<TITLE>11. Par 98-107</TITLE>L-98 And now he said, "This Messiah, when He comes... There may be false Messiahs raise up. There may be all kinds of things happen. But when He comes, God will identify Him. He will be a prophet. The Bible says He will be a prophet. And the Bible said, 'If there be one among you who is spiritual or a prophet, I the Lord will make Myself known unto him, speak to him through visions, and so forth. And if what he says comes to pass, then hear him. But if it doesn't come to pass, then don't hear him.'"

L-99   That's just as honest and just as... That's sense. If what he says is right, it has to be right every time. You just can't guess at it. It's got to be right. If it is right, it's got to be God. And if it isn't right, then it isn't God. So that's just... And so they knew to believe that. All Jews knew that, the true Jews.

L-100 But, in that day, the church had got something like it is today, kind of soft, and off on creeds, and gone off on class and complications of the... and washing pots. And as Jesus said, "You've took your traditions and made the Commandments of God of no effect to you." By their tradition, that's what they had did, a lot like today, a repeat of time.

L-101   Now notice this. Now, when Andrew was satisfied that that was the Messiah, the Bible doesn't record just what he did. But he went and got Peter, or his name was Simon then. And he said, "Simon, I want you to come and hear this Man. The prophet down on Jordan said this Man would come. And the prophet said that he saw the Spirit of God, like a dove, coming upon Him. And he knew this was the Son of God. I want you to come hear Him. There's a Light, a sign, that follows Him."

L-102   So I'd imagine Simon was a little reluctant about coming. But, finally, when he walked up into the Presence of Jesus... Now, think of it now, we're going to find out the credentials, the identification, what He was. And when... I'm still in Saint John, the 1st chapter. And when Jesus saw Simon coming to Him, He said, "Behold an Israelite." He spoke, and knew him. He said, "Thy name is Simon. You are the son of Jonas."

L-103 That took the starch out of him. How did He know his name was Simon? And how did He know that godly old father before him, that had taught him the way? He knew that must be Messiah. It was a prophet. And immediately he fell at His feet. Without education, without any--any experience behind it, and was so consecrated, till Jesus Christ give him the keys to the Kingdom, and made him the head of the church at Jerusalem. For as soon as that... Jesus identified Himself by saying, "Your name is Simon, and you are the son of Jonas," which was his father. That made Jesus perfectly that prophet. Peter believed it.

L-104   Now, we find there was one standing there, by the name of Nathanael or... Philip, I believe it was. Philip was standing by, and he saw this. So, he was a staunch Israelite, and he knew where there was a brother that they had studied together. Now, if you've ever been in Jerusalem and see where Jesus was preaching, and how far Philip had to go, it's a day's journey around the mountains, to where his friend Nathanael was, which was a Bible student. So he takes off, immediately, after he had found what was the Truth. He had seen it work. He was satisfied, that was Messiah.

L-105 Oh, if we could only have that enthusiasm, if we could only get that same something within us, when we know we have found that Pearl.

L-106   Around the mountain he went. No doubt that he found Nathanael. Come to his home, and--and maybe he knocked on the door. And his wife said, "He's--He's out in the vineyard." He probably raised olives. And he went out in the vineyard. And being a Christian gentleman, he didn't bother him while he was praying.

L-107 He was on his knees, praying. Maybe he was praying like this, "Lord God, Jehovah, I'm growing old. And I've looked and longed to see the Messiah. Let me see Him before I go."


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