<TITLE>27. Par 145-148</TITLE>L-145 You know, it's... I was thinking, read in the life of John the Baptist the other day, what he said, what he called them, "You generation of vipers." Why? He was raised in the wilderness. See, he knowed what they was. Stomp your foot and they take for cover. "You generation of vipers." Also, "The axe is laid to the root of the tree." Tree, vipers, axes, he talked on what he knowed. That's the way you learn God, by what you know. You see a pig and a lamb, there's no nothing at all. You can't make... You might wash that little old pig up and do everything you want to, he's still a pig. He's got to be reborn before he can be a lamb.

L-146 Shortcuts... Tonight they're out here today, and they're going on (Oh, my.), and tomorrow they want to preach: Pentecostal people letting them do that too. Yeah. They want a shortcut to heaven, "Hallelujah, all I have to do is get down here and just don't think of nothing at all, and say, 'Hallelujah, hallelujah, I got on Elijah's garment. I'm going out tomorrow to cast out devils. Hallelujah, hallelujah, I got It.' Praise God, here I go." They want the shortcut to heaven, taking as much of the world as they can take. You can't take any of it. There's no shortcuts. You come the way of Calvary. You come the way of the brass altar. You come the way of the brazen serpent. You die. You actually die, O God, why can't I say it right? You die, literally die to yourselves, die to the things of the world, and are borned anew. Amen. No world, the things of the world is dead. There's no shortcuts. See? They want to come right quick; they don't want to grow. We grow in the Lord. It takes growth and experience.

L-147 People are told out on the west coast now, "Oh, we got the immortal baptism. We baptize you in water; you turn right back to a young man right there, a young woman. Yes, sir. You keep getting..." They got Elijah's garments; they've got manifested sons of God. "Yes, sir, brother, God's getting manifested sons right now, manifesting, tell them all about this. Tonight you're a sinner; tomorrow you're manifested sons of God." Nonsense. Where do you get that in the Word? Babies are not born men; they're born babies and grow to men.

L-148 Listen over here; just let me just quote back just a minute and read something to you in Ephesians, the 11th verse, 12th, about the 15th, I believe it is, somewhere along in here. Let's start at the 12th verse.
For the perfection of the saints, for the working of the ministry,... the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come into the unity of the faith, and... the knowledge of the Son of God, into perfected man, and the measure of His stature and the fulness of Christ:
That we from henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,... (Listen, and what doctrine?)... by the sleight--sleight of men, and cunning crafts, whereby they lay in wait to deceive you;
But speaking the truth in love,... (And, wait, what?)... speaking the truth... (He is the Truth)... in love,... (Listen. Are you listening? Say, "Amen.") [Congregation says, "Amen"--Ed.] (What?)... may grow up unto him... (Ah, what, tomorrow? No, grow up to Him.)... grow up--grow up unto him... which is the head, even Christ: (Growing up into Him, oh, there's...)


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