Varovanie a potom súd

No, pri každom to tak je. Mohli by sme povedať, „No, táto osoba zomrela bez varovania.“ Nie, nie, nie. Boh nikdy... Vy neviete, čo bolo v srdci toho človeka, vy neviete, čo sa dialo v jeho živote, vidíte? Boh nikdy neprivádza človeka k jeho smrti bez toho, že by ho prv o tom nevaroval. Hovorí mu, je to niečo, je to príprava. Boh je suverénny. A On klope na srdce každého človeka. Dáva mu príležitosť prísť. No, on môže byť varovaný a potom to odmietne, a potrasie svojou hlavou a odíde preč a povie, „Ó, to je len nejaký divný pocit, prekonám to.“ Ale jednako, to bol Boh, hovoril k nemu Boh.

Boh nikdy neprivádza na zem súd bez toho, že by dal prv ľuďom varovanie. Boh nikdy nič nerobí bez toho, žeby prv nevyjasnil, čo ide urobiť. A On dáva ľuďom na výber, a vy môžete... a vy môžete konať správne, alebo nesprávne. To je Jeho... Vidíte? Boh nemôže zmeniť svoju povahu. Jeho program sa nemôže nikdy zmeniť, od toho, ako to On začal. Pretože On je Nekonečný, a Jeho program a Jeho myšlienky sú všetky dokonalé. A tak, ak by to On zmenil, to by ukazovalo, že On sa viac naučil. Tak tým, že je Nekonečný, On sa nemôže viac naučiť. Jeho prvé... Jeho prvé rozhodnutie je vždy dokonalé, a nie je nič, čo by to kedy mohlo zmeniť.

VAROVANIE A POTOM SÚD (GOD DOESN'T CALL MAN TO JUDGMENT WITHOUT FIRST WARNING HIM), 63-0724, Branham Tabernacle, Branham Tabernacle, Jeffersonville, IN, 103 min

1„Mohol zavolať desaťtisíc anjelov,“ pričom jeden by mohol zničiť svet, „ale On zomrel za teba a mňa.“ To je niečo ako podklad na posolstvo, ktoré chcem kázať v nedeľu ráno, ak bude Pán chcieť, na to: „Čím bol Kristus?“ A teraz očakávame, že možno by pre nás mohli tieto malé dievčatá v nedeľu znovu zaspievať tú pieseň. Brat Wheeler, naozaj chcem povedať, že máš skutočne dve milé malé dámy, ako sú oblečené, bez žiadneho mejkapu a ničoho takého. Pre mňa vyzerajú ako Kresťanky a spievajú tak a správajú sa tak. To je veľmi pekné.

2Myslím, že som jedného dňa hovoril svojej žene, že tu máme skutočne čisto vyzerajúcu skupinu žien. Cením si to. Ich dlhé vlasy a čisté tváre a ako sú slušne oblečené. Obdivujem vás, kedykoľvek sem prichádzam. Povedal som Méde, „Rád by som ich niekedy zoradil do radu a urobil si fotku, aby som to potom mohol ukázať v iných zboroch, ako je to tu v našom zbore,“ kde my tie veci hovoríme, a oni to poslúchajú. A sme radi, to pre nás niečo robí. Vieme, že keď máme potreby a prosíme, ak nás naše srdce neodsudzuje, vieme, že Boh nás počuje.

3Dnes ráno, jeden z mojich priateľov, ktorý je odtiaľto veľmi ďaleko, sa zložil, odvliekli ho preč a on sotva žil, mysleli si, že zomrie za niekoľko minút. Zavolali, práve svitalo. Vstal som z postele, kľakol som si na podlahu a začal som sa za tú starú osobu modliť a bol som schopný, skrze Božiu milosť, skontaktovať sa s jeho duchom a on sa sem vrátil. Dal sa do poriadku, vrátil sa zase sem, vidíte, stále žije medzi nami i dnes večer, na slávu Božiu. To je starý brat Dauch, deväťdesiatjeden ročný, dvadsaťjeden rokov po čase jeho životnej púte. Ale Pán je dobrý a plný milosrdenstva, tak sme za to vďační.

4No, brat Neville, pozeráme sa jeden na druhého a ja viem, že mám malé... má tu byť asi o jedno zhromaždenie naviac, a to bude v nedeľu. A ja nechcem zabrať miesto svojho pastora, ja ho veľmi rád počúvam kázať.

5Keď kázal v nedeľu večer, poviem vám, išiel som sem to toho „drive-in“ s jedným priateľom, aby sme si dali nejaký sendvič po zhromaždení, brat Evans a sestra Evansová, a zašli sme ku bratovi a sestre Sothmannovým tam hore. Brat Sothmann a všetci tam hovorili o tom ohromnom posolstve. Poviem vám, ja som z toho žil takmer celý týždeň. A ako to komentovali, že ako ten pštros si myslí, že sa skryl. No, to je pravda, hoci strčí svoju hlavu do zeme, ale väčšina z neho stále vytŕča von. Tak to je asi to, ako to niekedy robíme. Snažíme si svoju hlavu za niečo skryť, vždy tam je... možno to stále ukazujeme, viete. On vidí každý kúsok z nás, rozumiete. Tak cením si to, skutočne.

6Potom som si pomyslel, rád by som hovoril ku cirkvi a pomyslel som si, no... ja... brat Neville ku vám celý čas hovorí, tak potom, keď som tu dolu, možno niečo prinesiem...

Nechcem byť taký pokrytec, keď nemám ani žiaden telefonát ani nič, a len zostať sedieť doma, a tu je cirkev otvorená. Mám... Chcem byť tu, pretože vás milujem.

7Poviem vám, iste je to taký... to počasie tu so mnou nesúhlasí a ja... tento kraj so mnou nesúhlasí a ja som na ten vzduch, ktorý je tu, alergický. Akonáhle ma ten vzduch zasiahne, celý sa vyhádžem, a nemôžete s tým nič urobiť. A necítime sa dobre, ani jeden z nás, keď sme tu. Sotva niekto z nás sa cíti dobre, odkedy sme tu, lebo my sme si zvykli na to vysoké podnebie.

8Ale tá jedna vec, ktorá ma sem tiahne, ste všetci vy, ľudia. To je pravda, vy všetci. Viete, nájdete mnoho priateľov, som tak vďačný. Hádam... Ak by som to spočítal, ľudí, ktorých osobne poznám, bolo by to možno milióny po celom svete. Niekto to raz odhadol, že pravdepodobne osobne poznám asi desať miliónov ľudí. Ale je niečo na domove, na tých určitých ľuďoch. Tam je... každý to má, existujú v tvojom živote špeciálni ľudia. Viete, verím tomu. Ak nie sú, potom prečo je nás naša manželka špeciálna? A prečo je náš... Rozumiete? Sme... naše manželky alebo manželia, atď, to je špeciálne. A máte to tak pri priateľoch. Existuje niečo iné, že to milujete ich stretnúť a hovoriť s nimi. Sú také malé miesta.

9A môžem pomyslieť na tento starý močiar tu, kde stála táto malá cirkev a kde nebolo nič okrem malého rybníka, predtým, ako tu stála. To je ten dôvod, prečo táto cesta je tu takto, lebo ona obchádzala ten rybník. Toto je v skutočnosti vlastníctvo... tá ulica viedla rovno tam, kde sú tie dvere. Ale to bol rybník. A pamätám sa, ako som sa sem dostal a snažil som sa nájsť miesto, aby som postavil cirkev pre Pána, bol som len mladý chlapec.

10Počúval som týchto, túto mladú osobu a túto, ktorá je tu, ktorá sa pred chvíľou modlila, s tým všetkým nadšením. Pomyslel som si, „Vieš, zvykol som byť schopný takto sa modliť, bez toho, že by som sa vôbec nadýchol.“ A potom, keď zostarnete, trochu spomalíte, viete. Stále sa hýbete, ale máte zaradenú druhú rýchlosť, ako som tam povedal bratovi Woodsovi. Ale potom, tak dlho, ako... A potom, po chvíli znížite na malú rýchlosť, keď máte hádam sedemdesiat alebo osemdesiat. Ale viete, pritom sa stále pohybujete. Tak dlho, ako sa dokážete pohybovať, aký je v tom rozdiel? Iba trvá trochu dlhšie, kým sa tam dostanete.

11Pamätám sa, ako som sa modlil, a rovno tu v týchto vysokých trávach, rovno tu, kde stojí teraz táto kazateľňa, asi práve, kde teraz stojí, to je to, kde som zastrčil malý kolík, kde som vedel, že postavím kazateľňu. Pán mi dal toto miesto.

Tak veru. No, rovno v tom uholnom kameni leží moje svedectvo videnia v to ráno, keď som ho kládol, keď som sotva mohol o tom pomyslieť, On povedal, „Toto nie je tvoja modlitebňa, ale konaj prácu evanjelistu,“ povedal. Obzrel som sa a videl som tam celý svet a jasnú modrú oblohu a ľudia, ktorí prichádzali odvšadiaľ, leží to tam v tom uholnom kameni. Ako som si vtedy sotva vedel predstaviť, že sa to stane, dokonca ja, keď to videnie tak povedalo, ale nezlyháva, to tam jednako bude.

12Bol som tento týždeň už na mnohých rozhovoroch, pretože v nedeľu zostúpila milostivá Prítomnosť Pánova. A ja som mal mať voľný pondelok.

13 Mám... ešte sme si nevzali dovolenku, s deťmi. Moja dovolenka prichádza neskôr, trochu neskôr. Ale chcem vziať deti na malý čas. Musia sa teraz vrátiť do školy, tak som si myslel, že tento týždeň by bol dobrý čas. Predo mnou je zhromaždenie v Chicagu, budúci týždeň.

14Potom som si pomyslel, pri tom pomazaní Ducha, „Teraz je čas mať osobné rozhovory.“ Teraz je čas, že tieto... že teraz môžem zopár z nich vybaviť. Vidím niektorých ľudí, ktorí boli v tej izbe, ako tu sedia prítomní. Oni vedia, či sa Pán s nami stretol alebo nie.

15Zvláštne je, že všetci okrem jednej ženy, ktorú Billy zaradil na začiatku do časovej medzery, nejaká žena z Louisville, ona mala malé dievčatko, ktoré tam bolo, myslím, že patria do Cirkvi Božej v Louisville alebo niečo také... Ale každý jeden prípad, každý jeden z nich, ktorí vošli, predtým, ako som odišiel z domu, Duch Svätý mi povedal, kto tam bude, a čo sa opýtajú. A ja som si to zapísal na kus papiera a povedal som, na čo sa budú pýtať, a ich otázky, a ako sa ich budú pýtať, a ako budú zodpovedané. Potom som im povedal, povedal som, „Tu je to, čo ste... pozrite sa teraz, pred pár minútami, to, čo Duch Svätý...“ Načiahol som sa na stôl a povedal som, „Povedal mi to predtým, ako ste prišli,“ rozumiete. Ale keď som bol hore v dome, vedel som, kto tam bude, a čo to bude, aký bude ich postoj a všetko o tom, predtým, ako som vyšiel z domu.

16Videl som to už mnohokrát, keď som išiel dolu cestou, ako som sa modlil, videl som ten modlitebný rad, ako predo mňa prechádzal, a videl som meno každého človeka, ktorý bude v tom modlitebnom rade, predtým, ako som tam prišiel. To je pravda. A vedel som, kde budú v cirkvi sedieť a čo... ako budú oblečení a ako budú vyzerať. Vy ľuďom toto všetko nehovoríte. Vy... Dejú sa niektoré veci, ale vy im to jednoducho nehovoríte. Nie je potrebné povedať im to. Ja hovorím ľuďom len veci, o ktorých si myslím, že im pomôžu, keď ma Pán potlačí, aby som im to povedal, povie, „Povedz toto.“ Nechceli by ste povedať všetko, čo ste videli, lebo to by nebolo správne, viete, vy len... samozrejme, dostanete sa do problémov a všetko také. Musíte vedieť, ako s tými vecami narábať skrze Ducha Svätého.

17Mal som pred sebou ľudí, ktorí stáli predo mnou a pýtali sa ma otázky, vedel som to presne, ale nepovedal som im to, pretože som sa necítil byť donútený urobiť to. Pamätáte sa, myslím, že to bolo v stredu večer, keď som kázal na tému „Väzeň,“ rozumiete. Chcete to tej osobe povedať, ale niečo hovorí, „Nerob to.“ Duch hovorí, „Nerob to. Nerob to.“

A pritom ten dar sa díva rovno na to. „Nerob to. Nerob to.“ Rozumiete, tak lepšie, keď to neurobíte, lebo potom sa dostanete do problémov s Bohom.

18No, my tu neprichádzame dnes večer na to, aby sme tu len stáli. Chceme počuť Slovo Pánovo. Modlili ste sa a mali sme nádherný čas, a ja... vždy, keď prídem dolu, viem, že si prinesiem len malú poznámkovú knižku s textami, lebo tam je... Niekedy brat Neville, on je taký láskavý, on sa ma len stále pýta, „Urobíš to?“ Alebo „Urobíš to, budeš hovoriť?“ A ja sa pozerám sem, až kým nájdem text na niečo, a potom odtiaľ začíname. A som si istý... no buďte si istí, že v nedeľu...

19No, my nikdy nevieme, nedokážeme to povedať. Viete, niekedy som tu prišiel s nejakým textom v mysli, na ktorý som chcel hovoriť, a keď som sem prišiel, celkom som to zmenil. A mal som napísané miesta Písma, hovorím si, „Použijem tento text, použijem tieto miesta Písma. Keď prídu, poviem toto, tamto alebo to.“ Napíšem si, niečo ako 1.Korinťanom 5:15 a 2.Korinťanom 7:1 a Matúš 28:16, a tak ďalej, takto si to napíšem, asi takto, a zapíšem si tie miesta Písma. A pozriem sa sem dolu, viem, čo tu hovoria tie miesta Písma, a niekedy sa toho ani nedotknem, ide to celkom okolo, iným spôsobom, všetko spolu. A my len nevieme.

20Tak teraz, ak bude Pán chcieť, chcem hovoriť na zakončenie týchto sérií služieb, odkedy som tu, v nedeľu ráno, na veľmi dôležitú vec. Tak príďte skoro, buďte pripravení zostať trochu dlhšie, možno do druhej, tak nejako. A tak je to... Mám už na tú tému napísaných asi tridsať alebo štyridsať miest Písma, ale myslím, že to, čo... to, čo sa idem snažiť urobiť, ak mi Duch Svätý pomôže, aby som zachytil to posolstvo na mieste, kde ono je teraz, a začal ho stavať odtiaľ, kde začalo a postaviť to až do nášho času.

21Tak keď odídem do Chicaga, potom musím ísť rovno do Arizony a potom ďalej a ďalej. A môže to byť, pokiaľ viem, môže to byť znovu na ďalší rok, možno ďalšie leto, predtým, ako sa dostanem napäť do modlitebne, jedine, že by som tadeto prechádzal, lebo mám zhromaždenia.

22A Billy práve teraz pracuje na zámorskej ceste, ktorá bude kompletnou svetovou misijnou cestou a začne ihneď po vianociach. A ja som zaneprázdnený až asi do decembra a možno budem prvý týždeň v decembri v Dallase. Tak potom v januári chcem začať na kompletnom svetovom turné, kolom dokola, kompletne, a práve na tom pracujeme, zisťujeme, kde nás bude Pán viesť. A ja som taký vďačný... dokonca ľuďom, kazateľom, hoci hovorím toľko proti ich denomináciám a veciam ako to.

23Viete, čo sa týka tých kníh, ktoré tam ležia, tak brat Roy Borders sa stará o tie pozvania a od vianoc, od prvého dňa v roku, máme viac ako tisíc pozvaní z celého sveta. Prišlo tam tisíc pozvaní. Tak Pán ma musí nasmerovať, ktoré prijať a kam ísť a čo robiť. Závisíme len na Ňom. Nemohli by ste ich prijať všetky. Nemohli by ste vziať viac ako osem alebo desať za leto, ak by ste museli, kompletne... jedine, že by ste mali jeden večer tu, jeden tam, a to je... oni prosia o dva týždne alebo tri týždne a tak ďalej, tak dlho, ako môžete zostať, alebo niektorí len hovoria „Ako ťa Pán bude viesť,“ a takto, a vy neviete presne, kde začať, alebo čo robiť. Tak my ich len necháme predložených pred Pánom, hovoriac, „Tak, Ty nám povedz, nebeský Otče.“ A vy mi pomôžte modliť sa v tejto záležitosti, rozumiete, pomôžte mi modliť sa, aby sme toto prekonali.

24A myslel som si, že potom, ako sme mali minulú nedeľu službu s uzdravovaním, potom možno túto nedeľu budeme vyučovať a prinesieme to jasne a ukážeme, v akom sme čase, aký je ten veľký trojaký zámer Božieho veľkého plánu od založenia sveta, a prinesiem to do dneška, ten trojaký plán Boží, plán. Pracujem teraz na druhej časti toho, snažím sa dostať miesta Písma a vyhľadávam ich a umiestňujem ich. Tak, pozrime, skloňme na chvíľu svoje hlavy.

25Pane Ježišu, veľký Pastier ovčinca, zhromaždili sme sa tu dnes večer v Tvojom najmilostivejšom svätom Mene. Milujeme ťa, Pane, a ďakujeme ti za toto dnešné večerné modlitebné zhromaždenie, za tie hymny cirkvi, ako sme ich spievali s radosťou v našich srdciach, ako som ich počul, keď prichádzali a tlieskali rukami. A potom sme išli na svoje kolená a všetci sme Ti vylievali svoje srdcia a ďakovali sme Ti, čo si pre nás urobil, a požiadali sme ťa, aby si ďalej kráčal s nami.

26A teraz prišiel čas na čítanie slova a na niečo, o čom chcem ku ľuďom hovoriť. Nasmeruj, Otče, naše myšlienky a vezmi chválu. A povedz dnes večer skrze nás niečo, čo nám všetkým pomôže dostať sa odtiaľto so zámerom v našich srdciach, aby sme žili lepšie a bližšie Teba, ako kedykoľvek predtým. To je to, kvôli čomu sme tu, Pane, sme tu, aby sme vedeli o Tebe viac. A modlíme sa, aby si nám dnes večer odhalil Tvoju veľkú bytosť v zjavení Tvojho Slova, aby sme vedeli, ako byť lepšími Kresťanmi, a ako konať v týchto dňoch. Prosíme to v Ježišovom mene. Amen.

27No, môj zrak padá na text tu v Izaiášovi, Izaiáš 38. Čítajme to v Izaiášovi, Izaiáš 38:

V tých dňoch onemocnel Ezechiáš na smrť. A prišiel k nemu Izaiáš, syn Ámosov, prorok, a riekol mu: Takto hovorí Hospodin: Usporiadaj svoj dom, lebo zomrieš a nebudeš žiť.

A Ezechiáš obrátil svoju tvár ku stene a modlil sa Hospodinovi

a povedal: Prosím, ó, Hospodine, rozpomeň sa na to, že som chodil pred tebou v pravde a celým srdcom a činil som to, čo je dobré v tvojich očiach. A Ezechiáš plakal veľmi.

Vtedy sa stalo slovo Hospodinovo k Izaiášovi povediac:

Iď a povieš Ezechiášovi: Takto hovorí Hospodin, Bôh Dávida, tvojho otca: Počul som tvoju modlitbu, videl som tvoje slzy. Hľa, pridám ku tvojim dňom pätnásť rokov

28Nech Pán pridá Svoje požehnanie ku tomuto prečítanému slovu. Je to tu veľmi ohromná téma na krátke posolstvo, verím tomu. Chcem to nazvať: „Boh nevolá človeka na súd predtým, ako by ho prv nevaroval.“ A chcem tomu dať podklad alebo pozadie, v tomto dnešnom texte, Boh človeka vopred varuje, predtým, ako ho privedie k jeho smrti.

29No, pri každom to tak je. Mohli by sme povedať, „No, táto osoba zomrela bez varovania.“ Nie, nie, nie. Boh nikdy... Vy neviete, čo bolo v srdci toho človeka, vy neviete, čo sa dialo v jeho živote, vidíte? Boh nikdy neprivádza človeka k jeho smrti bez toho, že by ho prv o tom nevaroval. Hovorí mu, je to niečo, je to príprava. Boh je suverénny. A On klope na srdce každého človeka. Dáva mu príležitosť prísť. No, on môže byť varovaný a potom to odmietne, a potrasie svojou hlavou a odíde preč a povie, „Ó, to je len nejaký divný pocit, prekonám to.“ Ale jednako, to bol Boh, hovoril k nemu Boh.

30A Boh nikdy neprivádza na zem súd bez toho, že by dal prv ľuďom varovanie. Boh nikdy nič nerobí bez toho, žeby prv nevyjasnil, čo ide urobiť. A On dáva ľuďom na výber, a vy môžete... a vy môžete konať správne, alebo nesprávne. To je Jeho... Vidíte? Boh nemôže zmeniť svoju povahu. Jeho program sa nemôže nikdy zmeniť, od toho, ako to On začal. Pretože On je Nekonečný, a Jeho program a Jeho myšlienky sú všetky dokonalé. A tak, ak by to On zmenil, to by ukazovalo, že On sa viac naučil. Tak tým, že je Nekonečný, On sa nemôže viac naučiť. Jeho prvé... Jeho prvé rozhodnutie je vždy dokonalé, a nie je nič, čo by to kedy mohlo zmeniť. Vidíte?

31Boh predtým, ako kedy postavil človeka... On mal šancu konať nesprávne. Boh ho postavil na miesto, kde on môže prijať alebo poprieť. On by mohol prijať, alebo nie.

32Povedzme, mimochodom, ak je tu ten kazateľ, brat Baker, myslím, že bol v ten deň na tom rozhovore, mám jeho otázky, ktoré si pre mňa zapísal, ohľadne semena hada. Mám ich tu teraz položené. Ak je tu, no dobre...Nevidím ho tu teraz nikde. Ale je to tu. On a jeho žena, veľmi milý muž a žena. Ale oni nedokázali rozumieť zopár vecí o učení semena hada, ako to... Niektoré otázky, ohľadne toho, čo som povedal, a tých kázní za tým, a kde bolo povedané o tehotenstve a tak ďalej. Ale ja... To je potom, ako brat, milý človek, on je kresťanom pár rokov, ale on len nerozumel. Vidíte?

33Je to ťažké, ak vy ne... musíte závisieť na Duchu Svätom, pretože táto Biblia je napísaná v hádankách. Vy si nemôžete len sadnúť a čítať to ako noviny, je to ukryté. Tak veru.

Ako by ste kedy mohli ospravedlniť Boha, keď povedal tam Mojžišovi, povedal, „No, neučiníte si žiadne vyrezávané obrazy“ vo svojich prikázaniach. „Neučiníte si nič z Neba, akýkoľvek anjel, alebo čokoľvek iné, neučiníte si žiadne vyrezávané obrazy.“ A pritom v ten istý deň mu povedal, aby vyformoval dvoch anjelov z mosadze, aby ich umiestnil rovno na Trón milosti, kde je milosť. Vidíte? Vy musíte poznať Boha a Jeho prirodzenosť, predtým, ako môžete porozumieť Jeho Slovu. On... On sám má ten kľúč do Jeho Slova a On je ten Jediný, ktorý s tým dokáže zaobchádzať a otvoriť to, a On je Ten, ktorý to musí zjaviť.

34A teraz tu zisťujeme, že Jeho povaha je taká, že vždy varuje človeka pred súdom, vždy varuje národ pred súdom a tak ďalej. On dáva vždy varovanie, pripomína nám tú zodpovednosť. Máme zodpovednosť. A Boh nás musel umiestniť tu na zem pre nejaký účel, a ten účel, pre ktorý nás On tu postavil, my sme zodpovední voči Nemu, za ten účel. Mali by ste ísť k Nemu a zistiť, čo On chce, aby ste robili. Vidíte? Ak nie.

35Ak by ste išli pracovať pre nejakého človeka a on vám dá nejakú prácu na ranči, alebo niekde, a vy len vyjdete von k stodole a len si tam sadnete a poviete, „Dobre.“ Vidíte? Vy musíte ísť len k nemu a opýtať sa ho, čo chce, aby ste urobili, a potom to urobiť. Ak pracujete pre niekoho, zistite, čo sú vaše povinnosti.

36A potom, ak náš život je tu na zemi, potom my by sme mali ísť ku Tomu, ktorý nás tu umiestnil. A povedať, „Pane, čo chceš, aby som činil? Čo mám robiť? Prečo som tu?“ Či to má byť žena v domácnosti, umývačka riadov, ak to má byť... Čokoľvek Boh chce, aby si robil, potom ty rob najlepšie, ako vieš, ako to robiť. Nezáleží na tom, aké je to malé, nezáleží na tom, aké je to malé, ty to musíš robiť.

37 Poviete, „No...“ Ten problém je, že každý z nás chce robiť prácu toho druhého. My chceme všetci niesť loptu, ako to hovoríme. Vidíte?

38Ako tieto hodiny tu. No, každý malý pohyb v nich má svoje miesto. No, všetky časti z nich nemôžu byť ručičky. No, ja sa dívam iba na tie ručičky, aby som videl, koľko je hodín. Ale ak sa jedno z tých malých koliesok vo vnútri dostane von z poriadku, to nebude ukazovať správny čas.

39A tak isto je to s ľuďmi. My musíme všetci, telo Kristovo musí byť na svojom mieste v harmónii. Vidíte? A potom sa môžeme obzrieť a vidieť, aká časť dňa je. Rozumiete? Potom sa svet môže pozrieť a vidieť, čo to je. Vidíte? Ale oni vás pozorujú. A ak ste len nejakým malým vlasovým perom v tých hodinách, alebo hnacou pružinou, alebo čokoľvek to je, vykonajte v tom tú najlepšiu robotu, akú len môžete.

40No, pretože máme zodpovednosť, že sa musíme jedného dňa za to Bohu zodpovedať. Každý človek, ktorý prišiel na tvár zeme, sa musí zodpovedať Bohu za zodpovednosť. A pre mnohých z nás, správcovstvo, my sa musíme za neho zodpovedať. My... Táto zodpovednosť je správcovstvo, ktoré nám bolo poverené Bohom. Je mi jedno, čo to je. Ako som povedal pred chvíľou, „žena v domácnosti,“ potom buď skutočnou ženou v domácnosti, to je pravda. Ak to má byť farmár, buď skutočný farmár. Čokoľvek to je, do čoho ťa Boh umiestnil, aby si robil, ty v tom máš správcovstvo. Ty sa musíš za to Bohu zodpovedať. Pretože, k tomu sú potrebné všetky tieto veci, aby to bolo vykonané.

41Ezechiášovi bolo povedané, aby sa pripravil, a aby sa dal do poriadku, pretože on sa mal stretnúť so svojím Učiniteľom. No, Ezechiáš bol kráľ a veľký človek. Všimli ste si tú jeho prosbu? „Pane, prosím, rozpomeň sa na mňa, kráčal som pred Tebou s dokonalým srdcom.“ Čo za svedectvo, ktoré je pre nás dnes, a malo by byť, človek, ktorý kráča pred Bohom.

42Dokonca smrť bola nad ním vypovedaná, a Boh pritom zmenil ohľadne neho svoju myseľ, pretože Ezechiáš chcel niečo učiniť. A Boh povedal, že On nám dá túžby nášho srdca. A Ezechiášov čas prišiel a on dostal rakovinu, alebo niečo také, a oni to v tom dni nazývali „vred,“ ale my vieme, že vredy vás obyčajne nezabíjajú, oni sa obyčajne zotavujú. Ale to bola pravdepodobne rakovina, a to sa otvorilo ako vred. A Boh povedal Izaiášovi, povedal „Choď tam hore a povedz mu, že zomrie.“ A Ezechiáš mal niečo, čo ešte chcel urobiť. On mal... On mal...

43Ak o niečo Boha prosíte, musíte mať k tomu dôvod. To je ako toto miesto Písma, na ktoré sa často odvolávam, „Ak poviete tejto hore, pohni sa, a nebudete pochybovať, ale veriť, čo ste povedali, môžete mať, čo ste povedali.“ No, to je všetko kontrolované motívom a cieľom, lebo inak sa to nestane. Vidíte?

44Vy tu nemôžete len prísť... To je to, kde mnohí z nás robíme mnoho chýb, že ideme a hovoríme, „No, ukážem ti, že mám do tohto vieru.“ No, to v prvom rade nie je v poriadku. Boh ti nedáva dary, aby si sa s nimi len hral.

45Ako som prednedávnom povedal, On vám nedáva videnia, len aby ste sa s nimi hrali. To nie je nič na hranie, to je posvätné. Len to použite, ako vám to Pán dovolí. Buďte Jeho väzňom. Nezáleží na tom, koľko chcete povedať tomu človeku, že sa mýli, a čo toto, to a tamto. Buďte ticho, kým Boh tak nepovie. Potom, keď Boh tak hovorí, potom tam môžete prísť s tým, tak hovorí Pán. Dovtedy na neho len zabudnite.

46Svet je dnes taký ako Ezechiáš vtedy. Bol varovaný. Je ustavične varovaný. Cirkev je varovaná. A teraz, tieto veci sa nedejú len tak náhodou. Oni vždy majú niečo za sebou.

47No Ezechiáš ochorel, mal tento vred, a to nebolo náhodou. Boh tam poslal Izaiáša a povedal mu, aby dal svoj dom do poriadku, pretože ide zomrieť. A Ezechiáš plakal a povedal Bohu, „Kráčal som pred Tebou s dokonalým srdcom, a modlím sa, aby si zachoval môj život pre túto príčinu, dobrú príčinu, príčinu Božiu.“

Boh povedal prorokovi. Povedal, „Vráť sa a povedz mu.“

48No, nie je to zvláštne? Ezechiáš bol najväčším mužom v zemi. Vidíte? Ezechiáš bol kráľom a zbožným človekom. On bol skutočným mužom. Ak mohol prosiť toto pred Bohom, a Boh ho za to nepokarhal, „Chodil som pred Tebou s dokonalým srdcom.“ No to hovorí za všetko. Vidíte?

49A Boh nikdy nepovedal, „Nie, Ezechiáš, nerobil si to.“ Ale On pripustil, že on to robil. A On povedal, „Idem... Idem tvoj život zachovať, a o trochu predĺžiť (vidíte?), idem ti dať tvoju požiadavku.“ Pretože on bol spravodlivým človekom. On bol skutočným sluhom Kristovým.

50A potom my cítime, že máme právo o niečo požiadať, ak je náš cieľ správny a náš motív k tomu.

51No, vidíme dnes, že za tých mnoho posledných rokov, povedal by som, že za posledných pätnásť, alebo viac rokov, že cez národ ustavične prechádzalo varovanie, „Čiňte pokánie alebo zahyniete.“

52Všimnite si, hovoril som dnes s manželkou, veľmi skoro ráno a ja... Bolo to skoro pri raňajkách, sedeli sme spolu pri stole a hovorili, pred tým, ako som odišiel. Povedal som, “Žena...“ Ona hovorila o Billy Grahamovi, a o jeho žene, ako jednoducho sa snažia žiť, a tak. Povedal som, „To je skutočný sluha, keď sa on nesnaží... Keď on...Ten človek, možno zarobí dva, alebo tri milióny za rok na svojich kampaniach, ale on si to neberie, jeho nadácia to berie a dáva to späť do práce a na vysielanie atď. A Billy dostáva nejakých dvadsaťpäť tisíc na rok.“

53Ona povedala, „Ako kedy dokáže minúť dvadsaťpäť tisíc za rok?“

54Povedal som, „On berie toľko, koľko musí mať, to je všetko. Má dom, za ktorý musí platiť, a všetko.“ Pokračoval som a povedal som, „Mám veľa rešpektu pre Billy Grahama.“ Povedal som, „Pretože on má posolstvo a to posolstvo pokánia.“

55A tam, poviem vám, nie je nikto, koho poznám, kto je dnes v krajine, koho Boh tak použil s nejakým posolstvom, ako Billy Grahama. Ó, on to tam má pevné, stojí tam len, a mám na mysli, on volá tých politikov a členov cirkvi ku pokániu. Ale to je len potiaľ, ako sa on dostáva.

56A tu prichádza brat Oral Roberts, ďalší veľký sluha Pánov. A nie je nikto, kto tam ide, kto by sa mohol porovnať s Oralom Robertsom. Ten jeho buldocký stisk, ktorý... On tam jednoducho vyháňa zlých duchov a vzýva Meno Pánovo, a tie malé senzácie a tak ďalej, o Božskom uzdravovaní. To je pravda. Tam je posol, pre letničných.

57Tam je posol pre denominačný cirkevný svet a ten chladný svet.

58A potom, keď sa obzrieme v našej malej pokornej službe, ktorá vyhlasuje, že „Ježiš Kristus Ten istý, včera, dnes a na veky.“ Vidíte? Čo to robí? Zvoláva skupinu nevesty. Vidíte, to povoláva z oboch týchto skupín. To berie koleso z kolesa. Rozumiete, čo mám na mysli?

59A potom Boh potvrdzuje posolstvo, ktoré káže Billy Graham. Boh uzdravuje nemocných, skrze modlitby Orala Robertsa. A Boh produkuje tie veci, ktoré Ježiš... Dokazuje, že Ježiš Kristus je Ten istý, včera, dnes a na veky. A to povoláva tie veci, ktoré... To sú posolstvá tejto hodiny. A každé jedno z tých posolstiev volá, „Čiňte pokánie, alebo zahyniete.“ To je pravda. Čiňte pokánie, alebo zahyniete. Nie sú žiadne nádeje, všetko je to preč. Svet je varovaný o Jeho príchode. Každé jedno z tých posolstiev hovorí a varuje, ohľadne príchodu Pána Ježiša, do oboch denominačných cirkví...

60Pamätajte, Boh je vždy v trojkách, (aha) ako Otec, Syn a Duch Svätý, a ospravedlnenie, a posvätenie, krst Duchom Svätým, atď. On je v trojkách.

61No, Boh je tým posolstvom pokánia pre nominálnu cirkev. Boh je v posolstve Božského uzdravenia, pre letničnú cirkev. Boh je v posolstve pre Nevestu. Vidíte? Tak nachádzame, že všetko to povolanie, jedno do tohoto, toto do tohoto a tamto do tohoto. Boh povoláva cirkev von zo sveta. Povoláva cirkev z denominačnej cirkvi do Letníc a povoláva Nevestu von z letničných.

62Ako Luther, Wesley a teraz, vidíte? To je všetko len dokonalé v predobraze a nie je ohľadne toho žiadna chyba. Ukázal som všetky konce toho, a strany a zvnútra a zvonku a ukázal som to pomocou Písma, tú chronológiu toho, až kým vieme, že je to absolútne pravda. Vidíte? Nie je tam žiadna chyba. V nedeľu dúfam, že Boh nechá, aby to vpadlo hlboko, že nebudete nikdy schopní sa od toho dostať preč. Vidíte?

63No, Boh dáva varovanie, pripravuje na súd. Atómové bomby sú v hangároch. Všetko sa pripravuje. A Boh predtým, ako dovolí, že toto sa stane, On dáva zavolanie, ako to urobil v Sodome, „Vyjdite z toho, pripravte sa, niečo sa ide stať.“

64Ako vo dňoch Noeho, predtým, ako Boh zoslal vody, aby zničili svet v tomto veľkom predpotopnom svete, ktorý vošiel do hriechu, a Ježiš jasne povedal, že to bol deň, ako je tento. „Ako bolo vo dňoch Noeho, tak to bude pri príchode Syna človeka.“ Ako ženy vystrájajú a vydávajú sa a vydávajú, a veľké vedecké výdobytky, a chytrí, vzdelaní idú na tú intelektuálnu stranu. A to malé pokorné stádečko ide na jednu stranu, čaká na ten zostávajúci súd a únik. A predtým, ako Boh poslal súd, On poslal proroka.

65Práve tak, ako to urobil Ezechiášovi. On povedal, „Priprav sa, lebo súdy sú pripravené spadnúť!“

66A On tých ľudí na ten čas pripravil. Noe pripravil ľudí, a to bolo volanie milosrdenstva pred súdom.

67Ninive bolo dané poznať predtým, ako prišiel ich čas. Boh sa pozrel dolu na Ninive a povedal, „Som už z týchto vecí unavený a chorý.“ Ja rozumiem, že hoci... že oni, hoci boli veľkí, boli pohania, pohanský svet... Ich mesto, ako to bolo v tých dňoch, oni ich posudzovali podľa mesta, teraz je to podľa národov, teraz, potom, ako sa tá populácia rozšírila, ako sa rozšírila. On povedal, „To veľké mesto je úplne vydané do hriechu.“

68A Boh predtým, ako by poslal súd, On poslal posolstvo varovania, „Vyjdite z toho, dajte sa do poriadku!“ Sledujte, ten prorok nič nepovedal, ale aby... Povedal, „Za štyridsať dní bude toto mesto zborené!“

69Ó, ako je to niekedy ťažko, urobiť také veci, ako povedať ľuďom. Ak to ten prorok nebude sledovať, dostane sa do problémov, pretože on to trochu posunie na jednu stranu, bude sa to snažiť urobiť ľahkým, alebo bude robiť trochu kompromis tu a trochu tam, ale ten pravý prorok, ktorý má nariadenie od Boha, by nikdy nemal na ničom robiť kompromis. On by to mal absolútne položiť rovno na tú líniu.

70To je ten dôvod, prečo On použil tak často ducha Eliáša, pretože ten duch vždy vykonal Jeho príkazy. Vidíte? Vidíte, to prinieslo Jeho príkazy rovno tam, kde to bolo. A to je vždy, „Navráťte sa do Slova.“ Vidíte? To je vždy, priviesť ich naspäť do Slova.

71No, nachádzame Ninive v hriechu. A prorok trochu váhal, pretože to bol pohanský svet, to bol pohanský národ, pohanskí ľudia. Nie jeho vlastní. To neboli Hebreji. Oni boli pohania. Veľká loď, obchodný morský prístav, aký malo Ninive. Bol tam veľký rybársky priemysel, ľudia chytali ryby. A oni, oni mali... Musela to tam byť veľká hriešna krajina: veľa peňazí. A kde je veľa peňazí, a ľudia sa nachádzajú v tom populárnom názore toho dňa, tak tam sa usadzuje hriech a násilie.

72Boh bol z toho unavený. Tak On mal v zemi proroka. Tak povedal svojmu prorokovi, „Choď dolu do Ninive a krič a povedz, 'Za štyridsať dní bude toto mesto zborené'.“

73No, Jonáš si teraz pomyslel, „Vieš, možno sa dostanem trochu do problémov.“ A tak on si chcel byť viac istý. Tak si myslel, že si zoberie takú malú dovolenku a pôjde dolu do Taršíša. A zistili sme, že tam zostávalo len štyridsať dní. Vidíte?

74Tak, to posolstvo je naliehavé. Čas je na blízku. Nezabávajte sa s inými vecami a so získaním titulu bakalára umenia a zistiť niečo. Tá hodina je na blízku. To je to, čo sa dnes deje s ľuďmi. My sa snažíme postaviť veľké školy a mať takéto veľké veci. Zatiaľ čo milosrdenstvo... Ó, ak kážeme príchod Pánov, načo potrebujeme školy? Potrebujeme pokánie voči Bohu. Vidíte?

75Ako Hudson Taylor povedal tomu mladému misionárovi. Povedal... Alebo tomu mladému čínskemu chlapcovi, ktorý k nemu prišiel, povedal „pán Taylor.“ Povedal, „Pán Ježiš ma naplnil svojím Duchom.“ Povedal, „Som taký šťastný.“ Povedal, „Mal by som si teraz vziať desať rokov, aby som získal svoje tituly atď?“

76On povedal, „Synu nečakaj na tituly, ak tá svieca je zapálená, choď a povedz to. Choď a povedz to, nečakaj na titul. Nie, bude napoly vyhorená, predtým, ako získaš svoj titul.“

77Urobme to, keď je to zapálené. Ak nepoznáš nič iné, len povedz, ako to zostalo zapálené. Nesnaž sa zaujať niekoho miesto, alebo niekde miesto. Keď to vieš, len povedz, čo vieš o tom, čo je Pravda. „Toto je to, ako to prišlo na mňa a toto je to, ako sa ohľadom toho cítim.“ To je... Ak nepoznáš viac ako to, povedz to. Poďme, to Posolstvo je naliehavé, čas je na blízku.

78No, čo ak by Izaiáš povedal, „Dobre, teraz počkám a uvidím, ako sa mu najprv darí s tým vredom.“ Vidíte? Uvidí, ako to...

79Vidíte, Boh mu povedal, „Choď tam a povedz mu to teraz.“ Rozumiete? A On povedal Jonášovi, aby išiel.

80Ó, a keď on tam vyšiel do toho oceánu a tam v tom hlbokom mori, a tá loď tam uviazla v búrke a oni zdvihli plachty a to ju točilo a točilo, a oni sa divili, čo na svete sa to deje. Ale nedokázali to zistiť, zdalo sa, že do lode sa dostáva voda. A každý človek volal na svojho Boha. A prvá vec, viete... Jonáš bol na svojej dovolenke, tak on si myslel, že si môže trochu pospať, a on tam musel ísť do podpalubia lode, a ľahol si tam s vystretými nohami a zaspal. A niekto povedal, „Zobuď sa, lenivec, a volaj na svojho Boha.“ A Jonáš vedel, čo nie je v poriadku. Tak isto každý človek vie, čo dnes nie je v poriadku. Vidíte?

81A on povedal, „To je moja chyba. Vezmite ma, zviažte mi ruky a hoďte ma do mora, a potom ten problém prestane.“ A oni boli tak trochu džentlmeni, tá skupina ľudí a oni to nechceli urobiť, ale zistili, že on je prorok a že vie, o čom hovorí. On povedal, „Myslel som si, že si najprv vezmem dovolenku, ale Pán nechce, aby som si vzal túto dovolenku. Musím ísť tam dolu, mám prácu, ktorú musím vykonať. Pomyslel som si, že si trochu odpočiniem pred tým, ako pôjdem, ale ja musím ísť. Posolstvo je naliehavé, musím tam ísť.“

82Viem si predstaviť, že keď tá určitá pripravená ryba dostala Jonáša do svojho žalúdka, urobila čelom vzad, a striekala vodu po celej krajine a hnala sa do Ninive tak rýchlo, ako len mohla. Boh tam bral posolstvo v tej určitej pripravenej rybe. A ona trielila do Ninive zo všetkých svojich síl, pretože ona mala na palube posla, a on sa tam musel dostať. On nasadol na nesprávnu loď, ale Boh pre neho poskytol loď.

83Tak viete, Boh je schopný urobiť veľké veci, ak Ho len počúvame. Vidíte? On urobí... On urobí cestu tam, kde nie je žiadna cesta. On je cestou, a keď je posolstvo absolútne naliehavé, ako je to dnes, Boh poskytuje cestu.

84Znovu si všímame, kedy Ámos... Kázal som o tomto chlapíkovi Ámosovi, ak si chcete niekedy prečítať ten príbeh, je to ohromné. Čítajte príbeh Ámosa, prvú kapitolu Ámosa. On je ďalším typom varovaní, predtým, ako na hriech udrie súd. No, to mesto, ktoré tam išiel varovať, to bola skupina Židov, ktorí sa dostali tak trochu pomimo tej vyšliapanej cesty a stali sa veľkým turistickým centrom. A predstavujem si, ako som to raz ráno ilustroval, keď som hovoril o ňom, že keď jeho plešatá hlava išla na vrch toho kopca a jeho malé, staré oči sa takto zúžili, ako sa pozrel dolu, a videl hriech toho veľkého národa a ľudí, prstami si takto hladil svoju bielu bradu... Ó, čo za vec. Ale nikto nevie, odkiaľ prišiel.

85Nikto nepozná tých prorokov, oni len niekde povstávajú a idú tou cestou.

86Ale on išiel do toho mesta s „Tak hovorí Pán.“ Čiňte pokánie, alebo zahyniete! Lebo Boh zničí tento národ, vymaže toto miesto zo zeme. Vy ste urobili dohodu so svojím nepriateľom a myslíte si, že máte pokoj so svojím nepriateľom. Ale po celý čas sa tam Asýrčania pripravujú. Nemôžete dvaja spolu kráčať, pokiaľ sa nezhodujete. To je všetko.“ Tak on povedal...

87A Boh chce, aby sme sa oddelili. On chce, aby sme vyšli z toho sveta. Nie snažiť sa žiť aj so svetom, aj s Bohom. Nie snažiť sa ísť podľa sveta, a podľa Boha. Musíte žiť pre jedného, alebo pre druhého. Musíte veriť jednému, alebo druhému.

88A teraz zisťujeme, že tento Ámos, on istotne predpovedal súd na týchto ľudí, jedine, že by činili pokánie. A, ó tak isto to pasuje do nášho dňa. Myslím si, že toto veľké mesto, ako sa spätne cez toto znovu pozerám, to veľké mesto tam dolu, ako ono bolo cele vydané, a tá veľká ekonómia, ktorú mali, a to všetko, prosperovalo to. A oni si mysleli, že sú presne vo vôli Pánovej, pretože prosperovali. Ale zistili sme, že Boh nie je vždy Autorom prosperity. Nie, Boh... Niekedy, keď sa prosperita dostáva do cirkvi, to ju odťahuje od Neho.

89Viete, Boh raz hovoril k Izraelu. Povedal, „Našiel Som ťa krvavú na poli, a umyl Som ťa a priviedol Som ťa dnu.“ Aby bola Jeho vlastným dieťaťom. „A keď si narástla na krásnu mladú ženu, začala si hrať rolu smilnice.“ Povedal, „Ty, ty si sa vydala každému okoloidúcemu.“ Vidíte? „Ale keď si bola biedna a v potrebe, keď si mala potrebu, slúžila si Mi, ale keď Som ťa požehnal a dal Som ti množstvo, potom si odo Mňa odišla.“ A je to presne tak dokázané. Ó.

90No, zisťujeme, že tento prorok skutočne na tento národ udrel, tento Ámos. On bol len pohoničom. Ale zisťujeme, že keď on to urobil, udrel to a povedal im, čo sa stane, a povedal im, že ak sa nedajú do poriadku s Bohom, že ten nepriateľ, ktorý sa s nimi spriatelil, bude práve ten, ktorý ich zničí.

91No, zisťujeme, že naša pyšná Amerika neutečie hnevu Božiemu. Ako som raz hovoril, odkedy som tu, som si istý, že to bolo tu. O tom všetkom na konci. Viete, nevidím nič, na čom by sa dalo stavať. Nemôžete stavať na politike, je preč. Nemôžete stavať na sociálnom živote, pretože je zdemoralizovaný. Je tam... Nie je tam nič, na čom by ste mohli stavať. A nemôžete na nič položiť žiadne nádeje.

„A čo s cirkvou?“

92No, nemôžete s cirkvou urobiť nič, je taká formálna a je s ňou koniec, že už nič nezostalo. Oni už predali svoje práva prvorodenstva za kopu kaše, a len čakajú na súd. Duch Svätý prešiel týmto národom, ukazoval znamenia a divy, a oni ustavične pohŕdajú Jeho milosťou. On sa potvrdzuje a dokazuje Svoje veľké potvrdenie, že On je Slovo Božie, manifestované v tomto dni. A oni to stále odmietajú. Vidíte? Teraz už nič nezostáva. Nemôžete to stále Bohu robiť.

93V poriadku, zisťujeme, po prvé, On posiela Svojich prorokov s varovaním. On nemení Svoj spôsob, svoju metódu, ako robí veci.

94On neudrie vždy vtedy, keď varuje. Chcem, aby ste pozorovali tento citát. Boh dáva varovanie, ale On neudrie vždy v tom istom čase, kedy varuje. Všimli ste si to? A potom, keď On neudiera, keď posiela varovanie, potom sa z toho proroka smejú, „Nemal si to, povedal si klamstvo, nemal si Pravdu.“

95Tá istá vec mohla byť povedaná Izaiášovi. Čo si myslíte, že si myslel ten človek, keď išiel tam hore a prorokoval, že ten kráľ zomrie, a potom išiel dolu a povedal, „Nie, bude žiť“?

96Čo s Jonášom, ktorý prechádzal ulicami a hovoril, „Ó, toto mesto bude zborené za toľko dní, za štyridsať dní,“ a potom to Boh neurobil?

97Vidíte, musíte to sledovať. Boh neudiera vždy vtedy, keď varuje. Ale On... Je tam jedna vec, ten prorok je vysmievaný. A ak on je potvrdeným prorokom, so Slovom Pánovým, znamenia Božie, potvrdené, ako Boh povedal, že prorok bude potvrdený, a títo muži boli. Vidíte? Jeho slovo nie je jeho, ale je Božie, a Ono sa stane. To sa musí stať, ak je to Božie Slovo. Je len jedna vec, ktorá to môže zastaviť, to je rýchle pokánie.

98Všimnite si, Ámos, on žil, aby videl toto proroctvo, ale keď Ámos hovoril o tom meste, ako sa to stane, ako Boh spôsobí, že Sýrovia vtrhnú a zaujmú ich atď, ako ich ich vlastné porušenie zožerie. No verím, že ak je to práve teraz... Dívam sa tu na to Písmo, a ak toto dobre počítam, to je okolo päťdesiat rokov po tom, čo Ámos prorokoval. A teraz, čo si myslíte? Prešla celá generácia predtým, ako sa vyplnilo Ámosovo proroctvo. Ale ak to tu budete znovu čítať, to vám hovorí, a to sa stalo presne tak, Slovo za Slovom, ako On povedal. Vidíte?

99Ján videl knihu Zjavení, to sa nikdy nestalo v jeho dni. Ale my vidíme, ako sa to deje presne. Vidíte?

100Daniel prorokoval o dni, o svojom dni, až ďalej. A nikdy nežil, aby to videl. On povedal, „Choď svojou cestou, Daniel, zavri Knihu, a zavri tú Knihu, a budeš spať ku svojmu losu, ale v tom dni povstaneš.“ Vidíte?

101No, vidíte... Vy nie vždy... Boh... On neudiera hneď, ako prorokuje. Ámosovo proroctvo, ako som povedal, sa vyplnilo o päťdesiat rokov neskôr. Ale ono sa vyplnilo.

102A potom prorok z Biblie... Skutočný pravý prorok je špeciálnou osobou. Nie špeciálny, aby bol odlišný od niekoho druhého, ale on má špeciálnu prácu. Vidíte? A tým, že má špeciálne poverenie, on musí byť špeciálny (trochu iný od tých ostatných), aby to mohol vykonať. To je práve tak, ako Boh pripodobnil svojich prorokov k orlom.

103No, orol je špeciálny vták. On je len vták, ale on je špeciálny vták. A on môže letieť vyššie ako ostatné vtáky. On dokáže vidieť ďalej ako ostatné vtáky. A teraz, aby on išiel vyššie, on musí byť tak stavaný, aby mohol ísť vyššie. Tak načo by mu to bolo dobré, dostať sa tam hore, ak by nemohol vidieť, po tom, čo sa tam hore dostane. Rozumiete? Tak on musí byť špeciálne stavaný vták. Vidíte? On je tak trochu z rodiny jastrabov, on je taký trhač zobákom. A on sa kŕmi... Mnohí z nich sú požierači zdochlín. Existuje asi štyridsať rôznych druhov orlov.

104Ale vidíte, v cirkvi je pastor a ten pastor je špeciálnou osobou. On je tak stavaný, kde dokáže... On dokáže rozriešiť hádky ľudí. On je nosič bremena. On je volom tímu. On je človekom, ktorý sa dokáže posadiť tam, kde má niekto spor s niekým druhým, a sadnúť si s oboma rodinami, a neprikláňať sa na žiadnu stranu, a prediskutovať to a priviesť to znovu späť do tej príjemnosti. Rozumiete? On je pastor, on vie, ako sa postarať o tie veci.

105Evanjelista je špeciálnym človekom. On je človek, ktorý horí ako ohnivý blesk. On beží do mesta a káže svoje posolstvo, a ide odtiaľ preč a ide niekam inam. Vidíte? On je špeciálny človek.

106Učiteľ je špeciálny človek. Prichádza s pomazaním Ducha, a je schopný vziať slová, a dať ich dokopy skrze Ducha Svätého, že ani pastor alebo evanjelista sa s ním nemôžu porovnať.

107A potom zisťujeme, že apoštol je špeciálnym človekom. On je ten, ktorý ustanovuje do poriadku. On je človekom, ktorý je poslaným od Boha, aby umiestnil veci na poriadok.

108Prorok je špeciálnym človekom. Prorok je človek, ku ktorému prichádza Slovo Pánovo. Pretože prorok má svoj život tak stavaný, že jeho podvedomie a jeho prvé vedomie je tak blízko seba, že on nemusí ísť spať, aby sa mu sníval sen, on to vidí rovno vtedy, keď je úplne bdelý. Vidíte? No to je niečo, čo Boh musí urobiť. Vidíte? On vidí, čo prichádza.

109Prorok predvída ďaleko do budúcnosti veci, ktoré prichádzajú. On vidí pohár Božieho hnevu naplnený, predtým, ako sa to vyplní. Vidíte? On môže povedať „Tak hovorí Pán, Boh zničí toto mesto, ak nebudete činiť pokánie!“ Prečo? On je orlom. On letí tam svojou cestou. Vidíte? A on sa díva tam ďaleko, a on vidí ten pohár hnevu, ako sa vylieva. To je to, na čo sa dívajú proroci. On sa nedíva na to, čo sa deje tu, on sa díva tam. On hovorí, „To prichádza.“ On dokáže ísť tak vysoko, až dokáže vidieť ten tieň. On povedal, „Svet bude...Temnosť a veľká temnosť.“ On je tak dostatočne vysoko, slnko teraz svieti, ale on vidí prichádzať ten tieň, a on hovorí to, na čo sa díva. To ešte nie je tu, ale to tu istotne bude. To je pravda. To tu bude, veľká temnosť na ľuďoch. On vie, že to prichádza, pred rokmi, a on to pritom vidí.

110Ámos, ten pomazaný prorok Boží, on videl tú temnosť a ten súd. Videl Sýriu, ako prišla dolu so svojimi vozmi a prehnala sa tade, a pozabíjala tam ľudí. On videl, ako to prichádza, a videl teraz ten Boží súd na nich, päťdesiat rokov predtým, ako sa to stalo. Ale vidíte, tým, že bol prorokom vyzdvihnutým do Ducha, a videl to v diaľke. Videl ten pohár plný predtým, ako sa to vyplnilo.

111Ako Abrahám. Boh povedal Abrahámovi, „Tvoje semeno príde do tejto krajiny, a bude tu prebývať štyristo rokov, a Ja ich potom vyvediem mocnou rukou, pretože neprávosť Amorejov ešte nie je naplnená.“ Vidíte? Boh vedel, že ten pohár sa ide naplniť.

Hovoril so Svojím prorokom. Povedal mu teraz, „Vidíš ten pohár Amorejov tu dolu, ale ich neprávosť, ešte nie je naplnená, Abrahám. Nehovor o tom teraz nič, zadrž sa, ale to príde. A keď sa ich pohár naplní, a potom štyristo rokov, Ja ich vyženiem pred tebou ako kobylky a založím tvoje semeno tu, v tejto zemi.“ Amen. To je prorok Pánov.

112No, keď hovorí zo svojho videnia, či je to hnev alebo je to uzdravenie, to môže predlievať, ale to sa musí stať, ak on hovorí v Mene Pánovom. To môže byť požehnanie, keď hovorí ku tebe. On ti môže povedať určitú vec, a ty to nemusíš vôbec vidieť. Povieš, „Ako to môže byť? No, to je... Ja, ja, ja... On mi povedal, 'tak hovorí Pán, toto sa ide stať a tamto sa ide stať,' a to sa ešte nestalo, ten človek sa mýli.“ No, budeš súdený za to, že si tomu neuveril, ale to sa jednako ide stať. To sa musí stať.

113„Hoci by to predlievalo,“ povedala Biblia, „Jednako to prehovorí vo svojom období.“ To sa stane.

114Prorok sa len díva ďaleko a niečo vidí. On hovorí o tom, na čo sa díva. On nerozmýšľa o tom tu, a na čo sa vy teraz dívate, on sa díva na to, čo bude. A keď to hovorí, ak je to Slovo Pánovo, už to bolo vypovedané, a nie je nič na svete, čo by to mohlo zastaviť (vidíte, to je pravda), jedine Boh sám.

115Všimnite si, no zisťujeme, že keď on hovorí svoje videnie, ten prorok... No, niekedy hovorí dobré veci. Hovorí o tvojom uzdravení. V poriadku, mohol by si si pomyslieť, „To sa ale nemôže stať, nie je mi vôbec lepšie.“ Potom, čo to robí? To na teba privádza Boží súd. To je pravda. Vidíte? Ježiš zasľúbil, že ťa zachráni, ak tomu uveríš. Ak tomu neuveríš, tak sa ti to nestane. Musíš to prijať, musíš tomu uveriť. Vidíte? A ty musíš vedieť, odkiaľ to prichádza. To ti dáva tvoju vieru v Boha, alebo tvojho proroka. Vidíte? Musíte tomu veriť.

116A teraz tu zisťujeme, že títo proroci, ktorí hovorili, oni hovorili, a to, čo povedali, sa stalo. A ak je hnev Boží vyliaty na ľudí, je len jediná vec... Ak ten prorok povedal, že niečo iné sa ide stať, je iba jediná vec, ktorá zastaví ruku Božiu, to je pokánie. To je pokánie ku Bohu, ktoré zastaví Jeho hnev. No, nečakaj na to, urob to vtedy. Boh niečo hovorí, urob to rovno vtedy.

117Ezechiáš, akonáhle vedel... On bol dobrý človek, ale Boh povedal, „Tvoj čas prišiel, Ezechiáš, a Ja ťa musím vziať, chcem, idem ťa vziať hore, daj svoj dom do poriadku.“

118A on povedal, „Pane, potrvá mi to pätnásť rokov.“ Vidíte? „No, ak ty... Ja, ja, ja viem, idem... Ale potrvá mi to pätnásť rokov, kým dám svoj dom do poriadku. Nemôžem to urobiť práve teraz, nemám teraz na to čas. Ja, ja nedokážem to teraz urobiť. Pane, dovoľ mi žiť ďalších pätnásť rokov, aby som to mohol urobiť. Nedokážem svoj dom...“

Vidíte? Božie poverenie bolo, „Daj do poriadku svoj dom.“

119A Ezechiáš povedal, “Nedokážem to urobiť v tomto roku, to mi potrvá... Ten čas, ktorý potrebujem, aby som to dal naspäť, a toto upravil a toto vzal ku tej osobe tu, ja... To mi potrvá pätnásť rokov, kým to urobím. Len ma zachovaj, aby som to mohol urobiť. Dovoľ mi, dovoľ mi... Daj mi trochu času, aby som to mohol urobiť.“ Vidíte?

120Potom Boh povedal, „Budem zhovievavý.“ Ale on musel jednako zomrieť. Vidíte?

121A potom znovu, on mal na to svoj čas, a on počas toho odpadol. Vidíte? A on by... Bolo by bývalo lepšie, keď by bol išiel bez toho, že by to dal do poriadku. To je pravda. Ale On mu dal pätnásť rokov naviac, aby dal do poriadku svoj dom. Pretože, rýchlo, čo on urobil? „Pane, som pomalý, potrebujem na to pätnásť rokov. Ty si ma poveril, aby som dal do poriadku svoj dom, a ja to nedokážem urobiť do pätnástich rokov. Pretože tu mám pôžičku, a mám tu toto, a mám tu toto, aby som urobil.“

122No, on bol zbožný muž. A Božie Slovo sa musí jednako stať. Ono sa jednako stane, ale On ho len trochu zadržal (Vidíte?). Zadržal ho pri ňom. Potom on počas toho zhrešil. Povedal, „Neurobím, že to príde na neho, ale navštívim to na jeho deťoch po ňom.“ Poznáte ten príbeh.

123No, zisťujeme, že rýchle pokánie niekedy na chvíľu zadrží Boží hnev.

124No, zisťujeme, že Ninive... Boh povedal, „Choď tam dolu a krič proti tomu mestu, a povedz im, že ak... Za štyridsať dní toto spadne.“ A, ó, oni skutočne činili pokánie. Akonáhle uvideli, že ten prorok prichádza dolu ulicou a hovorí, „Tak hovorí Pán, toto miesto bude zborené za štyridsať dní, toto miesto spadne.“

125Dokonca kráľ rozkázal, aby sa po celej krajine postili a nariekali, „Oblečte si smútočné vrece, dajte na seba popol, nie len na svoju vlastnú hlavu a vaše vlastné telo, na vaše telo, ale aj na váš dobytok a zvieratá poľa dajte popol a smútočné vrece.“ Čo za pokánie!

126No, keď tu zisťujeme, všímame si, že ak ten prorok skutočne pozorne nesleduje, ak nemá ten zdravý úsudok a Boží úsudok, zistíte, že niečo tam, ak nesledujete...

127No, pozrite na Izaiáša. On len vypovedal svoje proroctvo, išiel späť na púšť do svojej malej chatrče. A keď išiel, Pán mu nikdy nepovedal, že ten kráľ sa modlil. On bol na ceste urobiť nejaké veci. V tej zemi je prorok. Slovo Pánovo prichádza ku svojmu prorokovi. On tam vyšiel a povedal, „Izaiáš, choď späť a povedz mu, že som počul jeho modlitby. Porozumel som, že... že on si myslí, že mu to bude trvať pätnásť rokov, aby to urobil. Uvidel som jeho slzy, pretože on tak veľmi chcel urobiť tú prácu. Potrvá mu to pätnásť rokov, povedal, kým to urobí. Choď a povedz mu, že mu to dovolím mať.“ Vidíte?

128Prečo? On poveril... On poveril Izaiáša, aby mu išiel povedať, „Tak hovorí Pán, potom ak je tam v tom nejaká zmena, alebo predlievanie... To sa jednako stane. On jednako zomrel, ale povedal... Ak je v tom niečo, potom On je povinný vrátiť sa späť k tomu človeku, ku ktorému poslal 'Tak hovorí Pán'. Povedal Izaiášovi, „Vráť sa a povedz mu.“

129Tak Jonáš zaujal iný postoj. Išiel hore na vrch a povedal, „No, bolo by to dobré, ak by som sa nikdy nebol narodil“ a, ó, ako pokračoval a Boh tam dal malú tekvicu, ktorá vyrástla a urobila mu trochu tieňa, až kým sa neschladil. Ale povedal, „No, išiel som sem, a oni teraz povedia, že som falošný prorok.“

130A Boh mu povedal, „Pozri sa tam dolu na to mesto, pozri sa tam, Jonáš. Celé mesto činí pokánie v smútočnom rúchu a v popole.“

131Potom mu povedal o tej malej tekvici a o tom červíkovi, ktorý ju zničil. Jedného dňa, ak bude Pán chcieť, chcem prísť do modlitebne a kázať sériu na Jonáša. Ó, tam je tak veľa veľkých... Fúkanie východného vetra a to všetko... Ó, je tam tak mnoho vecí, to len... Je to vzrušujúce. Sú tam poklady. To všetko je typom rovno do toho... To dokonca privádza Ježiša Krista do toho, a všetko ďalšie. Samozrejme, každý riadok v Biblii privádza Ježiša Krista. Tak veru. To je naša nedeľná škola. Tak to zistíme, keď bude Pán chcieť.

132A všimnite si, sú tam veci, ktoré vy... Ak ste úprimní a poviete Bohu... No, musíte sledovať.

133No, chcem vám ukázať iného Jonáša dnes na pódiu.

134Raz večer sem prišli určití ľudia. Tá pani môže byť (niektorí z tých ľudí) tu dnes večer, tak ja ich nebudem menovať. Pravdepodobne budete vedieť o koho ide, ale oni sem prišli, milá skupina ľudí, dolu z Kentucky a oni sem prichádzajú už roky. Ale tí ľudia, oni sú veľmi milí ľudia, moji dobrí priatelia... Ó, oni boli... boli mi skutočnými priateľmi, ale oni... Oni sú taký druh ľudí, že keď prebieha prebudenie, oni dokážu prísť do cirkvi, a keď prebudenie skončilo, a tá ťarcha ťahala, tak nikto nechcel ťahať. A všetky tie deti boli tu, medzi malými deťmi škôlky v zbore, oni mali... Keď sme mali naše triedy a tie veci.

135A jedného dňa, keď som prišiel domov, bolo to asi pred štyrmi alebo piatimi rokmi, tak nejako. A toto mladé dievča, (ktoré malo predtým asi osem rokov, keď bolo medzi deťmi škôlky) ona sa vydala a mala dve deti. A ležala tu v nemocnici na pokraji smrti. Mala asi štvor-päťmesačné dieťa, a to dieťa zomrelo, a oni ju nemohli operovať, pretože mala urémiu. A oni ju nemohli operovať, tak museli nechať zomrieť aj tú matku. Nemohli ju operovať, a to dieťa by ju takto zabilo, tak oni museli... Ona len zomierala, to je všetko. Nebolo pre ňu žiadnej šance.

136Išiel som tam, aby som videl, či nechá po mňa poslať. A išiel som do tej nemocnice, a ona tam bola pod kyslíkovým stanom. Zodvihol som tú malú chlopňu, trochu som k nej hovoril. A povedal som, pamätáš si ma?

Ona povedala, „Iste, brat Bill, pamätám si ťa.“

137Povedal som, „Ako je to... Či rozumieš, aká si chorá?“

Ona povedala, „Rozumiem,“ povedala, „to je to, prečo som nechala po teba poslať.“

Povedal som, „No ako je to s tebou a s Pánom?“

Ona povedala, „Brat Bill, ja, ja... Ja nie som pripravená ísť.“

138No, tam sme si kľakli a modlili sa, a jej matka a jej manžel, mnohí z nich boli v tej izbe. A jej matka a manžel začali plakať, a potom som sa jej opýtal a ona sa dala do poriadku s Bohom. Splnila svoje sľuby, a navrátila sa a dala Bohu sľub, a že ak jej bude odpustené, ako Ho ona miluje a je jej ľúto jej hriechov, a ten život, akým žila, a tak pokračovala vo svojom pokání a plakala. A po nejakej chvíli som sa postavil a vyšiel z budovy.

139A na ďalšie ráno mi zavolali, aby som sa tam vrátil. A zistilo sa, oni prišli ráno kvôli testu, aby videli, ako ten uremický stav pokročil, a zistili, že z neho nemá už ani štipku. Všetko to bolo preč. Každý kúsok uremického jedu ju opustil. Lekári boli takí nadchnutí, až povedali, „Ó, no toto, mali by sme...To je niečo veľmi zvláštne.“ Povedali, „Pripravíme ju.“ A povedali, „Ak to bude takéto zajtra ráno,...“ Povedali, „Budeme jej ďalej dávať penicilín“ alebo čokoľvek to bolo, čo jej dávali, aby tlmili tie infekcie. Povedali, „Budeme ju operovať a vezmeme to mŕtve dieťa skôr, ako prepukne niečo ďalšie.“ Povedali, „Ak bude v poriadku, potom...“

140No, dva alebo trikrát ju v ten deň znovu testovali. A v tú noc, neskoro ju testovali, nebolo tam nič zlé, všetko bolo úplne v poriadku. A oni ju pripravili na operáciu, vzali ju spod toho kyslíkového stanu. Všetko bolo v poriadku. Boli pripravení ju operovať na ďalšie ráno, vytiahnuť to dieťa.

141No, išiel som tam. A pretože toto sa stalo... No, nikdy som to nevedel, nikdy som to nevedel. Pán mi o tom nikdy nič nepovedal. Môžete sa opýtať ľudí, ak chcete. Tak oni... Ona... On nikdy nepovedal, že to sa stane. Ale, ó, vidieť takú vec. Jej manžel bol hriešnik, prišiel a povedal, „brat Branham, chcem dať svoj život Pánovi Ježišovi.“

142A ja som povedal, „V poriadku, len si tu kľakni a chyť svoju manželku za ruku, a potom kráčajte priamo v tom spoločnom živote.“

143Jej matka sa vrátila, povedala, „brat Branham vieš, tu som ja a moje deti,“ povedala, „my sme raz chodili, raz nechodili do modlitebne a také veci. Sedeli sme a počúvali sme ťa kázať, a tak my pôjdeme k oltáru a navrátime sa.“ Povedala, „Ja som tiež odpadnutá, brat Branham.“ Povedala, „Chcem sa navrátiť k Pánovi Ježišovi, kvôli Jeho dobrote k môjmu dieťaťu.“ No, vidíte, to je veľmi pekné, ale vy neprichádzate k Pánovi Ježišovi kvôli tomu.

144Asi okolo polnoci, okolo dvanástej, jednej hodiny, jej matka začala podriemkávať. A ona povedala, zavolala ju a povedala, „Mama.“

A ona povedala, „Áno, drahá, čo chceš?

Ona povedala, „Vieš, som taká šťastná.“

Ona povedala, „Som rada, že si šťastná.“

Povedala, „Som na pokoji s Bohom,“ a povedala, „ó, aké dobré to je.“ Za pár minút ju zavolala znovu, povedala „Mama.“

Povedala, „Áno?“

Povedala, „Idem domov.“

145A ona povedala, „Viem, že ideš,“ povedala, „Áno drahá,“ povedala, „Lekár ti zajtra vyberie to dieťa, a potom o deň, dva, keď sa tvoje rezné rany zahoja a ty sa odtiaľto dostaneš, pôjdeš späť domov a budeš znovu šťastná ty, a tvoj manžel a malé deti a budeš Kresťanka a budeš žiť pre Boha.“ Ona povedala, „Mama, ja mám na mysli, že idem do svojho nebeského domova.“

Ona povedala, „Iste, drahá, na konci cesty.“

Ona povedala, „Toto je koniec cesty.“

„Ó,“ povedala, „No, čo sa deje?“

146Povedala, „Koniec cesty.“ Tak povedala, „Áno, mama, za pár minút budem preč.“

147No, ona si myslela, že ona len znervóznela a bola v delíriu. Zavolala sestričku, sestrička jej zmerala dýchanie. Všetko bolo v norme. A behom piatich minút bola preč, bola mŕtva.

148A potom, keď som sa vrátil domov, za asi týždeň alebo dva potom... Myslím, že brat Graham kázal na pohrebe toho dievčaťa. Keď som sa vrátil domov a Méda mi povedala, že to dievča zomrelo tej noci. Ó, nedokázal som...

Išiel som navštíviť jej matku, „áno.“

149A ja neviem, čo spôsobilo, že som toto urobil, ale povedal som, „Pane Bože, Ty... Ty mi dlžíš vysvetlenie, potom, ako som tam išiel a povedal jej manželovi a on prišiel k Pánovi, potom, ako si pre neho urobil tieto veci a všetko to, a potom takto vezmeš život toho dievčaťa.“ Povedal som, „Dlžíš mi vysvetlenie.“

150Keď poviete Bohu niečo takéto, On vás nechá sedieť samých. Ja, ne... On mi nedlží nič. Ja som dlžníkom Jemu. No, On ma len nechal mračiť sa za pár dní, viete a po troch alebo štyroch mesiacoch, jedného dňa, keď som bol na brehu jednej zátoky, a Pán ku mne hovoril vo videní a povedal, „Choď teraz k jej matke a povedz jej matke toto, 'Či neprišiel jej čas pred rokom, keď sa topila v tej zátoke na pikniku? Ona mala ísť v tom čase, ale Ja som ju musel zobrať vtedy, keď bola pripravená ísť, a to je to, prečo sa všetko toto stalo, prečo si tam išiel'.“

151Potom som sa sklonil a plakal. Povedal som, „Pane Ježišu, odpusť mi, Tvoj hlúpy, biedny služobník, nemal som to nikdy povedať, Pane.“

152A ja som išiel k tej pani, ona žila tu na Market Street, a išiel som za ňou a povedal som, „Chcem sa vás niečo opýtať.“

Povedala, „Iste, brat Bill.“

Ja som povedal, „Je to pravda, že toto dievča sa takmer utopilo?“

153Ona povedala, „To je pravda, brat Branham“ povedala, „jej manžel a oni ju museli dostať von z vody.“ A povedala, „Museli použiť umelé dýchanie a tlak a museli použiť nejaký prístroj, a vypumpovať z nej vodu.“ Povedala, „Mala na sebe sukňu, a mali malý piknik, bola tam a vstúpila do nejakého piesku a šmykla sa a spadla strmhlav do vody, oni si ju nevšimli a hneď potom ju uvideli, ako sa vynára hore a dolu a bežali tam a chytili ju a priviedli ju na breh.“ A povedala, „Takmer zomrela“ povedala, „ona...“

Povedal som, „To bol jej čas odchodu.“

154Rozumiete? Boh vie, čo robí. No, Pán by mi to pravdepodobne bol povedal, ak by som ja nebol zaujal taký postoj, aký som zaujal. „Pane, Ty mi dlhuješ, aby si mi niečo o tom povedal.“ On ti nedlží nič.

155Stál som raz večer na zhromaždení a počul som nejakého evanjelistu, ako sa modlí za nejakú chorú osobu, povedal, „Bože, rozkazujem Ti, aby si uzdravil túto osobu.“ Kto? Rozkázať Bohu? To nie je, to nie je dokonca inteligentné, pretože to... Boh, On... On robí to, čo On chce.

156Či môže hlina povedať hrnčiarovi, „Prečo si ma takto učinil?“ Vidíte? Istotne nie, ale ak bude prorok ticho a potom bude hľadať odpoveď od Pána, rovno tam je odpoveď. Vidíte?

157Práve tak, ako pri tejto osobe, ktorá sa pýtala tú otázku, ohľadne semena hada, vidíte? Len to sledujte a ne... Nebuďte uponáhľaní. A potom... No, Boh vždy vyplní všetko tak, aby to spolupracovalo na dobré tým, ktorí milujú Pána.

158No, ak by Ninive nečinilo pokánie, potom by Božie súdy na nich spadli. No, pamätajte, prorok musí počúvať. To bolo varovanie.

159No, tá istá vec je k tomuto národu... Potom poviete, „Brat Branham, minulú nedeľu si povedal, že už nie je nádeje.“ Áno, „Prečo?“ On pohŕdol svojím zavolaním, to na neho musí prísť. To príde.

Prichádza čas, keď tento národ bude roztrhaný na kusy. Videl som to v roku 1933. Pozrel som sa ďaleko... Poviete, mohli ste povedať, „No, to sa vtedy nestalo.“

160Ale to sa ide stať. Ani Mussolini nebol v moci, áno, Maginotova línia nebola postavená, ani v tých dňoch autá nevyzerali ako vajíčka a tie veci. Ani ženy nevolili prezidenta, ktorý bude vyzerať ako chlapec z vysokej školy, a všetky tieto veci. Ani nebol katolícky prezident a tak ďalej, o ktorom bolo hovorené. Asi pred tridsiatimi rokmi alebo viac, boli tieto veci predpovedané, ale On mi to len ukázal, ďaleko až do konca.

161A ako sa tá vec približuje, čas po čase, ten pohár sa napĺňa. A pokánie bolo kázané cez Billy Grahama, Orala Robertsa a kohokoľvek ďalšieho. Proroci a tak ďalej prešli národom so znameniami a zázrakmi a ona sa len ďalej motá do hriechu. To je ten dôvod, prečo nečinia pokánie. Pokánie to prináša.

162Všimnite si, Achab nikdy nečinil pokánie na karhanie Eliášom. Ak by bol Achab činil pokánie a kráčal mierne pred Bohom, tá vec by sa nikdy nebola stala. Ale Achab išiel dolu a zabral Nábotovu vinicu a zavraždil ho a všetky tieto zlé veci a Jezábeľ... Ten prorok tam vyšiel s Tak hovorí Pán, ale čo oni urobili? Oni sa vyhrážali, že ho zabijú. Čo sa stalo? Jeho proroctvo sa naplnilo. Psi ju zožrali a lízali Achabovu krv, presne podľa jeho slova. On videl ten pohár naplnený. Vidíte?

163To je ten dôvod, prečo ten malý Micheáš hovoril túto istú vec, že ako môže požehnať to, čo Boh preklial. Vidíte? Jeho slovo, jeho proroctvo bolo v harmónii so Slovom.

164Herodes, on nikdy nečinil pokánie, keď Ján povedal, „Nie je pre teba zákonné, aby si ju mal, ženu tvojho brata.“ On nikdy nečinil pokánie, ale čo urobil? Jeho žena požadovala hlavu toho proroka. Pozrite na tú špinu, do ktorej vošiel. Pozrite, čo sa mu stalo. Pozrite, dokonca dnes vo Švajčiarsku, modré vody z toho, že ho odmietol, tam vychádzajú ako pamiatka. Iste, on nečinil pokánie, keď bol pokarhaný Pánom. Ján mu povedal, bez ohľadu na to, kým on bol guvernér, alebo kýmkoľvek bol, alebo vládca alebo čímkoľvek mohol byť. On musí činiť pokánie, keď Boh volá, inak je na ňom hnev.

165Koľkokrát v prorokoch... Mám to tu zapísané, ale nebudeme mať čas, pretože mám už asi len desať minút.

166Ak nie je pokánie, potom súd s istotou príde. Ezechiáš činil pokánie. Vidíte? Ninive činilo pokánie.

167Achab nikdy nečinil pokánie. Nabuchodonozor nikdy nečinil pokánie. Ľudia v Noeho čase nikdy nečinili pokánie, a súd to rovno zmietol. Rozumiete? No, On prv každého varuje. Každý dostáva varovanie.

168No, keď vidíme, že čas je na blízku, nech každý kto cíti, že tu je varovanie, čiňte rýchlo pokánie, pred tým ako udrie Boží hnev.

169No, prenesme to na Branhamovu modlitebňu. Pozrite, my sme videli tieto veci a vieme, že sú pravdou. Vieme, že je to absolútne Pravda. To poverenie Slova je, „Ak budete činiť pokánie a budete pokrstení na Meno Ježiša Krista, na odpustenie vašich hriechov, obdržíte Dar Ducha Svätého, lebo to zasľúbenie je pre vaše deti a pre tých, ktorí sú ďaleko.“ Vidíte?

170No, jeden človek, pán Dauch, sa ma prednedávnom opýtal, povedal, „brat Branham, starnem, slabnem, mám deväťdesiatjeden,“ povedal, „Či si... či si myslíš, že som pripravený zomrieť? Myslíš si, že som pripravený ísť? Myslíš si, že som spasený?“

171Povedal som, „pán Dauch, či si kedy išiel k lekárovi na lekárske vyšetrenie?“

Povedal, „Áno.“

172„A ty mu povieš... No, čo ten lekár robí, on tam má položenú knihu a berie túto knihu a zisťuje to, „No prvá vec, ktorú by som mal urobiť tomuto človeku, je skontrolovať jeho srdce.“ Tak on berie stetoskop a dáva si to na uši a kontroluje jeho srdce,“ a povedal som, „Potom ďalšia vec je, on zisťuje jeho krvný tlak a meria mu tlak na ruke. Potom tá ďalšia vec, ktorú robí, on mu vezme moč a čokoľvek a nejakú krv a všetky tieto rôzne veci. A ide cez to všetko, a ak nemôže nič nájsť... Urobí röntgen, ak nemôže nič nájsť, on povie, „pán Dauch, fyzicky ste úplne v poriadku.“

173„Na čom to on zakladá? Na podmienkach jeho lekárskej knihy, že ak je tam niečo nesprávne, podľa toho hlavného vedca, tak sa to ukáže tu, urobí to, tu toto, urobí to, to tam.

Preto, potiaľ, pokiaľ on môže niečo o tom vedieť, ty si fyzicky úplne v poriadku.“

174„Tak,“ povedal som, „V tomto prípade ti dám skúšku duše. A Boh má pre dušu len jeden Nástroj (to je pravda); to je Jeho Slovo, to je Jeho Slovo.“ A Ježiš povedal vo svätom Jánovi, 5: 24, „Ten kto čuje Moje Slovo...“ No, to počuť neznamená len počúvať zvuk. To počuť znamená prijať to. Ten, kto môže prijať Moje Slovo, (amen, ten, kto to počuje). Nie len sedieť ticho, nazvať to nezmyslom, povedať, „na tých veciach nič nie je, neverím tomu.“ „Ten, kto čuje Moje Slovo““ (aha). To je Slovo Ježiša, pri čom On je Slovom. Tu to máte, „Ak môžeš počuť Moje Slovo.“ On povedal, „A veríš v Neho, ktorý Ma poslal, tak si prešiel zo smrti do života, a neprídeš viac na súd, ale si prešiel z neho.“ Amen. Povedal som, „ako teraz bije tvoje srdce?“

On povedal, „Verím tomu , počul som to, prijal som to.“

175Povedal som, „Potom podľa toho Hlavného Špecialistu, toho Vedúceho Chirurga, Hlavného Doktora Večného Života, to hovorí, „Prešiel si zo smrti do života a nikdy nepôjdeš do odsúdenia.“

176On povedal, „Keď som ťa počul kázať, na Meno Ježiša Krista, pre vodný krst, išiel som rovno za tebou a ty si ma pokrstil,“ povedal, „ja... Ten človek, ktorým som kedysi bol, už ním viac nie som, niečo sa mi stalo. Zvykol som sa o to nestarať, a išiel som inou cestou, ale obrátil som sa a začal som ísť touto cestou. A moje srdce bije dňom i nocou, aby som sa bližšie dostal ku Nemu. Každé Slovo z toho, ja mu verím. Hovorím „amen“ každému kúsku z Neho. Nezáleží na tom, ako ma to reže, chcem sa s tým rovno vyrovnať. A pokiaľ viem, tak som sa vyrovnal.“

177Povedal som, „Zdá sa mi, že tvoje srdce bije veľmi dobre, verím, že si teraz i duchovne schopný.“

178On povedal „Som zvedavý, že keď sa odohrá vytrhnutie, či v ňom môžem ísť, brat Branham?“

Povedal som „To nie je na mne, aby som povedal, kto ide a kto nejde.“

179On povedal „No, ja by som tak rád žil, chcem... Tak veľmi chcem vidieť vytrhnutie.“

180Povedal som, „V poriadku, dovoľ mi, nech sa pozriem, čo tu tá vedecká Kniha hovorí, na tú tému, ohľadne vedy duše.“ Povedal som, „No, hovorí to toto, 2. Tesaloničanom v 5. kapitole, tam je povedané, „My, ktorí pozostaneme nažive do príchodu Pánovho, nepredstihneme (to znamená nezabránime) tým, ktorí spia (odpočívajú). Lebo trúba Božia zaznie a tí, ktorí spia (alebo odpočívajú), sa prebudia najprv (oblečú nesmrteľnosť), potom my, ktorí sme nažive, v ten deň (v tom čase potom, čo už oni vstali... Vidíte?) Potom, my budeme v okamihu premenení a stretneme sa s nimi a pôjdeme hore, aby sme sa stretli s Pánom v povetrí, boli spolu s nimi vychvátení.“ Či budeš spať, alebo nie, či urobíš toto, alebo či to neurobíš, či si pochovaný, ak by si ani vôbec nebol pochovaný, jednako tam prídeš, nič ťa nemôže zadržať, budeš tam.“ Povedal som, “brat Dauch, ak Ježiš nepríde až po moje vnúčatá, mojich pra-pra-pra-pravnúčat, ty tam jednako budeš rovno v tom momente a budeš tam predtým, ako budú oni premení, ak pôjdu.“ To je Pravda. Amen.

181Existuje prichádzajúce požehnanie s takou istotou, ako existuje prichádzajúci hnev. Ó, mali by sme dnes večer jedno z toho vyhliadať. Ty budeš musieť vyhliadať buď hnev, ktorý na teba padne, a zničenie, alebo budeš vyhliadať vzkriesenie Pána Ježiša. Ten istý Boh, ktorý Ho zasľúbil... Som tak rád.

Čakám príchod toho šťastného dňa Milénia,

keď príde náš požehnaný Pán

a vytrhne preč svoju očakávajúcu Nevestu;

Ó, moje srdce túži, vzdychá po tom dni sladkého uvoľnenia,

keď náš Spasiteľ príde opäť späť na zem.

Potom hriech a smútok,

bolesť a smrť tohto temného sveta pominie;

V tej slávnej vláde s Ježišom na tisíc rokov pokoja;

(Ó! „A vždy budeme s Pánom...“)

182Čo Boh povedal, to sa musí stať. „Budú stavať domy a budú ich obývať. Budú sadiť vinice a budú jesť ich ovocie. Nebudú sadiť a iný to zdedí, budú sadiť svoje vlastné vinice, a zostanú s nimi,“ amen, amen. „Neuškodia, ani nezničia na celom vrchu Mojej Svätosti,“ Haleluja!

183Keď toto smrteľné oblečie nesmrteľnosť, táto smrť je pohltená vo Víťazstvo. Potom Ho uvidíme, ako On je, a budeme mať telo ako Jeho Slávne Telo. Ó, čo za čas, ktorý prichádza.

184Ten istý Boh, a tí istí proroci, ktorí predpovedali Slovo Božie, alebo hnev, ktorý má byť vyliaty, povedali tiež o týchto prichádzajúcich požehnaniach. Som tak rád, Boh nikdy nedáva nejakému národu zničenie, bez varovania. On nikdy nedáva človeku zničenie bez varovania. A teraz, ak to On robí, máme niečo, čo sa nám stalo, potvrdenie znamení s nami, ten Veľký Duch Svätý, ktorý sa pohybuje medzi nami a „nabíja“ Cirkev Jeho prítomnosťou, ako potvrdzuje Svoje Slovo. Potom sa Cirkev pripravuje na vyšplhanie sa do oblakov v jednom z týchto dní, skrze Moc Božiu. Pretože to je varovanie, zložiť každú ťarchu a hriech, ktorý nás s takou ľahkosťou sužuje, aby sme mohli letieť s trpezlivosťou tento beh, ktorý je pred nami, ku Autorovi a Dokonávateľovi našej viery.

185Nech vás Boh žehná, Cirkev. Držte sa Božej nemennej ruky. Tak veru. Ak cítite Jeho prítomnosť, choďte ku Nemu. Ak je niečo zlé vo vašom srdci, dajte to do poriadku. Nezostalo nám veľa času. Príchod Pánov je na blízku. Veríte Mu? Ó, či tam nebude nádherne? Čo za čas, keď uvidím tých starých veteránov, ako sa tam prechádzajú po Raji. Ó, vyhliadam tú hodinu.

186Pamätám si, ako hovoril môj brat, keď sa vracali spoza mora, z tých starých bojových polí a vecí, povedal, „Tí starí veteráni, keď prišli na dohľad sochy Slobody, oni zdvihli tých mrzákov, aby mohli vidieť sochu Slobody.“ To je prvé, čo vidíte z lode, keď prichádzate, pretože ona je taká vysoká. „A keď uvideli tú zodvihnutú ruku tam,“ povedal, „tých mužov to prekonalo a začali plakať, a tí veľkí muži, ako tam stáli, padli rovno na palubu a začali plakať.“ Čo to bolo? Znamenie slobody. Všetko, čo kedy milovali, ležalo rovno tam za tým znamením.

187Ó, ale čo to bude, keď budem počuť tú starú loď Siona, ako v to ráno zatrúbi, a ja uvidím tie zástavy, ako sa trepocú, keď bude skončený ten boj a vyhrané víťazstvo. (Haleluja) A my prichádzame domov, kde smrť, hriech a peklo je premožené, a kde nie je už viac hriechu, nie je viac smrti, nie je viac smútku. Môžem počuť, ako píska tá píšťala. Ó, blížime sa k tomu Mestu. Tak veru. Tie prívalové vlny prichádzajú, tá stará Loď sa pohybuje na svoje miesto. Bože, pomôž nám žiť pre tú hodinu.

188Pane Ježišu, sme ľudia, ktorí sa snažia robiť to najlepšie, ako vedia, so všetkým, čo je v nás, aby sme kráčali vo Svetle Evanjelia, Tvojho veľkého Evanjelia, kde Ty si zomrel, aby si napravil. Sme tak vďační, že môžeme vidieť v týchto zlých temných dňoch, že žijeme teraz v tejto hodine, že vidíme objavujúce sa znamenia. Ó, Bože, ako je to ten nápis na stene, my Ti ďakujeme, Pane, že to môžeme vidieť a vedieť, že vyslobodenie je na blízku. Kážeme, prechádzame krajinou, vidíme Ťa, ako konáš veľké znamenia, denne sa ukazuješ, každý rok. Neprejde rok, kedy by to veľké Tvoje Nadprirodzené znamenie nezasiahlo zem. A my to vidíme a vieme, že tá veľká Božia armáda pochoduje vpred.

189Ó, nie veľká v počte, ale čo za mocná skupina je to, ktorá má večný život. Bolo povedané, „Oni prebehnú vojskom a preskočia múr.“ Áno, to vojsko smrti nás nebude môcť nijako zadržať. Ona cez to rovno prebehne, preskočí múr medzi tým prirodzeným a nadprirodzeným a pôjde do Božieho náručia, do tej Veľkej Večnosti. Pane Bože, my Ti za to ďakujeme. Vieme, že ten čas sa približuje.

190Modlím sa, Bože, aby i dnes večer, ak sú tu takí, ktorí Ťa nepoznajú, ktorí ešte nemajú svoj pokoj... A možno dnes večer, zatiaľ čo sme hovorili, ten malý hlas ku nim hovoril dolu do ich srdca, „cítim varovanie, že už tu nemôžem byť príliš dlho.“ Ó, Bože, nech dajú teraz svoje domy do poriadku. Nech je všetko umiestnené, nech ten chlad... Možno, že sú kresťanmi, ale oni neurobili... Oni žili pod týmto tak dlho a uvideli toľko vecí, až to pre nich stratilo hodnotu. Je to... Tie veci, oni to berú na ľahko, namiesto toho, aby to bolo skutočne hlboké a úprimné.

191Ó, Bože, nech sa dnes večer prekontrolujeme, udeľ to. Vediac, že tieto veľké veci sú len znameniami pre nás, toho veľmi skorého vytrhnutia Cirkvi. A ak sme obťažení hriechom, neverou, lenivosťou, vtedy nepôjdeme do vytrhnutia. Vieme to, Pane, tak sa modlíme, aby si do nás vypálil Svätého Ducha, dolu do našich sŕdc. Ó, Bože, polož naše duše do ohňa s Tvojím požehnaním. Pomôž nám rozumieť.

192Požehnaj teraz spolu týchto ľudí. Požehnaj nášho vzácneho pastora a jeho manželku. Požehnaj diakonov, dôverníkov a všetkých laikov, odpusti naše hriechy, uzdrav naše nemoci, Pane, a zapáľ naše srdcia, a nech môžeme ísť z tohto miesta s posolstvom varovania, ako stretávame ľudí, ktorí sú v hriechu, a hovoríme im. „Priateľu, či sa nehanbíš robiť takéto veci, keď vieš, že jedného dňa budeš musieť stretnúť Boha?“ Udeľ to, Pane. Porúčam ich teraz Tebe, porúčam to posolstvo a všetko spolu, aby pracovalo spolu pre Tvoju Slávu. V Mene Ježiša Krista, amen.

Milujem Ho, milujem Ho,

pretože On prv miloval mňa,

a vykúpil mi spasenie na Golgote.

193Či Ho nemilujete? Pomyslite na to, čím sme, pozrite, ako ďaleko na tej ceste sme, priatelia. Pozrite sa späť dolu na tú cestu, odkiaľ to ide z dní Luthera a Wesleyho, až rovno cez tie veky. Pozrite sa sem, kde sme. Rovno tu, na vrchu Pyramídy, rovno tu, kde to Boh dokázal, že Biblia bola cez tých sedem Pečatí dokonale zjavená. Očakáva to teraz len na tých sedem tajomstiev rovno na konci, pri príchode Pánovom a vytrhnutí Cirkvi, čo sa môže stať ešte pred ránom. Ó.

Milujem Ho, (teraz úprimne) milujem Ho,

pretože On prv miloval mňa,

a vykúpil mi spasenie na Golgote.

194Ako teraz potichu... Či si uvedomujete, že každý jeden z nás, ktorí sme tu, to tu musia opustiť, opustiť tento svet? Či viete, že človek, ktorý je narodený zo ženy, je krátkych dní a plný problémov? Či ste vedeli, že preto, že sme narodení z toho stromu zo záhrady Eden, zo smrti, že musíme zomrieť? Sme ovocím matkinho lona a musíme zomrieť. Musíme sa oddeliť od tohoto života. Mladí alebo starí, v tom nie je rozdiel. Ak ten najstarší muž alebo žena, ktorí sú tu, prežijú cez noc, ona prežije, alebo on prežije mnoho desať-pätnásťročných detí. Stovky z nich zomrú po celom svete, ešte pred ránom, deti. Tak všetko, na čom záleží, je, čo robíš práve teraz.

195Toto môže byť tvoja posledná príležitosť. Mladý alebo starý, si schopný ísť do cirkvi. Nenechaj ani jednu vec neurobenú. Buď hlboko úprimný. Zlož každý hriech a všetko nabok. Pozri sa Bohu rovno do tváre, a opýtaj sa otázku, „Pane, ľúbim sa Ti? Čo ešte by som mohol urobiť, Pane Ježišu? Nikdy nebudem mať viac už takú príležitosť, potom, ako sa tento život zakončí, aby som Tebe slúžil. Toto je jediný čas, ktorý mám, Pane Bože, len mi dovoľ vedieť, čo chceš, aby som robil. Ak mám ísť urobiť toto, alebo urobiť tamto, rád to urobím.“

196Či to myslíme... Myslíme to tak úprimne? Či to aj tí malí tak myslia? Či to aj tak tí v strednom veku myslia? Či to tak aj tí starí myslia? Či to tak tínedžeri myslia? My musíme ísť. A ako vieš, či nebudeme všetci preč ešte pred ránom? My to nevieme. Ty povieš, „To mi naháňa strach.“ To by nemalo. Úprimne povedané, to by ťa malo robiť najšťastnejším, keď vieš, že ideš opustiť tento starý dom trápenia.

197Existuje iný svet, nebudeš musieť ísť veľmi ďaleko, on je rovno s tebou. Je rovno okolo teba.

Ty len, ty... Boh ti dal len päť zmyslov. A to je na to, aby si sa kontaktoval s týmto, s týmto svetom.

Ale existuje iný svet, pre ktorý nemáš zmysly, aby si sa s ním kontaktoval. Nemôžeš sa s ním kontaktovať, pretože to nemáš.

198Napríklad, povedal som v nedeľu večer, možno že ste to nerozumeli, čo... My máme päť zmyslov, zrak, chuť, hmat, čuch a sluch. Ale čo ak by ste nemali zrak, mali by ste len chuť, hmat, čuch a sluch. A niekto by prijal svoj zrak, a povedal by „Existuje iný svet, slnko“? Tie... Tie pocity, vy narážate do vecí, a to, čo to je, dokážete povedať, čo to je. No, pomysleli by ste si, že ten človek sa zbláznil, pretože vy to nemáte... Ten zmysel zraku. Ak to aj nikto nemal, vy o ňom viete. Počuli ste ľudí, ktorí povedali takéto veci, ale vy ste v to pochybovali. Ale my vieme, že pomocou tohoto zmyslu je to reálne. Je to reálne miesto. Je to... Je to miesto, kde dokážete vidieť. Vaše zmysly to dokazujú.

199No, tá jediná vec, ktorú urobíte, keď zomriete, vy len zmeníte týchto päť zmyslov, (Sláva) a vy len prijmete iný zmysel. A vy ste nažive vo vyššom zmysle, o tisíckrát vyššom, ako tento v tom druhom živote. Život, kde neexistuje žiadna smrť, kde neexistuje žiaden smútok. A tie veci, o ktorých teraz nič neviete, vy ich vidíte jasne, keď tam prejdete. Vy to teraz nerozumiete, pretože vy len do toho narážate, nemáte na to zmysel. Poviete, „Cítim dnes večer taký zvláštny pocit, zdá sa mi, že je... Chcem len kričať, plakať alebo niečo.“ To sú anjeli Pánovi, rozumiete?

200Ako niekto povie, viete, kto by nikdy nemal zmysel zraku, povie „Z času na čas cítim niečo skutočné, taký pocit, akoby teplo.“

Poviete, „To je slnečné svetlo.“

201„Čo je slnečné svetlo? Nikdy som ho nevidel.“

„Neexistuje žiadne...“ Vidíte, on nikdy nevidel, nevie, čo to je. Vidíte, niekto tam mu to musí povedať, niekto, kto to môže vidieť. Ó, vidíte?

202My sa len meníme, my sa len meníme, nebojte sa smrti. Smrť nie je nič iné ako strašiak. Ježiš to porazil. Dokonca aj Pavol, keď prišiel ku koncu cesty, povedal, „Smrť, kde je tvoj osteň, kde je tvoj strach, hrob, kde je tvoje víťazstvo? Povieš, že si ma dostala? Chcem ti ukázať, tam na Jeruzalem, tam je prázdny hrob. „Ja som ten, ktorý premohol smrť aj peklo.“ A ja som v Ňom a ty ma nemôžeš zadržať, znovu povstanem.“ Ó, a On povedal, „Je tam pre mňa odložená koruna, ktorú Pán, ten Spravodlivý Sudca, dá mne a nielen mne, ale všetkým tým, ktorí milujú Jeho príchod.“

203Vy Ho milujete, chcete Ho vidieť prichádzať, čakáte na Neho. Je to dlhý príbeh. Je to dlhé čakanie. To je záležitosť lásky. Ale vy sa len nemôžete dočkať, kým Ho uvidíte. Ó, takto to je. Ó, to je ten čas, na ktorý vyhliadame. To je tá hodina. Ak tvoje srdce nie je dnes večer také, priateľu, buď opatrný. Rozumieš? Buď opatrný. Nedovoľ nepriateľovi, aby ťa zviedol. Keď Duch Svätý, ktorý je tu, chce, aby si ty poletel ku svojmu Učiniteľovi, ku svojmu Pánovi, tak tam je potom záležitosť lásky, o ktorej nikto nemôže nič povedať. To je pravda, je to skutočné, je to skutočné.

204Tak, ak je tam varovanie, ktoré hovorí, „Nie si na to pripravený.“ Potom pamätaj, Boh ťa možno práve na niečo pripravuje. Rozumieš? Nie si pripravený...

205Poviete, „No, ak som sa pokrstil, potom Duch Svätý, no možno, že ma Pán vezme.“ Nie, nie len to. Ty sa vtedy len začínaš pripravovať žiť. Ty nie si pripravený žiť, kým nemáš Ducha Svätého, a potom, keď dostávaš Ducha Svätého, potom si pripravený žiť. Predtým si nebol pripravený žiť, ale teraz si pripravený žiť, potom, ako si dostal Ducha Svätého. On ťa pripravuje. Rozumiete?

206Ľudia povedia, „No, musím sa pripraviť na smrť.“ Ó, ja sa pripravujem na život, amen. Tá vec je, priprav sa žiť, žiť v Kristovi, víťaziaci život nad hriechom, smrťou, peklom. Ja už mám víťazstvo.

On je mojím víťazstvom, a ja som Jeho dôkazom a ja som dôkazom Jeho víťazstva. Amen. To je to.

207„Ako vieš, že to máš?“ Mám to. Amen. On mi to dal skrze Jeho milosť. Cítim to, viem to. Vidím to pracovať v mojom živote. To ma zmenilo. A podľa tejto Knihy tu, On povedal, že mám večný život a že nebudem schopný prísť na súd, ale som prešiel zo smrti do života, pretože On za mňa zaujal môj súd. A ak On zaplatil cenu, nesnaž sa ma priviesť na žiaden súd. On to už za mňa vzal, a ja som to prijal. Tak veru.

208Tak nie je už viacej súd, nie je už viacej, nie je už viacej smrť. Ó, ja musím opustiť Cirkev, a opustiť jedného dňa ľudí, ale to... Ak bude Pán zhovievať. A ak sa to udeje, no, ó, ja nie som mŕtvy, nemôžem zomrieť, mám večný život. Ako môžete zomrieť s večným životom, vidíte? Vždy v prítomnosti Božej a navždy budeme v Ňom. Amen. To rozochvieva moje srdce. Ó, to spôsobuje, že chcem znovu začať kázať. Vidíte? To je pravda. Ó, On je nádherný.

Či nie je Nádherný, Nádherný, Nádherný?

Či nie je Ježiš, môj Pán, Nádherný?

Oči uvideli, uši počuli, čo je zapísané v Božom Slove,

či nie je Ježiš, môj Pán, Nádherný?

Milujem to svedectvo: oči uvideli, uši počuli, čo je zapísané v Božom Slove. Či nie je Ježiš, náš Pán, Nádherný?

209Ó, ja Ho milujem. On je mojím Pokojom, mojím Životom, moja Nádej, môj Kráľ, môj Boh, môj Spasiteľ, môj... (Ó) Môj Otec, moja Matka, moja Sestra, môj Brat, môj Priateľ, moje Všetko. Vidíte? Zvykli sme spievať takú malú pieseň, poznáte to. Máte také tie malé letničné piesne... Ja dúfam, že majú to nahrávanie už vypnuté. Tá pieseň, ktorú sme zvykli spievať.

On je mojím Otcom, mojou matkou;

Mojou sestrou a mojim bratom;

On je všetkým pre mňa.

On je všetkým, On je všetkým pre mňa;

Lebo On je mojím Otcom, mojou matkou;

Mojou sestrou a mojim bratom;

On je všetkým pre mňa.

210Pamätáte si, keď sme to zvykli spievať? Pamätá si to niekto? Ó, pred rokmi... A potom sme zvykli spievať.

Ja viem, to bola Krv, ja viem, to bola Krv;

Ja viem, to bola Krv za mňa;

Keď som bol stratený On zomrel na kríži;

Ja viem, to bola Krv za mňa.

211Pamätáte si tú starú pieseň? Pozrime sa, ktorá bola tá ďalšia, ktorú sme spievali. Pozrime.

Ó, či nebudeš so Mnou jednu hodinu bdieť?

Zatiaľ čo pôjdem tam, zatiaľ čo pôjdem tam;

Ó, či nebudeš so Mnou jednu hodinu bdieť?

Zatiaľ čo pôjdem tam sa modliť.

Teraz premáham, premáham, premáham, premáham;

Lebo milujem Ježiša, On je môj Spasiteľ

a On sa usmieva a miluje ma tiež.

212Zvykol to byť starý brat Smiss, farebný brat, zvykol byť tu dolu pri rohu. Ó, ja som počul tých farebných ľudí tam dole, len som tam sedel a kričal a plakal a všetko možné, a zatriasol som svojím autom, a skákal dokola takto a oni všetci tlieskali rukami [brat Branham tlieska rukami, zatiaľ, čo spieva, pozn. prekl.]

Ó, či nebudeš so Mnou jednu hodinu bdieť?

Zatiaľ čo pôjdem tam.

213Ó, ja som tam len sedel, povedal som „Ó, Bože.“ Bol som len malý chlapec, asi dvadsaťročný, behal som okolo auta, len som kričal a takto chválil Boha. Ó, čo za čas. To boli tie skoré začiatky, keď sa Boh takto pohyboval medzi ľuďmi. Teraz sme prišli do silnej Cirkvi, nie mnohí v počte, ale mocní v Duchu. Amen. Aké nádherné.

214Potom tam zvykla byť taká malá pieseň... Pamätám si ten deň, kedy tam v Chattanooga tam v Tenessee, keď som stretol toto... Nie Chattanooga, to bolo dolu v Memphise, keď som stretol túto malú farebnú ženu, viete, stála tam, počuli ste ma to hovoriť, viete. Jej chlapec mal pohlavnú nemoc a ona mala tričko tohoto muža uviazané okolo hlavy, opierala sa takto o bránku. A Pán tam zastavil to lietadlo a nedovolil mu ísť, nejako, a oni mi povedali, aby som prišiel... A Duch Svätý povedal, „Zober sa, a choď tadeto.“

215A ja som išiel takto dolu, kráčal som a spieval. Pomyslel som si, „Ó, moje lietadlo už asi práve odíde.“

216To len ďalej hovorilo, „Choď ďalej, choď ďalej, kráčaj ďalej.“ To bola tá skorá časť mojej služby.

217Pozrel som sa, ako sa opierala tam o plot, a táto malá chyža, také malé miesto. A stála tam nejaká stará sestra, ó, ona bola... Vyzerala ako jedna z tých sestier, na 'palacinkách tety Jemimi', také veľké tučné líca, viete, a jej vlasy, jej košeľa vzadu, opierala sa takto o bránku, a ja som len...Spieval som tam tú malú pieseň... malé... čo bolo to... Zabudol som tú malú pieseň, ktorú som spieval. No, to je niečo o... To bola taká malá letničná pieseň. Také malé jubileum.

218A ja som len prestal spievať, prišiel som veľmi blízko, a kráčal som a ona tam stála, a slzy jej stekali dolu po tých veľkých tučných lícach. Chcel som ju objať. Ona povedala, „Dobré ráno, duchovný.“

Povedal som, „Teta, čo ste povedali?“

Povedala , „Dobré ráno, duchovný.“

219Povedal som, „Ako ste vedela, že som duchovný?“ No, pre ľudí na juhu to znamená kazateľ, viete.

Povedal som, „No, ako ste vedela, že som duchovný“

Ona povedala, „Vedela som, že prichádzate.“

220Povedal som, „Vy ste vedela, že ja prichádzam?“

Pomyslel som si, „Ó, tu to je.“

221Ona povedala, „Tak veru.“ Povedala, „Či ste niekedy čítali v Biblii, pán duchovný, o žene Sunamitke?“

Povedal som, „Áno, teta, čítal som.“

222Ona povedala, „Ja som taká žena.“ Povedala, „A ja som prosila Pána, aby mi dal dieťa, mne a môjmu manželovi, a že ho vychováme pre Neho.“ Povedala, „On nám ho dal, On nám dal to dieťa.“ A povedala, „A ja som ho vychovala, milý chlapec.“ Povedala, „Dal sa dokopy so zlou spoločnosťou, duchovný, má zlú nemoc.“ A povedala, „Leží tam a zomiera, zomiera tam už teraz asi dva dni, nedokáže dokonca ani prísť k sebe, za tie dva dni. Bol tu doktor a povedal, že on nemôže žiť, povedal, on zomiera. Má pohlavnú nemoc.“ A povedala, „Sotva môžem zniesť vidieť zomierať svoje dieťa a ja som sa modlila celú noc.“ A povedala, „Povedala som, 'Pane',“ povedala, „ja som taká žena, ako bola tá Sunamitka,“ povedala, „ale, kde je Tvoj Elizeus?“

223A povedala, „Išla som spať a sníval sa mi sen, že som stála pri tejto bránke a videla som ťa prichádzať dolu ulicou, s takým malým klobúkom, presne s takým, aký máš na hlave.“ Ale povedala, „Je len jedna vec,“ povedala, „kde je to...“ Povedala, „Ty si mal mať vo svojej ruke kufrík.“ Povedal som, „Nechal som ho v hoteli Peabody.“

224Povedala, „Vedela som, že máš mať kufrík.“ A povedala, „Moje dieťa zomiera.“

Povedal som, „Volám sa Branham.“

Ona povedala, „Rada ťa spoznávam, pán duchovný Branham.“

225Povedal som, „Modlím sa za chorých, počula si niekedy o mojej službe?“

226Povedala, „Nie, nemyslím, že som niekedy počula.“ Povedala, „Vojdeš do vnútra?“ A ja som vstúpil.

227Ten veľký chlapec tam takto ležal a ja som sa jej snažil povedať o Božskom uzdravení, ona chcela počuť, že ten chlapec povie, že je spasený, a bude pripravený ísť, a ona povedala... A Boh ho spasil.

228A asi o rok nato som ho videl tam na stanici, ako nosiča batožín. Ó, ako Pán robí veci.

229A potom, keď som sa vrátil, po tomto som mal... To lietadlo malo odísť o siedmej a bolo už asi pol desiatej. A ja som si vzal taxík a vrátil som sa. A hneď vtedy, ako som vošiel do vnútra, vyhlasovali „Posledné zavolanie pre let číslo toľko a toľko.“ Pán zadržal to lietadlo na zemi, zatiaľ čo som sa išiel modliť za toho chlapca. Vidíte? To je to.

230Snažil som sa myslieť na to, tú malú pieseň, jeden z nich, to je to. Ó, ako sme tu zvykli urobiť kruh a tlieskať rukami, a povedali sme:

Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich. (Haleluja!)
Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

Oni boli v hornej sieni zhromaždení,
spolu tam a Duch Svätý zhora,
pokrstil ich a moc do služby dal.
Čo učinil pre nich toho dňa, to isté,
dá ti tiež, ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich. (Či si?)

231Počúvajte tento verš:

Hoci sa títo ľudia neučia niečím byť,
alebo chváliť svetskou slávou,
oni všetci obdržali svoje Letnice,
pokrstení v Ježišovo meno
a teraz hovoria všade blízko i ďaleko,
Jeho moc je tá istá,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.
Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

Poď, bratu môj, hľadaj Toho,
čo očistí z hriechu ťa!
A zvony radosti zaznejú
i zadržia v ohni ťa.

To už horí tiež v srdci mojom,
ó, chvála Jemu, česť,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich. (Ste z toho radi?)

Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.
Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

232Ó, nie ste radi? Potrasme si len ruky jeden s druhým, zatiaľ čo to spievame. Čo poviete? Urobme to.

Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.
Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

Poď, bratu môj, hľadaj Toho,
čo očistí z hriechu ťa!
A zvony radosti zaznejú
i zadržia v ohni ťa.
To už horí tiež v srdci mojom,
ó, chvála Jemu, česť, (Zodvihnime svoje ruky)
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

233Všetci spolu:

Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.
Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

234Počúvajte teraz pozorne:

Hoci sa títo ľudia neučia niečím byť
(oni nikdy neprišli z vysokej školy)
alebo chváliť svetskou slávou,
oni všetci obdržali svoje... (Letničné požehnanie)
pokrstení v Ježišovo meno
a teraz hovoria všade blízko i ďaleko,
(na každom rohu a v každom kúte)
Jeho moc je tá istá,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

235Ó spievaj to, cirkev.

Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.
Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

236Vezmi si teraz svoju malú vreckovku...

Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.
Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

237Chvála Pánovi! Amen. Sme ako deti, nie je na nás nič formálne. Boh je bez formálnosti. Je to pravda? Tak veru.

Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.
Jeden z nich, jeden z nich,
ja som tak prešťastný, že som jeden z nich.

238Ste skutočne šťastní, že to môžete povedať? Len zodvihnite ruku a povedzte, „Chvála Pánovi.“ [brat Branham a zhromaždenie hovoria „Chvála Pánovi!“ - pozn.prekl.] Som tak rád, že som jeden z nich. Som šťastný, že som.

239Pane Bože, som taký šťastný. Jeden z nich, jeden z nich, som tak rád, že môžem povedať, že som jeden z nich. Ó, Bože, pomôž nám byť takí. Pomôž nám zachovať to Svetlo svietiace, Pane, ako pochodujeme na Sion. Udeľ to, Otče. V Ježišovom Mene, kladieme svoje životy Tebe do služby. Amen. Amen.

Kráčame na Sion,

nádherný, nádherný Sion,

kráčame na horu Sion,

to prekrásne mesto Božie.

Poďme tí, čo milujeme Ho,
nech naša radosť je známa,
spievajme pieseň sladkým tónom,
pejme pieseň sladkým tónom,
a tak ňou obstúpme Trón,
a tak... (Ó, spievajme to v Duchu)... Trón.

Kráčame na Sion,

nádherný, nádherný Sion,

kráčame na horu Sion,

to prekrásne mesto Božie.

Kráčame na Sion,

nádherný, nádherný Sion,

kráčame na horu Sion,

to prekrásne mesto Božie.

Nech nespievajú tí,
čo neznajú nášho Boha,
a deti Kráľa nebeského,
deti Kráľa nebeského,
nech spievajú radostne,
spievajú radostne.

240Spievajme to

Kráčame na Sion,

nádherný,nádherný Sion,

kráčame na horu Sion,

to prekrásne mesto Božie.

241Či vás to neprečesáva? Či nemilujete tie staré piesne? Radšej by som mal tie, ako všetky, ktoré môžete... alebo ako ktorékoľvek z týchto iných druhov piesní, ktoré môžete mať. Tieto sú dobré, staré srdcom-precítené piesne... Ó! Cítim sa tak dobre a taký šťastný, keď ich spievam, tak dobre. Ó, cítim sa taký radostný.

Ber so sebou Meno Ježiš,
Dieťa smútku, bolesti.
Dá ti radosť, potešenie,
vezmi Ho, kde len vykročíš.

Vzácne Meno, (Vzácne Meno!) aké sladké (Aké sladké!),
Nádej Zeme, radosť neba,
vzácne Meno, nádherné,
Nádej Zeme, radosť Neba.

242Ako teraz skloníme svoje hlavy:

Klaniame sa Menu Ježiš,
k nohám Jeho padáme.
Kráľa budeme korunovať v Nebi,

keď náš beh dokončíme.

Vzácne Meno, aké sladké,
Nádej Zeme, radosť Neba...

VAROVANIE A POTOM SÚD (GOD DOESN'T CALL MAN TO JUDGMENT WITHOUT FIRST WARNING HIM), 63-0724, Branham Tabernacle, Branham Tabernacle, Jeffersonville, IN, 103 min

1 "Call ten thousand Angels," when one could have destroyed the world, "but He died for you and me." That's something like the basis that I want to have my message for Sunday morning, if the Lord willing, on "What was Christ?" And now we're expecting maybe these little girls could sing that song again for us, Sunday morning. Brother Wheeler, I certainly want to say that you sure got two fine little ladies there, and their dressing, and no makeup and everything. They look like Christians to me, and sing like it and act like it. That's very fine.

2 I believe I was saying to my wife the other day, we have certainly a clean-looking bunch of women around here. I appreciate that. Their long hair and clean faces, and dressed decently. I--I--I admire you every time that I--I come in. I said to Meda, "I'd like to get them all in a row sometime and take their picture so I can show other churches the way our church is here." That, we speak these things, they--they obey. And we're glad. It does something for us. We know that when we--we have our petitions, if our heart condemns us not, we know that God hears us.

3 This morning, a friend of mine, way, away from here, was laid out, hauled him away and just--just barely living, thought he would be dead in a few minutes. They called, it was about daylight. I got out of bed, on the floor, and started praying for the old fellow and was able by the grace of God to contact that spirit, here it come back. Got all right, come back again, you see, living with us tonight yet, to the glory to God. That's old Brother Dauch, ninety-one years old, twenty--twenty-one years past the time of his life's journey. But the Lord is good and full of mercy, so we're grateful for it.

4 Now, Brother Neville, we look around at one another and I know I just got a little... about one more service to be here, and that'll be Sunday. And I--I don't want to take my pastor, I just love to hear him preach.

5Sunday night when he preached, I tell you, I went up here with a friend to this little drive-in, to have a sandwich afterwards, Brother Evans and Sister Evans, and run into Brother and Sister Sothmann up there. Brother Sothmann and all of them was remarking about that wonderful message. And, I tell you, I've lived on it all week, almost. And some of them remarks that how that the ostrich thinks he had hid hisself. Now, that's true, when he sticks his head in the ground, but the most of him is still looking out. So that's about the way we do sometime. We try to hide our head behind something, there's always... maybe we're still showing, you know. He sees every bit of us, you see. So really appreciate that.

6 Then I thought, well, I like to talk to the church and I thought, well, I--I... Brother Neville gets to talk to you all the time, so then when I'm down here maybe drop down. I don't want to be hypocrite enough, and not out on a call or nothing, just set up there at the house and church open down here. I--I've got... I want to be down here because I love you.

7I tell you, I certainly kind of... The weather here doesn't agree with me, and I... and the country doesn't agree with me and I'm allergic to the air that's here. Just as soon as that air strikes me I just break in hives, right over, see, and there's nothing you can do about it. And I... And we don't feel good, none of us, when we're here. We... hardly one of us have been really feeling good since we've been here, 'cause we kind of gotten used to that high climate.

8 But, now, one thing that draws me here is you all. That's right, you all. You know, you find lots of friends, I--I'm so grateful. I guess I... if I just counted, personally, people I know, it would be maybe millions around the world. It was once estimated by someone, and probably in personal knowing, of about ten million people. But there's something about--about home, about certain people: There's just... Everybody's got that, there's special people in your life. You know, I believe that. If there isn't, then why is our wife special to us? And why--why is our... See? We're... our wives, our husbands, and so forth, it--it's special. And you have that with friends. There's something other that you just love to meet with them and just talk with them. There's little spots.

9And I can think of this old swamp here where this little church stood, and where before it stood here it was nothing but a--a pond. That's the reason that road set way out there, to get around that pond. This is actually the property, and the street comes right by the door there. And, but it was a pond. And I remember getting out here and trying to find a place to build a church to the Lord, and just a young boy.

10 And I listened to these, this young fellow and this other one over here, praying a while ago, with all that enthusiasm. I thought, You know, I used to be able to pray like that, without catching my breath, hardly." And then you get older, you kind of slow down a little, you know, and that. You're still moving, but you're "in second gear" as I told Brother Woods out there. But, and then as long... And then after a while you get down into low gear, when you get about seventy or eighty, I guess. But, you know, the... you're still moving, though. As long as you can move, what difference does it make? Just a little more time to get there.

11 I remember how was praying, and right here in this weeds, right here where this pulpit stands now, just about where it's at, that's where I drove a little stake where I knowed to put the pulpit. The Lord God give me this place. Yes, sir. Now, right there in the cornerstone lays my testimony of a vision the morning I laid it, when I hardly could think then, said, "This is not your tabernacle, but do the work of an evangelist," He said. I looked out and I seen all the world there, and the bright blue skies, and people coming from everywhere; it's laying in the cornerstone there. How little did I think that would happen, even though the vision said so; but doesn't fail, it's going to be there anyhow.

12 I've been in a lot of interviews this week, because, Sunday, the gracious Presence of the Lord came down. And I was supposed to have left Monday.

13I have... we haven't took a vacation yet, the kids. My vacation comes later, a little later on. But I've want to take the children on a little time. They got to go back and go to school now, and so I thought this week would be a good time. Facing Chicago next week in that meeting there.

14But then the--the anointing of the Spirit, I thought, "Now is the time to have interviews." Now is the time that these... that I can get caught up on a few of them there. And there's... I see some of the people sitting present that was in the room. They know whether the Lord met with us or not.

15 Strange thing that... everyone besides some women that Billy put in just a space just before, some lady from Louisville, she had a little girl that was here, I think they really belong to the Church of God in Louisville, or something. But every case, every one of them that come in, before I left home the Holy Spirit told me who would be here, what they'd ask. And I wrote down on a piece of paper and said just what they would ask and their questions the way they'd ask them, and how they'd be answered. Then I'd tell them, "Here's just what you... look now, a few minutes ago here, what the Holy Spirit..." Reach over on the desk and say, "See? He told me this before you ever come." See? But while I was up at the house, who would be there and what it would be, what their attitude would be, and all about it, before I even left home.

16 I seen the time, many time, when I would be coming down the road, praying, I'd see that prayer line pass before me and know every name that would be in the prayer line, before I ever got here. That's right. And even know where they was sitting in the church and what they... how they'd be dressed and what they'd look like. You don't tell people everything like that. You... There's things happening you just don't tell them. It's not necessary to tell them. I just tell people things that I think is going to help them, when the Lord presses me to tell them, say, "Say this." You wouldn't want to tell everything you seen, because that wouldn't be right, you see, you just... of course, you get in trouble and everything else like that. You have to know how to handle those things by the Spirit of the Lord.

17 I've had people stand before me and ask me questions, I know exactly, but I wouldn't tell them, because I just felt constrained not to do it. You remember, I believe was last Wednesday night, I preached on A Prisoner. See? See, you want to tell that person, but Something says, "Don't do it." The Spirit says, "Don't do it. Don't do it." Yet a gift is looking right at it, see. "Don't do it. Don't do it." See, so you better not do it; then you're in trouble with God.

18 Now, we don't come down here tonight just to stand here. We want to hear the Word of the Lord. You've been praying and we've had a wonderful time, and--and I... always when I come down I know I bring just a little book of text 'cause there's... Sometimes Brother Neville is so gracious he just keeps asking me, "Will you do this," or "do that," or "speak?" And I look through here till I find me a text of some sort and then we'll start it from there. And I'm sure... Now, be sure Sunday...

19Now, I don't... We never know, we cannot tell. You see, I've come here at times with--with a text in my mind that I was going to speak on, and get here and change it completely around. And I've had Scriptures wrote down, I say, "I'm going to use this text, I'm going to use these Scriptures. As they come down, I'm going to say this, that or the other." I'll write down, just like, First Corinthians 5:15, and Second Corinthians 7:1, and Matthew 28:16, so forth, just put it in like that, down here like this, and write them Scriptures down. And look down there, I know what the Scripture says there; sometime not ever even touch that, goes all the way around a different way, altogether. And we just don't know.

20 So now, if the Lord is willing, I want to speak, in closing these little series of services since being here, Sunday morning, on a very important thing. So, now, come early, prepared to stay just a little bit late, maybe about two o'clock, something like that. And so it's... I got around about thirty or forty Scriptures already wrote down on the subject, but I think what it... what I'm going to try to do, if the Holy Spirit will help me, to catch the Message and the place where It's at now, and build It right where It started, and build It right up into the present time.

21 So that when I--I leave for Chicago, then I got to go straight to Arizona, and then on, on and on. And it may be, as far as I know, it may be next year again, maybe next summer, 'fore I get back again to the tabernacle, 'less just passing across this way again, 'cause I got meetings.

22And Billy, right now, is working on overseas for a complete world tour beginning right immediately after Christmas. And I'm all booked up until around about December, and, well, maybe the first week in December, Dallas. So then--then in January we want to start on a complete world tour, all the way around, completely, and we're working on that now, finding just where the Lord will lead. And--and I--I'm so grateful to the... even to the people, the ministers, as much as I say against their--their denominations and things like that.

23 You know, on the books laying right back there now, Brother Roy Borders takes care of the invitations, and since Christmas, the first of the year, there's been over a thousand invitations around the world. A thousand invitations has come in back there. So the Lord just has to direct me on which one of those to go to, and what to do. We just depend on Him. You couldn't take them all. You--you couldn't take over eight or ten of them in a summer if you had to, in a--in a complete... 'less you just go one night here and one night there, and that's... they're asking for two weeks and three weeks, and so forth, as long as you can stay, or some of them says "just as long as the Lord will lead," and--and all like that, so you don't know just exactly where to start or what to do. So we're just laying them out before the Lord, say, "Now, You tell us, Heavenly Father." And you help me pray with this matter, see, you help me pray that we can get this over.

24 And I thought, after having the healing service last Sunday, then maybe this Sunday if we just take the teaching and bring it right up and show what--what the time that we're... where we're at, what--what's--what's--what's the--the threefold purpose of God's great plan since before the foundation of the world, and bring it down to today, the threefold plan of God, the plan. I'm working on the second part of it now, getting the Scriptures out, and hunting them out and placing them.

Now, let's see, let's bow our heads just a moment.

25 Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheepfold, we have assembled here tonight in Thy most gracious, holy Name. We love Thee, Lord, and we thank Thee for this prayer meeting night, for the hymns of the church as we've sang them with joy in our hearts, and--and heard them as they come in, clapping hands. And then we went down on our knees and all poured out our hearts to You, and thanked You for what You've done for us, and--and asking You to continue to walk with us.

26And now the hour has come for the reading of the Word and for something to speak on, to the people. Direct us in our thoughts, Father, and get glory. And say something tonight, through us, that will help all of us to go out of here with a purpose in our hearts to live better and closer to You than we ever have. That's what we're here for, Lord, we're here to know more about You. And we pray that You'll unfold Your great Being to us tonight in the revelation of Thy Word, that we might know how to be a--a better Christian and how to act in this last days. We ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.

27 Now, my sight falls upon a text here of Isaiah, Isaiah 38. Let's read over to Isaiah, Isaiah 38.

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shall die, and not live.

Then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall, and prayed unto the LORD.

And said, Remember me, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Heze-... Hezekiah wept sore.

Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,

Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

28 May the Lord add His blessings to this reading. It's a very outstanding subject for a short message here, I believe. I want to call it: God Doesn't Call Man To Judgment Without First Warning Him. And we are--we are--we are to catch the--the background or the platform of it here, in this text tonight, God warning man before bringing him to his death.

29Now, everyone has this. We might say, "Well, this fellow died without a warning." No, no, no. God never... You don't know what was in that man's heart, you don't know what's been a-going on in his life. See? God never brings any man to his death without first warning him about it, telling him, it's something, a preparation. God is--is sovereign, and He--He knocks at the heart of every man, giving him the opportunity to come. Now, He might warn away and turn It down, and--and shake his head to It and walk away, say, "Ah, it's just a funny feeling, I'll get over it." But, anyhow, it was God, God speaking to him.

30 And God never even brings judgment upon the earth without first giving the people a warning. God never does nothing without declaring it first what He's going to do. And He gives people a choice, and you can you can do right or wrong. That's His... See, God can never change His--His nature. His program can never change from what He started with, because He's infinite and His program and His ideas are all perfect. So, if He would change It, that would show that He had learned more. So, being infinite, He cannot learn more. His--His first--His first decision is always perfect, and there's nothing can ever change It. See?

31God, before man ever was put... had a chance to do wrong, God put him on the basis to where he could accept or deny, he could receive or--or not.

32 Say, by the way, if that minister in here, Brother Baker, I believe was on the--the interviews the other day, I've got his questions that he had wrote out for me on the serpent's seed. I got them laying back here now. If he's here, why, well... I don't see him anywhere right at the present time. But it's here. He and his wife, a very fine man and a--a woman, but they--they couldn't understand a few things about the teaching of the serpent's seed, how that--that... some questions about what I had said, and--and sermons beyond that, and--and talking about the--the pregnation and so forth. But I... then it's just like the brother, a fine man, just a Christian for a couple years or two, but just didn't understand, you see.

33 It's hard if you don't... You have to depend on the Holy Spirit because this Bible is wrote in riddles. You just can't sit down and read It like a newspaper. It's hid. Yes, sir. How would you ever justify God when He told Moses up there, said, "Now, don't you make any engraven images," in His commandments, "don't you make anything like Heaven, any--any Angel, or anything else, don't make any engraven images," and yet on the same day told him to mold two Angels out of brass and put them right at the mercy seat, where mercy's at? See? You have to know God and His Nature before you can understand His Word. He--He--He has the key to that Word, Himself, and He--He's the only One can--can handle It and open It, and so He's the One that has to reveal It.

34 And now, we find out that His Nature was, here, to always to warn a man before judgment, to warn a nation before judgment, and so forth. He always gives His warning, a reminder to we, of a responsibility. We are responsible, and God has put us here on the earth for a reason, and that reason that He has put us here for, we are responsible to Him for that reason. You should go to Him and find out what He wants you to do. See? If you don't...

35If you went to work for a man, and he give you a job on a ranch, or something another, and you just went out to the barn and just set down out there, and say, "Well?" See, you must go ask him what he wants you to do, and then do it. If you're working for a man, find out what your duties is.

36And then if our life is on the--the earth here, then we should go to the One Who put us here, and, "Lord, what would You have me do? What--what--what must I do? Why am I here?" If it's to be a housewife, dishwasher, if it's to be... Whatever God wants you to do, then you do that the very best that you know how to do it. No matter how little, no matter how little it is, you must do it.

37You say, "Well..." The trouble of it, is, each one of us wants to do the next man's job. We all want to pack the ball, as we say, you see.

38 Like this watch here, now, every little movement in there has its place. Now, every part of it can't be the hands. Now, I only look at the hands to see what time it is. But if one of them little wheels in there gets out of order, that won't keep the right time.

39And that's the way it is with people. We've all, the Body of Christ, has got to be in their position, in harmony. See? And then we can look around and see what time of day it is. See? Then the world's a-looking to see what it is. See? See? But they're watching you. And if you're just a little hair spring, mainspring, or whatever you are, you do the very best job you can at that.

40 Now, because, we have a responsibility that we've got to answer to God someday for. Every man that come on the face of the earth has to answer to God for a responsibility. And, to many of us, a stewardship, we have to answer for. We... This responsibility is a stewardship that's been committed to us by God, I don't care what it is. As I said a few moments ago, "a housewife," then be a genuine housewife. That's right. If it's to be a farmer, be a genuine farmer. Whatever it is that God has put you to do, you got a stewardship to that, you've got to answer to God for, because it takes all these things to do it.

41 Hezekiah was told to make ready and to get ready because that he had to meet his Maker. Now, Hezekiah was a king, and a--a great man. Did you notice his plea here? "Lord, I beseech You to consider me. I--I've walked before You with a perfect heart." What a testimony that is to--to--to us today, and it should be, a man that walks before God.

42Even death was pronounced upon the man and yet God changed His mind about him, because Hezekiah wanted to do something and God said He "would give us the desires of our heart." And Hezekiah's time had come, and he--he got a cancer on him, or something another, and--and they called it "a boil" in that day, but we know boils don't regularly kill you, they just get well. But it was perhaps a cancer, and it opened up like a boil. And--and God told Isaiah, said, "Go up there and tell him that he's going to die." And Hezekiah had something he wanted to do yet. He had--he had...

43 When you plead anything to God, you got to be a reason for it. It's just like this Scripture that I so often refer to, "If you say to this mountain, 'Be moved,' and don't doubt, but believe that what you've said will come to pass, you can have what you said." Now, that's altogether controlled on motive and objective, see, or it won't happen. See?

44You just can't go out here... That's where many of us makes a many mistakes, is going out and say, "Now, I'll show you I got faith to do this." Now, you're wrong to begin with. God don't give you gifts just to play with it.

45As I was saying a while ago, He don't show you visions just to play with. That's nothing to play with. That's sacred. Just use it in... as the Lord will let you. Be a prisoner to Him. No matter how much you want to tell that guy he's wrong, and what this, that, or the other, you hold still till God says so. Then when God says so, then you can come with THUS SAITH THE LORD! Until that, just forget about it.

46 The--the world today is just like Hezekiah was then, it's been warned. It's constantly being warned. The church is being warned. And, now, these things just don't happen by a--by a chance. They've all got something behind them.

47Now, Hezekiah, being sick, having this boil, it wasn't by chance. God sent Isaiah up there and told him to set his house in order now because he was going to die. And Hezekiah wept, and told God, "I've walked before You with a perfect heart and I--I pray You spare my life for a cause, a good cause, the cause of God."

God told the prophet, said, "Go back and tell him."

48 Now isn't that strange? Hezekiah was the greatest man in the land. See? Hezekiah was a king, and a godly man. He was a real man, if he could plead that before God and God didn't rebuke him for it, "I've walked before You with a perfect heart." Now that's a-saying a whole lot. See?

49And God never said, "No, Hezekiah, you didn't do it," but He admitted he did do it. And He said, "I'm going to I'm going to spare your life a little longer." See? "I'm going to give you your request," see, because he had been a just man, he had been a--a real servant to Christ.

50 And then we feel that we have a right to ask something if--if our objective is right, and then our motive to it.

51Now, we see today that for the past many years, I'd say for the past fifteen, to more years, that constantly there's been a warning out across the nation, "Repent, or perish!"

52You notice, I was talking today to the wife just early this morning, and I... early at breakfast, we was sitting at the table talking before I left. And I said, "Wife..." She was talking about Billy Graham, and about his wife, just how common and everything they try to live. I said, "That is a real servant when he tries not... when he... man maybe makes two or three million a year out in his campaigns, but he doesn't receive it, his foundation takes it, placing it back into the work and the broadcast, and so forth. And Billy gets about twenty-five thousand a year."

53She said, "How would he ever spend twenty-five thousand a year?"

54I said, "He--he takes just what he has to have, that's all. He's got a home to pay for, and everything." I went on, and I said, "I've got lots of respects for Billy Graham," I said, "because that he has a message, and that message is repentance."

55And then, I tell you, there's nobody that I know of, that in the land today, that God has used with that message like Billy Graham. Oh, he's got it down pat, and he just stands there and, I mean, he calls them politicians and church members to repentance. But that's as far as he goes.

56 And here comes Brother Oral Roberts, another great servant of the Lord. And there's nobody comes out there and compare with Oral Roberts. That bulldog grip of just--of just casting out evil spirits and calling the Name of the Lord and--and little sensations, and so forth, about Divine healing. That's exactly right. There is a messenger to the Pentecost.

57There is a messenger to the church denominational world, see, and the cold world.

58And then look around in our own little humble ministry, standing "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever," you see. What's that doing? Calling that Bride group, you see. See? See, it--it calls from both those groups. It's taking a Wheel out of the wheel. You see what I mean?

59 And then God confirms that message that Billy Graham preaches. God heals the sick by Oral Roberts' prayers. And God produces the things that Jesus... proves that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And it's calling those things that... It's messages of the hour. And each one of those messages is calling, "Repent, or perish!" That's right. "Repent, or perish!" There's no hopes, it's all gone. World's warned of His Coming. Each one of them messages speaks and warns of the Coming of the Lord Jesus, both to the church denominal...

60 Remember, God is always in threes. Like Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and justification, and bap-... and sanctification, baptism of the Holy Ghost; so forth; He's in threes.

61Now, God is that message of repentance to the church nominal. God's in that message of Divine healing to the church Pentecostal. God's in the Message to the Bride. See? So we find out that all of them calling, one to this, this to that, and that to that. God calling the church out of the world; the... calling the church in the denominal church into Pentecost; and calling the Bride out of Pentecost. See?

62Like Luther, Wesley, and now. See, it's just all perfectly typed up and there's no mistake about it. I've hit all around the ends of it, and sides of it, and inside and outside of it, and showed it by the Scripture, the chronology of it, till we know that it's absolutely the Truth. See? There's no mistake. Sunday I hope that God sinks it so deep that you'll never be able to get away from it. See?

63 Now, God giving warning, "Prepare for a judgment." The atomic bombs are in the hangars, everything setting ready. And God, before He can let this thing happen, He makes a call down through, like He did in Sodom, "Come out of it. Get ready. There is something going to happen."

64Like in the days of Noah, before God sent the waters to destroy the world in the great antediluvian world that had come off into sin, as Jesus clearly said that it was a day just like this. "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." How that the women on the rampage, and--and marrying and giving in marriage, and--and the great scientific achievements, and the smart educated going into the intellectual side, and the little humble Flock sitting off to one side waiting the pending judgment and the escape. And before God sent that judgment, He sent a prophet.

65Just like He did to Hezekiah, He said, "Get ready, for the judgments are ready to fall."

66And he made the people ready for the time. Noah made the people ready, and it was a call of mercy before judgment.

67 Nineveh was made to know before their time. God looked down to Nineveh, and He said, "I'm--I'm just sick and tired of these things." I--I--I understand that--that the... though that great, heathen, Gentile world... Their city, as it was in them days, they judged them by city; now it's by nations, now after the population has spread the way it has. He said, "That great city is give over, altogether, to sin."

68And God, before He would send judgment, He sent a warning message, "Come out of it! Get right!" Watch, the prophet never said nothing but--but to get... Said, "Within forty days this city will be destroyed."

69 And, oh, how sometime it's hard to do such things as that, to tell people. If the prophet don't watch, he'll get in trouble, because he'll kind of go off to one side, trying to make it easy, or compromise a little bit here and a little bit there. But the real prophet's got the order from God, should never compromise nothing, he should absolutely lay it right on the line.

70That's the reason He used the spirit of Elijah so much, see, because that that spirit always carried out His orders. You see? See, it brought His orders just exactly what It was, and always a "Come back to the Word!" See? Always a bring 'em back to the Word.

71 Now, we find Nineveh in sin. And the prophet was hesitant because it was a Gentile world, see, it was a Gentile nation, a Gentile people; not his own, it wasn't Hebrews. They were Gentiles. A great ship, commercial seaport that Nineveh was, great fishing industrial there, the people fished. And--and they--they had... must have had a great sinful country there. Plenty of money; and--and where money is plentiful, and people are in the popular opinion of the day, sin always sets in, and violence.

72God was tired of it. So He had a prophet in the land, so He said to His prophet, "Go down there to Nineveh and cry out, and say, 'Within forty days the city is going to be destroyed.'"

73Now, Jonah thought now, "You know, I might get in a little trouble." So he wanted to be more sure, so he thought he'd take a little vacation and--and go down to Tarshish. And we found out that the... there was just forty days left. See?

74So the Message is urgent, the time is at hand. Don't play around with other things and get a Bachelor of Art degree and find out something. The hour is at hand! That's what's the matter with people today, we're trying to build up big schools and have big things like that. When mercy... My! If we preach the Coming of the Lord, what do we need with schools? We need repentance towards God! See?

75 Like Hudson Taylor said to the young missionary, he said... Or, a young Chinese boy come to him, he said, "Mr. Taylor," said, "the Lord Jesus has filled me with His Spirit." Said, "I--I'm so happy!" Said, "Shall I take ten years now and get my degrees and so forth?"

76He said, "Son, don't wait for degrees. If the candle is lit, go tell It! Go tell It. Don't wait for degrees. No, you'll be half burnt out before you get done, with your degrees."

77Let's, when it's lit, if you don't know nothing else, just tell how it got lit. And just--just don't try to take somebody else's place, or something place. When you know it, just tell what you know to be the Truth, "This is the way It come on me, and this is how I feeled about It." That's... If you don't know no more than that, say that! Let's go! The Message is urgent, the time is at hand.

78 Now, what if Isaiah say, "Well, now I'll wait and see how he gets along with that boil, first, you see. See how--how it..."?

79See, God told him, "Go up there and tell him, right now!" See?

And He told Jonah to go. Oh, my!

80And when he got out there in that ocean and in that deep sea, and--and the ship got stalled in the storm, and they had hoist up the sail and then turn around and around, they wonder what the world was the matter out there. But they couldn't make out, looked like the thing getting waterlogged. And--and every man calling on his god, and first thing you know... Jonah was on his vacation, so he thought he might as well sleep, and he must have went down in the bulkhead of the ship, and laying up there with his feet propped up, asleep. And he said, "Awake, O sluggard, and call upon your God!" And Jonah knew what was wrong.

So does every man know what's wrong today! See?

81 And he said, "It's all my fault. Take me and bind my hands, and throw me out in the sea, and then this trouble will let up." And they were kind of a gentlemen like bunch of fellows and they didn't want to do that, but they found out he was a prophet and knowed what he was talking about. He said, "I--I thought I'd take my vacation first, but--but the Lord don't want me take this vacation. I got to get down there, I got a job to do. I thought I'd rest up a little bit before I went, but I got to go. The--the message is urgent, I got to get there."

82I'd imagine, when that certain prepared fish got Jonah down in his stomach, he done about-face and throwed water all over the country, and took out for Nineveh as hard as he could go. God was taking that message over there in that certain prepared fish. And he took out for Nineveh just as hard as he could go, because he--he had the messenger aboard and he had to get him over there. He took the wrong ship, but God had provided a ship for him.

83So, you know, God's able to do great things if we'll just listen at Him. See? He--He'll make He'll make ways where there is no way. He is the Way. See? And when the Message is absolutely urgent, as It is today, God provides a way.

84 We notice again when Amos... I preached on this fellow, Amos. If you'd like to read the story sometime, it's great, read the story of Amos, first chapter of Amos. He's another type of the--the warnings before judgment strikes sin. Now, the city that he was going to warn against, over there, was a bunch of Jews that--that they all got kind of off of the beaten line and had become a great tourist center. And--and I imagine, as I give the illustration that morning, speaking on him, that, when his bald head come up over the top of the hill and his little of eyes narrowed as he looked down and seen the sin of that great nation and people, his white beard as he fingered it like that. My, what a thing! But nobody knows where he come from.

85Nobody knows those prophets, they just rise up from somewhere and go the same way.

86 But he went into the city with "THUS SAITH THE LORD! Repent, or perish! For God will destroy this nation. He'll--He'll wipe this place off of the earth. You've made an agreement with your enemy. And you're--you're at peace, you think, with your enemy, but all the time the Assyrians are--are building up out there. You can't walk two together unless you be agreed. That's all." So he said...

87And God wants us to separate ourselves. He wants us "come out from the world," not try to live with the world and God too, not try to fashion after the world and after God. You have to live for One or the other, you have to believe One or the other.

88 And now we find out that, this Amos, he certainly predicted a judgment upon this people except they repented. (And--and, my, so--so well does it fit our day.) I think this great city, as looking back through this again, the great city down there, how that it was all give over, and--and a great economy they had of everything, prosperous. And they thought they were just exactly in the will of the Lord, because they were prospering. But they found out that God is not always the author of prosperity. No, God... Sometimes, when prosperity strikes, the church usually gets away from Him.

89 You know, God spoke of Israel one time, said, "I found you bloody in the field, and I washed you up and brought you in," to be His Own child. "And then when you got big, and a beautiful young woman, you played the part of a whore." He said, "You--you--you just give yourself to every passerby." See? "But when you were poor and needy, when--when you had need, you served Me. But when I blessed you and give you plenty, then you went away from Me." And it's just about proved that way. Oh, my!

90Now, we find out that this prophet really struck down on that nation, this Amos. He was just a plowboy. But we find out that when he did, struck down and told them what it would be, and told them if they didn't get right with God that the enemy that they had taken in partnership would be the very one that destroyed them.

91 Now we find out that our proud America is not going to escape the wrath of God. As I spoke one day since I've been here, I'm sure it was here, of everything at the end. You know, I--I can't see nothing to build to. You can't build to politics, it's gone. You--you can't build to social life, because it's so demoralized. There's--there--there's nothing that you can build to there. And you can't put no hopes in nothing.

"How about the church?"

92Well, you can't do nothing with the church, it's so formal and gone, there's nothing left. They've done sold out their birthrights for a mess of pottage, and they're just waiting judgment. The Holy Spirit has crossed this nation, showing His signs and wonders, and they continually spurn His grace. He a-vindicates Himself and proves, by His great a-vindication, that He's the Word of God manifested in this day. And they still turn It down. See? There's nothing left now. You just can't always do that to God. See?

93 All right, we find out, the first, He sends His prophets with warning. He doesn't change His way, His method of doing things.

94He does not always strike when He warns. I want you to watch this quotation. God gives a warning but He don't always strike the same time He warns. Did you notice that? And then when He doesn't strike when He sends a warning, then the prophet is mocked, "You didn't have It. You told a lie. You--you wasn't right."

95That same thing might have been said to--to Isaiah. What do you think that man thought when he went up there and prophesied the king was "going to die," then come back down and said, "No, he's going to live"?

96 What about Jonah going through the streets, saying, "Oh, this city is going to be destroyed within so many days, forty days," and then God didn't do it?

97See, you have to watch, God don't always strike when He warns. But He... There's one thing, then the prophet is mocked. But if he is a vindicated prophet with the Word of the Lord, see, signs of God, vindicated, as God said the prophet would be vindicated (which these man were), see, his Word is not his, but it's God's, and it will come to pass. It's got to come to pass if It's God's Word. There's only one thing can stop it, that's a quick repentance.

98 Notice, Amos, he--he lived to see his prophecy, but when Amos spoke of that city, how it was going to happen, how God was going to cause the Syrians to come in and take them over, and so forth like that, and how their own corruption would eat them up. Why, I believe if it's right now... I'm looking down here upon the Scripture, and if I got this counted right, it's around about fifty years after Amos prophesied. And, now, what do you think? A whole generation passed before Amos' prophecy come to pass. But if you'll read over here, it tells you, and it happened just exactly word by word what he said. See?

99John saw the Book of Revelation. It never happened in his day. But we see it coming to pass just exactly. See?

100Daniel prophesied of the day, of his day and all down through. He never lived to see it. He said, "Go your way, Daniel. Shut up the book--the book, and--and close the book. And you'll sleep in your lot, but at that day you'll stand." See?

101Now, you see, the... you don't always... God... strikes as soon as He prophesies. Amos' prophecy, as I said, was fifty years later, it come to pass. But it did come to pass!

102 And then the prophet is a--is a... of the Bible... A real, genuine prophet is a special person. Not "a special," be any different from anybody else, but he's got a special job. See? And, having a special commission, he's got to be special (a little out of the way from the others) in order to do that.

It's just like God has liked His prophets to be "an eagle."

103Now, an eagle is a special bird. He's just a bird, but he's a special bird. And he can fly higher than other birds. He can see farther than other birds. And, now, in order to go higher, he's got to be built so he can go higher. And what good would it do him to go up there unless he could see what he was doing after he got up there? See? So he has to be a special built bird. See? He's kind of in the--in the hawk family, he's "a ripper with the bill." And he eats the... many of them are scavengers. There's about forty different kinds of eagles.

104 But, you see, in the church there is the pastor, and that pastor is a special person. He's built to where he can--he can put up with the fusses of the people. He--he--he's a burden-bearer, he's the ox of the team. He--he's a man that can sit down when the... somebody's got something against somebody else, and sit down with them two families (and take neither side) and reason it out and bring it right back into sweetness. See? He--he's a pastor, he knows how to take care of things.

105The evangelist is a special man. He's a man that's burning like a fireball. He runs into a city and preaches his message, then gets out of there somewhere else. See, he's a special man.

106The teacher is a special man. He sits back under the anointing of the Spirit and is able to take the Words and put them together by the Holy Spirit, that, the pastor or evangelist either one could not compare with him.

107And then, we find out, the apostle is a special man. He's a--he's a "set-her-in-order." He's a man that's sent from God to set the things in order.

108 The prophet is a special man. A prophet is a man of whom the Word of the Lord comes to, because the prophet is so designed (life) that his subconscious and his first conscious is so close together that he doesn't go to sleep to dream his dream, he sees it when he's wide awake. See? Now, that's something God has to do. See, he sees what's going.

109A prophet foresees way off, see, the things that is coming. He sees the cup of God's wrath, full, before it is filled. See? He can say, "THUS SAITH THE LORD! God will destroy this city except you repent." Why? He's an eagle. He rides way in yonder. See? And he looks way off there and he sees that cup of wrath poured out. That's what the prophets look at. He ain't looking what's going on here, he's looking yonder! He's saying, "It's coming!" He can go so high till he can see that shade. He said, "The world will be dark--darkness and gross darkness." He's up high enough, the sun's shining now, but he sees that shade coming, and he's--he's--he's saying what he's looking at. It ain't here yet, but it'll sure be here! That's right. It's going to be here, gross darkness upon the people. He knows it's coming, years away, yet he sees it.

110Amos, that anointed prophet of God, he saw the--the darkness and the judgment. He seen Syria come down with their chariots and sweep through there, slaughter them people out. He saw it coming and the judgment of God upon them, now, fifty years before it happened. But, you see, being a prophet, he was lifted up into the Spirit and he saw it far off. See? He saw the cup, full, before it was filled.

111 Like Abraham. God told Abraham, "Your seed shall come into this country and sojourn here for four hundred years, and then I'll bring them out with a mighty hand, because the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." See? God knew that cup was going to fill up. He was speaking with His prophet, He told him now, "You see that cup of the Amorites down there," see, "but their iniquity is not filled up yet, Abraham. Don't say nothing about it now, hold off, but it will come. And when their cup's filled up, and them four hundred years, I'll drive them out like locusts before you, and I'll establish your seed here in this land." Amen! That's the prophet of the Lord.

112 Now, when he speaks of his vision, whether it's wrath or whether it's healing, it may linger, but it's got to come to pass if he speaks it in the Name of the Lord. See? It might be a blessing that he speaks for you. He might tell you a certain thing, and you can't see it at all. You say, "How can it be? Why, it's a... I--I--I... He told me, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD, "This is going to happen, and that was going to happen,"' and it ain't happened. The man is wrong!" Now you'll be judged for disbelieving It, but it's going to happen anyhow! See? It's got to happen!

113"Though it linger," the Bible said, "yet will it speak in its season." It'll come to pass.

114 The prophet's only looking off and seeing something. He's talking about what he's looking at. He ain't thinking about here and what you look like now, he's looking what it's going to be. And when he speaks that, if it's in the Word of the Lord, it's already been spoke and there's nothing in the world can stop it (you see, that's right,) only God Himself.

115Notice, now we find that when... He--he speaks his vision, the prophet does. Now, sometimes he speaks good things, he speaks of your healing. All right, you might think, "It just can't happen, I haven't got any better." Then what does that do? That just brings the judgments of God upon you. That's right. See? Jesus promised to save you if you'd believe It; if you don't believe It, it won't--it won't happen to you. You've got to accept It, you've got to, believe It. See? And you got to know from where It comes from, that gives your faith in God; or, your prophet. See? You've got to believe It.

116 And now we find out here, that these prophets that spoke, they--they spoke and what they said come to pass. And if the wrath of God is poured upon the people, there's only one thing... If that prophet said that something another was going to happen, there's only one thing that'll stay the hand of God, that's repentance. That's repentance towards God, that stays His wrath. Now, don't wait for it, do it then! God says anything, you do it right then.

117 Hezekiah, as soon as he knew... He was a good man, but God said, "Your time has come, Hezekiah, and I--I must take you. I--I want to, I'm going to take you up. Put all your house in order."

118And he--he--he said, "It'll take me fifteen years to do that, Lord." See? "Now, it's You... I--I--I know I'm going, but it's going to take me fifteen years to put my house in order. I can't do it right now. I--I haven't got the time to do it. I--I--I just can't get it done. Lord, let me live another fifteen years so I can get this thing done. I can't put my house..."

See, God's commission was, "Put your house in order!"

119And Hezekiah said, "I can't do it in this year, it's going to take me time. I'll take this back, and make this up and take it over to this fellow here, it'll take me fifteen years to do it. Just spare me to do it. Let me, let me, give me a little time to do it." See?

120Then God said, "I'll--I'll--I'll--I'll be lenient." But he had to die anyhow, you see.

121 And then again, he took his time, he backslid during that time. See? And he would he would be better if he would have went on without it being set in order. That's right. But He give him fifteen years longer to put his house in order. Because, quickly, what did he do? He said, "Lord, I'm slow. I need fifteen years to do this. You've commissioned me to put my house in order. I can't do it for fifteen years because I got a loan here, and I got this over here, and I got this over here to do."

122Now, he was a godly man, and God's Word's got to happen anyhow. It's going to come to pass anyhow, but He just stayed It for a little while, see, hold It off to him. Then he done a sin during that time. He said, "I won't make it come upon him, but I'll visit it upon his children after him." You know the story.

123 Now, we find out that a quick repentance sometimes holds the wrath off a while.

124Now, we find out that Nineveh... God said, "Go down there and cry out to that city now, and tell them, 'If... within forty days the thing is going to fall.'" And, my, did they ever repent! As soon as they seen that prophet coming through the street, saying, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, 'The place will fall within forty days! The place will fall!'" The...

125Even the king commanded a--a--a fast through the country, mourning, "Put on sackcloth, put ashes! Not upon your own head and upon your body and upon your flesh, but upon your cattle, upon your beasts of the field, put ashes and sackcloth." What a repentance!

126 Now, when we find out there, we notice, if the prophet don't watch real quick, see, get his wits together and go to God, you'll find out something right there, if you don't watch...

127Now look at Isaiah, he just spoke his prophecy, went on back into his little wilderness hut. And, when he did, the Lord never spoke back to the king that was praying. He has a way of doing things. There was a prophet in the land. The Word of the Lord comes to His prophet. He went out there and said, "Isaiah, go back and tell him I have heard his prayer. I have understood that it... that he thinks it's going to take him fifteen years to do this. I've seen his tears because he wanted to do the job so bad. It's going to take him fifteen years, he said, to do it. Go tell him that I'll let him have it, then." See?

128Why? He commissioned--He commissioned Isaiah to go tell him, "THUS SAITH THE LORD!" Then if there's any change in that, or lingering... It's going to happen anyhow; he--he died just the same. But said... If there's anything in that, then He's obligated to come back to the man that He sent THUS SAITH THE LORD to. He told Isaiah, "Go back out there and tell him."

129 Now, Jonah took a different attitude, gets up on top of the hill and said, "Well, it'd be good if I never was born." And, oh, how he went on! And God had a little gourd to come up and make him some shade till he got cooled off up there. But he said, "Now, here, I went down there, and they're going to say I'm a false prophet."

130And God spoke to him, said, "Look at that city down there! Look a-there, Jonah, that the whole city is repenting with sackcloth and ashes."

131And then He told him about the little gourd and the worm that cut it down. One day, the Lord willing, I want to come to the Tabernacle and take a series just on Jonah. Oh, there's so many great... that east wind blowing, and all. Oh, my! There's so many things in there, it just... it's thrilling. Them nuggets in there, it all types right in, fit. It even brings Jesus Christ in it, and everything else. Course, every line in the Bible brings Jesus Christ. Yes, sir. That's our Sunday's lesson, so we'll find that, the Lord willing.

132 And notice, there's things that you... If you're sincere and tell God... Now, you have to watch.

133Now I want to show you another Jonah in the platform tonight.

134One night there was a people that come here. The lady may be (some of their people) here tonight, so I won't call the name, you would probably know who it is. But they come here, fine bunch of people from down in Kentucky, and they--they come here for years. But the people, being fine people, good friends of mine. My, they were they were real friends of mine, but they... Just one of those kind of people that when a revival was going on they could come to church; when the revival was off, and the load was pulling, nobody would pull. And all the children was here on the cradle roll, they had the... when we had our classes and things.

135 And one day I come home, about four years ago, or five, something like that. And this young girl, (which was about eight years old when she was on the cradle roll), she had been married and had two children. And she was laying out in the hospital out here, at the point of death. She was about four months, five, with a baby; and the baby had died, and they couldn't operate 'cause she had uremic. And they couldn't operate, so had to let the mother die, too. Can't operate, and, see, the baby would kill her like that, so they had... she was just dying, that's all, wasn't no chance for her.

136I went out to see her, she had sent for me. And I went into the hospital, and there she was under oxygen tent. I raised up the little flap, talked to her a little bit, and I said, "You remember me?"

She said, "Sure, Brother Bill, I remember you."

137I said, "How is it the... Do you understand how sick you are?"

She said, "I do." Said, "That's why I sent for you."

I said, "Well, why, how is it with you and the Lord?"

She said, "Brother Bill, I--I've... I--I'm not ready to go."

138Well, there we got down and prayed, and her mother and her husband, many of them in the room, and her mother and husband started crying. And--and then I--I asked her, and she got right with God (paid her vows and come back and made God the promise; and if she'd be forgiven; how she loved Him; and sorry for her sins, the way she had lived), and went on with her repentance and crying. And after a while I got up and went out of the building.

139 And the--the next morning they called me up, to come back out there. And, come to find out, they come in that morning for a test and to see how the--the uremic condition had advanced, and found out she didn't have a speck of it. It was all gone, every bit of the uremic poison had left her. The doctors was so excited till they said, "My! Why, this, we ought... It's something very strange." Said, "We'll--we'll get her ready, and" said "if it's still that way by in the morning..." Said, "We'll keep giving her penicillin," or whatever they was giving her, keeping the infections down. Said, "We'll operate and--and take the dead baby before it set in something else." Said, "If she's all right, then..."

140 Well, two or three times that day they tested her again. And that night, late, they tested her, nothing wrong, was perfectly all right. And they prepped her. Took her out from under the oxygen tent. Everything was fine. They was going to operate on her the next morning, take the baby.

141Well, I went out there. And because that this was done... Now, I never knew it, I never knew. The Lord never told me nothing about it. You could ask the people, if you wish. So they... she... He never said it would. But, oh, my, to see such a--a thing! Her husband, being a sinner, come over and said, "Brother Branham, I--I want to give my life to the Lord Jesus."

142And I said, "All right, just kneel down here and take hold of your wife's hand, and then you walk this straight life together."

143 The mother come back, she said, "Brother Branham, you know, here's me and my children," said, "we've all been in and out, and in and out, and around the Tabernacle, and things. We set and listen at you preach, and we'll go up to the altar and come back." Said, "I'm backslid, too, Brother Branham." She said, "I want to come back to the Lord Jesus, for His goodness to my child." Well, you see, that--that's very nice, but you don't come to the Lord Jesus because of that.

144Along towards midnight, twelve, one o'clock, her mother dozed off to sleep. And she said, called her, said, "Mother."

And she said, "Yes, honey, what do you want?"

She said, "You know, I'm so happy!"

She said, "I'm so glad of you being happy."

Said, "I'm at peace with God." And said, "Oh, how fine it is!"

In a few minutes, again she called back, she said, "Mother."

Said, "Yes?"

Said, "I'm going home."

145And she said, "I know you are." She said, "Yes, sweetheart," said, "the doctor will take the baby tomorrow. And then about a day or two, when your incisions heal up and you get away from here, you go back home and be happy again, you and your hubby and the little children, and be a Christian and live for God."

She said, "Mother, I mean I'm going to my Heavenly Home."

She said, "Sure, honey, at the end of the journey."

She said, "This is the end of the journey."

"Oh," she said, "now, what's the matter?"

146Said, "The end of the journey." So said, "Yes, mother, within a few minutes I'll be gone."

147Well, she thought she had just got nervous and delirious. She called the nurse, the nurse taken her respiration. Everything was normal. And within five minutes she was gone, she was dead.

148And then when I come back home, in a week or two after that... I think Brother Graham preached the girl's funeral. When I come back home and Meda told me that that girl died that night, my, I couldn't...

I--I went to see the mother. "Yeah."

149 And I--I--I don't know what caused me to do it, but I said, "Lord God, You--You owe me an understanding, see, after me going out there and--and telling that husband, and him coming to the Lord after You done these things for him, and all like that, and then take that girl's life like that." I said, "You owe me an understanding."

150When you tell God something like that, He'll leave you sitting alone. I don't... He don't owe me nothing. I'm in debt to Him. Well, He just let me pout it out for a few days, you know. And, after about three or four months, one day I was out on the creek bank and the Lord spoke to me in a vision, and said, "Now go to her mother, and say this to her mother, 'Did not her time come the year before that, when she was drowning in a creek, on a picnic? She should have went at that time, but I had to take her when she was ready to go.' And that's why all this happened and why you went out there."

151Then I got down and cried. I said, "Lord Jesus, forgive me, Your poor stupid servant. I should have never said that, Lord."

152 And I had went back down to the lady, she lived over here on Market Street, and I went over to her, and I said, "I want to ask you a question."

She said, "Sure, Brother Bill."

And I said, "Is it true that this girl almost drowned?"

153She said, "That's right, Brother Branham." Said, "Her husband and they--they had to get her out of the creek." And said, "They had to use artificial respiration upon... pressure, and they had to get a machine and pump the water out of her." Said, "She had her skirt on. They was having a picnic. She was out there and stepped in some sand, slipped off over her head and strangled in the water. They didn't notice her. And directly they seen her coming up and going down, and they run in and got her and brought her out." And said, "She almost died." Said, "She..."

I said, "That was her time to go."

154See, God knows what He's doing. Now, the Lord probably would have told me that if I hadn't have taken the attitude that I did, "Lord, You owe me, to tell me about that." He don't owe you nothing!

155 I stood in a meeting one night and heard an evangelist praying for a sick person, said, "God, I command You to heal this person!" Who command God? See? It--it--it isn't--it isn't even intelligent, see, because that--that God, He--He does what He wants to.

156Can the--can the clay say to the potter, "Why did you make me thus?" See? Certainly not! But if the prophet will keep still and then seek the Lord for the answer, there's the answer there. See?

157Just like on this person was asking on the--the--the serpent's seed question, you see. Just--just watch, and don't--don't be--don't be in a big hurry. And then, now, God always brings to pass everything to work together for good to them that love the Lord.

158 Now, if--if Nineveh would not have repented, then the judgments of God would have been upon them. Now remember, the prophet must listen. It was a warning.

159Now, the same thing to this nation. Then you say, "Brother Branham, last Sunday you said 'There wasn't a hope'?" Yes! "Why?" It spurned its call. It's got to receive It. It's going to receive it. There's coming a time when this nation's going to go to pieces. I saw it in 1933. See, I looked off.

You said, you might have said, "Well, it didn't happen then."

160But it's going to happen! Neither was Mussolini in power, neither was the Maginot Line built, neither did the car look like an egg in them days, and the things, neither did the women elect a President that would look like a--a college boy, and all these other things, neither would there be a Catholic President, and so forth, spoke of. About thirty years ago, or more, these things were predicted, but He only showed me way off down to the end.

161And as that thing approaches, time by time, that cup's filling up! And repentance has been preached by Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, and who else. Prophets, and so forth, has crossed the nation with signs and wonders, and she continually wades into sin. That's the reason they don't repent, repent brings it.

162 Notice, Ahab never repented at the rebuke of Elijah. If Ahab would have repented and walked softly before God, the thing would never happen. But Ahab come down there and done took Naboth's vineyard and had him murdered, and all these evil things. And Jezebel... That prophet walked out there with THUS SAITH THE LORD! But what did they do? She only threatened to kill him. What happened? His prophecy was fulfilled, the dogs eat her and licked Ahab's blood. Just exactly according to his word! He saw the cup, full.

163That's the reason that little Micaiah, saying this same thing, how could he bless what God had cursed? See, his--his word, his prophecy, was in harmony with the Word.

164 Herod, he never repented when John said "It's not lawful for you to have that, your brother's wife!" He never repented. But what did he do? His wife required the head of the prophet. Look at the filth he went into. Look what happened to him. Look, even today, in Switzerland, the--the blue waters of rejecting Him still boils as a--a commemoration. See, sure, he didn't repent when he was rebuked of the Lord. John told him, no matter what he was (a procurator, or whatever he was; or the emperor, or whoever he might be), he must repent when God calls, or wrath's upon him!

165How many times in the prophets... I got wrote down here, but we won't have time because I got about ten minutes longer.

166 If no repentance, then judgment is sure to come! Hezekiah repented. See? Nineveh repented.

167Ahab never repent. Nebuchadnezzar never repent. The people in Noah's times never repent, and the judgment swept right on in. See? Now, but He first warns everybody. Everybody gets a warning.

168Now, seeing the time is at hand, let everyone that feels that there is a warning, repent quickly before the wrath of God strikes.

169Now let's bring it down to the Branham Tabernacle. See, we have seen these things and know them to be the Truth. We know that It's absolutely the Truth. The commission of the Word is, "If you will repent and be baptized into the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is to your children and them that's far off." See?

170 Now, a man, Mr. Dauch, asked me here not long ago, he said, "Brother Branham, I'm getting old. I'm getting weak, ninety-one." He said, "Do you--do you think I'm--I'm ready to die? Do you think I'm ready to go? Do you think I'm saved?"

171I said, "Mr. Dauch, did you ever go to a--a doctor for a physical checkup?"

He said, "Yes."

172"And you tell him... Now, what the doctor does, he's got a book laying there, and he takes this book and he finds out. 'Now, the first thing I ought to do to that man, check his heart.' So he gets a stethoscope and puts them in his ear, checks his heart." And I said, "Then, the next thing he gets, he finds out his blood pressure, with a--with a pressure on his arm. Then the next thing he does, he takes a urine specimen, and whatever more, and some blood out of him, and all these different things. He goes through all of it, and if he can't find nothing... Takes an X-ray. If he can't find nothing, he'd say, 'Mr. Dauch, you're--you're physically all right.'"

173"What's he basing that upon? On the conditions out of his medical book, that if there's anything wrong according to the head scientist it'll show up here, it'll do this here, it'll do that there. Therefore, as far as he can know anything about it, you're all right, see, physically.

174 "Now," I said, "in this case, I--I'm giving it a soul examination. See? And God, for the soul, only has one Instrument, that's right, that's His Word. That's His Word. And Jesus said, in Saint John 5:24, 'He that heareth My Word.' Now, that hear doesn't mean just to listen at a noise. That hear means 'to receive It.' 'Who can receive My Word,' amen 'he that hears It!' (Don't stand still, call It nonsense, 'Them things, there's nothing to It. I don't believe That.') 'He that hears My Word!' That's the Word of Jesus, which, He is the Word. There you are. 'If you can hear My Word,' He said, 'and believe on Him that sent Me, he has passed from death unto Life; and shall not even come to the Judgment, but has already passed from it.' Amen!" I said, "How's your heart beating now?"

He said, "I believe It. I have heard It. I have received It."

175I said, "Then according to the Head Specialist, the Chief Operator, the Chief Doctor of Eternal Life says, 'You've passed from death unto Life and shall never come to the condemnation.'"

176 Said, "When I heard you preach on the Name of Jesus Christ for water baptism, I walked right in behind you and you baptized me." Said, "I... The man that I once was, I'm not that man no more. Something's happened to me. I used to care nothing about It and went on the other way, but I've turned and started back this way. And my heart burns day and night to get closer to Him. Every Word of It, I believe! I say, 'Amen!' to every bit of It. I don't care how It cuts me, I want to measure right up to It. And I have as far as I know."

177I said, "Seems to me like your heart's beating pretty good. I--I believe you're spiritually able now."

178He said, "Wonder if there would be when the Rapture comes, can I go in it, Brother Branham?"

I said, "It's not me to say who goes in or who does not."

179He said, "Well, I'd like to be living, I want--I want to see the Rapture so bad."

180 I said, "All right, let me see what the--the Science Book says here, to it, and the soul science here." I said, "Well, It says this, in Second Thessalonians, the 5th chapter, It said, 'We which are alive and remain unto the Coming of the Lord shall not prevent' (that means 'hinder') 'those that are resting, asleep. For the trumpet of God shall sound, and those who are asleep or resting shall wake up first, take on immortality. Then we which are alive at that day, at that time after they have done raised up, see, then we shall be changed in a moment, a twinkle of an eye, and meet with them; and then go up to meet the Lord in the air, be caught up together with them.' Whether you sleep, whether you don't, whether you do or whether you don't; wherever you're buried, if you're not even buried at all, you're coming anyhow! There's nothing can hold you. You'll be there!" I said, "Brother Dauch, if Jesus doesn't come until my great-great-great-grandchildren's grandchildren, you'll still be there right on a moment just exactly, and will be there before they're ever even changed, if they go." That's right. Amen!

181 There is a coming blessing just as the same as there is a coming wrath. Oh, we have to be looking for one of it tonight. You have to either be looking for the wrath to fall upon you and for destruction, or either you have to be looking for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The same God that promised one, prom-... I'm so glad!

I'm watching for the coming of that glad Millennium day,

When our blessed Lord shall come and catch His waiting Bride away;

Oh! my heart is yearning and groaning for that day of sweet release,

When our Jesus shall come back to earth again.

Then sin and sorrow, pain and death of this dark world shall cease,

In that glorious reign with Jesus of a thousand years of peace; (Oh, my! "And shall forever be with the Lord." See?)

182 What God said, it's got to come to pass. "They shall build houses, they shall inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and they shall eat the fruit of them. They shall not plant and another inherit it. They'll plant their own vineyards and stay with it." Amen! Amen! "They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy Mountains." Hallelujah!

183When this mortal takes on immortality, this--this death is swallowed up in victory, then we shall see Him as He is and have a body like His Own glorious Body. Oh, what a time to come!

184 The same God and the same prophets that predicted the Word of God, or the wrath to be poured out, pour, also told of these coming blessings. I'm so glad! God never does give a--a nation a--a destruction without warning it. He never gives a man a destruction without warning it. And now if He does that, we have got something that's happened to us, the vindication of the signs of the last days with us, the great Holy Spirit moving among us and charging the church with His Presence, vindicating His Word. Then the Church is getting ready for a climb into the skies one of these days, by the power of God. Because it's a warning to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily beset us, that we might fly with patience this race that's set before us, to the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

185 God bless you, church! Hold to God's unchanging hand! Yes, sir. If you feel His Presence, go to Him. If there's anything wrong in your heart, make it right. We ain't got much time left, the Coming of the Lord is at hand. Do you believe Him? Oh, my! Won't that be wonderful there? What a time, when I see the old veterans back yonder walking down through that Paradise! Oh, my! I'm looking for that hour.

186 I remember hearing my brother say, when coming back from across the sea, from the old battlefields and things, said, "Those old veterans, when they come in the sight of that Statue of Liberty, and rolled them cripples up there so they could see the Statue of Liberty." You see that first, on a ship, when you come up, because it's so high. "And see that arm standing up there," said, "them man just break down and cry. And just them great big man stand there, just fall right over on the deck and start crying." What was it? A sign of liberty. Everything that they ever loved laid right behind that sign there.

187Oh, but what will it be when I hear the old ship of Zion blow that morning and I see the banners a-waving! When the battle's over and the victory's won, hallelujah! And we're coming Home, where death, sin and hell is conquered; and there's no more sin, no more death, no more sorrow. I can just hear the whistle blowing! Oh, we're nearing the City. Yes, sir. The breakers are coming in, the old ship's moving into her place. God, help us to live for that hour!

188 Lord Jesus, we are a people who are--are trying our best, with all that's in us, to walk in the Light of the gospel of Your great Gospel that You died to make right. We are so thankful to see, in this evil dark days that we're living now in this hour, that we see the signs appearing. O God, as it is the handwriting on the wall, we thank Thee, Lord, that we can see it and know that deliverance is close at hand. We preach, we cross the country, we see You work great signs, show Yourself daily, every year. There's not a year passes but what (great) His Supernatural sign is striking the earth. And we see it, knowing that the great army of God marches on.

189Oh, not many in number, but what a powerful group that's got Eternal Life! Said, "They shall run through a troop and leap over a wall." Yes, the "troop" of death will have no holders to it, She'll run right through it. Leap over the "wall" between natural and Supernatural, and go into the arms of God, into that great Eternity. Lord God, we thank You for this. We know the time is approaching at hand.

190 I pray, God, that tonight if there be some here who doesn't know You, who's never made their peace... And maybe tonight, while we've been speaking, a little Voice has been speaking down in their heart, "I feel a warning that I can't be around much longer." O God, may they put their house in order, right now. May everything be set. May the coldness... Maybe they're Christians, but they just haven't... They've lived under this so long and seen so many things, they--they've just lost the value of It. It's... The things, they take it lightly instead of real deeply and sincerely.

191O God, let us check up tonight, grant it, knowing that these great things are only warning us of the soon rapturing Church. And if we are laden with sin, with unbelief, and with slothfulness, we shall not make that Rapture. We know it, Lord, so we pray that You'll burn into us the Holy Ghost, down into our hearts. O God, set our souls on fire with Your blessing. Help us to understand.

192 Now, bless the people together. Bless our precious pastor and his wife. Bless the deacons, the trustees, all the laity, together. Forgive our sins. Heal our sicknesses, Lord. And set our hearts aflame. And may we go from this place with a warning message, as we meet the people in sin, and tell them, "Friend, aren't you shameful that you do such things, knowing that you have to meet God someday?" Grant it, Lord. I commit them to You, now; commit the Message, and all together, to work together for Your glory. In Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

193 Don't you love Him? Think of what we are. Look how far up the road we are, friend. Just look back down the road from way down yonder, in the days of Luther and Wesley, on down through the ages. Look here where we're at: right here at the top of the pyramid; right here where God has proved it, that the Bible through the seven seals has perfectly been revealed; waiting only now for them seven mysteries right at last, on the Coming of the Lord and the Rapture of the Church that might happen before morning. Oh, my!

I love Him, (sincerely now) I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

194 As we quietly now... Do you realize that each one of us in here is got to leave here, leave this world? Do you know that a man that is born of a woman is of a few days and full of trouble? Did you know that because that we're born of that tree from the Garden of Eden, of death, that we've got to die? We're the fruit of our mother's womb, and we have to die, we have to separate this life. Young or old, it makes no difference. If the oldest man or woman in here lives through the night, she'll outlive or he'll outlive many ten-, fifteen-year-old children. Hundreds of them will die across the world before morning, of children. So all that matters, is, what are you doing right now?

195 This may be your last opportunity. Young or old, you're able to get to church. Don't leave one thing undone. Be deeply and sincere. Lay every sin and everything aside. Look straight in the face of God and ask the question, "Lord, do I please You? What else could I do, Lord Jesus? I'll never have the opportunity no more, after this life is over, to serve You. This is the only time I have. Lord God, only let me know what You want to do! If I should go do this or I should do that, I'd gladly do it."

196Do we--do we think that sincerely? Does the little fellows think that? Does the middle aged think that? Does the old people think that? Does the teen age think that? We got to go, and how do you know that we all won't be gone before morning? We don't know it. You say, "That worries me." It shouldn't! Frankly, it should make you most happy to know that you're leaving this old pesthouse.

197 There's another world. You don't have to leave very far. It's right with you. It's right around you. You just... you... God only give you five senses, and that's to contact so much of this, this world. But there's another world that you haven't got any senses to contact, you can't contact it because you don't have it.

198For instance, I said, Sunday night, (maybe you didn't get it) what... we got five senses: see, taste, feel, smell, and hear. But what if you didn't have the sight (you just had taste, feel, smell, and hear), and somebody received their sight and said, "There's another world, sun"? Them--them feelings, you bump into things, and what it is can tell you what it is. Why, you'd think the person was crazy, 'cause you don't have that--that sense of--of sight. Nobody ever had it, you know of. You've heard of people that said such things as that, but you doubted it. But we know by this sense that it's real. It's a real place. See? It--it--it--it's a place where the... you can see. Your sense declares that.

199 Now, the only thing you do when you die, you just change those five senses (Glory! Whew!), you just receive another sense. And you're alive with a higher sense, thousands of times higher than this, in another life; a life where there's no death, where there's no sorrow. And the things that you don't know nothing about now, you see it plainly when you cross there. You don't understand it now because you're bumping into it, you haven't got that sense. You say, "I--I feel a strange feeling here tonight. Looks to me like there's a... I just want to cry, shout, or something." It's the Angels of the Lord. See?

200 Like somebody say, you know, that never did have the sense of sight, say, "Once in a while I feel something real, like a feeling like warmth."

You say, "It's the sunlight."

201"What is the sunlight? I never did see it." "There ain't no..." See, he never did see, don't know what it is. See, somebody over there has to tell him, somebody that can see it. Oh, my! See?

202We just change. We just change, don't be afraid of death. Death ain't nothing but a scarecrow. Jesus conquered it. Even when Paul come down at the end, he said, "Death, where is your sting? Where's your scare? Grave, where is your victory? You say you got me? I--I want to point you back there to Jerusalem. There's an empty tomb there and 'I am He that conquered both you, death and hell,' and I'm in Him and you can't hold me! I'll rise again." Oh, my! He said, "There's a crown laid up for me, that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me; and not only me, but all those who love His appearing."

203 You love Him. You want to see Him coming. You're waiting for Him. It's a long story, it's a--it's a long wait. It's a love affair. But you just can't wait till you see Him! Oh, my! That's the way it is. Oh, that's the time we're looking for, that's the hour! If your heart's not like--like--like that tonight, friend, be careful. See? Be careful. Don't let the enemy deceive you. When the Holy Spirit in here wants to take Its flight to Its Maker, to Its Master, there's a love affair that no one can tell about. That's right, it's real. It's real.

204So if there's a warning, saying, "You're not ready for that," then remember, God might be getting you ready for something. See? You're not ready...

205 You say, "Well, if I get baptized, the Holy Ghost, then, well, maybe the Lord will take me?" No, not only that, you're just then getting ready to live. You--you ain't ready to live till you get the Holy Ghost, and then when you get the Holy Ghost then you're just fit to live. You wasn't fit to live before that, see, but now you're just fit to live after you got the Holy Ghost. See? Just getting you ready. See?

206People say, "Well, I got to get ready to die." Oh, my, I'm getting ready to live! Amen. The thing of it is, get ready to live, live in Christ! Victorious life over sin, death, hell, I already have the victory. He's my Victory and I'm His evidence, and I'm an evidence of His Victory. Amen! That's it.

207 "How do you know you got It?" I got It. Amen. He gave It to me by His grace. I feel It. I know It. I see It working in my life. It changed me. And according to this Book here, He said that I had Eternal Life and would not be able to come to the Judgment, but I've passed from death unto Life because He took my judgment for me. And if He paid the price, don't try to bring me to any Judgment. He's done took it for me, and I accepted it. Yes, sir.

208So there's no more judgment. There's no more--no more death. Oh, I have to leave the church and leave the people someday, but that... if Jesus tarries. And if that happens, why, my, I ain't dead. I can't die, I got Eternal Life. How can you die with Eternal Life? See? Always in the Presence of God and forever shall be with Him! Amen! That thrills my heart, my, makes me want to start preaching again. See? That's right. Oh, He's Wonderful!

Isn't He wonderful, wonderful, wonderful?

Isn't Jesus my Lord wonderful?

Eyes have seen, ears have heard, what's recorded in God's Word;

Isn't Jesus my Lord wonderful?

I love that testimony.

Eyes have seen, ears have heard, what's recorded in God's Word;

Isn't Jesus our Lord wonderful?

209 Oh, I love Him! He's my Peace, my Life, my--my Hope, my King, my God, my Saviour, (my, oh, my!), my Father, my Mother, my Sister, my Brother, my Friend, my everything! You see? We used to sing a little song like that. You know, do you all ever get them little Pentecostal songs like... I hope they got that recorder turned off, see. That song we'd use to sing:

He's my father, my mother, my sister and my brother,

He's everything to me.

He's everything, He's everything to me;

For He's my father, my mother, my sister and my brother,

He's everything to me.

210You remember when we used to sing that? Any of you remember it? My, years ago! And then we used to say:

I know it was the Blood, I know it was the Blood,

I know it was the Blood for me;

One day when I was lost, He died upon the Cross,

And I know it was the Blood for me.

211You remember that little song? Let's see, what was that other one we sang? Let's see.

Oh, won't you watch with me one hour,

While I go yonder, while I go yonder?

Oh, won't you watch with me one hour,

While I go yonder and pray?

I'm overcoming, I'm overcoming,

I'm overcoming, I'm overcoming;

For I love Jesus, He's my Saviour,

And He smiles and He loves me too.

212 Used to be old Brother Smith, a colored brother, used to be down here at the corner. Oh! I'd hear those colored folks down there, I'd just sit there and scream and cry and everything else, shake my car all over and jump all around it like that. They all clapped their hands. [Brother Branham claps his hands while singing--Ed.].

Oh, won't you watch with...

That little beat the colored folks has, you know. Nobody can sing like them; you might as well forget it. See?

... one hour,

While I go yonder,...

213Oh, my! I sit there, I said, "O God!" This little old boy, about twenty years old, I'd run around and around that car and just shout and praise God like that. Oh, what a time! That was just the early beginning, when God was just moving among the people like that. Now we're come into a strong Church. Not many in members, but powerful in the Spirit. Amen. How wonderful!

214 Then there used to be a little song... I remember the day down there in Chattanooga, Tennessee, when I met this... Not Chattanooga, it was down in Memphis, where I met this little colored woman, you know, standing out there. You've heard me tell about it, you know. Her boy had the venereal disease. And she had this man's shirt tied around her head, leaning over the bench like that. And the Lord stopped that plane there and wouldn't let it go, somehow, and they told me come get... And the Holy Spirit said, "Take a little trip and go down this way."

215And I went walking down through there, singing. I thought, "My, my plane's about ready to leave!"

216Just kept saying, "Move on. Keep on going. Keep on going." Just the early part of my ministry.

217 And I looked, leaning across the fence there, and a little bitty shanty, little place there. There was an old sister standing there. Oh, she was... Looked like one of these sisters on the Aunt Jemima pancakes. Great big fat cheeks, you know, and her--her hair, her shirt brought on back. She leaned across the gate like that, and I just... I was singing that little song about... little... What was the... I forget the name of the little song I sang. Now, it's something about--about... It was a little Pentecostal shotty song, a little jubilee.

218And I just quit singing, I got pretty close. And I walked by. And she was standing there and the tears running down them big fat cheeks; I wanted to hug her. She said, "Morning, parson!"

I said, "Auntie, what'd you say?"

She said, "I said, 'Good morning, parson.'"

219I said, "How'd you know I was a parson?" Now, to the people in the South, that means "minister," you know. Said, "Now, how'd you know I was a parson?"

She said, "I knowed you was coming."

220I said, "You knew I was coming?" I thought, "Uh-oh, here it is, see."

221She said, "Yes, sir." Said, "Did--did you ever read the story in the Bible, parson, about that Shunammite woman?"

I said, "Yes, auntie, I've read it."

222She said, "I's was that kind of woman." She said, "And I asked the Lord to give me a baby, me and my husband, and I'd raise it for Him." Said, "He did, He give me the baby." And said, "I raised it, fine boy." Said, "He got with the wrong company, parson. He got a bad disease," and said, "he's laying in there dying. He's been dying for about two days now. He ain't even come to hisself for two days. The doctor man was here and said 'He can't live,' said, 'he's dying.' It was a social disease." And said--said, "I couldn't hardly stand to see my baby die, and I prayed all night." And said, "I said, 'Lord,' said, 'I's was the kind of woman that the Shunammite woman was, but' said, 'where's Your Elisha?'"

223 And said, "I went to sleep and I dreamed a dream, that I was standing here at this gate, and I seen you coming down the street with that little hat kind of setting on the side of your head." But said, "There's only one thing," said, "where is that..." Said, "You supposed to have a suitcase in your hand."

I said, "I just left it down there at the Peabody Hotel."

224Said, "I knowed that you was supposed to have a suitcase." And she said, "My baby's dying."

I said, "My name's Branham."

She said, "I's glad to meet you, Parson Branham."

225I said, "I pray for the sick. Have you ever heard of my ministry?"

226Said, "No, I don't believe I ever did." Said, "Won't you come in?" And I walked in.

227That big fellow laying there like that. I was trying to tell her about Divine healing, but that wasn't what was interesting her. She wanted to hear that boy say he was "saved and ready to go." And she say... And God saved him.

228And about a year later I seen him out there as a redcap down at the station. How the Lord does things!

229And then when I got back, after that, I was supposed... that plane was supposed to leave at seven o'clock, and it was about half past nine. And I got a cab and went back. And just as I got in, said, "Last call for flight number so-and-so." The Lord held that plane on the ground there while I went and prayed for that boy. See? That's it.

230 I was trying to think of that, a little song, "One Of Them." That's it. Oh, how we used to make that ring in here, and clap our hands. We'd say:

One of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them; (Hallelujah!)

One of them, I'm one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

They were gathered in the upper room,

All praying in His Name,

They were baptized with the Holy Ghost, And power for service came;

Now what He did for them that day

He'll do for you the same,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

One of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them;

One of them, I'm one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them. (Are you?)

231 Listen at this verse.

Though these people may not learn to be,

Or boast of worldly fame,

They have all received their Pentecost,

Baptized in Jesus' Name;

And they're telling now, both far and wide,

His power is yet the same,

And I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

Oh, one of them, I'm one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them;

One of them, oh, I'm one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

Oh, come, my brother, seek this blessing

That will cleanse your heart from sin,

It will start the joy-bells ringing

And will keep your soul on flame;

Oh, it's burning now down in my heart,

Oh, glory to His Name,

And I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them. (Are you glad of that?)

One of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them;

Oh, one of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

232 Oh, aren't you glad? Let's just shake hands with one another when we sing it. What do you say? Let's do it.

One of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them;

I'm so glad too, brother.

Oh, one of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

Oh, come, my brother, seek this blessing

That will... soul aflame,

That will start the joy-bells ringing

And will keep your soul on flame;

Oh, it's burning now within my heart,

Oh, glory to His...

Let's raise our hands up.

Glad that I can say I'm one of them.

233All together.

One of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them;

I'm one of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

234 Listen close again now, see.

Though these people may--may not learn to be, (they never come from college)

Or boast of worldly fame,

They have all received their pentecostal Blessing,

Baptized in Jesus' Name;

And they're telling now, both far and wide, (every little nook and corner)

His power is yet the same,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

235Oh, sing it, church!

... them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them;

Oh, one of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of...

236Take your little handkerchief now.

One of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them;

Oh, one of them, one of them,

And I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

237Praise the Lord! Amen! We're just like children. Nothing formal about us. God is without form. Is that right? Yes, sir!

I'm one of them, one of them,

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them;

I'm one of them, one of them,

Oh, I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of...

238 Are you really happy you can say it? Just raise up your hand, say, "Praise the Lord!" [Congregation says, "Praise the Lord!"--Ed.] Praise the Lord! I'm glad that I'm one of them! I'm happy to be.

239Lord God, I'm so happy. One of them! One of them! I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them. O God, help us to be that. Help us to keep the Lights a-shining, Lord, as we're marching towards Zion. Grant it, Father. In Jesus' Name, we offer our lives to You for service. Amen. Amen.

Oh, we're marching to Zion,

Oh, beautiful, beautiful Zion;

We're marching upward to Zion,

That beautiful city of God.

Come, we that love the Lord,

And let our joys be known,

Join in the song with sweet accord,

And thus surround the throne

And... (Oh, just sing in the Spirit!)

... the throne.

Oh, we're marching to Zion,

That beautiful, beautiful Zion;

We're marching upward to Zion,

That beautiful city of God.

Oh, we're marching to Zion,

Beautiful, beautiful Zion;

We're marching upward to Zion,

That beautiful city of God.

Let those refuse to sing

Who never knew our God;

But children of the heavenly King,

May speak their joys abroad,

May speak their joys abroad.

240Let's sing it!

We're marching to Zion,

Oh, beautiful, beautiful Zion;

We're marching upward to Zion,

That beautiful city of God.

241 Oh, don't that scour you out? Don't you love those old songs? I--I'd rather have them than all you can... or any of these other kind of songs you can have. Them's good, old heartfelt songs. Oh, my! I feel so good and happy when I sing them, just good! My, just feel like rejoicing!

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! (O how sweet!)

Hope of earth and joy of Heaven;

Precious Name, O how sweet!

Hope of earth and joy of Heaven.

242As we bow our heads now:

At the Name of Jesus bowing,

Falling prostrate at His feet,

King of kings in Heaven we'll crown Him,

When our journey is complete.

Precious (Want to dismiss?), O how sweet!

Hope of earth and...

[Brother Neville closes the service--Ed.]