E-1 Just remain standing, if you will, while we bow our heads for a word of prayer.

E-2 Dear Heavenly Father, we are grateful tonight for this, another opportunity to come and present this glorious, marvelous Gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank Thee because that He still remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. We thank Thee for these people who have gathered out here in the time of this cold weather, and still with their anticipations great, looking, believing that something extraordinary is going to be given us from God. We come with that hope, Lord, to every meeting. We thank Thee for the services, night before last, at the tabernacle; thank Thee for the service here last evening, and for the service today, at the tabernacle. We're looking forward now what You will have for us tonight. [Hebrews 13:8]

E-3 Father, we know that anyone that's able to move their hands could turn back the pages of the Bible, but there is only One Who can make It live and be real, and that's You. And, Father, we're looking for You to do that tonight. Bless us in every way. Our hearts are so full of joy as we see the time approaching when we're going to meet Him, face to face, the One that we've loved and lived for all these years. [Revelation 22:4]

E-4 Many new converts, Lord, has been made. Understanding that a great host, forty or fifty, is to be baptized in Your Name, in the morning, from the service last night. O God, please continue, we pray, until every predestinated Seed of God has seen the Gospel Light, and has come into the fold. [Acts 2:38], [Romans 6:3]

E-5 We ask You to hide us tonight behind the Word; blind us to the things of the world, and let us see Jesus. May there be a Mount Transfiguration experience among us, tonight, that we see no man save Jesus only. We ask it in His Name, and for His glory and a vindication of His Gospel. Amen.You may be seated. [Matthew 17:1-9], [Mark 9:1-8]

E-6 I'm just going to turn this mike, or this desk, just slightly sideways, if it's all right, so that I can see both sides of the audience. I guess I can get these microphones around here right. All right, just a moment.

E-7 We are greeting, from the main auditorium here tonight, our friends in Arizona, California, Texas, and across the United States, by the way of telephone. This, this is going nation-wide, this service tonight, by the way of telephone, so we trust that God will bless us.

E-8 Can you hear, back over to the--the auditorium to the left? All right, they're going to check now the telephone system, to see if it's working all right.

E-9 Everybody happy tonight? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Say, that's fine! On this side? ["Amen."] Amen. I'm so glad to see that you're all seated comfortably.

E-10 And now tomorrow night, if the crowds keep increasing, they'll also be telephone direct. There is tonight. I think some of them is down there at the tabernacle.

E-11 And, tomorrow morning, the services cannot be had at the tabernacle, because the... there'll be a florist there decorating the church for a wedding tomorrow afternoon. And they have transferred the--the services, in the morning, up to Brother Ruddell's church, one of our associates, and up on the--the highway here, sixty-two. Has it been announced? [Brother Neville says, "Yes."--Ed.] It's been announced. And, if it overflows up there, we'll take the rest and send another minister down to Brother Junior Jackson's, down in Clarksville. The reason we had it at Brother Ruddell's, it's close here, and we can... and we thought you could find that easier. And then we'll take care of it in some way. And be sure to get all those baptisms in for tomorrow, and I hope there'll be another hundred or two added to those for baptism tomorrow. And now tomorrow night... ,

E-12 I never like to announce anything you speak on ahead of time, but one night in the service, or one day, I want to speak on the subject of: Who Is This Melchisedec? Because, it's a--a subject that I think we're living in the time when these revelations, of which has been the question down through the age, of, "Who is this Fellow?" And I believe that God has the answer, Who He was. Some said, "a priesthood," some said, "a king," some... But there's got... [Genesis 14:18], [Psalms 110:4], [Hebrews 5:1-11], [Hebrews 7:1-11, 14-28], [Hebrews 6:20]

E-13 As long as there's a question, there has got to be a answer to that question, which is right. Cannot be a question without first being an answer.

E-14 Now, we trusting that God will give us a blessing tonight out of His Word, as we read It.

E-15 And you've had... Billy told me to tell you that you've sure had fine cooperation with the peoples here that's been in the parking system, the police and everything. Keep it up; that's very, very good.

E-16 We hope to see the time, maybe in the near future, when maybe we could bring the tent here to the city and put it up out here in the ballpark, where we could stay for some length of time, maybe for three or four weeks, revival, constantly. And here we just barely get to know each other, and then we have to say good-bye and we go again. But I'd like to come and stay an extensive trip, one time where you could stay so we don't have to close out in a night or two, but just stay and teach, day and night, day and night, on and on. Maybe somebody go home and feed the chickens, milk the cows, and come back next week and continue on with the service. I--I like that. So the Lord be with you.

E-17 Now, before Ileave, perhaps Sunday morning or Sunday night, or sometime, one ofthese services, I know you're all waiting to hear the Message on theTruth about Marriage And Divorce, which is one of the great problems ofthe day. And I'm just as sure as I'm standing here, I believe that thecorrect answer is in the Word of God, and I believe that that's what Ipromised to come back for. [Matthew 5:31-32], [Mark 10:2-12], [Matthew 19:3-12]

E-18 And I suppose, knowingly, as far as I know, I want to have another service here in Jeffersonville, on Easter Sunday, and we'll... for sunrise service, and then Easter Sunday. So we'll announce it ahead and try maybe to get the auditorium, if possible, or somewhere, for Sunday, maybe come Saturday and Sunday. Have to fly in and back out, because it's near the time... I have to check it, first, with the schedule I have, and one of my--my--my itinerary in California. And then, immediately after that, I've got to go down in to--to Africa. So keep in touch and pray for us.

E-19 Now, tonight, Iwant to call your attention to a portion of God's Word, found in the4th chapter of Saint Luke. The 4th chapter and the 16th verse, it will begin, Jesus speaking....
This day is this Word fulfilled in your ears. [Luke 4:16-21]

E-20 Now we want to draw, from That, a conclusion of how dynamic is the Word of God! Now, we all can figure out the mechanics, but it takes the Dynamics to make It work. [Romans 8:11]

E-21 We can figure out what the mechanics of a machine, automobile, but then it takes the dynamics to make the wheels go to operating and moving.

E-22 Now, Jesus hadreturned to--to Nazareth, where He was brought up. On down in theScriptures here, we find that they said, "We heard You didsuch-and-such over in Capernaum. Now let us see You do it here in YourOwn country." [Luke 4:16]

E-23 Jesus said, "A--a prophet is not without honor except in his own country." And, course, that's where you're brought up at, and where people know you. And there He had a--a--a bad name, to begin with, by Him being born without an earthly father. They called Him "an illegitimate child," that Mary was actually pregnant before she married, officially, Joseph. But, that isn't so, we know it isn't so. [Matthew 13:57]

E-24 And on this Scripture, what caused me to fall my eyes upon this, was something that happened just recently in Phoenix, Arizona. It was the last day, of the service that I was to speak at the International Convention of the Full Gospel Business Men.

E-25 And in this convention there was a visitor with us, which was a Catholic bishop, which is--is of "the Chaldean Rites of the Apostolic Catholic church; the Most Rev. John S. Stanley, O.S.D." He is "the archbishop of metropolitan United States," in the Catholic church. This happened to be his card and his--and his address.

E-26 And he was a visitor with the Christian Business Men, and I had seen him there, the day before. And when I was speaking on Saturday night, I believe it was, or Saturday morning at the breakfast, and I... As I was speaking, he kept watching me. I thought, "That man certainly is disagreeing with everything I say." And, you know, you could--you could just see him; he would keep his head up-and-down, but I didn't know what was just exactly working on him.

E-27 So on Sunday afternoon, when I got up to speak, I was going to take my text on Birth Pains, where Jesus said, that, "As a woman in travail with a child," she is travailing in birth. And so I was going to speak from there, as, Birth Pains, the subject, saying that the world is in birth pains now. The old has to be done away with, so the new can be born; just like a--a seed has to rot away, in order to give new life. [John 16:21]

E-28 And how the pains, birth pains struck the world! In World War One, she had a terrific pain, because they had poison gas, and so forth, that almost could destroy the world. And in World War Two, she struck another, harder pain; they had blockbusters, and also an atomic bomb. She cannot stand another labor pain. With these missiles and things today, one more war will throw her out into space, for she will now be delivered. And there will be a new earth. The Bible said there will be. [II Peter 3:13], [Revelation 21:1]

E-29 Under every prophet's Message, Israel got a birth pain, because that these prophets would come on the scene after the theologians and clergymen would have the church all in a organization form. And when them prophets come on the scene with THUS SAITH THE LORD, they shook them churches, and she had a birth pain. Finally, she had birth pains plumb on up until she delivered a Son of the Gospel, which was the Word Itself made flesh. [John 1:14]

E-30 So the church really is in birth pains tonight, again, for the deliverance of the Son, Son of God to come again. All of our theologians, all of our systems, all of our denominations, has rotted right out from under us. So we are in birth pain, and a Message from God always throws the church in heavier pain, but after a while she is going to be delivered of a Bride. That'll bring forth Jesus Christ to His Bride. [John 16:21]

E-31 And, then, thinking this man had disagreed with me so much. When I'd raised up to speak this Message, I turned in my Bible, to find the page.

E-32 And my wife had just given me a new Bible, for Christmas. My old Bible is about fifteen years old, and the thing was just about tore to pieces. The pages, every time it'd open up, would fly out of it. And, but I knowed just where to find every Scripture, so I study close in that Bible. And I just picked up the new one, because the other one looked so ragged, to go to church with.

E-33 And when I started to turn over in Saint John, where the Scripture was found, I started to read the 16th chapter, and the verse that I was looking for wasn't there. So I thought, "Strange!" I turned back again; still it wasn't there.

E-34 And Brother Jack Moore, from Shreveport, Louisiana, a bosom friend of mine, he was sitting there. I said, "Brother Jack, isn't that found in Saint John 16?"
He said, "Yes."

E-35 And this Catholic priest got up out of his seat, from about a hundred clergymen sitting on the platform; walked over close to me, with all of his robes and gowns and crosses, and so forth, and got right up close to me. And he said, "My son, be steady. God is fixing to move."
I thought, "A Catholic bishop telling me that?"
He said, "Read it out of my Book." [Luke 4:21]

E-36 And I read the Scripture out of his Book, and took my text and went on, preached my sermon. [Luke 4:17, 21]

E-37 Afterwards, when I got through, he got up after I was gone, and said, "There is one thing has to happen. After that, the church has to get out of the mess that it's in, or we have to get out of the mess the church is in." So, one or the other.

E-38 And I was on my road home, back down to Tucson, that evening. The kids was crying for a sandwich, and I stopped to get a sandwich at a little stand. And my wife said, "Bill, I never was so nervous in all my life, to see you standing up there fumbling through that Bible." Said, "Didn't it make you nervous?"

E-39 I said, "Nope." I said, "I knowed it was in there somewhere. They just didn't have the page in. It's a misprint."

E-40 And she said, "To think, that I got you that Bible! Looked like every eye in there was right upon me."

E-41 And I said, "Well, you couldn't help that. That was a misprint in the Bible." I said, "They just never put the page in."

E-42 Well, I got down and looked at it again, just perfect as it could be; but the 16th chapter ends, portion, the portion of it just about three inches from the bottom, over at the 17th chapter on the other side, does the same thing. And, being a new Bible, those two pages had perfectly stuck together, and I was reading from the 17th chapter instead of the 16th. "Well," I said, "that's all fine. It's for some cause."

E-43 And just as plain as you could hear any voice, a Voice come to me, and said, "He entered into Nazareth, to where He was brought up at; and went into the synagogue, as it was His custom. And the priest gave Him the Scriptures to read, and He read Isaiah 61. And when He had read the Scriptures, He set down; handed the priest back the Bible, the Book, and sat down. And all the eyes of the congregation was upon Him. And precious Words proceeded from His mouth. And He said, 'This day this Scripture is fulfilled.'""This day this Scripture is fulfilled." [Luke 4:21]

E-44 How accurate is the Scripture! If you'll notice this in Isaiah 61:1 to 2, is where our Lord was reading from, Isaiah 61:1 to 2. But in the middle of the 2nd verse of Isaiah 61, He stopped. Where it said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; to preach the acceptable year," then He stopped. Why? The other part, to bring judgment, didn't apply to His first coming, but His second Coming. See, it didn't apply there. How the Scriptures never make a mistake! They are always perfect. Jesus stopped just where the Scripture stopped, 'cause that was exactly what was to be vindicated in His day, now, in that first coming. The second Coming He will bring judgment upon the earth; but not then. He was "to preach the acceptable year." [Isaiah 61:1, 2], [Revelation 14:7]

E-45 Notice the Messiah standing in the platform, to identify Himself with the Word of promise for that age. How strange, the Messiah standing up before the church! And look at these precious Words, when He says here, "To preach the acceptable year." [Isaiah 61:2]

E-46 "The acceptable year," as we all know, as Bible readers, was "the year of jubilee." That, when all slaves and prisoners, as they were, been taken, prison; and had to give a son, to pay a debt; or a daughter, to pay a debt, [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] and they were in bondage. No matter how long they had been in bondage, or how long they was supposed to stay there; when the year come, of the jubilee, when the trumpet sounded, every man could go free if he wanted to go free. [Blank.spot.on.tape.] You're free. You was no more slave. [Leviticus 25:9-13], [Ephesians 3:2]

E-47 But if you desired to remain a slave, then you had to be taken down to the temple, stood by the temple post, and they took an awl and bored a hole in your ear, and then you had to serve that slave master the rest of your days. [Exodus 21:6]

E-48 What a perfect example it is of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! When It's preached, the acceptable time, and the time of Jubilee; anybody, no matter who you are, what color you are, what denomination you belong to, how it's far you've stooped in sin, or what's wrong with you; you can go free when you hear the Gospel trumpet sound out. You are free! [John 8:32-33, 36]

E-49 But if you turn your back upon the Message and refuse to hear It, notice, you were bored in the ear, with an awl. That means, to say, that you have crossed the line between grace and judgment, and you will never hear the Gospel again. You'll never get any further. You must be a slave to the system you're in, the rest of your days, if you refuse to hear the acceptable year. [Psalms 95:7-8], [Hebrews 3:15]

E-50 Now, the other part of it, as I said, didn't need to be answered, because this coming Messiah, a time now, is when He will bring judgment. [Romans 2:6], [John 12:47-48]

E-51 Now, how could those people ever fail to see Who He was? How did they ever miss it? How could it be, when it was so plainly made known and showed? How could they have ever missed seeing? When He... [Luke 24:27, 31, 45]

E-52 What a Word! Think of it, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled before your eyes." Who said it? God Himself, Who is the interpreter of His Own Word. "This day is this Scripture fulfilled." The Messiah, Himself, standing in the presence of the congregation and reading a Word out of the Bible, pertaining to Himself, and then saying, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled," and they still failed to see It. [Luke 4:21]

E-53 What a tragedy that that would be, but it's happened. It's happened many times. How could it happen? Of course, like it did in other times, by believing man's interpretation of the Word. That's what caused it. Those believers in them days, so-called believers, was taking the interpretation of what the priest had said about the Scripture. Therefore Jesus, not belonging to any of their ranks or their societies, He was excommunicated from their company.

E-54 And, therefore, they could not identify Him with them, because He was different from them. The Person of Jesus Christ was so unique that no one should have missed seeing that that was the Son of God, because He was the perfect identification of the Scripture that was wrote of Him.

E-55 That's the way any Christian is known, when his life identifies the very things that's the Christian is supposed to do.

E-56 How He could stand there and say, "This day this Scripture is fulfilled right before your eyes!" How outstanding, how so plainly, and yet those people misunderstood. Why? Is because they took the interpretation of some order of priests that they were listening to. [Luke 4:21]

E-57 And history always repeats itself. And Scripture has a compound meaning to It, and a compound revelation.

E-58 For instance, like it says in the Bible, that, "Out of Egypt I have called my son," referring to Jesus. Run the margin on that, and you find out, also referred to Jacob, same Scripture. Jesus was His greater Son. Jacob was His son that He called out of Egypt, which the Scofield reference and all other references give to it, because that's the Scripture it was referring to. So it had a--a double answer; it had a answer to Jacob called out, and to Jesus called out. [Matthew 2:15]

E-59 And so is it today! Is because that we're in such a turmoil as we are, and people fail to see the Truth of God, is because there is too many man-made interpretations of God's Word. God don't need nobody to interpret His Word. He is His Own interpreter.

E-60 God said, in the beginning, "Let there be light," and there was light. That doesn't need an interpretation. [Genesis 1:3]

E-61 He said, "A virgin shall conceive," and she did. That doesn't need any interpretation.

E-62 When, God's interpretation of His Word is when He vindicates and proves It to be so. That's His interpretation, by making it come to pass. That's where God's interpretation is, is when He makes His Word come to pass. He is interpreting It to you.

E-63 Like if there had never been light, and He said, "Let there be light," and there was, that don't need anybody to interpret.

E-64 But we get man-made systems mixed into It, and, when you do, you--you get It out of line. It's always been that way.

E-65 But I still think of how striking it must have been. Think of it, the Messiah! Why did they fail to see Him? Because, their very leaders that ought to have knowed Him, that ought to have been versed in the Scripture, that ought to have been understanding of the Scriptures, they belittled this Man and said, "He's a illegitimate child, to--to begin with. We wouldn't believe That."

E-66 Years later, we don't believe that. We would die for the purpose to say that He was a virgin-born Son.

E-67 And it'll come to pass someday that, the very things that we see Jehovah doing today, men in the ages to come, if there is, will die for the thing that we're talking about today. You'll have to do it when the mark of the beast comes on, and you're not allowed to preach the Gospel this way. When the great union of churches comes together, which is in order right now for the world church, you'll have to seal your testimony with your own life, to This.

E-68 You must believe It now. If those priests could rise up, that condemned Him, would not condemn Him. "But," you say, "if I'd have been there, I would have done so-and-so." Well, that wasn't your age. But, this is your age, this is the time.
You say, "Well, if He was here!"

E-69 The Bible said, "He's the same yesterday, today, and forever," the same, so He is here. But, He's here. As the world has civilized, become greater, and educated more; He's here in the Spirit form, which they cannot kill or put to death. He died once; He cannot die again. He had to be made flesh in order for God to be put to death in the flesh, for sin. But this time He could never die; It's the Holy Spirit.

E-70 Now, how to think that they had them things against Him! Another thing, that He would not join any of their ranks. Then, you see, that still made Him a bad person. He wouldn't join their--their organizations, wouldn't join their priesthood, and He wouldn't have nothing to do with it. And then, besides all that, He tried to tear down what they had built up.

E-71 He went into the temple. We call Him a meek Man; He was, but many times we misunderstand what meekness is.

E-72 He was a Man of compassion, but yet we fail sometime to understand what compassions is. Not human sympathy, isn't compassion. But, compassion, is, "doing the will of God."

E-73 He passed through the pool of--of Bethesda, the gate. There laid people, multitudes of them. Multitudes is no certain number. But there laid multitudes; lame, blind, halt, withered. And He had compassion on the people, always. And He went to one person that was not lame, blind, halt, nor withered; maybe had a prostrate trouble, maybe he had some little infirmity that was retarded. He had it thirty-eight years. It wasn't going to bother him, wasn't going to kill him. He was lying on a pallet. And He said, "Wilt thou be made whole?" [John 5:3]

E-74 And the man said, "I have nobody to put me in the water, but while I'm coming, well, someone steps down ahead of me." See, he could walk, he could see, he could get around, but he was just feeble. [John 5:7]

E-75 And Jesus said to him, "Rise up. Take up your bed and go to your house." And Jesus was questioned on that, for you remember the Scripture said this.

E-76 No wonder! If He would come to Jeffersonville tonight and make an act like that, they would still talk about Him.

E-77 But, remember, He came to do one thing, was the will of God. Now, that's found in Saint John 5:19, you'll get the answer. He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself; but what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son." [John 5:19]

E-78 Now, they ought to have knowed that that was the very vindication of the prophecy of Moses, "For the Lord your God shall raise up a Prophet likened unto me." [Deuteronomy 18:15]

E-79 Did you notice, when He seen the man, He said... Jesus knew that he had been in this condition for many years. See, being a Prophet, He saw that man in that condition; and went down there and waved--waved His way around through those people, mincing through the crowd, until He found that certain man.

E-80 Passed by the lame, halt, blind, and withered, yet a Man full of compassion. But, compassion, is, "doing the will of God."

E-81 Now, we find Him, as He would not join up with them, He would not have nothing to do in their ranks, then He was an outcast. He would not have any...

E-82 Besides that, He went into the temple one day. A Man went in there and found the house of God just about contaminated as it is today. They were buying, selling, changing money. And He turned over the money tables; took ropes and plaited them, and beat the moneychangers out of the temple. And looked upon them with anger, and said, "It's written," hallelujah, "My Father's house is a house of prayer; and you've made it a den of thieves. And you, with your traditions, has made the commandments of God of none effect." [Matthew 21:13]

E-83 Oh, could a bunch like that ever believe in Him? No, sir. They had been so hog-wallowed in the muck of societies and filth of the day, until they were so ecclesiastical froze up until they couldn't feel the vibrations of the Power of Almighty God. No wonder the little woman could touch His garment and get healed by It; and a drunken soldier could spit in His face and feel no virtue! Depends on how you approach It. Depends on what you're looking for. When you go to church, it depends on what you're looking for. [Matthew 9:20], [Matthew 26:67]

E-84 Now we see Him standing there. No doubt but what the people had already warned him, warned, the priest had warned the people, "Now He's coming over here next Sabbath, and, when He does, don't you listen to Him. Now, you might go and sit here, but don't pay no attention to what He says, because He don't belong to our group. He's an outcast. He has no fellowship card. He don't even have an organ-... an organization paper with him. He doesn't have nothing like that."
"What is He?"

E-85 "Some renegade boy that was born down here, illegitimate birth, by a carpenter's home, that a mother conceived Him before they were married, and they're trying to hide the thing up with some supernatural thing.

E-86 "We know that, when the Messiah cometh, He'll come down the corridors of Heaven and go to our high priest and say, 'Here I am, Caiaphas.'" But we find out that He didn't do it that way, because it wasn't written in the Word that way. It was a man-made tradition that caused them to believe that.

E-87 The Word had said that He would come just the way He come. And there He stood, reading the Word, and saying to them, "This day this Scripture is fulfilled in your eyes." And still they fail to see Him or recognize Him, like they did in all other ages.

E-88 Noah could have said the same thing, the day that he entered into the ark and the door closed. Moses could have raised that window in the top of the ark, looked out upon the congregation... Remember, God closed the door. And he could have said, "This day this Scripture is fulfilled in your eyes," but it was too late for them then. He had preached a hundred and twenty years, to try to get them into that boat that he had built, telling them that the Scripture said, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, it's going to rain," but they waited too long. But Noah could a easily said that, "Today, this day, the Scripture is fulfilled." [Luke 4:21]

E-89 Moses, the same day that the Pillar of Fire come down on Mount Sinai and give witness to his testimony, Moses could have said, "This day this Scripture is fulfilled." [Exodus 19:20]

E-90 Moses, you know, was a called man of God, a prophet. And while he was being called, being a prophet, he had to have a supernatural experience. In order to be a prophet, he had to meet God face to face and talk with Him. And another thing, what he said had to come to pass, or no one would have believed him.

E-91 So no man has a right to call himself thus until he's talked face to face with God, on a back side of a desert somewhere, where he met God, himself. And all the atheists in the world could not explain it away from him; he was there, he know it happened. Every Christian should have that experience before they say anything about being a Christian. Your own experience!

E-92 I talked to my nephew, a while ago, a little Catholic boy, that said, "Uncle Bill, I've run from pillar to post, going everywhere, trying to find something." Night after night, before this meeting started, he has been crying. And at nighttime, he's been dreaming dreams of coming in, running up to the altar, where preaching, and making a confession that he's been wrong.

E-93 I said, "Melvin, no matter where you try to go, how many churches you join, how many 'Hail Mary's, you say, or how many blessings you get from man, you've got to be born again of the Spirit of God. It's the only thing that'll satisfy the human heart." [John 3:3]

E-94 That's, I know they got a substitute, today, of being born again, just shake hands with the preacher and put your name on the book. But, friends, that is a dogma. It's not a Bible Truth. If it would, the Acts of the Apostles, in the 2nd chapter, would have to read like this, "When the Day of Pentecost was fully come, the pastor walked out and shook hands with the people." [Acts 2:1]

E-95 But said, "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come," at the inauguration of the Church, "there came a sound from Heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting." That's how the Holy Spirit come the first time. That's how It's come every time since that time. He is God, and changes not. Now, It stumbles people.
They say, "That was for another day."

E-96 Well, He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Every time the Church ever received the Holy Ghost, It's always come like He did the first time, under the same prescription, Acts 2:38; never has changed, never will change. [Hebrews 13:8]

E-97 Like a doctor's prescription for a disease. He'll write out a prescription for a disease, the doctor does. And take it to some quack druggist, and he puts too much of the antidote in it, it's so weak it won't do you any good; if he puts too much of the poison in it, it'll kill you. It's got to be wrote just according to the doctor.

E-98 And the doctor's prescription on how to receive the Holy Ghost is given to us by Doctor Simon Peter, on the Day of Pentecost. "I'll give you a prescription. Repent, every one of you, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the prescription is to them that's far off, and even as in many as the Lord our God shall call. The Eternal prescription! [Acts 2:38]

E-99 Moses had had this experience. He went down into the country and he began to tell the people, "I met a Pillar of Fire. It was in a burning bush. And He told me to tell you. 'I AM THAT I AM. Go down; I'll be with you. Take up the stick in your hand and hold it up over Egypt; whatever you ask, it'll be done.'"Well, probably some priest said, "Nonsense!" [Exodus 3:14]

E-100 But when they seen the real facts of this, take, come to pass, they couldn't hold it any longer. They knowed he was sent of God.

E-101 Then, if Moses said he saw that, and testified to it to be the Truth, then God is obligated, if that is the Truth, to identify and vindicate that man's word, the Truth. That's true.

E-102 If Jesus Christ stood there and read, that day, "This day is this Word fulfilled before you," God is obligated to make that Word come to pass.

E-103 We stand here tonight and say, that, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." God is obligated to prove that to be so, because It's His Word. Now, what does it do? It takes faith, in believing It. Takes faith, in believing His Word, that It is the Truth.

E-104 Notice what come to pass when Moses brought the children out, and all those that followed him. Those who did not follow stayed in Egypt. But those who followed Moses, when they come out of the Red Sea and got out into the wilderness, God came down upon Mount Sinai. That Pillar of Fire set the whole mountain on fire, and a Voice spoke out of there, and God gave the ten commandments. [Exodus 19:20]

E-105 Moses could have walked up there before the people, and say, "This day the Scripture that I have told you, as His prophet, comes to pass this day. I've told you that God met me, and up there in a burning bush, in a Pillar of Fire, and He said this, 'I'll... This will be a sign. You'll bring them people right back to this place here again.' And there is God, in the same Pillar of Fire I told you He was in, hanging right yonder on the mountain. This day this prophecy is fulfilled. Here He is to vindicate that the things that I have said is the Truth."

E-106 God give us more man like that, that's honest and sincere, and tell the Truth, that God Almighty could vindicate that His Word is still Truth! He remains the same yesterday, and ever. Why wouldn't He do it? He promised to do it.

E-107 Joshua might have said the same, the day that he come back to Kadesh-barnea, where they had journeyed so far in the wilderness. They were doubting the land being the kind of land that God said it would be. But God told them it was a good land, it was flowing with milk and honey. And Joshua and Caleb was the only two that would believe it, out of the other ten that left. When they come back, they had the evidence; they had a bunch of grapes that two strong man could only carry.

E-108 Joshua and Caleb could have stood right there and said, "This day this Scripture is fulfilled. Here is the evidence that it is a good land." Sure. Why? "There is the evidence that it's a good land. Where'd you ever get such things as that, in Egypt? There was no such places. But this day this Scripture is fulfilled."

E-109 He could have said the thing, same, when he prophesied and said the walls of Jericho would fall down after they had marched around seven times, seven days, seven times a day. And when they marched around that last time, the walls fell down. Joshua could have stood up and said, "This day, the Chief Captain of the host of the Lord that told me weeks ago that it would happen like this, this day this Scripture is fulfilled." There laid the walls, flat on the ground. "Come on, let's go take it. It belongs to us. This day this Scripture is fulfilled." [Joshua 6:15]

E-110 How wonderful, man of God has stood for the things that's right!

E-111 Israel, at the river, when they possessed the land, went over. How they going to do it? It's the month of April. The floods are coming down because the snow is melting, up in Judaea. Oh, what a poor general it seemed like that God was, to bring His people there, in the month of April, when the Jordan was higher back than it ever was. Sometimes...

E-112 I might could stop here, if I had time, to give you just a little tip. Sometimes you may be setting out there with cancer, or you might be setting with a disease; you think, "Why, me, being a Christian, would be in this a way? Why would I be sitting like this, if I'm a Christian?" Sometimes God lets the things get so dark that you can't see up, around, or anywhere else, and then He comes and makes a way through it for you, that you might say, "This day this Scripture is being fulfilled, that He promised to do."

E-113 He let the Hebrew children walk right into the fiery furnace. They said, "Our God is able to deliver us from this fire in the furnace. But, nevertheless, we'll not bow down to your image." When they walked out of there, the smell of the furnace upon them... no smell of the furnace, rather, upon them; they could have said, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled." [Daniel 3:17-18]

E-114 When Daniel come from the lions' den, he could have said the same thing.

E-115 John the Baptist. After four hundred years of ecclesiastical teaching, no wonder that church was in a mess at that time! When he appeared in the wilderness, the Jordan, he could have stood right there on the bank, as he did, and say, "This day this Scripture, Isaiah 40, is fulfilled." [Isaiah 40:3]

E-116 How I could stop here and tell you what that old priest told me! Said, "Son, you never finished that Message."I said, "Keep still."He said, "You mean them Pentecostals don't see that?"I said, "No." [Daniel 6:16]

E-117 He said, "I see it." And a Catholic priest, too! Uh-huh. He said, "Why didn't you go on?"
I said, "Keep still."
He said, "Glory to God! I see it."

E-118 And about that time the Holy Ghost fell on his sister, setting out there in the meeting. And she raised up, speaking in unknown tongues, and gave the interpretation of the very thing that the priest and I were talking about, on the platform. The whole church, the whole place, went into a roar. Carried on over into Oral Robert's convention last week, or week before last, and was the talk of the convention. How that that priest... Setting under the Holy Spirit, revealed out there through a woman, his sister I believe it was, of what was taking place up there on the platform, and revealed that thing that we were hiding.

E-119 The hour that we're living, this day this Scripture is fulfilled. This day the evening Lights have come, and we fail to see It. Notice.

E-120 John said, "This day I am 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness,' as said the prophet Isaiah. Prepare the way for the Lord!" [John 1:23]

E-121 They didn't understand it. Say, "Oh, you're Jesus... you're--you're the Christ," rather.

E-122 He said, "I am not the Christ." He said, "I'm not worthy to loose His shoes. But," he said, "He is standing among you, somewhere," for he was sure that He would be there. He would be in his day, 'cause God told him he was to introduce the Messiah. [John 1:27]

E-123 One day a young Man's come walking down through there, and he seen like a Light over the top of Him, a sign. And he cried out, "Behold the Lamb of God! This day this Scripture is fulfilled before you." Sure. [John 1:29], [Luke 4:21]

E-124 At the Day of Pentecost, how Peter stood up and quoted their Scripture, of Joel 2:38. When, they was all laughing, those people. They couldn't talk in their own language. They were jabbering off something else. The Bible said, "Cloven tongues." Cloven is a "parted" tongue, not saying nothing, just a jabbering. Running around like a bunch of drunk people! [Acts 2:3]

E-125 They all said, "Well, these people are drunk. Look at them, look how they're acting, how them women and man. They're disorderly," said that religious group of that day.

E-126 Peter stood up in the midst of them, said, "Man and brethren, you that dwell in Jerusalem, and you that dwell in Judaea, let it be known unto you that these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it's the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoke of by the prophet Joel, 'It'll come to pass in the last days, I'll pour out My Spirit upon all flesh.' This day this Scripture was fulfilled." Certainly. , [Acts 2:14], [Joel 2:28]

E-127 Luther was right on time. Wesley was right on time. Pentecost was right on time. Nothing out of the order.

E-128 Now I ask you to consider the age and time we now live in, with the promised Word for today. If back in other ages, man could say, "this day this Scripture," "this day this Scripture," then what about the Scripture for this day? What's promised for this day? Where are we standing? What hour are we living; when the clock is beating, the scientific clock, three minutes before midnight? World has got the jitters. The church is in a bed of corruption. There nobody knows where they're standing. What time of day is it? What about the Scripture for this day? The conditions of the church, or, the conditions of the church today!

E-129 In the world, politics, our world system, is just as rotten as it can be. I'm not a politician. I'm a Christian. But, I ain't got no business talking about politics, but I just want to say they're rotten on both sides.

E-130 I voted once, that was for Christ; I got to win. The devil voted against me, and Christ voted for me; depends on which way I cast my vote. I'm glad I cast it on Him; let the world say what they want to. I still believe that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He'll prove it. He certainly will. Certainly.
The increase in crime, juvenile delinquency!

E-131 Look at our nation, once the flower of the earth. Our great democracy was formed back there in--in the... at the declaration of independence. And declaration of independence was signed, and we had a democracy. And our great forefathers, and the things that they done; we had a great nation.

E-132 But she is now rottening, and crumbling, and shaking, and giving away. And trying to tax people, to get money to send over yonder, to buy friendship with their enemies; they're throwing it back in our face. One world war, two world war, and still moving on to a third one. Certainly. Politics is rotten, corrupted, rotten to the bottom. Just exactly what Matthew 24 said it would be, "Nation would be against nation, kingdom against kingdom." All these things would take place. Let's consider this now. All right. [Matthew 24:7]

E-133 Notice another, the increase in scientific research. Now, one time, just a... My grandfather went to see my grandmother, in an ox cart. Now it's a jet plane, or even an orbit into the air, into outer space. Its great... How, who said this? Daniel 12:4, said, "Knowledge shall increase in the last days." We see the hour we're living. Notice now the--the conditions of the world, the condition of science.

E-134 And notice again, today, in our educational system. Now don't try to deny this. I've got the newspaper clippings, teaching sex in our chur-... in our schools, of young students to have sexual affairs with one another and see if they can mate in the world. Yes, sir.

E-135 How about in our priesthood? Tonight I got a piece out of the paper. Over in Los Angeles, California, of where a bunch of clergymen, Baptist and Presbyterians, ministers, brought a bunch of homosexuals in and practiced homosexual, saying they was trying to win them to God. When, that's one of the curses of the hour, a Sodomite! And the law even arrested them. [Genesis 19:4]

E-136 Then where we at? Our whole system has rottened out from under us. I seen the increase in homosexual across the United States has increased twenty or thirty percent over last year. Think of that, man living with man, just exactly like they did in Sodom.

E-137 Increase in crime, juvenile delinquency! What hour are we living? This day this Word of prophecy is fulfilled.

E-138 The religious world, the church itself, the church, the called-out church, that we call the called-out church, the last church age, the Pentecostal church age, where is it? It's in Laodicea, as the Scripture said. [Revelation 3:14]

E-139 Today they've let down the bars. Their women are half dressed. Their man are... It's a horrible thing. Some of them married three or four times, on deacon boards, and everything else. They've let down, and brought in corruption, because they've set in councils and took the place with the world.

E-140 And, today, they got better buildings than they ever had. Some place, one of them is building a fifty-million-dollar auditorium, fifty million dollar. Pentecostals! It used to be down on the corner, twenty-five years ago, beating a tambourine. Said, "We..."

E-141 Because, the Scripture said, in Revelations 3, that you are "'Rich,' said, 'I'm rich. I sit as a queen. I have need of nothing.' And knowest thou not that thou are wretched, miserable, poor, naked, blind, and don't know it!" [Revelation 3:17]

E-142 This day this Scripture is fulfilled in your eyes. Amen! Amen means "so be it." I'm not amening myself, but I mean I believe It's the Truth. This day this Scripture is fulfilled.

E-143 The Pentecostal church is in a Laodicean condition. Oh, they still jump and holler, and carry on when the music is beating. When the music stops beating, or the beatnik music some of them play and calling it Christianity, and whenever that stops, all the glory is gone. See?

E-144 If it's a real praise of God, there isn't enough whistles and enough--enough power in the world to stop it. When it really comes from God, it don't take music to be beat up. It takes the Spirit of God to come down on it. That's what does it.

E-145 And they've long forgot It, because they've classed the gift of the Holy Ghost, "initial evidence of speaking in tongues." And I heard devils and witches speak in tongues.

E-146 The Holy Ghost is the Word of God in you, that identifies Itself by accepting that Word. Outside of that, it can't be the Holy Ghost. If it says it's the Holy Spirit, and denies one Word of that Bible, it cannot be the Holy Spirit. That's the evidence whether you believe or not.

E-147 Notice another great sign. The Jews are in their homeland; their own nation, their own money, a member of the United Nations. They got their own army. They got everything. They're in their homeland; which, Jesus said, "Learn a parable of the fig tree." There they are, right back in their nation. This day this Scripture is fulfilled, the Jews in their homeland. [Matthew 24:32]

E-148 This day this Scripture is fulfilled, the Laodicea Church Age.

E-149 This day this Scripture, Matthew 24, is fulfilled. The world is in a corruption, the whole thing; nations against nations, earthquakes in divers places, great whirlwinds coming down, shaking the nations, and so forth, great disasters everywhere. This day this Scripture is fulfilled. [Matthew 24:7]

E-150 Now we found out the condition of the world. We see where the church normal, normal... Organization, denomination, we see where they are. We see where the nations are. And we see that this day these promises is fulfilled.

E-151 Now, but in this day there is to come a super, Royal Seed of Abraham. That's exactly what It'd be, would be a Royal Bride to the Royal, promised Son. As I spoke last night, it won't be a natural seed, it'll be a spiritual Seed. There is to be a spiritual Bride raise up, which will be the Royal Seed of the royal Faith of Abraham's Royal Son. She is to come on the scene in the last days, and the time and the place is a promise that's given to Her. [Galatians 3:16]

E-152 According to Malachi 4, a Scripture, there is to rise a Message that will shake the hearts of the people right back to the apostolic fathers again. There is to rise one on the scene, in the power of Elijah, that'll rise on the scene; a wilderness man that'll come out, and will have a Message that'll run right straight back to the Word again. That's the hour that we're living in. [Malachi 4:5-6]

E-153 Then, consider now, I ask you at this hour, you people here of Jeffersonville. In 1933, the supernatural Light that fell down yonder on the river, that day when I was baptizing five hundred in the Name of Jesus Christ, as about a twenty-year-old boy. What did It say, Jeffersonville? What was It at the foot of Spring Street there, when the Courier Journal, I believe it was the Louisville Herald, packed the article of It? It went plumb across the Associated Press, plumb into Canada. Doctor Lee Vayle cut it out of the paper, way up in Canada, in 1933.

E-154 When I was baptizing my seventeenth person, under this Witness; and you know the rest of the story. And when I was standing there, baptizing the seventeenth person, a Light come down from Heaven, shining down above there, like a Star falling from the Heaven. A Voice said, "As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of Christ, your Message shall forerun His second Coming, into all the world." This day this Scripture is fulfilled.

E-155 [Congregation is rejoicing--Ed.] This day! [Congregation is greatly rejoicing and praising God.] God promised it. What happened? This day It's went around the world.

E-156 And when God came down there and said that, when I was a little boy, in a burning bush, or a bush up there, on fire with a Pillar of Fire, up here at Wathen's place on the Utica Pike; packing water back there, from that barn to a moonshine still, you know the truth of it. He said, "Don't you never smoke, or drink, or defile your body, for there's a work for you to do when you get older." I testify to that being the Truth, that I saw It. And God, as He did with Moses, spoke out before the congregation down yonder, and said, "This is the Truth."
This day this Scripture is fulfilled in the midst of us.

E-157 Watch what He said about the discernment, and how it would be; from laying hands upon them, to knowing the secret of the heart. This day this Scripture is fulfilled before our very eyes.

E-158 These promises that was made, notice, all these promises had been vindicated and fulfilled by the God of the promise. Look, hanging in Washington, D.C., tonight, the picture of the Angel of the Lord!

E-159 As George J. Lacy, the head of the FBI fingerprint and document for the United States government, examined It from Houston, Texas, and said, "This is the only supernatural Being was ever photographed in all the world." He ought to know; he's the best that's in the world, for it.

E-160 Notice, there It hangs, as the Truth, the same Pillar of Fire that led Israel back yonder at the wilderness. It's leading today, the same kind of a Message, of, "Come up out of Egypt!"...?... This day this Scripture is fulfilled. You know the Message that He said.

E-161 Look at the vision of Tucson, three years ago, when standing up here on the lane. When, five years before that, He said, "The day that the city drives a stake down in front of that gate, turn yourself towards the West." My tabernacle folks that's here, knows that prop-... that--that time. That's right.

E-162 And the day that Mr. Goynes and them was up there, and drove that stake down, I said to the wife, "There is something about this."
She said, "What is it?"
And I went in and looked in my little book. There it was.

E-163 And that next morning, at ten o'clock, sitting in there, my room there, about ten o'clock, the Angel of the Lord came down. He said, "Go to Tucson. You'll be northeast of Tucson, and there will come seven Angels in a cluster that will shake the whole earth around you." And said, "It'll be told you from there."

E-164 How many remembers that, here, way before it happened? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] There is men sitting right here in this building tonight, was standing right there when it happened.

E-165 And said, "The Seven Seals of the hidden mysteries of the entire Bible will be opened, and fulfill Revelations 10, that in the seventh Angel's Message these things should come to pass." This day this Scripture is fulfilled before our eyes. This day this Scripture is fulfilled. [Revelation 10:7]

E-166 Last year, standing in the same place, Mr. Woods here and I, going up the hill, in a kind of mourning, about his wife being sick. The Holy Spirit said, "Pick up a rock laying there. Throw it up in the air. When it comes down, say, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD, there will be judgment strike the earth.' Tell him that he'll see the hand of God, the next few hours."

E-167 I told Mr. Woods; is present tonight. And, I guess, eight or ten of the man, or fifteen, that was there at that time when it took place; the next morning, where the Lord came down in a whirlwind and ripped the mountain out around us, and cut the tops of the trees loose, and made three blasts, and said, "Judgment is headed towards the West Coast."

E-168 Two days after that, Alaska almost sunk beneath the earth. And since then, up-and-down the Coast, the belches of God's judgment against that spiritual screen. There is a iron curtain, there is a bamboo curtain, and there is a sin curtain.

E-169 Civilization has traveled with the sun; so has the Gospel. They've come from the east and went west, like the sun goes. And now It's on the West Coast. It can't go no further; if It goes further, It'll be back east again.

E-170 The prophet said, "There will come a day that cannot be called night or day," a dismal day, a lot of rain and fog, just enough how to know how to join a church or put your name on a book. "But it shall be Light about the evening time." This day this Scripture is fulfilled. [Zechariah 14:7]

E-171 The same--the same s-u-n that rises in the east is the same s-u-n that sets in the west. And the same S-o-n of God that come in the east and vindicated Himself as God manifested in the flesh, is the same S-o-n of God in the western hemisphere here, that's identifying Himself among the church tonight, the same yesterday, today, and forever. The evening Light of the Son has come. This day this Scripture is fulfilled before us.

E-172 Where we at in this Abrahamic age? Where are we in this great time we're standing, the great hour that we're living in? All the visions has been fulfilled.

E-173 How about when a little minister friend of ours here, associate sister church, Junior Jackson, come running up to us one night, me down there. Said, "I had a--a dream, Brother Branham, that's bothering me. I seen all the brethren gathered upon a hill." And said, "Upon this hill, you were teaching us out of letters that was wrote, looked like, in some letters that time had carved out in the rock. When you finished that, all that was finished, you told us, said, 'Come close,' and we all gathered up."

E-174 Said, "You reached from somewhere and, looked like, got like a crowbar and whipped the top of this little pyramid open. And, when it did," said, "granite rock with no writing on it. And you told us to 'look in upon this.' And you all... We all started looking." Said, "I turned my head, and I noticed you going towards the west, just as hard as you could, towards the setting of the sun." How many remembers it? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]

E-175 And I stood there a little bit till the Holy Spirit revealed it. I said, "The entire Bible, as much as been revealed to man, through justification, sanctification, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the baptism in Jesus' Name, and all these things, has been revealed; but there is secrets that's hid inside, because the Bible is sealed with Seven Seals. I must go there to find it."

E-176 That morning when those seven Angels come down and blasted the earth, and rocks flew every way, seven Angels stood there and said, "Return back to Jeffersonville, from where you come from, for the Seven Seals of the seven mysteries will be opened."

E-177 Here we are, today, understanding Serpent's Seed. In a few days, if God willing, we'll understand the correctness of Marriage And Divorce. And all these things that God has opened, every Seal, the mysteries since the foundation of the world. And we've been in joy, the Presence of His blessings! That is true. This day, this Scripture!

E-178 The Life magazine packed an article of it, "Mystic circle of Light goes up in the air above Tucson and Phoenix," in the same way that I told you nearly a year before it happened, how it would be, and like a triangle. The picture hangs in the church down there. You that took that magazine has it. There it was, just exactly. They said, "It's twenty-seven miles high and thirty miles across." They don't understand yet what happened. It appeared mysteriously and went away mysteriously.

E-179 Brother Fred Sothmann, Brother Gene Norman and I, standing there. Three is a witness. Like He took up on top of the mount; Peter, James, and John, to give witness. Stood there and watched it when it happened, and seen it done.

E-180 There It is, hanging in the sky; so far, there is no humidity, no moisture or nothing to make a--a fog. How could they come there? It was the Angels of God returning back, after their Message. This day that prophecy has been fulfilled in our midst. This day this Scripture has been fulfilled.

E-181 Watch, Seven Seals has been opened. The whirlwind is to the West Coast. Now, don't miss it, like they did back yonder.

E-182 Now, our attention, a little closer to our day. What does the Scripture say about today, and about the time we live in? Jesus speaking... I won't have time to take them all, but I want to take this one before we close.

E-183 Jesus said, in Saint Luke the 17th chapter, the 30th verse. Jesus Christ, the Word Himself! Do you believe that? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Jesus Christ, the Word Himself, made flesh, spoke and said what the Word would be in the end time, what will be the sign of the end of the world. He told them nation would rise against nation, but He said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the day when the Son of man is being revealed." [Luke 17:30]

E-184 Now, when Jesus came to the earth, He came in the name of three Sons. Son of man, which is a prophet; Son of God; and Son of David.

E-185 Now, He lived here on earth. He never did say He was the Son of God. He said, "I'm the Son of man." Jehovah Himself called Ezekiel and the prophets, "Son of man." Because, He had to come to fulfill Scripture as a prophet. Moses said, "The Lord your God shall raise up a Prophet likened unto me." That's the reason He could not be the Son of God there, because He was the Son of man. He... "The Word came to the prophets." And He was the Word in Its fullness. Son of man, the--the major prophet... Not the major prophet, but the God-Prophet, "The fullness of the Godhead bodily was in Him." Therefore, He was the Son of man. [Ezekiel 3:17], [Deuteronomy 18:15]

E-186 Now, for two thousand years, He's been known to us as Son of God, Spirit.

E-187 And in the Millennium, He'll be Son of David, upon the Throne. We all know that, who believe the Scriptures.

E-188 Now, Jesus said, just at the end of this church age that we're living in, that, "The Son of man would be revealed again in the same manner it was, as it was at Sodom."

E-189 Watch how, historically, He gave it. He said, "As it was in the days," first, "of Noah, how they were eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage." Then He brought, next, the last, to the Son of man, at Sodom. Cause, there He was dealing with Jews; here, at Sodom, He is dealing with Gentiles. There, He drowned them all by water, in judgment; here, at the Gentiles, He burnt them all at the day at Sodom. That's right. The Gentile world burnt there, "and so will it be when the Son of man reveals." It's not no more water, but it'll be fire this time. Jesus read from the same Genesis 23 that we read from, when He read about Sodom. [Luke 17:26], [Genesis 19:24]

E-190 Now, we admit the conditions that's spoke of, of the world condition of Sodom, Sodomites, Sodom condition. We, every one, will say "amen" to that. We believe that. All right.

E-191 And the spiritual condition of Laodicea, the church natural, we'll say "amen" to that, and accept their signs. We know that every sign is there. The church is in Laodicea. We know that. [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]

E-192 We know the world is in a Sodom condition. Is that right? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] We'll accept that.

E-193 But what about the sign of Abraham, the one waiting for the promised son? That was another one.

E-194 Remember, they had a Sodom back there; they had their messenger. And Abraham had a Messenger to him.

E-195 Abraham was waiting, day by day, for, almost an impossible thing to happen. "Sarah, ninety, and him a hundred." According to the promise of God, he was still waiting. In the midst of all criticism, he was waiting for that son.

E-196 So is the true believer still waiting for that promised Son to return! Notice, just before the son arrived, there was a sign given him. Is not the sign of the coming Son to be revealed to the royal Seed of Abraham that's waiting for the Royal Son, the same as it was to father Abraham for the natural son? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] That right? ["Amen."] Jesus said so, here in Saint Luke 17:30, "Before this time come, that, the Son of man would be revealed like He did in the days of Sodom, before the destruction of Sodom." Now we're looking for a sign.

E-197 Now let's take the conditions of time as it was in Sodom. Notice, they all went out in Sodomite, the world.

E-198 I think one of the movie directors put on a picture, not long ago, and I got to see it, that was, Sodom. If you ever see it and there's nothing else on but that, take a look at it. It's a certainly a good picture of the United States today, Hollywood, just exactly; same kind of dress and everything else that they did as right then; big drunken sprees and everything else, a religious cult of people, so-called religious.

E-199 Notice, and Sodom had a witness, and it was a fellow by the name of Lot, which was just a nephew to--to Abraham.

E-200 Now, Abraham did not go down in Sodom, he and his group. He had a big group with him, enough to fight off about a dozen kings and their army. So, he had a big group with him. And he was sitting out there under an oak tree, one day, when everything was going wrong for him; nobody had anything to do with him, but he was still holding onto that promise.
Watch now, closely, before we close.

E-201 While he was sitting there, down come three man, walking to him. Two of them went down into Sodom and preached the Gospel to them, to come out, to Lot. Is that right? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] But One stayed with Abraham. Notice, the One that stayed with Abraham was God Himself. The other two were Angel messengers.

E-202 Now, down in Sodom, they done no miracles, only smiting them blind. And preaching the Gospel always smites them blind.

E-203 Now look at the set of that day. There is a church natural. Always in three's, as I said last night, God is represented. There was Sodomites; the Lot-ites; and the Abraham-ites. It's in the same position tonight, the world setting just like that.

E-204 Let me ask you something. Look at this setting now. Abraham called this Man that talked to him, "Elohim." The Hebrew word Elohim means "the all-sufficient One, the One that's the Eternal One," Elohim, God Himself!

E-205 In the beginning, Genesis 1, said, "In the beginning God..." Take the Hebrew word there, either, or Greek word, rather, "In the beginning Elohim created heavens and earth." [Genesis 1:1]

E-206 Here, He, in Genesis, about 22 here, He says again, or--or about the 20, He said, and he called this Man's name "Elohim." Why did he do it? God, represented in a human flesh, that set down with Abraham and eat a calf sandwich, drinking some milk, and eat some bread. God Himself, and disappeared right before Abraham. [Genesis 18:7-8]

E-207 But He give him a sign. Notice. And that sign was that He had His back turned to the tent.

E-208 And remember, Abraham, his name was Abram a few days before that, and Sarah was Sarra before that; S-a-r-r-a then S-a-r-a-h, and A-b-r-a-m to A-b-r-a-h-a-m. Abraham means "father of nations."

E-209 Now watch real close here, and we'll see the setting of the hour that we're now living, as Jesus told us to look for this setting. We've seen all the rest of it right; now let's see to the royal Seed, what setting they're supposed to see.

E-210 Now this Man said, "Abraham, where is your wife, Sarah?"
And Abraham said, "She is in the tent, behind You." [Genesis 18:9]

E-211 Now, He had never seen her. How did He know that his name was Abraham? How did He know her name was S-a-r-a-h? "Abraham, where is your wife, Sarah?"
Said, "She is in the tent, behind You."

E-212 He said, "I..." "I," a personal pronoun. "I am going to visit you according to the promise. Your wife is going to have that baby. You've trusted Me, now I'm going to make it come to pass." [Genesis 18:14]

E-213 And Sarah, in the tent, behind, eavedropping or eardropping, ever what you call it, listening through the tent, she laughed up her sleeve, and she said, "Now, me, an old woman like I am, have pleasure with my lord; and him old, too, out there a hundred years old? While, this hasn't happened for many, many years." [Genesis 18:12]

E-214 And the Man, M-a-n, setting there eating, in human flesh, drinking and eating like an ordinary man; with dust on His clothes, and had dust on His feet, and Abraham washed it off. God, Himself, looked around, and He said, "Why did Sarah laugh, back in the tent, saying this?" He knew, could discern the thoughts of Sarah in the tent, behind Him. Is that right? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]

E-215 Now, when the Royal Seed of Abraham come on the earth, what sign did He show, Son of man. Simon came up to Him one day; Andrew brought him. He said, "Your name is Simon. You're the son of Jonas," He said. See, that made a believer out of him.

E-216 Philip went over and got Nathanael; come back, said, "Come, see a Man Who we have--we've found; Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph." [John 1:39]

E-217 He said, "Now wait a minute. Could anything good come out of that fanaticism?"
He said, "Come, see."

E-218 So when Philip come up in the Presence of Jesus, with Nathanael, Jesus looked over at him and said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there's no guile."He said, "Rabbi, when did You know me?" [John 1:47-48]

E-219 Said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you."
He said, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God. You're the King of Israel!" [John 1:49]

E-220 When the little woman at the well, in her immoral condition, come up, a little panoramic something like this, to draw some water. Jesus had sent His disciples away, to get victuals. When she come up to draw water, He said, "Bring Me a drink, woman."

E-221 She said, "It's not customary for You to say that. We have segregation here. Now, you Jews have nothing to do with us Samaritans; we have nothing to do with you."
He said, "But, woman, if you knew Who you were talking to, you would ask Me for a drink. I'd give you waters you don't come here to draw."

E-222 He found where her condition was, what it was. He said, "Go get your husband and come here."She said, "I don't have any husband." [John 4:16]
He said, "You've said the truth. You've had five, and the one you're living with now is not yours."

E-223 She said, "Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh He'll show us these things."Jesus said, "I am He." [John 4:19]
On that, she run into the city and said, "Come, see a Man Who has told me the things I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah?"

E-224 Watch, He did that before the Jews, and the Samaritans, but never the Gentiles. The Gentiles, we people, were heathens in them days, the other nations, packing a club on our back, worshiping idols. We wasn't looking for no Messiah. [John 4:29]

E-225 He only appears to those who is looking for Him, and we are supposed to be looking for Him.

E-226 But those who claimed to be looking for Him, the church itself, when they seen that done, they said, "He's a devil. He's a fortuneteller, a Beelzebub!" [Matthew 12:25-26], [Mark 3:22]

E-227 And Jesus said, "That sin would be forgiven them," because He hadn't died yet. "But," said, "someday the Holy Ghost will come and do the same thing, and to speak one word against It will never be forgiven." That's this day, where every Word has to hang together. "Speak a word against It; it'll never be forgiven in this world or the world to come." [Mark 3:28-30]

E-228 That was the Royal Seed of Abraham. And here that Royal Seed of Abraham, which come because of that identification of that Man sitting there with Abraham, come to prove it was the same God, promising in this day, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man, when He is revealing Himself as Son of man." Amen. This is the day for this Scripture to be fulfilled.

E-229 Look at the setting we are today. Look at the church where the Son of God... Look at the dismal day. Look at all the prophecies. Now, a strange thing, our visitors are due then, if the setting has to be like at Sodom.

E-230 There were three of them come along, three outstanding man sent from Heaven. We'll admit that. Three of them; One stayed with Abraham. They all started there, but One stayed with Abraham. The rest of them went down in Sodom. Is that right? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] And Abraham had a changed name, from Abram to Abraham. True? ["Amen."]

E-231 Not one time has the history, church of the world, ever had an evangelist to go to it, with a name ending in h-a-m, till this day, Billy G-r-a-h-a-m. Is that right? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] G-r-a-h-a-m, six letters. A-b-r-a-h-a-m is seven letters. But G-r-a-h-a-m is six letters, which is the world, man. See?

E-232 Look what's went out there, today, is them messengers from Heaven.

E-233 Is there a man on earth has got repentance so preached so plainly as Billy Graham? Has there been a man that has had an effect upon the people, like Billy Graham? Never has there been, internationally, a man. Oh, Billy Sunday, and so forth, was here in the United States, but Billy Graham is knowed worldwide. See where he's calling? Out of Sodom.

E-234 And he's got his accompanying party there with the Pentecostal church, an Oral Roberts.

E-235 But what about the Elect group? What kind of a sign are they supposed to see? What are they supposed to have? Hallelujah! "It shall be Light in the evening time." This day this Scripture is fulfilled. [Congregation rejoices--Ed.] This day God's promise is fulfilled. We know that to be the Truth. He is here tonight as He was then. [Zechariah 14:7]

E-236 Now, to preach it, that I said a while ago, if you preach anything and it's the Gospel Truth, then God is obligated to vindicate that. Is that true? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Now, if that be so, let the God that wrote the Word, let the God that made the prophecy, let the God who is God of the Word, come forth and prove that He is still God.

E-237 As Elijah went up on the mountain; watching, Elisha went watching Elijah, he said, "I want a double portion." And the mantle that was on Elijah fell upon Elisha. He walked down, and doubled that blanket up and struck the river, and said, "Where is the God of Elijah?" And the same thing that happened for Elijah, happened for Elisha. [II Kings 2:9]

E-238 And the same Gospel, the same Power, the same Son of man that was yesterday, is today, and will be forever. Hebrews 13:8. Do you believe It? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Then, I ask you. I cannot be Him, but He is here. ["Amen."] We are only a carrier. [Hebrews 13:8]

E-239 Some of you people out there, that's sick and afflicted, that you know that I don't know you, let God now... if I can humble myself enough. You pray and ask God.

E-240 I don't guess... There isn't a prayer card in the building, is there? No, I don't... We never give out any prayer cards. We're going to have prayer meeting at... or healing of sick, at the church. But, you pray.

E-241 And you know that I'm a total stranger to you. See, you know me, Jeffersonville! I don't want people from Jeffersonville to do that. I want people from away from here somewhere. See if God still reveals! See if He is still the same yesterday, today, and forever!

E-242 Do like the little woman did. He passed through, and she said, "I believe this Man." She had a blood issue, and she said, "If I can touch the border of His garment, I believe I'll be made whole." Is that right? [Matthew 9:20]

E-243 Because of herfaith, that day, the Scripture was fulfilled. "He bind up the heart ofthe broken heart, healed the sick and the lame." [Luke 4:18]

E-244 When she touched His garment, and walked out and sat down, He turned around and said, "Who touched Me?" How'd He ever know, in that great throng of people, probably thirty times what's here tonight, thousands of them? How did He know it? He said, "Who touched Me?" He didn't say that just to be saying; He said that because it was true. And He said, "Who touched Me?" And directly He looked around and seen the little woman, where she was setting or standing, whatever position she was in, told her her blood issue was over. [Mark 5:31], [Luke 8:45]

E-245 That was Jesus yesterday. That's Him today. You believe that? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]

E-246 I don't know you; God does. But you got pains in your side, that's bothering you. That's right. You're setting there praying about it. Am I a stranger to you, and we're stranger to one another? Stand up, if it is. I don't know you. It's this man right here on the corner, this young fellow. You also got a bad throat. That's right. You're praying about that. You're all nervous about something. You're going to have to leave the meeting because, you're a minister, you got some engagements you got to take care of. That is right. Uh-huh. You believe God knows who you are? Rev. Mr. Smith, now you can go and be healed. Jesus Christ made you whole. Go on to your meeting; your throat won't bother you.
Who did he touch?

E-247 There is a man sitting right back here; he is suffering. He's got a tumor on his left lung. He doesn't... He isn't from here. You have been a mine worker. That is right. I'm a total stranger to you. If that's right, shake your hand. The tumor is in your left lung, and you're up for an operation right away. That's right? You're not from here. You're from out of town. You're from Virginia. That's right. You believe God knows who you are? Mr. Mitchell, that's right, go home and be well. Jesus Christ makes you whole. Ask the man! Never seen him, in my life. He was sitting there, praying. This day this Scripture!

E-248 [Brother Branham turns his back to the congregation--Ed.] Here is a lady sitting right back here, behind me, as Sarah was in the tent. She is praying for a daughter. Stand up. The daughter is not here; she is away, the daughter. And you're the same as it was when a woman come to Jesus, who had a woman that was variously vexed with a devil. The woman is... girl is demon possessed. She is not here. She is from... You're from North Carolina. You believe that? And that's the truth, isn't it? Mrs. Orders, you can go home. If you'll believe with all your heart, you'll find your daughter like found when Jesus Christ in the days gone by, said it was healed. [Matthew 15:22-28]

E-249 This day thisScripture; the sign of Sodom, the sign of the super Seed, the sign ofthe natural church! This day this Scripture is fulfilled in your midst.Do you believe it? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] [Luke 4:21]

E-250 Will you accept Him right now as your Saviour, healer? Stand up to your feet, every one of you, say, "I accept my healing. I accept Him as my Saviour. I accept Him as my King." Each one stand to your feet.
This day! Listen, friends.

E-251 "He read the Scripture, handed the Bible back to the priest, and," said, "all the eyes of the people were fastened upon Him. And He looked upon them, and said, 'This day this Scripture is fulfilled.'" [Luke 4:21]

E-252 I've read theScripture, with a dozen or more evidences that we're living in the lastday, the generation that will see Jesus Christ return to the earth. AndI say to you tonight, again, this day this Scripture is fulfilled inyour sight. [Luke 4:21]

E-253 You in Tucson, you in California, you in New York, on these telephone hook-ups, this day this Scripture is fulfilled in your sight.

E-254 Let us be glad and make merry, for the Marriage of the Lamb is at hand, and Her Bride... His Bride has made Herself ready. [Revelation 19:7]

E-255 Let's raise our hands and give Him glory, all ye people. God bless you. [Congregation continues rejoicing and praising God--Ed.]
1 Просто оставайтесь стоять, если желаете, когда склоним свои головы для слов молитвы.
Дорогой Отец Небесный, сегодня вечером мы благодарны за ещё одну благоприятную возможность придти и предоставить это чудесное, славное Евангелие Иисуса Христа. Мы Тебя благодарим, потому что Он по-прежнему остаётся вчера, сегодня и вовеки тем же. Мы благодарим Тебя за этих людей, которые собрались здесь, когда на улице так холодно, и по-прежнему в сильном ожидании, ожидают, верят, что нам даруется нечто незаурядное от Бога. Мы приходим с этой надеждой, Господь, на каждое собрание. Мы благодарим Тебя за служения: позапрошлым вечером, в Скинии; благодарим Тебя за служение здесь, прошлым вечером; и за служение сегодня, в Скинии. Теперь мы с нетерпением ожидаем, что Ты для нас приготовил сегодня вечером.
Отец, мы знаем, что любой способный двигать руками может перелистывать страницы Библии, но только Один может сделать Её живой и реальной, это Ты. И, Отец, мы ожидаем, чтобы Ты соделал это сегодня. Благослови нас во всём. Сердца наши настолько полны радости, когда мы видим, как приближается время, когда мы встретим Его лицом к лицу, Тот, которого мы любили и для Которого жили все эти годы.
Было много новообращённых, Господь. Видим, что очень много, сорок или пятьдесят человек крестились утром во Имя Твоё, после служения вчера вечером. О Боже, просим Тебя, продолжай дальше, мы молим, пока каждое предопределённое Семя Божье не увидит Свет Евангелия и придёт в паству.
Мы просим, чтобы Ты сокрыл нас сегодня за Словом; ослепи нас к вещам мира сего, и позволь нам видеть Иисуса. Пусть среди нас, сегодня, будет переживание, как на Горе Преображения, чтобы мы видели не человека, а только Иисуса. Мы просим об этом во Имя Его и во славу Его, в утверждение Его Евангелия. Аминь.
Можете сесть.
2 Я поверну этот микрофон, или эту кафедру, немного в сторонку, если можно, чтобы мне было видно обе стороны аудитории. Кажется, эти микрофоны у меня здесь правильно расположены. Хорошо, одну минутку.
Из главной аудитории, мы приветствуем сегодня наших друзей в Аризоне, в Калифорнии, в Техасе, по всем Соединённым Штатам, посредством телефона. Это, это по всей стране передаётся, сегодняшнее служение, посредством телефона, так что мы верим, что Бог нас благословит.
Вы слышите, там, в аудитории, слева? Хорошо, сейчас проверят телефонную систему, проверят, работает ли она.
3 Все сегодня счастливы? [Собрание говорит: "Аминь".-Ред.] О-о, замечательно! На этой стороне? ["Аминь".] Аминь, я так рад видеть, что всем вам удобно сидеть.
И теперь, завтра вечером, если количество людей будет увеличиваться, там тоже будет прямая телефонная связь. Сегодня так и есть. Мне кажется, некоторые уже там, в Скинии.
И завтра утром не получится провести служение в Скинии, потому что...цветовод будет украшать церковь для свадьбы завтра днём. И служения перенесли, утренние, в церковь Брата Раделла, одного из наших союзников; выше по шоссе, шестьдесят второй номер. Это объявили? [Брат Невилл говорит: "Да".-Ред.] Это уже объявили. И если там всё будет переполнено, мы возьмём оставшихся и пошлём ещё к одному служителю, к Брату Джуниору Джексону, в Кларксвилл. У Брата Раделла это потому, что здесь недалеко, и мы можем...и мы подумали, что вам там будет легче найти. И, потом, мы как-нибудь всё это утрясём. И обязательно приведите завтра всех желающих принять крещение, и я надеюсь, до завтрашнего крещения к ним добавится ещё сотня другая.
4 И теперь, завтра вечером...
Я не люблю раньше времени объявлять, о чём буду говорить, но в один из вечеров служений, или в один из дней, я хочу говорить на тему: Кто же Этот Мелхиседек? Потому что, это тема, которая...я считаю, мы живём в такое время, когда эти откровения, которые всю эпоху оставались под вопросом: "Кто же Это такой?" И я верю, у Бога есть ответ, Кем Он был. Кто-то говорит "духовенством", кто-то говорит "царём", кто-то...Но должно быть...
До тех пор, пока существует вопрос, на этот вопрос должен быть ответ, верный ответ. Не может быть вопроса, если прежде не было ответа.
5 Теперь, мы верим, что Бог дарует нам благословение Его Слова в этот вечер, когда будем Его читать.
И вы были...Билли сказал мне сказать вам, что вы очень хорошо взаимодействуете с теми людьми, которые отвечают за систему парковки, с полицией и остальными. Так держать; это очень, очень хорошо.
Мы надеемся, что наступит время, может быть, в ближайшем будущем, когда нам, может быть, удастся привести сюда в город палатку и поставить её там, на стадионе, где можно было бы побыть побольше времени, может быть, на три или четыре недели: пробуждение, постоянно. Здесь нам еле-еле удаётся познакомиться друг с другом, а потом приходится прощаться и снова уезжаем. Но я хотел бы приехать и подольше побыть, хоть один раз, где можно было бы оставаться на месте, чтобы не нужно было через вечер, два заканчивать, но просто оставаться и учить, днём и вечером, днём и вечером, ещё и ещё. Может быть, кто-то съездит домой и покормит куриц, подоит коров, а на следующей неделе снова приедет и включится в дальнейшие служения. Мне-мне нравится так. Так что, да пребудет с вами Господь.
6 Теперь, прежде чем я уеду, вероятно, в воскресенье утром или в воскресенье вечером, или когда-нибудь, на одном из служений, я знаю, все вы ожидаете услышать Послание об Истине Брака и Развода, которая является одной из важных проблем этого дня. И так точно, как я здесь стою, я верю, что правильный ответ находится в Слове Божьем, и я знаю, что ради этого я и обещал снова приехать.
И, я полагаю, насколько я знаю, я хочу провести здесь ещё одно служение, здесь, в Джефферсонвилле, в пасхальное воскресенье, и у нас будет...заутреня, а потом пасхальное воскресенье. Так что мы объявим об этом заранее, и, может быть, постараемся, если возможно, снять аудиторию, или где-нибудь, на воскресенье, может быть, приеду на субботу и воскресенье. Придётся заехать и тут же назад, потому что это близко по времени...Мне, сначала, нужно проверить по имеющемуся у меня расписанию, и одна из моих-моих остановок — в Калифорнии. И потом, сразу же после этого, я должен ехать в Африку. Так что держите связь и молитесь за нас.
7 Теперь, сегодня вечером, я хочу привлечь ваше внимание к отрывку Слова Божьего, находящемуся в 4-й главе Святого Луки. Начнётся с 4-й главы и 16-го стиха, где говорит Иисус:
...Ныне исполнилось Слово сие, слышанное вами.
Теперь, из Этого, хотелось бы сделать заключение: насколько динамично Слово Божье! Так вот, все могут разобраться в механике, но необходима Динамика, чтобы Это задействовало.
Мы можем разобраться, какова механика машины, автомобиля, но потом, необходима динамика, чтобы колёса начали действовать и двигаться.
Теперь, Иисус вернулся в-в Назарет, где Он вырос. В дальнейших Писаниях, мы находим, что они говорили: "Мы слышали, что в Капернауме Ты то и то совершал. Теперь покажи нам, как Ты делаешь это здесь, в нашей местности".
Иисус сказал: "Не бывает пророк без чести, разве только в отечестве своём". А это, конечно, там, где ты вырос, и где люди тебя знают. А там, с самого начала, у Него была дурная слава, что Он родился без земного отца. Его называли "незаконнорожденным", что Мария забеременела до того, как она, официально, вышла замуж за Иосифа. Но это не так, мы знаем, что это не так.
8 Почему мой взор упал на это, на это Писание, это из-за того, что недавно произошло в Фениксе, штат Аризона. Это был последний день, служение, на котором я должен был говорить, на Международном Съезде Предпринимателей Полного Евангелия.
И на этом съезде вместе с нами был один гость, он был католическим епископом, он из "Халдейских Ритуалов Апостольской Католической Церкви; достопочтенный Джон Эс Стэнли, Орден св. Бенедикта". Он "архиепископ митрополита Соединённых Штатов" католической церкви. Просто, вот его визитка и его-его адрес.
Он был гостем христиан-предпринимателей, и я видел его там, за день до этого. И когда я говорил в субботу вечером, по-моему, тогда, или в воскресенье утром, за завтраком, и я...Когда я говорил, он всё за мной наблюдал. Я подумал: "Этот человек, наверняка, не соглашается со всем, что я говорю". И, знаете, его-его просто было заметно; он всё покачивал головой, но я точно не знал, что на него так влияло.
9 Так что в воскресенье днём, когда я вышел говорить, я собирался взять свою тему о Родовых Схватках, где Иисус сказал, что: "Как женщина мучается с ребёнком", она мучается в родах. И я хотел говорить оттуда, о Родовых Схватках, тема, говорил, что у мира сейчас родовые схватки. Со старым должно быть покончено, чтобы мог родиться новый; точно как семя должно сгнить, чтобы дать новую жизнь.
И как схватки, родовые схватки обрушились на мир! При первой мировой войне у неё была сильная схватка, потому что был ядовитый газ и всё остальное, которым можно было почти что мир уничтожить. А при второй мировой войне на неё обрушилась ещё одна схватка, ещё сильнее: были сверхмощные фугасы, а так же атомная бомба. Ей больше не вынести ещё одной схватки. С этими ракетами и всем остальным, что есть сегодня, ещё одна война собьёт и отбросит её в космос, потому что в этот раз она родит и освободится. И будет Новая Земля. Библия говорит, что будет.
При каждом Послании пророка у Израиля были родовые схватки, потому что эти пророки появлялись на поле действия тогда, когда теологи и духовенство доводили церковь до такой организационной формы. И когда те пророки появлялись на арене с ТАК ГОВОРИТ ГОСПОДЬ, они потрясали эти церкви, и у неё были родовые схватки. В конце концов, у неё до тех пор были родовые схватки, пока она не родила Сына Евангелия, Который был Самим Словом, ставшим плотью.
10 Так что у церкви сегодня в самом деле родовые схватки, снова, чтобы рождение Сына, Сына Божьего произошло вновь. Все наши теологи, все наши системы, все наши деноминации прогнили прямо под нашими ногами. Так что мы в родовых схватках, а Послание Божье всегда приводит церковь к ещё более сильной схватке, но скоро она освободится, произведя на свет Невесту. Иисус Христос явится в этом Своей Невесте.
И потом, казалось, что этот человек со мной так не соглашается. Когда я поднялся говорить Послание, я обратился в свою Библию, чтобы найти страницу.
А моя жена только что подарила мне новую Библию, на рождество. Моей старой Библии уже около пятнадцати лет, и она совсем разваливается. Каждый раз, как открываешь, из неё вылетают страницы. И, но зато я знал, где найти каждое место Писания, то есть, я тщательно занимался по той Библии. И просто взял новую, потому что та выглядела такой дряхлой, чтобы с ней идти в церковь.
11 И когда я начал искать послание Святого Иоанна, где находилось место Писания, я начал читать 16-ю главу, а того стиха, который я искал, там не оказалось. Так что, я подумал: "Странно!" Снова посмотрел; всё равно нет.
И Брат Джек Моор, из Шривпорта, штат Луизиана, мой закадычный друг, он там сидел. Я сказал: "Брат Джек, разве это не в Святого Иоанна 16?"
Он сказал: "Да".
И этот католический священник поднялся со своего места, среди, примерно, сотни священнослужителей, которые сидели на платформе, подошёл поближе ко мне, во всём своём наряде, в рясе, с крестами и так далее, и подошёл прямо ко мне. И он сказал: "Сын мой, будь твёрд. Вот-вот Бог начнёт действовать".
Я подумал: "И мне это говорит католический епископ?"
Он сказал: "Прочитай это из моей Библии".
И я прочитал Писание из его Библии, взял тему и продолжал дальше, проповедовал свою проповедь.
Потом, когда я закончил, он подошёл (после того, как я оттуда ушёл) и сказал: "Что-то должно произойти. После этого церковь должна выйти из всей этой мешанины, в которой она погрязла, или мы должны выйти из этой мешанины, в которой находится церковь". Так что, одно или другое.
12 И я ехал домой, назад в Тусон, в тот вечер. Дети просили бутерброд, и на одной стояночке я остановился купить бутерброд. И моя жена сказала: "Билл, я никогда в жизни так не нервничала, когда смотрела, как ты теребил эту Библию". Сказала: "Разве ты не нервничал?"
Я сказал: "Не-а". Сказал: "Я знал, что это где-то там было. Просто там не было вставлено той страницы. Это опечатка".
И она сказала: "Подумать только, это же я дала эту Библию! Казалось, что все до одного смотрели на меня".
И я сказал: "Ну, ты в этом не виновата. Это была опечатка в Библии". Я сказал: "Просто не вставили страницу".
Итак, я приехал и снова просмотрел: абсолютно точно, но 16-я глава заканчивается, часть, часть главы, сантиметров семь снизу, а на другой стороне дальше продолжается 17-я глава. И так как это новая Библия, эти две страницы плотно склеились вместе, и я читал из 17-й главы, вместо 16-й. "Ну, — сказал я, — ничего страшного. Это для какой-то цели".
13 И так ясно, как слышишь любой другой голос, ко мне раздался Голос и сказал: "Он вошёл в Назарет, где Он вырос, и пошёл в синагогу, по Своему обычаю. И священник дал Ему прочитать Писание, и Он прочитал Исайю 61. И когда Он прочитал Писания, Он спустился, отдал священнику Библию, Книгу, и сел. И взоры всех собравшихся устремились на Него. И из уст Его произошли драгоценные Слова. И Он сказал: 'Ныне исполнилось Писание сие'."
"Ныне исполнилось Писание сие".
Насколько точно Писание! Если обратите внимание, это в Исайя 61:1 и 2, откуда читал наш Господь, Исайя 61:1 и 2. Но в середине 2-го стиха Исайи 61, Он остановился. Где говорится: "Дух Господа на Мне, проповедовать лето благоприятное", после этого Он остановился. Почему? Оставшаяся часть, возвещение суда, относилась не к Его первому пришествию, а к Его второму Пришествию. Понимаете, тогда это не относилось. Писания никогда не допускают ошибки! Они всегда совершенны. Иисус остановился там, где прерывалось Писание, потому что как раз это и должно было быть утверждено в Его день, то есть, при его первом пришествии.
14 При втором Пришествии Он принесёт на землю суд; но не тогда. Он должен был "проповедовать благоприятное лето".
Обратите внимание, на платформе стоит Мессия, чтобы отождествить Себя со Словом обетования на тот век. Как необычно, Мессия стоит перед церковью! И взгляните на эти драгоценные Слова, когда Он здесь говорит: "Проповедовать лето благоприятное".
"Лето благоприятное", как все мы, читающие Библию, знаем, было "юбилейным годом". Это когда все рабы и узники, в том состоянии, в котором они были, взяты в неволю: и должны были отдать сына, чтобы оплатить долг; или дочь, чтобы оплатить долг, [Пробел на ленте-Ред.] и они были в рабстве. Неважно, как долго они находились в рабстве, или как долго им полагалось в нём оставаться, когда наступал этот год, юбилейный, когда звучала труба, каждый человек мог освободиться, если хотел быть свободным. [Пробел на ленте-Ред.] Свободны. Больше не были рабами.
Но если кто хотел оставаться рабом, тогда его вели к храму, ставили около косяка храма, брали шило и протыкали им ухо, тогда он должен был служить этому рабовладельцу всю оставшуюся жизнь.
15 Какой это совершенный пример Евангелия Иисуса Христа! Когда Оно проповедуется, время благоприятное и время Юбилея: любой, неважно, кем бы ты ни был, какого ты цвета, к какой деноминации ты принадлежишь, насколько ты погряз в грехе, или что у тебя не в порядке, когда слышишь, как звучит труба Евангелия, можешь идти свободным. Ты свободен!
Но если ты отвращаешься от Послания и отказываешься Его слушать, обратите внимание, протыкали ухо шилом. Это означает, другими словами, что ты пересёк границу между благодатью и судом, и ты никогда больше не услышишь Евангелие. Ты не приблизишься ни на шаг. Ты должен быть рабом той системы, в которой находишься, весь остаток жизни; если откажешься слышать благоприятное лето.
Так вот, другую часть этого, как я сказал, не нужно было трогать, потому что это грядущий Мессия, в теперешнее время, когда Он принесёт суд.
16Теперь, как те люди могли не видеть, Кем Он был? Как они могли это упустить? Как это возможно, когда это было так ясно проявлено и показано? Как они только могли не увидеть? Когда Он...
Какое Слово! Подумайте об этом: "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие, перед вашими глазами". Кто это сказал? Сам Бог, Который Сам истолковывает Своё Слово. "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие". Сам Мессия стоит в присутствии собравшихся и читает из Библии Слово, относящееся к Самому Себе, и потом говорит: "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие", а они всё равно этого не увидели.
Какой это было трагедией, но это случилось. Это часто случалось. Как это могло случиться? Конечно, как и в другие разы, из-за доверия человеческим истолкованиям Слова. Вот что было причиной этому. Те верующие в те дни, так называемые верующие, принимали истолкование, которое священник говорил о Писании. Поэтому, Иисус, не принадлежав ни одному званию их обществ, был исключён из их общества.
И, следовательно, они не могли признать Его за своего, потому что Он от них отличался. Личность Иисуса Христа была настолько уникальной, что ни один не должен был упустить из виду, что это был Сын Божий, потому что Он был совершенным отождествлением Писания, которое было написано о Нём.
Вот как узнаётся любой христианин: когда его жизнь отождествляется с теми делами, которые полагается делать христианину.
17 Как Он там стоял и сказал: "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие, прямо перед вашими глазами!" Так очевидно, так ясно, а эти люди, всё же, не поняли. Почему? Потому что они приняли истолкование священничества, которого они слушались.
А история всегда повторяется. И Писание несёт в Себе составное значение, и составное откровение.
Например, в Библии говорится, что: "Из Египта воззвал Я Сына Моего", ссылаясь на Иисуса. Проследите на полях там, и узнаете, что есть ссылка и на Иакова, то же самое Писание. Иисус был Его величайшим Сыном. Иаков был Его сыном, которого Он воззвал из Египта, на что Скоуфилд даёт ссылку, и все остальные ссылки указывают на это, потому что это относилось к этому Писанию. Так что на это-на это был двойной ответ; ответ был на вызов Иакова и на вызов Иисуса.
Так это и сегодня! Это из-за того, что мы находимся среди такой суматохи, и люди не видят Истину Божью — потому что слишком много человеческих истолкований Слова Божьего. Богу не нужно, чтобы кто-нибудь истолковывал Его Слово. Он Сам всё истолковывает.
18 Бог сказал, в начале: "Да будет свет", и стал свет. Это не нуждается в истолковании.
Он сказал: "Дева зачнёт", и она зачала. Это не нуждается в истолковании.
Когда истолкование Слова Его от Бога — это когда Он утверждает и доказывает, что Оно таково и есть. Это и есть Его истолкование: приводя это в исполнение. Вот каково Божье истолкование, когда Он приводит Слово Своё в исполнение. Он вам Его истолковывает.
Подобно, как если бы никогда не было света, и Он сказал: "Да будет свет", и стало так, не нужно, чтобы кто-нибудь истолковывал.
Но у нас в Это вмешиваются человеческие системы, и когда так делают, теряют-теряют нить Этого. Всегда так было.
19 Но я по-прежнему думаю, как это было поразительно. Подумайте об этом, Мессия! Почему же они Его не увидели? Потому что их же лидеры, которым следовало Его знать, которым следовало знать стихи Писания, которым следовало иметь разумение Писаний, они унизили этого Человека и сказали: "Он вообще незаконнорожденный. Мы Этому не поверим".
Прошли годы, мы так не считаем. Мы готовы умереть за эти слова, что Он был девственнорожденным Сыном.
И однажды будет так, что за всё то, что мы видим, как Иегова сегодня совершает, люди грядущих веков (если будут), будут умирать за то, о чём мы сегодня говорим. Придётся это сделать, когда вступит в силу клеймо зверя, и будет запрещено так проповедовать Евангелие.
20 Когда соединится великий союз церквей, у которого сейчас всё готово для мировой церкви, придётся запечатлеть своё свидетельство своей собственной жизнью, за Это.
Вы должны Этому верить сейчас. Если бы те священники могли встать, те, что обвиняли Его, и не обвинять Его. "Но, скажете вы, — если бы я был там, я бы так-то и так-то поступил". Ну, так это был не ваш период. Но сейчас ваш период, вот это время.
Скажете: "Ну, если бы Он был здесь!"
Библия говорит: "Он вчера, сегодня и вовеки тот же", тот же, так что Он здесь. Ведь, Он здесь! Как мир цивилизовался, стал мощнее и более образованным; а Он здесь в виде Духа, который они не могут погубить или убить. Он умер однажды; снова Он не может умереть. Он должен был стать плотью, чтобы Бог мог умереть в плоти, за грех. Но в этот раз Он никак не может умереть, Это — Святой Дух.
21 Теперь, подумать только, что они всё это против Него имели! Ещё одно: Он не присоединялся ни к каким их званиям. Потом, видите, из-за этого Его всё равно считали плохим. Он не присоединялся к их деноминациям, не присоединялся к их священничеству, и Он не имел с этим никаких дел. И потом, кроме всего этого, Он ещё хотел развалить то, что они построили.
Он вошёл в храм. Мы называем Его Кротким; таким Он и был, но часто мы неправильно понимаем, что такое кротость.
Он был Мужем сострадания, но мы, всё же, иногда не понимаем, что такое сострадание. Не человеческое сочувствие, это не сострадание. Но "сострадание" — это "исполнение воли Божьей".
Он проходил через купальню Вефезды, через врата. Там лежали люди, множество людей. Множество — это неопределённое количество. Но там лежало множество: хромые, слепые, увеченные, иссохшие. А Он всегда сострадал людям. И Он подошёл к одному человеку, который не был хромой, слепой, увеченный или иссохший; может быть, у него была болезнь простаты, может быть, какое-нибудь недомогание, что-нибудь немного недоразвито. У него это было тридцать восемь лет. Это ему не докучало, он от этого не умер бы. Он лежал на постели. И Он сказал: "Желаешь сделаться здоровым?"
И тот человек ответил: "Некому опустить меня в воду, а пока я подхожу, кто-нибудь шагнёт раньше меня". Видите, он мог ходить, он видел, он передвигался, но он просто был слабым.
Иисус сказал ему: "Встань. Возьми постель свою и иди в дом свой". И Иисусу задавали об этом вопрос, ведь вы помните, что в Писании об этом говорится.
22 Не удивительно! Если бы Он сегодня пришёл в Джефферсонвилл и совершил такое деяние, о Нём до сих пор шли бы разговоры.
Но помните, Он пришёл совершать только одно — волю Божью. Так вот, это находится в Святого Иоанна 5:19, там найдёте ответ. Он сказал: "Истинно, истинно говорю вам, Сын ничего не может творить Сам от Себя, но Сын творит только то, что видит, как творит Отец".
Так вот, им следовало знать, что это было самим утверждением пророчества Моисея: "Ибо Господь Бог ваш воздвигнет Пророка, подобного мне".
Вы обратили внимание, когда Он увидел этого человека, Он сказал...Иисус знал, что он уже много лет находился в таком состоянии. Понимаете, будучи Пророком, Он видел этого человека в таком состоянии; и опустился туда, обошёл кругом всех тех людей, протиснулся сквозь толпу, пока не нашёл того определённого человека.
Прошёл мимо хромого, увеченного, слепого и иссохшего, а ведь Сам Муж сострадания. Но сострадание — это "исполнение воли Божьей".
23 Теперь, мы находим, что Он не присоединялся к ним, Он не имел никаких дел с их социальными положениями, так что Он был изгнанником. У него не было никаких...
Кроме всего этого, однажды Он вошёл в храм. Этот Муж вошёл туда и нашёл дом Божий в таком осквернении, примерно, как сейчас. Там покупали, продавали, меняли деньги. И Он опрокидывал денежные прилавки; взял верёвки, сплёл их и выгнал этих меняльщиков из храма. Взглянул на них с гневом и сказал: "Написано, — аллилуйя, — дом Отца Моего — это дом молитвы, а вы сделали его пристанищем воров. И вы, своими традициями, сделали заповеди Божьи бездейственными".
О-о, разве такая толпа могла в Него поверить? Нет, сударь. Они так погрязли в грязи светских обществ и пошлости того дня, они настолько церковно замёрзли, что не могли чувствовать вибрацию Силы Всемогущего Бога. Не удивительно, что скромная женщина коснулась Его одежды и исцелилась от Этого; а пьяный солдат плевал Ему в лицо и не чувствовал никакой добродетели! Зависит от того, какой твой подход к Этому. Зависит от того, что ты ожидаешь. Когда ты идёшь в церковь, зависит от того, что ты ожидаешь.
24 Теперь мы видим, как Он там стоит. Нет сомнения, что люди уже предупредили его, предупреждены, а священник предупредил людей: "Так вот, в следующую субботу Он здесь будет проходить, и когда Он будет идти, не слушайте Его. Так вот, можете пойти и посидеть там, но не обращайте никакого внимания на то, что Он говорит, потому что Он не принадлежит нашей группе. Он — отвержен. У него нет членской карточки. У него даже нет орга-...документа от организации. У него ничего этого нет".
"Кто же Он?"
"Какой-то парень-изменник, который родился где-то там, незаконное рождение, в доме плотника, его мать зачала Его ещё до того, как они поженились, и теперь пытаются прикрыть всё это всем этим сверхъестественным.
Мы знаем, когда придёт Мессия, Он опустится по коридорам Небес и пойдёт к нашему первосвященнику, и скажет: 'Вот Я, Каиафа". Но мы видим, что Он так не сделал, потому что так не было написано в Слове. Человеческая традиция заставляла их верить этому.
В Слове говорилось, что Он придёт как раз так, как Он пришёл. И вот Он там стоял, читал Слово, и говорит им: "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие, перед вашими глазами". А они по-прежнему не могли увидеть или распознать Его, как было и во все другие века.
25 Ной мог то же самое сказать, в тот день, когда он вошёл в ковчег и дверь затворилась. Моисей мог бы поднять окно наверху ковчега, выглянуть на своих прихожан...Помните, Бог затворил дверь. И он мог сказать: "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие, перед вашими глазами", но для них тогда уже было слишком поздно. Он проповедовал сто двадцать лет, пытаясь ввести их в эту лодку, которую он построил, говорил им, что в Писании сказано: "ТАК ГОВОРИТ ГОСПОДЬ, пойдёт дождь", но они слишком долго ждали. А Ной запросто мог сказать, что: "Ныне, сегодня Писание исполнилось".
Моисей, в тот самый день, когда Столп Огненный сошёл на гору Синай и засвидетельствовал о его свидетельстве, Моисей мог сказать: "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие".
Моисей, знаете, был призванным мужем Божьим, пророком. И так как он был призван, будучи пророком, он должен был иметь сверхъестественное переживание. Чтобы быть пророком, он должен был лицом к лицу встретиться с Богом и говорить с Ним. И ещё одно, то, что он говорил, должно было исполняться, или никто ему не поверил бы.
Так что ни один человек не имеет права так себя называть, пока он лицом к лицу не разговаривал с Богом, где-нибудь на обратной стороне пустыни, где Он сам встретился с Богом. И все атеисты мира не смогли бы его в этом разубедить: он там был, он знает, что это произошло. Каждый христианин должен иметь это переживание, прежде чем заявлять о себе, как о христианине. Свой опыт переживания!
26 Недавно, я разговаривал со своим племянником, он — католик, сказал: "Дядя Билл, я всё опробовал, везде был, пытаясь что-нибудь найти". Вечер за вечером, перед началом этих собраний, он плакал. А ночью он видел сны, что он входит, подбегает к алтарю, откуда идёт проповедь, и исповедует, что он был неправ.
Я сказал: "Мельвин, неважно, куда бы ты ни ходил, скольким бы церквям ты ни принадлежал, сколько бы ни говорил 'Святая Мария', или сколько бы благословений ты не получал от какого-нибудь человека, ты должен родиться заново от Духа Божьего. Это единственное, что удовлетворит сердце человека".
Я знаю, сегодня у них существует подмена рождения заново, просто пожать руку проповеднику и занести своё имя в книгу. Но, друзья, это же догма. Это не Библейская Истина. Если бы так и было, то Деяния Апостолов 2-я глава звучала бы следующим образом: "Когда наступил день Пятидесятницы, вышел пастор и пожал людям руки".
Но сказано: "При наступлении дня Пятидесятницы, — при вступлении Церкви на должность, — с Небес сошёл звук, подобный порывистому, несущемуся ветру, и наполнил весь дом, где они находились". Вот как Святой Дух пришёл в первый раз. Вот как Он всё время приходил с тех самых пор. Он — Бог, и не изменяется.
27 Так вот, люди на Этом претыкаются.
Говорят: "Это было для другого дня".
Ну, Он же вчера, сегодня и вовеки тот же. Каждый раз, когда Церковь принимала Святой Дух, Он всегда приходит так, как пришёл в первый раз, на основании того же самого предписания, Деяния 2:38, никогда не менялось, никогда не изменится.
Как рецепт врача от какой-нибудь болезни. Он выписывает рецепт от болезни, врач выпишет. Но дайте это какому-нибудь аптекарю-шарлатану, он добавит туда слишком много противоядия: это настолько слабо, что не принесёт никакой пользы; если добавит слишком много яда, это вас погубит. Должно быть выписано в точном соответствии с врачом.
И рецепт принятия Святого Духа дал нам Доктор Симон Пётр в день Пятидесятницы. "Дам вам рецепт. Покайтесь, каждый из вас, и креститесь во Имя Иисуса Христа для прощения грехов, и вы примете дар Святого Духа. Ибо рецепт и для всех дальних, и для всех тех, кого ни призовёт Господь Бог наш". Вечный рецепт!
28 У Моисея был этот опыт переживания. Он пошёл в страну и начал говорить людям: "Я встретил Столп Огненный. Он был в горящем кусте, и Он сказал мне рассказать вам: 'Я ЕСМЬ СУЩИЙ. Иди: Я буду с тобой. Возьми посох в руку свою и вознеси над Египтом: что ни попросишь, совершится'."
Ну, вероятно, какой-нибудь священник сказал: "Чепуха!"
Но когда они увидели реальные факты этого, происходящие, они больше не могли этого удерживать. Они знали, что он был послан Богом.
Затем, если Моисей сказал, что он это видел и засвидетельствовал, что это Истина, тогда Бог обязан, если это Истина, отождествить и утвердить слово этого человека, Истину. Это правда.
Если Иисус Христос встал там и прочитал в тот день: "Ныне исполнилось Слово сие", Бог обязан привести это Слово в исполнение.
Мы стоим здесь сегодня и говорим, что: "Иисус Христос вчера, сегодня и вовеки тот же". Бог обязан доказать, что это так, потому что Это Слово Его. Теперь, что же производит это? Необходима вера, веровать Этому. Необходима вера, веровать Слову Его, что Это — Истина.
29 Обратите внимание, что произошло, когда Моисей вывел тех детей и всех тех, кто следовал за ним. Те, кто не следовал, остались в Египте. Но те, кто следовал за Моисеем, когда они вышли из Красного моря и вышли в пустыню, Бог сошёл на гору Синай. Этот Столп Огненный обратил в огонь всю гору, и оттуда изрёк Голос, и Бог дал десять заповедей.
Моисей мог выйти там перед людьми и сказать: "Ныне Писание сие, которое я сказал вам, как Его пророк, исполняется. Я рассказал вам, что Бог встретил меня, и там в горящем кусте, в Столпе Огненном, и Он сказал вот что: 'Я буду...Это будет знамением. Ты выведешь тех людей до сего самого места'. И вот — Бог, в том же самом Столпе Огненном, в котором, как я вам сказал, Он был, висит там на горе. Ныне исполнилось пророчество сие. Вот Он здесь утверждает, что всё то, что я сказал — это Истина".
Боже, дай нам побольше таких мужей, которые честные и искренние, и говорят Истину, чтобы Всемогущий Бог мог утверждать, что Слово Его по-прежнему Истина! Он пребывает вчера, сегодня и вовеки. Почему же Ему этого не сделать? Он обещал это сделать.
30 Иисус Навин, может быть, то же самое сказал, в тот день, когда он вернулся в Кадес-Варни, докуда они дошли по пустыне. Они сомневались, что земля была такой, какой сказал Бог. Но Бог сказал им, что это была хорошая земля, она протекала молоком и мёдом. А Иисус Навин и Халев были единственными, которые верили этому, среди оставшихся десяти. Когда они вернулись, у них было доказательство; у них были грозди винограда, которые могли унести только два сильных мужчины.
Иисус Навин и Халев могли стоять там и сказать: "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие. Вот доказательство, что это хорошая земля. Где в Египте вы могли такое найти? Там не было такого. Но ныне исполнилось Писание сие".
То же самое он мог сказать, когда он пророчествовал и сказал, что стены Иерихона падут после того, как семь раз его обойдут, семь дней, семь раз в день. И когда они обошли в последний раз, стены пали. Иисус Навин мог встать и сказать: "Ныне, Главный Полководец войска Господня, который несколько недель сказал мне, что это вот так произойдёт, ныне исполнилось Писание сие". Вот, лежали стены, сравнялись с землёй. "Давайте, пойдём, возьмём его. Это принадлежит нам. Ныне исполнилось Писание сие".
Как замечательно, муж Божий стоял за правое дело!
31 Израиль, у реки, когда они овладевали землёй, перешли её. Как же им перейти? Шёл апрель. Всё разливается, потому что в Иудее тает снег. О-о, похоже, каким жалким генералом был Бог, переводить там народ Свой в апреле, когда Иордан поднимается выше, чем когда-либо в другое время. Иногда...
Я мог бы на этом остановиться, если было бы время, сказать вам одну подсказку. Иногда вы можете находиться там, у вас рак, или у вас заболевание; думаете: "Почему я, как христианин, должен находиться в таком состоянии? Почему я должен вот так сидеть, если я — христианин?" Иногда Бог позволяет, чтобы кругом всё так потемнело, что ничего невидно, кругом, нигде, а потом Он приходит и проделывает через всё это для вас путь, чтобы вы могли сказать: "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие, что Он и обещал совершить".
32 Он позволил еврейским юношам войти в самую огненную печь. Они сказали: "Наш Бог способен избавить нас от этого огня в печи. Но если даже и нет, мы не склонимся перед твоим идолом". Когда они оттуда вышли, на них запах печи...точнее, на них не было запаха печи; они могли сказать: "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие".
Когда Даниил вышел из пещеры со львами, он мог то же самое сказать.
Иоанн Креститель. По прошествии четырёхсот лет церковного учения, не удивительно, что церковь в то время находилась в такой суматохе! Когда он явился в пустыне, у Иордана, он мог стоять прямо на том берегу, где стоял, и сказать: "Ныне исполнилось Писание сие, Исайя 40".
33 Я мог бы остановиться сейчас и рассказать, что мне сказал этот священник! Сказал: "Сын, ты не закончил Послание".
Я сказал: "Тише, не говорите".
Он сказал: "Ты хочешь сказать, что эти Пятидесятники не понимают этого?"
Я сказал: "Нет".
Он сказал: "Я понимаю". А это католический священник, даже он! Ага. Он сказал: "Почему ты не продолжал дальше?"
Я сказал: "Тише".
Он сказал: "Слава Богу! Я понимаю".
И, примерно, в то же время, Святой Дух сошёл на его сестру, которая сидела там в собрании. И она поднялась, говорила на незнакомом языке, и дала истолкование тому самому, о чём мы со священником разговаривали на платформе. Вся церковь, всё здание заревело. Перешло на съезд Орала Роберса на прошлой неделе, или на позапрошлой неделе, и всё говорили об этом съезде. Как этот священник...Пребывая под Духом Святым, той женщине там открылось (по-моему, это была его сестра), открылось то, что происходило на платформе, и открыл всё то, что мы хотели скрыть.
В этот час, в который мы живём: ныне исполнилось Писание сие. Ныне пришёл вечерний Свет, а мы Его не видим
34 Заметьте. Иоанн сказал: "Ныне я есмь: 'глас вопиющего в пустыне', как сказал пророк Исайя. Приготовьте путь Господу!"
Они этого не поняли. Сказали: "О-о, ты Иисус..., — точнее, — ты-ты — Христос".
Он сказал: "Я не Христос". Он сказал: "Я недостоин развязать обуви Его. Но, — сказал, — Он стоит где-то среди вас", потому что он был уверен, что Он объявится. Он явится в его день, потому что Бог сказал ему, что он должен был возвестить Мессию.
Однажды, там проходил один молодой Человек, и он увидел что-то наподобие Света над Ним, знамение. И он воскликнул: "Вот, Агнец Божий! Ныне исполнилось Писание сие, перед вами".
35 Конечно. В день Пятидесятницы, как Пётр встал и процитировал Писание из Иоиля 2:38, когда все там смеялись. Эти люди, они не могли говорить на своём языке. Они что-то другое бормотали. Библия говорит: "Разделяющиеся языки". Разделяющийся — это "раздельный" язык, ничего не говорили, просто бормотали. Ходили там, как кучка пьяниц!
Все говорили: "Так эти люди пьяны. Взгляните на них, посмотрите, как они себя ведут, как эти мужчины и женщины. У них беспорядок", — говорила религиозная группа того дня.
Пётр встал среди них, сказал: "Мужи и братья, жители Иерусалима, жители Иудеи, да будем вам известно, что они не пьяны, как вы думаете, ведь сейчас только третий час дня. Но это то, что говорилось пророком Иоилем: 'И будет в последние дни: "Изолью от Духа Моего на всякую плоть".' Ныне исполнилось Писание сие". Конечно.
36 Лютер был вовремя. Веслей был вовремя. Пятидесятники были вовремя. Всё в полном порядке.
Теперь я хочу, чтобы вы приняли во внимание период и время, в которое мы сейчас живём, вместе с обетованным Словом на сегодняшний день. Если тогда, в другие века, люди могли сказать: "ныне сие Писание", "ныне сие Писание", тогда как насчёт Писания на сегодняшний день? Что обетовано на этот день? Где же мы находимся? В какой час мы живём; когда часы пробили, научные часы, три минуты до полуночи? Мир нервничает. Церковь на одре развращения, что никто уже не знает, кто на чём стоит. Какой же час дня? Как насчёт Писания на сей день?
37 Состояние церкви, или состояние церкви сегодня!
В мир