Il Sugello di Dio
E-1 Let us remain standing, just a
moment now, for prayer. Our heavenly Father, we are grateful, indeed,
for the privilege of assembling together in the Name of the Lord Jesus.
Now, before us lays Thy Word, and oh, we handle that quietly, Lord, and
reverently because It is the Word of God. And it's to be that--be Your
will that I am to try to explain a great subject tonight. And I pray,
Father, that the Holy Spirit will give me words to say that would be
beneficiary to the church and--and for the good of the Kingdom of God.
Grant it, Lord. You are our Father, and we love You with all of our
heart.
And we pray now that You'll bless us. And as I think what I would do if I
had in my hands tonight in a--a glass, just one drop of the Blood of
the Lord Jesus, how I would hold it to my heart. And just--oh, I'd be
almost afraid to breathe. But then, Father, in Your sight, You've give
into my hands a greater, the purchase of Your Blood, Your church, that
You gave Your Blood for, to save it. Now, help us, Lord, that we might
feed the flock of God to which the Holy Ghost has made her overseers.
For we ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen. May be seated.
E-2 We are trusting the Lord Jesus to
send His blessings upon us. I was just in the room a few minutes ago,
and something just shook me. How many knows Raymond Richey? He's setting
back there in the room; I just prayed for him. And he's overworked
hisself and caused hisself to have a break and a stroke, terrible
condition, lovely brother. The time... Brother Raymond was standing
right there on the platform that night when the Angel of the Lord came
down before thousands of people when I said if--when Doctor Best was
debating about with it Doctor Bosworth about my ministry, and I said, "I
don't claim to be a healer." I said... He said, "Nothing but a bunch of
holy-rollers would believe that."
I said, "How many Baptist here that's members of these Baptists
churches, can say and can prove that they've been healed by the Lord,
raise up your hand." And about, oh, I guess, three hundred or more stood
up. And I said, "What about them?" See? And so then he... I said,
"People believe in Divine healing." I said, "I'm not--I'm not a Divine
healer; I never claim that." I said, "My literature is published in many
different languages." I said, "I never did claim to be a healer." I
said, "I--I only claim to be God's servant." And I said, "Now, if the
gift of God, which He gave to me on the discernment," I said, "now, if
that's in question, God will speak for Himself." And about that time
here He come down, coming down like that. And that's when they took the
picture of It.
E-3 And he said to me, he got down on
his knees back there, after I prayed for him, put his arm around me,
said, "I've got a message for you."
"What?"
Said, "Stop preaching too hard and too long." He said, "You're going to
go right the same way I went." I almost did it one time anyhow. Said,
"Brother Branham," said, "in them visions and things, I see the way it
works on you." Said, "I just kept going on," said, "I had one break."
Then he started overseas, had another one. And there he's... If God
doesn't touch him, he's just finished for life. So he said, "You can't
get no more done." Said, "There'll be some will say, 'This, that, or
this or that, or so forth.'" But said, "That won't make it any better."
Said, "As long you let the--do your ministry, show the people that God
sent you," said, "then that settles it, just let it go at that." Said,
"If--if they won't," said, "if they don't..." Said... He made me promise
in there with my hands in his, said, "Don't do it no more Brother
Branham. Remember, I'm warned of the Lord to tell you, you're going to
shift the same row that I am (See?), if you do that any more, start
doing it."
And I said, "Okay, brother." Don't tell my wife that. She--she's got
Billy and them staged around everywhere, and Leo and Gene, and all of
them, if they see me the least bit wearying, well, then they're supposed
to take me from the platform whether I want to go or not. And she
knowed I'd stagger around over the platform like that, why, she'd be
crying, going on. So we... You just can do so much, you know, and you
can't do no more; that's all.
E-4 I remember one time Paul Rader...
How many ever knowed him? Sure, Paul Rader was a great man of God. Told a
little story one time, said he was going on a train, and said he was
with another man, and said this man tried to get back at him 'cause he
slept in a pullman that night. Said at the breakfast next morning, a
group of ministers was going somewhere for a convention. So this man set
right next to Paul and said, "Well, praise God," he said. "I set in a
chair car last night," and said, "I saved the Lord some money."
Paul said, "Praise God, I took a pullman and saved the Lord's man." So
now, which one's He more--more interested in, His money or His man? His
man, always. We're so glad for it.
E-5 And now, I had a glorious time last night, I thought, myself. And just as I was leaving, the--the pull of the people, of the Holy Spirit, He dropped right down among the people and begin to give discernment right in the meeting. How glorious that was. See, and to me, that makes everybody at the meeting prayed for. See, see? Now, I said, "How many here..." Now, God promised He would do that. Now, that's His Word, isn't it? Now, God keeps His Word, doesn't He? Then I said, "Now, how many here that's believers, put up your hands." Everybody put up their hands. I said, "Now, lay your hands on one another. Now, the Bible said, 'These signs shall follow them that believe.'" Then we prayed for everyone as a united hand together for the Kingdom of God. Oh, my, to me, that's just perfect. See?
E-6 I was at a filling station today
getting some gasoline, over here somewhere, and a little fellow come
out, looked at me, said, "You're Brother Branham."
I said, "Yes." It was about a mile over here, something.
And he said--said, "I'm Brother Roberts," and he said, "my mother was
definitely healed with heart trouble since you've been down there at the
Assemblies of God church." Said, "She's took a bad cold," and said,
"she hasn't had one speck of heart trouble since she was called out,
ever what it was (See?), not one." And said, "She's got a bad cold," and
said, "if she knows that I met you down here and she knows you're
praying for her," said, "she'll be on over at the meeting tonight."
Said, "She want to try to get down for Sunday night if she possibly
could." She probably belongs to another church, but she was healed here.
So we're glad of that.
E-7 And seeing testimonies coming in all the time of different ones. And I meet people that was healed back in 1946 and '47 when we were here, way back in there, still going on, haven't had a bit of trouble since. There was a lady somewhere; I just got her letter, I believe today. She's setting in here, the church I suppose, tonight. She come... She was healed here when I was here in '46 or '7, somewhere, with a cancer. And then later she took a great tumor. And the tumor was so big that they had to pack her everywhere she went, like this. And it was too big for a operation. So they brought her up to Jeffersonville. And I was in there at the little Tabernacle for one night, and some man had her setting over in a corner, and said that--that I... She just passed by a few weeks ago and showed me what had happened. And she was so big, till some of the deacons and trustees of the church... She wanted to be prayed for, and at the Tabernacle I sometimes don't pray for the people no more than just stand up on Sunday morning maybe, when I'm there. Not there very often. And they packed her around and set her on the ground, back out behind the place where I was going out. And passing by, the Holy Spirit happened to look sideways, caused me to look sideways, and see her. Told her about it, laid hands on her, and she's just as normal as any other person.
E-8 And I got her letter. I wonder if
the lady's in here tonight, would raise up her hand. She was in church
the other night. Her and her husband, they are here. I believe he--he
come by in a trailer and stopped outside my house just recently and--and
was talking to me. And I believe she said that she'd learned--be a
friend of Brother Mercier's mother, or something like that; she was
telling me in the letter. And I thought maybe she'd be here. The letter
was wrote last week. But I... What? Over in the right wing, the people
are, that Brother Mercier's, or Brother Goad said. The lady is in the
right wing that had the big tumor, was at home, and was healed. If she's
over in the right wing there somewhere, why don't you step out here and
let the people see what God can do for someone that's really--really
been healed when she was so big she had to be packed around. Is that...
Not back there? Well per--they must just stepped out. Brother Goad said
that they were setting there awhile ago. If you watch them, I'd like for
her to give a testimony. Just as flat as I am. And she was just about
like this, out with a tumor. And how the Lord... If we just...
Now, look, now what did I say about God? He will have... If somebody
else with a tumor that big, will act in the same way she act, God's got
to act way--same way to you as He act to her. If He didn't, He made--He
done wrong when He healed her. See? God can't make a mistake. So what He
does to one, He has to do to the other. Now, there's only one
requirement. If you'll just appropriate the same simple faith, that's
all.
E-9 A little woman up here somewhere at a
place called Eureka; I believe that's Eureka, California. I came down
years ago and I never seen anyone; they couldn't even move her from the
bed. Well, her little head, to where she was swollen out... Excuse this
my sisters, if you will. The breast of the woman was sticking right up
like this (You see?), from where she was swollen out with this tumor.
And her husband drove a cab. And I said, "Brother, I don't see how..."
My faith even went down itself when I looked at that. And I said, "Have
you had a doctor?"
Said, "We don't believe in having doctors." Well, all right. Said, "If she dies, she dies. But we trust God."
I said, "All right, that's really faith."
Said, "Only thing I want you do is go in there and put your hands on my
wife and pray for her, Brother Branham, and she'll be healed." Oh, my.
I'll--I'll have to admit he had a little more faith than I did. That's
right. I'd just started out; I was about a year. I hadn't seen nothing
like that done yet. And went and laid hands on that woman, and you know
what? Now, this is her story on a letter. She may be right here now. Her
side split, and gallons of water poured of her. It healed right back up
again and she's bow--down about down to a hundred and something pounds,
hundred five, ten pounds. She don't only do her own work, but she does
all the neighbors work. So... Go right up and down the street, go up and
take care of the children, wash for them and things like that. Just
go...
E-10 Now, if the same person, another person, approaches on that same basis, He's got to do the same thing. Or, if it didn't, then He did wrong. He did wrong then when He healed that--that one woman, and healed her that way, then He did wrong when He--when He healed her, if He--if He did--if He didn't do the... If He--if He did--healed her, then if He doesn't heal you, He acted wrong then when He healed the first one, if you'll meet the same requirements of faith that she did. It's only based on one thing, "I can if ye believe." That's all. So, see, then it all lays back, no matter how much strain or what we put on it, it's not that; it's relax and believe. See, I'm... There I go again, Brother Roy. See?
E-11 Did you read the Scripture for me?
I've been asked to speak on the subject, or I said myself that I would,
rather, upon the subject of the "Mark of the Beast" and the "Seal of
God." Now, it's a great subject. And I think that we may not get through
it tonight, maybe have to carry it over until tomorrow night.
And those that's got interviews now, I believe Mr. Mercier said we was
to begin at eight o'clock in the morning. Now, I have private interviews
where the people wants to see for the visions and things. That's where
you all don't get it (You see?), here. It's through the day also. See?
And then on these private interviews... So now remember, I--ever who's
first in the morning, it starts at eight. Now, he just told me a few
minutes ago.
E-12 Now, on this great subject of the
mark of the beast and the seal of God. We've heard so much about it.
It's been... I've seen charts that'd reach across this platform here
about mark of the beast and the seal of God. But to me, it's so simple,
it's just such a--a simple thing to look in the Word and see it, till I
don't think... Well, I've got about three or four pages of different
Scriptures I want to--wrote out here, that I want to refer to for you
tonight. While I was thinking on it this afternoon, I put down
Scriptures here, and different pages, so I could find out and you could
write it down if you want to.
Now, it's a great subject, and I think that it is a--and one of a--an
essential subject that should be taught on. Now, we've had Gospel
sermons; we've had Divine healing. And now, this ought to be the--on
based like, the second coming of Christ, on His second coming.
E-13 Brother Smith, is that your wife? Well I... how do you do, Sister Smith? I--I... No wonder he's a--he's a fine man. You're such a fine looking, godly looking little lady as a wife. I--I may have met you before. They say behind every good man there's a good wife. That--that's very fine. I know my wife is... If there's any credit to go to Branham family, give it to her, because she's the one that... But she's ten years younger than I am and snow white headed, and she's just because that she's stood between me and the public, and I don't know what I would do without her. God certainly gave me a wonderful wife. They're a wonderful thing, Brother Smith. Just... Why, if He could give a man anything better, He would've done it. That's right. Right. That's right. That's the truth. "He who has found a wife, has found a good thing," says the wisest man we've ever had. I--I think that a wife is the best thing a man can have outside of salvation. That's right. That's right; she's lovely.
E-14 Now, I'm going to base the
Scripture... First I'm going to tell you what I think the mark of the
beast is and what the--I think the Scripture supports the mark of the
beast to be. Then I'm going to tell you what I think the Scripture
supports the seal of God. Now, we know that these two great things are
ending up soon into two great, great grips; the world is gripped by
these two things right now: the mark of the beast or the seal of God.
Some of them places it way over in the future; some says its already
been in the past. But I believe that there's just two answers to it. And
that is that the seal of God is the baptism of the Holy Ghost; the mark
of the beast is rejecting it. Now, that's the only two things. I going
give you Scripture why now as we go through.
Now, one of them is remember, all the peoples on earth in the last days
is either going to be sealed by the seal of God or marked by the mark of
the beast. And he calls all, both poor, great, bond, free, all upon the
earth to receive this mark who did not have the seal, and whose names
are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life since the foundation of the
world, from the foundation of the world when the Lamb was slain and when
their names were put on the Lamb's Book of Life.
E-15 Now, those two great things. Now, we're going to start first upon "The Seal Of God." Now, what is a seal? The first place, a seal in the Bible, back in days before people had--educated like they are now, they usually--their seal was their signature just like we use today as our name. Sometimes the Romans, and on back in Jewish, and way back in the early eastern countries, they'd have a ring, that had their seal, and stamp it on something. If they couldn't sign their name, that seal. A seal was a bonafide statement, that it was sealed by this seal. And to--to try to copy this, was a capital fine, just like it would be now to try to forge a check, somebody's name on a check. It was a--a great fine to try to copy this seal. And usually the man wore it, had his seal, wore it on his back of his wrist, or--or either on his ring. And he would seal it instead of signing his name. That was to show that--that it was--he had sealed it.
E-16 Now. Now, Jesus said that in the
last days, according to Saint Matthew the 24th chapter and the 24th
verse, that these two spirits, this--the ones that was sealed with God,
and the ones that would be marked by the beast, the antichrist, would be
so close together till it was deceive the very elected if it was
possible. See? Now, they're going to be so much alike. Now, some people
says, "Well, communism is the mark of the beast." You're wrong.
Communism is not the mark of the beast, yet it is, but it isn't heading
up. The--the mark of the beast is of--is a religious nature, very
religious, so cunning and sly, until it'll deceive the very elected if
it was possible, just so close till it would deceive the elected if it
was possible. Of course, they...
Billy Graham said not long ago; I was hearing him a few Sundays ago on
my radio coming down here. And he was preaching; he said, "You hear so
much about cigarettes and Viceroy," or ever what it was, and "ta--tips
at this end and fire at this end, and everything like that." Said, "A
man would smoke them at all was a fool." And I think he's about right.
Said that even they got so much publicity on things like that until the
devil had deceived the elected. Now, I--I don't believe Brother Graham
meant it just like that, because the elected will not be deceived. No,
sir, they will not be deceived. They were foreordained of God, and they
will not be deceived.
So but Jesus said it would be very close together. So close alike. Now,
remember, that it'd be so close that the very elected could be deceived
if it would be possible.
E-17 Now, we want to find out where they
come from. Where did this all start? As I've told you that every cult
and every religion began in Genesis, everything we have. The Assemblies
of God began in Genesis. The Baptist began in Genesis. I can prove it.
Yes, sir. Every cult, even we have, I can prove it, it begin in Genesis.
That's right. Just search Genesis, and then you got the rest of it you
see what kind of seed it is, you see where it's going to. See? And just
watch it, and it'll just vine it's way right through the Bible. Just
exactly.
Both of them begin in Genesis. And we find out that Genesis is the seed chapter.
E-18 Now, we find out that the first
marking of a human being started in Genesis, Genesis 4:15. God marked
Cain. That's where the first mark of the beast was ever put on, was put
on Cain; he is the beginning of it. Now, you say, "Cain having the mark
of the beast?" All right, let's notice.
Now, he said, "Thy seed shall bruise the serpent's head, and his head
shall bruise thy heel." Watch the lineage of Cain. As Cain come down,
become scientist, smart men, great men, on down like that. But the seed
of Seth as it come down, become peasants, sheepherders, farmers. So you
see, there is... Now, watch, the Bible said, "I'll put enmity (God did)
between your seed and the serpent's seed." Now, so... Now, ministering
brethren, just hold your peace just a minute. I--I know they always
climb down my neck on this. But the Bible said that the serpent had a
seed. That settles it. The serpent's seed, let it be any way you want to
take it, we'll restrain from that; I got my idea too. But they--but
le... Be whatever it will, the Bible said in Genesis 1, the--the first
of Genesis, that the serpent had a seed.
And now remember, the serpent was not a snake to begin with, a reptile.
He was the next thing to a human being. Science has tried for thousands
of years to find that missing link between man and beast. The closest
they can come is to a chimpanzee. But they cannot get from the
chimpanzee to the human being. Why? It was a serpent. Now, if you notice
in Genesis 3:1, "The beast--the serpent was the most subtil of all the
beast of the field." A beast, not a reptile. He was more like a man. He
looked like a man. He was that missing link in between there, because
that's the only way. The seed of a human will not coincide with the seed
of a animal. But this fellow was the only one the devil could use
because it was just between man and beast. And the genealogies...
E-19 I believe in evolution. The first
thing maybe, when there was nothing but just plain chaos, volcanic
eruption. You know, God's a great Contractor. You believe that? A great
contractor always lays out all of his stuff when he builds his
subdivision. God, when He was moving the earth around, creating calcium,
potash, and petroleum, and so forth, He was laying our bodies on the
earth right then, the material that we're made out of. And the great
Holy Spirit went out from God to brood over the earth, or coo, make love
like a hen her brood. And His... Let's think He had wings. He did not,
but let's think He had wings like--like a hen over a brood. He begin to
brood over the earth. And I can see some calcium coming, running down a
little place, mixing up with some moisture and potash. And a little
Easter flower come out. And I can hear Him say, "Come here, Father, and
look at this."
"Very good, keep on brooding."
After while brood a little more. What come out next was probably
the--the flowers and the vegetations, and the birds flew out of the dust
of the earth. And then come the animal life, and kept getting higher
life, higher life, higher life, higher life, until finally a man come up
in the very image of God. Strange something didn't come up higher than
that, wasn't it? Can't get no higher; it was the image of God. So as
it... Evolution brings it up like that. But they can't cross and make
themselves higher, God said every seed brings of its kind. Now, in that
come up then, the man.
E-20 Now, sin did not start in earth. It
begin in heaven, and he was kicked out of heaven and came to the earth.
There was nothing else he could get into. The animal would be too far
from him, seed wouldn't mix, so he had to get into the serpent which was
a being more like a man. And when God cursed him and put him on his
belly, He changed every bone in him. Science trying to dig up bones and
that... Why, it's hid in the mysteries of God, and will reveal it to
anybody that wants to know about it, sure. There is...
Now, watch, he was the most subtil, most shrewd, cunning, wisdom,
smarter than the animal. He was right next to the man (See?), the most
subtil of all the beasts of the field.
And now, remember, that Cain was given a mark. And now, you say, "Satan
could not've been that serpent." If you'll go with me now over to II
Corinthians 11:14, the Bible said he transformed himself into an angel
of light. You just underestimate Satan; that's all. See? Yes, sir. He
made himself into an angel of light. If he could come into that kind of a
substance, then why could he not come into a beast, next thing to a
man?
E-21 Now, we find out that because that
Cain listened to the enemy, then what happened? He become the first
murderer. He become the first one that had jealousy on earth. Tell me
where that pure line from God to Adam... That's the only connection.
Adam was the son of God. Bible said so. Then where did that jealousy
come from? Where did that murderer come from? Where did all that kind of
a spirit come from? Out of Adam? Couldn't have. Come from Satan. It's
exactly where it come from.
Now, we find out he was the first murderer. And he was the first one to
have jealousy. And Lucifer got jealous of Michael, brought it right down
to the earth and transferred it into man. And Satan... Cain by taking
on this evil, took the first mark. God marked him. No one was to kill
him. Let him alone. But you remember, he--as soon as He marked him, he
went out from the Presence of God. Hold onto that now.
Oh, we don't have time to give it a real thorough study because, oh,
brother, we could dig this here for six months (See?), and never touch
the outsides of it. See?
E-22 Notice, he went out from the
Presence of God when he was marked, went to the land of Nod and got him a
wife. Very type of the church: goes out from God, gets a wife of the
world. See? Watch it. Glorious. Now, we have to change quickly now, that
we don't take too much time.
Now, we find out that then Abel, Cain's brother, Cain slew Abel. And God
gave Adam another son instead of Abel, whose name was Seth. And it was a
sign, and a sign from God of death and resurrection. So Seth never went
to the land of Nod to get his wife; God gave him a wife. But Cain, with
the mark of the beast on him, went out and got him a wife from the land
of Nod, and Seth took God's choice. Perfect type of the denominational
church today, going out, taking in anything. But the true church of the
living God, Christ's body, only takes what the Holy Ghost seals:
perfect. God has set in the church.
E-23 What did the sign come by? What did
the churches mark by? What was the sign? We know Cain had the mark.
Then what was the sign of the resurrection? That's what the church is
signed by today, the sign of the Holy Spirit that Christ is not dead but
He raised from the dead and taken in the church. See, sealing His
church, there it begins right them two--two boys right there in the
garden of Eden, right outside the garden.
The mark of the beast... A wanderer, a fugitive, don't know where he's
going, don't know where he's--where he--what he knows, don't know what
he does want. He's a fugitive.
E-24 But Seth stayed at home. And he was
with his father. And God gave him a wife. There starts in the lineage.
And if you'd want to chase that down one time... I better leave it
alone. I just like to prove it to you over and over and over and over.
Yes, sir. That's right, there's where it began. Some people thinks that
they taken apples in the garden of Eden, eat some apples. And the first
thing you know, that was the first sin. Oh, brother. Let me tell you; I
don't say this for a joke; it's no place to joke: But if eating apples
will cause women to realize they're naked, we better pass the apples
again. I think so. I think we ought to do it.
It wasn't apples; we all know that. No, we realize, in a mixed audience,
what it was. And we see what it did. Now, we find out then that this
was...
E-25 A mark is a distinction. It makes a
difference; it separates something. But like... You say, you got one
mark against you, a mark. But you never said you had one seal against
you; you got one mark against you. And a seal is a sign of ownership. A
mark is a distinction. And the church is sealed by the Holy Spirit,
showing as ownership; God owns the church. But the mark of the beast is
the wayward, the outcast that refused to take and come God's provided
way.
Cain, as soon as he was marked was sent away. We get that. Abel died,
and Seth raised to take his place, was a sign of resurrection. All
right.
E-26 We find out that these two mark,
mark and seal begin in Genesis, and it comes down through the Bible and
ends up in Revelation. We also have a Scripture here about that where it
started in Genesis, ends up in Revelations; it's always been in one
form or the other, coming up.
Like I was preaching the other night on the blood offering, blood
sacrifice. Babylon is spoke of in Genesis, the first of the Bible.
Babylon spoke of in the middle of the Bible, Babylon spoke of in the
last of the Bible. Starts in Genesis, comes over to Revelations.
Everything begins--them two spirits...
E-27 Look here, we... let's just take it a minute. Even in the ark, there was the dove and the crow in the ark. One--both of them birds, both of them could fly, both of them... You know the crow is a hypocrite. He is, he's just a dirty hypocrite. Now, a crow can set down over there on a old dead horse, and just eat, and caw, and flop his wings, and have a big time. That poor little dove can't get near it. Why? It hasn't got any gall. See? It couldn't digest it. If it'd eat that it would die. But the crow can set there and eat dead horse a half a day, go out in the field and come home and eat dinner with wheat, with the crow--with the dove. He's an old hypocrite, is all. Did you ever notice, a dove has no gall of bitterness. Neither does anyone that's baptized with the Holy Ghost. All the bitterness is gone away. They were both in the same ark, like the hypocrite and the real believer in the same church, same denomination setting together, seat--same pew, setting together.
E-28 I want you to notice another thing.
Oh, I like to talk about nature. The dove, did you know you don't catch
the dove taking a bath. Why? He don't have to. He's got a oil inside of
him that goes out through his feathers and keeps himself clean all the
time. That's the way a real church; it don't have to be bathing up and
going back about this, that, or the other. But they got an oil, holy oil
on the inside, every believer, that keeps him clean from the things of
the world. Oh, if we could just preach on the--the Lamb and Dove some
time. The Holy Ghost inside the believer keeps him clean. Not from the
outside what he washes off, but it comes from the inside out. Amen.
A lot of people say, "I have to go up and make confession today, I have
to say so and so, and I have to go make a confession. I have to do
this." But you know, the Holy Spirit inside just works the oil out all
the time, the atonement, keeping the believer clean. "For there is
therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, that
walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit."
E-29 How do we get into it? By one
handshake? No. By one paper? By one denomination? No. But by one Spirit
we are all baptized into one body, free from judgment. God's done judged
that body. God judged it at Calvary; it won't have to be judged
anymore. "He that heareth My Word, believeth on Him that sent Me, hath
Eternal Life." There's not two forms of Eternal Life, only one. "Has
Eternal Life and shall not come into the judgment; but has passed from
death unto Life." "When I see the blood I'll pass, will pass over you."
Oh, my, that makes me feel religious.
Why? Free from sin. That's right. He that's borned of God doth not
commit sin, cannot sin. Seed of God remains in him; he can't sin. It
can't be me under a sin offering all the time, and then be a sinner, you
cannot. You never seen a sinner saint. You never seen a black white
bird, or drunk sober man. No, sir. You are either a sinner or a saint;
that's all. And if you're in Christ, there is a Blood atonement offering
all day long, crying, "Father forgive them; they don't know what
they're doing." Oh, then you can rest assure. Amen, I like that. So
beautiful there, the Holy Spirit, how It seals us.
E-30 Notice, the crow, the dove. Let's
notice from Cain and Abel. That was nothing in the world but Judas and
Jesus. Certainly. Let's watch the smoke. As Cain killed Abel at the
altar now, Cain... If righteousness is all that God re--requires, or
being fundamental... That's what I've always said about the two classes
of people. I meet the Fundamental and the Pentecost. The Fundamentalists
seen positionally from their schooling; they know where they stand, but
they haven't got no faith. The Pentecostals got the faith, but don't
know who they are. See? Like I said, somebody's got money in the bank,
can't write a check. Another one write a check, got no money in the
bank. Get them together.
Now, we see that the Pentecostals is the one that's got the faith. They
believe, but... They're full of fire. They're full of the Holy Ghost,
but they don't know how to settle down on that Word and says, "It's THUS
SAITH THE LORD." They blow it all out the whistle with screams and
shouts and runs. If they could ever bottle it down you'd see a church
stand on her feet in power and glory. There'd be a book of acts wrote
behind it.
Now, notice... Yeah, I didn't mean that they... They take it out in joy
instead of power, faith. Hold that there and believe it. It's God's
Word, stay right with it.
E-31 Look at Cain, come up and offered
an offering, built an altar, belonged to a church, belonged to a
denomination, knelt at the altar and prayed, worshipped God, gave in his
tithing. If that's all God requires, Cain was just as justified as Abel
was. But you see, the whole secret was--was the revelation. There's
where the trouble is; people don't understand that the whole church of
the living God is built upon a spiritual revelation of Christ. Jesus
said so in Saint Matthew 16. "Blessed art thou, Simon son of Jonas:
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in
heaven. And up--thou art Simon, upon this rock I will build My church."
When the spiritual revelation of Jesus Christ... And He is the Word. "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 us." And when that
Word comes into you, It's sharper than a two-edged sword, even
discerning the thoughts and the intents of the heart. There's the Word
coming in. The revelation of every Word of God is true. Hang your soul
on any phase of It: revelation.
Oh, I like these things. My, I think it sets the church to where
you--you could have a healing service. See? God said so; that settles
it; that's--that's all of it. God said so; just stay right with it.
E-32 Now... But how--there was no Bible
in that day, so it must've been revealed to Abel. Hebrews 11 said, "By
faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,"
testifying of him that he was righteous.
Now, Cain said, "I guess my mother eat some apples and she had to put on
clothes." But Abel knew that it was blood, life. There'd been something
happen wrong. And he offered the blood of a lamb.
I can see him coming with this little lamb... Oh, Satan's altar was much
more beautiful than Abel's. He had fruits and flowers, and all pretty.
But that--that's--that's what I'm trying to tell the church. Sister, you
don't have to wear manicure, and all prettied up, and wear a dress like
the next lady to be right with God. You don't have to have a church
that's got thousand dollar pews in it, and a pipe organ that cost
several million dollars, and all this here fancy stuff. That come from
hell. That's right. I can prove it by the Bible. That's right.
E-33 Cain thought these things, "I'll
offer these things." But I imagine Abel's offering wasn't so good.
Probably didn't have any hemp in that day, so must've had a grape vine
wrapped around that little old lamb's neck, led it up there and laid it
upon the rock. He didn't have a lance or a knife in then, so he must've
took a--a piece of rock, pulled its little head back, and begin to chop
its little neck. And as it begin to bleat and kick, and the blood going
all over him, bleeding, bleating, dying on the rock...
What did it represent? Four thousand years later, the Lamb of God hacked
to death on the rock of ages, bleeding, bleating, speaking in tongues
as He was dying on Calvary. "Oh, dear dying Lamb, thy precious Blood
shall never lose its power till all the ransomed church of God be saved
to sin no more." Our educational programs, denominational programs will
mean not that [Brother Branham snaps his fingers--Ed.]; it'll take the of Blood of Jesus Christ and nothing else to do it. Yes.
E-34 Watch the smoke come up from there.
And remember, here it is, believer. Abel died on the same rock with his
lamb. Every believer has to do the same thing: die on the rock with
your lamb. A lamb don't have but one thing, and that's wool. And he has
to forfeit all he's got. He don't kick up a fuss about it. You take the
little fellow and throw him up there, like I said, the lamb dumb before
its shearers. He gets sheared off. He don't fuss about it. Only thing
he's got, he forfeits it willing.
And we say we're Christians. Somebody wrote me a little letter the other
day and--little note, and funny isn't it, I got it down there, said, "I
got a right; I'm a American citizen; I wear any kind of clothes I want
to." Go right ahead, it's all right. That shows you're a goat. That's
right. You just go ahead and wear them if you wish. But remember, if
you're a lamb, you have got a right to it, but you forfeit your rights
for Christ. I got a right to get drunk tonight to; I'm American citizen.
I got a right to smoke cigarettes; I'm American citizen. You have too,
but we forfeit our rights. Be shaved off of those things. Act like
gentlemen, like ladies, dress like it, and act like it and live like it.
Forfeit your rights.
E-35 Look at the smoke coming up from
the altar, come right on up and settle down on Calvary. As Cain killed
Abel at the altar, Judas killed Jesus at the altar. Right.
Notice again, you only see three crosses, don't you? There were four,
four crosses. There was Jesus in the middle, a thief on one side and a
thief on the other, and Judas hung hisself on a sycamore tree. And Jesus
was hanging on a tree too. "Cursed is he that hangeth on a tree." And
He was made a curse for us. Judas was on just as much cross as He was,
'cause he was on a tree. Jesus on much a tree as Judas was. "Cursed is
he that hangeth on a tree."
Watch here. There was the Son of God: God made manifest, came down from
heaven, returning back to heaven, taking with Him the repentant sinner.
And there was Judas, the son of perdition, come from hell, returning
back to hell, taking back with him the unrepentant sinner, going back
again. Oh, it's beautiful.
As God opened up the side of Adam in the garden and took out a part to
make a bride, God opened up the side of Jesus at Calvary and took out
the Bride, out of His side. Oh, it's beautiful. At the cross, how it is,
and how them two spirits, how they come up through Cain, Abel: the
crow, the dove.
And look we think again, Cain, when he went over into the land of Nod,
he got hisself a wife. And we find out that that wife... I got the
Scripture wrote down there; I won't go into that at this time.
E-36 Look at Israel. Israel when it left
out of there, like two vines, we see it coming on up. It's always been
that way. Look, here come Israel on its road to the promised land, like
the church is today. What did it meet? It met Moab. And he sent up to
his brother and said, "Can we cross your land? If our cattle lick up any
grass, we'll pay for it. If they drink any water, we'll pay for it."
And he refused to do it.
Now, looky here. There was Israel, a little bunch of
interdenominationals, riding around through the country, no place to
settle down, but on their road home. Moab was settled down with the
dignitaries, numbered amongst the nations of the world.
E-37 Notice what happened. Israel had
the true blood stream. Remember how Balaam tried to marry in like that,
and he had to oust off them women and all. Teaching of Balaam, doctrine
of Balaam...
Notice, there was Moab, believed in the same God that Israel believed
in. For it was what? Another illegitimate wrong wife, Lot's child by his
daughter. Just exactly like the unborn churches today, the church
natural is a church of the world committing spiritual fornication with
the world and not living true to God. Very beautiful type...
E-38 Notice, fundamentally speaking...
Now, fundamental brother, I'm not... I don't want to pinch you too hard,
but I want you to feel it. Notice, here come the--the bishop down,
Balaam. And he got up there, and the king said, "Come down and curse
this people." Said, "I don't want them over here; they can't one of them
healing services over here. Why, they're always carrying on about
healing," and said, "they got a brass serpent down there that they all
look at and get well. And say they're eating manna out of heaven, I
didn't see any of it. And oh, it's a bunch of nonsense." And said, "I
want you to come down and curse them. We don't want none of that stuff
mixed up in our denominations over here. So keep them out of here."
Notice, he was just as fundamental as Israel was. He built seven altars,
seven sacrifices, seven rams, just exactly like they were doing down in
the camp of Israel (See?), just the same sacrifices. But what Balaam
failed to see was that smitten rock, that brass serpent, the shout of
the camp, of the King. He failed to see that Pillar of Fire going before
them.
E-39 That's what it is today. You say, "You belong to them Pentecostals. They're a bunch of holy-rollers." They used to be, but they're not no more. But so they--they belong to them, but they failed to see that Pillar of Fire. Now, so they can be sure to see it, we got a picture of it scientifically proved. Amen. Yes. They failed to see the Pillar of Fire, the shout of the camp, that there's a King among us (Amen.), King Jesus. They fail to see it. He failed to see that blood atonement. They say, "I know a Pentecostal man run off with another man's wife." I know Baptists and Presbyterian done the same, Catholics and all. That's right. So sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Pot can't call kettle black. We're all human beings, and we're subject to all those things among our--our people. But God deals with us as individuals, whoever we are. So the Pentecostal blessing is right.
E-40 Notice, Israel and Moab; now it's
the same. We find out that the--the church takes on...?... they go out
and take on a denominational, bring in anything they want to. They just
say, "Well now, if you'll come and be baptized in our church and stand
up and say you believe Jesus the Son of God, then we'll--we'll baptize
you in the church and put your name on the book."
Now, do you know the devil believes too? Sure, he does. I explained to
you the other night, you--like trying to immerse this old turtle. It
didn't do anything to him; it didn't help him any. It took fire to make
him move. And so, that's what it takes for the church today: is a little
Holy Ghost and fire to make it move.
But remo--remember, the Holy Spirit will not take that unclean person
into His--the body of Christ. That shows that the body of Christ is not a
denomination. For it's a mystical body of Christ. And by one Spirit
we're all baptized into it. I think we take women, men, and take them to
the waters to baptize them. And we find out if they're really not
Christians in their heart, we should never baptize them.
I was going some time ago with a woman to the river, group of them. One
woman walked out there; she got out of her car and come across, fixing
her hair up, she said, "Going to take me down and dunk me, Brother
Branham?"
I said, "Not you, you're not fit to go in." That's right. They was going
to have a singing at the church, and some girl, she--she didn't have
enough money to--to--to get her some kind of a hairdo like that she
wanted to do to get up on the platform to sing. And her poor old mother
washed over a washboard to get that hairdo for her. When I found it out,
I wouldn't let her sing. I said, "You're not fit to sing up there."
That should be kept clean. That's what's the matter today with the
churches, the corruption and stuff, right from the pulpit plumb to the
basement. That's right. Clean it out. That's right. We need the old
fashion scouring pad again in the church.
E-41 Like the little darkie was being
ordained one day, and the elders standing around said, "Lord, wrap him
up in burlap sacks and pour kerosene on him and set him afire for the
Gospel." That's what we need today: on fire. Turn him loose then and let
him run.
Used to brand calves. We'd take a calf, I know what you've roped and
hogtied a many one, I guess. We used to brand them down. Someone said to
me, "Aren't you ashamed to pack that hot iron and stick it on his
side?"
"No." I stuck it on his side. He had a kicking fit, all right. He
squalled and bellowed; when he turned him loose he had a spasm, he
really run. But we knowed who he belonged to from then on (That's
right.), as long as he lives. And I tell you, brother; it takes a lot of
grace to come up to the altar and stay there till the Holy Ghost burns a
seal down in you. You may scream, and cry, and act funny, but you know
where you belong from then on. That's right. For you're sealed in the
Kingdom of God by the Holy Spirit. It is the seal.
E-42 Remember, the Holy Spirit come to
seal those who God foreknew. That's right. That's right. He just didn't
come down, Jesus, and say, "I'll die; maybe somebody will have pity and
look at Me and say, 'Well, I suppose.' Maybe if they'll think I suffered
so much it'll break their hearts and they'll come." No, no. You won't
come anyhow. You can't tell a pig he's wrong by eating on a manure pile.
He just tell you right quick, if he could talk, "I tend to my business;
you tend to yours." See?
It takes a conversion. God has to do it. No man comes to Jesus except
God draws him first. It takes the work of the Holy Spirit to even turn
your heart. Takes God. Someone said, "I sought God and sought God." No,
no, no. God sought you, not you seeking God. God seeks you.
E-43 All right, the Holy Spirit doesn't take in just any kind of a wife, doesn't take in somebody that smokes, and somebody that drinks, and somebody that lives immoral, and somebody that carries along with all kinds of worldly things, 'cause He said, "If you love the world, the things of the world, the love of God is not even in you." But the Holy Spirit come to seal into the body the wife of Jesus Christ, that He foreknew before the foundation of the world. When He... By being God in foreknowledge, He could see who would receive Him and who would not. So the Holy Spirit come to get that Bride. That's the one He takes in. But the church says, "Oh..."
E-44 Used to sing a little song, I hope I
don't sound sacrilegious. We had a little song we used to sing, "'Come
and dine,' the Master calleth." We had a little song and made it a
little different, forgive me if I stumble you anyway. Said...
"Come and join," the pastor calleth,
"Come and join";
You can have your ice cream suppers all the time;
Tell the dirty jokes,
Chew a cud and puff a smoke,
Oh, the pastor calls to the congregation,
"Come and join." (Instead of come and dine.)
What a difference. Take a man, as long as he got a little money and can
pay in, put him on the deacon board and got two or three wives, put him
on there anyhow because they're influential men in the city. I don't
care if the city hates them; I want them influential in heaven where the
Holy Spirit, where they can have some influence among the people. But
it's just come and join. Everything...
I asked a girl some time ago, "Are you a Christian?"
And she said, "I give you to understand; I'm an American." Like that had
anything to do with it. She was in Switzerland. Like that had anything
to do with it.
Brother Bosworth said he asked a woman one time, she said, "I'll give
you to understand I burn a candle every night." Now, like that's got
anything to do with Christianity: burn a candle every night. Got to be
borned into this, the Kingdom of God.
E-45 Now, we find those spirits. Watch. Just about the time that Jesus came on the scene, Judas came on the scene. Just about time Jesus went off the scene, the same day, Jesus and Judas both went off the scene. Just about the time the Holy Ghost came on the scene, what happened? The antichrist come on the scene. John says so, said, "Little children be not deceived by it," said, "the antichrist is already at work in the world." See? It ain't coming in these last days; it's already there then. It's always been.
E-46 And now, you watch: just about the
time the antichrist is holding itself up now and taking all the
churches, even our Pentecostal, into the big morgue up here, you know,
the union of churches... You understand where I mean. I understand some
of our Pentecostal organizations is getting into that. Um-ump. What--how
far away from the Spirit of God can you get when you start wandering.
Just slip off that narrow road, and you'll just keep sliding. That's
right. You got to come back to where you left off. That's right.
Confederation of churches, which will form the image of the beast... And
we all know that. See, there? It's all working right around now to
bring all the churches together, unite ourselves together to fight
communism. Don't you worry about communism; it ain't going to be the
thing to fight.
There's three curtains. I say this in the Name of the Lord; don't you
forget it. There's a iron curtain, a bamboo curtain, and a purple
curtain. Watch that purple curtain. Keep your eye on that.
E-47 Oh, my, how we see now the antichrist beginning to unfold itself, taking a hold in the nation. It even elect their own man, the other churches forming in with it, making one great big ecclesiastical head. All the Anglican bishop the--they're going over now into Po--into Rome to consult with the Pope, the first time for hundreds of years. Oh, it's all taking head. And we Protestants set back, you know, and... Well, there you are (See?); just go ahead. Because it's cooled off. We ain't going to stop it; it ain't going to stop; it's going to get worse. It's... The Bible said so, that... The Pentecostal church in the last days, we know is the Laodicean church age that gets lukewarm and God spits it out of His mouth, makes Him sick at His stomach. He just can't stand it, the way it is.
E-48 Now, let's go on now and get some
of these seals and work them out for the next few minutes. We go over
now, if you're putting your Scriptures down, let's go to Ezekiel the 9th
chapter. And we find out the prophet foreseen the first coming of the
church. Now, we find that he seen, called the prophet, and he looked up
at the higher gates and said, "Have you ever seen anything like this?"
And there come from the high gates four men with slaughtering weapons in
their hand. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... you read Ezekiel the 9th chapter.
Now, remember, that slaughtering was designated only to Jerusalem. "Go through the city."
But before they went through the city, they found another thing happen.
There came a Man with a--a--in white with a inkhorn at His side, a
writer's inkhorn. And he said, "Stop these other men, that they should
not go into the city until first the Man dressed in white with the
writer's inkhorn, would go through the city of Jerusalem and set a seal
upon, or mark, of those that sigh and cry for the abominations that's
done in the city." Now, this One with the inkhorn at His side, was the
Holy Spirit. Now, notice, after He went through, then He turned these
men loose with slaughtering weapons. He said, "Utterly destroy all, both
young, old, young maids, little children; spare nothing; but don't come
near any of those who have that seal upon them." Notice it.
E-49 Now, when did that take place? That was the early Pentecostal church, when the Holy Spirit went through and marked out the church. Now, notice how history--if you ever taken the writing of Josephus when he wrote of the great battle about 96. When all the people... When the Holy Ghost when Jesus came, performed the signs of the Messiah, proved that He was Messiah. After He left He transferred Hisself into glory, sent back the Holy Ghost and anointed the apostles. They went forth doing the same signs that He did. They had the power of the Lord. They spoke in tongues; they shouted. There was a mighty rushing wind filled them. And they went forth with such a zeal until they burnt the cities with the Holy Spirit. And what did they do? They made fun of them. They laughed at them. That's right. Jesus said, "You speak against me, I'll forgive you. But when the Holy Ghost is come, one word against It will never be forgiven." And they sealed their eternal destination when they made fun of the people that was filled with the Holy Ghost.
E-50 Jesus told them, said, "Now, the
time will come..." Now, you have to notice so many teachers there
they--they asked Jesus three different questions in Matthew 24. He
answered each one. That's the reason you get up to the Seventh Day
Adventist with that, "Pray that your flight be not in the Sabbath," on
the Sabbath day or wintertime. He was asking them, "When will these
things be? What will be the sign of the coming, end of the world?" And
three different questions they asked Him. And He explained it just as
they asked Him there. And it taken place; history shows it's right.
What would do... What difference would it make if your flight now,
running from the city would be on the Sabbath day? Then the--the gates
of the city was closed on the Sabbath day. What difference would it
make? Showed it wasn't universal, 'cause be summertime in one place and
winter another. "Pray that your flight not be in the wintertime, or on
the Sabbath day." Because, in that day,... He... They were warned, said,
"Let them that's in Jerusalem, flee unto Judaea." Judaea was snowbound
in the wintertime. "Pray that your flight be not in the wintertime,
neither on the Sabbath day."
E-51 But when Titus came up, and they
seen... Jesus told them, "When you see Jerusalem compassed about with
armies, let him that's in the field, don't return to get his coat. But
hit for the hills of Judaea just as hard as you can go. Get out of
there." 'Cause they're going to blaspheme the Holy Ghost. And if they
blaspheme the Holy Ghost, they take the mark of the beast, and there's
nothing but destruction left. Those Jews, when they seen trouble coming,
they said, "Now, we will gather into the city, into the house of the
Lord and pray." Doesn't that sound very religious, very sweet. Oh, Satan
can make it look just so real. Sure.
But remember, Josephus said that those people that were cannibals, said,
"there's a bunch that follow Jesus of Nazareth who went around healing
the sick." Said, "Pilate killed Him, and they stole His body away, and
set it out somewhere, and cut it up and eat it." They were cannibals.
What they were doing, were taking communion, the body of the Lord. See?
And he said, "None of them is lost, because they hit out for Judaea just
as the Scripture told them to do, like Jesus had told them to do it."
E-52 But those Jews, they all went into
Jerusalem, and they said, "Now, we'll gather to the house of the Lord,
and great Jehovah Who's always been with us, will come down, and He will
drive away the armies of Titus; that's what He will do." But that did
they do? They had sinned against the Holy Ghost. They'd make fun of the
power of the Holy Ghost in operation. They called Jesus Christ, Who was
performing and showing them that He was their Messiah, they called Him
Beelzebub, called Him a devil, told Him it was some kind of a telepathy,
said He was a devil, the works that He was doing was the works of the
devil. They had it coming to them.
Now, brother, you just wait; we won't get time tonight, but tomorrow
night I want to take you over and show you that the United States has
done the same thing exactly. I'll prove it to you by the Scriptures.
Tomorrow night, the Lord willing, that how the United States has done
the same thing exactly in these last forty years. They've made fun and
called them holy-rollers, Pentecostal fanatics, and everything in the
world. And God working with them in signs and wonders, and the big
churches just set off like this and made fun. And now in the last days,
what's happened? Let me bring the Scriptures to you. Are you ready?
E-53 I differ with my precious Brother
David duPlessis, going up there with Dr. McKee and all these big
churches. And now what are they going to...
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... now. Oh,
the Presbyterians are saying, "We need speakers in tongues. We need them
to get the baptism of the Holy Ghost. We need Divine healers," and all
like that. Why didn't they accept it forty years ago when it come out,
instead of making fun of it? They'll never do it. They are dead. They're
denominations, and every denomination's dead. Exactly right. It'll
never rise again. No denomination will never rise. Assemblies, you've
had your day. Oneness, you had your day. Foursquare, you had your day,
time of Mrs. McPherson. The old school assemblies had their day. Well,
what have you done? You've denominated yourself and separated yourself.
You'll never take a denomination in, because it was a Catholic order in
the first place that God condemned in the beginning; it'll never go in,
no Baptist, Presbyterian, or nothing else. But God will pull a hungry
heart from every denomination that He can, for that's His body that He
will take in, and that are sealed by the Holy Spirit.
They've done took the mark of the beast. Look at it now, the Pentecostal
church has done showed its colors. Now, it's spewed out. Jesus on the
outside, knocking [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit--Ed.],
trying to come in. What's He knocking? The very Messiahic knock, and
everything else, and they still turn Him out. Certainly, they do.
E-54 But what is happened? What day are
we living in? Oh, my brother, what day we living in? Don't think I'm
crazy. I hope I'm not. If I'm crazy, just let me alone; I feel better
this way than I did the other way. But listen. Listen. I tell you, my
brother and sister, what's it the sign of it? It's the sign we're at the
end time. What did Jesus say about the sleeping virgins? Oh, you call
them churches virgin? Just like Cain was, exactly the same thing. They
worship. But the sleeping virgin had no oil in her lamp. Is that right?
So when she found out she was later than what she thought, communism
slipping up on her, she said, "Oh, give us some of the oil. How do you
get this Holy Ghost?"
"You go buy it from one that sells it."
E-55 And remember, the very time that
the sleeping virgin went to buy the oil, that's when the Bridegroom
came. Glory. Don't you see it? If the Presbyterians and the
Episcopalians and those others, are come seeking for the Holy Ghost,
you'd better get your lamp trimmed. Trimmed, trimmed, yes, it needs
trimming. Pentecost, better be trimming some lamps. Amen. Get a lot of
this world cut away from you. You done got corroded over. The wicks got
in bad shape. You know that wick is a great thing. I used to watch. What
a real wick of God is a--a believer, is a wick. Look, he's got a fire
on one end, up here, and the other end's dipped into oil, drawing oil
and making fire. What a--what a church, what a power. What a place to
be. Hallelujah.
Shining that same Gospel light that shines in the east, is shining in
the west. It shall be light in the evening time. Rise, trim your lamp,
Pentecost. Trim off the world; trim off the fashions of the world; trim
off the things of the world. Get ready; the hour is at hand.
E-56 And right when they went to get this, what happened? What taken place? Then the Bridegroom went in. See, America has blasphemed the Holy Ghost. She's made fun of it ever since she come on the scene of existence forty or fifty years ago. She's constantly made fun. The other churches has made fun. They've showed themself. Now, they begin to stick their head out and saying, "We'd like to have a little of this." But just as when they go to doing that it's a sign that we should go to trimming our lamp. God raise up some preachers that'll go to trimming lamps. I'm telling you what we need today is something that'll trim our lamp, show the true Pentecostal fire.
E-57 You get an old little lamp
all--where the--the carbon gets on the lamp wick, it'll smoke your lamp
all up. That's what's the matter with us; we got too much carbon on the
lamp, too much carbon. The fire can't draw right. It at--can't get
enough air from the bottom. What we need is a good breathing spell, a
good breath, fresh breath from heaven of the baptism of the Holy Ghost
over again, and the Holy Spirit working in the church with signs and
wonders following, the true Seal of God.
"I tell you what. I'll go to the Assemblies, if they don't treat me
right I'll go to the Foursquare." Oh, you carboned up, you're smoking
your light. Trim your lamp. Get ready; we're at the end time. But they
will, somebody will preach it. Somebody will tell it. Somewhere there'll
be some of them that'll get it. That's right. I don't know how many,
'cause it says, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the
coming of the Son of man," wherein eight souls was saved. But I don't
know how many will get it, but there'll be some of them will trim their
lamps, that's all there is to it, for lamp trimming time is on.
E-58 And when the--when the sleeping virgin went out, which already received the mark of the beast... You say, "Mark of the beast, that?" Yes, indeedy. So did Cain receive the mark and went out. What was it? When the Baptist church, when the Pentecostal church, when the Presbyterian church, took on the mark of the beast instead of receiving the Holy Ghost, they went out from God and made them an organization. What'd they do? Took them a false wife, a false wife of the world, brought in painted up Jezebels and everything else, with short hair and wearing shorts and skirts and of a hollywood fashion. And preachers got out to taking them in with--deacons with two or three wives and... And a man...
E-59 You say, "You're always talking on
our women, about our women." All right, men, I'll comb you down once
then. Let me tell you something. Any man that'll let his wife smoke
cigarettes and wear shorts, I got little respect of him even being a
man. He's so sissified he don't even know what he belongs to. He ain't a
man. That's right. Oh, hallelujah. That's right. He's a poor excuse for
a man. Oh, he may be six foot tall, weigh two hundred pound, but that
don't look like a man to me. That shows who's boss around your house.
She'll stomp her foot, "I'll you right now," and you'd bow down like you
was a sick kitten. What's the matter? We need...
What we need today is men. We need Gospel preachers. And any preacher
that'll stand in the pulpit and hold back on those things, I got little
respect of him being called of God. Right. A man that's ashamed to stand
in the pulpit and tell the God's truth, when he knows it's an immoral
thing for a woman to cut her hair... The Bible... A man's got a right to
leave his wife and give her a divorce when she cuts her hair. The Bible
said so. Who's the head of the woman? Her husband. And the Bible said,
"If a woman cuts her hair she dishonors her head." No dishonorable woman
should be lived with. Amen. She cuts off her glory. And so does the
church. When she does the same thing she cuts her glory stream off.
Um. Oh God, why do I say these things? But it's truth. No, we don't--we
don't need compromisers. We need men and women who'll stand for justice
and right and tell the truth, regardless of what it is. Amen. The seal
of God...
Trim your lamps, my brother. Let the light of the Holy Spirit burn out
again, fresh. It's getting dark. Oh, it's such a horrible time. It's
getting dark.
E-60 Here some time ago I went down... I
was coming from Dallas and was flying over and going to Indiana, and a
storm come up and--and the airplane had to go down at Memphis. And
I--I... They put me up in that great big fine hotel down there and told
me... They called me after while and said, "We'll call you in the
morning at seven o'clock. We'll have the--some lines to pick you up."
'Cause they'd--I'd already paid my way, and they--they had to pay my way
in the hotel that night. So I set up and wrote some letters to my
friends. The next morning I got up and was going down to mail the
letters, and I was going down the street. I thought, "I'll hurry up now
because that limousine's going to pick us up at a certain time." And I
started down the street, walking real fast, you know. The Holy Spirit
said, "Stand still." I looked around, and a big Irish cop standing
there, looked over here, and I thought, "Surely, that wasn't him said
that." And I started to walk again, said, "Come aside." And there was
some fishing reels and things there. I walked up like this, and I
thought I'd just act like I'm looking at that so he won't think
suspicious of something. So I walked up there and begin looking at these
reels, and I said, "Heavenly Father, was that You spoke?"
He said, "Turn, and go north and keep walking."
I said, "Yes, Father." I just started... You believe children of God
should be led by the Spirit of God...?... That's what's the matter with
us, got our lamp so smoked up we can't tell nothing no more. Here we
was...
E-61 I went walking. I walked, and I
walked, and I walked, and I thought, "Well, my." I looked, time for the
airplane to come. And He just kept saying, "Walk." And I just kept on
walking. I went over and got over on the other side, and I got in
that--the colored district over there. And I was going down, well,
the--it was way high; the sun was way up high. And I thought, "Oh, I
missed my plane. Well, if He said walk, I guess maybe He means walk
home. So I'll just keep on walking, leave my suitcase back there." So
then I went--I went--I had my suitcase still at the hotel, and I had
these letters. I kept walking along. Thought, "Well, Lord..."
Just Something kept saying, "Keep walking, keep walking." I just kept on
walking; that's the only thing to do. No matter how it looks, just keep
on anyhow. If God said do it, just keep on anyhow. That's the way you
do it. That's the way you get well (See?); just keep on walking. Say,
"To--Yesterday I couldn't wiggle my finger but that much; today I can
wiggle it that much. Praise God. Tomorrow I'll wiggle it that much and
the next day that much. And then the first thing, I'm...?..." Just keep
on walking. That's all, just keep walking.
E-62 Then I got over there on the other
side of Memphis. And when I did, why, I was walking down through some--a
big colored district there, little old shanties like, out there. And I
thought, "What am I doing over here?" I thought, "Well, He said keep
walking. If He wanted me to turn some other way, He'd tell me." So I
just kept on walking. And I walked, and I was singing that little song
that you Pentecostal people sing about--let's see if I can get the tune.
They were gathered in the upper room,
All praying in His name,
Baptized with the Holy Ghost,
And power for service came;
Now what He did for you--them that day
He'll do for you the same,
I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them. (You've heard it, haven't you? Yes, sir.)
These people may not learn--learned to be,
Or boast of worldly fame,
They have all received their Pentecost,
Through faith in Jesus' Name;
And are telling now, both far and wide,
His power is yet the same,
I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.
E-63 I was going along humming that to
myself. I looked; I seen an old colored woman leaning out over a--a--a
gate, there like this. And it was way up, and oh, it's beautiful
springtime and the honeysuckle. You--you--you think orange blossoms
smells good, just wait till you smell honeysuckles in Indiana back
there. So and there was--and she was leaning out there, and she had a
man's shirt tied around her head, great big fat face, you know. And I
was coming along, I thought... Well I seen her standing there. I kept
walking on like that. And when I got up close, she started laughing,
great big tears started coming down her eyes. I said, "Good morning,
auntie." That's usually the way we would address colored people in the
south.
She said, "Good morning, parson."
I said, "Parson?" That's a preacher, you know. I said, "How'd you know I was a parson?"
She said, "I knowed you was coming."
I said--stopped and come back; I thought, "Father, is this it? You send me down to this Negro woman?"
E-64 And she was standing there, and I said, "How'd you know I was a parson?"
She said, "Did--did you ever read that story about the Shunammite woman?"
I said, "Oh, yes."
She said, "I's is that kind of woman." And she said, "I didn't have any
children, and I told the Lord if He'd give me a baby that I would--that I
would--I would raise it to--to serve Him." And said, "I--I did that.
The Lord give me a baby," and said, "I washed over washboards to make a
living for him." And said, "He--he'd been such a fine boy," but said,
"he took a road that's wrong. He got out with the wrong company." And
said, "He..." And she was an old Pentecostal saint. And so she
said--she... "He took the road was wrong." And said, "He got a horrible
social disease." And said, "I didn't know it." And said, "Now, they
can't do anything for him." Said, "His heart's done eat out." Said,
"He's laying in there dying."
E-65 And said, "Last night I prayed all
night." Said, "He's been unconscious two days, parson." And said, "I
prayed all night last night." And I said, "Lord, You give me this baby."
Said, "I--I is your servant," said, "where is that Elisha," he said.
And said, "I kept on praying." Said, "This morning I went to sleep on my
knees," and said, "about two o'clock." And said, "I dreamed that the
Lord told me to come here and stand on this gate." And she said, and
said, "He will be coming down the street with a tan suit on and a little
tan hat." And said, "I been waiting here since before daylight, and I
seen you coming," said, "That--I--I knowed." Oh, that's Pentecost.
That's real Pentecost.
I said to her; I said, "My name is Branham, auntie. Did you ever hear of me?"
She said, "No sir, Parson Branham, I never heard of you." And she said,
"I'm sorry, but I never heard of you." She said, "Won't you come in?"
And I said, "Yes, ma'am, thank you." I never said another word. I thought, "This must be it."
E-66 So when I walked in, they had an
old plow point hanging on a chain on the gate to pull it back together.
Went in a little old two room--what we call shotgun house in the east,
little long room. And I been in king's palaces, went to prayed for King
George of England. I was with the Gustavus up in Swi--Sweden. And I been
in many king's palaces, and King Farouk, and--and many other places,
and great potentates and monarchs. Some of the greatest the world has
today, I've had the privilege of going in and talk with them, interview.
I've been in lovely homes. But I never was more welcome and felt any
more at home, than I did in that little Negro hut that morning.
When I went in there, wasn't a rug on the floor, a little old poster bed
set kinda that way, and they had a big sign up on the door there, said,
"God bless our home." I been in people's houses who call themselves
Christians, and pinups and dirty vulgar pictures was hanging on the
wall. I felt really at home.
E-67 Looked there on the bed, and there
laid a great big sturdy looking colored boy, I guess would weigh a
hundred and seventy pound. And he had the blanket in his hand going, [Brother Branham makes groaning sound--Ed.] I said, "What's the matter, brother?"
And she said, "Parson, he hasn't spoke for two days." And he kept
saying, "It's dark in here. It's dark. I don't know where I'm going. [Brother Branham makes groaning sound--Ed.]"
And the old auntie come over to me; she said, "Parson, he thinks he's
out in the river somewhere, asea. And it's dark, and he's rowing a boat
and he can't see where he's going." And said, "He's been saying that for
two days."
And I said, "Oh, that's too bad." And I said, "Well, auntie," I said,
"my ministry, I've just left Dallas Texas; I pray for the sick." She
wasn't interested in that.
E-68 She said, "Just one thing I want to
say, parson. I want you to pray, and if God of heaven will just let me
hear my boy say, 'Mama, it's all right, I'm saved,' said, "I'll be ready
to let him go." Said, "But I've worked so hard and prayed so hard for
my boy," said, "I just hate to see him die like that and know he's going
out lost, backslidden the way he is." Said, "If I can just hear him
say, 'It's all right, mama; I'm ready to go.' Will you pray?"
I said, "All right, auntie." And we knelt down on the floor, and I seen
her with that, or I guess her son's shirt tied around her head, great
big old fat cheeks like that, and she--great big woman; she knelt down. I
thought... I said, "Auntie, you lead us in prayer." Oh, brother, if I'd
never knowed she was Pentecostal then, I'd have knowed it then. Talk
about praying, that old woman prayed a prayer that would just--you could
just feel your hair on the back of your neck stand up. She prayed
like... I tell you; she talked to Him like she talked to Him before. She
knowed Who she was talking to. When... Oh, such a prayer, she just
wrang my heart. And when she got done she reached over kissed him on the
head; she said, "God bless mama's baby."
E-69 I thought, "There it is, there it is." See? "God bless mama's baby," though he's brought disgrace upon the home. Great big burly looking fellow like that, no matter what he's done, he's still mama's baby; 'cause that mother love still moves on to him. I thought, "Yes, that's right." But the Bible said, "Can a mother forget her suckling babe?" Said, "She might do it. But I can't forget you. Your names are engraved on the palms of My hand." What a dif--what a great love, how God would ever forget us. Though our lamps are smoked up, He still loves us. Let's just trim our feeble lamp, my brother. Let's stand out. Let's--let's get ready to meet the Lord Jesus. Let's get cleaned up; let's get fixed up; let's get prayed up; let's get right.
E-70 There, she kissed him like that. He
said, "Oh, it's dark, mama. Oh, it's dark," pulling that cover back and
forth. And I took a hold of his feet. His feet was cold and sticky, and
I said--just like if he was dying. And I said, "Can you hear me,
brother?"
He said, "Oh, mama, it's dark," he said. And I tried to talk to him; he
didn't know, shaking his head like that, and stuff coming out of his
mouth. And he said, "Oh, mama, it's dark, it's dark; I don't know where
my boat's a going," like that.
And she started crying, wiping them big old cheeks, like that. And--and she said, "You see what I mean, parson?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am."
She said, "Will you pray next, parson?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am." And I knelt down, I said, "You kneel with me." And
I put my hands up on his feet; I said, "Heavenly Father, it's after
nine o'clock now; my plane's been gone a long time." I said, "I--I pray
You to be merciful. I don't know why You led me over here; surely this
is the place. This is where--'cause I wouldn't have come this way if You
hadn't have led me, and this woman standing here. You never lead us in
vain; You always show us what You--what You're doing. So I pray, Father,
if--if this is Your will, that You'll let the boy--grant the woman the
request and may she--may he be saved. And I pray that You'll heal his
body." And while I was yet praying, he said, "Mama, oh, mama, it's
getting light in the room." O God. "It's getting light in the room." You
know, in a few minutes he was setting up on the side of the bed talking
to us. Put that big black arm around me, like that...
I said, "I must go." I started down the street, and I caught a cab, run
down real quick and got my suitcase, I said, "Well, I'll go out and
catch the plane sometime tonight. It was all right after the war there,
and it's awful bad when--to get a plane out. And just as I drove in,
they said, "Last call for flight number 172." Oh, that plane stayed on
the ground all that time. I got the same plane. See, God makes
everything work right, doesn't He? About a year later I was going to...
E-71 [Speaking in tongues and interpretation--Ed.]
God, O Father, how we thank You for this warning to us. Lord, I know
it's not in vain. O God, let the people see we're only trying to get
them to trim their lamps to get ready. The hour's approaching, Lord,
when all these signs, the sleeping virgin now hunting for oil, all these
things... To hear Your Spirit come down and vindicate the message that
it's true, God, I pray that You'll bless the people. Let them be warned
of God tonight, and have no rest until they have trimmed their lamps
and--and got ready to meet the Bridegroom. Grant it, Father. Amen.
How beautiful. Did you notice that man? Did you notice how them...
You--you Pentecostal people, letting discernment puzzle you? Look how
much greater this is than that. See? How that--that... See, the very
sound of the voice that man was giving. See the interpretation come in
the same (See?), same way, just about the same length, same amount of
paragraphs and everything. It's the Holy Spirit. I'm telling you the
truth. It's true. Oh, sinner friend, seek the Lord now. Call upon Him
while He--while He may be heard. Hear Him, hear Him is my prayer.
E-72 I want to tell you what happened. A
year later I was going through on the train, coming to Phoenix. If you
was ever in Memphis, coming from the east, you pull up like this. I got
off of the train and started walking down through there. The train, they
give you about--they charge you fifty cents for a little bitty sandwich
and it real thin. And I waited till I got to a place where I could get
off and get me some hamburgers, and I get a sack of them and get back on
the train (See?), and I--I could--could exist on that. So then, I
got... I couldn't have... Don't believe in taking the saints money and
spending it stuff like that.
So then, I--I got the--got me some hamburgers, and I was going down
there--running down this way towards where the stand was. I heard
somebody say, "Hello there, Parson Branham." I looked around, a little
red cap.
And I said, "Hello there."
He said, "Wait a minute." He come over there, said, How's you?"
And I said, "I--I'm all right." I said, "I don't believe I know you."
He said, "Oh, yes, you do."
And I said, "I--maybe you just skipped my mind."
Said, "You remember coming down the street one morning and come to a
house where a boy was laying dying with a venereal disease?"
I said, "Your not..."
Said, "Yes, sir, I's him. He said, "I'm not only healed, but I's saved now, Parson Branham."
E-73 Oh, the half has never yet been told. What more can the kind, gracious, precious, heavenly Father do to--to warn us, and to get us right? What more can He do? Do you love Him? Do you love Him with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your mind? How many sinners is in here now as we bow our heads just a moment. Raise up your hand and say, "God, put fire in my lamp tonight, Lord. Light my little candle and let me burn for Christ till I die." Say, "I now take my way with the Lord's despised few." Let me see your hand. Sinner friend, would you raise your hand and accept Christ as your Saviour? Would you just raise your hand, balcony or bottom floor? We've combed through and through each night. There perhaps was another one or two in here tonight, raise up your hand, will you do it? Anywhere, sinner? Say, "I--I want to receive the Holy Ghost." Now, remember, you'll either have the Holy Ghost or take the mark of the beast. There's just two classes. We'll get to it tomorrow night. I just kinda throwed it out and made a big foundation to cap it off on tomorrow night.
E-74 You raise your hand, say, "I want
it, Brother Branham." God bless you, young man; the Lord bless you;
that's very good. God give you the desire of your heart, son. Someone
else, would just raise up, say, "I want to accept Christ." God bless
you, lady. That's very fine, a very gallant thing. Someone else raise
up, say, "I'll accept Christ; I'll receive it." In the balcony? Way back
in the corner, yes. I, sir, see your hand up there, my dear friend.
Now, someone else say, "Let me..." Let's see now, someone else say, I'll
accept Christ as my Saviour. I'll raise my hand to Him and say, I..."
Now, remember, when you raise up your hand, and you mean it, that
settles it. It's done forever. God takes you right at your word. You
just mean it and raise up your hand; see what happens. All right,
another one up in the balcony, God bless you. Yes, that's good. Just
raise up your hand; just see what a feeling comes over you. If you're a
sinner raise up your hand. Yes, the lady, young lady setting here in
front, God bless you, sister dear. Another one? I'll be waiting. Christ
is. God bless you up there. Another one? God bless you back there, young
fellow. God be with you, sonny boy. So God will certainly do that. "I
want to accept Christ as my Saviour." God bless you, back in the back.
Another one? "I will accept Christ as my Saviour. I now, upon this spot,
where I'm setting, I'm convinced that I need Christ. I know that I've
always believed that there come a time of separation, that God would
separate the true church." He will; He will take it home. He's getting
it ready right now. Will you come join up with Jesus Christ by giving
your heart to Him? Just continue on in the church wherever you are, just
continue on, but give your heart to Him. Raise...
E-75 Now, the denominations, they're--one is just about like the others. It's--wherever it is, wherever you got your fellowship, a group of people that you love, that's all right. If you belong to Foursquare, don't change to the Assemblies. If you belong to the Assemblies, don't change to Foursquare, just stay where you are and love the Lord anywhere you're at. You're--you're baptized into the body of Christ. So whatever organization you belong to, it don't save you, or have nothing to do with it, just a place where people come. And real true brothers know that; we all know that. We know that. Certainly, we do.
E-76 Will another one raise their hand before we have prayer? God bless you, honey. Would be another one, raise your hand, say, "I--I upon the basis of the shed Blood, what Jesus did for me... And Brother Branham, what I've heard you say tonight, I don't believe that you'd tell us anything wrong. I certainly believe that you're God's servant. And upon the message that your faith cometh by hearing, hearing the Word of God..." We get into that so sweetly tomorrow night, on finishing up the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the mark of the beast. Will you raise your hand, say, "Upon the basis of the shed Blood of Christ, I raise my hand to Him saying, 'I want you to be my Saviour right now.'" Is there any more before we pray? God bless you, young lady, back there. That's very fine. God be with you, my sister. Would there be another? God bless you, my sister, setting right here. That's very fine. Would there be another? Way back in the back, God bless you, my brother. That just makes the difference between death and life.
E-77 Now, what--you that raised your hands, what if tonight was your last night on earth? And if sometime between now and daylight, you'd happen to wake up in your sleep and your heart stopping. Your--your veins are cooling off, your hand's getting cold. You're pressing a--a pillow as you're dying. The doctor walks away from the door and says, "No, it's a heart attack. They're gone." See? Nothing... You hear him say that. Won't it be wonderful when you know that you raised your hand. Oh, how sweet. How glad you'll be. What if you have a wreck going home. And you're laying on the side of the road bleeding, hearing the ambulance coming, but know it's coming too late. And you know that you raised your hand to Christ. You say, "Let it be, I have to go some time anyhow. So I'm ready now, and now's the time to go." Just raise your hand. Make that all one decision right now, will you, my brother, my sister? Raise up your hand.
E-78 You say, "Brother Branham, why do
you plead with people like that? This is not your tabernacle; this is
not your church." I know. Brother Buntane, my brother's the pastor here.
The Assemblies of God, this church belongs to, which, this building
here... And the Assemblies of God is one of my greatest supporters in
Pentecostal realms around the world. That's not... But still... All
that, as much as I love them, that's not the reason. I love you. I love
you as an individual. I don't want you to be lost.
I had a vision. I hope I have time to tell it to you, what happened a
few nights ago. I seen glory, and seen people, and seen a woman run up
and put her arm around me up there. I've been a little rough on women
anyhow, and I seen that woman, the most beautiful thing I ever seen. And
she called me her darling brother. And I said, "Why'd she do that?"
Said, "She was passing ninety when you led her to Christ."
I said, "Oh, God, if I can only go back, I'll persuade, I'll beg, I'll plead, I'll do everything."
E-79 Won't you raise your hand and say,
"I accept Christ as my Saviour." Surely, if God lets me do what I do do
for Him, I surely know--have some conception of how--how to receive Him.
Would there be a lukewarm church member here? Now, everybody with your
head bowed. A lukewarm church member, just, you've professed you knowed
Christ, but really down in your heart you haven't, but you want to know
Him; raise your hand, a church member. God bless you, sir. Some other?
God bless you, brother. God bless you.
Someone else, just a church member, say, "I want to know Christ. I--I
belong to church, and I--I can say nothing evil against that. I'd sure
rather you be on--belong to the church than out on the street without
anything." You go on to church, but I want you please come and receive
the Seal of God. 'Cause, if you haven't got it, well the Bible says
there's only two classes. Wait till tomorrow night and you'll see. Two
classes, one will have the mark of the beast, the other one have the
Seal of God. Just like Cain and Seth in the garden of Eden, comes to
that thing. Will you--will you raise your hand? One more now, 'fore we
pray. God bless you, lady.
E-80 Our heavenly Father, I have seen
many hands go up tonight. Most of them are sinners and they want
forgiveness of sin. Two raised their hands, that they were just church
members, and yet didn't know You, and wasn't sealed into the Kingdom.
Father, I--I bring these Scriptures and hold them before You. You said
in Your Word, "He that heareth My Word (And Lord, with the best of my
knowledge, I've preached it.) and believeth on Him that sent Me has
Eternal Life." Now, You said that, Father. That's exactly what You said.
And I'm bringing it right back to Your memory. These people has heard
that Word, and has believed on Him that sent You. Now, You said, "They
have now (present tense, hath, present tense) Eternal Life, and shall
not come into the judgment; but has passed from death unto Life." When
did they do it? When they raised their hands, said they believed. Now,
Lord, You said it and I'm claiming those souls.
Satan, you can't hold them no more. They're God's children right now.
I'm bringing that before you. You have to take your hand off their life;
they belong to God now. I claim them for Him. I claim them as trophies
of--of Christ's love at Calvary. I--I challenge you in a debate; you
don't have any legal power. You have no power over them; you didn't have
it in the first place, you was only bluffing them. You was only
bluffing. Christ stripped you of everything you had at Calvary; He
stripped every power that you ever had; and you're nothing but a bluff;
and we've called your bluff. These are children of God now.
E-81 And Father, You said, "He that will come to Me, I will in no wise cast out." You promised it. And I know it's true. You said You'd give them Eternal Life and raise them up at the last day. Then they're just as sure to come in the resurrection as they're setting in this building tonight. Now, Father, I ask just one more thing: Will You fill them with the Holy Ghost. Grant that, Lord. Oh, fill them with the Holy Ghost. Don't let--don't let their soul ease, Lord. May all night long their pillows be hard. May they feel like rocks, their bed, until they're out there on their knees, saying, "God, fill me with the Holy Ghost." May they get the Bible, read it. And may You come to them and interpret the Word to them. And may they have no ease now. They're Your children and the hour is getting late. I pray that they will find that peace that passes all understanding by Jesus Christ.
E-82 These church members that raised their hand, Father, I thank You for them. They--they--they have professed and went into a church, but they realize just being a church member, they would be marked in the wrong kind of a woman. We'll get that tomorrow night, if You're willing, Father, show them that how they're marked off on a false bride. The true Bride has the oil in their lamp. I pray Father, that You'll give them oil in their lamp tonight. May those church members become filled with the Holy Ghost tonight. Grant it, Lord. I pray this, not to be evil, but to be their brother, to know that to miss heaven is miss all. What's this little span of life be to what eternity is? It just melts out into a--a never ending, because it never did begin. And Father, I pray that You'll pull them up at the last days into that eternal realms of glory with You. Grant it; they are Yours. I pray and give them to You in Christ's Name.
E-83 Now, with our heads bowed, I'm
going to ask everyone that raised their hand, just to stand on their
feet. I'm not going to ask you to come up here; we don't have any room.
But all that raised your hands, you're sincere with God, just stand up
to your feet, just a moment. Every person that raised their hand, stand
to your feet. Everywhere, in the balconies, everywhere, just stand up.
Jesus said, "He that will confess Me before men, him I will confess
before My Father and the holy Angels."
I want you church members, and you Christians, especially, to look
around, see who they are. I want you take hold of their hand, and shake
their hand, stand there, say, "God bless you. Welcome into the Kingdom
of God, pilgrim." That's it; turn right around to somebody, shake hands
with them, saying, "Welcome into the Kingdom of God." That's very fine.
That's very fine. That's good. God bless you. The Lord be with you.
That's so fine. Good. God bless you. Now, you may be seated. That's
very, very fine.
E-84 Now, I'm going to ask you to do
something now. Be sure to find some pastor; if you've never been
baptized in Christian baptism, find some pastor, the church of your
choice, and be baptized into water, into the fellowship of that church.
And then when you do that, then you seek the baptism of the Holy Ghost
until you're filled with the Holy Ghost, and...
I will meet you in the morning,
By the bright river side,
When all sorrows have drifted away;
I'll be standing at the portal,
When the gates open wide,
At the close of life's long, weary day.
I will meet you in the morning
With a "How do you do,"
And we will set down by the river
And with rapture old acquaintance renew,
You will know me in the morning,
By the smile that I wear,
I will meet you in the morning,
In the city, city built foursquare.
E-85 Father God, they are Yours now, sealed into the Kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit dealing with them. Now, I pray that they'll--I'll meet them in the morning on that bright shiny shore yonder, when all sorrows have drifted away. Won't it be wonderful, Father? Joy bells ringing, all the hearts light singing, it'll be a glorious time. They're Yours. Now, I pray that You'll keep them by Thy grace until we meet at that river that morning. Amen.
E-86 Now, don't you feel good? Don't it
just make you feel real good? Say, "Brother Branham..." The young
converts now just come into the Kingdom, I'm going to ask the Father if
He will do something. I have a right to ask Him now. Sinners came. I
believe we find favor with Him, don't you?
How many sick out there, raise up your hands, just sick and needy. All
right. I'm going to turn my back to show you that we're in the last
days. How many remembers our lessons, how the Angel of the Lord... God
came down and dwelt in human flesh, and eat meat, just an ordinary human
being, talking like it. And yet God was in human flesh just before
Sodom burnt. And Jesus said it would be the same kind of a sign would
take place at the coming of the Son of man. We believe that? How we've
went through the lessons to show what He did.
E-87 Now, there's not a person here that
I know. I believe I was hunting a few weeks ago with this young man
setting right here. Aren't you some relation to my good friend...
Aren't... You're Brother Norman's brother-in-law; I believe that's
right, isn't it? All right. That's the only person, and Brother and
Sister Smith setting here, Brother Gene, and that's all I know of. I'm
going to turn and--yes, Sister Upshaw, bless your heart, Sister Upshaw.
Oh, how I love Brother Willy Upshaw. Your meeting that night, Brother
Kopp, when I looked there and seen, I was trying to talk, and seen him
where he fell off of that wagon, hurt his back, and seen they couldn't
do nothing for him. Never heard of him in my life. And there he was,
Willy D. Upshaw. I said, "How..." Ern come to him. Said, "What about
that man?"
I said, "He's run for president one time and would've had the election,
if it hadn't been his stand against whiskey and the wrong things. The
Democratic party would elected him. But he--he took his stand." And I
said, "All these years, sixty-six years, you been on these crutches and
wheelchair. But God takes him off of it now." And how sweet. When I get
upon the other side I'll see a young handsome looking man coming down
and say, "You remember me, Brother Branham? I'm Brother Upshaw." See his
little sweetheart there, all of them together. I remember how you cried
that night, Sister Upshaw, when you seen him rise up, run to the
platform and touched his toes with his hands at about eighty years old.
My, how God can do great things.
E-88 All right. The Angel of the Lord set with His back turned. Now, now, I hope you all get this. I am not the Angel of the Lord; I'm William Branham. See? I'm your brother. But He was dwelling in human flesh then that He created Himself and just disappeared. Do you believe that? Now, do you believe that was God? The Bible said it was God. Abraham said it was. What was it? A sign that in the last days... Now, remember, when He come in the days of the Lord Jesus, He--God dwelt in Jesus, don't you believe that? That was a virgin born body, a Seed that come from God Himself. And in that Blood cell, when it was broke at Calvary for our sins, then it sanctified the church, that the Holy Spirit could dwell in the church and continue the works of God on down. "Ye are My witnesses, after you've received power." That's right.
E-89 Now, if this, if I've told the
truth, then let the Holy Spirit speak to you tonight. I'll turn my back;
you pray. See if it's the same Holy Spirit. Now, He has to work with
you the same as He works with me. Some of you brethren out here pray for
those out there in the audience, ministers and so forth. We'll have the
time, ministers. The heavenly Father knows that I do this for no other
purpose, but that the--the word that I preach might be made manifest to
the church in this day, that the Pentecostal church has gotten away from
God. It must come back. It's the Laodicean age.
And, God, if I've said anything against anyone to harm, that wasn't You
telling me, You forgive me, Lord, but I did it just the way You gave it
to me. So I pray, Father, that You'll vindicate. I spoke of You; now
speak that I told truth, Lord. I commit it to You in the Name of the
Lord Jesus.
There's several hundred people setting there, many of them sick. I don't
know a one of them, You do. I pray that You'll make Your Word
fulfilled. When You came here on earth, You said that You did it that it
might be fulfilled, which was spoke of the prophet Isaiah, what the
Messiah would do. Now, Father, may it be fulfilled again, for You
promised it. That's the reason You permit it, in Christ's Name. Amen.
E-90 Now, there's many praying. If I
can... If somebody, like the little woman, can touch His garment... Yes,
right before me now is coming a vision, and it happens to be it is a
woman; she's setting--way I'm standing now it would be to my right, this
way. She's suffering with a gall bladder trouble. She has heart trouble
also. With my back turned, if I call her name, maybe she'd understand.
Mrs. Hanson, stand up and receive your healing.
Now, I've never looked around yet. Now, do you believe? Just have faith.
Where was the lady at? She's back this way somewhere. Right there? Was
those things true, lady? Are we strange to one another? If it is, wave
your hand like this. Was all true, was it? Then the same Angel of God
that was setting there at Sodom and Gomorrah to give a sign to Abraham
that the hour was drawing close for the burning of Sodom, is here
tonight. Just a gift to let myself relax...
E-91 I see Him on someone else. I hope... Now, don't let me stay too long. Just watching a vision, a woman setting here praying. She's got diabetes. Miss Finch, do you believe that God will make you well? If you do, stand up, raise up your hand. I do not know you, is that right? If that's right, wave your hand. Is that what's wrong with you? What? All right. You touched Something, didn't you? What... You didn't touch me, did you? You touched--you touched God that's... God bless you.
E-92 What do you think young man, rubbing your nose? You're in need of God too. You believe? God will describe to me what's your trouble. You don't have a prayer card, I guess... No, there's no... That's right. There's no prayer card. You--you believe me to be His prophet, or His servant, I mean to say. Excuse me for saying that; I'm not a prophet; I'm just His servant. Bothered with nervousness, just so nervous you can't hold yourself still. Isn't that right? If that's right raise up your hand. Do you believe what I'd say would come to pass? You believe it? Will you obey me as His prophet? Then I take that nervousness off of you in the Name of Jesus Christ. Don't never speak of it no more. Go and be made well. Did not our Lord say, "If you say to this mountain, 'Be moved...'" If thou canst believe...
E-93 Man setting right back there looking at me. He'd like to come up here; he wants me to lay hands on him. That's right. That hardening of the arteries would leave you if you'd just believe it right where you're setting. Will you do it? Setting right back there, kinda gray, with glasses on, setting right back there looking at me. If you'll believe with all your heart, don't doubt... You believe it?
E-94 Now, look, circled right from that man and he lost it. Rubbing your eyes and turned around and looked with the little... That's it. The lady setting right here, It's right over you with the heart trouble, setting there. Do you believe that God will make you well, right there? Yes. All right. You get the healing; it's yours. All right. God bless you.
E-95 Be alert; be ready to catch it at
any minute. Mighty sweet person, got a lot of faith, you're in a good
contact with God. I don't know you, but do you believe that God will
heal that heart trouble you got too? You got trouble with your leg too,
don't you have, your limb? Yes, you got a daughter that's unsaved,
you're praying for. That's right. You're not from here; you're from
North Hollywood. You know who I'm talking about now? You want me to call
your name? Miss Beard, stand up on your feet and accept it in the Name
of Jesus Christ.
You believe? Now, what is it, friends? Is those things true, lady? If it
is, wave your hand. See, it's right. See? Now, do you believe? I never
seen the woman in my life. Now, see, the whole building... Now,
they--they touched me (See?); I know it's just enough now. They watch
me, you know, when I have enough.
E-96 Now, let me tell you, my friend;
I've told you the truth. God's vindicated that I've told you the truth.
The very anointing of God that's preaching this same Word and saying
these things, is the very anointing Who declares that God is here doing
the same thing. Do you believe with all your heart? How many of you want
to receive the Holy Ghost, raise up your hand, say, "I'd like to
receive the Holy Ghost." The pastor tells me there's a room right down
there just waiting for somebody to come down to be--go in to be prayed
for. Why don't you receive it? Go down there and--and receive the Holy
Ghost. Let's all stand on our feet at one time. Let's raise up our hands
and give God praise, everybody in your own way. Don't... Just believe
it.
Heavenly Father, I give praise and glory unto You for all the mighty
works, all the things that You have done. You're the infallible God.
You're the One that's the same yesterday, today, and forever, You never
fail.
Now, put your hands over on one another. Lay your hands on one another
to be healed and receive the Holy Ghost. Now, pray for that person. Pray
for one another. Up in the balcony, up there, put your hands on one
another; pray for one another, that you might receive the Holy Ghost. If
you'll not doubt, God will give everyone of you the baptism of the Holy
Ghost and will heal everyone.