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One Of The Meanest Men In Town (61-0429B)
| One Of The Meanest Men In Town (61-0429B) |
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E-1
Brother Carlson, and honorable guests, Brother David duPlessis, and
Brother Roy Weed, Brother Mattsson-Boze, and all, we are happy to be
here this morning to--in the service of the Lord. And I just feel full
this morning to hear all these wonderful testimonies and watch how they
react on the people. I was hearing the testimony of the alcoholic and
watching Rosella setting there, to see what effect it had on her;
watching this Baptist brother here, his prophecy that God gave him that
there was coming a sweep across the nation, watch it react upon the
people; hearing the Holy Spirit speak in tongues and interpret, and
tell us we're right at the end: it's right here now. And how God gave
him that message, and then brought him right into it. See, just...
E-2
And hear Brother David there. I'm sure you'll hear some great things
this afternoon at the afternoon meeting, as Brother duPlessis, whom I
was talking about the other night at the platform. And then last night
there he was, right there. I had no idea that he'd be coming. But
always has been a grand fellowship with brother David and I, in this
world travel and ministry in this last day.
E-3
Was thinking here a few moments ago of a real royal friend of mine,
Brother Roy Weed. I remember him standing by me in a hour of need when
I first started on the field; and how he stood by me when he didn't
have to, but just God... Out of the goodness of his heart stood right
with me... And every time I think of the Assemblies of God, or--or meet
some brother, maybe, that I think that he did something that wasn't
just what he ought to do (and I guess he thinks the same about me,
but... ) I always think of Roy Weed. See, I think there that we--put
his shoulder to a place and stood with me in a hour of, when I... There
had to be a decision made, because I'd made the decision upon my
promised word. And Brother Roy thought maybe before his brethren it
might throw a reproach or something. Then Brother Roy stood right with
me on the platform. I never forget him.
E-4
Now, we don't have enough time here for me to preach; we know that,
'cause I'm so long at it. And I was just thinking: I wish some of the
brothers would just stay up there, you know, so that when I got up
there, I could just give a testimony and--and set down. But now, it
does leave me time to read a Scripture, I think, to get out. I
won't--we don't want to stay longer than eleven, if we can possibly
help it, because I think that's the time. Brother Carlson's so gracious.
E-5
By way of reading the Scripture, so we can get right into it... And
that wonderful welcome that you people gave me, I'll never forget that.
I'll never will. And I--I'd do anything for you. Sometimes I... Now,
this is just kinda on us home folks here, as we say it down south.
Sometimes you hear me cutting; and really I go home and set down, and
sometimes pick up one of those tapes, and say, "Surely, I didn't say
that. Surely, I couldn't have said that." And--and then I think, "Well,
what I have said, I have said, and it was--it was under inspiration, as
far as I know inspiration." So I'm never ashamed of it. And I--I don't
mean to never hurt anyone. If that would be my--my motive, then my
objective is wrong. See? I--I just--I--I wouldn't be... to do that.
E-6 Let us turn, if you'd like to, over in the book of Saint Luke, the 7th chapter and the--the 40th verse:
E-7
The sun must've been going down when the courier arrived. It had been a
great day, and Jesus had been praying for the sick, preaching. And, oh,
the people gathered around just to hang on to one word that He said. I
would've loved to have been there. I've often wondered how it would've
been when I heard Him stretch out his arms, and say, "Come unto Me all
ye that labor and are heavy laden." I perhaps will never even live to
see the day when they pick up the vibration to hear how it sounds. Then
not knowing Hebrew, I would not be able to grasp it, but I do hope that
day to hear Him say, "It was well done, My good and faithful servant."
E-8
And this courier came up. And he must've talked to, let's say, Philip.
And he must've said, "I have a--a message for your Master. I come from
a business man, and I must get this message to Him."
E-9 I've often thought, "What if I could've been that courier?"
E-10
But he, like many of the young people today, had other things on his
mind. And he wanted to get the message off, and he was tired. And his
legs were sweaty from running and--to get over there, because he didn't
know where the Master would be the next day. So he had Him cornered
into a certain place, that he could talk to Him.
E-11
Now, no doubt in my heart, and I believe in many of us today, but what
Jesus knew what was in store for Him when He got there, because He knew
the secret of men's hearts. And He knew that there was something up
Simon's sleeve, for how could a man, a Pharisee, have any fellowship
and want to see Jesus, Who he hated? The Pharisees had nothing to do
with Jesus.
E-12
When you see a little girl about five years old hanging around with
grandma, there's something wrong. See? Now, she's either grandma's pet,
or grandma's got a little sack of candy somewhere. There's too much
difference in their age. The little girl wants to talk dollies, and so
forth; and grandma's an aged woman; she has something else to talk
about. So you see, the little girl, as we would say, has got the card
up the sleeve somewhere. There's something that she's hanging around
grandma. And when the world tries to pat you on the shoulder and say,
"Would you just come on over here?" or--or something, there's something
wrong somewhere.
E-13
Now, He said, when the time drew near for this great banquet... I can
imagine seeing this Pharisee, which was rich. There was no middle class
of people in them days. Like in perhaps in India and around now, that's
really the poor and the rich. Those who are really rich are rich; and
those who are poor, are extremely poor. There's no middle-class people.
And the rich had all the money; the poor had none. And sometimes when
these rich people could give a banquet, they really put on a real
banquet.
E-14
And then when the day arrived, and the banquet all got ready, and
they--the animals were killed, and the barbecue pits was smoking with
fancy dressed meat, fine sauces over them. I imagine the poor were
going by, licking their lips...
E-15
You hear where the church, yet (we do at our church) observe feet
washing. Now, they say it's traditional, but yet it's--It's a
commandment. They say they did it then as a tradition, and they did.
But Jesus left it as an example. And then if He did, it's a
commandment. So then we...
E-16
And now, their feet got dirty as they walked, because they had sandals,
something like the Roman sandals they wear today. That was considered
their shoes. And then also, upon their limbs, for the underneath
garment came up high. And as the--the robe swished along on the little
trails that go up over the mountains... They didn't have the broad ways
like we have today. Animals traveled these trails also: camels, and
mules, horses, and different ways of travel. And along the road it
become dusty, and--and the stink in the dust.
E-17
Then when you invited a guest at your home, the first thing happened to
make this guest welcome, after the invitation... First they had to be
invited. And then, before they could really feel at home, they had to
be prepared for that. I only wish I had time to express what's in my
heart about us when we have a revival. We invite Him, but I wonder if
we take care of Him when He comes, or do we shove Him off to one side? E-18 And then the next thing they did, after the foot-wash flunky, then he reached upon the mantle and he got some perfume. And sometimes this is very, very costly. And the guest held out this hands, and he poured the perfume in his hands, washed his hands over, then put it on his neck, washed off his face and his beard, then taken a--a towel, wiped it off, and sometimes their neck was burning. And this certain perfume was made up of a royal expensive (the rich people had) frankincense. They claim that some of it was even somewhat like the queen of Sheba brought to Solomon. It's found way up in the mountains, very rare. They make it out of a little bud of a rose, that becomes an apple. And they have to climb high, and it's rare to make this perfume that the rich people use to--to anoint their guests when they come in.
E-19
And then, they took the towel and wiped this face off, and his neck
then would feel cool, and his feet was clean, and he was rested. He
felt more like meeting the master of the house. Then he went to the
next room, and who stood there but the master of the house. Then it
was... They would meet them (stand up just a minute, brother) something
on this order. When the guest come in, now, he wouldn't feel like
meeting the master of the house if his feet was dirty and his body was
stinking with the smelled like the animals that crossed over the trail,
and his feet all sore and dusty, and his neck burning. He was...
E-20
And then after he was washed and perfumed--his neck not with the dust
on it, not the smell of manure, but his perfume was on there, then
the--he felt fresh, so that the--the one that had invited him would
feel released to kiss him on the neck.
E-21
How did that foot-wash flunky ever pass Him? I wished I could've been
there. I'd--I'd have been watching for Him. I'd have had a special bowl
of water ready for Him. I would've loved to have met Him. I don't know;
something must've happened. He was--He wasn't there; He missed Him. And
nobody kissed Him; nobody washed Him; nobody groomed Him; nobody made
Him welcome. But He come anyhow, because He was invited.
E-22
There's so many today, will invite Him to the city for a revival; and
then He can come, and then they just say, "Oh, pass by that stuff.
There's nothing to it." We asked Him, but we never made Him welcome.
Sometimes maybe we think He'd say something would be against our belief.
E-23
And I wonder, sometimes, in this great, beautiful way that we call
holiness, sweetness, I wonder if the lives sometimes that we present
the people doesn't make Him just a little unwelcome, too, because of
our character. We don't live just right, the right kind of a person to
represent Him. Take back, and back up, and wishy-wishy, this way and
that way. If He's come to our house we ought to be thankful, that
Stranger of Galilee.
E-24
But here He was over in the corner. When I think of it sometimes it
just makes my heart feel funny. I think, "Jesus, setting in the corner
with dirty feet." As the Frenchman calls Him, "Jesu," Jesu with dirty
feet. Sounds sacrilegious, but that's the way He was. That's the way
that they'd left Him. That's the way they let Him set--with dirty feet.
An honored Guest, supposed to be, and they were so busy with their
doings, till Jesus set with dirty feet. I wonder if we're not so
interested today in seeing that our group grows bigger than the other,
that we don't leave Him set the same way. But Jesus, with dirty feet,
unwelcome...
E-25
Was hearing this morning, when I left my room, that five little
children perished in Chicago last night in a fire, because a mother
left a little teen-age girl to watch, and the house burned down, burnt
up her children. Out to a party somewhere...
E-26
Maybe this little girl was brought up in a home like that, and she'd
just been turned loose on the street. If she'd had a praying mother
like this alcoholic brother had, things might be different. He said his
mother had prayed for him. Let me say this. When the Roman was
converted, Paul... The Philippian jailer, down at Philippi, he said,
"What can I do to be saved?" Most of us would tell him what not to do:
quit drinking, quit stealing, quit lying, quit smoking. But that wasn't
his question. "What must I do?"
E-27
Delinquent mother and delinquent father makes a delinquent child.
Maybe, let's say, this little lady had a father and mother that didn't
care for her, and she got on the street in the wrong crowd. When she
did, she became an outcast. Nobody cared for her.
E-28
But how, perhaps in them days they didn't have on the street down there
in her city. But she come out, after locking the door, and coming down
a little creaky steps back in a alley; and moving out, groomed herself
to meet the publicans for more money through the day, of her way of
making her living. And the strange thing was, there was nobody on the
street. Everybody seemed to be gone. So as she passed on down the
street, why, she wondered, "What kind of a holiday is it? What's wrong?
The people's all gone away for some reason."
E-29
And this little woman pushed her way through. And when they'd see her
coming, 'course they'd get back, because she was a bad character. And
she finally made her way up, till she got to peep inside the bars, to
see if she could just get a view of that that was giving that
satisfying aroma, to look at the barbecue pit to see how the lamb was
being barbecued. And just think, that one time in her life she might
set down to a decent meal. And probably she'd took her pretty hair and
fixed it all up, you know, for she was out on the street.
E-30
She thought, "Oh, look at that, how the rich have it all." Looking
around, she thought, "Well, I'll tell you; they always invite, of
course, their own class, and we never have a chance."
E-31
And as she looked, He raised His head. Her eyes caught His. You know
when that ever happens, something goes on. She looked Him in the face.
She said, "I never seen anyone look just like that. I wonder Who that
could be? I wonder." And maybe, somebody standing by, she said, "Why is
that Man setting there?" E-32 And she looked back in the corner, and there He set. And she said, "Oh, to think that He's invited, and He's not groomed, neither is His feet washed. I remember that they tell me that a woman was drugged into the street--or dragged into the street for prostitution, to be stoned like I would be, and He forgive her every sin. If I could only do something for Him, maybe He'd forgive me my sin. But what can I do? I can't even get in the gate. If I could only get to Him, I'd like to ask Him to forgive me." So she thought, "He's not anointed, neither is He washed, or He's not made welcome. If I could only get His attention, I'd make Him welcome. If He'd only talk to me, I would make Him welcome."
E-33
So she turns, and slips down the street, down and up the little creaky
steps in the back. She thought of something. She reached down in her
stocking that she had locked away, and she picked up these pieces
of--of Roman silver. And she thought, "Oh, I can't do this. If I'd go
and buy this alabaster, why, He would know exactly how I got that
money, because they tell me He's Messiah, and I believe it. And if He's
the Messiah, He will know that I'm the wrong type of person."
E-34
Down the street she goes, and she drops into the perfume shop, and here
comes this one out that... He wouldn't leave for the feast, of course,
because he thought he'd miss a sale somewhere. You know, the one that
said, "What profit it is, if we leave Joseph in there--in the hole
here? Let's sell him, and get some money out of it." E-35 She gets the alabaster box under her arm, and up the street she goes. And she comes to the bars, and there was Jesus with dirty feet, still setting, no one paying any attention to Him. She thought, "How can I get in?" After... Just a few minutes before the toast was all made, and the fine, fancy wines drank, and everything. She must've seen the foot-wash flunky was gone, so she slipped in, slips around in the back. You know, there's something about it. If you ever get a look at Him, you'll do anything to get to Him. I don't care what it is. If you have to slip under the back of the tent or whatever is, you'll do something to get to Him. If He ever looks you in the eyes, and you can see Who He is...
E-36
And she slips in to the back way, and she slips around through the
crowd keep anybody... 'Cause she was--had a bad name. Why, Simon
would've had her throwed over the fence. So--but she was determined, no
matter... She was going to make an effort anyhow. Sometimes the church
might think if you go down amongst this bunch of holy-rollers, that
you'll get throwed out the door. Well, what difference does it make? As
long as you get to Jesus, that's the main thing. That's the main thing.
E-37
She knowed that she was at the feet of Jesus. The great big tears begin
to roll down her cheeks. She patted Him on the feet. She was at the
feet of her Lord. She begin to pat His feet, and the great big tears of
repentance begin to roll down, spatting on His feet. She was so
grateful to be at His feet.
E-38
And after while Simon turned around and looked. "Hmm!" My, his face
raged. "Now, look what's in my house! I invited this holy-roller here,
and look what... His--his own class come. There's birds of a feather."
They still got that same idea. I'm so glad. I want--like to have tears
to wash... What beautiful water: tears of repentance washing the feet
of Jesus, tears rolling off of the cheeks of an ill-famed woman,
washing the feet of Jesus: sweetest water He ever--His feet was ever
washed with, tears of repentance dropping off on Jesus' feet. This
beautiful young woman setting there...
E-39
Let me in my life, pour out not only my tears but my heart, and all
that's in me, stand and try to live what's right by His grace, never
compromise on that beautiful Gospel, that Holy Ghost that saved me.
Call it whatever you want to, to me, it's Jesus. And the world's
letting Him set with dirty feet--with a dirty name as holy-roller, some
delinquent-minded person, or something, the only kind that He has.
That's what they think.
E-40
A lot of people comes to our meetings just to laugh, they can't make a
show out of Him. He knows your heart. You'll stand before Him someday,
sinner.
E-41
But she continued on, no matter what Simon said. Now, Simon clearing
his throat, and red in the face, and his righteous indignation rose up,
and he was ready to explode. Caught the attention of all the people as
he turned and straightened himself. "Hmmm!" Self-righteous Pharisee,
hypocrite, church member, that's the meanest rascal I know of, is an
old moss-back make-believer. He's meaner than all the prostitutes and
teen-age racketeers there is in the country. He will drive people
farther from God than everything else, every barroom there is on the
street.
E-42
I can hear Simon say, "Didn't I tell you? There's your prophet.
There--there's him. See? He would know what kind of a crowd he was
associating with."
E-43 "There, if he was a prophet he would understand what kind of a person that he's associating.
E-44
The woman was scared; she thought, "Oh, now what have I done?" Maybe we
see Him then... If He'd have moved on toe, she'd have jumped up and
been out of there, like that. But He didn't. He just held perfectly
still and watched her. He was just watching what she was doing. E-45 He stands up: He looks around. He said, "Simon, I've got something to say to you. (O hallelujah.) I've got something to say to you. You invited Me here as your Guest. And I left My revivals to come be your Guest. I left those who were crying and begging for Me to stay, to come be your Guest because you invited Me. I left those who were hungering and thirsting, to come to you. And I was here just on time (as He is in this last days). I was here just at the right time. But when I arrived, nobody washed My feet. They wasn't willing. And then there was nobody who anointed My head. There was nobody who--to anoint My head and to--My neck, and to wipe My face off, so I'd be presentable to the people." E-46 "And, Simon, when I entered the door, you wasn't standing there to kiss Me welcome. You wasn't standing there, Simon. You were too interested in the new building program and the things you got going on. You were to interested in getting more members in your association. You wasn't there to kiss Me. You was ashamed of Me before this company. You wasn't there to make Me welcome, to kiss Me into you heart to make Me welcome. But ever since I--this woman has come in (He knowed who she was. Now, what about the prophet?), she has continually kissed My feet. She hasn't ceased, but she's kissed, kissed, kissed My feet. You didn't give Me any water to wash My feet with, but she's washed them with her tears. You didn't give Me any anointment, but she has continually anointed Me since I've been in here. And I know she's a woman of the wrong kind, but--but I say unto you..." Oh, how He bawled Simon out, how He got turned down.
E-47
Now He turns to her, and His eyes flashes upon her. Oh, let me hear
this. Let this be--let this be what He says to me at the day. "You was
the one invited Me, you church members. You invited Me but you didn't
make Me welcome. You didn't wash My feet; you didn't give me nothing to
clean myself up with. You didn't give my the opportunity to speak
through you, and other things to do. You wouldn't do it, 'cause you was
ashamed of Me. You let me set in the corner with dirty feet. But this
woman has continually washed My feet with the tears of her eyes, that
beautiful crystal water of repentance, wiped them with the hairs of her
head. Verily I say unto you, her sins, which were many, are all
forgiven her." E-48 Let's bow our heads just a minute. We are at this breakfast this morning, invited guests. And Jesus is here. In gratitude, eyes are dampened and handkerchiefs are wiping eyes. What is it? It's Jesu in the form of the Holy Spirit. Oh, Simon, or little woman or man that never has accepted Him, why don't you do it now? This is your opportunity. While we're praying, where are you at? He sees you. He knows your heart. While every eye is closed and heads are bowed, this great moment, how many in here that doesn't know Him, that would just like to say, "Lord Jesus, I'd like to wash Your feet this morning with my repentance."? Will you slip up your hand right quick and say, "Pray for me, Brother Branham."? E-49 God bless you, bless you. God bless you, bless you. Others would raise your hands, say... God bless you. God bless you, you, you. Others back to my right, slip up your hand, say, "Jesu, O Jesus, You're my Lord. I've stood a many time when I was ashamed of You. I've heard people use Your Name in vain. I was even ashamed to say anything about it. I'm sorry I did that, Jesu. I'm repenting, won't You receive me?" Will your raise your hand, say," Remember me, Brother Branham, as you pray." Back to my right, over in the audience, I see your hands. God bless you. God bless you, lady. God bless you, sister. God bless you, brother. God bless you, sister. God bless you. Another one, God bless you, brother. God bless you, brother. Would there be some more? Just raise your hands, then put them down.
E-50
Right straight in front of me now, God bless you, God bless you. Jesu.
God bless you, bless you. God bless you. To my left, God bless you sir.
God bless you. The Lord bless you, sister. God bless you, way back in
the back there. God bless you. Yes, I see you, around almost behind the
shade there. But God sees you. God bless you. All over the building.
"Jesu, this morning I'm repentant."
E-51
Let the church member raise their hand that's been ashamed, and... God
bless you. God bless... That's real confession. God bless you. God
bless you. God bless you. Yes, yes. God bless you. God bless you, all
around. Members, yes. God bless you. "I passed up the opportunity. I
was ashamed. It was my boss, or it was my neighbor, and--and they said
evil things about the meeting. But I didn't say nothing. I just kept
still and went on, but from this on, I won't do it. I'm going to stand
for the Name of Jesus. I'm going to do it. Jesu, I want to... I want
You to take me this morning. I want You to tell me I'm forgiven."
That's good. God be with you. While we have our heads bowed, and I want
you to repent in your heart. E-52 [Brother Branham begins humming--Ed.] Jesu, many in here this morning has recognized that they have let You set. They've passed You by, but they won't do it any more, Lord, never no more. They'll remember this little cafeteria in this school room. Jesu passed by. They promised they'd believe. They wanted to be remembered in prayer. They raised up their hand towards God, saying that "I--I now believe. I surrender, Lord. I'm--I'm finished with the life of unbelief. I come as Your servant now." Many people... I even seen ministers raise up their hands, that they was ashamed at the opportunities that they had to testify, the things that they have done--church members, but yet slack. Forgive us all of that sin, Lord. Forgive of us of it, that we can go from here a better person, knowing that...
E-53
We invited You down here this morning. We invited You to come to
Chicago to this meeting with us. Night after night, day after day, we
see Your great hand a moving among us. We know it's You. And we're so
thankful, Lord. We--we just welcome You. We just thank You with all of
our hearts.
E-54
I pray, God, until that time, that the grace of God will give us
sufficient power and testimony to praise our God, and to live for Him
and never be ashamed of Him, for I present these people to You in the
Name of Jesus Christ, and myself with them, Lord. I present myself as a
service. Here am I, Lord, after I've interceded for them. Take our
lives together. Let them be used for a wiping rag, Lord, for they feet,
just a foot rag, anything, Lord, anything. No matter what the people
say about us, let us live, and live for Jesus, that has washed our
hearts this morning with forgiveness of our sins. We ask it in Jesus'
Name. Amen.
E-55
Now, let's just in sweetness of fellowship turn right around, while we
sing it again, and shake hands with somebody around you, saying,
"Greetings, fellow citizen of the Kingdom." Those people who raised
your hands, be sure that you shake somebody else's hand, say, "I was
one who raised my hand. Can I go to your church?" Or invite them if
they tell you that. Do it. |
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