Possessing All Things

Date: 62-0506 | Duration: 1 hour and 35 minutes
pdf mp3
Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.A.
Sermon translation in Russian: 62-0506 - VGR, 62-0506 * - Донецк
Sermon translation in French: 62-0506 - Shp
E-1 I'm just so grateful to be here. I appreciate your prayers when you heard the little accident I had. It just goes to show that Satan cannot take you until God is ready. And I guess many of you wonder how it… what happened. I'd always been favored… As you know I… my hobby, or what I relax by, is either to go fishing or go down at the range and shoot, or go hunting, or something like that. I'm glad of that. If I'd have played golf, it'd been out there where women half naked. And if I'd been—and if I'd been a ball player, you know what it would been, that. But I'm—I'm glad it was outdoors, such as fishing, hunting and things.
E-2 And I always cherished one of those Weatherby Magnum rifles. And I guess someone would have bought it for me if I'd have said something about it, but I kept it to myself because it's too much money they want for them to put in there, and me knowing missionaries without shoes on their feet. And then let someone pay for that, take that much money and pay for a rifle? Brother Art Wilson give Billy back there a model seventy Winchester not long ago, a .257 Roberts. Mr. Weatherby put out a paper that he could take that gun for just a little change in there and make a Weatherby Magnum out of it, just perfectly safe. So Brother Rodney comes here to church, Brother Rodney Armstrong sent it away and had it converted into a Weatherby Magnum. It just happened not to be converted right. So when I fired it, is the Weath-… The Winchester Company says that their gun will stand sixty-nine hundred pounds of pressure. You know what that would be.
E-3 And I just had the gun up, Brother Wood went down there with me, and it was just about an inch from my eye, like that. And the pressure that blowed sixty-nine hundred pounds for fifty yards, the gun barrel went out towards the fifty-yard line, the bolt went back this way, and the gun just disintegrated in my hand. Just a blaze of fire about as high as the ceiling there, and that was about all I knew for a second or two. And, I come to, blood was spurting way out like this, and I thought I had been killed, so I kind of caught my hand up like that for a moment. And Brother Wood… I tried to look, and I couldn't see out of this eye, and couldn't hear at all. I felt like I was walking up in the air. And I seen Brother Wood going out towards the target to see where the bullet hit, and I tried to attract his attention. Then he got there and we come on up. And the ring of shrapnel had went right around the eye. And my face looked like he just throwed hamburger in it, where it just blowed up my face. And a big heavy pieces stuck just above the eye, and made a circle right around the sinus bone and the skull bone here. Doctor Adair picked them out.
E-4 A few days later, course, the next day, Doc was in the hospital himself. They sent me over to a specialist about the eye. He found a ring, just below the sight, of about thirty pieces of shrapnel went plumb in deep into the eyeball. It cannot be picked out. Went, just missed the sight and made a ring around like this. He said, "The only thing that I know," he wrote Doctor Adair a letter, said, "the good Lord must have been sitting on the bench with him, to protect His servant, or he wouldn't even have a head left on." All Brother Wood would have found would just been from here down, see. That pressure that blowed back! I don't know how it did it. But that big heavy bolt out of a model seventy rifle had blowed all the way back, if you know where the Conservation Club is, all the way back to the deer pen. And part of the gun we never did find.
E-5 So, it just goes to show something. I have a sermon one day on that, the Lord willing, on "A conversion is all right, but you better keep it low. If it isn't predestinated to the load that it takes, it'll blow up every time." That's right. So don't try to… It better be the original. Not mocking from some… [A sister speaks from the congregation—Ed.] Now look, see. It's… Oh, course, you could imagine that things would be said like that.
E-6 But, as far as I know, there—there isn't one thing… Course, my ears, you can imagine, it still has a ringing when this microphone rebounding. That's the reason I wasn't here this morning. You talk, you hear it blast back and forth. But they taken me over to a specialist, said, "The eardrum isn't even swollen. And then the eye," said, "you'll be just the same sight you ever had." Said—said, "It went in below the sight. It just made a ring around the eyeball, embedded itself." Said, "You'll always have shrapnel."
E-7 I said, "I've had it since I was two years old, that's from another one."
E-8 Brother Roberson back there, I called him up and was telling him about it. Said, "Don't mind that," said, "I got two or three pound in me," he said. He's a veteran from the war. "So it won't hurt, I've had plenty of it."
E-9 And I remember the vision of the Lord not long ago. Do you remember me telling it here? The sweetness of the Lord that morning, said, "Do not fear whatever, wherever to go, or what, for the never-failing Presence of Jesus Christ is with you wherever you go." So he can't, Satan can't kill me until God says "it's finished." See? He might try it, but he'll never succeed in doing it.
E-10 So then, the strange thing, I was going on anyhow, going on to my meeting, which I could see out of this left eye all right, and I was going on to the meeting anyhow. And then they, the brother that was going in the Indian reservation, had to cancel that meeting, or postponement, until I come back to West Coast and go up on the West Coast. So we're going to take the meeting there. And during this time, Brother Arganbright has got a hold of me, and then when that meeting is over, I go too up to Anchorage, Alaska. Reason I was depending so much…
E-11 Many of you remember the vision that I had, where I had shot the grizzly bear, nine-foot grizzly bear, (and church remembers me telling it here), and the caribou. I had another. Remember it's on tape here, I seen a great huge brown bear. That might be a Kodiak and it wouldn't have worked down there in Canada, 'cause they're not there, you see. But wherever it will be, it'll be. It will be, that's THUS SAITH THE LORD. It will be. See?
E-12 And now I thank you for praying for me. I knew many of you'd be praying when you heard that I had gotten hurt. And one little group that just… My daughter back there, Rebekah, wrote Sister Dauch that comes here at the church, a letter, and told her about it. And she called up Meda a couple nights after that, said, "I don't know whether it helped or not, but all of us group up here got together." The Methodist minister and—and Brother Brown, their relative and all of them got together, prayed all night for me. Said, "I don't know whether God heard or not, but, we knowed that Brother Branham prayed for so many, we thought we'd pray for him." That's the kind He does hear, see. Yes, sir, those kind like that!
E-13 Brother Crase, one of our brethren here, Satan after him just recently, hit a culvert, oh, it just cut his… completely. I don't see how he ever got out of it alive. And so he was laying out there in the hospital and said there was a little brother come in from New Albany, named Medcalf, and he said, "Brother Crase, I—I'm—I'm not worthy to come pray for you, but" said "the Lord just put it on my heart, so I couldn't help it." And just come out and knelt down, and said a little prayer and went out. God healed Brother Crase right there. See? When, see, it's the gift of healing in the Body of Christ, you see, one member to another.
E-14 Don't think because you're just a lay member; that, you're just as much member as anybody else. That's just as much my finger as this arm is my arm, or this ear is my ear. See? It's just a member of the body. And we all… If one member suffers, all members suffers with that. A unity, how a blessed unity! Now I…
E-15 Then after that, now, I have taken some more meetings and I left a little time there for a night again with the tabernacle, if the Lord willing. And, if God willing, this next coming Sunday morning I want to speak on The Prophet's Trail, and then, at the tabernacle.
E-16 Tomorrow night, or Sunday night, I'm up here at the Gospel Tabernacle, one of our brothers, Brother Ruddell. I want to speak on the subject, Letting Off The Steam, if the Lord willing.
E-17 And then the following Tuesday, we have to leave then for Wisconsin, with the Full Gospel Business Men's regional convention. I'll be there for three nights. That's at the… Billy, what's the name of that city? Received… [Brother Billy Paul Branham says, "Green Lake."—Ed.] Green Lake, Wisconsin. ["Thursday."] When? ["Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; the seventeenth to nineteenth."] Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth, at Green Lake, Wisconsin, the regional convention.
E-18 And then on Sunday, of the twentieth, I'm in Chicago at the High School auditorium, that same auditorium that we was in the last time. You remember what that name is? [Brother Billy Paul says, "Stephen Mather."—Ed.] Stephen Mather High School auditorium, for Sunday afternoon.
E-19 Then on Monday I'm over at the… I forget the name of the place where the Lord showed me the convention that time about the Ministerial Association of Chicago, meeting with me to discuss the subjects, you know. I said, "And the Lord showed me over at that place." It's a farewell meeting on Brother Joseph Boze, which is to be here tomorrow by plane to see me, and a farewell party on him on Monday.
E-20 Then we come right straight home and leave then, for it'll be time then to leave for Southern Pines, South Carolina, or North Carolina. And then down to Columbus, South Carolina. And then to the Cow Palace on the West Coast. And then up through to Grass City, and on up into the Spokane, on into Canada, and then in Alaska. So be in prayer for us, we really need your prayers.
E-21 And we're taught in the Scripture that all things work together for good to them that love God. And I believe, since this, and seeing the loyalty of the people and so forth… Someone said, "How would it happen, and what would God let it?" I could have got killed on the road going out there, something or another, He—He had something to bypass it. Remember, the Scriptures cannot fail, "All things work together for good to them that love God." And, if I know my heart, I love Him. I—I love Him with all my heart. And it brings us a little closer together.
E-22 And, to think now, that everyone that's heard of it, can't understand how I've even got a head or a shoulders left, you see, and sitting in all that blast. That, this close to me, which would probably be nearly two thousand pounds of blast right in your face. See, that's enough to just disintegrate you, see, just sweep it out. If it burst that heavy steel gun and blow that barrel plumb out towards the fifty yard line, and—and the stock, you should just see the gun. It just don't look like a gun, it's just pieces picked up.
E-23 And then, out of that, without one defect. Praise be to the living God! Just enough to keep me from going up there till the word from Eddie come that I wasn't supposed to come at that time. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!" And it makes us to know that, to appreciate God being with us. God is with us, and how thankful we are!
E-24 Now, I told this morning I thought I'd come down, then precious brother here when I got back… I said to Sister Wood today, I guess Brother Neville… Billy called me and said, "Listen at the message if you can." And I believe a little piece of that metal had worked out and got down in below my eye there, it was really giving me a bad way to go, but it's out now. They got it washed out. And so then he said… Tonight I thought I'd go down, and that precious brother probably preaching like that, I know what it is when you have one big service then you're real hoarse, you know, and—and throat burning and hurting. So I thought I'll go down, and I picked out a couple Scriptures to read. I thought, "Communion night."
I always want to take communion.
E-25 Then I had a couple of friends, they're here somewhere. I don't see too well, as you understand. It's still got belladonna in that eye which is dilated, just kind of a blur. And so they're here, friends and relatives of my precious good brother, F. F. Bosworth, in Glory. So the Lord bless those people, we just had prayer for them in the back room.
E-26 Now, don't forget, Wednesday night is our midweek prayer meeting. And I think, Brother Jackson, his is Thursday night. And Brother Junior up here is on… Or, Brother Ruddell is on Wednesday night. And the tabernacle in Utica is on Wednesday. [Brother Neville says, "That's on Thursday night."—Ed.] On Thursday night. And then back here Sunday morning for a congregational service.
E-27 And then now, and Sunday night I have to get with Brother Ruddell. I was going to make it on a Wednesday night, but the following week, but I can't do that, so I had to put it on Sunday night. But now the people here at the tabernacle, stay right here at the tabernacle, see, 'cause I'm going up to Brother Ruddell's for that night just to speak, not for healing service. And, but remember, stay right at the post of duty, right here at the tabernacle. This is your place, see. And so we're going to expect a good time. And then you all pray for us as we go along.
E-28 Trusting that God will meet with us tonight now just before the communion. And now I think… Is that all we have, announcements, that we know of? [Brother Neville says, "Yes."—Ed.] Now, laying the path… ["Funeral, tomorrow afternoon."] What, brother? ["Funeral, tomorrow afternoon, at two o'clock."] A funeral. ["At Edmonton. J.T.'s mother."] Oh, yes. The funeral of… one of our brother evangelists from this tabernacle here is just… Well, he's one of us here. He goes out and pastors and preaches, a Brother J. T. Parnell. His precious little mother died the other night, a little, stooped, gray mother. And it'll be at Edmonton, Kentucky. The funeral service is tomorrow. I know many of you wondered, could get flowers to her, but we couldn't. And the only way the church get a wreath there, they had to phone it in and then let the mailman take it out. And it'd have to go out tomorrow, whether it gets there or not, the flowers, so makes it difficult. But we sure want to share the sympathy, brother, with our Brother Parnell losing his mother, which, I've done the same just recently. And I'm sure that Sister Spencer and many others here who is sharing sympathy, too, who's just recently walked through the shadows and sorrows.
E-29 Now let us bow our heads just a moment, in His Presence, for prayer. Now I want you to pray for me. And it's kind of difficult here tonight, trying to see, and this light blurring. And—and my eye is all right, but they put some belladonna in it to dilate it. You know what it is. And it's been that way about six days now, see, and he said it might last for another week or ten days. So you pray for me. And then the rebound from this microphone against the walls, you pray for me. And could I see your hand, and God, as you've got a request just raise up your hand. God, answer prayer, as we solemnly assemble and bow now.
E-30 Our Heavenly Father, Thou hast chosen that we should gather together. It's the will of God that we should assemble ourselves together as we see the Day approaching, and that regularly, Lord, to bring ourselves closer to You and closer to each other, in a bond of fellowship, through the shed Blood of Jesus which makes it possible.
E-31 We're so grateful tonight, Lord. I—I—I never was so grateful to—to be here, Lord. I, I'm just so thankful to You. I just cannot find the words to express how thankful to have eyesight and hearing, and to be among the living here on earth, to continue the Gospel. It makes us so appreciative, Lord, when we see how close that only… When man of great understanding just scratch their head and say, "How could it ever be? Only the hand of God!" Then I bow my head in humility, Lord, to see that the miracle was granted to me, that it be performed around where Your servant stood. I'm so grateful. And now, Father, I rededicate my life in service to You again, after walking down there. Never can be in life any closer to death than then, and then live. So I thankful.
E-32 And now I pray for all these people who raised up their hands tonight, each one of them had a request. And many of them has thanksgiving, nearly all, Lord, in their hearts, for what You've done for them also.
E-33 Now we've come tonight to assemble on a very special occasion, that is, to take what we call the "communion," or, the "Lord's Supper." Commune is "to talk with, or converse with." And that's what we are doing now, Lord, conversing with our Lord, communing, talking, waiting upon Him for His answer.
E-34 And now, Father, we pray that You'll commune back to us tonight through the written Word. And give us something in our hearts, stabilize our—our—our journey, Lord, and give us new courage. And bless our pastor, Lord, our precious brother, Your servant, and his wife and family; and the deacons and trustees, and every person that comes to the church. O God, draw us closer to Thee. May there be, as the poet said, "Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. Our fellowship of kindred mind is like to that above." Grant it, Lord. Bless all other worshippers across the world. And now, Father, break the Bread of Life to us as we wait upon Thee. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Child, we ask it. Amen.
E-35 Now, many people like to mark down the words where a minister might read. And I have… This afternoon after I was out with Brother and Sister Wood… We had been down to see our Brother Gobel Roberson, and so we had, in his exhibition room. So we come back, and I thought… Sister Wood was telling me what a wonderful message that our pastor had this morning. And I just happened to think of the poor little guy, may have a sore throat, and I have too, but I—I thought we can share this together, maybe, if he asked me to speak. And I dropped down a few notes here that I would like to talk on.
E-36 First, let us turn to Second Corinthians 6:7 to 10. First Corinthians, the 6th chapter, 7th verse and the 10th, inclusive. And then Genesis 14:18 to 19. And draw from there, the Lord willing, a con-… or a context from the text. And now I will read from First… or from Second Corinthians, the first, Second Corinthians 6:7 to 10.
By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
By honour… dishonour, and by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
As unknown,… yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; and having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Genesis 14:18 and 19.
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high…
And he blessed Abraham, and said, Blessed be Abraham of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
E-37 And if I would call it a text, I would like to speak on the subject, the… Possessing All Things. As in Corinthians here, we… It said that we are—are poor, yet possess all things. Possessing All Things. Now, I like that. Now in Genesis we read of Abraham meeting this great Man called Melchisedec, Who was the Possessor of both Heaven and earth. Then, He was the Possessor of all things, Possessor of Heaven and of earth, that's, of all things.
E-38 Now, we know the story of Abraham and what had happened. He had been called to a—a place of duty. He had been called out of his land, the land of the Chaldeans, and the city of Ur, where he had been there with his father and his people. And that's down in the Shinar valleys, probably a rich fertile land. And Abraham, as we understand, wasn't any special person in the sight of the world. And otherwise, he wasn't a king, or a monarch, or a potentate. He was just a man. And he had married his half sister, which was Sarah, and probably married her when she was a young woman. And God had called him at the age of seventy-five, to a life of service, and it also included his helpmate.
E-39 And right here we could start. I believe that when God calls a man to service, if he's a married man and has a helpmate, He calls his wife with him, because they two are one. And so, wherever, we find later on that God possibly would have killed Sarah when she doubted the Angel's message, twenty-five years later, when they were sitting under the oak that day, but when she laughed when the Angel told her, or told Abraham that she was going to be mother, and Sarah laughed within herself and said, "How could I, old?" Ninety years old, and her husband a hundred years old. His… her womb been dried up for years, and his body as good as dead. Then how could she ever have pleasure with her husband again? And she laughed to herself.
E-40 And the Angel, with His back turned to the tent, said, "Why did Sarah laugh?"
E-41 And she denied it. Now, that's telling God to His face that He's "wrong." See? And that would have took her life, but God could not take Sarah, because she was a part of Abraham. See? And she was in the covenant with him, so she had to go with him. So He could not take Abraham… or take Sarah, without taking part of Abraham, for these two are one.
E-42 A beautiful type of us today, unworthy, worthy of death when we sin, but God cannot kill us, because He would… we are a part of Christ. See? That's our grace, because we are in union with Christ. Isn't that a beautiful thought, union with Christ? So therefore, our sins, when we do them, we ought to quickly confess them, that "they're wrong," because God would take our life. But the Blood answers in our place, and God just can't cross that Blood. See? He just can't do it, because it's a promise that He won't do it. So He can't break His Own promise. See? So God's got Himself, as it was, sewed up. See, He can't break His promise. And He promised It through that Blood, whosoever believed had Eternal Life, and He cannot break that promise.
E-43 So we find that Abraham, in obedience, left his home, left his land, and separated from everything, all his earthly position, possessions, to travel in a strange land, sojourning. A type of the Church. We're asked to forsake everything that's in this world, in order to follow Christ.
E-44 Now, we find Abraham following on, year after year. And he took some portion with him, which was his father, and he died right away. And then he took his nephew, which was Lot, and Lot separated himself from argument sake, and went down to live in Sodom, yet he was a part of Abraham. And God gave the land and all that was in the land, to Abraham, he heired all of it. God said, "Look east, west, north, and south, and all of it belongs to you and to your seed after you. All yours!"
E-45 Now, one day Abraham had it kind of rough, and Lot having it easy, wading in sin. How easy it is and how pleasing sin looks to be, and how innocent it looks to be. Now, if Lot says this, "As long as I believe! I believe in God, so why can't I go down here in Sodom, and—and it'll be all right. I'm a believer." But it wasn't all right.
E-46 See, God, when He called Abraham, He called him to separate himself from everything. And that's what we have to do. God calls us to a total separation from sin, "Come out from among it, be not partakers of it!" Shun it, the very appearance of evil. Separation, completely annihilated from it! Stay your distance away from it. Don't tread upon its grounds, no matter how—how it… nice it looks.
E-47 You people, you might think here now, here it is, "Brother Branham, I—I sometimes I'm tempted to steal, or sometimes I'm tempted to smoke." Or sometimes the women think, "I'm tempted to dress like the people of the world, you know, the immoral clothes and things. I'm tempted," the young ladies. Now, you think that's tempting, what about over here where you've got every little move to watch, you see, in a ministry. What a greater thing it is over here, and what they'd have to answer more for. Because, you have to answer for your own souls, but we have to answer for everybody we speak to. See? So Satan just constantly… Where you'd say, you: "Isn't that a pretty little dress? It's all wrong to wear, but isn't it beautiful? It'd fit me just right." Where it is to me… Now, that, you know that's wrong. But in a minister it's, "You should go to this meeting here, this is just it. They say it's so great, the congregation." And yet you've got to wait and hear God say "go," see. "Oh, would you go over here and see this person here? This is such-and-such." And you got to watch, be careful. See? Oh, it's so sly. And now we have to watch those things.
E-48 Now, Abraham had to watch, too. But he, instead of going down into Sodom with Lot, he separated himself and went up into the desert, took the way with the Lord's despised few. That should be our attitude. Take the way with God's people regardless whether it's hard or easy, go anyhow. Be ready to go at anytime, now, wherever He might call you.
E-49 Now, after this come up, then there—there come a king that went on a warpath with a little tribe of people up there, and swept down through the valley and took all the little groups, little kingdoms out, and took, come into Sodom and took the king of Sodom and Gomorrah, took Lot (Abraham's nephew), his wife, his daughters, his children, all of them, and all their possession, all they had, went right on out through, cleaning out the country as it went. Oh, what a horrible thing, the wages of sin is death! Lot realized, no doubt, walking along there and maybe with a—a rope or a chain around his neck, as a slave; his children, young girls to be ravished; and his wife, and everything, and probably die at anytime. He disobeyed one order, and maybe going into another kingdom somewhere to be a slave the rest of his days.
E-50 But Abraham, when he found out that Lot had been taken, that was part of Abraham's possession. And Abraham might have said this, "God, You told me that if I would obey You and walk in here, in this land, You would give this to me. It belongs to me. And Lot's part of this, and I'm going after him." So he garrisoned, or gathered together his servants, and put arm on them. And he took his servants, and took out until he pursued and found this king with all these other little kingdoms. Look what a great army they were then! But under the directing of God, the Chief General, he separated himself, and fell in upon them and slaughtered the kings, and brought back Lot and all the little kingdoms, brought them back to them, to their homeland again.
E-51 What a picture of Christ in Abraham there, coming after the enemy had captured everything, and Christ come and brought us back again.
E-52 Now we find in this great story that Abraham, on the road back, coming back after the victory was over, he met the Possessor of Heavens and earth, Melchisedec, which is the King of Jerusalem, King of Salem, which was Jerusalem, which is King of Peace, which is King of Righteousness. He had no father, He had no mother, He never did begin and He never will end, so that was nothing else but the Almighty. And He met him on the road home, from the slaughter of the king. He met the Possessor, the One Who owned all things met him on the road back. What a glorious thing! Now Abraham…
E-53 I like this. Abraham was heir to all, by the promise, so he could lay claim to everything that was in the land, and the land itself. Abraham had been given the promise. Now, we understand that Abraham was the poorest man in all the country, because he lived out in the desert, and lived in peace with God. And Lot, rich, lived in the city and become of the governor of the city; he set in the gate, he was a judge, and judged the city, and had all the riches and things. But Abraham was in the desert, and the… perhaps the poorest man in the land, and yet a claim to possess all. Amen! That's what I like.
E-54 Oh, tonight, we may not be rich in this world's goods, but we possess all things. The Church, Itself, possesses all things. Yet poor, yet rich and possess all things. I like that. He… We—we are. The old song we used to sing years ago, "My Father is rich with houses and lands, He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hand! Rubies and diamonds, and silver and gold, His coffers are full, He has riches untold." And we are a possessor of it, because we are a child of the King. Amen. The child always falls heir, we know. All right.
E-55 Abraham could lay hold on it, yet poor, his cattle was starving; Lot took the best ground. His water was short. Hot days, and the herdsmen had been in trouble, and everything looked like gone wrong for Abraham, yet he owned the whole thing.
E-56 And, today, the true believer is cast out from among the people, called a "fanatic, holy roller," or some kind of an insulting name, some kind of a religious fanatic, and yet is heir to the whole Heavens and earth. "Blessed are the meek, they shall inherit the earth." Oh, my! Talk about push you out in a cabin or somewhere, and hardly enough money to pay your rent, yet you own it all. Amen. Have to work and toil and sweat for a few dollars, to make an earn… honest living, to put shoes on your children's feet, and to feed their little hungry mouth, and yet own, heir to everything that's here. "The meek shall inherit the earth." They possess it. Oh, my, I like that! Possessor of the earth! What is? The believer. The believer has a title, abstract deed, that's right, by Jesus Christ, that "He shall be the possessor of this entire universe." That's right. "The meek shall inherit the earth."
E-57 Abraham had—had, could possess that land, because… and what was on it. God give it to him. And Lot was a part of that land. So Abraham had a right to it. He could—he could call or lay hold on it. He said, "Now, God, You made me the promise, that what was this land and all in it was mine, and You made the promise. Now my kinsman has been taken, and all he's got is gone."
E-58 In other words, if I'd apply it today, I'd say, the Church could say, "Lord God, here's my brother, he's laying here, stricken with cancer, he's stricken with tuberculosis, he's got so-and-so. I lay hold of the promise, it's my possession. You, You've told me so!" Amen! There you are. Then, then you can go after that enemy, that devil, and slaughter it just the same as Abraham slaughtered the kings and brought back his possession. Amen. I like that. It's to the believer.
E-59 Yet Abraham had a right to the promise, and the promise was his, yet he had to fight to possess it. Amen. There you are. The believer today, yet we're heir to all things, yet we're heir to every spiritual blessing, every physical blessing, every blessing the Bible promises, yet you have to fight every inch of it. That's the way God's got it set up. It's always been that way. You have to fight to possess what you know is your own. You have to fight to possess it. And that's what we have to do now.
E-60 You say, "Brother Branham, I need healing."
E-61 The promise is yours. But, if you ever get it, you ain't going to get it easy, I'm going to tell you that. You're going to have to take it away from Satan. Satan captures your health, you've got a right to go to—to Satan, say, "Give it back! Hand it over! I come in the Name of the Lord, the Possessor of Heavens and earth, and I'm His heir. Give it back! You took my child, you got her mixed up with the wrong boy. You took my boy and mixed up with the wrong girl. I claim them! That's right. I claim my children, I claim my brother, I claim my sister. Yes, Satan, you've took them from God's house, coaxed them out there, but I'm coming after them. I claim them."
"Well, how you know?"
E-62 "I'm an heir of all things. Amen. It's given to me. I'm an heir, I can claim everything that God promised me." Amen. There you are. "It's mine." How do you get it, something you done? No, sir. It's the unmerited gift that God gave us, and it's ours, it belongs to us. Satan cannot hold it if you go to him in the—the Scriptural authoritative Word, with faith, to say, "It's mine! Lay it down." Amen. Glory! I like that. "Satan, you lay it down. You took it from me. You give it back, because I'm serving notice on you. I've got the notice written right here on the Word, 'Heavens and earth will pass away, but this notice shall not.' So I come with this notice, to serve on you, that Jesus Christ said whatsoever I ask the Father in His Name He'll give it to me. If I say to this mountain, 'be moved,' and don't doubt in my heart, but believe that what I've said shall come to pass, I can have what I said. Lay it down!" That gets him started. Don't get him started, gets him running. "Lay it down, because I have come with the Scriptural authority. I am a believer." You get it? Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
E-63 What did he have to do first, Abraham, in order to do this? He had to lay his faith upon the solid-rock foundation of God's promised Word. Look, only thing he had was a little bunch of servants, probably a dozen. And there was probably couple of thousand man, armed. And his man wasn't soldiers, they were servants, cattlemen, sheepmen, herders; probably old rusty knives that they had picked up somewhere, and laid up in the… out there, and several rains had fallen on them, they were rusty. But Abraham wasn't looking at the rusty knife, or the no shield at all. He was laying his faith upon God's Word. There you are. That's what does it. That's what.
"How you going to fight them when you get there?"
E-64 "That's not up to me. It's up to me to lay my faith on what God said. It's mine, I'm going after what belongs to me." Amen. Now, when people that's sick can see that, the sickness is right about over with right then. See? Sure.
E-65 When a sinner can see that you don't have to sin! Lot of people, they sin because they have to sin. That's a pitiful shape when you say you "have to sin." But when you realize you don't have to sin anymore! There's people that just stand up and curse and laugh in your face, and—and call you an "idiot" and everything else, they are wilfully sinners. See, then there's no hope for them. But that man who does something constantly, they don't want to do it. He—he steals, he don't want to. And he lies, he don't want to. He—he does things he—he doesn't want to do, he don't want to be a sinner. There's hopes for him if you can let him see what's the Truth. See? Come up to God's promise and lay your faith on that, and walk out there to the enemy. He just simply can't hold it no longer, that's all, because it's yours.
E-66 Now, let's look at this fellow now. Here Abraham said, "I'm heir. This belongs to me, everything in this land belongs to me. Because God… I haven't got it yet." But he had it, it was his, anyhow.
E-67 Now we are heirs of all things. Is that right? We are heirs of all things. The Bible just got through said so here. We are heir of all things, everything. We don't possess it yet, but it's ours. Amen. Oh, glory! I don't own an inch of land, but it's all mine, anyhow. Sure. It's all ours, belongs to the people, the Church, the believers, the Bride of Christ owns every speck of it. Russia fighting for it, United States fighting for that, and this fighting for this and this over here, and then they call us "crazy." Just sit still, you own it, anyhow. Amen. All going to fall heir to it, anyhow, so let them fuss and blow up one another. It belongs to us. We are the ones that gets it. They'd never even think it, but we do, anyhow. Do, anyhow!
E-68 Who would have thought that little old poor man up there, them little old skinny, boney cattle up on top the hill, owned all of it? All Palestine belonged to him. Yes, sir. So when he come to a place that the showdown come, God proved to be with him. He took that little handful of man and went out there and slaughtered every one of them, and brought back his possession. Amen. I like that. Why? He laid his faith upon God's Rock promise. That's what it take. He didn't build another foundation, go join an organization or get something like this. He laid his faith upon that Promise! Amen. That's it, on that Promise, and there he marched forward! Rusty sword or not rusty sword, made no difference to him, he had his faith laying on the Promise.
E-69 And when you come forth to be prayed for, if you want salvation, if you want Divine healing, no matter what, if—if you are a believer, you're an heir of every promise. So lay your faith upon the promise and march forward, and tell Satan, "Give it back! Give it back! It's mine." Don't let him bluff you. Stand right there on the line, he'll give it back. God said he would, so he has to do it. That's your authority. That's right, heir of all things!
E-70 He stayed on that foundation, promised Word, and he had an heir. He was the heir, so he knowed it. All right, sir, after the promise had been vindicated to him, he had fellowship then with the Promiser (I like that) after God made the promise. And then, see, Abraham had never had a test before, so he… of that kind. So he knowed it all belonged to him, and that was the promise, yet he had never had to fight an army. He didn't know nothing about it. He—He wasn't a trained man to fight. Abraham wasn't a fighter, he was a farmer. And Abraham could not do anything, because he—he wasn't a soldier. His man wasn't soldiers, they were farmers. So the only thing he could do was just take God's promise, put his faith upon the promise and move out, go after it. Then when Abraham seen that, and got that promise, and found out that God vindicated it to him, that He does keep His promise… Amen! There it is.
E-71 If you've never received the Holy Ghost as yet, don't know nothing about It, and something in your heart telling you that you want It, you stay right there. That's Eternal Life, that's what you're heir to. Stay right there, and look Satan right in the face and say, "You are the robber, you are the one! I've come to possess what Jesus Christ died for me to have, now hand it back! Get out of my way!"
E-72 Then, the first thing you know, the Holy Ghost will pour upon you. Then something happens. Something will happen. What is it? God vindicated He keeps His Word. That's just exactly. Then, see, then after you see the Word is vindicated to you, that you are saved, you do have the Holy Ghost, then what? Abraham had won the victory, here he come marching back; he was going down, with his faith laying on the Word that he could bring it back, what he had lost, and here he come back with it, marching the victor's march. That's the same thing you can do. If you don't have Eternal Life, ask God. Confess your sins, believe on the Son of God, accept the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and say, "God, I come for It, I'm here to receive It." Then you come back, the victor's march. You got It. Amen. Just shining, my, the birds sings different, and everybody. You're in love with everybody then. That old hatred, malice, strife is done gone. Love everybody! Oh, you're just having a great time, singing, shouting, praising God. Don't care what anybody says about you. It's all right. Sure, on the victor's march!
E-73 Then Who come out to meet him? Who come out to meet him? Melchisedec. Melchisedec come out to meet him after he had had his Word vindicated. Melchisedec is the One give him the Word. Then he put his Word… his faith on the Word, got the victory and returned back, then he had fellowship. Amen. Now, you will, too. Oh, His Word will become something new to you, whenever you once get the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Oh, my!
E-74 Oh, you say, "I can't see these things. I don't believe in shouting. I don't believe in speaking in tongues. I don't believe in Divine healing." It just shows you've never got the victory. That's right. But one time you get the victory, then you've got it. Then you have it. Yes, sir, then you can shout. I…
E-75 You seen one time I used to think about dancing in the Spirit, see somebody stand and dance in the Spirit. Now, I've seen the mockery put on of it, but I've seen the real thing, too. So, I come to find out, why could people dance in the Spirit? Well, I never seen one yet get out of the way, I never seen one yet act immorally. I always see it just as decently and in order and sweetness, and even sinners run to the altar and get saved when it's going on. Well, I wondered why it was, and I come to find out it's victory.
E-76 David danced before the Lord, when the ark was brought back to Its resting place. Amen. When David saw the Word, as It was then with the tables of stone, brought back to Its right place, David rejoiced and danced in the Spirit, around and around and around. Why? He saw the Word back in Its place. Amen.
E-77 What the Word needs, is not out of some seminary, some theological mix up; but an old-fashioned, God-sent preacher behind the pulpit, with the Word, seeing God vindicate It, proof.
E-78 Then David said, "Glory to God, this is It!" And around and around and around and around. His little stuck-up wife set up there, being the king's daughter, said, "Why, he—he—he embarrasses me."
E-79 And David said, "You don't like that? Watch this!" And around and around he went again. Yes! Oh, my, what a time he had!
E-80 You know, God looked down out of Heaven, said, "David, you're a man after My Own heart." See? See? Why? He had done lost all pride, he had done lost all of his. Yet he was married to a king's daughter, but that wasn't even considered then. He knowed that he was acquainted with the Possessor of Heavens and earth, and here was the Word of God coming right back among them again, and David was so happy he danced. He just danced as hard as he could.
E-81 Miriam, she grabbed the tambourine and went down the bank, dancing on the other side. After she had come through the Red Sea and seen her enemies drowned, then she could dance in the Spirit. When she seen the enemies that had tormented her, dead, then she danced in the Spirit. That's right. Now, see, after! After the battle's won, then the glory of God comes down.
E-82 Now, we find out that He met him. And after the promise had been vindicated, he—he had fellowship. Melchisedec come out to bless Abraham, and He said, "Blessed be Abraham, and blessed be the God of Abraham, the Possessor of Heavens and earth."
E-83 Oh, my, how I like that, believer's promise! You say, "What's that got to do with us?" To every believer! The believer's promise is Eternal Life. The believer's promise is Life, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, patience, fruits of the Spirit, Divine healing, a dozen things I got wrote down here, nearly, that is your possession. It belongs to you, but you cannot have it until you fight for it. It's yours. Everything that's seen, every temporal thing that's seen, belongs to me. God give it to me, because through Christ He gave it to me. And things unseen belongs to me. Amen. I like that! What you can see, like Divine healing, so forth, like that, that's good, we appreciate that; but the unseen!
E-84 Now, science can probe around here and say, "Well, let's see, let me take this man. You said he was healed, let me take him down and examine him. Let me see what happened. And you say you had a tumor once, sir?"
"Yes, right there."
E-85 "Well, let me give a scientific research and see if it just didn't sink in and didn't go away. You say you were once blind and now you see. How do I know? Let me scientifically look and see it."
E-86 Now, they could probe around on that, but yet I—I'm heir to that, too, everything physical. And then I'm also heir to things that can't be seen, where science can't probe. Amen. Amen. Unseen things, amen, I'm heir to that. Yes, sir. The things that can be seen, I'm heir to that. This actual earth, I'm an heir, you're an heir. Every believer is an heir, he's an heir to it. All right, then the unseen! Possessor of what? Heavens and earth. Amen. All things! You believe that?
E-87 You say, "Brother Branham, what about out there where you can't see? How you know?" It's still mine. That's right. Heaven belongs to me. Glad it's mine, God said so. And that's right. "Well, you've never seen, how you know it's there?" I know it's there, anyhow, God said so. "How do you know you're an heir to it, when you never seen it?" I believe His Word. Amen. See? I'm an heir, you're an heir with me, we're all heirs together through Christ Jesus.
E-88 Did you notice here in the Corinthians here, in Second Corinthians, Paul said, even of death, we possess death. Think of it. Possess death? Yes, sir, it minds us. Amen. Well, glory! I done forgot about that explosion of the gun now, see. Why didn't he kill me? Because he couldn't. That's why. God wasn't ready. He could come as much as he want to, but he can't take you. Amen. Glory! I paid my debt to that a long time ago when I believed on Jesus Christ Who's alive forevermore. Now death listens to what we say. Amen.
You say, "A possessor of death?"
E-89 That's what Paul said here in Corinthians. Death, even, we possess it. Why, when they was fixing to cut his head off, he said, "Oh, death, where is your sting? Where is your sting? Show me where you can scare me."
E-90 Death said, "I'll squeeze you down and put you down in the grave, and you'll rot and canker."
E-91 He said, "But, oh, thanks be to God," [Blank.spot.on.tape—Ed.] "Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Yes, sir. Death, hell, and the grave, I possess it all, because He conquered it all for us. Possessor!
E-92 Just like Joshua and Caleb brought back the evidence of an unseen land that had been given to the people by a promise. Joshua and Caleb brought back an evidence that there was such a land. Now, down here they had the promise of it. God gave them the promise, and they come right up to the land, but they had never seen it, and Joshua and Caleb went over into the promised land and brought back the evidence that the land was there and it was a good place, flowing with milk and honey. Amen! What was it? They was going to possess that land. They had the promise. They was on their road over there, and they were almost to the Jordan, and Joshua crossed over and brought back the evidence that it was a good land.
E-93 Just what Joshua did for the children of Israel, (Joshua means "Saviour," the word Joshua), and that's the same thing Jesus done for the Church when they killed Him. He conquered death. He conquered hell. He conquered the grave. And He rose up again with the evidence, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, that there is a Land beyond the river, that they call the sweet forever. Amen. He come back and brought us an evidence. What does It do, Brother Branham? It makes you stop lying, stealing, drinking, cursing, immorals, everything. It makes a new creature out of you. I who were once dead in sin and trespasses, nevertheless I live, not me but Christ lives in me. I'm a new creature in Christ Jesus, amen, heir to the promise. Hallelujah! Yes, sir. That land belongs to us. How do you know it? Joshua rose from the dead, brought back the evidence, the Holy Ghost. I got It. Amen. Whew! Glory! I'm an heir. Oh, a child of the King, a child of the King, heir to all things! The Bible said so. The same God—the same God that give Israel a promise of that promised land (it was an unseen thing to them), that same Bible, that same God gave us a promise of Eternal Life, and the Holy Ghost bears record of it. Christ is alive, not dead. He lives right among us, lives in us, through us, works around us. Amen.
E-94 It was Him sitting on that bench down there the other day when Satan seen a chance to kill me, but he couldn't do it. Amen. And he'll never do it until Christ says it's ready. Amen. No matter how many times he comes, he'll go back empty-handed until Christ gives an order. Amen. A promise, God promised it. It's God's Word that promises it, and we believe it because we're heir.
E-95 I'm an heir of Divine healing. I'm an heir of joy, got a right to be happy. "So what makes you so happy?" I got a right to be. "How do you know?" Because I'm an heir to it. Amen! Whew! Now I feel religious. Yes. I'm an heir to happiness. I'm an heir to joy. I'm an heir to peace. I'm an heir to Eternal Life. I'm an heir to the Holy Spirit. Amen. I'm an heir to every evidence It's got. Amen. I'm an heir to the authority of God. Amen. "Who made you that?" Not me; He did. Every one of you is an heir to the same thing.
E-96 An heir to a throne! "He that overcometh shall set with Me on My Throne, as I have overcome and set on My Father's Throne." Amen, an heir of all things! Not just one thing; all things! Everything's under your feet. Even death is under your feet, grave is under your feet, hell is under your feet, sin is under your feet, everything is under your feet. You're an heir! And you're… You are dead, and your life is hid in God through Jesus Christ, and you're rose again to Eternal Life, and sitting in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Oh, my! Whew! Call us anything you want to, call us what you want to, say we're crazy if you want to, but we're heirs. Heirs to what? All things.
E-97 "Are you an heir to the Branham Tabernacle?" No, I'm an heir to all things. Both seen, present, future, to everything, I'm an heir to it.
E-98 And every sin and wickedness has been put under my feet, by the grace of Jesus Christ. He rose on Easter morning, triumphed over the death, hell and the grave, and made me an heir, and said, "Wait yonder and I'll give you the promise." And His anointed authoritative servant said, "The promise is unto you and to your children, to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." I'm an heir. Amen. Amen. Jesus proved it to us, on His resurrection. Oh, my.
E-99 When we've entered that battlegrounds between death and Life! "I'm a sinner, Brother Branham." You don't have to be. You're a sinner because you desire to be. You don't have to be. The debt's already paid.
E-100 "Brother Branham, I wish I had joy." You can have it. You're just letting Satan rob you from the privileges that Christ died for. I'm an heir to it. It's all mine. Everything He died for, belongs to me, belongs to you. We're His children, we're heirs of it, everything that He died for.
E-101 Now, when you enter into that battleground. "Ah, there is no such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost. You know, you're—you're—you're going to act funny. And there's going to be something, going to be something different." I don't care what different it is, I'm an heir to it. That's Life, and I'm coming after It. That's right.
E-102 That's what ought to be the motive of every sinner. "I'm coming to receive It upon the basis of the Holy Spirit Who is here now and telling me to come and receive It. It's mine. I'll never rise till I receive It. I won't be a fanatic. I'm going to stay right here, I don't care what anything goes. I'll never cease praying till You give me the Holy Ghost, Lord, and I know You'll do it right now. If there's anything wrong in my life, tell me about it and I'll do it. What is it, Lord, I'll go make it right."
E-103 If God doesn't reveal anything, say, "Then, Satan, I come for It. You can't stand there no longer, get out of my way!"
E-104 There you are, heir of all things. Heir of Eternal Life. Heir of Divine healing. Oh!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His Blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, and looking above,
Filled with His goodness and love.
Hallelujah! There you are. This is my story, and this is my song. I'm an heir of salvation. What is salvation? Something that's given to you. It's a gift. I'm heir of salvation. What kind? For Eternal Life. Salvation for my soul, salvation for my body, salvation for my weariness, salvation for everything. God made me heir of everything through Christ, and He died, rose, and returned back and brought the evidence, and poured It out upon us. Oh, my! Glory! Oh, my!
E-105 Now, you go up there, what do you do? When you go just like Abraham did, go up there with that promise. "God, You told me it's mine. I got faith in Your promise. I'm bringing Your Word. You promised this. You said, 'Ask, and you shall receive. Seek, you shall find. Ask, it shall be given. Knock, it shall be opened.' Here I am, Lord. I'm here. I'm knocking, seeking, asking. I've got to receive It." There you are. Something takes place then, oh, when you lay that Word down.
E-106 Look what Satan did when Jesus laid the Word down on him. "And It's also written…" He jumped away from that Wire, as I said the other night. Yes, sir. Then what, after you overcome? How do you overcome? Could you ever do it by yourself? No. Somebody went before you and overcome for you. It's Christ. I'm just an heir of it. I don't have to do anything. I'm an heir of the promise. The only thing I have to have, is put my faith on His promise. Do you see it?
E-107 "Brother Branham, are you worthy of that?" No. "You think I'm worthy?" No. "Do you think the Bishop's worthy?" No. "Is there ever a man worthy?" No. "Well, why?" You're an heir.
E-108 If you was the biggest drunkard in the world, and your father left you a million dollars, whether you're worthy or not, his—his—his heir, you're the heir of your father's heritage. Whatever he left you, it's yours whether you're worthy or not. He left it to you. Amen.
E-109 I was a sinner, but I'm heir. I was no good, not yet, but still I'm an heir. I should die and go to hell, but I'm an heir. I'm an heir of what? Eternal Life. "How do you know you're going to get It?" I feeled It. The Holy Spirit brought It. Jesus rose from the dead so It could come. And now It's come, and It bears record and vindicates just exactly what It said It would do. I've passed from death unto Life. I've become, a new creature in Christ Jesus. Then I'm heir. Yes, sir. Now I'm on my march. Amen. Things are slaughtered. What's all them mean things I done? Just like Miriam did. Look back there, there they are, dead, buried in the sea of forgetfulness, in the Book of God's great Book in Heaven. It's done been. My name has done been put on that Book, and done sealed, and put down in the sea of forgetfulness, and a new Book, with a new name written down in Glory. And it's mine. Yeah. Now we're heir of all things, then.
E-110 Then like when Abraham, what did God tell him? "This land belongs to you. What's in this is yours. Look east, north, west, and south, it's all yours, everything here. I want you to come journey in a strange land, and I'm going to make you heir of that land. I'll give you this, to you and your seed, for after you forever." Now, Abraham, only thing he had to do was put his faith on that promise, pick up his sword and take off. When the crucial moment come, he got down there and God fought his battle. And when he fought the battle, he slaughtered the kings.
E-111 And here he was coming back, amen, all over now. Brother, he could shout. Hear all the young men shouting and praising the Lord! Here comes Abraham, and Who come out to meet him? Melchisedec, King of Salem. And look what they did. After the battle was over, they could sit down and take the bread and wine. The King brought out bread and wine. Why did He do him? After the battle was over, after the victory was won, then they could sit down and take the communion together, talk with each other and eat the communion together. Oh, that's what God wants His children to do tonight.
E-112 "Then what about you, Brother Branham? What about that Church you're talking to?" We are the seed of Abraham, they're the Royal Seed of Abraham. We're the seed of Abraham, by the promise, through Christ Jesus we become Abraham's seed and are heirs with him according to the promise. Then if Abraham was an heir, I'm an heir. I'm an heir with Abraham, and so are you. And how did it come? Through the Royal Seed of Abraham, which was Christ Jesus, the promised One, by faith. Abraham received a son, as one from the dead. And we received a Son that was not even a son, and no way to get here, and God made Him and sent Him to us. And He come and paid the penalty of our sins, and by His death I become an heir. Oh, my. There you are. And all the wickedness of the devil is behind. Praise be to God!
E-113 Overcome! How many has overcome, tonight? Let's see your hand, "By the grace of God I've overcome." Praise be to God. You know what I think we ought to do right now? I just get started right here and keep you half the night. Let's just have a good dedication service, dedicate our lives anew to God. How many feels like doing that? Oh, I got more than one now, I got both hands up, and my heart, too. I want my life to speak for Christ. I want to dedicate myself anew to Christ. I want His will to be done, mine to be put in the back, and—and His will do be done. I want to have the victor's march. Not because it's me; because I know that the Gospel that He preached is suffering today on account of denominational man-made dogmas and everything else. The great victory that we should have has been held back by the enemy. God, let me pull this Sword, let It sparkle and shine, and march forward. Let my will be in the back, and His Word going in front like that, a sharp two-edged Sword making a way.
E-114 Let's stand to our feet now and dedicate ourselves anew. Each one in your own way, dedicate yourself to the Lord. Let's raise up our hands now to God, each one.
E-115 Our Heavenly Father, tonight we are dedicating ourselves to You in the best that we know how. We know that we are heir of all things. You promised it, Lord Jesus, and we believe it. Now, we'll never be able to do it unless You, Lord… unless we ourselves put our faith on Your promise. Now, You said, in the Bible, "He that eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has everlasting Life, and shall not come into condemnation, but shall pass… has passed from death unto Life. He that eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has Eternal Life, and I will raise him up at the last day." That's the promise. That's what You said. That's what we believe.
E-116 And, Lord God, O Holy Spirit, move upon us. Oh, move, God! Move, O Lord, in us. Spirit of the living God, receive us, Lord. In Christ's Name receive us. Cleanse me, mold me, shape me, O God, into an image of the Son of God. Take me, Lord, I am Yours. I give You this church. I give each soul here to You, with mine, Lord. Now mold us and fashion us, and let us forget our sinful wicked ways, and know as long as we lay our—our faith, what faith we got, on Your promised Word, You'll carry us through from victory to victory. You've promised it.
E-117 Satan cannot harm us, Lord. He could do everything he can do, and he can't touch us. When You turned him loose on Job one time, You said, "Don't you take his life." He done everything but take it. But he couldn't do it, because Your promise was still there to Job.
E-118 And, God, You're still the same God today. You protect Your Own. We know it's the Truth, and we dedicate ourselves anew. Wash our sinful souls, Lord, as we confess our faith. And, Christ Jesus, receive us. And when we start to take this Lord's supper, God, commune in our hearts to us. Tell us now where we're wrong. Show us where our wrong is, Lord. We humbly repent of it. I humbly lay all my sins upon the altar, Lord. I humbly place myself on Your Word, Lord, and at Your mercy.
E-119 Here am I, Lord, do with me as You see fit. That's the cry of this church, Lord, "Do with us as You see fit." I can only speak for my—for my own self, Lord, but I believe in their hearts they believe the same thing. Do with us as You see fit. We believe. We want to be heirs, and we know we are heirs as long as we stay in Christ Jesus. We're heir with Him before the Throne.
E-120 Now be with us. Heal the sickness in our midst, Lord. If there's a sick body here tonight, touch it, heal it, make it well. Grant it, Lord. If there's a sick soul, may it be healed right now. Let that crippled soul be straightened out. May that feeble knees that hung down and them weak hands raise up in glory and shouts to God. May the crooked paths be made straight. May there be a highway in the wilderness for our God.
E-121 Lord, we believe You're coming soon, and let us blast forth Thy Word, Lord, and make a highway in the wilderness, the crooked places straight, for our Lord. Let us blast out every denominational root. Let us blast out every root of bitterness, blast out all malice, envy and strife, that the true Word of God might flow like rivers of joy. Grant it, Father. We give ourselves to You now just before we take this Lord's Supper. In Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
E-122 While, Sister Spencer wants prayer for her body! [Sister Spencer speaks to Brother Branham—Ed.] God bless you, Sister Spencer.
Heavenly Father, this poor old sainted woman, and this one sitting. You see a woman crippled. "Ought not this daughter of Abraham be delivered on the Sabbath day?" And now maybe the most of her friends, Lord, the old-time friends that she used to entertain, those ministers, as they set in her house, they're done passed on, many of them, done taken the great highway to Heaven. She's left alone, Lord, as a testimony. No one now, just her children, and maybe a friend in here and there, Lord, a relative now and then. But she stands alone like a big forest that'd been blowed down, and one tree left. God, I pray that You'll look down on mercy, Lord, that she taken roots down deep. And standing on the hill of Calvary, Lord, rooted and grounded in the Faith of Christ. I lay my hands upon this dear old woman and condemn this knot under her tongue, that it leave her and she be made well. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. God bless you. Thank you, Sister Spencer. It shall be done. Just don't doubt it a bit. All right.
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine;
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my sins away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.
Listen, sing with me now.
While life's dark maze I tread,
And grief around me spread,
Be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow's tears away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
E-123 From the bottom of your heart now, only God knows it, from the bottom of your heart, do you really mean that, "Let me from this day, Lord, be wholly Thine"? Let's sing that last part again.
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.
E-124 Now all together. Great Shepherd of the flock, You taught us that we should pray like this. [Brother Branham and congregation pray together—Ed.] Our Father Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us of our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. You may be seated.
E-125 I am requesting prayer for Sister Shepherd's child. It just comes to my mind that they called a while ago for prayer for the child, and I offered prayer for it. I had an interview to meet right here, and I couldn't go by the house. But they said the little girl was sick and had a fever, and kind of stiffening, which is no doubt just a virus that's going around. You know about it. Sometimes their muscles draw in such a way you have to work them back and forth with their hands, like Mrs. Haley and many down here. It's a virus that's going around. And she… offered prayer. And I said if the baby wasn't any better by nine o'clock or time we close the service, to call over here and we'd come by; if the baby was better, okay. So let's just humbly now, before we take the communion, pray for that child.
E-126 Lord Jesus, that little baby, I don't know how old it is or nothing, but it's one of our beloved disciples here, Lord, one of our believers. It's their child, of Sister Shepherd and Brother Shepherd, a little jewel that You've given to them, Lord. We pray that You'll watch over it, and bless it and protect it, and heal it and make it well. We claimed it right now. After this message, we claim that. We claim it for God's glory, according to His Word. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may the sickness turn loose that child. And may the child recover and be well, for the glory of God. Now it has been spoken, now it shall be done. Amen. Do you believe?
If we trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave them there.
Leave them there, oh, leave them there,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave them there;
If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave them there. (That's all you do.)
If your body's racked with pain and your health you can't regain,
Just remember God in Heaven answers prayer;
Now, Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it.
E-127 Now let's just shake one another's hands while we sing this last verse.
Leave it there, (fellowship, you know, communion) leave it there, (praise the Lord!)
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there;
If we'll trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
E-128 Oh, isn't He wonderful? Now, now with our confession, our belief, our confession of our sins, believing that all of our sins is in the sea of forgetfulness. He that will confess his sins, God is just to omit them. See? They're in the—the sea of the Blood of Jesus Christ, never to be remembered no more. How many of you women know what bleach is? All of you. Now, let's just take a great big washtub full of Clorox, that's one bleach, a great big tubfull of Clorox. And then you're going to take a little eyedropper, and you got one drop of black ink in that eyedropper, that's your sins. Stand right up over the tub, and squeeze it down, then look down in the tub and find it. What become of it? What become of the ink? When it struck that bleach, it was so powerful it just took the coloring right out of it, it can never be no more. What is it? It's gone, it's eternally lost. What is it? The—the ink itself becomes Clorox. That's the Blood of Jesus Christ to every confessed sin. What is it? It's forgotten, it's done, it's finished, it's omitted, it's divorced, it's put away. It can never be remembered against you no more.
E-129 [A sister speaks from the congregation—Ed.] Somebody is calling my name, somewhere. [The sister testifies of just being healed.] Well, praise the Lord! Still living! Thank the Lord. We thank the Lord. O God, how we praise You for Your goodness. Yes, humble little soul back there touched, the Lord touched her. All right. He's the High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities.
E-130 Remember, every Word is an Anchor, stedfast and sure. There's not… See? Just lay your faith right upon it and don't move, just stay there. Now, you can't lay it down there and then grab it up and say, "I'll try it again." Lay it there. Stay right there with it. Yes, sir. Like Abel did, die out to your own thoughts. Just say, "God, it's Your Word, it's not what I think. It's Your Word. There it is." And Abel died on the Rock. And, that, He'll touch just like He did sister there. Just so simple.
E-131 We try to make it… We don't. Satan tries to make it so complicated, you know, say, "Oh, you know, that was for a day gone by," and all that. That's just unbelievers.
E-132 But to you who believe, He's precious. Now disallowed, indeed; but He is a precious Stone coming to a lively Stone, a precious Stone, the chief Cornerstone. Oh, my. Oh, he that touches this Stone is healed! That's all. Amen.
E-133 Now, aren't we thankful to the Lord? Just glad, I'm so glad that the Lord is God. Amen. So glad that He's a tender Father, full of mercy, honors His Word, keeping His Covenant, never forgetting It. He keeps His Covenant. He has to, He's God, He made It. He's the Fountain of all Truth. See? There cannot be anything else but unadulterated Truth all the time. Every Word He speaks is infallible. And this is His Word. And, O God, let my faith be infallible in It, amen, then It can become infallible as the Word is infallible, then the Word in that kind of faith will produce anything the Word says It'll do. Amen. So, cleanse me, Lord. Try me, cleanse me, heal me, protect me, bless me, and give me Your mercies, is my prayer to God. Amen.
E-134 Now, I'm going to read some of the Word now, found in First Corinthians, the 11th chapter, 23rd verse.
For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night… which he was betrayed took bread:
And when He had gave thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, and eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner he took… also he took the cup, and when he had supped, saying, This is the cup of the new testament in my blood: this be in you, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as oft as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do shew forth the Lord's death till he comes.
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the blood, the body and the blood of the Lord.
But let a man so examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
For this cause many are sick and weakly among you,… many sleep.
For if we should judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, tarry one with another, tarry one for another.
E-135 Now may I say this. Jesus gave us this commandment before He went to His death, knowing that He was going there. The disciples still wondering what He was talking about, when they wrote this down. But He said, "This cup is the New Testament of My Blood. This do as oft as you eat it and drink it, you shew forth My death until I come." Oh, those precious Words!
E-136 The disciples no doubt wondered, "What does He mean, 'show forth His death'? How can we do this?" Here was all a mystery to them, but not to Him. He was God. He knowed what He must do. "Show forth…" So He said, "When you come together to eat…"
E-137 Now, "He that eats and drinks, unworthily," comes up here and professes to be a Christian, taking the body of the Lord, and then goes out and lives with the world and—and denies Christ and His power, and things like that, you—you do a great dishonor to God. You—you do dishonor to Christ, so don't you take it. But if you're trying with all that's in you, to live right and to show forth that you are a Christian, that you love Jesus Christ, then it's your duty to do it.
E-138 And now over in… I believe it's Saint John, the 6th chapter, Jesus said, "Whosoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has everlasting Life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Now, that promise, isn't that a glorious thing? "I will raise him up."
E-139 Did you ever think what you're here for? What are you—what are you going to school for, children? What are you working for, dad? What makes you get up, and mother, of a morning, and get the kiddies to school, wash their face, and make up the beds and cook, and—and—and do it all. Come in, wore out that night, and the next day start the same thing. What do you do it for? Why do you labor and slave, dad, and everything? Come in at night, and weary, and one of the kids gets sick and you walk the floor, and cry and pray and struggle, and they get well; and then back, and you do it again. And every Sunday wash their faces, and get them down to church. And, well, what's it all about? What you here for? Is that all there is to it? My, that'd be miserable, and knowing you got to go anyhow. See? What's it all about?
E-140 Oh! Brother, it's an examination time, it's an opportunity time! It's the opportunity to accept This. Tell me something to take Its place. Tell me something better than That. Produce anything in the world, be the king of the earth, rule the universe, be a Khruschev or a Kennedy, or whatever you wish to be, you'll die just the same. Right! You don't know what time it'll come, any minute. But here, when death does strike, you got Eternal Life and can't die, with a guarantee by the God of all creation, Who's Possessor of Heavens and earth, "I'll raise him up again at the last day."
E-141 Help thou my unbelief, O God. Fill my soul, O God, cleanse me, fill me, charge me, send me out. Let me not die, let me live to tell the Story. Let me go to every crack and corner of the earth, and preach the Word and sow the seed, yes, sir, that there may be a harvest in the last day, of the true unadulterated Word, with believers in Christ.
E-142 Is your sins under the Blood, by faith tonight in Christ Jesus? We shall now take the communion. Not the communion; you commune as you eat with one another. Just commune with God. The communion is not the bread, not the wine, the communion is "talking back and forth with God." And this is a symbol that we take, that we believe in His death, broken body, His burial and resurrection, we believe in the Presence of the Holy Spirit. And we believe that He has give us Eternal Life and we cannot die, we have passed from death unto Life. And someday when we separate from one another here, we'll rise again in the resurrection with each other, joined together with Christ Jesus, as a Body. Amen. Upon these basis, and the confession of my sins, and my faith in the Son of God, I take myself and the church before these articles that God left for us to do, to show forth His death until He comes.
E-143 Jesus said, "This is My body which is broken for you. Eat, do this in remembrance of Me."
E-144 Our Heavenly Father, after we have confessed our sins, hearing Your Word, after we have confessed that we are unworthy, and we are trusting only in the merits of the Son of God. We're unworthy creatures. Forgive us, Lord, of all that we have did. And now, by faith, we come to the table of the Lord. And now as this bread is presented to represent the body of our Lord, I pray, Father, that You'll sanctify it to its intended purpose. And may every person that partakes of this have Eternal Life in their soul. And may that every person takes it have healing in their body, and live the appointed time that You've given them. And may they serve You all the days of their life, and be raised up in the last day in the resurrection, to be gathered together with the tribes of the earth that are redeemed by the Blood of Christ. Grant it, Lord, in Jesus' Name we ask it. Amen.
E-145 The Bible said, "Also He took the cup, and when He had supped, saying, 'This is the cup of the New Testament, as oft as you drink this you show forth the Lord's death till He come.'"
E-146 Heavenly Father, we hold to You the fruit of the vine tonight, this wine. And we pray, Heavenly Father, that You'll sanctify this wine, it represents the Blood that was shed for us at Calvary. Through this Blood we have remission of our sins, by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Forgive us of our… all of our unbelief, Lord, and give us faith and understanding, and make us Your servants, Lord, that we can serve You all our days. Be with us, Father, as we join together around this table, and bless us in this fine fellowship and communion with You. And may You speak to our hearts and point to us our work that we should do. Grant it, Lord. Sanctify this wine for its intended purpose. In Jesus Christ's Name we ask it. Amen.
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