Sermon Texts (Adding Now)
Sermon Texts Beginning With A
An Ensign (62-0119)
| An Ensign (62-0119) |
|
|
An Ensign (62-0119)
E-1
Thank you, Brother Outlaw. Thank you very much. Good evening, friends.
It's a... Certainly appreciate that fine introduction by Brother
Outlaw, and it's mutually felt between us. And I am happy to be here in
this tabernacle tonight, back here in Phoenix, and listen at these
wonderful songs and this lovely little choir. I was just looking them
all over. I'm so critical of some of the ways people do and dress in
these last days, I kind of have to admire this little clean-faced bunch
of women up here. And it look's real good to me. And I'm certainly
thankful for them. God bless them. E-2 They said Sister Waldrop was here tonight, the lady that was healed with cancer. I called her name the other night. Where is she at? Is she here in the building now, and...? Yes, Sister Waldrop, and Brother Waldrop too. We're certainly glad to have you in the service tonight. I believe I see Brother and Sister Evans from Macon, Georgia, over here on the left hand side, all the way from Macon here.
E-3
And--and this little Greek brother setting here in front; I can't
think... He's all the way from Greece. So I met him not long ago,
and... Eddie, I believe, isn't it? or am I...? Dave, David. I
appreciate that Bible, and so forth, that you sent me just recently,
that book. And I thank you very much, brother. And many of our
friends... There's another group from Georgia, Brother S. T. I call
him, I believe, or T. S., on this side. And I was happy to see Brother
Williams' boy. How many times that he's requested me to pray for him,
and hear him stand up here testifying like that tonight, it certainly
thrilled my heart to--to--for that. E-4 Hearing the testimonies from healings it brings me to think of this. A few moments ago I made a long distance call to Brother Tommy Hicks, who's in Washington, or in Oregon, rather. Wanted me to come take his place this week. His brother, and his sister-in-law, and the whole family was killed instantly this afternoon, down in Mexico. And he has to go down to identify his brother and make all the arrangements and so forth. And I certainly have a feeling for Brother Hicks. I had to do the same thing a few weeks ago for my mother, and I know just how he feels. And so, I believe at this time, as we are all associated together as one great Christian body of people, I believe it would be real nice if we would just bow our heads a moment and offer prayer for the comfort of Brother Hicks in this hour. E-5 Our heavenly Father, we are bringing before Thee now, as a group--a group of people that are pilgrims and strangers, sojourners, professing that this is not our home, we are citizens of another great Kingdom that shall come, that Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thine will be done." Father, tonight one of our brothers, Brother Tommy Hicks, Your servant, sadness is floating across the wires to his ears. His precious brother (believing he was an unsaved boy) and his wife, and little ones, all was just destroyed today by an automobile accident. And our brother is in the air now, flying to meet up the body of his precious brother. I pray for Brother Hicks, Lord. I pray that Your Spirit be upon him, and help him. Comfort him. And may the great hand of the living God reach down and give him sustaining grace in this hour. Feeling the sharp feeling myself, Lord, of just a few weeks ago, something similar happening, and I feel sorry for him. And I pray that You'll comfort him in every way that You can, Father. We ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-6
There's just so much to be said, so little of time to say it. We're
terribly sorry tonight, that and people standing inside, outside, and
around the walls of the church.
E-7
So... And then Sunday afternoon I'm to speak again, to address the body
of believers there Sunday afternoon. All through the week I've got
church to church, church to church, sometimes two in a day, and so, to
visit my brethren. And I certainly deem it a privilege, friends, to get
to meet the different organizations.
E-8
Brother Outlaw, as he just said, was the first one to invite me to
Phoenix. I come here many years ago with Brother Kidson, and we had a
great meeting. That meeting was a red letter mark in my life. They
didn't have tape recorders then. They had a little sound-scriber and
they made record. And I've still got the record that was from Brother
Outlaw's church, and from Brother Garcia's church over there, the
little Spanish choir that sang in Spanish, like these do in--in English.
E-9
I've had a very sad experience in my life recently of losing my mother,
which was a very sweet Christian woman. But her--her going was quickly.
I haven't time to tell it tonight. I want to at one of the meetings,
some of the little breakfasts somewhere, and how that the Lord sent me
away for this to happen. He gave me a vision where to go and what would
happen. Then on the road back... And the sweetness of watching mother
come to the end of the road, and holding her in my arms, or by the arm,
and committing her soul to God, and seeing that dear, old, saintly
woman as she was going out when she could no more speak... E-10 And now, many times the way that we stand... We don't disfellowship anyone because the way they believe, but being Pentecostal, and having the Pentecostal experience... I've seen it come in my family, the ones right down to the end of the road, and watch them until their soul went out. And I tell you, I'm so glad that I've got that experience, I--of being a Pentecostal experience in me. And I just want everyone to have it. Don't miss it. Whatever you do, don't miss the experience.
E-11
Usually in my meetings, everywhere I go, it's always about praying for
the sick. I don't know. It's--it's been very successful. The Lord has
blessed, answering my prayers many times. And I wonder, just before I
spoke to you, was there any come tonight to be prayed for something? so
I could change my text around a little bit. If you was going to be
prayed for, I was going speak on something on Divine healing. And if
not, I was going to speak on something else.
E-12
You got a wonderful pastor, and co-pastor here, wonderful board,
wonderful church, wonderful people. And the other day I was speaking at
one of the meetings out here in Phoenix, in the--the first meeting, and
I was saying, as the wife and I was going down the street, why, how
that this valley must've looked a few hundred years ago, and what it
looks like today.
E-13
Now, you know, if you get away... We know all cities... I think Phoenix
is--is a wonderful city. But I said to my wife, "Just think. Down in
there now, right at this moment, that little valley, the Maricopa
Valley here, as we can look through it, Salt River, through here, how
many people at this minute in that one little valley is taking the Name
of the Lord in vain? How many sins, adultery, and so forth, has been
committed in the last hour in this city, this little group of people?"
E-14
But do you remember like it was in Sodom? There was someone down there
that had to be brought out. And I said, "Sweetheart, besides all of
that, remember, that in this valley since we've been setting up here,
there's been prayer after prayer go from a sincere heart." See? And I
said, "That's the reason we're here at Phoenix today, and in this
meetings around the fellowship with our brethren: is to put ourself in
with them to help to move this great load, to try to get others to see.
E-15
I think of a soldier coming home when he's been honored, you know,
overseas or something, and how that there seems to be such a great
honor the people pay him. But what is it? It's just a few honors out on
the street, and a few trumpets to sound, or bells to ring. And then you
go right back into the old grind. E-16 And I wonder if it would be asking a little too much, if we would get this pianist and this choir here to sing? Well, let's have the audience, put everybody in it, if they will, sing, "Close to Thee, Close to Thee." You know the song? You know it? Everybody know it? "Close to Thee?" All right. Some song... Let's just let the choir sing one then, that's... I think that'd be better. Just let the choir sing it. And that'll let you all be interested in giving out--getting your prayer cards.
E-17
Brother Outlaw, would you come here again, if you will, if it's not
asking too much of you, my brother? And we'll have another chorus, or
whatmore, from the people. And then we will go right straight, quick as
we can, for a short message, and pray for the sick. The Lord bless you.
Pray for the little choir now, as it... All that appreciates a... you
Pentecostal people that appreciates a nice little clean-looking bunch
of girls and boys, like that, just raise up your hands. See? We Sure
do. There's one outstanding thing, many outstanding things, about this
church here; and one of them, they sure are singers. E-18 Thank the Lord for that. Amen. How thankful we are for a nice spiritual lift like that, "... Was There When The Spirit Came." Now, we are grateful for these services, again I say, and we're praying now that God will heal the sick, save the lost. Now, you pray for me. Now, when you come in just kind of unexpected, and we don't know no arrangements, just drop in, and drop out, and like that, we can't feel like we--not doing our very best for the Lord, but we try to do the best we can for Him. So let us bow our heads once more now for prayer.
E-19
Our heavenly Father, it's tonight with grateful hearts that we face Thy
throne, not knowing just what Your will is, and what for us to do. But
Thou will lead us. You promised to. So we believe it. We pray that
You'll speak to the lost tonight and will heal the sick. Get glory unto
Thyself. E-20 Now, we realize, Lord, the reason that we can rejoice and sing songs is, first, because we came to Christ, believing that He was, for faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word. And as we have enjoyed singing spiritual songs, and seeing the Spirit move in the audience, now may You provide the Word that will condition the hearts of the people for farther service, for the healing of the sick, and the spiritual healing of someone who's been hurt, or a little tender conscience been bruised, like the bruised reed. We pray that You'll strengthen it tonight, Lord, and give it of Thy healing balm that will give the cure for all, that this one that might've been turned out of the way will be turned back to the way tonight. E-21 We would also pray, Lord, for those that are in the hospitals, so sick they can't even get to the services. We pray for them, knowing that they would love to be here, but the enemy has bound them in such a way that they cannot come. God, grant that their deliverance comes quickly. We believe that it is written in the Word that "the people that's called by My Name shall assemble themselves together and pray. Then I'll hear from heaven." That's why we take this opportunity to pray while all the church is assembled together, so that You'll hear from heaven, and heal our land. We ask this now for the glory of God in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. E-22 Now, feeling for those who are standing and legs getting tired, I'll hurry just quick as I can. I would like to come back some time to Phoenix, and where we could get everybody together, and have a good, long, healing service in Phoenix, where... The Lord blesses some of us; some of us are preachers, like Brother Outlaw. And many of the other brethren here are preachers. I'm not much of a preacher. I--I just pray for the sick. And yet, there's no man that ever preached the Gospel but what loves to express his feelings to the people. There's just something about it--you love to do it. And I'm so glad that you've come to--to hear the little expression I have about Him, and trust that He will do something tonight to prove to you that I--that I'm telling you the truth and love you.
E-23 I want to take a little text here for a few moments, if the Lord willing, out of St. John, the 12th chapter and the 32nd verse. E-24 And an--an ensign, of course we all know what an ensign is. It's something that's in a commemoration lifted up, something to people to look to; it's something placed before you. And God promised in Isaiah the 5th chapter and the 26th verse, that there would be an ensign lifted up. There would be an ensign lifted up.
E-25
Man down through the age is prone... It's inside of him to try to help
himself. Now, that's just the nature of man. Now, what we're trying to
do is set a base here for something that we're asking the Lord to do:
heal the sick, and to give confidence. And you can just not walk right
out and have faith for anything that you know nothing about. You first
got to have something that faith can rest upon. E-26 And man, now, being that he is made, even in his fallen condition, yet he's in the image of his Maker, God. And in one sense of the word he is a son of God fallen from grace. He's fallen away from what God made him to be. And in his fallen estate gives him them attributes to try to do something to bring himself back up to a place where something inside of him tells him that he come from; because he knows he's not in the right condition yet, 'cause he sees death, sickness, and sorrows, and heartaches, and disappointments. He knows he wasn't made for that. Yet, no matter how far he is away from God, there's something with--inside of him that tells him that, some inside something.
E-27
Now, a man is made up as a triune being: soul, body, spirit. Now, the
outside is the body. There's five gates to that body, and that's the
five senses, of course: see, taste, feel, smell, and hear. The inside,
like the seed that's planted... The inside of that is the pulp-like of
the seed, which is the soul. There's five gates to that you enter into:
conscience, and memory, and so forth. E-28 Now, he's tried many achievements. He's tried to achieve this through science, and every time that he moves through science he only destroys himself. Every time that science makes something, he destroys himself: gunpowder, and atomic energy, and--and nuclear weapons, and automobiles, and all these things. Yet temporarily it helps him. But in the long run it destroys himself, because he--it's something that he has achieved while he's in God's workshop trying to make something, pervert what God has made, and put it into his own ideas, and make it up.
E-29
Now, as I said about this city, as this great beautiful city here... If
this city was just... It would be prettier than it was at the first
place, if up and down the streets went the people of God with their
hands in the air praising God for their home and everything. Wouldn't
Phoenix be a garden spot of the earth? But instead of that, like all
other cities, it's lying, stealing, cheating, gambling, smoking,
drinking, carousing, adultery. And it's become a stink before God. See? E-30 I was reading the other day in--in "Life" magazine where they had... I believe many of you read the article where they'd done everything now towards putting different elements together, or accumulations, until they can almost make life. And they said they would make it. They can't do that. Life is creation. So only one is a Creator, and that is God. See? They'll never be able to make life, but he's trying to do that. Wonder what kind of a species it would be if he could make it, if it'd be after the intelligence of a man. So you see, he--he can't do that. It's just not for him to do it. He's failed with education; he's failed with science. He knows that he come from somewhere, but he wants to find his way back.
E-31
Adam really expressed that, the first man on earth. After finding that
he had fallen from grace, he tried to take his own intelligence and
make a way back to God without an atonement. He tried to go back to God
without making an atonement, something to pay for his sins. After the
penalty of God was death, he tried to go back without a death atonement.
E-32
So Adam, to hold on to something made a fig leaf to cover his and his
wife's nakedness. But he found out that that what he had in his hand
did not work. On down through the ages we could count man if we only
had time. Let's take two or three of them anyhow. E-33 Now, that's been the idea of men all along the road, trying to sin and live in earth and be in heaven at the same time. You cannot do it. You can't do it. Jesus said you can't serve God and mammon. That's the reason we believe tonight in a total abstaining from sin, getting away from it. It's poison. Do not fool around it. Don't in-tolerate in it at all. Have nothing at all to do with it. Don't see how close you can come to it without sinning; see how far you can stay away from it. Anything that looks sinful, stay away from it. Don't have anything to do with it at all.
E-34
So Nimrod, with his great master mind, he tried to achieve this. And if
you'll notice, it's always been since man was created that the... If
you run the genealogy of Cain's children, they all become scientists,
mighty men, workers in the earth with metal, and wood, and so forth.
They were the smart intellectual side. But Seth's children were
peasants, sheepherders, humble.
E-35
Then there come another, which was King Nebuchadnezzar, and he was
going to build a city. And if you'll notice, sometimes those spirits
that get onto man... And it's a day coming, and is at hand now, where
the Christian church, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ ought to be
so spiritual, because that Jesus said that the two spirits would be so
close till it would deceive the very elected if it was possible. The
enemy is so cunning.
E-36
Now, he made this great city. And then, we find out that also he made
an image for people to worship, and brought an image worship amongst
the people. But in the midst of all of it, there come a supernatural
handwriting on the wall, an unknown tongue that no one could interpret
but a Spirit-filled prophet that was among them. And that kingdom went
to the dust, just exactly like Nimrod's tower, and Adam's fig apron,
just the same, because it's something that man achieved himself. It's
something that he wanted to do to show that he could save himself.
E-37
We could call many other great things that taken place. Just recently,
France, after the first World War they wanted to build the Siegfried
line up there. And they turned all their guns towards Germany and said,
"Now, if the Germans ever would try to come this way again, why, we'll
be able to hold them off, because we've got a line here that we can
hold them off with it." E-38 United States, here not long ago, thought they could build a ship that no other ship builders could build. It was called the Titanic. One night when she was steaming across the ocean with all of her engines a-running, and the bands was playing jazz music, whooping' it up, all of a sudden it turned to "Nearer My God to Thee." Why? She struck an ice gorge out there, and knocked a hole in her, and busted up the engines, and she went to the bottom of the sea. Why? God with His mighty hand shows this world it cannot stand. Man cannot achieve nothing by himself.
E-39
Now, today the great fuss is on about the nuclear weapons, and we're
spending billions of dollars to try to get a man over on the moon. What
good's it going to do after he gets on the moon? I ain't... As I said
the other night, I'm not worried about getting on the moon; I'm wanting
to get in heaven. So the moon's not far enough for me.
E-40
Now, we've tried to educate people to get what we would call the better
class of people through education. Our seminaries has sent our
ministers to school, which is fine; and learned an education by proper
speaking, speech, and so forth, and better grammar that--where that the
better class of people of the city, so-called, would come in to these
churches. And we've filled our church full of that.
E-41
Now, we tried to do it then with denominations. We thought maybe if we
could get our denominations to grow... And what did we do? In making
our denominations (which is all right, nothing against them)... But the
thing that we done with our denominations, we just started pulling for
that denomination, and the first thing you know we didn't give the
other brother enough blanket to keep warm by. See? And we separated
ourselves then. You see? And in doing that, then we caused something to
happen among us, that should not have happened. And we find out that
that just don't work.
E-42
Here not long ago in Chicago, a full Gospel group called for a meeting.
And they went to a certain big Bible school, and they got a great
intellectual speaker. It was advertised all over the city, about this
great speaker from a certain great school, with such a name, my, And
all the degrees on the end of the name, until they thought that would
just be it. And when crowds gathered in to hear the man, when he raised
up in the back of the building with a suit on, the collar turned
around, and his speech under his arm, walked up and spread it across
the place...
E-43
But he thought, "With this bunch of an illiterate people, I'll get up
there and show them what it really means to be a preacher." With his
chest out he walked up all puffed up and gave this speech. But he found
out that didn't set with that kind of a crowd. It went over the top of
their heads. So much great big, swelled-out words, they didn't get it. E-44 Now, man doing this shows that there is an achievement somewhere for this great cause of being redeemed. And God made that achievement. He did that, and He made it so simple: it was by faith. God told... in beginning it is always been by faith. Today you're not saved by works, by good things, by joining church, by being educated. You're only saved by faith, and that by the grace of God. You're saved by faith by believing what God has already done.
E-45
God appropriated the ensign. God give you something to hold onto: an
ensign, like a flag hanging. And in Korea, and, oh, down in the
islands, during the time of the war, when the Americans had drove back
the Japanese... And they run up in Guam and different places, to the
top of the hill, the highest hill that they could find; and there, with
tears running down their cheeks and with shouts, they planted the
American flag, Old Glory, above the hillside. They had conquered the
land. What an achievement to lift up that ensign, that this belongs to
us. Oh, what a privilege it was for those soldiers to stand there on
the land that they had conquered.
E-46
Now, we find that Noah, a man of God, had faith, and God give him an
ensign. And that ensign was the ark. And Noah built away by faith,
because it was a commandment of God to build this ark for the saving of
whosoever would enter into it.
E-47
Then we find out after that... We will speak of another man quickly,
and his name was Moses. And he was just one man. But how would he ever
be able to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt, out of the
bondage, after he had studied for school, had been trained in all the
wisdom of the Egyptians, and found himself totally defeated?
E-48
I was studying not long ago of David Livingston, when I stood at his
grave in London. And more people visits Livingston's grave than any
other grave in the Abbey. Then hearing the story of Livingston, how
that he went down there as a doctor and a Christian, how he went to the
natives, and he couldn't get in because they were mostly savage...
E-49
Now, that's the... today, the people of today fail to realize the great
ensign that God has given us. You say, "Brother Branham, do you have
power? I wish I had power." E-50 Here, to explain it to you: There's... Down... You go down here to one of these crossings here in Phoenix along about five o'clock in the afternoon. There's a policeman standing out there. Here's the cars passing by at forty, fifty miles an hour. Well, that little bitty policeman maybe not be five foot high, walk out there, and, why, he hasn't got power enough to stop one of them cars. Why, one of them cars may be three hundred horsepower. Why, they'd just pick that little fellow up and crush him and go on. But let him raise his hand once, blow the whistle; he hasn't got power, but he's got authority. That's it. Brakes will slide, and wheels will squeak. Everything will stop because he raised up his hand, because he has an authority. E-51 And when a man or a woman is dressed in the full armor of God, it ain't power; it's authority from on high when He says... Devils will scream, and brakes will squeak. Even death itself will shudder, and graves will open at the authority that Jesus Christ gave His church. All men knows this, "These signs shall follow them that believe." Lift up the authority, the ensign. His hand raised up with his white glove on, and every car will stop. He hasn't got enough power, maybe, to--to stop a bicycle; but he's got authority to stop anything that comes across that street. Because why? The whole law of Phoenix is behind him. E-52 And a Christian that's dead, and buried, and raised with Him in His resurrection, in heavenly places... See, if we are dead with Him, then we're also raised with Him; for the body goes where the head is. And He is the Head, and this is the body. And not will be, but now we are seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, with every power of the devil conquered and under His feet. Authority, authority, there's the ensign. That's the hand that lifts up that counts.
E-53
Moses went down into Egypt. There was the great seas out there. Lifted
up the ensign, and what happened? They turned to blood. Lifted over the
lands: frogs, lice, fleas, the sun refused to shine, death struck the
land. Why? He lifted up the ensign of God's judgment. E-54 The wise men, Magis... We read... Peter said that he perceived that God would--would take any nation of people, anybody that believed Him. The wise men, they were looking for a star to rise of Jacob, a star to come out of Jacob. And they were given an ensign. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, wise men came from India following a star. Oh, my. What? An ensign, an evidence, a proof, a supernatural proof.
E-55
Unbeliever, I'd like for you to see this. Not altogether does everybody
have to see it. Nobody saw that star but them three men. He passed over
every observatory, a real living evidence, an ensign to lead them to
Christ. Nobody seen it but them.
E-56
We are God's ensigns to the world. That's the reason I'm always
scolding the Pentecostal church, getting after them, their ways of
living. That's the reason the world can't see Christ, is because we let
down the bars. We get away from that.
E-57
Jesus said in Mark 16, "These signs shall follow them that believe."
What kind of an ensign is it? Some great stuffed shirt? No, humility.
The Fullness of God in Christ Jesus made Him walk like a humble
peasant, made Him wash the feet of His disciples, had not a place to
lay His head.
E-58
Now, He's the... God gave us this ensign. It's an eternal ensign.
Remember that all of Roman's ensigns, all of the--Nimrod's ensigns, all
of Babylon's, and all the rest of them are crushed and gone. We only
know them by history. E-59 Brother, but there is an ensign that God achieved one day by lifting up Jesus Christ from the dead and sending the Holy Ghost upon His church. And heavens and earth will pass away, but His Word shall never pass away. "Upon this rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell can't prevail against it." Why? The living ensign is in the church: the ensign, the infallible, the perfect proof, something you can put your hands on, something that you could look at.
E-60
See here, this young man, young Williams here stood up and testified
how his father and mother had prayed for him, and all at once he saw
the ensign. Something happened. He seen; he bid farewell to the old
house of clay, and then he went to running around the Milky White Way,
as the brother said. When men can see that: "If I be lifted up from
this earth I'll draw all man unto Me. Ye are My witnesses. You shall be
witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the uttermost
parts of the earth. These signs shall follow them that believe. In My
Name they shall cast out devils, speak with new tongues, take up
serpents, drink deadly things, it shall not harm them, lay their hands
on the sick, and they shall recover." The ensign.
E-61
In the old country, old times, the seal was usually a ring. A man that
couldn't sign his name, he just had a ring. And he sealed it, his--ever
what he would--they'd wrote, why he'd just, instead of signing his
name, he put the seal on it. It was a penitentiary offense to ever copy
that seal. E-62 We find what the ensign was then to them people, to know whether He was the right ensign that was looking to be come. We see in the Scriptures where in there He never claimed to do anything. He never claimed... He said, "It's not Me that doeth the works. It's My Father that dwelleth in Me. He doeth the works. Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing, but what He sees the Father doing: that doeth the Son likewise." It's what He saw the Father doing. In other words, He saw it by vision what happened.
E-63
We find a woman touched His garment. He turned, and looked at her, and
told her... She had the blood issue, and it stopped. Her faith had
saved her.
E-64
Look at Andrew that I preached on last night over there, how as soon as
he stayed all night with Jesus, and found out that that really was
God's witness, that was the Messiah, he didn't go say: "Simon, come
help me figure it out." He knew that He was Messiah. And as soon as he
come up before Him, and He told him who he was, and what his father's
name was... And Peter knew that was what was going to happen. Philip
did the same thing, and, oh, on and on, and on. The ensign. E-65 Now, look. We are sent. Listen here, friends, all of you. I'm talking to you people now that's--right now to the people that's going to be prayed for. Listen to this. You are a witness. If you've been saved, and you know what the power of God is, you've touched that ensign. You've got a hold of something, something that's not a Nimrod's tower. Neither is it a Adam's fig leaf, apron. But it is a promise of God that, "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall not pass away." It's something you can lay your hands on. "These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." It's an ensign, a real ensign.
E-66
And to you people, if there be one here that hasn't never accepted this
ensign, that don't know what makes these people cry, and shout, and
dance; and how it makes these women let their hair grow out, and quit
wearing them old dirty clothes, and--and looking sexy out before men,
and things like that, that old evil spirit gone out of them...
E-67
Brother, sister, you might think this is old fashion. I had a minister
not long ago, said, "You're going to hurt your ministry, Brother
Branham." E-68 I stood down the other day here on the streets of Phoenix and seen a little colored boy standing out there. Little guy, was nobody paying any attention to him, had his Bible under his arm, and ever who was coming by he was pointing the Gospel to them, just as hard as he could. And I said, "Thank the Lord God. Oh, my. Scream it out, brother. Just keep it going. That's all right: lifting up Jesus Christ."
E-69
Oh, if you don't know Him tonight, friends, receive Him. Won't you do
it while we bow our heads just a moment for prayer. Sorry the time is
getting so quickly away.
E-70
Life is like a leaf hanging on a tree. After while the life leaves the
leaf, and goes back to its roots. The leaf drops off. That life is
buried in the roots till the winter's passed. In springtime it brings
back another life, another leaf.
E-71
Our seasons denote that God is with us, that God is here. He commanded
nature. And now, if you have never received that life, and if that
little leaf would drop off tonight, this little leaf that you are here
on earth, you know it would never raise again. If you're not born again
and haven't received the ensign in your heart, the evidence, the Holy
Spirit, not just imaginary... You can't imagine it.
E-72
Our heavenly Father, now I commit the audience to You. There might be a
wayward person here that may never have the opportunity again. We just
hear it on the telephone, a few moments ago, or awhile ago, Brother
Tommy Hicks, a precious servant of Yours, his brother that he'd cried
to, begged to, just a few weeks ago even sent him a letter and said,
"Brother, receive Christ."
E-73
While we have our heads bowed, if there's anybody'd like to be
remembered, raise your hand now, and say, "Pray for me, Brother
preacher. I..." God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless
you, you, sister. That's very fine. Someone else? E-74 I was reading the other day in history, Broadbent's, "Pilgrim Church, Nicene Fathers," that where in the early church they never even had any ornaments, never even had an altar, because... The pagans being converted, they used to fall prostrate at the altar. They just had a plain little old building where they set on slab of rocks. They raised up their hands after some godly man gave a message. And they raised up their hands and praised God. They loved that after-effects of the Holy Spirit bathing through them. That was the early church in the times of Irenaeus and Martin, and so forth, right after the death of the Lord Jesus, when the church going on before it went into Catholicism. Oh, that's what we love.
E-75 Now, you in here make that altar your heart, now, and say, "Come in, Lord Jesus."
E-76
And now, Father, I pray that in the prayer line that You'll show
Yourself so visible before this audience tonight by healing the sick,
that they'll walk away from here saying like those who came from
Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us?" because they seen
something done.
E-77
E-78
All right, all together now. Just in your... don't put... just be
yourself. I love good Pentecostal singing, don't you? I don't like an
over-trained voice, you know, that squeaks, and holds their breath, and
blue in the face; and you--you're just trying to put on something. I--I
like good singing, just real, free singing. Now, everybody together,
with the little choir, together now. All together now.
E-79 Now, real sweetly, while we sing again, let's turn and shake hands with somebody by your side, in front and back, now.
E-80
Prayer cards now, beginning with number 1, start standing right
alongside of the altar like this here. Prayer card... Wait, till... I
better call them one at a time, so there won't be no confusion. Prayer
card number 1? If you will keep playing the song, sister... Who has
prayer card number 1? Right here. Number 2? number 3? All right, 3?
number 4, number 5, number 6, number 7. Just move right out, and come
right out here, just stand right out in this way.
E-81
E-82
Now, friends, on Divine healing, there is--there is no man that can
heal you, no more than any man can save you; because both healing and
salvation are past tense. When Jesus Christ died at Calvary, He was
wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we were healed. It is
a finished work. Now, the only thing that you have to do to receive
either your salvation or your healing, is to accept what Christ did for
you.
E-83
Now, here stands a line of people. I never seen any of them in life, as
I know of. Now, many of you has been in my meetings and know what
discernment is. All of you know that, don't you? We know that. I've had
it over, and over, and over, and over. That is a gift.
E-84
Now, I don't know what ever happened. When I was a little boy... You
know my story. I've just prayed for people. There's not a thing I do
but just pray, lay hands on them, they'd get well. See? So what could I
do? Not only me praying, but look at the others who are praying.
Everybody's praying. See? And just, I believe it. That's all I know to
do. I believe it.
E-85
Now, look at that staunch Jew, Philip. When Philip or Nathanael, came.
Nathanael was a scholar, a real orthodox. And when he seen Jesus, he
couldn't hardly believe Him. And He said, "Behold an Israelite in whom
is no guile."
E-86
Now, this lady standing here, I don't know her, never seen her. We're
strangers to one another, aren't we? That's right. If God will tell me
what your trouble is, will you believe me? You know whether it's right
or not, won't you? Would you accept your healing then? It's in your
back. It's finished. You're healed. That's how...?... Now, go on. God
bless you. God bless you. Go believing...?...
E-87
I say... If I wouldn't say one thing, just prayed for you, you still
would believe it, wouldn't you? You'd believe it anyhow. But if I tell
you, would it help you? Your heart trouble... That's right.
E-88
How do you do? I have seen you. Do you believe if I ask God He will
heal you? Our heavenly Father, I pray that You'll heal her and make her
well, Father. I lay hands upon her in Jesus' Name. Amen...?... Believe
with all your heart, and you--you...?...
E-89
How many ever read the life of St. Martin? He was a pagan, and he was a
soldier. His father wanted him to be a soldier. And he didn't want to
be. He... Just something called him about God. And one night passing
down, a real cold winter night, there was an old, poor old bum laying
in the street freezing to death. And people passed by who could've
helped him, they didn't do it. Martin had give everything he had away.
E-90
And to be sure that you wrap in the righteousness of Christ, I'm trying
to tell you tonight... If I had power to heal you, I'd heal every one
of you. See? But I'm trying to show you by a gift that what I preached,
that God is vindicating it to be so (See?), that I cannot heal people,
but to let you know that He's here.
E-91
Now, do you believe God will heal your stomach and you go home and eat
like you ought to? Then go right ahead home and eat like you ought to.
Believe now. Do you believe with all your heart? "If I--if I be lifted
up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."
E-92
Come, sister. Father God, "nothing in my arms I bring; simply to thy
cross I cling." I ask for her healing in Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-93 Now, keep in prayer, everybody, real quietly. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed. E-94 Now, in the audience, everyone... I know you never got enough prayer cards out there. I want you to bow your heads just a moment. I want to ask you a question. Two thousand years ago there was a man... Four thousand...?... about twenty-five hundred years ago there was a--God came down represented in a man, and set at the--the oak tree of Abraham, turned His back to the wall, or to the tent, told Sarah what was the trouble on the inside. Jesus said as it was in that day, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man. Jesus was God's Ensign. "The works that I do shall you also." We see it. It's true, without a doubt.
E-95
Now, the reason I didn't go no farther, I got so many meetings. I'll be
back to Phoenix someday, with a great meeting, the Lord willing. Now,
to you here tonight that's sick and needy, and didn't get a prayer card
to come to the altar, up here to be prayed for, I'm going to pray for
you now. I want you to be real reverent. I want each one of you
believers to lay your hands over on one another as a--as a sign.
E-96
Our heavenly Father, we are happy tonight--preach the Word, and then
see God come down and confirm the Word. Then that--that's the ensign.
You promised. Satan, this little slingshot of prayer seems very simple, but I know what it'll do. I'm coming after that sheep tonight to bring it back. Come out. Let him alone. Come out of that person, thou evil spirit of sickness, and leave him. I adjure thee in the Name of Jesus Christ, leave and don't come back to them any more. May God of heaven rebuke thee, Satan. Jesus of Nazareth said, "If you say to this mountain, 'Be moved,' and don't doubt in your heart but believe what you said, you shall have what you said." Therefore, in the Name of Jesus Christ I speak deliverance to everyone here. By the... Satan, you might say we have not the authority to do this. We're holding up to you the ensign tonight. Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, is here proving that this is God's ensign, and you've lost the battle. Come out in the Name of Jesus Christ. |
|||||
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|