<TITLE>13. Par 122-136</TITLE>L-122   Now we notice today, if somebody says, "Are--are you a Christian?" It's very much a popular thing, say, "Oh, I'm a Christian!" See?

L-123 "But do you believe the Word of God, where It said, 'These signs shall follow them that believe'?"

L-124 "Oh!" Even ministers' faces will blush. See?

L-125 Are you ashamed of, say, of Divine healing? Are you ashamed of the full Gospel? Are you ashamed of your pentecostal experience? That's being ashamed of His Word. That's His Word made flesh in you.

L-126   So, His Word has to live Itself out for every generation. It lived Itself in the days of Moses. Because, in that day, the Bible said, in Hebrews, 1st chapter, "God, in sundry times and divers manners spake to the fathers by the prophets."

L-127 And those prophets! The church got all so twisted up that when... Those prophets, those daring messengers of God, come without church, without denomination, without organization, without anything; defied kings, kingdoms, churches, and everything. When the priests was brought before... They was brought before the priests, they wasn't ashamed, because they had directly THUS SAITH THE LORD.

L-128 If you notice, the prophet, in one sense of the word, in the Old Testament, when he said THUS SAITH THE LORD, now watch him, he goes right into the phrase of taking the place of God. You notice, when he placed out before him, THUS SAITH THE LORD, he fell right into God, and he acted as God. Then he gave his Message, which was God speaking through him, "THUS SAITH THE LORD!"

L-129   I think of the prophets of old, when they come with that Message, and It embarrassed the kings, and It made the people feel uncomfortable. The priests, even, they would feel uncomfortable, because they were supposed to be leaders, religious man, and when they... the Word came forth in that manner, It exposed them, and they felt embarrassed, or ashamed.

L-130 And many times we see that, not many, too often today! That man, you say, "I am a Christian!"
"Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?"
"Oh! Huh!" You see, they're--they're embarrassed about It.

L-131 Somebody say, "Do you belong to that group up there that does all that there shouting, and all that Divine healing stuff?" Many times, Christians back up.

L-132 They want to announce, if--if they got a denomination, now, "I'm Baptist. I'm Presbyterian. I'm Lutheran." They're not ashamed of that.

L-133   But when it comes to being a Christian that can take God's Word just the way It is, then they're--they're--they're ashamed. "I don't belong to any denomination," see, they, they're--they're ashamed to say that. They've got to be like the rest of the world, represented by some organization.

L-134 Now, that's just recently come into that. In the days of Luther, to recognize yourself as a Lutheran or a follower of Luther, well, it almost meant death by the Catholic church. In the days of Wesley, to know that you had defied the Anglican church, it was almost a penalty of death by the Anglicans, to announce that you were a Methodist. In the days of Pentecost, it was a shame, almost, to say that you was--that you was a pentecostal, because you was quickly counted a holy-roller, or--or some tongue-speaker, or something like that. Now they organized and went right in with the rest of the group.

L-135   Now when the calling-out time comes, that you don't belong to any of it! It's very popular to say, "I'm Pentecost." It's very popular to say, "I'm Presbyterian. Lutheran." But what when it comes to the time that you'll have to come out and stand for the Word, "I don't belong to any of it"? That, that embarrassed.

L-136 Jesus said, "Now, if you are ashamed of Me, then I'll be ashamed of you." Why would He be ashamed of you? Because you are claiming to be His, when you won't follow Him.


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