E-1 Thank you very much, Brother Demos. It's a great privilege to be here in this Christian assembly tonight, down here in this icy country. And I called home, a while ago, and it's about twenty degrees warmer, way up there in the North, than it is down here. I must have brought that with me. I'll hurry out and get back again, right quick. All the plants are freezing up. What do you think about that, Creechy? It's a… [The brother says, "It's cold."—Ed.] It certainly is.
E-2 And so happy to get to meet this fine pastor, tonight, and to see you people. I've just been in, a few moments. I come up from Tucson, where I had to go today. Drove down last night, and got in about two-thirty this morning, down in Tucson. And then was up all day, down there. And left just a few moments… Well, I got in, just been in about hour-and-a-half, I guess, something like that, up here. And so I haven't had too much sleep. But I'll try not to go to sleep here. But we're—we're happy to be here.
E-3 This little boy, playing around with these microphones here. I set down back there, on the… one of the little children's seat. Little boy come, looked at me real strange. I said, "All of us kids can set together, can't we?" Now, I sure love them little fellows, though.
E-4 And it's, oh, it's really nice to be here tonight, and to have this fine audience of people standing around. And I trusting now that Brother Williams has told you all about… and Brother Rose here, about the oncoming convention. I guess you're well acquainted with it. To be at the Ramada, right away, the Business Men's convention. And we're expecting a great time there. Brother Velmer Gardner, a wonderful, forceful speaker; and other ministers, Oral Roberts and many, will be there. And we're expecting a great time in the Lord.
E-5 I hope, some of these times, let us have a healing service in that place. Uh-huh. I'd like to get Brother Oral, and we get together. Yes, sir. Wouldn't that be just fine? That would be a—a real breaking-in for it, wouldn't it? A healing service, down in the Ramada, that would be fine. We… So we might do that, you know. The Lord might provide that for us, have a healing service. So we'll… Going around now, from church to church, to try to spread the good tidings, and to associate one with another, and have fellowship in all the different churches. That's what we believe in, that we are one, in Christ.
E-6 I was speaking the other day to a doctor. I'm fixing to leave for overseas, and you have to have a physical examination. So I was in for an examination. And he put me on one of those wave… I… Don't ask me what it is. And he found something strange. And he come back and couldn't make it out, and he got a council of doctors, and he just couldn't understand that. He said, "I never seen that before." And so he showed me the picture of it, how that where ordinarily the conscious, and you have a subconscious, and they are way wide from each other. But he noticed on mine they was both right together. Said, "You're a real odd fellow."
I said, "I've always knowed that. Everybody does."
E-7 Said, "We never seen that before." So he got to telling me about it.
E-8 I said, "Well," I said, "you know, I guess the good Lord, when He makes us up, He just makes us a little different. We don't look like one another, so sometime we don't even act like each other. But—but He makes it to Him, His own way of making it. We just go into the big molding machine, and we'll just set still, He will mold us the way He wants us to be."
E-9 And I—I know no one would want to be anything but what you are. Only thing that we all can desire… After we have been saved and become the children of God, the only thing we want is just a little closer walk each day. That's what we long for, for that great fellowship. How wonderful it is! Would you ever stop to think just what would we do if we didn't have that? What—what… If that great hope didn't rest in us, what would we do?
E-10 I was saying, in one of the churches, may I… First, one place, another, and around the country I make a remark sometime, think I might repeat it in the same church. But I was going out of the building where I'd been kind of laying pretty heavy, about these people today doing this here new dance they got, they call the twist, or something. And I said, "I just don't know, what the world, people want to break their legs and—and act like that for."
E-11 So, there was a fellow, about twenty-six, twenty-seven years old, met me at the back, said, "Just a moment, Mr. Branham."
I said, "Yes, sir?"
He said, "You know, you just don't understand."
I said, "I hope I never do."
E-12 So he said, "You see," he said, "I can see your point." Said, "You're a man fifty years old. But if you was my age, it would be different."
E-13 I said, "Wait a minute." I said, "I was preaching the Gospel when I was ten years younger than you. I still believe that same Gospel. I found something that takes the place, and more joy in serving the Lord than all the things that the devil could manufacture anywhere." It's a… It gives a satisfaction.
E-14 You know, David said, one time, "As the hart thirsts for the water brook, my soul thirsts after Thee, O God."
E-15 And if you ever seen one of the little fellows, when he's—he's been hurt; maybe the dogs has got a hold of him, and jerked a big piece out of his side, or something. He's bleeding. And, he, the dog can trail him. He's not like a man. And he can hunt that deer whether he's bleeding or not. And so the only way… If that deer is a bleeding, the only way he can ever live is to get to where there's water. And if he can ever get where there's water, he'll drink that water. It'll stop the bleeding, and—and he can get away. He's pretty smart.
E-16 But now you can imagine, seeing one of the little fellows wounded and bleeding, and just how his little head up, and all the sense that he has of detecting where the water is, with his nose. Just, he must find the water, or perish. And now it's just life and death, to him. He, just every—every—every bit of the scent that he has, he's trying, longing. He must find it.
E-17 Now, that's the way we ought to be thirsting for God. See? "As the hart thirsts for the water brook, my soul thirsts for thee, O God." Be hid away with Him somewhere, is my heart's desire. And I trust that that is the desire of all that's in here tonight.
E-18 And now, night after night, and I like to see this. Faces you see at one place, you see them at another. I—I like that. You showing your fellowship, and expressing what we're here for.
E-19 And, oh, I'd sure love to see an old-fashion revival in Phoenix. Oh, my! That word Phoenix has thrilled me since the very first time I read it, of it: Phoenix, Arizona. My, little boy, I thought, "If I could ever get to that spot! If I could ever get there, to Phoenix!" And now seeing it, and when we're here we find it grossed in deepness of sin, like all the rest the places, tourists falling in; and drinking, carousing, immorality, everything on hand.
E-20 But, yet, in the midst of all of that, you find some genuine jewels that God shook forth from this desert here, that's shining in the crown of God's glorious people. And that's what I'm here for, tonight, to put myself with you brethren and you sisters, to try to shine the Light of the Lord Jesus to others, that they might be found, also, in this great turmoil. And many of them are out there yet. I'm satisfied of that. There is still more to come in, and we must do everything we can to get them there, and live a life that will reflect Christ.
E-21 Now, just before we read a little text of Scripture… I got in so late I jotted down a few notes, in about five minutes time. And the federal income tax has just sent me some returns, I had to get in right away, and it's got to be postmarked, I think, maybe today, yet. And so I got to get in the post office. And when I got in, Billy said, "You better hurry." And so here…
E-22 I just had it around, around, around, with them fellows. My, oh, my! They talk about justice on the courthouse doors. I wonder where it's at. Yes. I never seen such. And they wanted me to pay income tax on every check that had been given me for the past fifty years, to pay off the debts of the campaign, with delinquency on it, see, three-hundred and fifty-five thousand dollars.
E-23 I said, "Just shoot me." How would I ever do that? I said, "I haven't got hardly over fifty-five cents." I said, "How could I ever do that?" And they've held my nose to the wheel for five years.
E-24 So, of people putting in. Like, we're having a campaign, and—and people, they just know my name is William Branham, they just make out a check for the expenses. The ministers take care of that. I never took a offering in my life. And so they get… I get a—a salary from my church, a hundred dollars a week.
E-25 And this offering… But every one, see, that they put that in… And next morning, the—the—the—the one that was the head of the finance committee, he would come over and say, "Brother Branham, you have to sign these checks." And, why, I'd just sign them. He'd put them in. And then they checked all that through, and not one cent was ever spent for myself. But when I signed that check, they said it was mine. The people give it to me, then I give it to the church. Oh, my!
E-26 I felt real bad, at first, then I come to find out that every man in the Bible, I believe, that ever held a spiritual office for God, was connected with the federal governments. Check it back and find it out. That's right. Moses, Daniel, John the Baptist. Jesus Christ died by the hand of the federal government, under capital punishment. Peter, James, John, John the revelator, all, every… All suffered persecution.
E-27 Why? It's the seat of Satan. Do you know that? Do you know, Satan took Jesus up and showed him all the kingdoms, the world, in a moment of time? And he said, "They are mine. I do with them whatever I want to. See? And I'll give them to You if You'll fall down and worship me." So you see who they belong to? We hate to think that about our own, but it is.
E-28 So He said, Jesus said, "Get thee hence, Satan." He knew He'd fall heir to them, in the Millennium. He knowed they'd be His. When—when… If these countries were governed by God, the Millennium would be on. But there will be a time.
E-29 They got U.N.'s and Leagues of Nations, and everything, to try to bring peace. But as long as Satan is at the top of it, and politics, what's going to happen? They'll fight just as sure as the world.
E-30 But there will come a time when all arms will be stacked. And the taps will sound, and the morning breaks Eternal, bright and clear. Our King shall take His throne. Oh! there'll be singing; there'll be shouting. And there'll be one flag, one people, one nation, speaking one language, Heavenly. Amen. I long for that time. And I'm pressing towards that mark, trusting to God, someday when it's finished, I can say… I can hear Him say to me, "Come up higher."
E-31 I'm here in Phoenix tonight in the Name of the Lord. I would—would not try to explain what's happened. Many you people that take the tapes, be sure to get that one, What Time Is It, Sir? That was just before I left home. A vision sent me here; is, I don't know what… I don't… I'm not a tape salesman, and I don't stress those things. We get them, and we got a tape business around the world. Way into the jungles and everywhere, they have little something they put in the ears, they got, and can tape it into the tape, and stand there and translate that right into the language. And it goes around the world.
E-32 And, but one that I had, that What Time Is It, Sir? Or, Is This The Time, Sir? Some… I… Saturday night, three weeks ago, at the church. After all my life of seeing visions, I never had anything like this before, in my life. And I don't know what it is. I'm just here, but He sent me here. I don't know what it means. I just… I'm just here.
E-33 And I must be honest and sincere, and that's the only way we'll ever get anywhere with God, is be sincere. Cause, men will know. God knows, in the beginning, you're not, whether you are or not. And the men will know. Because, one time, there was a man trying to prophesy. And God told… Or, the real prophet told him, said, "Let's remember. There's been prophets before us. The prophet is only known when his prophecy comes to pass." So we better be sure that we know that God said so, before we say anything about it. Be honest and sincere.
E-34 Now let us bow our heads just a moment for prayer. Now let's lay aside every care now, for the next few minutes. I wonder… In this lovely little group of people here tonight, I know that there are those jewels setting here that Jesus shall come to get someday, that'll awake out of the dust.
E-35 And there might be some here that's not too sure whether they'd be there, or not. You might have need of other things. If there is a need in your life tonight, let it be known to God, as you just lift your hand, just saying, "God, You know what I mean now. And bless me. I, I'm sick. I need healing. I'm—I'm wayward. I need to come back to a fellowship. I—I want to come back. I've—I've erred. I'm coming back. I want You to help me, tonight, to come back." God bless you.
E-36 Heavenly Father, now as we are approaching Thy throne, by the way of the Blood. For… And Aaron went in before the—the mercy seat, he took, first, the blood in his hand, and he went forward. And we, by faith tonight, receive the Blood of the Lord Jesus, and walk towards the throne of God, boldly, knowing that we have a right to come, not in our own righteousness, but in His. The Blood represents our cleansing. And I pray, Heavenly Father, that You will grant our petition.
E-37 First, we would ask You to be merciful to us, pardoning us of all of our transgressions, as we confess our wrongs, and our little errors, and our secret sins, and our unknown sins. And we confess also as ministers, being priests, the sins of the people. Together, Lord, we stand. We love the people. We feel like Moses when he threw himself in the breach, hold the people, the wrath of God. What a display that was, of the righteousness of Christ, when Christ throwed Himself in the breach, to save the people.
E-38 And, Father, we as His servants, with His Spirit in us, every Christian in here tonight, hold hisself before the sinner: "God, be merciful to them." We cry for the sick and the needy, for those precious hands, some of them old, and some young, and some middle-aged, raising their hands. You know all about that, Lord. We pray that You'll answer according to Your riches in glory.
E-39 May there be many tonight, Lord, go away from here, that come in, that's sick, may they go away well, healed. Just something take place, they can't even explain it, but they know that they're well.
E-40 May those who are wayward go away justified, Lord, knowing that they've come back and picked up Christ where they left Him at. May they go, make restitutions. Grant, Lord, that those who have never come will find that precious freedom of being free, turned out of the cage, no more bound by the things of the world and the cares of this life, but has been made free in Christ. Grant it, Father.
E-41 Bless all we have need of now, and bless Thy Word and Thy servant, and we'll give Thee praise. In Jesus' Name we ask it. Amen.
E-42 Now, if we should read a text of the Scripture, or a Scripture for a text, rather, First Corinthians the 14th chapter, the 8th verse, reads like this, in First Corinthians 14:8.
For if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for battle?
E-43 This would be enough text that we could be preaching two weeks from now on it, and yet never touch the edges of it. There is something about the Word that's inspired. You're constantly on that one text. You can tie the entire Bible with it. That's correct.
E-44 One day a fellow asked me, said, "How can you take the same text?"
I said, "Oh, my! You take a context of anything from it."
E-45 I picked up a little three-leaf clover laying on the ground, and held it up. The man is setting here tonight, from Tucson. And we was over in Pasadena, California. And I said, "I could take this three-leaf clover and preach twenty-five years on it: how it is a life, that's in it; how, the three blades, being the trinity in One. And, oh, oh, there's just so many things that we could say about it.
E-46 And how about a Scripture? It's God's Word. It's Eternal. It—it had… It has no end. It just keeps going on, on, on. It's a refuge to us.
E-47 And now tonight I want to speak on this: A Trumpet Gives An Uncertain Sound.
E-48 In thinking of it, just a few moments ago, when I was thinking on the… that income tax affair, I thought, "There is hardly anything today that's certain. Everything has got such an uncertainty to it." And anything that's uncertain cannot be trusted. Anything that's uncertain cannot be trusted. You stay away from it if it's not certain.
E-49 If you've got a business; and, which, we got businessmen present, maybe many of them. If you are running a business that's not certain, you're not going to put very much in it, because the—the dividend is uncertain, and you wouldn't make very much investment in it. Or, if you're a good, shrewd businessman, you'll wait and search out, if you got some money to invest, until you find something that's certain, something that's reliable, something that you can depend on. Because, you don't want to lose that little money that you've saved up to, because with that you have to make your living, out of the remuneration from—from the dividends that's drawed on this investment. Why, you have to—to get something to live by.
E-50 And this little money that you got saved up, don't put it in your pocket and leave it there, because thieves will steal it. See? Don't, don't do that. If you got it, invest it in something. And then you want to be sure of the certainty of your investment. If you don't, why, don't invest it, at all.
E-51 So, business is certainly on a shaking stand tonight. Any business, practically, in the world, is in a shaking condition, because the world is in a shaking condition. You just can't allow yourself…
E-52 "Now, I'm going to save so-much money, to build me a nice, little home somewhere." That's, that's pretty shaky. I'll tell you it is, because the government could take it all over, overnight.
E-53 Oh, the things that's got our democracy so corrupted, until it's real shaky! We used to could put a lot of confidence in our democracy. And, which, I do think it's the best form of government. But, still, our democracy is shaky. Because, we, this nation, our people, we have a constitution, and this constitution is—is our ultimate. But, yet, in that, our constitution is shaky, because it's already been broken many times. The late Mr. Roosevelt made havoc out of it. So, see, you see it can be broken. It's not much confidence you can put into it.
E-54 Politics, oh, my, how shaky! People just argue, and argue, and argue, about politics. And neighbors will fall out, about it, and people that were once good friends. Some president will raise up, or somebody run for the sheriff, or something, and the other fellow on the other side of the political fence, and they'll fuss with one another until they fall out about it, politics. And I don't… hope I don't hurt anybody's feelings, but I think the whole thing is rotten. See? Yes, sir. So why would you fuss and fall out about something that ain't no good anyhow? That's right. It's just awful bad.
E-55 Someone said to me the other day, he said, "Are—are you going to vote this election?"
I said, "I done voted."
Said, "Oh, in this election?"
E-56 I said, "I voted for Jesus." I said, "I'll tell you. There was two people voting for me." I said, "God voted for me, and the devil voted against me. And I voted for God, so I get my vote right." Depends on where you cast your vote, how you're going to come out.
E-57 So, notice, just recently, to show you just a little spot, and then we'll leave it. In this last presidential election, when it was absolutely proven in Chicago and different places, that the machines that they got to vote by, that, they was set up by the Democratic party, that every time you voted for Mr. Nixon, you had to vote for Mr. Kennedy, the same time. So, you don't have a chance. And proved it!
E-58 And you heard Monitor the other night, when they put a—a survey across the country, from the Mississippi, east. Mr. Nixon had taken this calling-in vote, four to one. How can a man win? If it'd been Mr. Kennedy, it'd have been the same way. I don't have either party.
E-59 My party is in Heaven, and I'm right with them here tonight. We're setting in Heavenly places, talking of our King.
E-60 But, you see, I'm trying to tell you, these things of the earth is shaking. There, you can't put no confidence in them. They're uncertain. And anything that's uncertain, I'd just rather leave away from it. I don't like that negative thing. I don't like get mixed up in the negative side. I like it positive, be on the positive side.
E-61 Now, home life has become uncertain. You know, I seen a piece the other day, in one of the journals somewhere, that the American divorce rate is higher than any other nation in the world. And we're supposed to be a religious nation. Yes, could be that, religion, all right, but it's not the right kind. See? Religion is just a covering. It's hard tell what we make our covering out of. Adam tried to make some out of fig leaves, and it didn't work. It got awful shaky when he had to come out to meet God. So religion doesn't meet it all. But could you think that our divorce rate, higher than—than all the rest of the countries, our divorce rate? We find immorality on the move in our homes.
E-62 It was astounding to find out, that, a great percent on the survey of the nation. And in the… I believe it was in Ohio, that a survey was taken of Christianity, and it was alarming what a percent that did not even go to church. And then, about eighty percent of those that went to church, didn't know why they went. They don't know why they go. They just go to church.
"Why do you go?"
E-63 "Well, mother took us when we was a kid, and we just keep on going." And—and then, now, another percent of that, said that they went just for, oh, to meet their neighbors and talk a while. See?
E-64 Why, it's alarming! No wonder the home life is gone, see, any home life that's not stable.
E-65 Any woman that's going to marry a man, and she's not certain of that man, she'd better leave him alone. And any man that's going to marry a woman, and not certain, you better leave her alone. You'd better pray through, on it, until God gives you the answer. And then what God joins together let no man put asunder. But we—we, first, we must pray through, on that. Yes.
E-66 Now, we find out that we have tried to convert the world by an educational program, and we've really made a mess out of it, sure enough. You cannot convert the world to Christ through education. Education draws him away from God, more than it draws him to God, because he tries to think he's smarter and knows more than somebody else. As good as education is, Christ never did commission His church to educate the world. He never did educate them, to make seminaries. He never did edu-… Oh, they're good. He never did tell them to go and build hospitals. That's all right.
E-67 But the Church's business is to preach the Gospel. "Go ye into all the world, preach the Gospel to every creature." See? But anything different from that, gets shaky, because it's out of the program of God.
E-68 The national life is uncertain. Well, the world is uncertain. We're just living in a place to where the whole world is having a nervous prostration, look like, shaking all. Every nation, everybody, one is afraid of the other one. They talk peace.
E-69 They had, one time, they said, "Oh, when we fight the First World War out, that all of our boys must go over there, and that'll settle wars." Why, they didn't even get the artillery smoke fanned out of the air until they was on another one.
E-70 Then they had the League of Nations, and that was going to police the world, and it fell through. Now they got the U.N., and it's just the same thing. It's done fell through. There's nothing to it.
E-71 Everything is shaky; national life, political life, voting machines. Oh, my! They're just… The whole thing is shook up, everything.
E-72 Now I want to bring it down a little close to home. See? Church life is shook up and uncertain. Now, that's what Paul was speaking of. See? That's where he meant, "If a trumpet gives an uncertain sound." Church life is shook up. The people don't know hardly what to do. They go, wandering from church to church, trying to find out which has the right thing; from pillar to post, trying to find what is right, where is the right doctrine. And one will come around, and they can explain it, just almost to the very point of their creed, is right. And then, the first thing you know, they find so much corruption in that, until they try another church, to see what their creed is, doctrine. Oh, all this, we find out that we have broken ourselves up then, by these things, to hundreds of different orders of church. Now, there's nothing against that. That's just that they can do the other things, then, that they do do, and there got to be some good come out of it, somewhere.
E-73 But, you see, you can't put your confidence in saying, "I belong to the Methodist association of churches, and I—I'm all right because I belong to it. I—I—I belong to the Baptist association, and I'm all right." You can't do that.
E-74 You can't even do it when you say you "belong to the Pentecostal association of churches." You can't do that. You mustn't do that, because it's not. We find out that when our first Pentecostal association, the General Council, was set in order, it wasn't very long till they began to break from there, and break from here, and issues, and doctrines. And now just look at it, everywhere. See? It goes to show that it's uncertain. Those who trust in just organization alone, it's—it's uncertain.
E-75 Now, you would say, "Brother Branham, you're taking us out on a big limb out here. You're painting an awful dark picture." And I intended to do that. I wanted to do it.
E-76 I did it for a purpose, that I might say this. Is there anything certain? Yes. There is one thing that's certain. Oh, I'm so glad of that, that there's one thing that you can put your confidence in, and be sure that it's right. Oh, when everything else is gone, This will be standing. If you'll read Saint Matthew 24:35, He said, "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My word shall not fail." God has a certain foundation.
E-77 An old fellow, said one time, an old darkie down South. He packed a Bible, and he couldn't read. And they said, "Why are you packing it for, Sam?"
E-78 He said, "It's—it's the Holy Bible." Said, "It's written on it." And said, "I believe It, from c'ver to c'ver, and believe the c'ver also," he said, "because it's got 'Holy Bible' wrote on It."
E-79 And the fellow was talking to him, said, "You don't believe all is in It?"
Said, "Yes, sir. I sure do."
E-80 He said, "Now, well, you mean you'd do anything that Bible said do?"
He said, "Yes, sir."
E-81 Said, "What if that Bible said for Sam to jump through that stone wall there? What would you do?"
He said, "I'd jump."
E-82 He said, "Well, now. How you going to get through the stone wall without a hole being there?"
E-83 He said, "If the Bible said for Sam to jump, there would be a hole there when Sam got there." So, that, that's just about right. There would be a hole there.
E-84 Only thing you have to do is take your stand upon God's Word, and God will make the way for the rest of it. Oh, that great foundation.
E-85 I believe He said, over in Luke, I believe it was, where coming down off the mountain, He said to the disciples, "Who does men say I the Son of man am?"
And one said, "'Jeremias,' and 'the prophets,' and so forth."
And He said, "But who do you say that I am?"
E-86 That's when Peter made that notable statement, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
E-87 He said, "Blessed art thou, Simon, the son of Jonas, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. But My Father which is in Heaven revealed this to you. And upon this rock I'll build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against It."
E-88 What is it then? Upon the revealed truth of God's Word. For, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among." And it was revealed to Peter that that was God's vindicated Word. Amen.
E-89 That's the reason He could say, "Who can condemn Me of sin? Who can accuse Me? Everything the Word has written of Me, I've performed it." God had vindicated it, that He was the Word. Oh, that's it. God manifested. The Word says so, and then God makes it real, brings it to pass, shows it.
E-90 Years ago, when they said to the church, "There is no such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost. That's just an emotion that people got themselves worked up." But those who received It, knowed that was the truth. They knowed God was real. And it's been proven, until, today, the Pentecostal move of God across the nations, has brought more into Christ than all the rest of them has.
E-91 Our Sunday Visitor, not long ago, the Catholic paper, said; I believe it was year before last, or last year, one; that, "The Catholic church only registered a half a million converts. Where, the Pentecostals registered one million, five hundred thousand." Amen.
E-92 What is it? It's a growing thing, God's Word, spreading abroad. How thankful we should be! It's so much, till, even now the Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and all, are coming to get some of It. You notice in the Business Men's meeting, you hear them speaking of different ones: the Episcopalian, Lutheran, Presbyterian. Why, you very seldom ever hear of a Pentecostal doing anything any more. That's right. It's all the others. Because why? They have seen their weakness of their creeds, and they returned back to the Word. There you find a foundation, something that cannot be moved.
E-93 Find in there, the Holy Spirit living His Life in human beings, manifesting Himself to the world. And it makes men thirst for Him: unshakable, undisputable, the Word of God manifested and showing Himself, the Word itself being lived out through human life. What a wonderful thing! There's nothing uncertain about that. You can see where God made a promise, and here it is being made manifest. Hundreds of years ago the prophets spoke of it, and here we see it coming to pass.
E-94 All through the criticism, all through the differences, all through the creeds, how they've tried to stomp out that Word of God! How they tried to substitute education. They tried to substitute, make denomination. They have confused themselves. And out of all of it, the Word of God still stands just as bright and shiny as she ever did. What is it? It's that thing that is certain. God said, "Both heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall not fail." Then, that's something that's certain. You want to anchor yourself. Anchor that Word in your heart.
E-95 David said he hid It in his heart, that he would sin not. He wrote His laws upon the bedpost, and tied them to his hands and everywhere, put His Word always before him. That's the way. Keep your mind constantly…
E-96 God told Joshua, "Don't turn to the right or to the left, from It. Then thou shall make thy ways prosperous. Then you shall have good success."
E-97 And when the church all unites itself together away from its creeds, and upon the Word of God, then the church will have good success. That'll be the thing that'll stomp out communism.
E-98 What made communism, the very thing? You think "communism," when he's spreading their propaganda, and growing by the leaps, by the millions, and people scared about it. That communism will fade and die. It's got to. Communism, they may do this. They might do that. I believe God is going to use it, but, that's right, just like He did Nebuchadnezzar. He'll storm out, the—the—the… all the tares, out, with communism. But, that, know so much, for that. But, look. But the thing, communism, will have an end. Communism will come to its end.
E-99 But the Word of God has no end, because It had no beginning. Amen. It's Eternal with God. And if you are anchored, and the Word is anchored in you, you are Eternal with the Word. Amen.
E-100 It's got to come to its end. All those things are shaking. No matter how big they're building a pillar, it's got to fall down. All things that's not of, against that Word, or contrary to it, will have to move. It'll have to give place, because the Word is coming triumphantly. There's nothing can stop It. God has done said so.
E-101 When He speaks it, heavens and earth will pass away, but it'll never fail. Hide that Word in your heart, how to take that Word and let It grow. Keep It in your mind, always, because It will never fail. God's Word will never fail, because He said It wouldn't. So we want to keep it on that.
E-102 Now, Paul said, in the Scriptures, like training a soldier, a soldier to a sound. Now, a soldier has got to learn the sounds of his, of the bugle or the trumpet. He doesn't know if the trumpet go, blows, whether to—to charge or whether to retreat. If he doesn't know the difference, what kind of a mixed-up army would you have? The enemy would certainly triumph over a bunch of soldiers that were no better trained than that. Amen.
E-103 That's what's the matter with our churches today. We're trained them on creeds, differenting one to the other.
E-104 We got to be united. We've got to know a trumpet. "Then which is the trumpet?" they say. The Gospel trumpet, that's It. The Word of the living God is the Trumpet. Don't mix nothing with It.
E-105 Don't have somebody play a French harp, and the other one blow a bugle. Nobody knows what to do. It brings a confusion.
E-106 And Paul was talking about training a man to a sound. And just as that sound is, he knows exactly what to do, because the bugler has got orders, and from the chief captain. And when he sounds this trumpet, the army knows just exactly the place to—to advance, and where to withdraw, and whether to turn right or left, or what to do, by the sounding of the trumpet.
E-107 Now, army, war, it's always been war. We never joined the Church, or come into the Church, to come to a picnic. We must realize we are coming to a battleground.
E-108 I never come, for people to pat me on the back and say, "Brother Branham, you're a wonderful person." No, sir. I come there with a shield on. I don't need a shield for that. I come with a helmet and the armor. I come to fight, fight every inch of the ground.
E-109 God told Joshua, "Every place the soles of your foot treads upon, that I give you." So, footsteps meant possession.
E-110 And when the church gets to a place it compromises with creeds, and compromises with the Word, and compromises with the world, I mean, then it's losing ground. It's taking back.
E-111 What we need tonight is soldiers to possess every Divine promise of this Bible, that God promised to the Church, whole armor of God, and to stand. It's what we need, soldiers; not get a uniform for a dress parade, it's always different. When a man…
E-112 Any nation, we got spies through every nation. We got German spies here. We got English spies here. We got—we got spies over in England. What are they trying to do? They're trying to find out what kind of a material, what kind of a bomb, the other one has got. FBI is pretty near every nation. They're watching, to see. That's how they survive. They watch and see what kind of a bomb the other one gets. Then they come by and make it a little better, or make something to counteract it. They don't trust one another, in the nations, 'cause that shows that nations are shaking. Why, England would blow us up, in a hour, if we'd cross their path, or we'd blow them up. Just takes somebody up at the head of the thing there, to get a little drink or two, too many, or fall out with something, and then away it goes.
E-113 Here not long ago, they'd say, a little piece of goods, "Made in Japan," during the war. They would slam it on the floor, and walk around, patriotic. And now you'll pay a bigger price for it than anything you buy in the nation. What happened? That pay back the lives of those boys that died over there? Certainly not.
E-114 What is it? I don't care how much you fight the material things, you're going, it won't mean one thing. It'll shake. But there is one fight that you can get into and gain grounds that can never be taken away from you. That's the Gospel sound of the trumpet of God's Word, has possessed the gifts and promises that He give to the Church. Certainly is. Now, we find—we find, giving this trumpet sound.
E-115 Now, every nation tries to arm their boys with the very best of defense that they can have. Now, I know, sometimes these armors are not easy to pack.
E-116 I had a brother, "Rookie," they called him, goes out here, and the army gives him a ninety-pound pack on his back. And that's pretty near as much as he weighed. They give him a shovel, to dig a hole with; a rifle, and a whole bunch of hand grenades. And, oh, I never seen such a pack! The poor little fellow couldn't hardly move. And they took him down the road for a five-mile hike. It like to killed him. He said, "What's this nonsense for? What do I need with this great big old helmet?" Now, look. Army knows he's going to need that sometime. "What do I want with a shovel, out here on the highway, walking?" Better get used to using it. You might need it.
E-117 The government isn't going to issue no thing unless you know they know you're going to have to use it. You must train for that. They find the best things that they can find, to protect you with, because they're interested in the nation. They're interested in you being fortified the best that you can, away from the bullets. That's always been that.
E-118 It started in the garden of Eden. And God trains His Church. And the…
E-119 You know, we always have to improve. Now, the old airplanes we used to use back in the First World War; the Second World War, why, them little knockers in the air was altogether out, when they put up these nice big super planes they had. Why, they were nothing. And now, the ones that they just used in this last war, now they're obsolete. They don't need them anymore. They got jets. And, see, you're always trying to improve, to improve on the thing for defense.
E-120 But you know what? God don't have to improve. God gave His children, His soldiers, the very best thing that could be given them. When He give them, what did He give them? He give them His Word at the garden of Eden, and man was to fortify himself behind the Word of God, and no devil can get him. Stay in the Word.
E-121 Now, the enemy spy, Satan, tried to find out what could he do to break into that. So he—he knowed he just couldn't come out and bluff her, so the only thing that he could do was to get her on reasoning. And that's what God uses today, to fortify His Church, is His Word. And Satan comes around with reasoning power. Satan knowed that was the loophole. That was the place that people would break the easiest, was at reasoning.
E-122 You say, "Now, let me just reason with you. Now is it necessary?"
E-123 If God said it was necessary, it's necessary, whether we have to cry, and boohoo, and do all this. If God said that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is necessary, I don't care how heavy It is, and how much of the world you have to give up. You're going to have to use It, one of these days, to stay alive. The only way of survival.
E-124 "Now, should we practice Divine healing, when we got the best doctors in the world?"
E-125 God gave you Divine healing 'cause He knows you have to use it. He gave you the gifts of the Spirit.
E-126 And as soon as Satan got around Eve, he begin to reason with her. Now, "Surely, surely, God wouldn't do that."
E-127 The people say today, "There's no such a thing as hell." A lot of them tell you that. See? "Oh, surely God wouldn't burn His children."
E-128 Certainly, He doesn't burn His children. But the devil will, his. Whose child are you? That's the next thing. Hell was created for the devil and his children, not God's children. Not one of them is going there. That's right. It depends on whose child you are.
E-129 Now, God gave Eve and Adam His Word, and He has never changed It. He's always had… The Christian, or the believer, his Defense is the Word.
E-130 Heavens and earth will pass away. Every creed will pass away. Every denomination will fail. Every nation will sink. But God's Word will stand, Eternally. There'll be a time when the morning star won't shine any longer. There'll be a time that the sun won't shine, and the moon won't shine, and the world won't spin in its orbit.
E-131 But God's Word forever will remain the same. Yes. That's something that cannot be moved, something that you can depend on. It's certain. God says anything, it's certain to happen.
E-132 If He said, in the garden of Eden, for a Redeemer, He would send the Messiah, it was certain to come. Though four thousand years they waited, but He got there. He had to come because it was a promised Word of God.
E-133 God promised to send Him back again. He'll be here. I don't care how many infidels and skeptics rise, whatever they do, how much communism spreads. Jesus Christ will come, and will get a Church that's Blood-washed, and will take it on a sky-ride into Heaven. Why? It's certain to be. God's Word said so.
E-134 "If thou canst believe, all things are possible." That's certain. God said so, and it can't move, can't be shook away. God said so, if you'll just stay with it, now. And have faith in it, believe it.
E-135 It's not an uncertain sound. God cannot give an uncertain sound. Creeds can give an uncertain sound. Denominations can preach an uncertain sound. But God cannot utter an uncertain sound. And this Word is God. And it's not no uncertainty about It. It's every bit certain.
E-136 Now, the great Church is armored by the Word. Now, when Jesus come, did He use that same armor? He certainly did.
E-137 When Satan come to Him, in all of his strength, and he said, "If thou be the Son of God, do certain, certain things."
E-138 He said, "It is written…" Right back to the Word. Satan tried Him a little higher. But, Jesus, right back with the Word, "It is written…"
E-139 There He remained, upon that Word, showing to us as an example. As He said in First Corinthians, first… Saint John 14:13, "I have given you an example." And that is an example, that we should emphatically, we should perfectly put our trust in the Word of God. Let everything else be a lie. [Blank.spot.on.tape—Ed.]
E-140 That's one thing that's certain. God made the promise. God is going to keep the promise. They say, "How can this thing happen? How can He get a bunch of people together, with Rapturing grace, to go up?" I don't know how He will do it. It's not my business to ask how He do it. It's my business just to be ready for it. He promised it. It's going to happen. Fortified His Church by the Word.
E-141 And the first thing was reason. Now they say, "Isn't it just reasonable now, if I belong to this church, isn't that just as good as that church?"
E-142 There is only one Church you can belong to. You'll never join It. You might join the lodge, Methodist lodge, and a Presbyterian lodge, and the Baptist lodge, and the Pentecostal lodge. But you're born into the Church of Jesus Christ, so there's the Church.
E-143 Those are lodges, where people come together, like crows set on this limb, and doves on this limb, and—and so forth. That's your fellowship you have together, when you're sharing on the same diet.
E-144 But when it comes to the Church of Jesus Christ, there's only one avenue. That's Birth. Birth!
E-145 It's just like a person, like I've said many times, like a blackbird setting on the limb, trying to put peacock feathers in his wings, and say, "You see, I'm a strutting peacock." See? He stuck them feathers in, himself. If he was genuine peacock, his nature would put forth that kind of a feather.
E-146 If the Church of the living God is the Church of the living God, it'll put forth the Word of the living God. You don't have to add peacock feathers nowhere. And every feather in there will be a joined to a peacock. You can believe that. And every feather that's joined into the Church of God will be the Word of God. He will never inject anything else but the Word. Amen. Cause, the nature of the Spirit puts out only the Word. Amen. I getting to feel religious. Right.
E-147 Not nothing you try to do, nothing you manufacture. You can't manufacture. You can't manufacture salvation. You can't manufacture the gifts. You got to bear the gifts. Certainly. See? The—the sheep doesn't, he doesn't manufacture wool. He has wool because he's a sheep. He just bears wool. The—the—the cherry tree doesn't manufacture cherries. It just bears cherries, because the life of it's that way.
E-148 And the Church of the living God doesn't inject This, to try to make themselves look like something. They're already what they are, by the grace of God. And the Word of God is joined with them, and they're joined with the Word. And the works that was brought forth in that perfect one, Jesus Christ, God manifested in flesh, will produce itself through every born-again believer. He said so. Amen. Nothing else. Now, that's something certain.
E-149 Now, it would be a bit—bit confusing to a man, if he never knew the real sound of the trumpet. Now, the man that's never been trained to the trumpet, and never heard it, well, he might be a bit confused when he hears something sound different from what he's heard. He's always been heard, "Join the church. Take your letter over here and over here." That might be all right. That's all he knows.
E-150 But then when you're coming back, about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking about the power of God and the things that He does; and how It makes the women and men, both, clean themselves up, from a life of sin; how It makes them walk godly, honestly. And the things that it does, and brings forth the baptism, speaking in tongues, healing the sick, casting out devils, prophesying, gifts, oh, visions, everything in the Church. Hallelujah! That's right. When it goes, then it's a bit confusing to them that never heard that kind of a trumpet.
E-151 "Well," you say, "my church doesn't teach that." Then it isn't blowing the Gospel trumpet. Glory! Right.
E-152 But to them trained soldiers, hallelujah, when they hear that trumpet sound, they know how to stand in order. Onward, Christian soldier! Glory! Oh, that's certain!
"How do you know it's certain?"
It's on the Word.
"Well," you say, "our church doesn't teach That."
E-153 But the trumpet sounds It. I don't want to be trained to a church creed, 'cause it'll shake and fall. But if you're trained to the Word, heavens and earth will pass away, and this Word will never pass away. Every creed, everything else, will fall. But this Word will never fail. Amen. That's the sound. That's the sound I want to hear. Yes, sir.
"Oh," you say, "how do I know?"
E-154 Jesus said, "My sheep hear My sound. They know My trumpet." He said, in Saint John, 14th chapter and 12th verse, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do he'll do also." Now, He said that.
If a man says, "Well?"
E-155 Hebrews 13:8 said, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
"Oh," they say, "in a certain way."
E-156 Now, a real sheep will say, "Uh-oh. Oh, something squeaked, in that. That didn't sound right. Oh, that must been a French horn. That wasn't a trumpet, 'cause the Bible gives no uncertain sound."
E-157 It says, "You shall receive the Holy Ghost." Not, "You might." "You will, every one." How long? "To your children, and to your children's children, and them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." It'll sound the trumpet in every race and every generation, and they'll hear His voice. They'll believe It, those that's ordained to Life. Amen. They'll believe It because they know It's the Gospel trumpet sounding. It's not uncertain. Every soldier knows how to stand.
E-158 Now, you seen Peter, and John, James, and the early church, marching forward this way, because the trumpet, Jesus, said, "Go ye into all the world, preach the Gospel." Mark 16, see, "These signs shall follow them that believe." We see Peter, James, John, the rest of them lining up, march to That.
E-159 And we turning some other way, away from It? One going forward, another going backward? One saying, "Well, that was for another. That, that—that sound, was for another." Oh, no. It can't be that.
E-160 The whole Christian army hears the trumpet. God said that was the trumpet. He can't change it. That's the sound that He said would sound by. "This will all men know," and away goes the Church.
E-161 Some of them don't believe in His literal Coming. The Bible said He will come, so we are looking for His Coming. If He isn't here tonight, we'll be looking in the morning. If He isn't here in the morning, we'll be looking tomorrow night for Him. And we'll keep on looking. If we fall asleep, or—or we haven't fainted in vain. "For the trumpet of God shall sound that final trumpet, and the dead in Christ shall rise. And we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them, to meet the Lord in the air, and forever be there." That's the sound of the trumpet. Whether I live or whether I'm gone, don't make any difference. I'll hear the sound. I'll rise. Glory to God! Rise. Oh, yes. Yes.
E-162 Jesus said, that, "My sheep hear My voice." He was the Word made manifest. When the… That's how His sheep know Him.
E-163 Now look at the Pharisees and them in that day. "Oh," they said, "this Man is Beelzebub." When He told the woman at the well, where, about her sins, her husbands she had. When He told Nathanael where he was, under the tree where Philip called him, out under the fig tree, praying. Why, those teachers of that day said, "This Man is Beelzebub. He's a devil. He's a fortuneteller."
E-164 But that wasn't so with Peter, James, and John, the rest of them. They knowed it. Why? They knowed that God said that when the Messiah would come, under the inspired voice of Moses, He will be a prophet. And when they seen those things that He said being manifested and made perfect, they knowed that was sheep food. They knowed that was the trumpet. And they started following it. "My sheep know it," 'cause they seen the Word of God being manifested.
E-165 Now, the people today, they don't believe there is such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Drop in here or somewhere where they have the Holy Ghost, and they see the promise of God being fulfilled just exactly, why, "My sheep hear My voice." They know the sound of that trumpet because it's the Bible. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still Hebrews 13:8, exactly.
E-166 I don't care, now, it don't make a bit of difference how many church horns is blowing. We got a lot of church tooter horns, you know, tooting around everything, saying, "Oh, days of miracles is past. There is no such a thing as Divine healing."
E-167 Oh, the real sheep don't listen for that. But they listen for that trumpet, that positive.
E-168 That church horn might sound anything. You might… Look what it's got today, the church horns. One is running this way, and one is running that way. And the devil is setting back, say, "Boy, they just fighting one another. That's all. I don't even have to move my hand."
E-169 But, brother, let them all come to arms one time, come back to general orders. Oh, my! Then you're going to see an "onward, Christian soldiers," right, not listening to horns, but listening to the trumpet.
E-170 Let's just stop, just for a minute, and go back and look at a few now. We're fixing to close, 'cause I don't want to keep you here so long. But let's go back and look at some that heard this sound. Let's take… And they were certain. Now, I've showed you everything else is uncertain. Let's just take one old character, for a moment.
E-171 Let's take the prophet Job. Now, that man went through a test, but he knowed that God required a burnt offering. That's what God required, and that's all He required. And no matter how much disaster happened to his home… God don't always…
E-172 When you see something going wrong for a fellow, that don't mean that he's being whipped by God. It might not be that he's out of the will of God. He knows in his heart whether he's listening to the trumpet or not.
E-173 God required this burnt offering, and Job stood right on it. That's all. They said, "Job, you're a secret sinner. You're doing something that's wrong." But he knowed better. He stayed right there, because he had heard the sound of the trumpet, and he stayed right there with it.
E-174 And, finally, right down at the last end, when he was… The devil had been turned loose on him, and took his family, and he took his children, took his camels, and took all of his wealth, and broke his own health down. He set on the ash heap. Looked like everything was gone. But he still said, "I know my Redeemer liveth. At the last days He will stand on the earth. Though the skin worms destroys this body, yet in my flesh I'll see God." Nothing uncertain about that, was there? Not, "I—I—I—I kind of think He lives." He said, "I know He lives, and He shall stand at the last days upon the earth. Though the skin worms destroys this body, yet in my flesh I'll see God." Oh, my! It happened. He was very certain.
E-175 Abraham, out walking in the field one day, heard God say, "Abraham, I'm going…" He met Abraham before the written Word, and He said, "Abraham, I'm going to give you a son by your wife, Sarah." And she was sixty-five years old at that time, and Abraham was seventy-five. And they made ready for it, and he wasn't ashamed to testify. He knowed he was going to have the son.
E-176 And the Bible said, "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was fully persuaded." Amen. Fully persuaded, that means that he's met the ultimate. Amen. That's it. The ultimate is the end of the road. It's the last thing. It's—it's all of it.
He said, "I'm fully persuaded that, what God promised, God is able to perform."
E-177 Are you, tonight, are you fully persuaded that this is the Holy Ghost? Are you fully persuaded, this is the way? Are you fully persuaded, He's a Healer? Are you fully persuaded that He's coming again? Are you fully persuaded He's the same yesterday, today, and forever? [Congregation says, "Amen."—Ed.] Amen. Fully persuaded! Yes.
E-178 Let's carry another one, Elijah, standing up there on the mountain. He had fussed with Jezebel and her painted face, and he was kind of getting tired of it. About all the women pattern after the first lady, maybe water-head hair-cuts and whatever they had in that day. He had fussed at it so much till it—it about to get him down.
E-179 Directly, God said to him, "Get down there. You know, it rains about every two or three days a week, around here. But you stand to Ahab, and you tell him, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD. The dew won't fall from heaven till I call for it.'" Oh, my!
E-180 He didn't say, "Now, Ahab, perhaps, maybe it might work out this way." Oh, no. He was fully persuaded, nothing uncertain. "The dew will not fall, the rains will not come, until I call for it." Amen. Glory! Oh, why? He heard the trumpet. It was certain. He knowed his God. He knowed something. When God spoke that word, all heavens and earth would pass away until it—it happened. It'd have to happen. He was surely persuaded.
E-181 Now, He said, "Elijah, I want you to get up there in the driest place in the country, plumb up on the mountain where there ain't no springs. But I have one up there for you."
E-182 He was fully persuaded. He climbed up on the mountain and set down by the brook Cherith. "And now what am I going to do up here?"
"I've already commanded the ravens to feed you."
E-183 "Now, how is them ravens… Now, wait a minute, Lord"? No, no. The trumpet sounded. That's enough. "How is it going to happen? I don't know. I don't care. See? It isn't for me to worry about that. That's God's business. He said He commanded the ravens."
E-184 "Well, Lord, would you please break it down to me, and tell me just where them… what school those ravens went to there, to learn to speak Hebrew? What kind of a… Do they cook on gas stoves, or do they have a wood fire, or how do they do it? And where will they… What kind of a animal will they kill? They're just a small bird. How they going to kill a beef for me, to bring me a beef sandwich?" See? See? That wasn't questioned.
E-185 God, the—the trumpet of God, His voice sounded forth and said, "I have!" Not, "Elijah, I might do it" "I have done it. I will do it. I've already done it." Amen.
E-186 That's our God, tonight. Not, "He will do it." He has already done it. Amen. He's already done it. Amen. Not, "He will; He might; probably He will." He's already done it. "I've commanded the ravens."
E-187 He commended His Spirit to all men. He commended His blessings. He ascended on High, and give gifts to men. Somebody is going to get it. Somebody will turn it away. It's not my business how it comes. It's just so it gets there. God said it would be so, and it's so. Peter said, on the Day of Pentecost, "Repent, every one of you, and be baptized, the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift, the Holy Ghost." How is It going to come? I don't know. "The—the promise is unto your children, to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Now, you couldn't explain that away. The trumpet has done sounded, and I believe it. I obeyed it, and got it. Amen. Now try to argue me out of it once. Amen. Oh, I'm not perfect. No.
E-188 Like that night, the old colored sister, she said, "Elder, can I give a testimony?"
"Yes, ma'am."
E-189 She said, "I wants to say this one thing." She said, "I—I—I hain't what I want to be." And she said, "I hain't what I ought to be. But, there's one thing I know, I hain't what I used to be."
E-190 So, that, that's the way we feel about it now. I'm not what I used to be, because I'm saved tonight, by the grace of God, and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, upon the commission. It was poured out there on the Day of Pentecost, the promise given, and I believed it. Nothing uncertain. I heared the sound. I obeyed it, and I'm certain that's what it is. Certainly. I know it is. Sure.
E-191 Simeon, an old sage about eighty years old, hundreds of years since even a prophet being on earth, but walking around with a great reputation. The Holy Ghost spoke to him one day, said, "Simeon, you know, you're not going to die until you see the Lord's salvation." Glory!
E-192 Perhaps the high priest, rubbing his beard a few times, and said, "Simeon, you should comb your beard on the other side."
He said, "That don't make a bit of difference."
"How do you know you're right?"
"The Holy Ghost told me so. I'll not die."
E-193 "Why, Simeon, why, you're… Why, you're ready to die right now."
E-194 "Oh, I don't care what you say. But the God told me that I would not see death until I seen His salvation. Nothing uncertain. I won't die. I can't see death till I see Him." Amen. That's it.
"How you going to do it, Simeon?"
"I, that's not my business."
"Where is He at, Simeon?"
"I don't know."
"How you know you're going to see Him?"
E-195 "God said so. That's it. It's the Word. I'm not going to see death until I see Him." Oh, my!
E-196 "Oh, poor old fellow. Course, he's off at his head, you know. So just let him alone."
E-197 But he saw Him, anyhow. Yes, sir. God makes a way for them people who will take His Word.
E-198 Jesus, when He was here on earth, and He was standing there at the grave of Lazarus.
E-199 Or, before that, when He was in the discourse with the—with the people, of talking about how He, yet being not fifty years old, and said that He seen Abraham. You notice how positive He was? He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM. I AM." Not, "I was, or I will be." But, "I AM. I'm positive."
E-200 Then, He said, at the grave of Lazarus. Before He went down there, He said, told Martha. He said, "I am the resurrection, the Life." Not, "I ought to be, or I will be." But, "I AM." Amen.
E-201 "My brother, if You'd have been here, would not have died. But even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You."
He said, "Thy brother shall rise again."
E-202 "Oh, he'll rise in the last days, at the general resurrection. He was a good boy. Yeah, I believe he'll rise."
E-203 But Jesus straightened Him a little, self, up, said, "But I am the resurrection and Life." Not, "I will be; I ought to be," or so forth. "I AM." There's nothing there, there is nothing wavering, shaking about that. Nothing uncertain. It was positive.
E-204 "I am the resurrection, Life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." Now, not, "They might not; they perhaps won't." "They won't." Nothing, nothing uncertain about it. They won't die.
E-205 "He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me has everlasting Life, and shall not even come to the Judgment, but has already passed from death unto Life."
E-206 "They should not come to the Judgment"? They won't come to the Judgment. Amen. He took my Judgment. Ain't got no business there. Amen. There you are. "Passed from death unto Life." Oh!
E-207 Now she said she believed it. Now, Jesus never said, "Well, you know, being that you believe that, and you know that I am the Word, and—and I—I… You know that I am He that was to come. You've confessed that. You believe it. I'll tell you what we might do. Let's go get the elders together, and go down and see if we can do anything about it." No, no. He said, "I'll…" Not, "Go down and see if I can raise him up." "I'll go wake him." Amen. Not, "I'll—I'll try." "I will." Nothing uncertain. That was no uncertain sound, when He said, "I will. I will."
E-208 And the same One said, "I will," made you a promise. Hallelujah! Oh, my! Amen.
"I will go and wake him."
E-209 Again He said, "Destroy this temple, and I'll see what I can do about it"? "You destroy this temple, and I will raise it up again in three days." Nothing uncertain. "Now I'll try. You all might stand around and see if I can do it or not"? Ah, no. "I will raise it up." Nothing uncertain. "I will raise it up. You—you destroy it; I'll raise it up." Oh, my!
E-210 Why? He knowed that He was that Person, in the Scripture, that David spoke of. "I will not leave His soul in hell, neither will I suffer My Holy One to see corruption." And He knew He was included in that Scriptural promise, so therefore He was positive.
E-211 Now, can't we be that positive? We take Him, example, for other things. As long as God's Word said it, can't we be as positive about the Word as He was about it?
E-212 "I am the resurrection and Life." "I will raise it up again." Amen. Why? He knowed the Word spoke of it, and He was sure to come forth.
E-213 If I'm that person over there in John 5:24, "He that heareth My Word and believeth on Him that sent Me, has everlasting Life, and I will raise him up again at the last days. He'll not come into Judgment; passed from death unto Life." That's—that's us. And what we scared about? What's the matter?
E-214 What difference does it make what brand you're wearing? You call yourself a this, that, or the other. We're children of God, by the grace of God. We been filled with the Holy Ghost, by the grace of God. What difference does it make about whether this one is that or that, if he's a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist? If he's filled with the Holy Ghost, he's got resurrecting Life in him. Amen. Yes. Now, on the Day of Pentecost…
E-215 Jesus told them, in Luke 24:49, "Behold, I send a promise." Not, "I might do it. I'll see what I can do about it." "I will send the promise of My Father upon you. But go up there to the city of Jerusalem and wait until you're endued with power."
E-216 Now, what if they'd wait along, say, oh, six days, they say, "What are we waiting on? I believe we ought to accept it by faith. Don't you think so?"
E-217 What if James said, on the—on the ninth day, said, "Simon, come here a minute. You know, the other day I had kind of a peculiar feeling. See? And you know what I believe? I—I—I believe He just don't want us to wait around here. I believe we've—we've already got it. Don't you think so? Let's go on with our work. Let's continue on with our ministry"? Oh, it would have never happened.
E-218 Why? They knowed that the prophet said. Now listen. The prophet said, "Precept must be upon precept, line must be upon line, upon line; here a little and there a little." "Hold fast to that what's good." "For with stammering lips and with other tongues will I speak to this people. And this is the rest, the sabbath." They knowed something had to take place when It come.
E-219 "I'll pour out My Spirit in the last day." Joel 2:28, "It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I'll pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy. Upon My handsmaids and maidservants will I pour out of My Spirit, in that day. I'll show signs in the heaven above and—and in the earth below, and fire, and smoke, and vapor."
E-220 They knowed that there had to be some experience accompany that coming of the Holy Ghost. They wasn't taking an uncertain sound. But when they felt that something move, and seen the Bible evidence moving with it, they wasn't uncertain. Right out into the streets they went. Excuse me. Oh, my! They were certain it was the Holy Ghost.
E-221 You know how certain they was? Till, Peter, that little uneducated fellow, jumped up on a stump or a box, or somewhere, said, "You men of Judaea," little chest stuck out like a banty rooster. He said, "You men of Judaea, you that dwell at Jerusalem! I was scared of you, a while ago; I'm not, now. Let this be known unto you, and hearken to my words. These are not drunk like you suppose it is. But this is That…" "We hope this is That; we believe this is That"? He said, "This is That that was spoke of by the prophet Joel." Hallelujah! Nothing uncertain about it. "This is that that was spoke of by the prophet Joel." Oh, my!
E-222 Jesus said, in Mark 16, commissioned His Church, "Go ye into all the world, preach the Gospel." "These signs perhaps ought to; they will, once in a while, maybe"? "They shall accompany those that believe. These signs shall follow them that believe. In My Name they shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. If they take up serpent or drink deadly thing, it wouldn't harm them. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." Not, "Maybe." "They shall. These signs shall follow them that believe."
E-223 Let me sum it up, in saying this, brother, sister, for the next few minutes. I believe it. I believe that everything else, anything that's contrary to That, is not right. I believe, everything that's against That will fall. I believe, I don't care how many communisms, or how many of these isms and that ism, and churchism and Romanism, and all other, Americanisms and everything else will fall.
E-224 But that Word will stand Eternally, because It is a Word. And before it was a Word, it has to be a thought. And a word is a thought expressed. And God, in Eternity, it come into His mind. He expressed His thoughts. It become a Word, and the Word has to be made manifest.
E-225 That's the reason, when He spoke of a Messiah, there had to come a Messiah. He spoke that there would be a Church in the last days, without spot or wrinkle on it. There will be a Church there. Hallelujah! He said it. I take His Word. I believe it.
E-226 I believe that He promised the Holy Ghost to every believer that would believe. I believe Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, when he preached that notable sermon, and told them all to repent and be baptized, that these signs would come, and this. "Whoever called upon the Name of the Lord would be saved." I believe that is the Truth; stood on it. I've seen it manifested.
E-227 I know I'm battling at it. And I know I'm trying to make a footstep. Before I make a footstep, I have to cut loose every tangle, greenbrier, everything else, to get it out of the way. But every time you make a step, you're advancing forward. Amen. Just take the knife and cut it.
E-228 Many of you remember Paul Rader, very precious friend. I was just a boy preacher, kid. I used to go up to Fort Wayne, listen at him, at the Rediger Tabernacle. Great big fellow! He'd get way back, pull up his trousers, raise up his hand and growl like a bear, and I'd think he going to jump through the pulpit. When he'd… And he'd start with a text, yeah, in Genesis, and wind up in Revelations, all back and forth. Paul was quite a man.
E-229 Talking one day, he said, "I used to be a logger up, in Oregon," where he come from. Said, "One day, you know," he said, "I—I just was in the mission fields, way over somewhere." I forget now where it was at. And he was doing missionary work.
E-230 He believed in God, believed in Divine healing. And Paul said, right here at where the world church stands today, he said, "If I would have sold my message of grace to the red-hot Pentecostals, instead of doing what I've done here with you bunch," said, "and caused myself to worry, called to a place with thousands times thousands of dollars of debt. I've worried myself till I got a cancer, and dying now. If I'd have sold my message of grace to the red-hot Pentecostals, God would have blessed me abundantly for it." Right.
E-231 He said he was down there in the—in the jungles, and he got blackwater fever or something. It was terrible. And he was way back out into the jungles, and a firm believer in Divine healing. And he said he got sicker and sicker. He prayed, prayed. And some of the missionaries said they was just going to take a boat and go get a doctor. Why, it'd take them days to get a doctor. And he said, "I—I… Don't do that. Just let it alone." Said, "If God don't heal me, then I'm coming Home."
E-232 So he said his wife stayed in the room with him. It kept getting darker and darker. And said he called his wife, said, "Honey, take hold of my hand." Said, "Just keep praying for me. It's getting dark now." Said, "I—I believe the shadows are falling around me." He said, "Hold… Just hold my hand and pray, while I go out." He braced hisself, to meet God.
E-233 He just kind of fell into a trance. And he said he dreamed that he was back over here in Oregon again, as a young man, cutting timber. And said the boss of the camp said, "Paul, go up here on a certain side of the hill, and fell a certain tree, certain size."
E-234 He said he ran up the hill with his youthful legs, and knocked the tree down, and trimmed it up, stuck the axe down. He said how that soft pine, his sharp, big, double-bitted axe went into the pine so nice. And said he got a hold of it, thought, "Well, I'll just pack it down the hill."
E-235 Good, strong man, said, "I used to train how to put my knees together, and pick up with my back, the biggest part of a man." His muscles was in his back and shoulders, the back of his legs. Said, "I'd pick up a big log," lay it on his shoulder, walk away. But said, "That was just an ordinary log." But said, "I just…" [Brother Branham bumps the microphone—Ed.] I'm sorry. Said, "I just simply couldn't move that log." I'm sorry.
E-236 He said, "I just simply couldn't move that log." He said, "I tussled, and I tussled and I tried to pick it up, and I just couldn't do it." He said, "I sapped all my strength out of me." He said, "I just couldn't move that log." And said, "Finally, I got so weak, I just set down against the tree and begin to wipe the perspiration off. I was just all wore out."
E-237 And said, "After while, I heard my boss's voice." But said, "It was the sweetest voice I ever heard." And said, "When I turned around, the voice said to me, 'Paul.' And I said, 'Yes, boss, what is it?' Said, 'What you tugging at it for?'" He said, "'Well, you commanded me to bring it down to the camp, and I've just wore myself out, with it. I just—I just can't do it, boss.' He said, 'Paul, don't you see that stream of water running right there?' Said, 'Yes.' Said, 'That stream comes right down to the camp. Why don't you just throw it in the water, jump on it and ride on down to the camp?' Said, 'I never thought of that.'"
E-238 So he just rolled it over in the water, jumped on it, said, "Oh, my!" He begin to splash water, and jumping, and screaming, top of his voice, as he went over the ripples, and down through the water, everything, riding on this log, going down, hollering, "I'm riding on it! Riding on it!"
E-239 He said, the first thing, he come to himself, he was right out in the middle of the floor, and his wife shouting with him. He'd holler, "I'm riding on it! I'm riding on it! I'm riding on it!" Brethren!
Nations are breaking, Israel awakening,
The signs that the Bible foretold;
Gentile days numbered, with horrors encumbered.
"Return, O dispersed, to your own."
E-240 This Message of God's Word is the Truth. Live or die, I'm riding on It. I don't… I'm not fussing with It. I'm not trying to fuss about It. I just took It, and I'm riding on It. Let the critics rise. I'll shoot every riffle. I'm coming into camp, one of these days, riding on the Word of God. Amen. I'm certain to arrive there.
Let us pray.
E-241 Why would you tuggle with your load of sin? Why would you be the condition you are, don't know where you're standing, running from church to church, and from place to place? Why don't you just pitch it in, on the cross, tonight, and ride on the Word? Why don't you just take God's promise tonight and ride on out of the mess, on out into the big blue, open like that? Don't tussle with It. Don't worry with It. Just believe It, accept it. It's a Kingdom that cannot be moved. Ride on It.
E-242 If you're sick tonight, take God's promise, "I'm the Lord that heals all thy diseases."
E-243 "How am I going to get well, Brother Branham? The doctor says I got heart trouble, I got cancer, I got this, that, ever what it is. I'm deaf, dumb. I'm blind." What, what difference does that make? Just accept God's promise and ride on it.
E-244 Let's take a great big stick, and drive it down here, and write on the top of it, "The prayer of faith has been prayed tonight. I'm going to ride on it. The Bible said, 'The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and God shall raise him up. If he has did sin, it shall be forgiven him.' I'm riding on it. I believe it."
E-245 If you've done wrong, if you're wayward tonight, "He that covers his sin shall not prosper. But he that will confess his sin shall have mercy." Why not confess it?
"Well, what must I do, Brother Branham?"
E-246 Confess it, and then ride on it. God said so. It'll take you right away from your sin.
E-247 Is that person here tonight, that's never put their real trust in God for the salvation of your soul, and you'd like to be remembered in prayer as we close? Would you just raise your hand, say, "Pray for me, Brother Branham. I want to cast my cares." God bless you. God bless you. "I want to cast…" God bless you, ma'am. "I want to cast my cares." God bless you, brother. God bless you back there, sir. God bless you, young lady. All right. That's right. God bless you. "I want to cast my cares upon Him and just ride on His promise now. I believe that He promised, 'He that will come to Me, I will in no wise cast him out.'"
E-248 "Not how I feel, 'I was prayed for last night, Brother Branham; I don't feel any better.'" That don't have one thing to do with it. I'm not riding upon my feelings. I'm riding upon His Word. It's His promise.
E-249 "Brother Branham, I've been to the altar, four or five times, try to receive the Holy Ghost. I never got it."
E-250 That don't mean one thing. Just stay right on the log, it'll bring you right straight down to the camp, in the camp of the Firstborn, in the camp of the saints. You'll arrive there. Just stay on your log, and scream and shout the praises of God just as hard as you can. That's the way to do it.
E-251 While we got our heads bowed, do you really want to ride on it? Then, that little thing that's tickling at your heart, would you want to come here and stand before the altar a minute? Let us pray and lay hands upon you. We'd be glad for you to come.
E-252 Let's take that little something that's put around your heart tonight, and say, "You know, you're wrong. Now raise up your hand." All right.
E-253 You stepped on the log, the log of His promise; the tree, the cross that was cut down. Put your arms around this cross now. Walk right up here and say, "Now I'm going to ride on it. Right now I'm going to believe it. I'm going to accept it. I believe it. I'll never change. I'm going to stay right with that Word, until that one is confirmed. And then after that one is confirmed, I'm going to reach right over and get on another one, and start riding right on." See?
E-254 And word by word, step by step, you'll possess everything that God promised you. "For all things are possible," to him that will ride on it. Ride on His promise, for it's certain to bring you to the camp. It'll bring you to the Presence of God.
E-255 Will you come now while we have our heads bowed? And ask for anyone that would want to stand at the altar, just for a moment for prayer.
E-256 "I'm riding on it, Lord. Lord, I believe. All my doubts are buried in the fountain. Lord, I'm coming. I believe it. I'm stepping right on the Word tonight, and I'm going to believe it with all my heart. I'm taking You at Your word."
E-257 One precious woman stands here at the altar, to—to vindicate to God that she meant business. Won't you come, who had your heads bowed, and your hands raised up, and wanted to be remembered in prayer? Will you just walk up here? God bless you. Just come up. That's it. Come right up and stand here. Say, "I'm going to ride on it. God, You made the promise, something knocked at my heart, and I'm coming right now to ride upon that. And I'm going to stay right on it till it brings me right to the camp. I'm coming right down to the camp of the saints of the Most High." God bless you. That's good. Come right on now, you who wants to ride on it. Just the way you are, "Just as I am, without one plea."
E-258 Remember. You say, "Is that a tree?" Yes. There was a tree cut down, one time, and it was reset again on Calvary. Just jump on that tree tonight, with the promises of God, the Word that was hanging on the tree.
E-259 I'm riding on it. I am going to believe it, with all my heart. I want to do as much as come here and shake the hands of my brethren.
E-260 God bless you, for your gallant stand. I want you to stay here, just a moment, while we pray. God bless you, my brother. My precious sister, God bless you. The Lord Jesus…?… God bless you, my brother. God bless you, sister. "Guide me." Guide you over the river.
E-261 Remember, as a servant of Christ, I'm responsible for the preaching of the Word. I'm responsible for my testimony. And would I stand here tonight…
E-262 And a man of fifty-five year, or fifty-three years old, be fifty-four in April, and stand here and know that, even this last vision, it might be my last few days on earth. I—I might leave you in a few days. I don't know what it means. Just listen to the tape and draw your own conclusion. I don't know what it means. Would I stand here, and halfway believing that it might be my last messages I'm ever preaching, is right here in Phoenix, and say something that was wrong, and know that my destination lays out yonder, and I'll be judged by my words?
E-263 My brethren, let me say this to you, and my sisters. You've been in the meetings. You know what, the discernment and the things. Have I ever said anything to you, in the Name of the Lord, but what come to pass? I'll ask anybody. No, sir. Around the world, and the thousands of visions, never has there been. And I tell you the truth tonight, the Blood of Jesus Christ is plenty sufficient that it wipe away every stain, and it would be.
There is a fountain filled with Blood.
And you're standing at It now.
Drawn from Immanuel's veins,
The only sure thing that's left on earth.
Where sinners plunged beneath the flood,
Lose all their guilty stain.
E-264 I'm going to ask these ministers now, and brethren, if you'll walk out here among these people. Ever who is… Is that the way, you call ministers to pray with the people? All ministers in here, then, that want, is interested in seeing souls saved, come here and stand as a prayer group, where we can bind ourselves together, get away from everything else, and separate ourselves. This is men and women that's sealing their destination, tonight, by the Blood of Jesus Christ, taking Him at His Word, riding right up into His Presence, on His Word, and say, "Here I am, Lord. I have nothing to offer but myself, and take me." Will you come stand with them, if you will? Anyone who'd want to, come and stand. God bless you, my brethren. That's mighty fine. I like to see men that's gallant, that's interested in souls. I guess, my brethren, that's fine. Drop right around. That's good. Stand around. Let's just now…
E-265 If the pianist will get to the music, if she will, let's sing this hymn, sweetly now, sanely, reverently.
E-266 We're coming not to some mythical something. We're not coming to something that's just a—a—a make-belief. But we're coming into the Presence of God, the omnipotent Jehovah God, Who is promised, that, "Wherever two or three are assembled in My Name, there I am in their midst." Talk to Him like you would your friend, say, "Lord, I'm sorry. I've sinned." And we're going to sing.
There is a Fountain that's filled with Blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins,
Where sinners plunged beneath the Flood,
Lose all their guilty stain.
That dying thief rejoiced to see
That Fountain in his day;
There may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.
Ever since by faith I saw that Stream
Thy flowing wounds supplied,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.
E-267 Just be real little now. You're nothing. None of us are nothing. And just sincerely now, with all your hearts, just bow your hearts and heads, everywhere, over the building.
E-268 Our Heavenly Father, I know that Your Words are so true. They can't fail. They are the Word of God. They are God. And You said, "He that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out." And these men and women, under conviction, knowing that they're not right, they've walked forward, tonight, Lord, to confess that they're wrong, knowing that they have been pulsated by some inward motion that—that bid them come to the Fountain. And here they stand, with bowed heads and hearts, to drink of the waters of Life, freely, that's been promised by God. Receive them, Father, into Thy Kingdom. They are Yours.
E-269 You said, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first. And all that the Father has given Me will come to Me." And it shows that God has give these to Christ, for a love gift. And here they stand, Lord. "No man can pluck them out of My hand." And I pray, God, that You'll secure them tonight, as they stand here, and give them the baptism of the Holy Ghost while they are here at the altar.
E-270 May the great power of Christ so saturate their lives now! They made their confession. They come forward. You said, "He that will confess Me before men, him will I confess before My Father and the holy Angels." We know that work as being done.
E-271 Now, Lord, seal them into the Kingdom of promise, of the Holy Ghost. Grant it, Lord. Pour out Your Spirit upon them, and fill them with the Spirit of the living God, that they might be living testimonies all the days of their lives, to the Kingdom of God.
E-272 Now let the audience stand. Everybody in prayer now. We're going to pray that these…
E-273 Now, each one of you that come up here tonight, feeling that you had sin on your heart, now there's nothing you can do but believe that. The Holy… You accept This by faith. This is faith, that you accept. Jesus said, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first. And all that comes to Me," He will receive it. He can't do nothing else, because He promised it. See? Don't rest upon a sensation now. Rest upon His Word. See? The Word said so.
E-274 "He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath," present tense, "everlasting Life, and shall not come to the Judgment, but is passed from death to Life." The Holy Spirit is an experience of being filled and endued with power for service. But confession and receiving Christ is to have faith and make your confession, and feel free that God has forgive you of your sins.
E-275 And upon the basis of His Word, He said, "No man can come except My Father draws him first" See? Now, God drawed you, first. "And he that will come to Me, I will in no wise cast him out." See? See? You, you have received it. Only thing, you have…
E-276 He, He died for you. Your sins were forgiven, nineteen hundred years ago. You just come now to accept what He did for you. See? And do you believe that He died for your sins? Will you accept Him as your propitiation? In other words, you accept Him, as He took your sins.
E-277 Will you be glad and thank Him for taking your sin? You believe He did it? Then just raise up your hand, say, "I believe that He takes my sin," amen, "takes my sin." All right.
E-278 Now, you are now a candidate for the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
E-279 If you haven't received Christian baptism, one of these men here will see to that, that you get Christian baptism.
E-280 "But now while Peter yet spake these words, before they was baptized; while Peter spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell upon them." Why? They were all under expectation. Now you're under expectation. You want something now that'll—that'll seal you into the Kingdom of God, something that'll be real to you. You want to re-… Don't you want to receive the Holy Ghost, every one of you? Don't you want it? Sure, you do. That's your keeping power. See?
They were gathered in the upper room,
Praying in His Name, the…
Baptized with the Holy Ghost,
And power for service came.
E-281 See? Oh, that's what you want now. And you can have it, right now. It's for you, right now.
E-282 Now, brethren, walk up. Let's, everyone now, and lay our hands upon these brethren, and pray that they receive the Holy Ghost. Walk right up, brethren. Walk right up.
E-283 Now, the whole congregation, raise up your hands now, everybody!…?…
E-284 Our Heavenly Father, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, fill every heart here with the baptism, the Holy Ghost.
E-285 Receive the Holy Ghost. Receive the Holy Ghost, these people here that's standing and waiting for the Presence and the power of God to saturate their lives.