God Perfecting His Church

Thank you, Brother Smith. And good evening, friends. It's a privilege to be out here again tonight, over this slick road that we've come. I know you didn't come tonight to be seen. You come because you love the Lord Jesus, didn't you?

That's the way to come. And we were just about twenty-five minutes coming a few blocks, it was so slick. But they are spraying the streets now. And it'll be different in a little while on the highways.

So, tonight when I was sitting down there, just a few moments ago, hearing our dear brother sing, I said in my soul, “Oh, I wished he would sing my favorite song.” And just then he said, “I'll sing next 'Down From His Glory.'” That's it. That...

Oh, it just thrilled me. I thought, “Lord, You're...” In the day... Now, my friend, Booth-Clibborn wrote that song. And if you only knew the backgrounds of it... Out in a cornfield one night, not a dime in his pocket, his sleeves, the elbows out like that, and shoes with the cardboards in them, like that, and kneeling in an old cornfield one night, God gave him the inspiration to write that song.

And certainly, it has been a... It's—of all the hymns, I love them all, but that's one of my favorites. “Down From His Glory.”

Oh, many of you know Einar Ekberg, don't you? You perhaps do, the great Swedish singer who sang for us in California. He just sang about every night for me. I—I loved it so well. And I certainly think...

In the day... What it does to me, it expresses the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ in a day when they're trying to just make Him a philosopher, a teacher, or a prophet. Why, He was more than that. If He was just a philosopher, if He was just a teacher or even, He was a prophet, we're saved—we're not saved. We're in sin.

He was either—He was God or the biggest deceiver the world's ever had. That's right. God was manifested in flesh to take away sin. The Bible said that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. He was deity Himself, wrapped up in His own Tabernacle that He created, which was His Son, the flesh, Christ Jesus, Jehovah God revealed Himself through His Son, Christ Jesus. Oh, my. What a story and what a truth that is.

Now, I announced on the radio... There was some little pastor—brother I was talking to awhile ago. And he said, “Well, we're going to attend every meeting.” He said, “Except tomorrow night.” Said, “It's my own church night,” some out of town people.

I said, “You tell your people to stay at their post of duty tomorrow night. That's where they belong,” every person at their post of duty. If you haven't got a church? Come visit us. We'd be happy to have you. But if you're in your own church, your duty is at church, every person. Now, unless your whole church is dismissed to—to cooperate in the meetings, well, that—that's just fine, if they—if they can do—do that.

(I kindly throw my hands a whole lot. I'm a little Jewish, so I better move this before I break it for the company.) Jewish? Sure, I am a Jew.

Somebody said not long ago, said, “Brother Bran-ham, are you any relation to Father Abraham?”

I said, “He was my father.” That's right, isn't it?

“Ye being dead in Christ take on Abraham's seed and are heirs according to the promise.” If that ain't my father, I don't know. See? So, we're dead in Christ, take on Abraham's seed, and are heirs according to the promise.

And tomorrow afternoon, there's a... I believe we have a little interview at the—the television station. And tomorrow after—immediately after that, is to be here in the—in the tabernacle for the services.

And—and then tomorrow night we just announced, the Lord being with us or helping us, to continue on. We will try to go right ahead tomorrow night. Then if the Lord willing, continuing right on through next week. As far as He will permit us to go.

Now, I want to read some tonight and... How many is in a hurry of getting home? I just... you... I'll watch that clock and try to let you out just in time. I was just going on to you. But I—I don't get a chance much on healing services... I—I don't get a chance to talk very much or preach.

'Cause when you're preaching, it's an—two different anointings altogether. One of them, as far as preaching, I guess I could preach all night and be all right the next morning, but—but not... Let one person come and one Divine vision, it'll take more out of you than two solid hours of preaching. See?

It's something, I just can't explain it. It—it just does it, and I don't know why. But well, I have been questioned much about it. But if the people read the Bible, they would see where—how—why it was. Why, a woman touched the Master's garment; He said, “I perceive that virtue (or strength) has gone from Me.” See?

Now, I'm not the Master. No, sir. But if the Master's Life is in you, it'll bear an effect just the same. See? Just like the Master looked upon sin—Jerusalem, and wept over it. And if the Holy Spirit is in you, It'll weep right out too, over lost ones and sin and things. It's the Holy Spirit in the person. And that's...

So, we give God praise tonight, to know that the Holy Spirit is in us. Last night, I was teaching of the—the perfection. God Perfecting His Church, bringing the Church to perfection through the Lord Jesus Christ. That how we being dead in Christ take on Abraham's seed, are heirs according to the promise. And we are perfected, not in our own self, not in our own holiness... My...

Someone said to me not long ago, said, “Brother Branham, do you believe in holiness?”

I said, “Yes, sir. Without such, no man can see God.” I said, “But not my holiness, 'cause I have not any. I believe in His holiness (See?), something that He has done, and it's that I rest my hopes upon, not on my own merits; I have none. I rest upon His merits, having this assurance, as He loves me, I love Him. And the whole thing becomes a love affair. See? It's a...

All—all Christianity is wrapped up in big—one big love affair. Don't you believe that? See? Without love... Love is the most perfect thing there is in the Bible. “God is Love. And they that love, are of God,” said John. See? Love...

Paul said, “Though I speak with tongue of men and Angels, though I understand all the mysteries of God, and I have faith to move mountains, give my body to burned as a sacrifice, give all my goods to feed the poor, without love I am nothing.”

Jesus said, “Many will come to Me in that day and say, 'Lord, have not I cast out devils in Your Name? Haven't I done many mighty works in Your Name? And haven't I prophesied in Your Name?'” all those great signs and things that we look at today... Jesus said, “I will confess to them, depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I didn't even know you.” See, see? Without love...

So, when God has anchored His love in the human heart, there is something... For a personal testimony. If I am condemned when I come up before the judgment seat of God at the end time, if it's planned that way, and I have to stand in His Presence, and He points His majestic finger at me and say, “Depart from Me.” If I keep this same attitude that I have now, and I be in hell, I'll still love Him. See?

And He's just. I've deserved to go there at the first place. And if I knew that I was going to be condemned, and know now that I would be condemned at the end, after I've worked for Him a hundred years from now, I'd still desire to work for Him.

If there's no—if there would be no heaven, if there'd be no reward, I still want to be a Christian. That's right. It's just such a perfect satisfaction, something that just... peace that passes all understanding. I wouldn't trade it for nothing. I've tried everything that I was big enough to do. And a lot of things I wasn't big enough to do, I tried anyhow. But I've never met anything that filled me so perfect. And nothing had ever touched the borders until one night Jesus Christ come in this poor Irish heart of mine. It made a different person out of me. See?

If I, tonight, preached and a thousand people got converted, and—or let's say a thousand people had died with the inspiration of God fifty years ago, and they rose up tonight, and I was dying. And say, “Brother Branham, don't trust it; it's false. Get away from it. Trust something else...”

I'd still say, “Let me die believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.” For something actually happened in my life.

If I prayed tonight in the healing line for a thousand people, and in the morning all thousand of them was dead, tomorrow night I'd be praying for the sick just the same. Never move my faith. Because this... It isn't what my results is; it isn't what... It's what God's Word teaches, what makes it truth. That's right. God said so, so that settled it.

Maybe the people didn't have faith. Maybe it was some fault in me. But it's no fault in God. God is truth always, always truth.

Now, last night I was teaching on how that God was made among us, flesh. Strange that the brother sang that song; I never told him to. But it drops right in with the—with the thing—with the service tonight. That Christ being God's manifestation to the world, or showing to the world what His attitude towards the people...

He showed His attitude towards the sinner, when the woman who was in adultery, He forgave her for it. And when the sick was laying in need, He healed them: God expressing Hisself towards the people through Jesus Christ, His Son, in which He was tabernacled.

And how that we'd taken that God manifested Himself. And how that Jesus was not neither Jew nor Gentile. The Blood that was in the Lord Jesus Christ was deity's Blood itself, a creative Blood. See, the blood cell... How that God... The life lays in the blood.

The Bible said, “The flesh thereof, you may eat it. But the blood thereof (which is the life) pour it upon the ground. Don't eat the blood.” 'Cause in the blood lays the life. And the life is wrapped up in the blood cell. And the blood cell comes from the male sex, the man. The...

And remember, that Levi paid tithes when he was in the loins of his grandfather, which was Abraham. When he was in the loins, not of Sarah, but of Abraham. The life begin in there, through his—it was his grandfather.

Now, notice. Then that blood cell... How that God did to protect or to bless His people or to get to His people... How He has done it through the years. The first, He was great, holy and high. No man could touch Him. He dwelt with the children of Israel in a Pillar of Fire.

And when He settled on the mount that morning, even if a beast touched the mountain, it must be thrust through with a dart. No middle grounds, must be thrust through with a dart.

What a terrible thing it was. And when His voice spoke out and the thunders roared and the lightnings flashed, the people said, “Let Moses speak unto us and not God, lest we die.” What a terrible sight it was. That was God, holy. But watch. He loved the people. He was trying to make His way.

Then the next time God was manifested, was in His Son, Christ Jesus. Then He come through a virgin birth. Conceived by a virgin, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. God Himself came down into a blood cell and wrapped the Blood around Him. The Blood cell, the germ of Life of God Himself, wrapped in this Blood cell that brought forth the Son, Christ Jesus.

Now, what He did—does by that, to make you perfect and to bring you back into fellowship, He brings you through that Blood cell into Himself. You get it? Through the Blood cell of the Lord Jesus that in-veiled the Life of Jehovah, and we, coming through the Blood cell, becomes a part of that Life.

So, Deity itself lays in the man that's received the Holy Spirit. You are a son. I'm a Branham by birth. And a part of Mr. and Mrs. Branham is in me. And if you become a son or a daughter of God, part of Deity lays in you.

See how the devil robs you. Say, “Oh, you can't do this.” All things are possible to them that believe. No matter what it is. You are a part of Deity, a son or dau... not a servant, a son and a daughter.

Why, brother, it surpasses all Angels, Archangels and everything else. It comes right into the Presence of the Potter Himself. And how are we brought? Through the Blood. Amen. Then you come into Deity. You become a part. You're welded in.

Let's think of God folding around Him now. We're going to enlarge it billions of times from this Blood cell. And there God, in this Blood cell, folded Himself up, and wrapped Himself in this Blood cell, and come to redeem man to Life. Hallelujah.

There, when that Blood cell spread out, spread out, and brought the body Christ Jesus, Jehovah Himself was tabernacled in Him. That through the bursting of that Blood cell at Calvary might bring sons and daughters to Himself, in the Blood cell to the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, into Himself. And we become a part of God. Amen.

That's what makes Satan mad. That's what shakes him. When the Church of Jesus Christ only knew who they were, brother... Oh, you say, “I know there is nothing impossible with God.” He said there is nothing impossible to you. Amen. That changes the subject, doesn't it?

Oh, they says, “There's nothing impossible to God.” He said there is nothing impossible with you. “Whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe you receive it, and you shall have it.” Amen.

How much faith can you use? The trouble of it is, that I've found, I said the other night, two different classes of people. One of them is a fundamentalist. Positionally, they know what they are. The next is the Pentecostals. The fundamentalist and the Pentecostals. The Pentecostals have the faith. The fundamentalist has the position truth. They believe it.

Now, but the fundamentalist doesn't have any faith to operate what they believe they are. The pentecostals has it, but don't know who they are. That's it. And look. It's just like a man who has a lot of money in the bank, but he can't write a check. The other man can write a check and ain't got no money in the bank. If I could ever get them together, brother, the Millennium would start. Why, this old nation would see something shaking like it never seen before. Signs and wonders would appear from everywhere. If you could ever get fundamental faith and pentecostal people, or a pentecostal faith and fundamental people...

The Pentecostals has received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. And that makes them a part fellowship in relationship with God, that's borned-again, and a son and daughter of God. Tell them out of the Bible and they'll believe it.

But the thing of it is, they forget who they are. They think, “Well, I don't know.” Oh, brother, you that's borned-again are sons and daughters of God, coequal with Jesus Christ, in His Presence. Oh, my. That's what makes the devil angry. Is let the Church of God realize who they are.

Oh, you great living Church of the living God, you should... You who have claimed to have kissed the blessings off of the rim of the cup, sometimes I wonder if God could ever take His Gospel and shake you to a place, till you'd realize who you are, and the rights that you have, the God-given privileges.

Satan don't have one right of nothing. He's only a bluff. He was stripped of everything he had at Calvary, when Jesus Christ taken the sinner's place and died at Calvary. Satan has no legal rights over nothing no more. Hallelujah. But everything lays in the hands of the Church and the believer. That's it. Satan's lost. He's nothing but a bluff.

Even death itself, which we taught last night... The bee when it loses its stinger, it's still a bee, but it ain't got no sting. And death has no sting to the believer, his stinger is gone. Death's singing around, say, “Well, this is the end of the road.” I can point to Calvary and show a resurrection. Hallelujah.

Here not long ago, my boy... We was walking to the grave of his mother. He was a little lad. That morning before daylight, he... We was walking down to put a flower on her grave. And I took off my hat and took off his little old hat. We walked down there, and his little mother and sister laid in the grave. We set a pot of flowers down.

And the little fellow, with his hat in his hands, stood with his head bowed. I knelt down just as the sun begin to break the light. He started to cry. I put my arm around him. I said, “Sonny, look. Down beneath here lays the body of your mother and sister. But in glory they wait our coming.”

I said, “Grave, you can't hold them. For beyond that rising yonder, I can point you to an empty tomb this morning, where One rose up from the grave and robbed Satan of everything he had. And they were in Him when they left here. They've got to come forth just the same as He come forth.” God gave the promise; heavens and earth will pass, but His Word cannot fail. The hopes is built on nothing less than Jesus' Blood and righteousness.

Brother, when you got a courage enough to step out and toe-to-toe the line with the devil and scat him off. If I went to my house tonight... I got a legal deed for my house. If I went in there and someone was laying there drinking and carrying on and doing wrong, I'd say, “You have to get out, friend.”

“Well, this is a house for human beings. I've got a right to be in here.”

I'd say, “You do not. I possess this house. It's mine.”

“Well,” he'd say, “I got a right...” Just like sickness entered a body, or sin, or whatever it is. Say, “Well, the other ones drink. The others do this.” Or, “Others be this way.” But he has no legal rights.

And I could take my abstract deed and go down to the courts and say, “Looky here. Someone has moved in here that doesn't belong here. This is mine. It belongs to me.” And the law would come up and put them out. Because I have an abstract written deed to that property.

Brother and sister, we have an abstract written deed tonight, to salvation and Divine healing. And the devil has no rights. Trust God and the Holy Ghost to put him out. That's all. Amen. Say, I feel religious tonight somehow. I really do. All right.

Notice. God promised it. God's obligated to take care of it. And this Blood cell where He formed—moved into this womb, covered Hisself over with His own creative Blood, brought forth the Son, Christ Jesus. The Blood cell was broken at Calvary. The Blood run out of His body in order that He could bring back into Himself: fellowship.

God manifested in the Pillar of Fire; God manifested in the Son; and now, God manifested in you. The same Holy Spirit that was the dispensation of the Fatherhood. Jesus was the dispensation of the Sonship. And this is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit.

That's the reason we was commissioned to baptize you in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, showing that God has unfolded Himself, condescended, coming down, working His way through. He couldn't enter into sin. But He cleared His way as He went. For God so loved man that He wants to come down and fellowship with Him.

God tonight, the same Jehovah God that spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, lives in every borned-again man or woman, trying His best to make you believe Him. Have faith in Him. Step out. Don't you doubt one bit. But the same God that was with Abraham, is the same God that is tonight.

Now, notice here, just a little farther as He went on. God making Himself known through the Fatherhood, through the Sonship, and through the Holy Spirit. Now, see, He brought into Hisself a blood cell, wrapped Hisself up into this, broke forth the Blood at Calvary, throwed out His Blood that He might bring through this Blood-cleansing, by this same Atonement, taking every sinner and cleanse him, bring him into a fellowship that He can talk with man and walk with man, like He did in the garden of Eden before sin ever come on the earth.

And our relationship is restored to Jehovah through the offering of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Christ's body was only revealed in that Blood cell and through the offering of Blood (which is Life), that He might destroy the life of sin and bring in the Life of righteousness through His Son, Christ Jesus, putting a part of His Life in ours, and we are together.

Didn't Jesus say, “In that day, you'll know that I'm in the Father, the Father is in Me, and I in you, and you in Me?” There you are. Then the Church of the Living God is the anointed body of the Lord Jesus Christ, walking on earth here, giving every hope and everything to the outside world, that the—nothing else can give, Eternal Life.

We have this blessed assurance that Jesus loves us. Because our spirit bears record with His Spirit that we are sons and daughters of God. How the Lord has did this great thing for us. And we see these truths.

Oh, brother, when I see this, it shakes me. We coming on down here in the Gospel tonight, teaching a little farther, down at the 26th verse of the same chapter. Now, look. When truth is presented, men wonder...

I've heard people say, a lot of time, “What is the—the unpardonable sin, Brother Branham?” My mother used to tell me that it was a woman that would take the life of a baby before it was born, abortion case. Well, I... She said, “She has done something. She didn't give the little fellow a chance to live.” Well, that's awful. I'll admit that.

Here not long ago, I met a woman that had committed some of those cases, practicing birth control. That's the disgrace in America. This may kindly singe you a little bit, but watch it. What they'll do today, they used to... They make fun of a man that's got four or five, six, seven children; say, “It's a disgrace.” It used to not be a disgrace. No.

Today we think if a woman—some woman look at a woman that can't go out to the card parties and things because she's supposed to stay home and take care of her baby, why, they think that she is deprived something. Brother, she's done the duty that God told her to do. Oh, they'll...

These American people will practice birth control, and give a hundred dollars for a little old snotty-nosed dog, and pack it around, and give it the love of a baby. It's a disgrace. Excuse that expression. But that's right. Yes, it is. You know that's the truth. Will lead him down the street with a little jacket on him, when he is nothing but a dog. That's right.

But you wouldn't have the baby. Because you're afraid you would deprive yourself of something. God commissioned women to bring forth children. That's exactly right. It used to be it was a wonderful thing. Nowadays, it's a disgrace. Too much time. That's right. You have to have time for your social life, you've got to go out to gatherings. You've got to do this, got to go at the card party.

What the trouble of it is today, we need some old fashion mothers like we used to have. That may sound a little flat. Up in Kentucky, they told me one time, said, “Brother Billy, ain't you from up in Kentucky?”

Said, “Yes.”

“There's where the illiterate people live.”

And I said, “That's right. I'm one of them.”

But I want to tell you something. You take one of them old mammys up there, might not know how to... all the mathematics and so forth, might—she might not have her name in the Who's Who here on earth. But I just imagine she's got her name in Who's Who up there. That's right. Let her daughter stay out all night and come in the next morning with her make-up all over her face and her hair twisted sideways, out drunk somewhere. You know what she would do? She would teach her a lesson with a barrel slat. That's right.

But you're afraid to say anything to them. Oh, it's a disgrace how the bars has been let down. Brother Smith, you won't—might not love me after this, but I feeled there's something. Look. Look.

Here not long ago, it was a disgrace in Pentecostal women... Methodist women used to be that way. Why, you know John Smith, before he died, preached a short sermon of four hours when they had to pack him to the platform? “Why,” he said, “such a disgrace. Even the Methodist daughters are wearing jewelry on their hands.” What would he think now of them wearing shorts and bathing suits (See?), singing in the choir and everything.

Brother, I tell you the house of God needs a cleaning up from the basement plumb to the pulpit. That's exactly right. It used to be a disgrace for the women to cut their hair. “They just don't do that no more. You know, it's all right now.”

Here not long ago, I was in a meeting where there's supposed to be holiness people, sanctified holiness people. And a minister come along, he said, “I want to introduce you to my wife.”

I said, “Thank you.” And he give me that woman, and she... I shook her hand. She had great big long things hanging down like this, come plumb to her shoulders. A little old... About enough clothes on to wad a musket shotgun, and all kinds of paint all over her face. That's right.

He said, “This is my wife.”

I said, “Is she a Christian?”

“Oh,” he said, “Brother Branham, she's a saint.”

You know what I said? Not for a joke, I said, “She looks like a hain't to me, instead of a saint.” I said, “But I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but what she need is a good old fashion Calvary's washing.” Hallelujah.

That's what the Church needs today. Yes, sir. That might make you a little bit sick, but it won't do you no good if it don't. See?

I was a little boy, lived out on a farm. We didn't have much to eat. We'd bake our corn pone in a—up in the south there, and black-eyed peas and—and would use bacon grease, where you just rendered out the lard out of the bacon grease, and skins, where they'd give us at the grocery store. A big bunch of little children, ten of them, we had a hard time.

And every Saturday night, we'd have to take a bath in the old washtub, and take a dose of castor oil. And my mother... I just—I can't even stand the stuff yet. So, I'd have to hold my nose. And I'd say, “Mama, it just makes me so sick I can't stand it.”

She said, “Honey, if it doesn't make you sick, it doesn't do you any good.” So, maybe I'll tie that to this tonight. If it doesn't make you right good and sick, it won't do you any good. It'll help your spiritual digesting, give you an old fashioned cleaning up, so you can have a spiritual, gastronomical jubilee some of these times. Amen. And you know that's the Gospel truth.

What we need today is a good old fashion Saint Paul's revival, and the Bible Holy Ghost back into the Church, that'll shake the subtites of the—hell down into the devil's eye, and call black black and white white.

Give us some men, not compromisers, but will stand up and preach the Gospel in its fullness, in the power and the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. What we need today... It's better than all the theology that can be hatched up by man.

Excuse me, I slobber a little. I've been eating a lot of new grapes; I've been over in Canaan. And them grapes cause you to slobber a lot.

But remember, brother, let me tell you. What we need tonight, is the Gospel preached in the power and the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Brother, it'll clean you as sure as the world. It'll make you act different.

In my country, we got oak trees. And when springtime comes on... All them little old scrub oaks hold their leaves, and I don't have to go out and pick off the leaves, so the new ones will come on. Just let the new life come up, the new leaf take cares itself. When new life comes up, the old leaf drops off.

And brother, I'm not a Nazarene preacher that has an—a measuring stick to the Nazarene churches, or to the Pilgrim Holiness, or to the Pentecostals. I say let a man or woman get right with God, and these other things will take place themselves. And if they don't, it shows something is wrong down here. Whew. That was hard. But that's good. Amen. I don't know what's the matter with me.

Notice in here, the 26th verse:

For (Listen here, now.)...

For if we sin wilfully after... we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin,

What is the unpardonable sin? Paul was picking it up here. I'll go back and get what Jesus said.

For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.“ What? ”If we sin wilfully...“

Now, we got to find out what sin is to see if we do it wilfully. I was saying, here some time ago, was preaching on sin in a Methodist church. And I know there's some Methodist people here perhaps. And I said, “Smoking cigarettes is not sin. Committing adultery is not sin. Stealing and lying is not sin.”

An old Methodist sanctified mother setting there, she said, “Then preacher, tell me what sin is.” That's the attributes of sin. There's only one definition of sin. That's unbelief.

Jesus said, in Saint John 3, “He that believeth not is condemned already.” It isn't how much of the know... I—I go out there and say, “It's nighttime.” Well, how much is night? This is night? This much night? And if I was going to say, “How much light's in this room?” Is this much light? No. The whole thing's light. The whole thing's dark.

You're either a believer or a unbeliever. And the reason that you smoke, and drink, and—and cuss, and do the things you do, is because you are an unbeliever. It bears fruits of itself. And then, if you just say, “Well, I'm—I'm going to quit smoking. And I'm going to quit lying, stealing.” You're doing that in yourself. That still doesn't make you saved.

“I'm going to go to church and try to do better.” That still doesn't mean it's salvation. You've got to be borned-again and righteousness only comes to the attributes of a believing life. “He that sins wilfully after he has received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” Here it is.

If the truth has been presented to people, and you see it and you wilfully (because your church won't accept it or something) walk away from it and say, “That's a bunch of holy-rollers, 'cause my church said so,” you've crossed the line.

“He that disbelieves wilfully after he has received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” You get it?

Now—now, I'm going to take you back and see what Jesus said. One day He was casting out devils. They come up to Him and—and said that He was Beelzebub and He was of the devil. And Jesus said, “How can you, you hypocrites” said, “say good things? When out of the abundance of the heart speaketh—out of the abundance of the heart speaketh the mouth. How can you do it?” And He said, “All manner of blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men. Whosoever shall blaspheme against the Son of man shall be forgiven him. But whosoever blasphemeth (or speaketh) against the Holy Ghost will never be forgiven him in this world or the world to come.” Said, “Because...” They said He cast out devils through Beelzebub, the prince of the devil. Do you see it?

He was standing there doing the work of God, presenting the Gospel in the very manifestation, that God spoke by His prophet said He would do it. And when the Pharisees, the scholars, come along, they actually believed that. But because that they wouldn't be popular, why, they couldn't accept it.

Nicodemus expressed it for the whole group of them. Said, “We know You're a Teacher comes from God. For no man could do these things except God be with him.” We know it, the Pharisees. And then they said, “Oh, He's a devil.” They tried to black it out after they had received and knowed that He was the Messiah. But to be popular and to stay in their own church ranks, they despised Him, and cast Him out, and called Him a devil.

He said, “You might do that to the Son of man, 'cause the Atonement hasn't been made; the blood—blood cell isn't broken. But when That comes, and the Holy Ghost comes and you do such a thing as that, there's no forgiveness in this world or the world to come.”

Then Paul comes around and picks it up here in the Gospel, over in the book of Hebrews, and said, “He that disbelieves wilfully after he has received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin.”

Brother, and the message that's been preached across this United States... If you spurn love, there's only one thing left; that's judgment. No wonder you're shivering and quivering because of atomic bombs. No wonder we see this great civilization that we live in a crumbling and falling. It's because they have blasphemed and walked over the principles of the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And they set up great big, cold formal churches. Walk into them, the spiritual thermometer goes seventy below zero. Somebody say, “Amen,” they stretch their neck around like it was a gander somewhere dying, and look around. And they don't know no more about God than a rabbit knows about snowshoes.

And they get out there and claim to be something with a D.D.D. double L., Ph.D. on the back of their name. Why brother, that don't mean you're any closer to God. I'd rather have an old plow boy couldn't say his ABC's, teaching my children the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, than all the D.D.'s in the world that knows nothing about God. Nothing to your theology...

What we need today is a cleaning up of the church and the baptism of the Holy Spirit presented to the people in the power and demonstration. Amen. That's pretty strong for a Baptist. But that's what it is, brother. It's exactly right.

That's what we need today. That's what my Baptist church needs, is a good old fashion house cleaning time. They got a slogan, said, “A million more in the Baptist church in '44, or '54 rather. A million more.” What have you got? You got a bunch of church joiners comes in and goes outside and lives the same kind of a life.

No wonder Communism hatched up in—over there in Russia. No wonder they turned them out. No wonder Communism come in. Is because the Church let down the bars. Yes, sir. That's exactly the truth. Well...

'Cause the people come in and profess to be Christians, and go back out, and cheat, and steal, and lie, and do the same thing the rest of the world does, act like them, dress like them, talk like them, go to the same places they go, and no more difference than the world. No wonder Communism hatched up, when they was coughing in the money and so forth like that, professing to be something when they was nothing.

In Finland there, when that little boy was raised on the street, after it had been prophesied two years before that somebody would be raised out there like that, when that little boy laying dead for a half hour, pronounced dead by the doctors, walked by there and there was a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ had showed. Raised that little fellow to life again. Why, Russia... Why, they—thousands of them swarmed in there. Till they formed a line three miles on each side, thirty in abreast.

When I got out of the car and walked down through there, those big Russians, standing there with the tears running down their cheeks. They say, “We will receive a God like that.” Something that's got some reality to it.

And I'd see those Russian Christians throw their arms around those Finns, and those Finns put their arms around the Russians and cry like babies. Hallelujah.

Brother, anything that will make a Finn put his arm around a Russian, will settle wars forever. Right. They got the wrong principle. Oh, the big fours and the big buildings and everything else will never bring it, until they accept the policy of the Lord Jesus Christ that we are brothers. Hallelujah. Oh, that's what we need tonight. Yes, sir.

But they'll see the works of God and then they'll say it's the devil. That's right. They can't class it themselves. And the—own little humble work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do, when I go down in America, the reason I don't have those services, the reason I'm holding them back, when I go around in America, in Russia, in any of the other countries, let them see the Lord work one time like that, the whole group comes to Christ. They leave their cots, stretchers, everything. The sinners weep their way, thousands times thousands at a time.

But in America, they can see the manifestation of the Spirit; they'll say, “Dr. Jones said that was mental telepathy.”

“Well, my preacher says that the man's crazy.”

“Well, I tell you; my pastor says that it's nothing but a bunch of mass psychology.”

See, you've been indoctrinated so much. It's too bad. You know, if—if person would go in a morgue like that... I always feel sorry for a dead man when they take him to the morgue. They put a whole lot of embalming fluid in him to keep him—really be sure he is dead.

And that's the way you do when you join these believers—unbelievers like that. They stick a needle in you and embalm some of their own theology to be sure that you stay dead. That's right. You can't leave.

What we need today is a stirring. Hallelujah. God shook America with signs and wonders, and you're without excuse at all. The Holy Ghost has been preached; the blind have seen; the dead's been raised up; thousands of prostitutes and drunkards have been brought into the Kingdom of God shouting the victory tonight. That's right. And America looks at it and calls it mental telepathy, psychology, worked-up.

Well, I see in the papers where the doctors were kindly coming to themselves. I seen where the Medical Association of America said, “No man that doesn't believe in the Supreme Being and the Divine healing of the power of God, has no right to walk into a sick room.” I said, “They're just learning what we knowed a long time ago.” Yes, sir. Then they say we're crazy.

Puts me in a mind of Elijah when he went up on the hill. Told old Ahab, “It's not going to even dew fall till I call for it.” What a statement. Went up there and set down by the brook.

They said, “That old holy-roller will about starve to death up there.” And all the time, when the waters dried up, Elijah was in good shape. God takes care of His own.

When he got thirsty, he just knelt down by the brook Cherith, and got him a drink of water. Yet, he was crazy. And when it come meal time, here come some colored servants by and fed him. That's better off than half of you people here in Binghamton tonight. You ain't got no colored servants. He did. The crows come by and fed him. Is that right? It's true.

Somebody said to me, said, “Do you really believe that's the truth?”

I said, “Yes, sir. God said so.”

He said, “Where in the world did them crows get that sandwich you was talking about.”

I said, “That wasn't Elijah's business. The crows brought it, and he eat it and stayed fat and round for three years and six months.” That's all there is to it.

I said, “You told me I was crazy, 'cause I was shouting.” I said, “You said it was I was excited and it was mental telepathy.” I said, “The only thing I know, the Holy Ghost brings it, we eat it, and get fat and round. That's all that makes any difference to me.”

You can say we're crazy if you want to. When we want a drink, we go to the Rock that was smitten on Calvary. There is honey found in that same Rock. And every man tonight that's borned of the Spirit of God has a right to go there and ask for it. And the Holy Ghost brings down his spiritual dinner, his spiritual supper, his breakfast. Oh, my. And then say we're crazy. Oh, my. All right.

He that receives truth... Here not long ago, you seen the article in the paper of that little Donny Morton being healed out there in California. The “Reader's Digest” packed it, went in every language under heaven, everywhere, about the miracle. Mayo Brothers had turned him down. John Hopkins had turned him down. The little fellow come on the platform and twenty-seven hundred people standing in the prayer line. Assembly of God, place we was having the meeting, out in Costa Mesa, California.

And when the little fellow come on the prayer line, the book—the “Reader's Digest” wrote it up right. Said, “The evangelist asked no questions. Looked into the child's face and said...” Well, many of you read it. And you know the article.

And it said, “Why, he looked into... The evangelist's looked into it's face. And never asked no questions. But said, 'You come from Canada. You brought the child. It's been to Mayo's; it's been to John Hopkins. It's got a rare blood disease, a brain disease. There's no cure for it.' And the father started crying.

Said, 'You come by... started to come part of the way by a sled. And then you went down to the place and when you did... to get on a—to get on a plane, you and your wife, you found out you didn't have even enough money for both of you to come on a bus. And now, Traveler's Aid's a helping you.'“

And the man like to have fainted. And the Holy Spirit spoke THUS SAITH THE LORD. And the baby got well. And the same time they did that... was given to...

About a few weeks before that, this Miss Pepper, you know her, this great spiritualist, across the country. Been noted it for years; She's a spiritualist. You probably read the same thing. She had about seven pages in the Reader's Digest. Where she would go and they would change her clothes, and—and she would stand and talk to the dead. And there's no upset about it. They done everything they could do. They had taken her from nation to nation. She'd fall into a trance and—and see things—dead people would talk.

You say, “Now, Brother Branham, we're sure that you're a soothsayer now.” Just a loophole.

I said, “Brother, any man that would put that kind of an intelligence in a grasshopper, he'd jump backwards.” I said, “Let me tell you something. You don't know no more about God than that.” I said, “No more than a Hottentot would know about a Egyptian knight.” I said, “If you take... Look at the thing.” I said, “Look. In fifty years...”

Sure the devil has a pattern for everything God has. He has a hypocrite out there trying to act like a Christian. That don't mean there is no Christians. It's true. He has an old witch setting out there on the corner, and a—a mental psychic reader setting over there with a fortuneteller. She is a devil trying to impersonate a prophet. But that doesn't take away the value of a prophet. Certainly not. It just only magnifies the prophet.

A bogus dollar don't mean there ain't a real one. It means there is a real one. If it wouldn't, that would be the real. If there was no... If a bogus dollar... If there wasn't one it was made off of, it would be the real. A bogus dollar only shows that there's something real.

A man shouting with a... acting a hypocrite and going out and living any kind of a life and coming in church. That only shows that there is a genuine Christian somewhere.

Hear a man raise up with the gifts of the Spirit and give message, and go out and live with somebody else's wife, or drink or carry on. That only shows there is a genuine article somewhere. Amen. That'll do you good. Let it scour down, sink in right deep. Notice. That's right.

Notice. I said, “The first thing, in fifty years she never mentioned Christ. She never mentioned God. She never mentioned Divine healing. She never mentioned eternity. She never mentioned hell. She never mentioned heaven. It was all some kind of a frolic of some dead person that was gone. See? I said, ”Looky here on this side, where the Holy Spirit come.“ I said, ”The thing it does, it mentions Christ, God, repentance, hell for the sinner and heaven for the saint, Divine healing, resurrection. Why,“ I said, ”if you picked up a dollar or any man picked up a dollar, if you looked at it, the first thing, if it was all no good at all, you'd say there is nothing to it.“

But it has to impersonate. And so does the devil impersonate Christ. It's true. But the first thing, if you picked up a dollar, you'd feel for the value of it. First thing, a dollar is not made altogether out of paper. It's silk. And you feel the value of it. If it wasn't a real dollar, you could tell it by the looking at it, feeling it.

The first thing, look what she did over here: nothing for God. Look what the Holy Spirit does over here: everything for God. This declares nothing. This declares God. I said, “Now, if you want to be sure about it, take the dollar, and take the name off of it—the letters off of it. And take it back to the mint. And see if there is enough silver there. If that dollar is recorded at the mint, if that number is on there, there is a dollar's worth of silver or gold to take it's place.”

And I said, “That's the way to do this. Look down and take the value of it. Whether it's—whether it's of God and what's not.” I said, “If it's doing God's work, then the Holy Spirit of the Bible said, 'These signs shall follow them that believe.' You can't find nothing on a spiritualist or a devil. It's over here.”

Now, here's what it is that you might know and see for sure. A person lives in a channel like this. I wrote a letter to the public, that they'd be sure to understand. See, the—the American people are so hypnotized with different theologies. And the Bible said they'd be that way. Did you know that? Said, “When they go from the east and the west, north and south, seeking to find the true Word of God and fail to find it.”

Dr. So-and-so believes it this way; and Dr. So-and-so believes it this way. And they kick out the Blood. They kick out the Atonement. They kick out the power. They kick out the Holy Spirit. What they got left? Take the Blood of Jesus Christ out of the Bible and you haven't got no Bible left. Take the baptism of the Holy Ghost out of there, you've got nothing to preach with or on. Amen.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Don't you never let anybody tell you anything else. He's raised from the dead. He lives tonight, supremely. He's here in the building now. Certainly He is. “Wherever two or three are gathered together, I'll be in their midst. No matter how small the church is, even two or three gather, I'll be there.” He couldn't lie. He can't lie.

And notice, now. Like this street here's where mortals live. Mortals are influenced from an outside world. I should understand by the grace of God. I deal with spirits. And I should know what I am speaking of.

And I look along through this dark mass of gaiety. Every once in a while, you'll see little lights a burning. Lights, that's... There you are. It's your table today. Lights a burning. that's Christians in the darkness giving light. See what I mean?

Now, look at this here. The sinner is influenced by a spirit because he has a spirit. And the wrong gives influence and the right gives influence. And those who are dominated from—with blackness and separation, are dominated from the underworld of devils.

Look. The first thing when you... Here when you're going out of this line now, get this straight. Here's where mortals live. A whole conglomeration is blackness and darkness. And in there is little lights, placed now and then.

That's Christians borned-again of Light. “Ye are—you are a light that is set on a hill. A candle that is set in the room and gives light to all the room.” That's what a Christian is amongst darkness. You're supposed to shine where it's dark.

Now, notice. The wicked or the unbeliever is influenced from beneath. There is a trinity of hell like there's a trinity of heaven. They're influenced by evil powers.

Notice. The first thing, when you start down, the first thing you find is a realm here that's got the unsaved in it. That's right. That's where Jesus went and preached to the souls that were in prison that repented not in the long-suffering in the days of Noah. The next is demons. And the next is hell itself. The world is influenced by these demon powers through this trinity. And the Christians are influenced by a Spirit too, the Holy Spirit.

The first is the Holy Spirit, above, for Christians. The next layer is Angels. And the next heavens is God. Holy Spirit, Angels and God... The Holy Spirit come a past Angels, come down to redeem sinners.

Now, what that woman done. She only broke into the realm of them dead men. A sinner doesn't die, I mean, cease to exist when he goes out of this life. He goes into a place of chains of darkness.

And when the Christian dies now, after the death of Jesus... He did go into a paradise. But when Jesus died, He took away paradise, and he goes in the Presence of God. See?

Now, notice. Like Jesus... If you could get it this a way. Looky here. When Jesus died... Look at Him. When He come, people were captured. They was in doubts. They were all sewed up. They didn't know what to do. Satan had a reign over them. And when Jesus come, because the blood of bulls and goats wouldn't take away sin, Jesus come to give His own Life, that His own Blood would take away sins.

Let's get a little picture here a minute. I can see Jesus when He come on to the earth. My, what a Person He was. He was borned according to the will of God. He was foreknowed by God. And He came in the time of God, in the will of God, to do the will of God.

You know, people reads the Bible... They... you don't... In reading the Bible, you don't want to just read It just bare like you was reading a newspaper. This Bible is hid from the wise and prudent. I don't care how great your school is, your seminary, you will never know nothing about God, until you get in love with God. You have to read between the lines. It's hid.

When I get a letter from Mrs. Branham, now, she'd say—she'd say, “Dear Billy, I—I—I love you much, and I'm thinking of you.” That's what she is saying on the paper, but I can read between the lines. 'Cause I'm in love with her. And I know what she is talking about.

Now... [Blank.spot.on.tape]... else might read the letter and wouldn't think much about it. But I do. Because she loves me and I love her. It's a love affair. And when we're borned-again of God... [Blank.spot.on.tape]... read the Bible, it becomes more than just a story. It's a love affair between the believer and God. “Revealed to babes such as will learn.”

Look... Show you that it's secretly, just one little thing here on the side. Let's take for instance, Job, when he was in trouble. There he stood there, all the... God looked down at him and said, “There's my servant Job.”

Satan said, “Yes. But You got him hedged up. Let me have him. I'll make him curse You to Your face.” Oh, my.

So he come down. And Job, he broke out Job in boils. You know how it was and everything, took his children and everything he had away from him. Job didn't have nothing left, setting out there broke out in boils, a piece of crock scraping his boils.

One time, I preached the book of Job, come to that place, I stayed on—Job on the ash heap for about six weeks. A lady wrote a letter to me, said, “Brother Branham, will you ever get Job off the ash heap?”

There he was setting out there, trying to let the people see what a condition that man was in. Setting out there, everything forsaken him. Some of his church members come down and accused him of being a secret sinner, turned their back to him for seven days. What a consolation. What a bunch of brethren.

But the man knew that he hadn't sinned. So, God's under obligation to visit him. So, He sends Elihu. Wish we had time to go into Elihu's name, to interpret and show you it was a representative of Christ.

And Elihu come down and straightened Job out. Job looked down and seen the flowers. It would die and go down; the seed would rot away; the pulp would go; the flower would go; and nothing left. And nothing was gone. When the springtime come along, there is no pulp, no petal, no seed, no nothing. It was all gone. That isn't the end of the flower. When the sun begin to shine, there was a germ of life somewhere in there. And the flower, it lived again. He said, “But man giveth up the ghost. He wastes away. Here, where is he? The son's come to mourn.” See, he was talking about... He seen the flower raise again. He seen the tree raise again. He seen nature reproduce itself. But man goes into the ground and where is he? That was the question, yet man's supposed to be the image of God. So, Elihu...

And I'll put it in form so the children would understand. He said, “Job, you see, that flower never sinned. But man sinned. And it separated himself from God. But there's coming One someday, Who will stand in the breach for the man, put His hand on a sinful man and a Holy God and bridge the way.”

Job, being a prophet, the Spirit come on him. And he stood up on his feet and shook himself, the Spirit on him. The prophet now, finding the will of God and standing up, he said, “I know my Redeemer liveth. And at the last days He will stand upon this earth. Though the skin worms destroys this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Whom I shall see for myself, my eyes shall behold and not another.” That's right. The prophet seen the Coming of the Lord. “I know my Redeemer liveth.” Not... Lives, now, continually, forever. “My Redeemer liveth.”

The oldest book in the Bible is Job. “I know that my Redeemer liveth. And at the last days (the last two thousand years) He will stand on the earth. Though the skin worms destroyed my body like it did the flower down there and so forth. Yet in my flesh I'll see God, Whom I shall see for myself; mine eyes shall behold and not another.” Watch, to make it quick now, to get to my point.

When Job died, he specified where to be buried. Wonder why? They buried Job. Along come Abraham years later. When Abraham died, or Sarah died, Abraham went right straight into the same land where Job was buried, and bought a piece of ground, and buried Sarah. And when Sarah—Abraham died, Abraham slept with Sarah. Same place where Job was. I wonder why?

Abraham begot Isaac. When Isaac died, he was buried with Abraham. When Abraham—when Isaac begot Jacob, Jacob died way down in Egypt. But before he died, he called Joseph, the prophet son of his, and said, “Put your hand on my crippled hip here, where the Holy Ghost touched me one day, and I've walked different ever since. Yes.” Said, “Put your hand on my hip and swear by the God of our fathers that you'll not bury me down here in this place.” I wonder why?

Oh, I do feel religious now. Wonder why? It's not written in the Word, but they were prophets. They foreseen it. Wonder why? “Don't bury me down here in Egypt. No. But take me up there and bury me with my fathers.” Why? They took him up and buried him there.

When Joseph died, he said, “Don't bury me here. Put my bones...” (which was a perfect representation of Christ) and said, “Someday, God will visit you, then take my bones up in the promised land and bury them.” Why? Why?

They caught the vision that Job caught. They knowed that Jesus was coming. They knowed that He'd stand, and there'd be a Resurrection in the last days, not in Egypt but in Palestine.

And that's it today. You can have all your church joining and frolics and basketball parties and everything else you want to. But for me, bury me in Christ. “For those that are in Christ will God bring with Him in the Resurrection.” Yes, it means something.

“Oh, as long as I joined a church, Reverend Branham, isn't it all right?” No, sir.

“Except a man be borned of the Spirit and water, He will no wise see God.” Bury me in Jesus Christ. Let them call me a holy-roller, fanatic, or whatever you want to, let me stay in Jesus. “For those that are in Christ,” not those that are in Egypt, not those that are in the churches. But “Those that are in Christ will God bring with Him at the resurrection.” Can't you get your eyes open, people, to see what it means? In Christ. How do we come into Christ? By a Holy Ghost baptism.

Look at Jesus when He died. He hung between the heavens and earth on the very tree that He growed. The heavens said, “That's the Son of God.” God shut His vision off. He couldn't let Him die. He didn't... He died a sinner, not sin that He had done, But my sin and your sin on Him drove Him to the cross. He died in the absence of God. Said, “My God, why has Thou forsaken Me?”

And there when God shut the vision off. And said He couldn't watch His own Son die. And when the rocks rent out of the mountain since the very Creator that created them was dying at the cross, when a Roman soldier put his hand on his heart and said, “Truly, that is the Son of God.” Everything...

And Judas Iscariot, the wicked old hypocrite, when he throwed down the money before Caiaphas' feet and said, “I betrayed innocent blood,” and hung himself... His enemies and everything else testified He was the Son of God.

When there He was, Pilate standing there, ready to condemn Him, to pass judgment, I hear the temple guard ride up. Jumped off his horse, and fell down, and run up and brought Pilate a little note. Said, “Here, your majesty.”

Let's See? Pilate looks at it. He turns white. His lips turn white. His knees beat together. Let's look over his shoulder and see what it says. Have... His pagan wife now, “Have nothing to do with this just Man. For I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.” Pilate said, “I wash my hands of Him.”

That didn't clean him. That didn't take Him off his hands. No, he said, “I won't have nothing to do with Him. I won't go back to church no more.” That don't clean your hands, brother. No, indeed. He's on your hands now. Yes, sir. What are you going to do with it is the next thing?

Now, when Jesus died, the Bible said He went and preached to the souls that were in prison that repented not in the long-suffering in the day of Noah. Is that the Scripture? You know it is. What was that? Jesus went and preached to the souls that were in prison. Why? He walked to the doors. I can see Him over yonder in that demon region, where those demons lay, those un... I mean those souls that didn't repent. In that dark place there called the chains of darkness. [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit four times] Knocked at the door. And He opened up the door and I looked in there.

There is a great mass of souls, lost and screaming. And beautiful girls and wrinkled hags and everything else, crying. Oh, my. If they only had a chance. The heavens has done said He was the Son of God. The earth said He was the Son of God. The atmosphere said He was the Son of God. The stars wouldn't shine. The moon wouldn't shine, and the sun went down. Everything said, “That's the Son of God.”

The Roman said, “That's the Son of God.” The earth belched out it's rocks, said, “It's the Son of God.” And now, He is here to the lost souls and He knocks on the door. [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit several times]

I can hear Him when His Majesty—when He knocks on the door and they looked up at Him. He said, “I am the Son of God. I've just died at Calvary for sinners. Why didn't you believe Enoch and the rest of the prophets before the day of the destruction?” He had to witness to the lost that He was the Son of God.

And them screaming for mercy, He had to shut the door. 'Cause they had spurned mercy and they had to receive judgment. And He goes on down a past the demons. I can see Him go down to hell where the devil was. [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit] Knocked at the door. The devil said, “Who is there?”

Said, “Open up.” And I can see the devil open up the door.

“Oh,” he said, “You finally arrived, did You? Uh-huh.” Said, “I finally got my hands on You.” He said, “I thought I had You when I killed Abel. I thought I had You when I took the life of the prophets. I was sure I had You when I beheaded John. But now, I've got You.”

I can hear him as he rattles that scary key there of hell and death on his side, the keys that he kept people shut up in. For all those years, he rattled it. Jesus said, “I am the Son of God. I am the virgin born Son of the Living God. You can't bluff people any longer. My Blood's still wet at the cross. I paid the full price of every one of them sinners. And now, they're free. Give Me that key of death and hell.” Remember when He raised up, He had it. Yes, sir. “Give Me that key. You'll not scare them any more. My people will not be scared, that believes on Me, any more.”

And I can see Him smite the devil in the face, and pull the keys off, and hang it on His side, and start to glory—start for the heavens.

I can see Him; He said, “Wait a minute. There's another group. Over here had been Job, Abraham, Isaac, Sarah. Why, heaven wouldn't be heaven without Sarah and Abraham in it, hardly. There they was over here in paradise; they couldn't go in the Presence of the Father. They lived under the burnt sacrifice, all they knowed how to do. They were justified. But it couldn't divorce sin. It couldn't take sin.

So, Abraham and them back in there in paradise, having a good song that morning perhaps. Along about two o'clock in the morning, time on earth. I can see Him walk up there to the gates of paradise. [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit five times] I can hear Abraham say, “Wonder who that is?” He opened up the door. Abraham said, “Well, there He is. The One that I saw in a vision.”

I can hear Daniel raise up, said, “I know Him. He's the Rock that I seen hewed out of the mountain without hands.”

I can hear Ezekiel say, “Yes, that's Him. He's the One I seen coming in the clouds with dust under His feet. Hallelujah. Oh, there He stands.”

He said, “Children, you died under good faith.”

Job said, “That's the One that I call my Redeemer.” You ain't got room for me to preach now. “That's the One that I call my Redeemer. For I know the deliverance is nigh now.” That's Him. He had to witness to everything. He witnessed to the earth, to the hell, to the lost souls, to—back up here to paradise. He said, “You were faithful. Now, come on. We're going up this morning. It's almost daylight. They got My body sealed in up yonder. I've got a different body.”

When a saint dies, I'm not able to tell you what kind of a body He receives. But it's not a glorified body. It's not a spirit, but it's some kind of a body that lasts until the resurrection. And when He said, “I haven't received this glorification yet, but I'm going up, and we're going to come out in a few minutes.”

I can hear Sarah say, “Come on, Abraham.” All of them get together, and the saints rallying around Him. First thing you know, it's along about daylight. I can hear Abraham say, “Master? You going to wait around a little while? Can we make a little whistle-stop before we go up to glory? I'd like to look the old home place over again.”

“Well, sure.” He said, “Sure. I'm going to be with My disciples forty days and nights. Come on.” And away they went.

The morning star gave it's light. The Angel of God come rolled away the stone. And the Bible said that the saints that slept in the dust of the earth, rose (Matthew 27) and come out of the graves and appeared to many.

I can see Caiaphas saying, “You know what? They tell me that holy-roller raised from the dead this morning? I wonder what I—what I—what's going to happen to these people now? All these kind of stories.”

I can see Abraham and Isaac walk... Abraham and Sarah, their arms around one another, walking down the street. And Sarah—Abraham say, “Sarah? Don't the old place look natural over there? And remember when we was setting up there?”

“Yes, I remember.”

Caiaphas said, “Who is that couple there? Seemed like I seen them somewhere.”

Abraham said, “Sarah, Sarah. We're being recognized.” They had a body like Jesus' body. They could disappear like He did through the walls. Just disappeared out of their sight.

And Caiaphas said, “You know? Something's going wrong around here. I don't know what's happening.” Oh, my.

Those were...?... After forty days and nights visit the earth, they heard Him saying, “Someday we're returning back.” Hallelujah. Then when Jesus was taken up... Glory to God. I can see Him when He rises on the Easter—on that morning to go up after His—after ascension. And the saints went with Him. The Bible said, “He led captive captive, give gifts unto men.” Is that right?

I can see Him as He go up on a past the morning stars, on a past the moon, on a past the sun, on into the Archangels, beyond them, on into the heavens of heaven.

First thing you know, they come in sight of the great ivory palace. I can hear the Old Testament saints say, “Lift up ye everlasting gates and be ye lifted up. And let the King of glory come in.” Hallelujah. David's prophecy had to be fulfilled. There He comes triumph, walking. Glory to God. Whew. I feel like a holy-roller sure enough.

Notice. Here He come walking, God's Word is eternally true. He's coming again. Going walking down through there, triumph. And I hear the Old Testament saints rallying around Him. “This is the Redeemer.” Say, “Lift up ye everlasting gates and be ye lifted up and let the King of glory come in.”

I can hear the Angels back over in—in the ki... in the glorious place of God, say, “Who is this King of Glory?” That's what the Bible said. And the Old Testament saints said, “The Lord of hosts, mighty in battle.” Here He comes, the King with His delegates, the Conqueror. Although He is a mighty Conqueror since He rent the veil in two.

The Angel pressed the gates. The pearly gates swing open, when he pressed the button. Down through the city of Jerusalem come Jesus the Conqueror, with all the Old Testament saints that lived back there, believing that He would come sometime. Hallelujah.

I can see Him marching, as Angelic bands beating and play, and the angels sing Hosanna. Here come the Old Testament saints and Jesus walking through the streets, right up in front of the Father. He said, “Father, this are those that died in good faith.”

“Well, done My Son. Climb up here on My throne, and set down in My right hand till I make every enemy Your footstool. For one of these days I'm going down to Binghamton, New York.” Hallelujah. “I'm going to send You back again to get everyone that dies in faith.” Amen. There He is, the great mighty Conqueror, setting at the right-hand of the majesty of God tonight, in His Presence, making intercession on anybody here that will dare to take Him by faith. And God will send the Holy Ghost down to seal you into the Kingdom of God.

A good Baptist brother of mine said the other day; he said, “Preacher, what anything else can a man do but believe?”

I said, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? You taught me that I received the Holy Ghost when I believe. But Paul said to the Baptists back there, 'Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?'”

He said, “What more can a man do but believe?” He said, “Brother Branham, what's went wrong with you?”

I said, “I got my eyes opened.”

He said, “Well, I want to ask you something.” Said, “God believed—or Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.”

I said, “That's right.”

Said, “What did Abraham do?”

I said—I said, “Believe. But God give him the seal of circumcision as a confirmation that he had received his faith.” And I said, “The Bible said today that we're sealed in the Kingdom of God by the Holy Ghost. And if you say you believed and God hasn't give you the Holy Ghost, He hasn't confirmed that He has received your faith yet.” Amen. Ephesians 4:30 says, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby you're sealed unto the day of your redemption.” So, if you haven't received the Holy Ghost since you believed, brother, God has never recognized your faith yet. That's right.

So, we're sealed into the Kingdom of God until Jesus returns again. The Blood's been spread. It's for whosoever will, let him come. The Holy Ghost stands tonight as a witness to bear record of the ministry of Jesus Christ. Signs and wonders take place. The Gospel's being preached. Everything's taking place according to His Word. The signs are heaping up everywhere, everywhere of His Coming. Don't you want to go when He comes?

The only thing you can do, if you're baptized with the Holy Ghost, and sealed in the Kingdom of God, rest assured. If you remain in that Church of the living God, you will go in the resurrection. Got to. Got to. Yes, sir. Stay in the Church of God. I don't mean the denomination, Church of God. I mean there is only one Church. And that's those that are borned-again.

I've been in the Branham family forty-five years, and they never did ask me to join the family. I was borned in the family. I was borned a Branham. And that's how we come into the Church of the living God. We are born by the Holy Spirit, by one Spirit. Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, any, whosoever will can be borned into the body of Christ by Holy Ghost baptism.

I Corinthians 12 said, “By one Spirit, we're all baptized into one body and become members of that body.” If you're not a member tonight, may the Lord help you to become while we pray.

Father, we thank Thee for Thy Word. Thy Word is Truth. We thank Thee for the Holy Spirit, Who is the living Word here tonight, to manifest any Divine blessings that God Almighty has promised.

And now, Lord Jesus, to see that You were conceived here in this earth by the Holy Spirit, and He wrapped Hisself in a Blood cell, broke the cell open at Calvary. No man takes His life. He laid it down freely. The blood cell was broken because the Spirit could be made free from the Blood, coming into the body again, coming through the Blood, it was given. From His body came water, Blood and Spirit, just like a natural birth of water, blood, and spirit.

And, Father, I pray tonight that if there be someone here, who has never in—come into the body of Christ yet, as a full believer, sealed and recognized by the Father God, that this will be the night that they'll receive it. Grant it, Lord. Through Thy mercy and in Thy Name, we ask it.

And while you have your heads bowed. The music plays just a moment. If you will tonight, I ask you, if you're not a believer, if you've never been borned again, or you're here without Christ, without God, without hope, going to a devil's hell, perishing, and know that if you die in that state, you'll be lost, would you raise up your hand, say, “Brother Branham, offer a prayer for me tonight. I'm lost and I need Christ.”

Will you raise up your hands? Is there any... I—I'm not the judge, you know, I can't say. But I'm just asking you if you'll raise your hand. God bless a sweet little girl, and a mother that raised up her hand. God bless you both. That's good. Someone else? Raise up your hand and say, “Brother Branham...” Brother, God bless you, sir. May the Lord bless and save you.

Is there another one to raise your hand. No. God bless you, sir. Another man raised up his hand setting here. Someone else that's not a Christian would want to become a Christian? Say, “Oh, God, have mercy on me. I believe the preaching of the Word. I believe it's Eternal Life to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And I want to be saved. I'll raise my hand.”

Will you raise your hand? I'm just asking for sinners now, that you'll raise your hand. Just say, “Remember me, Brother Branham, as you pray. I'm a sinner and I need Christ.” Will—will you just raise your hand? Now, I've got two. Could I have another? Another one. A little girl there I took, counted her, three. And all right. There's... Now, that's fine.

Now, could I have some more? Just raise your hand. Brother, sister, if you only realize I'm offering you the best thing that was ever offered you in your life, if you've never been offered Christ before.

What if some of you older people setting here, or some of you young people, that I had a little capsule here, that had been proven that I could give you this little capsule and you'd live a thousand years and remain young all—all that time, why, there'd be so many people here, you couldn't beat them away. I haven't got that. But I've got something better than that. I've got something that'll give you Everlasting Life, not for a thousand years. But for millions of years and aeons of time that's to come. You will never die. “He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me has Everlasting Life, shall not come into condemnation but has passed from death unto Life.”

Sinner friend, won't you raise your hand to your Maker saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” There was three hands up. All right, just a second longer. All right.

Do you want Everlasting Life? It's yours. All right. Was there any here that has accepted Christ as their Saviour and hasn't been borned again, really needs the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Will you raise your hand, saying, “God be merciful to me. I want You to recognize my faith tonight as a believer and give me the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” God bless you and you. There's two, three, four, five. Yes, about a dozen hands goes up for that.

God grant it to you, my dear beloved friends. God save the sinner is my prayer, while we bow our heads.

Now, kind heavenly Father, there was three hands went up here, one of them a child, but You said, “Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for such is the Kingdom of heaven.” And I pray God, that You will save those people right now. Where they're setting there at their seat, may the peace of God come upon them and may they be made every whit whole. Grant it, Lord.

May Your Holy Spirit... You said, “No man can come to Me, except My Father draws him.” Their minds could never change. The devil would've drawed them away from it. But the Holy Spirit, lovely, is there now speaking to them. And they're convinced that they're wrong. And they raised their hands, not to me, but to You, Lord, that You'd remember them as sinners and save them for Christ' sake. Grant it, Lord.

And many of those children raised their hands, needing the baptism of Thy Spirit. O Great God of heaven, grant, heavenly Father, that this very night, that You will fill them with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Being regular pentecost night, being a Saturday night, I pray, Father, that this will be the time that You'll give them the blessing on Pentecost that they had. May the rushing mighty wind sweep forth from heaven and fill their souls to the capacity, that they can just hardly contain the joy and the peace that passes all understanding. Grant it to them tonight, Father, as Your humble servant, I ask it, in Jesus Christ' Name. Amen.

As you raise your head just a moment. I said something today that maybe was a little strange. I'm going to have them to the altar call just in a moment. I want everyone to keep just reverent and quiet.

I've tried to do something. I've tried across the country. One time to meet people and shake their hands and to be—have fellowship with them and do everything I could. Because on my healing services, the anointing strikes me, and I just simply can't—I just... Every person I meet it's a vision. And I try to keep away from it as far as I could.

But I'm not preacher enough to hold my congregations. I realize that. It's... The ministry is healing. God willing, beginning tomorrow night, at six-thirty or seven o'clock, the prayer cards will be give out. I'm going to fasting from this very hour, from this night. I'm going to believe the Lord Jesus Christ (or maybe from in the morning) to bring the anointing of the Angel of God back to me again. If I can't make an influence in preaching the Gospel that I believe, I'll pray for God's sick children then. And tomorrow night, we'll have healing services here. Tomorrow afternoon, I want to preach on a subject, if God willing. Tomorrow afternoon, or tomorrow right—at Sunday school time, “Why That I Am What I Am.” Come. If you have... it's... be after your church services is out perhaps. Tomorrow night.

New York, you need a shaking here. I haven't got the ability as a minister to do it, as a preacher. I know I'm a—a spare tire. But my heavenly Father, He's big enough to do it. And I trust it to Him that He will do it. And I love you and I, maybe, if my incorrect way of demonstrating myself or giving out to the way I feel, maybe they—it ain't influencing your educated and smart people. But I know what I'm talking about. I know the love of God. I know the power of God. And I—I know that He is. And maybe He will manifest Hisself in a Divine gift. May the Lord bless you, while we bow our heads again.

Now, Lord, maybe I'm trying—have tried and got in myself, Lord, by trying to get away from the healing services. Here stretched on a stretcher tonight, lays a woman. Over here sets a man in a wheelchair. Out through the audience, there's sick people setting there shaking, some of them with palsies. As I look on them, the Angel of God standing near, O God, be merciful. I pray that You'll heal every one of them. May they rise from here tonight, walking out of this building, normal well people. Grant it.

O God, save the lost tonight. Realizing that every soul that comes to Christ must realize that what it means, that he has Everlasting Life if he will remain in the boat, he will be saved. O God, grant that that determination will come into the heart. And tonight, that every one of those who lifted their hands to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, may they not pass the threshold of the door yonder tonight, until the Holy Ghost has filled them with the power that fell on Pentecost.

O Almighty God, the Lover of man's souls, Who gave Your only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should never perish but have Everlasting Life. Strike Your love across every heart tonight, Lord, and seal them into the Kingdom of God. Hear the prayer of Your unprofitable, unworthy servant, Lord, as I plead as only a man could plead for his people.

Lord, these mortals who are with me. These mortals who must know that they've got to be borned again. Grant it, Lord, that they will receive it tonight. Hear my prayer, as I ask in Jesus' Name.

With your heads bowed, I wonder if the sinner here tonight, that raised his hand (those three or four, ever what it was) would walk here to this altar, and stand here first, and say, “I want to accept Christ as my personal Saviour.” While we sing a hymn, if you will, the brother will come forward here. I wonder if the sinner would walk right down here.

If He will hear my prayer to open the eyes of the blind, to raise the dead up from the grave through visions, to heal men like Congressman Upshaw, King George of England, and Gustav of Sweden, and many of the others. If Florence Nightingale, her grandmother the founder of the Red Cross, laying there with cancer, eat to a—a little windle, and there she is perfectly normal and well today... If God will hear my prayers for such as that, along with the tens of thousands of others, won't He hear for your lost soul? Certainly, He will. You're invited now, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, to come. While we sing this hymn.

[Brother announces the hymn, “There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood.”] What a marvelous song and what a time for it.

There is a fountain filled with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's veins,

When 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.

Won't you come to the Fountain that's prepared for you? While we sing. All right.

... is a fountain filled with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's veins,

When sinners plunge beneath the flood,

Lose all their guilty stains.

Lose all their guilty stain,

Lose all their guilty stains;

And there... plunged beneath that flood,

Lose...

My sinner friend, why do you wait? Why don't you come now? Life. Remember, you and I, just as certain as we're standing here tonight, will meet yonder in the Presence of Jesus Christ some of these days. And this recording tonight, will be showed on the screen of time. And you setting where you are tonight, and me standing where I am, trying to stand between the dead and the living, I am inviting you to Jesus Christ. Will you come?

Once more. Remember, that I won't be responsible, but you know you're a sinner and outside of God and outside of Christ, without hope, in the world, dying. What if God called your soul tonight, friend? What would you give in exchange for it? While we sing one more verse, won't you come, sinner man?

... dying thief rejoiced to see

... fountain in his day;

And there may I, though vile... (Won't you come?)

Wash all... (Won't you come accept Him? While there's... a little...?... come.)

Wash all my sins away;

And there may I, though vile as he,

Wash all my sins away.

All right. I trust that God will grant to you, my friend, maybe not the courage to come. I am not a persuader. See? The only thing that I can do... If the Holy Spirit can't get you to move, my efforts are too poor to do it. See? When the Father has struck at your heart. And no man...

Just think, what if God wouldn't call. There is people in this world, that'll never be—never receive the call, that'll never come. Many... Said Jude, “These man of old was foreordained to this condemnation.” And to think, that God in His goodness tonight... Jesus said, “No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first. And all that comes will receive Everlasting Life.” And God is good enough to knock at your heart tonight. And would you be foul enough to refuse Him?

Say, “I don't want You, go away.” It's a dangerous thing. See?

Oh, there's people in Eternity tonight, out in hell screaming. If we could walk and pull open the gate like this and let you look down in there, I'd never have to make much of an altar call. They'd be screaming and climbing over one another for the opportunity, but they have passed beyond the veil and beyond mercy now. It's too far. They can't never be redeemed. They're gone forever. They will never, never be redeemed.

They had the same opportunity that you have. You wouldn't want to take their place tonight, would you? So why not take the place at the right-hand of Christ? To set with Him in heavenly places. And with the saints. And with the redeemed of the age, to live in the blessed forever.

And you without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, while we sang the third verse of the song, will you come now? Let's stand while we sing this and everyone remain, if you will. And I wonder if them who wants the baptism of the Holy Spirit would walk forward for prayer tonight, while we sing the third verse.

... precious blood

... Never lose it's power,

Till all the ransomed Church of God

Be saved, to sin no more.

Be saved, to sin no more,

Are saved, to sin no more;

The... all the ransomed Church of God

Are saved, to sin no more.

God bless you. Just look around the altar tonight. Young women and so forth coming down at the altar, The tears running down their cheeks, wanting to receive Christ. Aged men and women, with their hair frosted, turning to an eternity. Won't be long till the gates will open and they'll move in. Down to the altar, wanting to be borned-again of the Spirit of God.

Is there a backslider here tonight, would say, “Brother, preacher, God knows that I need Christ. I'm coming.” Oh, yes. I believe you can backslide. If you're backslid, won't you come too, and take your place here. Say, “God, I want to renew my fellowship with Thee”? God hasn't cast you away.

The prodigal son was a backslider, but the father was more than glad to receive him. He's waiting for you tonight. Won't you come tonight? Won't you come while we sing another verse of a song? Is there another verse to that, sir? The fourth verse. Backsliders and those seeking the Holy Spirit, will you move forward? Forgive me for keeping you a long time, but, oh brother, just think what Eternity is. See?

And you dear old Methodists tonight, and Baptists here, that's what your fathers preached and believed years ago, down through New England states here. When Wesley and Asbury come through here, they had to rent schools, and they'd fall under the power of God and lay there till morning, under the in—power of the Holy Spirit. They'd pour water on them, fan them with fans and everything. See?

But you got starchy and got away. Not you, dear children, your pastors. Because they begin to think more of theology and doctrines than they did of letting the Holy Spirit have Its way. This is just the Holy Spirit continuing on in the Church. We're not asking you to join church; we're asking you to come and join Christ, be borned-again. Go to any church of your choice. That's it.

We just want you right with God. It's nothing to me, only you're my brother and I love you. And you're my sister, and I have a godly love for you, knowing this as a servant of God, unless you're borned again, you'll perish as sure as the world. Every effort you made is all in vain; it'll never be reckoned. “Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I didn't even know you.”

Won't you come, while we sing once more? All right, brother.

... by faith I saw... (Won't you come down and kneel with the rest of them. Come, give God a chance tonight to...)... ply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die.

And shall be till... die,

And shall... I die;

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till...

I'm going to ask just now, if the ministers that are in here, that believe in being borned again, will you walk out, brethren, and come down here and stand with me at the altar for prayer, for these people, that they might receive the Holy Spirit? Will you in here, borned again ministers of the Gospel, if you'll just come and stand with us here at the altar a few moments for prayer.

I'll ask the Christians otherwise, if you'll be seated just for a few moments now. If you're sure that you have obeyed. Many of you are borned again already, received the Holy Ghost. I'm so thankful for that. But these dear children here at the altar are seeking God. If there is a personal worker from another church or any here, that wants to come kneel with us, come right ahead. Any personal worker that wants to work at the altar now, with these dear loving children that's come to the Lord Jesus...

Brother Smith, I want you to come stand by me here, just a minute if you will. How many out there in the audience now, that's interested in these people getting the baptism of the Holy Spirit, would you raise your hand? Now, I'm going to pray first. And I want you children to remember this, you that's at the altar, knelt here, deeply consecrating yourself to the Almighty God.

Do you realize that in heaven at this time, the Angels of God are rejoicing and looking down. The devils are trying to defeat the cause if they can, but God will prevail. He's got to with the great Holy Spirit, Who wooed you to come to this altar tonight is standing here, more than a Conqueror, done rent the veil in two.

Gathered around you, standing behind you, around your side, is Spirit-filled men and women, with hands to lay upon you. As we pray together. Be determined. Don't be defeated; you can't be defeated; you're children of God. God promised the Holy Spirit to every believer. He wants to give it to you tonight, more than you want to receive it.

Now, don't tell Him how you want to get it; tell Him you want it. No matter how it comes, you want it. You want something to anchor your heart and soul away, till all doubts and fears will pass away and joy bells of heaven will ring through your soul. God will take care of the rest of it, you just ask Him to give you the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Now, while I offer prayer, and I want you ministers, if you will, walk up and lay hands on them.

Dear heavenly Father, as this church is bowed in prayer, Angels of God, we know, are encamped about. For there are many here that fear You and trust You. And these dear children leaning over this altar, with consecrated hearts, coming to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, may He fall tonight in great power. May the Holy Ghost sweep down this altar like a rushing wind. Sweep over every soul. And may they rise from here in the victory, to rise with Jesus in the resurrection, going forth shouting the blessings of God. Grant it, Father.

Bless them as they're waiting for You. May Your Holy Spirit move in and bless them. Grant it, Lord, in the Name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus.

(Now, brother, just come here and continue prayer, while we offer them.) Now, Lord, I pray that this little lady here with her hand up, fill her with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Saints around the building are praying. Every one of you now that's... deeply be in prayer. God has give you the victory. Just believe with all your heart that God is going to pour the Holy Ghost upon you now. And fill every soul in here with the baptism. He promised It. It's yours. It's your possession. You got the checkbook in your hand, the Name of Jesus signed on every check. It's yours. Believe it, and God's under obligation to send It to you.

In the Name of Jesus, go now, be praying, and I'll go lay hands on them. (...?... my Bible.)