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Sermon Texts Beginning With J
Just One More Time, Lord (63-0120E)
| Just One More Time, Lord (63-0120E) |
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1 Good evening, friends. It's a privilege to be here tonight and enjoying this wonderful musical feast, enjoying these songs when they're sang with real enthusiasm. I was watching Jimmy; I believe it is, and if we could just be as enthused about all the things of God in our own life as Jimmy is in the emotion of them singing, we would get somewhere. I really appreciate that boy, his father, our good friend.
3 Now, I understand, I'm not sure of this, but I believe that this same group is going to be singing at the Business Men's convention, I believe, Sunday, next Sunday. I think that's right, if I didn't misunderstand it, two o'clock next Sunday. So you like this kind of singing, why, they'll be over there to sing for us again. We ought to carry them down to Tucson tomorrow night and let them sing down there. I--I'm sure it'd be a blessing to the people. 5 Now, you're so nice and we've had such a wonderful time this week of fellowship, and all these churches all up and down the Maricopa Valley here. And the Lord has certainly blessed us exceedingly, abundantly, more than I expected Him to do. The places have been crowded and packed into the yards, and the people standing, and a great fellowship around the Word. The ministers has visit. I've noticed the pastor, Brother Outlaw, I've seen him in every service we've had, far as I can think of. And others have just come from one church to another. That's the way to do it; I like that, fellowshipping one with another.
6 As old Brother Bosworth, that's been in glory now three or four years, he said to me, "Do you--you know what fellowship is, Brother Branham?"
9 And now, I am going to just stay a little while. I've got to drive the family back tonight, and we're to be ready for the meeting tomorrow in Tucson, so we're going down tonight after service. That's just about a hundred and twenty-five miles, and a long stretch of desert, and I'm sleepy and tired, so I will try to let you out. 11 Now, tonight before we approach the Word, let's approach the Author by prayer. I want to say just before that to this lovely little choir, these children of God, I certainly appreciate them, their fine singing. And Brother Moore slipped out on me. I was going to turn this service to him. But he--he slipped out. I just see his lovely wife setting here. So let's bow our heads now for a word of prayer.
12 Lord Jesus, we are coming again tonight, first, to give thanks to You for all that You have given to us. And above all that You have given us, that Eternal Life stands out, for we know that we shall meet again; no more on this earth, in the earth that is to come. Now, bless Thy Word tonight. And we thank You for how You have blessed the singing. I pray, Father, that You'll continue to bless the singing, the songs and the singers, the pastor of this church, its co-pastors, and also the deacons, trustees, and all that it stands for. Bless them, Father. 14 Now, I'm just a teeny bit hoarse from much speaking. And I know it's warm in here, and I feel sorry for all who are standing, especially those ladies that's standing around the walls, out into the vestibule, and I'll hurry just as quick as possibly, just as quick as I can. And while I'm reading or speaking, just remember, the omnipresent God is always here present. And as a brother said about the epileptic of the last time we were here, God can heal cancer, paralyism, whatever it is. He has already done it. If He can just get you to believe that... See? You're not saved tonight; you been saved; you were saved nineteen hundred years ago. And now, maybe tonight you'll accept that salvation, but it's already paid for; the debt has been cleared up. And the Devil that put you in the pawn shop, Jesus came and redeemed you and opened up the doors, and the only thing you have to do is walk out and claim your liberty. That's all. You have a receipt from God that the debt is paid. Jesus said in His last Words, "It is finished." Every redemptive blessing was completely finished. God's great wrath on sin, when He became sin for us, it was--the debt was settled.
15 Satan has no more power, only as he can bluff with it. If he can bluff you into it, all right, you'll have to have it. But legally he has no power at all; every power he had was taken from him at Calvary. That's where the price was paid. He is nothing but a bluff. If you want to listen to his bluff, well, all right. But you don't have to; you are free tonight. He has made you free.
17 Now, I wish to read tonight from a little context that I--I've wrote some notes down here. It's found over in the Book of Judges, of the 16th chapter of Judges, 27th and 28th verses, to draw for a context what I wish to say.
Now the house was full of men and women;... all the lords of the Philistine were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee,... strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O Lord God, that I may be... once avenged of the Philistines of my two eyes.
18 May the Lord add His blessings to the Word. If I should call it a text, I'd like to take this for the next few moments, "Lord, just this once again." "Just One More Time, Lord." 20 They must've raised up, moved up a little closer, stretched, as it were, their necks, to get a good look. And what could they see but a mass of human flesh, a man that was once the great warrior, being led, blindly, as he was, led by a little boy that led him out into the floor. All day long, the halls echoed from wall to wall with the revelry of drunken women and men. What a sight it must've been. What a hush must've come over the building when this man, led by a little boy, an arch enemy to them, come walking out in the floor, with no eyes, had to be led by a little lad. A man that'd been such a gallant man, a man that'd been the warrior that Samson was, and then had to be led by a little boy out in the floor. And a man that was a servant of God, brought into this condition, into this place of drunken revelry... 21 It was a great celebration for their god Dagon, the fish god that had gotten the victory over Jehovah. Let's stop a minute and let that penetrate: celebrating a victory over Jehovah's host. Dagon, the heathen idol, the fish god of the Philistines, that God had hated, and here they was in their drunken brawl, celebrating victory over God's servant being conquered. What a terrible thing that is to think of. I'd like, if it was possible, to stand still a few minutes and paint a picture of that. But just imagine it in your mind, if you would've had to stand and look on something like that. Then I'm going to bring the picture right back to you. 22 Just imagine, all day long, drinking, celebration, fine-dressed women, men, warlords, warriors, great men of the nation gathered in this new building where they'd put up a new idol to the fish-god, giving him honor and praise for the victory over Jehovah's servants. Now, to make it worse, here come the leading man, the messenger of the day with his eyes punched out, led by the hand of some little boy, to bring him out into the stadium. The lad led the stumbling blind out into the place, and I can hear a whisper from the--the great massive man standing there like a great machine, but totally helpless. God had raised him up for a purpose. Sold his birthrights, and here he stood, a mass of machinery with no strength in it, led around by a little boy. But no doubt in my mind, that Samson had thought of all these things. When he'd lost his strength, he'd thought about what had happened. His vow had been taken from him, and he'd surrendered to his enemy. And they, in returns, had took his sight from his eyes. And he said to the little lad, "Lead me to the post where the column that the building is set upon, just lead me over to this post." 23 And think of it. They had him out there making sport out of him, entertaining that drunken bunch. What a reproach that was. What a disgrace that was. What an example that is. To... It's puts me in the mind of a defeated nation that's morally decayed, as Samson stood by the side of this column, making sport for the enemy. Humiliated and broken, what a condition he was in: a s--very gracious symbol of a fallen nation, a morally corrupted nation, a fallen church that's sold its birthrights, fallen into moral decay, and surrendered itself to the enemy. A public example, though you was raised up to serve God, but a fall away into moral decay gets you in that condition. What an example that was.
24 I can just hear all the warriors around, all the ladies with their beads and bracelets and fine jewels, and so forth, said, "So this is Samson? This is that mighty one that you've talked about. This is that man that you said the spirit of the great gods lived in. This is the man that could take over our nation, you talked about, but look at him now."
26 And I could hear, and Samson, no doubt, could hear from one side, the other one, of people who had heard about him. "Well, and so this is Samson." 29 If that isn't just about the way that the enemy likes to do when he can get you down. But he's daresn't to try that as long as the power of God's operating through the Church. He's--he'd be afraid to do that when the Nazarite blessings is upon you. But if he can see you whipped, that's when he makes fun of you. That's when he can say there's no difference between them and us; they're just the same men like we are. But when there's something different, something outstanding with Jehovah's blessings on it, then they're scared to say anything. Long as they can see that power of God working, the Devil's got sense enough to keep his mouth shut. But when he knows you're defeated, he turns every devil he can, loose on you. 30 That's the condition that Samson was standing in. Let's just think, as I can see the warriors, some of them old veterans with scars on their faces, as they looked at Samson standing there, hopeless and helpless, they remembered of seeing him stand one time with a jawbone in his hand, and a thousand Philistines laying dead at his feet. And now a little boy's leading him around by the hand. They could remember how they questioned in their council, when the news was brought that a man, a mere man took the--an old sunburnt, roasted jawbone of a mule.
31 And now, many of you has taken the history of the Philistines. Those armors that those men wore, the helmet over their head was almost a inch thick with brass. And their coat that they wore, they were great mighty men, with great laps of half-inch brass up-and-down their body, to cover it from a long spear coming, or a--a hard strike with a two-edged sword that would have to knock them off their feet.
33 It doesn't take what we would think, a great thing; it only takes a--a hand that's completely anointed with the Holy Ghost, with God's power, to strike down any enemy under any circumstance.
36 Notice, many of them remembered. The group that stood over on one side, said, "I can remember when Delilah took and bound him with ropes that was even a horses couldn't pull apart. And when we come upon him, how that they was like little threads; he just broke them to pieces. And here he stands defeated." 39 But this is an example what happens when God, His long-suffering finally wears out with you. Now, He's long suffering, but remember, His patience has an end. Now, Samson was doing wrong the very night they had him down there, but finally God got enough of it. He couldn't correct him. My prayer is that, God, never let this Pentecostal church get to a place to where God's patience is wore out with you. He'll send messengers, as we've taught this week, rising up prophets down through the ages, foretelling His Word and bringing His Word back, and then you continually walk away from it. You'll find yourself blinded too, powerless, helpless, defeated, and I'm afraid that's where we're getting to. See, Samson fell for glamor. The very thing that the church today is falling for, glamor. What a pity it is to see these things happening.
40 Yes, when they tried to fence in the power of God, they found out that they could not do it. Samson picked those great big iron gates up that would've weighed tons, walked up on the hill with them, and laid them down. Certainly, nobody was going to take after him; they know better.
42 But we find out that there was another group there that one day seen him on his road down, and a lion run out on him and roared. And a lion is a dangerous animal that can kill a man within a split second, four or five of them, just one rake's all he needs. And this lion, being disturbed, and they noticed the action as they watched the lion. And the lion, probably disturbed and was angry, and he flashed out after Samson. And there he stood, helpless. But all of a sudden...
44 Samson, while standing there, the power of God come upon him, and the lion made a jump for him; he just caught him by the mouth and ripped him open with his hand. And could that man that would do a thing like that... Here stands the same man, defeated, helpless, and blind.
46 There he stood, all stripped of power by a woman, just because his eyes went wanting, because some immoral Jezebel set up a system to conquer the servant of God.
48 Pentecost a few years ago, no more than fifty years ago, stood out. The people stood different. They come out of--of different groups of worldliness, because of their worldliness, and stood out as an example. And God has took that church, and today it's one of the most powerful churches in the world. But the thing that she's doing, she's turned right straight back around and went back into the same conglomeration that she was called out of. And when she begins to do that, her power is taken from her. Where do we get the all-night prayer meeting? Let the preacher preach till about one or two o'clock in the morning like they used to do, he'd be preaching to empty seats; they got to go home and see "We Love Susie" or somebody on certain television cast. Now, that's the truth. Why? "Where your treasures is, there your heart is also." Our treasures ought to be in the Word. The Arizona people are prospectors; you ought to go digging awhile, see what's for you.
50 Now, as soon as we got big enough that we could get off the corner and get off the little mission somewhere, we're trying to build churches that's bigger than the next fellow. We want to outshine the Methodists, the Presbyterian, Baptists. That's not your purpose. That's not why you are what you are. God already had that. He didn't raise you up for that. He raised you as an example that He might place His power in you to show forth His glory.
52 Did you ever think, while those Philistines was wondering about Samson, did you ever think what was going through Samson's mind? What do you think was going through that man's mind? I believe he was thinking while he was there, yet total blind, never to have his sight again, he was thinking about all the great victories that God had give him. There he was, thinking of the days that was, what they used to do. 54 That was coming in his mind, what we'd call his heyday, back when he was in the Spirit of the Lord, when the Lord answered his prayer. Even before he prayed, as long as he lived for God, God was right on the time. He didn't have time to think about, "Well, now, I got to pray through now and see if these thousand Philistines..." He knowed that God was with him; there was no condemnation, so he just grabbed the first thing he had in his hand, went to beating. That's right. He didn't wait till he got a Bachelor of Art, or learn how to duel; he just took what was in his hand and started slugging with it.
55 But today we've learned how to duel all the creeds, and everything like that, and fuss and fight; we don't get nowhere. We're a bluff, like it was in the days of Goliath. Maybe God will send us a David who don't know the creeds, but only knows the power of God that's been tested and tried. There the whole church was standing, defeated, because some big fellow was crying out, "The days of miracles is past." But it didn't work when a man of God come up there, little bitty, stoop-shouldered, ruddy-looking fellow. But God was with him; he'd had an experience.
59 Now, he thought of his great days, when there was great days. The church tonight is thinking back about fifteen years ago to a revival of Divine healing, of the victories. Now, and he's also of God, and His people who had failed. That ought to be serious enough, that Samson would stop and think that he had failed God. He... It wasn't God's fault he was defeated; it was his own fault. And of--the people, God's people, he was raised up to preach the Gospel to in his strength, and by flirting with this flappered woman, immoral woman, he had lost all the strength that God had give him.
61 We took the wrong example. The women acted like the pastor's wife. He let her go haywire, cut off her hair, wear any kind of sexy clothes, never rebuked. And the other women say, "If Sister So-and-so can do it, I could too." Don't make that your example. See? God told you what to do; stay with that.
63 The Methodists, you Methodists used to have Divine healing in the churches. Presbyterian, Lutheran, you had it long ago; you used to have shouting and joy. What happened to it? You got a bunch of little eighteen-hundred-and-something Rickys that took the thing to glamor, and away it went.
65 Now, he was a prisoner of the--of the nation that he was raised up to destroy. Here stood that mighty man of--standing there, a prisoner of the very nation that he was raised up by God to destroy. 67 And anyone knows that the Pentecostal church, fifty years ago, was rebuking everything that would organize itself. You were brothers and sisters, and you lived the time. And you talked about the modern church and its fashions, and the women the way they acted, and the fashions that they did, and the men, and the letting down of God's Word. And God called you out of it. And you turned right back around and went right back into the same thing that God called you out of. And the very reason God raised you up to be that, you stand tied to the post of some denomination; just as defeated as Samson was, with your eyes punched out, to the Word, and everything else. That's right. It's too bad. God raised you up to defeat that thing, and you've joined up with it. 68 And Samson come right around and married a woman, married right into the thing that God pulled him out of. And the church, Pentecostal church, turned right back around and married into the thing that God pulled him out for. Can't deal with a group; God deals with an individual. It's always been His policy. Two men has two different ideas. God gets one man in His; that's all He has to have, one man. That's what He's trying to get today; He's trying to get you in His hand; He'll take one here and one there. It'll never be a group, so just get that out of your mind. 69 When you organize, right then you lose your--you lose your birthright. I want to ask any person, when did you ever see a--a--a man raise up with a message of God, and as soon as he left the earth they organized it, and as soon as they organized, it died and never did come back again. There's not one--one text of Scripture nowhere, not one bit of history, not one verse in history, that--that shows that any organization, or any group of people that ever organized, they lost their spiritual power and never come back again. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... and not an house of the living God, spiritual thermometer forty below zero all the time. That's the way it is, "Form of godliness, denying the power thereof, from such turn away." 70 God, in those days, always raised up someone who would blast that thing right off its foundation, and take the little group of church that was left, and take it on to victory. He'll do it again. He doesn't change; He's God. God ever says anything, He can never get a better idea. Remember, that's our confidence. God made a way for man to worship Him under the shed blood in Eden; He's never changed it. He can't change it. If He did, He's got a better idea than He had the first time, so He can't have it. He's always the same way. God always raised up a nation, that's got off took a man and stood him out there and brought the Word of God to him, and condemned the whole thing, took from there and went on. He'll never take an organization and do it. He'll take you if you'll just listen to Him, surrender yourself.
71 Yes, the very thing that he was borned in the world and empowered to do, he stood a prisoner of that same thing. They had him doing tricks for entertainment, entertain them, tricks. Oh, my. Let a--a woman lure him from the Word of God. The Word of God was a secret to him. It was a Nazarite gift, and he should never tell nobody that. But he got to let the lure of a woman.
73 You cannot join the Church. You can join a lodge, but you can't join a Church. You are borned into it. And when you are born into that Church, there's not a hypocrite in it. Everything in there is saintly and holy, for you are dead, and your life is hid in God through Christ, is sealed by the Holy Ghost. The Devil couldn't get you if he had to. He has to come the same route you did, and then he'd be your brother. See? So you can't do it.
76 Yes, let a woman lure him away from the Word of God. So have they done it today. How did they do it? "Well, now look, I'll tell you Brother So-and-so. Now, you know, them people over there, they do that, they watch this." That's not your example. Christ is your Example. He said, "I've given you an example." Let Him be your Example.
79 Yes, blinded to spiritual things and the Word of God, went back to the very same hole they was pulled from. Pentecostals was born out of organization, and men took them back in organization. Pentecost is an experience that organization can't stand, because it's a personal experience with each individual. That's right. Now, look at them standing, defeated, whole group. Ministers, can't have them in their church 'less they got a seminary experience.
81 Remember, the Roman Catholic church was first the Pentecostal church. That's exactly right: A.D. 33. But because that Rickies got into it, weeded its way through there, the celebrity, the first thing you know, at the Nicaea Council, it adopted this plan and they organized. The thing died. The real prophet lived on to his time out. Nearly a thousand years, it went through a dark age. That's what God showed, the condemnation on the whole system at the beginning. That's right.
83 The prophet of the Lord walked out of the wilderness, and nobody knowed where he come from or where he went to, but he had THUS SAITH THE LORD. God proved it. He wasn't in none of their organizations. That's God's system. That's right.
86 If you want to look pretty, get a little of Acts 2:38, a little James 5:14, mix it all together, little John 3:16, and--and all this, and mix it up together, that'll be cosmetic enough for you.
88 I heard a minister the other day, a fine man; I like him as a man, belongs to a certain organization, lives in across the river from us, and he had a radio program. He just come back; he was talking about these here women that's wearing all this here blue stuff, and--and stuff over their face.
90 This man said they made a prettier world when they made that stuff. To me it made a bunch of heathens. And any woman does it, shows there's something lacking in her, a emptiness that ought to be filled up with Christ. And any man will let his wife do such a thing, it shows he's empty too. That's right. And any preacher will stand for it in his church, shows he's got a emptiness also. And any organization will stand for it, shows that they're dead. That's right. Back to the Bible.
92 Wife said to me the other day, said, after somebody had bawled me out, said--said, wrote me a letter, and said, "Billy, why don't you keep off them women about their bobbed hair, and their way their..." Said, "People believe you to be a seer. You should teach the women how to get great spiritual gifts, and leave that go."
94 We call ourself a Christian nation, call our people Christian people. I stood in Africa one day where the Lord had brought back to health a man that was so deformed, the little cross-eyed boy, and the things that He'd did there in about fifteen minutes' time. And I asked, "How many," out of two hundred fifty thousand that I was speaking to at Durban, "will receive the Lord Jesus?" And they raised up, about thirty-something thousand.
97 And standing there, women who were stark-naked, besides a clout that hung in the front of them, all up in their waistline was naked. And I said, "Raise your hand and pray a sinners prayer, and say, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner.'" And I said, "Upon the same grounds that you stand on, raise up your hands now and accept Christ's baptism of the Spirit. Some ministers here will baptize you in Christian baptism." And when they raised their hands, them women who didn't know right and left hand, come in there perfectly naked, but when they walked away they even folded their arms to get out of the presence of the company. One minute's time with Jesus Christ made them know they were naked.
99 Now, now, we find out that while Samson stood there looking over his error, looking what had been done, in his inner conscience, that he had--he had failed God, he'd failed God's people. And there he stood as an example, thinking back what he was and thinking now what he was. And when he did that, he cried out.
101 Meda, my wife, said to me, she said, "You go back across the nations, back and forth all the time, preaching, you go right back, the people just doing the same thing. And what good does it?"
104 He knew the possibilities though, that there could be God would hear prayer. If we could only do that tonight... Jesus said, when He was here on earth, the... John 14:12, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also." Jesus said, or the Bible said in Hebrews 13:8, that was quoted awhile ago, "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever." And we call this denominational life in us the Life of Christ, and do the things that we do? "Why call ye Me 'Lord,' and keep not My commandments?" See? "Why call ye that?"
106 The Bible said, "That rich, Laodicea church age would have need of nothing, and not know that she was naked, blind, miserable, and don't even know it." Now, if you seen a person come down the street that was naked and blind, and you could tell them that they were in that shape, they were naked, they had to get somewhere and get hid, well, it'd be--there's a possible that you could bring the person off the street. But when they turn around with not mental powers enough to know it... But now the church hasn't got spiritual power enough to know it. Naked, miserable, blind, wretched, poor, Christ on the outside, knocking, trying to get in, and yet you say you have need of nothing. 108 God can do something another for somebody, and, "Oh, well, it just happened." See, the Devil's just got their mind so poisoned up with the things, till they don't know where they're at themselves. Set tight. Oh, they can clap their hands, and holler "amen," dance in the Spirit. That don't mean one thing. I've seen heathens do that. That's right. Have great gatherings, oh, you say, "We still have revival, Brother Branham." Uh-huh, what kind of revival? You have church gatherings.
109 It was down in Kentucky, we used to call it, "Protractive meetings," and that's about what it does, protractive. And they come far from attractive from the Gospel. That's right. Yes, they say, "Oh, we had a meeting. You know what? We got Doctor So-and- so to come in the city, and we had thousands. All the churches cooperated together." What did we do, we have a revival? Bring the people back to the Word of God, and God go to work in the church? What did we do? We have a bunch of getting together, and glittering with worldly tinsel, that's exactly right, scholarship, Hollywood showmanship.
111 That don't mean a thing. Showmanship, we got too much Hollywood, but it don't bring the Spirit and power of God down. Might bring enthusiasm, but it don't bring power of God.
113 But Samson prayed right when he said, "Lord, let me die with these Philistines." He had failed, but, "Let me die." You must be ready to die to the enemy that's got this victory over you. You must be willing to surrender your own ideas. Samson was willing to pay the price to get--to get the power of God again. 115 Are you willing to pay the price? That's in a... Pentecostal church, are you willing to pay the price? That's it. You see what kind of a shame we're standing in. All right. Samson, willing to pay the price to get the power of God again. Oh, I hear some of you say, "We got revivals though, Brother Branham." But what do you get after you get the revival? 116 Billy Graham said in his message, Louisville, Kentucky, when I set it--with him at the breakfast, he stood up there, and took the Bible and he said, "This Bible is God's way of doing things." How true that is. But then do it, is the next thing. He said, "Paul went into a city and he made a convert; he left that convert there, one convert in a city. Next year he went back, and that convert had thirty or forty converted and brought into Christ." He said, "I go into a city, and what do I do, have thirty thousand conversions, decisions." Said, "I come back within a year, I haven't got thirty." He said, "What's the matter?" Then he pointed to preachers, said, "It's you lazy preachers, set with your feet up on the desk and don't go visit the people."
117 Now, that was a whole lot of truth in that. That's right. But it wasn't all the truth. Like the man eating watermelon, he said, give him a bite, the old darkie, and he said, "Oh, that was fine, but surely there's some more of it." And that's right.
119 That's what's the matter today, all these decisions needs to be cut down to sons and daughters of God. Clean up, and get back to the Word and back to the Gospel. Certainly, that's what we need.
120 Well, you say, "It's not right." The Holy Ghost, when He comes, He'll teach you all these things. See, certainly did.
123 Samson knew his backslidden conditions. He knowed he couldn't have strength to meet the challenge of the hour, though he was there. All of his machinery was there. The same muscles that could take the jawbone and beat down a million Philistines, the same muscles hung on the same man. The same shoulders that could pack the gates of Gaza up on top of the mountain was still them same muscles hanging on him. Oh, I could say something here. See? But he knowed that he couldn't meet the challenge of the hour. 125 I said Eliezer sweated it out till he found character in Rebekah. Then he had to get her dressed up, ready, let her stand still and listen at his message. The trouble of it is, today, when you find character, it's hard to make them stand still long enough to put on clothes and get dressed up. That's right. Some little Ricky's done pulled them off in some other direction. That's right. But there, Eliezer sweated it out. 126 Now, Samson knew that he did not have the strength, though he had the muscles. And we've got all our machinery. We've got the great district presbyters; we got all the bishops; we got the archbishops; we got the popes; we got the hierarchies. We got all the machinery. We got the builtest--biggest buildings and most of the money of the earth. What good does it do us? It's a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. That's right. But we know we're not able to meet the challenge of the hour. 127 Today, in Russia, communism is taking the world. What's the matter? It's somebody that's got the audacity to stand up under convictions, though it's wrong. Only one percent of Russia is communist, one percent. Ninety-nine percent is still so-called Christianity, free, but they haven't got the IQ of the Gospel. They haven't got what it takes, though they got the money and they got all this, but they haven't got the courage and the grace. What God needs in Russia is one man anointed with the power of God, with the power of the Holy Ghost.
128 Samson knowed what he needed. We might turn the whole America back, and every one of them go to church; we still haven't got it, got--hasn't got what it takes. The disciples didn't have it till they went to Pentecost. Jesus told them they didn't have it, after being preaching for three years. Still they needed It. The church needs It. That's right. 130 He was aware what would happen if God ever answered his prayer, but he was ready to face the issue. He was in dead earnest. Oh, if the church tonight would only stand in that condition, in dead earnest, knowing that you're going to have to give up everything you hold dear in this world. If men and women are ready tonight to know that it's going to separate you from everything of the world. Ministers, they're going to quit packing you on the back and telling you, "Doctor So-and-so, it was marvelous, will you go swimming with us this afternoon?" Take the bunco games out of the church, and the races, and almost lottery. Bunco is lottery. And all these soup suppers to pay the preacher; get back to God's system of tithing. Come back to the Word. Are they willing to do it? No, sir, they were not. You know what a price it takes. That woman will call you old fashion again. God will call you blessed.
131 Are you willing to die? That's what's the trouble of it, you want to stay alive to Hollywood, the same time be alive with God. It won't mix. A seed... Jesus said, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone." You'll never bring forth anything.
133 You fathers, you mothers, are you ready to establish an altar in your house, and take that television out? Are you ready to take that deck of cards off the table? Them comic books that your children's reading, preparing their little mind for a blast that the Devil's going to give them. Are you ready to establish the old family altar again? Or do you just want to continue on the way you are? If you want to continue on, you're not in condition of coming yet; but I pray that you're like Samson, you see the price and you're ready, "Lord, let me die with them." 135 Is the Pentecostal church, the General Council, the Assemblies of God, the Church of God, all the rest of you, willing to pay the price? Are you willing to say, "Once more, Lord. Here I stand. I didn't have the audacity, the very Christian spirit to shake hands with my oneness brother, or my trinitarian brother. I didn't have the audacity to do it. I didn't have the grace to do it, when I see where it's got me to, broke up in organizations and disfellowshipping, with a congregation so poisoned against one another that they hardly speak to each other on the street, when we're molded into one clay by the Holy Ghost"? 136 Are you willing to cry out, "Once more, Lord, let it happen"? If you are, God will sure hear your prayer. Watch when that man, with all that fiber standing there, his great regime, but he was still blind. He knowed the price; he knowed the possibility; and he said, "Once more, Lord. Once more avenge me of my eyesight." When he made that prayer, God answered it. Every fiber of his body begin to tighten up; the Spirit begin to come on those muscles. Oh, if we could have the Spirit to come on our Wednesday night prayer meeting, on our Sunday school, feel the fibers of the muscles of God's power tightening up, where the Holy Spirit could come in--not in a mockery, but in a genuine Spirit to reveal the secret of the heart and to straighten up the sin that's in there, cast out the evil.
137 As his fibers begin to tighten, "Let me die with them. I was born to destroy them; let me die with them." And his fibers, his muscles tightened up, his great huge muscles received strength, the Holy Spirit begin to move upon him, and he twisted that rock with his mighty power, and down she went. All we need is a sincere prayer, "Once more, Lord." 139 Down went the great denomination. It's always been that way when God comes in, the other things fall. Then was Samson's greatest victory. Oh, I wish I could see the Church of the living God stand tonight, "Once more, Lord. Once more. Send us a revival if it costs me everything. If it costs everything I got, send me a revival. Send it upon me, Lord." Hear this group of about three hundred people or more, here tonight, cry out with one voice, "Lord God, once more let me see Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let me know that He's near me. Let me know that He's here to take care of me. I am willing now."
140 Oh, give over, the whole enemy was destroyed. Pentecostals stands at that post tonight. Things that you were born to destroy taken it over. Repent, call aloud, "Lord, once more; once more let us see it."
142 I just learned from a little Greek scholar, setting here looking at me now, come over from Greece, a scholar in Greek, and he begin to play my tapes and he watched the message. Said, "I know that you haven't even got an education, but, Brother Branham, your words and your Message run perfect with the Greek interpretation of the Bible." Said, "It's exactly right. What you said is exactly right." And he come to me, he was telling me, "The Laodicea means 'woman' in Greek." This is a woman's world; it's a woman's church; it's a woman's age. Several men wanted to... When did God ever get in that condition? Yes, are you ready to bring back a revival? Are you ready? 144 Oh, church, leave Hollywood Delilah; she's going to kill you. She's choking the spiritual life out of you. Leave her. Your Hollywood showmanship on the platform, your Hollywood, your tinsels, our meeting has got to be so it's just got to be all in the great big like the rest of the world, got to be in the biggest churches. An evangelist come to town, you have to promise him so much money or he won't come. How ridiculous. Shows where your treasure is, your heart's there. Turn wholehearted to God and to His Word, and let's cry out, "Once more, Lord. Once more, show us Your Presence."
145 Jesus said, "A little while, and the world (That's 'cosmos,' I believe there, brother.) the world order won't see Me no more, yet ye shall see Me (the believer), for I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the age. The works that I do shall you also. More than this shall you do, for I go unto My Father. He that believeth in Me, the works that I do shall he do also." Not make-believeth; but believeth. Oh, church, we--Jesus is not dead; He's raised from the dead. He's right here now. If I didn't have that support, I wouldn't say what I say. I know He's here. And He proves Hisself here. He's always here to vindicate His Word. If He stood here tonight, what would He say? He'd come right back to the Word again, saying the same thing that He did say.
147 Heavenly Father, Your servants can speak all they desire to speak, and we might bring Truth ever so clear to the people, but still it's merely just an emotion. It's still just the lips of a human being speaking to congregation. Lord, You're supernatural. And wherever You are, there's supernatural signs; there's miracles performed, things that cannot be explained. When You were here on earth, You walked up-and-down among the people, You healed the sick. A woman touched Your garment one time, and You turned around, and said, "Who touched Me?" You did not know, Yourself. "Who touched Me?" But the God that was in You, You knew the secret of the heart, because the Bible says, "The Word of God is stronger and sharper than a two-edged sword, a Discerner of the thoughts of the heart." And You looked down, the little woman couldn't hide herself, and You told her her faith had saved her.
149 I pray, Lord, that You can bring this church once more, Lord God, this people that's made up here tonight of all different churches, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Pentecostals, and all kinds of brands upon them... You don't look at brand, You look for the Blood tag. I pray, heavenly Father, that tonight, that the people will ignore their brand they're wearing, and remember Pentecost is not an organization, it's an experience that comes to any man or woman that'll trust You. Heal the sick, Lord, save the lost. Get honor unto Thyself.
152 With your heads bowed, prayerfully, won't you consider this, "Is it me, Lord? What can I do? What--what must I do?" Just search yourself while the music plays softly. Think of this little broken up message; don't look at the messenger; think of what--what the message is. 155 Now, Lord, I've give this space of time that men and women, boys and girls could think this over. This has been a strange message to some, no doubt, but, Lord, You know it's true. Setting in the room this afternoon, You--You brought this to my memory, of this great man that once lived for You and the condition he got in. Now, Father, as Samson was willing to die, die out to himself, die with his enemy to bring God's victory and the promise back, may we, with all of our churchanity and all of our difference, die out to our own thinking, and accept Your Word; die out to the thoughts that we've been told, "The days of miracles is passed," when we know that--that Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Grant, Lord, that this audience will see the moving of the hand of God once more, and then they may come and repent, and there be a great meeting. And may from this little church go forth a revival that'll slay all the Philistines of the worldliness throughout the country. And may it be an example, as these people go from here tonight.
156 We pray that You'll come in like You did on the road to Emmaus. You talked with those men all through the day. They were talking about You. You were talking right to them, and they didn't know You. Many people here, Lord, goes to church, and they're sincere, and they really are not taught any different. But then when You got them into the room that night and closed the doors, You did something just like You did before Your crucifixion; then they knew You Had raised from the dead. They hurried back with light feet and light hearts, and told the disciples; with light hearts they said, "Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked to us along the way?" 158 Now, we could no wise have a prayer line called up, if there is cards. I don't--don't think there's any. We got cards give out from a few nights ago. I don't think they give out any tonight. But they got cards here. But if they had, you couldn't have a prayer line (See?) way we're messed up. Now, but we'll--we'll get it finished. But how many people in here that are sick? Let's see your hands. Raise up your hand if you have a need of God, Or a need of somebody else having a need, raise up your hand. Just pray.
159 Now, be reverent. Now, let's just not fail to get this message now. Listen. If Jesus was standing here with this suit on, and you'd run up on the platform, and say, "Lord Jesus, heal me," you know what He'd say to you? "I've already done it." He was wounded for our transgressions; with His stripes we were healed. The price is done paid. You'd have to believe it. 162 Now, I'm going to give, for you minister brethren, some Scripture. The New Testament said, that He's the High Priest now that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. Is that right? How did He act, as, was when He was on earth He was the High Priest. Why, He was more than that; He was God. How could--how could the people get something from Him? A little woman touched His garment, set down, and Jesus turned and said, "Who touched Me?" And all of them denied it. But His... The Spirit of God that was in Christ, making Him Emmanuel, turned around until He found in the audience a little woman, and told her what her condition was, said, "Your faith saved you." Is that right? Well now, if He is the High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities, if it's the same High Priest, He'd act the same way. 163 Now, you're strangers to me, most of you. I know Brother Dalton and them setting here on this front seat right here, this group right here, 'cause they're from back in Kentucky. I've knowed them for years. And I'm not mistaken, I believe way back in the back I seen Brother Gene Goad and Brother Leo Mercier; I'm not sure. Glad to see you brethren. I see Brother and Sister Dauch setting here. I don't want you people, if you got anything wrong with you, just wait, not now. I want somebody that don't know me, and knows I don't know you. I want you to pray. 164 And then if He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, you touch His garment, and His Holy Spirit will operate through us. If you've got the right channel, the Spirit to believe by, the same channel that's here, it'll operate the same way. It's got to; it's God. You put the life of an apple tree in a peach tree, it won't bear peaches no more; it'll bear apples. And you put the Life of Christ in a--in a man that's a mortal being, he'll bear the fruit of the Spirit. He'll bear the fruits of the resurrection. 165 Christ delivered this Message, and this--this message to the Church to take it, "Go ye into all the world, and to every creature." Millions have never heard it yet; nations has never heard It yet. How long? "All the world, to every creature, these signs shall follow them that believe." How far? "All the world." Who to? "Every creature." There's where He commissioned the church. Now, show me in the Scripture where He taken That back away. Man might inject their idea, but that's not God's idea. He said, "All the world, to every creature." |
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