<TITLE>09. Par 16-19</TITLE>L-16 Moses took God's provided way when they were down there in Egypt. How they going to get out? It... God kept hardening Pharaoh's heart. But He said, "Now, I'm going to make a way of escape, because I'm going to send death over the land."
Say, listen, here's something striking. Watch, plague after plague after plague, but the last plague fell was death, just before the deliverance.
Notice it. How striking it is today. Jesus said there'll be--perilous times shall come, men's hearts would fail; how He said they'd be distress between the nations, sea a roaring, tidal waves that's never been heard of before, bursting forth in the seas. How that in all these things, signs would be coming to pass. Just like it was in the days of Noah, it would be again. How marvelous.
But remember, the last plague that fell was death. And the last thing... God has give us warning after warning, warning after warning. Now, the last thing that's come is death, spiritual death. The churches are dying spiritually. That's right, friend.

L-17 We talk about the revival in America; we haven't got any revival. We've got a lot of church joining, but we haven't got any revival.
One of the famous evangelists, not long ago, where had claimed thirty thousand in six weeks (or twenty thousand, I believe it was.), about six weeks after that, couldn't find twenty people. The reason of it is this, friend, is because they just have the people just to make a confession, just stand up and set down. That's good. That's all right, as far as you go.
But, brother, there's a deeper experience than that. You've got to get that person to where the Holy Spirit takes control of that life by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That's God's provided way.
Just same as it was in the days of Noah. One of them stood up and said, "Well now, look. If it does happen to come the way Noah said it, I'll just get on me a big white poplar log and float along."

L-18 God's provided way was the only thing that floated. Your popularity won't last during that day. It won't stand in that day. I don't care what you got. God hasn't got any shortcuts. You come by the cross, born again, filled with the Holy Ghost, or you're gone. You're lost. No shortcuts, you got to come God's way.
What if I started home tonight and said, "Let's see now, the beeline would be right like this." I'd get stuck in mud. They've provided a highway. I've got to take the mark and follow it.
And I tell you, here's what Peter said on the day of Pentecost. Said, "Repent, every one of you, and be baptized... Name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you and your children and them that's far off (even Connersville, Indiana), and as many as the Lord our God shall call."

L-19 And since that time brother, Jesus said, "Except a man be borned of water and Spirit, he will in no wise enter." They've adopted different things, friends, but that's not God's Bible. No shortcuts, you got to come the rugged way. Surely.
I think of Naaman back there, when he tried to take a shortcut. The prophet told him, "Go down and dip in Jordan."
"Oh," he said, "the waters up here is just as well--just as well up here as it is down there." Well, he's going on up with his leprosy. But the prophet told him to go dip in Jordan.
And I can see him. It--it kind of hurt his prestige. Got off of the boat, or of his little old chariot, walked out there and held his nose, you know, and dipped down his spots. It might hurt you, might get you all upset.
Here not long ago, a preacher said to me, Sunday school teacher, rather, in the city I live. Said, "Brother Branham, how in the world can you preach and all them people saying, 'Amen' and 'Hallelujah' and screaming and crying?"
"Why," I said, "if they wasn't doing that I couldn't preach." Brother, that's right.
He said, "That'd get me so excited."
I said, "It doesn't me." And say, "If there--if there's nothing going on, then I get excited."


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