Sermon Texts (Adding Now)
Sermon Texts Beginning With H
His Wonders To Perform (58-0112A)
| His Wonders To Perform (58-0112A) |
|
|
E-1 Thank you, Brother Joseph. Let's bow our heads just a moment for prayer. E-2 You may be seated. [Someone speaks to Brother Branham--Ed.] That's all right. I am just a bit disappointed myself of Brother Osborn not being in this afternoon, but somehow he felt that he had to hurry back on a call back to--to Tulsa, Oklahoma. And I was looking forward, just as you are, for the--for Brother Osborn. And it was just told me and I had to rush right over and take his place. And oh, I couldn't take his place, but I'll come over to speak in his stead. So we are very grateful for the--the visit that we had with our precious brother last evening.
E-3 And I was so happy to get to see the--the movie screen show because of--it gives some kind of an idea to the people what you face when you hit those countries. Now, that was--that was very sickening to look at. But if you'll take my word, that's minor, Africa is, to India. So you know what we have to confront.
E-4 And when I was over this last time, it almost made me discouraged to see all the missionaries just around the city and living in the fine hotels with nice big automobiles, and going out to the compound once in a while and watch the natives dance, and pass out some tracts. That's not the David Livingston missionary. No, sir. We want to get back into there where the heathen worship is still in existence and there preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.
E-5 Now, we're just a little late and I--when I heard I was going to have to speak in his place I felt myself go right down and I thought, "Oh, my." The audience watching for Brother Osborn to come in and here I--I had to come out. And then with nothing in my mind, so I just thought of a Scripture that I would like to read to you and comment on it a few moments.
E-6 I want to thank those boys that just got through playing with that trumpet and singing and this Brother Johnson. I have always said to the audience, "When you want to find me when we get over in glory, you know where the--the river of life comes down by the throne of God? Well, you turn a bend to the right. And then the angelic choir's singing over on the hill, all the time, because there is no day and night. There's a little bush setting over on the other side of the hill. I want to be setting under that, just listening all the time."
E-7 Now, hurry back as soon as we can get finished here just to speak some of the Lord's Words, or at least to read them. And He'll add His blessings to them surely. I wish to read from Saint Matthew's Gospel, the 2nd chapter.
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came from the east to Jeru--wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him.
This is altogether a very odd and peculiar text. It seems like it would be a Christmas text. But anything in the Bible is God's Word. And God does things peculiar. He works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. Did you catch that? He works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. Oh, I just love that. And how that He does it in such a--a way sometime that it absolutely cannot be explained.
E-8 And then again we wonder in the Scriptures, when it's written, "All things work together for good to them that love God." And many times when maybe the lash of His correction is laying upon us, we wonder how that it could be working for the good. But after it's all over, then we look back and we praise Him for it because He knows; we do not. We just act obedient to His Word and to His chastising. He never did chastise us unless we had need of it. And sometimes we might think that we wasn't guilty, but He knows... Maybe we are not, but He knows just how to do it to make it all work good. And what a--a beautiful thing it is just to lay your life in His hands and say, "Here am I, Lord. Just use me now; lead me, and guide me, and direct me in the way that would be pleasing unto Thee." And then don't murmur. No matter what the path is, stay with it anyhow, and God will work it all right. "The footsteps of the righteous is ordered by the Lord." And that Scripture is true.
E-9 Now, in the beginning when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, there's a few things right there what I'd like to just settle on for a few moments. How mysterious it was, and at that day unto scholars and men who should know that His coming was drawing nigh... And there was great things beginning to heap up, like it is in each junction of time, as we were speaking the other night.
E-10 And if you'd just notice how it couldn't have not have happened in another time. How God in His great, wise providence, how that He moves every cog just to hit at the right time. And that gives us faith sometime. When we think, "Oh, everything's all topsy-turvy and there's no way out," don't think that. God's making it work just exactly according to His time program. E-11 And there would've never been a taxation of all the people in that day. They had to come up to their home towns to be taxed. And now, Mary was to be mother at any time. But looked like that she couldn't have made that long trip up into Bethlehem. And remember, she didn't have an ambulance to go in, neither a fine coach. She had to set on the back of a little donkey, beating along the hard paths, stumbling over the rocks. But it was the kings orders, no exceptions. They had to go. But the blessed thought is this: no matter whose orders it is, if it's God's program, it'll have to work out right, just has to come right.
E-12 And then there was another danger, this little company, just a young man and his little newly married wife, going along the road, many robbers was in the land in those days, like Barabbas and so forth. And what a parade that would've been to them to see just a little man walking along with a little woman to be mother, setting on a little donkey, and with a little stick in his hand for a group of wild, mean men to ride down, and throw her off of there, and do evil.
E-13 But perhaps little did she know these things. And little did maybe, Joseph know, that all this was just about to happen. But we don't have to know everything. We just believe by faith and walk on. God doesn't have to tell us all His plans, just how He's going to make the morning star shine in the morning and... Just move on anyhow. God takes care of His own.
E-14 And as I see the little company moving along, it must have been they were traveling by night, because it would be cooler. And then another thing, what if that little mule would've stumbled and had fallen, packing that precious Treasure. Oh, the greatest Treasure the world ever had, and it was sit on the back of a mule.
E-15 And we see them as they come along through the night, because it would be cool. And we imagine that if that direct rays of the Palestinian sun, in those days, would've been hard upon the little woman. And as they were traveling by night, let's say it's getting along nine or ten o'clock at night on that great memorial night. And as you... The road that they traveled lays west of Bethlehem. And standing on this road, which is just about a mile out of Bethlehem, you come down sort of a hill like, and you make a turn and then go into Bethlehem. The same little road's there today.
E-16 And as they talked, Mary looked up and said, "Joseph, it seems to me that the stars are just a little brighter over Bethlehem tonight." You know, there's something strange about it, that when God is just ready to do something, there seems to be a peculiarity.
E-17 And usually, when God's fixing to do something, the whole audience just seems to be spellbound. I remember, over in Finland that when two years before, a vision (many of you still have it wrote in your Bible) that was telling about a little boy was going to be raised from the dead. And we was up at Kuopio looking over at the iron curtain. And when we come down, about thirty missionaries, I said, "I feel real strange; something's fixing to happen."
E-18 They raised the little coat off his face and let me see him, and I started to walk away. And something happened. I turned to look at the boy again. And the manager, who was standing there, I seen it was the very description of the vision. And then was when the Holy Spirit begin to move. There before five hundred people I could, surely, with the assurance that God keeps His Word, could say to them, "It's THUS SAITH THE LORD; that little boy will be on his feet a living in the next five minutes." There was everything that the Lord had showed in the vision two years before, which many of you still have it in your Bibles. Something foretold that would come to pass, the grace of God to us. E-19 And in this day that we are now living, the believer can say truly in his heart, "There's something fixing to happen." We know it. I believe it's the calling out of the church of the living God to separate them from the unbeliever. He's calling now in mercy to the church, but He will speak to the world in judgment. And the guilty shall not suffer with the--well... The innocent shall not suffer with the guilty.
E-20 And as they looked at those stars, Mary and Joseph, way far into the east, many hundreds of miles away, I would like this afternoon to express something that was taking place in that far away land, way across into India. And as I read this text once, and seen these Magis coming to worship the Lord Jesus, I wondered, "What has a Magi got to do with the Lord Jesus? What part would that man, or those people, have to play in the Gospel?"
E-21 And as I got back into some of the ancient history, such as Hislop's "Two Babylons," and many of the other ancient writers, to study what was these Magis... Because I thought maybe someday that question might be asked me. And I find out that the Magis in India, were really the Medes-o-Persians that we was speaking of the other night in Belteshazzar's big rock-and-roll party, when the Medes-o-Persians took over the Babylonian kingdom. And they had immigrated and got up into India. E-22 And we know yet today, that those things are the truth. God, when He made His solar system, He put the moon as a guard with a gun over his shoulder. And He set the boundaries of the sea. And that moon, if it would ever move from its orbit, this entire earth would be destroyed with water. That moon holds the sea. And oh, how I've stood by its banks and watched its angry waves trying to lick out. But the moon says, "Hold your peace. God set your boundaries, and I'm the guard." And when the moon begins to look sideways to worship Jehovah, then the tides start slipping in and the moon comes back, and it slips back out again, 'cause those bodies have a meaning. E-23 And then another thing, it's written in the book of Acts the 10th chapter and the 34th and 35th verse, that Peter said, "I perceive that God is no respect of person or nation; but He accepts such as will worship Him in righteousness," something on that order. No matter who the person is, what nation they are, what color or creed, if they worship God in righteousness, they will be led to the Light.
E-24 And as these Magis... When I was in India recently at the great meeting where we estimated some five hundred thousand attended the meetings... And it was unknown how many the Lord Jesus did bring into His Kingdom that night. When the blind man was brought to the platform in a challenge, with a Bible in one hand and the Koran in the other, and said, "One's right and one's wrong. Let the God of creation speak Who made the human eye." And we challenged any Mohammedan to come here and to give him his sight. He was a worshipper of the sun, blind twenty years. E-25 So these Magis in the east... When Billy and I would go out on the streets, they would be setting, squatted down with the turbans on their head, butting their heads together in the daytime waiting for the night to come. And one of the ancient historians said, "They were not kings, but they were worthy to be called the servants of king." E-26 And it was up in the mountains where this great event taken place, and they had a great temple up there in the mountains in India. And they, each night, they would have their ceremonies and their feasts, while they slept through the daytime. And in the late evenings they would go out to the--on the plaza, and from there climb up the steps of an observatory, and get way up in the watch tower, and sit all night watching those bodies. And until it was real dark, when the twilights of evening was still falling, they've had a way of getting themself into the spirit of their astrology, or astronomy, or astrology, I think was the right word. And as they looked, they would read the old manuscripts of--and discuss things, of the failures of their fathers, and the failures of the things. And doing so, then they would worship one true God. They were not idol worshippers. They believed in one true God. E-27 And the Mohammedan today believes in one true God. And they say, "There is one true and living God, and Mohammed is his prophet." And we say there's one true and living God, and Jesus is His Son." That's the difference. They come through the children of Ishmael. We come through the children of Isaac. "Being dead in Christ, take on Abraham's seed and are heirs, according to the promise." Not Jew outwardly, but Jew inwardly, by having the faith that Abraham had who takes God by His Word and calls those things which are not as though they were, 'cause God said so. There's many profess to be that, that doesn't have faith to lay hold on the Word. But those who are able to take God's Word and call everything else contrary to It, as though it was not, that's Abraham's children.
E-28 And as they set there, and they would gaze at the stars... And on this certain night, while they were gazing, they brought out the old manuscripts and they begin to talk about, oh, certain kingdoms and had risen, and fallen and risen and fallen again, and so forth, and how the empires had failed. And then when they begin to speak about, "Wonder if there will ever be a day when we will have a kingdom that'll not fall no more?"
E-29 Oh, friend, I hope the little lady doesn't take this too personally, but it's my daughter-in-law, who's setting present now. This has been the greatest week of her life. Last evening while we were setting together waiting for Billy to bring the car back, in the lobby of the hotel, and on the ballroom floor they were having a rock-and-roll, or some kind of a amusing dance. And little children, little boys no more than twelve years old or less, smoking cigarettes, and little girls. And the little lady looked at me, and she said, "Billy, pray for me." All week over in her room, I've heard her singing songs. I heard her singing last evening before she went to church, my favorite song, "Down From His Glory." She started reading the Bible, and she's pretty near read the Bible through this week. You go to singing hymns; you start reading the Bible; and that Stranger will appear to you too. Meditate on His Word.
E-30 And as they were reading, and the sacred fire was a burning... They worshipped the one true God by a sacred fire. They watched the licking of the blazes, for they knew that the one true God dwelt in Light. And that's true. God dwells in Light. When He was on earth manifested in flesh, He said, "I am the Light of the world," because God was manifested through Him. And He was the Light, the Pillar of Fire, that led the children of Israel. He was the Light that struck Paul down on his road to Damascus. He was the Light that come into the prison with Peter. He's the Light that's on that picture. He's the Light that's in my heart. He's the Light that's in this church. He is the everlasting Light, and in Him is no darkness.
E-31 One time I'd got through preaching, way down in the mountains of Kentucky, where I was born. And as I stepped outside the door of the church, there was a--a man standing there, which was a trapper across the hills, a great big chew tobacco in his mouth, that when he... He'd met me the day before, and I was squirrel hunting, and he was setting there on the log talking, and--and they were talking about a little baby that been healed the night before, which they said had the jerks: palsy. And they didn't know I was in the woods.
E-32 Oh, if Christ is presented in the right way, the world will respect it, if there's any respect in them. Certainly it is, if it's brought in the way of Divine light.
E-33 God dwells in light. And those Magis knew that. And as they stood in the light of the fire and looked towards the solar system, there was a stranger. It was a different one then they'd ever saw before. They never spoke for quite a long time. They wondered.
E-34 Last evening there was a colored lady who slipped back there, and she said, "Give a little ticket." And the girl, perhaps, is in here now. That this woman was on the platform the last meeting here, and the Holy Spirit told her who she was, where she'd come from, and said, "Down in Arkansas you've got a loved one," a sister, I believe it was, "that was insane, a raging maniac in a hospital of insanity." But said, "It's THUS SAITH THE LORD, and the woman will set in this audience tonight," if she's not right here now. She was healed at that very same time. They said she'd be here tonight.
E-35 After while they begin to discuss, "What is this strange light? It must be something." And the only way that I know how to say, the Lord must've give them a dream, because later on we find out that they were warned in a dream. And the Lord must've give them a dream that the baby King was being born. And that was the same time that Mary and Joseph was looking eastward. God makes every cog come right to its fitting place.
E-36 And finally they came to Jerusalem. And when they hit Jerusalem, they knowed He was a Jew, and they thought that surely He'd be borned among the celebrity, if He was to be King. And surely, if He was to be religious, He would come to the great Vatican City, as it was, the great temple of Solomon.
E-37 So is it the cry of the hungry hearts today, "Where is that Jesus that's the same yesterday, today, and forever? We have felt His Spirit on us and we've come to worship Him."
E-38 But notice, as they come, that stirred emotion in Jerusalem. And finally, day and night, up-and-down the crooked streets, everywhere, seeing if they could find Him on Hallelujah Avenue. He wasn't there. They went over to the signs and wonders. He wasn't there. They tried every street, and He wasn't there.
E-39 Now, as we're closing, watch. All through those great denominational streets, they went back and forth crying, "Where is He? Where is He? He's born King of the Jews; we long to see Him." But they couldn't find any consolation, neither could anyone tell them. And as soon as something inspired them to go out the east side of the gate, or the west side, rather, towards Bethlehem, the star lit up the road. Saint Matthew 10:10 said, "And they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."
E-40 And it led them to Bethlehem. And as they begin to notice, they kept going, and it hung over this little room where the little One was. And they noticed it begin to get slower, slower, descending, descending. And they begin to say, "Oh, look, it's close; it's almost here. It's getting closer all the time." And after while it slowed up until it completely stopped. E-41 How can we this afternoon, when the Morning Star of His blessing has descended from the heaven with the signs and the wonders of His second coming, and how can we ever sit and let it pass by us without opening up our hearts and everything within them and worshipping Him as our King? We surely should be as thankful as the Magis. Let us bow our heads just a moment while you think on those things.
E-42 Are you in this audience this afternoon, sinner? God hates sin, but he loves the sinner. He loves you so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that He might drink the bitter cup for you. Remember, He became you, that you might become Him. He become a sinner, a separated from the Father, when He screamed, "My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" He was separated from God in His death, that you in your death might have God's Presence. He become a child of sin, your sins, not His own, yours, that you might become a child of obedience. He took your place as a time creature, that you might take His place as an eternal son and daughter of God.
E-43 God loves a sinner. And everything that's on earth will praise Him someday. Someday you'll bow to His knee--to your knee at His feet. You'll bow as a reconciled by His works of reconciliation as you accepting Him as your propitiation, and been washed by the water by the Word, and the waters of separation, and become altogether a child of the living God; you'll worship Him in peace. Outside of that, it'll be a fearful thing. "For it the--if the righteous be scarcely saved, where will the sinner and ungodly appear?" And that might happen to you before you leave the door.
E-44 Someone else now wants to be remembered in prayer, just now? May God be merciful. God bless you, lady. God bless you back there too. God bless you, little girl, and bless you, lady. Another just now, we're going to pray. All right. Wonder if our brother, while we got our heads bowed, would just hum, or play that song softly, "Just As I Am." Now, that's your plea to the Lord Jesus.
E-45 Lord, Thou hast said in Thy eternal Word, which Jesus said, the Scriptures cannot be broken, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first." Oh, how lovely that is to think that the Father is in here today. The Holy Spirit is drawing. And literally dozens have raised their hands. The Holy Spirit is drawing. God the Father, giving to His Son love gifts in commemoration of His great, all sufficient Sacrifice which pleased God to forget sin. If Jesus was so willing to do all of that, the Father's heart was so broken up till He was willing to forget all about sin. And now He speaks to the sinner, saying, "Child of My creation, I would like to lead you to My Son today. I would like to put you in His custody so that He can guide you into Eternal Life."
... without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
Because I promise I'll believe,
O Lamb of God, I come!
E-46 Do you really mean it now? If you do, every person in the building that means that you're now surrendering all to Him, will you just raise your hand while we sing again? Raise up your right hand. Any persons in here that's loves the Lord Jesus, whether you've been a Christian, whether you haven't, right now you say, "I'll surrender my whole life. Let the Morning Star, the Light of God, lead me to my eternal destination."
... receive,
To Him, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
E-47 While we hum it now. [Congregation starts humming--Ed.] Everybody. I want you to shake hands with the one setting by your side, to right and left, before you and behind you, and say this, while that lovely music's a playing, "God bless you, fellow citizen of the Kingdom. God bless you, pilgrim stranger. I'm glad to set with you in heavenly places today in Christ Jesus." That's it. Just in front of you, behind you, and to your side... Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Catholic, Jew, altogether, "I'm so glad to have fellowship with you here in the Presence of the Lamb." Oh, isn't it wonderful. How good... How many feels real good? Can you just feel that something's present? That's Him, the Holy Spirit. |
||||||
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|