QUESTIONS ET REPONSES (DIEU MAL COMPRIS)
Dieu Mal Compris - VGR
Dieu Mal Compris - Shp
597-1 The Lord bless you. Pray
for me tonight. We had just a little shower, enough to cool off, and
which we're grateful for, and I trust that we'll have one of the
spiritual showers on the inside to kinda help us out a little bit.
I believe, Brother Neville, if we'll turn that around on you, how about
that? Me speaking, I get a little, get that air on me and then I...
This bald head of mine lets that come down and stop up my throat.
Now, I gave out some--for some questions tonight, and answers just to
kind of... The reason we do this is to kinda find out what's on the
hearts of the people.
597-4 I think that's very good
for a pastor to--to give out this, and then he finds out just about
what the people's thinking about if they'll write their questions and
have something. And I think every one of us is duty bound to expel our
thoughts to our pastors, and--and our spiritual leaders, and so forth,
and anything that we see, that's so we can make everything run smooth
and fine, and for the Kingdom of God's sake.
And then I... Up till about a half hour ago I only had about two or
three that I'd--Billy had picked up after the service this morning and
he brought them up to me. And then I went in and studied on a
Scripture, thought I'd speak then a little bit tonight, being I'd
mentioned it, and of being up here. Then he called me a few minutes
ago, said, "Just hold it, I got a handful now."
So I'll try to get right in on these and answer them the best of my
knowledge. And then if I get finished in time, I have a text I'd like
to--to speak on for just maybe twenty or thirty minutes, just a short
text.
597-7 And then, remember, if the
Lord is willing, next Sunday morning I want to do my best by the grace
of God to explain the Seventy Weeks of Daniel. As I said this morning,
it's a great Scripture. And it's not so much to speak on, but to place
it where it belongs to make it fit with the rest of the Bible.
And we have started from Revelations 1, got over in the 6th chapter.
And of course, we get in now to the seven last Seals. And those Seals
will run from the 6th--last part of the 6th chapter unto the 19th
chapter inclusive. So it would take a long time. Now, I could take,
say, seven nights, and run the Seven Seals, opening them up. But if you
do it that way, then the people will miss the great part back here that
fills in this. And if they're not really taught, it might not be good.
But the first three or four of them is just happenings that we could
take all right, just coming right in a row; but the next of it, then
you have to go back into Daniel again, come back over into Genesis, go
back over into Revelations, come back down into the Gospels, and just
weave it in there, because it's the trace of Israel, God dealing with
Israel. For when the church goes up, that's the last of the church
until she comes with Her Lord as Bride and Bridegroom in the 19th
chapter; during this time it's dealing with Israel. And to get the
Seventy Weeks of Daniel in now, it sets the picture for this coming
opening, First Seal.
598-9 Then I thought, the Lord
willing, I--next Sunday I'd speak on that. If I don't get finished
Sunday morning, then I'll try it Sunday night again. And that would
open the way then, if the Lord should lead us, we wouldn't have to stop
with that part, we'd go right straight on into the Seven Seals and just
carry it on as long as we'd seen the Lord leading.
Now, tonight we've got some questions, and they're all sensible,
reasonable questions. There was one here that I'd like to speak of
first, just a moment. It was someone asked... It's not a question; it's
just someone asked me: Where are my keys? Please tell me. They--they'd
lost them this afternoon.
598-11 Now, I'll tell you, a few
weeks ago, about a few days ago I was here at the Tabernacle. I used to
go into prayer and wait on the Lord and find out where those things
were for the people. I have found people's cars. The Lord would speak
to me where the people would...
Brother Welch Evans come up here and lost his car; somebody stole it in
Louisville. He and Brother Fred Sothmann and some of the brethren...
Brother Tom Simpson, I believe, was along that day. Or was you, Brother
Tom? And they come up to the house, and there was Brother Evans without
a car, without clothes, everything that he had was in that car. And
they pulled in over at Miller's and somebody took it.
Well, we got a racket, a ring in Louisville, where they pull these cars
off, and they'll run them down to Bowling Green or somewhere like that
and respray them. And in Kentucky you don't have to have a title anyhow
to your car, and they can change those cars in a few minutes and sell
them any way they wanted to.
599-14 Well, Brother Evans with
his little car and all he had in it, and the Lord gave me the answer
for it. And before they even got home, the car was setting out here
about half empty of gasoline, where He turned them around on the road
to Bowling Green, and brought them back, and set the car right back out
there with everything in it, not a thing missing, just what gas they'd
used.
Many times people have said that certain things, and they'd ask, and
I'd go before the Lord and wait for those visions, and now, waiting
till they come. But I find out that that has brought a great stumbling
block before the people. Really, the people of America are not ready
for such a ministry, the churches. That's right. It's--it's beyond
their time, See? And it causes everything; some call you a devil; some
call you a spiritualist; some call you a son of God, a god, and
everything. See? So I just promised the Lord that I'd let it go and
just wait and use that ministry in Africa or on personal interviews
when I have them here.
599-16 Now, we're here for
personal interviews; that still goes on such things. But... And the way
to obtain them is not come to the church; you go to our secretary, my
son, Billy Paul, and he'll give you a little--a ticket telling you just
when it's to be and so forth. And anything like that, that's on
personal interviews, here or in the field, can only come through that
way. There's a--a board of it published, or a book, or a note on the
bulletin board there of how to do this. But just to come up here to the
platform...
Now, we have gifts in the church. We have Brother Neville here who has
received a gift of prophecy. Brother Higginbotham setting here, who has
a gift of speaking with tongues and interpreting tongues. I would
advise you... I'll pray that God will give you your keys, but I--I
advise maybe that if the Holy Spirit would speak tonight maybe through
Brother Neville, or Brother Higginbotham, or some of these gifts in the
church, that we're got some questions on in a few minutes, that maybe
they could do that.
600-18 But for myself I made a
promise to God, no more in America in public meetings (See?), because
it just caused me to leave the field. And then some will run you plumb
out to be a--a devil; the others will make a god. And so you see, and
they're just not ready for it. And so God cannot work that, and I'm
sure the person that's asked it will understand. Now, maybe the Holy
Spirit yet tonight... You just be praying. I'll pray that the Holy
Spirit will show you right where your parcel is that you're waiting
for. I pray that you'll find it, and I do believe you will find it. See?
And--but now... And then, now, Billy Paul, if someone has such a thing
like that, if they'd call him, he would refer them to the church; I try
to take the emergency cases when I'm at home.
600-20 Now, let us now before we approach these questions... First I want to say that any answer that's not according to your faith or the--in the Bible, it's not according to the Word, then you don't have to receive it. And so that I can get down and maybe get to the text also tonight, I'd like to go on and answer them and those I think that--that got Scriptural to answer by, well, I'll answer them, everything that I can. But I just got them a few minutes ago, all but three, and neither three of those has any... Just little things about someone had dreamed a dream or something, wanting to know if they should tell it, or something another like that. You see? So let us bow our heads now as we approach His mercy...
600-21 Lord, we are Thy people
that are called by Thy Name. And we are so glad tonight to know that we
have a heavenly Father Who watches over us and cares for us, and loves
us as His own dear children. And so I am happy, Lord, that I'm numbered
with these people, to be their brother, and they are my brothers and
sisters. I'm so grateful.
There is one, Lord, who has lost some keys. Thou knowest right where
they are laying, I pray that You will reveal it and will bring them
right straight to those keys. It's a precious thing to them; it's to
their car. And I pray, Father, that You will grant this request to
those people.
Now I pray that You will bless our pastor, our beloved Brother Neville.
We're so glad to see You working in our midst in these great spiritual
gifts in our church, the part of the body of Christ that is worshipping
on this corner of Eighth and Penn. We are so glad to be numbered with
that group of people, and to know that God reveals the secrets to His
people. I pray that You'll bless Brother Neville, our pastor, and
Brother Higginbotham, Brother Funk, Brother Junior Jackson, and our
sisters, who are speaking with tongues and giving interpretations. We
pray, Father, that You will continue to manifest Yourself through these
great gifts, that our church might be known as a spiritual church, that
where people that are weary can come and set in the Presence of
Almighty God and know He speaks and reveals the secrets of the heart.
601-24 And, Father, I pray that
You'll bless us tonight in answering these questions. Some of them,
Lord, are--are mild, and some of them are strong. To each one that
asked the question, it's a strong question. It's something that's on
their heart; they want it settled. And, Father, we are all insufficient
of these duties, but we know that Thou art more than sufficient. So we
pray that You will interpret these questions to us, that we might give
the people the correct answer, that they might be helped and the church
be magnified, and God's Name be honored.
Now, Father, if it's Your will, I pray that You'll deal with us this
week and will help me as I'm studying on that Seventy Weeks of Daniel,
that I might be able next Sunday morning, if it be Thy will, to open
the Scripture to those people. God, grant it, that their souls might be
refreshed. Teach those, Lord, who are seeking deep things. Save those
who are lost. Heal those who are sick. We're all waiting on You,
Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
601-Q-132 Now, this first question is
not exactly a question; it's just a little thing for... Say, do I stand
too close to this? Does that blur, back there in the back? If it does,
raise up your hand.
132. Brother Bill, please say something about both children and adults
being so noisy in morn--moving about during the service. This
tabernacle needs some lessons in reverence.
Amen. Children, do you not know how to obey yourself in the house of
God? Do you not know this is the sanctuary of God? God is in His holy
temple; let everybody keep quiet. It's the place of God where people
are coming, meditating, trying to find salvation to the soul, trying to
find the problems of the people's lives, trying to help someone. The
least you can do is be reverent, be quiet. Get you a drink of water
'fore church starts; I know little ones has to have drinks. Mothers
that's got those little fellows, if you'd set near the back, keep them
just as quiet as possible. And there should never be a whisper, never
one whisper. We're all guilty. But when that Bible is read and that
minister enters the pulpit, we should be silent, waiting on the Lord.
Now, please try to do that.
602-28 I know, you little fellows,
you've got to squirm around a little. See? That, if you do, make it
just--just be real nice. And you remember, mother don't want you to do
that, and daddy don't want you to do that. And so...
And I know; I got little ones too that squirm around, and Joseph. And
Meda says, "I don't get anything out of the service, trying to keep Joe
quiet." Well, she's trying to do that so somebody else can get
something out of the service. See?
And we always want to respect one another, honor one another, and above
all things, honor God and honor His house.
602-Q-133 Now, this next question is:
133. The two children aged six to eight years were here at the altar
this morning. How soon is it advisable to have them baptized?
Just as soon as you can. Repent immediately and be baptized, that's in
the Name of Jesus Christ. Now, that's question number one. I would
advise that. But we find out in the Scriptures...
You say, "Is that Scriptural?"
When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, three thousand souls were
saved and baptized the very same time. "As many as believed on the Lord
were baptized." So as soon as you believe on the Lord and accept Him as
your Saviour, go right straight to the water and make your confession
start right there: young or old, no matter who it is.
You say, "Well, these children might be very young."
Jesus said, "Suffer little children to come unto Me; forbid them not,
for such is the Kingdom of God." I would daresn't put my hand upon a
child that wants to come to the altar or be baptized at any age; I
don't care what age they are.
603-Q-134 Now question number two:
134. A minister friend of ours baptizes in the name of Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Would we be held responsible for not
telling him of his error?
I believe, as a Christian, as a duty, and if he is a personal friend of
yours... Not to pick an argument with him; if you do that, then you're
not right; your--your spirit's not right. But if you love that brother,
which you must, because you said, "A minister friend..." Then... No
names is signed to any of these notes; I do not know who they come
from: these questions.
603-37 Now, I would advise you,
whoever it is, if this minister friend baptizes like this, and you
visit his home and so forth, I would just--I would just mention the
question some time. And that might give you... Just talk up to it, just
keep talking around about, around about; and let the Lord open it up,
and then it's the Lord telling you to do it. See? Just wait till the
Lord opens up the question. Then you say to him; you say, "Brother, I
just wonder, in the Scriptures of Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38, and
continuing on, is there some contradiction there? Could you explain why
that one said here, 'Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,' and the other one
said, 'The Name of Jesus Christ'?"
Now--now, don't try... If you're not really a student, and you don't
know what you're talking about, better leave it alone. See? You can
just tell him, say, "Well, I wish you'd come up..." If he seems to be
sincere, say, "Wonder if you'd meet our pastor or someone and discuss
it?"
603-39 I tell you, it's a deep
thing. See? Don't take it upon yourself, 'cause you might wind yourself
around if you... Now, if you know what you're talking about, and firmly
settled and know the Scriptures, all right. But don't offend him, for
whatever you do, don't offend him. See? Don't bring offense, just tell
him that...
And of course, he is in error. That's true. The man is in error when he
baptizes like that. And any man that baptizes in the name of "Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost" is Scripturally in error. That's right.
604-Q-135 Question number three:
135. In a statement of faith, they said, 'We believe in one God,
Eternal, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19, 18 and 19; I Corinthians 13:14." Should this not be
three offices instead of three persons?
You are correct. There's no three persons in the Godhead. And there
cannot be a personality without being a person; it takes a person to
make a personality. There is no three Gods. There's only one God, and
that God is Jesus Christ. God is a Spirit that lives in Jesus Christ,
and is living in His church, you and I today, separating Himself to us
in the form of the Holy Spirit, which is God almighty Himself living in
you.
Now, you are right; it is "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," is three
offices of the same God, but not three Gods; that is Scripturally wrong.
604-Q-136 136. Can a Christian go to
heaven if he or she does not pay tithe?
Now, that's one that I could not answer Scripturally.
Now, this "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," if the minister is sincere,
just let--let us know (You see?), we'd be glad... Brother Neville,
myself, or Brother Beeler, or Brother Collins, or any of these
ministers here who are ordained to this ministry, and so forth,
can--can do so.
Now, but now: Does a Christian not get to heaven because they do not
pay tithe?
I--I could not say yes or no to that. But I do believe that every
Christian is obligated to pay tithings because it is a commandment of
the Lord. "And blessed is--are they that do all His commandments, that
they might have a right to enter into the Life, the Tree of Life." Now,
I do believe that tithe-paying is essential to a Christian experience.
For I'll get to that in another question in a few moments; I know
there's another one in here pertaining to that.
604-Q-137 137. Brother Branham, I am
saved and have been baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, but how do I
get away from a stubborn spirit that I can't seem to break away from?
Well, my Christian brother or sister, whoever it may be, now, most
times when you find people that's got stubborn spirits, it's usually a
complex that causes this, either they have inherited it from a mother,
father, uncle, aunt, or grandmother, grandfather, somebody like that.
And if you'll chase back down through your life, you'll find... Now,
I've taken it by experience under discernment, because I have met cases
on the platform, thousands of those that had that spirit. And the first
thing you know, I'd chase that spirit right back by discernment and
find that there was a granddaddy, there was a grandmother, there was
somebody else back down there, and you inherit that by nature.
605-47 Stubborn--stubbornness is
not of God. And now, the only way to get away from that is you have to
have faith to overcome that, that's if you are a Christian. You are a
son or daughter of God, whichever you may be, and you'll never be able
just to stand and rebuke it and rebuke it and rebuke it. It's just like
tantalizing a rattlesnake; he's laying there ready to bite you. If
you'll just ignore him and walk away from him, he can't hurt you. See?
So when you feel that you got a stubborn spirit, lay the thing on the
altar, and believe God that the thing is dead and you'll never have it
no more, and go on and don't even pay any attention to it no more, and
the thing'll leave you. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you;
that's "get away quickly." So that would be my advice how to overcome
it. We overcome the Devil by faith. That's what we overcome all evil,
is by faith.
605-Q-138 138. Why do you baptize in
the Name of Jesus Christ in place of the name of the "Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost"?
Well, there is no such a thing as a name of "Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost." That's the reason. There was nobody in the Bible ever baptized
in the Name of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." Every person in the
Bible, or three hundred years this side the Bible, was baptized in the
Name of Jesus Christ. Not one apostle, not one Christian, not one time
was the "Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost" ever used for baptism until
the Catholic church was organized at the Nicene Council, three hundred
and six years after the death of the last apostle.
There is no such a thing as name of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."
Father is not a name; Son is not a name; Holy Ghost is not a name. It's
three titles, three office titles to a Name: Jesus Christ. So
therefore, there is no such a thing as the name of "Father, Son, Holy
Ghost." And it's no... There's no name to it, so I baptize in the Name
of Jesus Christ which is the Name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Clear?
606-Q-139 139. Some people say that
"Christ was in hades before the resurrection." Is this... Is there
Scripture for this?
Now, here's a Scriptural question; I'd like to answer you from the
Scriptures, 'cause they've asked, "Is it in the Scriptures?"
I would that you would turn with me to I Peter 3:18 and 20, you that
wants to hear it, whether you asked the question or not, so that you
won't have to take someone else's word. You may read it and find out
whether this be true or not. We always want to stay with the Truth, and
where the Bible says it. And this dear person, whoever it was, has
asked it as wanting to know for a reference from the Bible if this is
so or not.
606-53 Now, we find this in... If
I've got it. This old Bible is about tore up here, that I--I've had it
now for several years. If I can see if I got it in here; I think
maybe... Just one second, brother, if I--I--I'm sure that's... Let's
see, it comes right after Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews. Here we are,
yeah, I got it. Thank you. I Peter 3, the 3rd chapter of I Peter. The
3rd chapter, and let's begin with the--with the 18th verse:
For Christ also has
once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us
to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (quickened by the
Spirit)
By which also he
went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were
disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of
Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls
were saved by water.
606-54 Now turn to Acts 2, Acts 2,
and we will take the--the 30th verse. In Acts 2, and this is the
Apostle Peter also speaking. Acts, the 2nd chapter, and the--the 30th
verse I have written down here:
Where... Therefore
being a prophet, and knowing that God had swore with an oath to him,
that of the fruits of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise
up Christ to sit on his throne;
He seeing this
before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left
in hell, neither did His flesh see corruption (Christ's body).
His soul descended into hell and preached to spirits, or souls that
repented not in the long-suffering in the days of Noah. His soul did
descend into hell and He preached to spirits, and rose on the third
day. That is Scriptural, the Truth.
607-Q-140 140. Now, were the five of
the virgins lost?
I presume that they are asking the question, "the five virgins," the
five wise and the five foolish. Now, if you were with us in the last
teachings in Revelation, you find out there that those virgins,
the--the five foolish virgins were not lost; but they were not
permitted to go into the wedding supper, but they suffered persecution,
and was martyred, and raised again at the general resurrection in the
last day. Those are the people where He separated the sheep from the
goats (See?); they stood before judgment.
You say, "Well, Brother Branham, don't we stand, the Church?"
No, sir. We do not stand before the judgment. We are now standing
before the Judgment. God put our sins upon Christ, and we... "He that
heareth My Word (St. John 5:24) and believeth on Him that sent Me has
Eternal Life, and shall not come into the judgment but has passed from
death unto Life." No more judgment for the Church, it's took up in the
rapture, and comes back to pass judgment upon the people who did not
receive the Holy Spirit. Does not Paul say that he dares any of us to
take a--a matter to the court, to the unjust magistrate, when, "know ye
not that the saints shall judge the earth?" We will set with Christ and
judge, kings, and priests, and judge these people that we preached to
and told them about the baptism of the Holy Ghost and they refused to
receive It. Think of it.
No, they were not lost, but they will never be in the Bride. They were
come in the second resurrection, but never be in the Bride, to be
judged according to the way they treated the Light that they received.
Now, that part will be up to Christ. They were not lost though.
608-Q-141 141. Brother Branham, in
the I Corinthians--Corinthians chapter the 14th, verse 34th and 35th,
says, "Let your women keep silent in churches for it is not permitted
unto them to speak." 35th, "For it is a shame for women to speak in
church." Now, if a woman with short hair speak--speaks in tongues
in--in churches--in church, is it the Spirit of--of the Holy Ghost that
speaks through her or is it a false spirit?
Now, you are... And this is a real hard question, and I can only answer
it the best that I know how. See? Now, I could not judge, because I was
not sent to judge. But I think there's so many times... I got another
question down here somewhere that goes right along with that. But if a
person is speaking in tongues, they are anointed of God. See? They may
be out of order; that may be true; and they may be doing something
that's not right; but I wouldn't want to say that it wasn't the Holy
Spirit, because I wouldn't know. See?
And now, there's many times that this... that people misjudge one
another. And it is a bad thing to do. You say, "Why, she's got short
hair; she's wearing a dress that's too short; that--that's not the Holy
Spirit upon her." Don't do that. Don't do that, that's not right. You
don't know what's in that woman's heart. You don't know nothing about
it. You know that the Holy Spirit would make her conduct herself a
little better; now that may be true. But I'll tell you: as you and I,
let God do the judging of that, and let's you and I just pray for that
person that God will show them the Light.
608-62 Here sometime ago a man met
me out here aside. I had a pianist here that had a little, short,
little skirt, and wasn't just exactly, I guess, just right. And the
lady had short hair, and she was just a babe in this Way, and she was
playing the piano. And a man met me out there and just tearing me to
pieces; he said, "And you're a Pentecostal preacher, and let that woman
set up there, that short hair," and just going on like everything.
"Well," I said, "I think the woman has a good spirit in her. I
certainly do not agree with that, you know, the skirt part up here, the
two pieces; one of them is down here and one kind of up here; it's a
shirt like they wear." And so it's real thin and shows that underneath
garment that they have around there. I don't think that--that should be
done. I--I don't like that; I really don't." Now, I can't say; they
might be just as Spirit-filled as anybody else; I don't know; God knows
that. But I wouldn't condemn that woman and say that she was going to
hell by the sight.
This same person had in his church a lady who had long hair and wore
long dresses, and had a temper enough to fight a buzz saw, and just as
mean as she could be. Now, long hair and long skirts don't take you to
heaven. No, sir. It's the Spirit that's in you takes you to heaven. But
if you as a Christian...
609-66 Then you should remember
that many times pastors don't mention those things, and the people just
automatically go on, think it's all right. But a pastor should really
tear into that. And--and--and then the sisters of the church, those
sisters who are in character standing, wearing their clothes neatly,
they should be examples of sweetness, and--and motherly and
sisterly-like.
And I think that any woman that's motherly and godly and sisterly ought
to go to such a person, and with sweetness of the Spirit, just set down
and talk to that lady. And if she is of God, the Holy Spirit will
understand those things, and she'll correct herself. But when you real
quickly condemn her and drive her away, you might harm that young born
baby. See? So I--I wouldn't condemn the person.
609-68 Now, the person speaking with tongues. Now, I--I have to say something here that may be just a little strange, and if you don't agree with me, that's okay. You see, we misjudge these things so many times. Let's always try to think the very best of anybody who's trying to do what's right. Let's express our very best to them. Oh, they're trying. We don't know their heart, unless you have a discernment. And if they're wrong, then if you got... The Bible said, "If a brother be overtaken in a fault, let them which are spiritual go to that brother in a spirit of meekness, considering your own self lest you be tempted, and see if you can't reconcile that person (See?) back to God." Don't say that they haven't got the right spirit, 'cause...
609-70 Listen, now I'm going to say something that's going to really stab you for a minute, so just set still just a moment. The Holy Spirit can speak through a hypocrite. Exactly. I've seen it done, and I can prove you by the Scriptures that that's right. I can prove to you by the Scriptures that demon powers take up those spirits and use them, sure, they take up those gifts and use them. I've stood right... and seen devils speak in tongues and interpret it. And I've seen hypocrites take the genuine Holy Spirit and speak with it. That's the reason you can't say that speaking in tongues is the only evidence of the Holy Ghost.
610-71 Now, sometime ago when I
was first brought into Pentecost, I went to Mishawaka to Brother Rowe's
tabernacle. There they were having a convention; it was a Jesus Name
people. Now, I did not agree with the Jesus Name people; there's
not--there's not... They're my brethren, but the reason I say...
"Baptize for regeneration in the Name of Jesus Christ," I do not
believe that. I do not believe that water saves you from sin. I believe
it's the Blood of Jesus Christ is regeneration. But the Oneness people
baptize unto regeneration. The Name of Jesus, just baptize them in
Jesus Name, and that's--they're saved, because he said 'Repent, and be
baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.'"
But what comes first? Repentance, godly sorrow for your sins, then turn
away. Then be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, it's all right.
You've done all of this for remission of sins.
610-74 Now, and in there, there was several thousand people. In them days they had segregation in the north here--or in the south, and they had to have up here because many colored brothers was coming to this convention. It was the P. A. of W. and the P. A. of G--J. C. before the a merging. And it was at Mishawaka, colored and white, all together; they couldn't have it in the south at that time. Well, I seen two white men setting on the seat. I'd never heard anything of these messages before in my life. And there those men would raise up and one speak in tongues and the other one give the interpretation, and tell the people right in the meeting what was wrong with them, tell the people what they had done. Then this one would speak and the other one interpret. I thought, "My, I've dropped down here amongst angels." Never heard of such a thing!
610-75 All night, in the corn
field, I prayed. Well, since a little baby... I believed gifts and
callings are without repentance; I've always been able to see visions.
And the next morning they asked me to speak, and I did. Outside there
was many people who came to me and invited me to their meetings, yet I
was a Missionary Baptist. So I--I just went ahead and let it go like
that. After a while I was anxious to get ahold of these two angel men.
I never heard any...
They'd turn white around the mouth, and raise up and speak with
tongues. And the other one stand right up and say, "THUS SAITH THE
LORD, 'Jones over here, he did a certain thing day before yesterday.
When you walked around the house you picked up that pocketbook that
belongs to this man, this man lost over here.' THUS SAITH THE LORD,
'Take it back!'"
"God, have mercy on me, here it is."
See, truth, just say such as that, tell people right out. I thought,
"Oh, my, isn't that wonderful." So then I thought, "This is God."
611-79 Well, then I got to one of
those men, and while I was talking to him, I'd prayed, "God, let me
have that, ever what It is." I didn't know what to call it, visions, I
didn't know what to call It. And when that thing come before me, and I
caught his attention, just kept speaking to him till I caught his
spirit, just like the woman did at the... Jesus did, the woman at the
well. Just kept talking till I caught his spirit. And he was a
Christian, a real, genuine saint of God. I thought, "Blessed be the
Name of the Lord."
I met--met the next man coming around the corner about a half hour
later, and I talked with him. And if I ever talked to a hypocrite, he
was one of them. His wife was black-headed, and he was living with a
blond and had two children by her; and yet speaking with the same
Spirit this man was speaking with, and giving the same interpretation,
just exactly right. Then I knew.
611-81 Before my conversion, I had
an experience to one time going into a witch camp with Indians. They're
devil-dancers. Take a snake and wrap it around them, and do the corn
dance, and speak in tongues and interpret it, and tell exactly the
truth what's setting amongst the people. And seen a witch take a--a
pencil and lay it down, and see that pencil rise up and write in
unknown tongues, and interpret it, and tell the people exactly what was
going on out through there. In a spiritualist's meeting...
So I said (You see?), "I've got amongst devils," and I left the whole
thing go.
612-83 So one day up at Green's
Mill, I'd been up there praying in my cave, not for that, and I come
out and laid my Bible down. I... Musty back in the cave and I wanted
some sunlight, and it was in the afternoon, and I come out and laid my
Bible down. I was going to read a little while out on the log that lays
kind of down the hill. And I just laid the Bible down; I started
reading. And the wind blowed and blowed over to Hebrews the 6th
chapter. I thought, "Maybe the Lord wants me to read that." I read it.
"We which were once enlightened, made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
seeing we fall away... to renew ourselves again unto repentance. The
rain bringeth forth the... earth bringeth forth fruits and the rain is
sent to water it, and thorns and thistles which is nigh unto rejecting,
whose end is to be burned," something on that order.
Well, I read it and I thought, "Well, praise the Lord." Turned it over
to another one, I thought, "Well, I'll just read somewhere over in here
somewhere else." Laid it down like that, wiped my eyes, the wind blowed
it back to Hebrews 6 again. Well, that happened three or four times, as
many as three anyhow. I thought, "I don't see nothing wrong with that.
What's in there?"
612-86 Just let me, you can...
You've read it many times, Hebrews 6, "Thorns and thistles. The rain
cometh oft upon the earth to water it, to dress it (See?) for its
fruit. But thorns and thistles which is nigh unto rejection, whose end
is to be burned, be gathered and burned."
I couldn't get nothing out of that. Thought, "Well, thorns and thistles
to be burned; God takes His Wheat to the garner, and that settles it."
Said, "I don't see nothing about that."
I was setting there; I was looking out like that, and a vision came
before me. And I seen a world turning like this, and it was all disked
up ready to be planted. And a man with a white robe on, head bent down
into a feed sack, or a seed sack, rather, he was going along. And I
don't know whether any of you remember the old broadcast system, how
you... I seen papa do it. Throw it with his hands like that, and they'd
just fall on the grounds, them seeds like that. Well, this man was
sowing seeds like that. And as soon as he went along, up behind him
come wheat coming up.
612-89 Well, as soon as he went
around the curvature of the earth, I seen a black something coming up,
like a black moon. And I looked, and it got closer; it was a--a man,
solid black, dressed in black. He was slipping along, looking like
this. And he had a seed sack, only in there he had weeds. And he was
sowing them amongst this wheat like that, throwing it first one way and
the other. And behind him come up weeds, thistles, thorns, briers, and
everything.
Well, I thought, "That is a shame for that man to do a thing like
that." In a vision, I wasn't thinking of it being Scriptural. See? And
I said, "That man's sowing them weeds in that man's wheat field."
Then it got real hot. The little wheat held its head over and going
"huh, huh, huh" like that, just panting like this for breath. The
little weed had his head over, "huh, huh, huh," he was panting for
water too. Everybody prayed for the rain.
After while it got... A great thunder cloud come up and just rained all
down, and when it did, the rain struck the earth. And the little wheat
begin to jump up-and-down, hollering, "Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah. Praise the Lord." And the little weeds a-hollering, "Praise
the Lord," straightened right up, the life come to the weed just the
same as to the wheat.
And then the Scripture come, "The rain falls on the just and the
unjust." There I caught it. See?
613-94 This, if a person is setting in a congregation, a spirit can fall upon that person, and yet you know that they are wrong and they don't live the right kind of life, be careful what you say about that spirit, it might be the Holy Spirit. Don't judge the--the spirit by the person. The person may be wrong; but, now, does not the Bible say, "The rain falls on the just and the unjust"? Did not Jesus say, when the fields was planted, "Let them all grow up together, the tares and the wheat together. Don't you try to pull up the tares. Don't you try to judge them; just let them grow together. And at that day the angels will be sent forth; they will take all the tares and burn them, and the wheat will be gathered into the garner"? But by their fruits we know them. You can know in your heart. Keep trying to deal with that person.
613-95 Don't say that this woman,
if she's immorally dressed or... How did it read? "Let's say that the
Holy Ghost will visit..." Let's see. No, I got the wrong one here
somehow. Oh, here it is, yes.
The women speaking in tongues. Now, if a woman with short hair speaks
in tongues in the church, it is the spirit... Let's see. Is it the
Spirit of the Holy Ghost that speaks through her or is it a false
spirit?
You see, I wouldn't say nothing. And if you thought the woman wasn't
just exactly right by having short hair... (I believe that was the
subject.)... yeah, "short hair," why not you, brother, if you're a
married man and this is a married woman, why--why don't you take your
wife or get your wife to sweetly talk to this little lady? Let's
believe she has got the Holy Ghost. If she's in this church, I'm--I'm
going to believe that she has. And then, just say, maybe she's a...
Did you know, once in a while, we might examine and find out we might
have a little something wrong too. You know, that--that's right, you
know. So somebody might have to tell us something. Lot of times people
has told me a lot of things was wrong, that I was doing wrong; I
appreciate it.
614-98 But now let's say that...
Let's believe that whatever it is... Let's believe that if the woman is
not exactly a Christian, if she's just putting on, God will judge her
for that. That's right. But... And if she's dressed immoral, and the
things that she's doing is not right, God will take care of that. But
let's believe that that Spirit on that woman is the Holy Spirit (See?),
because we don't know.
Now, if the interpretation of that holy spirit gives something, a curse
to Christ... "No man speaking by the Spirit calleth Christ accursed."
If that woman is speaking in tongues and the interpretation comes that
Christ is accursed, then you know that's an evil spirit on the woman.
But as long as it's blessing you and edifying Christ, then believe that
Spirit. See? Amen. I hope that doesn't confuse. I hope that gives a
little light on it anyhow.
614-Q-142 142. Deuteronomy the 23rd
chapter, the 2nd verse, doesn't it teach that a person whom out of
wedlock cannot be saved? It says that God will visit the iniquity of
the parents upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
Explain what this means.
All right. Adultery was such a horrible thing in the time of the Bible
until even if a man had a child by a woman that wasn't his wife, that
child, its children's children's children, for four generations, four
hundred and something years, could not enter even into the congregation
of the Lord, because that the blood of bulls and goats and heifers was
not sufficient to take away sin. It could only divorce--or could only
cover sin, it could not omit sin. See? It could not omit sin, it could
only cover sin. Adultery is a horrible thing.
A woman, a precious jewel, that God has made her to be a mother, and
entrusted her with motherhood, that if she would bring forth a child
from another man not being her husband, then there was a curse upon
that child, and his children, and his children, and his children, to
three and four generations. Even many times such as syphilitic,
and--and blindness and things struck the people. Yes, it was a
horrible, horrible thing for a woman to have a baby outside of holy
wedlock. Now, not only then, but it's still a horrible thing, sure is,
always.
615-Q-143 143. Will Ezekiel 38 and 39
come to pass before the rapture?
Now if you will notice, Ezekiel 38 and 39 deals with Gog and Magog,
which is Russia, the north country. Now, I do not say that this is
correct, but to my way of teaching it, that, it comes to pass after the
rapture, after the church is taken up. And God deals with Gog and Magog
when they come down before Israel there. And I think that will come to
pass after the rapture. Now, that doesn't make it so. See? But that's
just my way of teaching it. I suppose that's what they wanted to know,
what my idea was.
615-Q-144 144. The Lord has told us
through prophecy to witness unto others of the things which we have
heard and seen here, such as the nearness of the coming, baptism in the
Name--in Jesus' Name, and such things. We have told these things to
some who seem to be Christians, yet they don't seem to believe. What do
you think will happen to those people? Will they go in the rapture?
Now, I'm glad you said it that way, "What do you think?" Which that
wouldn't make it right because I would think it. I believe that no man
can walk in the Light of God until God reveals It to him. And I don't
believe that any man that... All these hidden things are hid from the
people, and no man can see them except God reveals them; I believe it;
'cause in the Bible it's always been that way.
616-104 Did not Jesus say that "You
have eyes and you can see not, you have ears and you hear not"? And yet
in Matthew, I believe it's either the 8th or 12th chapter, it said that
"Though Jesus had done so many miracles among them, yet they could not
believe." Because Isaiah said, the prophecy said that they had eyes and
could not see, and ears and could not hear. See?
And Jesus said, "No man can come to Me except My Father calls him
first, and all the Father has given Me will come to Me." That settles
it. See?
Now, you're--you're responsible for spreading the Light; you're not
responsible for them receiving the Light. You're responsible to take it
to them, but you're not responsible for their reaction. And then if God
lets them in, that'll be up to Him. If they haven't got the garments
on, and so forth, and they don't... But they... Remember, they cannot
see it until God reveals it to them.
616-Q-145 145. Brother Branham, in
Daniel the 11th chapter, the 31st verse, teaches of the day... taking
away of the daily sacrifice, and the abomination that maketh
desolation. Would you please explain what these are?
Oh, this person has signed their name to this one. That is my subject
on next Sunday, and that comes in with the--with the Seventy Weeks of
Daniel. But... And I might just say this to you, my most precious
brother that signed this here, which is a very dear friend to all of
us... Yes, "the abomination that maketh desolation," Jesus, in Matthew
24, spoke of it. The abomination (means filthiness) that maketh
desolation, the abomination was the Moslem--Mosque of Omar that was
built on the temple grounds where the holy place stood.
616-109 In A.D. 96, Titus came in
and captured Jerusalem and burnt the temple, and they built the Mosque
of Omar (the Mohammedan religion) right on the temple grounds, and
still stands there to this day. And it will stand there until God
returns to the Jews again. "And the abomination (that is the Mosque of
Omar) that maketh desolation of the holy place," standing in the holy
place... See?
Jesus referred to it, said, and in parenthesis, "(let he that readeth
understand)." See? Therefore, He give so many days from that time until
the--after the Prince and so many days, and so forth, which we get into
next Sunday. And I'll try to, the best of my knowledge, to get that in
for you for next Sunday. But that abomination is the Mosque of Omar
that took the place of the temple, that, "When you see the abomination
that maketh desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in
the holy place..." See, standing where the temple stood (the holy
place), the Mosque of Omar...
617-Q-146 146. Brother Branham, don't
you feel that everyone who claims to be a Christian should pay tithes,
pay their tithes into the storehouse of the Lord? Please give Scripture
to this question.
All right, if you will... That is right, that the Bible said in Malachi
the 4th chapter, "Will a man rob God? And you say, 'Where have we
robbed Thee?' In tithe and offerings. Bring all your tithe and
offerings into My storehouse and prove Me," saith the Lord, "if I will
not open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there'll
not be room enough to receive."
That's a challenge to any individual. And if I only had the time, and
would not get to this little Scripture that I wish to get to in about
the next ten minutes, I would like to give you a personal testimony of
how that I was even hungry, and my mother and them hungry, and my daddy
sick, but I took my tithes out first and give it to God, and you ought
to see what happened. I have never seen in my life, that any man or a
woman, that if you only make one dollar a week, will bring the ten
cents of that money and put it into your storehouse, your church where
you come, if God don't bless that, call me a hypocrite. Yes, sir.
That's a challenge to anybody. And every Christian... That goes to this
other question. Every Christian should pay tithes. That's right. It
should be done.
617-Q-147 All right, now:
147. If a person or persons speaking in unknown tongues in the same
tone of voice each time, the same thing, but the interpretation is
different by the interpreter each time, could that be the Holy Spirit?
Now, let me read that again.
If a person or persons speaking in unknown tongues in the same tone of
voice (in other words, just saying the same thing like certain-certain
word over and over and over) each time, and the same thing each time,
but the interpretation by the interpreter is different each time, could
this be the Holy Ghost?
Now, there is a stiff one, but let me shed just a little light on this
if I can. And I'm sure you'll understand that this is just Brother
Branham trying to do my best, but let me just give this as my own
personal experience of dealing with spiritual things. And I appreciate
your confidence of asking me questions like this. If you didn't have
confidence in me, you wouldn't ask me no such. I believe a Christian
wouldn't ask questions to raise an argument; I believe they're trying
to find what's truth. See? And I would answer, and if they... And I
answer it, and if I've made myself clear it's the best of my knowledge,
and then if that spirit in you gets angry, that shows it isn't the Holy
Spirit in you. See? So then the Holy Spirit will not anger, it'll be
corrected each time with the Word, and stand correction.
618-114 Now, let me say this, that
I... In this case, remember, God be my judge, I... This is William
Branham. I couldn't say. But in experiences that I have witnessed while
under the anointing of such meetings, I believe that the person that's
saying the same thing over each time, the same tone of voice, is really
speaking in tongues. I do; I believe, by the Spirit they're speaking in
tongues, if they're Christians. They are speaking with tongues, no
doubt. But I believe that you get the wrong slant of interpretation.
Now, many times, people... I--I want to... I... It's just the church
folks here, I guess, tonight anyhow, about. Isn't it, Brother Neville,
just about what comes? So if the strangers are here and you different
with this, I'm trying to speak to my own church. See?
618-116 Now, as your father in the
Gospel, as your--as your pastor, I would like a little later on, when
your spirits and gifts begin to come to perfection... If you go to
watching them flying loose and getting... Then just you better
watch--watch that person, just let it go 'cause it's not the Spirit of
God on them. But when they're sweet and meek and humble and ready, and
everything, that's the Spirit of God. And if--if somebody gets out of
order and the pastor has to call it down, and that spirit flies up,
then it's not the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God always stands, comes
to the Word. See? It recognizes the Word every time.
Now... But now I'm not trying to--to--to flatter or to shake down; I'm
only trying to make a truth. Now, someone speaking in tongues, and
another one gets up to interpret tongues... Now listen close. (And I
think this is being taped. Is it?) In interpretation of tongues... Now,
I'm going to have to get down in some doctrine now with this. In the
interpretation of tongues, many people interpret tongues by a
extraordinary expression of them feeling to say such a thing. That is
not interpretation.
619-118 Interpretation is when they
are speaking in a unknown tongue, you are hearing them in English, and
just repeating over what they're saying. But the--if this person speaks
in your church... I don't think we have it in this one. If it does, I
never heard it.
But someone getting up just saying like some certain word, over and
over, or some same tone of voice running right down, right down, right
down, right down...
I tell you. I don't believe Junie Jackson's here tonight. Is he? I
don't think he is. But I've always amazed at Junior Jackson and his
speaking in tongues, and Brother Higginbotham, and many of you people
here, how that you see that change of voice in the interpretation. See?
Now--now, that's all right. Now, I don't... I ain't boasting my church
up. No, sir. If my church needed correction, I--I'm going to stand here
and do my best for my Saviour (That's right.), whether it hurts or
whether it doesn't. I'm--I'm your father in the Gospel (See?), and I
want... You don't want a wrong spirit; you want the right spirit. You
do all...
Why take--take a substitute when there's a whole Pentecostal skies are
full of the real? Why eat in a garbage can when there's a fine, big,
clean table set here with chicken and dumplings and everything? See?
Why don't we do that? See? Let's get the real; that's what we want, the
real, genuine one.
619-122 Now, I believe in this
statement that's made here, same thing over, I believe in that
statement that they're both correct, but I do not believe that the
interpreter is interpreting the language of the person. I do not
believe that. I believe that the Spirit is present and the interpreter
is prophesying. I believe he is a prophesier instead of an interpreter
if he does not hear the voice in his own lang... "How hear we every man
in our own language wherein we were born?" See, you've got to hear in
the same; you've got to hear it in English. If...
Here, here's an interpreter. Now, I can stand up, and I--I only know
two or three words in a--in a--in a different language, that I know of.
Now I'm just taking this one literal, not in spiritual now. Now I'm
going to say, "Baie, baie bly. I... Ekke wil Afrikaans sprekken." Now,
I doubt whether there's a person here know what I said. Yeah, brother,
what'd I say? [A
brother in congregation says, "You said you could speak Afrikaans"--Ed.] Afrikaans, "Baie, baie
bly," "I am very, very happy. I am here to speak Afrikaans (See?),
Afrikaans sprekken." See? "I am here to speak Afrikaans."
620-124 Now, what did he do? He...
I was speaking Afrikaans but he heard me in English. Is that right?
'Cause you know Afrikaans. Now, if you are speaking... If I'm standing
here a-saying, preaching, and Brother Neville is interpreting to
another language of people, he's saying in their language what he hears
me say; he knows what I'm talking about, 'cause he knows my language.
And if you're speaking in an unknown tongue, and interpreting, you're
hearing in the language that you were born in, because that's the only
way you can interpret what they're saying; because the Holy Spirit has
interpreted it to you, and you're just speaking for the Holy Spirit.
620-126 But then if the Spirit is
present to bless this poor person, and they're standing up... Like a
precious old brother, gone on, he's in glory tonight, I really believe.
The dearest old soul that I know, Brother Ryan, all of us knowed him.
He used to stand there on the street. (And God, forgive me, not to be
sacrilegious, I know it's a--blaspheming the Holy Ghost is
unpardonable.) But Brother Ryan used to say one word over and over all
the time, something about "seekem and seekem and seekem," or something
like that. He used to have... Why, somebody said, "Do you think that's
of God?"
I said, "Certainly, it's of God. Certainly, I believe it's of God." But
he was speaking in tongues, but I couldn't say what he was saying
'cause I don't know. But the Presence of the Spirit was there.
So if the Presence of the Spirit is there, and this person's just
saying one word over and over and over, and this other one jumps up and
tries to give an interpretation, yet he don't know what he's saying...
If this man is not giving the interpretation, he's prophesying; the
spirit of prophecy's upon him and he's prophesying, not giving an
interpretation.
621-129 So therefore, dear Christian, to you who said that, "Could that be the Holy Spirit?" It could be the Holy Spirit using two offices; one blessing a soul in speaking in tongues; and another one prophesying, not have to be interpreting what he's saying. But yet he said it. The Holy Spirit come upon him in prophecy just the same time that this one's speaking in tongues, and he thought it was an interpretation, what difference does it make? It's the Spirit of God giving a message to the church. But interpretation, it's got to understand in English and repeat back exactly what the person said; that's the gift of interpretation.
621-Q-148 148. If there is--if there
is already three messages gone out in unknown tongues in one meeting,
then in the prayer line can there be more messages go out and still be
in the spiritual order of the meeting?
Why, certainly. That's right. Sure. I know where you're getting to.
There's Paul said, "If they... If you prophesy and speak in tongues,"
something like that, Paul speaking of...
Little later on, when you all... Brother Neville, when you all want to
now, these people that's got these spiritual gifts... Now, if you'll
trust my understanding of the Scripture, I will come down to the
meeting just with you people alone who has these gifts, just with you
all, so we can set together... And if you feel... And you watch,
Brother Neville, and see in the church, that it is God and God a-moving
among them, that's what we want, but we want to put that in order so it
can go to blessing the church and doing something. Now, God ain't... I
know, and know the Scriptures, what to do. And that's what we want to
do.
621-132 Now, this person here, I
know he's speaking in tongues; it's supposed to be by courses, two, or
not more than three. That is correct, but if you'll notice here, if it
was a...
It's like someone give us up there... Like Brother Sothmann raised up
and give a message in prophecy or speaking in tongues. Interpretation
of tongues is prophecy (See?), spirit of prophecy. Now, if you just
speaking in unknown tongues, there be no interpreter, that person's
blessed of the Spirit, but he doesn't hurt the church.
Now, what Paul was trying to get at is this, "You use the whole service
just in speaking in tongues (See?), and the unlearned said,
'What--what's this about, anyhow?'" See, they don't get it but there be
an interpretation. And let there be one, two, or as many as three
messages in a meeting.
622-135 Now, the person here says,
"Then in the prayer line?" That must have been that maybe someone in
the prayer line... Maybe, Brother Neville, or in some other church or
wherever it's from, that in the prayer line this man--or in Divine
healing meetings, might have been in Brother Roberts' meeting, Brother
Allen's meeting, or some, in my meeting, or somebody else, I don't
know. But, whatever it is, what Paul is speaking of is a message to the
congregation out there, "Let that just be three," because the message
of God is speaking a message trying to get it over to the congregation.
But when the man in the prayer line, he's prophesying to an individual,
not the whole. If that be so, how can I avoid it all along in my prayer
lines (See?), when thirty or forty of them in a night? See, if you're
prophesying to an individual...
But this man prophesying is to the whole body; let that be two or three
messages and then stop it. Though the Holy Spirit may still want to
speak, but wait a minute, give the Word a chance to go out. You see?
And then, really, that speaking should be either before or after the
Word, nothing should interrupt the Word as It's going out. But,
however, we get that in order later on when the spirits and gifts
begins to get into perfection.
We're talking now on--on the seriousness of the Pentecostal church, I
mean the real Pentecostal church. And we're glad that God still lives
and reigns and speaking to us.
622-138 Now, but if it's like, for
instance, if the sister here would give us a message in tongues or a
prophecy, and the lady next to her would give a message in tongues or
prophecy, and then the lady next to her or somebody back there, someone
will give a message or a prophecy, or tongues. No doubt but what it's
nearly all speaking on the same thing, if God's urgent, trying to put
something over, calling some individual in the church to do something,
now, or something that He wants done.
Now, then for instance, the prayer line's called, and Brother Neville
or myself or any other minister goes down to this individual, that's
not to the body; that's to this individual. And the Spirit of God comes
upon him to tell this individual something, then tell them, 'cause he's
not speaking to the congregation. He's speaking to this individual, not
to the congregation, so that is all right.
623-Q-149 149. All right. Dear
Brother Branham, time after time the Lord shows me things in dreams. He
has showed me things about my son in the navy, which my son told me
were secrets. He has showed me of people's deaths and of the secrets of
people's hearts. Is this a gift from God? When He shows me in dreams
the hearts and minds of people, everything has always turned out like
the dream shows me.
Why, yes, my brother or sister, whoever it may be. The Lord bless you.
That is, to my opinion, the gift of God. It's a gift of God. Don't you
know the Bible speaks of dreams? Joseph, how he dreamed dreams and
interpreted, and how others dreamed dreams. Those things are of God.
Now, if it's of God, it'll always be truthful, it'll always happen just
exactly the way He said.
623-141 And now, don't... If you
start showing off with it, it'll just leave you. See, just be reverent
and sweet. And when He shows you anything, and it's something that you
should tell somebody, that they've done something that's wrong, then
just don't stand right up and rebuke that person, go to them yourself
and say, "Sister, brother, you know, the Lord told me the other night
that--that you were doing something wrong, a certain thing."
If that person says, "You are wrong. That is a lie. I did not do that."
Now, the thing to do then is go back and say, "Heavenly Father, was
that wrong?"
Now, if that person... Then if that person was telling you the truth,
then you've got the wrong spirit. But if that person was lying, and he
did do it, God will deal with that person. See? Yes, sir. Because
(See?), what he's done there? He's blasphemed against the Holy Ghost,
denying what the Holy Ghost has called to his attention. See, so it's
the wrong thing.
623-Q-150 150. Brother Branham, how
can a--a church dance, shout, speak in tongues, and let the Spirit...
(Let's see, now wait a minute.)... and get lost in the Spirit, and ever
very seldom anytime Scripture read. I don't understand it.
Neither do I, "shouting, dancing, speaking in tongues, and not even
read the Scripture..." I--I--I say this, remember, William Branham,
which could be a million miles wrong. I believe that most of the
people... I was asked that question today by a brother, something on
that order, that when they go to pray for the sick, a brother will
maybe pray for one, then get them all singing or dancing in the Spirit,
thinking that brings power amongst the people. No, I--I... For myself,
I believe that's wrong.
624-146 I believe that a person
coming in the healing meeting will be like coming for salvation, come
reverently, believing. Every person in there, not shouting and dancing,
but seeing their brother or sister going up there to ask God for mercy,
bow your head and start praying, "God, help my brother now as pastor
prays for him, anoints him. Let the Holy Spirit come upon him and give
him faith to believe for his healing. He's a precious brother. She's a
precious sister." Be praying for him instead of just singing, shouting,
and dancing.
But we see so much of that in our Pentecostal meetings; it's a
constant... I believe it's a worship; I truly believe they're
worshipping God. Yes, sir. I believe it with all of my heart. And I
believe in speaking with tongues, shouting, and dancing. And I believe
it every bit, yes. I believe anything that they do in the Bible is just
as good today as it was then (Sure.), but I believe it has its time and
its order.
Now, the great blessing's on, and the people are shouting, and the
glory of the Lord is a-falling, and people want to scream and shout and
do whatever the Spirit tells them, go ahead. That's right. But when a
man's coming to be healed, where the question between death and life is
involved, I believe we should be reverent and speak to Father and talk
to Him for this brother. Instead of worshipping Him, let's ask Him,
"Father, I'm--I'm a worshipper of Yours. I love You. You know I do. I
express my love to You. Now I'm expressing my faith in You; help my
brother to be well, will You, Father?" I believe you'll get a better
results by doing that. I really do. And reverence the Spirit of God.
624-149 My, these may be a hundred
miles long. I hope I've answered them...?... throwed just a little bit
of Light. I kind of know what's on your minds now anyhow. And I'll tell
you what. A little later on I want to ask pastor here if he'll come and
help me to--maybe come down and get all the people together that's got
the Spirit of God upon them in the form of gifts, let's talk about it a
little while. Maybe I can help you to climb the ladder just a little
bit higher and get a little closer to God with it and set it more in
order in the church. I've been watching along; it seems wonderful to
me. And I just love to see it move on and on and on, and on and on and
on.
And as we're coming up, don't let Satan creep in now. Boy, he's smart.
Hmm. Don't outwit him; don't try to, because you can't. You just depend
on God and just keep walking humbly; God will do it, and you'll find
out that God will use you more and more and more like that. The Lord
bless you.
625-151 Do we have time for twenty
minutes of speaking? Thank you. Thank you. I guess that was enough to
start me, Ben. All right.
Let's turn to Psalms just a moment. The Lord seemed to give me a little
thought here I would like to express to you all tonight just in a
matter of a sermon, if you will, just--just a few minutes. I know it's
hot, and it's hot up here too. But remember, we won't meet anymore,
maybe, till Wednesday night. So let's just wait and--and 'fore we sing
the good old song of "Blest Be The Tie That Binds," let's--let's talk
about the--the written Word. These questions kind of make us--leave us
in a stew. Let's--let's get out of it now and--and speak in the Word.
Now can we bow our heads again just a moment?
625-153 Heavenly Father, these
questions, I've tried to find what the people's got on their hearts,
see if they'll ask about this about that. I see, Lord, they're desiring
spiritual gifts. And those who have spiritual gifts are wondering how
to conduct it. To some, it's throwing great Light on the church; to
others they're wondering. Now, Lord, help us. Help us, Lord. We are
Your children. We are not doing these things to honor ourselves; we are
doing this to the honor of God by a gift that God has given us.
We pray, Father, that You'll bless these gifts and manifest them in the
church. And may it come to pass that pilgrims and strangers coming by,
and drop in that door and set down a few minutes, and may the Spirit of
God be so great in here till it'll make known the secret of every heart
that enters the door. Grant it, Lord. May it be with such sweetness and
humility, never harsh and rebuking and tearing down. We know the Spirit
of God isn't like that.
So we pray that You'll bless us in everything. Bless our church; bless
our people. Bless the people of other churches. And, Father, we know
that there are only one church and we are all born into that.
And I pray, Father, that You'll bless us further as I read this little
text that You seemed to give me, setting there by the desk this
afternoon. And help me, Lord, not to keep the people too long, but just
to speak a few expressions here. I pray that You'll be in it. And give
us a little thought, that we can go home with it and thank the Lord for
His goodness. We ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
626-157 Now, don't forget, next
Sunday morning, the Lord willing. Now turn to Psalms 106 and the 7th
verse. I was going to read on down, a piece--a part of this Psalm. But
it's David. Why it come to me, was because of this morning's message.
And I'll get my watch here and try to be out at nine-thirty, if all
possible. Now on the 7th verse of Psalms 106:
Our fathers
understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude
of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even... the Red sea.
I'm going to read the next verse:
Nevertheless he
saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to
be known.
The Lord add His blessings. I'm going to speak to you, if the Lord
willing, on the subject of the misunderstanding, God, misunderstood.
I'll take it like that: "God Being Misunderstood."
626-161 You know, misunderstanding
gets us in a lot of trouble. Many times that people say things that
they repeat after somebody else, where they misunderstood them. That
gets a person in trouble. I believe it would be good for us if we just,
well, wait till we understood what we was talking about. Don't you
think so? I know it would be for me, a very good for me to find out
first and then say it. See? But we're always, seem to be,
misunderstood. And here David is speaking of Israel misunderstood His
miracles when they were in Egypt.
Now, to misunderstand is just not to say, "Well, I didn't hear what he
said," but to see something done and misunderstand what it's for,
that's a--that's you're missing the boat all completely then.
627-163 Now, God doesn't do
miracles just to say, "See, I'm God." God does a miracle for an
understanding. See? God does it for a purpose. And did you notice the
reading of the Psalms here in this 7th verse? I think it's so
beautiful; I want to read it over again.
Our fathers
understood not thy wonders in Egypt;... (see, they didn't
understand it)... they remembered not the multitude of thy
mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even... the Red sea.
Nevertheless he
saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to
be known.
See, they did not understand why that God, down in Egypt, performed
these miracles. He was trying to show them His mercies. He was trying
to get them to understand that He was God in their midst. I love that.
627-165 In my little sermon that I
preached here sometime ago, up at Chicago, and then I believe I
preached it here, the boys has got it on tape, "As The Eagle Stirreth
Up Her Nest," flutters over her young. How that the old mother eagle
takes her little babies... Before she takes them on a flight, they got
a lot of loose feathers in them. And they've never seen her really in
her best because they're all squatted down in the nest. But she gets up
over the nest and she spreads her big mighty wings. What's she doing?
She screams; she wants them to know her voice. She stretches forth her
big wings.
The female eagle's sometimes the largest. They are said that eagles
sometime, many females has wings fourteen feet from tip to tip, pick up
a calf and fly away with it. Fourteen feet, tip from tip to wings, far
as across this platform right here, from post to post.
627-167 She gets up there before
this little fellow, because why? She's going to take him on a flight.
He's never been out of that nest. And she's going to take him way up in
the heavens and then shake him off, and let him up there to flop for
himself to learn how to fly. So she wants to show the authority she
has. She spreads forth her big wings to the strutting of the feathers,
and she screams, and then she fans them. Oh, my. The feathers fly out
of the nest, and everything else, she's throwing wind in there like out
of a jet plane. Knocks him backwards, and he lays on his little back,
and looks up and saying, "Mother, how great thou art. How great thou
art."
"See how strong my wings are? I can pick you up and pack you anywhere I
want to. I'm powerful."
628-169 That's what God was doing
to Israel. You know, He said, "As the eagle stirreth up her nest,"
that's the same thing. He found Israel in a howling land down there,
and He brought him up out of Egypt and took him into the promised land
on the wings of an eagle. See? And what was God doing these miracles?
He was trying to get to His people that He was the mighty Jehovah.
And that's what He's trying to do today. He just doesn't heal people
just to--because He can heal. He's trying to get to you that He's the
Resurrection, that He can make you well, He can raise up your body. He
can do whatever He wants to; He's Jehovah. I like that.
But the people misunderstood Him. God is so easily to be misunderstood
by unbelievers, by those who don't want to understand. Many people try
to understand. Many don't want to understand; they just shut up
themselves and say, "There's no such a thing," and, "I don't believe in
such." Then they can never understand.
628-172 But a man that's willing to
understand, that's willing to set down ("And come let us reason
together," saith the Lord) now, that man is--is on the line of learning
something from the Lord. But people who always are associated with God
and God's power... You can hardly be associated with God without being
associated with His power, because when you're associated with Him you
are acquainted to Him, or a relative to Him, and then you have His
power in you.
That's the reason that people cannot believe in miracles today, because
they don't have anything in them to believe with. They've got to have
something in there to believe with. And when the Spirit of God is in a
man, he will say "amen" to every Word of God and every miracle of God.
But as my mother used to say, "You can't get blood from a turnip,
because there's no blood in it." So that's the same way; you can't get
belief out of unbeliever, because there's nothing there to believe with.
628-174 A man said, "I don't
believe in Divine healing, no matter what you'd say." Certainly, it's
not for him; it's only to those who can believe. If you're going to get
blood, get it out from something that's got blood in it. If you're
going to get faith, get it out to something that's got faith in it.
And that's the way; God uses something that's got faith in it. He don't
send you out here in a healing campaign when you ain't got faith enough
to believe it. How is He going to send you out in a miracle-working
revival when you ain't got faith enough to believe it? He wants
something that's got something in there that He can produce something
with. So the people misunderstood.
629-176 Noah was very much
misunderstood in his day. Noah, acquainted of God, a servant of God, a
believer in God. And when you become a believer in God, you do things
so contrary to what people think that's right till they think that
you're crazy. And Noah, warned of God, prepared an ark for the saving
of his household. And the people thought that he was crazy. He was not
crazy; he was just misunderstood, because he was following the
direction of God. Amen. I like that. He was misunderstood.
"How could a man..." Though You say, "There's never no rain come from
the sky. What is rain?" Never had rained; God irrigated the ground.
"Noah, where's that rain at?"
"I don't know."
"Show me where it's at."
"I can't show it to you."
"Well, how do you know it's going to come down from up there when
there's none up there to come down?"
Noah might've said something like this: "God told me it was coming
down. And if God said it's coming down, He's able to take it up there
and then bring it down." So that--that settled it. If God said so,
that's all there is to it. See? He was misunderstood because he was
following God.
629-180 Elijah... I could stay on
these subjects a long time, but I've got several of them here I would
like to come to quickly. Elijah was misunderstood by his nation. Elijah
was an Israelite; he was a Jew, and he was misunderstood because he was
always condemning his nation, condemning the king, condemning the
queen, condemning everything there was around, and condemning them.
What a crackpot he seemed to be. Why, my, everything, it came "THUS
SAITH THE LORD. God's going to punish you, you Jezebel, you so-and-so."
He was misunderstood. Why? He was following God. It was not Elijah they
misunderstood; it was the working of the Holy Spirit in Elijah that
they misunderstood.
630-182 How could a man raise up
against his own nation? Blasphemed his own nation, corrected, and put
the curses of God upon it, the very nation, the very people that he
lived with. His own race, his own color, his own creed, his own kind,
and yet predict the judgments of God and called a famine upon them. He
was misunderstood, because it wasn't Elijah; it was God in Elijah that
they misunderstood. It wasn't Elijah being misunderstood; it was God
leading Elijah, and they misunderstood that God was a holy God and He
cannot in-tolerate sin.
And no matter if it's on your brother, sister, or mother, no matter who
it is, it's sin in the sight of God and the judgment will come upon
them for it. Misunderstood...
630-184 Daniel was misunderstood when all of the rest of the children of Israel bowed down to the image, but he and Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down. Well, they said, "What's the matter with him?" The whole nation said, "What's the matter with this crazy guy? Well, all the rest of the Hebrews recognized our god; they recognized it; they bow down when we play the trumpets, and sound the trumpets and play the psalteries, and so forth, and sound the flute. They all bow down, but what's the matter with this crackpot? What's the matter with him; he won't do it?" Because he was in contact with God. That's what's the matter. He was misunderstood. He was supposed to be "Crazy, or had lost his mind. Well, they was a bunch of cranks." But they were only following the leading of the Spirit. That's the reason they were misunderstood.
630-185 All the prophets of the Old
Testament, how they rose up and prophesied against their nation, how
they prophesied against the people, how they prophesied against the
thing, putting curses upon them, and doing things like that. They
misunderstood. Why? They were God's servants; they were doing the will
of God. They were doing the service of God; therefore, they were
misunderstood.
And anybody that follows God is misunderstood. Jesus, our Lord, when
His birth, He was misunderstood.
The Magi, they were misunderstood; they were following a supernatural
sign to find a King that was born King of the Jews. They knowed there
was a star rising out of Jacob, according to the prophecies of Daniel.
And they knowed this King would be a Saviour; He would be the King of
Israel. And they come two years, all the way from India down by the
Tigris River, and across the deserts and through the mountains,
everywhere, and come into the city of Jerusalem one evening about
sundown, screaming, "Where is He that's born King of the Jews? Where is
He?"
631-188 And nobody knowed nothing
about it. It was a strange thing that the King of the Jews was born and
people hundreds of miles away knowed about it, and right here in the
city where He was born, and the place He was born, amongst the people
He was born to, and they knowed nothing about it. They misunderstood
the Magi. They said, "There's no such a thing as the King of the Jews.
We got a king up here: Herod."
He was misunderstood in His birth when He was born. And Mary was to be
mother before she was married to Joseph. Misunderstood... They thought
It was born out of holy wedlock; they did not know that the Holy Ghost
had conceived this Child in her. But it was misunderstood. It was a act
of God, and people misunderstood it. They still misunderstand it, an
act of God is usually misunderstood.
631-191 Only by spiritual believing
people, people who believe the Spirit... But it was misunderstood; the
Magi was misunderstood. Herod misunderstood it. When Herod said, "Well,
you tell me where the baby is, and I'll go worship Him too," he was a
hypocrite; he was a-lying. What he was afraid of... He didn't know the
Scriptures that there was supposed to be a Messiah come, a King of
heaven. And Herod thought it would be an earthly king, and he wanted to
kill Him to get rid of Him.
It wasn't an earthly king; He said this earth is not His kingdom, "If
this was My kingdom My subjects would fight for Me, but My Kingdom is
of up above." Herod misunderstood it; he thought it was an earthly king.
631-194 That's the way they say
today, "What church do you belong to if you're a Christian? What
denomination?"
"None."
They don't get it. See, they can't understand it. They think a
denomination means a Christian. It's vice versa, very much so. But it's
misunderstood by the people.
Now, we find out that Herod misunderstood it; he couldn't understand it.
Nicodemus couldn't understand it, the new birth, when he came to Jesus
by night. Someone condemned him. I don't condemn him. He was a good
man; he wanted to find out something. He was busy through the day,
maybe he was at his priest's office, or something another; he had to
come by night. Anyhow he got there; he done a lot better than a lot of
people does now. They won't come day or night. He finally arrived;
'fore you condemn him, have you? He finally got to Jesus, and let's not
condemn him if we haven't been there. And if you get there, then I
don't think you'd condemn him. No, he--he got there. And he come by
night; maybe he was busy. Anyhow he come. Maybe Jesus was too busy out
praying for the sick and things, only time he could catch Him for this
interview would be at nighttime. But he finally got there; he stayed
there till he got an interview with Jesus. And when Jesus said...
He--he said, "Rabbi, we know that You are a man sent from God, for no
man could do these things that You do except God be with Him."
Jesus said, "Except a man be borned again he cannot enter the Kingdom,
not even see the Kingdom."
And the great rabbi, master in Israel, said, "Me, an old man, to be
a--enter into my mother's wombs and be borned again?" See, he
misunderstood what Jesus was talking about; he just didn't get it.
Because that Jesus was talking about a spiritual birth, and he was
trying to apply it to a natural birth. So he misunderstood Him; he
didn't get it. He just... The way people do... Just like Nicodemus,
many of us misunderstand the things of God, because we just take it and
apply it for a natural thing.
632-200 Like, say, a doctor say,
"Oh, I do not believe in Divine healing. I don't believe there's
anything."
I heard a doctor tell a woman in an office one time, said... And she
didn't know... He wanted to know what become of a growth she had. She
said, "Brother Branham prayed for me, and the Lord healed me."
He said, "I do not believe it." He said, "I can never--I can never
believe anything like that." Said, "Tell me who took it off."
Said, "Find the scar."
Said, "What did you put on it?"
Said, "Nothing, not at all." Said, "He just called me out of the
meeting and the thing left."
And I was setting right in the next room (That's right.), setting right
in the next room listening. She didn't know I was in there. And he
didn't know I was in there, 'cause he didn't even know me. See? And
there I was setting in there. And he said... Taking somebody else to a
doctor's office. That's exactly right. And I could overhear what he
said; I got--I got the patient and got out of there when I found that,
that he didn't believe.
So he said, "I don't believe one word of it." Said, "I've never seen
anything yet that could do anything like that. I just don't believe
it." Said, "I've got to see it before I believe it."
She said, "Well, what about my--my growth?"
He said, "I'd have to see it leave before I'll believe it."
633-206 See, seeing is not
believing. "Faith is the substance of things you don't see." See, you
believe it first and then it happens. So the--the man was not a
believer, so therefore it was all a mystery to him. He didn't know what
he was talking about, because he--he couldn't understand it; it was a
riddle to him.
People say today, "Oh, I don't believe in that Divine healing. I don't
believe in that Holy Ghost. I don't believe in that speaking in
tongues. I don't believe in that shouting. I don't believe in all this
stuff like that. I don't believe in it." Why? It's a mystery. You're
just misunderstanding. It's God; here it is in the Bible. Here it is
bringing the same results that the Bible spoke of bringing; then it's
got to be God. You just misunderstand it; that's all. God is
misunderstood.
633-208 His disciples couldn't
understand His miracle that night when He come into the boat, and he
said, "What manner of man is this that even the winds and the waves
obey Him?" They misunderstood that He wasn't a man; He was God.
That's what's the matter today with people. They want to make Him a
little mascot boy, or something another that carries the bat. They want
to make Him just a little fellow around the camp.
He wasn't a little fellow around the camp; He was Jehovah God. They
misunderstood it. They expected Him to be just one of them. He wasn't
one of them; He was God among them. He was more than a man. As I've
often said, He was a man when He was hungry, but He was God when He fed
five thousand with a biscuit--two biscuits and some pieces of fishes.
He was a man when He was tired on the back of a boat, but He was God
when He ceased the winds and waves and made them obey Him. "What manner
of man is this?" He wasn't a manner of a man; He was God manifested in
a man. They misunderstood Him. They thought Him to be a man, Mary's
son, a carpenter, but He was God manifested in the flesh. Amen.
634-211 The Roman soldiers
misunderstood Him when they had Him set in the court, and put a rag
around His eyes, and hit Him on top of the head, and said, "Now, if you
are a prophet... They all say you're a prophet; come tell us who hit
you on top of the head."
See, they misunderstood that Jesus said, "I do only what the Father
shows Me to do. I do what the Father shows Me, and then I do what He
tells Me to do." They misunderstood it.
635-213 They misunderstood His
ministry. The Jews misunderstood Him: how He come to be their Friend
and Saviour, and they wanted to make Him a--a something was evil. They
misunderstood His ministry. He said, "The queen of the south shall rise
up in the Judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came
from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And a
greater than Solomon is here." But they misunderstood that He was
greater than Solomon. They thought He was just a man.
Many of them thought He was born out of holy wedlock, come up out of a
bad family that had these desires and so forth, and a bastard child.
Which we just had the question, they could not even... Why, they said,
"Why, we know that you were born out of holy wedlock. You got a devil
on you. Why, you try to teach us? We're rabbis."
He said, "You are of your father, the Devil." See, they misunderstood.
635-215 When the Roman soldiers
went back one time, listening at Him, said, "Never a man spoke like
this. We never heard a man speak like this."
It was not a man speaking; it was God. Yes, sir. Man didn't speak like
that. A man tells and speaks the Scriptures; Jesus makes the Scriptures
live. A man don't live like this: "The Scripture says this here; here
it is." Man can say the Scripture says it, but that's about all he can
do. But Jesus could say, "I and My Father are One; My Father dwells in
Me. He that's seen Me has seen the Father." Nobody else could say that.
Amen. Hallelujah. That's right. "He that's seen Me has seen the
Father." Nobody else could say that.
No wonder them soldiers said, "There never was a man spoke like this."
He don't speak like a scribe or a preacher; He speaks with authority.
And even the devils obey Him, and the winds and the waves obeyed Him.
They thought He was a man, but He was God. See, He was misunderstood.
635-218 Said, "Why, you're--you're
born a bastard. You're born out of holy wedlock, and you try to teach
us? Why, we know you're mad and got a devil. You're a Samaritan, been
over there and got them devils on you. You're trying to teach us, us
holy rabbis?"
He said, "You're of your father the Devil."
Yes, they misunderstood Him; they didn't know Who He was. That's what's
the matter today, people trying to make Him something that He isn't.
He's not just a man; He's God in man: no third person, He's the only
Person. Yes, sir. Sure, they misunderstood Him.
635-220 The Pharisee, that Pharisee
that invited Him down there that time for a dinner, a big banquet, he
misunderstood Him. He thought he'd just have Him down there. I preached
on that message out here not long ago at a breakfast, I believe, at
Chicago, at that breakfast. That Pharisee said, "Now, look at Him
setting back there, setting back there, unwashed feet and everything.
That little woman come in and washed Him with the tears, and wiped with
the hairs of her head." He said, "If He was a prophet He'd know what
manner of woman that is there washing His feet. Shows He's not a
prophet."
Jesus stood up and said, "Simon, I got something to say to you." Amen.
He just misunderstood; that was all. He said, "I... You invited Me to
come, and I left My busy schedule to come to your invitation. And
when... You never met Me at the door. You never have washed My feet.
You never anointed My head. You never kissed Me welcome. You just let
Me come in, dirty and stinking and full of sweat, and set Me over here
in a corner to make fun of Me. But this woman, this woman, she's
constantly kissed My feet, and she's washed them with the tears of
repentance (What beautiful water.), and wiped them with the hairs of
her head. I've got something against you, Simon. Verily I say unto you,
her sins which are many are all forgiven her." Amen. Simon
misunderstood; she understood.
Simon said, "He's just a man."
She said, "He's God, my Saviour." He was misunderstood. He's still
misunderstood.
636-222 The disciples at Calvary,
they misunderstood when they all denied Him and went away. How could
they see a man, a man that they had knowed to perform miracles and
raise the dead, yet submit Hisself to death, and walk up through there,
beaten, and crying, the spit running off His face, and blood mixed with
it where they'd pulled their handfuls of beard out, plucked it from His
face, and warped His back till His bones was shining through, and
kicking Him, and beating Him around, them cussing, drunken soldiers
beating Him right up the street; and stand and let them do that?" They
misunderstood, so they stood far off. That's right.
The Devil misunderstood Him. The Devil said, "Surely that cannot be a
Son of God that would stand there and be mistreated like that, and them
cussing, and my disciples down there just treating him any way, and him
taking it. He's not the Son of God."
636-224 Also the Pharisees, the
priests, misunderstood Him, said, "If Thou be the Son of God, bring
yourself down off of there."
The thief on His left misunderstood Him, said, "If thou be the Son of
God, take us off the cross, save yourself and us too."
But the thief on the right understood Him; he said, "We have, and we've
done evil and we deserve what we're getting, but this Man's done
nothing. Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom."
Watch that Voice come back, said, "Today shall thou be with Me in
paradise." He understood that that was God dying for our sins. The only
way He could die, would be put to death in the flesh. He can't be put
to death in Spirit, because He's the Eternal Spirit. And He had to be
in flesh to be put to death, so they just misunderstood. He understood
it.
637-228 One day about ten days after that, or about forty days after that, fifty days it was, the disciples climbed up into an upper room, and they stayed up there for ten days and nights until the fiftieth day come. Then all of a sudden there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind. Because Jesus had told them, "Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you, but wait in the city of Jerusalem until you're endued with power from on high." They knowed that It was going to come. Now, they knowed it was--had to happen. "Go up there and wait until I send It." They waited up there. They confessed, got everything out of their minds and hearts. They were waiting, all in one accord, in one place, waiting for the promise, walking back and forth, the men and the women, up there walking around together in this upper room, all the doors barred so the Jews couldn't get in and--and hurt them.
637-229 All at once, they was up
there walking around, and there came a sound from heaven like a rushing
mighty wind, whirled around through there, and then licks of Fire begin
to set upon them. The doors flew open; the windows come open, out into
the streets they went. And they were misunderstood, insomuch that they
said, "Are these men not full of new wine? These people are drunk
because we hear them blabbering off something we don't know what
they're talking about." All at once they said, "How hear we every man
in our own language, are not an these Galileans?" They misunderstood
that it was the promise of the Father.
Then God had a prophet there who could stand up and speak, Peter said,
"You men of Jerusalem and you that dwell in Judaea, don't misunderstand
this. This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel, 'And it'll
come to pass in the last days,' saith God, 'I'll pour out My Spirit
upon all flesh. And upon My handsmaids and maid servants will I pour
out of My Spirit; they shall prophesy. I'll show wonders in the heavens
above and in the earth below, and fire, and vapor, and pillars of
smoke. It shall come to pass, before the great and terrible day of the
Lord shall come, that whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord
shall be saved." It was the work of God. It was the Holy Ghost, but
they misunderstood it.
638-233 He was misunderstood. He's
always been misunderstood. Israel misunderstood Him. The people in
Noah's time misunderstood Him. The people in Daniel's time
misunderstood Him. The people in John's time misunderstood Him. The
people in--in the prophet's time misunderstood Him. The people in the
Pentecostal age misunderstood Him. The people in this age
misunderstands Him; it's still the same. They don't get it, because
He's misunderstood. It's the time to compare the natural with the
spiritual.
When the people in now... After the day of Pentecost, when they was all
filled with the Holy Ghost, had this great big meeting up there, they
called a man down there that's crippled from his mother's womb, two of
them was going along the street and this beggar shook a can and asked
for some money. And he said, "Silver and gold have I none, but such as
I have I'll give it to you." He said, "In the Name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, stand up and walk." And he took the man by the hand and
raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received
strength. He begin walking, and leaping, and running, and jumping, and
praising God, went into the temple. And all the people begin to come
together, and screaming and carrying on. Why, it was unusual.
638-236 And they put them in jail,
and threatened them that they "Should not preach anymore in the Name of
Jesus."
And Peter said, "Who should we listen to, God or man?"
And they turned them loose, thinking because they'd whipped them a
little bit and threatened them that they'd hang them the next time, or
burn them, or put them on the cross, or something, they'd stop it. But
the next thing they found; they was out on the street doing it again.
Why? They misunderstood. It wasn't them people; it was God in those
people doing those things.
638-239 When they caught up little
Stephen at the Sanhedrin Court, that morning, said, "We'll take him
before this court. When all these rabbis and Jews and high priests and
holy fathers, and all of them gathered out there, these doctors of
divinity, it'll scare him in the wits." So they brought him out in his
chains, and stood him out there, a little fellow like a lamb amongst a
bunch of raving wolves. They said, "Watch him take down now and say,
'I'll take it all back, brethren; don't you all bother me.'"
He said, "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. Why do
you resist the Holy Ghost? Like your fathers did, so do you." Amen.
They found out that it wasn't him. For they picked up clods, and
throwed their hands in their ears, and begin to gnash upon him, and
clod him to death. And when he raised his head up towards that, and the
bats beating him from one side to the other, he said, "I see the
heavens open, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." Amen. And
he fell asleep in the arms of the Lord Jesus. When he died, he said,
"Father, lay not this sin to their charge."
See, they misunderstood what they did. Paul, standing there look at it,
later on it got on his nerves, and said, "I'm the least among all of
them, because I bore witness to Stephen's death, Thy saint." Amen.
That's it.
639-243 See, people misunderstood
this enthusiasm. People misunderstand today. They misunderstand the
power of the Holy Spirit. They call it a bunch of holy-rollers. They
call it a bunch of people that ain't got their right mind. They
misunderstand that you had to lose your--what you call your right
mind...?... because you have the mind of Christ in you. You can't have
the mind of the world and the mind of Christ at the same time, one's
carnal and the other one's spiritual. "He that walks after the flesh is
carnal; he that walks after the Spirit is spiritual." Amen. So I'll
lose myself and find it, Lord, in Thee. Yes, sir.
So God's misunderstood. It's not you that's misunderstood; it's the
Holy Spirit making you do that that they misunderstand. Amen. They're
not speaking against you; they're speaking against Him. People are
misunderstood.
There they let them go, but they get right back in the street and start
again. The same today, they misunderstand the people. They don't know
what it is.
639-245 Today I'm misunderstood in
my ministry, that He sent me to the people. They misunderstand. Every
one of them said, "We believe Brother Branham..." I talked to a
preacher awhile ago, said, "Brother Branham, we all know that you was
sent to the church, but, the idea is, how do you come baptizing in
Jesus' Name?" They misunderstand the Scriptures. They misunderstand it.
That's what He sent me for; that's my purpose of being here. "Why do
you teach the serpent's seed, and things like that that's contrary to
what we teach?" Well, brother, that's why I'm here. They just
misunderstand it. Amen. But God is bearing record by His Word and the
signs of the Holy Ghost in...?... No matter how much they may
misunderstand it, God's confirming the Word. Amen.
God's always been misunderstood. And those who live with God are
misunderstood with God, because it's God working in them. Amen. You
believe it?
I love
Him, I love Him
Because
He first loved me (Do
you love Him? Raise up your hands and say praises.)
...
purchased my salvation
On
Calvary's tree.
640-247 Are you glad you're
misunderstood? We used to sing a little song, saying, "Now I'm marked,
marked, marked, marked by the Spirit Divine." That's right. People that
once loved me, turn their back on me now because I'm marked, marked by
the Spirit. Amen. I lost my mind to the things of the world to receive
the mind of Christ; therefore, if I have the mind of Christ, my mind
seeks those things which are above. I'd like for somebody to show me
any different correct baptism besides the Name of Jesus Christ. I'd
like for somebody to show me a Scripture that says the serpent didn't
have a seed. I'd like for somebody to show me a Scripture that says
there's three gods.
Then they say, "Well, what is it?"
640-249 God sent me His Message and
bears record of it. He confirms the Word with signs following. That's
what the Bible said. They can't deny that; it's a fact. But what did
they do? They misunderstand it, because I didn't come in the name of
the Assemblies of God, the Oneness, or the Twoness, or the Threeness,
or the Church of God, or the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterian,
Lutheran. I come in none of them names; I come in the Name of Jesus
Christ. And God by His mercy confirms the Message by the power of the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. So it's still the Spirit of God that the
people misunderstand. That's right, misunderstood.
Sure, you're misunderstood; all that live godly in Christ Jesus is
misunderstood, all the way from righteous Noah, all the way down till
the modern day saint today is misunderstood: always been, people
misunderstand it.
Israel misunderstood it. They don't understand; they just can't because
they are carnal in spirit, and not... It won't deviate with the
spiritual, because it will not mix.
641-252 But I'm glad that we live in a Kingdom that's not made with hands of men. I'm glad that we're going to a Kingdom that man had nothing to do with. I'm glad that our Kingdom is above. And if our Kingdom is above, we're born from above, then we seek those things which are above, where Christ sets at the right hand of God, oh, where He's not ashamed of us as our testimony. We're not ashamed of Him on this earth, because we are pilgrims and strangers. We're not of this earth; we're borned of the Spirit of God. We're setting together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, washed in His Blood, borned of His Spirit, filled with His grace. That's it: misunderstood. But what do we care? We love Him. Don't you love Him?
641-253 All right, Teddy, give us
the note on "I Love Him," and let's sing it from the top of our voice.
I love
Him, I love Him
Because
He first loved me
And
purchased my salvation
On
Calvary's tree.
Isn't He wonderful? Don't you love Him? Aren't you glad that you're a
peculiar, royal priesthood, chosen people, peculiar people, offering
spiritual sacrifices, the fruits of your lips, giving praise to Him?
I'll sing you a song now; I feel like singing.
I find
many people who can't understand
Why I
am so happy and free;
I've
been filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And
that's what's the matter with me.
Oh,
that's what's the matter with me,
Oh,
that's what's the matter with me;
I've
been filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And
that's what's the matter with me.
You like that? Let's all sing it then.
We
find many people who can't understand
Why we
are so happy and free;
We're
filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And
that's what's the matter with me.
Oh,
that's what's the matter with me, (Praise
God.)
Oh,
that's what's the matter with me;
I've
been filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,
And
that's what's the matter with me.
Oh,
when I get happy, I sing and I shout,
Some
don't understand it, I see;
But
I've crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land,
And
that's what's the matter with me.
Oh,
that's what's the matter with me, (Praise
God.)
Oh,
that's what's the matter with me;
I've
crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land,
And
that's what's the matter with me.
642-257 Oh, I love that, don't you?
Crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land. I bid farewell to the world,
lifted up above the things of the world, now I'm living in this
heavenly atmosphere. Sure I act funny to them buzzards down there. Yes,
sir. I'm flying above it. That's right. What do we care? We are living
in Canaan's land (Amen. Yes, sir.), eating the new grapes, just having
a wonderful time, full of glory, full of power, full of the Holy
Spirit. Yes, sir.
Said a Stephen was a man full. Full of what? Full of what? He was full
of the Holy Ghost; he was full of power; he was full of wisdom; he was
full of might. What'd it all make up? He was full of the Holy Ghost.
That's where all these things dwell. That's what the church of the
living God is. Aren't you happy for it, Christians? That's rightly. If
you're misunderstood, "All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall be
misunderstood." They've always been down through the Bible.
Now, what am I trying to say? To you people who speak with tongues, to
you who shout, dance in the Spirit, people say, "Oh, it's nonsense,"
just remember I've went right back and showed you. Right down through
the Scripture, they're always misunderstood. Remember, you're in the
Scripture, and you're doing that which is right. Stay right with it.
God's with you. Stay right in the Scripture. God will take care of the
rest of it. Amen.
643-260 I love Him. Let's sing that
good old baptismal song, the one we was singing the first time that the
Angel of the Lord there ever appeared before men in his presence. I'd
seen it before, myself, but first time He ever come down. And when He
come down, He--He said, "As John was sent to forerun the first coming
of Christ, your message will forerun the second coming of Christ."
Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people standing on the banks down
there when It come down on June, 1933, at the river. And we were
standing on the banks, singing:
On
Jordan's stormy banks I stand,
And
cast a wishful eye,
To
Canaan's fair and happy land,
Where
my possessions lie.
I am
bound for the promised land,
I am
bound for the promised land;
O who
will come and go with me?
I am
bound for the promised land.
Oh, I
am bound for the promised land,
I am
bound for the promised land;
O who
will come and go with me?
I am
bound for the promised land.
When
shall I reach this healthful place,
And be
forever blest.
When
shall I see my Father's face,
And in
His bosom rest?
Oh, I
am bound for the promised land,
Oh, I
am bound for the promised land;
O who
will come and go with me?
I am
bound for the promised land.
All
o'er those wide extended plains
Shines
one eternal day;
There
God the Son forever reigns,
And
scatters night away.
I am
bound for the promised land,
I am
bound for the promised land;
O who
will come and go with me?
I am
bound for the promised...
Let's just sing that again and shake hands with somebody around you.
I am
bound for the promised land,
I am
bound for the promised land;
O who
will come and go with me?
I am
bound for the promised land.
644-262 Now, without a shadow of
doubt, every one of you that has accepted Christ, and know that you are
borned again of the Spirit, let's raise our hands now and sing it.
I am
bound for the promised land,
Well,
I'm bound for the promised land;
O who
will come and go with me?
I am
bound for the promised land.
I haven't seen this for a long time. Ladies, reach in your purse and
get a handkerchief. Gentlemen, reach in your hip pocket and get your
handkerchief out. Now we're going to have a wave-gift to the Lord. All
right, all of us together, we're going to wave like we're going into
Canaan now, wave your handkerchief. All right, now.
I am
bound for the promised land,
I am
bound for the promised land;
O who
will come and go with me?
I am
bound for the promised land,
Now, if there is someone here that hasn't made their election and
calling sure, that would like to come while we sing it again, would
like to pull out your handkerchief and wave with us again. The gate's
open now; the tickets are free. Won't you come? Step aboard the old
ship of Zion; she's going, moving out. Let's go.
I am
bound for the promised land, (It
won't be long.)
Oh, I
am bound for the promised land;
O who
will come and go with me?
I am
bound for the promised land.
645-265 As we bow our heads:
To be
like Jesus, just to be like Jesus,
On
earth I long to be like Him;
All
through life's journey from earth to Glory
I only
ask to be like Him.
From
Bethlehem's manger came forth a Stranger,
On
earth I long to be like Him;
All
through life's journey from earth to Glory
I only
ask to be like Him.
Don't forget Sunday. Don't forget Wednesday night is prayer meeting.
Remember, pray much; pray for me; pray for your pastor; pray for your
neighbor, your deacons, your trustees; pray that God will have His way
with us all.
To be
like Jesus, to be like Jesus,
On
earth I long (That's
my heart's desire.) to
be like Him; (He's
understands. Lots of people don't understand, you just remember God
will make a...?...)... from earth to Glory
I only
ask to be like Him.
[Brother
Branham begins humming the song--Ed.]...
...
humble and lowly,
On
earth I long just to be like Him;
All
through life's journey from earth to Glory
I only
ask to be like Him.
With our heads bowed now, and our eyes closed, and our hearts centered
on God, we will call on my precious, good friend, Brother Roy Borders
from California, if he won't have--pronounce the benediction upon this
meeting. Brother Borders.