Être Conduit (Suis-Moi)
1 [A
group of children sing "The Old-Time Religion"--Ed.] If it's good enough for you
all, it's good enough for us too.
[A
brother says, "Now, they give their present for you."--Ed.] My, that's sweet. [The
children give Brother Branham a gift.] Thank you. [A
sister says, "Just a little gift, Brother Branham, the children saved
their pennies and nickels. And...?..."] Thank you. Thank you, my
little brother. Thank you, children. I sure thank you, very, very much.
God bless you.
You know, Jesus said, "Insomuch as you give unto the least of these,
you have done it to Me." You're the men and women of tomorrow. If there
is a tomorrow, you'll be.
4 [Blank.spot.on.tape. A group sings another song--Ed.] I believe I could preach four hours now, after all that. I was begin to think I was getting tired. No wonder you little girls can sing so well, you little girls and little boys; listen how your big sisters sing, and your mothers, wonderful singers. That's really pretty. Who's this little girl that led that song, aren't you the little girl I met across there? Sure have a beautiful voice; all of you. You just... I believe the best singing I have ever heard is right here. You all practice that all the time? [A brother says, "No. That's how we sing."] Well, I tell you, you--you certainly are blessed with some real good singing.
5 I like good singing. I just
love real good singing. I've always said, when I get to heaven I want
to get where they're singing, listen. I never could get my fill of
singing.
You know, singing gives courage. You know that, don't you? The
soldiers, when they're going to battle, you know what they do? They
play music and sing, and things to give them courage. And when we're
going to battle, we sing, and--and it gives us courage to go on.
I thank you little fellows for that nice gift. And it's... Mrs.
Branham, and from Rebekah, and Joseph, and Sarah, and all of us, we
thank you very much. It's hard to say, how to tell them little fellows,
knowing you saved your pennies. I--I don't want to take it. You know
how I feel; I don't want to take it. But yet I looked in here and they
had a ten-dollar bill in this card; I thought, "Can I take that?" I
thought, "How can I do it?"
8 But I remember a little
story I want you to know. One day there was a widow woman, she had a
bunch of children, perhaps her--them little children's papa was gone.
And she only had two pennies. And she come down the street, one time...
And it was tithing money, just pennies like you all saved, and she
threw it into the treasury of God. Jesus was standing there watching.
And I have wondered, "What would I have done if I'd been standing
there?" I'd probably run up and said, "No, no, sister, don't do that.
We--we don't, really don't need it. You need it for them children."
See? Now, I wouldn't have let her done it. But Jesus let her do it.
See? He let her do it. Why? He knows it's more blessed to give than it
is to receive. He knowed what He would do for her. See?
So I thank you little fellows with all my heart.
9 I want to thank each and every one of you, for this fine time of fellowship, Brother Leo and Gene. This has actually been three days of worship for me. Even out in the jungle, when I try to let myself go and think I was hunting, I somehow or another, I look at you and hear you talk. I had the privilege this afternoon to visit your homes. I never seen, walked into any, I'm going to call it a village, that I ever seen so many clean, neat homes, and people, and so much respect for Christ and the Gospel. I--I never seen it anywhere. And you're certainly started on the right road, just keep going and God will be with you. And I got to see some of you. I seen, the other day, these sisters; I didn't even know them, 'cause all I could see would just be about their eyes and nose, out from under one of those hoods. And--and now I believe I know you better, through the courtesy of Brother Leo and Gene, who taken me around and visit your homes; and get to shake hands with the little children, the prophets and prophetesses of the age to come, if there is a age to come.
10 You know, Jesus loves
little children. You know, He does. And there was a little boy, one
time, named Moses; we're going to talk about him in just a little bit.
And he was a very fine... You know what made him, helped make him a
fine boy? He had a good mother to raise him. See, that's what. She
taught him about the Lord. And you little boys and girls has got the
same kind of mothers to raise you, teach you about the Lord. Just mind
them.
You know what, you know what the first commandment is in the Bible, the
first commandment with promise, was a promise? May be a little hard for
you to understand these commandments. The first commandment, is, "Not
to have any other god but Him." But the great commandment... And the
first commandment that has a promise to it (See?) is to the children.
Did you know that? See, He said, "Children, obey your parents, which
may lengthen the days upon the earth, that the Lord thy God has given
thee." To mind your parents and do what you're doing, it may give you a
longer life upon the earth, that the Lord's given you, more time to
serve Him.
I hope, today, that I'm looking at a bunch of preachers and singers and
evangelists of the day that is to come, if there is a day after ours.
13 And there's only one thing
up here, you--you kill a fellow with kindness. I eat till I couldn't
eat, and I--and I never was treated so much. If I had been an Angel,
dropped out of heaven, I couldn't have been treated any nicer. The only
thing I can say to you, is, "Thank you." And when you're down Tucson
way, I might not be able to treat you that nice, 'cause I don't know
how; I haven't got the manners to do it, but I'll do the best I can.
Come down.
Brother and Sister Shantz, I want to certainly thank them. And I had
the privilege of meeting your pretty, young daughter, and son, this
afternoon. And--and for letting us have his home here open for
worship... There was such things taking place in the Bible day, you
know, that the Gospel was... I know it sounds very little. We--we would
think it isn't. But this is just the same as God--to God, as them was
in that day.
Remember, if there would be another many years, they'd look back here
and say, "If I'd have only lived in the days up there at Prescott. If
I'd have only lived..." See? Now, we are living in that day. See? Then
we come down to the end of the road, then we wait for our reward at the
big day.
16 Now, we're going to open
the Word of God and read. But just before we do, let us speak to Him
just a moment.
Dear Jesus, I cannot express my--my feelings and my gratitude towards
Brother Mercier, Brother Goad, and all these fine people and their
little children, of how kind they have showed us since we've been here.
The kindness is beyond anything that we expected. And we know that they
were lovely and sweet. But we didn't know that we'd be treated in such
a real royal way. And, Lord, I pray that Your Presence will always be
in this camp of people, the Holy Spirit will fill every heart here, and
You will give them Eternal Life. And may we, as we enjoy today, may
there be an endless day that when we'll meet in the Presence of Him Who
we are worshipping and love, and give all praise for these things. Till
that time, Lord, keep us loyal to Him and to His Word. In Jesus' Name
we pray. Amen.
18 Now, I had you so long this
morning, I'll try and make it real quick this afternoon, and talk in a
way that may be to little fellows, and the older will understand too.
I want to read a--a Scripture here found in the Book of St. Mark, and I
want to read the--from the 17th verse of the 10th chapter of St. Mark,
a portion.
And when he was gone
forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeling down and
asking him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit
Eternal Life?
And Jesus said unto
him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, and that is,
God.
Thou knowest the
commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not
bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
And he answered and
said unto him, Master, all these have I done, obeyed, observed... (rather)...
from my youth.
Then Jesus beholding
him loved him,... (this
young fellow);... and he said unto him, One thing thou lackest:
go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou
shalt have treasures in heaven: and come, take up thy cross, and follow
me.
And he was sad at
this saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
20 Now, to the children, and
to the adults and all, I want to make this little Message just as
timely as I can, and as quick as I can. And I want to take for a text,
"Follow Me," and I want to take for a subject: "Leadership." Follow,
and someone to lead; "Leadership," and "Follow Me." The young people,
the...
Remember that the first step that any of us ever made, somebody led us.
You mothers remember the first steps that junior and the little girl
made, and they don't remember it no more. But somebody led you to your
first step. I remember Billy Paul when he made his first step, Joseph
and all of them, when they made their first step.
22 It's usually a mother that
gets to lead a child to its first step, 'cause she's home while the
daddy's out working, trying to make a living. But it's, they make their
first step. And at nighttime when they come in, the father, he's always
saying. "Oh, dad," she said, "Johnny and Mary," the little boy or girl,
"can walk. Come and look." And just one step, maybe mother had to hold
the--had to hold mother's finger, 'cause you was kind of weak, and kind
of turned sideways, you know, and fall down a little. So you had to
hold to mama's hand to make your first step.
Now, somebody helped you, when you made your first step. And
you'll--your last step you ever make in life, somebody will be leading
you. See, that's right. I want you to remember that. Your first step,
somebody led you. And your last step, somebody will be leading you.
24 We have to be led. You
know, God likened us unto sheep. And did you know a sheep can't lead
itself? He'll wander away and stray away, and he--he just can't lead
himself. And he has to have somebody to lead him. And sometime... The
shepherd's supposed to lead the sheep. Now, that was back in the days
of the Lord Jesus; He was the good Shepherd that led the sheep.
But today (You see?), we're living in another day; everything's changed
and perverted. You know what man has to lead sheep today? A goat. And
you know where that goat leads them? Right into the slaughter. The
little sheep don't know where they're going, so the goat goes up a--a
pen, up at the slaughter, and the sheep don't know no more than to
follow a leader, so it leads them right up into this slaughter. And
then the goat jumps over the track, and the sheep goes in and gets
killed. See, the goat, a wrong leader...
But Jesus, the Good Shepherd Who led the sheep, He led them to Life and
held their hand. See, but somebody has to lead the sheep.
27 The first is the mother's kindness, then the father's word. After the mother gives you your first step, then you look to your daddy, all of us, for wisdom, because he's the head of the house. And he usually... Not that he's any smarter, but he--he's just made a leader of his family, so we follow what our daddy says do. When he says, "Now, son, I would like for you to do a certain-certain thing," then we listen to him because it's wisdom that we listen (See?); he's learned a whole lot and we've got to ask him and see what he learned, and then we can profit by his--what he's learned. He tells us, "Now, don't go and do this, because I did that. My father told me not to do it, but I did it, and it caused this to happen to me, something bad." So, see, we'll... Then he, daddy, tells us how to do, and what to do right.
28 Then after mother leads us, for a time we have to get a little wisdom to understand from daddy, then we get another. We get another leader, and that's a teacher, a good school teacher. She tries to teach you and give you an education to fit you better in life, for a place, a position that you can--you can read your Bible, and you can read the songs, and you can learn of God, and read yourself. You see? And then, another thing, maybe you'd have business, and somebody write you a letter, mama, daddy, somebody write you a letter, you couldn't read. See? So the teacher, she has you then, and she leads you to--to--to learn to write and to read. And it's a good thing, a good teacher, to teach you right. But now, after you leave that, you--after you leave the teacher, one teacher after the other one, from a little primer, a little first grade, on till you get out of high school or go to college... Then when you leave college, and then the teacher is through leading you. See?
29 Now, mama has taught you to walk. See? Papa has taught you how to be brilliant and a nice young man, and how to take care of yourself and behave yourself. The teacher has taught you an education, how to read and write right. But now you're leaving papa, you're leaving mama, and you're leaving the teacher, now somebody has to take you from here on. Now, who do you want to take you from here on? [A child says, "Jesus."--Ed.] That's right. Jesus to take you from there on. Now, that's a very good answer, very fine. Jesus takes you from there on.
30 Now, you see, this young
fellow that we're talking about, he is called the rich young ruler.
Now, this fellow, he had been guided pretty well. Now, his mother had
taught him to walk. And, you see, he was yet a young man, maybe just
out of high school, and a very popular young man. And by being well
trained, maybe walked correct, and so forth, how his mother had taught
him...
And he had been a--a successful young man too, because look, he was
already rich. And he was just a--a young man, maybe eighteen years old,
just out of high school, and he was rich. Now, you see, he had the
right kind of a teacher to teach him to walk right. And he had a right
kind of a teacher, his father; till even at yet a young man and he
was--he was rich in money; he had made him a lot of money. He might've
been a real... He was a ruler even at that age, very successful. See?
And now, he had a--a teacher that had taught him, taught him the right
thing, how he would. He had his education.
And then another teacher this young man had had, which that depends on
how you're raised up, but this young man had a religious teaching in
his home.
33 Now, some children, did you know there's a lot of little children that don't have any religious teaching at home? Their father and mother don't believe in God. And their father and mother, drink, smoke, fight, and run out at one another at nights, and things, and don't cook their little boy's and girl's suppers, and things. Aren't you glad you got a real good Christian father and mother? Now, when you have children, don't you want to be the same kind of a father and mother as your father and mother is? See? Now, but that's all good.
34 Now, this young man had
had... And he had a religious teaching. See, that was far beyond what
some of them had, 'cause they don't have religious teaching. But this
young man had had religious teaching, because (See?) because he said he
kept the commandments since he was a boy.
Now, you all got good religious teachers too, each one of you. And you
little teenage girls and boys, you all had good teachers, your father
and mother here in this camp got everything that you... Every potential
that you know, that's possible, for you to make a real good man and
woman, a servant to God.
Because remember, you're going to die someday, or either be translated
into heaven. And if you die before His coming, you'll be raptured
first. Did you know that? Did you know those who are dead... If mama
and papa dies before you do, and Jesus doesn't come in our generation,
do you know these, papa and mama, will come forth first, glorified,
before you? See? The trumpet of God shall sound, and the dead in Christ
shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
with them. We'll be changed in it like that. We've got to remember,
that's the main thing in life. You understand now? That's the main
thing in life we got to do, is to get ready to meet God.
37 Now, just religion won't
work. See? This one young ruler here, he said, "Good Master..." Now,
remember, before I say it. He had been taught to walk right. He had a
good education. He'd been taught business, and was rich, and was a
ruler, and had religion. But he was confronted with another problem,
and it confronts all of us: Eternal Life. Religion doesn't give us
Eternal Life. Religious is a covering, but it don't give us Eternal
Life. And yet, him taught with the best teachers there was, he was yet
lacking something. And the young man knew it, because he said, "Good
Master, what can I do to inherit Eternal Life?"
Now, you, you believe Jesus is God, don't you? So He knew the
thoughts of the young man, so He said, "Keep the commandments." He went
right back to his religion, to see what he'd say about his religion. He
said now, in other words, "Keep your religion."
He said, "I have did this since a boy," little boys like you. "My mama
and papa, and my priest, taught me religion. But I know, in my
religion, that I still don't have Eternal Life." See?
40 You can be good. Don't
steal. Don't smoke. Don't lie. Don't lie to papa and mama. Don't tell
that first lie, 'cause, one tell one, then it's easy to tell another
one. See? But you mustn't do that. Don't tell the first one.
Did you know your body's not made to lie? Do you know, they got a
device now, it's--it's on your nerves. They can put a little band
around your wrist here, and put one across your head, and then you can
say there, say, you say, "I--I--I lied about that, but I can say it so
easy that they--they'll believe that I'm telling it the truth." And you
can say...
They would say, "Was you at a certain place, like did you sit in that
Brother Shantz's trailer, while Brother Branham preached, Sunday
afternoon on this day?"
And you'd say, "No, sir. I didn't set there. No, sir."
You know what that lie detector will say? "Yes, sir, you did. Yes, sir,
you did."
You say, "I did not."
It'll say, "Yes, you did."
Why? Because a lie is such a horrible thing. The body wasn't made to
lie. And it's such a horrible thing, till it upsets the whole nerve
system, when you lie. Whew. Upset like that, will give you ulcers,
fungus growth; it'd kill you. And then a lie is a bad thing, 'cause
(See?) you're not supposed to lie, to steal, to do any of these things.
45 Now, so this young man had
probably been... He hadn't lied, he never stole, and he was conscious
that he needed ever Eternal Life. So he said, "What can I do to have
It?"
And Jesus is showing here now that religion won't do it. So He sent
right back to him, and said, "Keep the commandments."
And he said, "Master, I've did this since I was a little boy, or a
little, when just a little bitty fellow I did this." But he knowed he
didn't have Eternal Life. So He said then, "If you would enter into
Life, Eternal Life, want to be perfect, then go sell what..."
See, now, it's all right to have money. See, it's all right to have
money, be rich. And be a ruler, that's all right. But it--it's the way
you act after you become that. See?
He said, "Go sell what you've got, and give it to the poor, them people
that hasn't got anything; then come, follow Me, and you'll have
treasures in heaven." But the young man had so much money till he
didn't know what to do with it. Now, see, he was very popular, that
young man was.
50 And he--he is well equipped
for life, the way his father and mother, and the priests and all of
them, had equipped him, but still he knowed he was lacking something.
Now, I'm talking to the adults. He--he knowed he was lacking something,
and he didn't have Eternal Life. He knew it. See?
Religion won't produce Eternal Life. Forms, sensation, you feel
something; you--you could get scared and feel something. See? Crying,
that's good; shouting, that's good; but that still ain't It. See? You
are confronted with Eternal Life.
You say, "Well, I have been just a staunch Baptist, I a... Methodist,
or Presbyterian, or Pentecostal." That still isn't the question.
This young man was too; he was taught in the religion of the day, but
he still didn't have Eternal Life, so he wanted to know what to do. He
had been guided successful to This. But when he was confronted with It,
he refused to be guided to Eternal Life, or to be led. His other
leaders had had such a hold on him until he didn't want to turn it
loose. See?
54 Now, that's something like
what Brother Branham is saying. It's going a little too deep for you.
See?
Education's fine; you should go to school and learn. See, that's good,
but that won't save you. To have plenty of money, that's good, you
could raise your children, give them good clothes and things, and like
papa and mama has worked for you all, and things. That's good, but that
still won't save you. See? Or you could get in a laboratory and learn
how to put different things together, or split atoms, or whatever they
do, and--and get in a--a rocket and--and go to the moon, but that won't
save you.
56 You've got to face one
thing, Eternal Life, and there's only one Person Who can give That to
you. Mama can't give It to you. Papa can't give It to you. Your pastor
can't give It to you. Your leader here can't give It to you. Everybody
that gets Eternal Life has got to come to Jesus Christ. He is the only
One Who can give that part.
Your teacher can give you an education; she can teach you; you have to
learn it. Your--your mother can teach you to walk; you have to learn to
walk. Your father can teach you how to be a businessman, or what; you
have to learn that. But only Jesus can give you Eternal Life. See?
Your priest, your leader, or so forth, can teach you your religion, you
can learn the Message that we're trying to teach, but still that won't
give you Eternal Life. You've got to accept the Person, Jesus Christ.
You understand that, all of you? Got to accept the Person, Jesus
Christ, to have Eternal Life now. But sometimes other leadership gets
so much influence on us till we don't know what to do then when
that--that time comes.
59 Now, what a fatal thing it
is to reject the leadership to Eternal Life, because (See?) that's Life
that never can end. Now, the education, that's fine, that'll help us
here. Business, that's fine. Money, that's fine. Be a good boy and
girl, that's fine. But, you see, when life is finished here, that's
all. You understand? You adults understand? See, that's all. But then
we've got to accept Jesus Christ for Eternal Life. Jesus alone can lead
you to that.
And though (See?) this young man had achieved all these things
in school, and by his parents and everything, he--he lost the greatest
thing that he could've had, the leadership of the Holy Spirit, for
Jesus said, "Come, follow Me."
61 And you girls that's just
getting out of school, you graduate probably, some of you, pretty soon,
and you young boys; the greatest leadership there is is Jesus Christ,
'cause that's the leadership to Eternal Life. Now, this leadership
confronts every human being; they are given the opportunity to choose.
And that's one great thing we have in life, is to chose. Someday... You
know, papa and mama, they chose to have a nice little boy and girl like
you--you all are.
Then, you--you have the right, after while, to choose whether you want
to learn from the teacher or not. The teacher can teach you, but you
can just be a--a little bad boy, you just won't learn; a little, bad
girl, won't listen at all. See, you--you have a choice to do that, yet
you're little.
And mother say, "Did you get A's on your report card?"
"No, I got very poor." See, now you can...
Mother say, "Now, you have to study." And you have to do that then,
keep studying like mother told you, like daddy told you. See, you have
to study.
But you have a choice, you can do it or not do it. You can say, "I
don't want to." See? You have a choice.
66 After while, you'll have a
choice of what girl you are going to marry, what boy you're going to
marry. You have a choice everywhere in life. And then you've got a
choice again to whether you want to live after this life, or just be a
good popular person, a movie star, or a dancer, or something another.
And look at these little girls here with that pretty voice, awhile ago
singing, that child have to cultivate that voice, and she'd--she'd be
an opera singer, or some singer. I hear these little boys' voices,
these boys; you could be like an Elvis Presley, selling your
birthright. See? You don't want that. See, it's a talent God gave you,
and you've got to choose (See?) whether you're going to use that talent
for God, or whether you're going to use it for the Devil. See?
69 Brother Leo here, your
brother (See?) now he had a talent to come and lead people. Now, what's
he going to do with it? Is he going into business and make hisself a
millionaire; or should he come out here and make a home where people
that wants to come together and get all you little children? See, you
have to choose what you're going to do.
Each one of us has to make a choice. And it's confronted to us. But
we're all confronted with this one thing: "What are we going to do
about Eternal Life? We going to live hereafter or not?" Then we have to
come to Jesus to get That. The opportunity of choosing, that's one
thing God gave us. He don't force nothing on us. He just lets us make
our own choice. So you have to not be forced, but just make your own
choice.
71 Now, let's just follow
this, adults and all now, for a few minutes, and the children, all
together. Let's follow this young man, and the choice that he made, and
see where it led him.
Now, these girls with that pretty voices, these young boys... Now,
maybe you come up and be you'd have a voice to sing. I'll just take
that one thing: music. My, you might someday think about it.
You know this boy called Elvis Presley? You've heard my tapes. You've
heard how I don't degrade the boy, but that boy was had the opportunity
that you all got. See? And what he... He found out he could sing. And
watch what he did, just the same thing Judas did, Judas Iscariot, he
sold out Jesus. Jesus gave that boy that good voice. And what does he
do? Turn around and sell it out to the Devil. See? he's got to come to
the end of the road. See? He refused to walk with Jesus.
74 Now, this young fellow
here, this rich young ruler, he did the same thing. Let's follow and
see what he done. No doubt, with the great man that he was, probably a
handsome young man, dark hair combed down on the side, nice clothes.
The young ladies thought, "Boy, that's a handsome young man." Oh,
they'd... He'd maybe wave at them, and they'd flirt back with him, and
things.
And he thought he was a great fellow, person (See?), because he was
handsome, he was young. He wasn't looking down there at the end of the
road. He was just looking here. "I'm young. I'm handsome. I'm rich. I
can buy anything I want to. I can take these girls, and, boy, they all
like me. And they know I'm a great man." And, see, he had all that. He
had followed the instructions of his father and everything. "And I'm
very religious. I go to church." And now he could follow that (See?),
very popular, rich, and famous. And--and he...
76 Just like today, like you had the opportunity to become a movie star (See?) or something like that. Most young kids today, you talk to them, they know more about these movie stars than they know about Jesus. You see? And, see, you--you children are learning about Jesus. Where they set down, and some play come on a movie, or something another, they know the actors and all there, all about it. They know all that better than that. You tell them about the Bible; they don't know nothing about the Bible. See? It's making the wrong choice. Now, some singer selling their God-given talent for fame...
77 Then we see him at life's
end. Let's follow him a little further. You know what the Bible says
about this young fellow? He become more successful. So sometimes
success don't mean that you've made the right choice. You know what he
did? He went out and he had all big times, and throwed big parties, and
spent lots of money and everything on the girls and everything. And
then he got married and maybe had a family. And--and he--he just
increased so much till he had to build new barns and things. And he
said, "You see, I didn't follow Jesus, and look what I got." See?
You may hear people say that, and I have, "Well, look, He's blessed
me." That don't mean it all. See?
And after while his barns swelled till even he said, why, even, "Soul,
take your rest. I've got so much money and so much success. And I'm
such a great man. I belong to all the clubs. And I--I have the riches
of the world in my hands. I own great sums of land and sums of money,
and--and, why, my, there everybody likes me, a very fine person to be."
But you know, the Bible said that that night, God said to him, "I'm
going to require your soul."
81 Then what did happened?
Now, there was a beggar, a poor old Christian that laid out there by
his gates. And just when they...
Up in Jerusalem, over there, they--they eat up on top of the house. And
the bread crumbs fall off like this, and the pieces of meat, and so
forth, hit the floor when they drop them. And they don't pick them up,
because everything in Jerusalem, the old city, it--it's...
Is it all right to say a little joke here? They're f-o-b. You know what
that is? Flies on the bread, flies on the beef, flies on the butter,
f-o-b, flies on everything. They got out in the street, in the gutters
and everything, and fly in and get right up on the...
So these people up there, they get up on top of the--of the building.
And they eat, and then they drop this off, and then they sweep that
off. And the dogs in the streets eats the crumbs. And he let this poor
old Christian lay there in the street and just eat the crumbs that
dropped from his plate--from his bed, or from his table.
And then when he got in, after while, he had sores, and he didn't have
anything to put on his sores; his name was Lazarus. And the dogs come
and licked his sores so he could try to get well.
86 Well, you know, after
while, this rich man, when he thought he had money to buy all kinds of
medicine if he got sick; he had all kinds of doctors. But, you know,
sometimes doctors can't help us; medicine won't help us; nothing can
help us; we're at the mercy of God. And he come down to the end of his
road; the doctors couldn't help him, and the nurses couldn't help him,
the medicine couldn't help him, and he died. And then when his soul
left his body (See?), it left all of his money, all of his education,
everything that he had, all of his popularity. They give him a great
big funeral, maybe a half-mast the flag, and--and the--the mayor of the
city come, and they, and the preacher come and--and said, "Our brother
now has gone to glory," and all like that.
But the Bible said that, "He lifted up his eyes in hell, in torment,
and looked way across that great gulf there, and seen that beggar that
had been laying there in his sore, over in heaven. And he cried, 'Send
Lazarus down here with a little water. These flames are tormenting.'
Said, 'Oh, no.'"
88 See, he took the wrong
choice in life. See? When he come to the end of the road to step out of
life, he had been led by religion. He'd been led by education. He'd
been led by the influence of his--of his success. But, you see, he had
nothing to hold his hand; those things end there. You understand,
little fellow? You adults do what I'm... See? He had nothing to hold
him. His money couldn't hold him. His friends with the doctors couldn't
hold him. Medicine couldn't hold him. His priest, his religion,
couldn't hold him. So was only one thing for him to do. He'd--he had
refused to accept Jesus, Eternal Life. So what did he have to do? Sink
down into death, into hell. What a fatal mistake that young man had
when he refused to walk with Jesus, be led by Jesus. He refused to do
it.
So many young people are making that mistake today, refusing to be led
by the--by the Lord Jesus. Now, we see what a fatal thing it is to
refuse Eternal Life and be led by Jesus, a leadership, when He said,
"Come, follow Me."
90 See what this handsome
little man said this afternoon? When you get out of school, when you
get away from, you need another leader, but let that be Jesus. And
Jesus is the Bible. Do you believe that? This is Jesus' Life and His
commandments to us in letter form. So we have to look into This to see.
This is the blueprint. This is the map that He told is to follow to--to
begin Eternal Life.
Now, we find out that this young man was lost.
91 Now, let's take another. Would you like, would you have time to take another rich young ruler, that made the right move? Would you like to hear that? All right, we'll try it now. Now, let us take another rich young ruler who was confronted with the same thing. Now, we see where that boy went, that lived a pretty good life, but died and was lost in hell. And now here we're going to talk about another young man who was confronted with the same thing. He was a rich man, a young man, and was a ruler, and--but he accepted the leadership of Christ: like the little boy told us awhile ago, that we should let lead us. He accepted it.
92 The Scripture for this is
found (if you want to look it up after I get through here), is in
Hebrews the 11th chapter, and the 23rd to the 29th verse. Let me just
read It. Is that all right? You'll bear with me just a little bit,
won't you? You don't mind if I don't, don't you? So we'll just--we'll
just read this, then you say, "I heard Brother Branham read this out of
the Bible." See? And you know it's there then. It wasn't what I said;
it's what He said. Now, you listen here to what the Bible said here of
this nice fellow. See? Now, look.
By faith Moses, when
he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he
was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
By faith Moses, when
he... come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; (listen)
Choosing rather to
suffer the affliction with the people of God, then to suffer the
pleasures of sin for a season;
Esteeming the
reproach of Christ...
Way back in Moses' time, it was still Christ. See? He's the only One
has Eternal Life. See?
"Esteeming the reproach," to be called a fanatic, holy-roller, or
something like that, you know. See?
Esteeming the
reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he
had respect unto the recompence of... reward.
95 Now, you know what that
means? It means this, that, Moses was borned a poor boy, real poor. His
father's name was Amram. His mother's name was Jochebed. And they were
real poor, but they were Christians. They worked hard. They was in
slavery. They had to make mud bricks and things for the old king. You
know what? That king's daughter went down one day to the river where
mother...
Moses' mother, Jochebed, had taken him and put him in a little raft out
on the river like that. And the old crocodiles had eaten up all the
little babies; and they were killing them, throwing them out into the
river. But she put him right out there. And you know how she got them
crocodiles away from him? She made this little--little ark she put him
in, she made it out of pitch. You know what that is? It's turpentine.
An alligator would come up, say, "Hum, a little fat Hebrew, I'll get
him." Hear him crying like that. Went over, "Whew" What a smell. Uh."
See? See, the mother was led, how to protect her baby. So he backed off
from it; he didn't want nothing to do with that.
And then he went on down the river a little farther. And his little
sister named Miriam, followed him down the river, watched for it.
98 And then Pharaoh's daughter
come out and was going to get him, you know, and she pulled him out.
And you know, all... You know, your mother thinks you're the prettiest
child in the world (See?); she should do that. But the Bible said this
little boy was really pretty, really a fair little boy. And, oh, he was
just screaming and kicking his little heels. He was missing his mama.
See? And so you know what happened? Then God put in Pharaoh's daughter,
the king's daughter, all the love that a mother could have for a little
baby. Her heart just fell for him. She said, "That's my baby."
But, you know, she was a young woman. See, them days they didn't have
these bottles that you, the babies was raised on, so they had to go get
a mother that had had a baby, and had that--that could nurse.
So Miriam was right there on hand; she said, "I'll go get you the right
mother."
"Well, you go get her."
You know who Miriam went and got? Moses' own mother. That's right.
Yeah, went and got... That was wisdom, wasn't it? And so then went and
got Moses' own mother. And she said, "I'll take and raise the little
boy for you."
102 She said, "You know what,
I'm going to give you three hundred dollars a week to raise that baby.
And you can stay in the palace." See how God does when you trust Him
(See?) when you're sure of faith. That baby was a prophet (See?), and
she knowed.
So they went into the palace and--and she raised Moses, and the mother,
the own mother, and got three hundred dollars a week to take care of
everything. Just think of that.
And then, you know, after while, after that went on for a
little while, Moses begin to get old enough to read and write. She
taught him how to read and write. And then she told him, said, "Moses,
you are borned a correct child. Your father and I have prayed. God has
revealed to us that you're a prophet, and you're going to be a
deliverer of the people in the days that is to come."
105 And you know when he got
big, then what was he? He was adopted into the king's family. Oh, my.
He didn't have to...
And he looked out on his own people, and they didn't have no clothes.
They were Christians, and they were crying. And them old taskmasters
whipping them with whips, and the blood fly out of their back. His--his
cousins, and uncles, papa and mama, all of them; whipping them with
whips, out there in them mud pits. And so, but Moses, being something
way down in his heart, he knew that they were God's promised people. He
knew it.
Now, the next thing he was going to do was to become king. He'd be king
over everything, a rich man, my, all the money of Egypt. And Egypt
controlled the world at that time. But, look, the Bible said he
esteemed the reproach to be a mud dauber like out there, a Christian.
When they made fun of them, and laughed at them, kicked them. If they
said anything back, they killed them. See? But Moses chose to go with
that group instead of being called the king's son.
Look at that. See, because he seen the end time. See that rich young
man? But he seen Jesus, like we see Him in a vision, that the end
time's what is going to pay. Now, and he accepted Christ's leadership,
and Moses esteemed the reproach greater treasures.
109 You know, sometime when you
little boys in school, little boys will say bad words and they want you
all to say them. You little girls, the little girls will say bad things
and want you all to say them. You say, "No. I'm a Christian."
They say, "Aw, you big sissy." You know, go onto you like that.
See, stand up, say, "I'm glad to be that." See? 'Cause (See?) that's
what Moses did. He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater treasures
than all of Egypt. Now, let us follow him, led by Christ, and see what
he did.
112 Now, see, this young man was rich, the first young man, but he didn't want Christ. He didn't want to be a follower of Jesus. And so we find him very popular, might come a movie star, and great everything, in all the--the things that he could do, and everything he wanted. But when he died, he didn't have anybody to lead him. So his education, that was good; his money, that was good; but when death come, that was all; he couldn't use it no more. He couldn't buy his way up to heaven. And he couldn't... By his education, he couldn't go to heaven. See?
113 But this young man now, he
had all these things. He had education too (See?), smart. He went to
school, with and his mother taught him, and--and he had a good
education. And he was real smart, till even he could teach the
Egyptians. He taught his teachers, he was so smart. Look how smart he
was. But, you know what, above all that smartness, above all that he
had, the potentials he had, he still said, "I'll forsake it all to
follow Jesus." You know what they done with him? They run him out. He
become a--a mud slave like the rest of them.
But one day when he become a grown man, he was herding sheep on the
back side of the desert. And what happened? Anybody tell me what
happened? What was it? [A
child says, "There was a Fire in the bush."--Ed.] That's right, there was a
Fire in the bush, and It attracted his attention. He turned aside.
And you know what? Me... Instead of teaching children, now the children
are going to get up and teach me. So... And this little boy here, he's
right on the--right on the mark. Who's your daddy? [The
child says, "Mr. Shantz."] Mr.
Shantz is your daddy. That boy's been taught, hasn't he? Each one of
them little bright eyes looking the same way, one to get ahead of the
other one. You see?
116 So the... Now look, he did
in that... And that--that bush attracted him, on fire, and he said, "I
will turn aside and see what this is."
And God said to Moses, "Take off your shoes, the ground you're standing
on is holy. I have chosen you to go down and deliver My people. I'm
giving you power; you can smite the earth with plagues; you can turn
the water into blood; you can bring fleas and lice. Nothing's going to
harm you. I'll choose you." Why? Because he chose Christ. See? You
choose Christ, and He chooses you. See? Now, He said, "You chose Me,
and now I have chose you to go down there in Egypt."
And look what he done. He led two million people, two million people
out, his people, and brought them into the promised land. And now, he
followed... We follow him all through the wilderness; and you children
has heard Brother Leo and Brother Gene, and your papa and mama, tell
you what all taken place in the wilderness, how he brought bread down
out of heaven and fed the hungry people, and all these things.
119 And now we find out, he is
an old man now, gets real old; he's one hundred and twenty years old.
And he's in the wilderness. And the people didn't treat him nice even.
See? Sometimes people that call themselves Christians don't treat you
nice. But Jesus always treats you right. See, see? So we find out that
the people rebelled against him, but he stayed right with them anyhow.
And he was a leader, and he had to stay with them. And the Angels of
the Lord talked to him. Wouldn't you love to have that happen to you?
Then make the right choice, and choose Jesus, and He'll do it.
Now, then we find out, the end of the road he got real old. He couldn't
preach no more, and his voice got low. So he blessed Joshua, and went
up on top the hill to die.
You know what happened when he died? There was--what, what happened? [A
boy says, "He died, and then He raised him from the dead."--Ed.] That's exactly right.
That's exactly right.
Now, you say, "Where is that at?"
Now, just a minute; the boy's right. See? He was raised up from the
dead. Now, and...?... See, see? Now, look. He raised him up from the
dead. Why? Because eight hundred years later, here he was over in
Palestine, standing with his Leader yet, Jesus, Who esteemed the
reproach of His Name greater treasures than all the riches of Egypt. He
esteemed... His Leader was standing there. You know, He was called...
124 In the--in the Bible, you
know, there was a Rock that went with Israel. And when Moses got ready
to die, he stepped up on this Rock. And that Rock was Jesus. You
remember when Jesus was talking in--in St. John the 6th chapter?
Well, they said, "Our fathers eat manna in the wilderness."
Said, said, "My Father gave you that manna." He said, "Yeah, they eat
manna. That's right. And they're every one dead, because they wouldn't
keep on going on." See? Said, "They're every one dead." But said, "I am
the Bread of Life that come from God out of heaven."
"Our fathers drank from the Rock. Moses smote the Rock," and said, "and
the waters came forth."
He said, "I am that Rock that was in."
And look, when Moses died, he stepped onto that Rock. You know what
happened? The Bible said that Angels come and got him.
What a difference from that other young man. That young man (See?) when
he died, he didn't have nobody to hold him, so he just sank down
through the darkness into hell; he's there now. There...
129 Then when Moses stepped out
of life, when he went, he had took a Leader. His mama led him right;
his father taught him right. And then when he got to be of age, a young
man, then he said, "I see Eternal Life, if I'll go down with these
poor, neglected people, and walk with them, because they're God's
people... I don't have to. I could be a king, But I don't want to be a
king. I can have all the money there is in Egypt, 'cause I'm going to
be owner of it. I don't want it. I'd rather walk with Jesus," and then
when he walked through life. And then when he started to step out of
life, there was his Leader to catch him by the hand.
Don't you want that Leader? Don't we all want that Leader to hold him
by His hand?
Hundreds of years later he was seen with his great Leader. He had led.
He made the--he made the choice of his youth, and so therefore, God was
holding him.
133 You know what? The rich man
is in hell, that one young rich man that refused. See, now remember, he
had education; he had religion; he went to church; he was a good man;
but he refused Jesus. See?
And this young man, he was educated, and he had religion, but he wanted
Jesus. See? Moses would've been a much richer man than--than that--this
young fellow would've been, 'cause he just had some money, probably
farms and things like that, and maybe politics and so forth, but Moses
was to be king over the earth. And he forsook all of that.
And you know what, children? When there is no Egypt, and when there is
no treasures, there'll still be a Moses, because he chose the right
thing. See? He chose the right thing to lead him.
When there's no more big pyramids. You read about the pyramids in
Egypt? One of these days they'll be dust under the atomic bomb. All the
riches of the world, people will throw it in the air, and scream, and
say it's cankered into their flesh, and scream and howl. See? It'll
pass away.
But them who accept Jesus to lead them, they'll never die. They have
Eternal Life. Though they die naturally here, Jesus will raise them up
again.
137 You must make a choice.
Your choice will determine what your eternal destination will be.
Remember, Jesus asks each one of us, "Follow Me if you want Life." See?
Leadership, "Follow Me, and you will have Everlasting Life." And I'm
sure even to us adults, we get something out of this too. If you want
Life, you have to accept It. If you want religion, you accept it if you
want. What you have to do, what you accept, that's what you get. But to
me and to you, and to these little children, remember, you have an
invitation. Jesus said, "Follow Me, and have Eternal Life." That's what
we want to do, don't we?
Now, how many of you wants to really follow Jesus, and you say,
from--from... "When I get big enough and old enough to make my choice,
and to do what... I don't care how much money I got, how poor I am, how
much people laugh at me, or everything else, I want to follow Jesus. I
want to make Moses' choice, not the rich young man"? How many wants to
do that right here?
139 Now, you really want to do
it? I want you to stand up with me. I want you to put your left hand on
your heart, and you hold your right hand up. I want you to close your
eyes now, and bow your head, and just say these words after me. [Those
standing repeat after Brother Branham--Ed.]
Dear Jesus ["Dear
Jesus,"], I pledge my life to You ["I
pledge my life to You."]. I have heard this sermon ["I
have heard this sermon,"], where two young men made their choice ["where
two young men made their choice."]. I do not want to go the way
of the rich young ruler ["I
do not want to go the way of the rich young ruler."]. But I do
want to go the way of Moses ["But
I do want to go the way of Moses."]. I am just a child yet ["I
am just a child yet."]. Lead me, dear Jesus ["Lead
me, Dear Jesus,"], to Eternal Life ["to
Eternal Life."]. Amen ["Amen."].
141 Now, you bow your head.
Dear Jesus, one day in Your pilgrimage here on earth, they brought to
you such little fellows as I have been speaking to this afternoon. And
the disciples said, "The Master is too tired. He preached this morning.
He preached this and that, and He's too tired. Don't trouble Him."
But, Jesus, You said, "Suffer little children to come to Me, for of
such is the Kingdom of heaven. Lord God, today receive these little
boys and girls here in this school of righteousness, here where our
brother has come apart into the side of the wilderness here to bring
out the families that desire to separate themselves from the things of
the world, to sojourn only for You. And now, their little ones are
here, watching the lives of their father and mothers, as we--we are
examples in all that we do. O dear God, Creator of heavens and earth,
guide our feet, Lord, that we'll not do nothing before these little
ones that would put a stumbling block in their way. For it is said,
it'd be better that we have a millstone tied at our neck, and to be
cast into the sea, than to offend one of these little ones. You said,
"Their Angels always behold My Father's face which is in heaven," the
great Angel, and guarding Angel, over each of these little souls.
As they set this afternoon with their little eyes wide open, looking
and answering the questions, and listening at the little baby stories
of the Bible, of how these two young men who took their choices, and
each one of them dedicating their lives to You. O Jehovah God, lead
them, protect them. And may they find this great Leader, Jesus Christ,
that will lead them when father and mother and the teachers are
finished with them. May You lead them to Eternal Life, as You did to
Moses, as their humble, little, child prayer went to You. I give them
to You, Lord, as Your servants, as trophies and gems for Your crown.
Use them, Lord, to honor You on earth. In Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
145 And you little ones,
fellows, can... Now, you feel better about it now? You know Jesus is
going to lead you and guide you. Don't you believe that? And Jesus is
going to make you little boys just like Moses and Miriam, the
prophetess and--and the prophet, going to make great people out of you.
Now, we older people that have accepted Him, don't we want Him to lead
us on too? I want Him to lead me on, guide my feet, hold my hand. See?
And even when I come down to the river, I--I want to have ahold of His
Hand. We all want that, don't we?
147 Dear Jesus, lead us too,
Father. Now, we're fixing to separate from each other. I must go back
to Tucson. I must get ready for the meetings coming. God, I commit this
group of people, Brother Leo and Brother Gene, and all the followers
here, into Your hands, that You'll bless them and love them, forgiving
all their iniquities, healing all of their diseases, keeping them ever
in love and fellowship, and encouraging those who would--would be--get
weary. And sometime Satan might come along and cause them to be
discouraged, but, remember, You went through the same thing,
discouragement, forsaken by--by men of this earth and people. And
sometimes very dearest of friends, even to relationships we're
forsaken. But there is One that we have chosen; He'll never leave us or
forsake us.
Lead us, Lord, to Life Eternal. I pray that You'll grant that we can
come together many more times on earth, and speak of Thee and talk of
Thee. And then in that great day, when the world is finished and all
the time has faded into eternity, may we meet in that great Kingdom as
unbroken families to live together hereafter forever. Grant it, Lord.
Until then, may we work, labor with all of our might, while the sun is
still shining. For we ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.
149 God bless each one of you. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
By His
counsel guide, uphold you,
With
His arms securely fold you;
God be
with you till we meet again!
Till
we meet! till we meet!
Till
we meet (Thank
you, brother, sister.) at
Jesus' feet;
Till
we meet! (...?...
Thank you, people.)
God be
with you till we meet again!
God
bless you all.