Letting Off The Pressure

Thank you. Let us remain standing just a moment while we pray. How many would like to be remembered tonight in prayer? Would you just let it be known as you lift your hands. Let us bow our heads now as we face Him.

Our heavenly Father, we are asking permission, as we come in the name of the Lord Jesus, to approach thy throne of mercy. We would by no means want to stand at the throne of judgment, but at the throne of mercy—for it's in this mercy by his grace that we come, thanking Thee first for ... to be alive in here tonight. Oh, how Satan would desire to take us quickly from the scene right in the midst of the battle! But the angels are encamped about those who fear Him, and we're so thankful for this. And I'm so glad for a fresh experience of knowing the reality of his promise.

I thank Thee tonight for this gathering of Christian fellow citizens of the kingdom of God, in this great commonwealth here on earth that we have, together in this manner of fellowshipping around the Word, sitting together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We thank Thee for this Full Gospel Businessmen's great, wide, reach and influence with the gospel among the business people and of all walks of life; and for these precious anointed servants that's here on the platform, tonight, and on the grounds; that behind them is a mark of Christianity through years of pressing on, and pressing the battle way up here to the front line. God, we would pray tonight that the angels of God would take their position now in the midst of us.

Save those who are not saved. Fill those with the Holy Spirit, and put on the full armor of God to those who are not shod and buckled and covered. And we pray that You'll heal the sick and the afflicted. May there rise such a glorious shout over this campground, Lord, that He who walked on the Sea of Galilee may walk in on the lake tonight and sit with us. And deal with us, Lord, each one as we have need. Speak to us through thy Word, Lord, for truly that's our hope and stand, is on thy Word. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you.

Billy, my son, came a bit early for me tonight, and he said to me, “I would sure like to take you down to the grounds.” He said, “You've seen many conventions, and we've been ... a bigger part of the world together, but,” said, “this is one of the most peaceful, restful spots that you ever saw, Dad.”

And I said, “Fine.”

He said, “But I'm going to wait till it gets just a little later.”

And I said, “What's the matter?”

He said, “Some brethren and I was standing out there on the campus out on the ground, and,” said, “two big, fat, gray squirrels were sitting in the woods.” And said, “You'd be chasing them till midnight to get them.”

I said, “Oh, Paul.”

It's a privilege to be here tonight. I have so many things to be thankful for. So glad to be alive, and to be in the service of the Lord. I certainly am grateful for this wonderful comment that Brother Brown, our precious brother, just paid me a few moments ago. I certainly feel little to stand up behind a.... I ain't going to call him what I did here on the platform a few moments ago, but certainly was a great title. But he might not like that. So, he said, “You couldn't tell the Pentecostals from the Presbyterians.” No, not when Presbyterians become Pentecostals. That's right. That makes them all the same.

And certainly, I've marveled over the great message that I heard from Brother Brown, that night, coming through the Lord's channel, his servant. And how he blessed my soul! And to know that God is raising up these kind of men.... And I understand that my precious friend, Brother DuPlessis, from South Africa is here and has already spoken to you. And I'm sure it was filled with rich vitamins from God's great kingdom. He brings such a stirring message also.

Now, you know, just before coming in I took a little walk about a hundred yards out and around. And you know, this makes me think about having a convention myself next year and bringing it up here, and see if we could rent these grounds and everybody just stay around, and have about a week up here—just praying for the sick, bringing in the sick and afflicted. That would be very fine. We'll pray over that and see what the Lord has to say about that. I like to do just as He tells me, you know. Then I feel good about it.

I'm sure it'd be all right if I ... in among the brethren here, kind of announce some of my following meetings. I guess that would be all right. I know ... I don't suppose it'd hurt anything. And tomorrow we're to be here, and tomorrow night at the banquet, the Lord willing. And then Sunday afternoon we're at the ... I can't call the name of that ... Mather, or Mayther, or Mather High School Auditorium in Chicago, where I was at the last convention. We had such a glorious time. And then Monday night at, I believe it's the Mather also, for a kind of a missionary rally, or a little farewell party for my precious Brother Joseph Boze who we've been associated together so long. So good to see Brother Boze and Brother Carlson, and, oh, Brother Sonnmore. So many here tonight, I look around and see their faces and I'm so happy for this.

Then going home to go on to the convention at Southern Pines, South Carolina, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th of June, with The Midnight Cry paper. And then on down to another Presbyterian, Brother Bigby. He was the one who wrote that article, “A Presbyterian Doctor Meets Pentecostal Prophet,” or some such a remark. And I'm to be with him down at Columbia, South Carolina. And then on over to the South Gate, the Cow Palace, where we've had a lot of conventions there with the Businessmen. Then from there I think up to, I believe it's Santa Monica, or somewhere up there, on up in California, in Grass Valley on up. Then to ... I believe it's Spokane. From there back to ... down into Oregon—Salem, Oregon. Then on over into British Columbia and up to Anchorage, Alaska, to organize a chapter for the Businessmen there as soon as the revival's over. Then try to get back home in time to get the winter in for overseas.

I have kind of listened and watched my Pentecostal brethren as they have predicted a sweeping revival coming. And we all know that the revival that we've just went through has ceased. But there must be coming something else that's glorious and great. And so I've been studying hard to find these places in the Scripture. I think that if our ... our revelation must be scriptural, and then we know it's right. If it's a scripture, it's from the Lord. And I'm beginning to believe that that's right, that there's coming a ripening time for the evening fruits.

I preached the other day on “The Bride Tree,” on Easter morning, how that Christ was that tree that was perfect. David saw it and said, “It's standing by the rivers of water.” And then how Rome cut that tree down, and ... perfect tree bearing perfect fruits of God, and hung it onto a man-made tree. But God raised it up on the third day. And then there come a bride tree coming forth, bringing forth its fruits. And in come the enemy again and cut it down through the Dark Ages. But, “I will restore,” saith the Lord.

... how that the Lutherans raised up and denominated, and the vine was pruned. Up come the Methodists, denominated; the vine was pruned. Up come the Pentecostal denomination; vine was pruned. But the fruit ripens in the top of the tree when the evening lights come out. We're near the road. So we're expecting great things in the future. I've just had an accident as you know, and almost blowed both eyes out. And I'm so thankful to be here tonight that I can see.

Now you that keeps scripture, or texts.... I wouldn't know whether to call something I was speaking on a text or not. I got a few remarks from Scriptures written down here that I felt that maybe the Lord'd have me speak a little bit on, for a few moments. And usually I'm never over ... well, the other day I was ... I think, Brother Sothmann, about six hours or something like that. It takes me a long time. You know, I don't know very much, so I just have to wait. And so, I have to kind of take my time. I'm not like some of these brethren who are really theologians, and just let it roll out.

I just have to kind of wait for it to come out—and kind of slow with it, you know. Takes me kind of a long time. Then a long time to get started, and then a long time to stop. But it's ... I feel ... get running, you know. It's just like getting a car ... once all through them gears till you get in high gear, then it runs pretty good. You just like to let it run like that a while.

So let's, for a Scripture reading, let's read in God's Word tonight out of Proverbs, the 18th chapter and the 10th verse, and out of Isaiah 32:2 to begin with. Now in Proverbs, the 18th chapter and the 10th verse reads like this:

The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous run into it, and are safe.

And in the book of Isaiah 32:1 and 2:

Behold a king shall reign in righteousness, a prince shall rule in judgment.

And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as a shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

May God add his blessings to the reading of this precious Word. You pray for me. As ... I was listening to a little colored brother a few days ago in Louisville, a little Pentecostal preacher, and he was preaching—chanting. And he would lose the Spirit for a few minutes, and he'd stop and say, “You all praying for me?” Then he'd say ... preach a few more words, say, “Somebody pray for me.” And you don't know what that means unless you get up here one time.

Coming to the platform should never be just coming to be seen, or coming to be heard. You must come and ... coming from the freshness of your room in prayer, entering in to a congregation under the anointing, to do just as the Holy Spirit will say do, say just as He says. I don't know what He'll do.

I've started to preach like this, and see the Holy Spirit move across the altar, and call men and women living in adultery and everything, and bring them to the altar and have confessions; and seen Him tear loose and heal the people. And you don't know what He's going to do.

I've seen Him bring forth messages that cut the Christians; and sometimes bless the Christians. And you don't know—you just go there, that's all. And if you go with anything that's kind of cut and dried under your own idea, you may get greatly fooled.

One time there was a little ... a minister named Jack Moore (many of you know him, he's a member of this fellowship), and he had a little boy named David. I've often thought of it. He was about ... in them days David was about six years old. And he'd heard his daddy preaching, and all the preachers, so he thought the Lord called him to preach. So he said, kept saying, “Pappy, I want to preach.”

And his daddy said, “All right, David, one of these times.”

And he kept saying, “Now, Pappy, you promised me I could preach.”

So his mammy dressed him up real pretty, and put him on a little bow tie, and long trousers, a little white shirt. He looked like a clergyman. Come up and sat down in the chair that night, getting ready to preach. So Brother Jack said, “You know, folks,” he said, “David has been wanting to preach a long time.” Said, “we're just going to turn him loose now.” Said, “Come on, David, jump down here and preach.”

Said, “He come out of that chair like a ... going to set the world afire. Jumped down there at the end of the platform. He kind of looked to the right and to the left.” Said, “He looked so depleted. Said, 'It just won't work,' went back and sat down.”

I've seen a lot of times I didn't think it worked. So we preachers has got to stand and stagger through it anyhow. So, as the little brother said, “Pray for me.”

Thinking on the subject, after reading this glorious text now, and getting to the more ... part of the service, I want to take a text tonight that comes to my mind that I've tried to handle before, on the subject of “Letting Off the Pressure.” I thought that would be very appropriate.

There's so much pressure everywhere. Everybody seems to be under a pressure. What does it? What's the matter? Everything—it's a day of pressure. People are driving through the streets at ninety miles an hour, and getting tickets from the policemen. And run down the road, almost take the chance on losing their life to whirl around, and get five foot in front of someone else, to get to a barroom to drink an hour before they go home. Pressure. That's right.

Even Christians, it's bothering them. See some of them all pressured up, and snap you off—enough temper all built up like they're going to blow up. What's the matter? Something wrong. That shouldn't be. Temper comes from Satan.

Everybody's under a pressure, though. 'Course I don't believe it's this group here. But it's ... you know, these meetings are being taped so it'll go other places, you see, so I'll be speaking to that group that's under pressure. But I thought, you know, that kind of bothers all groups—pressure. If Satan can once get you under pressure, he's about got you whipped. That's right. So much pressure. People are doing things wrong, and trying to hide from it. Well, the only thing that does is build up more pressure. It just builds up more pressure.

I know what pressure means. I like to've lost my life the other day because of pressure. I'm glad the Lord give me a recreation of going out fishing, hunting.

Everybody knows my mother that just passed away a few months ago—blessed saint of God, I think. Mother's Day the other day, I didn't wear a rose. Some of them said, “What's the matter, Billy?” Said, “Didn't your mother just die?” Said, “Why haven't you got on a white rose?”

I said, “I can't wear a white rose. My mother's not dead; she's alive.” I said, “If I wore two, then I'd put a stumbling block in your way. If I wore a white one, I'd be a hypocrite to myself, 'cause I believe she's alive. She's not dead.”

Jesus said, “He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” I believe that. That's his Word.

And so, I was going.... My recreation is to fish and to hunt. And I'm glad of that. When I get home.... And calls, people sitting in there from everywhere, waiting for months—and they're under pressure too, and trying to find out what the Lord would have them to do, and what ... in their lives. And we stay there until God speaks down from heaven and reveals it to them. That builds pressure too, with the people.

Then when I get tense, I go down.... I belong to some clubs to go down and shoot targets. And I've always wanted a Weatherby Magnum rifle. But I ... oh, some of my friends would've bought it for me (they're very expensive), but I couldn't let them do it. I couldn't see myself letting a friend of mine pay that much for a rifle when I know missionaries is preaching without shoes on their feet. So I couldn't do that.

Brother Art Wilson gave my son a little rifle here some time ago. And he didn't know he was left-handed, and there's a right-hand bolt on it. Another friend of mine that runs a Weatherby outlet place, he said, “Let me take that and send it to Weatherby and have it re-bored for you, and I'll make you a Weatherby Magnum out of it.” Said, “If you do it, cost you thirty dollars.” Said, “I can do it for about twelve dollars, and let me do it.”

Well, finally, I agreed. He's just a Methodist brother, just received the Holy Ghost. And I told him, “Go ahead,” he wanted to do it so bad. I took it down on the range and placed a shell in it, and raised up to shoot. And I seen fire just about five feet over my head—that's about all I knew for a second or two. I thought I was dead. And one glorious thing—I had the most peaceful feeling. I believe that if I had to die, I don't think I'd be afraid of it.

And so, I couldn't see, hear, nor nothing. And it blowed the gun so completely apart till the barrel went on the fifty-yard line this way, and the stock and things went fifty yards behind me, and the pieces of the gun tore the bark off the tree, and melted in my hand—what was left. And I could hear something squirting like, sounded like.... Get myself together, and I was trying to hold my eyes open to see what had taken place.

And a piece had shot me right into the forehead. One went around my eye this way and down that way, and one in the cheekbone, one stuck way into the skull. This one hit on this side of the eye, and this one went into the bone, and this one went through and knocked that tooth off there. And so I was having quite a time to see.

The man was with me, he was walking out to see where the target was hit. I couldn't hear him, and couldn't speak to him. And I was holding this eye open with my hand, trying to motion to him. Finally he come up there. And Brother Wood, he was so excited he couldn't even get the car started. So we ... finally I went and got it washed out, and some pieces they picked out of my skull. And I looked at them big pieces, drove inch and a half, or two inches, in a tree.

Now the Winchester Company proves that their gun will stand 6900 pounds of pressure. And this ... that'd been about four tons. So you see, there must've been six or eight tons blowed within one inch of my eye. That ... if that would burst the gun, it could just simply ... just been that much of me left down there. So what was the matter? The way them that bored the gun out left too much head space on it. Instead of the gun blowing forward, it blowed backwards. So it went into my face and blowed that bolt, which weighs about a pound and a half (oh, my!), plumb down to a deer cage sitting way behind me at the Conservation Club.

And as I think of it, I thought, “God, I'm so glad to be here.” I realized that Satan was trying to kill me there. But he can't do it until God is ready for me to come home. Then I'm ready to go, that time. There's some more sick to be prayed for, or something to be done.

Then thinking of that pressure, I thought.... You know, that reminds me of something. It might be good just to kind of say it, for a few moments. It goes to show, if that gun had've started out a Weatherby Magnum to begin with, it would've been made to stand that pressure. But it wasn't a Weatherby Magnum; it was a Winchester converted into a Weatherby Magnum. So it couldn't stand the pressure. And I thought, “That's a very striking thing. I'll get a text on that someday.”

If we start out just pretending we are Christians, without going back to the very basis to be born again, you'll blow up somewhere down along the road. The pressure's too heavy. You can't stand it unless you're built for it. And you can't be built for it until God gets a hold of you—and not just polish you up, but starts you from the beginning and bring you to a real Magnum, a real child of God that's built to stand the Word, built to stand the pressure, the pressure of the day.

So many blow up. Men trying to impersonate others, and so they blow up sooner or later. God has brought us into this earth and set us into the church, and different things, and we have to be what we are—God by his foreknowledge, placed into the church. I'm so glad of that. Pressure builds up, and sooner or later it'll show up on you.

A few nights ago our pastor had just ... wasn't sick; he just wore out, he's going so hard. Besides all my calls, they called his in to me, and I went out to the hospital. They told me a certain lady there was going to have a colostomy the next morning, and she was ... perhaps die on the table. And she was a sinner. The pastor couldn't get to her so they ... I took his call. And I went to the ... they said she was in Room 321. I went upstairs. I wanted to be nice 'cause it was just before visiting hours. I wanted to talk to her alone. And I said, “Lady (the nurse), could you tell me a lady by a certain name?”

She said, “I don't know,” all under pressure.

So I said, “They said she was in 321.”

Said, “Then why don't you go to 321 and look?”

I said, “Thank you, ma'am.”

I goes down to 321, and I said, “Is a lady named Mrs. Knuckles here?”

“No one by that name.”

Oh, I hated to go back to that lady again. So I crossed the hall, and I said, “Is Mrs. Knuckles here?”

“No, nobody named Mrs. Knuckles.”

So I went back. There was another nurse up there in the hall, and I said to her, “I was told to go to 321, and the lady, Mrs. Knuckles....”

Said, “It might've been 221. Go downstairs.”

I said, “Yes, ma'am. Thank you.”

I went downstairs and there was a little doctor sitting down there (and no remark, I don't mean it bad), but he was just about as wide as he was high. And ... sitting there, one of those flattop haircuts, about my age, and switching his stethoscope around on his finger. I said, “How do you do?” And he just looked sideways. I thought, “Oh, oh, I don't want to talk to him. Too much pressure here.”

So I went down to the nurse, and I said, “Lady, I'm a bit confused.” I said, “I went upstairs to find a lady, Mrs. Knuckles, that was supposed to be in 321, going under an operation in the morning for cancer, to have a colostomy.” I said, “Could you tell me if she is on that floor? The nurse up there said she might be 322 ... 331 down here.”

She said, “Well, then, go look.”

I said, “Thank you.”

I went back there. No, they knowed nothing about it.

So then I come back out. And as I come by, a lady in the hall said, “Go over and ask this nurse over here.”

So I went over to her, and she said ... I said, “How do you do?”

She said, “How do you do?” Real nice, calm.

And I said, “Could you tell me if there is a lady on this floor....” I said, “I'm so confused.” I said, “I've been upstairs and downstairs.” And I said, “A lady named Mrs. Knuckles....”

She said, “Just a moment, sir.” She took her little mask off she had over her face—she'd been to the operation—run over there and picked up the book. She looked through it. She said, “Oh, yes,” said, “she's in 221.”

And I said, “Thank you very much, lady.”

She said, “You're welcome.”

I thought, “Well, praise God. That.... She's got.... She's even in a hurry, yet she's ... she at least has got courtesy.” So I walked out the door and I walked back, and here was three ... the wings all cut up, and I didn't know which way to go. And I looked, and I couldn't see no sign. Here come this little doctor packing his satchel, holding his stethoscope. I said, “Sir, could you tell me where 221 is?”

He said, “This way, and that way.”

I said, “Thank you for your information. That....”

Oh, everybody's under pressure. Right. No time, no ... everybody seems to be going somewhere. Hurry up and wait. The whole world seems to be plagued with it. And the doctors don't have the remedy. That's right. But I'm so glad tonight, that in the midst of all of it I know somebody's got the remedy. That's God. He has the remedy, how to get from under this pressure.

I was talking to a doctor about it. Oh, it's been a year ago or more. He said, “Brother Branham,” he said, “you know, the insane institutions are overloaded.” He said, “The psychiatrists are breaking up, and they got psychiatrists doctoring the psychiatrists.”

And I said, “Oh, my!”

He said, “I wonder what the remedy is?”

I said, “I got it!”

He said, “What?”

I said, “Jesus is the answer. He is the answer to all of it.”

And he said, “I believe you're right.”

This neurotical age, nobody has a minute. Why, it used to be that we could go over and visit the neighbor. Some of you sisters, why, you don't have time to pray.

I was thinking of John Wesley. Sister Susanne Wesley had seventeen children, and she didn't have a automatic washer and dryer. And she didn't turn on the faucet and get hot water. She packed it from a spring in an old cedar bucket. But yet, she could find two to three hours every day to get those little fellows around and teach them the Bible. And from there come a Charles and a John who changed the course of the world.

Now see, we're so mad, just going somewhere, and going nowhere—just headlong going.

Now, in the Old Testament when a man had did something wrong, and maybe he slew a man or did something wrong, then that.... That man that he slayed, his friends would hunt this man till he found him and slay him too, because the Old Testament was tooth for a tooth, and eye for an eye.

But Joshua built some places called the house of refuge. And these places ... there's one of them at Ramoth-gilead. I think there's four places from Dan to Beersheba. And they were places of refuge where, if a man did wrong and didn't want to do it, he could come to the city gates of one of these refuges and plead his case, and tell them that he didn't mean to do this evil. And then he could come in this city and be safe from his enemy.

Well, if he told a lie and the pursuers found him, they could pull him right off the altar, if he lied. But if he was truthful, and he did not want to do wrong, well, they could.... He could be safe as long as he was in this city. Now, that is a safety place, a place of refuge where the (slayer) or, the pursuer to slay him, he was safe from him. He was protected. But the man first must be a man that accidentally did it. If he deliberately premeditated did it, then there was no hope for that man. He didn't even have a chance. But if he didn't aim to do it....

Now I'd like to stop here just a minute. There's people today, and may be some of them here, that you do wrong but you don't mean to do it. I've met men that would be using the name of the Lord in vain. And I've met women standing with cigarettes in their hand, just smoking away, and men cursing. Walk up in their presence like that, and they'd recognize you to be a Christian, they'll say, “Excuse me, sir. I didn't mean to say that.”

I seen the women burn their hands, almost, in shame, holding that cigarette behind them. A man drinking will make an escape, get around somewhere. See, they ... that's the type that there's a hope for. But there is some of those that would walk right up and curse just in the presence of a Christian to act smart. That man's beyond hope.

When you preach against wrong doing, holiness, preach that women shouldn't wear immoral clothes (these little old clothes, shorts they wear), they wear them just to be mean. And when they do that, there's no place of refuge for them. If it was there, they wouldn't even seek for it. So, sooner or later, they're going to be caught up with.

But to those who wants a place of escape, you can't feel comfortable when you're doing wrong. There's no way of feeling comfortable. When a man breaks God's laws, he knows he's guilty. And you know that the hounds of hell is right behind you, and sooner or later your sins are going to find you out.

Some of you businessmen, if you should go out here and willfully cheat somebody, you know you've done wrong. And sooner or later that's going to catch up with you. That's right. They believe that “Oh, well. It won't hurt.” But when you start to lay down at night, there's something down in you tells you when you're praying. It stands right before you. You know you're wrong.

Now, all of us has things that we can't meet. Sometimes we have debts that we can't meet. Sometimes we got promises we can't meet, and I have plenty of them. But there's one thing I feel good about. At nighttime, when I've done all I can do, when I've visited every sick person I could.... And yet a lot of them would think, “He's a hypocrite. He never come to me. My baby's just as much as that.” And I know they feel that way. They're bound to feel that way.

But when I've used my last inch of energy, when I've done the best that I can do, and I kneel down before Father at night and say, “God, there's a hundred people here in this city tonight that's calling for me to come to them. But I just can't go any farther. You know my strength.”, then I feel if He should call me, and I lay my head on that pillow to die on that pillow that night, I am in a refuge. I've done my very best for my Lord. And if we can do that, then God makes a way for us.

Now, this man coming to this place of refuge.... Now, when he comes in there, first he must want to come in. He must desire to escape the wrath that's pressing to him. He's got to want to do it.

Now I don't mean this critically, and God knows that. It's a million miles from it. But I've been to meetings where preachers would be preaching, and he'd say, “Some of you go back down through the aisles, find your friend and bring him up here.” Now I always was a little reluctant on that. I believe if the Word don't convict.... If it does, the Holy Spirit will lead. It's too much emotional. A man coming to Christ must come sanely, reverently, upon the basis of the Holy Spirit convicting him, and showing him that someone died to save him—coming sanely upon the basis of the Word, believing, accepting Christ, the substitute for his life.

Now I believe that a man coming to Christ, and Christ is our refuge.... Now, that's the New Testament refuge, is Christ. Now a man coming to this refuge must want to come. And he must remember another thing, he's got to stay there! Oh, my! He can't just run into the pursuers, get by, and then go out again. He's got to be satisfied.

And I believe if a man with his right mind could see that the death was galloping behind him and the devil's hell he's going to, and could find a place of refuge and then want to go out again, there's something wrong with that man. And as long as he's in the refuge, he's safe. And if he ever goes out again, he's subject to his slayers. And in Christ we have a refuge and are secured, that we have safety from the wrath of God, and the wrath of hell that's coming upon us.

Now, this place of refuge, this man must want to stay. The same is it today. We must want to stay. Let me say this. I've been behind the pulpit now soon be thirty-two years. I started preaching when I was just a little boy. And I say this from the depths of my heart. I have never seen one time that I ever wanted to leave this glorious place. “I'm safe in God's pavilion, happy in his love and grace.” As the writer says, that “I'm living on the hallelujah side.” I'm so happy to be here! “Not for all earth's golden millions would I leave this blessed place. No, though the tempter to persuade me oft has tried; but I'm safe in God's pavilion, happy in his love and grace.” Oh, it's such a comfortable place to be. I know I'm safe from my enemy as long....

Now, when this man, running, an enemy behind him.... Soon he'll catch him and slice him to pieces for the sin that he did. But when he's in there, he can let off the pressure. He's safe! The guard at the gate will catch him (his slayers) before they get in, because he's made it safe to the tower of refuge. Now. Then when he's in there how he could feel safe and let off the pressure. “Whew! My! They were ready to get me, but I'm all safe now.” What a place to find a refuge, a place of safety. Outside he'd die; in there he's all right.

So God made us a tower of refuge. Now the Bible says that the name of the Lord is a mighty tower: the righteous run into it, and are safe—not they'll be hunted for anymore, but they are safe! Oh, I just love that. God's provided safety place. Amen! The enemy can't catch you, for you are safe in Christ!

As I've often told, of one time over in the Orient, I was riding in a jeep with a minister friend, and we were going up over a hill. And there was some sheep out there, and some donkeys, and everything, pasturing. And there was a man watching them, and I said, “What would you call that fellow?”

He said, “Brother Branham, he is a shepherd.”

And I said, “Well, I thought a shepherd just herded sheep.”

“Oh,” he said, “no. A shepherd herds sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, camels, whatever more.”

And I said, “Well, I didn't know that.”

He said, “But here's something I want you to know, Brother Branham.” He said, “When the sun starts setting the shepherd goes out amongst all the animals, and he hunts until he finds the last sheep. And he brings them into the corral, and he puts them in the corral at night. But the rest of them stay outside, though he herds all of them.”

Then the thought come to me, “O God, let me not be as a donkey. Let me be a sheep! that when my flame is dimming and the sun of my life is setting, take me safely in the corral when my eyes are closing.” I don't want to be left out there as just a so-called Christian. I want to be a real sheep. I want....

They all eat in the same pasture—just like the Bible says, “The rain falls on the just and the unjust.” People sit together, crowds of people. Some of them are, and some of them are not. They all fall on the same Spirit. The Spirit will bless the same crowd. It'll fall ... the rain will fall upon the cocklebur and it'll just straighten up and rejoice. The same rain that falls on the wheat makes it.... But by their fruit they are known. Christians bear Christian lives.

Notice, now, God's safety zone, God's place of safety. And when we are in here, in this refuge, we have a right to the healing power of God. If God will forgive his enemy and take him into the refuge, how much more will He take care of him after He's got him in there, see. There is healing power. So when the Christians get sick, there is no need of being all steamed up about it. Just remember, “By his stripes we are healed.” That's the promise. He promised it, so He just can't take it back.

It's a place of refuge for our sickness, for our worries. “Cast all your cares upon Him; for He cares for you.” It's a refuge. Trust in his Word, his promises. Every promise that He made belongs to you as long as you're in his kingdom. As long as you come to Him for refuge, then you have a right to every promise that He made. Every Christian in here, or anywhere else, has a right to anything that Christ died for. And when you're in Christ you possess the whole thing. It's all yours. That's exactly right.

Look at the Shunammite woman, when she had ... the little baby had died. Oh, I imagine that little fellow given to her by the Lord, why, when the prophet spoke.... And the little boy, about twelve years old, he was with his daddy one day in a harvest field. He perhaps had a sunstroke. He cried, “My head.” And as soon as the father got to the house—they were wailing, and so forth—the little baby was dead, little boy. She'd laid him on Elisha's bed.

And she said, “Saddle a mule. I'm going up to the cave where the prophet is.”

And her husband said, “It's neither new moon, nor Sabbath. He won't be there.”

She said, “All will be well.”

So then when Gehazi saw her coming, and Elisha stood in the door of his cave and looked out, he said, “Here comes that Shunammite, and she's riding fast. There must be something wrong.” And he said, “Go ask her.”

He ... she ... he said, “Is all well with thee? Is all well with thy husband? Is all well with the baby?”

She said, “All is well.” Everything's all right.

Why? She could let off the pressure. She'd come to God's representative. She'd come to the living Word. The Word of the Lord came to the prophets. And when she was in the presence of this man who had enough favor with God to tell her that she'd have the baby, she was in the presence of the same man who had the Word of God that was true. Hallelujah!

I'm so glad tonight to be in the presence of the same God that saved me from a life of sin! and promised He'd raise me up at the last day, He'd heal my sickness, He'd take care of me when I was here. Pressure's off. Forget about the pressure.

She come up and fell down by Elisha and said, “All is well.” Sure, she got to the Word. She got in the presence of God. The pressure went off. All is well now, the pressure's off, for she had got to God's representative.

And God's representative on earth today is the Holy Spirit. And when you're in his presence, see Him bless you, how can you build up such a pressure to hate your neighbor? How can you build up with denominational difference in your heart? Say, “If they wasn't Pentecostal, if he was Oneness, or if was threeness, if he was ... belonged to the Assemblies, if he belonged to the church of God, I could fellowship with him.” How can you do it in the presence of Almighty God? How can the Holy Spirit be falling upon a congregation, and then make denominational difference? How can it do it? Let off the pressure!

Trouble ... we've built up our pressure, because we're so denominational minded. Oh, America is rotten with it, denomination, drawing fences, creeds. What do you care about them creeds and fences? Get in the presence of God! Get in the presence of the Holy Spirit! Let off the pressure then!

That's one good thing I like about these Businessmen's fellowship meetings. You just seem to let your collar down. Let off the pressure! Not ashamed of it! I've stood with them in the finest of hotels, and the greatest of places, and let the Holy Ghost come to a Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist—all shake hands and scream and shout and praise God. Why? They let off the pressure. That's what's the matter. They just don't care what anybody's got to say. They're in the presence of God, letting off the pressure. What a wonderful place to do it. Plenty of room to run out here. Just take off, that's all. Let off the pressure. It's good to do that. If you don't you might blow up, burst a valve somewhere. All right.

Now. Now we remember, trust in his Word. Now even.... You say, “Can I trust Him when I'm sick?” Sure. Look at Mary, or Martha it was, when her brother was dead and she sent for Jesus. And instead of coming, He went away. And she sent again, and He went further. That's built-up pressure.

“Now instead of me ... I asked Him today, and He went further away. And I asked Him again and He goes farther yet.” But after awhile, after she'd buried him, and she heard that Jesus come, she went into his presence, fell down at his feet. Not to upbraid Him. If you approach a gift of God like that, you get nothing. You've got to come with reverence, respects.

When you come just to say, “I'll go give it a try,” don't you do that. You're not going to get anything. You come with reverence, fully surrendered, like the man coming into the gate of refuge. You know it's his ... it's the only place he has to go. You must come believing.

“Oh, I'll go down to the altar and see if I can speak in tongues. Oh, I'll go down and see if I can shout.” Oh, brother! You might as well stay in your seat. You're not going to get anything. No!

But when you come knowing that's your only spot of refuge.... When you sit in a meeting, and you're pressing, “How do you get a prayer card?”.... I've seen people do that. Pressure built up, they miss it altogether. I seen them stand in the meeting in the prayer line, come up into there and say, “Well, if I....” See, you're fighting against yourself. Don't do that. Just come with boldness, with reverence. Come in the presence of God knowing that God made a promise, and that settles it.

Martha came up and said, “Lord, if thou would've been here....”; not, “Why didn't you come?” But, “If thou would've been here, my brother would not've died. But even now, Lord, whatever you ask God, God'll give it to you.” She let off the pressure. Though her eyes were streaked with tears, though her feeble body was worn, but she could say this, “If you'd have been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, whatever you ask God, God's going to give it to you.” I like that. Yes, sir. And she got what she come for.

Why? She come up into his presence. Not all steamed up—“Why didn't you come when we called you? We left the church. We've forsaken our denomination. We come out to walk with you. And we thought you'd be a deliverer. We've seen you heal the sick. And your own friend, you let him die! And we sent for you.” That'd been a modern Pentecostal version. No, no, not Martha. No, sir! She said, “Lord [That's what He was, her Lord.], if thou would have been here, my brother would not have died. And even now, whatever you ask God, God'll give it to you.”

“Oh,” he said, “thy brother shall rise.”

She said ... she said, “I know, Lord, he ... in the last days he'll rise.”

He said, “I am the resurrection, and life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” He wanted to see how much pressure He could put back to her, but she wouldn't receive it.

“Yea, Lord: I believe that you're the Son of God, that's come into the world.” The pressure was off! Why? She had found the refuge. She'd found the hiding place. Even in the midst of death, she found the refuge.

Now there is a refuge in time of death. Do you believe that? Let's look down in Egypt, the night of the Passover. There was down in Egypt, to these slaves.... And there was a time come when God got sick and tired of the way people were treating his people. And so what did He do? He required an atonement to protect his people. He always makes a way to protect his people, if the people will just receive it.

And now let's just take a case down in Egypt. It's nighttime, and now notice. And here comes ... the night comes. There never was a night like it since they'd been down there. Oh, it was a horrible night. Everything was black and dark. The moon didn't shine. The stars didn't come out. Oh, what a horrible night! Everything was weary.

And a little boy goes to the window and looks out. He said, “Daddy, you know the little Egyptian boy that I played with down the street? Look, there's two big black wings hanging over his home. There's his mother in the street, she's screaming, 'My baby's dead. My firstborn!' ”

Then he grabs his daddy and says, “Daddy, don't you care for me? Don't you know that I'm your firstborn?”

I can see that father just as calmly take his little boy by the hand, and walk over to the door and say, “Son, you see that blood on the lintel? You see that on the post of the door, see?”

“But, Daddy, what's that got to do with it?”

“Son, that's God's promise. Just let off the pressure now. He said, 'When I see the blood I'll pass over you. When I see that blood I....' That's God's promise! So those wings won't come.”

The little boy goes to the window to look again. Said, “Daddy, here he comes.” His father was just busy at something else. The angel moves down towards the door, but when he saw the blood he bypassed it, see.

Why is it? Letting off the pressure. God promised it, and it's by God's promise. He always keeps his promise. That's right.

Want to take a little thing for us (did you notice?), while we're on Israel. When they were down in Egypt they were slaves. They had never, never, never seen the promised land. None of them'd been up there. They knowed nothing about it, only what they'd heard. God promised that He was going to take them to a promised land, where it was flowing with milk and honey. That was a great thing to a bunch of slaves that were beaten, and their moldy bread throwed in to them, and whipped every day. That was a terrible thing.

Now listen, Christians, watch this parable here. Now, then when they heard that there was a promised land, was flowing with milk and honey, where they could live in their own home.... They wouldn't have to have fear—a place of refuge, where they could raise their gardens, have their children, and be safe. All at once down from the wilderness come a prophet with a pillar of fire following him, or he following the pillar of fire. And they started on their journey to the promised land.

When they got up as far as Kadesh-barnea, what happened up there? Joshua.... There was one with them, a great warrior named Joshua, which means Jehovah-saviour. He went over in the promised land and brought back the evidence.

Now remember, they did not know whether that land existed or not. They only journeyed by faith to that promised land. They didn't know where it was at. The pillar of fire led them to it. This prophet walking, watching this pillar of fire, and they followed it till they got to the promised land.

And Joshua crossed Jordan, and went over into the promised land, and brought back the evidence that the land was just exactly what God had promised them. And the people tasted of the grapes—a bunch of grapes that'd taken two men to pack. It was just exactly according to God's promise. They had it! The land was just across Jordan. Well, sure, they'd never saw it. They knowed there'd never been nobody over there. But God made the promise, and God always keeps his promise: that was bringing men from slavery up to where he could have his own home.

Along came another great warrior one day, his name was Jesus. He taught that there was.... “In my Father's house are many mansions.” He taught that there was life after a man dies here, that he can live again. He taught that there was a resurrection of the dead. And one day He would come and would judge the whole world.

And one day He went down to the Jordan of death, crossed over the Jordan, come back on the third day bringing the evidence that there is a resurrection of the dead! Hallelujah! He stood and eat fish and bread. He was with them for forty days, showing Himself alive. Said, “Handle me. I'm not a spirit. I'm man, flesh and bones.”

What was He? The Joshua of our time that's crossed the river of death, and returned back with the evidence! Not only that, but He said, “Whosoever believeth in me shall never die.” And they were commissioned to go up and wait, and He was going to send them the earnest of their salvation.

Want to know what the earnest is? I'll buy your farm for ten thousand dollars. I give you one thousand to hold it. It's a promise that you'll hold it for me. That's the earnest money. Well, He said, “I'm going to prove it to you, that you're going to have the earnest of your salvation. But wait up there at the city of Jerusalem till you're endued with power from on high.”

One day me, myself, down in sin, no place to go—what happened? Just as it did then on the day of Pentecost—God sent back the Holy Spirit upon the waiting disciples. And when they did they were filled with the Holy Ghost and raised up from a death.

What is death? Sin. Sin—“The wages of sin is death.” What is death? Unbelief. “He that believeth not is condemned already.” So many people today call themselves Christians. They want to believe some creed of some church. You tell them the Word of God, they laugh in your face. That's sin! Because it don't agree with their creed, they won't have nothing to do with it. You just might as well do anything else. God's Word stands true. Right. And when they ... when they come down from there they knowed they had the evidence of the resurrection.

Now today, that's the refuge that we have. Look what happens. When we are recognized.... He was our substitutionary death. When we realize it's not our righteousness but his; and when we accept Him as a personal Saviour, then we go to the grave with Him in baptism, and we die with Him. If you don't, you shouldn't be buried.

So when you're dead to ... and confess your sins, and call yourself a sinner, and ask for mercy, and are buried with Christ in baptism, we are also risen with Him in the resurrection.

And now being raised from sin (Hallelujah! Now I feel religious, brother.), being raised from the dead in the likeness of his resurrection, we are raised up from the life of sin, and sitting with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, filled with the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of eternal life that we are already raised up from the dead. Our souls are alive tonight with Christ, because sin is beneath us and we've raised from there, which is the earnest of our resurrection. Amen.

How do you know you've passed from death unto life? Where you standing at? Because we have raised from sin. Being buried with Him in baptism, we've raised with Him in the resurrection. And now our souls are with Him and He's with us. We feel his presence, we see his works. We see Him doing the same things that He did when He was here on earth, working through the church—healing the sick, knowing the thoughts that's in their hearts, discernment, powers, raising the dead—doing just exactly the things He did.

Then let off the steam, brother! There's nothing to worry about. We're already risen with Him in Christ Jesus! We're sitting in heavenly places now. Not we will be; we are, right now, risen with Him, sitting in heavenly places with the earnest of our salvation. (Whew!) That's right! Amen! Let off the steam. Send atomic bomb, whatever you want to, we are risen with Him. Amen.

What's the steam all about? What you fussing about? running from denomination to denomination. Let off the steam—come to Christ. Get the Spirit of God within you, you look back and see where you did come from, you look down there at the world. You wouldn't walk in that again. No. Why? You're risen with Him. You're a new creature, sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Let off the steam.

Joshua went over and brought back the evidence to them. What did they do? Murmured, disbelieved it. So has the religious world today. They don't believe that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. They're scared of it! They're afraid of the Holy Ghost—and that's the very evidence of our resurrection, that we've got eternal life!

Look here, another thing I might nail this down with: Elijah and Elisha was always a type of Christ and the church with a double portion. “The works that I do shall you also; greater than this.... shall I go to my Father.... When I go to my Father, greater, or more of it, you'll do.”

When Elijah called Elisha, when God spoke to him in the cave, with a still small voice, he took his robe and went down and seen that young prophet going through the field with a ox. He knowed how to plow a straight row. So he took his robe and throwed it over him. He must have took it back. He was baptized, you see, with the spirit that was on Elijah. He had one portion. He was called to be a prophet. Then when he went to Jordan with him.... And he crossed over Jordan with one portion.

When he come back he had two portions! Glory to God! When the Holy Ghost comes upon us today, you get one portion. When we cross the Jordan of death and come back in the resurrection, we have both a spiritual body and a physical body raised with Him! (I hope I'm not deafening you.)

Oh, but brother, do you see what I mean? We are already risen! We're under.... [Someone gives a prophecy.] Hallelujah! ... raising with Him, sitting now. Where was you? How many Christians in here? Hold up your hands. As Christians, do you look back and see where you first come from? That shows you were dead once. You wouldn't have come to a meeting like this. You wouldn't have sat in a hot building like this. You wouldn't have spent your money and crossed the country. You would've went to some honky-tonk or something. Why? You were dead. It was your nature. You were a sinner by birth.

But Christ come back and said, “I'll not leave you comfortless. I'll give you the earnest of it. I'll send the Holy Ghost upon you [Oh, my, there you are!], which is the earnest.”

And today we find ourselves with the world under our feet. People think we're crazy. Don't you know the whole thing belongs to us? How can you buy peace with money? buy love with money (That's what the nations are trying to do)? joy with money? “Go down at the drugstore and get me a quarter's worth of joy. Yes, sir. I can use it.” You can't do it!

Why? It's a gift of God. It comes from God, and it's free to his children. It's in the refuge of Christ to those who have risen with Him in heavenly places. Right now we are seated with Him, in Him. “The name of the Lord is a mighty tower: the righteous runs in it and are safe.” What fellowship to be in! Glory.

I'm a Pentecostal-Baptist. Yes, a Baptist with a Pentecostal experience. Why? I can ... I've accepted that evidence. I have received my Lord. I see where once.... I looked in the Bible here, and it said different things. I said, “Oh, well, the church says, 'Well, that was for another day.' ”

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel. These signs shall follow them that believe.”

“That's a mistranslation,” and all these other things. There was something wrong with it, and it caused me to be an unbeliever in it.

But one day (Hallelujah!), I died out to that thing and become alive in Him through the baptism of the Holy Ghost. And tonight I'm resurrected in Him, raised up above unbelief. I believe every word of it. I believe it's so. I've seen Him working, proving it.

Just exactly the way He was here on earth the first time so is He today, as He promised He'd be in the evening time. We are now seated with Him in heavenly places. Let off the steam. You don't need to be all tore up about everything. What's the use? I've been tore up. After they'd followed his instructions.... Yeah.

So many called Christians today, running from denomination to denomination, they run out and take their paper, say, “I'm tired of being a Methodist. I'm going to become a Baptist. I'll take my papers over to the Baptists.” Baptists run over to the Presbyterian. Presbyterian run over to this, that, and the other. The Pentecostal groups are running from one to another.

What you doing? What's the matter? It goes to show that builds up steam. You don't know where you're standing.

“Who is right, Brother Branham? Is these right, or these right, or is this right?”

Christ is right! “How do I receive Him?”

“He that heareth my words, and believeth on him that sent me, hath eternal life.... And I'll raise him up at the last day.” Amen! Because what? He believed God's Word! That's it.

Some would have us to believe that you have to shout to get it. The Methodists believed that. They found out there's lots shouted had a lot of steam behind—that's right—built up tempers, and fought the Lutherans.

The Pentecostals says, “You got to speak with tongues to believe it.” They spoke in tongues and fighting one another. “You old Oneness, I ain't going to have nothing to do with you.”

“Old Trinitarian, I ain't going to have nothing to do with you.”

“Old So-and-so....” See, it's still under steam. You've never got to the right place yet.

But brother, when you come to that place that you're dead and raised with Him in resurrection, you love your brother, your sister. There's no denomination can break that barrier. You are Christians and you're one in Christ Jesus, whether you're Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, or whatever you may be; and see Him moving among us. That's right. Amen.

See what our denominations get us? A bunch of tommyrot. Separates our fellowship, breaks the barriers, puts the people under pressure, and everything—trying to fight for an organization. It's going to die and perish. It's not going to have to die; it's already dead. It was dead to begin with.

But Christ—you're in Christ, you're alive. If you're in Christ you believe his Word. If you're in Christ He manifests Himself to you. If you're in Christ you've passed from death unto life. “The name of the Lord is a mighty tower: the righteous run into it and are safe.” Not the denomination is a mighty tower; not the creed is a mighty tower, but “The name of the Lord is a mighty tower: the righteous run into it and are safe.”

Let off the steam; just come to Christ. Don't come, “Well, I'll take the creed of this church. I'll take the creed of that church.” Take the power of God. Take the name of Jesus Christ. Pray in it! Baptize in it! Pray the sick in it! Cast out devils in it! “In my name they shall cast out devils.” Live in it, shout in it, walk in it, die in it! Amen.

“Whatsoever you do in word and deed, do it all in the name of Jesus Christ, giving praise to the Father.” Amen. That's it.

“The name of the Lord is a mighty tower: the righteous run into it and are safe.” Now, you can't come through some creed or something like that. You've got to die and come to it. You've got to walk into it, and die to yourself, and raise anew. And then every word of God becomes a real....

Could you imagine a man having the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that wrote the Bible, and then say, “The days of miracles is past.”? Could you imagine a man, no matter how deep he is in theology, or whatmore, deny the very Word of the Bible, that the Holy Ghost wrote, and say the Holy Ghost is in him?

Could you imagine a woman stretching herself with a pair of these shorts on, walking up and down the streets, when the Bible condemns it? Could you imagine people doing ... the people today living the way they do, and then saying they got the Holy Ghost?

Why, the very fruits that you bear, people, prove you haven't got it. You're blowing a whistle that you know nothing about. When you're dead, you're dead! When you're alive, you're alive! And old things pass away and every word of God is punctuated with an “Amen.” No matter what your creeds or denominations says, the Bible says it. “Upon this rock I'll build my church; and the gates of hell can't prevail against it,” said Jesus. Whew! Amen.

I'm ... I guess you think I get angry. I don't. I just get bubbled, see. Love, love is correction. Love is divine correction. Oh, promise....

Why? Why do they run from place to place? Why do they join this, and run to this one over here, this organization, or that? They just build up steam. What's the matter? They've never come to the right refuge yet. There's peace, love, joy, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, faith—in the Holy Ghost, in the kingdom of God. These other things has passed away.

The name of the Lord is a mighty tower. We reach it, and we believe it, and we're safe in God's pavilion. And when you do that you know then that you've passed from death unto life. You look back and see where once you disbelieved God, and now you believe Him. You see where once you fussed over a creed, and now you're in the Bible.

One time somebody told you that there was no such a thing as speaking in tongues, there was no such a thing as this, and the Bible didn't teach this. And you read it, and there it was in the Bible. And you say, “But the pastor says....” Or, “My denomination says that was for another day.” Well, you're still dead in sin. Rise above. That's unbelief.

“Oh,” you say, “but I live holy.” There's nobody in here ... there ain't a Pentecostal in America can live as holy as them African heathens. No, sir. How about the Mohammedans? How about their holiness? Try to live with them one time. Try to compare your righteousness.

One tribe there, if a young girl don't get married to a certain time, she's tested for her virgincy and find out why she didn't get married. If she's found defiled she has to tell the man that did it, and they're both killed together. They'd be a lot of killing in the nations if that would be, wouldn't it, around here? Try to compare with that.

Oh, but today we can tell the people to live.... And they puff up and blow up, and run over to something else, and say, “I don't want to hear it. You're always bawling me out.” That reminds me of Micaiah when he stood before Elijah, or before Ahab. He stood there because he'd taken Elijah's word. He compared his vision with what the prophet had said before him, with the Word of God. And when we get a vision and it don't compare with the Word of God, then leave it alone.

Now. Isaiah described Him. When he saw Him, he said.... Now when they saw Him in this fellowship, saw Him in this mighty tower, abiding in it and believing in it.... He's a refuge. But when Isaiah saw Him here in the 32nd chapter, he said, “He's a rock in a weary land.” That must be this land, a weary, dismal land.

“Oh,” you say, “my, this is a land of joy and happiness.” Yeah, I know it is. Just like I preached, I believe, last Sunday on the line of a true prophet. When Amos come up and looked over into that city—that old country preacher, bald-headed, and whiskers hanging around—his eyes narrowed. He didn't look like one of these modern tourists coming into Hollywood, looking at the glamour and things. His eyes narrowed, he looked down upon there and said, “The very God that you claim to trust in will destroy you.” If he'd come to America tonight he'd say the same thing. “The very God that you claim to serve will be your destruction.” And He did it. He only preached about thirteen years, but he lived to see his word fulfilled. He was a man fearless with God's word.

You say how did Amos know that? Because he could diagnose that case just exactly like a doctor diagnoses a case. When a doctor takes a case and looks at it and sees the symptoms on it that's cancer, and it's far advanced, he says, “It's death!” There's no hopes as far as he knows. There's no hopes for that patient because he's too advanced.

But when a real true prophet of God looks down and sees the sin of a nation, seeing our women bob their hair and wear dresses that's ornery; and see men having a form of godliness, and creed-bound, and things like that, leading men astray, blind leaders of the blind; diagnosing the case by God's Word, there can't nothing happen but destruction! All's left. The cancer that's eaten in ... rottenness to the core.

Among all the denominations it's done. There's nothing to do but cry out against the thing that's wrong. Amen! Means so be it, and that's right. All right. “A great rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm.” Oh, I'm so glad when he saw in it a great rock in a weary land.

Oh, I remember here not long ago I was reading a book on an eagle, a certain kind of an eagle. I think he's in ... over in the Orient. And I preached here some time ago on it, “As the Eagle Stirreth its Nest.” And I was reading up on eagles, and I found out there's forty different types of eagles.

But this certain eagle.... The Bible says as the eagle renews his youth, renews his strength; we shall mount up like eagles, and so forth. And this certain eagle, when he begins to get old he knows he's going to die pretty soon. There's a crust comes over his head. He's bald, you know.

And that's the reason....

God likened Himself to an eagle. He likens his children to eagles. And because ... they're the highest soaring bird, they can go higher than any other bird there is. His eye's so keen.... It wouldn't do him no good to get up there unless he seen what was going on down here, see far off. He likened his prophet to eagles that can sail up like this, and look way off and see things coming, come back down and tell the people what's fixing to happen—the eagle.

And this old eagle, when he begins to get old, he finds ... and begins ... goes way up high into the cleft of the rocks, and he finds a certain rock. He gets up there. He's getting so old he can't hardly walk around. This crust is killing him, over his head.

And he takes his head and he starts beating against that rock, beating it against the rock until he knocks the crust off his head. Oh, it hurts him. You can see him up there flopping around. He'll jump back (watching him through glasses), he'll knock his head again. What's he trying to do? Knock that crust off. And he'll bleed, and the blood'll run all over him till he knocks that crust off.

And if he can't knock it off, he dies. But if he gets it knocked off, he'll start rejoicing and screaming. You can hear him for miles, just a-screaming. Why? He knows that he's got all the crust off of him. He knows that his youth's going to be renewed because that he got the crust off. That's wonderful. I appreciate that for the eagle.

But brother, I know a Rock. Amen! I know a Rock that the weary sinner can beat ... not his head on there, but beat himself in prayer till all the crust of the world is took off of him—all the unbelief, the shackles are broke loose. And that man can beat himself in prayer there, till every sin-shackle is broke away from him.

I know where prostitutes can beat till they become ladies. I know where drunkards and gamblers can beat till they become saints of God, men of God. I know a Rock. That rock is Christ Jesus, our refuge. And as soon as you get all the world beat off of you, you renew your youth.

You renew what? You know you can start praising God because eternal life is sure, 'cause He promised it. Just stay there until all of the world is gone. But as long as some of the crust of the world is still sticking on, you better keep beating 'cause eternal life ain't there yet. When you say, “Well, I believe part of the Word of God is right,” you still got crust there. Yes, sir. When the women still bob their hair and wear shorts, a lot of crust there.

Someone bawled me out about that the other day. They said, “Brother Branham, people respect you to be a prophet.”

And I said, “I'm no prophet.”

He said, “But they say you're that. Why don't you teach the people how to get the ... how to get prophet gifts and how to get those things there? Quit telling them women, them men, about their creeds, and about women, the way they dress.”

I said, “If they can't learn their ABC's, how they going to teach them algebra?”

If they haven't got the common decency to clean up and act like and be like Christians, how in the world you going to teach them ... give them a high school education when they're not out of the kindergarten yet, and don't desire to come out. I don't mean to be angry, or nasty. But that's the truth! Amen. Whew! I feel religious.

Stay there! When the Holy Ghost comes He'll make a different creature out of you. When you got all the world beat off of you, and the shackles and all the unbelief beat off, you believe Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever; you believe in the power of God; you believe in the resurrection; you believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost; you believe in all these spiritual gifts and see them working.

Why? You're dead with Him, and buried with Him, and risen with Him. There you are. Then the steam goes off. Oh, brother, the preacher can't preach one word that condemns you (no, sir) because you can say “Amen” to anything he says, see—because you've got all the old shackles beat off. That's all. You're not trusting a creed; you're trusting in Christ. Yes, sir.

Yeah, when the old crust gets beat off, then you're all right. You're fixing to have a renewed youth then, a renewed life. You got eternal life, Zoe, God's own life dwelling in you. Then you're alive, not dead. Then your desires and affections are on things above, not on the fashions and passions of this world, running around here to dances, and going to picture shows.

And a lot of you Pentecostal people stay home at night and watch television and things like that, and miss your prayer meeting. It's because that your seminaries out here turned off some sissified Elvis preachers, instead of men of God who'll stand and tell you the truth. That's exactly right. What they're trying to do....

You know what kind of a harvest we're reaping out? We're reaping a denominational harvest because we sow denominational seed. That's ...the only kind of seed can come up is denominational seed, is because that's what we're sowing—trying to get people in this, get people in that.

You ought to get people to Christ, and forget about your denominational difference. Get them back to holy living by a holy God by the Holy Ghost, and see the power of God move like it did one time. Amen. Call ourselves Christians and deny the Word, “... form of godliness but deny the power thereof.” And then say, “Well, what we need today....” No wonder we got pressure built up.

Is the Methodist right? A girl come to me not long ago. She said, “Brother Branham, do you believe it's wrong for a Holy Ghost girl to wear scandal skirts?”

I said, “What is a scandal skirt?”

And she said, “Well, it's so-and-so, and the skirts, the underneath, show.”

I said, “What in the world would a Holy Ghost girl want to show her underskirt for?”

Shame, shame! My, what's the matter with our brothers today? What's the matter with the preaching today? They're afraid to do it 'cause it's a meal ticket. Afraid you'll get kicked out. Why, they wouldn't have to kick me out. I got out anyhow!

I wasn't going to bung myself up amongst unbelievers. Jesus said don't do that. “Don't yoke yourself with unbelievers; but come out from among them. Be ye separate, saith God, and I'll receive you.”

No wonder things can't take place. No wonder we're trying to build a Pentecostal revival. No wonder we've failed ... to do the things we're doing. Why, brother, we're sowing the wrong seed. We're sowing what our organizations believe, what our creeds teach us.

Billy Graham could cross the country a thousand times, and Oral Roberts, and Jack Schuller, and all the rest of them. It'll never do no good until we come back to God, back to the....

And how in the world can a government build itself? You say, “It's the government.” You know what's the matter with the government? It's because we elect ourselves. It's the people where the 'cause ... the trouble's at. We elect the kind of government we got. Because that's what's right in our heart. That's what we're trying to do. The people want something like that. They vote for it.

Go to a church.... I was at a charge not long ago, where a little brother had been preaching for about six months. And the trustees and the deacon board called him up and said, “You'll have to stop that. We won't put up with such as that.”

Said, “Stop what?”

Said, “That message that you're preaching.”

Said, “Message? I'm preaching the Bible.”

He said, “We don't believe no such.”

“Well, it's the Bible!”

You know what they did? They said we would throw him out.

He said, “You don't have to. I'm already out!” That's right. Sure.

What's the matter, the people? It's a meal ticket. I'd rather ... you say, “Well, you can't, they're afraid that the people ... if you don't have a card.”

Could you imagine Amos having a card that day when he come down there to preach to the people? Said, “Here's my fellowship card. I got cooperation with all the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They hated him. Right. They would today. If he stood today he'd stand right on this Word, the same thing, and condemn from the Catholic plumb to the Pentecostals. He'd do the same thing. He sure would. He wouldn't have no cooperation. He wouldn't have to pack a fellowship card. But he had “thus saith the Lord.” That's what the people didn't want.

You think he'd walk through the streets today and see the people.... You think his righteous soul could stand still? Certainly not, no. That's what's the matter. Our pressure's build up. That's what's the matter with our nation today. That's what's the matter with our world today.

Some time ago I was watching, when I was in Africa, while the corral ... where a little sheep had wandered out from the corral. And the little fellow got all nervous. All at once I thought, “What's the matter with him? What's the matter with him?” I happened to notice there was a lion coming up. He couldn't see the lion. Neither could he smell the lion. But there was just something telling him that danger. He got nervous, he was bleating, he was going on. He didn't know which way to go.

That's what's the matter, what's building up pressure. You're afraid of atomic bombs. The whole world, they're scared that something's going to happen. They know something's going to happen. Why, sure, it's going to happen. But what difference does it make? Amen. It's a quick trip to glory. Well, we're already dead. We're dead. We're risen with Him in heavenly places. It's our desire to go meet Him.

A minister called me in not long ago and said, “Brother Branham, you scare the people, telling them about Jesus coming maybe at any time like that.” Said, “You get the people so nervous.”

I said, “So nervous?”

“Well,” said, “sure, nobody wants to think about the end of the world.”

I said, “That's the greatest thing I can think of. But they're not ready!”

He said that “... all those that love his appearing, He will appear the second time.”—those who love his appearing. But if you're so earth-bound and still living down here, that that don't hold a million times more than this does for you, then you're still down here. And if you're up here, you've passed from that to up here. Amen. Just let off the pressure, friends, it's all right. Oh, yes. That's right. Just let off the pressure. If you just come to Christ, this great rock, beat off all the unbelief, and it'll.... You start to rejoicing then, because the pressure's going to be gone pretty soon. That's right.

Like the old slaves, back when the Emancipation Proclamation, when it was signed that morning.... I was reading here some years ago about where ... when they signed the Proclamation. Them slaves were so glad, on a certain day they was going to be free. And the time they was going to be free was when the sun come up. You know what they did? The women and children and the little ones and the cripples, they was all down this a-way, they were strung all up and down the hillside, because as soon as the sun begin to come up they were free, on that morning at sunup. I just forget the date of it now. Wish I could remember it, but I don't just at this time. I thought I did, but I didn't write it down, so I don't remember the date.

But anyhow, that morning, as soon as they could, they were going to be free as soon as the sun come up. Well, the most strongest one of them, like the strongest Christians today, they climb plumb up to the top of the hill, and they watched as day began to break. And when, the first thing you know, the first little peep of the sun, the one on top of the hill screamed out, “The sun's up! We're free!” And he hollered down to the next one. The next one hollered to the next one, the next one to the next one—till it got all the way to the bottom. They could let off the pressure. “We're free!” Why? The sun's up! Amen!

That was s-u-n. But today let me scream, “The Son's up!” The S-o-n. The evening lights is shining. The Holy Ghost is here. The Son of God reigns in the hearts of the people. Let off the pressure. He's here. The Son is up. Now I'm so glad of that, seeing the same things take place it did when He was here. Here it is working again in his people in this last day. So we can just let off the pressure.

He's up, up from the grave. He's up from the dead. He's been raised for two thousand years, and we're living with Him, resurrected Him, sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (amen), already raised from the dead. What's the use of having the pressure on you? Live? Why, you've got to live. You can't die. “He that heareth my words, and believeth on him that sent me, has eternal life.” That's right. “I am the resurrection, and life,” said Jesus, “He that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live: whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” See, we're already raised with Him. We got the earnest of it, the Holy Spirit declares it so. We've passed from death unto life. How do you know? All the world's beat off.

The old eagle can just scream as much as he wants to because every shackle's off of him, all the old crust is gone. And when the worldly crust, worldly habits, all the fuss and tempers, stew, and all the carrying on, running from denomination to denomination, is all settled and you're in Christ Jesus, you know eternal life dwells; for you look back and see where you come from, back down there in that muck and fuss, down there. Now I'm up here, safe forevermore in Christ Jesus, a new creature.

A few years ago I was way up in the mountains preaching. And I was preaching one night just as hard as I could on “Holiness unto the Lord,” and how it would be upon every heart and upon the [unclear word], and that great shadow would be in the daytime, a pillar of fire by night hanging over Mt. Zion, and so forth. And when I got through preaching I made an altar call. There was an old logger back there, and God just kind of said, “Hold on just a little bit longer.”

And I said, “Anybody wants to come and receive the Lord, come now.” And he wouldn't come. I asked them to play the hymn again. They played the hymn.

Directly, here he come running up like that. He'd come down there to throw me out of the meeting. His overalls was all tore off like that, and he had a big old nail sticking in the side of them, been cutting fodder. And he come up there, couldn't hardly get to the altar. He fell and crawled hand over head hollering, “God, have mercy to me,” like that—come up to the altar and got saved.

The next day, and next night, he come up there sitting there with his little children. His little boy come up, little bitty fellow about five years old, said, “Brother Branham,” said, “we got a good daddy now.” Said, “Every night he'd come in and get drunk, and whip us and everything. But,” said, “tonight we all asked the blessing at the table.” He had passed from death unto life.

Just before I got ready to preach, he said, “Brother Branham, would you spare me a moment till I could say something?” he said.

I said, “Yes, sir. Come on up here, brother.”

He come up there. He said, “I was once dead, but I'm alive now.” He said, “Everything's changed for me.” He said, “I had a dream last night, Brother Branham.”

I said, “What was it? Would you mind telling us?”

He said, “You know, Brother Branham, I dreamed that I was a rabbit.” And he said, “The hounds had jumped me up.” And said, “I was running, but them long-legged hounds was coming right behind me, just about to catch me.” Said, “They were howling,” and said, “they got so close to me till I could feel their breath on my heels.” And said, “I could just feel them nipping at me every time they'd make a jump.”

And said, “I looked and there was a great big rock, and there was a cleft in that rock. And I knowed if I could ever get in that little cleft (it just big enough for me to get into), them hounds couldn't get in there. I know they couldn't scratch through the rock. I know I was safe if I could ever get in that rock.” And said, “I just made it in time.” He said, “When I got inside,” said, “I just sat down and begin to relax.”

That's it, let off the steam. That's it. Just come to the Rock. The hounds of hell are galloping right behind you, sin marking your lives as you go. You claim.... And if you claim to be a Christian and still love the world, if you claim to be a Christian and don't believe the Word, that's the hounds of hell howling right behind you. He's got you hid under some creed or something there, in the brier patch, he can catch you there.

There's only one safe place, that's the Rock, brother. There's a cleft in that Rock tonight, it's open for sinners. It's open for unbelief. Run into it, then let off the pressure. Sit down there. You're safe forevermore. Just let off the pressure and you'll be all right. Run to Christ, 'cause He is our refuge. “He is our refuge and our strength, a present help in a time of trouble.” Let's bow our heads just a moment.

I got about thirty things here I wanted to speak on yet, but I don't want to wear you. It's getting late. I'm going to ask you something though.

Many of you, practically everybody in here, has attended my meetings before. And you know you can't put your hand on one thing but what the Holy Spirit hasn't said but what was right. You know that. Let me tell you, friend, don't you take refuge in your organization. Don't you take refuge in some little experience. The world's just full, tonight, of somebody going around with sensations: fire, smoke, blood, pillars, and everything else. Don't you believe that. There's only one sensation—that's Christ. When you're in there, brother, sister, your life is changed. You become a new creation. You've passed from death to life. I can't judge you. I never ... wasn't sent to judge; I was only sent for this Word.

Just take inventory and look at yourself tonight. Each one here.... I don't know who you are, but just think of yourself. Just look at yourself, think the way you're doing, what you're doing. You women, look at yourselves. You men, look at yourselves.

Preacher, look at yourself. What about your organization? Does it mean so much to you tonight if God's truth come forth you couldn't take it? You'd stay with your organization? Then you're still a sinner. You're a unbeliever. If you put anything between you and God's Word.... Now remember, that's Jesus, He is the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God ... and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” He is the Word. Is there anything between you and God?

Now with your heads bowed, I'm going to ask you. I've held you lengthy. But how do I know that the next blow up won't get me? Somewhere down the line I got to go. If God hasn't backed up every word that I've said.... Not because it's me; it's because it's his Word. I've had to [unclear word] your organizations from place to place—not against you; against that system that separates you from others, that system that lets you sit in there and live like the world, and still claim to be a Christian when you know you're not. If you can't compare with the Word, then there's something wrong. That's for minister and all. You know that's right.

Now think of it. Some explosion, something, somewhere, is going to get you one of these days. You've got to go, and you've got to face God. You ... and while there is a chance to outrun the hounds, let's go to the Rock tonight. Will you go with me? I'll lead the way. While you've got your heads bowed, every eye closed, who'd like to be remembered in prayer, raise up your hand, say, “Brother Branham, pray for me.” God bless you, you, you, just look over this building.

Oh, lead me to the Rock, Lord. Lead me to that Rock that's higher than I, the shelter in a time of storm. Lead me, O Lord, lead me. I don't want to stay in this world. I don't want to be left here to be consumed with it. “They that live by the sword shall perish by the sword.” They that live in the world shall die with the world. They that live for this world and in this world will perish in the atomic blast. It's just atomic fodder.

Look at these people today on the streets. Look at them in the yards. Look wherever they go. You wonder what's the matter. They're pleasure-seeking, cigarette-smoking, drinking, diving, women immorally dressed, knowing that they're committing adultery.

You say, “I'm just as clean as anybody.” But lady, the way you dress yourself and get out here on the street, men look upon you. Jesus said, “Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her.” When that sinner answers for adultery, you'll be the one that presented yourself. Think of it now.

You men who'd compromise the Word of the living God for a morsel of a denomination, shame on you. Let's repent. Let's ask God's forgiveness. Let's not let this convention up here on this lake be an error. Let's get God with us. Let's go away from here filled with the Spirit, a burning fire in our hearts. Let's run to that Rock, the only thing that can help us.

Some day your organization, and your friends that's persuading you out in the wrong way, even your pastor, will perish with the world if he's letting you live like that, and tell you nothing about it. Look at them priests who claim to be holy and sanction.... Jesus said, “You're of your father the devil, and his works you do.” And yet they were clean, upright men (seemed to be), but they denied the living Word. They had a form of godliness. The prophet told them, said, “The very God that you serve, he'll consume you.” The very one that you ... and He did do it.

And let me say this tonight, the very God that America claims they believe in will be the very God that will sink her beneath the sea. She'll burn like a eternal fire. The whole world, the Christian world so-called, living in the way they do, hugging on to creeds and things like that, and denying God.... No wonder their org... no wonder the revival's died right out. They got to a certain spot and then they went to bringing in this, and bringing in that, and putting million of dollars in new educational buildings and things like that, when it never was ordained of God to do so—yet preach the gospel.

Think of it! What if you die tonight? What if you're killed on the road home? When the next explosion gets me, I want the world to know this, I believe the Word of God, every word of it. I accept it in my heart as Christ Jesus. I believe that the Spirit that's in me says ... punctuates every word with an “Amen.” I've lived to see the day that every promise He made, I've seen it fulfilled. I know that He's coming.

I know He's coming for a church, and it'll sure be in the minority. “There'll be two in the field; I'll take one and leave one. Two in the bed; I'll take one and leave one,” a universal resurrection, a rapture. Let's be ready for it, friends. This is the hour. What a beautiful time right out here on this great lake, here where we're standing, as we did ... Jesus did in Galilee, with the Holy Spirit right here in our building tonight, moving upon people—when in this little crowd of 150 or 200 people, nearly two-thirds of them put up their hands. Let's repent.

Our heavenly Father, we can see, Lord, that the church has lost its first love. We can see that the church in full, all over the nation, has dropped—not only the nation, but the world. We realize that You spoke the other morning and said the seeding time is over here, that the only place to sow seeds is in the foreign fields. This is a gleaning over the stubble. And, O God, truly them words was right.

Now tonight, while we see these precious ones that's made a start, a fair showing in the flesh, trying to move up.... They realize that they ... that their lives don't cope up with that Word. There's something wrong somewhere. They got pressure, tempers, and indifferences; and O God, ugly things that makes them misbehave and not act like Christians. They find themselves not satisfied. They're wandering about from one organization to another, from one place to another.

Though they might have shouted, though they might have danced half a night, though they may have spoke in tongues like pouring peas on a dry cowhide.... They might have done all these things, Lord. And yet, O God, Paul said, “Though I speak with tongues of men and angels, I become as a sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal. Though I have faith to move mountains, though I give my goods to feed the poor,” and all these things; yet he becomes nothing.

O God, may men not rely upon sensation, and so forth. May they come to Christ who is the Word, rise above every unbelief, and follow the Holy Spirit to the promised land. Grant it, Lord. You crossed over Jordan of death. You've come back. You proved to us that there was a good land over there where man lives forever. You give us the resurrection fruits. You let us taste of the heavenly gifts.

And it's written over in Hebrews, the 6th chapter: “For they which were once enlightened [Pentecostals], and have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the heavenly gifts [the heavenly food of God—and now I see that they're falling away], that there remains no more sacrifice for sin, but a fearful looking for the judgment, the fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary.” O God, may borderline believers run into Canaan tonight as fast as they can. Grant it, Lord.

May every one of these little rabbits tonight, Lord, that's a-jumping for what life they've got in them, may they find that Rock, Lord. O God, may this convention never stop until prayer meetings are out here in the bushes, and everywhere else, until these people find that Rock where women can be like saints of God—where they can dress like saints, and act like saints, and talk like saints; and men can move into their pulpits, and deacons into their offices, and trustees and things with the integrity under the power of the resurrection of Christ, to pray a revival to a ... down upon the people. Grant it, Lord.

May the church be saved, God. You said, “All that the Father has given me will come. No man can come unless my Father has called him. And all that my Father has given me will come.” O God, is it too late? Will the hounds catch us before we get to the rock? O God, grant not. May every man and woman pinch themselves, wake up to the fact that we're at the end-time. It can't be much longer until the coming of our Lord.

Talking of a convention next year, how do we know that it'll be yet tonight, or in the morning, He'll come? How do we know that one of us, or many of us in here may be called before morning? Then we'll have to stand in the judgment. What good does all these things of the world do us? We'll perish with them. God, we'll never rise in the resurrection—only to be condemned. God grant that we'll let loose of every shackle tonight, that we'll come to the Rock, and there live in Christ Jesus forevermore. Grant it, Lord. Come into the Rock and let off the pressure. Grant it, Father.

I commit them to you now. In the name of Jesus Christ, may every one of them make it safely to the Rock where their assurance is there, and they can see their lives with the crust is all beat off. Many, Lord, many, many, Lord, are deceived. When they think they're at the Rock and look right down at their lives and see that they're not; see the shackles of the world, the desire, the things of the world still hanging on them, they know they've never beat the crust off in prayer yet.

God grant that these hotel rooms tonight will be one lively prayer meeting, all night long, of the beating and praying, O God, until Christians are born and filled with the Holy Ghost, new lives are begun. In Jesus' name we ask it, for God's glory. Amen.

You love Him?

I love Him, I love Him

(Now worship Him in the Spirit,

strong heart.)

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

Do you get what I mean? That we are dead, that you already are raised with Him. That's the earnest of our salvation. We're sitting together in heavenly places. Look back to the places you come. Look what's going on, examine yourself, take inventory, see. “Have I bypassed his Word? I don't ... I know the Bible says that, but I don't believe it that way.” Be careful, you're not dead yet. If the Holy Spirit was in there He'd say, “Amen. That's my Word,” see.

“Well, I believe the days of miracles is past.” You do? and the Bible said He's the same yesterday, today, and forever? “I believe that the signs of Mark 16 was for another generation.” You do? when He said, “These signs shall follow them that believe.”? How far? To the end of the world. “Lo, I'm with you always. And the works that I do shall you do also.” How long? To the end of the world. All the promises of the prophets, that in this evening time.... The prophet said there'll be a day that wouldn't be called day or night. It'd be dismal.

Where does the sun rise? In the east. Where does it set? In the west. How's civilization travel? From the east to the west. Now there's been a day since the Son, S-o-n, rose with healing in his wings in the east upon the eastern people. And now there's been a day of organization, denomination, just enough light to see to get around, put your name on a book, accept Christ as saviour. But He promised, “In the evening time it shall be light.”

Now the evening lights has come out, showing the same sun, s-u-n, that rises in the east is the same s-u-n that sets in the west. Religion, civilization, salvation, has traveled from the east to the west like the sun. And now the S-o-n, the same Holy Spirit that fell on the day of Pentecost is falling in the west. We can't go no farther. We're on the West Coast. If we go farther, we're in China—back east again, where it started, see. But it shall be light in the evening time. It's the hour, friends, it's the hour. Please receive it.

And listen, let me give you.... It is all right just a minute longer? Listen. Are you scared of Communism? What are you afraid of Communism for? You people wake up! Communism is in God's hands. Watch the tool He's using. Don't you never....

There's not one scripture in the Bible that said Communism will rule the world. But the Bible said Romanism will rule the world. Which was the iron and clay in the bottom of the feet? Was it Communism? No, sir. It was Romanism and Protestantism, exactly right. That steel, iron, Rome, run right down to the end. It's Romanism. And look where it's sitting today.

Since our president, Mr. Kennedy, got elected.... In the last six months, since he's been elected, in the state of Kentucky about 310,000 people have turned from Protestant to Catholic in the state of Kentucky alone—was in the paper the other day.

Look what's happened now. What is it? The World Council of Churches—they talk about that. And they say all these ... like our brother Presbyterian, and so forth coming in. That's wonderful. I believe in that too.

But did you ever wake up to think that Jesus said that that foolish virgin, when she begin to call for oil, it was right then the bridegroom come! When they woke up and begin to realize that they had no oil, they went to buy oil. And it's at that minute, when they went to buy oil, that the bridegroom come and the bride went in! Can't you see that?

We think about all these Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Lutherans. We appreciate that. We see them coming in. But it's a sign to us. This is the time when they're coming to buy that oil. The sleeping virgins been sleeping all along. What's the matter with these pastors today? Don't know the hour you're living? Jesus said, “If you'd have knowed me you'd have knowed my day.” Said, “You can discern the face of the skies; but the signs of the times you don't discern.”

Wake up, people! Don't you know that the Bible said that ... to this Pentecostal church the way that it's going now, “In the time that you think not....” Do you know the Pentecostal church is the Laodicea church age, the last one of them? it would be lukewarm, God'd spew it from his mouth?

Every church age and every star, every minister through the church age, every angel to the church has done made its manifestation. And did you know that this church, age was the only church age that Jesus was put out of his church and found knocking at the door trying to get back in? the Laodicean church age? Don't you see the hour we're living?

Wish I could come here for about a ... two or three weeks just on Bible teaching of prophecy and things. See where we're living, friends! What's the matter with people? Can't you see we're at the end time? It's all over. The next thing will be a sweep that'll get that little group together. In a month or so she'll be gone, as soon as she's gathered together. Well, we're at the end. There's no hopes left, nowhere. Run to Christ, people.

Through your gifts I've fed my children. Through your goodness I've had a ministry. Through the people, the Pentecostals, that I left the Baptist church to come to, you've been the one. When they told me I was a fanatic, there was no such a thing as prophecy, was no such a thing as these angels appearing, and things like that.... I take you to record, tonight. Have I ever told you anything out of the tens of thousand but what come to pass?

You remember when they come before Samuel, they said, “We want Saul to be a king.”

And God told Samuel, said, “They haven't rejected you as prophet; they've rejected me.” Said, “Go down and stand before them.”

Said, “Have I ever told you anything in the name of the Lord but what come to pass? Have I ever begged you for your living?”

They said, “No. These things are.... All right, but we still want the king!”

There you are. It's the same place back again. It's the church! It's the church. It isn't the nation; it's the people. If they would.... Look at our television. Look at our newspapers. Look at our signboards. Look at our women. Look at our men. Look at our churches. Why, it's rotten to the core. That's exactly right. And then we call that Christian.

Don't you trust in those things, people. I love you, I'm not trying to ... to try to pop off, or say something that's wrong. I'm telling you in the name of the Lord! If you've believed these other things and seen them come to pass, you believe this! It's later than you think. God bless you. I better turn it back over to your ... to the chairman here, Brother Sonnmore, or some of them here.

Do you love Him? Let's sing that one more time. And I want all you Methodists to shake hands with the Baptists, and you Pentecostals the same way. And just say, “I love Him too, brother. And by God's help I'm going to serve Him with all my heart.” Do you believe? Will you do it? Say “Amen.”

I love Him, I love Him

Because (that's right) first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

How many wants to make that rapture, raise your hand. All right. See, He's still dealing with you. See, there is a refuge for you if He's still dealing. Let's press right on. I've got both of mine up. I want to make it too. Oh, draw me nearer, nearer, oh, nearer blessed Lord, close to thy bleeding side. That's where I want to stay. Don't you? Now while we sing this, “I love Him,” let's raise our hands to Him, and sing with all of our hearts.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

Now as you bow your head, close your eyes, think real sincerely now. All that hasn't got the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the signs of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, meekness, faith, all these signs following you.... No matter what else has taken place, that's the fruit of the Spirit. And if that isn't in your life—gentle, meekness, patience, love, forgive every person—if those signs is not in your life (now, don't no one look, keep your heads bowed), raise up your hands, say, “Pray for me Brother Branham.” I'd say about ninety percent of the congregation.

Oh, Jesus, please, God ... God, I just hate to cut those people like that. But, oh, what will I do standing there at the day of judgment? and then I see them hands screaming out and them women with those faces gleaming, their eyes balled way out and saying, “Why didn't you tell me?” When them men say, “Oh, if you'd have told me then....” God, help me. Please keep me, Lord. Let me be truthful. Let me be honest. Let me be upright, Lord. Help me to know your Word, that I can say it. And help these people, dear Father.

Just think, in a Pentecostal conference here, and ninety percent with their hands up after a scorching, hard message coming right straight out of the Word, the Holy Spirit sweeping across.... God, I'm so happy that they still can realize it. And a man or a woman that realizes it, and can know it, God, it's got to be your Spirit talking to them. I pray, and I claim the soul of every one of them. As your servant, Lord, I ... like Moses, I stand between them, Lord, in this oncoming judgment. I plead, Lord. They raised their hands. If I've pleased You, Father—I know I haven't—but if I've done anything that's been any benefit to You, hear me now tonight, Lord.

These are people that's sacrificed. They've done everything. They love me, Lord, and they love the Word. They love ... and they want to be right. Lord, open up that refuge tonight. God, may they run into it. If it's right now tonight, in the prayer room, in their bedroom, wake them up ... them dreams and things, Lord. Pour out your Spirit upon them. May they find that Rock, Lord. O God, may their souls be a flaming fire. Grant it, Lord.

We love You, and we believe You. And You said this in your Word, “Ask what you will and it will be done to you. If ye abide in me, and my Word in you, ask what you will.” God, I've tried to keep every precept of the Word, though men has turned me out of organizations and everything else. But I still believe it. I've stood for it, Lord. Now hear my prayer. I pray for each one of them. I ask for each one of them. God, may every one of them be in the rapture. May they be filled with the Spirit, with all the signs of a living God living among them, Lord. Grant it. In Jesus' name I ask for them. Amen.

Brother Carlson said maybe I ought to ask for ... if there's sick people wanting to be prayed for. Are they here tonight, sick and wants to be prayed for? Raise up your hands if there is. Oh, my. There's a number of them. [Brother Branham speaks to someone aside.] Well, I'll tell you, put your hands over on each other while you're there. “The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and God shall raise them up.”

Looky here, I want you to look at me. I hold my Bible. What good would it do for me to stand here as an imposter? I've got a wife and three children at home. I got children that cry when I leave. I got a church at home begs me to stay (“Don't go,”), willing to build tabernacles, anything else. But a lot of them, they couldn't come there. I've got to go to them, see. What good would it stand me to do ... what good would it do me to stand here and tell you something was wrong.

I'm fifty-three years old. I've been a minister for thirty-two years. I have never one time sincerely prayed for anything but what He give it to me, or showed me why He couldn't give it to me. That's exactly right. I've always found if I asked for it and He'd show me that, I'm glad He didn't give it to me. I say that as a brother that'll have to meet you in the day of judgment with the very message I preached tonight.

You sincerely lay your hands on one another, and pray for one another. And don't you doubt one bit, but believe that what you've asked for you'll receive it, and God will give it to you. I don't care how sick you are, what's wrong with you, God will grant it. Do you believe that? Lay your hands on one another. I'm going to quote you the Word. “And these signs shall follow them that believe; if they lay their hands on the sick they shall recover.” Who? You, you believers. Don't pray for yourself now, pray for the one you've got your hands on, 'cause they're praying for you.

Our heavenly Father, I know the Word's went forth. It's found its place. And now, I've told them that there is a safety zone. And in this safety zone there's healing power. And, Lord, they got their hands on one another. They are believers. And we believe You. Now Satan has bound some of these people with sickness. They're praying for one another with their hands on one another. Satan, you lose the battle!

I've tried to stand honestly on God's Word. And He said, “If ye abide in me, and my words in you, ask what you will, and it will be done.” Therefore Satan, I come in the name of Jesus Christ upon the basis of his shed blood, his resurrection, and the appearance of Him here tonight in the power of eternal life. Turn these people loose in the name of Jesus Christ! I defy thee to hold them any longer. Come out of them, Satan! that they might go and be free. In the name of Jesus Christ.

“The prayer of faith shall save the sick, God shall raise them up.” Are you the children of Abraham? Do you have to be a child of Abraham? Abraham, no matter how long it took, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong, giving praise to God. No matter how much the devil tells you, “No, no, no,” you say, “Yes, yes, yes.” You believe God's Word tonight, and God will bring it to pass. Everything that you've asked for, you shall receive it, if you'll believe it with all your heart.

Now I'm going to ask you. Upon the basis of the shed blood, upon the basis of knowing that you're a Christian, and the promise is true.... If Jesus promised life after death, went forward into death and come back with life to prove it, and give you life of the Spirit in you, and his presence here now, how can it fail? It can't fail! “Heavens and earth will pass away, but my Word shall not pass away.”

If we claim to be the seed of Abraham, the royal seed, Abraham's royal seed.... And we stagger at his Word? and then Abraham's seed? Abraham, a man seventy-five years old, his wife sixty-five, and they was barren, sterile. God told them they'd have a baby. They waited twenty-five years, till she was ninety and he was a hundred, and he was still giving praise to God that he'd have the baby! We can't believe but a few minutes.

I believe that every one of you is healed. Do you believe the same? Raise your hands, “I accept it upon the basis of the shed blood.” God bless you. Then you are healed in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.