Hébreux Chapitre 3
87-1 We...?...
Good morning, friends. It's a privilege to be here this morning in the
service of the Lord. And we're hoping and trusting for a great time.
I was just back in the--what we used to call the deacon's office, where
the recorders are now, and was just talking with a young lady and her
mother back there from up at Joliet, Illinois. And I was just thinking
of what a product of God's grace that girl is. Most of us around here
know her. She's a--an alcoholic, one of the worse type. And I never had
the story clear to me until this morning, how that when she went off
the platform... The Lord had revealed to her all that was wrong and
what was going to take place. And she went off the platform, weeping
and rejoicing because God had saved her from a--a drunkard's grave. And
she... A lady walked up to her and begin weeping, that her daughter, I
believe it was, was a dope addict. And you know, by the grace of God,
that girl was called (I believe it was the next night, Rosella?)--was
called. And the girl from dope was healed. And she and her husband is
preaching the Gospel. And--and--and to see a lovely little lady like
Rosella, and just seasoned. And now she, very respectable, she's got
a--feels a call in her heart. But knowing the Bible about women
preachers (See?); she knows it's something else, and God's a-leading
her into jails and things to give testimony.
It's just wonderful to--to--to know--to seek after the will of God.
Sometimes we have a feeling, but we want to carry that feeling into
places; if you don't watch, the Devil will take that feeling and
pervert it into something. But as long as we stay in the Bible, then
we're right. You see, we're moving right with the will of the Lord.
87-4 And so
I believe that--that Rosella will finally turn into the mission field
somewhere; because America doesn't want the Gospel (You know that.); we
just might as well admit that. This Anglo-Saxon people is finished;
that's all. There's no more Gospel that America will receive. Oh, you
get a few stragglings now and then; but just as the Gospel, it's over.
And you can't even preach to them, can't talk to them. They won't
believe nothing. See? They just got their own hardheaded ideas, and
they're set, and the next thing's for this nation is judgment. She's
going to have it too. It may be through depression; it may be through
an atomic bomb; it may be through a great plague, a disease or
something; but she's ready. It's a-coming; thousands times thousands
will fall.
We passed by yesterday, Brother Zabel and I, to a--and Brother Wood,
coming in from down in Kentucky where we'd been for three days; and
passed by a housing project, and Brother Zabel said, "There's not... I
forget, not hardly any of those people in that project that even goes
to any church."
88-6 You'd
ask them about it: "Well, we got our television, that's how we find
comfort." See? That's the American attitude. See? "We got television.
We got plenty of money. We got fine cars, got nice homes. What do we
need with the Lord? We don't need that." And that's the attitude.
About the only religion and salvation we have, and love, is amongst the
real godly people. You know the Bible said that would happen? (That's
right.) And you Bible readers, I heard you holler "Amen," and you
preachers back there. That--that's right. The love would be so far away
in the last days, the only love there would be left would be between
the elect of God's people. The father would be against mother, and
mother against father, and the children against parents, and different
ones against each other. And the only love would be left would just be
that elect; just the elected. The word "elect," there, comes from the
word "elected": God's elected people.
88-8 And
when Rosella was quoting the story to me in the room awhile ago, I was
just thinking, that on that night, she said something happened. And how
that... Said all down through her life when she'd be a--just a walleyed
alcoholic. Couldn't... No Alcoholics Anonymous; four doctors give her
up, nothing could be done. And how from that very moment something
taken place.
Now, she's not that batty-eyed... She's a lovely, beautiful young woman
of thirty-three years old and would pass for about twenty-two; just how
that God did for her what He did, and how she looks different. And--but
I said, "Rosella, before the foundation of the world, God ordained that
moment." Yes, sir. See? Right... And when little old Billy Paul back
there where he's at was pushing out prayer cards to people that night,
how little did he know of who he was giving a prayer card to. Isn't it
wonderful, Rosella? [Rosella
speaks from audience--Ed.] Amen.
The Lord bless you, Rosella. I'm sure we will do that. She wants the
church to pray that God will guide her. That's the--follow His
unchanging hand. Oh, that's so good.
89-10 Had an
awful proposition put before me this morning by some--a multi-times
multi-times multimillionaire that wants to produce here at Louisville,
Kentucky, and build me a five million dollar tabernacle. But something
down in my heart said, "Hold on, you're not a pastor." See? So then,
five million dollars of money that would be appropriated... Now, it...
to have to go to the government to pay for whiskey and stuff like that,
but wants to put it on a tabernacle for the Lord. But I hope that it
goes to some servant of God that'll, and some service to God. But
that's five million dollars appropriated now; think of that. What a
tabernacle that would make. See how flowery that looks, Rosella? But
there's something down here says different. See? See, something down
here...
We come into this little, old tabernacle, to you strangers. Well, this
could be a glamorous place here on the corner; you don't realize that,
that people has wanted to build this place and make it. But this is the
way we like it. See, this is the way we like it. Old seats we were
setting on there, was the--the old original seats out of the Tabernacle
here; went through the flood and floated up.
And my Bible laying open like that on the pulpit. It stuck against the
ceiling and come back down with a Word on It, "I the Lord hath planted
it; I'll water it day and night lest some shall pluck it from My hand."
How that I rode across the top of it with a skiff here, and she come
right back down. The seats moving right back to their place, all I had
to do was scrub it out and go on. See, see? So this is just the way we
like it; where it's a common people, common place, and a wonderful
Lord. Amen.
89-13 Now,
today, we got some... We're just beginning to get over into the cream,
you know, after the--the milk's all taken out and just the cream. And
remember, it takes the milk to produce the cream, you know. The--the
cream is the contents of the milk.
So we been in the 1st, 2nd, and we're ending up in the 3rd, and
beginning in the 4th chapter of the glorious Book of Hebrews. And oh,
the teachings of this Book. We could stay with It for--on one verse for
three months, and just show that the entire Bible ties into every verse
in the Bible. Did you ever think of that? And there's not one verse
that you can put your finger on, but what with the grace and the help
of the Holy Spirit, that we can tie Genesis to Revelations right into
It.
90-15 There's
not another piece of literature written anywhere that can do that. And
mathematically, and geographically, and every way; there's not a Book
in the Bible wrote like the Bible. There's not a book in the world, I
mean, wrote like the Bible; there's nothing. The numatics of the Bible
is perfectly in harmony; just even chapters, and punctuations, and
everything is perfect. Not another book... You couldn't read a chapter
out of it without crossing itself back. But there's not one cross-up in
the entire Bible. And was wrote by many, many, many people; and
hundreds, and hundreds, and hundreds of years apart, not knowing one
piece...
One wrote It here, and one wrote It here, and one wrote It over here;
when It was all formed together, It made God's Bible. And not one
contradicts the other one. And no... Not mathematics, geographics,
anything else of the Bible, everything, numatics, everything runs
perfectly together. If that isn't inspired, I don't know, what will you
call inspiration? I'm so glad for the blessed, old Bible.
Some of them said, "Are you a Catholic? Protestant?" I said, "Neither
one; I believe the Bible." That's right. I believe the Bible, and I'm
glad that we still have the freedom to preach It in this nation. Oh,
it's wonderful.
90-17 Now,
we're going to study from It. And now, we'll turn over in the Book of
the Hebrews and begin with the 3rd chapter, and we left off at the 15th
verse.
And now, you all... I seen somebody noticed awhile ago, when I picked
up my reading glasses. It's not that my eyes are bad, but I'm past
forty years old. I can read it, right here, just ordinarily, but I
could read it better with the glasses. And they made me a pair of
reading glasses that I want to use because I can read it better and
faster, and I... That's what I got them for.
91-19 Now, in
the... First, we want a little background, 'cause there may be some
strangers among us that has not picked up the first part of the Book of
Hebrews.
Are--are you Mrs. Cox setting right here on the end? Well, I am sure
glad to see her. Just before I start, as a testimony to the grace of
God, here was a woman that cancer eating her face off. That's Sister
Wood's mother. And I was in Michigan with Gene and Leo and them, taking
the recordings, and on the road home my wife called me (or I called
her), and she said, "Go to prayer immediately for a Mrs. Cox, Mrs.
Wood's mother, for a cancer's eating her face off." Done went into the
side of the eye and down to the bone slick on the side of her face, and
just scattering. Some doctor done something or other to it and just
made it worse, and just scattered it up, put some kind of medicine in
it.
And they brought her from down to Campbellsville, Kentucky, up to... I
believe, Acton, Kentucky, up to--to Louisville, for treatment.
91-22 And so
Mrs. Wood, the first time I ever seen her that she was tore up; because
it... 'Course it was her--her--her mama, and sure she'd feel tore up.
Went into the room and prayed for her with the confidence that God said
He'd answer prayer. And a few days she was out and there she sets now
with just a... Amazing grace, how He's done for her.
Would you stand up? I don't want to make you a--a--a public...
Where--where was the cancer located? On--on the side of the face. See,
there on that side of her face, down around here to her cheekbone, up
around her eye; and God healed her. Isn't He wonderful?
91-24 How many was here last Sunday to see what the Lord did by a vision? Man, both crippled and blind, setting right here in a wheelchair. And something hurt me when that old man setting here said, "Brother Branham..." (I believe it was this brother right here) Said, "Do the same for my wife." He's got a wife here that's crippled. My heart just melted. I wish... I'd give anything in the world if I could, but it's not--don't lay in my power. But it does lay in my power and your power to pray that God will do it. He's got a crippled wife with paralyzed hand and a paralyzed foot, looks like. And this man was far worse off than her, 'cause she can stand up and can walk a little, but this man could not even do that. And he... The brain, main balance nerve was gone. Mayo's, a lot of the others, had give him up. And a Catholic sent him here, a Catholic doctor; and his boy's a priest at St. Meinrad down in Jasper, Indiana; but that's laying foundation stones for that revival coming up down there.
92-25 And when he raised up, he said, "But I can't..." He looked, said, "Yes, I can." He thought he couldn't see, you know. And he looked up; he just happened to raise his head up, and there he could walk and see; walked down that aisle by himself. And they were Presbyterians; he was orthodox. And talk... You think that just the Pentecostal or the Holiness people can shout; you're mistaken. They can sure do some shouting when they see something like that happen: hugging each other and shouting. Walked right out and down the steps, pushing his wheelchair; walking, with the balance nerves out of his head. Think of it. Walking like you or I would walk. Oh, He's wonderful.
92-26 Now,
Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews, and in this writing of Hebrews... He
wrote It. And before He wrote these Books... We find out now, we're
going... This is a Sunday School class, and I'll try to watch and not
take too long. And then we're going to have services to continue them
on tonight, the Lord willing.
Now, in the Book of Hebrews and the rest of the Epistles of Paul... Who
was Paul? He was a staunch Hebrew, a scholar, and a great teacher of
the Old Testament. And he'd been taught by one of the best men of his
day. Somebody tell me what his name was. Gamaliel, one of the greatest
teachers of his day. And Paul had set at the feet of Gamaliel.
There's something about the--where you go, what church you go to, and
what teacher teaches you. Do you know that? It--it's got something to
it. Therefore, we ought to seek out the very best that we can find, so
we're getting the best; not because it's sociable and so forth, but the
real Bible teaching.
92-29 Look,
one time when Israel had got out into the wilderness with their armies,
and they had a seven day compass, and they'd run out of water. And they
were about to perish; they said, "Oh, if there was a prophet near."
And one of them said, "We have down here, Elisha. He poured water on
the hands of Elijah." See his associate? In other words, "Here's Elisha
who's had associations with Elijah, the Word of the Lord is with him."
You get it? He'd been taught right. And he said, "He's here. Let's go
down and consult him because his teacher was Elijah, and he's got the
teaching of Elijah in him." See what a difference it makes? Sure, we
want to be taught.
93-31 So,
Paul had the teaching of Gamaliel. And Gamaliel was that great man who
made the choice, being a scholar himself, that when all of this
carrying on started of the early church, he said, "Let's not put our
hands on that, brethren, if it is not of God, it will come to naught
anyhow. But if it is of God, and we fight against it, we'll find
ourself fighting against God." See, he'd had some good teaching.
Paul had come up under this man, and he knew that Paul was a great
teacher. So one day, honest in heart, persecuting the Church, going
down to arrest them...
Now, let's take just another little phase from Paul, as we get our
background.
93-34 When
Judas fell by transgression (by the love of money and the pride of
life), he fell from grace, and went to his place. And the disciples
said, "There must be twelve." And the church, with all of its dignity,
to show you what the church is, with all of its dignity, and all of its
power; it's still millions of miles short at its very best. They said,
"We've got to look out one among us who'll take the place." And they
chose by casting lots, Matthias (Mattheas, I believe, or Matthias)
Matthias, I believe it is. And whenever they chose him, and put him
with the twelve (with the eleven, which made up the twelve), he did not
do one thing. That's the only time his name's ever mentioned in the
Scriptures. That was the church making it's choice.
Now, they thought, "He is a gentleman." No doubt. "He's a wonderful
man. He's a scholar. He's smart. He's educated. He's a wonderful
person. He would take the place of Judas and be one of us." But you
know, God sometimes makes some of the (to our opinion)--some of the
most foolish choices.
93-36 Now,
God seen a little hook-nosed Jew, just as full of temper as he could
be, with his mouth setting sideways, "I'll go down and arrest every one
of them. I'll--I'll throw them in jail. I'll do this." That was God's
choice. The rest of them taken a scholar and a diplomat; that's the
church's choice.
See, you don't know who that is at the altar. You don't know who that
is You're testifying in jail or wherever it is. It might look like a
pugilist with his ears broke down, eyes skinned up and... But you don't
know who that is. You just cast your lot; that's all; give him the
Word. God takes the choice.
And God choose this little high-tempered Jew, or chose him, rather, on
his road down. "I'll go down and get them. I'll--I'll show them what I
can do," like that. And God just knocked him down. God said, "That's my
choice, right there."
Wouldn't that be foolish to the church? "Why he persecutes the church.
He's a carnal man." But God knowed what was on the inside of man. See
what I mean?
94-40 So Paul
had an experience. How many believes experience comes by conversion?
Sure. If it hasn't, I'd doubt the conversion. A conversion brings
experience; and you can't allot it to anything now. Sometimes it might
be shouting. Sometimes it might be speaking with tongues. Sometimes it
might be weeping. Sometimes it might be groaning. You don't know what
it is, so don't try to allot it, because every one of you's proved to
be wrong in it, you Methodists, and you Baptists, and you Nazarenes and
Pentecostals.
I've seen people shout just as hard as they could shout, and steal the
gold out of your teeth if they could. Yes, sir. I've seen people speak
with tongues like pouring peas on a dry cowhide; and--and honest to
goodness, when they chew tobacco on the other side of the mouth, and
cut your throat if they could do it. That's right. So them things
has... There's no evidence that you can prove it, only by the life the
person lives: "by their fruit, you shall know them."
94-42 So
that's all up to God; He makes the choice. He brings the things
together, and that's the way it is. So if your life is comparing with
the fruits of the Bible, you got a pretty good conception. If your
spirit's bearing record with His Spirit, that you're sons and daughters
of God, you're... All the old evil's dropped away, and everything's
become new, and you're living in love, and you got peace, and grace,
and so forth; you're getting pretty close to the Kingdom then. Because
the Life that's in you is producing that kind of a life. See?
If you say, "Oh, hallelujah, I spoke with tongues. Hallelujah." That
don't mean nothing. That don't mean a bit more than if you'd got out
here and played a tune on a guitar or something. That doesn't mean one
thing. Though you spoke with tongues, though you shouted, and run up
and down the aisles, and cried tears till like you'd been peeling
onions; that don't mean one thing, not one thing, unless that everyday
life backs up just exactly, stays with it.
95-44 Now, if
you do those things plus that life, "Amen," that--that's fine. That's
good. But you can do those things without having that Life.
So then, no shouting, no nothing like that is evidence. Jesus said, "By
their fruit ye shall know them." And the fruit of the Spirit is not
speaking with tongues. That's not the fruit of the Spirit. Shouting is
not the fruit of the Spirit. Weeping is not this fruit of the Spirit.
But love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, faith,
meekness, temperance, that's the fruits of the Spirit. That's what the
Spirit's fruits are. All right.
Now, the reason we have these things, they like to make organizations.
You see? "Well, we'll have it. Bless God, all that believes the way we
do, we'll go this a-way. And all that believes like we do, we'll go
this a-way." But God wants all to go this way (See, see?), right up.
95-47 Now,
Paul, after he had this experience, then he thought, that was a
wonderful experience. Now, how... Let's--let's--let's quote that
experience a little bit. Paul was on his road to Damascus to arrest
some people down there, 'cause the Gospel had got scattered down there.
"Gospel" means "the good news." And so they got scattered down there,
and many people was raising up full of love and joy and loving the Lord
Jesus. And it had got scattered down that way, so Paul got some letters
from the high priest. He said, "I'll go down, and I'll arrest them,
every one."
So he took him a little company of guards (temple guards, soldiers),
and way down the road he went. While they were marching down the road,
and him just all knowed what he's going to do, all of a sudden,
something happened. All of a sudden there was a great Light before him:
great Light. Now, It shined like the sun. That's a strange thing to
happen. The Light shined insomuch that he just... His eyes went out
almost, and fell to the ground. And he--he's laying down on the ground,
and he looked up.
96-49 There's
probably ten or fifteen men with him. Did any of those men see that
Light? No, sir. Paul saw It. It wasn't designated for them men to see
It. So some people can see things where others don't. See? So Paul saw
that Light, insomuch that It even blinded him. He couldn't see for
several days; It was such a reality to him. And he couldn't see for
several... Later on, when he wrote letters, his eyes bothered him so
bad from that, until he wrote with great big letters; he said, "Seeing
that I have written to you with large letters." He couldn't hardly see.
He was in jail, and he asked the Lord to heal him of it. And he
consulted Him three times. But what did the Lord say? "My grace is
sufficient, Paul."
Paul said, "Then will I glory in my infirmities"; because he said,
"Except I would be exalted above the abundance of the Revelation, there
was given to me a messenger of the devil, a thorn in the flesh that
buffet me." He'd get better for a while, then, away it'd go again.
"Buffet" means, "blow after blow." Like the ship on the sea, you know,
the waves buffet it (See?), blow after blow. And he would--he'd get
better, and then have it again, and then get better, and have it again.
He said, "Lord, what's the matter, You don't take this away from me?"
He said, "My grace is sufficient, Paul; just keep on." It'd keep...
96-53 He
said, "Now, if it... If I was just perfect, and everything perfect"
said, "then when I went along, oh, I'd get puffed up and say, 'You see,
there's nothing wrong with me. The Lord takes care of me, brother,
hallelujah.'" Then you're getting self-righteous. See?
God has to give you a little something once in a while to kinda meeken
you up a little, you know (That's right.), kinda make you realize that
He's the Boss. Oh, isn't He wonderful (Yes, sir.), just glorious.
So He, Paul, then, right after having this great experience,...
Now, if that would've been somebody today, they'd said, "Oh, bless God,
hallelujah. Boy, the Lord's done something for me. Glory to God." But
not Paul, he was a Bible scholar.
97-57 That
experience must tally with God's Word. Yes, sir. If it isn't altogether
hooked into the Bible, not just look over here and say, "Oh, yes, see,
here it is right here. Bless God, I got it." Huh-uh. That's not the way
God gives it.
It must be the entire Bible; all of It. 'Cause you can... Infidels use
this Bible for their grounds to debate on. But they'll take a little
Scripture here, and turn over here and get another little one over
here, and try to make them tie together; and it's two different
subjects altogether. So you got to make Scripture compare with
Scripture.
97-59 As
Isaiah said in the 28th chapter, "It must be line upon line, line upon
line, here a little, there a little. Hold fast to that what's good."
See, there's the way It comes: line upon line upon line, Word upon
Word, Scripture upon Scripture. It must all compile together. That's
why, I think in these lessons like we're having now, it's a great thing
to the church, because it brings them to a place that all of the
Scriptures tie together. And our experience must tie with that
Scripture (Oh, here it is.), if it doesn't, then it's wrong.
And how that I walked for years, not knowing what that Light was that
struck Paul down. When the outside world, with Scriptures... The
people, the preachers tried to tell me, "That's of the Devil, Why,
you'll be a fortuneteller, You'll be a spiritualist. Don't you fool
with that, Billy; something wrong with that. Don't you do that, boy;
that's wrong. That's the Devil. Well, boy, you'll be a regular medium.
You'll be a spiritualist if you do that. Oh, all that's of the Devil.
That's--that's not right."
97-61 But
when... I didn't want to preach that. But as on the road down to
Damascus, Paul didn't want to preach it. So he found out whether it was
right or not. So he goes down into Arabia for three years and studies
the Scripture. Ah, when he come out, he said, "Now, shake it out of me."
He knew he had to face Pharisees. He had to face Sadducees. He had to
face the world, and the Gentile world. And so Paul... This Bible is
written... This Book of Hebrews is written for that purpose. He's
shaking those Hebrews, and taking that Old Testament and showing It
over here in the New Testament. "This is God," he said. "Here it is
on--on all the prophets and everything." Starts off back there at the
beginning, the first chapter we had, "For God in sundry times (way back
in old time), in divers manners, spoke to the fathers by the prophets."
That's how God brought His Message: tested by the Urim Thummim. "But in
this day has spoke to us through His Son Christ Jesus": tested by His
Bible. There you are.
98-63 So
these experiences that the world says, "Oh, it's mental. Why,
nobody..." When that Angel appeared, that Light down here on the river,
when I preached my first revival here on the corner, and we was
baptizing all those people... I believe, Brother Fleeman, you might've
been, and the... I don't know whether you was here then or not. How
many was here when the--when the Light appeared on the river? Is any of
the old-timers here? Yes, some of them, when It was down here on the
river.
And they said, "It was just an optical illusion." Many of us was
standing, looking at It, and here It come down. And then years later
God proved It by a mechanical eye of a camera. It's true.
"Well, is it--is it some fictition? Is it something that--that..." No,
sir. We're taking it right here in the Bible and showing you It's the
same Lord Jesus. He does the same thing. His action is the same. His
power is the same.
98-66 Look,
last Sunday here: yonder laying on my bed, never seen the man in my
life, come out and said, "There's a man at the Tabernacle, and he's
gray--or black-headed, graying. He's blind and he can't walk; he's in a
wheelchair. A black-headed man sent him up; a doctor, Doctor Ackerman,
a black-headed man, Catholic man. Sent him in. Set right there, and
THUS SAITH THE LORD; raised up, walked out with his sight and
everything." What did it? Here's the same Angel. The same One that
struck Paul down on the road going down to Damascus lives in His Church
and His people today. It's Scripture comparing with Scripture; that's
the way it must be.
Oh, we have the lukewarms. We're getting into that after while. Oh, we
got a deep thing before us, if we can just get into it today and
tonight. Now, it's just beginning to get into the deep waters, where
you...
98-68 You
know, when I was a little boy, I used to have a little pond out behind
the place, and I'd go out there. And all of us little kids would go in
nude: little, about six, seven years old. And we... The water's about
that deep. It wasn't no more than a hog wallow. And I had a soapbox
there. And I'd show I could dive, hold my nose and splash, going like
that. And my little belly would hit the mud, you know, and it would
just fly every way. I told my daddy I could swim.
He took me back there one day; he said, "I want to see you swim." And I
jumped off of there, you know, stripped my clothes in a little locust
thicket, and run down and hit the water. And I begin splashing, the mud
flying every way; and pop was setting on a culvert. He set there and
watched me for a few minutes; he said, "Get out of that hole of water,
and get yourself a bath, and get home." See?
Well, that's just about the way with some of us that call ourselves
Christians; we mud-crawl. That's right. Long as you're anchored, "I'm a
Methodist. I'm a Pentecostal, I'm a Presbyterian. I got an evidence, I
got it." you're a mud-crawling.
99-71 One day
I was with my uncle, and I kept telling... He was about 15, 16 years
old. We was at the river. I said, "Uncle Art, I can swim." And I was
setting on the back of the boat, you know, felt good and safe. He just
took the oar and pushed me out, in about ten foot of water; it was
different then; all the splashing, screaming, you ever heard in your
life.
Someday you get pushed off, you better know where you're standing. Yes,
sir. If you know Him, you'll feel... Better really know Him. That's
right. But now we're going into deep water, deep water, where it'll
make you drown if you--if you're not a good, fattened up Christian.
99-73 Notice
the Word. Paul, first found that... He went back in the Old Testament,
and he found this. He seen that experience of his absolutely. "Now,
what was that that struck me down?"
It was a Light, big Light standing there shining like the sun, standing
in front of his face, and He said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
Me?"
He said, "Lord, Who are You that I persecute?"
He said, "I'm Jesus."
"I thought He was a--a man, had scarred hands, that they claim is
appearing in meetings now, with nail scars in his hands and his head."
No, no; not that body, not in that body. See?
He's now a Light. Saul... When He was here on earth, He said, "I come
from God. I go back to God."
He was the Angel that led the children of Israel in this Light through
the wilderness. He returned back to that same Light, and Paul saw It
out of the Old Testament. He said, "I'm Jesus, the Angel of the
Covenant."
And He become flesh to redeem us. Took on not the form of Angels, we
find in previous chapters we--our study. He never took on the nature of
Angels, but was the Seed of Abraham that He might be known, that man
could see God. Amen. Now, He says, "I return back to That."
And when Paul seen That, he said, "Sure, that was Him. That was Him."
100-82 Peter
had an experience one night while he was praying. That same Light come
into the building, opened up the doors before him, went out into the
streets. And Peter thought he was dreaming; he was so anointed. He
didn't know what taken place. He said, "Have I just woke up? But I'm
out here on the street."
And he went down to John Mark's house. And the little girl opened the
door, some little lady there, been in a prayer meeting; "somebody was
knocking at the door." Opened up the door, "Oh," she said, "here's
Peter right now. You're praying for him to get out of prison; the Lord
has delivered him."
"Oh," they said, "go on."
"O Lord, deliver him."
"Why," she said, "he's standing at the door knocking."
Peter just kept pounding; "Let me in."
"Oh," she said, "it's Peter." In them days they still have it, a little
draw bar, a little lid here you raise back and look out. See? 'Fore you
let your guest in, you have to know who's knocking at your door; 'cause
they had robbers, if you opened the door, they'd kill you.
So he opened the door. She said, "It's Peter."
They said, "Oh. Oh my, he's dead. That's his angel standing there."
See? Done got in his glorified body, you know, that theophany.
100-89 You
remember how we took it, the big diamond, and how it reflected the
light, how it went back through there? "The... this earthly tabernacle
be dissolved, we have one already waiting." And they thought Peter done
died, and this old body had dropped and they'd bury it in a few days;
he'd entered into his angel or his glori--not glorified body, but in
his theophany, the body that's already prepared. It couldn't shake your
hands. It has no hands to shake like that, but it's in an image of a
man.
Come down and was knocking at the door. She said, "No. It's Peter; he's
standing there." He opened the door and walked in, and there he was.
Now, Peter had been delivered by this Light.
101-91 Now,
the same way that that early--that Paul, in the early Church, seen that
Light of God that shined on Paul, the same thing has come down. Now,
people can say anything; that doesn't make it right. But when God
proves anything, the work of It proves It. Then the camera proves It.
And everything that we--that the Lord has did, has been absolutely
infallibly proved that it's God: by the Scriptures, by It's action, by
experience. But they won't listen.
Look here in this tabernacle this morning. Now, remember, you know
this, we don't crave crowds. We ain't got no place to put them anyhow.
But look, a meeting of this type, where we was coming together for
this, ought to attract the Falls Cities. But they're dead. They're
absolutely dead. They have eyes but they can't see. You say, you...
"Why, Brother Branham, why don't they go to a doctor and get their eyes
fixed?" He can't fix that kind of seeing.
101-93 Jesus
said, "If you would've known Me, you would've known My day." He said,
"You blind Pharisees, you can discern the face of the skies, but the
signs of the time, you can't discern."
Does that go over top of your head? Listen. Look at the signs we're
living in here. Now, it just ain't some... I, myself, I'm just a man,
not even a preacher to talk about. I have no education, what the world
call a preacher. And we're just poor people; look at the building we're
in. Look at the cathedrals this morning. But look where God's at.
There's the thing.
101-95 So was
Moab standing there in all his splendor and his beauty; but there was
Israel in tents. But where was God at? There was a bunch of little
holy-rollers down there doing everything there was was wrong. But
Balaam their--their bishop failed to see that smitten Rock, and that
brass serpent, that Pillar of Fire. His eyes was blind; he couldn't see
It. He said, "They're just imagining that." But He was there.
Bless God, Oh, He's here. God is here. And He's doing the same thing
that He has done. And He's... We'll--we compare Scripture with
Scripture. God has never painted Hisself some big something, on earth,
but He's always dwelt among the common and humble people. And here He
is this morning doing the same thing. The Scripture vindicates it. The
camera vindicates it. Now, that... The reason I referred to that
picture, it isn't because I'm there. I'm not--I'm just a sinner saved
by grace, like you are. But what I'm trying to say is it's His Presence
with us. That's the main thing. Well, if He made me a--a incarnated
Elisha, if you didn't have faith to believe it, it'd never do you any
good. "He came to His own; His own received Him not."
102-97 That's
the reason here in the city today... Why, I could start a revival here
in some big building or something, you would never get many people to
believe it. They just won't. They can't. Their day is done.
This same lesson this morning in Africa, would probably produce ten
thousand, at least ten thousand souls to Christ. Where there might be
one sinner setting here this morning, or something, some backslider.
Most of them is just combed through and through till it's just
finished. That's all. But what we're trying to say is, Scripture
compares with Scripture.
Now, it don't matter how great the experience is; unless it compares
with the Scripture, it's wrong; the Urim Thummim. No matter how good
the prophet was, if he spoke and them Lights didn't flash on the Urim
Thummim, it was wrong. How well the dream seemed, if it didn't flash on
the Urim Thummim, it was wrong. When that priesthood ended, God put His
Bible up. Paul said, "If an Angel from heaven would come (Galatians
1:8) and would preach any other gospel than what's already been
preached to you, let him be accursed."
102-100 The
Angel from heaven (said to John the revelator), which was God Himself,
"I, Jesus, sent My Angel to vindicate, or to show these things." He
said, "If any man will add one word to It or take one Word out of It,
the same will be taken out of the Book of Life for him." This is It,
the Bible.
Therefore, these experiences and these things that we're having to
happen here, if it wasn't vindicated by God's Word, it would be wrong;
I don't care what would take place, it would be wrong. So it's
Scripturally, absolutely the truth. Oh, I'm so happy I'm a member of
the great Body of Christ.
103-102 Now,
let's go now; we're coming down to the lesson. Now, we ended up over
here where he said, "Seeing that we're compassed about..." Now, I'm
sorry, That's... I was quoting the 12th chapter. I've been reading it,
but I haven't studied it. I've...
Brother Norman staying at my home up there, and he knows that I just
got in yesterday, and the brothers know down there that I just got in.
The only time I got to read the Scripture down, was setting right here
a few minutes ago. That's right; don't study It. I just wait for the
Holy Spirit to give It, just as He wants it. He knows where the
person's at--at, that has to have it. So if I got something made up in
my mind I'm going to say, then it's wrong. But if I just let Him do it,
He'll take It right straight to the spot where It belongs. See? "Take
no thought what ye shall say, for It's not you that speaks, It's your
Father that dwelleth in you. He doeth the speaking."
103-104 Now,
the last chapter, the previous chapter, we heard this, that "How shall
we escape if we neglect this great salvation, Who was first preached to
us by the Lord Jesus, and Him with those who heard Him?" The same
things that Jesus did to show... Them same things like takes place
here: same Angel of God, same works, same evidence, same everything,
everything along, same Gospel, right with the Word. If that was taught
by the Lord, then confirmed by His disciples that we've heard, Paul
being the same; how shall we escape if we neglect such great salvation?
Now, Paul was saying that to his Hebrew audience. Now, they didn't have
tape recorders, today like we got here, but they had scribes who was
setting there taking it down just as Paul was preaching it. And that's
what it is right here. We're getting It by tape recorders, and these
tapes go all over the world (See?) to show that It is the Truth. Our
religion is not in vain, It's absolutely the resurrected Jesus Christ:
same thing. Now, we mustn't neglect it.
103-106 Now,
just don't go away from church today and say, "Well, I kinda enjoy
going down there. I like the singing, and the people are friendly
around that little old church." Don't do that.
Brother, let your heart become aflame; say, "Here, I got to do
something about this. I got to get out and see if I can get somebody
saved."
And don't go out saying, "Bless God, if you don't repent, you're going
to perish." No, go at it gentle. Be as wise as a serpent, as harmless
as a dove. See, that's the way to go. Approach the person, if he's
raising chickens, talk about chickens to him for a while. See? And then
the first thing you know, you'll be talking about the Lord. If he's a
farmer, talk about his farm.
If he sells automobiles, talk about his automobiles for a while: "What
nice cars you got," and so forth. See?
Till you catch the Spirit, when Father says, "Now, is the time to
approach him about his soul."
You can wind it off (You see?), "That's a fine automobile. You know
transportation today has become great. Oh, how the nations has been
brought close together, and the cities of our nations, close together.
Friends and mothers can visit each other. You know it's a wonderful
thing to have automobiles like you're selling."
"Yes sir, it sure is, uh-huh." (You know, a-puffing on his cigar or
whatever it is.) "Yeah, them--them's good cars."
"Did you ever think of what the old-timers would've thought if they'd
seen something like that?" Just keep going like that, you know.
After while, say, "Yep, yeah, sure is. You know, another thing it does,
it brings like we have in... Like in revivals. People can come across
the country quickly for a revival." See, you're opening the way all
time, you know.
And if you feel something chock up the way, stop right there, move over
here. Like a doctor said out at Phoenix, said, "Lord, fill my mouth
with good words, and then nudge me when I've said enough." You see?
"Nudge me when I've said enough."
104-116 Now,
notice now, we're going to start from the 15th chapter--or 15th verse
of the 3rd chapter, closely now.
While
it is said, To day if you... hear his voice harden not your hearts, as
in the provocation.
Now, watch Paul speaking here. Now, it is said, "Today, after so long a
time..." We're going to get into it after while, that, "today, so long
a time"; comes into the next chapter, "after so long a time."
...it
is said, To day if You hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in
the day of provocation. (when they
provoked God)
Now, let's read the next verse:
For
some, when they had heard, did provoke:... (Now,
what's He talking about? Gospel)... howbeit not all that
came out of Egypt by Moses.
But
with whom He was grieved for forty years? was it not with them that had
sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? (Let's stop
here a minute.)
105-119 The
provocation, when they provoked... Now, what did God do? Now, Paul's
trying to speak. What is it led them out of Egypt? Was it Moses? No.
Moses was the flesh instrument.
Now, we got a background here. We want to get straightened out, now.
When we hit this spot down here in a few minutes, you'll--you'll see it.
Now, God had His people with unsettled rest. They were down in Egypt.
They were out of their right position. They were out of their homeland.
They were strangers and pilgrims, and God was going to bring them from
that housed-in place in--in Egypt, up to the homeland.
A type of today; we're unsettled. Here they don't take long; little
chubby-handed boys playing marbles, little girls with the dollies,
playing; the first thing you know, you got gray hair, and wrinkled up.
There's something wrong here; this is not home. We're in the wrong
place. That's why we say we are pilgrims and strangers. Something's
happened.
105-123 A
little lady said, this morning in the room, about how people laugh at
her, sometime. I said, "But, sister dear, you're not of them people."
We are a different people.
My little girl said, "Daddy, certain-certain girls did certain-certain
things, that they did."
I said, "But look, honey..." They had these records of Elvis Presley. I
said, "I wouldn't want them in my house."
She said, "But, daddy, they're nice little girls."
I said, "They may be. I have nothing to say against that, but there's
one thing: we are different. We are different. Not as that we want to
be different, but the Spirit that's within us has come out of that.
You're of another world."
When I go into Africa, I--I--I can't get adjusted to
their--their--their ways of living. They don't wear any clothes;
they're naked. And they pick up something that's rotten, got maggots in
it, they eat it anyhow; don't make any difference. See, I--I--It--it...
This is different.
106-129 You
know, one time we were all like that. But civilization has brought us
and made us different. And conversion has doubled that by millions. We
don't want the rotten things of the world no more. Christ has made us
become Christians, like civilization has made us become clean. And
notice, not only that, but we profess that we are pilgrims and
strangers. We're not of the world. Then you want nothing to do with the
world. And those things has passed away.
Now, Israel was down in Egypt; they wasn't Egyptians. Egyptians... It
was a disgrace for an Egyptian to put his hands on a sheep, and Israel
were sheepherders. And how that must've gotten Moses, after all the
indignity of being an Egyptian, cattle raisers. Did you notice what the
Pharaoh had said to Joseph and so forth? "It is an abomination." Said,
"Your people are sheepherders." And even a Egyptian couldn't even put
his hands on a sheepherder. He was a different people.
106-131 And that's the way it is with a Christian today. When he's borned again, it's not... It's filthy for him to associate where people are drinking, and telling dirty jokes, and women naked and every... It--it--it's filthiness. And, oh, blessed be the Lord. We are pilgrims here. We're strangers here. The spirit has been converted, and we're looking for a City where women don't wear shorts. We're looking for a city where they don't have beer taverns. We're looking for a City wherein dwelleth righteousness. So we're pilgrims.
106-132 So if
God came down in a big bundle of fire as a halo, swept down into a bush
and begin to reveal Himself to Moses first. Moses said...
You know, how we had the lesson the other night; how that when Jesus
was here on earth, He said, "Well, before Moses was, I AM." That was
Jesus in the burning bush in the Pillar of Fire. It's Jesus today, the
same. And He revealed Himself in a Pillar of Fire, and Moses got the
experience. He goes down into Egypt; he preaches the Gospel, the good
news, and signs and wonders followed him. You get it? Same thing today.
Not only that, but when them Hebrews come out, walked in the Light,
they was led by the same Pillar of Fire.
107-134 And the
Bible said that, "Do not tempt God." Watch this; let me read it.
While
it is said, To day if ye... hear His voice, harden not your heart... (His Voice
speaking to your heart)... as in the provocation (when they
provoked Him).
Listen.
For
some, when they had heard, did provoke:...
How many knows that the Israelites provoked God with their unbelief?
They murmured. They completely... God walked right down there and...
When he got out... The first thing they got in trouble. Here was this
Pillar of Fire above them. I don't know whether they all saw It or not.
At least Moses saw It, and It was above them and they watched It. And
when they come down... Say if they didn't see It; I don't know whether
they did or not; It went before them; the Bible said It was there.
107-136 It said
the Star went before the wise men. Nobody saw It but the wise men. It
went over every observatory. They kept time by the stars. No one saw it
but the wise men. It was for them to see it, and the wise men was who
the Star was sent for.
And the Pillar of Fire was sent to Moses, and Moses was sent to the
children of Israel. And they was supposed to follow Moses. They could
see Moses, and Moses saw the Light. There they went, them, they were
leading. And as they went out, they come to the Red Sea. And all
they... They never see no more signs of miracles and things taking
place while they were still down in the--in the old land of Egypt. But
when they got out there in their journey (just converted and brought
out), then the first thing you know, they got in trouble.
God loves to bring you in trouble. He loves to put trouble down and see
what you'll do about it. So He just stopped up the Red Sea, and the
first thing you know, marched them right out into this place, then sent
Pharaoh after them. See how God likes to do it? He loves to display His
power and love. He's God, and He just loves to show you Who He is.
Amen. And the trouble of it is, today, people say, "Oh, them days is
past." No. How can God display Himself, when you're taught such stuff
as that? But God loves to manifest Himself.
108-139 Here
come the children of Israel walking in the Light, Moses going on before
them. There they was: "Come on, this is the way. God's calling; we're
going out. We're going to the promised land. Oh, Hallelujah." Here they
all was, shouting and jumping and having a good time, you know. And the
first thing you know, they looked back and said, "Oh, what's that dust?"
One of them climbed up on a hill and said, "Oh, oh. Alas, alas. It's
Pharaoh's army."
God said, "What you so scared about? Didn't you believe what I did down
there? What you so worried about? Why do you make Me angry?"
When they got down there, Moses went out and interceded to God. God
just opened up the Red Sea and they walked across; closed the enemy in.
That's the way God does it. Don't get scared. Don't get all excited.
Don't be flusterated. You provoke God.
108-143 Then what did He do? Look like, "Well, we had one big trial; bless God, we got over it. We won't have no more. We're on our road to the promised land." And He led them right out into the desert where there's no water. See? Could you imagine? God with His--with His sanctified, holy people, led them right out in this trap, then got them out of that trap and led them right out here where there's no water; when He could've took them some way, where there was water. Why, He could just made a river all the way along if He wanted to; He could've broke every mountain into joy, spurting water fifty feet in the air, if He wanted to. Sure, He could. But if He done that, it'd been too easy. Oh, my, blessed be the Name of the Lord.
108-144 "Why
did God let this happen, Brother Branham? Why did God..." God's doing
that. Let Him alone; just walk on. That's God's business. "The
footprints of the righteous are ordered by the Lord." Yes, sir. What
difference does it make?
"Lost all my money, Brother Branham." Well, bless God anyhow.
"Oh, I did this, and this happened, storm blowed in my house."
Bless God anyhow. "The Lord give, the Lord taken away, blessed be the
Name of the Lord." Just keep walking on; it's all the glory of God; God
knows what He's doing.
Some
through the water, some through the flood,
Some
through deep trials, but all through the blood; (And
that--that's the way He leads us.)
That's right. Oh, my. I feel like I could just stop and scream. That's
the way He leads His dear children. Oh, can you just feel... Now, I'm
not a psychologist, but can you just feel that lovely Spirit now
bathing over the building? What if our eyes would come open just now,
and look what's standing around the sides of these walls, and up and
down these aisles?
109-149 O
Elisha, one morning, when that boy was just as blind as he could be, he
said, "Look at the Syrians down there."
He said, "But there's more with us."
Said, "I don't see nobody."
He said, "Lord, open that boy's eyes."
He looked around that old prophet, and all around that, the mountains
was on fire, and horses of fire, and chariots of fire. He was convinced
then.
He said, "We'll just go out and smite them blind." They had their sight
just as perfect as they ever did, but they was blind to him. Said, "You
all seeking Elijah?" Said, "Yes, sir."
"Come on, I'll show you where he's at"; that was him leading them. They
didn't know it.
And that's the way it is today. Christ is here. The Holy Ghost is here
doing the same things that He's always done, and the world is blind to
it. They don't know it. "Oh, I--I don't know about that; my pastor..."
Oh, poor decrepit people. See what I mean? They're blind to it. They
don't know it. God's a-leading.
109-154 Now,
they come up to the wilderness of Sin. There was no water there. God
just has it all provided. Oh, and they found a puddle of water, they
said, "This is it." And they couldn't even taste it. Oh, it was
terrible. My, it's--it's worse than a hundred percent sulfur. See, just
like rotten eggs, you know. "Ooh, my, it's terrible." It was poison.
Now, called the wilderness of Sin. Several palm trees grow there, and
the spring where those palms growed. Then Moses said, "Don't..."
But God said, "Why do you... Why do they... What are they provoking Me
for? Well, if I did that back there, can't I do something about this
situation?"
110-156 If He
got you out of one sick spell, can't He get you out of another one? He
got you out of one trouble, can't He get you out of another one? Bless
God, if He got me out of sin, He can take me out of the grave. He's
God. What difference does it make? Just go on; keep your eyes on Him.
Said, "If I closed the Red Sea behind and drown them Egyptians, can't I
do something about this water? What do you make Me angry about? Oh,
your unbelief, you provoke Me to anger, because of unbelief."
110-158 Now,
the word here, is used "sin," provoked, made... The reason they did it,
they disbelieved. They never went out and got to shooting craps now,
and things like that. They never run around with somebody else's wife,
and went out and told lies. That wasn't what they were doing. But
that's not sin to begin with.
Living in adultery is not sin. Smoking, chewing, drinking, gambling,
cursing, and swearing and so forth; that's not sin. That's the
attributes of unbelief. You do that because you're an unbeliever. If
you are a believer, you don't do that. That's the reason Jesus said,
"He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me has
Everlasting Life." Not says he believes, but really believes. There it
is; that takes all your initial evidence away. See? There you are. Not
"He that heareth My Words, and shouts"; not "He that heareth My Words,
and speaks with tongues"; not "He that heareth My Words, and has blood
on his hands or in his face," or whatevermore. That's not it. "He that
heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Eternal Life,
and shall never come to the judgment, but's passed from death to Life."
110-160 What is
sin? Unbelief. A little something can raise up, instead of going right
to the Scripture and find out whether it's true or not, "Ah," you say,
"I... Hm. I..." See? There you go ahead, "I'll just continue a
Presbyterian like I am. See, I..." Go ahead. Blind. And you provoke God.
When God does anything, He expects the nation to grab it. But instead
of that, "You know, oh, well, I don't know about that." See? He expects
the people to get it. If you're concerned enough, set down with the
Scripture, go through it and search it back and forth, and see if it
happened, if it's predicted to come to pass and so forth. Then you'll
get it. Amen.
111-162 Now,
notice.
While
it is... To day if ye... hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in
the provocation. (when God
was provoked with them, you see?)
For
some, when they had heard,... (heard the
Gospel, Moses preached)... did provoke: howbeit not all
that came out of Egypt by Moses.
How many knows how many people was saved out of that original bunch
that come out? How many? [Someone
replies, "Two"--Ed.] Two
is right. How many knows their names? [Someone
replies, "Caleb and Joshua"--Ed.] That's
right. Caleb and Joshua, the only two, out of two million something.
Listen to this.
But...
he... (the 17th
verse now)... But with whom he was grieved forty years?... (because of
unbelief)... was it not with them that had sinned... (disbelieved),...
Take the dictionary and find out what "sin" means, take the Bible
dictionary; it's unbelief. Unbelief is sin. "He that believeth not is
condemned already," St. John 4. See? "Condemned already."
...whose
carcasses fell in the wilderness?
And
to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest,...
111-166 Your
disbelieving... Oh, how I'll never get through my chapter. But, look,
that's what's the matter with this nation, today. Signs and wonders has
crossed through this nation. What do they do? Continually turn their
back on it. And He said, "I'll sware that I'll not let them enter into
the land they started to."
What's the matter with these big churches today? Their unbelief has
provoked God. Hallelujah. He's able of these stones to rise children to
Abraham. He tried to give the Gospel to them, and they hardened their
hearts. They cult themselves, and they made little denominations, and
"We believe this and nothing else." And God couldn't move in. Where
they at today? Setting on a sideline.
112-168 God's
little faithful group is moving right along with signs and wonders.
He's putting them to the test. Every son that cometh to God must first
be tried and tested: child trained.
First little thing happened, "Oh, well, maybe there's nothing to it
anyhow." You're a illegitimate child and not a child of God.
For a child of God is the Seed of Abraham, who calls those things that
were not, as though they were, "God said so," and just keeps moving on.
Amen. No matter what says, or anything different, they keep moving on
anyhow, "God said so."
112-171 Twenty-five
years he waited for that baby, no matter how contrary it was. And he
separated himself from them unbelievers (Amen.) so he could believe.
Oh, my, I feel religious. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Think
of it; you've got to separate yourself from that dogma of the world:
"Aw, them days of miracles is past. There's no such a thing as that.
That's fanaticism." Separate yourself.
The Bible said, "Come out from among them, and be ye separated, saith
the Lord; and I will receive you." How wonderful. "I will receive you
after you separated yourself. Ye shall be My children, and I'll be your
God. Separate yourself. Don't yoke yourself up with unbelievers."
That's right.
Young man getting married, marrying some girl that don't believe; or
some young girl marrying a boy that don't believe... Don't you do that.
I don't care how cute he is and--and... Or how cute she is, and what
those big eyes she's got; they'll all fade out one of these days. But,
brother, your soul's going to live forever. You be careful what you're
doing. She ain't a real believer or him a real believer, don't you yoke
yourself up like that. Stay away from such; it'll cause you trouble
down the road.
112-174 Now,
listen, 17th verse.
But
in whom he was... was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that
had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?
...
to whom he sware that they should not enter into the rest,...
They started out, but... They seen the miracles, but they never did get
to the promised land. Just a selected number of two enter the promised
land.
Now, what's Paul doing? He's speaking to the Christians now. Don't you
let this same Gospel, that was preached back yonder in signs and
wonders, and the Pillar of Fire led them... And when these things go to
taking place again, don't you fall by the wayside by unbelief, to go to
doubting, for their carcass fell in the wilderness.
113-177 Now,
we're coming in quickly now; watch close.
...but
to them that live not? So we see that they should not enter in because
of unbelief... (He calls
it "sin" once, calls it "unbelief" the next time; unbelief is sin)...
they entered not... because of their unbelief.
They seen that prophet Moses; they seen what he done, seen what he
said; it was truth every time, moved right on the truth. This Pillar of
Fire would appear before him. They watched it; they seen it.
Paul trying to get... They little later on get down here to the
experience that he had. See? Trying to relate the experience, he typing
it to the Old Testament. He said, "Now, we've entered into a new thing,
to this new dispensation by Jesus Christ." Old times, the Lord appeared
to them by the prophets; but now He's by His Son Jesus. See? And he
goes into his--to type the experiences and show them what was taking
place; how the signs and wonders and everything, and what's wrote.
113-180 Now, he
said.
...they
entered not... because of their unbelief. (They did
not believe.)
But now, we who are to move into a dispensation... And don't you harden
your heart. Don't you act like they did in the days of provocation,
when they provoked God. How did they do it? Not by living immorally.
Let me grind this down to you.
You say, "Brother Branham, I go to church."
That's all right.
"I never lied in my life."
That's fine.
"I never stole. I never done this, that, or the other." That's very
fine. That's all good, but that still isn't sin. The sin is when God
shows Himself and you disbelieve it; you won't listen to it.
"Oh," you say, "my church don't teach that." As long as the Bible
teaches it, and God proves it, that's the thing. Now, watch just a
moment now. Now, we're going to start now on something real, real deep.
Now, put your conscience in your vest pocket till you get outside.
114-185 Now,
watch real close.
Let
us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us to enter into his... (His, her,
personal pronouns now. What?)... any of You should seem to
come short of it.
Now, Paul's trying to tell them in the previous chapter about all these
things, but now he's trying to tell them what it is. Oh, have we got
time? I... Maybe we'd better wait till tonight. It's getting late, and
we going to have prayer service. Maybe we'd better catch it tonight,
'cause this is really full of vitamins, spiritual vitamins. Got a lot
to do, and I'm busy this afternoon.
Let
us... Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise...
Now, did they have a promise for the promised land, down in Egypt? And
when God came down to make this promise a reality,... Why, God told
Abraham, hundreds and hundreds of years before, that He was going to do
it. It was Scriptural.
114-188 Joseph
said, "Don't you move my bones from here until you go to that promised
land, and bury me up there with the rest of my fathers." 'Cause he
knowed the resurrection was coming, when Jesus rose from the dead;
'cause he'd known what Job said.
See, each one of them prophets knowed just what the other prophet had
said, and knowed that their Spirit was the same; and they was watching.
Oh, brother. Oh, that--that ought to shake us out of our worried
condition. They had their eyes, not on what people were saying, but
what them prophets said; each one of them was watching.
Abraham said, "Bury me right here where Job was buried." Said, "Sarah,
I'm going to buy a piece of ground; we're going to be buried right
here."
Isaac was a prophet after his daddy, said, "Listen. Don't you bury me
anywhere else, not down here in Egypt, but you take me right back in
the promised land. You bury me right here."
Jacob died down in the promised land, but said to his son who was a
prophet, said, "You know, one night the Angel touched me on the side
and I've limped ever since. Come, put your hand... (Oh, mercy.) My
prophet son, I'm old and I'm blind; but put your holy hand, being a
prophet yourself, lay it on the place where the Angel had His hand, and
swear to the God of heaven that you'll not bury me down here."
115-193 Blessed
be... Can you see the spiritual revelation of the Word? Why, half of
them didn't... Ninety percent didn't know what he's talking about, but
he knew what he was talking about. "Put your prophet hands on this
place where the Angel laid His hand. I was once a big, stout man, a
robust coward. But He touched me, and since then I've been a limping
man; but I've been a prince ever since I limped. Ever since I changed
my way of walking, I've been a prince. (Yeah.) Put your hand here and
swear by the God of heaven, you'll not bury me here." Why? No one
knowed what he was talking about. Joseph did. He said, "Take me up
yonder and bury me in that promised land." There's where it was at;
certainly.
When Joseph died years later, he said, "Don't you bury me down here,
but you look at my bones when you pass by, 'cause someday you're going
out of here; and when you go, take my bones with you."
115-195 There
you are. Let the world say what they want to, and do what they want to
do. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Keep me in Christ, if I'm called
anything a fanatic or a holy-roller. Someday He's coming and those that
are in Christ will God bring with Him when He comes. It's all a
spiritual revealed Truth laying right there, and it takes a spiritual
mind to catch it. Rest on that through the day; think of it. If you do
without your dinner, think of it.
And tonight, we'll go into His rest, that was left, and see what this
promise is today. What is this thing today? If God hasn't got it here
in the Bible, and prove it, that it's right here now, then I'm a false
prophet. That's exactly right. But it's here. What is this rest?
He said.
Now,
Let us... fear, lest, a promise being left us to enter in just like
they did...
And it's got to be the same promise. It's got to be the same rest. It's
got to be the same God. It's got to be the same signs. It's got to be
the same thing. But let us rest. Now, what is it? May the Lord grant it
to us tonight, while we bow our heads.
116-199 Blessed
Lord, only eternity will reveal the great things that we now share
together. Little is many who are ordained to condemnation. As Thou hast
said in the Book of Jude, that "men of old, foreordained to
condemnation, would take the grace of our God and turn it into
lasciviousness." And many today, are preaching the Gospel (the grace of
God), turn it into a money making scheme, having a great big church and
the most in Sunday school; taking the grace of God and turn it into
lasciviousness. And the world's blind, and going like blind pigs, they
don't understand.
O God, open to us understanding. Let our understanding not be like the
children of this world, for Thou hast said in Thy Word, "that the
children of this world are wiser than the children of the Light." In
the beginning it was so; the children of Cain become great master
scientists. They become great educators. They become workers of
material. They went on progressing, very religious, but was condemned
and drowned in the judgment. And their carcasses floated on the water.
And their souls went to hell.
And Jesus went and spoke to them, when He died. "And went to hell and
preached to the souls that was in prison, that repented not in the
long-suffering, of the days of Noah," saith the Scripture. And God, as
He stood on earth, He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it
be in the coming of the Son of man."
116-202 But we
notice the lineage then of Seth: humble men, real men of God, not
knowing too much of the things of the world, caring nothing for the
things of the world, but had laid aside every weight and had believed
God, and become prophets and great men in the Kingdom. While the
others, the other religious world, laughed at them, made fun of them.
But the hour come when the floods and judgment came.
So was it in the coming of Jesus Christ. How they laughed and made fun
of Him, while they had their own religions and their great churches.
But they made fun of the Morning Star, and they laughed at Him. But yet
they entered into judgment; and when they flee and went into Jerusalem,
there they eat their own children from starvation, and their blood run
out the street gates when they burnt the city and the temple. And their
souls went into hell.
Lord, here we are again, on the third. This is the life time. Three is
the number of life, and here we are ready for the rapture. The church
moving on, the great scientist world... The churches today setting full
of skeptic-believers, tens of thousands with their names on the book
(yes, millions) and would laugh at the Gospel and say that they're
uneducated; they don't know. Maybe that's so, Lord, but what we lack in
education, You make up in grace, by sending Your Angel of Light, by
manifesting His power, confirming the Words to those who are poor and
illiterate as we. But we love You for this, because it's the grace of
God that has did it, and we know that we were born. And we're not
lovely at all; we're very unlovely. But Thou, through grace, reached
down Thy merciful hand and has opened our eyes, as Jesus prayed for us,
as Elijah did for Gehazi, as he looked to see around him. And today our
eyes are open and we see the things of God, and know we're moving at
the end-time, when the Gentile people's days are about finished, and
He'll take a people for His Name. Let us be included there, Lord,
humbly we beg. We pray that You'll grant it.
117-205 Bless us. Bless this little audience this morning. They're made up of all different types of religions and beliefs, but lay them aside today, God. And may they look straight towards Calvary, say, "God, mold me and make me. I'm like the..." The prophet said that he went down to the potters house, that he might be broke up and remolded. Mold us and make us after the fashion that God would have us. No matter if we have to be the floor mat at the House of the Lord. I'd rather be the doormat than to dwell in tents with the wicked. And grant it, Lord. Just bless us now and keep us humble. Let our hearts be open, our minds clear to the things of God, for we ask it in Christ's Name.
117-206 With
our heads bowed, I wonder if someone would want to be remembered in a
word of prayer, for your salvation of your soul? Would you raise your
hand? If there's a sinner? God bless you, young fellow. Someone else?
God bless you back there, sir. God bless you lady. Someone else like to
be remembered in prayer just now for your soul? God bless you, sir,
with your hand up. And God bless you; and you, here. Wonderful. Would
there be another one just before closing? I feel there'd be. God bless
you back there, sir, in the back.
Say, now look, I want to ask you something. I don't want you to think
at all because it's this little tabernacle. I don't want you to think
it's because it's this people. And merciful God, don't think it's
'cause that the Angel of the Lord had His picture taken with me, and
I... and--and something of that... to do that. O God; if I felt that
way, then, brother, I need to be at the altar instead of asking you.
But I'm only saying this; I'm only saying this by the Scripture, that
you'll see that this is the truth. If I said it and that's all there
was to it, went on like any other preacher or something another, or any
other, well then, it would be different. But you see the thing, God
comes right back around and proves that it's the truth. See? That's
what makes it real, is God proving it. And then, not only that, but His
Word says that He'll do it. Here He is doing it.
118-208 Now, if
you're not in the right, your heart's not right with God, would you
just raise your hand? Say "Pray for me." All right, right where you
are. About eight or ten hands has been up, wanting mercy for their
soul. While you have your heads bowed, now you pray. Remember, you're
the one to repent. I'm only asking for you, that God will be merciful.
But that's the altar, God has brought you to a place in your mind;
that's the altar. We believe in coming to the altar, sure; but that
doesn't--that doesn't... It's all right. But your real altar is where
God's met you; and He's met you right where you're setting. That's your
altar.
Now, say, "God, be merciful to me a sinner. And from this day on, if
You'll help me, I'll live for You. I--I'll serve You. I don't care what
anyone says; I'm stepping out this morning. I'm praying right here, and
You take this old sassy spirit away from me. You take this temper away
from me. I know I can't act like that and be right with God. And I got
hatred in my heart. I'm jealous. I got malice. I got this, that. Take
it out, God. I don't want to be like that. Make me sweet, and humble,
and meek. Make me gentle. Make me such a person I could win others to
You. Let me do something for You to show appreciations in my life."
That's the prayer you pray now, while we pray together.
119-210 Heavenly
Father, they're Yours. They're the fruits of the message this morning.
They raised their hands. Something made them do that. They--they defied
the laws of gravitation when they raise their hands. There was a spirit
in them that made a decision. They raised up their hands that they
accepted the Creator Who made them.
Now, heavenly Father, I pray that You'll bless them, and give to them
Eternal Life right now. There's nothing I could do (call them around
the altar, putting them in an extra room, doing all the work); it--it
takes You to do it, Lord. We can't do no more than preach the Word. You
said, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing of the Word, the Word of
God." Now, we've preached the Word, and they've raised their hands that
they believed It. Now, give them Everlasting Life, 'cause You promised
You'd do it. And if they were sincere in raising their hands, they'll
go out of this building this morning a sweet, meek, humble Christian.
Because You've promised it, and Your Words cannot fail. I ask it in
Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
119-212 Now,
I am watching, waiting and longing
For
that bright City, John saw coming down.
In
that bright City, (Worship
now.) pearly
white City,
I
have a mansion, a harp and a crown;
Now,
I am watching, waiting and longing
For
that bright City, John saw coming down.
Don't you just love Him? The message is over now. This is worship. We
don't come to church just to hear a message. We come to worship. Just
forget the person next to you. Just worship Him. Oh, how beautiful, how
wonderful. Just tell Him in your... You don't have to tell Him loud.
Just tell Him in your heart, "I love You, Lord. Forgive me of my sins."
Oh, my.
...
pearly white City,
I
have a mansion, a harp and a crown;
Now,
I am watching, waiting and longing
For
that white City, John saw coming down.
120-213 Now,
Father God, receive us. We are waiting as we're listening at the Word.
Longing, our hearts thirst after Thee, like the hart panteth for the
water brook. Our soul thirsts after Thee, O God, longing and waiting.
Waiting that hour then, when Jesus shall come. Waiting to the time that
we'll be summons to the sky, not to stand before the Judge in judgment;
it's done past. We're dead to the things of the world and is entered
into Christ, and He took our judgment. He's our Attorney now at the
seat of justice, our blessed Attorney, that on our confession, He
pleads our case till we know that we're unworthy. As a dear old sister
this morning said in her testimony, and putting in her pennies, "Since
I come here I learned that it's not my holiness, it's God's holiness."
Truly, Lord, we teach the people, there's nothing good in man, not one
thing. "What is man that Thou art mindful of him?" But it's the grace
of God that's appeared to us. And we trust only in His merits, and not
in our own. And we worship Thee, most holy God, for Thy goodness to
include us in Thy great Kingdom and in Thy great plans. We receive Thee
into our hearts by faith. And by grace, we believe that You've give it
to us for the glory of God, for the service of God.
120-215 Now,
Lord, heal the sick as they come up to be prayed for, this morning.
Give to them that joy, that they long to be well. Let them know that
this little light affliction, was put upon them, is just a little
testing time. God knows all about it. He did it to see what we'd do
about it. How God may they step right out there and claim that finished
work. May You... May they not provoke You by be running here and there,
and in and out, "Well, I don't know this, that..."
Lord, may they take a straight stand, say, "Lord, You was the One Who
saved me. You was the One Who did these things for me. I believe You,
and I'm trusting You today." And I pray that You'll grant this to the
people in Christ's Name. Amen.