Thy Loving Kindness
Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S
Sermon translation in French: 58-0228 - Shp
E-1 Thank you very much, Brother Arnold. Let us bow our heads just a moment for prayer.
Gracious Father, we come into Thy Divine Presence now to offer to Thee the thanksgiving and to express to Thee the very adoration of our hearts; for truly, we adore Thee. And we would ask that Your blessings come to us tonight in the further part of this service.
Let the unsaved, Lord, see the place that they're living today, flee to the cross for refuge. And may those who are not walking upright before You, though professing to be Your children, may they become altogether ashamed of their character as they profess to be children of God and live a life that's full of reproach.
E-2 We would ask tonight that You would remember the sick and the afflicted that's here in Divine Presence, along with others that's around the world. Heal the sick tonight, Lord; bring to us the joy that we are looking for. And those who are wayfaring men and women, along life's journey, some of them, Lord, has been on the field for a long time. And not one thing have they ever did for Thy glory that's hid from You. You remember every little deed, and every heartache, and everything that they suffered for the Kingdom's sake. And someday they shall receive that great reward when the crowns will be given out. We ask Thee tonight to encourage those people.
E-3 And may we buckle up the--the armor of God just a little tighter tonight, go forward in battle tomorrow where right and wrong is engaged. May we not fear for as to go, but know that the Morning Star is shining over us. And if God be for us, who shall be against us, or who shall touch the anointed of the Lord. May that be the consolation of every believer. Grant it, Lord.
E-4 And as we're about to turn back the pages of Thy sacred and holy Writing that we call the Bible, give us the portion tonight, Lord, in the Scriptures, that would take care of these requests that we're asking for. Anoint the reading of the Word and the preaching of the Word. May the Holy Spirit get into the Word, and into the preacher, and into the audience, that we would even forget where we're at, that the Holy Spirit would have us so under control that God would be magnified, glory would be gotten to His Name. Grant these blessings, Father, as we further wait on Thee. In Jesus' blessed, holy Name, we ask it. Amen.
E-5 Just for a small portion of your time... And I'm sure that you would be blessed if you should go from the building now to your homes, the reading of the Word or the songs that we have heard, that you'd be blessed.
E-6 I was tossed up just a little tonight on the road over, there's been a accident on the bridge. And I just waited for Billy to come up and see if they were ready for me, and I was praying because some of the people that had been included in the accident were--looked like to me Christian people. And--and they were--the policemen were making us go on. No one seemed to be seriously hurt, but just moving us on. And we were delayed just a little. If it be that some of our dear brothers and sisters has been caught into an accident, God deliver them from any harm.
E-7 And now, tonight I wish you to turn (if you keep down the Scripture reading) in the Book of the Psalms, the 63rd Psalm and the first three verses. We feel that we have chosen this tonight for our study of the Word.
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary.
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
This is a most unusual Scripture. And when I read this Scripture, I was trying to think of what the prophet must be thinking of when we make this quotation, "Thy lovingkindness is better to me than life." I can't think of anything any better than life. You might sum up everything that you know of, and every good thing that you know of, and there would be nothing to take the place of life, for all things must have an end besides Eternal Life.
E-8 And David, aware of the Presence of God, and how that God had blessed him, and how that he seen God in nature as he walked by the shady green pastures and down by the still waters... And the great psalmist as he wrote the Psalms out where he found God in nature...
If you'll just look around, you can see Him in all nature. Oh, I love to look at God. You can see Him if you'll just look through His eyes.
E-9 Sometime ago, I was herding some cattle way up on the Arapaho Forest, out on... cross Berthoud Pass in Colorado. And I was up there just resting from the meetings. And I used to do a little ranching up there with another fellow.
And I... One day while we was on the spring roundup of bringing the cattle in, I was salting the cattle. And I rode... after I'd unpacked the saddle horse, and I walked up to the top of the mountain. And I was just looking through my glasses to see where the cattle were getting their positions and places, from the top of the mountain, and I saw an unusual sight. I saw an old mother eagle a taking her young ones from the nest.
E-10 And I watched them just a little bit, because God spoke in the Bible that He likened His people unto eagles. And how that this old mother eagle, how she got those young ones on her wing, and she taken them down into a--a green pasture. And there, after letting her little ones off, she soared way up high to the highest peek that she could find. And she sit down on the rock, turning herself around looking east, west, north, and south, to see if there was any danger.
E-11 You know, you hear so much talking about the hawk. The hawk is no match at all to the eagle. His eyes are fifty percent better than the hawk. He's much faster. He can kill the hawk in attitude--or in altitude as he goes up. The hawk can't follow him. The eagle's made up. God likened His prophets to eagles that soar way high that they can see things far off, coming.
E-12 And I thought, laying there on my stomach and across the rock, watching this big eagle, I studied her as that great big head begin to turn and look, those piercing eyes watching all around. I thought, "Yes, that's right. Them little eaglets was born in a nest."
And oh, if you were ever around one of their nests, it smells terrible. And it's made out of sticks and briars and padded with rabbit skin and sheepskin if she can find it. But when she gets ready to stir up that nest, she throws all of that out and makes it real miserable for her brood.
And sometimes God does that too when He stirs the nest. He makes it so miserable you don't want to stay any longer. He's stirring up the nest.
E-13 But then I thought... What she did after she let her little ones down in a grassy field... They'd never seen green grass before and the waters rippling by. But she took her perch way high so she could watch over those little fellows. And she wasn't too high but what the speed of her wings could go within a--a moments time to their rescue.
I thought, "No, wonder David could look and see God in His nature." Jesus died that He might save us. And He's climbed the ramparts of glory and sets at the right hand of the Majesty of God watching over His heritage, His brood, as the poet said, "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me." That's not one thing can happen to you but what He knows about it.
E-13 And I thought, "How unconcerned those little fellows are of danger." They just got their little wing feathers, and they couldn't fly. But they were tumbling over each other, and pulling the grass, and just having a regular Pentecostal revival, care free, because they knew that mother was watching over them.
And how carefree ought the children of God to be when they know that God's watching over His heritage.
E-15 And I looked, and my heart beat heavy, and I'd take my little old red handkerchief to wipe a tear of joy from my eyes as I lay quiet watching them.
And by and by, after they had a real good time, there come a storm let out a roar of a thunder. Quickly, the clouds rise. And you have to hurry to shelter when a northerner comes, because the rain comes so fast through those valleys, across the top of the mountains. It's hid until it comes over the mountain all of a sudden.
E-16 And she let a great scream out, and down through that timber she soared like a mighty big airplane. And when she hit the ground, she let out a great big scream, and all those little eagles come, set their little feet right in her wing feathers, took their little bill and got a good tight hold, and she raised with those mighty wings. And though the wind sweeping down across the top of the mountain at about sixty miles an hour, she drove herself with those little eagles into the rock of safety.
Oh, if you'll just look around, you can see God everywhere.
Someday Jesus will come. Before an atomic bomb can destroy His Church, He will come and stretch forth His wings, and His children will know His voice, and that familiar cry that He gives when He leaves the ramparts of glory. And His Church will be taken away on the wings of His salvation.
No matter how bad the destructions is, He's watching.
E-17 And when I heard David here say, "Thy lovekindness is better to me than life," then thinking that nothing could be any better than life, there must be another definition, or there must two different kinds of life.
And there is two kinds of life. There's life that leads to destruction, and there's life that leads to everlasting.
E-18 And this life that people think that's life, the devil has perverted the real genuine life and making you think that you're really living when you're not. He tries to make you think that to have plenty of good clothes, to own a nice automobile, have the taxes paid up on your place, you're living. But you're not. That's where America is deceived today.
And some people think because they're having life, they're out riding, reveling around. That's not life; that's death.
E-19 Some time ago in a large Canadian city, I was holding a meeting. And when I'd come from the--the great arena with a lovely meeting that night. And I was in this great hotel. I don't know whether it have anything like it in the States. And I was going up on the elevator, and I noticed whiskey bottles laying in the elevator.
And also that afternoon there'd been a great bunch of an Americans come up there. An organization, a society, a lodge, was having their annual get-together. There was about five or six hundred Americans there. And they were really having a time.
When I got off of the elevator... All down each floor when you would pass, you would hear the hollering, and the screaming, and the dancing. And they thought they were having a good time. But that kind of life leads to a place to where man wants to gets rid of that type of life; they take a pistol and blow their brains out. So David couldn't have been speaking about that kind of life. It gets so miserable until people jump off of bridges. They take poison to end that life. So David could not been speaking of that type of life.
E-20 And when my elevator stopped, I heard a noise down along the hall, and I looked. And here come two American women just with their underneath clothes on, oh, probably twenty eight, twenty six, somewhere along in there years old, under thirty, perhaps mothers. Only an American way of thinking, "It's just a little clean fun." It's dirty, black sin. The Bible said, "She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she's alive." But, oh, we think that's innocent fun. It's the gates of hell.
And these young women, perhaps their husbands at home playing the babysitter while their stitch-and-sew party was having a little fun: drunk as they could be, with their underneath clothes on only, a bottle of whiskey in their hand, and men pulling them from room to room, just a little clean American fun."
E-21 What do you think God thinks about that? And maybe a many a man there, pulling these women with his innocent wife at home setting with the babies. "Just a little fun with the boss and the boys."
And I stepped back in a little place, a little end. And they were coming down, staggering: beautiful women. And they stopped and passed the bottle one to the other, pulled up their little skirt of a thing they had on, their underneath skirt, threw up their legs in the air, and said, "Whoopee, this is life."
I just couldn't stand it any longer. I stepped out; I said, "You're mistaken lady, that's death!"
She turned and looked at me.
I walked over to them. I had this very Bible in my hand. I said, "I am a preacher of the Gospel. And I too am an American. And you call that life? You are deceived, and the devil has deceived you. That's the road to hell and eternal separation from the Presence of the living God."
They looked at each other, and their make--manicure, whatever you call the stuff they put on their face, all around where they'd been kissed and carried on, their hair stringing down. They looked at one another, and down the hall they went.
E-22 Oh, God be merciful to this backslidden hypocritical nation, calling itself a Christian nation and living in tommyrot and sin like that. If God doesn't judge this nation for its sin, it'll--God will be just; He will have to resurrect Sodom and Gomorrah and apologize to them. We are bound for judgment.
No wonder sputniks are sailing the skies and the nations are fearing. We're at the end time. God's being merciful. Christ said, "If the work doesn't cut short for the elect, there'd even be no flesh saved."
Oh, what a miserable thing it is. The devil perverts those things. He makes you think you're living when you're dead.
E-23 Now, what makes the fellow then, thirst? There's some reason for that. What makes people want to drink? What makes women want to be untrue, and men untrue? What makes them desire to join churches that indulge in such as card playing, cigarette smoking, and all those kind of things like that. It's because God made a man to thirst. And God made you up to thirst. That's why you do thirst. But He made you to thirst after Him. That thirst was made in you to thirst after Him. But the devil has perverted it. And trying to make you be satisfied with trying to quench that blessed holy thing with sin. You have no right to try to quench that blessed holy thirst with drinking and wading in sin. You remember that.
God made you to thirst after Him in righteousness. And the devil turns it around. Oh, there's many things he's tries to quench it with. That's the reason you people don't go to church on Wednesday night no more; you'd rather stay home and look at some old dirty television of "We Love Suzy." Oh, and then say, "You love God?" No wonder we can't have revival in America.
E-24 And you got on your record machines them old dirty songs of Elvis Presley, and all that other bunch of Tennessee trash over there, "All Shook Up." You're going to be someday all shook up. Arthur Godfrey and all that tommyrot you women listen to that on a morning, and call yourself Christians with all those old smutty jokes trying to satisfy yourself, when you ought to have your Bible open somewhere in a prayer meeting praying to Almighty God. Got no right to try to quench that holy thirst with the things of the world.
And I'm surprised as I looked in the street... A few years ago when I first started coming to the Pentecostal churches when I left the Baptist, the women used to dress like women ought to dress. But they don't any more. What's the matter? Oh, I know, this might make you just a little bit sick.
E-25 When I was a little boy I was raised up here in Kentucky. We were very poor. Black eyed peas and corn bread was all we had three times a day. And mama used to get down from the old store, country store, bacon rind. And she'd render them out to make the grease for the corn bread. And I remember, every Saturday night all the bunch of little Branhams would come up to an old cedar tub and take that Saturday night bath, change the long underwear, and each one take a big dose of castor oil. I just can't stand the stuff yet. And me being the oldest, I had to take it first.
And when I would come to my mama, I'd hold my nose, and I'd say, "Mama, it makes me so sick to even smell it."
And she said, "Billy, if it don't make you sick, it don't do you no good."
That's the way the preaching of the Gospel is. If it don't stir up your innermost being, it don't do you much good.
E-26 Pentecostal Christian women out on the street with slacks on, do you know, lady, that the Bible said, "That a woman that'll put on any garment that pertains to a man, it's an abomination?" And little old clothes on and shorts... And you get out in the yard just when the men are coming home from work. Do you realize that's devil possession?
Listen, lady, you wear these little old dirty clothes that they sell in these stores, sexy looking. You might be as pure as a lily to your husband. But if you dress like that, and get on the street, and a sinner looks at you, you are guilty of committing adultery with that sinner. And at the judgment bar you'll answer for it. Jesus Christ the blessed Son of the living God said, "Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her in his heart."
When that sinner answers for committing adultery, you are the one he committed it with. Why, you say, "That's his fault." It's your fault for presenting yourself like that.
Oh, you say, "But, Brother Branham, they don't sell no other kind of clothes but them."
Well, they still sell sewing machines and goods. I know that's old fashion, but it's what the world needs today. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. People just can't take it. That's all.
E-27 You say, "What about the men?"
All right, here you are. A man that'll let his wife dress like that, and smoke cigarettes, it shows how much man you are. That's exactly what it is. You're supposed to be the head of the house, but you're not. That's true. And the devil does that trying to quench that holy thirst. If a man loves God, he can't love mammon at the same time. If you love the world, or the things of the world, it's because the real love of the Father's not even in you. Now, do you see why we can't have a revival?
E-28 You may not love me after this, but at the judgment bar you'll know I've told you the truth.
What happened? There used to be an old Methodist preacher by the name of Brother Kelly. He used to sing a song.
We let down the bars,
We let down the bars,
We compromised with sin,
We let down the bars,
The sheep got out,
But how did the goats get in?
You let down the bars (That's exactly right.), compromising with sin. Oh, God, be merciful.
You know what the Bible said? Christ is your satisfying Portion to every believer.
E-29 It would be no mysterious thing to me if I went out in the country and seen a--a pig on a manure pile eating. That's his nature. But I'd sure be surprised if I saw a lamb eating with him. That's right. The spirit in you bears record what you are. "By their fruits you shall know them."
Pentecost, we need a cleaning up from the pulpit to--all the way to the basement. That's for you Baptists too, Methodist, Presbyterian, the whole bunch of you. We need a house, cleaning, God's holy fire. You've got the fire in the basement when it ought to be on the altar and in every heart, not in the basement.
We've changed the upper room to a supper room to get enough money to pay the preacher. I'd rather lay on my stomach, and drink branch water, and eat soda crackers, and preach the truth, than to have fried chicken three times a day and compromise with sin. Amen.
E-30 Trying to quench that thirst that God put in you, not to hear after a scandal like Arthur Godfrey, or some of those other dirty mouth impostors... That's not real Americanism, that's hellishism. Right. It's out of the bosoms of hell. No wonder our nation's gone, such stuff as that. And it's drifted right into the Church.
The devil knowed how to keep the children from the picture show; he put it in the house with you. That's right. You know that's right. Just let them listen to any old dirty thing, all those old jokes and things that they tell. "Bring up a child in the way they should go."
No wonder we got juvenile delinquency. No, we've got parent delinquency. We've got home delinquency. Junior's out somewhere with his hot rod on Sunday; sister's down to a rock-and-roll, and mom's out to a card party, and--and dad's over to some kind of a poker game. And the church pews are setting empty because the Blood of God has vanished from the church of the living God.
You love God with all your heart, you won't do those things. It's true.
E-31 Another thing he tries to quench it with, he tries to quench it by letting you join church. Oh, you think, "I belong to church, I don't have to listen to such stuff."
You might not have to set and listen to it; you can go out. But one day you're going to be judged by it anyhow. You'll have to stand for that. All this tommyrot, join church...
"Well, my organization has been a long time organization." It might have been that. That's no sign that you're secure, not a bit.
Oh, how pitiful it is to see that blessed holy thirst that God put into men to thirst after Him, and the devil perverting it to make you, "Oh, I belong to church. You ain't got no business telling me them things, Mr. Branham."
The Bible speaks of those things. And I'm a preacher and duty bound to God to explain them. Then the blood's off my hands.
E-32 What happened to all the Pentecostal women and their long hair? That burned, didn't it? But it's the truth. The Bible said, "This hair was given to a woman for her glory." No wonder you don't have much more glory, you cut it off. You know that's true.
What happened? You got to looking too much at television. You got to impersonating some movie star, married four or five times, living with three or four husbands. Aren't you ashamed to quench that thirst after such scalawags and prostitutes as that, and leave God's Holy Spirit great--grieved away from you? Certainly.
Maybe I'd better quit a little... No, I'm not. Bit listen. It's got to be told. And it's the truth.
E-33 Oh, if you'd only take God for your satisfying Portion, if you'd only change all that tommyrot into a worship of a God, how the Holy Spirit sweep over my soul, sweep over my soul...
And the Church has got into the Laodicean Age just to beat a tambourine, or beat a piano up-and-down, jump and shout and act like the world all the time; when the love of God constrains us to do that which is right. Yes, no wonder we're getting nowhere. No wonder gifts can't come in the Church.
God's got to have a foundation to put that Church on. He's got to have a Church to put those gifts in. He will never put it into a bunch of stuff like that. It is true.
All different... "I'm a Presbyterian." "I'm Assembly." "I'm a Church of God." What's that?" Pot can't call kettle black. If you don't think... You belong to Christ, you got a love for the entire body of Christ whether he be Methodist, Presbyterian, Assemblies, or the Church of God, or whatever he may be.
E-34 Oh, David, when he cried out, "I long to see Thy Spirit; I long to see Thy glory like I saw it in the sanctuary. My soul cries for Thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is." How that prophet saw this day. David over in Psalm 42:1, he said, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so my soul thirsts after Thee, O God."
Him being a woodsmen, David was acquainted with nature. And the hart is a deer. And I've seen it many times, being a hunter myself.
E-35 They have a wild dog in Africa, and in America it's the wolf. And this wolf is a sneaker. And when he gets to a place he sees the hart, the deer, he slips up just as cunning as he can, keeping himself disguised. And that's the way sin does: innocent.
And when he gets a good shot at his prey, he runs and makes a jump. And he's got two fangs; they're called blood fangs. And he... His favorite place to grab the little deer is just behind the burr of the ear. He sinks his teeth deeply. The jugular vein comes up the side, runs to his heart. And the wild dog grabs this deer, and sinks his teeth into it, and then swings his weight in front of the deer. When it does, those fangs slits the throat of the deer. On the ground he goes; the little fellow's gone, the blood spurting. Before he gets through kicking, there's dozens of dogs picking him to the bone.
That's the way the devil does. You get out some of you innocent kids, try to let these long sideburns grow like Elvis Presley, and a big bunch of hair sticking out the back of your necks, and an old jacket on.
E-36 God bless that man at that school, not long ago, that said, "I'll close this school. You'll go home and come back dressed like gentlemen." Amen.
When they dress like that, they act like that. That's trash of the street. And it isn't becoming even to a good citizen, let alone a Christian.
And some of you little girls get out on the street and one of them old wild dogs give a whistle at you, and you got yourself all poured into a bunch of scandal, dirty clothes, and your mammy home maybe praying for you... And you'll give what they call "the wolf whistle." And you turn around with those little lips all painted up, and "Tee-hee," look around. You don't realize that's the wolf in hell after you. Just turn once, and he will get you to a rock-and-roll party and you're finished.
E-37 By the way, speaking of that paint on the face, you Pentecostal women used to not do that. What happened? I'm just asking you. What happened? You did run well, what hindered you? Did your pulpit get weak? Then put him out and get a pastor will preach the truth. If your denomination let--lets you down, get to another denomination. Certainly.
Listen, sister, I don't meant to hurt you. I just come back from Africa and in the heathen land. It's--that is a heathen trait. The Hottentots in--of Africa, that's where painting come from: heathens. It's a sign of heathenism. And it's condemned by God. A pretty face ain't what God looks for; it's a pretty soul that He looks for.
And listen, there was one woman in the Bible who painted her face, and her name was Jezebel. And God fed her to the dogs. So you can see what a painted face woman is in the sight of God; it's dog meat. There that's right. I don't say that for a joke. That's truth. You could just see it, God's got some dog bait going there.
And the wolves of hell (you're baiting yourself so they whistle at you), pick your bones till you're no more than a street harlot. Though you could live just as clean to your husband as you could be, you'll answer for committing adultery at the day of judgment.
And you sons of God, letting your wives do such a thing as that, shame on you. I don't think there's much man in you. Man's not measured by a big pair of wide shoulders; that's brute. Man's measured by character. I seen men that weighed two hundred pounds and muscles like one of these mules out here, and had no more man about him then to throw a baby out of a mothers arms and ravish her. That's brute. Man is character. God help us.
That thirst in there is for God and not for the world. God be merciful.
E-38 Then if this little deer is quick, and the wolf grabs her... If he can't get by the ear and drag her in somewhere. (He will get her to fixing up and dressing herself.) And the other hold on the wolf is to grab the little deer in the flank. If he misses the throat, the jugular vein, the quick kill (a cigarette, or drink of whiskey, or rock-and-roll), he will grab her by the flank, and then he throws himself. And that's the balance part of the deer. The hindquarters are heavier than the front quarters, so he can throw the deer; it's out of balance.
Now, if the little deer's quick, comes to herself, what happens? She can throw herself in such a way that the wolf will jerk a whole mouthful out of her flank. That's what David was talking about. Away she goes. Then she's all bleeding, wounded. She's been to a revival. And she comes wounded.
E-39 And any hunter knows that if he wounds a deer, and if he can get to water, you'll never get him. He will run right straight to water. I've watched them a many times. He will drink, then run up and try to get away from the dogs, come back. And he will never leave that stream. As long as he can find water, he will live. But if he can't find water, he will die in a few minutes. That's the reason David said, "As the hart panteth for the water brooks, my soul thirsts after Thee, O God."
E-40 Picture it. He must find water or die. Watch, his little ears up, his heart beating fast, his life leaving his nostrils. With every whit that's he's got, "Oh, water, where are you? Where is the water?" Hearing the hounds howl, he's got to get to water or die.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord God. When the Church gets to that place that it's got to find Christ or die, you'll see a revival break out in the land, but not until, not until that time.
Oh, what God wants to do with His Church. He sends us gifts; He sends us wonders; He sends us revival; and we just 'doze right on into the world. Come out, dispersed.
E-41 Here some time ago I was in India. And the day before I come there... (I got a piece out of a paper.) When I arrived, the day before there, there was a great earthquake. And before that earthquake took place, you know what happened? All...
Now, India don't have fences like you do in Tennessee; they have big rock fences. And all the cattle and the sheep got away from those big fences and went out in the middle of the field right in the heat of the day, and stood there. All the little birds that had their nests in the little coves in those fences and on those great big high walls, they left their nests and went out into the forest and set in the trees. What did it? And they stayed there until the earthquake was over. If not, they would've perished along those walls and those big towers.
And, brother, sister, let me say now: if God could give instinct to a bird to get away from danger to come, surely He can give it to man. Danger's at hand. Get away from these great big old cold, formal, starchy things that's of the world. Get out and flee to the center of God's Salvation, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, and there plead for mercy, for destruction is at hand.
E-42 When you see revivals and things going on like is going on now, just remember, destruction comes. Jesus said Himself, "In that day when the Son of man reveals Himself from heaven..." He's revealing Himself now in mercy to His church. The next revealing will be in judgment on those who's rejected Him.
"My soul thirsts after Thee, O God. I long to see Thy power, like I have seen it in Thy sanctuary." The real true servant of God is hungering and thirsting for God. The first move of the Spirit, their soul jumps to grab it.
E-43 But those who are so indifferent, they see God perform miracles and do things like He done when He was here on earth, the Gospel being preached, they set and chew their chewing gum, fix their makeup on, say, "Yeah, I guess that's right." How can you escape the damnation of the wrath of God?
"Oh, you spoke with tongues," you said. So does Satan. I'm not against speaking in tongues. I know there's a real speaking in tongues, and there's a false one. Don't let the devil deceive you.
You say, "Well, I shouted and danced in the Spirit." I seen witch doctors do the same in Africa and drink blood out of a human skull. Don't think that that's 'cause you got it.
When your life tallies with Christ, that's when you've got it. "By their fruits you shall know them." And the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, meekness, gentleness, not grudges, and fusses, and fights, and stews, and arguments.
See where you got out acting like the world, living like the world, and the coming of the Lord at hand... God be merciful, children. Satisfy that thirst tonight with Christ. How cold the church has got, how it cooled off. But that compares with Scripture; it's supposed to be that way.
E-44 Here some years ago, down here in the south when slavery was legal, they used to go around and had brokers that would buy slaves just like you do in automobiles today, in their automobile lot. You'd go buy a automobile and take it over and sell it to another used car lot; they done slaves that way years ago. And there'd be brokers come by who would buy those slaves.
And one day a broker come by a certain plantation. And these slaves were sold over here from Africa, and they were... They would cry; they--they wouldn't work; they were away from their home. They'd never go back no more; they'd never see their baby no more. They'd never see papa and mama, any more. They were plumb across the sea here in an old wooden ship. They'd never go to their homelands again. So the owners would have to scold them or whip them and make them work.
And one day this buyer come by; he said, "I'd like to look your slaves over."
He said, "Look them over."
And he noticed the different ones, great sturdy ones, and some small ones, and so forth. How they'd--someone out there to make them work.
And they had one certain young man there; you didn't have to make him work: shoulders up, chin up, "Yes, suh." Anything you want done he'd do it. You didn't have to whip him; he was right at it and do it.
The slave buyer said, "I want to buy that slave."
And the owner said, "But he's not for sale."
He said, "I never seen quite a slave, as many as I've bought, never seen one act like that before." Said, "Do you ever have scold him?"
Said, "No, sir. He's always up. He's the best slave I ever owned."
He said, "I tell you what you've done, you've made him a boss over the rest of them."
He said, "No, sir, he's a slave just like the rest of them."
Said, "Well, then, perhaps you feed him a little better then you feed the rest of them."
Said, "No, he eats out in the galley with the rest of the slaves, just like they all do."
He said, "Well, what makes him so much different than the other ones?"
He said, "I often wondered that myself until one day I found out that over in the homeland where they come from, he's the son of the king. His father is the king of the tribe. And though he's an alien and away from home, he still knows that he's a king's son. He conducts himself like a king's son."
E-45 God Almighty, be merciful, though we're aliens in this dark world of sin and distress, we ought to conduct ourselves like sons and daughters of God, and we're not like the kings of the world. Our Father is the King. What do we care about the devil's domain? Let's act like sons and daughters of God, taking His Word and calling anything contrary as though it was not. Let's live, and act, and dress, and talk, and sing, and shout, and love the Lord, and act like the Lord by believing His Word. We are sons and daughters of the true and living King of heaven, God Almighty. "My soul thirst after Thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is." Think of it while we bow our heads just a moment.
E-46 Listen, Christian woman, man. Since you have come to Christ, are you conducting yourself as a Christian should? Are you got yourself off in some little denomination, saying, "Me and my little group, we believe it this a way. We'll have nothing to do with that, nor have nothing to do with this or that." Oh, may God speak to your soul tonight. What can we do? The hour's coming when you're going to beg for this, and you're not going to find it.
Sinner friend away from God, little woman, little man, do you realize that you're trying to quench that thirst that God give to you to thirst after Him, and you're quenching it with the devil's pleasures? Moses forsook Egypt to be Pharaoh of Egypt, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Oh, and he endured as seeing Him Who is invisible.
Take off them clothes, lady; put you on some decent looking things. Let your hair grow out and wash your face. You men, get to be men: walk around with a pack of cigarettes in your pocket, and a deacon on the board, cigars, taking a little sociable drink, staying home and watching television, washing your car on Sunday instead of spend at Sunday school, aren't you ashamed?
E-47 Dear heavenly Father, God, I don't want to be rude, but what can I do when my soul cries out, Lord? I think of the difference between now and just a few years ago when I was here in Chattanooga: what a falling away, what a difference. And my Spirit grieves. Lord, here it is even just two more nights of the meeting, and the little auditorium which was packed, and fifteen hundred turned away, and now, something's happened. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
E-48 When the Spirit of God comes and reveals and shows His Presence, the people set just as quiet, and never seemed to be thrilled about Your Spirit just falls...?... Greedy, selfishness, ministers at each other throats, and... Oh, Lord, what a condition. Be merciful, God. What can we do, Lord? Men and women that won't speak to each other because of denominational differences... Be merciful, God.
We pray, Lord, that this call now, may their souls that can remember a former day, that can read the Bible and know that God's in His sanctuary; may their soul so thirst to be like that, Lord, and to see Your great power displayed again. Grant it, Lord.
Men and women here have become so cold and indifferent till they really seem to think that they're doing all right. Shake their souls tonight, Lord, and may they smell the breeze from a cooling stream of peace again, long and satisfy their thirsting, and surrender their lives to Thee again, Lord. Stir them up like the eagle does her nest. Make it so miserable for them that they'll be willing, no matter who's setting here, but they'll be willing to come, raise their hands to Thee, and say, "Wash me, O Lord, and try me. If there be any false in me, take it away and purge me, O God, while there is time for purging, while the Fountain is open." Grant it, Lord.
E-49 And while we're setting in prayer and every head's bowed, I just wonder how many of you, and all you sinner friends, would you just raise your hands to Christ, and say, "Be merciful to me, God; I raise my hands." Put up your hand, will you do that? Lord bless you. God bless you. Up in the balconies to my right, put up the hand, up there, sinner friend, say, "I now will resign from sin; I accept Christ. I'm finished with sin."
E-50 The balconies to the rear, balcony to the left, raise your hands. God bless you. Anyone on the center floors here? Raise your hand, say, "Be merciful to me, God, I--I..." God bless you, sir. God bless you. "I now see my mistake. I've tried to go to pool rooms, Brother Branham. I've tried everything. I've joined church; I've done everything, and nothing satisfies. I want to come to that place where I can have Christ as my satisfying Portion and He will witness the thing back to me by filling me with His Spirit. I now accept Him. I want Him to do it tonight."
E-51 Another hand or two before we go further? God bless you, sir. Someone else? God bless you. God bless you, lady. Another? "Be merciful to me, O God," you'd say. Anywhere in the building, before we close. God bless you, lady. Another, just before closing now.
I'm going to ask for you backsliders that knows that you've done wrong, aren't you ashamed right there to leave? You're going to die. Is there something in you, just the weakest little voice speaking somewhere, saying, "Come to Me, child. You can't die in this condition. If you do, you know you're doomed."?
E-52 Will you raise your hand and say, "God, I now raise my hands to You, saying, 'Be merciful to me; I want to come back home, God, from tonight on. I want to be satisfied and have that good feeling that I used to have, and that real worship and fellowship where I just love to read the Bible and go to church and sing the old songs. I want to have that again.'" Would you just raise your hands? God bless you, sir. It takes a real man to do that, brother. But I got confidence in a man that has made a mistake and willing to confess that he's wrong.
E-53 Now, to you bunch of Christians, you women and men that's trying to satisfy that holy thirst with things of the world, if you've got any real Christian principle and you're guilty, will you raise your hand to God, and say, "God, be merciful to me. From tonight on I'm changing my ways."? Raise your hand. God bless you. That's the way; that's the way to do it. Amen.
The balcony to the right, raise your hand. Come on, Christian. God bless you, up there. That's right. Man, I've got real, real confidence in you. The balcony to the rear. God bless you, that's good. Balcony to the left, raise your hand. Say, "From now on..." God bless you. "God spoke to my heart." God bless you; that's right: dozens of hands everywhere.
"I'm ashamed of my life, I've acted wrong; I know I'm wrong Brother Branham. I oughtn't to have done that."
E-54 How many here that's never had the Holy Spirit, and you want the Holy Spirit to come to you now, and to bless you, and to give you... You been up and down, up and down, look like you--you never on the housetop but just a few hours at a time, and then the next day you're down in the dumps, as we call it. Then you--you never seem to keep the victory, got just halfway life. God don't want you to be like that. He wants you to be full of His grace and power all the time. God's got it for you. You want to accept it by just raising your hands, saying, "God, You see my hand." Man, God bless you. God bless you, yes, yes, just all around. Put up your hand and see how it feels. Just mean it from your hearts. God bless you, that's right. God bless you. All around the balconies, I'm looking at you. Certainly, God sees you if I don't. God bless you, sir. That's good.
Oh, bless your heart. That's what Chattanooga needs, is what the rest of the world needs, is a revival.
E-55 Are you all finished? Has the Holy Spirit spoke just so--a few more? Don't let It pass. You know, tomorrow may be too late. You may not be able to do it tomorrow. You see, you're--you've turned yourself because of fussings be--between churches and denominations, and peoples, and--and all the luxuries of the world.
E-56 The American people want to be entertained. They don't want the Gospel no more; they want entertainment. And the devil's given them all that he can, just led them in all around everything. And they don't thirst for God no more.
All the kids in this country... Ninety-five percent of the kids in Chattanooga could tell you more about Davy Crockett than they could tell you about Jesus Christ. Ninety-five percent of the women can tell you more about Arthur Godfrey or Elvis Presley than they could about Jesus Christ. Think of it. Think of it. Can't you see it's gone?
Flee, Christian. There's a fountain open. Water is near. Life is near. Flee to it quickly. Drink, drink, drink till you can't drink no more. God will satisfy that thirst. God bless you. Now I'm going to pray for you.
E-57 Lord God, from this little broke up message tonight there's been over a hundred and fifty hands or more, two hundred, went up that they long and need to serve You. Many backsliders, many that's living in sin, and they don't want no more of that, they want more; they want to come to the Fountain tonight. They've been bit by the hounds of hell; they've been tossed about with every wind of doctrine. But they want to come to Christ tonight to the satisfying portion that God gave them. Grant it just now while we're waiting to see You appear on the scene.
Come, Lord; let this audience know that You're here, that You're willing, that the message is give in their behalf, not from prejudice, but from purely of the Scriptures and a heart that loves God and His people. Hear, Lord. We commit them to Thee in Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-58 Just be reverent a moment. Don't be angry with me for preaching straight and clean. You might different with me, but read your Bible. The message of Divine healing is wonderful. But Divine healing is just something to get your attention attracted.
If you are healed--Divine healing, you may get sick again. Lazarus was raised from the dead and died again. A doctor can heal you of pneumonia by giving you penicillin, or kill the germs in you, and tomorrow pronounce you sound and well. And Monday you can die of pneumonia again. Certainly.
But if you're saved, that's different. You've got Eternal Life, Everlasting Life. You haven't got everlasting health, but you've got Everlasting Life. Accept it tonight, friends.
E-59 Now, let's be reverent just a moment. Just that you might know, these young Christians and those who come back to Christ before we make an altar call, that you might know that the Holy Spirit is here, we'll pray for the sick. But I want you to be reverent just a moment.
I can't do that; it's too late.
All right, how many in here doesn't have a prayer card and you want God to heal you, raise up your hand just a moment? All right, be reverent.
E-60 If the Holy Spirit, as I have taught you the truth... Surely, Christ, when He was here on earth He identified Himself by telling Peter who his name was, telling the Jews, when they come, Nathanael, where he was found at under the tree before he come. Told the woman at the well her sin, and each one time that He did that, they recognized it to be the Messiah. Is that right? How many knows that's the truth?
But you'll never find a Scripture where He did it in front of the Gentiles. He said, "Don't you go to the Gentiles, for their days are not full yet, there's things that's not heaped up yet; they've got a day of grace." That's this day. And when He did it before, they said, "He's a fortuneteller, a Beelzebub."
Jesus said, "Say that about Me..."
Who said that? Great religious leaders, holy and renowned men. Jesus said, "Your father... You are of your father the devil." But He said, "You speak that against Me, I'll forgive you. When the Holy Ghost comes and does the same thing (in other wise), one word against It will never be forgiven in this world or the world to come."
E-61 I may never see you again, it perhaps is my last time in Chattanooga. We're too close to the end; I'm going overseas. One miracle that's performed in this meeting, one miracle that takes place of discernment...
I've seen one time it happened, and thirty thousand raw heathens accepted Christ. I made one prayer, and twenty-five thousand got to their feet, crippled, lame, and blind, and was healed. And the next morning seven truckloads of crutches and things going down the streets of Durban, South Africa, and the people walking behind them, singing "Only Believe."...
"Oh, but of course, we belong to the certain churches. We know better than that." Go ahead. That's the way, just go ahead. God's Bible's obligated to tell you. But you're obligated to what you say about it and do about it.
E-62 If Christ the Son of God, which I know is present now, if His Spirit... How many's been in the meetings before and seen Him do it, let's see your hands, all over the building, anywhere? Sure.
If Christ, the Son of God, He promised the things that He did, we'd do also.
The woman touched His garment, and He turned around, said, "Who touched Me?" He didn't know. He wouldn't have said that if He did know.
And they rebuked Him, said, "All's touching You."
He looked till He found who it was, and He told her what her troubles was and she was healed. How many know that's the truth? Sure.
The Bible said He's the High Priest that could be touched by the feeling of our infirmities right now. Then if He's present... And if that part of the Bible is true, the rest of it's true.
You without prayer cards... You other prayer cards, we'll call you tomorrow night, maybe a whole group of you. I want those without prayer cards. Look this way and believe. How many's out there knows I'm a stranger to you and don't know nothing about you, raise your hand, anywhere, I don't care where you are? All right, you believe.
E-63 I don't say that He will; I trust that He will at least give us three as a confirmation.
What is it? I just yield myself to the Holy Spirit. Your faith touches Christ; Christ turns back and just uses my voice to speak to you.
He said, "I am the Vine; ye are the branches." You know that, Saint John 15? Then the branch bears the fruit, not the vine. The vine just gives the life to the--to the branch. And if it's a pumpkin vine, it'll give pumpkins. If it's a watermelon, gives watermelons. It's grapes, it gives grapes. If it's Christ, it brings forth Christ. If it's some stiff starchy theology like they had back there, that's what it'll bring forth. But if it's Christ, it brings Christ.
Do you believe with all your heart? (Watch now when three...?... for a preview, call my attention.) I can't make it; it's you. You look to Christ, the High Priest, and say, "Christ, I've understood night after night and seen those things done. Now, that man doesn't know me. And if You'll just speak to me, Lord, I'm sick. I need You. And just to confirm that You are here, I'm going to believe You with all my heart." Just believe with all your heart now and see if God will grant it.
E-64 Here's a lady setting, looking at me, right back here, just moved her head back and forth just a moment ago. Yes, ma'am, you that moved your head then. You got a prayer card? You haven't. If God will reveal to me what your trouble is, will you believe God? You're sick; you want prayer, don't you? You prayed before you left home that you would get to be in the prayer line. And when I said that awhile ago, you said within your heart, "I ask You, God, to let him call me." If that's right, raise your hand. All right, you have stomach trouble. If that's right, stand on your feet. You--you have no prayer card. We've never met in all of your life; we don't know one another. If that's right, raise your hand. All right, you can go home now; you're healed.
E-65 I just ask you to believe God. What about some of the rest of you people through here, will you believe? If thou canst believe, all things are possible.
Little lady setting right back there on the end of the row, you got spinal trouble, lady. Right down here, do you believe? Have you a prayer card? You have a prayer card. Well, no, sir, I don't want that then, your prayer card. Little boy's been healed anyhow, so you just go ahead. You won't have to come in the prayer line.
Somebody else, somewhere, I challenge your faith. (Is that two or three?) God, let us have one more. Three's a confirmation.
E-66 What you pointing at yourself for, sir? You sick too, setting there, man pointed to your chest? Have you a prayer card? You don't. You and I are strangers to one another. I suppose this is our first time meeting. God knows us both. If He will reveal to me what your trouble is, will you believe me to be His servant? You will? You're suffering with sugar diabetes. That's right. You're not from this city; you're from Atlanta, Georgia. Your name's Mr. Adams. That's true. All right, go home and be well, if you believe it.
Do you believe God? Do you believe His Presence is here? Then you people that wants God in your life, come up here at the altar. I want to ask you something just a minute before you do it. Let's pray; bow your heads. Now's the time to be healed, no matter what's wrong with you. I want you to pray this prayer after me; you say the same thing I do.
Almighty God, Creator of heavens and earth, Author of Everlasting Life, Giver of every good gift, send mercy to me, through Thy Son Jesus. I now believe through the preaching of the Word, through the working of the Spirit, I believe that Christ is present. I now accept Him as my Healer. I'll serve You, Lord, as long as I live. And I promise You, from this night henceforth, I accept my healing, and I call those things that are, as though they are not, because I believe Your Word. Help me, Lord, in Jesus' Name.
E-67 Now, just keep shut in. Just keep shut in; keep praying. That--that's your prayer. Did you mean it? If you meant it, you're going to see something happen in a minute that you've never seen before. His Presence is here. Now, I'm going to pray for you; you keep praying. Now, keep... "Lord, You're coming in. I'm beginning to feel better. I believe the Holy Ghost is here. Something's happening to me." I'm going to pray for you.
E-68 Lord God, it is written in the Word...?... "These signs shall follow them that believe." It is also written, "If you say to this mountain, 'Be moved,' and don't doubt in your heart, but believe that them things that you say will come to pass, you can have what you say."
Lord, twenty-seven years I've tried to serve You up and down the nation and around the world. If I've found grace in Your sight, Lord, seeing these people tonight after a real hard stern preaching, rebuking them, but seeing their humble hearts repent, show this people Thy Presence, Lord, again. And let them know, even after You've identified Yourself in our midst, not a dead Christ, not One on a cross, but One in the hearts that's raised from the dead and is alive forever more. Blessed be His holy Name. I ask You to heal every person that's in Divine Presence.
And I challenge the devil in Jesus' Name. He cannot defy the Word of God, for the Word of God has deceived you, Satan, and you are stripped of all the rights that you ever had. When Jesus died at Calvary He gave us the keys to the Kingdom, and you have no legal right in our bodies any longer. And we adjure thee in the Name of Jesus Christ, leave every sick person here, and every crippled person, every blind person, every deaf person, every lame person, every sick person, everyone: leave. In Jesus' Name I ask you to go.
Stay shut in. Be sincere.
E-69 I hope that I found grace in Your heart. Keep your heads bowed, people. I am your brother, and I'm telling you the truth. Christ, the Son of the living God, is in this building. There's the Light hangs near. Beneath It is a little darkness that's just a little suspicion, little superstition. Oh, if we could just now reach out by faith, touch that garment that's hanging so close to you... Do it right now. You confessed that you would. Believe it.
And I want the first person that was deaf, dumb, blind, or crippled, that couldn't move a hand, maybe you couldn't move your hand, I want you to start moving it. You couldn't see out of one eye, or an eye, look, see, you can see now. Couldn't hear out of one ear, put your finger in your good ear.
E-70 Listen, the first one of you that feels that God has healed you, I want you to come to here to the platform and testify and tell the others.
If there was something wrong... If you couldn't move you hand, move it. Move it; in Christ's Name move it. Put your faith to a test. If you can move it, rise up and come here. If you couldn't hear, you can hear now, rise up and come here. If you're suffering with a headache and it's gone, rise up and come here. If you were sick at your stomach, and the sickness is gone for you--from you, rise up and come here.
Here comes a lady now to give testimony. That's the way. Come up and give God glory. Has He done it? Anywhere. Every last one of you, do you really believe it? You said you would. Now, see if you do. Christ keeps His word.
Somebody else that couldn't hear, or something, come up. That's right, lady, rise up. Come on, someone else now. That's right. You couldn't walk, come up now. If you couldn't speak, come up now and testify right here. You can do it. You're not afraid, are you? Are you afraid to put Christ to the test? What was wrong with you? If you're healed, raise your hand. Rise yourself up; come up here and let's testify to the glory of God. Give God a chance for--to verify. That's right. Come on. See Him coming? You rise up, say, "Oh, I can't do it." Try it now. That's the way. You couldn't raise your hand, raise it up. If you couldn't speak, scream, "Hallelujah." Prove you believe Him.
E-71 Are you just bluffing? Was you just kidding Christ? Christ has to keep His Word. How did I stand here with that challenge night after night if He didn't keep His Word?
Looky here; they're ready to testify. Maybe some deaf, dumb, blind, I don't know what was--their trouble was. Whatever your trouble was, come on, give God a chance. Testify. Raise up; don't be afraid; don't be ashamed. You ashamed of the testimony, come on.
While they're coming to give testimony of their rising, you people that raised your hands awhile ago you wanted to repent, you want to make your life right, come here and stand here just a minute; I want to pray for you. Come right out and come up this way, you that raised your hands awhile ago. And you that knows that you want to come and thank God for taking the temper away from you, taking the world away from you, and you're going to dress different, you're going to act different, you're going to live different...?... Come up here. Be sincere. Stand up around the altar here.
E-72 Now, I want you people to look here. I want you ministers. Can you see what tears the heart of a preacher? Can you see what tears the Holy Spirit; when people will raise their hands that they'll do that, and then will set there and won't move? What's left but judgment?
You'll cry someday when I'm gone. You remember that. I speak in the Name of Jesus Christ. You'll long to hear these things and will never hear them. Come on now. I invite you in Christ's Name.
Was you ashamed you raised your hand? Then you wouldn't make a good Christian to begin with. That's awful rude. But, brother, it's time that the Gospel... Let us take off the kid gloves and tell the truth. Christ is here; He's raised from the dead. He's present. That's the reason we do the way we do.
E-73 Come on now. That's right; raise up. If mama says, "Set down," say, "mama, you go with me." If husband says, "You can't go or I'll leave you," say, "Good-bye. Come on, we're going." That's right; that's the way to do it. Walk right up here and give your personal testimony. Come down out of the balcony, you that's been backslid, you that's done wrong and want to make it right with God. These are coming for testimony for healing; we're going to have a little revival started here as soon as you get to your feet and do something about it. God's never going to pull you up in there. You're going to walk under your own free will.
E-74 Do you believe? Come up and give...?... just as they're getting healed and going through the line... Those who are moving out of common sense, "God, I can't see it. If the people see me, they know that they were wrong." Some of the church members? Yes. "But here now sets his...?... Now, what would she think?" It ain't what she thinks; it's what does Christ think of you. Your soul's thirsting, come on, there's a Fountain open. While we're waiting. Come on now.
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins,
Won't you come now? Don't leave; stay still now...?...
... now beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains,
Lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
E-75 Hundreds had up their hands. I wonder what happened. You're waiting for another chance. I hope you get it. You may not. Let me just talk to you. It just keeps pouring through my heart and pulling through my heart. I've got to say it. You're looking for a greater day, but this is your last one. This is the final call. Now, you write that down in a book and see if you ever see things happen any greater than you see happen now. Just remember; you're trying to place it off somewhere else. You Gentiles have a short revival at the end. It's just about over.
All right, you standing here around the altar, everybody reverent. Are you ashamed of your life? You want God to help you now, be merciful? God bless this, lady, come right on. That's the way. The Lord be with you. God bless you, lady. That's right. Come right on up; just take your stand. "He that will confess Me before men, Him will I confess before the Father and the holy Angels."
If you're ashamed of your life and you want God to help you, will you just raise up your hand, to you around the altar here. That's right, be a real man and woman. "And though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow."
E-76 Look at the testimony for healing, just keep--they just keep feeling the power of God moving through them.
Ministers, get around behind me now, each one of you. These men here are men of God, who has the churches here in the city, who's cooperating in this meeting. They're going to give you a hand. If you don't already belong to the church, you're just repenting, they'll see that you're baptized in Christian baptism. They'll take you into the church as a member of their church; they'll feed you, do what's right. They're men who believe in this ministry. That's why they're here, to represent. Now, everyone that's concerned about these souls, let's bow our heads just a moment.
E-77 O eternal and blessed God, these...?... ones that's come tonight... And it is written in the Scripture, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him. And he that will come to Me I will in no wise cast out." There's men and women who's sinned and did that which was wrong; they're standing here tonight repenting of their--their difference, and being indifferent towards You. Some of them, no doubt, has made confessions in churches, but they've never lived up to that confession.
O blessed Holy Spirit, sweep into their souls just now and give to them the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Baptize them in Thy love and power. O Lord, take away all ungodly things from them. Take the world out of them, Lord, that they might be presented to God that day by Jesus Christ, faultless and blameless, standing in His righteousness alone. Grant it, Lord.
E-78 These ministers are standing around them, some of them with hands on them, and they're praying with them. The church has their heads bowed. We see Your Spirit as It moves through the building, that's bringing conviction. It heals the sick. Here stands a row or praise and testimonies. God, we pray that the Holy Ghost will now be dropped down into this building like a rushing mighty wind. May It cleanse all their hearts from sin, and give to these people, fill their hearts with goodness. Take the world out of them, Lord, and let them thirst after Thee. And Thou has said, "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Grant it, Lord. May they be filled with the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be His Name.
E-79 Each one of you standing here now, that's repented of your sins, and you believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ is come to you in peace and love, and you feel different from what you did when you come up here and just had this word of prayer, will you raise your hand? You around the altar here, just raise up your hand? That's good. God bless you.
E-80 Now, minister friends, you walk right up here and then shake their hand and offer a little prayer with each one of them. Now, walk right up to them, you, each one, right up to them.
All right. Let the lady now who laid these here... (Brother Vayle, come here.) I want...
Please hear these testimonies now as they come, while these are making theirself welcome to their churches and so forth.
All right, lady, come right ahead now to testify to give God glory.
Gracious Father, we come into Thy Divine Presence now to offer to Thee the thanksgiving and to express to Thee the very adoration of our hearts; for truly, we adore Thee. And we would ask that Your blessings come to us tonight in the further part of this service.
Let the unsaved, Lord, see the place that they're living today, flee to the cross for refuge. And may those who are not walking upright before You, though professing to be Your children, may they become altogether ashamed of their character as they profess to be children of God and live a life that's full of reproach.
E-2 We would ask tonight that You would remember the sick and the afflicted that's here in Divine Presence, along with others that's around the world. Heal the sick tonight, Lord; bring to us the joy that we are looking for. And those who are wayfaring men and women, along life's journey, some of them, Lord, has been on the field for a long time. And not one thing have they ever did for Thy glory that's hid from You. You remember every little deed, and every heartache, and everything that they suffered for the Kingdom's sake. And someday they shall receive that great reward when the crowns will be given out. We ask Thee tonight to encourage those people.
E-3 And may we buckle up the--the armor of God just a little tighter tonight, go forward in battle tomorrow where right and wrong is engaged. May we not fear for as to go, but know that the Morning Star is shining over us. And if God be for us, who shall be against us, or who shall touch the anointed of the Lord. May that be the consolation of every believer. Grant it, Lord.
E-4 And as we're about to turn back the pages of Thy sacred and holy Writing that we call the Bible, give us the portion tonight, Lord, in the Scriptures, that would take care of these requests that we're asking for. Anoint the reading of the Word and the preaching of the Word. May the Holy Spirit get into the Word, and into the preacher, and into the audience, that we would even forget where we're at, that the Holy Spirit would have us so under control that God would be magnified, glory would be gotten to His Name. Grant these blessings, Father, as we further wait on Thee. In Jesus' blessed, holy Name, we ask it. Amen.
E-5 Just for a small portion of your time... And I'm sure that you would be blessed if you should go from the building now to your homes, the reading of the Word or the songs that we have heard, that you'd be blessed.
E-6 I was tossed up just a little tonight on the road over, there's been a accident on the bridge. And I just waited for Billy to come up and see if they were ready for me, and I was praying because some of the people that had been included in the accident were--looked like to me Christian people. And--and they were--the policemen were making us go on. No one seemed to be seriously hurt, but just moving us on. And we were delayed just a little. If it be that some of our dear brothers and sisters has been caught into an accident, God deliver them from any harm.
E-7 And now, tonight I wish you to turn (if you keep down the Scripture reading) in the Book of the Psalms, the 63rd Psalm and the first three verses. We feel that we have chosen this tonight for our study of the Word.
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary.
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
This is a most unusual Scripture. And when I read this Scripture, I was trying to think of what the prophet must be thinking of when we make this quotation, "Thy lovingkindness is better to me than life." I can't think of anything any better than life. You might sum up everything that you know of, and every good thing that you know of, and there would be nothing to take the place of life, for all things must have an end besides Eternal Life.
E-8 And David, aware of the Presence of God, and how that God had blessed him, and how that he seen God in nature as he walked by the shady green pastures and down by the still waters... And the great psalmist as he wrote the Psalms out where he found God in nature...
If you'll just look around, you can see Him in all nature. Oh, I love to look at God. You can see Him if you'll just look through His eyes.
E-9 Sometime ago, I was herding some cattle way up on the Arapaho Forest, out on... cross Berthoud Pass in Colorado. And I was up there just resting from the meetings. And I used to do a little ranching up there with another fellow.
And I... One day while we was on the spring roundup of bringing the cattle in, I was salting the cattle. And I rode... after I'd unpacked the saddle horse, and I walked up to the top of the mountain. And I was just looking through my glasses to see where the cattle were getting their positions and places, from the top of the mountain, and I saw an unusual sight. I saw an old mother eagle a taking her young ones from the nest.
E-10 And I watched them just a little bit, because God spoke in the Bible that He likened His people unto eagles. And how that this old mother eagle, how she got those young ones on her wing, and she taken them down into a--a green pasture. And there, after letting her little ones off, she soared way up high to the highest peek that she could find. And she sit down on the rock, turning herself around looking east, west, north, and south, to see if there was any danger.
E-11 You know, you hear so much talking about the hawk. The hawk is no match at all to the eagle. His eyes are fifty percent better than the hawk. He's much faster. He can kill the hawk in attitude--or in altitude as he goes up. The hawk can't follow him. The eagle's made up. God likened His prophets to eagles that soar way high that they can see things far off, coming.
E-12 And I thought, laying there on my stomach and across the rock, watching this big eagle, I studied her as that great big head begin to turn and look, those piercing eyes watching all around. I thought, "Yes, that's right. Them little eaglets was born in a nest."
And oh, if you were ever around one of their nests, it smells terrible. And it's made out of sticks and briars and padded with rabbit skin and sheepskin if she can find it. But when she gets ready to stir up that nest, she throws all of that out and makes it real miserable for her brood.
And sometimes God does that too when He stirs the nest. He makes it so miserable you don't want to stay any longer. He's stirring up the nest.
E-13 But then I thought... What she did after she let her little ones down in a grassy field... They'd never seen green grass before and the waters rippling by. But she took her perch way high so she could watch over those little fellows. And she wasn't too high but what the speed of her wings could go within a--a moments time to their rescue.
I thought, "No, wonder David could look and see God in His nature." Jesus died that He might save us. And He's climbed the ramparts of glory and sets at the right hand of the Majesty of God watching over His heritage, His brood, as the poet said, "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me." That's not one thing can happen to you but what He knows about it.
E-13 And I thought, "How unconcerned those little fellows are of danger." They just got their little wing feathers, and they couldn't fly. But they were tumbling over each other, and pulling the grass, and just having a regular Pentecostal revival, care free, because they knew that mother was watching over them.
And how carefree ought the children of God to be when they know that God's watching over His heritage.
E-15 And I looked, and my heart beat heavy, and I'd take my little old red handkerchief to wipe a tear of joy from my eyes as I lay quiet watching them.
And by and by, after they had a real good time, there come a storm let out a roar of a thunder. Quickly, the clouds rise. And you have to hurry to shelter when a northerner comes, because the rain comes so fast through those valleys, across the top of the mountains. It's hid until it comes over the mountain all of a sudden.
E-16 And she let a great scream out, and down through that timber she soared like a mighty big airplane. And when she hit the ground, she let out a great big scream, and all those little eagles come, set their little feet right in her wing feathers, took their little bill and got a good tight hold, and she raised with those mighty wings. And though the wind sweeping down across the top of the mountain at about sixty miles an hour, she drove herself with those little eagles into the rock of safety.
Oh, if you'll just look around, you can see God everywhere.
Someday Jesus will come. Before an atomic bomb can destroy His Church, He will come and stretch forth His wings, and His children will know His voice, and that familiar cry that He gives when He leaves the ramparts of glory. And His Church will be taken away on the wings of His salvation.
No matter how bad the destructions is, He's watching.
E-17 And when I heard David here say, "Thy lovekindness is better to me than life," then thinking that nothing could be any better than life, there must be another definition, or there must two different kinds of life.
And there is two kinds of life. There's life that leads to destruction, and there's life that leads to everlasting.
E-18 And this life that people think that's life, the devil has perverted the real genuine life and making you think that you're really living when you're not. He tries to make you think that to have plenty of good clothes, to own a nice automobile, have the taxes paid up on your place, you're living. But you're not. That's where America is deceived today.
And some people think because they're having life, they're out riding, reveling around. That's not life; that's death.
E-19 Some time ago in a large Canadian city, I was holding a meeting. And when I'd come from the--the great arena with a lovely meeting that night. And I was in this great hotel. I don't know whether it have anything like it in the States. And I was going up on the elevator, and I noticed whiskey bottles laying in the elevator.
And also that afternoon there'd been a great bunch of an Americans come up there. An organization, a society, a lodge, was having their annual get-together. There was about five or six hundred Americans there. And they were really having a time.
When I got off of the elevator... All down each floor when you would pass, you would hear the hollering, and the screaming, and the dancing. And they thought they were having a good time. But that kind of life leads to a place to where man wants to gets rid of that type of life; they take a pistol and blow their brains out. So David couldn't have been speaking about that kind of life. It gets so miserable until people jump off of bridges. They take poison to end that life. So David could not been speaking of that type of life.
E-20 And when my elevator stopped, I heard a noise down along the hall, and I looked. And here come two American women just with their underneath clothes on, oh, probably twenty eight, twenty six, somewhere along in there years old, under thirty, perhaps mothers. Only an American way of thinking, "It's just a little clean fun." It's dirty, black sin. The Bible said, "She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she's alive." But, oh, we think that's innocent fun. It's the gates of hell.
And these young women, perhaps their husbands at home playing the babysitter while their stitch-and-sew party was having a little fun: drunk as they could be, with their underneath clothes on only, a bottle of whiskey in their hand, and men pulling them from room to room, just a little clean American fun."
E-21 What do you think God thinks about that? And maybe a many a man there, pulling these women with his innocent wife at home setting with the babies. "Just a little fun with the boss and the boys."
And I stepped back in a little place, a little end. And they were coming down, staggering: beautiful women. And they stopped and passed the bottle one to the other, pulled up their little skirt of a thing they had on, their underneath skirt, threw up their legs in the air, and said, "Whoopee, this is life."
I just couldn't stand it any longer. I stepped out; I said, "You're mistaken lady, that's death!"
She turned and looked at me.
I walked over to them. I had this very Bible in my hand. I said, "I am a preacher of the Gospel. And I too am an American. And you call that life? You are deceived, and the devil has deceived you. That's the road to hell and eternal separation from the Presence of the living God."
They looked at each other, and their make--manicure, whatever you call the stuff they put on their face, all around where they'd been kissed and carried on, their hair stringing down. They looked at one another, and down the hall they went.
E-22 Oh, God be merciful to this backslidden hypocritical nation, calling itself a Christian nation and living in tommyrot and sin like that. If God doesn't judge this nation for its sin, it'll--God will be just; He will have to resurrect Sodom and Gomorrah and apologize to them. We are bound for judgment.
No wonder sputniks are sailing the skies and the nations are fearing. We're at the end time. God's being merciful. Christ said, "If the work doesn't cut short for the elect, there'd even be no flesh saved."
Oh, what a miserable thing it is. The devil perverts those things. He makes you think you're living when you're dead.
E-23 Now, what makes the fellow then, thirst? There's some reason for that. What makes people want to drink? What makes women want to be untrue, and men untrue? What makes them desire to join churches that indulge in such as card playing, cigarette smoking, and all those kind of things like that. It's because God made a man to thirst. And God made you up to thirst. That's why you do thirst. But He made you to thirst after Him. That thirst was made in you to thirst after Him. But the devil has perverted it. And trying to make you be satisfied with trying to quench that blessed holy thing with sin. You have no right to try to quench that blessed holy thirst with drinking and wading in sin. You remember that.
God made you to thirst after Him in righteousness. And the devil turns it around. Oh, there's many things he's tries to quench it with. That's the reason you people don't go to church on Wednesday night no more; you'd rather stay home and look at some old dirty television of "We Love Suzy." Oh, and then say, "You love God?" No wonder we can't have revival in America.
E-24 And you got on your record machines them old dirty songs of Elvis Presley, and all that other bunch of Tennessee trash over there, "All Shook Up." You're going to be someday all shook up. Arthur Godfrey and all that tommyrot you women listen to that on a morning, and call yourself Christians with all those old smutty jokes trying to satisfy yourself, when you ought to have your Bible open somewhere in a prayer meeting praying to Almighty God. Got no right to try to quench that holy thirst with the things of the world.
And I'm surprised as I looked in the street... A few years ago when I first started coming to the Pentecostal churches when I left the Baptist, the women used to dress like women ought to dress. But they don't any more. What's the matter? Oh, I know, this might make you just a little bit sick.
E-25 When I was a little boy I was raised up here in Kentucky. We were very poor. Black eyed peas and corn bread was all we had three times a day. And mama used to get down from the old store, country store, bacon rind. And she'd render them out to make the grease for the corn bread. And I remember, every Saturday night all the bunch of little Branhams would come up to an old cedar tub and take that Saturday night bath, change the long underwear, and each one take a big dose of castor oil. I just can't stand the stuff yet. And me being the oldest, I had to take it first.
And when I would come to my mama, I'd hold my nose, and I'd say, "Mama, it makes me so sick to even smell it."
And she said, "Billy, if it don't make you sick, it don't do you no good."
That's the way the preaching of the Gospel is. If it don't stir up your innermost being, it don't do you much good.
E-26 Pentecostal Christian women out on the street with slacks on, do you know, lady, that the Bible said, "That a woman that'll put on any garment that pertains to a man, it's an abomination?" And little old clothes on and shorts... And you get out in the yard just when the men are coming home from work. Do you realize that's devil possession?
Listen, lady, you wear these little old dirty clothes that they sell in these stores, sexy looking. You might be as pure as a lily to your husband. But if you dress like that, and get on the street, and a sinner looks at you, you are guilty of committing adultery with that sinner. And at the judgment bar you'll answer for it. Jesus Christ the blessed Son of the living God said, "Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her in his heart."
When that sinner answers for committing adultery, you are the one he committed it with. Why, you say, "That's his fault." It's your fault for presenting yourself like that.
Oh, you say, "But, Brother Branham, they don't sell no other kind of clothes but them."
Well, they still sell sewing machines and goods. I know that's old fashion, but it's what the world needs today. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. People just can't take it. That's all.
E-27 You say, "What about the men?"
All right, here you are. A man that'll let his wife dress like that, and smoke cigarettes, it shows how much man you are. That's exactly what it is. You're supposed to be the head of the house, but you're not. That's true. And the devil does that trying to quench that holy thirst. If a man loves God, he can't love mammon at the same time. If you love the world, or the things of the world, it's because the real love of the Father's not even in you. Now, do you see why we can't have a revival?
E-28 You may not love me after this, but at the judgment bar you'll know I've told you the truth.
What happened? There used to be an old Methodist preacher by the name of Brother Kelly. He used to sing a song.
We let down the bars,
We let down the bars,
We compromised with sin,
We let down the bars,
The sheep got out,
But how did the goats get in?
You let down the bars (That's exactly right.), compromising with sin. Oh, God, be merciful.
You know what the Bible said? Christ is your satisfying Portion to every believer.
E-29 It would be no mysterious thing to me if I went out in the country and seen a--a pig on a manure pile eating. That's his nature. But I'd sure be surprised if I saw a lamb eating with him. That's right. The spirit in you bears record what you are. "By their fruits you shall know them."
Pentecost, we need a cleaning up from the pulpit to--all the way to the basement. That's for you Baptists too, Methodist, Presbyterian, the whole bunch of you. We need a house, cleaning, God's holy fire. You've got the fire in the basement when it ought to be on the altar and in every heart, not in the basement.
We've changed the upper room to a supper room to get enough money to pay the preacher. I'd rather lay on my stomach, and drink branch water, and eat soda crackers, and preach the truth, than to have fried chicken three times a day and compromise with sin. Amen.
E-30 Trying to quench that thirst that God put in you, not to hear after a scandal like Arthur Godfrey, or some of those other dirty mouth impostors... That's not real Americanism, that's hellishism. Right. It's out of the bosoms of hell. No wonder our nation's gone, such stuff as that. And it's drifted right into the Church.
The devil knowed how to keep the children from the picture show; he put it in the house with you. That's right. You know that's right. Just let them listen to any old dirty thing, all those old jokes and things that they tell. "Bring up a child in the way they should go."
No wonder we got juvenile delinquency. No, we've got parent delinquency. We've got home delinquency. Junior's out somewhere with his hot rod on Sunday; sister's down to a rock-and-roll, and mom's out to a card party, and--and dad's over to some kind of a poker game. And the church pews are setting empty because the Blood of God has vanished from the church of the living God.
You love God with all your heart, you won't do those things. It's true.
E-31 Another thing he tries to quench it with, he tries to quench it by letting you join church. Oh, you think, "I belong to church, I don't have to listen to such stuff."
You might not have to set and listen to it; you can go out. But one day you're going to be judged by it anyhow. You'll have to stand for that. All this tommyrot, join church...
"Well, my organization has been a long time organization." It might have been that. That's no sign that you're secure, not a bit.
Oh, how pitiful it is to see that blessed holy thirst that God put into men to thirst after Him, and the devil perverting it to make you, "Oh, I belong to church. You ain't got no business telling me them things, Mr. Branham."
The Bible speaks of those things. And I'm a preacher and duty bound to God to explain them. Then the blood's off my hands.
E-32 What happened to all the Pentecostal women and their long hair? That burned, didn't it? But it's the truth. The Bible said, "This hair was given to a woman for her glory." No wonder you don't have much more glory, you cut it off. You know that's true.
What happened? You got to looking too much at television. You got to impersonating some movie star, married four or five times, living with three or four husbands. Aren't you ashamed to quench that thirst after such scalawags and prostitutes as that, and leave God's Holy Spirit great--grieved away from you? Certainly.
Maybe I'd better quit a little... No, I'm not. Bit listen. It's got to be told. And it's the truth.
E-33 Oh, if you'd only take God for your satisfying Portion, if you'd only change all that tommyrot into a worship of a God, how the Holy Spirit sweep over my soul, sweep over my soul...
And the Church has got into the Laodicean Age just to beat a tambourine, or beat a piano up-and-down, jump and shout and act like the world all the time; when the love of God constrains us to do that which is right. Yes, no wonder we're getting nowhere. No wonder gifts can't come in the Church.
God's got to have a foundation to put that Church on. He's got to have a Church to put those gifts in. He will never put it into a bunch of stuff like that. It is true.
All different... "I'm a Presbyterian." "I'm Assembly." "I'm a Church of God." What's that?" Pot can't call kettle black. If you don't think... You belong to Christ, you got a love for the entire body of Christ whether he be Methodist, Presbyterian, Assemblies, or the Church of God, or whatever he may be.
E-34 Oh, David, when he cried out, "I long to see Thy Spirit; I long to see Thy glory like I saw it in the sanctuary. My soul cries for Thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is." How that prophet saw this day. David over in Psalm 42:1, he said, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so my soul thirsts after Thee, O God."
Him being a woodsmen, David was acquainted with nature. And the hart is a deer. And I've seen it many times, being a hunter myself.
E-35 They have a wild dog in Africa, and in America it's the wolf. And this wolf is a sneaker. And when he gets to a place he sees the hart, the deer, he slips up just as cunning as he can, keeping himself disguised. And that's the way sin does: innocent.
And when he gets a good shot at his prey, he runs and makes a jump. And he's got two fangs; they're called blood fangs. And he... His favorite place to grab the little deer is just behind the burr of the ear. He sinks his teeth deeply. The jugular vein comes up the side, runs to his heart. And the wild dog grabs this deer, and sinks his teeth into it, and then swings his weight in front of the deer. When it does, those fangs slits the throat of the deer. On the ground he goes; the little fellow's gone, the blood spurting. Before he gets through kicking, there's dozens of dogs picking him to the bone.
That's the way the devil does. You get out some of you innocent kids, try to let these long sideburns grow like Elvis Presley, and a big bunch of hair sticking out the back of your necks, and an old jacket on.
E-36 God bless that man at that school, not long ago, that said, "I'll close this school. You'll go home and come back dressed like gentlemen." Amen.
When they dress like that, they act like that. That's trash of the street. And it isn't becoming even to a good citizen, let alone a Christian.
And some of you little girls get out on the street and one of them old wild dogs give a whistle at you, and you got yourself all poured into a bunch of scandal, dirty clothes, and your mammy home maybe praying for you... And you'll give what they call "the wolf whistle." And you turn around with those little lips all painted up, and "Tee-hee," look around. You don't realize that's the wolf in hell after you. Just turn once, and he will get you to a rock-and-roll party and you're finished.
E-37 By the way, speaking of that paint on the face, you Pentecostal women used to not do that. What happened? I'm just asking you. What happened? You did run well, what hindered you? Did your pulpit get weak? Then put him out and get a pastor will preach the truth. If your denomination let--lets you down, get to another denomination. Certainly.
Listen, sister, I don't meant to hurt you. I just come back from Africa and in the heathen land. It's--that is a heathen trait. The Hottentots in--of Africa, that's where painting come from: heathens. It's a sign of heathenism. And it's condemned by God. A pretty face ain't what God looks for; it's a pretty soul that He looks for.
And listen, there was one woman in the Bible who painted her face, and her name was Jezebel. And God fed her to the dogs. So you can see what a painted face woman is in the sight of God; it's dog meat. There that's right. I don't say that for a joke. That's truth. You could just see it, God's got some dog bait going there.
And the wolves of hell (you're baiting yourself so they whistle at you), pick your bones till you're no more than a street harlot. Though you could live just as clean to your husband as you could be, you'll answer for committing adultery at the day of judgment.
And you sons of God, letting your wives do such a thing as that, shame on you. I don't think there's much man in you. Man's not measured by a big pair of wide shoulders; that's brute. Man's measured by character. I seen men that weighed two hundred pounds and muscles like one of these mules out here, and had no more man about him then to throw a baby out of a mothers arms and ravish her. That's brute. Man is character. God help us.
That thirst in there is for God and not for the world. God be merciful.
E-38 Then if this little deer is quick, and the wolf grabs her... If he can't get by the ear and drag her in somewhere. (He will get her to fixing up and dressing herself.) And the other hold on the wolf is to grab the little deer in the flank. If he misses the throat, the jugular vein, the quick kill (a cigarette, or drink of whiskey, or rock-and-roll), he will grab her by the flank, and then he throws himself. And that's the balance part of the deer. The hindquarters are heavier than the front quarters, so he can throw the deer; it's out of balance.
Now, if the little deer's quick, comes to herself, what happens? She can throw herself in such a way that the wolf will jerk a whole mouthful out of her flank. That's what David was talking about. Away she goes. Then she's all bleeding, wounded. She's been to a revival. And she comes wounded.
E-39 And any hunter knows that if he wounds a deer, and if he can get to water, you'll never get him. He will run right straight to water. I've watched them a many times. He will drink, then run up and try to get away from the dogs, come back. And he will never leave that stream. As long as he can find water, he will live. But if he can't find water, he will die in a few minutes. That's the reason David said, "As the hart panteth for the water brooks, my soul thirsts after Thee, O God."
E-40 Picture it. He must find water or die. Watch, his little ears up, his heart beating fast, his life leaving his nostrils. With every whit that's he's got, "Oh, water, where are you? Where is the water?" Hearing the hounds howl, he's got to get to water or die.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord God. When the Church gets to that place that it's got to find Christ or die, you'll see a revival break out in the land, but not until, not until that time.
Oh, what God wants to do with His Church. He sends us gifts; He sends us wonders; He sends us revival; and we just 'doze right on into the world. Come out, dispersed.
E-41 Here some time ago I was in India. And the day before I come there... (I got a piece out of a paper.) When I arrived, the day before there, there was a great earthquake. And before that earthquake took place, you know what happened? All...
Now, India don't have fences like you do in Tennessee; they have big rock fences. And all the cattle and the sheep got away from those big fences and went out in the middle of the field right in the heat of the day, and stood there. All the little birds that had their nests in the little coves in those fences and on those great big high walls, they left their nests and went out into the forest and set in the trees. What did it? And they stayed there until the earthquake was over. If not, they would've perished along those walls and those big towers.
And, brother, sister, let me say now: if God could give instinct to a bird to get away from danger to come, surely He can give it to man. Danger's at hand. Get away from these great big old cold, formal, starchy things that's of the world. Get out and flee to the center of God's Salvation, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, and there plead for mercy, for destruction is at hand.
E-42 When you see revivals and things going on like is going on now, just remember, destruction comes. Jesus said Himself, "In that day when the Son of man reveals Himself from heaven..." He's revealing Himself now in mercy to His church. The next revealing will be in judgment on those who's rejected Him.
"My soul thirsts after Thee, O God. I long to see Thy power, like I have seen it in Thy sanctuary." The real true servant of God is hungering and thirsting for God. The first move of the Spirit, their soul jumps to grab it.
E-43 But those who are so indifferent, they see God perform miracles and do things like He done when He was here on earth, the Gospel being preached, they set and chew their chewing gum, fix their makeup on, say, "Yeah, I guess that's right." How can you escape the damnation of the wrath of God?
"Oh, you spoke with tongues," you said. So does Satan. I'm not against speaking in tongues. I know there's a real speaking in tongues, and there's a false one. Don't let the devil deceive you.
You say, "Well, I shouted and danced in the Spirit." I seen witch doctors do the same in Africa and drink blood out of a human skull. Don't think that that's 'cause you got it.
When your life tallies with Christ, that's when you've got it. "By their fruits you shall know them." And the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, meekness, gentleness, not grudges, and fusses, and fights, and stews, and arguments.
See where you got out acting like the world, living like the world, and the coming of the Lord at hand... God be merciful, children. Satisfy that thirst tonight with Christ. How cold the church has got, how it cooled off. But that compares with Scripture; it's supposed to be that way.
E-44 Here some years ago, down here in the south when slavery was legal, they used to go around and had brokers that would buy slaves just like you do in automobiles today, in their automobile lot. You'd go buy a automobile and take it over and sell it to another used car lot; they done slaves that way years ago. And there'd be brokers come by who would buy those slaves.
And one day a broker come by a certain plantation. And these slaves were sold over here from Africa, and they were... They would cry; they--they wouldn't work; they were away from their home. They'd never go back no more; they'd never see their baby no more. They'd never see papa and mama, any more. They were plumb across the sea here in an old wooden ship. They'd never go to their homelands again. So the owners would have to scold them or whip them and make them work.
And one day this buyer come by; he said, "I'd like to look your slaves over."
He said, "Look them over."
And he noticed the different ones, great sturdy ones, and some small ones, and so forth. How they'd--someone out there to make them work.
And they had one certain young man there; you didn't have to make him work: shoulders up, chin up, "Yes, suh." Anything you want done he'd do it. You didn't have to whip him; he was right at it and do it.
The slave buyer said, "I want to buy that slave."
And the owner said, "But he's not for sale."
He said, "I never seen quite a slave, as many as I've bought, never seen one act like that before." Said, "Do you ever have scold him?"
Said, "No, sir. He's always up. He's the best slave I ever owned."
He said, "I tell you what you've done, you've made him a boss over the rest of them."
He said, "No, sir, he's a slave just like the rest of them."
Said, "Well, then, perhaps you feed him a little better then you feed the rest of them."
Said, "No, he eats out in the galley with the rest of the slaves, just like they all do."
He said, "Well, what makes him so much different than the other ones?"
He said, "I often wondered that myself until one day I found out that over in the homeland where they come from, he's the son of the king. His father is the king of the tribe. And though he's an alien and away from home, he still knows that he's a king's son. He conducts himself like a king's son."
E-45 God Almighty, be merciful, though we're aliens in this dark world of sin and distress, we ought to conduct ourselves like sons and daughters of God, and we're not like the kings of the world. Our Father is the King. What do we care about the devil's domain? Let's act like sons and daughters of God, taking His Word and calling anything contrary as though it was not. Let's live, and act, and dress, and talk, and sing, and shout, and love the Lord, and act like the Lord by believing His Word. We are sons and daughters of the true and living King of heaven, God Almighty. "My soul thirst after Thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is." Think of it while we bow our heads just a moment.
E-46 Listen, Christian woman, man. Since you have come to Christ, are you conducting yourself as a Christian should? Are you got yourself off in some little denomination, saying, "Me and my little group, we believe it this a way. We'll have nothing to do with that, nor have nothing to do with this or that." Oh, may God speak to your soul tonight. What can we do? The hour's coming when you're going to beg for this, and you're not going to find it.
Sinner friend away from God, little woman, little man, do you realize that you're trying to quench that thirst that God give to you to thirst after Him, and you're quenching it with the devil's pleasures? Moses forsook Egypt to be Pharaoh of Egypt, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Oh, and he endured as seeing Him Who is invisible.
Take off them clothes, lady; put you on some decent looking things. Let your hair grow out and wash your face. You men, get to be men: walk around with a pack of cigarettes in your pocket, and a deacon on the board, cigars, taking a little sociable drink, staying home and watching television, washing your car on Sunday instead of spend at Sunday school, aren't you ashamed?
E-47 Dear heavenly Father, God, I don't want to be rude, but what can I do when my soul cries out, Lord? I think of the difference between now and just a few years ago when I was here in Chattanooga: what a falling away, what a difference. And my Spirit grieves. Lord, here it is even just two more nights of the meeting, and the little auditorium which was packed, and fifteen hundred turned away, and now, something's happened. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
E-48 When the Spirit of God comes and reveals and shows His Presence, the people set just as quiet, and never seemed to be thrilled about Your Spirit just falls...?... Greedy, selfishness, ministers at each other throats, and... Oh, Lord, what a condition. Be merciful, God. What can we do, Lord? Men and women that won't speak to each other because of denominational differences... Be merciful, God.
We pray, Lord, that this call now, may their souls that can remember a former day, that can read the Bible and know that God's in His sanctuary; may their soul so thirst to be like that, Lord, and to see Your great power displayed again. Grant it, Lord.
Men and women here have become so cold and indifferent till they really seem to think that they're doing all right. Shake their souls tonight, Lord, and may they smell the breeze from a cooling stream of peace again, long and satisfy their thirsting, and surrender their lives to Thee again, Lord. Stir them up like the eagle does her nest. Make it so miserable for them that they'll be willing, no matter who's setting here, but they'll be willing to come, raise their hands to Thee, and say, "Wash me, O Lord, and try me. If there be any false in me, take it away and purge me, O God, while there is time for purging, while the Fountain is open." Grant it, Lord.
E-49 And while we're setting in prayer and every head's bowed, I just wonder how many of you, and all you sinner friends, would you just raise your hands to Christ, and say, "Be merciful to me, God; I raise my hands." Put up your hand, will you do that? Lord bless you. God bless you. Up in the balconies to my right, put up the hand, up there, sinner friend, say, "I now will resign from sin; I accept Christ. I'm finished with sin."
E-50 The balconies to the rear, balcony to the left, raise your hands. God bless you. Anyone on the center floors here? Raise your hand, say, "Be merciful to me, God, I--I..." God bless you, sir. God bless you. "I now see my mistake. I've tried to go to pool rooms, Brother Branham. I've tried everything. I've joined church; I've done everything, and nothing satisfies. I want to come to that place where I can have Christ as my satisfying Portion and He will witness the thing back to me by filling me with His Spirit. I now accept Him. I want Him to do it tonight."
E-51 Another hand or two before we go further? God bless you, sir. Someone else? God bless you. God bless you, lady. Another? "Be merciful to me, O God," you'd say. Anywhere in the building, before we close. God bless you, lady. Another, just before closing now.
I'm going to ask for you backsliders that knows that you've done wrong, aren't you ashamed right there to leave? You're going to die. Is there something in you, just the weakest little voice speaking somewhere, saying, "Come to Me, child. You can't die in this condition. If you do, you know you're doomed."?
E-52 Will you raise your hand and say, "God, I now raise my hands to You, saying, 'Be merciful to me; I want to come back home, God, from tonight on. I want to be satisfied and have that good feeling that I used to have, and that real worship and fellowship where I just love to read the Bible and go to church and sing the old songs. I want to have that again.'" Would you just raise your hands? God bless you, sir. It takes a real man to do that, brother. But I got confidence in a man that has made a mistake and willing to confess that he's wrong.
E-53 Now, to you bunch of Christians, you women and men that's trying to satisfy that holy thirst with things of the world, if you've got any real Christian principle and you're guilty, will you raise your hand to God, and say, "God, be merciful to me. From tonight on I'm changing my ways."? Raise your hand. God bless you. That's the way; that's the way to do it. Amen.
The balcony to the right, raise your hand. Come on, Christian. God bless you, up there. That's right. Man, I've got real, real confidence in you. The balcony to the rear. God bless you, that's good. Balcony to the left, raise your hand. Say, "From now on..." God bless you. "God spoke to my heart." God bless you; that's right: dozens of hands everywhere.
"I'm ashamed of my life, I've acted wrong; I know I'm wrong Brother Branham. I oughtn't to have done that."
E-54 How many here that's never had the Holy Spirit, and you want the Holy Spirit to come to you now, and to bless you, and to give you... You been up and down, up and down, look like you--you never on the housetop but just a few hours at a time, and then the next day you're down in the dumps, as we call it. Then you--you never seem to keep the victory, got just halfway life. God don't want you to be like that. He wants you to be full of His grace and power all the time. God's got it for you. You want to accept it by just raising your hands, saying, "God, You see my hand." Man, God bless you. God bless you, yes, yes, just all around. Put up your hand and see how it feels. Just mean it from your hearts. God bless you, that's right. God bless you. All around the balconies, I'm looking at you. Certainly, God sees you if I don't. God bless you, sir. That's good.
Oh, bless your heart. That's what Chattanooga needs, is what the rest of the world needs, is a revival.
E-55 Are you all finished? Has the Holy Spirit spoke just so--a few more? Don't let It pass. You know, tomorrow may be too late. You may not be able to do it tomorrow. You see, you're--you've turned yourself because of fussings be--between churches and denominations, and peoples, and--and all the luxuries of the world.
E-56 The American people want to be entertained. They don't want the Gospel no more; they want entertainment. And the devil's given them all that he can, just led them in all around everything. And they don't thirst for God no more.
All the kids in this country... Ninety-five percent of the kids in Chattanooga could tell you more about Davy Crockett than they could tell you about Jesus Christ. Ninety-five percent of the women can tell you more about Arthur Godfrey or Elvis Presley than they could about Jesus Christ. Think of it. Think of it. Can't you see it's gone?
Flee, Christian. There's a fountain open. Water is near. Life is near. Flee to it quickly. Drink, drink, drink till you can't drink no more. God will satisfy that thirst. God bless you. Now I'm going to pray for you.
E-57 Lord God, from this little broke up message tonight there's been over a hundred and fifty hands or more, two hundred, went up that they long and need to serve You. Many backsliders, many that's living in sin, and they don't want no more of that, they want more; they want to come to the Fountain tonight. They've been bit by the hounds of hell; they've been tossed about with every wind of doctrine. But they want to come to Christ tonight to the satisfying portion that God gave them. Grant it just now while we're waiting to see You appear on the scene.
Come, Lord; let this audience know that You're here, that You're willing, that the message is give in their behalf, not from prejudice, but from purely of the Scriptures and a heart that loves God and His people. Hear, Lord. We commit them to Thee in Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-58 Just be reverent a moment. Don't be angry with me for preaching straight and clean. You might different with me, but read your Bible. The message of Divine healing is wonderful. But Divine healing is just something to get your attention attracted.
If you are healed--Divine healing, you may get sick again. Lazarus was raised from the dead and died again. A doctor can heal you of pneumonia by giving you penicillin, or kill the germs in you, and tomorrow pronounce you sound and well. And Monday you can die of pneumonia again. Certainly.
But if you're saved, that's different. You've got Eternal Life, Everlasting Life. You haven't got everlasting health, but you've got Everlasting Life. Accept it tonight, friends.
E-59 Now, let's be reverent just a moment. Just that you might know, these young Christians and those who come back to Christ before we make an altar call, that you might know that the Holy Spirit is here, we'll pray for the sick. But I want you to be reverent just a moment.
I can't do that; it's too late.
All right, how many in here doesn't have a prayer card and you want God to heal you, raise up your hand just a moment? All right, be reverent.
E-60 If the Holy Spirit, as I have taught you the truth... Surely, Christ, when He was here on earth He identified Himself by telling Peter who his name was, telling the Jews, when they come, Nathanael, where he was found at under the tree before he come. Told the woman at the well her sin, and each one time that He did that, they recognized it to be the Messiah. Is that right? How many knows that's the truth?
But you'll never find a Scripture where He did it in front of the Gentiles. He said, "Don't you go to the Gentiles, for their days are not full yet, there's things that's not heaped up yet; they've got a day of grace." That's this day. And when He did it before, they said, "He's a fortuneteller, a Beelzebub."
Jesus said, "Say that about Me..."
Who said that? Great religious leaders, holy and renowned men. Jesus said, "Your father... You are of your father the devil." But He said, "You speak that against Me, I'll forgive you. When the Holy Ghost comes and does the same thing (in other wise), one word against It will never be forgiven in this world or the world to come."
E-61 I may never see you again, it perhaps is my last time in Chattanooga. We're too close to the end; I'm going overseas. One miracle that's performed in this meeting, one miracle that takes place of discernment...
I've seen one time it happened, and thirty thousand raw heathens accepted Christ. I made one prayer, and twenty-five thousand got to their feet, crippled, lame, and blind, and was healed. And the next morning seven truckloads of crutches and things going down the streets of Durban, South Africa, and the people walking behind them, singing "Only Believe."...
"Oh, but of course, we belong to the certain churches. We know better than that." Go ahead. That's the way, just go ahead. God's Bible's obligated to tell you. But you're obligated to what you say about it and do about it.
E-62 If Christ the Son of God, which I know is present now, if His Spirit... How many's been in the meetings before and seen Him do it, let's see your hands, all over the building, anywhere? Sure.
If Christ, the Son of God, He promised the things that He did, we'd do also.
The woman touched His garment, and He turned around, said, "Who touched Me?" He didn't know. He wouldn't have said that if He did know.
And they rebuked Him, said, "All's touching You."
He looked till He found who it was, and He told her what her troubles was and she was healed. How many know that's the truth? Sure.
The Bible said He's the High Priest that could be touched by the feeling of our infirmities right now. Then if He's present... And if that part of the Bible is true, the rest of it's true.
You without prayer cards... You other prayer cards, we'll call you tomorrow night, maybe a whole group of you. I want those without prayer cards. Look this way and believe. How many's out there knows I'm a stranger to you and don't know nothing about you, raise your hand, anywhere, I don't care where you are? All right, you believe.
E-63 I don't say that He will; I trust that He will at least give us three as a confirmation.
What is it? I just yield myself to the Holy Spirit. Your faith touches Christ; Christ turns back and just uses my voice to speak to you.
He said, "I am the Vine; ye are the branches." You know that, Saint John 15? Then the branch bears the fruit, not the vine. The vine just gives the life to the--to the branch. And if it's a pumpkin vine, it'll give pumpkins. If it's a watermelon, gives watermelons. It's grapes, it gives grapes. If it's Christ, it brings forth Christ. If it's some stiff starchy theology like they had back there, that's what it'll bring forth. But if it's Christ, it brings Christ.
Do you believe with all your heart? (Watch now when three...?... for a preview, call my attention.) I can't make it; it's you. You look to Christ, the High Priest, and say, "Christ, I've understood night after night and seen those things done. Now, that man doesn't know me. And if You'll just speak to me, Lord, I'm sick. I need You. And just to confirm that You are here, I'm going to believe You with all my heart." Just believe with all your heart now and see if God will grant it.
E-64 Here's a lady setting, looking at me, right back here, just moved her head back and forth just a moment ago. Yes, ma'am, you that moved your head then. You got a prayer card? You haven't. If God will reveal to me what your trouble is, will you believe God? You're sick; you want prayer, don't you? You prayed before you left home that you would get to be in the prayer line. And when I said that awhile ago, you said within your heart, "I ask You, God, to let him call me." If that's right, raise your hand. All right, you have stomach trouble. If that's right, stand on your feet. You--you have no prayer card. We've never met in all of your life; we don't know one another. If that's right, raise your hand. All right, you can go home now; you're healed.
E-65 I just ask you to believe God. What about some of the rest of you people through here, will you believe? If thou canst believe, all things are possible.
Little lady setting right back there on the end of the row, you got spinal trouble, lady. Right down here, do you believe? Have you a prayer card? You have a prayer card. Well, no, sir, I don't want that then, your prayer card. Little boy's been healed anyhow, so you just go ahead. You won't have to come in the prayer line.
Somebody else, somewhere, I challenge your faith. (Is that two or three?) God, let us have one more. Three's a confirmation.
E-66 What you pointing at yourself for, sir? You sick too, setting there, man pointed to your chest? Have you a prayer card? You don't. You and I are strangers to one another. I suppose this is our first time meeting. God knows us both. If He will reveal to me what your trouble is, will you believe me to be His servant? You will? You're suffering with sugar diabetes. That's right. You're not from this city; you're from Atlanta, Georgia. Your name's Mr. Adams. That's true. All right, go home and be well, if you believe it.
Do you believe God? Do you believe His Presence is here? Then you people that wants God in your life, come up here at the altar. I want to ask you something just a minute before you do it. Let's pray; bow your heads. Now's the time to be healed, no matter what's wrong with you. I want you to pray this prayer after me; you say the same thing I do.
Almighty God, Creator of heavens and earth, Author of Everlasting Life, Giver of every good gift, send mercy to me, through Thy Son Jesus. I now believe through the preaching of the Word, through the working of the Spirit, I believe that Christ is present. I now accept Him as my Healer. I'll serve You, Lord, as long as I live. And I promise You, from this night henceforth, I accept my healing, and I call those things that are, as though they are not, because I believe Your Word. Help me, Lord, in Jesus' Name.
E-67 Now, just keep shut in. Just keep shut in; keep praying. That--that's your prayer. Did you mean it? If you meant it, you're going to see something happen in a minute that you've never seen before. His Presence is here. Now, I'm going to pray for you; you keep praying. Now, keep... "Lord, You're coming in. I'm beginning to feel better. I believe the Holy Ghost is here. Something's happening to me." I'm going to pray for you.
E-68 Lord God, it is written in the Word...?... "These signs shall follow them that believe." It is also written, "If you say to this mountain, 'Be moved,' and don't doubt in your heart, but believe that them things that you say will come to pass, you can have what you say."
Lord, twenty-seven years I've tried to serve You up and down the nation and around the world. If I've found grace in Your sight, Lord, seeing these people tonight after a real hard stern preaching, rebuking them, but seeing their humble hearts repent, show this people Thy Presence, Lord, again. And let them know, even after You've identified Yourself in our midst, not a dead Christ, not One on a cross, but One in the hearts that's raised from the dead and is alive forever more. Blessed be His holy Name. I ask You to heal every person that's in Divine Presence.
And I challenge the devil in Jesus' Name. He cannot defy the Word of God, for the Word of God has deceived you, Satan, and you are stripped of all the rights that you ever had. When Jesus died at Calvary He gave us the keys to the Kingdom, and you have no legal right in our bodies any longer. And we adjure thee in the Name of Jesus Christ, leave every sick person here, and every crippled person, every blind person, every deaf person, every lame person, every sick person, everyone: leave. In Jesus' Name I ask you to go.
Stay shut in. Be sincere.
E-69 I hope that I found grace in Your heart. Keep your heads bowed, people. I am your brother, and I'm telling you the truth. Christ, the Son of the living God, is in this building. There's the Light hangs near. Beneath It is a little darkness that's just a little suspicion, little superstition. Oh, if we could just now reach out by faith, touch that garment that's hanging so close to you... Do it right now. You confessed that you would. Believe it.
And I want the first person that was deaf, dumb, blind, or crippled, that couldn't move a hand, maybe you couldn't move your hand, I want you to start moving it. You couldn't see out of one eye, or an eye, look, see, you can see now. Couldn't hear out of one ear, put your finger in your good ear.
E-70 Listen, the first one of you that feels that God has healed you, I want you to come to here to the platform and testify and tell the others.
If there was something wrong... If you couldn't move you hand, move it. Move it; in Christ's Name move it. Put your faith to a test. If you can move it, rise up and come here. If you couldn't hear, you can hear now, rise up and come here. If you're suffering with a headache and it's gone, rise up and come here. If you were sick at your stomach, and the sickness is gone for you--from you, rise up and come here.
Here comes a lady now to give testimony. That's the way. Come up and give God glory. Has He done it? Anywhere. Every last one of you, do you really believe it? You said you would. Now, see if you do. Christ keeps His word.
Somebody else that couldn't hear, or something, come up. That's right, lady, rise up. Come on, someone else now. That's right. You couldn't walk, come up now. If you couldn't speak, come up now and testify right here. You can do it. You're not afraid, are you? Are you afraid to put Christ to the test? What was wrong with you? If you're healed, raise your hand. Rise yourself up; come up here and let's testify to the glory of God. Give God a chance for--to verify. That's right. Come on. See Him coming? You rise up, say, "Oh, I can't do it." Try it now. That's the way. You couldn't raise your hand, raise it up. If you couldn't speak, scream, "Hallelujah." Prove you believe Him.
E-71 Are you just bluffing? Was you just kidding Christ? Christ has to keep His Word. How did I stand here with that challenge night after night if He didn't keep His Word?
Looky here; they're ready to testify. Maybe some deaf, dumb, blind, I don't know what was--their trouble was. Whatever your trouble was, come on, give God a chance. Testify. Raise up; don't be afraid; don't be ashamed. You ashamed of the testimony, come on.
While they're coming to give testimony of their rising, you people that raised your hands awhile ago you wanted to repent, you want to make your life right, come here and stand here just a minute; I want to pray for you. Come right out and come up this way, you that raised your hands awhile ago. And you that knows that you want to come and thank God for taking the temper away from you, taking the world away from you, and you're going to dress different, you're going to act different, you're going to live different...?... Come up here. Be sincere. Stand up around the altar here.
E-72 Now, I want you people to look here. I want you ministers. Can you see what tears the heart of a preacher? Can you see what tears the Holy Spirit; when people will raise their hands that they'll do that, and then will set there and won't move? What's left but judgment?
You'll cry someday when I'm gone. You remember that. I speak in the Name of Jesus Christ. You'll long to hear these things and will never hear them. Come on now. I invite you in Christ's Name.
Was you ashamed you raised your hand? Then you wouldn't make a good Christian to begin with. That's awful rude. But, brother, it's time that the Gospel... Let us take off the kid gloves and tell the truth. Christ is here; He's raised from the dead. He's present. That's the reason we do the way we do.
E-73 Come on now. That's right; raise up. If mama says, "Set down," say, "mama, you go with me." If husband says, "You can't go or I'll leave you," say, "Good-bye. Come on, we're going." That's right; that's the way to do it. Walk right up here and give your personal testimony. Come down out of the balcony, you that's been backslid, you that's done wrong and want to make it right with God. These are coming for testimony for healing; we're going to have a little revival started here as soon as you get to your feet and do something about it. God's never going to pull you up in there. You're going to walk under your own free will.
E-74 Do you believe? Come up and give...?... just as they're getting healed and going through the line... Those who are moving out of common sense, "God, I can't see it. If the people see me, they know that they were wrong." Some of the church members? Yes. "But here now sets his...?... Now, what would she think?" It ain't what she thinks; it's what does Christ think of you. Your soul's thirsting, come on, there's a Fountain open. While we're waiting. Come on now.
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins,
Won't you come now? Don't leave; stay still now...?...
... now beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains,
Lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
E-75 Hundreds had up their hands. I wonder what happened. You're waiting for another chance. I hope you get it. You may not. Let me just talk to you. It just keeps pouring through my heart and pulling through my heart. I've got to say it. You're looking for a greater day, but this is your last one. This is the final call. Now, you write that down in a book and see if you ever see things happen any greater than you see happen now. Just remember; you're trying to place it off somewhere else. You Gentiles have a short revival at the end. It's just about over.
All right, you standing here around the altar, everybody reverent. Are you ashamed of your life? You want God to help you now, be merciful? God bless this, lady, come right on. That's the way. The Lord be with you. God bless you, lady. That's right. Come right on up; just take your stand. "He that will confess Me before men, Him will I confess before the Father and the holy Angels."
If you're ashamed of your life and you want God to help you, will you just raise up your hand, to you around the altar here. That's right, be a real man and woman. "And though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow."
E-76 Look at the testimony for healing, just keep--they just keep feeling the power of God moving through them.
Ministers, get around behind me now, each one of you. These men here are men of God, who has the churches here in the city, who's cooperating in this meeting. They're going to give you a hand. If you don't already belong to the church, you're just repenting, they'll see that you're baptized in Christian baptism. They'll take you into the church as a member of their church; they'll feed you, do what's right. They're men who believe in this ministry. That's why they're here, to represent. Now, everyone that's concerned about these souls, let's bow our heads just a moment.
E-77 O eternal and blessed God, these...?... ones that's come tonight... And it is written in the Scripture, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him. And he that will come to Me I will in no wise cast out." There's men and women who's sinned and did that which was wrong; they're standing here tonight repenting of their--their difference, and being indifferent towards You. Some of them, no doubt, has made confessions in churches, but they've never lived up to that confession.
O blessed Holy Spirit, sweep into their souls just now and give to them the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Baptize them in Thy love and power. O Lord, take away all ungodly things from them. Take the world out of them, Lord, that they might be presented to God that day by Jesus Christ, faultless and blameless, standing in His righteousness alone. Grant it, Lord.
E-78 These ministers are standing around them, some of them with hands on them, and they're praying with them. The church has their heads bowed. We see Your Spirit as It moves through the building, that's bringing conviction. It heals the sick. Here stands a row or praise and testimonies. God, we pray that the Holy Ghost will now be dropped down into this building like a rushing mighty wind. May It cleanse all their hearts from sin, and give to these people, fill their hearts with goodness. Take the world out of them, Lord, and let them thirst after Thee. And Thou has said, "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Grant it, Lord. May they be filled with the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be His Name.
E-79 Each one of you standing here now, that's repented of your sins, and you believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ is come to you in peace and love, and you feel different from what you did when you come up here and just had this word of prayer, will you raise your hand? You around the altar here, just raise up your hand? That's good. God bless you.
E-80 Now, minister friends, you walk right up here and then shake their hand and offer a little prayer with each one of them. Now, walk right up to them, you, each one, right up to them.
All right. Let the lady now who laid these here... (Brother Vayle, come here.) I want...
Please hear these testimonies now as they come, while these are making theirself welcome to their churches and so forth.
All right, lady, come right ahead now to testify to give God glory.