<TITLE>08. Par 21-23</TITLE>L-21 When a man is converted, his eyes are set towards Calvary. If he's just a little bit nervous, if you don't watch him, he will go over on the fanatic side. If he's just a little scholarly, he will go over on the starchy side. But right in the middle of the road is the sane, sensible, borned again, Spirit led, endowed Church of the living God, going straight down the road to Christ. That's the real coming from both the sides. One went one way, and one went the other, shows fanaticism or either scholarly and too stiff to bow. They know more about the Word than they know about the Author. To know the Word's not Life, but to know Him is Life: to know Him. You don't have to be a scholar; you have to be a submitted person. And when you submit yourself to Christ, Christ is obligated to fill that vacancy that you've poured out on the altar to Him. He's obligated to His Word to do it, and He will not fail you.

L-22 And when Philip was converted, immediately he could not rest till he found his friend. And while I was in the orient, they pointed out to me that it was some thirty miles where he went around the mountain to find Nathanael, his friend, a very good orthodox believer. And many of you readers know that when he found Nathanael, Nathanael was under a tree, praying. And Philip said to him, "Oh, come, see Who we have found: Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph."
And then the man, raising to his feet, Nathanael, he said, "Could there be any good thing come out of Nazareth?"
And I think that he gave him the best answer that I know could be given to mankind. He said, "Come and see."
Don't stay over here under the tree and criticize it, but come, see for yourself. "Is our church cooperating?" That doesn't matter. Come, see for yourself.
And as they went along the sides of the mountains, coming around to where Jesus was praying for the sick... Now, watch Him. And when Nathanael came up in the line with Philip, Jesus looked out to see him. Never before had He ever laid eyes upon him. But he said, "Behold an Israelite, in whom there is no guile." It astonished the man so.

L-23 You know, I kindly believe Philip kind of warned him about it before he got there, said, "Now, if He happens to call you out, well, don't you say nothing, because He will do it."
"Oh, I don't believe it."
"Well, come, find out, but go with an honest heart."
He said, "Behold an Israelite, in whom there is no guile."
And it astonished him so until he said, "Rabbi, whence knowest Thou me?" If we had time to break that down. "When did You know me? I never seen You, and I'm way older than You. And when did You ever see me, to know that I was a just and honest and upright man? How did You know I was a Jew? I could've been a Greek or something else. How'd you know I was an Israelite?"
Jesus said unto him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you." That was Jesus yesterday.
If He is the same yesterday, and He's the same today that He was yesterday, He's duty bound to His Word. That's right.


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