Rúhavé mená

1 Thank you, Brother Neville. This is kind of a--a surprise to me. I wasn't supposed to be here today. But, tonight is communion night, and I--and I thought I would drop down this morning. And I called Brother Neville, and he said, "Well, now, if you're coming down," said, "why not just speak for us a little bit?"

2And I thought, well, if I did come down, and it was possible, I would not be preaching, but would just like to talk to the church a little while on matters that, you know, that I think would strengthen the church.

3 We have just returned from our--from our fall hunting trip, the brothers and I, here, and we had a glorious time. We--we are very grateful, all of us filled up, and--and got our game that we were hunting for. And--and our pastor and I knows that venison is very, very good. And so we had some fine deer. And I got a bear and two deer. And we come back.

4And this is suppose to be the time that I'm to speak on those seven last Seals. And they didn't get the church ready. And there is something, hindrance, that's caused it. That, I think the city is giving us a rough way, because of not adequate parking room for the amount of people that we're... that the church will hold.

5 We want a new church put up here, and we've got a good part of the money already designated, and--and to make a--a bigger church. But when we had these services, why, you understand what it is. It's such a pitiful thing. The people are around the walls, out in the rain, and--and--and it's just awful. And even criticism comes from friends of mine. Said, "Brother Branham, looks like they..." Doctor friend of mine, said, "Look like you could get some place." Said, "I feel sorry, as they'd pass by."

6A nurse next door to me, said, "Why, I come by there one morning at five o'clock. You was supposed to be there..." And said, "The people were already gathering around that church down there, at five o'clock in the morning. You was to be there at nine-thirty." So, see, and it makes it hard.

7 And we want a church that's got some room, and where everybody can set down. And we think we're living in the last days, believe that. That where the... We should be teaching the Church of--of--of these things, that shaping up, the things that's been prophesied, some of them, thousands of years. And for at least twenty-five and thirty years, right from this church, that's been prophesied, would come to pass. And now we have it coming right to pass. So we ought to be renewing these things, but we don't have adequate room. So this morning...

8I'd making my calls and things, yesterday, and I got some more to make, this afternoon, and so forth. And then I had some people that wanted to come in, a lovely young fellow, that's just nervous break, a minister brother in the field. And several like that, and a brother from Norway. And--and we had the little interviews back in the back room. And I said, "Well, now, we'll just step out."

9And Brother Neville said, "Well, we'd come out and say a few words to strengthen the Church a little." The fir-...

10 One of the first things that I want to say. I wrote down some things here on paper, that, when I come to the church, I wanted to say. One thing I had wrote here was concerning the passing of our gracious Brother Taylor while we were gone.

11Brother Taylor had been coming to this church for years and years. All of us knew him, I'm sure. But if there'd be some strangers here, it was that precious old gentleman that always found you a seat, to set down. Brother Taylor, last time I saw him now, until I see him a young man, he was standing there at the door about three or four Sundays ago. He said, "I'd like to have some books, Brother Branham. I'd like to distribute these books." So we, he...

12 What I understand, he had diabetes and went into a coma, and didn't... not knowing he had the diabetes. And--and was... He died. He never died. He just went to be with the Lord Jesus.

13And he was a faithful, wonderful brother, always mindful of other people. And his delight was to try to find somebody a place to set down, when they come to church. And you know, maybe, when we cross over the Bar, wouldn't it be nice to see Brother Taylor there, find us a place to set down, on the other side?

14I think, in commemoration of Brother Taylor... I wasn't here to speak it with Brother Neville, at his funeral, but I want to say a word of my appreciations, to his widow. Sister Taylor, I suppose, is here somewhere this morning, bless her loyal heart!

15Brother Taylor, one day he said, "Come up and see me. I got a little lake dug up there, put some fish in it, so you'd come up and fish." Always mindful of somebody else. And there was Somebody was mindful of him, that was Christ, to give him salvation.

16I think, in commemoration, yet, for this church, as it gathers as a body this morning, let us stand together, bow our heads before God.

17 Our Heavenly Father, we as human beings this morning, and the--the comers to this place of worship... Thy great hand has moved among us and taken from us one of our precious brothers who we love, and know that Thou did love him. And You had a reason for all this, Lord, or it would not have happened in this way, knowing that our Bible tells us, that, "All things work together for good to them that love God." And that he did.

18And we look around, in the world, and we find nature in every way speaking to us, that the grave cannot hold him, for on earth he served the purpose that You sent him here to do. He was a good, loyal brother.

19We find that in the life of botany life, and in the life of the sun that rises of a morning to give us light. And in the middle of the day it becomes at middle age. And then evening it dies again, only to rise again the next morning, fresh and new, because it served God's purpose.

20We see the flowers as they bloom and beautify the earth and decorate the funeral halls, and the wedding places, and serves the purpose; opening up its heart and giving out, freely, honey to the bee, and perfume to the passer, beauty to the seeker. Gives all it has, in a service for God, then it bows its little head. But when spring comes around, it rises again, because it served God's purpose.

21 Then in the face of all nature, and the Bible, the promise, and the Holy Spirit, we can gladly rejoice in our heart, to know that our Brother Taylor, likewise, Lord, served God's purpose. And to say that he would not rise again would be to deny our Bible, our God, and all things that God has given us to look at, to know that there is a resurrection. So we are looking forward to the time when we shall see him again, when he is young and healthy and never no more to be sick or get old.

22Bless his precious wife, that loyal companion of his. How that we will miss them, long, Lord, as we see them going together out to the pond, and setting on the little benches out there, fishing, and talking, and how they were real sweethearts together.

23And now we know that there is the great Day coming, when the heroes of faith will march under the great arch of triumph, and the Angels of... with anthems will fill the air. We'll see them again in that place.

24Until then, Lord, give us courage. Bless us and help us. We'll long miss Brother Taylor, and everyone that comes to this church, while he would stand at the door and find a place for the comer to hear the Word of God, to set down in ease and rest.

25The other day when he passed over, Lord, I prayed that the great Archangel of God stood there at the door, to find him a place, too, Lord, and he could set down. For it is written in the Bible, "The merciful shall obtain mercy." Until we see him, Lord, may the memories continue sweet in our hearts, until some day when we meet again in the other Land. Through Jesus Christ's Name we ask it. Amen.

26 He will be long missed among us and amidst strangers, and so forth, that come to our church, or our building here, to worship. May his soul rest in peace before God, till that Day.

27Some day, too, each one of us will go, one by one, till we drop down along the line like that. Let us now, while we have time, and can, let's prepare ourselves for that time coming; for we don't know when it will be. We don't know who will be next. Let us live so, that at each day, that if it should ever come, it will be for us, we'll be ready.

28 Now, I would like to make announcements. Now, soon, perhaps, maybe, I haven't talked with the trustees since coming back, concerning the condition of building the--the church here, or what we have to do next, getting our church so we can have our meeting. Then I will continue on, pardon me, with the--the Seven Seals, and then the Seven Vials, and many things yet that we should be getting into, right away.

29And now, next Sunday morning, there, I am to be at Elizabethtown, Kentucky, with Brother L. G. Hoover, to a--a dedicational service. And that's to dedicate a new tabernacle, or a tabernacle that they have bought at Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Right down 62 till you come to Elizabethtown, or right down, I mean, 31, or down the turnpike. Just at the turnoff, takes you to Elizabethtown. It's about an hour. It's about thirty-five, forty miles down there. I think, about forty miles, by the way the... of 31, and about thirty-five miles, or something, other way, down by the turnpike. It's on Mulberry Street.

30The dedicational service. Brother Hoover will have the regular Sunday school at ten o'clock. And I'm to preach the dedicational service, from eleven until twelve, this next coming Sunday, November the eleventh.

31 On the bulletin board out there, is the--the news item of it. And it'll be at... You can find your way from right there. It's on Mulberry Street. Or they--they give the directions on the... It's on the bulletin board out there in the front of the church.

32Then, on--on November the--the twenty-second, I--I am to be at Shreveport, Louisiana, the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and--and twenty-six. Five days, I think, at Shreveport, Louisiana, at Life Tabernacle. That's with Brother Moore. They are celebrating their golden jubilee. The pentecostal blessing fell in Shreveport, Louisiana, fifty years ago, the twenty-second of this month. Fifty years, the first pentecostal message was preached. And fell, the Holy Ghost fell, in Louisiana. And they got a memorial to that, and this is the golden jubilee. And I'm to speak this jubilee, five nights, with Brother Moore, at Shreveport, Life Tabernacle.

33 You got any friends in and around there, why, that you want to write to, or something, would be glad to have them out. And just tell them about the meetings coming up.

34And the Life Tabernacle, if anybody has ever been there with Brother Moore, he's a wonderful man. And there's a wonderful bunch of people, those old Southerners. You just can't hardly beat them. And so, the Life Tabernacle, anyone around Shreveport can tell you where it's at. Shreveport is about two hundred thousand people. And it's a nice city, and plenty of accommodations. So...

35And the tabernacle is a large tabernacle, very large tabernacle. It's got upstairs, and balconies, and main floors, and then a floor beyond that. And there's just plenty of room. And right straight across from the city auditorium that seats five thousand. Just--just like crossing the street here, to the city auditorium.

36 And Rev. Jack T. Moore, or--or either the Life Tabernacle at Shreveport, Louisiana. That begins on the twenty-second. That will be Wed-... Thursday through Sunday. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, four days instead of five. I'm sorry. That be the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, and twenty-fifth. I think that's the way it is, of--of November.

37And then, we'll find out then what about, what we've done about the church here, to find out how the church has progressed about getting its building. The contractors tell us they can put enough men on it, till about ten days they can almost have it so we can go under it, see, right quick. And they're just waiting for the city to sign. You know, and we have to have so much parking space, and so much this. And, oh, my, it's a bunch of red tape to get into, to start building anything. But I would like to get to the church before I get back to the field again.

38 Now I got a call to Tanganyika, Uganda, and through there. Joseph has the meetings set up to begin in February.

39And yesterday, when I come in, there was some brothers, and Sister Thoms and them, from overseas, had come in. And had... I found a note laying on my door, or--or an invitation from an--an association down in South Africa. So I'm writing in to them, to find out just what can be done. Maybe, while I'm that far, I can drop on down in South Africa, maybe, in the last part of February and March, along in that time.

40And we hope to get the church up, so I can get these Church Ages in, before--before the winter sets in, if possible. If I don't, or when I have to come back from over there, if the Lord Jesus tarries.

41 I was listening yesterday when I was taking, believe it was day before yesterday, of a tape. I thought I heard it playing out here this morning. Some little Southern brother had... His mother had come into the meeting. She had a malignancy on her breast, and she was shadowed to death. And the Holy Spirit, in one of the recent meetings, at the Southern Pines, I believe it was, or somewhere, told her, said about her malignancy, and who she was, and where she come from. And said she had a boy that was a backslider, and he was going to have an accident, and be for manslaughter. And a whole lot of things like that. And this fellow...

42It all happened just the way. And her malignant cancer, or malignant growth, rather, left her. Which is, malignant growth is a cancer, you know. So then it--it left her. And the boy was up for manslaughter, and everything just the way the Holy Spirit said it. And he was led to Christ, back again. And he made a tape of it, and I--I heard it playing. Did you enjoy that little, old Southern talk? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Said, "Down here in North Carolin'er," he said. Oh, I just love that, them old Southern people. And he had... The Lord just blessed him on. He said, "I know you say you don't preach doctrine, Brother Branham; only to your congregation." Said, "We're part of your congregation." So that was right cute in him, to say that.

43 And now there is a picture, I think, maybe, it's on the bulletin board this morning. If it's not, Billy will put it on there. Of many times it's been said, when I first started speaking, that they said, "You just imagine, Brother Branham, that you see that Light, that Light." There's probably, hardly...

44There might be some left here, the old-timers that remembers back, before the pictures was ever taken of It. Is there any here that remembers me saying that, way long time ago? Look. Just about four or five hands. Sister Spencer here, and Brother and Sister Slaughter, and--and brother here, and brother over there. They're just about five or six of the old-timers left.

45 Well, now, after while, the mechanical eye of that camera caught that picture. So it went to Washington, D.C. and went through the examiners, and come back, "Not no double exposure or nothing." Said, "The Light struck the lens." That's George J. Lacy. You got his name signed. See?

46Well, then, many times you hear, look out and say, "There is a dark shadow over this person. It's shadowed to death." How many has heard me say that? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Many times, see, many time. Well, it happened to be that the camera caught that. And so we got that here.

47The lady that come to a sister and had told her, in the meeting in--in Carolina, where we had such a wonderful meeting at Southern Pines. And there, the lady was dying with cancer on both breasts. And the doctors had give her up to die. And the lady just reached down and took her picture, just as I told her who she was, and where she come from. And I said, "There is a dark shadow over you. You're shadowed to death." And the lady just snaps the picture of this. And there it is on the mechanical eye of the camera, gets the shadow of death.

48 If any you all seen The Ten Commandments, and saw the death angel, how it swept in, that dark, gloomy-looking shadow, it's on this picture. And I think it's on the bulletin board now. If it's not, Billy can hear me, why, have him put it on the bulletin board. And it's got the arrow pointing to the person. And the person, the shadow left the woman, and was miraculously healed. But there is like a hood, a dark smoke gathered around and hooded over the lady, and hanging off on that cancer like that, coming from there. Course, that's the shadow where death is pouring in, too, from the cancer.

49Well, no matter how much you try to tell people Truth, there is somebody going to be suspicious that It isn't Truth. And if you always tell the Truth, then you know you're--you're right.

50 I have a friend that's a--a rancher, up in the West. And--and the conservation paid about four thousand dollars for a snowmobile, to count the herd of elk that was left back over off the Troublesome Valley. Mr. Jeffries who set here in the church, I led him to Christ, a complete infidel. And you've heard me tell the story of us riding together. And he didn't believe in nothing but the ethics of Darwin. "And that Baby, virgin-born, was nonsense." And we camped the other night right where he accepted Christ.

51And so then this man told them. He said, "Now, you don't have to buy that automobile, that snowmobile." Said, "I'll tell you exactly how many elk is up there." Said, "There is nineteen." Said, "There was twenty-... There was twenty-one, and I killed two of them." And he was talking to the game warden. Not suppose to kill but one. So he said, "There was twenty-one, and I killed two of them. Leaves nineteen."

And he said, "Yes, Jeff, I know you killed two of them."

He said, "I did."

52Well, they took the snowmobile, went up there, there was nineteen head of elk. He said, "Billy, just tell a man the truth; he won't believe it."

53So that's just about the way it is. You can tell people the Truth, and yet they... There's been so much misunderstanding and--and lying about things until they don't believe that you're telling the Truth when you're telling them the Truth. You see?

54 But we're so thankful that we have a Heavenly Father Who confirms that Truth with a confirmation. It's true. So then if this shall be my last day on earth, the... even the scientific research and proofs has proved that I have told the Truth about these things. That's right. It's Truth. So it'll probably be on the bulletin board. Billy, are you in the room there? You got it in your hand, the picture? And if you have, well, bring it out here, then you can set it up here, they'd probably see it. Well, I don't know. There'd be a light on the--on the board.

55And here is the--here is the picture right here. I guess you can't see it. But right here you can see that hooded shadow of death over that woman's head. And here is the write-up about it back here, where the lady took the picture, and to see if it actually showed. And there it is, on--on there. It's a hooded shadow of death.

56[Brother Branham speaks to someone--Ed.] See the woman, one right there?

You seen it, I guess, Brother Neville, didn't you? [Brother Neville says, "Yes."--Ed.] Uh-huh.

57So, Billy will probably put it on the bulletin board, if you will, Billy. Come, get it, and take it around the front and put it on the board, so everybody can see it as they go out. He or Doc, either one. Now I thought, maybe, it could show plain enough that you could see it, but there is too much dark for that type of picture. But he'll have it out there, so you can see it, as they goes out.

Now, remember all the announcements.

58 And now, this morning, I thought maybe that we would speak a little bit on something to encourage the church, something that would give you more.

59[Brother Doc Branham says to Brother Branham, "Want that spot?"--Ed.] What say? ["Want that spot on it?"] Yes, Doc, if you will. It might be good.

60I want to use this here. I had... Some of them didn't have it to put on, for last week, so we thought maybe that it would give a little better for today. I wanted to talk on it, because it pertained to a--a dream a sister had.

61 I wonder if Sister Shepherd is in the church this morning. I met her the other night. And the first time I had seen the woman, actually, I didn't even know who she was. Is she? I guess she's not. Yes. Would you mind, would it be anything out of the way, if I referred to that dream, Sister Shephard? You wouldn't mind, would you? All right. It's all right.

And before we approach that, let's bow our heads now again.

62 Gracious Heavenly Father, to Thee we give praise for all Thy goodness and mercy. And now, quieten us down, Lord, that we might study the Word of the living God, as It comes to us through vision and is confirmed by the Holy Spirit, backed up by the Bible. So we pray that You'll give us understanding, that we might know what to do in these last days as we see the evil powers settling around us now. The battle, the final battle is just about to be fought. Help us, Lord. As real warriors, strong, let us keep the shield of Faith up, with the Word of God, the Sword, and move forward. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

63 Now, thinking of moving forward, a battle, like a--a battle set in array, ready to go into action, a--a real battle, to fight the fight of faith.

64Sister Shepherd here, and Brother Shepherd, who are very gracious friends of ours, and who come to this tabernacle. And they are precious children of God. And--and this Sister Shepherd, when I was picking up my mail, the kind that Billy can answer, just somebody say, "Send me so many prayer clothes." And I pray over them. He just answers them back. But when it's an individual letter, I have to answer it myself, you see. So I picked up my individual mail, and so I was taking it home. And I was reading in there, it said, "From Sister Shepherd." And it was a dream that she had had, of--of some months ago. And she never could get it just right until two or three Sundays ago, when I taught on this--this Seven Church Ages and--and the--the seven fruits, Second Peter, how it takes, Second Peter 1, "To add to our faith." See?

65 First, foundationally, is Faith. Second, add to your faith, virtue; to your virtue, knowledge; from knowledge, temperance; from temperance, patience; to patience, godliness; and from godliness, brotherly love, brotherly kindness; and then love, being the capstone. Seven of those things. Seven church ages, see, and seven stars of the church ages, and all of it is tempered together by the Holy Spirit.

66Now, that's what it takes to become a servant of Christ. Christ builds His Church in seven church ages; His Bride, a Person, woman, Church. Seven church ages constitute and make the Bride. Some out of this age, and some out of that age, and some out of that age, and all together, and shaping it like a pyramid.

67 Like Enoch, who built the pyramids, that we believe. And the capstone never was put on top of them, because the headstone was rejected. And we taken now, not as Doctrine, but as to understand, just for the church here. That these...

68God makes Hisself perfect in three. He makes Hisself perfect in "Father, Son, Holy Ghost," three offices of one God. He makes Hisself perfect in "justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Ghost," come perfect, works of grace. He makes Himself perfected in three comings: first time, to redeem His Bride; second time, to receive His Bride; third time, in the Millennium with His Bride. And everything is perfected in three's. And seven is the worship number of God. God is worshipped in seven, completed, now perfected and completed.

69And the strange thing was, not to bring this in, but just to show you, the last deer that I got had five points on one side and three on the other; see, grace and perfection.

70 Now notice on this, that Christ. God wrote three Bibles. The first Bible was in the sky, called the zodiac. Now, if you don't know the Book of Job, just forget about it, 'cause, because Job is the one explains it, how that he looked up and he named those things in the sky.

71And notice, in the zodiac, what did it start off with? The first thing in the zodiac is the virgin. The last thing in the zodiac is Leo the lion. The first coming of Christ, through the virgin. The second Coming, Leo the lion, the Lion of the tribe of Juda.

72 Then Enoch completed in his day, or back in that day, the pyramid. And it would... Course, we haven't got time to background it and show how that that pyramid come up through the chambers and so forth. It speaks right straight to the end time now. They're in the king's chamber now, by the measurement. But the headstone never was put on the pyramid. And that sets perfect, architecturally, or--or masonry. Until, even a... the little thin razor blade... They don't know how they ever built it, don't understand it, could ever a razor blade slice along the sides where that mortar should be. And there's no mortar in it. It's just perfected, put together.

73So that's what it is when Christ and the Church becomes one. There no mortar between. There's nothing between; just God and the person. God, Christ, and the person.

74 Now, but, the headstone, they've never found it. You know the Stone of Scone they have in England, to ordain the kings, or to--to crown them, and so forth. But the headstone...

75Notice on American dollar bill. You'll see if... on the American dollar bill, on the one side, the left side. Is the American seal, an eagle with the... of spears in his hand, on the second side, this is called the seal "of the United States." But on the next side is the pyramid and, above it, a great eye, and under here it says, "The great seal." Why would it be "The great seal" in this nation, even above the seal of our nation? See?

76No matter what you ever do, God makes it speak just the same. See? He makes the sinner speak of it. He makes the nation speak of it. Everything has to speak of Him. Whether you--you want to believe It or not, It's right there.

77Now, notice, there's an eye in that, the eye of God. And because that the cap didn't come off, the Head Seal, because It was rejected, which was the Son of God; the Cornerstone of the building, the Head Seal of the pyramid, and all this now. Now I'm... I don't like to...

78 Sometimes they tape these things, and it gets out amongst brethren in churches, of other churches. And when they do that, then the brethren sometime gets the wrong impression, that I'm saying something about brethren. But I'm not. I... If you could just listen and understand, see, I am not speaking against any brother. Cause, that's not becoming to brethren, to speak against each other. We should speak for one another, not against each other.

79But when I speak sometime of certain organization, like Presbyterian, Methodist, or so forth, they say, "See, he's against it." I'm not against the brother in there, or the sister in there. The system that's separating brotherhood is what I speak against. God's children are one family, and not--and not different groups.

80 And some of them say, "I'll have nothing to do with it, because that's Presbyterian. And I'm Methodist." See? Now, that isn't. See? It's the system of that organization that breaks up that brotherhood. See?

81Now, that, like I've said, if you were going down the river in an old shaggy-looking boat, was going to try to make the falls, and I know that that isn't going to work, well, then, I'm not screaming, rebuking you. I'm trying to get you out of that boat. See? Because, it's the boat that's going to break up, and--and--and you'll be left, setting alone, in the water. So--so it's not--it's not the brother in the boat, but I'm hollering at the brother to show him what's fixing to happen.

82Well, all these systems, that men has made in their achievement has got to break up. That's all. They have to come... We have to come to unity, to brotherhood. That's been my purpose of life is to try to unite and not break up an organization, but let them drop their ideas, and be brothers to every born-again Christian. You see? That, that's the idea. That's where I've stood, well, now, if the brethren would notice it. I...

83 Many of our brethren, even in our Full Gospel ranks, they do not believe that the Baptist and Methodists, and the Lutheran and them, have a chance. But, now, they may be right. But I don't agree with that. I believe that... the age here, of the Lutheran Age, in this age here which was called, I believe, the Sardis Age. And then the Philadelphian Age, for the Methodists. And then the Pentecostal, Laodicean Age. I believe those are ages. And God, in each one of those ages, took an elected people. And in that, as Hebrews 11 says, that, "Them without us is not made perfect." See? But now the Church has come from this, coming in a minority all the time, till It's down into the Pentecostal age.

84 Now, the reason I'm saying this, that you might get an idea on what the sister dreamed. And her dream is certainly comparison to what I been teaching.

85Notice now here, now, all these things that First Peter the 6th and 7th verse tells you, brought by your faith, that's first. Now, I say that people claim to have these virtues without even being born again. And I believe I made a rude remark and said, "It's like a blackbird trying to put peacock feathers in himself, and make hisself a peacock." He can't do it. There has to be a natural feather growed from him. The inside of him has to put that feather out.

86 And always, and I've always been accused of being hard on our sisters, about wearing bobbed hair, and manicure all over their face, and stuff. I've always been accused of being hard on our sisters. It--it isn't that I got anything against that. I don't say the woman isn't a good woman, that she's some streetwalker or something. That isn't my attitude. But, it's this, when she puts so much artificial on the outside, shows there's a lot of artificial on the inside, see, where ought to be filled up with Christ. Because, the outside always expresses what's on the inside. "By their fruits you know them." You see? And where Christ ought to be in there, and to care for the God, and to care for other things instead of so much artificial pomp, and you know, green eyelids, and unhuman-looking, and all that kind of stuff. I just don't go for it, and I don't believe the Bible does either, so I like to be just what we are.

87 Notice, now, if she hasn't got any finger nails, and wants to put some on; if she hasn't got any teeth, and needs some; haven't got an arm, and you need one; haven't got hair, and you need some; you haven't got these things, that's different. But when you pull out your real good teeth, because they're just not as bright as they should be, then you done wrong. If you've got red hair, and you want black, and you go down here and color it black, just because; you done wrong. Yeah, I think so. But the main thing... There's no Scripture for that. Only, to bob your hair, there is Scripture for that, yeah, have plenty of that, so then we want to make sure that that's right, now.

88 Now, our sister, in dreaming, she dreamed that she... Well, first, she was disturbed. "What's the use of going on, and trying to struggle through life, if God requires us to receive the Holy Ghost and we don't have It?" Now, I don't think...

89They may be taping this. But if they don't... If they do, it's for the church alone. See? Now, and if some brother would get a hold of this, and you hear my voice, brother, on this, remember, I'm just teaching to my church. You always, before your congregation, examine the--the tapes, and if you don't want your congregation to hear them, don't let them hear them. But I'm just trying to say to this little group here, that--that Brother Neville and I, by the Holy Spirit, is trying to--to pastor and to teach them.

90 Now, there is some of these Things you might miserably disagree with. So if there is, just like I always said about eating fried chicken, "When you hit the bone, you don't throw the chicken away. You throw the bone away." So always do that. "Eating cherry pie, and you run into a seed, you wouldn't throw the pie away. You just throw the seed away." So you do the same thing in listening to This.

91Now, I--I believe that--that the--the reason that there is so much confusion today, about the Holy Spirit, it's not correctly taught. I believe that the baptism is taught... and just say "the baptism."

92But then be like you say "automobile." But now I've got several mechanics in this church, and I don't know one thing about it. So if I make a mistake, brethren, I'm... Remember, I'm not a mechanic. There has to be coils, and plugs, and points, and valves, and everything else, that makes the automobile.

93And when you talk about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, there's a lot goes with That. Huh? See? There's a lot goes with That. And here is what I think that God is proving: the Holy Spirit is here. See?

94 Now, Peter said, first, "Faith." Now watch it real close now. We're going to teach this for a few minutes. Faith, now, is your first. And add to your faith, virtue; to your virtue, knowledge; to your knowledge, temperance; to your temperance, patience; to your patience, godliness; to your godliness, brotherly love, brotherly kindness; and then love. And anyone knows that love is God. "God is love." See?

95Now, that then, from this, and then bringing this into the seven church ages. God is building, in seven church ages, a Bride for Christ; through the Philadelphian, Thyatirean, and Pergamos, and Smyrnaean, and Ephesus. A church age, that Jesus said, "If the--if the Bridegroom come in the first watch or the seventh watch, all these virgins awakened." They were. They awoke, the virgins of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Did you notice that? It was the seventh age, that when He came and woke up those sleeping virgins. That brings them all the way back down to here. See? For, in this, through the years, ages, He has built a Bride, born a Bride, begotten a Bride on earth for Christ. And the same way that He begets this Bride, He has begot individuals.

96 Now I'm backgrounding this, so that you will see when the sister's dream is being told.

97Now, these things here absolutely must be in the Christian before the Holy Ghost ever seals them, before this comes down on top and makes a complete unit.

98Now, our sister's dream now. She was worried whether she had the Holy Ghost or not, when she laid down across the duofold where her husband was reading a paper. And she has got little ones, as I have, and they're always making a noise and things. And so, in this, she fell asleep for approximately ten minutes, or fifteen. And she dreamed. And she never could understand it, or get it all together, from a year ago, almost, until this Message was taught. Then, while I was teaching It, it all come back to her. And she dreamed that she was praying.

99She was walking the floor, first, before she dreamed, and wringing her hands, and thinking, "Lord, have I got the Holy Ghost? Can You prove to me. Some says, 'Because that--that I shouted.' Or some said, 'Because I spoke with tongues.' And we believe in all that. But have I really got It?"

100 I believe in all those things, those virtues, speaking in tongues, and shouting, and all kinds of demonstration. I believe in every bit of it. But if it's there without This, there is something wrong. See? Now, see, you see, you--you got a shell. Notice.

101And she was worried about it, so she just laid down across the duofold where her husband was reading, and she went to sleep.

102And she dreamed she was up on a mountain. And in this mountain, the best... I haven't got the paper before me, but I think it's like this. She dreamed that she saw a--a rock box, like--like a--a framework, setting right in top of this mountain. And her husband was just behind her. And she saw a large man standing there, with work clothes on, sleeves rolled up, bailing the most pure water that she ever seen, and pouring into this box, this rock box setting in top of the mountain. And the rock box would not hold the water. And it rolled right out of there, and just boiled up all the trash and sticks, and everything in there, and boiled it out and rolled down the mountain. And it rolled over her feet, and she was standing right in that stuff, only it didn't stick to her.

103 And--and then she asked why the box didn't hold it, and the man said, "That is not water. That's the Holy Ghost, and," said, "nothing will hold It." And said, then he went back and got another big bucket, and it was full of honey, and poured the honey into there, said, "Now it will hold this." And she thought that the box, was a rock box, was going to burst out and spill the honey, but it didn't. It finally stuck together and held it.

104She turned and went down the mountain. Going down the mountain, she stopped at the bottom of the mountain and looked back. She saw five streams of this pure, crystal water, not contaminated by the things that it had went through, still pure and clear, coming swiftly. Then it slowed up. Then, almost fading out, and she was wondering would it ever reach the bottom of the mountain, five streams. And she woke up.

105I think that's just about close to being right, isn't it, Sister Shepherd?

106 Now, no more than I picked up the letter and opened it, before I read it, I saw her dream.

107That's the way dreams are interpreted. Now, many of you has come to me with dreams, and--and say things to me about dreams. I say, "Wait a minute. You never told it all." See? And go back and pick it up. Then if you can't tell what you dreamed, how you know the interpretation is right or not? See? You've got to, you've got to see the dream. A vision has to show the dream. And when you see the dream that the person dreamed, and can tell them before they tell you, then you know the interpretation.

108 Well, I believe that's in the Scripture, also, Daniel, one time. Wasn't that right? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Said... Yeah. I believe I just happened to think of that then. See?

109But you always see the dream, now, if the interpretation is right. A person start telling you a dream, you can just stop them, say, "Wait a minute. And it was so-and-so. It was so-and-so, plus so-and-so."

And then you say, "That's exactly right." See?

110A man, the other day, was trying to tell me a dream that he dreamed. He said, "Well," he said...

I said, "Now, brother, why did you leave out that other part?"

He said, "What other part?"

111I said, "You dreamed that you threw a rock up in the air, and I shot at it and got some in my eye."

112He said, "That's exactly the truth, Brother Branham." And they just picked the last part of it out, yesterday. Uh-huh.

113So there you are. See? See? Why? You don't tell the truth of it, but, you see, It always reveals back, what, tells you your dream, what you dreamed. Then you know it's right.

114 Now, here is interpretation of her dream. She was bothered about the Holy Spirit. Now, insomuch that she seen the box on top of the mountain, was the rock. Rock box, is rock, "confession." Now, like Jesus said in the Scripture. He said, Peter said... "Who," Jesus said, "who does men say I, the Son of man, am?"

"One said Thou art 'Elias,' and 'Moses,' and so forth."

And He said, "But Who do you say I am?"

He said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

115 Now, some people say now, the Catholic church says, the Roman Catholic church says, that His con-... "What the rock was, that Jesus said, 'Upon this rock I'll build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against It.'" They said, "It was upon Peter. And Peter was that rock, 'cause Peter means 'little stone.' 'Upon this little stone I'll build My Church.'" And upon Peter, they, apostolic succession, they built the church.

116Then the Protestant church says, "That's wrong. That, it was upon Himself He built the Church."

117Now, not to be disagreeable, but, I, to my way of seeing it, it's both wrong. Because, He never built It upon Peter, neither did He build It upon Himself, but it's upon Peter's revelation of Who He was. See?

"Who does man say, I the Son of man?"

"Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God."

118"Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonas. Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you," some seminary, see, "but My Father which is in Heaven has revealed to you. Thou art Peter. Upon this rock of confession, upon this revelation, I'll build My Church."

119 And that's been, each church age has had that rock confession, on up to this rock confession of the Laodicea.

120And, now, you cannnot make a holy church. There is no such a thing as a holy church or holy organization. The Holy Spirit can be preached in it, but in there you find good and bad, renegades, indifferent, and everything else. So an organization will not hold. You can't say, "We got It. None of the rest of them has It." No, sir. The Holy Spirit is poured out on individuals. It's the individual.

121So, therefore, the rock, this latter-day, pentecostal Church which has received the Holy Spirit, they did at the first. All down through the ages, they receive the Holy Spirit, but not in the measure that they have It now, 'cause it's a restoration of the first. As we take the candlesticks, Alpha and Omega, how they lit the first candle; it went higher and higher, and got dimmer and dimmer; then come back again. See? First and last, and so forth.

122 Now, but in this church age, the Message is being poured into the church. But the church body, itself, in altogether like the...

123This tabernacle, we'll say. (That's where she comes to church.) This tabernacle is not a Holy Ghost tabernacle. There is no such a thing. Individuals that come into this church is Holy Ghost tabernacles. They are tabernacles that contain the Holy Ghost, but not the church in the body, a group. Therefore, It runs out.

124But, what, this man who was pouring the water, the messenger to the church, pouring the Message into the church, but what was the water doing? It was boiling out all the trash that was in it. That's what the Holy Spirit does, boils it up, now.

125Now, the honey represented brotherly love, brotherly kindness, which is this age. I just got through telling, see, of brotherly kindness, the age that we live in now.

126 Now, you might say, "Look, I--I--I sure don't like Brother Neville." Or, "I sure don't like Brother Jones. I don't like Brother So-and-so," and something like that. But just let something happen to him, brother, your heart is broke. It just nearly killed you. See? We can obtain brotherly kindness and feeling for one another. See? But to maintain in a group of people...

127Why do you care for that brother? Because you've broke bread with him here at the altar, as you will tonight. You fellowship with him. You shook his hands. You worship with him. He's your brother. And he might do something in the flesh, that you would disagree with, because you just kind of stay, (which you oughtn't to do), but shun him a little. But in the bottom of your heart, if something happened to that brother, it would just nearly kill you, or that sister.

128I--I'm an old man. I was once young, and now I'm old. I've seen it, down through the age, do that. Hear people say, "I just won't have no more to do with him." And something happen to that man, it nearly kills him. He thinks, "O God, I let my precious brother go, without making friends with him." You see? See? See? It's brotherly love. It looks like it won't stick, but it does stick. The honey, it sticks.

129 Now, insomuch that she come from there, down the hill, to the bottom of the hill, now, this glorious water was gushing over hills, in five streams. Now, five is the number of grace; J-e-s-u-s, f-a-i-t-h, g-r-a-c-e. See? Five is the number of grace. Five streams was pouring from up here at the trough, down through here.

130Each one of these ages had that rock confession. The saints are sleeping, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, see, on till this age. But soon the Holy Ghost, being poured out from Christ, will come and will seal up the Church. Then the Church will be raptured. It'll be a complete unit of God, a Bride for Christ, who will be the Head of all things. You follow me now? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]

131Now, she was wondering. Now, in her dream, she was wondering, "Would this little stream... Would this little stream ever get to the bottom? See? It was drying up. Now, being that, she herself. Now here is what I want you to get to now. She herself was wondering about her own self. Did she "have the Holy Ghost"?

132 Now, I shunned saying this, a few days ago, thinking that the church would be spiritual enough to catch it. And maybe I better turn this tape off right now, but 'cause I don't want it get out amongst brethren. But you could speak with tongues, you could shout, you could dance, you could cast out devils, do anything you want to, and still not have the Holy Ghost.

133Didn't them disciples come back, rejoicing and shouting because the devils was subject unto them, and Jesus... right among them was Judas? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]

134Did not Jesus say, "In that day," when He come, that, "many will come to Me and say, 'Lord, have not I cast out devils, and in Your Name done mighty works?' And I'll say, 'Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I didn't know you.'" Those things are not indications of the Holy Spirit.

"By their fruit you shall know them."

135 Now you say, "Brother Branham, do we, should we speak with tongues?" Absolutely. That's gifts of God. But those gifts of God, without these virtues in them, makes a stumble block to the unbeliever. It's not accepted by God.

136This has to be first. And when you have faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, and brotherly love, then the Holy Ghost comes down and seals you as a unit, the same as He seals the church ages as a unit. The way He makes His Bride is the way He makes His individual; made out of same material, like Eve was made out of Adam, a rib from the side. Here is the things that you have to have first. You can't impersonate them. You can't imitate them. They've got to be God-sent and God-born. Imitation only causes confusion.

137It's like I said. Could you imagine seeing a buzzard setting there with a dove feather stuck in his wings, say, "See, I'm a dove!" He's not a dove. He's a buzzard, vulture. Could you imagine a black bird with a peacock feather in his wings, and saying, "See!"? That's something that he stuck in.

138But it has to come from the inside out, and it produces Christianity; God, by the power of the Holy Spirit!

139 Our sister had her feet wet when she got to the bottom. All of us know Sister Shepherd to be charitable. Her house is open. Her and brother, I don't care if it's a bum, beggar, whatever it is, they'll feed him, do anything they can to help him along. Oh! God accepted that, her foundation part.

140And here's, now, get this lesson. Here is what's wrong with the--with the... I turn on for this. Here is what's wrong with the Branham Tabernacle. You see, there is two different kinds of faith. There is two different kinds of virtue, as I had it the other day. Two different kinds of knowledge. Two different kinds of temperance.

141One thinks it's prohibition, they got. That ain't the kind of temperance that God is talking about. It's that ungodly, uncontrollable temper you got, and things of that side, fast back, fuss.

142 Patience, and so forth, there's a mockery of it, a pretending to be; a nature-given faith; a nature-given virtue. There's a nature-given temperance. All these things are nature given.

143And the biggest part of our faith is mental faith. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] By hearing the Word, it brings us to a mental recognition of God.

144But if This, coming from Above, oh, brother, if It ever strikes this, there is a godly spiritual faith. Then what does that faith do? That faith recognizes only the Word. No matter what anything else says, it only recognizes the Word, because, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." And the Word is still God. "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." And when the Word Itself is pouring into our faith, our mental faith becomes a spiritual revelation.

145"And upon this foundation I'll build My Church." See? Not upon a mental conception of church joining, a mental conception of That; but upon the revelation, when them streams of grace has poured into that mental faith that you've got. Then, upon this, a spiritual revelation, "I'll build My Church, and the gates of hell can't prevail against It." See? That shows they would be against It, but it'll never prevail. Oh, what a glorious thing! Now see the faith. These five streams...

I had a piece of chalk here, but I guess he never brought it out.

146 But the five streams you see coming down through here, tempers this together. It has been the Holy Spirit that made the Ephesus church. It was the Holy Spirit that birthed the Smyrnaean church. The Holy Spirit that give the Pergamos church, and the Thyatira church, in the Dark Ages. It's the Holy Spirit that's built that Bride, the Elect that's pulled out of all the organization systems down through the ages, like that. There's an Elected, a predestinated Bride of Jesus Christ, that the Holy Spirit has called out the Elect. And it's been the Holy Ghost in this age, that age, that age, that, that, that, that, on up to the top, the Holy Spirit.

147And now as in the individuals, these virtues and things, are knowledge and temperance, is added to our faith. Then when the Capstone comes, the Holy Spirit cements It together. There is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That's why it's so short today.

148 Me see here, I got some texts wrote down here. Let's see. I had a picture drawed here, for her dream. See? You can't see it from there.

149Now, coming from the Holy Spirit, what is come? Then He will give to you, supernatural faith, spiritual faith, that here at the bottom. Then that spiritual faith recognizes only the Word. No matter what anybody else says, it don't--it don't do no good. That only knows the Word. If somebody say, "The days of miracles is past." That faith only knows the Word. Somebody says, "There's no such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost." That faith only knows the Word. That's real, spiritual faith, you see. That's right. See? It only knows the Word.

150 Then, that was number one. Number one, coming to you, your mental faith right here, comes the Holy Spirit coming down into your mental faith, making it a spiritual faith. Then the spiritual faith only recognizes the Word now.

151And number two, three. Then you'll have spiritual, you'll be have the Holy Spirit, and will seal all these things into you, as that Holy Spirit covers this. From your faith, up to the Holy Spirit, seals you in with Christ. Then you become One. Amen. (Get this thing out of my way; it's hard on your arms.) You become one. See, you and Christ live together. "At that day you'll know that I'm in the Father, the Father in Me; I in you, and you in Me." See? Then that's a sealed unit of the Lord God now.

152And then they are vindicated and placed. When that time takes place, they become vindicated sons and daughters of God.

153 Do you remember, over in the Book of Matthew, the 17th chapter, the 1st to the 5th verse, Jesus on Mount Transfiguration?

154You've heard Hear Ye Him. The sermon I just, here about a year ago, preached, become so popular, Hear Ye Him. The placing of a son, in Ephesians 1:5 also, "God has predestinated us unto adoption of sons."

155See, a family, when a son is born into it, it's a son then. But that son had tutors to raise it. And if that son never did come to--to be the right kind of a son, he never become heir. But if he was the right son, and the son that would obey his father, then that son was adopted, or placed positionally. He become heir of what the father had.

156And that's what God was doing on Mount Transfiguration. When He took His Own Son, after He had been proven to be the right Son, see, and had stood all temptations, He took Him up on Mount Transfiguration and overshadowed Him.

157 You know, in the Old Testament, they took a son, dressed him in a nice, pretty garment, and set him out before the public. And they had a ceremony of placing, or we call it adopting. In Galatians there, I kind of think Paul refers to it as adopting sons. Now, but, placing a son, ministers will understand, and spiritual, Bible readers, of placing this son. In other words, the son was a son when he was born.

158There is where our Pentecostal people made their mistake. Being born into the family, by the Holy Ghost, that's right, but then we must be the right kind of children, tutored by the right Tutor. See?

159 Now, if a man, back in the old age, thought of his son, he wanted him to be a right kind of a son, he got the best tutor he could find, the best teacher, 'cause he wanted his son to come up to be like his daddy. See? So he got the right tutor.

160Now, if a man on earth would think of the best tutor, how about God, our Father? Now, He never got bishops, and cardinals, and priests. He got the Holy Ghost to be our Tutor. And the Holy Spirit is our Teacher. And He--He's in the Church, and He takes message to the Father.

161And then what if the father of the tutor come up and said, "Well, Father..." Now, he ain't going to get some kind of tutor that wants a straw in his hat, you know, a feather, we call it. Say, "Oh, if I tell the father something about... That little boy is a renegade, anyhow, but if I--if I tell the father, the father might give me a raise." That ain't the right kind of a tutor. A right kind of a tutor is honest, tell the truth.

162 And the Holy Ghost tells the Truth when He comes before God, to us. Yeah. So He comes up. What do you think? He'd blush today to say, "Your daughters are all cutting their hair, and You told them not to. Your sons are so organized-minded, they just simply can't see one to the other. That's right. And they're adopting this for This, and this for That." How He must blush! But how that Tutor would love to come and say, "Oh, my! That son is a real son. He is just like the Father." Oh, how He'd love to say that! See?

Then the Father swells out in pride, say, "This is My son!"

163That's exactly what God did on Mount Transfiguration. Notice, there appeared Moses and Elijah. And Peter, all excited; the supernatural was done. Peter got excited, said, "Let's build three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elias."

164While he was yet speaking, God shut him up. He said, "This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him." See? God put Hisself in the background, and, "This is My Son."

165 Moses represented the law. The prophets represented His justice. We could not live by His law. We could not live by His justice. I don't ask justice. I want mercy, not justice. I can't keep His law, and I can't meet His justice. But I need His mercy. And God said the law and justice has been met in Him. "He's My beloved Son. Hear ye Him. That's Him. That's the One."

166Now, in the Old Testament when that son was adopted, or placed into the family, his name was just as good on the check as his daddy's was. Yes, sir. They didn't have a... They had a ring, them days, a--a sign, signet. And they'd... [Brother Branham makes a spitting sound and hits the pulpit--Ed.] Spit on it, place it, there was a signet. That was just as... He wore his daddy's ring, his signet. And that was just as good as his daddy's.

167Now, when Jesus had been obedient, Jesus to God, God placed Him positionally, "This is Him."

168Now, when the member is born by the Holy Ghost into the family of God and has proven to have these virtues in him, that God can see virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, and godliness, in him, then God seals him, or places him. And, there, that's when you see the sons and daughters of God.

169 Then, Ephesians 4:30 says, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed until the Day of your redemption." Now, some of you Baptists that wants to go on Eternal security, now, if you'll come to that stage, I'll stand with you. It's Eternal security if you'll come to that place.

170But just to say, anybody says, "I've joined the Baptist church. I'm a Presbyterian. I got Eternity security." That's wrong. Your own life proves you haven't got It, until This is there.

171And God has adopted you and sealed you by the Holy Ghost into His Kingdom, then there is no getting out of it. You are Eternally secure. Believe. "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby all you and your godly virtues are sealed until the Day of redemption."

172 I believe there is a Bride that's predestinated. I believe God said He would have "a Church without spot or wrinkle." I believe in predestination, that the Bride is predestinated. She's got to be There. I hope I'm with Her. That, see, I'm with Her. Now it's up to me to work out my own salvation with God, until these things are approved of God, and then sealed into the Kingdom of God. There is the Holy Spirit. There is the genuine works of God. "It's sealed until the Day of redemption."

That was her dream. I thought it was beautiful.

173 Now, therefore, when She does that, when that Church comes to this place, or the individual, the Church is going to be There. Let me say it real good so you get it. The Church is predestinated to be There. I want to be with It, but the only way I'll be with It, is to be part of It. How do I become part of It? By being in It. How do I get in It? By a baptism, by one Spirit. First Corinthians 12, "By one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body." One Body; baptized into It.

174 But you can't stick these little things, say, "I spoke with tongues. I got It." You go out here, and angry, and swear, and carry on. See? That's putting peacock feathers in a--in a jay bird. See? You can't do it. Your own life proves that it's not.

175But when these things are operating in you, by God, then you're sealed. Then there's no put-on about it. You're just yourself. That's when visions, perfect, Holy Spirit, works of God, everything, is made manifest, because (why?) you and Christ become one. I hope that's understood. You and Christ become one.

176I had something else I had wrote down here, I wanted to think of. Brings us to the place of Life. Then you become... have Eternal Life.

177 Now, I got the Greek lexicon here, The Emphatic Diaglott. I studied the other day on a word.

178Now, in John 14, or John 3:16, we find, one place says, "have everlasting Life." Another place it says, "have Eternal Life." But in the Greek, in the Greek version... In the Hebrew, it says, "Life without end." In the Greek word, has a-i-n-i-o-a-n.

179Almost like "aeon." Aeon is "a space" that can't be, is a number that can't be numbered. It's beyond millions, trillions, billion.

180But this is aionios of time, Eternal Life. And the English word for it is Eternal. We know it as Eternal, aionios, or "Life without end." See? And if you've got Life without end, how can you perish? You have become a part of the Eternal. And there's only one thing Eternal.

181Satan is not Eternal. No. He--he become Satan. Hell is not Eternal. Hell was created. It's not Eternal. And these bodies are not Eternal. They were created.

182But the Spirit of God is Eternal. It never had a beginning, or It never has an end. And the only way we can have Eternal Life, from that Greek word, Zoe, which means, "God's Own Life," we have, we become a part of God when we become sons and daughters of God, and we have aionios Life. So the part that lives, us, that recognizes this Word, from here to there, that recognizes, is aionios Life, "Life without end." It's God's Own Life in us. Amen. Whew!

183 The other day, on the trip, I had a discussion, the Jehovah Witness. Now, no disregard to anybody's belief. We got plenty of them converts setting here, from Jehovah Witness. One of our trustees of the church was Jehovah Witness, was, and was saved, him and his family. His father was a reader; Brother Woods and them. All of his brothers and sisters now, about all of them has come in, received the Holy Ghost, because of the visions of God tell them what they did. And what they... See? That done it.

184 Now, but here, Jehovah Witness in their book, it says that the breath that you breathe is the soul. Now, that cannot be right. The breath that you breathe is not soul. If it is, you're--you're one time you're one kind of soul, next time you're somebody else, has breathed that soul. Look where you'd be. Now, the breath is wind, and wind is what you breathe into your nostrils.

185Now, they take the Scripture from back, "And God breathed Breath into his nostrils, and he became a living soul." Now, I want to ask you something. If he was a man, what kind of a breath was he breathing before God breathed His Breath of Life into him? See? What kind of breath? He was a breathing, living man. Well, then, if that be so, then every animal is a living soul, 'cause they breathe a human soul, and our soul, and all together. Then Jesus wouldn't have had to die. The animal sacrifice would have been sufficient. See? So, brother, the argument don't stand.

186But what God did, He breathed the Breath of Eternal Life, amen, then he become a living soul, a soul that can't die. Now watch now. We're going to get into honey, plumb to your elbows. Notice. "Breathed the Breath of Eternal Life into his nostrils, and he became an Eternal soul." Cause, God breathed, not what nature done, but what God did, breathed the Breath of Life into his nostrils, and he become a living soul.

Then you say to me, "Adam died, Brother Branham."

187 But remember, before Adam died, he had a lamb that redeemed him. Hallelujah! "Those who He foreknew, He has called." He got a lamb to redeem them. He was a type. Adam fell. Then the lamb was provided for Adam, because already in his nostrils had become the Breath of the Eternal God, and he become a living soul. He was a son of God.

188Not his breath, as the African word. I don't know what the Greek word is for it, right now. But the African word, they call amoyah, which means, "the wind; an unseen force." Animals breathe amoyah. Sinners breathe amoyah.

189 Then why would we struggle for Eternal Life, if that's the Eternal soul breathed into us by breath? Why would we struggle for Eternal Life? It backfires, brother. See? It--it--it just can't do it.

190But, God, specially upon Adam, breathed the Breath of Eternal Life, and he become an Eternal person with God. He had power like God. He was an amateur god. He was god of the earth; not God of Heaven, now. God of the earth!

191And some day the sons of God will again become gods. Jesus said so. "Is not it written in your law, 'Ye are gods'? Then if you can call those who He called god, who God visited, how can you condemn Me, say, when I say I'm the Son of God?" See? Now we're getting into something deep. Now watch this when we drive it down.

192 Now, here they are. He is now a son of God, but he makes a mistake. He knows he's doing wrong. Now remember, Adam was not deceived. The Bible said so. First Timothy 3. "Adam was not deceived, but the woman was the deceived, was in the transgression." Adam walked with Eve, because it was his wife.

193Same as Christ, not deceived by Satan, but walked into the death with the Bride. He went to be with the Bride, so He could redeem the Church.

194Adam knowed he was wrong, so he just walked out with Eve. See? But there was a lamb provided for them, that they were redeemed.

195And these lambs, today, that were foreknown by God, and God has called, there is a Redeemer. "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him. And all the Father has given Me will come to Me." That right? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] So there is a provided Lamb, from the foundation of the world, where their names were put on the Lamb's Book of Life. A Lamb was provided, to make a way of grace for every one of them to go in the resurrection, a provided Lamb; Adam's lamb, now notice, as Adam had a provided lamb.

196 Now, that's the Church today. I don't mean the--the church. You know what?

197I don't say this to be sacrilegious, and I don't mean it to hurt anybody's feelings. I'm not here to do that, as I've already explained myself. I'm here to help, but what I'm trying to do.

198You know what? Actually, these churches are not churches. There's only one Church. These are lodges. See? They are lodges. I ain't got nothing... It's all right. But I--I want to prove that to you, in a few minutes, that they are merely lodges. You belong to the Methodist lodge, to the Presbyterian lodge, or to the Pentecostal lodge, as far as that goes. Yes, sir. See? Lodges! See? You cannot... See? Churches are actually lodges where people with the same idea drift together.

199But the Church is One. And you cannot join the Church. You are born in It. And when you're born in It, you're a member of It.

200Just like my family. I been in the Branham family for fifty-three years. They never did ask me to join the family. Why? I don't have to join the family. I was born a Branham.

201And you are born in the Church. Now, these others are lodges. Did you ever think of that? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Yes, sir.

202 One day I was mowing grass, and I was thinking about, well, "The great holy Catholic church," they call it. I was going along like that, mowing.

203And Something stopped me, just as stiff, said, "Don't call that That." I looked around. I started mowing on. Again It stopped me, said, "Don't call them That." Said, "They are a lodge, like others. They are not Church. There's one Church." See? They are members of a lodge, 'cause you can join a lodge. But you can't join the Church. The Church, you are born in It. You become a member of It by new Birth, then a member of the Family, a brother or sister in It.

204 Now let me just read you out of The Emphatic Diaglott here, something, of Revelation 17:3, and the Apocalypse of The Emphatic Diaglott here. And just watch this, how this reads, and how--how beautifully it just compares with that. Revelation 16, 17. All right. Now let's read here just a minute. Listen to this, real close, Revelation 17:3.

And one of THOSE SEVEN Angels having... SEVEN Bowls came and spoke to me,...

205I'm reading you, out of The Lexicon. "Having..."

... "Come, I will show thee the JUDGMENT of THAT GREAT WHORE, who SETTETH upon Many Waters;

206 And we all know that's the Vatican. Here we got Our Sunday Visitor in there, from the Catholic church, telling us just exactly what it is. See?

207And this answer to it, said, "But wait a minute." Said, "There's been all kinds of names," said, "would make six hundred and sixty-six."

I said, "But just a minute."

Said, "Your name might make six hundred..."

208"But," I said, "I don't set on seven hills, ruling the world, though, you see." Uh-huh! See? That's right. See?

209[Brother Branham reads Revelation 17:1 from The Emphatic Diaglott--Ed.]

... show thee the JUDGMENT of THE GREAT WHORE, that SET upon Many Waters;

210Waters, Revelation 17:15, is "thickness and multitudes of people." See?

with whom the KINGS of the EARTH have committed fornications, and the INHABITANTS of the EARTH have been made drunk with the WINE of the... her FORNICATION."

211Now what?

And he conducted me, in the Spirit, into a Desert;...

212The Emphatic Diaglott now. See?

... and I saw a Woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured Beast, full of Blasphemous Names,...

213Now, in the King James, says, "full of names of blasphemy." Just a moment, and I'll get it here, just a minute. Revelations, the 3rd. All right, here it is. All right. Revelation, I meant 17, not 7; 17, now listen at the 3rd verse.

And he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy,...

214That's the way the English give it. But the original Greek from The Diaglott reads it like this, in Revelation 17:3. Listen.

And he conducted me, in the Spirit, into a Desert; and I saw a Woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured Beast--Beast, full of Blasphemous Names,...

215That's a lot different, from "names of blasphemy" to "blasphemous names." What is it? And we... Now, she was:

... THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS...

216 We all know that. But what is it? [Someone says, "The Roman Catholic church."--Ed.] You don't have to be... Well, that's right, that would take the Roman Catholic church. But she is "full of blasphemous names," Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, all calling themselves, "churches of God." Blasphemous names! Lot of difference between "names of blasphemy" and "blasphemous names." Call themselves, "the Church of God," and representing themselves before the world; and card parties, and drinking, and carrying on, and soup suppers, and everything else, and all kind of stuff go.

217There's only one Church. You're born into It. You don't come in There until you're washed in the Blood of the Lamb and sealed away by the Holy Ghost.

218 What a difference between "names of blasphemy" and "blasphemous names." Get it? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]

219I caught that this morning when I was reading here, the coming down. Something just told me, "Go into your room. Pick up The Diaglott."

220Well, it's just obedience. That's all. Walked in. And I picked out Revelation 17. I thought, "Why do You want me to read this for?" I started reading. [Brother Branham snaps his finger--Ed.] Soon as I struck it, "There it is." I got a pencil and wrote it down. I said, "There it is."

221 Now, they hollering about me kicking against organizations. It's those blasphemous names, that call themselves, "churches of God, and churches of Christ, and churches of Methodist, and churches." It's lodges, not churches.

222One Church, that's the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what is It? The mystical Body of Jesus Christ in operation on earth, made up of a member of any of these congregations, that would be a member of Christ's Body. You have to be born into It, not joined into It.

223 And to join in it, is blasphemous names, this woman. This woman, her power!

224And you see right now where they're going to take all the people that's got odd ideas about religion, and send to Alaska. You've seen that. All of our odd beliefs.

225And what is it? The council, the World Council of Churches and the Catholic has their big to-do going on in the Vatican now, over there, to where they're trying. And all these bishops, and so forth, they're trying to come to an agreement, to fight communism. The world fighting communism, and only joining up with Catholicism.

226 It's just like it is today. Here we are, as I said. We're go... We're almost bankrupt. We're borrowing, spending money now, on taxes that'll be paid fourteen years from today. That's how far we are gone. Who has got the money of the world? The Catholic church. How would it be loaned to the United States? To keep these tobacco and whiskey companies and things. Sure, they'll borrow it from them. When they do, they sell their birthrights, right out, to the Roman Catholic church. We consolidate. Watch this, just plain, plainer than reading a newspaper. Here it is. See?

227 They're Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and so forth, calling themselves, "the Church of God." Catholic and all that kind of stuff is this beast power full of blasphemous names. Calling yourself, "I'm..." I said...

228I went to the hospital here, not long ago, was going to pray for a person. I said, "We're going to..." It was my mother. I said, "We're going to have prayer for mother."

And the lady said, "Draw that curtain."

I said, "Aren't you a Christian?"

She said, "We are Methodists."

229I said, "Thank you. I thought maybe you was a believer." I just pulled the curtain around on me. See? So, if you're not a Christian, that's different. See?

230 But, "We are Methodists," that's blasphemy. The beast, churches, called churches, they are not churches. Let me be sure that's on record. Yeah. They are not churches. They are lodges. People join them.

231But you cannot join the Church of the living God. You're born into It, by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. And when you're baptized with the Holy Ghost, these virtues are sealed in you, by the Holy Ghost, and therefore, "He that's born of God does not commit sin." "Cannot." There you are. Oh, my!

We just talk all day, couldn't we?

232 The Church is the mystical Body of Christ, born of the Breath of God. Oooh! Did you get it? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] The Church of God is born of the Breath of God. God breathed Breath into the nostrils, spiritually, of Adam, and he became a living soul. Did you know the pentecostals, or the true pentecostal Church, is born of the Breath of God? ["Amen."]

233Let me read you something, just a minute that's on it. Let me see, just a minute. Saint John, I believe, where I'm going to. We'll find out whether the Church of God is, or not. Saint John, let's see, I believe that's about 16, 19; 20. All right. Here I believe we'll have it, right here. All right. Let me read you, and see whether the Church is born of the Breath of God, or not, like Adam was in the beginning. Watch.

And the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut and the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst of them, and said unto them, Peace be unto you.

And when he had so said, he showed... them his hands and his side. Where... Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. And Jesus...

And then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father has sent me,... so send I you.

234Watch. The Father that sent Him went in Him. And Jesus, when He sends a disciple, He goes in him. Same One sent; God.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said... Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

235 Church, born of the Breath of God! When this stature has molded itself up there, in condition, God's Breath breathes upon them, "Receive the Holy Ghost," then you are a son of God. You can join anything you want to, but you're born into the Church of the living God, born by the Breath of God. God breathed upon them, and said, "Receive ye," whew, "the Holy Ghost." Oh, my! There you are.

236Not, "Come and join, put your name on there." And with your soup suppers and all goes with it, you join a lodge. You can join a Methodist lodge, Baptist lodge, Presbyterian lodge, Catholic lodge, or a Pentecostal lodge, anything you want to join, but you're joining a lodge.

237But when you become a child of God, you are born by the Breath of God. Amen. Better leave it alone, right there now. All right.

238 God's Life is also then in you, Jesus said. Just a minute. Jesus said, "I am the Vine. Ye are the branch."

239Now look. What was their fuss with Jesus? Their fuss with Jesus, because He was a Man making Himself God. He was God. God was in Christ. See? And He told them. He said, "And don't look at Me. It's not Me. It's My Father, and He dwells in Me." Oh! See?

240Now, they was looking at that little body that was born of Mary. See? That wasn't God. That was the Son of God, but God was in that Body. It was God. He said, "If I do not the works of My Father, then condemn Me. But which one of you can condemn Me of sin, unbelief of the Word? Which Word has God spoke that hasn't been fulfilled in Me?" Sin is unbelief. "Which one of you accuse Me of sin?" Sin is unbelief. "Show Me. If I do not the works of My Father, then don't believe Me. But if I do the works of My... Though you can't believe Me, believe the works that I do, for they testify." Otherwise, "The Father is in Me, testifying of Himself." Cause, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself." You get it? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]

241Well, now, the same Life that's in the Vine is also in the branch. How you going to join in That? It can't.

242 I seen a tree not long ago, in Brother Sharrit's yard in Arizona, had nine different citrus fruits on it. What was it? It was a--it was a orange tree, a navel orange. But it had a--it had a--a lemon, a tangerine, a tangelo, and a grapefruit. It had all kinds. I stood, looked at that tree. And I said, "Brother Sharrit, you mean to tell me that that tree is an orange tree?"

He said, "Sure."

243And I said, "Well, how? How come?" I said, "I see a grapefruit here, and a tangerine here, tangelo here, and a lemon here, and all these other fruits. How does it come?"

He said, "Well, you see, they are grafted in."

244"Oh!" I said, "Well, I want to ask you something. Now, you pick this grapefruit and lemon off. Now, next year, it will what? It will come forth then with an orange out of that."

"Oh, no." Said, "It'll come forth with a lemon on it. See?"

"Oh," I said, "thank thee." See?

You can't do that. You can't join in.

245 "But," he said, "every time that that tree gets a year older and puts out a new branch, it comes forth with oranges, if the vine itself puts out the branch."

246And what we've tried to do is be joined members into Him, and we live under the name of Christianity. Because, we are, as it's in a common way of saying we're the citrus fruit, the Christian Church.

247But when the Vine Itself puts forth a vine, it'll be like the first Vine It put forth. If the first Vine It put forth, they wrote a Book of Acts behind It; if It every puts forth another one, It'll write a book of acts behind It. Right.

248 So, you're only joining lodges. But when you're born out of the Vine... You got a fruit. That's right. You got a fruit, but what do you do with it? "You have a form of godliness, and deny the power thereof." You deny signs. You deny wonders. You deny the Holy Ghost. You deny speaking in tongues. You deny visions. You deny prophecies. You deny healing. And, yet, "Call yourself a name." No wonder the Holy Ghost said, "A power, of a groups of people, full of blasphemous names, sure, calling themselves, 'Christians.'" "With forms of godliness, but denying the power thereof. From such turn away, for this is the sort that leads silly women laden with divers lusts."

249All kinds of organization! The church is packing so much, with this kind of a society, and that kind of society. What about the society of Jesus Christ? See? We have all these other things, and we've burdened the church down. Now there you are.

You never can join a Church.

250 You join a lodge. You're a member of a lodge, of a group of people, just like a lodge is. "We believe in this. We have our orders. We have our secrecy, and so forth." You do the same way, only you join a so-called church.

251But you cannot join Church. You joined the lodge of members, but not a Church, for you are born into that Church and the Vine Itself.

252Now wait a minute. Watch. I'll close, after while. Notice. Excuse me. I--I didn't mean to say that. Watch. Look.

253If God tempered this Bride together with that Spirit, then It tempers the individual together with that Spirit, see, then you are born into that Kingdom. And then the very Life that was in this Church, is in that Church, and That, That, That, That. And the very Life that was in the hull, the Vine, Jesus, is in the member that He has put forth. Glory! "With the same things that I do, the works that I do, shall you do also." There is the true member of the Body of Christ, no kind of a name tacked onto It. The very works of that individual proves where he come from. His life testifies what he is.

254"Are you what member? What body you belong to?" The Body of Christ. "Well, where did you join It?" I didn't. I was born in It. See? I was born in It.

255You don't have to tell them. They know what's happened. "You, how can you light a candle and put a bushel over it?" He said. See? No, no.

256 When you're born into that Kingdom of God, then the Life, the very Life that was in Jesus. Then you're interested in souls. Then you don't have to beg people, come to the altar. You don't have to beg for somebody, come seek with those who are at the altar. Yeah. The--the--the--the things just automatically flow, because It's sealed up in you. You are a unit of God. You're sealed with the Holy Ghost.

Now do you know what "the Holy Ghost" means?

257It don't mean, "I jumped up and shouted. I had a strange feeling." Them is all right. I've jumped up and shouted, and had strange feeling. "I spoke in tongues." I believe the Holy Ghost speaks in tongues. Sure. "I've interpreted." Yes, sir. I believe that, too. But that ain't It. That isn't what I'm talking about. There can be a leak up here somewhere. There can be a leak here, in your patience.

258Let somebody smite you on one side, the face, do you turn the other one? But you say, "That dirty hypocrite!" Then there's a leak, somewhere, sprung. We better leave that alone. All right. But you know what I mean.

259But when you're sealed into the Body of Christ, then you are Spirit-filled, and you're a son of God.

260 Oh, I wish I just had about ten minutes, to read something here. [Congregation says, "Go ahead. Read it, brother."--Ed.] But would you bear with me another ten minutes? ["Yes."] I want to read something, just a little bit. Now, honestly, the beans won't burn. I'll just assure you, see, if we'll just read this just for a few minutes. It's just too good to let go. I just got a couple things here, just comes on my mind, that I would like to say.

261Let's turn to Saint John, the 3rd chapter, talking about Life Eternal. Let's just find out what It says here about this Eternal Life problem, God's Life. Now, now watch here.

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

The same came therefore to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God:... no man can do these miracles... except God be with him.

262Now, they, them Sanhedrin courts, they recognized that He was the Son of God. They knowed it. Here was their ruler right here, telling Him, "We know that You're a Teacher comes from God, because the very Life of God is flowing through You." See? "We know that Your teach is not of Your Own. It's of God, because God is proving It." See? "The Life of God is flowing right through You." Now watch.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily,... I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

263 Oh, my! "Unless you join my church"? Oh! See how they get It off? See? See?

Jesus, then Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water and... Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of... flesh is flesh; and that which is born of... Spirit is spirit.

Marvel not that I say unto you, You must be born again.

The wind blows where it listeth,... (See, right back again, see, coming back, see.)

The wind blows where it listeth,... thou canst not hear the sound... can hear the sound thereof, but can not tell from whence it come, or where it goeth: so is every one... is born of the Spirit.

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and know not these things?

264Look at there, brother, a--a D.D., Ph.D., double-L.D., see, "And know not these things?"

Verily,... I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that which we have seen; and you receive not our witness.

265"We know these things. We seen them. We know It, and you don't even receive our witness." Church-joiner! See?

If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you... heavenly things?

266Now listen at this here. Watch.

And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that come down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

267Figure that one out.

268 You know, one time, He said, "What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?"

They said, "The Son of David."

269He said, "Then why did David, in the Spirit, say to Him, 'The Lord said unto my Lord, "Set Thou on My right hand"'? How could He be His Lord and His Son?" No man asked Him anything else.

270In Revelation, He said, "I am the Root and the Offspring of David." See? "I am the Vine and the Branch. I'm the beginning. I was before the beginning. I was the beginning, and--and I was the Offspring of Him, too."

271Now, here He said, "No man has come down from Heaven, but the Son of man which now is in Heaven."

272A lady asked me, one time, a question. I said, "Answer this one for me."

Said, "Who did Jesus pray to, in the garden of Gethsemane?"

273I said, "Who was He talking about when He said, 'No man has ascended to Heaven, but He that come down from Heaven, even the Son of man which is in... which now is in Heaven'? Who?"

274 Here He is, standing right here on a housetop, talking to Nicodemus, and said, "I'm in Heaven." That right? [Congregation says, "That's right."--Ed.] Let's leave that till tonight. What do you say? ["Amen."] It's getting too late. Oh, my! Let you ponder over that a little while, this afternoon.

275How do you get in the Church? [Congregation says, "Born."--Ed.] Born. What by? The Breath of God.

Breathe on me,

Breathe on me;

Spirit of the living God,

Breathe on me.

276That's my prayer: just let the Holy Spirit breathe. Oh, my! For, the Breath of God, what is It? Sealed away in the Kingdom of God, knowing that, when I first confessed, I believe Jesus Christ. Yeah.

Then, to my Faith, I add virtue, godly virtue.

Then to my virtue, I add knowledge of the Word.

277 To my knowledge, I add temperance, self-control. I like that. "My country 'tis of thee, crown my soul with self-control, from sea to shining sea." See?

278Patience. Oh, my! Tested. Don't you worry; Satan will count them for you. I'm climbing up the ladder now. See? I've added virtue, knowledge, temperance, now I've got to add patience. I still ain't got the Holy Ghost.

279Then after I add patience, I add godliness. You know what that is? Like God. I add that. Don't misbehave myself. Go like a Christian gentleman ought to. Let that not be a put-on. Something in me, the love of God, just boiling. See? See? Not say, "Uh-uh-uh-uh, boy, I could do it, but maybe I better not." See? Huh-uh. Huh-uh. It's there, anyhow.

280It's a Birth. I been birthed into this, into this, into this, into this, into this, into this, into this. And then the love of God, Christ, comes down and seals all that up in me, for service. See?

281 Then what does He do when He gives me the Holy Ghost? He sets you out in a separate place to yourself, marks you. See? You're a different person then. You're not of the world, no more. See? You're clothed different. You're dressed different. Not this outside dress. No, no. You don't have to be odd and peculiar, and collar turned around, and a long ceremony, like. No, no. You don't do that. You dress, physically, like this. It's the spiritual dress that counts. The wedding garment has been put on you. What are you?

282 Like Jesus, watch, He was overshadowed, and He was transfigured there before them, and His raiment shined like the sun. There He was, Jesus, God placing His Own Son. See? And then up come Moses. Then up come Elijah. And Peter said, "You know, it's--it's a good thing to be here." See how man gets? Yeah. Oh, the supernatural done! Said, "Let us build three tabernacles. Let's build one for Moses, and one for Elijah, and one for You."

283And before he got through speaking, God just shut the whole thing up, said, "This is My beloved Son. In all these things that I required of Moses, and put the law out by Moses; the justice by the prophets; He has met it all. Hear ye Him. I'll step out of the picture now. Just hear Him. Just hear Him." Oh, my! What a beautiful thing!

284 Then, when we have met these qualifications, and become full of the virtues of God and the things of God, then the Holy Spirit comes down and seals us into the Kingdom. Don't worry. Everybody will know you got It. You won't have to say, "Well, glory to God, I know I got It. I spoke with tongues. Glory to God, I know I got It. I danced in the Spirit once." You won't have to say a word about it. Everybody will know you got It. Don't you worry. Yeah. It'll testify for Itself. He will let it be known among men.

285 God bless you. So glad to be here with you this morning, have this time of fellowship. Listen, our little church is small, and yet we don't have enough room for the people who come here. We are not an organization. We believe and have fellowship with every organization. You just come here because that you want to come. And you, we love you. And we want every organization, every person...

286I believe that there is people in all them organizations are Christians. They are brothers and sisters in Christ.

287 So, therefore, we have no strings, nothing to join, nothing to do but just be a Christian. As E. Howard Cadle used to say, "We have no law but love, no book but the Bible, no creed but Christ." That's right. Come and visit with us. We're happy to. We believe the Full Gospel, every bit of the Word. We believe just exactly the way. We don't add one thing to It, take anything away from It, add any organization stuff to It. We just leave It just the way It is. That's it. And we're always glad to receive you. You come and be with us when you can. We pray for the sick. We believe everything the Bible says do. We are "forgetting our weaknesses, behind, and we're pressing towards the mark of the high Calling."

288 Now, one thing more. Will you permit it to be said? Day before yesterday morning... You'll notice on the--the board out there, a vision. I had a vision. It was about five o'clock, as my wife back there knows, or six. I had woke up. We got up to get the children ready to go to school.

289I just have these, now and then. And you all know, every one of you here, that they never fail. They, they are absolutely perfect. See? They never fail.

290And I thought that I was the happiest person I ever seen. I was standing in the sun, s-u-n, and was--and was preaching the Gospel to a large, mammoth congregation.

291[Brother Branham pauses--Ed.] I just wanted to see if it was being taped.

292A--a large, mammoth congregation, and they were setting in a forest. And streaks of the sun was shining down on them, just here and there, getting It, getting the Word.

293 And I'm, as usual, always too long, too late, preach too long. And I preached so long, until the congregation become hungry for physical food. And they, some of them, got tired. So they just got up, went out to get them some food, started going out.

I said, "Don't. Don't."

294I had two climaxes I wanted to meet, I wanted to meet, in my sermon. And the Lord had give it to me. And any preacher knows, when you really know it's God has give it to you, you just burning to tell the people.

295And I was just preaching, Charlie, just as hard as I could preach, just laying it on, you know, and say, "All these great things, this what God is doing. Look at this. He discerns the thoughts of the heart. What is It? The Word." And go like that. And, oh, I wish I could remember what I would say and what my text was. I can't think of it. See? But I was just preaching away.

296 And I was watching myself do it. And then when I was standing there, looking, and watching myself preach It.

297And I was just preaching, to-who-wouldn't-have-it. And after a bit, I raised up, you know, and I thought, "Glory to God!" I said, "Look at these wonderful things, and this, that!"

298Directly, I noticed the people begin to get like they was physically hungry. And so they had enough spiritual, so they started walking away. And some of them... [Brother Branham yawns--Ed.] Started walking away.

I thought, "What's the matter with everybody?"

299And--and I looked, and here some young couples going along, to my side. I thought... I said, "Just a minute, friend! Just a minute! You'll be back again when the evening shadows fall." See? I said, "You'll be back again. But let me give you this first climax. Where does all these things come from, that I've showed you? Where are they from?" I said, "Here they are. They are in the Word of God. They are THUS SAITH THE LORD, His promise. Cause," I said, "all of you bear me record, witness this, that my commission is, 'Stay with the Word.'" I said, "What's the matter with all of you? Can't you understand the Word? You must understand It."

300And some of them said, "Man, I'd like to have some biscuits," and so like that.

301 Well, I just thought, "Well, glory to God! If they want biscuits, let them go get them."

302So I--I turned around. I thought, "Oh, but, you know what? The shadows is going to fall, after while, right away." I said, "Then, tonight, when that congregation gathers in again, I'll put the climax to them, and told them that the things that they have seen me do is found in the Word of God, not in some mythical book or some organization. It's found in the Word. See? Every bit of it, in the Word, 'cause I'm commissioned to That."

303I thought, "You know, they'll, every one, be back tonight, so here is what I'll do. I'll background, kind of background." You know the way I do it on these church ages and things, say what I said before. "I'll background it, on the Word, and then this great, marvelous climax." I said, "What a time it'll be! Praise be to God!" And I seen myself getting real little, and heard that, "Praise be to God." I seen myself fading up like that. And here I was, standing there.

304 Now, here is the interpretation thereof. See? The first thing that I have done, the things that's been done, has been mystical to the people, most of them. I don't mean the Full Gospel and saints of God, but, I mean, in most the people. And you never want to look at the world, kosmos, as the Message of God. When you go and you say...

305Like Boze said, "I've always..." Said, "I had a dream, years ago, that the--the God would send me to Chicago and shake Chicago for the glory of God."

I said, "Joseph, He has already done it."

"Why," he said, "they haven't been shaken since Moody."

306I said, "That? I'm talking about the Church. That's cannon fodder out there. That's just dust of the earth, that bunch cramming through the streets, painted Jezebels and everything." I said, "That's out there. Them big old lodges and things will crumble and fall into the streets there." I said, "He is talking about the Church. The Church that seen the revelation of Jesus Christ made manifest, and they recognize It. They may not be fifteen out of Chicago. There may not be ten in this generation, out of the whole city of Chicago, come forth."

307 Did you ever think of that? "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the Coming of the Son of man, wherein eight souls were saved." Uh-huh. How many come out of Sodom? See what I mean? I doubt being a handful. See?

308But the Church Itself has received the shaking. They've recognized it. They knowed the Word. They seen the Word when It was being materialized, and they caught It. Now look at that for a minute, now.

309And this first Message, when they'd see It, everybody rallied for It, said, "Oh, glory to God! Oh, if I could see this, that, and the other." And they go right away, the same way they come in. See?

310 And now they think, "Well, I don't know. Where would you join? If I don't come to this, it'll be this way. And I'll be kicked out, over here, and I won't have nothing to here." Brethren set down and say, "Well, what would I do if I...?" See there? They won't stop long enough to recognize It's the Word that God promised, being manifested. See? And they walked away.

311But, don't worry, the shadows are close at hand, see, when I return to the field.

312You remember, the other night, of the Message that He give me back there when I was laying the corner stone? Just exactly. Said, "Do the work..." Said, "When you come out of this vision, read Second Timothy 4." You know, it's laying right there in the cornerstone, thirty-three years ago.

313Said, "Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of your ministry. For the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap teachers, having itching ears; turn from fable... from Truth unto fables." If that hasn't been, just word by word! [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

314 But, remember, then, the other night, when I never did read the rest of it. The thirty-something years that I've preached in this tabernacle, never one time did I ever go any farther than that, and I don't know why.

315I often wonder, till, one day, I seen where Jesus picked up the Scroll and begin to read, and read half of the prophecy, and stopped, and said. There in Capernaum, He said, "And this day, this prophecy is fulfilled." Why didn't He read the rest of it? It pertains to His second Coming. See?

316And there I had read that, not knowing. I picked up that, and there it was, right before me, at Southern Pines, South Carolina. That morning, standing out there, talking to Joseph Boze, leaned up against the side of a car, I struck it. [Brother Branham snaps his finger--Ed.] Paul said, "I... All men has turned against me. There's no man with me. Demas has forsaken me; loving this present world. And I now..." Look. "And the coppersmith done me much harm."

317 Look what Demas must have thought. "Why, I seen Paul preach the Gospel and heal the sick. And here he sets, suffering, himself, carrying a doctor along with him, Luke. All time he goes, taking a doctor with him, a man preaching Divine. Why, I seen him smite a man blind. Said, 'The Lord rebuke thee, and you'll be blind for a season.' And let the coppersmith run him out of a meeting. I guess he lost his power to smite men blind. Alas, he lost his power of Divine healing. God has turned against him."

318 I don't think Demas went out into the world, 'cause Demas was of a... You know his history. He was of a big, rich family. And he wanted to go with the rest of the crowd.

319But, Paul, poor little Paul. What was it? God always let's a ministry get like that, and then crowns it.

320He let Jesus get to a place. Look at there. When He could raise the dead, when He could do anything He wanted to; and let a Roman soldier jerk beard out of His face, and spit in His face. [Brother Branham make a spitting sound--Ed.] Hit Him on... Put a rag around His face, and said, "Now, You know, they tell me You are a Prophet." All of them stood around with the reeds, and hit Him on the head. [Brother Branham make a hitting sound.] Said, "Now tell us which one hit You." He knowed which one hit Him. Uh-huh. Sure. He did. See? But His ministry was fixing to be crowned.

321It always gets that spot where it seems like it's real, real weak, just about gone, then God crowns it.

O Lord, let it happen. Let it happen, Lord.

Let's bow our heads.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first...

Now worship Him. We've had a hard teaching.

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

322Let's raise up our hands now to Him. "I..." Now be in the Spirit, see, "I love Him."

... I love Him

Because He first loved me.