<TITLE>05. Par 22-27</TITLE>L-22 I different just a little, not to be different, but here's what I think He was meaning, for He said immediately, "Blessed art thou Simon, the son of Jonas, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in heaven has revealed it to you. And upon this rock I'll build My church; and the gates of hell can't prevail against it." What is it then, the rock it's built upon? Is the Divine revelation of Who Jesus Christ is. Upon that solid rock Christ builds His Church, and all the gates of hell will never prevail against it.
When that direct revelation comes from heaven that Christ is your Emancipator, that when He has become your Saviour, your Deliverer, and that is anchored in your heart, all the devils in torment will never make you deny it. That's right. "Upon this rock I'll build My church."

L-23 Now, Abel saw it and sacrificed a lamb. It was a revelation. All down through the age it's been revelation, revelation; and tonight it's revelation, not an outward form, not a declaration of creeds, not a group of prayers, not a string of beads; but a direct revelation that God has revealed to you that Christ is your Passover Lamb, that He bore your sins, and you've accepted Him as the sin offering in your stead. "Upon this rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." You see it? It's a revelation.

L-24 Jesus said in Saint John 5:24, "He that heareth My Word and believeth on him that sent Me, hath Everlasting Life, and shall never come to the judgment; but hath (past tense) passed from death unto Life." You get it? When it's really revealed by God into the heart that Jesus is Son of God, and you've accepted Him as your Saviour, you've passed from death unto Life. Christ said so. That settles it.

L-25 The lamb was a substitute. A lamb had to be a substitute. The lamb... God likened us unto sheep. And if you know anything about sheep, a sheep is an odd little fellow.
And I want to say something to the shepherds tonight, and listen to me. If you don't know the real difference... It's a hard thing to tell the difference between the bleating of a sheep and the bleating of a goat. They bleat almost the same. And there's testimonies; there's tears--cries; there's impersonations that comes not from the true heart. It's an impersonation.

L-26 You say, "Brother Branham, could a person do all these things and be lost?" Yes, sir. Certainly. The...?... said, "I rejoice in the Spirit." That has nothing to do with it. It's not you rejoicing in the Spirit; neither is it the baptism of the Holy Ghost that's poured on the congregation. It is a new birth and a change of heart that changes a man from a dying being to a resurrected, immortal Son of God taking His place on the seat of the believer's heart. It's a nature change.

L-27 Is not it true that the Bible said, "The rain falls on the just and unjust. The sun shines on the just and unjust"? You take a wheat field and the little heads are turning over; it's a drought. The old stinkweeds, and the briar vine, and the sticktights, and all of them in the field, they're just as thirsty as the wheat. It's a vision I saw once. And they were all needing rain. And when the showers came, the little wheat raised up its head and rejoiced; and the stinkweed raised up its head and rejoiced; the creeper raised up its head and rejoiced. They were just as proud to get the rain as the rest of them, but, brother, one of them was bearing the fruit of wheat, and the other was bearing the fruit of something else.


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