The Oncoming Storm

1 Let us remain standing just a moment for prayer. Shall we bow our heads. Our gracious heavenly Father, we are indeed a privileged people tonight, that we can look into Thy glorious face and call Thee our Father; knowing that we have passed from death unto Life, because that the Holy Spirit is bearing record with us, that we are sons and daughters of God. And He is our witness, that we have passed over that line; for the things of the world that we used to love and cherish is dead now. And we've been raised anew with Christ, and setting together in heavenly places in Him, enjoying His Presence. How we thank Thee for this.

And tonight on this occasion we would pray that He would visit us in a mighty way tonight. Bless this little church to which we love, and the great fellowship and love that we have for it and its pastor, and for all the members, and for those who are fellowshipping with us here in this meeting.

And we pray, heavenly Father, that tonight will be a special night, that we'll long remember His Presence tonight.

May, if there be some tonight here that does not know the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour, may they find Him tonight, Lord, that One that's gone out into the wilderness to look for the stray sheep that has not returned to the fold. Grant it, Lord. And may there be mercy in the camp tonight, for that's what we plead. In the Name of the Lord Jesus, we ask this. Amen. (May be seated.)

5 It is so nice to be back in this tabernacle, or church, tonight to have the fine fellowship. And today I've just lived off of the little nuggets from last evening.

And looking out over the audience, and seeing different ones, and faces that I had met, how I in times past, I've wanted to look out and shake hands with them, or something. But, oh, we were a little late and I just had to hurry up. But I want you to know that there were many here last evening that I recognized from other meetings.

7 And now, last night when I went home and was telling my wife, I said, "I wonder what it'll be when we cross over the line?" Standing there, looking down and said, "Well, there's Brother So-and-so, and there..." Oh, that's going to be a real time. And we're looking forward for that day and soon, soon. And I don't know when it will be, but it'll certainly be a glorious time. I believe that John, after he had saw the great glories of God, and they'd been revealed to him in the revelation, he said, "Even so, come Lord Jesus." He seen that it was marvelous.

8 A few, about some two weeks ago, I was in Kingston, Jamaica, and many people thought, and do yet, that visions only appear at the platform. My, that's not even a tenth of them; that's not one ninetieth of them. They appear all the time, everywhere, and not one time has ever one been wrong.

And the Christian Business Men, the Full Gospel Business Men, I was visiting, or there as a visitor with the chapter. And two nights had passed, and we'd had Gospel preaching; and then--and to kind of get acquainted with the audience, and feeling the spirit of the people and I said, "I believe it would be sufficient tonight if we would give out some prayer cards, and start praying for the sick." And the Lord blessed us. And the second night passed.

10 And then we'd walked into the--the dining room at the Flamingo Hotel, where we're--court we would call it here, where we were staying. And everything there is based upon the European plan; when you pay your rent, you pay your food bill; it all goes with the--the rent. And we was having breakfast. And there was great number of the Full Gospel Men there, and with others also. And the question come up, "Those visions," they said, "they are wonderful. It just would be wonderful if they would appear anywhere."

"Oh," I said, "they do, most surely." And I said, "That doesn't heal anyone." I said, "If you ever noticed, I ask the people, 'Will that help your faith to believe God?'"

Visions doesn't heal; Christ has already done that. It's just to help your faith. It's just something God added; a blessing that He promised to send, a vindication of the last days. We'll get into that later, through the week.

13 But, we were setting at the table and I said, "Here now, the Holy Spirit is present now." And Brother Shakarian, most all of you know him, Brother Demos, and a very bosom friend of mine, and Brother Arganbright, and oh so many different ones, Brother Sonmore, the presidents and vice-presidents and so forth, of the Full Gospel Men.

And I said, "This boy coming here is sick," the waiter. And he got up close to the table, and the Holy Spirit begin to speak to him, and told him, said, "Now, you suffer with a heart trouble. Your wife also is a Christian. You believe, but you're afraid." And that... And begin to tell him who he was, and all about it. And that boy almost dropped the butter dish in my plate.

So he said, "That is so true."

I... Then I told him; not I, but the Holy Spirit told what was wrong with his wife at home, and of their prayer that they'd had together that morning before he left, and his intention was to see me that day. Oh, my, he just liked to fainted.

And he said, "I just don't understand how that's done."

I said, "Neither do I."

16 The only thing I know is, Brother Shakarian or... Excuse me, Brother duPlessis just was out at the car when I drove up, and Brother Mercier and I were talking about the lovely Spirit at this church. We love that, such a fine fellowship. That's very good brother, keep that up. That's very good, our brother, pastor. And that's good. And we were talking, and I... He said, "Brother Branham, I guess you have lots of hard..."

I said, "No. The thing surprises me is the grace of God." I said, "I have exhausted His mercy many times, but I never can exhaust His grace, and I'm so glad of that."

18 And so while we were talking at the table that morning, then there was a young woman went down with some sheets over her shoulder, going down through the place to one of the halls to fix the beds. I said, "Now, there is that Light hanging over that girl." I said, "Just call her back here." And we called her back. And the Holy Spirit begin to tell her all about her troubles.

And she was not a Christian: not a full Gospel believer, I might say that. She had made a profession, and when she was a little baby and her mother taken her to church, and she'd... Twelve years old, or something, she'd been baptized, but never attended church. That's the reason I said, "not a Christian."

The church doesn't make you a Christian. The church only helps you to be a Christian, helps you to remain what you've been borned into, helps you to contain your experience, while you're fellowshipping together with brethren of like precious faith.

21 And then while sitting there, I was looking. And Brother Demos Shakarian called me out of it, and he said, "What's the matter?" If he just wouldn't have said it at that time.

I said, "Remember, THUS SAITH THE LORD. Someone who's near to me is fixing to die. And there's going to be some young man that is spitting blood from his mouth."

And I said, "Where is Billy?"

Many of you know my son, Billy Paul. His mother died when he was just a little baby. And I packed him around. And nighttime we couldn't afford enough coal to keep fire, so we'd... I'd put his bottle under my shoulders, like this, and keep it warm for him at nighttime. When he'd wake up crying for his mother, I'd put the bottle in his mouth. And she asked me when she was dying, "Always stick with Billy." And we've been real chums. And so everywhere I go, I take Billy, and he's stuck with me.

24 So then, Billy was fixing to go up to, what they call, "The Garden of Hope" to get some pictures. I called him, quickly. I said, "Don't go. Something's fixing to happen."

Many times, visions say things; we don't know what they are. The prophets of the Bible didn't know what they were writing about; they just wrote it. And they were vindicated men, inspired.

And Brother Shakarian said, "Brother Branham, what do you say will take place?"

I said, "I don't know. Someone... They didn't have any teeth, and I seen them gasp twice and died. And the other person, they said spit blood from their mouth, looked like a young man; and said, 'He can't die; he's not ready.'"

28 And then we watched. And I felt led to go to Jamaica, but not to Puerto Rico.

So when we got time--time come to go to Puerto Rico, the same place that that plane fell there in Jamaica and killed all those people... They just looked like hogs hanging down on the safety belt, just the parts of their body just broiled up. And they pushed it off, and we... There's still the plane laying there when we come in. And our plane, coming back to take us to Puerto Rico, blowed the pistons out on the same place, when they stopping to get us. Billy said, "Daddy, are you sure that we should even take a chance on it?"

I said, "The Christian Business Men's chapter said I must come. It's for the fellowship of the chapter that I go these couple nights."

He said, "You remember that vision?"

I said, "Yes."

31 But three days later, when I got... I was standing in the a garden (I never seen anything so pretty) at Puerto Rico. And Brother Fred Sothmann (He may be here tonight.), Canadian friend, was taking pictures. And this great... you got. It's pretty here in Phoenix; it's pretty in Los Angeles; it's pretty in Miami; but it wouldn't hold a candle to Puerto Rico. Oh, it's beautiful, and I never seen anything like it in my life, them big reefs, breaking out there, my, half a mile out, and flamingos walking around in the tropical parks, and all. I never seen anything so much like heaven. Brother Sothmann turned; he said, "Brother Branham, heaven must look like this."

I said, "Oh, it wouldn't; it couldn't hold a candle to heaven."

He said, "Oh, them, that great sea."

I said, "But it's the rocking of the earth is making the waves." I said, "But it'll be peaceful there; she'll be flowing just as quietly as it can. And I said, "It won't be flamingos walking around in the park; it'll be Angels walking around in the park where we're fellowshipping."

33 And just then I seen my mother-in-law and father-in-law come walking by me. My father-in-law has been gone now for about eight, ten years. And at that very same minute, my mother-in-law was passing in to meet him. She died at that same time.

And when two hours later when I got to Miami, I called to see how everything was at home. My mother-in-law (no teeth) gasped twice, died. Her son, not ready to die, more or less, kind of an alcoholic, bursted, a hemorrhage--from a hemorrhage in his stomach, and just spurted blood from his mouth, from every way.

35 Brother Shakarian called me the other day. He said, "Brother Branham, I never had anything so to strike me to hear of that." See, it was just for him to call that vision at that time to stop it, so it wouldn't know who it was, so that it would be something for him to understand. He said, "I believe the ministry is just now beginning to come into effect." May it be so.

And may, right here in Phoenix, something happen that'll inspire everyone, the Holy Spirit come among us and do something that'll just cause us to tighten up the armor and--and get ready for His coming. The Lord bless.

37 Now, not to keep you long, 'cause you're standing. But you're such a fine audience, I--I look like I could just talk all night. But I won't, I don't guess; but I guess last night you thought I was trying to.

I'll just give you a little hint. I spoke on a subject the other morning at my Tabernacle, started in at nine-thirty and got through about twelve-thirty; I told them beforehand though; on, "Hearing, Recognizing, and Acting." Maybe some Sunday afternoon, or something we might get on that same subject. For about a year, the Holy Spirit's been dealing with me about speaking it, and finally I spoke it at the church. Forget how many tapes the boys had of it before we left, to take.

39 Let us turn now in our Bibles, quickly, to the 7th chapter of St. Matthew, and we--let's begin reading at the 24th verse.

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

And the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and... fell: and great was the fall of it.

40 May the Lord add His blessing now to the reading of His Word. I wish to speak for a few moments upon the subject of "The Oncoming Storm." And I trust to God that we will be able to yield ourself to the Holy Spirit. For anyone knows that I'm not a preacher. That's... There's preachers behind me here. I never got the education to be a minister. But in my old slow ways, but I... The Lord gave me something else to do. But I love to take the time so I can explain what I know about the Lord and--and about His goodness, and try to tell others about it. And now we are speaking tonight on "The Coming Storm." And if I fail, in words, to express what I feel in my heart, I pray the Holy Spirit will reveal it.

41 Jesus was speaking here of a coming storm which has got to strike every man and every woman that's born in the world. There is just no way out of it. That storm will strike you sometime or other. And depends on what kind of a foundation that you have, whether your house will weather it or not.

There's been many lives saved because of preparation for storms. And there has been a many of life's lost because of failing to take heed to the warning of storms that's coming.

43 Not long ago I was told of a story that happened, I believe I read it in a newspaper down in Florida.

They have many great storms that sweeps through Florida, typhoons that come in off the sea, and brings the water for city blocks up into the city, and sweeps out everything. And I'm told that their weather prophets are always on the lookout for such storms. And some way, through the--the elements, that they can contact the changing of the weather and the atmosphere, that which a way this weather is gathering, that'll bring forth one of those storms; because they've made it a life study, and by certain instruments and things that science has provided them. And then by calling ahead, and hearing of which a way the storm's coming, how much wind it's got behind him; which way other storms are coming, or of winds, whether it's able to combat, to shove away the storm.

45 I could stop here and preach for a hour on that, that it takes a greater storm that's coming; it takes a higher wind to turn that storm. So is it today. And we all know that we've got an oncoming storm. And the only Wind that I know that can turn that storm will be that rushing Wind that fell on the day of Pentecost. I'm told that there's men even in the city now, speaking against communism, and they should be. But just speaking against it isn't enough; we've got to find how to turn the thing. And then there is only one thing that can turn that storm, and that's a more powerful storm that can beset it and change its course.

46 And these prophets of the weather in Florida are pretty accurate with their prophesying. They are set for that purpose to warn the people.

I was reading (I forget just now, I believe it was in the newspaper.) of a storm a few years ago, that was on its way across Florida, central Florida, and all the regions around Okeechobee was--was warned. I just left there about five weeks ago. And there was a neighbor man who kept in contact with radio all the time, because of these storms, and he was a very renowned Christian. And he heard that the great typhoon was coming that way, twisting down trees, and everyone was warned to get to safety.

And he thought of his neighbor who had a chicken farm, and some light buildings with their chickens in them, their brooder houses, and so forth, and their pens, where all that they had in life was tied up with these chickens, of their living. And he rushed quickly, frantically, up to the gate, and stopped his car, and jumped out, and said to this fellow, "Take all the chickens and put them in your storm shelter, and you rush over to mine, because there is coming a typhoon or a--a storm that's going to twist everything down."

49 And the man stood and looked him in the face, and laughed at him, and said, "Nonsense. I've heard them predict such things before, and it never did happen."

And the Christian neighbor was so excited; he said, "But what if it does happen?"

We hear remarks like that along the line; "I've heard of this is going to happen, and that's going to happen." But it is going to happen one of these days. And it behooves us to listen to every warning.

52 But this man said, "I have no time for such foolishness. I raise chickens, and I have no time for such."

And he cried out. The neighbor said, "In the Name of God," he said, "leave those chickens alone then, John, and come quickly, you and your family. If you don't want to believe it, let your family come."

And he said, "I will not have my children to be excited over a few radio warnings. My children and I have decided we'll live as I live. And my wife will listen to me because I am the breadwinner of this home, and she must listen to me. I'm boss here, and I will not have my children all excited or tore up about some nonsense."

And the neighbor was turned. And he went to his home into his shelter.

56 And all of a sudden, the cloud was upon him before they knew it. That's the way judgment strikes. It comes so sudden; you wonder how it can get there so quick. How I have seen cruel men, who once cursed God, fall and scream, and say, "How could You treat me this way?" The whole, every foundation was swept out from under him in a moment. It pays to take warning.

Oh, you might laugh at the messenger; you might be able even to kill him; but you cannot kill the message. It'll go on just the same. God's message is eternal. His Words will never fail.

Paul was successfully in having Stephen stoned. But all through his life until he surrendered to Christ, was he never able to get away from that message, "I see heavens open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." Something got a hold of him. It wasn't the messenger; it was the message he had.

59 While the storm swept through the country, it caught the chicken house and the farmer, and they never found his body. And his wife, frantically fighting... And they lived close to the great Okeechobee Lake, and the waters begin to rise as the typhoon lifted the waters all the way from the bottom of the lake. That's what makes them so dangerous; they're shallow; the boats rock, and that's how the waves come up and turn the boats beneath them. The storms comes and just whirls up the water and packs it for miles. And the water is sweeping, until the mother knowed there was no hope but to get her children on top of the building. And she got her children, and got them on top the building, holding onto the chimney of the house.

61 And then the wildlife, the Cottonmouth moccasin, I believe, a more deadly snake than your Diamondback rattler, they was crawling for safety, and they come on the roof with her. And by listening to her husband, not taking heed to the warning, she had to... She stomped and she beat, but she had to stand and watch those vicious snakes bite her children until they died on the roof. And the mother herself was bitten so much until finally she died; that's the only way we got the story. After the storm had quietened, and the search parties hunting for bodies, and so forth, they found her laying on top of the roof, with her children laying by her side.

62 Oh, it pays to take warning. The first thing to do, before there can be a warning, there has to be a preparation made for safety, or there's no need of sending a warning. And the warning is only a voice of one having you to prepare for the danger. There has to be a preparation made first. And then if the preparation is made, then the warning can go forward to cause you to make your decision whether you want to listen to it or not. If you don't want to listen to it, well, that's up to you. If you do listen to it, there's safety.

63 God has the same method. We work on God's method in that way. God, in the early days, when the antediluvian world, when people had gotten so wicked and so sinful, that God could not look upon it and be just...

God is just, and He has laws. When those laws are broken... Any law that's broken, has no penalty to it, isn't law. You cannot break the laws of God without having to pay for it somewhere. You must do it. The Bible said, "Be sure your sins will find you out."

And what is sin? I'd like to stop here just a moment. Many people think smoking cigarettes is a sin. It isn't. Many people think that lying is a sin. It isn't. Committing adultery, that isn't sin. That's the attributes of unbelief. You... The reason you do those things is because you are an unbeliever.

66 There's only two things; that's you are either a believer or an unbeliever. If you are a believer, you do not those things. If you do do them, I don't know what kind of a profession you have; but if you do that the love of God isn't in you. The Bible said so. We've got too much profession without a possession of it, too many saying and not living it.

I think, even we have too much practice on sermons and not living enough sermons. It'd be a lot better if we lived our sermon; each one of us would be a minister. It's better to live me a sermon than preach me one. The Bible said that "You are written epistles of God, read of all men." So it's best to live the sermon.

68 Sin is because you believe not. Did not Jesus say in the days of His flesh on earth, did He not call the people that would not lie, that would not steal, that would not commit adultery, righteous men, preachers, priests; He said, "You are of your father, the devil," because they believed not on the Son of God. "He that believeth not is condemned already."

69 Sometime ago, I made it, making altar calls... I love John 5:24. "He that heareth My Words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Eternal Life; and shall not come into judgment, but's passed from death unto Life." He that believeth...

Said, "That's pretty light."

No, that's pretty deep, for when you believe, no man can call Jesus the Christ, only by the Holy Spirit. When you have the Holy Spirit, then you have believed unto Eternal Life and have Eternal Life. "He that heareth My Words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Eternal Life, and shall not come into the judgment, but's passed from death unto Life." Preparation, making ready...

And God seen the wickedness of the world, and seen that wicked and adulterous generation, and His holiness could not stand it any more. Oh, to this sinful world...

72 I stopped the other day on my road to the grocery with my wife. And we were talking about a certain young lady of our city. Real cold weather, and with a little chubby coat on, and dressed immorally, with those little shorts on, that they wear in the summertime, and it--little skiffs of snow on the ground, and my wife said, "You know that woman can't be comfortable."

And I said, "No. She's just not in her right mind."

And she said, "Well, you know she goes to high school."

Then I said, "She might go to high school, but that still doesn't make everything right." I said, "She cannot be mentally right."

74 When we go into Germany... I was in Germany sometime ago in a great meeting where the Lord was giving us around--around ten thousand souls a night. And I was so amazed one night when I come from the meeting, and--and down the street to a place where I was invited for a little luncheon, and it was the closing of the meeting, and all the Christians setting around, drinking beer. Well, America, Canada, and England is the only nations I know that refuses the Christians to drink. They don't get drunk; but we Americans... Then when... I didn't drink it. So after while there come a question around the table, "What was the matter," that I wasn't drinking my beer, "was it because it wasn't good?"

75 And Doctor Guggenbuhl setting next to me, which provided me an interpreter. I said, "What they all murmuring about to me?"

And he said, "They're wondering why you don't drink."

Now, I know it's written: when you're in Rome, be a Roman. But I said, "Tell them this: 'I do not condemn them. But I was borned under a Nazarite birth; I'm not supposed to drink.'" I didn't want to hurt them. And they understood it, went right on drinking.

And then in Italy we found almost the same thing. And many different parts of the world, when you go into the nations, you find the spirit of the nation.

78 I remember the Holy Spirit give me a warning not to go to the YMCA in Finland. I didn't know what it was about. And come to find out they had bath women there. And I stayed away, and I would not go in with Doctor Manninen and them for a swim. And I found out, those scrub women scrubbed the men. And I said, "That's not right."

"Well," he said, "Brother Branham, that's just as much right as your nurses is in the United States." Said, "They're trained for that."

I said, "I don't care how much they're trained; it never was intended that way. God covered them up and made them different." That's right. But they pay no attention to it.

81 They were Finns, wonderful people, but it's a spirit of the nation. Wherever you go, you find the spirit of a nation. And you come to America, you've really had it then, that's the worst of all.

And my wife said to me, "Why, those people go to church, and I've often wondered why it didn't condemn their conscience."

I said, "My dear wife, let me tell you. They are Americans."

She said, "Well, why, aren't we?"

I said, "No." I said, "We just live here. But we've been born from above; the Holy Spirit of God come upon us."

Therefore, we are pilgrims and strangers here; this is not our abiding place. But we are seeking a city to come whose Builder and Maker is God. Therefore, when you are borned of above, you have the Holy Spirit coming down from God, that changes your nature. No matter, your sister, your mother, your--your best friend could be dressed that way; but the Christian that's borned of the Spirit of God is born from above, and their Spirit is of another Kingdom. Oh, I'm so glad of that. The simpleness of the Holy Spirit, to follow It, to watch It, how It behaves, makes you behave...

85 That's the way it was in the days of Noah, and God got so filled up with it. But before He sent a storm to destroy the entire world, God made preparation for those who wanted to stay out of it. And I can see Noah standing in the door of the ark, preaching righteousness. Oh, there wasn't many would listen at him. They were something like today. They want entertainment, not the Gospel. Woe unto these Hollywood evangelists who's afraid to call sin sin.

We need some of the old fashion, backwoods preachers that's got the Holy Spirit, that's not afraid to preach the Gospel with their bare hands, not covered up with some kind of a rubber glove, but preach the coming of the Lord Jesus, judgment for the wicked, and heaven for the righteous, and the near approaching. What season? I don't know, and no one else knows. But I'll warn my generation. If it comes now, I want them to be warned.

88 I can see Noah in that door of the very ark. Oh, I'd just like to believe one thing; it wasn't that way; but Noah standing in that door, the only way to safety...

I can see Moses, later, standing in the door, with blood on the lintel, preaching judgment, with the blood on the lintel.

Today Jesus is the Door to the sheepfold, ministers of the Gospel standing in that Door, pleading with the congregation to come to safety.

And no doubt but what there was many laughed at Noah, made fun of him. The Bible said they were scoffers. I can just hear them say something like this, "Noah, if you haven't got some better entertainment than that, we'll just stay home."

92 The world today, America, doesn't want the Gospel. They want entertainment. They've got to have something to entertain them, a lot of fancy music, or something like that, or some kind of a party, some kind of a wiener roast, which them things are all right, outside the church. But the church is where judgment ought to be preached in the power of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and a warning. Judgment begins at the house of God: not parties; judgment.

Lot was warned, And when the Angels, though he didn't know they were Angels, when they went down, their message was to Sodom, "Come out of this sinful place. God has provided a way of escape for you. Come out of this sinful place."

94 Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Sodom..." Look what kind of a life they were living. And Jesus compared that day with this day: sinful.

Watch when Lot went to tell his people. They laughed at him, made fun of him. "And the sins of the city vexed his righteous soul." The Angels' message didn't stir them, had no effect on them. But they were asked to come out, because judgment was upon the city, and God was going to bring a storm of fire upon the city. And they refused to walk. They refused to come out. They were satisfied with their sins.

96 People today seem to be so comfortable in sin, because we own a new car, because we can eat three meals a day, sleep on a clean bed. That's wonderful. But that would be good, but we forget God when prosperity comes like that. I think we've been so... We preachers and we Christians has been so interested in--in the program of building our churches, and getting a better church, or something like that, or a bigger church, better pews, or, you know how and what I mean. And we've left off the main thing: judgment, righteousness, power of the Holy Ghost, resurrection, eternal judgment.

The angel never failed to preach the message. Although they tried to stop them, but their message went on just the same.

98 Now, did you notice, it's just like a man that says, "I'm going to refuse to believe the sun's a-shining. I won't have nothing else to do with the sun," closes his eyes, and goes down in his basement of his house, and said, "I just refuse to know the sun is a-shining."

"Why," you say, "Brother Branham, that man would be something mentally wrong with him."

Well, a man that would reject Jesus Christ has the same grounds. The Holy Spirit is more real than the sunshine. The sun will fail, but the Holy Spirit can't fail. It don't only light for the sense of sight, but It lights for the soul, a Light of glory that leads us to God, that rejects--or projects, rather, Calvary to us, and the sufferings of the Lord Jesus, the oncoming judgment, and the escape for those who want to come. I'd rather be totally blind, physical, and have my spiritual sight, than to be totally blind, spiritual, and have my physical sight. I want to have spiritual sight.

101 Notice, what would be wrong with that man? Those, his friends would come and say, "Jim, John," or whatever his name might be, "you are wrong. Come out of that old dingy basement, musty."

And he would stand and say, "I'll tell you; I'm satisfied where I am." He doesn't want the--the welcomed sunshine. He doesn't want its healing rays. He doesn't want its beauty, it--its warmth for his life. Something would be wrong with the man.

And so is the man or a woman who wants to stay in the dingy world, shut up in the musty sin of unbelief, and say, "In... The days of miracles is past. There's no such a thing as Divine healing. There's no Holy Ghost." It's because you're refusing to come out of the must and dens of the devil, and of the hell, and of sin, and of pride and walk in the Light of the Gospel, which will bring you warmth.

104 Oh, how comfortable it is to see the oncoming judgments, and feel that comfort feeling of the Holy Spirit. Hear them talk of atomic bombs, and just think what's happened, a peace that passes understanding. Why, the bomb won't no more go out of the gun until we'll be in the Presence of Jesus with Eternal Life; we old people, back young again; the babies, up to an age with no more death or sorrow. Oh, what a wonderful thing. You mean a man would refuse to come out and walk in that? There's something wrong with him.

Finally, if he doesn't get the sunlight, he turns pale. He gets real pale, sick sets in on him.

106 That's what's the matter with the world today. That's what's the matter with the most of our churches today. We are becoming anemia. We need a blood transfusion. Pale, because we are failing, our spiritual health is failing us. We don't have the zeal no more to hunt souls, to--to warn people, to get our neighbors, to get our friends, the milkman, the paper boy. Whatever it is, get someone to the Lord Jesus. We're pale, failing to walk out in the Light, which is our privilege, failing to believe in the health of God by Divine healing.

107 I'm told in the Bible that there'll be a time come for those who are not in this wonderful Son Light, that the fowls of the air will eat the flesh of them, that diseases is on its road, that the doctors will never be able to stop. It's the plagues of God.

The Egyptians' doctors, which was far smarter than ours today, could not stop the plagues of God, neither could their soothsayers or their impersonators. It took Goshen, and the power of God to hold His people, under the blood of a lamb.

The Holy Spirit is that Door today. The Holy Spirit is that Safety today.

110 I was in a meeting not long ago. I'm looking at a--a colored brother setting here, I suppose, him and his wife. And I've been watching him since I been preaching, nodding his head, and re--rejoicing in the meeting and just brought me to a--a thought.

There was a boy come into the meeting one time, and as soon as the service was over, he--he ran to me, and he said, "Parson." He was a southerner. And he said, "Parson, I's wants to find the Lord Jesus tonight." I was having a healing service.

And I said, "Certainly, my brother, I am more than happy to lead you to Him."

He said, after he had gave his heart to the Lord; he said, "I wonder... I guess you are wondering why I run up out here like this." Said, "I heard you were in the city, and I just come up to see what--to see you." He said, "I'll tell you my story." He said, "I more or less been a wanderer." Said, "My old mother was a real Christian. My sisters was Christian. I had one Christian brother." Said, "I was the baby of the family, and a spoiled child to begin with, 'cause they babied me, was so good to me." But said, "I would not take heed to my mother or my godly relation. I wanted to be a wanderer. I wanted to live a man's life." He said, "I thought that being a Christian was more like for the women or the weak." He said, "And I become a cook, and I was very good at my trade."

And said, "Something, another, I wanted to go to the north. And one day I staggered in on a pulp camp, where they were cutting pulp wood. And I was broke. And I said to the foreman, 'Could you use a cook?'" He told his recommendations, that he had in his pocket, from different great places where he had been a chef.

115 And he said, "Well, we have one now." He said, "But, however, until you're able to get around, we can give you a little bit of money on the side. We got an elderly colored woman in there now, which is a good chef. But go in, talk with her, maybe she could use you. And if she could, we can give you a little spending money till you get on your feet."

He said that was as good as he wanted. And said he went in there, and he met the old woman, and said he helped her around for two or three days.

117 And one night, said he was laying there, and he said he kept noticing the flashes across the side of the wall. And after while he wondered, "Is that... Is somebody outside?" And said, after while he heard a--a deep roar, and it was a thunder. And said, outside he heard some voices talking, and they said, "You know, we better get back to the horses, and take care of them, because we may not be here very long." Said he took the cover off his head, and listened up to the wall. And the lightning flashed, and he saw his boss and the teamster.

And he understood by their talk, that there was coming a storm across the mountains, which we call up in the north lands "a northerner," comes quickly, without warning. You don't have time to do nothing. The mountains are so high; they just break right over at once.

119 And that flashing had been lightning. And he said, "You know, we may not be here after while." Said, "That sounds like a terrible twister coming."

And then he said, "I begin to think, 'Well, I hope it doesn't strike here,' said, 'because I know I'm not ready to go.'" And sometimes you wait too long, you know.

So then he said, "Just in a few moments, the wind begin to blow, and the trees begin to rock." And said he listened. The canvas was between he and where the--the old lady slept, and said, "She was beating on that canvas. She said, 'Son? Oh, son?'"

He said, "Yes?"

She said, "Would you come over to my side? I have a lantern lit."

And said, "I went over to her, because I was scared to death." And said, "She had a lantern setting on an old soapbox. And she said, 'I'd like to ask you something.'"

Said, "Yes, ma'am."

Said, "Is you ready to meet the Lord?"

He said, "Then I really got scared." Said, "No, ma'am, I'm not."

"Why," she said, "honey, I want you to tell me something. You'd better make ready now, 'cause you may have to meet Him, unprepared in the next few minutes." Said, she said, "Will you kneel with me here?"

124 Said, "We knelt down by the side of that old soapbox." He said, "Parson, I'm going to tell you the truth; I was too scared to pray." He said, "The trees was slamming against that building, and the lightning a-flashing, the thunders a-shaking. I was too scared to pray." Said, "I started to say, 'Lord, be merciful,' and bang would go the lightning. I'd said, 'Where was I at? Lord, be merciful,' bang would go the lightning."

He said, "But I learned a lesson." He said, "That old sainted woman set just as cool and happy as she could be." Said, "She talked to Him like she'd knowed Him since she was a baby, like He was her father or her mother." Said, "She was no more disturbed than nothing."

Said, "I was scared to death." Said, "Finally I got these words out, and I said, 'Lord, if You'd just let me live, and I'll find a place where it's more quieter, I'll come to You."

He got another chance, but you might not. When the judgments of God begin to pour out, there's no more chance. You've got your chance now. This is your chance.

128 The storm was on him. He said, "Parson, is it possible for a man like me to be tucked away in that safety, that when death begins to come upon me, that I can enter up to talk to Him like that old saint did?"

I said, "Son, the Blood of Jesus Christ that made her that way can make you that way right now."

I was standing by my automobile. He was a well-dressed boy, cultured, educated. He fell on his knees in the muddy yard and there he found that hiding Place, that Refuge in a time of storm, that Rock in a weary land.

You don't have to be weary as long as you're in the Rock. The Rock is one place that's not weary. The Rock is a satisfying place. You can just set back and look out, just as safe as you can be.

132 There is a hour coming, and now is (and the sealing is about over), that where every man and woman on the face of the earth is going to be in that place of Refuge, like it was in the days of Noah, or on the outside of It. You have to make your decision. That safety is Jesus Christ. That... He is the only Place, the only One Who has Eternal Life. No man can come to the Father, but by Him. He is the Ark of our safety. The Holy Spirit bears record with us now, that we've passed from death unto Life.

And when we look at the grave, and know that each one of us is going there...

134 We see the newspapers and the oncoming storm. When you go home tonight, do me one favor, don't go to bed till you read Revelations the 8th chapter. You see the oncoming plagues and storms, that shall hit the earth, and thunders and lightnings are going to shake the heavens. Woes are going to pass over the nation. Men will rot in their flesh. Diseases will strike them the doctors knows nothing about.

But remember, before that took place there was a sealing went forth. And the death angels and the plagues was commissioned by God, "Don't come near any of those who has the Seal in their forehead." And the Seal of God is the baptism of the Holy Spirit; Ephesians 4:30 says, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed until the day of your redemption." No matter how hard the ark rocked, no matter how many times the lightning struck close to it, "Ten thousand shall fall on your right, and thousands to your left, and it shall come not nigh thee." The Holy Spirit...

136 I read of a pale horse rider going out, which is called Death, and hell followed him; a black horse rider with a balance in his hand; a measure of wheat for a penny, and two measures of barley for a penny, but don't come near My Wine or My Oil."

I hear by the Bible, God's oncoming judgments, where sickness, and trouble, and disaster will strike the nations, and every nation will break to pieces. I read in the Bib... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

139 Everything was quiet. But the Lord Jesus peeled back the darkness from his eyes, and he grabbed the mayor of the city, and screamed, "I can see. I can see." When thousands standing there, Mohammedans, and so forth...

I said, "Now what is the Ark of safety?" I said, "I read in your paper the other day, where that all the little birds that used to roost in the rocks around the fence, and in the big towers of the buildings at the corner..."

141 You know, India is a poor country and they pick up the rocks on the field, and make their fences. And the little birds build their nests in these rocks, the crevices, and in the holes. They go into there and make their nests to get out of the rain. And then the cattle, all of an afternoon, when the sun goes across towards the west, why, the cattle stands in the shade of these-- these certain fences and big towers to get in the shade.

But for about two days the strangest thing happened. All the little birds got their babies, their little baby birds all together, and flew away from the walls and didn't even return back at night. They went out in the middle of the field and set down. The cattle would not come up in the afternoon. They stayed away from the walls, and got together, and stood so close together that they made shade one for another.

143 Brother, sister, that's what the church ought to do. We don't need the shade of these towering Babylons today of modernism. We need the blessings of each other together, our testimony, and our Christian love and brotherhood shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Ghost. That makes the shadow then, and I can take my brother by the hand, my sister by the hand, and know that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God, that we love one another, and we stand together in this one great cause, the cause of Christ. Whether you're a Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Oneness, Twoness, Threeness, whatever you are, it makes no difference, as long as the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and we have fellowship one with another, that's what we want, brotherhood, fellowship.

144 They stood in the fields. They refused to stand in the shadow of the walls. The people thought that was strange. It is a strange act. What happened? All of a sudden, there came an earthquake that shook the walls to the ground. If the little birds would've been in there, they and their babies would've been like the woman, her husband and her babies, in Miami--or Okeechobee, they would've died with the falling of the walls. If the cattle would've stood around to take that support from the walls, they would've perished with the walls. That's been three years ago. I've got the newspaper clip; no, Tommy Nickel has it now for the Christian Men's Voice. The headlines in the paper says, "The birds are returning back to their places. The cattle is coming from the field."

145 If the God, in the days of Moses--in the days of Noah could warn the cattle and the birds to come into safety in the ark, destruction was coming, a storm, He's still the same God tonight. He still loves cattle and birds. And if He made a way for a bird and a cow to escape the wrath of judgment, how much more has He made a way of escape for you and I, who are the offsprings of His creation. How much more has He made a way of escape for us. We feel the Holy Spirit tugging at our heart. The hour is coming. We see the shadows of the--the atomic age; we see the shadows of the hydrogen age; we see nations a-breaking, Israel awakening.

Nations are breaking, Israel is awakening,

The signs that the prophets foretold;

The Gentile days numbered, with horrors encumbered;

Return, O dispersed, to your own.

That's the way today. You all know Haywood's old song.

The day of redemption is near,

Men's hearts are failing for fear;

Be filled with the Spirit, your lamps trimmed and clear,

Look up! Your redemption is near.

146 The storms are coming. There's a hiding Place, oh, a blessed hiding Place. It's in Christ. Let us bow our heads just a moment. I want you to think sincerely and solemnly for the next moment.

Have you ever found that blessed hiding Place from the wrath? Remember, there's no two hiding places; there's just One. You might be a good member of some church, which I have no evil to say against. But if that's all you have, and your life isn't compared with the Book of Acts, if the Holy Spirit that you profess to have is not making you live like they did in the Book of Acts, and your life could write another book, you better take warning. If the first vine brought forth a Pentecostal church; the second vine, or branch, rather, out of the Vine, will bring forth another Pentecostal church, with a Pentecostal experience, bearing the same fruits that the first church had.

Are you abiding in that blessed, sacred Presence of the Lord? Have you passed from death unto Life? Are you resting upon some emotion, some psychological effect, or some intellectual speech? Or are you constantly abiding in His Presence, with the fruit of the Spirit in your life: long-suffering, goodness, meekness, gentleness? Can you bear for someone to talk about you, and you love them so much, till in your heart you pray for them? Or is it a selfish little prayer, "O Lord, I know I ought to pray for him, but..." Oh, no, brother. Does that sweetness and love of God, "Oh, sweep over my soul. O Holy Spirit, sweep over my soul." If you haven't found that place of safety, my brother...

149 I'll make my last visit to Phoenix someday. This may be it, all I know. The last time the Gospel will be preached over this pulpit, this may be it; I don't know. We're looking awful close to the end time. Israel's come back to her homeland, the last sign that was given.

I was looking at a picture the other night where they're packing their old, crippled, off the ships and things, coming in. They said, "Have you come back to the homeland to die?"

Said, "No, we come back to see the Messiah."

Don't worry, the fig tree's putting forth its buds; that's the last sign. The ensign, the oldest flag in the world, flies over Jerusalem. She's a nation of her own now with her own army. She was blinded for a little season, but she's coming together again. God promised it. The end of the Gentiles will be then. They're looking for a Messiah.

You know, God was asked one time, "You... Can You forget Israel?"

Said, "How high is the skies? How deep is the earth? Measure it."

The prophet said, "I can't."

He said, "Neither can I ever forget Israel. It's the apple of My eye."

There's the last sign. Jesus said, "When you see the fig tree putting forth its buds, know the time is nigh, even at the door." Israel begin to be restored. They got their own money, about four weeks ago. She has her own currency, everything. She's a full nation. What are we waiting for? The closing of the Gentiles.

155 And the last sign that was prophesied to be given to the Gentiles, has been shown the nation and world around, as they did in the days of Sodom, when He said, "Where is Sarah, thy wife?" A Stranger, how did He know it was Sarah? And how'd He know her name was Sarah, and Abraham's wife?

Said, "She's in the tent behind you."

And Sarah laughed within herself back in the tent. The Man said, "Why did Sarah laugh?"

Jesus said, "When this comes to pass, the time is at hand." Done seen it. Passed over. The next is judgment.

159 Are you in that blessed hiding Place, friend? God be merciful. If you're not, and would like to be remembered tonight in prayer, would you raise your hand, say, "Brother Branham, pray for me." Anywhere in the building, put up... God bless you, and you, you, you. That's good. God bless you. That's... God bless you. Anyone else say, "Remember me, Brother Branham"? God bless you, brother. God bless you, sister. God bless you back there. God bless you way back in the back, young lady. That lady here, God bless you. Yes. The Lord bless you, sir; and you too. Oh, that's fine. Someone else, just raise your hand.

You say, "Brother Branham, what does that mean?"

160 God bless you, sister. God bless you back there, sir. God bless you here, lady, that's wonderful.

"What does it mean, Brother Branham, when I raise my hand?"

You know, according to science, you can't raise your hands? If there wasn't a life in you, you couldn't do it. Science don't know what life is. They know it's life, but they don't know what it is. They can't make it. And what is it? Science says that your hands, gravitation holds your hands down, the same as it holds your feet on the ground.

But you've got a spirit in you. And, that spirit, Something has been near you. Jesus said, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him, first, and all the Father has given Me will come to Me." Aren't you happy tonight to know that God can deal with your heart, that there's a little Voice there, saying, "Come to safety"? Now, watch, "He that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out."

164 What had to happen? You had to have Something setting by you, that told you, "You're wrong." Oh, you might belong to a church. But, "You're wrong," you haven't received the Holy Spirit yet. You're not in the Ark.

How do we get in the Ark? Not walk in It. How do we get into It? "By one Spirit we're all baptized into one Body." All believers are baptized into that one Body. How? By the Holy Spirit. "And these signs shall follow them that believe." There we are in the Body, safely.

If you're not, don't let Satan despise you enough tonight to keep you from raising your hand. Well, what will that do? It broke every scientific rule, when you raised your hand. It showed that something in you had made a decision. Something greater than science, something that defied the laws of science. Said, "There's a spirit in me that says 'I'm wrong' And there's One sitting near me, and says, 'Accept Me.' I raised my hand towards where the Voice come from, heaven. Be merciful to me, O God. I need You. I want the Holy Spirit. I want to be in safety. I want my sins under the Blood. And I want to be sealed in the Body of Christ, so I can feel comfortably, I can enjoy the rays of healing, I can enjoy the rays of Divine healing in my soul, a physical healing in my body, of walking with the Lamb each day, safely. No matter what the paper says, the newspapers; I've heard off of a great Paper, called the Bible. I've went to safety. No matter what takes place, I'm still safe. 'For those,' if death takes me, 'those that are in Christ, will God bring with Him, at His coming.' I'm still safe. Death cannot bother me."

167 God bless you, sir. God bless you. Someone else now before we pray, "I want that safe abiding Place, Brother Branham"? Is there another that hasn't raised their hand? God bless you, lady. That's good. God bless you back there in the back. That's wonderful.

Now, the same God that's convinced you that you're wrong, is there to make it right with you.

Let us bow our heads now, constantly, and pray. Just talk to Him now in your own way. If you can do no more than just like this Publican that smote himself on the breast, said, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner. That's all he had to say; God knowed the rest of it. And he went home justified. May you go likewise, tonight, safe from the storm.

170 Our heavenly Father, these few mixed-up and divided words, just as I felt led to say them, they went forth. And I pray that somehow, like the little boy's repeating the alphabet, said it's the only thing he knowed to do, "You knowed all the words, and You could put the letters together." You seen the simplicity of his heart. God, look down upon my poor heart, tonight, and see the simpleness of my heart. And the message was meant, Lord, in love and sweetness for the people, that they might find this Rest that You have given me and thousands of others, that they might know Jesus, the only Saviour of their soul, that He might lead them to our Father God, and there they'd be safely tucked into His bosom, through His riven side, and accept Him, and be free from judgment.

171 And many tonight, Lord, yes, many has raised their hands. What more can I do, Lord, but tell them to believe? And if they believe, and were sincere in that, it's impossible for them to not have Eternal Life at this hour. For You said, "He that heareth My Words." They were Yours; they wasn't rightly put together, maybe, but You can put them together. And maybe You have to those who raised their hand, for You said, "No man can come except I draw him. And all that comes, I'll not turn him out, but give him Eternal Life, and raise him up at the last day." We know, Lord God, that's You. They raised their hands, they want You. Now, Father, fill their heart, fill their heart with goodness and with mercy, with the Holy Spirit. May this be a night that they'll never forget, because this is the night that they received Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

172 While we have our heads bowed. If you believe that God hears my prayer, and you would like for me to lay my hand on you and pray with you, if you'll just... While everyone with their heads bowed, and the music real softly, if you please. I'd like for as many as would to come here, that wants to accept this great message of salvation, and the Holy Spirit. And say, "Brother Branham, I want to come forward right now to confess that I've been wrong. But I want the Holy Spirit to forgive me, and to be sweet to me now, and give me peace when the shaking time...

You know, everything that can be shook, will be shaken now. "But we receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved." That's Christ.

174 Would you come and stand here at the altar with me, let me take hold of your hand and pray with you? If you would, rise up and come now, while we softly sing now. You that raised your hands, come up here now and stand at the altar, just a moment, if you desire, while we sing this verse now.

Coming home...

What if this is the last time you'll ever hear this? Think of it. What if it's the last time? What if the siren rings after while out in the street, it's you, they're coming to get your body? What if about two o'clock in the morning, you call the doctor; it's a heart attack? Young or old... Won't This ring? Come now to safety, won't you, because you're going to have to stand at the last days.

.. I'm coming home.

Coming home, coming home.

God bless you. [Brother Branham prays with the people at the altar while the congregation continues singing, "Lord, I'm coming Home."--Ed.]

Oh, Nev...

177 Won't you just raise up and come down with these others standing around the altar here? Come. It's coming to judgment now. Won't you come? Come now, your sins confess now, you won't have to go to the judgment. God bless this couple that just come. God bless you, sir. That's good. God bless you, young lady. Come right on down. Come, sir.

I've wandered far... (Come on, my Spanish brother.)...

.. away from God,

Now I'm coming...

Won't you raise up now and come down here? Let's pray. Come to the Shelter.

.. of sin too long I've trod,

O Lord, I'm coming home.

May I say this, just while the organ is continually playing. The message tonight is a message of love, grace, and warning. Tomorrow night, this message may be in your ears somewhere else, a message of condemnation and judgment. While it has mercy in it, come and receive it. Won't you, friend? I've got to meet you with This, what I've said tonight, someday. Won't you come, let It speak for mercy for you, while we sing once more, "Now I'm Coming Home," won't you do it?

180 Just stay right here, sister, dear. You all stay right here if you will, just a moment. We want to have prayer with these at the altar. Just let them stay right where they are. Once more now.

I've wandered far... (Rise up, come. Won't you? I invite you.)

Now I'm coming home;

The path of sin too long I've trod,

Lord, I'm coming home.

Christians, pray now.

Coming home...

Come, my sinner brother; come, sister; purchased of His Blood, to whom Christ died for. Won't you come now? Let me persuade you, this great hour, when judgment is hanging over the doors of the nation, the doors of the world. Won't you come? I plead with you, in Christ's stead, come to Christ while you can. Let it be mercy, not judgment.

182 Now, let us hum it. [Brother Branham begins humming, "Lord, I'm Coming Home."--Ed.]

Would there be some more, just a moment while we're waiting here now? Different ones are taking their places around those. Isn't this a sweet time? I don't know; it may just be me, but I just feel so good right now. This is what I long, this is what I love.

When I was just a boy preacher, a minister's sister said to me one time; she wanted me to go to a dance with her. I told her I didn't go to dances. She asked me to take her to a show. I wouldn't do it. I said, "I don't go to shows."

She said, "Where do you get any pleasure?"

I said, "Come with me to the meeting."

185 That night I was having a tent meeting. I was just a boy, about twenty-one years old, young man. That night several came to the altar. I seen her sitting back there, weeping. I motioned to her, I said, "You asked me a question last night. I can answer it tonight."

Said, "What was it, Billy?"

I said, "This is the greatest joy of my time." See sinners come, some satisfying Something in my heart just speaks peace. Coming home...

I'm coming home, never...

I like this, this sweetness. You feel just like the Holy Spirit's present, pleased, "Well done, well done." This is preparation of a healing service, spiritual healing first. The Body of Christ is sick; it needs healing, the spiritual Body.

I'm coming home...

Now, bow your heads. Everyone pray. Everyone in prayer.

Home, oh, never more to roam.

[Brother Branham speaks with someone concerning those at the altar--Ed.] Now, you better take it account of this brother here. You got to have something in here. I want them to stay here a few minutes longer...?... You stay right here, that's right...?... God bless you.