Na akom stupni je teraz moja služba
Hovorím vám toto. Keď niekto zostáva verný Slovu, nie len na jednom zhromaždení, ale na každom zhromaždení, keď niekto stojí verne pri Slove, príde čas, že ho ľudia opustia. Presne tak. Oni to urobili. Urobili to nášmu Pánovi. Opustia ho, keď bude stáť za Pravdou. “Všetci ma opustili.” A teraz, čo myslíte, že čo si Démas a niektorí z tých ľudí mysleli, keď všetci vieme, keď poznáme Písmo, že Lukáš bol doktor a Pavel, kdekoľvek išiel, bral so sebou tohoto doktora? A kázal Božské uzdravenie a svojho priateľa zanechal chorého ... Taký chudobný, že mal jeden plášť ... A nechal, že ho jeden človek vyhnal z mesta, keď mohol udrieť človeka slepotou. Vidíte, oni si mysleli, že je odpísaný. Ale nebol. On bol presne v tých krvavých šľapajách. On ich ďalej nasledoval. Dúfam, že rozumiete. On povedal, “Všetci ma opustili.”
Démas si zamiloval tento súčasný svet, popularitu ľudí. “Pozdravujem ťa, Doktor Démas. Viem že máš Ph ...Ó, samozrejme, oni to milujú. Ježiš povedal, “Ako to máte radi, keď stojíte v synagógach a nazývajú vás rabbi,” a tak ďalej. Povedal, “Dostávate iba viacej zatratenia.” Vidíte?
1 ... prebudenie, bol som veľmi unavený a vyčerpaný. Mali sme mnoho obecenstva po ceste, výborné zhromaždenia, prinášame pozdravy kresťanov z každého miesta, hore-dole z východného pobrežia, a tiež zo západného pobrežia hore do Kanady. Videli sme dobrú spoluprácu medzi všetkými rôznymi denominačnými cirkvami zo Zborov Božích, Zjednotených Letničných, z Cirkvi Božej, z Rozhodných a mnohých ďalších organizácií, ktoré spolupracovali a usporiadali veľké zhromaždenia. Bol to veľký úspech, pokiaľ sa to dnes dá nazvať ako úspech, a možno mnohí povedia, že to bolo veľké. Ale ja sám, a mne ide o prebudenie. A prebudenie, ako v národe, práve skončilo. A my sme ... Rád vidím prebudenie, kde ľuďom horia srdcia, nie pridávanie sa za členov, ale prebudenie. Náš Pán tam vykonal veľa zázrakov a uzdravil ľudí a samozrejme, niekoľkí boli spasení. A teraz som doma, chvíľu si odpočiniem a znovu pôjdem do služby za pár týždňov, ak Pán dá.
2A teraz, toto, čo chcem dnes večer tu v modlitebni oznámiť, je pre mnohých ľudí a pre mojich priateľov po celom svete. Ak ste tu boli, ktokoľvek, kto tu bol a mohol by vidieť, ľuďom je tu dnes večer v modlitebni veľmi teplo. Sú tu všade natlačení, stoja vo dverách a vonku v autách a všade, a je veľmi teplo. Bude to ťažko pre ľudí a tiež pre mňa.
3Ale prišiel som na toto miesto lebo chcem vysvetliť, v akom časovom úseku žijeme podľa služby, ktorú mi dal Pán. A chcel som to nahrať tu v modlitebni. Mám to na srdci už od jari, ale som čakal, kedy tu znovu budem, aby som to mohol nahrať a poslať ľuďom po svete.
4Bolo to asi pred tridsiatimi-dvomi rokmi, keď Pán Ježiš, na stopäťdesiatich yardoch zeme, kde práve teraz stojím, tu v Jeffersonville na križovatke ulíc Ôsma a Ohradová, to ráno, keď som kládol uholný kameň tejto modlitebni, vtedy to bolo takmer močarisko. A býval som tu oproti naľavo. To bolo ešte predtým, ako som sa oženil. Býval som so svojím otcom a matkou. Keď ma Pán Ježiš zobudil ráno, keď mal byť kladený ten uholný kameň, včas ráno, okolo šiestej. Chvíľu som ležal na posteli a srdce som mal plné radosti, rozmýšľal som o tomto veľkom čase, že Pán mi ide dať modlitebňu, v ktorej budem kázať. Vtedy som bol len mladý chlapec. A v ten deň som ... To dievča, s ktorým som chodil, ktorá sa za krátko, v tom ďalšom roku, mala stať mojou ženou, bola s nami, keď sme mali klásť ten uholný kameň.
5A pamätám sa v to ráno, keď som sa zobudil a ležal som v izbe, rovno tu hore na siedmej ulici, niečo povedalo, “Postav sa na nohy.” A vstal som. A videl som, ako to bolo, veľké miesto, a bolo to ako veľké miesto, kde pretekala rieka cez údolie. A ja som zišiel dole ku tej rieke a porozumel som, že to bolo miesto, kde Ján Krstiteľ krstil ľudí a oni z toho spravili miesto na váľanie sa svíň. A ja som bol veľmi proti tomu, hovoril som, že to nemali urobiť.
6A kým som tam bol, hlas hovoril ku mne a zodvihol ma hore a všimol som si túto modlitebňu, približne v takom stave, ako je teraz, ale bolo tam tak veľa ľudí a boli proste natlačení v modlitebni v takomto stave, približne tak, ako je to teraz. A ja som bol šťastný, stál som za kazateľňou, hovoril som, “Bože, aký si ku mne dobrý, že si mi dal modlitebňu.”
7A v tom čase, anjel Pánov prehovoril ku mne a povedal, “Ale toto nie je tvoja modlitebňa.”
8A ja som povedal, “Potom, Pane, kde je moja modlitebňa?”
A On ma znovu zodvihol v Duchu a postavil ma do nejakého sadu. A v tom sade boli rady stromov v rovnakej úrovni, okolo šesť alebo deväť metrov vysoké. A vyzerali ako ovocné stromy, a boli zasadené vo veľkých zelených vedrách.
9A potom som si všimol, že po mojej pravej aj ľavej strane bolo prázdne vedro na každej strane, a povedal som, “Čo s týmto?”
10A On povedal, “Ty ich máš do nich zasadiť.” Tak som vytrhol konár zo stromu po pravej strane a zasadil som ho do vedra na pravej strane a konár zo stromu na ľavej strane a zasadil som ho do vedra na ľavej strane. Oni rýchlo vyrástli až do oblakov.
11A On povedal, „Načiahni sa a naber z nich ovocie.” A do jednej ruky mi spadlo veľké žlté jablko, lahodné a zrelé. A do druhej ruky mi spadla veľká žltá slivka, lahodná a zrelá. A povedal mi, “Jedz to ovocie, pretože je dobré.” A ja som jedol jedno i druhé; veľmi dobré. Poznáte to videnie, je opísané v jednej z tých kníh, “Životný príbeh,” alebo “Prorok navštívil Afriku.”
12A práve vtedy som mal zodvihnuté ruky a vykrikoval som, chváliac Boha. A zrazu náhle ten Ohnivý Stĺp zostupoval dole ponad vrcholce tých stromov a hrmelo, blýskalo sa a vietor mocne dul a listy začali lietať zo stromov. A ja som sa pozrel dole, bolo to v tvare tejto modlitebne, ako teraz stojí. A na konci, kde by bola kazateľňa, tam boli tri stromy a tieto tri stromy mali tvar troch krížov. A všimol som si, že oboje, slivky aj jablká, boli nahromadené v kôpkach okolo prostredného kríža. A ja som rýchlo bežal, kričal z celej sily a padol som na tento kríž, lepšie povedané ku tomuto krížu, a objal som ho. Vietor začal triasť ovocie z toho kríža a ono ma celého zasypalo. A bol som taký šťastný, radoval som sa. A bolo mi povedané, “Jedz to ovocie, pretože je veľmi dobré.”
13A potom ten krúžiaci Oheň zavolal a povedal, “Žnivo je zrelé a robotníkov je málo.” A On povedal, “Keď sa spamätáš, alebo keď vyjdeš z tohoto, čítaj 2.Timotejovi 4. 2. Timotejovi 4.” A potom som prišiel ku sebe. Stál som tam a pretieral som si rukou tvár. A práve vtedy, v rohu miestnosti, slnko vysoko svietilo, potom som musel byť pod tým videním nejakú hodinu alebo aj viac a bolo mi povedané, “2. Timotejovi 4.” Vzal som rýchle Bibliu a čítal som 2. Timotejovi 4.
14A teraz to chcem čítať. A aké je to zvláštne, keď čítam túto 2. Timotejovi 4, miesto, kde som sa zastavil a mnohokrát, keď som kázal na to tu v tejto modlitebni, zdá sa mi to zvláštne, že stále som sa zastavil na tom mieste. No, v 2. Timotejovi 4, prvých päť veršov (A päť je číslo milosti.) čítam toto.
Tedy ja osvedčujem pred Bohom a pred Pánom Ježišom Kristom, ktorý má súdiť živých i mŕtvych za svojho príchodu a za svojho kráľovstva:
Káž slovo, pristupuj v pravý i nepravý čas, karhaj, tresci, napomínaj s celou zhovievavosťou a s učením.
Lebo bude čas, keď neznesú zdravého učenia, ale podľa vlastných žiadostí budú si hromadiť učiteľov, lebo ich budú svrbieť uši,
a odvrátia uši od pravdy a obrátia sa k bájkam.
Ale ty buď triezvy vo všetkom, trp, čo prijde zlé, konaj dielo evanjelistu, vykonaj svoju službu.
15Všimli ste si niekedy, a ja som si to nikdy nevšimol, až teraz na konci mája, že som nikdy nečítal ďalej to miesto Písma, len potade? To je všetko, čo som kedy z toho čítal, pretože sa zdalo, že to stačilo, pretože to mi hovorilo, aby som kázal Slovo a znášal ťažkosti, a aby som bol trpezlivý, lebo prichádzal čas, keď neznesú zdravú náuku, ale podľa svojich vlastných žiadostí si budú hromadiť učiteľov, lebo ich svrbia uši a odvrátia sa od Pravdy ku bájkam. Ale teraz, On nikdy nepovedal, že ja som evanjelista. On povedal, “Konaj dielo evanjelistu,” Pavol hovorí Timotejovi. Vidíte? Všimli ste si, ako je to povedané? On nepovedal, “Bol si povolaný, aby si bol evanjelistom.” Tam je povedané, “Konaj dielo evanjelistu.” Vidíte? No, potom to tam vidíme. Keď to poviem z celého svojho srdca a podľa môjho najlepšieho poznania, to sa do písmena vyplnilo, presne. A to je už tridsať rokov.
16A pokiaľ viem, každé videnie, ktoré mi On kedy dal, sa vyplnilo okrem jedného, že nastane zmena v mojej službe, kde sa budem modliť za ľudí na malom mieste, akoby v malej izbe pod stanom, alebo vo veľkej hale, alebo pod niečím takým. Pre mňa to vyzeralo ako nejaký stan. Pamätáte sa na to, pred dvoma alebo troma rokmi? Väčšina z toho všetkého sa vyplnila. Mal som ísť do Mexika, a ako tam malo tej noci pršať, a čo sa tam malo diať. A On mi oznámil moju službu prvého potiahnutia. Pamätáte sa na tú malú rybku, ako sa chytila, či nechytila? To druhé bola malá rybka. Ale On mi potom povedal, “Pri tom treťom potiahnutí, neurob chybu. A nepovedz ľuďom.” Stále sa snažím vysvetliť to, čo sa snažím urobiť. On mi dal vedieť, aby som nepovedal ľuďom, čo robím. Len robím, čo mi káže robiť, a nechávam to tak. Rozumiete?
17Ja som taký človek. A nemám žiadne tajnosti, tak proste poviem všetko, čo viem. Som proste taký typ človeka, myslím. Ale to keď, budem sa snažiť ... Milujem ľudí a tak veľmi chcem, aby boli spasení, že sa im snažím povedať všetko, čo viem, pokiaľ to nie je niečo, čo mi On povedal, aby som nevravel, samozrejme, tak, aby im to neušlo. Viete? Chcem, aby to tak jasne videli, že v tom nebude žiadna chyba.
18No, to sa presne vyplňuje. No pamätajte, ten príkaz bol, ak by sme to za chvíľu študovali, “Prikazujem ti pred Bohom a Pánom Ježišom Kristom, ktorý bude súdiť živých i mŕtvych za svojho príchodu [zjavenia sa - podľa ang. Biblie. – pozn.prekl.] a za svojho kráľovstva.” Vidíte? “Súdiť ... Prikazujem ti pred Bohom a Kristom, aby si kázal Slovo.” A tak s pomocou Božou, až do tohoto večera, pokiaľ mám o tom nejaké poznanie, nikdy som nekázal nič iné okrem Slova (Vidíte?) a stál som rovno pri ňom. Bolo pri tom veľa problémov a prechádzal som cez mnohé prenasledovania a skúšky, musel som sa oddeliť od mnohých vzácnych priateľov práve kvôli tomu výroku, “Káž Slovo.” A ja som ...
19Pamätáte sa v tom videní alebo malom prenesení, ako som to nazval, nedávno, kde som bol vzatý a videl som tých ľudí a pozrel som sa späť na seba, a všetci tí tam, ktorých bolo milióny. A povedal som, “Chcem vidieť Ježiša.”
A On povedal, “On je vyššie.”
20No, vidíte, keď ľudia zomrú, nejdú hneď ku Bohu. No, vy ... Som si istý že to budete rozumieť. Možno by som to mal vysvetliť najlepšie, ako môžem. Ponáhľate sa? Venujem potom tomu čas a pokúsim sa to vysvetliť ako najlepšie môžem.
21No, keď o tom hovoríme, musíme pamätať, že tu žijeme v troch dimenziách. A neviem, či ich budem vedieť teraz pomenovať alebo nie. Jednou z nich je svetlo a tou druhou je hmota. Tommy, pamätáš sa, čo je tá tretia? Hm? Atóm - čas. Správne. No, svetlo, hmota a čas. A našich päť zmyslov sa kontaktuje s týmito dimenziami. Náš zrak sa kontaktuje so svetlom, náš hmat sa kontaktuje s hmotou, a tak ďalej.
22No, ale cez vedu máme kontakt so štvrtou dimenziou, ako ona je. Pretože teraz rovno cez túto budovu prechádzajú obrazy, rádiové hlasy, televízne filmy, ale naše zmysly s tým neprichádzajú do styku, ale predsa majú elektrónku alebo kryštál, ktorý zachytáva tie éterové vlny a ukazuje ich. Tak vidíte, práve teraz v tejto budove sú v povetrí živé skutky ľudí, živé hlasy. To je tu. Vieme to. Sú absolútne skutočné. A to jediné čo robíte, zachytávajú to na ... Nerozumiem tú mechaniku týchto vecí, ktoré veda vynašla, ale vieme, že to nám dokazuje, že je štvrtá dimenzia.
23Piata dimenzia, to je to, kam ide hriešnik, neveriaci, keď zomiera, tam ide. Piata dimenzia je také niečo - no, to je strašná dimenzia. No, tento človek ...
A keď kresťan zomiera, on ide do šiestej dimenzie.
24A Boh je v siedmej dimenzii.
Tak potom vidíte, keď kresťan zomiera, ide pod oltár Boží, rovno do prítomnosti Božej, pod oltár. A on je na odpočinku.
25Aby sme to rozobrali. Keď má človek nočnú moru, on nie celkom úplne spí, ani nie je prebudený. Je medzi spánkom a prebudením, a to spôsobuje, že sa hrozne trasie a kričí, pretože nespí, nie je prebudený. A dostať sa do niečoho takého, to ukazuje, kam človek odchádza, keď zomiera neobrátený. Dožil svoj čas; zomrel na zemi; a nemôže ísť do prítomnosti Božej, pretože nie je spôsobilý tam ísť bez krvi. A je chytený. Nemôže prísť naspäť na zem, pretože jeho čas tu na zemi skončil, a je chytený pomedzi a je v nočnej more. Vidíte? Nemôže ísť do prítomnosti Božej, aby odpočíval. Nemôže ísť naspäť, aby prišiel na zem, pretože jeho čas je zavŕšený. Je v nočnej more a tam zostáva až do dňa súdu. To je strašné, byť tam. Vidíte?
26A teraz v tomto videní, verím, že som bol vzatý do šiestej dimenzie, díval som sa sem naspäť a mohol som vidieť naspäť. Vidíte, zrak nie je tak celkom závislý na očiach; to je zemské. Ale zrak je niečo viac než ... Zrak, ktorý oni tam majú, ich kontakt je oveľa ďalej než akýkoľvek kontakt, s ktorým sa kontaktujú naše prirodzené zmysly.
27Nedávno som to tu vysvetľoval. Díval som sa na televízny film, kde spustili človeka, myslím do dvojmíľovej alebo míľovej hĺbky do oceánu a mali tam svetlo a svietili tam. Ukazovali podmorský život. A plávali tam ryby, tie stvorenia vyzerali odporne. To je ich polnoc tam dole v tej atramentovo čiernej tme. A oni majú na nose fosfor a nemajú žiadne oči. No, musia sa niečím živiť, tak to vyzeralo, aby si našli potravu, riadili sa iným zmyslom, nie zrakom, pretože nemajú oči, tam dole by ich nemohli používať. Ale sa riadili iným zmyslom, aby si mohli nájsť potravu. A pomyslel som si, “Keby som mohol viesť tú rybu pomocou môjho zraku, ako oveľa viac by som jej mohol zadovážiť potravu a viesť ju na tie miesta, o čo lepší je môj zrak než jej radar, ktorým sa riadi.” Rozumiete? A pomyslel som si, “Keby som ju len mohol viesť ...”
28Potom to prišlo ku mne, “Keby som sa len mohol poddať Bohu, o čo väčší je ten zrak a zmysly Božie, ktorý nás môže viesť oveľa lepšie než to, čo vidíme, pretože viera, ktorú nám obstaráva, je dôkazom vecí, ktoré sa nevidia našimi očami. Potom, keď tá ryba nikdy nemôže vyplávať na hladinu ako ostatné ryby, pretože ona je natlakovaná. Keby ste ju priniesli hore, ona by vybuchla. Tak ani my nemôžeme ísť vyššie a nevybuchnúť ... My sme natlakovaní podľa miesta v ktorom žijeme.
29Ale teraz, ak by táto ryba mohla niekedy vyjsť sem hore a stať sa mnou, či by chcela byť znovu ešte niekedy tou malou rybou tam dole v tej polnočnej temnosti? Ona by už nikdy viac nechcela byť rybou, pretože je niečím väčším než rybou; je človekom; jej zmysly sú väčšie, jej zrozumenie je väčšie; jej inteligencia je najvyššia. Vynásobte to potom desať milión krát; potom dostanete, čo to je, keď prejdete z tadeto tam do prítomnosti Božej, kde ľudská bytosť je tak oveľa väčšia než to, čo sme tu. Už by ste nikdy viac nechceli byť takouto ľudskou bytosťou, dole v tomto chorobnom infekčnom oddelení, kde je skazenie. Mal som v srdci, že som sa snažil týchto tridsať rokov kázať evanjelium po svete, povedať ľuďom, že je nebo, aby do neho došli, a že je peklo aby sa mu vyhli, a že je Boh, ktorý vás miluje a moc vykúpenia, ktorá je stále pripravená kedykoľvek ťa pozdvihnúť, keď si hotový prijať ju.
30Ako človek, ktorý sa topí, visí tam lano a on si myslí, “No, lano, mohol by som sa vytiahnuť, ale nie som hodný chytiť sa toho lana.” To lano tam bolo dané práve za tým účelom aby si sa mohol vytiahnuť. Preto Ježiš Kristus zomrel, práve kvôli tomu, aby spasil hriešnikov. A On spustil a necháva visieť to lano Večného Života, ktoré tento večer tu prejde ponad hlavou každého hriešnika a visí na ňom znak pozvania, “Poď hore preč tam z toho.” Ak to chceš urobiť, príprava je vykonaná.
31No, keď som videl to miesto a ten stav, v akom boli tí ľudia, a aké je to ponad všetko to, čo si tento svet kedy len môže pomyslieť, bolo to úžasné. Tam nemôže byť hriech, žiadna smrť, ani nič také nemôže vojsť na to miesto. A nebolo tam rozdielu medzi mužmi a ženami, tie pohlavné žľazy už neboli v nich a nikdy viac nemôže byť cudzoložstvo ani nič také. Ale ona je stále ženou podľa postavy a muž tiež, a oni budú stále takí. Pretože keď Boh ...
32Toto môže byť dobré, deti, ktoré z vás chodíte na strednú školu, a tam vám vtĺkajú tú vec a učia vás o evolúcii. No, ja verím v evolúciu, ale nie tak, že človek sa vyvinul z nejakého nižšieho druhu. Ich vlastná teória sa obracia proti nim; keď sa snažia čokoľvek skrížiť, to sa ďalej samé nemôže rozmnožovať. Tak, vidíte, to sa obracia proti nim.
33No, ja verím, že keď Boh začal kúpať zem, možno že tá prvá vec, ktorú urobil, bol mäkkýš, po ňom urobil žabu, a tak ďalej. Ale vidíte, to stále prichádzalo bližšie a bližšie do postavy človeka a človek je odzrkadlením Boha. A to je dôvod, že tráva sa začala rozvíjať, možno tráva, a potom od trávy ďalej prišli kvety, od kvetov ďalej kríky, od kríkov ďalej stromy. Prečo? To je obraz na Strom Života, ktorý stojí tam na druhej strane. A všetko na tejto strane, čo je prirodzené, je tieňom toho nadprirodzeného alebo večného na tej druhej strane. A preto, pokiaľ je na zemi znovuzrodený kresťan a máme tu takého telo, ono je odzrkadlením toho, ktoré čaká na druhej strane, kde nieto smrti ani žiaľu. A to spôsobuje, že naše srdcia sú hladné za niečím takým. Rozumiete, je niečo v nás, čo volá. My len ... Je niečo, čo nám hovorí, že to tam je. Verím, že počas týchto rokov ... Prosím o odpustenie pred Bohom a pred ľuďmi, že som taký hlúpy a že robím mnoho chýb. Ale počas týchto mnohých rokov som mal možnosť vidieť prísť veľa miliónov ľudí do Kráľovstva Božieho a som vďačný Pánovi, že mi dal, aby som ich tam viedol. A verím, že tam budú v ten deň.
34No, to videnie sa vyplnilo. A ako som išiel a stále som sa zastavil, ani som si to neuvedomoval, pri tomto piatom verši ... To je všetko, čo som kedy čítal. Ale tam je viacej veršov v tej kapitole, o niekoľko veršov viac. No, môžete si, dnes večer v hoteli alebo doma, len čo skončíme, prečítať tie ďalšie verše, pretože som si tu zapísal niekoľko miest Písma, na ktoré sa chcem odvolať a poznámky, čo chcem povedať. A chcem, aby ste si to prečítali, keď prídete domov. Budem to citovať; bude to na páske. Ak si to chcete zapísať, prečo nie, do je dobre.
35No, veríte, že muži a ženy, viem že veríte, sú vedení Duchom Božím, aby robili určité veci? Rozumiete? A Ježiš bol naším vzorom. Ak si to všimnete, chcem to otvoriť, otvorte si so mnou sv. Lukáša štvrtú kapitolu, len na chvíľu. A chcem vám ukázať niečo pozoruhodné. Tak, aby sme nezobrali príliš veľa týchto odkazov, ale aby ste mohli čítať tu so mnou - toto jedno miesto len na chvíľu. Sv. Lukáš štvrtá kapitola a začneme 14. veršom. Dávajte tu dobrý pozor, ak chcete niečo vidieť, čo s týmto spolu súvisí. No, všimnite si.
A Ježiš sa navrátil v moci Ducha do Galilee; …On sa navrátil v moci Ducha do Galilee, a rozniesol sa o ňom chýr po celej okolnej krajine.
A on učil v ich synagógach zvelebovaný súc od všetkých.
A prišiel do Nazaretu, kde bol odchovaný, a vošiel, podľa svojej obyčaje, v sobotný deň do synagógy a vstal, aby prečítal.
A podaná mu bola kniha proroka Izaiáša, a otvoriac knihu našiel miesto, kde je napísané - bolo napísané:
Duch Pánov je nado mnou, a preto ma pomazal zvestovať chudobným evanjelium, poslal ma uzdravovať skrúšených srdcom, vyhlásiť zajatcom prepustenie a slepým návrat zraku, zlomených poslať na slobodu
a vyhlásiť rok Pánov príjemný.
A zavrúc knihu ...
36Ak chcete, ak chcete odkaz na to, mám to tu, počkajte, ak to tu vezmem a prečítam pod okrajom. Keď si všimnete, je to tiež, nájdete to v ev. Marka a na iných miestach, ale v Izaiášovi 61:1 a 2. No, nie je to zvláštne, že On sa zastavil práve tam, a hneď ten ďalší verš ... To bolo to, čo sa týkalo Jeho prvého príchodu. A ten druhý, ten ďalší verš sa týka Jeho druhého príchodu na súd. On sa tam zastavil a zavrel knihu. Ak niekto z vás číta Scofieldovu Bibliu, nájdete tam ku tomu pod okrajom poznámku. Vidíte? Všimnite si jeho poznámku označenú „2“, poznámku pod okrajom (Vidíte?), a všimnete si, že tam je porovnanie s posolstvom, ktoré je v Izaiášovi 61:1 a 2. V tomto prípade, kde tu to miesto Písma, vyhlasuje, Ježiš mal vyhlásiť rok Pánov príjemný; a ten ďalší verš hovorí o Jeho príchode a súde. Vidíte? A vidíte, ako sa On rovno tam pri tom zastavil?
37A ako som si to nikdy nevšimol, a ako som sa stále zastavil pri tomto 5. verši, “Lebo bude čas, keď neznesú zdravého učenia, ale podľa vlastných žiadostí budú si hromadiť učiteľov, lebo ich budú svrbieť uši, a odvrátia uši od pravdy a obrátia sa k bájkam. Ale konaj dielo evanjelistu, vykonaj svoju službu.” Vidíte? A s Božou pomocou a milosti som sa to snažil robiť. A chcem, aby moji priatelia, tí tu aj tí tam v tých krajinách, kam pôjdu tieto pásky, dôvod, že zaujímam postoj, ktorý zaujímam ku Slovu, je práve kvôli tomuto, “Káž Slovo.” To je ten dôvod, že sa nezhodujem so žiadnym z tých vyznaní, so žiadnymi denomináciami, pretože som bol poverený od Boha aby som zostal so Slovom. No, ak niekto chce robiť niečo iné, to je na nich.
38A ak si všimnete v tom videní, ktoré som mal ohľadom mojej služby, to bolo ... Nikdy som neskrížil tie stromy. Nikdy som nerobil prozelitov. Nikdy som nepovedal, “Vy všetci trojičiari staňte sa jednotármi.” Sadil som do ich vlastných nádob. Presne tak. Išiel som ku trojičiarom; išiel som ku jednotárom; išiel som ku každému a stál som medzi nimi a nikdy som sa ku žiadnym z nich nepripojil, ale som stál medzi nimi, ako brat, presne tak, ako mi to hovorilo to videnie. A jedol som to ovocie z obidvoch strán, spasenie na oboch stranách.
39A teraz, všimli ste si, sedí tu veľa trojičiarov; veľa jednotárov a mnoho rôznych iných. Ale ako málo by ste sa ohľadom toho hádali, pretože ak tá časť videnia bola pravdou, tá ďalšia časť je tiež pravdou. Oboje ovocie sa nachádzalo pri kríži. Vidíte? Aj tí, aj tí boli pri kríži, všetky kôpky spolu a oboje, slivky a hrušky, či broskyne, slivky a jablká padali tam na mňa; oboje. Všetko sa nachádzalo pri kríži, pretože oni všetci verili v Boha a sú naplnení Duchom Svätým a majú kresťanské skutky a znamenia, ktoré ich nasledujú.
40No, denominácia nemá s tým nič spoločného. To bude ten znovuzrodený, ktorý má s tým niečo spoločné. To bude tvoje prežitie s Bohom, ktoré bude mať s tým niečo spoločné. No, vidíme toho tak veľa. Mám tu niekoľko miest Písma, o ktorých by som rád hovoril. Možno to urobím trochu neskoršie.
41Ale teraz vás chcem zobrať od 5. verša až do 18. verša. A teraz, aby sme ušetrili čas, nebudem to čítať. Ale Pavel teraz, začíname znovu tu v Timotejovi, ak si všimnete, ako on začína hovoriť; to je žalostné. No, ak si všimnete po tom 5. verši.
Lebo ja som teraz pripravený, že budem obetovaný, a čas môjho odchodu sa priblížil:
Je hotový opustiť scénu. Začína. Vidíte? “Som ...” No, dávajte pozor.
Som pripravený a čas môjho odchodu sa priblížil.
Bojoval som dobrý boj, beh som dokonal, vieru som zachoval.
Za týmto už mi je odložená koruna spravodlivosti, ktorú mi dá Pán odplatou v ten deň, on, ten spravodlivý sudca, a nie len mne, ale ... aj všetkým, ktorí milujú jeho zjavenie sa.
42A potom pokračuje, aby povedal, “Rob všetko ... rob tieto veci.” Čo? Aby mu priniesol plášť. No, hneď začíname a on hovorí:
... Démas ma opustil ...
43Musí prísť čas v jeho službe, keď bol mladým evanjelistom, mladým prorokom, každý stál za ním. Ale teraz, všimnite si to tu ďalej, tam hovorí:
... všetci ma opustili
... Prečo? Kvôli Slovu.44Keď Ježiš, ten mladý prorok z Galiley, On sa dostal do času, keď Ho opustili. Všetci ľudia, ktorí zostávajú s Božím Slovom, dochádzajú do toho miesta, kde ich svet a ten náboženský svet opúšťa. Ježiš raz nasýtil päť tisíc ľudí a pozbierali koše plné kúskov z tých piatich chlebov a dvoch rýb. A hneď na druhý deň, myslím, že to bolo, začína prichádzať so Slovom a všetci začínajú od neho odchádzať. A On sa pozrel na učeníkov a povedal, “Vy tiež odídete? Dokonca sedemdesiat Jeho vlastných ordinovaných kazateľov Ho opustilo. A On povedal, “Vy tiež pôjdete?”
45A potom Peter povedal tie pozoruhodné slová, keď hovorí, “Pane, kam by sme išli? Jedine Ty máš Večný Život.”
46Všimnite si. Ale nastáva čas, keď prichádza ten čas opustenia, a on musí nastať. On musí prísť. A teraz, mám niekoľkých prorokov a iné veci tu, na ktorých to môžem ukázať, aby som vám dokázal, že ten čas prichádza. A pre mňa nadišiel. Nie je potrebné snažiť sa z neho dostať, je tu a ty to musíš vziať. Oni od toho neutekali; zotrvali a vzali to a nehanbili sa za evanjelium.
47Všimnite si Pavla, “Bojoval som dobrý boj. Beh som dokonal, vieru som zachoval.” Ó. Tu ďalej je povedané, “Bojoval som so šelmami a bol som vytrhnutý z tlamy ľvov.” A všetko to, cez čo prešiel, Boh bol ku nemu dobrý. Ale prišiel čas, keď mal odísť.
48No, zamyslime sa len, prečo by človek, kazateľ, spoločník, akým bol Démas Pavlovi, prečo by kedy opustil Pavla?
49Poznáte brata Baxtera, mnohí z vás si na neho pamätáte. On zvykol toto čítať o Démasovi. On povedal, “Vieš, čo urobím, brat Branham, keď prídem do neba, to prvé, čo urobím?”
Opýtal som sa, “Čo?”
50Povedal, “Pôjdem rovno tam a nájdem Démasa, kde tam je; a z celej sily mu jednu vrazím.” A povedal, “On sa otočí a povie, Baxter, prečo si mi to urobil?” On povie, “Prečo si odišiel od biedneho Pavla, keď ho všetci opustili?” Ja také niečo nepredpisujem; Neverím, že tam sa niekto bude biť; ale len som myslel o bratovi Baxterovi, keď to hovorím, pretože mu bolo Pavla tak ľúto.
51No, čo Pavol urobil? On kázal tak verne, ako len mohol, a Duch Svätý bol na ňom. A keď tam písal o tých ženách kazateľkách a takých veciach, dokážem si predstaviť, že to vybuchlo. Povedal, “Nech sú ženy v zboroch ticho, nedovoľujem im hovoriť,” a on bol práve vtedy vo väzení.
52Dokážete si predstaviť, čo povedal niektorý z tých biskupov, “Oj. Ten človek tam vo väzení, čo sa stará do nás a píše nám tu? Vidíte? A on mal so sebou Timoteja, ktorý pil po troche vína. A tak on je teraz tam, Timotejovi dáva piť víno a on sedí vo väzení a píše nám sem, hovorí nám, čo nám chce Duch Svätý povedať, že čo máme robiť.“
53Ale on povedal toto, “Čo? Či od vás vyšlo Slovo Božie? A len ku vám prišlo? Ak si niekto myslí, že je duchovný alebo prorok, nech uzná, že to, čo ja píšem, sú prikázania Pánove.” Vidíte?
54Vidíte, prichádza čas, priatelia. A chcem, aby ľudia v tej krajine, kam idú tie pásky, aby pamätali, že čas oddelenia musí prísť. Musí sa to stať. Neviem, ako ďaleko som od času konca, od konca mojej cesty. Neviem. To je na Bohu. Neviem, čo bude zajtra, neviem, čo prinesie zajtrajšok, ale viem, kto ho drží. Tak tam stojí moja viera, na tom.
55Nemyslím, že Démas ho opustil a začal chodiť do nočného klubu. Nemyslím, že Démas urobil niečo také, pretože Démas bol Duchom naplnený človek. Bol veľkým pomocníkom. Keby ste niekedy čítali históriu o Démasovi, on bol význačný kazateľ, fajný, kultúrny človek, s vysoko uhladeným správaním, vzdelaný. Bol to chytrý muž. Ale prečo opustil Pavla? To je to. Čo ho viedlo ku tomu, že opustil Pavla? Neverím, že chcel chodiť do nočného klubu ani nič také. Ale verím, že to bol Boh, ktorý oddeľoval Pavla. No, predstavujem si Démasa ...
56Zoberme niektoré z Démasových názorov. Keď som jedného dňa sedel na úbočí a rozmýšľal som a uvažoval som, “Prečo chcel Démas opustiť toho muža? Prečo chcel opustiť toho biedneho kazateľa, ktorý ho priviedol ku Pánovi, človeka, ktorý bol na čele prebudenia medzi pohanmi, ktorý bol vlastne prorokom?” Nikto nemohol povedať, že on nie je prorok. On bol viac ako prorok, on bol apoštol, a to veľký a mocný apoštol pre Pohanov. A Démas bol spojený s Pavlom, mal s ním obecenstvo a videl Ducha Božieho ako sa nad ním pohybuje. A prečo sa obrátil chrbtom takému človeku, ktorý bol potvrdený, že je Kristov sluha? Všimli ste si tu Pavla, “...zamiloval si terajší svet.” Nemyslím, že Démas odpadol. Nemyslím si, že to urobil. Ale myslím, že si vytvoril zlý názor na Pavla.
57Démas pochádzal z bohatej rodiny a bol bohatý, a peniaze niekedy pre ľudí znamenajú náboženstvo. Ako hovoria v Kalifornii, “Ak nemáš tri Kadilaky, nie si duchovný.” Tak to znamená, že ak nie si úspešný, ak nemáš najkrajší zbor v meste, ľudia tam nebudú chodiť. Tu je to skoro podobne. Dokazujú vám, že musíte mať najkrajší zbor v kraji, lebo inak povedia, “Chceš povedať, že sa pridáš ku takej malej skupine, ako je tam tá?”
58Viete, že náš Pán nemal miesto, kde by položil svoju hlavu? Viete, že On mal len jeden plášť? Vidíte? A On to mal, bol proste takým, ktorým všade postrkovali. A nemal miesto, kde by položil svoju hlavu. Ale oni si mohli myslieť o Ňom to isté, a mysleli si.
59A teraz, som presvedčený, že Démas videl upadnutie, zdanlivo, v Pavlovej službe. Myslím si, že si myslel, že ten starý človek je odpísaný pred Bohom. No, on si myslel, že ľudia, ktorí by si vylúpili svoje oči a dali Pavlovi ...
60No, Pavel to povedal, povedal, “Boli by ste si vylúpili svoje oči a dali ich mne.” Pretože Pavel, máme dojem, mal zlý zrak, pretože povedal, “Takým veľkým písmom som to napísal.” Povedal, “veľkým písmom,” ale mám lexikon a tam je povedané, “veľkými písmenami.” On bol tam v Ríme vo väzení. Niečo nie je v poriadku. Povedal, že mal problémy so zrakom od toho nebeského videnia. Tak on ... Ľudia by si boli vylúpili svoje oči, keď videli Pavla, ako trpí, oči mu robili problém a on trpel. A tri krát prosil Pána, aby ho uzdravil. A povedal, “aby som sa prevelikosťou zjavení príliš nepovyšoval, daný mi je osteň do tela, anjel satanáš, aby ma pohlavkoval.” No, mali sme sa celkom dobre, a vtedy ho to znovu udrelo. Potom sa z toho dostal a bol v poriadku, a znovu ho to udrelo.
61Vidíte, Pavol mal službu väčšiu než všetci ostatní apoštolovia spolu. Niektorí z nich mohli povedať, “Dobre, ja som chodil s Ježišom.” No, ľudia na ulici tiež chodili s Ním, keď tam bol. Ale Pavel Ho videl v Ohnivom Stĺpe potom, čo zomrel, bol pochovaný, vystúpil na nebesia a vrátil sa naspäť a povolal Pavla (Vidíte?) na ceste do Damašku. A on mal väčšiu službu než Matúš, Marek, Lukáš alebo ktokoľvek ďalší. On bol ďaleko pred nimi. A povedal, “Aby som sa teraz nepovýšil a nepovedal, - no, vy ostatní, vy o tom nič neviete - Ja som videl Pána po Jeho vzkriesení.”
62Dobre, oni povedia, “My sme s Ním chodili.” No, to s Ním chodili tiež všetci ľudia tam v okolí Galiley a Nazareta a po celej krajine. Oni všetci s Ním chodili.
63Ale vidíte, Pavel sa s Ním rozprával a videl Ho v tej forme, v akej bol prv, ako sa stal telom. Vidíte? A On poveril Pavla v takom stave. Keď bol v tom Svetle, poveril Pavla. A Pavel Ho videl. A povedal, “Aby som sa nepovyšoval, necítil sa vyšší ako niekto z vás, bratia, bol mi daný anjel satana,” ktorý ho pohlavkoval a držal ho dole. A povedal, “Trikrát som prosil Pána aby to odobral odo mňa. A povedal mi, - Saul, alebo Pavel, moja milosť ti je dostatočná.” Potom Pavel povedal, “Budem sa chváliť vo svojich slabostiach, pretože keď som slabý, vtedy som mocný. Vidíte, budem sa chváliť v tom.”
64No, všimli ste si teraz, človek, ktorý mal službu väčšiu než ktokoľvek iný, z tých ostatných, ktorí boli na poli, Pavel, ktorý mal najväčšiu službu zpomedzi nich všetkých, ktorý videl Ježiša v Ohnivom Stĺpe a bol poverený, aby robil to, čo robil a ten istý Boh ho potvrdil, tá istá moc, znameniami a zázrakmi bez akejkoľvek pochybnosti; a bol taký biedny, že mal len jeden plášť, kázal skupine ľudí, ktorý by si vylúpli svoje vlastné oči, a niektorí z nich boli milionári. A predsa Pavel mal len jeden plášť. Povedal, “Prines mi ten plášť, tu začína byť zima.” Bol v hornatej krajine. Mal len jeden plášť.
65A pre Démasa, človeka, ktorý bol na takom vysokom postavení, pre človeka vysokého kalibru, kultúrneho, vzdelaného a bohatého človeka, ktorý mal veľa šiat, “S tým človekom nie je niečo v poriadku. Mal predsa toľko priateľov, ktorí by si vylúpili oči a dali mu, a pri tom je taký biedny, že má len jeden plášť. S Pavlom nie je niečo v poriadku.”
66Ó, viete, ten duch neodišiel zo sveta; oni to stále tak majú. Peniaze, to nie je Boh. Je len jeden Boh. Rozumiete? Ale ľudia si myslia, že pretože máte veľkú službu, musíte mať všetko toto a toto a všetky tieto veľké veci a veľké školy a veľké to a to. Boh neúčinkuje cez tie veci. Alebo prinajmenej, ja mám taký názor. Boh účinkuje s jednotlivcom. On nás nikdy neustanovil, aby sme išli a robili také veci.
67Ale Pavel, s jedným plášťom, a tu povedal Timotejovi, aby mu ho priniesol, pretože tam začínala zima. Vidíte? Človek, ktorý mal službu, že kázal desať tisícom ľudí, to Pavel robil a mal službu, že mohol robiť všetky rôzne zázraky a videl Ježiša v Ohnivom Stĺpe, a poveril ho, a pritom mal len jeden kabát. Démas povedal, “Takýto človek,” a odvrátil sa od neho.
68No, keď bol Pavel tu v Troade a kázal, nachádzame, že tam bol človek, kotlár, kováč, ktorý obrábal meď. A to bol lump a nenávidel kresťanstvo. A ten urobil Pavlovi všetko zlé, čo len mohol, dal ho zavrieť do väzenia a všetko ... Pavel ešte varuje aj Timoteja ohľadom toho, “Daj si pozor na toho človeka.” A tu je Démas ... Ó, Bože, nech to ľudia počujú. Tu stál Démas pri mužovi, ktorý udrel jedného slepotou za to, že sa s ním hádal. No, ty cirkev Kristových kazateľov, teraz sa drž. Ja som mal raz jedného, ktorý mi povedal, “Udri ma slepotou. Udri ma slepotou. Máš Ducha Svätého, udri ma slepotou.”
Povedal som, “Ty si už slepý.” Vidíte?
69No, prečo Pavel neudrel toho kotlára slepotou? Ten istý duch, ktorý je na ľuďoch, ktorí si to tak myslia, to je to isté, čo bolo na Démasovi. Muž, ktorý mohol udrieť slepotou človeka, ktorý sa s ním hádal, a potom sa otočil a nechal nejakého kotlára, aby kazil jeho službu v meste, Démas si určite povedal, “On je odpísaný; stratil svoje dary udrieť slepotou.”
70Či nevidíte, ako ten duch stále žije, hovorí, “Si odpísaný, brat ...” Ó, to proste ľuďom prechádza ponad hlavu. Oni to jednoducho nerozumejú, to je všetko. Vidíte? Nemôžu to proste vidieť. Rozumiete? Oni nerozumejú.
71No, Démas, on neudrel toho človeka slepotou pretože chcel. Či Ježiš nepovedal, “Ja nerobím nič, kým mi prv Otec neukáže”? Či som vám nepovedal pred rokmi, že keby moja vlastná matka ležala, zomierala, a povedal by, “Billy, aký je tomuto záver?” Nemohol by som nič povedať, až kým mi Boh prv nepovie. A to je presne to, čo sa stalo. Človek nemôže ... Človek je úplne neschopný. On je len agent, cez ktorého Boh účinkuje a Boh robí svoju vlastnú vôľu. Ale keď vidíte týchto senzačných ľudí, ktorí stále majú toto a tamto a tamto, radšej stojte preč od toho. Rozumiete? Sám Ježiš to nerobil. On povedal, “Ja pracujem, len keď Otec pracuje. On mi ukazuje, čo mám robiť, a potom idem a robím to. Ja nemôžem robiť nič iné.”
72A tu Démas videl Pavla, človeka, ktorý mal takú službu a pritom bol taký chudobný, že mal len jeden plášť a chcel, aby mu ho Timotej priniesol: jeden plášť. Ale Pavel dal príklad, aký bol Kristus; On mal jeden plášť. Prečo potom bohatstvo a veľa peňazí a také veci znamenajú pre ľudí dnes tak veľa? Všimnite si teraz. A on mal moc, že ktokoľvek, kto sa protivil tomu, čo kázal, on sa otočil a povedal, “Budeš slepý do času.” A ten človek oslepol.
73A tu bol kotlár, ktorý mu urobil desaťkrát horšie ako ten človek, a predsa bez všetkého v tom ďalej pokračoval. Démas si musel myslieť, “No, ten starý muž je teraz odpísaný. Stratil svoju službu.” Nie, nie, nestratil svoju službu, vôbec nie. Boh to takto nerobí. Boh nedáva tak, ako nejaký indián. Veru.
74Všimnite si teraz. Pavel mal prikázané urobiť niečo, podobne ako Eliáš. Prorok Eliáš tam na vrchu bol poverený od Boha a zavolal oheň z neba a on padol. A zavolal vodu a prišla. A potom rozkázal podľa posolstva Božieho a zabil štyristo kňazov, poodtínal im hlavy a nechal ich, aby sa skotúľali dole z toho kopca; a potom utekal kvôli vyhrážkam nejakej ženy, jednej pokryteckej ženy, či neveriacej, Jezábeli. Tá žena, ktorá to všetko dirigovala, ona to spôsobila. Prv sa zdalo, že on ju už dostal. Ale Boh má spôsob ako koná svoje veci, a jeho sluhovia môžu pracovať len, ak pracujú podľa vôli Božej.
75Nevidíte, priatelia, musíte konať podľa Božieho spôsobu konania. Ako často som sa zišiel s bratmi a konzultoval s nimi, a ako rád by som išiel a potriasol im ruku a povedal, “Bratia, na tom vôbec nezáleží; buďme len ďalej bratia.” Ako to môžem urobiť a zachovať moje poverenie, “Káž Slovo”? Pán to tak nechce.
76Stál som medzi kazateľmi a jeden povedal, “Brat Branham, moja teta je tu. Viem, že ty si prorok poslaný od Boha. Choď tam a navráť jej zrak.” Prajem si aby som to mohol, urobil by som to. Ja nie som schopný to urobiť, až kým mi to On nepovie. Rozumiete? Nikto to nedokáže urobiť. Eliáš to nedokázal; ani nikto to nedokáže.
77No, vidíme, že Pavel ... Démas kázal s Pavlom, videl, ako Pavel tam uvidel ležať toho chromého muža a povedal, “Vidím, že máš vieru aby si bol uzdravený. Postav sa na nohy. Ježiš Kristus ťa uzdravuje.” Videl ho uzdravovať chorých a predsa zanechal svojho priateľa Trofima chorého.
78“Pavel stratil svoju službu.” To je to, čo si Démas musel myslieť. “Prečo to neurobil, ak mal dar uzdravovania, prečo tam nešiel a neuzdravil toho priateľa, ktorý pri ňom tak verne stál? Povedal, - zanechal som ho tam nemocného. A nemám žiaden plášť a chcem, aby si mi priniesol ten plášť, keď sem pôjdeš. A daj si pozor na toho kotlára; on prekazil zhromaždenie v tom meste. Musel som odísť z toho mesta. Dal ma zavrieť do väzenia.”
Predstavujem si Démasa, ako povedal, “Čo za kazateľa sa z neho stal?” Vidíte?
79A brat, ľudia majú dnes na svete mnoho tých duchov Démasa. Oni nevedia, o čom to všetko je. Rozumiete? Nie je potrebné snažiť sa vysvetliť im to, pretože oni to aj tak neporozumejú. Vidíte, vidíte? Kristov sluha nasleduje šľapaje.
80Jeden náš diakon tu, neviem či je tu dnes večer alebo nie, to je Tony Zabel. Obyčajne tu býva. A prišiel ku mne a povedal mi tu nedávno, že mal - prišiel sem, povedal, “Mal som sen, zvláštny sen.” Povedal, “Snívalo sa mi, že som sa snažil nájsť cestu hore do neba.” Povedal, “Videl som prichádzať muža oblečeného v čiernom rúchu a čítal nejakú knihu.” A povedal, “Išiel som ku tomu mužovi a opýtal som sa ho, “Ktorá cesta je do neba? A on povedal, - Opýtaj sa toho muža, ktorý je predo mnou.” A to bol pastor jedného zboru, ku ktorému išiel.
81Išiel trochu ďalej a stretol iného muža; bol oblečený v čiernom rúchu a spieval piesne, pri tom, ako išiel. A to bol iný pastor. Obidvaja tí pastori sú moji priatelia. A povedal ... a fajní ľudia. A on povedal, “Po ktorej ceste mám ísť, aby som sa dostal hore na štít tej hory? On povedal, - Pozri sa, vidíš tam na vrchu stáť toho malého chlapa? Povedal som, - Áno. - Tam stál chlap v pracovnom oblečení s kovbojským klobúkom.”
82Niekto tu v Kentucky povedal, keď tam o mne hovoril, povedal, “Ten človek vyzerá na všetko iné, len nie ako kazateľ.” Môžem vyzerať ako farmár alebo niečo také, ale viete, to nezáleží na vzhľade.
83A povedal, že to som bol ja, ktorý som tam stál. A on vyliezol hore, až prišiel ku mne a povedal, že som ho chytil za ruku a viedol som ho ďalej hore, až sme prišli na vrch toho kopca, a tam bola pustatina, cez ktorú bolo treba prejsť, a povedal som mu, “Tony, musím ťa tu opustiť; musíš prejsť niečo z tohoto sám.”
On povedal, “Brat Branham, čo mám od teraz ďalej robiť?”
84Povedal, že som mu riekol, “Poď sem, Tony, pozri sa tam dole. Vidíš tie odtlačky bosých nôh, v ktorých je krv? “ Povedal som, “To je to, čo nasledujem po celej ceste. Len sa toho drž.” To je to jediné, čo viem, aby som na to ukázal ľuďom; nie na nejaké vyznanie, alebo na nejakú senzáciu, ale na tie krvavé odtlačky nôh, ktoré vedú do Biblie, na Krv Ježiša Krista.
85No, ako sa ten človek musel cítiť, človek, ktorý mal tak veľa priateľov, milionárov, a pritom mal jeden plášť, človek, ktorý mal moc raniť slepotou a dovolil nejakému mužovi, že ho vyhnal z mesta: vôbec nič s tým neurobil, zodvihol sa a odišiel. Modlil sa za chorých a svojho priateľa zanechal chorého. A Démas ho opustil. Všetci tí ostatní ho opustili. Všetci ho opustili. Pavel povedal, “Všetci ma opustili.” Oni všetci ma opustili.
86Hovorím vám toto. Keď niekto zostáva verný Slovu, nie len na jednom zhromaždení, ale na každom zhromaždení, keď niekto stojí verne pri Slove, príde čas, že ho ľudia opustia. Presne tak. Oni to urobili. Urobili to nášmu Pánovi. Opustia ho, keď bude stáť za Pravdou. “Všetci ma opustili.” A teraz, čo myslíte, že čo si Démas a niektorí z tých ľudí mysleli, keď všetci vieme, keď poznáme Písmo, že Lukáš bol doktor a Pavel, kdekoľvek išiel, bral so sebou tohoto doktora? A kázal Božské uzdravenie a svojho priateľa zanechal chorého ... Taký chudobný, že mal jeden plášť ... A nechal, že ho jeden človek vyhnal z mesta, keď mohol udrieť človeka slepotou. Vidíte, oni si mysleli, že je odpísaný. Ale nebol. On bol presne v tých krvavých šľapajách. On ich ďalej nasledoval. Dúfam, že rozumiete. On povedal, “Všetci ma opustili.”
87Démas si zamiloval tento súčasný svet, popularitu ľudí. “Pozdravujem ťa, Doktor Démas. Viem že máš Ph ...
88Ó, samozrejme, oni to milujú. Ježiš povedal, “Ako to máte radi, keď stojíte v synagógach a nazývajú vás rabbi,” a tak ďalej. Povedal, “Dostávate iba viacej zatratenia.” Vidíte?
89No, vieme, že keď ľudia videl tohoto doktora, ako chodí za ním, či s ním, a Pavel bral Lukáša, povedal tu, “Lukáš je jediný, ktorý ma neopustil.” A Lukáš mu je užitočný. Lukáš mu je na prospech; on potreboval Lukáša pre svoju službu. A tento doktor chodil s tým človekom všade, kam išiel, a kázal Božské uzdravenie. A človek, ktorý kázal Božské uzdravenie a mohol uzdraviť chromého a spraviť, že mŕtvy povstal a všetko ostatné, a videl veľké videnia a hovoril o veciach, ktoré sa stali, a zanechal svojho spolupracovníka chorého. A mohol mať milióny dolárov a postaviť budovy za desať tisíce dolárov a veľké školy a také veci, a nemal skoro nič, iba jeden plášť...
90Démas povedal, “Nebudem sa stotožňovať s takýmto človekom. On je len - on je z nižšej vrstvy. Ja pôjdem s denominačnými bratmi. Pôjdem tam, kde niečím budem.” Ak by bolo niečo také, rád by som išiel presne za Baxterom, ako to on vyjadril (Rozumiete?), za to, že opustil toho biedneho človeka v takom stave. On mal stáť pri ňom. To bol Pavel, ktorý ho priviedol ku Kristovi. Ale, vidíte, to je bez poznania Ducha, keď poznáš, čo je vôľa Božia, potom činíš vôľu Božiu. Vidíte? Ale on ho tam opustil v takom stave. Opustil ho ... Všetci ma opustili.
91Ako o tom rozmýšľam, ako sluha, ktorý bude stáť verne na Slove, skôr alebo neskôr, pamätajte len, ľudia ho opustia. No, chceme sa toho dotknúť za chvíľu, nechcem vás teraz príliš dlho držať, pretože chcem, aby ste tu boli zajtra ráno. Stále, keď Boží sluha stojí verne pri Slove, všetci ho opustia. A to ... No, zoberte to len, kdekoľvek chcete, v akomkoľvek čase v Biblii alebo v histórii, že keď niekto stál verne, bez ohľadu na to, aký bol populárny, keď stál verne pri Slove, prišiel taký čas, keď ho ten náboženský svet opustil a dal ho nabok. No, čítajte to, keď zoberiete Bibliu od Genesis do Zjavenia, a zoberte si Prednicejský koncil a zoberte si Nicejských Otcov, a každý muž, každý svätý, každý prorok, každý skutočný sluha Boží, ktorý stál na Slove, toho tie cirkevné veci opustili a odvrhli. A Pavol bol jedným z nich.
92A ak je niekto dnes, to bude to isté. To je úplná pravda. Musíte naraziť na to miesto. To musí prísť. Ľudia si myslia, že človek, ktorý bude mať takú službu, on má mať svet pod svojím palcom. Mal by, ale oni nechcú prísť pod jeho palec. Vidíte? A takýto človek by nedal službu, svet pod svoj palec; on by ho dal pod palec svojho Pána; pretože on tu nereprezentuje seba samého; on tu reprezentuje svojho Pána.
93A viete, ľudia hľadajú chválu jeden od druhého a chvália jeden druhého, a keď to robia zneuctievajú Boha. Vidíte? My sa snažíme a robíme medzi sebou veľkých ľudí, a pritom nie sme veľkí a malí; všetci sme malí. Je len jeden veľký medzi nami a to je náš Pán. Rozumiete? A my robíme našu organizáciu oveľa väčšiu, ako je Boh, “veľká svätá cirkev taká alebo taká, či ešte iná, veľkí svätí biskupi,” a tak ďalej. Nič také nie je. To je ľudská chvála. Len jeden je svätý, a to je Boh. A Duch Svätý, ktorý je Boh, je medzi nami. To nie sme my, ktorí sme svätí; to je Duch Svätý, ktorý je v nás. To nie je ... Keď vidíme, že sa stali určité veci, to nie sme my, ktorí to robíme, to je Duch Svätý. Ježiš povedal, “To nie som ja, ktorý koná tie skutky. To je môj Otec. On prebýva vo mne, a to On koná tie skutky.” A to nie je on, ktorý - to činí. Dobre. Ale nachádzame tých pravých sluhov v priebehu veku.
94No, tu je to, na čom to chcem tak trochu preskúšať. To je obyčajne v takom čase ako tento, keď človek zostal verný Slovu a všetci ho opustili, až kým Boh nevstúpi na obranu toho človeka a korunuje jeho službu. Vidíte? Je to tak. Čo za útecha. Naša útecha je postavená na zasľúbení Božieho Slova. Bez ohľadu na to, čo hovorí svet, čo svet robí, to nie je naša nádej, to nestojí na tom, čo robí svet.
95Myslím, že tá pieseň je taká pekná, prajem si, aby som mohol spievať. Stále som chcel spievať. Vidíte? “Tí, ktorí očakávajú na Pána, obnovia svoju silu. Vznesú sa hore na krídlach ako orol, budú bežať a neunavia sa, keď pôjdu, nezomdlejú; uč ma, Pane, čakať. Uč ma, Pane, čakať na kolenách.” Páči sa mi to. “A v tvojom vlastnom vhodnom čase odpovieš na moje prosby; uč ma, aby som nespoliehal na to, čo robia druhí, ale aby som očakával v modlitbe na odpoveď od teba.” To je to. To je pravý sluha, ktorý očakáva na pokynutie svojho majstra, a vie toto, že Písma nemôžu sklamať, bez ohľadu na to čo sa deje. Písma musia zostať pravdivé. V takom čase ako toto, vtedy Boh obyčajne prichádza, aby pomohol.
96Pozrime sa na Eliáša, keď on bol opustený. Prečo? Pretože zostal ďalej verný Slovu. Povedal, “Všetci ma opustili.” A bol vylúčený z obecenstva, z organizácie, a bol vylúčený dokonca z národnej organizácie, alebo z národnej izraelskej cirkvi. Kňazi a všetci ho vyhodili a on nemal ani plášť ako Pavel, ale kúsok ovčej kože, alebo kožu prehodenú okolo seba, a sedel hore na vrchu a vtáci mu nosili jesť. Tak veru. Prečo? Kvôli Božiemu Slovu, pretože bol verný tomu Tak Hovorí Pán. No, všetci ľudia sa zmodernizovali. Prvá dáma v krajine, Jezábeľ, zaviedla všetku módu a všetko také. A kňazi a všetci sa tomu vydali a všetci kazatelia, oni sa tomu prispôsobili. Ale Eliáš nie, on zostal verný Slovu. A kvôli tomu ho opustili, že až zavolal, “Pane, zostal som len ja sám a hľadajú ešte aj môj život.”
97Ale Boh mu dal potešenie, povedal, “Mám tam ešte sedem tisíc.”
98Vidíte, nemyslím, že Eliáš sa s tým nafukoval, že zostal len jediný, ale myslím, že bol taký opustený. Zakaždým, keď išiel ku kňazovi aby tam kázal na zhromaždení, odmietli ho. Išiel sem, “Ber sa z tadeto, ty fanatik. Ber sa z tadeto. Choď a rob toto.” To ukazuje, že keď Elizeus išiel, jeho nástupca. No, čo oni urobili? Oni ani... Tento mladý muž bol plešivý a oni poslali von svoje malé deti, aby si robili žarty z tých šarlatánov. Obidvoch ich pokladali za šarlatánov, volali, “Plešivý, plešivý, prečo si neodišiel hore ako Eliáš?” Oni neverili, že on odišiel hore. Och. Vidíte? Ľudia si mysleli, že to bola banda šarlatánov. Ale oni boli verní Slovu, s potvrdenou službou. Eliáš tak stál. Áno.
99Daniel zaujal správny postoj. Viete, kde som to našiel v Danielovi 12, či v Danielovi 9, myslím, že tam to je. Keď ... Daniel zaujal správny postoj ku Slovu. Čo sa mu stalo? Keď bol pravou rukou kráľovi, ale zaujal správny postoj ku Slovu a bol vylúčený a hodený do jamy ľvov; muž Boží, ktorý stál verne pri Slove.
100Tie Hebrejské deti stáli verne pri Slove, keď kráľ vydal vyhlásenie, že “kto sa nepokloní tomu obrazu, keď zazneje citara a trúby začnú trúbiť a tak ďalej, že každý, kto sa nepokloní tomu obrazu, bude hodený do ohnivej pece.” A oni sa obrátili chrbtom ku tomu obrazu a ... Oni, bez ohľadu na to, akí sa stali nepopulárni, bez ohľadu na to, že ich vylúčia zo spoločenstva, zostali verní Slovu. To sa mi páči.
101Jákob, ďalší ... On bol dlhý čas preč z domu a bol povolaný aby išiel domov navštíviť svoj ľud. A bol na ceste, verný svojmu povolaniu, verný tomu, ako bol vedený. Tam sa mu všetko dobre darilo, ale Boh začal s ním konať, aby išiel domov. A na ceste domov bol hodený medzi dve tesné miesta. Jeho žena a deti na jednej strane a jeho brat Ezau, ktorý ho nenávidel, tu prichádza s armádou, aby sa s ním stretol. A on stál pri malom potoku, tam pri potoku Peniel, a tam stál. Čo za okolnosti. Ezau, ktorý ho nenávidí, prichádza s armádou porátať sa s ním, a tu, na tejto druhej strane potoka, bola jeho žena, dve ženy s deťmi na tejto strane potoka, a on bol chytený na tesnom mieste. Prečo? Pretože keby bol zostal vo svojom vlastnom kraji, bolo by to v poriadku. Ale mal povolanie, Slovo Božie ho zavolalo do jeho domoviny. Haleluja. Boh žehná človeka. On mal tiež šancu. Tak veru.
102Ježiš, verný Slovu Otca, “Ja robím len to, čo mi hovorí Otec. Je napísané - človek nebude žiť na samom chlebe, ale na každom Slove, ktoré vychádza z úst Božích.” Ježiš, vždy verný tomu Slovu, prišiel taký čas, že stratil všetkých priateľov, ktorých mal. Každý ho opustil a odišiel preč: všetci. A ľudia videli ako ho zosmiešnili, vysmiali a stratili v Neho dôveru. “Ako môže človek, ktorý dokázal prehovoriť ku mŕtvemu v hrobe a vzbudiť ho. Ako môže človek, ktorý mohol predpovedať udalosti tak, že to nikdy nesklamalo, stáť pred súdom, kde ho trhajú za bradu, až krváca po tvári, a opití vojaci pľujú na neho, dávajú mu na hlavu handru a bijú Ho palicou po hlave a hovoria - prorokuj a povedz nám, kto ťa udrel; budeme veriť”?
No, učeníci proste odišli preč, povedali, “Ó ...”
103Vidíte, oni tak rýchlo zabudli na to, čo Boh robil. Ako povedal Mojžiš pri Červenom Mori, keď tam stál a povedal, “Boh urobil desať mimoriadnych zázrakov a vy sa stále dopúšťate prestúpenia, že neviete, že On je stále Boh?” On tam išiel a udrel tú krajinu; položil kliatbu na ten kraj. Vyviedol žaby, blchy, muchy, všetko možné, a závan, ktorý zabil všetkých prvorodených, a anjel smrti prešiel cez tú krajinu, a predsa ho tí ľudia nechceli nasledovať pri Červenom Mori. Ako rýchlo, tak rýchlo, ako vaša popularita ... Keď uvideli tie blyštiace sa kopije tých stotisíc ľudí, ktorí takto prichádzali, alebo možno milión, a hukot vozov, a ako sa víri prach, vzdali sa a odpadli, “A, Mojžiš, tam sme mali zomrieť.” Vidíte? A Boh povedal, že ich nechal zomrieť na púšti, pretože neverili. “Mojžiš, tvoja služba je odpísaná; to je to. Ty už viac nie si.” Vidíte, oni tomu nerozumeli. Nechápali to.
104A teraz tá istá vec bola, keď Ježiš, mladý rabbi alebo učiteľ, alebo prorok z Galiley, keď robil všetky tie zázraky a všetko, “Ako vôbec mohol niečo také tolerovať? Ako mohol dovoliť, že ho nejaký človek zviazal reťazou, keď On mohol prelomiť pečať hrobu a vytiahnuť mŕtveho človeka z večnosti? Ako to mohol urobiť, keď mohol prehovoriť ku mŕtvemu synovi jednej vdovy a vzbudiť ho znovu do života; a Lazára, mŕtveho a zhnitého v hrobe, a priviesť ho von odtiaľ? Ako sa mohol postaviť a povedať, “Ja som Vzkriesenie a Život; Ten, kto verí vo mňa, keby aj zomrel, žiť bude. Ten, kto verí vo mňa, nikdy nezomrie.” A stál tam a bol zviazaný reťazami a pľuli mu do tvári, a neotvoril svojich úst”? Učeníci si pomysleli, “On stratil svoju službu.” Áno, to je to čo sa deje. Bože, tento biedny svet ...
105Ešte aj jeho cirkev, tí dvanásti, z ktorých sa tešil a povedal im všetko a miloval ich, oni sa odvrátili od neho. Len Jeden zostal pri ňom; to bol Ján. Práve v tej hodine, keď všetko stroskotalo a všetká nádej pominula, on tam bol zviazaný a zobrali ho tam a vysmievali sa z neho a pľuli na neho a na chrbát ... Nevedeli, že tým sa vyplnili Písma.
106No, či neviete, že tie veci, ktoré sa dnes dejú presne do písmena vyplňujú Písma? Prečo ľudia nechajú - môžu hovoriť tieto veci? Prečo denominácie zúria? Prečo to robia? Je to napísané v Písmach, že to budú robiť. Oni pôjdu rovno do toho a sami to budú robiť, slepo, nevediac, že to robia. Či si myslíte, že Judáš vedel, že odohráva roľu Judáša? Či si myslíte, že Faraón vedel, že odohráva tú časť, keď ho Boh vzbudil práve pre to? Či si myslíte, že by Ezau urobil to čo urobil? Samozrejme, že nie. Povedal, “Majú oči a nevidia, uši a nepočujú.” Ale sledujte Písma, ako sa presne vyplňujú. Vidíte? Sme v čase konca; musí to takto byť.
107No, jeho cirkev ho opustila. Všetci ľudia a príroda ho opustili, Pavel nebol ani zďaleka tak opustený ako On. Ešte aj samotné stvorenie, ktoré On stvoril, ho opustilo, mesiac a hviezdy a slnko a všetko, Boh a všetko. Človek, Boh, príroda a všetko Ho opustilo, nič tam nestálo; On zomrel sám. Či stratil svoju službu? On vyplňoval svoju službu, nestrácal ju. To ide s tým. To je to, čo sa deje. To s tým musí ísť.
108No, všetko ho opustilo. Ale práve v tom čase Boh vystúpil na scénu, pretože každý človek, ktorý pozná Slovo, bude stáť so Slovom, lebo vie, že to Slovo je Boh. Rozumiete? A Slovo sa musí rozvinúť. To neomylné Slovo sa musí rozvinúť. Musí, pretože to Slovo je Boh. A keď to fungovalo pri iných po celý ten čas, Ono bude fungovať tak isto aj teraz, pretože to je Boh. Nikdy to nezabudnite. Lebo Ježiš vedel, že On je plnosť Slova, On nebol len prorok, On bol sám Boh. On bol Slovo. A preto nie len ľudia ho opustili, ale tiež príroda ho opustila. Celé stvorenie ho opustilo, všetko, hviezdy, mesiac, nebolo tam žiadne svetlo, keď zomrel. Všetko ho opustilo. Vidíte? Pretože On bol Stvoriteľ všetkého. “Na svete bol a svet povstal skrze neho a svet ho nepoznal.” Vidíte? On bol Stvoriteľ všetkého. Všetko ... No, to jediné, že my netvoríme, ale snažíme sa niečo prerobiť a tí, ktorých sa my snažíme prerobiť, to sú tí, ktorí to opúšťajú a odchádzajú preč. Vidíte? Keď prichádza čas pre Slovo, aby sa skutočne ukázalo; musí to tak byť. No, len pamätajte, práve vtedy Boh vystúpil na scénu.
109A v živote nášho Pána Ježiša, tie mocné skutky, ktoré vykonal za prvý rok a šesť mesiacov svojho života, ó, aký to bol mocný muž. Nikdy nebolo na zemi takého ako On, dovtedy, ani potom nebude. Ale čo sa stalo? Vysmievali sa z neho viacej než z kohokoľvek iného, viacej než z nich všetkých spolu. Príroda sa mu vysmiala a stvorenie sa mu vysmialo, všetko sa mu vysmialo, pretože to bolo v prevrátenom stave. Preto sa ľudské srdcia vysmiali skutočnému Božiemu sluhovi, pretože boli prevrátení. Príroda je prevrátená; a preto ...
110Keď je príroda taká pekná, aká je a pritom je prevrátená, aká bude, keď bude obrátená naspäť do vôli Božej? Ak zem môže rodiť strapce hrozna, že dvaja chlapi to museli niesť na pleciach, aká bude, a to bola prevrátená zem, aká bude, keď sa obráti naspäť ku Bohu? Keď Kristus príde, púšť rozkvitne ako ruža. To bude obrátenie. A suché miesta vytrysknú vodou a zem bude kvitnúť a rozkvitať. Ó, to bude čas, a keď ľudské srdcia budú obrátené na bohabojných, a teraz je čas vykonať to rozhodnutie, budú žiť na tom mieste. Amen.
111Tá temná hodina ... “Medzi trasúcimi sa skalami a zatemnenou oblohou”, povedal básnik, “môj Spasiteľ sklonil hlavu a zomrel; roztrhnutá opona zjavila cestu do nebeskej radosti a nekonečného dňa.”
On to musel urobiť, aby nám otvoril cestu. Je to tak. Ale čo robil Boh? On bol verný Slovu a zobral ten kríž. Ale či to bol koniec Jeho služby? Či bola Jeho služba odpísaná? Boh ju korunoval s tou najväčšou korunou, akou len mohla byť korunovaná. On ju korunoval v to Veľkonočné ráno, pri vzkriesení. On korunoval tú službu nášho Pána Ježiša, On vstal zmŕtvych a je živý na veky. On nebol odpísaný, pretože Ho všetci ľudia opustili; bol korunovaný. Tak veru. Tak veru. Bol korunovaný, pretože bol opustený a On to musel urobiť, keď Ho vzbudil z mŕtvych.
112To isté bolo s Eliášom. Hovorili sme o ňom pred chvíľou. Eliáš, ten biedny, starý, zruinovaný prorok bol tam na púšti a musel jesť to, čo mu priniesli vtáci. A jeho koža bola ovisnutá, hnedé telo, na boku mu visela malá nádobka s olejom, celý zarastený a možno plešivý a opálený od slnka, takto s palicou kríval dole, ale dole v jeho srdci pulzoval Duch Boží. Keď Boh videl svojho drobného vyčerpaného sluhu, ako ide ku koncu, každý ho opúšťal a všetko ďalšie, či ho nechal v úzkych? Poslal dole voz, zobral svojho vyčerpaného sluhu, “Nemusíš ísť hore ani tak, ako Enoch; vezmem ťa domov na voze.” Je to tak. Áno. Korunoval jeho službu tým, že ho na koči odviezol domov. To nie je tak zle, viete. Áno. Áno, nemusel ísť domov pešo; On len poslal koč a zobral ho, pretože bol unavený. To sa mi páči. Biedny, drobný, unavený sluha. On ho zodvihol a zobral ho domov.
113Práve vtedy, keď Daniel zostal taký verný Bohu, že išiel do ... Povedali, “Ten muž, viete, to bol raz veľký človek tu v tomto kráľovstve. On povedal všetky rôzne veci. On priviedol veštcov; učil ich veci a Médo-Peržanov, a ako všetko konal. Ale za vlády Dáriusa, to bol Daniel, ktorý zostal verný Bohu. To bol Daniel, ktorý stál so Slovom Božím a nezmiešal sa s ničím iným. A on povedal, “No, jeho služba je odpísaná, pretože som to videl v miestnych novinách, za niekoľko dní bude hodený do jamy ľvov.” Ide do federálneho väzenia, alebo do niečoho takého. Vidíte? “Ale hodíme ho do jamy ľvov.” Ale čo urobil Boh? Boh spečatil jeho službu tým, že zmenil kráľove srdce, potom Dárius napísal a poslal v každom jazyku, ľuďom po svete, aby sa každý človek bál Danielovho Boha, pretože to je Boh, ktorý môže vyslobodiť. Amen.
114Tak, vidíte, to sa deje vtedy, keď ľudia opustia človeka, Božích sluhov, ktorí stoja verne pri Slove, že Boh pečatí ich službu a nastáva čas korunovania.
115Áno, to boli Hebrejské deti za vlády Nabuchodonozora, keď sa nepoklonili tomu obrazu. Zostali verní Bohu, pretože Božie Slovo hovorilo, “Neklaňajte sa pred žiadnym obrazom a neuctievajte ho.” Oni zostali verní tomu Slovu. A to bolo v miestnych novinách, vo správach, všetko o tom, čokoľvek to bolo v tých dňoch. Oni mali svoj spôsob, ako šírili správy. Nie v miestnych novinách, samozrejme, že nie; ja to len tak hovorím, aby ste si to trochu predstavili. Ale bolo to tam, že majú byť spálení v ohnivej peci sedemkrát horúcejšej. Lebo pár dní predtým nahádzali do tej peci všetok materiál, aby ju tak rozpálili, že bola sedemkrát horúcejšia, rozžeravená sedemkrát viacej. No, strávila by vás, keby ste sa ku nej priblížili na sedemdesiat metrov. Ale oni išli rovno do tej ohnivej pece a vyšli von, že nebolo na nich cítiť ani zápach ohňa. A Nabuchodonozor povedal, “Každý, kto by nectil tohoto Boha, nech jeho deti aj on budú zabití a jeho dom bude obrátený na hnojisko.” Je to tak. Vidíte? On ... Oni mali celosvetové prebudenie, pretože títo boli verní Slovu. Presne to sa stalo. Tak veru. Stoj verne pri Slove. Áno, z toho vždy vyjde niečo úžasné.
116Jakob, pred chvíľou sme ho spomenuli. Zapísal som si tu jeho meno. On bol tu trochu zbabelec, ale stál. Bál sa tam Ezava. Ó. Vedel, že odišiel preč od Boha. Po všetky tie roky bol preč od Boha, ale stále sa snažil stáť verne pri Slove. A tu ho Boh zavolal a povedal mu, aby išiel do svojho domova. A tu presne robil to, čo mu bolo povedané, a tam bol Ezau s armádou. A to bol ten čas, keď bol premenený z mena Jákob, “podvodník, ktorý vytlačil iného,” na “knieža pred Bohom,” keď na druhý deň ráno vyšiel so svojou korunovanou službou. Vyšiel a stretol sa s Ezavom a nechcel od neho žiadnu pomoc. Amen. Verný Slovu ... Takto to Boh robí, či nie? On robí všetko svojím vlastným spôsobom. Tak je to.
117Mnohí moji bratia, oni dnes majú veľkú popularitu medzi ich denominačnými bratmi. Povedz len jedno meno, chlapče, a hneď to je všade ako oheň. Je to tak. Povieš toto určité meno tohoto človeka ... A predsa, keď Pán hovoril ku mne vtedy tam dole pri rieke, to otvorilo cestu prebudenia vo svete a z toho vyšiel každý jeden z týchto veľkých evanjelistov.
118Oni odišli rovno naspäť so svojimi bratmi (Vidíte?), s tými denomináciami, z ktorých vyšli. Oni sem prichádzajú a majú toto zhromaždenie, zmiešaní s denomináciami a znovu idú rovno naspäť do nich. Sú veľmi obľúbení, majú veľké mená v rádiu, v novinách a všade. Každý o nich dobre hovorí.
119Ale mňa všetci ľudia opustili, pretože som zobral pravé Slovo a stojím pri Slove. Zostal som presne tu, na tom, čo mi On povedal, kázal som Slovo, nie denominačnú filozofiu. “Káž Slovo,” to bolo moje poverenie; “stoj na Slove.” A bratia, ktorí počúvate túto pásku, bol som veľký, keď som chodil medzi vás a len uzdravoval chorých, rozprával videnia a ukazoval rôzne veci. Ale keď som išiel a povedal vám pravdu ohľadom Slova, prečo ste sa odo mňa odvrátili? Či si neuvedomujete, že to sa práve vyplňuje to, čo povedalo Písmo? Áno, tak sa to deje. No, sotva môžem prísť na nejaké miesto.
120Listy prichádzajú po celý čas. Raz prišiel jeden, stojí tam, “Brat Branham, mal som v tebe najväčšiu dôveru, ale počul som, že si povedal, že určitá denominácia, do ktorej patrím, odpadla.” Povedal, “Teraz už nemám v teba žiadnu dôveru, odteraz.” Povedal, “Okolo dvadsaťpäť bratov z mojej denominácie sedeli na jednom z tvojich zhromaždení. Hneď sme sa zodvihli a odišli preč, keď si to povedal.”
121No, všetci ma opustili, ale je jedno, On zostal so mnou ...?... jedno, nie som ... Nebol som neposlušný tomu nebeskému videniu, ktoré sa stalo tam dole pri rieke. Zostal som tomu verný. On je verný mne. Spolieham na Neho, jedného dňa; neviem kedy, že bude korunovať moju službu. Zostanem verný tak, ako len môžem byť. Neviem, čo to bude; Neviem, kedy sa to stane. A ja ... Ale keď On bude hotový, ja som tiež. No, pozrite sa sem. Dúfam, že On bude korunovať moju službu týmto, že mi dá zobrať šaty Slova a obliecť Jeho Nevestu do šiat Slova a do Jeho spravodlivosti. Dúfam, že ma bude korunovať a dá mi tam stáť v ten deň a povedať, “Ajhľa, Baránok Boží, ktorý sníma hriech sveta.”
122Je tak veľa kopcov, cez ktoré treba preliezť, napätie, niekedy je to ťažké; ale ten, ktorý ukazuje cestu vie, čo je najlepšie. On vie, čo je najlepšie. Tie nástrahy na ceste sa zdajú byť ničím, keď prídeme na koniec tej cesty. Horlivo nasledujem tie krvavé odtlačky nôh. Pamätajte len, priatelia.
Stopy na piesku boli zmyté;
Toho cudzinca na brehoch Galiley;
A ten hlas, ktorý utíšil rozbúrené vlny
sa nebude viac počuť v Júdey.
Ale chodník, po ktorom išiel ten osamelý Galilean,
budem dnes tak rád nasledovať;
A tie nástrahy na ceste sa zdajú byť ničím.
Keď prídem na koniec tej cesty.
123Toto prvé miesto Písma, ktoré som čítal, mi dal, keď som bol mladý, len chlapec, stál som tam, mal som rovné plecia, vypnutú hruď, kučeravé čierne vlasy. Teraz tu stojím s ovisnutými plecami, plešivý, šedivý, starý muž päťdesiattri ročný. Ale On mi je sladší, než ako v tých minulých dňoch. A ja sa nevyhýbam oznámiť vám celé Evanjelium Ježiša Krista. A v srdci túžim stretnúť cirkev, za ktorú On zomrel, oblečenú v spravodlivosti Jeho vlastnej Krvi, oblečenú v Jeho Slove a v spravodlivosti Jeho Slova, lebo Jeho Slovo nemôže nikdy sklamať. A preto viem, že keď budem stáť pri Slove a budem verný Slovu a keď to Slovo zostane vo mne a ja v Ňom, v ten deň budem šťastný, že som zostal verný.
124Neviem, čo prinesie budúcnosť, ale vidíte, kde sme, či nie? Vidíte, prečo každý hovorí, dokonca moji - niektorí moji vlastní kolegovia povedali, “Aha, brat Branham je úplne odpísaný.” Vidíte? Hej. “Úplne odpísaný ...” Vidíte? No, my ... Oni proste nerozumejú (To je všetko.), proste nerozumejú.
125Myslím, že tá najväčšia vec, ktorú Pavel chcel, keď povedal, “Môj čas sa teraz dostanovil,” tá najväčšia túžba, ktorú mal Pavel v srdci, bolo byť mučeníkom. To bola túžba v srdciach ich všetkých v tých dňoch. Keby oni ... Čítali ste niekedy od Foxa “Kniha Mučeníkov”? A tiež si prečítajte “Nicejský koncil.” Tá najväčšia česť, ktorá mohla byť, keď tí jednotliví (a Polycarp a oni) išli do jamy ľvov, oni kričali od radosti, vchádzali tam a vedeli, že budú mučeníkmi. Keď boli pálení na hranici, kričali od radosti, za tú česť, že môžu byť mučeníkmi. Keď Pavel kráčal ku tomu klátu, kde mu mali odseknúť hlavu, viedli ho z väzenia, z toho smradľavého miesta tam, z diery v múre, kde ho väznili. Chodil som tam, díval som sa na to. Je tam taký malý potok do ktorého hodili jeho telo. A teraz ho chcú urobiť svätým alebo niečím v ich ... Nejakú skupinu ľudí ... On tam išiel. Povedal, “Ó, smrť, kde je tvoj osteň? Hrob, kde je tvoje víťazstvo? Ale vďaka Bohu, ktorý nám dáva víťazstvo skrze Pána Ježiša Krista. Bojoval som dobrý boj. Beh som dokonal. Vieru som zachoval. Odložená mi je koruna a nie len mne ale všetkým tým, ktorí milujú Jeho zjavenie.”
126Prišli sme teraz od 6. verša do 18. Neviem, čo to bude znamenať pre mňa, ale len hovorím, čo to znamenalo pre iných. A ja budem ďalej stáť verne pri Slove, až On bude so mnou hotový. Tam je tá služba dnes. Nie som odpísaný. Dúfam, že sa ma práve Kráľ ujal. To je ...?... Skloňme teraz hlavy, kým sa pomodlíme. Len ...
127Je povraz, ktorý siaha dnes večer dole z trónu, nazýva sa Záchranné lano. Zatiaľ, kým sa budem modliť, dúfam, že každá neobrátená osoba tu sa ho chytí. Či sa nechceš načiahnuť a chytiť sa ho, priateľ hriešnik? Hovoríš si, “Brat Branham, ty si povedal, že starneš, a hádam preto si ...” Nie, brat, sestra. Keď som bol ešte len malý chlapec, veril som tomuto. Dám za to svoj život. A len jedno ľutujem: že mám len jeden život, ktorý môžem dať. Keby som mal desať tisíc životov, všetky by som ich chcel dať za to ...?...
128Či sa nechceš chytiť toho lana, keď ono tu dnes večer prechádza, popri tvojej ceste? Povieš, “Brat Branham, nie som hodný chytiť sa ho.” Viem, že nie si, dieťa. Ale ak robíš niečo aby si sa stal hodný, povedz mi, čo si urobil, ja to tiež chcem urobiť. Nie je nič, čo môžeš urobiť, aby si sa stal hodný. Narodil si sa nehodný. Je len jedno, čo môžeš urobiť, chyť sa ho tak, ako ti je to podané. Ty sa topíš; nezatop sa v tom. Boh hodil záchranné lano; načiahnime sa a zoberme ho dnes večer.
129Nebeský Otče, spomínam si, ako rovno tu, pri tomto istom pulte, na tomto istom mieste som hovoril tam vtedy ráno, keď som posväcoval tento zbor, presne tu na tejto pôde. A ten uholný kameň tam leží a stále je v ňom strana z Biblie, kde som to napísal. Povedal som, “Pane Ježišu, s tvojou milosťou budem stále verný tomu Slovu.” A teraz vidím, že ono vyprodukovalo presne to, čo vykonalo v tých iných časoch. A ja som tu dnes večer v tejto modlitebni, po tom, čo som cestoval po svete, znovu naspäť a ten malý uholný kameň tam stále leží a ten papier je v ňom. Preskúmaj ma, Pane. Urobil som veľa chýb. Robil som zle, Pane. Veľakrát som ťa sklamal, ako som pred chvíľou svedčil o neschopnosti. Bože, ja - ja, tak rýchlo, ako sa toho dopustím, chcem odpustenie. Vo svojom srdci Ťa milujem. A viem, že si mi nedávno ukázal to miesto, kam ideme. A neviem, kedy budeš teraz so mnou hotový, Pane. Som tu dnes večer, z Tvojej milosti, a neviem, kedy so mnou skončíš, ale viem, že toto musí prísť ku tomuto. Ale keď nastane ten čas, nechcem byť zbabelec. Chcem stáť, ako stáli tí ostatní. Ale, Bože, ak budem musieť spečatiť moje svedectvo svojím životom, alebo čokoľvek sa má stať, Pane, korunuj to potom, nie mňa, korunuj tú službu, ktorú som kázal, Pane, to je Tvoje Slovo. A viem, že to Slovo je viac ako schopné znovu ma vzbudiť pri vzkriesení. A nehanbím sa za Slovo, ktoré som kázal, pretože ono je mocou Božou na spasenie každému, kto verí.
130Ďakujem ti za tento malý zbor, ktorý stále dnes stojí. Keď som sa postavil za Slovo, tí proroci prorokovali a vraveli, “Za šesť mesiacov bude z toho garáž.” Prešlo tridsať rokov, on je teraz viac v ohni, než ako bol v tých rokoch; “na tejto skale postavím svoju cirkev.” Ďakujeme ti za nášho pastora. Ďakujeme ti za diakonov, správcov. Všetci máme malú časť, aby sme ju vyplnili, Pane, a chcem ju plniť verne; chceme to robiť správne.
131Môže tu byť niekto, kto by sa dnes večer rád ku nám pridal, Pane. A spôsob, ako sa ku tomu môžu pridať, to je proste chytiť sa tohoto malého Záchranného Lana a ťahať sa, okrútiť si ho okolo zápästia, uviazať si ho o srdce, a povedať, “Teraz, Pane, ťahaj, zodvihni ma hore,” a vystúpia a budú svietiť ako zlato. Udeľ to, Pane. Čakáme na tú chvíľu.
132Veríme, že je to blízko pri konci. Vidíme to, ako sme tu boli učení, teraz prebieha Laodicejský vek; vidíme, že sa nemôže stať nič iné, len príchod Pánov. A, Pane, či to nebude veľká koruna pre Slovo, vidieť, ako sama Koruna prichádza? Rád by som tu stál a povedal, “Tam je; to je Baránok.” Ako to urobil Ján. “Ajhľa Baránok, na ktorého sme čakali; toto je On.” Náhle príde Pán do svojho chrámu, zobrať svojich ľudí vo vytrhnutí.
133Priprav nás, Otče. Umy naše srdcia v Tvojej krvi. Učiň nás čistými a bezúhonnými aby tvoje Slovo mohlo zostávať v nás. Nech by sme pamätali, že musíme konať na Slove, aby sme sa s Ním spojili a boli účinní. Daj každému hriešnikovi činiť pokánie. Požehnaj každého, kto tu je. Svätých, tých, týchto starých vzácnych bojovníkov, Pane, ktorí už roky stoja v bojovej línii, vysmievajú sa im, robia si z nich posmech. Oni stále idú ďalej, pretože majú Život. Vedia, komu uverili, a sú presvedčení, že On je schopný zachovať to, čo zverili Jemu. Ďakujeme Ti za to. Prosím, aby si uzdravil chorých, ktorí sú medzi nami. Zober od nás preč všetky naše hriechy a nemoci. A, Otče Bože, Ty si zober chválu.
134Mám tak veľa vzácnych priateľov, Pane. Milujem ich. Viem, že iní tiež prešli cez to. Drahí priatelia, milovaní priatelia, mladí a starí a milujeme ich z celého srdca. No, sprav, aby sme boli verní, Pane, proste verní Slovu, aby sme ich mohli stretnúť v lepšej zemi jedného dňa, kde už viac nebude smútku ani žiaľu. Očakávame, že Pán skoro príde. Veríme, že On príde.
135No, požehnaj tu dnes večer neveriaceho, Pane, nech by sa mohol stať veriacim a prijal Ťa dnes večer ako svojho Spasiteľa.
136A kým máme sklonené hlavy, ak je tu niekto, keď máte sklonené hlavy, kto povie, “Brat Branham, dole hlboko vo svojom srdci, chcem prejsť do konca tú cestu, bojovať dobrý boj. Chcem byť kresťanom, zodvihnem ruku.” Nech ťa Boh žehná. Nech ťa Boh žehná. To je dobre. Nech ťa Boh žehná, aj teba. “Chcem prísť na koniec mojej cesty s dobrou vierou za sebou. Prijímam teraz Krista. Chcem aby On bol mojim pomocníkom.” Dobre, nech ťa Pán žehná. Nech ťa Boh žehná, pani. To je dobre. On ťa pozná. Naučil som sa dosť o Ňom počas všetkých týchto rokov, okolo tridsaťdva rokov teraz za kazateľňou, naučil som sa teraz dosť o Ňom, aby som vedel, že On pozná každý pohyb, ktorý robíte. On vidí vtákov. Vlasy na vašej hlave sú spočítané. Vidíte, On vie všetko o tom. Zodvihni len ruku a mysli to tak, to je všetko, čo musíš urobiť. A voda je pripravená.
137 Pamätaj, čo robíš? Učiň pokánie, ver v evanjelium a potom sa daj pokrstiť. Na čo? Na meno Ježiša Krista, na odpustenie svojich hriechov. To je tvoje svedectvo, tu to máš. Tvoje hriechy sú preč, keď si sa dal pokrstiť; vyznal si ich a veríš. Či sa teraz nechytíš toho Záchranného Lana, keď sa ono tiahne teraz cez tvoje srdce a hovorí, “Poď touto cestou, pútnik. Poď so Mnou, vezmi Môj kríž na seba. Uč sa odo Mňa, som pokorný a poníženého srdca; Moje bremeno je ľahké.” Len sa načiahni a spoj sa s ním.
138Koľkí kresťania sú na tej ceste dnes večer, tu, ktorí ste šťastní, že ste začali už dávno po nej ísť, vydali ste sa na ňu a idete ďalej po tej ceste, stále idete po nej do konca; modlím sa, aby Boh korunoval vašu službu, čokoľvek to je. Možno, že si žena v domácnosti. Modlím sa, aby Boh korunoval tvoju službu. Môžeš byť kazateľ. Môžeš byť diakon; môžeš byť prostý člen. Môžeš byť farmár. Neviem čo. Čokoľvek to je, nech Boh korunuje tvoj život slávou svojho Slova, pri Jeho druhom príchode ťa vytrhne a vezme preč do inej krajiny, kde budeš práve tak, ako tá ryba, o ktorej som hovoril, preč zo všetkej tej temnosti tam. Vidíte, nemohol by si tam ísť s takýmto telom. Ani by si tam nemohol ísť ako títo astronauti (Vidíte?); musíš byť v tlakovej komore. Nie si na to natlakovaný. Ale keď ťa Boh premení, potom si natlakovaný; potom ideš do vytrhnutia. Keď sa tieto staré zemské zmysly stratili a ty si odišiel ďalej po tej chválebnej ceste kríža, ideš domov s Ježišom ...
139No, Bože Otče, ďakujem ti za tieto ruky, ktoré sa zodvihli, lebo chcú byť kresťania. Verím, že to tak mysleli vo svojich srdciach. Modlím sa za nich, aby nikdy nesklamali. A ak by sklamali, aby rýchlo mali toho Advokáta s Otcom. Čo som sa naučil, že to je také veľké, Otče, že keď som urobil všetky svoje chyby, potom som zistil, že mám Advokáta (hneď vtedy) s Otcom, skrze Ježiša Krista. A znovu som privedený naspäť do milosti. Milujúca ruka Pána utiera všetko preč, leží tam krvavá obeť, ktorú som vyznal, že to je môj Spasiteľ.
140Všetci, ktorí sú chorí a majú nejakú potrebu, modlím sa, aby si vyplnil ich potreby a uzdravil ich choroby, Pane. A tí, ktorí tu teraz sedia pod týmto chválebným pomazaním Ducha Svätého, keď cítime, aké je to príjemné, keď to preteká po našich dušiach ...
141Bože Otče, Ty vieš, o čom som rozmýšľal, keď som sem išiel vtedy z Kanady. Myslel som, “Ó, ako rád by som sa dostal znovu na starodávne prebudenie, svätí Boží spievajú a moc Božia zostupuje.” Ó, ako moje srdce túži po tom, Pane. Nech prepukne také prebudenie v tejto modlitebni, ó, že moc Božia sa bude liať v prameňoch milosti, pôjde do každého srdca.
142Ďakujem ti, Pane, za toto malé miesto. Neboli sme schopní zachovať ho takto; to bola Tvoja milosť, ktorá ho zachováva duchovným. A teraz verím, Pane, to najduchovnejšie malé miesto v tomto národe, ktoré poznám, je rovno tu na ulici Ôsma a Ohradová. Ako ti za toto ďakujem, Pane. Chodím do iných zborov a vidím ich chladných a ľahostajných, a ženy sú také smelé, že sa nedokážu ani červenať, a žiadne “amen”, ani slzy na lícach, ani nič, a žiadne spasenie, vôbec nič, len pripojenie sa do ich cirkvi a odrieknutie ich vyznania. Ó, Bože, a potom prídem na milé teplé miestečko, kde ohne horia na každom oltári ich srdca, čo je to za potešenie, Otče, čo za potešenie - ďakujem Ti, Otče, a nech to stále zostane až do príchodu Pána Ježiša. Požehnaj nás teraz spolu.
143A zajtra je sobota. A, Pane, pomôž mi ráno, keď pripadá na mňa kázať na toto “Odrátavanie.” Bože, nech by som bol schopný priniesť to tak, aby to ľudia uvideli, Pane. A teraz, nech vidia stupeň tej služby, a kde ona je, a na čo očakávame, a prečo všetko ide tak, ako ide. Nech čítajú ďalej od toho piateho verša a nech si potom uvedomia, na akom mieste stojíme.
144A teraz, Otče, prosím, aby si nás žehnal a dal nám dobrý odpočinok v našich telách a priviedol nás zajtra naspäť. Požehnaj všetkých týchto ľudí, ktorí tu stoja okolo stien a prestupujú z jednej nohy na druhú. Ženy, muži, stoja tam vonku na daždi a okolo okien a sedia vo svojich autách. A všade okolo, a prosím, aby si ich požehnal, Pane. Nech môžu ísť domov s milosťou Božou vo svojich srdciach. Prosím to v mene Ježiša. Amen.
145Rozumiete teraz? Čítajte z Druhého listu Timoteja 4, od piateho verša a ďalej, prv, ako dnes večer pôjdete spať, ak môžete, a budete vidieť, kde sme. Prečo ho tí ľudia opustili? Prečo on vzal ... A teraz to porovnajte, tú službu s tým, cez čo dnes prechádzame. Porovnajte učenie Pavlove. Pamätajte na tie malé nebeské veci, ktoré som videl, povedal som, “Dobre, či sa Pavel bude tiež musieť tam postaviť so svojím ľudom?”
Povedali, “Áno.”
146Povedal som, “Ja som kázal to isté Slovo ako on, stál som presne s tým istým Evanjeliom.”
147A milióny zodvihli ruky a zavolali, “My na tom odpočívame.”
148Nech vás Pán žehná. Milujete Ho?
Až sa znovu stretneme!
Až sa znovu stretneme!
1 ...-vival, being very tired and worn. And we have had very much fellowship along the road, wonderful meetings, with greeting the Christians from place to place, from up, down the East Coast, and also up the West Coast into Canada. And with fine cooperation among all the different denominational churches, of the Assemblies of God, and the United Pentecostal, Church of God, Foursquare, and many of the other organizations which cooperated, having great meetings. A great success, as far as it could be called success today, and perhaps maybe many would call it "great." But, myself, I'm a--a--a revivalist. And the revival, nationally speaking, is just about ended. And we are... I like to see revival where hearts are on fire, not adding members, but revival. Our Lord did many miracles of healing the people, and, of course, several got saved. And now I'm home, resting for a little while, and going back into the service in a few weeks, the Lord willing.
2 And now this is to the many peoples and friends of mine around the world. I wish to state tonight, here in the tabernacle... If you, any of you were present and could see, they're real warm in the tabernacle tonight. People are packed in and all around, stand indoors, and outside in their cars and things, and it's very hot, and it'd be difficult for the people and for myself also.
3But I have come to this place that I want to explain what stage of time we're living in according to the ministry that the Lord give me. And I wanted to record it from the tabernacle. It came on my heart last spring, but I waited till I got back here so I could get a--a recording of it, to send it to you peoples of the world.
4 It's been about thirty-two years ago, that when the Lord Jesus, within a hundred and fifty yards of where I'm present standing now, here in Jeffersonville at Eighth and Penn Street, the morning when I laid the cornerstone on this tabernacle, just being then merely a swamp. And I lived just across the way to my left here. It was before I was married. I was living with my father and mother. That the Lord Jesus woke me up the morning that the cornerstone was to be laid, about early, about six o'clock. And I had been lying in bed for some time, with my heart full of joy, thinking of this great time that the Lord God was going to give me a tabernacle to preach in. I was merely a young boy then. And that day I... the girl that I was going with, which was soon to be my wife the following year, was to be with us the day we was to lay the cornerstone.
5 And I remember that morning when I had wakened up, and laying in the room, the upstairs right here on Seventh Street. Something said, "Rise up to your feet." And I got up. And I saw, as it was, a great place, and it was like a--a--a place where they would... a river run in the valley. And I got down there to the river and I understood it was a place where John the Baptist had been baptizing the people, and they had turned it into a hog lot. And I was very critical of it, just saying that it should not be done.
6And while I was there, there was a--a Voice spoke to me and took me up, and I noticed this tabernacle in just about the state it's in right now. But there were so many people till they were just packed all in, in the tabernacle, in this condition, about the state it's at now. And I--I was happy, standing behind the pulpit, saying, "God, how good You are to give me a tabernacle."
7And, at that time, the Angel of the Lord spake to me, and said, "But this is not your tabernacle."
And I said, "Then, Lord, where is my tabernacle?"
8 And He taken me up in the Spirit again, and set me down in a grove. And way down the grove was just rows of trees setting just level, about twenty-feet tall, or thirty. And they looked like fruit trees, and they were in great big green buckets.
9And then I noticed to my right hand and to my left hand, there was an empty bucket on either side, and I said, "What about these?"
10And He said, "You're to plant in them." So I pulled a limb from the tree to my right and placed it in a bucket on the right side, and a limb from the left hand and placed it in a bucket on the left side. Quickly they growed all the way into the skies.
11And He said, "Hold out your hands and gather the fruit thereof." And in one hand fell a great yellow apple, mellow and ripe. And in the other hand fell a great yellow plum, mellow and ripe. And said, "Eat the fruit thereof, because it's pleasant." And I ate from one and from the other, very delicious. You know the vision, it's wrote in one of the books, I think, Life Story, or Prophet Visits Africa.
12 And just then I held up my hands, and was shouting the glory of God. And all of a sudden, that Pillar of Fire came down over the top of those trees, and the roar and the lightnings flashed, and the winds blew real hard, and the leaves begin to blowing from the trees. And I looked way down, here stood the shape of this tabernacle, the way it sets now. And at the end where the pulpit would be, there were three trees, and those three trees taken shape of three crosses. And I noticed that both plums and apples were gathered in a clusters around the middle cross. And I ran real fast, screaming to the top of my voice, and fell down upon this cross, or by the cross, and threw my arms around it. And the winds begin to shake, and the--the fruit from the cross, and it fell all over me. And I was so happy, just rejoicing. And It said, "Eat the fruit thereof, because it's pleasant."
13 And then this circling of Fire called out, said, "The harvest is ripe, and the laborers are few." And He said, "Now, when you come to yourself again, or come out of this, read Second Timothy 4. Second Timothy 4." And then I came to myself. And I stood there rubbing my face and my hands. And just then, in the corner of the room, sun shining high, then I must have been under the vision for some hour or more, and It said, "Second Timothy 4." And I reached quickly for my Bible, and read Second Timothy 4.
14 Now, I wish to read that now. And as strange as it seems, as I read this Second Timothy 4, the place that I stopped, and many times that I've preached on that here in this tabernacle, it seems strange that I'd always stop on that. Now in Second Timothy 4, the first five verses. Which, five is the number of "grace." I read this.
I charge thee... before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Preach the word; be instant in season, and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap... shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables.
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, and do the work of an evangelist, and make full proof of thy ministry.
15 Did you ever notice, and I never noticed it till this last May, I never read any more of that Scripture until there? That's all I ever read of it 'cause that seemed like that it--it was suffices, because it was telling me to preach the Word and to endure afflictions, and to be long-suffering, for the time was coming when they would not endure sound Doctrine, but after their own lusts shall heap teachers, having itching ears, and would be turned from Truth unto fables. But, now, He never said I was an evangelist. He said, "Do the work of an evangelist." Paul telling Timothy, see. Did you notice how it says? He didn't say, "Now, you have been called to be an evangelist." It said, "Do the work of an evangelist." See? Now, we notice there then. Now, if I would say with all my heart and the best of my knowledge, that has been fulfilled to the letter. Just exactly. And that's thirty years ago.
16 And so far as I know, that every vision that He's ever give me has been fulfilled, except the one that I'm a change in my ministry, to where I'm to pray for people in a little place like a little room under a tent, or a big auditorium or something. It looked, to me, like a tent. You remember that, two or three years ago? Most all of it was brought to pass. I was to go down in Mexico, and how it would rain that night and what would take place down there. And He told me my ministry of the First Pull. Remember about catching the little bitty fish, or missing it? Second one was a small fish. But then He told me, "On the Third Pull, don't fail." See? "And don't tell people." I'm always trying to explain what I'm trying to do. He let me know not to tell people what you're doing. Just do what He tells me to do and let it alone. See?
17 But I'm that type of person, I have no secrets, so I just tell everything I know. So, that's--that's just the breed, I guess. But that, I try... I love people, and I want people to be saved so bad till I try to tell them everything I know, unless it's something He's told me not to tell, of course, so that they won't miss it. See? I want them to see it so close that there'll be no error in it.
18 Now, that come to pass just exactly. Now remember, the charge was, if we'll study that for a moment, "I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing in His Kingdom." See? "Judge... Charge you before God, and Christ, that you--that you preach the Word." And so help me, till this night, as far as I have any knowledge of, I've never preached nothing but the Word, see, and stayed right with It. It's been a lot of trouble, and I've went through lots of persecutions and lots of trials, had to separate from many precious friends because of that very statement, "Preach the Word." And I--I have.
19 You remember in the vision, or, the little translation as I would call it, recently, where I was taken and saw those people and looked back to myself and all those millions there. And I said, "I want to see Jesus."
And He said, "He's higher."
20Well, see, when people die, they--they don't immediately go up with God. Now, you, I'm sure you'll understand that. Maybe I ought to explain it the best that I can. Are you in a hurry then? Let's take our time then and--and--and try to make it just as clear as I can.
21 Now, when we come along, we remember that we live here in three dimensions. And I don't know whether I can name them or not. One of them is light, and the other is matter. Tommy, you remember what the third is? [Someone says something--Ed.] Huh? ["Atom."] Atom? [Someone else says, "Time."] Time. Right. Now, light, matter, and time. And our five senses contact them dimensions. Our sight contacts light, our feeling contacts matters, and so forth.
22 Now, but we have contact through science, the fourth dimension, as it was. Because coming right through this building now comes pictures, voices of radio, pictures on television, that our senses does not contact that, but yet they have a--a tube or a crystal that picks up those ether waves and manifests them. So, you see, right in this building now is live actions of people, in the air, live voices. They're here. We know it. They're absolutely the truth. And the only thing you do, they--they catch it on... I don't understand the mechanics of--of those things that science has invented, but we know that it proves to us there is a fourth dimension.
23Now, the fifth dimension is where the sinner, the unbeliever dies and goes to. The fifth dimension is kind of, well, the horrible dimension. Now this man...
And when a Christian dies, he goes into the sixth dimension.
And God is in the seventh dimension.
24Now then, you see, the Christian when he dies, he goes under the altar of God, right into the Presence of God, under the altar. And he's at rest.
25 To break it down, when a man has a nightmare, he's not altogether asleep, neither is he awake. He's between sleep and awake, and that's what makes him have a horrible shaking and screaming, because he's not asleep, he's not awake. And to take that, shows where a man goes when he dies unconverted. He's lived his time up, he's dead on earth; and he cannot go in the Presence of God, because he's not fit to go there without the Blood. And he's caught. And he cannot come back to earth, because his time's finished here on earth, and he's caught between, and he's in a nightmare. See? He can't go in the Presence of God, to rest. And he can't back, come to earth, because his time's up. He's in a nightmare, and there he stays until the day of the judgment. A horrible thing to be in, see.
26And now in this vision, I believe I was caught to that sixth dimension, looking back down here and could see back. See, the sight isn't exactly with the eyes, that's earthly. But sight is a greater thing than... The sight that they have there, their contact is far beyond any contact that our natural senses would contact.
27 Here sometime ago I was explaining it. I was looking at a television picture where they let a man down, I think two mile or a mile deep in the ocean, and they had ray lights that went out. They was showing marine life. And there come fish by, that horrible-looking creatures. That, it's midnight, ink black down there. And they had phosphorus on their nose and they had no eyes. Now, they have to be fed, so it looked like, to find their food, they were guided with another sense; not sight, 'cause they didn't have eyes, couldn't use them down there. But they were guided with another sense that they could contact their food. And I thought, "If I could have control of that little fish with my sight, how much greater could I supply his food and lead him places, how much greater my sight is than his radar he contacts." See? And I thought, "If I could just lead him!"
28Then it come to me, "If I could only surrender myself to God, how much greater is the sight and senses of God, Who could guide us much more than the things that we see, because the faith that He supplies us is the evidence of things not seen with our eyes." Then if that little fish could never come up to the top of the water like other fish, because he's pressurized. You bring him up, he would explode. No more than we can go up higher and keep from exploding. We are pressurized for the--the place that we live.
29 But now if that little fish could ever come up here and be me, would he ever want to be that little fish again down in that midnight blackness? He'd never want to be a fish no more, because he's something greater than a fish, he's a man; his senses are greater, his understanding is greater, his intelligent is supreme. Then multiply that by ten million, then you get what it is when you pass from this into the Presence of God yonder, where the human being is so much farther than what we are here. You'd never want to be a human being like this no more, down in this pesthouse of sickness and corruption. It's been that in my heart, that I've tried these thirty years to preach the Gospel around the world, to tell people that there is a Heaven to--to gain and there's a hell to shun, and there is a God that loves you, and a--a redeeming power that's laying ready to pick you up at any time that you're ready to receive it.
30 Like a man drowning, a rope hanging there, he thinks, "Well, the rope, I could pull myself out, but I'm not worthy to get the rope." The rope was put there for that very purpose, for you to pull yourself out with. That's the reason Jesus Christ died, for the very purpose of saving sinners. And He dangled the rope of Eternal Life, which this very night will pass over every sinner's head in here, and a welcome sign hanging on it, "Come up out of it." If--if you--if you wish to do it, the preparation is made.
31 Now, when I seen that place and that condition that those people were in, and how beyond anything that this world could ever think of, it was glorious. There could not be sin there, no death nor nothing could enter that spot. And there was no different between man and women, only the--the sex glands was gone from them, and there could never be no more adultery, no more nothing. But she was still a woman in the way of figure, and man was still figure, and they'll forever be that way. Because when God...
32 Now this might be good, some of you high school kids that's getting this stuff taught into you here about evolution. Now, I believe in evolution, but not in the way that man evoluted from--from some lower specie. Their own theory backfires upon them when they try to hybreed anything, it won't breed itself back. So, you see, it--it's backfired on them.
33 Now, I believe that when God begin to bathe the earth, maybe the first thing He did come forth with was a jellyfish, and from that to a frog, and on up. But, you see, it's continually come closer and closer to the image of man, and man was a reflection of God. And that's the reason that grass become evoluted, maybe grass, and then from grass come flowers, from flowers come shrubs, from shrubs come tree. Why? It's a picture of the Tree of Life standing on the other side. And everything on this side that's natural is a shadow of the Supernatural or the Eternal on the other side. Therefore, as long as there's a born-again Christian on the earth, and we got a body here like this, it's the very reflection of one that's waiting on the other side where there is no death and sorrow. And that's what makes our hearts hunger for such as that. See, there's something in us that calls out. We just... There's something that tells us it's there. I believe through these years... I apologize before God and the people, of being stupid and being... making many mistakes. But through these many years I have been privileged to see many millions of people come into the Kingdom of God, and have been thankful to the Lord to let me lead them there. And I believe they'll be there on that day.
34 Now, the vision was fulfilled. And how I ever come to ever stop, not knowing, on that 5th verse. That's all I ever read. But there's some more to that chapter, several more verses. Now, you might, in your hotel room or home tonight, soon as we dismiss, read the rest of that, 'cause I've got several Scriptures wrote out here that I want to refer to, and notes that I want to refer to. And I want you to read it when you go home. I'll quote it, it'll be on the tape. You want to mark some of it down, why, it'll be all right.
35 Now, do you believe that men and women, which I know you do, are led by the Spirit of God to do things? See? And Jesus was our pattern. If you would notice it, I want to turn, you turn with me, to Saint Luke, the 4th chapter, just a minute. And I want to show you something striking. And just so we won't get to too much of these references, but that you'll be able to read with me here, for on this one, for just a few moments. Saint Luke, the 4th chapter and the 14th verse, we begin. Now watch real close here if you want to see something happen, this paralleled. Now notice.
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit unto Galilee:... He returned in the power of the Spirit unto Galilee: and there went out a fame of him throughout all the regions around about.
And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it is written, was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; and he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, and to preach deliverance to the captives, and to recover sight to the blind, and to set at liberty, them that are bruised.
And to preach the acceptable year of our Lord.
And he closed the book,...
36 Now, if you want to, if you want a reference to that, I've got it here, just a moment, if I maybe pick it up out of the marginal reading here. If you notice, that's also you'll find it over in Mark and different places, but in Isaiah 61:1 and 2. Now, isn't it strange that He stopped right there, and the very next verse... That was what was applied to His first coming. And the second, next verse, is applying to His Second Coming, at judgment. He stopped and closed the book. If any of you are reading a Scofield Bible, you'll find a footnote on it there. See? Watch your footnote, a mark to a footnote, see, and you'll notice there. "A comparison with the--the message quoted, in Isaiah 61:1 and 2, affords the instance of the..." Where, the Scripture here, preaching, Jesus was to preach the acceptable year of the Lord; and the next verse comes out with His Coming and judgment. See? And you see how He stopped right at that.
37 And how I never noticed that, and how I always stopped at this 5th verse, "For the time will come when they do not endure sound Doctrine, but will heap themselves with teachers, having itching ears, and will be turned from the Truth to fables. But do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of your ministry." See? And by God's help and grace I've tried to do that. And I want my friends, both here and out into the lands where the tapes will go, the reason that I have took the stand that I have for the Word, is this very reason. "Preach the Word." That's the reason I would not tally-ate with any of the creeds, any the denominations, because I have been commissioned of God to stay with the Word. Now if anybody else wants to do anything else, that's up to them.
38 And if you notice, in the vision that I had of my ministry, it was I've never crossed those trees. I have never proselyted. I have never said, "All you trinitarians be oneness" or "all you oneness be trinitarians." I have planted in their own vessels. Just exactly. I went to the trinitarian, I went to the oneness, I went to everybody, and stayed between and never joined any of them; but stayed between, being a brother, just exactly what that vision said do. And I've eat the fruit from both sides, salvation on both sides.
39 And now, did you notice, there's many trinitarian people sitting here, there's many oneness, and there's many different ones. But how little you would be to fuss about it, because if that part of the vision was true, the other part's true, too. Both fruits was found in the cross. See? Both of them was in the cross, all clustered together, and both plums and pear, or peach, plums and apples rained down on me there. Both of them. All found in the cross, because they all believed in God and are filled with the Holy Ghost, and have the Christian works and signs following.
40Now, the denomination won't have nothing to do with it. It'll be the born again that will have anything to do with it. It'll be your experience with God that will have to do with it. Now, we see so much of that. I've got several Scriptures here that I'd like to refer to. Maybe I will a little later on.
41 But now I want to take you from the 5th verse, on down to the 18th verse. And now to save time, I--I won't read it. But now Paul, starting off over here in Timothy again, if you notice how he begin to speak, it's pathetic. Now if you notice after the 5th verse.
For I am now ready to be offered, and my time of... departure is at hand.
Fixing to leave the scene. Starts off, see, "I have..." Well, watch. "My..."
... I'm ready, and my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that day: and not only me only, but... all them also that love his appearing.
42And then he goes ahead to tell, "Do all, do these things." What? For him to bring the coat. Now we start right off, and he says:
... Demas has forsaken me,...
43There must come a time in his ministry when he was a young evangelist, a young prophet, everybody was for him. But now you notice on down in here, said:
... all men has forsaken me:... (What for? The Word.)
44 When Jesus, the young Prophet of Galilee, He got a time and He was forsaken. All man who stay with God's Word gets to that place where they are forsaken by the world and the religious world. Jesus fed five thousand, one day, and they picked up baskets full of--of fragments off of five loaves and two fishes. And the very next day, I believe it was, He begin to come down with the Word, and all of them begin to depart from Him. And He looked around to the disciples, and said, "Will you go, also?" Even seventy of His Own ordained ministers left Him. And He said, "Will you go, also?"
45And then Peter spoke those notable words, by saying, "Lord, where would we go? Thou only has Eternal Life."
46 Notice. But the time come when the forsaking time come, and it's--it's got to come. It must come. And now I've got several prophets and things in here to refer to, to prove to you that that time come. And it's arrived for me. No need of trying to rub away from it, it's here and you just must take it. They didn't rub away from it, they stood and took it, and not being ashamed of the Gospel.
47You notice Paul, "I've fought a good fight. I've finished my course. I've kept the Faith." Oh, my! On down here it said, "I've fought with beasts. And I--I was delivered out of the lion's mouth." And the things that he went, God was good to him. But the time had come when he was going to depart.
48 Now, let's just wonder, why would a man, a minister, associate like Demas was to Paul, ever leave Paul?
49You know Brother Baxter, many of you remember him. He used to read... It was about Demas. He said, "You know what I'm going to do, Brother Branham, when I get to Heaven, the first thing I'm going to do?"
And I said, "What?"
50He said, "I'm going to walk right up and find out where Demas is, I'm going to sock him just as hard as I can." And said, "He's going to turn around and say, 'Baxter, what'd you do that for?'" He said, "Why did you leave poor little Paul when everybody forsaken him?" I don't prescribe to that, I don't believe they'll have some fights up there, but I just thought about Brother Baxter saying that 'cause he felt so sorry for Paul.
51 Well, what had Paul done? He had preached just as loyal as he could, and the Holy Spirit was on him. And when he wrote down there about those lady ministers and things, I imagine there was a blow up. Said, "Let the women keep silent in the churches, not permitted them to speak," and him in jail right then.
52Could you imagine what some of them bishops said? "Huh! That guy up there in jail, what business he got writing down here with us? See? And he's got Timothy, a winebibber, with him. And so here he is up there now, that he's feeding Timothy on wine, and here he is laying in jail, and writing down, tell us what the Holy Ghost ought to tell us to do."
53But he said, "If... What? Come the Word of God out of you, and came it from you only? If any man thinks himself to be spiritual or a prophet, let him acknowledge that what I write is the Commandments of the Lord." See?
54 See, the time comes, friends. And I want the people in the land that the tapes goes to, to remember that the separating time has to come. It must do it. I don't know how far I am from the end time, my end of the road. I don't know. That's up to God. I don't know what tomorrow is, and who... I don't know what it holds, but I know Who's holding it. So that's where my faith is built, on that.
55Now, I imagine Demas didn't forsake him and start off to nightclubs. I don't imagine Demas did that, 'cause Demas was a Spirit-filled man. He was a great helper. If you ever took the history of Demas, he was a notable preacher, a fine cultured man, highly polished, educated. He was a smart man. But why would he forsake Paul? That's the thing. What made him do it, forsake Paul? I don't believe he wanted to go to a nightclub or anything. But I believe it was God separating Paul. Now I imagine Demas...
56 Let's take some of Demas' thoughts. As I was sitting down on the hillside, wondering the other day, about daylight, and I was thinking, "Why would Demas want to leave that fellow? Why would he leave that poor little preacher that led him to the Lord, the man who spearheaded the revival amongst the Gentiles, a prophet indeed?" No one could say but what he was a prophet. He was more than a prophet, he was an apostle, and a great and mighty apostle to the Gentiles. And Demas would associated with Paul, had fellowship, and seen the Spirit of God move upon that man. And why would he turn his back on such a person as that, had been vindicated that he was a servant of Christ? Did you notice Paul here, "Loving this present world." Now, I don't think Demas backslid. I don't think he did that. But I think he--he got the wrong opinion of Paul.
57 Now, Demas come out of a rich family and he was wealthy, and money sometimes means religion to people. Like they say in California, "If you haven't got three Cadillacs, you're not spiritual." So it means, if you're not successful, if you don't have the finest church there is in the city, the people won't go. It's almost that way here, Poogh. You, you've got to have the finest church in the country, or they say, "You, oh, you mean you joined up with a little bunch like that?"
58Did you know our Lord didn't have a place to lay His head? Did you know He only owned one coat? See? And He had... He was just kind of a person was pushed about. And He didn't have no place to lay His head. But they could have thought the same thing, and did, about Him.
59 And, now, I believe Demas saw a failing, seemingly, in Paul's ministry. I think that he thought the old fellow was washed up, before God. Now, he thought that a people that would pluck their eyes out to give to Paul...
60Now, Paul said that, he said, "You would have, at least, plucked your eyes out, to give them to me." Cause, Paul, we think, had bad eyes, 'cause he said, "I've wrote with such big letters." He said, "big letter" but I've got the--the lexicon, and it says "with big letters." He was in Rome, in prison there. It was something wrong, he said his eyes had been bothering him since the Heavenly vision. So he... The people would have plucked out their eyes, seeing Paul suffer, his eyes bothering him, and he suffering. And he asked the Lord to heal him, three times. And he said, "Except I would get exalted above the abundance of the Revelation, there was sent to me a messenger of the Devil that he might buffet me." Now, it would get pretty good, then hit him again. Then he'd get good, and hit him again.
61 You see, Paul had a ministry greater than all the rest of the apostles put together. Some of them could have said, "Well, I walked with Jesus." Why, man on the street walked with Him when He was here. But Paul saw Him in the Pillar of Fire after He was dead, buried, ascended into Heaven, and returned back and called Paul, see, see, on the road down to Damascus. And he had a greater ministry than Matthew, Mark, Luke, or any of them others. He was far beyond them. And he said, "Except I get exalted now and say, 'Now, you fellows don't know nothing about It. I seen the Lord after His resurrection.'"
62Well, they say, "We walked with Him." Well, so did all them people down around in Galilee and Nazareth and through the country there. They all walked with Him.
63 But, you see, Paul had talked with Him and saw Him in the form that He was before He was made flesh. See? And He commissioned Paul in that state, while He was in that Light. He commissioned Paul. And--and Paul had saw Him. And he said, "Except I get exalted, feel a little higher than some of you brethren, there was given to me a messenger of the Devil," that keeps him beat down. And he said, "I sought the Lord three times to take it away from me. And He said, 'Saul, or Paul, My grace is sufficient.'" Then Paul said, "I'll glory in my infirmities, 'cause when I am weak then I am strong. See, I will glory in it!"
64 Now, did you notice now, a man that had a ministry greater than any of the rest of them that had been on the field, Paul, the greatest ministry of all of them, that had seen Jesus in a Pillar of Fire, and commissioned him to do what he done, and was vindicated by the same God, and the same Power, with signs and wonders beyond any question; and was so poor he only had one coat, preaching to a bunch of people that would have plucked their eyes out, and some of them millionaires. And yet Paul had one coat. He said, "Bring that coat, getting cold up here." He was in the mountain country. He only had one coat.
65And Demas, to a man that was of high standing, high caliber, cultured, educated, and a rich man that had many changes of clothes, "That guy, was something wrong with him. That had so many friends that would pluck their eyes out to give it to him, and yet he was so poor he had one coat. Something was wrong with Paul."
66 Oh, you know, that spirit don't leave the world, they still have it that way. Money ain't God. There's only one God. See? But people think because you have a big ministry you ought to own all this and all this, and all these great big things, and big schools and big so-and-so. God doesn't deal in them things. Or, at least, that's been my opinion. God deals with an individual. He never did ordain us to go do such things.
67But Paul, with one coat, and he tells Timothy here to bring it to him because it was getting cold up there. Uh-huh. A man that had a ministry that preached to tens of thousands that Paul did, and a ministry that could do all kinds of miracles, and seen Jesus in a Pillar of Fire, commissioned him, and yet owned one coat. Demas said, "A fellow like that," he'd turn away from him.
68 Now, when he was up here preaching towards Troas, we find out that there's a man up there was a coppersmith. And he was a rascal. And he hated Christianity. And he done everything to Paul that he could do to him, had him throwed in jail. And every... even Paul warns Timothy of the same thing, "Watch that guy." And here's Demas! O God, let the people hear it! Here stood Demas standing by a man that struck a man blind, for disputing with him. Now, you Church of Christ preachers, put on your coats now. I had one tell me one time, said, "Smite me blind! Smite me blind! You got the Holy Ghost, smite me blind."
I said, "You're already blind." See?
69Now, why didn't Paul smite the coppersmith blind? That same kind of a spirit that's on people that think that, is the same thing was on Demas. A man that could smite a man blind, for disputing with him, and then turn and let a coppersmith spoil his ministry in the city. No doubt Demas said, "He, he's washed up, he's lost all of his gifts. He's--he's lost his gift of smiting blind."
70Don't you see how that spirit still lives, say, "You're washed up, brother"? Oh! It--it just goes over the people's head. They just don't get it, that's all there is to it. See? They just can't see it. See? They don't understand.
71 Now Demas... didn't smite that man blind because he wanted to. Didn't Jesus say, "I do nothing till the Father shows Me first"? Haven't I told you years ago, with my own mother was laying, dying, and would say, "Bill, what's my outcome?" I couldn't say nothing till God said so first. And that's just what happened. Man can't, man is a failure to begin with. He's only an agent to which God works through, and God works His Own will. But when you see these super-duper people that's always having this and that and the other, you'd better stay away from it. See? Jesus Himself didn't do that. He said, "I only work as the Father works. He shows Me what to do and then I go do it. I can't do other... anything otherwise than that."
72 And here Demas saw Paul, a man that had a ministry like that, and yet was so poor that he only owned one coat, and wanted Timothy to bring it to him. One coat! But, Paul set the example like Christ was, He had one coat. Then why does riches and lots of money and things mean so much to people today? Notice now. And he had power till, anybody that was contrary to what he preached, he turned around and said, "You'll be blind for a season." And the man was blind.
73And here was a coppersmith, done ten times to him what that man done, and yet got away with it. Demas must have thought, "Well, see, the old fellow's washed up now. He's lost his ministry." No, no, he hadn't lost his ministry, not at all. God don't do things like that. God's not an Indian giver. Yeah. Notice now.
74 Paul was something on the order like Elijah. Elijah the prophet went up on the mountain by the commission of God, and called for fire to fall out of Heaven, and it fell. And he called for water, and it come. And then he commanded by the message of God and killed four hundred priests, chopped their heads off, let them roll down the hill; and then run at the threat of a--a woman, one little hypocrite woman, or, she was an infidel. Jezebel, that one little woman which was the keynote to every bit of it, she was the one caused it. Looked like he'd have got her first. But God has ways of doing things, and His servants only can work according if he works according to the will of God.
75 Don't you see, friends, you've got to move according to God's way of moving. How many times have I set and counseled brethren, and how I would like to walk over and shake their hand and say, "Brethren, it doesn't make any difference, let's just be brethren along." How can I do that and keep my commission, "Preach the Word"? Don't want to do that.
76I've stood amongst ministers, and say, "Brother Branham, my aunt's over here. I know you're a prophet sent from God. Go over and restore her sight." Wish I could, I'd do it. I can't do it till He tells me to do it. See? No one could do it. Elijah couldn't do it, no one else could do it.
77 Now we find out that Paul... Demas preaching with Paul, had seen Paul see a crippled man laying there, and said, "I perceive you have faith to be healed. Stand up on your feet! Jesus Christ makes you well." Had seen him heal the sick, and yet he leaves his friend Theophilus sick.
78"Paul's lost his ministry." That's what Demas must have thought. "Why didn't he, if he had a gift of healing, why didn't he go up there and heal that buddy that had stood by him so faithful? He said, 'I've left him up there sick. And I ain't got no coat, and I want you to bring me that coat along. And be careful that coppersmith, he just ruined that meeting in the city. I had to leave the town. He put me in jail.'" I imagine Demas said, "What kind of a preacher has this turned out to be?" See?
79And, brother, they got a lot of them Demas spirits in the world today. They don't know what it's all about. See? No need trying to explain it to them, 'cause they won't get it anyhow. See? See? A servant of Christ follows the Footprints.
80 One of our deacons here, I don't know whether he's here tonight or not, it's Tony Zabel. He's usually around here. And he came to me and he said here not long ago before he got--come over here, he said--he said, "I--I had a dream, a funny dream." He said, "I--I dreamed I was trying to find my way upward towards Heaven." He said, "I seen a man coming with a black robe on and was a--a--a reading a book." And said, "I--I got to this man, and I asked him, 'Which a-way to Heaven?' And he said, 'Ask the man ahead of me.'" And that was a--a pastor of a church that he had went to.
81 He went a little farther and he met another man, he had on a black robe and was singing songs, going on. And that was another pastor. Both them pastors are personal friends of mine. And he said... And fine man. And he said, "'Which way do I get up the top of the mountain here?' He said, 'Look here.' Said, 'See, standing way up there on the top, that little bitty guy?' I said, 'Yes.'" Said, "There stood a guy with a pair of overalls on, wearing a little cowboy hat." [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
82Someone said, down in Kentucky, said, talking about me down there, said, "That guy looks anything like but a preacher." Might look like a farmer or something, but--but, you know, it ain't looks.
83 And said that it was me standing up there. And he--he climbed up till he got to me, and said I got him by the arm and led him on up till I got top of the hill. And there was a wilderness to go through. And I said, "Tony, I must leave you here and you must walk some of this by yourself."
He said, "Brother Branham, what can I do from here on?"
84Said I said, "Come here, Tony, look down there. You see them barefooted tracks with Blood in them?" I said, "That's what I've followed all the way. Just stay on That." That's the only thing I know to point man to; not to a creed or a sensation of some sort, but to those bloody Footprints that leads to the Bible, the Blood of Jesus Christ.
85 Now, how that man must have felt, a man with so many millionaire friends, and one coat. A man that was... had power to smite a man blind, and let a man run him out of town. Never done a thing about it, got up and went out. Prayed for the sick and had left his friend sick. And Demas left him. All the rest of them left him. All of them left him. Paul said, "All men left me." Every one of them left him.
86I say this. When a man stands true to the Word, not just in one meeting, but in every meeting, when a man stands true to the Word, the time will come when they'll leave him. Exactly. They did it. They did it to our Lord. They'll leave him when he stands for Truth. "All men has forsaken me." And now what do you think that Demas and some of them men thought when we all know, that know the Scripture, that Luke was a doctor, and Paul, wherever he went, took this doctor with him? And preaching Divine healing, and leaving his friend sick. So poor, he had one coat. And let a man run him out of town, when he could smite a man blind. See, they thought he was washed up. But he wasn't! He was exactly in the bloody Footprints. He was following on. I hope you're understanding. He said, "All man has forsaken me."
87 Demas, loving this present world, popularity of men. "Hello, Doctor Demas. I know you got your Ph.!"
88Oh, sure, they love that. Jesus said, "How you like to stand in synagogues, and be called 'Rabbi,' and so forth." Said, "You only receive more damnation." See?
89Now, we know when they seen this doctor following him, or with him, and Paul took Luke, said, he said--said here, "Luke is--Luke is the only one hadn't forsaken. And Luke is--is good to him. But, Luke is prosperous to him. He needs Luke for his ministry." And this doctor following a man around wherever he went, and preached Divine healing. And a man that preached Divine healing could heal the crippled and raise up the dead, and everything else, and see mighty visions, and speak things that would come to pass, and left his own co-worker sick. And could have had a million dollars and built buildings worth tens of thousands of dollars, and big schools and things like that, and didn't even have but one coat to put on his back.
90 Demas said, "I ain't associating with a guy like that. He's just... He's a low class of person. I'll go up with the denominational brethren. I'll go up where I'll be somebody." If it was such a thing, I'd like to walk, and right after Baxter gets through, see, for leaving that poor little guy in that shape. He ought to have been standing by him. Paul was the one led him to Christ. But, you see, it's without knowing the Spirit, knowing what the will of God is, then doing the will of God. See? Now, but there he left him in that condition. Left him! All men had forsaken him.
91 How I think of that! How a servant that'll stand true to the Word, sooner or later, just remember, the people are going to forsake him. Now, we want to strike that just for a few minutes, and I won't keep you too long now, 'cause I want you here in the morning. Always when God's servant stands true to the Word, all forsake him. And it... Now, just take anywhere you want to, anytime in the Bible or in history, that when a man stayed true, no matter how popular he was, when he stayed true to the Word, the time come when the religious world forsaken him and cut him off. Now, just read it, if you take the Bible from Genesis over to the Book of Revelation, and pick up in the Pre-Nicene Council and take down to the Nicene Fathers, and every man, every saint, every prophet, every true servant of God that stayed with the Word, was forsaken by the ecclesiastical thing and cast down. And Paul was one of them.
92 And if there'd be one today, it'd be the same thing. It's exactly the truth. You have to hit that place. It has to come. They think that a man that would have a ministry like that, he ought to have the world right under his thumb. He should, but they won't come under his thumb. See? And a man like that wouldn't put a ministry, or a world under his thumb; he'd put it under his Master's thumb, 'cause he's not here representing himself, he's representing his Master.
93 You know, men try to seek honor one from another, and they honor one another, and dishonor God by doing so. See? We try and make big people among us, and when we're no big people and little people, we're all little people. There's only one big One among us, and that's our Lord. See? And we make our organization so much bigger than God, "the great holy church of this, that, or the other, the great holy bishops," and so forth. There's no such things as that. That's the honor of man. There's only One holy, and that's God. And the Holy Ghost, which is God, is among us. It's not us that's holy, it's the Holy Spirit that's in us. It's not... When we see things done, it isn't us doing, it's the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "It's not Me that doeth the works, it's My Father. He dwelleth in Me, and He's the One that does the works." And it isn't him that--that's doing it. All right. But we find them true servants down through the time.
94 Now here is the thing I want to kind of exercise on for a few moments. Now, it's usually at such a time as this when men has stayed true to the Word and all men have forsaken him until God steps in in defense of that person and crowns his ministry. That's right. What a consolation. Our consolation is built in the promise of God's Word. No matter what the world says, what the world does, that's not our hopes, is not built in what the world is doing.
95 I think that song is so pretty. Wish I could sing. I always wanted to sing. See? "They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like an eagle, they'll run and not be weary, if they walk they'll not faint; teach me, Lord, to wait. Teach me, Lord, to wait down on my knees." I like that. "And in Your Own good time You'll answer my pleas; teach me not to rely on what others do, but just wait in prayer for an answer from You." That's it. That's the true servant that waits for his Master's turn, knowing this, that the Scriptures cannot fail regardless of what happens. The Scripture's got to stand true. In such a time as that, is when God usually steps in to help them.
96 Let us look at Elijah when he had been forsaken. Why? Because he had stayed true to the Word. He said, "All men has forsaken me." And he was excommunicated from society, from the organization, from the even national organization, of the national church of Israel, the priest and all had throwed him out, and he had not even a coat as much as Paul, but a little piece of sheepskin, or, leather draped around him, and set up on a mountain and was fed by the birds. Yes, sir. Why? For the Word-of-God's sake, 'cause he was true to THUS SAITH THE LORD. Now they all went modern. The first lady of the land, Jezebel, had got all of the fashions and things out. And the priests had give in to it and so forth, and all of the preachers and so forth, they coordinated into it. But not Elijah, he stayed true to that Word. And for such a thing he was forsaken, till he cried out, "Lord, I'm the only one left, and they even seek my life."
97But God give him some consolation, said, "I got seven thousand yet down there."
98 See, I don't believe Elijah felt puffed up about that, that he was the only one, but I think he was just so forsaken. Every time he'd go up to a priest to hold a meeting, they'd turn him out. He'd go down here, "Get out of here, you fanatic! Get out of here! Go do this!" It showed when Elisha come along, his successor. Well, what did they do? They even... The young fellow was baldheaded, and they sent their little children out to make fun of them old "quacks." Said both of them was considered quacks, said, "Old baldhead! Baldhead, why didn't you go up like Elijah did?" They didn't believe he went up. Uh-huh. See? Just they thought he was a bunch of quacks. But they were true to the Word, with an a vindicated ministry. Elijah stood. All right.
99 Daniel took a true stand. You know where I get that in Daniel 12, or Daniel 9, I believe it is. When you... Daniel took a true stand for the Word. What happened to him? When he was the right-hand man to the king, but he took a true stand for the Word, and was excommunicated and throwed into a lions' den. A man of God standing true to the Word!
100The Hebrew children stayed true to the Word, under the king's proclamation that "whosoever shall not bow to that image when the psaltery sound and the trumpets be blowed out, and so forth, ever who will not bow to our image will be throwed into the fiery furnace," and they turned their back to the image. And re-... They, regardless of how unpopular they become, regardless of how excommunicated they'd be from the society, they stayed true to the Word. I like that.
101 Jacob, another. He had a... been away from home for a long time, and he had a call to go home to see his people. And he was on his road, true to his call, true to his leading. He had things fine over there, but God begin to deal with him to go home. And, on his road home, was throwed between two tight places. His wife and children on this side; and his hated brother, Esau, coming here with an army to meet him. And he stood at the little brook, brook Peniel there, and there he stood. And what a condition! Esau, hating him, coming with an army to meet him, and here was his wife, two wives and children all on this side of the brook, and he was caught in a tight place. Why? Because he'd have stayed in his own land it'd been all right. But he had a call, the Word of God had called him to his homeland. Hallelujah! God bless a man. He got a change, too. Yes, sir.
102 Jesus, true to the Father's Word, "I do only that which the Father says. It's written, 'The man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"
Jesus, forever true to that Word, it come a time when He lost all the friends He had. Every one of them forsaken Him and went away. All of them. And the people saw Him mocked, scoffed, lost confidence in Him. "How could a man that could speak to a dead man in the grave and raise him up, how could a man that could foretell events to the mark and never had... never fail; and set in the courts with His face bleeding from plucks of beard, and the gaumiest drunken spit from the soldiers running down His face, with a rag on His head, and hitting Him on the head with a stick, and saying, 'Prophesy and tell us who hit You, and we'll believe it'?" Well, the disciples just walked away, said, "Ah!"
103 See, they so quickly forget what God did! How Moses said at the Red Sea, when he stood there and said, "God has done ten outstanding miracles, are you still so delinquent that you don't know that He's still God?" He went down there and he smote the lands, he--he put a curse on the lands. He brought frogs, fleas, flies, everything, and a--a blast that killed all the firstborn, and the death angel passed through the land, and yet those people didn't want to follow him at the Red Sea. How quickly, as soon as your popularity... When they seen this great shining spears of a hundred thousand men coming like that, or maybe, yeah, or maybe a million men coming, and the roar of the chariots and the dust flying, they just give up and fell back, "And, Moses, we ought to have died back there." See? God said He let them die in the wilderness for unbelief. "Moses, your ministry is washed up, that's all. You ain't no more." See, they don't understand. They don't get it.
104 And now the same thing was when Jesus, the young Rabbi or Teacher, or Prophet of Galilee, when He was doing all those miracles and things, "How could He ever stand and put up with such a thing as that? How could He let a man bind Him with chains, when He could break the seal off of a grave and raise a dead man out of Eternity? How could He do it, when He could speak to a widow's dead son and raise him to live again; and Lazarus, dead and rotten in the grave, and bring him out? How could He stand, say, 'I'm the Resurrection and Life. He that believeth in Me though he were dead yet shall he live. Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.' And stand and be bound with fetters and spit in the face, and not open His mouth?" The disciples, "He's lost His ministry." Yeah, that's the way it goes. God, this poor world!
105 Even His church, the twelve that He had delighted in and told them everything, and loved of them, they turned their back upon Him. Only one stood by Him, that was the man John. Right at an hour when everything was gone, and all hopes was gone, there He was bound, and took up there and mocked and spit, and put His back to the... Not knowing that that fulfilled the Scriptures.
106 Why, don't you know that the things that are going on today is fulfilling the Scriptures exactly to the letter? Why does people may say these things? Why does these denominations rage? Why do they do that? It's written in the Scriptures they'll do it. They walk right into it and do it themselves, blindly, not knowing they're doing it. You think Judas knowed he was playing the part of Judas? You think Pharaoh knowed he has playing the part, when God raised him up for that purpose? You think Esau would have done the things he did? Certainly not. Said, "They got eyes and can't see, ears and can't hear." But watch the Scripture, just unfolding. See? We're at the end time, it's got to be this way.
107 Now, His church forsaken Him. All men and nature forsaken Him. Talk about somebody being forsaken, Paul had no forsakening at all to what He had. Even the very creation that He created was forsaking Him. The moon and stars and sun, and everything, blotted off. Man, God, nature and everything forsook Him, nothing standing there, He died alone. Did He lose His ministry? He was fulfilling His ministry, not losing it. That goes with it. That's the thing that takes place. That has to go with it.
108 Now, everything forsaken Him. But it was at this time that God stepped in on the scene, because any man that knows the Word will stay with the Word, knowing that the Word is God. See? And the Word has to unfold Itself. The unfailing Word must unfold Itself. It's got to, in order, because the Word is God. And if It worked on others all down through the age, It'll work the same way right now, because It's God. Don't never forget that. For Jesus knowed that He being the fullness of the Word, He was not only a Prophet, He was God Himself. He was the Word. That's the reason not only man forsook Him, but also nature forsook Him. The whole creation forsook Him, everything, the stars, the moon, and no light when He died. Everything forsaken Him, see, because He was Creator of all things. "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not." See? He was Creator of all things. All things! Now, the only thing, that we--we don't create but we try to convert, and those who we try to convert is the ones who forsakes and walks away. See? When the time comes for the Word to make Its real show, it has to be that way. Now, just remember, it was then that God steps in on the scene.
109 And in the life of our Lord Jesus, the mighty works that He done for the first year and six months of His life, oh, how He was a mighty Man! There never was nothing like Him on earth, never was since, never will be after. But what happened? He got more mockery than any, all the rest of them put together. Mocked by nature and mocked by creation, mocked by everything, because it was in a perverted condition. That's the reason men's hearts mock the true servant of God, because it's perverted. Nature is perverted, that's the reason.
110 If nature is as pretty as what it is, being perverted, what will it be when it gets converted back to the will of God? If a land can bear grapes that takes two man to pack them on their back, what will it be, and that a perverted land, what will it be when it's converted back to God? Christ comes, the desert shall blossom as a rose. It'll be a conversion. And the dry places will spring up from the water, and the earth shall bloom and blossom. Oh, that will be a time, and when men's hearts shall be converted into godly men, that's been to making their choice now, will live in that place. Amen.
111 "In that dark hour, mid rendering rocks and darkening skies," said the poet, "my Saviour bowed His head and died; the opening veil revealed the way to Heaven's joys and endless day." He had to do that in order to make a way for us. That's right. But what did God do? He was true to the Word and He embraced the cross. But was it the end of His ministry? Was His ministry washed up? God crowned it with the greatest crown that ever could been crowned. He crowned it on Easter morning, on the resurrection. He crowned the ministry of our Lord Jesus, He raised from the dead and is alive forevermore. He wasn't washed up because all men forsook Him, He was crowned! Yes, sir. Yes, sir. He was crowned because that He was, had been forsaken, and He must do that when He raised Him from the dead.
112 The same was with Elijah. We spoke of him a few moments ago. Elijah, that poor old broke down prophet laying out there in the wilderness, and had to be fed by what the birds would bring him. And his little old skinny drawed up, brown-looking body, little cruse of oil hanging on his side, his whiskers all out, and head probably bald and sunburned, crippling, going down on a stick like this, but down beneath that little old heart beat the Spirit of God. When God seen His little old tired servant getting down to the end, everybody forsaking him, and everything else, did He let him down? He sent a chariot down, picked up His tired servant, "You don't even have to walk up like Enoch did, I'll just take you home in a chariot." That's right. He crowned his ministry with a chariot ride home. That's not so bad, you know. Yeah. Yes, he didn't have to walk home, He just sent a chariot and picked him up 'cause he was tired. I like that. Amen. Poor, little, old tired servant, He picked him up and took him Home.
113 It was at the time that Daniel stood so loyal to God, that he went in... They said, "That man, you know, he was once a great fellow here in this kingdom. He's told all kinds of things. And he's brought the soothsayers in, he taught them things." And the Medes-Persians and how he done. But under the reign of Darius, it was Daniel that stayed true to God. It was Daniel that stayed with the Word of God and wouldn't mingle with anything else. And he said, "Well, his ministry's washed up, because I seen it in the local paper, he's going to be throwed to the lions' den in a few days." Going to Federal prison, or something, you see. "But we're going to throw him into the lions' den." But what did God do? God sealed His ministry with a change of the king's heart, that Darius sent to every language, people across the world, that every man should fear at the God of Daniel, because He was a God that could deliver. Amen.
114So, you see, it's at that time when men forsake men, God's servants that stay true to the Word, that God seals their ministry with a crowning time.
115 Yes, it was the Hebrew children under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, when they wouldn't bow to the image. They stayed true to God because God Word said, "Don't bow before any image, to worship it." They stayed true to the Word. And it was in the local paper, in the news, all about it, whatever it was in them days. They had ways to scatter news. Not in a local newspaper, of course not, just saying that so you'll have some idea. But it was in there they was going to burn them in the fiery furnace seven times hotter. For days before that, they throwed in all the material to get the furnace so hot that it was seven times hotter, overheated seven times. Why, it would have consumed them, to get in a hundred yards of it. But they went right in the fiery furnace, and come right out without even any smell of fire on them. And Nebuchadnezzar said, "Every man that fails to worship this God, let his children and him be killed, his house burned and made a dunghill." That's right. See? He... They had a world-wide revival because they were true to the Word. That's what happens. Yes, sir. Stay true to the Word, yes, and it always pays out wonderful.
116 Jacob, we mentioned him a while ago. I got his name wrote down here. Here he was, a little coward, but he was staying. He was afraid of Esau over there. My, my! And he knowed he was away from God. Been away from God all these years, but he always tried to stay true to that Word. And here God called him and told him to go to his home. Here he was right in the line of duty, and there was Esau with an army. It was at that time that he was changed from the name of Jacob, "supplanter, shyster," to Jacob... "a prince before God," when he walked out the next morning, with his ministry crowned. Walked right out and meets Esau, and wanted no help from him. Amen. True to the Word. That's the way God does things, isn't it? He--He does things in His Own way. All right.
117 Many of my brethren, they're having great popularity today amongst their denominational brethren. You just speak one name, boy, and it's just like fire, anywhere, that's right, you say this certain name of this person. And, after all, when the Lord spoke to me down on the river that day, it spearheaded that revival around the world, from there come every one of those great evangelists.
118They went right back with their brethren, see, those denominations in which they come out of. They come out here and hold this meeting, mixed up with the denominations, they go right back into them again. They got a lot of favor, big names on radio, papers, and everything. Everybody speaks well of them.
119 But all men has forsaken me because I've took a true Word, and stood by the Word. I've stayed right here to what He said to me, preached the Word, not a denominational philosophy. "Preach the Word," that was my commission, "stay with the Word." And, brethren, who is listening to this on tape, I was a great guy when I come among you, just healing the sick, speaking of visions and showing things. But when I went to tell you the Truth about the Word, what did you turn your back on me for? Do you realize it's just fulfilling what the Scripture said? Yes, it does that way. Now I can hardly get in a place.
120 Letter comes all the time. One come the other day, said, "Brother Branham, I had the greatest of confidence in you, but I heard you say that a certain denomination which I belong to was backsliding." Said, "I have no more confidence in you at all now, from now on." Said, "There was about twenty-five of the brethren of my denomination setting in one of your meetings," said, "we just got--got right up and went off when you said that."
121Well, all men has forsaken me, but there's one thing, He stood by me!...?... I'm not, I wasn't disobedient to the Heavenly vision that happened down there on the river. I've stayed true to Him. He's been true to me. I'm trusting in Him, someday, I don't know when, for a crowning of my ministry. I've stayed just as true as I could be. I don't know what it'll be. I don't know when it'll be. And just when He's ready, I am done up here. I hope He will crown my ministry of this, of letting me take the clothes of the Word, and dress His Bride in the clothe of the Word, and for His righteousness. I hope He will crown me, let me stand on that day, say, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world."
122 There's so many hills to climb upward, the strain, sometime it gets hard; but the One that points the pathway, knows just what's best. He knows what's best. "The toils of the road will seem nothing, when we get to the end of the way." Let's hunt for that bloody footprint. Just remember, friends, "The sands has been washed in the footprints of that Stranger on Galilee's shore; and that voice that subdued the rough billows, will be heard in Judaea no more. But the path of that lone Galilean, so gladly I follow today; and the toil of the road will seem nothing, when I get to the end of the way."
123 In this first part of the Scripture I read, He gave to me, I was a young man, just a boy, standing out there, shoulders straight, chest throwed out, shock of wavy, black hair. And now I stand stoop-shouldered, baldheaded, graying, an old man of fifty-three years old. But He's sweeter as the days go by. And I've not shunned to declare to you the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ. And my heart's desire is to meet the Church which He has died for, clothed in the righteousness of His Own Blood, dressed in His Word and the righteous of His Word, for His Word can never fail. And therefore, I know if I'll stand by the Word and be true to the Word, and if the Word abides in me and I in Him, at that day I'll be happy that I stayed true.
124I don't know what the future holds, but you see where we're at, don't you? You see why everybody's saying, even to some of my own colleagues, said, "Why, Brother Branham's all washed up." See? Yeah. "All washed up." See? "Ah, we don't hear much more done." See? Well, we... They just don't understand, that's all, just don't understand it. See?
125 I think the greatest thing that Paul wanted, when he said, "My time is up now," the greatest desire of Paul's heart was to be a martyr. That was the desire of all their hearts in them days. If they... Did you ever read the Foxe's Book Of The Martyrs, and also read also The Nicene Council? The greatest honor that could be, when different ones (and Polycarp and them) walked into the lions' den, they shouted with joy. Walked in there knowing that they was going to be a martyr. When they was burnt to the stake, they screamed with joy, for the honor of being a martyr. When Paul walked down to that chopping block, to have his head cut off, led from that prison house, a little old dungy place down there, in a hole in the wall, where they had him. I walked down there, looked at it. Little old crypt back there where they slammed his body into it. And now want to make him a saint or something another. Same group of people! There he walked down there. He said, "O death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? But thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. I've fought a good fight. I've finished the course. I've kept the Faith. There's a crown laid up for me, and not only for me, but all those who love His appearing."
126 We've come down to the 6th verse now, to the 18th. I don't know what it'll read for me, but I'm only quoted you what it's read for others. And I'm going to continue to stay true to the Word until He's finished. That's where the ministry is today. I'm not washed up. I hope I'm just washed in. That's it. That's right. Let us bow our heads now while we pray....?...
127 There's a little rope reaching down from the Throne tonight, it's called the Lifeline. While I'm praying, I hope it drags by every unconverted person in here. Won't you reach up and take a hold of it, sinner friend? You say, "Brother Branham, you said you was getting old, and I guess that's the reason you're..." No, brother, sister. When I was just a little boy, I believed This. I've give my life for It. And there's only one regret I have, I haven't got but one life to give. If I had ten thousand lives I'd want to give them all for It. Yeah.
128Won't you take a hold of the Line when it passes by tonight, your way? You say, "Brother Branham, I'm not worthy to take a hold of It." I know you're not, child. But you go do something to get worthy, and tell me what you done, I want to do it, too. There ain't a thing you can do to get worthy. You was born unworthy. There's only one thing you can do, just take a hold of the way that's made for you. You're drowning, don't drown in that. God's throwed out the Lifeline, let's--let's reach and get it tonight.
129 Heavenly Father, I remember right here at this same desk, this same place where I spoke of that morning, that when I dedicated the church right upon this ground here. And that cornerstone lays there, still holding a leaf out of the Bible that I wrote that. I said, "Lord Jesus, with Your grace I'll stay true to the Word." And now I see it's produced just exactly what it done in other times. And here I am in this tabernacle tonight, after traveling the world, back again, and the little cornerstone still lays there and the paper's in it. Search me, Lord God. I made many mistakes. I--I've done wrong, Lord. Many times I've failed You, as I just testified a while ago about a failure. God, I--I, quick as I do it, I--I--I want forgiveness. In my heart I love You. I--I know You showed me recently about that place we're going. I don't know when You're through with me now, Lord. I--I'm here tonight, I... by Your grace. And I--I don't know when You're through, but I know this has to come to this. But when it comes that time, I--I don't want to be a coward. I want to stand like the rest of them stood. But, God, if--if--if I have to seal my testimony with my own life, or whatever it is to be done, Lord, crown it then. Not crown me; crown the ministry that I've preached, Lord, it's Your Word. And I know that Word is more than able to raise me up again at the resurrection. And I'm not ashamed of the Word that I have preached, because It's the power of God unto salvation to as many as believe.
130 I thank You for the little church still standing today. When I took that stand for the Word, the prophets prophesied and said, "In six months it'll be turned into a garage." Thirty years has passed, she's more on fire today than it's been in years. "Upon this rock I'll build My Church." We thank You for our pastor. We thank You for the deacons, the trustees. We all got a little part to play, Lord, and we want to play it loyal, we want to play it right.
131There may be some in here like to join up with us tonight, Lord. And the way they join it, is just to take a hold of this little Lifeline and go to pulling, wrap It around their wrist, tie It around their heart, and say, "Now, Lord, pull, lift me up," and they'll come forth and shine as gold. Grant it, Lord. We're looking for that time.
132 We believe that it's near the end. We see that as we have been teaching here, the Laodicean Church Age is now on, we see there can't be nothing else happen but the Coming of the Lord. And, Lord, wouldn't that be a great crown for the Word, to see the Crown Himself come? I'd like to be standing here and say, "There He is, that's the Lamb." Like John did. "Behold the Lamb that we have waited on, this is He." The Lord will quickly come to His temple, take away His people in a Rapture.
133Make us ready, Father. Wash our hearts in Your Blood. Make us pure and clean, that Your Word might abide in us. And may we remember that we must act upon the Word, in order for It to take a hold and be effective. Grant every sinner repentance. Bless everyone that's in here. The saints, those, some of these old precious warriors, Lord, has been battling along the line for years, made fun of, talked about and ridiculed. They're still going on because they got Life. They know Who they've believed, and persuaded He's able to keep that which they've committed to Him. We thank You for that. Pray that You'll heal the sick that's in our midst. Take all of our sins and sicknesses away. And, Father God, get glory to Yourself.
134 I've got so many precious friends, Lord. I--I love them, and I know other men has down through the age, too. Precious friends, loving friends, young and old, and we love them with all of our heart. Now make us true, Lord, just true to the Word, that we might meet them in a better land someday where there'll never be no sadness nor sorrows. We're looking for the Coming of the Lord, soon. We believe that He shall come.
135Now bless the unbeliever here tonight, Lord, and may he become a believer and accept You as his Saviour tonight.
136 And while we have our heads bowed, if there would be someone here with your head bowed, would say, "Brother Branham, way down deep in my heart, I--I want to come to the end of the road, fighting a good fight. I want to be a Christian. I'm going to raise up my hand." God bless you, and God bless you. That's good. God bless you, you. "I want to come to the end of my road, with a good fight behind me. I'm accepting Christ just now. I want Him to be my Helper." All right, the Lord bless you. God bless you, lady in the back. That's good. He--He knows you. I've learned enough about Him in all these years, about thirty-two years now behind the pulpit, I've learned enough about Him now to know that He knows every move that you make. He sees the sparrow. The hair of your head are numbered. See, He knows all about it. You just raise your hand, and mean it, that's all you have to do. And there's water ready.
137 Remember, what do you do? You repent, believe on the Gospel, and then be baptized. What for--for? In the Name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. That's your testimony, that you are. Your sins are gone when you are baptized; you've confessed them, and you believe. Won't you catch the Lifeline now as it pulls across your heart, and saying, "Come this way, pilgrim. Journey with Me, take My cross upon you. Learn of Me, I'm meek and lowly in heart, and My burdens are light." Just reach and take a hold of It.
138 How many Christians are in the Way tonight, in here, that are happy that you started a long time ago? Done made your start, and way down along the road, still coming down towards the end. I pray that God will crown your ministry, whatever it is. It may be a housewife. I pray that God will crown your ministry. It may be a preacher. It may be a deacon. It may be a lay member. It may be a farmer. I don't know what it is. Whatever it is, may God crown your life with the glory of His Word, and His Second Coming rapture you and take you away into another Land where you'll just feel like that little fish I talked about, out of that blackness down there. See, you couldn't go up There with this kind of a body. Neither could you go up like these astronauts, see, you have to be in a pressurized tank. You're not pressurized for it. But when God changes you, you're pressurized then, you're going in the Rapture then. When these old earthly senses has been lost, and you're gone on in that glorious way of the cross, going Home with Jesus.
139 Now, Father God, we thank You for these hands that come up for to be Christians. I believe that they meant it in their hearts. I pray for them, that they will not anytime fail. And if they do fail, may quickly they have that Advocate with the Father. Which I have learned to be such a great thing, Father, that when I make all my mistakes, then I find that I have an advocate, right quick, with the Father, through Jesus Christ. And I'm brought back into grace again. The loving hand of the Lord wipes away, there's a bloody Sacrifice laying there that I confess to be my Saviour.
140All that's sick and needy, I pray that You'll supply their needs and heal all the disease, Lord. And those that are here now sitting under this glorious anointing of the Holy Spirit, as we feel It so sweetly pouring over our souls.
141 Father God, You know what I was thinking about coming down from Canada the other day. I thought, "Oh, how I would love to get in an old-fashion revival again, and just the saints of God, singing, and the power of God, falling." Oh, how my heart longs for it, Lord. May there break such a revival in this Tabernacle, oh, that the power of God will--will just pour down in streams of grace, go into every heart.
142I thank You for this little place, Lord. We wasn't able to keep it this way, it's been Your grace that's kept it spiritual. And now I believe, Lord, the most spiritual little spot in the nation, that I know of, is right here at Eighth and Penn Street. How I thank You for this, Lord! Going into the churches and see them cold and indifferent, and the women so bold that they can't even blush, and not an "amen" or a tear on the cheek, or nothing, and no salvation, no nothing but just join their church and say their creed. And, O God, then come into a sweet little warm place where the fires are built on every altar of their heart. What a comfort it is, Father! What a comfort! Thank You, Father, and may it ever remain until the Coming of the Lord Jesus. Bless us together now.
143 And tomorrow's the Sabbath. And, Lord, help me in the morning, if it falls my lot to preach on that Countdown. God, may I be able to bring it in such a way till the people will see it, Lord. And now may they see the state of the ministry, and where it's at, and what we're waiting for, and why everything is going on the way it is. May they read from the 5th verse on, and then realize the place that we're standing.
144And now, Father, I pray that You'll bless us and give us good rest in our bodies, and bring us back tomorrow. Bless all these people standing around the walls, and leaning from one foot to another. Women, men standing out in the rain out there, and around the windows, and sitting in their cars, and all up and down. I pray that You'll bless them, Lord. May they go home with the grace of God in their heart. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.
145 Do you understand now? Read from, first, Second Timothy 2:4, Second Timothy 4, from the 5th verse on down, before you go to bed tonight, if you can, and you'll see where we're at. Why did them men forsake him? Why didn't they come? And now just compare that ministry with what we're going through today. Compare the teaching of Saint Paul. Remember in the little Heavenly thing that I saw, I said, "Well, will Paul have to stand with his people?"
They said, "Yes."
146I said, "I have preached the same Word he did, just exactly stayed with the same Gospel."
147And millions throwed up their hands and said, "We're resting on That."
148Lord bless you. Do you love Him? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]
Until we meet! Till we meet!
Till we meet!"
1 ... prebudenie, bol som veľmi unavený a vyčerpaný. Mali sme mnoho obecenstva po ceste, výborné zhromaždenia, prinášame pozdravy kresťanov z každého miesta, hore-dole z východného pobrežia, a tiež zo západného pobrežia hore do Kanady. Videli sme dobrú spoluprácu medzi všetkými rôznymi denominačnými cirkvami zo Zborov Božích, Zjednotených Letničných, z Cirkvi Božej, z Rozhodných a mnohých ďalších organizácií, ktoré spolupracovali a usporiadali veľké zhromaždenia. Bol to veľký úspech, pokiaľ sa to dnes dá nazvať ako úspech, a možno mnohí povedia, že to bolo veľké. Ale ja sám, a mne ide o prebudenie. A prebudenie, ako v národe, práve skončilo. A my sme ... Rád vidím prebudenie, kde ľuďom horia srdcia, nie pridávanie sa za členov, ale prebudenie. Náš Pán tam vykonal veľa zázrakov a uzdravil ľudí a samozrejme, niekoľkí boli spasení. A teraz som doma, chvíľu si odpočiniem a znovu pôjdem do služby za pár týždňov, ak Pán dá.
2A teraz, toto, čo chcem dnes večer tu v modlitebni oznámiť, je pre mnohých ľudí a pre mojich priateľov po celom svete. Ak ste tu boli, ktokoľvek, kto tu bol a mohol by vidieť, ľuďom je tu dnes večer v modlitebni veľmi teplo. Sú tu všade natlačení, stoja vo dverách a vonku v autách a všade, a je veľmi teplo. Bude to ťažko pre ľudí a tiež pre mňa.
3Ale prišiel som na toto miesto lebo chcem vysvetliť, v akom časovom úseku žijeme podľa služby, ktorú mi dal Pán. A chcel som to nahrať tu v modlitebni. Mám to na srdci už od jari, ale som čakal, kedy tu znovu budem, aby som to mohol nahrať a poslať ľuďom po svete.
4Bolo to asi pred tridsiatimi-dvomi rokmi, keď Pán Ježiš, na stopäťdesiatich yardoch zeme, kde práve teraz stojím, tu v Jeffersonville na križovatke ulíc Ôsma a Ohradová, to ráno, keď som kládol uholný kameň tejto modlitebni, vtedy to bolo takmer močarisko. A býval som tu oproti naľavo. To bolo ešte predtým, ako som sa oženil. Býval som so svojím otcom a matkou. Keď ma Pán Ježiš zobudil ráno, keď mal byť kladený ten uholný kameň, včas ráno, okolo šiestej. Chvíľu som ležal na posteli a srdce som mal plné radosti, rozmýšľal som o tomto veľkom čase, že Pán mi ide dať modlitebňu, v ktorej budem kázať. Vtedy som bol len mladý chlapec. A v ten deň som ... To dievča, s ktorým som chodil, ktorá sa za krátko, v tom ďalšom roku, mala stať mojou ženou, bola s nami, keď sme mali klásť ten uholný kameň.
5A pamätám sa v to ráno, keď som sa zobudil a ležal som v izbe, rovno tu hore na siedmej ulici, niečo povedalo, “Postav sa na nohy.” A vstal som. A videl som, ako to bolo, veľké miesto, a bolo to ako veľké miesto, kde pretekala rieka cez údolie. A ja som zišiel dole ku tej rieke a porozumel som, že to bolo miesto, kde Ján Krstiteľ krstil ľudí a oni z toho spravili miesto na váľanie sa svíň. A ja som bol veľmi proti tomu, hovoril som, že to nemali urobiť.
6A kým som tam bol, hlas hovoril ku mne a zodvihol ma hore a všimol som si túto modlitebňu, približne v takom stave, ako je teraz, ale bolo tam tak veľa ľudí a boli proste natlačení v modlitebni v takomto stave, približne tak, ako je to teraz. A ja som bol šťastný, stál som za kazateľňou, hovoril som, “Bože, aký si ku mne dobrý, že si mi dal modlitebňu.”
7A v tom čase, anjel Pánov prehovoril ku mne a povedal, “Ale toto nie je tvoja modlitebňa.”
8A ja som povedal, “Potom, Pane, kde je moja modlitebňa?”
A On ma znovu zodvihol v Duchu a postavil ma do nejakého sadu. A v tom sade boli rady stromov v rovnakej úrovni, okolo šesť alebo deväť metrov vysoké. A vyzerali ako ovocné stromy, a boli zasadené vo veľkých zelených vedrách.
9A potom som si všimol, že po mojej pravej aj ľavej strane bolo prázdne vedro na každej strane, a povedal som, “Čo s týmto?”
10A On povedal, “Ty ich máš do nich zasadiť.” Tak som vytrhol konár zo stromu po pravej strane a zasadil som ho do vedra na pravej strane a konár zo stromu na ľavej strane a zasadil som ho do vedra na ľavej strane. Oni rýchlo vyrástli až do oblakov.
11A On povedal, „Načiahni sa a naber z nich ovocie.” A do jednej ruky mi spadlo veľké žlté jablko, lahodné a zrelé. A do druhej ruky mi spadla veľká žltá slivka, lahodná a zrelá. A povedal mi, “Jedz to ovocie, pretože je dobré.” A ja som jedol jedno i druhé; veľmi dobré. Poznáte to videnie, je opísané v jednej z tých kníh, “Životný príbeh,” alebo “Prorok navštívil Afriku.”
12A práve vtedy som mal zodvihnuté ruky a vykrikoval som, chváliac Boha. A zrazu náhle ten Ohnivý Stĺp zostupoval dole ponad vrcholce tých stromov a hrmelo, blýskalo sa a vietor mocne dul a listy začali lietať zo stromov. A ja som sa pozrel dole, bolo to v tvare tejto modlitebne, ako teraz stojí. A na konci, kde by bola kazateľňa, tam boli tri stromy a tieto tri stromy mali tvar troch krížov. A všimol som si, že oboje, slivky aj jablká, boli nahromadené v kôpkach okolo prostredného kríža. A ja som rýchlo bežal, kričal z celej sily a padol som na tento kríž, lepšie povedané ku tomuto krížu, a objal som ho. Vietor začal triasť ovocie z toho kríža a ono ma celého zasypalo. A bol som taký šťastný, radoval som sa. A bolo mi povedané, “Jedz to ovocie, pretože je veľmi dobré.”
13A potom ten krúžiaci Oheň zavolal a povedal, “Žnivo je zrelé a robotníkov je málo.” A On povedal, “Keď sa spamätáš, alebo keď vyjdeš z tohoto, čítaj 2.Timotejovi 4. 2. Timotejovi 4.” A potom som prišiel ku sebe. Stál som tam a pretieral som si rukou tvár. A práve vtedy, v rohu miestnosti, slnko vysoko svietilo, potom som musel byť pod tým videním nejakú hodinu alebo aj viac a bolo mi povedané, “2. Timotejovi 4.” Vzal som rýchle Bibliu a čítal som 2. Timotejovi 4.
14A teraz to chcem čítať. A aké je to zvláštne, keď čítam túto 2. Timotejovi 4, miesto, kde som sa zastavil a mnohokrát, keď som kázal na to tu v tejto modlitebni, zdá sa mi to zvláštne, že stále som sa zastavil na tom mieste. No, v 2. Timotejovi 4, prvých päť veršov (A päť je číslo milosti.) čítam toto.
Tedy ja osvedčujem pred Bohom a pred Pánom Ježišom Kristom, ktorý má súdiť živých i mŕtvych za svojho príchodu a za svojho kráľovstva:
Káž slovo, pristupuj v pravý i nepravý čas, karhaj, tresci, napomínaj s celou zhovievavosťou a s učením.
Lebo bude čas, keď neznesú zdravého učenia, ale podľa vlastných žiadostí budú si hromadiť učiteľov, lebo ich budú svrbieť uši,
a odvrátia uši od pravdy a obrátia sa k bájkam.
Ale ty buď triezvy vo všetkom, trp, čo prijde zlé, konaj dielo evanjelistu, vykonaj svoju službu.
15Všimli ste si niekedy, a ja som si to nikdy nevšimol, až teraz na konci mája, že som nikdy nečítal ďalej to miesto Písma, len potade? To je všetko, čo som kedy z toho čítal, pretože sa zdalo, že to stačilo, pretože to mi hovorilo, aby som kázal Slovo a znášal ťažkosti, a aby som bol trpezlivý, lebo prichádzal čas, keď neznesú zdravú náuku, ale podľa svojich vlastných žiadostí si budú hromadiť učiteľov, lebo ich svrbia uši a odvrátia sa od Pravdy ku bájkam. Ale teraz, On nikdy nepovedal, že ja som evanjelista. On povedal, “Konaj dielo evanjelistu,” Pavol hovorí Timotejovi. Vidíte? Všimli ste si, ako je to povedané? On nepovedal, “Bol si povolaný, aby si bol evanjelistom.” Tam je povedané, “Konaj dielo evanjelistu.” Vidíte? No, potom to tam vidíme. Keď to poviem z celého svojho srdca a podľa môjho najlepšieho poznania, to sa do písmena vyplnilo, presne. A to je už tridsať rokov.
16A pokiaľ viem, každé videnie, ktoré mi On kedy dal, sa vyplnilo okrem jedného, že nastane zmena v mojej službe, kde sa budem modliť za ľudí na malom mieste, akoby v malej izbe pod stanom, alebo vo veľkej hale, alebo pod niečím takým. Pre mňa to vyzeralo ako nejaký stan. Pamätáte sa na to, pred dvoma alebo troma rokmi? Väčšina z toho všetkého sa vyplnila. Mal som ísť do Mexika, a ako tam malo tej noci pršať, a čo sa tam malo diať. A On mi oznámil moju službu prvého potiahnutia. Pamätáte sa na tú malú rybku, ako sa chytila, či nechytila? To druhé bola malá rybka. Ale On mi potom povedal, “Pri tom treťom potiahnutí, neurob chybu. A nepovedz ľuďom.” Stále sa snažím vysvetliť to, čo sa snažím urobiť. On mi dal vedieť, aby som nepovedal ľuďom, čo robím. Len robím, čo mi káže robiť, a nechávam to tak. Rozumiete?
17Ja som taký človek. A nemám žiadne tajnosti, tak proste poviem všetko, čo viem. Som proste taký typ človeka, myslím. Ale to keď, budem sa snažiť ... Milujem ľudí a tak veľmi chcem, aby boli spasení, že sa im snažím povedať všetko, čo viem, pokiaľ to nie je niečo, čo mi On povedal, aby som nevravel, samozrejme, tak, aby im to neušlo. Viete? Chcem, aby to tak jasne videli, že v tom nebude žiadna chyba.
18No, to sa presne vyplňuje. No pamätajte, ten príkaz bol, ak by sme to za chvíľu študovali, “Prikazujem ti pred Bohom a Pánom Ježišom Kristom, ktorý bude súdiť živých i mŕtvych za svojho príchodu [zjavenia sa - podľa ang. Biblie. – pozn.prekl.] a za svojho kráľovstva.” Vidíte? “Súdiť ... Prikazujem ti pred Bohom a Kristom, aby si kázal Slovo.” A tak s pomocou Božou, až do tohoto večera, pokiaľ mám o tom nejaké poznanie, nikdy som nekázal nič iné okrem Slova (Vidíte?) a stál som rovno pri ňom. Bolo pri tom veľa problémov a prechádzal som cez mnohé prenasledovania a skúšky, musel som sa oddeliť od mnohých vzácnych priateľov práve kvôli tomu výroku, “Káž Slovo.” A ja som ...
19Pamätáte sa v tom videní alebo malom prenesení, ako som to nazval, nedávno, kde som bol vzatý a videl som tých ľudí a pozrel som sa späť na seba, a všetci tí tam, ktorých bolo milióny. A povedal som, “Chcem vidieť Ježiša.”
A On povedal, “On je vyššie.”
20No, vidíte, keď ľudia zomrú, nejdú hneď ku Bohu. No, vy ... Som si istý že to budete rozumieť. Možno by som to mal vysvetliť najlepšie, ako môžem. Ponáhľate sa? Venujem potom tomu čas a pokúsim sa to vysvetliť ako najlepšie môžem.
21No, keď o tom hovoríme, musíme pamätať, že tu žijeme v troch dimenziách. A neviem, či ich budem vedieť teraz pomenovať alebo nie. Jednou z nich je svetlo a tou druhou je hmota. Tommy, pamätáš sa, čo je tá tretia? Hm? Atóm - čas. Správne. No, svetlo, hmota a čas. A našich päť zmyslov sa kontaktuje s týmito dimenziami. Náš zrak sa kontaktuje so svetlom, náš hmat sa kontaktuje s hmotou, a tak ďalej.
22No, ale cez vedu máme kontakt so štvrtou dimenziou, ako ona je. Pretože teraz rovno cez túto budovu prechádzajú obrazy, rádiové hlasy, televízne filmy, ale naše zmysly s tým neprichádzajú do styku, ale predsa majú elektrónku alebo kryštál, ktorý zachytáva tie éterové vlny a ukazuje ich. Tak vidíte, práve teraz v tejto budove sú v povetrí živé skutky ľudí, živé hlasy. To je tu. Vieme to. Sú absolútne skutočné. A to jediné čo robíte, zachytávajú to na ... Nerozumiem tú mechaniku týchto vecí, ktoré veda vynašla, ale vieme, že to nám dokazuje, že je štvrtá dimenzia.
23Piata dimenzia, to je to, kam ide hriešnik, neveriaci, keď zomiera, tam ide. Piata dimenzia je také niečo - no, to je strašná dimenzia. No, tento človek ...
A keď kresťan zomiera, on ide do šiestej dimenzie.
24A Boh je v siedmej dimenzii.
Tak potom vidíte, keď kresťan zomiera, ide pod oltár Boží, rovno do prítomnosti Božej, pod oltár. A on je na odpočinku.
25Aby sme to rozobrali. Keď má človek nočnú moru, on nie celkom úplne spí, ani nie je prebudený. Je medzi spánkom a prebudením, a to spôsobuje, že sa hrozne trasie a kričí, pretože nespí, nie je prebudený. A dostať sa do niečoho takého, to ukazuje, kam človek odchádza, keď zomiera neobrátený. Dožil svoj čas; zomrel na zemi; a nemôže ísť do prítomnosti Božej, pretože nie je spôsobilý tam ísť bez krvi. A je chytený. Nemôže prísť naspäť na zem, pretože jeho čas tu na zemi skončil, a je chytený pomedzi a je v nočnej more. Vidíte? Nemôže ísť do prítomnosti Božej, aby odpočíval. Nemôže ísť naspäť, aby prišiel na zem, pretože jeho čas je zavŕšený. Je v nočnej more a tam zostáva až do dňa súdu. To je strašné, byť tam. Vidíte?
26A teraz v tomto videní, verím, že som bol vzatý do šiestej dimenzie, díval som sa sem naspäť a mohol som vidieť naspäť. Vidíte, zrak nie je tak celkom závislý na očiach; to je zemské. Ale zrak je niečo viac než ... Zrak, ktorý oni tam majú, ich kontakt je oveľa ďalej než akýkoľvek kontakt, s ktorým sa kontaktujú naše prirodzené zmysly.
27Nedávno som to tu vysvetľoval. Díval som sa na televízny film, kde spustili človeka, myslím do dvojmíľovej alebo míľovej hĺbky do oceánu a mali tam svetlo a svietili tam. Ukazovali podmorský život. A plávali tam ryby, tie stvorenia vyzerali odporne. To je ich polnoc tam dole v tej atramentovo čiernej tme. A oni majú na nose fosfor a nemajú žiadne oči. No, musia sa niečím živiť, tak to vyzeralo, aby si našli potravu, riadili sa iným zmyslom, nie zrakom, pretože nemajú oči, tam dole by ich nemohli používať. Ale sa riadili iným zmyslom, aby si mohli nájsť potravu. A pomyslel som si, “Keby som mohol viesť tú rybu pomocou môjho zraku, ako oveľa viac by som jej mohol zadovážiť potravu a viesť ju na tie miesta, o čo lepší je môj zrak než jej radar, ktorým sa riadi.” Rozumiete? A pomyslel som si, “Keby som ju len mohol viesť ...”
28Potom to prišlo ku mne, “Keby som sa len mohol poddať Bohu, o čo väčší je ten zrak a zmysly Božie, ktorý nás môže viesť oveľa lepšie než to, čo vidíme, pretože viera, ktorú nám obstaráva, je dôkazom vecí, ktoré sa nevidia našimi očami. Potom, keď tá ryba nikdy nemôže vyplávať na hladinu ako ostatné ryby, pretože ona je natlakovaná. Keby ste ju priniesli hore, ona by vybuchla. Tak ani my nemôžeme ísť vyššie a nevybuchnúť ... My sme natlakovaní podľa miesta v ktorom žijeme.
29Ale teraz, ak by táto ryba mohla niekedy vyjsť sem hore a stať sa mnou, či by chcela byť znovu ešte niekedy tou malou rybou tam dole v tej polnočnej temnosti? Ona by už nikdy viac nechcela byť rybou, pretože je niečím väčším než rybou; je človekom; jej zmysly sú väčšie, jej zrozumenie je väčšie; jej inteligencia je najvyššia. Vynásobte to potom desať milión krát; potom dostanete, čo to je, keď prejdete z tadeto tam do prítomnosti Božej, kde ľudská bytosť je tak oveľa väčšia než to, čo sme tu. Už by ste nikdy viac nechceli byť takouto ľudskou bytosťou, dole v tomto chorobnom infekčnom oddelení, kde je skazenie. Mal som v srdci, že som sa snažil týchto tridsať rokov kázať evanjelium po svete, povedať ľuďom, že je nebo, aby do neho došli, a že je peklo aby sa mu vyhli, a že je Boh, ktorý vás miluje a moc vykúpenia, ktorá je stále pripravená kedykoľvek ťa pozdvihnúť, keď si hotový prijať ju.
30Ako človek, ktorý sa topí, visí tam lano a on si myslí, “No, lano, mohol by som sa vytiahnuť, ale nie som hodný chytiť sa toho lana.” To lano tam bolo dané práve za tým účelom aby si sa mohol vytiahnuť. Preto Ježiš Kristus zomrel, práve kvôli tomu, aby spasil hriešnikov. A On spustil a necháva visieť to lano Večného Života, ktoré tento večer tu prejde ponad hlavou každého hriešnika a visí na ňom znak pozvania, “Poď hore preč tam z toho.” Ak to chceš urobiť, príprava je vykonaná.
31No, keď som videl to miesto a ten stav, v akom boli tí ľudia, a aké je to ponad všetko to, čo si tento svet kedy len môže pomyslieť, bolo to úžasné. Tam nemôže byť hriech, žiadna smrť, ani nič také nemôže vojsť na to miesto. A nebolo tam rozdielu medzi mužmi a ženami, tie pohlavné žľazy už neboli v nich a nikdy viac nemôže byť cudzoložstvo ani nič také. Ale ona je stále ženou podľa postavy a muž tiež, a oni budú stále takí. Pretože keď Boh ...
32Toto môže byť dobré, deti, ktoré z vás chodíte na strednú školu, a tam vám vtĺkajú tú vec a učia vás o evolúcii. No, ja verím v evolúciu, ale nie tak, že človek sa vyvinul z nejakého nižšieho druhu. Ich vlastná teória sa obracia proti nim; keď sa snažia čokoľvek skrížiť, to sa ďalej samé nemôže rozmnožovať. Tak, vidíte, to sa obracia proti nim.
33No, ja verím, že keď Boh začal kúpať zem, možno že tá prvá vec, ktorú urobil, bol mäkkýš, po ňom urobil žabu, a tak ďalej. Ale vidíte, to stále prichádzalo bližšie a bližšie do postavy človeka a človek je odzrkadlením Boha. A to je dôvod, že tráva sa začala rozvíjať, možno tráva, a potom od trávy ďalej prišli kvety, od kvetov ďalej kríky, od kríkov ďalej stromy. Prečo? To je obraz na Strom Života, ktorý stojí tam na druhej strane. A všetko na tejto strane, čo je prirodzené, je tieňom toho nadprirodzeného alebo večného na tej druhej strane. A preto, pokiaľ je na zemi znovuzrodený kresťan a máme tu takého telo, ono je odzrkadlením toho, ktoré čaká na druhej strane, kde nieto smrti ani žiaľu. A to spôsobuje, že naše srdcia sú hladné za niečím takým. Rozumiete, je niečo v nás, čo volá. My len ... Je niečo, čo nám hovorí, že to tam je. Verím, že počas týchto rokov ... Prosím o odpustenie pred Bohom a pred ľuďmi, že som taký hlúpy a že robím mnoho chýb. Ale počas týchto mnohých rokov som mal možnosť vidieť prísť veľa miliónov ľudí do Kráľovstva Božieho a som vďačný Pánovi, že mi dal, aby som ich tam viedol. A verím, že tam budú v ten deň.
34No, to videnie sa vyplnilo. A ako som išiel a stále som sa zastavil, ani som si to neuvedomoval, pri tomto piatom verši ... To je všetko, čo som kedy čítal. Ale tam je viacej veršov v tej kapitole, o niekoľko veršov viac. No, môžete si, dnes večer v hoteli alebo doma, len čo skončíme, prečítať tie ďalšie verše, pretože som si tu zapísal niekoľko miest Písma, na ktoré sa chcem odvolať a poznámky, čo chcem povedať. A chcem, aby ste si to prečítali, keď prídete domov. Budem to citovať; bude to na páske. Ak si to chcete zapísať, prečo nie, do je dobre.
35No, veríte, že muži a ženy, viem že veríte, sú vedení Duchom Božím, aby robili určité veci? Rozumiete? A Ježiš bol naším vzorom. Ak si to všimnete, chcem to otvoriť, otvorte si so mnou sv. Lukáša štvrtú kapitolu, len na chvíľu. A chcem vám ukázať niečo pozoruhodné. Tak, aby sme nezobrali príliš veľa týchto odkazov, ale aby ste mohli čítať tu so mnou - toto jedno miesto len na chvíľu. Sv. Lukáš štvrtá kapitola a začneme 14. veršom. Dávajte tu dobrý pozor, ak chcete niečo vidieť, čo s týmto spolu súvisí. No, všimnite si.
A Ježiš sa navrátil v moci Ducha do Galilee; …On sa navrátil v moci Ducha do Galilee, a rozniesol sa o ňom chýr po celej okolnej krajine.
A on učil v ich synagógach zvelebovaný súc od všetkých.
A prišiel do Nazaretu, kde bol odchovaný, a vošiel, podľa svojej obyčaje, v sobotný deň do synagógy a vstal, aby prečítal.
A podaná mu bola kniha proroka Izaiáša, a otvoriac knihu našiel miesto, kde je napísané - bolo napísané:
Duch Pánov je nado mnou, a preto ma pomazal zvestovať chudobným evanjelium, poslal ma uzdravovať skrúšených srdcom, vyhlásiť zajatcom prepustenie a slepým návrat zraku, zlomených poslať na slobodu
a vyhlásiť rok Pánov príjemný.
A zavrúc knihu ...
36Ak chcete, ak chcete odkaz na to, mám to tu, počkajte, ak to tu vezmem a prečítam pod okrajom. Keď si všimnete, je to tiež, nájdete to v ev. Marka a na iných miestach, ale v Izaiášovi 61:1 a 2. No, nie je to zvláštne, že On sa zastavil práve tam, a hneď ten ďalší verš ... To bolo to, čo sa týkalo Jeho prvého príchodu. A ten druhý, ten ďalší verš sa týka Jeho druhého príchodu na súd. On sa tam zastavil a zavrel knihu. Ak niekto z vás číta Scofieldovu Bibliu, nájdete tam ku tomu pod okrajom poznámku. Vidíte? Všimnite si jeho poznámku označenú „2“, poznámku pod okrajom (Vidíte?), a všimnete si, že tam je porovnanie s posolstvom, ktoré je v Izaiášovi 61:1 a 2. V tomto prípade, kde tu to miesto Písma, vyhlasuje, Ježiš mal vyhlásiť rok Pánov príjemný; a ten ďalší verš hovorí o Jeho príchode a súde. Vidíte? A vidíte, ako sa On rovno tam pri tom zastavil?
37A ako som si to nikdy nevšimol, a ako som sa stále zastavil pri tomto 5. verši, “Lebo bude čas, keď neznesú zdravého učenia, ale podľa vlastných žiadostí budú si hromadiť učiteľov, lebo ich budú svrbieť uši, a odvrátia uši od pravdy a obrátia sa k bájkam. Ale konaj dielo evanjelistu, vykonaj svoju službu.” Vidíte? A s Božou pomocou a milosti som sa to snažil robiť. A chcem, aby moji priatelia, tí tu aj tí tam v tých krajinách, kam pôjdu tieto pásky, dôvod, že zaujímam postoj, ktorý zaujímam ku Slovu, je práve kvôli tomuto, “Káž Slovo.” To je ten dôvod, že sa nezhodujem so žiadnym z tých vyznaní, so žiadnymi denomináciami, pretože som bol poverený od Boha aby som zostal so Slovom. No, ak niekto chce robiť niečo iné, to je na nich.
38A ak si všimnete v tom videní, ktoré som mal ohľadom mojej služby, to bolo ... Nikdy som neskrížil tie stromy. Nikdy som nerobil prozelitov. Nikdy som nepovedal, “Vy všetci trojičiari staňte sa jednotármi.” Sadil som do ich vlastných nádob. Presne tak. Išiel som ku trojičiarom; išiel som ku jednotárom; išiel som ku každému a stál som medzi nimi a nikdy som sa ku žiadnym z nich nepripojil, ale som stál medzi nimi, ako brat, presne tak, ako mi to hovorilo to videnie. A jedol som to ovocie z obidvoch strán, spasenie na oboch stranách.
39A teraz, všimli ste si, sedí tu veľa trojičiarov; veľa jednotárov a mnoho rôznych iných. Ale ako málo by ste sa ohľadom toho hádali, pretože ak tá časť videnia bola pravdou, tá ďalšia časť je tiež pravdou. Oboje ovocie sa nachádzalo pri kríži. Vidíte? Aj tí, aj tí boli pri kríži, všetky kôpky spolu a oboje, slivky a hrušky, či broskyne, slivky a jablká padali tam na mňa; oboje. Všetko sa nachádzalo pri kríži, pretože oni všetci verili v Boha a sú naplnení Duchom Svätým a majú kresťanské skutky a znamenia, ktoré ich nasledujú.
40No, denominácia nemá s tým nič spoločného. To bude ten znovuzrodený, ktorý má s tým niečo spoločné. To bude tvoje prežitie s Bohom, ktoré bude mať s tým niečo spoločné. No, vidíme toho tak veľa. Mám tu niekoľko miest Písma, o ktorých by som rád hovoril. Možno to urobím trochu neskoršie.
41Ale teraz vás chcem zobrať od 5. verša až do 18. verša. A teraz, aby sme ušetrili čas, nebudem to čítať. Ale Pavel teraz, začíname znovu tu v Timotejovi, ak si všimnete, ako on začína hovoriť; to je žalostné. No, ak si všimnete po tom 5. verši.
Lebo ja som teraz pripravený, že budem obetovaný, a čas môjho odchodu sa priblížil:
Je hotový opustiť scénu. Začína. Vidíte? “Som ...” No, dávajte pozor.
Som pripravený a čas môjho odchodu sa priblížil.
Bojoval som dobrý boj, beh som dokonal, vieru som zachoval.
Za týmto už mi je odložená koruna spravodlivosti, ktorú mi dá Pán odplatou v ten deň, on, ten spravodlivý sudca, a nie len mne, ale ... aj všetkým, ktorí milujú jeho zjavenie sa.
42A potom pokračuje, aby povedal, “Rob všetko ... rob tieto veci.” Čo? Aby mu priniesol plášť. No, hneď začíname a on hovorí:
... Démas ma opustil ...
43Musí prísť čas v jeho službe, keď bol mladým evanjelistom, mladým prorokom, každý stál za ním. Ale teraz, všimnite si to tu ďalej, tam hovorí:
... všetci ma opustili
... Prečo? Kvôli Slovu.44Keď Ježiš, ten mladý prorok z Galiley, On sa dostal do času, keď Ho opustili. Všetci ľudia, ktorí zostávajú s Božím Slovom, dochádzajú do toho miesta, kde ich svet a ten náboženský svet opúšťa. Ježiš raz nasýtil päť tisíc ľudí a pozbierali koše plné kúskov z tých piatich chlebov a dvoch rýb. A hneď na druhý deň, myslím, že to bolo, začína prichádzať so Slovom a všetci začínajú od neho odchádzať. A On sa pozrel na učeníkov a povedal, “Vy tiež odídete? Dokonca sedemdesiat Jeho vlastných ordinovaných kazateľov Ho opustilo. A On povedal, “Vy tiež pôjdete?”
45A potom Peter povedal tie pozoruhodné slová, keď hovorí, “Pane, kam by sme išli? Jedine Ty máš Večný Život.”
46Všimnite si. Ale nastáva čas, keď prichádza ten čas opustenia, a on musí nastať. On musí prísť. A teraz, mám niekoľkých prorokov a iné veci tu, na ktorých to môžem ukázať, aby som vám dokázal, že ten čas prichádza. A pre mňa nadišiel. Nie je potrebné snažiť sa z neho dostať, je tu a ty to musíš vziať. Oni od toho neutekali; zotrvali a vzali to a nehanbili sa za evanjelium.
47Všimnite si Pavla, “Bojoval som dobrý boj. Beh som dokonal, vieru som zachoval.” Ó. Tu ďalej je povedané, “Bojoval som so šelmami a bol som vytrhnutý z tlamy ľvov.” A všetko to, cez čo prešiel, Boh bol ku nemu dobrý. Ale prišiel čas, keď mal odísť.
48No, zamyslime sa len, prečo by človek, kazateľ, spoločník, akým bol Démas Pavlovi, prečo by kedy opustil Pavla?
49Poznáte brata Baxtera, mnohí z vás si na neho pamätáte. On zvykol toto čítať o Démasovi. On povedal, “Vieš, čo urobím, brat Branham, keď prídem do neba, to prvé, čo urobím?”
Opýtal som sa, “Čo?”
50Povedal, “Pôjdem rovno tam a nájdem Démasa, kde tam je; a z celej sily mu jednu vrazím.” A povedal, “On sa otočí a povie, Baxter, prečo si mi to urobil?” On povie, “Prečo si odišiel od biedneho Pavla, keď ho všetci opustili?” Ja také niečo nepredpisujem; Neverím, že tam sa niekto bude biť; ale len som myslel o bratovi Baxterovi, keď to hovorím, pretože mu bolo Pavla tak ľúto.
51No, čo Pavol urobil? On kázal tak verne, ako len mohol, a Duch Svätý bol na ňom. A keď tam písal o tých ženách kazateľkách a takých veciach, dokážem si predstaviť, že to vybuchlo. Povedal, “Nech sú ženy v zboroch ticho, nedovoľujem im hovoriť,” a on bol práve vtedy vo väzení.
52Dokážete si predstaviť, čo povedal niektorý z tých biskupov, “Oj. Ten človek tam vo väzení, čo sa stará do nás a píše nám tu? Vidíte? A on mal so sebou Timoteja, ktorý pil po troche vína. A tak on je teraz tam, Timotejovi dáva piť víno a on sedí vo väzení a píše nám sem, hovorí nám, čo nám chce Duch Svätý povedať, že čo máme robiť.“
53Ale on povedal toto, “Čo? Či od vás vyšlo Slovo Božie? A len ku vám prišlo? Ak si niekto myslí, že je duchovný alebo prorok, nech uzná, že to, čo ja píšem, sú prikázania Pánove.” Vidíte?
54Vidíte, prichádza čas, priatelia. A chcem, aby ľudia v tej krajine, kam idú tie pásky, aby pamätali, že čas oddelenia musí prísť. Musí sa to stať. Neviem, ako ďaleko som od času konca, od konca mojej cesty. Neviem. To je na Bohu. Neviem, čo bude zajtra, neviem, čo prinesie zajtrajšok, ale viem, kto ho drží. Tak tam stojí moja viera, na tom.
55Nemyslím, že Démas ho opustil a začal chodiť do nočného klubu. Nemyslím, že Démas urobil niečo také, pretože Démas bol Duchom naplnený človek. Bol veľkým pomocníkom. Keby ste niekedy čítali históriu o Démasovi, on bol význačný kazateľ, fajný, kultúrny človek, s vysoko uhladeným správaním, vzdelaný. Bol to chytrý muž. Ale prečo opustil Pavla? To je to. Čo ho viedlo ku tomu, že opustil Pavla? Neverím, že chcel chodiť do nočného klubu ani nič také. Ale verím, že to bol Boh, ktorý oddeľoval Pavla. No, predstavujem si Démasa ...
56Zoberme niektoré z Démasových názorov. Keď som jedného dňa sedel na úbočí a rozmýšľal som a uvažoval som, “Prečo chcel Démas opustiť toho muža? Prečo chcel opustiť toho biedneho kazateľa, ktorý ho priviedol ku Pánovi, človeka, ktorý bol na čele prebudenia medzi pohanmi, ktorý bol vlastne prorokom?” Nikto nemohol povedať, že on nie je prorok. On bol viac ako prorok, on bol apoštol, a to veľký a mocný apoštol pre Pohanov. A Démas bol spojený s Pavlom, mal s ním obecenstvo a videl Ducha Božieho ako sa nad ním pohybuje. A prečo sa obrátil chrbtom takému človeku, ktorý bol potvrdený, že je Kristov sluha? Všimli ste si tu Pavla, “...zamiloval si terajší svet.” Nemyslím, že Démas odpadol. Nemyslím si, že to urobil. Ale myslím, že si vytvoril zlý názor na Pavla.
57Démas pochádzal z bohatej rodiny a bol bohatý, a peniaze niekedy pre ľudí znamenajú náboženstvo. Ako hovoria v Kalifornii, “Ak nemáš tri Kadilaky, nie si duchovný.” Tak to znamená, že ak nie si úspešný, ak nemáš najkrajší zbor v meste, ľudia tam nebudú chodiť. Tu je to skoro podobne. Dokazujú vám, že musíte mať najkrajší zbor v kraji, lebo inak povedia, “Chceš povedať, že sa pridáš ku takej malej skupine, ako je tam tá?”
58Viete, že náš Pán nemal miesto, kde by položil svoju hlavu? Viete, že On mal len jeden plášť? Vidíte? A On to mal, bol proste takým, ktorým všade postrkovali. A nemal miesto, kde by položil svoju hlavu. Ale oni si mohli myslieť o Ňom to isté, a mysleli si.
59A teraz, som presvedčený, že Démas videl upadnutie, zdanlivo, v Pavlovej službe. Myslím si, že si myslel, že ten starý človek je odpísaný pred Bohom. No, on si myslel, že ľudia, ktorí by si vylúpili svoje oči a dali Pavlovi ...
60No, Pavel to povedal, povedal, “Boli by ste si vylúpili svoje oči a dali ich mne.” Pretože Pavel, máme dojem, mal zlý zrak, pretože povedal, “Takým veľkým písmom som to napísal.” Povedal, “veľkým písmom,” ale mám lexikon a tam je povedané, “veľkými písmenami.” On bol tam v Ríme vo väzení. Niečo nie je v poriadku. Povedal, že mal problémy so zrakom od toho nebeského videnia. Tak on ... Ľudia by si boli vylúpili svoje oči, keď videli Pavla, ako trpí, oči mu robili problém a on trpel. A tri krát prosil Pána, aby ho uzdravil. A povedal, “aby som sa prevelikosťou zjavení príliš nepovyšoval, daný mi je osteň do tela, anjel satanáš, aby ma pohlavkoval.” No, mali sme sa celkom dobre, a vtedy ho to znovu udrelo. Potom sa z toho dostal a bol v poriadku, a znovu ho to udrelo.
61Vidíte, Pavol mal službu väčšiu než všetci ostatní apoštolovia spolu. Niektorí z nich mohli povedať, “Dobre, ja som chodil s Ježišom.” No, ľudia na ulici tiež chodili s Ním, keď tam bol. Ale Pavel Ho videl v Ohnivom Stĺpe potom, čo zomrel, bol pochovaný, vystúpil na nebesia a vrátil sa naspäť a povolal Pavla (Vidíte?) na ceste do Damašku. A on mal väčšiu službu než Matúš, Marek, Lukáš alebo ktokoľvek ďalší. On bol ďaleko pred nimi. A povedal, “Aby som sa teraz nepovýšil a nepovedal, - no, vy ostatní, vy o tom nič neviete - Ja som videl Pána po Jeho vzkriesení.”
62Dobre, oni povedia, “My sme s Ním chodili.” No, to s Ním chodili tiež všetci ľudia tam v okolí Galiley a Nazareta a po celej krajine. Oni všetci s Ním chodili.
63Ale vidíte, Pavel sa s Ním rozprával a videl Ho v tej forme, v akej bol prv, ako sa stal telom. Vidíte? A On poveril Pavla v takom stave. Keď bol v tom Svetle, poveril Pavla. A Pavel Ho videl. A povedal, “Aby som sa nepovyšoval, necítil sa vyšší ako niekto z vás, bratia, bol mi daný anjel satana,” ktorý ho pohlavkoval a držal ho dole. A povedal, “Trikrát som prosil Pána aby to odobral odo mňa. A povedal mi, - Saul, alebo Pavel, moja milosť ti je dostatočná.” Potom Pavel povedal, “Budem sa chváliť vo svojich slabostiach, pretože keď som slabý, vtedy som mocný. Vidíte, budem sa chváliť v tom.”
64No, všimli ste si teraz, človek, ktorý mal službu väčšiu než ktokoľvek iný, z tých ostatných, ktorí boli na poli, Pavel, ktorý mal najväčšiu službu zpomedzi nich všetkých, ktorý videl Ježiša v Ohnivom Stĺpe a bol poverený, aby robil to, čo robil a ten istý Boh ho potvrdil, tá istá moc, znameniami a zázrakmi bez akejkoľvek pochybnosti; a bol taký biedny, že mal len jeden plášť, kázal skupine ľudí, ktorý by si vylúpli svoje vlastné oči, a niektorí z nich boli milionári. A predsa Pavel mal len jeden plášť. Povedal, “Prines mi ten plášť, tu začína byť zima.” Bol v hornatej krajine. Mal len jeden plášť.
65A pre Démasa, človeka, ktorý bol na takom vysokom postavení, pre človeka vysokého kalibru, kultúrneho, vzdelaného a bohatého človeka, ktorý mal veľa šiat, “S tým človekom nie je niečo v poriadku. Mal predsa toľko priateľov, ktorí by si vylúpili oči a dali mu, a pri tom je taký biedny, že má len jeden plášť. S Pavlom nie je niečo v poriadku.”
66Ó, viete, ten duch neodišiel zo sveta; oni to stále tak majú. Peniaze, to nie je Boh. Je len jeden Boh. Rozumiete? Ale ľudia si myslia, že pretože máte veľkú službu, musíte mať všetko toto a toto a všetky tieto veľké veci a veľké školy a veľké to a to. Boh neúčinkuje cez tie veci. Alebo prinajmenej, ja mám taký názor. Boh účinkuje s jednotlivcom. On nás nikdy neustanovil, aby sme išli a robili také veci.
67Ale Pavel, s jedným plášťom, a tu povedal Timotejovi, aby mu ho priniesol, pretože tam začínala zima. Vidíte? Človek, ktorý mal službu, že kázal desať tisícom ľudí, to Pavel robil a mal službu, že mohol robiť všetky rôzne zázraky a videl Ježiša v Ohnivom Stĺpe, a poveril ho, a pritom mal len jeden kabát. Démas povedal, “Takýto človek,” a odvrátil sa od neho.
68No, keď bol Pavel tu v Troade a kázal, nachádzame, že tam bol človek, kotlár, kováč, ktorý obrábal meď. A to bol lump a nenávidel kresťanstvo. A ten urobil Pavlovi všetko zlé, čo len mohol, dal ho zavrieť do väzenia a všetko ... Pavel ešte varuje aj Timoteja ohľadom toho, “Daj si pozor na toho človeka.” A tu je Démas ... Ó, Bože, nech to ľudia počujú. Tu stál Démas pri mužovi, ktorý udrel jedného slepotou za to, že sa s ním hádal. No, ty cirkev Kristových kazateľov, teraz sa drž. Ja som mal raz jedného, ktorý mi povedal, “Udri ma slepotou. Udri ma slepotou. Máš Ducha Svätého, udri ma slepotou.”
Povedal som, “Ty si už slepý.” Vidíte?
69No, prečo Pavel neudrel toho kotlára slepotou? Ten istý duch, ktorý je na ľuďoch, ktorí si to tak myslia, to je to isté, čo bolo na Démasovi. Muž, ktorý mohol udrieť slepotou človeka, ktorý sa s ním hádal, a potom sa otočil a nechal nejakého kotlára, aby kazil jeho službu v meste, Démas si určite povedal, “On je odpísaný; stratil svoje dary udrieť slepotou.”
70Či nevidíte, ako ten duch stále žije, hovorí, “Si odpísaný, brat ...” Ó, to proste ľuďom prechádza ponad hlavu. Oni to jednoducho nerozumejú, to je všetko. Vidíte? Nemôžu to proste vidieť. Rozumiete? Oni nerozumejú.
71No, Démas, on neudrel toho človeka slepotou pretože chcel. Či Ježiš nepovedal, “Ja nerobím nič, kým mi prv Otec neukáže”? Či som vám nepovedal pred rokmi, že keby moja vlastná matka ležala, zomierala, a povedal by, “Billy, aký je tomuto záver?” Nemohol by som nič povedať, až kým mi Boh prv nepovie. A to je presne to, čo sa stalo. Človek nemôže ... Človek je úplne neschopný. On je len agent, cez ktorého Boh účinkuje a Boh robí svoju vlastnú vôľu. Ale keď vidíte týchto senzačných ľudí, ktorí stále majú toto a tamto a tamto, radšej stojte preč od toho. Rozumiete? Sám Ježiš to nerobil. On povedal, “Ja pracujem, len keď Otec pracuje. On mi ukazuje, čo mám robiť, a potom idem a robím to. Ja nemôžem robiť nič iné.”
72A tu Démas videl Pavla, človeka, ktorý mal takú službu a pritom bol taký chudobný, že mal len jeden plášť a chcel, aby mu ho Timotej priniesol: jeden plášť. Ale Pavel dal príklad, aký bol Kristus; On mal jeden plášť. Prečo potom bohatstvo a veľa peňazí a také veci znamenajú pre ľudí dnes tak veľa? Všimnite si teraz. A on mal moc, že ktokoľvek, kto sa protivil tomu, čo kázal, on sa otočil a povedal, “Budeš slepý do času.” A ten človek oslepol.
73A tu bol kotlár, ktorý mu urobil desaťkrát horšie ako ten človek, a predsa bez všetkého v tom ďalej pokračoval. Démas si musel myslieť, “No, ten starý muž je teraz odpísaný. Stratil svoju službu.” Nie, nie, nestratil svoju službu, vôbec nie. Boh to takto nerobí. Boh nedáva tak, ako nejaký indián. Veru.
74Všimnite si teraz. Pavel mal prikázané urobiť niečo, podobne ako Eliáš. Prorok Eliáš tam na vrchu bol poverený od Boha a zavolal oheň z neba a on padol. A zavolal vodu a prišla. A potom rozkázal podľa posolstva Božieho a zabil štyristo kňazov, poodtínal im hlavy a nechal ich, aby sa skotúľali dole z toho kopca; a potom utekal kvôli vyhrážkam nejakej ženy, jednej pokryteckej ženy, či neveriacej, Jezábeli. Tá žena, ktorá to všetko dirigovala, ona to spôsobila. Prv sa zdalo, že on ju už dostal. Ale Boh má spôsob ako koná svoje veci, a jeho sluhovia môžu pracovať len, ak pracujú podľa vôli Božej.
75Nevidíte, priatelia, musíte konať podľa Božieho spôsobu konania. Ako často som sa zišiel s bratmi a konzultoval s nimi, a ako rád by som išiel a potriasol im ruku a povedal, “Bratia, na tom vôbec nezáleží; buďme len ďalej bratia.” Ako to môžem urobiť a zachovať moje poverenie, “Káž Slovo”? Pán to tak nechce.
76Stál som medzi kazateľmi a jeden povedal, “Brat Branham, moja teta je tu. Viem, že ty si prorok poslaný od Boha. Choď tam a navráť jej zrak.” Prajem si aby som to mohol, urobil by som to. Ja nie som schopný to urobiť, až kým mi to On nepovie. Rozumiete? Nikto to nedokáže urobiť. Eliáš to nedokázal; ani nikto to nedokáže.
77No, vidíme, že Pavel ... Démas kázal s Pavlom, videl, ako Pavel tam uvidel ležať toho chromého muža a povedal, “Vidím, že máš vieru aby si bol uzdravený. Postav sa na nohy. Ježiš Kristus ťa uzdravuje.” Videl ho uzdravovať chorých a predsa zanechal svojho priateľa Trofima chorého.
78“Pavel stratil svoju službu.” To je to, čo si Démas musel myslieť. “Prečo to neurobil, ak mal dar uzdravovania, prečo tam nešiel a neuzdravil toho priateľa, ktorý pri ňom tak verne stál? Povedal, - zanechal som ho tam nemocného. A nemám žiaden plášť a chcem, aby si mi priniesol ten plášť, keď sem pôjdeš. A daj si pozor na toho kotlára; on prekazil zhromaždenie v tom meste. Musel som odísť z toho mesta. Dal ma zavrieť do väzenia.”
Predstavujem si Démasa, ako povedal, “Čo za kazateľa sa z neho stal?” Vidíte?
79A brat, ľudia majú dnes na svete mnoho tých duchov Démasa. Oni nevedia, o čom to všetko je. Rozumiete? Nie je potrebné snažiť sa vysvetliť im to, pretože oni to aj tak neporozumejú. Vidíte, vidíte? Kristov sluha nasleduje šľapaje.
80Jeden náš diakon tu, neviem či je tu dnes večer alebo nie, to je Tony Zabel. Obyčajne tu býva. A prišiel ku mne a povedal mi tu nedávno, že mal - prišiel sem, povedal, “Mal som sen, zvláštny sen.” Povedal, “Snívalo sa mi, že som sa snažil nájsť cestu hore do neba.” Povedal, “Videl som prichádzať muža oblečeného v čiernom rúchu a čítal nejakú knihu.” A povedal, “Išiel som ku tomu mužovi a opýtal som sa ho, “Ktorá cesta je do neba? A on povedal, - Opýtaj sa toho muža, ktorý je predo mnou.” A to bol pastor jedného zboru, ku ktorému išiel.
81Išiel trochu ďalej a stretol iného muža; bol oblečený v čiernom rúchu a spieval piesne, pri tom, ako išiel. A to bol iný pastor. Obidvaja tí pastori sú moji priatelia. A povedal ... a fajní ľudia. A on povedal, “Po ktorej ceste mám ísť, aby som sa dostal hore na štít tej hory? On povedal, - Pozri sa, vidíš tam na vrchu stáť toho malého chlapa? Povedal som, - Áno. - Tam stál chlap v pracovnom oblečení s kovbojským klobúkom.”
82Niekto tu v Kentucky povedal, keď tam o mne hovoril, povedal, “Ten človek vyzerá na všetko iné, len nie ako kazateľ.” Môžem vyzerať ako farmár alebo niečo také, ale viete, to nezáleží na vzhľade.
83A povedal, že to som bol ja, ktorý som tam stál. A on vyliezol hore, až prišiel ku mne a povedal, že som ho chytil za ruku a viedol som ho ďalej hore, až sme prišli na vrch toho kopca, a tam bola pustatina, cez ktorú bolo treba prejsť, a povedal som mu, “Tony, musím ťa tu opustiť; musíš prejsť niečo z tohoto sám.”
On povedal, “Brat Branham, čo mám od teraz ďalej robiť?”
84Povedal, že som mu riekol, “Poď sem, Tony, pozri sa tam dole. Vidíš tie odtlačky bosých nôh, v ktorých je krv? “ Povedal som, “To je to, čo nasledujem po celej ceste. Len sa toho drž.” To je to jediné, čo viem, aby som na to ukázal ľuďom; nie na nejaké vyznanie, alebo na nejakú senzáciu, ale na tie krvavé odtlačky nôh, ktoré vedú do Biblie, na Krv Ježiša Krista.
85No, ako sa ten človek musel cítiť, človek, ktorý mal tak veľa priateľov, milionárov, a pritom mal jeden plášť, človek, ktorý mal moc raniť slepotou a dovolil nejakému mužovi, že ho vyhnal z mesta: vôbec nič s tým neurobil, zodvihol sa a odišiel. Modlil sa za chorých a svojho priateľa zanechal chorého. A Démas ho opustil. Všetci tí ostatní ho opustili. Všetci ho opustili. Pavel povedal, “Všetci ma opustili.” Oni všetci ma opustili.
86Hovorím vám toto. Keď niekto zostáva verný Slovu, nie len na jednom zhromaždení, ale na každom zhromaždení, keď niekto stojí verne pri Slove, príde čas, že ho ľudia opustia. Presne tak. Oni to urobili. Urobili to nášmu Pánovi. Opustia ho, keď bude stáť za Pravdou. “Všetci ma opustili.” A teraz, čo myslíte, že čo si Démas a niektorí z tých ľudí mysleli, keď všetci vieme, keď poznáme Písmo, že Lukáš bol doktor a Pavel, kdekoľvek išiel, bral so sebou tohoto doktora? A kázal Božské uzdravenie a svojho priateľa zanechal chorého ... Taký chudobný, že mal jeden plášť ... A nechal, že ho jeden človek vyhnal z mesta, keď mohol udrieť človeka slepotou. Vidíte, oni si mysleli, že je odpísaný. Ale nebol. On bol presne v tých krvavých šľapajách. On ich ďalej nasledoval. Dúfam, že rozumiete. On povedal, “Všetci ma opustili.”
87Démas si zamiloval tento súčasný svet, popularitu ľudí. “Pozdravujem ťa, Doktor Démas. Viem že máš Ph ...
88Ó, samozrejme, oni to milujú. Ježiš povedal, “Ako to máte radi, keď stojíte v synagógach a nazývajú vás rabbi,” a tak ďalej. Povedal, “Dostávate iba viacej zatratenia.” Vidíte?
89No, vieme, že keď ľudia videl tohoto doktora, ako chodí za ním, či s ním, a Pavel bral Lukáša, povedal tu, “Lukáš je jediný, ktorý ma neopustil.” A Lukáš mu je užitočný. Lukáš mu je na prospech; on potreboval Lukáša pre svoju službu. A tento doktor chodil s tým človekom všade, kam išiel, a kázal Božské uzdravenie. A človek, ktorý kázal Božské uzdravenie a mohol uzdraviť chromého a spraviť, že mŕtvy povstal a všetko ostatné, a videl veľké videnia a hovoril o veciach, ktoré sa stali, a zanechal svojho spolupracovníka chorého. A mohol mať milióny dolárov a postaviť budovy za desať tisíce dolárov a veľké školy a také veci, a nemal skoro nič, iba jeden plášť...
90Démas povedal, “Nebudem sa stotožňovať s takýmto človekom. On je len - on je z nižšej vrstvy. Ja pôjdem s denominačnými bratmi. Pôjdem tam, kde niečím budem.” Ak by bolo niečo také, rád by som išiel presne za Baxterom, ako to on vyjadril (Rozumiete?), za to, že opustil toho biedneho človeka v takom stave. On mal stáť pri ňom. To bol Pavel, ktorý ho priviedol ku Kristovi. Ale, vidíte, to je bez poznania Ducha, keď poznáš, čo je vôľa Božia, potom činíš vôľu Božiu. Vidíte? Ale on ho tam opustil v takom stave. Opustil ho ... Všetci ma opustili.
91Ako o tom rozmýšľam, ako sluha, ktorý bude stáť verne na Slove, skôr alebo neskôr, pamätajte len, ľudia ho opustia. No, chceme sa toho dotknúť za chvíľu, nechcem vás teraz príliš dlho držať, pretože chcem, aby ste tu boli zajtra ráno. Stále, keď Boží sluha stojí verne pri Slove, všetci ho opustia. A to ... No, zoberte to len, kdekoľvek chcete, v akomkoľvek čase v Biblii alebo v histórii, že keď niekto stál verne, bez ohľadu na to, aký bol populárny, keď stál verne pri Slove, prišiel taký čas, keď ho ten náboženský svet opustil a dal ho nabok. No, čítajte to, keď zoberiete Bibliu od Genesis do Zjavenia, a zoberte si Prednicejský koncil a zoberte si Nicejských Otcov, a každý muž, každý svätý, každý prorok, každý skutočný sluha Boží, ktorý stál na Slove, toho tie cirkevné veci opustili a odvrhli. A Pavol bol jedným z nich.
92A ak je niekto dnes, to bude to isté. To je úplná pravda. Musíte naraziť na to miesto. To musí prísť. Ľudia si myslia, že človek, ktorý bude mať takú službu, on má mať svet pod svojím palcom. Mal by, ale oni nechcú prísť pod jeho palec. Vidíte? A takýto človek by nedal službu, svet pod svoj palec; on by ho dal pod palec svojho Pána; pretože on tu nereprezentuje seba samého; on tu reprezentuje svojho Pána.
93A viete, ľudia hľadajú chválu jeden od druhého a chvália jeden druhého, a keď to robia zneuctievajú Boha. Vidíte? My sa snažíme a robíme medzi sebou veľkých ľudí, a pritom nie sme veľkí a malí; všetci sme malí. Je len jeden veľký medzi nami a to je náš Pán. Rozumiete? A my robíme našu organizáciu oveľa väčšiu, ako je Boh, “veľká svätá cirkev taká alebo taká, či ešte iná, veľkí svätí biskupi,” a tak ďalej. Nič také nie je. To je ľudská chvála. Len jeden je svätý, a to je Boh. A Duch Svätý, ktorý je Boh, je medzi nami. To nie sme my, ktorí sme svätí; to je Duch Svätý, ktorý je v nás. To nie je ... Keď vidíme, že sa stali určité veci, to nie sme my, ktorí to robíme, to je Duch Svätý. Ježiš povedal, “To nie som ja, ktorý koná tie skutky. To je môj Otec. On prebýva vo mne, a to On koná tie skutky.” A to nie je on, ktorý - to činí. Dobre. Ale nachádzame tých pravých sluhov v priebehu veku.
94No, tu je to, na čom to chcem tak trochu preskúšať. To je obyčajne v takom čase ako tento, keď človek zostal verný Slovu a všetci ho opustili, až kým Boh nevstúpi na obranu toho človeka a korunuje jeho službu. Vidíte? Je to tak. Čo za útecha. Naša útecha je postavená na zasľúbení Božieho Slova. Bez ohľadu na to, čo hovorí svet, čo svet robí, to nie je naša nádej, to nestojí na tom, čo robí svet.
95Myslím, že tá pieseň je taká pekná, prajem si, aby som mohol spievať. Stále som chcel spievať. Vidíte? “Tí, ktorí očakávajú na Pána, obnovia svoju silu. Vznesú sa hore na krídlach ako orol, budú bežať a neunavia sa, keď pôjdu, nezomdlejú; uč ma, Pane, čakať. Uč ma, Pane, čakať na kolenách.” Páči sa mi to. “A v tvojom vlastnom vhodnom čase odpovieš na moje prosby; uč ma, aby som nespoliehal na to, čo robia druhí, ale aby som očakával v modlitbe na odpoveď od teba.” To je to. To je pravý sluha, ktorý očakáva na pokynutie svojho majstra, a vie toto, že Písma nemôžu sklamať, bez ohľadu na to čo sa deje. Písma musia zostať pravdivé. V takom čase ako toto, vtedy Boh obyčajne prichádza, aby pomohol.
96Pozrime sa na Eliáša, keď on bol opustený. Prečo? Pretože zostal ďalej verný Slovu. Povedal, “Všetci ma opustili.” A bol vylúčený z obecenstva, z organizácie, a bol vylúčený dokonca z národnej organizácie, alebo z národnej izraelskej cirkvi. Kňazi a všetci ho vyhodili a on nemal ani plášť ako Pavel, ale kúsok ovčej kože, alebo kožu prehodenú okolo seba, a sedel hore na vrchu a vtáci mu nosili jesť. Tak veru. Prečo? Kvôli Božiemu Slovu, pretože bol verný tomu Tak Hovorí Pán. No, všetci ľudia sa zmodernizovali. Prvá dáma v krajine, Jezábeľ, zaviedla všetku módu a všetko také. A kňazi a všetci sa tomu vydali a všetci kazatelia, oni sa tomu prispôsobili. Ale Eliáš nie, on zostal verný Slovu. A kvôli tomu ho opustili, že až zavolal, “Pane, zostal som len ja sám a hľadajú ešte aj môj život.”
97Ale Boh mu dal potešenie, povedal, “Mám tam ešte sedem tisíc.”
98Vidíte, nemyslím, že Eliáš sa s tým nafukoval, že zostal len jediný, ale myslím, že bol taký opustený. Zakaždým, keď išiel ku kňazovi aby tam kázal na zhromaždení, odmietli ho. Išiel sem, “Ber sa z tadeto, ty fanatik. Ber sa z tadeto. Choď a rob toto.” To ukazuje, že keď Elizeus išiel, jeho nástupca. No, čo oni urobili? Oni ani... Tento mladý muž bol plešivý a oni poslali von svoje malé deti, aby si robili žarty z tých šarlatánov. Obidvoch ich pokladali za šarlatánov, volali, “Plešivý, plešivý, prečo si neodišiel hore ako Eliáš?” Oni neverili, že on odišiel hore. Och. Vidíte? Ľudia si mysleli, že to bola banda šarlatánov. Ale oni boli verní Slovu, s potvrdenou službou. Eliáš tak stál. Áno.
99Daniel zaujal správny postoj. Viete, kde som to našiel v Danielovi 12, či v Danielovi 9, myslím, že tam to je. Keď ... Daniel zaujal správny postoj ku Slovu. Čo sa mu stalo? Keď bol pravou rukou kráľovi, ale zaujal správny postoj ku Slovu a bol vylúčený a hodený do jamy ľvov; muž Boží, ktorý stál verne pri Slove.
100Tie Hebrejské deti stáli verne pri Slove, keď kráľ vydal vyhlásenie, že “kto sa nepokloní tomu obrazu, keď zazneje citara a trúby začnú trúbiť a tak ďalej, že každý, kto sa nepokloní tomu obrazu, bude hodený do ohnivej pece.” A oni sa obrátili chrbtom ku tomu obrazu a ... Oni, bez ohľadu na to, akí sa stali nepopulárni, bez ohľadu na to, že ich vylúčia zo spoločenstva, zostali verní Slovu. To sa mi páči.
101Jákob, ďalší ... On bol dlhý čas preč z domu a bol povolaný aby išiel domov navštíviť svoj ľud. A bol na ceste, verný svojmu povolaniu, verný tomu, ako bol vedený. Tam sa mu všetko dobre darilo, ale Boh začal s ním konať, aby išiel domov. A na ceste domov bol hodený medzi dve tesné miesta. Jeho žena a deti na jednej strane a jeho brat Ezau, ktorý ho nenávidel, tu prichádza s armádou, aby sa s ním stretol. A on stál pri malom potoku, tam pri potoku Peniel, a tam stál. Čo za okolnosti. Ezau, ktorý ho nenávidí, prichádza s armádou porátať sa s ním, a tu, na tejto druhej strane potoka, bola jeho žena, dve ženy s deťmi na tejto strane potoka, a on bol chytený na tesnom mieste. Prečo? Pretože keby bol zostal vo svojom vlastnom kraji, bolo by to v poriadku. Ale mal povolanie, Slovo Božie ho zavolalo do jeho domoviny. Haleluja. Boh žehná človeka. On mal tiež šancu. Tak veru.
102Ježiš, verný Slovu Otca, “Ja robím len to, čo mi hovorí Otec. Je napísané - človek nebude žiť na samom chlebe, ale na každom Slove, ktoré vychádza z úst Božích.” Ježiš, vždy verný tomu Slovu, prišiel taký čas, že stratil všetkých priateľov, ktorých mal. Každý ho opustil a odišiel preč: všetci. A ľudia videli ako ho zosmiešnili, vysmiali a stratili v Neho dôveru. “Ako môže človek, ktorý dokázal prehovoriť ku mŕtvemu v hrobe a vzbudiť ho. Ako môže človek, ktorý mohol predpovedať udalosti tak, že to nikdy nesklamalo, stáť pred súdom, kde ho trhajú za bradu, až krváca po tvári, a opití vojaci pľujú na neho, dávajú mu na hlavu handru a bijú Ho palicou po hlave a hovoria - prorokuj a povedz nám, kto ťa udrel; budeme veriť”?
No, učeníci proste odišli preč, povedali, “Ó ...”
103Vidíte, oni tak rýchlo zabudli na to, čo Boh robil. Ako povedal Mojžiš pri Červenom Mori, keď tam stál a povedal, “Boh urobil desať mimoriadnych zázrakov a vy sa stále dopúšťate prestúpenia, že neviete, že On je stále Boh?” On tam išiel a udrel tú krajinu; položil kliatbu na ten kraj. Vyviedol žaby, blchy, muchy, všetko možné, a závan, ktorý zabil všetkých prvorodených, a anjel smrti prešiel cez tú krajinu, a predsa ho tí ľudia nechceli nasledovať pri Červenom Mori. Ako rýchlo, tak rýchlo, ako vaša popularita ... Keď uvideli tie blyštiace sa kopije tých stotisíc ľudí, ktorí takto prichádzali, alebo možno milión, a hukot vozov, a ako sa víri prach, vzdali sa a odpadli, “A, Mojžiš, tam sme mali zomrieť.” Vidíte? A Boh povedal, že ich nechal zomrieť na púšti, pretože neverili. “Mojžiš, tvoja služba je odpísaná; to je to. Ty už viac nie si.” Vidíte, oni tomu nerozumeli. Nechápali to.
104A teraz tá istá vec bola, keď Ježiš, mladý rabbi alebo učiteľ, alebo prorok z Galiley, keď robil všetky tie zázraky a všetko, “Ako vôbec mohol niečo také tolerovať? Ako mohol dovoliť, že ho nejaký človek zviazal reťazou, keď On mohol prelomiť pečať hrobu a vytiahnuť mŕtveho človeka z večnosti? Ako to mohol urobiť, keď mohol prehovoriť ku mŕtvemu synovi jednej vdovy a vzbudiť ho znovu do života; a Lazára, mŕtveho a zhnitého v hrobe, a priviesť ho von odtiaľ? Ako sa mohol postaviť a povedať, “Ja som Vzkriesenie a Život; Ten, kto verí vo mňa, keby aj zomrel, žiť bude. Ten, kto verí vo mňa, nikdy nezomrie.” A stál tam a bol zviazaný reťazami a pľuli mu do tvári, a neotvoril svojich úst”? Učeníci si pomysleli, “On stratil svoju službu.” Áno, to je to čo sa deje. Bože, tento biedny svet ...
105Ešte aj jeho cirkev, tí dvanásti, z ktorých sa tešil a povedal im všetko a miloval ich, oni sa odvrátili od neho. Len Jeden zostal pri ňom; to bol Ján. Práve v tej hodine, keď všetko stroskotalo a všetká nádej pominula, on tam bol zviazaný a zobrali ho tam a vysmievali sa z neho a pľuli na neho a na chrbát ... Nevedeli, že tým sa vyplnili Písma.
106No, či neviete, že tie veci, ktoré sa dnes dejú presne do písmena vyplňujú Písma? Prečo ľudia nechajú - môžu hovoriť tieto veci? Prečo denominácie zúria? Prečo to robia? Je to napísané v Písmach, že to budú robiť. Oni pôjdu rovno do toho a sami to budú robiť, slepo, nevediac, že to robia. Či si myslíte, že Judáš vedel, že odohráva roľu Judáša? Či si myslíte, že Faraón vedel, že odohráva tú časť, keď ho Boh vzbudil práve pre to? Či si myslíte, že by Ezau urobil to čo urobil? Samozrejme, že nie. Povedal, “Majú oči a nevidia, uši a nepočujú.” Ale sledujte Písma, ako sa presne vyplňujú. Vidíte? Sme v čase konca; musí to takto byť.
107No, jeho cirkev ho opustila. Všetci ľudia a príroda ho opustili, Pavel nebol ani zďaleka tak opustený ako On. Ešte aj samotné stvorenie, ktoré On stvoril, ho opustilo, mesiac a hviezdy a slnko a všetko, Boh a všetko. Človek, Boh, príroda a všetko Ho opustilo, nič tam nestálo; On zomrel sám. Či stratil svoju službu? On vyplňoval svoju službu, nestrácal ju. To ide s tým. To je to, čo sa deje. To s tým musí ísť.
108No, všetko ho opustilo. Ale práve v tom čase Boh vystúpil na scénu, pretože každý človek, ktorý pozná Slovo, bude stáť so Slovom, lebo vie, že to Slovo je Boh. Rozumiete? A Slovo sa musí rozvinúť. To neomylné Slovo sa musí rozvinúť. Musí, pretože to Slovo je Boh. A keď to fungovalo pri iných po celý ten čas, Ono bude fungovať tak isto aj teraz, pretože to je Boh. Nikdy to nezabudnite. Lebo Ježiš vedel, že On je plnosť Slova, On nebol len prorok, On bol sám Boh. On bol Slovo. A preto nie len ľudia ho opustili, ale tiež príroda ho opustila. Celé stvorenie ho opustilo, všetko, hviezdy, mesiac, nebolo tam žiadne svetlo, keď zomrel. Všetko ho opustilo. Vidíte? Pretože On bol Stvoriteľ všetkého. “Na svete bol a svet povstal skrze neho a svet ho nepoznal.” Vidíte? On bol Stvoriteľ všetkého. Všetko ... No, to jediné, že my netvoríme, ale snažíme sa niečo prerobiť a tí, ktorých sa my snažíme prerobiť, to sú tí, ktorí to opúšťajú a odchádzajú preč. Vidíte? Keď prichádza čas pre Slovo, aby sa skutočne ukázalo; musí to tak byť. No, len pamätajte, práve vtedy Boh vystúpil na scénu.
109A v živote nášho Pána Ježiša, tie mocné skutky, ktoré vykonal za prvý rok a šesť mesiacov svojho života, ó, aký to bol mocný muž. Nikdy nebolo na zemi takého ako On, dovtedy, ani potom nebude. Ale čo sa stalo? Vysmievali sa z neho viacej než z kohokoľvek iného, viacej než z nich všetkých spolu. Príroda sa mu vysmiala a stvorenie sa mu vysmialo, všetko sa mu vysmialo, pretože to bolo v prevrátenom stave. Preto sa ľudské srdcia vysmiali skutočnému Božiemu sluhovi, pretože boli prevrátení. Príroda je prevrátená; a preto ...
110Keď je príroda taká pekná, aká je a pritom je prevrátená, aká bude, keď bude obrátená naspäť do vôli Božej? Ak zem môže rodiť strapce hrozna, že dvaja chlapi to museli niesť na pleciach, aká bude, a to bola prevrátená zem, aká bude, keď sa obráti naspäť ku Bohu? Keď Kristus príde, púšť rozkvitne ako ruža. To bude obrátenie. A suché miesta vytrysknú vodou a zem bude kvitnúť a rozkvitať. Ó, to bude čas, a keď ľudské srdcia budú obrátené na bohabojných, a teraz je čas vykonať to rozhodnutie, budú žiť na tom mieste. Amen.
111Tá temná hodina ... “Medzi trasúcimi sa skalami a zatemnenou oblohou”, povedal básnik, “môj Spasiteľ sklonil hlavu a zomrel; roztrhnutá opona zjavila cestu do nebeskej radosti a nekonečného dňa.”
On to musel urobiť, aby nám otvoril cestu. Je to tak. Ale čo robil Boh? On bol verný Slovu a zobral ten kríž. Ale či to bol koniec Jeho služby? Či bola Jeho služba odpísaná? Boh ju korunoval s tou najväčšou korunou, akou len mohla byť korunovaná. On ju korunoval v to Veľkonočné ráno, pri vzkriesení. On korunoval tú službu nášho Pána Ježiša, On vstal zmŕtvych a je živý na veky. On nebol odpísaný, pretože Ho všetci ľudia opustili; bol korunovaný. Tak veru. Tak veru. Bol korunovaný, pretože bol opustený a On to musel urobiť, keď Ho vzbudil z mŕtvych.
112To isté bolo s Eliášom. Hovorili sme o ňom pred chvíľou. Eliáš, ten biedny, starý, zruinovaný prorok bol tam na púšti a musel jesť to, čo mu priniesli vtáci. A jeho koža bola ovisnutá, hnedé telo, na boku mu visela malá nádobka s olejom, celý zarastený a možno plešivý a opálený od slnka, takto s palicou kríval dole, ale dole v jeho srdci pulzoval Duch Boží. Keď Boh videl svojho drobného vyčerpaného sluhu, ako ide ku koncu, každý ho opúšťal a všetko ďalšie, či ho nechal v úzkych? Poslal dole voz, zobral svojho vyčerpaného sluhu, “Nemusíš ísť hore ani tak, ako Enoch; vezmem ťa domov na voze.” Je to tak. Áno. Korunoval jeho službu tým, že ho na koči odviezol domov. To nie je tak zle, viete. Áno. Áno, nemusel ísť domov pešo; On len poslal koč a zobral ho, pretože bol unavený. To sa mi páči. Biedny, drobný, unavený sluha. On ho zodvihol a zobral ho domov.
113Práve vtedy, keď Daniel zostal taký verný Bohu, že išiel do ... Povedali, “Ten muž, viete, to bol raz veľký človek tu v tomto kráľovstve. On povedal všetky rôzne veci. On priviedol veštcov; učil ich veci a Médo-Peržanov, a ako všetko konal. Ale za vlády Dáriusa, to bol Daniel, ktorý zostal verný Bohu. To bol Daniel, ktorý stál so Slovom Božím a nezmiešal sa s ničím iným. A on povedal, “No, jeho služba je odpísaná, pretože som to videl v miestnych novinách, za niekoľko dní bude hodený do jamy ľvov.” Ide do federálneho väzenia, alebo do niečoho takého. Vidíte? “Ale hodíme ho do jamy ľvov.” Ale čo urobil Boh? Boh spečatil jeho službu tým, že zmenil kráľove srdce, potom Dárius napísal a poslal v každom jazyku, ľuďom po svete, aby sa každý človek bál Danielovho Boha, pretože to je Boh, ktorý môže vyslobodiť. Amen.
114Tak, vidíte, to sa deje vtedy, keď ľudia opustia človeka, Božích sluhov, ktorí stoja verne pri Slove, že Boh pečatí ich službu a nastáva čas korunovania.
115Áno, to boli Hebrejské deti za vlády Nabuchodonozora, keď sa nepoklonili tomu obrazu. Zostali verní Bohu, pretože Božie Slovo hovorilo, “Neklaňajte sa pred žiadnym obrazom a neuctievajte ho.” Oni zostali verní tomu Slovu. A to bolo v miestnych novinách, vo správach, všetko o tom, čokoľvek to bolo v tých dňoch. Oni mali svoj spôsob, ako šírili správy. Nie v miestnych novinách, samozrejme, že nie; ja to len tak hovorím, aby ste si to trochu predstavili. Ale bolo to tam, že majú byť spálení v ohnivej peci sedemkrát horúcejšej. Lebo pár dní predtým nahádzali do tej peci všetok materiál, aby ju tak rozpálili, že bola sedemkrát horúcejšia, rozžeravená sedemkrát viacej. No, strávila by vás, keby ste sa ku nej priblížili na sedemdesiat metrov. Ale oni išli rovno do tej ohnivej pece a vyšli von, že nebolo na nich cítiť ani zápach ohňa. A Nabuchodonozor povedal, “Každý, kto by nectil tohoto Boha, nech jeho deti aj on budú zabití a jeho dom bude obrátený na hnojisko.” Je to tak. Vidíte? On ... Oni mali celosvetové prebudenie, pretože títo boli verní Slovu. Presne to sa stalo. Tak veru. Stoj verne pri Slove. Áno, z toho vždy vyjde niečo úžasné.
116Jakob, pred chvíľou sme ho spomenuli. Zapísal som si tu jeho meno. On bol tu trochu zbabelec, ale stál. Bál sa tam Ezava. Ó. Vedel, že odišiel preč od Boha. Po všetky tie roky bol preč od Boha, ale stále sa snažil stáť verne pri Slove. A tu ho Boh zavolal a povedal mu, aby išiel do svojho domova. A tu presne robil to, čo mu bolo povedané, a tam bol Ezau s armádou. A to bol ten čas, keď bol premenený z mena Jákob, “podvodník, ktorý vytlačil iného,” na “knieža pred Bohom,” keď na druhý deň ráno vyšiel so svojou korunovanou službou. Vyšiel a stretol sa s Ezavom a nechcel od neho žiadnu pomoc. Amen. Verný Slovu ... Takto to Boh robí, či nie? On robí všetko svojím vlastným spôsobom. Tak je to.
117Mnohí moji bratia, oni dnes majú veľkú popularitu medzi ich denominačnými bratmi. Povedz len jedno meno, chlapče, a hneď to je všade ako oheň. Je to tak. Povieš toto určité meno tohoto človeka ... A predsa, keď Pán hovoril ku mne vtedy tam dole pri rieke, to otvorilo cestu prebudenia vo svete a z toho vyšiel každý jeden z týchto veľkých evanjelistov.
118Oni odišli rovno naspäť so svojimi bratmi (Vidíte?), s tými denomináciami, z ktorých vyšli. Oni sem prichádzajú a majú toto zhromaždenie, zmiešaní s denomináciami a znovu idú rovno naspäť do nich. Sú veľmi obľúbení, majú veľké mená v rádiu, v novinách a všade. Každý o nich dobre hovorí.
119Ale mňa všetci ľudia opustili, pretože som zobral pravé Slovo a stojím pri Slove. Zostal som presne tu, na tom, čo mi On povedal, kázal som Slovo, nie denominačnú filozofiu. “Káž Slovo,” to bolo moje poverenie; “stoj na Slove.” A bratia, ktorí počúvate túto pásku, bol som veľký, keď som chodil medzi vás a len uzdravoval chorých, rozprával videnia a ukazoval rôzne veci. Ale keď som išiel a povedal vám pravdu ohľadom Slova, prečo ste sa odo mňa odvrátili? Či si neuvedomujete, že to sa práve vyplňuje to, čo povedalo Písmo? Áno, tak sa to deje. No, sotva môžem prísť na nejaké miesto.
120Listy prichádzajú po celý čas. Raz prišiel jeden, stojí tam, “Brat Branham, mal som v tebe najväčšiu dôveru, ale počul som, že si povedal, že určitá denominácia, do ktorej patrím, odpadla.” Povedal, “Teraz už nemám v teba žiadnu dôveru, odteraz.” Povedal, “Okolo dvadsaťpäť bratov z mojej denominácie sedeli na jednom z tvojich zhromaždení. Hneď sme sa zodvihli a odišli preč, keď si to povedal.”
121No, všetci ma opustili, ale je jedno, On zostal so mnou ...?... jedno, nie som ... Nebol som neposlušný tomu nebeskému videniu, ktoré sa stalo tam dole pri rieke. Zostal som tomu verný. On je verný mne. Spolieham na Neho, jedného dňa; neviem kedy, že bude korunovať moju službu. Zostanem verný tak, ako len môžem byť. Neviem, čo to bude; Neviem, kedy sa to stane. A ja ... Ale keď On bude hotový, ja som tiež. No, pozrite sa sem. Dúfam, že On bude korunovať moju službu týmto, že mi dá zobrať šaty Slova a obliecť Jeho Nevestu do šiat Slova a do Jeho spravodlivosti. Dúfam, že ma bude korunovať a dá mi tam stáť v ten deň a povedať, “Ajhľa, Baránok Boží, ktorý sníma hriech sveta.”
122Je tak veľa kopcov, cez ktoré treba preliezť, napätie, niekedy je to ťažké; ale ten, ktorý ukazuje cestu vie, čo je najlepšie. On vie, čo je najlepšie. Tie nástrahy na ceste sa zdajú byť ničím, keď prídeme na koniec tej cesty. Horlivo nasledujem tie krvavé odtlačky nôh. Pamätajte len, priatelia.
Stopy na piesku boli zmyté;
Toho cudzinca na brehoch Galiley;
A ten hlas, ktorý utíšil rozbúrené vlny
sa nebude viac počuť v Júdey.
Ale chodník, po ktorom išiel ten osamelý Galilean,
budem dnes tak rád nasledovať;
A tie nástrahy na ceste sa zdajú byť ničím.
Keď prídem na koniec tej cesty.
123Toto prvé miesto Písma, ktoré som čítal, mi dal, keď som bol mladý, len chlapec, stál som tam, mal som rovné plecia, vypnutú hruď, kučeravé čierne vlasy. Teraz tu stojím s ovisnutými plecami, plešivý, šedivý, starý muž päťdesiattri ročný. Ale On mi je sladší, než ako v tých minulých dňoch. A ja sa nevyhýbam oznámiť vám celé Evanjelium Ježiša Krista. A v srdci túžim stretnúť cirkev, za ktorú On zomrel, oblečenú v spravodlivosti Jeho vlastnej Krvi, oblečenú v Jeho Slove a v spravodlivosti Jeho Slova, lebo Jeho Slovo nemôže nikdy sklamať. A preto viem, že keď budem stáť pri Slove a budem verný Slovu a keď to Slovo zostane vo mne a ja v Ňom, v ten deň budem šťastný, že som zostal verný.
124Neviem, čo prinesie budúcnosť, ale vidíte, kde sme, či nie? Vidíte, prečo každý hovorí, dokonca moji - niektorí moji vlastní kolegovia povedali, “Aha, brat Branham je úplne odpísaný.” Vidíte? Hej. “Úplne odpísaný ...” Vidíte? No, my ... Oni proste nerozumejú (To je všetko.), proste nerozumejú.
125Myslím, že tá najväčšia vec, ktorú Pavel chcel, keď povedal, “Môj čas sa teraz dostanovil,” tá najväčšia túžba, ktorú mal Pavel v srdci, bolo byť mučeníkom. To bola túžba v srdciach ich všetkých v tých dňoch. Keby oni ... Čítali ste niekedy od Foxa “Kniha Mučeníkov”? A tiež si prečítajte “Nicejský koncil.” Tá najväčšia česť, ktorá mohla byť, keď tí jednotliví (a Polycarp a oni) išli do jamy ľvov, oni kričali od radosti, vchádzali tam a vedeli, že budú mučeníkmi. Keď boli pálení na hranici, kričali od radosti, za tú česť, že môžu byť mučeníkmi. Keď Pavel kráčal ku tomu klátu, kde mu mali odseknúť hlavu, viedli ho z väzenia, z toho smradľavého miesta tam, z diery v múre, kde ho väznili. Chodil som tam, díval som sa na to. Je tam taký malý potok do ktorého hodili jeho telo. A teraz ho chcú urobiť svätým alebo niečím v ich ... Nejakú skupinu ľudí ... On tam išiel. Povedal, “Ó, smrť, kde je tvoj osteň? Hrob, kde je tvoje víťazstvo? Ale vďaka Bohu, ktorý nám dáva víťazstvo skrze Pána Ježiša Krista. Bojoval som dobrý boj. Beh som dokonal. Vieru som zachoval. Odložená mi je koruna a nie len mne ale všetkým tým, ktorí milujú Jeho zjavenie.”
126Prišli sme teraz od 6. verša do 18. Neviem, čo to bude znamenať pre mňa, ale len hovorím, čo to znamenalo pre iných. A ja budem ďalej stáť verne pri Slove, až On bude so mnou hotový. Tam je tá služba dnes. Nie som odpísaný. Dúfam, že sa ma práve Kráľ ujal. To je ...?... Skloňme teraz hlavy, kým sa pomodlíme. Len ...
127Je povraz, ktorý siaha dnes večer dole z trónu, nazýva sa Záchranné lano. Zatiaľ, kým sa budem modliť, dúfam, že každá neobrátená osoba tu sa ho chytí. Či sa nechceš načiahnuť a chytiť sa ho, priateľ hriešnik? Hovoríš si, “Brat Branham, ty si povedal, že starneš, a hádam preto si ...” Nie, brat, sestra. Keď som bol ešte len malý chlapec, veril som tomuto. Dám za to svoj život. A len jedno ľutujem: že mám len jeden život, ktorý môžem dať. Keby som mal desať tisíc životov, všetky by som ich chcel dať za to ...?...
128Či sa nechceš chytiť toho lana, keď ono tu dnes večer prechádza, popri tvojej ceste? Povieš, “Brat Branham, nie som hodný chytiť sa ho.” Viem, že nie si, dieťa. Ale ak robíš niečo aby si sa stal hodný, povedz mi, čo si urobil, ja to tiež chcem urobiť. Nie je nič, čo môžeš urobiť, aby si sa stal hodný. Narodil si sa nehodný. Je len jedno, čo môžeš urobiť, chyť sa ho tak, ako ti je to podané. Ty sa topíš; nezatop sa v tom. Boh hodil záchranné lano; načiahnime sa a zoberme ho dnes večer.
129Nebeský Otče, spomínam si, ako rovno tu, pri tomto istom pulte, na tomto istom mieste som hovoril tam vtedy ráno, keď som posväcoval tento zbor, presne tu na tejto pôde. A ten uholný kameň tam leží a stále je v ňom strana z Biblie, kde som to napísal. Povedal som, “Pane Ježišu, s tvojou milosťou budem stále verný tomu Slovu.” A teraz vidím, že ono vyprodukovalo presne to, čo vykonalo v tých iných časoch. A ja som tu dnes večer v tejto modlitebni, po tom, čo som cestoval po svete, znovu naspäť a ten malý uholný kameň tam stále leží a ten papier je v ňom. Preskúmaj ma, Pane. Urobil som veľa chýb. Robil som zle, Pane. Veľakrát som ťa sklamal, ako som pred chvíľou svedčil o neschopnosti. Bože, ja - ja, tak rýchlo, ako sa toho dopustím, chcem odpustenie. Vo svojom srdci Ťa milujem. A viem, že si mi nedávno ukázal to miesto, kam ideme. A neviem, kedy budeš teraz so mnou hotový, Pane. Som tu dnes večer, z Tvojej milosti, a neviem, kedy so mnou skončíš, ale viem, že toto musí prísť ku tomuto. Ale keď nastane ten čas, nechcem byť zbabelec. Chcem stáť, ako stáli tí ostatní. Ale, Bože, ak budem musieť spečatiť moje svedectvo svojím životom, alebo čokoľvek sa má stať, Pane, korunuj to potom, nie mňa, korunuj tú službu, ktorú som kázal, Pane, to je Tvoje Slovo. A viem, že to Slovo je viac ako schopné znovu ma vzbudiť pri vzkriesení. A nehanbím sa za Slovo, ktoré som kázal, pretože ono je mocou Božou na spasenie každému, kto verí.
130Ďakujem ti za tento malý zbor, ktorý stále dnes stojí. Keď som sa postavil za Slovo, tí proroci prorokovali a vraveli, “Za šesť mesiacov bude z toho garáž.” Prešlo tridsať rokov, on je teraz viac v ohni, než ako bol v tých rokoch; “na tejto skale postavím svoju cirkev.” Ďakujeme ti za nášho pastora. Ďakujeme ti za diakonov, správcov. Všetci máme malú časť, aby sme ju vyplnili, Pane, a chcem ju plniť verne; chceme to robiť správne.
131Môže tu byť niekto, kto by sa dnes večer rád ku nám pridal, Pane. A spôsob, ako sa ku tomu môžu pridať, to je proste chytiť sa tohoto malého Záchranného Lana a ťahať sa, okrútiť si ho okolo zápästia, uviazať si ho o srdce, a povedať, “Teraz, Pane, ťahaj, zodvihni ma hore,” a vystúpia a budú svietiť ako zlato. Udeľ to, Pane. Čakáme na tú chvíľu.
132Veríme, že je to blízko pri konci. Vidíme to, ako sme tu boli učení, teraz prebieha Laodicejský vek; vidíme, že sa nemôže stať nič iné, len príchod Pánov. A, Pane, či to nebude veľká koruna pre Slovo, vidieť, ako sama Koruna prichádza? Rád by som tu stál a povedal, “Tam je; to je Baránok.” Ako to urobil Ján. “Ajhľa Baránok, na ktorého sme čakali; toto je On.” Náhle príde Pán do svojho chrámu, zobrať svojich ľudí vo vytrhnutí.
133Priprav nás, Otče. Umy naše srdcia v Tvojej krvi. Učiň nás čistými a bezúhonnými aby tvoje Slovo mohlo zostávať v nás. Nech by sme pamätali, že musíme konať na Slove, aby sme sa s Ním spojili a boli účinní. Daj každému hriešnikovi činiť pokánie. Požehnaj každého, kto tu je. Svätých, tých, týchto starých vzácnych bojovníkov, Pane, ktorí už roky stoja v bojovej línii, vysmievajú sa im, robia si z nich posmech. Oni stále idú ďalej, pretože majú Život. Vedia, komu uverili, a sú presvedčení, že On je schopný zachovať to, čo zverili Jemu. Ďakujeme Ti za to. Prosím, aby si uzdravil chorých, ktorí sú medzi nami. Zober od nás preč všetky naše hriechy a nemoci. A, Otče Bože, Ty si zober chválu.
134Mám tak veľa vzácnych priateľov, Pane. Milujem ich. Viem, že iní tiež prešli cez to. Drahí priatelia, milovaní priatelia, mladí a starí a milujeme ich z celého srdca. No, sprav, aby sme boli verní, Pane, proste verní Slovu, aby sme ich mohli stretnúť v lepšej zemi jedného dňa, kde už viac nebude smútku ani žiaľu. Očakávame, že Pán skoro príde. Veríme, že On príde.
135No, požehnaj tu dnes večer neveriaceho, Pane, nech by sa mohol stať veriacim a prijal Ťa dnes večer ako svojho Spasiteľa.
136A kým máme sklonené hlavy, ak je tu niekto, keď máte sklonené hlavy, kto povie, “Brat Branham, dole hlboko vo svojom srdci, chcem prejsť do konca tú cestu, bojovať dobrý boj. Chcem byť kresťanom, zodvihnem ruku.” Nech ťa Boh žehná. Nech ťa Boh žehná. To je dobre. Nech ťa Boh žehná, aj teba. “Chcem prísť na koniec mojej cesty s dobrou vierou za sebou. Prijímam teraz Krista. Chcem aby On bol mojim pomocníkom.” Dobre, nech ťa Pán žehná. Nech ťa Boh žehná, pani. To je dobre. On ťa pozná. Naučil som sa dosť o Ňom počas všetkých týchto rokov, okolo tridsaťdva rokov teraz za kazateľňou, naučil som sa teraz dosť o Ňom, aby som vedel, že On pozná každý pohyb, ktorý robíte. On vidí vtákov. Vlasy na vašej hlave sú spočítané. Vidíte, On vie všetko o tom. Zodvihni len ruku a mysli to tak, to je všetko, čo musíš urobiť. A voda je pripravená.
137 Pamätaj, čo robíš? Učiň pokánie, ver v evanjelium a potom sa daj pokrstiť. Na čo? Na meno Ježiša Krista, na odpustenie svojich hriechov. To je tvoje svedectvo, tu to máš. Tvoje hriechy sú preč, keď si sa dal pokrstiť; vyznal si ich a veríš. Či sa teraz nechytíš toho Záchranného Lana, keď sa ono tiahne teraz cez tvoje srdce a hovorí, “Poď touto cestou, pútnik. Poď so Mnou, vezmi Môj kríž na seba. Uč sa odo Mňa, som pokorný a poníženého srdca; Moje bremeno je ľahké.” Len sa načiahni a spoj sa s ním.
138Koľkí kresťania sú na tej ceste dnes večer, tu, ktorí ste šťastní, že ste začali už dávno po nej ísť, vydali ste sa na ňu a idete ďalej po tej ceste, stále idete po nej do konca; modlím sa, aby Boh korunoval vašu službu, čokoľvek to je. Možno, že si žena v domácnosti. Modlím sa, aby Boh korunoval tvoju službu. Môžeš byť kazateľ. Môžeš byť diakon; môžeš byť prostý člen. Môžeš byť farmár. Neviem čo. Čokoľvek to je, nech Boh korunuje tvoj život slávou svojho Slova, pri Jeho druhom príchode ťa vytrhne a vezme preč do inej krajiny, kde budeš práve tak, ako tá ryba, o ktorej som hovoril, preč zo všetkej tej temnosti tam. Vidíte, nemohol by si tam ísť s takýmto telom. Ani by si tam nemohol ísť ako títo astronauti (Vidíte?); musíš byť v tlakovej komore. Nie si na to natlakovaný. Ale keď ťa Boh premení, potom si natlakovaný; potom ideš do vytrhnutia. Keď sa tieto staré zemské zmysly stratili a ty si odišiel ďalej po tej chválebnej ceste kríža, ideš domov s Ježišom ...
139No, Bože Otče, ďakujem ti za tieto ruky, ktoré sa zodvihli, lebo chcú byť kresťania. Verím, že to tak mysleli vo svojich srdciach. Modlím sa za nich, aby nikdy nesklamali. A ak by sklamali, aby rýchlo mali toho Advokáta s Otcom. Čo som sa naučil, že to je také veľké, Otče, že keď som urobil všetky svoje chyby, potom som zistil, že mám Advokáta (hneď vtedy) s Otcom, skrze Ježiša Krista. A znovu som privedený naspäť do milosti. Milujúca ruka Pána utiera všetko preč, leží tam krvavá obeť, ktorú som vyznal, že to je môj Spasiteľ.
140Všetci, ktorí sú chorí a majú nejakú potrebu, modlím sa, aby si vyplnil ich potreby a uzdravil ich choroby, Pane. A tí, ktorí tu teraz sedia pod týmto chválebným pomazaním Ducha Svätého, keď cítime, aké je to príjemné, keď to preteká po našich dušiach ...
141Bože Otče, Ty vieš, o čom som rozmýšľal, keď som sem išiel vtedy z Kanady. Myslel som, “Ó, ako rád by som sa dostal znovu na starodávne prebudenie, svätí Boží spievajú a moc Božia zostupuje.” Ó, ako moje srdce túži po tom, Pane. Nech prepukne také prebudenie v tejto modlitebni, ó, že moc Božia sa bude liať v prameňoch milosti, pôjde do každého srdca.
142Ďakujem ti, Pane, za toto malé miesto. Neboli sme schopní zachovať ho takto; to bola Tvoja milosť, ktorá ho zachováva duchovným. A teraz verím, Pane, to najduchovnejšie malé miesto v tomto národe, ktoré poznám, je rovno tu na ulici Ôsma a Ohradová. Ako ti za toto ďakujem, Pane. Chodím do iných zborov a vidím ich chladných a ľahostajných, a ženy sú také smelé, že sa nedokážu ani červenať, a žiadne “amen”, ani slzy na lícach, ani nič, a žiadne spasenie, vôbec nič, len pripojenie sa do ich cirkvi a odrieknutie ich vyznania. Ó, Bože, a potom prídem na milé teplé miestečko, kde ohne horia na každom oltári ich srdca, čo je to za potešenie, Otče, čo za potešenie - ďakujem Ti, Otče, a nech to stále zostane až do príchodu Pána Ježiša. Požehnaj nás teraz spolu.
143A zajtra je sobota. A, Pane, pomôž mi ráno, keď pripadá na mňa kázať na toto “Odrátavanie.” Bože, nech by som bol schopný priniesť to tak, aby to ľudia uvideli, Pane. A teraz, nech vidia stupeň tej služby, a kde ona je, a na čo očakávame, a prečo všetko ide tak, ako ide. Nech čítajú ďalej od toho piateho verša a nech si potom uvedomia, na akom mieste stojíme.
144A teraz, Otče, prosím, aby si nás žehnal a dal nám dobrý odpočinok v našich telách a priviedol nás zajtra naspäť. Požehnaj všetkých týchto ľudí, ktorí tu stoja okolo stien a prestupujú z jednej nohy na druhú. Ženy, muži, stoja tam vonku na daždi a okolo okien a sedia vo svojich autách. A všade okolo, a prosím, aby si ich požehnal, Pane. Nech môžu ísť domov s milosťou Božou vo svojich srdciach. Prosím to v mene Ježiša. Amen.
145Rozumiete teraz? Čítajte z Druhého listu Timoteja 4, od piateho verša a ďalej, prv, ako dnes večer pôjdete spať, ak môžete, a budete vidieť, kde sme. Prečo ho tí ľudia opustili? Prečo on vzal ... A teraz to porovnajte, tú službu s tým, cez čo dnes prechádzame. Porovnajte učenie Pavlove. Pamätajte na tie malé nebeské veci, ktoré som videl, povedal som, “Dobre, či sa Pavel bude tiež musieť tam postaviť so svojím ľudom?”
Povedali, “Áno.”
146Povedal som, “Ja som kázal to isté Slovo ako on, stál som presne s tým istým Evanjeliom.”
147A milióny zodvihli ruky a zavolali, “My na tom odpočívame.”
148Nech vás Pán žehná. Milujete Ho?
Až sa znovu stretneme!
Až sa znovu stretneme!
1 ...-vival, being very tired and worn. And we have had very much fellowship along the road, wonderful meetings, with greeting the Christians from place to place, from up, down the East Coast, and also up the West Coast into Canada. And with fine cooperation among all the different denominational churches, of the Assemblies of God, and the United Pentecostal, Church of God, Foursquare, and many of the other organizations which cooperated, having great meetings. A great success, as far as it could be called success today, and perhaps maybe many would call it "great." But, myself, I'm a--a--a revivalist. And the revival, nationally speaking, is just about ended. And we are... I like to see revival where hearts are on fire, not adding members, but revival. Our Lord did many miracles of healing the people, and, of course, several got saved. And now I'm home, resting for a little while, and going back into the service in a few weeks, the Lord willing.
2 And now this is to the many peoples and friends of mine around the world. I wish to state tonight, here in the tabernacle... If you, any of you were present and could see, they're real warm in the tabernacle tonight. People are packed in and all around, stand indoors, and outside in their cars and things, and it's very hot, and it'd be difficult for the people and for myself also.
3But I have come to this place that I want to explain what stage of time we're living in according to the ministry that the Lord give me. And I wanted to record it from the tabernacle. It came on my heart last spring, but I waited till I got back here so I could get a--a recording of it, to send it to you peoples of the world.
4 It's been about thirty-two years ago, that when the Lord Jesus, within a hundred and fifty yards of where I'm present standing now, here in Jeffersonville at Eighth and Penn Street, the morning when I laid the cornerstone on this tabernacle, just being then merely a swamp. And I lived just across the way to my left here. It was before I was married. I was living with my father and mother. That the Lord Jesus woke me up the morning that the cornerstone was to be laid, about early, about six o'clock. And I had been lying in bed for some time, with my heart full of joy, thinking of this great time that the Lord God was going to give me a tabernacle to preach in. I was merely a young boy then. And that day I... the girl that I was going with, which was soon to be my wife the following year, was to be with us the day we was to lay the cornerstone.
5 And I remember that morning when I had wakened up, and laying in the room, the upstairs right here on Seventh Street. Something said, "Rise up to your feet." And I got up. And I saw, as it was, a great place, and it was like a--a--a place where they would... a river run in the valley. And I got down there to the river and I understood it was a place where John the Baptist had been baptizing the people, and they had turned it into a hog lot. And I was very critical of it, just saying that it should not be done.
6And while I was there, there was a--a Voice spoke to me and took me up, and I noticed this tabernacle in just about the state it's in right now. But there were so many people till they were just packed all in, in the tabernacle, in this condition, about the state it's at now. And I--I was happy, standing behind the pulpit, saying, "God, how good You are to give me a tabernacle."
7And, at that time, the Angel of the Lord spake to me, and said, "But this is not your tabernacle."
And I said, "Then, Lord, where is my tabernacle?"
8 And He taken me up in the Spirit again, and set me down in a grove. And way down the grove was just rows of trees setting just level, about twenty-feet tall, or thirty. And they looked like fruit trees, and they were in great big green buckets.
9And then I noticed to my right hand and to my left hand, there was an empty bucket on either side, and I said, "What about these?"
10And He said, "You're to plant in them." So I pulled a limb from the tree to my right and placed it in a bucket on the right side, and a limb from the left hand and placed it in a bucket on the left side. Quickly they growed all the way into the skies.
11And He said, "Hold out your hands and gather the fruit thereof." And in one hand fell a great yellow apple, mellow and ripe. And in the other hand fell a great yellow plum, mellow and ripe. And said, "Eat the fruit thereof, because it's pleasant." And I ate from one and from the other, very delicious. You know the vision, it's wrote in one of the books, I think, Life Story, or Prophet Visits Africa.
12 And just then I held up my hands, and was shouting the glory of God. And all of a sudden, that Pillar of Fire came down over the top of those trees, and the roar and the lightnings flashed, and the winds blew real hard, and the leaves begin to blowing from the trees. And I looked way down, here stood the shape of this tabernacle, the way it sets now. And at the end where the pulpit would be, there were three trees, and those three trees taken shape of three crosses. And I noticed that both plums and apples were gathered in a clusters around the middle cross. And I ran real fast, screaming to the top of my voice, and fell down upon this cross, or by the cross, and threw my arms around it. And the winds begin to shake, and the--the fruit from the cross, and it fell all over me. And I was so happy, just rejoicing. And It said, "Eat the fruit thereof, because it's pleasant."
13 And then this circling of Fire called out, said, "The harvest is ripe, and the laborers are few." And He said, "Now, when you come to yourself again, or come out of this, read Second Timothy 4. Second Timothy 4." And then I came to myself. And I stood there rubbing my face and my hands. And just then, in the corner of the room, sun shining high, then I must have been under the vision for some hour or more, and It said, "Second Timothy 4." And I reached quickly for my Bible, and read Second Timothy 4.
14 Now, I wish to read that now. And as strange as it seems, as I read this Second Timothy 4, the place that I stopped, and many times that I've preached on that here in this tabernacle, it seems strange that I'd always stop on that. Now in Second Timothy 4, the first five verses. Which, five is the number of "grace." I read this.
I charge thee... before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Preach the word; be instant in season, and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap... shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables.
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, and do the work of an evangelist, and make full proof of thy ministry.
15 Did you ever notice, and I never noticed it till this last May, I never read any more of that Scripture until there? That's all I ever read of it 'cause that seemed like that it--it was suffices, because it was telling me to preach the Word and to endure afflictions, and to be long-suffering, for the time was coming when they would not endure sound Doctrine, but after their own lusts shall heap teachers, having itching ears, and would be turned from Truth unto fables. But, now, He never said I was an evangelist. He said, "Do the work of an evangelist." Paul telling Timothy, see. Did you notice how it says? He didn't say, "Now, you have been called to be an evangelist." It said, "Do the work of an evangelist." See? Now, we notice there then. Now, if I would say with all my heart and the best of my knowledge, that has been fulfilled to the letter. Just exactly. And that's thirty years ago.
16 And so far as I know, that every vision that He's ever give me has been fulfilled, except the one that I'm a change in my ministry, to where I'm to pray for people in a little place like a little room under a tent, or a big auditorium or something. It looked, to me, like a tent. You remember that, two or three years ago? Most all of it was brought to pass. I was to go down in Mexico, and how it would rain that night and what would take place down there. And He told me my ministry of the First Pull. Remember about catching the little bitty fish, or missing it? Second one was a small fish. But then He told me, "On the Third Pull, don't fail." See? "And don't tell people." I'm always trying to explain what I'm trying to do. He let me know not to tell people what you're doing. Just do what He tells me to do and let it alone. See?
17 But I'm that type of person, I have no secrets, so I just tell everything I know. So, that's--that's just the breed, I guess. But that, I try... I love people, and I want people to be saved so bad till I try to tell them everything I know, unless it's something He's told me not to tell, of course, so that they won't miss it. See? I want them to see it so close that there'll be no error in it.
18 Now, that come to pass just exactly. Now remember, the charge was, if we'll study that for a moment, "I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing in His Kingdom." See? "Judge... Charge you before God, and Christ, that you--that you preach the Word." And so help me, till this night, as far as I have any knowledge of, I've never preached nothing but the Word, see, and stayed right with It. It's been a lot of trouble, and I've went through lots of persecutions and lots of trials, had to separate from many precious friends because of that very statement, "Preach the Word." And I--I have.
19 You remember in the vision, or, the little translation as I would call it, recently, where I was taken and saw those people and looked back to myself and all those millions there. And I said, "I want to see Jesus."
And He said, "He's higher."
20Well, see, when people die, they--they don't immediately go up with God. Now, you, I'm sure you'll understand that. Maybe I ought to explain it the best that I can. Are you in a hurry then? Let's take our time then and--and--and try to make it just as clear as I can.
21 Now, when we come along, we remember that we live here in three dimensions. And I don't know whether I can name them or not. One of them is light, and the other is matter. Tommy, you remember what the third is? [Someone says something--Ed.] Huh? ["Atom."] Atom? [Someone else says, "Time."] Time. Right. Now, light, matter, and time. And our five senses contact them dimensions. Our sight contacts light, our feeling contacts matters, and so forth.
22 Now, but we have contact through science, the fourth dimension, as it was. Because coming right through this building now comes pictures, voices of radio, pictures on television, that our senses does not contact that, but yet they have a--a tube or a crystal that picks up those ether waves and manifests them. So, you see, right in this building now is live actions of people, in the air, live voices. They're here. We know it. They're absolutely the truth. And the only thing you do, they--they catch it on... I don't understand the mechanics of--of those things that science has invented, but we know that it proves to us there is a fourth dimension.
23Now, the fifth dimension is where the sinner, the unbeliever dies and goes to. The fifth dimension is kind of, well, the horrible dimension. Now this man...
And when a Christian dies, he goes into the sixth dimension.
And God is in the seventh dimension.
24Now then, you see, the Christian when he dies, he goes under the altar of God, right into the Presence of God, under the altar. And he's at rest.
25 To break it down, when a man has a nightmare, he's not altogether asleep, neither is he awake. He's between sleep and awake, and that's what makes him have a horrible shaking and screaming, because he's not asleep, he's not awake. And to take that, shows where a man goes when he dies unconverted. He's lived his time up, he's dead on earth; and he cannot go in the Presence of God, because he's not fit to go there without the Blood. And he's caught. And he cannot come back to earth, because his time's finished here on earth, and he's caught between, and he's in a nightmare. See? He can't go in the Presence of God, to rest. And he can't back, come to earth, because his time's up. He's in a nightmare, and there he stays until the day of the judgment. A horrible thing to be in, see.
26And now in this vision, I believe I was caught to that sixth dimension, looking back down here and could see back. See, the sight isn't exactly with the eyes, that's earthly. But sight is a greater thing than... The sight that they have there, their contact is far beyond any contact that our natural senses would contact.
27 Here sometime ago I was explaining it. I was looking at a television picture where they let a man down, I think two mile or a mile deep in the ocean, and they had ray lights that went out. They was showing marine life. And there come fish by, that horrible-looking creatures. That, it's midnight, ink black down there. And they had phosphorus on their nose and they had no eyes. Now, they have to be fed, so it looked like, to find their food, they were guided with another sense; not sight, 'cause they didn't have eyes, couldn't use them down there. But they were guided with another sense that they could contact their food. And I thought, "If I could have control of that little fish with my sight, how much greater could I supply his food and lead him places, how much greater my sight is than his radar he contacts." See? And I thought, "If I could just lead him!"
28Then it come to me, "If I could only surrender myself to God, how much greater is the sight and senses of God, Who could guide us much more than the things that we see, because the faith that He supplies us is the evidence of things not seen with our eyes." Then if that little fish could never come up to the top of the water like other fish, because he's pressurized. You bring him up, he would explode. No more than we can go up higher and keep from exploding. We are pressurized for the--the place that we live.
29 But now if that little fish could ever come up here and be me, would he ever want to be that little fish again down in that midnight blackness? He'd never want to be a fish no more, because he's something greater than a fish, he's a man; his senses are greater, his understanding is greater, his intelligent is supreme. Then multiply that by ten million, then you get what it is when you pass from this into the Presence of God yonder, where the human being is so much farther than what we are here. You'd never want to be a human being like this no more, down in this pesthouse of sickness and corruption. It's been that in my heart, that I've tried these thirty years to preach the Gospel around the world, to tell people that there is a Heaven to--to gain and there's a hell to shun, and there is a God that loves you, and a--a redeeming power that's laying ready to pick you up at any time that you're ready to receive it.
30 Like a man drowning, a rope hanging there, he thinks, "Well, the rope, I could pull myself out, but I'm not worthy to get the rope." The rope was put there for that very purpose, for you to pull yourself out with. That's the reason Jesus Christ died, for the very purpose of saving sinners. And He dangled the rope of Eternal Life, which this very night will pass over every sinner's head in here, and a welcome sign hanging on it, "Come up out of it." If--if you--if you wish to do it, the preparation is made.
31 Now, when I seen that place and that condition that those people were in, and how beyond anything that this world could ever think of, it was glorious. There could not be sin there, no death nor nothing could enter that spot. And there was no different between man and women, only the--the sex glands was gone from them, and there could never be no more adultery, no more nothing. But she was still a woman in the way of figure, and man was still figure, and they'll forever be that way. Because when God...
32 Now this might be good, some of you high school kids that's getting this stuff taught into you here about evolution. Now, I believe in evolution, but not in the way that man evoluted from--from some lower specie. Their own theory backfires upon them when they try to hybreed anything, it won't breed itself back. So, you see, it--it's backfired on them.
33 Now, I believe that when God begin to bathe the earth, maybe the first thing He did come forth with was a jellyfish, and from that to a frog, and on up. But, you see, it's continually come closer and closer to the image of man, and man was a reflection of God. And that's the reason that grass become evoluted, maybe grass, and then from grass come flowers, from flowers come shrubs, from shrubs come tree. Why? It's a picture of the Tree of Life standing on the other side. And everything on this side that's natural is a shadow of the Supernatural or the Eternal on the other side. Therefore, as long as there's a born-again Christian on the earth, and we got a body here like this, it's the very reflection of one that's waiting on the other side where there is no death and sorrow. And that's what makes our hearts hunger for such as that. See, there's something in us that calls out. We just... There's something that tells us it's there. I believe through these years... I apologize before God and the people, of being stupid and being... making many mistakes. But through these many years I have been privileged to see many millions of people come into the Kingdom of God, and have been thankful to the Lord to let me lead them there. And I believe they'll be there on that day.
34 Now, the vision was fulfilled. And how I ever come to ever stop, not knowing, on that 5th verse. That's all I ever read. But there's some more to that chapter, several more verses. Now, you might, in your hotel room or home tonight, soon as we dismiss, read the rest of that, 'cause I've got several Scriptures wrote out here that I want to refer to, and notes that I want to refer to. And I want you to read it when you go home. I'll quote it, it'll be on the tape. You want to mark some of it down, why, it'll be all right.
35 Now, do you believe that men and women, which I know you do, are led by the Spirit of God to do things? See? And Jesus was our pattern. If you would notice it, I want to turn, you turn with me, to Saint Luke, the 4th chapter, just a minute. And I want to show you something striking. And just so we won't get to too much of these references, but that you'll be able to read with me here, for on this one, for just a few moments. Saint Luke, the 4th chapter and the 14th verse, we begin. Now watch real close here if you want to see something happen, this paralleled. Now notice.
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit unto Galilee:... He returned in the power of the Spirit unto Galilee: and there went out a fame of him throughout all the regions around about.
And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it is written, was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; and he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, and to preach deliverance to the captives, and to recover sight to the blind, and to set at liberty, them that are bruised.
And to preach the acceptable year of our Lord.
And he closed the book,...
36 Now, if you want to, if you want a reference to that, I've got it here, just a moment, if I maybe pick it up out of the marginal reading here. If you notice, that's also you'll find it over in Mark and different places, but in Isaiah 61:1 and 2. Now, isn't it strange that He stopped right there, and the very next verse... That was what was applied to His first coming. And the second, next verse, is applying to His Second Coming, at judgment. He stopped and closed the book. If any of you are reading a Scofield Bible, you'll find a footnote on it there. See? Watch your footnote, a mark to a footnote, see, and you'll notice there. "A comparison with the--the message quoted, in Isaiah 61:1 and 2, affords the instance of the..." Where, the Scripture here, preaching, Jesus was to preach the acceptable year of the Lord; and the next verse comes out with His Coming and judgment. See? And you see how He stopped right at that.
37 And how I never noticed that, and how I always stopped at this 5th verse, "For the time will come when they do not endure sound Doctrine, but will heap themselves with teachers, having itching ears, and will be turned from the Truth to fables. But do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of your ministry." See? And by God's help and grace I've tried to do that. And I want my friends, both here and out into the lands where the tapes will go, the reason that I have took the stand that I have for the Word, is this very reason. "Preach the Word." That's the reason I would not tally-ate with any of the creeds, any the denominations, because I have been commissioned of God to stay with the Word. Now if anybody else wants to do anything else, that's up to them.
38 And if you notice, in the vision that I had of my ministry, it was I've never crossed those trees. I have never proselyted. I have never said, "All you trinitarians be oneness" or "all you oneness be trinitarians." I have planted in their own vessels. Just exactly. I went to the trinitarian, I went to the oneness, I went to everybody, and stayed between and never joined any of them; but stayed between, being a brother, just exactly what that vision said do. And I've eat the fruit from both sides, salvation on both sides.
39 And now, did you notice, there's many trinitarian people sitting here, there's many oneness, and there's many different ones. But how little you would be to fuss about it, because if that part of the vision was true, the other part's true, too. Both fruits was found in the cross. See? Both of them was in the cross, all clustered together, and both plums and pear, or peach, plums and apples rained down on me there. Both of them. All found in the cross, because they all believed in God and are filled with the Holy Ghost, and have the Christian works and signs following.
40Now, the denomination won't have nothing to do with it. It'll be the born again that will have anything to do with it. It'll be your experience with God that will have to do with it. Now, we see so much of that. I've got several Scriptures here that I'd like to refer to. Maybe I will a little later on.
41 But now I want to take you from the 5th verse, on down to the 18th verse. And now to save time, I--I won't read it. But now Paul, starting off over here in Timothy again, if you notice how he begin to speak, it's pathetic. Now if you notice after the 5th verse.
For I am now ready to be offered, and my time of... departure is at hand.
Fixing to leave the scene. Starts off, see, "I have..." Well, watch. "My..."
... I'm ready, and my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that day: and not only me only, but... all them also that love his appearing.
42And then he goes ahead to tell, "Do all, do these things." What? For him to bring the coat. Now we start right off, and he says:
... Demas has forsaken me,...
43There must come a time in his ministry when he was a young evangelist, a young prophet, everybody was for him. But now you notice on down in here, said:
... all men has forsaken me:... (What for? The Word.)
44 When Jesus, the young Prophet of Galilee, He got a time and He was forsaken. All man who stay with God's Word gets to that place where they are forsaken by the world and the religious world. Jesus fed five thousand, one day, and they picked up baskets full of--of fragments off of five loaves and two fishes. And the very next day, I believe it was, He begin to come down with the Word, and all of them begin to depart from Him. And He looked around to the disciples, and said, "Will you go, also?" Even seventy of His Own ordained ministers left Him. And He said, "Will you go, also?"
45And then Peter spoke those notable words, by saying, "Lord, where would we go? Thou only has Eternal Life."
46 Notice. But the time come when the forsaking time come, and it's--it's got to come. It must come. And now I've got several prophets and things in here to refer to, to prove to you that that time come. And it's arrived for me. No need of trying to rub away from it, it's here and you just must take it. They didn't rub away from it, they stood and took it, and not being ashamed of the Gospel.
47You notice Paul, "I've fought a good fight. I've finished my course. I've kept the Faith." Oh, my! On down here it said, "I've fought with beasts. And I--I was delivered out of the lion's mouth." And the things that he went, God was good to him. But the time had come when he was going to depart.
48 Now, let's just wonder, why would a man, a minister, associate like Demas was to Paul, ever leave Paul?
49You know Brother Baxter, many of you remember him. He used to read... It was about Demas. He said, "You know what I'm going to do, Brother Branham, when I get to Heaven, the first thing I'm going to do?"
And I said, "What?"
50He said, "I'm going to walk right up and find out where Demas is, I'm going to sock him just as hard as I can." And said, "He's going to turn around and say, 'Baxter, what'd you do that for?'" He said, "Why did you leave poor little Paul when everybody forsaken him?" I don't prescribe to that, I don't believe they'll have some fights up there, but I just thought about Brother Baxter saying that 'cause he felt so sorry for Paul.
51 Well, what had Paul done? He had preached just as loyal as he could, and the Holy Spirit was on him. And when he wrote down there about those lady ministers and things, I imagine there was a blow up. Said, "Let the women keep silent in the churches, not permitted them to speak," and him in jail right then.
52Could you imagine what some of them bishops said? "Huh! That guy up there in jail, what business he got writing down here with us? See? And he's got Timothy, a winebibber, with him. And so here he is up there now, that he's feeding Timothy on wine, and here he is laying in jail, and writing down, tell us what the Holy Ghost ought to tell us to do."
53But he said, "If... What? Come the Word of God out of you, and came it from you only? If any man thinks himself to be spiritual or a prophet, let him acknowledge that what I write is the Commandments of the Lord." See?
54 See, the time comes, friends. And I want the people in the land that the tapes goes to, to remember that the separating time has to come. It must do it. I don't know how far I am from the end time, my end of the road. I don't know. That's up to God. I don't know what tomorrow is, and who... I don't know what it holds, but I know Who's holding it. So that's where my faith is built, on that.
55Now, I imagine Demas didn't forsake him and start off to nightclubs. I don't imagine Demas did that, 'cause Demas was a Spirit-filled man. He was a great helper. If you ever took the history of Demas, he was a notable preacher, a fine cultured man, highly polished, educated. He was a smart man. But why would he forsake Paul? That's the thing. What made him do it, forsake Paul? I don't believe he wanted to go to a nightclub or anything. But I believe it was God separating Paul. Now I imagine Demas...
56 Let's take some of Demas' thoughts. As I was sitting down on the hillside, wondering the other day, about daylight, and I was thinking, "Why would Demas want to leave that fellow? Why would he leave that poor little preacher that led him to the Lord, the man who spearheaded the revival amongst the Gentiles, a prophet indeed?" No one could say but what he was a prophet. He was more than a prophet, he was an apostle, and a great and mighty apostle to the Gentiles. And Demas would associated with Paul, had fellowship, and seen the Spirit of God move upon that man. And why would he turn his back on such a person as that, had been vindicated that he was a servant of Christ? Did you notice Paul here, "Loving this present world." Now, I don't think Demas backslid. I don't think he did that. But I think he--he got the wrong opinion of Paul.
57 Now, Demas come out of a rich family and he was wealthy, and money sometimes means religion to people. Like they say in California, "If you haven't got three Cadillacs, you're not spiritual." So it means, if you're not successful, if you don't have the finest church there is in the city, the people won't go. It's almost that way here, Poogh. You, you've got to have the finest church in the country, or they say, "You, oh, you mean you joined up with a little bunch like that?"
58Did you know our Lord didn't have a place to lay His head? Did you know He only owned one coat? See? And He had... He was just kind of a person was pushed about. And He didn't have no place to lay His head. But they could have thought the same thing, and did, about Him.
59 And, now, I believe Demas saw a failing, seemingly, in Paul's ministry. I think that he thought the old fellow was washed up, before God. Now, he thought that a people that would pluck their eyes out to give to Paul...
60Now, Paul said that, he said, "You would have, at least, plucked your eyes out, to give them to me." Cause, Paul, we think, had bad eyes, 'cause he said, "I've wrote with such big letters." He said, "big letter" but I've got the--the lexicon, and it says "with big letters." He was in Rome, in prison there. It was something wrong, he said his eyes had been bothering him since the Heavenly vision. So he... The people would have plucked out their eyes, seeing Paul suffer, his eyes bothering him, and he suffering. And he asked the Lord to heal him, three times. And he said, "Except I would get exalted above the abundance of the Revelation, there was sent to me a messenger of the Devil that he might buffet me." Now, it would get pretty good, then hit him again. Then he'd get good, and hit him again.
61 You see, Paul had a ministry greater than all the rest of the apostles put together. Some of them could have said, "Well, I walked with Jesus." Why, man on the street walked with Him when He was here. But Paul saw Him in the Pillar of Fire after He was dead, buried, ascended into Heaven, and returned back and called Paul, see, see, on the road down to Damascus. And he had a greater ministry than Matthew, Mark, Luke, or any of them others. He was far beyond them. And he said, "Except I get exalted now and say, 'Now, you fellows don't know nothing about It. I seen the Lord after His resurrection.'"
62Well, they say, "We walked with Him." Well, so did all them people down around in Galilee and Nazareth and through the country there. They all walked with Him.
63 But, you see, Paul had talked with Him and saw Him in the form that He was before He was made flesh. See? And He commissioned Paul in that state, while He was in that Light. He commissioned Paul. And--and Paul had saw Him. And he said, "Except I get exalted, feel a little higher than some of you brethren, there was given to me a messenger of the Devil," that keeps him beat down. And he said, "I sought the Lord three times to take it away from me. And He said, 'Saul, or Paul, My grace is sufficient.'" Then Paul said, "I'll glory in my infirmities, 'cause when I am weak then I am strong. See, I will glory in it!"
64 Now, did you notice now, a man that had a ministry greater than any of the rest of them that had been on the field, Paul, the greatest ministry of all of them, that had seen Jesus in a Pillar of Fire, and commissioned him to do what he done, and was vindicated by the same God, and the same Power, with signs and wonders beyond any question; and was so poor he only had one coat, preaching to a bunch of people that would have plucked their eyes out, and some of them millionaires. And yet Paul had one coat. He said, "Bring that coat, getting cold up here." He was in the mountain country. He only had one coat.
65And Demas, to a man that was of high standing, high caliber, cultured, educated, and a rich man that had many changes of clothes, "That guy, was something wrong with him. That had so many friends that would pluck their eyes out to give it to him, and yet he was so poor he had one coat. Something was wrong with Paul."
66 Oh, you know, that spirit don't leave the world, they still have it that way. Money ain't God. There's only one God. See? But people think because you have a big ministry you ought to own all this and all this, and all these great big things, and big schools and big so-and-so. God doesn't deal in them things. Or, at least, that's been my opinion. God deals with an individual. He never did ordain us to go do such things.
67But Paul, with one coat, and he tells Timothy here to bring it to him because it was getting cold up there. Uh-huh. A man that had a ministry that preached to tens of thousands that Paul did, and a ministry that could do all kinds of miracles, and seen Jesus in a Pillar of Fire, commissioned him, and yet owned one coat. Demas said, "A fellow like that," he'd turn away from him.
68 Now, when he was up here preaching towards Troas, we find out that there's a man up there was a coppersmith. And he was a rascal. And he hated Christianity. And he done everything to Paul that he could do to him, had him throwed in jail. And every... even Paul warns Timothy of the same thing, "Watch that guy." And here's Demas! O God, let the people hear it! Here stood Demas standing by a man that struck a man blind, for disputing with him. Now, you Church of Christ preachers, put on your coats now. I had one tell me one time, said, "Smite me blind! Smite me blind! You got the Holy Ghost, smite me blind."
I said, "You're already blind." See?
69Now, why didn't Paul smite the coppersmith blind? That same kind of a spirit that's on people that think that, is the same thing was on Demas. A man that could smite a man blind, for disputing with him, and then turn and let a coppersmith spoil his ministry in the city. No doubt Demas said, "He, he's washed up, he's lost all of his gifts. He's--he's lost his gift of smiting blind."
70Don't you see how that spirit still lives, say, "You're washed up, brother"? Oh! It--it just goes over the people's head. They just don't get it, that's all there is to it. See? They just can't see it. See? They don't understand.
71 Now Demas... didn't smite that man blind because he wanted to. Didn't Jesus say, "I do nothing till the Father shows Me first"? Haven't I told you years ago, with my own mother was laying, dying, and would say, "Bill, what's my outcome?" I couldn't say nothing till God said so first. And that's just what happened. Man can't, man is a failure to begin with. He's only an agent to which God works through, and God works His Own will. But when you see these super-duper people that's always having this and that and the other, you'd better stay away from it. See? Jesus Himself didn't do that. He said, "I only work as the Father works. He shows Me what to do and then I go do it. I can't do other... anything otherwise than that."
72 And here Demas saw Paul, a man that had a ministry like that, and yet was so poor that he only owned one coat, and wanted Timothy to bring it to him. One coat! But, Paul set the example like Christ was, He had one coat. Then why does riches and lots of money and things mean so much to people today? Notice now. And he had power till, anybody that was contrary to what he preached, he turned around and said, "You'll be blind for a season." And the man was blind.
73And here was a coppersmith, done ten times to him what that man done, and yet got away with it. Demas must have thought, "Well, see, the old fellow's washed up now. He's lost his ministry." No, no, he hadn't lost his ministry, not at all. God don't do things like that. God's not an Indian giver. Yeah. Notice now.
74 Paul was something on the order like Elijah. Elijah the prophet went up on the mountain by the commission of God, and called for fire to fall out of Heaven, and it fell. And he called for water, and it come. And then he commanded by the message of God and killed four hundred priests, chopped their heads off, let them roll down the hill; and then run at the threat of a--a woman, one little hypocrite woman, or, she was an infidel. Jezebel, that one little woman which was the keynote to every bit of it, she was the one caused it. Looked like he'd have got her first. But God has ways of doing things, and His servants only can work according if he works according to the will of God.
75 Don't you see, friends, you've got to move according to God's way of moving. How many times have I set and counseled brethren, and how I would like to walk over and shake their hand and say, "Brethren, it doesn't make any difference, let's just be brethren along." How can I do that and keep my commission, "Preach the Word"? Don't want to do that.
76I've stood amongst ministers, and say, "Brother Branham, my aunt's over here. I know you're a prophet sent from God. Go over and restore her sight." Wish I could, I'd do it. I can't do it till He tells me to do it. See? No one could do it. Elijah couldn't do it, no one else could do it.
77 Now we find out that Paul... Demas preaching with Paul, had seen Paul see a crippled man laying there, and said, "I perceive you have faith to be healed. Stand up on your feet! Jesus Christ makes you well." Had seen him heal the sick, and yet he leaves his friend Theophilus sick.
78"Paul's lost his ministry." That's what Demas must have thought. "Why didn't he, if he had a gift of healing, why didn't he go up there and heal that buddy that had stood by him so faithful? He said, 'I've left him up there sick. And I ain't got no coat, and I want you to bring me that coat along. And be careful that coppersmith, he just ruined that meeting in the city. I had to leave the town. He put me in jail.'" I imagine Demas said, "What kind of a preacher has this turned out to be?" See?
79And, brother, they got a lot of them Demas spirits in the world today. They don't know what it's all about. See? No need trying to explain it to them, 'cause they won't get it anyhow. See? See? A servant of Christ follows the Footprints.
80 One of our deacons here, I don't know whether he's here tonight or not, it's Tony Zabel. He's usually around here. And he came to me and he said here not long ago before he got--come over here, he said--he said, "I--I had a dream, a funny dream." He said, "I--I dreamed I was trying to find my way upward towards Heaven." He said, "I seen a man coming with a black robe on and was a--a--a reading a book." And said, "I--I got to this man, and I asked him, 'Which a-way to Heaven?' And he said, 'Ask the man ahead of me.'" And that was a--a pastor of a church that he had went to.
81 He went a little farther and he met another man, he had on a black robe and was singing songs, going on. And that was another pastor. Both them pastors are personal friends of mine. And he said... And fine man. And he said, "'Which way do I get up the top of the mountain here?' He said, 'Look here.' Said, 'See, standing way up there on the top, that little bitty guy?' I said, 'Yes.'" Said, "There stood a guy with a pair of overalls on, wearing a little cowboy hat." [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
82Someone said, down in Kentucky, said, talking about me down there, said, "That guy looks anything like but a preacher." Might look like a farmer or something, but--but, you know, it ain't looks.
83 And said that it was me standing up there. And he--he climbed up till he got to me, and said I got him by the arm and led him on up till I got top of the hill. And there was a wilderness to go through. And I said, "Tony, I must leave you here and you must walk some of this by yourself."
He said, "Brother Branham, what can I do from here on?"
84Said I said, "Come here, Tony, look down there. You see them barefooted tracks with Blood in them?" I said, "That's what I've followed all the way. Just stay on That." That's the only thing I know to point man to; not to a creed or a sensation of some sort, but to those bloody Footprints that leads to the Bible, the Blood of Jesus Christ.
85 Now, how that man must have felt, a man with so many millionaire friends, and one coat. A man that was... had power to smite a man blind, and let a man run him out of town. Never done a thing about it, got up and went out. Prayed for the sick and had left his friend sick. And Demas left him. All the rest of them left him. All of them left him. Paul said, "All men left me." Every one of them left him.
86I say this. When a man stands true to the Word, not just in one meeting, but in every meeting, when a man stands true to the Word, the time will come when they'll leave him. Exactly. They did it. They did it to our Lord. They'll leave him when he stands for Truth. "All men has forsaken me." And now what do you think that Demas and some of them men thought when we all know, that know the Scripture, that Luke was a doctor, and Paul, wherever he went, took this doctor with him? And preaching Divine healing, and leaving his friend sick. So poor, he had one coat. And let a man run him out of town, when he could smite a man blind. See, they thought he was washed up. But he wasn't! He was exactly in the bloody Footprints. He was following on. I hope you're understanding. He said, "All man has forsaken me."
87 Demas, loving this present world, popularity of men. "Hello, Doctor Demas. I know you got your Ph.!"
88Oh, sure, they love that. Jesus said, "How you like to stand in synagogues, and be called 'Rabbi,' and so forth." Said, "You only receive more damnation." See?
89Now, we know when they seen this doctor following him, or with him, and Paul took Luke, said, he said--said here, "Luke is--Luke is the only one hadn't forsaken. And Luke is--is good to him. But, Luke is prosperous to him. He needs Luke for his ministry." And this doctor following a man around wherever he went, and preached Divine healing. And a man that preached Divine healing could heal the crippled and raise up the dead, and everything else, and see mighty visions, and speak things that would come to pass, and left his own co-worker sick. And could have had a million dollars and built buildings worth tens of thousands of dollars, and big schools and things like that, and didn't even have but one coat to put on his back.
90 Demas said, "I ain't associating with a guy like that. He's just... He's a low class of person. I'll go up with the denominational brethren. I'll go up where I'll be somebody." If it was such a thing, I'd like to walk, and right after Baxter gets through, see, for leaving that poor little guy in that shape. He ought to have been standing by him. Paul was the one led him to Christ. But, you see, it's without knowing the Spirit, knowing what the will of God is, then doing the will of God. See? Now, but there he left him in that condition. Left him! All men had forsaken him.
91 How I think of that! How a servant that'll stand true to the Word, sooner or later, just remember, the people are going to forsake him. Now, we want to strike that just for a few minutes, and I won't keep you too long now, 'cause I want you here in the morning. Always when God's servant stands true to the Word, all forsake him. And it... Now, just take anywhere you want to, anytime in the Bible or in history, that when a man stayed true, no matter how popular he was, when he stayed true to the Word, the time come when the religious world forsaken him and cut him off. Now, just read it, if you take the Bible from Genesis over to the Book of Revelation, and pick up in the Pre-Nicene Council and take down to the Nicene Fathers, and every man, every saint, every prophet, every true servant of God that stayed with the Word, was forsaken by the ecclesiastical thing and cast down. And Paul was one of them.
92 And if there'd be one today, it'd be the same thing. It's exactly the truth. You have to hit that place. It has to come. They think that a man that would have a ministry like that, he ought to have the world right under his thumb. He should, but they won't come under his thumb. See? And a man like that wouldn't put a ministry, or a world under his thumb; he'd put it under his Master's thumb, 'cause he's not here representing himself, he's representing his Master.
93 You know, men try to seek honor one from another, and they honor one another, and dishonor God by doing so. See? We try and make big people among us, and when we're no big people and little people, we're all little people. There's only one big One among us, and that's our Lord. See? And we make our organization so much bigger than God, "the great holy church of this, that, or the other, the great holy bishops," and so forth. There's no such things as that. That's the honor of man. There's only One holy, and that's God. And the Holy Ghost, which is God, is among us. It's not us that's holy, it's the Holy Spirit that's in us. It's not... When we see things done, it isn't us doing, it's the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "It's not Me that doeth the works, it's My Father. He dwelleth in Me, and He's the One that does the works." And it isn't him that--that's doing it. All right. But we find them true servants down through the time.
94 Now here is the thing I want to kind of exercise on for a few moments. Now, it's usually at such a time as this when men has stayed true to the Word and all men have forsaken him until God steps in in defense of that person and crowns his ministry. That's right. What a consolation. Our consolation is built in the promise of God's Word. No matter what the world says, what the world does, that's not our hopes, is not built in what the world is doing.
95 I think that song is so pretty. Wish I could sing. I always wanted to sing. See? "They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like an eagle, they'll run and not be weary, if they walk they'll not faint; teach me, Lord, to wait. Teach me, Lord, to wait down on my knees." I like that. "And in Your Own good time You'll answer my pleas; teach me not to rely on what others do, but just wait in prayer for an answer from You." That's it. That's the true servant that waits for his Master's turn, knowing this, that the Scriptures cannot fail regardless of what happens. The Scripture's got to stand true. In such a time as that, is when God usually steps in to help them.
96 Let us look at Elijah when he had been forsaken. Why? Because he had stayed true to the Word. He said, "All men has forsaken me." And he was excommunicated from society, from the organization, from the even national organization, of the national church of Israel, the priest and all had throwed him out, and he had not even a coat as much as Paul, but a little piece of sheepskin, or, leather draped around him, and set up on a mountain and was fed by the birds. Yes, sir. Why? For the Word-of-God's sake, 'cause he was true to THUS SAITH THE LORD. Now they all went modern. The first lady of the land, Jezebel, had got all of the fashions and things out. And the priests had give in to it and so forth, and all of the preachers and so forth, they coordinated into it. But not Elijah, he stayed true to that Word. And for such a thing he was forsaken, till he cried out, "Lord, I'm the only one left, and they even seek my life."
97But God give him some consolation, said, "I got seven thousand yet down there."
98 See, I don't believe Elijah felt puffed up about that, that he was the only one, but I think he was just so forsaken. Every time he'd go up to a priest to hold a meeting, they'd turn him out. He'd go down here, "Get out of here, you fanatic! Get out of here! Go do this!" It showed when Elisha come along, his successor. Well, what did they do? They even... The young fellow was baldheaded, and they sent their little children out to make fun of them old "quacks." Said both of them was considered quacks, said, "Old baldhead! Baldhead, why didn't you go up like Elijah did?" They didn't believe he went up. Uh-huh. See? Just they thought he was a bunch of quacks. But they were true to the Word, with an a vindicated ministry. Elijah stood. All right.
99 Daniel took a true stand. You know where I get that in Daniel 12, or Daniel 9, I believe it is. When you... Daniel took a true stand for the Word. What happened to him? When he was the right-hand man to the king, but he took a true stand for the Word, and was excommunicated and throwed into a lions' den. A man of God standing true to the Word!
100The Hebrew children stayed true to the Word, under the king's proclamation that "whosoever shall not bow to that image when the psaltery sound and the trumpets be blowed out, and so forth, ever who will not bow to our image will be throwed into the fiery furnace," and they turned their back to the image. And re-... They, regardless of how unpopular they become, regardless of how excommunicated they'd be from the society, they stayed true to the Word. I like that.
101 Jacob, another. He had a... been away from home for a long time, and he had a call to go home to see his people. And he was on his road, true to his call, true to his leading. He had things fine over there, but God begin to deal with him to go home. And, on his road home, was throwed between two tight places. His wife and children on this side; and his hated brother, Esau, coming here with an army to meet him. And he stood at the little brook, brook Peniel there, and there he stood. And what a condition! Esau, hating him, coming with an army to meet him, and here was his wife, two wives and children all on this side of the brook, and he was caught in a tight place. Why? Because he'd have stayed in his own land it'd been all right. But he had a call, the Word of God had called him to his homeland. Hallelujah! God bless a man. He got a change, too. Yes, sir.
102 Jesus, true to the Father's Word, "I do only that which the Father says. It's written, 'The man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"
Jesus, forever true to that Word, it come a time when He lost all the friends He had. Every one of them forsaken Him and went away. All of them. And the people saw Him mocked, scoffed, lost confidence in Him. "How could a man that could speak to a dead man in the grave and raise him up, how could a man that could foretell events to the mark and never had... never fail; and set in the courts with His face bleeding from plucks of beard, and the gaumiest drunken spit from the soldiers running down His face, with a rag on His head, and hitting Him on the head with a stick, and saying, 'Prophesy and tell us who hit You, and we'll believe it'?" Well, the disciples just walked away, said, "Ah!"
103 See, they so quickly forget what God did! How Moses said at the Red Sea, when he stood there and said, "God has done ten outstanding miracles, are you still so delinquent that you don't know that He's still God?" He went down there and he smote the lands, he--he put a curse on the lands. He brought frogs, fleas, flies, everything, and a--a blast that killed all the firstborn, and the death angel passed through the land, and yet those people didn't want to follow him at the Red Sea. How quickly, as soon as your popularity... When they seen this great shining spears of a hundred thousand men coming like that, or maybe, yeah, or maybe a million men coming, and the roar of the chariots and the dust flying, they just give up and fell back, "And, Moses, we ought to have died back there." See? God said He let them die in the wilderness for unbelief. "Moses, your ministry is washed up, that's all. You ain't no more." See, they don't understand. They don't get it.
104 And now the same thing was when Jesus, the young Rabbi or Teacher, or Prophet of Galilee, when He was doing all those miracles and things, "How could He ever stand and put up with such a thing as that? How could He let a man bind Him with chains, when He could break the seal off of a grave and raise a dead man out of Eternity? How could He do it, when He could speak to a widow's dead son and raise him to live again; and Lazarus, dead and rotten in the grave, and bring him out? How could He stand, say, 'I'm the Resurrection and Life. He that believeth in Me though he were dead yet shall he live. Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.' And stand and be bound with fetters and spit in the face, and not open His mouth?" The disciples, "He's lost His ministry." Yeah, that's the way it goes. God, this poor world!
105 Even His church, the twelve that He had delighted in and told them everything, and loved of them, they turned their back upon Him. Only one stood by Him, that was the man John. Right at an hour when everything was gone, and all hopes was gone, there He was bound, and took up there and mocked and spit, and put His back to the... Not knowing that that fulfilled the Scriptures.
106 Why, don't you know that the things that are going on today is fulfilling the Scriptures exactly to the letter? Why does people may say these things? Why does these denominations rage? Why do they do that? It's written in the Scriptures they'll do it. They walk right into it and do it themselves, blindly, not knowing they're doing it. You think Judas knowed he was playing the part of Judas? You think Pharaoh knowed he has playing the part, when God raised him up for that purpose? You think Esau would have done the things he did? Certainly not. Said, "They got eyes and can't see, ears and can't hear." But watch the Scripture, just unfolding. See? We're at the end time, it's got to be this way.
107 Now, His church forsaken Him. All men and nature forsaken Him. Talk about somebody being forsaken, Paul had no forsakening at all to what He had. Even the very creation that He created was forsaking Him. The moon and stars and sun, and everything, blotted off. Man, God, nature and everything forsook Him, nothing standing there, He died alone. Did He lose His ministry? He was fulfilling His ministry, not losing it. That goes with it. That's the thing that takes place. That has to go with it.
108 Now, everything forsaken Him. But it was at this time that God stepped in on the scene, because any man that knows the Word will stay with the Word, knowing that the Word is God. See? And the Word has to unfold Itself. The unfailing Word must unfold Itself. It's got to, in order, because the Word is God. And if It worked on others all down through the age, It'll work the same way right now, because It's God. Don't never forget that. For Jesus knowed that He being the fullness of the Word, He was not only a Prophet, He was God Himself. He was the Word. That's the reason not only man forsook Him, but also nature forsook Him. The whole creation forsook Him, everything, the stars, the moon, and no light when He died. Everything forsaken Him, see, because He was Creator of all things. "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not." See? He was Creator of all things. All things! Now, the only thing, that we--we don't create but we try to convert, and those who we try to convert is the ones who forsakes and walks away. See? When the time comes for the Word to make Its real show, it has to be that way. Now, just remember, it was then that God steps in on the scene.
109 And in the life of our Lord Jesus, the mighty works that He done for the first year and six months of His life, oh, how He was a mighty Man! There never was nothing like Him on earth, never was since, never will be after. But what happened? He got more mockery than any, all the rest of them put together. Mocked by nature and mocked by creation, mocked by everything, because it was in a perverted condition. That's the reason men's hearts mock the true servant of God, because it's perverted. Nature is perverted, that's the reason.
110 If nature is as pretty as what it is, being perverted, what will it be when it gets converted back to the will of God? If a land can bear grapes that takes two man to pack them on their back, what will it be, and that a perverted land, what will it be when it's converted back to God? Christ comes, the desert shall blossom as a rose. It'll be a conversion. And the dry places will spring up from the water, and the earth shall bloom and blossom. Oh, that will be a time, and when men's hearts shall be converted into godly men, that's been to making their choice now, will live in that place. Amen.
111 "In that dark hour, mid rendering rocks and darkening skies," said the poet, "my Saviour bowed His head and died; the opening veil revealed the way to Heaven's joys and endless day." He had to do that in order to make a way for us. That's right. But what did God do? He was true to the Word and He embraced the cross. But was it the end of His ministry? Was His ministry washed up? God crowned it with the greatest crown that ever could been crowned. He crowned it on Easter morning, on the resurrection. He crowned the ministry of our Lord Jesus, He raised from the dead and is alive forevermore. He wasn't washed up because all men forsook Him, He was crowned! Yes, sir. Yes, sir. He was crowned because that He was, had been forsaken, and He must do that when He raised Him from the dead.
112 The same was with Elijah. We spoke of him a few moments ago. Elijah, that poor old broke down prophet laying out there in the wilderness, and had to be fed by what the birds would bring him. And his little old skinny drawed up, brown-looking body, little cruse of oil hanging on his side, his whiskers all out, and head probably bald and sunburned, crippling, going down on a stick like this, but down beneath that little old heart beat the Spirit of God. When God seen His little old tired servant getting down to the end, everybody forsaking him, and everything else, did He let him down? He sent a chariot down, picked up His tired servant, "You don't even have to walk up like Enoch did, I'll just take you home in a chariot." That's right. He crowned his ministry with a chariot ride home. That's not so bad, you know. Yeah. Yes, he didn't have to walk home, He just sent a chariot and picked him up 'cause he was tired. I like that. Amen. Poor, little, old tired servant, He picked him up and took him Home.
113 It was at the time that Daniel stood so loyal to God, that he went in... They said, "That man, you know, he was once a great fellow here in this kingdom. He's told all kinds of things. And he's brought the soothsayers in, he taught them things." And the Medes-Persians and how he done. But under the reign of Darius, it was Daniel that stayed true to God. It was Daniel that stayed with the Word of God and wouldn't mingle with anything else. And he said, "Well, his ministry's washed up, because I seen it in the local paper, he's going to be throwed to the lions' den in a few days." Going to Federal prison, or something, you see. "But we're going to throw him into the lions' den." But what did God do? God sealed His ministry with a change of the king's heart, that Darius sent to every language, people across the world, that every man should fear at the God of Daniel, because He was a God that could deliver. Amen.
114So, you see, it's at that time when men forsake men, God's servants that stay true to the Word, that God seals their ministry with a crowning time.
115 Yes, it was the Hebrew children under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, when they wouldn't bow to the image. They stayed true to God because God Word said, "Don't bow before any image, to worship it." They stayed true to the Word. And it was in the local paper, in the news, all about it, whatever it was in them days. They had ways to scatter news. Not in a local newspaper, of course not, just saying that so you'll have some idea. But it was in there they was going to burn them in the fiery furnace seven times hotter. For days before that, they throwed in all the material to get the furnace so hot that it was seven times hotter, overheated seven times. Why, it would have consumed them, to get in a hundred yards of it. But they went right in the fiery furnace, and come right out without even any smell of fire on them. And Nebuchadnezzar said, "Every man that fails to worship this God, let his children and him be killed, his house burned and made a dunghill." That's right. See? He... They had a world-wide revival because they were true to the Word. That's what happens. Yes, sir. Stay true to the Word, yes, and it always pays out wonderful.
116 Jacob, we mentioned him a while ago. I got his name wrote down here. Here he was, a little coward, but he was staying. He was afraid of Esau over there. My, my! And he knowed he was away from God. Been away from God all these years, but he always tried to stay true to that Word. And here God called him and told him to go to his home. Here he was right in the line of duty, and there was Esau with an army. It was at that time that he was changed from the name of Jacob, "supplanter, shyster," to Jacob... "a prince before God," when he walked out the next morning, with his ministry crowned. Walked right out and meets Esau, and wanted no help from him. Amen. True to the Word. That's the way God does things, isn't it? He--He does things in His Own way. All right.
117 Many of my brethren, they're having great popularity today amongst their denominational brethren. You just speak one name, boy, and it's just like fire, anywhere, that's right, you say this certain name of this person. And, after all, when the Lord spoke to me down on the river that day, it spearheaded that revival around the world, from there come every one of those great evangelists.
118They went right back with their brethren, see, those denominations in which they come out of. They come out here and hold this meeting, mixed up with the denominations, they go right back into them again. They got a lot of favor, big names on radio, papers, and everything. Everybody speaks well of them.
119 But all men has forsaken me because I've took a true Word, and stood by the Word. I've stayed right here to what He said to me, preached the Word, not a denominational philosophy. "Preach the Word," that was my commission, "stay with the Word." And, brethren, who is listening to this on tape, I was a great guy when I come among you, just healing the sick, speaking of visions and showing things. But when I went to tell you the Truth about the Word, what did you turn your back on me for? Do you realize it's just fulfilling what the Scripture said? Yes, it does that way. Now I can hardly get in a place.
120 Letter comes all the time. One come the other day, said, "Brother Branham, I had the greatest of confidence in you, but I heard you say that a certain denomination which I belong to was backsliding." Said, "I have no more confidence in you at all now, from now on." Said, "There was about twenty-five of the brethren of my denomination setting in one of your meetings," said, "we just got--got right up and went off when you said that."
121Well, all men has forsaken me, but there's one thing, He stood by me!...?... I'm not, I wasn't disobedient to the Heavenly vision that happened down there on the river. I've stayed true to Him. He's been true to me. I'm trusting in Him, someday, I don't know when, for a crowning of my ministry. I've stayed just as true as I could be. I don't know what it'll be. I don't know when it'll be. And just when He's ready, I am done up here. I hope He will crown my ministry of this, of letting me take the clothes of the Word, and dress His Bride in the clothe of the Word, and for His righteousness. I hope He will crown me, let me stand on that day, say, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world."
122 There's so many hills to climb upward, the strain, sometime it gets hard; but the One that points the pathway, knows just what's best. He knows what's best. "The toils of the road will seem nothing, when we get to the end of the way." Let's hunt for that bloody footprint. Just remember, friends, "The sands has been washed in the footprints of that Stranger on Galilee's shore; and that voice that subdued the rough billows, will be heard in Judaea no more. But the path of that lone Galilean, so gladly I follow today; and the toil of the road will seem nothing, when I get to the end of the way."
123 In this first part of the Scripture I read, He gave to me, I was a young man, just a boy, standing out there, shoulders straight, chest throwed out, shock of wavy, black hair. And now I stand stoop-shouldered, baldheaded, graying, an old man of fifty-three years old. But He's sweeter as the days go by. And I've not shunned to declare to you the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ. And my heart's desire is to meet the Church which He has died for, clothed in the righteousness of His Own Blood, dressed in His Word and the righteous of His Word, for His Word can never fail. And therefore, I know if I'll stand by the Word and be true to the Word, and if the Word abides in me and I in Him, at that day I'll be happy that I stayed true.
124I don't know what the future holds, but you see where we're at, don't you? You see why everybody's saying, even to some of my own colleagues, said, "Why, Brother Branham's all washed up." See? Yeah. "All washed up." See? "Ah, we don't hear much more done." See? Well, we... They just don't understand, that's all, just don't understand it. See?
125 I think the greatest thing that Paul wanted, when he said, "My time is up now," the greatest desire of Paul's heart was to be a martyr. That was the desire of all their hearts in them days. If they... Did you ever read the Foxe's Book Of The Martyrs, and also read also The Nicene Council? The greatest honor that could be, when different ones (and Polycarp and them) walked into the lions' den, they shouted with joy. Walked in there knowing that they was going to be a martyr. When they was burnt to the stake, they screamed with joy, for the honor of being a martyr. When Paul walked down to that chopping block, to have his head cut off, led from that prison house, a little old dungy place down there, in a hole in the wall, where they had him. I walked down there, looked at it. Little old crypt back there where they slammed his body into it. And now want to make him a saint or something another. Same group of people! There he walked down there. He said, "O death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? But thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. I've fought a good fight. I've finished the course. I've kept the Faith. There's a crown laid up for me, and not only for me, but all those who love His appearing."
126 We've come down to the 6th verse now, to the 18th. I don't know what it'll read for me, but I'm only quoted you what it's read for others. And I'm going to continue to stay true to the Word until He's finished. That's where the ministry is today. I'm not washed up. I hope I'm just washed in. That's it. That's right. Let us bow our heads now while we pray....?...
127 There's a little rope reaching down from the Throne tonight, it's called the Lifeline. While I'm praying, I hope it drags by every unconverted person in here. Won't you reach up and take a hold of it, sinner friend? You say, "Brother Branham, you said you was getting old, and I guess that's the reason you're..." No, brother, sister. When I was just a little boy, I believed This. I've give my life for It. And there's only one regret I have, I haven't got but one life to give. If I had ten thousand lives I'd want to give them all for It. Yeah.
128Won't you take a hold of the Line when it passes by tonight, your way? You say, "Brother Branham, I'm not worthy to take a hold of It." I know you're not, child. But you go do something to get worthy, and tell me what you done, I want to do it, too. There ain't a thing you can do to get worthy. You was born unworthy. There's only one thing you can do, just take a hold of the way that's made for you. You're drowning, don't drown in that. God's throwed out the Lifeline, let's--let's reach and get it tonight.
129 Heavenly Father, I remember right here at this same desk, this same place where I spoke of that morning, that when I dedicated the church right upon this ground here. And that cornerstone lays there, still holding a leaf out of the Bible that I wrote that. I said, "Lord Jesus, with Your grace I'll stay true to the Word." And now I see it's produced just exactly what it done in other times. And here I am in this tabernacle tonight, after traveling the world, back again, and the little cornerstone still lays there and the paper's in it. Search me, Lord God. I made many mistakes. I--I've done wrong, Lord. Many times I've failed You, as I just testified a while ago about a failure. God, I--I, quick as I do it, I--I--I want forgiveness. In my heart I love You. I--I know You showed me recently about that place we're going. I don't know when You're through with me now, Lord. I--I'm here tonight, I... by Your grace. And I--I don't know when You're through, but I know this has to come to this. But when it comes that time, I--I don't want to be a coward. I want to stand like the rest of them stood. But, God, if--if--if I have to seal my testimony with my own life, or whatever it is to be done, Lord, crown it then. Not crown me; crown the ministry that I've preached, Lord, it's Your Word. And I know that Word is more than able to raise me up again at the resurrection. And I'm not ashamed of the Word that I have preached, because It's the power of God unto salvation to as many as believe.
130 I thank You for the little church still standing today. When I took that stand for the Word, the prophets prophesied and said, "In six months it'll be turned into a garage." Thirty years has passed, she's more on fire today than it's been in years. "Upon this rock I'll build My Church." We thank You for our pastor. We thank You for the deacons, the trustees. We all got a little part to play, Lord, and we want to play it loyal, we want to play it right.
131There may be some in here like to join up with us tonight, Lord. And the way they join it, is just to take a hold of this little Lifeline and go to pulling, wrap It around their wrist, tie It around their heart, and say, "Now, Lord, pull, lift me up," and they'll come forth and shine as gold. Grant it, Lord. We're looking for that time.
132 We believe that it's near the end. We see that as we have been teaching here, the Laodicean Church Age is now on, we see there can't be nothing else happen but the Coming of the Lord. And, Lord, wouldn't that be a great crown for the Word, to see the Crown Himself come? I'd like to be standing here and say, "There He is, that's the Lamb." Like John did. "Behold the Lamb that we have waited on, this is He." The Lord will quickly come to His temple, take away His people in a Rapture.
133Make us ready, Father. Wash our hearts in Your Blood. Make us pure and clean, that Your Word might abide in us. And may we remember that we must act upon the Word, in order for It to take a hold and be effective. Grant every sinner repentance. Bless everyone that's in here. The saints, those, some of these old precious warriors, Lord, has been battling along the line for years, made fun of, talked about and ridiculed. They're still going on because they got Life. They know Who they've believed, and persuaded He's able to keep that which they've committed to Him. We thank You for that. Pray that You'll heal the sick that's in our midst. Take all of our sins and sicknesses away. And, Father God, get glory to Yourself.
134 I've got so many precious friends, Lord. I--I love them, and I know other men has down through the age, too. Precious friends, loving friends, young and old, and we love them with all of our heart. Now make us true, Lord, just true to the Word, that we might meet them in a better land someday where there'll never be no sadness nor sorrows. We're looking for the Coming of the Lord, soon. We believe that He shall come.
135Now bless the unbeliever here tonight, Lord, and may he become a believer and accept You as his Saviour tonight.
136 And while we have our heads bowed, if there would be someone here with your head bowed, would say, "Brother Branham, way down deep in my heart, I--I want to come to the end of the road, fighting a good fight. I want to be a Christian. I'm going to raise up my hand." God bless you, and God bless you. That's good. God bless you, you. "I want to come to the end of my road, with a good fight behind me. I'm accepting Christ just now. I want Him to be my Helper." All right, the Lord bless you. God bless you, lady in the back. That's good. He--He knows you. I've learned enough about Him in all these years, about thirty-two years now behind the pulpit, I've learned enough about Him now to know that He knows every move that you make. He sees the sparrow. The hair of your head are numbered. See, He knows all about it. You just raise your hand, and mean it, that's all you have to do. And there's water ready.
137 Remember, what do you do? You repent, believe on the Gospel, and then be baptized. What for--for? In the Name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. That's your testimony, that you are. Your sins are gone when you are baptized; you've confessed them, and you believe. Won't you catch the Lifeline now as it pulls across your heart, and saying, "Come this way, pilgrim. Journey with Me, take My cross upon you. Learn of Me, I'm meek and lowly in heart, and My burdens are light." Just reach and take a hold of It.
138 How many Christians are in the Way tonight, in here, that are happy that you started a long time ago? Done made your start, and way down along the road, still coming down towards the end. I pray that God will crown your ministry, whatever it is. It may be a housewife. I pray that God will crown your ministry. It may be a preacher. It may be a deacon. It may be a lay member. It may be a farmer. I don't know what it is. Whatever it is, may God crown your life with the glory of His Word, and His Second Coming rapture you and take you away into another Land where you'll just feel like that little fish I talked about, out of that blackness down there. See, you couldn't go up There with this kind of a body. Neither could you go up like these astronauts, see, you have to be in a pressurized tank. You're not pressurized for it. But when God changes you, you're pressurized then, you're going in the Rapture then. When these old earthly senses has been lost, and you're gone on in that glorious way of the cross, going Home with Jesus.
139 Now, Father God, we thank You for these hands that come up for to be Christians. I believe that they meant it in their hearts. I pray for them, that they will not anytime fail. And if they do fail, may quickly they have that Advocate with the Father. Which I have learned to be such a great thing, Father, that when I make all my mistakes, then I find that I have an advocate, right quick, with the Father, through Jesus Christ. And I'm brought back into grace again. The loving hand of the Lord wipes away, there's a bloody Sacrifice laying there that I confess to be my Saviour.
140All that's sick and needy, I pray that You'll supply their needs and heal all the disease, Lord. And those that are here now sitting under this glorious anointing of the Holy Spirit, as we feel It so sweetly pouring over our souls.
141 Father God, You know what I was thinking about coming down from Canada the other day. I thought, "Oh, how I would love to get in an old-fashion revival again, and just the saints of God, singing, and the power of God, falling." Oh, how my heart longs for it, Lord. May there break such a revival in this Tabernacle, oh, that the power of God will--will just pour down in streams of grace, go into every heart.
142I thank You for this little place, Lord. We wasn't able to keep it this way, it's been Your grace that's kept it spiritual. And now I believe, Lord, the most spiritual little spot in the nation, that I know of, is right here at Eighth and Penn Street. How I thank You for this, Lord! Going into the churches and see them cold and indifferent, and the women so bold that they can't even blush, and not an "amen" or a tear on the cheek, or nothing, and no salvation, no nothing but just join their church and say their creed. And, O God, then come into a sweet little warm place where the fires are built on every altar of their heart. What a comfort it is, Father! What a comfort! Thank You, Father, and may it ever remain until the Coming of the Lord Jesus. Bless us together now.
143 And tomorrow's the Sabbath. And, Lord, help me in the morning, if it falls my lot to preach on that Countdown. God, may I be able to bring it in such a way till the people will see it, Lord. And now may they see the state of the ministry, and where it's at, and what we're waiting for, and why everything is going on the way it is. May they read from the 5th verse on, and then realize the place that we're standing.
144And now, Father, I pray that You'll bless us and give us good rest in our bodies, and bring us back tomorrow. Bless all these people standing around the walls, and leaning from one foot to another. Women, men standing out in the rain out there, and around the windows, and sitting in their cars, and all up and down. I pray that You'll bless them, Lord. May they go home with the grace of God in their heart. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.
145 Do you understand now? Read from, first, Second Timothy 2:4, Second Timothy 4, from the 5th verse on down, before you go to bed tonight, if you can, and you'll see where we're at. Why did them men forsake him? Why didn't they come? And now just compare that ministry with what we're going through today. Compare the teaching of Saint Paul. Remember in the little Heavenly thing that I saw, I said, "Well, will Paul have to stand with his people?"
They said, "Yes."
146I said, "I have preached the same Word he did, just exactly stayed with the same Gospel."
147And millions throwed up their hands and said, "We're resting on That."
148Lord bless you. Do you love Him? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]
Until we meet! Till we meet!
Till we meet!"