<TITLE>16. Par 153-168</TITLE>L-153   Just as sure as them wise men knew, when they looked down from Babylon and seen them three stars in line, that was the sign the Messiah was already on earth. That's the reason they were crying, "Where is He, born King of the Jews?" And the church didn't have the answer. They haven't got it today. The Bible is what's got it. God's Word is what's got it. That's right.

L-154 We find out, in all, that John had to announce the Messiah. And he had... He only would know that Messiah by a sign. That's how he knowed Messiah. That's the only way God ever makes Hisself known; by a Scriptural sign. And he watched. He stood out there, he said...
They said, "Are you the Messiah?"

L-155 He said, "No. I'm not even worthy to touch His shoes." He said, "But He is One... There is One standing among you."

L-156   Oh, my, don't think I'm excited! I know where I am. No, but it just feels good when I get to thinking about that, see, "there is One among you." And I say that tonight. There is One among you, the great Holy Spirit promised to be poured out in the last day. I see His sign constantly, and I know He is the Messiah because He still does the Messiah sign.

L-157 There He stood among them. He said, "There is One among you. I'm not worthy to touch His shoes, to unlatch His shoes. He is the One that'll baptize with the Holy Ghost and Fire."

L-158 And one day, walking from out of their midst come an ordinary Man, walked out. John looked up, and he said, "Behold, there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." And when he did, he saw. He said, "I knew Him because there was a sign following Him." And watch here, there's two of the greatest men on earth, standing face to face. John...

L-159   I remember Doctor Roy Davis, that ordained me in the Missionary Baptist church, he said, "You know, what happened there, Billy," said, "what happened..."

L-160 When John said, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and why comest Thou unto me?" Watch the humility of John. He said, "I--I have need to be baptized of Thee, why comest Thou unto me?" There was the Messiah and His prophet, the keynotes of the day, the keynotes of the Bible, standing there, One looking at the other. John in humility, said, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, why comest Thou unto me?"

L-161 Jesus said, "Suffer that to be so, for thus it is becoming to us to fulfill all righteousness." And, said, John suffered Him.

L-162 I remember Doctor Davis. He might be sitting present. Doctor Davis, not throwing this at you, but I--I--I... He said, "John, first Jesus baptized John, because John hadn't been baptized." And then said, "Then John baptized Jesus." That never did just come right to me.

L-163 So one day while the Holy Spirit was near, and in a vision, I saw what it was.

L-164 There was John and Jesus, standing face to face, the prophet to whom the Word come to. And the Word had come to the prophet. Amen. And He said, "Suffer it to be so. It was right. Suffer. But thus it is becoming to us to fulfill all righteousness." The prophet knowed that that was the Lamb, and the Lamb must be washed before It's presented. Amen. So he did it. See that? The prophet, being the Word, and It had come to him.

L-165 [A sister speaks in another tongue. A brother gives an interpretation--Ed.] Amen.

L-166   John, the prophet. The Word comes to His prophet. And the Word come exactly to the prophet. "It is becoming," it says behooveth, which means, "becoming to us that we fulfill all righteousness."

L-167 Oh, how I could leave the text now for a minute, how it's becoming to us to fulfill all righteousness! The hour is here, something, we must fulfill all righteousness. We know what to do. See, we should do it, that's right, believe with all of our heart.

L-168   Notice, then, we find that John humbled himself in the Presence of God.


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