<TITLE>20. Par 263-272</TITLE>L-263   Isaiah said, "Precept will be upon precept, and line upon line; here will be a little, and there a little." "Hold fast that what's good." "With stammering lips and other tongues will I speak to this people, and this is the Rest. This is the refreshment." They know Joel had promised, "In the last days, I'll pour out," Joel 2:28, "I'll pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. There'll be such an unction, that I'll show signs in the heavens above and in the earth below, pillars of fire and vapor of smoke." And, oh, my! See? They waited until the Scripture identification came. See? They had sold out. They had their investment. They wanted that kind of a remuneration.

L-264 Today, instead of the church doing that, we sell out to membership. "Start off, bring them in, anything, get more than the Methodists has got, or the Baptists has got. Get more than the Oneness has." And the Oneness more than the trinity or the twoness, or how many "-ness's" you got. I don't know. See? All that, what is it? It's a bunch of worldy-ism. It's a bunch of nonsense. Come back to God and His vindicated Word. Amen.

L-265   The rich young Paul one time, just as full of theology as he could be; like the rich young ruler. He was on his road down to Damascus, and he seen that there was a Light flew before him, a Pillar of Fire, that put his eyes out. And He spoke to him. And He said, "Saul, it's hard for you to kick against the pricks." And when he... It was vindicated to him that that was Jesus, was the same God of the Old Testament. See? He saw It there. He had been making Him somebody else, some Beelzebub.

L-266 But when he saw this Pillar of Fire, he knowed that was the same Pillar of Fire that he had been taught that led Israel. And there It was. He said, "Who are You, Lord?" He recognized Him as Lord because the Pillar of Fire was there.
He said, "I am Jesus."

L-267 He made an investment, too. He wanted That. The thing that he had played with so long, there It was right before him. He made an investment when He was properly vindicated that that was Jesus, and He was God. He made it known, "Lord, what would You have me do?"

L-268   Oh, what a rashal decision this rich young ruler made! We people today think he done a horrible thing. He's like the people of Laodicea today. He wants popularity, praises of men, instead of the service policy. This is It, that God offers to men, to live by.

L-269 Jesus Christ was the expressed Image of God. He was what God, through His power, projected; a body which was called Son, because He was a Man. And He come from God. And He was so committed to God, till, "He didn't think it robbery that Him and God being the same Person. And they were, because God was the Word, and He was the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God." And there where God could take His Word, without anything, any interruption. He was constantly doing that what the Father wanted done. And there the Word could work through Him there, till that Him and Father was One. That's what.

L-270 And then He took that perfect life, and all of our sins, and placed it upon that perfect life. And He died that we--we renegades could be... could die to ourselves, and be born of Above, and His Word could work through us the works of God.

L-271   Oh, what a crucial thing, mistake, that the church has made, just exactly like this rich young fellow did. He increased in his goods. Oh, yes, he made good like the Laodicea, but he--he made a bad mistake. Oh, my! And he got so great and rich! Let's follow this fellow just for a few minutes now.

L-272 And, honestly, I will quit. Look, notice. He... [A brother says, "Preach It, Brother Branham!"--Ed.] Notice. Thank you. Thank you, brother.


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