Fellowship

Very happy to be here this evening in the name of the Lord to enjoy this great time of fellowship here in this convention. “I was happy,” said the psalmist, “when they said unto me, 'Let us go to house of the Lord.'” It's a wonderful place to be, in the house of the Lord, in the service of the King.

I had quite a little time getting up here. You got snow in this country, and this is kind of hard on my southern blood. When coming along through about eight inches of snow in Chicago yesterday, why, there was [unclear words] you bypassed something there. I was watching a few moments ago while they was singing Only Believe, and these little children along here with their hands up singing Only Believe. I recognized the little Stadsklev children there; they was singing Only Believe. That's fine. Do you believe? Do you, Brother? That's fine.

Well, it's good to be in Minneapolis tonight. I don't know any place I'd rather be, unless it would be in Glory. You know we're all looking for that great day, but to be assembled here at this convention.

I was speaking to one of the brethren out there just a few moments ago, when I come up, and he was telling me about what a wonderful thing the Lord was doing here in this Twin City area: How that everybody's becoming of one heart and one accord. Now, that sounds like abundance of rain to me, when you see that when we begin to break down the barriers and come together, then the Bible said, “If the people that are called by My name shall assemble themselves together, and pray, then I will hear from heaven.” That's the only way we will have a revival is when we come together.

Just recently listening to two outstanding clergymen discussing the subject of divine healing in the Bible. Each one said that it would be radical to think that the dead could be raised up or the miracles of Jesus could absolutely be possible, said, because it was too much that such things as that couldn't take on the form that the healing of the sick and the lepers and so forth.

They said, “Oh, perhaps, maybe it was some tale that was told around or some psychological effect it had on the people and.... But the thing is that Jesus did do it. And then at the end of their conversation both of them could believe in the miracle of salvation. Forgiveness of sin which is far beyond any physical healing that could be done was the miracle of forgiveness of sin.

Greatest miracle ever performed when God can take something and convert it and bring it back to itself again. Just the same as you could take an animal by science and drop a little drop of water on top of a hog and make it a lamb. Now, that's the miracle of it: change his whole nature, appetites, attitudes, everything. That's what God does when He saves a man from sin. He changes his entire makeup. So greater miracle than any kind of divine healing that I've ever seen; and by the grace of God, I've seen pretty near everything that I could ever think of or hear of, done by our Lord Jesus, even to raising up the dead after they were gone, and still I think that salvation is the greatest miracle.

Now, we have great things that we can do in the realm of faith. Faith works great things for us, and if you brethren here get your.... And you can't have faith till you have love. That's just all there is to it. You just.... Perfect love casts out all fear, and as long as you got fear you can't faith. So, you got to have love first. It drives all fear out, and then faith comes in—takes the place of fear. So when you have that, you're coming right along.

Now, I was thinking of how that Jesus ... or, God said in Psalms 103:3: “I am the Lord who healeth all of thy diseases.” Well, we look today, and we see science; and they're doing great things. Doctors are making great operations, and great things are taking place, and through the chiropractic marching up, and we see the practitioner on the march, and everything that we see is moving upward; and then also the church of the living God is moving upward. Why, things are happening today that ten, fifteen years ago people thought would've been a perfect impossibility for things to happen, but today we're seeing it happen.

Someone said, “Why, now, Brother Branham, are you an apostle or a prophet?”

I said, “I never said either one.” Said, “I said, 'I was a servant of the Lord.'”

He said, “Well, do you believe that you have the Holy Spirit?”

I said, “Yes, I believe that.”

He said, “Well, if you have, why don't you go out here to the hospital and say, 'All the sick people get up and follow me out, because you're healed. I come to make you well.'”

I said, “I want to ask you something, brother. Do you believe you're a minister?”

“Yes.”

“Do you believe in salvation for the soul?”

“Certainly.”

I said, “Why don't you go down to the taverns and say, 'All you sinners come on. You're saved.'”

He said, “Well, I could if they'd believe.”

I said, “So could I.”

So, that's what it takes. It's the individual's faith in the resurrected Lord that brings the results.

Now, here's what it all amounts up to, friends. I'm very thankful for the advanced science. And, by the way, a scientist made a remark the other day and said, “If the world could stand a thousand years....” (I'll cut nine-hundred-and-fifty off of that.) “If the world could stand another thousand years that surgery would be a thing that was never even thought of.” He said that the people were getting so smart and getting into the realms of the spirit that surgery will not have to be performed anymore.

I said, “Praise the Lord.” I believe that, that when men's hearts begin to get right with God, and straighten up, and look the proposition right in the face, then I believe surgery won't have to be performed. And if they would stop.... I'm very thankful for the hospitals and medical science and what we have learned along the line, but here is my application to all of it, friends: When ministers and doctors and chiropractors and all can get right with God and they move on forward with our arms together and our hearts together for the benefit of humanity, it'll be a great day when that happens.

And all selfishness and everything is gone. The minister ... or, the doctor becomes angry with the minister because most of the time it's a bread-and-butter ticket, and he wants to get the divine healing away from the people. Then that makes the minister talk about the doctor, when they ought to be working hand-in-heart together for the kingdom of God trying to help their brother or sister that's in need. And I hope to see the day that when the church of the living God becomes so strong in faith until those things will take place.

This same man.... I oughtn't to say this, I suppose, but I kind of feel at home with you children, but look. The man said, “Listen. I heard you say in your sermon that Jesus Christ had raised from the dead and He was the same yesterday, today, and forever, and every attribute the same.”

I said, “That's true. The Scripture says that.”

Said, “Then, why don't you break the bread, feed the five thousand, turn the water into wine?”

I said, “Well you have to admit the one thing.” I said, “If we can just get a few more [unclear words] like you out of the way, we will be doing that just.... We're going right along. We're just moving along. We're coming up the ladder all the time.” I said, “Even the doctors all admit now about divine healing. They say it can be done. Just wait. Just give us a little time. We're growing, making progress.” So, praise the Lord for that, we're coming up the ladder.

Well, some glorious day I believe that Jesus will come, and we won't have anymore divine healing. We won't need it, and we won't have any more preaching to the sinner, because there'll be no sinners to preach to. That's the day we're looking forward to.

I want to speak to you just a little while tonight, knowing that you've been in service. I didn't know, now.... There was a slip-up somewhere, that I was supposed to've been here this afternoon. We never got in till late, however, but I could have drove longer last night and would have got here this afternoon, but I just didn't understand. I'm sorry that I was to be here. Brother Moore said start Sunday night through Sunday night, and I purposed in my heart to never, by God's help—if they have to pack me in a stretcher—to cancel a meeting [unclear words] till I get to a place to where my appointments are.

And I just started out this New Years on something new, and Brother Joseph Boze will be here in a few nights if you haven't.... How many just get that Herald Of Faith? Is that what it's called, Herald Of Faith, Brother Boze's paper? Did you read the vision? How many read the vision? That's fine. Well, he will be here in a few nights and I will talk a little more on it. One of the greatest things I believe.... One of the most outstanding things that's ever happened to me in my days of serving the Lord was that happening. The greatest days of all lays just ahead of me. Remember that.

And I believe that this 1956 is the planting time. I predict this —not by spiritual inspiration; now, I don't say that; not by vision—but this is the planting time for the USA. They'll either accept it this year or they'll be cast off. See, there's only so many fish to be caught anyhow, and when the pond's all seined dry, won't do no good to cast nets in no more. So, there'll be a time.

I stood not long ago at the great city of Rome and saw the great Neros and emperors that once lived there. The great power of the world existed in Rome, and now you'd have to dig thirty feet under the ground to find the remains of it. Been in Athens, Greece, where the great Alexander the Great, many of those great men were. Old ancient cities were sunk, many of them.

Then I thought of myself a few years ago, looked.... I was just a boy, and now changing. I went to an old tree that I used to go to years ago and watched its great big limbs, how masterly the wind blew through them, and how strong it seemed to be. I went through it a few days ago, and it was almost destroyed. What is it? It's mortal giving away to immortality.

And some great day, this nation that we now live in, and love, will crumble beneath the sod of the earth if Jesus tarries, but there's coming a city and a body to all the believers. “If this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have one already waiting,” just to move out and move into. We'll have a city whose builder and maker is God. Some glorious day when all these that's mortal gives away, the last one, we'll go to live in that city where the tree of life will stand on either side of the river. It'll never be a snag, it'll always be a tree. For that glorious day we now labor in the field for the Master.

Shall we pray just a moment.

Our kind, Heavenly Father, we approach Thee tonight upon the invitation of the Lord Jesus. The promise is, “If you ask the Father anything in My name, I will do it,” and we don't even have to have very much faith. Though faith tonight and prayer, or nothing that I merit, but upon the invitation that Jesus promised, “If you'll ask Father anything, I will do it.”

Now, we ask the Father tonight, within the name of the Lord Jesus, that if He will let His presence come into our midst ... or, continue to be in our midst, rather, and to bless us exceedingly, abundantly above that which we could even think of tonight. Get in the Word, Lord, may the Holy Spirit take it right straight to every heart just as we have need of. Get glory.

We're so thankful to know that this great fellowship here in the Twin Cities among the ministers. God, that means that there's a sound in the mulberry bush. God is going on before us. God, I pray that You will give them not only a city-wide revival, but a nationwide shaking just before the coming of the Lord.

God, may this coming week be one of the greatest weeks, not because that we've gathered here, or different—we're not different —but just because the harvest is ripe. It's time. Everything looks just ripe and we pray, Father, that this will produce one of the greatest meetings that this city has ever had. Grant it, Lord.

May sinners just pour to the altar, be saved; and those who are without the Holy Spirit, be filled. That all night prayer meetings will be in homes and people will be so hungry till meals will be set aside. God, give us an old-fashioned revival just once more before we see the coming of the Lord Jesus. Grant it, Lord, for we ask it in Jesus' name, Thy Son. Amen.

For this coming week, the Lord willing.... I am thankful for the opportunity, first, to speak. I'm not much of a speaker. Usually my ministry is the healing lines and so forth, and you know by the vision, which I'll explain just what's coming up, another ... the exceedingly abundantly. But while I'm waiting on that, I've got a message for the church.

Now, I'm not an educated person, and you excuse that, if you will; but I know the Author of this Book real well, and I got a message for the church.

In a few nights we'll be just be continuing on for a few nights. And I want every sinner while we're speaking to take inventory of your own life and place it at the weight of the Gospel and see how it comes out.

Over in Hebrews the 10th chapter I wish to read for a reading tonight of the Scripture just a few verses:

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which were offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

For then would they have not ceased to be offered? but because that the worshippers once purged should have no more conscience of sins.

But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and ... goats could take away sins.

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thy wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book as it is written of me) to do thy will, O God.

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offerings and burnt offerings and offerings for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

By the which ... we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

May the Lord add His blessings to the Word, the reading.

Now, we're going to speak tonight as a text in here to try to find a context of this we have just read, upon the reconciliation to the fellowship of God. You know it's just the time when.... I never thought of that until I come in the door just a few moments ago and this brother here, met me and shook my hand and told me about this great thing going on in the city. Then that come into my mind right quick: Fellowship. I thought, “That's a wonderful thing. God willing, I wish to speak on that—the fellowship—tonight.” What it means to have fellowship.

You know, in every human heart there's something longs for a fellowship. Why are we here together tonight? You never come out on a night like this, just standing around the walls and so forth just to show that you had on a new suit or a new skirt or something. You come because that the church has gathered, and we desire that fellowship with the people. That's why I come up through the snow to be up here, is because I love fellowship. There's something about Christians that they like to associate together.

Mother used to tell me, she said, “Birds of a feather flock together.” Well, that's a whole lot of truth to that, and then you have.... You never see the crows and doves feeding together, because their appetites are not the same. Their diets cannot be the same, their talk isn't the same. And so is the man that's out of fellowship with God has no more ... no desire to go to church or do right, and those who are with God long for that fellowship. He just can't stand it.

Here sometime ago when I was pastoring a Baptist church, I was coming down a pole where I'd always worked to make my living, and I was working for the public service, and I was coming down a pole from reading a pole meter and taking some light fixtures up there ... some things to fix the lights, rather, from place to place. And while I was come down, a minister of another very prominent church, he said, “Billy, you know what happened?”

I said, “No.”

He said, “I sent five hundred prayer cards out trying to get the people ... or, cards, rather, to get the people to come and promise that they'd come to Sunday school at least six months out of the year, of our five hundred members. You know how many responded to it?”

I said, “I don't have any idea, Dr. Brown.”

He said, “Two.” See.

Well, I knew they was very formal and indifferent. So I said, “You know, Dr. Brown, the reason of it is, they don't have the right thing in their heart. If a man is right in his heart and the church bell rings, he just can't stand still. He just.... He has got to go. That's all. It's life and death to him. He must move.”

Now, man has always longed for this fellowship, and the reason that he did.... Did you ever stop to think what makes people long for this? What makes men and women long to associate with each other and when you become a Christian, how you long to get in the presence of God? There isn't a person in here that's ever had an experience with God, but what the greatest joy of your life is when you can get just alone a little while with God. Just cut loose every shoreline, and get in the secret closet, and close the door, and lift up your hands and just come into that communion. Oh, there's something about it that's marvelous.

I've got in there (and you have too) and just kneel down, weep and weep till you just couldn't stand it no more. Just saying, “God, I just can't stand no more of it.”

I remember little Joseph, my little boy. You know where Joseph was promised to me, at? Right here in Minneapolis about six years before he was born. I was over here one day reading Joseph in the Bible, and I seen what a perfect man he was. We had one little girl at the time, been four years before she come, and she was a cesarean and then about four years had passed again. They said they didn't think she'd ever ... wife would ever have another child, and I went in and was weeping and the joys just pouring down. I was in the closet where I had my clothes hanging up here in the hotel.

We had the tent meeting going on out here, and I was just weeping, and Something just like a voice spoke to me and said, “You'll have a son. Call his name Joseph.”

Well, I went out all elated and happy, and I begin to tell everybody about it; and about three or four months afterwards, the mother, she knew that she was to be mother again. Some of them said, “Is this Joseph?”

I said, “I don't know.” So, when it was born, it was a girl. Then everybody laughed. Said, “I thought the Lord never told you anything wrong.”

I said, “He never does. Joseph will be here. Don't worry.” Years passed on. He always keeps His promise. Don't you believe that? So, we can love Him and put our confidence because He is truthful, who have promised.

Notice. Years passed on by. Four years or more passed again. No sign, no more. And one day we found out that she was to be mother again. Some said, “Is this Joseph?”

I said, “I don't know, but,” I said, “he'll be here.” And so when he was born, the nurse come down. There was a bunch of us men sitting out in the room.

She said, “Rev. Branham?”

I said, “Yes ma'am.”

She said, “You have a fine, seven-pound, three-ounce boy.”

I said, “Joseph, you've been a long time coming, son, but I'm sure glad you're here.” So, that's it.

She said, “Why did you call him Joseph?”

I said, “That is his name. That's his name, Joseph.”

So in that time of fellowship and communion, that's the way God spoke to me. That's the way you won't get into the spirit of it. Do you like to pray till you get in the Spirit? That's the way you can do it. Shut yourself off from the rest of the world, and get alone with God, and the reason that you like to do that, because when the first couple came on earth, Adam and Eve, that's what they did.

In the cool of the evening they come in from their vineyards and got down under the trees, the great cathedral, as it was, and as the sun, perhaps, was setting, streaking down through the bushes, God came down in the cool of the evening and fellowshipped with Adam and Eve. Oh, my! That comes right on down. Knowing that when you get in contact with God, and man, when you come in contact with your friend, and God is your friend. So, you love to commune with Him and talk with Him.

Now, since sin broke that fellowship, man has been tossed about from every wind of doctrine, and he's still tossed about. He was turned out of the garden of Eden to shift for himself, and then that great time he's still tossing about.

God made one preparation for men to be restored back to that fellowship. Oh, nothing else we have tried, He offered to the human race, blood was the way back to fellowship. God killed some animals and took their skins, shed the innocent blood of the animal, and brought the skin and wrapped Adam and Eve in it, and fellowshipped with them again, after the shedding of the blood.

This is God's way. It was God's way. It'll always be the right thing, to fellowship through the blood: reconciliation, bringing the believer back into contact with his Maker. We've tried to educate people to it. It'll never work. We've tried to draw denominational barriers, and say, “Because you go to this church or this church.” Denomination, education, signs or anything else outside the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ will never bring fellowship back to the people again with God.

We always fence ourselves off and make cults and clans, but God wants us to tear down that barriers like we ought to be doing around here now: bring in the whole body of the Lord Jesus and fellowship around the Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus.

Well, now you talk about spiritual gifts in the church; just keep that fellowship up and watch what happens. It'll pour down. God, automatically.... If you get the thing running right, it'll run and God will add to it, but you've got to get on the right road first. And you're on the right road now when you go to breaking the denominational barriers down, putting your arms around one another and say, “We're brethren.” And then you're on your road back. You're on your road to the original.

Then the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses us from all unrighteousness. We have fellowship one with another then. Then the blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness. The only way that God has ever recognized has been through the shed blood.

I have nothing against denominations. Those are all right. Nothing against education. That's all right. Nothing against great song festivals. That's all right. Nothing against joining church, or whatever you may be. It's all right. But it'll never, never produce until the blood's been applied. The blood applied to the human heart will always bring a result. That's what we need tonight, and when you get that, then things will just automatically take place when we do that.

Now, we notice all down through the age how God has always recognized that one thing, that blood. That's the only thing that He'll accept, will be the blood.

Now, after Eden ... after children of God was driven from Eden because of their sins, God made a way just to stand between until the day of full redemption would come. The oldest book in the Bible is Job. Now, the old, old Gospel, this old-time Gospel, it don't have to have fancy words that must be laid out in its simplicity; and accept it on those grounds, it'll bear results. You believe it? Yes, sir. Just accept it in its simple way. Nothing all broke up. Nothing great and high that you can't reach. The kingdom of heaven is right at your hand.

Many times we make it so complicated with creeds and different things to deal with, different isms, and things that we've made up inside in our fleshy mind, and many times through that, drive sinners far away from God. But just make it simple that little children would understand, and then it will lift up Christ. And He said, “I will draw all men unto Me.”

Notice. Job, the oldest book in the Bible, he was a righteous man. God said there was none on earth like him, and then he got into trouble, and God turned Satan loose upon him. Did you notice how that God had to do it first?

Here some time ago I was amazed as I was standing in an eastern country, oriental country, and I heard this Scripture of St. John the 5th chapter where Jesus said, “I am the door to the sheepfold.” I always wondered how that could be, that Jesus, a man, could be a door to the sheepfold. I couldn't understand it till I got into the country and seen what it really was.

It's amazing to see how the Bible change when you go into the land where it was written and see how our western interpretation of it is many times contrary to the eastern traditions. And how they did it: The shepherd has a fold, and he drives his sheep in there; and after the sheep is in, he lays down in the door. Therefore, no sheep can go out, or no wolf can come in unless it comes over the shepherd. Think of it. How safely you are.

A few nights ago I woke up and I had a sermon on my heart, of resting. I didn't have no audience, so I had a one-woman audience, my wife. I woke her up. I said, “Honey, just got to preach to you a minute.” I did about three hours. Oh, resting.

The Christian experience is based solemnly and wholly upon rest. “Come unto me all ye that labor and heavy laden, I will give you rest.” You're tossed about with everything until you come to Christ, then it's all finished. Resting in Christ, perfect peace. No matter what comes or goes, nothing can touch us without it comes over the Shepherd. He has to permit it.

The Bible said, “All things work together for good to them that love the Lord.” Has to come over the Shepherd first. Said, “I am the door. No man can come in without Me except....” Let me tell you that when God permits anything, it's working for your good. So, if sickness, be the same thing. Certainly. That God might heal you to show a great testimony. Give you a little something to move on for. “All things work together for good.”

Noticing then how beautiful that the shepherd laid himself at the door to be the go-between, or the block. I thought then in my text of Job, how that Job being tested and tried, how that he knowed that he was righteous because he had offered the sacrifice, the burnt offering and stood firm on it. No matter how many of his church members said, “Job, you're wrong; you're a secret sinner,” Job knew that he had confessed his sins and had offered God the appropriate offer, the one that God had required to be offered, the burnt sacrifice. He knowed he was righteous in the sight of God.

Oh, if Christians now who will fall away, and run back, and run out, and run in and out, and then you think, “Well, I can't make it.” You couldn't make it in the first place. It's not your place to make it. God has already made it for you, in Christ. The price is fully paid. The only thing you have to do is to accept God's provided way, and stand in it, no matter what takes place. Don't move. Rest. The Shepherd's watching over His sheep. He knows even a sparrow. How much more does He know about you.

I noticed another thing (if you'd excuse me for getting off my line of talk a moment), while I was thinking about shepherds: You know, a shepherd in them eastern countries has more respect than anybody else. Going down through the streets, all at once the whistles, the cars, the signs, and everything; I wondered, “What's taking place?” We was in a little old British Jeep, and the first thing you know, it was a shepherd crossing the street with his sheep, and all the traffic held up. Give him the right of way.

That's the way our Shepherd is. Amen. He gets the right-of-way. He'll lead His sheep. Nothing's going to harm or bother.

I don't know why, up on the mountain, I noticed there was a lot of shepherds up there and they were herding different kinds of animals. There was some donkeys they were herding, and some of them were camels, and some were just goats, and I said, “Why, a shepherd means just a herder.”

“Yes,” he said, “that's right, Brother Branham. A shepherd is a grazeman, or a herder.”

But he said, “You know the strange thing, that the shepherd is attached more to his sheep than anything else.” He said, “Now, they both eat the same food, the same grass, but when nighttime comes, the mule, the goats, are all left out, and the shepherd calls his sheep and takes them into the sheepfold.

I thought, “O God, that's what I want to be: a sheep. Nighttime's going to fall one of these days. Just the sheep are going in.” God calling. If you're just a church member, if you know no more than just joining church, or if you don't know Christ by an experience....

“Oh,” you say, “I know our creed. I know my catechism.” To know the catechism isn't life. To know Christ is life. Not to know your creed, not to know your doctrine of your church, but to know Him, Him alone is life. To know Him.

Another amazing thing I noticed. The shepherd come right down through the street, and on the side, the men with their produce laying out there, there'd be all kinds of appetizing things for the sheep, but the fellow that was driving me in the little jeep, he pulled over to one side. Said, “Now, Brother Branham, watch this.” Said, “See that shepherd entering that market street there?”

I said, “Yes, sir.”

Said, “Now, watch him for a few minutes.” And he walked down through that street and about fifty sheep following him. Walked right down through where all them fine things: pears and vegetables and things laying there which would be very tempting to the sheep. But them sheep followed the shepherd and never looked right or left. Just went right on through with the shepherd. That shepherd could step out of line like this and every one of them sheep would take the same line going right through. Oh, my!

I said, “Brother, you excuse me for a minute. I just got to praise the Lord.” Following in the footsteps of the Shepherd. “My sheep know My voice, a stranger they'll not follow.” Just move where He'd move. He'd go right there, and he was tempted on every hand, everywhere. Keep your eyes on the Shepherd. Don't look to yourself. Look at the Shepherd and move on.

Now, Job, he had offered the sacrifice. He knowed that he was righteous, not in himself, but he was righteous because he had met God's requirement.

That's how I know we are righteous: when we meet what God says. God never at no time said for us to join church, yet that's good. Did you know there never was a commission given in the New Testament for us to go build churches? Did you know there never was a commission for us to set organizations up? Did you ever know that? Let me bring you a little farther. Did you know we never was commissioned to build a church, or a school, or a hospital?

They all....

That's all alright, but the commission of the church was: “Preach the Gospel to every creature, then He will return. Preach the Gospel unto all the world, then Jesus will return.” And we're living in the day that when this world has got the greatest shaking it's ever had in all the history of time. We're going to get to that this week when we come into the secret abiding place, and the junction at the end of the road, as we go on through the week, and you watch and take notes and check it up, and the next night come back and find out if that's right or not. Look at it in the face of the Scripture then you know you're right.

The Bible said that the time would come when Satan would be so cunning and so shrewd till he would deceive the very elect if possible. We have to watch. Watch our churches. There's rising things in the world today that's not right. You know it. Even signs and wonders being performed that's not according to the Scripture. That's right. It's off the beaten path. So, that's why I've taken this time out, kind of get into the church and say, “Be ready. Watch it if it doesn't color up with the Scripture then it's not right. Got to come from the Bible.”

This Bible said that there'd be false prophets and false christs and so forth that would raise in the last days, show great signs and wonders insomuch that it would deceive the very elect if possible. Dangerous time. Our church is sitting at the brink of it.

The Full Gospel people because they accept signs and wonders, but be careful where it comes from. Got to come from the Lord. Remember, the antichrist is going to do the same thing. There's only one way that you can be sure. That's get under the blood. Stay under the blood. That's God's way. You're hid away, then the devil couldn't get to you if he had to.

Now, if the shepherd's laying at the door, the devil would have to cross Him first. He can't do it. Right! Come into this secret place with the Lord, knowing that no matter what come, or went, He still stayed right with it.

Israel's only place in the Old Testament where they ever had fellowship was under the shed blood. No matter where people was they come up through the temple where the blood was shed, and there they had fellowship with each other there under the shed blood. No other fellowship no where else. When he come into the temple the first thing he did, come up, be cleansed by the washing of the water, a separation from the outside come under the seven streaks over the door, showing that something died to go before you. Seven streaks of blood, then into the fellowship. By faith are you saved, through grace. That's right, but then by one Spirit, we're all baptized into one fellowship—the body of the Lord Jesus —then partakers of His blessings and that marvelous fellowship.

Notice. Israel met at this temple and there they come together. A proselyte, before he could come in, had to be circumcised. That's coming by the cutting off of the flesh of the foreskins of the male. Then a man, before he can come to Christ, the first thing has to take place, he has to be circumcised. Circumcised, not the flesh, but by the Spirit. It cuts all the world and the foolishness of the world cut off of him by the Gospel. This is that blessed circumcision knife and the only one that I know of.

Hebrews 4 said, “The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, cutting even to the marrow of the bone and a discerner of the thoughts of the mind.” God knows the hearts.

Notice. Then when he circumcised—all the world cut off as a believer—he comes through the waters of separation, which is the Word, preaching the Word. Then he comes and recognizes that something died to go before him. There's the seven stripes that was on the door where Eleazar put it with his finger from the killing of the red heifer, and striped the door with the blood to let the worshippers see.

Exodus, about the 16th chapter, you'd read it if you want to read it tomorrow, and then you'll find out through the killing this heifer, burning it, made it the waters of separation that's kept in the courts on the outside, that every time a man sinned, or dropped out of fellowship, the first thing he did was come and be cleansed by the waters of separation.

The only way a man can recognize that he's a sinner is by hearing the Word of God. Faith cometh by hearing. And over in the Old ... in the New Testament said, “We are washed through the waters by the Word.” And the Word is what separates us from the things of the world.

You can't have faith. Faith's not based upon the sifting sands of men's theology. Faith's not based upon the document of some church or some creed. Faith is based solidly on the immovable Word of God. Faith cometh by hearing, and a man through that separates himself from the things of the world when he is coming to Christ.

Then as Eleazar, after killing the heifer, burning the parts that was bleeding, he made a public testimony, dipping his fingers and striping seven times over the door. That's seven times (if we had time to go into it), represents the seven church ages. Every age, every person, every time must recognize the blood. For without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Then before you could come into fellowship, he had to look up and recognize that something died in his stead and went on before him.

Every man today, no matter how many churches you join, how many pages you turn, you've got to recognize that Christ died in your stead and went on before you and making a way; and through His blood you are sanctified, blessing him through the Lord. Amen.

Not your sanctification, not laying in something you did, but His sanctification. Through Him who gave Himself for us, died in our stead. Let that faith go to work down in our heart one time and watch what takes place. All of you, you don't have to take some man's theory; you got the Word. That's right.

Then this believer, as he went on into the temple, recognizing that this blood went before him when it's crossed under the blood, not over the blood, but under the blood. Amen. Church, there's where we make the mistake. We come out of the seminary, and we think we know more about it than God does, and we discount the blood of Jesus Christ as if it wasn't nothing, and trust in our education, our studies, and our day of science and things, and think that we got better churches and so forth, but we got weaker pulpits. That's right. It's true.

Notice, friends. When you respect the blood of the Lord Jesus....

Some time ago down in Florida, a friend of mine was at Alsace-Lorraine, France, and he was taking him out to a garden, he and his wife, and was showing them the statues, and so forth, and there was a statue of Christ. John stood and looked at it and said, “Brother Branham, I looked and it just didn't look right. I didn't see why they put a statue like that as a shrine to Christ.”

He said, “There was no suffering, no pity. Just an old piece of rock looked like hanging there, hewed out on the cross and,” said, “the guide said to me, 'Kind, sir,' said, 'you're perhaps criticizing the statue.'”

He said, “Yes, I am.”

He said, “You're just not looking at it right.” He said, “You see, there's an altar down below it.” He said, “Now, you go and kneel down at that altar, and then you'll look up, and then come back and tell me what you think.”

So, he went down and knelt, he said, at the altar. Raised his head up and said “His heart almost failed. There was the suffering. There was the agony of Christ. The sculptor had cut out into the face, of the cruel suffering that He did, and it made a difference.

It turned the critic into tears. That's the way it is with God's Word. God's Word is not supposed to be learned like a newspaper story. It's not supposed to be tried to figure out. It's to get down, look up to it.

Saying, “God, be merciful to me and give me faith to believe Your Word. I accept now the blood of the Lord Jesus for my sins.” Then it'll look a lot different. It'll make critics believe in divine healing. It'll make those without the Holy Spirit, that's never been born again, knows nothing about God as the new birth, become a seeker of the Holy Ghost, and not to be an argument. It'll put a love in his heart when he looks through the blood of Christ to the Word, and say, “Yes, God, You died to make that Word real to me.” It'll change your whole attitude. It'll make you a different person.

Notice. What a time. Now, the worshiper done come inside. He was in that blessed fellowship of the believers. And now today when the worshiper comes through the blood of the Lord Jesus and comes into the tabernacle ... or, the tent of the believer with the firstborn of the church, the Holy-Ghost bride, then you have fellowship one with another while the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.

I've thought many times back in ... the Old Testament was my first study back in school. I'd think how I love the Old Testament, for it was a type of the New, and the worshiper coming, knowing that he was guilty, and he must die because he trespassed against God. He had broken His laws, and he come with a lamb under his arm, and he brought the lamb up to the priest, and he laid the lamb down. Put his hands upon the lamb and confessed his sin, and his throat was lanced.

Did you ever hear a lamb die? It's the most pitiful thing you ever heard. Even a poor little lamb.... When you go to kill it and he sees even the instruments they're going to kill it with, he starts crying and bleating.

Here sometime ago I watched them. They was going to chop the lamb's head off—a butcher—to kill it; when that poor little lamb saw that ax coming and it just started crying and going on. I couldn't stay there. I watched ... to think of the little lamb in there with the lance knife going to its throat; and when it's dying, it's kicking. His hands are bathed with the blood, and he looks up to Jehovah and says, “Jehovah, that should be me, but the lamb's taking my place.”

But that man went back out with the same desire in his heart to sin that he ever had, because the life that was in the blood of the lamb was an animal life, and the animal life, animal spirit, couldn't come back and blend with the human spirit, for one is an animal and the other is a human.

But when Jesus died at Calvary and the worshiper ever comes to Calvary, and by faith lays his hands upon the head of the Son of God when he is confessing his wrong, and he feels the tear and agony of Calvary that really paid his price—the debt that he should pay—he feels that in his own soul.

And the life that was in the blood cell of Jesus Christ was none other than God Himself, and when that Holy Spirit that was in Christ's blood comes back on him and makes him a new creature in Christ Jesus. Therefore the man's spirit is blended out, and God comes in and takes over. Then they got fellowship one with another, and the very God that created the heavens and earth, that wrote His Word, dwells in you, and you'll believe that everything God wrote is the truth, and you'll accept it and believe it and hold on to it, and you'll have fellowship.

That's why we're here tonight. That's why we gather in great rallies. That's how we come together, is because something in us constrains us to one another. We have things on a common ground. Your heart aches to come to church. Your heart aches for fellowship. To think: the dark hour is coming just ahead of us, where we'll be deprived of this.

Just a moment before closing, I want to say this word. In the garden of Eden when Adam was turned away, and Eve, because they had sinned, and God cannot bear sin. Here's one thing God is.... I can make a promise; I can break it. I can make a promise and not able to fulfill it, but God can't make a promise without fulfilling it because He is God. He has got to keep His Word. No matter what comes or goes, God is obligated to His Word.

That's why there's that standing before the congregation in healing; that's why there's standing by the visions; God made the promise. He has to keep it. He is bound to His Word. No matter how bad I am, and how bad you are, accept it; and God is obligated to keep it. He'll do it.

That's why in Africa amongst the witch doctors, in India amongst the voodoos that come in there, trying to put a spell on me, and all that, I didn't get scared. Why? I knew I was covered by the blood of the Lord Jesus. I had fellowshipped with Him. I'd talked with Him. He was the One directed me to go, and I knew He could keep that which I had committed to Him against the day. See them sit in the seat and paralyzed when they were sitting there. How they called the storm and tried to shake the place down. Raised our hands to heaven and said, “God of heaven, You made all things. Stop that storm.” In five minutes the sun be shining. What is it? It's a hidden life, consecrated away with Christ where all things become possible.

The great things that used to be.... We don't look at them and just look off at them and say, “Well, they were something else.” Get down and look up to them through the blood one time and see how much difference they look. They're real promises. They're to you.

When God keeping His Word to Adam, who had to depart from his midst.... And then I can see as those children, Adam and Eve, great beautiful. I can imagine Eve to be the most beautiful woman the world ever saw.

Standing in Athens not long ago I was looking at a.... Where an artist had painted a picture of Eve and Adam. Oh, it was a discredit to humanity. Eve looked like a prehistoric animal. And there she stood in a horrible looking condition, and Adam with hairs out of his nose, run way out like that. That goes to show what the unconverted mind has conceptions of.

A man that's ever come in contact with God knows God doesn't do such things as that. They were perfect. Then after they had sinned, notice, when they had sinned and realized they had done wrong, and Eve.... Adam never sinned. The Bible said that he was not.... Eve sinned, and Adam loved Eve so well till he took his place with her to leave the garden. Adam was not deceived. Eve was deceived. Adam wasn't, and Adam was a type of Christ in every figure, and Christ was not deceived and neither was He a sinner, but He come down and so loved His church, Eve, till that went to Calvary for Her to redeem her back again. Christ come to take the sinner's place.

Did you ever think of it, sinner? I thought this, “Me, unlovable. Me, not worthy, and Christ, the Son of God, came down and become me that I through His grace might become Him. And we stand in the presence of God not as sinners, but as sons and daughters of God, washed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Amen. That ought to tear the heart of any sinner to realize that Christ become sin that you through the righteousness of His obedience to God might become Him in the presence of God, to stand without a blemish, without a ... on you through the shed blood of His offering.

I see Eve and Adam standing there, heard their sentence of death pronounced upon them, and the tears running down Adam's cheeks and dropping off on to Eve's head, and her with her little head laid over on his shoulder, and they had to depart out of the presence of God. Standing there wrapped in those old bloody sheepskins; and as they started out of the garden in the presence of God, I can hear them old sheepskins flapping together on their legs like that as they went out. God, the Father, looking down and seeing His children being turned out like that because of disobedience.

He stopped and He couldn't stand it. He said, “I'll put enmity between her seed and the serpent's seed, and his head will bruise her heel, and her heel shall bruise his head,” promising a deliverer.

Down through the years the only place for fellowship come in between that time, waiting for the coming of that promise was through the offering of a burnt sacrifice, a lamb. And finally one day four thousand years later, down in the city of Jerusalem....

Let's take a little trip down into the streets of Jerusalem, leads out by the Damascus gate, or goes out to the hill of Golgotha. Let's pull up the shade. I hear a noise outside. What is it? You hear some of them saying, “Away with such a fellow.”

I see a little woman run, fell across, say, “What's He done but preach the Gospel, and heal your sick, and do good things?”

I can see some of them throw her aside and say, “Would you listen to that woman instead of your priest? Would you turn that ... accept that woman instead of turn your priest down, there? Certainly. Away with Him.”

“What's this man done?” I hear something dragging, bumping, coming down the cobblestones, and I look. I see a little frail body of about a hundred and twenty pounds, with a cross equal His weight laying on His shoulder. Coming down the street dragging it along, rubbing His head against the side of it, and the thorns breaking His brow, and the blood coming down. His body being rubbed like this as He walked down through the streets. I hear the bump, bump, bump of that old cross.

After a while I begin to notice that all over his little robe that was throwed over His back, wove throughout without seams, seeing they had taken Him up to Calvary, and take that off of Him, and vulgar; nakedness exposed Him there. But with this robe over His shoulder as He walked down the street, I noticed little red spots all over the back of that robe; and as He goes on towards Golgotha, I notice they get bigger and bigger, bigger and bigger. After a while they all run into one, one great big solid mass of red.

I hear something beating again. What is it? It's that promise God made back there in the garden of Eden. That's the second Adam going yonder to die in your place. That's the blood of the Lord Jesus, that dripped that day, and the blood running down His legs and dragging out the footprints of the bearer as the cross moved up.

See Him fall on His road up to Golgotha as He goes up the hill there? The bee of death stinging around Him, trying to buzz, and telling Him, “It won't be long now. You're going to ... you're going to Calvary. Won't you take it back?” Jesus wouldn't pay attention to that. This bee stinging at Him. The sting of death's always been a horrible thing that's kept men shut up for years.

But did you ever notice? Here a little insect like bees and things that has stingers in them: If that stinger ever one time anchors deeply, it pulls out when the bee goes away, and the stinger's pulled out of the bee, and the bee can't sting no more.

That's what Jesus done to death, to the believer, when death was stinging around Him. He pulled the stinger out of death when He went up Golgotha yonder, and now death has no sting. No wonder the great St. Paul could say, “O death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The stinger's been pulled out of death for every man who'll confess his sins and accept Jesus Christ, yet in his sin. Do you believe that? I have no sting no more.

A believer not long ago.... I walked into the room where an old lady was going away one morning, and she looked over to me and she said.... I said, “Well, Sister Fullman, what about it?”

She said, “I love Him, Brother Branham, with all my heart.” Said, “Think of it. It won't be very long now till I'll be in His presence.” And what a glorious morning that will be.

Standing by the side of Paul Rader.... Many of you knew Paul Rader, didn't you? How he fought to win the prize and standing yonder in California under the influence of a great denomination had broke him down, and there he was dying with a cancer in the room.

The little Moody Bible quartet was there and singing for him, and when he was about ready to die (Paul had quite a sense of humor.), he said, “Oh, who's dying here, me or you?” Said, “Raise them curtains and sing me some snappy Gospel songs.”

And they got to singing:

Down at the cross where my Saviour died,

Down there for cleansing from sin I cried;

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His name!

Paul said, “That sounds better.” He said, “Where's Luke?” That's his brother, that always went with him. They traveled together like Billy, my boy, and I. And when he got....

He said, “He's in the next room.” He couldn't stand to see his brother go.

He said, “Tell him to come here,” and when he got up close to him, he reached over and got a hold of Luke's hand. He said, “Luke, we've come a long ways together, brother.” Said, “To think of it, in five minutes from now I'll be standing in the presence of Jesus Christ, clothed in His righteousness.” Squeezed his brother's hands and went to meet God.

Oh, let my end be like that. Let me, when I come to the end of the road, there is a big place sitting out yonder before me; it's set before every person here. It's called death. Every time your heart beats, you move one beat closer to that, and one of these days you're going in at the door. That may be before the sun rises in the morning, for some. Did you ever think of that? You don't know what time your card will be taken from the rack up yonder in Glory, and you'll have to answer. There ain't enough in the medicine in the world to hold you here.

And here's what I want to do when I come to the end of the road myself, when I see, and hear the breakers a roaring yonder, and I got to go into that, I want to have this assurance that I know Him in the power of His resurrection, that when He calls from among the dead, I'll come out and be His. You can only do it through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus. Shall we bow our heads a moment for prayer.

While we all have our heads bowed and everyone in prayer, I wonder tonight if there be in our midst, (I don't know, my brother), but I wonder if there's one here who really never has been brought under subjection to the Holy Spirit, given your life over completely until God rules and reigns supremely, and the life that you now live is a changed life. I've seen Christians that's tried to do it. They just couldn't do it. Seemed like they just had so many ups-and-downs, they couldn't do it.

I wonder if there's a person in here in Divine Presence, just now that has confidence in Christ that wants to be received into His kingdom. Saying, “Brother Branham, I now raise my hands to Almighty God and ask Him to be merciful to me. I want you to remember me in prayer right now that God will give me that life with Him, that I know that I have that fellowship that I've once desired and always desired. I want it now.”

While we have our heads bowed. I wonder if someone would raise up their hand to God and say, “God, this is my hand. I want that real, true fellowship.” God bless you, and you. Up in the balcony, God bless you. I see you, sister. Someone else up there raise your hands and say, “God this is my hand. This is all I can do, Lord. You know my desires, so I'm just raising my hand to ask that You will be merciful to me and....”

Yes, the lady over here. God bless you, and the lady there. God bless you, sister. Someone else, just put your hand up. Not to me. I'm just a man, but to God and say, “God, I really want that fellowship. I want the blood to cleanse me just now from all of my evil ways, my evil thinking. I got to a place that I belong to church, but I just haven't got what I need, I know. If I'd die, if I knowed my time was called right now, I'd say, 'God, give me another hour to get straightened up.' God, I want to do it for me now that I can come into perfect fellowship, that I know that soon You are coming. The whole world's in a turmoil, and I'm looking forward to the coming of the Lord, and I want to be remembered, God, when I come to the end of the road. I raise my hand now to You, God, and ask that You will help me.”

Will someone else put up their hand? Four or five hands has went up, and I see you up in the balcony there. God bless you back there, my dear sister. Now, someone else in the balcony up there?

Say, “God, be merciful to me. I need Jesus just now. I want Him with all my heart.” If you have confidence.... I've been here in healing services and so forth, and I say this humbly, reverently. You know I do. I don't mean to say this for any personal thing, but see the visions happen. Watch what takes place in contact with that other world beyond here. Oh, if I didn't have that tonight, I don't know what I'd do, friend. I don't know how I could face ... how I could face even the public, how I could face my wife, my children, let alone face God.

You believe God hears my prayer, and you want to be remembered, will you just raise your hand and say, “Please God.” Some sinner friend, maybe that's never accepted Christ in all your life and you want to be remembered in prayer just now, would you slip up your hand? God bless you little lady. God bless you, sir. God bless you. That's fine. Somebody else standing out here. “Lord, just feel You talking in my heart right now, and You might not talk to us no more.”

Here a few nights ago I was called to a place where a woman who had been a piano player in a church. Oh, she thought surely she was right; she'd never come to that place. And when she was dying, she started screaming and her pastor run down and said, “Now, here, here. You're getting excited.”

She said, “You deceiver. Why did you let me go like this?”

He said, “Come here, doctor. Give her a hypo.”

She said, [unclear words] and he put a hypo and he said, “Give her another one.” [unclear words]. Well, he stopped her lips with the hypo, but that soul, she'll have to live with it through all ages. That's been grieved away in many a meeting when an altar call was made and she rejected to come because she thought she was right.

“There's a way that seemeth right unto a man.” And my brother, sister, if you haven't got a constant abiding fellowship with Christ, you'll meet Him. Don't be deceived. Put up your hand and say, “God, it's me. I don't care how long I've gone to church, that's me. I want fellowship. I want to know where I am. I want to be with You, Lord.” Will you put your hand up now and say, “Remember me in prayer.”

God bless you, lady, God bless you, brother. That's good. Two or three more put up their hand. Just a little longer now. Just waiting for a few minutes longer. “I now believe You, Lord. I want to come through the blood. I want a place where I'm sweetly abiding.”

God bless you, sister.... The Holy Spirit just speaking right along, the different ones. “I want you to remember me, Brother Branham.” God bless you, sister, over here. I see your hand over here to the left. “I want to be remembered just now. I want You to help me, dear God.” Now, while the rest of them's making up their mind, the music playing sweetly.

“Because I promise, I believe. O Lamb of God, here I come. I'm coming right now to the altar.” I'd just like for you to come and stand right here at the altar just a moment. Let me pray with you. Lay hands on you like I do on the sick, the blind, and the afflicted.

This week we'll be telling about the experiences over in India where five hundred thousand people or more come to the meetings, and the things that God did. And just watch, and.... Surely, you know I'm not a fanatic. I don't just try to misrepresent things. I try to be honest and tell the truth for it's [unclear words] to tell. If you believe God hears prayer, you'd like for me to pray for you, would you come here and shake my hand and stand here? Just make your way out while the audience with your head bowed sings real sweetly and softly.

Because Thy promise, I believe.

O Lamb of God, I come.

[Break in tape.] As He wants you to be.... “I want to be covered by the blood. I want to come just as I am. I don't have nothing to offer.” That's the way God wants you [unclear words].