| Life (58-0512) |
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E-1 Thank you. Let's remain standing just a moment for prayer, if you will. Shall we bow our heads while we pray?
E-2 I just come a little early, tonight, and was sitting back there on one of the--the benches, when I heard that good old fashion singing, and the choir, and the--the music. My, I thought maybe the millennium was about ready to start. That sounded real good. If anything I like is good singing. And I wished... I always thought I'd like for the Lord to give me voice to sing. I--I just can't hardly make a joyful noise. So but...
E-3 I love good singing, but it's one thing I don't like is an over-trained voice, over-trained, one that holds their breath just so long, till they get blue in the face. You know, they're not singing to the Lord, they're just trying to see how long they can hold their breath.
E-4 Last night, I thought I'd kindly choked you out a little bit, by being just a little long, and we are... Our program drop--drawed out. I met the chairman just now, a brother, and He said, "No, Brother Branham, that was all right; we don't close our church till ten o'clock." He maybe, oughtn't to have said that to me. But I'll try to hurry right through tonight, being a night... evangelistic night, and tomorrow, why... And tomorrow night, we go right into the preaching and prayer for the sick again.
E-5 And to come down when he... Usually before we come for that anointing to--for the prayer line, I have to stay shut up, fasting and praying. But when you don't have to do that, in coming down to just speak, you just feel different. You know, it's the same Spirit, but a different operation.
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen it in thy sanctuary.
Because thy loving kindness is better to me than life, my lips shall praise thee.
I like that 2nd verse, real well.
To see thy power, and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary.
But the subject would be, tonight, on the 3rd verse:
Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
E-6 And I want to speak on the subject for about twenty thirty minutes, of "Life" Life is what controls us. We are known by the life that we live. And it's been said that your life speaks so loud that I can't hear your testimony. So therefore, to live a sermon would much better, than to preach one. The life you live, shows what character you are, because your life always builds your character.
E-7 And I've often thought at a funeral service, to hear a man preach the funeral of some person, that had lived ungodly, and had never done anything right, and yet peach as though they were a great person, that had gone right on to heaven.
E-8 Now, the Christian church should have real character then. And if the Life of Christ is in the church of Christ, then it's got to have the character of Christ. It'll produce the Life of Christ. It's just a no more than just what we call in the south, common sense. If the Life of the Spirit of Christ is in the church, it has to produce that Life, because the life that's in you, makes your character.
E-9 Now, you cannot get a--a dove and a crow to agree together, although they were both birds and set on the same roost in the ark. Both of them are fowls; they both have wings, but when the crow was let loose, he was satisfied with eating the dead carcasses, that was floating around from place to place, and he never returned back again to the ark.
E-10 Why can't the dove eat carrion and stuff from the old earth, and the old carcasses, because it's a make-up of the dove. The dove is one bird who does not have any gall. If that dove would eat off of an old carcass, that dove would die immediately, because it doesn't have any gall. It just can't digest that stuff.
E-11 Sometime ago down in the south, when they had slavery, taking human beings and selling them just like you would an automobile... And there they would... Had lots, like you'd have today, used cars. Brokers came by and would buy slaves. Maybe, this plantation had a hundred slaves, and some broker would come by and say, "That big fellow. I'll take him." And over here, he had a--a big woman. Maybe not his wife, breed them, make bigger slaves. And they would go around and buy them, just like you would a animal.
E-12 And of course, the slaves were brought over here from Africa by the Boers, and they were sold to the southern people for slaves, and they were sad. They would never go back home again. They'd have to die away from their own land. They'd never see their father, nor their mother, no more. Sometimes their children or their wives, brothers or sisters, they'd never see them no more. So they were very sad.
E-13 But this certain plantation, where this broker was, he noticed one young fellow there, that they didn't have to drive him, had his chest out, his chin up; he was be just right at the spot, any time. They didn't have to scold him or say anything to him. So this broker said to the slave owner, the plantation man; he said, "I want to buy that slave." E-14 Oh, what ought we to be as sons and daughters of God? How ought we to conduct ourselves in this present world of sin and slavery? Our characters and our conduct should be the highest to keep the moral of the rest of them moving, because we are aliens, and we are strangers and pilgrims, but our Father is the King. Oh, He's rich with houses and lands. He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hand. Oh, I'm so glad to be a son of that King.
E-15 Now, when I first read this Scripture here, I thought, "What must the prophet be speaking about?" He said, "Thy love kindness is better to me than life."
E-16 Now, phileo love, like you have for your wife, is a perverted love. Then from that kind of love, it perverts again to lust and on down. And all those kind of things must have an end, to come to back to that which had no beginning or end.
If we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
And was every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Or could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
And no one will never know, what agapao love meant to stoop down, and to condescend to the lowest pits of the lowest hell, to bring the fallen creature, from a creature of time to a creature of eternity. We could not express it.But I was thinking as He said, "Thy love kindness is better than life." What could be better than life? Everything else has an end. But life has no end, so what could be more valuable than life? So I drew this kind of a conception of what David was speaking. And he must have been talking about a different kind of life.
E-17 Now, life has many interpretations, and we notice that sometimes life has an interpretation like this: "Oh, we're really living it up." That's not life. Somebody said, "Making a lot of revelry," and saying this is life.
E-18 Oh, this is shocking. Two young ladies, about, oh, in their late twenties or early thirties, with just their underneath clothes on, both women married with wedding rings, and they had a big bottle of whiskey. And they were passing it one to another, and then pulling up their little underneath clothes and screaming. And you know what? Maybe, a husband at home taking care of the baby, while they were having a little innocent fun. It's sin! And vice versa, some woman home taking care of the baby, while her husband was up there with her having, little innocent fun. It's rank, ungodly, filthy sin. And the wages of it is death, separation from God forever.
E-19 Oh, such an ungodly sight. And I looked at that, and I thought, "Oh, God." I've seen these two beautiful little women, just with their underneath garments, and they stopped just a little above me, and they tried to pass the bottle one to the other, and one reached down and picked up her little skirt, and kicked her feet up in the air, and she said, "Whoopee, this is life."
E-20 And she looked over, and she took the bottle; I said, "Just a moment." This same Bible in my hand. She blared her eyes and looked at me. I said, "I'm a Gospel preacher. And I'm an American too. But I'm almost ashamed of my country, that you've come here and represented it in the way that you're doing." I said, "Shame on you."
E-21 In Hamilton, Ohio, recently, I was having a meeting, and they'd gotten up to seven, eight, ten thousand people, and I had to stay outside the city. We were eating at a little Dunkard restaurant. The ladies were clean and nice looking, as they come in and waited, and everything just so descent looking. Well, we enjoyed that. Sunday came, and Sunday afternoon, I was going to speak. Dr. Baxter was let--let me speak, who was the campaign manager, and I'd speak on Sunday afternoon, then wait till Sunday night for the healing service. I got hungry; I thought, "I believe I'll go get something to eat, just a sandwich, kindly hold me over."
E-22 And God bless that man in that college the other week, made that bunch of hoodlums straight up. He said, "You'll either wear different clothes or get out of this school." If more men had more American spirit and backbone like that, we'd have better schools and less juvenile delinquency, stabbings on the street and things.
E-23 And as I looked at it, I stepped behind the door and started out, and a vision came before me. I seen the world, and around the world was a spray. And it looked red. And then all of a sudden, I seen a--through the vision, the Lord Jesus, and sins were catching against Him, and it was my sins. And it was beat her from one side to the other, like a bumper on a car. And every time I'd do something, it would strike Him. And He looked at me with weary looking eyes; I said, "My, God, have I caused that?" I looked. Laying there was my book open, my name at the top, all kinds of dark streaks in it. And I said, "Lord Jesus, forgive me."
E-24 She said, "I perceive that you're a minister."
E-25 Now, some people think that drinking, and smoking, and gambling, and, oh, trying to do the things that they do in revelry, they think that that's life, but it's death. And what makes them do that anyhow? Here's the reason they do it. Because God made a human being to thirst.
E-26 Now, I hope I don't hurt anyone's feeling, unless it's deserved, but I just want to call some things to remembrance to you. What's happened to the church lately? The church used to be a separated people. I didn't know what group I was speaking to until the man told me here, I was speaking to Pentecostal people.
E-27 And it used to be wrong for Pentecostal women to wear that make--make-up, manicure stuff on their face. It used to be. Don't tell me, I remember. And you Free Methodist, and you Missionary Baptist, and Pilgrim Holiness, and Nazarenes, it used to be wrong. What happened?
E-28 And you Pentecostal women wouldn't let your girls put on them little old vulgar-looking clothes and get out on the street. Then talk about juvenile delinquency. Not only do they do it, but mammy, you do too. "Oh," you say, "I don't wear them shorts (I believe that call it) and halternecks, I--I--I don't wear them; I wear slacks." The Bible said that a woman that'll put on a garment that pertains to a man, it's an abomination in the sight of God. That's what the Bible says.
E-29 You might be as pure as a lily to your husband, or to your boyfriend, but when you put on clothes like that and walk out on the street, if a sinner looks at you and lusts after you, the Bible said that he has committed adultery with you in his heart. And at the judgment bar, you're going to answer for committing adultery, because you presented yourself to him like that. Jesus said that. Whose guilty, the sinner or you? You are. He's a hog and a pig by nature. He's never been converted. But if he answers for committing adultery, who did he commit it with? Whosoever, sinner or saint, looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery with her in his heart already.
E-30 And these women here, might say, "Brother Branham, we heard you was a woman-hater, so now we know you are." That's not so. I'm a lover of the Lord Jesus and responsible for His Word. "So why do you pick on us women?"
E-31 And you remember, I've already predicted in 1933, a woman would rule this nation before the chaos, by the annihilation. See her face on the money; she's everything; she's a goddess; she's... Hollywood's done it. The reason that takes place, is because you stayed home on Wednesday night from the prayer meeting to watch some old dirty play of "We Love Sucy," or something like that.
E-32 Go over to Africa, and see if that old boogley-woogley, or ever what they call it, rock-and-roll, that's originated with the Hottentots in Africa. And you're trying to satisfy that longing and blessed holy thirst by poking that trash down in the place where God wants to live and to give you freedom, and holiness, and happiness.
E-33 Some time ago, I was crossing the America, and I had to take a bunch of books over in a truck. I hired a sinner to drive it, 'cause I couldn't find no one else. When I landed onto the ground, a great denominational Pentecostal people, and this sinner got out of the truck and was unloading the trucks, and with the books and so forth, and he was smoking a cigarette. And one of the great high officials come up the me and he said, "Brother Branham, I'm surprised at you."
E-34 We turned around and walked to the place where there was several thousand people assembled together. And he... He said, "Here is my wife. I want you to meet her, Brother Branham." And I looked, she said... "She'll be your pianist this afternoon."
E-35 What does a woman do it for? What? To appear before men; that's the same thing Jezebel does. She likes to hear the boys go, "whee whew" [Brother Branham imitates a wolf whistle--Ed.] that hound dog call or wolf call. That's right. It's because the pastor has let down. And you wouldn't have an old fashion, God sent minister; you got some little Hollywood type of a guy that likes to beat on a drum, and jump up-and-down, and holler, "Hallelujah." The devil can do the same.
E-36 Now, you see what you're doing? The wrong spirit's got among you, and it's making you try to satisfy that blessed holy thirst, that God give you to worship Him with, you're trying to satisfy it with television, radio, all the fancy things of the world, and make-ups, and carry on. I believe you should look clean. Don't think I have to...?... you ought to have dirty clothes on. I think you should look the best, but be descent, clean, honorable looking.
E-37 Listen, don't you worry...?... It's ain't the robin that pecks on the apple that hurts it; it's the worm at the core. Our own rotteness is what's killing us. We need...?... of the Lord God. If you want to act like children of God, He will protect His own. You know that's the truth.
E-38 A few days ago, down in Ohio, in a court they said that all children had to be sent to college. They want no illiteracy in Ohio. And the Amish people don't send their children to these modern high schools. And they've never had on the record of all the Amish in...?... history, of one case of juvenile delinquency. Let them dress different, and act different, and be peculiar, and act... But they haven't had no--no juvenile delinquency. Not one case on their records of--of America. They don't send them to them kind of places. And they passed a law that they'd have to go their own high schools and colleges.
E-39 The last flower of democracy faded in that courtroom. The father got up and said, "Very well, I'll spend it to save my son. I don't want any of your rock-and-rolls and your nonsense." And when he started out, the unjust judge tried to justify himself by saying that, "Remember the Scripture says, 'Give Caesar what's Caesars."
E-40 What's that thirst in you for? To worship God. Oh, David, he wrote the Psalms, the prophecy. He was an outdoor man; he loved the outdoors. Oh, how wonderful it is to love outdoors. How I remember mountain streams and there go hunting, not to kill the game, just to be alone with God, see Him moving in His bushes, and hear Him in the call of the elk, and the wolf, and all in the bears that squeaking for the... Oh, all in nature, the birds, everything, God's just everywhere.
E-41 And I...?... he said, "Now, Billy, I'm going to take the--the northern slope of the mountain, and you take the southern--eastern slope, and we'll meet about three days, and if you happen to get a big bull, hang him up, and we'll pack him on the pack horses coming back."
E-42 And then that began to call, the deep. David said, "Calling to the deep." The old gray wolf howled, and the mate answered it down in the valley. Oh my, something struck my spirit and screamed. I got so happy, I said, "God, it's so good to be here. I set my rifle down, and around and around the tree I run, screaming as hard as I could, shaking my hands. If someone would have come in the woods, they'd thought there was a maniac out there. I didn't care; I was a worshipping the Lord, just having a glorious time.
E-43 The big eagle jumped up on the limb, and I thought, "Now God, why did You stop me from shouting? Now, why did You put that eagle out there before me? Why? I'm here worshipping You. I know You're everywhere, but would You be in that eagle?" And I happened to notice that eagle. He wasn't a scared of me. And I said, "Are you afraid of me?" And that great big galded eyes looked at me; he wasn't afraid of me.
E-44 So this eagle wasn't a scared. I thought, "Why is it you're not scared?" I noticed him feeling his wings, you know how they scuffle their feathers. I thought, "Oh, that's it. I see; God's give you two wings." And if God give that eagle two wings, and he knowed he could be in that timber 'fore I could get the rifle in my hands. If he could trust his wings like that, what ought a church do that's filled with the Holy Ghost? Long as you can feel Him around you, know that He's there, what you afraid of? You afraid your boss will say, "How'd you get well?"
E-45 I said, "You know I can shoot you?" And I grabbed at my rifle. He watched, looked at me again. I noticed he wasn't afraid of me, but he was getting tired of that little old chipmunk, setting there, "Chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter," just all fuss. So he got sick and tired of him, he just made a big jump. He made about two flops, and he was plumb out of the timber, and then I wept. He just took his great wings and spread them out like this. He never flopped his wings anymore. He just knowed how to set his wings. And every time the wind would come up, he'd ride upon it, ride upon it, until he become just a little spot. E-46 David said, "As the hart thirsts after the waterbrook, my soul thirsts after Thee O God." Listen close, I'm closing. David was in the mountains, and being a woodsman or hunter, he knew about the deer. I seen them many times, down in Louisiana, they--they hunt them with dogs. Over in Africa there's a wild dog. And it's very strange, and any deer hunter here knows, if you wound a deer, hurt him, and if he can get to water, you've lost him. As long as he can find water, he can live. But oh, if the dogs would hurt the little fellow. You see--you see them deer standing, and the dogs has the trick of the wolf either. And he slips up real easy. Now, he's technically got two blood fangs right here inside of his mouth. And he grabs the deer just behind the ear where the jugular vein crosses, he sinks those teeth in, the coyote, the wolf, the wild dog. And when he does, he throws himself. When he does that, I've seen them cut steers throat, coyotes. And he--he's sneaking; you don't know where he's at. And he grabs the deer, and he swings his weight and cuts the jugular vein, and the little deer makes a few drops, and he's gone. Then he's covered over with dogs, and coyotes eating on him, pulling the hide and meat right off his bones.
E-47 How true that is tonight, with a many little innocent Christian. You little girls, with this little Elvis Presley, rock-and-roll, and Pat Boone, and Arthur Godfrey stuff, the devil to hang it--put that rouge stuff on your face to get the boys to give that--that (wolves, that's what we are. That's true.), to give that whistle. You dress yourselves in little clothes like that, and say show that little body of yours. Oh honey dear, I've got two little girls at home too. God be merciful child. You don't realize, honey, that that's the trap of the devil. Don't never dress yourself so a man look at you like that. Keep yourself for your little sweetheart husband that's coming some day. God will give it to you.
E-48 The deer... The dog has another technique to grab at the deer. If it misses it's ear, it'll grab it in the side. The hind quarters of the deer is heavier than the front quarters, and if he can grab him right in the flanks with those teeth, and take a big bite in the deer, if he's not a smart deer, he will--the dog will--in the mid-center of him or the wolf will throw the deer on the ground. If he misses this part, he will catch him in the side. But if the deer's real smart, and jumps quick. It can't slowly jump, it's got to jump fast. And if the little deer will quickly turn sideways, the--the dog will pull a whole mouthful out. And then if the deer's quick and fast, he will get away. E-49 Then when she's grabbed... The little fellow will run as hard as he can, the blood's pouring out, watch here. He's got to find water. They're right behind him. He must find water. If he don't find water, he's gone. Let him find water, and he will live. But he must get to water right quick. And if he can pass over a stream... You hunters know what I mean. He will get his drink, run over the hill, freshens him up. He will come down and get a drink again, leave the dogs one way or the other, the hunter, either one. Back and forth and cross that river, he can live.
E-50 But think of David, when he said, "As the hart panteth for the waterbrook, so my soul thirst after thee, O God." If that deer don't get the water, he's dead. And if you can't get to Christ, not the church... The devil tries to put a false thing in you there, tries to make you satisfied, that great thirst in you, by saying, "Yeah, I joined church." That's just as almost as bad as doing something else. He tries to... "Oh, I'm a Presbyterian, I'm Pentecostal, I'm Catholic, I'm a Baptist." That don't mean one thing to God. You can be any church member and go to hell like a martin to its box.
E-51 Intellectual won't help; it's got to come down here to a birth. Join church as much as you want to, good holy churches, that still won't have a thing to do with it. Be baptized face forward, backward, poured, sprinkled, won't... You just go down on a dry sinner and come up a wet one. It don't do one thing to you but pollute you. You're a twofold child more of hell than you was when you started. Most miserable person in the world, is someone trying to impersonate Christianity, miserable. To live for Christ is a joy. It's wings that you fly over it, and your soul begins to thirst like the deer. "Oh, if I can't find it, I'll die." You'll find it. If you thirst after God like that, you'll find Him. "Oh, my soul longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is. I long to see Thy power like I seen it in Thy sanctuary." Is your soul thirsting like that tonight?
E-52 "Brother Branham," you say, "I'm just as good as the rest of them. I don't have to do these things."
E-53 Dear God, this little broke up salvation message here tonight, but I hope that it will not return void, which Thou has promised. You said, "It would accomplish that which it was purposed for." And Thou knowest everything, Father, so Thou knowest it was purposed to try to save the church, and the people, not to be different, or anything, but to be--to bring the church back into fellowship with Thee.
Then there is the Fountain filled with Blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins,
Where sinners plunge beneath the flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That Fountain in his day;
There may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.
E-54 May that be the thirst of these young women, and old women, young men, and old men. Grant it, Lord. Create in them a thirst tonight, thirsting after Thee. Let them know that even this worldly stuff, that they're--they're trying to satisfy themselves. "Oh, I belong to church. It's no harm to do this or that." O God, wake them up to know that Satan's doing that, and that thirst that they have for a good time, and so forth, was put in them to worship You, and to have Your blessings, and to enjoy Your fellowship, not the fellowship of the world, but the fellowship of Christ. Grant it, Lord. We ask it in His Name. Amen.
E-55 As you remain just a moment. Now, tomorrow they're going to give to the prayer cards for healing, tomorrow night. Tonight, was a--I want to make an altar call just a minute. So how many's here for their first time, that's heard about the meeting, and how the Lord gives visions, but you've never been in one? Let's see your hands. Is there anybody here? Oh, the whole front part of it here is full of them. All right. The newcomers...
E-56 Now, I don't--I just want to pray and ask the Lord, from right here, not to bring you up here. I feel real led as I look down here, and seeing that picture here with that--the Pillar of Fire on it, that led the children of Israel through the wilderness, and know... I looked out here, and I see It hanging right over the audience. So I... Whether we got prayer cards or not, I believe God want to do something here that you thirsty souls will go to thirsting for.
E-57 But there was a little woman; she had a blood issue, and the doctor's could do her no good. So she slipped through the crowd, and she said, "Oh, He is the Son of God. If I can touch His garment, I'll get well." And she touched His garment, when back out.
E-58 Well, if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, He said, "A little while, and the world won't see Me no more. Yet, you'll see Me, for I'll be with you, even in you, till the end of the world. I am the Vine; ye are the branches." The branches bears fruit of the vine.
E-59 Lord God, I'm trusting that You'll do this. I don't know. I'm praying that You will, because of the little vision just a moment ago. Grant it, Lord, that it'll be so, in Christ's Name, I submit myself to You, and ask that the Holy Spirit will get into the hearts of the people. May Angels take their positions by the side of these sick people, and beside of the unbeliever, and the sinner, and let them know that You're here. And that thirst that they have longed to see, grant it, Lord, that You'll be standing right by them.
E-60 I'm asking for reverence. And now, just be real reverent. Every person in here, as far as I know, is a stranger, except my son, and Mr. Vayle, and Mr. Goad right here. Others, I do not know. E-61 Now, let us be real reverent, and just look to the Lord Jesus and say, "Now, Lord..." You out there, you that's sick, you say, "Lord Jesus, the man has told me that if we thirsted, why, You was the One to--to give us, sufficeth this thirst that we have. He told us that You was raised from the dead, and You're the same all the time. Now, I did read in the Bible where a woman touched Your garment, and You knew her trouble, just like You could tell them--Philip, where he was, and Peter, what his father's name was, and all them things in the Bible. And the--the Pharisees called You, a devil, said You was a mind reader or a--a Beelzebub, which is a devil. But them people, who that miracle was performed on, knowed You was the Son of God. You told the woman at the well, where her sins was, and she ran into the city, said, 'Come, see the Man that told me the things I done. Isn't this the very Christ?' Now, Lord, if You remain the same, it's a dark day. Some people say, 'The Methodist is right, the Baptist is right, the Lutheran is right, the Pentecost is right.' God, what is right?" Jesus is right.
E-62 And I believe He's in every one of your churches. Certainly He is, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecost, but He loves you. Don't make any difference what church you belong to, just look at Him now and say, "Lord, I believe You." May He grant...
E-63 Now, just be real reverent. Now, let's pray. Each one now, that's got sickness, pray. Now, you're the one has to touch Him. I just... He will... I could no more... Knowing you not, I could no more know anything about you, than this thing can speak without something behind It to speak; it's a mute. Just pray. Now, I have no idea. But you promised you'd believe Him.
E-64 Now, now, you may raise your heads, just a moment. The Light of the Holy Spirit, that in this (to you scientist), dimension, to you Christians, this atmosphere of the Holy Spirit which now takes me. You couldn't hide your life if you had to. I can't heal; God's already did that. But It's hanging over a colored woman, setting right here, with a little ball on her hat.
E-65 Now, just a moment. It's coming down; there It is. All right. The woman is suffering with arthritis. That arthritis is in her spine, and she also has--created from that a real, extreme nervous condition. That's exactly right, the colored lady setting there with the little ball on her hat. If that's right, lady, yes... Raise up your hand if that's right. I'm talking to the colored lady, back there, lady. All right. That does it. You don't have that now. It's gone from you. E-66 It happens to be, being that the Lord has blessed her; there's a colored lady setting right next to here there. It looks like, that there... It is forming around her. She shouted just a few moments ago. I don't know you, do I, lady? If the Lord God will tell me what you're trouble is, what you're suffering with, will you--you'll know whether it's the truth or not, won't you? You're suffering with sinus. That's right. If that's right, raise up your hand. It's gone now. God bless you.
E-67 You with your hand up there, the other colored lady, setting there waving your hand, do you believe me to be God's servant? The young woman, do you believe me? I don't know you, do I, sister? I've never seen you in my life. You believe me to the servant of Christ? And it's not me? This is a case like Jesus talking to the woman at the well. She was a Samaritan; He was a Jew. You are a Ethiopian woman, and I'm an Anglo-Saxon. It's two different... It's the same Spirit. Now, if Christ... The woman believed me. Now, Jesus didn't know what her trouble was, but when He found her trouble, He told her her trouble; she went to the city and said, "That's the Son of God. That's the Messiah."
E-68 Some of you white people believe, you newcomers in here. And just... Oh, isn't... You should be in a real spirit of worship. We're in the Presence of Jesus. Please, friends, if ever you believe, as your brother, let me enter my Bible on my heart, you believe right now. Just lay aside your theology. Just say, "Lord Jesus, I realize there's Something here. There's got to be."
E-69 There's a little lady setting right here, looking right at me, second row. Yes. Do you believe the Lord Jesus would heal you? You were suffering, wasn't you? You are suffering. And you were setting there in your heart praying, "God, let him speak to me tonight. I believe You, Lord." Now, if that's true, raise up your hand. The lady...?... Thank you. If the Lord God will tell me what your trouble is, will you believe Him, that He wants to make you well? E-70 The other lady setting next to you there, she's suffering too. The little lady with her head down, praying. You're praying, "Lord, let it be me next." That right? You believe me to be His servant? Setting right next to the little lady there, that was just called. Would you love to go eat your supper and enjoy a good meal again? You're suffering with a stomach trouble, aren't you? That's right. It's a peptic condition, caused from a--a deep thinking; you cross bridges 'fore you get to them, and things like that. It's a--more like a mental nervousness. You're not shaky nervous, but you're just--you're just, you get deep thinking. You oughten to do that, be happy. Now, your stomach trouble's gone...?... home now.
E-71 What do you think? The elderly lady setting next to her, looking around there praying? The Light's went right over on you, with the little rose on your coat. Do you believe me to be God's servant? Please, please, don't let...?... That's what does it, friend. See you rob the people of their healing. Please, please, be reverent, just a moment.
E-72 Now, be real reverent again, now, let's see. What was it? It was a vision breaking? But I don't know what it was. Just keep praying. Seems like I was right down here in front, somewhere. God surely in His mercy will do it again. Where was It? It was... Here It is back.
E-73 Back in this way, somebody. Have faith, friends, believe God. Don't doubt Him. Just believe Him.
E-74 Father, we're conscious we're here in Your Presence. Maybe there's...?... people here maybe never be back again. This may be their last night. While You're present, Lord, I pray Thee, in Christ's Name, be merciful. E-75 Right--rise slowly now, we're going to sing, "Almost Persuaded." Now, I want each one of you, that wants God to change your life, right now... If He can change your body, He can change your life. And all that place that He made in you to be thirsting for Him, you want to worship Him, and Him to come in and take all the desire of the world from you. Will you come right down here for prayer? Will you do it while we sing, "Almost Persuaded."? All right, sister, on the organ, if you will give us a chord. All right.
E-76
Almost persuaded
Everyone be reverent...?... seat now...Come right up close now, right here, right along...?... God bless you, sir. God bless you. That's right. Come right out, and come right on down. The Holy Spirit's calling you. Somebody will raise up and give you space to come. That's right. Oh, there's a great audience worshipping here. Come right down, will you.
Almost... (Be sincere now.) but to fail!Sad, sad, that bitter wail:"Almost," but lost!Almost...
Oh, there's many of you should be coming, come right up. come on. That's right, colored folks...?... No matter who you are, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish...?... whatever, come on down. If you don't know God...?... Come right down now, won't you...?...
not away:
Oh, it seems now some soul to say,
"Go, Spirit, go Thy way,
Some more convenient day
On thee I'll call."
[Brother Branham begins humming--Ed.] hum...
E-77 Be honest now, there's more in here. Did you mean that that soul in you, that's really knows that under the message tonight, you been condemned, you're not living the way you should live. Then see that same Light, that you see here in the Bible, come down and produce the same things It did when It dwelt in a body called Jesus. He promised to be in His church. He comes right down in His church and does the same thing, proving that He's here, and your soul in you condemning you, Angels of God standing near, and saying, "You should go." This may be your last opportunity. You may not get home tonight. You may be laying dead in the bed in the morning. In a year from now, you may be molding into the grave. And now, you might not, I don't know, but I'm just saying you could be. Someday you will be. Why not now?
E-78 Do you know that old southern altar call, "Oh, Why not tonight?" Does the people know that? Give us a chord on it. And I'm going to ask you something. Come on, you lukewarm church members, you know that you've done wrong. You women, you men, boys and girls, stir yourself right... I feel led to do this, friends. Surely, God... Don't you know I'm telling you the truth? God's proved it. Now, I'm telling you the truth. There's loads that need to be standing here. Won't you come now? Won't you come?
O do not let the word depart,
And close your eyes against the light,
This is the time, O then be wise,
O why not tonight.
All together...
O why not tonight? (not tonight?)Oh, why...
That's right, get right out and come on. Come right down the aisle. Take yourself around here. God's ready to give it to you, if you'll raise up and say, "I need it." He can't bless you till you're--feel that you're needy. If you feel you're sufficient, okay.
... not tonight?Tomorrow the sun may never shine,To bless thy long deluded sight;This is the time, O then be wise,
He saves all tonight. (I give you Jesus.)O why (tell me why) not tonight?
(What reasoning can you give for not coming?)
... not tonight?
Just Thou be saved, and why
(That's right, come right on down.) tonight? [Brother Branham begins humming--Ed.] Hum.
E-79 What excuses can you give now? Now, let me say this to you that's back there, me knowing in my heart by the Spirit of God, you're grieving Him by doing what you are doing. Let me say with the Bible over my heart, the Angel of God is with me, "The blood not upon me, I've told the truth. You need a walk with God; you're walking out of the fellowship. Come on down. This is the hour for you. Come on now, while we sing once more. This is the last. Why? Give me the excuse, why? Why shouldn't you?
E-80 I'm not asking you to come join a church. I'm asking you to come, receive Christ while His Presence here. What more could He do? If He healed the sick, still wouldn't be as great as this. He does heal the sick. He couldn't appear in a visible body, because when He does, time shall be no more then. But He's here in His Church, showing you that He's raise from the dead, trying to get you to come, accept as your risen Lord. Once more now, while we sing, "O, why not tonight?" All right.
O, why not tonight?
Church member, sinner, why don't you come? Remember in the Name of the Lord Jesus, I'm offering you Christ, if I never see you again till judgment, this is your time.
And why not...
When the rainbows are sweeping through the skies, fires are falling, the sputniks has done dropped their bombs, and the handwriting's on the wall, time shall be no more. They'll be one split second they'll not be... There'll be millions times millions in the New England States that's not here will be swept into eternity without a chance. Remember, He Who speaks tonight, the Spirit knows what's truth. Come.
E-81 All right. While the workers now come and stand around these people now, get in your positions around, these who are trained here to do personal work, make their places. The rest of you that wants to come with them, come at this time now. Those who... Have you got a--a room in there somewhere you're taking them, an instruction room? All right. Just one moment then, they're coming around now. Others are coming to be saved. Let's bow our heads, everywhere while... I want to pray as I offered to pray.
E-82 Dear God, be merciful to these people. This may be our last meeting time, dear God, until we see You standing yonder. Oh, if You're going to come for Your Church before destruction, before one drop of rain could fall, Noah and his group was in the ark. And the Angel of the Lord, Who went down into Sodom, His message was haste; it was deliverance and mercy.
E-83 I pray now; there's nothing more I can do. They are the fruits of the message, Your message. They are Yours. They've come. "No man can come to Me," You said, "except My Father draws him."
E-84 God, may this group of hungry people walk into this little room here now, and be filled with the Holy Spirit, for when hands is applied to them in there, according to Apostolic rules, may they be filled with the Holy Ghost, and that fountain of their heart that's been touched tonight, and all of the old tin cans and rubbish of the world has been cleaned out, make it a new heart for God to worship. Grant it, Lord. That thirst now coming for You.
E-85 Now, while you're here, workers are here, places are for you to go right here, so we can go in and pray with you, to be filled with God's Spirit. File right in now, as you're coming. While we keep--continue to sing, "O Why Not Tonight?" Again, the audience...
Oh, why not tonight?
Come right here, everyone of you, standing around here now. You that want to come with them, and receive the Holy Spirit. Come right on in. Go right on it. This is your hour, your time. We're going right in to pray with them, going right in, lay hands on them. If God will grant... I done prayed for them. If God will grant this out here, what will He grant in there?
... tonight? (Come here, reverend)O why (Will you take the service?) tonight?
(Come right on in now, as they go for prayer).
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