Čudák
A Noe vo svojich dňoch, môžem si predstaviť muža jeho kalibru, proroka, ktorý bol Bohom potvrdený... A Boh jedného dňa ku nemu prehovoril. Čo za divná vec to bola, v tom veľkom vedeckom veku. Možno mohli strieľať na mesiac so svojím radarom, mohli postaviť sfingu a pyramídu. A Boh k nemu prehovoril a riekol, “Noe, bude pršať voda dolu z nebies.” Mohli by ste si predstaviť muža jeho kalibru, proroka Pánovho, ktorý vychádza s takým smiešnym posolstvom ako to, a hovorí to... Nikdy nepršalo, pamätajte, v ich dňoch z neba. Boh zalieval zem, Biblia hovorí, zavlažovaním z jám a tak ďalej: prameňov. Nikdy nepršalo ani kvapka. Tam hore nebola žiadna voda. Tak oni mohli dokázať, že tam hore nebola žiadna voda.
A potom, prišiel muž s posolstvom. A nie len to, ale oddelil sa od zbytku sveta. Stal sa cvokom pre ten svet. To je pravda. On bol cvokom v jeho dobe. Ako muž s takým bláznivým posolstvom, ako by mohol skúsiť priviesť ľudí do nejakého malého karavanu, alebo archy, alebo čokoľvek to bolo čo oni tam vystavili. A on bol skutočne bláznivý človek. Ale čo on urobil? Takým činom on bol cvokom, ktorý zachránil veriacu cirkev v tom dni. To je jednoducho to, čo sa stalo. On ich vybral von zo sveta. Ale on mal pripravené miesto, o ktorom vedel, že Kristus tam mohol prísť a vziať ich. On sa stal cvokom.
1...modliť. Pane Ježišu, keď odídeme dnes ráno, nech môžeme povedať, že naše srdcia horeli v nás, pretože On hovoril ku nám na ceste. Ďakujeme Ti za túto veľkú príležitosť, ktorá bola... ktorá nám prišla do cesty, že sme sa mohli zhromaždiť s týmito ľuďmi, Tvojimi deťmi, a radovať sa počas týchto chvíľ z obecenstva. A prosíme, nebeský Otče, aby Tvoje požehnania odpočinuli na nás, ako pôjdeme na rozličné miesta a stretneme iných ľudí.
Ďakujeme Ti za každé svedectvo tejto krásnej Kresťanskej atmosféry tu dnes ráno a za všetkých tých, ktorí sú už dlho na ceste, a za tohto mladého muža, ktorý práve prešiel cez Jordán, aby videl čo to skutočne znamená žiť. Vieme to všetko oceniť, Pane, vediac, že raz sme tiež boli na druhej strane. Ale teraz už nie je nič z toho starého života, teraz to je... to je tam v Egypte.
A teraz prosíme, aby si požehnal naše spoločné obecenstvo, ako čítame Tvoje Slovo a hovoríme zopár slov z tohto veľkého Slova Božieho, v ktoré my všetci veríme. A požehnaj to v našich srdciach teraz, aby sme mohli pokračovať v službe. V mene Ježiša Krista to prosíme. Amen.
2 Brat Leo, brat Gene a pútnici, ja sa domnievam, že toto je jedno z tých veľkých privilégií, ktoré som doteraz mal, prísť sem, aby som kvôli sebe videl, čo tu máte na týchto miestach. To je ... Bol som požehnaný, ako som prechádzal tam cez ten malý potok a videl tento dvor. A ja... Raz, keď brat Leo nahrával pásky, povedal som mu, že určite je pre neho niečo v živote väčšie ako nahrávať pásky... A pravdaže nahrávať pásky je niečo, čo musíme robiť, to nás požehnalo. Ale je tam ešte niečo. Všetci sme oddelení pre rozdielne veci, ktoré máme robiť. A prísť sem dnes ráno, a pozerať na tento krásny malý Jeruzalem sediac tu vonku, nazval som to Góšen, myslím, keď sme dnes ráno prišli. Pamätajte, Góšen bolo jedno z tých miest, na ktorom oni uctievali, jedno z prvých miest, kde bol ten stan postavený. A stretnúť starých priateľov a--a nových a mať tento čas, ktorý je nám pridelený, ja jednoducho...Vyzerá to tak, že vy nechcete odísť. Je jednoducho niečo, čo vás chce podržať. Viem pochopiť, prečo by ste vy, ľudia, chceli zostať tu. Vidíte? To je niečo, čo vás pevne drží.
3Nemyslím, že som bol niekedy v sladšom uctievaní a obecenstve, ako sú tieto piesne a veci, ktoré... Postavil som sa tam a hrýzol som si pery a moje nohy sa triasli, snažil som sa zdržať, aby som neskríkol, keď som počul spievať tie staré piesne tak, ako ony majú byť spievané, to bolo spievané v duchu. To je to, čo mi... Pavol povedal, “Keď spievam, budem spievať v duchu.” A teraz, neviem si predstaviť toho ducha, ako kričí na plné hrdlo. Ja myslím, že Duch Kristov je láska a miernosť a pokoj, ktorý niečo prináša do našich sŕdc, aby nás nakŕmil. A myslím, že to je ten spôsob, ako by oni mali byť spievané. A sú tu s vami ľudia oddaní pre vec, pre Kristovu vec, je jednoducho tak veľa vecí, ktoré by som mohol povedať, keby mi to čas dovolil.
4Ja prichádzam kvôli... Myslel som, “Dobre, zabehnem hore a navštívim brata Lea a zbor tam hore a časť tela Kristovho, ktorá očakáva na Jeho príchod a časť nevesty, ktorá tu býva a ako ste sa oddelili od zvyšku sveta a prišli sem, aby ste takto žili.” Myslel som si, že hoci malý potok, vy ste teraz na druhej strane Jordánu, vy ste tu v tej zemi. Vy ste prešli exodusom a vyšli zo sveta na miesto kde sa môžete spolu zhromaždiť a uctievať Boha, skutočne podľa príkazov vášho svedomia. A to je to, za čím stojíme ako demokracia, ako národ. My stojíme za touto veľkou vecou, že každý človek môže uctievať. A to je jednoducho veľmi zlé, keď toto nemôžeme mať. (Vidíte? To je pravda.) Kde to... nech je svet na svojom mieste a Boží ľud je na svojom mieste, kde môžeme toto mať.
5A pravdaže som mal... Keď som povedal, “Amen,” a išiel som von dverami, povedal som, že by ma to stálo prichádzať sem hore každú nedeľu, alebo dokonca vziať sem hore svoje deti, aby boli dané pod takúto atmosféru, pretože vždy je to atmosféra, ktorá prináša výsledky. Vy môžete položiť tam vonku do zeme semeno. Bez ohľadu na to, koľko by to semeno bolo plné zárodku a ležalo by tam, ono musí mať atmosféru, aby to bolo oživené. Vidíte? To slnko musí prísť do určitej moci predtým, ako... musí to byť prinesené do určitej atmosféry. Vajce musí mať určitú atmosféru, lebo inak sa nevyliahne. Bez ohľadu na to, ako je ono plodné, musí to mať tú atmosféru.
6A myslím, že v takejto skupine sa liahnu Kresťania, v takej atmosfére, ako je táto, dožívajú znovuzrodenie. Toto je ten druh atmosféry, pod ktorým som sa ja narodil. Bez ohľadu na to, kam idem a navštevujem ten chladný svet na misijných poliach a tak ďalej, stačí mi len stáť a zatvoriť oči a myslieť na túto atmosféru. Toto mi pripomína, keď som bol len chlapec-kazateľ a len som začínal, mali sme malú skupinku, ktorá sa stretávala z domu do domu. Tiež sme sa oddelili od vecí toho sveta. To je to, čo premenilo moje srdce tak, že ono je dnes v láske s Kristom. Kde môžeme spolu prebývať... Verím, že Písmo povedalo, “Aké sladké to je, keď bratia môžu prebývať spolu v jednote. To je ako olej pomazania, ktorý bol na Áronovej brade, ktorý steká po lemoch jeho rúcha.” A je jednoducho tak veľa toho, čo by som mohol povedať. Ja... Nech vám Duch Svätý vyloží po tom, ako odídem, čo to je. Prial som si, aby som mohol zostať celé popoludnie a jednoducho zanechať jedenie a všetko ďalšie, len aby som sedel tu a počul váš spev (Vidíte?), počuť váš spev a zhovárať sa a svedčiť. To znamená tak veľa.
7Moja dcéra má dnes večer promócie, alebo je to len bakalárska skúška dnes večer, a ja sa musím ponáhľať späť. A ja som nevedel, čo to je táto bakalárska skúška, až do včera večera. Ja som tak zamestnaný a nevenujem tomu pozornosť. A prísť na návštevu s bratom Leom a s bratom Genem, ako oni prišli dolu, túžil som po tom čase byť tu, bol som skutočne zvedavý. Počul som ľudí hovoriť, “No, oni majú pekný dvor karavanov. Oni sú na jednej strane, ten svet je na druhej. A na tejto strane sú všetky oddané životy a tie veci.” Pomyslel som si, “Chcel by som to vidieť. Ja by som jednoducho... rád by som videl, čo to skutočne je.” A vy všetci ste požehnaní, že tu môžete byť.
8Chcem prečítať z Biblie len jeden verš a myslím, že len čítanie tohto jedného verša vytvorí úplne kompletnú službu. Ale ja mám... keď som sem hore prichádzal, mal som len zopár poznámok, z ktorých som myslel, že budem hovoriť. Nezaberie mi to veľa času, ale len niekoľko minút. A potom, chcel by som hovoriť z týchto poznámok, do čoho... čo teraz cítim.
V druhej knihe Korinťanom, 12. kapitola a 11. verš, chcel by som čítať toto. Pavol hovorí,
Stal som sa bezrozumným chváliac sa, vy... ste ma prinútili: lebo vy ste mňa mali odporúčať: lebo som nebol, ako ani nie som o nič menší od tých prevelikých apoštolov, keď aj nie som ničím.
Chcel by som len... Ak by som nazval tento text... Ja myslím, že Duch Svätý je medzi nami. A my... Nebolo by to len čítanie Písma. On... To je to, na čom On žije. A každé Slovo je dané skrze inšpiráciu, a to je príhodné na čas, nikdy to nekončí. Je to ako reťaz. Jednoducho to neprestáva. To nikdy nekončí, to Písmo.
9A myslel som, zatiaľ, čo toto čítame a premýšľajúc o tomto malom mieste tu hore, prichádza mi to na myseľ, že Pavol povedal, “Stal som sa bezrozumným [angl.preklad “bláznom” – pozn.prekl.].” Vidíte? Tak to je veľmi divná vec pre apoštola toto povedať. “Stal som sa bláznom.” Tak blázon je osoba, ktorá skutočne nie je pri zdravom rozume. A ako by tento apoštol povedal takú vec ako toto, “Stal som sa bláznom”? A potom mysliac na túto skupinu, bez pochyby, že v očiach tých ľudí na druhej strane, stali ste sa bláznami. Stali ste sa tým, čo my dnes nazývame “čudák.” Bez pochýb, to je to, čo si ľudia o vás myslia. A pamätajte, že na druhej strane, oni sú tiež čudákmi. Vidíte? Tak ty musíš byť pre niekoho bláznom, tak ja by som bol radšej bláznom pre Krista. Vidíte? Ja by som... Boh povedal, že Jeho ľud je zvláštny ľud, divný, vybraný, vyvolený, kráľovské kňazstvo, ktoré donáša duchovné obete Bohu, čo je ovocie našich úst, oddávajúc chválu Jeho menu.
10Pred nejakým časom, dúfam, že tento malý zmysel pre humor nerozruší toho milého ducha, ktorý je tu. Len mi to prišlo na myseľ. To bol brat Troy od Obchodníkov plného evanjelia, ktorý o tomto hovoril... Pomyslel som na toto kvôli tomuto mladému spevákovi tu, ktorý práve prišiel ku Pánovi. Keď on pracoval v... On bol mäsiar a pracoval v mäsiarskom obchode, a tam bol nejaký Nemec. A on mu len rozprával o Pánovi. A tento Nemec nevedel veľmi dobre po anglicky. Tak on povedal, “Dobre, poď na zhromaždenie.” Povedal, “Ty potrebuješ krst Duchom Svätým.” Tak tento starý Holanďan mu chcel dať poznať, že je Luterán, že on je v poriadku, je Luterán.
On povedal, “No, príď a navštív nás niekedy.”
A tak oni narazili na hromadu, možno, čudákov, ako to my tiež nazývame. Vidíte? A tej noci tento Nemec prijal krst Duchom Svätým. A na druhý deň krájal mäso a hovoril v jazykoch, mal normálne jubileum. A tak, potom, zatiaľ čo prišiel šéf toho podniku a povedal, “Henry,” povedal, “čo sa s tebou deje?”
On povedal, “Ó, sláva Bohu.” On povedal, “Ja som zostal spasený.”
A on povedal, “Prečo,” povedal, “kde si bol?” povedal, “Musel si byť tam dolu s tou hromadou cvokov,” on povedal.
Povedal, “Áno, sláva Bohu.” On povedal, “Bol som tam dolu s tou hromadou cvokov.”
Povedal, “Vieš, ak by si nemal cvoky (šrauby), “povedal, “vezmi si také auto. Ono ide dolu po ceste. A keď ty vezmeš všetky tie cvoky z toho preč, a čo dostaneš, hŕbu starého železa!” Je to jednoducho presne tak.
11A vy vezmete tie cvoky z niečoho... Tak, to robí, že tie veci držia spolu. Ten svet sa dostáva na také miesto, do zmätku, a cirkev sa zamotáva do svetskosti a–a denominacionalizmu a tak ďalej, až to spôsobuje, že niekedy je na to treba šraub, aby to držalo pokope. To je pravda. Ak to nemáme, nemáme to... Nemáme cirkev. Tak môžeme premýšľať o tejto téme počas niekoľkých minút. Pavol povedal, “Stal som sa bláznom (alebo cvokom) jednoducho pre...” Tak ty musíš byť pre niekoho cvokom. Môžeš byť dokonca cvokom pre ten svet alebo cvokom pre Krista. Jedného dňa v Kalifornii som išiel dolu ulicou a bol tam nejaký človek. Mal pred sebou tabuľku, takto. Hovoril, “Som blázon pre Krista.” A na chrbte mal tabuľku, ktorá hovorila, “Tak pre koho si blázon ty?”...?... tak oni sa na to pýtali. Tak on musel byť pre niekoho blázon.
12Tak Pavol si tu vybral byť bláznom pre Krista. A vy si môžete predstaviť, ako ten svet myslel o ňom v tom čase, a nie len ten svet, ale aj cirkev. Ten muž bol vyškolený, aby bol kňazom. On bol školený Gamalielom, veľkým, jedným z najväčších učencov a učiteľov toho dňa. A keď on mal, povedzme, svoju hodnosť bakalára umenia a svoju hodnosť doktora, a bol hotový k tomu, aby bol povolaný do kňazstva, a možno jedného dňa so schopnosťami, s nadšením tohto mladého muža, ktoré mal... A potom sa to všetko zrazu zmenilo, všetko, pretože sa niečo stalo... On stretol Krista na ceste do Damašku. A potom pre ten svet bol bláznom a pre cirkev bol blázon. Pre tú–tú denominačnú cirkev bol vlastne blázon. To je to, čo on tu hovorí: on sa stal bláznom. On bol blázon pre tých ľudí, ale on bol nástrojom, ktorý Boh použil na udržanie cirkvi spolu, na udržanie tela, ako to bolo v tom dni, spolu. Stal sa kvôli tomu bláznom.
13Môžeme si predstaviť Noeho, ako ten brat tu o ňom spieval, “zatiaľ čo Boh poslal svoju lásku na krídlach holubice,” jedna z mojich obľúbených piesní. A vždy som chcel, aby ju niekto mohol zahrať. Chcel som o tom hovoriť. Raz som čítal príbeh o nejakých vojakoch, ktorý boli uväznení a nepriatelia (Nemci v prvej svetovej vojne) ich uväznili. A oni mali nejakého malého holuba na prenášanie správy. A keď to... To je druh holubice, pravdaže, to je jeden druh holubice. A keď oni dali tú správu na toho holuba, on vyletel do povetria. A guľky na neho strieľali po celej ceste, pretože oni vedeli, čo to bolo. Zlomilo to jeho nohy. Jeho malé nohy viseli dolu zmrzačené a jeho krídla mali z toho rozstrieľané perie. Točilo ho to všelijako do boku, ako letel. Ale on spadol rovno do toho tábora kam mal prísť a oni dostali pomoc. Vy viete, na čo tu myslím. Vidíte? Tak my sme boli jedného dňa tiež v takejto podobe, vy viete. A On bol ranený pre naše prestúpenia a zdrtený pre naše neprávosti, ale to posolstvo sa dostalo sem presne tak isto. On nám dal to posolstvo.
14A Noe vo svojich dňoch, môžem si predstaviť muža jeho kalibru, proroka, ktorý bol Bohom potvrdený... A Boh jedného dňa ku nemu prehovoril. Čo za divná vec to bola, v tom veľkom vedeckom veku. Možno mohli strieľať na mesiac so svojím radarom, mohli postaviť sfingu a pyramídu. A Boh k nemu prehovoril a riekol, “Noe, bude pršať voda dolu z nebies.” Mohli by ste si predstaviť muža jeho kalibru, proroka Pánovho, ktorý vychádza s takým smiešnym posolstvom ako to, a hovorí to... Nikdy nepršalo, pamätajte, v ich dňoch z neba. Boh zalieval zem, Biblia hovorí, zavlažovaním z jám a tak ďalej: prameňov. Nikdy nepršalo ani kvapka. Tam hore nebola žiadna voda. Tak oni mohli dokázať, že tam hore nebola žiadna voda.
15A potom, prišiel muž s posolstvom. A nie len to, ale oddelil sa od zbytku sveta. Stal sa cvokom pre ten svet. To je pravda. On bol cvokom v jeho dobe. Ako muž s takým bláznivým posolstvom, ako by mohol skúsiť priviesť ľudí do nejakého malého karavanu, alebo archy, alebo čokoľvek to bolo čo oni tam vystavili. A on bol skutočne bláznivý človek. Ale čo on urobil? Takým činom on bol cvokom, ktorý zachránil veriacu cirkev v tom dni. To je jednoducho to, čo sa stalo. On ich vybral von zo sveta. Ale on mal pripravené miesto, o ktorom vedel, že Kristus tam mohol prísť a vziať ich. On sa stal cvokom.
16Vy... Mohli by ste si predstaviť Mojžiša v jeho dni, muža, ktorý ide dolu ku nejakému veľkému intelektuálovi [prázdne miesto na páske. –pozn.prekl.]... Oni si v tom čase podrobili svet. A ich veda a ich umenie a materiály, skutočne, myslím, že prekonali naše dni a ich majstri umenia a ich majstrovstvo v stavaní budov a tak ďalej, a veľké veci, ktoré oni robili vtedy v tom dni.
A mohli by ste si predstaviť muža prichádzajúceho tam dolu, ktorý hovorí, že stretol Boha, v ktorého oni dokonca ani neverili, v horiacom kríku. A on prišiel dolu... od začiatku bol mužom vojska a bol trénovaný vo všetkých manévroch vojnového sveta. A nachádzame, že prišiel tam dolu s palicou vo svojej ruke vziať a vyslobodiť ľudí z národa, ktorého držal svet v zajatí.
17No, pre faraóna on bol cvok, to je všetko. On bol blázon. Povedal, “Nech to robí, nech pokračuje, nech fantazíruje. On sa ukáže ako šialenec.” No teraz, skutočne, pre faraóna a jeho veľký vedecký svet on bol čudák. On bol pre nich cvok. Vidíte? Bol. Ale čo on urobil? On oslobodil ľudí, pretože on bol poslaný od Boha. To vyžadovalo... To vyžaduje niečo zvláštne, niečo, čo je rozdielne od ostatného sveta. Vidíte, ten svet je tak nasmerovaný na svoje veľké vedecké úspechy a tak ďalej. Keď je človek vedený Bohom, aby robil niečo také, čo je odlišné ku tomu, on sa stáva bláznom. On je bláznivý. Ale vidíte, to vyžaduje niečo také, aby to držalo tú vec dokopy.
18Tak, myslíme o Eliášovi v jeho dňoch, keď Achab,... A Izrael mal v tom čase každý národ pod nebom, lebo sa ich báli, pod vládou toho Achaba. A Achab bol veľký muž. To bol veľký deň, niečo na ten spôsob systému, ktorý máme my dnes. Celá cirkev sa stala taká moderná. Vidíte? To bolo Jezábelino maľovanie sa a Achabova svetskosť a robenie kompromisov a oni zničili oltár Boží. “Ó, len slúžte nejakému bohu, aký je v tom rozdiel? Vidíte? “Pôjdeme hore do hájov a vy môžete slúžiť nejakému bohu, ktorému chcete.” To je jednoducho na ten spôsob, ktorý je dnes, vidíte, všetka móda a obliekanie a šatenie a veci toho sveta. A “Ó, ak chcete patriť do tohto, patriť do toho, patriť do tohto, patriť do toho, to je všetko v poriadku. Vidíte? Jednoducho tak dlho, ako vy chodíte do cirkvi, to nerobí žiadny rozdiel.” To robí rozdiel, v tom, do čoho ja patrím, a u Boha, ktorému slúžim a ako Mu slúžim. On má jeden spôsob pre mňa, ako Mu slúžiť, On to má napísané tu v tomto Slove, a to je spôsob, ako Mu máme slúžiť. Vidíte? Tak to robí rozdiel.
19Ale keď Eliáš vyšiel tam s takým posolstvom, aké on mal, mohli by ste si to predstaviť? On sa stal cvokom pre faraóna, alebo pre (prepáčte mi) pre Achaba. On sa stal obyčajným... tým, že sa oddelil... Ale vidíte, tam bolo medzi tými ľuďmi sedem tisíc (Vidíte?), ktorí mohli byť spasení. Vidíte? A on prišiel kvôli nim. On sa musel stať cvokom pre ten svet, aby ich chytil . Tak Noe sa musel stať cvokom pre ten svet, aby chytil so sebou osem duší. Vidíte? On sa musel stať zvláštnym druhom osoby.
20Ámos, v jeho dňoch, keď priniesol svoje posolstvo a on prorokoval... A my nachádzame, že keď prišiel do Samárie, ona bola prepadnutá tomu svetu. A tie ženy na uliciach sa stali takmer verejnými prostitútkami, a tá móda, to bol moderný Hollywood. Keď tento malý neznámy plešatý človek vystúpil jedno ráno na horu a pozrel dole na Samáriu a videl ju v hriechu, a no, mohol by som si predstaviť jeho srdce, že takmer zlyhalo. On vedel len jednu vec, že on bol pastier. On nebol skutočne... Pán mu jednoducho dal toto posolstvo a poslal ho tam dolu. A tak on nemal žiadnu finančnú podporu, nemal nikoho, kto by ho podporil. Ale on bol vedený Bohom, aby priniesol toto posolstvo ľuďom a aby ich vyvolal zo súdu. No teraz, mohol by som si predstaviť ten veľký vedecký vek, a ten vek pôvabu, niečo zo systému dneška, Ámos sa stal čudákom. Vidíte? On sa stal bláznom, a oni nechceli nič urobiť. Ale jednako on mal TAK HOVORÍ PÁN (Vidíte?), a vyslobodil to, čo mohlo byť vyslobodené.
21Ján Krstiteľ, keď prišiel v jeho dňoch, ten veľký náboženský svet, vyšiel takto z púšte, zo skál a vecí na Judskej púšti. A on nebol oblečený ako kňaz. Mal oblečené hrubé šaty pracujúceho človeka, možno bol opásaný, nie nejaký veľký učiteľ z teologického semináru alebo niečo také. A keď prišiel dolu tam z tej púšte, ovinutý ovčou kožou, on mal TAK HOVORí PÁN, pretože vedel, že to bol čas Mesiáša. On sa mohol dôkladne identifikovať v Božom Slove. On povedal... Preto pamätajte, on identifikoval samého seba v Malachiášovi, v tretej kapitole (Vidíte?), ako posla, ktorý predchádza príchod Pánov. On vedel, že ten príchod bol tak blízky, až on musel prísť. No, tí ľudia si mysleli, že on bol divoký muž, jednoducho nejaký blázon (Vidíte?), cvok, ako by sme to my dnes nazvali. Dôvod, že som vybral to slovo “cvok” je, že to znie všedne. Ale jednako, to je dobré slovo pre to, na čo to chcem použiť, pretože to je spôsob pouličného vyjadrovania, používaného dnes. ”Jednoducho obyčajný cvok,” ako by sme ho volali.
22No, tu je Ján Krstiteľ. On len jednoducho stojí tam vonku na púšti, káže svoje malé kázania hore a dolu tam pri Jordáne, chodí hore a dolu po brehoch rieky, volá, “Priblížila sa tá hodina a vyjdite a oddeľte sa. Mesiáš prichádza.” No, mohol by som si predstaviť tých kňazov a všetkých ich... On sa jednoducho stal obyčajným cvokom, to je všetko. Vidíte, to je všetko to, čo on bol, jednoducho čudák. A tí, ktorí ho nasledovali, stali sa čudákmi, jednoducho blázni. Viete o našom Pánovi, ktorý vyhlásil tie isté veci, keď On prišiel: šialený muž? Vidíte? On nešiel do tých miest a do ich veľkých, alebo sa nepripojil ku tým veľkým organizáciám a tým veciam. On volal ľudí. On ich vyvolával von. On bol tými nábožnými v jeho dňoch povážený za obyčajného cvoka.
23Práve ako bol Pavol v jeho dňoch, vyškolený muž, a jednako urobil takú vec, ako urobil, oddelil sa od ostatného sveta a od denominácií a pokúšal sa volať ľudí. On bol apoštolom pre pohanskú cirkev. On je náš apoštol, my to vieme, pre pohanskú cirkev. On bol cvok, ktorý vyniesol pohanskú cirkev von z Rímskeho pohanstva a pohanského uctievania toho dňa.
24Martin Luther, on bol cvokom pre katolícku cirkev. Vidíte? Mohli by ste si predstaviť kňaza, ktorý odvrhol všetky svoje náuky preč z cirkvi a odmietol podať tú komúniu, pretože cirkev povedala, “To je telo Kristovo”? A on vedel, že tam boli tie mníšky a oni robili ten kóšer. On vedel, že to nebol Kristus, to bol kúsok chleba (Vidíte?), malá cukrová oblátka. A on vedel, že to víno nebola doslovná krv Kristova, ono ju len reprezentovalo. Tak on to odvrhol vo svojom úprimnom presvedčení a on s tým nechcel nič viac urobiť. Vidíte? On s tým skončil.
25Tak, pravdepodobne katolícka cirkev povedala, “Ó, nechajte ho tak. Pozrite, akú malú skupinu tam on má. Čo on získal? Len, ó falošné... A naša veľká cirkev. To je všetko, čo to je. To je len tá vec...” Ale vidíte, on bol cvok (Vidíte?), to, čo to držalo spolu (Vidíte?) v reformácii. Ako to potom zorganizoval, dostal to na miesto... A keď potom po jeho smrti, a to posolstvo, ktoré on kázal, bolo zakončené, potom sa cirkev stala znovu taká chladná a naškrobená, že Boh vzbudil iného cvoka menom John Wesley. To je pravda. No, on bol cvokom pre Anglikánsku cirkev. Vidíte? Ale čo on urobil? On zachránil svet. Svet... Cirkev, ktorá bola vo svete, mohol by som povedať... On zachránil cirkev, ktorá bola vo svete. Prečo? Skrze to, že sa stal cvokom. To je pravda. On zachránil čo...
26A tak, potom postupujeme, až po jeho čase, keď ten veľký Wesleyovský vek pominul, mali sme baptistov od Johna Smitha, a potom sme mali Alexandra Campbela, a potom sme mali Buddy Robinsona z nazarénov. A nakoniec sa to začalo odkláňať od tej pôvodnej stonky. A potom Boh vzbudil inú skupinu cvokov: letničných. A oni sa stali cvokmi pre ľudí. Sú bláznami pre ten svet. Ale čo oni urobili? Oni urobili veľkú prácu, pravdaže urobili, ten letničný vek.
27Tak. A teraz verím, že to je čas, aby povstal iný cvok. Nemyslíte? Myslím, že to je len o... Letniční urobili tú istú vec, za ktorou ten zvyšok sveta odišiel. Ale to je čas pre iného cvoka. Vidíte? Tak, ak by sme mali... Ak by ste ležali na tejto strane vetvy (chápete, čo tým mienim?) a ľudia si myslia, že sme takí zvláštni a čudní, spôsobom, ktorým sa my oddeľujeme a spôsobom, ktorý tu máte (a my nie sme rozdelení, my sme jedno. Vidíte, vidíte?) spôsobom, ktorým sme... My sme sa oddelili od tohoto sveta... Brat Leo bol vedený, aby prišiel sem a bol tu... Mali ste malé deti, ktoré museli byť vyškolené. Vidíte? Máte ženy, mladé dámy tu, ktoré neradi chodia v spôsobe toho sveta. Máte tu mužov, ktorí sú už vo veku a v dôchodku. Oni chcú miesto, kde sa môžu usadiť a cítiť sa ako doma, prebývať medzi ľuďmi toho istého druhu. No a... Vidíte? Myslím, že Boh môže vzbudiť niečo, čo sa o to postará. Nemyslíte? Verím to z celého môjho srdca. A On to robí.
28Tak nachádzame, že ten čas je teraz. Všimnite si, ten cvok bol vždy tým, čo ich ťahalo dokopy. Ako všetci Američania dnes, nachádzame toľko svetskosti a rôznych vecí v našich cirkvách a v našich denomináciách a v tom všetkom. Nech sa niečo postaví na Slovo... Pozrite, oni odišli do vyznania a nie do Slova. Nech niečo povstane so Slovom, viete, oni hovoria, “No, ľudia si myslia, že ste sa oddelili.” Zhováral som sa s vaším pastorom tu a naším bratom Leom. A niekto povedal, “No, prečo nevchádzaš a nevchádzaš do tohto a nevchádzaš do toho?”
On povedal, ”Nie, nie.” Pozri, on je odovzdaný jednej veci, Slovu (Vidíte?), tomu Slovu. Vidíte?
29No pozrite teraz. Ak je tam poslaný nejaký cvok [ang. aj “matica” – pozn.prekl.], je tam na to, aby dostal nejakú skrutku, aby ku tomu zapasovala. Je to pravda? Boh posiela cvokov. Neveríte tomu? Vy poviete... Trochu to vysvetlím, aby to bolo jasné. Musí tam byť skrutka a do tej skrutky musí byť narezaný závit, aby zapasoval do tej matice. Ja som tak rád narezaný tým Slovom. Som tak rád, že je nejaká skrutka, ktorá je narezaná tým istým spôsobom. A čo to má urobiť? To má vytiahnuť Nevestu von zo sveta, aby bola položená bokom pre niečo iné. Áno, priatelia. Môžeme byť cvokmi pre veci toho sveta, pre ľudí toho sveta, ale my sme len tiahnutí von, to, čo je narezané pre toto.
30Noe mal narezaný závit v jeho dni a ostatní z prorokov a cez tie veky. A spravodliví mužovia mali narezaný závit, pretože On to poslal. Na čo by sa dala použiť skrutka, matica, ak by ste nemali pre ňu skrutku na pokračovanie? A čo je skrutka a matica spolu? To je tiahnutie niečoho dokopy. Vidíte? To je tiahnuca moc Kristova, ktorá nás tiahne von z vecí toho sveta. Vidíte? A vtedy máme obecenstvo s veľkou Pavlovou službou hovoriac, “Stal som sa bláznom.” Tak, keď si ľudia myslia, že ste zvláštni (Vidíte?), hľaďte, kde stojíte? Vidíte? Stali ste sa pre nich bláznami, aby ste mohli byť tiahnutí mocou Božou, do ktorej...
31Niečo bolo vo vás, niečo vo vašom srdci, čo vám narezalo závit. Mohol by som povedať dnes ráno, “Kto je metodista, baptista, letničné zbory, toto, to a iné?” Boli by všetky ruky zodvihnuté hore, štyridsať alebo päťdesiat ľudí. Vidíte? Keby sme to spravili, každý by bol odlišný. Ale čo spôsobuje, že tu sedíte? Prečo ste tu? Vidíte? Pretože kvôli niečomu vám bol narezaný závit. Vidíte? A keď to začína prichádzať, to vám dáva zmysel. Ak sa pokúšate umiestniť nejaký určitý závit na skrutku určitého druhu, ktorá by nepasovala, to vám nedá zmysel. Pozrite, to nepôjde ďalej. Vidíte? Ale keď prichádza niečo, čo jednoducho presne pasuje, to vás ťahá z tých miest, Chicago, New Orleans, alebo odkiaľkoľvek sem prichádzate. Vidíte? A teraz ste sa stali čudákmi, istotne, pre ten svet. Ale nech vás to netrápi. Vidíte? Nech vás to netrápi.
32Tak vy poviete, “Ako poznám, že mám správne narezaný závit?” Pozoruj Slovo. Vidíte? Tak poznáte, či máte správne narezaný závit, či sme cvokmi pre Krista, alebo či sme cvokmi pre ten svet. Tak svet tiež dostal svojho cvoka. Presne. Mal som tu trochu niečo napísané, čo som chcel..., na čo som nechcel zabudnúť... A my.. Tu bolo povedané, že sme sa stali skrutkami, cvokmi pre ten svet (To je presne to), aby sme mohli držať pokope Kráľovstvo Božie na zemi (Vidíte?), Kráľovstvo Božie pokope. V poriadku.
33Pamätajte, ten svet, oni... Ten vonkajší svet, oni majú tiež svojich cvokov. Satan im dáva cvoka v dňoch tejto veľkej veci. Pozrite, to všetko pracuje za a proti. Vidíte? Tak v tých dňoch... Svet mal cvoka, a to bol faraón v dňoch Mojžiša. Tam bol... Pozrite, musel byť. Diabol má tiež svojich cvokov. No, tam bol faraón. Vidíte? Tak Izrael... A Mojžiš stojac dolu tiahol tých ľudí von, bol cvokom pre faraóna. Ale faraón bol tiež cvokom pre nich. Vidíte? A tak to muselo byť. Tak ty si pre niekoho cvokom. Som tak rád, že som zakrútený v tom Slove. I vy? S tým závitom...
34Niekto bude učiť, že... Achab bol cvokom (presne) pre Eliáša a tých sedem tisíc a celú jeho skupinu tam vonku. Jezábeľ vo všetkej jej skvelosti, atraktívnosti, ozdobách a veciach, ktoré tam ona mala, bola cvokom pre tých sedem tisíc, ktorí nikdy nesklonili svoje kolená Bálovi. A tak bol Eliáš cvokom pre nich (Vidíte?), tá istá vec. Nachádzame vo dňoch Herodesa, že Ján bol cvok (Vidíte?) a Herodes bol cvokom tiež. Ten svet mal jedného. V poriadku. Vo dňoch Ježiša, On bol blázon pre ten svet (Vidíte?), pre Piláta. Ale Pilát bol tiež cvok, aby Ho zavrhol. To je pravda. Vidíte? On nemal narezaný závit. On mal príležitosť. Ale keď mal svoju príležitosť prijať to, on chcel nejakého šaša, nejaký trik, niečo, ako vytiahnuť z klobúka nejakého kúzelníckeho králika, viete, alebo niečo také. On povedal, “Chcel by som ťa vidieť robiť nejaké triky,” viete, alebo niečo také. On sám bol cvok. Vidíte? On mal príležitosť prijať to, ale neurobil to.
35Sadúceji a Farizeji tiež, v tom dni to bola tá istá vec, skrze neprijatie Pavla, toho, ktorý povedal, že sa stal bláznom tomu svetu. Vidíte? Ale cirkev má tiež svojich cvokov. Vidíte? A svet má svojich cvokov. Kristus má svojich. Vidíte? Tak čí ste vy? Jediný spôsob, ako vy môžete vedieť... Poviete, “Ako poznám, či je toto správne, brat Branham?” “Na počiatku bolo Slovo a to Slovo bolo u Boha. A to Slovo bolo Bohom. A Slovo sa stalo telom a prebývalo medzi nami, Ježiš Kristus ten istý včera, dnes a na veky.” Pretože to Slovo je stále tu. Tak, ak tým máme narezaný závit (Vidíte?), vieme to, i keď sme cvokmi tomu svetu, keď máme narezaný závit v Kristovom Slove a Kristus ukazuje ten spôsob, ktorým to On tiahne dokopy (Vidíte?), ako tiahne Svoju cirkev dokopy... Nech povstanú a urobia, čo oni chcú.
36Tak, Ježiš v Matúšovi 24:24 povedal, že tieto dve skupiny budú tak blízko v tých posledných dňoch, že by to zviedlo samotných vyvolených, ak by to bolo možné. Ľudia... Stále, ľudia... Niekedy letniční, vám, ktorí ste vyšli od letničných (Vidíte?), keď sa oni zorganizovali a dostali sa tam takto do tých skupín a vy ste z toho vyšli preč... Pozrite, Biblia povedala, že by to zviedlo samotných vyvolených, ak by to bolo možné. Vidíte? Samotní vyvolení, to sú tí jediní, ktorí sú vyvolení, aby toto vykonali, tí jediní... Pozrite, skrutka... Neprichádzajte a nehovorte, “Ó, tu je nejaký cvok.” Vidíte? Pozrite, on musí byť... on musí... Keď tie závity boli narezané na skrutke, to musí byť narezané v tej matici tým istým spôsobom. Rozumiete, čo mám na mysli? To musí pasovať. Vidíte? A vyvolení preto, rozumiete, to nebude pritiahnuté s ničím iným. To jednoducho musí prísť ku Kristovi. Rozumiete? To je tá jediná vec, ktorá bude pasovať. Vidíte? A to je to, kde my stojíme dnes. Vďaka Bohu, a... V poriadku.
37Tak, nachádzame tiež, že svet má svojho cvoka. A viete, že je tak veľa, čo by tu mohlo byť povedané. Nemáme pravdaže čas povedať to. Ale túto jednu myšlienku. Vám... Všimol som si túto peknú malú skupinu dám, ktoré tu spievali pred niekoľkými minútami. Chlapče, chcel by som mať tú pieseň. Nahrajte to pre mňa na pásku, nahráte tieto piesne? Keď tu vy všetci spievate, nahrajte niekedy piesne. Zaplatím vám za tú pásku. Rozumiete? Rád by som ju mal. Vidíte? To bolo nádherné, to bolo príjemné skutočné uctievanie. A teraz. Viete, tam bol... Mladé ženy dneška, tie, ktoré sú takzvané kresťanky, ženy, ktoré chodia do cirkvi, oni chcú niečo, čo by ich uspokojilo. Oni poznali, že majú... že oni to nedostanú len chodením do cirkvi. Ale oni si chcú zachovať svoje svedectvo také isté. Vidíte? Oni sa chcú držať svojho svedectva. “Ja som–ja som metodistka, baptistka. Ja som–ja som kresťanka,” vidíte? Oni si chcú vyzliecť svoje šaty. Chcú si obliekať šortky a bikiny alebo ako to tu voláte a všetko toto. Vidíte? Oni chcú robiť tieto veci. Oni chcú mať ostrihané vlasy ako muži a robiť tieto veci. A tak, oni to chcú robiť. Vidíte? A jednako, premýšľali ste niekedy, prečo to oni robia? Ježiš povedal, že tie dva duchy budú tak blízko, že by to zviedlo i vyvolených. Tak to musí prísť. Vidíte, vidíte? Tak oni by... oni nedostali...
38Človek musí uctievať. Vy musíte niečo uctievať. To je jednoducho vo vás, uctievať. Tak človek musí niečo uctievať. Tak oni nemali uctievanie vo svojej cirkvi, tak Boh im vzbudil cvoka, Elvisa Presleyho, Pata Booneho. Oni stále držia svoje svedectvo, Elvis Presley, letničný, Pat Boone, Cirkev Kristova. Vidíte, nejaký cvok tu úplne naplňuje Ježišove Slová, že by to zviedlo i samotných vyvolených, ak by to bolo možné. Stále pokračujú, v nedeľu spievajú žalmy, v pondelok rock-and-roll. Vidíte? Pre nás je to cvok. Vidíte? To skutočne je.
39Teraz, ale vidíte, On tam mal tiež nejaké dobré ženy, ktoré chceli konať ako dámy. Oni mali v sebe slušnosť. Oni chceli byť také, aké Kristus chce, aby boli. Tak On tam posiela osobu s posolstvom, a pre tú cirkev, do ktorej oni patria, je bláznivý. Stal sa cvokom. Ale vidíte, čo to je? To jednoducho presne pasuje. Keď sa hovorí o dlhých vlasoch, o tom, že treba vyzerať ako dáma a obliekať sa ako dáma a konať ako dáma... Namiesto toho, aby tu stáli , ako tieto dievčatá dnes ráno... Pozoroval som tam jedno malé dievča, jej oči vyzerali nebesky (čo tým myslím, ako sklenené), ako ona takto pozerala hore, spievala niečo vo svojom srdci, čo bolo v ňom. Ako tie mladé dámy spievali, pomyslel som si, “Ó Bože. No, čo ak by to nejaká Hollywoodská hviezda mohla dostať do svojho srdca? To by bola tá istá vec.” Vidíte?
40Ale čo to je? Prečo oni nešli tou cestou? Vy by ste nemohli potiahnuť jedno z tých dievčat v Hollywoode. Ak by ste jej dali desaťtisíc dolárov na deň, ona by nešla. Prečo? Ona je inak “nazávitovaná“. To je presne tak. Ona má inak narezaný závit. To je pravda. Nemohli by ste ťahať Lea, Geneho a ich do nejakej organizácie. Prečo? Nemôžete ťahať ľudí dokopy. Prečo? Vy máte inak narezaný závit. Vidíte? Tak, ak máte závit, musí tu byť matica, ktorá to drží... práve tu, aby to držalo spolu. Nie je to pravda? Pozrite, potom je to úplné. Vďaka Bohu, ako ten malý Holanďan povedal ohľadne tých cvokov. Ak ich vyberiete von, stane sa to len hromadou železa. Čo máte? Hromadu denominacionalizmu, hromadu chladného formalizmu, bez Krista v tom všetkom, bez Slova v tom všetkom, len hŕbu vyznaní a tak ďalej. A čo máte? Vyberte ten cvok preč, dostanete hŕbu železa (To je pravda), nič v tom svete, iba drevo na spálenie, niečo, čo čaká na plamene a Božie tresty, aby to bolo jedného dňa odsúdené a spálené.
41Tak som vďačný dnes ráno, že sem môžem presne pasovať, kde môžete byť divnou osobou na tejto strane rieky. Dokonca niektorí z vašich ľudí si môžu myslieť, že ste divní. Ja viem, že oni tak myslia. Dostal som od nich listy (Vidíte?), ktoré hovorili, že vy ste divní, že ste odlišní, že čo sa vám na tom svete prihodilo? Ja len vyberám túto malú vec, aby som vám to dnes ráno povedal. Vidíte? Skutočne ste cvokmi. To je pravda. Ale som rád, že som jeden z nich. Ale ak nie som dotiahnutý s týmto Slovom, potom som len kopou železa. Vidíte? Budem jednoducho cvok pre Krista. Áno, dostal som listy od mnohých vašich ľudí. Niektorí z nich prišli a povedali, “Vieš, čo sa stalo?”
“Čo?”
“Tento divný chlapík ten-a-ten išiel tam a urobil tak-a-tak.”
Povedal som, “Čakaj len chvíľku.” To závisí od toho, na čo ste navinutí. Vidíte? Tak nech Pán Ježiš Kristus, ten Pastier stáda, vždy drží vaše srdcia tak navinuté na Ňom, že keď sa ten Veľký Pastier zjaví, vy sa zjavíte s Ním. Môžeme sa modliť?
42Nebeský Otče, vidiac, že čas už ubehol a ja som nútený... Taká milá, príjemná skupina kresťanov, a taký drsný text, ale v tej izbe v ten deň... a keď rozmýšľam, čo som videl v tých listoch a čo som počul hovoriť ľudí, keď som... Tvoji malí služobníci tu ma požiadali, aby som ich prišiel navštíviť a mať obecenstvo s týmto malým stádečkom, tak, tento hrubý text o tom, byť cvokom, myslel som, že by som to použil a podal im tú myšlienku, aby oni porozumeli, čo si ja tiež myslím.
Stali sme sa bláznami tomu svetu ako Pavol. Ale jednako, Pane, my chceme byť tak priskrutkovaní ku Tebe a Tvojmu Slovu, že keď prichádza vytrhnutie, budeme–chceme byť v ňom, Pane. Tak nám pomôž vždy mať naše srdcia úzko spojené a zviazané spolu v láske Kristovej.
43Požehnaj brata Lea, brata Geneho a brata Daultona a všetkých týchto milých mužov a tieto milé ženy tu. Počujúc ich svedectvá, šťastný, šťastný, spokojný, keď som išiel do tej izby, kde bol ten ochrnutý a vidiac tie úsmevy... Niet divu, že náš brat Leo povedal, že to je trocha slnečného svitu, prísť sem. Niet divu. Vidieť dokonca, keď ten muž, vôbec jej nebol ani príbuzný alebo niečo, ale mal záujem o to, vziať jej príves a urobiť to tak, aby ona mohla byť spokojná. Vidím, Pane, že ten závit pracuje správne. Ísť do toho domu a vidieť niekoho, kto skutočne môže byť mrzutý a večne nespokojný a nepríjemný, pretože oni nie sú už vonku a nemôžu behať a tancovať a strihať sa, ako mnohé ženy. Ale ona je šťastná, že je tu s ľuďmi toho istého druhu. A byť tu so Slovom Božím, kde Ono môže byť kázané a nie nejaké vyznania pripichnuté ku tomu, len skutočne nefalšované Slovo Božie, aby sme mohli uctievať v Duchu. Prísť na nejaké malé miesto ako toto, malý príves, kde sa spolu stretávame, a to je cirkev. “Kdekoľvek dvaja alebo traja sú zhromaždení, Ja Som v ich strede.” A my vieme, že Ty si tu, Pane. A my Ťa uctievame a chválime Ťa.
44Modlím sa Bože, aby si držal choroby preč od nich. Drž nepriateľa za riekou. Nech tento veľký exodus... Nech to môže byť v menšej forme. Ale Pane, jedného dňa to vyrastie. A ja sa modlím, Pane, aby tento malý exodus tu, aby si Ty bol s nimi, ako si bol s Mojžišom a s tými, ako oni prešli cez Jordán a ako Jozua išiel do zasľúbenej zeme. A modlím sa, aby si im pomohol, Pane, a aby si zachoval ich srdcia úprimné, verné Tebe. A požehnaj ich, ako oni vyučujú Slovo. A nech dlho žijú šťastným životom. A jedného dňa, ak budeme tu naokolo, Pane, žijúc na zemi, keď Ty prídeš, nech tam príde zavolanie z tejto strany tej časti toho, a cirkev pôjde hore. Udeľ to, Pane, pretože niekto nebol... bol dosť bláznivý tomu svetu, stal sa cvokom, aby to držal spolu, Pane, až kým Ty prídeš.
45Potom ako Ján za dávna, v tých minulých dňoch, ako tam tie malé dámy a tí ostatní spievali, on bol oddelený a ako on musel byť sám. Ale keď on tak robil, tá malá cirkev, ktorú on tiahol dokopy... Keď videl Ježiša, on povedal, “Teraz je moja práca skončená. On musí rásť, ja sa musím menšiť.” Otče, prosím, aby si nás vždy zachoval šťastných a zdravých. Nech sa môžeme veľakrát stretnúť na zemi a milovať Ťa a slúžiť Ti. Nech Tvoje Božské požehnania spočinú na tejto službe, i na službách, ktoré budú nasledovať. A nech my všetci takto žijeme v tomto živote, a v živote, ktorý prichádza, kde budeme mať večný život v tom veľkom veku, ktorý prichádza, v tom veľkom veku vlády milénia, kde Ho budeme vidieť a pozerať na Jeho tvár a vidieť Ho. V Ježišovom mene to prosím. Amen. Boh vám žehnaj, priatelia. Je mi tak ľúto, že som vzal taký text, ako niečo takéto, takú drsnú vec. Ale rozumiete, čo mám na mysli. Tak keď niekto povie, že ste divní, vy viete, prečo ste divní, však že? Nech ťa Boh žehná, brat Leo.
1 Let's pray, Lord Jesus, when we leave this morning, can say our hearts burned within us, because He has spoke to us along the way. We thank Thee for this grand opportunity that's--that's been, that's come our way, we could assemble here with these people, Thy children, and enjoy this moments of fellowship. And we pray, Heavenly Father, that Your blessings will rest upon us as we journey, different places, and meet others.
2We thank Thee for every testimony of this fine Christian atmosphere here this morning, and for all these ones that's been a long time in the way, and for this young man that's just crossed over Jordan, to see what it really means to live. We can all appreciate that, Lord, in knowing that one time we were on the other side, too. But no more of the old life, now. It's--it's only... It's back in Egypt.
3Now we pray that You'll bless our fellowship together as we read Thy Word, and speak a few words from this great Word of God that we all believe in. And bless it to our hearts now, to continue the service. In the Name of Jesus Christ we ask it. Amen.
4 Brother Leo, Brother Gene and pilgrims, I--I deem this one of the grand privileges that I've had, to come here to see for myself what you have here on these grounds. It's a... I have been blessed as I moved across the little creek there, and see this court. And I... One time when Brother Leo was making tapes, and I told him that surely there was something greater in life for him than to make tape. And, course, tape-making is something that we must do, but it's blessed us, but there is something else. We're all cut out for different things to do.
5And to come here this morning and look, this fine little Jerusalem setting out here, little, what I called, it Goshen, I believe, when we come over this morning. Remember, Goshen was one of the places that they worshipped, one of the first places the tent was pitched. And to meet old friends, and--and new, and to have this time allotted to us, I just... It seems like that--that you just don't want to leave. There's just something that wants to hold you. I can see why you people would--would want to stay here. See? It's something that grips you.
6 I don't believe I was ever in any sweeter worship and fellowship, as these songs and things, that I set there and bite my lips and shake my feet, and try to hold myself back from screaming out, when I heard those old songs sang in the way I think they ought to be sung, and that's sung in the Spirit. Now, that's what we--we... Paul said, "If I sing, I'll sing in the Spirit." Now, I can't imagine the Spirit as being screaming to the top of our voice. I--I think the Spirit of Christ is love, and gentleness, and peace, that--that brings something to our souls, that feed us. I think, there, that's the way them songs should be sang.
7 And to be here with you, a dedicated people to a cause, cause of Christ; there's just so many things I could--could say, that the time wouldn't permit me. I--I come for... I thought, "Well, I'll run up and visit Brother Leo and the church up there and the portion of the Body of Christ that's waiting for--for His Coming, and a part of the Bride that's sojourning here."
8And how you've separated yourself from the rest the world, and--and come over here to live this way. I was thinking, even the little creek, you're on this side of Jordan now, you're--you're in the--the land here. You've--you've come over an exodus, a coming-out of the world, into a place to where you can congregate yourself together and--and worship God, really according to the dictates of your conscience.
9And that's what we stand for, as a democracy, as a nation. We stand for this very thing, that each man can worship. And it's just too bad we don't have more like this. See? That's right. Where, that let the world be in their place. And God's people be in their place, where we can have this.
10 And I certainly have... If--if I said "amen" and walked out the door, I'd say it would pay me every Sunday to drive up here, or--or have my children even to come up, to--to set under an atmosphere like this. Because, it's always the atmosphere that brings the results.
11You can lay a seed out there in the ground. No matter how much that seed is germitized, and lay it there, it's got to have an atmosphere to make it live. See? That sun has to come to a certain power, before, bring it to a certain atmosphere. An egg has to have an atmosphere, or it won't hatch. No matter how fertile it is, it's got to have that atmosphere.
12 And I think, that in a group like this, Christians hatch out, are born again in such an atmosphere as this. This is kind of atmosphere I was born under. No matter where I go and visit, the cold world, and mission fields and so forth, I can even stand and close my eyes and think of this atmosphere.
13This reminds me when I was just a boy preacher and just starting out. We had little groups to meet from house to house. We separated ourselves from the things of the world, too. That's what made my heart the way it is today, in love with Christ, where we can dwell together.
14I believe the Scripture said, "How sweet it is that brethren can dwell together in unity." It's like the anointing oil was on Aaron's beard, that ran to the hems of his garments."
15And just--just so much could be said. I--I... Maybe the Holy Spirit will interpret to you, after I'm gone, what it is. Wish I could stay all afternoon, and just forsake meals and everything else, just set here and hear you sing. See? Hear you sing, and talk, and testify, it means so much.
16 My daughter graduates tonight. Or, it's just the baccalaureate service, tonight, and I have to hurry back. And I didn't know that, that it was to be this, baccalaureate service was to be, until just last night. I'm kind of busy, and don't notice it.
17And visiting with Brother Leo and Brother Gene, as they come down, I've longed for the time to be here, wondering, just really. I heard people say, "Well, they got a lovely trailer court. They're over on one side. The world is on the other. And on this side is all dedicated lives and things."
18I thought, "I'd like to see that. I just--just like to see what it really is." And you all are blessed to be here.
19 I--I want to read just one verse out of the Bible. And I think, just reading this one verse will absolutely make a complete service. But I have, coming up here, I had just a few comments that I thought I would say. It won't take me but just a few minutes. And then I would like to say these comments to what I--what I feel now. In the Book of Second Corinthians, the 12th chapter, and the 11th verse, I would like to read this. Paul speaking.
I have become a fool in glorying; yea, compelling me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.
20I would like, just if I would call this a text... I--I think the Holy Spirit is among us. And, we, it wouldn't be just to read a Scripture. He, that's what He lives on. And every Word is given by inspiration, and it's fitting for time. It never ends. It's like a chain. It just keeps going on. It never ends, the Scripture.
21 And I thought, while reading this, and thinking of this little place up here, this come on my mind, Paul saying, "I have become a fool." See? Now, that's a very strange thing for an apostle to say. "I have become a fool." Now, a fool is a person that really isn't in their right mind. And how would this apostle say such a thing as this, "I become a fool"?
22And then thinking of--of this group, no doubt, that, in the eyes of the people on the other side, you've become a fool. You have become what we would call, today: The Oddball. No doubt but what people think that of you. And remember, that, on the other side, they're oddballs, too. See?
23So--so you have to be somebody's fool, so I'd rather be a fool for Christ. See? I'd be a... God said His people were "a peculiar people, odd; a chosen, elected; a royal priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God, that is, the fruits of our lips, giving praise to His Name."
24 Some time ago... This little sense of humor, I hope it doesn't break the fine spirit that's in here. Just come on my mind. It was a Brother Troy of the Full Gospel Business Men, was telling about this. I was thinking of this, for this young singer here, that's just come to the Lord. When he--he was working in a...
25He's a meat cutter, and he was working in a butcher shop. And--and this was a German there, and he just kept talking to him about the Lord. And this German couldn't talk English very well. So he--he said, "Well, come on to the meeting." Said, "You need the baptism of the Holy Ghost."
26So the old Dutchman want him to know that he was a Lutheran, you see, he was--he was all right. He was a...?...
"Well, you come on up and visit us once."
27And so they come across a--a bunch of, perhaps, oddballs, too, as we call it. You see? And that night this German man received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. And the next day he was cutting meat, and speaking in tongues and singing. He was having him a regular jubilee.
28And so, after while, the boss of the factory come by, and he said, "Henry," said, "what's the matter with you?"
He said, "O glory to God." He said, "I--I got saved."
29And he said, "Why," he said, "where you been?" Said, "You must have been down there with that bunch of nuts," he said.
30 He said, "Yes, glory to God!" He said, "I--I was down there with the bunch of nuts." He said, "You know, if you didn't have the--the--the nuts..." Said, "You take like the automobile, it comes down the road. And you take all the nuts out of it, you, what you got but a bunch of yunk!" That's just about right, and you take the--the--the nuts out of anything. Now, it takes that to hold the thing together.
31The world gets in such a place, in a turmoil, and the church gets so sold up in worldlyism and--and denominationalism, and so forth, till it takes sometimes a nut to hold the thing together. That's right. If they don't have it, we don't have it, we don't have the church.
32Now, we can think of that subject just for a few moments. Paul said, "I have become a fool, or a--a--a nut, just for..." Now, you have to be somebody's nut. You can either be a nut for the world, or a nut for Christ.
33One day in California, was walking down the street, and there was a man. He had a sign on the front of him, like this, said, "I am a fool for Christ." And on his back he had a sign that said, "Now, whose fool are you?" See? So, we asked him, on it. Said, "You have to be somebody's fool."
34 So Paul, here, had chosen to be a fool for Christ. And you can imagine how the world thought of him at that time; and not only the world, but the church. That man had been trained to be a priest. He was trained under Gamaliel, a great, one of the greatest scholars and greatest teachers of that day. And when he had, maybe, say, his Bachelor of Art and his--his Doctor's degree, and--and was ready for to--to be called into the priesthood, and maybe someday with the possibility, with the enthusiasm this young man had. And then to change that, all at once, all because something happened. He met Christ on the road to Damascus.
35And then, to the world he was a fool, and to the church he was a fool. To the--the denominational church he was actually a fool. That's what he said here, he had become a fool. He's a fool to those people, but he was the instrument that God used, to hold the Church together, to hold the Body, as It was in that day, together. He'd become a fool for that--for that sake.
36 We can imagine of Noah, as the brother sang of him here, "While God sent His love on the wings of a dove," one of my favorite songs. And I've always wanted to get somebody that could play that. I wanted to speak on it.
37One time I read a story of some soldiers being pinned down, and the enemy, Germans in the first World War, had them pinned down. And they had a--a little pigeon to take a message. And when the... That's a form of a dove, of course. It's one variety of dove. And when they put the message on the little pigeon, he flew up in the air. And bullets shooting at him, every way, 'cause they knowed what it was. It broke his leg. His little legs was hanging down, crippled. And his wings had the feathers shot out of it. He was turning sideways, and everything, through the air. But he dropped right in the camp where he was supposed to, and they got help.
38You know what I mean, from there on. See? So, we were in that kind of shape one day, too, you know. And He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquity, but the message got here, just the same. He got the message to us.
39 Noah, in his days. I can imagine a man of his caliber, a prophet that was vindicated of God. And--and God spoke to him one day. What a strange thing it was, in a great scientific age. Perhaps could shoot the moon with their radar, and they could build a sphinx and the pyramid. And--and God spoke to him and said, "Noah, it's going to rain water down out of the heaven." Could you imagine a man of his caliber, a prophet of the Lord, go out with such a silly message as that, and say that?
40It had never rained, remember, from the heavens, in them days. God watered the earth, the Bible says, by irrigation through the ditches and so forth, springs. It had never rained a drop. There was no water up there. So they could prove there was no water up there.
41 And then a man come out with a message. And not only that, but separated himself from the rest the world. He become a nut to the world. That's right. He was a nut of his age. How a man with such a crazy message, would try to bring a people out into a little trailer, or an ark, or whatever it was they--they were building up there. And--and he was--he was actually a foolish man.
42But what did he do? In doing so, he was the nut that saved the believing Church in that day. Yes, sir. That's what happened. He had to take them out from the world. But he was preparing a place that he knowed that Christ could come to and would take them. He become a nut.
43 You, could you imagine Moses in his day, a man going down to a great intellectual? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] They conquered the world at that time. And their scientific and their--their art and stuff, really, I guess, exceeded ours today. And their master art and their mastership of buildings, and so forth, and the great things that they did then, in--in that day.
44And could you imagine a man coming down there, and said he met a--a--a God that they didn't even believe in, in a burning bush? And he came down... Being a military man, to begin with, and been trained in all the maneuvers of--of--of military world. And we find that he comes down there with a stick in his hand to take and deliver a people out of a nation that held--held the world captive.
45 Why, to Pharaoh, he was a nut. That's all. "He was crazy." Said, "Let him do it, go ahead, rave on. He'll declare himself insane." Well, now, really to Pharaoh, and his great scientific world, he was a oddball. He was a nut to--to them. You see? He was.
46But what did he do? He delivered the people, because he was sent of God. It took... It takes something peculiar, something that's different from the rest of the world. You see, the world is so one way on a great... their great scientific achievements, and so forth. And when a man is led of God, to do something that's odd to that, he becomes a fool. "He's crazy." But, see, it takes something like that, to hold the thing together.
47 Now, we think of Elijah in his days. When, Ahab and Israel, at that time, had every nation under heavens fearing them under this Ahab's reign. And Ahab was a great man. It was a great day, something on the order we have now. The church had all become fashion. See? It was Jezebel's paint, and--and Ahab's worldliness, and compromising, and they tore down the altars of God. "Oh, just you serve a god, what difference does it make? See? We'll go up to the groves, and you can serve any god you want to."
48That's just about the way it is today, see, all fashions, and--and--and dressings, and clothings, and things of the world. And, "Oh, if you want to belong to this, belong to that, belong to this, belong to that, it's all right. See? Just as long as you go to church, it doesn't make any difference."
49It does make a difference, what I--what I belong to, and what God I serve, and how I serve Him. He's got one way for me to serve Him, He's got that wrote out here in this Word. And that's the way we're to serve Him. See? Now, It does make a difference.
50 But when Elijah came out there with such a message as he had, could you imagine? He became a nut to--to--to Pharaoh, or to... Pardon me. To Ahab, he became a regular... Separating himself! But, you see, there was seven thousand among those people, see, that could be saved. See? And he came for them. He had to become a nut to the world, in order to catch them. So did Noah, had to become a nut to the world to catch eight souls, with himself. See? He had to become an odd sort of--of a person.
51 Amos, in the days when he brought his message, and he prophesied. And we find out, that, when he come in to--to--to Samaria, which had been given over to the world. And the women in the streets had become almost public prostitution. And the fashions, it was a modern Hollywood. When this little, unknown bald-headed fellow raised up, over the mountain one morning, and looked down upon the Samaria, and saw it in sin, and, why, I'd imagine his heart almost failed.
52Only thing he had knowed, he had been the husbandman. He wasn't really... The Lord just give him this message and sent him down there. And now he had no sponsorship. He had--he had nobody to back him up. But he was led of God to go, bring this message to the people, and to call them out from judgment.
53Well, now, I'd imagine, to the great scientific age and the age of glamour, something on order today, Amos became a--a--a oddball. See? He became a fool, and they--they wouldn't want nothing to do. But, yet, he had THUS SAITH THE LORD. See? And he delivered what could be delivered.
54 John the Baptist, when he came in his days, that great religious world, coming out, in, of a wilderness like this, out of the rocks and things in the--in the wilderness of Judaea. And he wasn't dressed like a priest. He--he wore the rough clothes of a working man, perhaps, with a--a garment around him, not some great theological seminary teacher or some, forth. But he--he was just a common man that could work with his hands, or anything. When he--when he came down, out of the--the wilderness there, and sheepskin wrapped around him, he had THUS SAITH THE LORD, for he knew that the time of the Messiah was then.
55He could thoroughly identify himself in God's Word. He said, for remember, he identified himself in Malachi the 3rd chapter, see, as the messenger to forerun the coming of the Lord. He knowed the coming was so close until he--he had to come out. Well, the people thought he was a wild man, just a--a--a--a fool. See?
56"A nut," we'd call it today. Reason I chose that word "nut," it sounds flat. But, yet, it, it's a good word for what I want to use it for, because that's the way the street expression would, will use it today. "Just a--a common nut," we'd call him.
57 Well, here is John the Baptist. He just simply staying out there in that wilderness, preaching his little sermons, up-and-down there, on--on the Jordan, walking up-and-down that banks of the river, crying, "The--the hour is at hand! And come out and separate yourself. The Messiah is coming!" Why, I'd imagine the priests and all them, he had become just a regular nut. That's all. See, that's all he was, just a oddball. And them that followed him become oddballs, just simply fools.
58Do you know our Lord was declared the same thing when He come, a mad man? See? He didn't go over into the cities and--and in their great, or--or join in with the great organizations, and things. He was calling a people. He was calling out. And He was considered, by the religious, his day, a regular nut.
59 Just like Paul was in his day, a trained man, and yet would--would do such a thing as he did, separate himself from the rest the world, and from the denominations, and--and try to call a people. He was an apostle to the Gentile church. He is our apostle, we--we know that, to the Gentile church. He was the nut that brought the Gentile church out of Roman heathenism, and pagan worships of the day.
60 Martin Luther, he was a nut to the Catholic church. See? Could you imagine a priest that had--had throwed his, all of his teachings, away, of the church, and refused to give this communion because the church said, "It is the body of Christ"? And he knowed he... the--the nuns and them had made that kosher up in there. He--he knew that wasn't Christ. That was a piece of bread, see, a little sugar wafer. And he knew that, that that wine was no literal Blood of Christ. It only represented It. So, he--he--he threw it down, in--in his--his honest conviction, and he wanted nothing more to do with it. See? He--he--he was through with it.
61 Now, probably, the Catholic church said, "Oh, let him alone. Look what a--a little group he's got out there. What is he? He's got just a--a false. And us, a big church. That's all it is. It's just a thing." But, you see, he was the nut, see, that was holding it together, see, in the reformation. He brought forth the reformation.
62How about after he organized and got to a place... And--and after his death, and the--the message that he preached had finished, then the church got so cold and starchy again, till God raised up another nut, uh-huh, called John Wesley. That's right. Well, he was a nut to the Anglican church. See? But what did he do? He--he saved the world, the world, the Church that was in the world, may I say. He saved the Church that was in the world. Why? By becoming a nut. That's right. He saved.
63 What then? And now, then, we come along after his time, and the great Wesleyan age passed over, and then we had the Baptists from John Smith, then they had Alexander Campbell, and--and then we had Buddy Robinson of the Nazarene. And finally it just kept waving off, away from the real spin.
64And then God raised up another bunch of nuts: Pentecost. And they become a nut to the people. They're crazy, to the world. But what did they do? They did a great work. They certainly did, the Pentecostal age.
65 Now, now, I believe it's time for another nut to raise. And don't you think so? I--I think it's just about... Pentecost has done the same thing that--that the rest of the world went. But it's time for another nut. See? So if we have to throw away, on this side of the bank, you see what I mean? And the people think that we're so odd and peculiar, the way we separate ourselves, the way you have here. And we're--we're not divided. We're one. See? See? The way that we are, we separated ourselves from the world.
66Brother Leo, led to come up here, and there you had little children that has to be trained up. See? You got women, young ladies here, that--that don't like to walk in the way of the world. You got men here, that's aged and retiring. They want a place to where they can settle down and feel at home. You dwell among your own kind of people. Well, and, see, I think that God can raise up something to take care of that. Don't you think so? [Congregation says, "Amen.--Ed.] I--I believe that with all my heart, that He does that.
67 Now, we find out, it's time now. Notice, the nut always was what pulled them together.
68Like all Americans today, we find so much worldlyism and things, in our churches and our denominations, and things. Let something raise up on the Word. See, they got off to the creed and not the Word. And let something raise up with the Word, you know.
69You say, "Well, the people think you separated yourself." I talked to your pastor here, and our Brother Leo. And someone said, "Well, why don't you come, and come into this, and come in that?"
70He said, "No, no." See, he, he is sold out to one thing, the Word, see, to the Word. See?
71 Well, now look. If there is a nut sent, there has got to be a bolt for it to fit on. That right? Now, God sends nuts. Don't you believe that? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] See? I'll explain this in a little bit. But to make it a point. There's got to be a bolt, and that bolt's got to be threaded, to fit the nut.
72I'm so glad to be threaded with the Word. I'm so glad that there's a bolt that's threaded the same way. And what's it to do? It's to draw out the Bride from the world, set It aside for something different. Yes, friends. We may be a nut to the things of the world, the people of the world, but we are only drawing out, that which is threaded for this.
73 Noah was threaded in his day, and the rest of the prophets, and down through the age. And the righteous men was threaded, because He sent it. What would be use of having a bolt or nut, if you didn't have a bolt for it to go on? And what is a bolt and a nut together to do? Is to draw something together. See? And it's the drawing powers of Christ, that draws us out from the things of the world. See? And then we fellowship with Paul's great ministry, saying, "I have become a fool." So when people think that you are odd, see, see where you stand? See? You've become a fool to them, that you might be drawed by the power of God. To which, Something within you, Something in your heart thread you.
74 I might say this morning, "Who is Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal Assemblies, this, that, and the other?" There'd be all kinds of hands go up here, and forty, fifty people. See? There would be that many, everybody different.
75But what makes you set here? Why are you here. See? Is because you were threaded to something. See? And when it begin to come, it makes sense to you. If you try to put a certain thread upon a bolt, a certain kind that wouldn't fit, it doesn't make sense to you. See, it--it won't go on. See? But when something comes along that fits just exactly, it pulls you from Chicago, from New Orleans, and wherever you come from, to here. See? And now, see, you become an oddball, sure enough, to the world. But don't let that bother you. See? Don't let that bother you.
76 Now you say, "How do I know I'm threaded right?" Watch the Word. See? Now you know whether you're threaded right, whether we are nuts for Christ, or whether we are nuts to the world.
Now the world, also, has received their--their nut. Exactly.
77I had a little something wrote down here, I wanted, didn't want to forget. The--the... And we set here, become bolts, nuts to the world, that's exactly, that we might hold the Kingdom of God together, on earth; see, the Kingdom of God, together. All right.
78 Remember, the world, they--they, the outside world, they have their nuts also. Satan gives them a nut, in the days of this great thing. See, it all works it, pro and con. See? Now in the days of...
79The world had a nut, and that was Pharaoh, in the days of--of Moses. There were, see, there had to be. The--the Devil has his nuts too. Well, there was Pharaoh. See? Now, Israel; and Moses standing down there, was to draw those people out, was a nut to Pharaoh. But also Pharaoh was a nut to them, too. See?
80 And so it has to be that way. So, you're somebody's nut. I'm so glad to be wound in the Word, aren't you, with--with the thread of That? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Somebody will teach That.
81Ahab, he was a nut, exactly, to Elijah and the seven thousand, all his group out there. Jezebel in all their fine, fancy fandangles and things they had out there, that was a nut to that seven thousand, never bow their knee to Baal. And so was Elijah a nut to them, see, the same thing.
82We find out, in the days of Herod, John was a nut. See? And Herod was a nut also. The world had one. All right.
83In the days of Jesus, He was a--a--a--a fool to--to the world, see, to Pilate. But Pilate was a nut, also, to turn Him down. That's right. See? He wasn't threaded. He had a opportunity. But when he had his opportunity to accept it, he wanted some kind of a clown, some kind of a trick, some kind of a magic rabbit to bring out of a hat, you know, or something. He said, "Oh, I would see You do some tricks," you know, or something like that. He was a nut, himself. See? He had a chance to receive it, but he didn't.
84 The Sadducees also, and the Pharisees, was the same thing in that day, by not accepting Paul, the one that said he become a fool to the world. See?
85But the church has its nuts, too. See? And the world has its nuts. Christ has His. See? Now whose are you? The only way you can know...
You say, "How do I know this is right, Brother Branham?"
86"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us." Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever." Therefore, the Word still is Him. So if we're threaded with That, see. Know, we, though we be a nut to the--the world, if we are threaded in Christ's Word, and Christ's showing it, when He--He is pulling it together, see, pulling his Church together. Let them raise and do what they want to.
87 Now, Jesus, in Matthew 24:24, said that, "These two groups would be so close, in the last days, to deceive the very elected, if possible." The people, still, the people sometime in Pentecost, to you out-comers from Pentecost, see. When they organize and got over there in those groups like that, and you come away from it. See, the Bible said, that, "It would deceive the very elected if it was possible." See? "The very elected," that's the ones that's elected to do this; the ones, see, the bolt.
88Don't come, say, "Oh, theirs there, there's a nut, you see." You see, he's got to be, he's got where the... When the threads are cut in the bolt, it's got to be cut in the nut the same way. See what I mean? It's got to fit. See? And the Elected, therefore, you see, it won't tighten up with anything else. It's just got to come to Christ. You see? It's the only thing that'll fit. See? And that's where we stand today. Thanks be to--to God. And all right.
89 Now, we find out, also, that the--the world has their nut. And you know, there's so much could be said. We haven't the time to say it, of course. But, this, this one thought, to you.
90I notice this fine little bunch of ladies that sang over there, a few minutes ago. Boy, I wish I had that song. Get that on tape for me, will you, these songs? When you all sing here, make up a song sometime. I'll pay you for the tape. See? I'd like to have it. See? That was beautiful, that real sweet worship like that.
91Now, you know, there was a--a... The young, the women of today, they, Chris-... what is so-called Christians, the women who--who go to church, they--they wanted something to--to--to satisfy. They knowed that they--they wasn't getting it, just going to church. But they want to maintain their testimony just the same. See? They wanted to hold their testimony, "I'm Methodist, Baptist. I'm a Christian, you see." They wanted to strip their clothes off of them. They wanted to wear shorts and bikinis, or what you call them, and all they could see. They, they wanted to do these things. They wanted to have a haircut like men, and--and--and do these things.
92And so they--they wanted to do that. See? And, yet, did you ever think why they did? Jesus said, "Them two spirits will be so close, it'd deceive the Elected." That has to come to pass. See? See? So, they wanted to. They didn't get...
93 A--a human has to worship. You have to worship something. You, it's just in you, to worship. So a human has to worship something. So, they had no worship in their church, so God raised them up a nut, Elvis Presley, Pat Boone. They still hold their testimony. Elvis Presley, a Pentecostal. Pat Boone, a church of Christ. See, absolutely nut to fulfill Jesus' Words here, "Would be so close, it would deceive the very elected, if possible." Still maintain, sing hymns on Sunday, and rock-and-rolled on Monday. See? To us, that's--that's a nut. See? It, it really is.
94 Now, but, you see, in there He had some fine women, also, that wanted to act like ladies. They had decency in them. They wanted to be what Christ wants them to be. So He sends the person along with a message, that--that to that church that they belong to it's foolish, he becomes a nut. But you see, what it is, It fits just exactly. When you talk about long hair, and looking like a lady, and dressing like a lady. And acting like a lady... Instead of standing here like these girls this morning...
95 I was watching a little girl there, her eyes looked Heavenly. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... glassy, as she looked up like that, singing, something in her heart. Watch them here, as them young ladies sang. I thought, "O God! Well, what if--if a Hollywood star could--could get that in their heart? They'd be the same thing." See? But what is it? Why did they go that way? You couldn't pull one of them girls in Hollywood. If you'd give her ten thousand dollars a day, she wouldn't go. Why? She's threaded different. That's exactly right. She is threaded different. That's right.
96You couldn't pull Leo, Gene and them into some organization. Why? Couldn't pull you fellows into one. Why? You're threaded different. See? So if you are threaded, there's got to be a nut somewhere!...?... see, to--to hold that together. Isn't it right? See? Then it's complete.
97"Thanks be to God," like the little Dutchman said, "for the nuts. If you take them out, it becomes a bunch of junk."
98What have you got? A bunch of denominationalism, a bunch of cold formalism, no Christ in it at all, no Word in it at all, just a bunch of creeds, and so forth. And what have you got? Take the nut out, you got a bunch of junk, that's right, nothing in the world but firewood, something that's waiting for the blazes and punishments of God, to judge and to burn up, at some day.
99 So I'm thankful this morning to fit right in, up here, see, where you might be an odd person on this side of the river. Even some of your people might think that you are odd. I know they do. I've had letters from them, see, that said you were odd, you were different, "what in the world happened" to you? I just chose this little thing to say to you this morning. See? Sure, you're a nut. That's right. But I'm glad to be one. But if I'm not tight with this Word, then I'm "yunk." See? I'll just be a nut for Christ. Yes.
100I get letters from many of your people. Some of them come by and say, "Do you know what happened?"
"What?"
101"This odd guy," uh-huh, "so-and-so, went up there and done so-and-so."
I said, "Wait just a minute."
102Depends on what you're wound on. See? So, may the Lord Jesus Christ, the Shepherd of the flock, ever keep your hearts so wound into Him, that, when the great Shepherd does appear, we'll appear with Him.
Can we pray?
103 Heavenly Father, seeing that time has run out, I'm just rushed. Such a lovely, sweet bunch of Christians. And such a rude text; but in the room the other day, thinking of what I seen on letters, and what I heard people say. When I... Your little servants here asked me to come up and visit them, and fellowship with the little flock. This rude text of being a nut, I thought I'd use that, so I could get the--the thought over to them. They--they would understand what I think, too. We have become a fool, like Paul, to the world. But yet, Lord, we want to be so tightened to You and Your Word, that, when the Rapture comes, we'll--we'll want to be with it, Lord. So help us to ever have our hearts knitted and bound together in the love of Christ.
104 Bless Brother Leo, Brother Gene, and Brother Daulton, and all these fine men and these lovely women in here. Hearing their testimonies, happy, happy, contented. Walk in the room up there, where one that's paralyzed, and to see the smiles! No wonder, our Brother Leo said it's a bit of sunshine, to walk up here. No wonder, to see even when the man, not even a bit of relation to her, nothing but concerned, that they'd take a trailer and make it so she could be happy. See, Lord, the thread works just right. Walk into that home, and see someone who really could be grouchy, and--and fussy, and nasty, because that--that they're not out and able to run and dance and--and cut up, like many women. But she's happy to be here with her kind, and to be here with the Word of God, where It can be preached, and not any creeds tacked to It; just truly unadulterated Word of God, to worship in Spirit. Come in a little place like this, it's a little trailer where we meet together. It's the church. "Wherever two or three are assembled, I'm in their midst." We know You're here, Lord, and we worship You and we praise You.
105 I pray, God, that You'll keep sickness away from them. Keep the enemy across the river. May this great exodus, it may be in a minor form, but, Lord, someday it's going to grow. And I pray, Lord, that this little exodus here, that You--You will be with them as You did with Moses and them, as they crossed the--the Jordan, and, Joshua, as he went into the promised land.
106And I pray that You'll help them, Lord, and keep their hearts genuine, true to You. And bless them as they teach the Word. And may they live long, happy lives. And someday, if we're around here, Lord, living on earth when You come, may there come a shout from this side of the branch out there, and the Church go up. Grant it, Lord. Because, somebody wasn't... was foolish enough to the world, to become a nut, to hold it together, Lord, until You come.
107 Then, as John of old, from the days gone by. As the little ladies and them sing, "We have separated." And how he had to be alone. But, when he did, the little church that he had drawed together... When he seen Jesus, he said, "Now my work is over. He increases; I decrease."
108Father, I pray that You'll ever keep us happy and healthy. May we meet many times more, upon the earth, and loving and serving you. May Thy Divine blessings rest upon this service, upon the services that shall follow. And may we all live such in this life, in the life to come, we'll have Eternal Life in the great age to come, over in that great Millennium reign where we shall see Him and look upon His face, and see Him. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.
109God bless you, my people. I am so sorry that I, too, I--I--I took a text something like that, see, such a rude thing. But you get what I meant. See? So, when anyone, they say you're odd, you know why you're odd, don't you?
God bless you, Brother Leo.
1...modliť. Pane Ježišu, keď odídeme dnes ráno, nech môžeme povedať, že naše srdcia horeli v nás, pretože On hovoril ku nám na ceste. Ďakujeme Ti za túto veľkú príležitosť, ktorá bola... ktorá nám prišla do cesty, že sme sa mohli zhromaždiť s týmito ľuďmi, Tvojimi deťmi, a radovať sa počas týchto chvíľ z obecenstva. A prosíme, nebeský Otče, aby Tvoje požehnania odpočinuli na nás, ako pôjdeme na rozličné miesta a stretneme iných ľudí.
Ďakujeme Ti za každé svedectvo tejto krásnej Kresťanskej atmosféry tu dnes ráno a za všetkých tých, ktorí sú už dlho na ceste, a za tohto mladého muža, ktorý práve prešiel cez Jordán, aby videl čo to skutočne znamená žiť. Vieme to všetko oceniť, Pane, vediac, že raz sme tiež boli na druhej strane. Ale teraz už nie je nič z toho starého života, teraz to je... to je tam v Egypte.
A teraz prosíme, aby si požehnal naše spoločné obecenstvo, ako čítame Tvoje Slovo a hovoríme zopár slov z tohto veľkého Slova Božieho, v ktoré my všetci veríme. A požehnaj to v našich srdciach teraz, aby sme mohli pokračovať v službe. V mene Ježiša Krista to prosíme. Amen.
2 Brat Leo, brat Gene a pútnici, ja sa domnievam, že toto je jedno z tých veľkých privilégií, ktoré som doteraz mal, prísť sem, aby som kvôli sebe videl, čo tu máte na týchto miestach. To je ... Bol som požehnaný, ako som prechádzal tam cez ten malý potok a videl tento dvor. A ja... Raz, keď brat Leo nahrával pásky, povedal som mu, že určite je pre neho niečo v živote väčšie ako nahrávať pásky... A pravdaže nahrávať pásky je niečo, čo musíme robiť, to nás požehnalo. Ale je tam ešte niečo. Všetci sme oddelení pre rozdielne veci, ktoré máme robiť. A prísť sem dnes ráno, a pozerať na tento krásny malý Jeruzalem sediac tu vonku, nazval som to Góšen, myslím, keď sme dnes ráno prišli. Pamätajte, Góšen bolo jedno z tých miest, na ktorom oni uctievali, jedno z prvých miest, kde bol ten stan postavený. A stretnúť starých priateľov a--a nových a mať tento čas, ktorý je nám pridelený, ja jednoducho...Vyzerá to tak, že vy nechcete odísť. Je jednoducho niečo, čo vás chce podržať. Viem pochopiť, prečo by ste vy, ľudia, chceli zostať tu. Vidíte? To je niečo, čo vás pevne drží.
3Nemyslím, že som bol niekedy v sladšom uctievaní a obecenstve, ako sú tieto piesne a veci, ktoré... Postavil som sa tam a hrýzol som si pery a moje nohy sa triasli, snažil som sa zdržať, aby som neskríkol, keď som počul spievať tie staré piesne tak, ako ony majú byť spievané, to bolo spievané v duchu. To je to, čo mi... Pavol povedal, “Keď spievam, budem spievať v duchu.” A teraz, neviem si predstaviť toho ducha, ako kričí na plné hrdlo. Ja myslím, že Duch Kristov je láska a miernosť a pokoj, ktorý niečo prináša do našich sŕdc, aby nás nakŕmil. A myslím, že to je ten spôsob, ako by oni mali byť spievané. A sú tu s vami ľudia oddaní pre vec, pre Kristovu vec, je jednoducho tak veľa vecí, ktoré by som mohol povedať, keby mi to čas dovolil.
4Ja prichádzam kvôli... Myslel som, “Dobre, zabehnem hore a navštívim brata Lea a zbor tam hore a časť tela Kristovho, ktorá očakáva na Jeho príchod a časť nevesty, ktorá tu býva a ako ste sa oddelili od zvyšku sveta a prišli sem, aby ste takto žili.” Myslel som si, že hoci malý potok, vy ste teraz na druhej strane Jordánu, vy ste tu v tej zemi. Vy ste prešli exodusom a vyšli zo sveta na miesto kde sa môžete spolu zhromaždiť a uctievať Boha, skutočne podľa príkazov vášho svedomia. A to je to, za čím stojíme ako demokracia, ako národ. My stojíme za touto veľkou vecou, že každý človek môže uctievať. A to je jednoducho veľmi zlé, keď toto nemôžeme mať. (Vidíte? To je pravda.) Kde to... nech je svet na svojom mieste a Boží ľud je na svojom mieste, kde môžeme toto mať.
5A pravdaže som mal... Keď som povedal, “Amen,” a išiel som von dverami, povedal som, že by ma to stálo prichádzať sem hore každú nedeľu, alebo dokonca vziať sem hore svoje deti, aby boli dané pod takúto atmosféru, pretože vždy je to atmosféra, ktorá prináša výsledky. Vy môžete položiť tam vonku do zeme semeno. Bez ohľadu na to, koľko by to semeno bolo plné zárodku a ležalo by tam, ono musí mať atmosféru, aby to bolo oživené. Vidíte? To slnko musí prísť do určitej moci predtým, ako... musí to byť prinesené do určitej atmosféry. Vajce musí mať určitú atmosféru, lebo inak sa nevyliahne. Bez ohľadu na to, ako je ono plodné, musí to mať tú atmosféru.
6A myslím, že v takejto skupine sa liahnu Kresťania, v takej atmosfére, ako je táto, dožívajú znovuzrodenie. Toto je ten druh atmosféry, pod ktorým som sa ja narodil. Bez ohľadu na to, kam idem a navštevujem ten chladný svet na misijných poliach a tak ďalej, stačí mi len stáť a zatvoriť oči a myslieť na túto atmosféru. Toto mi pripomína, keď som bol len chlapec-kazateľ a len som začínal, mali sme malú skupinku, ktorá sa stretávala z domu do domu. Tiež sme sa oddelili od vecí toho sveta. To je to, čo premenilo moje srdce tak, že ono je dnes v láske s Kristom. Kde môžeme spolu prebývať... Verím, že Písmo povedalo, “Aké sladké to je, keď bratia môžu prebývať spolu v jednote. To je ako olej pomazania, ktorý bol na Áronovej brade, ktorý steká po lemoch jeho rúcha.” A je jednoducho tak veľa toho, čo by som mohol povedať. Ja... Nech vám Duch Svätý vyloží po tom, ako odídem, čo to je. Prial som si, aby som mohol zostať celé popoludnie a jednoducho zanechať jedenie a všetko ďalšie, len aby som sedel tu a počul váš spev (Vidíte?), počuť váš spev a zhovárať sa a svedčiť. To znamená tak veľa.
7Moja dcéra má dnes večer promócie, alebo je to len bakalárska skúška dnes večer, a ja sa musím ponáhľať späť. A ja som nevedel, čo to je táto bakalárska skúška, až do včera večera. Ja som tak zamestnaný a nevenujem tomu pozornosť. A prísť na návštevu s bratom Leom a s bratom Genem, ako oni prišli dolu, túžil som po tom čase byť tu, bol som skutočne zvedavý. Počul som ľudí hovoriť, “No, oni majú pekný dvor karavanov. Oni sú na jednej strane, ten svet je na druhej. A na tejto strane sú všetky oddané životy a tie veci.” Pomyslel som si, “Chcel by som to vidieť. Ja by som jednoducho... rád by som videl, čo to skutočne je.” A vy všetci ste požehnaní, že tu môžete byť.
8Chcem prečítať z Biblie len jeden verš a myslím, že len čítanie tohto jedného verša vytvorí úplne kompletnú službu. Ale ja mám... keď som sem hore prichádzal, mal som len zopár poznámok, z ktorých som myslel, že budem hovoriť. Nezaberie mi to veľa času, ale len niekoľko minút. A potom, chcel by som hovoriť z týchto poznámok, do čoho... čo teraz cítim.
V druhej knihe Korinťanom, 12. kapitola a 11. verš, chcel by som čítať toto. Pavol hovorí,
Stal som sa bezrozumným chváliac sa, vy... ste ma prinútili: lebo vy ste mňa mali odporúčať: lebo som nebol, ako ani nie som o nič menší od tých prevelikých apoštolov, keď aj nie som ničím.
Chcel by som len... Ak by som nazval tento text... Ja myslím, že Duch Svätý je medzi nami. A my... Nebolo by to len čítanie Písma. On... To je to, na čom On žije. A každé Slovo je dané skrze inšpiráciu, a to je príhodné na čas, nikdy to nekončí. Je to ako reťaz. Jednoducho to neprestáva. To nikdy nekončí, to Písmo.
9A myslel som, zatiaľ, čo toto čítame a premýšľajúc o tomto malom mieste tu hore, prichádza mi to na myseľ, že Pavol povedal, “Stal som sa bezrozumným [angl.preklad “bláznom” – pozn.prekl.].” Vidíte? Tak to je veľmi divná vec pre apoštola toto povedať. “Stal som sa bláznom.” Tak blázon je osoba, ktorá skutočne nie je pri zdravom rozume. A ako by tento apoštol povedal takú vec ako toto, “Stal som sa bláznom”? A potom mysliac na túto skupinu, bez pochyby, že v očiach tých ľudí na druhej strane, stali ste sa bláznami. Stali ste sa tým, čo my dnes nazývame “čudák.” Bez pochýb, to je to, čo si ľudia o vás myslia. A pamätajte, že na druhej strane, oni sú tiež čudákmi. Vidíte? Tak ty musíš byť pre niekoho bláznom, tak ja by som bol radšej bláznom pre Krista. Vidíte? Ja by som... Boh povedal, že Jeho ľud je zvláštny ľud, divný, vybraný, vyvolený, kráľovské kňazstvo, ktoré donáša duchovné obete Bohu, čo je ovocie našich úst, oddávajúc chválu Jeho menu.
10Pred nejakým časom, dúfam, že tento malý zmysel pre humor nerozruší toho milého ducha, ktorý je tu. Len mi to prišlo na myseľ. To bol brat Troy od Obchodníkov plného evanjelia, ktorý o tomto hovoril... Pomyslel som na toto kvôli tomuto mladému spevákovi tu, ktorý práve prišiel ku Pánovi. Keď on pracoval v... On bol mäsiar a pracoval v mäsiarskom obchode, a tam bol nejaký Nemec. A on mu len rozprával o Pánovi. A tento Nemec nevedel veľmi dobre po anglicky. Tak on povedal, “Dobre, poď na zhromaždenie.” Povedal, “Ty potrebuješ krst Duchom Svätým.” Tak tento starý Holanďan mu chcel dať poznať, že je Luterán, že on je v poriadku, je Luterán.
On povedal, “No, príď a navštív nás niekedy.”
A tak oni narazili na hromadu, možno, čudákov, ako to my tiež nazývame. Vidíte? A tej noci tento Nemec prijal krst Duchom Svätým. A na druhý deň krájal mäso a hovoril v jazykoch, mal normálne jubileum. A tak, potom, zatiaľ čo prišiel šéf toho podniku a povedal, “Henry,” povedal, “čo sa s tebou deje?”
On povedal, “Ó, sláva Bohu.” On povedal, “Ja som zostal spasený.”
A on povedal, “Prečo,” povedal, “kde si bol?” povedal, “Musel si byť tam dolu s tou hromadou cvokov,” on povedal.
Povedal, “Áno, sláva Bohu.” On povedal, “Bol som tam dolu s tou hromadou cvokov.”
Povedal, “Vieš, ak by si nemal cvoky (šrauby), “povedal, “vezmi si také auto. Ono ide dolu po ceste. A keď ty vezmeš všetky tie cvoky z toho preč, a čo dostaneš, hŕbu starého železa!” Je to jednoducho presne tak.
11A vy vezmete tie cvoky z niečoho... Tak, to robí, že tie veci držia spolu. Ten svet sa dostáva na také miesto, do zmätku, a cirkev sa zamotáva do svetskosti a–a denominacionalizmu a tak ďalej, až to spôsobuje, že niekedy je na to treba šraub, aby to držalo pokope. To je pravda. Ak to nemáme, nemáme to... Nemáme cirkev. Tak môžeme premýšľať o tejto téme počas niekoľkých minút. Pavol povedal, “Stal som sa bláznom (alebo cvokom) jednoducho pre...” Tak ty musíš byť pre niekoho cvokom. Môžeš byť dokonca cvokom pre ten svet alebo cvokom pre Krista. Jedného dňa v Kalifornii som išiel dolu ulicou a bol tam nejaký človek. Mal pred sebou tabuľku, takto. Hovoril, “Som blázon pre Krista.” A na chrbte mal tabuľku, ktorá hovorila, “Tak pre koho si blázon ty?”...?... tak oni sa na to pýtali. Tak on musel byť pre niekoho blázon.
12Tak Pavol si tu vybral byť bláznom pre Krista. A vy si môžete predstaviť, ako ten svet myslel o ňom v tom čase, a nie len ten svet, ale aj cirkev. Ten muž bol vyškolený, aby bol kňazom. On bol školený Gamalielom, veľkým, jedným z najväčších učencov a učiteľov toho dňa. A keď on mal, povedzme, svoju hodnosť bakalára umenia a svoju hodnosť doktora, a bol hotový k tomu, aby bol povolaný do kňazstva, a možno jedného dňa so schopnosťami, s nadšením tohto mladého muža, ktoré mal... A potom sa to všetko zrazu zmenilo, všetko, pretože sa niečo stalo... On stretol Krista na ceste do Damašku. A potom pre ten svet bol bláznom a pre cirkev bol blázon. Pre tú–tú denominačnú cirkev bol vlastne blázon. To je to, čo on tu hovorí: on sa stal bláznom. On bol blázon pre tých ľudí, ale on bol nástrojom, ktorý Boh použil na udržanie cirkvi spolu, na udržanie tela, ako to bolo v tom dni, spolu. Stal sa kvôli tomu bláznom.
13Môžeme si predstaviť Noeho, ako ten brat tu o ňom spieval, “zatiaľ čo Boh poslal svoju lásku na krídlach holubice,” jedna z mojich obľúbených piesní. A vždy som chcel, aby ju niekto mohol zahrať. Chcel som o tom hovoriť. Raz som čítal príbeh o nejakých vojakoch, ktorý boli uväznení a nepriatelia (Nemci v prvej svetovej vojne) ich uväznili. A oni mali nejakého malého holuba na prenášanie správy. A keď to... To je druh holubice, pravdaže, to je jeden druh holubice. A keď oni dali tú správu na toho holuba, on vyletel do povetria. A guľky na neho strieľali po celej ceste, pretože oni vedeli, čo to bolo. Zlomilo to jeho nohy. Jeho malé nohy viseli dolu zmrzačené a jeho krídla mali z toho rozstrieľané perie. Točilo ho to všelijako do boku, ako letel. Ale on spadol rovno do toho tábora kam mal prísť a oni dostali pomoc. Vy viete, na čo tu myslím. Vidíte? Tak my sme boli jedného dňa tiež v takejto podobe, vy viete. A On bol ranený pre naše prestúpenia a zdrtený pre naše neprávosti, ale to posolstvo sa dostalo sem presne tak isto. On nám dal to posolstvo.
14A Noe vo svojich dňoch, môžem si predstaviť muža jeho kalibru, proroka, ktorý bol Bohom potvrdený... A Boh jedného dňa ku nemu prehovoril. Čo za divná vec to bola, v tom veľkom vedeckom veku. Možno mohli strieľať na mesiac so svojím radarom, mohli postaviť sfingu a pyramídu. A Boh k nemu prehovoril a riekol, “Noe, bude pršať voda dolu z nebies.” Mohli by ste si predstaviť muža jeho kalibru, proroka Pánovho, ktorý vychádza s takým smiešnym posolstvom ako to, a hovorí to... Nikdy nepršalo, pamätajte, v ich dňoch z neba. Boh zalieval zem, Biblia hovorí, zavlažovaním z jám a tak ďalej: prameňov. Nikdy nepršalo ani kvapka. Tam hore nebola žiadna voda. Tak oni mohli dokázať, že tam hore nebola žiadna voda.
15A potom, prišiel muž s posolstvom. A nie len to, ale oddelil sa od zbytku sveta. Stal sa cvokom pre ten svet. To je pravda. On bol cvokom v jeho dobe. Ako muž s takým bláznivým posolstvom, ako by mohol skúsiť priviesť ľudí do nejakého malého karavanu, alebo archy, alebo čokoľvek to bolo čo oni tam vystavili. A on bol skutočne bláznivý človek. Ale čo on urobil? Takým činom on bol cvokom, ktorý zachránil veriacu cirkev v tom dni. To je jednoducho to, čo sa stalo. On ich vybral von zo sveta. Ale on mal pripravené miesto, o ktorom vedel, že Kristus tam mohol prísť a vziať ich. On sa stal cvokom.
16Vy... Mohli by ste si predstaviť Mojžiša v jeho dni, muža, ktorý ide dolu ku nejakému veľkému intelektuálovi [prázdne miesto na páske. –pozn.prekl.]... Oni si v tom čase podrobili svet. A ich veda a ich umenie a materiály, skutočne, myslím, že prekonali naše dni a ich majstri umenia a ich majstrovstvo v stavaní budov a tak ďalej, a veľké veci, ktoré oni robili vtedy v tom dni.
A mohli by ste si predstaviť muža prichádzajúceho tam dolu, ktorý hovorí, že stretol Boha, v ktorého oni dokonca ani neverili, v horiacom kríku. A on prišiel dolu... od začiatku bol mužom vojska a bol trénovaný vo všetkých manévroch vojnového sveta. A nachádzame, že prišiel tam dolu s palicou vo svojej ruke vziať a vyslobodiť ľudí z národa, ktorého držal svet v zajatí.
17No, pre faraóna on bol cvok, to je všetko. On bol blázon. Povedal, “Nech to robí, nech pokračuje, nech fantazíruje. On sa ukáže ako šialenec.” No teraz, skutočne, pre faraóna a jeho veľký vedecký svet on bol čudák. On bol pre nich cvok. Vidíte? Bol. Ale čo on urobil? On oslobodil ľudí, pretože on bol poslaný od Boha. To vyžadovalo... To vyžaduje niečo zvláštne, niečo, čo je rozdielne od ostatného sveta. Vidíte, ten svet je tak nasmerovaný na svoje veľké vedecké úspechy a tak ďalej. Keď je človek vedený Bohom, aby robil niečo také, čo je odlišné ku tomu, on sa stáva bláznom. On je bláznivý. Ale vidíte, to vyžaduje niečo také, aby to držalo tú vec dokopy.
18Tak, myslíme o Eliášovi v jeho dňoch, keď Achab,... A Izrael mal v tom čase každý národ pod nebom, lebo sa ich báli, pod vládou toho Achaba. A Achab bol veľký muž. To bol veľký deň, niečo na ten spôsob systému, ktorý máme my dnes. Celá cirkev sa stala taká moderná. Vidíte? To bolo Jezábelino maľovanie sa a Achabova svetskosť a robenie kompromisov a oni zničili oltár Boží. “Ó, len slúžte nejakému bohu, aký je v tom rozdiel? Vidíte? “Pôjdeme hore do hájov a vy môžete slúžiť nejakému bohu, ktorému chcete.” To je jednoducho na ten spôsob, ktorý je dnes, vidíte, všetka móda a obliekanie a šatenie a veci toho sveta. A “Ó, ak chcete patriť do tohto, patriť do toho, patriť do tohto, patriť do toho, to je všetko v poriadku. Vidíte? Jednoducho tak dlho, ako vy chodíte do cirkvi, to nerobí žiadny rozdiel.” To robí rozdiel, v tom, do čoho ja patrím, a u Boha, ktorému slúžim a ako Mu slúžim. On má jeden spôsob pre mňa, ako Mu slúžiť, On to má napísané tu v tomto Slove, a to je spôsob, ako Mu máme slúžiť. Vidíte? Tak to robí rozdiel.
19Ale keď Eliáš vyšiel tam s takým posolstvom, aké on mal, mohli by ste si to predstaviť? On sa stal cvokom pre faraóna, alebo pre (prepáčte mi) pre Achaba. On sa stal obyčajným... tým, že sa oddelil... Ale vidíte, tam bolo medzi tými ľuďmi sedem tisíc (Vidíte?), ktorí mohli byť spasení. Vidíte? A on prišiel kvôli nim. On sa musel stať cvokom pre ten svet, aby ich chytil . Tak Noe sa musel stať cvokom pre ten svet, aby chytil so sebou osem duší. Vidíte? On sa musel stať zvláštnym druhom osoby.
20Ámos, v jeho dňoch, keď priniesol svoje posolstvo a on prorokoval... A my nachádzame, že keď prišiel do Samárie, ona bola prepadnutá tomu svetu. A tie ženy na uliciach sa stali takmer verejnými prostitútkami, a tá móda, to bol moderný Hollywood. Keď tento malý neznámy plešatý človek vystúpil jedno ráno na horu a pozrel dole na Samáriu a videl ju v hriechu, a no, mohol by som si predstaviť jeho srdce, že takmer zlyhalo. On vedel len jednu vec, že on bol pastier. On nebol skutočne... Pán mu jednoducho dal toto posolstvo a poslal ho tam dolu. A tak on nemal žiadnu finančnú podporu, nemal nikoho, kto by ho podporil. Ale on bol vedený Bohom, aby priniesol toto posolstvo ľuďom a aby ich vyvolal zo súdu. No teraz, mohol by som si predstaviť ten veľký vedecký vek, a ten vek pôvabu, niečo zo systému dneška, Ámos sa stal čudákom. Vidíte? On sa stal bláznom, a oni nechceli nič urobiť. Ale jednako on mal TAK HOVORÍ PÁN (Vidíte?), a vyslobodil to, čo mohlo byť vyslobodené.
21Ján Krstiteľ, keď prišiel v jeho dňoch, ten veľký náboženský svet, vyšiel takto z púšte, zo skál a vecí na Judskej púšti. A on nebol oblečený ako kňaz. Mal oblečené hrubé šaty pracujúceho človeka, možno bol opásaný, nie nejaký veľký učiteľ z teologického semináru alebo niečo také. A keď prišiel dolu tam z tej púšte, ovinutý ovčou kožou, on mal TAK HOVORí PÁN, pretože vedel, že to bol čas Mesiáša. On sa mohol dôkladne identifikovať v Božom Slove. On povedal... Preto pamätajte, on identifikoval samého seba v Malachiášovi, v tretej kapitole (Vidíte?), ako posla, ktorý predchádza príchod Pánov. On vedel, že ten príchod bol tak blízky, až on musel prísť. No, tí ľudia si mysleli, že on bol divoký muž, jednoducho nejaký blázon (Vidíte?), cvok, ako by sme to my dnes nazvali. Dôvod, že som vybral to slovo “cvok” je, že to znie všedne. Ale jednako, to je dobré slovo pre to, na čo to chcem použiť, pretože to je spôsob pouličného vyjadrovania, používaného dnes. ”Jednoducho obyčajný cvok,” ako by sme ho volali.
22No, tu je Ján Krstiteľ. On len jednoducho stojí tam vonku na púšti, káže svoje malé kázania hore a dolu tam pri Jordáne, chodí hore a dolu po brehoch rieky, volá, “Priblížila sa tá hodina a vyjdite a oddeľte sa. Mesiáš prichádza.” No, mohol by som si predstaviť tých kňazov a všetkých ich... On sa jednoducho stal obyčajným cvokom, to je všetko. Vidíte, to je všetko to, čo on bol, jednoducho čudák. A tí, ktorí ho nasledovali, stali sa čudákmi, jednoducho blázni. Viete o našom Pánovi, ktorý vyhlásil tie isté veci, keď On prišiel: šialený muž? Vidíte? On nešiel do tých miest a do ich veľkých, alebo sa nepripojil ku tým veľkým organizáciám a tým veciam. On volal ľudí. On ich vyvolával von. On bol tými nábožnými v jeho dňoch povážený za obyčajného cvoka.
23Práve ako bol Pavol v jeho dňoch, vyškolený muž, a jednako urobil takú vec, ako urobil, oddelil sa od ostatného sveta a od denominácií a pokúšal sa volať ľudí. On bol apoštolom pre pohanskú cirkev. On je náš apoštol, my to vieme, pre pohanskú cirkev. On bol cvok, ktorý vyniesol pohanskú cirkev von z Rímskeho pohanstva a pohanského uctievania toho dňa.
24Martin Luther, on bol cvokom pre katolícku cirkev. Vidíte? Mohli by ste si predstaviť kňaza, ktorý odvrhol všetky svoje náuky preč z cirkvi a odmietol podať tú komúniu, pretože cirkev povedala, “To je telo Kristovo”? A on vedel, že tam boli tie mníšky a oni robili ten kóšer. On vedel, že to nebol Kristus, to bol kúsok chleba (Vidíte?), malá cukrová oblátka. A on vedel, že to víno nebola doslovná krv Kristova, ono ju len reprezentovalo. Tak on to odvrhol vo svojom úprimnom presvedčení a on s tým nechcel nič viac urobiť. Vidíte? On s tým skončil.
25Tak, pravdepodobne katolícka cirkev povedala, “Ó, nechajte ho tak. Pozrite, akú malú skupinu tam on má. Čo on získal? Len, ó falošné... A naša veľká cirkev. To je všetko, čo to je. To je len tá vec...” Ale vidíte, on bol cvok (Vidíte?), to, čo to držalo spolu (Vidíte?) v reformácii. Ako to potom zorganizoval, dostal to na miesto... A keď potom po jeho smrti, a to posolstvo, ktoré on kázal, bolo zakončené, potom sa cirkev stala znovu taká chladná a naškrobená, že Boh vzbudil iného cvoka menom John Wesley. To je pravda. No, on bol cvokom pre Anglikánsku cirkev. Vidíte? Ale čo on urobil? On zachránil svet. Svet... Cirkev, ktorá bola vo svete, mohol by som povedať... On zachránil cirkev, ktorá bola vo svete. Prečo? Skrze to, že sa stal cvokom. To je pravda. On zachránil čo...
26A tak, potom postupujeme, až po jeho čase, keď ten veľký Wesleyovský vek pominul, mali sme baptistov od Johna Smitha, a potom sme mali Alexandra Campbela, a potom sme mali Buddy Robinsona z nazarénov. A nakoniec sa to začalo odkláňať od tej pôvodnej stonky. A potom Boh vzbudil inú skupinu cvokov: letničných. A oni sa stali cvokmi pre ľudí. Sú bláznami pre ten svet. Ale čo oni urobili? Oni urobili veľkú prácu, pravdaže urobili, ten letničný vek.
27Tak. A teraz verím, že to je čas, aby povstal iný cvok. Nemyslíte? Myslím, že to je len o... Letniční urobili tú istú vec, za ktorou ten zvyšok sveta odišiel. Ale to je čas pre iného cvoka. Vidíte? Tak, ak by sme mali... Ak by ste ležali na tejto strane vetvy (chápete, čo tým mienim?) a ľudia si myslia, že sme takí zvláštni a čudní, spôsobom, ktorým sa my oddeľujeme a spôsobom, ktorý tu máte (a my nie sme rozdelení, my sme jedno. Vidíte, vidíte?) spôsobom, ktorým sme... My sme sa oddelili od tohoto sveta... Brat Leo bol vedený, aby prišiel sem a bol tu... Mali ste malé deti, ktoré museli byť vyškolené. Vidíte? Máte ženy, mladé dámy tu, ktoré neradi chodia v spôsobe toho sveta. Máte tu mužov, ktorí sú už vo veku a v dôchodku. Oni chcú miesto, kde sa môžu usadiť a cítiť sa ako doma, prebývať medzi ľuďmi toho istého druhu. No a... Vidíte? Myslím, že Boh môže vzbudiť niečo, čo sa o to postará. Nemyslíte? Verím to z celého môjho srdca. A On to robí.
28Tak nachádzame, že ten čas je teraz. Všimnite si, ten cvok bol vždy tým, čo ich ťahalo dokopy. Ako všetci Američania dnes, nachádzame toľko svetskosti a rôznych vecí v našich cirkvách a v našich denomináciách a v tom všetkom. Nech sa niečo postaví na Slovo... Pozrite, oni odišli do vyznania a nie do Slova. Nech niečo povstane so Slovom, viete, oni hovoria, “No, ľudia si myslia, že ste sa oddelili.” Zhováral som sa s vaším pastorom tu a naším bratom Leom. A niekto povedal, “No, prečo nevchádzaš a nevchádzaš do tohto a nevchádzaš do toho?”
On povedal, ”Nie, nie.” Pozri, on je odovzdaný jednej veci, Slovu (Vidíte?), tomu Slovu. Vidíte?
29No pozrite teraz. Ak je tam poslaný nejaký cvok [ang. aj “matica” – pozn.prekl.], je tam na to, aby dostal nejakú skrutku, aby ku tomu zapasovala. Je to pravda? Boh posiela cvokov. Neveríte tomu? Vy poviete... Trochu to vysvetlím, aby to bolo jasné. Musí tam byť skrutka a do tej skrutky musí byť narezaný závit, aby zapasoval do tej matice. Ja som tak rád narezaný tým Slovom. Som tak rád, že je nejaká skrutka, ktorá je narezaná tým istým spôsobom. A čo to má urobiť? To má vytiahnuť Nevestu von zo sveta, aby bola položená bokom pre niečo iné. Áno, priatelia. Môžeme byť cvokmi pre veci toho sveta, pre ľudí toho sveta, ale my sme len tiahnutí von, to, čo je narezané pre toto.
30Noe mal narezaný závit v jeho dni a ostatní z prorokov a cez tie veky. A spravodliví mužovia mali narezaný závit, pretože On to poslal. Na čo by sa dala použiť skrutka, matica, ak by ste nemali pre ňu skrutku na pokračovanie? A čo je skrutka a matica spolu? To je tiahnutie niečoho dokopy. Vidíte? To je tiahnuca moc Kristova, ktorá nás tiahne von z vecí toho sveta. Vidíte? A vtedy máme obecenstvo s veľkou Pavlovou službou hovoriac, “Stal som sa bláznom.” Tak, keď si ľudia myslia, že ste zvláštni (Vidíte?), hľaďte, kde stojíte? Vidíte? Stali ste sa pre nich bláznami, aby ste mohli byť tiahnutí mocou Božou, do ktorej...
31Niečo bolo vo vás, niečo vo vašom srdci, čo vám narezalo závit. Mohol by som povedať dnes ráno, “Kto je metodista, baptista, letničné zbory, toto, to a iné?” Boli by všetky ruky zodvihnuté hore, štyridsať alebo päťdesiat ľudí. Vidíte? Keby sme to spravili, každý by bol odlišný. Ale čo spôsobuje, že tu sedíte? Prečo ste tu? Vidíte? Pretože kvôli niečomu vám bol narezaný závit. Vidíte? A keď to začína prichádzať, to vám dáva zmysel. Ak sa pokúšate umiestniť nejaký určitý závit na skrutku určitého druhu, ktorá by nepasovala, to vám nedá zmysel. Pozrite, to nepôjde ďalej. Vidíte? Ale keď prichádza niečo, čo jednoducho presne pasuje, to vás ťahá z tých miest, Chicago, New Orleans, alebo odkiaľkoľvek sem prichádzate. Vidíte? A teraz ste sa stali čudákmi, istotne, pre ten svet. Ale nech vás to netrápi. Vidíte? Nech vás to netrápi.
32Tak vy poviete, “Ako poznám, že mám správne narezaný závit?” Pozoruj Slovo. Vidíte? Tak poznáte, či máte správne narezaný závit, či sme cvokmi pre Krista, alebo či sme cvokmi pre ten svet. Tak svet tiež dostal svojho cvoka. Presne. Mal som tu trochu niečo napísané, čo som chcel..., na čo som nechcel zabudnúť... A my.. Tu bolo povedané, že sme sa stali skrutkami, cvokmi pre ten svet (To je presne to), aby sme mohli držať pokope Kráľovstvo Božie na zemi (Vidíte?), Kráľovstvo Božie pokope. V poriadku.
33Pamätajte, ten svet, oni... Ten vonkajší svet, oni majú tiež svojich cvokov. Satan im dáva cvoka v dňoch tejto veľkej veci. Pozrite, to všetko pracuje za a proti. Vidíte? Tak v tých dňoch... Svet mal cvoka, a to bol faraón v dňoch Mojžiša. Tam bol... Pozrite, musel byť. Diabol má tiež svojich cvokov. No, tam bol faraón. Vidíte? Tak Izrael... A Mojžiš stojac dolu tiahol tých ľudí von, bol cvokom pre faraóna. Ale faraón bol tiež cvokom pre nich. Vidíte? A tak to muselo byť. Tak ty si pre niekoho cvokom. Som tak rád, že som zakrútený v tom Slove. I vy? S tým závitom...
34Niekto bude učiť, že... Achab bol cvokom (presne) pre Eliáša a tých sedem tisíc a celú jeho skupinu tam vonku. Jezábeľ vo všetkej jej skvelosti, atraktívnosti, ozdobách a veciach, ktoré tam ona mala, bola cvokom pre tých sedem tisíc, ktorí nikdy nesklonili svoje kolená Bálovi. A tak bol Eliáš cvokom pre nich (Vidíte?), tá istá vec. Nachádzame vo dňoch Herodesa, že Ján bol cvok (Vidíte?) a Herodes bol cvokom tiež. Ten svet mal jedného. V poriadku. Vo dňoch Ježiša, On bol blázon pre ten svet (Vidíte?), pre Piláta. Ale Pilát bol tiež cvok, aby Ho zavrhol. To je pravda. Vidíte? On nemal narezaný závit. On mal príležitosť. Ale keď mal svoju príležitosť prijať to, on chcel nejakého šaša, nejaký trik, niečo, ako vytiahnuť z klobúka nejakého kúzelníckeho králika, viete, alebo niečo také. On povedal, “Chcel by som ťa vidieť robiť nejaké triky,” viete, alebo niečo také. On sám bol cvok. Vidíte? On mal príležitosť prijať to, ale neurobil to.
35Sadúceji a Farizeji tiež, v tom dni to bola tá istá vec, skrze neprijatie Pavla, toho, ktorý povedal, že sa stal bláznom tomu svetu. Vidíte? Ale cirkev má tiež svojich cvokov. Vidíte? A svet má svojich cvokov. Kristus má svojich. Vidíte? Tak čí ste vy? Jediný spôsob, ako vy môžete vedieť... Poviete, “Ako poznám, či je toto správne, brat Branham?” “Na počiatku bolo Slovo a to Slovo bolo u Boha. A to Slovo bolo Bohom. A Slovo sa stalo telom a prebývalo medzi nami, Ježiš Kristus ten istý včera, dnes a na veky.” Pretože to Slovo je stále tu. Tak, ak tým máme narezaný závit (Vidíte?), vieme to, i keď sme cvokmi tomu svetu, keď máme narezaný závit v Kristovom Slove a Kristus ukazuje ten spôsob, ktorým to On tiahne dokopy (Vidíte?), ako tiahne Svoju cirkev dokopy... Nech povstanú a urobia, čo oni chcú.
36Tak, Ježiš v Matúšovi 24:24 povedal, že tieto dve skupiny budú tak blízko v tých posledných dňoch, že by to zviedlo samotných vyvolených, ak by to bolo možné. Ľudia... Stále, ľudia... Niekedy letniční, vám, ktorí ste vyšli od letničných (Vidíte?), keď sa oni zorganizovali a dostali sa tam takto do tých skupín a vy ste z toho vyšli preč... Pozrite, Biblia povedala, že by to zviedlo samotných vyvolených, ak by to bolo možné. Vidíte? Samotní vyvolení, to sú tí jediní, ktorí sú vyvolení, aby toto vykonali, tí jediní... Pozrite, skrutka... Neprichádzajte a nehovorte, “Ó, tu je nejaký cvok.” Vidíte? Pozrite, on musí byť... on musí... Keď tie závity boli narezané na skrutke, to musí byť narezané v tej matici tým istým spôsobom. Rozumiete, čo mám na mysli? To musí pasovať. Vidíte? A vyvolení preto, rozumiete, to nebude pritiahnuté s ničím iným. To jednoducho musí prísť ku Kristovi. Rozumiete? To je tá jediná vec, ktorá bude pasovať. Vidíte? A to je to, kde my stojíme dnes. Vďaka Bohu, a... V poriadku.
37Tak, nachádzame tiež, že svet má svojho cvoka. A viete, že je tak veľa, čo by tu mohlo byť povedané. Nemáme pravdaže čas povedať to. Ale túto jednu myšlienku. Vám... Všimol som si túto peknú malú skupinu dám, ktoré tu spievali pred niekoľkými minútami. Chlapče, chcel by som mať tú pieseň. Nahrajte to pre mňa na pásku, nahráte tieto piesne? Keď tu vy všetci spievate, nahrajte niekedy piesne. Zaplatím vám za tú pásku. Rozumiete? Rád by som ju mal. Vidíte? To bolo nádherné, to bolo príjemné skutočné uctievanie. A teraz. Viete, tam bol... Mladé ženy dneška, tie, ktoré sú takzvané kresťanky, ženy, ktoré chodia do cirkvi, oni chcú niečo, čo by ich uspokojilo. Oni poznali, že majú... že oni to nedostanú len chodením do cirkvi. Ale oni si chcú zachovať svoje svedectvo také isté. Vidíte? Oni sa chcú držať svojho svedectva. “Ja som–ja som metodistka, baptistka. Ja som–ja som kresťanka,” vidíte? Oni si chcú vyzliecť svoje šaty. Chcú si obliekať šortky a bikiny alebo ako to tu voláte a všetko toto. Vidíte? Oni chcú robiť tieto veci. Oni chcú mať ostrihané vlasy ako muži a robiť tieto veci. A tak, oni to chcú robiť. Vidíte? A jednako, premýšľali ste niekedy, prečo to oni robia? Ježiš povedal, že tie dva duchy budú tak blízko, že by to zviedlo i vyvolených. Tak to musí prísť. Vidíte, vidíte? Tak oni by... oni nedostali...
38Človek musí uctievať. Vy musíte niečo uctievať. To je jednoducho vo vás, uctievať. Tak človek musí niečo uctievať. Tak oni nemali uctievanie vo svojej cirkvi, tak Boh im vzbudil cvoka, Elvisa Presleyho, Pata Booneho. Oni stále držia svoje svedectvo, Elvis Presley, letničný, Pat Boone, Cirkev Kristova. Vidíte, nejaký cvok tu úplne naplňuje Ježišove Slová, že by to zviedlo i samotných vyvolených, ak by to bolo možné. Stále pokračujú, v nedeľu spievajú žalmy, v pondelok rock-and-roll. Vidíte? Pre nás je to cvok. Vidíte? To skutočne je.
39Teraz, ale vidíte, On tam mal tiež nejaké dobré ženy, ktoré chceli konať ako dámy. Oni mali v sebe slušnosť. Oni chceli byť také, aké Kristus chce, aby boli. Tak On tam posiela osobu s posolstvom, a pre tú cirkev, do ktorej oni patria, je bláznivý. Stal sa cvokom. Ale vidíte, čo to je? To jednoducho presne pasuje. Keď sa hovorí o dlhých vlasoch, o tom, že treba vyzerať ako dáma a obliekať sa ako dáma a konať ako dáma... Namiesto toho, aby tu stáli , ako tieto dievčatá dnes ráno... Pozoroval som tam jedno malé dievča, jej oči vyzerali nebesky (čo tým myslím, ako sklenené), ako ona takto pozerala hore, spievala niečo vo svojom srdci, čo bolo v ňom. Ako tie mladé dámy spievali, pomyslel som si, “Ó Bože. No, čo ak by to nejaká Hollywoodská hviezda mohla dostať do svojho srdca? To by bola tá istá vec.” Vidíte?
40Ale čo to je? Prečo oni nešli tou cestou? Vy by ste nemohli potiahnuť jedno z tých dievčat v Hollywoode. Ak by ste jej dali desaťtisíc dolárov na deň, ona by nešla. Prečo? Ona je inak “nazávitovaná“. To je presne tak. Ona má inak narezaný závit. To je pravda. Nemohli by ste ťahať Lea, Geneho a ich do nejakej organizácie. Prečo? Nemôžete ťahať ľudí dokopy. Prečo? Vy máte inak narezaný závit. Vidíte? Tak, ak máte závit, musí tu byť matica, ktorá to drží... práve tu, aby to držalo spolu. Nie je to pravda? Pozrite, potom je to úplné. Vďaka Bohu, ako ten malý Holanďan povedal ohľadne tých cvokov. Ak ich vyberiete von, stane sa to len hromadou železa. Čo máte? Hromadu denominacionalizmu, hromadu chladného formalizmu, bez Krista v tom všetkom, bez Slova v tom všetkom, len hŕbu vyznaní a tak ďalej. A čo máte? Vyberte ten cvok preč, dostanete hŕbu železa (To je pravda), nič v tom svete, iba drevo na spálenie, niečo, čo čaká na plamene a Božie tresty, aby to bolo jedného dňa odsúdené a spálené.
41Tak som vďačný dnes ráno, že sem môžem presne pasovať, kde môžete byť divnou osobou na tejto strane rieky. Dokonca niektorí z vašich ľudí si môžu myslieť, že ste divní. Ja viem, že oni tak myslia. Dostal som od nich listy (Vidíte?), ktoré hovorili, že vy ste divní, že ste odlišní, že čo sa vám na tom svete prihodilo? Ja len vyberám túto malú vec, aby som vám to dnes ráno povedal. Vidíte? Skutočne ste cvokmi. To je pravda. Ale som rád, že som jeden z nich. Ale ak nie som dotiahnutý s týmto Slovom, potom som len kopou železa. Vidíte? Budem jednoducho cvok pre Krista. Áno, dostal som listy od mnohých vašich ľudí. Niektorí z nich prišli a povedali, “Vieš, čo sa stalo?”
“Čo?”
“Tento divný chlapík ten-a-ten išiel tam a urobil tak-a-tak.”
Povedal som, “Čakaj len chvíľku.” To závisí od toho, na čo ste navinutí. Vidíte? Tak nech Pán Ježiš Kristus, ten Pastier stáda, vždy drží vaše srdcia tak navinuté na Ňom, že keď sa ten Veľký Pastier zjaví, vy sa zjavíte s Ním. Môžeme sa modliť?
42Nebeský Otče, vidiac, že čas už ubehol a ja som nútený... Taká milá, príjemná skupina kresťanov, a taký drsný text, ale v tej izbe v ten deň... a keď rozmýšľam, čo som videl v tých listoch a čo som počul hovoriť ľudí, keď som... Tvoji malí služobníci tu ma požiadali, aby som ich prišiel navštíviť a mať obecenstvo s týmto malým stádečkom, tak, tento hrubý text o tom, byť cvokom, myslel som, že by som to použil a podal im tú myšlienku, aby oni porozumeli, čo si ja tiež myslím.
Stali sme sa bláznami tomu svetu ako Pavol. Ale jednako, Pane, my chceme byť tak priskrutkovaní ku Tebe a Tvojmu Slovu, že keď prichádza vytrhnutie, budeme–chceme byť v ňom, Pane. Tak nám pomôž vždy mať naše srdcia úzko spojené a zviazané spolu v láske Kristovej.
43Požehnaj brata Lea, brata Geneho a brata Daultona a všetkých týchto milých mužov a tieto milé ženy tu. Počujúc ich svedectvá, šťastný, šťastný, spokojný, keď som išiel do tej izby, kde bol ten ochrnutý a vidiac tie úsmevy... Niet divu, že náš brat Leo povedal, že to je trocha slnečného svitu, prísť sem. Niet divu. Vidieť dokonca, keď ten muž, vôbec jej nebol ani príbuzný alebo niečo, ale mal záujem o to, vziať jej príves a urobiť to tak, aby ona mohla byť spokojná. Vidím, Pane, že ten závit pracuje správne. Ísť do toho domu a vidieť niekoho, kto skutočne môže byť mrzutý a večne nespokojný a nepríjemný, pretože oni nie sú už vonku a nemôžu behať a tancovať a strihať sa, ako mnohé ženy. Ale ona je šťastná, že je tu s ľuďmi toho istého druhu. A byť tu so Slovom Božím, kde Ono môže byť kázané a nie nejaké vyznania pripichnuté ku tomu, len skutočne nefalšované Slovo Božie, aby sme mohli uctievať v Duchu. Prísť na nejaké malé miesto ako toto, malý príves, kde sa spolu stretávame, a to je cirkev. “Kdekoľvek dvaja alebo traja sú zhromaždení, Ja Som v ich strede.” A my vieme, že Ty si tu, Pane. A my Ťa uctievame a chválime Ťa.
44Modlím sa Bože, aby si držal choroby preč od nich. Drž nepriateľa za riekou. Nech tento veľký exodus... Nech to môže byť v menšej forme. Ale Pane, jedného dňa to vyrastie. A ja sa modlím, Pane, aby tento malý exodus tu, aby si Ty bol s nimi, ako si bol s Mojžišom a s tými, ako oni prešli cez Jordán a ako Jozua išiel do zasľúbenej zeme. A modlím sa, aby si im pomohol, Pane, a aby si zachoval ich srdcia úprimné, verné Tebe. A požehnaj ich, ako oni vyučujú Slovo. A nech dlho žijú šťastným životom. A jedného dňa, ak budeme tu naokolo, Pane, žijúc na zemi, keď Ty prídeš, nech tam príde zavolanie z tejto strany tej časti toho, a cirkev pôjde hore. Udeľ to, Pane, pretože niekto nebol... bol dosť bláznivý tomu svetu, stal sa cvokom, aby to držal spolu, Pane, až kým Ty prídeš.
45Potom ako Ján za dávna, v tých minulých dňoch, ako tam tie malé dámy a tí ostatní spievali, on bol oddelený a ako on musel byť sám. Ale keď on tak robil, tá malá cirkev, ktorú on tiahol dokopy... Keď videl Ježiša, on povedal, “Teraz je moja práca skončená. On musí rásť, ja sa musím menšiť.” Otče, prosím, aby si nás vždy zachoval šťastných a zdravých. Nech sa môžeme veľakrát stretnúť na zemi a milovať Ťa a slúžiť Ti. Nech Tvoje Božské požehnania spočinú na tejto službe, i na službách, ktoré budú nasledovať. A nech my všetci takto žijeme v tomto živote, a v živote, ktorý prichádza, kde budeme mať večný život v tom veľkom veku, ktorý prichádza, v tom veľkom veku vlády milénia, kde Ho budeme vidieť a pozerať na Jeho tvár a vidieť Ho. V Ježišovom mene to prosím. Amen. Boh vám žehnaj, priatelia. Je mi tak ľúto, že som vzal taký text, ako niečo takéto, takú drsnú vec. Ale rozumiete, čo mám na mysli. Tak keď niekto povie, že ste divní, vy viete, prečo ste divní, však že? Nech ťa Boh žehná, brat Leo.
1 Let's pray, Lord Jesus, when we leave this morning, can say our hearts burned within us, because He has spoke to us along the way. We thank Thee for this grand opportunity that's--that's been, that's come our way, we could assemble here with these people, Thy children, and enjoy this moments of fellowship. And we pray, Heavenly Father, that Your blessings will rest upon us as we journey, different places, and meet others.
2We thank Thee for every testimony of this fine Christian atmosphere here this morning, and for all these ones that's been a long time in the way, and for this young man that's just crossed over Jordan, to see what it really means to live. We can all appreciate that, Lord, in knowing that one time we were on the other side, too. But no more of the old life, now. It's--it's only... It's back in Egypt.
3Now we pray that You'll bless our fellowship together as we read Thy Word, and speak a few words from this great Word of God that we all believe in. And bless it to our hearts now, to continue the service. In the Name of Jesus Christ we ask it. Amen.
4 Brother Leo, Brother Gene and pilgrims, I--I deem this one of the grand privileges that I've had, to come here to see for myself what you have here on these grounds. It's a... I have been blessed as I moved across the little creek there, and see this court. And I... One time when Brother Leo was making tapes, and I told him that surely there was something greater in life for him than to make tape. And, course, tape-making is something that we must do, but it's blessed us, but there is something else. We're all cut out for different things to do.
5And to come here this morning and look, this fine little Jerusalem setting out here, little, what I called, it Goshen, I believe, when we come over this morning. Remember, Goshen was one of the places that they worshipped, one of the first places the tent was pitched. And to meet old friends, and--and new, and to have this time allotted to us, I just... It seems like that--that you just don't want to leave. There's just something that wants to hold you. I can see why you people would--would want to stay here. See? It's something that grips you.
6 I don't believe I was ever in any sweeter worship and fellowship, as these songs and things, that I set there and bite my lips and shake my feet, and try to hold myself back from screaming out, when I heard those old songs sang in the way I think they ought to be sung, and that's sung in the Spirit. Now, that's what we--we... Paul said, "If I sing, I'll sing in the Spirit." Now, I can't imagine the Spirit as being screaming to the top of our voice. I--I think the Spirit of Christ is love, and gentleness, and peace, that--that brings something to our souls, that feed us. I think, there, that's the way them songs should be sang.
7 And to be here with you, a dedicated people to a cause, cause of Christ; there's just so many things I could--could say, that the time wouldn't permit me. I--I come for... I thought, "Well, I'll run up and visit Brother Leo and the church up there and the portion of the Body of Christ that's waiting for--for His Coming, and a part of the Bride that's sojourning here."
8And how you've separated yourself from the rest the world, and--and come over here to live this way. I was thinking, even the little creek, you're on this side of Jordan now, you're--you're in the--the land here. You've--you've come over an exodus, a coming-out of the world, into a place to where you can congregate yourself together and--and worship God, really according to the dictates of your conscience.
9And that's what we stand for, as a democracy, as a nation. We stand for this very thing, that each man can worship. And it's just too bad we don't have more like this. See? That's right. Where, that let the world be in their place. And God's people be in their place, where we can have this.
10 And I certainly have... If--if I said "amen" and walked out the door, I'd say it would pay me every Sunday to drive up here, or--or have my children even to come up, to--to set under an atmosphere like this. Because, it's always the atmosphere that brings the results.
11You can lay a seed out there in the ground. No matter how much that seed is germitized, and lay it there, it's got to have an atmosphere to make it live. See? That sun has to come to a certain power, before, bring it to a certain atmosphere. An egg has to have an atmosphere, or it won't hatch. No matter how fertile it is, it's got to have that atmosphere.
12 And I think, that in a group like this, Christians hatch out, are born again in such an atmosphere as this. This is kind of atmosphere I was born under. No matter where I go and visit, the cold world, and mission fields and so forth, I can even stand and close my eyes and think of this atmosphere.
13This reminds me when I was just a boy preacher and just starting out. We had little groups to meet from house to house. We separated ourselves from the things of the world, too. That's what made my heart the way it is today, in love with Christ, where we can dwell together.
14I believe the Scripture said, "How sweet it is that brethren can dwell together in unity." It's like the anointing oil was on Aaron's beard, that ran to the hems of his garments."
15And just--just so much could be said. I--I... Maybe the Holy Spirit will interpret to you, after I'm gone, what it is. Wish I could stay all afternoon, and just forsake meals and everything else, just set here and hear you sing. See? Hear you sing, and talk, and testify, it means so much.
16 My daughter graduates tonight. Or, it's just the baccalaureate service, tonight, and I have to hurry back. And I didn't know that, that it was to be this, baccalaureate service was to be, until just last night. I'm kind of busy, and don't notice it.
17And visiting with Brother Leo and Brother Gene, as they come down, I've longed for the time to be here, wondering, just really. I heard people say, "Well, they got a lovely trailer court. They're over on one side. The world is on the other. And on this side is all dedicated lives and things."
18I thought, "I'd like to see that. I just--just like to see what it really is." And you all are blessed to be here.
19 I--I want to read just one verse out of the Bible. And I think, just reading this one verse will absolutely make a complete service. But I have, coming up here, I had just a few comments that I thought I would say. It won't take me but just a few minutes. And then I would like to say these comments to what I--what I feel now. In the Book of Second Corinthians, the 12th chapter, and the 11th verse, I would like to read this. Paul speaking.
I have become a fool in glorying; yea, compelling me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.
20I would like, just if I would call this a text... I--I think the Holy Spirit is among us. And, we, it wouldn't be just to read a Scripture. He, that's what He lives on. And every Word is given by inspiration, and it's fitting for time. It never ends. It's like a chain. It just keeps going on. It never ends, the Scripture.
21 And I thought, while reading this, and thinking of this little place up here, this come on my mind, Paul saying, "I have become a fool." See? Now, that's a very strange thing for an apostle to say. "I have become a fool." Now, a fool is a person that really isn't in their right mind. And how would this apostle say such a thing as this, "I become a fool"?
22And then thinking of--of this group, no doubt, that, in the eyes of the people on the other side, you've become a fool. You have become what we would call, today: The Oddball. No doubt but what people think that of you. And remember, that, on the other side, they're oddballs, too. See?
23So--so you have to be somebody's fool, so I'd rather be a fool for Christ. See? I'd be a... God said His people were "a peculiar people, odd; a chosen, elected; a royal priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God, that is, the fruits of our lips, giving praise to His Name."
24 Some time ago... This little sense of humor, I hope it doesn't break the fine spirit that's in here. Just come on my mind. It was a Brother Troy of the Full Gospel Business Men, was telling about this. I was thinking of this, for this young singer here, that's just come to the Lord. When he--he was working in a...
25He's a meat cutter, and he was working in a butcher shop. And--and this was a German there, and he just kept talking to him about the Lord. And this German couldn't talk English very well. So he--he said, "Well, come on to the meeting." Said, "You need the baptism of the Holy Ghost."
26So the old Dutchman want him to know that he was a Lutheran, you see, he was--he was all right. He was a...?...
"Well, you come on up and visit us once."
27And so they come across a--a bunch of, perhaps, oddballs, too, as we call it. You see? And that night this German man received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. And the next day he was cutting meat, and speaking in tongues and singing. He was having him a regular jubilee.
28And so, after while, the boss of the factory come by, and he said, "Henry," said, "what's the matter with you?"
He said, "O glory to God." He said, "I--I got saved."
29And he said, "Why," he said, "where you been?" Said, "You must have been down there with that bunch of nuts," he said.
30 He said, "Yes, glory to God!" He said, "I--I was down there with the bunch of nuts." He said, "You know, if you didn't have the--the--the nuts..." Said, "You take like the automobile, it comes down the road. And you take all the nuts out of it, you, what you got but a bunch of yunk!" That's just about right, and you take the--the--the nuts out of anything. Now, it takes that to hold the thing together.
31The world gets in such a place, in a turmoil, and the church gets so sold up in worldlyism and--and denominationalism, and so forth, till it takes sometimes a nut to hold the thing together. That's right. If they don't have it, we don't have it, we don't have the church.
32Now, we can think of that subject just for a few moments. Paul said, "I have become a fool, or a--a--a nut, just for..." Now, you have to be somebody's nut. You can either be a nut for the world, or a nut for Christ.
33One day in California, was walking down the street, and there was a man. He had a sign on the front of him, like this, said, "I am a fool for Christ." And on his back he had a sign that said, "Now, whose fool are you?" See? So, we asked him, on it. Said, "You have to be somebody's fool."
34 So Paul, here, had chosen to be a fool for Christ. And you can imagine how the world thought of him at that time; and not only the world, but the church. That man had been trained to be a priest. He was trained under Gamaliel, a great, one of the greatest scholars and greatest teachers of that day. And when he had, maybe, say, his Bachelor of Art and his--his Doctor's degree, and--and was ready for to--to be called into the priesthood, and maybe someday with the possibility, with the enthusiasm this young man had. And then to change that, all at once, all because something happened. He met Christ on the road to Damascus.
35And then, to the world he was a fool, and to the church he was a fool. To the--the denominational church he was actually a fool. That's what he said here, he had become a fool. He's a fool to those people, but he was the instrument that God used, to hold the Church together, to hold the Body, as It was in that day, together. He'd become a fool for that--for that sake.
36 We can imagine of Noah, as the brother sang of him here, "While God sent His love on the wings of a dove," one of my favorite songs. And I've always wanted to get somebody that could play that. I wanted to speak on it.
37One time I read a story of some soldiers being pinned down, and the enemy, Germans in the first World War, had them pinned down. And they had a--a little pigeon to take a message. And when the... That's a form of a dove, of course. It's one variety of dove. And when they put the message on the little pigeon, he flew up in the air. And bullets shooting at him, every way, 'cause they knowed what it was. It broke his leg. His little legs was hanging down, crippled. And his wings had the feathers shot out of it. He was turning sideways, and everything, through the air. But he dropped right in the camp where he was supposed to, and they got help.
38You know what I mean, from there on. See? So, we were in that kind of shape one day, too, you know. And He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquity, but the message got here, just the same. He got the message to us.
39 Noah, in his days. I can imagine a man of his caliber, a prophet that was vindicated of God. And--and God spoke to him one day. What a strange thing it was, in a great scientific age. Perhaps could shoot the moon with their radar, and they could build a sphinx and the pyramid. And--and God spoke to him and said, "Noah, it's going to rain water down out of the heaven." Could you imagine a man of his caliber, a prophet of the Lord, go out with such a silly message as that, and say that?
40It had never rained, remember, from the heavens, in them days. God watered the earth, the Bible says, by irrigation through the ditches and so forth, springs. It had never rained a drop. There was no water up there. So they could prove there was no water up there.
41 And then a man come out with a message. And not only that, but separated himself from the rest the world. He become a nut to the world. That's right. He was a nut of his age. How a man with such a crazy message, would try to bring a people out into a little trailer, or an ark, or whatever it was they--they were building up there. And--and he was--he was actually a foolish man.
42But what did he do? In doing so, he was the nut that saved the believing Church in that day. Yes, sir. That's what happened. He had to take them out from the world. But he was preparing a place that he knowed that Christ could come to and would take them. He become a nut.
43 You, could you imagine Moses in his day, a man going down to a great intellectual? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] They conquered the world at that time. And their scientific and their--their art and stuff, really, I guess, exceeded ours today. And their master art and their mastership of buildings, and so forth, and the great things that they did then, in--in that day.
44And could you imagine a man coming down there, and said he met a--a--a God that they didn't even believe in, in a burning bush? And he came down... Being a military man, to begin with, and been trained in all the maneuvers of--of--of military world. And we find that he comes down there with a stick in his hand to take and deliver a people out of a nation that held--held the world captive.
45 Why, to Pharaoh, he was a nut. That's all. "He was crazy." Said, "Let him do it, go ahead, rave on. He'll declare himself insane." Well, now, really to Pharaoh, and his great scientific world, he was a oddball. He was a nut to--to them. You see? He was.
46But what did he do? He delivered the people, because he was sent of God. It took... It takes something peculiar, something that's different from the rest of the world. You see, the world is so one way on a great... their great scientific achievements, and so forth. And when a man is led of God, to do something that's odd to that, he becomes a fool. "He's crazy." But, see, it takes something like that, to hold the thing together.
47 Now, we think of Elijah in his days. When, Ahab and Israel, at that time, had every nation under heavens fearing them under this Ahab's reign. And Ahab was a great man. It was a great day, something on the order we have now. The church had all become fashion. See? It was Jezebel's paint, and--and Ahab's worldliness, and compromising, and they tore down the altars of God. "Oh, just you serve a god, what difference does it make? See? We'll go up to the groves, and you can serve any god you want to."
48That's just about the way it is today, see, all fashions, and--and--and dressings, and clothings, and things of the world. And, "Oh, if you want to belong to this, belong to that, belong to this, belong to that, it's all right. See? Just as long as you go to church, it doesn't make any difference."
49It does make a difference, what I--what I belong to, and what God I serve, and how I serve Him. He's got one way for me to serve Him, He's got that wrote out here in this Word. And that's the way we're to serve Him. See? Now, It does make a difference.
50 But when Elijah came out there with such a message as he had, could you imagine? He became a nut to--to--to Pharaoh, or to... Pardon me. To Ahab, he became a regular... Separating himself! But, you see, there was seven thousand among those people, see, that could be saved. See? And he came for them. He had to become a nut to the world, in order to catch them. So did Noah, had to become a nut to the world to catch eight souls, with himself. See? He had to become an odd sort of--of a person.
51 Amos, in the days when he brought his message, and he prophesied. And we find out, that, when he come in to--to--to Samaria, which had been given over to the world. And the women in the streets had become almost public prostitution. And the fashions, it was a modern Hollywood. When this little, unknown bald-headed fellow raised up, over the mountain one morning, and looked down upon the Samaria, and saw it in sin, and, why, I'd imagine his heart almost failed.
52Only thing he had knowed, he had been the husbandman. He wasn't really... The Lord just give him this message and sent him down there. And now he had no sponsorship. He had--he had nobody to back him up. But he was led of God to go, bring this message to the people, and to call them out from judgment.
53Well, now, I'd imagine, to the great scientific age and the age of glamour, something on order today, Amos became a--a--a oddball. See? He became a fool, and they--they wouldn't want nothing to do. But, yet, he had THUS SAITH THE LORD. See? And he delivered what could be delivered.
54 John the Baptist, when he came in his days, that great religious world, coming out, in, of a wilderness like this, out of the rocks and things in the--in the wilderness of Judaea. And he wasn't dressed like a priest. He--he wore the rough clothes of a working man, perhaps, with a--a garment around him, not some great theological seminary teacher or some, forth. But he--he was just a common man that could work with his hands, or anything. When he--when he came down, out of the--the wilderness there, and sheepskin wrapped around him, he had THUS SAITH THE LORD, for he knew that the time of the Messiah was then.
55He could thoroughly identify himself in God's Word. He said, for remember, he identified himself in Malachi the 3rd chapter, see, as the messenger to forerun the coming of the Lord. He knowed the coming was so close until he--he had to come out. Well, the people thought he was a wild man, just a--a--a--a fool. See?
56"A nut," we'd call it today. Reason I chose that word "nut," it sounds flat. But, yet, it, it's a good word for what I want to use it for, because that's the way the street expression would, will use it today. "Just a--a common nut," we'd call him.
57 Well, here is John the Baptist. He just simply staying out there in that wilderness, preaching his little sermons, up-and-down there, on--on the Jordan, walking up-and-down that banks of the river, crying, "The--the hour is at hand! And come out and separate yourself. The Messiah is coming!" Why, I'd imagine the priests and all them, he had become just a regular nut. That's all. See, that's all he was, just a oddball. And them that followed him become oddballs, just simply fools.
58Do you know our Lord was declared the same thing when He come, a mad man? See? He didn't go over into the cities and--and in their great, or--or join in with the great organizations, and things. He was calling a people. He was calling out. And He was considered, by the religious, his day, a regular nut.
59 Just like Paul was in his day, a trained man, and yet would--would do such a thing as he did, separate himself from the rest the world, and from the denominations, and--and try to call a people. He was an apostle to the Gentile church. He is our apostle, we--we know that, to the Gentile church. He was the nut that brought the Gentile church out of Roman heathenism, and pagan worships of the day.
60 Martin Luther, he was a nut to the Catholic church. See? Could you imagine a priest that had--had throwed his, all of his teachings, away, of the church, and refused to give this communion because the church said, "It is the body of Christ"? And he knowed he... the--the nuns and them had made that kosher up in there. He--he knew that wasn't Christ. That was a piece of bread, see, a little sugar wafer. And he knew that, that that wine was no literal Blood of Christ. It only represented It. So, he--he--he threw it down, in--in his--his honest conviction, and he wanted nothing more to do with it. See? He--he--he was through with it.
61 Now, probably, the Catholic church said, "Oh, let him alone. Look what a--a little group he's got out there. What is he? He's got just a--a false. And us, a big church. That's all it is. It's just a thing." But, you see, he was the nut, see, that was holding it together, see, in the reformation. He brought forth the reformation.
62How about after he organized and got to a place... And--and after his death, and the--the message that he preached had finished, then the church got so cold and starchy again, till God raised up another nut, uh-huh, called John Wesley. That's right. Well, he was a nut to the Anglican church. See? But what did he do? He--he saved the world, the world, the Church that was in the world, may I say. He saved the Church that was in the world. Why? By becoming a nut. That's right. He saved.
63 What then? And now, then, we come along after his time, and the great Wesleyan age passed over, and then we had the Baptists from John Smith, then they had Alexander Campbell, and--and then we had Buddy Robinson of the Nazarene. And finally it just kept waving off, away from the real spin.
64And then God raised up another bunch of nuts: Pentecost. And they become a nut to the people. They're crazy, to the world. But what did they do? They did a great work. They certainly did, the Pentecostal age.
65 Now, now, I believe it's time for another nut to raise. And don't you think so? I--I think it's just about... Pentecost has done the same thing that--that the rest of the world went. But it's time for another nut. See? So if we have to throw away, on this side of the bank, you see what I mean? And the people think that we're so odd and peculiar, the way we separate ourselves, the way you have here. And we're--we're not divided. We're one. See? See? The way that we are, we separated ourselves from the world.
66Brother Leo, led to come up here, and there you had little children that has to be trained up. See? You got women, young ladies here, that--that don't like to walk in the way of the world. You got men here, that's aged and retiring. They want a place to where they can settle down and feel at home. You dwell among your own kind of people. Well, and, see, I think that God can raise up something to take care of that. Don't you think so? [Congregation says, "Amen.--Ed.] I--I believe that with all my heart, that He does that.
67 Now, we find out, it's time now. Notice, the nut always was what pulled them together.
68Like all Americans today, we find so much worldlyism and things, in our churches and our denominations, and things. Let something raise up on the Word. See, they got off to the creed and not the Word. And let something raise up with the Word, you know.
69You say, "Well, the people think you separated yourself." I talked to your pastor here, and our Brother Leo. And someone said, "Well, why don't you come, and come into this, and come in that?"
70He said, "No, no." See, he, he is sold out to one thing, the Word, see, to the Word. See?
71 Well, now look. If there is a nut sent, there has got to be a bolt for it to fit on. That right? Now, God sends nuts. Don't you believe that? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] See? I'll explain this in a little bit. But to make it a point. There's got to be a bolt, and that bolt's got to be threaded, to fit the nut.
72I'm so glad to be threaded with the Word. I'm so glad that there's a bolt that's threaded the same way. And what's it to do? It's to draw out the Bride from the world, set It aside for something different. Yes, friends. We may be a nut to the things of the world, the people of the world, but we are only drawing out, that which is threaded for this.
73 Noah was threaded in his day, and the rest of the prophets, and down through the age. And the righteous men was threaded, because He sent it. What would be use of having a bolt or nut, if you didn't have a bolt for it to go on? And what is a bolt and a nut together to do? Is to draw something together. See? And it's the drawing powers of Christ, that draws us out from the things of the world. See? And then we fellowship with Paul's great ministry, saying, "I have become a fool." So when people think that you are odd, see, see where you stand? See? You've become a fool to them, that you might be drawed by the power of God. To which, Something within you, Something in your heart thread you.
74 I might say this morning, "Who is Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal Assemblies, this, that, and the other?" There'd be all kinds of hands go up here, and forty, fifty people. See? There would be that many, everybody different.
75But what makes you set here? Why are you here. See? Is because you were threaded to something. See? And when it begin to come, it makes sense to you. If you try to put a certain thread upon a bolt, a certain kind that wouldn't fit, it doesn't make sense to you. See, it--it won't go on. See? But when something comes along that fits just exactly, it pulls you from Chicago, from New Orleans, and wherever you come from, to here. See? And now, see, you become an oddball, sure enough, to the world. But don't let that bother you. See? Don't let that bother you.
76 Now you say, "How do I know I'm threaded right?" Watch the Word. See? Now you know whether you're threaded right, whether we are nuts for Christ, or whether we are nuts to the world.
Now the world, also, has received their--their nut. Exactly.
77I had a little something wrote down here, I wanted, didn't want to forget. The--the... And we set here, become bolts, nuts to the world, that's exactly, that we might hold the Kingdom of God together, on earth; see, the Kingdom of God, together. All right.
78 Remember, the world, they--they, the outside world, they have their nuts also. Satan gives them a nut, in the days of this great thing. See, it all works it, pro and con. See? Now in the days of...
79The world had a nut, and that was Pharaoh, in the days of--of Moses. There were, see, there had to be. The--the Devil has his nuts too. Well, there was Pharaoh. See? Now, Israel; and Moses standing down there, was to draw those people out, was a nut to Pharaoh. But also Pharaoh was a nut to them, too. See?
80 And so it has to be that way. So, you're somebody's nut. I'm so glad to be wound in the Word, aren't you, with--with the thread of That? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Somebody will teach That.
81Ahab, he was a nut, exactly, to Elijah and the seven thousand, all his group out there. Jezebel in all their fine, fancy fandangles and things they had out there, that was a nut to that seven thousand, never bow their knee to Baal. And so was Elijah a nut to them, see, the same thing.
82We find out, in the days of Herod, John was a nut. See? And Herod was a nut also. The world had one. All right.
83In the days of Jesus, He was a--a--a--a fool to--to the world, see, to Pilate. But Pilate was a nut, also, to turn Him down. That's right. See? He wasn't threaded. He had a opportunity. But when he had his opportunity to accept it, he wanted some kind of a clown, some kind of a trick, some kind of a magic rabbit to bring out of a hat, you know, or something. He said, "Oh, I would see You do some tricks," you know, or something like that. He was a nut, himself. See? He had a chance to receive it, but he didn't.
84 The Sadducees also, and the Pharisees, was the same thing in that day, by not accepting Paul, the one that said he become a fool to the world. See?
85But the church has its nuts, too. See? And the world has its nuts. Christ has His. See? Now whose are you? The only way you can know...
You say, "How do I know this is right, Brother Branham?"
86"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us." Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever." Therefore, the Word still is Him. So if we're threaded with That, see. Know, we, though we be a nut to the--the world, if we are threaded in Christ's Word, and Christ's showing it, when He--He is pulling it together, see, pulling his Church together. Let them raise and do what they want to.
87 Now, Jesus, in Matthew 24:24, said that, "These two groups would be so close, in the last days, to deceive the very elected, if possible." The people, still, the people sometime in Pentecost, to you out-comers from Pentecost, see. When they organize and got over there in those groups like that, and you come away from it. See, the Bible said, that, "It would deceive the very elected if it was possible." See? "The very elected," that's the ones that's elected to do this; the ones, see, the bolt.
88Don't come, say, "Oh, theirs there, there's a nut, you see." You see, he's got to be, he's got where the... When the threads are cut in the bolt, it's got to be cut in the nut the same way. See what I mean? It's got to fit. See? And the Elected, therefore, you see, it won't tighten up with anything else. It's just got to come to Christ. You see? It's the only thing that'll fit. See? And that's where we stand today. Thanks be to--to God. And all right.
89 Now, we find out, also, that the--the world has their nut. And you know, there's so much could be said. We haven't the time to say it, of course. But, this, this one thought, to you.
90I notice this fine little bunch of ladies that sang over there, a few minutes ago. Boy, I wish I had that song. Get that on tape for me, will you, these songs? When you all sing here, make up a song sometime. I'll pay you for the tape. See? I'd like to have it. See? That was beautiful, that real sweet worship like that.
91Now, you know, there was a--a... The young, the women of today, they, Chris-... what is so-called Christians, the women who--who go to church, they--they wanted something to--to--to satisfy. They knowed that they--they wasn't getting it, just going to church. But they want to maintain their testimony just the same. See? They wanted to hold their testimony, "I'm Methodist, Baptist. I'm a Christian, you see." They wanted to strip their clothes off of them. They wanted to wear shorts and bikinis, or what you call them, and all they could see. They, they wanted to do these things. They wanted to have a haircut like men, and--and--and do these things.
92And so they--they wanted to do that. See? And, yet, did you ever think why they did? Jesus said, "Them two spirits will be so close, it'd deceive the Elected." That has to come to pass. See? See? So, they wanted to. They didn't get...
93 A--a human has to worship. You have to worship something. You, it's just in you, to worship. So a human has to worship something. So, they had no worship in their church, so God raised them up a nut, Elvis Presley, Pat Boone. They still hold their testimony. Elvis Presley, a Pentecostal. Pat Boone, a church of Christ. See, absolutely nut to fulfill Jesus' Words here, "Would be so close, it would deceive the very elected, if possible." Still maintain, sing hymns on Sunday, and rock-and-rolled on Monday. See? To us, that's--that's a nut. See? It, it really is.
94 Now, but, you see, in there He had some fine women, also, that wanted to act like ladies. They had decency in them. They wanted to be what Christ wants them to be. So He sends the person along with a message, that--that to that church that they belong to it's foolish, he becomes a nut. But you see, what it is, It fits just exactly. When you talk about long hair, and looking like a lady, and dressing like a lady. And acting like a lady... Instead of standing here like these girls this morning...
95 I was watching a little girl there, her eyes looked Heavenly. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... glassy, as she looked up like that, singing, something in her heart. Watch them here, as them young ladies sang. I thought, "O God! Well, what if--if a Hollywood star could--could get that in their heart? They'd be the same thing." See? But what is it? Why did they go that way? You couldn't pull one of them girls in Hollywood. If you'd give her ten thousand dollars a day, she wouldn't go. Why? She's threaded different. That's exactly right. She is threaded different. That's right.
96You couldn't pull Leo, Gene and them into some organization. Why? Couldn't pull you fellows into one. Why? You're threaded different. See? So if you are threaded, there's got to be a nut somewhere!...?... see, to--to hold that together. Isn't it right? See? Then it's complete.
97"Thanks be to God," like the little Dutchman said, "for the nuts. If you take them out, it becomes a bunch of junk."
98What have you got? A bunch of denominationalism, a bunch of cold formalism, no Christ in it at all, no Word in it at all, just a bunch of creeds, and so forth. And what have you got? Take the nut out, you got a bunch of junk, that's right, nothing in the world but firewood, something that's waiting for the blazes and punishments of God, to judge and to burn up, at some day.
99 So I'm thankful this morning to fit right in, up here, see, where you might be an odd person on this side of the river. Even some of your people might think that you are odd. I know they do. I've had letters from them, see, that said you were odd, you were different, "what in the world happened" to you? I just chose this little thing to say to you this morning. See? Sure, you're a nut. That's right. But I'm glad to be one. But if I'm not tight with this Word, then I'm "yunk." See? I'll just be a nut for Christ. Yes.
100I get letters from many of your people. Some of them come by and say, "Do you know what happened?"
"What?"
101"This odd guy," uh-huh, "so-and-so, went up there and done so-and-so."
I said, "Wait just a minute."
102Depends on what you're wound on. See? So, may the Lord Jesus Christ, the Shepherd of the flock, ever keep your hearts so wound into Him, that, when the great Shepherd does appear, we'll appear with Him.
Can we pray?
103 Heavenly Father, seeing that time has run out, I'm just rushed. Such a lovely, sweet bunch of Christians. And such a rude text; but in the room the other day, thinking of what I seen on letters, and what I heard people say. When I... Your little servants here asked me to come up and visit them, and fellowship with the little flock. This rude text of being a nut, I thought I'd use that, so I could get the--the thought over to them. They--they would understand what I think, too. We have become a fool, like Paul, to the world. But yet, Lord, we want to be so tightened to You and Your Word, that, when the Rapture comes, we'll--we'll want to be with it, Lord. So help us to ever have our hearts knitted and bound together in the love of Christ.
104 Bless Brother Leo, Brother Gene, and Brother Daulton, and all these fine men and these lovely women in here. Hearing their testimonies, happy, happy, contented. Walk in the room up there, where one that's paralyzed, and to see the smiles! No wonder, our Brother Leo said it's a bit of sunshine, to walk up here. No wonder, to see even when the man, not even a bit of relation to her, nothing but concerned, that they'd take a trailer and make it so she could be happy. See, Lord, the thread works just right. Walk into that home, and see someone who really could be grouchy, and--and fussy, and nasty, because that--that they're not out and able to run and dance and--and cut up, like many women. But she's happy to be here with her kind, and to be here with the Word of God, where It can be preached, and not any creeds tacked to It; just truly unadulterated Word of God, to worship in Spirit. Come in a little place like this, it's a little trailer where we meet together. It's the church. "Wherever two or three are assembled, I'm in their midst." We know You're here, Lord, and we worship You and we praise You.
105 I pray, God, that You'll keep sickness away from them. Keep the enemy across the river. May this great exodus, it may be in a minor form, but, Lord, someday it's going to grow. And I pray, Lord, that this little exodus here, that You--You will be with them as You did with Moses and them, as they crossed the--the Jordan, and, Joshua, as he went into the promised land.
106And I pray that You'll help them, Lord, and keep their hearts genuine, true to You. And bless them as they teach the Word. And may they live long, happy lives. And someday, if we're around here, Lord, living on earth when You come, may there come a shout from this side of the branch out there, and the Church go up. Grant it, Lord. Because, somebody wasn't... was foolish enough to the world, to become a nut, to hold it together, Lord, until You come.
107 Then, as John of old, from the days gone by. As the little ladies and them sing, "We have separated." And how he had to be alone. But, when he did, the little church that he had drawed together... When he seen Jesus, he said, "Now my work is over. He increases; I decrease."
108Father, I pray that You'll ever keep us happy and healthy. May we meet many times more, upon the earth, and loving and serving you. May Thy Divine blessings rest upon this service, upon the services that shall follow. And may we all live such in this life, in the life to come, we'll have Eternal Life in the great age to come, over in that great Millennium reign where we shall see Him and look upon His face, and see Him. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.
109God bless you, my people. I am so sorry that I, too, I--I--I took a text something like that, see, such a rude thing. But you get what I meant. See? So, when anyone, they say you're odd, you know why you're odd, don't you?
God bless you, Brother Leo.