Letting Off The Pressure

Date: 62-0622B | Duration: 50 minutes
pdf mp3
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Sermon translation in French: 62-0622B - Shp, 62-0622E - Shp
E-1 Numbered among a group like this, to be here this morning again. Brother Shakarian... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] The Lord spared his life. It certainly was news to me when I heard about it. But I'm so glad that the thing that we preach about, it also works among us, to see that God heals the sick and the afflicted.
And we just got a few moments, and about two minutes to speak. And then I'd like to pray for those in radio-land, and those who are needy.

E-2 We just left Southern Pines, North Carolina, where the Lord did a great miracle. One night when we was coming in... It was too late for the little lady who had arrived with a water-head baby to get a prayer card and get in the line. But she was standing behind the curtains with this precious little child, the tears streaming down her cheeks, like only a mother's love could go for a baby. And its little head was swollen in such a condition, its little eyes pushed out, great big veins over its head, and some kind of a shots that the physician had to give it each day in order to live through that day.

E-3 And as I passed by I looked over and seen the mother with the little baby, and I said to Billy, my son, "That poor little fellow..."
And he said, "And, daddy, she asked me for a prayer card." And said, "She--she was too late. I'd done give them all out."
I said, "Well, just tell them to sing the song again and ('Only Believe') and let me run down and pray for the baby."
And I went down and prayed for the little fellow and asked our Lord to be merciful to it. And the lady taken the little fellow home that night. And the next morning when she rose up, to her surprise, to look at the little fellow, the big veins was gone. The head was practically normal.
So she rushed it over to the doctor right away, and the doctor was so amazed, and he said it... He checked its blood, or what-ever they had to do for this shot. "Why," said, "it doesn't need it anymore."

E-4 And it made quite a stir around through the country. Just another testimony to the glory of God, to know that He--He answers prayer when the hearts are sincere and want to believe on Him. There's nothing too great for Him to do. And I believe that He just loves to do that for His people.
Now, they're going to hand me a group of requests, just in a moment, for those who called in on the phone and--to be prayed for. And you out in the--the radio-land, I want you to be ready, and be in expectations. And be perseverant that you're going to hold on to the promise of God, because the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and God shall raise them up. That's the Scripture.

E-5 And if you could only stand in this heavenly atmosphere that I'm standing in this morning, here in Clifton's Cafeteria, where there's literally hundreds of people pressed in here, all believers believing and is going to join in prayer with me to pray for you and for your loved ones. Whatever it is, why not just hold it up before God now and believe that God's going to hear us and answer prayer.

E-6 Now, you must continue with the faith that you have when you feel the Presence of the Lord is with you. Now, many people wonder what happens when they--seem like they are healed, and then after while they don't feel that way. But it's because that when prayer is being made, and the Presence of the Lord with you, faith mounts up. And then when faith leaves, well, then something's happened to you. You must remain with that faith. Don't never let that feeling leave you. Just always remember that God has answered. It's His Word. He just cannot go back on that. He must keep His Word. And in an encouragement to you, knowing that God made the promise...

E-7 And I believe that the Bible is God in written form. We know that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." And this is His promises. He gave them to us, and we must cherish them. And now, there's only one thing that will quicken this Word; that's the Holy Spirit. It brings life to the seed. And when the--pours out His Spirit upon the earth, as He has in these last days, whatever kind of a seed that Spirit pours upon... Which is the waters, just like...
Christ was smitten, like the rock in the wilderness to a perishing people that were dying, needing water, Christ was smitten that the water of Life might be poured out upon them.
Now, the congregation, if you in radio-land could only see, they're standing now. Be ready now for prayer. Lay your hand upon each other, upon the radio, or upon the place where you're sick, and then let us pray together.

E-8 Our gracious heavenly Father, as we are now approaching Thy throne of grace in that all-sufficient Name of the Lord Jesus... And we come believing and laying our prayers and our faith upon the altar with all these here for those that are in the land that are sick and needy this morning. Heavenly Father, it seems like another Acts 4. When the people prayed the building was shook where they were assembled, and the power of God moved upon the people.
May Satan turn loose every bound person in radio-land this morning that's listening in. May there be such a--a happening among them, until it'll be like the testimony we have just given about the little baby with the water-head. May every disease depart from the people. May the power that raised up Jesus from the dead, and has presented Him to us alive after two thousand years, may that power quicken every sick person and make them well. Grant it, Father. We commit them to You, now, with our prayers, with the sacrifice of Christ going before us, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and for His glory. Amen.
[A brother leads the song, "Only Believe"--Ed.] [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

E-9 The Scripture says that there would be a former rain and a latter rain. Well now, the Hebrew word (I cannot call it just now.), but "former rain" means "a planting of seed." See? So the seed is planted now and getting planted all out through these organizations.
Now, when the Spirit begins to fall in that great portion, It'll bring forth Its kind. So let's pray that the--the Holy Spirit will plant the Seeds all through that organization, and when the great gush does come that there'll be a crop come out of that.

E-10 Let us pray. Our heavenly Father, our hearts are stirred this morning with great emotions because of this opportunity to see the people coming in in this hour, when the evening Lights are beginning to shine. May the great power of God sweep down through that Seventh Day Adventist organization. From the leaders all the way to the least little church, may the Holy Spirit be poured out upon them, Lord. May they receive a Pentecost and a great gathering of souls to the Kingdom of God throughout the country. Grant it, Lord, across the world. Anoint these people... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] [Tongues and interpretation--Ed.] [Blank.spot.on.tape.] [A trumpet solo of "Battle Hymn Of The Republic." A brother sings a solo, "I Cannot Fail the Lord" and "How Great Thou Art" followed by a harmonica duet.]

E-11 Thank you. I don't know what to say. I'm just without words. I've heard so much till I'm just filled up. Isn't that wonderful? How our Lord... That's just... I'm so glad. I believe I felt led to come up here this morning. So good to be here, setting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
We're so thankful to hear Brother Harold's... I can't call his last name, so I'll just have to say Harold. To hear that how the Lord led him to that great place, and what they're doing.
I certainly will say this in connection with it, that when you go to the other lands, those people there, it takes a message of Pentecost to stir them people. See? They--they have all the theology, and all the--the tracts, and so forth. But they've got to see God in action. That's what attracts them. One altar call at Durban, my last meeting there, we recorded thirty thousand come to Christ as raw heathens at one time (See?), because they seen something they could put their hand on.

E-12 I'd like to say that, in regards to that, the great missionary to India, Hudson Taylor. There was a--a young Chinese boy come up one morning and said, "Dr. Taylor," said, "I have just received Christ in my heart, and my soul is on fire with the Spirit of God in me." Said, "Shall I study... What school shall I go to to study and get my B.A., and so forth like that?"
Mr. Taylor said, "Don't wait till the candle is half burned to show light."
That's right. I think so too. When... That's the trouble. The people wait, and they take them into those seminaries and take all out of them that God put in them. You see?
I--I think, go as soon as the candle's lit. If you don't know no more, tell them how it lit. That's all they have to know. Just--just tell them how it got on fire, and let them get on fire. The rest of it'll take care of it. Just--just go. Tell them how the candle was lit, and let them get lit, and they'll tell somebody else. And the candle-lighting time now... That's true, that's right. Now, I would be foolish to try to preach behind something like that. You know that.

E-13 Like I was up here one time at a fine school, and someone said, "Brother Branham, you've wrote a few books. I would like to confer on you a doctor's degree."
I said, "I'm too smart for it."
Said, "Why would you think that?"
I said, "They know my old Kentucky way of speaking; 'his' and 'hain't' and 'tote,' and... I'd talk that, and say I was a doctor? People got better sense than that. So I'm just too smart to do that." So we know our capacity.
But it's good to be here: this fine group. And just while I was listening to the--the joybells a ringing in every heart, a little Scripture came on my mind that I might use just for, I say for fifteen minutes or by about like, brother. He... I certainly feel little, and apologize to Brother Harold. I dropped up here this morning right at the time he was to speak, and then... up among the people. Then they called me up here. I feel real bad, and apologize. [Brother Harold speaks to the audience--Ed.]

E-14 Humility is a way to success. That's right. I invite you down to the meeting tonight, down to the... I called it the Cow Palace and got everybody mixed up. They once told me it was the Cow Palace, and I find out that's plumb at San Francisco. [Someone says, "Great Western Fairgrounds"--Ed.] Great Western Fairgrounds. And we're having a grand time down there, a group of brethren. We're just like, well, like a little picture I seen one time.

E-15 I was up in the northwest fishing, and I had a trout line (many of you fishermen brethren here), and I was packed out on my back with a little pup tent. And I was way back up into the mountains. And I had a little pup tent and some, you know, equipment. And I was catching trout. And I'd just catch enough for what I'd eat, and then turn the rest of them loose. And I just love to fish for those little brook.
And I had a moose willow behind me that was catching my line all the time. In the morning I thought, "Well, I'll go down and get me a--my hatchet, and cut those moose willows off, so my little Coachman wouldn't catch in the--in the willow."

E-16 And I left the tent, and went down, and chopped it down; and had my little axe, and caught my fish, and come back. And an old mother bear and her cubs had got in my tent, and they just tore it all to pieces.
And so, a bear is just like... You've heard of a bear in a china closet. It's not what they destroy--not what they eat; it's what they destroy. Had a little stove pipe, and she had just smashed that all to pieces just to hear it rattle.
And so, I noticed... And I--I do love... Now, anybody here from Kentucky? I love flapjacks, you know. They... You call them pancakes here, I believe. And so--and I--I like to put molasses on them. And--and I--I--I'm not--I don't sprinkle; I baptize. So I really pour it on, you know, so I have to bring plenty--plenty molasses.

E-17 And--and the strange thing when I come up, the old mother bear run away over to one side, and she cooed to the cubs, and one little cub run off with her. The other little cub just set there, had his back turned: a little bitty fellow it was in springtime. And I knowed better than to approach too close to that little fellow, because mother might scratch me. So I... And she kept cooing to it. And I noticed, "What's the matter with the little fellow?"
And I looked around, and he had his head all down like this, you know. He was moving his hand up and down. I thought, "What's he got?" I walked around, keeping a tree always in mind, so to get up the tree before she could get to me. And I walked around, and this little fellow had got my molasses bucket, and he got the--his--the lid off of it. And he didn't know, of course, how to drink it, and he'd just stick his little paw down like this, and lick it up over his face like this. And they love sweet stuff, and he was molasses from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. And he would lick it.

E-18 And I hollered, "Get away from there." And he didn't pay a bit of attention to me. And his mother called him; he still didn't pay any attention to me. I thought, "Well, he's found something awful good." So when he looked around, he couldn't open his eyes--just sticking full of molasses, you know: funniest looking little fellow.
I thought, "Yeah, there's no condemnation to them that's in the patch. That's one thing sure." I thought, "Just like a real old Pentecostal meeting like this morning," got our hands down in the molasses jar just as far as we can, licking.
You know, the thing of it was, when he finally dropped the bucket and run off to them that was scared to come up there and get it, the rest of them licked him--so licking the molasses off.
So that's about what we've been doing this morning, licking molasses from these testimonies.

E-19 Enjoyed Sister Shakarian's testimony. And this little Stevie, how he's growed up here. I used to pat him on the head, and now he can pat me on the head. My, he's growed up, and made such a fine boy, and following his... No wonder, he's got a good background, something behind it. See Brother Demas here after all this, and Brother Williams, and oh, so many here. I don't know just how to say it, but I'm grateful to be here, this fine time of fellowship. And this is the kind of places that's just heavenly to me, just set together like this and have a great joy. Now, as we have rejoiced, can... Something come on my mind just a few moments ago, a Scripture. And just before we approach this Scripture could we just pray, just for a moment.

E-20 Gracious Father God, into Thy Presence we come now by the way of grace, by the bidding of our Lord saying, "Ask the Father anything in My Name, I'll do it." We know that it shall be given. We're grateful to You for this gathering today at this upper room. Oh, if this blind world could only see and feel the joy, every drunkard would come from the alley, O God, if they only knew what true joy was. They're trying to take and drink, and many are laying on the beaches, and in dance halls, trying to substitute something for this great joy that God brought them on earth to receive. God, I pray that there'll be light go from here today that will bring many into this saving knowledge and the joy of God be in their hearts.
Thank You, Father. As I quote these few words, bless them to the furthering of the service. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

E-21 Over in the book of Isaiah, I'd just like to quote from one just for a--just a few moments. Isaiah 32:2: "And the--the Name of the Lord is a mighty tower. He's a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm."
I would like to think of that, the rock in a weary land." And I... Seeing this group kind of brings something to my memory. That is, I'd like to state this, or text this, to say this: "Letting Off the Pressure." I think that's what's happened this morning.
You know, the world is built up under pressure. Everything is going at a breakneck speed, and they don't know where they're going. They go down the road at ninety miles an hour, to stop in a tavern and drink two hours 'fore they get home. And it just seems to be such a pressure: everybody irritable, pushing, shoving. And I--I just wonder what the cure is.

E-22 Then I remember a few days ago, our pastor... I'd come in, and I was late with my calls, and people gathering in, you know, internationally around there, and set in the hotels, and motels and things, waiting. And then the pastor was worn out. He couldn't make some of his calls, and some of them were emergencies. So I took some of his and went to ones--the--the City Hospital.
And the--a room 331, I believe, was the number. I was to go to a woman facing a--an operation. And I went down to 331, and the woman wasn't there. So I went back up, and a nurse was standing there patting her foot. And I said, "How do you do?" I said, "Could you tell me where Miss Such-a-name is?" I said, "She's supposed to be in 331."
She said, "Well, if she's supposed to be in 331, she is."
I thought, "Oh, my." I said, "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
I went back to 331 again and they said, "Well, maybe it's 332, across the hall."
"No." Said, "She isn't here. It might have been 231."
So I went down the stairs, and there was a little doctor setting there at the desk, a little man. The first one I've ever seen as broad as he was high. So he was setting there at the switchboard, and I passed by, and I said, "Howdy do?" He just looked at me kind of strange, and I thought, "Uh-uh, I don't want to ask him."

E-23 So I went on down in the room, and there was a lady coming from the operation room (a lady with a mask over her face) and--and the nurse there at the floor. She went over to desk, and I said, "Lady, I'm a bit confused." I said, "I went upstairs to see a lady at 331, and she wasn't there. And I couldn't find... They said maybe she's at--at 231."
She said, "Well, then, look in 231."
I said, "Well, thank you." My.
I couldn't find 231. So I went sort of down the hall. The little doctor was walking along with his stereoscopes in his hand, twisting them around like this. I said, "Good evening, sir." I said, "I'm looking for 231. Could you tell me?"
He said, "This a way and that way."
I said, "Thank you for your information." What is it?
I went back, and there was another lady setting over to the desk, and I thought she looked pretty calm, so I said, "Lady, could you tell me?" I told her my story. I said, "I'm a bit confused. I'm a minister. I'm here to make a call."
She said, "Just a moment, sir." She went over, looked on the books, said, "Yes. Go right around the corner. She's... And she's in 241."
So I thought, "Well, praise God, somebody had the pressure off."

E-24 See? It's just a built-up pressure. It's the age that we're living in: a neurotic age where people don't know what to do, where they're going. And the doctors don't have the answer for it, because the psychiatrists is being doctored by the psychiatrists. So they have not the answer.
But there's some answer surely, somewhere. We could deal on it for hours. But I was just thinking that God has the answer. If they could just set in a place like this, takes off the pressure (See?), with people who are--are entered into eternity. We are not going into it; we're already in it. That's right.

E-25 Speaking the other night... I don't say anything that's worth anything, but sometimes the Lord gives me something. And when I do, I think it's profound, because He give it to me. And I was thinking that (I spoke on it at a meeting the other night.) how that God's children, one time slaves, nothing to eat and just living bere--mere conditions that they were in. And down out of the wilderness came a prophet, and told them of a land that was flowing with milk and honey.

E-26 And now, they'd never been to that land. They knowed nothing of it, but they followed him. Finally they came to Kadesh-barnea. And there Joshua, the great warrior (meaning Jehovah-Saviour) went over the Jordan, and brought back the evidence that that land was there--where a man could live in peace, raise his family, his children, and be a nation, and God would bless them. And how that he brought back the evidence that God had not lied to the people, that the land was there. And it was a good land. It was flowing with milk and honey. They brought back a bunch of grapes that two men carried.
Then, after while man had to die. Of course, after he'd lived and raised his children, he had to face the graveyard. Finally this great land become a... All the hillsides (or many of the hillsides, I should have said) became graveyards, and the blessed ones laid on these graves.

E-27 Then there came another great warrior once: Jesus of Nazareth, Jehovah made flesh dwelling among us. He came down and told us that "In My Father's house there are many mansions." Though you have a land, you can raise your homes, and a raise your children and raise your crops and... But there is a land where man doesn't die, where you don't have to get old and die. And He was the Joshua in our--for us, and He came to His Kadesh-barnea, the judgment seat, which Kadesh was the judgment seat. And there, Kadesh-barnea for Him was Calvary, where He bore all of our sins.

E-28 And then He crossed over what we call Jordan (death) and come back on Easter morning, bringing the evidence to us that man can live after death. Then He brought back a group of grapes too, and He told them to wait up there to the day of Pentecost. They all got a bite of it, and got the--the evidence that man is--is--can live again, and we are living again. We have raised from the things of death unto new life, and now we set together in heavenly places already in Christ Jesus, already in eternity, because we become a part of His Life, Eternal Life. And Eternal Life is God's Life--God's, because we're sons and daughters of God. Everything had a beginning has an end. So it's those things that had no beginning has no end, and that was only God. So we become part of His life.

E-29 Think of it. God, on the day of Pentecost, that Pillar of Fire separated and tongues of fire set upon each of them, God separating Himself in--dividing Himself, amongst His people. We become God's own Life in us. Then we are dead to the things of the world, and have risen with Christ and setting in heavenly places, looking back to where we come from. It's enough that we could think of that.
And it lets off the pressure, takes the pressure away when we recognize the position that we now hold in Christ by receiving the Holy Spirit--God's own Life (The Greek word "Zoe" which means God's own Life.) dwelling in you. And you can no more die than God can die. We're eternal with the eternal (Amen.), waiting for that glorious time of redemption of the body.
And now we are already dead, and our lives are hid in God through Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit. The devil is out of the picture altogether. And when we set together like this in heavenly places with Christ, in Him, then we can certainly let off pressure.

E-30 I take for instance that great night down in Egypt (what we all think of, that great Passover night) that when all Egypt was bothered. Everybody was running from house to house, and screaming going on everywhere. But Israel could set just as calm in the midst of trouble. They had one thing to do: apply the blood to the lintel, and there would--you could rest calmly. And if Israel could look upon the post by the applied blood, and know that death would pass over (that was the Blood of the Lamb in figure), how much more can we rest assured when God...

E-31 Not to speak against my Baptist brethren... As a brother just said, they said, "We received the Holy Ghost when we believed." Paul said, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?"
A great Baptist brother met me not long ago, and he said to me, he said, "Brother Branham, you being a Baptist," he said, "that--that sounds incredible for you to say that we do not receive the Holy Ghost when we believe." He said, "Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness."
I said, "And God gave him the seal of the confirmation. He had received his faith, when He give him the seal of circumcision. Therefore, the circumcision now is the Holy Ghost. It circumcises our heart, and know we've passed from death unto Life. We've raised up with Christ in resurrection." I said, "Now, when we know that, we look back at our lives and see what we were."

E-32 If the colored people are here, excuse this expression. But the colored lady who gave the testimony at the convention one time, she said--got up and gave her testimony. She said, "Well's, I want to say this," she said. "I--I ain't what I ought to be, and I ain't what I want to be. And then again, I know I ain't what I used to be." So that was--that was it.
So we know that we have passed from death unto Life because we are alive. We're not what we used to be. Oh, it's wonderful to know that the pressure can be let off. That's all. "The Name of the Lord is a mighty tower that the righteous run into. And He is a rock in a weary land," a rock in a weary land.

E-33 I was reading some time ago of a great eagle. I preached once in the convention of the eagle, because the only way I know how to speak is watch nature, and God lives in nature. Watching the eagle, seeing its traits... And up at the temple up here, preaching on the "Lamb And The Dove," the nature of them... And see, all them things are just God speaking to us.
And there's one type of eagle (There's forty different kinds of them.), means "a ripper with the beak." And this eagle, as he gets old, there's a crust comes over his head. And he gets old, he goes blind almost, and he can't hardly get around.

E-34 Finally, when he gets weary, and all of his feathers are getting loose so he cannot fly very high anymore, then he goes till--he goes high into the mountains till he finds a certain rock. There he sits at that rock now. The job is that he's got to beat his head against that rock until all that crust flies off. And they say he will beat and beat until his head will bleed. He will almost knock himself out. He will come back and beat again until all the crust is gone. When all that crust goes off his head, though he's bleeding and wounded, he's got the assurance. He will raise up and flop what feathers he's got and scream out. He lets off the pressure. Why? He knows as soon as all that crust is gone, he's going to renew his life again. He gets renewed again. New life is sure to come when all the crust is gone.

E-35 And when I think what--how great a God is to be mindful of His eagle, to give that eagle a way to renew his life when he's old. Only thing he has to do is beat the crust off. And that's a great thing.
But oh, I know another Rock that a man can beat the crust of the world off there, until every unbelief has dropped, and every shadow and every fetter has dropped, until he has got all the world beat out of him, all the unbelief beat out of him, all the pride beat out of him, all the starch beat out of him. Then new life is sure to come. Then you can let off the steam and just start rejoicing because new life is sure to come.
As long as you can beat the unbelief out of you: take things, and not take some dogma, some creed or something that some man has made up; just take the unadulterated Word of God, and believe it and stay there until It becomes a reality to you. I'm telling you; new birth is on its road. That's exactly. We can let off the steam then, because new birth is on its road.

E-36 I was preaching up in the mountains one time in Kentucky, and I made a--an altar call. There was a great big old fellow come back there, was going to throw me out of the meeting. Was in corn-cutting time, and he--he had just had his trouser leg ripped open, and he had a nail in it. And he was going to go up there and throw this little holy-roller preacher out. So they told me he was coming. And when he come to the door (four or five great big bullies, and arms closed like this). I just kept on preaching away. And he waited a little too long. He couldn't get to the altar quick enough. He fell in the middle of the floor and begin to throw his hands up, crying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner," calling out at the altar.

E-37 And then when the Holy Spirit come down and revealed, and told him what he would done, standing there... That's what got him. When he stood there, and told him that another woman he was running with (and there set his wife, and two children setting there), shamed him to the very act that he had done. He knowed that it took more than man to do that. It took God to do something like that. And he screamed coming to the altar, crying, "Be merciful to me, God. I'm a sinner."

E-38 The next day he come back, he said, "Brother Branham, I had a dream last night that I was a rabbit setting out in the field." And he said, "A great hound got after me." And he said, "I started running for all that was in me. And I didn't know where to go." And said, "I looked up on the mountain, and there was a big rock and it had a hole in it." He said, "I thought if I could ever get to that rock, I could just let off the pressure." He said, "The hound was so close till I could feel his breath on my heels." He said, "But when I got in, I set down and let off the pressure."
That's a good thing to do. There is a Rock that where we can find... He's a Rock in a weary land, there where we can set down and let off the pressure.

E-39 And now, friends, it's eleven o'clock, and I know we're supposed to go now. And I'm so glad to be here this morning with all the pressure off and setting amongst people like this. The Lord bless you real, real good, and pray for me. God bless you. [A brother speaks to the congregation--Ed.] [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

E-40 You all understood that just recently I'd almost gotten killed. You--you knew that, about a rifle blowing up, one of the... Mr. Weatherby, down here, had bored out a rifle. It was a rebored rifle, and it was a Winchester. I've always wanted a Weatherby Magnum, 'cause I've hunted. And that's the only outlet I have. And Brother Art Wilson gave my boy a .270; I beg your pardon, it's a .257 Roberts. And Billy's left-handed, so he could not use the gun, because it was a bolt action model 70, you brethren who shoot guns... And that's--that's been my...

E-41 My mother, you know, that just slipped to heaven a few weeks ago was a half-Indian, and I just love the outdoors. And that's where I get my shooting.
And I--I never could... I've got friends that would've brought me a Weatherby gun. That's right, I have. But I couldn't think of letting a friend buy me a Weatherby gun, and putting that much money in it, when I got missionary friends ain't got shoes on their feet. I couldn't do that. No, I just couldn't do it.
So a brother said, "I'll have that gun bored out for you, Billy, and it'll be all right."

E-42 Mr. Weatherby bored it out. When I brought it back, I put the shell in it, and raised to fire it like that, and it blowed up in my face. It blowed the barrel fifty yards in front of me, and the stock this way. And the--all I see was red fire as high as this ceiling go up like that, and blood was spurting all over everything. And I raised up peacefully. I thought I'd passed on. And it was such a tremendous thing.

E-43 I got a little--a little message out of that. See, that rifle wasn't started a Weatherby. If it would been started at the beginning a Weatherby, it would've been all right, because the steel would've held. It got--it got pressure off it. Mr. Weatherby's so nice. He searched the rifle. He couldn't tell what happened, but I thought it was head space that did it.
Now, (See?), if that rifle would've started at the beginning, and come up a Weatherby, it'd never blowed up.

E-44 And now listen, friends, let me say this to you. When you go out professing Christianity, don't just take a reconversion idea of it. You'll blow up sooner or later. Don't try to impersonate someone else. Look. Don't just make out, and join church, or sing the songs. You got to be borned again and start from the beginning. Then it'll hold the pressure as long as you got it so it won't blow up. God bless you. And I'm thankful you all praying for me now. God...

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