<TITLE>08. Par 62-69</TITLE>L-62 That's all It is today, to the people, when they hear the Message. "Another wild man; another holy-roller; or some religious crank." And I'm not saying that there isn't religious cranks. But did you only know that... They call them, "Oddballs." Well, listen. Anybody that's living right is an oddball, to this modern world. We're all oddballs, as so to speak. And excuse that worldly expression, but it's the only way I knowed you was going to get what I'm talking about; see, just an odd, peculiar, person.
Jesus was that type of Person.

L-63 The prophets were them kind of persons, that come in the age when everything was getting all loose end. And the prophets come and caught those loose ends, and brought them back and shoved them out in the people's face, and told them, "The very God that you claim you're serving will destroy you, because you've gone away from His program. That's the only path He can save you on." And they're always oddballs.

L-64   And, today, when we hear the Message of God come forth, we think It's some crook, crank, or something. And there, there's plenty of it in the world: schemes, money-making, unconcern, people under impressions and--and speaking as if it was the Lord. The Lord always truly identifies Himself. See? And notice.

L-65 But, in that, did you know all those things have to come? Certainly. The--the rose must have its thorns. The kernel in a--in a nut should be covered over with a burr. You have to dig out the burr to get down to the kernel. We just fail to see those things. The jewels, the--the--the metals and jewels, and money, silver and gold in these mountains, are covered with dirt, filled with pyrite and other minerals that runs together with it. We expect that. You got to dig it out. When the prospector finds what he calls "pay dust," it's dust, but it's... They see it. It symbolizes, in there, there's a shadow of a mother lode somewhere.

L-66   And when we see these people today pertaining to be Christians, and just living any way, what is it? It's a pay dust. There's a mother lode somewhere. When we see somebody acting like they got the Holy Spirit, when they haven't, and living a different life, it's only a proof that there is a genuine mother lode of the Holy Ghost that can be poured out, that can give the things that He promised. We must be very concerned and reverent.

L-67   Jesus, on His way up. The Devil always doubted That being any more than a prophet. He didn't believe that He was Emmanuel. God manifested in His Own Son, Him and His Son being One, why, he couldn't see that. How could God, the great Creator, ever stand and let somebody tell Him, "Well, if you be the Son of God, command these stones to be turned to bread"?

L-68 And how could He, in Pilate's courtyard, when the... Excuse the expression; but when the chips was down, as we would call it. And there He was with a rag around His face, and--and Roman soldiers spitting in His face, and jerking the beard, and the Blood pouring through. And with a crown of thorns on His head. And already beaten, and His Blood running freely down His sides. And Satan watching that. And then put a rag over His face, and the soldiers smote Him on the head with a stick, then passed it one to another, said, "Now, if you can see these visions, if you be a prophet, now, you--you tell us who hit you." And He never opened His mouth. So they thought that...

L-69 Satan said, "That, that can't be the Son of God. It just can't be. He wouldn't put up with that." But sons of God put up with anything as long as they know they're doing the will of God. And that's what He come to do. Criticism!


<A HREF="P9">Next Page</A>