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Zacchaeus, The Businessman (63-0121) |
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E-1
Everybody's been testifying tonight, giving such great experiences. And
I certainly enjoy those things. And it seemed like that everybody had a
little sense of humor to their testimony, and I might add this to mine.
As the colored lady wanted to testify not long ago, and she says,
"Elder, could I testify?"
Said, "Just go ahead."
And she said, "I–I–I hain't what I–what I oughta be, and–and I–and
I hain't what I wanta be," she said, "but I hain't what I used to be
too." So maybe it's about the way that I feel among such a group. I'm
not what I ought to be, or what I want to be. But I know one thing; I'm
not what I used to be, and I press towards the mark of the high
calling.
E-2
So good to be here. We've had one of the finest times of fellowship
with our brethren up in the Maricopa Valley this last two weeks, and
I'm rather hoarse. And we have seen our heavenly Father do great things
for us. And we're just doing this to kinda get the people to praying,
and expecting the great climax to come during this convention. When I
heard that I was having the privilege of coming down to this chapter
with my good friend, Brother Tony… And I've asked three times
tonight, "How do you pronounce that name?" And I–I just can't get it.
And so, just Tony, if that's all right. I think we're not too formal
here anyhow, are we? You know, that's kinda godly. You know the Bible
said God is without form, so we don't have any form.
E-3
Seeing the great things that our heavenly Father has done for us this
week, we're happy to come down and share these blessings at this
chapter, and get to meet some brethren, and you people from down here
in this part of–of Arizona, which we all know down here that this is
the capital. I've told them all week that Phoenix was just the
outskirts of Tucson, always. See? They won't believe it, but we welcome
them to our fellowship. This is because we're way higher. They have to
look up to us (You see?), up here at Tucson. And so you all come on
over, and we'll go over and visit Phoenix now next week, or the end of
this week, for this time of fellowship up there.
E-4
We had a great thing to happen just before I come out on this trip. I
would just like to take just a few moments' time because I think it'd
be worthwhile. I, in traveling all these years and trying to stand
between the gap, and different organizations and people, the Christian
Business Men was kind of a little oasis for me to believe that God made
of–of one blood all nations. And I–I believe that. I believe that his
people are in all churches. If He's God at all, He's God of the whole
human race, God of the creation. And He certainly can…
E-5
Look out upon the deserts and the mountains, you can see what He loves,
because He expresses Hisself in His creation, and we can see that there
is a God. And these people, the Full Gospel Business Men, when going
into their chapters, speaking for them, then it gives me an opportunity
to get to speak to all the different groups together. I was called to
(what we would call it in a kind of a worldly expression) pinch-hit for
Demos Shakarian. You know what a–what a arm full that is. But I was at
Cincinnati a few days ago, and Sister Shakarian, as I understand
was–went through an operation. Brother Miner Arganbright, one of the
officials, came by and said, "Ride up to Cincinnati with me."
I said, "I've got hundreds of people, laying here from all over the
world, laying in these hospitals and rooms waiting for me to pray for
them, been waiting on interviews, maybe some as much as two or three
years waiting, and they finally got in here."
He said, "Well, just run up a few minutes with me."
I said, "Well, what time's the breakfast?" It's about a hundred and twenty miles, I guess, from where I live.
And he said, "Well, it starts about eight o'clock."
I said, "Well, I tell you. We will go up then about four o'clock and
get there for the breakfast, and I'll hurry right back." And when I got
up there, Brother Shakarian wasn't there. And I walked in, and…
Said, "Just what we were looking for." That night sometime I got to come back home.
E-6
During that time there'd been a Baptist minister that'd just laid right
on Billy's shoulder, my son, and said, "You don't understand, sir." He
said, "My wife is dying."
And he said, "Well, sir, when dad gets back…" Said, "We're obligated to these people that we've come…"
You know, in the prayer line, many times going through and maybe
offering a prayer, but you… It's sometimes a case goes deeper than
that. See, God heals on condition, and there might be something in that
person's life. And I don't care how much medicine the doctor would give
them, they'd never get well until that thing is cleared up.
E-7
If you went into a doctor's office and told him you were sick and told
him your symptoms, and he was in a hurry, he'd probably give you a
little prescription with some anesthetic in it of some sort, some
aspirin. The doctor is merely trying to get rid of you just at that
time, 'cause he hasn't time. A real good doctor, before he give you the
medicine, would diagnose that case thoroughly till he found out what
was wrong, then give you the medicine.
And sometimes we find people going through these prayer lines out
across the nations, and–and they just run up and think that the Lord
ought to heal them right then. But there's something maybe down in
there, and we set before the Lord until He reveals that, what that is.
There's something got… There's a–there's a reason for everything,
and you've got to find the reason first. And then you can find what to
work on.
E-8
And this young fellow just kept persistent. And I got in the–the next
morning around two o'clock. And about five my son called me, and he
said, "Do you know a girl named Jean Dyer?"
I said, "Jean Dyer, sounds familiar."
He said, "She said she used to play the piano for you."
"Oh," I said. "That isn't Dr. Dyer, the surgeon here, a famous surgeon in Louisville?"
Said, "That's–that's it. Well, his daughter Jean is dying over at the
St. Edwards Hospital in–or, St. Anthony Hospital, rather, in
Louisville," and said, "her husband has laid right on the steps all
day."
"Well, I…" Said, "Well, I'll try to wedge it in today."
Said, "Now, she doesn't know she's got cancer. Don't tell her."
E-9
So finally that day, when I got over to the room, a fine young lady,
she had played the piano for me in the–when I was at the auditorium
where I seen the–the Brother Allen's people here tonight. Brother
Allen just left that same auditorium in Louisville. That's Memorial
Auditorium. And Jean Dyer was the pianist at the Church of the Open
Door, the old synagogue. And so she had seen some great things that the
Lord God had did. She told her father.
He just said, "That's pure psychology. The man's only reading the mind of the people…?… He just guessed at that."
She said, "Daddy, it can't be a guess every time." See? Said, "It just can't be."
"Well," he said, "Jean, forget that stuff."
E-10
And she was engaged to a fine boy that was going to the Baptist
seminary at the time. She got married and moved over to Rockford,
Illinois, to where this boy's home was. And somehow or another she
tried to hold on to her testimony. But the boy went out in secular work
and after while got almost away from the Lord.
The girl had a–a female disorder. She went home to her father. He knew
she needed an operation. He found in her what is called in the (I don't
know the medical term of it but–'cause I know there's a couple of
doctors setting here now.)… So it was called, like, the chocolate
tumor, and it's… The inside, when they taken it out he must've
spilled some of it, and the cells was malignant. And they sewed her up,
give her some x-ray and therapy. So when she got home she continued on
having pain and trouble.
E-11
A year later she returned for a complete hysterectomy. And when they
removed the organs, they found the cancer had went up into the colon
and wrapped around. There was nothing could be done. They tried x-ray
again, and it didn't work. So they just taken her to the hospital and
told her she just had a severe female trouble and trying to cure it up,
and the girl was dying.
Her husband knew it. So he'd come over and had got ahold of some of the
books of mine that Jean had read. And so he begin to come to the
hospital, reading them to her. And when we went in to pray for her, she
was telling me about it; I said, "Jean, he's a fine boy." And I didn't
want to let–I–keep the secret, 'cause I knew that–that he–she
didn't know she had cancer. And so, two days afterwards they was going
to have a–a colostomy.
So taking–before taking the girl up, well, they let me come over and
pray with her. And I got her in a room, and soon as I got… There was
an unbelieving nurse on duty: had three nurses, three hour shifts. And
as soon as we could get rid of the nurse, and get her out of the room
so a vision could happen…
E-12
And we prayed with her a little while there, and I seen her. She was
dark haired. She was only about thirty-six years old. Dark hair had
turned gray, she was standing in the vision. I said, "Jean, now look.
I'm going to be real honest with you." I said, "You've been in the
meetings long enough to know that I would not tell you nothing in the
Name of the Lord unless it was so." And I said, "Now, Jean, you got
cancer."
She said, "I suspicioned it, Brother Branham."
And I said, "That operation day after tomorrow is a colostomy, but
don't worry. I've seen from the Lord. You're going to be well." And she
just rejoiced. So I went home.
E-13
And the next day they was going to–the day after, rather, they were
going to take her for the colostomy that morning, and they had to–they
had to wait a few minutes after they had her prepped, and so forth, and
ready to go. And there was… She had the regular feeling that human
beings should have at that time, and they'd taken her to the bathroom,
and she had a complete normal elimination. The doctor was so astounded
he checked her again. The next morning… They let it go, canceled the
operation. Dr. Hume, a very fine specialist, surgeon, friend of mine,
was going to perform the operation. And the next morning she had a
complete normal elimination again. And her father, Dr. Dyer, called me
on the phone, and between sobs said, "Brother Branham, I've been a
critic of what you're talking about." He said, "But I'm a believer now,
that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still lives."
He is–ever was God, He remains God. And we know that He is just as
great here in Tucson as He is anywhere, because He's omnipresent,
omnipotent, and infinite, and we know that He can do all things.
E-14
Now, to not hold you very long… Usually I… Very seldom… If I was
going to preach, oh, I'd be sure to get you out within six hours.
That's a short sermon. But I'm not going to do that tonight. I got
services tomorrow night, next night, and on. We're try… Fixing to go
overseas again, the Lord willing, right away. And I want to say to all
the people here, friends, that… Maybe some of you I've met before,
and maybe there's many here that I have not met before. I greet you in
the Name of our Lord Jesus the Son of God. May His peace ever be with
you.
E-15
And speaking sometimes in these chapters it kindly causes people
to–like, for my minister brothers here to say… Somebody said to me
one time, said, "Billy, well, what are you–what are you hanging around
with that bunch of businessmen?" Said, "I thought you was a preacher."
"Oh," I said, "I–I am a businessman."
He said, "A businessman?"
I said, "Sure."
Said, "I–I didn't know that."
I said, "Yeah, I'm a businessman."
Said, "What kind of business are you in?"
I said it fast so he… I said, "I'm in the life assurance."
He said, "What?"
I said, "Life assurance."
He said, "What do you mean?"
I said, "The Eternal Life assurance." Now, if any of you people would
like to talk a policy over with me, I'll be glad to see you right after
the service. I'm–I'm here for the business.
E-16
Remember a friend of mine; Snyder was his name. We went to school
together. And now, insurance… I've got a friend that's in the
insurance business, got a brother in the insurance business, but I–I
really don't have any insurance. So this Wilmer Snyder, a friend of
mine, a boyhood friend, came up to me not long ago, and he said, "Say,
Billy," said, "I'd like to talk to you about some insurance."
I said, "Now, Wilmer." I said, "I tell you what. Let's talk about hunting."
He said, "No, I want to talk about insurance."
Well, I had to say it fast for him too. I said, "I got assurance." (Not insurance, assurance. See?)
And my wife looked around at me as if to say, "Why, you little storyteller," she knowing I didn't have any insurance.
And he said, "Oh, pardon me, Billy." Said, "That's right. Your brother is an agent. I know Jesse."
And I said, "Well," I said, "it just isn't exactly with him."
He said, "What kind of insurance do you have?"
And I said, "I have Eternal Life."
He said, "The what?"
And I said, "The Eternal Life."
"Well," he said, "I don't believe I ever heard of that company." Said, "No, it's strange."
And I said, "Here is what it is, Wilmer." I said, "It's 'Blessed
assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory Divine! I'm an
heir of salvation, purchased of God, borned of his Spirit, washed in
his blood.'"
He said, "That's awful nice, Billy, but that won't put you out here in the graveyard."
I said, "But it'll get me out. I'm not… I'm not so bothered about
getting in. It's getting out is what I'm thinking about." Now, if you
got any worry, I'll talk with you about it.
E-17
Just for a little–a little talk from the Scripture, though it be
businessmen. But I've identified myself as a businessman with you.
And many of my minister brethren out there I seen rise up a few moments
ago. And so maybe sometime, the Lord willing, I'd like to get with the
group and come have a good union meeting with the ministers down here.
I know one little brother here. I met him a while… Whittle, I believe
was his name. We were out together one time. Now, I mispronounced that
too. He let me know that was all right.
And so my name is Bran-ham, you know. Someone said to me, said, "Are… Brother Bran-ham, are you any relation to Abraham?"
I said, "His son." Father of nations: being dead in Christ we are
Abraham's seed and heir with him according to the promise. That's the
Scripture.
Now, I don't have the time to hold you here to preach, because the Ramada would never let you have it again.
E-18
So I remember when I first come among the Pentecostal people years ago,
I was in Mishawaka. There was two groups of them. One was called P. A.
W. and the other one P. A. J. C., I believe. And they had their–their
convention in the northlands because there was segregation, and so the
colored brethren could attend the meetings. I watched them all day: how
peculiar, no more church-manners. My. Now, I was setting there, and we
Baptists, you know, we kinda try to act kinda churchy in church. But
these fellows didn't have any Baptist manners at all, or any church
manners. They'd run, scream, shout, get blue in the face, and I thought
"My, my." And so I begin to notice the way they were carrying on.
And so he said, "All ministers on the platform; every minister, no
matter what denomination come up on the platform for this evening."
There was about five hundred of us setting on the platform. So he said,
"Just raise up, say your name and set down." I–I… Come by mine, I–I
said my name, set down. On down. After while they had a man… They'd
had some fine preachers that day. Oh, they was really scholars, real
men. And I knowed I had no business up there with my seventh-grade
education, standing before those fellows when they was going to talk on
theology.
E-19
But I thought, "Well, for this evening meeting they'll certainly have
their foremost speaker for the evening." And so, after while they said
Elder somebody was going to speak, and it was a–an old colored man
came out. And He looked to be about eighty-five years old, and he had
on one of those old long, what we used to call down in the south,
preacher coats (you know, the kind of swallow-tail, you know, the
strips up and down it), a little rim of white hair around his head, and
he had to lead the old fellow out, he was so old.
And he got out there and took his text from over in Job. He said,
"Where was you when I laid the foundation of the world? Declare unto me
where the… fastened, said, "when the morning stars sang together and
the sons of God shouted for joy." Said, "Where was you?", God talking
to Job.
E-20
Well, all the brethren that day had been preaching about the Life of
Christ, and the coming of John, breaching the way between, and so
forth: very scholarly. But this old man didn't preach about anything
was that going on down here on the earth. He took Him up back yonder
about ten million years before the world was ever formed, and brought
Him–what was taking on in heaven, then come down the horizontal
rainbow. He done that all in about five minutes and one breath, looked
like. When he got through he jumped up in the air about three feet,
looked to me like, and kicked his heels together, come clipping around
there. And he had twice as much room as I got. He said, "You just ain't
got enough room up here for me to preach," and he set down.
I thought "That's what I need." If that'll make an old man feel like
that, what would it do to me if I ever found that fountain of youth?
Old man eighty-five years old, and could act like that… Well, my, he
come out there… He was kind of holy, but I noticed when that Spirit
struck him, he renewed his youth like the eagle, you know.
E-21
Now over in the book of St. Luke I would like to read just a little
verse or two for just a few words here to blend in with something
that's been said, and altogether… And the hymns that's been sang…
And the Lord add his blessings to the reading of St. Luke 19.
up, and saw him, and said… Zacchaeus, make haste… come down; for to
day I must abide at thy house.
E-22
It must've been an awful bad night. The little fellow hadn't slept at
all. He just rolled and tossed around all night. We're all acquainted
with those kinds of nights: can't rest, can't go to sleep. And he just
rolled all night, tossing around.
You know, his wife, Rebekah, she was a believer, and she was interested
in her husband who had a business in Jericho. And he belonged to many
societies of that day, no doubt. And Rebekah had got acquainted with
a–a prophet Named Jesus of Nazareth, Who they claimed to be the Son of
God. And she was interested in her husband meeting this Man, because
she knew that the Jewish people had been taught that if a man was a
prophet, that what he said would come to pass… But if what he said
did not come to pass, then don't hear him.
God had left the Word to them by his prophets. That's how a prophet was
identified. And the great lawgiver, Moses, he also had left the
commandment, "The Lord your God shall raise up a Prophet like unto me;
it shall come to pass that whosoever shall not hear this Prophet will
be cut off from among the people."
E-23
And Rebekah was fully persuaded when she seen Jesus of Nazareth could
stand and tell the persons the things that were in their heart, predict
things that was to happen, come just exactly the way He said it, never
failed one time. And He was correctly on the Word of God. She believed
it.
But Zacchaeus, her husband, had got mixed up, and, well, the real truth
of it was, he'd never seen Jesus. And truly that's a bad thing to try
to judge a man before you hear him. Should never do that. Many times
we're still guilty of that in this day. We hear of a man, and before we
even talk to him, we–we still… We done passed our opinion on him by
somebody else's opinion, and it's not a good thing. We ought to go see
for ourself.
E-24
Like it was said one time, "Could any good thing come out of Nazareth?"
When Philip had went to see Nathanael and found him under a tree, and
he said, "Come see Who we've found: Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of
Joseph," he said, "Now, could there be any good thing come out of
Nazareth?"
He gave him one of the best words that he could've give him. "Come see." Don't set home and criticize. Come see for yourself.
And when he come, Jesus saw him coming up. He said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile."
He said, "Rabbi (which means teacher), when did You know me?"
He said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you."
That was enough. He said, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the
King of Israel," because he saw the very word that–Chri–that Moses
had said would take place. They hadn't had a prophet for four hundred
years, and here was a Man exactly on the Word.
E-25
How that little woman at the well of Samaria must have felt when she
came out to get some water one day, and there set a Man, a Jew. He
must've looked about fifty years old, although He was only thirty. His
work must've broke Him down. When they were having the–the feast
of–of tabernacles they were all rejoicing, and Jesus cried (as it was
quoted awhile ago), "Come unto Me."
So then He begin to give His great lecture, and the–and the Jews said
to Him, "Do you mean you seen Abraham? And you're a man not over fifty
years old and say you've seen Abraham? Now we know you're mad. (And the
word 'mad' there means 'crazy.') We know you're crazy. You got a devil."
He said, "Before Abraham was, I am." That was I AM that spoke to Moses in the burning bush.
E-26
And we notice that when He was setting… He had need go by Samaria,
because Israel had heard the message and He was coming now to the three
races: the Jews, Gentiles, and Samaritans: Ham, Shem, and Japheth's
people. And He–the Gospel must be introduced to them.
And He come to the city called Sychar. And there, setting on the
well–and sent His disciples into the city to get food–a little woman
came out. We'd call her today, well, maybe "the red light," some foul
name; you know what I mean. And so she seen Jesus. I mean, she never
saw Jesus setting over… just an ordinary Jewish man setting against
the wall of the little well, out the end of the street of the–where
the city come to get their water, this little Fellow setting there
unnoticed. She came up maybe about eleven o'clock in the day to get the
water, the family's water for the day. And she let down the bucket to
get it, and before she could windle it up, she heard someone say,
"Bring Me a drink."
She looked over and seen it was a Jew, and she might've said something
like this. "Sir, it's not customary for you to say such a thing. I am a
Samaritan and You're a Jew, and we have no… There's a segregation
here. We don't have such dealings with each other."
E-27
And He went to speaking. The course went on about whether she
worshipped at Jerusalem. He said, "We Jews know what we worship, for
salvation is of the Jews." And the course went on for a while, and
after while He said to her, "Go get your husband and come here."
She said, "I have no husband."
Said, "You have said the truth; for you've had five husbands, and the one you're living with now is not your husband."
She said, "Sir, I perceive that You're a prophet." Now, see, they
hadn't had a prophet for four hundred years since Malachi. Said, "I
perceive that You are a prophet. We know when Messiah cometh, He'll
tell us these things. (That would be the sign of a prophet.) When
Messiah cometh, He'll tell us these things."
Jesus said, "I'm He that speaks with you."
She ran into the city and said, "Come see a Man that told me the things
that I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah?" How that light first
broke forth upon a little woman in that condition. What a–what a
rebuke it was to those priests of the temple of that day who seen Him
do that same thing and called Him Beelzebub, a devil, unclean spirit
doing these works, when the Scripture so plainly a-vindicating that it
would be the Messiah.
E-28
Now we… Rebekah had seen all this, and she was anxious that her
husband could once set where Jesus of Nazareth was. And she understood
that He was to be in Jericho, her city, that day, and she got to
praying for him. I hope there's many Rebekahs here tonight, that you
will pray for your husbands that sometime Jesus will pass their way.
And she'd prayed all night (as we'd make it a drama). And you know,
when someone goes to praying for you sincerely, you–you don't get no
rest. You can tell; there's something is taking place.
Then towards morning… We'd say Zacchaeus had a habit of getting up
rather late, because perhaps we'll say, he had a restaurant, and he let
the–his–his management, and so forth, take care of this business. But
that morning he'd got up real early, groomed himself real nice, and put
on his best garments. And Rebekah, after praying through the night, and
seeing he was very restless…
E-29
And listen, Rebekah, when you see your Zacchaeus getting kinda
restless, just remember, God's answering prayer. You see? That's the
way it happens. When you see him getting so he can't give you a good
word, just remember, keep holding on. It isn't long till God's going to
pass him by that way.
He got real restless. When he was up, put on his best garments. And I
can see Rebekah turn over and say, "Zacchaeus, you're up very early
this morning, my dear."
"Oh, yes. I just (ahem, you know)… I just thought I'd step out for a
bit of fresh air."…?… He had on his mind, "I couldn't get that
Fellow off of my mind. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go
down there to the gate where He comes in, and when He comes in that
gate I'm going to give Him a piece of my mind, for having my wife out
to these meetings, and carrying on like this. I'm going to tell Him
what I think about Him." You know, usually people build up that kind of
a complex, you know, just on hearing something.
E-30
So he got all groomed. He slipped down; he looked back up at the house
to see if there was anybody looking. And it seemed like nobody was
looking. But Rebekah was watching through the crack of the window,
seeing what he did. And instead of turning down towards his restaurant,
he went down towards Straight Street. You know, you usually find Jesus
on Straight Street…?…: straight in your business. If you want to
find Him be honest, be sincere. Be straight with God and with men. Be
straight with your neighbor.
So he slips down the street, 'cause he knowed He was to enter at this
certain gate. He'd been delayed a bit that morning because two blind
men needed healing, as the Scripture tells us, and He had healed those.
And when he got down to the gate where Jesus was supposed to come in…
You know, the Bible said he was kind of short in statue. And when he
got there some of those great big people were standing there, and he
couldn't even get a place to get up to see Him. They was hanging on the
walls and everywhere. You know there's something about it, that when
Jesus comes around, it always attracts an attention somehow. They were
there ready to sing "Hosanna," and they…
E-31
He said, "Now, I'll never be noticed here. And I won't be able to
notice Him, 'cause He'll walk perhaps in the middle of the street with
a body guard, and I won't be able to see this Fellow. But I do not
believe that He's a prophet, because I've been taught that the days of
prophecy and the days of miracles is past."
You know, time hasn't changed too much since then. If God ever was God,
He's still God. If He isn't, then He never was God. You can't just say
He's God one time and not God the next. He doesn't get older; He can't
change His mind; He's got to stay with His decisions. Therefore you can
rest assure that what He said, that He'll do.
E-32
That's what… Abraham believed God, called things which were contrary
as though they were–they were not. The things that seemed real, what
his eyes could see, but it was contrary to the Word of God, and he–he
for–he doesn't–didn't even look at them. He called them as they were
not. He believed God. He never just held on for one day. He went on
down through life, twenty-five years before Isaac was ever born. And he
got stronger all the time. We today claim to be by grace and by the
mercy and the adoption of–by Christ that we become the seed of
Abraham, and we can't trust God twenty-four hours. But the real seed of
Abraham takes ahold of God's Word and nothing's going to move him from
it.
E-33
God told Abraham, when he was seventy-five years old and Sarah was
sixty-five, they was going to have a baby. Why, they went and got all
the pins and Birdeye and got ready for it. That's right. There wasn't
nothing going to stop them. They knowed it. The first twenty-eight days
passed, he said, "How you feeling, Sarah?"
"No different."
"Glory to God, we're going to have it anyhow."
"How do you know?"
"God said so. That settles it."
The next month, "How do you feel?"
"There's no difference."
"Well, it's a greater miracle than ever now." Two months late. See?
Twenty-five years, "How are you feeling, Sarah?"
"No different."
"Glory to God, we'll have it anyhow. God said so."
And then we call ourself the seed of Abraham. What God says, God is
able to perform, to do what He said He would do. I can't keep my word
all the time. You can't neither. But He has to, to be God.
E-34
So, we find out that this man did not believe that, this little
businessman of the city of Jericho. He had a great business and he
thought he was doing all right. And he had favor with the priests and
with the synagogue. He had favor with the churches, and the Kiwanis,
and–and many of the organizations of that day, as we would say. Still
that doesn't mean God yet.
Prosperity never means God always. Sometimes it's the vice versa. God
said… when you was setting in the field, told Israel, in her own
blood, then she was willing to serve Him. But when she got sufficient
(she thought she was.) then didn't want no more to do with Him, turned
her back upon Him.
E-35
Isaiah got that example from Uzziah the king, 'cause Uzziah was a great
man as long as he kept humble before God. He never played politics. He
stayed with God, and God blessed him. His kingdom was next to
Solomon's. But when he got self-centered…
That's what's the trouble with the people today. Don't you never let
that happen to this businessmen's organization or you're gone to the
dust like the rest of them. Whenever a people gets to a place
till–till prosperity begins to blind their eyes from the Word of God,
they're on the rocks.
Uzziah was a great man, but he tried to take the place of a preacher
one day, to go in and burn incense. And the high priest, with scores of
other priests, come told him, "You're not supposed to do that. You're a
layman."
E-36
And you businessmen remember that too. We preachers have enough hard
time keeping this thing straight. It's not for laymen. Laymen has their
part, but the pulpit's for the minister that's ordained. God sets in
the church men for these things.
And then we find out that he took the censor and went in anyhow. And
God struck him with leprosy, and he died a leper. See, when we get
exalted up…
Zacchaeus was almost in that condition. He was prosperous. He stood in
good with the rabbi. He stood in good with all the societies. So he
thought if he got in some trouble he'd get backed up, the Sanhedrin was
right for him. He stands at the gate. He's going to do something now.
He's going to walk out and take this Guy and tell Him to His face,
"You're a false prophet. Nothing to you. You're only taking a mental
telepathy and deceiving the people." See, he never stopped to read the
Word.
That's where the mistake's made today. If Israel would've did that
instead of doing what they did, they'd have been better off today. But
they had to be done that way. It had to be fulfilled, their eyes to be
blinded that we would have an opportunity. If it hadn't been for that,
where would we been?
E-37
Notice, but when he got there he finds out that he can't even see
nothing. He can't see the street there's just so many people gathered
around everywhere. So he thinks, "You know what? He's going up… They
tell me… Rebekah told me, that today He was going to eat at–at
Labinski's." (I hope there's no Labinski here.) But his restaurant, his
competitor. "So he was going to eat over to his restaurant, perhaps. So
I know to get there we'll have to go down, turn off of Straight Street
here, down Hallelujah Avenue," we'll call it. Them's crude names, but I
just do that to make my drama. "And we have to turn the corner here off
of Straight Street to Hallelujah Avenue." You just keep that street
long enough, and you'll get on Hallelujah Avenue. You'll stay straight.
E-38
So he goes down quickly. He said, "I'm little in statue." Groomed his
little self, pulled his beard down, see his perfume just right, his
nails all polished, stood on the corner, said, "I'll see Him when he
passes by, and I'll tell Him what I think of Him when He passes by." So
he stands on the corner.
And he got to thinking, "You know what? That same group will follow
Him. They'll be right here, and they'll just… I'm so little I'll
never be able to see Him, so I–I won't do much good standing here. I
won't be no better off here than I was down there. And you know,
believe what–what I'll do? Here's a sycamore tree standing here, so I
believe I'll just get up in this sycamore tree. And then I'll be able
to see Him, and get a good look at Him when he passes by. So He'll
never see me up there in that tree. And there's a limb that runs out
there; and I'll just set right on that limb and watch Him when He comes
in view, and when He goes out of view. And I'll get a good look at this
Fellow."
E-39
And so, first thing you know, he begin to try to see how high the first
limb was, and it was a little out of his reach. You know, really, the
first step is just a little out of our reach. We have to accept it by
faith. Yeah. It's just a little more than the human mind can explain.
You can't explain God. If you do, then He's no more accepted by faith.
You have to believe Him. "He that cometh to God must believe that He
is, and a Rewarder of those that diligently seek after Him."
So we find this notable little fellow, one of the businessmen of the
city, he said, "Now, how will I get up?" And perhaps maybe the garbage
disposal hadn't come by that morning, and there was some cans setting
in the corner full of–of the carrion in the city. So they… He said,
"If I could get ahold of that can, I could reach up and get ahold of
the limb." Strange how God gets man to do things ridiculous. So… But
you know, if you're determined you want to see Jesus, you'll do things
ridiculous, if you're determined, you want to–you're really sincere,
you want to really know what it's all about.
E-40
And that was Zacchaeus's opinion. He wanted to find out what all this
was about he'd been hearing. So he says, "Now there's nobody around, so
I'll slip over and get ahold of the garbage can and pull it out here,
and get out here to the–the tree. And then I can get up on the first
limbs, and get up–up over the street when He passes by." But when he
started to pull the can it was too heavy for him to pull. He was kind
of a short man, small in statue. The only thing to do then, he'd have
to pack it. Now, he had on his good clothes. See how the devil does? He
just tries to put everything in your way, so he'll move everything,
every doubt, every flaw that he can to keep you from seeing what's
truth. He's just good at doing that.
E-41
"So I got on my best clothes," he might've said. "And here I… if I
take hold of that garbage can I–I'll get dirty." You know there's some
people thinks to set in a meeting like this might get you a little
dirty, kinda amongst the society and celebrity of the city. But if
you're really determined to see Jesus, you'll come anyhow. That's
right. So there's only one thing to do. If a man is determined to see
Christ, there's nothing going to stop him.
So he reaches down and gets ahold of this garbage can, and here he
come. Just about the time he got it hugged up in his arms good, his
competitors come around the corner, two or three of them. Said, "Well,
look at Zacchaeus. He has changed his position. He works for the city
now." I imagine his little face got awful red. I wonder tonight if–if
the boss would walk in and see some of you businessmen here setting in
a meeting like this that's called "holy-rollers," wonder if your
face… Well, you're already identified, so you might as well set still
now. Zacchaeus done had it in his arms. He'd done give away. You've
done got in here, so you might just set still, go on through with it,
setting in there.
E-42
He had his arm around the garbage pail. What a thing for a businessman.
Here he come, his face red, and them saying, "Well, what you know,
Zacchaeus." You know, the–it had been pretty sharp, the business had,
so he finds out, "Say, here he is. Now, he's working for the city. I
know–I know his business is bad. Look what kind of a job he's got." He
was determined to see Jesus, regardless. He'd heard about it and he
wanted to know for himself.
I would to God that every man would take that attitude. If you've ever
heard of Him, find out. He's not dead. He's alive, just as much here in
this place tonight as He was on the shores of Galilee. "Lo, I'm with
you always, even to the end of the world. The works that I do, shall
you do also." If that isn't so, then He was a false Messiah; He wasn't
the Messiah that He was supposed to be. But if He does maintain and
keep His promise, He's still God that makes Hisself known to the
people. He'd have to do the same things He did. That's His way of doing
things. He'd have to show Himself the way He did then.
Hebrews 13:8, Paul speaking to the Jews, he said, "Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday, today, and forever." Therefore He must be the same in
principle, the same in power, the same in everything, that He was. He
must be the same today.
E-43
Sometimes we see the works of God… I know there's hypocrisy mixed
with it. When you find a bogus dollar, what does that speak to you, you
businessmen? Will you quit? Will you take all the money out of the bank
and throw it in the–in the river because you found a bogus dollar?
That bogus dollar only means that there's a real dollar it's made off
of. And Pentecost is full of carnal impersonations. But what does it
mean? There's a real one there somewhere. It's somebody trying to
impersonate something that somebody else really has. It's only a meal
ticket. It's only a… something that's genuine behind the thing that
somebody's trying to impersonate.
So we find Zacchaeus gets his garbage pail, and his competitors going
down the street laughing at him. But it didn't make any difference. He
was determined to see Jesus. Then he'd have an opinion of Him. If we
could just get that feeling among us; if we could just be determined
that we're going to find out what this is all about. If it's the
truth…
E-44
If God be God, serve Him. Elijah the prophet said that on top of Mount
Carmel. "If God be God, serve Him; if he Baalim be God, serve him." If
Jesus Christ can't declare Hisself just the same as He always was, then
He did not raise from the dead.
If we only try to get the people in upon a psychological appeal, if we
can only change them from Methodist to Baptist, or Baptist to
Pentecostals, what is it? It's a bunch of psychology. That's right. A
living God Who created heavens and earth is still the same Creator.
He's still in principle the same God that He ever was. I'm glad I seen
God before the church got ahold of me. To know that there was such–to
see their fusses, and the stews, and whining… It's always been that
way all… They had the same thing all through the Scripture.
E-45
But this little fellow wanted to see Jesus and he was determined to do
it. He was a businessman, and he wanted to do business right. So
he–when he got determined… His wife home praying, and the prayer of
Rebekah was following him. And the little fellow had to get up the
tree, had to shinny up the… I didn't mean that. That's a southern
expression of "shinny." How many knows what "shinny up a tree"… Well,
how many of you Kentuckians are around here anyhow? He had to shinny up
the tree, go up the tree. And here he is, setting up there, now, in the
tree wiping the garbage off of his new garment, picking the splinters
out of his knees and hands where he'd climbed the tree. But no matter
what'd taken place he was determined to see Jesus.
E-46
And if you're really… Hear me. If you're really determined to see
Him, you don't care what you have to go through with, how much
criticism, what other people says. You want to see Jesus. You'll do
anything to see Him. You'll wait your turn; you'll do whatever you're
supposed to do, just so you get to see Him.
Trouble of it is, today they're not thirsting enough. There's not
enough thirst and hunger for the people. I believe the church ought to
be a little more saltier than what it is. Salt creates a thirst. Salt's
the savour that contacts. But if the salt has lost its savour, it's
henceforth good for nothing but become an organization. That's right.
But you got to have the savour in it. The savour is the salt, the
strength. When a man sees Christ living in you it'll make him thirst to
be like you. It'll make him see Jesus in you, make him see God. How did
they know Moses was of God? And they knowed that God was with him.
E-47
Now we notice, like Peter said on the day of Pentecost, about "You men
of Israel, how you…" Indicted that generation for crucifying the Son
of God. Said, "You… Jesus of Nazareth, a Man that was approved of God
among you, a-vindicated of God by signs and wonders which God did
through him; you've took the Prince of life with wicked hands and
crucified him."
E-48
Did not Nicodemus well express all their feelings? It was a social
prestige of belonging to something that kept them from seeing Jesus.
Said, "Rabbi, we know that You're a teacher come from God, 'cause no
man could do these signs unless God is with him." They recognized it,
but because of social prestige they was ashamed to admit it.
They ought to have been like the blind man that Jesus healed. They said, "This man's a sinner."
He said, "It's a strange thing. You, leaders of the day, and don't know
where this man come from?" Said, "Whether he's a sinner or not, I don't
know. But this one thing I do know: wherein I was once blind, I can now
see." That's one thing he did know. And I like the positive testimony
of man who'll stand in the midst of people and say, "I know there's
something. Something happened to me."
As I tried to say about the colored sister, "I'm not what I want to
be… or not what I ought to be. But yet I know I'm not what I used to
be." Something had took ahold of her.
E-49
Zacchaeus, setting up there, what a mess he was in, setting up there.
And you know… Listen to me. Men who believe God get in messes anyhow.
They do things that's absolutely contrary to the run of the day.
Listen to Moses. One day a sheepherder… A great warrior in Egypt to
deliver his people and had failed, then he become a sheepherder for
forty years: a good old man, settled down, fine fellow, had a wife and
baby: Zipporah, Gershom. Now, we notice that after God found him, and
he saw God in the burning bush, the next day he had his wife setting on
a mule, the child on her hip, the white beard flying, a crooked stick
in his hand, leading this mule, the wind blowing, his bald head shining
in the hot sun, going down to Egypt. Somebody'd say, "Moses, what are
you doing?"
"I'm going down to Egypt to take over." A one-man invasion, but he done
it. Why? God told him to do it; that's why. See, it looked–looked
crazy. Where the man had run from the place, now he's going right back.
That's the way people who are–find God determined to see Him.
E-50
Here he sets. After while he got to thinking, "You know, Rebekah told
me this Man was a Prophet. I'm doubting that very much. I don't believe
in it. I don't believe there is prophets of this day. If it would, my
priest would've told me about it. My priest is one of God's servants,
so he'd told me about it." That's fine, but see, never did the
organized religion of the world ever accept a messenger from God at no
time: never did.
Didn't Jesus say to them, "You blind Pharisees, you garnish the tombs
of the prophets, and you're the one that put them in there. (That's
right.) Which one of the prophets did the Father send that you didn't
kill and put in the tomb, because he showed forth the coming of the
Just One?" See?
E-51
There… Then we find here he is, setting up there. You know what? I
hope this drama doesn't sound ridiculous, but I'm going to think he
said, "Now, wait a minute. If that Fellow would happen to see me
setting up here on this limb…" And he set down where two limbs
crossed, and was setting there thinking it over.
That's a good place to set, where your ways and God's ways meet. That's
a good place to think it over. And I hope that every person in here
that hasn't never met Him, and really know that you're borned again of
the Spirit of God, that you're setting on that limb tonight. You
businessmen, I hope you're setting where we're trying to say Zacchaeus
set: up in the sycamore tree with the limbs where two ways met, yours
and God's.
And he said, "You know what I believe I'll do? I'll just pull in these
leaves here and camouflage myself." He wrapped hisself all up. He left
hisself one little window that he might look through, You know, one
leaf, could pull it down, and say, "I'll see Him when He comes, but
He'll never see me. He'll never know I'm up here."
E-52
So while he set there, after while, thinking about it, there come a
noise around the corner. It's a strange thing, but everywhere God is,
there seems to be a lot of noise: strange, but it is. You know Isaiah,
in the temple after Uzziah's death, he was down there, and he heard a
noise, and the whole temple was rocking. The posts was moved out of
their places, and there was Angels, Seraphims there (which are
cherubims, burners of the sacrifice) to give the repented the right of
way to the altar, those great beings beyond angels with their wings
over their faces, and wings over their feet, and flying with two wings,
crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty."
E-53
If an Angel covers his holy face to meet God, how are we going to take
a creed and cover ours with it? It's going to take the Blood of Jesus
Christ to cover us. Then we're sons. Not a fashion of this, or fashion
of that, but the Blood. God's always… His only place to meet man for
fellowship is under the shed Blood, where the Life germ… In the old
sacrifice under the–the Mosaic law they brought an animal. And when
they broke the blood cell of this animal, the lamb, the worshipper
worshipped. But the life that was in the animal could not come back
upon the worshipper, because it was a animal's life without a soul; and
it could not come back upon the worshipper. Therefore it only was a
hide. It was just a place to last till a certain time.
E-54
But then when the Emmanuel's vein was broke… Jesus was neither Jew
nor Gentile. See, the male sex puts out the germ through the
hemoglobin, and the blood cell is from the male. The female… And you
Catholic people, not to disagree with you, but call her, "Mary, mother
of God," how could God have a mother? She was an incubator.
You say, "Well, the–the egg come from the woman." But the egg didn't
come from Mary. If the egg come from Mary, then there had to be a
sensation. Look where you put God. God created both egg and blood cell.
He was neither Jew nor Gentile. He was God, nothing less. He was God
manifested in flesh.
Did not He say–we read in the Scriptures that God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself? He was Emmanuel. He said to me… He
said in the Scriptures here, rather, "Who can accuse Me of sin? Where
have I failed to do exactly what was written of Me? Search the
Scriptures. You think you have Eternal Life in searching Them, and they
are they that testify of Me. And if I do not the works of My Father
then believe Me not. But if I do the works, though you can't believe
Me, believe the works that I do, for they witness Who I am." Oh, what
the Christian is so short today, of the privilege that God give him,
and of the things in the Bible. I would like to take a text from there,
but time won't permit it.
E-55
He heard the noise. He raised up. He said, "Well, that must be them
holy-rollers coming." Dropped the leaf down, waited a minute… After
while he noticed, coming around the corner… There must've been a
great sturdy fellow out in front. I can see him, kind of a tall-like
fellow, large, straight-shouldered, about sixty-five years old, walking
along with a stick in his hand. That must've been the one that we
call–He called Simon, and give him another name of Peter, which means
"confession," or "little stone."
E-56
…?… twelve men around Him, people running out to touch the–the
Rabbi as He came by, I can hear them say, "Don't touch the Rabbi. He's
been tired. He's preached all night. Virtue's gone from Him. He's
hoarse from speaking. Don't touch our Master. He must go down now. He
must have His lunch. It's time for Him to eat, and please don't touch
Him. Stand aside, will you please, and let the Rabbi through." Here He
stands. And when Zacchaeus, our little businessman of Jericho, when he
got the first look at Jesus, He looked different from any man he had
ever seen.
E-57
Let's put in a little insert here. A lady might've walked out with a
little baby. Zacchaeus looks over this way to see who it is. "Oh, I
remember when the doctor was at the house the other day. I was standing
there when the priest was standing there also. The doctor says, 'The
child can't live. Put it in the room and shut all the doors. Don't let
no air in. Here that fanatical family has heard of this false man,
calls hisself a prophet of Galilee. Coming up here, and bringing that
baby, why, the law of the city ought to get ahold of him. I'll see to
that when we meet, the board. We'll find out if a man who'd follow a
fanatic of something like that couldn't be taken care of; he's mentally
off at his mind."
E-58
And I see the man run out and say, "I have a dying child here, Sir.
Would you just let the prophet touch him? I believe that He is the
prophet of God. I have seen Him in other meetings, and I've heard of
Him and I know…"
"No, I'm sorry. There's so many."
But after while the little woman comes out holding the baby, and the
baby lifeless. "Just let Him touch it. That's all I want. I believe
Him. I believe if He'll touch my baby…"
"We just can't do it, madam." Him way out from them yet; He stops in
His tracks. And then I can see Zacchaeus pull his leaf back and watch.
Said, "Bring the baby here." When they brought the baby there, just a
little body, steaming, so hot, pulled back the covers, places His
fingers upon it, and the mother standing there with her pretty Jewish
eyes, and the tears streaking down her cheeks, and the father standing
there with his hands in the air, believing. And He lays His finger over
on the baby, and the fever left. And the little fellow jumped out of
the mother's arms and went on down the street.
Zacchaeus changed his mind. "There must be something real about this
Man, but I'd better be careful. I'd better keep my leaf down so He
won't see me. He's coming by this way."
E-59
You can never get a true look at Jesus Christ and ever remain the same.
There's something about Him that's different from all other men. When
you ever hear Him speak, you'll be like the Roman soldier, "Never a man
spoke like this." The priest spoke of something. Man's still got the
same nature. We have it today. Man is always praising God for what He
did do, and looking forward for what He will do, and ignoring what He
is doing. That's just the nature of man. It's always been that nature.
But a man once look Jesus Christ, he'll never be the same, can see Him
manifested…
That's the reason when you're sealed with the Holy Ghost, the seal is
on both sides of the paper, both coming and going. They can see the
walk, the talk, the Life of Christ reflecting in the–in His people.
That was His purpose of death, that the church might continue His work.
But we've conglomerated it up in a bunch of everything.
E-60
Now we notice, as He started going on, walking down the street,
Zacchaeus raises his leaf a little higher. He wants to get a real good
look at Him as He passes. Now, he's all covered over, camouflaged real
good. And after while he has to raise like this to look. Jesus was
coming right beneath him. Just as He passed by, Jesus stopped, looked
up, said, "Zacchaeus, make haste. Come down out of the tree. I'm going
home with you for dinner today." What a difference. He knew that was a
Prophet that the Lord God had raised up, not only knowed He was in the
tree, but knowed what his name was.
The Bible said, "The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword,
piercing even to the sunder the marrow of the bone, and a Discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made
flesh and dwelled among them. And we beheld Him, the only Begotten of
the Father." There He was, the Word of God manifested to this
Zacchaeus. Down out of the tree he come, quickly, to repent.
E-61
Zacchaeus, businessman here tonight, remember you cannot hide under fig
leaves. He knows just exactly where you're setting. He knows you. He
knows who you are. He knows your name, He knows why you're here. He
knows all about it. That's right. And we who have met Him, and know
Him, and become His disciples, we know what He is and what He does for
the people. We know that He remains the same.
Zacchaeus come down in a penitent attitude. He said, "If… Lord, if I
have cheated any man, I'll pay it back. I'll take my money; I'll give
to the poor." See, he'd already found that Pearl of great price. He'd
found something that was more than his business. He had found something
that… Something in all men tries to achieve something. But if you
lose Eternal Life, what all your achievement done for you? The greatest
treasure that a man can find is to find release.
E-62
As I said, in the Old Testament when the blood cell was broke from the
lamb, it could not come back upon the worshipper. Therefore, he went
out with the same desire to sin. But in this case, when by faith we lay
our hands upon the Blood cell that was broke at Calvary, not Jewish,
neither was it the blood cell of a Gentile; it was the blood of God.
And when that Life that come out of there, brings back the life of God
to us, which is Eternal Life. The Greek word there is used, "Zoe" which
means "God's own Life." And the very life that was in Christ, which was
God.
The body was a man, of course. But God the Creator Who made the first
man… Where did he come from, if He didn't make him? God, the Creator,
without the help of anything, created Adam. God, the Creator made the
Man Christ Jesus, His Son, in the womb of Mary. And He was Emmanuel.
And when sin… Not because He had to die, He laid it down. But because
sin struck the spear that broke His heart, then something taken place.
Life come back upon the worshipper. And what is it? Then we have no
more conscience of sin, says the writer of Hebrew. The sin desire is
gone. Then, now we are free.
E-63
Zacchaeus, when they seen Jesus climbing Golgotha to be crucified… No
doubt but what the devil had always doubted Him. The devil doubted Him
when he first saw Him, when He went into the wilderness after the Holy
Spirit came on Him. He said, "If thou be the Son of God, show us a
miracle. Turn these stones into bread." That devil hasn't died yet.
"Show me a miracle."
Jesus said, "It's written that man shall not live by bread alone." When
they caught Him over there in the yard, the devil's group, them Roman
soldiers bound His hands behind Him, and beat Him on the back with
reeds and cat-o'-nine-tails until the–to fulfill the prophecy of the
prophets, "For He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our
iniquity, the chastisement of our peace upon Him, and with His stripes
we were healed."
E-64
And while He was bending over… And the soldiers tied a rag around His
head, and hit Him on the head with a reed, and passed it one to
another, and said, "If you be a prophet, tell us who hit you. We'll
believe you."
That mockery, and the drunken spit of the soldiers upon His face, the
devil said, "That can't be God. That can't be even a prophet. He's a
deceiver," not knowing that the Scriptures must be fulfilled.
Then when we see Him going up Calvary, look at Him. I want this
audience to get a vision of Him. Let's go back nineteen hundred years
ago for a moment and give me your attention. It's dark over Jerusalem.
Why? The sacrifices is refused by Jehovah. Something's fixing to
happen. As the blood's burnt on the altar God refused it. The real
Sacrifice is going up the street. I can hear the bumping of something;
look down, there goes that old rugged cross, under Roman capital
punishment, of a man that done nothing. And I can see a little woman
run out in front and say, "What has He done but heal your sick and
raise the dead?"
Somebody slapped her in the face and said, "Would you believe that
woman before you'd believe your priest? Away with such a man."
E-65
Look at His coat. There's little red spots all over it in the back. As
He goes further up the hill them spots get bigger and bigger. After
while they all run into one. There's something splashing against Him.
What is it? It's His Blood, and the cross is dragging out the
footprints of the Bearer.
I can see that bee of death come up there buzzing around Him. "I'll get
him now. If he was a prophet he would've–he would've done something
down there when they spit in his face. If he was a prophet he couldn't
do what he's doing now. I know that I'll get him."
You know every bee, every insect, has a stinger in it, and that stinger
is a bad thing. And death has a stinger in it. But God had to be made
flesh. He could sting a prophet and hold him. He could sting a
righteous man and hold him. He stung David and held him. But here's
God, and he don't know it. This bee rises out of hell, buzzes around
Him. "I'll get him."
But when a bee ever anchors his stinger deep enough, it pulls his
stinger out of him. And when that bee of death could anchor his stinger
in a man like me or you, he could get by with it. But there was a–a
body prepared. But when he anchored that stinger in Jehovah, the flesh
of God, created, not some sexual desire, when he anchored in that
flesh, he lost his stinger. Then he has no more stinger.
E-66
No wonder that great saint, Paul, could stand, when they was building a
place there to cut his head off with. He said, "Oh, death, where is
your stinger? Grave, where is your victory? But thanks be to God, Who
gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Yes.
Oh, when a man once catches that in view, everything else is
secondarily. Your business is secondarily, everything else. No, it
doesn't matter too much. You're just only going to stay here for a
short time, but that's first. What will it profit a man if he
loses–gains the whole world and loses his soul?
E-67
Zacchaeus. Oh, Zacchaeus. Maybe it isn't Rebekah at home praying, but
maybe a mother that's done passed beyond the veil. Her prayers are
still laying on the altar of God. If that's so, Zacchaeus, come out
from behind those sycamore leaves tonight, that crown of that
denominational creed that you're holding onto without the new birth,
that something that you're holding onto and you've never had any
evidence that God was in it. He knows right where you're setting. Why
don't you do it?
E-68
Let's bow our heads just a moment. Almighty God, the great and terrible
Jehovah Who roared off of Mount Sinai even till the people said, "Let
Moses speak and not God, or we die," speak tonight, our heavenly
Father, in mercy and forgiveness into the heart of the people that
doesn't know you. And let them know that this is the times that…
They're may be hiding behind their business. There may be many
businessmen here, Father, that–that doesn't really know You. Maybe
they do belong to church, and we say nothing evil against that. But
they've never been born again; they don't know really what it is.
And we know that not one tittle or one jot shall in no wise will ever
pass from Your Word. You said, "Heavens and earth will pass away, but
My Word shall not." And You said, "Except a man be borned again of
water and Spirit he will in no wise enter into the Kingdom." I pray,
Father, that You'll speak to hearts tonight just at this time. Let men
and women think seriously, just at this moment, knowing that we're
living in the closing hours.
E-69
Israel is in her homeland, the great calendar of God. She's returning
back, looking, "Where is the Messiah?" We know that when Joseph made
hisself known to his brothers that he dismissed the Gentiles from the
courts. His wife and children were in the palace. There must be a
taking away of the Gentile, that Israel might be made known. Then
there'll come a time of a wailing and screaming and crying, "Where did
you get those scars?"
He said, "In the hands of my friends. From the–my friends I got these
scars in my hands," in the house where He was–really should be
accepted, when He makes hisself known to Israel again.
God, while the Gentiles has a chance, may they repent quickly and come to You.
E-70
While we have our heads bowed, Zacchaeus, I want you to be real honest
just a moment and Rebekahs too. In this little broke-up message if
there has been something speak to your heart and said, "I've never
received that experience of–of the Holy Spirit, the full Gospel, but
I'd like to have it. And I want you to remember me in prayer, Brother
Branham. I'm just going to raise my hand, not to you, but to God." And
say, "Pray for me," and I'll finish the prayer remembering you.
God bless you. God bless you, you, you, you, dozens of hands. You say, "Does that do any good, Brother Branham?" Certainly.
Why is it? You see, science tells you that you can't raise your hand
actually. 'Cause why? The gravitation of the earth would hold your hand
down. But you've got a spirit of life in you. And that life that's in
you… Another life came to it and said, "You're wrong." And you broke
the rules of science and raised that hand towards the Creator, and
said, "Remember me." He will. If you really meant that, He'll take you
at your word. God bless you back there. Somebody else now before we
close? Just going to say a little word of prayer, pray just in a
moment. God bless you, sir. God bless you. Somebody else?
E-71 [A sister in the audience speaks–Ed.]
Amen. The mercies, this little handsmaid rising up under the Spirit,
speaking forth a promise. Would you–would you raise your hand if you
haven't done it, and say just… That's all I'm going to ask you to do
is just raise your hand, recognize yourself being wrong, and you want
mercy.
The house is open. There is a fountain in the house of David open for
sin and uncleanliness. Will you accept it tonight? Someone else before
we close now? Been forty, fifty hands go up in the building of men and
women, young and old, put up their hands. All right. God bless you,
sir. All right, let us pray.
E-72
Lord Jesus, I believe that these hands was raised in the deepest of
sincerity. You know their objective. You know their motive of doing so.
And I pray, heavenly Father, that Your Divine mercy will rest upon each
of them. May tonight be a changing time. May they slide down out of the
tree of self-styled Phariseeism. May they slide down out of the tree
before Jesus Christ and say, "Lord, if I did wrong, I'm willing to make
it right." And from this little banquet room tonight, Father, You'll go
home with them too, and dine with them, and ever remain with them
through life and all eternity. Won't You grant this, as I offer my
prayer to You in their behalf?
You said, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first, and
all that the Father has given Me will come to Me." You promised that,
and now, Lord God, these are give for trophies of grace and love.
They're in Your hands and no man can pluck them out–with a honest
sincerity in their heart, honest confession that they have made that
they want to turn from the ways of the world to the ways of God for
their life.
Receive them, O Lord, I ask, as I intercede for them, standing before
Your great white throne. By faith we stand there, looking upon the
ivory throne of God, with a bloody Sacrifice laying before it, making
intercessions on our profession. Help them, Father. I present them to
You as love gifts in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen.
E-73
Now, each of you that raised your hand, I want to ask you to do
something for me. I want you to meet some of these ministers here, and
tell them that you've accepted Christ as your Saviour, and you want to
be baptized, and you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and God
will grant that to you.
Now, I was thinking of something else, but I… We won't have time
because it's–it's just about five minutes to the time we should close
the place. But we–we appreciate your patience, and all your hands that
went up. Now, I didn't know just where they was at, just everywhere.
But when you raised your hands, surely you meant that. You wouldn't
raise your hands just to be doing it. If you did, that's hypocrisy.
Raise your hand… Don't never do nothing unless you're really
sincerely doing it. And when you make that decision, and down in your
heart you mean that you've done it, then walk sincerely with it. God
will honor you.
Say, by the way, did you ever know what happened to Zacchaeus? Would
you like to know what happened to him? He become a member of the Full
Gospel Business Men's Association of Jericho. Don't you want to join
too?
