Sermon Texts (Adding Now)
Sermon Texts Beginning With C
Conferences (63-0608)
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E-1 ... time to hear your testimonies, and come in after being on the field and hear someone testify. I'm certainly happy to see Brother Jeffries (I call him Creechy.) there. I didn't know he was in the meeting. And I know this means a lot to you too, from coming from the battlefield, from where the lights are low, and come in this--under this nice atmosphere of Christians and people all together and free in the Spirit. I--I like this, where people are free, have a free feeling. And it's something about it. We just don't try to act starchy. They're just--just... They used to say take off your collar and feel at home. I like that. I'm sure we all do, don't we?
E-2 I just... I was thinking when I looked over here at my daughter Rebekah; I remember one time being off in a meeting. And she was a little fellow then, her... And she's got a little sister four years smaller. And so Becky's blue-eyed and kinda tall, and Sarah was brown-eyed and kinda short. So they was both daddy's girls. And I really love children, and the Lord gave me some fine children.
E-3 After while daylight come, and Rebekah, here, woke up and--and she knew that I should be home. And--and she looked over and seen Sarah still asleep. So she looked down and seen me setting in the room, and here she come just as hard as she could. And jumped up on my lap, both arms. And about that time Sarah, her little sister, woke up. Why, she looked, and--but Becky had already beat her to me. So kind of comparing this with the church that's been a long time. And Becky was kind of thin, long-legged, and she could set on my lap real good and both feet hit the floor. She was balanced up pretty well, you know. I say this kinda for our Methodist brother over here, been a long time around, you know, and growed up a little.
E-4 And Rebekah threw her arms around me, and she turned around, looked back to Sarah, and she said, "Sarah, my sister, I want you to know that I got here first." She said, "And I've got all of daddy and there's nothing left for you."
E-5 I certainly appreciate this stay here, and this fine fellowship among these fine brethren, ministers, all the cooperation of the personal workers, and everything that's been done, for the Ramada, and for their fine cooperation. And I'm only sorry that it's just--just four days. See, you just get to knowing the people, and the people begin to know you, and then--then you have to leave, right when really something could be done to--to really magnify God. And the things that goes on, it might've been new to many of you, and you wouldn't understand it. You can't explain the thing in just a night or two. And then after you get settled down, of course, you could.
E-6 For instance, a few moments ago there was a man come up here and--and put his hand on my shoulder, and he said... I looked up at the man. I thought, "I ought to--ought to know that man." I'd seen him somewhere.
E-7 And down to my left, I noticed standing by me a woman, much younger than the woman was standing before me. And she had pink clothes on. It was different from the woman standing there. I kept noticing, and I dropped down, and I... There's no way to explain it; you just have to believe it; that's all.
E-8 And then I--I looked and I seen this woman kind of... One was much younger than the other. And one woman was kind of a--had a... She was tore up, mentally disturbed. And the other woman had some kind of affliction really bad. And then this man...
E-9 Now, see what happened? If I could try to let you see what I mean. The lady had faith. See? In her faith she was believing, yet probably with no prayer card or nothing. But she was believing, and maybe stronger than the lady was setting before me.
E-10 Now, I--I wouldn't know, and then sometimes... See, this wasn't explained, I suppose. But now, see what you, what a--you are... What's wrong with you, that's the Holy Spirit revealing that. And sometimes I watch it, it turns dark, shadowy. I just don't say nothing, because it's perhaps death. And so I just say, "Go, the Lord bless you."
E-11 If a vision... Here's what I have confidence. If the vision come told me this morning that George Washington was going to rise out of the presidential graveyard, for me to go there and call him, I'd invite the world to come see it done. Right. It would not fail. It cannot fail. It never has, and it never will, as long as you don't try to use your impression.
E-12 Now, this has been a great meeting, one of the finest bunch of faith behind me of them ministers that I ever set with. And the people out in the audience has been wonderful. And I'm only sorry that we just have to close off so quick this way. But I hope someday, if it be the will of the Lord, to be back. E-13 And I'm going to tell this woman while the Holy Spirit's on me and I got to quit then (See?), 'cause it's just beginning to move. This lady setting over here now looking this way, that man asked. It's nothing serious; it's the change of life, just a menopause, a weary, dreary feeling and all mixed-up. You'll be all right; don't fear. That's just what it is. Now, the great Holy Spirit in His Presence...
E-14 I got a little girl here that this man just spoke of, I've got some things written down here. A--a little girl was operated on at Phoenix yesterday, a kidney removed or something, from a Brother Outlaw's church, a man that's everywhere I go if it's in the range of a hundred or two miles, the man attends every meeting. And one of the members of his congregation is here this morning. And a little girl operated on for a tumor on the kidney, and it's malignant. Only God can save that child's life.
E-15 Our heavenly Father, we are taught in the great Divine Scriptures, inspired words of God put in print, that we would be seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And we feel that this morning, to see a--a heaven-bound group of people made up of all different denominations setting together, to look out upon them and see some of the men that's older than I, some young men coming on... And just as the leaves and the flowers and all nature works, the old moves off and the young moves in... Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the Holy Spirit, that gives us this great assurance that some great day we'll meet again.
E-16 Bless, I pray this morning, the little deaf girl that was mentioned. Pray that You'll give the hearing back to that little girl, little Jenkins girl. I pray, heavenly Father, for Brother Borders, my precious brother, as we see Satan trying to take him off of the field. God, we claim him for the Kingdom's sake.
E-17 Now, we pray that You'll bless Brother Tony, and these fine men here, even being of the lay members of the church. And they--yet, they're trying to (the Business Men) to organize themselves together to make another witness. God grant their efforts, be filled with the Spirit and the discerning of knowing what to do, and how to do, to act for the Lord Jesus.
E-18 I thank you again. One thing I forgot to mention awhile ago, they... Brother Tony, as he stepped out to the car last evening, he said... I said, "I never look at..." I am--been in the ministry now some thirty-three years. And I pastored the Tabernacle at Jeffersonville for seventeen years, never had one penny salary. And I never took up an offering all the days of my life. Never did take, never intend to take one. And last night Brother Tony said that they was... I said, "Did you make the expenses?"
E-19 And the president of the Four Rose Whiskey was over to our place here some time ago, and she brought her daughter. And she said, oh, the little girl wanted to be healed. And she said... She'd heard about it, and she was going to have an operation. And so they said... Oh, she wanted to come over. She didn't wanted to be operated on. E-20 So then, he wouldn't operate. But of course, when there was about fifteen hundred dollars involved he--he--he could do it. He said he wouldn't. But he did it. It happened to be a friend of mine on that staff that when they removed, opened the girl up to take the appendix out, there was nothing wrong. See? They operated for nothing. They just left the appendix there 'cause it wasn't even affected in no way. And the doctor come told me about it, a friend of mine on that staff that helped operate.
E-21 Now, you see what it was? She was all excited and didn't know just how to hold on to that faith. See? And there we don't get a chance to explain that. Then that made the... My doctor friend told the mother, and said, "The appendix is still there." They said, "She needed that appendix, and it wasn't infected. It was nothing to it all, just perfectly normal, pink. Just, oh, like it should be." E-22 And now, to you people--if you--that's been prayed for, if you... After about seventy-two hours corruption sets in. We know that mortification sets in after seventy-two hours. It's nothing reoccured. If you really believe that with all your heart, there's nothing going to stop it. You believe it anyhow. Stay right with it. It'll be all right. Don't you... But you can't bluff it now. You've got to really know it, that it's done. There's a lot of difference between hope and faith. A hope just hopes for it--faith knows it's done. That's the difference.
E-23 Now, this morning I don't--I don't want to keep you. It's already ten o'clock, about six minutes after, by this watch that Billy give to me. And now, I want to read a verse out of the book of Isaiah the 1st chapter for just a little comment. And I got some Scriptures written down here that I might refer to. And just keep you about thirty minutes and then we'll be ready to go, the Lord willing. Isaiah the 1st chapter and the 18th verse:
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be white like wool.
Now, the Lord add His blessings to the reading of His Word. And I want to speak on the subject of "Conferences," holding a conference.Lord, bless the Word now, and may the seeds fall in our hearts where we have need. And Lord, may mine be open, with everyone here, that we might understand the hour that we're living and what we should do. In Jesus' Name we ask it. Amen. E-24 Speaking of conferences, we--we hear of so much of it in these days. Everything is a conference. And frankly, that's what we're here this morning in, is a conference. And we hear so much of them, and so many different places they're held, so many things that's accomplished by conferences. I think that it's a thing we should do is to have a conference. And usually when--they're held in the times of emergencies. Usually when an emergency is on, then you hold a conference, you call a quick conference. And we think of it in that term. E-25 Now, here many of you can remember the--for instance, the conference we had in the world crisis, when Germany and the rest of the world was at war, when President Roosevelt was president of the United States, and--and there was the other great four, they call it. They held what they call the Big Four Conference, of Churchill and... They met together and they had to have what they called the Big Four Conference of the free world, because that they had to come together and pool their ideas together and get in a strategy of somewhere because the enemy was advancing, and he--he must be stopped.
E-26 And then they--they was to get together so they could... Ever the wisest of the groups... And then one'd get one's idea, and the other's idea, and then pool it together, and see what they come out with. That was the Big Four Conference. And where they should strike back, where they should put their armies, the--certain, like the Fifth Army, and the Fourth Army, and the Tenth Army, and so forth, and how they could work together, and where the enemy had his stronghold.
E-27 Just like setting a meeting. If we could take the--the Kingdom of God, as men has said many times in the ministry... And like, quoting back to the woman, said, "If you'd take and get the great people together, the great minds, and set it together, and then strike it from right there..." But you see, you're striking at the wrong thing. See?
E-28 Now. And in the Big Four they had that great conference. Then we had another conference that was called the Geneva Conference. I'm sure many of you remember when they had to have the--the Geneva Conference. And there was another one called the Paris Conference, when they met in Paris. It's just constantly, all the time, conference after conference after conference meeting together, because the need is great in national life. The--the brain of the world seems to be so entangled that--that you just don't know where--what to do. And the whole world is scared to death right now.
E-29 And that's why we have so much tommyrot today on the radio and television, of men--like men who's got talent, singers like Ernie Ford, and Elvis Presley, those boys who's selling out their birthrights for a mess of pottage. They get out there, and all you have to be is a jokester, or turn some crack, or--or something like that to make the American public laugh; when you know you're only trying to quieten them, and you know behind it all we know that judgment is at hand. That's right. E-30 This nation has come to the same place like Sodom and Gomorrah. And the just God would let this country get by with what it's doing now... As a just God He'd be morally obligated to raise up Sodom and Gomorrah and apologize for burning them up (That's right.), if we get by without the judgment. But just remember, it's coming to us. You flee to the rock as quick as you can. Don't put it off. Don't notice what all these, just joining church and creed and so forth. Do like these Methodist brethren here: flee to the rock until something echoes back that you see Christ reflecting. E-31 It might have to beat you a little. In the old Bible times when they, the... Nowdays, here in this gold state of Arizona, in the old... They got smelters now to smelt out the iron and the pyrite, what's called fool's gold, and smelt that out from the real gold by a smelter. In the old days the only way they had to separate it was the beater beat the gold with a hammer, like the Indians beat it. And the only way that the beater knew that he had the gold ready was when he beat all the dross out of it. And he'd beat it, and turn it over, and beat it, and beat it, until all the dross went out. When he seen his own self reflect back into the--the gold, he knew then that all of the dirt, and the iron, and the foreign matters was out of the gold. E-32 And that's the way God is trying to do His church, is to beat it till all the creeds, and the nonsense, and, oh, all the world is beat out of it, till it reflects back the Life of Jesus Christ. Remember, the church... I've just come off of the great meeting at home where the six seals... And that sixth seal... Or, seven seals, and that sixth one was the purification of the church. The church, of course, goes through the tribulation period for its purifying. But the bride is raptured. There's a difference between the bride and the church.
E-33 I hope I don't get doctrinated here now, or... If I say anything that you don't believe, why, do it just like I do when I'm eating cherry pie. I--I love cherry pie. But when I hit a seed I never throw the pie away; I just throw the seed away. So you do the same thing. Eating chicken, when you hit the bone, you don't throw the chicken away, you just throw the bone away. If I say something you don't believe, just throw the bone away. You see? E-34 First thing, they call together, and then select a certain place. In Geneva... I've been there that's a great beautiful place. And they usually try to get to a place kinda inspiring, so that they can get there, and then select this place, call all the great men into this one place, and make a... I haven't got it wrote down here. Where was that place in Switzerland we went down there, Billy, where they had... That was at--at Geneva, wasn't it? And I think it was a beautiful country. I didn't write down the--the name of that conference, but I remember being there. And they meet and have these places, and they select the best they can and work upon it. E-35 Now, that's of the world. And everything that's wrong, everything that's in the world, if it's wrong, is a type of the right. Now, sin itself is only righteousness perverted. Now, there's only one Creator and that's God. And Satan is not a creator. He's only a perverter of original creation. A lie is a truth misrepresented. Adultery is the right act misused. Everything is always a perversion of what's right. Satan can pervert but he cannot create. See? And--and we remember that, that the wrong, a lie, or anything that's sin, is righteousness perverted.
E-36 And so we find that Satan always takes a type, for what he's going to do, off of what God has done. For instance, like many people (See?) in the meeting, they say, "It's a telepathy." Or, "It's a... The man is a..." I was called what--Simon, the sorcerer, and something like that. See? Why? When you see a spiritualist, or a devil act, it's only a perversion of a real genuine thing that God has. That's right. See, he just... And men ought to be--ought to know enough, and spiritual enough, to be able to discern between what's right and wrong. E-37 The churches ought to be that way. The people that speaks in tongues... I--I just want to speak this because I'm your father, as it was, and I'm going to act as that this morning. See? We got a great thing. But it's--it's... I believe that it's not represented just right. See? And it'll sell itself if it's perfectly represented right. Now I think there's many of these Methodists, these Baptists, and Presbyterians would like to have this. But it's the way we present it to them. See?
E-38 Now, if you see a fellow out building a house, and got a hammer and he's putting nails in the house, and you walk up. And you got a machine that you can put a half-a-keg of nails in it and br-r-r-r, just nail it up like that, twice as quick, and a better job. If you walk up to him and tell him, "Ahh, what are you doing? You're old fashion. You don't want to do that. That's the wrong way. Here I got a machine that'll do this." Right quick you have ruined your sale. You businessmen know that. You've ruined your sale. The thing to do is go up and brag on him, how--how well he can build, and then just introduce the product. If it's any good it'll sell itself. You salesmen know that. E-39 Now... but you see, many times in our churches, we permit people just to raise up even when you're preaching, and speak in tongues; and making an altar call, somebody speak in tongues, and somebody just, and give interpretations, merely... One of them, I believe... I believe the person is genuinely speaking in tongues. But I believe the other is more or less prophesying, 'cause some will speak in tongues maybe for five minutes, and the other one give four words of interpretation. See? It has to be at the same sound, the same raise and fall of voice. And then again, if they say it, and it doesn't come to pass, then get that evil spirit away from you. You don't want that.
E-40 In my tabernacle when one speaks like that, he better have it. It's wrote down. If it doesn't come to pass, they'd get that evil spirit out of them. It's got to be, just not some repeating. Jesus said, "Don't use vain repetition as heathens do." It's got to be something directly to somebody, or--or to help the church, or to help the cause. That's wrote right down, and if it isn't...
E-41 What the Pentecostal church needs this morning is a good conference. That's exactly right. All the denominations: the--the oneness, twoness, threeness, fourness, and all the rest of us, and the Church of God, Assemblies of God, all of us get together and reason these things out (That's right.), and get the church moving. E-42 But the thing, as long as Satan can keep the little differences, that's what makes the church in such a commotion as it is today. Let's forget that thing and come together. And remember, the other brother's just as much in Christ as we are. There's no big men, no little men, no superiors. We're children. We're one in Christ. And our little differences doesn't make any difference. Whether Becky wants a blue dress and Sarah wants a red one, they're both getting dresses. That--that... See what I mean? So they mustn't argue about that. So I think that's what we--we really should do.
E-43 Now, talking about world conferences, at world crisis... You know, God's had some conferences too. We think about the Paris, and the Geneva, and the Big Four, and many other conferences. Let's think about some conferences now that God had, which these were a types off of--of what God has had. I--I think that the first conference that I can think of now, Scripturally speaking, I'm going to call it God's Eden conference. "God made man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." They were His beloved children. And they were put on the basis of free moral agency.
E-44 Because in the beginning there was nothing but God. And in God was attributes, His attribute to be a Saviour. We know it's so, He is a Saviour, and that was in Him. And there was nothing lost to be saved. In Him was attributes to be Father, and there was nothing He could father. In Him was attributes to be a healer. There was nothing lost, nothing sick. So the only thing He could do was make man on the basis of free moral agency knowing that he would do it. God didn't do it Himself; man done it himself. E-45 Now, in this lovely place in the garden of Eden, oh, where men and women lived together... God's a great contractor. Now, you have a lot of it here in--in Tucson, as it's building. A few years ago when I was here it was just a little bitty city. And now, up there where I'm living, why, the coyotes and Papagos was going through there when I was here a few years ago. And now, there's... Why, it's a--big projects, and houses, and building on out, on out, on out, on out. Well, what's happening? See, contractors go in and buy a piece of land, and subdivide it, and build houses.
E-46 Now, God did that. See? He--He laid out all the material to make our bodies while this world was being formed. Now, we're made of sixteen elements. That's potash, and calcium, and petroleum, and cosmic light, and so forth. And all this goes together to make the man. But that was here before there was a man on the earth. See? God made our bodies and laid the material out here before there was an earth. Now, you're brought into it and you come here by God. And now, you have the opportunity to live eternally if you so choose. That's exactly what Adam and Eve had. Every... God cannot change. He has to remain the same, give every man the same opportunity.
E-47 And now notice the nature. When Adam realized that he was lost, when he knowed that he had done wrong and it was made manifest before him that he was in the wrong, instead of calling, "Oh, Father, come to me. I'm lost. I've done wrong. I've been deceived. Come to me." He hid. And it was God going up and down the garden screaming, "Adam, where are thou?" E-48 And see, when God made man, when He begin to brood over the earth, up come like Easter flowers, up come grass, up come species rising higher and higher. The great Holy Spirit brooding... "Brooding" means "to be mothering, cooing." "Coo, coo." The flowers come up. The Father said, "That's wonderful. Just keep it up." And He brooded. And after while out come birds. And the next thing, out come animals. He kept getting greater, greater, greater, greater. And finally, the earth reflected the reflection of Him that was brooding: God. And he was in the image of God. Never did anything come higher than a man, even to our beloved sisters, a woman. She's not in the original creation. She's a byproduct of the man, a part of him. And they're one in Christ. Oh, what a great lesson we have here right before us now, that we could spend hours on, throw light upon. E-49 Notice, now we find out that then, when this man reflected God, then God come down in His own reflection in the form of man, Jesus Christ. And God was in Christ the... God in Christ reflecting Himself to the earth, what He was: a Saviour, a God, a Healer, God displaying His real attributes through a Man, which was His reflection... And God, in order to be--get this, couldn't come through sex, which first started the ball rolling. But He brought it through a virgin birth. Can't you see that--that first sin, what it was? Many won't agree with that, and you holler about the serpent's seed. But there it is. See?
E-50 Now, the reflection, God reflecting Himself in Christ. But then, when this man was lost... Today when man's showed by the Word that he shouldn't do these things, sometimes he's loyal to a church. If there's any of my Catholic friends here this morning, pardon this just a moment. My people are all Catholic too, you know, Roman Catholic.
E-51 Oh, the hour, the tremendous time, that we're living. And when men is told of their error, instead of trying to come back and say, "Father, I'm wrong, forgive me," they still hide behind the fig leaves. Fig leaves is what they sewed together themselves. And they tried to... The word "religion" means "a covering." And they tried to make themself a handmade covering. And man hasn't changed yet today.
E-52 How is He going to save that man? What can He do to bring His lost children back to Him? And remember, His first decision is perfect always. If it would've been the creeds, the fig leaves, He'd have said, "Adam, you have done justly. Come on out from behind the trees. I think you're a wise man. You're reflecting Me because you're wise. Your fig leaves is just right." E-53 No man... I don't know how many times that they've tried to educate the man, they have tried to tell him that an educational program will do it. How many times has the churches tried that? It's failed every time, and it will. We try to organize, each fellow have... Now I'm not against education. Neither am I against organization. But the organization and educational programs, and all the other that we've manmade, is fig leaves. It's back to God's original decision at that first conference, Eden: back to the blood.
E-54 The Jew, in the old days... Now ,I'm coming down home for Pentecost just for a few minutes. In the old days when God accepted this substitute, how the Jew used to come down the road with his slick bullock. And he'd say, "You know, I'm a sinner. Jehovah requires me to offer blood." So he goes and gets his lamb or his bullock. He takes it down to the high priest, down to the temple, and he lays his hands upon his sacrifice. What does that do? That identifies the worshipper with his sacrifice. And the priest comes and kills the bullock and catches the blood and sprinkles it upon... And this worshipper, sincerely knowing, this Jew, that that's what Jehovah required of him.
E-55 That was fine. But by and by it became a family tradition. Now, he takes his sacrifice, say, "Well, let's see, now. Oh, yes, it's getting to be new moon feast. I guess I'd better start cleansing the tabernacle. It's the feast of Pentecost. I guess I'd better go down, offer me a lamb." Go on down there and kill it with no feelings at all, put it--go on back with the same idea he had coming in there. And then what did He do? Jehovah said here in Isaiah, speaking a little later on, He said, "Your solemn feasts are become stink in My nose."
E-56 We're as Sodom and Gomorrah, and we're living in that. Let the righteous spirit in us... These sins vex our soul daily. Let the sins of the world and the fashions of Hollywood, and all this Hollywood evangelism and nonsense, all this makeup, and beat the music, and jump up-and-down, and the music stops, down you go... When a man's washed in the Blood of the Lamb he don't need music or nothing else. The power of God just works upon him, and he can shout, scream, praise God, or do anything else, whether there's music or not. The Holy Ghost is in him. He's identified with Jesus Christ.
E-57 And our organizations are getting worldly. They're getting out there and letting our Pentecostal brethren get out there in these great schools. They're all right, nothing against them, but I'm only trying to show a point. They educate them, and teach them psychology, and give them a B.A. and just like the rest of them does, and send them out there. And what they are, they're absolutely... They're not Pentecostal. E-58 Now, we find out now, that that's what... In the beginning, the sincerity... Now, we try to think because we've got a young fellow here that wants an education... He goes out into the schools and so forth; he comes forth educated. He can speak real lovely; he can stand on the platform; he's a man of glamor. Well, that's Hollywood. They want something that shines. You want a man with a culture, with a fine education. You want a man, regardless, that's broad-minded, that he can see... He don't care for the women cutting their hair. The Bible said for her not to do it. Don't care for the--if a deacon comes in the church, if he's a good man, can pay pretty good, they don't care if he's been married a couple of times. "That's all right, he's a good fellow." But the Bible refuses it. Exactly. E-59 We don't come into the church by theology; we come in by kneeology. That's right. We come into Christ. But you see, today we've--we've got this idea that we want to go like the rest of them. That's what got Israel in trouble, want to go like the rest of them. Our solemn feast of Pentecost has become just a formal worship. We all know that. And we see it getting... We mustn't do that. The thing we must do is get back and identify ourself with Jesus Christ. Take His way and let Him work through us. Then men will gladly follow Him who once taught, "I'll draw all men unto Me." How we'd like to go on for a little bit and express some more things on that Eden Conference. But I got some more conferences I want to go to.
E-60 For instance, let's have another conference: the Burning Bush Conference, I would call it, the Burning Bush. Now, God had a runaway prophet. When God calls a man to do something, he just might as well come to it or he'll be miserable the rest of his days. Moses started out. He was called of God. He was ordained for a job. And then when he started out, the people didn't believe him, so he just let the people go.
E-61 And you just church members, and you feel that there's something deeper in your heart, you'll be a miserable wretch until you accept that Christ like that. You seen the real genuine Holy Spirit working in people. You'll be miserable until it comes to you. It's God calling you. Give yourself up, come out behind the bushes. It's already settled, God made His way. It's through the Blood.
E-62 Now, notice this. Now, we find this burning bush. God knew that that prophet was living in ease. So He decided that He'd have to speak to this prophet. So He selected a place. Emergency was on, "I have heard the cries of My people. And there's a man that I sent to deliver them, and he's weak and washy."
E-63 Watch, he had to obey it word by word. "Take off your shoes, Moses. The ground whereon you stand is holy." E-64 Now, listen. Well, I'm in a mixed multitude and young children. But you'd listen to your doctor. You'd listen... I hope you listen to me and understand. Any birth is a mess. I don't care if it's in the pigpen or--or it's in a pink decorated hospital room, any mirth--birth is a mess. And so is the new birth. It's a mess. It'll make you do things you didn't think you'd do. But out of that death and corruption comes forth life. And no seed can bring its life until it's dead and rotten. And out of that rotten mess, when there's nothing else left to rot it, it's only the life that lives.
E-65 When a son comes to God, he's given tests. When I stood there that day, I remember, as I took my test. When I'd been days after days, months after months, and years, four or five years on the street corners preaching the Gospel and trying to do that which was right in God's sight, and He'd let my wife go right out from under me, my baby laying there dying. And I got down to the baby. I said, "Lord God, don't let my baby die." Eight months--nine months old little baby...
E-66 Then Satan come up to my side. He said, "Then you'll serve him, when one word would change the whole situation? One word will save your baby, but he refuses to do it. He won't do it, when one word would... Then you'll go ahead and serve him?"
E-67 Well, human reasonings is gone. But, oh, when a man's borned again that's something in there that holds. It come down to that spot, when I thought, "Where did I get her? Where did she come from? What am I anyhow? Where did I come from?" See? All the human part had broke away. Then that real genuine Spirit of God laid there. E-68 You must be born again. Everything has to die away. All your theology, all your thinking, all you ever was or ever expect to be, your life and everything else dies away. And then the Holy Spirit comes in. That's when you take off hats, shoes, stand before God. "Nothing in my arms I bring, simply to thy cross I cling." That's where Moses had to come, where he could obey what God said do: the Burning Bush Conference. Then God said, "I'll show you My glory now," after he was willing to go. And he went down in Egypt.
E-69 There is a Eden Conference; there's a Burning Bush Conference. Let's take another one right quick. Let's take the Red Sea Conference. You know, right in the line of duty sometimes, Satan crosses our path. Minister brothers, you all know that. Christians, you know that. Right...
E-70 There Moses given the authority, he went down and showed the signs to Israel. And Israel come out with him. And here they are right in the line of duty, and there's the Red Sea cutting them off. Moses called a conference. God must've selected a place over behind the rock. Moses goes over there and says, "Lord..."
E-71 Moses called a conference, said, "Lord, I've did just as You told me, and here we're in a trap. Death is coming, moving upon us," like a patient with a cancer. "Death is moving upon us." And Moses stood there till he had an audition with God. He stayed there till God spoke. He knowed His voice; he was a prophet.
E-72 But here, remember, there was a Gethsemane Conference come one time, when God and His Son had to get together. After all, there was no one else could die for the sins of the world. There was nobody worthy to die, no man. Every man in this world was born sexual desire. And that's what caused the turmoil at the beginning. That's what done it, made us a hybrid creature. We're borned of sex, human desire. It's hybrid. Something's been... That's the reason it's got death in it, as I spoke last night. E-73 Notice, out there in the mixed-up crowds I didn't say this. It's between you, you Pentecostals setting here, and us. We don't come here to be heard. I come here to try to help. I come... If I--if I'm just standing here to say I--I spoke on a certain subject this morning, that makes me a hypocrite. I come here with the truth, and a truth that I want you to know, something that I believe God puts on my heart to help you, that we can see the hour that we're living in. See?
E-74 There's a Gethsemane Conference, when the only One that could die come up to the hour. Then when that great time come, there He had to make His final decision. No doubt the Father said, "Are You still ready to go through with it, Son?"
E-75 As you people here's had the tapes on the Seven Seals, when the Lamb come forth to claim His redemption, what He'd redeemed, time was finished then. He's in the work now, doing the work of redemption. But someday He walks from the sanctuary to take up the Book of redemption that He's purchased with His own Blood. Then the hour's over. He comes forth then to claim what He has redeemed.
E-76 Then there come another conference one time. A few days after that, about forty days, there come a conference after His death, burial, and ascension. The Christian church was going to be organized. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterian, Lutheran, all of us. Listen now just a minute, in closing.
E-77 I remember when they was holding that Geneva Conference, an old minister friend of mine, Dr. Pettigrew, in Louisville, said he was listening to the radio, listening. The nation was at stake. He wanted to see what the decision was, what they were going to do. And some beatnik come to the door with his hair hanging down in his face and said, "Dr. Pettigrew, I understand that you're a--that--that an influence man." Said, "I--I've got some rock-and-roll songs that... The--the people won't listen to me. If you'll just give me a little boost off..."
E-78 As a Pentecostal conference, said, "Don't you sing another song. Don't preach another word. But go out there and wait till this conference is over; I'll send you back the news. I'll tell you who's the greatest among you. I'll tell you exactly what you're to do--whether you're to have an organization, whether you're to have a pope, or a bishop, or whatever you're supposed to have. I'll tell you about it. But wait till you hear the returns. We're going to heaven to decide the thing." And He ascended on high, led captive captive, set down by the right hand of God, and sent gifts back to men.
E-79 "Well, you know..." Maybe there would've been another named Philip, would've got up and said, "You know, I've been feeling pretty good. After all, we have a knowledge of this, what He wants to do."
E-80 Just like Moses. He could teach the Egyptians wisdom. He was the smartest man in the land, but he had to go to the conference with God. And no man has a right to claim to be a Christian, no woman, no child, no preacher especially, until he himself has come upon that sacred sands where he met God. All the theologians in the world, all the infidels in the world can't explain that away from him. He was there; it happened. It happened to him. He knows where he stands.
E-81 Well, what did they do? They waited, and they waited, and they wasn't satisfied. They waited until there came a sound from heaven like a rushing, mighty, wind. It filled all the house where they were setting. Cloven tongues set upon them like fire, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and begin to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
E-82 They sent up and got Peter and John who came down and laid their hands upon them, and the Holy Ghost came on them. In Acts 10:49 we find that Peter, while he was speaking to the Gentiles, "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them that heard it. For they heard them speak in tongues, and magnify God."
E-83 And Aquila and Priscilla, tentmakers with Paul, said, "Our brother Paul's in prison down there." Ain't that some place for a preacher to be? He was in prison because he cast the devil out of a fortuneteller. And he said, "He--he's in prison, but he'll visit us pretty soon, and he'll explain the Word of God to you more perfect."
E-84 When a doctor writes a prescription, don't let none of these quack druggists try to mess with it. They give you too much antidote, it won't hurt--help you. And if they put too much poison, it'll kill you. Don't fool with God's formula; carry it out the way it was at the conference. That was the orders. Amen. I love Him.
E-85 If we start searching back like they did... They went to their kindred and they couldn't find Him. They went to all their kindreds, the bishops, and so forth. They couldn't find Him. Finally they found Him just where they left Him. Where did they leave Him? At the feast of Pentecost. They had to go all the way back where they left Him before they found Him.
E-86 Listen, closing... In world conferences what do they do? They eat together, they talk together, they fuss together, they lie to one another at a world conference at a conference of the world of the nations.
E-87 On the day of Pentecost... That great Pillar of Fire that had followed Israel, or Israel had followed It through the wilderness (See?), that great Pillar of Fire was God, the Angel of the covenant, Jesus Christ. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater treasures than that of Egypt. So he forsook Egypt and followed Christ.
E-88 Just let this fire come to this fire, and after while you'll find out it'll move that. It's come up through Luther, Wesley, Pentecost. And find out the pyramid will be capped one of these days. You know it never was capped, the pyramid on the back of your dollar. "The Great Seal," it says. And we in America... Here's the American seal on this side, but why'd they say the Great Seal, the one that Enoch made? Not pyramid doctrines now, 'cause I don't believe in that kind of stuff.
E-89 But, brethren, we'll not be like Eve, one had this and one have that, a disfigured body. It'll be word by word what God said. Say, "Brother Branham, what did He say then? He never told us."
E-90 And as long as God's calling, it's got to be the same formula, not shake hands, repeat a creed, but be baptized by the Holy Ghost into the body of Jesus Christ. That's the way the Christian church is to be run, not by creeds, not by denomination, not by education, not by theology, but by the baptism of the Holy Spirit to lead men and women. And He'll never lead you away from the Word of God. He'll lead you right to the Word of God, because "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."
E-91 Oh, brother. I wish I had just a little more time. The time's coming when you're either going to put your organization into the World Council of Churches, you'll... If you do that you take the image of the beast, 'cause you got a power just like it was in Rome. And if you don't do it, you'll be an individual, independent church. And when you do, the image of the beast is going to close your doors, and you're going to be forbidden. And then you're going to need a conference. See?
E-92 They had a conference, about what we got this morning. And they stood up and give the--their... "The church is telling us we can't preach unless we come to their group," and so forth. "And we can't have this minister 'less the organization says so. And no matter how much anointed it is, we have to do this, that," and you know how it is, each group and so forth.
E-93 You talk... Some people criticize us for everybody praying the same time. How'd you like to have been in that group, all in one accord? Somebody said, "How can God ever hear that?"
E-94 Oh, brother, just a minute, there's another conference. You might not attended any of these conferences; you might not attended these world conferences. Remember, you might not have done it; but remember, there's one conference I'm going to speak of now that you're going to attend. I don't care who you are, you're going to attend it. You might be excused up to this time. But from now on you're not. That's the conference at the judgment. That's right. You're all going to be there, every one of us. And we're going to give an account for what we've done and said on this earth. That's one conference you're going to attend.
E-95 We're going to have to give an account of what we have done with Jesus Christ. Is that right? And Who is Jesus Christ? The Word. "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 us, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever." God, working in three dispensations... E-96 God's got to judge the church by something. God's got to judge the world by some standard. You believe that? Well, if He's going judge it by the church, which church? If He judges it by the Roman Catholic, the Greek's gone. If He judges it by the Greek, the Roman's gone. If He judges it by the Methodists, the Baptist is gone. If He judges it by the Baptists, the Methodist is gone, vice versa. If He judges it by the oneness, the twoness is gone. If He judges it by the twoness, the threeness is gone. If He judges it by the threeness, they're both gone. There you are.
E-97 What is it? What is it, brethren? It's a bunch of nonsense. God has to have some standard. If I had to join a church, which one would I join? There's only one, and you don't join that. I've been in the Branham family fifty-four years and I never did join the family. I was borned a Branham. I'm a Branham because my father's a Branham. And I'm a Christian because my Fathers a--is God. Amen. We're Christians upon that basis. We are Christians. We're borned of His Spirit.
E-98 If God judges the world by the Catholic church, the Protestant's lost. If He joins it by--by the Protestants, which one? If He judge by the Catholic church... It's many different fears of the--spheres of the Catholic church. So which one is it going to be? You see, a person would be confused; you wouldn't know what to do.
E-99 Well, if a little mule was born in time of the Old Testament, he had broke down ears, and knock-kneed, and cross-eyed, why, he'd know he'd get knocked in the head. He's no good. But if the mother could tell him, "Son, you were born with a birthright. Because that you were born thus this way, you'll live, but the one that dies for you will have to be a perfect lamb, will have to be offered so you can live. They'll break the neck of the--of the--of the horse if he was no good. And he is no good. But you see, but a perfect lamb has to die so he can live.
E-100 But oh, look what stands to represent us. Look what stands to represent us. And here's His Life in print trying to be manifested through us. And then through some little creed we turn it down. Oh, we need a conference. Yes. That's the reason I can walk to the platform, not being feared that something's going to come up, and going to happen this way, or that way, or it'll fail, or something go wrong. No, I look at my Sacrifice.
E-101 Any of you remember Paul Rader? A great warrior of God. When I was a little boy setting at his feet... He died over here in California not long ago. When he was dying... He and his brother Luke stuck together, like me and my son here. They went together just hand in hand, like brother and brother, just as father and son. And Paul came to the end of the road.
Down at the cross where my Saviour died,
Down there for cleansing from sin I cried;
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to his name!
He said, "That sounds better." Said, "Where's Luke, the one that stuck by me through thick and thin."He couldn't see his brother die. He was in the next room. They went and got him. Paul raised his big hand to Luke, and Luke took ahold of his hand. The tears ran off his cheeks. Said, "Luke, think of it. We've been a long ways together. We've took many a briar pile and through many a ditch. But think of it; in five minutes from now I'll be standing in the Presence of Jesus Christ, clothed in His righteousness." That's it.
E-102 Paul's told me... He said he--when he was a young man he come from Oregon. He was a--a woodsman, and he would cut the trees. And he said when he was over in one of the islands... I forget where it was at: South America, that's where it was. And he was missionaring there. And he took this black fever--black-water fever. You know--you know what that is. That's death right away. Way back in the jungles, miles to a doctor. Paul was a great believer in Divine healing, as you know.
E-103 Fever raging, out of his mind nearly, just going and coming. He said, "Honey, it's getting darker and darker. I can't last but a little bit longer." He said, "Just keep praying, honey."
E-104 "Nothing in my arms I bring, simply to thy Word I cling." Brother, sister, there's no good thing in any man. There's no good thing in anything else but Jesus Christ. And I'm a-riding on every promise here this morning. And someday I expect to ride into His Presence upon the shed Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us bow our heads. | ||||||