V Jeho Prítomnosti
1Ďakujem ti, brat Neville, nech ťa Pán ozaj bohate požehná. Dobrý večer, priatelia. Je to veľkým privilégiom byť dnes večer znova späť v tejto budove a cítiť tú nikdy nezlyhávajúcu prítomnosť nášho Pána, ako dal to zasľúbenie. A teraz, viem, že mnohí z vás tu dnes večer zostali kvôli posolstvu, za čo som veľmi vďačný. A mnohí z vás musia dnes večer cestovať veľmi ďaleko, aby sa dostali domov. Pokiaľ viem, tak niektorí ste odhlásení z vašich motelov. A budeme sa snažiť, aby sme vás dlho nezdržali, a tak to je dôvod, prečo prichádzame skôr, aby sme tak mohli skôr odísť.
2A teraz budeme, akonáhle budem môcť, tak oznámim, kedy asi začneme. Dnes popoludní som mal nejaké telefonáty ohľadne toho, kedy začneme s týmito knihami alebo týmito kapitolami. A myslím, že ak Pán dá, chcel by som vziať, že by sme na ten ďalšíkrát začali so Siedmimi Pečaťami zo Zjavenia a siedmimi prirodzenými pečaťami. A potom, keď to načas stihneme, vezmeme Sedem Pečatí zozadu tej Knihy. Rozumiete? No, to môže zabrať nejaký čas. Vidíte, je tam Sedem Pečatí, ktoré sú otvorené; je tam sedem pliag, sedem trúb, všetky tie sedmičky; a najprv by sme mohli prebrať tie Pečate. Ale potom zozadu tej Knihy to je zapečatené Siedmimi Pečaťami. Daniel počul Hlas, ako zahrmel, a bolo mu zakázané to písať. Jánovi to bolo zakázané zapísať. Ale bolo to zapečatené na zadnej časti tej Knihy, to je, potom, ako boli všetky tajomstvá tej Knihy vydané a zjavené. Všimnite si, že Daniel tam povedal, že tajomstvá vo dňoch týchto hlasov, tajomstvo Božie má v tom čase byť odhalené, tajomstvo, kto je Boh, ako sa On stal telom, všetky tieto veci by mali byť v tom čase odhalené. A potom sme pripravení na tých Sedem Pečatí na zadnej časti tej Knihy, ktoré dokonca nie sú ľuďom zjavené, dokonca nie sú zapísané v Biblii, ale budú sa musieť úplne presne zhodovať so zvyškom Biblie a myslím si, že to bude ohromná vec.
3A tak, teraz sa budeme snažiť poponáhľať, aby sme cez to prešli. Ďakujeme každému jednému z vás za vašu láskavosť a prítomnosť a za všetko, čo ste urobili, veľmi vám ďakujeme. A teraz, verím, že vás tu dnes večer nezdržíme príliš dlho, pretože tak trpezlivo sedíte a stojíte. Moja žena mi tam vzadu povedala, hovorila o tom minulom večere, povedala, „Videla som tam stáť ženy, ktoré boli dokonca trocha zavalitejšie a šaty mali celkom prepotené, stáli tam celý čas a jednoducho chytali každé Slovo.“ To je ten dôvod, prečo rád zostávam pod pomazaním Ducha Svätého, že keď to vyjadrujete, hovoríte tým ľuďom úprimnú Pravdu (Vidíte?) a nič iné než Pravdu. A potom môžu na Tom spočinúť a všetko to bude v poriadku.
4No, chcem vás na chvíľu poprosiť o ospravedlnenie. Dnes ráno som odišiel trocha skoro. A v tomto čase sú pásky vypnuté a za chvíľu poviem tým, ktorí nahrávajú, kedy zapnúť pásku. Chcem dokončiť tú kázeň „Odpočítavanie“, treba na to päť minút predtým, ako odídem. Zabudol som na to a odišiel som preč; dnes ráno som bol tak veľmi unesený, že som odišiel preč bez toho, aby som o tom niečo povedal. Ale tak trochu som vás zanechal s tým, „Čo bolo teda to odpočítavanie?“ Vidíte? No, viem, že sa nachádzame v odpočítavaní, ale čo je tým odpočítavaním? Vidíte? Ak neviete, čo je tým odpočítavaním, potom budete tak trocha zmätení. A tak by som to rád priniesol... A budem sa snažiť hovoriť v rovnakom tóne ako predtým, aby som teraz dokončil túto pásku, aby mohla byť vydaná: „Odpočítavanie“. A teraz mi všetci na chvíľu odpusťte a chcem dokončiť tú pásku. Urobíte to len na chvíľu a potom začneme novú kázeň? A teraz, tí, ktorí nahrávajú pásky, ak môžete, prehoďte teraz tú pásku.
[Prázdne miesto na páske. Brat Branham v týchto paragrafoch 4–5 vysvetľuje, že ide nahrať a vložiť určitú chýbajúcu časť do svojej rannej kázne nazvanej „Odpočítavanie“. – pozn.prekl.]
5Práve som prišiel z rozličných miest a mali sme ohromný čas pri tých posledných troch posolstvách, ktoré boli hovorené na tému rôznych náuk a podobne, ktoré sme hovorili. Pamätám na to, že teraz tu mám nechať trocha času pre vás ľudí pri tých páskach, aby ste mohli prehodiť tie pásky. No, poviem vám, kedy budeme pripravení to zapnúť. V poriadku. No, musím to sledovať. Vyzerá to ako taká umelo-vyrobená formálnosť, ale tí chlapci musia pracovať s tou páskou. A nemôžu to mať celé zamiešané; ak áno, tí ľudia tam vonku tomu nebudú rozumieť. A tak to musíme urobiť takýmto spôsobom. A ak by len niekto vystúpil z tej miestnosti a dal mi znamenie, Junior, keď budú pripravení prehodiť tie pásky. Veľmi vám ďakujem, priatelia, hovorím to znova, za všetku vašu láskavosť a všetko ostatné. V poriadku, teraz sme pripravení, môžete ich zapnúť.
6Nech vás Pán žehná. Sme radi, že dnes večer znova môžeme byť tu v modlitebni. Dnes večer je toto miesto znova preplnené mnohými ľuďmi, ktorí stoja naokolo, v týchto troch dňoch – alebo troch zhromaždeniach. Chcel by som, aby každý, kto bude počúvať túto pásku, aby sa vrátili a zohnali si pásku z minulého večera. Študujte to doma. To je prítomný stupeň služby, ktorú mi Pán dal. Zvlášť by som bol rád, keby si to vypočuli kazatelia predtým, ako navštívim ich cirkvi a prídem k nim domov. No, bol by som rád, keby to dostali. No, dnes ráno sme hovorili na tému „Odpočítavanie“, Cirkev je pripravená odísť.
7A dnes večer, ak teraz Boh dá, budeme hovoriť na tému „V Jeho prítomnosti“. Ó, ako ďakujeme Bohu za privilégium, že môžeme vojsť do Jeho prítomnosti. Ale najprv si prajem, aby ste si spolu so mnou všetci otvorili svoje Biblie v prorokovi Izaiášovi, 6. kapitola proroka Izaiáša. Všetci vieme, že Izaiáš bol hlavný prorok a jeden z najväčších prorokov svojho dňa. Zakončil svoj život tak, že ho pílami rozrezali napoly ako svedectvo, ako mučeníka moci Všemohúceho Boha. V Knihe Izaiáša, v 6. kapitole, začnem čítať od 5. verša.
Vtedy som povedal: Beda mne, lebo...
Možno začnem s 1. veršom. Prepáčte mi na chvíľu. Začneme s 1. veršom a budeme čítať až po 8. verš.
Roku, ktorého zomrel kráľ Uziáš, videl som Pána sedieť na vysokom tróne a povznesenom, a podolok jeho rúcha naplňoval chrám.
Serafíni stáli nad ním. Každý mal šesť krídel; dvoma zakrýval svoju tvár, dvoma zakrýval svoje nohy a dvoma lietal.
A volali jeden druhému a hovorili: Svätý, svätý, svätý Hospodin Zástupov, celá zem je plná jeho slávy.
A pohli sa základy prahov od hlasu volajúceho, a dom sa naplnil dymom.
Vtedy som povedal: Beda mne, lebo zahyniem, pretože som človek nečistých rtov a bývam prostred ľudu nečistých rtov; beda mne, lebo moje oči videli Kráľa Hospodina Zástupov!
Tu priletel ku mne jeden zo serafínov majúc v ruke žeravý uhoľ, ktorý vzal kliešťami s oltára.
A dotknul sa mojich úst a riekol: Hľa, tento uhoľ sa dotknul tvojich rtov, a tak odišla tvoja neprávosť, a tvoj hriech je prikrytý.
Potom som počul hlas Pánov, ktorý hovoril: Koho pošlem, a kto nám pojde? Vtedy som povedal: Hľa, tu som, pošli ma.
8Nech Pán požehná Svoje Slovo. Myslím si, že to je najpozoruhodnejšie miesto Písma. Zisťujeme, že v prítomnosti Božej si ľudia uvedomujú, že sú hriešnikmi. Môžeme sa cítiť celkom dobre, keď sme preč na rozličných miestach a cítime sa, že sme celkom dobrými ľuďmi, ale keď niekedy vojdeme do prítomnosti Božej, potom vidíme, akí sme malí.
9Nedávno som bol s mojím priateľom, ktorého som mal to privilégium priviesť ku Kristovi, Bert Call, hore v New Hampshire, poľovnícky spoločník, stáli sme hore v Adirondacku vedľa vodopádov Cold Brook a boli to tak obrovské vodopády. Minulý rok som tam vzal rodinu, aby sa na to pozreli. Je to mimo hlavnej cesty a musíte ísť peši, aby ste sa tam dostali. A keď sme videli tú modrozelenú vodu, ako sa tam vylievala z tých vrchov s takou veľkou mocou a valila sa dole na tie skaly. Bert tam stál, díval sa na mňa a povedal, „Hmm, Billy, to spôsobuje, že človek sa cíti tak malý,“ ukázal na prstoch vzdialenosť asi štvrť centimetra.
Povedal som, „Je to tak, Bert.“ No, to bolo to, ako to on spoznal, keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej, pomocou Jeho stvorenia.
10Zaujímalo by ma, či ten človek, ktorý napísal tú pieseň „Aký veľký si“, či sa on jednej noci díval hore a videl hviezdy, ako sú ďaleko. Pred pár mesiacmi, brat Fred, brat Woods a ja, sme boli s bratom McAnallym vonku na arizonskej púšti a snažili sme sa odmerať, ako bola jedna hviezda blízko ku tej druhej. A pričom milióny a bilióny míľ ďaleko, a vyzeralo to, že nie sú skoro ani pol centimetra od seba. Potom sme začali premýšľať, podľa vedeckého dôkazu tej veci, tie hviezdy sú od seba pravdepodobne vzdialené viac, než sme my vzdialení od nich. Vidíte, aké to je?
11Potom sme pochopili, akí sme malí, keď sme si uvedomili, aký veľký je On a ako blízko sme prišli k Jeho prítomnosti. Tak či onak, na ľudí to vždy malo veľký efekt, keď prišli do prítomnosti Božej. V mojej službe som videl čas, kedy ste mohli vidieť, ako prítomnosť Božia prišla až do takého miesta, že to tú dotyčnú osobu vyvolalo a jednoducho im to zjavilo ich život a zjavilo to ich hriechy všetkých možných nemorálnych skutkov a prinieslo to medzi ľudí tak posvätné utíšenie, že vyskočili z modlitebného radu ešte predtým, ako vôbec prišli hore, aby sa za nich modlilo, a bežali k oltáru a dali sa do poriadku s Bohom skôr, ako prišli hore do Jeho prítomnosti. Vidíte, je niečo na tom vojdení do prítomnosti Božej. To spôsobuje, že sa veci dejú. Videl som ľudí, ktorí ležali na lôžkach a nosidlách.
12V ten večer dole v Mexiku, keď to malé mŕtve bábätko ležalo pod dekou, keď ho tam tá malá španielska matka priniesla hore, alebo lepšie povedané, malá mexická matka ho priniesla hore. Keď to videli... videlo to niekoľko tisíc tých ľudí, možno päťdesiat alebo sedemdesiatpäťtisíc na jednom zhromaždení, uvideli, ako to malé mŕtve bábätko prišlo do života, ženy odpadávali, ľudia dvíhali ruky a vykrikovali. Prečo? Uvedomovali si, že ľudská bytosť by to nedokázala urobiť, ale že boli v prítomnosti všemohúceho Boha. A to spôsobilo, že sa niečo stalo.
13Mal som to privilégium počuť hovoriť zbožných mužov. Bolo povedané, že Charles Finney, maličký chlapík, vážil okolo 50kg, ale mal tak mocný spôsob prejavu, že až... Raz v jednej budove skúšal akustiku. Oni vtedy nemali ozvučovaciu techniku. A bol tam nejaký muž, ktorý tam vykonával opravu, hore na balkóne alebo hore na streche toho miesta, a započul toho človeka, že vošiel dovnútra, a tak on nevedel, kto to je, tak zostal len potichu. A pán Finney išiel otestovať akustiku. Potom, ako strávil mnoho času na modlitbe za to prebudenie, ktoré mal mať, išiel vyskúšať svoj hlas, aby videl, ako to bude znieť. Prekĺzol sa rýchlo ku kazateľni a povedal, „Čiňte pokánie, inak zahyniete!“ A povedal to s takou silou, potom, ako bol pod pomazaním Božím, že ten človek až spadol dole zhora toho balkóna, dole na podlahu, zhora tej budovy dole na podlahu.
14On kázal Evanjelium takým spôsobom, že stál v Bostone, Massachusetts, v malom okennom výklenku, pretože tam nebolo žiadnej cirkvi, ktorá by dokázala obsiahnuť jeho zástup. A stál tam s takou mohutnou mocou a tak kázal o pekle, že až pracujúci ľudia, ktorí tam boli s košíkmi v rukách, padali na ulici a kričali o milosrdenstvo v prítomnosti Božej. Veľkolepí kazatelia, ktorí boli schopní skrze Slovo Božie priniesť prítomnosť Božiu k poslucháčstvu... Nech je to ďaleko od ľudí, aby boli v srdci tak poznačení, až nikdy nerozpoznajú prítomnosť Božiu. Nech je to ďaleko od nich.
15Keď ten prvý človek, akonáhle si uvedomil, že zhrešil a vykonal zlé, a keď Boh prišiel do jeho prítomnosti, alebo on prišiel do prítomnosti Božej, Adam, nedokázal zastať v prítomnosti Božej. Utiekol a skryl sa v kríku a snažil sa zakryť figovým listom, pretože vedel, že stál v prítomnosti Jehovu, Stvoriteľa. To bola reakcia prvého človeka potom, čo zhrešil a snažil sa vojsť do prítomnosti Božej s hriechom na svojej duši. Nemohol sa skryť, pretože nebol ešte tak skazený. Hriech sa ešte neuchytil tak, ako sa to dnes zakorenilo do ľudských sŕdc, ale on si bol veľmi vedomý, že stál pred svojím Stvoriteľom. No, on sa ukryl v kríkoch a nevyšiel von a nemohol vyjsť von, až kým pre neho Boh neučinil prípravu.
16Mohli by sme ísť naspäť a vziať to miesto v 1. Mojžišovej, 17. kapitola a 3. verš, keď ten veľký patriarcha Abrahám, keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej a Boh ku nemu prehovoril (v tej 17. kapitole) v Mene Všemohúceho Boha, Abrahám padol na svoju tvár. Ten veliký patriarcha, služobník Boží, nedokázal obstáť v prítomnosti Božej, hoci Mu verne slúžil dvadsaťpäť rokov. Ale keď sa Boh pohol do jeho prítomnosti, ten patriarcha padol na svoju tvár, pretože nedokázal obstáť v prítomnosti Božej.
17V 2. Mojžišovej, v 3. kapitole nachádzame Mojžiša, veľkého služobníka a proroka Božieho, keď bol vzadu na zadnej strane púšte, ten človek bol svätým človekom. Narodil sa kvôli určitému účelu. Narodil sa od života svojej matky, aby bol prorokom. Snažil sa získať vzdelanie a urobil všetko, čo mohol, aby vyslobodil svoj ľud, pretože chápal to, že tam bol na to, aby vyslobodil svoj ľud, ale pritom to pochopil z toho teologického pohľadu. On bol trénovaný. Bol veľmi dobre vyškolený. Mohol tých Egypťanov učiť múdrosti, pričom to boli tí najchytrejší ľudia na svete. On poznal všetky podrobné detaily. Poznal Písmo od A po Z. Poznal zasľúbenia, ktoré Boh učinil. Poznal ich z toho intelektuálneho pohľadu. A bol veľkým vojenným mužom. Ale jedného dňa na zadnej strane púšte, keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej, strhol si dole topánky a padol na svoje nohy, keď vedel, že bol na svätej pôde. Nedokázal stáť na nohách, keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej; padol na tvár, ako to urobil Abrahám. Nedokázal stáť v prítomnosti Božej.
18V 2. Mojžišovej 19:19, keď tí vybraní ľudia Boží odo dní Abraháma, z Abraháma prišiel Izák, z Izáka prišiel Jákob, z Jákoba prišli patriarchovia, a roky po rokoch priniesli svätých ľudí, veľkých ľudí, vybraných ľudí, vybraná rasa, posvätení, svätí ľudia a celý život slúžili Bohu. A jedného dňa Boh povedal, „Zhromaždi tam Izrael, idem ku nim prehovoriť.“
Ale keď Boh zostúpil na vrch tej hory Sinaj a celá tá hora bola v ohni a dym odtiaľ vyletoval ako z pece a zahrmel tam Boží Hlas, Izrael padol na svoju tvár a povedal, „Nech hovorí Mojžiš, inak zahynieme.“ Človek si v prítomnosti Božej uvedomuje, že je hriešnikom. A jednako každý jeden z nich bol obrezaný podľa zákona. Zachovávali tie prikázania a to všetko, ale keď Boh prehovoril a oni sa dostali do Jeho prítomnosti, uvedomili si, že sú mimo; neboli v poriadku. Niečo im chýbalo, pretože boli v prítomnosti Božej. Áno. A povedali, „Nech hovorí Mojžiš, a nie Boh, lebo ak bude hovoriť Boh, všetci tu zomrieme. Nech ku nám hovorí Mojžiš.“
19Bolo to v Lukášovi 5:8, keď Peter... Ó, keď bol veľkým zarytým mužom, človekom, ktorý mal veľký vplyv, veľkú moc, ako tomu rozumieme. Bol taký drsný a bol známym rybárom. Ale keď uvidel zázrak Boží, ktorý vykonal ten na pohľad obyčajný Človek, pričom on v tom čase rozpoznal, že je potrebné viac než len nejakého človeka, aby hodil všetky tie ryby do siete; kde on so všetkým svojím vzdelaním, jeho poznaním o chytaní rýb, rybárčil celú noc a nechytil ani jednu. Ale počul, ako Niekto povedal, „Nahoďte siete.“
A keď začal tiahnuť, obdržal veliké množstvo rýb a uvedomil si, že bol hriešnym človekom. A povedal, „Odíď odo mňa, Pane, lebo som hriešny človek.“ Kto to povedal? Svätý Peter v prítomnosti Božej, prosil Boha, aby odišiel z jeho prítomnosti, pretože si uvedomil, že je hriešnikom.
Abrahám si uvedomil, že nie je v poriadku. Adam si uvedomil, že nie je v poriadku, pričom bol synom Božím, uvedomil si, že nie je v poriadku. Mojžiš si uvedomil, že nie je v poriadku. Izrael, ako cirkev a národ, oni si uvedomili, že nie sú v poriadku. „Odíď odo mňa, lebo som hriešny človek.“ On sa nesnažil povedať, „Nuž, som svätý a hoden, aby som toto prijal.“ Povedal, „Som hriešny človek.“
20Raz jeden samozvaný odborník na náboženstvo, so všetkou svojou teológiou, ktorú sa dokázal naučiť pod veľkým učiteľom zvaným Gamaliel, a jeho meno bolo Saul z Tarzu, poznáme ho ako Pavla: nábožný do bodky. Poznal všetky podrobné detaily ich náboženstva. Bol to farizej z farizejov a Hebrej z Hebrejov. Bol to známy človek, učenec, múdry, chytrý, vzdelaný, tvrdil, že Boha poznal už odkedy bol malým dieťaťom. Ale jedného dňa na ceste do Damašku, zasvietil na neho ten Ohnivý Stĺp a on spadol na zem do prachu a povedal, „Pane, čo chceš, aby som učinil?“ Všetok jeho veľkolepý tréning, všetok jeho veľkolepý teologický tréning, všetko jeho vzdelanie neznamenalo nič, keď zastal v prítomnosti Božej.
21Chcel by som sa tu na chvíľku zastaviť a povedať, že to je to isté. Mohol si získať D.D., Ph.D., čímkoľvek môžeš byť; mohol si chodiť do zboru, odkedy si bol malým dieťaťom; mohol si vykonať všetky druhy náboženských skutkov, ktoré existujú, ale keď raz vstúpiš do prítomnosti Božej, budeš sa cítiť tak malým a bezvýznamným.
Pavol si uvedomil, že sa mýlil, a pod tým vplyvom a mocou spadol na zem. Keď sa pozrel hore a uvidel práve toho Boha, o ktorom kázal, a proti tomu, a pritom si myslel, že vedel, ako sa veci majú, a tu videl, že sa mýlil, on spadol na zem, pretože bol v prítomnosti Božej. Uvidel ten Ohnivý Stĺp.
22Čo ohľadom toho veľkého svätého Jána zo Zjavenia 1:7, keď mu bolo ukázané videnie a on sa pozrel a začul Hlas, ktorý ku nemu prehovoril. A obrátil sa, aby videl ten Hlas, a uvidel sedem zlatých svietnikov. A Ten, ktorý stál v prostriedku tých siedmich zlatých svietnikov s vlasmi ako vlna, očami ako plamene ohňa, nohami ako mosadzné stĺpy; na prsiach bol opásaný zlatým pásom a bol nazvaný Slovo Božie. A keď ten veľkolepý svätý Ján kráčal s Kristom, opieral sa o Jeho hruď, keď vykonal všetky tieto veci... Ako som dnes ráno hovoril, Pavlova služba prevyšovala každého z nich. A tu, potom, ako Ján kráčal s Ježišom, rozprával sa s Ním, spával kúsok od Neho, jedol s Ním, ale keď Ho tam uvidel stáť v tom oslávenom stave, povedal, že padol k Jeho nohám ako mŕtvy muž. Amen. Pomyslite na to.
23Môžeme chodievať do zboru a rozprávať a chváliť Boha a podobne, ale, ó, brat, keď Ho uvidíme prichádzať, niečo v našich srdciach bude odlišné. Môžeme si myslieť, že si vykonávame svoju náboženskú povinnosť skrze to, že chodievame do zboru a platíme naše desiatky. Môžeme si myslieť, že dodržiavame zákony cirkvi a recitujeme všetky tie vyznania, ale nech sa len raz pozrieme na Neho, celá tá vec je potom úplne zmenená. Áno, to je isté.
Tento veľký človek, svätý Ján, takýto významný človek, Biblia hovorí v Zjavení 1:7, že on padol ako mŕtvy. Po tri a pol roku obecenstva s Kristom, bol to jeden z pisateľov Epištol, chodil za Ním, jedol s Ním pri stole, spal pri Jeho posteli a mal s Ním obecenstvo, kdekoľvek On išiel, ale keď sa obrátil, aby Ho uvidel, nemal už v sebe žiaden ďalší život, ktorý by v ňom zostal. Spadol na podlahu alebo na zem ako mŕtvy. V poriadku.
24Vidíme Izaiáša v Izaiášovi 6:5, ako sme to práve čítali, tento veľký mocný prorok, on je jedným z najväčších prorokov, ktorí sú v Biblii. Existuje šesťdesiatšesť Kníh Biblie; v Izaiášovi je šesťdesiatšesť kapitol. Izaiáš začína v Genezis, v strede Izaiáša prináša Nový zákon, na konci Izaiáša prináša milénium; úplne presne, Genezis, Nový zákon a Zjavenie; dokonale. Izaiáš bol jedným z hlavných prorokov. Ale jedného dňa spočíval na ramene Uziáša, toho veľkého kráľa, Uziáš bol od neho vzatý a on bol zničený. Bol to celkom dobrý človek; bol dobrým spravodlivým človekom, ak ho ten spravodlivý kráľ, dobrý kráľ, rozpoznal ako svätého muža a nechával si ho vo svojom chráme.
25Izaiáš vídal videnia. On bol prorokom. Izaiáš kázal Slovo. Bol kazateľom. Izaiáš bol svätým mužom. Ale jedného dňa, ako tak stál v chráme, upadol do tranzu a uvidel Slávu Božiu. Uvidel Anjelov, ktorí mali krídla cez svoju tvár, krídla cez svoje nohy a pomocou krídel i lietali a volali, „Svätý, svätý, svätý je Pán Boh Všemohúci.“
Ten prorok si uvedomil, že bol ničím. Povedal, „Beda mi, pretože som človek nečistých rtov,“ prorok, najmocnejší prorok Biblie, jeden z nich. „Som človek nečistých rtov a bývam prostred ľudu nečistých rtov; beda mi, lebo vidím Slávu Božiu.“
26A povedal, keď ten Anjel zavolal a stĺpy chrámu sa zatriasli a pohli tam a späť. Brat, to s tebou niečo urobí. Nie len, že sa zatrasú stĺpy chrámu, ale keď On znova príde, budú sa triasť celé nebesia i zem. Vrchy sa pohnú a more utečie a skríknu, „Ukryte nás pred tvárou Toho, ktorý sedí na tróne.“ Bude to hrozný čas. Poviem ti, hriešny priateľu, mal by si to dať do poriadku. Je to tak.
No, Izaiáš povedal, „Beda mi, som človek nečistých rtov a bývam prostred nečistého ľudu. A som – títo ľudia majú nečisté rty.“
27No, pamätajte, ak takíto svätí ľudia rozpoznali v prítomnosti Božej, že sú hriešnikmi, čo urobí v ten deň hriešnik a bezbožný? Čo urobia ľudia, ktorí sedeli v zhromaždeniach? Čo urobia ľudia, ktorí videli moc Božiu, ktorí počuli odpočítavanie Slova, ktorí videli Boha, ako zamanifestoval Samého Seba a bez tieňa pochybnosti naplnil každé Písmo, a aj tak sa budú stále snažiť dostať sa do neba bez toho, aby boli znovuzrodení a prijali Ducha Svätého? Biblia hovorí, „A ak aj spravodlivý sotva býva zachránený, bezbožník a hriešnik kde sa ukáže? Na akom mieste budeme stáť, ak vidíme Boha, ako rovno pred nami odhaľuje Samého Seba, a vidíme Slávu Božiu práve tak isto, ako to videli tamtí ľudia, a tamtí ľudia kričali, proroci a vidiaci, na ktorých je založené Slovo? Ak oni kričali, padali na zem a volali, „Som človek nečistých rtov, nečistota,“ aké to potom bude pre toho človeka, ktorý ani nevyzná svoje hriechy? Čo to bude pre tínedžera, ktorý nevyzná svoje hriechy? Čo to bude pre toho zatvrdnutého človeka, ktorý si myslí, že vie o Božom stvorení viac než samotný Boh? Čo sa stane tomu človeku, ktorý strávil celý svoj život tým, že sa snažil vyvrátiť Bibliu, kde sa taký človek ukáže? Pomyslite na to!
28Toto je evanjelizácia. Toto je čas zatriasť ľuďmi. Toto je čas, o ktorom Boh hovoril, že príde taký čas, On raz zatriasol vrchom Sinaj, ale znova príde zatrasenie, kedy On nezatrasie len vrchom Sinaj, ale zatrasie všetkým, čím môže byť pohnuté. Ale všimli ste si zvyšok toho Písma? „Ale my prijímame Kráľovstvo, ktorým nemôže byť zatrasené.“ Haleluja. Všetko, čím môže byť zatrasené, tým bude zatrasené. Nebesia budú zatrasené. Zem bude zatrasená. „Nebesia i zem pominú, ale to Slovo nikdy nepominie. Lebo na tejto skale postavím Svoju Cirkev a brány pekla ju nikdy nepremôžu.“ Všetko, čím môže byť zatrasené, tým bude zatrasené. Ale my prijímame Kráľovstvo, ktoré je Slovo samotného Boha a Boh je Svojím Slovom. On nezatrasie Samého Seba. Amen. Ó. Ale my prijímame Kráľovstvo, ktorým nemôže byť pohnuté; to je nepohnuteľné, povedal Pavol, ktorý napísal List Židom.
29Taká osoba a taký človek, taký čas a ako sa oni cítili... Sme tu tiež my, ktorí sme videli Slávu Božiu práve tak, ako ju videli títo ľudia. Samozrejme. Videli sme To. Videli sme Slávu Božiu, ako ju videl Abrahám. Videli sme Slávu Božiu, ako ju videl Mojžiš, ten istý Ohnivý Stĺp, tá istá moc Božia, ten istý Kristus zjavujúci Seba Samého, ukazujúci Samého Seba, dodržujúci Svoje Slovo v týchto posledných dňoch. Ako môžeme potom prechádzať okolo a zaobchádzať s tým tak naľahko? Ako môžeme chodiť okolo a držať sa svojich vyznaní a denominácií a nebrať Božie Slovo? Aké to bude pre nás v ten deň? Ako to s nami bude, keď sme uvideli Slávu Božiu?
30Niektorí ľudia sa postavia niekde na okraj a budú si z toho robiť žarty, niektorí sa budú z toho vysmievať, niektorí to nazvú fanatizmom, iní to nazvú mentálnou telepatiou, ďalší to nazvú Belzebúbom, niektorí to nazvú jedným alebo druhým. Ako hovorí staré porekadlo, „Blázni budú chodiť v okovaných topánkach, kde sa Anjeli boja chodiť po špičkách.“ Tak veru. „Blázon povedal vo svojom srdci, 'Nieto Boha.'“ Keď človek vidí prejavujúceho sa Boha, tak dokonale cez Svoje vlastné Slovo (nie cez vyznania, ale cez Jeho Slovo), a ide rovno cez to a robí si z toho žarty, on je blázon. Pretože Boh je Slovo a Boh sa im urobil jasným, a taký človek je potom blázon, povedala Biblia. Čo to bude pre neho znamenať, keď sa bude musieť postaviť na tom mieste? To bude v ten deň pre toho človeka strašné, pre toho bezbožného.
31Avšak hriešnici činiaci pokánie nemajú žiaden strach. Ó, nie. Hriešnik, ktorý bude činiť pokánie, on vie, že existuje krvavá Obeť, ktorá čaká a stojí na jeho mieste. To je to, čo mi dáva útechu. Videl som Slávu Božiu. Pocítil som Jeho moc. Poznám dotyk Jeho ruky. Poznám dotyk Jeho trestania. Ja viem, že On je Boh. A viem, že som nehodný, ale existuje Niekto, kto tam stojí namiesto mňa. Amen.
Je tam Niekto, kto stojí a hovorí, „Otče, polož všetku jeho neprávosť na Mňa, pretože on sa postavil za Mňa dole na zemi.“ Haleluja. Potom som prišiel k Božiemu trónu, odvážne, majúc milosť vo svojom srdci, vediac, že to nie je skrze dobré skutky, ale je to Jeho milosť, ktorá ma zachránila. Nie to, čo ja môžem urobiť, ku čomu sa môžem pripojiť, čo môžem povedať, ale to je skrze Jeho milosť, ktorá ma zachránila.
Niet divu, že básnik, ktorý to uchytil, zvolal:
Udivujúca milosť, ako sladko znie,
ktorá spasila takého úbožiaka, ako som ja.
Raz som bol stratený, ale teraz som nájdený,
bol som slepý, ale teraz vidím.
32Ako kedy môžem ísť do neba, ako by ste mohli ísť do neba? Nedokážeme to urobiť, my... Neexistuje pre nás spôsob, ako to urobiť. Ale je Jeden, ktorý vytvoril tú cestu. A On je tou Cestou. A ako sa do Neho dostaneme? Skrze jedného Ducha, Jeho Ducha, sme pokrstení do jedného Tela, ktoré bude vzkriesené až na obežnú dráhu. Odídeme zo zeme ako astronauti tohto posledného dňa pred Božiu tvár. Amen. Iste. Hriešnici, ktorí učinili pokánie, sa nemusia starostiť; je tam Niekto, kto je na ich mieste.
Ó, potom, ako sme teraz vstúpili do Jeho prítomnosti a vieme, že sme boli v Jeho prítomnosti, videli sme Ho robiť veci, ktoré robil, keď bol tu na zemi. Ako viete... Ako spoznáte vinič, keď sa na neho dívate? Je to vďaka ovociu, ktoré prináša. Ako poznáte cirkev, do ktorej chodíte? Skrze ovocie, ktoré prináša. Ježiš povedal, „Ten, kto verí vo Mňa, skutky, ktoré Ja činím, i on bude činiť. Tieto znamenia budú nasledovať tých, ktorí veria.“
33No, vidíme, že On nám nikdy nenariadil, aby sme išli a zakladali denominácie. Nikdy nám nenariadil, aby sme išli vytvoriť nejaké vyznanie. Ale On nás ohľadom toho varoval. „Lebo ktokoľvek z Toho niečo odoberie alebo ku Tomu niečo pridá, ten bude odvrhnutý, jeho diel z Knihy Života.“ Vidíte?
Tak nemáme nariadené nič iné okrem toho zostávať s tým Slovom. A ak je nejaký človek poslaný od Boha, On zostane so Slovom, pretože Boh môže stáť jedine so Svojím Slovom. Rozumiete? Vidíte, On musí zostať so Svojím Slovom. Potom, keď vchádzame do Jeho prítomnosti, keď nejaký človek raz vchádza do prítomnosti Božej, on je navždy zmenený, ak sa dá zmeniť. No, existujú takí, ktorí by mohli vojsť do prítomnosti Božej a nevenovali by tomu žiadnu pozornosť. Taký nebol ustanovený do Života. Ale ak bol predurčeným Božím, akonáhle urobí ten prvý pohyb, on o tom vie. To sa zapáli.
34Pozrite sa na tú malú prostitútku, ktorá bola v ten deň tam dole v Samárii, tá žena. Ona bola aj psychicky aj fyzicky v zlom stave. Vieme to. Ale akonáhle uvidela vykonané to znamenie Mesiáša, povedala, „Vieme, že Mesiáš príde, aby toto robil. Ty musíš byť Jeho prorokom.“
On povedal, „Ja som ten Mesiáš, o ktorom bolo napísané, že príde.“
Ona to rozpoznala. Vôbec sa nepýtala ďalšie otázky. Začala rýchlo ísť so zodpovednosťou, lebo vedela, že keď to našla a vošla do prítomnosti Božej, bola zodpovedná, aby o Tom povedala niekomu ďalšiemu. Haleluja. Správne. Akýkoľvek človek, ktorý prichádza do prítomnosti Božej, je od tej minúty zodpovedný pred Bohom, aby o tom povedal niekomu ďalšiemu. Pozrite na Abraháma; pozrite na Mojžiša; pozrite na Petra; pozrite na Pavla; v tom momente, ako vošli do prítomnosti Božej, rozpoznali, že sú hriešnikmi, a spečatili svoje svedectvo svojím životom. Pozrite na tú malú pani, nedokázala dlhšie vydržať, odišla do mesta a povedala tým ľuďom, „Poďte, vidzte Človeka, ktorý mi povedal veci, ktoré som urobila. Či to nie je Mesiáš?“ Nemohli to poprieť, pretože to bolo podľa Písma. Iste. Áno, museli to urobiť, človek, keď máme povinnosť povedať o tom ostatným, ako to urobil Mojžiš, ako to urobil Peter, ako to urobil Pavol. Po týchto veciach, keď si To videl a vošiel si do Jeho prítomnosti, si zodpovedný, aby si to Posolstvo podal niekomu ďalšiemu. Nemôžeš s tým ostať len ticho sedieť. Musíš to vziať ku niekomu ďalšiemu.
35Pamätám si, že tu zvykla byť jedna stará sestra, matka brata Grahama Snellinga, zvykla sedávať rovno tu v zbore a spievala, „Práve som prešla. Bežím, bežím, bežím a práve som prešla a nemôžem zastaviť.“ Jednoducho niečo našla. Išiel som do jedného malého farebného zboru, ktorý je tu v Louisville, a všetci z nich tam stáli a spievali, „Bežím tou Kráľovou hradskou cestou, práve som to našiel a dostal som sa na tú hradskú cestu.“
Niečo na tom je, keď nachádzaš Krista, nedokážeš byť viac potichu. Po zvyšok svojich dní si odlišnou osobou, lebo keď život a Život prichádzajú dokopy, to vytvára jasné Svetlo. Skutočne. Keď sa žiarovka spojí s tým drôtom, ak je to funkčná žiarovka, to musí vydať svetlo; keď sa ten prúd a tá žiarovka dostanú dokopy, nemôže sa stať nič iné len rozptýlenie svetla. Musí to tak byť. A keď nejaký muž alebo žena, ktorí sú predurčení do večného Života, a uvidia ten prúd Boží, ako zachytí tú žiarovku, to bude vrhať Svetlo všade, kde sa len dá. Nemusíš mať viac ako desať wattov, ale budeš rozptyľovať Svetlo, ktoré máš. Ak nemáš päťsto wattov, rozptyľuj to desaťwattové Svetlo. Vydávaj svoje Svetlo. „Nech vaše Svetlo svieti pred ľuďmi, aby mohli vidieť vaše dobré skutky a oslavovať Otca, ktorý je v nebesiach.“ Tak veru.
36Keď nejaký človek prichádza do kontaktu s Bohom, on o sebe rozpoznáva, že nie je dobrý. Ako môže nejaký človek chodiť naokolo a chváliť sa, aký je veľký a čo všetko dokázal, keď je ničím? On je od začiatku ničím. Raz tam v Memphise, v Tennessee, alebo v jednom z... nemyslím, že to bolo Memphise; bolo to jedno z tých miest. Bol som tam s bratom Davisom a mali sme tam prebudenie, mohol to byť Memphis. A boli sme – vošli sme do kolosea a oni tam mali... nie do kolosea, bolo to skôr niečo ako galéria umenia a mali tam veľké sochy, ktoré zohnali z rôznych častí zeme, rozličné, Herkules a podobne, a to, čo namaľovali známi umelci. A potom tam mali analýzu človeka, ktorý vážil asi 70 kíl. Viete, akú má cenu? 84 centov. To je všetko, čím je. 84 centov sú všetky tie chemikálie, ktoré z neho môžete dostať. Má len toľko vápna, že by ste s tým mohli pofŕkať akurát slepačie hniezdo. A potom má trochu vápnika, trochu draslíka. Všetko by sa to predalo za nejakých 84 centov. Ale my sa staráme o tých 84 centov a staráme sa o nich ako vo vatičke.
37Stáli tam dvaja mladíci a jeden sa pozrel na druhého a povedal, „Jim, nemáme veľmi veľkú hodnotu, či áno?“
On povedal, „Nie, to nemáme, John.“
A povedal som, „Ale počkajte chvíľu, chlapci, tam vo vnútri máte dušu, ktorá má hodnotu desaťtisíc svetov, ktorá bola – môže byť vykúpená skrze moc Božiu, ak to len dovolíte.“
Človek, keď vidí tieto veci, je zodpovedný, aby o tom povedal druhým. Uvidel som to, keď som bol len chlapcom. Strávil som pri tom celý život. Je mi ľúto, že mám len jeden život; prial by som si ich mať tisíc. Ak by som mal večnosť, stále by som o tom chcel hovoriť ľuďom, pretože to je tá najväčšia vec, ktorú dokážem nájsť.
Ak to budete čítať v Ezechielovi 33; 33. kapitola Ezechiela, tam bol na strážnej veži postavený strážca a tento strážca bol zodpovedný za celé mesto. Amen. No, na chvíľu prebuďte svoje duchovné svedomie, zatiaľ čo sa dostanem do tohto Písma. Ten strážca musel byť vytrénovaný človek. Musel vedieť, čo robí, pretože na akúkoľvek vzdialenosť, akonáhle tam oni povstali, ten nepriateľ, on to mohol zachytiť. Mohol povedať o ich postupovaní; mohol povedať o ich farbe; mohol povedať o ich zoradení a postupe. Potiaľ, pokiaľ dokázali vidieť tie ľudské oči, on to mohol vidieť. A on bol vyššie než ten zvyšok z nich, pretože bol vytrénovaný do toho, aby rozpoznal nepriateľa. A Boh vyžadoval z jeho ruky celé mesto, „Strážca, koľko je noci?“ Haleluja.
38Takíto sú dnes Boží vojaci. Oni sú vytrénovaní na Slovo. Keď sa objaví čokoľvek, čo má na sebe nejaký malý lesk, čo má na sebe niečo iné, čo nie je Písmom, oni varujú svoje zhromaždenie. Čokoľvek, čo nie je Biblia, čokoľvek, čo nie je Božie, niečo také, ako mať polievkové večere, tance a všetko možné, aby z toho platili pastorov. Tie veci sú nesprávne. Kockové hry a kartové večierky v cirkvách, to je zlé. A ten skutočný strážca na hradbe, ktorý raz bol v prítomnosti Božej... Ak nie je na tej hradbe, ak on len má byť na tej hradbe, tak tá hradba nemusí byť vyššie než ten zvyšok zhromaždenia. Ale ak to je správny strážca, Boh ho dvíha rovno hore do takých sfér, kam sa ten zvyšok ľudí nikdy nedostane. Ale on stráži stádo a Boh to od neho požaduje. Muž Boží, ktorý stojí v prítomnosti Božej a vie, že Boh je Bohom, a vie, že Boh dodržuje Svoje Slovo, a sleduje Boha, ako potvrdzuje Samého Seba, a koná si svoju povinnosť a zachováva Jeho Slovo, potom nezáleží na tom, koľko organizácií alebo denominácií sa to snaží zboriť, on pozná to zoskupenie a postup nepriateľa. Amen. Skutočný strážca, on vie, čo má tomu zhromaždeniu povedať.
39Ak vyznávame, že On je – že sme boli v Jeho prítomnosti a vyznali sme svoje hriechy, oni sú vytreté preč z knihy Jeho pamäte. Nie je nikto okrem Boha, kto to dokáže urobiť. No, môžete mi urobiť čokoľvek; odpustím vám, ale budem si to pamätať. Ak by som ja urobil čokoľvek vám, vy by ste mi odpustili, ale budete si to pamätať. Ale Boh dokáže odpustiť a zabudnúť na to. Pomyslite na to: Ani si to nepamätá. Amen. To spôsobuje, že sa cítim dobre. Keď už sa na to vôbec nepamätá, to nedokáže urobiť nikto okrem Boha. Nedokáže to urobiť nikto okrem Boha. On povedal, že to vymaže zo Svojej knihy pamäte. Ja to nedokážem; vy to nedokážete, pretože máme len tieto malé ohraničené zmysly. Ale On je nekonečný Boh; On dokáže absolútne zabudnúť, že to kedy bolo vykonané. Amen.
40Jedno mladé dievča, ktoré pochádzalo z jednej dedinskej cirkvi, a jej otec bol taký starodávny vykrikujúci kazateľ alebo člen tej cirkvi. A tak, ona sa presťahovala do mesta a zostala celá zamiešaná s tými ženami, ktoré tam boli, začala sa správať ako ony a mať takú módu. A jedného dňa bola tak trocha zahanbená kvôli tomu, že mal prísť jej ocko a mama, či vlastne len jej otec, pretože jej matka bola mŕtva. A ten starý muž, to jediné, čo robil, bolo, že ráno vstal, naraňajkoval sa, zobral Bibliu a čítal z nej a plakal, modlil sa a celý deň vykrikoval, behal hore a dole po izbe, a tak ona sa za to hanbila. A potom celú noc, ak sa dostal k Biblii, začal ju čítať, postavil sa z postele a zakričal, „Sláva Bohu! Haleluja! Ó, sláva Bohu,“ dupotal tam a prekričal tam polovicu noci.
41A jedného dňa chcela pozvať členky svojej cirkvi na malý čajový večierok, tak, ako to stále robia, veď viete, a tak nevedela, čo urobiť so svojím otcom. Koniec koncov, bol to jej ocko. A tak sa rozhodla, že ho pošle hore do podkrovia a povedala, „Oci, nechceš tu byť, keď tu budú tie ženy, však?“
Povedal, „Nie, veru nie.“
Povedala, „No, dnes tu budeme mať ženy zo zboru a budeme mať také malé zhromaždenie, malé modlitebné zhromaždenie. A tak, poviem ti, oci, čo keby si išiel hore na podkrovie?“
Povedal, „Myslím, že pôjdem.“
A tak povedala, „Prečítaj si túto krásnu knihu.“ A dala mu knihu geografie, vzala mu jeho Bibliu, aby bol potichu. Vedela, že keby čítal Bibliu, no, začal by tam hore robiť mnoho hluku. Tak on vyšiel hore, viete, nad to miesto, kde mali svoj večierok. Ona mu dala zemepis a povedala, „Toto je pekné. Mal by si si to prečítať, oci, pretože ti to prezradí všetku pravdu o svete.“
Nuž, on povedal, „Rád si to prečítam.“
Povedala, „No, choď tam hore a buď skutočne potichu, kým neodídu tieto ženy, a potom prídem... ty prídeš dole a potom môžeš robiť, čo chceš.“ On súhlasil, že to urobí. A tak ide hore, posedáva tam...
42A oni tam mali ten čajový večierok, viete, hovorili o tom-a-tom, a viete, ako to chodí, zabávali sa. A zrazu sa tam hore niečo ozvalo, nastalo vykrikovanie a skákanie, začala padať omietka. Ten starý muž tam behal hore dolu po podkroví tak rýchlo, ako len vedel, skákal hore dolu a vykrikoval, „Sláva Bohu! Sláva Bohu!“ Tie ženy nevedeli, čo sa tam hore deje, čo to tam na poschodí majú. A tak on zbehol dolu po schodoch tak rýchlo, ako len vedel...
Povedala, „Ocko, dala som ti predsa čítať knihu geografie!“
Povedal, „Áno, viem. No, vieš,“ povedal, „čítal som v tej geografii o tom, že v mori existuje miesto, ktoré nemá nijaké dno.“ A povedal, „Včera som tu v Biblii čítal o tom, že On povedal, že umiestnil moje hriechy do mora zabudnutia. Sláva Bohu!“ Povedal, „Stále odchádzajú. Nie je tam koniec; jednoducho idú stále preč.“ Je to tak. A on kvôli tomu vykrikoval. Nuž, je to tak.
43Boh dáva naše hriechy do mora zabudnutia, maže ich preč a oni sú na tom tak, ako keby sa nikdy nestali. Ó, potom skrze milosť Božiu, skrze Ježiša Krista, nášho Pána, stojíme čistí a svätí, práve tak svätí, ako bol On, pretože On nevidí mňa, keď prichádzam tam hore, On vidí Svojho vlastného Syna. Ten jediný spôsob, ako môže On vidieť. Mňa nemôže vidieť, pretože som v Jeho Synovi (Tak veru.), a On vidí len Svojho Syna. Či to nie je nádherné? Už viac nemusíme rozmýšľať o hriechoch; všetko to pominulo; je to pod Krvou. Tak veru. Už sa viac ohľadom toho nemusíme starostiť; všetko je to preč a dokonca preč z Božej pamäte. On si to dokonca ani viac nepamätá.
44Izaiáš, ten mocný prorok, keď vyznával svoje hriechy, povedal, „Beda mi, pretože som človek nečistých rtov.“ Prorok. „Som človek nečistých rtov a moje zhromaždenie je nečisté.“ Vidíte? „Tí ľudia, ku ktorým kážem, oni sú nečistí. Ja som nečistý. A beda mne. Ale tu zo Slávy Božej zostupuje dole skupina Anjelov, posunuli sa oblaky a pozrel som sa hore a uvidel som podolok Jeho rúcha, ako napĺňal celé nebesia. A sledoval som týchto Anjelov, ktorí nikdy nepoznali, čo je to hriech. Oni dokonca nikdy nepoznali, čo je to hriech, a sú v prítomnosti Božej. Mali dve krídla cez svoju tvár; dve krídla cez svoje nohy; a pomocou dvoch krídiel lietali; a kričia dňom i nocou, „Svätý, svätý, svätý je Pán Boh.“ Fíha! To by spôsobilo, že aj vy by ste sa cítili takí nesvätí, či nie? No, čo on urobil? Povedal, „Beda mi.“
45A keď vyznal svoje hriechy a povedal, „Beda mi,“ ten Anjel vyšiel a vzal kliešte, zodvihol žeravý uhoľ, ktorý reprezentoval Ducha Svätého a oheň, a prišiel a položil to na prorokove pery a povedal, „Očistil som ťa.“ Potom tie krídla takto zaviali, odfúkli tie záclony času a on počul Boha, ako povedal, „Kto pôjde za nás?“
Potom, ako zistil, že existuje spôsob, ako odstrániť hriech, Boh chcel niekoho, aby pre Neho išiel, a on povedal, „Tu som, pošli mňa.“ On bol v prítomnosti Božej a vyznal svoje hriechy a bol očistený od svojich hriechov a bol pripravený pre službu. Amen. Ako to zachytil ten básnik, keď povedal:
Milióny teraz zomierajú v hriechu a hanbe.
Počujte ich smutný a žalostný nárek.
Ponáhľaj sa, brat, ponáhľaj sa ich vyslobodiť.
Rýchlo odpovedz, „Majstre, tu som, pošli mňa.“
46Keď pomyslím na Afriku, Indiu a okolo sveta, milióny pohanov, ktorí kričia a plačú za milosrdenstvom, a kto pôjde? Nie podať im nejaký traktát, ale priniesť im Ježiša Krista. Niekto v Jeho prítomnosti, ako Mojžiš, kto by mohol ísť tam dole a ukázať im skutočné vyslobodenie, nie spraviť, aby sa pripojili do nejakej cirkvi alebo potriasli si rukami a mali nejaké vyznanie, ale priniesť vyslobodenie do ich duše; nejaký dobrý zbožný muž. Áno, Izaiáš vyznal svoje hriechy a bol očistený.
47Potom, ako Jákob bojoval celú noc a vyznával svoje hriechy, pamätáte sa, na akom mieste bol? Bolo to nazvané Penitel, P-e-n-i-t-e-l, Penitel. To slovo „Penitel“ v hebrejčine znamená „tvár všemohúceho Boha“. Jákob, ten malý podvodník, utekal celý... Jeho meno bolo „Jákob“, čo znamená „špekulant“, to je podvodník, celý život utekal preč od Boha, ale keď sa raz dostal do prítomnosti Božej na tom mieste Penitel, v tvári Božej, uchopil sa Boha a nenechal Ho odísť. Bože, potrebujeme viac Jákobov. On sa držal tváre Božej v prítomnosti Božej a zostal tam, kým nezačínalo vychádzať slnko. Boh povedal, „Nechaj Ma ísť, pretože vychádza slnko.“ A on zostal pred tvárou Božou, až kým nevychádzalo slnko, ale odišiel odtiaľ ospravedlnený a spasený. Slnko.
48Ó, čo za veľkolepá vec to teraz bola, keď vedel, že sa cez to prebojoval. Videl znamenia Božie, mal sny o Bohu, ale tentokrát bol pred tvárou Božou, v prítomnosti Božej. Pomyslite teraz na to, priatelia, ako sa ponáhľame ďalej.
V prítomnosti Božej je človek premenený. Jákob bol premenený. No, on mohol chodiť s Bohom. Áno, on bol odlišným človekom ako predtým, keď išiel tam hore. Teraz sa ten boj skončil. Tak veru. A on začal stavať oltár. Nebol zvyknutý stavať oltáre, viete. Ale poviem vám, keď prídete do prítomnosti Božej, chcete niekde postaviť oltár. Chcete niekde nájsť miesto, kde sa môžete modliť. On postavil oltár. On bol očistený a Boh zvíťazil.
49A Jákob bol zmenený z „Jákoba“, „špekulant“, na „Izraela“, „knieža, ktoré má moc s Bohom“. To je to, čo sa stalo Jákobovi. Špekulant, podvodník, nespravodlivý, nesvätý, podvodník, podviedol svojho brata, ukradol prvorodenstvo, ako to bolo, od svojho brata to vzal takým nečestným spôsobom, podvodník. Podviedol svojho svokra. Nakládol tam tie topoľové prúty a to prinieslo ten pásikavý dobytok, keď tam prišli tie ťarchavé kravy a dívali sa na to, a tie ovce... videli ten topoľový prút a rodili pásikavý dobytok, a on ich označil. Podvodník, podviedol svojho vlastného svokra. Podviedol svoju matku, podviedol svojho otca, podviedol svojho brata, ale keď sa raz dostal... On bol podvodník. Všade, kam išiel, tak utekal, stále na úteku od Boha; bol na úteku pred svojim bratom. Ale keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej, rozpoznal, že bol hriešnikom. Čo urobil? Čo urobil? Uvidel svoju príležitosť. Stretol sa s niečím, na čo predtým ani nepomyslel, a zostal tam, až kým neboli všetky hriechy preč. Ó. Boh ho dostal do Svojej vlastnej prítomnosti.
50Boh robí cestu, aby dostal človeka do Svojej prítomnosti, a on potom robí rozhodnutie. Niektorí od Neho utečú; niektorí sa utečú k Nemu. Ak sú predurčení do Života, oni Tomu veria; držia sa Toho. Ak nie sú, snažia sa odísť preč a hovoria, „Nič na Tom nie je.“ Vidíte? A to je ten človek, ktorý je stratený. Ten človek, ktorý svoj hriech vyznáva, bude mať omilostenie. Ak skrývaš svoj hriech, nebudeš prosperovať. Nie.
A tak Jákob, viete, keď sa na ďalší deň stretol so svojím bratom Ezavom, potom už od neho nepotreboval žiadnu pomoc. Nepotreboval jeho armády. Zaujímal sa o stavanie oltárov. Už sa viac nebál Ezava.
51V Žalme 16:8 Dávid povedal, „Umiestnil som si pred seba Pána.“ To je dobrá vec, ktorú treba robiť. Žalm 16:8, „Postavil som si pred seba Pána.“ Aby tak ohľadom toho nebol zmätený. On si chcel byť vedomý Jeho prítomnosti, a tak Dávid povedal, „Vždy si pred svoju tvár staviam Pána. No, ja, Dávid, staviam si pred svoju tvár Pána, aby som si bol vždy vedomý Božej prítomnosti.“
Či by to dnes večer nebola pre nás všetkých dobrá lekcia? Umiestniť Pána pred svoju tvár, aby sme si vždy boli vedomí Jeho prítomnosti. Postavte Ho prvého. Prečo? Postavte Ho prvého, pred seba. Prečo? Potom nebudete hrešiť, keď si uvedomujete, že ste neustále v prítomnosti Božej. Keď si uvedomujete, že Boh je nablízku, dávate si pozor na to, čo hovoríte.
52Keď si človek myslí, že Boh je pomimo, on bude nadávať, bude žiadostiť po ženách, bude robiť... Bude kradnúť, podvádzať, klamať. Urobí čokoľvek, keď si myslí, že Boh ho nevidí. Ale priveďte ho raz do prítomnosti Božej, on s tým hneď prestane. Rozumiete? A Dávid povedal, „Vždy si pred seba staviam Pána.“ To je dobrá vec. Niet divu, že Boh povedal, že bol človekom podľa Jeho vlastného srdca. Človek bude robiť čokoľvek, keď si myslí, že Boh nie je nablízku. Ale keď si uvedomí, že Boh je nablízku, všimli ste si niekedy hriešnika? Nech pristúpi nejaká zbožná osoba, on prestane nadávať, ak má aspoň nejakú úctu. Vidíte? Nebude hovoriť špinavé vtipy, ktoré by hovoril. Rozumiete? Vidíte, on s tým prestane, pretože vie, že je v prítomnosti Božej, pretože Boh prebýva v príbytku Svojich ľudí. Vidíte?
53Po tom, ako toto Dávid urobil, povedal, „Moje srdce sa bude radovať.” Želám si, aby ste si to prečítali, Žalm 16. „Moje srdce sa bude radovať a moje telo bude odpočívať v nádeji.” Prečo? Moje srdce sa bude radovať, pretože mám po celý čas pred sebou Boha. „A moje telo bude odpočívať v nádeji; ak zomriem, budem znova vzkriesený. Lebo On nenechá Svojmu Svätému vidieť porušenia, ani nezanechá Jeho dušu v pekle.” Vidíte? Keď Dávid pred seba umiestňoval Boha a bol si vedomý, že bol neustále v prítomnosti Božej... „Hľadajte najprv Kráľovstvo Božie.”
54Teraz počúvajte, cirkev, milujem vás. A chcem, aby ste ma teraz počúvali. Ako zvykol hovoriť brat McCulley, idem niečo povedať. Vždy pred seba umiestňujte Pána a nerobte nič, čo by ste nerobili v Jeho prítomnosti, pretože On vás pozoruje. Rozumiete? Pán táborí vôkol tých, ktorí sa Ho boja. On jednoducho zostáva rovno blízko vás. A On vie o všetkom, čo robíte, a vy si to musíte uvedomiť. Keď začínate hovoriť klamstvo, nerobte to. Pamätajte, Boh vás počúva. Ak začínate robiť nejaký malý podvod, nerobte to; Boh sa na vás díva. Ak začínate brať Jeho Meno nadarmo, nerobte to; Boh vás počúva. Začínate fajčiť cigaretu; On sa na teba díva. Vidíte? Jeho... Zvykli sme spievať pieseň:
Po celej ceste do pravého príbytku duše
je oko, ktoré ťa pozoruje.
Každý krok, ktorý učiníš,
toto veľké oko nespí.
Je oko, ktoré ťa pozoruje.
Pamätajte, robte to tak ako Dávid, vždy pred svoju tvár umiestňujte Pána. Potom sa vaše srdce bude radovať a vaše telo bude odpočívať v nádeji, lebo On to zasľúbil. Tak veru. On vedel, že bude vzkriesený, pretože Boh to zasľúbil. V poriadku.
Keď prichádzame do Jeho prítomnosti, sme zmenení, nikdy nebudeme takí istí. Pozrite sa na ľudí každej cesty života počas vekov. Pozrite na Abraháma. Poviete, „No, zmenený život je iba pre kazateľov.” Ó, nie. Zmenený život je pre každého. Rozumiete?
55No, Abrahám bol farmár, ale keď počul Boží Hlas, ktorý ku nemu prehovoril, a uvidel to videnie, on bol od toho času zmeneným človekom. Oddelil sa od svojho príbuzenstva, od všetkých svojich známych a kráčal ako pútnik a cudzinec v neznámom kraji po zvyšok svojho života, prebýval v stanoch; pretože jasne vyznával, že hľadal mesto, ktorého Staviteľom a Učiniteľom bol Boh. On vedel, že existuje Boh a že tam niekde bolo mesto, ktorého Staviteľom a Učiniteľom bol Boh. To je to, čo nám hovorí list Židom 11, že on hľadal mesto, ktorého Staviteľom a Učiniteľom bol Boh. On bol zmeneným človekom, jednako nebol ničím iným než obyčajným farmárom. Ale on uvidel videnie a vošiel do prítomnosti Božej a odvtedy bol zmeneným človekom.
56Mojžiš, on bol pastierom, ale keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej, bol zmeneným človekom. On bol zbabelcom; utekal od faraóna, za sebou mal celú armádu. Ale s palicou v ruke sa vrátil a zaujal celý ten národ. Vidíte? Prečo? On vošiel do prítomnosti Božej. Bol zmeneným človekom; pastier.
Peter, rybár, nevedel nič o chytaní rýb – alebo lepšie povedané, nevedel nič o Bohu, to jediné, čo pravdepodobne vedel, bolo chytať ryby. Ale keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej a videl, že ten veľký Stvoriteľ môže stvoriť rybu, keď mu On povedal, aby nahodil siete na lov. Nebola tam žiadna ryba; on práve vytiahol siete. Ale on povedal, „Na Tvoje Slovo, Pane. Verím, že si Synom Božím a ak nahodím sieť, Ty si mi povedal, aby som to urobil na Tvoje Slovo, pretože Ty a Tvoje Slovo ste to isté, ja nahodím tú sieť.“ A keď začal ťahať, povedal, „Odíď, Pane, lebo som hriešny človek.“ Vidíte, rybár, potom, ako Peter stretol Krista, už nikdy viac nebol takým istým. On bol potom tak verný Bohu, že mu boli dané kľúče Kráľovstva. Tak veru.
57Pavol, ten samozvaný farizej, vzdelaný a vyučený vo všetkom tom náboženstve, ktoré v tom dni na zemi bolo, jeden z najznámejších učencov v kraji, ale keď toho dňa prišiel pred ten Ohnivý Stĺp, pred toho Boha, ktorého nevedomky prenasledoval. On bol farizejom; neveril tomu, že Boh bol Človekom. Vedel, že Boh bol Ohnivým Stĺpom; To vyviedlo jeho ľudí von z Egypta; bolo To s nimi po celý čas. Ale keď uvidel tento Ohnivý Stĺp, padol na svoju tvár. A začul Hlas, ktorý hovoril, „Saule, prečo Ma prenasleduješ?“
Povedal, „Kto si, Pane?“
On povedal, „Ja som Ježiš.“ Bol to človek. Povedal, „Ako ste boli pokrstení?“ On bol v prítomnosti Božej. Odvtedy bol zmeneným človekom, bol v prítomnosti Božej. To človeka mení.
58Charles G. Finney, právnik, veľký filadelfský právnik, ale keď prišiel do prítomnosti Božej, zanechal štúdium práva a stal sa najmocnejším kazateľom, ktorého kedy tento národ mal. [Prázdne miesto na páske. – pozn.prekl.]
…bol kazateľom, pretože jedného dňa vošiel do prítomnosti Božej. Myslel si, že keď raz študoval kvôli službe... Poznáte jeho knihu? Mám jeho životopis, ktorý napísal. Odišiel sa modliť. Myslel si, že bol kazateľom. Mal túžbu kázať a mal zopár kázní, kde sa snažil kázať. Raz vyšiel zo svojej pracovne, aby sa modlil, odišiel do lesov. Zložil sa pod starý strom, kam chodil každé popoludnie: veľmi nábožný, ale neveril v... V cirkvi boli dve ženy, ktoré stále hovorili, „Pán Finney, modlíme sa, aby ste prijali Ducha Svätého.“
Povedal, „Ja mám Ducha Svätého.“ Povedal, „Som kazateľ.“
Povedali, „Pán Finney, vy ste veľký človek a máte dobré uchopenie Slova, ale potrebujete Ducha Svätého. Modlíme sa za vás.“ Milé ženy...
A tak on pokračoval ďalej. A tak, každý deň vyšiel poza svoju kanceláriu, jeho šéf a všetci, s ktorými pracoval, oni boli tam, a on vyšiel zo svojej právnickej kancelárie a vyšiel tam von, aby sa modlil. A jedného dňa sa tam vonku modlil a začul nejaký šuchot. Pomyslel si, že to je jeho šéf, ktorý prichádza a hľadá ho. Hneď rýchlo vyskočil. Ako práve hovoril, „Pane Bože, verím Ti...“ Zastavil sa, to šuchlo, predtým, ako... povedal „Ehm! Ehm!“ a postavil sa, poobzeral sa naokolo, aby videl, odkiaľ prišiel ten šuchot. A vtedy vošiel do prítomnosti Božej. Uvedomil si, že ten šuchot tam bol za určitým účelom. On tam stál; slzy mu stekali po tvári. Povedal, „Tie ženy mali možno pravdu. Hanbím sa, že ma niekto uvidí, ako sa rozprávam s mojím Bohom, ale považoval by som to za veľkú česť, keby ma niekto videl, ako sa rozprávam so svojím šéfom. O koľko väčší je môj Pán od môjho šéfa.“ Povedal, „Pane, odpusť mi a naplň ma Duchom Svätým,“ začal kričať a vykrikovať. Bol v prítomnosti Božej. Rozbehol sa rýchlo dole mestom do svojej kancelárie. Začal tak hlasno vykrikovať, že až musel ísť za dvere, povedal, „Pane, priniesol som Ti pohanenie. Ukry ma tu vzadu, kým sa cez to dostanem.“ Prečo? On vošiel do prítomnosti Božej. Bol zmeneným človekom. Tie kázne, ktoré zvykol kázať, kázal tie isté kázne a duše prichádzali ku oltáru. Vidíte, on bol v prítomnosti Božej.
59Moody, malý obuvník, ledva poznal abecedu. Je to tak. Jeho gramatika bola biedna. Niekto mu raz povedal, „Vaša gramatika je veľmi biedna, pán Moody.“
On povedal, „Ale ja s ňou získavam duše.“
A tak, jedného dňa určité noviny, ten redaktor išiel napísať do novín. Odišiel sa tam pozrieť, ako tento človek dokázal upútať davy ľudí v akýchkoľvek podmienkach, malý chlapík, plešatý, a všetko také, a viseli mu bokombrady, mal celkom veľké brucho; na pohľad vyzeral strašne. A tak v týchto novinách o ňom ozaj popísal, povedal, „Nechápem, čo by niekto mohol vôbec vidieť na Dwightovi Moodym.“ Povedal, „Je škaredý; má piskľavý hlas; fúzy mu trčia až po pás; je plešatý ako tekvica.“ A povedal, „Ako by mohol niekto kedy ísť, aby niečo videl na Moodym?“
A stalo sa, že to uvidel Moodyho manažér a povedal, „Pozri, pán Moody, prečítam ti toto.“ Moody to sám nedokázal prečítať. A tak povedal, „Prečítam ti ten článok.“ A on to tak napísal.
Moody len pokrčil plecom a povedal, „Iste nie, oni prichádzajú, aby videli Krista.“ To bolo celé. Prečo? On bol v prítomnosti Božej. Od vyrábania podrážok na topánky, ktoré ľudia vynosia; on prešiel k obúvaniu ľudí Evanjeliom pripravenosti. Prečo? On bol v prítomnosti Božej. Správne.
60Raz jedna malá žena vstúpila do prítomnosti Božej, bola tak vinná, ako len mohla byť. V tom momente, ako si uvedomila, že sa ocitla v prítomnosti Božej, každý hriech bol odpustený a bola taká čistá a biela ako ľalia. Ó, koľko ďalších ľudí by som tu mohol predstaviť, ale čas by to nedovoľoval.
Ale chcem trocha rozprávať o sebe. Čo by mohlo byť nižšie než ja? Kde som bol? Pochádzam z rodiny opilcov, pochádzam z rodiny vrahov, pochádzam z rodiny pašerákov alkoholu. A viete o tom; každý z vás o tom vie, viete, aké sme tu mali meno. Ľudia sa s nami na ulici ani nerozprávali. Keď som išiel dole ulicou, začal som s niekým hovoriť; nikto sa so mnou nerozprával, až kým sme neboli sami, potom sa so mnou rozprávali. Akonáhle sa niekto objavil, oni ma opustili. A ja som tam stál a plakal, „Nie, nie je to tak; nemôže to tak byť. To je nesprávne.“
61Ale jedného dňa som vošiel do prítomnosti Božej. On ma premenil a učinil ma iným druhom syna. Jeho milosť ma priviedla do Jeho prítomnosti. Nikdy som odtiaľ nechcel odísť. Som tu teraz okolo tridsať a niečo rokov; nechcem to opustiť. Mám uistenie, že tam budem navždy. Dokonca samotná smrť ma nikdy neoddelí od Jeho prítomnosti. Nie, budem s Ním navždy. Keď som po prvýkrát uvidel Jeho prítomnosť, kričal som ako Izaiáš, „Beda mi!“ Potom sa ma dotkol Svojou milosťou. Bol som zmenenou osobou. Ten malý odpadlík, ktorý zvykol chodievať tu po vonku a vyvádzať a všetko také, bol zmenený a odvtedy som Jeho dieťaťom. Odvtedy som túžil dať celý svoj život pre Jeho službu, iba si prajem, aby som mal o desaťtisíc viac životov, ktoré by som prežil pre Neho. Tento teraz už začína byť taký opotrebovaný; ubehlo 53 rokov. Okolo 33 z nich alebo 32 z nich bolo v Evanjeliu. Prial by som si, aby som mal ďalších tisíc, ktoré by som do toho mohol investovať. Prečo? Keď som raz vstúpil do Jeho prítomnosti a uvedomil som si, že tam bol Niekto, kto miloval tých, ktorí neboli hodní milovania, je tu Niekto, kto ma miloval, keď to nerobil nikto iný, bol tam Niekto kto sa o mňa zaujímal, keď sa o mňa nezaujímal nikto iný; položil som ruky okolo Jeho kríža; objal som ho a ja a On sme sa vtedy stali jedno. A odvtedy a ďalej som Ho miloval. On zafarbil moju hruď a srdce Svojou Krvou skrze to, že sa ma dotkol a odpustil mi moje hriechy a dnes večer som šťastný, že som jedným z tých Jeho. Nikdy som netúžil opustiť toto nebeské miesto, hoci pokušiteľ sa ma k tomu mnohokrát snažil presvedčiť; ale som v bezpečí v tom veľkom Božom prístrešku a som šťastný v Jeho láske a milosti a žijem na tej „Haleluja“ strane. Ó, to spôsobuje, že sa moje srdce raduje.
62Odporúčam Ho každej unavenej osobe. Odporúčam Ho tebe, ak nemáš žiadnu nádej. Vy, ktorí ste nikdy neboli v Jeho prítomnosti, tá jediná vec, ktorú musíte urobiť, je vyznať svoje hriechy a uvedomiť si, že ste robili zle a Boh má dnes večer toho Anjela zvaného Duch Svätý, ktorý odoberie preč všetky vaše hriechy. Potom zakričíte, „Pane, tu som, pošli mňa.“ Potom pozdvihnete svoje ruky a zaspievate:
Budem Ho chváliť! Budem Ho chváliť!
Chvála Baránkovi, ktorý bol zabitý za hriešnikov!
Vzdajte Mu slávu, vy všetci ľudia,
lebo Jeho Krv každú škvrnu obmyla.
Milujem Ho. A vy? Žitie v Jeho prítomnosti.
63Dnes ráno som prišiel za kazateľňu, cítil som sa tak zle a tak znechutene z... Minulý týždeň som bol dole v Kentucky s niekoľkými osobnými priateľmi, ktorí tu sedia. Ak by som tam dole zostal príliš dlho, oni by ma zabili, istotne by to urobili, láskavosťou, tam sú jedny z najlepších kuchárok, aké som kedy stretol. A keď sa moja kapacita preplnila, „Brat Branham, dal by si si trocha z tohto?“ A je to tak veľmi dobré, snažil som sa to nejako napchať do seba. Bol som tak plný, že som sa ani nemohol hýbať. Nemohol som spať; zobudil som sa a trocha som sa prechádzal. A necítil som sa veľmi dobre, keď som sem dnes ráno vošiel. Ale keď som raz vstúpil do Jeho prítomnosti, tým to bolo vybavené. Tým to bolo vybavené, potom sa to všetko vyparilo preč. Je to tak. Ó, žiť v Jeho prítomnosti...
Budem Ho chváliť! Budem Ho chváliť!
Chvála Baránkovi, zabitému za hriešnikov!
Vzdajte Mu slávu, všetci ľudia,
lebo Jeho Krv každú škvrnu obmyla.
Skloňme teraz naše hlavy. [Brat Branham začína hmkať. – pozn.prekl.]
Lebo On pre mňa urobil tak mnoho.
Odpustil moje prestúpenia
a Jeho Krv obmyla môj hriech.
Budem Ho chváliť! Budem Ho chváliť!
Chvála Baránkovi, zabitému za hriešnikov!
Vzdajte Mu slávu, všetci ľudia,
lebo Jeho Krv každú škvrnu obmyla.
[Brat Branham hmká pieseň. – pozn.prekl.]
64No, ak ste tu dnes večer... A viem, že Jeho prítomnosť je tu. Keď som tam pred chvíľou stál pri tom malom dievčatku z cirkvi Božej, Duch Svätý sa pohol a prišiel na mňa, keď som sa za to malé dieťa modlil. Tí rodičia prišli z kempových zhromaždení Andersonovej cirkvi Božej. A ten dozorca odtiaľ poznal to dieťa, doktori povedali, „Mohlo... Ono za chvíľu zomrie na leukémiu.“ Malé zlaté dievčatko, ktoré bolo teraz vo svojom poslednom štádiu. Prišla tam dozadu a vystrela ku mne svoju malú ruku, bola celá napuchnutá, v sebe napichané ihly a také veci a bola modrá. Pozrel som sa na ňu. Uvidel som videnie. Rodičia tam čítali knihu. Nič o tom nevedeli. Ten generálny dozorca na tom kempe im povedal, aby priniesli to dieťa sem dole. Chceli sa vrátiť, keď budeme mať zhromaždenie s uzdravovaním. A povedal som, „Prineste teraz to dieťa,“ cítil som sa vedený.
65Keď som tam stál, Duch Svätý išiel rovno naspäť a priniesol minulosť toho dieťaťa. Povedal všetko o tom, ako sa to stalo, čo urobili. Povedal, že ambícia toho malého dievčatka bola, aby sa stala pianistkou. A tá matka skoro vykríkla. A ten otec povedal, „To je Božia pravda!“ Práve teraz sedia tam v aute a počúvajú to, nemohli sa dostať do vnútra, sedia tam teraz a počúvajú to.
Nad tým dieťaťom sa vznášal obrovský závoj tieňa. A povedal som, „Satan, si porazený!“
„Ty nehľadíš na osobu, Bože. A skrze moc Tvojho vzkriesenia a ako Tvoj služobník odháňam tohto diabla od toho dieťaťa.“ A zablysklo sa nad ňou obrovské jasné Svetlo; bol s tým koniec. Amen. Čo? Iste, On je hoden všetkej chvály.
66On pozná všetky veci. On pozná tvoje srdce. A ty vieš, o čom premýšľaš; On to tiež vie. Ak na tebe dnes večer visí malý hriech a nechcel by si s tým na sebe vojsť do Jeho prítomnosti, či by si ešte raz pozdvihol svoju ruku a povedal, „Brat Branham, modli sa za mňa; chcem byť v ten deň v Jeho prítomnosti nevinný.“ Nech vás Boh žehná! Mnoho rúk, Boh to vidí. V Jeho prítomnosti. No, poviem vám, čo máte robiť. No, počúvajte len pozorne. Robte to, čo robil Dávid; umiestnite rovno teraz Pána pred seba. Umiestnite Pána medzi seba a ten hriech, akýkoľvek je ten malý obťažujúci hriech. Môže to byť klamanie, môže to byť kradnutie; môže to byť zlé myslenie; môže to byť výbušnosť; môže to byť pitie, môže to byť fajčenie, môže to byť hazardovanie. Neviem, čo to je. Môže to byť žiadostivosť; môže to byť čokoľvek. Neviem, čo to je. Čokoľvek to je, umiestnite Pána pred seba. A potom sa vaše srdce bude radovať a vaše telo bude odpočívať v nádeji, lebo viete, že Kristus zasľúbil, že znova povstane v posledných dňoch. Keď On vystúpi vpred, my prídeme a budeme podobní Jemu. Či to teraz urobíte, zatiaľ čo sa modlíme?
67Náš nebeský Otče, krátke posekané posolstvo skrze unaveného vyčerpaného služobníka, ale len som premýšľal o téme prebývania v prítomnosti Božej. A dnes večer vidíme efekt, ktorý to urobilo na svätých ľuďoch, keď vošli do Tvojej prítomnosti, čo za efekt to na nich malo. Vidiaci, veľkí mocní proroci ustanovení od Boha a poslaní, aby kázali Slovo, a jednako, keď Ho stretli tvárou v tvár a padli na zem ako mŕtvi ľudia. Čo urobíme my v ten deň, Pane? Veľa sme o tom premýšľali. Mysleli sme na to. Asi štyridsať alebo päťdesiat rúk o tom premýšľalo, Pane, pretože práve zodvihli tie ruky alebo srdcia, ktoré sú pod tou rukou, odkedy sme hovorili, oni premýšľali o tom, ako Ho stretnú. Čo by urobili, ak by sa s Ním museli stretnúť?
68Moje ruky sú hore, Pane. Čo ja urobím? No, Otče, mám mnoho vecí, ktoré som urobil zle. Práve som dnes ráno pred cirkvou vyznal svoj hriech, ako som ho v jedno ráno vyznal pred Tebou na vrchole hory, keď fúkalo a snežilo, a tam hore na vrchole tej hory, ako som kričal a prosil Ťa, aby si mi odpustil za moju hlúposť. A ako som sa obával prísť pred mojich bratov, niektorí z nich ma považujú za Tvojho proroka – služobníka. A, Pane, aké nepríjemné to pre mňa bolo prísť pred nich a povedať im o tom hlúpom skutku, že som urobil takú vec, ale, Bože, pre moju dušu je dobré, že vyznávam svoje hriechy a neskrývam ich. A tak, aby som bol úprimný pred Tebou a priamy pred ľuďmi, vyznal som to, Pane. Mýlim sa; nie som v poriadku. Modlím sa o odpustenie.
69 A potom, Otče, bol som ohľadne Teba záhaľčivý, ako som Ti slúžil, mnohokrát som možno mohol ísť dlhšie a nešiel som. Otče, vyznávam moje hriechy. Chcem, aby ma od toho ten Anjel Boží očistil skrze Krv Ježiša. Dnes večer sa zdvihli aj iné ruky; niektorí z nich možno nikdy predtým neprosili o odpustenie; ale som si istý ohľadom tejto jednej veci, ak vyznáme naše hriechy, Boh ich vymaže, hodí ich do mora zabudnutia a nebude si ich nikdy viac pamätať. A, Otče, ako vyznávam tie moje, ako som sa nesprávne zachovával pred tými ľuďmi, nesprával som sa ako služobník Kristov. Nerobil som to. Bál som sa, že ľudia by sa na mňa mohli nahnevať, a myslel som na to, aby som neurazil ich cítenie, ale nemyslel som na to, čo som robil Tebe, Pane. A teraz, modlím sa, aby si mi odpustil. A teraz, Otče, viem, že ak prosím o odpustenie, je mi odpustené, a Ty si ich hodil do mora zabudnutia a nikdy viac si na to nespomenieš. Bože, som za to vďačný.
70A modlím sa, aby si dal každej osobe, ktorá tu je, ktorá má pred sebou hriech alebo akýkoľvek zakorenený hriech, nech to odstránia a umiestnia pred seba Pána, ako to robil Dávid. Lebo teraz kričíme, „Beda, mi, lebo som uvidel slávu Božiu. Som mužom nečistých rtov, alebo ženou alebo dievčaťom nečistých rtov, chlapcom alebo kýmkoľvek.“ Čímkoľvek môžeme byť, sme nečistí a prosíme o Krv Ježiša Krista, tú pripravenú Obeť, aby nás očistila od každého hriechu, aby sme navždy mohli prebývať v Jeho prítomnosti. Daj, aby sme dnes večer z tohto miesta odišli s radujúcimi sa srdcami a aby naše telo prebývalo v nádeji, vediac toto, že keď príde Ježiš, povstaneme s Ním v Jeho podobnosti a stretneme Ho v povetrí, vo vytrhnutí, keď sa to odpočítavanie konečne zakončí. Vidíme, že ten siedmy cirkevný vek je už odpočítaný, a sme teraz pripravení vzlietnuť. Modlíme sa, Bože, aby si predtým, ako zatvoríš dvere, ak je tu dnes večer niekto, kto nikdy nevošiel, nech sa rýchlo poponáhľajú, pretože cítime, že dvere milosrdenstva medzi milosrdenstvom a súdom sa zatvárajú. Tí, ktorí príjmu milosrdenstvo, vojdu dnu. Tí, ktorí nevojdu do vnútra, budú trpieť súd. Boh zatvára dvere. Nech by dnes večer tie dvere neboli zatvorené pre žiadneho z týchto vyznávajúcich hriešnikov. Nech by každý jeden z nás mal omilostenie a milosrdenstvo. V Mene Ježiša Krista.
71A teraz, Otče, za chorých a nemocných, za tých, ktorí sú v potrebe, modlím sa, aby Tvoja milosť zaobstarala všetko, na čo majú potrebu. Nech vojdú do Krista, do Jeho prítomnosti. Umiestnia Krista, Krista, zasľúbenie... „On bol ranený za moje prestúpenia;“ to sú moje hriechy; „Jeho ranami som uzdravený;“ potom umiestňujem Pána pred moju chorobu. „On je po mojej pravici a ja sa nepohnem. Potom budem kráčať odvážne vpred, budem vyznávať, že som uzdravený. Jeho ranami som uzdravený.“ Udeľ to, Pane, každému jednému z nich. A vieme, že ak vyznávame našimi srdcami a našimi perami a veríme zo sŕdc, potom máme tie veci, po ktorých túžime.
Ty si povedal, „Keď čokoľvek poviete, verte, že sa to stane, môžete mať to, čo ste povedali.“ Veríme tomu, Otče, a veríme, že nás očistíš od všetkých našich hriechov a uzdravíš všetky naše choroby a dáš nám milosť, Pane, aby sme Ti slúžili.
72Buď s týmito ľuďmi. Mnohí z nich budú dnes večer cestovať po tmavých cestách. Mnohí z nich budú cestovať mnoho míľ. Nech sa im nič nestane, Pane. Prešli cez krajinu, aby tu sedeli a počúvali odpočítavanie, aby videli, ako sme blízko času konca. No, požiadal som ich, aby odišli preč a umiestňovali pred seba Boha, vždy pred seba, pred čokoľvek iné: pred svoju cestu, pred svoj pohyb, pred tým, ako sa zobudia, potom, ako idú do postele, vždy pred svoj spánok, kdekoľvek to je, umiestnili Boha na prvé miesto. „Lebo On je po mojej pravici; nepohnem sa.“ Nech sa potom ich srdcia radujú, že vedia o tom, že majú to, o čo prosili, pretože Boh to zasľúbil a ich telo bude odpočívať v nádeji. Udeľ to, Pane, lebo o to prosíme v Mene Ježiša Krista. Amen.
Budem Ho chváliť! Budem Ho chváliť!
Chvála Baránkovi, ktorý bol zabitý za hriešnikov!
Vzdajte Mu slávu, vy všetci ľudia,
lebo Jeho Krv každú škvrnu obmyla.
73No, veríte, že ste umiestnili Pána medzi seba a svoj hriech, medzi seba a svoju chorobu, medzi seba a svoju chybu, medzi seba a svoje cesty? „Pán je vždy predo mnou a ja som v Jeho prítomnosti. Na ďalšíkrát, ako si začnem zapaľovať cigaretu, Pán je predo mnou. Na ďalšíkrát, ako začnem žiadostiť, Pán je predo mnou. Na ďalšíkrát, ako začnem hovoriť čokoľvek zlé, Pán je predo mnou. Na ďalšíkrát, ako začnem hovoriť nejakú zlú vec, Pán je predo mnou a ja sa nepohnem. Amen. Budem každý deň žiť v Jeho prítomnosti, v mojom konaní, každý deň v mojom hovorení. Budem kráčať tak, ako keby bol predo mnou Pán, pretože dnes večer som Ho umiestnil pred seba. Nepohnem sa.“ Či Ho milujete?
74No, teraz povstaňme. Ó, cítim sa naozaj dobre. Cítim sa, akoby som nechcel ísť domov. A viete, že je iba dvadsaťpäť minúť do deviatej; skončil som asi o dve hodiny skôr, ako zvyknem. Či to nie je nádherné? Ó. Ale teraz, ako odchádzame, pamätajme, musíme so sebou brať Meno Ježiš ako štít pred každou pascou. A keď sa okolo nás nahromadia pokušenia, aby sa nás snažili zadržať – zastaviť nás od toho, aby sme na to pamätali, len vzdychnite to sväté Meno v modlitbe.
Ber so sebou Meno Ježiš,
dieťa smútku a trápenia.
Dá ti radosť a potešenie.
Ó, vezmi ho všade, kam vykročíš.
Vzácne Meno (Vzácne Meno), ó, aké sladké!
Nádej zeme a radosť neba.
Vzácne Meno (Vzácne Meno), ó, aké sladké!
Nádej zeme a radosť neba.
75Koľkí majú radi nášho pastora, brata Nevilleho? Či ste vďační Pánovi za dobrého, úprimného, obyčajného človeka, ktorý verí Evanjeliu a koná tak nádherné dielo v tom, že poslúcha prikázania Božie a káže Slovo a po celý čas zachováva túto veľkolepú duchovnú atmosféru v cirkvi. Pamätajte, prešiel som východné pobrežie, prešiel som cez juh a hore západným pobrežím a cez Kanadu a nestretol som jedinú cirkev, ktorá je tak duchovná ako táto cirkev, ktorá je tu. Oni odišli mimo, aby siali, áno, buď fanatizmus, alebo odišli do nejakých záchvatov, alebo sú tak chladní, že sa nedokážu ani pohnúť. To je celé. No, milujete jeden druhého? Ó, potraste si navzájom ruky a povedzte, „Chvála Pánovi.“
Chvála Pánovi. Chvála Pánovi. Chvála Pánovi, môj brat. Chvála Pánovi, sestra, som tak rád, že som tu bol. Nech ťa Boh žehná. Nech ťa Boh žehná. Nech ťa Boh žehná. Viem o tom. Nech ťa Boh žehná. Nech ťa Boh žehná. [Brat Branham chváli Pána a potriasa ruky a rozpráva sa s ľuďmi. – pozn.prekl.]
Ber so sebou Meno Ježiš,
ako štít pred každou pascou.
Keď sa okolo teba nahromadia pokušenia, (Čo urobíš?)
vzdychni to sväté Meno v modlitbe.
Vzácne Meno (Vzácne Meno),... (ó, aké sladké!)
Nádej zeme a radosť neba.
Vzácne Meno (Vzácne Meno), ó, aké sladké!
Nádej zeme a radosť neba.
76Skloňme teraz naše hlavy. Skutočne jemne, nezabudnime teraz na to. Zaspievajme ten verš ešte raz.
Ber so sebou Meno Ježiš, (Na čo?)
ako štít pred každou pascou. (Keď sa satan snaží dostať ťa do pasce)
Keď sa okolo teba nahromadia pokušenia (Čo urobíš?),
vzdychni to sväté Meno... („Lebo Pán je pred mojou tvárou, nepohnem sa.“)
Vzácne Meno (Vzácne Meno), ó, aké sladké! (Amen.)
Nádej zeme a...
1 Thank you, Brother Neville, the Lord bless you real richly.
And good evening, friends. It's a grand privilege to be back here in this building again tonight, and feeling the never-failing Presence of our Lord, as He's give the promise. And now, I know that many of you has stayed over for the little Message tonight, for which I am very thankful. And many of you has to drive far yet tonight, to get home. Some are checked out of your motels, as I understand. And we are going to try not to hold you long, so that's the reason we come in early so we could get away early.
2 And now we will, just as soon as I can, I will announce when we are going to maybe start, I've had some calls this afternoon, knowing when we was going to start on these books, or this chapters. And I think, if the Lord willing, I want to take, the next time that we start, on the Seven Seals of Revelations, and the seven natural seals. And, then if we get through in time, take the seven seals on the back of the Book, see. Now, that may take a little time. See, there's seven seals that's opened; there's seven plagues, seven trumpets, all those sevens; and them seals we could take first. But then on the back of the Book is sealed with seven seals. Daniel heard the Voice as the thunders, and was forbidden to write it. John was forbidden to write it. But it was sealed on the backside of the Book, that is, after all of the mysteries of the Book has been given out and revealed. You notice Daniel said there, "The mysteries in the days of these voices, the mystery of God should be unfolded by that time." See, "the mystery," Who God is, how He was made flesh, all these things should be unfolded by that time. And then--then we're ready for the Seven Seals on the backside of the Book, that's not even revealed to man, not even wrote in the Bible, but they'll have to be just exactly compare with the rest of the Bible, and I think it'll be a great thing.
3 So now we're going to try to hurry to get through. Thank every one of you for your kindness and your presence, and--and all that you have done, we thank you very much. And now I--I'm trusting that we won't keep you too long tonight, because you're so patient to sit, stand. My wife said back there, she was talking about last night, she said, "I seen women that were even rather heavyset, standing there, and their clothes wringing wet, standing there, just grasping every Word." That's the reason I like to stay under the anointing of the Holy Ghost, that when you come out you're telling them people the honest Truth, see, and just nothing but the Truth. And then they can lay onto That and it'll be all right.
4 Now I want to ask your apology for a few moments. I left a little early this morning. And the tapes are turned off at this time, and I--I'm just in a moment I'm tell the recorders when to turn the tape on. I want to finish the Countdown, five minutes for it, before I leave. I forgot and went away, I just so carried away this morning till I just went out without saying anything about it. But, I kind of left you, "What was the countdown?" See? I know we're in the countdown, but what is the countdown? See? If you don't know what the countdown is, then you'll be kind of confused. And so I--I'd like to--to bring that off just... And try to be in the same tone that I was to finish up this tape at now, so the tape goes out, Countdown. Now you all will forgive me just for a moment, and I want to finish up that tape. Will you do it for just a moment, then we'll start on the other? [Congregation says "Amen."--Ed.] And now--now the tape recorders, if you will, snap on your tape now.
[Blank.spot.on.tape. Brother Branham explains in paragraphs 4-5 that he inserted this missing portion into his morning sermon entitled Countdown, as paragraphs 106-111--Ed.]
5 Just coming in from different places, and we've had a great time in the last three messages, of speaking on the subject of--of different doctrines and so forth that we have put forth. I just remember at this time I'm to give a little space in there, you people on the tape, for to change over your tapes. I'll tell you when ready to turn on. All right. Now, I have to watch this. It seems like a bunch of made-up formal, but them boys has got to get the tape. And they can't get it all messed up; if they do, people out there won't understand it. So we have to take it in this manner. And if somebody will just step out of the room and signal me there, Junior, when they're ready to have the tapes crossed over. Thank you very much, folks, I say again, for all your kindness and everything. All right, we are ready now, you can turn them on.
6 The Lord bless you. We're happy to be here in the tabernacle again tonight. The place packed out with many people standing around again tonight, with three days of... or three times of service. I would that if anyone listens to this tape, that they would like to get back and get last night's tape. Study it in your home. It's the--the present stage of the ministry that the Lord has given me. Especially I'd like for ministers to hear that before I visit their churches and come in their homes. Now I'd like for them to--to get that. Now, this morning we spoke on the subject of the Countdown, the Church ready to leave.
7 And now tonight, God willing, we're speaking on the subject of In His Presence. And, oh, how we thank God for the privilege that we can come into His Presence. But, first, I wish you all to turn in your Bibles with me to the prophet Isaiah, the 6th chapter of the prophet Isaiah. We all know that Isaiah was a major prophet, and one of the great prophets of his day. He ended his life by being sawed asunder with saws, for a testimony, as a martyr to the power of Almighty God. In the Book of Isaiah, the 6th chapter, I begin at the 5th verse, to read. "Then said I, 'Woe is me!' For..." Maybe I start with the 1st verse. Let's pardon me a moment. Let's start at the 1st verse and read down till about the 8th verse.
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one having six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD God of hosts: and the whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of... people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Who shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here I am; send me.
8 May the Lord bless His Word. I think that's a most striking Scripture. We find that, in the Presence of God, man recognize themselves to be sinners. We may feel pretty good when we're out different places, and feel like that we're pretty good people, but when we ever come into the Presence of God, then we see how little we are.
9 Standing not long ago with a--a friend of mine that I had the privilege of leading to Christ, Bert Call, up in New Hampshire, a hunting partner, we was standing by Cold Brook Falls up in the Adirondack, and it was such a mammoth big falls. I taken my family last year up there to look at it. Way back off the road, you have to hike back to get to it. And when we seen that blue-green water pouring with such mighty power out of the mountains, and gushing down over the rocks, Bert stood there and looked at me, and he said, "Gee, Billy, it makes a man feel just so little," he measured about a quarter of an inch on his fingers. And I said, "That's right, Bert." Now, that was all he knowed of getting into the Presence of God, to see His creation.
10 I wonder the man who wrote How Great Thou Art, if he didn't look up one night and look at the stars, how far they are away! A few months ago, Brother Fred, Brother Woods and I, was standing with Brother McAnally out in the Arizona desert, we was measuring, trying, one star, how close it was to the other. And with the millions and billions of miles away, they didn't look over a quarter of an inch from each other. Then we begin to think, according to scientific proof of that, those stars are probably further away from each other than we are from them. See how it is?
11 Then we realized how little we are when we realize how great He is, and how close we come in of coming to His Presence. Somehow or another, it's always throwed a great effect upon people to come into the Presence of God. I've seen the time in my ministry when you would see the Presence of God come into such a place that it would bring a person up and just reveal the life to them, and call out their sins of all kinds of immoral acts, and it bring such a holy hush amongst the people till they'd drop out of the prayer line before they ever come up to be prayed for, and run to the altar and get right with God before they come up into His Presence. See, there's something about coming into the Presence of God, it causes things to happen. I've seen people laying in cots and stretchers.
12 That night down there at Mexico, when that little dead baby laying under a blanket, that the little Spanish mother brought up, or little Mexican mother, rather, brought up. When they seen, several thousands of those people saw, maybe fifty or seventy-five thousand at one gathering, saw that little dead baby come to life, women fainted, people threw up their hands and screamed. Why? They realized that a human being could not do that, that they were in the Presence of Almighty God. And it caused something to happen.
13 I've been privileged to hear godly men speak. It was said one time of Charles Finney, little bitty fellow, never weighed over about a hundred and ten pounds, but he had such a forceful way of speaking until... He was trying the acoustics one day in a building. They didn't have P.A. systems then. And there was a man repairing, up in the balcony, or up in the roof of the place, and he heard the man come in, so he didn't know who they were, he just kept quiet. And Mr. Finney was going to try the acoustics. After spending much time in prayer for that revival that he was going to hold, he tried his voice to see how it would carry. He slipped up quickly to the pulpit, and said, "Repent, or perish!" And he said it with such force--force, after being under the anointing of God, till the man dropped out of the top of the balcony, down onto the floor, out of the top of the building, onto the floor.
14 He preached the Gospel in such a way till he stood in Boston, Massachusetts, in a little bay window, because there was no church could hold his crowd. And he stood there with such mighty force, and preached hell such a place, until working men with their baskets under their arms, fell into the street and screamed for mercy. In the Presence of God! Great preachers who's been able, by the Word of God, to bring the Presence of God to an audience. Far be it that man would ever be so seared in their hearts till they could never recognize the Presence of God. Far be it!
15 When the first man, as soon as he had sinned and done something wrong, and when God came into his presence, or he came into the Presence of God, "Adam," he could not stand in the Presence of God. He run and hid himself in the bush and tried to cover himself with a fig leaf, because he knowed he was standing in the Presence of Jehovah, the Creator. That was the reaction of the first man, after he had sinned and tried to come into the Presence of God with sin upon his soul. He could not hide, because he was tender yet. Sin had not took a hold like it has rooted into people's hearts today, but he was very conscious that he was standing before his Creator. Now, he hid himself in the bushes and would not come out, and could not come out until God had made a preparation for him.
16 We could go back, and take in Genesis the 17th chapter and the 3rd verse, when the great patriarch, Abraham, when he came into the Presence of God, and God spoke to him (in the 17th chapter) in the Name of Almighty God, Abraham fell on his face. That great patriarch, servant of God, could not stand in the Presence of God, though had served Him for twenty-five years, faithfully. But when God moved into his presence, the patriarch fell on his face because he couldn't stand in the Presence of God.
17 In Exodus 3, we find that Moses, the great servant and prophet of God, when he was back on the backside of the desert, that man was a holy man. He had been born for the purpose. He was born from his mother's wombs to be a prophet. He had tried to get his education and do everything he could to deliver his people, because he understood that he was to deliver his people, but when he had understood it by a theological standpoint. He was trained. He was well scholared. He could teach the Egyptians wisdom, which was the most smartest people in the world. He knowed all the ins and outs. He knowed the Scripture from A to Z. He knowed the promises that God had made. He knowed them from an intellectual standpoint. And he was a--a great military man. But one day on the backside of the desert, when he come into the Presence of God, he jerked off his shoes and fell--to his feet, knowing that he was on holy ground. He could not stand upon his feet when he come in the Presence of God, he fell to his face like Abraham did. He could not stand in the Presence of God.
18 In Exodus 19:19, when the chosen people of God since way back in the days of Abraham, from Abraham come Isaac, Isaac come Jacob, out of Jacob come the patriarchs, and years after years had developed holy men, great men, a chosen people, a chosen race, a sanctified, holy people, and had served God their life. And one day God said, "Gather Israel out here, I'm going to speak to them."
19But when God came down on top of Mount Sinai, and the whole mountain caught afire, and the smoke was flying from it like a furnace, and the Voice of God roared out. Israel fell on their face and said, "Let Moses speak, and not God, lest we die." Man, in the Presence of God, realizes he's a sinner! Yet they were, every one, circumcised according to the Law. They had carried the commandments and everything, but when God spoke and they moved up into His Presence, they realized that they were out, they were--they were not right. There was something that was lacking, because they were in the Presence of God. Yes. And they said, "Let Moses speak, and not God, for if God speaks we'll all die. Let Moses speak to us."
20 It was in Luke 5, 8, that when Peter... oh, when he was a great stubborn man, and a man of great influence, great power that we understand. He was like a bully, a noted fisherman. But when he saw the miracle of God performed by an ordinary Man, looked like, which he recognized at that time that that taken more than a man to throw all them fish in a net where he, with all of his education, his knowledge of fishing, had fished all night and not even taken a thing. But he heard Someone say, "Cast your net in."
21And when he begin to pull, he had a great multitude of fishes, and he realized that he was a sinful man. And he said, "Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man." Who said that? Saint Peter, in the Presence of God, asked for God to depart out of his presence, because he recognized himself a sinner.
22Abraham recognized himself "wrong." Adam recognized himself "wrong," which was the son of God, recognized himself "wrong." Moses recognized himself "wrong." Israel, as a church and nation, recognized themselves "wrong." "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." He didn't try to say, "Now, I'm holy and worthy to receive this." He said, "I am a sinful man."
23 One time a self-styled religionist, with all the theology that he could learn under a great teacher called Gamaliel, his name was Saul of Tarsus, which we know as Paul, religious to the dot. He knowed all the ins and out of their religion. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisee, and a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was a noted man, a scholar, smart, shrewd, educated, claimed he knowed God from baby up. But one day on his road down to Damascus, that Pillar of Fire shined over him and he fell on his... off of his feet, to the ground, in the dust, and said, "Lord, what would You have me to do?" All of his great training, all of his great theological training, all of his education didn't mean a thing when he stood in the Presence of God.
24 I'd like to stop here a minute and say that's the same thing. You might have got a DD., Ph.D., whatever you might be, you might have went to church since you was a child, you might have done all the religious acts there is, but once in the Presence of God you'll feel so little and no count.
25Paul realized that he was wrong, and he fell to the ground, under the influence and Power. When he looked up and seen the very God that he had been preaching, and against, and thought he knowed, and seen that he was wrong, he fell from his feet, to the ground, because he was in the Presence of God. He seen that Pillar of Fire.
26 What about the great Saint John of Revelations 1:7, when he was showed the vision, and looked, and heard a Voice speaking to him. And he turned to look to see the Voice, and he saw seven golden candlesticks. And One stood in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, with hair like wool, eyes like flames of fire, feet like pillars of brass, He was girded with a golden girdle around the paps, and He was called the Word of God. And when the great Saint John had walked with Christ, leaned upon His bosom, when he done all these things! As I said this morning, Paul's ministry exceeded any of them. Here, after John had walked with Jesus, talked with Him, slept with Him, eat with Him, but when he seen Him standing there, that glorified state, he said he fell like a dead man at His feet. Amen. Think of it!
27 We can come to church and talk and praise God, and so forth, but, oh, brother, when we see Him coming, something will be different in our hearts! We might think we do our religious duty by go to church and pay our tithings. We might think that we keep the laws of the church and recite all the creeds, but once let us get a look at Him, the whole thing's changed all the way around. Yes, it's sure.
28This great man, Saint John, a great man like that, the Bible said in Revelations 1:7, that "he fell as if he was a dead man." After three and a half years of fellowship with Christ, was one of the writers of the Epistles, wrote behind Him, eat with Him at the table, slept with Him at the bed, and fellowshipped with Him wherever He went, but when he's turned to see Him, he had no more life left in him. He fell like a dead man to the floor, or to the ground. All right.
29 We see Isaiah, in Isaiah 6:5, as we've just read, this great mighty prophet, he's one of the greatest prophets there is in the Bible. There's sixty-six Books of the Bible; there's sixty-six chapters in Isaiah. Isaiah starts off in Genesis, the middle of Isaiah he brings in the New Testament, at the end of Isaiah he brings in the Millennium; just exactly Genesis, the New Testament, and Revelations. Perfect! Isaiah was one of the major prophets. But one day he had been leaning upon the arm of Uzziah the great king, Uzziah had been taken from him, and he was down. He was a pretty good fellow, he was a good righteous man, if that righteous king (a good king) recognized him as a holy man and kept him in his temple.
30 Isaiah saw visions. He was a prophet. Isaiah preached the Word. He was a minister. Isaiah was a holy man. But one day, standing in the temple, he fell into a trance and he saw the Glory of God. He saw the Angels with wings over Their face, wings over Their feet, flying with wings, crying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!"
31That prophet realized he was nothing. He said, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips." A prophet, a mightiest prophet of the Bible, one of them. "I am a man with unclean lips, and I dwell among people that's unclean lips. Woe is me, because I see the Glory of God."
32 And he said, when that Angel cried, "the posts of the temple shook back and forth." Brother, that'll make you! Not only is the posts of the temple going to shake, but the whole heavens and earth is going to shake when He comes again. The mountains will flee, and the sea will fade away, and scream, "Hide us from the face of Him that sits upon the Throne." It's going to be a terrible time. I tell you, sinner friend, you better be checking it up. That's right.
33Now, Isaiah said, "Woe is me, I'm a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among unclean people. And I'm, these people has unclean lips."
34 Now remember, if such holy men recognized themselves "sinners" in the Presence of God, what will the sinner and ungodly do at that Day? What will people do who sit in the meetings? What will the people do that's seen the Power of God, that's heard the countdown on the Word, that's seen God manifest Himself, and (beyond a shadow of doubt) every Scripture fulfilled, and will still try to make it to Heaven without being born again and receive the Holy Ghost? The Bible said, "If a righteous man be scarcely saved, where will the sinner and ungodly appear?" What kind of a place are we going to stand in if we see God unfold Hisself right before us, and see the Glory of God just the same as them men did, and that kind of men cried out, prophets and sages upon whom the Word is based upon? If they cried, and fell to their feet, and screamed, "I'm man of unholy lips, uncleanness," what will it be then for that man who won't even confess his sins? What will it be for that teenager that won't confess his or her sins? What will it be for that hard-hearted man that thinks he knows more about God's creation than God does Himself? What will happen to that man that's spent all of his life trying to disprove the Bible, where will that guy appear at? Think of it!
35 This is evangelism. This is the time to shake people. This is the time that--that God said there'd come a time, He shook Mount Sinai one time but there'd come a shaking again, that He "wouldn't only shake Mount Sinai, but He'd shake everything that could be moved." But did you notice the rest of the Scripture? "But we receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved!" Hallelujah! Everything that can be shook will be shaken. The heavens will shake. The earth will shake. "Heavens and earth will pass away, but that Word shall never pass away. For upon this rock I'll build My Church, and the gates of hell will never prevail against It." Everything that can be shook will be shaken. But we receive a Kingdom which is the Word of God Himself, and God is His Word. He don't shake Himself. Amen! Oh, my! "But we receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved," it's unshakeable, said Paul the Hebrew writer.
36 Such a person and such a man, such a time and how they felt! We have also ourselves. We've seen the Glory of God like these man did. Sure. We seen It. We seen the Glory of God like Abraham saw It. We saw the Glory of God like Moses saw It, same Pillar of Fire, the same Power of God, the same Christ un-... revealing Himself, showing Himself, keeping His Word in the last days. How can we come by then, and walk and treat It so lightly? How can we walk around and hold to our creeds and denominations, and not take the Word of God? What will it be for us in that day? How will it happen with us, when we seen the Glory of God?
37 Some people will stand off and they make fun of It, some will laugh at It, some will call It fanaticism, some call It mental telepathy, some call It Beelzebub, some call It one thing or another. As the old proverbs is, "Fools will walk with hobnailed shoes where Angels fear to trod." That's right. "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" When he sees God manifested so perfectly by His Own Word (not by a creed; but by His Word), and then walk right over It and make fun of It, he's a fool. Because, it's, God is the Word, and God's made Hisself plain to them, and he's a "fool," the Bible said. What will it be for him when he has to stand in that place? It'll be--it'll be terrible for that man in that day, the ungodly.
38 Repentant sinners, though, doesn't have any fear. Oh, no. A sinner that will repent, he knows that there's a bloody Sacrifice waiting, to stand in his place. That's what gives him the consolation. "I've seen the Glory of God. I've felt His power. I know the touch of His hand. I know the touch of His chastisement. I know that He's God. And I know I'm undone, but there is One standing there for me. Amen. There's One Who stands there and says, 'Father, lay all of his iniquity upon Me, because he stood for Me down on the earth.' Hallelujah! Then I've walked to the Throne of God, boldly, having grace in my heart, to know it's not by good works, but by His mercy I'm saved. Not what I could do, what I could join, what I could say; but it's by His grace that He saved me."
39No wonder the poet that caught that, screamed out, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. Once was lost, but now I'm found; blind, but now I see."
40 How can I ever go to Heaven, how could you go to Heaven? We cannot do it, we, and no way for us to do it. But there's One made the way. And He is the Way. And how do we get to Him? By one Spirit, His Spirit, we're baptized into one Body which will be raised up like an orbit. We'll go out of the earth as astronauts of this last day in the face of God. Amen. Sure. Repentant sinners don't have to worry, Someone is there in their place.
41Oh, then after we have come into His Presence now, and we know we've been in His Presence, we've seen Him do things that He did when He was here on earth. How do you know the... How do you know the vine you're looking at? Because the fruit it bears. How do you know the church you're going to? By the fruit it bears. Jesus said, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also. These signs shall follow them that believe."
42 Now, we see He never did ordain us to go make denominations. He never did ordain us to go make creeds. But He warned us against such. "For whosoever shall take anything from It or add anything to It, the same will be taken out, their part, in the Book of Life." See?
43So, we're not ordained to do nothing but stay with that Word. And if a man is sent of God, he'll stay with the Word, because God can only send by His Word. See? See, He must stay by His Word. Then when we come into His Presence, when a man once comes into the Presence of God, he's changed forever, if there's any changing to him. Now, there are those who could walk in the Presence of God and pay no attention to It. He wasn't ordained to Life. But if he was predestinated of God, as soon as that first move hits, he knows it. That catches fire.
44 Look at that little prostitute down there that day at Samaria, that woman. She was in a bad shape mentally and physically. We know that. But as soon as she seen that sign done, of the Messiah, she said, "We know Messiah is coming to do this. Thou must be His prophet."
He said, "I'm that Messiah that was wrote to come."
45She recognized it. She never asked one more question. She started right quick with the responsibility, to know that if she had found that and come into the Presence of God, she was responsible to tell somebody else about It. Hallelujah! Right. Any man that comes into the Presence of God is responsible before God, from that minute on, to tell somebody else. Look at Abraham, look at Moses, look at Peter, look at Paul. The moment they come into the Presence of God, recognized themselves "sinners," and sealed their testimony with their life. Look at the little lady, she couldn't stay no longer, she went to the city and told the men, "Come, see the Man that told me the things I've done. Isn't this the Messiah?" They could not deny It, because It was Scriptural. Certainly. Yes, they've got to do it, a man, when we got a responsibility of telling others as Moses did, as Peter did, as Paul did. After these things, you've seen It and come into His Presence, you're responsible for the Message to get to somebody else. You just cannot sit still with It. You must take It to someone else.
46 I remember an old sister used to be here, Brother Graham Snelling's mother, she used to sit right here in the church, and she would sing, "I've just got over! I'm running, running, running, and I just got over and I can't sit down." She had just found something. I went over to a little colored church over here in Louisville, and all of them was standing up, singing, "I'm running up the King's Highway, just found It, and took up the Highway!"
47There's something about it, when you find Christ, you cannot hold your peace any longer. The rest of your days you are a changed person, for when life and Life comes together, it makes a bright Light. True. When the bulb connects with the wire, if it's a correct bulb, it's got to give light; when the current and the bulb gets together, there's nothing to do but scatter light. It has to do it. And when a man or a woman is predestinated to Eternal Life, and they see the current of God catch that bulb, it'll throw Light everywhere it can. You might not be over a ten watt, but you'll scatter what Light you got. If you ain't a five-hundred watt, scatter ten watt Light. Give your Light! "Let your light so shine before men, that they might see your good works and glorify the Father which is in Heaven." Yes, sir.
48 When a man comes in contact with God, he recognizes himself "no good." How can a man walk around and brag about how big he is and what all he's done, when he's nothing? He's nothing to begin with. One day down in Memphis, Tennessee, or one... I don't think it was in Memphis. It was one of the places there. I was with Brother Davis and was having a--a revival. It might have been Memphis. And we was--went to a coliseum, and they had in there, not a coliseum, it was kind of an art gallery, and they had the--the great statues that they had got from different parts of the earth, of different, Hercules and so forth, and great artists had painted. And then they had the analysis of a man that weighed a hundred and fifty pounds. You know how much he was worth? Eighty-four cents. That's all he is. Eighty-four cents is all--all the chemicals you can get out of him. He's just got enough whitewash to sprinkle a hen's nest, and he's got enough, just a little bit of calcium, little potash. It would all sell for eighty-four cents. But we just take care of that eighty-four cents and baby it around.
49 There was two boys standing there, and one looked the other one, said, "Jim, we're not worth very much are we?"
He said, "No, we're not, John."
50I said, "But wait a minute, boys, you got a soul in there that's worth ten thousand worlds, that's been, can be redeemed by the power of God, if you'll just let it."
51Man, when he sees these things, he's responsible to tell others. I saw it when I was just a boy. I spent the whole life at it. I only sorry I got one life, wish I had ten thousand. If I had an Eternity, I'd still want to tell people about it, 'cause it's the greatest thing I ever found. If you'll read in Ezekiel 33, 33rd chapter of Ezekiel, there was a watchman set on a tower, and this watchman was responsible for the entire city. Amen. Now, wake, wake yourselves to your spiritual conscience a minute, while I get to this Scripture. That watchman had to be a trained man. He had to know what he was doing, for at any distance, as soon as they arose, the enemy, he could detect it. He could tell their march, he could tell their color, he could tell their rank and file. Just as far as the human eyes could see, he could see it. And he was higher than the rest of them, for he was trained to know the enemy. And God required the whole city at his hand. "Watchman, what of the night?" Hallelujah!
52 That's the way God's soldiers are today. They're trained to the Word. When anything comes up that's got a little polish to it, that's got something else that's not Scripture, they warn their congregation. Anything that's not Bible, anything that's not--that's not God-like, such as having soup suppers, dances, and everything else, to pay off the pastors. Those things are wrong. Bunco games and card parties in the churches, it's wrong! And the real watchman on the wall, who's once been in the Presence of God... If he isn't on the wall, if he's just supposed to be on the wall, the wall may not be any higher than the rest of the congregation. But if he's a correct watchman, God raises him plumb up into spheres that the rest of them never gets to. But he watches the flock, and God requires it of him! The man of God who stands in the Presence of God, and knows God is God, and know that God keeps His Word, and watch God perform Hisself and do His duty and keep His Word, then no matter how many organizations or denominations tries to tear it down, he knows the rank and file of the enemy. Amen. He knows what to tell the congregation, a real watchman.
53 If we have confessed that He is, we been in His Presence, and we have confessed our sins, they are blotted out the book of His memory. There's nobody but God could do that. Now, you can do anything to me, I'll forgive you, but I'll remember it. If I'd do anything to you, you'd forgive me, but you'll remember it. But God can forgive and forget it. Think of that, "don't even remember it!" Amen. That makes me feel good. When it's not even remembered anymore, nothing can do it but God. Nothing but God can do that. He said He would blot it out of His book of memory. I can't do it, you can't do it, because we've only got these little finite senses. But He's infinite, God, He can absolutely forget that it ever was done. Amen.
54 A young lady come from a country church, and her father was an old-fashioned, shouting preacher, or a member of the church. And so she moved into the city, and she got all mixed up with the women down there, and got to acting like they did, and the fashions. And one day she was kind of ashamed for her papa and mama to come, or her father, rather, her mother was dead. So the old man, only thing he'd do, get up of a morning, eat his breakfast and get the Bible and read It, and cry and pray and shout all day long, and run up and down the room, and she was a little embarrassed about it. So then--then when all time through the night, if he got a hold of the Bible, started reading It, he'd raise up out of the bed, and holler, "Glory to God! Hallelujah! Oh, glory to God!" Just stomp and cry half the night.
55 So one day she was going to entertain her church members to a little tea party like they always have, you know, so she didn't know what she was going to do with her dad. After all, it was her daddy. So she decided she'd put him up in the attic, and say, "Daddy, you don't want to be around where these women are, do you?"
Said, "No, I don't believe I want to do that."
56She said, "Well, we're going to have the church women up here today, and we're going to have a little meeting, a little prayer meeting. So I--I tell you, dad, why don't you just go up in the attic?"
Said, "I just believe I'll do that."
57So she said, "Read this nice book." And she gave him a geography. Took his Bible away from him so he'd keep quiet. So knowed if he read the Bible, why, he would go to making a lot of noise up there. So he's right up over them, you know, where they was having their party. So she give him the geography, said, "This is nice. You should read it, daddy, because it tells you all the truth about the world."
Well, said, "I'll be glad to read that."
58So said, "Now you go up there and keep real quiet till these women leave, and then I'll... you come back down and then you can do whatever you want to." He agreed to do it. So he goes upstairs, sits up there.
59 And they was all having their tea party, you know, talking about so-and-so, and you know how it goes, having all that big time. And about that time something cut loose upstairs, all the screaming and jumping, and the plaster falling. The old man running up and down through the attic just as hard as he could go, jumping up and down, and hollering, "Glory to God! Glory to God!" The women didn't know what happened up there, what they had upstairs. So directly down the steps he come, hard as he could go.
She said, "Daddy, I give you a geography to read."
60Said, "Yes, I know it. You know," said, "I was reading in this geography here where there's places in the sea that ain't got no bottom in it." And said, "I read over here in the Bible yesterday, He said He put my sins in the 'sea of forgetfulness.' Glory to God!...?... Said, "They're still going. They don't have an end, they just keep on going." That's right. And he was shouting about it. Well, that's right.
61 God puts our sins in the sea of forgetfulness, blots them out, and they're as if they never did happen. Oh, my! Then we stand by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, pure and holy, just as holy as He was, because He doesn't see me when I come up there, He sees His Own Son. The only way He can see. Can't see me, because I'm in His Son. And He only sees His Son. Isn't that wonderful? We don't have to think about sins anymore, it's all gone, it's under the Blood. Yes, sir. Don't have to worry about it anymore, it's all out, and out of God's memory. He don't even remember it no more.
62 Isaiah, that mighty prophet, when he confessed his sins, he said, "Woe is me, for I'm a man of unclean lips." A prophet! "I'm a man of unclean lips, and my congregation's unclean." See? "The people I preach to, they're unclean. I'm unclean. And woe is me. But here comes a bunch of Angels down from the Glory of God, fanning back the--the clouds, and I look up there and see His train filling the whole Heaven. And I watched these Angels that's never knowed what sin was. They never even knowed what sin was, and they're in the Presence of God, they got two wings over their faces, they got two wings over their feet, and they're flying with two wings, and they cry day and night, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God." Whew. That'd make you feel kind of unholy, wouldn't it? Now, what did he do? He said, "Woe is me."
63 And when he confessed his sins and said "woe is me," the Angel went over and took the tongs, picked up a coal of fire which represented the Holy Ghost and fire, and come over and laid it on the prophet's lips, and said, "I've cleansed you." Then the wings winnowing their way like that, moved away the curtains of time, and he heard God say, "Who will go for us?"
64But after he found out that there was a way to rid sin, God wanted somebody to go for Him, and he said, "Here am I, send me." He had been in the Presence of God, and had confessed his sins, and been cleansed from his sins, and was ready for service. Amen.
65As the poet caught that, said, "Millions now in sin and shame are dying, listen to their sad and bitter cry. Hasten, brother, hasten to their rescue; quickly answer, 'Master, here am I.'"
66 When I think of Africa, India, and around the world, millions of heathens screaming and crying for mercy, and who will go? Not pass them a tract, but bring them Jesus Christ. Somebody in His Presence, like Moses, who could go down there and show them true deliverance. Not make them join a church, or shake hands and have a creed, but bring deliverance to their soul; some good godly man. Yes, Isaiah confessed his sins and was cleansed.
67 After Jacob had wrestled all night, in confessing his sins, you remember the place he was? It was called Peniel, P-e-n-i-t-e-l, Peniel. The word Peniel, in the Hebrew, means "the face of Almighty God." Jacob, the little shyster had run all... his name was Jacob, which means "supplanter," that's deceiver, had run all of his life, away from God, but when he got one time in the Presence of God at Peniel, in the face of God, he got a hold of God and wouldn't turn Him loose. God, we need more Jacobs. He held on to the face of God, in the Presence of God, he stayed until it was sunup. God said, "Let Me go, because the sun's arising." And he stayed in the face of God until sunup, but he went away justified and saved. Sun.
68 Oh, what a great thing it was, now, to know that he had wrestled through. That's, he had seen signs of God, he had had dreams about God, but this was one time he was in the face of God, in the Presence of God. Think of it, friends, now as we hurry up. In the Presence of God, a man is changed. Jacob was changed. Now he could walk with God. Yes, he was a different man than what he was when he went up there. The battle was now over. Yes, sir. And he begin to build an altar. He hadn't been used to building altars, you know. But, I tell you, when you come in the Presence of God, you want to build an altar somewhere. You want to find somewhere where you can pray. He built an altar. He was cleansed, and God had won.
69 And Jacob was changed from Jacob, "supplanter," to Israel, "a prince, having power with God." That's what happened to Jacob. The supplanter, the deceiver, the unrighteous, the unholy, the deceiver, deceived his brother, stole the birthrights, as it was, from his brother, took a little dirty way of doing it, such a deceiver. He deceived his father-in-law. Put poplar sticks and made speckled calves, when the cows being pregnated come there, look at it, and the sheep... would see that speckled stick and make speckled cattle, give them birth marks. Deceiver, deceiving his own father-in-law. Deceived his mother, deceived his daddy, deceived his brother, but when he once got in the... He was a shyster. He was running everywhere he went, always on the run from God, he was on the run from his brother. But when he come into the Presence of God, he recognized he was a sinner. What did he do? What did he do? He seen his opportunity. He had met Something that he didn't even think about before, and he stayed there until all sins was gone. Oh, my! God got him in His Own Presence.
70 God manages a way to get men in their Presence, then they make their decision. Some of them run from Him, some run to Him. If they're predestinated to Life, they believe It, they hang onto It. If they're not, they try to get away and say, "There's nothing to It." See? And that's the guy that's lost. "The guy that confesses his sin, shall have pardon. If you hide your sin, you'll not prosper." No.
71So Jacob when he, you know, the next day he met Esau his brother. He didn't need no help from him then. He didn't need his armies. He was in business building altars. He wasn't afraid of Esau no more.
72 Psalms 16:8, David said, "I have set the Lord before me." That's a good thing to do. Psalms 16:8, "I have set the Lord before me." So, he could not be confused about it. He wanted to be conscious of His Presence, so David said, "I have set the Lord always before my face. Now I, David, have set the Lord before my face, always to be conscious--conscious of God's Presence." Wouldn't that be a good lesson for all of us tonight? Set the Lord before our face so we'll be conscious of His Presence. Put Him first. Why? Put Him first, before you. Why? Then you won't sin when you are realizing that constantly you're in the Presence of God. When you realize God is around, you'll watch what you say.
73 A man, when he thinks God is gone, he'll cuss, he'll lust after women, he'll do--he'll steal, cheat, lie. He'll do anything when he thinks that God don't see him. But bring him into the Presence of God, he'll stop it right now. See? And David said, "I have put the Lord always before me." That's a good thing. No wonder God said he was a man after His Own heart. Man will do everything when he thinks that God isn't near. But when he realizes that God's near, did you ever notice a sinner? Let a godly person walk up, he'll quit his cussing, if he's got any respects at all. See? He won't tell the dirty jokes that he would have told. See? See, he'll leave off that, because he knows that he's in the Presence of God, 'cause God dwells in the tabernacle of His people. See?
74 After David did this, he said, "My heart shall rejoice." I wish you'd read it, Psalms 16. "My heart will rejoice, and my flesh shall rest in hope." Why? My heart shall rejoice because I've got God before me all the time. "And my flesh shall rest in hope; if I die, I'll be raised up again. For He'll not suffer His Holy One to see corruption, neither will He leave His soul in hell." See? When David put God before him, and was conscious that constantly he was in the Presence of God. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God."
75 Now listen, church, I love you. And I want you to listen to me now. As Brother McCulley used to say, I'm going to say something. Always put the Lord before you, and don't you do nothing that you wouldn't do in His Presence, because He's watching over you. See? The Lord is encamped about those who fear Him. He don't... He just stays right near you. And He knows everything you're doing, and you must recognize that. When you start to tell a lie, don't do it, remember, God is listening at you. If you start to do a little cheat, don't you do it, God's looking at you. If you start to take His Name in vain, don't do it, God's listening at you. Start to smoke a cigarette, He's watching you. See? His... We used to sing a song, "All along on the road to the soul's true abode, there's an eye watching you; every step that you take, this great eye is awake, there's an eye watching you." Remember, do like David, put the Lord always before your face. Then your heart will rejoice and your flesh shall rest in hope, for He promised it. Yes, sir. He knew that he would raise up because God had promised it. All right.
76When we come into His Presence, we're changed, never to be the same. Look all down through the ages, of every walk of life, at man. Look at Abraham. You say, "Well, the changed life is just for ministers." Oh, no. The changed life is for everybody. See?
77 Now, Abraham was a farmer, but when he heard God's Voice speaking to him, and saw that vision, he was a changed man from that time on. He separated himself from his kindred, from all of his associates, and walked as a pilgrim and a stranger, in a strange land, the rest of his life, dwelling in tents, because he clearly confessed that he was seeking a city Whose Builder and Maker was God. He knowed there was a God, and there was a city somewhere Whose Builder and Maker was God. That's what Hebrews 11 tells us, that he was seeking a city that its Builder and Maker was God. He was a changed man, yet he wasn't nothing but a mere farmer. But he saw a vision and come into the Presence of God, and he was a changed man from then on.
78 Moses, he was a shepherd, but he was a changed man when he come into the Presence of God. He was a coward, he was running from Pharaoh, with a whole army behind him. But with a stick in his hand, he went back and took the whole nation. See? Why? He come into the Presence of God. He was a changed man, a shepherd.
79Peter, a fisherman, knowed nothing about fishing... or knowed nothing about God, only thing he probably knowed was how to catch fish. But when he come in the Presence of God, and see the great Creator Who could create fish, when He told him to let down the nets for the draw. There wasn't any fish there, he just pulled his nets up. But he said, "At Thy Word, Lord. I believe that You're the Son of God, and if You let... if I let down the net, You told me to do it at Your Word, because You and Your Word are the same, I let down the net." And when he begin to pull, he said, "Depart, Lord, I'm a sinful man." See, a fisherman, after Peter met Christ he was never the same anymore. He, afterwards, was so true to God, he was given the keys to the Kingdom. Yes, sir.
80 Paul, a self-styled Pharisee, educated and trained in all the religion of the... that there was in the world in that day, one of the highest knowed scholars in the land. But when he come before that Pillar of Fire one day, the God that he had persecuted, ignorantly. He was a Pharisee, he didn't believe that God was a Man. He knowed God was the Pillar of Fire, It led His people out of Egypt, It had been with them all along. But when he saw this Pillar of Fire, he fell on his face. And he heard a Voice saying, "Saul, why persecutest thou Me?"
Said, "Who are You, Lord?"
81He said, "I'm Jesus." He was a Man that said, "How have you been baptized?" He had been in the Presence of God. He was a changed man from then on, he had been in the Presence of God. It changes a man.
82 Charles G. Finney, a lawyer, a great Philadelphian lawyer, but when he come into the Presence of God he dropped his law study and become a mightiest preacher of this nation's ever had yet.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... was a preacher, because one day he come in the Presence of God. He thought, once, he'd study the ministry. You know his book. I got his autobiography. He went out to pray. He thought he was a preacher. He had a desire, that he wanted to preach, and he had him a few sermons he'd try to preach. He went out one day, out of his office, to pray, went out in the woods. He got down behind an old blown down tree, where he'd go every afternoon. Very religious, but he didn't believe in That.
There was two women in the church, kept saying, "Mr. Finney, we are praying that you'll receive the Holy Ghost."
He said, "I got the Holy Ghost." Said, "I'm a preacher."
83Said, "Mr. Finney, you're a great man, and you got a great hold of the Word, but you need the Holy Ghost. We're praying for you." Sweet little women.
84So he went on, on. So every day he'd go out behind his office, his boss and all of them there he worked, and he'd go out of his law office and go out there to pray. And one day he was out there praying and he heard a brush break. He thought his boss was coming up, hunting him. He jumped up real quick. He was saying, "Lord God, I believe You." Stopped, brushed before he got... "Uhm! Uhm!" raised up and said, looked around, see what it was broke the brush. And it was then he come into the Presence of God. He realized that brush had broke for a purpose. He stood there, the tears running down his cheeks. He said, "Maybe them women's right. I'm ashamed for somebody to see me talking to my God, but I'd think it was an honor for somebody to see me talking to my boss. How much greater is my Lord than my boss!" Said, "Lord, forgive me and fill me with the Holy Ghost," started screaming and shouting. He was in the Presence of God. He run downtown real quick to his office. He got to screaming so hard he had to go behind the door, said, "Lord, I'll bring disgrace upon You. Hide me back here till I get over this spell." Why? He had come in the Presence of God. He was a changed man. The sermons that he used to preach, he preached them same sermons and souls came to the altar. See, he had been in the Presence of God.
85 Moody, a little old shoe cobbler, hardly knowed his ABC's. That's right. His grammar was poor. Somebody told him one day, "Your grammar is awful poor, Mr. Moody."
He said, "But I'm winning souls with it."
86One day the newspapers, the editor went to writing the newspaper. He went over to see how could this man hold crowds of people under any conditions, little old guy, bald-headed, and everything, and had whiskers hanging way down, kind of pot-bellied, and he was a horrible-looking man to look at. So this newspaper really give him a write-up, said, "I don't see what in the world that anyone would see in Dwight Moody." Said, "He's ugly, his voice is squeaky, he's got whiskers plumb down to his waistline, he's as bald-headed as a pumpkin." And said, "How in the world would anybody ever go to see anything in Moody?"
87So Moody's manager happened to see it, said, "Look, Mr. Moody, I'll read this to you." Moody couldn't read it himself. So he said, "I'll read you the editorial." And he wrote it.
88Moody just shrugged his shoulder, said, "Certainly not, they come to see Christ." That was all. Why? He had been in the Presence of God. From making soles on shoes, for people to wear out; he shod the people with the Gospel of preparation. Why? He was in the Presence of God. Right.
89 A little woman one time come in the Presence of God, as guilty as she could be. In a moment when she realized that she was in the Presence of God, every sin was forgiven and she was as pure and white as a lily. Oh, my. How many more I could call off here of people, time wouldn't permit.
90But I want to talk a little bit about myself. What could been any lower than me? Where was I? Come out of a family of drunkards, come out of a family of murderers, come out of a family of bootleggers. And you know that, every one of you know it, know what kind of a name we had here. People didn't speak to us on the street. I'd go downtown, start to talk to somebody, nobody would talk to me unless somebody wasn't around. They'd talk to me, somebody else come up, they'd leave me. And I'd stand there and cry, "No, this ain't so, it can't be so. This is wrong."
91 But one day I come into the Presence of God. He changed me and made me another kind of son. His grace brought me into His Presence. I've never wanted to leave It. I been in here now thirty-some-odd years. I don't want to leave It. I've got the assurance that I'll always be There. Even death itself will never separate me from His Presence. No. I'll be with Him forever. When I seen His Presence the first time, I cried like Isaiah, "Woe is me." Then He touched me with His grace. I was a changed person. The little renegade that used to get out here and carry on and everything, was changed, and since then I've been His child. Since then, I've desired to give my whole life for His service, only wish I had ten thousand more lives to give for Him. This one's getting pretty well wore out now, fifty-three years has passed. About thirty-three of those has been, or thirty-two of those has been in the Gospel. I wish I had another thousand that I could spend. Why? When I once into His Presence and realized that there was Somebody Who loved the unlovable, there was Somebody loved me when no one else did, there was Somebody Who cared for me when no one else cared. I put my arms around His cross, I embraced it to me, and me and Him become one then. And from then on I've loved Him. He stained my bosom and my heart with His Blood, by touching me and forgiving my sins, and I'm happy tonight to be one of His. I never desire to leave this Heavenly place, though the tempter to persuade me oft hath tried; but I'm safe in God's pavilion, and happy in His love and grace, and I'm living on the hallelujah side. My! It makes my heart rejoice.
92 I'm recommending Him to every weary person. I'm recommending Him to you that have no hope. You that's never been in His Presence, the only thing you have to do is confess your sins and realize that you're wrong, and God has that Angel ordained tonight, called the Holy Ghost, that'll take all your sins away. Then you'll cry, "Lord, here am I, send me." Then you'll raise your hands and sing, "I will praise Him! I will praise Him! Praise the Lamb for sinners slain. Give Him glory, all ye people, for His Blood has washed away each stain." I love Him. Don't you? Living in His Presence!
93 I come to the pulpit here this morning, feeling so bad and so sick from... I--I was down in Kentucky last week with some personal friends of mine sitting here. If I stayed down there very long, they'd kill me, they sure would, with kindness, some of the best cooks I ever knowed in my life. And when I get to my capacity, is done overloaded, "Brother Branham, won't you have some of this?" And it's just so good, I just try to poke it down. I got so full I just couldn't even move. I--I couldn't sleep, and I'd get up and walk around a while. And I wasn't feeling very good when I got in here this morning. But once when I come into His Presence, that settled it. That settled it, it all vanished away then. That's right. Oh, to live in His Presence!
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His Blood has washed away each stain.
Let's bow our heads now.
[Brother Branham begins humming I Will Praise Him--Ed.]
For He's done so much for me.
He's forgiven my transgression,
And His Blood has washed my sin.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His Blood has washed away each stain.
[Brother Branham begins humming I Will Praise Him--Ed.]
94 Now if you're in here tonight... And I know His Presence is here. Standing in there a while ago, to a little Church of God girl, the Holy Spirit moved in upon me when I was praying for that little child. The parents had come down from the Anderson Church of God campground. And the overseer over there, knowing the child, the doctors said "could... it's got to die right away, with leukemia." The little, sweet little girl, in her last stages now. She come back there and held her little hand out to me, it all swelled up, with needles and things been in it, and blue. I looked upon her, I saw a vision. The parents had just been reading a book out there. They knowed nothing about it. The general overseer at the camp up there told them, said bring the child down here. They wanted to come back when we had a healing service. And I said, "Bring the child now," felt led.
95 When I was standing right in there, the Holy Spirit went right back and brought out the history of the child. Told all about how it happened, what they had done. Told the little girl's ambition, was to be a piano player. And that mother just almost screamed out. And that daddy said, "That's the God's truth." Sitting right there in the car now listening to it, couldn't get in, sitting out there listening to it now.
96There come a big veil of a shadow hanging over the child. And I said, "Satan, you are defeated." "You're no respect of person, God. And by the power of Your resurrection, and as Your servant, I drive this devil from the child." A big bright Light flashed over the top of her, it was over. Amen. What? Sure, He's worthy of all praise!
97 He knows all things. He knows your heart. And you know what you're thinking; He does, too. If there's a little sin hanging on you tonight, and you wouldn't want to go in the Presence of God with that on you, would you once more raise up your hand and say, "Brother Branham, pray for me, I want to be in His Presence at that day, guiltless." God bless you. Many hands, God sees it. In His Presence. Now I'll tell you what you do. Now just listen closely. Do like David did, put the Lord before you right now. Put the Lord between you and that sin, whatever that little besetting sin is. It might be lying, might be stealing, it might be evil thinking, it might be temper, might be drinking, might be smoking, might be gambling. I don't know what. It might be lust, it might be anything. I don't know what it is. Whatever it is, put the Lord before you. And then your heart will rejoice, and your flesh shall rest in hope, for you know that Christ promised He'd raise up again in the last days. When He comes forth, we'll come in His likeness. Won't you do it now while we pray.
98 Our Heavenly Father, a little chopped up Message by a tired weary servant, but just thinking on the subject of "dwelling in the Presence of God." And we see tonight the effect that it's taken upon holy men to come into Your Presence, what effect it had upon them. Sages, great powerful prophets ordained by God, and sent to preach the Word, and yet meet Him face to face and fall to the ground like a dead man. What are we going to do at that day, Lord? We've thought it over. We've been thinking it. Some forty or fifty hands has been thinking it, Lord, for they just raised them hands, or hearts beneath the hand, has been thinking about meeting Him since we've been speaking. What would they do if they had to meet Him?
99 My hands, Lord, is up. What will I do? Now, Father, I've got many things that I do wrong. I've just confessed my sin this morning before the church, as I confessed it to You on top of the mountain the other morning when it was blowing and snowing, and up there on top of the mountain, to how I cried out and asked You to forgive me for my stupidity. And how I dreaded to come before my brethren, who some of them regard me as Your prophet-servant. And, Lord, how I hated to come before them and tell them of a stupid act that I would do a thing like that, but, God, it's good for my soul that I confess my sins and not hide them. So to be honest with You, and right before the people, I have confessed it, Lord. I'm wrong, I'm altogether wrong. I pray forgiveness.
100 And then, Father, I've been dilatory about You, serving You, many times maybe I could have went longer when I didn't do it. Father, I confess my sins. I want the Angel of God to cleanse me from that, by the Blood of Jesus. Other hands went up tonight, some of them maybe has never asked forgiveness before; but I'm sure of this one thing, if we'll confess our sins, God will blot them out, put, them in the sea of forgetfulness and never remember them no--no more. And, Father, as I confess mine, about misbehaving before them people, I didn't carry on myself like a servant of Christ. I didn't. I was afraid that man might be angry with me and think I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but I didn't think of what I was doing to You, Lord. And now I--I pray that You forgive me. And now, Father, I know that if I ask forgiveness I have forgiveness, and You've put them in the sea of forgetfulness, and You'll never remember that no more. God, I'm thankful for that.
101 And I pray that You'll let every person here, that has sin, besetting sin of anything before them, may they remove it and put the Lord before them like David did. For now we cry out, "Woe is me, for I have seen the Glory of God. I'm a man of unclean lips, or a woman or girl of unclean lips, boy, or something." Whatever we might be, we're unclean, and we ask for the Blood of Jesus Christ, the appropriated Sacrifice, to cleanse us from all sin, that we might ever dwell in His Presence. Let us go from here tonight with our hearts rejoicing, and our flesh resting in hope, knowing this, that when Jesus does come, we'll be raised with Him in His likeness, and shall meet Him in the air, in the Rapture, when the countdown is finally over. We see the seventh church age is already counted out, and we're ready now to take off. We pray, God, that You, before You close the door, if there be one here tonight has never come in, may they hurry in real quick, for we feel that the door of mercy, between mercy and judgment, is being closed. Those who will accept mercy will step in. Those who will not come in will have to suffer judgment. God closes the door. May there not be a door closed tonight to every one of these confessing sinners. May we all have pardon and mercy. In Jesus Christ's Name.
102 And now, Father, for the sick and the afflicted, for those who are needy, I pray that Your grace will supply all that they have need of. May they step into Christ, into His Presence. Place Christ, Christ, the promise, "'He was wounded for my transgressions,' that's my sin. 'With His stripes I am healed,' then I place the Lord before my sickness. 'He's on my right hand, and I shall not be moved,' then I walk boldly on, confessing that I am healed. 'By His stripes I am healed.'" Grant it, Lord, to every one of them. And we know that if we confess with our hearts and, or with our lips, and believe in our hearts, then we have our desire.
103You said, "When you say anything, believe it comes to pass, you can have what you've said." We believe that, Father, and believe that You'll cleanse us from all of our sins, and heal all of our sickness, and give us grace, Lord, to serve You.
104 Be with these people. Many of them are going to travel the dark roads tonight. Many of them will travel many miles. Don't let nothing happen to them, Lord. They come across the country to sit here to listen to the countdown, to see how close we was to the end time. Now I've asked them to go away, placing God before them, always before them, before anything else. Before their trip, before their move, before their--before they get up, after they go to bed, always before they sleep, wherever it is, put God first! "For He is on my right hand, and I shall not be moved." Then may their hearts rejoice, to know that they have what they've asked for, because God promised it, and their flesh shall rest in hope. Grant it, Lord, for we ask it in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His Blood has washed away each stain.
105 Now do you believe you have placed the Lord between you and your sin, between you and your sickness, between you and your fault, between you and your ways? "The Lord is always before me, and I am in His Presence. The next time I start to light a cigarette, the Lord is before me. The next time I start to lust, the Lord is before me. The next time I start to tell anything wrong, the Lord is before me. The next time I start to say a bad thing, the Lord is before me. And I shall not be moved. Amen. I'll live in His Presence each day, with my dealings, each day with my talk. I'll walk as if the Lord is before me, because tonight I've put Him before me. I shall not be moved." You love Him?
106 Now, let us stand up now. Oh, I just feel real good. I just feel like I don't want to go home. And you know it's only about twenty-five minutes till nine, I'm about two hours early. Isn't it wonderful? Oh, my! But now as we leave, let's remember, we must take the Name of Jesus with us, as a shield from every snare. And when temptations around us gather... tries to keep us to remember that, just breathe that holy Name in prayer.
Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe;
It will joy and comfort give you,
Oh, take It everywhere you go.
Precious Name (precious Name), O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heaven;
Precious Name (precious Name), O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heaven.
107 How many enjoys our pastor, Brother Neville? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Aren't you thankful to the Lord for a good, honest, everyday man, believes the Gospel? ["Amen."] And he's doing such a wonderful job by obeying the Commandments of God, and preaching the Word and keeping this great spiritual atmosphere in the church all the time. Remember, I've come down the East Coast, went across the South, and up the West Coast, and through Canada, and I haven't met one church that's as spiritual as this church right here. They've gone to seed, yeah, either fanaticism, or either went off on tantrums, or either so cold they just can't be moved. That's all.
108Now, do you love one another? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Oh, shake hands with each other, and say, "Praise the Lord."
109[Brother Branham shakes hands with the people--Ed.] Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my ministers. Praise the Lord, sister. Praise the Lord. Glad you were here, brother. Praise the Lord, sister. God bless you. All right. God bless you. All right. God bless you. I know what you need. God bless you. God bless you.
Take the Name of Jesus with you,
As a shield from every snare;
When temptations round you gather, (What do you do?)
Breathe that holy Name in prayer.
Precious Name (precious Name), O how sweet! (O how sweet!)
Hope of earth and joy of Heaven;
Precious Name (precious Name), O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heaven.
110 Let us bow our heads now. Real softly, let's not forget that now. Let's sing that verse again.
Take the Name of Jesus with you, (What for?)
For a shield from every snare, (when Satan tries to snare you);
When temptations round you gather, (What do you do?)
Just breathe that holy Name.
"For the Lord is before my face; I shall not be moved!"
Precious Name (precious Name), O how sweet!
Brother Neville.
1Ďakujem ti, brat Neville, nech ťa Pán ozaj bohate požehná. Dobrý večer, priatelia. Je to veľkým privilégiom byť dnes večer znova späť v tejto budove a cítiť tú nikdy nezlyhávajúcu prítomnosť nášho Pána, ako dal to zasľúbenie. A teraz, viem, že mnohí z vás tu dnes večer zostali kvôli posolstvu, za čo som veľmi vďačný. A mnohí z vás musia dnes večer cestovať veľmi ďaleko, aby sa dostali domov. Pokiaľ viem, tak niektorí ste odhlásení z vašich motelov. A budeme sa snažiť, aby sme vás dlho nezdržali, a tak to je dôvod, prečo prichádzame skôr, aby sme tak mohli skôr odísť.
2A teraz budeme, akonáhle budem môcť, tak oznámim, kedy asi začneme. Dnes popoludní som mal nejaké telefonáty ohľadne toho, kedy začneme s týmito knihami alebo týmito kapitolami. A myslím, že ak Pán dá, chcel by som vziať, že by sme na ten ďalšíkrát začali so Siedmimi Pečaťami zo Zjavenia a siedmimi prirodzenými pečaťami. A potom, keď to načas stihneme, vezmeme Sedem Pečatí zozadu tej Knihy. Rozumiete? No, to môže zabrať nejaký čas. Vidíte, je tam Sedem Pečatí, ktoré sú otvorené; je tam sedem pliag, sedem trúb, všetky tie sedmičky; a najprv by sme mohli prebrať tie Pečate. Ale potom zozadu tej Knihy to je zapečatené Siedmimi Pečaťami. Daniel počul Hlas, ako zahrmel, a bolo mu zakázané to písať. Jánovi to bolo zakázané zapísať. Ale bolo to zapečatené na zadnej časti tej Knihy, to je, potom, ako boli všetky tajomstvá tej Knihy vydané a zjavené. Všimnite si, že Daniel tam povedal, že tajomstvá vo dňoch týchto hlasov, tajomstvo Božie má v tom čase byť odhalené, tajomstvo, kto je Boh, ako sa On stal telom, všetky tieto veci by mali byť v tom čase odhalené. A potom sme pripravení na tých Sedem Pečatí na zadnej časti tej Knihy, ktoré dokonca nie sú ľuďom zjavené, dokonca nie sú zapísané v Biblii, ale budú sa musieť úplne presne zhodovať so zvyškom Biblie a myslím si, že to bude ohromná vec.
3A tak, teraz sa budeme snažiť poponáhľať, aby sme cez to prešli. Ďakujeme každému jednému z vás za vašu láskavosť a prítomnosť a za všetko, čo ste urobili, veľmi vám ďakujeme. A teraz, verím, že vás tu dnes večer nezdržíme príliš dlho, pretože tak trpezlivo sedíte a stojíte. Moja žena mi tam vzadu povedala, hovorila o tom minulom večere, povedala, „Videla som tam stáť ženy, ktoré boli dokonca trocha zavalitejšie a šaty mali celkom prepotené, stáli tam celý čas a jednoducho chytali každé Slovo.“ To je ten dôvod, prečo rád zostávam pod pomazaním Ducha Svätého, že keď to vyjadrujete, hovoríte tým ľuďom úprimnú Pravdu (Vidíte?) a nič iné než Pravdu. A potom môžu na Tom spočinúť a všetko to bude v poriadku.
4No, chcem vás na chvíľu poprosiť o ospravedlnenie. Dnes ráno som odišiel trocha skoro. A v tomto čase sú pásky vypnuté a za chvíľu poviem tým, ktorí nahrávajú, kedy zapnúť pásku. Chcem dokončiť tú kázeň „Odpočítavanie“, treba na to päť minút predtým, ako odídem. Zabudol som na to a odišiel som preč; dnes ráno som bol tak veľmi unesený, že som odišiel preč bez toho, aby som o tom niečo povedal. Ale tak trochu som vás zanechal s tým, „Čo bolo teda to odpočítavanie?“ Vidíte? No, viem, že sa nachádzame v odpočítavaní, ale čo je tým odpočítavaním? Vidíte? Ak neviete, čo je tým odpočítavaním, potom budete tak trocha zmätení. A tak by som to rád priniesol... A budem sa snažiť hovoriť v rovnakom tóne ako predtým, aby som teraz dokončil túto pásku, aby mohla byť vydaná: „Odpočítavanie“. A teraz mi všetci na chvíľu odpusťte a chcem dokončiť tú pásku. Urobíte to len na chvíľu a potom začneme novú kázeň? A teraz, tí, ktorí nahrávajú pásky, ak môžete, prehoďte teraz tú pásku.
[Prázdne miesto na páske. Brat Branham v týchto paragrafoch 4–5 vysvetľuje, že ide nahrať a vložiť určitú chýbajúcu časť do svojej rannej kázne nazvanej „Odpočítavanie“. – pozn.prekl.]
5Práve som prišiel z rozličných miest a mali sme ohromný čas pri tých posledných troch posolstvách, ktoré boli hovorené na tému rôznych náuk a podobne, ktoré sme hovorili. Pamätám na to, že teraz tu mám nechať trocha času pre vás ľudí pri tých páskach, aby ste mohli prehodiť tie pásky. No, poviem vám, kedy budeme pripravení to zapnúť. V poriadku. No, musím to sledovať. Vyzerá to ako taká umelo-vyrobená formálnosť, ale tí chlapci musia pracovať s tou páskou. A nemôžu to mať celé zamiešané; ak áno, tí ľudia tam vonku tomu nebudú rozumieť. A tak to musíme urobiť takýmto spôsobom. A ak by len niekto vystúpil z tej miestnosti a dal mi znamenie, Junior, keď budú pripravení prehodiť tie pásky. Veľmi vám ďakujem, priatelia, hovorím to znova, za všetku vašu láskavosť a všetko ostatné. V poriadku, teraz sme pripravení, môžete ich zapnúť.
6Nech vás Pán žehná. Sme radi, že dnes večer znova môžeme byť tu v modlitebni. Dnes večer je toto miesto znova preplnené mnohými ľuďmi, ktorí stoja naokolo, v týchto troch dňoch – alebo troch zhromaždeniach. Chcel by som, aby každý, kto bude počúvať túto pásku, aby sa vrátili a zohnali si pásku z minulého večera. Študujte to doma. To je prítomný stupeň služby, ktorú mi Pán dal. Zvlášť by som bol rád, keby si to vypočuli kazatelia predtým, ako navštívim ich cirkvi a prídem k nim domov. No, bol by som rád, keby to dostali. No, dnes ráno sme hovorili na tému „Odpočítavanie“, Cirkev je pripravená odísť.
7A dnes večer, ak teraz Boh dá, budeme hovoriť na tému „V Jeho prítomnosti“. Ó, ako ďakujeme Bohu za privilégium, že môžeme vojsť do Jeho prítomnosti. Ale najprv si prajem, aby ste si spolu so mnou všetci otvorili svoje Biblie v prorokovi Izaiášovi, 6. kapitola proroka Izaiáša. Všetci vieme, že Izaiáš bol hlavný prorok a jeden z najväčších prorokov svojho dňa. Zakončil svoj život tak, že ho pílami rozrezali napoly ako svedectvo, ako mučeníka moci Všemohúceho Boha. V Knihe Izaiáša, v 6. kapitole, začnem čítať od 5. verša.
Vtedy som povedal: Beda mne, lebo...
Možno začnem s 1. veršom. Prepáčte mi na chvíľu. Začneme s 1. veršom a budeme čítať až po 8. verš.
Roku, ktorého zomrel kráľ Uziáš, videl som Pána sedieť na vysokom tróne a povznesenom, a podolok jeho rúcha naplňoval chrám.
Serafíni stáli nad ním. Každý mal šesť krídel; dvoma zakrýval svoju tvár, dvoma zakrýval svoje nohy a dvoma lietal.
A volali jeden druhému a hovorili: Svätý, svätý, svätý Hospodin Zástupov, celá zem je plná jeho slávy.
A pohli sa základy prahov od hlasu volajúceho, a dom sa naplnil dymom.
Vtedy som povedal: Beda mne, lebo zahyniem, pretože som človek nečistých rtov a bývam prostred ľudu nečistých rtov; beda mne, lebo moje oči videli Kráľa Hospodina Zástupov!
Tu priletel ku mne jeden zo serafínov majúc v ruke žeravý uhoľ, ktorý vzal kliešťami s oltára.
A dotknul sa mojich úst a riekol: Hľa, tento uhoľ sa dotknul tvojich rtov, a tak odišla tvoja neprávosť, a tvoj hriech je prikrytý.
Potom som počul hlas Pánov, ktorý hovoril: Koho pošlem, a kto nám pojde? Vtedy som povedal: Hľa, tu som, pošli ma.
8Nech Pán požehná Svoje Slovo. Myslím si, že to je najpozoruhodnejšie miesto Písma. Zisťujeme, že v prítomnosti Božej si ľudia uvedomujú, že sú hriešnikmi. Môžeme sa cítiť celkom dobre, keď sme preč na rozličných miestach a cítime sa, že sme celkom dobrými ľuďmi, ale keď niekedy vojdeme do prítomnosti Božej, potom vidíme, akí sme malí.
9Nedávno som bol s mojím priateľom, ktorého som mal to privilégium priviesť ku Kristovi, Bert Call, hore v New Hampshire, poľovnícky spoločník, stáli sme hore v Adirondacku vedľa vodopádov Cold Brook a boli to tak obrovské vodopády. Minulý rok som tam vzal rodinu, aby sa na to pozreli. Je to mimo hlavnej cesty a musíte ísť peši, aby ste sa tam dostali. A keď sme videli tú modrozelenú vodu, ako sa tam vylievala z tých vrchov s takou veľkou mocou a valila sa dole na tie skaly. Bert tam stál, díval sa na mňa a povedal, „Hmm, Billy, to spôsobuje, že človek sa cíti tak malý,“ ukázal na prstoch vzdialenosť asi štvrť centimetra.
Povedal som, „Je to tak, Bert.“ No, to bolo to, ako to on spoznal, keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej, pomocou Jeho stvorenia.
10Zaujímalo by ma, či ten človek, ktorý napísal tú pieseň „Aký veľký si“, či sa on jednej noci díval hore a videl hviezdy, ako sú ďaleko. Pred pár mesiacmi, brat Fred, brat Woods a ja, sme boli s bratom McAnallym vonku na arizonskej púšti a snažili sme sa odmerať, ako bola jedna hviezda blízko ku tej druhej. A pričom milióny a bilióny míľ ďaleko, a vyzeralo to, že nie sú skoro ani pol centimetra od seba. Potom sme začali premýšľať, podľa vedeckého dôkazu tej veci, tie hviezdy sú od seba pravdepodobne vzdialené viac, než sme my vzdialení od nich. Vidíte, aké to je?
11Potom sme pochopili, akí sme malí, keď sme si uvedomili, aký veľký je On a ako blízko sme prišli k Jeho prítomnosti. Tak či onak, na ľudí to vždy malo veľký efekt, keď prišli do prítomnosti Božej. V mojej službe som videl čas, kedy ste mohli vidieť, ako prítomnosť Božia prišla až do takého miesta, že to tú dotyčnú osobu vyvolalo a jednoducho im to zjavilo ich život a zjavilo to ich hriechy všetkých možných nemorálnych skutkov a prinieslo to medzi ľudí tak posvätné utíšenie, že vyskočili z modlitebného radu ešte predtým, ako vôbec prišli hore, aby sa za nich modlilo, a bežali k oltáru a dali sa do poriadku s Bohom skôr, ako prišli hore do Jeho prítomnosti. Vidíte, je niečo na tom vojdení do prítomnosti Božej. To spôsobuje, že sa veci dejú. Videl som ľudí, ktorí ležali na lôžkach a nosidlách.
12V ten večer dole v Mexiku, keď to malé mŕtve bábätko ležalo pod dekou, keď ho tam tá malá španielska matka priniesla hore, alebo lepšie povedané, malá mexická matka ho priniesla hore. Keď to videli... videlo to niekoľko tisíc tých ľudí, možno päťdesiat alebo sedemdesiatpäťtisíc na jednom zhromaždení, uvideli, ako to malé mŕtve bábätko prišlo do života, ženy odpadávali, ľudia dvíhali ruky a vykrikovali. Prečo? Uvedomovali si, že ľudská bytosť by to nedokázala urobiť, ale že boli v prítomnosti všemohúceho Boha. A to spôsobilo, že sa niečo stalo.
13Mal som to privilégium počuť hovoriť zbožných mužov. Bolo povedané, že Charles Finney, maličký chlapík, vážil okolo 50kg, ale mal tak mocný spôsob prejavu, že až... Raz v jednej budove skúšal akustiku. Oni vtedy nemali ozvučovaciu techniku. A bol tam nejaký muž, ktorý tam vykonával opravu, hore na balkóne alebo hore na streche toho miesta, a započul toho človeka, že vošiel dovnútra, a tak on nevedel, kto to je, tak zostal len potichu. A pán Finney išiel otestovať akustiku. Potom, ako strávil mnoho času na modlitbe za to prebudenie, ktoré mal mať, išiel vyskúšať svoj hlas, aby videl, ako to bude znieť. Prekĺzol sa rýchlo ku kazateľni a povedal, „Čiňte pokánie, inak zahyniete!“ A povedal to s takou silou, potom, ako bol pod pomazaním Božím, že ten človek až spadol dole zhora toho balkóna, dole na podlahu, zhora tej budovy dole na podlahu.
14On kázal Evanjelium takým spôsobom, že stál v Bostone, Massachusetts, v malom okennom výklenku, pretože tam nebolo žiadnej cirkvi, ktorá by dokázala obsiahnuť jeho zástup. A stál tam s takou mohutnou mocou a tak kázal o pekle, že až pracujúci ľudia, ktorí tam boli s košíkmi v rukách, padali na ulici a kričali o milosrdenstvo v prítomnosti Božej. Veľkolepí kazatelia, ktorí boli schopní skrze Slovo Božie priniesť prítomnosť Božiu k poslucháčstvu... Nech je to ďaleko od ľudí, aby boli v srdci tak poznačení, až nikdy nerozpoznajú prítomnosť Božiu. Nech je to ďaleko od nich.
15Keď ten prvý človek, akonáhle si uvedomil, že zhrešil a vykonal zlé, a keď Boh prišiel do jeho prítomnosti, alebo on prišiel do prítomnosti Božej, Adam, nedokázal zastať v prítomnosti Božej. Utiekol a skryl sa v kríku a snažil sa zakryť figovým listom, pretože vedel, že stál v prítomnosti Jehovu, Stvoriteľa. To bola reakcia prvého človeka potom, čo zhrešil a snažil sa vojsť do prítomnosti Božej s hriechom na svojej duši. Nemohol sa skryť, pretože nebol ešte tak skazený. Hriech sa ešte neuchytil tak, ako sa to dnes zakorenilo do ľudských sŕdc, ale on si bol veľmi vedomý, že stál pred svojím Stvoriteľom. No, on sa ukryl v kríkoch a nevyšiel von a nemohol vyjsť von, až kým pre neho Boh neučinil prípravu.
16Mohli by sme ísť naspäť a vziať to miesto v 1. Mojžišovej, 17. kapitola a 3. verš, keď ten veľký patriarcha Abrahám, keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej a Boh ku nemu prehovoril (v tej 17. kapitole) v Mene Všemohúceho Boha, Abrahám padol na svoju tvár. Ten veliký patriarcha, služobník Boží, nedokázal obstáť v prítomnosti Božej, hoci Mu verne slúžil dvadsaťpäť rokov. Ale keď sa Boh pohol do jeho prítomnosti, ten patriarcha padol na svoju tvár, pretože nedokázal obstáť v prítomnosti Božej.
17V 2. Mojžišovej, v 3. kapitole nachádzame Mojžiša, veľkého služobníka a proroka Božieho, keď bol vzadu na zadnej strane púšte, ten človek bol svätým človekom. Narodil sa kvôli určitému účelu. Narodil sa od života svojej matky, aby bol prorokom. Snažil sa získať vzdelanie a urobil všetko, čo mohol, aby vyslobodil svoj ľud, pretože chápal to, že tam bol na to, aby vyslobodil svoj ľud, ale pritom to pochopil z toho teologického pohľadu. On bol trénovaný. Bol veľmi dobre vyškolený. Mohol tých Egypťanov učiť múdrosti, pričom to boli tí najchytrejší ľudia na svete. On poznal všetky podrobné detaily. Poznal Písmo od A po Z. Poznal zasľúbenia, ktoré Boh učinil. Poznal ich z toho intelektuálneho pohľadu. A bol veľkým vojenným mužom. Ale jedného dňa na zadnej strane púšte, keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej, strhol si dole topánky a padol na svoje nohy, keď vedel, že bol na svätej pôde. Nedokázal stáť na nohách, keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej; padol na tvár, ako to urobil Abrahám. Nedokázal stáť v prítomnosti Božej.
18V 2. Mojžišovej 19:19, keď tí vybraní ľudia Boží odo dní Abraháma, z Abraháma prišiel Izák, z Izáka prišiel Jákob, z Jákoba prišli patriarchovia, a roky po rokoch priniesli svätých ľudí, veľkých ľudí, vybraných ľudí, vybraná rasa, posvätení, svätí ľudia a celý život slúžili Bohu. A jedného dňa Boh povedal, „Zhromaždi tam Izrael, idem ku nim prehovoriť.“
Ale keď Boh zostúpil na vrch tej hory Sinaj a celá tá hora bola v ohni a dym odtiaľ vyletoval ako z pece a zahrmel tam Boží Hlas, Izrael padol na svoju tvár a povedal, „Nech hovorí Mojžiš, inak zahynieme.“ Človek si v prítomnosti Božej uvedomuje, že je hriešnikom. A jednako každý jeden z nich bol obrezaný podľa zákona. Zachovávali tie prikázania a to všetko, ale keď Boh prehovoril a oni sa dostali do Jeho prítomnosti, uvedomili si, že sú mimo; neboli v poriadku. Niečo im chýbalo, pretože boli v prítomnosti Božej. Áno. A povedali, „Nech hovorí Mojžiš, a nie Boh, lebo ak bude hovoriť Boh, všetci tu zomrieme. Nech ku nám hovorí Mojžiš.“
19Bolo to v Lukášovi 5:8, keď Peter... Ó, keď bol veľkým zarytým mužom, človekom, ktorý mal veľký vplyv, veľkú moc, ako tomu rozumieme. Bol taký drsný a bol známym rybárom. Ale keď uvidel zázrak Boží, ktorý vykonal ten na pohľad obyčajný Človek, pričom on v tom čase rozpoznal, že je potrebné viac než len nejakého človeka, aby hodil všetky tie ryby do siete; kde on so všetkým svojím vzdelaním, jeho poznaním o chytaní rýb, rybárčil celú noc a nechytil ani jednu. Ale počul, ako Niekto povedal, „Nahoďte siete.“
A keď začal tiahnuť, obdržal veliké množstvo rýb a uvedomil si, že bol hriešnym človekom. A povedal, „Odíď odo mňa, Pane, lebo som hriešny človek.“ Kto to povedal? Svätý Peter v prítomnosti Božej, prosil Boha, aby odišiel z jeho prítomnosti, pretože si uvedomil, že je hriešnikom.
Abrahám si uvedomil, že nie je v poriadku. Adam si uvedomil, že nie je v poriadku, pričom bol synom Božím, uvedomil si, že nie je v poriadku. Mojžiš si uvedomil, že nie je v poriadku. Izrael, ako cirkev a národ, oni si uvedomili, že nie sú v poriadku. „Odíď odo mňa, lebo som hriešny človek.“ On sa nesnažil povedať, „Nuž, som svätý a hoden, aby som toto prijal.“ Povedal, „Som hriešny človek.“
20Raz jeden samozvaný odborník na náboženstvo, so všetkou svojou teológiou, ktorú sa dokázal naučiť pod veľkým učiteľom zvaným Gamaliel, a jeho meno bolo Saul z Tarzu, poznáme ho ako Pavla: nábožný do bodky. Poznal všetky podrobné detaily ich náboženstva. Bol to farizej z farizejov a Hebrej z Hebrejov. Bol to známy človek, učenec, múdry, chytrý, vzdelaný, tvrdil, že Boha poznal už odkedy bol malým dieťaťom. Ale jedného dňa na ceste do Damašku, zasvietil na neho ten Ohnivý Stĺp a on spadol na zem do prachu a povedal, „Pane, čo chceš, aby som učinil?“ Všetok jeho veľkolepý tréning, všetok jeho veľkolepý teologický tréning, všetko jeho vzdelanie neznamenalo nič, keď zastal v prítomnosti Božej.
21Chcel by som sa tu na chvíľku zastaviť a povedať, že to je to isté. Mohol si získať D.D., Ph.D., čímkoľvek môžeš byť; mohol si chodiť do zboru, odkedy si bol malým dieťaťom; mohol si vykonať všetky druhy náboženských skutkov, ktoré existujú, ale keď raz vstúpiš do prítomnosti Božej, budeš sa cítiť tak malým a bezvýznamným.
Pavol si uvedomil, že sa mýlil, a pod tým vplyvom a mocou spadol na zem. Keď sa pozrel hore a uvidel práve toho Boha, o ktorom kázal, a proti tomu, a pritom si myslel, že vedel, ako sa veci majú, a tu videl, že sa mýlil, on spadol na zem, pretože bol v prítomnosti Božej. Uvidel ten Ohnivý Stĺp.
22Čo ohľadom toho veľkého svätého Jána zo Zjavenia 1:7, keď mu bolo ukázané videnie a on sa pozrel a začul Hlas, ktorý ku nemu prehovoril. A obrátil sa, aby videl ten Hlas, a uvidel sedem zlatých svietnikov. A Ten, ktorý stál v prostriedku tých siedmich zlatých svietnikov s vlasmi ako vlna, očami ako plamene ohňa, nohami ako mosadzné stĺpy; na prsiach bol opásaný zlatým pásom a bol nazvaný Slovo Božie. A keď ten veľkolepý svätý Ján kráčal s Kristom, opieral sa o Jeho hruď, keď vykonal všetky tieto veci... Ako som dnes ráno hovoril, Pavlova služba prevyšovala každého z nich. A tu, potom, ako Ján kráčal s Ježišom, rozprával sa s Ním, spával kúsok od Neho, jedol s Ním, ale keď Ho tam uvidel stáť v tom oslávenom stave, povedal, že padol k Jeho nohám ako mŕtvy muž. Amen. Pomyslite na to.
23Môžeme chodievať do zboru a rozprávať a chváliť Boha a podobne, ale, ó, brat, keď Ho uvidíme prichádzať, niečo v našich srdciach bude odlišné. Môžeme si myslieť, že si vykonávame svoju náboženskú povinnosť skrze to, že chodievame do zboru a platíme naše desiatky. Môžeme si myslieť, že dodržiavame zákony cirkvi a recitujeme všetky tie vyznania, ale nech sa len raz pozrieme na Neho, celá tá vec je potom úplne zmenená. Áno, to je isté.
Tento veľký človek, svätý Ján, takýto významný človek, Biblia hovorí v Zjavení 1:7, že on padol ako mŕtvy. Po tri a pol roku obecenstva s Kristom, bol to jeden z pisateľov Epištol, chodil za Ním, jedol s Ním pri stole, spal pri Jeho posteli a mal s Ním obecenstvo, kdekoľvek On išiel, ale keď sa obrátil, aby Ho uvidel, nemal už v sebe žiaden ďalší život, ktorý by v ňom zostal. Spadol na podlahu alebo na zem ako mŕtvy. V poriadku.
24Vidíme Izaiáša v Izaiášovi 6:5, ako sme to práve čítali, tento veľký mocný prorok, on je jedným z najväčších prorokov, ktorí sú v Biblii. Existuje šesťdesiatšesť Kníh Biblie; v Izaiášovi je šesťdesiatšesť kapitol. Izaiáš začína v Genezis, v strede Izaiáša prináša Nový zákon, na konci Izaiáša prináša milénium; úplne presne, Genezis, Nový zákon a Zjavenie; dokonale. Izaiáš bol jedným z hlavných prorokov. Ale jedného dňa spočíval na ramene Uziáša, toho veľkého kráľa, Uziáš bol od neho vzatý a on bol zničený. Bol to celkom dobrý človek; bol dobrým spravodlivým človekom, ak ho ten spravodlivý kráľ, dobrý kráľ, rozpoznal ako svätého muža a nechával si ho vo svojom chráme.
25Izaiáš vídal videnia. On bol prorokom. Izaiáš kázal Slovo. Bol kazateľom. Izaiáš bol svätým mužom. Ale jedného dňa, ako tak stál v chráme, upadol do tranzu a uvidel Slávu Božiu. Uvidel Anjelov, ktorí mali krídla cez svoju tvár, krídla cez svoje nohy a pomocou krídel i lietali a volali, „Svätý, svätý, svätý je Pán Boh Všemohúci.“
Ten prorok si uvedomil, že bol ničím. Povedal, „Beda mi, pretože som človek nečistých rtov,“ prorok, najmocnejší prorok Biblie, jeden z nich. „Som človek nečistých rtov a bývam prostred ľudu nečistých rtov; beda mi, lebo vidím Slávu Božiu.“
26A povedal, keď ten Anjel zavolal a stĺpy chrámu sa zatriasli a pohli tam a späť. Brat, to s tebou niečo urobí. Nie len, že sa zatrasú stĺpy chrámu, ale keď On znova príde, budú sa triasť celé nebesia i zem. Vrchy sa pohnú a more utečie a skríknu, „Ukryte nás pred tvárou Toho, ktorý sedí na tróne.“ Bude to hrozný čas. Poviem ti, hriešny priateľu, mal by si to dať do poriadku. Je to tak.
No, Izaiáš povedal, „Beda mi, som človek nečistých rtov a bývam prostred nečistého ľudu. A som – títo ľudia majú nečisté rty.“
27No, pamätajte, ak takíto svätí ľudia rozpoznali v prítomnosti Božej, že sú hriešnikmi, čo urobí v ten deň hriešnik a bezbožný? Čo urobia ľudia, ktorí sedeli v zhromaždeniach? Čo urobia ľudia, ktorí videli moc Božiu, ktorí počuli odpočítavanie Slova, ktorí videli Boha, ako zamanifestoval Samého Seba a bez tieňa pochybnosti naplnil každé Písmo, a aj tak sa budú stále snažiť dostať sa do neba bez toho, aby boli znovuzrodení a prijali Ducha Svätého? Biblia hovorí, „A ak aj spravodlivý sotva býva zachránený, bezbožník a hriešnik kde sa ukáže? Na akom mieste budeme stáť, ak vidíme Boha, ako rovno pred nami odhaľuje Samého Seba, a vidíme Slávu Božiu práve tak isto, ako to videli tamtí ľudia, a tamtí ľudia kričali, proroci a vidiaci, na ktorých je založené Slovo? Ak oni kričali, padali na zem a volali, „Som človek nečistých rtov, nečistota,“ aké to potom bude pre toho človeka, ktorý ani nevyzná svoje hriechy? Čo to bude pre tínedžera, ktorý nevyzná svoje hriechy? Čo to bude pre toho zatvrdnutého človeka, ktorý si myslí, že vie o Božom stvorení viac než samotný Boh? Čo sa stane tomu človeku, ktorý strávil celý svoj život tým, že sa snažil vyvrátiť Bibliu, kde sa taký človek ukáže? Pomyslite na to!
28Toto je evanjelizácia. Toto je čas zatriasť ľuďmi. Toto je čas, o ktorom Boh hovoril, že príde taký čas, On raz zatriasol vrchom Sinaj, ale znova príde zatrasenie, kedy On nezatrasie len vrchom Sinaj, ale zatrasie všetkým, čím môže byť pohnuté. Ale všimli ste si zvyšok toho Písma? „Ale my prijímame Kráľovstvo, ktorým nemôže byť zatrasené.“ Haleluja. Všetko, čím môže byť zatrasené, tým bude zatrasené. Nebesia budú zatrasené. Zem bude zatrasená. „Nebesia i zem pominú, ale to Slovo nikdy nepominie. Lebo na tejto skale postavím Svoju Cirkev a brány pekla ju nikdy nepremôžu.“ Všetko, čím môže byť zatrasené, tým bude zatrasené. Ale my prijímame Kráľovstvo, ktoré je Slovo samotného Boha a Boh je Svojím Slovom. On nezatrasie Samého Seba. Amen. Ó. Ale my prijímame Kráľovstvo, ktorým nemôže byť pohnuté; to je nepohnuteľné, povedal Pavol, ktorý napísal List Židom.
29Taká osoba a taký človek, taký čas a ako sa oni cítili... Sme tu tiež my, ktorí sme videli Slávu Božiu práve tak, ako ju videli títo ľudia. Samozrejme. Videli sme To. Videli sme Slávu Božiu, ako ju videl Abrahám. Videli sme Slávu Božiu, ako ju videl Mojžiš, ten istý Ohnivý Stĺp, tá istá moc Božia, ten istý Kristus zjavujúci Seba Samého, ukazujúci Samého Seba, dodržujúci Svoje Slovo v týchto posledných dňoch. Ako môžeme potom prechádzať okolo a zaobchádzať s tým tak naľahko? Ako môžeme chodiť okolo a držať sa svojich vyznaní a denominácií a nebrať Božie Slovo? Aké to bude pre nás v ten deň? Ako to s nami bude, keď sme uvideli Slávu Božiu?
30Niektorí ľudia sa postavia niekde na okraj a budú si z toho robiť žarty, niektorí sa budú z toho vysmievať, niektorí to nazvú fanatizmom, iní to nazvú mentálnou telepatiou, ďalší to nazvú Belzebúbom, niektorí to nazvú jedným alebo druhým. Ako hovorí staré porekadlo, „Blázni budú chodiť v okovaných topánkach, kde sa Anjeli boja chodiť po špičkách.“ Tak veru. „Blázon povedal vo svojom srdci, 'Nieto Boha.'“ Keď človek vidí prejavujúceho sa Boha, tak dokonale cez Svoje vlastné Slovo (nie cez vyznania, ale cez Jeho Slovo), a ide rovno cez to a robí si z toho žarty, on je blázon. Pretože Boh je Slovo a Boh sa im urobil jasným, a taký človek je potom blázon, povedala Biblia. Čo to bude pre neho znamenať, keď sa bude musieť postaviť na tom mieste? To bude v ten deň pre toho človeka strašné, pre toho bezbožného.
31Avšak hriešnici činiaci pokánie nemajú žiaden strach. Ó, nie. Hriešnik, ktorý bude činiť pokánie, on vie, že existuje krvavá Obeť, ktorá čaká a stojí na jeho mieste. To je to, čo mi dáva útechu. Videl som Slávu Božiu. Pocítil som Jeho moc. Poznám dotyk Jeho ruky. Poznám dotyk Jeho trestania. Ja viem, že On je Boh. A viem, že som nehodný, ale existuje Niekto, kto tam stojí namiesto mňa. Amen.
Je tam Niekto, kto stojí a hovorí, „Otče, polož všetku jeho neprávosť na Mňa, pretože on sa postavil za Mňa dole na zemi.“ Haleluja. Potom som prišiel k Božiemu trónu, odvážne, majúc milosť vo svojom srdci, vediac, že to nie je skrze dobré skutky, ale je to Jeho milosť, ktorá ma zachránila. Nie to, čo ja môžem urobiť, ku čomu sa môžem pripojiť, čo môžem povedať, ale to je skrze Jeho milosť, ktorá ma zachránila.
Niet divu, že básnik, ktorý to uchytil, zvolal:
Udivujúca milosť, ako sladko znie,
ktorá spasila takého úbožiaka, ako som ja.
Raz som bol stratený, ale teraz som nájdený,
bol som slepý, ale teraz vidím.
32Ako kedy môžem ísť do neba, ako by ste mohli ísť do neba? Nedokážeme to urobiť, my... Neexistuje pre nás spôsob, ako to urobiť. Ale je Jeden, ktorý vytvoril tú cestu. A On je tou Cestou. A ako sa do Neho dostaneme? Skrze jedného Ducha, Jeho Ducha, sme pokrstení do jedného Tela, ktoré bude vzkriesené až na obežnú dráhu. Odídeme zo zeme ako astronauti tohto posledného dňa pred Božiu tvár. Amen. Iste. Hriešnici, ktorí učinili pokánie, sa nemusia starostiť; je tam Niekto, kto je na ich mieste.
Ó, potom, ako sme teraz vstúpili do Jeho prítomnosti a vieme, že sme boli v Jeho prítomnosti, videli sme Ho robiť veci, ktoré robil, keď bol tu na zemi. Ako viete... Ako spoznáte vinič, keď sa na neho dívate? Je to vďaka ovociu, ktoré prináša. Ako poznáte cirkev, do ktorej chodíte? Skrze ovocie, ktoré prináša. Ježiš povedal, „Ten, kto verí vo Mňa, skutky, ktoré Ja činím, i on bude činiť. Tieto znamenia budú nasledovať tých, ktorí veria.“
33No, vidíme, že On nám nikdy nenariadil, aby sme išli a zakladali denominácie. Nikdy nám nenariadil, aby sme išli vytvoriť nejaké vyznanie. Ale On nás ohľadom toho varoval. „Lebo ktokoľvek z Toho niečo odoberie alebo ku Tomu niečo pridá, ten bude odvrhnutý, jeho diel z Knihy Života.“ Vidíte?
Tak nemáme nariadené nič iné okrem toho zostávať s tým Slovom. A ak je nejaký človek poslaný od Boha, On zostane so Slovom, pretože Boh môže stáť jedine so Svojím Slovom. Rozumiete? Vidíte, On musí zostať so Svojím Slovom. Potom, keď vchádzame do Jeho prítomnosti, keď nejaký človek raz vchádza do prítomnosti Božej, on je navždy zmenený, ak sa dá zmeniť. No, existujú takí, ktorí by mohli vojsť do prítomnosti Božej a nevenovali by tomu žiadnu pozornosť. Taký nebol ustanovený do Života. Ale ak bol predurčeným Božím, akonáhle urobí ten prvý pohyb, on o tom vie. To sa zapáli.
34Pozrite sa na tú malú prostitútku, ktorá bola v ten deň tam dole v Samárii, tá žena. Ona bola aj psychicky aj fyzicky v zlom stave. Vieme to. Ale akonáhle uvidela vykonané to znamenie Mesiáša, povedala, „Vieme, že Mesiáš príde, aby toto robil. Ty musíš byť Jeho prorokom.“
On povedal, „Ja som ten Mesiáš, o ktorom bolo napísané, že príde.“
Ona to rozpoznala. Vôbec sa nepýtala ďalšie otázky. Začala rýchlo ísť so zodpovednosťou, lebo vedela, že keď to našla a vošla do prítomnosti Božej, bola zodpovedná, aby o Tom povedala niekomu ďalšiemu. Haleluja. Správne. Akýkoľvek človek, ktorý prichádza do prítomnosti Božej, je od tej minúty zodpovedný pred Bohom, aby o tom povedal niekomu ďalšiemu. Pozrite na Abraháma; pozrite na Mojžiša; pozrite na Petra; pozrite na Pavla; v tom momente, ako vošli do prítomnosti Božej, rozpoznali, že sú hriešnikmi, a spečatili svoje svedectvo svojím životom. Pozrite na tú malú pani, nedokázala dlhšie vydržať, odišla do mesta a povedala tým ľuďom, „Poďte, vidzte Človeka, ktorý mi povedal veci, ktoré som urobila. Či to nie je Mesiáš?“ Nemohli to poprieť, pretože to bolo podľa Písma. Iste. Áno, museli to urobiť, človek, keď máme povinnosť povedať o tom ostatným, ako to urobil Mojžiš, ako to urobil Peter, ako to urobil Pavol. Po týchto veciach, keď si To videl a vošiel si do Jeho prítomnosti, si zodpovedný, aby si to Posolstvo podal niekomu ďalšiemu. Nemôžeš s tým ostať len ticho sedieť. Musíš to vziať ku niekomu ďalšiemu.
35Pamätám si, že tu zvykla byť jedna stará sestra, matka brata Grahama Snellinga, zvykla sedávať rovno tu v zbore a spievala, „Práve som prešla. Bežím, bežím, bežím a práve som prešla a nemôžem zastaviť.“ Jednoducho niečo našla. Išiel som do jedného malého farebného zboru, ktorý je tu v Louisville, a všetci z nich tam stáli a spievali, „Bežím tou Kráľovou hradskou cestou, práve som to našiel a dostal som sa na tú hradskú cestu.“
Niečo na tom je, keď nachádzaš Krista, nedokážeš byť viac potichu. Po zvyšok svojich dní si odlišnou osobou, lebo keď život a Život prichádzajú dokopy, to vytvára jasné Svetlo. Skutočne. Keď sa žiarovka spojí s tým drôtom, ak je to funkčná žiarovka, to musí vydať svetlo; keď sa ten prúd a tá žiarovka dostanú dokopy, nemôže sa stať nič iné len rozptýlenie svetla. Musí to tak byť. A keď nejaký muž alebo žena, ktorí sú predurčení do večného Života, a uvidia ten prúd Boží, ako zachytí tú žiarovku, to bude vrhať Svetlo všade, kde sa len dá. Nemusíš mať viac ako desať wattov, ale budeš rozptyľovať Svetlo, ktoré máš. Ak nemáš päťsto wattov, rozptyľuj to desaťwattové Svetlo. Vydávaj svoje Svetlo. „Nech vaše Svetlo svieti pred ľuďmi, aby mohli vidieť vaše dobré skutky a oslavovať Otca, ktorý je v nebesiach.“ Tak veru.
36Keď nejaký človek prichádza do kontaktu s Bohom, on o sebe rozpoznáva, že nie je dobrý. Ako môže nejaký človek chodiť naokolo a chváliť sa, aký je veľký a čo všetko dokázal, keď je ničím? On je od začiatku ničím. Raz tam v Memphise, v Tennessee, alebo v jednom z... nemyslím, že to bolo Memphise; bolo to jedno z tých miest. Bol som tam s bratom Davisom a mali sme tam prebudenie, mohol to byť Memphis. A boli sme – vošli sme do kolosea a oni tam mali... nie do kolosea, bolo to skôr niečo ako galéria umenia a mali tam veľké sochy, ktoré zohnali z rôznych častí zeme, rozličné, Herkules a podobne, a to, čo namaľovali známi umelci. A potom tam mali analýzu človeka, ktorý vážil asi 70 kíl. Viete, akú má cenu? 84 centov. To je všetko, čím je. 84 centov sú všetky tie chemikálie, ktoré z neho môžete dostať. Má len toľko vápna, že by ste s tým mohli pofŕkať akurát slepačie hniezdo. A potom má trochu vápnika, trochu draslíka. Všetko by sa to predalo za nejakých 84 centov. Ale my sa staráme o tých 84 centov a staráme sa o nich ako vo vatičke.
37Stáli tam dvaja mladíci a jeden sa pozrel na druhého a povedal, „Jim, nemáme veľmi veľkú hodnotu, či áno?“
On povedal, „Nie, to nemáme, John.“
A povedal som, „Ale počkajte chvíľu, chlapci, tam vo vnútri máte dušu, ktorá má hodnotu desaťtisíc svetov, ktorá bola – môže byť vykúpená skrze moc Božiu, ak to len dovolíte.“
Človek, keď vidí tieto veci, je zodpovedný, aby o tom povedal druhým. Uvidel som to, keď som bol len chlapcom. Strávil som pri tom celý život. Je mi ľúto, že mám len jeden život; prial by som si ich mať tisíc. Ak by som mal večnosť, stále by som o tom chcel hovoriť ľuďom, pretože to je tá najväčšia vec, ktorú dokážem nájsť.
Ak to budete čítať v Ezechielovi 33; 33. kapitola Ezechiela, tam bol na strážnej veži postavený strážca a tento strážca bol zodpovedný za celé mesto. Amen. No, na chvíľu prebuďte svoje duchovné svedomie, zatiaľ čo sa dostanem do tohto Písma. Ten strážca musel byť vytrénovaný človek. Musel vedieť, čo robí, pretože na akúkoľvek vzdialenosť, akonáhle tam oni povstali, ten nepriateľ, on to mohol zachytiť. Mohol povedať o ich postupovaní; mohol povedať o ich farbe; mohol povedať o ich zoradení a postupe. Potiaľ, pokiaľ dokázali vidieť tie ľudské oči, on to mohol vidieť. A on bol vyššie než ten zvyšok z nich, pretože bol vytrénovaný do toho, aby rozpoznal nepriateľa. A Boh vyžadoval z jeho ruky celé mesto, „Strážca, koľko je noci?“ Haleluja.
38Takíto sú dnes Boží vojaci. Oni sú vytrénovaní na Slovo. Keď sa objaví čokoľvek, čo má na sebe nejaký malý lesk, čo má na sebe niečo iné, čo nie je Písmom, oni varujú svoje zhromaždenie. Čokoľvek, čo nie je Biblia, čokoľvek, čo nie je Božie, niečo také, ako mať polievkové večere, tance a všetko možné, aby z toho platili pastorov. Tie veci sú nesprávne. Kockové hry a kartové večierky v cirkvách, to je zlé. A ten skutočný strážca na hradbe, ktorý raz bol v prítomnosti Božej... Ak nie je na tej hradbe, ak on len má byť na tej hradbe, tak tá hradba nemusí byť vyššie než ten zvyšok zhromaždenia. Ale ak to je správny strážca, Boh ho dvíha rovno hore do takých sfér, kam sa ten zvyšok ľudí nikdy nedostane. Ale on stráži stádo a Boh to od neho požaduje. Muž Boží, ktorý stojí v prítomnosti Božej a vie, že Boh je Bohom, a vie, že Boh dodržuje Svoje Slovo, a sleduje Boha, ako potvrdzuje Samého Seba, a koná si svoju povinnosť a zachováva Jeho Slovo, potom nezáleží na tom, koľko organizácií alebo denominácií sa to snaží zboriť, on pozná to zoskupenie a postup nepriateľa. Amen. Skutočný strážca, on vie, čo má tomu zhromaždeniu povedať.
39Ak vyznávame, že On je – že sme boli v Jeho prítomnosti a vyznali sme svoje hriechy, oni sú vytreté preč z knihy Jeho pamäte. Nie je nikto okrem Boha, kto to dokáže urobiť. No, môžete mi urobiť čokoľvek; odpustím vám, ale budem si to pamätať. Ak by som ja urobil čokoľvek vám, vy by ste mi odpustili, ale budete si to pamätať. Ale Boh dokáže odpustiť a zabudnúť na to. Pomyslite na to: Ani si to nepamätá. Amen. To spôsobuje, že sa cítim dobre. Keď už sa na to vôbec nepamätá, to nedokáže urobiť nikto okrem Boha. Nedokáže to urobiť nikto okrem Boha. On povedal, že to vymaže zo Svojej knihy pamäte. Ja to nedokážem; vy to nedokážete, pretože máme len tieto malé ohraničené zmysly. Ale On je nekonečný Boh; On dokáže absolútne zabudnúť, že to kedy bolo vykonané. Amen.
40Jedno mladé dievča, ktoré pochádzalo z jednej dedinskej cirkvi, a jej otec bol taký starodávny vykrikujúci kazateľ alebo člen tej cirkvi. A tak, ona sa presťahovala do mesta a zostala celá zamiešaná s tými ženami, ktoré tam boli, začala sa správať ako ony a mať takú módu. A jedného dňa bola tak trocha zahanbená kvôli tomu, že mal prísť jej ocko a mama, či vlastne len jej otec, pretože jej matka bola mŕtva. A ten starý muž, to jediné, čo robil, bolo, že ráno vstal, naraňajkoval sa, zobral Bibliu a čítal z nej a plakal, modlil sa a celý deň vykrikoval, behal hore a dole po izbe, a tak ona sa za to hanbila. A potom celú noc, ak sa dostal k Biblii, začal ju čítať, postavil sa z postele a zakričal, „Sláva Bohu! Haleluja! Ó, sláva Bohu,“ dupotal tam a prekričal tam polovicu noci.
41A jedného dňa chcela pozvať členky svojej cirkvi na malý čajový večierok, tak, ako to stále robia, veď viete, a tak nevedela, čo urobiť so svojím otcom. Koniec koncov, bol to jej ocko. A tak sa rozhodla, že ho pošle hore do podkrovia a povedala, „Oci, nechceš tu byť, keď tu budú tie ženy, však?“
Povedal, „Nie, veru nie.“
Povedala, „No, dnes tu budeme mať ženy zo zboru a budeme mať také malé zhromaždenie, malé modlitebné zhromaždenie. A tak, poviem ti, oci, čo keby si išiel hore na podkrovie?“
Povedal, „Myslím, že pôjdem.“
A tak povedala, „Prečítaj si túto krásnu knihu.“ A dala mu knihu geografie, vzala mu jeho Bibliu, aby bol potichu. Vedela, že keby čítal Bibliu, no, začal by tam hore robiť mnoho hluku. Tak on vyšiel hore, viete, nad to miesto, kde mali svoj večierok. Ona mu dala zemepis a povedala, „Toto je pekné. Mal by si si to prečítať, oci, pretože ti to prezradí všetku pravdu o svete.“
Nuž, on povedal, „Rád si to prečítam.“
Povedala, „No, choď tam hore a buď skutočne potichu, kým neodídu tieto ženy, a potom prídem... ty prídeš dole a potom môžeš robiť, čo chceš.“ On súhlasil, že to urobí. A tak ide hore, posedáva tam...
42A oni tam mali ten čajový večierok, viete, hovorili o tom-a-tom, a viete, ako to chodí, zabávali sa. A zrazu sa tam hore niečo ozvalo, nastalo vykrikovanie a skákanie, začala padať omietka. Ten starý muž tam behal hore dolu po podkroví tak rýchlo, ako len vedel, skákal hore dolu a vykrikoval, „Sláva Bohu! Sláva Bohu!“ Tie ženy nevedeli, čo sa tam hore deje, čo to tam na poschodí majú. A tak on zbehol dolu po schodoch tak rýchlo, ako len vedel...
Povedala, „Ocko, dala som ti predsa čítať knihu geografie!“
Povedal, „Áno, viem. No, vieš,“ povedal, „čítal som v tej geografii o tom, že v mori existuje miesto, ktoré nemá nijaké dno.“ A povedal, „Včera som tu v Biblii čítal o tom, že On povedal, že umiestnil moje hriechy do mora zabudnutia. Sláva Bohu!“ Povedal, „Stále odchádzajú. Nie je tam koniec; jednoducho idú stále preč.“ Je to tak. A on kvôli tomu vykrikoval. Nuž, je to tak.
43Boh dáva naše hriechy do mora zabudnutia, maže ich preč a oni sú na tom tak, ako keby sa nikdy nestali. Ó, potom skrze milosť Božiu, skrze Ježiša Krista, nášho Pána, stojíme čistí a svätí, práve tak svätí, ako bol On, pretože On nevidí mňa, keď prichádzam tam hore, On vidí Svojho vlastného Syna. Ten jediný spôsob, ako môže On vidieť. Mňa nemôže vidieť, pretože som v Jeho Synovi (Tak veru.), a On vidí len Svojho Syna. Či to nie je nádherné? Už viac nemusíme rozmýšľať o hriechoch; všetko to pominulo; je to pod Krvou. Tak veru. Už sa viac ohľadom toho nemusíme starostiť; všetko je to preč a dokonca preč z Božej pamäte. On si to dokonca ani viac nepamätá.
44Izaiáš, ten mocný prorok, keď vyznával svoje hriechy, povedal, „Beda mi, pretože som človek nečistých rtov.“ Prorok. „Som človek nečistých rtov a moje zhromaždenie je nečisté.“ Vidíte? „Tí ľudia, ku ktorým kážem, oni sú nečistí. Ja som nečistý. A beda mne. Ale tu zo Slávy Božej zostupuje dole skupina Anjelov, posunuli sa oblaky a pozrel som sa hore a uvidel som podolok Jeho rúcha, ako napĺňal celé nebesia. A sledoval som týchto Anjelov, ktorí nikdy nepoznali, čo je to hriech. Oni dokonca nikdy nepoznali, čo je to hriech, a sú v prítomnosti Božej. Mali dve krídla cez svoju tvár; dve krídla cez svoje nohy; a pomocou dvoch krídiel lietali; a kričia dňom i nocou, „Svätý, svätý, svätý je Pán Boh.“ Fíha! To by spôsobilo, že aj vy by ste sa cítili takí nesvätí, či nie? No, čo on urobil? Povedal, „Beda mi.“
45A keď vyznal svoje hriechy a povedal, „Beda mi,“ ten Anjel vyšiel a vzal kliešte, zodvihol žeravý uhoľ, ktorý reprezentoval Ducha Svätého a oheň, a prišiel a položil to na prorokove pery a povedal, „Očistil som ťa.“ Potom tie krídla takto zaviali, odfúkli tie záclony času a on počul Boha, ako povedal, „Kto pôjde za nás?“
Potom, ako zistil, že existuje spôsob, ako odstrániť hriech, Boh chcel niekoho, aby pre Neho išiel, a on povedal, „Tu som, pošli mňa.“ On bol v prítomnosti Božej a vyznal svoje hriechy a bol očistený od svojich hriechov a bol pripravený pre službu. Amen. Ako to zachytil ten básnik, keď povedal:
Milióny teraz zomierajú v hriechu a hanbe.
Počujte ich smutný a žalostný nárek.
Ponáhľaj sa, brat, ponáhľaj sa ich vyslobodiť.
Rýchlo odpovedz, „Majstre, tu som, pošli mňa.“
46Keď pomyslím na Afriku, Indiu a okolo sveta, milióny pohanov, ktorí kričia a plačú za milosrdenstvom, a kto pôjde? Nie podať im nejaký traktát, ale priniesť im Ježiša Krista. Niekto v Jeho prítomnosti, ako Mojžiš, kto by mohol ísť tam dole a ukázať im skutočné vyslobodenie, nie spraviť, aby sa pripojili do nejakej cirkvi alebo potriasli si rukami a mali nejaké vyznanie, ale priniesť vyslobodenie do ich duše; nejaký dobrý zbožný muž. Áno, Izaiáš vyznal svoje hriechy a bol očistený.
47Potom, ako Jákob bojoval celú noc a vyznával svoje hriechy, pamätáte sa, na akom mieste bol? Bolo to nazvané Penitel, P-e-n-i-t-e-l, Penitel. To slovo „Penitel“ v hebrejčine znamená „tvár všemohúceho Boha“. Jákob, ten malý podvodník, utekal celý... Jeho meno bolo „Jákob“, čo znamená „špekulant“, to je podvodník, celý život utekal preč od Boha, ale keď sa raz dostal do prítomnosti Božej na tom mieste Penitel, v tvári Božej, uchopil sa Boha a nenechal Ho odísť. Bože, potrebujeme viac Jákobov. On sa držal tváre Božej v prítomnosti Božej a zostal tam, kým nezačínalo vychádzať slnko. Boh povedal, „Nechaj Ma ísť, pretože vychádza slnko.“ A on zostal pred tvárou Božou, až kým nevychádzalo slnko, ale odišiel odtiaľ ospravedlnený a spasený. Slnko.
48Ó, čo za veľkolepá vec to teraz bola, keď vedel, že sa cez to prebojoval. Videl znamenia Božie, mal sny o Bohu, ale tentokrát bol pred tvárou Božou, v prítomnosti Božej. Pomyslite teraz na to, priatelia, ako sa ponáhľame ďalej.
V prítomnosti Božej je človek premenený. Jákob bol premenený. No, on mohol chodiť s Bohom. Áno, on bol odlišným človekom ako predtým, keď išiel tam hore. Teraz sa ten boj skončil. Tak veru. A on začal stavať oltár. Nebol zvyknutý stavať oltáre, viete. Ale poviem vám, keď prídete do prítomnosti Božej, chcete niekde postaviť oltár. Chcete niekde nájsť miesto, kde sa môžete modliť. On postavil oltár. On bol očistený a Boh zvíťazil.
49A Jákob bol zmenený z „Jákoba“, „špekulant“, na „Izraela“, „knieža, ktoré má moc s Bohom“. To je to, čo sa stalo Jákobovi. Špekulant, podvodník, nespravodlivý, nesvätý, podvodník, podviedol svojho brata, ukradol prvorodenstvo, ako to bolo, od svojho brata to vzal takým nečestným spôsobom, podvodník. Podviedol svojho svokra. Nakládol tam tie topoľové prúty a to prinieslo ten pásikavý dobytok, keď tam prišli tie ťarchavé kravy a dívali sa na to, a tie ovce... videli ten topoľový prút a rodili pásikavý dobytok, a on ich označil. Podvodník, podviedol svojho vlastného svokra. Podviedol svoju matku, podviedol svojho otca, podviedol svojho brata, ale keď sa raz dostal... On bol podvodník. Všade, kam išiel, tak utekal, stále na úteku od Boha; bol na úteku pred svojim bratom. Ale keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej, rozpoznal, že bol hriešnikom. Čo urobil? Čo urobil? Uvidel svoju príležitosť. Stretol sa s niečím, na čo predtým ani nepomyslel, a zostal tam, až kým neboli všetky hriechy preč. Ó. Boh ho dostal do Svojej vlastnej prítomnosti.
50Boh robí cestu, aby dostal človeka do Svojej prítomnosti, a on potom robí rozhodnutie. Niektorí od Neho utečú; niektorí sa utečú k Nemu. Ak sú predurčení do Života, oni Tomu veria; držia sa Toho. Ak nie sú, snažia sa odísť preč a hovoria, „Nič na Tom nie je.“ Vidíte? A to je ten človek, ktorý je stratený. Ten človek, ktorý svoj hriech vyznáva, bude mať omilostenie. Ak skrývaš svoj hriech, nebudeš prosperovať. Nie.
A tak Jákob, viete, keď sa na ďalší deň stretol so svojím bratom Ezavom, potom už od neho nepotreboval žiadnu pomoc. Nepotreboval jeho armády. Zaujímal sa o stavanie oltárov. Už sa viac nebál Ezava.
51V Žalme 16:8 Dávid povedal, „Umiestnil som si pred seba Pána.“ To je dobrá vec, ktorú treba robiť. Žalm 16:8, „Postavil som si pred seba Pána.“ Aby tak ohľadom toho nebol zmätený. On si chcel byť vedomý Jeho prítomnosti, a tak Dávid povedal, „Vždy si pred svoju tvár staviam Pána. No, ja, Dávid, staviam si pred svoju tvár Pána, aby som si bol vždy vedomý Božej prítomnosti.“
Či by to dnes večer nebola pre nás všetkých dobrá lekcia? Umiestniť Pána pred svoju tvár, aby sme si vždy boli vedomí Jeho prítomnosti. Postavte Ho prvého. Prečo? Postavte Ho prvého, pred seba. Prečo? Potom nebudete hrešiť, keď si uvedomujete, že ste neustále v prítomnosti Božej. Keď si uvedomujete, že Boh je nablízku, dávate si pozor na to, čo hovoríte.
52Keď si človek myslí, že Boh je pomimo, on bude nadávať, bude žiadostiť po ženách, bude robiť... Bude kradnúť, podvádzať, klamať. Urobí čokoľvek, keď si myslí, že Boh ho nevidí. Ale priveďte ho raz do prítomnosti Božej, on s tým hneď prestane. Rozumiete? A Dávid povedal, „Vždy si pred seba staviam Pána.“ To je dobrá vec. Niet divu, že Boh povedal, že bol človekom podľa Jeho vlastného srdca. Človek bude robiť čokoľvek, keď si myslí, že Boh nie je nablízku. Ale keď si uvedomí, že Boh je nablízku, všimli ste si niekedy hriešnika? Nech pristúpi nejaká zbožná osoba, on prestane nadávať, ak má aspoň nejakú úctu. Vidíte? Nebude hovoriť špinavé vtipy, ktoré by hovoril. Rozumiete? Vidíte, on s tým prestane, pretože vie, že je v prítomnosti Božej, pretože Boh prebýva v príbytku Svojich ľudí. Vidíte?
53Po tom, ako toto Dávid urobil, povedal, „Moje srdce sa bude radovať.” Želám si, aby ste si to prečítali, Žalm 16. „Moje srdce sa bude radovať a moje telo bude odpočívať v nádeji.” Prečo? Moje srdce sa bude radovať, pretože mám po celý čas pred sebou Boha. „A moje telo bude odpočívať v nádeji; ak zomriem, budem znova vzkriesený. Lebo On nenechá Svojmu Svätému vidieť porušenia, ani nezanechá Jeho dušu v pekle.” Vidíte? Keď Dávid pred seba umiestňoval Boha a bol si vedomý, že bol neustále v prítomnosti Božej... „Hľadajte najprv Kráľovstvo Božie.”
54Teraz počúvajte, cirkev, milujem vás. A chcem, aby ste ma teraz počúvali. Ako zvykol hovoriť brat McCulley, idem niečo povedať. Vždy pred seba umiestňujte Pána a nerobte nič, čo by ste nerobili v Jeho prítomnosti, pretože On vás pozoruje. Rozumiete? Pán táborí vôkol tých, ktorí sa Ho boja. On jednoducho zostáva rovno blízko vás. A On vie o všetkom, čo robíte, a vy si to musíte uvedomiť. Keď začínate hovoriť klamstvo, nerobte to. Pamätajte, Boh vás počúva. Ak začínate robiť nejaký malý podvod, nerobte to; Boh sa na vás díva. Ak začínate brať Jeho Meno nadarmo, nerobte to; Boh vás počúva. Začínate fajčiť cigaretu; On sa na teba díva. Vidíte? Jeho... Zvykli sme spievať pieseň:
Po celej ceste do pravého príbytku duše
je oko, ktoré ťa pozoruje.
Každý krok, ktorý učiníš,
toto veľké oko nespí.
Je oko, ktoré ťa pozoruje.
Pamätajte, robte to tak ako Dávid, vždy pred svoju tvár umiestňujte Pána. Potom sa vaše srdce bude radovať a vaše telo bude odpočívať v nádeji, lebo On to zasľúbil. Tak veru. On vedel, že bude vzkriesený, pretože Boh to zasľúbil. V poriadku.
Keď prichádzame do Jeho prítomnosti, sme zmenení, nikdy nebudeme takí istí. Pozrite sa na ľudí každej cesty života počas vekov. Pozrite na Abraháma. Poviete, „No, zmenený život je iba pre kazateľov.” Ó, nie. Zmenený život je pre každého. Rozumiete?
55No, Abrahám bol farmár, ale keď počul Boží Hlas, ktorý ku nemu prehovoril, a uvidel to videnie, on bol od toho času zmeneným človekom. Oddelil sa od svojho príbuzenstva, od všetkých svojich známych a kráčal ako pútnik a cudzinec v neznámom kraji po zvyšok svojho života, prebýval v stanoch; pretože jasne vyznával, že hľadal mesto, ktorého Staviteľom a Učiniteľom bol Boh. On vedel, že existuje Boh a že tam niekde bolo mesto, ktorého Staviteľom a Učiniteľom bol Boh. To je to, čo nám hovorí list Židom 11, že on hľadal mesto, ktorého Staviteľom a Učiniteľom bol Boh. On bol zmeneným človekom, jednako nebol ničím iným než obyčajným farmárom. Ale on uvidel videnie a vošiel do prítomnosti Božej a odvtedy bol zmeneným človekom.
56Mojžiš, on bol pastierom, ale keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej, bol zmeneným človekom. On bol zbabelcom; utekal od faraóna, za sebou mal celú armádu. Ale s palicou v ruke sa vrátil a zaujal celý ten národ. Vidíte? Prečo? On vošiel do prítomnosti Božej. Bol zmeneným človekom; pastier.
Peter, rybár, nevedel nič o chytaní rýb – alebo lepšie povedané, nevedel nič o Bohu, to jediné, čo pravdepodobne vedel, bolo chytať ryby. Ale keď vošiel do prítomnosti Božej a videl, že ten veľký Stvoriteľ môže stvoriť rybu, keď mu On povedal, aby nahodil siete na lov. Nebola tam žiadna ryba; on práve vytiahol siete. Ale on povedal, „Na Tvoje Slovo, Pane. Verím, že si Synom Božím a ak nahodím sieť, Ty si mi povedal, aby som to urobil na Tvoje Slovo, pretože Ty a Tvoje Slovo ste to isté, ja nahodím tú sieť.“ A keď začal ťahať, povedal, „Odíď, Pane, lebo som hriešny človek.“ Vidíte, rybár, potom, ako Peter stretol Krista, už nikdy viac nebol takým istým. On bol potom tak verný Bohu, že mu boli dané kľúče Kráľovstva. Tak veru.
57Pavol, ten samozvaný farizej, vzdelaný a vyučený vo všetkom tom náboženstve, ktoré v tom dni na zemi bolo, jeden z najznámejších učencov v kraji, ale keď toho dňa prišiel pred ten Ohnivý Stĺp, pred toho Boha, ktorého nevedomky prenasledoval. On bol farizejom; neveril tomu, že Boh bol Človekom. Vedel, že Boh bol Ohnivým Stĺpom; To vyviedlo jeho ľudí von z Egypta; bolo To s nimi po celý čas. Ale keď uvidel tento Ohnivý Stĺp, padol na svoju tvár. A začul Hlas, ktorý hovoril, „Saule, prečo Ma prenasleduješ?“
Povedal, „Kto si, Pane?“
On povedal, „Ja som Ježiš.“ Bol to človek. Povedal, „Ako ste boli pokrstení?“ On bol v prítomnosti Božej. Odvtedy bol zmeneným človekom, bol v prítomnosti Božej. To človeka mení.
58Charles G. Finney, právnik, veľký filadelfský právnik, ale keď prišiel do prítomnosti Božej, zanechal štúdium práva a stal sa najmocnejším kazateľom, ktorého kedy tento národ mal. [Prázdne miesto na páske. – pozn.prekl.]
…bol kazateľom, pretože jedného dňa vošiel do prítomnosti Božej. Myslel si, že keď raz študoval kvôli službe... Poznáte jeho knihu? Mám jeho životopis, ktorý napísal. Odišiel sa modliť. Myslel si, že bol kazateľom. Mal túžbu kázať a mal zopár kázní, kde sa snažil kázať. Raz vyšiel zo svojej pracovne, aby sa modlil, odišiel do lesov. Zložil sa pod starý strom, kam chodil každé popoludnie: veľmi nábožný, ale neveril v... V cirkvi boli dve ženy, ktoré stále hovorili, „Pán Finney, modlíme sa, aby ste prijali Ducha Svätého.“
Povedal, „Ja mám Ducha Svätého.“ Povedal, „Som kazateľ.“
Povedali, „Pán Finney, vy ste veľký človek a máte dobré uchopenie Slova, ale potrebujete Ducha Svätého. Modlíme sa za vás.“ Milé ženy...
A tak on pokračoval ďalej. A tak, každý deň vyšiel poza svoju kanceláriu, jeho šéf a všetci, s ktorými pracoval, oni boli tam, a on vyšiel zo svojej právnickej kancelárie a vyšiel tam von, aby sa modlil. A jedného dňa sa tam vonku modlil a začul nejaký šuchot. Pomyslel si, že to je jeho šéf, ktorý prichádza a hľadá ho. Hneď rýchlo vyskočil. Ako práve hovoril, „Pane Bože, verím Ti...“ Zastavil sa, to šuchlo, predtým, ako... povedal „Ehm! Ehm!“ a postavil sa, poobzeral sa naokolo, aby videl, odkiaľ prišiel ten šuchot. A vtedy vošiel do prítomnosti Božej. Uvedomil si, že ten šuchot tam bol za určitým účelom. On tam stál; slzy mu stekali po tvári. Povedal, „Tie ženy mali možno pravdu. Hanbím sa, že ma niekto uvidí, ako sa rozprávam s mojím Bohom, ale považoval by som to za veľkú česť, keby ma niekto videl, ako sa rozprávam so svojím šéfom. O koľko väčší je môj Pán od môjho šéfa.“ Povedal, „Pane, odpusť mi a naplň ma Duchom Svätým,“ začal kričať a vykrikovať. Bol v prítomnosti Božej. Rozbehol sa rýchlo dole mestom do svojej kancelárie. Začal tak hlasno vykrikovať, že až musel ísť za dvere, povedal, „Pane, priniesol som Ti pohanenie. Ukry ma tu vzadu, kým sa cez to dostanem.“ Prečo? On vošiel do prítomnosti Božej. Bol zmeneným človekom. Tie kázne, ktoré zvykol kázať, kázal tie isté kázne a duše prichádzali ku oltáru. Vidíte, on bol v prítomnosti Božej.
59Moody, malý obuvník, ledva poznal abecedu. Je to tak. Jeho gramatika bola biedna. Niekto mu raz povedal, „Vaša gramatika je veľmi biedna, pán Moody.“
On povedal, „Ale ja s ňou získavam duše.“
A tak, jedného dňa určité noviny, ten redaktor išiel napísať do novín. Odišiel sa tam pozrieť, ako tento človek dokázal upútať davy ľudí v akýchkoľvek podmienkach, malý chlapík, plešatý, a všetko také, a viseli mu bokombrady, mal celkom veľké brucho; na pohľad vyzeral strašne. A tak v týchto novinách o ňom ozaj popísal, povedal, „Nechápem, čo by niekto mohol vôbec vidieť na Dwightovi Moodym.“ Povedal, „Je škaredý; má piskľavý hlas; fúzy mu trčia až po pás; je plešatý ako tekvica.“ A povedal, „Ako by mohol niekto kedy ísť, aby niečo videl na Moodym?“
A stalo sa, že to uvidel Moodyho manažér a povedal, „Pozri, pán Moody, prečítam ti toto.“ Moody to sám nedokázal prečítať. A tak povedal, „Prečítam ti ten článok.“ A on to tak napísal.
Moody len pokrčil plecom a povedal, „Iste nie, oni prichádzajú, aby videli Krista.“ To bolo celé. Prečo? On bol v prítomnosti Božej. Od vyrábania podrážok na topánky, ktoré ľudia vynosia; on prešiel k obúvaniu ľudí Evanjeliom pripravenosti. Prečo? On bol v prítomnosti Božej. Správne.
60Raz jedna malá žena vstúpila do prítomnosti Božej, bola tak vinná, ako len mohla byť. V tom momente, ako si uvedomila, že sa ocitla v prítomnosti Božej, každý hriech bol odpustený a bola taká čistá a biela ako ľalia. Ó, koľko ďalších ľudí by som tu mohol predstaviť, ale čas by to nedovoľoval.
Ale chcem trocha rozprávať o sebe. Čo by mohlo byť nižšie než ja? Kde som bol? Pochádzam z rodiny opilcov, pochádzam z rodiny vrahov, pochádzam z rodiny pašerákov alkoholu. A viete o tom; každý z vás o tom vie, viete, aké sme tu mali meno. Ľudia sa s nami na ulici ani nerozprávali. Keď som išiel dole ulicou, začal som s niekým hovoriť; nikto sa so mnou nerozprával, až kým sme neboli sami, potom sa so mnou rozprávali. Akonáhle sa niekto objavil, oni ma opustili. A ja som tam stál a plakal, „Nie, nie je to tak; nemôže to tak byť. To je nesprávne.“
61Ale jedného dňa som vošiel do prítomnosti Božej. On ma premenil a učinil ma iným druhom syna. Jeho milosť ma priviedla do Jeho prítomnosti. Nikdy som odtiaľ nechcel odísť. Som tu teraz okolo tridsať a niečo rokov; nechcem to opustiť. Mám uistenie, že tam budem navždy. Dokonca samotná smrť ma nikdy neoddelí od Jeho prítomnosti. Nie, budem s Ním navždy. Keď som po prvýkrát uvidel Jeho prítomnosť, kričal som ako Izaiáš, „Beda mi!“ Potom sa ma dotkol Svojou milosťou. Bol som zmenenou osobou. Ten malý odpadlík, ktorý zvykol chodievať tu po vonku a vyvádzať a všetko také, bol zmenený a odvtedy som Jeho dieťaťom. Odvtedy som túžil dať celý svoj život pre Jeho službu, iba si prajem, aby som mal o desaťtisíc viac životov, ktoré by som prežil pre Neho. Tento teraz už začína byť taký opotrebovaný; ubehlo 53 rokov. Okolo 33 z nich alebo 32 z nich bolo v Evanjeliu. Prial by som si, aby som mal ďalších tisíc, ktoré by som do toho mohol investovať. Prečo? Keď som raz vstúpil do Jeho prítomnosti a uvedomil som si, že tam bol Niekto, kto miloval tých, ktorí neboli hodní milovania, je tu Niekto, kto ma miloval, keď to nerobil nikto iný, bol tam Niekto kto sa o mňa zaujímal, keď sa o mňa nezaujímal nikto iný; položil som ruky okolo Jeho kríža; objal som ho a ja a On sme sa vtedy stali jedno. A odvtedy a ďalej som Ho miloval. On zafarbil moju hruď a srdce Svojou Krvou skrze to, že sa ma dotkol a odpustil mi moje hriechy a dnes večer som šťastný, že som jedným z tých Jeho. Nikdy som netúžil opustiť toto nebeské miesto, hoci pokušiteľ sa ma k tomu mnohokrát snažil presvedčiť; ale som v bezpečí v tom veľkom Božom prístrešku a som šťastný v Jeho láske a milosti a žijem na tej „Haleluja“ strane. Ó, to spôsobuje, že sa moje srdce raduje.
62Odporúčam Ho každej unavenej osobe. Odporúčam Ho tebe, ak nemáš žiadnu nádej. Vy, ktorí ste nikdy neboli v Jeho prítomnosti, tá jediná vec, ktorú musíte urobiť, je vyznať svoje hriechy a uvedomiť si, že ste robili zle a Boh má dnes večer toho Anjela zvaného Duch Svätý, ktorý odoberie preč všetky vaše hriechy. Potom zakričíte, „Pane, tu som, pošli mňa.“ Potom pozdvihnete svoje ruky a zaspievate:
Budem Ho chváliť! Budem Ho chváliť!
Chvála Baránkovi, ktorý bol zabitý za hriešnikov!
Vzdajte Mu slávu, vy všetci ľudia,
lebo Jeho Krv každú škvrnu obmyla.
Milujem Ho. A vy? Žitie v Jeho prítomnosti.
63Dnes ráno som prišiel za kazateľňu, cítil som sa tak zle a tak znechutene z... Minulý týždeň som bol dole v Kentucky s niekoľkými osobnými priateľmi, ktorí tu sedia. Ak by som tam dole zostal príliš dlho, oni by ma zabili, istotne by to urobili, láskavosťou, tam sú jedny z najlepších kuchárok, aké som kedy stretol. A keď sa moja kapacita preplnila, „Brat Branham, dal by si si trocha z tohto?“ A je to tak veľmi dobré, snažil som sa to nejako napchať do seba. Bol som tak plný, že som sa ani nemohol hýbať. Nemohol som spať; zobudil som sa a trocha som sa prechádzal. A necítil som sa veľmi dobre, keď som sem dnes ráno vošiel. Ale keď som raz vstúpil do Jeho prítomnosti, tým to bolo vybavené. Tým to bolo vybavené, potom sa to všetko vyparilo preč. Je to tak. Ó, žiť v Jeho prítomnosti...
Budem Ho chváliť! Budem Ho chváliť!
Chvála Baránkovi, zabitému za hriešnikov!
Vzdajte Mu slávu, všetci ľudia,
lebo Jeho Krv každú škvrnu obmyla.
Skloňme teraz naše hlavy. [Brat Branham začína hmkať. – pozn.prekl.]
Lebo On pre mňa urobil tak mnoho.
Odpustil moje prestúpenia
a Jeho Krv obmyla môj hriech.
Budem Ho chváliť! Budem Ho chváliť!
Chvála Baránkovi, zabitému za hriešnikov!
Vzdajte Mu slávu, všetci ľudia,
lebo Jeho Krv každú škvrnu obmyla.
[Brat Branham hmká pieseň. – pozn.prekl.]
64No, ak ste tu dnes večer... A viem, že Jeho prítomnosť je tu. Keď som tam pred chvíľou stál pri tom malom dievčatku z cirkvi Božej, Duch Svätý sa pohol a prišiel na mňa, keď som sa za to malé dieťa modlil. Tí rodičia prišli z kempových zhromaždení Andersonovej cirkvi Božej. A ten dozorca odtiaľ poznal to dieťa, doktori povedali, „Mohlo... Ono za chvíľu zomrie na leukémiu.“ Malé zlaté dievčatko, ktoré bolo teraz vo svojom poslednom štádiu. Prišla tam dozadu a vystrela ku mne svoju malú ruku, bola celá napuchnutá, v sebe napichané ihly a také veci a bola modrá. Pozrel som sa na ňu. Uvidel som videnie. Rodičia tam čítali knihu. Nič o tom nevedeli. Ten generálny dozorca na tom kempe im povedal, aby priniesli to dieťa sem dole. Chceli sa vrátiť, keď budeme mať zhromaždenie s uzdravovaním. A povedal som, „Prineste teraz to dieťa,“ cítil som sa vedený.
65Keď som tam stál, Duch Svätý išiel rovno naspäť a priniesol minulosť toho dieťaťa. Povedal všetko o tom, ako sa to stalo, čo urobili. Povedal, že ambícia toho malého dievčatka bola, aby sa stala pianistkou. A tá matka skoro vykríkla. A ten otec povedal, „To je Božia pravda!“ Práve teraz sedia tam v aute a počúvajú to, nemohli sa dostať do vnútra, sedia tam teraz a počúvajú to.
Nad tým dieťaťom sa vznášal obrovský závoj tieňa. A povedal som, „Satan, si porazený!“
„Ty nehľadíš na osobu, Bože. A skrze moc Tvojho vzkriesenia a ako Tvoj služobník odháňam tohto diabla od toho dieťaťa.“ A zablysklo sa nad ňou obrovské jasné Svetlo; bol s tým koniec. Amen. Čo? Iste, On je hoden všetkej chvály.
66On pozná všetky veci. On pozná tvoje srdce. A ty vieš, o čom premýšľaš; On to tiež vie. Ak na tebe dnes večer visí malý hriech a nechcel by si s tým na sebe vojsť do Jeho prítomnosti, či by si ešte raz pozdvihol svoju ruku a povedal, „Brat Branham, modli sa za mňa; chcem byť v ten deň v Jeho prítomnosti nevinný.“ Nech vás Boh žehná! Mnoho rúk, Boh to vidí. V Jeho prítomnosti. No, poviem vám, čo máte robiť. No, počúvajte len pozorne. Robte to, čo robil Dávid; umiestnite rovno teraz Pána pred seba. Umiestnite Pána medzi seba a ten hriech, akýkoľvek je ten malý obťažujúci hriech. Môže to byť klamanie, môže to byť kradnutie; môže to byť zlé myslenie; môže to byť výbušnosť; môže to byť pitie, môže to byť fajčenie, môže to byť hazardovanie. Neviem, čo to je. Môže to byť žiadostivosť; môže to byť čokoľvek. Neviem, čo to je. Čokoľvek to je, umiestnite Pána pred seba. A potom sa vaše srdce bude radovať a vaše telo bude odpočívať v nádeji, lebo viete, že Kristus zasľúbil, že znova povstane v posledných dňoch. Keď On vystúpi vpred, my prídeme a budeme podobní Jemu. Či to teraz urobíte, zatiaľ čo sa modlíme?
67Náš nebeský Otče, krátke posekané posolstvo skrze unaveného vyčerpaného služobníka, ale len som premýšľal o téme prebývania v prítomnosti Božej. A dnes večer vidíme efekt, ktorý to urobilo na svätých ľuďoch, keď vošli do Tvojej prítomnosti, čo za efekt to na nich malo. Vidiaci, veľkí mocní proroci ustanovení od Boha a poslaní, aby kázali Slovo, a jednako, keď Ho stretli tvárou v tvár a padli na zem ako mŕtvi ľudia. Čo urobíme my v ten deň, Pane? Veľa sme o tom premýšľali. Mysleli sme na to. Asi štyridsať alebo päťdesiat rúk o tom premýšľalo, Pane, pretože práve zodvihli tie ruky alebo srdcia, ktoré sú pod tou rukou, odkedy sme hovorili, oni premýšľali o tom, ako Ho stretnú. Čo by urobili, ak by sa s Ním museli stretnúť?
68Moje ruky sú hore, Pane. Čo ja urobím? No, Otče, mám mnoho vecí, ktoré som urobil zle. Práve som dnes ráno pred cirkvou vyznal svoj hriech, ako som ho v jedno ráno vyznal pred Tebou na vrchole hory, keď fúkalo a snežilo, a tam hore na vrchole tej hory, ako som kričal a prosil Ťa, aby si mi odpustil za moju hlúposť. A ako som sa obával prísť pred mojich bratov, niektorí z nich ma považujú za Tvojho proroka – služobníka. A, Pane, aké nepríjemné to pre mňa bolo prísť pred nich a povedať im o tom hlúpom skutku, že som urobil takú vec, ale, Bože, pre moju dušu je dobré, že vyznávam svoje hriechy a neskrývam ich. A tak, aby som bol úprimný pred Tebou a priamy pred ľuďmi, vyznal som to, Pane. Mýlim sa; nie som v poriadku. Modlím sa o odpustenie.
69 A potom, Otče, bol som ohľadne Teba záhaľčivý, ako som Ti slúžil, mnohokrát som možno mohol ísť dlhšie a nešiel som. Otče, vyznávam moje hriechy. Chcem, aby ma od toho ten Anjel Boží očistil skrze Krv Ježiša. Dnes večer sa zdvihli aj iné ruky; niektorí z nich možno nikdy predtým neprosili o odpustenie; ale som si istý ohľadom tejto jednej veci, ak vyznáme naše hriechy, Boh ich vymaže, hodí ich do mora zabudnutia a nebude si ich nikdy viac pamätať. A, Otče, ako vyznávam tie moje, ako som sa nesprávne zachovával pred tými ľuďmi, nesprával som sa ako služobník Kristov. Nerobil som to. Bál som sa, že ľudia by sa na mňa mohli nahnevať, a myslel som na to, aby som neurazil ich cítenie, ale nemyslel som na to, čo som robil Tebe, Pane. A teraz, modlím sa, aby si mi odpustil. A teraz, Otče, viem, že ak prosím o odpustenie, je mi odpustené, a Ty si ich hodil do mora zabudnutia a nikdy viac si na to nespomenieš. Bože, som za to vďačný.
70A modlím sa, aby si dal každej osobe, ktorá tu je, ktorá má pred sebou hriech alebo akýkoľvek zakorenený hriech, nech to odstránia a umiestnia pred seba Pána, ako to robil Dávid. Lebo teraz kričíme, „Beda, mi, lebo som uvidel slávu Božiu. Som mužom nečistých rtov, alebo ženou alebo dievčaťom nečistých rtov, chlapcom alebo kýmkoľvek.“ Čímkoľvek môžeme byť, sme nečistí a prosíme o Krv Ježiša Krista, tú pripravenú Obeť, aby nás očistila od každého hriechu, aby sme navždy mohli prebývať v Jeho prítomnosti. Daj, aby sme dnes večer z tohto miesta odišli s radujúcimi sa srdcami a aby naše telo prebývalo v nádeji, vediac toto, že keď príde Ježiš, povstaneme s Ním v Jeho podobnosti a stretneme Ho v povetrí, vo vytrhnutí, keď sa to odpočítavanie konečne zakončí. Vidíme, že ten siedmy cirkevný vek je už odpočítaný, a sme teraz pripravení vzlietnuť. Modlíme sa, Bože, aby si predtým, ako zatvoríš dvere, ak je tu dnes večer niekto, kto nikdy nevošiel, nech sa rýchlo poponáhľajú, pretože cítime, že dvere milosrdenstva medzi milosrdenstvom a súdom sa zatvárajú. Tí, ktorí príjmu milosrdenstvo, vojdu dnu. Tí, ktorí nevojdu do vnútra, budú trpieť súd. Boh zatvára dvere. Nech by dnes večer tie dvere neboli zatvorené pre žiadneho z týchto vyznávajúcich hriešnikov. Nech by každý jeden z nás mal omilostenie a milosrdenstvo. V Mene Ježiša Krista.
71A teraz, Otče, za chorých a nemocných, za tých, ktorí sú v potrebe, modlím sa, aby Tvoja milosť zaobstarala všetko, na čo majú potrebu. Nech vojdú do Krista, do Jeho prítomnosti. Umiestnia Krista, Krista, zasľúbenie... „On bol ranený za moje prestúpenia;“ to sú moje hriechy; „Jeho ranami som uzdravený;“ potom umiestňujem Pána pred moju chorobu. „On je po mojej pravici a ja sa nepohnem. Potom budem kráčať odvážne vpred, budem vyznávať, že som uzdravený. Jeho ranami som uzdravený.“ Udeľ to, Pane, každému jednému z nich. A vieme, že ak vyznávame našimi srdcami a našimi perami a veríme zo sŕdc, potom máme tie veci, po ktorých túžime.
Ty si povedal, „Keď čokoľvek poviete, verte, že sa to stane, môžete mať to, čo ste povedali.“ Veríme tomu, Otče, a veríme, že nás očistíš od všetkých našich hriechov a uzdravíš všetky naše choroby a dáš nám milosť, Pane, aby sme Ti slúžili.
72Buď s týmito ľuďmi. Mnohí z nich budú dnes večer cestovať po tmavých cestách. Mnohí z nich budú cestovať mnoho míľ. Nech sa im nič nestane, Pane. Prešli cez krajinu, aby tu sedeli a počúvali odpočítavanie, aby videli, ako sme blízko času konca. No, požiadal som ich, aby odišli preč a umiestňovali pred seba Boha, vždy pred seba, pred čokoľvek iné: pred svoju cestu, pred svoj pohyb, pred tým, ako sa zobudia, potom, ako idú do postele, vždy pred svoj spánok, kdekoľvek to je, umiestnili Boha na prvé miesto. „Lebo On je po mojej pravici; nepohnem sa.“ Nech sa potom ich srdcia radujú, že vedia o tom, že majú to, o čo prosili, pretože Boh to zasľúbil a ich telo bude odpočívať v nádeji. Udeľ to, Pane, lebo o to prosíme v Mene Ježiša Krista. Amen.
Budem Ho chváliť! Budem Ho chváliť!
Chvála Baránkovi, ktorý bol zabitý za hriešnikov!
Vzdajte Mu slávu, vy všetci ľudia,
lebo Jeho Krv každú škvrnu obmyla.
73No, veríte, že ste umiestnili Pána medzi seba a svoj hriech, medzi seba a svoju chorobu, medzi seba a svoju chybu, medzi seba a svoje cesty? „Pán je vždy predo mnou a ja som v Jeho prítomnosti. Na ďalšíkrát, ako si začnem zapaľovať cigaretu, Pán je predo mnou. Na ďalšíkrát, ako začnem žiadostiť, Pán je predo mnou. Na ďalšíkrát, ako začnem hovoriť čokoľvek zlé, Pán je predo mnou. Na ďalšíkrát, ako začnem hovoriť nejakú zlú vec, Pán je predo mnou a ja sa nepohnem. Amen. Budem každý deň žiť v Jeho prítomnosti, v mojom konaní, každý deň v mojom hovorení. Budem kráčať tak, ako keby bol predo mnou Pán, pretože dnes večer som Ho umiestnil pred seba. Nepohnem sa.“ Či Ho milujete?
74No, teraz povstaňme. Ó, cítim sa naozaj dobre. Cítim sa, akoby som nechcel ísť domov. A viete, že je iba dvadsaťpäť minúť do deviatej; skončil som asi o dve hodiny skôr, ako zvyknem. Či to nie je nádherné? Ó. Ale teraz, ako odchádzame, pamätajme, musíme so sebou brať Meno Ježiš ako štít pred každou pascou. A keď sa okolo nás nahromadia pokušenia, aby sa nás snažili zadržať – zastaviť nás od toho, aby sme na to pamätali, len vzdychnite to sväté Meno v modlitbe.
Ber so sebou Meno Ježiš,
dieťa smútku a trápenia.
Dá ti radosť a potešenie.
Ó, vezmi ho všade, kam vykročíš.
Vzácne Meno (Vzácne Meno), ó, aké sladké!
Nádej zeme a radosť neba.
Vzácne Meno (Vzácne Meno), ó, aké sladké!
Nádej zeme a radosť neba.
75Koľkí majú radi nášho pastora, brata Nevilleho? Či ste vďační Pánovi za dobrého, úprimného, obyčajného človeka, ktorý verí Evanjeliu a koná tak nádherné dielo v tom, že poslúcha prikázania Božie a káže Slovo a po celý čas zachováva túto veľkolepú duchovnú atmosféru v cirkvi. Pamätajte, prešiel som východné pobrežie, prešiel som cez juh a hore západným pobrežím a cez Kanadu a nestretol som jedinú cirkev, ktorá je tak duchovná ako táto cirkev, ktorá je tu. Oni odišli mimo, aby siali, áno, buď fanatizmus, alebo odišli do nejakých záchvatov, alebo sú tak chladní, že sa nedokážu ani pohnúť. To je celé. No, milujete jeden druhého? Ó, potraste si navzájom ruky a povedzte, „Chvála Pánovi.“
Chvála Pánovi. Chvála Pánovi. Chvála Pánovi, môj brat. Chvála Pánovi, sestra, som tak rád, že som tu bol. Nech ťa Boh žehná. Nech ťa Boh žehná. Nech ťa Boh žehná. Viem o tom. Nech ťa Boh žehná. Nech ťa Boh žehná. [Brat Branham chváli Pána a potriasa ruky a rozpráva sa s ľuďmi. – pozn.prekl.]
Ber so sebou Meno Ježiš,
ako štít pred každou pascou.
Keď sa okolo teba nahromadia pokušenia, (Čo urobíš?)
vzdychni to sväté Meno v modlitbe.
Vzácne Meno (Vzácne Meno),... (ó, aké sladké!)
Nádej zeme a radosť neba.
Vzácne Meno (Vzácne Meno), ó, aké sladké!
Nádej zeme a radosť neba.
76Skloňme teraz naše hlavy. Skutočne jemne, nezabudnime teraz na to. Zaspievajme ten verš ešte raz.
Ber so sebou Meno Ježiš, (Na čo?)
ako štít pred každou pascou. (Keď sa satan snaží dostať ťa do pasce)
Keď sa okolo teba nahromadia pokušenia (Čo urobíš?),
vzdychni to sväté Meno... („Lebo Pán je pred mojou tvárou, nepohnem sa.“)
Vzácne Meno (Vzácne Meno), ó, aké sladké! (Amen.)
Nádej zeme a...
1 Thank you, Brother Neville, the Lord bless you real richly.
And good evening, friends. It's a grand privilege to be back here in this building again tonight, and feeling the never-failing Presence of our Lord, as He's give the promise. And now, I know that many of you has stayed over for the little Message tonight, for which I am very thankful. And many of you has to drive far yet tonight, to get home. Some are checked out of your motels, as I understand. And we are going to try not to hold you long, so that's the reason we come in early so we could get away early.
2 And now we will, just as soon as I can, I will announce when we are going to maybe start, I've had some calls this afternoon, knowing when we was going to start on these books, or this chapters. And I think, if the Lord willing, I want to take, the next time that we start, on the Seven Seals of Revelations, and the seven natural seals. And, then if we get through in time, take the seven seals on the back of the Book, see. Now, that may take a little time. See, there's seven seals that's opened; there's seven plagues, seven trumpets, all those sevens; and them seals we could take first. But then on the back of the Book is sealed with seven seals. Daniel heard the Voice as the thunders, and was forbidden to write it. John was forbidden to write it. But it was sealed on the backside of the Book, that is, after all of the mysteries of the Book has been given out and revealed. You notice Daniel said there, "The mysteries in the days of these voices, the mystery of God should be unfolded by that time." See, "the mystery," Who God is, how He was made flesh, all these things should be unfolded by that time. And then--then we're ready for the Seven Seals on the backside of the Book, that's not even revealed to man, not even wrote in the Bible, but they'll have to be just exactly compare with the rest of the Bible, and I think it'll be a great thing.
3 So now we're going to try to hurry to get through. Thank every one of you for your kindness and your presence, and--and all that you have done, we thank you very much. And now I--I'm trusting that we won't keep you too long tonight, because you're so patient to sit, stand. My wife said back there, she was talking about last night, she said, "I seen women that were even rather heavyset, standing there, and their clothes wringing wet, standing there, just grasping every Word." That's the reason I like to stay under the anointing of the Holy Ghost, that when you come out you're telling them people the honest Truth, see, and just nothing but the Truth. And then they can lay onto That and it'll be all right.
4 Now I want to ask your apology for a few moments. I left a little early this morning. And the tapes are turned off at this time, and I--I'm just in a moment I'm tell the recorders when to turn the tape on. I want to finish the Countdown, five minutes for it, before I leave. I forgot and went away, I just so carried away this morning till I just went out without saying anything about it. But, I kind of left you, "What was the countdown?" See? I know we're in the countdown, but what is the countdown? See? If you don't know what the countdown is, then you'll be kind of confused. And so I--I'd like to--to bring that off just... And try to be in the same tone that I was to finish up this tape at now, so the tape goes out, Countdown. Now you all will forgive me just for a moment, and I want to finish up that tape. Will you do it for just a moment, then we'll start on the other? [Congregation says "Amen."--Ed.] And now--now the tape recorders, if you will, snap on your tape now.
[Blank.spot.on.tape. Brother Branham explains in paragraphs 4-5 that he inserted this missing portion into his morning sermon entitled Countdown, as paragraphs 106-111--Ed.]
5 Just coming in from different places, and we've had a great time in the last three messages, of speaking on the subject of--of different doctrines and so forth that we have put forth. I just remember at this time I'm to give a little space in there, you people on the tape, for to change over your tapes. I'll tell you when ready to turn on. All right. Now, I have to watch this. It seems like a bunch of made-up formal, but them boys has got to get the tape. And they can't get it all messed up; if they do, people out there won't understand it. So we have to take it in this manner. And if somebody will just step out of the room and signal me there, Junior, when they're ready to have the tapes crossed over. Thank you very much, folks, I say again, for all your kindness and everything. All right, we are ready now, you can turn them on.
6 The Lord bless you. We're happy to be here in the tabernacle again tonight. The place packed out with many people standing around again tonight, with three days of... or three times of service. I would that if anyone listens to this tape, that they would like to get back and get last night's tape. Study it in your home. It's the--the present stage of the ministry that the Lord has given me. Especially I'd like for ministers to hear that before I visit their churches and come in their homes. Now I'd like for them to--to get that. Now, this morning we spoke on the subject of the Countdown, the Church ready to leave.
7 And now tonight, God willing, we're speaking on the subject of In His Presence. And, oh, how we thank God for the privilege that we can come into His Presence. But, first, I wish you all to turn in your Bibles with me to the prophet Isaiah, the 6th chapter of the prophet Isaiah. We all know that Isaiah was a major prophet, and one of the great prophets of his day. He ended his life by being sawed asunder with saws, for a testimony, as a martyr to the power of Almighty God. In the Book of Isaiah, the 6th chapter, I begin at the 5th verse, to read. "Then said I, 'Woe is me!' For..." Maybe I start with the 1st verse. Let's pardon me a moment. Let's start at the 1st verse and read down till about the 8th verse.
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one having six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD God of hosts: and the whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of... people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Who shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here I am; send me.
8 May the Lord bless His Word. I think that's a most striking Scripture. We find that, in the Presence of God, man recognize themselves to be sinners. We may feel pretty good when we're out different places, and feel like that we're pretty good people, but when we ever come into the Presence of God, then we see how little we are.
9 Standing not long ago with a--a friend of mine that I had the privilege of leading to Christ, Bert Call, up in New Hampshire, a hunting partner, we was standing by Cold Brook Falls up in the Adirondack, and it was such a mammoth big falls. I taken my family last year up there to look at it. Way back off the road, you have to hike back to get to it. And when we seen that blue-green water pouring with such mighty power out of the mountains, and gushing down over the rocks, Bert stood there and looked at me, and he said, "Gee, Billy, it makes a man feel just so little," he measured about a quarter of an inch on his fingers. And I said, "That's right, Bert." Now, that was all he knowed of getting into the Presence of God, to see His creation.
10 I wonder the man who wrote How Great Thou Art, if he didn't look up one night and look at the stars, how far they are away! A few months ago, Brother Fred, Brother Woods and I, was standing with Brother McAnally out in the Arizona desert, we was measuring, trying, one star, how close it was to the other. And with the millions and billions of miles away, they didn't look over a quarter of an inch from each other. Then we begin to think, according to scientific proof of that, those stars are probably further away from each other than we are from them. See how it is?
11 Then we realized how little we are when we realize how great He is, and how close we come in of coming to His Presence. Somehow or another, it's always throwed a great effect upon people to come into the Presence of God. I've seen the time in my ministry when you would see the Presence of God come into such a place that it would bring a person up and just reveal the life to them, and call out their sins of all kinds of immoral acts, and it bring such a holy hush amongst the people till they'd drop out of the prayer line before they ever come up to be prayed for, and run to the altar and get right with God before they come up into His Presence. See, there's something about coming into the Presence of God, it causes things to happen. I've seen people laying in cots and stretchers.
12 That night down there at Mexico, when that little dead baby laying under a blanket, that the little Spanish mother brought up, or little Mexican mother, rather, brought up. When they seen, several thousands of those people saw, maybe fifty or seventy-five thousand at one gathering, saw that little dead baby come to life, women fainted, people threw up their hands and screamed. Why? They realized that a human being could not do that, that they were in the Presence of Almighty God. And it caused something to happen.
13 I've been privileged to hear godly men speak. It was said one time of Charles Finney, little bitty fellow, never weighed over about a hundred and ten pounds, but he had such a forceful way of speaking until... He was trying the acoustics one day in a building. They didn't have P.A. systems then. And there was a man repairing, up in the balcony, or up in the roof of the place, and he heard the man come in, so he didn't know who they were, he just kept quiet. And Mr. Finney was going to try the acoustics. After spending much time in prayer for that revival that he was going to hold, he tried his voice to see how it would carry. He slipped up quickly to the pulpit, and said, "Repent, or perish!" And he said it with such force--force, after being under the anointing of God, till the man dropped out of the top of the balcony, down onto the floor, out of the top of the building, onto the floor.
14 He preached the Gospel in such a way till he stood in Boston, Massachusetts, in a little bay window, because there was no church could hold his crowd. And he stood there with such mighty force, and preached hell such a place, until working men with their baskets under their arms, fell into the street and screamed for mercy. In the Presence of God! Great preachers who's been able, by the Word of God, to bring the Presence of God to an audience. Far be it that man would ever be so seared in their hearts till they could never recognize the Presence of God. Far be it!
15 When the first man, as soon as he had sinned and done something wrong, and when God came into his presence, or he came into the Presence of God, "Adam," he could not stand in the Presence of God. He run and hid himself in the bush and tried to cover himself with a fig leaf, because he knowed he was standing in the Presence of Jehovah, the Creator. That was the reaction of the first man, after he had sinned and tried to come into the Presence of God with sin upon his soul. He could not hide, because he was tender yet. Sin had not took a hold like it has rooted into people's hearts today, but he was very conscious that he was standing before his Creator. Now, he hid himself in the bushes and would not come out, and could not come out until God had made a preparation for him.
16 We could go back, and take in Genesis the 17th chapter and the 3rd verse, when the great patriarch, Abraham, when he came into the Presence of God, and God spoke to him (in the 17th chapter) in the Name of Almighty God, Abraham fell on his face. That great patriarch, servant of God, could not stand in the Presence of God, though had served Him for twenty-five years, faithfully. But when God moved into his presence, the patriarch fell on his face because he couldn't stand in the Presence of God.
17 In Exodus 3, we find that Moses, the great servant and prophet of God, when he was back on the backside of the desert, that man was a holy man. He had been born for the purpose. He was born from his mother's wombs to be a prophet. He had tried to get his education and do everything he could to deliver his people, because he understood that he was to deliver his people, but when he had understood it by a theological standpoint. He was trained. He was well scholared. He could teach the Egyptians wisdom, which was the most smartest people in the world. He knowed all the ins and outs. He knowed the Scripture from A to Z. He knowed the promises that God had made. He knowed them from an intellectual standpoint. And he was a--a great military man. But one day on the backside of the desert, when he come into the Presence of God, he jerked off his shoes and fell--to his feet, knowing that he was on holy ground. He could not stand upon his feet when he come in the Presence of God, he fell to his face like Abraham did. He could not stand in the Presence of God.
18 In Exodus 19:19, when the chosen people of God since way back in the days of Abraham, from Abraham come Isaac, Isaac come Jacob, out of Jacob come the patriarchs, and years after years had developed holy men, great men, a chosen people, a chosen race, a sanctified, holy people, and had served God their life. And one day God said, "Gather Israel out here, I'm going to speak to them."
19But when God came down on top of Mount Sinai, and the whole mountain caught afire, and the smoke was flying from it like a furnace, and the Voice of God roared out. Israel fell on their face and said, "Let Moses speak, and not God, lest we die." Man, in the Presence of God, realizes he's a sinner! Yet they were, every one, circumcised according to the Law. They had carried the commandments and everything, but when God spoke and they moved up into His Presence, they realized that they were out, they were--they were not right. There was something that was lacking, because they were in the Presence of God. Yes. And they said, "Let Moses speak, and not God, for if God speaks we'll all die. Let Moses speak to us."
20 It was in Luke 5, 8, that when Peter... oh, when he was a great stubborn man, and a man of great influence, great power that we understand. He was like a bully, a noted fisherman. But when he saw the miracle of God performed by an ordinary Man, looked like, which he recognized at that time that that taken more than a man to throw all them fish in a net where he, with all of his education, his knowledge of fishing, had fished all night and not even taken a thing. But he heard Someone say, "Cast your net in."
21And when he begin to pull, he had a great multitude of fishes, and he realized that he was a sinful man. And he said, "Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man." Who said that? Saint Peter, in the Presence of God, asked for God to depart out of his presence, because he recognized himself a sinner.
22Abraham recognized himself "wrong." Adam recognized himself "wrong," which was the son of God, recognized himself "wrong." Moses recognized himself "wrong." Israel, as a church and nation, recognized themselves "wrong." "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." He didn't try to say, "Now, I'm holy and worthy to receive this." He said, "I am a sinful man."
23 One time a self-styled religionist, with all the theology that he could learn under a great teacher called Gamaliel, his name was Saul of Tarsus, which we know as Paul, religious to the dot. He knowed all the ins and out of their religion. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisee, and a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was a noted man, a scholar, smart, shrewd, educated, claimed he knowed God from baby up. But one day on his road down to Damascus, that Pillar of Fire shined over him and he fell on his... off of his feet, to the ground, in the dust, and said, "Lord, what would You have me to do?" All of his great training, all of his great theological training, all of his education didn't mean a thing when he stood in the Presence of God.
24 I'd like to stop here a minute and say that's the same thing. You might have got a DD., Ph.D., whatever you might be, you might have went to church since you was a child, you might have done all the religious acts there is, but once in the Presence of God you'll feel so little and no count.
25Paul realized that he was wrong, and he fell to the ground, under the influence and Power. When he looked up and seen the very God that he had been preaching, and against, and thought he knowed, and seen that he was wrong, he fell from his feet, to the ground, because he was in the Presence of God. He seen that Pillar of Fire.
26 What about the great Saint John of Revelations 1:7, when he was showed the vision, and looked, and heard a Voice speaking to him. And he turned to look to see the Voice, and he saw seven golden candlesticks. And One stood in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, with hair like wool, eyes like flames of fire, feet like pillars of brass, He was girded with a golden girdle around the paps, and He was called the Word of God. And when the great Saint John had walked with Christ, leaned upon His bosom, when he done all these things! As I said this morning, Paul's ministry exceeded any of them. Here, after John had walked with Jesus, talked with Him, slept with Him, eat with Him, but when he seen Him standing there, that glorified state, he said he fell like a dead man at His feet. Amen. Think of it!
27 We can come to church and talk and praise God, and so forth, but, oh, brother, when we see Him coming, something will be different in our hearts! We might think we do our religious duty by go to church and pay our tithings. We might think that we keep the laws of the church and recite all the creeds, but once let us get a look at Him, the whole thing's changed all the way around. Yes, it's sure.
28This great man, Saint John, a great man like that, the Bible said in Revelations 1:7, that "he fell as if he was a dead man." After three and a half years of fellowship with Christ, was one of the writers of the Epistles, wrote behind Him, eat with Him at the table, slept with Him at the bed, and fellowshipped with Him wherever He went, but when he's turned to see Him, he had no more life left in him. He fell like a dead man to the floor, or to the ground. All right.
29 We see Isaiah, in Isaiah 6:5, as we've just read, this great mighty prophet, he's one of the greatest prophets there is in the Bible. There's sixty-six Books of the Bible; there's sixty-six chapters in Isaiah. Isaiah starts off in Genesis, the middle of Isaiah he brings in the New Testament, at the end of Isaiah he brings in the Millennium; just exactly Genesis, the New Testament, and Revelations. Perfect! Isaiah was one of the major prophets. But one day he had been leaning upon the arm of Uzziah the great king, Uzziah had been taken from him, and he was down. He was a pretty good fellow, he was a good righteous man, if that righteous king (a good king) recognized him as a holy man and kept him in his temple.
30 Isaiah saw visions. He was a prophet. Isaiah preached the Word. He was a minister. Isaiah was a holy man. But one day, standing in the temple, he fell into a trance and he saw the Glory of God. He saw the Angels with wings over Their face, wings over Their feet, flying with wings, crying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!"
31That prophet realized he was nothing. He said, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips." A prophet, a mightiest prophet of the Bible, one of them. "I am a man with unclean lips, and I dwell among people that's unclean lips. Woe is me, because I see the Glory of God."
32 And he said, when that Angel cried, "the posts of the temple shook back and forth." Brother, that'll make you! Not only is the posts of the temple going to shake, but the whole heavens and earth is going to shake when He comes again. The mountains will flee, and the sea will fade away, and scream, "Hide us from the face of Him that sits upon the Throne." It's going to be a terrible time. I tell you, sinner friend, you better be checking it up. That's right.
33Now, Isaiah said, "Woe is me, I'm a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among unclean people. And I'm, these people has unclean lips."
34 Now remember, if such holy men recognized themselves "sinners" in the Presence of God, what will the sinner and ungodly do at that Day? What will people do who sit in the meetings? What will the people do that's seen the Power of God, that's heard the countdown on the Word, that's seen God manifest Himself, and (beyond a shadow of doubt) every Scripture fulfilled, and will still try to make it to Heaven without being born again and receive the Holy Ghost? The Bible said, "If a righteous man be scarcely saved, where will the sinner and ungodly appear?" What kind of a place are we going to stand in if we see God unfold Hisself right before us, and see the Glory of God just the same as them men did, and that kind of men cried out, prophets and sages upon whom the Word is based upon? If they cried, and fell to their feet, and screamed, "I'm man of unholy lips, uncleanness," what will it be then for that man who won't even confess his sins? What will it be for that teenager that won't confess his or her sins? What will it be for that hard-hearted man that thinks he knows more about God's creation than God does Himself? What will happen to that man that's spent all of his life trying to disprove the Bible, where will that guy appear at? Think of it!
35 This is evangelism. This is the time to shake people. This is the time that--that God said there'd come a time, He shook Mount Sinai one time but there'd come a shaking again, that He "wouldn't only shake Mount Sinai, but He'd shake everything that could be moved." But did you notice the rest of the Scripture? "But we receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved!" Hallelujah! Everything that can be shook will be shaken. The heavens will shake. The earth will shake. "Heavens and earth will pass away, but that Word shall never pass away. For upon this rock I'll build My Church, and the gates of hell will never prevail against It." Everything that can be shook will be shaken. But we receive a Kingdom which is the Word of God Himself, and God is His Word. He don't shake Himself. Amen! Oh, my! "But we receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved," it's unshakeable, said Paul the Hebrew writer.
36 Such a person and such a man, such a time and how they felt! We have also ourselves. We've seen the Glory of God like these man did. Sure. We seen It. We seen the Glory of God like Abraham saw It. We saw the Glory of God like Moses saw It, same Pillar of Fire, the same Power of God, the same Christ un-... revealing Himself, showing Himself, keeping His Word in the last days. How can we come by then, and walk and treat It so lightly? How can we walk around and hold to our creeds and denominations, and not take the Word of God? What will it be for us in that day? How will it happen with us, when we seen the Glory of God?
37 Some people will stand off and they make fun of It, some will laugh at It, some will call It fanaticism, some call It mental telepathy, some call It Beelzebub, some call It one thing or another. As the old proverbs is, "Fools will walk with hobnailed shoes where Angels fear to trod." That's right. "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" When he sees God manifested so perfectly by His Own Word (not by a creed; but by His Word), and then walk right over It and make fun of It, he's a fool. Because, it's, God is the Word, and God's made Hisself plain to them, and he's a "fool," the Bible said. What will it be for him when he has to stand in that place? It'll be--it'll be terrible for that man in that day, the ungodly.
38 Repentant sinners, though, doesn't have any fear. Oh, no. A sinner that will repent, he knows that there's a bloody Sacrifice waiting, to stand in his place. That's what gives him the consolation. "I've seen the Glory of God. I've felt His power. I know the touch of His hand. I know the touch of His chastisement. I know that He's God. And I know I'm undone, but there is One standing there for me. Amen. There's One Who stands there and says, 'Father, lay all of his iniquity upon Me, because he stood for Me down on the earth.' Hallelujah! Then I've walked to the Throne of God, boldly, having grace in my heart, to know it's not by good works, but by His mercy I'm saved. Not what I could do, what I could join, what I could say; but it's by His grace that He saved me."
39No wonder the poet that caught that, screamed out, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. Once was lost, but now I'm found; blind, but now I see."
40 How can I ever go to Heaven, how could you go to Heaven? We cannot do it, we, and no way for us to do it. But there's One made the way. And He is the Way. And how do we get to Him? By one Spirit, His Spirit, we're baptized into one Body which will be raised up like an orbit. We'll go out of the earth as astronauts of this last day in the face of God. Amen. Sure. Repentant sinners don't have to worry, Someone is there in their place.
41Oh, then after we have come into His Presence now, and we know we've been in His Presence, we've seen Him do things that He did when He was here on earth. How do you know the... How do you know the vine you're looking at? Because the fruit it bears. How do you know the church you're going to? By the fruit it bears. Jesus said, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also. These signs shall follow them that believe."
42 Now, we see He never did ordain us to go make denominations. He never did ordain us to go make creeds. But He warned us against such. "For whosoever shall take anything from It or add anything to It, the same will be taken out, their part, in the Book of Life." See?
43So, we're not ordained to do nothing but stay with that Word. And if a man is sent of God, he'll stay with the Word, because God can only send by His Word. See? See, He must stay by His Word. Then when we come into His Presence, when a man once comes into the Presence of God, he's changed forever, if there's any changing to him. Now, there are those who could walk in the Presence of God and pay no attention to It. He wasn't ordained to Life. But if he was predestinated of God, as soon as that first move hits, he knows it. That catches fire.
44 Look at that little prostitute down there that day at Samaria, that woman. She was in a bad shape mentally and physically. We know that. But as soon as she seen that sign done, of the Messiah, she said, "We know Messiah is coming to do this. Thou must be His prophet."
He said, "I'm that Messiah that was wrote to come."
45She recognized it. She never asked one more question. She started right quick with the responsibility, to know that if she had found that and come into the Presence of God, she was responsible to tell somebody else about It. Hallelujah! Right. Any man that comes into the Presence of God is responsible before God, from that minute on, to tell somebody else. Look at Abraham, look at Moses, look at Peter, look at Paul. The moment they come into the Presence of God, recognized themselves "sinners," and sealed their testimony with their life. Look at the little lady, she couldn't stay no longer, she went to the city and told the men, "Come, see the Man that told me the things I've done. Isn't this the Messiah?" They could not deny It, because It was Scriptural. Certainly. Yes, they've got to do it, a man, when we got a responsibility of telling others as Moses did, as Peter did, as Paul did. After these things, you've seen It and come into His Presence, you're responsible for the Message to get to somebody else. You just cannot sit still with It. You must take It to someone else.
46 I remember an old sister used to be here, Brother Graham Snelling's mother, she used to sit right here in the church, and she would sing, "I've just got over! I'm running, running, running, and I just got over and I can't sit down." She had just found something. I went over to a little colored church over here in Louisville, and all of them was standing up, singing, "I'm running up the King's Highway, just found It, and took up the Highway!"
47There's something about it, when you find Christ, you cannot hold your peace any longer. The rest of your days you are a changed person, for when life and Life comes together, it makes a bright Light. True. When the bulb connects with the wire, if it's a correct bulb, it's got to give light; when the current and the bulb gets together, there's nothing to do but scatter light. It has to do it. And when a man or a woman is predestinated to Eternal Life, and they see the current of God catch that bulb, it'll throw Light everywhere it can. You might not be over a ten watt, but you'll scatter what Light you got. If you ain't a five-hundred watt, scatter ten watt Light. Give your Light! "Let your light so shine before men, that they might see your good works and glorify the Father which is in Heaven." Yes, sir.
48 When a man comes in contact with God, he recognizes himself "no good." How can a man walk around and brag about how big he is and what all he's done, when he's nothing? He's nothing to begin with. One day down in Memphis, Tennessee, or one... I don't think it was in Memphis. It was one of the places there. I was with Brother Davis and was having a--a revival. It might have been Memphis. And we was--went to a coliseum, and they had in there, not a coliseum, it was kind of an art gallery, and they had the--the great statues that they had got from different parts of the earth, of different, Hercules and so forth, and great artists had painted. And then they had the analysis of a man that weighed a hundred and fifty pounds. You know how much he was worth? Eighty-four cents. That's all he is. Eighty-four cents is all--all the chemicals you can get out of him. He's just got enough whitewash to sprinkle a hen's nest, and he's got enough, just a little bit of calcium, little potash. It would all sell for eighty-four cents. But we just take care of that eighty-four cents and baby it around.
49 There was two boys standing there, and one looked the other one, said, "Jim, we're not worth very much are we?"
He said, "No, we're not, John."
50I said, "But wait a minute, boys, you got a soul in there that's worth ten thousand worlds, that's been, can be redeemed by the power of God, if you'll just let it."
51Man, when he sees these things, he's responsible to tell others. I saw it when I was just a boy. I spent the whole life at it. I only sorry I got one life, wish I had ten thousand. If I had an Eternity, I'd still want to tell people about it, 'cause it's the greatest thing I ever found. If you'll read in Ezekiel 33, 33rd chapter of Ezekiel, there was a watchman set on a tower, and this watchman was responsible for the entire city. Amen. Now, wake, wake yourselves to your spiritual conscience a minute, while I get to this Scripture. That watchman had to be a trained man. He had to know what he was doing, for at any distance, as soon as they arose, the enemy, he could detect it. He could tell their march, he could tell their color, he could tell their rank and file. Just as far as the human eyes could see, he could see it. And he was higher than the rest of them, for he was trained to know the enemy. And God required the whole city at his hand. "Watchman, what of the night?" Hallelujah!
52 That's the way God's soldiers are today. They're trained to the Word. When anything comes up that's got a little polish to it, that's got something else that's not Scripture, they warn their congregation. Anything that's not Bible, anything that's not--that's not God-like, such as having soup suppers, dances, and everything else, to pay off the pastors. Those things are wrong. Bunco games and card parties in the churches, it's wrong! And the real watchman on the wall, who's once been in the Presence of God... If he isn't on the wall, if he's just supposed to be on the wall, the wall may not be any higher than the rest of the congregation. But if he's a correct watchman, God raises him plumb up into spheres that the rest of them never gets to. But he watches the flock, and God requires it of him! The man of God who stands in the Presence of God, and knows God is God, and know that God keeps His Word, and watch God perform Hisself and do His duty and keep His Word, then no matter how many organizations or denominations tries to tear it down, he knows the rank and file of the enemy. Amen. He knows what to tell the congregation, a real watchman.
53 If we have confessed that He is, we been in His Presence, and we have confessed our sins, they are blotted out the book of His memory. There's nobody but God could do that. Now, you can do anything to me, I'll forgive you, but I'll remember it. If I'd do anything to you, you'd forgive me, but you'll remember it. But God can forgive and forget it. Think of that, "don't even remember it!" Amen. That makes me feel good. When it's not even remembered anymore, nothing can do it but God. Nothing but God can do that. He said He would blot it out of His book of memory. I can't do it, you can't do it, because we've only got these little finite senses. But He's infinite, God, He can absolutely forget that it ever was done. Amen.
54 A young lady come from a country church, and her father was an old-fashioned, shouting preacher, or a member of the church. And so she moved into the city, and she got all mixed up with the women down there, and got to acting like they did, and the fashions. And one day she was kind of ashamed for her papa and mama to come, or her father, rather, her mother was dead. So the old man, only thing he'd do, get up of a morning, eat his breakfast and get the Bible and read It, and cry and pray and shout all day long, and run up and down the room, and she was a little embarrassed about it. So then--then when all time through the night, if he got a hold of the Bible, started reading It, he'd raise up out of the bed, and holler, "Glory to God! Hallelujah! Oh, glory to God!" Just stomp and cry half the night.
55 So one day she was going to entertain her church members to a little tea party like they always have, you know, so she didn't know what she was going to do with her dad. After all, it was her daddy. So she decided she'd put him up in the attic, and say, "Daddy, you don't want to be around where these women are, do you?"
Said, "No, I don't believe I want to do that."
56She said, "Well, we're going to have the church women up here today, and we're going to have a little meeting, a little prayer meeting. So I--I tell you, dad, why don't you just go up in the attic?"
Said, "I just believe I'll do that."
57So she said, "Read this nice book." And she gave him a geography. Took his Bible away from him so he'd keep quiet. So knowed if he read the Bible, why, he would go to making a lot of noise up there. So he's right up over them, you know, where they was having their party. So she give him the geography, said, "This is nice. You should read it, daddy, because it tells you all the truth about the world."
Well, said, "I'll be glad to read that."
58So said, "Now you go up there and keep real quiet till these women leave, and then I'll... you come back down and then you can do whatever you want to." He agreed to do it. So he goes upstairs, sits up there.
59 And they was all having their tea party, you know, talking about so-and-so, and you know how it goes, having all that big time. And about that time something cut loose upstairs, all the screaming and jumping, and the plaster falling. The old man running up and down through the attic just as hard as he could go, jumping up and down, and hollering, "Glory to God! Glory to God!" The women didn't know what happened up there, what they had upstairs. So directly down the steps he come, hard as he could go.
She said, "Daddy, I give you a geography to read."
60Said, "Yes, I know it. You know," said, "I was reading in this geography here where there's places in the sea that ain't got no bottom in it." And said, "I read over here in the Bible yesterday, He said He put my sins in the 'sea of forgetfulness.' Glory to God!...?... Said, "They're still going. They don't have an end, they just keep on going." That's right. And he was shouting about it. Well, that's right.
61 God puts our sins in the sea of forgetfulness, blots them out, and they're as if they never did happen. Oh, my! Then we stand by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, pure and holy, just as holy as He was, because He doesn't see me when I come up there, He sees His Own Son. The only way He can see. Can't see me, because I'm in His Son. And He only sees His Son. Isn't that wonderful? We don't have to think about sins anymore, it's all gone, it's under the Blood. Yes, sir. Don't have to worry about it anymore, it's all out, and out of God's memory. He don't even remember it no more.
62 Isaiah, that mighty prophet, when he confessed his sins, he said, "Woe is me, for I'm a man of unclean lips." A prophet! "I'm a man of unclean lips, and my congregation's unclean." See? "The people I preach to, they're unclean. I'm unclean. And woe is me. But here comes a bunch of Angels down from the Glory of God, fanning back the--the clouds, and I look up there and see His train filling the whole Heaven. And I watched these Angels that's never knowed what sin was. They never even knowed what sin was, and they're in the Presence of God, they got two wings over their faces, they got two wings over their feet, and they're flying with two wings, and they cry day and night, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God." Whew. That'd make you feel kind of unholy, wouldn't it? Now, what did he do? He said, "Woe is me."
63 And when he confessed his sins and said "woe is me," the Angel went over and took the tongs, picked up a coal of fire which represented the Holy Ghost and fire, and come over and laid it on the prophet's lips, and said, "I've cleansed you." Then the wings winnowing their way like that, moved away the curtains of time, and he heard God say, "Who will go for us?"
64But after he found out that there was a way to rid sin, God wanted somebody to go for Him, and he said, "Here am I, send me." He had been in the Presence of God, and had confessed his sins, and been cleansed from his sins, and was ready for service. Amen.
65As the poet caught that, said, "Millions now in sin and shame are dying, listen to their sad and bitter cry. Hasten, brother, hasten to their rescue; quickly answer, 'Master, here am I.'"
66 When I think of Africa, India, and around the world, millions of heathens screaming and crying for mercy, and who will go? Not pass them a tract, but bring them Jesus Christ. Somebody in His Presence, like Moses, who could go down there and show them true deliverance. Not make them join a church, or shake hands and have a creed, but bring deliverance to their soul; some good godly man. Yes, Isaiah confessed his sins and was cleansed.
67 After Jacob had wrestled all night, in confessing his sins, you remember the place he was? It was called Peniel, P-e-n-i-t-e-l, Peniel. The word Peniel, in the Hebrew, means "the face of Almighty God." Jacob, the little shyster had run all... his name was Jacob, which means "supplanter," that's deceiver, had run all of his life, away from God, but when he got one time in the Presence of God at Peniel, in the face of God, he got a hold of God and wouldn't turn Him loose. God, we need more Jacobs. He held on to the face of God, in the Presence of God, he stayed until it was sunup. God said, "Let Me go, because the sun's arising." And he stayed in the face of God until sunup, but he went away justified and saved. Sun.
68 Oh, what a great thing it was, now, to know that he had wrestled through. That's, he had seen signs of God, he had had dreams about God, but this was one time he was in the face of God, in the Presence of God. Think of it, friends, now as we hurry up. In the Presence of God, a man is changed. Jacob was changed. Now he could walk with God. Yes, he was a different man than what he was when he went up there. The battle was now over. Yes, sir. And he begin to build an altar. He hadn't been used to building altars, you know. But, I tell you, when you come in the Presence of God, you want to build an altar somewhere. You want to find somewhere where you can pray. He built an altar. He was cleansed, and God had won.
69 And Jacob was changed from Jacob, "supplanter," to Israel, "a prince, having power with God." That's what happened to Jacob. The supplanter, the deceiver, the unrighteous, the unholy, the deceiver, deceived his brother, stole the birthrights, as it was, from his brother, took a little dirty way of doing it, such a deceiver. He deceived his father-in-law. Put poplar sticks and made speckled calves, when the cows being pregnated come there, look at it, and the sheep... would see that speckled stick and make speckled cattle, give them birth marks. Deceiver, deceiving his own father-in-law. Deceived his mother, deceived his daddy, deceived his brother, but when he once got in the... He was a shyster. He was running everywhere he went, always on the run from God, he was on the run from his brother. But when he come into the Presence of God, he recognized he was a sinner. What did he do? What did he do? He seen his opportunity. He had met Something that he didn't even think about before, and he stayed there until all sins was gone. Oh, my! God got him in His Own Presence.
70 God manages a way to get men in their Presence, then they make their decision. Some of them run from Him, some run to Him. If they're predestinated to Life, they believe It, they hang onto It. If they're not, they try to get away and say, "There's nothing to It." See? And that's the guy that's lost. "The guy that confesses his sin, shall have pardon. If you hide your sin, you'll not prosper." No.
71So Jacob when he, you know, the next day he met Esau his brother. He didn't need no help from him then. He didn't need his armies. He was in business building altars. He wasn't afraid of Esau no more.
72 Psalms 16:8, David said, "I have set the Lord before me." That's a good thing to do. Psalms 16:8, "I have set the Lord before me." So, he could not be confused about it. He wanted to be conscious of His Presence, so David said, "I have set the Lord always before my face. Now I, David, have set the Lord before my face, always to be conscious--conscious of God's Presence." Wouldn't that be a good lesson for all of us tonight? Set the Lord before our face so we'll be conscious of His Presence. Put Him first. Why? Put Him first, before you. Why? Then you won't sin when you are realizing that constantly you're in the Presence of God. When you realize God is around, you'll watch what you say.
73 A man, when he thinks God is gone, he'll cuss, he'll lust after women, he'll do--he'll steal, cheat, lie. He'll do anything when he thinks that God don't see him. But bring him into the Presence of God, he'll stop it right now. See? And David said, "I have put the Lord always before me." That's a good thing. No wonder God said he was a man after His Own heart. Man will do everything when he thinks that God isn't near. But when he realizes that God's near, did you ever notice a sinner? Let a godly person walk up, he'll quit his cussing, if he's got any respects at all. See? He won't tell the dirty jokes that he would have told. See? See, he'll leave off that, because he knows that he's in the Presence of God, 'cause God dwells in the tabernacle of His people. See?
74 After David did this, he said, "My heart shall rejoice." I wish you'd read it, Psalms 16. "My heart will rejoice, and my flesh shall rest in hope." Why? My heart shall rejoice because I've got God before me all the time. "And my flesh shall rest in hope; if I die, I'll be raised up again. For He'll not suffer His Holy One to see corruption, neither will He leave His soul in hell." See? When David put God before him, and was conscious that constantly he was in the Presence of God. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God."
75 Now listen, church, I love you. And I want you to listen to me now. As Brother McCulley used to say, I'm going to say something. Always put the Lord before you, and don't you do nothing that you wouldn't do in His Presence, because He's watching over you. See? The Lord is encamped about those who fear Him. He don't... He just stays right near you. And He knows everything you're doing, and you must recognize that. When you start to tell a lie, don't do it, remember, God is listening at you. If you start to do a little cheat, don't you do it, God's looking at you. If you start to take His Name in vain, don't do it, God's listening at you. Start to smoke a cigarette, He's watching you. See? His... We used to sing a song, "All along on the road to the soul's true abode, there's an eye watching you; every step that you take, this great eye is awake, there's an eye watching you." Remember, do like David, put the Lord always before your face. Then your heart will rejoice and your flesh shall rest in hope, for He promised it. Yes, sir. He knew that he would raise up because God had promised it. All right.
76When we come into His Presence, we're changed, never to be the same. Look all down through the ages, of every walk of life, at man. Look at Abraham. You say, "Well, the changed life is just for ministers." Oh, no. The changed life is for everybody. See?
77 Now, Abraham was a farmer, but when he heard God's Voice speaking to him, and saw that vision, he was a changed man from that time on. He separated himself from his kindred, from all of his associates, and walked as a pilgrim and a stranger, in a strange land, the rest of his life, dwelling in tents, because he clearly confessed that he was seeking a city Whose Builder and Maker was God. He knowed there was a God, and there was a city somewhere Whose Builder and Maker was God. That's what Hebrews 11 tells us, that he was seeking a city that its Builder and Maker was God. He was a changed man, yet he wasn't nothing but a mere farmer. But he saw a vision and come into the Presence of God, and he was a changed man from then on.
78 Moses, he was a shepherd, but he was a changed man when he come into the Presence of God. He was a coward, he was running from Pharaoh, with a whole army behind him. But with a stick in his hand, he went back and took the whole nation. See? Why? He come into the Presence of God. He was a changed man, a shepherd.
79Peter, a fisherman, knowed nothing about fishing... or knowed nothing about God, only thing he probably knowed was how to catch fish. But when he come in the Presence of God, and see the great Creator Who could create fish, when He told him to let down the nets for the draw. There wasn't any fish there, he just pulled his nets up. But he said, "At Thy Word, Lord. I believe that You're the Son of God, and if You let... if I let down the net, You told me to do it at Your Word, because You and Your Word are the same, I let down the net." And when he begin to pull, he said, "Depart, Lord, I'm a sinful man." See, a fisherman, after Peter met Christ he was never the same anymore. He, afterwards, was so true to God, he was given the keys to the Kingdom. Yes, sir.
80 Paul, a self-styled Pharisee, educated and trained in all the religion of the... that there was in the world in that day, one of the highest knowed scholars in the land. But when he come before that Pillar of Fire one day, the God that he had persecuted, ignorantly. He was a Pharisee, he didn't believe that God was a Man. He knowed God was the Pillar of Fire, It led His people out of Egypt, It had been with them all along. But when he saw this Pillar of Fire, he fell on his face. And he heard a Voice saying, "Saul, why persecutest thou Me?"
Said, "Who are You, Lord?"
81He said, "I'm Jesus." He was a Man that said, "How have you been baptized?" He had been in the Presence of God. He was a changed man from then on, he had been in the Presence of God. It changes a man.
82 Charles G. Finney, a lawyer, a great Philadelphian lawyer, but when he come into the Presence of God he dropped his law study and become a mightiest preacher of this nation's ever had yet.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... was a preacher, because one day he come in the Presence of God. He thought, once, he'd study the ministry. You know his book. I got his autobiography. He went out to pray. He thought he was a preacher. He had a desire, that he wanted to preach, and he had him a few sermons he'd try to preach. He went out one day, out of his office, to pray, went out in the woods. He got down behind an old blown down tree, where he'd go every afternoon. Very religious, but he didn't believe in That.
There was two women in the church, kept saying, "Mr. Finney, we are praying that you'll receive the Holy Ghost."
He said, "I got the Holy Ghost." Said, "I'm a preacher."
83Said, "Mr. Finney, you're a great man, and you got a great hold of the Word, but you need the Holy Ghost. We're praying for you." Sweet little women.
84So he went on, on. So every day he'd go out behind his office, his boss and all of them there he worked, and he'd go out of his law office and go out there to pray. And one day he was out there praying and he heard a brush break. He thought his boss was coming up, hunting him. He jumped up real quick. He was saying, "Lord God, I believe You." Stopped, brushed before he got... "Uhm! Uhm!" raised up and said, looked around, see what it was broke the brush. And it was then he come into the Presence of God. He realized that brush had broke for a purpose. He stood there, the tears running down his cheeks. He said, "Maybe them women's right. I'm ashamed for somebody to see me talking to my God, but I'd think it was an honor for somebody to see me talking to my boss. How much greater is my Lord than my boss!" Said, "Lord, forgive me and fill me with the Holy Ghost," started screaming and shouting. He was in the Presence of God. He run downtown real quick to his office. He got to screaming so hard he had to go behind the door, said, "Lord, I'll bring disgrace upon You. Hide me back here till I get over this spell." Why? He had come in the Presence of God. He was a changed man. The sermons that he used to preach, he preached them same sermons and souls came to the altar. See, he had been in the Presence of God.
85 Moody, a little old shoe cobbler, hardly knowed his ABC's. That's right. His grammar was poor. Somebody told him one day, "Your grammar is awful poor, Mr. Moody."
He said, "But I'm winning souls with it."
86One day the newspapers, the editor went to writing the newspaper. He went over to see how could this man hold crowds of people under any conditions, little old guy, bald-headed, and everything, and had whiskers hanging way down, kind of pot-bellied, and he was a horrible-looking man to look at. So this newspaper really give him a write-up, said, "I don't see what in the world that anyone would see in Dwight Moody." Said, "He's ugly, his voice is squeaky, he's got whiskers plumb down to his waistline, he's as bald-headed as a pumpkin." And said, "How in the world would anybody ever go to see anything in Moody?"
87So Moody's manager happened to see it, said, "Look, Mr. Moody, I'll read this to you." Moody couldn't read it himself. So he said, "I'll read you the editorial." And he wrote it.
88Moody just shrugged his shoulder, said, "Certainly not, they come to see Christ." That was all. Why? He had been in the Presence of God. From making soles on shoes, for people to wear out; he shod the people with the Gospel of preparation. Why? He was in the Presence of God. Right.
89 A little woman one time come in the Presence of God, as guilty as she could be. In a moment when she realized that she was in the Presence of God, every sin was forgiven and she was as pure and white as a lily. Oh, my. How many more I could call off here of people, time wouldn't permit.
90But I want to talk a little bit about myself. What could been any lower than me? Where was I? Come out of a family of drunkards, come out of a family of murderers, come out of a family of bootleggers. And you know that, every one of you know it, know what kind of a name we had here. People didn't speak to us on the street. I'd go downtown, start to talk to somebody, nobody would talk to me unless somebody wasn't around. They'd talk to me, somebody else come up, they'd leave me. And I'd stand there and cry, "No, this ain't so, it can't be so. This is wrong."
91 But one day I come into the Presence of God. He changed me and made me another kind of son. His grace brought me into His Presence. I've never wanted to leave It. I been in here now thirty-some-odd years. I don't want to leave It. I've got the assurance that I'll always be There. Even death itself will never separate me from His Presence. No. I'll be with Him forever. When I seen His Presence the first time, I cried like Isaiah, "Woe is me." Then He touched me with His grace. I was a changed person. The little renegade that used to get out here and carry on and everything, was changed, and since then I've been His child. Since then, I've desired to give my whole life for His service, only wish I had ten thousand more lives to give for Him. This one's getting pretty well wore out now, fifty-three years has passed. About thirty-three of those has been, or thirty-two of those has been in the Gospel. I wish I had another thousand that I could spend. Why? When I once into His Presence and realized that there was Somebody Who loved the unlovable, there was Somebody loved me when no one else did, there was Somebody Who cared for me when no one else cared. I put my arms around His cross, I embraced it to me, and me and Him become one then. And from then on I've loved Him. He stained my bosom and my heart with His Blood, by touching me and forgiving my sins, and I'm happy tonight to be one of His. I never desire to leave this Heavenly place, though the tempter to persuade me oft hath tried; but I'm safe in God's pavilion, and happy in His love and grace, and I'm living on the hallelujah side. My! It makes my heart rejoice.
92 I'm recommending Him to every weary person. I'm recommending Him to you that have no hope. You that's never been in His Presence, the only thing you have to do is confess your sins and realize that you're wrong, and God has that Angel ordained tonight, called the Holy Ghost, that'll take all your sins away. Then you'll cry, "Lord, here am I, send me." Then you'll raise your hands and sing, "I will praise Him! I will praise Him! Praise the Lamb for sinners slain. Give Him glory, all ye people, for His Blood has washed away each stain." I love Him. Don't you? Living in His Presence!
93 I come to the pulpit here this morning, feeling so bad and so sick from... I--I was down in Kentucky last week with some personal friends of mine sitting here. If I stayed down there very long, they'd kill me, they sure would, with kindness, some of the best cooks I ever knowed in my life. And when I get to my capacity, is done overloaded, "Brother Branham, won't you have some of this?" And it's just so good, I just try to poke it down. I got so full I just couldn't even move. I--I couldn't sleep, and I'd get up and walk around a while. And I wasn't feeling very good when I got in here this morning. But once when I come into His Presence, that settled it. That settled it, it all vanished away then. That's right. Oh, to live in His Presence!
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His Blood has washed away each stain.
Let's bow our heads now.
[Brother Branham begins humming I Will Praise Him--Ed.]
For He's done so much for me.
He's forgiven my transgression,
And His Blood has washed my sin.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His Blood has washed away each stain.
[Brother Branham begins humming I Will Praise Him--Ed.]
94 Now if you're in here tonight... And I know His Presence is here. Standing in there a while ago, to a little Church of God girl, the Holy Spirit moved in upon me when I was praying for that little child. The parents had come down from the Anderson Church of God campground. And the overseer over there, knowing the child, the doctors said "could... it's got to die right away, with leukemia." The little, sweet little girl, in her last stages now. She come back there and held her little hand out to me, it all swelled up, with needles and things been in it, and blue. I looked upon her, I saw a vision. The parents had just been reading a book out there. They knowed nothing about it. The general overseer at the camp up there told them, said bring the child down here. They wanted to come back when we had a healing service. And I said, "Bring the child now," felt led.
95 When I was standing right in there, the Holy Spirit went right back and brought out the history of the child. Told all about how it happened, what they had done. Told the little girl's ambition, was to be a piano player. And that mother just almost screamed out. And that daddy said, "That's the God's truth." Sitting right there in the car now listening to it, couldn't get in, sitting out there listening to it now.
96There come a big veil of a shadow hanging over the child. And I said, "Satan, you are defeated." "You're no respect of person, God. And by the power of Your resurrection, and as Your servant, I drive this devil from the child." A big bright Light flashed over the top of her, it was over. Amen. What? Sure, He's worthy of all praise!
97 He knows all things. He knows your heart. And you know what you're thinking; He does, too. If there's a little sin hanging on you tonight, and you wouldn't want to go in the Presence of God with that on you, would you once more raise up your hand and say, "Brother Branham, pray for me, I want to be in His Presence at that day, guiltless." God bless you. Many hands, God sees it. In His Presence. Now I'll tell you what you do. Now just listen closely. Do like David did, put the Lord before you right now. Put the Lord between you and that sin, whatever that little besetting sin is. It might be lying, might be stealing, it might be evil thinking, it might be temper, might be drinking, might be smoking, might be gambling. I don't know what. It might be lust, it might be anything. I don't know what it is. Whatever it is, put the Lord before you. And then your heart will rejoice, and your flesh shall rest in hope, for you know that Christ promised He'd raise up again in the last days. When He comes forth, we'll come in His likeness. Won't you do it now while we pray.
98 Our Heavenly Father, a little chopped up Message by a tired weary servant, but just thinking on the subject of "dwelling in the Presence of God." And we see tonight the effect that it's taken upon holy men to come into Your Presence, what effect it had upon them. Sages, great powerful prophets ordained by God, and sent to preach the Word, and yet meet Him face to face and fall to the ground like a dead man. What are we going to do at that day, Lord? We've thought it over. We've been thinking it. Some forty or fifty hands has been thinking it, Lord, for they just raised them hands, or hearts beneath the hand, has been thinking about meeting Him since we've been speaking. What would they do if they had to meet Him?
99 My hands, Lord, is up. What will I do? Now, Father, I've got many things that I do wrong. I've just confessed my sin this morning before the church, as I confessed it to You on top of the mountain the other morning when it was blowing and snowing, and up there on top of the mountain, to how I cried out and asked You to forgive me for my stupidity. And how I dreaded to come before my brethren, who some of them regard me as Your prophet-servant. And, Lord, how I hated to come before them and tell them of a stupid act that I would do a thing like that, but, God, it's good for my soul that I confess my sins and not hide them. So to be honest with You, and right before the people, I have confessed it, Lord. I'm wrong, I'm altogether wrong. I pray forgiveness.
100 And then, Father, I've been dilatory about You, serving You, many times maybe I could have went longer when I didn't do it. Father, I confess my sins. I want the Angel of God to cleanse me from that, by the Blood of Jesus. Other hands went up tonight, some of them maybe has never asked forgiveness before; but I'm sure of this one thing, if we'll confess our sins, God will blot them out, put, them in the sea of forgetfulness and never remember them no--no more. And, Father, as I confess mine, about misbehaving before them people, I didn't carry on myself like a servant of Christ. I didn't. I was afraid that man might be angry with me and think I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but I didn't think of what I was doing to You, Lord. And now I--I pray that You forgive me. And now, Father, I know that if I ask forgiveness I have forgiveness, and You've put them in the sea of forgetfulness, and You'll never remember that no more. God, I'm thankful for that.
101 And I pray that You'll let every person here, that has sin, besetting sin of anything before them, may they remove it and put the Lord before them like David did. For now we cry out, "Woe is me, for I have seen the Glory of God. I'm a man of unclean lips, or a woman or girl of unclean lips, boy, or something." Whatever we might be, we're unclean, and we ask for the Blood of Jesus Christ, the appropriated Sacrifice, to cleanse us from all sin, that we might ever dwell in His Presence. Let us go from here tonight with our hearts rejoicing, and our flesh resting in hope, knowing this, that when Jesus does come, we'll be raised with Him in His likeness, and shall meet Him in the air, in the Rapture, when the countdown is finally over. We see the seventh church age is already counted out, and we're ready now to take off. We pray, God, that You, before You close the door, if there be one here tonight has never come in, may they hurry in real quick, for we feel that the door of mercy, between mercy and judgment, is being closed. Those who will accept mercy will step in. Those who will not come in will have to suffer judgment. God closes the door. May there not be a door closed tonight to every one of these confessing sinners. May we all have pardon and mercy. In Jesus Christ's Name.
102 And now, Father, for the sick and the afflicted, for those who are needy, I pray that Your grace will supply all that they have need of. May they step into Christ, into His Presence. Place Christ, Christ, the promise, "'He was wounded for my transgressions,' that's my sin. 'With His stripes I am healed,' then I place the Lord before my sickness. 'He's on my right hand, and I shall not be moved,' then I walk boldly on, confessing that I am healed. 'By His stripes I am healed.'" Grant it, Lord, to every one of them. And we know that if we confess with our hearts and, or with our lips, and believe in our hearts, then we have our desire.
103You said, "When you say anything, believe it comes to pass, you can have what you've said." We believe that, Father, and believe that You'll cleanse us from all of our sins, and heal all of our sickness, and give us grace, Lord, to serve You.
104 Be with these people. Many of them are going to travel the dark roads tonight. Many of them will travel many miles. Don't let nothing happen to them, Lord. They come across the country to sit here to listen to the countdown, to see how close we was to the end time. Now I've asked them to go away, placing God before them, always before them, before anything else. Before their trip, before their move, before their--before they get up, after they go to bed, always before they sleep, wherever it is, put God first! "For He is on my right hand, and I shall not be moved." Then may their hearts rejoice, to know that they have what they've asked for, because God promised it, and their flesh shall rest in hope. Grant it, Lord, for we ask it in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His Blood has washed away each stain.
105 Now do you believe you have placed the Lord between you and your sin, between you and your sickness, between you and your fault, between you and your ways? "The Lord is always before me, and I am in His Presence. The next time I start to light a cigarette, the Lord is before me. The next time I start to lust, the Lord is before me. The next time I start to tell anything wrong, the Lord is before me. The next time I start to say a bad thing, the Lord is before me. And I shall not be moved. Amen. I'll live in His Presence each day, with my dealings, each day with my talk. I'll walk as if the Lord is before me, because tonight I've put Him before me. I shall not be moved." You love Him?
106 Now, let us stand up now. Oh, I just feel real good. I just feel like I don't want to go home. And you know it's only about twenty-five minutes till nine, I'm about two hours early. Isn't it wonderful? Oh, my! But now as we leave, let's remember, we must take the Name of Jesus with us, as a shield from every snare. And when temptations around us gather... tries to keep us to remember that, just breathe that holy Name in prayer.
Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe;
It will joy and comfort give you,
Oh, take It everywhere you go.
Precious Name (precious Name), O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heaven;
Precious Name (precious Name), O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heaven.
107 How many enjoys our pastor, Brother Neville? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Aren't you thankful to the Lord for a good, honest, everyday man, believes the Gospel? ["Amen."] And he's doing such a wonderful job by obeying the Commandments of God, and preaching the Word and keeping this great spiritual atmosphere in the church all the time. Remember, I've come down the East Coast, went across the South, and up the West Coast, and through Canada, and I haven't met one church that's as spiritual as this church right here. They've gone to seed, yeah, either fanaticism, or either went off on tantrums, or either so cold they just can't be moved. That's all.
108Now, do you love one another? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Oh, shake hands with each other, and say, "Praise the Lord."
109[Brother Branham shakes hands with the people--Ed.] Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my ministers. Praise the Lord, sister. Praise the Lord. Glad you were here, brother. Praise the Lord, sister. God bless you. All right. God bless you. All right. God bless you. I know what you need. God bless you. God bless you.
Take the Name of Jesus with you,
As a shield from every snare;
When temptations round you gather, (What do you do?)
Breathe that holy Name in prayer.
Precious Name (precious Name), O how sweet! (O how sweet!)
Hope of earth and joy of Heaven;
Precious Name (precious Name), O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heaven.
110 Let us bow our heads now. Real softly, let's not forget that now. Let's sing that verse again.
Take the Name of Jesus with you, (What for?)
For a shield from every snare, (when Satan tries to snare you);
When temptations round you gather, (What do you do?)
Just breathe that holy Name.
"For the Lord is before my face; I shall not be moved!"
Precious Name (precious Name), O how sweet!
Brother Neville.