<TITLE>09. Par 33-37</TITLE>L-33 Now, Jesus had come just exactly the way that He--they said--the Bible said He would come. And He did just exactly what the Bible said He would do. And yet, they did not believe Him. He performed the Messiahic sign and showed them that He was the Messiah (in the very same chapter), and they called Him a Beelzebub, a devil, because He was able to discern their thoughts. And they thought that He was a devil.
Now, the Bible had plainly told them. Moses, their leader who they looked to, he told them "That when the Lord your God shall raise up a Prophet likened unto me, and it shall come to pass that whosoever shall not hear this Prophet will be cut off from the people."

L-34 Now, the Messiah was to be a Prophet. And when this sign of the prophet was given among them, then oh, they didn't look for that; they looked for a man with a rod of iron that could go out and do great things and beat down a nation.
See, America is certainly sold on big things and noisy things; but God comes in neither big things or noisy things. When Elijah was back in the cave, there went a thunder by, God; He just let it pass by. A wind went by; they had rushing mighty winds and everything else pass by, but God wasn't in it. But when a still, small voice spoke, the prophet veiled his face and walked out; He spoke. It's that still small voice that we fail to hear; we're looking for roars and thunders, and--and things like that, and sensations. But God... You can be deceived in sensation. We want to stay with the Word to know whether we're right or not; that's the blueprint. Stay with the Word, and the Word is right.

L-35 And the Bible had spoke and predicted the way He would come, and many of those who were ordained before to Eternal Life, they heard Him and they recognized Him. Philip, Peter, many of those, when they come up, He'd tell them who they were. Quickly, they'd say, "That's the Messiah." But the Pharisees couldn't answer to their congregations, so they had to brand it something. And they just said, "It's the devil."
And Jesus was rebuking them and upbraiding them cities that He'd done great works in, because of their hearts was hardened and they... And He was telling about in all ages... God in all ages, through every age, has had signs and wonders and a messenger in the earth--in all ages. Every age that ever come, He had a messenger. And if the people believed that message, the nation prospered; if it did not believe that message, that nation was condemned and went into chaos. Just look back through the history of the Bible and you will certainly find it. If God sent a message...

L-36 And usually the message doesn't come with some great big blare, something big. It's something small. Watch Noah, the fanatic. Look at Abraham. Just watch down through the Bible, and even Jesus Himself: humble, lowly, outcast, black name behind Him, everything. Look at John: A man born in the wilderness, no schooling at all, piece of sheepskin wrapped around him and hairy all over, and looked like one of these here fuzzy worms, out there a preaching repentance and eating wild locusts and honey. Isn't that something? And these great, fine, self-styled clergymen there, oh, schooled to the very point, could speak every Hebrew word exactly, and their grammar and their theology was perfect. And God took something like an old fuzzy worm out there in the wilderness and sent forth and condemned the whole thing.
Even when Jesus come, He said, "There never was a man borned of a woman as great as John the Baptist." That's right. God does things small, but powerful.

L-37 Now, the Bible spoke and said (speaking of John being a forerunner there) said, "Every high place will be brought low; every low place will be lifted up; the mountains will skip like little rams, and all the trees clap their hands."
What was it? An old fuzzy faced man with a piece of sheepskin around him, drowning people almost with water, standing out on the banks of the Jordan blasting away against the churches.


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