach this healthful place,
And be forever blest.
When shall I see my Father's face,
And in His bosom rest?
Oh, I am bound for the promised land,
Oh, I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
All o'er those wide extended plains
Shines one eternal day;
There God the Son forever reigns,
And scatters night away.
I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised...
Let's just sing that again and shake hands with somebody around you.
I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
262 Now, without a shadow of doubt, every one of you that has accepted Christ, and know that you are borned again of the Spirit, let's raise our hands now and sing it.
I am bound for the promised land,
Well, I'm bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
I haven't seen this for a long time. Ladies, reach in your purse and get a handkerchief. Gentlemen, reach in your hip pocket and get your handkerchief out. Now we're going to have a wave-gift to the Lord. All right, all of us together, we're going to wave like we're going into Canaan now, wave your handkerchief. All right, now.
I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land,
Now, if there is someone here that hasn't made their election and calling sure, that would like to come while we sing it again, would like to pull out your handkerchief and wave with us again. The gate's open now; the tickets are free. Won't you come? Step aboard the old ship of Zion; she's going, moving out. Let's go.
I am bound for the promised land, (It won't be long.)
Oh, I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
265 As we bow our heads:
To be like Jesus, just to be like Jesus,
On earth I long to be like Him;
All through life's journey from earth to Glory
I only ask to be like Him.
From Bethlehem's manger came forth a Stranger,
On earth I long to be like Him;
All through life's journey from earth to Glory
I only ask to be like Him.
Don't forget Sunday. Don't forget Wednesday night is prayer meeting. Remember, pray much; pray for me; pray for your pastor; pray for your neighbor, your deacons, your trustees; pray that God will have His way with us all.
To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus,
On earth I long (That's my heart's desire.) to be like Him; (misunderstood)
Remember God...?... Isn't that your desire? Think of it.
.. from earth to Glory
I only ask to be like Him.
[Brother Branham begins humming the song--Ed.]...
.. humble and lowly,
On earth I long just to be like Him;
All through life's journey from earth to Glory
I only ask to be like Him.
With our heads bowed now, and our eyes closed, and our hearts centered on God, we will call on my precious, good friend, Brother Roy Borders from California, if he won't have--pronounce the benediction upon this meeting. Brother Borders.
1 …Nech vás Pán žehná. Modlite sa dnes večer za mňa. Mali sme taký malý lejak, dosť na to, aby ochladil vzduch, a sme za to vďační, a ja spolieham, že budeme mať jednu z takých duchovných spŕch vo vnútri, aby nám to tak trošku pomohlo.
Myslím, že brat Neville... Ak by som to teraz hodil na teba, čo povieš? Ja, a teraz hovoriť... trochu ma ofúklo a potom ja... Táto moja plešivá hlava mi spôsobuje, že to na mňa príde a blokuje mi to hrdlo. Tak, nechal som, aby dali dnes večer otázky a odpovede, aby sme trochu... Ten dôvod, prečo toto robíme, je zistiť, čo je na srdciach ľudí.
4 Myslím, že je to veľmi dobré pre pastora, urobiť toto a potom zistiť, o čom ľudia rozmýšľajú, keď napíšu svoje otázky a niečo majú. A myslím si, že každý jeden z nás je naozaj zaviazaný podeliť sa so svojimi myšlienkami s našimi pastormi a našimi duchovnými vodcami, a tak ďalej, a čokoľvek vidíme, tak to je preto, aby všetko išlo hladko a pekne a pre prospech Božieho kráľovstva.
A potom som... Až do času asi pred pol hodinou som mal asi len dve alebo tri, ktoré som... Billy dnes ráno po zhromaždení pozbieral a priniesol ich ku mne. A potom som odišiel a študoval som Písma, myslel som, že budem dnes večer trochu hovoriť tým, že som sa zmienil, že tu budem. A potom ma zavolal, asi pred pár minútami, a povedal, „Počkaj, mám ich teraz plné ruky.“
Tak sa budem snažiť ísť ku týmto otázkam a dať na ne odpovede podľa môjho najlepšieho poznania. A potom, ak skončím ešte v dobrom čase, mám jeden text, na ktorý by som rád hovoril, na asi dvadsať alebo tridsať minút, je to len krátky text.
7 A potom, pamätajte, ak bude Pán chcieť na ďalšiu nedeľu ráno, chcem urobiť najlepšie, ako viem, z milosti Božej, vysvetliť sedemdesiat Danielových týždňov. A ako som dnes ráno povedal, je to veľmi dôležité miesto Písma. A to nie je tak veľmi hovoriť o tom, ale skôr umiestniť to tam, kde to patrí, aby to pasovalo s celým zbytkom Biblie.
A začali sme od Zjavenia 1 a dostali sme sa do šiestej kapitoly. Samozrejme, dostávame sa teraz ku tým siedmim posledným Pečatiam. A tie Pečate budú prebiehať od šiestej, od poslednej časti šiestej kapitoly do devätnástej kapitoly, vrátane. A to zaberie dlhý čas. Tak mohol by som vziať povedzme sedem večerov a prejsť sedem Pečatí, otvárať ich. Ale ak to tak urobíte, potom ľudia minú tú veľkú časť, ktorá je tuto, ktorá to vypĺňa. Ak nie sú skutočne vyučovaní, tak to nemusí byť dobré. Ale prvé tri alebo štyri z nich sú len udalosti, ktoré by sme mohli tak poporadí vziať a prejsť nimi, ale tá ďalšia z nich, musíte sa potom vrátiť späť znovu do Daniela, a vrátiť sa späť do Genesis, vrátiť späť do Zjavenia, a potom sa vrátiť späť do Evanjelií, a len to zvinúť dohromady, pretože to je stopa Izraela, ako Boh koná s Izraelom. Pretože, keď cirkev pôjde hore, to je tá posledná cirkev, až kým ona nepríde s jej Pánom ako Nevesta a Ženích v devätnástej kapitole, a počas toho obdobia On koná s Izraelom. A aby sme porozumeli sedemdesiat Danielových týždňov, to pripravuje ten obraz na nadchádzajúce otváranie prvej Pečate.
9 Potom som si pomyslel, že ak bude Pán chcieť, na ďalšiu nedeľu o tom budem hovoriť. Ak to neskončím v nedeľu ráno, potom sa to pokúsim pokračovať v nedeľu večer. A to potom otvorí cestu, ak nás Pán tak bude viesť, nebudeme sa musieť zastaviť pri tej časti, ale pôjdeme rovno do tých siedmich Pečatí a len to budeme prinášať tak dlho, ako budeme vidieť, že to Pán vedie.
Tak dnes večer tu máme nejaké otázky, a to sú všetko rozumné a citlivé otázky. Je tu jedna, o ktorej by som chcel hovoriť najprv len na krátko. To bol niekto, kto sa ma opýtal... To nie je otázka, je to len jedna prosba, niekto sa ma opýtal, „Kde sú moje kľúče? Prosím, povedz mi.“ Oni ich stratili v toto popoludnie.
11 Tak, poviem vám, pred pár týždňami, asi pred pár dňami, to bolo tu v Modlitebni. Zvykol som ísť na modlitbu a očakávať na Pána a zistiť, kde sú tie veci, ktoré ľudia stratili. Našiel som ľuďom autá. Pán ku mne hovoril o tom, kde ľudia...
Brat Welch Evans sem prišiel a stratil auto, niekto mu ho ukradol v Louisville. On a brat Fred Sothmann a niektorí z bratov... brat Tom Simpson, myslím, tam bol tiež toho dňa. Alebo, bol si, brat Tom? A oni prišli domov a bol tam brat Evans bez auta, bez šiat, všetko, čo mal, bolo v jeho aute. Oni ho zaparkovali pri Millerových a niekto ho vzal.
A my tu máme také miesto v Louisville, kde oni odtiahnu autá, a oni ich potom odvezú do Bowling Green alebo niekde a prestriekajú ich. A v Kentucky nemusíte mať svoje auto zaregistrované, a tak oni môžu tie autá zmeniť behom pár minút a predať ich, akokoľvek chcú.
14 A tak brat Evans a jeho malé auto a všetko, čo mal v ňom, a Pán mi dal pre neho odpoveď. A predtým, ako sa dostali domov, auto už stálo tu, malo asi polovicu nádrže, kde ich Pán otočil na ceste do Bowling Green a priviedol späť. A oni zaparkovali auto rovno tam so všetkým, čo v ňom bolo, nechýbala ani jedna vec, len ten benzín, ktorý minuli.
Mnohokrát ľudia povedali určité veci a oni poprosili a ja som išiel pred Pána a čakal som na videnia a čakal som, kým prídu. Ale zistil som, že sa to stalo pre ľudí veľkým kameňom potknutia. Skutočne, ľudia v Amerike nie sú pripravení pre taký druh služby, tie cirkvi. To je pravda. Je to pomimo ich času, rozumiete? A robia všetko možné, niektorí vás nazvú diablom, niektorí vás nazvú špiritistom, niektorí vás nazvú synom Božím, bohom, a všetkým možným. Rozumiete? Tak ja som sľúbil Pánovi, že to nechám tak a budem len čakať a použijem tú službu v Afrike alebo pri osobných rozhovoroch, keď ich tu budem mať.
16 Tak my sme tu stále pre osobné rozhovory, to stále prebieha ohľadne takých vecí. Ale... Ale ten spôsob, ako to obdržať, je nie prísť do cirkvi, ale choďte k môjmu sekretárovi, môjmu synovi, Billy Paulovi, a on vám dá taký malý lístok a povie vám, kedy to má byť, a tak ďalej. A všetko takéto, čo je na osobné rozhovory, tu alebo tam na poli, môže prísť jedine týmto spôsobom. Je to tam na tabuli zverejnené, alebo v knihe alebo na tej poznámke, na nástenke o tom, ako k tomuto pristúpiť. Ale prísť len sem na pódium...
Tak, máme v cirkvi dary. Máme tu brata Nevilleho, ktorý prijal dar proroctva. Brat Higginbotham, ktorý tu sedí, má dar hovorenia v jazykoch a vykladanie jazykov. Poradil by som vám... Budem sa modliť, aby vám Boh dal vaše kľúče, ale poradil by som vám možno, ak by Duch Svätý dnes večer prehovoril možno cez brata Nevilleho alebo brata Higginbothama alebo cez niektoré z týchto darov v cirkvi, ohľadne ktorých máme aj niektoré otázky, ktoré za pár minút preberieme, tak možno by to oni mohli urobiť.
18 Ale čo sa mňa týka, ja som dal sľub Bohu, že už to viac v Amerike na verejných zhromaždeniach nepoužijem, pretože to len spôsobilo, aby som opustil pole. A potom vás niektorí označia rovno za diabla a iní vás urobia bohom. A tak vidíte, oni na to ešte nie sú pripravení. A tak Boh v tom nemôže konať a som si istý, že tá osoba, ktorá sa to pýtala, to porozumie. Tak možno dnes večer Duch Svätý... Len sa modlite. Budem sa modliť, aby vám Duch Svätý ukázal priamo, kde je ten váš balík, na ktorý čakáte. Modlím sa, aby ste ho našli, a verím, že ho nájdete.
Ale teraz... A potom Billy Paul, ak by mal niekto takú vec ako toto, keby mu zavolali a on ich odkáže na cirkev a ja sa budem snažiť zobrať tie naliehavé prípady, keď budem doma.
20 Tak pristúpme teraz ku týmto otázkam... Najprv by som chcel povedať, že ak niektorá odpoveď nie je podľa vašej viery alebo podľa Biblie, ak to nie je podľa Slova, potom to nemusíte prijať. A tak sa možno dostanem k tomu, k tomu textu možno dnes večer, rád by som pokračoval a odpovedal na ne, na tie, o ktorých si myslím, že majú odpoveď podľa Písma, dobre, na tie odpoviem najlepšie, ako budem môcť. Ale dostal som ich len pred pár minútami, všetky okrem troch a ani tie tri z nich nemajú... Sú to len malé veci ohľadne niekoho, komu sa sníval nejaký sen alebo niečo, a oni chcú vedieť, či to majú povedať, alebo niečo podobné. Rozumiete? Tak skloňme teraz svoje hlavy, ako pristupujeme k Jeho milosti.
21 Pane, sme Tvojím ľudom, ktorý je povolaný skrze Tvoje Meno. A sme dnes večer tak šťastní, že môžeme vedieť, že máme nebeského Otca, ktorý na nás dohliada a stará sa o nás a miluje nás ako svoje vlastné drahé deti. A tak som šťastný, Pane, že som započítaný s týmito ľuďmi, aby som bol ich bratom, a oni sú mojimi bratmi a sestrami. Som tak vďačný.
Je tu niekto, Pane, kto stratil nejaké kľúče. Ty vieš presne, kde oni ležia, a tak sa modlím, aby si to zjavil a tie kľúče im rovno priniesol. Pre nich je to vzácna vec, je to od ich auta. A modlím sa, Otče, aby si tým ľuďom udelil túto žiadosť.
Teraz sa modlím, aby si požehnal nášho pastora, nášho milovaného brata Nevilleho. Sme tak radi, že Ťa môžeme vidieť pôsobiť v našom strede, v týchto veľkých duchovných daroch v našej cirkvi, v tej časti tela Kristovho, ktorá uctieva tu na rohu Ôsmej ulice a ulice Penn. Sme tak radi, že sme započítaní s tou skupinou ľudí a že vieme, že Boh zjavuje tajnosti Svojim ľuďom. Modlím sa, aby si požehnal brata Nevilleho, nášho pastora, a brata Higginbothama, brata Funka, brata Juniora Jacksona a naše sestry, ktoré hovoria v jazykoch a dávajú výklad. Modlíme sa, Otče, aby si ďalej pokračoval v prejavovaní Samého Seba cez tieto veľké dary, aby naša cirkev mohla byť známa ako duchovná cirkev, kde ľudia, ktorí sú unavení, môžu prísť a posadiť sa v prítomnosti všemohúceho Boha a vedieť, že On hovorí a zjavuje tajnosti srdca.
24 A, Otče, modlím sa, aby si nás dnes večer požehnal pri odpovedaní na tieto otázky. Niektoré z nich, Pane, sú mierne a niektoré sú silné. Pre každého, kto tú otázku položil, je to silná otázka. Je to niečo, čo je na ich srdci, oni to chcú mať vyjasnené. A, Otče, my všetci sme nedostatoční v týchto povinnostiach, ale my vieme, že Ty si viac ako dostatočný. A tak sa modlíme, aby si nám vyložil tieto otázky, aby sme tak mohli dať ľuďom tú správnu odpoveď, aby im bolo pomožené, a cirkev, aby bola zveličená, a Božie Meno uctené.
Teraz, Otče, ak je to Tvoja vôľa, modlím sa, aby si s nami konal počas tohto týždňa a pomohol mi, ako študujem sedemdesiat Danielových týždňov, aby som mohol byť schopný na ďalšiu nedeľu ráno, ak to bude Tvoja vôľa, otvoriť pre týchto ľudí Písma. Bože, udeľ to, aby ich duše mohli byť občerstvené. Vyučuj tých, Pane, ktorí hľadajú hlboké veci. Spas tých, ktorí sú stratení. Uzdrav tých, ktorí sú chorí. My všetci očakávame na Teba, Otče. V Ježišovom Mene. Amen.
26 Tak táto prvá otázka nie je tak celkom otázkou, je to taká malá vec za... Povedzte, či stojím príliš blízko tohto tu? Či sa to tam ozýva vzadu? Ak áno, zodvihnite svoju ruku.
132. Brat Bill, povedz, prosím, niečo ohľadne obojich: deťoch aj dospelých, ktorí sú príliš hluční počas bohoslužby a pobehujú. Táto modlitebňa potrebuje pár lekcií ohľadne úctivosti.
Amen. Deti, či neviete, ako sa máte správať v dome Božom? Či neviete, že toto je Svätyňa Božia? Boh je vo Svojom svätom chráme, a tak nech je každý ticho. To je miesto Božie, kde ľudia prichádzajú, rozjímajú, snažia sa nájsť spasenie duše, snažia sa nájsť problémy v ľudských životoch, snažia sa niekomu pomôcť. To najmenej, čo by ste mali robiť, je byť úctiví, byť ticho. Dajte si pohár vody predtým, ako začne bohoslužba, ja viem, že tí malí potrebujú piť. Matky, ktoré majú týchto maličkých, ak budete sedieť blízko zadnej časti, udržte ich v tichosti, ako je len možné. A nemalo by tu byť ani zašepkanie, ani jedno zašepkanie. Všetci sme vinní. Ale keď sa číta Biblia a kazateľ vchádza za kazateľňu, mali by sme byť ticho, očakávať na Pána. Tak, prosím, snažte sa to robiť.
28 Ja viem, že vy, maličkí, sa trochu potrebujete vrtieť. Ak to robíte, urobte to veľmi ticho. A, pamätajte, mama nechce, aby ste to robili, ani ocko nechce, aby ste to robili. A tak...
A ja to poznám, mám tiež malých, ktorí sa vrtia, Jozef. A Méda hovorí, „Nemám zo zhromaždenia nič, lebo sa celý čas snažím udržať Jozefa potichu.“ Tak ona sa to snaží robiť, aby niekto druhý mal niečo zo zhromaždenia. Rozumiete? A vždy chceme jeden druhého rešpektovať, jeden druhého uctiť a ponad všetko uctiť Boha a uctiť Jeho Dom.
31 Tak ďalšia otázka je:
133. Dnes ráno tu boli pri oltári dve deti vo veku šesť a osem rokov. Aký je doporučený vek, kedy môžu byť pokrstení?
Tak rýchlo, ako len môžete. Čiňte ihneď pokánie a buďte pokrstený, a to v Mene Ježiša Krista. Tak, to je otázka číslo jedna. To by som poradil. Ale nachádzame v Písmach...
„Poviete, je to podľa Písma?“
Keď Peter kázal na deň Letníc, tri tisíc duší bolo spasených a pokrstených v tom istom čase. „Všetci, ktorí uverili v Pána, boli pokrstení,“ tak akonáhle veríš v Pána a prijímaš Ho ako svojho Spasiteľa, choď rovno vtedy do vody a urob svoje vyznanie rovno tam, či si mladý alebo starý, bez ohľadu na to, kto to je.
Poviete, „No, tieto deti môžu byť ale veľmi mladé.“
Ježiš povedal, „Nebráňte maličkým prísť ku Mne, nezabraňujte im, takých je kráľovstvo Božie.“ Ja by som si nedovolil zastaviť dieťa, ktoré chce prísť ku oltáru alebo byť pokrstené v akomkoľvek veku, nestarám sa o to, koľko majú rokov.
36 Tak otázka číslo dva:
134. Jeden náš priateľ, kazateľ, krstí na meno Otca a Syna a Ducha Svätého. Budeme my zodpovední za to, ak mu nepovieme jeho omyl?
Verím, že ako kresťan, je to povinnosť, a ak on je vaším osobným priateľom... Nie pustiť sa s ním do hádky, ak to robíte, potom sa mýlite, váš duch nie je správny. Ale ak toho brata milujete, pričom musíte, pretože ste povedali, „Je to priateľ, kazateľ...“ Potom... Nikto sa tu v týchto poznámkach nepodpísal, ja neviem, odkiaľ tieto otázky prichádzajú.
37 Tak, ja by som vám poradil, ktokoľvek to je, ak tento priateľ, kazateľ takto krstí, a vy ho navštevujete doma, a tak ďalej, ja by som len... Ja by som niekedy túto otázku spomenul. A to by vám mohlo dať... Len o tom začnite hovoriť, len hovorte okolo a okolo toho a nechajte, nech to Pán otvorí, a potom je to Pán, ktorý vám hovorí, aby ste to urobili. Rozumiete? Len čakajte, kým Pán otvorí túto otázku. Potom mu povedzte, povedzte, „Brat, zamýšľam sa, lebo v Písme v Matúšovi 28:19 a Skutkoch 2:38 je napísané a v Písme to pokračuje, je v tom nejaký rozpor? Vedel by si vysvetliť, prečo jedno miesto hovorí, 'Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý,' a to druhé, 'V Mene Ježiša Krista?'“
Tak, nesnažte sa... Ak nie ste naozaj študentom a neviete, o čom hovoríte, tak to radšej nechajte tak. Rozumiete? Môžete mu len povedať, povedzme, „No, keby si len tak mohol prísť...“ ak sa zdá byť úprimným, povedzte, „Čo keby si sa stretol s naším pastorom alebo s niekým a prediskutoval to.“
39 Poviem vám, je to hlboká vec. Neberte to na seba, pretože sa môžete zamotať, ak vy... No, ale ak viete, o čom hovoríte, a ste v tom pevne presvedčení a poznáte Písma, tak v poriadku. Ale neurazte ho, čokoľvek robíte, neurazte ho. Rozumiete? Neprinášajte urážku, len mu povedzte, že... A, samozrejme, on sa mýli. To je pravda. Človek, ktorý takto krstí, je v omyle. A ktokoľvek krstí v mene Otca, Syna a Svätého Ducha, je podľa Písma v omyle, to je pravda.
41 Otázka číslo 3:
135. Vo vyznaní viery oni hovoria, „My veríme v jedného Boha večného, existujúceho v troch osobách: Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý. Matúš 28:19,18 a 19; 1. Korinťanom 3:14,“ nemali by toto byť tri úrady namiesto tri osoby?
Správne. Neexistujú žiadne tri osoby v Božstve. A nemôže existovať osobnosť bez toho, že by bola osobou, tak, je potrebná osoba, aby tvorila osobnosť. Neexistujú žiadni traja Bohovia. Existuje len jeden Boh, a ten Boh je Ježiš Kristus. Boh je Duch, ktorý žije v Ježišovi Kristovi, a žije v Jeho cirkvi, a v tebe a vo mne dnes, rozdelil sa pre nás vo forme Svätého Ducha, čo je Sám všemohúci Boh žijúci v tebe.
Áno, máš pravdu, to je, „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý,“ sú to tri úrady toho istého Boha, ale nie traja Bohovia. To by bolo podľa Písma nesprávne.
43 136. Môže ísť kresťan do neba, ak on alebo ona neplatí desiatok?
Tak, toto je jedna otázka, na ktorú by som nevedel odpovedať podľa Písma.
Tak, tento, „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý,“ ak je ten kazateľ úprimný, dajte nám len vedieť, budeme radi... Brat Neville a ja, brat Beeler alebo brat Collins, alebo ktorýkoľvek z týchto kazateľov tu, ktorí sú ordinovaní do tejto služby, a tak ďalej, to môžu urobiť. Ale teraz to: či kresťan nepôjde do neba kvôli tomu, že neplatí desiatok?
Nevedel by som povedať, či áno alebo nie. Ale verím, že každý kresťan je zaviazaný platiť desatiny, pretože to je prikázanie Pánove. „A požehnaný je ten, ktorý činí všetky Jeho prikázania, aby tak mohol mať právo vstúpiť do Života, ku Stromu Života.“ Verím, že platenie desiatkov je podstatnou časťou kresťanského prežitia. Lebo, dostanem sa ku tomu pri ďalšej otázke za niekoľko minút, viem, že je tam ešte jedna takáto, ktorá ku tomu patrí.
46 137. Brat Branham, som spasený a pokrstený v Mene Ježiša Krista, ale ako sa zbavím vzdorovitého ducha, od ktorého, zdá sa, že sa nedokážem prelomiť?
No, môj kresťanský brat alebo sestra, ktokoľvek to je. No, väčšinou, keď nájdete ľudí, ktorí majú tvrdohlavého ducha, to je obyčajne komplex, ktorý toto spôsobuje, je to buď zdedené od matky, otca, strýka, tety alebo starej mamy, starého otca alebo niekoho takého. A ak to preskúmate spätne cez ten život, zistíte... No, ja som to mnohokrát zažil pri tom rozpoznaní, pretože som mal takéto prípady na pódiu, tisíce z nich mali takého ducha. A tá prvá vec, viete, ja som toho ducha pod rozpoznaním spätne stopoval a zistil som, že tam bol starý otec, bola tam stará matka, bol tam predtým niekto a vy to prirodzene dedíte.
Tvrdohlavý, tvrdohlavosť nie je od Boha. No a ten jediný spôsob, ako sa od toho dostať, je mať vieru, že to premôžeš, to je vtedy, ak si Kresťan. Si Boží syn alebo Božia dcéra, jedno alebo druhé, a ty nikdy nebudeš môcť len stáť a karhať to a karhať to a karhať to. To je ako dráždenie štrkáča, on tam leží pripravený ťa uštipnúť. Ak ho len budeš ignorovať a odídeš od neho, tak ti nemôže ublížiť. Rozumiete?
Tak, ak cítiš, že máš tvrdohlavého ducha, polož tú vec na oltár a ver, že tá vec je mŕtva a že ty to nikdy viac nebudeš mať, a len pokračuj a už tomu vôbec nevenuj žiadnu pozornosť, a tá vec ťa opustí. Sprotivte sa diablovi a utečie od vás, to znamená, „rýchlo odíde preč.“
Tak, to by bola moja rada, ako to premôcť. My premáhame diabla vierou. To je to, ako premôcť všetko zlo, skrze vieru.
49 138. Prečo krstíš na Meno Ježiša Krista na miesto mena „Otca, Syna a Ducha Svätého?“
No, neexistuje nič také ako meno „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý.“ To je ten dôvod. V Biblii nebol nikto pokrstený na meno „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý.“ Každá osoba v Biblii alebo až po tristo rokov po tejto strane Biblie, bola pokrstená v Meno Ježiša Krista. Ani jeden apoštol, ani jeden kresťan nebol ani raz pokrstený ako, „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý,“ nikdy nepoužil krst, až kým sa katolícka cirkev nezorganizovala na Nicejskom koncile tristošesť rokov po smrti posledného apoštola.
Neexistuje žiadna taká vec ako meno „Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý.“ Otec nie je meno, Syn nie je meno, Duch Svätý nie je meno. To sú tri tituly, tri úrady, tituly toho Mena: Ježiš Kristus. Tak preto neexistuje žiadna taká vec ako meno „Otec, Syn, Duch Svätý.“ A tak žiadne... To nie je žiadne meno, tak ja krstím na Meno Ježiša Krista, čo je meno Otca, Syna a Ducha Svätého. Je to jasné?
51 139. Niektorí ľudia hovoria, že, „Kristus bol v Hádeši pred vzkriesením.“ Je toto... je na toto miesto Písma?
Tak, toto je otázka podľa Písma, rád by som na ňu odpovedal z Písma, pretože oni sa opýtali, „Je to v Písme?“
Chcel by som, aby ste si so mnou otvorili 1. Petra 3:18 a 20, vy, ktorí to chcete počuť, či ste sa vy opýtali tú otázku alebo nie, aby ste tak na to nemuseli mať slovo niekoho iného. Môžete si to prečítať a zistiť, či je to pravdivé alebo nie. My vždy chceme zostať s pravdou, a tam, kde to Biblia hovorí. A táto drahá osoba, ktokoľvek to je, sa opýtala, že chce na to poznať referenciu z Biblie, či je toto tak alebo nie.
53 Tak nachádzame toto v... ak to nájdem. Táto stará Biblia je už tak potrhaná, mám ju už niekoľko rokov. Ak len môžem vidieť, či to tu mám, myslím, že možno... Len minútku, brat, som si istý, že... pozrime sa, to prichádza rovno po Timotejovi, Títovi a Židom. Tu to máme, áno, mám to. Ďakujem. 1. Petra 3, tretia kapitola, 1. Petra. Tretia kapitola a začnime s osemnástym veršom:
Lebo aj Kristus raz trpel a zomrel za hriechy, spravodlivý za nespravodlivých, aby nás priviedol k Bohu, usmrtený telom, ale oživený Duchom, (v ktorom aj odíduc kázal duchom v žalári,
ktorí kedysi neposlúchali, keď raz vyčkávala Božia zhovievavosť za dní Noeho, keď sa staval koráb, v ktorom bolo málo, to jest osem duší zachránených vodou)
54 Teraz sa obráťme do Skutkov 2, Skutky 2 a vezmeme 30. verš. V Skutkoch 2, a toto je apoštol Peter, ktorý tiež hovorí. Skutky 2. kapitola a 30. verš, takto som si to tu napísal:
A teda súc prorokom a vediac, že sa mu Boh zaviazal prísahou, že z plodu jeho bedier, podľa tela, vzbudí Krista a dosadí na jeho trón,
a vidiac to vopred hovoril o zmŕtvychvstaní Kristovom, že ani nebola zanechaná jeho duša v ríši smrti, ani jeho telo že nevidelo porušenia. (Kristovo telo)
Jeho telo zostúpilo do pekla a kázalo duchom alebo dušiam, ktoré nečinili pokánie počas dlhozhovievavosti za dní Noeho. Jeho duša zostúpila do pekla a On kázal tým duchom a vstal na tretí deň. To je podľa Písma, to je pravda.
56 140. Bolo päť panien stratených?
Domnievam sa, že oni sa pýtajú otázku, „Päť panien,“ päť bolo múdrych a päť bolo bláznivých. No, ak by ste boli s nami na tých posledných vyučovaniach na knihu Zjavenia, zistili by ste, že tie panny, tých päť bláznivých panien nebolo stratených, ale nebolo im dovolené vojsť na svadobnú večeru, ale oni trpeli prenasledovanie a boli zabití ako mučeníci, a potom znovu povstali pri všeobecnom vzkriesení v tom poslednom dni. To sú tí ľudia, kde ich On oddelil ako ovce od kozlov (vidíte), keď stáli pred súdom.
Poviete, „Dobre, brat Branham, či sa my ako cirkev nepostavíme?“ [Pred súd – pozn.prekl.]
Nie veru. My nebudeme stať pred súdom. My teraz stojíme pred súdom. Boh položil naše hriechy na Krista a my... „Ten, ktorý čuje moje Slovo (Svätý Ján 5:24), a verí v Toho, ktorý má poslal, má večný život a nepríde na súd, ale prešiel zo smrti do života.“ Nie je viac súdu pre cirkev, ona je vzatá vo vytrhnutí a vracia sa, aby vykonala súdy na ľuďoch, ktorí neprijali Ducha Svätého. Či Pavol nehovorí, že či sa niekto z nás opovažuje vziať nejakú záležitosť pred súd, pred ten nespravodlivý pozemský súd, keď, „Či neviete, že svätí budú súdiť zem?“ My sa posadíme s Kristom a budeme ako sudcovia a králi a kňazi a budeme súdiť týchto ľudí, ku ktorým sme kázali a hovorili o krste Duchom Svätým, a oni to odmietli prijať. Pomyslite na to.
Nie, ony neboli stratené, ale ony nikdy nebudú v Neveste. Ony prídu pri druhom vzkriesení, ale nikdy nebudú v Neveste, aby boli súdení podľa toho, ako zaobchádzali s tým Svetlom, ktoré prijali. Tak, tá časť bude na Kristovi. Ale ony neboli stratené.
60 141. Brat Branham, v 1. Korinťanom v 14. kapitole, vo veršoch 34 a 35 je povedané, „Nech vaše ženy mlčia v zboroch, pretože im nie je dovolené hovoriť.“ 35. verš, „Lebo je to hanba pre ženu hovoriť v cirkvi.“ Teraz, ak žena s krátkymi vlasmi hovorí, hovorí v jazykoch v zbore, je to Svätý Duch, ktorý hovorí, alebo je to falošný duch?
Tak, vy ste... A toto je naozaj ťažká otázka, a ja na ňu môžem odpovedať len najlepšie, ako viem. Tak, ja nemôžem súdiť, pretože som nebol poslaný súdiť. Ale myslím si, že je tak mnohokrát... Mám tu ďalej ešte jednu otázku, ktorá k tomu tiež patrí. Ale ak nejaká osoba hovorí v jazykoch, ona je pomazaná Bohom. Rozumiete? Ony môžu byť mimo poriadku, to môže byť pravda, a ony môžu robiť aj niečo, čo nie je správne, ale ja by som nechcel povedať, že to nebol Svätý Duch, pretože ja neviem. Rozumiete?
A tak teraz, mnohokrát sa stáva, že toto... ľudia zle posudzujú jedni druhých. A to je veľmi zlá vec robiť to. Poviete, „No, ona má krátke vlasy, ona má šaty, ktoré sú príliš krátke, tak to na nej nie je Svätý Duch.“ Nerobte to. Nerobte to, to nie je správne. Vy neviete, čo je v srdci tej ženy. Neviete o tom nič. Vy viete, že Svätý Duch by pri nej spôsobil, aby sa správala trochu lepšie, to môže byť pravda. Ale poviem vám, že tak ako vy alebo ja, nech je to Boh, ktorý to súdi, a nech sa ty a ja len modlíme za tú osobu, aby jej Boh ukázal Svetlo.
62 Prednedávnom ma tu stretol jeden človek na jednej strane. Mal som tu klaviristku, ktorá mala malú, krátku sukňu, a to nebolo veľmi, hádam, nebolo to veľmi správne. A tá pani mala krátke vlasy, a ona bola len nemluvňaťom na tejto ceste, a ona hrala na klavír. A jeden človek ma tu stretol a trhal ma na kusy, povedal, „A ty si letničný kazateľ a ty necháš, aby si tam mal takú ženú s krátkymi vlasmi,“ a takto ďalej o tom pokračoval.
„No,“ povedal som, „Myslím, že tá žena má v sebe dobrého ducha. Istotne s tým nesúhlasím, vieš, aj tá sukňa tu potiaľto, tie dve časti, a jedna časť visí tu dole a druhá tu vyššie, to je taká sukňa, akú nosia.“ A je to také príliš tenké a ukazuje to ten odev, ktorý má pod tým. A ja si nemyslím, že by sa to malo robiť. Mne sa to nepáči, skutočne sa mi to nepáči.“ Tak, ja neviem povedať, ony môžu byť naplnené Duchom Svätým tak ako hocikto iný, ja neviem, Boh to vie. Ale ja by som tú ženu neodsudzoval a nehovoril, že ona pôjde do pekla kvôli tomu, ako vyzerá.
A tento istý človek mal v cirkvi jednu ženu, ktorá mala dlhé vlasy a nosila dlhé šaty a mala toľko výbušnosti, že mohla zápasiť s motorovou pílou, a bola taká hrubá, ako neviem čo. Tak dlhé vlasy a dlhé sukne vás nevezmú do neba. Nie veru. To je ten duch, ktorý je v tebe, ten ťa vezme do neba. Ale ak ty ako kresťan...
66 A potom by ste mali pamätať na to, že mnohokrát sa pastori o tých veciach nezmieňujú a ľudia len automaticky pokračujú ďalej mysliac si, že je to v poriadku. Ale pastor by to mal naozaj trhať. A potom sestry v cirkvi, tie sestry, ktoré stoja v tom charaktere a nosia svoje oblečenie slušne, správne, ony by mali byť príkladom vľúdnosti a mali by byť ako matky a sestry.
A myslím si, že ktorákoľvek žena, ktorá má ten materinský cit a je zbožná a má sesterský cit, by mala k takej osobe ísť a vo vľúdnosti ducha sa s takou ženou len posadiť a porozprávať sa. A ak je ona z Boha, Duch Svätý bude tie veci rozumieť a ona sa napraví. Ale ak ju len rýchlo odsúdite a odoženiete, môžete uškodiť tomu mladému narodenému dieťaťu. Rozumiete? Tak ja by som tú osobu neodsudzoval.
68 Takže osoba, ktorá hovorí v jazykoch. No, musím tu povedať niečo, čo bude znieť možno zvláštne, ale ak so mnou nesúhlasíte, to je v poriadku. Vidíte, my tieto veci tak mnohokrát zle posudzujeme. Vždy sa snažme myslieť to najlepšie o komkoľvek, kto sa snaží robiť to, čo je správne. Vyjadrime im to najlepšie, čo je v nás. Ó, ony sa snažia. Nepoznáme ich srdce, jedine, že máte rozpoznanie. A ak sa mýlia, potom, ak máte... Biblia hovorí, „Ak je nejaký brat premožený omylom, nech tí, ktorí sú duchovní, idú za tým bratom v duchu krotkosti, dávajúci pozor sami na seba, aby neboli pokušení, a viďte, či môžete tú osobu prinavrátiť späť ku Bohu.“ Nehovorte, že oni nemajú toho správneho ducha, pretože...
70 Počúvajte, teraz tu poviem niečo, čo vás na chvíľu naozaj uštipne, tak len chvíľu ticho seďte. Duch Svätý môže hovoriť aj cez pokrytca. Presne tak. Videl som to, ako sa to dialo, a môžem vám to dokázať pomocou Písma, že je to tak. Môžem vám dokázať pomocou Písma, že démonské moci vezmú tie duchy a použijú ich, istotne, vezmú tie dary a použijú ich. A stál som rovno... Videl som diablov, ako hovorili v jazykoch a vykladali to. A videl som pokrytcov brať skutočného Svätého Ducha a hovoriť, hovoriť cez neho. To je ten dôvod, prečo nemôžete povedať, že hovorenie v jazykoch je jediný dôkaz Svätého Ducha.
71 Tak, pred nejakým časom, keď som sa prvýkrát dostal ku letničným, išiel som do Mishawaka do modlitebne brata Rowe. A oni tam mali takú konferenciu, to boli ľudia Ježišovho Mena. Tak, ja nesúhlasím s ľuďmi Ježišovho Mena, oni nie sú, oni nie sú... Oni sú moji bratia, ale dôvod, prečo to hovorím...
„Krstenie na obnovenie v Mene Ježiša Krista,“ v to ja neverím. Ja neverím, že voda vás zachráni od hriechu. Ja verím, že Krv Ježiša Krista je obnovením. Ale ľudia od jednotárov krstia na obnovenie. Meno Ježiša, oni len krstia v Ježišovom Mene a hovoria, že sú spasení, pretože On povedal, „Čiňte pokánie a pokrstite sa v Mene Ježiša Krista na odpustenie vašich hriechov.'“
Ale čo prichádza prvé? Činenie pokánia, Božský žiaľ za vaše hriechy, a potom otočenie sa. Potom byť pokrstení v Mene Ježiša Krista, a to je v poriadku. Všetko toto si urobil pre odstránenie hriechov.
74 Tak, a tam bolo niekoľko tisíc ľudí. V tých dňoch mali na severe segregáciu, vlastne na juhu, a oni, oni to museli mať tu, pretože mnohí farební bratia prichádzali do týchto zhromaždení. To bolo PAZW. A z PAZG-J.C predtým, ako sa to zlúčilo. A to molo v Mishawaka, boli tam farební aj bieli, všetci spolu, a v tom čase to oni nemohli mať na juhu. A tak som videl dvoch bielych mužov, ako tam sedeli. Nikdy v živote predtým som nepočul nič o týchto posolstvách. A tí muži povstali a jeden hovoril v jazykoch a ten druhý dával výklad a hovoril ľuďom rovno v zhromaždení, čo s nimi nebolo v poriadku, a hovoril ľuďom, čo urobili. A potom tento niečo hovoril a ten druhý to vykladal. Pomyslel som si, „Ó, dostal som sa tu medzi anjelov.“ Nikdy som nič také nepočul!
75 V poriadku, modlil som sa na tom kukuričnom poli. Tak odkedy som bol malým dieťaťom... Verím, že dary a povolania sú bez pokánia, a tak vždy som bol schopný vídať videnia. A na ďalšie ráno ma požiadali, aby som hovoril, a ja som hovoril. A vonku bolo tak mnoho ľudí, ktorí prišli ku mne a pozývali ma do svojich zhromaždení, a ja som bol pritom misionárskym baptistom. A tak som len išiel vpred a nechal som to tak. A po nejakom čase som bol dychtivý stretnúť týchto dvoch anjelských mužov. A nikdy predtým som nepočul...
Oni až zbledli a povstali a hovorili v jazykoch. A ten druhý sa postavil a povedal, „Tak hovorí Pán: John tam, urobil si predvčerom určitú vec. Keď si išiel okolo domu, zobral si peňaženku, ktorá patrí tomuto mužovi, ktorú tento stratil. Tak hovorí Pán, vráť to späť.“
„Bože, buď mi milostivý, tu to je.“ Vidíte, pravda, keď je tak povedaná, ona hovorí rovno ku ľuďom. Pomyslel som si, „Ó, či to nie je ohromné.“ A tak som si pomyslel, „Toto je Boh.“
79 Tak, a potom som sa dostal k jednému z tých mužov a zatiaľ čo som s ním hovoril, modlil som sa, „Pane, dovoľ mi to mať, čokoľvek to je.“ Nevedel som, ako to nazvať, videnia, nevedel som, ako to nazývať. A keď tá vec prišla predo mňa a ja som upriamil jeho pozornosť a len som ďalej k nemu hovoril, až som zachytil jeho ducha práve tak ako tá žena pri... Ako to Ježiš urobil pri žene pri studni. Len som ďalej hovoril, až som zachytil jeho ducha. A on bol kresťanom, skutočným, pravdivým, svätým Božím. Pomyslel som si, „Nech je požehnané Meno Pánovo.“
Stretol som potom toho ďalšieho muža pri rohu asi o pol hodinu neskôr a hovoril som s ním. Ak som niekedy hovoril s pokrytcom, tak to bol jeden z nich. Jeho žena bola čiernovlasá a on žil s blondínou a mal s ňou dve deti, a jednako hovoril v tom istom Duchu, ako hovoril tento druhý muž, a dával rovnaký výklad, ktorý bol presne správne. Potom som vedel.
81 Pred mojím obrátením som mal raz jedno prežitie, keď som išiel s indiánmi do tábora čarodejníkov. Oni sú tanečníci diabla. Vzali hada a omotali sa ním a mali rituálne tance a hovorili v jazykoch a vykladali to a povedali presne to, čo bola pravda tam medzi ľuďmi. A videl som čarodejníka, ako vzal ceruzku a položil ju, a videl som, ako sa tá ceruzka postavila a písala v neznámych jazykoch a on to vykladal a hovoril ľuďom presne to, čo sa tam deje. Na zhromaždení špiritistov...
A tak som povedal (Rozumiete?), „Dostal som sa medzi diablov,“ a tak som nechal celú tú vec ísť.
83 Tak jedného dňa pri Green's Mill, bol som tam a modlil som sa v mojej jaskyni, nie za to, a vyšiel som von a položil svoju Bibliu. Ja... Vzadu v tej jaskyni, to bolo zatuchnuté a ja som chcel trochu slnečného svetla, a to bolo popoludní, tak som vyšiel von a položil svoju Bibliu. Išiel som si trochu prečítať na takom kmeni, ktorý bol položený na zemi smerom dolu z kopca. A tak som si položil Bibliu a začal som čítať. A zafúkal vietor a otočil strany na List Židom, 6. kapitolu. Pomyslel som si, „Možno Pán chce, aby som si to prečítal.“ Prečítal som to.
„My, ktorí sme boli raz osvietení a stali sme sa účastníkmi Svätého Ducha, ak by sme odpadli... Aby sme sa znovu obnovovali ku pokániu. Dážď prináša... zem prináša ovocie a dážď je poslaný, aby ju zavlažil, a tŕnie a bodľač, ktoré sú blízke zavrhnutiu, ktorých koniec je, aby boli spálené,“ niečo na ten spôsob. Tak som si to prečítal a pomyslel som si, „No, chvála Pánovi.“ Obrátil som si to na iné miesto a pomyslel som si, „Tak, prečítam si niečo tu ďalej, niečo iné.“ Takto som to položil, pretrel som si oči a vietor to znovu obrátil na List Židom 6. A to sa stalo asi tri alebo štyrikrát, myslím, že trikrát. Pomyslel som si, „Nevidím na tom nič, čo by bolo nesprávne. Čo tam je?“
86 Dovoľte mi len, môžete... Čítali ste to mnohokrát, List Židom 6, „Bodľač a tŕnie. Dážď prichádza často na zem, aby ju zavlažoval, aby ju odial kvôli jej ovociu. Ale tŕnie a bodľač, ktoré sú blízke zavrhnutiu, ktorých koniec je, aby boli spálené, aby boli zhromaždené a spálené.“
Nevedel som z toho nič dostať. Pomyslel som si, „Tak, tŕnie a bodľač majú byť spálené, Boh vezme Svoju pšenicu do sýpky, a tým je to vybavené.“ Povedal som, „Nič také na tom nevidím.“
Sedel som tam, díval sa naokolo a prišlo predo mňa videnie. A videl som svet, ako sa takto otáča, a to bolo celé zvalcované a pripravené, aby to bolo posiate. A prišiel muž v bielom rúchu, hlavu mal sklonenú a díval sa do vreca, kde mal semená, a išiel ďalej. A neviem, či si niektorí z vás pamätajú ten starý spôsob rozsievania, ako ste... Videl som svojho otca, ako to robil. Takto to rukou rozhodil a to spadlo na zem, takto tie semená spadli na zem. Tak tento muž takto sial semeno. A akonáhle prešiel, za ním začala vzchádzať pšenica.
89 No, akonáhle on zašiel za obzor zeme, videl som niečo čierne, čo tam začalo povstávať, niečo ako čierny mesiac. A pozrel som sa a prizrel bližšie, a to bol človek oblečený celý v čiernom, do čierneho. On sa tam takto vkrádal. A on mal vrece so semenami, akurát, že tam mal kúkoľ. A on to takto rozsieval medzi tú pšenicu, rozsieval takým istým spôsobom ako ten prvý a teraz tento. A za ním začali vchádzať kúkoľ, bodliaky, tŕnie a všetko možné.
No, pomyslel som si, „To je hanebné, aby človek robil niečo takéto.“ V tom videní, ja som o tom nerozmýšľal, že je to podľa Písma. Rozumiete? A povedal som, „Ten človek seje ten kúkoľ na pšeničné pole tamtoho človeka.“
Potom sa skutočne oteplilo. Tá malá pšenica takto držala svoju hlávku a stonala, „Ach, ach, ach,“ takto, a len lapala po dychu. Ten malý kúkoľ mal takto svoju hlavu a robil, „Ach, ach, ach,“ a tiež žíznil po vode. A každý sa začal modliť o dážď.
Po nejakej chvíli sa priblížil veľký búrkový mrak a začalo silno pršať, a tak dážď zasiahol zem. A tá malá pšenica začala vyskakovať hore a dolu a kričať, „Haleluja, chvála Pánovi, haleluja, chvála Pánovi.“ A ten malý kúkoľ vykrikoval, „Chvála Pánovi,“ narovnal sa a do toho kúkoľa prišiel život tak isto ako do pšenice.
A potom tam prišlo to Písmo, „Dážď padá na spravodlivých aj na nespravodlivých.“ A tam som to uchytil. Rozumiete?
94 Toto je to, že ak osoba, ktorá sedí v zhromaždení, a duch môže na tú osobu spadnúť, a jednako vy viete, že oni sa mýlia, oni nežijú ten správny druh života, buďte opatrní, čo poviete o tom duchu, to môže byť Duch Svätý. Neposudzujte toho ducha podľa tej osoby. Tá osoba sa môže mýliť, ale teraz, či Biblia nehovorí, „Dážď padá na spravodlivých aj na nespravodlivých“? Či nepovedal Ježiš, že keď boli polia posiate, „Nechajte to všetko spolu rásť, kúkoľ a pšenicu spolu. Nesnažte sa ten kúkoľ vytrhať. Nesnažte sa ich súdiť, len ich nechajte spolu rásť. A v tom dni budú poslaní anjeli a oni zoberú preč všetok kúkoľ a spália ho a pšenica bude zhromaždená do sýpky“? Ale podľa ich ovocia ich spoznáte. Vy môžete vedieť vo svojom srdci. Ďalej sa snažte konať s tou osobou.
95 Nepovedzte, že táto žena, ak je ona nemorálne oblečená alebo... Ako to tu bolo napísané? „Povedzme, že Duch Svätý navštívi...“ Pozrime sa. Nie, to tu mám nejako nesprávnu otázku. Ó, tu to je, áno.
„Žena, ktorá hovorí v jazykoch. Tak, ak žena s krátkymi vlasmi hovorí v jazykoch v zbore, je to duch... Pozrime sa. Je to Duch Svätý, ktorý skrze ňu hovorí, alebo falošný duch?“
Pozrite, nič by som nepovedal. A ak by ste si mysleli, že tá žena nie je úplne poriadku, lebo má krátke vlasy... (Verím, že to je tá téma.)... Áno, „Krátke vlasy.“ Čo keby si ty, brat, ak si ženatý muž a toto je vydatá žena, čo keby si vzal svoju manželku a porozprávali by ste sa s touto dámou? Verme, že ona má Ducha Svätého. Ak je ona v tomto zbore, budem veriť, že ona ho má. A potom, povedzme, možno, že ona je...
Či ste vedeli, že z času na čas, keď sa preskúmame, tak zistíme, že tiež môžme mať niečo malé nie v poriadku. Viete, že to je pravda, viete. Tak niekto by nám mohol niečo povedať. Mnohokrát mi ľudia povedali mnoho vecí, ktoré boli nesprávne, a ja som konal nesprávne; cením si to.
98 Ale, povedzme, že... Verme, že čokoľvek to je... Povedzme, že tá žena nie je celkom kresťankou, a ak to ona len napodobňuje, Boh ju za to bude súdiť. To je pravda. Ale... A ak je oblečená nemorálne a tie veci, ktoré robí, nie sú správne, Boh sa o to postará. Ale verme, že ten Duch na tej žene je Svätý Duch (Rozumiete?), pretože my nevieme.
Tak, ak ten výklad toho „svätého ducha“ niečo dáva, niečo prináša a preklína to Krista... „Žiaden človek hovoriaci v Duchu nemôže prekliať Krista.“ Ak tá žena hovorí v jazykoch a prichádza výklad, kde Kristus je preklínaný, potom viete, že na tej žene je zlý duch. Ale pokiaľ vás to žehná a vzdeláva do Krista, potom tomu Duchu verme. Rozumiete? Amen. Dúfam, že to nerobí zmätok. Dúfam, že to jednako dáva trochu svetla na túto vec.
100 142. V 5. Mojžišovej, 23. kapitole a v 2. verši, neučí to, že osoba, ktorá je narodená pomimo manželského zväzku, nemôže byť spasená? Hovorí to, že Boh navštívi neprávosť rodičov na ich deťoch až do tretieho a štvrtého pokolenia. Vysvetli, čo to znamená.
V poriadku. Cudzoložstvo bolo takou hroznou vecou v čase Biblie, že až muž, ktorý mal s nejakou ženou dieťa, ktorá nebola jeho manželkou, to dieťa, jeho deti a ich deti a ich deti, až do štyroch generácií, štyristo aj niečo rokov nemohli vstúpiť do zhromaždenia Pánovho, pretože krv býkov a kozlov a jalovíc nebola dostatočná, aby odstránila hriech. Ona mohla len rozviesť alebo len prikryť hriech, ona nedokázala vymazať hriech. Rozumiete? Ona nedokázala hriech vymazať, ona ho dokázala len prikryť. Cudzoložstvo je hrozná vec. Žena, vzácny klenot, ktorý Boh stvoril, aby bola matkou a je jej s dôverou zverené jej materstvo, ak by priviedla na svet dieťa od iného muža, ktorý nie je jej manželom, potom bola na tom dieťati kliatba a na jeho deťoch a ich deťoch a ich deťoch až do troch a štyroch generácií. Dokonca mnohokrát zasiahne ľudí syfilis a slepota a podobné veci. Áno, bolo to hrozné, hroznou vecou pre ženu mať dieťa pomimo svätého manželstva. No, nielen vtedy, ale je to stále hroznou vecou, istotne je, vždy.
102 143. Či sa Ezechiel 38 a 39 vyplní pred vytrhnutím?
Tak, ak si všimnete, Ezechiel 38 a 39 hovorí o Gógovi a Magógovi, čo je Rusko, severná krajina. Tak, ja nehovorím, že toto je správne, ale podľa toho, ako to učím, že to sa stane po vytrhnutí, po tom, ako je cirkev vzatá. A Boh koná s Gógom a Magógom, keď oni prichádzajú dolu pred Izraelom. A ja si myslím, že to sa stane po vytrhnutí. No, týmto to neznamená, že to tak bude. Rozumiete? Ale to je len to, ako to ja učím. Nazdávam sa, že to je to, čo oni chceli vedieť, aká je moja myšlienka o tom.
103 144. Pán nám skrze proroctvo povedal, aby sme svedčili iným o tých veciach, ktoré sme počuli a videli tu, ako je blízkosť príchodu, krst v Ježišovo Meno, a podobné veci. Povedali sme tieto veci niektorým ľuďom, ktorí sa zdali byť kresťanmi, ale jednako zdá sa, že oni tomu neveria. Čo si myslíš, že sa tým ľuďom stane? Pôjdu do vytrhnutia?
Tak som rád, že ste to takto povedali, „Čo si myslíš?“ Čo znamená, že to nie je zákonite pravda, pretože to si len ja myslím. Myslím si, že žiaden človek nemôže kráčať vo svetle Božom, kým mu ho Boh nezjaví. A ja neverím, že ktokoľvek, kto... Všetky tieto skryté veci sú pred ľuďmi ukryté a nikto ich nedokáže vidieť, jedine, že mu to Boh zjaví, verím v to, pretože v Biblii to vždy tak bolo.
104 Či nepovedal Ježiš, „Máte oči a nevidíte, máte uši a nepočujete“? A pritom v Matúšovi, verím, že je to buď Matúš 8. alebo 12. kapitola, je povedané, že, „Hoci Ježiš vykonal medzi nimi toľko zázrakov, jednako nemohli uveriť.“ Pretože Izaiáš povedal, to proroctvo hovorilo, že oni mali oči a nedokázali vidieť, mali uši a nedokázali počuť. Rozumiete?
A Ježiš povedal, „Nikto nemôže prísť ku Mne, jedine, že ho najprv zavolá môj Otec, a všetkých, ktorých Mi Otec dal, ku Mne prídu.“ Tým je to vybavené. Rozumiete? Tak, vy ste zodpovední za rozširovanie Svetla, vy nie ste zodpovední za to, či oni to Svetlo príjmu. Vy se zodpovední za to, aby ste im to priniesli, ale vy nie ste zodpovední za ich reakciu. A potom, ak im Boh dovolí vstúpiť, to bude na Ňom. Ak nemajú na sebe to rúcho, a tak ďalej, a oni ne... Ale oni... Pamätajme, oni to nedokážu uvidieť, kým im to Boh nezjaví.
108 145. Brat Branham, v Danielovi 11. kapitole a 31. verši je vyučované o dni, kedy bude odstránená denná obeť, a je tam ohavnosť, ktorá bude robiť pustošenie. Vysvetlil by si, prosím, čo toto znamená?
Ó, táto osoba sa tu na tejto otázke podpísala. Toto je mojou témou na budúcu nedeľu, a to prichádza so sedemdesiatimi Danielovými týždňami. Ale... Možno toto by som vám mohol povedať, podpísal sa tu môj veľmi vzácny brat, ktorý je veľmi drahým priateľom nás všetkých... Áno, „Ohavnosť pustošenia,“ Ježiš o tom hovoril v Matúšovi 24. Ohavnosť (znamená špinavosť), ktorá robí pustošenie, tá ohavnosť bola moslimská... Omarova mešita, ktorá je postavená na pôde chrámu tam, kde stálo to sväté miesto.
109 V roku 96 prišiel Títus a zabral Jeruzalem a spálil chrám a postavili tam Omarovu mešitu (Mohamedánske náboženstvo), rovno na pôde chrámu a ona tam stále stojí až do tohoto dňa. A to tam bude stáť, kým sa Boh nevráti znovu k Židom. „A ohavnosť (To je tá Omarova mešita), ktorá robí pustošenie toho svätého miesta,“ stojí to na svätom mieste... Rozumiete?
Ježiš sa na to odvolával a je tam, „(Nech ten, kto číta, rozumie).“ Rozumiete? Preto On dal toľko a toľko dní od toho času po tom kniežati, a toľko a toľko dní, a tak ďalej, do čoho sa dostaneme na budúcu nedeľu. A vynasnažím sa podľa môjho najlepšieho poznania predložiť vám to na budúcu nedeľu. Ale tá ohavnosť, to je Omarova mešita, ktorá zabrala miesto chrámu, kde, „Keď uvidíte ohavnosť pustošenia spomínanú v prorokovi Danielovi, ako stojí na svätom mieste...“ Rozumiete? Stojí to tam, kde stál chrám (Sväté miesto), Omarova mešita...
111 146. Brat Branham, necítiš to tak, že každý, kto tvrdí, že je kresťanom, by mal platiť desiatky, platiť svoje desiatky do domu pokladu Pánovho? Daj nám prosíme na túto otázku miesta Písma.
V poriadku, ak chcete... Toto je pravda, ktorá je v Biblii povedaná v Malachiášovi v 4. kapitole, „Či bude človek okrádať Boha? A poviete, „V čom sme ťa okradli?“ V desiatkoch a v obetiach. „Prineste celý svoj desiatok a obete do Môjho domu pokladu a skúste Ma,“ hovorí Pán, „Či vám nepootváram okná nebies a nevylejem požehnania tak, že nebude pre neho dostatok miesta.“
To je výzva pre každého jednotlivca. A ak by som mal len čas, ak by som mal len čas a nemohol by som sa dostať ku tomuto malému miestu Písma, ku ktorému sa chcem dostať asi na ďalších desať minút, povedal by som vám osobné svedectvo, ako keď som bol dokonca hladný a moja matka a ostatní boli hladní a môj otec chorý, ale ja som vzal najprv svoj desiatok a dal som to Bohu a mali ste vidieť, čo sa stalo. Nikdy v živote som nevidel, že by nejaký muž alebo žena, ak zarobíš len dolár týždenne a prinesieš z tých peňazí desať centov a dáš to do domu pokladu do tvojej cirkvi, kde prichádzaš, ak to Boh nepožehná, nazvite ma pokrytcom. Tak veru. To je výzva pre každého. Každý kresťan (to ide spolu s tou ďalšou otázkou), každý kresťan by mal platiť desiatky. To je pravda. Má sa to robiť.
113 V poriadku, tak teraz:
147. Ak nejaká osoba alebo osoby hovoria v neznámych jazykoch v tom istom tóne hlasu za každým razom, tá istá vec, ale ten výklad cez toho vykladača je zakaždým iný, môže to byť Svätý Duch?
No, dovoľte mi to znovu prečítať.
Ak nejaká osoba alebo osoby hovoria v neznámych jazykoch tým istým tónom hlasu (inými slovami, hovoria stále tú istú rovnakú určitú vec, určité slovo stále dokola a dokola) za každým razom a tú istú vec zakaždým, ale výklad skrze vykladača je zakaždým odlišný, môže toto byť Svätý Duch?
Tak, táto je ťažká, ale dovoľte mi vrhnúť na toto trošku svetla, ak len môžem. A som si istý, že to porozumiete, že toto je len brat Branham, ktorý sa snaží urobiť najlepšie, ako vie, ale dovoľte mi len podať vám toto ako svoje osobné prežitie pri konaní s týmito duchovnými vecami. A ja si cením vašu dôveru, že sa ma pýtate takéto otázky. Ak by ste vo mňa nemali dôveru, neopýtali by ste sa ma nič také. Verím, že kresťan by sa nepýtal otázky, aby vzbudil hádku. Verím, že oni sa snažia nájsť to, čo je pravda. Rozumiete? A ja by som neodpovedal, ak by oni... A ja na to odpovedám a ak by som to mohol urobiť veľmi jasným, tak to bude podľa môjho najlepšieho poznania, a potom, ak sa v tebe ten duch rozhnevá, to ukáže, že to v tebe nie je Svätý Duch. Rozumiete? Tak potom Duch Svätý sa nebude hnevať, to bude zakaždým napravené so Slovom a obstojí v náprave.
114 Tak, dovoľte mi povedať toto, že ja... V tomto prípade pamätajte, Boh je mojím sudcom, ja... Toto je William Branham. Ja by som nevedel povedať. Ale v tých skúsenostiach, ktoré mám, pri ktorých som bol svedkom, zatiaľ čo som bol pod pomazaním na takýchto zhromaždeniach, a verím, že tá osoba, ktorá hovorí tú istú vec za každým razom, ten istý tón hlasu, že ona skutočne hovorí v jazykoch. Verím, verím tomu, že skrze Ducha hovorí v jazykoch, ak je to kresťan. Oni hovoria v jazykoch, bezpochyby. Ale verím, že vtedy máte trochu nesprávne naklonený výklad.
Tak, mnohokrát ľudia... Chcem... Teraz sú tu len domáci členovia zboru, aspoň si myslím, myslím, že dnes večer sú tu len oni. Či nie, brat Neville? Kto všetko tu prišiel? Tak ak sú tu nejakí cudzí a vy sa v tomto líšite, ja sa snažím hovoriť ku svojmu vlastnému zboru. Rozumiete?
116 Tak ako váš otec v Evanjeliu, ako váš pastor, rád by som trochu neskôr, keď vaše duchy a dary začínajú prichádzať do dokonalosti... Tak ich pozorujete a oni sa utrhnú a dostáva sa to... Potom sa radšej musíte mať na pozore, dávať pozor na tú osobu, nechať to len ísť, pretože to nie je na nich Duch Boží. Ale keď sú milí a krotkí a pokorní a pripravení a všetko to, to je Duch Boží. A ak sa niekto dostáva mimo poriadku a pastor to musí stlmiť a ten duch sa potom rozhorčí, potom to nie je Duch Boží. Duch Boží vždy stojí a prichádza ku Slovu. Rozumiete? On zakaždým rozpoznáva Slovo.
Takže... Ale ja sa teraz nesnažím niekomu lichotiť alebo niekoho striasť, ja sa len snažím vyhlásiť pravdu. Tak ak niekto hovorí v jazykoch a iný tie jazyky vykladá... Dobre teraz počúvajte (A ja si myslím, že toto sa teraz nahráva, že?), pri výklade jazykov... Tak budem musieť ohľadne tohoto ísť do náuky. Pri výklade jazykov mnoho ľudí vykladá jazyky skrze také nezvyčajné výrazy, pretože cítia povedať takú vec. To nie je výklad.
118 Výklad je vtedy, keď oni hovoria v neznámom jazyku a vy ich počujete v angličtine a iba opakujete to, čo oni hovoria. Ale ak táto osoba hovorí vo vašom zbore... Nemyslím si, že niekoho takého máme. Ak áno, tak som to nikdy nepočul.
Ale ak niekto povstane a hovorí určité Slovo dokola a dokola a v tom istom tóne hlasu a stále to dokola opakuje a opakuje a opakuje... Poviem vám niečo. Myslím, že Junie Jackson tu dnes večer nie je, alebo je? Nemyslím si, že tu je. Ale vždy som bol ohromený pri Junie Jacksonovi a ako hovorí v jazykoch, a brat Higginbotham a mnohí z vás ľudí tu, ako vidíte tú zmenu hlasu vo výklade. Tak, to je v poriadku. No, ja ne... Ja sa nechválim svojou cirkvou. Nie veru. Ak moja cirkev potrebuje nápravu, tak ja tu budem stáť a urobím to najlepšie pre môjho Spasiteľa (To je pravda), či to niekoho raní alebo nie. Som vaším otcom v Evanjeliu a chcem... Vy nechcete nesprávneho ducha, chcete mať správneho Ducha. Robte všetko...
Prečo by sme mali brať nejakú náhradu, keď pritom existuje celé letničné nebo plné toho skutočného, prečo by sme mali jesť z odpadkového koša, keď existuje dobrý, veľký, čistý stôl prestretý tu pred nami s kuratami a haluškami a všetkým možným. Rozumiete? Prečo to nerobíme? Berme to skutočné, to je to, čo chceme, to skutočné, ozajstné.
122 Tak ja verím, že v tomto vyhlásení tu, to je rovnaká vec, verím, že v tom vyhlásení tu oni majú obaja pravdu, ale nemyslím si, že ten, ktorý vykladá, vykladá jazyk tej osoby. Neverím tomu. Verím, že Duch je prítomný a ten vykladateľ prorokuje. Verím, že on vtedy prorokuje namiesto vykladania, ak on nepočuje ten hlas vo svojom vlastnom jazyku, „Ako to, že my počujeme, každý človek počuje vo svojom jazyku, v ktorom sme sa narodili?“ Vidíte, musíte to rovnako počuť. Musíte to počuť v angličtine. Ak...
Tu je napríklad vykladač. Tak ja sa môžem postaviť a ja poznám len dve alebo tri slová v cudzom jazyku, to je všetko, čo viem. Tak ja teraz toto beriem ako doslovný príklad, nie teraz duchovne. Tak, ja poviem napríklad, „Baie, baie, blei. Aj... Ekke wil Afrikaans sprekken.“ No, pochybujem, že je tu nejaká osoba, ktorá rozumela, čo som povedal. Áno, brat, čo som povedal? [Nejaký brat v zhromaždení hovorí, „Povedal si, že vieš hovoriť afrikánsky.“ – pozn.prekl.] V afrikánčine, „Baie, baie, bly,“ „Som veľmi, veľmi šťastný. Som tu, aby som hovoril afrikánsky,“ „Afrikaans sprekken.“ Rozumiete? „Som tu, aby som hovoril afrikánsky.“
124 Tak, čo on urobil? On... Ja som hovoril afrikánsky, ale on ma počul v angličtine. Je to tak? Pretože poznáš afrikánčinu. Tak ak hovoríš... Ak tu stojím a hovorím a kážem a brat Neville to prekladá do iného jazyka pre ľudí, on hovorí v ich jazyku to, čo ja hovorím. On hovorí to, o čom ja hovorím, pretože on pozná môj jazyk.
Ak hovoríte v neznámom jazyku a vykladáte, vy počujete, vy to počujete v jazyku, v ktorom ste sa narodili, pretože to je jediný spôsob, ako môžete vykladať to, čo hovoríte, pretože Duch Svätý vám to vyložil a vy len hovoríte za Svätého Ducha.
126 Ale potom, ak je Duch prítomný, aby požehnal túto biednu osobu, a vy stojíte... Ako jeden vzácny starý brat, ktorý už odišiel, dnes večer je už v Sláve, verím tomu tak. To bola jedna veľmi drahá duša, ktorú som poznal, brat Ryan, všetci z nás sme ho poznali. On tu zvykol stávať na ulici. (A, Bože, odpusť mi, nemyslím to ako svätokrádež, lebo viem, že rúhanie sa Svätému Duchu je neodpustiteľné.) Ale brat Ryan zvykol hovoriť dokola jedno slovo po celý čas, dokola niečo ako, „Sikem a Sikem a Sikem,“ alebo niečo také. Zvykol mať... Niekto povedal, „Ty si myslíš, že to je od Boha?“
Povedal som, „Istotne je to od Boha. Samozrejme, verím, že je to od Boha.“ Ale on hovoril v jazykoch a ja som nedokázal povedať, čo on hovorí, pretože som to nerozumel. Ale prítomnosť Ducha tam bola.
Tak ak je tam prítomnosť Ducha a táto osoba hovorí len jedno slovo dokola a dokola a niekto druhý vyskočí a snaží sa dať tomu výklad, a pritom nevie, čo on hovorí... Ak tento človek nedáva výklad, tak on prorokuje, je na ňom duch proroctva a on prorokuje, a on nedáva výklad.
129Tak preto, drahý Kresťan, ty, ktorý si sa opýtal, „Môže to byť Svätý Duch?“ To môže byť Svätý Duch, ktorý používa dva úrady, jedným žehná dušu tým, že hovorí v jazykoch, a druhý prorokuje, čo nemusí byť vykladané, čo hovorí. Ale jednako to povedal. Duch Svätý naňho prichádza v proroctve presne vtedy, keď tento hovorí v jazykoch, a on si myslel, že je to výklad, tak, aký je v tom rozdiel? Je to Duch Boží, ktorý dáva cirkvi posolstvo. Ale výklad, to musí byť porozumené v angličtine a opakované presne to, čo tá osoba povedala, to je dar výkladu.
130 148. Ak už na jednom zhromaždení vyšli tri posolstvá v neznámych jazykoch, môže byť potom v modlitebnom rade viac posolstiev, ktoré prídu, aby to bolo stále pri tom duchovnom poriadku zhromaždenia?
No, istotne. To je pravda. Iste. Viem, kam mierite. To je to, kde Pavol povedal, „Ak oni... ak prorokujete a hovoríte v jazykoch,” niečo také, Pavol hovorí o...
O niečo neskôr, keď vy všetci... Brat Neville, keď vy všetci chcete vedieť, títo ľudia, ktorí majú tieto duchovné dary... Tak, ak dôverujete môjmu porozumeniu Písma, tak urobíme zhromaždenie len s vami ľuďmi, ktorí máte tieto dary, len s vami všetkými, aby sme si tak mohli spolu sadnúť... A ak cítite... A pozorujte to, brat Neville, musíte to vidieť v cirkvi, že to je Boh a že sa Boh medzi nimi pohybuje, to je to, čo chceme, ale chceme to mať na poriadku, aby to tak mohlo byť požehnaním pre cirkev a aby to niečo urobilo. Tak Boh nie je... Ja viem, poznám Písma, čo robiť. A to je to, čo chceme robiť.
132 Tak, táto osoba tu, ja viem, že ona hovorí v jazykoch, to má byť plynule zaradom, dvaja alebo nie viac ako traja. To je správne, ale ak si to tu všimnete, ak by to bolo...
To je ako niekto, kto by nám tu dal... ako keby sa postavil brat Sothmann a vypovedal by posolstvo v proroctve alebo by hovoril v jazykoch. Výklad jazykov je proroctvo (Rozumiete?), Duch proroctva. Tak ak len hovoríte v neznámych jazykoch a nie je tam vykladač, tá osoba je požehnaná Duchom, ale to cirkev nezraňuje.
Tak to, čo sa Pavol snaží dosiahnuť pri tomto tu, je toto, „Vy použijete celú bohoslužbu len na hovorenie v jazykoch (Rozumiete?) a neučeníý povie, 'O čom vôbec toto všetko je.'“ Vidíte, oni to nerozumejú, ak tam nie je výklad. Tak nech sú jedno, dve alebo maximálne tri posolstvá na zhromaždení.
135 Tak tá osoba tu hovorí, „A potom v modlitebnom rade?“ To muselo byť to, že asi niekto v modlitebnom rade... Možno brat Neville alebo v nejakej inej cirkvi, alebo odkiaľ to je, že v tom modlitebnom rade tento človek alebo na zhromaždení s Božským uzdravovaním, mohlo to byť na zhromaždení brata Robertsa alebo brata Allena alebo na niektorom, možno na mojom zhromaždení alebo niekto iný, ja neviem. Ale čokoľvek to je, to, o čom Pavol hovorí, je posolstvo ku zhromaždeniu, „Nech sú len tri,“ pretože posolstvo Boha je hovorenie posolstva, ktorého snahou je dostať to do zhromaždenia. Ale keď je ten človek v modlitebnom rade, on prorokuje nejakému jednotlivcovi, nie všetkým. Ak by to tak bolo, tak ja som to mal potom v modlitebných radoch celé mimo poriadku, keď ich je tam tridsať alebo štyridsať za večer. Tak ak prorokujete nejakému jednotlivcovi... Ale tento človek prorokuje ku celému telu, vtedy nech sú dve alebo tri posolstvá, a potom nech sa to zastaví. Hoci Duch Svätý možno stále chce prehovoriť, ale počkajte chvíľu, dajte Slovu šancu, aby vyšlo. Vidíte? A tak potom by to hovorenie naozaj malo byť buď pred alebo po Slove, nič by nemalo prerušovať Slovo, ako ono vychádza. Avšak dostaneme toto do poriadku neskôr, keď tie duchy a dary začnú prichádzať do dokonalosti.
Hovoríme teraz o tej vážnosti letničnej cirkvi, mám na mysli skutočnej letničnej cirkvi. A sme radi, že Boh stále žije a panuje a hovorí ku nám.
138 Tak, ak je to tak, že napríklad, ak by tu nejaká sestra mala posolstvo v jazykoch alebo proroctvo, a nejaká pani vedľa nej by mala posolstvo v jazykoch alebo proroctvo, a potom tá ďalšia pani vedľa nej alebo niekto vzadu alebo niekde bude mať posolstvo alebo proroctvo alebo jazyky. Niet pochýb, že oni všetci hovoria takmer o tej istej veci, ak je to Božie naliehavé varovanie so snahou niečo predložiť, vyvolať nejakého jednotlivca v cirkvi, aby niečo urobil alebo čo on chce, aby bolo vykonané.
Tak potom napríklad, keď je zavolaný modlitebný rad, a brat Neville alebo ja alebo nejaký iný kazateľ ide dolu k tomuto jednotlivcovi, to nie je ku celému telu, to je ku tomuto jednotlivcovi. A Duch Boží prichádza na neho, aby niečo tomuto jednotlivcovi povedal, a potom mu povie, pretože on nehovorí ku celému zhromaždeniu. On hovorí k tomuto jednotlivcovi, nie ku celému zhromaždeniu, takže to je v poriadku.
140 149. V poriadku, drahý brat Branham, z času na čas mi Pán ukazuje rôzne veci v snoch. Ukázal mi nejaké veci ohľadne môjho syna v námornom letectve, o ktorých mi syn povedal, že boli tajné. Ukázal mi niečo o smrti rôznych ľudí a tajomstvá ľudských sŕdc. Je toto dar od Boha? Keď mi ukazuje v snoch srdcia a mysle ľudí, všetko sa vždy ukázalo, že bolo tak, ako mi to bolo ukázané vo sne.
Áno, môj brat alebo sestra, ktokoľvek si. Nech ťa Pán žehná. To je, podľa môjho názoru, Boží dar. Je to dar od Boha. Či neviete, že Biblia hovorí o snoch? Jozef, ako sníval sny a vykladal ich, a ako iní snívali sny. Tie veci sú od Boha. Tak, ak je to od Boha, to bude vždy pravdivé, to sa vždy stane presne tak, ako to On povedal.
141 A tak ne... Ak sa s tým začnete vychvaľovať, to vás opustí. Tak buďte len úctiví a milí. A keď vám On niečo ukazuje a je to niečo, čo by ste niekomu mali povedať, že urobili napríklad niečo nesprávne, tak potom neurobte to tak, že povstanete a karháte tú osobu, choďte za nimi a povedzte, „Sestra, brat, vieš, Pán mi v jednej noci povedal, že si robil niečo zlé, určitú vec.“
Ak tá osoba povie, „Mýliš sa. To je klamstvo. Ja som to neurobil.“
Tak potom tá vec, ktorú treba robiť, je vrátiť sa a povedať, „Nebeský Otče, mýlil som sa?“
Tak, ak tá osoba... Ak vám tá osoba hovorila pravdu, potom máte nesprávneho ducha. Ale ak tá osoba klamala a ona to urobila, Boh bude s tou osobou konať. Rozumiete? Tak veru. Pretože, čo on tam urobil? On sa rúhal proti Duchu Svätému a zapieral, že Duch Svätý chcel upútať jeho pozornosť. A tak to je zlá vec.
145 150. Brat Branham, ako môže byť v cirkvi tancovanie, vykrikovanie, hovorenie v jazykoch a nechanie Ducha... (Počkajte chvíľu)... Alebo byť unesený Duchom, keď je pri tom veľmi zriedka čítané niečo z Písma. Nerozumiem tomu.
Ani ja, „vykrikovanie, tancovanie, hovorenie v jazykoch a nie je ani čítané Písmo...“ Ja poviem toto, pamätajte, William Branham sa môže mýliť milión míľ. Verím, že väčšina ľudí... Dnes sa ma to opýtal jeden brat, niečo podobné, že keď sa idú modliť za chorých, nejaký brat sa možno pomodlí za jedného, a potom ich všetkých dovedie do toho, že budú spievať alebo tancovať v Duchu mysliac si, že to medzi ľudí prináša moc. Nie, ja... Čo sa mňa týka, verím, že to je nesprávne.
146 Verím, že osoba, ktorá prichádza do zhromaždenia s uzdravovaním, bude na tom tak, ako keď niekto prichádza kvôli spaseniu, prichádza úctivo a verí. Každá osoba, ktorá tam je, nie, že vykrikuje a tancuje, ale vidí, ako ich brat alebo sestra ide dopredu, aby prosila Boha o milosrdenstvo, vtedy skláňate svoju hlavu a začínate sa modliť, „Bože, pomôž môjmu bratovi, ako sa teraz bude pastor za neho modliť, pomaž ho. Nech na neho príde Duch Svätý a dá mu vieru veriť za jeho uzdravenie. Je to vzácny brat. Je to vzácna sestra.“ Modlite za neho namiesto spievania, kričania a tancovania.
Ale vidíme toho tak mnoho v našich letničných zhromaždeniach, je to ustavičné... Verím, že je to uctievanie, skutočne verím, že oni uctievajú Boha. Tak veru. Verím to z celého svojho srdca. A ja verím v hovorenie jazykoch, kričanie a tancovanie. A verím každý kúsok toho, áno. Verím všetkému, čo robia v Biblii, že je to tak isto dobré dnes, ako to bolo vtedy, ale verím, že to má svoj čas a svoj poriadok.
Tak keď je prítomné to veľké požehnanie a ľudia kričia a sláva Pánova je vylievaná a ľudia chcú vykrikovať a robiť, čokoľvek im Duch povie, a tak potom v poriadku, robte to. Správne. Ale keď nejaký človek prichádza, aby bol uzdravený, kde je to pre neho otázkou medzi životom a smrťou, verím, že vtedy by sme mali byť úctiví a hovoriť k Otcovi a hovoriť k Nemu ohľadne toho brata. Namiesto toho, aby sme ho vtedy uctievali, poprosme Ho, „Otče, ja som Tvoj ctiteľ. Milujem Ťa. Ty vieš, že Ťa milujem. Vyjadrujem Ti svoju lásku. Vyjadrujem Ti svoju vieru v Teba a tak pomôž môjmu bratovi, aby bol uzdravený, urobíš to, Otče?“ Verím, že týmto dosiahnete lepšie výsledky. Skutočne to tak verím. A majte v úcte Ducha Božieho.
149 Ó, to môže byť sto míľ mimo. Dúfam, že som ich zodpovedal... že som na to vrhol trochu svetla. Tak trochu teraz viem, čo je jednako vo vašich mysliach. A poviem vám niečo, o trochu neskôr chcem požiadať pastora, aby sem prišiel a pomohol mi, možno sa zídeme a zhromaždíme spolu všetkých ľudí, ktorí majú na sebe Ducha Božieho vo forme darov a trochu o tom budeme hovoriť. Možno vám budem môcť pomôcť vyšplhať sa po tom rebríku trochu vyššie a dostať sa s tým trochu bližšie ku Bohu a postaviť to do lepšieho poriadku v cirkvi. Pozoroval som to nejaký čas, zdá sa mi to ohromné. A milujem to vidieť, ako sa to hýbe vpred a vpred a vpred a stále dopredu.
Ako ideme hore, nedovoľte satanovi, aby sa tam vplazil. Chlapče, on je chytrák. Hmm. Jeho neprekabátiš, nesnaž sa to, pretože to nedokážeš. Len spoliehaj na Boha a len ďalej kráčaj pokorne. Boh to urobí a zistíš, že Boh ťa použije viac a viac a viac. Nech vás Pán žehná.
151 Máme ešte čas asi na dvadsať minút pre kázanie? Ďakujem vám, ďakujem. Hádam to bolo dosť na to, aby ma to naštartovalo, Ben. V poriadku.
Otvorme si na chvíľu Žalmy. Zdá sa, že Pán mi dal odtiaľto takú malú myšlienku, ktorú by som vám rád všetkým dnes večer vyjadril ako malú kázeň, ak môžte vydržať ešte pár minút. Viem, že je horúco, a tu hore je tiež horúco. Ale pamätajme, asi sa už viac nestretneme až do stredy večera. Tak len čakajme, a predtým, ako zaspievame tú starú dobrú pieseň, „Požehnané sú putá, ktoré nás zväzujú,“ hovorme o tom napísanom Slove. Tieto otázky nás tak trochu nechali v nepokoji. Poďme od toho teraz preč a hovorme zo Slova. Tak mohli by sme teraz na chvíľu skloniť svoje hlavy?
153 Nebeský Otče, cez tieto otázky som sa snažil zistiť, čo majú ľudia vo svojich srdciach, zistiť, či sa opýtajú ohľadne tohoto alebo tamtoho. Vidím, Pane, že oni túžia po duchovných daroch. A tí, ktorí majú duchovné dary, chcú vedieť, ako s nimi zaobchádzať. Pre niektorých to vrhá veľké svetlo na cirkev, iní sa nad tým zamýšľajú. Tak, Pane, pomôž nám. Pomôž nám, Pane. Sme Tvoje deti. Nerobíme tieto veci, aby sme uctili sami seba, robíme toto na česť Božiu skrze dar, ktorý nám Boh dal.
Modlíme sa, Otče, aby si požehnal tieto dary a prejavoval ich v cirkvi. A nech sa stane, že pútnici a cudzinci, ktorí prídu, a prejdú sem cez tie dvere a sadnú si na pár minút, nech Duch Boží je tak veľký na tomto mieste, až to dá poznať tajomstvo každého srdca, ktoré prejde cez dvere. Udeľ to, Pane. Nech je to v takej vľúdnosti a pokore, nie príkrom karhaní a trhaní. Vieme, že Duch Boží nie je taký.
Tak sa modlíme, aby si nás vo všetkom požehnal. Požehnaj náš zbor, požehnaj našich ľudí. Požehnaj ľudí iných zborov. A, Otče, vieme, že existuje len jeden zbor, cirkev a my sme všetci do toho narodení.
A modlím sa, Otče, aby si nás požehnal ďalej, ako prečítam tento krátky text, ktorý, zdá sa, že si mi dal, ako som tu bol dnes popoludní za stolom. A pomôž mi, Pane, nie, aby som držal ľudí príliš dlho, ale len prehovoriť a vyjadriť tu pár vecí. Modlím sa, aby si bol v tom. A daruj nám nejakú malú myšlienku, aby sme s ňou mohli ísť domov a ďakovať Pánovi za Jeho dobrotu. Prosíme v Ježišovom Mene. Amen.
157 Tak nezabudnite na ďalšiu nedeľu ráno, ak bude Pán chcieť. Teraz si otvorme Žalm 106, siedmy verš. Chcel som to čítať celé, kúsok, časť z tohoto Žalmu. Ale to je Dávid. Prečo to ku mne prišlo, to bolo kvôli tomu posolstvu dnes ráno. Položím si sem hodinky a budem sa snažiť zakončiť do deväť tridsať, ak to bude možné. Tak teraz siedmy verš Žalmu 106.
Naši otcovia neporozumeli tvojim divom v Egypte, nepamätali na množstvo tvojich milosrdenstiev, ale provokovali ho pri mori, áno, pri Červenom mori.
Prečítam ďalší verš.
Avšak On ich zachraňoval pre Svoje meno, aby dal poznať svoju veľkú moc.
Nech Pán pridá k tomu Svoje požehnania. Chcem ku vám hovoriť, ak bude Pán chcieť, na tému neporozumenia, Boh, ktorý je neporozumený. Vezmem to takto: „Neporozumený Boh.“
161 Viete, neporozumenia nás dostávajú do mnohých problémov. Mnohokrát ľudia povedia veci, ktoré zopakujú po niekom druhom, pričom ich zle porozumeli. To privádza tú osobu do ťažkostí. Verím, že by to bolo pre nás dobré, ak by sme len čakali, kým porozumieme, o čom hovoríme. Nemyslíte si? Viem, že pre mňa je to veľmi dobré, najprv to zistiť, a potom to povedať. Rozumiete? Ale zdá sa, že sme vždy neporozumení. A Dávid tu hovorí o Izraeli, ktorý neporozumel Jeho zázraky, keď boli v Egypte.
Tak, neporozumieť, to nie je len povedať, „No, ja som nepočul, čo povedal,“ ale to je vidieť niečo vykonané a neporozumieť, kvôli čomu to je, a to potom kompletne míňate ten cieľ.
163 Boh nekoná zázraky, len aby povedal, „Vidíte, Ja som Boh.“ Boh koná zázraky kvôli porozumeniu. Rozumiete? Boh to robí za určitým účelom. A či ste si všimli, keď sme čítali tu v Žalme ten siedmy verš? Myslím, že je to nádherné, chcem to znovu prečítať.
„Naši otcovia neporozumeli Tvojim divom v Egypte (Vidíte, oni to nerozumeli)... Nepamätali na množstvo Tvojich milosrdenstiev, ale provokovali ho pri mori, áno, pri Červenom mori. Avšak On ich zachraňoval pre Svoje Meno, aby dal poznať Svoju veľkú moc.“
Vidíte, oni nerozumeli, prečo Boh tam dolu v Egypte vykonal tieto zázraky. On sa im snažil ukázať Svoje milosrdenstvá. On sa im snažil dať porozumenie, že On je Bohom v ich strede. Milujem to.
165 V mojej malej kázni, ktorú som tu prednedávnom kázal tu hore v Chicagu, a potom myslím, že som to kázal aj tu, chlapci majú tú pásku na tému, „Ako orlica povzbudzuje svoje hniezdo,“ ako trepe krídlami nad svojimi maličkými. Ako tá stará matka orlica berie svojich malých potomkov... Pred tým, ako ich vezme na let, oni majú na sebe mnoho uvoľneného peria. Oni ju v skutočnosti nikdy nevideli v tom najlepšom, pretože oni boli celý čas učupené dolu v hniezde. Ale ona nad nimi rozprestrie svoje mocné krídla, nad tým hniezdom. Čo robí? Zakričí, ona chce, aby poznali jej hlas. Rozťahuje svoje veľké krídla.
Samica orla je niekedy najväčšia. Hovoria, že niekedy orly, mnohé samice majú krídla na šírku štyri metre od špičky krídla ku ďalšej špičke krídla, dokážu zodvihnúť malé teľa a odletieť s tým preč. Štyri metre od špičky k špičke na krídlach, to je asi tak ako na šírku tohoto pódia, od tohto stĺpu k tomuto.
167 Ona tam príde pre tých svojich maličkých, kvôli čomu? Ide ich vziať na let. Oni ešte nikdy neboli mimo toho hniezda. A ona ich ide vziať hore do nebies, a potom ich striasť a nechať ich potom, aby sami trepotali krídlami, aby sa naučili lietať. Tak, ona chce ukázať, akú má autoritu. Rozťahuje svoje veľké majestátne krídla s perami a vykríkne, a potom ich ovieva. Ó. Pierka len lietajú z hniezda, a všetko možné, a ona vytvára taký prúd vzduchu ako prúdové lietadlo. Ona toho maličkého prevráti, ľahne ho na chrbát, on sa pozrie hore a povie, „Mami, aká si veľká. Aká si len veľká.“
„Vidíš, aké silné sú moje krídla? Môžem ťa zodvihnúť a niesť, kdekoľvek len chcem. Som mocná.“
169 To je to, čo Boh robil Izraelu. Viete, On povedal, „Ako orlica povzbudzuje svoje hniezdo,“ to je to isté. On našiel Izrael v pustej zemi a vyviedol ho z Egypta a vzal ich do zasľúbenej zeme na krídlach orla. Rozumiete? A kvôli čomu Boh robil tieto zázraky? On sa snažil dostať do svojich ľudí, že On je ten mocný Jehova. A to je to, čo sa On snaží robiť dnes. On neuzdravuje ľudí len preto, že ich dokáže uzdraviť. On sa snaží do vás dostať, že On je vzkriesením, že On ťa môže uzdraviť, že On môže vzkriesiť tvoje telo. On môže robiť, čokoľvek chce, On je Jehova. Páči sa mi to.
Ale ľudia Ho neporozumeli. Boh je tak ľahko zle porozumený neveriacimi, tými, ktorí nechcú porozumieť. Mnoho ľudí sa snaží porozumieť. Mnohí nechcú rozumieť, oni sa chcú len uzatvoriť do seba a povedať, „Neexistuje nič také,“ a, „Neverím v také niečo.“ Potom nemôžu nikdy porozumieť.
172 Ale človek, ktorý je ochotný rozumieť, ktorý je ochotný sadnúť si („Poďte a pravoťme sa spolu,“ hovorí Pán), tak to je ten človek, ktorý je v línii, kde sa môže niečo od Pána naučiť. Ale ľudia, ktorí sú vždy spojení s Bohom a Božou mocou... Sotva môžete byť spriaznení s Bohom bez toho, že by ste boli spriaznení s Jeho mocou, pretože keď ste spriaznení s Ním, tak ste oboznámení s Ním, alebo ste s Ním v príbuzenstve, a potom máte v sebe Jeho moc.
To je ten dôvod, prečo ľudia dnes nedokážu veriť v zázraky, pretože nemajú v sebe nič, s čím by verili. Oni musia mať niečo v sebe, aby tým verili. A keď je Duch Boží v človeku, on povie, „Amen,“ na každé Slovo Božie a každý Boží zázrak. Ale tak, ako zvykla hovoriť moja matka, „Nemôžeš dostať krv z repy, pretože v nej žiadna nie je.“ A tak isto je to tu, nemôžete dostať vieru z neveriaceho, pretože tam nie je nič, s čím by on veril.
174 Jeden človek mi povedal, „Neverím v Božské uzdravenie, je mi jedno, čo povieš.“ Istotne to nie je pre neho, to je len pre tých, ktorí môžu veriť. Ak máš získať krv, tak ju získaj z niečoho, v čom tá krv je. Ak máš získať vieru, dostaň to z niečoho, čo má v sebe vieru.
A tak to je. Boh používa niečo, čo má v sebe vieru. On ťa neposiela sem na nejakú uzdravovaciu kampaň, keď nemáš dostatok viery, aby si tomu veril. Ako by ťa On poslal na prebudenecké zhromaždenie so zázrakmi, keď ty pri tom nemáš dostatok viery, aby si tomu veril? A On chce niečo, čo tam v sebe má niečo, z čoho On môže niečo vyprodukovať. A tak ľudia neporozumievajú.
176 Noe bol vo svojom dni veľmi neporozumený. Noe, ktorý bol s Bohom spriatelený, bol to sluha Boží a veriaci v Boha. A keď sa stávaš veriacim v Boha, tak robíš veci, ktoré sú tak protiklade s tým, čo si ľudia myslia, že je správne, až si oni myslia, že si blázon. A Noe, ktorý bol varovaný od Boha, pripravil archu pre spasenie svojej domácnosti. A ľudia si mysleli, že je blázon. On nebol blázon, on bol len zle porozumený, pretože on nasledoval príkazy Boha. Amen. To sa mi páči. On bol neporozumený.
„Ako by mohol človek...“ Hoci by ste povedali, „Nikdy z oblakov neprišiel žiaden dážď. Čo je to dážď?“ Nikdy predtým nepršalo, Boh zavlažoval zem. „Noe, kde je ten dážď?“
„Ja neviem.“
„Ukáž mi, kde je.“
„Nedokážem ti ukázať, kde je.“
„No, tak potom, ako vieš, že to príde sem dolu tam z hora, keď tam hore nie je nikto, kto by tu dole prišiel.“ Noe mohol povedať niečo takéto, „Boh mi povedal, že to príde. A keď Boh povedal, že to príde dolu, On je schopný to tam hore vyviesť, a potom to zoslať dolu,“ a tak tým je to vybavené. Ak tak Boh povedal, to je všetko, na čom záleží. Rozumiete? On bol neporozumený, pretože on nasledoval Boha.
180 Eliáš... mohol by som zostať na tejto téme dlhý čas, ale mám tu ešte niekoľko príkladov, ku ktorým by som chcel rýchlo prísť. Eliáš bol svojím národom neporozumený. Eliáš bol Izraelitom, bol Židom a bol neporozumený, pretože stále odsudzoval svoj národ, odsudzoval kráľa, odsudzoval kráľovnú, odsudzoval všetko, čo bolo okolo neho, a on ich odsudzoval. On sa zdal byť šialencom. Ó, ale všetko prišlo cez, „Tak hovorí Pán. Boh ťa potresce, teba, Jezábeľ, teba, toho a toho.“ On bol neporozumený. Prečo? On nasledoval Boha. To nebol Eliáš, ktorého oni neporozumeli, to bolo pôsobenie Ducha Svätého v Eliášovi, ktoré oni neporozumeli.
182 Ako by mohol nejaký človek povstať proti svojmu vlastnému národu? Rúhal sa svojmu vlastnému národu, naprával ho a položil na neho Božiu kliatbu, práve na ten národ, na tých ľudí, s ktorými žil. Jeho vlastná rasa, jeho vlastná farba, jeho vlastné vyznanie, jeho vlastný druh, a jednako predpovedal Božie súdy a zavolal na nich hlad. On bol neporozumený, pretože to nebol Eliáš, to bol Boh v Eliášovi, ktorého oni neporozumeli. To nebol Eliáš neporozumený, to bol Boh, ktorý viedol Eliáša, a oni neporozumeli, že Boh je Svätý Boh a že On nemôže tolerovať hriech.
A nezáleží na tom, či je to tvoj brat, sestra, matka alebo ktokoľvek to je, v Božích očiach je to hriech a na nich príde za to súd. Neporozumený...
184 Daniel bol neporozumený, keď sa všetky ostatné deti Izraela skláňali tomu obrazu, ale on a Sadrach a Mézach a Abednégo sa odmietli skloniť. Tak oni povedali, „Čo sa s ním deje?“ Celý národ povedal, „Čo sa deje s týmto bláznom? Veď všetci ostatní Hebreji rozpoznali nášho Boha, rozpoznali to, klaňajú sa mu, keď hrajú na trúby a trúbia na trúby a hrajú na harfy, a tak ďalej, a na flautu. Oni sa všetci skláňajú, ale čo sa to deje s týmto šialencom, čo sa to s ním deje, či on to neurobí?“ Pretože on bol v kontakte s Bohom. To je to, čo sa deje. On bol neporozumený. On bol považovaný za „blázna alebo stratil rozum. No, to bola banda hlupákov.“ Ale oni len nasledovali vedenie Ducha. To je ten dôvod, prečo boli neporozumení.
185 Všetci proroci v Starej Zmluve, ako oni povstali a prorokovali proti svojmu národu, ako prorokovali proti ľuďom, ako prorokovali proti tej veci, umiestnili na nich kliatby a robili takéto veci. Oni neporozumeli. Prečo? Oni boli Boží služobníci, oni konali vôľu Božiu. Oni konali službu Božiu, a preto boli neporozumení.
A ktokoľvek nasleduje Boha, je neporozumený. Ježiš, náš Pán, keď sa narodil, bol neporozumený.
Mudrci, oni boli neporozumení. Oni nasledovali nadprirodzené znamenie, aby našli Kráľa, ktorý sa narodil ako Kráľ Židov. Oni vedeli, že povstane hviezda z Jakoba podľa proroctiev Daniela. A oni vedeli, že tento Kráľ bude Spasiteľom, že On bude Kráľom Izraela. A oni išli dva roky celú cestu z Indie až dolu ku rieke Tigris a cez púšte a cez pohoria všade a jedného dňa prišli do miesta Jeruzalem pri západe slnka a kričali, „Kde je On, ten narodený Kráľ Židov? Kde je?“
188 A nikto o tom nič nevedel. Bolo zvláštne, že sa narodil Kráľ Židov a ľudia, ktorí boli vzdialení stovky míľ, o tom vedeli, a rovno tu v tom meste, kde sa On narodil, a miesto, kde sa narodil, medzi ľuďmi, kde sa narodil, a oni o tom nič nevedeli. Oni tých mudrcov neporozumeli. Povedali, „Neexistuje nič také, ako kráľ Židov. My tu máme kráľa, Heroda.“
On bol neporozumený pri svojom narodení, keď sa narodil. A Mária bola už matkou predtým, ako sa zosobášila s Jozefom. Neporozumený... Oni si mysleli, že On sa narodil pomimo svätého manželského zväzku, a oni nevedeli, že to bol Duch Svätý, ktorý dal počatie tomuto dieťaťu v nej. Ale bolo to neporozumené. Bol to skutok Boží a ľudia to neporozumeli. Oni to stále neporozumievajú, ten skutok Boží je obyčajne neporozumený.
191 Jedine skrze duchovných veriacich ľudí, ľudí, ktorí veria v Duchu... Ale to bolo neporozumené, tí Mudrci boli neporozumení. Herodes to neporozumel. Keď Herodes povedal, „No, povedzte mi, kde to dieťa je, a ja Ho tiež prídem uctievať,“ on bol pokrytcom, on klamal. To, čoho sa on bál... On nepoznal Písma, že má prísť Mesiáš, Kráľ nebies. A Herodes si myslel, že to bude zemský kráľ. A on ho chcel zabiť a zbaviť sa Ho.
To nebol zemský kráľ. On povedal, že táto zem nie je Jeho kráľovstvom, „Ak by toto bolo Mojím kráľovstvom, Moji poddaní by za Mňa bojovali, ale Moje kráľovstvo je zhora,“ Herodes to neporozumel, on si myslel, že to bol zemský kráľ.
194 A to je to, ako je to dnes, „Do akej cirkvi patríš, ak si kresťanom? Do akej denominácie?“
„Do žiadnej.“
Oni to nerozumejú. Vidíte, oni to nedokážu porozumieť. Oni si myslia, že denominácia znamená, že si kresťan. Je to práve naopak, je to presne naopak. Ale je to ľuďmi neporozumené.
Tak zisťujeme, že Herodes to neporozumel, nemohol tomu porozumieť.
Nikodém, nedokázal to porozumieť, to nové narodenie, keď prišiel v noci k Ježišovi. Niekto ho odsudzoval. Ja ho neodsudzujem. On bol dobrý človek, on chcel niečo zistiť. Bol cez deň príliš zaneprázdnený, možno bol v kancelárii kňaza, alebo niečo podobné a musel prísť v noci. Každopádne tam prišiel a urobil omnoho lepšie, ako robí mnoho ľudí dnes. Oni neprídu ani cez deň ani v noci. Ale on nakoniec prišiel, a ty si ho už predtým odsúdil, však? Nakoniec sa ku Ježišovi dostal, tak ho neodsudzujme, ak sme tam neboli. Ak by si sa tam dostal, nemyslím, že by si ho odsudzoval. Nie, tak on sa tam dostal. On prišiel večer, možno bol príliš zaneprázdnený. Každopádne prišiel. Možno Ježiš bol príliš zaneprázdnený, niekde modlitbami za chorých, a podobne, a jediný čas, kedy Ho mohol zastihnúť kvôli tomuto osobného rozhovoru, bol v nočnom čase. Ale nakoniec sa tam dostal a zostal tam, až kým nemal osobný rozhovor s Ježišom. A keď Ježiš povedal...
On povedal, „Rabbi, my vieme, že si ty človekom poslaný od Boha, lebo nikto by nemohol robiť tieto veci, jedine, že by s ním bol Boh.“
Ježiš povedal, „Ak sa človek nenarodí znova, nemôže vstúpiť do kráľovstva, dokonca nemôže ani uvidieť to kráľovstvo.“
A ten veľký rabbi, učiteľ v Izraelovi povedal, „Ja, starý muž, aby som vošiel do lona svojej matky a bol znovu narodený?“ Vidíte, on neporozumel, o čom Ježiš hovorí, on to jednoducho nerozumel. Pretože Ježiš hovoril o duchovnom narodení, a on sa to snažil aplikovať na prirodzené narodenie. On im bol neporozumený, on to nechápal. On len... To, ako to ľudia robia... Práve ako Nikodém, mnohí z nás neporozumievajú veci Božie, pretože my to len vezmeme a aplikujeme to na prirodzenú vec.
200 Ako napríklad lekár povie, „Ó, ja neverím v Božské uzdravenie, ja neverím, že niečo také existuje.“
Počul som, ako raz povedal jeden lekár jednej žene v kancelárii, povedal... A ona nevedela... On chcel vedieť, čo sa stalo s tým výrastkom, ktorý mala. Ona povedala, „Brat Branham sa za mňa pomodlil a Pán ma uzdravil.“
On povedal, „Ja tomu neverím.“ On povedal, „Nikdy, nikdy by som nemohol veriť niečo takéto.“ Povedal, „Povedzte mi, kto vám to dal preč.“
Ona povedala, „Nájdite tú jazvu.“
On povedal, „Čo ste si na to dala?“
Povedala, „Nič, vôbec nič.“ Povedala, „On ma len vyvolal na zhromaždení a tá vec odišla.“ A ja som sedel rovno vo vedľajšej miestnosti (Veru tak), sedel som rovno tam a počúval. Ona nevedela, že ja som tam. A on nevedel, že ja som tam, pretože on ma ani nepoznal. A tak ja som tam sedel. A on povedal... Zavolal niekoho ďalšieho do tej ordinácie. Bolo to presne tak. A ja som mohol počuť, čo on hovorí, mal som tam pacienta, a keď som vyšiel von, zistil som, že on tomu neverí.
Tak on povedal, „Neverím ani jednému slovu z toho.“ Povedal, „Nikdy som nič také nevidel, čo by mohlo niečo takéto urobiť. Jednoducho tomu neverím.“ Povedal, „Musím to najprv vidieť predtým, ako tomu budem veriť.“
Ona povedala, „No dobre, a čo môj výrastok?“
On povedal, „Musel by som to vidieť, ako to odchádza predtým, ako tomu uverím.“
206 Vidíte, vidieť nie je veriť. „Viera je podstata vecí, ktoré nevidíme.“ Vidíte, vy to najprv veríte, a potom sa to deje. A tak ten človek nebol veriaci, tak pre neho to bolo celé tajomstvom. On ani nevedel, o čom hovorí, pretože on to nedokázal porozumieť a pre neho to bola hádanka.
Ľudia dnes povedia, „Ó, ja neverím v Božské uzdravenie. Neverím v Ducha Svätého. Neverím v hovorenie v jazykoch. Neverím vo vykrikovanie. Neverím vo všetky tieto veci ako to. Neverím v to.“ Prečo? Je to tajomstvo. Vy to jednoducho neporozumievate. To je Boh. Tu to je v Biblii. Tu to prináša tie isté výsledky, o ktorých Biblia hovorila, že to prinesie, tak potom to musí byť Boh. Vy to len neporozumievate, to je všetko. Boh je neporozumený.
208 Jeho učeníci nedokázali porozumieť Jeho zázrak toho večera, keď vstúpil do lode a povedali, „Čo je toto za človeka, že dokonca aj vetry a vlny ho poslúchajú?“ Oni neporozumievali, že On nebol človekom, On bol Bohom.
To je to, čo sa dnes deje s ľuďmi. Oni z Neho chcú urobiť nejakého malého maskota alebo niečo alebo niekoho takého, kto nosí bejzbalovú pálku. Oni z Neho chcú urobiť len takého chlapca, ktorý je okolo tábora.
On nebol nejakým malým chlapcom okolo tábora. On bol Jehova Boh. Oni Ho neporozumeli. Oni očakávali, že On bude jedným z nich. On nebol jedným z nich, On bol Bohom medzi nimi. On bol viac ako človek. Ako som často povedal, On bol človekom, keď bol hladný, ale On bol Bohom, keď nasýtil päť tisíc s kúskom chleba, s dvomi kúskami chleba, nejakými kúskami rýb. On bol človekom, keď bol unavený dolu v lodi, ale On bol Bohom, keď spôsobil, že vetry a vlny ustali, a On spôsobil, že ho poslúchli. „Čo za človeka je toto?“ To nebolo niečo za človeka, to bol Boh prejavený v človeku. Oni Ho neporozumeli. Oni si o Ňom mysleli, že je človek, syn Márie, tesár, ale On bol Bohom prejaveným v tele. Amen.
211 Tí rímski vojaci Ho neporozumeli, keď Ho postavili na tom súdnom nádvorí a dali Mu okolo očí handru a udierali Ho po hlave a hovorili, „Tak, ak si prorokom... Všetci hovoria, že Ty si prorok. Povedz nám, kto Ťa udrel po hlave.“
Vidíte, oni neporozumeli, že Ježiš povedal, „Ja činím len to, čo Mi Otec ukazuje, aby som činil. Činím to, čo Mi Otec ukazuje, a potom činím to, čo Mi hovorí, aby som urobil.“ Oni to neporozumeli.
213 Oni neporozumeli Jeho službu. Židia Ho neporozumeli: Ako On príde ako ich priateľ a Spasiteľ a oni Ho chceli urobiť niečím zlým. Oni neporozumeli Jeho službe. On povedal, „Kráľovná juhu povstane na súde s touto generáciou a odsúdi ju, pretože ona prišla z ďalekých končím zeme, aby počula múdrosť Šalamúnovu. A tu je väčší ako Šalamún.“ Ale oni neporozumeli, že On bol väčším ako Šalamún. Oni si mysleli, že On je len človek.
Mnohí z nich si mysleli, že sa narodil z nemanželského zväzku, že prišiel zo zlej rodiny, ktorá mala takéto žiadosti, a tak ďalej, a že bol bastardským dieťaťom. Ó, čo sme mali práve otázku, že oni dokonca nemohli ani... Tak oni povedali, „No, my vieme, že Ty si sa narodil mimo manželského zväzku. Máš na sebe diabla. A Ty sa nás snažíš učiť? My sme rabíni.“
On povedal, „Vy ste zo svojho otca diabla,“ vidíte, oni neporozumeli.
215 Keď sa raz vrátili tí rímski vojaci, aby Ho počúvali, povedali, „Nikdy takto nehovoril človek. Nikdy sme nepočuli žiadneho človeka takto hovoriť.“
To nebol človek, ktorý hovoril, to bol Boh. Tak veru. Človek tak nehovoril. Človek hovorí a vypovie Písma, ale Ježiš robí Písma živými. Človek nežije takto, „Písmo hovorí toto tu a tu to je.“ Človek môže povedať, že Písmo to hovorí, ale to je asi všetko, čo dokáže. Ale Ježiš mohol povedať, „Ja a Otec sme jedno, môj Otec prebýva vo Mne. Ten, kto videl Mňa, videl Otca.“ Nikto iný to nedokázal povedať. Amen. Haleluja. To je pravda. „Ten, kto videl Mňa, videl Otca.“ Nikto iný to nemohol povedať.
Niet divu, že tí vojaci povedali, „Nikdy takto človek nehovoril.“ On nehovorí ako nejaký zákonník alebo kazateľ, On hovorí s autoritou. A dokonca i diabli Ho poslúchajú a vetry a vlny ho poslúchli. Oni si mysleli, že On bol človekom, ale On bol Bohom. Vidíte, On bol neporozumený.
218 Povedali, „No, ty si sa narodil ako bastard. Ty si sa narodil mimo manželského zväzku a Ty sa nás snažíš učiť? Tak my vieme, že si šialený a máš diabla. Si Samaritán, bol si tam a tam si nabral na seba diablov. Ty sa snažíš učiť nás? Nás, svätých rabínov?“
On povedal, „Vy ste zo svojho otca diabla.“
Áno, Oni Ho neporozumeli, oni nevedeli, kým On je. To je to, čo sa deje dnes, ľudia sa Ho snažia urobiť niečím, čím On nie je. On nie je len človek, On je Boh v človeku: Nie tretia osoba, On je tá jediná osoba. Tak veru. Iste, oni Ho neporozumeli.
220 Farizej, ten farizej, ktorý Ho pozval dolu v čase večere na veľký banket, on Ho neporozumel. On si myslel, že on Ho tam len bude mať. Prednedávnom som na to kázal posolstvo, tu na raňajkách, myslím v Chicagu, na raňajkách. Ten farizej povedal, „Tak pozrite na Neho, ako tam sedí, sedí tam a nemá umyté nohy a to všetko. A tá žena tam prišla a umyla Ho slzami a utrela svojimi vlasmi.“ On povedal, „Ak by On bol prorokom, vedel by, čo je to za ženu, ktorá umýva Jeho nohy. To ukazuje, že On nie je prorokom.“
Ježiš sa postavil a povedal, „Šimon, mám ti niečo povedať.“ Amen. On to neporozumel, to je všetko. On povedal, „Ja... Ty si ma pozval, aby som prišiel a ja som zanechal svoj plný program, aby som prišiel na tvoje pozvanie. A keď... Vôbec si ma pri dverách nestretol. Neumyl si mi nohy. Nepomazal si mi hlavu. Nepobozkal si ma na privítanie. Nechal si ma len vôjsť špinavého a zapáchajúceho, plný potu, a nechal si ma tam sedieť v rohu, aby ste si zo Mňa robili žarty. Ale táto žena, táto žena ustavične bozká Moje nohy. A umyla ich svojimi slzami pokánia (Čo za nádherná voda) a utrela ich vlasmi. Niečo mám proti tebe, Šimon. Amen ti hovorím, že jej hriechy, ktoré sú mnohé, sú jej všetky odpustené.“ Amen. Šimon neporozumel, ona porozumela.
Šimon povedal, „On je len človek.“
Ona povedala, „On je Boh, môj Spasiteľ.“ On bol neporozumený. On je stále neporozumený.
222 Učeníci na Golgote, oni Ho neporozumeli, keď Ho všetci zapreli a odišli preč. Ako mohli vidieť človeka, človeka, ktorého poznali, ako Toho, ktorý vykonal zázraky a kriesil mŕtvych, a teraz sa Sám poddal smrti a vykročil tam zbitý a plačúci a pľuvance Mu stekali po tvári a krv sa s tým zmiešala, kde Mu vytrhali za hrste z brady, trhali Mu to z tváre, šľahali Jeho chrbát, až sa cez to zaleskli Jeho kosti, a kopali Ho, a bili Ho a opití vojaci Ho preklínali a bili tam na ulici a učeníci tam len stáli a nechali ich to robiť?“ Oni to neporozumeli, tak stáli zďaleka. To je pravda.
Diabol Ho neporozumel. Diabol povedal, „Istotne to nemôže byť Syn Boží, ktorý by tu takto stál a nechal, aby s Ním bolo takto zle zaobchádzané, a oni ho preklínajú a moji učeníci tam dolu s Ním takto zaobchádzajú a On to len necháva. On nie je Synom Božím.“
224 Tak isto farizeji, kňazi Ho neporozumeli, povedali, „Ak si Synom Božím, zostúp odtiaľ.“
Ten zlodej po Jeho ľavej ruke Ho neporozumel, „Ak si Ty Syn Boží, osloboď nás od tohoto kríža, zachráň Seba a nás tiež.“
Ale ten zlodej po Jeho pravej strane Ho porozumel, povedal, „My sme vykonali zlé a my si zaslúžime to, čo sa nám dostáva, ale tento Človek neurobil nič. Pane, pamätaj na mňa, keď prídeš do Svojho Kráľovstva.“
Sledujte, ako mu ten hlas odpovedal, „Dnes budeš so mnou v raji.“ On porozumel, že to bol Boh, ktorý zomieral za naše hriechy. Ten jediný spôsob, ako mohol zomrieť, by bolo byť vydaným na smrť v tele. On by nemohol byť vydaný na smrť v duchu, pretože On je večným Duchom. A On musel byť v tele, aby bol vydaný na smrť, tak oni to neporozumeli. On to porozumel.
228 Jedného dňa asi o desať dní potom, alebo štyridsať dní potom, bolo to päťdesiat, učeníci prišli hore do vrchnej dvorany a zostávali tam desať dní a nocí, kým neprišiel ten päťdesiaty deň. Potom zrazu prišiel zvuk z neba ako nesúci sa mocný vietor. Pretože Ježiš im povedal, „Hľa posielam na vás zasľúbenie svojho Otca, ale čakajte v meste Jeruzaleme, kým nebudete odiati do moci z výsosti.“ Oni vedeli, že to príde. Tak oni vedeli, že sa to musí stať. „Choďte tam hore a čakajte, kým to nepošlem.“ Oni tam hore čakali. Oni vyznávali a dostávali všetko preč zo svojich myslí a sŕdc. Oni tam čakali, boli všetci v zhode na jednom mieste, očakávali na zasľúbenie, chodili hore a dolu, mužovia a ženy, a chodili tam v tejto vrchnej dvorane, všetky dvere boli pred Židmi zatarasené, aby sa tam nedostali a neublížili im.
229 A tu zrazu, ako tam hore chodili, prišiel zvuk z neba ako nesúci sa mocný vietor, zakrúžil tam a potom na nich začali sadať jazyky ohňa. Dvere sa rozleteli, okná sa otvorili a oni vyrazili do ulíc a boli neporozumení! Neporozumení až natoľko, že ľudia povedali, „Či nie sú títo plní nového vína? Títo ľudia sú opití, pretože ich počujeme niečo bľabotať a my nevieme, o čom oni hovoria.“ Zrazu oni povedali, „Ako to, že ich počujeme každý jeden vo vlastnom jazyku, či nie sú títo Galileania?“ Oni neporozumeli, že to bolo zasľúbenie Otca.
Potom tam mal Boh proroka, ktorý sa mohol postaviť a povedať, Peter povedal, „Vy, mužovia Jeruzalema, a vy, ktorí bývate v Júdei, neporozumejte toto zle. Toto je to, čo bolo hovorené skrze proroka Joela, „A stane sa v posledných dňoch,“ hovorí Boh, „že vylejem Svojho Ducha na každé telo. A na moje služobnice a na mojich služobníkoch vylejem Svojho Ducha a budú prorokovať. Ukážem divy na nebesiach hore a na zemi dole a oheň a paru a stĺpy ohňa. Stane sa predtým, ako príde ten veľký a hrozný deň Pánov, že ktokoľvek bude vzývať Meno Pánovo bude spasený.“ To bolo dielo Božie. To bol Duch Svätý, ale oni to neporozumeli.
233 On bol neporozumený. On bol vždy neporozumený. Izrael Ho neporozumel. Ľudia v čase Noeho Ho neporozumeli. Ľudia v čase Daniela Ho neporozumeli. Ľudia v Jánovom čase Ho neporozumeli. Ľudia v čase proroka Ho neporozumeli. Ľudia v letničnom veku Ho neporozumeli. Ľudia v tomto veku Ho nerozumejú, to je stále to isté. Oni to nechápu, pretože On je zle porozumený. Je čas porovnať to prirodzené s tým duchovným.
Keď ľudia teraz... Po dní Letníc, keď boli všetci naplnení Svätým Duchom a mali tam toto veľké zhromaždenie, zavolali dolu človeka, ktorý bol chromý od lona svojej matky, dvaja z nich tam prechádzali ulicou a tento žobrák potriasol plechovkou a prosil o nejaké peniaze. A on povedal, „Striebra ani zlata nemám, ale to, čo mám, ti dávam.“ Povedal, „V Mene Ježiša Krista z Nazaretu vstaň a choď.“ A vzal toho človeka za ruku a pozdvihol ho a jeho nohy a kĺby okamžite obdržali silu. Začal chodiť, skákať a behať, vyskakovať, chváliť Boha a vošiel do chrámu. A všetci ľudia sa začali schádzať, kričať a vystrájať. Tak to bolo neobvyklé.
236 A vsadili ich do väzenia a pohrozili im, že, „Nemajú už viac kázať v Mene Ježišovom.“
A Peter povedal, „Koho máme počúvať, Boha alebo ľudí?“ A oni ich prepustili a mysleli si, že, pretože ich trochu zbičovali a pohrozili im, že ich na druhýkrát zavesia alebo upália alebo zavesia na kríž alebo niečo, že ich týmto zastavia. Ale kde ich našli na ďalšíkrát, oni boli znovu na ulici. Prečo? Oni neporozumeli. To neboli tí ľudia, to bol Boh v tých ľuďoch, ktorý konal tieto veci.
239 Keď chytili malého Štefana a v to ráno ho postavili pred súd v Sanhedrine, „Vezmeme ho pred tento súd. Keď všetci títo rabíni a Židia a veľkňazi a svätí otcovia a všetci z nich tam budú zhromaždení, títo doktori teológie, to ho celkom vystraší.“ Tak Ho tam priviedli v reťaziach, postavili Ho tam, no, ten chlapík tam bol ako baránok medzi svorkou dravých vlkov. Oni povedali, „Sledujte Ho, ako to teraz odvolá a povie, „Všetko to beriem späť, bratia, neobťažujte ma už.“' On povedal, „Vy tvrdošijní a neobrezaného srdca a uší. Prečo odporujte Svätému Duchu? Ako to robili vaši otcovia, tak robíte aj vy.“ Amen.
Oni zistili, že to nebol on. Zodvihli hrudy a zapchali si uši, začali na neho škrípať zubami a ukameňovali ho na smrť. A keď zodvihol svoju hlavu k nebu, oni ho udierali z jednej strany na druhú a on povedal, „Vidím nebesia otvorené a Ježiša stáť po pravici Boha.“ Amen. A on zaspal v náručí Pána Ježiša. Keď zomieral, povedal, „Otče, nepočítaj im tohto hriechu.“
Vidíte, oni neporozumeli, čo urobil. Pavol, ktorý tam stál a díval sa na to, neskôr sa to dotýkalo jeho nervov a povedal, „Ja som tým najmenším z nich, pretože som niesol svedectvo Štefanovej smrti, Tvojho svätého. Amen. To je to.
243 Vidíte, ľudia neporozumeli toto nadšenie. Ľudia to nerozumejú dnes. Oni neporozumeli moc Svätého Ducha. Oni to nazývajú banda náboženských fanatikov. Oni to nazývajú banda ľudí, ktorí nemajú zdravý rozum. Oni to neporozumievajú, že vy ste museli stratiť svoju – to, čo nazývate zdravý rozum... Pretože vy v sebe máte myseľ Kristovu. Vy nemôžete mať v tom istom čase myseľ sveta a myseľ Kristovu, lebo jedna je telesná a tá druhá je duchovná. „Ten, ktorý chodí podľa tela, je telesný, ale ten, ktorý chodí podľa Ducha, je duchovný.“ Amen. Tak ja strácam samého seba a nachádzam to, Pane, v Tebe. Tak veru.
Tak Boh je zle porozumený. To nie je, že oni teba neporozumeli, to je Svätý Duch, ktorý ťa robí takým, že oni to neporozumievajú. Amen. Oni nehovoria proti tebe, oni hovoria proti Nemu. Ľudia sú neporozumení.
Potom ich nechali ísť, ale oni sa znovu vrátili na ulicu a začali znova. To isté je dnes, oni tých ľudí nerozumejú. Oni nevedia, čo to je.
245 Ja som dnes vo svojej službe, v ktorej ma On poslal ku ľuďom, neporozumený. Oni nerozumejú. Každý z nich hovorí, „My veríme, že brat Branham...“ Hovoril som pred chvíľou s jedným kazateľom a on povedal, „Brat Branham, my všetci vieme, že si bol poslaný do cirkvi, ale ide o to, ako to, že krstíš na Ježišovo Meno?“ Oni nerozumejú Písma. Nerozumejú tomu. To je to, kvôli čomu ma On poslal, to je môj účel, pre ktorý som tu. „Prečo učíš semeno hada a také veci, ktoré sú v protiklade k tomu, čo my učíme.“ Nuž, brat, to je to, prečo som tu. Oni to neporozumievajú. Amen. Ale Boh nesie svedectvo skrze Svoje Slovo a znamenia Ducha Svätého v... Nezáleží na tom, koľko to oni zle zrozumievajú, Boh potvrdzuje Slovo. Amen.
Boh bol vždy neporozumený. A tí, ktorí žijú s Bohom, sú neporozumení s Bohom, pretože to je Boh pôsobiaci v nich. Amen. Veríte tomu?
Milujem Ho, milujem Ho,
lebo On prv miloval mňa. (Milujete Ho?)
Zodvihnite svoje ruky a chváľte Ho.“
…A vykúpil mi spasenie na Golgote.
247 Ste radi, že ste neporozumení? Zvykli sme spievať jednu malú pieseň, kde sa hovorí, „Teraz som označený, označený, označený, označený Božským Duchom.“ To je pravda. Ľudia, ktorí ma raz milovali, sa teraz ku mne otočili chrbtom, pretože som označený, označený Duchom. Amen. Stratil som svoju myseľ veciam tohoto sveta, aby som prijal myseľ Kristovu. Preto, ak mám myseľ Kristovu, moja myseľ hľadá tie veci, ktoré sú hore. Bol by som rád, keby mi niekto ukázal nejaký iný správny krst pomimo na Meno Ježiša Krista. Bol by som rád, ak by mi niekto ukázal miesto Písma, ktoré hovorí, že had nemal semeno. Bol by som rád, keby mi niekto ukázal miesto Písma, ktoré hovorí, že existujú traja bohovia. Potom hovoria, „Dobre, a čo je to?“
249 Boh posiela Svoje posolstvo a nesie o ňom svedectvo. On potvrdzuje Svoje Slovo so znameniami, ktoré Ho nasledujú. To je to, čo hovorí Biblia. Nemôžu to poprieť, je to fakt. Ale čo urobili? Oni to nerozumejú, pretože ja som neprišiel v mene Zborov Božích, Jednotárov, Trojičiarov alebo Cirkvi Božej alebo Baptistov, Metodistov, Presbyteriánov, Luteránov. Neprišiel som v žiadnom z tých mien, prichádzam v Mene Ježiša Krista. A Boh skrze Svoju milosť potvrdzuje to posolstvo mocou vzkriesenia Ježiša Krista. Tak to je stále Duch Boží, ktorého ľudia zle porozumievajú. To je pravda. Neporozumievajú to.
Isteže ste neporozumení, všetci, ktorí žijú zbožne v Kristu Ježišovi, sú neporozumení. Po celý čas od Noeho až po dnešok, kedy je ten svätý tohto súčasného dňa neporozumený, ako aj vždy bol. Ľudia to neporozumievajú.
Izrael to neporozumel. Oni to nerozumejú, nedokážu to, pretože sú v duchu telesní a nie... To sa nezlúči s tým duchovným, pretože to sa nemôže zmiešať.
252 Ale som rád, že my žijeme v Kráľovstve, ktoré nie je učinené rukami ľudí. Som rád, že ideme do Kráľovstva, s ktorým človek nemá nič spoločné. Som rád, že naše Kráľovstvo je hore. A ak je naše Kráľovstvo hore, sme narodení zhora, potom hľadáme veci, ktoré sú hore, kde je Kristus posadený po pravici Božej. Ó, a On sa za nás nehanbí, ani za naše svedectvo. My sa nehanbíme za Neho na tejto zemi, pretože sme pútnikmi a cudzincami. My nie sme z tejto zeme, sme narodení z Ducha Božieho. Sedíme spolu v ponebeských miestach v Kristu Ježišovi, umytí v Jeho Krvi, narodení z Jeho Ducha, naplnení Jeho milosťou. To je to: Neporozumení. Ale čo sa o to staráme? My Ho milujeme. Či Ho milujete?
253 V poriadku, Teddy, daj nám tón na pieseň, „Milujem Ho,“ a zaspievajme to na plné hrdlo.
Milujem Ho, milujem Ho,
Pretože On prv miloval mňa
A vykúpil mi spasenie
na Golgote.
Nie je On nádherný? Nemilujete Ho? Či nie ste radi, že ste zvláštnym kráľovským kňažstvom, vybraným ľudom, zvláštnym ľudom, obetujúci duchovné obete, ovocie našich rtov, dávajúcich Jemu chválu? Zaspievam vám teraz jednu pieseň, cítim sa, že by som spieval.
Nachádzam mnoho ľudí, ktorí nerozumejú,
Prečo som tak šťastný a slobodný.
Bol som naplnený Duchom, niet v tom pochýb,
A to je to, ako je to so mnou.
A to je to, ako je to so mnou.
A to je to, ako je to so mnou.
Bol som naplnený Duchom, niet v tom pochýb,
a to je to, ako je to so mnou.
Páči sa vám to? Zaspievame to potom.
Nachádzam mnoho ľudí, ktorí nerozumejú,
Prečo sme tak šťastní a slobodní.
Sme naplnení Duchom, niet v tom pochýb,
a práve to stalo sa mi.
A práve to stalo sa mi (Chvála Bohu).
Ó, to je to, čo stalo sa mi
Bol som naplnený Duchom, niet v tom pochýb,
a práve to stalo sa mi.
Ó, keď som tak šťastný, spievam a kričím.
Niektorí tomu nerozumejú, ako vidím,
ale prešiel som Jordánom do nádhernej zeme Kanaán.
A práve to stalo sa mi. A práve to stalo sa mi (Chvála Bohu)
A práve to stalo sa mi.
Prešiel som Jordánom do krásnej zeme Kanaán,
a práve to stalo sa mi.
257 Ó, ja to milujem, vy nie? Prejsť Jordánom do nádhernej zeme Kanaán. Zamával som svetu na rozlúčku, som pozdvihnutý ponad veci sveta a teraz žijem v tejto nebeskej atmosfére. Samozrejme, že pre tie kane tam dolu sa správam smiešne. Veru tak, ja lietam ponad to. To je pravda, či sa staráme, my žijeme v zemi Kanaán (Amen, veru tak) a jeme to nové hrozno, máme ohromný čas plný slávy, plný moci, plný Ducha Svätého. Veru tak.
Bolo povedané, že Štefan bol plný. Plný čoho? Plný čoho? On bol plný Svätého Ducha, on bol plný moci, bol plný múdrosti, bol plný sily. Čo ho takto vybudovalo? On bol plný Svätého Ducha. To je to, kde všetky tieto veci prebývajú. To je to, kde je cirkev živého Boha. Ste z toho šťastní, kresťania? Tak to je. Ak ste neporozumení, „Všetci, ktorí žijú zbožne v Kristu Ježišovi, budú neporozumení.“ Tak to bolo vždy v celej Biblii.
Tak, čo sa snažím povedať? Vám, ľudia, ktorí hovoríte v jazykoch, vám, ktorí kričíte, tancujete v Duchu, ľudia povedia, „Ó, to je nezmysel,“ pamätajte len, ja som sa rovno vrátil a ukázal vám to. Rovno cez Písma, že oni sú vždy neporozumení. Pamätajme, ste v Písmach a robíte to, čo je správne. Zostaňte rovno s tým. Boh je s vami. Zostaňte rovno v Písmach. Boh sa postará o ten zbytok toho. Amen.
260 Milujem Ho. Zaspievajme tú starú dobrú pieseň ku krstu, tá, ktorá bola po prvýkrát spievaná, keď sa anjel Pánov objavil pred ľuďmi v Jeho prítomnosti. Ja sám som to videl predtým, ale po prvýkrát, keď On zostúpil dolu. A keď zostúpil, On povedal, „Ako Ján bol poslaný, aby predchádzal prvý príchod Kristov, tvoje posolstvo bude predchádzať druhý príchod Kristov.“ Stovky a stovky a stovky ľudí tam stálo na brehu, keď to zostúpilo dolu v júni 1933 pri rieke. A my sme stáli na brehu a spievali:
Stojím na rozbúrených brehoch Jordánu
A vrhám túžobný pohľad
Do krásnej a šťastnej zeme Kanaánu,
Kde leží celé moje vlastníctvo.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Kedy dosiahnem toto miesto plné zdravia
a budem naveky požehnaný.
Keď uvidím tvár môjho Otca
A odpočiniem na Jeho hrudi.
Ó, som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Všetci, ktorí sú tam na tom širokom mieste,
svietia večným dňom.
Potom Boh Syn naveky zavládne
A rozpráši všetku tmu.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Zaspievajme to znovu a potrasme si rukou s niekým okolo seba.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
262 Tak bez tieňa pochybnosti, každý jeden z vás, ktorí ste prijali Krista a viete, že ste sa znovu narodili z Ducha, zodvihnite teraz svoje ruky a zaspievajte to.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Áno, som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Dlhý čas som toto nevidel. Dámy, načiahnite sa do svojej kabelky a vezmite si vreckovku. Páni, siahnite do svojho vrecka a vyberte si svoju vreckovku.
Dáme teraz dar pozdvihnutia (zamávania Pánovi). Dobre, teraz všetci spolu zamávame, ako ideme teraz do Kanaánu, zamávajte svojou vreckovkou. V poriadku, dobre.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi,
som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
Tak, ak je tu teraz niekto, kto si ešte neurobil svoje vyvolanie a povolanie istým, kto by rád prišiel, zatiaľ čo to znovu zaspievame, kto by tiež rád vytiahol svoju vreckovku a zamával znovu s nami. Brána je teraz otvorená, lístky sú zdarma. Či prídete? Nastúpte na palubu tej starej lode Siona, ona ide, pohýňa sa. Poďme.
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi (Už to nebude dlho).
Ó, smerujem do zasľúbenej zeme,
ó, kto príde a pôjde so mnou?
Som zaviazaný ku zasľúbenej Zemi.
265 Ako skloníme svoje hlavy.
Byť ako Ježiš, byť len ako Ježiš,
To túžim na zemi, byť ako On.
Počas púte môjho života zo zeme do slávy,
Len to si žiadam, byť ako On.
Z jasiel Betlehema vyšiel jeden cudzinec,
Tu na zemi túžim byť ako On.
Počas celej púte môjho života zo zeme do slávy,
Len to si žiadam, byť ako On.
Nezabudnite na nedeľu. Nezabudnite, že v stredu večer máme modlitebné zhromaždenie. Pamätajte, modlite sa veľa, modlite sa za mňa, modlite sa za svojho pastora, modlite sa za svojho suseda, svojich diakonov, svojich dôverníkov, modlite sa, aby mal Boh Svoj spôsob s nami všetkými.
Byť ako Ježiš, byť ako Ježiš,
Tu na zemi túžim (To je túžba môjho srdca) byť ako On. (Neporozumeným)
Pamätajte, Boh... (Či to nie je vašou túžbou? Pomyslite na to.)
… Zo zeme do slávy,
Len to si žiadam, len byť ako On.
[Brat Branham si začína hmkať pieseň – pozn.prekl.]
… Pokorne a unížene,
Tu na zemi túžim byť taký ako On.
Počas celej púte svojho života
zo zeme do slávy,
len to si žiadam, byť ako On.
Teraz so svojimi sklonenými hlavami a zavretými očami a našimi srdcami sústredenými na Boha, zavoláme teraz môjho vzácneho, dobrého priateľa, brata Roy Bordersa z Kalifornie, keby prišiel a vyhlásil požehnanie na toto zhromaždenie. Brat Borders.
1 ...?... The Lord bless you. Pray for me tonight. We had just a little shower, enough to cool off, and which we're grateful for, and I trust that we'll have one of the spiritual showers on the inside to kinda help us out a little bit.
I believe, Brother Neville, if we'll turn that around on you, how about that? Me speaking, I get a little, get that air on me and then I... This bald head of mine lets that come down and stop up my throat.
Now, I gave out some--for some questions tonight, and answers just to kind of... The reason we do this is to kinda find out what's on the hearts of the people.
4 I think that's very good for a pastor to--to give out this, and then he finds out just about what the people's thinking about if they'll write their questions and have something. And I think every one of us is duty bound to expel our thoughts to our pastors, and--and our spiritual leaders, and so forth, and anything that we see, that's so we can make everything run smooth and fine, and for the Kingdom of God's sake.
And then I... Up till about a half hour ago I only had about two or three that I'd--Billy had picked up after the service this morning and he brought them up to me. And then I went in and studied on a Scripture, thought I'd speak then a little bit tonight, being I'd mentioned it, and of being up here. Then he called me a few minutes ago, said, "Just hold it, I got a handful now."
So I'll try to get right in on these and answer them the best of my knowledge. And then if I get finished in time, I have a text I'd like to--to speak on for just maybe twenty or thirty minutes, just a short text.
7 And then, remember, if the Lord is willing, next Sunday morning I want to do my best by the grace of God to explain the Seventy Weeks of Daniel. As I said this morning, it's a great Scripture. And it's not so much to speak on, but to place it where it belongs to make it fit with the rest of the Bible.
And we have started from Revelations 1, got over in the 6th chapter. And of course, we get in now to the seven last Seals. And those Seals will run from the 6th--last part of the 6th chapter unto the 19th chapter inclusive. So it would take a long time. Now, I could take, say, seven nights, and run the Seven Seals, opening them up. But if you do it that way, then the people will miss the great part back here that fills in this. And if they're not really taught, it might not be good. But the first three or four of them is just happenings that we could take all right, just coming right in a row; but the next of it, then you have to go back into Daniel again, come back over into Genesis, go back over into Revelations, come back down into the Gospels, and just weave it in there, because it's the trace of Israel, God dealing with Israel. For when the church goes up, that's the last of the church until she comes with Her Lord as Bride and Bridegroom in the 19th chapter; during this time it's dealing with Israel. And to get the Seventy Weeks of Daniel in now, it sets the picture for this coming opening, First Seal.
9 Then I thought, the Lord willing, I--next Sunday I'd speak on that. If I don't get finished Sunday morning, then I'll try it Sunday night again. And that would open the way then, if the Lord should lead us, we wouldn't have to stop with that part, we'd go right straight on into the Seven Seals and just carry it on as long as we'd seen the Lord leading.
Now, tonight we've got some questions, and they're all sensible, reasonable questions. There was one here that I'd like to speak of first, just a moment. It was someone asked... It's not a question; it's just someone asked me: Where are my keys? Please tell me. They--they'd lost them this afternoon.
11 Now, I'll tell you, a few weeks ago, about a few days ago I was here at the Tabernacle. I used to go into prayer and wait on the Lord and find out where those things were for the people. I have found people's cars. The Lord would speak to me where the people would...
Brother Welch Evans come up here and lost his car; somebody stole it in Louisville. He and Brother Fred Sothmann and some of the brethren... Brother Tom Simpson, I believe, was along that day. Or was you, Brother Tom? And they come up to the house, and there was Brother Evans without a car, without clothes, everything that he had was in that car. And they pulled in over at Miller's and somebody took it.
Well, we got a racket, a ring in Louisville, where they pull these cars off, and they'll run them down to Bowling Green or somewhere like that and respray them. And in Kentucky you don't have to have a title anyhow to your car, and they can change those cars in a few minutes and sell them any way they wanted to.
14 Well, Brother Evans with his little car and all he had in it, and the Lord gave me the answer for it. And before they even got home, the car was setting out here about half empty of gasoline, where He turned them around on the road to Bowling Green, and brought them back, and set the car right back out there with everything in it, not a thing missing, just what gas they'd used.
Many times people have said that certain things, and they'd ask, and I'd go before the Lord and wait for those visions, and now, waiting till they come. But I find out that that has brought a great stumbling block before the people. Really, the people of America are not ready for such a ministry, the churches. That's right. It's--it's beyond their time, See? And it causes everything; some call you a devil; some call you a spiritualist; some call you a son of God, a god, and everything. See? So I just promised the Lord that I'd let it go and just wait and use that ministry in Africa or on personal interviews when I have them here.
16 Now, we're here for personal interviews; that still goes on such things. But... And the way to obtain them is not come to the church; you go to our secretary, my son, Billy Paul, and he'll give you a little--a ticket telling you just when it's to be and so forth. And anything like that, that's on personal interviews, here or in the field, can only come through that way. There's a--a board of it published, or a book, or a note on the bulletin board there of how to do this. But just to come up here to the platform...
Now, we have gifts in the church. We have Brother Neville here who has received a gift of prophecy. Brother Higginbotham setting here, who has a gift of speaking with tongues and interpreting tongues. I would advise you... I'll pray that God will give you your keys, but I--I advise maybe that if the Holy Spirit would speak tonight maybe through Brother Neville, or Brother Higginbotham, or some of these gifts in the church, that we're got some questions on in a few minutes, that maybe they could do that.
18 But for myself I made a promise to God, no more in America in public meetings (See?), because it just caused me to leave the field. And then some will run you plumb out to be a--a devil; the others will make a god. And so you see, and they're just not ready for it. And so God cannot work that, and I'm sure the person that's asked it will understand. Now, maybe the Holy Spirit yet tonight... You just be praying. I'll pray that the Holy Spirit will show you right where your parcel is that you're waiting for. I pray that you'll find it, and I do believe you will find it. See?
And--but now... And then, now, Billy Paul, if someone has such a thing like that, if they'd call him, he would refer them to the church; I try to take the emergency cases when I'm at home.
20 Now, let us now before we approach these questions... First I want to say that any answer that's not according to your faith or the--in the Bible, it's not according to the Word, then you don't have to receive it. And so that I can get down and maybe get to the text also tonight, I'd like to go on and answer them and those I think that--that got Scriptural to answer by, well, I'll answer them, everything that I can. But I just got them a few minutes ago, all but three, and neither three of those has any... Just little things about someone had dreamed a dream or something, wanting to know if they should tell it, or something another like that. You see? So let us bow our heads now as we approach His mercy...
21 Lord, we are Thy people that are called by Thy Name. And we are so glad tonight to know that we have a heavenly Father Who watches over us and cares for us, and loves us as His own dear children. And so I am happy, Lord, that I'm numbered with these people, to be their brother, and they are my brothers and sisters. I'm so grateful.
There is one, Lord, who has lost some keys. Thou knowest right where they are laying, I pray that You will reveal it and will bring them right straight to those keys. It's a precious thing to them; it's to their car. And I pray, Father, that You will grant this request to those people.
Now I pray that You will bless our pastor, our beloved Brother Neville. We're so glad to see You working in our midst in these great spiritual gifts in our church, the part of the body of Christ that is worshipping on this corner of Eighth and Penn. We are so glad to be numbered with that group of people, and to know that God reveals the secrets to His people. I pray that You'll bless Brother Neville, our pastor, and Brother Higginbotham, Brother Funk, Brother Junior Jackson, and our sisters, who are speaking with tongues and giving interpretations. We pray, Father, that You will continue to manifest Yourself through these great gifts, that our church might be known as a spiritual church, that where people that are weary can come and set in the Presence of Almighty God and know He speaks and reveals the secrets of the heart.
24 And, Father, I pray that You'll bless us tonight in answering these questions. Some of them, Lord, are--are mild, and some of them are strong. To each one that asked the question, it's a strong question. It's something that's on their heart; they want it settled. And, Father, we are all insufficient of these duties, but we know that Thou art more than sufficient. So we pray that You will interpret these questions to us, that we might give the people the correct answer, that they might be helped and the church be magnified, and God's Name be honored.
Now, Father, if it's Your will, I pray that You'll deal with us this week and will help me as I'm studying on that Seventy Weeks of Daniel, that I might be able next Sunday morning, if it be Thy will, to open the Scripture to those people. God, grant it, that their souls might be refreshed. Teach those, Lord, who are seeking deep things. Save those who are lost. Heal those who are sick. We're all waiting on You, Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
26 Now, this first question is not exactly a question; it's just a little thing for... Say, do I stand too close to this? Does that blur, back there in the back? If it does, raise up your hand.
132. Brother Bill, please say something about both children and adults being so noisy in morn--moving about during the service. This tabernacle needs some lessons in reverence.
Amen. Children, do you not know how to obey yourself in the house of God? Do you not know this is the sanctuary of God? God is in His holy temple; let everybody keep quiet. It's the place of God where people are coming, meditating, trying to find salvation to the soul, trying to find the problems of the people's lives, trying to help someone. The least you can do is be reverent, be quiet. Get you a drink of water 'fore church starts; I know little ones has to have drinks. Mothers that's got those little fellows, if you'd set near the back, keep them just as quiet as possible. And there should never be a whisper, never one whisper. We're all guilty. But when that Bible is read and that minister enters the pulpit, we should be silent, waiting on the Lord. Now, please try to do that.
28 I know, you little fellows, you've got to squirm around a little. See? That, if you do, make it just--just be real nice. And you remember, mother don't want you to do that, and daddy don't want you to do that. And so...
And I know; I got little ones too that squirm around, and Joseph. And Meda says, "I don't get anything out of the service, trying to keep Joe quiet." Well, she's trying to do that so somebody else can get something out of the service. See?
And we always want to respect one another, honor one another, and above all things, honor God and honor His house.
31 Now, this next question is:
133. The two children aged six to eight years were here at the altar this morning. How soon is it advisable to have them baptized?
Just as soon as you can. Repent immediately and be baptized, that's in the Name of Jesus Christ. Now, that's question number one. I would advise that. But we find out in the Scriptures...
You say, "Is that Scriptural?"
When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, three thousand souls were saved and baptized the very same time. "As many as believed on the Lord were baptized." So as soon as you believe on the Lord and accept Him as your Saviour, go right straight to the water and make your confession start right there: young or old, no matter who it is.
You say, "Well, these children might be very young."
Jesus said, "Suffer little children to come unto Me; forbid them not, for such is the Kingdom of God." I would daresn't put my hand upon a child that wants to come to the altar or be baptized at any age; I don't care what age they are.
36 Now question number two:
134. A minister friend of ours baptizes in the name of Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Would we be held responsible for not telling him of his error?
I believe, as a Christian, as a duty, and if he is a personal friend of yours... Not to pick an argument with him; if you do that, then you're not right; your--your spirit's not right. But if you love that brother, which you must, because you said, "A minister friend..." Then... No names is signed to any of these notes; I do not know who they come from: these questions.
37 Now, I would advise you, whoever it is, if this minister friend baptizes like this, and you visit his home and so forth, I would just--I would just mention the question sometime. And that might give you... Just talk up to it, just keep talking around about, around about; and let the Lord open it up, and then it's the Lord telling you to do it. See? Just wait till the Lord opens up the question. Then you say to him; you say, "Brother, I just wonder, in the Scriptures of Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38, and continuing on, is there some contradiction there? Could you explain why that one said here, 'Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,' and the other one said, 'The Name of Jesus Christ'?"
Now--now, don't try... If you're not really a student, and you don't know what you're talking about, better leave it alone. See? You can just tell him, say, "Well, I wish you'd come up..." If he seems to be sincere, say, "Wonder if you'd meet our pastor or someone and discuss it?"
39 I tell you, it's a deep thing. See? Don't take it upon yourself, 'cause you might wind yourself around if you... Now, if you know what you're talking about, and firmly settled and know the Scriptures, all right. But don't offend him, for whatever you do, don't offend him. See? Don't bring offense, just tell him that...
And of course, he is in error. That's true. The man is in error when he baptizes like that. And any man that baptizes in the name of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" is Scripturally in error. That's right.
41 Question number three:
135. In a statement of faith, they said, 'We believe in one God, Eternal, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19, 18 and 19; I Corinthians 13:14." Should this not be three offices instead of three persons?
You are correct. There's no three persons in the Godhead. And there cannot be a personality without being a person; it takes a person to make a personality. There is no three Gods. There's only one God, and that God is Jesus Christ. God is a Spirit that lives in Jesus Christ, and is living in His church, you and I today, separating Himself to us in the form of the Holy Spirit, which is God almighty Himself living in you.
Now, you are right; it is "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," is three offices of the same God, but not three Gods; that is Scripturally wrong.
43 136. Can a Christian go to heaven if he or she does not pay tithe?
Now, that's one that I could not answer Scripturally.
Now, this "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," if the minister is sincere, just let--let us know (You see?), we'd be glad... Brother Neville, myself, or Brother Beeler, or Brother Collins, or any of these ministers here who are ordained to this ministry, and so forth, can--can do so.
Now, but now: Does a Christian not get to heaven because they do not pay tithe?
I--I could not say yes or no to that. But I do believe that every Christian is obligated to pay tithings because it is a commandment of the Lord. "And blessed is--are they that do all His commandments, that they might have a right to enter into the Life, the Tree of Life." Now, I do believe that tithe-paying is essential to a Christian experience. For I'll get to that in another question in a few moments; I know there's another one in here pertaining to that.
46 137. Brother Branham, I am saved and have been baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, but how do I get away from a stubborn spirit that I can't seem to break away from?
Well, my Christian brother or sister, whoever it may be, now, most times when you find people that's got stubborn spirits, it's usually a complex that causes this, either they have inherited it from a mother, father, uncle, aunt, or grandmother, grandfather, somebody like that. And if you'll chase back down through your life, you'll find... Now, I've taken it by experience under discernment, because I have met cases on the platform, thousands of those that had that spirit. And the first thing you know, I'd chase that spirit right back by discernment and find that there was a granddaddy, there was a grandmother, there was somebody else back down there, and you inherit that by nature.
47 Stubborn--stubbornness is not of God. And now, the only way to get away from that is you have to have faith to overcome that, that's if you are a Christian. You are a son or daughter of God, whichever you may be, and you will never be able just to stand and rebuke it and rebuke it and rebuke it. It's just like tantalizing a rattlesnake; he's laying there ready to bite you. If you will just ignore him and walk away from him, he can't hurt you. See?
So when you feel that you got a stubborn spirit, lay the thing on the altar, and believe God that the thing is dead and you will never have it no more, and go on and don't even pay any attention to it no more, and the thing will leave you. Resist the devil and he will flee from you; that's "get away quickly." So that would be my advice how to overcome it. We overcome the devil by faith. That's what we overcome all evil, is by faith.
49 138. Why do you baptize in the Name of Jesus Christ in place of the name of the "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost"?
Well, there is no such a thing as a name of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." That's the reason. There was nobody in the Bible ever baptized in the Name of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." Every person in the Bible, or three hundred years this side the Bible, was baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. Not one apostle, not one Christian, not one time was the "Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost" ever used for baptism until the Catholic church was organized at the Nicene Council, three hundred and six years after the death of the last apostle.
There is no such a thing as name of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." Father is not a name; Son is not a name; Holy Ghost is not a name. It's three titles, three office titles to a Name: Jesus Christ. So therefore, there is no such a thing as the name of "Father, Son, Holy Ghost." And it's no... There's no name to it, so I baptize in the Name of Jesus Christ which is the Name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Clear?
51 139. Some people say that "Christ was in hades before the resurrection." Is this... Is there Scripture for this?
Now, here's a Scriptural question; I'd like to answer you from the Scriptures, 'cause they've asked, "Is it in the Scriptures?"
I would that you would turn with me to I Peter 3:18 and 20, you that wants to hear it, whether you asked the question or not, so that you won't have to take someone else's word. You may read it and find out whether this be true or not. We always want to stay with the Truth, and where the Bible says it. And this dear person, whoever it was, has asked it as wanting to know for a reference from the Bible if this is so or not.
53 Now, we find this in... If I've got it. This old Bible is about tore up here, that I--I've had it now for several years. If I can see if I got it in here; I think maybe... Just one second, brother, if I--I--I'm sure that's... Let's see, it comes right after Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews. Here we are, yeah, I got it. Thank you. I Peter 3, the 3rd chapter of I Peter. The 3rd chapter, and let's begin with the--with the 18th verse:
For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (quickened by the Spirit)
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
54 Now turn to Acts 2, Acts 2, and we will take the--the 30th verse. In Acts 2, and this is the Apostle Peter also speaking. Acts, the 2nd chapter, and the--the 30th verse I have written down here:
Where... Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had swore with an oath to him, that of the fruits of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did His flesh see corruption (Christ's body).
His soul descended into hell and preached to spirits, or souls that repented not in the long-suffering in the days of Noah. His soul did descend into hell and He preached to spirits, and rose on the third day. That is Scriptural, the Truth.
56 140. Now, were the five of the virgins lost?
I presume that they are asking the question, "the five virgins," the five wise and the five foolish. Now, if you were with us in the last teachings in Revelation, you find out there that those virgins, the--the five foolish virgins were not lost; but they were not permitted to go into the wedding supper, but they suffered persecution, and was martyred, and raised again at the general resurrection in the last day. Those are the people where He separated the sheep from the goats (See?); they stood before judgment.
You say, "Well, Brother Branham, don't we stand, the Church?"
No, sir. We do not stand before the judgment. We are now standing before the Judgment. God put our sins upon Christ, and we... "He that heareth My Word (St. John 5:24) and believeth on Him that sent Me has Eternal Life, and shall not come into the judgment but has passed from death unto Life." No more judgment for the Church, it's took up in the rapture, and comes back to pass judgment upon the people who did not receive the Holy Spirit. Does not Paul say that he dares any of us to take a--a matter to the court, to the unjust magistrate, when, "know ye not that the saints shall judge the earth?" We will set with Christ and judge, kings, and priests, and judge these people that we preached to and told them about the baptism of the Holy Ghost and they refused to receive It. Think of it.
No, they were not lost, but they will never be in the Bride. They were come in the second resurrection, but never be in the Bride, to be judged according to the way they treated the Light that they received. Now, that part will be up to Christ. They were not lost though.
60 141. Brother Branham, in the I Corinthians--Corinthians chapter the 14th, verse 34th and 35th, says, "Let your women keep silent in churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak." 35th, "For it is a shame for women to speak in church." Now, if a woman with short hair speak--speaks in tongues in--in churches--in church, is it the Spirit of--of the Holy Ghost that speaks through her or is it a false spirit?
Now, you are... And this is a real hard question, and I can only answer it the best that I know how. See? Now, I could not judge, because I was not sent to judge. But I think there's so many times... I got another question down here somewhere that goes right along with that. But if a person is speaking in tongues, they are anointed of God. See? They may be out of order; that may be true; and they may be doing something that's not right; but I wouldn't want to say that it wasn't the Holy Spirit, because I wouldn't know. See?
And now, there's many times that this... that people misjudge one another. And it is a bad thing to do. You say, "Why, she's got short hair; she's wearing a dress that's too short; that--that's not the Holy Spirit upon her." Don't do that. Don't do that, that's not right. You don't know what's in that woman's heart. You don't know nothing about it. You know that the Holy Spirit would make her conduct herself a little better; now that may be true. But I'll tell you: as you and I, let God do the judging of that, and let's you and I just pray for that person that God will show them the Light.
62 Here sometime ago a man met me out here aside. I had a pianist here that had a little, short, little skirt, and wasn't just exactly, I guess, just right. And the lady had short hair, and she was just a babe in this Way, and she was playing the piano. And a man met me out there and just tearing me to pieces; he said, "And you're a Pentecostal preacher, and let that woman set up there, that short hair," and just going on like everything.
"Well," I said, "I think the woman has a good spirit in her. I certainly do not agree with that, you know, the skirt part up here, the two pieces; one of them is down here and one kind of up here; it's a shirt like they wear." And so it's real thin and shows that underneath garment that they have around there. I don't think that--that should be done. I--I don't like that; I really don't." Now, I can't say; they might be just as Spirit-filled as anybody else; I don't know; God knows that. But I wouldn't condemn that woman and say that she was going to hell by the sight.
This same person had in his church a lady who had long hair and wore long dresses, and had a temper enough to fight a buzz saw, and just as mean as she could be. Now, long hair and long skirts don't take you to heaven. No, sir. It's the Spirit that's in you takes you to heaven. But if you as a Christian...
66 Then you should remember that many times pastors don't mention those things, and the people just automatically go on, think it's all right. But a pastor should really tear into that. And--and--and then the sisters of the church, those sisters who are in character standing, wearing their clothes neatly, they should be examples of sweetness, and--and motherly and sisterly-like.
And I think that any woman that's motherly and godly and sisterly ought to go to such a person, and with sweetness of the Spirit, just set down and talk to that lady. And if she is of God, the Holy Spirit will understand those things, and she'll correct herself. But when you real quickly condemn her and drive her away, you might harm that young born baby. See? So I--I wouldn't condemn the person.
68 Now, the person speaking with tongues. Now, I--I have to say something here that may be just a little strange, and if you don't agree with me, that's okay. You see, we misjudge these things so many times. Let's always try to think the very best of anybody who's trying to do what's right. Let's express our very best to them. Oh, they're trying. We don't know their heart, unless you have a discernment. And if they're wrong, then if you got... The Bible said, "If a brother be overtaken in a fault, let them which are spiritual go to that brother in a spirit of meekness, considering your own self lest you be tempted, and see if you can't reconcile that person (See?) back to God." Don't say that they haven't got the right spirit, 'cause...
70 Listen, now I'm going to say something that's going to really stab you for a minute, so just set still just a moment. The Holy Spirit can speak through a hypocrite. Exactly. I've seen it done, and I can prove you by the Scriptures that that's right. I can prove to you by the Scriptures that demon powers take up those spirits and use them, sure, they take up those gifts and use them. I've stood right... and seen devils speak in tongues and interpret it. And I've seen hypocrites take the genuine Holy Spirit and speak with it. That's the reason you can't say that speaking in tongues is the only evidence of the Holy Ghost.
71 Now, sometime ago when I was first brought into Pentecost, I went to Mishawaka to Brother Rowe's tabernacle. There they were having a convention; it was a Jesus Name people. Now, I did not agree with the Jesus Name people; there's not--there's not... They're my brethren, but the reason I say...
"Baptize for regeneration in the Name of Jesus Christ," I do not believe that. I do not believe that water saves you from sin. I believe it's the Blood of Jesus Christ is regeneration. But the Oneness people baptize unto regeneration. The Name of Jesus, just baptize them in Jesus Name, and that's--they're saved, because he said 'Repent, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.'"
But what comes first? Repentance, godly sorrow for your sins, then turn away. Then be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, it's all right. You've done all of this for remission of sins.
74 Now, and in there, there was several thousand people. In them days they had segregation in the north here--or in the south, and they had to have up here because many colored brothers was coming to this convention. It was the P. A. of W. and the P. A. of G--J. C. before the a merging. And it was at Mishawaka, colored and white, all together; they couldn't have it in the south at that time. Well, I seen two white men setting on the seat. I'd never heard anything of these messages before in my life. And there those men would raise up and one speak in tongues and the other one give the interpretation, and tell the people right in the meeting what was wrong with them, tell the people what they had done. Then this one would speak and the other one interpret. I thought, "My, I've dropped down here amongst angels." Never heard of such a thing!
75 All night, in the cornfield, I prayed. Well, since a little baby... I believed gifts and callings are without repentance; I've always been able to see visions. And the next morning they asked me to speak, and I did. Outside there was many people who came to me and invited me to their meetings, yet I was a Missionary Baptist. So I--I just went ahead and let it go like that. After a while I was anxious to get a hold of these two angel men. I never heard any...
They'd turn white around the mouth, and raise up and speak with tongues. And the other one stand right up and say, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, 'Jones over here, he did a certain thing day before yesterday. When you walked around the house you picked up that pocketbook that belongs to this man, this man lost over here.' THUS SAITH THE LORD, 'Take it back!'"
"God, have mercy on me, here it is."
See, truth, just say such as that, tell people right out. I thought, "Oh, my, isn't that wonderful." So then I thought, "This is God."
79 Well, then I got to one of those men, and while I was talking to him, I'd prayed, "God, let me have that, ever what It is." I didn't know what to call it, visions, I didn't know what to call It. And when that thing come before me, and I caught his attention, just kept speaking to him till I caught his spirit, just like the woman did at the... Jesus did, the woman at the well. Just kept talking till I caught his spirit. And he was a Christian, a real, genuine saint of God. I thought, "Blessed be the Name of the Lord."
I met--met the next man coming around the corner about a half hour later, and I talked with him. And if I ever talked to a hypocrite, he was one of them. His wife was black-headed, and he was living with a blond and had two children by her; and yet speaking with the same Spirit this man was speaking with, and giving the same interpretation, just exactly right. Then I knew.
81 Before my conversion, I had an experience to one time going into a witch camp with Indians. They're devil-dancers. Take a snake and wrap it around them, and do the corn dance, and speak in tongues and interpret it, and tell exactly the truth what's setting amongst the people. And seen a witch take a--a pencil and lay it down, and see that pencil rise up and write in unknown tongues, and interpret it, and tell the people exactly what was going on out through there. In a spiritualist's meeting...
So I said (You see?), "I've got amongst devils," and I left the whole thing go.
83 So one day up at Green's Mill, I'd been up there praying in my cave, not for that, and I come out and laid my Bible down. I... Musty back in the cave and I wanted some sunlight, and it was in the afternoon, and I come out and laid my Bible down. I was going to read a little while out on the log that lays kind of down the hill. And I just laid the Bible down; I started reading. And the wind blowed and blowed over to Hebrews the 6th chapter. I thought, "Maybe the Lord wants me to read that." I read it.
"We which were once enlightened, made partakers of the Holy Ghost, seeing we fall away... to renew ourselves again unto repentance. The rain bringeth forth the... earth bringeth forth fruits and the rain is sent to water it, and thorns and thistles which is nigh unto rejecting, whose end is to be burned," something on that order.
Well, I read it and I thought, "Well, praise the Lord." Turned it over to another one, I thought, "Well, I'll just read somewhere over in here somewhere else." Laid it down like that, wiped my eyes, the wind blowed it back to Hebrews 6 again. Well, that happened three or four times, as many as three anyhow. I thought, "I don't see nothing wrong with that. What's in there?"
86 Just let me, you can... You've read it many times, Hebrews 6, "Thorns and thistles. The rain cometh oft upon the earth to water it, to dress it (See?) for its fruit. But thorns and thistles which is nigh unto rejection, whose end is to be burned, be gathered and burned."
I couldn't get nothing out of that. Thought, "Well, thorns and thistles to be burned; God takes His Wheat to the garner, and that settles it." Said, "I don't see nothing about that."
I was setting there; I was looking out like that, and a vision came before me. And I seen a world turning like this, and it was all disked up ready to be planted. And a man with a white robe on, head bent down into a feed sack, or a seed sack, rather, he was going along. And I don't know whether any of you remember the old broadcast system, how you... I seen papa do it. Throw it with his hands like that, and they'd just fall on the grounds, them seeds like that. Well, this man was sowing seeds like that. And as soon as he went along, up behind him come wheat coming up.
89 Well, as soon as he went around the curvature of the earth, I seen a black something coming up, like a black moon. And I looked, and it got closer; it was a--a man, solid black, dressed in black. He was slipping along, looking like this. And he had a seed sack, only in there he had weeds. And he was sowing them amongst this wheat like that, throwing it first one way and the other. And behind him come up weeds, thistles, thorns, briers, and everything.
Well, I thought, "That is a shame for that man to do a thing like that." In a vision, I wasn't thinking of it being Scriptural. See? And I said, "That man's sowing them weeds in that man's wheat field."
Then it got real hot. The little wheat held its head over and going "huh, huh, huh" like that, just panting like this for breath. The little weed had his head over, "huh, huh, huh," he was panting for water too. Everybody prayed for the rain.
After while it got... A great thunder cloud come up and just rained all down, and when it did, the rain struck the earth. And the little wheat begin to jump up-and-down, hollering, "Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord." And the little weeds a-hollering, "Praise the Lord," straightened right up, the life come to the weed just the same as to the wheat.
And then the Scripture come, "The rain falls on the just and the unjust." There I caught it. See?
94 This, if a person is setting in a congregation, a spirit can fall upon that person, and yet you know that they are wrong and they don't live the right kind of life, be careful what you say about that spirit, it might be the Holy Spirit. Don't judge the--the spirit by the person. The person may be wrong; but, now, does not the Bible say, "The rain falls on the just and the unjust"? Did not Jesus say, when the fields was planted, "Let them all grow up together, the tares and the wheat together. Don't you try to pull up the tares. Don't you try to judge them; just let them grow together. And at that day the angels will be sent forth; they will take all the tares and burn them, and the wheat will be gathered into the garner"? But by their fruits we know them. You can know in your heart. Keep trying to deal with that person.
95 Don't say that this woman, if she's immorally dressed or... How did it read? "Let's say that the Holy Ghost will visit..." Let's see. No, I got the wrong one here somehow. Oh, here it is, yes.
The women speaking in tongues. Now, if a woman with short hair speaks in tongues in the church, it is the spirit... Let's see. Is it the Spirit of the Holy Ghost that speaks through her or is it a false spirit?
You see, I wouldn't say nothing. And if you thought the woman wasn't just exactly right by having short hair... (I believe that was the subject.)... yeah, "short hair," why not you, brother, if you're a married man and this is a married woman, why--why don't you take your wife or get your wife to sweetly talk to this little lady? Let's believe she has got the Holy Ghost. If she's in this church, I'm--I'm going to believe that she has. And then, just say, maybe she's a...
Did you know, once in a while, we might examine and find out we might have a little something wrong too. You know, that--that's right, you know. So somebody might have to tell us something. Lot of times people has told me a lot of things was wrong, that I was doing wrong; I appreciate it.
98 But now let's say that... Let's believe that whatever it is... Let's believe that if the woman is not exactly a Christian, if she's just putting on, God will judge her for that. That's right. But... And if she's dressed immoral, and the things that she's doing is not right, God will take care of that. But let's believe that that Spirit on that woman is the Holy Spirit (See?), because we don't know.
Now, if the interpretation of that holy spirit gives something, a curse to Christ... "No man speaking by the Spirit calleth Christ accursed." If that woman is speaking in tongues and the interpretation comes that Christ is accursed, then you know that's an evil spirit on the woman. But as long as it's blessing you and edifying Christ, then believe that Spirit. See? Amen. I hope that doesn't confuse. I hope that gives a little light on it anyhow.
100 142. Deuteronomy the 23rd chapter, the 2nd verse, doesn't it teach that a person whom out of wedlock cannot be saved? It says that God will visit the iniquity of the parents upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. Explain what this means.
All right. Adultery was such a horrible thing in the time of the Bible until even if a man had a child by a woman that wasn't his wife, that child, its children's children's children, for four generations, four hundred and something years, could not enter even into the congregation of the Lord, because that the blood of bulls and goats and heifers was not sufficient to take away sin. It could only divorce--or could only cover sin, it could not omit sin. See? It could not omit sin, it could only cover sin. Adultery is a horrible thing.
A woman, a precious jewel, that God has made her to be a mother, and entrusted her with motherhood, that if she would bring forth a child from another man not being her husband, then there was a curse upon that child, and his children, and his children, and his children, to three and four generations. Even many times such as syphilitic, and--and blindness and things struck the people. Yes, it was a horrible, horrible thing for a woman to have a baby outside of holy wedlock. Now, not only then, but it's still a horrible thing, sure is, always.
102 143. Will Ezekiel 38 and 39 come to pass before the rapture?
Now if you will notice, Ezekiel 38 and 39 deals with Gog and Magog, which is Russia, the north country. Now, I do not say that this is correct, but to my way of teaching it, that, it comes to pass after the rapture, after the church is taken up. And God deals with Gog and Magog when they come down before Israel there. And I think that will come to pass after the rapture. Now, that doesn't make it so. See? But that's just my way of teaching it. I suppose that's what they wanted to know, what my idea was.
103 144. The Lord has told us through prophecy to witness unto others of the things which we have heard and seen here, such as the nearness of the coming, baptism in the Name--in Jesus' Name, and such things. We have told these things to some who seem to be Christians, yet they don't seem to believe. What do you think will happen to those people? Will they go in the rapture?
Now, I'm glad you said it that way, "What do you think?" Which that wouldn't make it right because I would think it. I believe that no man can walk in the Light of God until God reveals It to him. And I don't believe that any man that... All these hidden things are hid from the people, and no man can see them except God reveals them; I believe it; 'cause in the Bible it's always been that way.
104 Did not Jesus say that "You have eyes and you can see not, you have ears and you hear not"? And yet in Matthew, I believe it's either the 8th or 12th chapter, it said that "Though Jesus had done so many miracles among them, yet they could not believe." Because Isaiah said, the prophecy said that they had eyes and could not see, and ears and could not hear. See?
And Jesus said, "No man can come to Me except My Father calls him first, and all the Father has given Me will come to Me." That settles it. See?
Now, you're--you're responsible for spreading the Light; you're not responsible for them receiving the Light. You're responsible to take it to them, but you're not responsible for their reaction. And then if God lets them in, that'll be up to Him. If they haven't got the garments on, and so forth, and they don't... But they... Remember, they cannot see it until God reveals it to them.
108 145. Brother Branham, in Daniel the 11th chapter, the 31st verse, teaches of the day... taking away of the daily sacrifice, and the abomination that maketh desolation. Would you please explain what these are?
Oh, this person has signed their name to this one. That is my subject on next Sunday, and that comes in with the--with the Seventy Weeks of Daniel. But... And I might just say this to you, my most precious brother that signed this here, which is a very dear friend to all of us... Yes, "the abomination that maketh desolation," Jesus, in Matthew 24, spoke of it. The abomination (means filthiness) that maketh desolation, the abomination was the Moslem--Mosque of Omar that was built on the temple grounds where the holy place stood.
109 In A.D. 96, Titus came in and captured Jerusalem and burnt the temple, and they built the Mosque of Omar (the Mohammedan religion) right on the temple grounds, and still stands there to this day. And it will stand there until God returns to the Jews again. "And the abomination (that is the Mosque of Omar) that maketh desolation of the holy place," standing in the holy place... See?
Jesus referred to it, said, and in parenthesis, "(let he that readeth understand)." See? Therefore, He give so many days from that time until the--after the Prince and so many days, and so forth, which we get into next Sunday. And I'll try to, the best of my knowledge, to get that in for you for next Sunday. But that abomination is the Mosque of Omar that took the place of the temple, that, "When you see the abomination that maketh desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place..." See, standing where the temple stood (the holy place), the Mosque of Omar...
111 146. Brother Branham, don't you feel that everyone who claims to be a Christian should pay tithes, pay their tithes into the storehouse of the Lord? Please give Scripture to this question.
All right, if you will... That is right, that the Bible said in Malachi the 4th chapter, "Will a man rob God? And you say, 'Where have we robbed Thee?' In tithe and offerings. Bring all your tithe and offerings into My storehouse and prove Me," saith the Lord, "if I will not open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there'll not be room enough to receive."
That's a challenge to any individual. And if I only had the time, and would not get to this little Scripture that I wish to get to in about the next ten minutes, I would like to give you a personal testimony of how that I was even hungry, and my mother and them hungry, and my daddy sick, but I took my tithes out first and give it to God, and you ought to see what happened. I have never seen in my life, that any man or a woman, that if you only make one dollar a week, will bring the ten cents of that money and put it into your storehouse, your church where you come, if God don't bless that, call me a hypocrite. Yes, sir. That's a challenge to anybody. And every Christian... That goes to this other question. Every Christian should pay tithes. That's right. It should be done.
113 All right, now:
147. If a person or persons speaking in unknown tongues in the same tone of voice each time, the same thing, but the interpretation is different by the interpreter each time, could that be the Holy Spirit?
Now, let me read that again.
If a person or persons speaking in unknown tongues in the same tone of voice (in other words, just saying the same thing like certain-certain word over and over and over) each time, and the same thing each time, but the interpretation by the interpreter is different each time, could this be the Holy Ghost?
Now, there is a stiff one, but let me shed just a little light on this if I can. And I'm sure you'll understand that this is just Brother Branham trying to do my best, but let me just give this as my own personal experience of dealing with spiritual things. And I appreciate your confidence of asking me questions like this. If you didn't have confidence in me, you wouldn't ask me no such. I believe a Christian wouldn't ask questions to raise an argument; I believe they're trying to find what's truth. See? And I would answer, and if they... And I answer it, and if I've made myself clear it's the best of my knowledge, and then if that spirit in you gets angry, that shows it isn't the Holy Spirit in you. See? So then the Holy Spirit will not anger, it'll be corrected each time with the Word, and stand correction.
114 Now, let me say this, that I... In this case, remember, God be my judge, I... This is William Branham. I couldn't say. But in experiences that I have witnessed while under the anointing of such meetings, I believe that the person that's saying the same thing over each time, the same tone of voice, is really speaking in tongues. I do; I believe, by the Spirit they're speaking in tongues, if they're Christians. They are speaking with tongues, no doubt. But I believe that you get the wrong slant of interpretation.
Now, many times, people... I--I want to... I... It's just the church folks here, I guess, tonight anyhow, about. Isn't it, Brother Neville, just about what comes? So if the strangers are here and you different with this, I'm trying to speak to my own church. See?
116 Now, as your father in the Gospel, as your--as your pastor, I would like a little later on, when your spirits and gifts begin to come to perfection... If you go to watching them flying loose and getting... Then just you better watch--watch that person, just let it go 'cause it's not the Spirit of God on them. But when they're sweet and meek and humble and ready, and everything, that's the Spirit of God. And if--if somebody gets out of order and the pastor has to call it down, and that spirit flies up, then it's not the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God always stands, comes to the Word. See? It recognizes the Word every time.
Now... But now I'm not trying to--to--to flatter or to shake down; I'm only trying to make a truth. Now, someone speaking in tongues, and another one gets up to interpret tongues... Now listen close. (And I think this is being taped. Is it?) In interpretation of tongues... Now, I'm going to have to get down in some doctrine now with this. In the interpretation of tongues, many people interpret tongues by a extraordinary expression of them feeling to say such a thing. That is not interpretation.
118 Interpretation is when they are speaking in a unknown tongue, you are hearing them in English, and just repeating over what they're saying. But the--if this person speaks in your church... I don't think we have it in this one. If it does, I never heard it.
But someone getting up just saying like some certain word, over and over, or some same tone of voice running right down, right down, right down, right down...
I tell you. I don't believe Junie Jackson's here tonight. Is he? I don't think he is. But I've always amazed at Junior Jackson and his speaking in tongues, and Brother Higginbotham, and many of you people here, how that you see that change of voice in the interpretation. See? Now--now, that's all right. Now, I don't... I ain't boasting my church up. No, sir. If my church needed correction, I--I'm going to stand here and do my best for my Saviour (That's right.), whether it hurts or whether it doesn't. I'm--I'm your father in the Gospel (See?), and I want... You don't want a wrong spirit; you want the right spirit. You do all...
Why take--take a substitute when there's a whole Pentecostal skies are full of the real? Why eat in a garbage can when there's a fine, big, clean table set here with chicken and dumplings and everything? See? Why don't we do that? See? Let's get the real; that's what we want, the real, genuine one.
122 Now, I believe in this statement that's made here, same thing over, I believe in that statement that they're both correct, but I do not believe that the interpreter is interpreting the language of the person. I do not believe that. I believe that the Spirit is present and the interpreter is prophesying. I believe he is a prophesier instead of an interpreter if he does not hear the voice in his own lang... "How hear we every man in our own language wherein we were born?" See, you've got to hear in the same; you've got to hear it in English. If...
Here, here's an interpreter. Now, I can stand up, and I--I only know two or three words in a--in a--in a different language, that I know of. Now I'm just taking this one literal, not in spiritual now. Now I'm going to say, "Baie, baie bly. I... Ekke wil Afrikaans sprekken." Now, I doubt whether there's a person here know what I said. Yeah, brother, what'd I say? [A brother in congregation says, "You said you could speak Afrikaans"--Ed.] Afrikaans, "Baie, baie bly," "I am very, very happy. I am here to speak Afrikaans (See?), Afrikaans sprekken." See? "I am here to speak Afrikaans."
124 Now, what did he do? He... I was speaking Afrikaans but he heard me in English. Is that right? 'Cause you know Afrikaans. Now, if you are speaking... If I'm standing here a-saying, preaching, and Brother Neville is interpreting to another language of people, he's saying in their language what he hears me say; he knows what I'm talking about, 'cause he knows my language.
And if you're speaking in an unknown tongue, and interpreting, you're hearing in the language that you were born in, because that's the only way you can interpret what they're saying; because the Holy Spirit has interpreted it to you, and you're just speaking for the Holy Spirit.
126 But then if the Spirit is present to bless this poor person, and they're standing up... Like a precious old brother, gone on, he's in glory tonight, I really believe. The dearest old soul that I know, Brother Ryan, all of us knowed him. He used to stand there on the street. (And God, forgive me, not to be sacrilegious, I know it's a--blaspheming the Holy Ghost is unpardonable.) But Brother Ryan used to say one word over and over all the time, something about "seekem and seekem and seekem," or something like that. He used to have... Why, somebody said, "Do you think that's of God?"
I said, "Certainly, it's of God. Certainly, I believe it's of God." But he was speaking in tongues, but I couldn't say what he was saying 'cause I don't know. But the Presence of the Spirit was there.
So if the Presence of the Spirit is there, and this person's just saying one word over and over and over, and this other one jumps up and tries to give an interpretation, yet he don't know what he's saying... If this man is not giving the interpretation, he's prophesying; the spirit of prophecy's upon him and he's prophesying, not giving an interpretation.
129 So therefore, dear Christian, to you who said that, "Could that be the Holy Spirit?" It could be the Holy Spirit using two offices; one blessing a soul in speaking in tongues; and another one prophesying, not have to be interpreting what he's saying. But yet he said it. The Holy Spirit come upon him in prophecy just the same time that this one's speaking in tongues, and he thought it was an interpretation, what difference does it make? It's the Spirit of God giving a message to the church. But interpretation, it's got to understand in English and repeat back exactly what the person said; that's the gift of interpretation.
130 148. If there is--if there is already three messages gone out in unknown tongues in one meeting, then in the prayer line can there be more messages go out and still be in the spiritual order of the meeting?
Why, certainly. That's right. Sure. I know where you're getting to. There's Paul said, "If they... If you prophesy and speak in tongues," something like that, Paul speaking of...
Little later on, when you all... Brother Neville, when you all want to now, these people that's got these spiritual gifts... Now, if you'll trust my understanding of the Scripture, I will come down to the meeting just with you people alone who has these gifts, just with you all, so we can set together... And if you feel... And you watch, Brother Neville, and see in the church, that it is God and God a-moving among them, that's what we want, but we want to put that in order so it can go to blessing the church and doing something. Now, God ain't... I know, and know the Scriptures, what to do. And that's what we want to do.
132 Now, this person here, I know he's speaking in tongues; it's supposed to be by courses, two, or not more than three. That is correct, but if you'll notice here, if it was a...
It's like someone give us up there... Like Brother Sothmann raised up and give a message in prophecy or speaking in tongues. Interpretation of tongues is prophecy (See?), spirit of prophecy. Now, if you just speaking in unknown tongues, there be no interpreter, that person's blessed of the Spirit, but he doesn't hurt the church.
Now, what Paul was trying to get at is this, "You use the whole service just in speaking in tongues (See?), and the unlearned said, 'What--what's this about, anyhow?'" See, they don't get it but there be an interpretation. And let there be one, two, or as many as three messages in a meeting.
135 Now, the person here says, "Then in the prayer line?" That must have been that maybe someone in the prayer line... Maybe, Brother Neville, or in some other church or wherever it's from, that in the prayer line this man--or in Divine healing meetings, might have been in Brother Roberts' meeting, Brother Allen's meeting, or some, in my meeting, or somebody else, I don't know. But, whatever it is, what Paul is speaking of is a message to the congregation out there, "Let that just be three," because the message of God is speaking a message trying to get it over to the congregation. But when the man in the prayer line, he's prophesying to an individual, not the whole. If that be so, how can I avoid it all along in my prayer lines (See?), when thirty or forty of them in a night? See, if you're prophesying to an individual...
But this man prophesying is to the whole body; let that be two or three messages and then stop it. Though the Holy Spirit may still want to speak, but wait a minute, give the Word a chance to go out. You see? And then, really, that speaking should be either before or after the Word, nothing should interrupt the Word as It's going out. But, however, we get that in order later on when the spirits and gifts begins to get into perfection.
We're talking now on--on the seriousness of the Pentecostal church, I mean the real Pentecostal church. And we're glad that God still lives and reigns and speaking to us.
138 Now, but if it's like, for instance, if the sister here would give us a message in tongues or a prophecy, and the lady next to her would give a message in tongues or prophecy, and then the lady next to her or somebody back there, someone will give a message or a prophecy, or tongues. No doubt but what it's nearly all speaking on the same thing, if God's urgent, trying to put something over, calling some individual in the church to do something, now, or something that He wants done.
Now, then for instance, the prayer line's called, and Brother Neville or myself or any other minister goes down to this individual, that's not to the body; that's to this individual. And the Spirit of God comes upon him to tell this individual something, then tell them, 'cause he's not speaking to the congregation. He's speaking to this individual, not to the congregation, so that is all right.
140 149. All right. Dear Brother Branham, time after time the Lord shows me things in dreams. He has showed me things about my son in the navy, which my son told me were secrets. He has showed me of people's deaths and of the secrets of people's hearts. Is this a gift from God? When He shows me in dreams the hearts and minds of people, everything has always turned out like the dream shows me.
Why, yes, my brother or sister, whoever it may be. The Lord bless you. That is, to my opinion, the gift of God. It's a gift of God. Don't you know the Bible speaks of dreams? Joseph, how he dreamed dreams and interpreted, and how others dreamed dreams. Those things are of God. Now, if it's of God, it'll always be truthful, it'll always happen just exactly the way He said.
141 And now, don't... If you start showing off with it, it'll just leave you. See, just be reverent and sweet. And when He shows you anything, and it's something that you should tell somebody, that they've done something that's wrong, then just don't stand right up and rebuke that person, go to them yourself and say, "Sister, brother, you know, the Lord told me the other night that--that you were doing something wrong, a certain thing."
If that person says, "You are wrong. That is a lie. I did not do that."
Now, the thing to do then is go back and say, "Heavenly Father, was that wrong?"
Now, if that person... Then if that person was telling you the truth, then you've got the wrong spirit. But if that person was lying, and he did do it, God will deal with that person. See? Yes, sir. Because (See?), what he's done there? He's blasphemed against the Holy Ghost, denying what the Holy Ghost has called to his attention. See, so it's the wrong thing.
145 150. Brother Branham, how can a--a church dance, shout, speak in tongues, and let the Spirit... (Let's see, now wait a minute.)... and get lost in the Spirit, and ever very seldom any time Scripture read. I don't understand it.
Neither do I, "shouting, dancing, speaking in tongues, and not even read the Scripture..." I--I--I say this, remember, William Branham, which could be a million miles wrong. I believe that most of the people... I was asked that question today by a brother, something on that order, that when they go to pray for the sick, a brother will maybe pray for one, then get them all singing or dancing in the Spirit, thinking that brings power amongst the people. No, I--I... For myself, I believe that's wrong.
146 I believe that a person coming in the healing meeting will be like coming for salvation, come reverently, believing. Every person in there, not shouting and dancing, but seeing their brother or sister going up there to ask God for mercy, bow your head and start praying, "God, help my brother now as pastor prays for him, anoints him. Let the Holy Spirit come upon him and give him faith to believe for his healing. He's a precious brother. She's a precious sister." Be praying for him instead of just singing, shouting, and dancing.
But we see so much of that in our Pentecostal meetings; it's a constant... I believe it's a worship; I truly believe they're worshipping God. Yes, sir. I believe it with all of my heart. And I believe in speaking with tongues, shouting, and dancing. And I believe it every bit, yes. I believe anything that they do in the Bible is just as good today as it was then (Sure.), but I believe it has its time and its order.
Now, the great blessing's on, and the people are shouting, and the glory of the Lord is a-falling, and people want to scream and shout and do whatever the Spirit tells them, go ahead. That's right. But when a man's coming to be healed, where the question between death and life is involved, I believe we should be reverent and speak to Father and talk to Him for this brother. Instead of worshipping Him, let's ask Him, "Father, I'm--I'm a worshipper of Yours. I love You. You know I do. I express my love to You. Now I'm expressing my faith in You; help my brother to be well, will You, Father?" I believe you'll get a better results by doing that. I really do. And reverence the Spirit of God.
149 My, these may be a hundred miles long. I hope I've answered them...?... throwed just a little bit of Light. I kind of know what's on your minds now anyhow. And I'll tell you what. A little later on I want to ask pastor here if he'll come and help me to--maybe come down and get all the people together that's got the Spirit of God upon them in the form of gifts, let's talk about it a little while. Maybe I can help you to climb the ladder just a little bit higher and get a little closer to God with it and set it more in order in the church. I've been watching along; it seems wonderful to me. And I just love to see it move on and on and on, and on and on and on.
And as we're coming up, don't let Satan creep in now. Boy, he's smart. Hmm. Don't outwit him; don't try to, because you can't. You just depend on God and just keep walking humbly; God will do it, and you'll find out that God will use you more and more and more like that. The Lord bless you.
151 Do we have time for twenty minutes of speaking? Thank you. Thank you. I guess that was enough to start me, Ben. All right.
Let's turn to Psalms just a moment. The Lord seemed to give me a little thought here I would like to express to you all tonight just in a matter of a sermon, if you will, just--just a few minutes. I know it's hot, and it's hot up here too. But remember, we won't meet any more, maybe, till Wednesday night. So let's just wait and--and 'fore we sing the good old song of "Blest Be The Tie That Binds," let's--let's talk about the--the written Word. These questions kind of make us--leave us in a stew. Let's--let's get out of it now and--and speak in the Word. Now can we bow our heads again just a moment?
153 Heavenly Father, these questions, I've tried to find what the people's got on their hearts, see if they'll ask about this about that. I see, Lord, they're desiring spiritual gifts. And those who have spiritual gifts are wondering how to conduct it. To some, it's throwing great Light on the church; to others they're wondering. Now, Lord, help us. Help us, Lord. We are Your children. We are not doing these things to honor ourselves; we are doing this to the honor of God by a gift that God has given us.
We pray, Father, that You'll bless these gifts and manifest them in the church. And may it come to pass that pilgrims and strangers coming by, and drop in that door and set down a few minutes, and may the Spirit of God be so great in here till it'll make known the secret of every heart that enters the door. Grant it, Lord. May it be with such sweetness and humility, never harsh and rebuking and tearing down. We know the Spirit of God isn't like that.
So we pray that You'll bless us in everything. Bless our church; bless our people. Bless the people of other churches. And, Father, we know that there are only one church and we are all born into that.
And I pray, Father, that You'll bless us further as I read this little text that You seemed to give me, setting there by the desk this afternoon. And help me, Lord, not to keep the people too long, but just to speak a few expressions here. I pray that You'll be in it. And give us a little thought, that we can go home with it and thank the Lord for His goodness. We ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
157 Now, don't forget, next Sunday morning, the Lord willing. Now turn to Psalms 106 and the 7th verse. I was going to read on down, a piece--a part of this Psalm. But it's David. Why it come to me, was because of this morning's message. And I'll get my watch here and try to be out at nine-thirty, if all possible. Now on the 7th verse of Psalms 106:
Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even... the Red sea.
I'm going to read the next verse:
Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
The Lord add His blessings. I'm going to speak to you, if the Lord willing, on the subject of the misunderstanding, God, misunderstood. I'll take it like that: "God Being Misunderstood."
161 You know, misunderstanding gets us in a lot of trouble. Many times that people say things that they repeat after somebody else, where they misunderstood them. That gets a person in trouble. I believe it would be good for us if we just, well, wait till we understood what we was talking about. Don't you think so? I know it would be for me, a very good for me to find out first and then say it. See? But we're always, seem to be, misunderstood. And here David is speaking of Israel misunderstood His miracles when they were in Egypt.
Now, to misunderstand is just not to say, "Well, I didn't hear what he said," but to see something done and misunderstand what it's for, that's a--that's you're missing the boat all completely then.
163 Now, God doesn't do miracles just to say, "See, I'm God." God does a miracle for an understanding. See? God does it for a purpose. And did you notice the reading of the Psalms here in this 7th verse? I think it's so beautiful; I want to read it over again.
Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt;... (see, they didn't understand it)... they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even... the Red sea.
Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
See, they did not understand why that God, down in Egypt, performed these miracles. He was trying to show them His mercies. He was trying to get them to understand that He was God in their midst. I love that.
165 In my little sermon that I preached here sometime ago, up at Chicago, and then I believe I preached it here, the boys has got it on tape, "As The Eagle Stirreth Up Her Nest," flutters over her young. How that the old mother eagle takes her little babies... Before she takes them on a flight, they got a lot of loose feathers in them. And they've never seen her really in her best because they're all squatted down in the nest. But she gets up over the nest and she spreads her big mighty wings. What's she doing? She screams; she wants them to know her voice. She stretches forth her big wings.
The female eagle's sometimes the largest. They are said that eagles sometime, many females has wings fourteen feet from tip to tip, pick up a calf and fly away with it. Fourteen feet, tip from tip to wings, far as across this platform right here, from post to post.
167 She gets up there before this little fellow, because why? She's going to take him on a flight. He's never been out of that nest. And she's going to take him way up in the heavens and then shake him off, and let him up there to flop for himself to learn how to fly. So she wants to show the authority she has. She spreads forth her big wings to the strutting of the feathers, and she screams, and then she fans them. Oh, my. The feathers fly out of the nest, and everything else, she's throwing wind in there like out of a jet plane. Knocks him backwards, and he lays on his little back, and looks up and saying, "Mother, how great thou art. How great thou art."
"See how strong my wings are? I can pick you up and pack you anywhere I want to. I'm powerful."
169 That's what God was doing to Israel. You know, He said, "As the eagle stirreth up her nest," that's the same thing. He found Israel in a howling land down there, and He brought him up out of Egypt and took him into the promised land on the wings of an eagle. See? And what was God doing these miracles? He was trying to get to His people that He was the mighty Jehovah.
And that's what He's trying to do today. He just doesn't heal people just to--because He can heal. He's trying to get to you that He's the Resurrection, that He can make you well, He can raise up your body. He can do whatever He wants to; He's Jehovah. I like that.
But the people misunderstood Him. God is so easily to be misunderstood by unbelievers, by those who don't want to understand. Many people try to understand. Many don't want to understand; they just shut up themselves and say, "There's no such a thing," and, "I don't believe in such." Then they can never understand.
172 But a man that's willing to understand, that's willing to set down ("And come let us reason together," saith the Lord) now, that man is--is on the line of learning something from the Lord. But people who always are associated with God and God's power... You can hardly be associated with God without being associated with His power, because when you're associated with Him you are acquainted to Him, or a relative to Him, and then you have His power in you.
That's the reason that people cannot believe in miracles today, because they don't have anything in them to believe with. They've got to have something in there to believe with. And when the Spirit of God is in a man, he will say "amen" to every Word of God and every miracle of God. But as my mother used to say, "You can't get blood from a turnip, because there's no blood in it." So that's the same way; you can't get belief out of unbeliever, because there's nothing there to believe with.
174 A man said, "I don't believe in Divine healing, no matter what you'd say." Certainly, it's not for him; it's only to those who can believe. If you're going to get blood, get it out from something that's got blood in it. If you're going to get faith, get it out to something that's got faith in it.
And that's the way; God uses something that's got faith in it. He don't send you out here in a healing campaign when you ain't got faith enough to believe it. How is He going to send you out in a miracle-working revival when you ain't got faith enough to believe it? He wants something that's got something in there that He can produce something with. So the people misunderstood.
176 Noah was very much misunderstood in his day. Noah, acquainted of God, a servant of God, a believer in God. And when you become a believer in God, you do things so contrary to what people think that's right till they think that you're crazy. And Noah, warned of God, prepared an ark for the saving of his household. And the people thought that he was crazy. He was not crazy; he was just misunderstood, because he was following the direction of God. Amen. I like that. He was misunderstood.
"How could a man..." Though You say, "There's never no rain come from the sky. What is rain?" Never had rained; God irrigated the ground. "Noah, where's that rain at?"
"I don't know."
"Show me where it's at."
"I can't show it to you."
"Well, how do you know it's going to come down from up there when there's none up there to come down?"
Noah might've said something like this: "God told me it was coming down. And if God said it's coming down, He's able to take it up there and then bring it down." So that--that settled it. If God said so, that's all there is to it. See? He was misunderstood because he was following God.
180 Elijah... I could stay on these subjects a long time, but I've got several of them here I would like to come to quickly. Elijah was misunderstood by his nation. Elijah was an Israelite; he was a Jew, and he was misunderstood because he was always condemning his nation, condemning the king, condemning the queen, condemning everything there was around, and condemning them. What a crackpot he seemed to be. Why, my, everything, it came "THUS SAITH THE LORD. God's going to punish you, you Jezebel, you so-and-so."
He was misunderstood. Why? He was following God. It was not Elijah they misunderstood; it was the working of the Holy Spirit in Elijah that they misunderstood.
182 How could a man raise up against his own nation? Blasphemed his own nation, corrected, and put the curses of God upon it, the very nation, the very people that he lived with. His own race, his own color, his own creed, his own kind, and yet predict the judgments of God and called a famine upon them. He was misunderstood, because it wasn't Elijah; it was God in Elijah that they misunderstood. It wasn't Elijah being misunderstood; it was God leading Elijah, and they misunderstood that God was a holy God and He cannot in-tolerate sin.
And no matter if it's on your brother, sister, or mother, no matter who it is, it's sin in the sight of God and the judgment will come upon them for it. Misunderstood...
184 Daniel was misunderstood when all of the rest of the children of Israel bowed down to the image, but he and Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down. Well, they said, "What's the matter with him?" The whole nation said, "What's the matter with this crazy guy? Well, all the rest of the Hebrews recognized our god; they recognized it; they bow down when we play the trumpets, and sound the trumpets and play the psalteries, and so forth, and sound the flute. They all bow down, but what's the matter with this crackpot? What's the matter with him; he won't do it?" Because he was in contact with God. That's what's the matter. He was misunderstood. He was supposed to be "Crazy, or had lost his mind. Well, they was a bunch of cranks." But they were only following the leading of the Spirit. That's the reason they were misunderstood.
185 All the prophets of the Old Testament, how they rose up and prophesied against their nation, how they prophesied against the people, how they prophesied against the thing, putting curses upon them, and doing things like that. They misunderstood. Why? They were God's servants; they were doing the will of God. They were doing the service of God; therefore, they were misunderstood.
And anybody that follows God is misunderstood. Jesus, our Lord, when His birth, He was misunderstood.
The Magi, they were misunderstood; they were following a supernatural sign to find a King that was born King of the Jews. They knowed there was a star rising out of Jacob, according to the prophecies of Daniel. And they knowed this King would be a Saviour; He would be the King of Israel. And they come two years, all the way from India down by the Tigris River, and across the deserts and through the mountains, everywhere, and come into the city of Jerusalem one evening about sundown, screaming, "Where is He that's born King of the Jews? Where is He?"
188 And nobody knowed nothing about it. It was a strange thing that the King of the Jews was born and people hundreds of miles away knowed about it, and right here in the city where He was born, and the place He was born, amongst the people He was born to, and they knowed nothing about it. They misunderstood the Magi. They said, "There's no such a thing as the King of the Jews. We got a king up here: Herod."
He was misunderstood in His birth when He was born. And Mary was to be mother before she was married to Joseph. Misunderstood... They thought It was born out of holy wedlock; they did not know that the Holy Ghost had conceived this Child in her. But it was misunderstood. It was a act of God, and people misunderstood it. They still misunderstand it, an act of God is usually misunderstood.
191 Only by spiritual believing people, people who believe the Spirit... But it was misunderstood; the Magi was misunderstood. Herod misunderstood it. When Herod said, "Well, you tell me where the baby is, and I'll go worship Him too," he was a hypocrite; he was a-lying. What he was afraid of... He didn't know the Scriptures that there was supposed to be a Messiah come, a King of heaven. And Herod thought it would be an earthly king, and he wanted to kill Him to get rid of Him.
It wasn't an earthly king; He said this earth is not His kingdom, "If this was My kingdom My subjects would fight for Me, but My Kingdom is of up above." Herod misunderstood it; he thought it was an earthly king.
194 That's the way they say today, "What church do you belong to if you're a Christian? What denomination?"
"None."
They don't get it. See, they can't understand it. They think a denomination means a Christian. It's vice versa, very much so. But it's misunderstood by the people.
Now, we find out that Herod misunderstood it; he couldn't understand it.
Nicodemus couldn't understand it, the new birth, when he came to Jesus by night. Someone condemned him. I don't condemn him. He was a good man; he wanted to find out something. He was busy through the day, maybe he was at his priest's office, or something another; he had to come by night. Anyhow he got there; he done a lot better than a lot of people does now. They won't come day or night. He finally arrived; 'fore you condemn him, have you? He finally got to Jesus, and let's not condemn him if we haven't been there. And if you get there, then I don't think you'd condemn him. No, he--he got there. And he come by night; maybe he was busy. Anyhow he come. Maybe Jesus was too busy out praying for the sick and things, only time he could catch Him for this interview would be at nighttime. But he finally got there; he stayed there till he got an interview with Jesus. And when Jesus said...
He--he said, "Rabbi, we know that You are a man sent from God, for no man could do these things that You do except God be with Him."
Jesus said, "Except a man be borned again he cannot enter the Kingdom, not even see the Kingdom."
And the great rabbi, master in Israel, said, "Me, an old man, to be a--enter into my mother's wombs and be borned again?" See, he misunderstood what Jesus was talking about; he just didn't get it. Because that Jesus was talking about a spiritual birth, and he was trying to apply it to a natural birth. So he misunderstood Him; he didn't get it. He just... The way people do... Just like Nicodemus, many of us misunderstand the things of God, because we just take it and apply it for a natural thing.
200 Like, say, a doctor say, "Oh, I do not believe in Divine healing. I don't believe there's anything."
I heard a doctor tell a woman in an office one time, said... And she didn't know... He wanted to know what become of a growth she had. She said, "Brother Branham prayed for me, and the Lord healed me."
He said, "I do not believe it." He said, "I can never--I can never believe anything like that." Said, "Tell me who took it off."
Said, "Find the scar."
Said, "What did you put on it?"
Said, "Nothing, not at all." Said, "He just called me out of the meeting and the thing left."
And I was setting right in the next room (That's right.), setting right in the next room listening. She didn't know I was in there. And he didn't know I was in there, 'cause he didn't even know me. See? And there I was setting in there. And he said... Taking somebody else to a doctor's office. That's exactly right. And I could overhear what he said; I got--I got the patient and got out of there when I found that, that he didn't believe.
So he said, "I don't believe one word of it." Said, "I've never seen anything yet that could do anything like that. I just don't believe it." Said, "I've got to see it before I believe it."
She said, "Well, what about my--my growth?"
He said, "I'd have to see it leave before I'll believe it."
206 See, seeing is not believing. "Faith is the substance of things you don't see." See, you believe it first and then it happens. So the--the man was not a believer, so therefore it was all a mystery to him. He didn't know what he was talking about, because he--he couldn't understand it; it was a riddle to him.
People say today, "Oh, I don't believe in that Divine healing. I don't believe in that Holy Ghost. I don't believe in that speaking in tongues. I don't believe in that shouting. I don't believe in all this stuff like that. I don't believe in it." Why? It's a mystery. You're just misunderstanding. It's God; here it is in the Bible. Here it is bringing the same results that the Bible spoke of bringing; then it's got to be God. You just misunderstand it; that's all. God is misunderstood.
208 His disciples couldn't understand His miracle that night when He come into the boat, and he said, "What manner of man is this that even the winds and the waves obey Him?" They misunderstood that He wasn't a man; He was God.
That's what's the matter today with people. They want to make Him a little mascot boy, or something another that carries the bat. They want to make Him just a little fellow around the camp.
He wasn't a little fellow around the camp; He was Jehovah God. They misunderstood it. They expected Him to be just one of them. He wasn't one of them; He was God among them. He was more than a man. As I've often said, He was a man when He was hungry, but He was God when He fed five thousand with a biscuit--two biscuits and some pieces of fishes. He was a man when He was tired on the back of a boat, but He was God when He ceased the winds and waves and made them obey Him. "What manner of man is this?" He wasn't a manner of a man; He was God manifested in a man. They misunderstood Him. They thought Him to be a man, Mary's son, a carpenter, but He was God manifested in the flesh. Amen.
211 The Roman soldiers misunderstood Him when they had Him set in the court, and put a rag around His eyes, and hit Him on top of the head, and said, "Now, if you are a prophet... They all say you're a prophet; come tell us who hit you on top of the head."
See, they misunderstood that Jesus said, "I do only what the Father shows Me to do. I do what the Father shows Me, and then I do what He tells Me to do." They misunderstood it.
213 They misunderstood His ministry. The Jews misunderstood Him: how He come to be their Friend and Saviour, and they wanted to make Him a--a something was evil. They misunderstood His ministry. He said, "The queen of the south shall rise up in the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And a greater than Solomon is here." But they misunderstood that He was greater than Solomon. They thought He was just a man.
Many of them thought He was born out of holy wedlock, come up out of a bad family that had these desires and so forth, and a bastard child. Which we just had the question, they could not even... Why, they said, "Why, we know that you were born out of holy wedlock. You got a devil on you. Why, you try to teach us? We're rabbis."
He said, "You are of your father, the devil." See, they misunderstood.
215 When the Roman soldiers went back one time, listening at Him, said, "Never a man spoke like this. We never heard a man speak like this."
It was not a man speaking; it was God. Yes, sir. Man didn't speak like that. A man tells and speaks the Scriptures; Jesus makes the Scriptures live. A man don't live like this: "The Scripture says this here; here it is." Man can say the Scripture says it, but that's about all he can do. But Jesus could say, "I and My Father are One; My Father dwells in Me. He that's seen Me has seen the Father." Nobody else could say that. Amen. Hallelujah. That's right. "He that's seen Me has seen the Father." Nobody else could say that.
No wonder them soldiers said, "There never was a man spoke like this." He don't speak like a scribe or a preacher; He speaks with authority. And even the devils obey Him, and the winds and the waves obeyed Him. They thought He was a man, but He was God. See, He was misunderstood.
218 Said, "Why, you're--you're born a bastard. You're born out of holy wedlock, and you try to teach us? Why, we know you're mad and got a devil. You're a Samaritan, been over there and got them devils on you. You're trying to teach us, us holy rabbis?"
He said, "You're of your father the devil."
Yes, they misunderstood Him; they didn't know Who He was. That's what's the matter today, people trying to make Him something that He isn't. He's not just a man; He's God in man: no third person, He's the only Person. Yes, sir. Sure, they misunderstood Him.
220 The Pharisee, that Pharisee that invited Him down there that time for a dinner, a big banquet, he misunderstood Him. He thought he'd just have Him down there. I preached on that message out here not long ago at a breakfast, I believe, at Chicago, at that breakfast. That Pharisee said, "Now, look at Him setting back there, setting back there, unwashed feet and everything. That little woman come in and washed Him with the tears, and wiped with the hairs of her head." He said, "If He was a prophet He'd know what manner of woman that is there washing His feet. Shows He's not a prophet."
Jesus stood up and said, "Simon, I got something to say to you." Amen. He just misunderstood; that was all. He said, "I... You invited Me to come, and I left My busy schedule to come to your invitation. And when... You never met Me at the door. You never have washed My feet. You never anointed My head. You never kissed Me welcome. You just let Me come in, dirty and stinking and full of sweat, and set Me over here in a corner to make fun of Me. But this woman, this woman, she's constantly kissed My feet, and she's washed them with the tears of repentance (What beautiful water.), and wiped them with the hairs of her head. I've got something against you, Simon. Verily I say unto you, her sins which are many are all forgiven her." Amen. Simon misunderstood; she understood.
Simon said, "He's just a man."
She said, "He's God, my Saviour." He was misunderstood. He's still misunderstood.
222 The disciples at Calvary, they misunderstood when they all denied Him and went away. How could they see a man, a man that they had knowed to perform miracles and raise the dead, yet submit Hisself to death, and walk up through there, beaten, and crying, the spit running off His face, and blood mixed with it where they'd pulled their handfuls of beard out, plucked it from His face, and warped His back till His bones was shining through, and kicking Him, and beating Him around, them cussing, drunken soldiers beating Him right up the street; and stand and let them do that?" They misunderstood, so they stood far off. That's right.
The devil misunderstood Him. The devil said, "Surely that cannot be a Son of God that would stand there and be mistreated like that, and them cussing, and my disciples down there just treating him any way, and him taking it. He's not the Son of God."
224 Also the Pharisees, the priests, misunderstood Him, said, "If Thou be the Son of God, bring yourself down off of there."
The thief on His left misunderstood Him, said, "If thou be the Son of God, take us off the cross, save yourself and us too."
But the thief on the right understood Him; he said, "We have, and we've done evil and we deserve what we're getting, but this Man's done nothing. Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom."
Watch that Voice come back, said, "Today shall thou be with Me in paradise." He understood that that was God dying for our sins. The only way He could die, would be put to death in the flesh. He can't be put to death in Spirit, because He's the Eternal Spirit. And He had to be in flesh to be put to death, so they just misunderstood. He understood it.
228 One day about ten days after that, or about forty days after that, fifty days it was, the disciples climbed up into an upper room, and they stayed up there for ten days and nights until the fiftieth day come. Then all of a sudden there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind. Because Jesus had told them, "Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you, but wait in the city of Jerusalem until you're endued with power from on high." They knowed that It was going to come. Now, they knowed it was--had to happen. "Go up there and wait until I send It." They waited up there. They confessed, got everything out of their minds and hearts. They were waiting, all in one accord, in one place, waiting for the promise, walking back and forth, the men and the women, up there walking around together in this upper room, all the doors barred so the Jews couldn't get in and--and hurt them.
229 All at once, they was up there walking around, and there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, whirled around through there, and then licks of Fire begin to set upon them. The doors flew open; the windows come open, out into the streets they went. And they were misunderstood, insomuch that they said, "Are these men not full of new wine? These people are drunk because we hear them blabbering off something we don't know what they're talking about." All at once they said, "How hear we every man in our own language, are not all these Galileans?" They misunderstood that it was the promise of the Father.
Then God had a prophet there who could stand up and speak, Peter said, "You men of Jerusalem and you that dwell in Judaea, don't misunderstand this. This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel, 'And it'll come to pass in the last days,' saith God, 'I'll pour out My Spirit upon all flesh. And upon My handsmaids and maid servants will I pour out of My Spirit; they shall prophesy. I'll show wonders in the heavens above and in the earth below, and fire, and vapor, and pillars of smoke. It shall come to pass, before the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come, that whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." It was the work of God. It was the Holy Ghost, but they misunderstood it.
233 He was misunderstood. He's always been misunderstood. Israel misunderstood Him. The people in Noah's time misunderstood Him. The people in Daniel's time misunderstood Him. The people in John's time misunderstood Him. The people in--in the prophet's time misunderstood Him. The people in the Pentecostal age misunderstood Him. The people in this age misunderstands Him; it's still the same. They don't get it, because He's misunderstood. It's the time to compare the natural with the spiritual.
When the people in now... After the day of Pentecost, when they was all filled with the Holy Ghost, had this great big meeting up there, they called a man down there that's crippled from his mother's womb, two of them was going along the street and this beggar shook a can and asked for some money. And he said, "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I'll give it to you." He said, "In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." And he took the man by the hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. He begin walking, and leaping, and running, and jumping, and praising God, went into the temple. And all the people begin to come together, and screaming and carrying on. Why, it was unusual.
236 And they put them in jail, and threatened them that they "Should not preach any more in the Name of Jesus."
And Peter said, "Who should we listen to, God or man?"
And they turned them loose, thinking because they'd whipped them a little bit and threatened them that they'd hang them the next time, or burn them, or put them on the cross, or something, they'd stop it. But the next thing they found; they was out on the street doing it again. Why? They misunderstood. It wasn't them people; it was God in those people doing those things.
239 When they caught up little Stephen at the Sanhedrin Court, that morning, said, "We'll take him before this court. When all these rabbis and Jews and high priests and holy fathers, and all of them gathered out there, these doctors of divinity, it'll scare him in the wits." So they brought him out in his chains, and stood him out there, a little fellow like a lamb amongst a bunch of raving wolves. They said, "Watch him take down now and say, 'I'll take it all back, brethren; don't you all bother me.'"
He said, "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. Why do you resist the Holy Ghost? Like your fathers did, so do you." Amen.
They found out that it wasn't him. For they picked up clods, and throwed their hands in their ears, and begin to gnash upon him, and clod him to death. And when he raised his head up towards that, and the bats beating him from one side to the other, he said, "I see the heavens open, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." Amen. And he fell asleep in the arms of the Lord Jesus. When he died, he said, "Father, lay not this sin to their charge."
See, they misunderstood what they did. Paul, standing there look at it, later on it got on his nerves, and said, "I'm the least among all of them, because I bore witness to Stephen's death, Thy saint." Amen. That's it.
243 See, people misunderstood this enthusiasm. People misunderstand today. They misunderstand the power of the Holy Spirit. They call it a bunch of holy-rollers. They call it a bunch of people that ain't got their right mind. They misunderstand that you had to lose your--what you call your right mind...?... because you have the mind of Christ in you. You can't have the mind of the world and the mind of Christ at the same time, one's carnal and the other one's spiritual. "He that walks after the flesh is carnal; he that walks after the Spirit is spiritual." Amen. So I'll lose myself and find it, Lord, in Thee. Yes, sir.
So God's misunderstood. It's not you that's misunderstood; it's the Holy Spirit making you do that that they misunderstand. Amen. They're not speaking against you; they're speaking against Him. People are misunderstood.
There they let them go, but they get right back in the street and start again. The same today, they misunderstand the people. They don't know what it is.
245 Today I'm misunderstood in my ministry, that He sent me to the people. They misunderstand. Every one of them said, "We believe Brother Branham..." I talked to a preacher awhile ago, said, "Brother Branham, we all know that you was sent to the church, but, the idea is, how do you come baptizing in Jesus' Name?" They misunderstand the Scriptures. They misunderstand it. That's what He sent me for; that's my purpose of being here. "Why do you teach the serpent's seed, and things like that that's contrary to what we teach?" Well, brother, that's why I'm here. They just misunderstand it. Amen. But God is bearing record by His Word and the signs of the Holy Ghost in...?... No matter how much they may misunderstand it, God's confirming the Word. Amen.
God's always been misunderstood. And those who live with God are misunderstood with God, because it's God working in them. Amen. You believe it?
I love Him, I love Him
Because He first loved me (Do you love Him? Raise up your hands and say praises.)
.. purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
247 Are you glad you're misunderstood? We used to sing a little song, saying, "Now I'm marked, marked, marked, marked by the Spirit Divine." That's right. People that once loved me, turn their back on me now because I'm marked, marked by the Spirit. Amen. I lost my mind to the things of the world to receive the mind of Christ; therefore, if I have the mind of Christ, my mind seeks those things which are above. I'd like for somebody to show me any different correct baptism besides the Name of Jesus Christ. I'd like for somebody to show me a Scripture that says the serpent didn't have a seed. I'd like for somebody to show me a Scripture that says there's three gods.
Then they say, "Well, what is it?"
249 God sends His Message and bears record of it. He confirms the Word with signs following. That's what the Bible said. They can't deny that; it's a fact. But what did they do? They misunderstand it, because I didn't come in the name of the Assemblies of God, the Oneness, or the Twoness, or the Threeness, or the Church of God, or the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterian, Lutheran. I come in none of them names; I come in the Name of Jesus Christ. And God by His mercy confirms the Message by the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So it's still the Spirit of God that the people misunderstand. That's right, misunderstood.
Sure, you're misunderstood; all that live godly in Christ Jesus is misunderstood, all the way from righteous Noah, all the way down till the modern day saint today is misunderstood: always been, people misunderstand it.
Israel misunderstood it. They don't understand; they just can't because they are carnal in spirit, and not... It won't deviate with the spiritual, because it will not mix.
252 But I'm glad that we live in a Kingdom that's not made with hands of men. I'm glad that we're going to a Kingdom that man had nothing to do with. I'm glad that our Kingdom is above. And if our Kingdom is above, we're born from above, then we seek those things which are above, where Christ sets at the right hand of God, oh, where He's not ashamed of us as our testimony. We're not ashamed of Him on this earth, because we are pilgrims and strangers. We're not of this earth; we're borned of the Spirit of God. We're setting together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, washed in His Blood, borned of His Spirit, filled with His grace. That's it: misunderstood. But what do we care? We love Him. Don't you love Him?
253 All right, Teddy, give us the note on "I Love Him," and let's sing it from the top of our voice.
I love Him, I love Him
Because He first loved me
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
Isn't He wonderful? Don't you love Him? Aren't you glad that you're a peculiar, royal priesthood, chosen people, peculiar people, offering spiritual sacrifices, the fruits of your lips, giving praise to Him? I'll sing you a song now; I feel like singing.
I find many people who can't understand
Why I am so happy and free;
I've been filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And that's what's the matter with me.
Oh, that's what's the matter with me,
Oh, that's what's the matter with me;
I've been filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And that's what's the matter with me.
You like that? Let's all sing it then.
We find many people who can't understand
Why we are so happy and free;
We're filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And that's what's the matter with me.
Oh, that's what's the matter with me, (Praise God.)
Oh, that's what's the matter with me;
I've been filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And that's what's the matter with me.
Oh, when I get happy, I sing and I shout,
Some don't understand it, I see;
But I've crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land,
And that's what's the matter with me.
Oh, that's what's the matter with me, (Praise God.)
Oh, that's what's the matter with me;
I've crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land,
And that's what's the matter with me.
257 Oh, I love that, don't you? Crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land. I bid farewell to the world, lifted up above the things of the world, now I'm living in this heavenly atmosphere. Sure I act funny to them buzzards down there. Yes, sir. I'm flying above it. That's right. What do we care? We are living in Canaan's land (Amen. Yes, sir.), eating the new grapes, just having a wonderful time, full of glory, full of power, full of the Holy Spirit. Yes, sir.
Said a Stephen was a man full. Full of what? Full of what? He was full of the Holy Ghost; he was full of power; he was full of wisdom; he was full of might. What'd it all make up? He was full of the Holy Ghost. That's where all these things dwell. That's what the church of the living God is. Aren't you happy for it, Christians? That's rightly. If you're misunderstood, "All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall be misunderstood." They've always been down through the Bible.
Now, what am I trying to say? To you people who speak with tongues, to you who shout, dance in the Spirit, people say, "Oh, it's nonsense," just remember I've went right back and showed you. Right down through the Scripture, they're always misunderstood. Remember, you're in the Scripture, and you're doing that which is right. Stay right with it. God's with you. Stay right in the Scripture. God will take care of the rest of it. Amen.
260 I love Him. Let's sing that good old baptismal song, the one we was singing the first time that the Angel of the Lord there ever appeared before men in his presence. I'd seen it before, myself, but first time He ever come down. And when He come down, He--He said, "As John was sent to forerun the first coming of Christ, your message will forerun the second coming of Christ." Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people standing on the banks down there when It come down on June, 1933, at the river. And we were standing on the banks, singing:
On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye,
To Canaan's fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.
I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
Oh, I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
When shall I reach this healthful place,
And be forever blest.
When shall I see my Father's face,
And in His bosom rest?
Oh, I am bound for the promised land,
Oh, I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
All o'er those wide extended plains
Shines one eternal day;
There God the Son forever reigns,
And scatters night away.
I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised...
Let's just sing that again and shake hands with somebody around you.
I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
262 Now, without a shadow of doubt, every one of you that has accepted Christ, and know that you are borned again of the Spirit, let's raise our hands now and sing it.
I am bound for the promised land,
Well, I'm bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
I haven't seen this for a long time. Ladies, reach in your purse and get a handkerchief. Gentlemen, reach in your hip pocket and get your handkerchief out. Now we're going to have a wave-gift to the Lord. All right, all of us together, we're going to wave like we're going into Canaan now, wave your handkerchief. All right, now.
I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land,
Now, if there is someone here that hasn't made their election and calling sure, that would like to come while we sing it again, would like to pull out your handkerchief and wave with us again. The gate's open now; the tickets are free. Won't you come? Step aboard the old ship of Zion; she's going, moving out. Let's go.
I am bound for the promised land, (It won't be long.)
Oh, I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
265 As we bow our heads:
To be like Jesus, just to be like Jesus,
On earth I long to be like Him;
All through life's journey from earth to Glory
I only ask to be like Him.
From Bethlehem's manger came forth a Stranger,
On earth I long to be like Him;
All through life's journey from earth to Glory
I only ask to be like Him.
Don't forget Sunday. Don't forget Wednesday night is prayer meeting. Remember, pray much; pray for me; pray for your pastor; pray for your neighbor, your deacons, your trustees; pray that God will have His way with us all.
To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus,
On earth I long (That's my heart's desire.) to be like Him; (misunderstood)
Remember God...?... Isn't that your desire? Think of it.
.. from earth to Glory
I only ask to be like Him.
[Brother Branham begins humming the song--Ed.]...
.. humble and lowly,
On earth I long just to be like Him;
All through life's journey from earth to Glory
I only ask to be like Him.
With our heads bowed now, and our eyes closed, and our hearts centered on God, we will call on my precious, good friend, Brother Roy Borders from California, if he won't have--pronounce the benediction upon this meeting. Brother Borders.