E-1 Thank you, very much. I’m so happy to be back, in the Name of the Lord. Just a little hoarse, to start with, but Lord lets me get in second gear, after while. So, I been speaking much this week, at the meeting. And they been lot of questions to be answered. Then go out of the building, hot. And it…I have no bad cold. And I never felt any better, in my life. So, I just feel fine, but my throat just overtaxed. And it’ll be all right. So I want to thank each and every one of you, for all that you have done.
E-2 I tried to find…As I drove up, a few minutes ago, Billy and some of them was on the outside, trying to find the little family that had come down and gotten broke, and couldn’t go back. If they’re still in the building, I wish some…they’d hold up their hand, or something. I—I wanted something on that, myself. And so the little family that’s from Michigan, or somewhere, that—that run out of gasoline or something, or money. If you—if you’re still here in the town…If you see them after the meeting, pass them by my house. See? I want something in that. That’s—that’s what—that’s what we’re here for, is to give a helping hand, anybody that we can. So, now, the Lord Jesus bless us, is our prayer.
E-3 Now, this has been an unusual week, and we’ve had some unusual things. But I’ll say that I have never seen a time that the Holy Spirit ever moved any free-er than It has this week, in the service, been just perfectly wonderful to me. And at nighttime when I go in, sometimes it’s one o’clock in the morning before I can go to sleep. I just rejoice in the thoughts of the Lord Jesus being so good to us. And now I…
E-4 Any of you people that’s around here, in the city, or neighborhooding around, that doesn’t have a home yet, church home, you’re welcome here, to come any time and make this your home. Remember, we don’t have no membership here, just fellowship for all. “We don’t have,” as Howard Cadle used to say, “no law but love; no creed but Christ; no book but the Bible.” And so you’re always welcome at this little tabernacle.
Which, we’re expecting, if the Lord willing, soon as we can, to build a better church, more—more substantial place. Not too big, for we believe Jesus is coming soon, and we don’t want no too elaborate thing. We just want something…This one is about to fall in. It served its purpose, and we are very thankful for it.
I’ll never forget. Right where this pulpit stands now, about twenty-something years ago, I knelt in an old pond, in horseweeds over my head. And the Lord said, “Build your church here.” On a little lot, that we went to the Ingram’s and got it for a hundred and sixty dollars, if we’d fill it up. This was the ice pond where we all skated.
E-5 Brother Jess Spencer ought to remember, this was a pond in here, him and Sister Spencer. I guess you remember it. They used to bring the teams up, and drive way around this way, to keep from getting into the pond.
I was a little boy over here at Ingramville School. This was a pond; get out here and ice skate, and—and play shinny and everything else, on the pond. Brother Mike, you remember when this was a pond. [Brother Mike says, “Yes.”—Ed.] Yes, sir. Brother Roy, back there.
And now, where the pond stood, we just got part of it left, that’s right behind here. That’s where we baptize the people into the water for remissions of their sin. And now this…
E-6 You know, when you bring questions down, and where you—you got something that you want to present, and it’s a problem because you got a mixed audience. People have been taught one way or the other. But when you can explain the thing, even contrary to what they been taught, and the sweetness of their spirit flow back, that’s godly, to me.
I don’t want to bring any certain name. But a—a certain doctor, from out of the city, just met me in the room in there; a medical doctor, I suppose. And, he said, for years he had been kind of tangled up in that. He read a book that was wrote concerning it, contrary to what I was teaching. But, said, since he’s been setting in the meeting, and seen the facts of the Scripture placed, it settled it forever.
E-7 A while ago, I met in the room, with some people from out of the city, from Illinois. And there was about four ministers, three or four ministers. And they said, “Brother Branham, we have taught the contrary, all our life, but we catch the vision now and see what really is the Truth. We’ve been wondering what it was.” See? And now, that, see, that is that we are now…
E-8 Just what it is, brother, don’t think that that degrades any church or any people. That only brings the Church up. See? And then, together, we must stand. We must stand together. When those…
When God divided Hisself at Pentecost, breaking up the Pillar of Fire into little, bitty pillars of Fire, and went and hung over the people, and the Holy Spirit come on them. If God divided Hisself among us, every time one adds hisself to us, that accumulates more around that Pillar, all the time. And together, when it’s all the great ransomed Church of God, is drawed together, we’ll take a trip through the sky, just as certain as anything.
E-9 I’ve never tried to separate or sow discord among brethren. I’ve tried my best to be just as kind as I could, to understand. And—and other men, if they…churches who sponsor my meeting. Then if they are…They are different with one another, but they love me, and they’ll sponsor my meetings. And I’d come in among their people, I certainly wouldn’t say one thing. A—a gentleman wouldn’t do that, let alone a Christian. Certainly not.
And then if I ever have tent meetings; which I’m figuring on doing, the Lord willing, someday. Then I—I will, before I teach anything of these teachings, first will be a morning services with the pastors, for several days, let them know what I’m fixing to teach. And then if that brother doesn’t see it and doesn’t agree, any brother, then let them take their congregation, say, “Now, I don’t want you to hear this. We’ll just stay away while they’re teaching That.” See? And give them the privilege. We always want to be in harmony with God and with His children, with everyone.
E-10 So, now, I’ve got a question to answer tonight, the Lord willing. And I thought maybe I’d answer this question, just before. I thought I had another here, but it was a dream that someone had given, and wanted me to pray over it and give the interpretation. Which, the Lord has been so gracious to us, to do that, so many time.
E-11 Now, we want you to know, before we start in the service, that you’re all cordially invited back to every meeting, every time that we have one. And from Louisville, from out of town, from in the city and around about; these fine ministers; the brother from Sellersburg; the singers; that lady, ever who she was, singing out here, a while ago, and the little fellow. We just thank you, so much. I—I was talking with some brethren back there, and I didn’t even get a chance to see who it was, and what it was, but I certainly heard it. And it was beautiful, and I certainly appreciate that effort. Now we’ll…
E-12 I missed this last night. My son put it in my pocket. Some precious person had wrote it. And now remember, these questions are not to be different. Sometimes, maybe, when they’re wrote, they sound like they’re different, but it’s a honest heart trying to find out. See? That’s the way we always approach it, some real honest person trying to find out what is right.
E-13 Now, here sometime ago, I was down to a home, having a prayer meeting. And Brother Junior Jackson, I heard him a while ago, or I thought I did, he was with me. And he had got through speaking. And there was a minister from another church. And no more than I had hardly gotten to the floor, he jumped up and started, wanted to fuss with me. Well, there happened to be about five ministers there, and they was all going to climb onto the man at once. I said, “No. Don’t do that. Now, he—he challenged me, so let he and I talk it over.”
Well, he started off, “We speak where the Bible speaks; silent where It’s silent,” and so forth. And away they went. And just in a few moments…I kept marking down the Scriptures he was misquoting, misplacing. Said, “There wasn’t but—there wasn’t but twelve people ever did receive the Holy Ghost. That was the apostles. And Divine healing was only give to those twelve,” and so forth. So, you see, he just missed the mark, by a million miles. So after the…after I…After about a half hour of him speaking, I asked him…And he said I was the devil.
E-14 And so then, after got through speaking, I said, “Now, first thing I want to say, brother, I forgive you for that, because you didn’t mean that. I know you didn’t. For, if you’re a minister and I’m a minister, we should be brothers.” See? And then I said, “Now, to misunderstand each other, in the Scripture, is something different.”
E-15 So then we begin to take the Scripture. And the poor fellow was so lost, in a minute, he didn’t know where to stand or what to do. Then, he got so tied up, he didn’t know what to do. And he, when he walked out of the building, though, that night, he said, “I’ll say one thing, Brother Branham. You have the Spirit of Christ.” See?
And I thought, “‘The devil,’ a few minutes ago, and now ‘the Spirit of Christ.’” It’s only the way you approach it. That’s all. Christ was not to fuss.
E-16 Now—now, the man, because that he did that, horrible things happened to him; almost lost his mind. From an institution or something, jumped out of a window, and almost killed himself. And now he’s coming back to some good friends of mine. He’s seeking, every day, the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Wants to come up to my house, to have hands laid on him, to receive the Holy Ghost; a preacher of a great denominational church. See?
E-17 So, honest-heartedly we answer questions, with all that we know how to answer.
E-18 And now I’ll read this question, nicely written.
1. Brother Branham, would you please explain why the people in Acts 2:4 spoke in other tongues or languages, even before the multitude came together in Acts 2:6?
That’s the first question. Yeah. It’s the same person, I suppose, also. Yes, it is the same person.
E-19 Well, now, if you will notice, brother, sister, ever who it was that wrote it. It never said a word about them coming downstairs, from upstairs. And the audience was not upstairs. But when they come down into the courts where the multitude was gathered, that’s when they heard them speak in tongues. See? See?
E-20 Now, you could say, “Well, they did speak up there.”
And if it was a debate or a fuss, you’d have just as much right to say, “They did not speak till they got down here, because, ‘When this was noised abroad.’” See?
Now, other thing here, it goes right with it.
2. Would you explain how Simon knew the Holy Ghost had been given in Acts 8:18? That’s at Samaria.
E-21 Well, there’s one thing, he didn’t know they had the Holy Ghost because of speaking in tongues, or the Bible didn’t say they did. They just seen the results. No one can receive the Holy Ghost without being something happening to them. That’s right. But it didn’t say they spoke in tongues there, so it must have been something else that he saw besides speaking in tongue, because it never mentioned them speaking in tongue.
3. And explain how do we know some of the people on the Day of Pentecost spoke Galilean.
E-22 The biggest part of them there was Galilean. And all of them…Now, as I said this morning…Now, there is two things, two faculty. Now, I’m going to take the side that the people was speaking in tongues; the people speaking not in tongues, but in languages, when they come out of the upper room and begin to meet the people. But if you’ll read the Scripture, listen close now.
…are not all these Galileans which speak?
And how hear we—how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
…are not all these Galileans that speaks?
E-23 They could have been speaking Galilean, but they were hearing them in another language. It could been they were speaking another language, their own language. Either way, wouldn’t matter; it still doesn’t make the Pentecostal conception right. See? Cause…Listen. Here is why. Not to say something different, but just to make a fact straight. If you notice, why did Peter get up then and speak to the whole multitude, and they every one heard him in the language he was speaking. For, three thousand was converted, of staunch Jews who were just as staunch in their religion as they could be. But they must have stood, understood every word, of Peter preaching on the prophets, and so forth, bringing up to Pentecost. For they screamed out, and said, “Men and brethren, what can we do to be saved?”
Peter said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for remission of your sin.”
E-24 Now just let me say this, with—with the…all my heart, so that you’ll see the…what I trying to get to you. I certainly do believe in speaking in tongue. I believe that it is a gift to the Church. I believe that there is a tongue. I’ve spoke in tongues, many times, myself.
E-25 Let me give you a little instance, what I think Pentecost was. And then I’ll…something like it, now, or something on this order. I was in Dallas, Tex-…Houston, Texas, just before this picture was taken, about one day. We could have had the Music Hall; we was holding eight thousand. The people couldn’t get in, so we went over to Raymond Richey’s tabernacle. I forget just…It was a mammoth, big tabernacle. And—and we filled that full. And I’d preach and pray for the sick, here. Then, while they put them out, I’d go over, and preach and pray for them over here, at Raymond Richey’s, across the river.
E-26 And then when we was over there, fixing to come back to the Music Hall. I…Howard had just let me go as far as I could go. And he touched me on the shoulder, patted me on the side. [Brother Branham pats on himself—Ed.]
If you noticed, in the room, when the anointing is on, they’ll pat me, like this. [Brother Branham pats on himself—Ed.] That means, “It’s time to quit. Don’t say no more. Come on.” And Howard, used to be, I’d stand there, he’d just get my hand, throw me over his shoulder and walk on out. See? Cause, he knowed I just had enough.
Well, I started to leave the platform when he patted me. I said, “Okay, brother.” Started to leave the platform, and a girl, little girl, was setting, standing here, crying. Little, Mexican girl, looked to be about twelve, fourteen years old, just teen age. And I looked at her, and I said, “What’s the matter, honey?” I said, “She’s crying, Howard, because…”
Said, “You’ve had enough. You got another group over there, waiting.”
And I said, “Bring her up here.” And I just reached over, motioned like that. And she come up on the platform. I believe Brother Wood and them was present, now. They was at the meeting. I don’t know whether at that time or not. Brother Wood, where you at, tonight? [Brother Banks Wood says, “Here.”—Ed.] Was…Is that right? [“Right.”] Yeah, you was there. And I said, “Bring her up on the platform.”
Well, I said, “Look, honey. Do you believe that God is able to tell me what your trouble is?” And she just kept her little head down. “Well,” I thought, “she may be deaf and dumb.”
E-27 So, I looked again. I seen it was speech. And I said, “Oh, she can’t speak English.” She couldn’t speak one word of English. So she was from Mexico. So they had an interpreter to come. And I said, “Do you believe, honey, that the Lord Jesus can tell me what your trouble is?”
Well, she spoke back to the interpreter, said, “‘Yes.’ She believed it.”
And I said, “Can’t you speak English, at all?” And the interpreter said to her.
She said, “No.” She never knowed any words of English. She was from Mexico. And so when I…
E-28 Then the vision started. And I said…They don’t interpret the vision, see, ’cause you’re speaking constantly. Never interpret a vision, so, until it’s all over, and then they tell them what happened. So, then, while I started to speak, I saw a vision. I said, “I see a little girl about six years old. She’s got on a scotch plaid dress, with black strips of hair hanging down her back, and bows of ribbon in it. She’s setting by an old-fashioned fireplace. There’s a large kettle, and she’s eating yellow corn from it. She eat so much corn till she becomes violently ill. She falls, and her mother lays her on the bed, and she has epileptic fits. And that’s what happened to her. See?” I said, “You had epilepsy, ever since.”
And quickly, before anyone said anything, she looked up to the interpreter, she said, in her own language, “I thought he couldn’t speak Spanish.”
And the interpreter said, “Did you speak Spanish?”
I said, “No, sir. I spoke English.”
He said, “Well, she said you spoke Spanish.”
I caught it. I said, “Stop the recorders.” There was a big bunch of recorders, maybe thirty of them going, them days.
Brother Roy Roberson, wasn’t you there? [Brother Roy Roberson says, “Yes.”—Ed.] Yes. Brother Roy Roberson, and Sister Roberson and them, was there.
E-29 So I said, “Stop the recorders. Play it back.” And it was actually in English. But, you see, then when I started…
As long as the vision was going on, I was speaking English but she was hearing it in Spanish. “How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” See? And, but, as soon as I started speaking, myself, then she didn’t hear a thing that I said. But while the inspiration was on…
E-30 Now apply that to Pentecost, just once. See? Friend, God is my judge. The Holy Spirit did that. Now let’s apply that back to Pentecost, for our meaning. The Holy Spirit wouldn’t do anything just—just to say He did it. It’s got to be a cause and a reason. See?
E-31 Now, on the Day, “How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Are not all these, speaking, Galilean?” How did they know they were Galileans, if they wasn’t speaking Galilean? They all dressed alike. How did they know they were Galilean? “Are not all these, that’s speaking, Galileans? And how do we hear every man, in our own tongue, wherein we were born?”
E-32 Then, up gets another man, a Galilean, Peter, and begin to preach to them. And somehow another, in that multitude of people, three thousand souls understood him, and came and was converted, and gave their lives to Christ.
E-33 Now listen. Let me just take you one more Scripture, please. Let us go over to the great Saint Paul, and then we’ll read the 12th chapter of First Corinthians. And then drop into the 13th chapter of First Corinthians, when Paul talking about, “If the ears will say to the nose, ‘I have no need of you,’” and so forth, the members of the Body. Then in the 13th—13th chapter, listen what he said now.
E-34 Now, we know that there’s two different kinds of tongues mentioned in the Bible. One of them is a language, that it’s—it’s a dialect of the earth. Now, the other is an unknown tongue.
E-35 Now, many of my most precious people…I’ve told you I’m Pentecost. Now, most of my people believe that, that, when they receive the Holy Ghost, they just get up and speak in an unknown tongue. That’s exactly contrary to the Scripture. Then the people don’t know what they’re saying. But, on the Day of Pentecost, everyone knew what they were saying. That was the going forth, to every nation. See? Jesus said, “The Gospel must be preached to all the world, beginning at Jerusalem.” There is where it had to be that way.
Now notice. Paul said, that, “One tongue, that, if you spoke in it, the unknown tongue which is the gift of tongues, unless it be by interpretation or by revelation, that it wouldn’t profit much.”
And then we find out, that, in the 13th chapter, he said, “Though I speak with tongues of men,” that’s dialects of the earth, “or of Angels. Though I speak with tongue of men or of Angels, and have not charity, I’m nothing.” So you could speak with both genuine tongues of men and Angels, and still you haven’t got the Holy Ghost.
E-36 Did not we just have it, in Hebrews 6? “The rain fell upon the wheat and the weeds.” Didn’t Jesus say, “The rain comes on the just and the unjust”? See? The same rain that makes the wheat grow, is the same rain that makes the—the…grow. But, by the fruit of that, you know it.
And the first fruit of the Spirit is love. What Paul said, “If I have—if I have all, can speak in all kinds of tongues, and have not love, longsuffering, gentleness, faith, patience, and so forth, it profit me nothing.” See?
E-37 And then notice about gifts. You say, “Oh, there’s a great man of God. Oh, he performs miracles.” That still don’t make him right.
E-38 “Though I have a gift of miracles,” Paul said, in First Corinthians, something on that order, “though I have faith till I can move mountains, and not have that fruits of the Spirit, love, I’m still nothing.” See? Cause, faith will do anything.
That’s why I always say, “You’re not healed by the merits of your salvation. You’re merit…healed by the merits of your faith, ‘If thou canst believe.’”
E-39 Now, see, “Though I speak with tongues of men and Angels, and have not chari-…,” though he could do it, “I’m nothing.” So, you see, you can’t say nothing.
E-40 Now, to my precious Methodist friend. I got two setting right here, and everywhere. I got them out here, many of them. The Methodist church used to believe, back in its early, primitive day, that, “When a man got religion enough, and sanctified, to shout, he had It.”
The Pentecost said, “When he spoke with tongues, he had It.”
And nowadays, they say, “If you got a healing ministry, you got It.” But there isn’t any of…
E-41 Listen, friend. Don’t try to depend and seek sensations. Instead, rely upon realities, see, not sensation. Shouting is all right. Speaking in tongues is all right. Praising the Lord is all right. Faith for miracles is all right, all those things.
E-42 And those feelings, some of them say, “Oh, I felt It like a rushing wind.” Another one say, “I felt Fire in my soul.” What? That doesn’t make it right, either way. It’s what you are after you have received it, see, that’s what count. See? So you can’t pin It to any certain sensation.
E-43 Now, that’s honestly the best that I know. Now, I may be wrong; if I am, then I misunderstand the Scripture. And if it’s contrary, well, I don’t mean to be contrary. See? But I’m just telling my version of what I believe that is true.
E-44 Now, we’re take up a lot of our time here on this, before we start into the regular service. And now—now, we don’t mention these things too oft around the tabernacle, sometime. This has been the first time, I guess, for a long time, for maybe year or two, or something. And then maybe some of our people come in, and they say, “Well, Brother Branham, I’ve—I’ve had stammering lips. And I’ve done this. I’ve done that.”
I’ve said, “Well, all right. That’s very good.”
E-45 Now, if you want to speak in an unknown tongue, I believe God will let you do it. But according to the Scriptures, you’re still nothing until the Holy Spirit come.
Then, after the Holy Spirit comes, then you can speak in tongues and have…God will just take the nature that you are, and cut it out for you, and make you the best servant you can be. He might make you preach the Gospel. He might make you have a gift of speaking in tongues. He might make you a prophet. He might give you a spirit of prophecy. He might. Hard tell, what He’d do for you. Or, He might do all those things for you. But the first thing, is to be sure, that, “By one…” Not sensation. “But by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body.” And then the gifts come from that Body, see, speaking in tongues and everything.
E-46 What it is, if—if the Nazarene comes up to me. You’d say, “Brother Branham, now, there’s a Nazarene and the Methodist. They say they received the Holy Ghost when they shouted. They said they received the Holy Ghost.” I’m not saying they didn’t.
But here’s one thing that I watch, “By their fruit.”
When Truth is revealed, some of them turn against It, bitterly, “That’s the devil.” Then, the fruit shows where it come from. See? It shows they didn’t get It. But those who are willing to walk in Light, receive Word.
E-47 Here some time ago, I was preaching down in Kentucky. And outside the meeting, there was a man who belonged to a church that believes the days of miracles is past. He was holding a lantern in his hand. And he said, “I just waited for you, preacher.” An old uncle and I, that’s gone on now.
And I said, “Yes, sir.”
He said, “I’m so-and-so.”
And I shook his hand. I said, “I’m sure glad to meet you, my brother.”
And he said, “I just want to tell you that I believe that you’re absolutely wrong.”
I said, “Well, you got a right to do that, because you’re an American.” And he said…Well, you see, and we got…I said, “Wrong on what? Would you mean on the healing?” I said, “What about that little barefooted girl that just walked up there yesterday, last night, had a little baby?”
She wasn’t over about fourteen years old, herself, barefooted. Little old…What you call that? Gingham, calico, or some kind of a dress. I don’t know about goods. And—and she had a little baby in her hand, and she walked up to me. And people sticking in the win-…And this was the Methodist church, the White Hill Methodist church, just out of Burkesville, Kentucky, where I was born. And she had this little baby. And I said, “Sister…”
I had asked, “Anybody sick?”
And she walked up through there, little, bashful thing, her little head down. And she said, “Yes, sir, my baby.” And the little thing was going like that.
I said, “What’s the matter with it, sister?”
She said, “It’s got the jerks.”
And I said, “The jerks?”
“Yes, sir.”
I said, “How long has it had these jerks?”
And she said, “Well, ever since it’s been born, and it’s might nigh a year old.”
And I said, “Are you willing to let me hold that baby?” Up there in the mountains you have to kind of watch about that.
And she said, “Yes, sir.” She give the little fellow in my arm.
E-48 In my heart, I just stood still, a minute. I said, “God, if You’re going to let me win these people, then do something for me now.”
And while I was holding it in my hand, it stopped jerking. I looked at it. Set it up, arms, played with it, and it grinned and laughed at me. I looked down at her. And she raised…Had her little head down, hair parted and hanging down her back, and plaits on it. She raised her head up, and the tears running down her little cheeks. Rough men standing there, whiskers on their face, that long, and the tears running down their cheeks. Looked around. I said, “Here’s your baby, sister. Jesus Christ makes it well.” And them old women begin to faint and fall on the floor, and pour water in their face, and fan them.
And—and, why, I said, “What did that?”
He said, “Mr. Branham, I cannot accept anything until I thoroughly see it.”
I said, “Well, good idea, I suppose. But,” I said, “I want to ask you, where you live?”
He said, “Back over across the mountain here, a way. Go over home with me for supper tonight, and I’ll give you some buttermilk and cornbread.”
I said, “I’d like to go, and I’m really hungry, but,” I said, “I can’t do it. Got to go home with my uncle.” And he…Said, “Well, I want to ask you—I want to ask you something. How do you know you’re going to get home?”
He said, “Well, I’ll just walk over that mountain.”
I said, “Can you see your home?”
He said, “No.”
I said, “Then how do you know you’re going to get there?”
He said, “There’s a path that leads.”
I said, “But, still, you can’t see it. And you just told me you couldn’t accept anything ’less you seen it, thoroughly.”
“Oh,” he said, “I’ll just take the light and walk with the light.”
I said, “That’s just what I’m trying to get you to do.”
Just as the lantern gives light, you walk in the Light as He is in the Light. We’ll get there all right. Though I don’t see the end, plainly, but I know it’ll be there.
Let us pray now.
E-49 Heavenly Father, we are grateful to Thee for the goodness of Jesus Christ, Who is the center of love. And I used to think that You were angry with me, but Jesus loved me. But I find out now that Jesus is the very heart of God, so I—I know that You love me and—and suffered for me.
E-50 And, Father, God, I pray for this world today, and for our country. I pray, Lord, for forgiveness of my own mistakes and for the mistakes of my people, the people that You’ve give me to shepherd over. And I pray that You’ll bless them, and every one of the people that’s been in this little meeting, that’s asked questions. Or—or, maybe I have said something contrary to what they believe. Lord, I can’t explain it, myself. I’m unable. But let…Will You just let them know, Father, that in my heart, what I mean? Please. I pray You’ll do that. Bless them, together.
E-51 Bless us now as we are waiting on Your Word, just a few moments before baptismal service. Help us to speak that which is right. Help us, in this Message tonight, my throat being a little husky. I pray that You will help me, dear God, and You will even heal the sick and the afflicted that’s in the midst of the people. For we ask it in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
E-52 Now, if you will, for just the next few moments, let’s turn over to the Book of Romans, the 6th chapter.
Oh, wait. I believe I got…Say, I got a whole lot more ques-… Say, I’ll just answer these Wednesday night, if that’s all right. I’m done, so late now. I didn’t notice those laying there till just now.
Now, Romans the 6th chapter, let us read.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Know ye not, that so many as…of us as were baptized unto Jesus Christ were baptized unto his death?
Therefore we are buried with him in baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
E-53 If I should take a text tonight, for about twenty minutes, I would say this, “identification,” Identified With Christ.
E-54 You know, there is, in the country today, so many dissatisfied people. And it’s amazing, when you get around and find out so much dissatisfaction. People hardly know what they want to do. They come down the road at about seventy and eighty miles an hour, in a thirty mile zone; slide the brakes and turn around the corner, and start up with such speed till they’ll burn their tires half off, to go a city block, to set and talk a while. Seems like people don’t know what they do want.
E-55 Some of them get so disturbed until they go down to the drugstore and purchase for themselves a bottle of arsenic, a sulfuric acid or something, and commit suicide. They find them laying dead. Some will turn their gas jets on in the room, or set in their automobiles with a pipe for the carbon monoxide gas, trying to get away from life. Some of them will climb up to the bridge, and write a little note and stick it on their coat, and lay it down, and plunge themselves to death in the river; jumping off of mountains, high towers. And some will take a pistol and put it up to their head, and actually blow their brains out. They’re just dissatisfied.
E-56 The hospitals are full of dissatisfied people. The insane institutions are overrun. Dissatisfied! They don’t know what they do want. There seem to be something that they’re reaching after, but they just never come to it.
E-57 And also we find that, homes, which is the backbone of the nation and—and of the church, we find homes broke up, and divorce courts just overrun with divorces. Juvenile delinquency, of—of mothers leaving their little children with babysitters and—and taking off, out to work and somewhere, when their husbands got good jobs, but they’re just not satisfied to be a mother and stay at home. They’re not satisfied to dress like ladies. They—they want to dress like men. Men wants to be like women. And they just…There just seems to be something wrong, somewhere. And people are reaching for something, and can’t find it. That’s a pitiful condition to be into.
E-58 They’ve looked everywhere, to find something, to make themself an example. We take the women of our day, they’ll watch television until they see a certain movie star. Or, she’ll come out, dressed in a certain way, and all the women will want to dress like her, or act like her, make her example. Some pretty girls, just in the bloom of life, will try to pattern themselves, and try to make some movie star an example that they should go by. And finally they find themselves wound up in a cage of sin that they can’t get out of. What a pity! Seeing them come into the meeting, tears running down their cheeks, but they’re hunting for something.
E-59 We take men. Men, you catch them on the street or in their business. The old man wants to be a teen-ager. He’ll cut his hair off, on a flat-top, and make a—a ducktail in the back. He wants to be a teen-ager. The teen-ager wants to be like one of these rock-and-roll king. Where do they wind up? In sin and disgrace.
E-60 Man seems to be unsatisfied. He’s running everywhere. They’ll take on…listen to the radio, for jokes and things that these jokesters pull. And they’ll go out and try to mimic or—or act like those people.
E-61 You take the little boy on the street. How I know it! And he’s got to be a Paladin, or a Hopalong Cassidy. Or…And the commercial world gets a hold of that and makes millions of dollars out of it. They got to be a Roy Rogers, or a—a Mr. Dillon, or—or some television program outfit.
They are trying to impersonate that person. They set them up as an example. They’ve taken them for their—their standard of life. And what do they find at the end of the road? Those little fellows turn out to be gangsters and robbers. The women turn out to be prostitutes, and—and street-walking, and—and delinquent people. Men turn out to be gamblers, and, “Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” Churches try to impersonate the other church, the big church.
E-62 We just seem to see, there’s no satisfaction among the people. What do they…
What makes them do it? It’s for a cause. It’s a nature. God gave them that nature. They’ve got a nature that makes them want to have something to identify themselves with. They must have something that they want to be like, an objective in life.
They want to be a movie star, or a cowboy, or—or something on that idea.
E-63 I was hearing on the radio, coming home, where some great Italian man, at Denver, was trying to play a Hopalong Cassidy, something, with a loaded gun. And instead of that, he’s going to be a Chester, the rest of his life. He shot his kneecap off. There you are.
E-64 But they are trying to find something to identify themselves with. The reason they are doing it, is because that there’s something in them, and God made them that.
But God made them an example to be identified with, and that was when He made Jesus Christ to become your Saviour. That’s the example. That’s what people wants, should want to be identified with Jesus, to be like Him.
E-65 If all the little boys that wants to be Hopalong Cassidy or—or some of these others; or the little girls, the Annie Oakley’s and so forth; if they only wanted to be like Jesus, as much as they want to be like that, the Sunday schools would be running over, everywhere. If the women that wants to be like some movie star, would want to be like Jesus; the church, why, they’d never have to take up an offering. Certainly.
E-66 God made a man to desire to have an example. And God gave him an example. That example is Jesus Christ, to be identified with Him.
E-67 Now, if we would be more like Him, then there wouldn’t be so many big-shots in the world. There wouldn’t be any hungry children in the world. There wouldn’t be any whiskey, or drinking, or gambling. God gave us an example to be like, but we refuse to be It. Now, that’s what’s the matter with the world. They got the desire, God has give them that, but they’ve turned it the wrong way. It’s time to return back and get on the right road, and get facing Calvary. Nature proves it.
E-68 Now, if people of this day, with that great desire and great ambition to be like somebody, for an example. If they took Christ as their example, then we would have…We could fire every police there was, in the nation. Everybody would be meek and humble. Everybody would be kind and have brotherly love, one for the other. There would never be a divorce case ever pled in our country. There would never be any sickness. We could even dismiss hospitals, if everybody tried to make Jesus Christ their example. We wouldn’t have need for nothing else.
E-69 So, that nature is in the man, but he puts it on the wrong thing. He makes some man…And you know, the Bible said, that, “We are cursed when we make flesh our stay. When you try to make flesh your stay, or put your trust in flesh,” the Bible said, “you are cursed.”
How well I know! It’s so easy to do it.
E-70 Here’s what causes a lot of it, is our newsstands full of vulgar magazines; our homes are full of pin-up pictures. Our news screens are never censored; they’re wide open, can crack any kind of jokes, or—or do things that’s terrible. There’s no cleanness among us, anymore. I know you think I’m awful hard on that. But it’s…Somebody has got to be hard on it. It’s just got to be done.
E-71 When I was a little boy, I read the book of Tarzan, The Apes. Mama had an old fur rug that Mrs. Wathen had give her, laid before the dresser. I cut that thing up and made me a Tarzan suit, and slept in a tree for a week. I wanted to be Tarzan. Then when I read the book of The Lone Star Ranger, I rode a broomstick out, being a hobby horse, trying to be the Lone Star Ranger.
E-72 It’s no more than what people will do. It’s what you read, the music you listen to.
Go into a restaurant, and this old rock-and-roll, no wonder people are going crazy. That’s enough to drive a human being crazy.
E-73 But, oh, I’ll be thankful, all through Eternity, to one day I read about Jesus. That satisfied me. I want to be like Him. That’s my desire, to be able to turn the other cheek, or go the second mile. To be able to forgive, when the odds is all against you, hold nothing against anybody. Though they’re mistreating you rightfully, or wrongfully for your right doing, but still love them. That’s the way I want to be. I want to be that kind of a person. I want to be able, that, when I’m railed upon, I would rail not back. That’s the kind of an example that God gave us in Jesus Christ. We ought to be identified with Him. We are ide-…
E-74 “How do you become identified with Him,” you’d say, “Brother Branham? Now, to get…you have to dress like the Hollywood stars and do these other things. But how do you become identified with Jesus Christ?”
First, you repent of what you already have done. And then you’re identified with Him, here in the pool. No doubt but what many will be identified with Him, in a few minutes. In the pool, you are identified with Him in baptism. “For if we are buried in Christ, we are identified to His death, burial, and resurrection.” That’s why we are baptized. We go down into the water, come back up to witness that we believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And if we be planted in His likeness, in His death, God gave us a promise: we’ll be like Him, in the resurrection.
E-75 Identify yourself with some movie queen, and see where you’ll be. Identify yourself with some cowboy, or some teen-ager, and see where you’ll be.
But I challenge you, tonight, identify yourself with Jesus Christ, in His death, in His resurrection, and see where you’ll be at the resurrection. “For if we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him.” God has given us the promise. My whole desire is to be like Him.
Take me, O Lord, and mold me and make me. Shape me over again. Like the prophet that went down to the potter’s house, break me up and remold me.
E-76 In the Old Testament, when a man want to be identified at the house of God, he took the most innocent thing he could find, a lamb. And he knowed the lamb was free from sin, ’cause it knowed no sin. And he went, and took the lamb, and put his hand upon its head, and confessed his sins. And by faith, he transferred his sins on the lamb, and the innocence of the lamb back on him. And then the lamb died, because it was a sinner. And the man lived, by an act of faith, of obeying what God said. But what did he do? He went right back out of the temple, with the same desire he had when he come in. Because, when that blood cell is broken…Which, the life starts in one blood cell. And when that blood cell was broken, the life of the lamb would not coincide, or come back into the human life, because it was an animal life. The man went out with the same desire he had, so therefore he committed sins continually, all the time, again.
E-77 But there come a time when God made us an example, and He gave us the Lord Jesus. And when a sinner puts his hands upon His precious head, and confesses his sins, and his sins is transformed or—or transferred from the sinner to Jesus; and the innocence of Jesus is transferred, by the Holy Ghost, back into that person. “He’s a new creature in Christ Jesus.” That’s where I want to be identified. The Bible said, “He, knowing no sin, was made sin for us.” The reason He suffered was for our sins. And it’s no more than what is right, no more than our duty is to look at these things and see that these desires that we have, that God put in us, to create in us, to make us to want to be like Him.
E-78 And now, if you can see it, by faith, before the real desire ever strikes you, come forward, be identified with Him in baptism. And then as you are planted in the likeness of His death, you shall also share in His likeness, in the resurrection. For when He come from the grave, He was the same Jesus that went into the grave. “And if we be in Christ…” How do we get in? By Holy Spirit baptism. “At that day we’ll come forth and share in His resurrection.”
There used to be a little song that I used to sing, years ago.
To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus,
On earth I long to be like Him;
All through life’s journey, from earth to Glory,
I only ask to be like Him.
From Bethlehem’s manger came forth a Stranger, (Stranger, to the world)
On earth I long to be like Him;
All through life’s journey, from earth to Glory,
I only ask to be like Him.
E-79 Share in His meekness, you’ll share also in His power. Share in His obedience, and you’ll share in His resurrection. Do as God said do. In my heart, the greatest thing that I can think of, is to be like Jesus Christ, to be identified with Him. There is why I baptize the people in the Name of Jesus Christ, because He is our identification. We pack the identification. “Whatsoever you do in word or deed, do it in the Name of Jesus Christ, giving praise to God for it.” And we are identified with Him in baptism.
E-80 Tonight, we’re going to baptize, just in a few minutes, people here in the room, that’s here to be baptized. And if there’s any desire in your heart, that you want, have any great worldly ambition, repent of them right now. Tell God you’re sorry that you wanted to be some great worldly person. [Blank spot on tape—Ed.] Say, “Lord, my complete ambition is to be like Jesus.” Come meekly, humbly, then, when you put your hands upon His Head, and by faith confess your sin. Say, “Lord, I’m sorry I done it.” Then what will happen? God will transfer all your guilt over on Him, and take His innocence and put it back on you. And you stand justified, in the Presence of God, because you believed on Jesus Christ, His Son. What a plan of salvation! Then you’ll share in His glory. The goodness of God will come into your heart. The Power of His resurrection will make you a new person. It’ll satisfy every longing.
E-81 When I was a boy, I tried to do everything. I—I done everything I was big enough to do, and a lot of things I wasn’t big enough to do, I tried. I used to love, I do love, to hunt. I thought that was it. I thought if I…My daddy was a rider. And I thought, “If I could ever get West and break their horses!”
But, brother, one time way back up yonder in the mountains in Arizona, bringing down a herd of cattle, one night. I was setting there. And a boy named Slim had an old comb, with a piece of paper over it. He was playing. Another fellow setting there, from Texas, with a guitar, strumming. And they come onto a hymn. I had my saddle off the horse; laying down my head, using it for a pillow. And my blanket up over me, and me in there, and still with my boots on, pair of spurs holding me up off the ground. And he begin to strum.
Down at the cross where my Saviour died,
Down there for cleansing from sin I cried;
There to my heart was the Blood applied;
Glory to His Name!
E-82 I tried to pull the blanket up, and stop my ears up. I’d look up, and the stars hanging low. And them whispering pines in the mountains seemed to cry, “Adam, where art thou?”
Oh, cattle raising was a second thing. I wanted to find God. Way back out there, kicked up on a pair of those spurs, I said, “Sir, I don’t know who You are, but don’t punish me until I can find the real thing.”
E-83 Two days after that, down in the city, setting there, and after a few days after that, after the roundup. I was setting there on a little old park bench. Little Spanish girl come by. And I was setting there, thinking about God, “What could It be?” A little, old girl come by, and me just about an eighteen-year-old boy. She dropped her handkerchief and walked by. I said, “Woman, you dropped your handkerchief.” Just the thoughts of God had changed my desire. [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit four times—Ed.] My poor Irish heart was a hungering. I wanted something, something that satisfied.
E-84 God has give me the privilege of hunting, the world over, Africa, India, across the mountains, Canada, on some of the greatest trips, and caught world records. It’s all alright. But there’s nothing that’ll take the place of that Power of the living God, to send That to your soul.
E-85 When I get there, I love the mountains. I love the sunsets. I just—just stake down, and tie my horse. And take up, top of the mountains, and stay a couple of days, just watching the sun rise and go down, hearing the eagle scream. It’s good. I love to be there. But, brother, my heart begins to thump and to beat, when I think of:
Unclean, unclean, the evil spirits tore him.
All is well when Jesus comes to stay.
I begin to think of the sick people, and that call. And there’s something within me, cries out, “Get down out of these mountains right quick. Get down there to the people.”
I want to identify myself as His servant among His people. Oh, how I love to identify myself with Him. Then, in regards to that, He comes back among us and identifies Himself with us. He’s here tonight, friend.
E-86 It’s time now for the baptismal service to start, in about ten minutes. And I want to say this one thing before we do it, before we start it. Jesus Christ the Son of God…Just a lot of comments I want to say, but I don’t have the time.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has identified Himself in His Word. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, identified Himself in the meeting this morning, by giving discernment. Identifies Himself in bringing a sinner from the ruts of sin, to a new man, a new creature. Take the lowest of woman or the lowest of man, drunkard, alcoholic, and whatever it is, and straighten them up and clean them up, and make a gentleman or a lady out of them. That’s my Lord. Take the man that’s sick and afflicted, and no hope for him, and raise him up to a new life again. Then appear into our midst, and identify Himself as the same Jesus, to know the very thoughts of our heart. Stand in our midst, in His people, God in His people, identifying Himself. He is here now, that same Holy Spirit.
E-87 Before we start that meeting in here for the baptism, while brothers making ready, I wonder this. I wonder if there’s any in here that didn’t get prayed for, this morning, and you’re sick. Let’s see your hand go up. Put up your hands if you are sick and needy, and you did not get prayed for, this morning. No prayer cards or nothing; just—just sick and afflicted. All right.
Let’s bow our heads just a moment.
E-88 Lord, with this tightened throat, rusty voice, oh, I pray that You will sink into the heart, the Seed, anyhow, into the people’s heart, that we must be identified with You. For, it’s an old proverb here on earth, “The bird is knowed by his feathers, and the man is knowed by the company he keeps.” And, dear Heavenly Father, we pray that You’ll be our company. Lord, let us have You, if it cost everything that we have on this earth. Let us be identified, as, “That man really lives with God. His company is God.”
E-89 Let it be said like it was with Peter and John, after they had passed through the gate called Beautiful, and said, “I don’t have any money; but what I do have, I’ll give you.” And the crippled man was made well. And when before the courts, the people said they perceived they were ignorant and unlearned. They had no education, but they did perceive that they had been identified with the right kind of company. They had been with Jesus. God, that’s my heart’s desire, to be identified with You, as one of Your servants, as one who loves You, one who would be true to You, and keep the sayings of Your Book, and do all that I know to do, that’s right.
E-90 Now, Father, will You again tonight identify Yourself among us, that the people might know that this is just not something, oh, some special time, or—or something on that order, Lord. Let it be known tonight that You’re the same God that was here this morning. You have the same Power. And the same—the same things that You did this morning, You can do again tonight. You promised that they would be in the last days.
E-91 Many here couldn’t perceive enough faith. We pray that You’ll give them faith now. And let Thy Spirit be identified among us, for You said, “The works that I do shall he also, that believeth on Me.” So I pray, God, that You’ll identify that You are here with us tonight, and are…still love us. And You want every person in here, that hasn’t been baptized, to come and be identified with You. That they too might be partakers of this wonderful grace that can be transferred; from us to Him, and from Him to us; our guilt to Him, and His grace to us. Grant it, Lord. Hear our prayers, as we ask in the Name of Jesus Thy Son. Amen.
E-92 We are standing in the shadow of the just justice of God. Every time that two or three are gathered together in the Name of Jesus Christ, He promised He would be in their midst.
E-93 Now, I don’t know, I guess part of the prayer cards is taken up. Some of you may still have some. Many of you don’t have prayer card. It doesn’t matter whether you have or whether you have not. If you’re sick, you’re sick. And if…This God Who wrote this Bible, do you solemnly believe in Him? [Congregation says, “Amen.”—Ed.] If He shall return again into our midst, to prove Hisself, besides the preaching of the Word, that He’s here, convincing sinners that He’s here; if He’s here to heal the sick, and will reveal the cause, as He did when He was here on earth, will you gladly accept your healing? If you will, raise your hand, just anywhere. We ain’t going to…we ain’t got no…I wouldn’t know what prayer cards he given them. We’re not going to have prayer cards. Just, you pray, and you believe.
E-94 And if He will do so, and will identify Himself, you should be ashamed not to identify yourself with Him then. You should do it. Now, here’s a straight challenge. In the church this morning we gave prayer cards, and called them to the altar, and prayed for them. And the Holy Spirit shook with such a great time, until I felt them pull me on the sides, it was time to go, because I was weak. And now, here I’m saying, you that don’t have prayer cards, or whatever you are, setting out there in the audience, you challenge. I challenge you to do this, to believe that the story I’ve told you of Jesus Christ is Truth. And you pray, if you’re sick. No matter…
E-95 This morning, I tried to see if I could find people that wasn’t with the tabernacle. Tonight, I don’t care where you’re from. You just pray. Then if that great Holy Spirit of God, that we have the picture of there, if He will come into this midst! You’ve heard me preach it so much, that He promised us things, that He would do that. And then when He was on earth, when He come back into our flesh, He would do the same thing. Now, if you’re sick, pray. Challenge you!
E-96 Challenge God, say, “God, Brother Branham don’t know me. He knows nothing about me. But if You’ll just let him turn to me, let me touch Your garment, then You speak, I’ll know that You’re in connection with this church.” The church is the believers. “Then I’ll know that You’re the same yesterday, today, and forever.” And you pray.
E-97 I just feel led to do that. Don’t know why I did, but I feel led to do it.
Now, if you’ll raise your head.
E-98 Right here, looking at me, is the little woman that had her hand up like this, praying, just a few minutes ago. And she’s praying for somebody else besides herself. I never seen the woman in my life, as I know of. She’s a total stranger to me. But she’s praying for her daughter, for about an operation. You’re not even from this country. You’re from Texas. That’s THUS SAITH THE LORD. Do you have a prayer card? You don’t? You don’t need one. Believe with all your heart.
E-99 How did I know what you were praying about? Can’t you see the God of Heaven reveals the secrets of the heart? Didn’t Daniel say that in his day? God reveals the secrets of the heart.
E-100 There’s a lady setting next to you there. She was so happy about it. She had heart trouble, and she wants to be prayed for. So if you’ll just lay your hand over on her. All right. Now, you go back to Chicago and be made well. Amen. I don’t know that woman, either, know nothing of her. But God knows you. See?
He’s making Hisself identified with us. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible.”
E-101 This little, Jewish woman setting here, she was praying, too. That’s right. You was praying for me to say something to you. I seen your troubles this morning, but I just didn’t call it. But them feet you been bothered about, is going to get well. So don’t you worry any about that.
E-102 You believe, too, little lady setting here? You believe me to be His prophet, His servant? I don’t know you. God knows you. But if He is God’s Spirit with us, then He’ll do like Jesus did. You were praying, and it seems like I was attracted to you. There’s the Angel of the Lord by her. If you’ll believe, your heart trouble will cease, and arthritis. Your name is Miss Wisdom. That’s right. You go back and be well, Mrs. Wisdom. I never seen the woman in my life.
But, He’s God, if you’ll just believe it.
E-103 Here, look here. See that little lady setting there with her hand up like this, to her mouth? There is…Can’t you see that Light hanging right above the woman there? Now, look, comes right down towards her. I see It breaking. She’s got trouble with the liver, bothered with a liver trouble. It’s a gall bladder trouble. Well, you’re Mrs. Palmer. That’s it. I remember now who. I didn’t see just the vision; I see you setting by Brother Palmer. That’s right, sister. Now, you go and be well. Believe, with all your heart.
E-104 There’s a little lady setting behind her, too, that looked up, kind of astonished, right behind her. You think the tonsil trouble of those two children will leave it, sister, and you, also? Then go on your road, home, and rejoice and be happy. Put your hand over on the babies, both of them with those troubles. And your trouble left, also. You’re healed, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, all of you. You’ll get well, be well.
E-105 Can you see the living God lives today? He’s just as great, anywhere. Isn’t He? [Congregation says, “Amen.”—Ed.] Don’t you want to be identified with Him? [“Amen.”] Certainly, you do. Sure, you want to.
E-106 Now let us bow our heads just a moment. Before I…It weakens me so much. How many wants to be remembered in prayer just now, saying, “God, be merciful to me. I now want to believe the Lord Jesus. I—I want all my troubles straightened out now”? [Congregation says, “Amen.”—Ed.] God be with you.
E-107 Lord, Who brought again Jesus from the dead, the God of Heaven, I pray Thee, in their behalf, that this will be the hour that they’ll believe; come forward, if they’ve never did it before, and be identified with Jesus Christ, here in this pool, tonight. For the Scripture said, that, “If we are buried with Him unto baptism, and share with Him in His death, we’ll also share in the resurrection with Him.” That is a promise. And the great Saint Peter, of old, said for us to, “Repent, and to be baptized into the Name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins, and we shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” All this week…
E-108 Here sets my daughter-in-law, Lord, little Loyce, hungering, and thirsting, and fasting, and waiting. There sets my sister back yonder, hungering, and thirsting, and fasting, and waiting. O Lord, send the Holy Ghost just now somehow, into this building, and strike their souls with the Power of the resurrection. And may they rise to their feet, in a resurrection Power, and be identified with Jesus Christ in His resurrection. Grant it, Lord.
E-109 Forgive every sin. Omit everything that’s wrong, Father, and give us Thy grace, as we pray in Jesus Christ’s Name.
E-110 Heal all the sick and the afflicted. Lord, You’re here. You’re God. You, You prove Yourself, God. And we pray that, knowing the nature of Your Spirit, that You performed a few things and then disappeared from them, was gone somewhere else and into another city, and out and gone. But You left the mark behind, that the living God lived. And I pray, Lord Jesus, that—that this has been an impression upon the people’s hearts, that they’ll never forget that the Holy Spirit is present to heal, and to save, and to fill with His goodness. We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
E-111 Now, how many here was to be baptized? Will you raise your hand, that’s got your things ready. You can make ready then for the waters, just in a few moments.
And now while we’re waiting on the Holy Spirit, just for a few moments. How many here has not received the Holy Ghost as yet, and desiring, praying earnestly, receive the Holy Ghost?
Teddy, if you will, or some of you, to the piano, right away. We’re going to sing some hymns just now.
While, the women that’s going to make ready for baptism, go over in this room. And the men go over in this room, that’s making ready for baptism. While we get ready, too, for the event.
E-112 And then we’re going to be waiting on the Holy Spirit to come to us, and to reveal to us the things that He wants us to do.
Then we’ll turn the lights out, in the main auditorium. The minister will be into the waters out—out here, and then we will—we will have the ceremony of the baptizing.
Just a moment, just before you turn the light out, Brother Evans. I want to read some Scripture while we’re waiting, just for a moment, if you will. While they’re begin to make ready, I’d like to read some Scripture here.
E-113 How many believes that God is infinite? Sure. He is here right now. The only thing you have to do, to receive the Holy Ghost, is rise and accept Him. Why, His Power has proven that He’s here. How could we have one shadow of doubt? His blessed, holy Presence just bathing our soul! I feel like I could scream, to the top of my voice, of His goodness. “And His mercy endureth forever and ever.” He’s here. My heart is burning, and it’s filled with joy and exceeding gladness, because of His Presence.
E-114 Before they shall turn the lights, I want to read out of Acts, the 1st chapter.
And I believe that every man, minister, or person in here, evangelist, or whatmore, that there will be this, that, God is infinite. God cannot do one thing one way, and then turn around and do this, do it—do it another way. He’s got to do it the same way, every time. Hasn’t He?
This was the proclamation that went forth from God.
Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, the man approved of God among you by…wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
What kind of signs did He do, to prove He was Messiah? By knowing the thoughts in their hearts. Is that right? [Congregation says, “Amen.”—Ed.] What Peter said, “By signs and wonders, God proved that He was with Him.”
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel, the foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands you’ve crucified and slain Him:
Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
For David spake concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face,…he’s on my right hand, and I shall not be moved:
Wherefore did I, my heart rejoice, and my tongue was made glad; moreover…my flesh shall rest in hope:
Because thou will not leave my soul in hell, neither will thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
Thou hast made known to me the way of life; thou shall make me full of joy with my countenances.
Men and brethren, let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Therefore being a prophet,…knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would—he would raise up Christ to set on his throne;
He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption.
This Jesus has God raised up, wherefore we…are witnesses.
Oh, that just thrills me! We still are His witness. He was raised up from the dead. He lives, tonight.
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,…having received of—of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this, which you now see and hear.
For David is not ascended into…heaven: but he said himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Set thou on my right hand,
Till I make thy foes thy footstool.
Therefore let all the house of Israel know surely, that God has made this same Jesus, whom you…crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Now, what language was he speaking in, that all those languages of the world heard him?
Now when they (the peoples) heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and…the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
A while ago, they was “crazy,” to them. Now, after that mighty sermon that was going forth to every nation standing there, “Men and brethren, what can we do?” Then come the prescription. Then ans-…
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For the promise is unto you,…to your children, and to them that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourself from this onward generation.
If that ain’t the same Gospel we’re preaching today! “Save yourselves from this onward generation.” Many signs and wonders being wrought, the Presence of Jesus Christ showing Himself alive. And the same baptism that was commissioned right here, is commissioned right here at the pulpit, too, tonight.
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added to them about three thousand souls.
E-115 Dear God, those, the rooms are standing full of people being identified in baptism with You. I pray Thee, Lord, in their stead, that if You will just kindly, Lord, at this hour, when they come from the water, may there be something happen to them, that their souls will be filled with the Holy Ghost. May they come forth and leave the water, go forth to manifest You in preaching the Gospel, teaching the Sunday school, speaking with tongues, interpreting tongues, doing signs, wonders and miracles, and, above everything, the love of God burning in their souls, with meekness, and gentleness, and patience, and humbleness.
E-116 Lord, I commit them to You. They are the trophies of this revival. And I pray that You will keep them in Your care. And someday…As I’m standing here praying over Your Bible, after I’ve preached from It, and declared with all my heart what I think to be the Truth, as You will reveal It to me.
E-117 And, Lord, we’re waiting on their baptism, just as we’re all in the audience here waiting for the resurrection. And some day, Lord, while we’re standing together in Heavenly places, may there come a sound from Heaven. The trumpet will sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise, first. May we be caught up with Him, to meet the Lord in the air, and forever be with Him. Grant it, Father.
E-118 Keep us healthy, and happy, and full of zeal. We do not ask for money. We do not ask for easy things. We just ask to be like Jesus. We want to be identified with Him, with the kind of Spirit that was in Him, meek, gentle, always about the Father’s business.
E-119 Lord, in the closing hour of this revival, and this identification of many of the precious people, uh, continue to identify Yourself, by giving them the Holy Ghost. Grant it, Father.
E-120 Bless this little tabernacle, bless every minister, every person that’s attended it, every church that’s been here.
E-121 Lord, I pray that You’ll send a revival in every church throughout the world. And we’ll see them come together with one heart and one accord, for the rapturing grace of Jesus Christ to be given among us. We ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
E-122 Now the lights will be out, in the main auditorium, for a while. These handkerchiefs has been prayed over. And now the lights will be out for just a short time, and then—and then just be quiet. And the minister will be baptizing, just one right after the other, till we get them finished.
E-123 [Brother Branham and the brethren rearrange the platform furnishings, in preparation for the baptismal service—Ed.] Now if everyone can see.
E-124 Now, and that one microphone, pull that mike down to the bottom of the tank there. Yeah. That’s right. [Someone adjusts a microphone stand—Ed.] Seems better. Yeah. [A brother says, “That’s so we can record it real good.”] This is to the recorder? [“Yes.”] All right. He’s taking care of that.
E-125 I wanted to do this, myself, tonight. I’m just so hot. And Brother Neville has been resting, so we want the pastor to have something to do with this, too, a very fine brother.
E-126 Just a moment, the lights will go out, in the main auditorium, then you’ll be able to see, by a great glass hanging behind it, looks right down into the pool where they’ll be coming, to baptize, soon as they get them ready.
E-127 And each time, when they baptize, they’ll…the elders will pull the curtain. That’ll keep…for the women, as they go in and out of the water. And so then they’ll be coming, one right after the other. You’ll speak your name, tell who you are, and baptize them in the Name of Jesus Christ.
E-128 Now, remember, as—as just a minister, responsible for this Gospel that’s been committed to me, I would recommend it to anybody that hasn’t been baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, you be re-baptized. That’s what Paul said. Even then, when that they had been baptized one way, without the Name, he said they’ll have to be baptized over, in the Name of Jesus Christ.
E-129 He said, “If an Angel come, taught anything else, let him be accursed.” That’s found in Galatians. Galatians, 1st chapter, and the 8th verse. “Though we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel, let him be unto you accursed.”
[The baptistery curtain is opened—Ed.]
E-130 Now, just before the ceremony starts, can everybody see? [Blank spot on tape—Ed.]…descended in the waters of death. We now join the ministers of the Gospel, hereby we…?…[Blank spot on tape—Ed.] Very personal friend of mine, from down in…?…This lady is a very personal friend to Oral Roberts; she and her husband…?…another great soldier, great soul winner for God, Brother Oral Roberts, one of my bosom friends…?…[Blank spot on tape—Ed.] Yes.