1 And just wind that around, through the Bible, the way we…you have taken the Book of Revelations, and the Book of Exodus and Genesis. And now I’ve come home to go squirrel hunting. It’s honest. That’s just all there is to it, just to be honest. And, Brother Roy, when you going? [Brother Roy says, “Tomorrow.”—Ed.] Tomorrow. All right. So we just love to get home this time of year, so, it’s, we want to rest.

2 I’ve lost twenty pounds since I seen you. I got on the scales, when I left from this meeting, I weighed a hundred and sixty-five; and got back, weighed a hundred and forty-five. So, feels like my clothes is dropping down. So, I lost a lot of weight.

3 And some lady, today, going out, lovely sister, she said, “Brother Branham, pray that I can lose it, too.” [Brother Branham laughs—Ed.]

4 And she a little bit on the strong side, so I told her, “Just come, go along, preach right hard.” So, that’s about all I know, it certainly will take it down. But, we’ll soon be done with the troubles and trials.

5 Was thinking about getting old. You know, two more years, I’m going to be fifty. Whew! I remember when Frankie Weber put in. He’s just about two years older than I am. He put in a quarter for his birthday offering, here. And I snapped my eye, and I thought, “My, Frankie Weber, twenty-five years old, a quarter of a hundred!” It’s a half now. Just doesn’t take it long, does it? Just goes right on.

6 We won’t stay long. Just this morning, when our beloved brother was bringing that most remarkable message, I’m sure we all enjoyed it. And I happened to think of something when he was preaching, back there, and I thought, “Maybe the Lord might give me a Scripture for that.” I had him to read some tonight from God’s blessed Word. And now I…just a few minutes to speak, and then we’ll pray for the sick, as usual.

7 And Wednesday night, this coming Wednesday night, if the Lord permits, I’d like to start in the Book of Hebrews, if it’s okay. And the Book of Hebrews, for a lesson. And then, maybe, Sunday morning or Sunday night, continue it on. Then the following Wednesday night, maybe pick it up again, just keep winding that around, in the Scripture.

8 And there’s some things that I noticed in the church, just as I going by, that I think ought to be taught on a little bit, you know, things that seems to weaken down a little. And I think we could pick it up there in Hebrews. It’s a—it’s a very good chapter, very good place to read. Now, Brother Neville…I was going…That come on my mind, coming down.

9 And I’ve just got the New Testament here, and I’m reading from a Collins Bible, the print is bigger. I’ve…After I’ve got nearly fifty, I have to push it too far away from me, to read that real fine print; it’s bad light, anyhow. And I go out in the sunshine and still read it. But when the light gets a little poorer, I have to push it away. And doctor told me that soon I was going to have some reading glasses.

And I asked him, “My eyes was bad?”

10 And he tested them. Said, “No. Ten-ten, that’s supreme good. Twenty-twenty is normal, and—and fifteen-fifteen is better.” And ten-ten, is, that’s all he could read it. So I could read anywhere he wanted, at a distance. He put something out, and I started to read it. When he got closer, I kept getting slower and slower. I stopped when it got just about like this. He said, “Oh, yeah, you’re past forty.”

And I said, “Yeah.”

11 He said, “Well, naturally, your eyeballs get flat.” Said, “Now, if you live a good, long life, you’ll get your second sight, I hope. That’s when you can read back again.”

12 But, you know, I was just thinking, that ain’t too far off, at that. Just a little while. Brother Tony, that’s bad, isn’t it? [Brother Tony says, “No.”—Ed.] No, it isn’t. It’s a blessed thing. I’m getting older, one way, and younger another, because I’m going to that young, immortal, blessed body, where, brother, there’ll never be nothing wrong There. And I just live for that time. That’ll be wonderful.

13 Now, before I read the final closing text, just a word to Him while we bow our heads.

14 We believe, Almighty God, that You intend for Your children to be happy. It is not meant for us to be frowning and sorrowful, for it is written, that, “A merry heart doeth good like medicine.” And we love to enjoy Your blessings and to have this great fellowship together. And as we…

15 As believers in Your Word, we fellowship around the Word. That’s what we come here for, is not just to hear a Message, but to worship and fellowship with Thee, through the reading and preaching of the Word. Now, Lord, Thou will not disappoint us. I’m sure You’ll bless us in these hours.

16 Bless our noble and good pastor, Lord. We pray that You’ll be with him. And as I noticed him today, in his preaching, and see him as he smiled when he sang that song, “I’ll soon be done with troubles and trials.” And those sisters, and how they sang it around in the brush arbors and camp meetings. And it’ll be done, one of these days, and then go to that glorious Rest.

17 Now, Father, bless us as we read Thy Word, and have read It, and refreshened our minds and hearts. And speak to us, tonight. And when the service is over, and we start to our homes, may we say, “Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked to us along the way?” For we ask it in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

18 Now with such a real good evangelistic message as we had this morning, and I was thinking, that, you know, Brother Neville was talking about overfeeding the children. Which, you can. But now, tonight, we’re just a little talk for the church. This is just a talk for the church. And I wish to read the…another part of the Scripture, in the New Testament, Matthew the 24th chapter, and the 35th verse, Jesus speaking.

Heavens and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

19 My subject tonight is the—the memorials: Time-Tested Memorials Of God.

20 And I have a few announcements. I believe I made it, for the…and some here that…about the meeting to begin with the Hebrews, the 1st chapter, Wednesday night, if the Lord is willing. The reason I have to make it mention, that, like, my meetings, I can be at one place, and He’ll call me another. I just have to go as He calls, you know.

21 That’s the reason I can’t be like Brother Oral Roberts and those fellows who set their meetings two or three years ahead, and, “We’ll be there,” and those big burly-faith men. They—they—they got their message.

22 But my Message is just wherever God sends, whether it’s here, there, wherever it is. I have to go just when He sends. And it’s two different ministries; only, the same God, the very same God.

23 I was thinking, yesterday, in my talk to a neighbor boy. And he said, “You know, a certain little pastor,” he said, “he’s such a wonderful fellow.” Said, “Wife and I were sitting with our pajamas on,” and said, “about eleven o’clock at night, and he come by and knocked at the door. Said, ‘I just come by to have a cup of coffee with you.’” See? And said, “He cut across the street, to another neighbor, and they were about ready to go to bed, and he eat a cookie over there. And just…” And then he said, “He’s—he’s had a little Bible school for the kiddies, and he had so many little kiddies there, him and his wife, until they had to put up tents on the outside, to accommodate the children.”

24 And I went back, I got to thinking, “You know, that’s right. That, that’s a—that’s a wonderful little fellow.” And I believe, Brother Fleeman here, I believe his boy goes to the Faith Lutheran Church up here, a wonderful little man and his wife, they’re doing a great work for the Lord. And I thought…I got to washing my car, and I—I become discouraged. I thought, “Why is it I can’t do that, see, go around, get all the kids, a follow me around? I love kiddies. And why can’t I jump from house to house, from pillar to post, like that?”

25 And Something just said to me, “You wasn’t called for that. He’s doing just what God told him.”

26 But we got to have somebody stand out here, like the Oral Roberts and them, a Joshua with a sword, with a Message of faith and deliverance. And, see, we got to have those who can have the…that type, and one can have this, but just all goes together to make one big unit. That’s God’s Church.

27 Talking a few moments ago to a young lady, discouraged and heartbroken. And I was trying to tell her about how that—that a woman and a man are not separated, they are the same-self person. Man made…God made man, both male and female; he was man. That’s right. And He separated them in flesh and made them difference, but joined them together and raising their children, as one. And so the man, the burly and the tar, and the woman is the—the—the love part of the man. So, they are together. That’s…God separated them. But they were both the very same person, m-a-n. And woman is called wo-man, that’s right, ’cause she was taken from man. She is a part of the man. But in—in life here, in flesh, they were separated. In spirit, they are one.

28 And was talking about men losing their affections for their wife, and don’t love them as they did when they were sweetheart. Shame on you. You ought to do it. She’s always your sweetheart. Absolutely. That’s the part she should be. And you should treat her like that. Oh, never let that little honeymoon cease, ’cause it isn’t going to, in Heaven. Going to be just perfectly one, There. That’s right. So all…

29 Well, looks like some women ought to said “amen” to that. Don’t never—never let me hear, “You’re always bawling the women out, and talking like that.” Sister Hickerson, why didn’t you say something, or somebody back there, say…? Did you? [Sister Cox says, “Amen.”—Ed.] Thank you, Sister Cox. That’s very good. Brother Cox, that’s for you, ever where you are now. All right. Yes, sir.

30 And we should never forget to honor each other. Always be sweethearts. Never let it cease.

31 Catholic boy come to me, not long ago. His wife was separating. He said, “Billy, I hate to come to you; I’m a Catholic, and you a Protestant.” Said, “The priest run me out of my home, a while ago.”

And I said, “What’s the matter, Ham?”

32 He said, “Well, he told me.” Said, “I drink a little,” and said, “of a night, I work hard.” Said, “My wife thinks I ought to come in every night and kiss her, and hug her, and make out just like we was fixing to get married.” Said, “We married and got a bunch of kids.” And said, “We, that’s time…”

33 I said, “Whoop, wait a minute, boy. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. That’s just the same as it was before you were married. See? You must always remember it.” I said, “She’s forty years old now, at the time where she really needs your attention.”

34 So, they had the divorce court. And he said, “I don’t know what I’ll do.”

35 I said, “Go, call her. If I’d go out there, as a Protestant, she wouldn’t receive me. But I…See?”

Said, “Oh, she likes you.”

36 And I said, “That, just go call her, tell her that you’ve changed your mind.”

37 And so the next day, I had called the judge and talked to him. And I told this boy, I said, “I’ll be sitting right down beneath the floor where judge is going to give you a raking over. I’ll be praying for you. Don’t tell her about it.”

“All right.”

38 So, I was down there, praying. After a while I heard some little clicking coming down the step, and here they come, with their arms around one another, just all smiles, you know. He said…I said, “Well, hello, there!”

39 And he said, “Brother Branham, it’s been some time since I seen you!” Yeah, thirty minutes, see. “Some time since I seen you!”

40 And she said, “Why, Rev. Branham, I haven’t seen you in a long time! Glad to see you again!”

41 I said, “Thank you. Why,” I said, “you look like you were sweethearts.”

“Oh,” said, “we’re just doing fine. Aren’t we, honey?”

She said, “Yes, we are, dear.” And I…She said, “Come out to see us sometime, Reverend.”

42 And I said, “Thank you, very much.” I said, “Good-bye, to you!” Went by, the old boy turned around and waved back, like that. It all happened. That’s right.

43 Love conquers everything. That’s right, just—just love. You can have all your signs and evidences, but just give me love. That—that settles it, for me. Oh, my!

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious Blood

Shall never lose Its power,

Till all the ransomed Church of God

Be saved, to sin no more. (See?)

Ever since by faith I saw that stream

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die.

That’s right. Oh, wonderful!

44 Now, time-tested memorials! Where I got this idea this morning, was from our message at the Sunday school, evangelistic message, where our brother speaking on Elijah. Where he wanted to…This boys, the schools of the prophets, how they wanted to build some kind of a big school. And it come to my mind, and I was thinking of the thoughts of “memorials.”

45 Now, a memorial is a—a great thing. We appreciate memorials. And many men, in this life, has tried to leave behind them some sort of a memorial. Nearly all men love to do that. Put at their graveyard, a great marker. That’s all right. Sure. I appreciate that. That’s—that’s okay. And then many try to build great shrines.

46 One memorial that I’d like to refer to now, it’s in Ohio, and there was an infidel. I forget his name. I got the picture somewhere there in my collection at home. Where, he was so firmly against Christianity, till he wanted a memorial built to him, after his death, with his foot on the Bible, pointing down like that, and saying, “Away with religious superstitions, and up with modern science.” And when he was dying, he said, “If I’ve been wrong, serpents will crawl out of my grave.” And when he died, they were still shoveling the dirt into the grave and they killed two or three big vipers. And today, in that graveyard, a minister taken a picture recently and brought it to show me, and hanging over the chains around his lot…The graveyard is a beautiful place, but his mound is nothing but a snake mound. And no matter, even into the fall and winter, serpents still crawl from his grave. A memorial! God forbid me ever have a memorial like that, or any of you.

So there is memorials, though, great memorials.

47 I’m thinking of Joshua, the mighty warrior. What a great man he was, who took the armor of Moses, as a leader of these two million Jews. Moses being the selected, the called out, separated for a service. And Joshua, to step in and take that man’s place, was certainly a great thing to do, to fulfill the shoes of this prophet. A mighty warrior, called, predestined and ordained of God. Four hundred years before he ever come, God said He would deliver and He would visit them. And what a warrior Moses had been!

48 Never a man ever took the shoes of Moses, to fulfill them, until Jesus Christ could do it. And he said, hisself, “The Lord your God shall rise up a Prophet among you, likened unto me. And it shall come to pass, if you’ll not hear this Prophet, whosoever will not hear this Prophet will be cut off.” All right.

Now, this great memorial.

49 And Joshua had come down to the river. And after Moses was dead, Joshua took his place. And God was with Joshua. And he said, “Now sanctify yourselves, wash your clothes, and set apart, and come not at your wives. And on the third day, God is going to do something.” Oh, I…

50 One of these nights, the Sunday services, I want to preach on that “third day,” and show you what power is in them, that three. I mentioned it this morning, in the prayer; everybody had three things, and the pneumatics of the Bible.

51 “Now, on the third day you shall see the glory of God.” Now it go…went to show that he knowed positive what he was talking about, because he mentioned just exactly the time when it was going to happen. And I can imagine how Joshua felt, when he stood out there before all those Israelites. Now, his word must be true. And there was the swelling Jordan.

52 You see, a man’s character is made known by his works. Whatever you are, your works prove what you are. No matter how much you testify, whatever you say, pro or con, that has nothing to do with it. Your works tell what you are, tells what you are inside. Every job that you do, manifests what you are.

53 And you businessmen, if you just do a patched-up job, see what I mean, just a half-way job, don’t do that. If you can’t do it right, don’t do it at all. That’s right.

54 When you come to Christ, if you can’t absolutely sell out, lock, stock, and barrel, and come to Christ, don’t come at all. But when you really want to be a Christian, stand out. Make it real. That’s what God wants you to be. And that’ll—that’ll prove, your works will prove what your character is. Your character is known by the works that you do.

55 And Joshua, now, his word was at stake; yes, sir, just as—as Noah of old. But Joshua must cross over this river. And look like he picked the worst time that could ever be thought. It was in the month of April. And that’s when the snow is melting in Judaea, and coming down through the mountains, and the old Jordan is muddy, and spread plumb out into the—to the fields, to water the fields of Jordan. And looked like, if it would have been mathematical, or—or educational, or scientific, he—he picked the worse time in all the year to cross Jordan. But God likes to take those kind of times to prove that He’s God.

56 And men of God, who believe God and know what God has promised, is not afraid to do it, because God will stick with His Word, just as certain as He is God.

57 And when he said, “First, take the ark and go forward.” And when those priests’ feet touched that Jordan, no matter how wild she was, and how she was swelling, it give way to God’s Eternal Word, for the Word was in the ark. Jesus said, now, “Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall never pass away.” So, Joshua, knowing that his word must rest upon God’s Word, and he put God’s Word first.

58 Wish you sick people here tonight would do that, put God’s Word with your confession. Put your confession, you believe it and set it out there; and call those things, which are not, as though they were. Then we’re marching on. Do it that way. God’s Word will take it through.

59 And as the priests’ feet touched Jordan, she just rolled back, from side to side. And the water stayed.

60 Do you realize? The roaring of that river would have brought forth a bank there, in twenty-minutes time, would have been as big as—as some of these modern big dams that we got, and the Colorado Boulder Dam out there. The way that Jordan sweeps through there, is coming out of the mountains, with a great force, and she is sweeping through those valleys.

61 And when two million footmen, with women and children, capacity there, probably taken four or five hours, or more. And what do you think? That river would have filled up. But, God stayed the stream. Amen. Oh, I love that. Stayed the streams! And she laid there until they passed over.

62 Then God said to Joshua, “We want to make a memorial unto this. Go out there and send each Israelite, one out of a tribe, and pick up twelve stones and make a memorial. And this memorial shall be that when your children are passing through this way, they will ask, ‘What caused these stones to be here?’ And you shall give them the story of how God stayed the Jordan.” That’s a wonderful memory. Someday I hope to look at those stones, in the near future, of where they still stand as a memorial. But then I think of—of another memorial…What a great blessed memorial that was!

63 Then I think of another memorial, one day, when a woman had made the wrong choice. She decided not to stay up in the well-watered plains of—of, or, stay in the well-watered plains of Sodom and Gomorrah, and be sociable and live like the rest of the women was in those days.

64 She didn’t take the good choice, as Sarah who stayed up in the barren lands. Only, she kept God’s Word in her heart. And she was obedient and lovely to her husband, insomuch that she called him her “lord.” And there is where God came down with two Angels and visit them in the tent.

65 But, Mrs. Lot, she became very worldly and taken up with the things of the world. And what a lesson that is to us, today, that we can become too worldly-minded. And I’m quite sure, today, that the church, in whole, is becoming too worldly-minded. Now, maybe, Mrs. Lot didn’t mean to do that, when she went down there. She thought, “I’ll just be sociable.” It’s all right to be sociable, but don’t take up the habits of the world.

66 When you go, go like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Daniel. They purposed in their heart that they would not defile themselves, no matter what come or went. No matter whether the rest of the church backslid, what happened, they purposed in their heart. And they are a memorial today.

67 And Mrs. Lot stands for a memorial. And when God give her her last message of grace, when He sent those Angels down there and told them that within a few hours that Sodom and Gomorrah was going to be burned, yet, she could not stand the thought of giving up her social life, to come out into a desert, and to live like Sarah had lived out there in the desert, and have to wear common, plain clothes of the woman of the plain. She wanted to be in luxury. Her husband had become a great man in the city. He sit in the gate, as a judge or as a mayor of the city. And she wanted these luxuries. And she couldn’t stand the thought of having to give those things up. And as she went with her husband, out of the city, she kept looking back, weeping and grieving because she had to give it up, to separate herself from that type of death.

68 Jesus said, “He that puts his hand to the plow, and even turns to look back, is not worthy of the plowing.” What type of people should we be? He that puts his hand to the plow, and even don’t—don’t turn back, but just turn to look back, is not even worthy of the plowing. Oh, we should keep our eyes and hearts single. No matter what the other people do, what the church does, what the neighbor does, what anyone else does, keep your heart centered on Calvary. Don’t even stop to look back. We’ve got no time to look back.

69 And this woman, because she did, God gave a memorial to all the peoples who turn to look back, after they had once accepted Christ as their personal Saviour. She turned to a pillar of salt. And she stands there to this day, it can be seen in the fields, that the woman standing there with her head turned, looking back. And she’s looking back over her left shoulder, to look back into the fields. Her heart was back there. Yet, she was forced, as it was, to do this.

70 And many people take Christ that way, today, because they come out from the world, feel like they’re forced to do it. And they keep longing and lusting, and it isn’t long till they’re back. And they’re—they’re a horrible memorials of God’s grace, of God’s love as showed to them. Now, memorials!

71 Now, in the days of Jesus, on earth, the Jews had built a temple as a memorial. And they had showed Jesus how goodly that temple was built. And He said…It taken forty years to build the temple; about eighty years, altogether. For forty years, they were cutting out the stones in different parts of the world. Forty years in its construction, not a buzz of a saw or sound of a hammer.

72 But, you know, even Jesus said there, “Take no looking at this, for I say unto you, that there will come a time when there won’t be one stone left upon the other, one stone upon the other.”

73 Just before, He said these great memorial Words, “Heavens and earth will pass away, temples will pass away, memorials will pass away, but My Word is the everlasting memorial.”

74 The ark has rot, years ago. The tombs of the prophets has fallen in. And all the different memorials has decayed, with hoary time, has washed away the stone. But God’s Word remains just the same, beautiful forever and forever. Just as lively and fresh tonight, to the believers of this day, as It was the days that It was spoke.

75 No wonder, Elijah, this morning, in our…the message that our brother gave us. When they wanted to build a great school for the prophets, as a memorial, but Elijah chose a better thing, a miracle of God to rise up a fallen instrument and make it swim on the water. It was the Word of the Lord.

76 And much better is he, tonight, who will receive the Word of the Lord, in his heart, for a memorial, than those who would try to erect some great memorial.

77 Not long ago, when I heard, when I was in Italy, I heard of Mussolini, and that great statue of forty-something-feet high, that he built as a memorial to athletics, as he was an athlete. And I wanted to find that memorial. And, you know, it had been blowed into powder by a big blockbuster.

78 I stood, about two, three years ago, on the place where pharaohs of Egypt had raised up great shrines and idols. And I…They tell me that you would have to dig twenty feet under the earth, to find even the ground where those memorials stood.

79 I stood where Caesar Augusta, where the Herods and the great of Rome. And I went on a street, and where he used to go down the street from the palace, and it’s about twenty-five feet beneath the earth. Them memorials is gone.

80 But that living Word of God still remains just the same and just as valuable. That’s a memorial.

81 So I say, today, brother, the things that you do, the words that you say, how you treat your neighbor, and what you do about Christ, will be an everlasting memorial. You might have a fine home to leave to your children. You might be working for some livelihood, to leave to your children. But I’d rather leave them the Word of God than anything else. Those houses will vanish. That’s perfectly all right, that’s good. I have nothing against it. But don’t do those minor things and leave the great things undone, you see. Because, the Word will…The house will perish, and the people will perish with it. But the Word of God will raise them up in the last days, and give them Eternal and immortal Life again. And, now, in order to make an estate like this, God’s Eternal Word!

82 I think of this old song we used to sing here, years ago:

Time is filled with swift translation,

Naught of earth unmoved shall stand,

Build your hopes on things Eternal,

Hold to God’s unchanging hand!

When our journey is completed,

If to God we have been true,

Fair and bright our home in Glory,

Our enraptured soul shall view.

83 How much better it is to look out, in the face of the setting sun, when your veins are cooling in your body, when your children standing around the bed, to know that you’ve got a memorial built, that, “Honey, someday daddy will meet you on the other side!” I’d rather have that.

84 When the doctor said, “Billy, there’s nothing more can be done for you.”

85 And I see my kiddies, and I kiss them good-bye. I say, “But daddy is not dying. He is going to a rest, to a Place. ‘For if this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, I have one already waiting.’” What a memorial to speak out! I’d rather do that, in the face of my children, than to say, “Honey, I’ve got a million dollars in this bank, and a million over here in this one, for you.” I’d rather leave that testimony.

With partings, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing over life’s solemn main,

For a forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

Absolutely! Leave them for a memorials, your testimonies.

86 How I’m thinking, tonight, of an old man laying yonder, in his last hours of this life, called the other day and wants me to preach his funeral; Paul Rader’s Tabernacle. That’s my good friend, F. F. Bosworth, a godly saint going to meet his Maker. And he said, “This is the happiest time of my life, Brother Branham.” He said, “I’m so happy to know that I’m going to meet Him, I can’t hardly sleep at night.”

87 I’ve heard of Mrs. Aimee McPherson; no disregard to her, a wonderful woman. I see marks in this and that. I see marks of Smith Wigglesworth and Dr. Price, and many of those great men, but not one mark do I ever hear anyone say about F. F. Bosworth. God, let my end be like that, a memorial of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ!

88 I think of E. Howard Cadle up here, not long ago, when he was laying across the floor, as a drunken slot, and the—and the flies a-blow in his mouth. And his dear old mammy down yonder had prayed and believed, and held onto God, for her drunkard boy. There, when he left the world, he left a testimony and a memorial of the grace of Almighty God that’s sufficient. When God’s Word is placed to Him, in prayer, God has got to answer for that.

89 God is building a Church as a memorial, a memorial of His sacrifice. Christ never come to earth to die in vain. His death will not be in vain. “God is able of these stones to rise children unto Abraham.” If people won’t live It, if they won’t take It and, under consideration, and realize what a great gift that God has give them, God is able of the stones to rise children to Abraham. Truly He’ll do it! And when I think of that, and think of the great price that He had to pay! Now good…

90 Everybody wants everything free, wants every…That’s the American way of life today. Get everything you can for nothing. Brother, you get nothing that’s worth anything, for nothing. You pay for what you get. That’s right. You have to pay for it, and it comes dear.

91 And your salvation come dear, to God. It costs His only begotten Son, to give Eternal Life to every man and make him happy, tonight, and live for things that’s worthwhile living for. Not for to leave something to our children; no heritage to be left, greater than the salvation of our Lord Jesus. Certainly, it’s not.

92 Now, great prices is paid. Time-testing must come on. It’s time-tested memorials. And the only memorial that’s ever been tested right, has been God’s Word. Oh, infidels has tried to put It out. They’ve done everything they could do, but It will never be passed away. It can never fail.

93 Abraham, when he received that memorial of God, “You’re going to have a baby by that woman, Sarah.” Twenty-five years, he believed it with all his heart, and denied anything contrary to it, for he knew that God would keep His Word.

94 Infidels, today, they rise and try to smear out the Bible. Before you could stop the Bible, you’d have to stop time before you could do it. Every atheotic world, every atheotic people, every communistic people, and whatever they are, every Buddha, every Jain, every Mohammedan, has to witness the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, every day. Well, every time you sign a letter, amen, every time you write the date, you witness that God sent His Son, nineteen hundred and fifty-seven years ago. Brother, you couldn’t do it. It could never be. “Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Words shall never pass.”

95 Some time ago, I was in New York, went out on a little island, to the Statue of Liberty which was given to the…by the French government, to the United States, many years ago. And in the hand is a torch light. We went up to that arm. There is a window there. And where this great light was shining, I noticed down along the side was a bunch of little sparrows, and they were all dead, laying along the side. And I said to the guide, “What’s those sparrows? Did they get electrocuted?”

96 Said, “No, sir. We never picked them up yet this morning.” Said, “Last night there was a storm, a great storm come across the bay here.”

I said, “Yes, sir. I know that.”

97 He said, “The little fellows got caught in the storm.” And said, “When they got in this light, they tried to beat the light out. See? They just hit against this glass and beat.” And said, “Instead of using the light to go to safety, they tried to beat the light out.”

98 And then the inspiration struck me. That’s right. Men and women who are trying to beat out the Light of God, are just beating their brains out. And, the Light, why don’t they use It to go to safety, in the stead of beating your brains out? Try and deny It, and say, “The days of miracles is passed. There is no such a thing as Divine healing, no heart-felt salvation, these things.” They’re just beating against the post. As long as they do it, God’s great Church is moving on and upward, just as hard as it can do. People rise up and claim to be this, and that, and fail, and so forth. But the Church of God moves on, and the Word of God moves on. She is made out of the right kind of material.

99 Not long ago, down in Australia, the great Australia which is under the British crown, is like South Africa, just across the way to Australia. Down in Sydney, there’s a big city that comes around the bay there, Brother Beeler probably know more about it than I would. However, they wanted a bridge to build, span from—from North Sydney to South Sydney. They called all over the country, to get architects, bridge builders, to come down to build this bridge. None of them would take it. No one dare to take it. As soon as they got there, they found out that the bottom of that sea was shifting sands. It was quick sands, and nothing would stand. And they tested it and sounded, and went on. They said, “No, we wouldn’t even undertake to try to build such a bridge. It cannot be done.”

100 After a while, a young architect from up in England come down, famous man, reputable man, had a good reputation.

101 Oh, I like that! I like a man with a reputation. Oh, you don’t have to be a big man. You can be a pauper that lives in an alley, and have a reputation far better than a potentate. Absolutely. You don’t have to be rich. You can just have a reputation. It declare, your reputation and what you are, makes you what you are. It gives you your reputation. And you are known by your reputation.

102 This man went down there with a wonderful reputation. He looked the situation over. He walked the banks for a few days. He studied it. He tested. He sounded. He looked around. After a while, he went to the mayor, said, “I’ll take the job.”

“Why,” he said, “sir, you know what you’re taking?”

He said, “I thoroughly understand.”

103 He said, “Well, this great architect says…American architects and architects from all over the world, bridge builders, has come here, and they’re afraid of the job.”

104 He said, “But, sir, I’m not afraid of the job. I’ll take it.” He said, “I realize that I have a world-wide reputation, as a bridge builder; but I’ll stake my reputation, for I can build it.” Oh, he had a vision! Before a man can make a reputation, he has to have a vision of what he’s doing.

105 Oh, blessed be the Lord! That’s the reason that there’s a Heaven to go to. That’s the reason we can have a reputation as a Christian, we know what material is in this building. That’s right. It’s the Blood of Jesus Christ is in this building. That’s right. His stained Blood has washed away all sins. He took me from the alleys of hell and made me His servant. Then, I believe in Him. So, I’ve passed from death to Life. And every believer has did that, because that they got confidence and they believe in this great Builder, and this great Architect.

106 Now, when the man did it, the first thing he did, to be sure that he was right, he went down there. And he said, “Now, before we get this bridge started, we’ve got to go to solid foundation. We’ve got to go.” He knew that down beneath that sand, the breast of the earth was there, which was solid rock. What did he do but get great big pumps? And got in there and set great tubes down, and he blowed the shifting sands, with these pumps, until he blowed it plumb down to solid rock. When he got her on the rock, he anchored these great big bolts in there, and got it ready. And he blowed out each one.

107 And then he went over and got, around him, the very best architects that he could find, the best scientists, the best equipment. He sent away and got steel for his bridge. When he did it, he would not put one piece of steel, not even one bolt, until it was scientifically tested; to see if there was any blows in it, to see if there was any little air holes where, in the foundry, where they made it and molded it, to see if it was tested right. Oh, what a—what a memorial that would be, if…to his reputation as a bridge builder.

108 If he went to that much trouble, to be sure that the bridge would be safe, how much trouble you think God went to, to be sure this Church would be safe? Yes, sir. There’s a memorial to the death of Christ, that’s His Church. Some people don’t want to live it, some people will. But, it’s a testing time. God is testing people, today, for His memorials.

A lot of times, people say, “Oh, I am so tempted!”

109 Blessed be the Name of the Lord, for the temptations! “When I am weak, then I’m strong,” said Paul. “Every son that cometh to God, must first be tried and tested.” And these testings are more sweeter to you, and dearer to you, than precious gold. It’s testing time.

110 Long years ago, before they had the smelters, they used to take the gold…And how they would know how it was right or not, and all the sludge is out of it, all the iron pyrite (that’s fool’s gold), all the fool was out of it, they…Beaters beat it, and beat it and turned it, and beat it and turned it, until the beater seen his—his reflection in the gold.

111 That’s the way God does His Church. He gives you trial after trial, test after test, trial after trial, test after test, until the Life of Christ is reflected in your life; until you become peaceful, sober, meek, gentle, humble, ready, submissive, willing, turn your head on the things of the world, and looking straight to Calvary, to the One Who is doing the beating. Many times you think it’s strange because fiery trials, sickness, and persecutions. It’s only done to test you, to get the dirt out of you, to get the sludge out of you, to get the slowness out of you, to wake you up to the place where you can look and see the reflection, or a man can see the reflection of Christ in you, “Christ in you, the hope of Glory.”

112 He tested every piece. Finally, he…Before he put a bolt on, he tested it. He tested everything.

113 Then when he got it all done, now, the scoffers stood by and said, “It will not hold up. It can’t do it.”

114 That’s what they’re saying today. “This here Holy Ghost religion you’re talking about, it won’t be long, that tree will burn down.” But it don’t burn down.

115 Oh, the—the fire only waters it. It only gives us new hope. It only—it only strengthens it; every trial, testing. Every time a wind hits a tree and shoves it back and forth, and back and forth, it only loosens the roots so it can grow deeper and get a better hold. Every time sickness strikes your home, every time trial strikes your home, every time the neighbors say something bad about you, it’s only shaking you, loosen you up, so you can get down and get a better hold on the Eternal Rock of God’s unmovable Word. That’s how God does it. He sends those trials to test you and to prove you, to shake you up and to give you a new hold.

116 Then we find out, when he got all that done, the critics stood by and said, “It can’t work.” But what? The architect knowed his bridge would hold. He knowed it would, because it would been tested.

117 That’s the reason God said, “I’ll have a Church without spot or wrinkle.” Amen. She had went through the test. And every child that comes to God must be tested.

118 On that great memorial day, when they was going to, when the two sides were started from both sides, when they met in the middle of the bay, the man who had built it, he said, “I’ll not ask any man.”

119 The architects all stand around, said, “As soon as any vibration hits that bridge, she’ll go right straight down. It’ll be dangerous.” No insurance company would give him insurance on it.

120 He didn’t need any insurance. He said, “My bridge will hold.” He had confidence. Now, he must test it, because his reputation is at stake. Certainly, it is. And if it did hold, it would be a memorial.

121 That’s the reason I know that old-time, God, heart-felt salvation will hold: the reputation of Christ is at it. He’ll not give us of something to build a Church out of, not man-made theology, not upon some school experience, or build some seminary as they wanted to, this morning, to educate preachers. The real preacher comes from the seminary of God’s grace, God’s calling, and it’s time-tested. That’s right. It’ll hold. God has got confidence in you. We got confidence in Him. The bridge will…The old poet said:

My anchor holds within the veil.

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

122 We don’t know what’s a holding, but Something is a holding. That’s right. She is anchored yonder in the haven. And there’s a rope of salvation that holds a human heart, that a man that’s ever been born-again is passed from death unto Life. All devils out of hell couldn’t make him doubt it. There is Something holds within there. Let her rock! Let her shake! Amen. She’ll hold, every time, because it’s in Christ Jesus.

123 Then this man said, “I’ll not ask no one, but,” said, “I’ll go, myself.”

124 The mayor of the city walked out and said, “Mister, I certainly have confidence in your bridge.”

125 He said, “If you have confidence in my bridge, follow me. All right, put it to a test.”

126 The mayor said, “My car will be sitting there on that certain morning. I’ll go with you.”

127 The railroad company called up and said, called and said, “Sir, we’ve got confidence in your bridge. We’ll have…”

128 Said, “If you got confidence in my bridge, bring out four full locomotives, set them on the bridge. If you’ve got confidence, follow me. If you believe it’s tested and tried, you believe it, come, go with me.”

129 And many of the people wrote him letters, to see his courage. That’s what men looks for is men of courage, not a little wish-washy something.

130 If you think you can get by, by going to church and saying “amen” once in a while, and shouting a little bit, put your name on the book, and go back and live like the devil, your own works prove what you are. Your character has proved it out. But God…

131 The world wants to see men that’s courageous, somebody with courage, who will stand out, as a memorial of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. That’s right.

132 The day when the bridge started, the rest of them come back, said, “Get ready. Get your cameras ready,” they all, the newsmen said, “because that bridge will fall.”

133 That young fellow walked out there on that bridge, set his car down, looked back down, he seen them locomotives all lined up, he seen the mayor there waving to him. He looked and he seen tens of thousands of footmen standing back there, ready to march with him. Said, “Strike up the band.” Brother, when the bands went playing, the whistles went to blowing, the horns went to going, I mean there was an awful vibration taking place. But he walked right across that bridge, and she never moved. Why? He took the forefront, ’cause, if she was going to fall, let him go with it.

134 And Jesus Christ came from Heaven, the Glory; from Glory, down here, to build a Church. And the material that He’s putting in It, is time-tested material. You might come to the altar and make a confession, but when He finds blow-holes and everything else, see, the world—the world has blowed the maggots in you, and so forth, you cannot stand. He just pitches you to one side. God wants a time-tested Church; not somebody is a Christian today and a backslider tomorrow, in and out, and up and down. He can’t place you nowhere.

135 But He’s got a Church that’s tested, went through the trials, through losses, through sickness, through sorrow, through death, and still stand with a testimony. That’s the man, yes, that’s the man He’s looking for. I don’t care if you’re a pauper. I don’t care if you’re a beggar. I don’t care if you’re a ragpicker. Whatever you are, God puts the test to you. He is looking for time-tested material. I believe, one of these days when that great Church…

136 When, science says, “How can it lose? Gravitation holds you to the earth.”

137 Now I feel religious. Let me tell you. [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit six times—Ed.] That time-tested Church will come into existence some day. [Knocked on the pulpit once more and then clapped his hands together once.] There may be half of them sleeping in the dust of the earth. I don’t know where they’re at, but God has got His material all tested. One day He is coming to take the forefront: “Follow Me!” Right through atmospheres and stratospheres, and spheres and spheres, into the Presence of Almighty God He will go, with a time-tested Church. That’s a memorial to His grace; that’s a memorial that God gives Him.

138 “No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first.” And every man that comes to Christ is a love-gift from God, and Christ puts him to the test. And if he stands the test, He puts him in the bridge, tightens him down, gives him a position, and sets him there, knowing that he’ll hold to the end road. Amen. Time-tested material!

139 “Upon this Rock,” not upon some rock of fanaticism, not upon a bunch of emotion, not upon a bunch of church theology, not upon some denomination. But, “Upon this solid Rock,” Christ’s Word, “I’ll build My Church, and the gates of hell can never prevail against It.” It’ll be there.

140 It’ll be a memorial of His grace, in the presence of the Angels. When the Angels questioned Him, one day, “Why do You go to earth?” He’ll come back and present that Church without fault, without spot, without wrinkle. There is the material. There’s the thing. His reputation. He must do it. That bridge builder had to build the bridge; he must do it, or loses his reputation. Christ will have a Church, and He must do it. Because, He came to the earth and become flesh, and dwelled among us; and became sin, that we might become righteous. He become us, that we, by His grace, might become Him. He came to take our place, as a sinner; to let us have His place, as sons and daughters of God, in the Presence of His Majesty. What a grace of God!

141 How could we say, “Them Words are not right”? Heavens and earth will pass away, but them Words will never pass.

142 A little blind Indian boy, a few nights ago, blind since he was three—three or four weeks old, received his sight, normally, and walked off the platform. What was it? It was a time-tested memorial of the Power and grace of Jesus Christ. Blessed be His holy Name!

143 Time-tested! Trials, troubles, shakes, and pull, it’s only to find the blows in you, to see if there is any there. It’s God shaking you and trying you.

144 Some time ago, the great Caesar Augusta, after a great famous battle, and had won a great victory, he…they was going to give him a celebration in Rome. And he said to them, “I want some man to ride, some worthy man, to ride by my side while I’m doing this.” Said, “I want some man to share these blessings with me.” And all the…It went through the camps. All the officers trimmed their plumes, and polished their swords, and made their armors real bright, and everything, and practiced standing straight, and a certain salute to their king, and so forth.

145 And each one walked up, their big armor before him, as he set out there on his throne, watching. And there come up, officer with his big, fine plume, just feather edge, stood and made his salute. Caesar shook his head; he walked away. Another one come up, made his salute. Caesar shook his head; and he walked away. Time after time, soldier after soldier.

146 Finally, way down along the line, come a little footman. He didn’t have any shield to polish, neither did he have a plume to trim. But he walked up in front of Caesar. He didn’t even know how to make a right kind of a salute, but he just bowed his head and walked away.

147 Caesar said, “Wait a minute. Who are you? Come back here.” He walked up there. He looked at him. There’s scars over his face, and cut, and disfigured, and crippled up. Said, “Where’d you get them scars at?”

He said, “Out in the battle, fighting for my lord, Caesar.”

148 Said, “Climb up here and sit down by my side. You’re the one that’s been tested and proved.”

149 Brother, it’s not plume-trimming time, it’s not educational days. It’s time-testing time. It’s a time that God is testing His Church to find the battle scars of hard trials, and fights, and battles. That’s the one who will ride by His side.

150 How Elisha was tested and proved, before he could wear a prophet’s robe! How Elisha throwed that robe around his shoulder! How he must be the right man! Elisha watched him there in the field, when he was plowing. God said, “That’s the man. That’s the man that can wear that garment. That’s the man that can wear that robe. He can take your place.”

151 Blessed be the Name of the Lord! How His all-seeing eye is a moving over the earth, trying to find some man that’ll wear that robe that He talked about. “Can you drink the cup that I drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism I am? You can,” He said to that.

152 So, we, today, as the Church, you’re to put on the robe of Christ; the whole armor of Christ, the whole shield and buckler, and armor, that we might stand blameless at that Day. He is looking for time-tested memorials, as He can say, “There’s My servant. I’ve tested him. I’ve tried him. I’ve put him through, like Job. He still proves a hundred percent.” God be merciful to us, that we can take God at His Word, and be time-tested memorials.

Let us pray.

153 Blessed Father, we thank Thee, Most Holy God, from the very depths of our hearts, for time-testing, every trial. We do not feel bad about them, Lord, but we’re grateful that Your grace was sufficient to help us through these great times of trial.

154 As the man, tonight, how it thrilled the audience, when he mentioned, Amazing Grace, and when we got to that certain verse.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

It was grace that brought me safe thus far,

It’s grace that’ll take me on.

155 Oh, it thrilled the people’s heart! We believe it was lining up with the Message tonight, that it was a time-testing, through dangers, toils and snares. It was to help the Christian, the one who has examined himself now and know that he’s stood faithful, by the grace of God. It was to bring shame to those who has falls, and up’s-and-down’s, and cares not, and loose living. O God, not even a battle scar to show the battle. We pray tonight, Lord, that You’ll sanctify the Church, by Thy great holy Blood, and clean out all the blows, and all the weak spots, and—and all the foul threads. Run them through the machine again, and—and retap them out, Lord, and—and make them material. O Eternal and blessed Father, hear the prayer of Your servant.

And while we have our heads bowed.

156 If there would be such a person here tonight, that would feel that God, in this testing times, has never found you faithful at the post of duty. When arguments come up, or do you jump right in and partake of them? When quarrels come up, when indifference, when differences in the church comes, do you take sides with cults and cliques, and so forth like that? Do you listen to gossip on the streets and around the places? If you’re guilty of that, you’ve been blowed through by the devil’s blows, let’s go back to the furnace, tonight, and be remelted again, and come out without them in us. Let God thread us down and get us ready for this great Bridge to take Its Rapture. If such a person is here, and would want to be remembered!

157 You say, “Brother Branham, how can I know that this immortal, Eternal memorial will stand?”

158 I will quote to you His Word, according to John 5:24. “He that heareth My Word.” (Not “Goes to My school.”) “He that heareth My Words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Eternal Life, and shall never come to the judgment; but has passed from death unto Life.”

159 Can you hear His Word calling you, tonight? If you can, and like to be remembered in prayer, would you raise your hand. Say, “Brother Branham, just pray for me. I want to be the right kind of material, that when Christ brings His Church out, that I’ll not be…” God bless you, sir. “I’ll not be shaky about it, He’ll place me right in Church.” God bless you, young man. God bless you, sister. “I want to be…” God bless you, brother. “I want to be the right kind of material.” God bless you, little one back there. God bless you over here, my dear brother. “I want to be found as real material. I want to be able to give the testimony of what hope that lies within me; the hope!” God bless you, sister. That’s good. That’s right.

“What does it do, Brother Branham, by raise up my hands?”

160 You pass from death to Life. That’s what you do. You break every law of gravitation, right there. See, if you was just a wax figure sitting there, you could never raise your hand. You couldn’t do it. But it goes to show there’s a spirit in you, a spirit, and that spirit has heard the Spirit of God talking to you. And that spirit that’s within you has made a decision, so it defies science. It defies gravitation. It comes up, shows there’s a spirit in you, can raise your hand. If you were dead, you couldn’t do it, but you’ve come to Life. Something has happened.

161 If you’re dead in sin and trespass, God can’t speak to you no more, your hand will stay down. If you’re not dead in sin and trespass, and God can speak to you, and you receive Life, you’ll raise your hand. See, shows the Life has made a decision, you’ve accepted Christ. “You’ve passed from death unto Life,” if you mean it.

162 Mean it now, as you raise your hand. Say, “God, be merciful to me, make me what I ought to be. And I’ll serve You all my life. I want to be found ready at that day.” Blessing on you, my dear brother back there. God bless you, young fellow. God bless you, there bro-…God be with you. God bless you, honey. All right, someone else. God bless you here, Brother Roy, and the Lord be with you. Yes. “Lord, find me worthy. Find me worthy.” God bless you, my brother way in the back. Certainly, God sees you. Be glad. Someone else want to be remembered in the prayer just now? “Make me…” All right. Let us…