God Making His Promise

...from New York. And this little city, you know, after coming from Jeffersonville, kind of, is small to me, but ... being such a small town. My city is about fourteen thousand. Mr. Boze was talking about Chicago being so great. I said, “Of course, that's just the outskirts of Jeffersonville.” So he's always hollering about how many people he has.

Well, I tell you, when I come to New York, I very.... I don't say this. I say this with love, and I say it more like as, just to say ... have something to say.

But I know that men used to be cave dwellers. When I passed down through Manhattan, I thought they got back to that again. Somebody living on the fortieth story and up in there. They run out of caves, so look like we just built some up here and went back to cave dwelling again up in New York.

It's a beautiful, wonderful city. Many good people live here. And I believe that it would be a wonderful time for a great revival to strike this city. And I am trusting to God that that will take place. Not only do I think that, but many others.

Billy Graham was in Louisville a few weeks ago, and as many times has our paths has crossed in foreign fields, the first time I ever had a chance to speak with him and get acquainted with him. And they're coming to New York this spring. And I certainly want every one to be in prayer, that God will stir New York during that time.

And then, you brethren here, ministers and things, it's time to.... Then if the fire catches, just keep going, just keep moving. For we are near something. Everyone can feel that in their soul, that we're near something. It could be the coming of the Lord Jesus. It could be annihilation of the city or the country. We don't know, but something's in the making. And whatever it is, no matter what it is, the Christian has no worry.

A real, born-again child of God looks to heaven and knows the Father holds the reigns of all things. He does all things well. And there's neither death nor sorrow for a Christian. Christians don't die. There's not one Scripture that says a Christian dies, very vice-versa. Jesus said, “He couldn't die if you believed on Him.” So he has no death. And that is the greatest thing that put fear over man, was death. And Jesus died for us, and death is swallowed up in victory.

So when coming to the end of the road, like Saint Paul, he said, “Oh, death, where is thy sting and, grave, where is thy victory?” But said, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Now, this afternoon, I have.... It's a.... We're don't have much speaking time left, and it's late, and it's not only late, but it's bad outside. It's hindered us a whole lot today, I'm sure.

And another thing, I'm rather a stranger here in New York. I've only been here a few times. I was here with our good friend, Brother Byrd, Sister Brown, and them from over in.... Well, it's all New York to me, but it's over on the other side there, somewhere.

At the Saint Nicholas arena, I usually made that a jumping-off place, when I was going overseas. And I've got acquainted with some mighty fine people up here. And I certainly love you, and appreciate all your kindness and things, and your loyalty to the Lord Jesus, and your thoughts of me as His servant.

And now, today we're going to speak just awhile this afternoon, because I have to let out in time, in order that my boy and them's coming over to give out prayer cards for the prayer service tonight. We're going to pray for the sick, the Lord willing. We'd be happy to have you.

We've enjoyed a very fine stay with Brother Hudson, one of the pastors here, the Maranatha Temple. And I've certainly learned to love him better than I ever. For years he's tried to get me to come up here to visit him, up here in New York and around this part of the country.

And I got to meet some more pastors. And I hope that someday, by God's grace, we can have a great, union revival here and stay a little while. You, see? If you notice, you from the Maranatha Temple, each night how the services just get.... See? You get the superstitions away and all the ... as Dr. Mordecai Hamm used to say, “the spooks away.” That's “the scares.” Mordecai Hamm: How many ever heard of Mordecai Hamm? Well, he was one of the finest friends that ... one of the finest friends that I have.

And Billy Graham was converted under Mordecai Hamm's ministry. And he and I were together when we met Billy the other day. Mordecai Hamm lives just across the river from me and we've lived there together for years. And so I think it's a lot of spooks too, when we try to think it's something that's going to bother us and they look on suspicious. And you got a right to do that. We're living in the day when everything's floating around.

So then, I don't blame shepherds from watching for their flock. That's what they should do. That's their duty. And then when you are convinced, and you notice them, why, just the whole thing just comes into one big bundle of fellowship and love. Then the Holy Spirit really goes to moving among the people.

And we trust that that'll be in every church when we leave here, and we'll leave that kind of a mark behind us in this little revival, that we love you, and we know you love God, and the Holy Spirit will be in every church, blessing every person. Now, before we open up His Word, shall we just bow for a moment of prayer.

Our kind, heavenly Father, we thank Thee so much for the Lord Jesus, knowing that through Him, that's why our paths cross today. And we think of what this world would be ... or, we try to think. We couldn't imagine what it would be if Jesus had never come to the earth. Oh, what a.... We would be worse than animals on the earth. Such a, oh, not even ... you couldn't walk, we'd have no streets to walk on, for we realize that civilization came by God. So we thank Thee for sending Him and introducing to us the way back home.

And we pray today that You'll forgive us of our sins and our shortcomings. We pray that You'll bless each one that's gathered out here on this rainy, stormy afternoon. And may it not be in vain, but may the Holy Spirit come down and fellowship with us in the Word. Grant it, Lord.

And if there be any unsaved, may they accept Thee; and may the children that's already believed on Thee, may they be persuaded to come just a little closer and walk a little closer to the Lord. Grant it, Father, for we ask it in Christ's name. Amen.

In the blessed Word, Saint John, the first chapter, I've practically been on that chapter all week down at the Maranatha Temple. And I wish to read just some more of it today, the first chapter of Saint John, the gospel. And we'll begin about the 29th verse of the first chapter.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.

This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

Now, our subject this afternoon, we would like to speak on.... I preached on this before at a place in Louisiana, where a revelation that I claim was given to me. And now, I want to take it from another angle, if I can, for this afternoon.

But one day while eating lunch with Brother Moore at the Big Chain Restaurant in Shreveport, Louisiana, while we were there this summer, I began to notice the faces that sometimes.... Mr. Moore is one of the managers. And I'd go to visit him, which I'm an associate pastor of the temple there.

And I would notice that many faces would be missing and I'd ask about them. “Well, I tell you, Brother Branham, they just drifted away.” So I begin to wonder, why would they drift away? What causes people to drift away? And seemingly, as far as we could see and know, very fine people, very nice, kind, Christian type of people.

I would not want to say that they were not Christians. We have no way to judge that. And God is the sole Judge of who is Christian and who's not. And we can only judge ourselves as we weigh ourselves in God's balance (That is His Word.) and see how our life compares with what His requirements is, and our desires towards that, our attitude towards what He has required us to do. So noticing that, this came on my mind: Why did the people who had the Holy Spirit in their heart would drift away from God?

Now, first we have to think of this: that every word of God is true. We cannot say that God's Word is not true.

And in Saint John, the 5th chapter and the 24th verse, Jesus said, “He that heareth My Word and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into the judgment, but hath passed from death unto life.” Now, that's His own Word.

And I look around, and I see our good brother and friend, God's servant, Billy Graham, has crossed the nation, and thousands here converted, he said, and thousands here converted, and thousands over here converted. And talking with him myself, he said there wasn't ten percent of them held out.

So then, I go back, and I talk to Oral Roberts, our good friend. And he goes from place to place, and so many thousands and thousands converted. And I come to find out, just about the same thing Oral says: There's not very many that holds out.

Then I talk to other evangelists, and noticing it in my own meetings. And here the return. Just a few moments ago, the pastor walked behind the stage and was talking to me while I was reading some Scripture. And we were talking, and my son and one of the tape boys were speaking about ... said it's a lovely little auditorium here, seating about two thousand or something like that. And we were comparing it with meetings.

And I said, “I was just thinking, in Germany we averaged ten thousand converts each night.” So we were there five nights and they recorded fifty thousand that come to Christ in five nights. 'Course we had thousands to draw from.

In Durban, South Africa, they registered thirty thousand in one altar call, see.

But now, you go back and find out how many of them are still holding today. Now, that's where we wonder, see. What takes place? That's up to God. We're fishermen. We throw the net into the river, and we pull, and what comes out, we hand it to God. God knows what they are. See, that's just our business.

If it was a crawfish, it'll still be a crawfish. The Gospel net just catches it. If it was a terrapin, it'll be a terrapin. It's what the nature of it is. But God is to do that judging. We don't know that. God does that.

But I've noticed that His Word, how that He always keeps His Word to the person. Now, if truly you have received Christ, then there's nothing can take that away from you. It's a gift of God: eternal life. Now, that is, if Christ has received you. And if Christ gave you eternal life here and lost you down here, and Him infinite, knowing all things, He defeats His own work: He saved you when He knowed He was going to lose you, so He doesn't do that, see.

And so, it behooves us as believers, to really not go upon some mental conception or upon some emotion, or some fantastic of something happened: “We did this, or did that.” For the devil can impersonate all those things. But the only way that we'll know that we're saved is when we've met God's conditions, see, see. You're never saved by your feelings; you're saved by your faith, see. You're always saved by faith. Your faith does it and then your life proves whether you received it or not.

Now, if you're trying just to impersonate it, then you're just making a hypocrite out of yourself, you see. 'Cause you can't do that. Christianity is something that has to come from the heart. Jesus speaking to the Pharisees, said, “Ye hypocrites, how can you say good things when out of the abundance of the heart speaketh the mouth?” Then if the heart thought one thing and the mouth spoke something else, it becomes hypocrisy, see.

We must from our heart express exactly how we feel. We must express it from our heart. And if we can't express the right thing, then keep still. Don't say nothing about it.

And now, if the church ever gets to practicing that, they'll have ... they might have fewer members for awhile, but they'll have better members while they're having it. God grant the day that when every man or woman will be and express just what they are.

If I didn't believe in God, I'd be here this afternoon against Him. And if I'm for Him, He's more than my life; I give my life for Him, see. 'Cause if it's a worthy purpose, it's worthy to live with ... live for and die for. That's right. It's Christ. Now, either He is the living Christ or He is not the living Christ.

This Bible is either the truth or it is not the truth. You never did see a black white bird at the same time. You never seen a drunk sober man at the same time. You never seen a sinner saint at the same time, see. You don't see that. You're on one side of the fence. God keeps His Word. He's give us the Word for pattern.

In our lesson last night, where we'll take up again tonight, the Lord willing, on Abraham, how He gave him a promise when was just at seventy-five years old and Sarah sixty-five; what they were going to have, this baby.... And he waited twenty-five years before God ever fulfilled that promise.

But God is obligated to His Word. You're obligated to your word. If you profess to be a Christian, you're obligated to live a Christian life. As long as you're going to church and professing to be a Christian, you're obligated. If you don't, then you're ... the people can't trust you.

And if it ever got to a place that God wrote something in His Word and would not, you couldn't trust Him to take His Word, then He isn't God no more to you. But He is a....

Some fellow said, when I was speaking on prayer for the sick, that God healed the sick, he said, “I don't care what you would show; I don't believe it.”

I said, “Certainly not. It was not written for unbelievers. It was written to those who believe.” That's right. That's the difference. It wasn't wrote for you. It was only written for those who believe. It's for he that believeth. That's the problem.

Now, way back, we're going to speak now on the subject of God Making His Promise. Now, this text that we have under consideration today, I think is one of the most outstanding texts in the Bible. I do.

It taken place on the river of Jordan some two thousand years ago when the world had been in a chaos for a long time. Israel had rejected God, rejected His laws, His statutes, His ordinances, and had been carried away. Never was Israel ever harmed as long as they stayed in harmony with God's command.

Never will a church fail, never will a program fail as long as those who are in charge stay in the center of God's will. God's will is perfect. And everything will fall right into its place if you'll stay in God's will. But get out of God's will here, it throws the whole program out, just one place. You remember Achan's wedge.

Now, just have to move out in one place. If you see you're out, go back and repent for that, make it right. You can never go no farther till you make that thing right. You've got to come square and straight with God.

Now, notice this: When God so desired to introduce His Son to the world, He introduced Him as ... presented Him as a lamb, a beast, a animal. Could you imagine that? that God speaking of His Son and introduced Him as a lamb, a sheep, young sheep? Wonder why He did that?

And God, when He introduced Himself to the world, was in a form of a dove, a bird, the fowl of heaven. Now, here's to my opinion. The lamb is the most meekest and gentlest of all the beasts there is on earth. There's nothing any more gentler than a lamb.

And God likened us unto His sheep. The reason, one thing.... I've raised sheep. And sheep, they're not self-sustaining. They cannot take care of themselves. If a sheep gets lost, he's just done, that's all. He can never find his way back. He's totally helpless and lost. And he'll stand right there and bleat till the wolf takes him, or he'll die standing there. He's lost, he's all turned around, he doesn't know which way to go; he can't guide himself.

And that's just exactly what the human race is. We are absolutely, totally lost, and we're not sufficient in ourselves. We've got to have the shepherd to lead us and to guide us. We are lost without it.

We cannot save ourselves. No matter how good your program may be. No matter what kind of a motive you have towards that program, what is your alternatives, or how great your church is, that's all fine, nothing against it; but without the shepherd, you're lost and you're only fighting the wind. True. You must have the shepherd.

And the church is wonderful, every denomination, but without the shepherd of the flock, you're just building your church in vain. You're rejecting the very cornerstone.

The builders, when they built the old church, they hauled it down to Joppa by oxcart and floated it in in different ways, and the cedars of Lebanon. And when they went to put the temple together, they found a freak stone. It didn't look right. So they kicked it out over into the weed pile. And they went laying the block. But they kept laying, and they couldn't find a stone to fit this place. And finally, come to find out that the very stone they had rejected was the chief cornerstone.

And, friends, today we have some of the smartest and the best scholars in our pulpits that we've ever had. We have some of the finest buildings that the church has ever known of having. We've got some of the richest people in the church that we've ever known to have. And yet, friends, we wonder why God's program doesn't go on? They've rejected the chief cornerstone: Christ. Oh, you take Him by lip, but I mean by heart. It's from your heart, the chief cornerstone, the whole building's fitted together.

And no matter how great our denomination is, we have, they say, “A million more in '54,” or whatever slogan you may have. If they're just church joiners, we are rejecting the very principle of Christ. That's right.

We have went to all the world and done what God told us not to do. We have built churches, seminaries, hospitals. All those things are marvelous. We appreciate them. And they're good in their place, but Christ never ordained that. He said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” That's the reason we're not.... Not quote Scripture, not do this, or do that, but preach the gospel.

Then you say, “What is the Gospel?”

Paul said, “The Gospel come not in word only, but through power and manifestation of the Holy Spirit.” Not go into all the world and pass out leaflets. I found that in Africa, India, and everywhere else, and Mohammedans and everything increasing hundreds of times more than Christianity.

But when Christ comes on the scene, that changes everything. Not teach theology, but preach the Gospel. Demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit in all the world: the risen Jesus Christ alive just as much today as He ever was, never die no more. He died once and rose again, and He's alive.

Now, in the type of seeing Him the lamb: the lamb was used many times, or practically every time, and the first time as a symbol of Christ. Back in Genesis where God provided a lamb, a lamb was a symbol looking to Christ because the lamb was gentle.

Now, men under the slaying of the lamb could never be saved. He was only expressing his faith looking for the time to come when the lamb itself would come.

Now, the old worshipper, he took the lamb, and he went when he done sin, he went to the priest and the lamb was slain. And he laid his hands upon the lamb as it was dying, and the little fellow kicking and bleating, and the blood spurting over his hands, and he felt the life going out of the lamb. As he looked up to God, it was reckoned unto him for righteousness, because that he knew this innocent lamb was taking his guilty place. There must be....

The antidote is the innocent for the guilty. That's the only way. Not good works could never save you; it could never. So the man realizing that the lamb took his place in death.... Now, that the worshipper went back out again with the same desire in his heart to sin that he had when he come in the first time. Why? It didn't.... The life ... the blood has life.

The life germ lays in the male's blood. The male sex produces the life. You realize that. The female has nothing to do with it no more than the incubator. But it's the man, the male, the sperm: The life is in the male.

And that's how God in His wisdom, how that He seen that.... It isn't virgin Mary that did it. It's not the virgin Mary; it's the virgin Christ, see. Christ was born without an earthly father; the Holy Ghost overshadowed Him ... overshadowed Mary, and she produced the Son, Christ Jesus. And His blood actually wasn't neither Jew nor Gentile. It was the creative blood of Almighty God for all nations.

So no one can put their option, say, “He was this and He was that.” He was God.

Notice, now, when Christ came.... Now, like today, you take your.... You people here, if you ever knowed you can take a hen. She can lay an egg, ever so beautiful. And if that hen hasn't been with the male bird, it'll never hatch. An old mother bird can lay a nest full of eggs, and the nicest nest full of eggs that science could take those eggs apart and a egg that was fertile and one infertile and they'd never find the difference. That's right.

But that old mother bird could lay a nest full of eggs, and she could sit on them, and turn them this way and that way, and be so loyal to them eggs until she gets so poor she couldn't fly off the nest. And if she hasn't been with the male bird, them eggs will never hatch. They're not fertile.

That's what's the matter with our so-called Christian churches. We've got a bunch of people, and patted them on the back, and put their name on the book, and we've hugged them, and kissed them, and babied them around like this and patted them around. It's a nest full of rotten eggs. The church needs to be cleaned out and get people back to God again where they come in contact with the mate, Christ Jesus.

No matter how good he is, or how much he pays in the collection, or whatever it is, if he hasn't been in contact with Christ and been born again, it's a rotten egg in the church. I don't mean that for a vile expression. I only mean it to point out to you a truth. That's right.

Notice, God.... The reason the lamb's blood only made a shadow for the real lamb was this: because inside of that blood cell, that life in there was an animal life. So when the worshipper was sprayed with the blood of the dead animal, it only made a shadow: because when the blood cell was broke and the life come out—the spirit of the animal—it could not come back and coincide with the life of a man. 'Cause an animal life and human life is different.

An animal life has no soul. A human life has soul. And so, it could not. So the worshipper went out with the same kind of desire in his heart to do wrong. Then he'd know if he did wrong, he'd take another lamb back and let it die for him as a shadow.

But here when the worshipper once comes to Christ, lays his hands by faith upon the dying Son of God and feels the pain of Calvary that Christ bore for him there, and when that blood cell was broke, come out of there none other than the Spirit of God.

Then the Spirit of Christ, the dead lamb that died for you, returns back and coincides with you and gives you new life, new birth, and you're a new creature in Christ Jesus, a son and daughter of God. And you have passed from death unto life, and can no more die, no more die than God can die—I mean spiritually speaking. Death is separation; you know that. The right word of death is “separate.”

All right. You might separate from your friends here for awhile, but you're in the presence of God, see. Separation from God is eternal death, so you're gone forever. But you can no more die. “He that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into the judgment, but is passed from death unto Life.”

Oh, what a beautiful Bible that we have, and not only a beautiful Bible, but a beautiful Christ that backs up every word that He said. That's right. Not a dead one in some theology of some man like Mohammed, or Buddha, or some of the rest of them. He's a living today right here now, present tense: Christ lives, not dead.

Now, as the lamb was presented and the dove presented.... Now, the dove is the meekest of all the birds that fly in the heaven. There's nothing like the dove. The dove is a lover. The dove coos in the evening. How I have listened to the old dove a many time. There's nothing more beautiful than to hear the dove in the evening cooing—the turtledove.

I remember when I lost my wife, when I was just a young Baptist preacher. I went out to the grave every evening, and I'd sit down out there as the sun went down. And seemed like this big, old dove must have knew that I was sad. He would come there and sit up in the bush. And as the sun was setting and the wind blowing through the trees, he would “coo” to me. Nothing more consoling, hardly, to hear a dove in the evening, cooing its sweet message. It's a lover.

God is a lover. God is love. God so loved the world when they were unlovable, that He gave His Son to make them lovable. And God.... Here it is: God wants to come down and make love to you. He's seeking, thirsting, hungering, trying to get to some of your starchy hearts to make love to you, as a love affair: not a law, but a love. It's all in love. God so loved.

Now, the animal dove was represented in the ark. The ark ... in the ark all species was in there, and the dove and lamb were there. But the lamb was on one floor and the dove was on another—the birds and fowls. But in the ark sat the dove and the crow and all the others. They sat close together perhaps.

Now, a crow, in the Bible, is a scavenger. He is a scavenger. He's the meanest bird I know of, is a crow. Yet a long life fellow. And he's a hypocrite. I'll tell you why he is.

Now, the dove.... I've studied doves, studied animals, was game warden for years and still live in the woods when I can. And studying of animals, you can find God. If you'll just get God in the heart, you can see Him everywhere you look. He's just everywhere. He's omnipresent, everywhere.

And I've noticed in the dove, the dove is one bird who has no gall, no bitterness about a dove. And there's no bitterness about God. It's a gentle, meek, kind little fellow. And it cannot eat anything that's contaminated.

Now, an old crow, he's a scavenger. And he could fly just as good as the dove can fly. And he can sit over here on a dead carcass and eat all he wants to, and fly right out in the field and eat wheat and corn, too.

But a dove cannot eat nothing but grain and seed, because it has no gall to digest this other stuff. And if the dove would eat it, it would kill the dove. But the crow can stand over here and eat dead things and come over and eat corn, too.

Now, that's the difference.

Sometime you take an old crow-natured man or woman, they'll go out into the road houses, and pool rooms, and all kinds of places of devices, and hoop and holler and carry on, and come back to church, and act the very same way. Right.

But a real, born-again Christian cannot tolerate the things of the world. If you love the world or the things of the world.... Now, I mean not by a law, saying, “I know I shouldn't do that.” That isn't it. It's God in you, changing your nature and desires. Certainly. There's the difference.

Not while you're trying to impersonate that. If you are, you're still a crow. That's right. You've got to get your nature changed to make your desires change. Then when you truly love God and believe Him with all your heart, that's it. When you do anything wrong, you feel the tears of repentance rolling down your cheeks. You can't stand it. You have to go back. You lay on your face before Father and say, “God, You know I didn't mean to do that.” And you'll stay right there until it's settled with God forever. That's right.

But an old crow, it don't bother him. He can just eat anything he wants to. He can digest it. But the dove cannot digest these things.

Then notice, go back to the lamb. Now, he's so meek and so gentle. And the day that when a lamb comes into the earth, he's born meek and gentle. He's a lamb to begin with. And when a Christian is born into the kingdom, he takes the nature of the lamb.

Now, the lamb is not.... As I said, he can't take care of himself. And a lamb cannot find his way around. A lamb has to be led by the shepherd.

And how beautiful to see the dove leading the lamb to Calvary. Amen. God leading, just like Abraham led Isaac to his death that would have been at the sacrifice block, God led Christ to the sacrifice, being led.

A lamb is the kind of an animal that won't get back. I just wonder. A lamb is not fussy. A lamb is a forfeited animal. You take a lamb, he has wool on him and that's his God-given right. God gave him the wool. That's his. But he's willing to lay upon a shearing block and have every bit of it sheared off of him. And he won't kick and fuss about it. Just lay him up there, and put the loops around his legs, and he just lays there, and you take from him everything that he has, and he forfeits it without murmuring about it.

And I wonder today, we who are supposed to be the lambs of God. You just try to cross you up one time and watch how much lamb you are. Oh, my, you talk about kicking up a fuss. Why, I'll tell you, let something go wrong in the church. “Well, I'll just quit right now and go over and join the Methodists. Yes, sir. I don't have to put up with that.” That shows what you're made out of.

When the day that John baptized Jesus, the lamb, John said, “There comes the meekness of God. Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” And when John baptized Him and He went out of the water, God, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, come down on Him and abode in Him (Amen.), abode in Him.

That was the greatest event this world has ever seen and will see, until Christ and the church has united together again. That is when God and man became one. Heaven and earth embraced each other, and kissed each other, and settled the sin question forever as when the dove and the lamb united together. One of the greatest.... That's when the price.... When the greatest reconciliation that was ever made, is when God and Christ united as one. And friend, let me tell you something. We are God's lambs. He likened us unto His sheep.

Now, what.... As soon as this dove started and fell upon the lamb, and this lamb would have snorted like a wolf, what do you think would have happened? The dove would have took her flight. She couldn't stay around that. Certainly not. She couldn't stay around where all that there snorting and going on was.

And you wonder what's happened to you. That's what's happened. You change your nature. You become a wolf or a goat instead of a lamb. And that's what's the matter with the Pentecostal church today. It's snorting, and puffing, and enough temper to fight a buzz saw, and then wonder what went with the Holy Ghost. Backbitings and fightings and everything else amongst the Christian church and wonder where went the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Spirit will not abide on such a thing. Right. It cannot do it. If that lamb would've made one snort like the wolf, away would've went the dove. And today, why, we just do everything. We go everywhere, act like the world, tell dirty jokes, and everything else, and smoke, and drink—our deacon boards. Even our pastors dance and carry on. And then expect the Holy Spirit to dwell in such a place like that. Never. That's right.

Not only that, but you fuss and fight and bat and stew and argue against.... “I'm a Oneness.” “I'm a Trinitarian, hallelujah. You ain't got nothing.” You haven't either as long as you act like that. “I belong to the Assemblies.” I belong to this,“ and ”I belong to that.“ Why don't you belong to Christ? Certainly.

But you draw little denominational barriers and separate fellowship, separate the brotherhood, and then wonder why you don't have miracles and things happening in your church. The miracle worker has gone. That's right. No wonder you can't believe in the divine working of the Holy Spirit. It isn't with you no more.

Where God is, supernatural takes place, for He is supernatural. That's the reason people turn up their nose and walk away when you talk about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I'll admit I've seen a lot of nonsense. I've seen a lot of bogus dollars too. But that don't say there isn't a genuine one. It only means that there is a real one. Certainly. It's only a milepost pointing to a real one when you see some person impersonating.

In India, here with these brethren that's sitting on the platform. I had the privilege of meeting them awhile ago. In their country, you can find tourists, people out there clowning for tourists, rolling on spikes, and wanting to walk through fire and do everything like that. It's a hypocrite. That's all.

Just remember that back in the interior there somewhere, somebody is beating himself up and punishing himself, trying to appease a god somewhere. When we see some people going to church and supposed to be Christians, and going out and living all kinds of lives, and not paying their debts, and treating their neighbor, and fussing, and fighting. What is it? (And still going to church.)—They're only impersonating a genuine Holy Ghost article that's sitting there somewhere.

I've seen people jump up-and-down and speak in tongues like pouring peas on a dry cowhide; walk right out, and it was dangerous to be around them. That's right. What does it mean? There's a real article somewhere. Amen. Don't let the scarecrow bother you. That's right. If there's a scarecrow, that only means there's something good behind it. That's right.

One time, I was planting some butter beans. A little old groundhog (a woodchuck, you'd call it here, I suppose) run out and eat them up as fast as I could plant them. I didn't want to shoot the little fellow. So I went and got me a sack and drawed a great, big picture, big ears on it and put me some butter beans in it, tied it on a stick and I got off of my glasses to watch him.

Here he come out of the hole and run down to get the butter beans. He stopped and looked at that sack, looked it over a few times. The little fellow sat up and looked at it, backed off. He'd jump at it and it'd jump back, trying to find out what it would do. After awhile, the wind blowed and it rattled, 'cause I had some beans inside of it. Away he took and then he stopped and looked back. He got to thinking, “That was just a rattle.” He come up close to it, and smacked it with his paw, and he seen this rattle, went right on behind it, and started eating beans.

Surely, you've got the gumption of a woodchuck, surely. When you see all these counterfeits and bogus, remember, but behind there, there's a genuine baptism of the Holy Spirit; there's a real article of God. Right.

Yes, there he comes. Watch him, now. He was a lamb laying upon the block, shorn. We are His lambs. You say now, “You said the other night, Brother Branham, that Christians that stay home to see, 'Who went with Lucy' or 'We love Lucy,' or some kind of a program like that, that all people stay home on Wednesday nights to see and these other comedians and so forth like that and how you were speaking of that. Now, Brother Branham, that's our American privilege.” That's right. That's exactly right. But are you willing to forfeit it for God? Uh-huh.

I got after you women about bobbing your hair, and walking out here, you that's supposed to be Christians, and dress and look like some flapper coming down the street. That's right. I believe in the old-fashioned, sassafras, home-spun Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that cleans you up. That's right.

Walk down the street here dressed like I don't know what, and call yourself Christians? Let me tell you what you're going to be guilty of at the judgment: of committing adultery. I don't care how good you are. The Bible said ... Jesus said, “Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart, with her.” You might not have went through the act, but when that sinner answers at the day of judgment and you presented yourself to him like that, lady, you're going to be guilty on God's books for committing adultery with that sinner. You presented yourself like that. Figure that out. Think of it. That's exactly the Gospel truth.

What is it? We let down the bars, we used to sing. “Let down the bars, we compromised with sin; we let down the bars, the sheep got out, but how did the goats get in?” You let down the bars; that's where it's at.

Why, you old-fashioned Methodist, years ago, how you used to have the rules and things in the church, and today, women who call themselves sainted people, filled with the Holy Ghost, walk the streets with little old short clothes on, and their girls lay out on beaches all night and smoke cigarettes and call yourselves Christians. Shame on you. A tree's known by the fruits it bears.

Then you wonder why you don't have power in your church and in your life. There it is. You say, “Wait a minute, Mr. Branham. That's my privilege. Our stores sells them kind of clothes.” And yes, they come from the hell hole of Hollywood, too.

And what's the matter today, we got too many little sissified preachers crossing the country with a bunch of Hollywood evangelism instead of the old-fashioned Bible, preaching the truth, too. That's what's the matter today. Yes, sir.

I know that's hard, and I don't want to be rough, but I've got to answer at the judgment bar. And everyone of you in the Presence, if you never knowed it before, you know it now. If the Holy Ghost is abiding on you, you'll dress like a sainted woman. You say, “Well, now, that's my privilege.” That's right, sister. That's your American privilege. But if you're a lamb, you'll forfeit it. That's right. You'll stand still and let the Gospel shave you off a little.

Oh, you say, “My pastor didn't say it.” Well, he needs a shaving, too. That's exactly right. Yes, sir.

You women that'll walk down the street and act and do the way they do and call yourselves Christians, shame on you, ladies, see. What's the matter? What's happened? It ain't like it used to be. Well, God don't change. The Gospel don't change. Something changed; you changed.

What is it? You stopped your prayer meetings. You got to associating with Sister Suzy and them over there that went to the old, cold, formal groups. And the first thing you know, her spirit got on you. There you are, that's what's the matter with you today.

That's what's the matter with America today. The morals of it is corrupted and gone, the very foundations. No wonder communism is getting hold. Brother, what we don't need is a new Pentagon, or a new, four ... Big Four meeting. What we need is an old-fashioned, Saint Paul's revival, and the Bible Holy Ghost preached back into the church with repentance and bringing America back to God.

Not a bunch of organizations going together and having a little frenzy of a meeting or something another, and stand up and tell a few jokes and sing a few hymns, and some woman stand there with earrings hanging down her ears, like that, with a big bunch of paint on top of her face. And then, go out there and call herself a Christian. She ain't even fit to be on a platform, if you want to know the truth.

Women, let me say to you as your brother. Let me say this to you, it's the truth. And you know that's the truth. There was only one woman in the Bible that ever painted her face to meet a man. You don't paint your face to meet God. You know better than that.

One woman in the Bible painted her face to meet a man. That was Jezebel, and God fed her to the dogs. So if you see a Christian woman calling herself, or any woman wearing paint, you can say, “How do you do, miss dog meat?” 'Cause that's exactly what God said she was. That's the Bible.

I don't say that for a joke. That's not no place to joke, is in this pulpit. There's been too much joking in the pulpit, now. It takes the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then you wonder what's the matter with the church.

What's the matter? Nothing the matter with God. It's you; it's the church; it's us. There's where the trouble lays. The Holy Spirit wants to come back, but He'll never settle on nothing like that. And you can just depend on that. Certainly not.

Now, you say, “You're hurting the women.” All right, you men, here you are. Any of you men that'll stand and let your wife smoke cigarettes and act like that, it shows how much man you are. That's all I can say. A man that would do that, let his wife do like that, ain't fit to have a wife. It shows who's the boss around your house. That's right. Shame on you. You ought to go back to the altar and get right with God. Exactly what you ought to do. Yes, sir.

I don't say mine will never try it. She might try it, but she won't get by with it. I've got two daughters. I don't say they might come down and lay on a beach for a suntan. They'll get a son-tan, all right. It won't be from that sun up there. It'll be from Mr. Branham's son with a board just as hard as he can drive them home. They'll have a son-tan when they get home, too. Yes, sir.

God giving me my right mind and let me stand and preach that Gospel and believe that Gospel in the power of the resurrection of Christ. I'll either stand for right or forfeit my way and go back. Yes, sir. Got to preach the Gospel, stand for what's right.

What we need today is some more of those old-fashioned, stirring preachers that used to travel the land with a little suitcase in their hand, preach the Gospel. Got too much little sissies today trying to do it. What we need is the baptism of the Holy Ghost back again.

“What taken place, Brother Branham?” The Holy Ghost took its flight when you started. First thing you know, you say, “Now, if Suzy, you know that.... Well, I'll never go back no more.” Away goes the Holy Ghost, took its flight. It ain't going to stand on you snorting and carrying on like that. You know that. It's a Lover and It's meek. And if you want to get the Holy Spirit to stay on you....

“Brother Branham, what's the formula? How do we get back?” Nothing at all, but just become a lamb, get that old, worldly thing away from you. Get the old goaty spirit off of you. Get the lamb back to you, and the Holy Spirit will come right back to the lamb. 'Cause the dove and the lamb is the only two can live together, because their spirit is alike.

God hates sin. And how is God, the Holy Spirit, going to live in a person that's always committing sin, going out deliberately, doing this and that, running to these kind of places. That's what's the matter with the church.

You say, “Well, Brother Branham, I spoke in tongues.” I don't care what you done. If your life don't type up with God's Bible.... I've seen witches and wizards speak in tongues. I've seen them dance in the spirit and everything else. America's rotten with that tommyrot.

I believe in speaking in tongues. I believe in every gift the Bible said in here. I believe it. But it's got to be put in its right place and carried on at the right way, at the right time. And God will vindicate every bit of it to be the truth. Right. Amen.

I don't mean to be rude. I don't mean that. I just don't mean for to hurt you, my friends. But I mean to be honest with you. Yes, sir.

Someone, years ago when I first started preaching, they said, “Billy, you preach that and your church will be tore up.”

I said, “Any church that's tore up by old-fashioned gospel preaching ought to be tore up.” That's right. That's exactly right. I said, “I'd preach it, if I have to lay on my stomach and drink branch water and eat soda crackers every day of my life and preach to four pillar posts of the church.” I'd rather do it and tell the truth and have favor with God than preach to ten thousand people and eat fried chicken three times a day. Yes, sir. To be honest with God....

What difference does it make? You're going out of this world one of these days. You better be right before you go. There ain't going to be no disappointment to see the bootlegger and the harlot, all out there, condemned. But what the disappointment's going to be to you, that thought that you were all right. There's where's the disappointment's coming,

when you hear Him say, “Depart from Me, I didn't even know you.”

“Oh, Lord, I've done many things in Your name.”

“I knowed nothing about it. Depart from Me.” So you better be searching up, checking up on the book. And this is the Book to check by, not your creed, not your catechism, check by God's Book. This is the one that's got eternal life. Notice, to know Him is life. Now, just a minute.

“What can we do, Brother Branham?” Just become a lamb again. When you become a lamb, the dove will come right down and live with you. She hasn't gone very far, friend. She just took her flight and flew up there on the roost somewhere. She's ready to come back if you're ready to come back.

You say, “Oh, Brother Branham, I remember when John Wesley meetings, I've read of it, when he first come over here....” Now, this is to you Methodists. What do think John Wesley would do today if he knowed you Methodists was acting the way you're doing? When in the church, the way you do....

When John Smith, when he was preaching one of his last sermons, he said, “Oh, I don't know....” He only preached a short one, four hours. And they had to pack him to the pulpit. And he said, “I don't know what's going to happen.” Said, “You know, the daughters of the Methodist church is even wearing rings on their fingers.”

What would he say today to see the choir members in shorts? See, there you are. And you Baptists, my own church, shame on you, out here running around with the rest of the world: dress, act, look and dog with the world just like the rest of them, like dog-eat-dog.

And John Smith, when he prayed and cried until his wife would have to come get him to the room and feed him his breakfast from the swelling of his eyes, what do you think he'd do if he could look at a Baptist church today? My, what a disgrace.

What do you think it does when God looked down out of the heaven and seen ... when men begin to congregate together and multiply upon the earth, how that every intention of his heart was evil, God cried from the skies; it repented Him that He ever made man. What does He think today that you professed, who laid your hand on the dying lamb's head and promised to be a Christian and walk after the ordinances of God, and now here acting the way you do? Shame on you.

The Holy Spirit's took His flight. No wonder you fuss at me about praying for the sick. No wonder the churches and things carry on about preaching, say, “You're too flat with it, Brother Branham.” Oh, brother, we're not flat enough with it. That's what's the matter. That's exactly what it is. We're not flat enough.

“But what's the thing, Brother Branham?” God is looking and trying, and moving, and begging, and persuading to find a little heart that He can come into and coo and make love to.

Remember how He took Adam and Eve before the world was ... before sin came into the world? Look at Adam, what a beautiful type. Adam and Eve was a type of Christ and the church. Now, remember, Eve did not sin. Adam sinned. That's right. Not Eve; Adam sinned, see. Not Eve, she was the one who did the act, but Adam done the sinning. The woman was deceived.

The Bible said she was deceived. She thought she was right. But Adam knowed it was wrong, see. And now, look, when Adam saw Eve had sinned and had done wrong, Adam walked right out not deceived, but with both eyes open. But he so loved Eve that he took her place in death with her and walked out with her. You know that.

And that's exactly what Jesus done. The church is guilty. The church sinned. That's right. But Christ come and was made sin, and took the place, and walked with His church, and condemned sin in the flesh, that He might redeem His bride back to Him again. What a beautiful picture, friend.

How the Holy Spirit's wanting to come to the church, how He wants to come in and make you gentle and kind and peaceful and quiet, instead of all this carrying on, see. He wants to love you. He wants to win Himself to you. He wants to see a play of heroism. He wants to see someone, not stand up and scream or ... He wants to see somebody who can stand up and be a lamb. He wants to see somebody who can take their place as a lamb.

Here sometime ago in the New Hampshire state just above you here, I used to hunt. I love to hunt. I seen a hero play one day, of heroism. And that was.... I hunted with a man up there. I better not call his name, 'cause he might be sitting here. Well, if it's all right, it's Burt Caul. So then.... And he was ... we hunted together. And oh, he was the most cruel-hearted man I ever seen. He would just delight in shooting little fawns. Well, that always burnt me up to do that. Now, if a fellow....

Now, he wouldn't just kill one, he'd kill a dozen if he could, and just laugh at it. And I said, “Burt, I....” Abraham killed a calf and fed it to God. That's exactly the truth. And so, then I said, “If you wanted a fawn to eat, all right. But, Burt, how do you go out there and kill those poor, little things like that, just to see them jump and die?”

He said, “Oh, you chicken-hearted preachers, that's the way with you.” Well, behind that, I believe there was something about the man. So I just kept praying for him.

And one year I went up to hunt with him. He'd made himself a little whistle. And he could go through that whistle just exactly like a fawn calling. And one day we were out hunting together, and we was in the bushes, and there was a meadow out like that. And he stooped down and blowed this whistle.

While he blowed the whistle, a beautiful big doe raised up on the other side. She'd been lying down, and she raised up. Her big ears stuck up and those big, brown eyes looking around. She heard the scream of that baby. So she begin looking around. She stepped right out in the open, looking for that baby, see where it was at.

Well, I seen the man put a shell in his gun; I thought, “Oh, surely he won't, surely he won't, that mother for that baby.” And when he put the shell in his gun, he raised up to take aim. And I was standing back there, and I thought, “God, don't let him do it. Oh, how can he be so cruel as to do that? There's plenty of others in here. Why kill that poor doe?”

And there he was taking his aim, leveling down. And I seen that doe, she had her head up, and she looked and she seen him. She looked at that rifle. But you know what? The call in her heart, the love for that baby, she ignored the rifle. She walked right on out, trying to find where that baby was. It was in trouble. She was trying to find it, looking all around like that. Those big, brown eyes, those ears, and knowing that a cross hairs of a scope was laying right across her heart. But she didn't care. There was a baby in trouble. She wanted to find where that baby was. It was a motherly love in her that called her to that.

The first thing I noticed Burt's rifle shaking. He threw the rifle down, he run and grabbed me around the waist. He said, “Billy, I've had enough of it. I can't stand it no more.” What was it? What got him? I led him to Christ. There he's a Christian.

I said, “What did it? What was it?” He saw that play ... display of heroism. He saw that mother's love that walked right out in the face of death. No matter if it was a cry of a baby, she was willing. She would die, no matter what it was. The mother instinct in her, though any other—the buck or any—would've run. But she was a mother. Her baby somewhere was in trouble. No, it don't make any difference, death or anything, she stood right there looking for her baby.

We need Christians like that who will display Jesus Christ. That's right. The love of God in our heart.

Some years ago, around a hundred years ago, there was a great revivalist that crossed the country about a hundred years ago by the name of Daniel Curry. He was a wonderful minister, a fine fellow.

And he said one night, he had a dream that he had died and he went up to heaven. And when he got to heaven, he asked at the gate, said, “I am Daniel Curry. I would come in.” And he said....

The gate keeper said, “We have no name here by the name of Daniel Curry.”

He said, “Oh, I'm the evangelist.” He said, “I have won many thousands of souls to Christ.” He said, “I ... I ... I have a ... I'm an evangelist.”

The gate keeper looked again, said, “I'm sorry, there's no Daniel Curry here.”

He said, “Well, what can I do?”

He said, “You might repeal your case to the great, white throne judgment, if you wish to.”

“Well,” he said, “I have no other choice.” He said he felt himself going through the air, got lighter, lighter, lighter, lighter. And said, “After awhile, the light around him was more brighter than the sun and ten thousand times its strength.” And said, “It wasn't coming from any certain place. It was just everywhere.”

And he stopped, and as he slowed up and finally come to a stop, he said he heard a voice say, “Daniel Curry, and you have appealed your case, then, to the white throne judgment.” He said, “Daniel Curry, in earth, did you ever tell a lie?”

Well, he said, he thought he'd been a truthful man. But in the presence of that light, he realized a lot of things that he had told that wasn't right. So will you. Right.

He said, “Daniel Curry, did you ever steal?”

He said, “Well, I....” He thought he'd been honest, but in the presence of that Light, a many shady deal he'd seen he'd pulled that wasn't just right. You might not know it now, friend, but you'll know it in the presence of that Light. That's right.

He said, “Daniel Curry, was you perfect on earth?”

He said, “No, Lord. No, Lord. I wasn't perfect. No, Lord.” Said, he was standing just waiting every moment, his bones feel like coming apart to hear that, “Depart into everlasting hell.”

And just as he was listening to hear that, he said he heard the sweetest voice he ever heard in his life. And when he turned to look, standing by him was the sweetest face he ever looked at. It was the Lord Jesus. He put His arms around Daniel Curry, and he said, “Father, no, Daniel Curry wasn't perfect on earth. That's right. But on earth, Daniel Curry stood for Me. Now, take all of his sins and put them on My account, because I'll stand for Daniel Curry in heaven.”

I wonder who's going to stand for you, there. And I wonder today, God was so good to you to call you, and you've grieved the Spirit of God away from you, who's going to stand for you at that day? Friend, you better take Jesus and stand for Him today, so He can stand for you at that day. And shall we bow our heads just a moment while you make your decision, and I want you to pray just a moment.

I want to ask you a question while we have our head bowed. Who's going to stand for you? Has the joy of the Holy Spirit left you? You don't feel Him anymore? Why, He isn't very far away. He just flew away from you, because you got angry, and because you told that person off, and because you did these things and those things. He hasn't gone very far. He loves you, yet. He's just waiting for you to change your nature, become a lamb.

And while we have our heads bowed and in prayer, everyone, I wonder today.... Not to me, now, but to God who you'll answer for at the day of the judgment.

If you know that you're guilty of grieving the Holy Spirit from you, or maybe you've never accepted Him in the first place, and you want to raise your hand today to God in that way, saying, “God, this day, here in this music academy in Brooklyn, I raise my hand, as I promise to stand for You from this day hence, if You'll forgive me and let the Holy Spirit come back to my heart, and be good to me, and let me have the joy of my salvation again, I will raise my hand to You, God. Look at my hand.” Will you put up your hand? God bless you. Why, there's no need of trying to count them. There's thirty or forty hands up.

I wonder if one of you here that's never accepted Christ and say, “Now, I put up my hand. I want to become a Christian.” God bless you, you, you, you, yes, that's fine. God bless you, lady. “I now want to receive Christ as my personal Saviour. I want Him to be merciful to me. I certainly don't want to stand in that great, white throne judgment, knowing that I'm condemned now. What will it be then, when I'll have to depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels? I want to accept Him right now. And be gentle and meek all my life, that the Holy Spirit would talk to me in the cool of the evening. When I lay down on my pillow at night, I raise up my hands to Him and say, 'Dear heavenly Father, I so love You.'”

And to hear His kind, tender voice talking back to me and say, “Child, I'm so in love with you. I'm glad that you accepted Me. I wanted to love you so much when you were unlovable, but you wouldn't let Me love you. But now, you've made it right, and I can love you and we can be friends together.”

Don't you want to do that? How many would raise their hand that didn't awhile ago and say, “I want that, Brother Branham, pray for me right now.” Now, that's to God, not to me. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you, you, you, lady. You, sir. God bless you, sir, you, sir, you, sir. God bless you. God bless you, lady. You, sir, and you, lady. That's right.

Way back in the back, someone back in there, some more back there. God bless you, sir. God bless you, lady. God bless you, sir. Someone else? God bless you, lady. I see your hand there. God sees them all. Now, you're not raising your hand to me. But now, who's going to stand for you?

Jesus said this: “He that heareth My words and will believe on Him that sent Me....”

“Lord, I now believe. I now believe. Make me Your lamb, Lord. Take this temper; take this evil from me, that You can come and talk to me, love me, and I love You, I want to.” Say, “I'm raising my hand, God. I want You to do it for me right this afternoon.”

God bless you. God bless you, lady. God bless you, sir, and you, lady. God bless this young couple here. God bless you. That's it. God bless you, sir, over there. Now, with our heads bowed, every one.... We can't do no more than just.... It's all roped off here for an altar call.

But I'm going to ask you one thing. With your heads bowed and everyone praying, think of it, “Pass me not, oh, gentle Saviour,” as the organist sweetly playing.

I just wonder now if you would do this. In your heart say, “Christ, not before no one but You, I mean this. But I'm going to stand up on my feet while our brother offers prayer. And I'm going to accept this message that he preached this afternoon, that the only thing I need to do is to get rid of my old self and become a lamb. And You'll become the dove in my heart. And I want to do it, and I'm going to stand for You today. I want this to go on the records of heaven, that this day, I take my stand for Christ. And, Christ, You promised me if I'd take my stand definitely for You, that You'd take my place when I come before God.”

If you want to do that, just quietly now, while everybody praying, I want you to stand to your feet, all that wants Christ to stand for you, and your making your stand today. God bless you. Oh, just remain standing. That's right. All over the building. We're going to ask prayer, all those who is accepting Christ now to take the stand. God bless you. God bless you. That's wonderful. Just remain standing just a moment.

Is there someone else that God could come down.... Look, sister dear, aren't you kind of ashamed the way you've done it? Do you realize that the very breath that you breathe, God gave it to you? Did you know someday you've got to meet Him? Why don't you just stand, say, “Yes, Christ, I'm wrong. Today I take my stand for You. I'll stand to my feet and let the angels of heaven put my name on the book, that I now promise You, Lord, that something in my heart tells me that I should take my stand.”

'Cause you know He said, “My Spirit will not always strive with man.” You can grieve Him the last time from your heart, He'll never come back no more. And if He's speaking to you today, let this be your place to stand with this great host that's standing for Christ. Would there be some more? I believe there is. God bless you, lady. That's good. Someone else? God bless you, little lady. That's mighty fine. God bless you, my friend, back there. God bless you, lady. That's good.

Someone else? Just stand to your feet. That's all. We ain't asking you to join any church. God bless you, lady. I'm not asking you to join church, I'm just asking you to receive Christ. Say, “I know I'm wrong, Christ. I have done wrong. I've thought wrong. I've committed sin, and I know I'm guilty. And today, in Your presence, I'm surrendering myself to You.” God bless you, young man. “I'm surrendering myself to You to become Your servant from this day on. I now stand for You. You stand for me like You did for Daniel Curry at that day.”

Is there just a few more before we pray. He'll see you. Your name will go right down in heaven. God bless you, young lady. I'm happy to see you doing that, know that He was speaking to you. All right, with our heads bowed now, let's pray.

O Lord of heaven and earth, realizing at this moment the dove is flying through the building, it's watching every heart. Here they stand, the angels of God are encamped about. They never leave; they stay close. And today on the records of heaven goes all these names. You're taking them at their word.

Now, Father, Thou has said in Thy Word, “If they would make this act and believe it with all their heart, that they would pass this very moment from death unto life.” And I pray, Thee, with all of my heart, and with all of my soul and mind, that You'll accept each one of them. You see them, God; they're just poor people standing there.

Think of it. Maybe in a year from today, there won't be any Brooklyn. No, maybe twenty-four hours from now, we may be nothing but dust on this earth. Five hundred years from today, our bodies will be molded and corrupted and gone back into the dust. Maybe the sands a blowing, after the atomics has done burst this earth and send her whirling out yonder in somewhere, but our souls will be living on somewhere else.

O God, put every name down today. Just now, Father dear. And grant that they'll receive Christ, and they are doing it. They're making this act, and it's a positive act, and You promised that they would stand for You: “He that will witness Me before men, him will I witness before My Father and the holy angels.”

And here they are standing today to their feet, as a witness that they love You, and believe You, and taking You for their Saviour, and desire for You to fill their life with the Holy Spirit, as they are now throwing off the old spirit that they once had. They are now taking it off and laying it on the altar of God, bringing it to the crucifixion, to the sacrifice, and then accepting the dove of God of peace to reign in their heart supremely forever.

Grant it, Lord, each one of them. And may tonight, the great service that's coming off just in a short time now. May they see the living Christ moving into the building, healing the sick and the afflicted. May they have joy in their hearts throughout life's journey and come home to heaven at the end of this world. In Christ's name, I pray. Amen.

Now, you that's standing next to these people, or sitting next, that's Christians, shake their hands as they be seated, if you will. Shake their hands and tell them ... you welcome them, each one. Turn right around, you Christians, shake hands with those people there. We usually do that as.... Here's a little lady standing here. Somebody just shake their hands. That's right, each one. Now, that's wonderful.

I want to ask you something. I want you to be really honest and sincere. Don't you feel like you're—although it was very hard—don't you feel like you're kind of cleaned out? If you do, raise your hand, say, “God, I just feel so much better. I feel like my sins are all gone.”

How many feels like your sins are all gone? Raise up your hands to God. “Feel like that my sins are all gone.” What's the matter with you all with your hands down? Are you still condemned? You still under sin? You don't have to be that way. You don't have to be. You can be free.

I want one of those, somebody here that stood up a few minutes ago. You that was standing, if you feel like that Christ has forgive you, and you are going to start a new life today and feel the dove of peace at your heart today, raise your hand, you that stood a while ago. Look at there. See what a difference. There you are.

It makes a difference when you come sincerely to God. Look. You have to die, for you only live by dead substance. Something had to die so you could live, so you can eat. If you eat beef, the cow died. If you eat bread, the wheat died. If you eat potatoes, the potato died. If you eat kale, the kale died. Through there, you get life by dead substance.

And friends, not sign a card; but something died that you could live forevermore, Jesus Christ, God's Son. And because He lives, you live also. Now, I'm going to turn the service to our pastor and I'll see you back here. It's right now, pretty near, ten minutes to five. Billy will be here at six o'clock with the prayer cards, and I'll be here about seven thirty to pray for the sick.

God bless you. I love you with all my heart and remember me. All right, Brother Hudson, if you will.