Vytrvalý
1 ...som si istý, že naša láska ku Nemu. Ale medzi ľuďmi je veľké ochladenie. Prebudenie sa skončilo. Ohne zhasínajú. Vidíte, je čas, aby sa niečo stalo. Viete, v starom rímskom chráme, v chráme Vesty, keď zhasli tie ohne, každý išiel domov, tak sa už nič nedialo. A myslím, že to je... Som dosť „Quakerom“ na to, aby som veril, že to tak má byť.
2 No, myslím, že dnes večer... Každý večer som to vynechal, ale... Rád rešpektujem toto Slovo Božie, pretože si myslím, že to je Božie Slovo a To je On. To je On v písanej forme. Samotná litera, musíte tam mať Ducha, aby tú literu oživil. Tak teraz sa postavme z úcty k tomuto Slovu, zatiaľ čo To budeme čítať. Svätý Marek, 7.kapitola a začneme od 24.verša a budeme čítať až do 30.verša. Vy, ktorí máte svoju Bibliu a chceli by ste sa dívať na text a urobiť znova dnes večer možno také malé formálne zasadenie niekoľkých semien, aby ste si vybudovali tú vieru, až kým nepríde čas.
3 A keď pocítim, že Duch tomu dal ten vrchol, hneď potom bude každý z vás zavolaný na pódium. Nerobte si starosti, hneď potom to tak bude. Ale kým sa ten Duch nedostane na to miesto, kde cítite, že ľudia to majú!
4 Na čo dobré ti to bude sem prísť, ak sa tu len prejdeš? Prechádzate cez rad Tommyho Hicksa a Tommyho Osborna a Orala Robertsa, a tam a späť cez nejaký rad. To len oslabuje vašu vieru. To je celé.
5 Keď sem prichádzate s úplnou istotou, že nechodíte pred svojím bratom alebo pred kýmkoľvek iným, prichádzate sem, pretože vás vyzval prísť Duch Boží, ktorý je vo vás, tak potom sa niečo stane. Nie je nič, čo by tomu zabránilo. Dovtedy ste len na prechádzke, točíte sa dookola; do mesta prichádza ďalší kazateľ, točíte sa dookola; príde ďalší kazateľ, točíte sa dookola. To nie je dobré. V tom kazateľovi nie je nič, nič viac ako v tvojom manželovi alebo tvojom bratovi alebo ktokoľvek to môže byť. My sme len Jeho zástupcovia, ktorí vám hovoria Slovo. Niektorí z nich majú rôzne dary, o ktorých Biblia hovorí. Toto všetko sa deje na to, aby bola potvrdená Jeho Prítomnosť.
6 No, keby som to bol ja alebo vy voči mne, ak by ste nemohli prijať slovo jeden druhého, no, tým by to bolo vybavené. Ale Boh, plný milosrdenstva, poslal dary a potvrdenie, aby to dokázal, a práve tak... On je tak trpezlivý, tak dobrý a láskavý, že On nechce, aby bol niekto stratený alebo zranený. On si chce byť istý, že každý jeden z vás sa tam dostane. V poriadku.
7 No, máte Biblie obrátené do 7.kapitoly svätého Marka a 24.verš.
A vstal odtiaľ a odišiel do okolia Týru a Sidona a vojdúc do domu chcel, aby nikto nezvedel o tom, ale sa nemohol utajiť.
Lebo počujúc o ňom žena, ktorej dcéruška mala nečistého ducha, prišla a padla k jeho nohám -
a žena bola Grékyňa, Sýrofeníčanka rodom - a prosila ho, žeby vyhnal démona z jej dcéry.
Ale Ježiš jej povedal: Nechaj, aby sa najprv nasýtili deti, lebo sa nesvedčí vziať chlieb detí a hodiť šteňatám.
Ale ona odpovedala a riekla mu: Áno, Pane, lebo aj šteňatá pod stolom jedia z odrobiniek detí.
Vtedy jej povedal: Pre to slovo idi; démon vyšiel z tvojej dcéry.
A odíduc do svojho domu našla dieťa ležať na posteli, a démon už bol vyšiel.
8 Modlime sa teraz, so sklonenými hlavami a srdciami. Som zvedavý, zatiaľ čo sa modlíme, koľkí z vás by tu chceli byť spomenutí na modlitbe za niečo špeciálne, zodvihli by ste možno svoju ruku, „Pane, nech som to dnes večer ja,“ vidíte, alebo, „Mám milovaného človeka, nech je to dnes večer on.“
9 Náš nebeský Otče, Ty poznáš potreby skôr, ako vôbec prosíme. Ježiš nás učil, že „Váš Otec vie, čo potrebujete, predtým, ako prosíte,“ ale my stále musíme prosiť.
10 Keď sa pozrel na žatvu, On bol Pánom žatvy a povedal, „Žatva je zrelá, robotníkov je málo; modlite sa k Pánovi žatvy, aby poslal robotníkov do Svojej žatvy,“ a tým urobil Samého Seba tak zviazaným dokopy s človekom, že pôsobí len prostredníctvom človeka. On si vybral človeka, aby pracoval pre Neho. Mohol si zvoliť slnko, aby kázalo Evanjelium, mohol si vybrať vetry alebo stromy alebo hviezdy. Ale On si vybral človeka, zakrýva Samého Seba vo vnútri, skrýva sa pred neveriacim, zjavuje sa tomu, komu chce.
11 Pane Bože, dnes večer tu nie sme kvôli ničomu inému, len aby sme videli, ako sa nám zjavuješ v odpúšťaní hriechov, ktoré sme spáchali, a ako nám pomáhaš a povzbudzuješ svätých na ceste, dávaš spasenie hriešnikom, povolávaš odpadlíkov naspäť do obecenstva nebeského Otca a do Cirkvi veriacich, prvorodených. Udeľ to, Pane.
12 Ty vieš, čo je za každou z tých rúk, ktoré sa zdvihli hore. Ty vieš, čo bolo za tým, pod srdcom. Poznáš ich túžbu. Modlím sa za nich, aby si každému z nich udelil ich túžby. Moje ruky boli tiež hore, Pane. Udeľ nám naše prosby.
13 Požehnaj čítanie Tvojho Slova. A teraz, keď berieme text, modlíme sa, aby si nám odhalil kontext, aby sme Ho mohli lepšie poznať. A keď odtiaľto dnes večer odídeme, nech povieme ako tí, ktorí prichádzali z Emauz, potom, ako On vstal z mŕtvych. A celý deň s Ním chodili, rozprávali sa s Ním, a predsa nevedeli, kým On je. V tomto meste je dnes večer bezpochyby mnoho takých, Pane, ktorí s Tebou hovorili a kráčali s Tebou, a pritom nikdy nerozpoznali Tvoju Prítomnosť.
14 Ale v tú noc, keď Ty... keď Ťa požiadali, aby si vošiel do vnútra a zostal s nimi, Kleofáš a jeho priateľ, a keď si zavrel dvere a sadol si si, urobil si niečo presne tak, ako si to urobil pred Svojím ukrižovaním. Žiaden iný človek to takto nerobil. Urobil si to Svojím vlastným spôsobom a podľa toho vedeli, že Ty si vzkriesený Kristus. Rýchlo si zmizol z ich dohľadu. A s ľahkým srdcom plným radosti sa rýchlo spojili s ostatnými apoštolmi a povedali, „Skutočne, On vstal z mŕtvych.“
15 A keď dnes večer opustíme túto budovu, nech Ťa uvidíme prísť na scénu a robiť tie isté veci, ktoré si robil pred Svojím ukrižovaním, ako si Ty zasľúbil, že to zopakuješ v posledných dňoch. A udeľ, Pane, že keď odídeme, pôjdeme tak, ako oni, povediac, „Či v nás nehoreli naše srdcia, ako On ku nám hovoril na ceste?“ Lebo o to prosíme v Jeho Mene a na Jeho slávu. Amen.
Môžete si sadnúť.
16 Chcel by som dnes večer vziať ako text len jedno slovo a to slovo, ktoré chcem vziať, je: Vytrvalý.
17 Môžete povedať, „Brat Branham, to je veľmi krátke slovo pre tristo alebo štyristo ľudí, ktorí tu dnes večer sedia,“ alebo koľkokoľvek ich tu je; neviem dobre posúdiť to publikum. A poviete, „To je veľmi malé slovo.“ No, to nie je tá veľkosť, v skutočnosti ide o to, čo o tom poviem.
18 No, vytrvalosť, podľa Webstera, to je slovo... že ty si 'vytrvalý,' a tiež to znamená 'byť vytrvalý v snahe dosiahnuť nejaký cieľ;' pokúsiť sa niečo vykonať, pokúsiť sa niečo urobiť. Ste vytrvalí, keď ste neústupní.
19 No, všetci kresťania musia byť neústupní. Musia byť vytrvalí. A jediný spôsob, ako ste schopní toto urobiť, je najprv mať vieru v to, čo sa snažíte robiť. A ak nemáte žiadnu vieru, len na to skáčete, potom nedokážete, nemôžete byť vytrvalí. Ale keď skutočne viete, že je to Pravda, potom vás nič nezastaví, potom ste skutočne vytrvalí.
20 A ľudia všetkých vekov, ktorí boli kedy schopní niečo urobiť, a mali vieru v to, čo sa snažili robiť, boli vytrvalí.
21 Napríklad ako ten, ktorého nazývame otcom nášho národa, George Washington. On bol vytrvalý, keď sa snažil dosiahnuť víťazstvo nad Britmi a prekročil ľadový Delaware. Bol vytrvalý. Nebolo tam nič... Jeho vojaci, polovica z nich, nemali ani topánky na nohách; ich nohy boli zabalené v handrách. Fúkal vietor. Ale on sa modlil celú noc a vo svojom srdci mal víťazstvo. A nebolo tam žiadnej britskej armády, ani by ho nič iné nezastavilo, ani ľadová rieka. On sa premodlil a nebolo tam nič, čo by ho zastavilo. Bol vytrvalý a dosiahol cieľ, ktorý sa snažil dosiahnuť, pretože mal odpoveď od Boha.
22 Keď človek dostane odpoveď od Boha, nič ho nezastaví.
23 Väčšina ľudí dnes, ako sa budem opakovať z včerajšieho večera, hovorí, že namiesto viery majú nádej. Nájdete ľudí, ktorí prichádzajú na pódium, sú jednoducho vypracovaní do nejakých nádejí.
24 „Ale viera je podstatou vecí, na ktoré sa nadejeme; dôkazom.“ To nie je mýtus; to nie je predstavivosť. Je to niečo, čo máte. Už to máte. A vy ste s tým práve tak šťastní, s vašou vierou, ktorú máte, ako by ste boli, keby ste mali v ruke tú podstatu.
25 Napríklad ako v situácii, keď by som zomieral od hladu; a bochník chleba stojí štvrť-dolár, za to by sa dal kúpiť ten bochník chleba. No, keď mám v ruke štvrť-dolár, som práve tak šťastný, ako keby to bol bochník chleba, pretože to je nákupná cena toho chleba.
26 A keď viem vo svojom srdci, že som to prijal, a verím, že mi to Boh dal, som práve tak šťastný s tou vierou, ako keby som bol, keby som bol uzdravený, lebo budem každopádne uzdravený. Mám rovno teraz tú podstatu, nikto mi ju nemôže vziať. Viem, že je to správne, a môžem s tým byť vytrvalý.
27 Keď Boh hovorí niečo, čo sa má stať, ako videnia alebo niečo také. Videl som ich desaťtisíce a mnohí z vás ste svedkami a ani jedno z nich nikdy nesklamalo. A keď Boh niečo hovorí, ja ne-... Ak by dnes večer povedal, „Choď na národný cintorín, lebo Ja ráno vzkriesim Georga Washingtona,“ pozval by som celý svet, aby sa na to prišiel pozrieť; to sa stane.
28 Božie Slovo nemôže zlyhať. On nikdy nezlyhal a nemôže zlyhať. Je jedna vec, ktorú Boh nemôže urobiť, a to je zlyhanie. Nemôže zlyhať. A Boh je Svojím Slovom.
29 Nuž, Noe žil vo vedeckom veku, keď možno mohli vystreliť k mesiacu radar. Ježiš povedal, že to bol deň ako tento. „Ako to bolo vo dňoch Noeho, tak to bude pri príchode Syna človeka.“
30 No, vieme, dolu v Egypte vidíme tieto pyramídy. Dnes by sme ich nedokázali zreprodukovať. Nemáme žiadnu moc na to, aby sme to urobili. Oni používali atómovú silu alebo nejaký iný druh sily, ktorá postavila pyramídy. V žiadnom prípade by sme tam hore nedokázali umiestniť tie balvany. Takisto by sme nemohli zreprodukovať tieto sfingy. Nedá sa to nijako urobiť. Nemáme materiál na výrobu múmie, nabalzamovanie tela, ktoré vyzerá prirodzene aj po tisíce rokov. Stratili sme to umenie. Farbivo, ktoré nevybledne; mnoho vecí, ktoré vtedy mali, pred ktorými sme úplne slepí. A oni postavili tú pyramídu, ktorá tak zapadá do centra zeme, bez ohľadu na to, kde je slnko, nikdy nie je okolo nej žiaden tieň, nikdy nie je žiaden tieň pri pyramíde. Ó, tá architektúra, tie nástroje, ktoré mali, to je teraz ďaleko za nami.
31 A Noe žil v tom intelektuálnom, vedeckom veku. Noe tam žil. A on bol prorok a Pán mu povedal, že bude pršať. A potom, ako Noe počul Hlas Boží a bol prorokom Hlasu Pánovho, Slovo Pánovo prichádza k Jeho prorokovi a on vedel, že bude pršať; nezáležalo na tom, čo ktokoľvek iný povedal, či niekedy predtým pršalo.
32 A nikdy predtým nepršalo. Boh zavlažoval pôdu, vegetáciu, skrze zavlažovanie z prameňov, a tak ďalej, na zemi. Na oblohe nikdy nebol žiaden mrak, ale napriek tomu Noe vedel, že zhora prichádza voda. Ako to On urobí? On to nevedel, ale on bol taký vytrvalý, išiel a postavil koráb podľa plánu, ktorý mu Boh povedal, aby to tak postavil, pretože počul Hlas Boží a stál v prítomnosti Božej, keď mu bol zjavený Hlas Boží.
To by malo zapáliť túto znovuzrodenú Cirkev: vytrvalý!
33 Je mi jedno, koľkí kritici sa tomu smejú, koľkí hovoria, že to tak nemôže byť, a potom idú von a vedecky to dokazujú, vystreľujú na mesiac nejaký radar a ukazujú, že nie je nič také ako voda v povetrí. Ale Noe vedel, že ak Boh... A on stál v Jeho prítomnosti, a to je Boh, ktorý k nemu hovoril, a On bol jasne identifikovaný, že to je Božie Slovo, a tu on stojí v prítomnosti Božej, on bol vytrvalý. On každopádne postaví koráb; a nikto mu nechcel pomôcť, on si to postaví sám. Bol vytrvalý, lebo vedel, že to je Slovo Božie, a on to postavil.
34 Môžem pomyslieť na to, ako bol Mojžiš, veľký učenec, on bol tak chytrý, až mohol tých Egypťanov vyučovať múdrosť. On mohol učiť učiteľov. Poznal všetku teológiu, ktorú poznali Egypťania, a tiež z jeho hebrejskej rodiny. A on bol chytrý, dôvtipný človek, veľký... Sme učení, že bol vojenským mužom. Ale úplne zlyhal kvôli jednej veci. Zabil tohoto Egypťana a jeho vzdelanie skončilo; keď ho potom obvinili, „Či nás tiež zabiješ ako tamtoho Egypťana?“ On si myslel, že jeho bratia to pochopia. A on zlyhal na plnej čiare.
35 A to ku mne privádza takúto myšlienku. To je dôvod, prečo dnes večer zlyhali naše systémy. To je dôvod, prečo nikdy nebudeme schopní vzdelať ľudí k Bohu. Nikdy ich nebudeme schopní zdenominacionalizovať k Bohu. Vyskúšali sme všetky tieto systémy a všetky zlyhali, padli ako babylonská veža. A vždy sa to tak s nimi udeje.
36 Boh, nemenný Boh, urobil Svoje rozhodnutie v záhrade Eden, ako On spasí človeka.
37 A keď Boh robí niekedy rozhodnutie, musí to tak vždy zostať. On sa nemôže zmeniť. Nemôže byť inteligentnejší. On je zdrojom všetkej inteligencie. Bez ohľadu na to, čo hovorí naša veda, ak je to proti Inteligencii alebo Slovu Božiemu, ak je to v protiklade, potom to nie je správne. Je mi jedno, ako vedecky sa to dá dokázať, stále je to nesprávne.
38 Boh sa rozhodol, že spasí človeka preliatou Krvou nevinného. Snažili sa budovať mestá, snažili sa ich zjednotiť, pokúšali sa stavať veže, vzdelávať ich v tom a po celý čas sa dostávajú ďalej. Nikdy nebudete schopní spasiť človeka, až kým sa nevráti naspäť ku Krvi. To je to jediné miesto, kde sa Boh kedy stretne s človekom. Nie svojím intelektom, nie tým, aký je chytrý, koľko ľudí ho urobilo kňazom alebo biskupom alebo štátnym dozorcom, alebo čímkoľvek môže byť, kazateľom, diakonom, to nie je miesto, kde sa Boh stretáva s človekom. Stretáva ho na tom mieste, keď je pod preliatou Krvou. To je to jediné miesto, kde bol Izrael kedy schopný stretnúť Boha, aby Ho uctievali, to bolo pod preliatou krvou. To je Božia pripravená cesta. Žiadna iná cesta nebude fungovať. A pod preliatou Krvou sa Boh stretáva s človekom a stojí v prítomnosti človeka.
39 Mojžiš, tento intelektuál na úteku, prorok na úteku na zadnej strane púšte, a oženil sa s touto krásnou Etiópčankou a žil tam; mal dieťa, malého Geršoma. A jedného dňa, keď sa prechádzal po púšti, na zadnej strane púšte, starý osemdesiatročný muž, vyzeral ako nepoužiteľný, čo sa týka toho, aby bol kazateľom, ale našiel krík, ktorý horel Ohňom, a ten krík nezhorel. A išiel nabok, aby videl, čo sa stalo, a vošiel do prítomnosti Božej; a počul prítomnosť Božiu, počul Hlas Boží, zatiaľ čo bol v Jeho prítomnosti, keď tento Ohnivý Stĺp bol v tomto kríku a hovoril s ním. On sa predtým bál dokonca priblížiť ku Egyptu, keďže vedel, že faraón by ho usmrtil; ale teraz ho už nič nezastaví.
40 A niekedy, keď sa človek dostane do prítomnosti Božej a počuje Hlas Boží, robí veci tak radikálne pre bežné ľudské myslenie, že to až znie komicky.
41 Teraz nastal ďalší deň. Človek, ktorý sa bál vziať armádu, aby zaútočil na Egypt, všetkých tých otrokov v Egypte, on sa bál takto zaútočiť na faraóna; tu je on, na ďalší deň, osemdesiatročný, brada mu visí až po pás, jeho plešatá hlava sa leskne, v ruke má krivú palicu, jeho manželka sedí na mulici s malým dieťaťom na boku, idú dolu a oči má zaostrené hore, oslavuje Boha.
„Kam ideš, Mojžiš?“
42 „Idem dolu do Egypta, aby som ho dobil.” Invázia jedného muža! Prečo? On bol v prítomnosti Božej. Videl, čo Boh dokáže urobiť s palicou. Nevedel, čo môže urobiť s armádou. Ale vedel, čo On môže urobiť s palicou.
43 Neviem, čo On môže urobiť skrze denomináciu. Viem, čo môže urobiť s jedným človekom, ktorý sa Mu úplne odovzdá. Všetko, čo On potrebuje, to je jedna osoba, to si ty. Potom je vytrvalý. Nič ho nezastaví.
44 Mojžiš vošiel do prítomnosti Božej a počul Jeho Hlas v zázračnom znamení. Vedel, že On bol pohlcujúcim Ohňom a tu je On vzadu v kríku ako Ohnivý Stĺp. Celé jeho vzdelanie, celá jeho teológia ho opustila. A on vedel jednu vec: tam bol Boh a on mal Jeho rozkazy. Tá krivá palica bola dostatočne dobrá. On bol v prítomnosti Božej.
45 Nezáleží na tom, koľko vycvičených mužov mal Egypt. Žiadna z týchto vecí pre Mojžiša nič neznamenala. On bol v prítomnosti Božej a bol vytrvalý. On ide dolu, aby sa toho zmocnil s krivou palicou v ruke; proti štítom a desaťtisícom trénovaných mužov. Zastavte ho, ak môžete. Nič ho nemôže zastaviť. A on to dokázal, išiel dolu a prevzal moc, pretože bol vytrvalý, keď absolútne vedel, že bol v prítomnosti Božej a počul Hlas Boží z prítomnosti Božej. Amen. Nielenže to bol Hlas, ale to bol Hlas podľa Písma.
Existujú všetky možné druhy hlasov. Prekontrolujte to so Slovom.
46 Ten hlas povedal, „Ja som Boh Abraháma, Izáka a Jákoba. Dal som zasľúbenie, že tých ľudí vyslobodím. Čas je blízko. Počul som ich vzdychanie, videl som, ako ich tí dozorcovia zaťažujú, a pamätám si na Svoje zasľúbenie. A zostúpil som, aby som ich vyslobodil, a posielam ťa, aby si to urobil.“ To je dostatočne dobré. Videl Jeho Slávu a odišiel.
47 Dávid bol veľmi vytrvalý, keď prišiel k izraelským vojskám, ktoré v tom čase stáli v strachu, a na druhej strane poza malým potôčikom bol jeden Filištín. Bol tam Goliáš, veľký vyzývateľ, asi dvojnásobne väčší ako obyčajný človek, prsty mal dlhé asi 35 centimetrov; a s veľkou kopijou, ktorá bola dlhá niekoľko stôp, ktorú by tam mohol postaviť a len na ňu napichnúť človeka, a takto ho vyhodiť; napichnúť ich, zodvihnúť ich hore na tej kopiji a odhodiť ich preč, keď by prichádzali hore kopcom.
48 A keď nepriateľ vie, že má pri vás navrch, rád sa chváli. Tak on povedal, „Neprelievajme už toľko krvi.“ Povedal, „Saule, nech sem príde niektorý z tvojich mužov a nech so mnou bojuje. A ak ho zabijem, no, tak nám budete slúžiť, ale ak on zabije mňa, budeme slúžiť vám.“ Vidíte, keď má nepriateľ navrch!
49 A každý vojak bol taký roztrasený, že len sotva držal brnenie. A Saul, najschopnejší z nich, on bol o hlavu a ramená vyšší než jeho armáda, on sa ho neodvážil dotknúť, a pritom mal byť pomazaný Pánom.
50 Ale z púšte prišiel malý, zhrbený, rumenný chlapík, ktorý mal v ruke prak. A ten obor sa teraz chvastal pred nesprávnym človekom. A Dávid povedal, „Chcete mi povedať, že tam necháte stáť toho neobrezaného Filištína a rúhať sa armádam živého Boha? Chcete mi povedať, že dovolíte niečo také?“
51 No, jeho bratia povedali, „No, ty si drzý. Choď naspäť ku ovciam, kam patríš.“
52 A zvesť prišla k Saulovi. Saul povedal, „Priveďte sem toho chlapca, nech sa na neho pozriem.“
53 A keď prišiel, stál tam malý zhrbený rumenný mladík, vlasy mu pravdepodobne viseli dolu ku očiam. A on povedal, „No, ty nemôžeš s tým mužom bojovať.“ Povedal, „Si iba drobný, malý rumenný chlapec, a si veľmi mladý. A tamten je bojovníkom od svojej mladosti.“ On povedal, „Nemôžeš s ním bojovať. Obdivujem tvoju odvahu, ale... je to príliš ťažké.“
54 A čo sa stalo? On povedal, „Pozrime sa, či by si mohol použiť moje brnenie.“ A tak na neho nasadil svoje brnenie a dal mu svoj štít.
55 Nuž, chudák Dávid sa nemohol postaviť. On povedal, že o tom nič nevie. Zistil, že Saulova cirkevná vesta nesedela na muža Božieho.
56 A tak povedal, „Pošlem ho preč a dám mu vzdelanie, Ph.D., LL.D., a tak ďalej, a uvidím, čo s tým môže urobiť.“
57 On povedal, „Neviem nič o týchto veciach, daj to zo mňa dole. Ja o tomto nič neviem.“
58 „Ale tu je jedna vec, ktorú viem. Pásol som ovce svojho otca a prišiel tam lev a jednu z nich ukradol. A išiel som za ním, pretože môj otec mi dal za úlohu strážiť tie ovce.“ Amen. A každý dobrý pastier dáva pozor na ovce. A on povedal, „Nemal som v ruke nič iné okrem tohto praku, ale dostal som ho; a keď sa proti mne postavil, zabil som ho. A vyšiel tam medveď a jednu ukradol. Rozbehol som sa za ním a vytrhol som ju z jeho tlamy a keď vstal, zabil som ho.“ A povedal, „O koľko viac Boh Izraela, Boh nebies, vydá do mojej ruky toho neobrezaného Filištína!“
59 Ten malý človek bol vytrvalý, pretože vedel, o čom hovorí. On vedel, Komu uveril, a bol plne presvedčený, že On je schopný zachovať až do tamtoho dňa to, čo mu On zveril. No, on mal len prak, to je všetko, čo mal. Povedal, „Pôjdem bojovať proti tomu Filištínovi.“ Ten dôvod, prečo bol taký vytrvalý, to bolo kvôli tomu, že on vedel, že ak mu Boh pomohol priviesť tú ovcu naspäť k jeho otcovi, keď tam vtedy pásol ovce, potom o koľko viac mu pomôže s tým človekom.
60 Pomyslite teraz na to, všetci kazatelia. A my sa dnes večer takto cítime voči vám, ovciam. Prišiel diabol a udrel na vás s chorobou. To je pravda. Uniesol vás od dobrého zdravia. Ja nemám žiadne Ph.D. Nemám žiadne LL.D. Nemám ani stredoškolské vzdelanie. Ale viem, čo mám. Prichádzam dnes večer za tebou, aby som ťa priviedol naspäť na tienisté zelené pastviny a ku tichým vodám. To je to, kvôli čomu sme tu dnes večer na pódiu, aby sme vás dostali, vytrhli z ruky leva a priviedli späť. Buďte trpezliví, pozorne počúvajte a sledujte, snažte sa nájsť to, čo sa snažíme robiť, snažíme sa vám pomôcť.
61 No, Dávid bol veľmi vytrvalý, pretože vedel, Komu uveril, a vedel, že je schopný to splniť; to, čo Mu odovzdal, On to bol schopný dodržať.
62 Zistili sme, že Samson, ďalší veľký sudca v Izraeli, a niektorí ľudia si predstavujú Samsona, že má plecia asi ako dvere od stodoly; no, nebolo by na tom nič divného, vidieť takého človeka, ktorý by mohol zodvihnúť brány Gazy a vyjsť s nimi von, alebo vziať leva a roztrhať ho. Ale, viete, Samson bol len maličký... v tom hovorovom výraze, malý trpaslík, maličký kučeravý chlapec, slaboch, mamičkin chlapec, mal sedem kaderí. Bola to zvláštna vec. Keď si mysleli, že človek, veľký trojmetrový muž, on by mohol dvihnúť leva, iste, a zabiť ho. Ale čudné bolo, že tento malý človek vyzeral byť bezmocný, až kým na neho neprišiel Duch Pánov. To nebol Samson. Bol to Duch Pánov.
63 To je dôvod, prečo to neboli tí apoštoli. Ježiš ich všetkých vybral, prakticky každého z nich, bez dostatočného vzdelania na to, aby sa dokázali podpísať. Nevybral si kňazov. On si nevybral teológov. Vybral si rybárov a pastierov, nevedomých a neučených, aby to mohol vziať do Svojej ruky a vziať nič a urobiť z toho niečo. To je Jeho prirodzenosť. Takže On neprijíma trénované školy a vzdelaných učencov, On berie niečo, čo si uvedomuje, že to je ničím. On sa do toho dostane a niečo z toho urobí.
64 Zistili sme, že tento Samson bol nazarejom, mal sedem malých kaderí, ktoré mu viseli na chrbte. A keď prišiel na neho Duch Pánov, nebál sa ničoho. Prečo? Bol vytrvalý, dokiaľ cítil, že s ním je ten nazarejský sľub. Pokiaľ sa len mohol načiahnuť tam dozadu a cítiť tie kadere, tak vedel, že je vo vôli Božej a nič ho nemôže zviazať. To mesto ho nemohlo zviazať. Lev ho nemohol zabiť. Vzal vysušenú čeľusť z mula a pobil ňou tisíc filištínov.
65 Viete, že tie prilby, tie mosadzné prilby, boli hrubé asi 2 a pol centimetra? Viete, čo by sa stalo, ak by na to narazila stará, na púšti vysušená kosť? No, prasklo by to na milión kúskov. Ale on tam stál, v jednej ruke mal túto čeľusť mula a udieral im po hlave a zabil tisíc filištínov. Prečo? Bol vytrvalý. Zakaždým, keď udrel, cítil, že sa na ňom pohybuje ten nazarejský sľub.
66 O koľko viac by to dnes večer mala mať Cirkev, ktorá tvrdí, že ste sa narodili z Ducha Božieho! Stáť na zhromaždení a vidieť potvrdenie vzkrieseného Ježiša Krista a tvrdiť o sebe, že ste naplnení Duchom Svätým, a potom sedíš potichu a necháš satana, aby ťa postrkoval, ako to aj robí? Je to divná vec. Pokiaľ dokážeš cítiť prítomnosť Ducha Svätého, vedz, že to je Jeho Slovo a Jeho zasľúbenie pre tento deň, potom by si mal byť vytrvalý, aby si sa tlačil dovnútra, až kým to neskončí. Vytrvalý! Zostaň s tým! Boh to zasľúbil. To nie si ty. To je Boh!
67 A čo malá panna Mária. Teraz niečo pre vás, ženy. No, ona bola len obyčajným dievčaťom, ktoré žilo v skutočne zlom meste, ktoré bolo oveľa horšie ako Topeka. A ona tam žila, ale žila úplne čistý život a bola zasnúbená s mužom menom Jozef. A jedného dňa bola na ceste k studni, aby nabrala trochu vody, a zjavilo sa pred ňou veľké Svetlo. A stál tam Anjel, to bol Gabriel, a povedal jej, že porodí dieťa bez toho, aby by poznala muža. A zároveň jej bolo povedané o Alžbete, jej sesternici, ktorá bola stará, Zachariášova manželka, a ona počala vo svojej starobe.
68 A teraz Mária, viete si predstaviť, aké by to bolo ľuďom na smiech, keď by si pomysleli, že toto mladé dievča, ktoré chodí s týmto chlapcom, je verná, a tu sa zrazu ukazuje, že je matkou. Ale pre ňu to nerobilo žiaden rozdiel. Bola v prítomnosti Božej. Ona počula Hlas Boží. Nestarala sa o pohŕdania ľudí ani o ľudské posmešky ani o to, čo o tom hovoria. Bola vytrvalá. Išla hore cez kopcovitú krajinu!
69 A ženy vtedy neboli také, aké sú teraz, keď tu chodia v šortkách; a pár dní pred pôrodom sú tam vonku a vystavujú sa na ulici pred mužmi. To je hanba ľudstva. To je pravda.
70 A tak, ona sa skrývala. A drobná Mária vyšla hore predtým, ako sa mala stať matkou, a odišla hore na vrchy Judska, aby navštívila Alžbetu. A zatiaľ čo sa Alžbeta jedného rána nepochybne skrývala a nazerala cez záclonu, uvidela túto mladú dámu, ako beží, rozpoznala v nej svoju sesternicu Máriu. Ako sa len ženy vtedy rady videli, znamenali pre seba tak mnoho. Ona jej možno vybehla v ústrety a chytila ju, objala ju a zdravila ju.
A ona povedala, „Počula som, že sa máš stať matkou.“
„Áno.“
Ona povedala, „Vieš, aj ja sa mám stať matkou.“
„Ó, už ste sa s Jozefom zobrali?“
„Nie, nie sme zosobášení.“
71 A videla, že to je viditeľné, že sa má stať matkou. Ona povedala, „Myslíš tým, drahá, že ty a Jozef nie ste ešte zosobášení a ty sa máš stať matkou?“
„Áno.“
„Ako to?“
72 „Duch Svätý ma zatienil. Hlas Boží tak povedal.“ A povedala, „Viem, že aj ty sa máš stať matkou.“
73 Povedala, „Áno, ale už je to šesť mesiacov a mám obavy, pretože dieťatko sa ešte nepohlo.“
74 Nuž, ktokoľvek vie, že to je celkom nezvyklé; prejdú dva alebo tri mesiace a ten život je cítiť. Ale toto bolo šesť mesiacov bez známok života. No, to dieťa bolo mŕtve, šesť mesiacov bez života. Povedala, že má z toho obavy.
75 Ona povedala, „Ale zostúpil na mňa Duch Svätý,“ povedala Mária Alžbete, „zostúpil na mňa Duch Svätý a zatienil ma; a povedal, že budem mať syna a On bude Syn Boží a nazvem Jeho Meno Ježiš.“
76 A hneď, ako bolo vyslovené to ľudské Meno Božie, 'Ježiš,' smrteľnými perami ľudskej bytosti, to mŕtve dieťa prišlo do života v lone ženy a prijalo Ducha Svätého. A ak to toto urobí s dieťaťom, ktoré bolo mŕtve v lone matky, čo by to malo urobiť so znovuzrodenou Cirkvou? Prvýkrát, keď bolo Meno Ježiša Krista vyslovené smrteľnými perami, dieťa, ktoré bolo mŕtve v lone svojej matky, ožilo a prijalo Ducha Svätého. „Odkiaľ prichádza matka môjho Pána?“ povedala Alžbeta. „Lebo akonáhle sa dostal tvoj pozdrav do mojich uší, moje dieťa mi od radosti poskočilo v lone.“
77 A dnes tvrdíme, že máme toho Ducha Svätého a sme s tým zbabelí a bojíme sa s Tým pohnúť vpred. Musíme byť vytrvalí. Ak máme skutočného pravého Ducha Svätého, budeme vytrvalí.
78 No, idem na to zoširoka, odchádzam preč od môjho textu. A tu je už takmer čas začať modlitebný rad a ja som sa ani nedostal k svojmu textu. Toto je príliš krátke.
79 Táto žena, o ktorej hovoríme, táto sýrofenícká žena, ona bola Grékyňa a počula o Ježišovi. No, „Viera prichádza skrze počutie, počutie Slova Božieho.“ A ona to počula.
80 A nejako, viera nachádza zdroj, ktorý iní nevidia. A lekár by mohol povedať, „Dieťa, urobil som pre teba všetko, čo môžem.“ Je na konci svojej cesty. To je všetko, čo môže človek urobiť. On vidí, že tá vec je pokročilá a on s tým nedokáže urobiť nič. Ale vidíte, viera nachádza zdroj, o ktorom on nič nevie. Veda to nedokáže, pretože viera...
81 Celá výzbroj Božia je nadprirodzená. Čo je výzbroj Božia? Láska, čo je láska? Vedecky mi dokážte, že existuje niečo ako láska. Kde to je? Vy, koľkí z vás niekoho milujete, zodvihnite ruku; milujete svoju ženu, milujete svojho brata, milujete svojich priateľov? No, chcem niekoho, nejakú vedu, aby mi dokázala, ktorá časť teba je láska. Kde to kúpite, v ktorej lekárni? Chcem toho veľa: lásku. Radosť, máš radosť? Pokoj, dlho-zhovievavosť, miernosť, trpezlivosť, čo to je? To všetko je nadprirodzené.
82 Boh je nadprirodzený. Nedokážete vedecky dokázať Boha. Vy veríte Bohu. Veríte tomu. Ak tomu neveríte, potom človek, ktorý hovorí, „všetko, čo nie je vedecké, je neortodoxné, je to nesprávne,“ potom ten človek nikdy nemôže byť Kresťanom. On musí veriť. Skrze vieru veríme Bohu; nie skrze vzdelanie, nie skrze teológiu. „Ale vierou si spasený.“
83 Všimnite si, viera nachádza zdroj, ktorý iní nevidia. Jeho Slovo je Meč, Židom 4:12 hovorí, že „Slovo Božie je ostrejšie ako dvojsečný meč, dokonca rozoznáva myšlienky, úmysly, ktoré sú v srdci.“ To je Slovo Božie. A tá jediná vec, ktorá môže držať ten Meč, je ruka viery.
84 Nič iné to nedokáže, nič iné. Musíte vidieť niečo iné, nie vedecké. Ten Meč nedokážete udržať vedecky, skrze vzdelanie. Nedá sa to skrze vzdelanie; je to príliš pokrútené, príliš komplikované; ak to urobíš, to spraví, že ono sa to bude snažiť zaprieť samo seba a všetko také. Nemôžete to urobiť. Ježiš povedal, „Je to pred vami skryté,“ tak na to zabudnite. Nemôžete to vedieť. Je to skryté. A keď Boh niečo skrýva, je to skutočne skryté.
85 To je dôvod, prečo si tak skrytý, ak si Kresťanom. „Lebo si mŕtvy a tvoj život je skrytý v Bohu skrze Ježiša Krista a zapečatený Duchom Svätým.“ Ako ťa diabol nájde? On to nedokáže. Si ukrytý. Boh ťa skrýva. Amen. Čo za skrýšu, v lone Ježiša Krista!
86 Nuž, viera to drží, ovláda. No, možno nie si dostatočne silný, tá ruka viery, aby si cez to presekol dieru a prešiel tadiaľ, ako to dokáže niekto iný. Ale len ďalej udieraj, ono to príde. Len sa toho drž.
87 Táto drobná grécka žena mala mnoho prekážok, ale jej viera nemala žiadne. Viera nemá žiadne prekážky. Viere nemôže nič prekážať. Nestarajte sa o to, čo niekto iný hovorí, viera nemá žiadne prekážky. Pozrime sa na niektoré z tých 'možno', ktoré sa jej mohli stať. Ona možno...
88 Niekto jej mohol povedať, „Ty si Grékyňa. Tvoja denominácia nepodporuje Jeho zhromaždenie.“ Ale ona bola každopádne vytrvalá. Každopádne išla, pretože to počula. „A viera prichádza z počutia.“ Nie skrze spoluprácu; ale skrze počutie.
89 Všimnite si, oni mohli povedať toto, že, „Ty si Grékyňa, ty nepatríš do ich triedy. Ty, tam je... Oni majú odlišnú farbu pleti, ako máš ty. Oni sú z inej rasy.“ To ju vôbec netrápilo. To ju neznepokojovalo.
90 A niektorí z nich mohli prísť a povedať, „No, to je nezmysel. Dni zázrakov pominuli. Nie je nič také ako to uzdravenie, o ktorom počúvaš. On je len ďalší fanatik, ktorý tu povstal.“ Iste, majú všetky možné falošné doláre, ale niekde je ten skutočný, z ktorého to zostalo odkopírované. To je pravda. No, povedali, „Dni zázrakov pominuli, nič také neexistuje. To je tam len nejaká banda fanatikov, je ich zopár a sú... Mali sme tu už takých.“
91 Ale jednako, tú ženu niečo zasiahlo; ona bola stále vytrvalá. Dni zázrakov mohli pominúť pre toho, kto s ňou hovoril; ale nie pre ňu. Pre niektorých tvojich známych to mohlo pominúť, ale nie pre teba, ak máš vieru.
92 Mohla tam byť iná skupina, možno niektoré ženy stáli na rohu a hovorili, „Marta.“ Dúfam, že tu nie je žiadna Marta. „Marta, vieš čo? Ak pôjdeš na to zhromaždenie, tvoj manžel ťa určite opustí. No, viem, že tvoja dcéra má epilepsiu, ale poviem ti, bude to... Ak ťa tvoj manžel niekedy prichytí, že ideš tam dolu! On patrí k veľkým klubom a spoločnostiam mesta, ak tam pôjdeš, opustí ťa.“ To pre ňu nič neznamenalo. Každopádne išla. Viera sa zakotvila. Viera nepozná žiadne prekážky.
93 No, potom tam dole v rohu mohla byť iná skupina, ktorá povedala, „Vieš čo? Budeš na posmech pre cirkev, lebo tam ideš úplne nadarmo. A ľudia budú vedieť o tom, že tam ideš. A akonáhle sa s nimi stotožníš, potom budeš ľuďom na smiech. Každý sa ti bude smiať.“ To pre ňu neznamenalo vôbec nič, absolútne nič. Ona bola vytrvalá.
94 Nejaká iná skupina mohla povedať, „Vyhodia ťa z cirkvi; vrátia ti tvoju členskú kartu.“ Napriek tomu bola vytrvalá. To jej ani trochu neprekážalo. Prečo? Ona sa už pevne uchopila viery.
95 Prial by som si, aby som mal čas zastaviť sa tu na štyri hodiny a len vám porozprávať o podobných zážitkoch, ako ženy a muži a deti, ktorí zomierali; a skrze lekárske vyhlásenia žijú dnes večer z milosti Božej. Pretože niečo sa ich zmocnilo: viera! To je to, o čo ide. V poriadku.
96 Ona sa preborila cez všetky tieto brány, cez všetkých kritikov, všetok smiech, všetko to „tvoj manžel ťa opustí; stratíš cirkevnú kartu obecenstva, budeš si musieť nájsť niečo iné; budeš vyvrheľom, budeš nazývaná náboženskou fanatičkou.“ To pre ňu nič neznamenalo, pretože už uvidela Boha. Ona počula a viera prichádza z počutia. A ona vedela, že iní boli uzdravení, prečo by nemohla byť uzdravená aj jej dcéra? Tu to máte, ona tadiaľ prechádza.
97 Nakoniec prichádza k Ježišovým nohám a všimnite si, aký tam nastal šok! Mnoho ľudí si myslí, že len preto, že sa tam dokážu dostať, že to je všetko; ale vy tam len začínate. Keď sa dostala k Ježišovi, s akým veľkým sklamaním sa tam stretla; alebo by to tak možno bolo pri nás v tomto dni. Ježiš povedal, že nebol dokonca poslaný k jej rase.
98 Keby ste tam boli niektorí z vás dnešných letničných, no, vy by ste zdvihli nos do hora a odišli by ste a povedali, „Takže to je takéto? Ak ma nebudú mať radi v Zhromaždeniach, pripojím sa k Jednotárom. Ak ma tam nebudú mať radi, pôjdem do Cirkvi Božej. Nemusím znášať nič také.“ Ó, to je ten dôvod, prečo odišli preč z cirkvi zázraky. To je ten dôvod, prečo z cirkvi odišla viera. Rozumiete?
99 Dokonca Ježiš, samotný Boh! Počúvajte to. Práve ten Boh, ktorého sa chystala uctiť a zmenila svoje myšlienky a prišla, aby v Neho verila; keď prišla k Nemu, dostalo sa jej odmietnutie.
100 Pamätáte sa, ako som včera večer hovoril o skrížených kvetoch a takých veciach? Kresťanstvo je dnes kópiou. Ono nie je originálom. Ak by ste mali ten pôvodný krst, ako to mali oni tam vtedy, tá letničná cirkev by bola... nič by ju nemohlo zastaviť. Bolo by to ako horiaci dom za suchého počasia a ešte by aj fúkal horúci vietor. Nebolo by nič, čo by to mohlo zastaviť; ono to horí! Ale čo je dnes? Nie, dnes je to iná skupina. Môj názor: je to kópia.
Všimnite si, On ju odbil.
101 Dnes ich musíme tľapkať, „Sľúbim ti to, ak len prídeš, vložím tvoju kartu do mojej knihy, tvoj list, a uvidím, čo môžem urobiť. Zídeme sa s výborom diakonov, uvidíme, či ťa dokážeme dostať do výboru diakonov, alebo niečo podobné.“ To je spôsob, ako ku nim musia dnes pristupovať. Vidíte, akú máme potom bandu?
102 Ale dokonca aj keď tam prišla, On povedal, „Nie som ani poslaný ku tvojej rase. A okrem toho, oni nie sú nič, len banda psov.“
103 Ó, čo by sme urobili? Čo by si urobil? Opýtaj sa samého seba a buď úprimný. Niekto sa urazil, no, ak sme sa za vás v ten prvý večer nemodlili, potom poviete, že sa už viac nevrátite. Potom máte vieru? No, určite. Pamätajte, táto páska ide do celého sveta. Neukazujem prstom len na toto miesto; ukazujem všade. Rozumiete? Áno, vy sa už nevrátite. Nie. Nemôžete ani len sedieť a počúvať to zhromaždenie. Rozumiete? „Áno, mám vieru.“ Áno.
104 Ale ona bola nazvaná psom. To je to najnižšie, čím mohla byť pomenovaná; alebo v ich dni to bolo považované za nečisté zviera. Samozrejme, dnes je to modla; lebo nejaká žena si vezme psíka, dá mu materinskú starostlivosť a bude praktizovať antikoncepciu, pretože ona chce ísť von na diskotéky a zábavy a takto vyvádzať, a nemá čas na dieťa... Ona vie, že psa môžete zatvoriť do nejakej malej klietky a vziať ho so sebou. To je presne tak, vidíte. Praktizuje antikoncepciu a potom ide do zboru a spieva v speváckom chóre; nosí šortky, nohavice a všetko ostatné a nazýva sa kresťankou; strihá si vlasy a naďalej hovorí, že je v obecenstve s Bohom, keď Biblia hovorí, že nie je. To je presne tak. Nestarám sa o to, či... Počúvajte.
Poviete, „Taká maličkosť, o čom to hovoríš?“
105 Na počiatku jedno slovo spôsobilo všetku chorobu a smrť. Ten istý Boh na konci Knihy povedal, „Ktokoľvek z Toho odoberie jedno Slovo alebo k Tomu pridá jedno slovo.“ Takže bez ohľadu na to, čo robíte, ako sväto vyzeráte, koľko skáčete hore a dolu a plačete, hovoríte v jazykoch, beháte alebo čokoľvek chcete urobiť, alebo rozdávate chudobným alebo čímkoľvek ste; to nie je to. Porušili ste to Slovo; a to jedno Slovo sa prelomilo, nemôžete sa vrátiť naspäť dovnútra! Presne tak, ani jedno Slovo. Prijímate vyznanie namiesto Slova, pretože vám to viac vyhovuje.
106 To je ten dôvod, prečo sa ľudia môžu pripojiť ku cirkvi a ísť do tohto, toho alebo tamtoho a sedieť tam, to nie je nič iné ako lóža. To nie je cirkev. Do Cirkvi si narodený; ku lóži sa pripojíš. Ale vy ste narodení v cirkvi, v Cirkvi, nie v cirkvi; v Cirkvi. Je len jedna Cirkev. A vy...
107 Som v rodine Branhamovcov už päťdesiatpäť rokov a oni ma nikdy nepožiadali, aby som sa k nim pripojil. Ja som sa tam narodil. To je pravda.
Áno, odmietol ju a nazval ju 'psom', ale ona sa stále držala.
108 Vidíte, ona mala vieru. Bola sklamaná zo všetkých svojich priateľov, sklamaná zo svojich ľudí, všetky možné veci sa jej snažili prekážať. Ale veľakrát to tak býva. To ukazuje, že satan sa snaží zatlačiť späť tú skutočnú vieru, ale on to nedokáže. Nestarám sa o to, čo ktokoľvek hovorí; ono to tam je stále. Ona je vytrvalá. Pokračuje ďalej.
109 Prišla k Ježišovi a Ježiš povedal, „Nie som poslaný ku tvojej rase. Nie som poslaný do tvojej cirkvi. Oni nespolupracujú. V každom prípade nie ste nič iné ako banda psov.“ Stále išla ďalej! Hovorí, „Ja, prišiel som uzdraviť týchto Mojich ľudí, neprišiel som, aby som uzdravil vás. To sa nesvedčí, aby som vzal chlieb deťom a hodil to vám, hŕstke psov."
Ona povedala, „To je pravda, Pane.“ Amen.
110 Viera vždy uzná, že Slovo je pravdivé. Amen. No, ak sa chcete držať vyznania, choďte do toho; ale viera, skutočná pravá viera pripúšťa, že Slovo je Pravda.
111 Povedala, „Pravda, Pane, ale psy môžu zjesť omrvinky, ktoré sú pod stolom detí.“ To je to. Tým to bolo vybavené. Ona nebola žiadna skleníková rastlina. Ona nebola z tej skríženej skupiny takzvaných veriacich, ktorých dnes narástlo tak mnoho. Mala skutočnú vieru. Uznala, že On mal pravdu. Ale ona ani nedychtila po všetkom tom chlebe, ktorý mohli jesť deti; ona len hľadala omrvinky.
112 Buď dostaneme to najlepšie, alebo nemáme vôbec nič. Odídeme od toho a potom povieme, „Máme vieru. Oni sa ku mne nesprávajú správne, ja odídem.“ To nie je žiadna viera. To nie je viera.
113 Viera je tam. To, čo sa vám snažím povedať, priatelia, počas jedného z týchto večerov, tu budeme mať modlitebný rad. A ja nechcem vidieť ani jedno lehátko, ani jeden invalidný vozík, ani jednu barlu alebo nič iné, len to, že to tu bude ležať na zemi a ako oni odídu von po svojich. Rozumiete? Ak neprídeš s tým správnym druhom prístupu, nič nezískaš. To je pravda, vy len prechádzate a niekto na vás udrie a vy idete von. To nie je dobré. Musíte vedieť, kvôli čomu ste prišli... „Ten, kto prichádza k Bohu, musí veriť.“
114 Sledujte, pamätajte, ona nikdy nevidela žiaden zázrak. Bola to Grékyňa. Ona vie... Bola to pohanka. Nikdy nevidela žiaden zázrak, napriek tomu verila, že niečo také existuje. A rok za rokom a deň za dňom vidíme zázraky a nedokážeme vydržať ani jednu alebo dve hodiny.
115 Bola ako smilnica Rachab. Rachab nechcela... Tá pohanská žena, ona nechcela vidieť, ako chodil Jozue oblečený, alebo vidieť Jozuu. Ona povedala, „Počula som a verím.“ To je všetko. Počula a uverila.
116 Ježiš povedal, „Pre ten výrok!“ Mala správny prístup k Božiemu daru. Pamätajte, ona bola prvou pohankou, na ktorej sa kedy udial zázrak, kvôli jej viere. Viera uznáva, že Slovo je správne, pokoruje sa, dnes to robí takisto.
117 Marta v prítomnosti Božej. Marta, sestra Lazára, bola pokorná v prítomnosti Ježiša. A keď tam prišla, bola vytrvalá. On povedal... Ona povedala, „Pane, ak by si tu bol, môj brat by nezomrel; ale i teraz, o čokoľvek poprosíš Boha, Boh ti to dá.“
118 Povedal, „Ja som vzkriesenie a Život, ten, kto verí vo Mňa, hoci by bol mŕtvy, bude žiť; ale ktokoľvek žije a verí vo Mňa, nikdy nezomrie. Veríš tomu?“
119 Pamätajte, ona mala právo Ho skritizovať. Keď bol chorý, ona pre Neho dvakrát poslala; a nechal ho zomrieť. Ale, vidíte, ona mala vieru. Ona to vedela.
120 A ak tá sunamitská žena vo svojom veku, keď zomrelo jej dieťa, ona verila, že Boh je v tom prorokovi Eliášovi a ona sa pevne držala Eliáša. Povedala, „Ako žije Pán Boh a ako žije tvoja duša a nikdy nezomrie, ja ťa neopustím.“ Bola vytrvalá. A Eliáš nevedel, čo má robiť. On len vošiel do miestnosti a chodil tam a späť, až kým neprišiel Duch Boží, prítomnosť Božia. Položil sa na to dieťa, ono si sedemkrát kýchlo a prišlo do života. Pretože niekto vytrval, niekto pevne držal vieru, aby sa dostal k mužovi Božiemu.
121 A ona vedela, že ak bol Boh v Eliášovi, o koľko viac bol vo Svojom Synovi. Ona vedela. Viera prichádza skrze počutie. A v prítomnosti Ježiša bola vytrvalá.
122 Ježiš vyzeral, snažil sa ju odvrátiť a povedal, „On vstane,“ a všetko toto, a tak ďalej. Ale ona bola vytrvalá. Ona sa pretlačila cez reči všetkých tých kritikov, „No, kde je ten program Božského uzdravovania, o ktorom si hovorila? Kde to všetko je? Tvoj brat je teraz mŕtvy a je tam pochovaný. A Pastor vyšiel preč z mesta, až kým nezomrel, a potom sa vrátil naspäť.“ Ale to jej nestálo v ceste. Pretlačila sa cez každého kritika, až sa dostala k Nemu. Obdržala to, o čo prosila.
123 No, tu pred nejakým časom, práve som si na to spomenul, tam v modlitebni... Vidím tu dnes večer niektorých bratov, ktorí tu sedia, ktorí sú z modlitebne. Bola tam jedna pani... Prišiel som do zboru. A asi každý večer tam mávame to, čo dnes večer máme aj tu na našom zhromaždení. A tak potom sme boli... V ten večer som sa nemodlil za chorých. A bola tam žena z Kalifornie, ktorá mala nádor, ten nádor vážil okolo 22 kíl. A tak boli tam s ňou vzadu. A povedali, že sa v ten večer nebudeme modliť za chorých; mal som len prísť, aby som rozprával, pretože som práve prišiel zo zhromaždenia.
124 A keď som vyšiel zadnými dverami, dvaja diakoni ju previezli na invalidnom vozíku okolo domu a posadili ju ku dverám a rovno na zem. A keď som vyšiel von, chytila ma za nohavicu, keď som vyšiel von. Povedala, „Brat Branham, jediná vec, o ktorú ťa prosím, je položiť na mňa ruky.“ Povedala, „Môj nádor zmizne.“ A ona bola na tom takto.
125 Asi o šesť týždňov neskôr bola na zhromaždení a zavolala si sestry, aby ju išli vyšetriť. Po tom nádore nebolo nikde ani stopy, bez akejkoľvek operácie. Bez ohľadu na to, že to nebol večer, kedy sme sa mali modliť za chorých, ona bola aj tak vytrvalá. Dostala to, o čo prosila. Viera našla svoje miesto a držala sa.
126 Micheáš. A o chvíľu končím. Micheáš bol v prítomnosti štyristo dobre vyškolených kňazov, hebrejských prorokov. Povedal, „Micheáš, poď dolu, bol si vyradený z tej kazateľskej asociácie, ktorá je tu dolu; ale ak budeš hovoriť to isté, čo teraz oni hovoria, a povieš, aby Achab išiel hore, aby Achab a Jozafat išli hore; a my si to uvedomujeme, že ťa prinavrátia do toho spoločenstva.“
127 Povedal, „Ako žije Pán, ja poviem len to, čo mi On hovorí.“ Bože, daj nám viac takých Micheášov! Rozumiete?
128 Tak čakal. V tú noc prišlo videnie. Preskúmal svoje videnie so Slovom. Pretože Slovo Božie povedalo o Achabovi, že psy budú lízať jeho krv, takisto, ako sa to stalo Nábotovi. Tak zisťujeme, že jeho videnie bolo presne zhodné so Slovom.
129 Keď nasledujúceho rána odišiel, bol vytrvalý. Povedal, „Choď hore, ale videl som Izrael ako roztrúsené ovce na vrchu, ktoré nemajú pastiera.“
130 A tento veľkňaz alebo vrchný nad prorokmi, prešiel tam, udrel ho po ústach a povedal, „Kadiaľ odišiel Duch Boží, keď odišiel odo mňa?“ Napriek tomu sa Micheáš nestaral o to, čo povedali. On tam stál. On povedal, „Postavte tohto človeka pred súd,“ povedal Achab, „a hoďte ho do vnútorného žalára a kŕmte ho chlebom a vodou súženia. Vyriešim to s ním, keď... keď sa vrátim,“ inými slovami, dal by mu sťať hlavu alebo niečo také.
131 Povedal, „Ak sa niekedy vrátiš, potom ku mne Pán nehovoril.“ Ó, on vedel, kde stojí. Nezáležalo na tom, čo si mysleli tí ostatní; on vedel, že bol v prítomnosti Božej. On počul Hlas Boží. Bolo to presne zhodné so Slovom Božím.
132 Tak by sme dnes večer mali vidieť túto hodinu, v ktorej žijeme, a vidieť zasľúbenie tohoto dňa, ktoré Slovo Božie zasľúbilo. Bez ohľadu na to, čo ktokoľvek iný hovorí; Slovo tak povedalo a Ježiš prišiel, aby sa dal poznať. Vytrvalý!
133 Slepý muž, ktorého Ježiš ukryl... alebo uzdravil; nemohol, on nemohol vysvetliť ani argumentovať o ich teológii. Ale jednu vec vedel; bol vytrvalý.
134 Jeho otec a matka nevedeli povedať. Povedali, „No, obávame sa, že nás vyhodia zo synagógy.“ A oni povedali, „Opýtajte sa jeho, je už plnoletý.“
Povedal, „Kto ťa uzdravil?“
On povedal, „Volá sa Ježiš Nazaretský.“
135 Povedal, „Vzdaj chválu Bohu!“ Povedal, „Vieme, že tento človek je hriešnik.“
136 On povedal, „No, či je alebo nie je hriešnik, to neviem. Neviem to povedať. Ale,“ povedal, „viem jednu vec, že raz som bol slepý, ale teraz vidím . “
Oni povedali, „Nevieme, odkiaľ tento človek prišiel.“
137 On hovorí, „To je zvláštna vec. Máte byť vodcami tohoto dňa a poznať všetky duchovné veci; a tu prichádza Človek a otvoril mi oči, pričom som sa narodil slepý, a vy pritom neviete, odkiaľ pochádza?“ Ó, on bol vytrvalý, nič ho nezastavilo. On hovoril s Bohom.
138 Natanael sa Ho nebál nazvať, „Pane, Kráľu Izraelov,“ pred svojím pastorom a všetkými ostatnými, keď mu On povedal, kde bol deň predtým. Nátanovi to bolo jedno.
139 Žena pri studni sa nestarala o to, koľko ľudí jej povedalo, že nie je dovolené, aby niečo hovorila, pretože bola prostitútkou. Ona stretla Muža, ktorého hľadala, odkedy bola malým dievčaťom; ona vedela, že na scénu má prísť Ježiš, Prorok. A ona našla toho Proroka, pri ktorom uvidela, že jej povedal veci, ktoré urobila. Zastaviť ju? Ako to znovu hovorím, to by bolo ako horiaci dom v silnom vetre. Nedokázali by ste to. Jej srdce horelo radosťou a pokojom. Boli jej odpustené jej hriechy. Ona uzrela Mesiáša. Ona videla Jeho prítomnosť. Ona videla Jeho Slovo.
140 „Vieme, že keď príde Mesiáš, On nám bude hovoriť tieto veci. Ale kto si Ty? Ty musíš byť Jeho prorokom.“
On povedal, „Ja som On.“
141 A ak ten Človek mohol urobiť niečo také, neklamal by, ona vedela, že to je Mesiáš, a tak bolo potrebné ísť šíriť dobré správy.
142 Ako by sme mali byť dnes večer v tom istom ohni, vytrvalí, aby sme dali každému poznať, že Duch Svätý je dnes skutočný, že On na nás padá a robí to isté, čo robil On, a pri zasľúbeniach tejto hodiny. Nie sme vytrvalí. Som zvedavý, či nás to skutočne zasiahlo? Vidíte, všimnite si tú ženu pri studni.
143 Ešte jednu vec; už musím zakončiť. Mám tu asi pol strany poznámok, ale chcem na záver povedať toto. Pripomína mi to jeden príbeh. Potom sa budeme modliť za chorých. Trocha to pretiahnem, ale možno len o desať, pätnásť minút, ale vydržte to so mnou ešte chvíľu.
144 Asi pred tromi rokmi som bol v Mexico City. Koľkí z vás poznajú brata Espinozu, vy, Španieli, ktorí tu ste? No, myslím, že mnohí z vás. On bol mojím tlmočníkom. Boli sme tam dolu v Mexico City. Pokiaľ vedia, tak som bol jediným protestantom, ktorý tam kedy prišiel a bol sponzorovaný vládou. Ale generál Valdivia, pamätáte si ho, je jedným z kresťanských obchodníkov, on to prijal, bol spasený a naplnený Duchom Svätým, a on sa dostal cez vládu a dostal ma dovnútra.
145 A tak sme tam postavili vonku ďalší veľký ring. Zmestilo sa tam niekoľko tisíc ľudí; nikto nesedel, museli stáť. A vy myslíte na to, že tu v tejto miestnosti musíte stáť dve alebo tri hodiny; tí ľudia tam stáli na tom horúcom pálivom púštnom slnku od deviatej hodiny ráno do deviatej v noci, deň za dňom. A jedného večera, bol tam silný dážď, oni tam stáli; a tie mladé mexické ženy, tie vlasy im viseli dolu na tvári a pršalo tak silno, že som nevidel ani do polovice publika. Nerobilo to pri nich žiaden rozdiel; oni sa držali toho Slova Života.
146 Pamätám si, ako som tam jedného večera prišiel. Bol som tam len tri večery. Pódium je asi takto dlhé alebo možno trochu dlhšie. Ku pódiu prišiel jeden starý slepý muž a oni ho priniesli hore.
147 Ten človek, ktorý prišiel a zavolal ma, nazval som ho 'Mañana,' čo znamená 'zajtra.' On bol taký pomalý! Nikdy by sa tam nedostal, a potom, obzrel by sa okolo seba a kedykoľvek by sa tam dostal. A ja sa tam modlím a on... A ja som ho len nazval 'Mañana.'
148 Tak ma priviedli po rebríku hore zo zadnej strany tohto veľkého múru a potom ma spustili na pódium. Brat Jack Moore, koľkí ho poznajú? Iste, myslím, že ho poznáte; a brat John Sharrit a mnohí z tých, ktorí tu sú. Boli tam na pódiu. V ten večer, keď som prišiel na pódium...
149 Mañana rozdával lístky, modlitebné karty, ale Billy kráčal rovno vedľa neho, aby videl, či je všetko v poriadku. Mohol sa s nimi rozprávať a rozdávať im modlitebné karty, ale Billy išiel zistiť, či je to skutočne správne alebo nie, či niektorú z nich nepredá, alebo čo bude robiť, alebo či bude brať ohľad na niekoho osobu; nech každý, kto chce modlitebnú kartu, nech ju dostane.
150 Tak v ten večer, keď boli vyvolávané modlitebné karty, prišiel na pódium jeden starý človek, bol bosý a nohavice mal celé potrhané, v ruke mal starý klobúk omotaný šnúrou. A keď sa ku mne priblížil, bol slepý a ja som sa pozrel na toho starého muža. A stál som, mal som na sebe dobré oblečenie, ako aj dnes večer, niekto mi dal nový pekný oblek, mal som obuté dobré topánky. A tam bol ten chudák v starej otrhanej košeli a bol celý zaprášený. Stál tam úplne slepý a jeho oči boli skoro také biele ako šedý zákal, ako moja košeľa. A pomyslel som si, „Aká krutá vec, ktorú urobil satan!“ Ten úbohý starý človek pravdepodobne nikdy v živote nemal poriadne jedlo.
151 Ekonomika je tam dole tak zle vyvážená. A oni, len teraz rozmýšľajte, povedzme, Pedro, Peter, on je murár, dostáva tridsať pesos za deň, ale oni musia pracovať štyri dni, aby si zarobili na pár topánok. Rozumiete? A potom, čo taký malý Pancho alebo Chico, ten malý tu pracuje a zarobí len asi štyri pesos denne, a pritom má štyri alebo päť detí, ktoré potrebujú jesť? On by si sadol a dal si nejaké staré tortilly z fazule a dnes večer môže mať jednu Martina a malý Chico môže mať tiež jednu, ale niekto z nich musí zostať naprázdno. Musia našetriť toľko, aby si kúpili sviecu, ktorá bude zapálená na zlatom oltári za ich hriechy. To je to, čo ma páli. Tak vidíte.
152 No, tento starý muž tam stál a hovoril niečo po španielsky. Mal okolo prstov omotaných veľa malých korálok a povedal som mu, „Daj si to dolu,“ a to cez brata Espinozu.
153 A premýšľal som, pomyslel som si, „Dvihnem ramená a môžem si vyzliecť sako a dať mu ho. Ale jeho plecia sú omnoho širšie ako moje.“ Priložil som svoje nohy ku tým jeho a pomyslel som si, „Mohol by som si vyzuť topánky a nikto by si to nevšimol a dať mu ich,“ ale jeho nohy boli oveľa väčšie. A pomyslel som si, „No, čo by som mohol urobiť?“ Pomyslel som si, „Ó, Bože!“
154 Ak s ľuďmi nemáte súcit, potom je zbytočné snažiť sa im slúžiť. Musíte to cítiť. To je ten dôvod, prečo On cítil naše slabosti.
155 Len som ho takto objal a povedal som, „Nebeský Otče, ak by môj ocko ešte žil, bol by asi taký starý. Je to niekoho ocko.“ A ja som tam len tak stál a počul som, ako vykríkol, „Gloria a Dios!“ To je „Sláva Bohu,“ viete. Pozrel som sa tam a ten starý muž mohol vidieť tak dobre ako ja, keď chodil hore-dolu po pódiu a len pokračoval. No, a, samozrejme, museli zvolať tých uvádzačov, asi tristo alebo štyristo uvádzačov, ktorí tam stáli, aby ich udržali dole. Potom ma museli vytiahnuť naspäť hore pomocou lana.
156 Keď som tam na ďalší večer vošiel, bola tam len taká vysoká kopa, hromada, všade hore a dolu, staré šály, čiapky a veci, ktoré tam položili, aby sme sa za nich modlili. Ako kedy vôbec vedeli, čo komu patrí, to neviem, všetko to tam ležalo na veľkej kope. A pršalo. Meškal som. A ja som tam vošiel a začal som kázať, „Viera je podstata vecí, na ktoré sa nadejeme, dôkazom vecí, ktoré sa nevidia,“ a brat Espinoza tam prekladal.
157 A Billy prišiel a poklepal ma na plece a povedal, „Oci, budeš musieť niečo urobiť.“ Povedal, „Mañana rozdal všetky modlitebné karty.“ A povedal, „Tam stojí jedna malá žena, malá pani,“ povedal, „má mŕtve dieťa a ono dnes ráno zomrelo.“
158 Videli ste ten článok u obchodníkov plného Evanjelia. A pamätajte, to musí byť čestne overené predtým, ako je to vytlačené. Doktor musí podpísať toto vyhlásenie, že je to pravda, keď to dáte do tlače.
159 A povedal... [Prázdne miesto na páske. - pozn.prekl.] „A ono dnes ráno zomrelo. Ona s ním celý deň stála v tom daždi a nevedela, že Espinoza je... alebo, mám na mysli, že Mañana im rozdával modlitebné karty.“ A povedal, „Nemá modlitebnú kartu.“ A povedal, „Mám tam štyridsať alebo päťdesiat uvádzačov, ktorí ju nedokážu zadržať od pódia.“ Povedal, „Podlezie rovno pod nich, prederie sa cez nich, prelezie im po chrbtoch alebo čokoľvek iné. Ona sa snaží dostať sem hore.“
160 A povedal som, „No, poviem ti.“ Povedal som, „Poď sem, brat Moore.“ Viete, všetci, mnohí z vás, ktorí ste zodvihli ruky, poznáte brata Jacka Moora. Povedal som, „Brat Moore, ona nevie, kto som. Ona nevie. Stálo tu mnoho kazateľov, ktorí už kázali, mnoho baptistov a rôzni iní, ktorí sponzorovali zhromaždenie.“ A povedal som, „No, choď tam a pomodli sa za to dieťa a ona nebude poznať rozdiel, vidíte.“
On povedal, „V poriadku, brat Branham.“
161 Začal odchádzať z pódia, bol ďaleko asi ako tamtá stena a ja som sa otočil. Ľudia o tom nevedeli, pretože nerozumeli anglicky. A ja som povedal, „No, ako som hovoril, viera je podst-...“ A pozrel som sa pred seba a videl som malé mexické dieťa, ktoré nemalo zuby a malo tmavšiu pleť, len tam tak sedelo a škerilo sa na mňa, rovno tu predo mnou.
162 Povedal som, „Počkaj chvíľu, brat Moore.“ Povedal som, „Povedz tej malej pani, aby sem prišla.“
A Billy povedal, „Oci, ona nemá modlitebnú kartu.“
Povedal som, „Práve som videl videnie, Billy.“
163 A tak išli tam dolu a priviedli tú malú pani. Tu ona prichádza, beží tam a padá na kolená a začína kričať 'padre,' čo znamená 'otec,' viete; požiadal som ju, aby sa postavila, brat Espinoza. Držala to bábätko; a mala na ňom malú modrobielu pruhovanú prikrývku, ktorá bola celá premočená a kvapkala z nej voda, a jej vlasy len tak viseli. Táto milo vyzerajúca drobná žena, pravdepodobne to bolo jej prvé dieťa, ona bola vo svojej... mala asi dvadsaťdva alebo dvadsaťpäť rokov, takto držala to maličké; pod touto prikrývkou bola len malá, asi takto dlhá, stvrdnutá forma. Premýšľal som.
164 Všetci si mysleli, že sa len modlím, aby som sa jej zbavil, viete, aby som ich od nej odľahčil.
165 A položil som svoje ruky na to malé dieťa a povedal som, „Nebeský Otče, neviem, čo s týmto bábätkom, ale videl som tam pred chvíľou videnie malého mexického bábätka, vyzeralo to ako malé bábätko, ktoré malo tmavú pleť a usmievalo sa.“ A povedal som... Oni neprekladajú modlitbu, viete. A povedal som, „Videl som, ako sa smialo.“ Položil som na neho takto ruky v Mene Ježiša Krista, aby som sa modlil, a to malé dieťa urobilo kopanec a začalo plakať tak silno, ako len... A tak, ono začalo kričať.
166 A povedal som, „Brat Espinoza, nezverejňujte to teraz. Pošli bežca s tým bábätkom a tou ženou a vezmite ho k lekárovi.“ A v ten večer zavolali lekára, lekár podpísal vyhlásenie, že v to ráno o deviatej v jeho nemocnici, alebo ordinácii, to bábätko zomrelo na zápal pľúc; a tu ono bolo okolo desiatej v noci, bolo od rána mŕtve a ožilo; a dnes žije na slávu Božiu.
167 Prečo? Ona bola práve tak vytrvalá, ako tu bola táto malá sýrofenícká žena, o ktorej dnes večer hovoríme. To ukazuje, že Boh je stále ten istý včera, dnes i naveky. Tá vec na tom bola (čo to bolo?), že ona počula o tom starom slepom mužovi.
168 Podľa viery to bola katolíčka. Všetci sú katolíci, takže keď sa narodíte v Mexiku, ste automaticky katolíci.
169 Tak tí ľudia tam videli na ulici tohto starého slepca, keď hovoril o svojom svedectve. Ona, oni o tom počuli. Táto žena nikdy nevidela zázrak. Ale ona vedela, že ak Boh môže vrátiť slepému zrak, On tiež môže vzkriesiť jej dieťa naspäť do života, pretože to bol ten istý Ježiš Kristus. Mohla by spôsobiť, že sa letniční cítia byť malí. A to je pravda, s takou vierou, pretože ona bola vytrvalá v tom, že to musel byť Boh, ktorý mohol prinavrátiť zrak. „A ak to bol Boh, ktorý mohol dodržať Svoje Slovo a prinavrátiť zrak, potom by mohol vzkriesiť mŕtvych.“ A On to urobil, pretože bola vytrvalá. Bol by som tam ešte jeden večer a ona by mohla... To bol večer, ktorý bol daný pre ňu.
170 Či dnes večer, priatelia, nebudeme vytrvalí? Či sa sem nemôžeme pretlačiť cez tie tajomné temné šindle a prijať Ježiša Krista ako svojho Uzdraviteľa? Nemôžete to urobiť?
Modlime sa.
171 Pane Ježišu, ó, Bože, ja už neviem, čo viac povedať. Modlím sa, Bože, či mám zvolať len malý modlitebný rad, Otče? A možno Ty to ukážeš ľuďom, urob niečo presne tak, ako si to urobil pred Svojou smrťou a pohrebom; nech tento deň a čas, možno by tu mohli byť cudzí ľudia, daj, aby sme mohli vidieť, že Ty si stále ten istý včera, dnes i naveky a že zachovávaš Svoje Slovo. A možno tam bude niekto s dostatočnou vierou, aby tam prelomil tú bariéru, tú zvukovú bariéru, tú bariéru hriechu, tú neveriacu bariéru, aby to prelomil tam, kde sú všetky veci možné. Udeľ to, Pane. Hovorí sa, že keď to lietadlo prejde tou zvukovou bariérou, že potom je neobmedzené v rýchlosti a sile. Bože, ak by sme sa len mohli preboriť cez tú moc nevery, tak zázraky a veci a zasľúbenia Božie sú potom neobmedzené, „lebo všetko je možné tomu, kto verí.“ Udeľ to, Otče. Prosíme to v Mene Tvojho Syna, Ježiša Krista. Amen.
172 Ak som to len trocha pretiahol, je v poriadku, ak budem pokračovať a zvoláme len malý modlitebný rad? Viem, že ľudia sú nepokojní, ale zvolajme len malý modlitebný rad. Pozrime sa, v pondelok večer sme mali Áčka, bolo to tak, keď sme rozdávali modlitebné karty? Alebo nie, mám na mysli v stredu večer. Myslím, že v pond-... V stredu večer bol ten prvý večer, to boli Áčka a minulý večer to bolo písmeno B a dnes večer C. Zavolali sme čísla od 1 do 25, pri tých Áčkach. Myslím, že to tak bolo, či nie? Pri tom písmene A, od 1 do 25. Od 1 až do 25, pri tom písmene A, je to tak? Od 1 až do 15, pri tom písmene A.
173 No, zavolajme písmeno B, teda včerajšie modlitebné karty. Zavolajme písmeno B, od 75 až do 100. Modlitebná karta B. Zoberieme vaše písmeno C a všetko také. Sme pri B, 25... Nie. Myslím, že som hovoril písmeno B, 75 až 100, je to tak? Písmeno B, 75 až 100. V poriadku. Nech ich teraz postavia na túto stranu. Písmeno B, 75 až 100, postavte sa na túto stranu. Poďte rovno sem a zoraďte sa tu, niektorí bratia, choďte dolu. Billy, Roy, niektorí z vás, poďte tam dolu a dozerajte na to, aby sa ľudia zoradili do modlitebného radu. V poriadku.
174 Chcem na chvíľu požiadať o vašu nerušenú pozornosť. Teraz buďte skutočne úctiví. No, pozrite, niektorí ľudia idú a hovoria, „Kazateľ má nesprávny druh kravaty. Má nesprávny oblek. Jeho správanie nie je správne. Nestojí dosť vzpriamene.“ No, vidíte, stále nemáte žiadnu vieru. Rozumiete?
175 Ak by tam niekto vošiel do tých dverí a povedal by ti, že oni mali... že oni, že on má pre teba peňažný poukaz alebo bankový šek na milión dolárov, bolo by ti jedno, či má vzdelanie alebo je nevzdelaný; nezaujímalo by ťa, či by mal oblečené montérky alebo či by mal na sebe oblek; nezaujímalo by ťa, či by bol čierny, žltý, hnedý, biely.
176 To nie je posol; to je Posolstvo, ktoré chcete počúvať. „Ježiš Kristus je ten istý včera, dnes i naveky.“ Koľkí si to uvedomujú? No, ak len budete...
177 Ak... myslím, že pán Ruby, myslím, že tak sa volá, ten technik, ktorého som stretol minulý večer, ak len... On nám sem dal osvetlenie, a tak ďalej, ak len vydrží pár minút kvôli Evanjeliu.
178 No, všetci buďte skutočne úctiví, ale buďte skutočne vytrvalí. Pretlačte sa rovno dovnútra za tú oponu.
179 No, keď Ježiš Kristus uzdravuje chorých; no, nehovorím, že budú uzdravení; to vám nemôžem povedať. Pamätajte, nemám žiadnu moc uzdravovať. Ja nemám moc, vy nemáte žiadnu moc, nikto z nás ju nemá. Máme autoritu. Koľkí tomu rozumejú?
180 Pozrite, dovoľte, aby som sa vás niečo opýtal. Tu na ulici, na tejto rušnej hlavnej ceste, ktorá sem prichádza z diaľnice, boli sme rovno na tej hlavnej ceste, videl som, že povolená rýchlosť je 80 míľ za hodinu. Tam dolu prichádzajú autá, od dvesto koní až do tristo alebo štyristo koní.
181 A... číslo 76, prosím, príď. Potrebujú číslo 76. Písmeno B, 76, môže to byť niekto hluchý. Poobzerajte sa. Ó, prepáčte. V poriadku. B, sedem-... Je to správne, môj brat? B, 76. V poriadku.
182 Všimnite si teraz, ako napríklad, tu po diaľnici kráča malý policajt, je tak malý, až mu čiapka drží uši dole a neváži ani 45 kíl. No, akú má moc, aby zastavil jedno z tých áut? A tam boli aj tri alebo štyri vedľa seba, rútili sa po tej diaľnici tak rýchlo, ako len mohli; každé z nich malo v sebe tristo koní. Nedokázal by zastaviť ani jednu konskú silu. A tu sú tieto autá. Ale nech sa zaleskne ten veľký odznak a nech zodvihne tú ruku! Možno nemá moc, ale má autoritu. Počujete, ako škrípu brzdy a idú nabok a všetci zastavia. Prečo? Pretože má autoritu.
183 Nemám žiadnu moc. Vy nemáte žiadnu moc. Ale máme autoritu, amen, odznak viery, ktorý visí na Slove, „Verím Tomu. To je pravda.“ To je to, čo zastavuje veci. Potom môžete byť vytrvalí.
184 Ten malý policajt sa tam postaví a pískne na tú malú píšťalku a podrží zodvihnutú ruku, poviem vám, všetko sa zastaví. Je to jeho autorita. Je to jeho autorita, veriť.
185 No, verte, každý jeden z vás. Teraz, keď tam stojíš, teraz sa nenechaj odradiť, len si tam sadni a pretlač sa, povedz, „Pane, tento človek o mne nič nevie. Som si tým istý. Ak môže prehovoriť, povedať mi niečo, potom budem veriť z celého srdca.“ No, čo by sme teraz vedeli?
186 Kto je Uzdraviteľ? Ježiš Kristus. Je to tak? No, potom, ak je tu prítomný, no, jediná vec, ktorú musíme urobiť, je Ho len prosiť. „A On je Veľkňazom, ktorého sa môžeme dotýkať našimi slabosťami.“ Je to tak? V poriadku. Potom, „On je ten istý včera, dnes i naveky.“ Dnes je On Veľkňazom. Ako On konal, keď sa pred dvetisíc rokmi tá žena dotkla Jeho rúcha? On sa otočil a povedal jej, v čom má problém, a povedal, že jej viera ju uzdravila. Je to tak? No, On je dnes ten istý, musel by konať tak isto, pretože On je ten istý.
Je modlitebný rad pripravený?
187 No, tu prichádza jedna žena. Pokiaľ viem, nikdy som ju nevidel. Je mi celkom cudzia, pokiaľ viem. Sme si navzájom cudzí. [Sestra hovorí, „Bola som na tvojom zhromaždení v rokoch 1947, 1950 až po '53.“ - pozn.prekl.] Povedala, že bola na mojich zhromaždeniach v '47 a v '53. Ale... [„od '51 až po '53.“] Od '51 až po '53. A nepoznám ťa. [„Nie.“] Nie.
188 Vidíte, ak by som vás stretol o jeden alebo dva týždne od teraz, pravdepodobne by som vás vôbec nespoznal. Je mnoho ľudí, ktorí boli na zhromaždeniach, odvtedy to boli desaťtisíce, viete, a ja by som ich nespoznal. Ale čo sa týka toho, mám na mysli, „či ma poznáš,“ ty ma poznáš, pretože si bola na zhromaždení. Ale aby som ťa ja poznal, alebo vedel, aké sú vaše problémy alebo čo ste robili medzi tým časom, alebo ešte predtým, alebo to, čo máte v úmysle urobiť, samozrejme, nevedel by som to. Nie.
189 Ale teraz, aby sme sa nezaoberali každou osobou pridlho, aby sme sa pokúsili... Minulý večer som sa predtým zastavil. Nevidel som; nemyslel som si, že tam ešte niekto zostal. Nechal som tam stáť v rade dvoch alebo troch ľudí. Nemal som to urobiť. Jednoducho som to nespravil. Neviem prečo. Ja len... No, všetci, vyzeralo to, akoby to bolo vyvrcholenie času. Vy nechcete ľudí hýčkať. Chcete, aby boli dostatočne drsní, aby sa dostali tam hore a chytili to, čo hovoríte, a potom sú uzdravení. Ak to neurobíte, tak... oni nie sú uzdravení.
190 Táto pani tu, toto je naše prvé stretnutie. No, ak On je „ten istý včera, dnes i naveky,“ ak by tu On stál oblečený v tomto obleku, ktorý mi dal, cez nejakú dobrú osobu mi daroval tento oblek, no, ak by tu On stál oblečený v tomto obleku, mohol by vás uzdraviť? Nie. Nie. On to už urobil, vidíte, „On bol zranený pre naše prestúpenia.“ On by ťa nemohol uzdraviť. Koľkí z vás vedia, že to je pravda? To je už vybavené.
191 Akýkoľvek hriešnik, ktorý tu je; On by ťa nemohol spasiť; On to už urobil. Ty to musíš len prijať.
192 No, keby tu On stál oblečený v tomto obleku, ktorý mi dal, On by mohol... Jediná vec, ktorú by mohol urobiť, povedal by... Ak by si povedal, „Som chorý, som v núdzi. Alebo mám milovanú osobu, ktorá je chorá,“ alebo čokoľvek také, „Mám finančné problémy, mám problémy doma,“ alebo čokoľvek to je. On by to nemohol, nemohol by vám to dať. On by vám len povedal, že On to už kúpil. No, koľkí tomu rozumejú? To je pravda, vidíte, pretože to je už hotové. Rozumiete? On nemôže...
193 Ak si bol odniekiaľ vykúpený, ten majiteľ záložne ťa už nemôže dlhšie držať, ak si vykúpený. Ak máš potvrdenie, že je to vykúpené, tak tým to je vybavené. On to už viac nedokáže zadržať.
194 Máme Potvrdenie, vidíte; No, ak máš vieru, že to môžeš vyplatiť! Rozumiete? Ale teraz, ak by tu On stál a ja by som celú svoju kampaň založil na tom, „On je ten istý včera, dnes i naveky,“ On by vedel, v čom by ste mali problém. A to by iste... Ak by som to ja nevedel, potom by to istotne zidentifikovalo, že to musí byť On. To by musela byť nejaká moc, určitá moc. Záleží na tom, čo si myslíte, že tá moc urobí. Pretože viete o tom, že vás nepoznám, ľudsky povedané. A to by musela byť nejaká moc. A ak veríte, že to je On... A ak by ste neverili, že to je On, samozrejme, nemali by ste tu stáť. Ale ak veríte, že to je On, potom, ak by vám On mohol povedať, čo ste urobili alebo kvôli čomu ste tu alebo niečo, to by zdvihlo vašu vieru, že?
195 Vy, ktorí ste tam vonku, zdvihne to aj tú vašu? Keď, tu, kde ukazuje moja ruka; pokiaľ viem, nikdy v živote som nevidel tú ženu, len niekde v publiku alebo možno bola v modlitebnom rade alebo niečo také, pred mnohými rokmi. Vôbec si na ňu nespomínam. Ale nech mi teraz Pán pomôže. Ako dar...
196 Vidíte, ako títo kazatelia, ktorí tu sú. Už to viete, ak ste ma počuli kázať, ja nie som kazateľ. Nemám žiadne vzdelanie. Nemohol by som sa nazývať kazateľom, ale sú tu muži, ktorí sú do toho schopnejší, než som ja.
197 Ale môj dar pochádza od Boha, pretože Ho milujem. A verím tomu, že „dary a povolania sú bez pokánia.“ Sú predurčené od Boha. Je to tak v každej generácii. A moja časť v tomto bola pre to Slovo, aby to znovu žilo, stalo sa Slovom, aby to rozpoznávalo a vedelo veci. To je prorocké, čo je zasľúbené podľa Malachiáša 4, že to budeme mať v tomto dni, to dokonale ukazuje, že sme v tom poslednom dni.
198 No, ak mi Pán Ježiš povie, kde máš ťažkosti, uveríš mi, že som Jeho prorok alebo Jeho sluha? Nech to On udelí. Trpíš kožným ochorením. Niečo nie je v poriadku s tvojou pokožkou. To je pravda. [Sestra hovorí, „Áno.“ - pozn.prekl.] No, ak je to pravda, zodvihni ruku. Vidíte? Tak...
199 No, stále cítim, že odtiaľ niečo vychádzalo, niekto povedal, „On to uhádol.“ Teraz len chvíľu počkajte. Neuhádol som to, pani. Niektorí, vidíte, oni... Nemôžete teraz skryť myšlienku, vidíte, pretože On tu teraz je. A beriem tu pod svoju kontrolu každého ducha, v Mene Ježiša Krista, vidíte, na slávu Božiu. Neuhádol som to.
200 To je nervový stav. Máš nervový stav, že si... to ťa trápi. Modlíš sa za milovaného človeka. [Sestra hovorí, „Áno.“ - pozn.prekl.] To je žena. [„Áno.“] To je tvoja nevesta. [„Áno.“] A ona trpí epilepsiou. [„Áno.“] Je to tak.
No, ja som to nehádal. V poriadku.
201 Len tomu verte! [Sestra hovorí, „Je vyslobodená?“ - pozn.prekl.] Veríš tomu z celého svojho srdca; a ako si uverila, tak sa ti stane. Verím tomu. [„Je vyslobodená?”] Ja tomu budem veriť. Ak tomu budeš veriť, tak to tak bude.
202 Vidíte, nemôžem to vyslobodiť na základe mojej viery, to musí byť vyslobodené na základe jej viery. Rozumiete? Vidíte? Rozumiete tomu?
203 Ako sa máš? Práve som stratil svoju matku, asi pred dvoma rokmi. A keď ťa vidím takto prichádzať, prináša to spomienky. Či by som nebol hroznou osobou, keď tu stojím a reprezentujem Ježiša Krista a bol by som zvodcom? To by bolo hrozné, keby som také niečo robil. Ale ja nie som zvodca. Som Jeho sluha. A ak mi Boh dá, skrze Svoju milosť, niečo o tebe vedieť, no, budeš veriť, že to pochádza od Boha? [Sestra hovorí, „Áno.“ - pozn.prekl.]
204 No, aby to ľudia pochopili. Pozrite sa sem. To jedno rozpoznanie bolo viac, ako keby som kázal do polnoci. Ježiš povedal, „Vidím, že cnosť odišla.“ Ak to tak bolo pri Synovi Božom, o čo viac pri mne, hriešnikovi? Rozumiete? Daniel uvidel jedno videnie a mnoho dní ho trápila hlava. Koľkí to vedia? Iste. Rozumiete? Neuvedomujete si milosť, ktorú nám Boh dáva.
205 No, tá pani trpí na žalúdok. Je to v tvojom žalúdku. Vidím ťa, ako cúvaš od stola. A je to spôsobené nervovým stavom, ktorý spôsobuje, že to je žalúdok, ktorý robí, že to jedlo sa nedá stráviť. Je to žalúdočný vred, to je presne tak, je to v žalúdku. A ty veríš, že Boh to pre teba uzdraví? [Sestra hovorí, „Áno.“ - pozn.prekl.] Prijímaš to ako uzdravené? Veríš, že Boh to od teba odoberie preč. Nech ťa Boh žehná. Choď a nech ti to Pán Boh dá.
Buďte skutočne úctiví.
206 Ako sa máš? Predpokladám, že sme si navzájom cudzí. Je to skutočne naše prvé stretnutie, že? [Sestra hovorí, „Bola som na zhromaždeniach.“ - pozn.prekl.] Bola si na zhromaždeniach. Ale čo sa týka mňa, ja ťa nepoznám.
207 [Brat Branham sa odmlčí a potom sa obráti k publiku. - pozn.prekl.] Prosila si za seba. Ak budeš veriť, tá artritída ťa opustí. Áno. Sedela tam, mala sklonenú hlavu a modlila sa. Ak tomu budeš veriť, tak to odíde preč. Tvoj manžel, veríš, že mi Boh môže zjaviť, v čom je jeho problém? Veríš, že mi to Boh môže povedať? Zostal si z toho tak šťastný, keď si zistil, že jej bude dobre. Máš problém s prostatou, ktorá ťa trápi. Zodvihni ruku.
208 Nikdy v živote som ich nevidel. Povedzte mi, čoho sa dotkli. No, opýtajte sa teraz tú otázku. Čoho sa dotkli? Nedotkli sa mňa; sú odo mňa vzdialení asi 9 metrov. Ale oni sa dotkli toho Veľkňaza.
209 Ľudia, ak som vám cudzí, mávnite takto rukou. Vy, vy dvaja ľudia, ktorí tu sedíte, ak... Len mávnite takto rukou, ak som vám cudzí. Vidíte? Rozumiete? Vy ste tam len sedeli. A tá pani sa modlila, vidíte; a On, ktorý tu stojí, sa obracia presne tak, ako to robil v Biblii. To nie som ja, ktorý sa otáčam; On ma otáča.
210 Pozrite, ja tie veci nepoznám. Je to presne ako tento mikrofón; bez toho, že by niečo cez neho prehovorilo, je úplne nemý. Ale môžete ma počuť cez tento mikrofón (Je to tak?), ale ten mikrofón nedokáže sám hovoriť. Nemá hlas. Nepoznám tých ľudí. Nemôžete si uvedomiť, že je to v prítomnosti Božej, ktorá to používa, aby vám ukázala Jeho prítomnosť? Pretlačte sa cez to!
211 No, sme si navzájom cudzí, si mladšia ako ja. Pravdepodobne sme sa narodili roky od seba a na míle ďaleko a tu sa stretávame po prvýkrát. No, keď To tam odišlo, ja môžem len nasledovať; To je Svetlo, ja To pozorujem, vidíte. Duch Svätý je Svetlo, my to vieme. Ale ak mi Pán Ježiš pomôže, aby som vedel, aké máš ťažkosti, uveríš mi, že som Jeho sluha, a budeš vedieť, že to nie som ja, ale že to je On?
212 Ja som len Jeho sluha, ako ten mikrofón. No, tento stôl je časťou nábytku domu, ale nebolo to učinené, aby to hovorilo; to drží moju Bibliu. Mikrofón neudrží moju Bibliu; on nesie môj hlas. No, v cirkvi sú rôzne dary; niektoré sú Jeho Hlasom, niektoré sú videnia, niektoré sú iné veci, ktoré niekto robí. Ale ja pracujem skrze videnie ako Jeho sluha.
213 No, ak mi Boh dá vedieť, aký je tvoj problém, kvôli čomu tu si, budeš mi veriť a veriť, že to je Slovo Božie. Trpíš infekciou. Tá infekcia je na koži. [Sestra hovorí, „To je pravda.“ - pozn.prekl.]
214 Vidíte? Ona vie, či je to pravda alebo nie. Rozumiete? No, čím viac s ňou budem hovoriť, tým viac bude povedané. Je to veľmi milá osoba.
215 Mimochodom, pozrite sa sem na chvíľu; potom tí ostatní prídu trochu rýchlejšie. Len sa na pár minút porozprávajme, pretože si takou milou osobou. Teraz vieš, že sa s tebou niečo stalo. No, medzi tebou a mnou je Svetlo. Videla si niekedy Jeho fotografiu? Stojí To rovno medzi mnou a tebou. Pozerám sa na teba cez to Svetlo. Rozumieš? A ty veríš, že Boh mi môže povedať, kto si? Povedal Šimonovi, kým on bol.
216 Koľkí tomu teraz veria? Tu sme so zdvihnutými rukami, sme si celkom cudzí.
217 Volajú ťa Florencia a tvoje priezvisko je McAllister. [Sestra hovorí, „To je pravda. To je pravda.“ - pozn.prekl.] Veríš, že mi Boh môže povedať, odkiaľ si? [„Áno.“] Nie si odtiaľto. [„Nie.“] Si z miesta, ktoré sa volá Lawrence, Kansas. [„Je to tak.“] Je to tak. Teraz sa vráť späť, Ježiš Kristus ťa uzdravuje.
218 Majte vieru v Boha. Rozumiete? Vidíte, čo to je? Teraz buďte úctiví. Nehýbte sa. Vidíte, nehýbte sa.
219 Boh uzdravuje cukrovku. Veríš tomu? Veríš, že ťa uzdravil? Len choď vpred a povedz, „Ďakujem Ti, Pane.“ A ver tomu z celého srdca a budeš uzdravený.
220 Veríš, že Boh môže uzdraviť ten ženský problém, ktorý máš? Potom len pokračuj a povedz, „Ďakujem Ti, Pane. Verím tomu z celého srdca.“
221 V poriadku, nech tá pani príde. Máš ženský problém a tiež máš cukrovku. Veríš, že Boh ťa uzdraví? Len kráčaj ďalej a hovor, „Ďakujem Ti, Pane,“ a ver tomu teraz z celého srdca.
222 Príď. Nervový stav spôsobuje žalúdočné ťažkosti. Veríš tomu, že by si teraz mohla zjesť svoju večeru? Choď a povedz, „Ďakujem Ti, Pane.“ Zjedz svoju večeru a ver z celého srdca.
223 Boh uzdravuje srdcové ťažkosti. Veríš, že On uzdraví tvoje problémy so srdcom? V poriadku. Choď, ver tomu a On to urobí, vidíš, ak veríš.
224 Čo ak by som ti nič nepovedal, len aby som ukázal vieru, ktorú verím, že máš, len na teba položím ruky, a veríš, že budeš uzdravený? Poď. Bol si už uzdravený, keď si s tým odišiel tam hore. Je to pravda.
225 No, príď. Poď. Samozrejme, každý vidí, že táto žena pokrivkáva, to tak mala celý život. Ale ďalšia vec, ktorú máš, sú žalúdočné ťažkosti, ktoré ťa trápia, ktoré chceš... Len choď ďalej a povedz, „Ďakujem Ti, Pane.“ Ver z celého srdca a choď a ver tomu.
226 Veríš, že Boh uzdraví tú artritídu a dá, aby si bola zdravá a pôjdeš domov? Choď, ver tomu z celého srdca.
227 Koľkí tam veria, všetci z vás? Tu je muž, ktorý tu sedí a díva sa na mňa. Či nevidíte to Svetlo, ktoré visí rovno tu na tomto mužovi?
228 Skutočne, trápi ho problém s nadváhou. To je pravda. Zodvihni ruku, ak je to tak. Veríš, že Boh ťa uzdraví? Tvoja žena, ktorá tam sedí, veríš, že mi Boh môže povedať, v čom spočíva jej problém? Veríš? Budeš, pani? Veríš mi, že som Jeho prorok, Jeho sluha? To oslepuje ľudí, keď poviete 'prorok'. Veríš mi, že som Jeho sluha? Veríš, že Boh mi môže povedať, aký je tvoj problém? Vysoký krvný tlak. Ver teraz z celého srdca a to ťa opustí, pretože veríš.
229 Tento farebný chlapec, ktorý tu sedí na konci sedadla a intenzívne to sleduje, čo si o tom myslíš, chlapče? Veríš, že to je od Boha, ty, ktorý tam sedíš? Pozeral si sa na mňa s takou vážnosťou. Nepoznám ťa. Si mi cudzí. Ale ty trpíš na určitý problém. Veríš, že mi Boh môže povedať, čo to je? Naozaj? Je to alergia. To je pravda. Veríš, že Boh ťa uzdraví? Jedna veľká vec, ktorá sa ťa týka, je táto, jeden z tvojich najväčších problémov je, že si odpadnutý. Naozaj sa chceš vrátiť k Bohu. Ak je to pravda, zodvihni ruku a potom poď sem. [Brat vstáva a prichádza dopredu. - pozn.prekl.] Tvoje hriechy sú ti odpustené, môj brat.
230 Poviete, „Ako to vieš?“ Ten istý, ktorý mi povedal, čo s ním bolo.
231 Koľkí tu chcú, aby vám boli odpustené hriechy? Povstanete? Chcete, aby vám boli odpustené hriechy? Chcem len zistiť, či ste ohľadom toho úprimní. Ďakujem. Zaujímalo by ma, či by ste išli rovno sem a postavili sa tu s týmto mužom, ktorému bolo práve odpustené, a povedali, „Chcem, aby mi boli odpustené hriechy. Som ohľadom toho úprimný.“ Nemôžeš...
232 No, je tu toho viac. No, ak rozlišovanie rozpoznáva chorobu a nemoci, ono tiež rozpoznáva hriech. Vy to viete. Ako by som vedel, že tento človek je hriešnik? To je to, ide to rovno von a rovno dole. My len... Urobíte to, len na chvíľu? Poď sem a postav sa na chvíľu a povedz, „Chcem, aby mi bolo odpustené, brat. Chcem, aby mi Boh odpustil moje zlé veci. Uvedomujem si, že som v Jeho prítomnosti. Je mi jedno, čo si myslia moji susedia. Ja prídem tak či tak. Som vytrvalý. Chcem byť dnes večer spasený. Verím Bohu. Chcem prísť hneď teraz a nechať zmyť všetky svoje hriechy. “
233 Je v poriadku volať kazateľov? Koľko je tu kazateľov, ktorí veria, že títo ľudia majú právo byť spasení z milosti Božej? Chcem, aby každý kazateľ, ktorý tomu verí, prišiel teraz s nimi, zatiaľ čo sa modlíme, prosím teraz každého kazateľa, ktorý sa zaujíma o stratené duše. Nemyslel som si, že toto urobím, ale poznám niečo lepšie, ako neposlúchnuť Jeho Hlas. On mi povedal, aby som toto urobil. Môže to byť ich poslednýkrát, neviem.
234 Koľkí z vás vedia, že toto je to, čo robil, keď bol tu na zemi? Potom to musí byť znovu On. Je nemožné, aby človek, akákoľvek ľudská bytosť urobila niečo také. Sme v Jeho prítomnosti. A tu Ho vidíme dnes večer, ako robí... „Ak budem vyzdvihnutý, pritiahnem ku Sebe všetkých ľudí.“ Rozumiete? Vidíme Ho tu, ako robí to isté, čo robil, keď bol tu na zemi. Nemôžeme byť teraz vytrvalí? Pretlačte sa rovno dovnútra. Čo spôsobilo, že sme sem prišli? Čo to všetko jednako spôsobilo? To je Boh. Či tomu veríte?
235 Chcem, aby každý jeden z vás bratov kazateľov išiel dopredu a položil svoje ruky na jedného z tých ľudí, ktorí tu robia svoje vyznania.
236 No, môj drahý brat, sestra, vy, ktorí robíte svoje vyznanie pri oltári, čo vás priviedlo? Neprišiel si svojou vlastnou mocou. Prichádzate, pretože to niečo vás presvedčilo, že ste sa mýlili. Chcete, aby vám bolo odpustené. Keď ste videli toho biedneho farebného chlapca, toho etiópskeho chlapca, ako tam stojí, odišiel od Boha a Duch Svätý zjavil, že On je hriešnik. Ten istý Duch Svätý ťa nikdy nezavolal skrze moje pery, ale On ťa zavolal a dnes večer tu si, stojíš tak isto ako ten chlapec. Vyznaj teraz svoje hriechy pred Bohom. Verte Mu z celého svojho srdca a On vám odpustí každý hriech, ktorý ste spáchali, a vezme vás dnes večer späť na základe vášho vyznania a obecenstva. On to urobí, ak Mu len budete veriť.
237 Skloňme teraz naše hlavy, všade v publiku a všetci buďte skutočne úctiví. Teraz sa modlime. Každý jeden z vás vyznáva svoje hriechy. On je tu. Duch Svätý je tu. To je to, čo robí to volanie. Tak teraz tomu len ver z celého srdca, vyznaj, že sa mýliš, pros Ho, aby ti odpustil. A nech sa každý jeden z vás bratov modlí s týmito ľuďmi.
238 Nebeský Otče, prichádzame teraz v Mene Pána Ježiša a ďakujeme Ti za Tvoju veľkú milosť a moc voči nám, Pane. Že my, nehodní, sme tu dolu v neskorom, záverečnom čase. Prosíme, aby Tvoje milosrdenstvo bolo rozšírené, Pane, ďalej dolu, až kým nebude privedená posledná duša. Dnes večer, kvôli Tvojmu zjaveniu sa pred nami, to prinútilo ľudí tlačiť sa za každých okolností, aby sa dostali hore, aby verili, že toto je tá hodina, keď im budú odpustené hriechy a budú slobodní od tejto noci. Udeľ to, nebeský Otče. Nech od nich odíde preč každý hriech.
239 Ty si povedal, „Ten, kto príde ku Mne, toho nevyženiem von. Hoci by vaše hriechy boli ako šarlát, jednako budú biele ako vlna; červené ako karmín, budú biele ako sneh.“ Ponárame sa pod príliv Krvi Ježiša Krista. Skrze vieru berieme tento vyznávajúci ľud do tej prítomnosti Božej, do Krvi Syna Božieho a prosíme o odpustenie. Prosíme túto žiadosťv Ježišovom Mene. Odpusti každý hriech a vezmi ich do Svojej starostlivosti, Otče. Ako oni vyznávajú, priveď ich späť na základe Tvojho zasľúbenia. Povedal si, že to urobíš, a ja viem, že to urobíš. Oni sú Tvoji, Otče. Dávame Ti ich v Mene Ježiša Krista.
240 Každý z vás, ktorí teraz stojíte okolo oltára, ktorí ste skutočne vyznali, že sa mýlite; a v prítomnosti Božej mi veríte, že som Jeho prorok, a veríte, že som vám o tom povedal Pravdu, a veríte, že vaše hriechy pominuli; a teraz, skrze vieru, prelomte tú oponu do prítomnosti Božej a povedzte, „Pane, verím Ti a prijímam Ťa teraz.” Zodvihnite ruky a povedzte, „Robím to.“ Každý jeden okolo oltára, zodvihnite ruky a povedzte, „Robím to. Teraz tomu verím.“ Nech vás Boh žehná. Amen. To je spôsob, ako to urobiť. To je to. Len skrze vieru, prelomiť sa cez tú oponu.
241 No, zatiaľ čo ste na tom istom základe, na ktorom stojíte, že vám je odpustené, bratia, položte na nich svoje ruky znovu kvôli krstu Duchom Svätým. Rovno tam, kde stojíte, položte teraz na nich ruky a modlite sa, aby prijali krst Duchom Svätým, ako tu stoja.
242 Pane Ježišu, pošli na nich Svoju moc ako prudký mocný vietor. Pošlite ďalšie zopakovanie Letníc; a naplň ľudí, nie miestnosť, ľudí, Ohňom Ducha Svätého a odpustením a prejavmi moci skrze Ježišovo Meno. Amen.
1 ... our love with Him, I am sure. But there is a great cooling off amongst the people. The revival is over. The fires is going out. See, it's time for something to happen. You know, in the old Roman temple, the temple of Vesta, when the fires went out, everybody went home, so there wasn't no business done. And I think that's... I'm just about enough Quaker to believe that, that it--that it should be that way.
2Now I think, tonight, I omitted it every night, but... I--I like to respect this Word of God, because I think it is God's Word, and It's Him. It's Him in letter form. The letter itself, it's, you have to have the Spirit there to quicken the letter. So now for respects to this Word, let us stand while we read It. Saint Mark, the 7th chapter and beginning with the 24th verse, and reading down the 30th verse, inclusive. You that have your Bible, and kind of like to take a text of just a little formal planting maybe, of a few seed again tonight, to build that faith until the time comes.
3And when I feel that the Spirit has given that climax, right then every one of you will be called to the platform. Don't--don't worry, it'll be right then. But until that Spirit gets to that place to where you feel that the people has got it!
4 What's the use of coming up here, if you're just walking up here? You walk through Tommy Hicks' line, and Tommy Osborn, and Oral Roberts, and back and forth, through the line. It only weakens your faith. That's all.
5When you come here with a full assurance that you're not walking before your brother, or anyone else, you're coming here because the Spirit of God in you has bid you come, something is going to happen. There isn't nothing to keep it from it. Until then, you're just on a walk, right around; next minister comes in town, right around; next minister comes, right around. That's no good. There is nothing in a preacher, no more than there is in your husband or your brother, or whoever it might be. We are just representatives of His, telling you the Word. Some of them have different gifts, which the Bible speaks of these gifts. This is all done to vindicate His Presence.
6 Now if it had been me, or you to me, if you can't take one another's word, why, that would settle it. But God, full of mercy, He sent gifts and confirmation, to prove, and just so... He is so long-suffering, so gentle and kind, that He--He wants no one lost or no one hurt. He wants to be sure that every one of you get in. All right.
7 Now have you got the Bibles turned to the 7th chapter of Saint Mark, and the 24th verse.
And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into the house, and would not... would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
And the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
But Jesus said unto her, Let the children be filled, first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto... dogs.
And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat... the children's crumbs.
And he said unto her, For this saying go your way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
And when she came, was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter lay upon the bed.
8 Now let us pray, and with our heads bowed, and our hearts. I wonder, while we pray, how many in here would like to be remembered in prayer for some special something, would you raise your hand, maybe, "Lord, let it be me, tonight," see, or, "I have a loved one, let it be them, tonight."
9 Our Heavenly Father, Thou knowest the needs before we even ask. Jesus taught us that, "Your Father knows what you have need of before you ask," but yet we are to ask.
10When He looked upon the harvest, He was the Lord of the harvest, and He said, "The harvest is ripe, the laborers are few; pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He may send laborers into His harvest," making Himself with man so bound together that He works only through the agency of man. He chose man to work for Him. He could have chose the sun to preach the Gospel, He could have chose the winds, or the trees, or the stars. But He chose man, veils Himself inside, hides Himself from the unbeliever, reveals Himself to who He will.
11Lord God, we are here tonight for no other purpose but to see You reveal Yourself to us, by forgiving the sins that we have committed, and--and helping us, and encouraging saints along the way, saving sinners, calling backsliders back to the fellowship of the Heavenly Father and to the Church of Believers, the Firstborn. Grant it, Lord.
12You know what's behind each one of those hands that went up. You know what was beneath it, under the heart. You know their desire. I offer my prayer in their behalf, that You will grant each one of them their desires. My hands was up, too, Lord. Grant our requests.
13 Bless the reading of Thy Word. And now as we take a text, we pray that You will unfold to us the context, that we might know Him better. And when we leave here, tonight, may we say like those who coming from Emmaus, after He has risen from the dead. And they had walked with Him all day, talked with Him, and yet they didn't know Who He was. There is many in this city, Lord, tonight, no doubt has talked to You and walked with You, and yet never recognized Your Presence.
14But that night, when You... when they bid You come in and abide with them, Cleopas and his friend, and when You got the door shut, and You sat down, You did something just the way You did it before Your crucifixion. No other, man did it that way. You did it Your Own way, and, by that, they knew You were the resurrected Christ. Quickly You vanished out of their sights. And with a light heart full of joy, they joined themselves quickly with the rest of the apostles, and said, "Indeed, He has risen from the dead."
15And when we leave this building, tonight, may we see You come on the scene and do the same things You did before Your crucifixion, as You promised You would repeat again in the last days. And grant, Lord, that when we leave, we'll go like they, saying, "Did not our hearts burn within us, as He talked to us along the way?" For we ask it in His Name and for His glory. Amen.
You may be seated.
16 I wish to take just one word for a text, tonight, and the word I want to take is called: Perseverant.
17You might say, "Brother Branham, that's a--that's a very small word for three or four hundred people sitting here tonight," or whatever there is; I'm a poor judge of--of--of an audience. And you say, "That's a very small word." Well, it isn't the--the size, it's--it's--it's really what I'm going to say about it.
18Now, perseverance, according to Webster, it's--it's to be... it's--it's a--a word, that, you're "to be persistent," too, means to be persistent in trying to make a goal, try to--to put something over, try to do something. You are perseverant when you are persistent.
19 Now, all Christians must be persistent. They must be perseverant. And the only way that you're able to--to do this, is to first to have faith in what you're trying to do. And if you have no faith, you're just jumping at it, then you--you--you can't, cannot be perseverant. But when you really know it's the Truth, then there is nothing going to stop you, you are really perseverant then.
20And man of all ages, that's ever been able to do anything, and had faith in what they were trying to do, were perseverant.
21 For instance, like of what we call the father of our nation, George Washington. He was perseverant when, he, trying to achieve that victory over the British, and crossed the icy Delaware. He was perseverant. There was nothing... His soldiers, half of them, didn't even have shoes on their feet; their feets was wrapped in rags. The wind was blowing. But he had prayed all night, and he had the victory in his heart. And there was no British army or nothing else was going to stop him, neither could the icy river. He had prayed through, and there was no hindrance going to stop him. He was perseverant, and he achieved the task that he was trying to--to do, because he had the answer from God.
22 When a man gets his answer from God, there is nothing going to stop him.
23Most people today, as I will repeat myself from last night, saying they have hope instead of faith. You find people coming on the platform, they're--they're just built up in hopes.
24"But faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence." It's not a myth; it's not imagination. It's something you've got. You've already got it. And you're just as happy with it, that faith that you have, as you would be if you had the substance in your hand.
25 For instance, like this, if I'm starving to death; and a loaf of bread costs a quarter, which will--will buy the loaf of bread. Now, when I have the quarter in my hand, I'm just as happy as if it was the loaf of bread, because it's the purchase price of the bread.
26And when I know in my heart that I have accepted it, and I believe that God has give it to me, I'm just as happy with that faith as if I was if I was healed, because I'm going to be healed, anyhow. I've got the substance right now, nobody can take it away from me. I know it's right, and I can be perseverant with that.
27 When God tells something that's going to happen, like the visions or something. I've seen tens of thousands of them, and many of you are a witness, and not one of them has ever failed. And when God says anything, I don't... If He would say, tonight, "Go to the national cemetery, for I am going to raise up George Washington in the morning," I'd invite the whole world come watch it, it's going to happen.
28God's Word can't fail. He has never failed, and He can't fail. There is one thing God can't do, and that's fail. He cannot fail. And God is His Word.
29 Now, Noah was living in a scientific age when they was, perhaps, could shoot the moon with radar. Jesus said it was a day like this. "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man."
30Now, we know, down in Egypt we see these pyramids. We could not reproduce them today. We have no power to do it. They had a hold of atomic power, or--or some kind of power that built the pyramids. We couldn't put those boulders up there, by no means. Neither could we reproduce that sphinxes. There is no way of doing it. We don't have the material to make a mummy, embalm a body that looks even natural for thousands of years. We've lost that art. A dye that won't fade out; many things they had then that we are completely blind of. And they built that pyramid so setting so center in the earth, no matter where the sun is, there is never a shadow around it, never a shadow at the pyramid. Oh, the architectury, the--the--the instruments they--they had, is far beyond now.
31 And Noah lived in that intellectual, scientific age. Noah did. And he was a prophet, and the Lord told him that it was going to rain. And after Noah hearing the voice of God, being a prophet to the voice of the Lord, Word of the Lord comes to His prophet, and he knew it was going to rain; no matter what anyone else said, whether it ever rained.
32And it never had rained before. God irrigated the ground, the vegetation, with--with irrigation from the springs, and so forth, in the earth. There had never been a cloud in the sky, but yet Noah knew there was coming water from above. How is He going to do it? He doesn't know, but, he was so perseverant, he went and built an ark according to the specification that God said for him to build it, because he had heard the voice of God, and was standing in the Presence of God when the voice of God was made manifest to him.
That ought to set this born-again Church afire, perseverant!
33 I don't care how many critics laugh about it, how many says it can't be so, and then go out there and scientifically prove it, shoot the radar to the moon and show there is no such a thing as water in the skies. But Noah knew that if God, standing in His Presence, and He is the God that had spoke to him, and He was clearly identified that it was God's Word, and standing in the Presence of God, he was--he was persistent. He would build the ark, anyhow; and nobody wanted to help him, he would build it himself. He was persistent because he was knowed that it was the Word of God, and he built it.
34 I can think of--of how Moses, a great scholar, he was so smart till he could--he could teach the wisdom to the Egyptians. He could teach the teachers. He knowed all of the--the theology that the Egyptians knowed, and of his Hebrew family. And he was a smart, witty man, a great... We are taught he was a military man. But had totally failed, because, one thing. He slew this Egyptian, and his education ceased; when they accused him then, "Will you slay us as you did the Egyptian?" Thinking his brethren would understand it. And he--he miserably failed.
35 And that brings me to a thought of this. That's the reason, tonight, that our systems has failed. That's the reason that we will never be able to educate people to God. We'll never be able to denominate them to God. We've tried all these systems, and they all fail, like, fell like the tower of Babel. And they always will do that.
36God, the unchanging God, made His decision at the garden of Eden, how He would save man.
37And when God ever makes a decision, it has to ever remain that way. He cannot change. He cannot get smarter. He is the source of all intelligence. No matter what our science says, if it's against the Intelligence or the Word of God, it's contrary, it's not right. I don't care how scientific it can be proved, it's still wrong.
38 God decided He would save a man by the shed Blood of an innocent One. They have tried to build cities, they have tried to unite them, they've tried to build towers, educate them into It, and they get further away all the time. You will never be able to save man till he comes back to the Blood. That's the only place that God will ever meet a man. Not by his intellectuals, not by how smart he is, how many man has made him a priest, or a bishop, or a state overseer, or whatever he might be, minister, deacon, that isn't the grounds that God meets a man on. He meets him on the grounds when he is under the shed Blood. That's the only place Israel ever was able to meet God, to worship, was under the shed blood. That's God's provided way. No other way will work. And under the shed Blood, God meets man and stands in the presence of man.
39 Moses, this runaway intellectual, runaway prophet, out on the backside of the desert, and marry this beautiful Ethiopian woman, and was living; had a child, little Gershom. And one day while walking around on the desert, the backside of the desert, an old man of eighty years old, looked like was plumb out of use, as a minister, but he found a bush that was burning with Fire and it did not consume. And he went aside to see what had happened, and come into the Presence of God; and heard the Presence of God, heard the voice of God, while he was in His Presence, when this Pillar of Fire was laying in this bush, talking to him. Where, he was afraid to even go near Egypt, knowing that Pharaoh would take his life, there is nothing going to stop him now.
40And sometimes when a man gets in the Presence of God, and hears the voice of God, he does things so--so radical to the ordinary thinking of people, it sounds ridiculous.
41 The next day now. A man that was afraid to take an army to attack Egypt, all the slaves there was in Egypt, he was afraid to attack Pharaoh like that; here he is, the next day, eighty years old, beard hanging all the way to his waistline, his bald head shining, a crooked stick in his hand, his wife sitting on a mule with a young'n on her hip, going down, with his eyes set up, glorifying God.
"Where you going, Moses?"
42"Going down to Egypt, to take over." A one-man invasion! Why? He had been in the Presence of God. He seen what God could do with a stick. He didn't know what He could do with an army. He knowed what He could do with a stick.
43I don't know what He can do by a denomination. I know what He can do with one man that will surrender himself completely to Him. All He needs, one person, that's you. Then he is perseverant. Nothing is going to stop him.
44 Moses had come in the Presence of God, heard His voice in a--a miracle sign. He knowed He was a consuming Fire, and here He is in the Pillar of Fire back in a bush. All of his education, all of his theology, left him. And he knowed one thing: there was a God, and he had His orders. A crooked stick was good enough. He had been in the Presence of God.
45Don't make any difference how many trained man Egypt had. Any of these things didn't mean a thing to Moses. He had been in the Presence of God, and he was perseverant. He is going down to take over, against shields and trained man, by the tens of thousands, with a crooked stick in his hand. Stop him if you can. There is nothing can stop him. And he did it, he went down and took over because he was perseverant when he absolutely knowed that he had been in the Presence of God, and had heard the voice of God out of the Presence of God. Amen. Not only the voice was, but it was a Scriptural voice.
There is all kinds of voices. Check it with the Word.
46The voice said, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I made a promise that I would deliver those people. The time is at hand. I have heard their groaning, seen their taskmasters burdening them, and I remember My promise. And I've come down to deliver them, and I'm sending you to do it." That's good enough. He seen His Glory, and away he went.
47 David was very perseverant when he come over to the--the armies of Israel, which was standing in a bluff at that time, and across the little creek and over on the other side was the--the Philistine. There was Goliath, the great challenger, about twice the size and height of an ordinary man, fourteen-inch fingers; and a great spear, several feet long, that could stand there and just pick man on it, like that, and throw them off; punch them out, pick them up on the spear and throw them off, as they come up the hill.
48And when the enemy knows that he has got the upper hand on you, he likes to brag. So he said, "Let's not have so much blood shed." Said, "Saul, let some of your man come over here and fight me. And if I kill him, well, then, you serve us. But if he kills me, we'll serve you." See, when the enemy has got that upper hand!
49 And every soldier was just so shaky that he--he could hardly hold his armor up. And Saul, the most able of all of them, head and shoulders above his army, he wouldn't dare touch him, and yet supposed to be the anointed of the Lord.
50But there come from the wilderness, a little stoop-shouldered, ruddy-looking fellow, that had a slingshot in his hand. And that giant made his brag before the wrong man. And David said, "Do you mean to tell me that you will let that uncircumcised Philistine stand there and defy the armies of the living God? Do you mean to tell me that you'll do such a thing as that?"
51Now his brothers said, "Now you're naughty. You get back out there at the sheep, where you belong."
52And the news come to Saul. Saul said, "Bring the lad here, let me look at him."
53 And when he come up, a little stooped, ruddy-looking fellow standing there, probably hair hanging down in his eyes. And he said, "Well, you, you can't fight that man." Said, "You're nothing but a little fellow, a little--little ruddy man, and in your youth. And he has been a warrior since his youth." He said, "You can't fight him. I admire your courage, but the... it's too great."
54And what happened? He said, "Let me see if you could use my armor." So he put his armor on him, give him his shield.
55Well, poor little David couldn't stand up. He--he--he said he--he didn't know nothing about it. He found out that Saul's ecclesiastical vest didn't fit a man of God.
56So he said, "I'll send him away and give him a schooling, a Ph.D., LL.D., and so forth, and see what he can do about it."
57He said, "I don't know nothing about these things. Take them off of me. I--I don't know nothing about this."
58"But here is one thing I do know. I was herding my father's sheep, and a lion come in and got one of them. And I went after him, 'cause my father had give me charge to watch those sheep." Amen. And any good shepherd is a watcher of the sheep. And he said, "I don't have nothing but this slingshot in my hand, but I knocked him down; and when he rose up against me, I slew him. And a bear come in and got one. I run after him and took it out of his mouth; and when he rose up, I killed him." And said, "How much more will God of Israel, God of Heaven, deliver that uncircumcised Philistine into my hand!"
59 That little fellow was perseverant because he knowed what he was talking about. He knowed Who he had believed, and was fully persuaded He was able to keep that which he had committed to Him against the day. Now he had just a slingshot, that's all he had. He said, "I'll go fight the Philistine." Because, the reason he was so perseverant, he knowed if God, under the care of a sheep, had helped him deliver the sheep back to his father, how much more a man.
60Now think of that, all ministers. And we feel that way about you sheep, tonight. The devil has come and smote you with a disease. That's right. He has took you out from the good health. I--I don't have no Ph.D. I don't have no LL.D. I don't even have a grammar school education. But I know what I do have. I'm coming after you, tonight, to bring you back to the shady green pastures and the still waters. That's what we're here on the platform for, tonight, is to come get you, snatch you out of the hand of the lion out there, bring you back. Be patient, listen close and watch, try to find what we're trying to do, is try to help you.
61Now, David was very persistent, because that he knew Who he had believed, and he knowed he was able to commit; what he committed to Him, He was able to keep it.
62 We find out that, Samson, another great judge in Israel, and that some people picture Samson as having a--a shoulders about like a barn door; now it would be nothing strange about that, to see a man who could pick up the gates of Gaza and walk out with it, or take a lion and pull him apart. But, you know, Samson was just a little bitty... in the street expression, a little shrimp, little bitty, old curly-headed, sissified, mama's boy, seven curls. It was a strange thing. When, they thought that a man, a great big ten-foot man, could pick up a lion, sure, and kill him. But the strange thing was, this little fellow seemed to be helpless until the Spirit of the Lord come on him. It wasn't Samson. It was the Spirit of the Lord.
63 That's the reason that it wasn't the apostles. Jesus chose them all, practically every one of them without even enough education to sign their name. He didn't choose priests. He didn't choose theologians. He chose fishermen and herdsmen, the ignorant and unlearned, so that He could take that in His hand, and take nothing and make something out of it. That's His nature. So He doesn't take trained schools and trained scholars, He takes something that realizes it's nothing. He gets into it and makes something out of it.
64 We find that this Samson was a Nazarite, he had seven little curls that hung down his back. And when the Spirit of the Lord come upon him, he feared nothing. Why? He was persistent as long as he could feel that Nazarite vow with him. As long as he could reach back here and feel those locks, he knew that he was in the will of God and nothing could bind him. The city couldn't bind him. A lion couldn't kill him. He took the jawbone of a mule, and it dry, and beat down a thousand Philistines, with it.
65Do you know those helmets, those brass helmets, was over an inch thick? You know what would have happened when an old desert-dry bone would hit against that? Why, it would burst into a million pieces. But he stood there, single-handed, with this jawbone of a mule, and beating over their head, and killed a thousand Philistines. Why? He was persistent. Every time he hit, he felt that Nazarite vow move back upon him.
66 How much ought the church, tonight, that claims that you are born of the Spirit of God! Stand in the meeting and see the vindication of the resurrected Jesus Christ, and claim to be filled with the Holy Ghost, and could sit still and let Satan push you around like he does? It's a strange thing. As long as you can feel the Presence of the Holy Ghost, know that it's His Word and His promise for this day, you should be persistent to press in until it's over. Perseverant! Stay with it! God promised it. It's not you. It's God!
67 How about the little virgin Mary. Now to you women. Now she was just an ordinary girl that lived in a real mean city way worse than Topeka. And she lived there, but she lived a straight clean life, and she was engaged to a man by the name of Joseph. And one day she was on her road to the well, to get some water, and a great Light appeared before her. And an Angel stood there, which was Gabriel, and told her that she was going to--to bear a child, knowing no man. And at the same time, told about Elisabeth, her--her cousin that was old in age, Zacharias' wife, and she had conceived in her old day.
68And now Mary, you could imagine what a laugh it would be to the people, to think that this young girl, going with this boy, steady, and here she shows up to be mother. But it didn't make any difference to her. She had been in the Presence of God. She had heard the Voice of God. She didn't care the scorn of the people, or the laugh of the people, or what they said about it. She was persistent. Up through the hilly country she went!
69 And women then wasn't like they are now, get out here with shorts on; and a couple of days before deliverance, out on the street before man. That's a disgrace to humanity. That's right.
70She hid herself. And little Mary come up before she was to be mother, and went up in the hills of Judaea to see Elisabeth. And while Elisabeth had hid herself, no doubt, one morning, looking through the curtain, she saw this young lady come, running, and she recognized it to her--her cousin, Mary. And as women then, they loved to see one another, they meant so much to each other, she run out, perhaps, and throwed her arms around her and hugged her, and was greeting her.
And she said, "I understand that you are to be mother."
"Yes."
She said, "You know, I am to be mother, too."
"Oh, you and Joseph are already married?"
"No, we're not married."
71And she seen she was showing to be mother. She said, "You mean, dear, that you and Joseph are not married yet, and you are to be mother?"
"Yes."
"How will this be?"
72 "The Holy Ghost will overshadow, is to... has overshadowed me. The voice of God said so." And said, said, "I know that you're to be mother, too."
73She said, "Yes, but it's already six months with me, and I--I'm worried because the baby has not moved yet."
74Now, anyone knows that that's altogether out of ordinary; two or three months, and life is felt. But this had been six months, with no sign of life. Now that baby was dead, six months with no life. She said she was worried about it.
75She said, "But the Holy Ghost has come upon me," Mary said to Elisabeth, "the Holy Ghost has come upon me, and has overshadowed me; and said I would have a son, and He would be the Son of God, and I'd call His Name 'Jesus.'"
76And just as soon as that human Name of God, "Jesus," was spoke by a mortal lip, out of a human being, a dead baby come to life in the womb of a woman, and received the Holy Ghost. And if that will do that to a baby, dead in the mother's womb, what ought it to do to a born-again Church? The first time the Name of Jesus Christ was ever spoke by a mortal lip, a baby dead in its mother's wombs came to life and received the Holy Ghost. "Whence cometh the mother of my Lord?" said Elisabeth. "For as soon as your salutation came to my ears, my baby leaped in the womb for joy."
77And today we claim to have that Holy Ghost, and cowardly with It, afraid to move out. We've got to get persistent. If we got the real genuine Holy Spirit, we will be persistent.
78 Now going a long ways, get away, I get away from my text. And here it is almost time to start the prayer line now, and I haven't even got to my text. This is too short.
79This woman that we are talking of, this Syrophenician woman, she was a Greek, and she had heard about Jesus. Now, "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing the Word of God." And she had heard.
80And, somehow, faith finds a source that others don't see. A--a doctor might say, "Child, I've done all I can do for you." He is at the end of his road. That's all the man can do. He sees the thing is advanced and there is nothing he can do about it. But, you see, faith finds a source that he don't know nothing about. Science won't prove it, because faith...
81 The whole armor of God is supernatural. What is the armor of God? Love, what is love? Scientificially prove me there is such a thing as love. Where is it at? You, how many loves, raise up your hand; love your wife, love your brother, love your friends? Well, I want somebody, some science, to prove to me what part of you is love. Where do you buy it at, what drugstore? I want a bunch of it, love. Joy, you got joy? Peace, long-suffering, gentleness, patience, what is it? It's all supernatural.
82God is supernatural. You don't scientifically prove God. You believe God. You believe it. If you don't believe it, then, a man that says "everything that's not scientifically, is unorthodox, it's not right," then that man can never be a Christian. He has to believe. By faith we believe God; not by education, not by theology. "But by faith you are saved."
83 Notice, faith finds a source that others don't see. His Word is a sword, Hebrews 4:12 said that, "The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, even discerns the thoughts, its intents that's in the heart." That's the Word of God. And the only thing that can hold that sword is the hand of faith.
84Nothing else can do it, nothing else. You have to see something otherwise, scientific. You, scientifically, educationally, you cannot hold that sword. You can't do it by education; it's too twisted, too complicated; you make it, it'd make it, it'll try to deny Itself and everything. You cannot do it. Jesus said, "It's hid from you," so forget about it. You cannot know it. It's hid. And when God hides anything, it's really hid.
85That's the reason that you are so hid, if you're a Christian. "For you are dead, and your life is hid in God, through Jesus Christ, and sealed by the Holy Ghost." How is the devil going to find you? He can't do it. You're hid. God hides you. Amen. What a hiding place, in the bosom of Jesus Christ!
86 Now, faith holds it, it wields it. Now you may not be strong enough, that arm of faith, to cut a hole all the way through it, and walk through like some can. But just keep punching, it'll come. Just hold to it.
87She had many hindrances, this little Greek woman, but her faith didn't have any. Faith don't have any hindrance at all. There is nothing can hinder faith. Don't care what anybody else says, nothing hinders faith. Let's see some of the "might's" that could have happened to her. She might...
88 Somebody, they might have said to her, "You are a Greek. Your denomination isn't sponsoring His meeting." But she was persistent, anyhow. She was going, anyhow, 'cause she had heard. "And faith cometh by hearing." Not by cooperation; but by hearing.
89Notice, they might have said this, that, "You're a Greek. You're not in their class of people. You, there--there is... They're a different skin from you. They're a different race." Still, that didn't bother her. That didn't bother her.
90 And some of them might have come and said, "Now that's nonsense. The days of miracles is passed. There is no such a thing as that healing that you hear about. He is just another fanatic that's raised up." Sure, they have all kinds of bogus dollars, but there is a real one, somewhere, it's made off of. That's right. Now said, "The days of miracles is passed, there is no such a thing. That's just a bunch of fanatics down there, just a little handful of them that's... We've had it all along."
91But, still, something had struck that woman; she was still persistent. The days of miracles might have been passed for that one was talking to her; but not to her. It might be a passed for some of your associates, but not for you, if you've got faith.
92 There might have been another group, maybe some women stood on the corner, saying, "Martha." I hope there is no Martha's here. "Martha, you know what? Your husband will leave you, as sure as you go down to that meeting. Now, I know your daughter has got epilepsy, but I tell you, it's going... If your husband ever catches you going down there! He belongs to the great clubs and societies of the city; if you go down there, he will leave you." That didn't mean nothing to her. She was going, anyhow. Faith had done took a hold. Faith knows no hindrance.
93Well, then, there might have been another group down on the corner, that said, "You know what? You'll be the laughingstock of the church, because you're going down there just for nothing. And the people is going to know you're going. And as soon as you're identified with them, then you'll be the laughingstock of the people. Everybody will laugh at you." That didn't mean one thing to her, not at all. She was persistent.
94 Some group might have said, "They'll put you out of your church; they'll give you your membership card." Still, she was persistent. That didn't hinder her a bit. Why? She had already got a hold of faith.
95I wish I had time to stop here for four hours and just tell you of the--of the experiences on that similar thing, that women and man and children, who were dying; and, by doctors statements, they are living, tonight, by the grace of God. Because, something got a hold of them, faith! That's the idea. All right.
96She had broke through all these gates, all the critics, all the laugh-at's, all the "your husband will put you away; your fellowship card is gone from the church, you'll have to find something else; you'll be a castaway; you'll be called a holy-roller." That didn't mean a thing to her, because she had already seen God. She had heard, and faith cometh by hearing. And she knew that others had been healed, why couldn't her daughter be healed? There you are, she comes through.
97 Finally she arrives at the feet of Jesus, and notice what a shock! Many people think just because that they can get there, that's all there is to it; but you've just started now. When she got to Jesus, what a disappointment to her; or it would have been, maybe, to us in this day. Jesus said He wasn't even sent to her race.
98If that had been some of you Pentecostals of today, why, you would have stuck your nose up in the air and walked away, and say, "Is that what it is? If they don't like me at the Assemblies, I'll join the Oneness. If they don't like me there, I'll go to the church of God. I--I don't have to put up with no such a stuff as that." Ah, that's the reason the miracles is gone from the church. That's the reason the faith is gone from the church. See?
99 Even Jesus, the very God! Listen to it. The very God that she was going to worship, and--and change her thoughts, and come to--to believe on Him; when she arrived at Him, she got a cold shoulder.
100You remember me speaking last night about the hybrid flowers and things? Christianity today is a reproduction. It's not the original. If you had the original baptism like they had it back there, that pentecostal church would be a... there would nothing can stop it. It would be like a house on fire in a dry weather, and a hot wind blowing. There would be nothing could stop it; it's on fire! But what's today? No, it's a different group today. My opinion: it's a reproduction.
Notice, He give her a cold shoulder.
101Today we have to pat them, "I'll promise you; if you'll just come over, I'll put your card on my book over here, your letter, and I--I--I'll see what I can do. We'll get with the deacon board, see if we can't get you on the deacon board or--or something." That's the way they have to do them today. See what a bunch we got?
102 But even when she got there, He said, "I'm not even sent to your race. And, besides that, they are nothing but a bunch of dogs."
103Oh, my, what would we have done? What would you have done? Ask yourself that, and be honest. Somebody snubbed, why, if you don't even get prayed for, the first night, you claim you ain't coming back no more. Then you got faith? Sure. Now, remember, this tape goes all over the world. I'm not just pointing my finger here; I'm pointing everywhere. See? Yeah, you, you won't come back. No. You can't even sit and listen to the meeting through. You see? "Yeah, I got faith"? Yeah.
104 But she was called a dog. That's the lowest can be gotten, or was to them in that day, an unclean animal. Course, today it's an idol; but there a woman will take a little old dog and give it a mother's care, and practice birth control, 'cause she wants to get out to dances and parties, and carry on like that, and she ain't got time for her child. She know you can root the dog off in a little cage somewhere, take it with her. That's exactly right, see. Practice birth control, and then go to church and sing in the choir; wear shorts, slacks, everything else, and call herself a Christian; bob off her hair and still say she is in fellowship with God, when the Bible said she is not. That's exactly right. I don't care... Listen.
You say, "That little thing, what are you saying that about?"
105 In the beginning, one word caused all sickness and death. The same God, at the last of the Book, said, "Whosoever shall take one Word out of It, or add one word to It." So no matter what you do, how saintly you claim to be, how much you jump up-and-down and cry, speak in tongues, run over the floor, or whatever you want to do, or give to the poor, or whatever you are; that isn't it. You've broke that Word; and, that one Word broke, you can't go back in! Exactly right, not one Word. You take a creed instead of the Word, because it suits you better.
106That's the reason people can join church, and go to this, that, or the other, and sit around there, it's nothing but a lodge. It isn't a church. You are born into the Church; you join a lodge. But you are born in a Church, the Church, not a church; the Church. There is only one Church. And you...
107I've been in the Branham family for fifty-five years, and they never did ask me to join the family. I was born there. That's right.
Yeah, turned down, called a "dog," but still she held on.
108 See, she had faith. She was disappointed with all of her friends, disappointed with her people, all kinds of things trying to hinder her. But everything is throwed that way. That shows Satan trying to--to push back genuine faith, but he can't do it. Care what anybody says; it's still there. She is persistent. She keeps moving on.
109She got to Jesus, and Jesus said, "I am not sent to your race. I'm not sent to your church. They're not cooperating. You're nothing but a bunch of dogs, anyhow." Still she moved on! Says, "Me, I come to--to heal these, Mine, not to come to heal you. Not meat for Me to take the children's bread and hand it out to you bunch of dogs."
She said, "That's the truth, Lord." Amen.
110Faith will always admit the Word is true. Amen. Now if you want to hold onto a creed, go ahead; but the faith, real genuine faith, admits the Word is the Truth.
111 She said, "Truth, Lord, but the dogs can eat the crumbs that's under the children's table." That got it. That got it. She was not a--a hothouse plant. She was not a--a hybrid bunch, so-called believers, that we have the crop of today. She had genuine faith. She admitted He was right. But she wasn't after even all the bread that the children could eat; she was just searching for crumbs.
112We either get the best or we don't have any at all. We'll walk away from It, and then say, "We got faith. They don't treat me right, I'll walk out." That's no faith. That's not faith.
113Faith is there. What I'm trying to say to you, friends, we're going to have a prayer line here one of these nights. And I want to see not one stretcher, one wheel chair, one crutch, or nothing but what's laying here on the floor, and them walking on out. See? Unless you come with the right kind of approach, you're not going to get anything. That's right, you're just walking right through and somebody slapping a hand on you, and going on out. That, that's no good. You've got to know what you're come... "He that cometh to God must believe."
114 Watch, remember, she had never seen a miracle. She was a Greek. She know... She was a Gentile. She had never seen a miracle, yet she had faith that there was such a thing. And year after year, and day after day, we see miracles, and just can't hold on an hour or two.
115She was like Rahab the harlot. Rahab didn't want... That Gentile woman, she didn't want to see how Joshua wore his clothes, or see Joshua. She said, "I have heard and I believe." That's all. She heard and she had believed.
116Jesus said, "For this saying!" She had the right approach to the gift of God. Remember, she was the first Gentile that a miracle was ever performed on, because of her faith. Faith admits the Word is right, humbles itself, same as it does today.
117 Martha in the Presence of God. Martha, the sister of Lazarus, she was humble in the Presence of Jesus. And she was perseverant when she got there. He said... She said, "Lord, if You'd have been here, my brother would not died; but even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to you."
118He said, "I am the resurrection, and Life; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
119Remember, she had a right to upbraid Him. She had sent for Him, twice, when he was sick; let him die. But, you see, she had faith. She knowed.
120And if that Shunammite woman, in her age, when her baby died, that she believed God was in that prophet, Elijah, and she held right onto Elijah. She said, "As the Lord God liveth, and your soul liveth and never die, I'm not going to leave you." She was perseverant. And Elijah didn't know what to do. He just went in the room, walked back and forth, until the Spirit of God, the Presence of God, come. He laid hisself upon the baby, it sneezed seven times and come to life. Because, somebody was persevering, somebody had a hold of faith, to get to the man of God.
121 And she knew, if God was in Elijah, how much more was He in His Own Son. She knew. Faith come by hearing. And in the Presence of Jesus, she was perseverant.
122Jesus, looked like, tried to turn her back, and say, "He'll rise," and all this, and so forth. But she was perseverant. She pushed through every critic a saying, "Now where is that Divine healing program you was talking about? Where is that all at? Your brother is dead and buried out there now. And the Pastor slipped out of town till he died, and then come back." But that didn't stand in her way. She pushed right through every critic till she got to Him. She got what she asked for.
123 Now here sometime ago, I just remembered, at the tabernacle... I see some of the brethren sitting here from the tabernacle, tonight. There was a lady... I had come into the church. And we have, about every night, about what we got in here is our meeting. And so then we was... I--I wasn't praying for the sick that night. And there had been a woman come from California, had a tumor, the tumor itself weighed fifty pounds. And so they had had her in the back. And so they told we wasn't praying for the sick that night; it was just coming down to speak, 'cause I just come from meeting.
124And when I went out the back door, two of the deacons had drawed her around the house, in a chair, and sat her at the door, and right on the ground. And when I come out, she caught me by the trouser leg when I went out. She said, "Brother Branham, the only thing I ask you, is lay your hands on me." She said, "My tumor will go." And she was just about like this.
125About six weeks from then, she was in a meeting, and took the sisters to go in and examine her. Without any operation, there wasn't a speck of the tumor nowhere. No matter if it wasn't the night to pray for the sick, she was perseverant. She got what she asked for. Faith had found its place, and had a hold.
126 Micaiah. And I'm closing in a moment. Micaiah, in the presence of four hundred well-trained priests, prophets of Hebrews with all. He said, "Come down, Micaiah, you've been put out of the ministerial association down here; but if you'll speak the same thing that they do now, and say for Ahab to go on up, with Ahab and Jehoshaphat to go on up; and we realize that, that they'll put you back in the fellowship."
127He said, "As the Lord lives, I'll only say what He says to me." God, give us some more Micaiah's! See?
128So, he waited. That night the vision came. He examined his vision with the Word. Cause, the Word of God had said that, Ahab, that dogs would lick his blood, like they did Naboth. So we find out that his vision was exactly with the Word.
129So he was perseverant when he walked out the next morning. Said, "Go on up, but I seen Israel like sheep scattered on a hill, having no shepherd."
130 And this high priest, or over the prophets, walked over, smacked him in the mouth, and said, "Where did the Spirit of God go when It went out from me?" Still Micaiah didn't care what they said. He stood there. He said, "Put this fellow in a court," said Ahab, "and put him in the inner courts, and feed him the bread and water of sorrow. I'll deal with him when he... when I come back," in other words, behead him, or something.
131He said, "If you return at all, the Lord hasn't spoke to me." Oh, he knowed where he was standing. Make any difference what the rest of them thought; he knowed he had been in the Presence of God. He had heard the voice of God. It was exactly with the Word of God.
132So ought we, tonight, to see this hour that we're living in, and see the promise of this day, that the Word of God promised it. No matter what anybody else says; the Word said so, and Jesus comes to make Hisself known. Perseverant!
133 The blind man that Jesus hid... or healed; could not, he could not explain or argue their theology. But one thing he knowed, he was perseverant.
134His father and mother couldn't say. They said, "Well, we're afraid they'll put us out of the synagogue." And they said, "Ask him, he is of age."
He said, "Who healed you?"
He said, "One, Jesus of Nazareth."
135He said, "Give God praise!" Said, "We know this Man is a sinner."
136He said, "Now, whether He is a sinner, or not, I don't know. I can't say that. But," said, "one thing I do know, wherein I was once blind, I now see."
They said, "We not know whence come this Man."
137He says, "It's a strange thing. You're supposed to be the leaders of this day, knowing all the spiritual things; and here a Man comes and opened my eyes, when I was born blind, and yet you don't know where He come from?" Oh, he was perseverant, nothing going to bother him. He had been talking to God.
138 Nathanael didn't care, to call Him, "Lord, King of Israel," before his pastor and all the rest of them, when He told him where he was at the--the day before. Nathan didn't care.
139The woman at the well didn't care how many people told her it wasn't legal for her to say anything 'cause she was a prostitute. She had met a Man that she had looked for, since she was a--a little girl, knowing that Jesus was to come on the scene, a Prophet. And she had found that Prophet Who she seen tell her the things she had done. Stop her? As I say again, like a house on fire in a high wind. You couldn't do it. Her heart was flaming with joy and peace. She had been forgiven of her sins. She had seen the Messiah. She had seen His Presence. She had seen His Word.
140"We know when the Messiah cometh, He'll tell us these things. But who are You? You must be His prophet."
He said, "I am He."
141And if the Man could do a thing like that, wouldn't lie, she knew that was the Messiah, so the good news had to be spread.
142 How ought we to be on the same fire tonight, persistent to let everybody know that the Holy Ghost is real today, that It falls upon us and does the same thing that He did, and the promises of this hour. We're not persistent. I wonder if it's really struck us? See, notice the woman at the well.
143One thing, I've got to close. I got about a half a page of notes there, but I want to close in saying this. This brings a story to me. Then we're going to pray for the sick. Going to be just a little bit late, but maybe ten, fifteen minutes, but bear with me just a little bit longer.
144 I was in Mexico City about three years ago. How many knows Brother Espinoza, you Spanish people here? Well, I guess many of you. He was my interpreter. We was down there in Mexico City. I was, far as they know, the only Protestant ever come in there, sponsored by the government. But General Valdivia, you remember him, his is one of the Christian Business Men, had received, been saved and filled with the Holy Ghost, and he had got through the government and got me in.
145And so we got another big ring out there. It seated several thousand people; didn't seat nothing, they had to stand up. And you--you think about having to stand here for two or three hours in this room, them people stood in that hot blazing desert sun, there from nine o'clock at morning, till nine that night, day after day. And, one night, pouring down rain, they stood there; and them young Mexican women, the hair hanging down their face, and it raining so hard I couldn't see halfway across the audience. Didn't make any difference to them; they was holding onto that Word of Life.
146 Remember one night there, coming in. I was only there three nights. Platform about as long as this, or maybe a little longer. There had been an old blind man come across the platform, and they had brought him up.
147The fellow that come and got me, I called him Mañana, that means "tomorrow." He was so slow! He never would get there, and, well, he'd look around, and get over there any time. And me praying, and he... And I just called him "Mañana."
148So they had taken me up the back of this big wall, on a ladder, and then let me down on a platform. Brother Jack Moore, how many knows him? Sure, I guess you do; and Brother John Sharrit and many of them here. They were there on the platform. That night, coming across the platform...
149 Mañana give out the tickets, the--the prayer cards, but Billy walked right along by his side to see that everything went right. He could talk to them and give them prayer cards, but Billy went to find out whether it was really right or not, whether he would sell any of them, or what he would do, or give respect of person; let everybody that wanted a prayer card have one.
150So then that night when the prayer cards was called, there was an old man come across the platform, barefooted, and his trouser legs all tore off, an old hat in his hand, wrapped up with cord. And when he got close to me, he was blind, and I looked at the old fellow. And I was standing there, as good of clothes I got on tonight, somebody had give me a nice new suit, had on good shoes. And that poor old fellow there, an old ragged shirt, and dust all over him. There he was, totally blind, his eyes pretty near as white with cataract as my shirt. And, and I thought, "What a cruel thing Satan had done!" The poor old fellow probably never had a decent meal, in his life.
151 The economics are so poorly balanced down there. And they, just think now, say, Pedro, Peter, he--he's a--he's a brick mason, he gets thirty pesos a day, but they have to work four days to get himself a pair of shoes. See? And then what about little Pancho, or Chico, the little one works out here and only makes about four pesos a day, with four or five kids to feed? He would get down and get some old ameba bean tortillas for his, and tonight Martina can have one and--and little Chico can have one, but somebody has to do with one... without one. They have to save so much, to buy a grease candle to be burnt on a gold altar, for their sins. That's what burns me up. So there you were.
152 Now, this old fellow stood there, and he was saying something in Spanish. And he had a lot of little beads wrapped around his fingers, and I told him, "Take them off," and through Brother Espinoza.
153And I thought, I thought, "I'll put my shoulders up. I can just lay my coat down, and tell him. And his shoulders is much wider than mine." I put my feet out aside of his, thought, "I could slip right out of my shoes, and nobody would see it, and give him my shoes," but his feet was much larger. And I thought, "Well, what could I do?" I thought, "O God!"
154If you don't feel for people there is no need trying to serve them. You've got to feel it. That's the reason He felt our infirmities.
155 I just put my arm around him, like this, and I said, "Heavenly Father, if my daddy would have lived, he would have been about this old. It's somebody's daddy." And I was just standing there like that, and I heard him hollering, "Gloria a Dios!" That's "Glory to God," you know. Looked around there, and the old man could see as good as I could, just walking up-and-down the platform, just a going on. Well, and, course, they had to get the ushers, about three or four hundred ushers standing there, to keep them down. Then they had to take me back up the rope.
156The next night, come in there, there was just a piles that high, a rick, all up-and-down there, of old shawls and hats and things, they had laid up there to be prayed over. How they ever knowed what belonged to who, I don't know, all piled up there, laying there. And it was raining. I was late. And I got in there, and I just started preaching, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," and Brother Espinoza there interpreting.
157 And Billy come over and tapped me on the shoulder, said, "Daddy, you're going to have to do something." Said, "Mañana has done give out all the prayer cards." And said, "There is a little woman standing over there, a little lady," said, "she has got a dead baby, and it died this morning."
158You seen the article in the Full Gospel Business Men. And, remember, that has to be bona fide before it's printed. Doctor has to sign this statement, that it's true, when you put it in print.
159And said, [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] "And it died this morning. She had been standing in that rain with it all day, and she didn't know Espinoza was... or, I mean, Mañana was giving out them prayer cards." And said, "He hasn't got a prayer card." And said, "I've got forty or fifty ushers can't hold her off that platform." Said, "She'll go right under them, upset them, climb over their backs, or anything. She is trying to get up here."
160 And I said, "Well, I'll tell you." I said, "Come here, Brother Moore." You know, all of you, many of you raised your hands, you know Brother Jack Moore. I said, "Brother Moore, she don't know who I am. She don't know. There has been many ministers standing here, speaking, a lot of the Baptists and everything, sponsoring the meeting." And I said, "Now, you, you go over there and pray for the baby, and she won't know the difference, see."
He said, "All right, Brother Branham."
161He started walking off the platform, about as far as the wall over there, and I turned around. The people didn't know, 'cause they didn't understand English. And I said, "Now as I was saying, faith is the sub-..." And looked here in front of me, and I seen a little, Mexican, dark-faced baby with no teeth, just sitting there grinning at me, right here in front of me.
162 I said, "Wait a minute, Brother Moore." I said, "Tell the little lady to come here."
And Billy said, "Daddy, she ain't got a prayer card."
I said, "I just saw a vision, Billy."
163And so they went down there and got the little lady. Here she come, running up there, and fell on her knees, begin to holler "padre," which means "father," you know; I asked her to stand up, Brother Espinoza. Hold the baby; and she had a little, blue and white striped blanket over it, just soaking wet, and the water dripping off, and her hair hang down. Lovely-looking little woman, probably her first baby, she was in her... twenty-two or twenty-five years old, holding the little thing like that; little, stiff form about that long, under this blanket. I thought.
164 They all thought I was just praying, to get rid of it, you know, get her off of their hands there.
165And I put my hands over on the little baby, and I said, "Heavenly Father, I don't know that--that this is the baby; but I saw a vision there, a few moments ago, of a little Mexican, looked like a little, dark-faced baby a smiling." And I said... They don't interpret the prayer, you know. And I said, "I saw it smiling." I just laid my hands upon it, this way, in the Name of Jesus Christ, to pray, and the little baby let out a kick and started crying as hard as it... And so it started screaming.
166And I said, "Brother Espinoza, don't you put that down now. You send a runner, with that baby and that woman, and take it to the doctor." And that night, they called the doctor out, the doctor signed a statement that the baby died with pneumonia, that morning in his hospital, or in his office, at nine o'clock; and here it was around ten o'clock that night, been dead since that morning, and come to life; and is living today for the glory of God.
167Because why? She was just as persistent as this little Syrophenician woman was here, we're talking about tonight. It goes to show that God is still the same yesterday, today, and forever. The thing of it was, (what was it?) she had heard about that old blind man.
168 She was Catholic, by faith. All of them are Catholic, so when you're born in Mexico you're just automatically a Catholic.
169So then them people there had seen this old blind man on the street, speaking of his testimony. She, they had heard about it. This woman had never seen a miracle. But she knowed if God could give a blind man his sight, He could raise her baby back to life, because it was the same Jesus Christ. She would sometimes make Pentecostals feel little. And that's right, with such faith, because she was persistent that it had to be God that could restore sight. "And if it was God could keep His Word and restore sight, He could raise the dead." And He done it because she was persistent. I'd be there one more night, and she might... That was the night for her.
170Won't we, tonight, friends, won't we be perseverant. Can't we press through the mystic dark shingles here and accept Jesus Christ as our--as our healer? Can't you do it?
Let us pray.
171 Lord Jesus, O God, I--I don't know what more to say. I pray, God, shall I call just a little prayer line, Father? And maybe You will show the people that, do something just like You did before Your--Your death and burial; that this day and time, maybe there would be strangers here, that we might see that You're still the same yesterday, today, and forever, keeping Your Word. And maybe there will be someone with faith enough to break through that barrier yonder, that sound barrier, that sin barrier, that unbelieving barrier yonder, break through that, to where all things are possible. Grant it, Lord. We're told that when that plane passes that sound barrier, it's unlimited in speed and power. God, if we could just break through that power of unbelief, miracles and things, and promises of God, are unlimited, "for all things are possible to him that believeth." Grant it, Father. We ask it in the Name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
172 If I'm just a little bit late, is it all right to go ahead and just let us have, call a little prayer line? I know the people get restless, but let's just call a little prayer line. Let's see, Monday night we had A's, was that right, when we give out prayer card? Or, no, I mean Wednesday night. I think about Mon-... Wednesday night was the first night, was A's, and last night would be B's, and tonight would be C's. We called from one to twenty-five, in A's. I think that was right, wasn't it, one to twenty-five, in A? Is that right, one to twenty-five, in A? One to fifteen, in A.
173Well, let's call in B's, yesterday's prayer cards, then. Let's call B, seventy-five to a hundred. Prayer card B. We'll catch your C and all them. We're B, twenty-five... No. B, seventy-five, I believe I said, wasn't it? B, seventy-five to a hundred. All right. Let them stand up on this side now. B, seventy-five to a hundred, stand up over on this side. Come right over on this side and line up here, some of you brethren go down. Billy, Roy, some of you go down there and see the people get in the prayer line. All right.
174 I want your undivided attention just a moment. Now be real reverent. Now look, some people go and they say, "A preacher wears the wrong kind of tie. He's got on a wrong suit. His manners isn't right. He doesn't stand straight enough." Well, see, you still don't have no faith. See?
175If a man come in that door back there and told you that they had a... that they, he had a money order or a bank draft for you, for a million dollars, you wouldn't care whether he was educated or uneducated, you wouldn't care whether he had on overalls or whether he had on a tuxedo, you wouldn't care whether he was black, yellow, brown, white.
176It's not the messenger; it's the Message you want to listen to. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." How many is aware of that? Now if you'll just--just...
177 If the--if the engineer there, I think, Mr. Ruby, or I think was his name, that I met the other night, if he just will... He has given us the lights, and so forth, here, if he'll just bear a few minutes for the sake of the Gospel.
178Now everyone be real reverent, but be real perseverant. Push right in beyond the veil.
179Now when Jesus Christ heals the sick. Now, I don't say they'll be healed; I can't tell you that. Remember, I have no power to heal. I don't have power, you don't have any power, none of us does. We have authority. How many understands that?
180 Look here, let me ask you something. Out on the street here, on this busy highway that comes in from the super highway, were right out on the--on the main turnpike, I see the speed limit is eighty miles an hour. There is cars come down there, anywhere from two hundred horsepower, up to--to--to three or four hundred horsepower.
181And number seventy-six, please come. They need number seventy-six. B, seventy-six, might be somebody deaf. Look around. Oh, I'm sorry. All right. B, seven-... Is that right, my brother? B, seventy-six. All right.
182 Now notice, for instance, here comes a little policeman out there on the highway, he is so little till his cap holds his ears down, and he won't weigh over about a hundred pounds. Now how much power has he got to stop one of them cars? And there some of them just three or four abreast, just as hard as they can pour down that highway, at three hundred horsepower in each one. He couldn't even stop one horsepower. And here these cars are. But let that big badge shine, and let him raise up that hand! He might not have power, but he's got authority. Listen at the brakes squeak, and run sideways, and everybody stop. Why? Because he has got authority.
183I don't have any power. You don't have any power. But we got the authority, amen, the badge of faith hanging on the Word, "I believe It. It's the Truth." That's what stops. Then you can be persistent.
184Little policeman stand out there and blow that little whistle and hold his hand up, I'll tell you, everything is going to stop. It's his authority. It's his authority, to believe.
185 Now you believe, each one of you. Now you standing in there, now don't be discouraged, just--just sit there and press through, say, "Lord, this man knows nothing about me. I am sure of that. If he can speak, to tell me, I'll--I'll believe with all my heart." Now what would we know now?
186Who is the Healer? Jesus Christ. Is that right? Well, then, if He is here present, well, the only thing we have to do is just ask Him. "And He is the High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities." Is that right? All right. Then, "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Today He is the High Priest. How, how did He act when a woman touched His garment two thousand years ago? He turned around and told her what her trouble was, and said her faith had healed her. Is that right? Well, He is the same today, would have to act the same, 'cause He is the same.
Now is your prayer line ready?
187 Now here is a woman coming up here. As far as I know, I--I have never seen her. She is a total stranger to me, as far as I know. We're strangers to one another. [The sister says, "I was in your meeting in 1947, 1950 through '53."--Ed.] She said she had been in my meetings in '47 and in '53." But... [" '51 through '53."] '51 through '53. But to know you, I don't. ["No."] No.
188See, just like if--if I met you a week or two weeks from now, I probably wouldn't never know you. There's a lot of people been in the meetings, tens of thousands since then, you see, and I wouldn't know. But as far as what I mean, do I, "do you know me," you know me because you've been in the meeting. But me to know you, or know what your trouble is, or what you've done between now and then, or before then, or what you're intending to do, of course, I wouldn't. No.
189 But now so that we won't bear long with each person, to try to... The other night, I--I stopped before. I didn't see; I--I--I didn't think there was any more left. I left two or three standing in the line. I shouldn't have done that. I just didn't do it. I don't know why. I just... Well, everybody, it looked like it was the climax of time. You don't want to baby people. You want them to be rugged enough to reach up there and take a hold of what you're saying, see, and then they're healed. If you don't, why, they're--they're not healed.
190 Now this lady here, our first time meeting. Now if He is "the same yesterday, today, and forever," now if He was standing here with this suit that He gave me, through some good person give me this suit, now if He was standing here with this suit on, could He heal you? No. No. He has already done it, you see, "He was wounded for our transgressions." He couldn't heal you. How many knows that to be the Truth? It's already done.
191Any sinner here, He couldn't save you; He has already done it. You have to accept it.
192Now if He was standing here with this suit on, that He gave me, He could... The only thing that He could do, would say... If you would say, "I am sick. I am needy. Or, I have a loved one that's sick," or whatever, "I am financially in trouble. I--I have domestic trouble," or whatever it is. He couldn't, He couldn't give it to you. He would just tell you that He had already purchased it. Now how many understands that? That's true, see, see, 'cause it's already done. See? He can't do...
193 If you've been redeemed from anything, the--the pawn-broker cannot hold you any longer, if you're redeemed. If you've got the receipt, that it's redeemed, that settles it. He can't hold it no more.
194We've got the Receipt, see; now if you've got the faith to cash it in! See? But now if He was standing here, and me basing all my campaign upon, "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever," He would know what your trouble was. And that would surely... Me not knowing it, it would certainly identify it would have to be Him. It would have to be some power, some power. It depends on what you think the power will be. Cause, you know that I don't know you, humanly speaking. And it would have to be some power. And if you believe that to be Him... And if you didn't believe it to be Him, course, you shouldn't be standing here. And, but, if you do believe it to be Him, then if He could tell you what you've done, or what you're here for, or--or something, that would increase your faith, wouldn't it?
195 Would it increase yours out there? When, here is my hand; as far as I know, I've never seen the woman in my life, only just some in the audience, or--or maybe she was in the prayer line, or something like that, years and years ago. Any recollection of her; no. But may the Lord help me now. As a gift...
196See, like these ministers here. You already know, if you've heard me preach, I--I'm not a preacher. I have no education. I couldn't call myself a preacher, but there is man here that's more able to do that than I am.
197But my gift comes from God, 'cause I love Him. And--and this I believe, "gifts and callings are without repentance." They're predestinated of God. They're each generation. And my part in this was to that Word, for It to live again, become the Word to discern and know. That's prophetic, which is promised according to Malachi 4, to be in this day, makes us perfectly in the last day.
198 Now if the Lord Jesus tells me where your trouble is, will you believe me to be His prophet, or His servant? May He grant it. You are suffering with a--a skin condition. There is something wrong with your skin. That's right. [The sister says, "Yes."--Ed.] Now if that's right, raise up your hand. See? So...
199Now I keep feeling that coming from out there, somebody said, "He guessed that." Now wait just a minute. I did not guess that, lady. Some, see, they... You can't hide a thought now, see, 'cause He is here now. And I take every spirit in here under my control, in the Name of Jesus Christ, see, for the glory of God. I didn't guess that.
200That's a nerve condition. You have a nerve condition that you're... that's bothering you. You're praying for a loved one. [The sister says, "Yes."--Ed.] That's a woman. ["Yes."] That is your daughter-in-law. ["Yes."] And she is suffering with epilepsy. ["Yes."] That's right.
Now I didn't guess that. All right.
201Just believe it! [The sister says, "Is she delivered?"--Ed.] You believe it with all your heart; and as you have believed, so will it be to you. I believe it. ["She is delivered?"] I--I will believe it. If you'll believe it, it will be.
202See, I can't deliver it on my faith, it's got to be delivered on her faith. See? See? Understand.
203 How do you do? I've just lost my mother, about two years ago. And when I see you coming up like that, it brings memory. Wouldn't I be an awful person standing here, representing Jesus Christ, and be a deceiver? That would be horrible for me to do a--a thing like that. But I--I am not a deceiver. I am His servant. And if God will let me, by His grace, know something about you, well, you'll believe that it comes from God? [The sister says, "Yes."--Ed.]
204Now that the people will understand. Look here, see. That one discernment was more than if I had preached till midnight. Jesus said, "I perceive that virtue has gone." If that was that for the Son of God, how much more for me a sinner? See? Daniel saw one vision, was troubled at his head for many days. How many knows that? Sure. See? You don't realize the grace that God grants us.
205 Now, the lady suffers with a stomach condition. It's in your stomach. I see you backing from the table. And it's caused from a--a nervous condition that causes the stomach to be that, which makes the food not be able to digest. It's a peptic ulcer, really what it is, in the stomach. And you believe that God will heal that for you? [The sister says, "I do."--Ed.] You accept it as being healed? You believe that God will take it away from you. God bless you. Go, and may the Lord God grant it to you.
Real reverent.
206How do you do? We are strangers to each other, I suppose. Our really first time meeting, is it? [The sister says, "I been in the meetings."--Ed.] You've been in the meetings. But me knowing you, I do not.
207 [Brother Branham pauses, and then turns toward the audience--Ed.] You was asking for yourself. If you'll believe, that arthritis will leave you. Yes. She was sitting there, bowing her head, praying. It'll leave, if you'll believe it. Your husband, do you believe that God can reveal to me what his trouble is? Do you believe that God can tell me? You was so happy to know that she was going to be well of that. You have a prostate trouble that bothers you. Raise up your hand.
208I never seen them, in my life. Tell me what they touched. Now just ask that question. What did they touch? They never touched me; they're thirty feet from me. But they touched that High Priest.
209If I am a stranger to you people, wave your hand like this. You--you--you two people sitting here, if I... Just wave your hand like this, if I'm a stranger to you. See? See? You were just sitting there. And the lady was praying, you see; and He, standing here, turns just like He did in the Bible. Not--not me turning; Him turning me.
210 Look, I don't know those things. It's just like this microphone, it's a perfect mute without something speaking through it. But you can hear me through this microphone, (is that right?) but the microphone can't speak, itself. It has no voice. I don't know those people. Can't you realize it's in the Presence of God, that's using that, to show you His Presence? Press right through!
211Now we being strangers to each other, you are younger than I. We was probably born years apart and miles apart, and here we meet for the first time. Now when It went there, I can only go; It's a Light, I watch It, you see. The Holy Spirit is a Light, we know that. But if the Lord Jesus will help me to know what your trouble is, will you believe me to be His servant, and know that it's not me, that it's Him?
212I am just His servant, like that microphone. Now, this, this desk here is a part of the furniture of the house, but it wasn't made to speak; it holds my Bible. The microphone won't hold my Bible; it carries my voice. Well, there is different gifts in the church; some it's His voice, some is a vision, some is other things they do. But I am just by vision, as His servant.
213 Now if God will let me know what's your trouble, what's you're here for, you will believe me, and believe that it is the Word of God. You are suffering with an infection. The infection is in the skin. [The sister says, "That's right."--Ed.]
214See that? She knows whether it's the truth or not. See? Now, the more you would talk to her, the more would be said. She is a very fine person.
215By the way, look here just a minute; then the rest of them, if you have to bring them a little faster. Let's just talk a few minutes, being that you're such a nice person. Now you know that something has happened to you. Now between you and I there is a Light. Did you ever see the picture of It? It's standing right between me and you. I'm looking at you, through that Light. See? And you believe God can tell me who you are? He told Simon who he was.
216How many believes that now? Here we are with our hands up, we're total strangers.
217They call you "Florence," and your last name is McAllister. [The sister says, "That's right. That's right."--Ed.] Do you believe God can tell me where you come from? ["Yes."] You're not from here. ["No."] You're from a place called Lawrence, Kansas. ["That's right."] That's right. Now return back, Jesus Christ makes you well.
218 Have faith in God. See? See what? Now please be reverent. Don't move. See, don't move.
219God heals diabetes. Do you believe that? Do you believe He'd heal you? Just go ahead, and say, "Thank You, Lord." And believe it with all your heart, and you'll be healed.
220Do you believe God can heal that female trouble that you have? Then just go on, saying, "Thank You, Lord. I believe it with all my heart."
221All right, let the lady come. You have a lady's trouble, and you also have diabetes. Do you believe that God will make you well? Just keep walking, saying, "Thank You, Lord," and believe it with all your heart now.
222Come. A nervous condition causes a stomach trouble. Do you believe you could eat your supper now? Go, saying, "Thank You, Lord." Eat your supper and believe with all your heart.
223God heals heart trouble. Do you believe He'll heal your heart trouble? All right. Go, believing it, and He will do it, you see, if you believe.
224 What if I didn't say anything to you, just to show faith that I believe you have, just lay hands on you, do you believe you would get well? Come by. You were already healed when you left up there, with that. It's true.
225Now, come. Come. Course, anyone sees this woman is a limping, that's been all of her life. But another thing you have, is a stomach trouble that's bothering you, that you want... Just keep walking, say, "Thank You, Lord." Believe with all your heart, and go, and you believe it.
226Do you believe God will heal that arthritis, and let you get well, and you go home? Go, believing it with all your heart.
227 How many out there believes, all of you? Here sits a man sitting right here looking at me here. Don't you see that Light hanging on this man right here?
228Really, what he is troubled about, is about an overweight problem. That's right. Raise your hand if that. Do you believe God will heal you? Your wife sitting by you there, you believe God can tell me what her trouble is? Do you believe? Will you, lady? You believe me to be His prophet, His servant? That blinds people when you say "prophet." Do you believe me to be His servant? You believe God can tell me what your trouble is? High blood pressure. Believe with all your heart now, and it'll leave you, 'cause you believe.
229 This colored boy sitting out here on the end of the seat, watching intensely, what do you think about this, sir? Do you believe it to be of God, you sitting there? You was looking at me so earnestly. I don't know you. You're a stranger to me. But you're suffering from a trouble. Do you believe God can tell me what it is? You do? It's an allergy. That's right. Do you believe that God will heal you? One great thing about you, is this, one of your greatest troubles is that you are backslid. You really want to come back to God. If that's true, raise up your hand, then come here. [The brother rises and comes forward--Ed.] Your sins are forgiven you, my brother.
230You say, "How do you know that?" The same One that told me what was wrong with him.
231How many in here wants your sins forgiven? Will you rise to your feet? You want your sins forgiven? I just want to see if you're honest enough to do it. Thank you. Wonder if you'd walk right out here and stand here with this man that's just been forgiven, say, "I want my sins forgiven. I'm honest about it"? You can't...
232 Come on, there is more than that here. Now, if discernment discerns sickness and diseases, it discerns sin. You know that. How would I know this man was a sinner? That's it, come right out and come right down. We just... Will you do it, just for a moment? Come here and stand just a moment, say, "I want to be forgiven, brother. I want God to forgive me of my wrong. I realize that I'm in His Presence. I don't care what my neighbors think. I--I'm coming anyhow. I'm perseverant. I want to be saved, tonight. I believe God. I want to come right now and have all my sins washed away."
233Is it alright to call ministers? How many ministers are in here, that believes that these people has a right to be saved by the grace of God? I want every minister that believes it, come stand around here with them now while we pray, every minister that's interested in lost souls. I didn't think I was going to do this, but I know better than to disobey His Voice. He told me to do this. It might be their last time, I don't know.
234 How many knows that this is what He did when He was here on earth? Then it's bound to be Him again. It's impossible for a man, any human being, to do a thing like that. We are in His Presence. And here we see Him, tonight, doing... "If I be lifted up, I'll draw all man unto Me." See? We see Him here doing the same thing He did when He was here on earth. Can't we be perseverant now? Press right in. What caused us to come here? What caused all this, anyhow? It's God. Don't you believe that?
235I want each one of you minister brothers to walk forward and put your hands upon one of those confessing people there.
236Now, my dear brother, sister, you who are confessing at the altar, what made you come? You didn't come by your own power. You come because that something convinced you that you were wrong. You want to be forgiven. When you seen that poor colored boy, that Ethiopian boy standing there, gone away from God, and the Holy Spirit revealed that He was a sinner. That same Holy Spirit just never called you out from my lips, but It called you, and here you are, tonight, standing the same way that boy was. Confess your sins now before God. Believe Him with all your heart, and He'll forgive every sin that you have committed, and take you back tonight on the grounds of your confession and fellowship. He'll do it if you'll just believe Him.
237Now let's bow our heads, everywhere in the audience, and everybody real reverent. Now let us pray. Each one of you confess your sins. He is here. The Holy Spirit is here. That's what is calling. Now just believe it with all your heart, confess that you're wrong, ask Him to forgive you. And each one of you brothers pray with these people.
238 Heavenly Father, we come now in the Name of the Lord Jesus, thanking You for Your great grace and power towards us-ward, Lord. That we, the unworthy ones, way down here in a late, closing of time. We ask that Your mercy be extended, Lord, on down, on until the last soul be brought in. Tonight, because of Your appearing before us, it made people press beyond every circumstance, to get up here, to believe that this is the hour that their sins will be forgiven them, and that they will be free, from this night on. Grant it, Heavenly Father. May every sin pass from them.
239You said, "He that will come to Me I will in no wise cast out. Though your sins be like scarlet, yet they shall be white like wool; red like crimson, they shall be white like snow." We plunge beneath the flood of the Blood of Jesus Christ. By faith we take this people, confessing, into that Presence of God, into the Blood of the Son of God, and ask forgiveness for them. We ask this petition in Jesus' Name. Remit every sin and take them into Your care, Father. As they confess, bring them back upon the basis of Your promise. You said You would do it, and I know You will. They are Yours, Father. We give them to Thee, in the Name of Jesus Christ.
240 Each one of you that's standing around the altar now, that's truly confessed you're wrong; and in the Presence of God, you believe me to be His prophet, and believe that I have told you the Truth upon this, and you believe that your sins are gone; and you now, by faith, you break through that veil, into the Presence of God, and say, "Lord, I believe You right now, and accept You"? Raise your hands, and say, "I do it." Each one around the altar, raise your hands and say, "I do it. I now believe it." God bless you. Amen. That's the way to do it. That's it. Just by faith, break through that veil.
241Now while you're right on the same grounds that you're standing on, that you're forgiven, now, brothers, lay your hands back on them again for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Right where you're standing, lay your hands right on them now, and pray that they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, standing right here.
242Lord Jesus, send Your power upon them, like a rushing mighty wind. Send another repeat of Pentecost; and fill the people, not the room, the people, with the Fire of Holy Spirit, and forgiveness, and demonstrations of power, through Jesus' Name. Amen.
1 ...som si istý, že naša láska ku Nemu. Ale medzi ľuďmi je veľké ochladenie. Prebudenie sa skončilo. Ohne zhasínajú. Vidíte, je čas, aby sa niečo stalo. Viete, v starom rímskom chráme, v chráme Vesty, keď zhasli tie ohne, každý išiel domov, tak sa už nič nedialo. A myslím, že to je... Som dosť „Quakerom“ na to, aby som veril, že to tak má byť.
2 No, myslím, že dnes večer... Každý večer som to vynechal, ale... Rád rešpektujem toto Slovo Božie, pretože si myslím, že to je Božie Slovo a To je On. To je On v písanej forme. Samotná litera, musíte tam mať Ducha, aby tú literu oživil. Tak teraz sa postavme z úcty k tomuto Slovu, zatiaľ čo To budeme čítať. Svätý Marek, 7.kapitola a začneme od 24.verša a budeme čítať až do 30.verša. Vy, ktorí máte svoju Bibliu a chceli by ste sa dívať na text a urobiť znova dnes večer možno také malé formálne zasadenie niekoľkých semien, aby ste si vybudovali tú vieru, až kým nepríde čas.
3 A keď pocítim, že Duch tomu dal ten vrchol, hneď potom bude každý z vás zavolaný na pódium. Nerobte si starosti, hneď potom to tak bude. Ale kým sa ten Duch nedostane na to miesto, kde cítite, že ľudia to majú!
4 Na čo dobré ti to bude sem prísť, ak sa tu len prejdeš? Prechádzate cez rad Tommyho Hicksa a Tommyho Osborna a Orala Robertsa, a tam a späť cez nejaký rad. To len oslabuje vašu vieru. To je celé.
5 Keď sem prichádzate s úplnou istotou, že nechodíte pred svojím bratom alebo pred kýmkoľvek iným, prichádzate sem, pretože vás vyzval prísť Duch Boží, ktorý je vo vás, tak potom sa niečo stane. Nie je nič, čo by tomu zabránilo. Dovtedy ste len na prechádzke, točíte sa dookola; do mesta prichádza ďalší kazateľ, točíte sa dookola; príde ďalší kazateľ, točíte sa dookola. To nie je dobré. V tom kazateľovi nie je nič, nič viac ako v tvojom manželovi alebo tvojom bratovi alebo ktokoľvek to môže byť. My sme len Jeho zástupcovia, ktorí vám hovoria Slovo. Niektorí z nich majú rôzne dary, o ktorých Biblia hovorí. Toto všetko sa deje na to, aby bola potvrdená Jeho Prítomnosť.
6 No, keby som to bol ja alebo vy voči mne, ak by ste nemohli prijať slovo jeden druhého, no, tým by to bolo vybavené. Ale Boh, plný milosrdenstva, poslal dary a potvrdenie, aby to dokázal, a práve tak... On je tak trpezlivý, tak dobrý a láskavý, že On nechce, aby bol niekto stratený alebo zranený. On si chce byť istý, že každý jeden z vás sa tam dostane. V poriadku.
7 No, máte Biblie obrátené do 7.kapitoly svätého Marka a 24.verš.
A vstal odtiaľ a odišiel do okolia Týru a Sidona a vojdúc do domu chcel, aby nikto nezvedel o tom, ale sa nemohol utajiť.
Lebo počujúc o ňom žena, ktorej dcéruška mala nečistého ducha, prišla a padla k jeho nohám -
a žena bola Grékyňa, Sýrofeníčanka rodom - a prosila ho, žeby vyhnal démona z jej dcéry.
Ale Ježiš jej povedal: Nechaj, aby sa najprv nasýtili deti, lebo sa nesvedčí vziať chlieb detí a hodiť šteňatám.
Ale ona odpovedala a riekla mu: Áno, Pane, lebo aj šteňatá pod stolom jedia z odrobiniek detí.
Vtedy jej povedal: Pre to slovo idi; démon vyšiel z tvojej dcéry.
A odíduc do svojho domu našla dieťa ležať na posteli, a démon už bol vyšiel.
8 Modlime sa teraz, so sklonenými hlavami a srdciami. Som zvedavý, zatiaľ čo sa modlíme, koľkí z vás by tu chceli byť spomenutí na modlitbe za niečo špeciálne, zodvihli by ste možno svoju ruku, „Pane, nech som to dnes večer ja,“ vidíte, alebo, „Mám milovaného človeka, nech je to dnes večer on.“
9 Náš nebeský Otče, Ty poznáš potreby skôr, ako vôbec prosíme. Ježiš nás učil, že „Váš Otec vie, čo potrebujete, predtým, ako prosíte,“ ale my stále musíme prosiť.
10 Keď sa pozrel na žatvu, On bol Pánom žatvy a povedal, „Žatva je zrelá, robotníkov je málo; modlite sa k Pánovi žatvy, aby poslal robotníkov do Svojej žatvy,“ a tým urobil Samého Seba tak zviazaným dokopy s človekom, že pôsobí len prostredníctvom človeka. On si vybral človeka, aby pracoval pre Neho. Mohol si zvoliť slnko, aby kázalo Evanjelium, mohol si vybrať vetry alebo stromy alebo hviezdy. Ale On si vybral človeka, zakrýva Samého Seba vo vnútri, skrýva sa pred neveriacim, zjavuje sa tomu, komu chce.
11 Pane Bože, dnes večer tu nie sme kvôli ničomu inému, len aby sme videli, ako sa nám zjavuješ v odpúšťaní hriechov, ktoré sme spáchali, a ako nám pomáhaš a povzbudzuješ svätých na ceste, dávaš spasenie hriešnikom, povolávaš odpadlíkov naspäť do obecenstva nebeského Otca a do Cirkvi veriacich, prvorodených. Udeľ to, Pane.
12 Ty vieš, čo je za každou z tých rúk, ktoré sa zdvihli hore. Ty vieš, čo bolo za tým, pod srdcom. Poznáš ich túžbu. Modlím sa za nich, aby si každému z nich udelil ich túžby. Moje ruky boli tiež hore, Pane. Udeľ nám naše prosby.
13 Požehnaj čítanie Tvojho Slova. A teraz, keď berieme text, modlíme sa, aby si nám odhalil kontext, aby sme Ho mohli lepšie poznať. A keď odtiaľto dnes večer odídeme, nech povieme ako tí, ktorí prichádzali z Emauz, potom, ako On vstal z mŕtvych. A celý deň s Ním chodili, rozprávali sa s Ním, a predsa nevedeli, kým On je. V tomto meste je dnes večer bezpochyby mnoho takých, Pane, ktorí s Tebou hovorili a kráčali s Tebou, a pritom nikdy nerozpoznali Tvoju Prítomnosť.
14 Ale v tú noc, keď Ty... keď Ťa požiadali, aby si vošiel do vnútra a zostal s nimi, Kleofáš a jeho priateľ, a keď si zavrel dvere a sadol si si, urobil si niečo presne tak, ako si to urobil pred Svojím ukrižovaním. Žiaden iný človek to takto nerobil. Urobil si to Svojím vlastným spôsobom a podľa toho vedeli, že Ty si vzkriesený Kristus. Rýchlo si zmizol z ich dohľadu. A s ľahkým srdcom plným radosti sa rýchlo spojili s ostatnými apoštolmi a povedali, „Skutočne, On vstal z mŕtvych.“
15 A keď dnes večer opustíme túto budovu, nech Ťa uvidíme prísť na scénu a robiť tie isté veci, ktoré si robil pred Svojím ukrižovaním, ako si Ty zasľúbil, že to zopakuješ v posledných dňoch. A udeľ, Pane, že keď odídeme, pôjdeme tak, ako oni, povediac, „Či v nás nehoreli naše srdcia, ako On ku nám hovoril na ceste?“ Lebo o to prosíme v Jeho Mene a na Jeho slávu. Amen.
Môžete si sadnúť.
16 Chcel by som dnes večer vziať ako text len jedno slovo a to slovo, ktoré chcem vziať, je: Vytrvalý.
17 Môžete povedať, „Brat Branham, to je veľmi krátke slovo pre tristo alebo štyristo ľudí, ktorí tu dnes večer sedia,“ alebo koľkokoľvek ich tu je; neviem dobre posúdiť to publikum. A poviete, „To je veľmi malé slovo.“ No, to nie je tá veľkosť, v skutočnosti ide o to, čo o tom poviem.
18 No, vytrvalosť, podľa Webstera, to je slovo... že ty si 'vytrvalý,' a tiež to znamená 'byť vytrvalý v snahe dosiahnuť nejaký cieľ;' pokúsiť sa niečo vykonať, pokúsiť sa niečo urobiť. Ste vytrvalí, keď ste neústupní.
19 No, všetci kresťania musia byť neústupní. Musia byť vytrvalí. A jediný spôsob, ako ste schopní toto urobiť, je najprv mať vieru v to, čo sa snažíte robiť. A ak nemáte žiadnu vieru, len na to skáčete, potom nedokážete, nemôžete byť vytrvalí. Ale keď skutočne viete, že je to Pravda, potom vás nič nezastaví, potom ste skutočne vytrvalí.
20 A ľudia všetkých vekov, ktorí boli kedy schopní niečo urobiť, a mali vieru v to, čo sa snažili robiť, boli vytrvalí.
21 Napríklad ako ten, ktorého nazývame otcom nášho národa, George Washington. On bol vytrvalý, keď sa snažil dosiahnuť víťazstvo nad Britmi a prekročil ľadový Delaware. Bol vytrvalý. Nebolo tam nič... Jeho vojaci, polovica z nich, nemali ani topánky na nohách; ich nohy boli zabalené v handrách. Fúkal vietor. Ale on sa modlil celú noc a vo svojom srdci mal víťazstvo. A nebolo tam žiadnej britskej armády, ani by ho nič iné nezastavilo, ani ľadová rieka. On sa premodlil a nebolo tam nič, čo by ho zastavilo. Bol vytrvalý a dosiahol cieľ, ktorý sa snažil dosiahnuť, pretože mal odpoveď od Boha.
22 Keď človek dostane odpoveď od Boha, nič ho nezastaví.
23 Väčšina ľudí dnes, ako sa budem opakovať z včerajšieho večera, hovorí, že namiesto viery majú nádej. Nájdete ľudí, ktorí prichádzajú na pódium, sú jednoducho vypracovaní do nejakých nádejí.
24 „Ale viera je podstatou vecí, na ktoré sa nadejeme; dôkazom.“ To nie je mýtus; to nie je predstavivosť. Je to niečo, čo máte. Už to máte. A vy ste s tým práve tak šťastní, s vašou vierou, ktorú máte, ako by ste boli, keby ste mali v ruke tú podstatu.
25 Napríklad ako v situácii, keď by som zomieral od hladu; a bochník chleba stojí štvrť-dolár, za to by sa dal kúpiť ten bochník chleba. No, keď mám v ruke štvrť-dolár, som práve tak šťastný, ako keby to bol bochník chleba, pretože to je nákupná cena toho chleba.
26 A keď viem vo svojom srdci, že som to prijal, a verím, že mi to Boh dal, som práve tak šťastný s tou vierou, ako keby som bol, keby som bol uzdravený, lebo budem každopádne uzdravený. Mám rovno teraz tú podstatu, nikto mi ju nemôže vziať. Viem, že je to správne, a môžem s tým byť vytrvalý.
27 Keď Boh hovorí niečo, čo sa má stať, ako videnia alebo niečo také. Videl som ich desaťtisíce a mnohí z vás ste svedkami a ani jedno z nich nikdy nesklamalo. A keď Boh niečo hovorí, ja ne-... Ak by dnes večer povedal, „Choď na národný cintorín, lebo Ja ráno vzkriesim Georga Washingtona,“ pozval by som celý svet, aby sa na to prišiel pozrieť; to sa stane.
28 Božie Slovo nemôže zlyhať. On nikdy nezlyhal a nemôže zlyhať. Je jedna vec, ktorú Boh nemôže urobiť, a to je zlyhanie. Nemôže zlyhať. A Boh je Svojím Slovom.
29 Nuž, Noe žil vo vedeckom veku, keď možno mohli vystreliť k mesiacu radar. Ježiš povedal, že to bol deň ako tento. „Ako to bolo vo dňoch Noeho, tak to bude pri príchode Syna človeka.“
30 No, vieme, dolu v Egypte vidíme tieto pyramídy. Dnes by sme ich nedokázali zreprodukovať. Nemáme žiadnu moc na to, aby sme to urobili. Oni používali atómovú silu alebo nejaký iný druh sily, ktorá postavila pyramídy. V žiadnom prípade by sme tam hore nedokázali umiestniť tie balvany. Takisto by sme nemohli zreprodukovať tieto sfingy. Nedá sa to nijako urobiť. Nemáme materiál na výrobu múmie, nabalzamovanie tela, ktoré vyzerá prirodzene aj po tisíce rokov. Stratili sme to umenie. Farbivo, ktoré nevybledne; mnoho vecí, ktoré vtedy mali, pred ktorými sme úplne slepí. A oni postavili tú pyramídu, ktorá tak zapadá do centra zeme, bez ohľadu na to, kde je slnko, nikdy nie je okolo nej žiaden tieň, nikdy nie je žiaden tieň pri pyramíde. Ó, tá architektúra, tie nástroje, ktoré mali, to je teraz ďaleko za nami.
31 A Noe žil v tom intelektuálnom, vedeckom veku. Noe tam žil. A on bol prorok a Pán mu povedal, že bude pršať. A potom, ako Noe počul Hlas Boží a bol prorokom Hlasu Pánovho, Slovo Pánovo prichádza k Jeho prorokovi a on vedel, že bude pršať; nezáležalo na tom, čo ktokoľvek iný povedal, či niekedy predtým pršalo.
32 A nikdy predtým nepršalo. Boh zavlažoval pôdu, vegetáciu, skrze zavlažovanie z prameňov, a tak ďalej, na zemi. Na oblohe nikdy nebol žiaden mrak, ale napriek tomu Noe vedel, že zhora prichádza voda. Ako to On urobí? On to nevedel, ale on bol taký vytrvalý, išiel a postavil koráb podľa plánu, ktorý mu Boh povedal, aby to tak postavil, pretože počul Hlas Boží a stál v prítomnosti Božej, keď mu bol zjavený Hlas Boží.
To by malo zapáliť túto znovuzrodenú Cirkev: vytrvalý!
33 Je mi jedno, koľkí kritici sa tomu smejú, koľkí hovoria, že to tak nemôže byť, a potom idú von a vedecky to dokazujú, vystreľujú na mesiac nejaký radar a ukazujú, že nie je nič také ako voda v povetrí. Ale Noe vedel, že ak Boh... A on stál v Jeho prítomnosti, a to je Boh, ktorý k nemu hovoril, a On bol jasne identifikovaný, že to je Božie Slovo, a tu on stojí v prítomnosti Božej, on bol vytrvalý. On každopádne postaví koráb; a nikto mu nechcel pomôcť, on si to postaví sám. Bol vytrvalý, lebo vedel, že to je Slovo Božie, a on to postavil.
34 Môžem pomyslieť na to, ako bol Mojžiš, veľký učenec, on bol tak chytrý, až mohol tých Egypťanov vyučovať múdrosť. On mohol učiť učiteľov. Poznal všetku teológiu, ktorú poznali Egypťania, a tiež z jeho hebrejskej rodiny. A on bol chytrý, dôvtipný človek, veľký... Sme učení, že bol vojenským mužom. Ale úplne zlyhal kvôli jednej veci. Zabil tohoto Egypťana a jeho vzdelanie skončilo; keď ho potom obvinili, „Či nás tiež zabiješ ako tamtoho Egypťana?“ On si myslel, že jeho bratia to pochopia. A on zlyhal na plnej čiare.
35 A to ku mne privádza takúto myšlienku. To je dôvod, prečo dnes večer zlyhali naše systémy. To je dôvod, prečo nikdy nebudeme schopní vzdelať ľudí k Bohu. Nikdy ich nebudeme schopní zdenominacionalizovať k Bohu. Vyskúšali sme všetky tieto systémy a všetky zlyhali, padli ako babylonská veža. A vždy sa to tak s nimi udeje.
36 Boh, nemenný Boh, urobil Svoje rozhodnutie v záhrade Eden, ako On spasí človeka.
37 A keď Boh robí niekedy rozhodnutie, musí to tak vždy zostať. On sa nemôže zmeniť. Nemôže byť inteligentnejší. On je zdrojom všetkej inteligencie. Bez ohľadu na to, čo hovorí naša veda, ak je to proti Inteligencii alebo Slovu Božiemu, ak je to v protiklade, potom to nie je správne. Je mi jedno, ako vedecky sa to dá dokázať, stále je to nesprávne.
38 Boh sa rozhodol, že spasí človeka preliatou Krvou nevinného. Snažili sa budovať mestá, snažili sa ich zjednotiť, pokúšali sa stavať veže, vzdelávať ich v tom a po celý čas sa dostávajú ďalej. Nikdy nebudete schopní spasiť človeka, až kým sa nevráti naspäť ku Krvi. To je to jediné miesto, kde sa Boh kedy stretne s človekom. Nie svojím intelektom, nie tým, aký je chytrý, koľko ľudí ho urobilo kňazom alebo biskupom alebo štátnym dozorcom, alebo čímkoľvek môže byť, kazateľom, diakonom, to nie je miesto, kde sa Boh stretáva s človekom. Stretáva ho na tom mieste, keď je pod preliatou Krvou. To je to jediné miesto, kde bol Izrael kedy schopný stretnúť Boha, aby Ho uctievali, to bolo pod preliatou krvou. To je Božia pripravená cesta. Žiadna iná cesta nebude fungovať. A pod preliatou Krvou sa Boh stretáva s človekom a stojí v prítomnosti človeka.
39 Mojžiš, tento intelektuál na úteku, prorok na úteku na zadnej strane púšte, a oženil sa s touto krásnou Etiópčankou a žil tam; mal dieťa, malého Geršoma. A jedného dňa, keď sa prechádzal po púšti, na zadnej strane púšte, starý osemdesiatročný muž, vyzeral ako nepoužiteľný, čo sa týka toho, aby bol kazateľom, ale našiel krík, ktorý horel Ohňom, a ten krík nezhorel. A išiel nabok, aby videl, čo sa stalo, a vošiel do prítomnosti Božej; a počul prítomnosť Božiu, počul Hlas Boží, zatiaľ čo bol v Jeho prítomnosti, keď tento Ohnivý Stĺp bol v tomto kríku a hovoril s ním. On sa predtým bál dokonca priblížiť ku Egyptu, keďže vedel, že faraón by ho usmrtil; ale teraz ho už nič nezastaví.
40 A niekedy, keď sa človek dostane do prítomnosti Božej a počuje Hlas Boží, robí veci tak radikálne pre bežné ľudské myslenie, že to až znie komicky.
41 Teraz nastal ďalší deň. Človek, ktorý sa bál vziať armádu, aby zaútočil na Egypt, všetkých tých otrokov v Egypte, on sa bál takto zaútočiť na faraóna; tu je on, na ďalší deň, osemdesiatročný, brada mu visí až po pás, jeho plešatá hlava sa leskne, v ruke má krivú palicu, jeho manželka sedí na mulici s malým dieťaťom na boku, idú dolu a oči má zaostrené hore, oslavuje Boha.
„Kam ideš, Mojžiš?“
42 „Idem dolu do Egypta, aby som ho dobil.” Invázia jedného muža! Prečo? On bol v prítomnosti Božej. Videl, čo Boh dokáže urobiť s palicou. Nevedel, čo môže urobiť s armádou. Ale vedel, čo On môže urobiť s palicou.
43 Neviem, čo On môže urobiť skrze denomináciu. Viem, čo môže urobiť s jedným človekom, ktorý sa Mu úplne odovzdá. Všetko, čo On potrebuje, to je jedna osoba, to si ty. Potom je vytrvalý. Nič ho nezastaví.
44 Mojžiš vošiel do prítomnosti Božej a počul Jeho Hlas v zázračnom znamení. Vedel, že On bol pohlcujúcim Ohňom a tu je On vzadu v kríku ako Ohnivý Stĺp. Celé jeho vzdelanie, celá jeho teológia ho opustila. A on vedel jednu vec: tam bol Boh a on mal Jeho rozkazy. Tá krivá palica bola dostatočne dobrá. On bol v prítomnosti Božej.
45 Nezáleží na tom, koľko vycvičených mužov mal Egypt. Žiadna z týchto vecí pre Mojžiša nič neznamenala. On bol v prítomnosti Božej a bol vytrvalý. On ide dolu, aby sa toho zmocnil s krivou palicou v ruke; proti štítom a desaťtisícom trénovaných mužov. Zastavte ho, ak môžete. Nič ho nemôže zastaviť. A on to dokázal, išiel dolu a prevzal moc, pretože bol vytrvalý, keď absolútne vedel, že bol v prítomnosti Božej a počul Hlas Boží z prítomnosti Božej. Amen. Nielenže to bol Hlas, ale to bol Hlas podľa Písma.
Existujú všetky možné druhy hlasov. Prekontrolujte to so Slovom.
46 Ten hlas povedal, „Ja som Boh Abraháma, Izáka a Jákoba. Dal som zasľúbenie, že tých ľudí vyslobodím. Čas je blízko. Počul som ich vzdychanie, videl som, ako ich tí dozorcovia zaťažujú, a pamätám si na Svoje zasľúbenie. A zostúpil som, aby som ich vyslobodil, a posielam ťa, aby si to urobil.“ To je dostatočne dobré. Videl Jeho Slávu a odišiel.
47 Dávid bol veľmi vytrvalý, keď prišiel k izraelským vojskám, ktoré v tom čase stáli v strachu, a na druhej strane poza malým potôčikom bol jeden Filištín. Bol tam Goliáš, veľký vyzývateľ, asi dvojnásobne väčší ako obyčajný človek, prsty mal dlhé asi 35 centimetrov; a s veľkou kopijou, ktorá bola dlhá niekoľko stôp, ktorú by tam mohol postaviť a len na ňu napichnúť človeka, a takto ho vyhodiť; napichnúť ich, zodvihnúť ich hore na tej kopiji a odhodiť ich preč, keď by prichádzali hore kopcom.
48 A keď nepriateľ vie, že má pri vás navrch, rád sa chváli. Tak on povedal, „Neprelievajme už toľko krvi.“ Povedal, „Saule, nech sem príde niektorý z tvojich mužov a nech so mnou bojuje. A ak ho zabijem, no, tak nám budete slúžiť, ale ak on zabije mňa, budeme slúžiť vám.“ Vidíte, keď má nepriateľ navrch!
49 A každý vojak bol taký roztrasený, že len sotva držal brnenie. A Saul, najschopnejší z nich, on bol o hlavu a ramená vyšší než jeho armáda, on sa ho neodvážil dotknúť, a pritom mal byť pomazaný Pánom.
50 Ale z púšte prišiel malý, zhrbený, rumenný chlapík, ktorý mal v ruke prak. A ten obor sa teraz chvastal pred nesprávnym človekom. A Dávid povedal, „Chcete mi povedať, že tam necháte stáť toho neobrezaného Filištína a rúhať sa armádam živého Boha? Chcete mi povedať, že dovolíte niečo také?“
51 No, jeho bratia povedali, „No, ty si drzý. Choď naspäť ku ovciam, kam patríš.“
52 A zvesť prišla k Saulovi. Saul povedal, „Priveďte sem toho chlapca, nech sa na neho pozriem.“
53 A keď prišiel, stál tam malý zhrbený rumenný mladík, vlasy mu pravdepodobne viseli dolu ku očiam. A on povedal, „No, ty nemôžeš s tým mužom bojovať.“ Povedal, „Si iba drobný, malý rumenný chlapec, a si veľmi mladý. A tamten je bojovníkom od svojej mladosti.“ On povedal, „Nemôžeš s ním bojovať. Obdivujem tvoju odvahu, ale... je to príliš ťažké.“
54 A čo sa stalo? On povedal, „Pozrime sa, či by si mohol použiť moje brnenie.“ A tak na neho nasadil svoje brnenie a dal mu svoj štít.
55 Nuž, chudák Dávid sa nemohol postaviť. On povedal, že o tom nič nevie. Zistil, že Saulova cirkevná vesta nesedela na muža Božieho.
56 A tak povedal, „Pošlem ho preč a dám mu vzdelanie, Ph.D., LL.D., a tak ďalej, a uvidím, čo s tým môže urobiť.“
57 On povedal, „Neviem nič o týchto veciach, daj to zo mňa dole. Ja o tomto nič neviem.“
58 „Ale tu je jedna vec, ktorú viem. Pásol som ovce svojho otca a prišiel tam lev a jednu z nich ukradol. A išiel som za ním, pretože môj otec mi dal za úlohu strážiť tie ovce.“ Amen. A každý dobrý pastier dáva pozor na ovce. A on povedal, „Nemal som v ruke nič iné okrem tohto praku, ale dostal som ho; a keď sa proti mne postavil, zabil som ho. A vyšiel tam medveď a jednu ukradol. Rozbehol som sa za ním a vytrhol som ju z jeho tlamy a keď vstal, zabil som ho.“ A povedal, „O koľko viac Boh Izraela, Boh nebies, vydá do mojej ruky toho neobrezaného Filištína!“
59 Ten malý človek bol vytrvalý, pretože vedel, o čom hovorí. On vedel, Komu uveril, a bol plne presvedčený, že On je schopný zachovať až do tamtoho dňa to, čo mu On zveril. No, on mal len prak, to je všetko, čo mal. Povedal, „Pôjdem bojovať proti tomu Filištínovi.“ Ten dôvod, prečo bol taký vytrvalý, to bolo kvôli tomu, že on vedel, že ak mu Boh pomohol priviesť tú ovcu naspäť k jeho otcovi, keď tam vtedy pásol ovce, potom o koľko viac mu pomôže s tým človekom.
60 Pomyslite teraz na to, všetci kazatelia. A my sa dnes večer takto cítime voči vám, ovciam. Prišiel diabol a udrel na vás s chorobou. To je pravda. Uniesol vás od dobrého zdravia. Ja nemám žiadne Ph.D. Nemám žiadne LL.D. Nemám ani stredoškolské vzdelanie. Ale viem, čo mám. Prichádzam dnes večer za tebou, aby som ťa priviedol naspäť na tienisté zelené pastviny a ku tichým vodám. To je to, kvôli čomu sme tu dnes večer na pódiu, aby sme vás dostali, vytrhli z ruky leva a priviedli späť. Buďte trpezliví, pozorne počúvajte a sledujte, snažte sa nájsť to, čo sa snažíme robiť, snažíme sa vám pomôcť.
61 No, Dávid bol veľmi vytrvalý, pretože vedel, Komu uveril, a vedel, že je schopný to splniť; to, čo Mu odovzdal, On to bol schopný dodržať.
62 Zistili sme, že Samson, ďalší veľký sudca v Izraeli, a niektorí ľudia si predstavujú Samsona, že má plecia asi ako dvere od stodoly; no, nebolo by na tom nič divného, vidieť takého človeka, ktorý by mohol zodvihnúť brány Gazy a vyjsť s nimi von, alebo vziať leva a roztrhať ho. Ale, viete, Samson bol len maličký... v tom hovorovom výraze, malý trpaslík, maličký kučeravý chlapec, slaboch, mamičkin chlapec, mal sedem kaderí. Bola to zvláštna vec. Keď si mysleli, že človek, veľký trojmetrový muž, on by mohol dvihnúť leva, iste, a zabiť ho. Ale čudné bolo, že tento malý človek vyzeral byť bezmocný, až kým na neho neprišiel Duch Pánov. To nebol Samson. Bol to Duch Pánov.
63 To je dôvod, prečo to neboli tí apoštoli. Ježiš ich všetkých vybral, prakticky každého z nich, bez dostatočného vzdelania na to, aby sa dokázali podpísať. Nevybral si kňazov. On si nevybral teológov. Vybral si rybárov a pastierov, nevedomých a neučených, aby to mohol vziať do Svojej ruky a vziať nič a urobiť z toho niečo. To je Jeho prirodzenosť. Takže On neprijíma trénované školy a vzdelaných učencov, On berie niečo, čo si uvedomuje, že to je ničím. On sa do toho dostane a niečo z toho urobí.
64 Zistili sme, že tento Samson bol nazarejom, mal sedem malých kaderí, ktoré mu viseli na chrbte. A keď prišiel na neho Duch Pánov, nebál sa ničoho. Prečo? Bol vytrvalý, dokiaľ cítil, že s ním je ten nazarejský sľub. Pokiaľ sa len mohol načiahnuť tam dozadu a cítiť tie kadere, tak vedel, že je vo vôli Božej a nič ho nemôže zviazať. To mesto ho nemohlo zviazať. Lev ho nemohol zabiť. Vzal vysušenú čeľusť z mula a pobil ňou tisíc filištínov.
65 Viete, že tie prilby, tie mosadzné prilby, boli hrubé asi 2 a pol centimetra? Viete, čo by sa stalo, ak by na to narazila stará, na púšti vysušená kosť? No, prasklo by to na milión kúskov. Ale on tam stál, v jednej ruke mal túto čeľusť mula a udieral im po hlave a zabil tisíc filištínov. Prečo? Bol vytrvalý. Zakaždým, keď udrel, cítil, že sa na ňom pohybuje ten nazarejský sľub.
66 O koľko viac by to dnes večer mala mať Cirkev, ktorá tvrdí, že ste sa narodili z Ducha Božieho! Stáť na zhromaždení a vidieť potvrdenie vzkrieseného Ježiša Krista a tvrdiť o sebe, že ste naplnení Duchom Svätým, a potom sedíš potichu a necháš satana, aby ťa postrkoval, ako to aj robí? Je to divná vec. Pokiaľ dokážeš cítiť prítomnosť Ducha Svätého, vedz, že to je Jeho Slovo a Jeho zasľúbenie pre tento deň, potom by si mal byť vytrvalý, aby si sa tlačil dovnútra, až kým to neskončí. Vytrvalý! Zostaň s tým! Boh to zasľúbil. To nie si ty. To je Boh!
67 A čo malá panna Mária. Teraz niečo pre vás, ženy. No, ona bola len obyčajným dievčaťom, ktoré žilo v skutočne zlom meste, ktoré bolo oveľa horšie ako Topeka. A ona tam žila, ale žila úplne čistý život a bola zasnúbená s mužom menom Jozef. A jedného dňa bola na ceste k studni, aby nabrala trochu vody, a zjavilo sa pred ňou veľké Svetlo. A stál tam Anjel, to bol Gabriel, a povedal jej, že porodí dieťa bez toho, aby by poznala muža. A zároveň jej bolo povedané o Alžbete, jej sesternici, ktorá bola stará, Zachariášova manželka, a ona počala vo svojej starobe.
68 A teraz Mária, viete si predstaviť, aké by to bolo ľuďom na smiech, keď by si pomysleli, že toto mladé dievča, ktoré chodí s týmto chlapcom, je verná, a tu sa zrazu ukazuje, že je matkou. Ale pre ňu to nerobilo žiaden rozdiel. Bola v prítomnosti Božej. Ona počula Hlas Boží. Nestarala sa o pohŕdania ľudí ani o ľudské posmešky ani o to, čo o tom hovoria. Bola vytrvalá. Išla hore cez kopcovitú krajinu!
69 A ženy vtedy neboli také, aké sú teraz, keď tu chodia v šortkách; a pár dní pred pôrodom sú tam vonku a vystavujú sa na ulici pred mužmi. To je hanba ľudstva. To je pravda.
70 A tak, ona sa skrývala. A drobná Mária vyšla hore predtým, ako sa mala stať matkou, a odišla hore na vrchy Judska, aby navštívila Alžbetu. A zatiaľ čo sa Alžbeta jedného rána nepochybne skrývala a nazerala cez záclonu, uvidela túto mladú dámu, ako beží, rozpoznala v nej svoju sesternicu Máriu. Ako sa len ženy vtedy rady videli, znamenali pre seba tak mnoho. Ona jej možno vybehla v ústrety a chytila ju, objala ju a zdravila ju.
A ona povedala, „Počula som, že sa máš stať matkou.“
„Áno.“
Ona povedala, „Vieš, aj ja sa mám stať matkou.“
„Ó, už ste sa s Jozefom zobrali?“
„Nie, nie sme zosobášení.“
71 A videla, že to je viditeľné, že sa má stať matkou. Ona povedala, „Myslíš tým, drahá, že ty a Jozef nie ste ešte zosobášení a ty sa máš stať matkou?“
„Áno.“
„Ako to?“
72 „Duch Svätý ma zatienil. Hlas Boží tak povedal.“ A povedala, „Viem, že aj ty sa máš stať matkou.“
73 Povedala, „Áno, ale už je to šesť mesiacov a mám obavy, pretože dieťatko sa ešte nepohlo.“
74 Nuž, ktokoľvek vie, že to je celkom nezvyklé; prejdú dva alebo tri mesiace a ten život je cítiť. Ale toto bolo šesť mesiacov bez známok života. No, to dieťa bolo mŕtve, šesť mesiacov bez života. Povedala, že má z toho obavy.
75 Ona povedala, „Ale zostúpil na mňa Duch Svätý,“ povedala Mária Alžbete, „zostúpil na mňa Duch Svätý a zatienil ma; a povedal, že budem mať syna a On bude Syn Boží a nazvem Jeho Meno Ježiš.“
76 A hneď, ako bolo vyslovené to ľudské Meno Božie, 'Ježiš,' smrteľnými perami ľudskej bytosti, to mŕtve dieťa prišlo do života v lone ženy a prijalo Ducha Svätého. A ak to toto urobí s dieťaťom, ktoré bolo mŕtve v lone matky, čo by to malo urobiť so znovuzrodenou Cirkvou? Prvýkrát, keď bolo Meno Ježiša Krista vyslovené smrteľnými perami, dieťa, ktoré bolo mŕtve v lone svojej matky, ožilo a prijalo Ducha Svätého. „Odkiaľ prichádza matka môjho Pána?“ povedala Alžbeta. „Lebo akonáhle sa dostal tvoj pozdrav do mojich uší, moje dieťa mi od radosti poskočilo v lone.“
77 A dnes tvrdíme, že máme toho Ducha Svätého a sme s tým zbabelí a bojíme sa s Tým pohnúť vpred. Musíme byť vytrvalí. Ak máme skutočného pravého Ducha Svätého, budeme vytrvalí.
78 No, idem na to zoširoka, odchádzam preč od môjho textu. A tu je už takmer čas začať modlitebný rad a ja som sa ani nedostal k svojmu textu. Toto je príliš krátke.
79 Táto žena, o ktorej hovoríme, táto sýrofenícká žena, ona bola Grékyňa a počula o Ježišovi. No, „Viera prichádza skrze počutie, počutie Slova Božieho.“ A ona to počula.
80 A nejako, viera nachádza zdroj, ktorý iní nevidia. A lekár by mohol povedať, „Dieťa, urobil som pre teba všetko, čo môžem.“ Je na konci svojej cesty. To je všetko, čo môže človek urobiť. On vidí, že tá vec je pokročilá a on s tým nedokáže urobiť nič. Ale vidíte, viera nachádza zdroj, o ktorom on nič nevie. Veda to nedokáže, pretože viera...
81 Celá výzbroj Božia je nadprirodzená. Čo je výzbroj Božia? Láska, čo je láska? Vedecky mi dokážte, že existuje niečo ako láska. Kde to je? Vy, koľkí z vás niekoho milujete, zodvihnite ruku; milujete svoju ženu, milujete svojho brata, milujete svojich priateľov? No, chcem niekoho, nejakú vedu, aby mi dokázala, ktorá časť teba je láska. Kde to kúpite, v ktorej lekárni? Chcem toho veľa: lásku. Radosť, máš radosť? Pokoj, dlho-zhovievavosť, miernosť, trpezlivosť, čo to je? To všetko je nadprirodzené.
82 Boh je nadprirodzený. Nedokážete vedecky dokázať Boha. Vy veríte Bohu. Veríte tomu. Ak tomu neveríte, potom človek, ktorý hovorí, „všetko, čo nie je vedecké, je neortodoxné, je to nesprávne,“ potom ten človek nikdy nemôže byť Kresťanom. On musí veriť. Skrze vieru veríme Bohu; nie skrze vzdelanie, nie skrze teológiu. „Ale vierou si spasený.“
83 Všimnite si, viera nachádza zdroj, ktorý iní nevidia. Jeho Slovo je Meč, Židom 4:12 hovorí, že „Slovo Božie je ostrejšie ako dvojsečný meč, dokonca rozoznáva myšlienky, úmysly, ktoré sú v srdci.“ To je Slovo Božie. A tá jediná vec, ktorá môže držať ten Meč, je ruka viery.
84 Nič iné to nedokáže, nič iné. Musíte vidieť niečo iné, nie vedecké. Ten Meč nedokážete udržať vedecky, skrze vzdelanie. Nedá sa to skrze vzdelanie; je to príliš pokrútené, príliš komplikované; ak to urobíš, to spraví, že ono sa to bude snažiť zaprieť samo seba a všetko také. Nemôžete to urobiť. Ježiš povedal, „Je to pred vami skryté,“ tak na to zabudnite. Nemôžete to vedieť. Je to skryté. A keď Boh niečo skrýva, je to skutočne skryté.
85 To je dôvod, prečo si tak skrytý, ak si Kresťanom. „Lebo si mŕtvy a tvoj život je skrytý v Bohu skrze Ježiša Krista a zapečatený Duchom Svätým.“ Ako ťa diabol nájde? On to nedokáže. Si ukrytý. Boh ťa skrýva. Amen. Čo za skrýšu, v lone Ježiša Krista!
86 Nuž, viera to drží, ovláda. No, možno nie si dostatočne silný, tá ruka viery, aby si cez to presekol dieru a prešiel tadiaľ, ako to dokáže niekto iný. Ale len ďalej udieraj, ono to príde. Len sa toho drž.
87 Táto drobná grécka žena mala mnoho prekážok, ale jej viera nemala žiadne. Viera nemá žiadne prekážky. Viere nemôže nič prekážať. Nestarajte sa o to, čo niekto iný hovorí, viera nemá žiadne prekážky. Pozrime sa na niektoré z tých 'možno', ktoré sa jej mohli stať. Ona možno...
88 Niekto jej mohol povedať, „Ty si Grékyňa. Tvoja denominácia nepodporuje Jeho zhromaždenie.“ Ale ona bola každopádne vytrvalá. Každopádne išla, pretože to počula. „A viera prichádza z počutia.“ Nie skrze spoluprácu; ale skrze počutie.
89 Všimnite si, oni mohli povedať toto, že, „Ty si Grékyňa, ty nepatríš do ich triedy. Ty, tam je... Oni majú odlišnú farbu pleti, ako máš ty. Oni sú z inej rasy.“ To ju vôbec netrápilo. To ju neznepokojovalo.
90 A niektorí z nich mohli prísť a povedať, „No, to je nezmysel. Dni zázrakov pominuli. Nie je nič také ako to uzdravenie, o ktorom počúvaš. On je len ďalší fanatik, ktorý tu povstal.“ Iste, majú všetky možné falošné doláre, ale niekde je ten skutočný, z ktorého to zostalo odkopírované. To je pravda. No, povedali, „Dni zázrakov pominuli, nič také neexistuje. To je tam len nejaká banda fanatikov, je ich zopár a sú... Mali sme tu už takých.“
91 Ale jednako, tú ženu niečo zasiahlo; ona bola stále vytrvalá. Dni zázrakov mohli pominúť pre toho, kto s ňou hovoril; ale nie pre ňu. Pre niektorých tvojich známych to mohlo pominúť, ale nie pre teba, ak máš vieru.
92 Mohla tam byť iná skupina, možno niektoré ženy stáli na rohu a hovorili, „Marta.“ Dúfam, že tu nie je žiadna Marta. „Marta, vieš čo? Ak pôjdeš na to zhromaždenie, tvoj manžel ťa určite opustí. No, viem, že tvoja dcéra má epilepsiu, ale poviem ti, bude to... Ak ťa tvoj manžel niekedy prichytí, že ideš tam dolu! On patrí k veľkým klubom a spoločnostiam mesta, ak tam pôjdeš, opustí ťa.“ To pre ňu nič neznamenalo. Každopádne išla. Viera sa zakotvila. Viera nepozná žiadne prekážky.
93 No, potom tam dole v rohu mohla byť iná skupina, ktorá povedala, „Vieš čo? Budeš na posmech pre cirkev, lebo tam ideš úplne nadarmo. A ľudia budú vedieť o tom, že tam ideš. A akonáhle sa s nimi stotožníš, potom budeš ľuďom na smiech. Každý sa ti bude smiať.“ To pre ňu neznamenalo vôbec nič, absolútne nič. Ona bola vytrvalá.
94 Nejaká iná skupina mohla povedať, „Vyhodia ťa z cirkvi; vrátia ti tvoju členskú kartu.“ Napriek tomu bola vytrvalá. To jej ani trochu neprekážalo. Prečo? Ona sa už pevne uchopila viery.
95 Prial by som si, aby som mal čas zastaviť sa tu na štyri hodiny a len vám porozprávať o podobných zážitkoch, ako ženy a muži a deti, ktorí zomierali; a skrze lekárske vyhlásenia žijú dnes večer z milosti Božej. Pretože niečo sa ich zmocnilo: viera! To je to, o čo ide. V poriadku.
96 Ona sa preborila cez všetky tieto brány, cez všetkých kritikov, všetok smiech, všetko to „tvoj manžel ťa opustí; stratíš cirkevnú kartu obecenstva, budeš si musieť nájsť niečo iné; budeš vyvrheľom, budeš nazývaná náboženskou fanatičkou.“ To pre ňu nič neznamenalo, pretože už uvidela Boha. Ona počula a viera prichádza z počutia. A ona vedela, že iní boli uzdravení, prečo by nemohla byť uzdravená aj jej dcéra? Tu to máte, ona tadiaľ prechádza.
97 Nakoniec prichádza k Ježišovým nohám a všimnite si, aký tam nastal šok! Mnoho ľudí si myslí, že len preto, že sa tam dokážu dostať, že to je všetko; ale vy tam len začínate. Keď sa dostala k Ježišovi, s akým veľkým sklamaním sa tam stretla; alebo by to tak možno bolo pri nás v tomto dni. Ježiš povedal, že nebol dokonca poslaný k jej rase.
98 Keby ste tam boli niektorí z vás dnešných letničných, no, vy by ste zdvihli nos do hora a odišli by ste a povedali, „Takže to je takéto? Ak ma nebudú mať radi v Zhromaždeniach, pripojím sa k Jednotárom. Ak ma tam nebudú mať radi, pôjdem do Cirkvi Božej. Nemusím znášať nič také.“ Ó, to je ten dôvod, prečo odišli preč z cirkvi zázraky. To je ten dôvod, prečo z cirkvi odišla viera. Rozumiete?
99 Dokonca Ježiš, samotný Boh! Počúvajte to. Práve ten Boh, ktorého sa chystala uctiť a zmenila svoje myšlienky a prišla, aby v Neho verila; keď prišla k Nemu, dostalo sa jej odmietnutie.
100 Pamätáte sa, ako som včera večer hovoril o skrížených kvetoch a takých veciach? Kresťanstvo je dnes kópiou. Ono nie je originálom. Ak by ste mali ten pôvodný krst, ako to mali oni tam vtedy, tá letničná cirkev by bola... nič by ju nemohlo zastaviť. Bolo by to ako horiaci dom za suchého počasia a ešte by aj fúkal horúci vietor. Nebolo by nič, čo by to mohlo zastaviť; ono to horí! Ale čo je dnes? Nie, dnes je to iná skupina. Môj názor: je to kópia.
Všimnite si, On ju odbil.
101 Dnes ich musíme tľapkať, „Sľúbim ti to, ak len prídeš, vložím tvoju kartu do mojej knihy, tvoj list, a uvidím, čo môžem urobiť. Zídeme sa s výborom diakonov, uvidíme, či ťa dokážeme dostať do výboru diakonov, alebo niečo podobné.“ To je spôsob, ako ku nim musia dnes pristupovať. Vidíte, akú máme potom bandu?
102 Ale dokonca aj keď tam prišla, On povedal, „Nie som ani poslaný ku tvojej rase. A okrem toho, oni nie sú nič, len banda psov.“
103 Ó, čo by sme urobili? Čo by si urobil? Opýtaj sa samého seba a buď úprimný. Niekto sa urazil, no, ak sme sa za vás v ten prvý večer nemodlili, potom poviete, že sa už viac nevrátite. Potom máte vieru? No, určite. Pamätajte, táto páska ide do celého sveta. Neukazujem prstom len na toto miesto; ukazujem všade. Rozumiete? Áno, vy sa už nevrátite. Nie. Nemôžete ani len sedieť a počúvať to zhromaždenie. Rozumiete? „Áno, mám vieru.“ Áno.
104 Ale ona bola nazvaná psom. To je to najnižšie, čím mohla byť pomenovaná; alebo v ich dni to bolo považované za nečisté zviera. Samozrejme, dnes je to modla; lebo nejaká žena si vezme psíka, dá mu materinskú starostlivosť a bude praktizovať antikoncepciu, pretože ona chce ísť von na diskotéky a zábavy a takto vyvádzať, a nemá čas na dieťa... Ona vie, že psa môžete zatvoriť do nejakej malej klietky a vziať ho so sebou. To je presne tak, vidíte. Praktizuje antikoncepciu a potom ide do zboru a spieva v speváckom chóre; nosí šortky, nohavice a všetko ostatné a nazýva sa kresťankou; strihá si vlasy a naďalej hovorí, že je v obecenstve s Bohom, keď Biblia hovorí, že nie je. To je presne tak. Nestarám sa o to, či... Počúvajte.
Poviete, „Taká maličkosť, o čom to hovoríš?“
105 Na počiatku jedno slovo spôsobilo všetku chorobu a smrť. Ten istý Boh na konci Knihy povedal, „Ktokoľvek z Toho odoberie jedno Slovo alebo k Tomu pridá jedno slovo.“ Takže bez ohľadu na to, čo robíte, ako sväto vyzeráte, koľko skáčete hore a dolu a plačete, hovoríte v jazykoch, beháte alebo čokoľvek chcete urobiť, alebo rozdávate chudobným alebo čímkoľvek ste; to nie je to. Porušili ste to Slovo; a to jedno Slovo sa prelomilo, nemôžete sa vrátiť naspäť dovnútra! Presne tak, ani jedno Slovo. Prijímate vyznanie namiesto Slova, pretože vám to viac vyhovuje.
106 To je ten dôvod, prečo sa ľudia môžu pripojiť ku cirkvi a ísť do tohto, toho alebo tamtoho a sedieť tam, to nie je nič iné ako lóža. To nie je cirkev. Do Cirkvi si narodený; ku lóži sa pripojíš. Ale vy ste narodení v cirkvi, v Cirkvi, nie v cirkvi; v Cirkvi. Je len jedna Cirkev. A vy...
107 Som v rodine Branhamovcov už päťdesiatpäť rokov a oni ma nikdy nepožiadali, aby som sa k nim pripojil. Ja som sa tam narodil. To je pravda.
Áno, odmietol ju a nazval ju 'psom', ale ona sa stále držala.
108 Vidíte, ona mala vieru. Bola sklamaná zo všetkých svojich priateľov, sklamaná zo svojich ľudí, všetky možné veci sa jej snažili prekážať. Ale veľakrát to tak býva. To ukazuje, že satan sa snaží zatlačiť späť tú skutočnú vieru, ale on to nedokáže. Nestarám sa o to, čo ktokoľvek hovorí; ono to tam je stále. Ona je vytrvalá. Pokračuje ďalej.
109 Prišla k Ježišovi a Ježiš povedal, „Nie som poslaný ku tvojej rase. Nie som poslaný do tvojej cirkvi. Oni nespolupracujú. V každom prípade nie ste nič iné ako banda psov.“ Stále išla ďalej! Hovorí, „Ja, prišiel som uzdraviť týchto Mojich ľudí, neprišiel som, aby som uzdravil vás. To sa nesvedčí, aby som vzal chlieb deťom a hodil to vám, hŕstke psov."
Ona povedala, „To je pravda, Pane.“ Amen.
110 Viera vždy uzná, že Slovo je pravdivé. Amen. No, ak sa chcete držať vyznania, choďte do toho; ale viera, skutočná pravá viera pripúšťa, že Slovo je Pravda.
111 Povedala, „Pravda, Pane, ale psy môžu zjesť omrvinky, ktoré sú pod stolom detí.“ To je to. Tým to bolo vybavené. Ona nebola žiadna skleníková rastlina. Ona nebola z tej skríženej skupiny takzvaných veriacich, ktorých dnes narástlo tak mnoho. Mala skutočnú vieru. Uznala, že On mal pravdu. Ale ona ani nedychtila po všetkom tom chlebe, ktorý mohli jesť deti; ona len hľadala omrvinky.
112 Buď dostaneme to najlepšie, alebo nemáme vôbec nič. Odídeme od toho a potom povieme, „Máme vieru. Oni sa ku mne nesprávajú správne, ja odídem.“ To nie je žiadna viera. To nie je viera.
113 Viera je tam. To, čo sa vám snažím povedať, priatelia, počas jedného z týchto večerov, tu budeme mať modlitebný rad. A ja nechcem vidieť ani jedno lehátko, ani jeden invalidný vozík, ani jednu barlu alebo nič iné, len to, že to tu bude ležať na zemi a ako oni odídu von po svojich. Rozumiete? Ak neprídeš s tým správnym druhom prístupu, nič nezískaš. To je pravda, vy len prechádzate a niekto na vás udrie a vy idete von. To nie je dobré. Musíte vedieť, kvôli čomu ste prišli... „Ten, kto prichádza k Bohu, musí veriť.“
114 Sledujte, pamätajte, ona nikdy nevidela žiaden zázrak. Bola to Grékyňa. Ona vie... Bola to pohanka. Nikdy nevidela žiaden zázrak, napriek tomu verila, že niečo také existuje. A rok za rokom a deň za dňom vidíme zázraky a nedokážeme vydržať ani jednu alebo dve hodiny.
115 Bola ako smilnica Rachab. Rachab nechcela... Tá pohanská žena, ona nechcela vidieť, ako chodil Jozue oblečený, alebo vidieť Jozuu. Ona povedala, „Počula som a verím.“ To je všetko. Počula a uverila.
116 Ježiš povedal, „Pre ten výrok!“ Mala správny prístup k Božiemu daru. Pamätajte, ona bola prvou pohankou, na ktorej sa kedy udial zázrak, kvôli jej viere. Viera uznáva, že Slovo je správne, pokoruje sa, dnes to robí takisto.
117 Marta v prítomnosti Božej. Marta, sestra Lazára, bola pokorná v prítomnosti Ježiša. A keď tam prišla, bola vytrvalá. On povedal... Ona povedala, „Pane, ak by si tu bol, môj brat by nezomrel; ale i teraz, o čokoľvek poprosíš Boha, Boh ti to dá.“
118 Povedal, „Ja som vzkriesenie a Život, ten, kto verí vo Mňa, hoci by bol mŕtvy, bude žiť; ale ktokoľvek žije a verí vo Mňa, nikdy nezomrie. Veríš tomu?“
119 Pamätajte, ona mala právo Ho skritizovať. Keď bol chorý, ona pre Neho dvakrát poslala; a nechal ho zomrieť. Ale, vidíte, ona mala vieru. Ona to vedela.
120 A ak tá sunamitská žena vo svojom veku, keď zomrelo jej dieťa, ona verila, že Boh je v tom prorokovi Eliášovi a ona sa pevne držala Eliáša. Povedala, „Ako žije Pán Boh a ako žije tvoja duša a nikdy nezomrie, ja ťa neopustím.“ Bola vytrvalá. A Eliáš nevedel, čo má robiť. On len vošiel do miestnosti a chodil tam a späť, až kým neprišiel Duch Boží, prítomnosť Božia. Položil sa na to dieťa, ono si sedemkrát kýchlo a prišlo do života. Pretože niekto vytrval, niekto pevne držal vieru, aby sa dostal k mužovi Božiemu.
121 A ona vedela, že ak bol Boh v Eliášovi, o koľko viac bol vo Svojom Synovi. Ona vedela. Viera prichádza skrze počutie. A v prítomnosti Ježiša bola vytrvalá.
122 Ježiš vyzeral, snažil sa ju odvrátiť a povedal, „On vstane,“ a všetko toto, a tak ďalej. Ale ona bola vytrvalá. Ona sa pretlačila cez reči všetkých tých kritikov, „No, kde je ten program Božského uzdravovania, o ktorom si hovorila? Kde to všetko je? Tvoj brat je teraz mŕtvy a je tam pochovaný. A Pastor vyšiel preč z mesta, až kým nezomrel, a potom sa vrátil naspäť.“ Ale to jej nestálo v ceste. Pretlačila sa cez každého kritika, až sa dostala k Nemu. Obdržala to, o čo prosila.
123 No, tu pred nejakým časom, práve som si na to spomenul, tam v modlitebni... Vidím tu dnes večer niektorých bratov, ktorí tu sedia, ktorí sú z modlitebne. Bola tam jedna pani... Prišiel som do zboru. A asi každý večer tam mávame to, čo dnes večer máme aj tu na našom zhromaždení. A tak potom sme boli... V ten večer som sa nemodlil za chorých. A bola tam žena z Kalifornie, ktorá mala nádor, ten nádor vážil okolo 22 kíl. A tak boli tam s ňou vzadu. A povedali, že sa v ten večer nebudeme modliť za chorých; mal som len prísť, aby som rozprával, pretože som práve prišiel zo zhromaždenia.
124 A keď som vyšiel zadnými dverami, dvaja diakoni ju previezli na invalidnom vozíku okolo domu a posadili ju ku dverám a rovno na zem. A keď som vyšiel von, chytila ma za nohavicu, keď som vyšiel von. Povedala, „Brat Branham, jediná vec, o ktorú ťa prosím, je položiť na mňa ruky.“ Povedala, „Môj nádor zmizne.“ A ona bola na tom takto.
125 Asi o šesť týždňov neskôr bola na zhromaždení a zavolala si sestry, aby ju išli vyšetriť. Po tom nádore nebolo nikde ani stopy, bez akejkoľvek operácie. Bez ohľadu na to, že to nebol večer, kedy sme sa mali modliť za chorých, ona bola aj tak vytrvalá. Dostala to, o čo prosila. Viera našla svoje miesto a držala sa.
126 Micheáš. A o chvíľu končím. Micheáš bol v prítomnosti štyristo dobre vyškolených kňazov, hebrejských prorokov. Povedal, „Micheáš, poď dolu, bol si vyradený z tej kazateľskej asociácie, ktorá je tu dolu; ale ak budeš hovoriť to isté, čo teraz oni hovoria, a povieš, aby Achab išiel hore, aby Achab a Jozafat išli hore; a my si to uvedomujeme, že ťa prinavrátia do toho spoločenstva.“
127 Povedal, „Ako žije Pán, ja poviem len to, čo mi On hovorí.“ Bože, daj nám viac takých Micheášov! Rozumiete?
128 Tak čakal. V tú noc prišlo videnie. Preskúmal svoje videnie so Slovom. Pretože Slovo Božie povedalo o Achabovi, že psy budú lízať jeho krv, takisto, ako sa to stalo Nábotovi. Tak zisťujeme, že jeho videnie bolo presne zhodné so Slovom.
129 Keď nasledujúceho rána odišiel, bol vytrvalý. Povedal, „Choď hore, ale videl som Izrael ako roztrúsené ovce na vrchu, ktoré nemajú pastiera.“
130 A tento veľkňaz alebo vrchný nad prorokmi, prešiel tam, udrel ho po ústach a povedal, „Kadiaľ odišiel Duch Boží, keď odišiel odo mňa?“ Napriek tomu sa Micheáš nestaral o to, čo povedali. On tam stál. On povedal, „Postavte tohto človeka pred súd,“ povedal Achab, „a hoďte ho do vnútorného žalára a kŕmte ho chlebom a vodou súženia. Vyriešim to s ním, keď... keď sa vrátim,“ inými slovami, dal by mu sťať hlavu alebo niečo také.
131 Povedal, „Ak sa niekedy vrátiš, potom ku mne Pán nehovoril.“ Ó, on vedel, kde stojí. Nezáležalo na tom, čo si mysleli tí ostatní; on vedel, že bol v prítomnosti Božej. On počul Hlas Boží. Bolo to presne zhodné so Slovom Božím.
132 Tak by sme dnes večer mali vidieť túto hodinu, v ktorej žijeme, a vidieť zasľúbenie tohoto dňa, ktoré Slovo Božie zasľúbilo. Bez ohľadu na to, čo ktokoľvek iný hovorí; Slovo tak povedalo a Ježiš prišiel, aby sa dal poznať. Vytrvalý!
133 Slepý muž, ktorého Ježiš ukryl... alebo uzdravil; nemohol, on nemohol vysvetliť ani argumentovať o ich teológii. Ale jednu vec vedel; bol vytrvalý.
134 Jeho otec a matka nevedeli povedať. Povedali, „No, obávame sa, že nás vyhodia zo synagógy.“ A oni povedali, „Opýtajte sa jeho, je už plnoletý.“
Povedal, „Kto ťa uzdravil?“
On povedal, „Volá sa Ježiš Nazaretský.“
135 Povedal, „Vzdaj chválu Bohu!“ Povedal, „Vieme, že tento človek je hriešnik.“
136 On povedal, „No, či je alebo nie je hriešnik, to neviem. Neviem to povedať. Ale,“ povedal, „viem jednu vec, že raz som bol slepý, ale teraz vidím . “
Oni povedali, „Nevieme, odkiaľ tento človek prišiel.“
137 On hovorí, „To je zvláštna vec. Máte byť vodcami tohoto dňa a poznať všetky duchovné veci; a tu prichádza Človek a otvoril mi oči, pričom som sa narodil slepý, a vy pritom neviete, odkiaľ pochádza?“ Ó, on bol vytrvalý, nič ho nezastavilo. On hovoril s Bohom.
138 Natanael sa Ho nebál nazvať, „Pane, Kráľu Izraelov,“ pred svojím pastorom a všetkými ostatnými, keď mu On povedal, kde bol deň predtým. Nátanovi to bolo jedno.
139 Žena pri studni sa nestarala o to, koľko ľudí jej povedalo, že nie je dovolené, aby niečo hovorila, pretože bola prostitútkou. Ona stretla Muža, ktorého hľadala, odkedy bola malým dievčaťom; ona vedela, že na scénu má prísť Ježiš, Prorok. A ona našla toho Proroka, pri ktorom uvidela, že jej povedal veci, ktoré urobila. Zastaviť ju? Ako to znovu hovorím, to by bolo ako horiaci dom v silnom vetre. Nedokázali by ste to. Jej srdce horelo radosťou a pokojom. Boli jej odpustené jej hriechy. Ona uzrela Mesiáša. Ona videla Jeho prítomnosť. Ona videla Jeho Slovo.
140 „Vieme, že keď príde Mesiáš, On nám bude hovoriť tieto veci. Ale kto si Ty? Ty musíš byť Jeho prorokom.“
On povedal, „Ja som On.“
141 A ak ten Človek mohol urobiť niečo také, neklamal by, ona vedela, že to je Mesiáš, a tak bolo potrebné ísť šíriť dobré správy.
142 Ako by sme mali byť dnes večer v tom istom ohni, vytrvalí, aby sme dali každému poznať, že Duch Svätý je dnes skutočný, že On na nás padá a robí to isté, čo robil On, a pri zasľúbeniach tejto hodiny. Nie sme vytrvalí. Som zvedavý, či nás to skutočne zasiahlo? Vidíte, všimnite si tú ženu pri studni.
143 Ešte jednu vec; už musím zakončiť. Mám tu asi pol strany poznámok, ale chcem na záver povedať toto. Pripomína mi to jeden príbeh. Potom sa budeme modliť za chorých. Trocha to pretiahnem, ale možno len o desať, pätnásť minút, ale vydržte to so mnou ešte chvíľu.
144 Asi pred tromi rokmi som bol v Mexico City. Koľkí z vás poznajú brata Espinozu, vy, Španieli, ktorí tu ste? No, myslím, že mnohí z vás. On bol mojím tlmočníkom. Boli sme tam dolu v Mexico City. Pokiaľ vedia, tak som bol jediným protestantom, ktorý tam kedy prišiel a bol sponzorovaný vládou. Ale generál Valdivia, pamätáte si ho, je jedným z kresťanských obchodníkov, on to prijal, bol spasený a naplnený Duchom Svätým, a on sa dostal cez vládu a dostal ma dovnútra.
145 A tak sme tam postavili vonku ďalší veľký ring. Zmestilo sa tam niekoľko tisíc ľudí; nikto nesedel, museli stáť. A vy myslíte na to, že tu v tejto miestnosti musíte stáť dve alebo tri hodiny; tí ľudia tam stáli na tom horúcom pálivom púštnom slnku od deviatej hodiny ráno do deviatej v noci, deň za dňom. A jedného večera, bol tam silný dážď, oni tam stáli; a tie mladé mexické ženy, tie vlasy im viseli dolu na tvári a pršalo tak silno, že som nevidel ani do polovice publika. Nerobilo to pri nich žiaden rozdiel; oni sa držali toho Slova Života.
146 Pamätám si, ako som tam jedného večera prišiel. Bol som tam len tri večery. Pódium je asi takto dlhé alebo možno trochu dlhšie. Ku pódiu prišiel jeden starý slepý muž a oni ho priniesli hore.
147 Ten človek, ktorý prišiel a zavolal ma, nazval som ho 'Mañana,' čo znamená 'zajtra.' On bol taký pomalý! Nikdy by sa tam nedostal, a potom, obzrel by sa okolo seba a kedykoľvek by sa tam dostal. A ja sa tam modlím a on... A ja som ho len nazval 'Mañana.'
148 Tak ma priviedli po rebríku hore zo zadnej strany tohto veľkého múru a potom ma spustili na pódium. Brat Jack Moore, koľkí ho poznajú? Iste, myslím, že ho poznáte; a brat John Sharrit a mnohí z tých, ktorí tu sú. Boli tam na pódiu. V ten večer, keď som prišiel na pódium...
149 Mañana rozdával lístky, modlitebné karty, ale Billy kráčal rovno vedľa neho, aby videl, či je všetko v poriadku. Mohol sa s nimi rozprávať a rozdávať im modlitebné karty, ale Billy išiel zistiť, či je to skutočne správne alebo nie, či niektorú z nich nepredá, alebo čo bude robiť, alebo či bude brať ohľad na niekoho osobu; nech každý, kto chce modlitebnú kartu, nech ju dostane.
150 Tak v ten večer, keď boli vyvolávané modlitebné karty, prišiel na pódium jeden starý človek, bol bosý a nohavice mal celé potrhané, v ruke mal starý klobúk omotaný šnúrou. A keď sa ku mne priblížil, bol slepý a ja som sa pozrel na toho starého muža. A stál som, mal som na sebe dobré oblečenie, ako aj dnes večer, niekto mi dal nový pekný oblek, mal som obuté dobré topánky. A tam bol ten chudák v starej otrhanej košeli a bol celý zaprášený. Stál tam úplne slepý a jeho oči boli skoro také biele ako šedý zákal, ako moja košeľa. A pomyslel som si, „Aká krutá vec, ktorú urobil satan!“ Ten úbohý starý človek pravdepodobne nikdy v živote nemal poriadne jedlo.
151 Ekonomika je tam dole tak zle vyvážená. A oni, len teraz rozmýšľajte, povedzme, Pedro, Peter, on je murár, dostáva tridsať pesos za deň, ale oni musia pracovať štyri dni, aby si zarobili na pár topánok. Rozumiete? A potom, čo taký malý Pancho alebo Chico, ten malý tu pracuje a zarobí len asi štyri pesos denne, a pritom má štyri alebo päť detí, ktoré potrebujú jesť? On by si sadol a dal si nejaké staré tortilly z fazule a dnes večer môže mať jednu Martina a malý Chico môže mať tiež jednu, ale niekto z nich musí zostať naprázdno. Musia našetriť toľko, aby si kúpili sviecu, ktorá bude zapálená na zlatom oltári za ich hriechy. To je to, čo ma páli. Tak vidíte.
152 No, tento starý muž tam stál a hovoril niečo po španielsky. Mal okolo prstov omotaných veľa malých korálok a povedal som mu, „Daj si to dolu,“ a to cez brata Espinozu.
153 A premýšľal som, pomyslel som si, „Dvihnem ramená a môžem si vyzliecť sako a dať mu ho. Ale jeho plecia sú omnoho širšie ako moje.“ Priložil som svoje nohy ku tým jeho a pomyslel som si, „Mohol by som si vyzuť topánky a nikto by si to nevšimol a dať mu ich,“ ale jeho nohy boli oveľa väčšie. A pomyslel som si, „No, čo by som mohol urobiť?“ Pomyslel som si, „Ó, Bože!“
154 Ak s ľuďmi nemáte súcit, potom je zbytočné snažiť sa im slúžiť. Musíte to cítiť. To je ten dôvod, prečo On cítil naše slabosti.
155 Len som ho takto objal a povedal som, „Nebeský Otče, ak by môj ocko ešte žil, bol by asi taký starý. Je to niekoho ocko.“ A ja som tam len tak stál a počul som, ako vykríkol, „Gloria a Dios!“ To je „Sláva Bohu,“ viete. Pozrel som sa tam a ten starý muž mohol vidieť tak dobre ako ja, keď chodil hore-dolu po pódiu a len pokračoval. No, a, samozrejme, museli zvolať tých uvádzačov, asi tristo alebo štyristo uvádzačov, ktorí tam stáli, aby ich udržali dole. Potom ma museli vytiahnuť naspäť hore pomocou lana.
156 Keď som tam na ďalší večer vošiel, bola tam len taká vysoká kopa, hromada, všade hore a dolu, staré šály, čiapky a veci, ktoré tam položili, aby sme sa za nich modlili. Ako kedy vôbec vedeli, čo komu patrí, to neviem, všetko to tam ležalo na veľkej kope. A pršalo. Meškal som. A ja som tam vošiel a začal som kázať, „Viera je podstata vecí, na ktoré sa nadejeme, dôkazom vecí, ktoré sa nevidia,“ a brat Espinoza tam prekladal.
157 A Billy prišiel a poklepal ma na plece a povedal, „Oci, budeš musieť niečo urobiť.“ Povedal, „Mañana rozdal všetky modlitebné karty.“ A povedal, „Tam stojí jedna malá žena, malá pani,“ povedal, „má mŕtve dieťa a ono dnes ráno zomrelo.“
158 Videli ste ten článok u obchodníkov plného Evanjelia. A pamätajte, to musí byť čestne overené predtým, ako je to vytlačené. Doktor musí podpísať toto vyhlásenie, že je to pravda, keď to dáte do tlače.
159 A povedal... [Prázdne miesto na páske. - pozn.prekl.] „A ono dnes ráno zomrelo. Ona s ním celý deň stála v tom daždi a nevedela, že Espinoza je... alebo, mám na mysli, že Mañana im rozdával modlitebné karty.“ A povedal, „Nemá modlitebnú kartu.“ A povedal, „Mám tam štyridsať alebo päťdesiat uvádzačov, ktorí ju nedokážu zadržať od pódia.“ Povedal, „Podlezie rovno pod nich, prederie sa cez nich, prelezie im po chrbtoch alebo čokoľvek iné. Ona sa snaží dostať sem hore.“
160 A povedal som, „No, poviem ti.“ Povedal som, „Poď sem, brat Moore.“ Viete, všetci, mnohí z vás, ktorí ste zodvihli ruky, poznáte brata Jacka Moora. Povedal som, „Brat Moore, ona nevie, kto som. Ona nevie. Stálo tu mnoho kazateľov, ktorí už kázali, mnoho baptistov a rôzni iní, ktorí sponzorovali zhromaždenie.“ A povedal som, „No, choď tam a pomodli sa za to dieťa a ona nebude poznať rozdiel, vidíte.“
On povedal, „V poriadku, brat Branham.“
161 Začal odchádzať z pódia, bol ďaleko asi ako tamtá stena a ja som sa otočil. Ľudia o tom nevedeli, pretože nerozumeli anglicky. A ja som povedal, „No, ako som hovoril, viera je podst-...“ A pozrel som sa pred seba a videl som malé mexické dieťa, ktoré nemalo zuby a malo tmavšiu pleť, len tam tak sedelo a škerilo sa na mňa, rovno tu predo mnou.
162 Povedal som, „Počkaj chvíľu, brat Moore.“ Povedal som, „Povedz tej malej pani, aby sem prišla.“
A Billy povedal, „Oci, ona nemá modlitebnú kartu.“
Povedal som, „Práve som videl videnie, Billy.“
163 A tak išli tam dolu a priviedli tú malú pani. Tu ona prichádza, beží tam a padá na kolená a začína kričať 'padre,' čo znamená 'otec,' viete; požiadal som ju, aby sa postavila, brat Espinoza. Držala to bábätko; a mala na ňom malú modrobielu pruhovanú prikrývku, ktorá bola celá premočená a kvapkala z nej voda, a jej vlasy len tak viseli. Táto milo vyzerajúca drobná žena, pravdepodobne to bolo jej prvé dieťa, ona bola vo svojej... mala asi dvadsaťdva alebo dvadsaťpäť rokov, takto držala to maličké; pod touto prikrývkou bola len malá, asi takto dlhá, stvrdnutá forma. Premýšľal som.
164 Všetci si mysleli, že sa len modlím, aby som sa jej zbavil, viete, aby som ich od nej odľahčil.
165 A položil som svoje ruky na to malé dieťa a povedal som, „Nebeský Otče, neviem, čo s týmto bábätkom, ale videl som tam pred chvíľou videnie malého mexického bábätka, vyzeralo to ako malé bábätko, ktoré malo tmavú pleť a usmievalo sa.“ A povedal som... Oni neprekladajú modlitbu, viete. A povedal som, „Videl som, ako sa smialo.“ Položil som na neho takto ruky v Mene Ježiša Krista, aby som sa modlil, a to malé dieťa urobilo kopanec a začalo plakať tak silno, ako len... A tak, ono začalo kričať.
166 A povedal som, „Brat Espinoza, nezverejňujte to teraz. Pošli bežca s tým bábätkom a tou ženou a vezmite ho k lekárovi.“ A v ten večer zavolali lekára, lekár podpísal vyhlásenie, že v to ráno o deviatej v jeho nemocnici, alebo ordinácii, to bábätko zomrelo na zápal pľúc; a tu ono bolo okolo desiatej v noci, bolo od rána mŕtve a ožilo; a dnes žije na slávu Božiu.
167 Prečo? Ona bola práve tak vytrvalá, ako tu bola táto malá sýrofenícká žena, o ktorej dnes večer hovoríme. To ukazuje, že Boh je stále ten istý včera, dnes i naveky. Tá vec na tom bola (čo to bolo?), že ona počula o tom starom slepom mužovi.
168 Podľa viery to bola katolíčka. Všetci sú katolíci, takže keď sa narodíte v Mexiku, ste automaticky katolíci.
169 Tak tí ľudia tam videli na ulici tohto starého slepca, keď hovoril o svojom svedectve. Ona, oni o tom počuli. Táto žena nikdy nevidela zázrak. Ale ona vedela, že ak Boh môže vrátiť slepému zrak, On tiež môže vzkriesiť jej dieťa naspäť do života, pretože to bol ten istý Ježiš Kristus. Mohla by spôsobiť, že sa letniční cítia byť malí. A to je pravda, s takou vierou, pretože ona bola vytrvalá v tom, že to musel byť Boh, ktorý mohol prinavrátiť zrak. „A ak to bol Boh, ktorý mohol dodržať Svoje Slovo a prinavrátiť zrak, potom by mohol vzkriesiť mŕtvych.“ A On to urobil, pretože bola vytrvalá. Bol by som tam ešte jeden večer a ona by mohla... To bol večer, ktorý bol daný pre ňu.
170 Či dnes večer, priatelia, nebudeme vytrvalí? Či sa sem nemôžeme pretlačiť cez tie tajomné temné šindle a prijať Ježiša Krista ako svojho Uzdraviteľa? Nemôžete to urobiť?
Modlime sa.
171 Pane Ježišu, ó, Bože, ja už neviem, čo viac povedať. Modlím sa, Bože, či mám zvolať len malý modlitebný rad, Otče? A možno Ty to ukážeš ľuďom, urob niečo presne tak, ako si to urobil pred Svojou smrťou a pohrebom; nech tento deň a čas, možno by tu mohli byť cudzí ľudia, daj, aby sme mohli vidieť, že Ty si stále ten istý včera, dnes i naveky a že zachovávaš Svoje Slovo. A možno tam bude niekto s dostatočnou vierou, aby tam prelomil tú bariéru, tú zvukovú bariéru, tú bariéru hriechu, tú neveriacu bariéru, aby to prelomil tam, kde sú všetky veci možné. Udeľ to, Pane. Hovorí sa, že keď to lietadlo prejde tou zvukovou bariérou, že potom je neobmedzené v rýchlosti a sile. Bože, ak by sme sa len mohli preboriť cez tú moc nevery, tak zázraky a veci a zasľúbenia Božie sú potom neobmedzené, „lebo všetko je možné tomu, kto verí.“ Udeľ to, Otče. Prosíme to v Mene Tvojho Syna, Ježiša Krista. Amen.
172 Ak som to len trocha pretiahol, je v poriadku, ak budem pokračovať a zvoláme len malý modlitebný rad? Viem, že ľudia sú nepokojní, ale zvolajme len malý modlitebný rad. Pozrime sa, v pondelok večer sme mali Áčka, bolo to tak, keď sme rozdávali modlitebné karty? Alebo nie, mám na mysli v stredu večer. Myslím, že v pond-... V stredu večer bol ten prvý večer, to boli Áčka a minulý večer to bolo písmeno B a dnes večer C. Zavolali sme čísla od 1 do 25, pri tých Áčkach. Myslím, že to tak bolo, či nie? Pri tom písmene A, od 1 do 25. Od 1 až do 25, pri tom písmene A, je to tak? Od 1 až do 15, pri tom písmene A.
173 No, zavolajme písmeno B, teda včerajšie modlitebné karty. Zavolajme písmeno B, od 75 až do 100. Modlitebná karta B. Zoberieme vaše písmeno C a všetko také. Sme pri B, 25... Nie. Myslím, že som hovoril písmeno B, 75 až 100, je to tak? Písmeno B, 75 až 100. V poriadku. Nech ich teraz postavia na túto stranu. Písmeno B, 75 až 100, postavte sa na túto stranu. Poďte rovno sem a zoraďte sa tu, niektorí bratia, choďte dolu. Billy, Roy, niektorí z vás, poďte tam dolu a dozerajte na to, aby sa ľudia zoradili do modlitebného radu. V poriadku.
174 Chcem na chvíľu požiadať o vašu nerušenú pozornosť. Teraz buďte skutočne úctiví. No, pozrite, niektorí ľudia idú a hovoria, „Kazateľ má nesprávny druh kravaty. Má nesprávny oblek. Jeho správanie nie je správne. Nestojí dosť vzpriamene.“ No, vidíte, stále nemáte žiadnu vieru. Rozumiete?
175 Ak by tam niekto vošiel do tých dverí a povedal by ti, že oni mali... že oni, že on má pre teba peňažný poukaz alebo bankový šek na milión dolárov, bolo by ti jedno, či má vzdelanie alebo je nevzdelaný; nezaujímalo by ťa, či by mal oblečené montérky alebo či by mal na sebe oblek; nezaujímalo by ťa, či by bol čierny, žltý, hnedý, biely.
176 To nie je posol; to je Posolstvo, ktoré chcete počúvať. „Ježiš Kristus je ten istý včera, dnes i naveky.“ Koľkí si to uvedomujú? No, ak len budete...
177 Ak... myslím, že pán Ruby, myslím, že tak sa volá, ten technik, ktorého som stretol minulý večer, ak len... On nám sem dal osvetlenie, a tak ďalej, ak len vydrží pár minút kvôli Evanjeliu.
178 No, všetci buďte skutočne úctiví, ale buďte skutočne vytrvalí. Pretlačte sa rovno dovnútra za tú oponu.
179 No, keď Ježiš Kristus uzdravuje chorých; no, nehovorím, že budú uzdravení; to vám nemôžem povedať. Pamätajte, nemám žiadnu moc uzdravovať. Ja nemám moc, vy nemáte žiadnu moc, nikto z nás ju nemá. Máme autoritu. Koľkí tomu rozumejú?
180 Pozrite, dovoľte, aby som sa vás niečo opýtal. Tu na ulici, na tejto rušnej hlavnej ceste, ktorá sem prichádza z diaľnice, boli sme rovno na tej hlavnej ceste, videl som, že povolená rýchlosť je 80 míľ za hodinu. Tam dolu prichádzajú autá, od dvesto koní až do tristo alebo štyristo koní.
181 A... číslo 76, prosím, príď. Potrebujú číslo 76. Písmeno B, 76, môže to byť niekto hluchý. Poobzerajte sa. Ó, prepáčte. V poriadku. B, sedem-... Je to správne, môj brat? B, 76. V poriadku.
182 Všimnite si teraz, ako napríklad, tu po diaľnici kráča malý policajt, je tak malý, až mu čiapka drží uši dole a neváži ani 45 kíl. No, akú má moc, aby zastavil jedno z tých áut? A tam boli aj tri alebo štyri vedľa seba, rútili sa po tej diaľnici tak rýchlo, ako len mohli; každé z nich malo v sebe tristo koní. Nedokázal by zastaviť ani jednu konskú silu. A tu sú tieto autá. Ale nech sa zaleskne ten veľký odznak a nech zodvihne tú ruku! Možno nemá moc, ale má autoritu. Počujete, ako škrípu brzdy a idú nabok a všetci zastavia. Prečo? Pretože má autoritu.
183 Nemám žiadnu moc. Vy nemáte žiadnu moc. Ale máme autoritu, amen, odznak viery, ktorý visí na Slove, „Verím Tomu. To je pravda.“ To je to, čo zastavuje veci. Potom môžete byť vytrvalí.
184 Ten malý policajt sa tam postaví a pískne na tú malú píšťalku a podrží zodvihnutú ruku, poviem vám, všetko sa zastaví. Je to jeho autorita. Je to jeho autorita, veriť.
185 No, verte, každý jeden z vás. Teraz, keď tam stojíš, teraz sa nenechaj odradiť, len si tam sadni a pretlač sa, povedz, „Pane, tento človek o mne nič nevie. Som si tým istý. Ak môže prehovoriť, povedať mi niečo, potom budem veriť z celého srdca.“ No, čo by sme teraz vedeli?
186 Kto je Uzdraviteľ? Ježiš Kristus. Je to tak? No, potom, ak je tu prítomný, no, jediná vec, ktorú musíme urobiť, je Ho len prosiť. „A On je Veľkňazom, ktorého sa môžeme dotýkať našimi slabosťami.“ Je to tak? V poriadku. Potom, „On je ten istý včera, dnes i naveky.“ Dnes je On Veľkňazom. Ako On konal, keď sa pred dvetisíc rokmi tá žena dotkla Jeho rúcha? On sa otočil a povedal jej, v čom má problém, a povedal, že jej viera ju uzdravila. Je to tak? No, On je dnes ten istý, musel by konať tak isto, pretože On je ten istý.
Je modlitebný rad pripravený?
187 No, tu prichádza jedna žena. Pokiaľ viem, nikdy som ju nevidel. Je mi celkom cudzia, pokiaľ viem. Sme si navzájom cudzí. [Sestra hovorí, „Bola som na tvojom zhromaždení v rokoch 1947, 1950 až po '53.“ - pozn.prekl.] Povedala, že bola na mojich zhromaždeniach v '47 a v '53. Ale... [„od '51 až po '53.“] Od '51 až po '53. A nepoznám ťa. [„Nie.“] Nie.
188 Vidíte, ak by som vás stretol o jeden alebo dva týždne od teraz, pravdepodobne by som vás vôbec nespoznal. Je mnoho ľudí, ktorí boli na zhromaždeniach, odvtedy to boli desaťtisíce, viete, a ja by som ich nespoznal. Ale čo sa týka toho, mám na mysli, „či ma poznáš,“ ty ma poznáš, pretože si bola na zhromaždení. Ale aby som ťa ja poznal, alebo vedel, aké sú vaše problémy alebo čo ste robili medzi tým časom, alebo ešte predtým, alebo to, čo máte v úmysle urobiť, samozrejme, nevedel by som to. Nie.
189 Ale teraz, aby sme sa nezaoberali každou osobou pridlho, aby sme sa pokúsili... Minulý večer som sa predtým zastavil. Nevidel som; nemyslel som si, že tam ešte niekto zostal. Nechal som tam stáť v rade dvoch alebo troch ľudí. Nemal som to urobiť. Jednoducho som to nespravil. Neviem prečo. Ja len... No, všetci, vyzeralo to, akoby to bolo vyvrcholenie času. Vy nechcete ľudí hýčkať. Chcete, aby boli dostatočne drsní, aby sa dostali tam hore a chytili to, čo hovoríte, a potom sú uzdravení. Ak to neurobíte, tak... oni nie sú uzdravení.
190 Táto pani tu, toto je naše prvé stretnutie. No, ak On je „ten istý včera, dnes i naveky,“ ak by tu On stál oblečený v tomto obleku, ktorý mi dal, cez nejakú dobrú osobu mi daroval tento oblek, no, ak by tu On stál oblečený v tomto obleku, mohol by vás uzdraviť? Nie. Nie. On to už urobil, vidíte, „On bol zranený pre naše prestúpenia.“ On by ťa nemohol uzdraviť. Koľkí z vás vedia, že to je pravda? To je už vybavené.
191 Akýkoľvek hriešnik, ktorý tu je; On by ťa nemohol spasiť; On to už urobil. Ty to musíš len prijať.
192 No, keby tu On stál oblečený v tomto obleku, ktorý mi dal, On by mohol... Jediná vec, ktorú by mohol urobiť, povedal by... Ak by si povedal, „Som chorý, som v núdzi. Alebo mám milovanú osobu, ktorá je chorá,“ alebo čokoľvek také, „Mám finančné problémy, mám problémy doma,“ alebo čokoľvek to je. On by to nemohol, nemohol by vám to dať. On by vám len povedal, že On to už kúpil. No, koľkí tomu rozumejú? To je pravda, vidíte, pretože to je už hotové. Rozumiete? On nemôže...
193 Ak si bol odniekiaľ vykúpený, ten majiteľ záložne ťa už nemôže dlhšie držať, ak si vykúpený. Ak máš potvrdenie, že je to vykúpené, tak tým to je vybavené. On to už viac nedokáže zadržať.
194 Máme Potvrdenie, vidíte; No, ak máš vieru, že to môžeš vyplatiť! Rozumiete? Ale teraz, ak by tu On stál a ja by som celú svoju kampaň založil na tom, „On je ten istý včera, dnes i naveky,“ On by vedel, v čom by ste mali problém. A to by iste... Ak by som to ja nevedel, potom by to istotne zidentifikovalo, že to musí byť On. To by musela byť nejaká moc, určitá moc. Záleží na tom, čo si myslíte, že tá moc urobí. Pretože viete o tom, že vás nepoznám, ľudsky povedané. A to by musela byť nejaká moc. A ak veríte, že to je On... A ak by ste neverili, že to je On, samozrejme, nemali by ste tu stáť. Ale ak veríte, že to je On, potom, ak by vám On mohol povedať, čo ste urobili alebo kvôli čomu ste tu alebo niečo, to by zdvihlo vašu vieru, že?
195 Vy, ktorí ste tam vonku, zdvihne to aj tú vašu? Keď, tu, kde ukazuje moja ruka; pokiaľ viem, nikdy v živote som nevidel tú ženu, len niekde v publiku alebo možno bola v modlitebnom rade alebo niečo také, pred mnohými rokmi. Vôbec si na ňu nespomínam. Ale nech mi teraz Pán pomôže. Ako dar...
196 Vidíte, ako títo kazatelia, ktorí tu sú. Už to viete, ak ste ma počuli kázať, ja nie som kazateľ. Nemám žiadne vzdelanie. Nemohol by som sa nazývať kazateľom, ale sú tu muži, ktorí sú do toho schopnejší, než som ja.
197 Ale môj dar pochádza od Boha, pretože Ho milujem. A verím tomu, že „dary a povolania sú bez pokánia.“ Sú predurčené od Boha. Je to tak v každej generácii. A moja časť v tomto bola pre to Slovo, aby to znovu žilo, stalo sa Slovom, aby to rozpoznávalo a vedelo veci. To je prorocké, čo je zasľúbené podľa Malachiáša 4, že to budeme mať v tomto dni, to dokonale ukazuje, že sme v tom poslednom dni.
198 No, ak mi Pán Ježiš povie, kde máš ťažkosti, uveríš mi, že som Jeho prorok alebo Jeho sluha? Nech to On udelí. Trpíš kožným ochorením. Niečo nie je v poriadku s tvojou pokožkou. To je pravda. [Sestra hovorí, „Áno.“ - pozn.prekl.] No, ak je to pravda, zodvihni ruku. Vidíte? Tak...
199 No, stále cítim, že odtiaľ niečo vychádzalo, niekto povedal, „On to uhádol.“ Teraz len chvíľu počkajte. Neuhádol som to, pani. Niektorí, vidíte, oni... Nemôžete teraz skryť myšlienku, vidíte, pretože On tu teraz je. A beriem tu pod svoju kontrolu každého ducha, v Mene Ježiša Krista, vidíte, na slávu Božiu. Neuhádol som to.
200 To je nervový stav. Máš nervový stav, že si... to ťa trápi. Modlíš sa za milovaného človeka. [Sestra hovorí, „Áno.“ - pozn.prekl.] To je žena. [„Áno.“] To je tvoja nevesta. [„Áno.“] A ona trpí epilepsiou. [„Áno.“] Je to tak.
No, ja som to nehádal. V poriadku.
201 Len tomu verte! [Sestra hovorí, „Je vyslobodená?“ - pozn.prekl.] Veríš tomu z celého svojho srdca; a ako si uverila, tak sa ti stane. Verím tomu. [„Je vyslobodená?”] Ja tomu budem veriť. Ak tomu budeš veriť, tak to tak bude.
202 Vidíte, nemôžem to vyslobodiť na základe mojej viery, to musí byť vyslobodené na základe jej viery. Rozumiete? Vidíte? Rozumiete tomu?
203 Ako sa máš? Práve som stratil svoju matku, asi pred dvoma rokmi. A keď ťa vidím takto prichádzať, prináša to spomienky. Či by som nebol hroznou osobou, keď tu stojím a reprezentujem Ježiša Krista a bol by som zvodcom? To by bolo hrozné, keby som také niečo robil. Ale ja nie som zvodca. Som Jeho sluha. A ak mi Boh dá, skrze Svoju milosť, niečo o tebe vedieť, no, budeš veriť, že to pochádza od Boha? [Sestra hovorí, „Áno.“ - pozn.prekl.]
204 No, aby to ľudia pochopili. Pozrite sa sem. To jedno rozpoznanie bolo viac, ako keby som kázal do polnoci. Ježiš povedal, „Vidím, že cnosť odišla.“ Ak to tak bolo pri Synovi Božom, o čo viac pri mne, hriešnikovi? Rozumiete? Daniel uvidel jedno videnie a mnoho dní ho trápila hlava. Koľkí to vedia? Iste. Rozumiete? Neuvedomujete si milosť, ktorú nám Boh dáva.
205 No, tá pani trpí na žalúdok. Je to v tvojom žalúdku. Vidím ťa, ako cúvaš od stola. A je to spôsobené nervovým stavom, ktorý spôsobuje, že to je žalúdok, ktorý robí, že to jedlo sa nedá stráviť. Je to žalúdočný vred, to je presne tak, je to v žalúdku. A ty veríš, že Boh to pre teba uzdraví? [Sestra hovorí, „Áno.“ - pozn.prekl.] Prijímaš to ako uzdravené? Veríš, že Boh to od teba odoberie preč. Nech ťa Boh žehná. Choď a nech ti to Pán Boh dá.
Buďte skutočne úctiví.
206 Ako sa máš? Predpokladám, že sme si navzájom cudzí. Je to skutočne naše prvé stretnutie, že? [Sestra hovorí, „Bola som na zhromaždeniach.“ - pozn.prekl.] Bola si na zhromaždeniach. Ale čo sa týka mňa, ja ťa nepoznám.
207 [Brat Branham sa odmlčí a potom sa obráti k publiku. - pozn.prekl.] Prosila si za seba. Ak budeš veriť, tá artritída ťa opustí. Áno. Sedela tam, mala sklonenú hlavu a modlila sa. Ak tomu budeš veriť, tak to odíde preč. Tvoj manžel, veríš, že mi Boh môže zjaviť, v čom je jeho problém? Veríš, že mi to Boh môže povedať? Zostal si z toho tak šťastný, keď si zistil, že jej bude dobre. Máš problém s prostatou, ktorá ťa trápi. Zodvihni ruku.
208 Nikdy v živote som ich nevidel. Povedzte mi, čoho sa dotkli. No, opýtajte sa teraz tú otázku. Čoho sa dotkli? Nedotkli sa mňa; sú odo mňa vzdialení asi 9 metrov. Ale oni sa dotkli toho Veľkňaza.
209 Ľudia, ak som vám cudzí, mávnite takto rukou. Vy, vy dvaja ľudia, ktorí tu sedíte, ak... Len mávnite takto rukou, ak som vám cudzí. Vidíte? Rozumiete? Vy ste tam len sedeli. A tá pani sa modlila, vidíte; a On, ktorý tu stojí, sa obracia presne tak, ako to robil v Biblii. To nie som ja, ktorý sa otáčam; On ma otáča.
210 Pozrite, ja tie veci nepoznám. Je to presne ako tento mikrofón; bez toho, že by niečo cez neho prehovorilo, je úplne nemý. Ale môžete ma počuť cez tento mikrofón (Je to tak?), ale ten mikrofón nedokáže sám hovoriť. Nemá hlas. Nepoznám tých ľudí. Nemôžete si uvedomiť, že je to v prítomnosti Božej, ktorá to používa, aby vám ukázala Jeho prítomnosť? Pretlačte sa cez to!
211 No, sme si navzájom cudzí, si mladšia ako ja. Pravdepodobne sme sa narodili roky od seba a na míle ďaleko a tu sa stretávame po prvýkrát. No, keď To tam odišlo, ja môžem len nasledovať; To je Svetlo, ja To pozorujem, vidíte. Duch Svätý je Svetlo, my to vieme. Ale ak mi Pán Ježiš pomôže, aby som vedel, aké máš ťažkosti, uveríš mi, že som Jeho sluha, a budeš vedieť, že to nie som ja, ale že to je On?
212 Ja som len Jeho sluha, ako ten mikrofón. No, tento stôl je časťou nábytku domu, ale nebolo to učinené, aby to hovorilo; to drží moju Bibliu. Mikrofón neudrží moju Bibliu; on nesie môj hlas. No, v cirkvi sú rôzne dary; niektoré sú Jeho Hlasom, niektoré sú videnia, niektoré sú iné veci, ktoré niekto robí. Ale ja pracujem skrze videnie ako Jeho sluha.
213 No, ak mi Boh dá vedieť, aký je tvoj problém, kvôli čomu tu si, budeš mi veriť a veriť, že to je Slovo Božie. Trpíš infekciou. Tá infekcia je na koži. [Sestra hovorí, „To je pravda.“ - pozn.prekl.]
214 Vidíte? Ona vie, či je to pravda alebo nie. Rozumiete? No, čím viac s ňou budem hovoriť, tým viac bude povedané. Je to veľmi milá osoba.
215 Mimochodom, pozrite sa sem na chvíľu; potom tí ostatní prídu trochu rýchlejšie. Len sa na pár minút porozprávajme, pretože si takou milou osobou. Teraz vieš, že sa s tebou niečo stalo. No, medzi tebou a mnou je Svetlo. Videla si niekedy Jeho fotografiu? Stojí To rovno medzi mnou a tebou. Pozerám sa na teba cez to Svetlo. Rozumieš? A ty veríš, že Boh mi môže povedať, kto si? Povedal Šimonovi, kým on bol.
216 Koľkí tomu teraz veria? Tu sme so zdvihnutými rukami, sme si celkom cudzí.
217 Volajú ťa Florencia a tvoje priezvisko je McAllister. [Sestra hovorí, „To je pravda. To je pravda.“ - pozn.prekl.] Veríš, že mi Boh môže povedať, odkiaľ si? [„Áno.“] Nie si odtiaľto. [„Nie.“] Si z miesta, ktoré sa volá Lawrence, Kansas. [„Je to tak.“] Je to tak. Teraz sa vráť späť, Ježiš Kristus ťa uzdravuje.
218 Majte vieru v Boha. Rozumiete? Vidíte, čo to je? Teraz buďte úctiví. Nehýbte sa. Vidíte, nehýbte sa.
219 Boh uzdravuje cukrovku. Veríš tomu? Veríš, že ťa uzdravil? Len choď vpred a povedz, „Ďakujem Ti, Pane.“ A ver tomu z celého srdca a budeš uzdravený.
220 Veríš, že Boh môže uzdraviť ten ženský problém, ktorý máš? Potom len pokračuj a povedz, „Ďakujem Ti, Pane. Verím tomu z celého srdca.“
221 V poriadku, nech tá pani príde. Máš ženský problém a tiež máš cukrovku. Veríš, že Boh ťa uzdraví? Len kráčaj ďalej a hovor, „Ďakujem Ti, Pane,“ a ver tomu teraz z celého srdca.
222 Príď. Nervový stav spôsobuje žalúdočné ťažkosti. Veríš tomu, že by si teraz mohla zjesť svoju večeru? Choď a povedz, „Ďakujem Ti, Pane.“ Zjedz svoju večeru a ver z celého srdca.
223 Boh uzdravuje srdcové ťažkosti. Veríš, že On uzdraví tvoje problémy so srdcom? V poriadku. Choď, ver tomu a On to urobí, vidíš, ak veríš.
224 Čo ak by som ti nič nepovedal, len aby som ukázal vieru, ktorú verím, že máš, len na teba položím ruky, a veríš, že budeš uzdravený? Poď. Bol si už uzdravený, keď si s tým odišiel tam hore. Je to pravda.
225 No, príď. Poď. Samozrejme, každý vidí, že táto žena pokrivkáva, to tak mala celý život. Ale ďalšia vec, ktorú máš, sú žalúdočné ťažkosti, ktoré ťa trápia, ktoré chceš... Len choď ďalej a povedz, „Ďakujem Ti, Pane.“ Ver z celého srdca a choď a ver tomu.
226 Veríš, že Boh uzdraví tú artritídu a dá, aby si bola zdravá a pôjdeš domov? Choď, ver tomu z celého srdca.
227 Koľkí tam veria, všetci z vás? Tu je muž, ktorý tu sedí a díva sa na mňa. Či nevidíte to Svetlo, ktoré visí rovno tu na tomto mužovi?
228 Skutočne, trápi ho problém s nadváhou. To je pravda. Zodvihni ruku, ak je to tak. Veríš, že Boh ťa uzdraví? Tvoja žena, ktorá tam sedí, veríš, že mi Boh môže povedať, v čom spočíva jej problém? Veríš? Budeš, pani? Veríš mi, že som Jeho prorok, Jeho sluha? To oslepuje ľudí, keď poviete 'prorok'. Veríš mi, že som Jeho sluha? Veríš, že Boh mi môže povedať, aký je tvoj problém? Vysoký krvný tlak. Ver teraz z celého srdca a to ťa opustí, pretože veríš.
229 Tento farebný chlapec, ktorý tu sedí na konci sedadla a intenzívne to sleduje, čo si o tom myslíš, chlapče? Veríš, že to je od Boha, ty, ktorý tam sedíš? Pozeral si sa na mňa s takou vážnosťou. Nepoznám ťa. Si mi cudzí. Ale ty trpíš na určitý problém. Veríš, že mi Boh môže povedať, čo to je? Naozaj? Je to alergia. To je pravda. Veríš, že Boh ťa uzdraví? Jedna veľká vec, ktorá sa ťa týka, je táto, jeden z tvojich najväčších problémov je, že si odpadnutý. Naozaj sa chceš vrátiť k Bohu. Ak je to pravda, zodvihni ruku a potom poď sem. [Brat vstáva a prichádza dopredu. - pozn.prekl.] Tvoje hriechy sú ti odpustené, môj brat.
230 Poviete, „Ako to vieš?“ Ten istý, ktorý mi povedal, čo s ním bolo.
231 Koľkí tu chcú, aby vám boli odpustené hriechy? Povstanete? Chcete, aby vám boli odpustené hriechy? Chcem len zistiť, či ste ohľadom toho úprimní. Ďakujem. Zaujímalo by ma, či by ste išli rovno sem a postavili sa tu s týmto mužom, ktorému bolo práve odpustené, a povedali, „Chcem, aby mi boli odpustené hriechy. Som ohľadom toho úprimný.“ Nemôžeš...
232 No, je tu toho viac. No, ak rozlišovanie rozpoznáva chorobu a nemoci, ono tiež rozpoznáva hriech. Vy to viete. Ako by som vedel, že tento človek je hriešnik? To je to, ide to rovno von a rovno dole. My len... Urobíte to, len na chvíľu? Poď sem a postav sa na chvíľu a povedz, „Chcem, aby mi bolo odpustené, brat. Chcem, aby mi Boh odpustil moje zlé veci. Uvedomujem si, že som v Jeho prítomnosti. Je mi jedno, čo si myslia moji susedia. Ja prídem tak či tak. Som vytrvalý. Chcem byť dnes večer spasený. Verím Bohu. Chcem prísť hneď teraz a nechať zmyť všetky svoje hriechy. “
233 Je v poriadku volať kazateľov? Koľko je tu kazateľov, ktorí veria, že títo ľudia majú právo byť spasení z milosti Božej? Chcem, aby každý kazateľ, ktorý tomu verí, prišiel teraz s nimi, zatiaľ čo sa modlíme, prosím teraz každého kazateľa, ktorý sa zaujíma o stratené duše. Nemyslel som si, že toto urobím, ale poznám niečo lepšie, ako neposlúchnuť Jeho Hlas. On mi povedal, aby som toto urobil. Môže to byť ich poslednýkrát, neviem.
234 Koľkí z vás vedia, že toto je to, čo robil, keď bol tu na zemi? Potom to musí byť znovu On. Je nemožné, aby človek, akákoľvek ľudská bytosť urobila niečo také. Sme v Jeho prítomnosti. A tu Ho vidíme dnes večer, ako robí... „Ak budem vyzdvihnutý, pritiahnem ku Sebe všetkých ľudí.“ Rozumiete? Vidíme Ho tu, ako robí to isté, čo robil, keď bol tu na zemi. Nemôžeme byť teraz vytrvalí? Pretlačte sa rovno dovnútra. Čo spôsobilo, že sme sem prišli? Čo to všetko jednako spôsobilo? To je Boh. Či tomu veríte?
235 Chcem, aby každý jeden z vás bratov kazateľov išiel dopredu a položil svoje ruky na jedného z tých ľudí, ktorí tu robia svoje vyznania.
236 No, môj drahý brat, sestra, vy, ktorí robíte svoje vyznanie pri oltári, čo vás priviedlo? Neprišiel si svojou vlastnou mocou. Prichádzate, pretože to niečo vás presvedčilo, že ste sa mýlili. Chcete, aby vám bolo odpustené. Keď ste videli toho biedneho farebného chlapca, toho etiópskeho chlapca, ako tam stojí, odišiel od Boha a Duch Svätý zjavil, že On je hriešnik. Ten istý Duch Svätý ťa nikdy nezavolal skrze moje pery, ale On ťa zavolal a dnes večer tu si, stojíš tak isto ako ten chlapec. Vyznaj teraz svoje hriechy pred Bohom. Verte Mu z celého svojho srdca a On vám odpustí každý hriech, ktorý ste spáchali, a vezme vás dnes večer späť na základe vášho vyznania a obecenstva. On to urobí, ak Mu len budete veriť.
237 Skloňme teraz naše hlavy, všade v publiku a všetci buďte skutočne úctiví. Teraz sa modlime. Každý jeden z vás vyznáva svoje hriechy. On je tu. Duch Svätý je tu. To je to, čo robí to volanie. Tak teraz tomu len ver z celého srdca, vyznaj, že sa mýliš, pros Ho, aby ti odpustil. A nech sa každý jeden z vás bratov modlí s týmito ľuďmi.
238 Nebeský Otče, prichádzame teraz v Mene Pána Ježiša a ďakujeme Ti za Tvoju veľkú milosť a moc voči nám, Pane. Že my, nehodní, sme tu dolu v neskorom, záverečnom čase. Prosíme, aby Tvoje milosrdenstvo bolo rozšírené, Pane, ďalej dolu, až kým nebude privedená posledná duša. Dnes večer, kvôli Tvojmu zjaveniu sa pred nami, to prinútilo ľudí tlačiť sa za každých okolností, aby sa dostali hore, aby verili, že toto je tá hodina, keď im budú odpustené hriechy a budú slobodní od tejto noci. Udeľ to, nebeský Otče. Nech od nich odíde preč každý hriech.
239 Ty si povedal, „Ten, kto príde ku Mne, toho nevyženiem von. Hoci by vaše hriechy boli ako šarlát, jednako budú biele ako vlna; červené ako karmín, budú biele ako sneh.“ Ponárame sa pod príliv Krvi Ježiša Krista. Skrze vieru berieme tento vyznávajúci ľud do tej prítomnosti Božej, do Krvi Syna Božieho a prosíme o odpustenie. Prosíme túto žiadosťv Ježišovom Mene. Odpusti každý hriech a vezmi ich do Svojej starostlivosti, Otče. Ako oni vyznávajú, priveď ich späť na základe Tvojho zasľúbenia. Povedal si, že to urobíš, a ja viem, že to urobíš. Oni sú Tvoji, Otče. Dávame Ti ich v Mene Ježiša Krista.
240 Každý z vás, ktorí teraz stojíte okolo oltára, ktorí ste skutočne vyznali, že sa mýlite; a v prítomnosti Božej mi veríte, že som Jeho prorok, a veríte, že som vám o tom povedal Pravdu, a veríte, že vaše hriechy pominuli; a teraz, skrze vieru, prelomte tú oponu do prítomnosti Božej a povedzte, „Pane, verím Ti a prijímam Ťa teraz.” Zodvihnite ruky a povedzte, „Robím to.“ Každý jeden okolo oltára, zodvihnite ruky a povedzte, „Robím to. Teraz tomu verím.“ Nech vás Boh žehná. Amen. To je spôsob, ako to urobiť. To je to. Len skrze vieru, prelomiť sa cez tú oponu.
241 No, zatiaľ čo ste na tom istom základe, na ktorom stojíte, že vám je odpustené, bratia, položte na nich svoje ruky znovu kvôli krstu Duchom Svätým. Rovno tam, kde stojíte, položte teraz na nich ruky a modlite sa, aby prijali krst Duchom Svätým, ako tu stoja.
242 Pane Ježišu, pošli na nich Svoju moc ako prudký mocný vietor. Pošlite ďalšie zopakovanie Letníc; a naplň ľudí, nie miestnosť, ľudí, Ohňom Ducha Svätého a odpustením a prejavmi moci skrze Ježišovo Meno. Amen.
1 ... our love with Him, I am sure. But there is a great cooling off amongst the people. The revival is over. The fires is going out. See, it's time for something to happen. You know, in the old Roman temple, the temple of Vesta, when the fires went out, everybody went home, so there wasn't no business done. And I think that's... I'm just about enough Quaker to believe that, that it--that it should be that way.
2Now I think, tonight, I omitted it every night, but... I--I like to respect this Word of God, because I think it is God's Word, and It's Him. It's Him in letter form. The letter itself, it's, you have to have the Spirit there to quicken the letter. So now for respects to this Word, let us stand while we read It. Saint Mark, the 7th chapter and beginning with the 24th verse, and reading down the 30th verse, inclusive. You that have your Bible, and kind of like to take a text of just a little formal planting maybe, of a few seed again tonight, to build that faith until the time comes.
3And when I feel that the Spirit has given that climax, right then every one of you will be called to the platform. Don't--don't worry, it'll be right then. But until that Spirit gets to that place to where you feel that the people has got it!
4 What's the use of coming up here, if you're just walking up here? You walk through Tommy Hicks' line, and Tommy Osborn, and Oral Roberts, and back and forth, through the line. It only weakens your faith. That's all.
5When you come here with a full assurance that you're not walking before your brother, or anyone else, you're coming here because the Spirit of God in you has bid you come, something is going to happen. There isn't nothing to keep it from it. Until then, you're just on a walk, right around; next minister comes in town, right around; next minister comes, right around. That's no good. There is nothing in a preacher, no more than there is in your husband or your brother, or whoever it might be. We are just representatives of His, telling you the Word. Some of them have different gifts, which the Bible speaks of these gifts. This is all done to vindicate His Presence.
6 Now if it had been me, or you to me, if you can't take one another's word, why, that would settle it. But God, full of mercy, He sent gifts and confirmation, to prove, and just so... He is so long-suffering, so gentle and kind, that He--He wants no one lost or no one hurt. He wants to be sure that every one of you get in. All right.
7 Now have you got the Bibles turned to the 7th chapter of Saint Mark, and the 24th verse.
And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into the house, and would not... would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
And the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
But Jesus said unto her, Let the children be filled, first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto... dogs.
And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat... the children's crumbs.
And he said unto her, For this saying go your way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
And when she came, was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter lay upon the bed.
8 Now let us pray, and with our heads bowed, and our hearts. I wonder, while we pray, how many in here would like to be remembered in prayer for some special something, would you raise your hand, maybe, "Lord, let it be me, tonight," see, or, "I have a loved one, let it be them, tonight."
9 Our Heavenly Father, Thou knowest the needs before we even ask. Jesus taught us that, "Your Father knows what you have need of before you ask," but yet we are to ask.
10When He looked upon the harvest, He was the Lord of the harvest, and He said, "The harvest is ripe, the laborers are few; pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He may send laborers into His harvest," making Himself with man so bound together that He works only through the agency of man. He chose man to work for Him. He could have chose the sun to preach the Gospel, He could have chose the winds, or the trees, or the stars. But He chose man, veils Himself inside, hides Himself from the unbeliever, reveals Himself to who He will.
11Lord God, we are here tonight for no other purpose but to see You reveal Yourself to us, by forgiving the sins that we have committed, and--and helping us, and encouraging saints along the way, saving sinners, calling backsliders back to the fellowship of the Heavenly Father and to the Church of Believers, the Firstborn. Grant it, Lord.
12You know what's behind each one of those hands that went up. You know what was beneath it, under the heart. You know their desire. I offer my prayer in their behalf, that You will grant each one of them their desires. My hands was up, too, Lord. Grant our requests.
13 Bless the reading of Thy Word. And now as we take a text, we pray that You will unfold to us the context, that we might know Him better. And when we leave here, tonight, may we say like those who coming from Emmaus, after He has risen from the dead. And they had walked with Him all day, talked with Him, and yet they didn't know Who He was. There is many in this city, Lord, tonight, no doubt has talked to You and walked with You, and yet never recognized Your Presence.
14But that night, when You... when they bid You come in and abide with them, Cleopas and his friend, and when You got the door shut, and You sat down, You did something just the way You did it before Your crucifixion. No other, man did it that way. You did it Your Own way, and, by that, they knew You were the resurrected Christ. Quickly You vanished out of their sights. And with a light heart full of joy, they joined themselves quickly with the rest of the apostles, and said, "Indeed, He has risen from the dead."
15And when we leave this building, tonight, may we see You come on the scene and do the same things You did before Your crucifixion, as You promised You would repeat again in the last days. And grant, Lord, that when we leave, we'll go like they, saying, "Did not our hearts burn within us, as He talked to us along the way?" For we ask it in His Name and for His glory. Amen.
You may be seated.
16 I wish to take just one word for a text, tonight, and the word I want to take is called: Perseverant.
17You might say, "Brother Branham, that's a--that's a very small word for three or four hundred people sitting here tonight," or whatever there is; I'm a poor judge of--of--of an audience. And you say, "That's a very small word." Well, it isn't the--the size, it's--it's--it's really what I'm going to say about it.
18Now, perseverance, according to Webster, it's--it's to be... it's--it's a--a word, that, you're "to be persistent," too, means to be persistent in trying to make a goal, try to--to put something over, try to do something. You are perseverant when you are persistent.
19 Now, all Christians must be persistent. They must be perseverant. And the only way that you're able to--to do this, is to first to have faith in what you're trying to do. And if you have no faith, you're just jumping at it, then you--you--you can't, cannot be perseverant. But when you really know it's the Truth, then there is nothing going to stop you, you are really perseverant then.
20And man of all ages, that's ever been able to do anything, and had faith in what they were trying to do, were perseverant.
21 For instance, like of what we call the father of our nation, George Washington. He was perseverant when, he, trying to achieve that victory over the British, and crossed the icy Delaware. He was perseverant. There was nothing... His soldiers, half of them, didn't even have shoes on their feet; their feets was wrapped in rags. The wind was blowing. But he had prayed all night, and he had the victory in his heart. And there was no British army or nothing else was going to stop him, neither could the icy river. He had prayed through, and there was no hindrance going to stop him. He was perseverant, and he achieved the task that he was trying to--to do, because he had the answer from God.
22 When a man gets his answer from God, there is nothing going to stop him.
23Most people today, as I will repeat myself from last night, saying they have hope instead of faith. You find people coming on the platform, they're--they're just built up in hopes.
24"But faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence." It's not a myth; it's not imagination. It's something you've got. You've already got it. And you're just as happy with it, that faith that you have, as you would be if you had the substance in your hand.
25 For instance, like this, if I'm starving to death; and a loaf of bread costs a quarter, which will--will buy the loaf of bread. Now, when I have the quarter in my hand, I'm just as happy as if it was the loaf of bread, because it's the purchase price of the bread.
26And when I know in my heart that I have accepted it, and I believe that God has give it to me, I'm just as happy with that faith as if I was if I was healed, because I'm going to be healed, anyhow. I've got the substance right now, nobody can take it away from me. I know it's right, and I can be perseverant with that.
27 When God tells something that's going to happen, like the visions or something. I've seen tens of thousands of them, and many of you are a witness, and not one of them has ever failed. And when God says anything, I don't... If He would say, tonight, "Go to the national cemetery, for I am going to raise up George Washington in the morning," I'd invite the whole world come watch it, it's going to happen.
28God's Word can't fail. He has never failed, and He can't fail. There is one thing God can't do, and that's fail. He cannot fail. And God is His Word.
29 Now, Noah was living in a scientific age when they was, perhaps, could shoot the moon with radar. Jesus said it was a day like this. "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man."
30Now, we know, down in Egypt we see these pyramids. We could not reproduce them today. We have no power to do it. They had a hold of atomic power, or--or some kind of power that built the pyramids. We couldn't put those boulders up there, by no means. Neither could we reproduce that sphinxes. There is no way of doing it. We don't have the material to make a mummy, embalm a body that looks even natural for thousands of years. We've lost that art. A dye that won't fade out; many things they had then that we are completely blind of. And they built that pyramid so setting so center in the earth, no matter where the sun is, there is never a shadow around it, never a shadow at the pyramid. Oh, the architectury, the--the--the instruments they--they had, is far beyond now.
31 And Noah lived in that intellectual, scientific age. Noah did. And he was a prophet, and the Lord told him that it was going to rain. And after Noah hearing the voice of God, being a prophet to the voice of the Lord, Word of the Lord comes to His prophet, and he knew it was going to rain; no matter what anyone else said, whether it ever rained.
32And it never had rained before. God irrigated the ground, the vegetation, with--with irrigation from the springs, and so forth, in the earth. There had never been a cloud in the sky, but yet Noah knew there was coming water from above. How is He going to do it? He doesn't know, but, he was so perseverant, he went and built an ark according to the specification that God said for him to build it, because he had heard the voice of God, and was standing in the Presence of God when the voice of God was made manifest to him.
That ought to set this born-again Church afire, perseverant!
33 I don't care how many critics laugh about it, how many says it can't be so, and then go out there and scientifically prove it, shoot the radar to the moon and show there is no such a thing as water in the skies. But Noah knew that if God, standing in His Presence, and He is the God that had spoke to him, and He was clearly identified that it was God's Word, and standing in the Presence of God, he was--he was persistent. He would build the ark, anyhow; and nobody wanted to help him, he would build it himself. He was persistent because he was knowed that it was the Word of God, and he built it.
34 I can think of--of how Moses, a great scholar, he was so smart till he could--he could teach the wisdom to the Egyptians. He could teach the teachers. He knowed all of the--the theology that the Egyptians knowed, and of his Hebrew family. And he was a smart, witty man, a great... We are taught he was a military man. But had totally failed, because, one thing. He slew this Egyptian, and his education ceased; when they accused him then, "Will you slay us as you did the Egyptian?" Thinking his brethren would understand it. And he--he miserably failed.
35 And that brings me to a thought of this. That's the reason, tonight, that our systems has failed. That's the reason that we will never be able to educate people to God. We'll never be able to denominate them to God. We've tried all these systems, and they all fail, like, fell like the tower of Babel. And they always will do that.
36God, the unchanging God, made His decision at the garden of Eden, how He would save man.
37And when God ever makes a decision, it has to ever remain that way. He cannot change. He cannot get smarter. He is the source of all intelligence. No matter what our science says, if it's against the Intelligence or the Word of God, it's contrary, it's not right. I don't care how scientific it can be proved, it's still wrong.
38 God decided He would save a man by the shed Blood of an innocent One. They have tried to build cities, they have tried to unite them, they've tried to build towers, educate them into It, and they get further away all the time. You will never be able to save man till he comes back to the Blood. That's the only place that God will ever meet a man. Not by his intellectuals, not by how smart he is, how many man has made him a priest, or a bishop, or a state overseer, or whatever he might be, minister, deacon, that isn't the grounds that God meets a man on. He meets him on the grounds when he is under the shed Blood. That's the only place Israel ever was able to meet God, to worship, was under the shed blood. That's God's provided way. No other way will work. And under the shed Blood, God meets man and stands in the presence of man.
39 Moses, this runaway intellectual, runaway prophet, out on the backside of the desert, and marry this beautiful Ethiopian woman, and was living; had a child, little Gershom. And one day while walking around on the desert, the backside of the desert, an old man of eighty years old, looked like was plumb out of use, as a minister, but he found a bush that was burning with Fire and it did not consume. And he went aside to see what had happened, and come into the Presence of God; and heard the Presence of God, heard the voice of God, while he was in His Presence, when this Pillar of Fire was laying in this bush, talking to him. Where, he was afraid to even go near Egypt, knowing that Pharaoh would take his life, there is nothing going to stop him now.
40And sometimes when a man gets in the Presence of God, and hears the voice of God, he does things so--so radical to the ordinary thinking of people, it sounds ridiculous.
41 The next day now. A man that was afraid to take an army to attack Egypt, all the slaves there was in Egypt, he was afraid to attack Pharaoh like that; here he is, the next day, eighty years old, beard hanging all the way to his waistline, his bald head shining, a crooked stick in his hand, his wife sitting on a mule with a young'n on her hip, going down, with his eyes set up, glorifying God.
"Where you going, Moses?"
42"Going down to Egypt, to take over." A one-man invasion! Why? He had been in the Presence of God. He seen what God could do with a stick. He didn't know what He could do with an army. He knowed what He could do with a stick.
43I don't know what He can do by a denomination. I know what He can do with one man that will surrender himself completely to Him. All He needs, one person, that's you. Then he is perseverant. Nothing is going to stop him.
44 Moses had come in the Presence of God, heard His voice in a--a miracle sign. He knowed He was a consuming Fire, and here He is in the Pillar of Fire back in a bush. All of his education, all of his theology, left him. And he knowed one thing: there was a God, and he had His orders. A crooked stick was good enough. He had been in the Presence of God.
45Don't make any difference how many trained man Egypt had. Any of these things didn't mean a thing to Moses. He had been in the Presence of God, and he was perseverant. He is going down to take over, against shields and trained man, by the tens of thousands, with a crooked stick in his hand. Stop him if you can. There is nothing can stop him. And he did it, he went down and took over because he was perseverant when he absolutely knowed that he had been in the Presence of God, and had heard the voice of God out of the Presence of God. Amen. Not only the voice was, but it was a Scriptural voice.
There is all kinds of voices. Check it with the Word.
46The voice said, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I made a promise that I would deliver those people. The time is at hand. I have heard their groaning, seen their taskmasters burdening them, and I remember My promise. And I've come down to deliver them, and I'm sending you to do it." That's good enough. He seen His Glory, and away he went.
47 David was very perseverant when he come over to the--the armies of Israel, which was standing in a bluff at that time, and across the little creek and over on the other side was the--the Philistine. There was Goliath, the great challenger, about twice the size and height of an ordinary man, fourteen-inch fingers; and a great spear, several feet long, that could stand there and just pick man on it, like that, and throw them off; punch them out, pick them up on the spear and throw them off, as they come up the hill.
48And when the enemy knows that he has got the upper hand on you, he likes to brag. So he said, "Let's not have so much blood shed." Said, "Saul, let some of your man come over here and fight me. And if I kill him, well, then, you serve us. But if he kills me, we'll serve you." See, when the enemy has got that upper hand!
49 And every soldier was just so shaky that he--he could hardly hold his armor up. And Saul, the most able of all of them, head and shoulders above his army, he wouldn't dare touch him, and yet supposed to be the anointed of the Lord.
50But there come from the wilderness, a little stoop-shouldered, ruddy-looking fellow, that had a slingshot in his hand. And that giant made his brag before the wrong man. And David said, "Do you mean to tell me that you will let that uncircumcised Philistine stand there and defy the armies of the living God? Do you mean to tell me that you'll do such a thing as that?"
51Now his brothers said, "Now you're naughty. You get back out there at the sheep, where you belong."
52And the news come to Saul. Saul said, "Bring the lad here, let me look at him."
53 And when he come up, a little stooped, ruddy-looking fellow standing there, probably hair hanging down in his eyes. And he said, "Well, you, you can't fight that man." Said, "You're nothing but a little fellow, a little--little ruddy man, and in your youth. And he has been a warrior since his youth." He said, "You can't fight him. I admire your courage, but the... it's too great."
54And what happened? He said, "Let me see if you could use my armor." So he put his armor on him, give him his shield.
55Well, poor little David couldn't stand up. He--he--he said he--he didn't know nothing about it. He found out that Saul's ecclesiastical vest didn't fit a man of God.
56So he said, "I'll send him away and give him a schooling, a Ph.D., LL.D., and so forth, and see what he can do about it."
57He said, "I don't know nothing about these things. Take them off of me. I--I don't know nothing about this."
58"But here is one thing I do know. I was herding my father's sheep, and a lion come in and got one of them. And I went after him, 'cause my father had give me charge to watch those sheep." Amen. And any good shepherd is a watcher of the sheep. And he said, "I don't have nothing but this slingshot in my hand, but I knocked him down; and when he rose up against me, I slew him. And a bear come in and got one. I run after him and took it out of his mouth; and when he rose up, I killed him." And said, "How much more will God of Israel, God of Heaven, deliver that uncircumcised Philistine into my hand!"
59 That little fellow was perseverant because he knowed what he was talking about. He knowed Who he had believed, and was fully persuaded He was able to keep that which he had committed to Him against the day. Now he had just a slingshot, that's all he had. He said, "I'll go fight the Philistine." Because, the reason he was so perseverant, he knowed if God, under the care of a sheep, had helped him deliver the sheep back to his father, how much more a man.
60Now think of that, all ministers. And we feel that way about you sheep, tonight. The devil has come and smote you with a disease. That's right. He has took you out from the good health. I--I don't have no Ph.D. I don't have no LL.D. I don't even have a grammar school education. But I know what I do have. I'm coming after you, tonight, to bring you back to the shady green pastures and the still waters. That's what we're here on the platform for, tonight, is to come get you, snatch you out of the hand of the lion out there, bring you back. Be patient, listen close and watch, try to find what we're trying to do, is try to help you.
61Now, David was very persistent, because that he knew Who he had believed, and he knowed he was able to commit; what he committed to Him, He was able to keep it.
62 We find out that, Samson, another great judge in Israel, and that some people picture Samson as having a--a shoulders about like a barn door; now it would be nothing strange about that, to see a man who could pick up the gates of Gaza and walk out with it, or take a lion and pull him apart. But, you know, Samson was just a little bitty... in the street expression, a little shrimp, little bitty, old curly-headed, sissified, mama's boy, seven curls. It was a strange thing. When, they thought that a man, a great big ten-foot man, could pick up a lion, sure, and kill him. But the strange thing was, this little fellow seemed to be helpless until the Spirit of the Lord come on him. It wasn't Samson. It was the Spirit of the Lord.
63 That's the reason that it wasn't the apostles. Jesus chose them all, practically every one of them without even enough education to sign their name. He didn't choose priests. He didn't choose theologians. He chose fishermen and herdsmen, the ignorant and unlearned, so that He could take that in His hand, and take nothing and make something out of it. That's His nature. So He doesn't take trained schools and trained scholars, He takes something that realizes it's nothing. He gets into it and makes something out of it.
64 We find that this Samson was a Nazarite, he had seven little curls that hung down his back. And when the Spirit of the Lord come upon him, he feared nothing. Why? He was persistent as long as he could feel that Nazarite vow with him. As long as he could reach back here and feel those locks, he knew that he was in the will of God and nothing could bind him. The city couldn't bind him. A lion couldn't kill him. He took the jawbone of a mule, and it dry, and beat down a thousand Philistines, with it.
65Do you know those helmets, those brass helmets, was over an inch thick? You know what would have happened when an old desert-dry bone would hit against that? Why, it would burst into a million pieces. But he stood there, single-handed, with this jawbone of a mule, and beating over their head, and killed a thousand Philistines. Why? He was persistent. Every time he hit, he felt that Nazarite vow move back upon him.
66 How much ought the church, tonight, that claims that you are born of the Spirit of God! Stand in the meeting and see the vindication of the resurrected Jesus Christ, and claim to be filled with the Holy Ghost, and could sit still and let Satan push you around like he does? It's a strange thing. As long as you can feel the Presence of the Holy Ghost, know that it's His Word and His promise for this day, you should be persistent to press in until it's over. Perseverant! Stay with it! God promised it. It's not you. It's God!
67 How about the little virgin Mary. Now to you women. Now she was just an ordinary girl that lived in a real mean city way worse than Topeka. And she lived there, but she lived a straight clean life, and she was engaged to a man by the name of Joseph. And one day she was on her road to the well, to get some water, and a great Light appeared before her. And an Angel stood there, which was Gabriel, and told her that she was going to--to bear a child, knowing no man. And at the same time, told about Elisabeth, her--her cousin that was old in age, Zacharias' wife, and she had conceived in her old day.
68And now Mary, you could imagine what a laugh it would be to the people, to think that this young girl, going with this boy, steady, and here she shows up to be mother. But it didn't make any difference to her. She had been in the Presence of God. She had heard the Voice of God. She didn't care the scorn of the people, or the laugh of the people, or what they said about it. She was persistent. Up through the hilly country she went!
69 And women then wasn't like they are now, get out here with shorts on; and a couple of days before deliverance, out on the street before man. That's a disgrace to humanity. That's right.
70She hid herself. And little Mary come up before she was to be mother, and went up in the hills of Judaea to see Elisabeth. And while Elisabeth had hid herself, no doubt, one morning, looking through the curtain, she saw this young lady come, running, and she recognized it to her--her cousin, Mary. And as women then, they loved to see one another, they meant so much to each other, she run out, perhaps, and throwed her arms around her and hugged her, and was greeting her.
And she said, "I understand that you are to be mother."
"Yes."
She said, "You know, I am to be mother, too."
"Oh, you and Joseph are already married?"
"No, we're not married."
71And she seen she was showing to be mother. She said, "You mean, dear, that you and Joseph are not married yet, and you are to be mother?"
"Yes."
"How will this be?"
72 "The Holy Ghost will overshadow, is to... has overshadowed me. The voice of God said so." And said, said, "I know that you're to be mother, too."
73She said, "Yes, but it's already six months with me, and I--I'm worried because the baby has not moved yet."
74Now, anyone knows that that's altogether out of ordinary; two or three months, and life is felt. But this had been six months, with no sign of life. Now that baby was dead, six months with no life. She said she was worried about it.
75She said, "But the Holy Ghost has come upon me," Mary said to Elisabeth, "the Holy Ghost has come upon me, and has overshadowed me; and said I would have a son, and He would be the Son of God, and I'd call His Name 'Jesus.'"
76And just as soon as that human Name of God, "Jesus," was spoke by a mortal lip, out of a human being, a dead baby come to life in the womb of a woman, and received the Holy Ghost. And if that will do that to a baby, dead in the mother's womb, what ought it to do to a born-again Church? The first time the Name of Jesus Christ was ever spoke by a mortal lip, a baby dead in its mother's wombs came to life and received the Holy Ghost. "Whence cometh the mother of my Lord?" said Elisabeth. "For as soon as your salutation came to my ears, my baby leaped in the womb for joy."
77And today we claim to have that Holy Ghost, and cowardly with It, afraid to move out. We've got to get persistent. If we got the real genuine Holy Spirit, we will be persistent.
78 Now going a long ways, get away, I get away from my text. And here it is almost time to start the prayer line now, and I haven't even got to my text. This is too short.
79This woman that we are talking of, this Syrophenician woman, she was a Greek, and she had heard about Jesus. Now, "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing the Word of God." And she had heard.
80And, somehow, faith finds a source that others don't see. A--a doctor might say, "Child, I've done all I can do for you." He is at the end of his road. That's all the man can do. He sees the thing is advanced and there is nothing he can do about it. But, you see, faith finds a source that he don't know nothing about. Science won't prove it, because faith...
81 The whole armor of God is supernatural. What is the armor of God? Love, what is love? Scientificially prove me there is such a thing as love. Where is it at? You, how many loves, raise up your hand; love your wife, love your brother, love your friends? Well, I want somebody, some science, to prove to me what part of you is love. Where do you buy it at, what drugstore? I want a bunch of it, love. Joy, you got joy? Peace, long-suffering, gentleness, patience, what is it? It's all supernatural.
82God is supernatural. You don't scientifically prove God. You believe God. You believe it. If you don't believe it, then, a man that says "everything that's not scientifically, is unorthodox, it's not right," then that man can never be a Christian. He has to believe. By faith we believe God; not by education, not by theology. "But by faith you are saved."
83 Notice, faith finds a source that others don't see. His Word is a sword, Hebrews 4:12 said that, "The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, even discerns the thoughts, its intents that's in the heart." That's the Word of God. And the only thing that can hold that sword is the hand of faith.
84Nothing else can do it, nothing else. You have to see something otherwise, scientific. You, scientifically, educationally, you cannot hold that sword. You can't do it by education; it's too twisted, too complicated; you make it, it'd make it, it'll try to deny Itself and everything. You cannot do it. Jesus said, "It's hid from you," so forget about it. You cannot know it. It's hid. And when God hides anything, it's really hid.
85That's the reason that you are so hid, if you're a Christian. "For you are dead, and your life is hid in God, through Jesus Christ, and sealed by the Holy Ghost." How is the devil going to find you? He can't do it. You're hid. God hides you. Amen. What a hiding place, in the bosom of Jesus Christ!
86 Now, faith holds it, it wields it. Now you may not be strong enough, that arm of faith, to cut a hole all the way through it, and walk through like some can. But just keep punching, it'll come. Just hold to it.
87She had many hindrances, this little Greek woman, but her faith didn't have any. Faith don't have any hindrance at all. There is nothing can hinder faith. Don't care what anybody else says, nothing hinders faith. Let's see some of the "might's" that could have happened to her. She might...
88 Somebody, they might have said to her, "You are a Greek. Your denomination isn't sponsoring His meeting." But she was persistent, anyhow. She was going, anyhow, 'cause she had heard. "And faith cometh by hearing." Not by cooperation; but by hearing.
89Notice, they might have said this, that, "You're a Greek. You're not in their class of people. You, there--there is... They're a different skin from you. They're a different race." Still, that didn't bother her. That didn't bother her.
90 And some of them might have come and said, "Now that's nonsense. The days of miracles is passed. There is no such a thing as that healing that you hear about. He is just another fanatic that's raised up." Sure, they have all kinds of bogus dollars, but there is a real one, somewhere, it's made off of. That's right. Now said, "The days of miracles is passed, there is no such a thing. That's just a bunch of fanatics down there, just a little handful of them that's... We've had it all along."
91But, still, something had struck that woman; she was still persistent. The days of miracles might have been passed for that one was talking to her; but not to her. It might be a passed for some of your associates, but not for you, if you've got faith.
92 There might have been another group, maybe some women stood on the corner, saying, "Martha." I hope there is no Martha's here. "Martha, you know what? Your husband will leave you, as sure as you go down to that meeting. Now, I know your daughter has got epilepsy, but I tell you, it's going... If your husband ever catches you going down there! He belongs to the great clubs and societies of the city; if you go down there, he will leave you." That didn't mean nothing to her. She was going, anyhow. Faith had done took a hold. Faith knows no hindrance.
93Well, then, there might have been another group down on the corner, that said, "You know what? You'll be the laughingstock of the church, because you're going down there just for nothing. And the people is going to know you're going. And as soon as you're identified with them, then you'll be the laughingstock of the people. Everybody will laugh at you." That didn't mean one thing to her, not at all. She was persistent.
94 Some group might have said, "They'll put you out of your church; they'll give you your membership card." Still, she was persistent. That didn't hinder her a bit. Why? She had already got a hold of faith.
95I wish I had time to stop here for four hours and just tell you of the--of the experiences on that similar thing, that women and man and children, who were dying; and, by doctors statements, they are living, tonight, by the grace of God. Because, something got a hold of them, faith! That's the idea. All right.
96She had broke through all these gates, all the critics, all the laugh-at's, all the "your husband will put you away; your fellowship card is gone from the church, you'll have to find something else; you'll be a castaway; you'll be called a holy-roller." That didn't mean a thing to her, because she had already seen God. She had heard, and faith cometh by hearing. And she knew that others had been healed, why couldn't her daughter be healed? There you are, she comes through.
97 Finally she arrives at the feet of Jesus, and notice what a shock! Many people think just because that they can get there, that's all there is to it; but you've just started now. When she got to Jesus, what a disappointment to her; or it would have been, maybe, to us in this day. Jesus said He wasn't even sent to her race.
98If that had been some of you Pentecostals of today, why, you would have stuck your nose up in the air and walked away, and say, "Is that what it is? If they don't like me at the Assemblies, I'll join the Oneness. If they don't like me there, I'll go to the church of God. I--I don't have to put up with no such a stuff as that." Ah, that's the reason the miracles is gone from the church. That's the reason the faith is gone from the church. See?
99 Even Jesus, the very God! Listen to it. The very God that she was going to worship, and--and change her thoughts, and come to--to believe on Him; when she arrived at Him, she got a cold shoulder.
100You remember me speaking last night about the hybrid flowers and things? Christianity today is a reproduction. It's not the original. If you had the original baptism like they had it back there, that pentecostal church would be a... there would nothing can stop it. It would be like a house on fire in a dry weather, and a hot wind blowing. There would be nothing could stop it; it's on fire! But what's today? No, it's a different group today. My opinion: it's a reproduction.
Notice, He give her a cold shoulder.
101Today we have to pat them, "I'll promise you; if you'll just come over, I'll put your card on my book over here, your letter, and I--I--I'll see what I can do. We'll get with the deacon board, see if we can't get you on the deacon board or--or something." That's the way they have to do them today. See what a bunch we got?
102 But even when she got there, He said, "I'm not even sent to your race. And, besides that, they are nothing but a bunch of dogs."
103Oh, my, what would we have done? What would you have done? Ask yourself that, and be honest. Somebody snubbed, why, if you don't even get prayed for, the first night, you claim you ain't coming back no more. Then you got faith? Sure. Now, remember, this tape goes all over the world. I'm not just pointing my finger here; I'm pointing everywhere. See? Yeah, you, you won't come back. No. You can't even sit and listen to the meeting through. You see? "Yeah, I got faith"? Yeah.
104 But she was called a dog. That's the lowest can be gotten, or was to them in that day, an unclean animal. Course, today it's an idol; but there a woman will take a little old dog and give it a mother's care, and practice birth control, 'cause she wants to get out to dances and parties, and carry on like that, and she ain't got time for her child. She know you can root the dog off in a little cage somewhere, take it with her. That's exactly right, see. Practice birth control, and then go to church and sing in the choir; wear shorts, slacks, everything else, and call herself a Christian; bob off her hair and still say she is in fellowship with God, when the Bible said she is not. That's exactly right. I don't care... Listen.
You say, "That little thing, what are you saying that about?"
105 In the beginning, one word caused all sickness and death. The same God, at the last of the Book, said, "Whosoever shall take one Word out of It, or add one word to It." So no matter what you do, how saintly you claim to be, how much you jump up-and-down and cry, speak in tongues, run over the floor, or whatever you want to do, or give to the poor, or whatever you are; that isn't it. You've broke that Word; and, that one Word broke, you can't go back in! Exactly right, not one Word. You take a creed instead of the Word, because it suits you better.
106That's the reason people can join church, and go to this, that, or the other, and sit around there, it's nothing but a lodge. It isn't a church. You are born into the Church; you join a lodge. But you are born in a Church, the Church, not a church; the Church. There is only one Church. And you...
107I've been in the Branham family for fifty-five years, and they never did ask me to join the family. I was born there. That's right.
Yeah, turned down, called a "dog," but still she held on.
108 See, she had faith. She was disappointed with all of her friends, disappointed with her people, all kinds of things trying to hinder her. But everything is throwed that way. That shows Satan trying to--to push back genuine faith, but he can't do it. Care what anybody says; it's still there. She is persistent. She keeps moving on.
109She got to Jesus, and Jesus said, "I am not sent to your race. I'm not sent to your church. They're not cooperating. You're nothing but a bunch of dogs, anyhow." Still she moved on! Says, "Me, I come to--to heal these, Mine, not to come to heal you. Not meat for Me to take the children's bread and hand it out to you bunch of dogs."
She said, "That's the truth, Lord." Amen.
110Faith will always admit the Word is true. Amen. Now if you want to hold onto a creed, go ahead; but the faith, real genuine faith, admits the Word is the Truth.
111 She said, "Truth, Lord, but the dogs can eat the crumbs that's under the children's table." That got it. That got it. She was not a--a hothouse plant. She was not a--a hybrid bunch, so-called believers, that we have the crop of today. She had genuine faith. She admitted He was right. But she wasn't after even all the bread that the children could eat; she was just searching for crumbs.
112We either get the best or we don't have any at all. We'll walk away from It, and then say, "We got faith. They don't treat me right, I'll walk out." That's no faith. That's not faith.
113Faith is there. What I'm trying to say to you, friends, we're going to have a prayer line here one of these nights. And I want to see not one stretcher, one wheel chair, one crutch, or nothing but what's laying here on the floor, and them walking on out. See? Unless you come with the right kind of approach, you're not going to get anything. That's right, you're just walking right through and somebody slapping a hand on you, and going on out. That, that's no good. You've got to know what you're come... "He that cometh to God must believe."
114 Watch, remember, she had never seen a miracle. She was a Greek. She know... She was a Gentile. She had never seen a miracle, yet she had faith that there was such a thing. And year after year, and day after day, we see miracles, and just can't hold on an hour or two.
115She was like Rahab the harlot. Rahab didn't want... That Gentile woman, she didn't want to see how Joshua wore his clothes, or see Joshua. She said, "I have heard and I believe." That's all. She heard and she had believed.
116Jesus said, "For this saying!" She had the right approach to the gift of God. Remember, she was the first Gentile that a miracle was ever performed on, because of her faith. Faith admits the Word is right, humbles itself, same as it does today.
117 Martha in the Presence of God. Martha, the sister of Lazarus, she was humble in the Presence of Jesus. And she was perseverant when she got there. He said... She said, "Lord, if You'd have been here, my brother would not died; but even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to you."
118He said, "I am the resurrection, and Life; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
119Remember, she had a right to upbraid Him. She had sent for Him, twice, when he was sick; let him die. But, you see, she had faith. She knowed.
120And if that Shunammite woman, in her age, when her baby died, that she believed God was in that prophet, Elijah, and she held right onto Elijah. She said, "As the Lord God liveth, and your soul liveth and never die, I'm not going to leave you." She was perseverant. And Elijah didn't know what to do. He just went in the room, walked back and forth, until the Spirit of God, the Presence of God, come. He laid hisself upon the baby, it sneezed seven times and come to life. Because, somebody was persevering, somebody had a hold of faith, to get to the man of God.
121 And she knew, if God was in Elijah, how much more was He in His Own Son. She knew. Faith come by hearing. And in the Presence of Jesus, she was perseverant.
122Jesus, looked like, tried to turn her back, and say, "He'll rise," and all this, and so forth. But she was perseverant. She pushed through every critic a saying, "Now where is that Divine healing program you was talking about? Where is that all at? Your brother is dead and buried out there now. And the Pastor slipped out of town till he died, and then come back." But that didn't stand in her way. She pushed right through every critic till she got to Him. She got what she asked for.
123 Now here sometime ago, I just remembered, at the tabernacle... I see some of the brethren sitting here from the tabernacle, tonight. There was a lady... I had come into the church. And we have, about every night, about what we got in here is our meeting. And so then we was... I--I wasn't praying for the sick that night. And there had been a woman come from California, had a tumor, the tumor itself weighed fifty pounds. And so they had had her in the back. And so they told we wasn't praying for the sick that night; it was just coming down to speak, 'cause I just come from meeting.
124And when I went out the back door, two of the deacons had drawed her around the house, in a chair, and sat her at the door, and right on the ground. And when I come out, she caught me by the trouser leg when I went out. She said, "Brother Branham, the only thing I ask you, is lay your hands on me." She said, "My tumor will go." And she was just about like this.
125About six weeks from then, she was in a meeting, and took the sisters to go in and examine her. Without any operation, there wasn't a speck of the tumor nowhere. No matter if it wasn't the night to pray for the sick, she was perseverant. She got what she asked for. Faith had found its place, and had a hold.
126 Micaiah. And I'm closing in a moment. Micaiah, in the presence of four hundred well-trained priests, prophets of Hebrews with all. He said, "Come down, Micaiah, you've been put out of the ministerial association down here; but if you'll speak the same thing that they do now, and say for Ahab to go on up, with Ahab and Jehoshaphat to go on up; and we realize that, that they'll put you back in the fellowship."
127He said, "As the Lord lives, I'll only say what He says to me." God, give us some more Micaiah's! See?
128So, he waited. That night the vision came. He examined his vision with the Word. Cause, the Word of God had said that, Ahab, that dogs would lick his blood, like they did Naboth. So we find out that his vision was exactly with the Word.
129So he was perseverant when he walked out the next morning. Said, "Go on up, but I seen Israel like sheep scattered on a hill, having no shepherd."
130 And this high priest, or over the prophets, walked over, smacked him in the mouth, and said, "Where did the Spirit of God go when It went out from me?" Still Micaiah didn't care what they said. He stood there. He said, "Put this fellow in a court," said Ahab, "and put him in the inner courts, and feed him the bread and water of sorrow. I'll deal with him when he... when I come back," in other words, behead him, or something.
131He said, "If you return at all, the Lord hasn't spoke to me." Oh, he knowed where he was standing. Make any difference what the rest of them thought; he knowed he had been in the Presence of God. He had heard the voice of God. It was exactly with the Word of God.
132So ought we, tonight, to see this hour that we're living in, and see the promise of this day, that the Word of God promised it. No matter what anybody else says; the Word said so, and Jesus comes to make Hisself known. Perseverant!
133 The blind man that Jesus hid... or healed; could not, he could not explain or argue their theology. But one thing he knowed, he was perseverant.
134His father and mother couldn't say. They said, "Well, we're afraid they'll put us out of the synagogue." And they said, "Ask him, he is of age."
He said, "Who healed you?"
He said, "One, Jesus of Nazareth."
135He said, "Give God praise!" Said, "We know this Man is a sinner."
136He said, "Now, whether He is a sinner, or not, I don't know. I can't say that. But," said, "one thing I do know, wherein I was once blind, I now see."
They said, "We not know whence come this Man."
137He says, "It's a strange thing. You're supposed to be the leaders of this day, knowing all the spiritual things; and here a Man comes and opened my eyes, when I was born blind, and yet you don't know where He come from?" Oh, he was perseverant, nothing going to bother him. He had been talking to God.
138 Nathanael didn't care, to call Him, "Lord, King of Israel," before his pastor and all the rest of them, when He told him where he was at the--the day before. Nathan didn't care.
139The woman at the well didn't care how many people told her it wasn't legal for her to say anything 'cause she was a prostitute. She had met a Man that she had looked for, since she was a--a little girl, knowing that Jesus was to come on the scene, a Prophet. And she had found that Prophet Who she seen tell her the things she had done. Stop her? As I say again, like a house on fire in a high wind. You couldn't do it. Her heart was flaming with joy and peace. She had been forgiven of her sins. She had seen the Messiah. She had seen His Presence. She had seen His Word.
140"We know when the Messiah cometh, He'll tell us these things. But who are You? You must be His prophet."
He said, "I am He."
141And if the Man could do a thing like that, wouldn't lie, she knew that was the Messiah, so the good news had to be spread.
142 How ought we to be on the same fire tonight, persistent to let everybody know that the Holy Ghost is real today, that It falls upon us and does the same thing that He did, and the promises of this hour. We're not persistent. I wonder if it's really struck us? See, notice the woman at the well.
143One thing, I've got to close. I got about a half a page of notes there, but I want to close in saying this. This brings a story to me. Then we're going to pray for the sick. Going to be just a little bit late, but maybe ten, fifteen minutes, but bear with me just a little bit longer.
144 I was in Mexico City about three years ago. How many knows Brother Espinoza, you Spanish people here? Well, I guess many of you. He was my interpreter. We was down there in Mexico City. I was, far as they know, the only Protestant ever come in there, sponsored by the government. But General Valdivia, you remember him, his is one of the Christian Business Men, had received, been saved and filled with the Holy Ghost, and he had got through the government and got me in.
145And so we got another big ring out there. It seated several thousand people; didn't seat nothing, they had to stand up. And you--you think about having to stand here for two or three hours in this room, them people stood in that hot blazing desert sun, there from nine o'clock at morning, till nine that night, day after day. And, one night, pouring down rain, they stood there; and them young Mexican women, the hair hanging down their face, and it raining so hard I couldn't see halfway across the audience. Didn't make any difference to them; they was holding onto that Word of Life.
146 Remember one night there, coming in. I was only there three nights. Platform about as long as this, or maybe a little longer. There had been an old blind man come across the platform, and they had brought him up.
147The fellow that come and got me, I called him Mañana, that means "tomorrow." He was so slow! He never would get there, and, well, he'd look around, and get over there any time. And me praying, and he... And I just called him "Mañana."
148So they had taken me up the back of this big wall, on a ladder, and then let me down on a platform. Brother Jack Moore, how many knows him? Sure, I guess you do; and Brother John Sharrit and many of them here. They were there on the platform. That night, coming across the platform...
149 Mañana give out the tickets, the--the prayer cards, but Billy walked right along by his side to see that everything went right. He could talk to them and give them prayer cards, but Billy went to find out whether it was really right or not, whether he would sell any of them, or what he would do, or give respect of person; let everybody that wanted a prayer card have one.
150So then that night when the prayer cards was called, there was an old man come across the platform, barefooted, and his trouser legs all tore off, an old hat in his hand, wrapped up with cord. And when he got close to me, he was blind, and I looked at the old fellow. And I was standing there, as good of clothes I got on tonight, somebody had give me a nice new suit, had on good shoes. And that poor old fellow there, an old ragged shirt, and dust all over him. There he was, totally blind, his eyes pretty near as white with cataract as my shirt. And, and I thought, "What a cruel thing Satan had done!" The poor old fellow probably never had a decent meal, in his life.
151 The economics are so poorly balanced down there. And they, just think now, say, Pedro, Peter, he--he's a--he's a brick mason, he gets thirty pesos a day, but they have to work four days to get himself a pair of shoes. See? And then what about little Pancho, or Chico, the little one works out here and only makes about four pesos a day, with four or five kids to feed? He would get down and get some old ameba bean tortillas for his, and tonight Martina can have one and--and little Chico can have one, but somebody has to do with one... without one. They have to save so much, to buy a grease candle to be burnt on a gold altar, for their sins. That's what burns me up. So there you were.
152 Now, this old fellow stood there, and he was saying something in Spanish. And he had a lot of little beads wrapped around his fingers, and I told him, "Take them off," and through Brother Espinoza.
153And I thought, I thought, "I'll put my shoulders up. I can just lay my coat down, and tell him. And his shoulders is much wider than mine." I put my feet out aside of his, thought, "I could slip right out of my shoes, and nobody would see it, and give him my shoes," but his feet was much larger. And I thought, "Well, what could I do?" I thought, "O God!"
154If you don't feel for people there is no need trying to serve them. You've got to feel it. That's the reason He felt our infirmities.
155 I just put my arm around him, like this, and I said, "Heavenly Father, if my daddy would have lived, he would have been about this old. It's somebody's daddy." And I was just standing there like that, and I heard him hollering, "Gloria a Dios!" That's "Glory to God," you know. Looked around there, and the old man could see as good as I could, just walking up-and-down the platform, just a going on. Well, and, course, they had to get the ushers, about three or four hundred ushers standing there, to keep them down. Then they had to take me back up the rope.
156The next night, come in there, there was just a piles that high, a rick, all up-and-down there, of old shawls and hats and things, they had laid up there to be prayed over. How they ever knowed what belonged to who, I don't know, all piled up there, laying there. And it was raining. I was late. And I got in there, and I just started preaching, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," and Brother Espinoza there interpreting.
157 And Billy come over and tapped me on the shoulder, said, "Daddy, you're going to have to do something." Said, "Mañana has done give out all the prayer cards." And said, "There is a little woman standing over there, a little lady," said, "she has got a dead baby, and it died this morning."
158You seen the article in the Full Gospel Business Men. And, remember, that has to be bona fide before it's printed. Doctor has to sign this statement, that it's true, when you put it in print.
159And said, [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] "And it died this morning. She had been standing in that rain with it all day, and she didn't know Espinoza was... or, I mean, Mañana was giving out them prayer cards." And said, "He hasn't got a prayer card." And said, "I've got forty or fifty ushers can't hold her off that platform." Said, "She'll go right under them, upset them, climb over their backs, or anything. She is trying to get up here."
160 And I said, "Well, I'll tell you." I said, "Come here, Brother Moore." You know, all of you, many of you raised your hands, you know Brother Jack Moore. I said, "Brother Moore, she don't know who I am. She don't know. There has been many ministers standing here, speaking, a lot of the Baptists and everything, sponsoring the meeting." And I said, "Now, you, you go over there and pray for the baby, and she won't know the difference, see."
He said, "All right, Brother Branham."
161He started walking off the platform, about as far as the wall over there, and I turned around. The people didn't know, 'cause they didn't understand English. And I said, "Now as I was saying, faith is the sub-..." And looked here in front of me, and I seen a little, Mexican, dark-faced baby with no teeth, just sitting there grinning at me, right here in front of me.
162 I said, "Wait a minute, Brother Moore." I said, "Tell the little lady to come here."
And Billy said, "Daddy, she ain't got a prayer card."
I said, "I just saw a vision, Billy."
163And so they went down there and got the little lady. Here she come, running up there, and fell on her knees, begin to holler "padre," which means "father," you know; I asked her to stand up, Brother Espinoza. Hold the baby; and she had a little, blue and white striped blanket over it, just soaking wet, and the water dripping off, and her hair hang down. Lovely-looking little woman, probably her first baby, she was in her... twenty-two or twenty-five years old, holding the little thing like that; little, stiff form about that long, under this blanket. I thought.
164 They all thought I was just praying, to get rid of it, you know, get her off of their hands there.
165And I put my hands over on the little baby, and I said, "Heavenly Father, I don't know that--that this is the baby; but I saw a vision there, a few moments ago, of a little Mexican, looked like a little, dark-faced baby a smiling." And I said... They don't interpret the prayer, you know. And I said, "I saw it smiling." I just laid my hands upon it, this way, in the Name of Jesus Christ, to pray, and the little baby let out a kick and started crying as hard as it... And so it started screaming.
166And I said, "Brother Espinoza, don't you put that down now. You send a runner, with that baby and that woman, and take it to the doctor." And that night, they called the doctor out, the doctor signed a statement that the baby died with pneumonia, that morning in his hospital, or in his office, at nine o'clock; and here it was around ten o'clock that night, been dead since that morning, and come to life; and is living today for the glory of God.
167Because why? She was just as persistent as this little Syrophenician woman was here, we're talking about tonight. It goes to show that God is still the same yesterday, today, and forever. The thing of it was, (what was it?) she had heard about that old blind man.
168 She was Catholic, by faith. All of them are Catholic, so when you're born in Mexico you're just automatically a Catholic.
169So then them people there had seen this old blind man on the street, speaking of his testimony. She, they had heard about it. This woman had never seen a miracle. But she knowed if God could give a blind man his sight, He could raise her baby back to life, because it was the same Jesus Christ. She would sometimes make Pentecostals feel little. And that's right, with such faith, because she was persistent that it had to be God that could restore sight. "And if it was God could keep His Word and restore sight, He could raise the dead." And He done it because she was persistent. I'd be there one more night, and she might... That was the night for her.
170Won't we, tonight, friends, won't we be perseverant. Can't we press through the mystic dark shingles here and accept Jesus Christ as our--as our healer? Can't you do it?
Let us pray.
171 Lord Jesus, O God, I--I don't know what more to say. I pray, God, shall I call just a little prayer line, Father? And maybe You will show the people that, do something just like You did before Your--Your death and burial; that this day and time, maybe there would be strangers here, that we might see that You're still the same yesterday, today, and forever, keeping Your Word. And maybe there will be someone with faith enough to break through that barrier yonder, that sound barrier, that sin barrier, that unbelieving barrier yonder, break through that, to where all things are possible. Grant it, Lord. We're told that when that plane passes that sound barrier, it's unlimited in speed and power. God, if we could just break through that power of unbelief, miracles and things, and promises of God, are unlimited, "for all things are possible to him that believeth." Grant it, Father. We ask it in the Name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
172 If I'm just a little bit late, is it all right to go ahead and just let us have, call a little prayer line? I know the people get restless, but let's just call a little prayer line. Let's see, Monday night we had A's, was that right, when we give out prayer card? Or, no, I mean Wednesday night. I think about Mon-... Wednesday night was the first night, was A's, and last night would be B's, and tonight would be C's. We called from one to twenty-five, in A's. I think that was right, wasn't it, one to twenty-five, in A? Is that right, one to twenty-five, in A? One to fifteen, in A.
173Well, let's call in B's, yesterday's prayer cards, then. Let's call B, seventy-five to a hundred. Prayer card B. We'll catch your C and all them. We're B, twenty-five... No. B, seventy-five, I believe I said, wasn't it? B, seventy-five to a hundred. All right. Let them stand up on this side now. B, seventy-five to a hundred, stand up over on this side. Come right over on this side and line up here, some of you brethren go down. Billy, Roy, some of you go down there and see the people get in the prayer line. All right.
174 I want your undivided attention just a moment. Now be real reverent. Now look, some people go and they say, "A preacher wears the wrong kind of tie. He's got on a wrong suit. His manners isn't right. He doesn't stand straight enough." Well, see, you still don't have no faith. See?
175If a man come in that door back there and told you that they had a... that they, he had a money order or a bank draft for you, for a million dollars, you wouldn't care whether he was educated or uneducated, you wouldn't care whether he had on overalls or whether he had on a tuxedo, you wouldn't care whether he was black, yellow, brown, white.
176It's not the messenger; it's the Message you want to listen to. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." How many is aware of that? Now if you'll just--just...
177 If the--if the engineer there, I think, Mr. Ruby, or I think was his name, that I met the other night, if he just will... He has given us the lights, and so forth, here, if he'll just bear a few minutes for the sake of the Gospel.
178Now everyone be real reverent, but be real perseverant. Push right in beyond the veil.
179Now when Jesus Christ heals the sick. Now, I don't say they'll be healed; I can't tell you that. Remember, I have no power to heal. I don't have power, you don't have any power, none of us does. We have authority. How many understands that?
180 Look here, let me ask you something. Out on the street here, on this busy highway that comes in from the super highway, were right out on the--on the main turnpike, I see the speed limit is eighty miles an hour. There is cars come down there, anywhere from two hundred horsepower, up to--to--to three or four hundred horsepower.
181And number seventy-six, please come. They need number seventy-six. B, seventy-six, might be somebody deaf. Look around. Oh, I'm sorry. All right. B, seven-... Is that right, my brother? B, seventy-six. All right.
182 Now notice, for instance, here comes a little policeman out there on the highway, he is so little till his cap holds his ears down, and he won't weigh over about a hundred pounds. Now how much power has he got to stop one of them cars? And there some of them just three or four abreast, just as hard as they can pour down that highway, at three hundred horsepower in each one. He couldn't even stop one horsepower. And here these cars are. But let that big badge shine, and let him raise up that hand! He might not have power, but he's got authority. Listen at the brakes squeak, and run sideways, and everybody stop. Why? Because he has got authority.
183I don't have any power. You don't have any power. But we got the authority, amen, the badge of faith hanging on the Word, "I believe It. It's the Truth." That's what stops. Then you can be persistent.
184Little policeman stand out there and blow that little whistle and hold his hand up, I'll tell you, everything is going to stop. It's his authority. It's his authority, to believe.
185 Now you believe, each one of you. Now you standing in there, now don't be discouraged, just--just sit there and press through, say, "Lord, this man knows nothing about me. I am sure of that. If he can speak, to tell me, I'll--I'll believe with all my heart." Now what would we know now?
186Who is the Healer? Jesus Christ. Is that right? Well, then, if He is here present, well, the only thing we have to do is just ask Him. "And He is the High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities." Is that right? All right. Then, "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Today He is the High Priest. How, how did He act when a woman touched His garment two thousand years ago? He turned around and told her what her trouble was, and said her faith had healed her. Is that right? Well, He is the same today, would have to act the same, 'cause He is the same.
Now is your prayer line ready?
187 Now here is a woman coming up here. As far as I know, I--I have never seen her. She is a total stranger to me, as far as I know. We're strangers to one another. [The sister says, "I was in your meeting in 1947, 1950 through '53."--Ed.] She said she had been in my meetings in '47 and in '53." But... [" '51 through '53."] '51 through '53. But to know you, I don't. ["No."] No.
188See, just like if--if I met you a week or two weeks from now, I probably wouldn't never know you. There's a lot of people been in the meetings, tens of thousands since then, you see, and I wouldn't know. But as far as what I mean, do I, "do you know me," you know me because you've been in the meeting. But me to know you, or know what your trouble is, or what you've done between now and then, or before then, or what you're intending to do, of course, I wouldn't. No.
189 But now so that we won't bear long with each person, to try to... The other night, I--I stopped before. I didn't see; I--I--I didn't think there was any more left. I left two or three standing in the line. I shouldn't have done that. I just didn't do it. I don't know why. I just... Well, everybody, it looked like it was the climax of time. You don't want to baby people. You want them to be rugged enough to reach up there and take a hold of what you're saying, see, and then they're healed. If you don't, why, they're--they're not healed.
190 Now this lady here, our first time meeting. Now if He is "the same yesterday, today, and forever," now if He was standing here with this suit that He gave me, through some good person give me this suit, now if He was standing here with this suit on, could He heal you? No. No. He has already done it, you see, "He was wounded for our transgressions." He couldn't heal you. How many knows that to be the Truth? It's already done.
191Any sinner here, He couldn't save you; He has already done it. You have to accept it.
192Now if He was standing here with this suit on, that He gave me, He could... The only thing that He could do, would say... If you would say, "I am sick. I am needy. Or, I have a loved one that's sick," or whatever, "I am financially in trouble. I--I have domestic trouble," or whatever it is. He couldn't, He couldn't give it to you. He would just tell you that He had already purchased it. Now how many understands that? That's true, see, see, 'cause it's already done. See? He can't do...
193 If you've been redeemed from anything, the--the pawn-broker cannot hold you any longer, if you're redeemed. If you've got the receipt, that it's redeemed, that settles it. He can't hold it no more.
194We've got the Receipt, see; now if you've got the faith to cash it in! See? But now if He was standing here, and me basing all my campaign upon, "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever," He would know what your trouble was. And that would surely... Me not knowing it, it would certainly identify it would have to be Him. It would have to be some power, some power. It depends on what you think the power will be. Cause, you know that I don't know you, humanly speaking. And it would have to be some power. And if you believe that to be Him... And if you didn't believe it to be Him, course, you shouldn't be standing here. And, but, if you do believe it to be Him, then if He could tell you what you've done, or what you're here for, or--or something, that would increase your faith, wouldn't it?
195 Would it increase yours out there? When, here is my hand; as far as I know, I've never seen the woman in my life, only just some in the audience, or--or maybe she was in the prayer line, or something like that, years and years ago. Any recollection of her; no. But may the Lord help me now. As a gift...
196See, like these ministers here. You already know, if you've heard me preach, I--I'm not a preacher. I have no education. I couldn't call myself a preacher, but there is man here that's more able to do that than I am.
197But my gift comes from God, 'cause I love Him. And--and this I believe, "gifts and callings are without repentance." They're predestinated of God. They're each generation. And my part in this was to that Word, for It to live again, become the Word to discern and know. That's prophetic, which is promised according to Malachi 4, to be in this day, makes us perfectly in the last day.
198 Now if the Lord Jesus tells me where your trouble is, will you believe me to be His prophet, or His servant? May He grant it. You are suffering with a--a skin condition. There is something wrong with your skin. That's right. [The sister says, "Yes."--Ed.] Now if that's right, raise up your hand. See? So...
199Now I keep feeling that coming from out there, somebody said, "He guessed that." Now wait just a minute. I did not guess that, lady. Some, see, they... You can't hide a thought now, see, 'cause He is here now. And I take every spirit in here under my control, in the Name of Jesus Christ, see, for the glory of God. I didn't guess that.
200That's a nerve condition. You have a nerve condition that you're... that's bothering you. You're praying for a loved one. [The sister says, "Yes."--Ed.] That's a woman. ["Yes."] That is your daughter-in-law. ["Yes."] And she is suffering with epilepsy. ["Yes."] That's right.
Now I didn't guess that. All right.
201Just believe it! [The sister says, "Is she delivered?"--Ed.] You believe it with all your heart; and as you have believed, so will it be to you. I believe it. ["She is delivered?"] I--I will believe it. If you'll believe it, it will be.
202See, I can't deliver it on my faith, it's got to be delivered on her faith. See? See? Understand.
203 How do you do? I've just lost my mother, about two years ago. And when I see you coming up like that, it brings memory. Wouldn't I be an awful person standing here, representing Jesus Christ, and be a deceiver? That would be horrible for me to do a--a thing like that. But I--I am not a deceiver. I am His servant. And if God will let me, by His grace, know something about you, well, you'll believe that it comes from God? [The sister says, "Yes."--Ed.]
204Now that the people will understand. Look here, see. That one discernment was more than if I had preached till midnight. Jesus said, "I perceive that virtue has gone." If that was that for the Son of God, how much more for me a sinner? See? Daniel saw one vision, was troubled at his head for many days. How many knows that? Sure. See? You don't realize the grace that God grants us.
205 Now, the lady suffers with a stomach condition. It's in your stomach. I see you backing from the table. And it's caused from a--a nervous condition that causes the stomach to be that, which makes the food not be able to digest. It's a peptic ulcer, really what it is, in the stomach. And you believe that God will heal that for you? [The sister says, "I do."--Ed.] You accept it as being healed? You believe that God will take it away from you. God bless you. Go, and may the Lord God grant it to you.
Real reverent.
206How do you do? We are strangers to each other, I suppose. Our really first time meeting, is it? [The sister says, "I been in the meetings."--Ed.] You've been in the meetings. But me knowing you, I do not.
207 [Brother Branham pauses, and then turns toward the audience--Ed.] You was asking for yourself. If you'll believe, that arthritis will leave you. Yes. She was sitting there, bowing her head, praying. It'll leave, if you'll believe it. Your husband, do you believe that God can reveal to me what his trouble is? Do you believe that God can tell me? You was so happy to know that she was going to be well of that. You have a prostate trouble that bothers you. Raise up your hand.
208I never seen them, in my life. Tell me what they touched. Now just ask that question. What did they touch? They never touched me; they're thirty feet from me. But they touched that High Priest.
209If I am a stranger to you people, wave your hand like this. You--you--you two people sitting here, if I... Just wave your hand like this, if I'm a stranger to you. See? See? You were just sitting there. And the lady was praying, you see; and He, standing here, turns just like He did in the Bible. Not--not me turning; Him turning me.
210 Look, I don't know those things. It's just like this microphone, it's a perfect mute without something speaking through it. But you can hear me through this microphone, (is that right?) but the microphone can't speak, itself. It has no voice. I don't know those people. Can't you realize it's in the Presence of God, that's using that, to show you His Presence? Press right through!
211Now we being strangers to each other, you are younger than I. We was probably born years apart and miles apart, and here we meet for the first time. Now when It went there, I can only go; It's a Light, I watch It, you see. The Holy Spirit is a Light, we know that. But if the Lord Jesus will help me to know what your trouble is, will you believe me to be His servant, and know that it's not me, that it's Him?
212I am just His servant, like that microphone. Now, this, this desk here is a part of the furniture of the house, but it wasn't made to speak; it holds my Bible. The microphone won't hold my Bible; it carries my voice. Well, there is different gifts in the church; some it's His voice, some is a vision, some is other things they do. But I am just by vision, as His servant.
213 Now if God will let me know what's your trouble, what's you're here for, you will believe me, and believe that it is the Word of God. You are suffering with an infection. The infection is in the skin. [The sister says, "That's right."--Ed.]
214See that? She knows whether it's the truth or not. See? Now, the more you would talk to her, the more would be said. She is a very fine person.
215By the way, look here just a minute; then the rest of them, if you have to bring them a little faster. Let's just talk a few minutes, being that you're such a nice person. Now you know that something has happened to you. Now between you and I there is a Light. Did you ever see the picture of It? It's standing right between me and you. I'm looking at you, through that Light. See? And you believe God can tell me who you are? He told Simon who he was.
216How many believes that now? Here we are with our hands up, we're total strangers.
217They call you "Florence," and your last name is McAllister. [The sister says, "That's right. That's right."--Ed.] Do you believe God can tell me where you come from? ["Yes."] You're not from here. ["No."] You're from a place called Lawrence, Kansas. ["That's right."] That's right. Now return back, Jesus Christ makes you well.
218 Have faith in God. See? See what? Now please be reverent. Don't move. See, don't move.
219God heals diabetes. Do you believe that? Do you believe He'd heal you? Just go ahead, and say, "Thank You, Lord." And believe it with all your heart, and you'll be healed.
220Do you believe God can heal that female trouble that you have? Then just go on, saying, "Thank You, Lord. I believe it with all my heart."
221All right, let the lady come. You have a lady's trouble, and you also have diabetes. Do you believe that God will make you well? Just keep walking, saying, "Thank You, Lord," and believe it with all your heart now.
222Come. A nervous condition causes a stomach trouble. Do you believe you could eat your supper now? Go, saying, "Thank You, Lord." Eat your supper and believe with all your heart.
223God heals heart trouble. Do you believe He'll heal your heart trouble? All right. Go, believing it, and He will do it, you see, if you believe.
224 What if I didn't say anything to you, just to show faith that I believe you have, just lay hands on you, do you believe you would get well? Come by. You were already healed when you left up there, with that. It's true.
225Now, come. Come. Course, anyone sees this woman is a limping, that's been all of her life. But another thing you have, is a stomach trouble that's bothering you, that you want... Just keep walking, say, "Thank You, Lord." Believe with all your heart, and go, and you believe it.
226Do you believe God will heal that arthritis, and let you get well, and you go home? Go, believing it with all your heart.
227 How many out there believes, all of you? Here sits a man sitting right here looking at me here. Don't you see that Light hanging on this man right here?
228Really, what he is troubled about, is about an overweight problem. That's right. Raise your hand if that. Do you believe God will heal you? Your wife sitting by you there, you believe God can tell me what her trouble is? Do you believe? Will you, lady? You believe me to be His prophet, His servant? That blinds people when you say "prophet." Do you believe me to be His servant? You believe God can tell me what your trouble is? High blood pressure. Believe with all your heart now, and it'll leave you, 'cause you believe.
229 This colored boy sitting out here on the end of the seat, watching intensely, what do you think about this, sir? Do you believe it to be of God, you sitting there? You was looking at me so earnestly. I don't know you. You're a stranger to me. But you're suffering from a trouble. Do you believe God can tell me what it is? You do? It's an allergy. That's right. Do you believe that God will heal you? One great thing about you, is this, one of your greatest troubles is that you are backslid. You really want to come back to God. If that's true, raise up your hand, then come here. [The brother rises and comes forward--Ed.] Your sins are forgiven you, my brother.
230You say, "How do you know that?" The same One that told me what was wrong with him.
231How many in here wants your sins forgiven? Will you rise to your feet? You want your sins forgiven? I just want to see if you're honest enough to do it. Thank you. Wonder if you'd walk right out here and stand here with this man that's just been forgiven, say, "I want my sins forgiven. I'm honest about it"? You can't...
232 Come on, there is more than that here. Now, if discernment discerns sickness and diseases, it discerns sin. You know that. How would I know this man was a sinner? That's it, come right out and come right down. We just... Will you do it, just for a moment? Come here and stand just a moment, say, "I want to be forgiven, brother. I want God to forgive me of my wrong. I realize that I'm in His Presence. I don't care what my neighbors think. I--I'm coming anyhow. I'm perseverant. I want to be saved, tonight. I believe God. I want to come right now and have all my sins washed away."
233Is it alright to call ministers? How many ministers are in here, that believes that these people has a right to be saved by the grace of God? I want every minister that believes it, come stand around here with them now while we pray, every minister that's interested in lost souls. I didn't think I was going to do this, but I know better than to disobey His Voice. He told me to do this. It might be their last time, I don't know.
234 How many knows that this is what He did when He was here on earth? Then it's bound to be Him again. It's impossible for a man, any human being, to do a thing like that. We are in His Presence. And here we see Him, tonight, doing... "If I be lifted up, I'll draw all man unto Me." See? We see Him here doing the same thing He did when He was here on earth. Can't we be perseverant now? Press right in. What caused us to come here? What caused all this, anyhow? It's God. Don't you believe that?
235I want each one of you minister brothers to walk forward and put your hands upon one of those confessing people there.
236Now, my dear brother, sister, you who are confessing at the altar, what made you come? You didn't come by your own power. You come because that something convinced you that you were wrong. You want to be forgiven. When you seen that poor colored boy, that Ethiopian boy standing there, gone away from God, and the Holy Spirit revealed that He was a sinner. That same Holy Spirit just never called you out from my lips, but It called you, and here you are, tonight, standing the same way that boy was. Confess your sins now before God. Believe Him with all your heart, and He'll forgive every sin that you have committed, and take you back tonight on the grounds of your confession and fellowship. He'll do it if you'll just believe Him.
237Now let's bow our heads, everywhere in the audience, and everybody real reverent. Now let us pray. Each one of you confess your sins. He is here. The Holy Spirit is here. That's what is calling. Now just believe it with all your heart, confess that you're wrong, ask Him to forgive you. And each one of you brothers pray with these people.
238 Heavenly Father, we come now in the Name of the Lord Jesus, thanking You for Your great grace and power towards us-ward, Lord. That we, the unworthy ones, way down here in a late, closing of time. We ask that Your mercy be extended, Lord, on down, on until the last soul be brought in. Tonight, because of Your appearing before us, it made people press beyond every circumstance, to get up here, to believe that this is the hour that their sins will be forgiven them, and that they will be free, from this night on. Grant it, Heavenly Father. May every sin pass from them.
239You said, "He that will come to Me I will in no wise cast out. Though your sins be like scarlet, yet they shall be white like wool; red like crimson, they shall be white like snow." We plunge beneath the flood of the Blood of Jesus Christ. By faith we take this people, confessing, into that Presence of God, into the Blood of the Son of God, and ask forgiveness for them. We ask this petition in Jesus' Name. Remit every sin and take them into Your care, Father. As they confess, bring them back upon the basis of Your promise. You said You would do it, and I know You will. They are Yours, Father. We give them to Thee, in the Name of Jesus Christ.
240 Each one of you that's standing around the altar now, that's truly confessed you're wrong; and in the Presence of God, you believe me to be His prophet, and believe that I have told you the Truth upon this, and you believe that your sins are gone; and you now, by faith, you break through that veil, into the Presence of God, and say, "Lord, I believe You right now, and accept You"? Raise your hands, and say, "I do it." Each one around the altar, raise your hands and say, "I do it. I now believe it." God bless you. Amen. That's the way to do it. That's it. Just by faith, break through that veil.
241Now while you're right on the same grounds that you're standing on, that you're forgiven, now, brothers, lay your hands back on them again for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Right where you're standing, lay your hands right on them now, and pray that they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, standing right here.
242Lord Jesus, send Your power upon them, like a rushing mighty wind. Send another repeat of Pentecost; and fill the people, not the room, the people, with the Fire of Holy Spirit, and forgiveness, and demonstrations of power, through Jesus' Name. Amen.